cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recombination Through Different Types of Localized States in Organic Solar Cells

Recombination in bulk heterojunction solar cells is explored by observing the result of prolonged white light illumination, thermal annealing to high temperature, and chemical doping. Measurements of the photocurrent spectral response, the steady state photocurrent-voltage characteristics, transient photoconductivity and the dark forward bias current on polymer:fullerene solar cells provide information about the density of states and the electronic properties. Illumination generates deep localized states in the interface gap, which act as recombination centers and also increase the diode ideality factor. Annealing induces both nanostructural and electronic changes. The coarsening of the domain structure reduces the probability that excitons reach the interfaces and also reduces the charge transfer absorption. At the same time annealing broadens the exponential band tails and increases the recombination rate. Doping introduces shallow states near the fullerene conduction band, which also act as recombination centers. The results show that recombination is through localized states of different character, depending on the circumstances.
Lunar Shelter Student Contest: Exciting Education for Civil Engineers

The First Lunar Shelter Student Contest was held in Albuquerque, N.M., on February 28 and March 1, 1994, as part of the activities of the Space 94—Engineering, Construction, and Operations in Space Conference and Robotics for Challenging Environments Conference. The contest was initiated by the Space Education Initiative Subcommittee of the ASCE Aerospace Division to challenge students and increase their awareness of the role of civil engineers in space exploration. The contest consisted of off-loading, transporting, placing a scale-model lunar habitat telerobotically, and providing radiation protection for the habitat. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the educational value of such student contests and document the contest development, rules development, contest execution, results, and lessons learned. The contest was very successful in providing exciting and interesting educational experiences for civil engineering students. Recommendations for future contests are also included.
Cerebrospinal fluid somatostatin and psychiatric illness

Somatostatin is a tetradecapeptide that is assuming increasing importance as a regulator of central nervous system activity. Originally identified as the hypothalamic growth hormone release-inhibiting factor, somatostatin has subsequently been shown to be extensively and selectively distributed throughout the central nervous system, to alter neuron excitability, to regulate and be regulated by the activity of classical neurotransmitters and neuropeptides, to exert a number of direct behavioral actions, and to display neuropsychiatric disorder-related alterations. In this article, a three-part study of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) somatostatin in affective illness and schizophrenia is presented. In part 1, significant reductions in CSF somatostatin were observed in 49 bipolar and unipolar depressed patients relative to 47 controls. Values during depression were also significantly lower than those observed in affective disorder during the improved state or in schizophrenia. Diurnal studies involving paired AM and PM lumbar punctures revealed that depressed patients and normal volunteers had similar somatostatin values in the evening, despite having significantly different values in the morning. In part 2, the effects of several psychopharmacological agents on CSF somatostatin were examined, particularly the tricyclic anticonvulsant carbamazepine. A significant reduction of CSF somatostatin during treatment with carbamazepine was observed. The effect of carbamazepine on somatostatin could be related to its anticonvulsant, analgesic, or psychotropic effects. Part 3 deals with somatostatin as a major regulator of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity. Somatostatin affects HPA activity by inhibiting, at a number of cellular levels, the stimulated release of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) from the pituitary. A significant negative relationship between CSF somatostatin and the postdexamethasone plasma cortisol level in 22 depressed and 16 schizophrenic patients was observed. This relationship between low CSF somatostatin and escape from dexamethasone suppression was observed irrespective of diagnosis (i.e., depression or schizophrenia). Thus, there is indirect supporting evidence for a role for somatostatin dysregulation in the most consistently observed biological abnormality in depression, escape from dexamethasone suppression. Further study of somatostatin in neuropsychiatric disorders, and particularly depressive illness, offers great promise for better understanding their underlying affective, vegetative, cognitive, and physiological dysregulations.
SU-C-19A-03: Evaluation of Common Material Magnetic Susceptibility Effects for Immobilization Devices Used in MRI-Guided Therapies

Purpose: Phase variations induced by magnetic susceptibility differences of materials used for immobilization can result in localized signal dropout and spatial distortions on MR images. The goal of this study was to determine an optimal material for immobilization device construction that minimizes the effect of susceptibility on adjacent tissues. Methods: A total of 30 thermoset and thermoplastic material samples were included in the study. Each material sample was precision machined to dimensions of 11.1 × 23.8 × 123.8 mm3. During imaging, the samples were placed adjacent to a ball phantom with the long axis oriented parallel to the magnetic field. Imaging was performed at 3T using a GRE-EPI sequence (FOV/matrix: 24cm2/128×128, TE/TR: 59/2000ms, rBW: 125 kHz, TH: 3mm). High order shimming was optimized once prior to acquisition. Phase images were reconstructed and unwrapped offline. Relative phase induced by the ith material was determined by subtracting the mean phase over a 3×3 kernel at the phantom center from the mean phase over a 3×3 kernel at a position of maximal phase-induced change. Phase differences (Δϕ) induced by the ith material were determined by subtracting the relative phase with no sample from the relative phase with sample. Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to determine whether significant differences in Δϕ existed between and among material categories. Results: In general, glass-cloth resin reinforced materials produced the smallest phase differences, with G-9 fiberglass producing the smallest phase difference of all materials studied. Significant phase differences were found between thermoset and thermoplastic materials (p=0.0002). Within the thermosets group, significant differences were found between glass-cloth based materials relative to other thermosets (p=0.0157). Conclusions: Glass-cloth resinreinforced thermosets, specifically G-9 fiberglass, produced the smallest phase differences of all materials studied, and are recommended for construction of immobilization devices used in MR imaging and MRIguided therapies. Funding provided by Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin.
TROPICAL FISHES AS BIOLOGICAL BULLDOZERS: DENSITY EFFECTS ON RESOURCE HETEROGENEITY AND SPECIES DIVERSITY

We examined whether grazing fishes exert density-dependent effects on the spatial heterogeneity of resources and benthic species diversity in a tropical Andean stream. We hypothesized that bulldozer grazers (i.e., all or nothing grazing) can be important sources of spatial heterogeneity and that a unimodal relationship should exist between grazer density and resource heterogeneity. We reasoned that organismally generated heterogeneity would be minimal at low densities if grazers are ineffective, and at high densities if grazers thoroughly remove resources. In contrast, spatial heterogeneity should be highest at inter- mediate densities as bulldozer grazers maintain a dynamic mosaic of resource states. We posited that a corresponding unimodal relationship should exist between grazer density and benthic diversity, if resource heterogeneity is an important mechanism maintaining species diversity. We carried out observational and experimental studies to test our hypotheses. First, we quantified natural spatial patterns of benthic resources across transects using fish feeding scars as surrogates. We then analyzed data using a set of landscape indices that capture different components of heterogeneity. A large degree of spatial heterogeneity of algal and sediment resources was apparent both within and among pools. Second, we manipulated densities of the common grazing fish Parodon apolinari (Parodontidae) in 8-m 2 pens, and quantified spatial heterogeneity and corresponding benthic diversity within enclosures. Par- odon exerted strong density-dependent effects on the spatial heterogeneity of resources. Initially (at 7 d) we observed a unimodal relationship between grazer density and spatial heterogeneity along our density gradient (1.25-10.0 Parodon/m 2 ), as predicted. However, at 14 d, our lowest fish density (1.25 Parodon/m 2 ) was sufficient to generate substantial spatial heterogeneity. Although grazers were major sources of heterogeneity, we found little support for the hypothesis that organismally generated heterogeneity is an important mech- anism for maintaining species diversity. Interestingly, the greatest invertebrate richness occurred in high density treatments, which had the most spatially uniform resource distri- butions. These results suggest that at the within-pool scale, grazers can have important effects on both spatial heterogeneity and benthic diversity, yet their generation of resource patchiness does not appear to be the underlying mechanism driving strong fish effects on species diversity.
Simultaneous imaging of cell and mitochondrial membrane potentials

The distribution of charged membrane-permeable molecular probes between intracellular organelles, the cytoplasm, and the outside medium is governed by the relative membrane electrical potentials of these regions through coupled equilibria described by the Nernst equation. A series of highly fluorescent cationic dyes of low membrane binding and toxicity (Ehrenberg, B., V. Montana, M.-D. Wei, J. P. Wuskell, and L. M. Loew, 1988. Biophys. J. 53:785-794) allows the monitoring of these equilibria through digital imaging video microscopy. We employ this combination of technologies to assess, simultaneously, the membrane potentials of cells and of their organelles in situ. We describe the methodology and optimal conditions for such measurements, and apply the technique to concomitantly follow, with good time resolution, the mitochondrial and plasma membrane potentials in several cultured cell lines. The time course of variations induced by chemical agents (ionophores, uncouplers, electron transport, and energy transfer inhibitors) in either or both these potentials is easily quantitated, and in accordance with mechanistic expectations. The methodology should therefore be applicable to the study of more subtle and specific, biologically induced potential changes in cells.
Eosinophils are in the swim

The freshwater tropical fish, Danio rerio , has most certainly arrived. A species previously familiar only to aquarium enthusiasts, the zebrafish has moved into a central role as a unique and flexible model for the study of vertebrate biology, in fields including embryology and neurobiology, and,
Vertical-cavity optical AND gate

Abstract We have demonstrated, the first time to our knowledge, a low-input intensity high-contrast (10:1) optical AND gate based on the differential gain (optical bistability) observed in an 850 nm GaAs vertical-cavity semiconductor optical amplifier (VCSOA). The input switching power is about 6 μW, which equals to the intensity of 16 nW / μm 2 . It is about 2 orders of magnitude lower than in in-plane semiconductor optical amplifiers. In the experiment the device also shows an optical gain of 10 dB.
Thrombotic thrombocytopenia purpura: a single institution experience.

TTP is a disease with protean manifestations leading to errors in diagnosis. Critical reevaluation of a single observer's experience at LIJMC over a 7-year period is compared to that in published literature. We retrospectively analyzed presentation, clinical course, treatment, and outcome of 15 patients treated for TTP between 1990 and 1997 by one of the authors (V.C.). Minimal diagnostic criteria for TTP were unexplained moderate to severe thrombocytopenia (platelet count <100,000/cmm), microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, with or without low grade fever, and no other attributable etiologies. Neurologic and/or renal dysfunction constituted severe grade. Age range was 5-86 years, with one patient age 5, the youngest yet to date reported with classic TTP. Female to male ratio was 2:1. Overall survival rate was 87%; 40% of patients experienced immediate relapse within the first 4 weeks of presentation; and predisposing causes for immediate relapse appear to be intercurrent infections and severity of presentation. There was a 40% incidence of late relapses of TTP. Two patients with an unusually high number of late recurrences (6 and 16) were HCV-Ab positive and the possible role of persistent HCV infection in recurrent TTP was explored.
Acute Community-Acquired Bacterial Sinusitis: Continuing Challenges and Current Management

Acute sinusitis is one of the most common infections seen in general clinical practice. The most common cause of acute sinusitis is viral; however, many patients receive a prescription for an antibiotic. Such injudicious prescribing habits have a major impact on health care costs, contribute to the increasing prevalence of drug-resistant strains of common respiratory pathogens, and reflect many of the challenges in differentiating viral and bacterial disease. Sinus puncture and culture of the aspirate, the diagnostic reference standard in the research setting, are not appropriate for routine clinical practice. However, certain clinical signs and symptoms that do not improve or that worsen after 7-10 days are currently accepted criteria for diagnosis of bacterial sinusitis. Accurate diagnosis can select patients who would benefit most from antimicrobial use. Antimicrobial agents should be selected on the basis of local resistance patterns, and their spectrum of activity should cover the common bacterial pathogens, including resistant strains.
Reactions in the System ZrO2‐SrO

The liquidus curve of the system ZrO2-SrO was investigated with a heliostat-type solar furnace. The cooling curve of a specimen was obtained with a brightness pyrometer at 0.65 pm to determine the freezing point and other transition phenomena. The primary phases and the compounds formed in the system were also examined. The existence of SrgZra-1O3x-2 (n=4, 3, and 2) and of SrZrO2 was confirm. A tentative phase diagram of the system ZrQ2-SrO at high temperatures is presented.
The patient on the ledge: evaluation and intervention.

Suicide by jumping is a violent method of self-destruction with a high rate ofgross bodily injury and fatality. It is commonly chosen by psychiatric inpatients and frequently executed in public. Although firearms, poisoning, and hanging are more common means of suicide in the United States, suicide by jumping is not rare. In 1980, a total of 872 deaths in the U.S. were officially attributed to jumping, and another 169 deaths caused by falls from a height were ruled possible suicides (1). In some countries with a high concentration of tall buildings, jumping is the most frequent method of suicide (2). The incidence of threatened but uncompleted suicidal jumping in the U.S. is unknown, but such threats are probably not uncommon. A review of the New York Times Index listings for suicide and suicide attempts for 1964 through 1985 revealed 59 reports of threatened suicide by jumping, along with 1 5 7 reports of completed suicide by that method. Mental health professionals are sometimes called upon to talk to people threatening to jump from a
Electroretinographic Monitoring in Birdshot Chorioretinopathy

Purpose To evaluate electroretinography (ERG) during long-term follow-up in birdshot chorioretinopathy (BCR). Design Retrospective, comparative interventional case series. Methods setting: University subspecialty clinic. patient population: Twenty-three HLA-A29-positive patients with BCR and 40 normal control subjects. intervention procedure: Patients were monitored with ERG approximately annually. Treatment was according to best medical judgment. main outcome measures: Baseline ERG values, vision, and ERG values during observed and treated intervals. Results Median age of patients was 52 years, and 19 patients were untreated at baseline. Eighty-two ERGs were performed. Eighteen patients had more than one ERG; mean follow-up of these patients was 40.2 months ± 31.2, median 23 months. At baseline, several ERG parameters were statistically reduced compared with control subjects when adjusted for age. The combined rod-cone and cone b/a wave ratios did not differ from control subjects ( P = .45 and 0.14). Scotopic rod and combined rod-cone b-wave amplitudes were statistically correlated with baseline vision, as were implicit times for the combined rod-cone a-wave, cone a-wave, and cone flicker b-wave. Median visual acuity was 20/25 and did not change during follow-up. Most ERG parameters showed marked worsening during observed intervals. During treated intervals, the ERG declined at a rate consistent with aging. Conclusions Many ERG parameters in patients with BCR greatly differ from control subjects, correlate with vision, and worsen during observation. Selected patients may show improvement in ERG with treatment. The cone b-wave flicker implicit time was most often associated with clinically important measures such as vision, duration of symptoms, and deviation from normalcy.
Identification of crassin acetate as a new immunosuppressant triggering heme oxygenase-1 expression in dendritic cells.

By screening 720 natural compounds in a standard 2-way allogeneic mixed leukocyte reaction assay, we identified a potent immunosuppressive capacity of crassin acetate (CRA), a coral-derived cembrane diterpenoid. CRA efficiently inhibited allogeneic mixed leukocyte reaction as well as antigen-specific activation of CD4 T cells by bone marrow–derived dendritic cells (DCs). With regard to cellular targets, CRA suppressed not only mitogen-triggered T-cell activation, but also lipopolysaccharide-induced DC maturation, indicating dual functionality. Treatment with CRA at nontoxic doses induced heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) mRNA/protein expression and HO-1 enzymatic activity in DCs, suggesting a unique mechanism of action. In fact, lipopolysaccharide-induced DC maturation was also inhibited by structurally unrelated compounds known to induce HO-1 expression or carbon monoxide (CO) release. Allergic contact hypersensitivity response to oxazolone and oxazolone-induced Langerhans cell migration from epidermis were both prevented almost completely by systemic administration of CRA. Not only do our results support the recent concept that HO-1/CO system negatively regulates immune responses, they also form both conceptual and technical frameworks for a more systematic, large-scale drug discovery effort to identify HO-1/CO-targeted immunosuppressants with dual target specificity.
Updates on drug discovery in ovarian cancer

Drug discovery in the ovarian cancer arena continues to launch important new clinical trials. Many biologic agents are being studied in phase II and phase III clinical trials for recurrent disease. These agents include compounds that disrupt angiogenesis through a variety of mechanisms. Other oncogenic pathways are also specifically targeted such as PARP, MEK, and topoisomerase inhibitors which are currently being studied in phase III trials. Various cytotoxic agents, as well as therapeutic vaccines, are also under investigation, and continue to demonstrate promising new data. The relevant agents in the treatment of ovarian cancer which have demonstrated positive phase II activity will be discussed.
A novel method for the normalization of microRNA RT-PCR data

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNA molecules that regulate mRNA transcript levels and translation. Deregulation of microRNAs is indicated in a number of diseases and microRNAs are seen as a promising target for biomarker identification and drug development. miRNA expression is commonly measured by microarray or real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The findings of RT-PCR data are highly dependent on the normalization techniques used during preprocessing of the Cycle Threshold readings from RT-PCR. Some of the commonly used endogenous controls themselves have been discovered to be differentially expressed in various conditions such as cancer, making them inappropriate internal controls. We demonstrate that RT-PCR data contains a systematic bias resulting in large variations in the Cycle Threshold (CT) values of the low-abundant miRNA samples. We propose a new data normalization method that considers all available microRNAs as endogenous controls. A weighted normalization approach is utilized to allow contribution from all microRNAs, weighted by their empirical stability. The systematic bias in RT-PCR data is illustrated on a microRNA dataset obtained from primary cutaneous melanocytic neoplasms. We show that through a single control parameter, this method is able to emulate other commonly used normalization methods and thus provides a more general approach. We explore the consistency of RT-PCR expression data with microarray expression by utilizing a dataset where both RT-PCR and microarray profiling data is available for the same miRNA samples. A weighted normalization method allows the contribution of all of the miRNAs, whether they are highly abundant or have low expression levels. Our findings further suggest that the normalization of a particular miRNA should rely on only miRNAs that have comparable expression levels.
Origin Binding Protein-Containing Protein-DNA Complex Formation at Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 oriS: Role in oriS-Dependent DNA Replication

Initiation of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) DNA replication during productive infection of fibroblasts and epithelial cells requires attachment of the origin binding protein (OBP), one of seven essential virus-encoded DNA replication proteins, to specific sequences within the two viral origins, oriL and oriS. Whether initiation of DNA replication during reactivation of HSV-1 from neuronal latency also requires OBP is not known. A truncated protein, consisting of the C-terminal 487 amino acids of OBP, termed OBPC, is the product of the HSV UL8.5 gene and binds to origin sequences, although OBPC's role in HSV DNA replication is not yet clear. To characterize protein-DNA complex formation at oriS in cells of neural and nonneural lineage, we used nuclear extracts of HSV-infected nerve growth factor-differentiated PC12 and Vero cells, respectively, as the source of protein in gel shift assays. In both cell types, three complexes (complexes A, B, and C) which contain either OBP or OBPC were shown to bind specifically to a probe which contains the highest-affinity OBP binding site in oriS, site 1. Complex A was shown to contain OBPC exclusively, whereas complexes B and C contained OBP and likely other cellular proteins. By fine-mapping the binding sites of these three complexes, we identified single nucleotides which, when mutated, eliminated formation of all three complexes, or complexes B and C, but not A. In transient DNA replication assays, both mutations significantly impaired oriS-dependent DNA replication, demonstrating that formation of OBP-containing complexes B and C is required for efficient initiation of oriS-dependent DNA replication, whereas formation of the OBPC-containing complex A is insufficient for efficient initiation.
Effects of Working Memory Span on Processing of Lexical Associations and Congruence in Spoken Discourse

The goal of this study was to determine whether variability in working-memory capacity and cognitive control affects the processing of global discourse congruence and local associations among words when participants listened to short discourse passages. The final, critical word of each passage was either associated or unassociated with a preceding prime word (e.g. “He was not prepared for the fame and fortune/praise”). These critical words were also either congruent or incongruent with respect to the preceding discourse context (e.g. a context in which a prestigious prize was won (congruent) or in which the protagonist had been arrested (incongruent)). We used multiple regression to assess the unique contribution of suppression ability (our measure of cognitive control) and working memory capacity on the amplitude of individual N400 effects of congruence and association. Our measure of suppression ability did not predict the size of the N400 effects of association or congruence. However, as expected, the results showed that high working-memory capacity individuals were less sensitive to the presence of lexical associations (showed smaller N400 association effects). Furthermore, differences in working memory capacity were related to differences in the topographic distribution of the N400 effects of discourse congruence. The topographic differences in the global congruence effects indicate differences in the underlying neural generators of the N400 effects, as a function of working memory. This suggests additional, or at a minimum, distinct, processing on the part of higher capacity individuals when tasked with integrating incoming words into the developing discourse representation.
Mental Health Care for Latino Immigrants in the U.S.A. and the Quest for Global Health Equities

Currently, approximately 190 million immigrants world-wide live in host societies located in countries that have higher economic resources and political power than the countries of origin of immigrants. In this paper I use ecological and system theories (eco-systems) to frame the relationship between Latino immigrants and the host society in the U.S.A. The eco-system perspective highlights that policies and initiatives to address the mental health care of Latino immigrants must weigh dilemmas such as: (a) containing the costs of care while providing high quality (efficacious) care, and (b) the power inequity between immigrants and their host society. I posit that Social Justice/Public Health frameworks are needed to address these dilemmas because they are mindful of the receiving community needs, inclusive of immigrants, as well as of other marginalized populations. The framework is consistent with the proposed focus on Health Equity in public health in the U.S. (Braveman et al., 2011) and is relevant for the global phenomenon of immigration.
Cooperative Q-learning for multiple secondary users in dynamic spectrum access

In this paper, we present and evaluate learning schemes that allow multiple secondary users to locate and use spectrum opportunities effectively, thus improving efficiency of dynamic spectrum access (DSA) systems. Using simulations, we show that the proposed schemes achieve good performances in terms of throughput and fairness, and does so by interacting with and learning from the environment only, without requiring prediction models of the environment's dynamics and behaviors.
Biochemical and genetic analysis of RNA cap guanine-N2 methyltransferases from Giardia lamblia and Schizosaccharomyces pombe

RNA cap guanine-N2 methyltransferases such as Schizosaccharomyces pombe Tgs1 and Giardia lamblia Tgs2 catalyze methylation of the exocyclic N2 amine of 7-methylguanosine. Here we performed a mutational analysis of Giardia Tgs2, entailing an alanine scan of 17 residues within the minimal active domain. Alanine substitutions at Phe18, Thr40, Asp76, Asn103 and Asp140 reduced methyltransferase specific activity to <3% of wild-type Tgs2, thereby defining these residues as essential. Alanines at Pro142, Tyr148 and Pro185 reduced activity to 7–12% of wild-type. Structure–activity relationships at Phe18, Thr40, Asp76, Asn103, Asp140 and Tyr148, and at three other essential residues defined previously (Asp68, Glu91 and Trp143) were gleaned by testing the effects of 18 conservative substitutions. Our results engender a provisional map of the Tgs2 active site, which we discuss in light of crystal structures of related methyltransferases. A genetic analysis of S. pombe Tgs1 showed that it is nonessential. An S. pombe tgs1Δ strain grows normally, notwithstanding the absence of 2,2,7-trimethylguanosine caps on its U1, U2, U4 and U5 snRNAs. However, we find that S. pombe requires cap guanine-N7 methylation catalyzed by the enzyme Pcm1. Deletion of the pcm1+ gene was lethal, as were missense mutations in the Pcm1 active site. Thus, whereas m7G caps are essential in both S. pombe and S. cerevisiae, m2,2,7G caps are not.
A molecular phylogenetic study of armoured scale insects (Hemiptera: Diaspididae)

Armoured scale insects are economically important parasites of woody plants and grasses. They are promising subjects for the evolutionary study of physiology (no complete gut), genetics (chimerism, paternal genome elimination, frequent parthenogenesis) and coevolution (with host plants, para- sitoids, Septobasidium fungi, endosymbiotic bacteria). Little phylogenetic work has been accomplished with armoured scales, and uncertainty surrounds their classification. Here, we report the phylogenetic results of Bayesian and parsimony analyses of 705 base pairs of Elongation Factor 1a and 660 base pairs of 28S from eighty-nine species of armoured scale insects, representing forty-seven genera and five tribes in the subfamilies Diaspidinae and Aspidiotinae, together with two outgroups. 28S was aligned based on a secondary structural model. Our results broadly corroborate the major features of the existing classification, although we do not find perfect monophyly of any of the traditionally recognized subfamilies or tribes. The subfamily Aspidiotinae is paraphyletic with respect to the subfamily Diaspidinae. Diaspidinae consists of two main clades that only roughly corres- pond to the tribes Lepidosaphidini and Diaspidini. Diaspidini is nearly mono- phyletic, except that it includes a single aspidiotine species. Other members of the tribe Aspidiotini form a clade, except that the clade includes a single species of Leucaspidini and excludes Maskellia and Pseudaonidia. Our results weakly sup- port the hypothesis that the most recent common ancestor of the Diaspididae had adult females that were permanently enclosed within the derm of the second instar (the pupillarial habit) and had diploid adult males that eliminated their paternal genomes during spermatogenesis (late paternal genome elimination).
Current results with intraaortic balloon pumping in infants and children.

Abstract Background . Intraaortic balloon pumping (IABP) is useful for support in patients with moderate left ventricular dysfunction. IABP is usually timed with the R wave of the electrocardiogram. We have utilized M-mode echocardiography timed IABP in children with left-side heart failure since 1994. Electrocardiogram timing seems inappropriate for children, who have much higher heart rates. We describe our experience with children who underwent IABP therapy before and after 1994, when echocardiographic timing was instituted. Methods . We reviewed records of 29 children who underwent IABP for all indications at Primary Children's Medical Center since 1988. Results . Overall survival was 62.1% (18 of 29) in this series. Survival was similar for infants (odds ratio=2.0, 95% confidence interval=0.29 to 14.31, p = 0.43) and older children. Survival was similar in the echocardiography era when compared with the electrocardiogram era (odds ratio=2.4, 95% confidence interval=0.56 to 10.4, p = 0.44). Conclusions . IABP is a useful means of support in children with left ventricular dysfunction. M-mode echocardiography is effective in triggering IABP. The sample size in this study is too small to detect a mortality rate difference.
Games Lawyers Play: Legal Discovery and Social Epistemology

In the movie Regarding Henry, the main character, Henry Turner, is a lawyer who suffers brain damage as a result of being shot during a robbery. Before being wounded, the Old Henry Turner had been a successful lawyer, admired as a fierce competitor and well-known for his killer instinct. As a result of the injury to his brain, the New Henry Turner loses the personality traits that had made the Old Henry such a formidable adversary.
Blind separation of space-time block coded signals via the analytic constant modulus algorithm

Previous work has shown how the special structure of linear space-time block codes can be exploited for blind equalization or direct symbol estimation in MIMO wireless systems. In this paper it is demonstrated that improved performance can be obtained by combining the information provided by the structure of the code together with a priori knowledge that the data symbols are constant modulus. A variation of the analytic constant modulus algorithm of van der Veen (see Proc. ICASSP, Salt Lake City, UT, 2001, vol. V, p.2773-76) is used to exploit the full spatial and temporal diversity of the codes in a single step, rather than via ad hoc post-processing. Simulations indicate that the algorithm performs particularly well in situations with very few data samples.
Percutaneous Vasectomy: A Simple Modification Eliminates the Steep Learning Curve of No-Scalpel Vasectomy

ABSTRACTPurpose: We report a simplified method to avoid the most difficult step of no-scalpel vasectomy, while maintaining its minimally invasive advantages.Materials and Methods: Using the no-scalpel vasectomy instruments in percutaneous fashion we perform vasectomy in the office setting without fixation of the vas to skin using the ring clamp. The sharp no-scalpel hemostat punctures the skin. The vas is then grasped with the ringed instrument instead of piercing the vas and performing the supination maneuver, as described for no-scalpel vasectomy.Results: Percutaneous vasectomy was performed in 573 men by a single surgeon. In the 35 consecutive cases recently reviewed average operative time was 9.3 minutes with an additional 67 seconds added when a resident performed the procedure on 1 side in 15 cases. As determined by the knuckle of vas pulled through a puncture, average incisional length was 8.4 mm. Patients reported complete recovery in an average of 8.9 days. No major complications occurred. A sing...
STUDIES ON THE TRANSPLANTED HEART : ITS METABOLISM AND HISTOLOGY

The metabolic changes in the homografted canine heart were studied in order to define the biochemical alterations accompanying homograft rejection. In several experiments, homograft rejection was accelerated by prior sensitization of the host animal. The homografted heart released pyruvate and lactate as well as malic dehydrogenase and aldolase. Extraction of glucose by the graft usually remained positive. During the accelerated rejection, the release of pyruvate and lactate was more pronounced, and even glucose appeared in increased concentrations in coronary vein blood. In many experiments the respiratory quotient of the transplanted heart as well as its glucose-oxygen extraction ratio were elevated. It seemed likely that the elevated respiratory quotients were the result of conversion of carbohydrates to fat, since the injection of thiamine hydrochloride resulted in further elevation of the respiratory quotient and in an increased myocardial pyruvate extraction. Apparently, thiamine corrected a metabolic block at the level of the cocarboxylase. The metabolic block or blocks present in the transplanted heart are likely to be the result of diminution in intracellular enzymes and coenzymes resulting from increased cellular permeability. The redox potential across the transplanted heart was positive, indicating the absence of anoxia. The results illustrate that glycolysis proceeds in the transplanted heart in the presence of oxygen. Histopathologic and histochemical studies show the earliest lesion to be an accumulation of lymphocytes around vessels at 3 hours. Swelling of vascular endothelium occurs. By 5 hours a polar perivascular cellular infiltrate of lymphocytes, plasma cells, macrophages, and histiocytes exists. Changes following at 19 hours show the appearance of Aschoff- and Anitschkow-like cells. Granulomatous myocarditis which was first perivascular became interstitial with lymphocytic and histiocytic invasion of the myocardium. After 8 days acceleration of swelling of vascular endothelium and granulomatous lesions were observed and necrosis of the myocardium was prominent. Endothelial hyperplasia occurred at 14 days. In the accelerated reaction these changes were intensified and necrosis began as early as 4 hours after grafting. Histochemical changes of DPNH diaphorase, lactic, malic, and succinic dehydrogenase showed only significant diminution of malic dehydrogenase in the cardiac muscle which was concurrent with the increase of this enzyme in the serum.
Limitations of radiometer performance in spherically invariant noise

The radiometer is a common method for detection of unknown signals in noise. Most analyses of radiometer performance are based on assumptions of stationary Gaussian noise with known marginal statistics. In this note, we use a spherically invariant noise model to derive simple expressions for radiometer performance degradation in noise variance uncertainty. Numerical examples are provided to show that channel uncertainty imposes a substantial penalty in detection performance. >
Estimating cost adjustments required to accomplish target savings in chronic disease management interventions

Chronic diseases are persistent ailments that are not preventable or curable with medication or vaccination. Many of the leading chronic conditions in industrialized societies may be related to lifestyle choices. The prevalence of these chronic conditions significantly affects the health, suffering, and longevity of patients. This paper demonstrates the utility of system dynamics as an approach to model and simulate the behavior of key cost factors in the implementation of population health management interventions. The study uses modeling and simulation as an evaluative method to identify potential savings stemming from an intervention within a well-defined population group. The model is flexible in that it allows policy-makers the ability to set saving targets that, in turn, generate knowledge about the cost structure adjustments necessary to reach these targets. The model provides useful insights into how the initial estimates of the cost of intervention, the resulting savings, and potential costs adjustments may change. The functionality of the model is demonstrated by means of scenarios implemented via sensitivity analysis.
Smart Apparel Shopping A Multidimensional and Gender-Neutral Measure

To capture diverse aspects of smart shopping for apparel, a comprehensive measurement based upon (a) shopping benefits and costs, (b) consumption economics, and (c) and consumer decision making sta...
The Play Relationship and the Therapeutic Alliance

Abstract This article examines the function of play in normal development and within the treatment relationship in both child and adult psychotherapy. Noting its developmental function and the natural role that play has as a mode of communication with children, the author emphasizes the centrality of play in the construction of the therapeutic alliance. The therapeutic alliance is characterized here as a libidinal attachment, a new object relationship through which developmental experiences involving play may be revivified and, ultimately, may lead to the forging of more enduring and successful adaptations. Two detailed clinical vignettes furnish illustrations of the ways in which play themes and scenarios develop in therapy, and how their association to the therapeutic alliance and transference relationship may be understood and interpreted.
Morning NO2 exposure sensitizes hypertensive rats to the cardiovascular effects of same day O3 exposure in the afternoon

AbstractContext: Within urban air sheds, specific ambient air pollutants typically peak at predictable times throughout the day. For example, in environments dominated by mobile sources, peak nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels coincide with morning and afternoon rush hours, while peak levels of ozone (O3), occur in the afternoon.Objective: Given that exposure to a single pollutant might sensitize the cardiopulmonary system to the effects of a subsequent exposure to a second pollutant, we hypothesized that a morning exposure to NO2 will exaggerate the cardiovascular effects of an afternoon O3 exposure in rats.Materials and methods: Rats were divided into four groups that were each exposed for 3 h in the morning (m) and 3 h in the afternoon (a) on the same day: (1) m-Air/a-Air, (2) m-Air/a-O3 (0.3 ppm), (3) m-NO2 (0.5 ppm)/a-Air and (4) m-NO2/a-O3. Implanted telemetry devices recorded blood pressure and electrocardiographic data. Sensitivity to the arrhythmogenic agent aconitine was measured in a separate cohort...
Effects of in vivo recombinant methionyl human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor on the neutrophil response and peripheral blood colony-forming cells in healthy young and elderly adult volunteers.

Recombinant granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) was administered daily for 14 days to healthy young (Y) (20 to 30 years) and elderly (O) (70 to 80 years) volunteers to evaluate the effects of age on the neutrophil (polymorphonuclear leukocytes, PMN) responses. Thirty-eight volunteers were randomized to receive 0 micrograms, 30 micrograms, or 300 micrograms per day. Baseline neutrophil counts (ANC), peak ANCs, and the rate of attaining the peak ANC were similar in both age groups at both doses. The peak ANC was increased 5-fold at 30 micrograms and 15-fold at 300 micrograms in both the young and elderly. Daily tests of PMN function, as measured by an automated chemiluminescence system, showed nearly identical responses to several agonists for both age groups. Marrow proliferative activity as reflected by the percentage of cells in the marrow neutrophil mitotic pool also increased similarly for both age groups at both doses. In contrast, there was an age-related change in blood colony formation as measured by the blood CFU-GM assay. Compared with controls at the 30 micrograms dose, mean colony formation was increased 2-fold in the young versus no change in the elderly and at the 300 micrograms dose 24- fold in the young versus 12-fold in the elderly. These studies indicate that neutrophil responses to rhG-CSF are equivalent in healthy young and elderly volunteers but the mobilization of progenitor cells, as measured by the CFU-GM assay appears to differ substantially.
Return Stroke with Current behind the Shock Front

Electrical breakdown of a gas in a strong electric field is carried out by a wave with a strong discontinuity at the wave front, traveling with speed comparable to the speed of light. For theoretical investigation of electrical breakdown of a gas, we apply a one-dimensional, steady profile, constant velocity, three component fluid model, and assume that the electrons are the main element in the propagation of the wave.
Guide Catheter Selection

Optimal guide support is vital for successful interventions. An ideal guide catheter has an atraumatic soft tip, excellent torque control, adequate support, and low surface frictional resistance for good trackability of devices.
Hobbes’s History of England, 1630–1660

Hobbes’s philosophy is usually thought of as being ahistorical. One reason for this impression is that he represented his views as being scientific and he contrasted science with history. According to him, science deals with what is universal and timeless, while history deals with what is individual and time-bound. Another reason for the neglect of his historical views is that until recently most scholars did not read the second half of Leviathan and rarely Behemoth. Among historians, J. G. A. Pocock did much to change this situation. He showed that there is a tension in Hobbes’s thought between the scientific and the historical, and that the historical could not simply be dismissed. The scientific results of the first half of Leviathan do not leave any room for the Christian God as an object of reason, and yet Hobbes believed that God acted in history. Pocock maintains that Hobbes had no alternative but to emphasize eschatology in the second half of Leviathan: ‘The Christian mystery to him [Hobbes] was the belief that God has spoken in history and had said that he would return in time. The God of prophesy and history was the only God of whom Hobbes would speak; the God of faith was the only God compatible with his political system.’1
Black phosphorus optoelectronics

Recently, black phosphorus (BP) emerges as a promising new two dimensional (2D) material due to its unique physical properties. In this talk, we will review the recent study of optical properties of thin-film to monolayer BP and the development of BP based photonic devices.
Parallel computation of the generalized singular value decomposition.

The generalized singular value decomposition (GSVD) is the simultaneous reduction of any two matrices having the same number of columns to diagonal forms by premultiplying by two different orthogonal matrices and postmultiplying by the same nonsingular matrix. The recent advent of real time signal processing and other problems have given impetus to the development of the parallel computation of the GSVD [3,7]. Brent et al. [2] have developed a parallel algorithm on systolic array. However, their approach requires the use of different configurations of systolic arrays for singular value decomposition (SVD), QR decomposition and matrix-matrix multiplication. In addition to some difficulties in numerical treatment, how to avoid costly interfacing between these arrays and devise a single array that is capable of performing all these basic matrix computations is still an open problem.
Variability in trauma case volume in orthopedic surgery residents

Orthopedic trauma surgery is a critical component of resident education. Surgical case logs obtained from the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Students from 2009 to 2013 for orthopedic surgery residents were examined for variability between the 90 th and 10 th percentiles in regards to the volume of cases performed. There was an upward trend in the mean number of cases performed by senior residents from 484.4 in 2009 to 534.5 in 2013, representing a 10.3% increase. There was a statistically significant increase in the number of cases performed for humerus/elbow, forearm/wrist, and pelvis/hip during this period (Pth and 90 th percentile case volumes narrowed over the study period, the difference between these groups remained significant in 2013 (P=0.02). In 2013, all categories of trauma cases had a greater than 2.2-fold difference between the 10 th and 90 th percentile of residents for numbers of trauma cases performed. Although case volume is not the sole determinant of residency education and competency, evidence suggests that case volume plays a crucial role in surgeon confidence and efficiency in performing surgery. Further studies are needed to better understand the effect of this variability seen among residents performing orthopedic trauma surgery.