cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Smart control joypad based on natural-contact sensor

A group of sensors used for measuring human physiological signals in a non-intrusive and real-time manner for the applications where humans operate joypad to perform tasks is researched and developed.The group of sensors can be used to measure the following signals:blood volume pulse(BVP),skin conductance(SC),skin temperature(ST),and gripping force(GF).The sensors are developed based on the natural-contact paradigm for biosensors and wrapped up on the joypad.Such joypads are called smart joypads.A preliminary test of the smart joypad has shown a great promise of them.
Clonality analysis by T-cell receptor gamma PCR and high-resolution electrophoresis in the diagnosis of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL)

During T-cell maturation, T-cell receptor (TCR) gene segments rearrange, resulting in a new, unique DNA configuration. The recombined TCR gene loci display a high degree of nucleotide sequence variability. Molecular biological clonality assays focus on this cell-specific DNA pattern. The finding of an identical TCR rearrangement in a large number of T lymphocytes signals a malignant proliferation, although clonality is not always equivalent to malignancy. Thus, detection of clonal TCR gamma rearrangements by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), followed by high-resolution electrophoresis is a valuable tool in the diagnosis of cutaneous and other T-cell lymphomas. For the clonality assay described here, all rearrangements of T cells present in a given sample are amplified by a set of only three TCR gamma-PCRs. The products are investigated by either heteroduplex temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (HD-TGGE) or fluorescent fragment analysis (FFA) on a capillary DNA sequencer (or by both methods), for clonality. Both electrophoresis techniques show highly reproducible results and are comparatively easy to conduct, however, specific instruments are required. Concerning lower detection thresholds, the methods need a minimum of about 1% of clonal T-cells in mixtures with polyclonal T-cells for revealing clonality.
Hybrid Metal-Semiconductor Nanostructure for Ultrahigh Optical Absorption and Low Electrical Resistance at Optoelectronic Interfaces.

Engineered optoelectronic surfaces must control both the flow of light and the flow of electrons at an interface; however, nanostructures for photon and electron management have typically been studied and optimized separately. In this work, we unify these concepts in a new hybrid metal–semiconductor surface that offers both strong light absorption and high electrical conductivity. We use metal-assisted chemical etching to nanostructure the surface of a silicon wafer, creating an array of silicon nanopillars protruding through holes in a gold film. When coated with a silicon nitride anti-reflection layer, we observe broad-band absorption of up to 97% in this structure, which is remarkable considering that metal covers 60% of the top surface. We use optical simulations to show that Mie-like resonances in the nanopillars funnel light around the metal layer and into the substrate, rendering the metal nearly transparent to the incoming light. Our results show that, across a wide parameter space, hybrid metal–s...
On Slavic Diphthongs Ending in a Liquid

(1952). On Slavic Diphthongs Ending in a Liquid. WORD: Vol. 8, Slavic Word No. 1, pp. 306-310.
Relationships de Confianza and the organisation of collective social action

ABSTRACTThis article examines the social and cultural organisation of learning and community change in a largely new immigrant and under-resourced neighbourhood in the US Situating our investigation within a local social movement for food justice, we use an ethnographic lens to study how learning is made to become consequential across relationships between people, across activities, and contexts. Our four-year ethnographic study highlights how community health workers (promotoras) build relationships de confianza as a tool that mediated new forms of action in the focal neighbourhood. We demonstrate how relationships de confianza have laid a foundation to (a) mediate social networks to organise for change and (b) promote solidarity through the response to urgent needs, creating a more holistic model of community health and sustainability. Drawing attention to relational resources foregrounds social actors and their ingenuity, promoting equity-oriented scale-making.
Progressive alveolar septal injury in primates exposed to 60% oxygen for 14 days

Moderate exposures to hyperoxia are becoming increasingly common in clinical medicine as advancing technology allows O2 to be more effectively delivered to nonintubated patients. The sensitivity of the lung to injury by a subchronic exposure to 60% O2 was investigated, using baboons and serial lobar biopsies. Because results obtained from different regions of the lung were compared, the alveolar architecture of different lung lobes of three controls was studied, with the use of electron microscopic morphometric analyses, to assess possible lobar differences in volume, surface, and numerical densities of cells and tissues. In animals exposed to 60% O2, the same techniques were used to assess specific tissue changes in the epithelial, interstitial, and endothelial compartments of the alveolar septa. All six lobes of the normal baboon lung were found to be identical with respect to alveolar architecture. Thus, for gases of low reactivity and given in high concentrations, such as O2, cross-comparisons between different lobes are appropriate. Exposure to 60% O2 was found to cause proliferation of alveolar type II epithelium, suggesting a low-grade, chronic epithelial injury. Animals allowed to recover for 8 wk in room air showed progressive changes in the alveolar interstitium, involving increases in both cells and matrix. Because sequential lobar resections were done, animals were exposed both to 60% O2 and to the effects of general anesthesia and thoracotomies. The exposure to 60% O2 for 2 wk in this experimental setting leads to an alveolar septal injury that includes a progressive interstitial fibrotic response.
Quantitative assessment of autonomic symptom burden in Postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS)

Postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS) is a poorly understood disorder characterized by excessive tachycardia in the upright position. In addition, patients with PoTS often complain of non-postural symptoms, including fatigue, gastrointestinal and vasomotor fluctuations. The present study quantitatively assessed autonomic symptom burden in PoTS patients (n=32) using the COMPASS-31, compared to that of autonomic failure/neuropathy (AF/N; n=47) and asymptomatic, healthy controls (n=32). Using AIC model selection and regression analysis, we found differences in the contribution of individual COMPASS-31 domains, depending on the autonomic disorder. In PoTS, fatigue severity, orthostatic intolerance and pupillomotor symptom domains, contributed significantly to differences in COMPASS-31 scores compared to controls. In contrast, the secretomotor, gastrointestinal, bladder and vasomotor domains, contributed significantly to the AF/N model. Our results confirm an increase in autonomic symptoms across all functional domains in PoTS compared to controls, and with similar severity to AF/N, though with differing significant domain contributions. Our findings provide additional support that PoTS is indeed a syndrome of autonomic dysfunction beyond orthostatic intolerance, but also indicates the likelihood of disease-specific contributions to symptom burden, highlighting the need for application of expanded physiological assessment beyond orthostatic challenge, as well as disease-specific symptom assessment tools for use in PoTS.
Surface Redox Chemistry of Immobilized Nanodiamond: Effects of Particle Size and Electrochemical Environment

The size of the diamond particle is tailored to nanoscale (nanodiamond, ND), and the ND surface is engineered targeting specific (electrochemical and biological) applications. In this work, we investigated the complex surface redox chemistry of immobilized ND layer on conductive boron-doped diamond electrode with a broad experimental parameter space such as particle size (nano versus micron), scan rate, pH (cationic/acidic versus anionic/basic), electrolyte KCl concentration (four orders of magnitude), and redox agents (neutral and ionic). We reported on the significant enhancement of ionic currents while recording reversible oxidation of neutral ferrocene methanol (FcMeOH) by almost one order of magnitude than traditional potassium ferricyanide (K3Fe(CN)6) redox agent. The current enhancement is inversely related to ND particle diameter in the following order: 1 μm << 1000 nm < 100 nm < 10 nm ≤ 5 nm < 2 nm. We attribute the current enhancement to concurrent electrocatalytic processes, i.e. the electron transfer between redox probes and electroactive surface functional (e.g. hydroxyl, carboxyl, epoxy) moieties and the electron transfer mediated by adsorbed FcMeOH+ (or Fe(CN) 6 3+ ) ions onto ND surface. The first process is pH dependent since it depends upon ND surface functionalities for which the electron transfer is coupled to proton transfer. The adsorption mediated process is observed most apparently at slower scan rates owing to self-exchange between adsorbed FcMeOH+ ions and FcMeOH redox agent molecules in diffusion-limited bulk electrolyte solution. Alternatively, it is hypothesized that the surface functionality and defect sites (sp 2-bonded C shell and unsaturated bonds) give rise to surface electronic states with energies within the band gap (midgap states) in undoped ND. These surface states serve as electron donors (and acceptors) depending upon their bonding (and antibonding) character and, therefore, they can support electrocatalytic redox processes in the presence of specific redox-active molecules via feedback mechanism. Apparently, FcMeOH+ tended to have electrostatic affinity for negatively charged ND surface functionalities, corroborated by present experiments. We also attempted to study biocatalytic process using model metalloprotein (cytochrome c; Cyt c) immobilized on ND particles for investigating interfacial electron transfer kinetics and compared with those of functionalized graphene (graphene oxide; GO and reduced GO). The findings are discussed in terms of interplay of sp 3-bonded C (ND core) and sp 2-bonded C (ND shell and graphene-based systems).
Practical Approach to Imaging of the Pediatric Acute Abdomen

Infants and children commonly present to the emergency department (ED) with abdominal pain, yet clinical evaluation of this condition remains extremely challenging due to overlapping clinical symptoms and signs. Although many causes of abdominal pain are self-limited, accurate and prompt diagnosis is important for proper triage and management, particularly in the setting of emergent conditions such as midgut volvulus or acute appendicitis. The utility of imaging with radiography and fluoroscopy is well established, although there have been significant recent advances in cross-sectional medical imaging for pediatric abdominal emergencies which allows for further applications of ultrasonography (US), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Superior diagnostic performance is often achieved using a combination of modalities, but a wide variety of complex imaging protocols can hinder clinicians from requesting the most appropriate imaging study. A close working relationship between radiologists and referring clinicians is encouraged to optimize the use of imaging services, particularly in the setting of the acute abdomen. Emerging clinical decision support tools can further assist clinicians to make appropriate imaging study requests.
Transport Protocol with Acknowledgement-Assisted Storage Management for Intermittently Connected Wireless Sensor Networks

The benefits of hop-by-hop transport protocols and in-network storage in intermittently connected networks are well known. However, due to the extreme limitation on the storage capability of wireless sensor networks (WSNs), the hop-by-hop transport protocols that are based on in-network storage without storage management are inappropriate to apply directly to intermittently connected WSNs. The lack of storage management leads to mote storage overflow when using in-network storage, which in turn degrades the performance of the network.
Teach the teacher: Training otolaryngology fellows to become academic educators.

Objectives/hypothesis Fellowship is the capstone of academic training and serves as preparation for an academic career. Fellows are expected to educate medical students and residents during and long after fellowship. However, little time is typically spent teaching fellows to become effective educators. We investigate a formal curriculum addressing teaching skills among fellows in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery (OHNS). Study design E-mail survey. Methods We developed and implemented an educational program called Teach the Teacher to build skills as educators for fellows in OHNS. We conducted a survey of fellows from 2014 to 2017 in OHNS who participated in the course. The survey evaluated demographics, teaching experiences, and teaching limitations structured as yes/no and Likert-style questions (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree). Results Thirty fellows were surveyed with a response rate was 80%. Fellowship was rated highly as an experience that will make fellows a better academic educator (mean ± standard deviation: 4.54 ± 0.64). The most important components of teaching during fellowship were role modeling (4.67 ± 0.62), followed by teaching psychomotor skills in the operating room (4.29 ± 0.89), diagnostic reasoning (4.25 ± 0.66), and evidence-based medicine (4.25 ± 0.83). The Teach the Teacher course specifically was rated as a helpful experience (4.00 ± 0.90). The primary limitations to developing teaching skills during fellowship identified were lack of time, patient safety, and inexperience with hospital culture. Conclusions Fellowship is a key time to improve skills as academic educators. Fellows value formal efforts to teach academic skills. Level of evidence NA. Laryngoscope, 128:2034-2048, 2018.
Radiation Therapy Field Design and Lymphedema Risk After Regional Nodal Irradiation for Breast Cancer

Purpose The occurrence of upper extremity lymphedema after regional nodal irradiation (RNI) for breast cancer treatment varies significantly based on patient and treatment factors. The relationship between the radiation therapy (RT) field design and lymphedema risk is not well-characterized. The present study sought to correlate the variations in RT field design with lymphedema outcomes. Methods and Materials Women with stage II-IV breast cancer receiving RNI after breast surgery that included sentinel lymph node biopsy or axillary dissection were identified. Their arm circumference was measured before RT and at each follow-up visit to assess for lymphedema. Nodal RT fields were defined using a trifurcated system. Group 1 excluded the upper level I and II axilla, defined by the lateral border of the nodal field encompassing less than one-third of the humeral head. Group 2 included the upper level I and II axilla, defined by the lateral border of the nodal field encompassing more than one-third of the humoral head treated with an anterior oblique beam. Group 3 included the upper level I and II axilla the same as for group 2 but with parallel-opposed beams delivering a significant dose to the musculature posterior to the axilla. Results From 1999 to 2013, 526 women received RNI. The median post-RT follow-up was 5.5 years. For the 492 women meeting the inclusion criteria, the cumulative incidence of lymphedema was 23.5% at 2 years and 31.8% at 5 years. On univariate analysis, the patients in group 1 had a lower 5-year lymphedema rate (7.7%) than those in group 2 (37.1%) and group 3 (36.7%; P Conclusions Variations in the RT field design significantly affect the development of lymphedema after RNI. In particular, the upper level I and II axilla appear to be important regions for lymphedema risk after axillary dissection.
Athens, athletes, and arrhythmias: The cardiologist's dilemma

In 490 BC, the first battle for democracy was fought at the Greek village of Marathon. Though overwhelmingly outnumbered by an invading Persian horde, the citizen-soldiers of Athens were victorious. After running 26 miles to Athens to deliver the stunning news, the Athenian professional messenger
The Importance of Landscape and Population Diversity for Ecosystem Services Associated with Fishes

One of the most pervasive themes in ecology is that biological diversity stabilizes ecosystem processes and the services they provide to society; a concept that has become a common argument for biodiversity conservation. In particular, species-rich communities are thought to produce more temporally stable ecosystem services because of the complementary or independent dynamics among species that perform similar ecosystem functions. These arguments have focused on the effects of species diversity on ecosystem stability but have generally not considered the importance of biologically relevant diversity within individual species. Current rates of population extirpation are probably at least three orders of magnitude higher than species extinction rates so there is pressing need to clarify how population and life history diversity affect the performance of individual species in providing important ecosystem services. Furthermore, heterogeneity in habitat conditions buffers the effects of regional scale climate change on aquatic organisms because of complementary filtering of climate by different habitat types. Taken together, habitat heterogeneity and the associated diversity of populations that inhabit aquatic landscapes, enhance resilience in ecosystems and the human economies that rely on these ecosystems.
Separated Systems of Singular Spaces

Sometimes in a geometry, a residual of a flag F may exhibit objects A and B that appear to belong to classes of distinct types in the residual, but may in fact belong to one type in some covering geometry. The method of realizing such a covering geometry, due to A. Cohen, is exposed. If the covering geometry is connected, A and B belong to one class; if it is not connected, A and B are objects of distinct types. There is some wrestling with sufficient conditions for the latter choice.
Experts Judgment and/or Group Participation

Today’s decision makers and problem solvers in government, business, industry, and education -- in any area of our society -- are confronted with a variety of problems. These problems are highly complex, often interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary, with social, economic, political, and emotional factors intertwined with more quantifiable factors of physical technology. For example, education involves not only buildings, teachers, and curriculum, but also home life, ethnic attitudes, motivation to learn, economic effects exemplified by the taxpayer’s revolt, effects on power structure, political implications, applicable legislation, discrimination, and more [Warfied, W19]. Therefore, when attempting to solve a problem, all important factors of the problem should be considered.
Finite mixture models with one exclusion restriction

Summary This paper characterizes the identified set for finite mixture models with one exclusion restriction on the data-generating process. It provides necessary and sufficient conditions on the observed data for point identification and for when the identified set has measure zero. The results are illustrated in a simulation study and with data from a randomized controlled trial on chemotherapy for colon cancer as well as with data from an observational study used to estimate returns to schooling.
ZONING - A RATIONAL APPROACH TO ESTUARINE REHABILITATION AND MANAGEMENT

7 leaves ; 28 cm. Bibliography. "Paper was presented at the Third Biennial International Estuarine Research Conference held in Galveston, Texas on 6-9 October 1975."
The accomplishments of open heart surgery; the status of 35 patients 18 to 36 months following the operation.

Abstract A review of our early experiences with 35 patients who had successful open heart surgery with the aid of the pump oxygenator, and who are now alive more than 18 months after surgery, is presented. Excellent grades of improvement persist in 34. These preliminaryresults have been encouraging, and have served as the impetus for the development of advanced techniques. The scope of the field of effective treatment, the facility and capability of the surgeon, and the safety of the patient have all shown constant improvement.
Oxidative Stress, Intrauterine Growth Restriction, and Developmental Programming of Type 2 Diabetes

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) leads to reduced birth weight and the development of metabolic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes in adulthood. Mitochondria dysfunction and oxidative stress ar...
A pore-localizing CACNA1C-E1115K missense mutation, identified in a patient with idiopathic QT prolongation, bradycardia, and autism spectrum disorder, converts the L-type calcium channel into a hybrid nonselective monovalent cation channel.

Background Gain-of-function variants in the CACNA1C-encoded L-type calcium channel (LTCC, Cav1.2) cause type 8 long QT syndrome (LQT8). The pore region contains highly conserved glutamic acid (E) residues that collectively form the LTCC's selectivity filter. Here, we identified and characterized a pore-localizing missense variant, E1115K, that yielded a novel perturbation in the LTCC. Objective The purpose of this study was to determine whether CACNA1C-E1115K alters the LTCC's selectivity and is the substrate for the patient's LQTS. Methods The proband was a 14-year-old male with idiopathic QT prolongation and bradycardia. Genetic testing revealed a missense variant, CACNA1C-E1115K. The whole-cell patch clamp technique was used to measure CACNA1C-WT and -E1115K currents when heterologously expressed in TSA201 cells. Results The CACNA1C-E1115K channel exhibited no inward calcium current. Instead, robust cardiac transient outward potassium current (Ito)-like outward currents that were blocked significantly by nifedipine were measured when 2 mM/0.1 mM extracellular/intracellular CaCl2 or 4 mM/141 mM extracellular/intracellular KCl was applied. Furthermore, when 140 mM extracellular NaCl was applied, the CACNA1C-E1115K channel revealed both robust inward persistent Na+ currents with slower inactivation and outward currents, which were also nifedipine sensitive. In contrast, CACNA1C-WT revealed only a small inward persistent Na+ current without a robust outward current. Conclusion This CACNA1C-E1115K variant destroyed the LTCC's calcium selectivity and instead converted the mutant channel into a channel with a marked increase in sodium-mediated inward currents and potassium-mediated outward currents. Despite the anticipated 50% reduction in LTCC, the creation of a new population of channels with accentuated inward and outward currents represents the likely pathogenic substrates for the patient's LQTS and arrhythmia phenotype.
Reaction intermediate-induced vapor–liquid–solid growth of silicon oxide nanowires

The vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) process is the most popular vapor-phase method for the controlled growth of various one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures with the assistance of catalyst particles. In a typical VLS process, precursors for the desired deposits are introduced intentionally during the growth and catalysts are employed to promote the formation of 1D nanostructures. However, in this study, we report a new VLS growth mode for unexpected 1D nanostructure growth without directly introducing corresponding source materials. In the nanostructure growth of a compound semiconductor, ZnTe, besides the expected ZnTe nanowire arrays, the unexpected growth of “jellyfish-like” SiOx nanowires has been observed. The study of the growth mechanism reveals that the reaction intermediates from the ZnTe growth, Te-based vapor species, induced the growth by producing Si vapor, while Au catalysts promoted the growth of the nanostructures. Detailed growth processes in this new VLS mode have been analyzed. This study will attract attention towards composition and phase controls for the growth of compound semiconductor nanostructures. The new growth mode can be extended to realize convenient growth of other nanomaterials with lower temperature and lower cost.
Associations of urban greenness with asthma and respiratory symptoms in Mexican American children

Abstract Background Evidence on the association between residential surrounding greenness (RSG) in urban areas with asthma and asthma symptoms is inconsistent. Objective To examine the association of RSG with respiratory outcomes in a sample of Mexican American children living in inner-city Chicago, Illinois. Methods This study is based on parent-reported data on 1915 Mexican American children. We calculated RSG using the normalized difference vegetation index based on satellite imagery within buffers of 100, 250, and 500 m of each child's residence. Multivariable multilevel mixed-effect logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for the effect of a 1-interquartile range increase in greenness. Results In adjusted analyses, a protective effect of greenness within 100 m was observed for lifetime wheezing (aOR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.69-0.96). Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure modified the association of RSG with lifetime asthma and current dry cough at night. For all buffer distances, increased greenness was associated with lower odds of lifetime asthma among children with current ETS exposure (100 m: aOR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.22-0.87; 250 m: aOR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.18-0.84; 500 m: aOR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.26-0.90) and lower odds of current dry cough at night among children with perinatal ETS exposure (100 m: aOR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.31-0.92; 250 m: aOR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.31-0.98; 500 m: aOR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.35-0.87). Conclusion Our results suggest inverse associations of urban greenness with respiratory outcomes, especially in children exposed to ETS. Further research is needed to examine the mechanisms through which RSG may be associated with the risk of asthma and contribute to health.
Viral Respiratory Infections and Their Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Outcomes

Purpose: Viral respiratory infections are important causes of morbidity and mortality in young children & frequently require pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission. Recently it has become possible to identify common viral infections with molecular assay panels. However the PICU outcomes related to single or multiple viral infections remains unknown. The objective of our study is to compare PICU outcomes between single and multiple viral respiratory infections in relatively healthy children < 5 years. Methods: A retrospective, single center, cohort study of children < 5 years of age admitted to …
Radiopharmaceuticals in Nuclear Pharmacy and Nuclear Medicine

R.J. Kowalsky and K.D. Weatherman Washington, DC: American Pharmacists Association, 2020, 943 pages, $249.95 The fourth edition of Radiopharmaceuticals in Nuclear Pharmacy and Nuclear Medicine further builds on the strong foundation of the previous editions. This latest edition reorganizes the
Discharge Communication of Medications for Hospitalized Pediatric Patients and Caregivers

Background: Effective discharge communication is essential for reducing medication errors at home, a leading cause of harm that particularly impacts pediatric patients and caregivers with limited English proficiency (LEP). Little is known about the quality of provider communication of medications to patients and caregivers at the time of hospital discharge. Purpose: To characterize nurse communication of medications at the time of hospital discharge for hospitalized children. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study using direct structured observation of hospital discharges by trained observers at a freestanding children’s hospital. We included conveniently sampled discharge encounters of …
The intersection of pharmacy leadership and management with clinical skills: Education plays a key role

Abstract Introduction Clinical pharmacy service expansion is a challenge of scalability, and education can play a big part in the profession's transition to patient care. Underdeveloped staff management and leadership skills may prohibit scalability of innovative patient care service models observed in research and academic pharmacy environments. Commentary In today's rapidly evolving healthcare industry, formal education in leadership and management may provide the prerequisite skills for frontline pharmacists to innovate and scale clinical care services thereby improving quality patient outcomes. One important component of this is the use of pharmacist-extenders and team-based task delegation to eliminate technical tasks from the pharmacist's workload and maximize time spent in functions requiring professional judgment. Implications The Academy should develop leadership and management skills in tandem with patient care-related skills to optimize care delivery. Specifically, pharmacy educators should lean into concepts of organizational behavior and evidence-based management. The future of pharmacy is highly dependent on future pharmacist leaders; development of successful leaders is imperative to the profession of pharmacy.
Hypodermic needle to guide Kirschner-wire placement in paediatric supracondylar humerus fractures: a technical trick.

Abstract Purpose Supracondylar humerus fractures are among the most common injuries in the paediatric population, accounting for 16% of all paediatric fractures and roughly 60% to 70% of all paedia...
$\mu$-distortion around stupendously large primordial black holes

In a variety of mechanisms generating primordial black holes, each black hole is expected to form along with a surrounding underdense region that roughly compensates the black hole mass. This region will propagate outwards and expand as a shell at the speed of sound in the homogeneous background. Dissipation of the shell due to Silk damping could lead to detectable $\mu$-distortion in the CMB spectrum. While the current bound on the average $\mu$-distortion is $\left| \bar{\mu}\right|\lesssim10^{-4}$, the standard $\Lambda$CDM model predicts $\left| \bar{\mu}\right|\sim10^{-8}$, which could possibly be detected in future missions. It is shown in this work that the non-observation of $\bar{\mu}$ beyond $\Lambda$CDM can place a new upper bound on the density of supermassive primordial black holes within the mass range $10^{6}M_{\odot}\lesssim M\lesssim10^{15}M_{\odot}$. Furthermore, black holes with initial mass $M\gtrsim10^{12}M_{\odot}$ could leave a pointlike distortion with $\mu\gtrsim10^{-8}$ at an angular scale $\sim 1^{\circ}$ in CMB, and its non-observation would impose an even more stringent bound on the population of these stupendously large primordial black holes.
Increased Utilization of Total Joint Arthroplasty After Medicaid Expansion.

BACKGROUND The expansion of state Medicaid programs under the U.S. Affordable Care Act has led to a dramatic increase in the number of Americans with health insurance coverage. Prior analyses of a limited number of states have suggested that greater utilization of total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) should be expected after Medicaid expansion. The purpose of our study was to examine whether increased utilization of THA and TKA occurred across a broader range of states after Medicaid expansion. METHODS We analyzed administrative data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project from 9 states (Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Massachusetts, Maryland, Nevada, New York, and Vermont) that expanded Medicaid in 2014 and 2 states that did not expand Medicaid (Florida and Missouri). We included patients who were 18 to 64 years of age and had a primary THA or TKA from 2012 to 2015 with Medicaid as the primary payer. Other payers (including dual-eligible Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries) were excluded. We performed multivariable regression modeling with the number of Medicaid-insured THAs or TKAs as the dependent variable and the interaction between the state Medicaid expansion status and year as the main policy independent variable, with adjustment for community characteristics. RESULTS Among all 11 states, there were 39,452 total joint arthroplasties (42% THA and 58% TKA) funded by Medicaid from 2012 to 2015. After adjusting for community characteristics, within expansion states, compared with 2013, THA and TKA increased 15% in 2014 (p < 0.0001) and 23% in 2015 (p < 0.0001) within expansion states. Within non-expansion states, compared with 2013, there were significant utilization decreases of 18% in 2014 (p < 0.0001) and 11% in 2015 (p = 0.0002). CONCLUSIONS Medicaid expansion was associated with significant increases in Medicaid-funded THA and TKA utilization in 9 states. As additional states consider expanding Medicaid programs and as alternative health reforms that increase insurance eligibility are debated, surgeons, administrators, and policymakers should prepare for a surge in the utilization of THA and TKA.
Wave & wait protocol (WWP): an energy-saving transport protocol for mobile IP-devices

This work involves the development of an experimental transport-level protocol running on top of IP for small, mobile, wireless stations. The protocol cannot and does not aim to handle real-time traffic. Its central concern is to conserve battery-powered energy used for transmission, even at the expense of slower data throughput. It attempts to conserve energy expenditure by adjusting the amount of data transmitted, trying to keep it below perceived network congestion. The higher the detected congestion risk-level in the network the less it attempts to transmit thereby minimizing the need for duplicate data retransmission due to congested routers losing packets and so on. We outline the protocol specification, mechanisms and implementation, as well as preliminary evaluation results that clearly demonstrate the energy-saving capabilities of the protocol.
Steroid Receptors in Health and Disease

The influence of steroid hormones on various complex physiological and developmental processes is well known. Their role in the fetal brain development, attainment of puberty, sexual differentiation, regulation of reproductive function, normal and tumor cell proliferation, and maintenance of mineral balance has long been recognized. During the past twenty years, progress in research on the effects and mode of action of steroid hormones has resulted in the development of new approaches to contraception as well as diagnosis and treatment of endocrine disorders and cancers. It is now known that proliferation of almost one-third of reported breast and uterine cancers is influenced by circulating hormones: a high percentage of these cancers respond favorably to endocrine manipulations.
Application performance impact on scheduler in CDMA-1XRTT wireless system

User-perceived application-level performance is very important to the adoption and success of 3G wireless services and infrastructure. This paper illustrates the end-to-end application performance when connecting through a CDMA-1XRTT network and compares the performance to that of a dialup connection. The results show that the application performance in CDMA-1XRTT may depend on the application traffic behavior. While many applications perform quite well in CDMA-1XRTT, others such as Microsoft Outlook perform below expectation and may even be slower than a dialup connection. This paper proposes an enhanced application sensitive scheduling algorithm to improve the performance of such applications. The enhanced algorithm also provides additional benefits for applications with similar behavior as Outlook. These include additional channel code availability and channel switching process reduction by as much as 60%.
The chemokine receptor CXCR3 is expressed in a subset of B-cell lymphomas and is a marker of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Chemotaxis in leukocytes is mediated through binding of soluble chemokines to transmembrane G-protein coupled receptors. The chemokine receptor CXCR3 has been previously shown to be widely expressed on activated T cells and to mediate T-cell chemotaxis on binding to various ligands, including Mig, IP-10, and ITAC. By using immunohistochemical and flow cytometric analysis, we report that CXCR3 is also expressed on a subset of peripheral blood B cells and in distinct subtypes of B-cell lymphoma. CXCR3 immunohistochemical or flow cytometric expression was seen in 37 of 39 cases of chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (diffusely positive in 33 cases), whereas mantle cell lymphoma (30 cases), follicular lymphoma (27 cases), and small noncleaved cell lymphoma (8 cases) were negative in all but 2 cases. Strong CXCR3 expression was also seen in splenic marginal zone lymphoma (14 of 14 cases) and in the monocytoid and plasmacytic cells in extranodal marginal zone lymphoma (15 of 16 cases). This differential expression of CXCR3 in B-cell tumors contrasts with that of another B-cell–associated chemokine receptor, BLR1/CXCR5, which we show here is expressed on all types of B-cell lymphoma tested. We also report that the CXCR3 ligand, Mig, is coexpressed on tumor cells in many cases of CLL/SLL (10 of 13 cases examined) with Mig expression less frequently seen in other B-cell lymphoma subtypes. Coexpression of CXCR3 and its ligand, Mig, may be an important functional interaction in B-CLL, as well as a useful diagnostic marker for the differential diagnosis of small cell lymphomas.
Automata with Semantics and Ethical Status

Let us imagine an individual immersed in a social environment. This environment exerts pressure on the individual to perform certain actions. In our schematic reasoning we will suppose that each action performed by an individual is normatively evaluated as either good or bad. An individual can either perform or refuse to perform an action proposed by the environment (Lefebvre, 1977b; I980a,b).
Bifurcation, Bursting, and Spike Frequency Adaptation

Many neural systems display adaptive properties that occur on time scales that are slower than the time scales associated with repetitive firing of action potentials or bursting oscillations. Spike frequency adaptation is the name given to processes that reduce the frequency of rhythmic tonic firing of action potentials, sometimes leading to the termination of spiking and the cell becoming quiescent. This article examines these processes mathematically, within the context of singularly perturbed dynamical systems. We place emphasis on the lengths of successive interspike intervals during adaptation. Two different bifurcation mechanisms in singularly perturbed systems that correspond to the termination of firing are distinguished by the rate at which interspike intervals slow near the termination of firing. We compare theoretical predictions to measurement of spike frequency adaptation in a model of the LP cell of the lobster stomatogastric ganglion.
Protein-protein interactions between human cytomegalovirus IE2-580aa and pUL84 in lytically infected cells.

Abstract The human cytomegalovirus immediate-early protein IE2-580aa (ppUL122a) activates transcription of viral and cellular genes and represses its own transcription through sequence-specific binding to the major immediate-early promoter. In lytically infected cells, IE2-580aa interacts with a 75-kDa viral protein (p75), an early protein that is also synthesized at late times after infection. Here we show that p75 is the product of the UL84 gene. Its association with IE2-580aa in infected cells suggests that pUL84 is involved in transcription control.
Large-scale tests of the Dvali-Gabadadze-Porrati model

The self-accelerating braneworld model (DGP) can be tested from measurements of the expansion history of the Universe and the formation of structure. Current constraints on the expansion history from supernova luminosity distances, the cosmic microwave background (CMB), and the Hubble constant exclude the simplest flat DGP model at about $3\ensuremath{\sigma}$. Even including spatial curvature, the best-fit open DGP model is a marginally poorer fit to the data than flat $\ensuremath{\Lambda}\mathrm{CDM}$. Moreover, its substantially different expansion history raises serious challenges for the model from structure formation. A dark energy model with the same expansion history would predict a highly significant discrepancy with the baryon oscillation measurement due the high Hubble constant required. For the DGP model to satisfy this constraint new nonlinear phenomena must correct this discrepancy. Likewise the large enhancement of CMB anisotropies at the lowest multipoles due to the ISW effect would require either a cutoff in the initial power or new phenomena at the cross-over scale. A prediction that is robust to both possibilities is that high-redshift galaxies should be substantially correlated with the CMB through the ISW effect. This correlation should provide a sharp test of the DGP model in the future.
Unitary representations of super Lie groups

The concept of a unitary representation(UR) of a super Lie group is formulated via super Harish-Chandra pairs. For super semidirectproducts the classical Wigner-Mackey theory of little groups works perfectly in the supersymmetric setting, and leads to a description of all of their unitary irreducible representations (UIR). The Clifford structure of the representations and the concept of super multiplets all make sense in the general context of super semidirect products, which includes all cases studied by the physicists, and leads to many of their major predictions: multiplet structure (both for minimal and extended supersymmetry), and the famous susy partners.
Androgen receptor signaling: mechanism of interleukin-6 inhibition.

Nonsteroidal signaling via the androgen receptor (AR) plays an im-portant role in hormone-refractory prostate cancer. Previously, we have reported that the pleiotropic cytokine, interleukin (IL)-6, inhibited dihydrotestosterone-mediated expression of prostate-specific antigen in LNCaP cells (Jia et al ., Mol Can Res 2003;1:385–92). In the present study, we explored the mechanisms involved in this inhibition and considered possible effects on AR nuclear translocation, recruitment of transcription cofactors, and the signaling pathways that may mediate this inhibitory effect. IL-6 neither induced nuclear localization of the AR nor inhibited dihydrotestosterone-induced nuclear translocation of the receptor. IL-6 did not affect AR or p160 coactivator recruitment to the transcription initiation complex on the prostate-specific antigen enhancer and promoter. Moreover, it did not lead to the recruitment of the corepressor silencing mediator of retinoic acid and thyroid hormone receptor (SMRT) or histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) at the same sites. IL-6 did, however, prevent the recruitment of the secondary coactivator, p300, to the complex and partially inhibited histone H3 acetylation at the same loci. Furthermore, inhibition by IL-6 was not mediated by the mitogen-activated protein kinase or the Akt pathways and was partially abrogated by signal transducers and activators of transcription-3 knock-down using small interfering RNA. Our results show that IL-6 modulates androgen action through the differential recruitment of cofactors to target genes. These findings may account for the pleiotropic actions of IL-6 in malignant prostate cells.
Estimation of age in nesting female Iguana iguana: testing skeletochronology in a tropical lizard

Skeletal elements of female Iguana iguana nesting in Panama show a distinct pattern of periosteal rings or marks of skeletal growth (MSGs), thereby indicating a pattern of cyclic growth. The numbers of MSGs, assuming one MSG is formed each year, slightly underestimate the known ages of a small sample of female iguanas. Based on the estimated age data, female iguanas probably reach sexual maturity in their fourth or fifth years. Age estimates and size are poorly correlated, and females nesting for the first time on Slothia are 292-415 mm in body length (SVL) and range in estimated minimum age from 3-8 yr.
Thermal and nonthermal positron diffusion in solid and liquid aluminum

Abstract We have used a low energy positron beam (.05–25 keV) to study diffusion of thermal and nonthermal positrons in polycrystalline solid aluminum and in liquid aluminum. Measurements of the 511 keV annihilation lineshape and of the fraction of positrons that diffuse back to the surface to form positronium reveal significant differences in the diffusion lengths of nonthermal and thermal positrons. Over the entire temperature range (30°C
EVALUATION OF MEAT PRODUCTS BY FLUORESCENCE MICROSCOPY

Various procedures, utilizing dyes which fluoresce when exposed to UV light, were tested as a means to study the morphology of meat products. The procedures are simple and rapid and allow specific visualization of components such as fat (with Nile blue A), protein (with acridine orange) and microorganisms (with acridine orange). The methods are applicable to both critical studies of morphology and in rapid evaluation for industrial quality control.
A systematic study of the conditions and mechanisms of the onset of inflation in the early universe

Abstract We study initial conditions and mechanisms of the onset of inflation using the functional Schrodinger picture of quantum field theory in 1 + 2-dimensional Robertson-Walker spacetime. The evolution of the scale factor of the universe is studied numerically by solving the coupled Einstein-matter equations for various initial configurations of the inflation- driving scalar field. In this note we present a sample of our numerical results.
Electrides : ionic salts with electrons as the anions

Electrides are ionic compounds that have alkali metal cations complexed by a crown ether or cryptand, with trapped electrons as counterions. The crystal structures and properties of two electrides illustrate the diversity that is encountered. One Cs(+) (18-crown-6)(z)e(-), has relatively isolated, trapped electrons apparently centered at each anionic site. It has a low conductivity consistent with electron localization, with an activation energy for conductivity of at least 0.45 electron volt. The other, K(+) (cryptand[2.2.2])e(-), has electron pairs trapped in an elongated cavity in a singlet ground state, but there is also a thermally accessible paramagnetic state available. This electride is much more conducting, with an activation energy of only 0.02 electron volt.
A field-space-based level set method for computing multi-valued solutions to 1D Euler-Poisson equations

We present a field-space-based level set method for computing multi-valued solutions to one-dimensional Euler-Poisson equations. The system of these equations has many applications, and in particular arises in semiclassical approximations of the Schrodinger-Poisson equation. The proposed approach involves an implicit Eulerian formulation in an augmented space - called field space, which incorporates both velocity and electric fields into the configuration. Both velocity and electric fields are captured through common zeros of two level set functions, which are governed by a field transport equation. Simultaneously we obtain a weighted density f by solving again the field transport equation but with initial density as starting data. The averaged density is then resolved by the integration of the obtained f against the Dirac delta-function of two level set functions in the field space. Moreover, we prove that such obtained averaged density is simply a linear superposition of all multi-valued densities; and the averaged field quantities are weighted superposition of corresponding multi-valued ones. Computational results are presented and compared with some exact solutions which demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.