cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Trace Detection of Hydrogen Peroxide via Dynamic Double Emulsions

Hydrogen peroxide is a dynamic signaling molecule in biological systems. We report herein a versatile double emulsion sensor that can detect femtomolar quantities of aqueous hydrogen peroxide. The ...
Occipital posterior interhemispheric supratentorial approach for resection of midbrain cavernous malformation

Approaches to the pineal region are various, and each has its advantages and disadvantages. The authors present a case of a 50-year-old woman who presented with progressive hemiparesis and vertical gaze palsy; she was diagnosed with a midbrain cavernous malformation. The patient underwent an occipital posterior interhemispheric supratentorial transpineal approach with gross-total resection. On long-term follow-up, her symptoms significantly improved. The authors review the regional anatomy and present the operative video. They also discuss the various approaches with their indications, advantages, and disadvantages. The video can be found here: https://stream.cadmore.media/r10.3171/2021.4.FOCVID2133.
Improving Residual Risk of Renal and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Diabetic Kidney Disease: Review of Pathophysiology, Mechanisms and Evidence from Recent Trials

Based on global estimates, almost 10% of adults have diabetes, of which 40% are estimated to also have chronic kidney disease (CKD). Almost 2 decades ago, treatments targeting the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) were demonstrated to slow the progression of kidney disease. More recently, studies have reported the additive benefits of antihyperglycemic sodium glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors in combination with RAS inhibitors on both CKD progression and cardiovascular outcomes. However, these recent data also showed that patients continue to progress to kidney failure or die from kidney- or cardiovascular-related causes. Therefore, new agents are needed to address this continuing risk. Overactivation of the mineralocorticoid (MR) receptor contributes to kidney inflammation and fibrosis, suggesting that it is an appropriate treatment target in patients with diabetes and CKD. Novel, selective nonsteroidal MR antagonists are being studied in these patients, and the results of two large recently completed clinical trials has demonstrated that one such treatment, finerenone, significantly reduces CKD progression and cardiovascular events when compared with standard of care. This review summarizes pathogenic mechanisms of CKD in type 2 diabetes and examines the potential benefit of novel disease-modifying agents that target inflammatory and fibrotic factors in these patients. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Nutritional Ketosis as a Potential Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic, relapsing brain disorder, characterized by compulsive alcohol seeking and disrupted brain function. In individuals with AUD, abstinence from alcohol often precipitates withdrawal symptoms than can be life threatening. Here, we review evidence for nutritional ketosis as a potential means to reduce withdrawal and alcohol craving. We also review the underlying mechanisms of action of ketosis. Several findings suggest that during alcohol intoxication there is a shift from glucose to acetate metabolism that is enhanced in individuals with AUD. During withdrawal, there is a decline in acetate levels that can result in an energy deficit and could contribute to neurotoxicity. A ketogenic diet or ingestion of a ketone ester elevates ketone bodies (acetoacetate, -hydroxybutyrate and acetone) in plasma and brain, resulting in nutritional ketosis. These effects have been shown to reduce alcohol withdrawal symptoms, alcohol craving, and alcohol consumption in both preclinical and clinical studies. Thus, nutritional ketosis may represent a unique treatment option for AUD: namely, a nutritional intervention that could be used alone or to augment the effects of medications.
Rate Equation Modeling of Tm → Ho Energy Transfer in LiYF4

A detailed study of the spectroscopy and excitation dynamics of the trivalent lanthanides Tm3+ and Ho3+ in Yttrium Lithium Fluoride, LiYF4 (YLF), has been done. YLF is a very versatile laser host that has been used to produce laser action at many different wavelengths when doped with trivalent lanthanides. Since the early 1970’s YLF has been the subject of many studies, the main goal of which has been to produce long wavelength lasers in the eye safe 2 µm region. The temporal response of Tm and Ho in singly and co-doped YLF to pulsed laser excitation with a Ti:Al2O3 laser and a CoMgF2 laser tuned to various wavelengths have also been studied. The energy transfer mechanisms of cross relaxation, upconversion, and resonant energy transfer between Tm3+ and Ho3+ ions have been modeled, and the model parameters extracted by a fitting procedure to the measured temporal response curves. Rate equation approaches to modeling are presented that result in the determination of rate constants for energy transfer processes.
Education Trends and Their Impact on Management of Software Engineering Education

This is an exciting and challenging period for managers of software engineering education, whether in university, industry, or government settings. Many of our traditional assumptions about education are being questioned. We are seeing changes in delivery mechanisms, financial trends, and education issues. We are seeing a variety of delivery methods as replacements for traditional stand-up delivery, including distance learning via broadcast or video, use of multimedia facilities, self-study at individual workstations. We are seeing a demand for “just-in-time” learning, and perhaps less emphasis on education for the long term. There is a desire to make education dollars go further than they do today. University curricula now include more software courses. This results in a different course mix for universities and perhaps different computing facilities. Industry and government receive these better-educated practitioners, and hence no longer need to offer basic software courses to them. At the same time, industry and government need to keep existing employees current, in an attempt to close this generation gap. These trends suggest impacts on management of education and changes in education in the future. As many of these changes involve advanced technology and computing, it is natural that software engineering education will be one of the areas to feel the impacts early. In this paper we focus primarily on industry education and its management. However, the subject is also of interest to government educators and managers, as well as university educators and administrators, as shifts in industry education will probably affect them as well.
Extracellular superoxide production by Enterococcus faecalis requires demethylmenaquinone and is attenuated by functional terminal quinol oxidases

The intestinal commensal bacterium, Enterococcus faecalis, is unusual among prokaryotic organisms in its ability to produce substantial extracellular superoxide. Transposon mutagenesis, allelic replacement, and electron spin resonance (ESR)-spin trapping showed that superoxide production and generation of derivative hydroxyl radical were dependent on membrane-associated demethylmenaquinone. Extracellular superoxide was generated through univalent reduction of oxygen by reduced demethylmenaquinone. Moreover, extracellular superoxide production was inhibited by exogenous haematin, an essential cofactor for cytochrome bd, and by fumarate, a substrate for fumarate reductase. As integral membrane quinol oxidases, cytochrome bd and fumarate reductase redox cycle demethylmenaquinone, and are necessary for aerobic and anaerobic respiration respectively. A rat model of intestinal colonization demonstrated that conditions exist in the mammalian intestinal tract that permit a mode of respiration for E. faecalis that results in the formation of hydroxyl radical. These results identify and characterize the mechanism by which E. faecalis generates extracellular free radicals.
Some Recent Results in Algorithmic Game Theory

There are three major trends in the field of Algorithmic Game Theory: computational mechanism design, the price of anarchy, and the computation of equilibria; this talk describes one recent result in each. We show computational complexity lower bounds on truthful and approximately efficient mechanisms; we revisit the Roughgarden-Tardos result on selfish routing when routing decisions are made by the nodes, not the flows; and we show that Nash equilibria can be approximated well in several broad, unexpected, and useful classes of games. (Joint work with Costis Daskalakis, Michael Schapira, Yaron Singer, and Greg Valiant).
Associations among pain, non-medical prescription opioid use, and drug overdose history.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Recently, use of prescription opioids (POs) has increased; non-medical PO (NMPO) use is linked to overdose. NMPO use is common among individuals prescribed opioids for pain, and those in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment with pain could be at increased risk for unintentional overdose due to NMPO use. We examined associations between pain, NMPO use, and overdose among SUD treatment patients. METHODS: Among 342 patients at a residential SUD treatment center, logistic regression examined the association of overdose with pain, adjusting for substance use, suicide attempts, and demographics. RESULTS: Pain was positively related to NMPO use. Heroin use, suicide attempts, pain, and NMPO use were positively associated with overdose; but NMPO use attenuated the pain-overdose relationship. CONCLUSIONS: The relationship between pain and overdose among substance users may be, in part, explained by the association between pain and heavy NMPO use. (Am J Addict 2014;23:41-47). Language: en
New York State obstetricians and the new abortion law: physician experience with abortion techniques.

Abstract Findings are presented from a study of 1,146 obstetrics-gynecology practitioners in New York State (a 50 per cent sample) interviewed in July, 1970, and 6 months later, with regard to experience with abortion techniques. In July, 1970, 51 per cent of respondents had used saline instillation for abortion, indicating high initial familiarity. Of Catholic M.D.'s, 34 per cent reported having used saline. Physicians who were Board certified, Jewish, affiliated with municipal hospitals, male, and young tended to have a high initial degree of experience. Seventy-one per cent preferred vacuum aspiration for abortion during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. The 26 per cent who preferred dilatation and curettage tended not to be Board certified and were more likely to be affiliated with proprietary hospitals. After the twelfth week of pregnancy, 68 per cent preferred hypertonic saline, 8 per cent preferred hysterotomy, and 15 per cent would not do abortions. Those who preferred hysterotomy and those who wouldn't do abortions after the twelfth week were almost all in private practice.
Sensitivity of hurricane forecasts to cumulus parameterizations in the HWRF model

The Developmental Testbed Center used the Hurricane Weather Research and Forecasting (HWRF) system to test the sensitivity of tropical cyclone track and intensity forecasts to different convective schemes. A control configuration that employed the HWRF Simplified Arakawa Scheme (SAS) was compared with the Kain-Fritsch and Tiedtke schemes, as well as with a newer implementation of the SAS. A comprehensive test for Atlantic and Eastern North Pacific storms shows that the SAS scheme produces the best track forecasts. Even though the convective parameterization was absent in the inner 3 km nest, the intensity forecasts are sensitive to the choice of cumulus scheme on the outer grids. The impact of convective-scale heating on the environmental flow accumulates in time since the hurricane vortex is cycled in the HWRF model initialization. This study shows that, for a given forecast, the sensitivity to cumulus parameterization combines the influence of physics and initial conditions.
Regulation of human papillomavirus gene expression in the vegetative life cycle

Publisher Summary The chapter discusses regulation of human papillomavirus (HPVs) gene expression in the vegetative life cycle. HPVs infect epithelial or mucosal tissue at specific anatomical locations. Over 100 HPVs have been identified to date, of which approximately 30 types infect the genital tract. Genital types are divided into two categories based on their potential for malignant transformation. Infection by low-risk viruses, such as HPV-6, and 11, can lead to genital warts, while high-risk types (HPV-16, 18, 31, 33, and 45, among others) can induce oncogenesis in infected tissue of the anogenital tract. HPVs are members of a small group of viruses that link their life-cycle to the differentiation status of the host cell. It may occur through microwounds of the epithelium and to utilize a heparin-like molecule on basal cells for the initial binding event. Following entry, viral DNA is established as episomes in basal cells at approximately 50–100 copies per cell. Early viral gene expression occurs at low levels at this stage, and viral DNA replication is synchronized to the host chromosomes. As infected cells migrate through the suprabasal strata, they differentiate and the viral DNA continues to replicate. Late gene expression occurs upon terminal differentiation, and progeny virions are produced in suprabasal cells. The use of organotypic raft culture and other methods for differentiation has facilitated analysis of transcription and DNA synthesis throughout the HPV lifecycle, while growth of submerged monolayer cultures is a model for growth in the basal layers of the epithelium.
Voice-coil actuator control design for use in an elastance-based mock circulatory system

The use of a voice-coil actuator (VCA) in an elastance-based mock circulatory system (MCS) was investigated. Two VCA models, an ideal linear model and a non-linear model, were compared for use in the design of the control scheme. Data for parameter estimation was acquired by exciting the VCA with a sine wave input. VCA parameters were then identified using least-squares estimation (LSE) and curve-fitting software. LSE using the ideal linear model yielded a high RMS error and was deemed unreliable for use in controller design. Thus, the use of the non-linear model was proposed and verified in simulation. This scheme will then be implemented in hardware for further investigation.
The Changing Faces of Journalism: Tabloidization, Technology and Truthiness

Introduction: Why Journalism's Changing Faces Matter. Barbie Zelizer Part 1: On Tabloidization 1. Rethinking a Villain, Redeeming a Format: The Crisis and Cure in Tabloidization. Michael Serazio 2. Can Popularization Help the News Media? Herbert J. Gans 3. Tears and Trauma in the News. Carolyn Kitch 4. Tabloidization: What Is It and Does It Really Matter? S. Elizabeth Bird Part 2: On Technology 5. The Impact of Technology on Journalism. Lokman Tsui 6. Materiality and Mimicry in Contemporary Journalistic Practice. Pablo Boczkowski 7. The Guardian of the Real: Journalism in the Time of the New Mind. Julianne H. Newton 8. Technology and the Individual Journalist: Agency Beyond Imitation and Change. Mark Deuze Part 3: On Truthiness 9. Rethinking Truth through Truthiness. Keren Tenenboim-Weinblatt 10. Two Cheers for Positivism: Factual Knowledge in the Age of Truthiness. Michael Schudson 11. The Moment of Truthiness. James Ettema 12. Believable Fictions: Redactional Culture and the Will to Truthiness. Jeffrey Jones Afterword: The Troubling Evolution of Journalism. Peter Dahlgren.
Silent Super-Massive Black Holes

This paper reviews some recent work on high-resolution Chandra observations of inactive Super-Massive Black Holes (SMBHs) in nearby galaxies. The aim of this work is to explore observationally nuclear feedback in galaxy formation by understanding the interaction between accretion and black hole activity in these extreme quiescent nuclei.
Plant flexibility planning: Problem formulation and performance estimation

Manufacturing systems are becoming more and more flexible to confront uncertainty in demands of multiple product types. In this paper, we study planning and management of plant flexibility in manufacturing systems from the perspective of demand shortfall and service level, as functions of setup time, inhomogeneous capacities and demand distributions. Closed-form bounds of demand shortfall as well as accurate estimate of service level are obtained. Sensitivity analyses of service level with respect to reductions in setup time, downtime and cycle time are carried out, and the impact of new product launch and product correlation on system flexibility is investigated.
Chloramphenicol-induced changes in the synthesis of ribosomal, transfer, and messenger ribonucleic acids in Escherichia coli B/r

The synthesis of ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA) and messenger RNA (mRNA) was measured in Escherichia coli B/r after the addition of 100 mug of chloramphenicol (CAM) per ml to cultures growing either in one of three minimal media (succinate, glycerol, or glucose) or in one of the same three media supplemented with 20 amino acids. (i) During CAM treatment, rRNA and tRNA were synthesized in the same relative proportions (85:15) as during exponential growth. The faster accumulation of tRNA relative to rRNA in CAM was due to a decreased stability of rRNA that is synthesized in the presence of or immediately before the addition of CAM. (ii) CAM stimulated the synthesis of rRNA and tRNA two- to eightfold. The results fell into two groups; one group was from studies done in minimal media and the other was from amino acid-supplemented media. In each group the stimulation decreased with increasing growth rate of the culture during exponential growth before the addition of CAM; however, the stimulation in minimal media was lower than that in amino acid-supplemented media. (iii) CAM caused an increase in the proportion of rRNA and tRNA synthesis and a corresponding decrease in the proportion of mRNA synthesis. In minimal media, the residual proportion of mRNA synthesis after CAM treatment was 10 to 15% of total RNA synthesis; in amino acid-supplemented media this proportion was 0 to 10%. In either case, the residual proportion of mRNA synthesis was independent of the proportions observed during exponential growth in these media. (iv) The absolute rate of mRNA synthesis decreased severalfold with the addition of CAM; i.e., the rate of synthesis of rRNA and tRNA was increased at the expense of mRNA synthesis. (v) During exponential growth, the fraction of the instantaneous rate of total RNA synthesis that corresponds to mRNA is a function of both the growth rate and the presence or absence of amino acids in the growth medium: in the absence of amino acids, this fraction decreased with increasing growth rate; in the presence of amino acids, the fraction increased slightly with growth rate. These results are consistent with a regulation of rRNA and tRNA synthesis at the transcriptional level, e.g., with a CAM-induced increase in the affinity of RNA polymerase for the rRNA and tRNA promoters. The results also suggest the occurrence of a regulation of RNA polymerase enzyme activity, i.e., of an activation of RNA polymerase that is inactive during exponential growth. A distinction between these alternatives requires measurements of the rRNA chain growth rates during CAM treatment.
Orthodontic care for the behavior‐challenged special needs patient

Despite having a high prevalence of functionally compromising malocclusions, individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities do not regularly receive necessary orthodontic treatment. Patients with behavior challenges are unlikely to be offered this treatment option. However, with appropriate behavior management interventions and pharmacologic sedation, orthodontic treatment becomes a possibility for clinicians to consider. Parents will likely seek out clinicians who can provide this type of advanced orthodontic care. Additional training is now becoming available as accredited Fellowship Programs in Craniofacial and Special Care Orthodontics are developed. Hopefully, the clinical examples described in this article will no longer be unique in the area of special care dentistry.
The Impact of Racial Metric Variation in the Os Coxae on the Morphological Assessment of Sex

This study examines whether sex determination based on morphological traits in the os coxae is impacted by racial quantitative variation. Nineteen traits were evaluated independently by two observers in 876 os coxae. Chi-square test was used on a random sample of 400 individuals to assess whether the distribution of correct sex assessment varied for white and black individuals based on each trait individually and all 19 traits collectively, as well as on inter-observer agreement in correct sex assessment. Results indicate that accuracy of sex assessment varied between white and black individuals in certain individual traits; however, accuracy was not impacted when all traits were considered together. Furthermore, traits that showed significant variation in correct sex assessment between races generally were not related to size, but instead were "discrete." Finally, analyses of inter-observer variation suggest that disparities in sex assessment for some traits may be related to differences in trait interpretation between observers rather than morphological dissimilarities between races.
Significance of the Argyll Robertson pupil in clinical medicine

The Argyll Robertson pupil, a miotic pupil that fails to react to direct light, has been described for more than a century. Originally associated with tabes dorsalis, the sign has now been found in a number of conditions with lesions in the area of the nucleus of Edinger-Westphal. Magnetic resonance imaging studies have localized the lesion in patients with sarcoidosis and multiple sclerosis. With the declining incidence of neurosyphilis, the sign is increasingly likely to indicate another cause, although an assiduous search for lues should also be undertaken.
Barriers to Recognition of Erectile Dysfunction Among Diabetic Mexican-American Men

Background: Diabetes is widespread among Mexican-Americans, and erectile dysfunction is a well-recognized complication for which effective treatments are available. Men who desire treatment, however, might not volunteer erectile complaints to their physician, especially across cultural lines. Methods: We surveyed diabetic Mexican-American men cared for in two community health centers to estimate the prevalence of self-reported erectile dysfunction, to learn how frequently they discuss sexual function with their physician, and to evaluate factors that facilitate or inhibit discussion. Results: Of the participants surveyed, 59 percent (95 percent confidence interval [CI] 48-70) reported always lacking erection in one or more proposed circumstances, whereas 82 percent (95 percent CI 73-91) reported frequent erectile insufficiency in the same circumstances. Patients reporting erectile problems were no more likely to have discussed sexual function with their physician than those who denied frequent erectile dysfunction. Of those with frequent erectile dysfunction, only 47 percent had had a discussion about sexual function with their physician. We found that these men did not initiate discussion because they were embarrassed or expect the physician to initiate the dialogue. Conclusions: Erectile dysfunction is common in diabetic Mexican-American men and is underrecognized by clinicians and underreported by patients. Because effective treatments exist, primary care physicians should routinely ask their diabetic patients about erectile function.
Sparse wavelet regression with multiple predictive curves

With the advance of techniques, more and more complicated data are extracted and recorded. In this paper, functional regression models with a scalar response and multiple predictive curves are considered. We transform the functional regression models to multiple linear regression models by using the discrete wavelet transformation. When the number of predictive curves is big, the multiple linear regression model usually has much bigger number of features than the sample size. We apply our correlation-based sparse regression method to the resulted high dimensional regression model. The novel feature of our sparse method is that we impose sparsity penalty on the direction of the estimate of the coefficient vector instead of the estimate itself, and only the direction of the estimate is determined by an optimization problem. The estimation consistency of the coefficient curve for the functional regression model is obtained when both the sample size and the number of curves go to infinity. The effects of the discrete observations are discussed. We compare our method with both functional regression methods and other wavelet based sparse regression methods on both simulated data and four real data sets, including the cases of single and multiple predictive curves. The results indicate that sparse wavelet regression methods are better in extracting local features and our method has good predictive performances in all scenarios.
Microstructural studies of a Ni-W directionally solidified eutectic composite

The influence of heat treatment on the microstructure of a Ni-45.5 wt pct W directionally solidified eutectic composite has been studied. Four types of microstructural conditions have been examined using light and thin foil electron microscopy techniques. The as-grown composite consists of W fibers in a matrix which contains some WNi4 precipitates. Quenching the composite from above the peritectoid temperature results in W fibers in a Ni-W solid solution matrix. Subsequent aging results in precipitation of coherent WNi4. Long time aging at temperatures just under the peritectoid temperature promotes the peritectoid reaction leading to envelopment of the W fibers by a layer of WNi4. The envelopment reaction is accompanied by a change from faceted to round fiber morphology. The presence of W fibers in the Ni-W solid solution influences aging in two ways when compared to a solid solution alloy. First, the fiber/matrix interfaces act as dislocation sources on quenching; these dislocations are absorbed into the WNi4 precipitate/matrix interfaces leading to early loss of coherency. Second, the WNi4 precipitates undergo a preferential coarsening due to elastic interaction between the fibers and the WNi4 precipitates; this leads to a mosaic structure, the occurrence of which is uniquely dependent on the presence of W fibers.
SU‐E‐T‐285: Generating Lung Tumor Internal Target Volumes from 4D‐PET Maximum Intensity Projections

Purpose: Positron emission tomography(PET) of lungtumors suffers from breathing‐motion induced blurring. Gated PET ameliorates motion blurring and enables visualization of lungtumor functional uptake throughout the breathing cycle but has achieved limited clinical use in radiotherapy planning. We propose a process for generating a gated PET maximum intensity projection (MIP), a 3D projection of the 4D image set comprising gated PETimages, as a technique to efficiently and quantitatively incorporate respiratory‐correlated PET information into radiotherapytreatment planning. Methods: 4DCT and respiratory‐gated FDG‐PET list‐mode data were acquired of 3 patients with a total of 4 small (4–18cc), well‐encapsulated lower‐lobe lungtumors. Internal target volumes (ITVs) for the lungtumors were generated by threshold‐based segmentation of the PET‐MIP images and the un‐gated PETimages, and by manual contouring of the tumor in a 4DCT‐MIP image. The normalized overlap volumes and relative volumes of ITV PET‐MIP and ITV UNGATED‐PET with respect to ITV CT‐MIP were compared. The images were also visually compared. ITV CT‐MIP was considered the gold standard for these tumors having CT‐visible morphology. Results: The mean and standard deviation normalized overlap and relative volumes between ITV PET‐MIP and ITV CT‐MIP were 0.68+−0.07 and 1.07+−0.42, respectively, averaged over all 4 tumors and 5 segmentation‐threshold values. The mean and standard deviation normalized overlap and relative volumes of ITV UNGATED‐PET and ITV CT‐MIP were 0.47+−0.12 and 0.69+−0.56 respectively. Conclusions: PET‐MIP images better match CT‐MIP images for this sample of four small CT‐visible tumors, as compared to un‐gated PETimages, based on the metrics of volumetric overlap and relative volumes as well as on visual interpretation. The PET‐MIP is a way to incorporate 4DPET imaging into the process of lungtumor contouring that is time‐efficient for the radiation oncologist and involves minimal effort to implement in treatment planningsoftware because it requires only a single PETimage beyond CT‐alone contouring.
Experimental Investigation of Droplet Dynamics and Spray Atomization inside Thermostatic Expansion Valves

Experimental investigation on spray atomization and droplet dynamics inside a thermostatic expansion valve (TEV) was conducted. A needle and an orifice were copied from a commercial TEV and machined to be mounted inside a chamber with optical access so that the flow inside the TEV is simulated and visualized at the same time. The break-up and atomization of the refrigerant were documented near the downstream of the orifice under different feed conditions on micro-second scale. A Phase Doppler Anemometry (PDA) system was used later to measure the size of atomized refrigerant droplets. It is found that spray impingement is inevitable and crucial to the atomization. Under steady-state operation, liquid film was seen formed on the needle plate and caused droplets splashed from plate, which will further have an effect on the droplets size. The before impact and after impact droplets were characterized by PDA system and for studying the impingement. In addition, the impact of the needle geometry inside the valve on refrigerant atomization has also been investigated. * Corresponding author: Chia-fon F. Lee
Costs and Benefits of the Federal Trade Commission's Do-Not-Call Regulations: A Second Look and Reply to Anderson

Abstract Federal Trade Commission economist Keith Anderson agrees with the two central points of Beard and Abernethy's 2005 article “Consumer Prices and the Federal Trade Commission's ‘Do-Not-Call’ Program.” Do-not-call regulations make it more costly for some marketers to provide consumers with useful product information. Consumer telecommunications service prices are also likely to be higher than they would be without the regulations. However, the authors of this commentary disagree with the household cost estimate of telecommunications services that Anderson suggests and with his argument that only telecommunications costs should be considered when trying to determine whether do-not-call regulations have increased overall consumer welfare. The authors hope that the Federal Trade Commission will explicitly consider the consumer and business costs of advertising restrictions when considering future advertising regulation.
SU-E-J-80: Interplay Effect Between VMAT Intensity Modulation and Tumor Motion in Hypofractioned Lung Treatment, Investigated with 3D Pressage Dosimeter

Purpose: To demonstrate an embedded tissue equivalent presage dosimeter for measuring 3D doses in moving tumors and to study the interplay effect between the tumor motion and intensity modulation in hypofractioned Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy(VMAT) lung treatment. Methods: Motion experiments were performed using cylindrical Presage dosimeters (5cm diameter by 7cm length) mounted inside the lung insert of a CIRS thorax phantom. Two different VMAT treatment plans were created and delivered in three different scenarios with the same prescribed dose of 18 Gy. Plan1, containing a 2 centimeter spherical CTV with an additional 2mm setup margin, was delivered on a stationary phantom. Plan2 used the same CTV except expanded by 1 cm in the Sup-Inf direction to generate ITV and PTV respectively. The dosimeters were irradiated in static and variable motion scenarios on a Truebeam system. After irradiation, high resolution 3D dosimetry was performed using the Duke Large Field-of-view Optical-CT Scanner, and compared to the calculated dose from Eclipse. Results: In the control case (no motion), good agreement was observed between the planned and delivered dose distributions as indicated by 100% 3D Gamma (3% of maximum planned dose and 3mm DTA) passing rates in the CTV. In motion cases gamma passing rates was 99% in CTV. DVH comparisons also showed good agreement between the planned and delivered dose in CTV for both control and motion cases. However, differences of 15% and 5% in dose to PTV were observed in the motion and control cases respectively. Conclusion: With very high dose nature of a hypofraction treatment, significant effect was observed only motion is introduced to the target. This can be resulted from the motion of the moving target and the modulation of the MLC. 3D optical dosimetry can be of great advantage in hypofraction treatment dose validation studies.
DEVELOPMENT OF (Na + -K + )-ATPase IN RAT HINDBRAIN: INCREMENTS IN PARALLEL WITH Na + -DEPENDENT PHOSPHORYLATION AND K + - p NITROPHENYLPHOSPHATASE 1

— Rat hindbrain NaI-enriched microsomal (Na+-K+)-ATPase activity, K+-pNPPase activity, and Na+-dependent steady-state phosphorylation levels all increase approx 10-fold relative to microsomal protein between 5 days prenatally and 60 days postnatally. These activities, as well as the mean wet weight of the hindbrain, are at half of their 60 day values shortly after the 10th postnatal day. For all ages, these hindbrain activities average over twice those found in the forebrain in a companion paper (Bertoni & Siegel, 1978). Increases during development in the amount of the related phosphorylatable polypeptide, estimated by densitometry of stained polyacrylamide gels containing fixed amounts of microsomal protein dissolved in SDS, are in agreement with increases in steady state levels of Na+-dependent phosphorylation. The fraction of total phosphorylation that is Na+-dependent rises steadily during development consistent with, but not obligatorily due to, a conversion of some of the previously Na+-independent portion. Mg2+-ATPase and Mg2+ -pNPPase activities and steady-state Na+,-independent phosphorylation levels do not increase in parallel during development. These observations add further support to the proposed partial reaction scheme for (Na+- K+)-ATPase. The major increments in (Na +-K+)-ATPase occur simultaneously with the deposition of specialized plasma membranes, particularly in the molecular layer of the cerebellum, as described in previous studies of rat hind brain.
Accumulated dose dependence of support film contrast transfer function

The influence of electron irradiation history upon the optical transfer function of medium dose (6 e/A 2 ) electron micrographs was studied for carbon, Triafol plus carbon, and Formvar plus carbon support films. It was found that as the accumulated dose increased, the highest spatial frequency observed in the transfer function improved for all three films. Electron diffraction patterns for the three types of support films showed an accumulated dose-dependent loss of intensity. The conclusions were reached that support films which are relatively stable under high dose microscopy conditions can be unstable under medium dose conditions, and this instability can limit the reliable information in medium dose micrographs.
Identifying characteristics that allow pharmacy technicians to assume unconventional roles in the pharmacy

Abstract Objective To identify aspects of pharmacy technicians' experience, training, practice setting, and location that influence whether technicians undertook roles traditionally performed by pharmacists. Design Descriptive, nonexperimental, cross-sectional study. Setting North Dakota in 2005. Patients All 456 pharmacy technicians registered in North Dakota (response rate 42.1% [n = 192]) actively working in a pharmacy-related practice setting. Intervention A survey was developed based on workforce studies of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. The survey asked technicians to report demographic characteristics, education, experience, pharmacy setting, and community practice size. Respondents also were asked to identify whether they routinely performed specific tasks in the pharmacy, some of which are not typically performed by technicians. Main outcome measures Eight "unconventional" tasks performed by technicians were selected as the focus of the analysis: compounding oral medications under the supervision of a pharmacist, compounding topical medications under pharmacist supervision, preparing third-party billing, requesting a refill authorization from a prescriber, taking patient medication history information, ordering stock from a wholesaler, taking new prescriptions over the telephone, and counseling patients on nonprescription medications. Results For each task, a binary logit model was used to identify the characteristics that significantly affected whether technicians performed a task. The practice setting was the most pervasive determinant of whether technicians performed specific tasks. Educational background and certification played a secondary role in influencing whether technicians performed each of these tasks. Conclusion Pharmacy technicians are able to take on a larger role in pharmacy practice. However, technicians' abilities to fill these expanded roles may be limited and depend on various factors, including practice setting, acceptance by pharmacists, and technician experience.
Dissociation of Spelling Errors in Written and Oral Spelling: The Role of Allographic Conversion in Writing

What are the cognitive/linguistic mechanisms necessary for the literate adult to spell a familiar word accurately or to attempt to spell an unfamiliar word or pronounceable nonword? In developing a model of single word/nonword spelling, one might postulate that accurate spelling can be accomplished solely by means of access to a system of rules specifying which graphemic units are assigned to component phonemic units of a phonological sequence. This phoneme-grapheme conversion system, used for phonologically assembled spelling, would, however, only allow for accurate spelling of pronounceable nonwords since any phonologically plausible spelling on a nonword is considered accurate. Reliance on this system for assembling spelling of words, however, is quite problematic. This is due to the opaque relationship between phonemes and their graphemic realisations in English. Thus, for example, the word /kot/ could be misspelled as “cote,” “kote,” “koat,” etc. by use of phonemegrapheme correspondence mappings (see Morton, 1980; Ellis, 1982). The point is that while any phonologically plausible spelling for a nonword is considered accurate, any phonologically plausible spelling for a word just won’t do. In order to spell all English words accurately, one needs to have access to a lexical system containing whole-word spelling representations (i.e., a graphemic output lexicon). That is, the unique spelling for each word must be addressed in this system. Since pronounceable nonwords do not have entries in the graphemic output lexicon, they can only be provided a phonologically plausible spelling (in this type of cognitive architecture) by use of the nonlexical phoneme-grapheme conversion system.
The Development of Federal Old-Age Policy in the Era of the Great Depression: Pensions, Policies, and Politics, 1920–1940

Even before the Depression struck, most of the nation's public pension and retirement funds came from federal sources, in the form of veterans' and civil servants' benefits. In 1935, Congress drew upon these earlier programs to create the first national pension program under Title II of the Social Security Act. Unlike the other programs established by the Act, Old Age Insurance (OAI) provided for direct payments to individuals, thus bypassing often discriminatory state-controlled administration of social welfare programs. In its method of funding and in the patterns of inclusion and exclusion it evidenced, this OAI measure established the basis for what has become a generally successful program of social support. However, OAI's reliance on work history has had adverse gender effects owing to its reliance on employment rather than on common citizenship as the determinant of benefits.
The Phosphaalkene-like Reactivity of Dithienophosphinines

2-Thienyldithienophosphinine (3) has been prepared in three steps starting by the ring expansion of dithienophosphole (4) upon reaction with 2-thiophenecarboxylic acid chloride, triethylamine, and water. DFT calculations indicate that the replacement of the phenyl in 2-phenyldithienophosphinine (2) by the 2-thienyl substituent in 3 significantly reduces the HOMO−LUMO gap. Accordingly, 3 reacts cleanly and quantitatively with 2,3-dimethylbutadiene to give the [2+4] cycloadduct 11, whose structure has been confirmed by X-ray crystal structure analysis, whereas 2 reacts slowly and gives the adduct in only 52% yield, and the analogous 2-phenylphosphaphenanthrene (1) gives only an untractable mixture.
Non-resonant pump field modification of the sidescatter threshold

The modification of the dispersion relation for the ion acoustic wave in the presence of an electromagnetic pump wave obliquely incident on the plasma is studied. Furthermore, its effect on the Brillouin sidescatter threshold is examined.
Public Assistance and Promotion of Local Rail Projects.

In the second half of the nineteenth century, and again in the middle of the twentieth century, federal, state, and local governments were involved in large-scale subsidizing and promoting of railroad infrastructure for economic development purposes. In the 1800s, public financial involvement centered on the expansion of railroads to develop the West. In the 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s, public financial assistance focused on preserving rail freight services, and on restructuring the then oversized national rail network. In the 1990s and beyond, rail improvements and the need for public assistance are likely to be more incremental, with mostly local projects. Case study research was conducted on six local freight rail service projects, all of which had public sector investment. Five attributes were identified whose presence was associated with project success, or conversely, whose absence may have reduced the likelihood for project success. These success attributes should be used as an adjunct to sound economic analysis, and incorporated within future policies governing selection of local rail projects to receive public assistance.
Paragangliomas of the temporal bone

Recent advances in diagnosis and surgical therapy of glomus tumors of the temporal bone have been made. These advances make it possible for surgeons to benefit patients affected by this locally aggressive and morbid tumor. More sensitive diagnostic modalities and a physician alertness make early surgical cure a possibility. Careful planning and observation of basic surgical principles help to minimize morbidity and improve functional results.
Longitudinal changes in insulin sensitivity and beta cell function between women with and without a history of gestational diabetes mellitus

Aims/hypothesis The aim of the study was to compare longitudinal changes in insulin sensitivity (SI) and beta cell function between women with and without a history of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).
High parity and adverse birth outcomes: exploring the maze.

Background Despite extensive literature on the topic, it is uncertain if grand (para > or = 5) and great grand (para > or = 10) multiparity are associated with adverse birth outcomes. We critically evaluate the evidence for and against the existence of adverse maternal and/or fetal outcomes in high parity women. Methods An electronic search of MEDLINE and other bibliographic databases (Current Contents, EMBASE, and CAB) was conducted, and all relevant articles in English language were retrieved. Results Findings on the association between high parity and maternal-fetal birth outcomes are not consistent. Although the older literature tends to suggest that multiparity is a risk factor for negative birth outcomes, more recent reports are not supportive. Comparison across studies was further complicated by confounding factors like maternal age, socioeconomic status, and levels of prenatal care, as well as by variations in study designs and in the definition of parity itself. Furthermore, most studies that examined women of extreme parity (para > or = 10) were handicapped by inadequate power. Conclusions After accounting for quality, culture, and degrees of associations, the preponderance of evidence seems to point to possible existence of heightened risk for certain medical complications and placental pathologies among women of extreme parity. The literature also provides reasonable evidence for a higher-than-expected likelihood for occurrence of fetal macrosomia with advanced parity.
A Top Priority: Family Planning Assistance for Rural America

T HE American people have been concerned about rural poverty for some time. As a nation, we took our first significant actions to correct the rural poverty situation in the 1860's [11, p. 1352]. One hundred and ten years later we find the problems are still with us. Through the years our farm programs have not been successful in eliminating the causes of rural poverty. Rural America has had a high rate of human fertility when compared with the urban sector. In 1960 the rural farm fertility rate for all women ever married was 50 percent higher than for women in urbanized areas. In the younger age group, 20 to 24 years, rural farm women had 1.29 children for every one born to urban women [16, p. 359]. Recently there have been serious discussions suggesting that this high rate of fertility is contributing significantly to the continuing economic plight of rural people. It is the purpose of this paper to point out the need for continuing discussion, study, and, eventually, adoption of a national family planning assistance program for the rural poor. The time has come to recognize that high fertility in rural America only magnifies the traditional indicators of rural poverty such as low income, inadequate educational opportunity, and insufficient health care. It is time to recognize the evidence that rural parents do want smaller families.
Laparoscopic repair of a perineal hernia

Introduction Perineal hernias are rare occurrences with statistics ranging from <1 to 3% incidence after open abdominoperineal resection (APR). The incidence of perineal hernia after laparoscopic APR is less certain due to the relatively recent advent of laparoscopic proctectomy. Here we discuss an occurrence of a perineal hernia after a laparoscopic APR and its subsequent laparoscopic repair with mesh.