cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adjacent Segment Reoperation and Other Perioperative Outcomes in Patients Who Underwent Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusions at One and Two Levels.

Objective This is the first large retrospective analysis of patients undergoing anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) with concern for clinical determinants leading to reoperation for adjacent segment disease (ASD). The objective of this study is to examine the specific perioperative and clinical determinants that affect need for adjacent segment reoperation in patients who underwent 1-level and 2-level ALIF procedures for degenerative disc disorders. Methods All cases at our institution between 2008 and 2016 involving an ALIF performed for degenerative disc disorders at 1 or 2 levels were examined. A total of 404 ALIF cases, of which 268 were single-level (66.33%) and 136 were 2-level procedures (33.67%), were included. Adjacent segment reoperation was the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included increased blood loss, extended surgery duration, greater nonhome discharge, extended hospitalization, and higher total direct costs. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression assessed how number of levels fused related to perioperative outcomes. Results The patient cohorts shared similar demographic characteristics and showed expected differences in certain intraoperative outcomes. After controlling for preoperative and intraoperative variables, multivariate regression showed that patients who underwent 2-level ALIFs experienced increased odds of adjacent segment reoperation (P = 0.0424) but no other adverse clinical outcomes. Conclusions Our findings support a biomechanical hypothesis of ASD onset after fusion, suggesting that the risk of ASD after ALIF lies primarily in the number of levels fused rather than any demographic or intraoperative variables.
The Effect of Container Surface Passivation on Aggregation of Intravenous Immunoglobulin Induced by Mechanical Shock.

Aggregation of therapeutic proteins can result from a number of stress conditions encountered during their manufacture, transportation, and storage. This work shows the effects of two interrelated sources of protein aggregation: the chemistry and structure of the surface of the container in which the protein is stored, and mechanical shocks that may result from handling of the formulation. How different mechanical stress conditions (dropping, tumbling, and agitation) and container surface passivation affect the stability of solutions of intravenous immunoglobulin are investigated. Application of mechanical shock causes cavitation to occur in the protein solution, followed by bubble collapse and the formation of high-velocity fluid microjets that impinged on container surfaces, leading to particle formation. Cavitation was observed after dropping of vials from heights as low as 5 cm, but polyethylene glycol (PEG) grafting provided temporary protection against drop-induced cavitation. PEG treatment of the vial surface reduced the formation of protein aggregates after repeated dropping events, most likely by reducing protein adsorption to container surfaces. These studies enable the development of new coatings and surface chemistries that can reduce the particulate formation induced by surface adsorption and/or mechanical shock.
Developing a student competency exam for hand therapy clinical experiences: A cross-sectional survey of hand therapists.

Abstract Study Design Cross-sectional survey design. Introduction Students pursuing hand therapy clinical rotations are expected to demonstrate foundational knowledge prior to the experience. Purpose of the Study Identify content that should be included on a potential competency exam for students pursuing hand therapy rotations from the perspectives of current hand therapists. Methods This questionnaire, devised from the Scope of Practice and Domains of Hand Therapy, was emailed to members of the American Society of Hand Therapists. Data was collected and analyzed with SurveyMonkey to determine descriptive statistics and frequency distributions. Results All knowledge areas included in the survey were ranked important or very important. Knowledge areas with the highest responses of much importance were the range of motion assessments of the upper extremity, anatomy and physiology, and interpersonal skills and therapeutic communications. Discussion Hand therapy clinical instructors expect their students to demonstrate competency in relevant topics prior to starting their clinical experiences. A hand therapy competency exam addressing the valued knowledge areas may ensure students are prepared for the rigorous expectations of a hand therapy clinical rotation. Conclusion A competency test, including knowledge areas presented in this study, given to students before starting a specialty rotation, may ensure that the student has the foundational knowledge needed to succeed in a hand therapy setting, provide an understanding of students’ strengths and weaknesses, and help clinicians become more willing to accept students for hand therapy rotations.
Investigating Group-Specific Models of Hospital Workers’ Well-Being: Implications for Algorithmic Bias

Hospital workers often experience burnout due to the demanding job responsibilities and long work hours. Data yielding from ambulatory monitoring combined with machine learning algorithms can affor...
The IL-33-ILC2 pathway protects from amebic colitis

Entamoeba histolytica is a pathogenic protozoan parasite that causes intestinal colitis, diarrhea, and in some cases, liver abscess. Through transcriptomics analysis, we observed that E. histolytica infection was associated with increased expression of IL-33 mRNA in both the human and murine colon. IL-33, the IL-1 family cytokine, is released after cell injury to alert the immune system of tissue damage during infection. Treatment with recombinant IL-33 protected mice from amebic infection and colonic tissue damage; moreover, blocking IL-33 signaling made mice more susceptible to infection and weight loss. IL-33 limited the recruitment of inflammatory immune cells and decreased the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 in the colon. Type 2 immune responses, which are known to be involved in tissue repair, were upregulated by IL-33 treatment during amebic infection. Interestingly, administration of IL-33 protected RAG2-/- mice but not RAG2-/-{gamma}c-/- mice, demonstrating that IL-33 mediated protection occurred in the absence of T or B cells but required the presence of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs). IL-33 induced recruitment of ILC2 but not ILC1 and ILC3 in RAG2-/- mice. Adoptive transfer of ILC2s to RAG2-/-{gamma}c-/- mice restored IL-33 mediated protection. These data reveal that the IL-33-ILC2 pathway is an important host defense mechanism against amebic colitis.
[19] Retinoic acid synthesis from β-carotene in Vitro

Publisher Summary It is clear that both retinol and β -carotene serve as initial substrates for retinoic acid synthesis and several pathways of retinoic acid synthesis exist, at least in vitro . One pathway, the conversion of β -carotene to retinoic acid, is discussed in this chapter. It describes high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) assays to study the conversion of β -carotene to retinoids. Retinoic acid supports vitamin A-dependent differentiation through modulating gene transcription. As far as the mechanism of the production of retinoids from β -carotene is concerned, the difference between the products of β -carotene and retinal metabolism in vitro is inconsistent with an exclusive “central cleavage” mechanism. Two types of experiments illustrate this point and indicate that β -carotene conversion to retinoids in vitro is not a simple case of generating retinal and releasing it into solution to diffuse to enzymes that convert it to retinol and retinoic acid. The first type is based on the observation that the relative amounts of retinol and retinoic acid generated from β -carotene are different from those generated from retinal. With retinal as substrate, the major product in vitro is retinoic acid. In the absence of cofactor, little or no retinol is detected.
Aggregate Functions, Conservative Extensions, and Linear Orders

Practical database query languages are usually equipped with some aggregate functions. For example, “find mean of column” can be expressed in SQL. However, the manner in which aggregate functions were introduced in these query languages leaves something to be desired. Breazu-Tannen, Buneman, and Wong [3] introduced a nested relational language NRC(=) based on monads [16, 24] and structural recursion [1, 2]. It was shown in Wong [27] that this language is equivalent to the nested relational algebras of Thomas and Fischer [22], Schek and Scholl [20], and Colby [4]. NRC(=) enjoys certain advantages over these languages: it is naturally embedded in functional languages, it is readily extensible, and it has a compact equational theory. Therefore, it is used in this report as a basis for investigating aggregate functions.
Measuring OO Design Metrics from UML

Design metrics are useful means for improving the quality of software. A number of object-oriented metrics have been suggested as being helpful for resource allocation in software development. These metrics are particularly useful for identifying fault-prone classes and for predicting required maintenance efforts, productivity, and rework efforts. To obtain the design metrics of the software under development, most existing approaches measure the metrics by parsing the source code of the software. Such approaches can only be performed in a late phase of software development, thus limiting the usefulness of the design metrics in resource allocation. In this paper, we present a methodology that compiles UML specifications to obtain design information and to compute the design metrics at an early stage of software development. The current version of our tool uses diagrams produced by the Rational Rose tool and computes OO metrics that have been suggested as being good indicators for identifying faults related to Object-Oriented features. Our technique advances the state of the metrics measuring process; thus it is expected to strongly promote the use of design metrics and significantly increase their impact on improving software quality.
Agricultural technology choice and transport

This paper addresses an old and recurring theme in development economics: the slow adoption of new technologies by farmers in many developing countries. The paper explores a somewhat novel link to explain this puzzle -- the link between market access and the incentives to adopt a new technology when there are non-convexities. The paper develops a theoretical model to guide the empirical analysis, which uses spatially disaggregated agricultural production data from Spatial Production Allocation Model and Living Standards Measurement Study survey data for Nigeria. The model is used to estimate the impact of transport costs on crop production, the adoption of modern technologies, and the differential impact on returns of modern versus traditional farmers. To overcome the limitation of data availability on travel costs for much of Africa, road survey data are combined with geographic information road network data to generate the most thorough and accurate road network available. With these data and the Highway Development Management Model, minimum travel costs from each location to the market are computed. Consistent with the theory, analysis finds that transportation costs are critical in determining technology choices, with a greater responsiveness among farmers who adopt modern technologies, and at times a perverse (negative) response to lower transport costs among those who employ more traditional techniques. In sum, the paper presents compelling evidence that the constraints to the adoption of modern technologies and access to markets are interconnected, and so should be targeted jointly.
Pentecostal History, Imagination, and Listening between the Lines: Historiographic Creativity for Writing Histories of the Marginalized

As Pentecostals have historically lived, ministered, and led from the margins, their histories often challenge the historian. Reading the religious and social histories contemporaneous to the beginnings of many pentecostal churches and movements is often not enough to discover the complex tapestry of pentecostal voices. Not only oral but also, and particularly, aural historical elements play a key role in the recovery of the “unheard” protagonists in pentecostal histories. The example of Richard Green Spurling and the Church of God (Cleveland, TN) provides an opportunity to imaginatively reconstruct the influences of African Americans on a white Appalachian Baptist-turned-pentecostal preacher. Investigating sung moments of African American prisoners working on a local railroad could shape the religious pedigree of this classical North American pentecostal denomination. This article will explore pentecostal historiography by investigating Spurling and the sung music of African American prisoners as a case study of imaginatively rereading pentecostal histories.
The Essentials of Sports Reporting and Writing

1. Introduction: The Field of Sports Writing 2. Preparation: Tools for Successful Sports Reporting and Writing 3. Sports Writing: The Basics 4. Beginnings I: Leads 5. Beginnings II: Advanced Lead Writing 6. Beginnings III: Overused Leads 7. Middles I: Story Structures 8. Middles II: Effective Interviewing 9. Middles III: Use of Quotes 10. Middles IV: Play-By-Play 11. Story Endings 12. Other Types of Stories I: Sidebars 13. Other Types of Stories II: Advances and Follows 14: Other Types of Stories III: Sports Columns 15. Other Types of Stories IV: Features and Profiles 16. Other Types of Stories V: Sports News and Enterprise 17. Final Points I: Stylistic Errors to Avoid 18. Final Points II: Sports Journalism Ethics 19. International Affairs: Covering International Events. 20: The Life Glossary References
Histone H4 lysine 16 acetylation breaks the genome's silence

Acetylation at histone H4 lysine 16 is involved in many cellular processes in organisms as diverse as yeast and humans. A recent biochemical study pinpoints this particular acetylation mark as a switch for changing chromatin from a repressive to a transcriptionally active state.
An Expert Teacher's Thinking and Teaching and Instructional Design Models and Principles: An Ethnographic Study.

Educators in the field of instructional technology believe that Instructional Design (ID) theory and microdesign models have great potential to help teachers teach effectively. However, the available information on teachers' use of instructional design practices is not encouraging. Several professionals in the field pointed out the importance of examining research about teaching and teachers outside of the educational technology field. This study attempted to address this issue through an exploratory and in-depth examination of an expert teacher's thinking and teaching processes and to link those to instructional design procedures. The study employed a naturalistic approach which combined different methodological techniques. Data were analyzed in the constant comparative styl, which allowed categories to emerge from the data. The generated conceptual model of the teacher's thinking and teaching was then compared to microinstructional systems design models and principles. The findings suggested that there were fundamental differences between the teacher's thinking and teaching processes and microinstructional design models.
Tests for error correlation in the functional linear model

In this chapter, we consider two tests for error correlation in the fully functional linear model, which we call Methods I and II They complement the tools described in Section 8.6 and the graphical goodness of fit checks used in Chapter 9. To construct the test statistics, finite dimensional residuals are computed in two different ways, and then their autocorrelations are suitably defined. From these autocorrelation matrices, two quadratic forms are constructed whose limiting distribution are chi–squared with known numbers of degrees of freedom (different for the two forms). The test statistics can be relatively easily computed using the R package fda.
Effects of dietary protein and tumor necrosis factor on components of the insulin-like growth factor-I pathway in the colon and small intestine in protein-depleted rats

Intestinal cell growth is markedly affected by nutrient intake and the presence of cytokines. Since insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is an important hormone regulator of intestinal proliferation, this study examined the effects of dietary protein content and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) on mRNA levels of IGF-I, IGF-I receptor, IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), and IGFBP-4 and on the histology of the colon, jejunum, and ileum in protein-malnourished rats. After 2 weeks of feeding a 2% casein diet, rats continued on the 2% casein diet or were refed with a 20% casein diet and received daily intraperitoneal injections of either TNF (50 microg/kg) or saline for 4 days. The abundance of mRNA in the intestine was determined by RNA dot-blot analysis, and morphology measurements were performed by light microscopy. Simultaneous refeeding with the 20% casein diet and administration of TNF led to a modest increase in IGF-I and IGFBP-4 mRNA abundance in the colon. However, in the jejunum and ileum, refeeding had no effect but TNF caused a decrease in IGF-I and IGFBP-3 mRNA levels in malnourished rats. Refeeding with the 20% casein diet resulted in relatively modest histologic changes, which were greater in the colon versus the small intestine. The decreased magnitude of histologic changes in the order of the colon, ileum, and jejunum may reflect a response to a gradient of amino acid availability from intraluminal nutrients. These data demonstrate that TNF has distinct effects on colon and small intestine mRNA, but these mild changes had only a slight impact in the colon and did not translate into identifiable histologic changes in the small intestine. Combined protein restriction and TNF administration had only a modest effect on intestinal mRNA levels and mucosal histology.
Modeling Analyst Process of Transforming Data into Understanding

Abstract Increasing amounts of data and the development of new search tools put more emphasis on the role of information synthesis and mental model development for an intelligence analyst. The process employed by the analyst in researching a topic focuses on starting with unstructured data and creating a body of relevant knowledge that provides for an effective transfer of understanding. The objective of this study is to build a model of how a National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) analyst addresses a scenario task. The model looks at the decision process of searching for and evaluating information and determining relevancy. The model is applied to use of the baseline analyst tools as well as the addition of the Geospatial Open Search Toolkit (GOST) system.
Quantitation of solvent polarity based on molecular structure

A numerical index is proposed that ranks solvents according to their polarity. It is based entirely on structure, encoding the relative content of exterjacent electrons in the molecule. The index is the first-order valence molecular connectivity index, 1Xv The index is modified for the number of isolated functional groups in the molecule. A comparison with solvent polarity indexes based on several experimental methods reveals a good relationship. The polarity index proposed can be quickly calculated, it does not depend on the availability of the actual molecule, and it permits prediction of solvent polarity or the polarity of mixtures.
Further Characterization of the Behavioral Effects of Peripherally Administered Corticotropin-Releasing Factor in Guinea Pigs

Abstract Guinea pig pups were either not injected (NI) or given SC injection of either saline vehicle (SAL) or 14 μg of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF). In an isolation test, mean number of vocalizations and several measures of locomotor activity were markedly lower for CRF pups than for NI or SAL controls. CRF pups defecated less than did SAL pups. No differences were found among conditions for self-grooming. Behavioral freezing was shown by only two pups in the entire study. Significantly more CRF pups displayed piloerection, eye-closing, and a characteristic crouched stance than did controls. In a defensive withdrawal test, no differences among conditions were found for the proportion of pups entering a darkened chamber or for the latency to enter the chamber; however, CRF pups entered the chamber significantly fewer times during the 60-min test than did controls. There were no differences among conditions in the distance swum or number of turns made in a forced-swim test. These results replicate our earlier findings that peripheral injection of CRF suppresses vocalizing and a measure of locomotor activity in isolated guinea pig pups and identifies a number of additional behavioral effects. Of central interest here, the results indicate that the suppression of vocalizing and locomotion during isolation is not due to an increase in competing stress-related behavior or to diminished motor capacity.
The non-modern constitution of famines in Madagascar's spiny forests: “water-food” plants, cattle and Mahafale landscape praxis

Abstract This essay draws on Bruno Latour's exegesis of modernity to explore modern and non-modern conceptions of famines and prickly pear cacti in the African island of Madagascar. Using Latour's concept of the “non-modern constitution,” I argue that Mahafale famine history highlights “cactus pastoralism” as a model of non-equilibrium landscapes and nature-society hybrids, adding to the shift away from the paradigm of “nature-tending-toward-equilibrium.” When considered not as occurrences of nature out of balance, famines serve to complicate and nuance recent discussions of human induced change to Madagascar's environments. Latour's framework assists in excavating various conceptions of famines and cacti, which in turn furthers the discussion on modernity by suggesting that cactus pastoralists make their own kind of modernity – an alternative modernity.
Antidepressants Modify Lipid Bilayer Properties

Antidepressants canonically inhibit neurotransmitter re-uptake at synapses. In addition, the two major classes of antidepressants - tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) - have off-target effects that include inhibition of membrane proteins other than neurotransmitter transporters. The biological significance of these effects remains unclear, but this polypharmacy may contribute to the desired changes in brain function - including altered neuronal circuitry and connectivity. It may also contribute to these compounds’ off-target and side effects. A common feature of many proteins modulated by antidepressants is that they span lipid bilayers. Thus, it may be important that antidepressants are amphiphiles that adsorb at the membrane-solution interface. Membrane proteins are coupled to the bilayer through hydrophobic interactions - meaning that conformational changes underlying normal protein function may involve local reorganization of the surrounding lipids. Because bilayer deformations incur energetic costs, which vary with bilayer properties, membrane protein function may be sensitive to changes in bilayer mechanical properties caused by amphiphile adsorption. That is, amphiphiles may affect membrane protein function by altering the bilayer contribution to the free energy difference between protein conformations. Using gramicidin (gA) channels as probes, we examined whether 19 different TCAs and SSRIs alter lipid bilayer properties and thus may be able to alter membrane protein function through bilayer-mediated mechanisms. All of the examined antidepressants alter gA channel activity in a dose-dependant manner, with citalopram (Celexa, Lexapro) being the least, and fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil) and sertraline (Zoloft) the most bilayer-modifying. These effects are not enantiomer-specific, and are observed with gramicidins of varying lengths and with different bilayer thicknesses, demonstrating that antidepressants increase bilayer elasticity. The calculated octanol-water partition coefficient, as a measure of drug hydrophobicity, is insufficient to predict the relative bilayer-modifying potential of different compounds.
Networks for a symbiotic human life with robots

It is expected that the age when men and robots live together is close at hand. In the age, his/her everyday life will be helped by robots. This article proposes a network software architecture that realizes a space where a man and robots live together. It also proposes a method for describing service programs using a rule based language. For service architecture, a concept of integrated services, which is becoming standard in web services, is adopted. A prototype system for a robot control system was made based on the proposed architecture, and the proposed architecture was confirmed as reasonable.
Reengineering of the Laundry Service at a University Campus: A Continuous‐Improvement Quality‐Management Methodology

Abstract The Department of Auxiliary Services of the University of Miami had been the recipient of numerous anecdotal complaints by resident students regarding the service of the laundry system offered at the residential on‐campus dormitories (students often complained about nonworking and/or busy machines). In this paper we present a holistic systems approach that utilizes total quality management and quantitative decision‐making tools in a seamless fashion to improve the students' satisfaction and perception related to the laundry system. At the same time, other departmental important objectives, such as the implementation of an ongoing in‐house procedure that supports its continuous‐improvement program, are taken into account. Results that document the improved system performance are further presented.
Errors in Ensemble Kalman Smoother Estimates of Cloud Microphysical Parameters

AbstractIf forecast or observation error distributions are non-Gaussian, the true posterior mean and covariance depends on the distribution of observation errors and the observed values. The posterior distribution of analysis errors obtained from ensemble Kalman filters and smoothers is independent of observed values. Hence, the error in ensemble Kalman smoother (EnKS) state estimates is closely linked to the sensitivity of the true posterior to observed values. Here a Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm is used to document the dependence of the errors in EnKS-based estimates of cloud microphysical parameters on observed values. It is shown that EnKS analysis distributions are grossly inaccurate for nonnegative microphysical parameters when parameter values are close to zero. Furthermore, numerical analysis is presented that shows that, by design, the posterior distributions given by EnKS and even nonlinear extensions of these smoothers approximate the average of all possible posterior analysis dist...
Scaling in the disordered quantum antiferromagnetic chain

Abstract Numerical calculations on the disordered quantum Heisenberg antiferromagnetic chain yield low-temperature behavior independent of the detailed form of the randomness. A simple scaling interpretation, which makes contact with earlier theoretical work, of these complicated calculations is presented. An analogy with a one-parameter scaling theory of localization is explored.
High-current SRF cavity design

Abstract For high current applications, it is desirable for the cavity shape to have a low longitudinal loss factor and to have a high beam-breakup threshold current. This paper briefly describes three different cavities designed for this purpose: a six-cell elliptical cavity for particles traveling at the speed of light, a two-cell elliptical cavity for subluminal particle speeds, and a single cell cavity which uses the TM012 mode for acceleration. SUPERFISH simulations predict the peak fields in both of the elliptical cavities will not exceed the TeSLA values by more than 10% but both will have 28.7% larger apertures. The elliptical designs assume the bunch frequency equals the accelerating mode frequency. The beam pipe radius is chosen so that the cutoff frequency is less than twice that of the accelerating mode. Hence all of the monopole and dipole higher-order modes (HOMs) that can be driven by the beam have low loaded Q values. This simplifies the problem of HOM damping. The TM012 cavity is predicted to have much higher peak fields than a π-mode elliptical cavity, but offers potential advantages from its simplified shape; it is essentially a circular waveguide with curved end plates. This basic shape results in easier fabrication and simplified tuning.
Affection for the Affected World: John Updike on Emotion, Sense, and Style

The style of John Updike's prose offers a complex and, at times, surprising philosophy of the postmodern subject. In his memoir, Self-Consciousness, Updike compares his work to the French novelist Michel Tournier's. It is an overlooked passage, but one that should shape our construal of Updike's characteristic concern with subjectivity in light of what some philosophers heralded as the “death of the subject.” It is not the dissolution of subjectivity, however, but John Dewey's account of the aesthetic subject that best unfolds the formal nuances Updike draws between the emotions, the senses, and the philosophical implications of his literary style. Not incoherence, but depth of affection defines the emotional subject he creates and the deliberately stylized realism of his prose.
Nano-sized cluster nucleation

Abstract Classical nucleation theory good for slowly nucleating systems is reviewed. A new theory for fast nucleating systems, based on a population balance, is presented that uses the energetics of clusters of various geometries determined from ab initio quantum mechanical calculations. This theory predicts cluster population dynamics during nucleation, as well as the spectrum of light emitted during nucleation-crystalloluminescence.
Oxygen Requirements for Liver Cells in vitro

OVER the past 50 years many workers have tried to maintain and multiply parenchymal liver cells in tissue culture without success. The following discussion indicates that inadequate oxygen supply may be the basis for this failure. The oxygen tension (pO2) of pooled venous blood is about 40 mm Hg while that of arterial blood is about 95 mm Hg. Therefore the pO2 to which liver cells are exposed in vivo should be somewhere between these values. Direct measurements of liver pO2 in the dog gave a median value of 70 mm Hg1. Let us take 40 mm Hg as the lowest tension in which liver cells can survive.
Heteroannulated acceptors based on benzothiadiazole

Increasing the acceptor strength of the widely used acceptor benzothiadiazole (BT) by extending the heterocyclic core is a promising strategy for developing new and stronger acceptors for materials in organic electronics and photonics. In recent years, such heteroannulated BT acceptors have been incorporated into a wide variety of materials that have been used in organic electronic and photonic devices. This review critically assesses the properties of these materials. Although heteroannulation to form acceptors, such as benzo[1,2-c:4,5-c′]bis[1,2,5]thiadiazole (BBT), does result in materials with significantly higher electron affinity (EA) relative to BT, in many cases the extended BT systems also exhibit lower ionization energy (IE) than BT. Both the significantly higher EA and lower IE limit the efficacy of these materials in applications such as bulk heterojunction organic photovoltaics (BHJ-OPV) based on C60. Although the relatively high EA may enable some applications such as air stable organic field effect transistors (OFET), more widespread use of heteroannulated BT acceptors will likely require the ability to moderate or retain the high EA while increasing IE.
Myocardial Cleft, Crypt, Diverticulum, or Aneurysm? Does it Really Matter?

Myocardial clefts are congenital abnormalities related to myocardial fiber or fascicle disarray that have been described in healthy volunteers as well as in the setting of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. A cleft or crypt can be described as a discrete, approximately "V" shaped fissure extending into but confined by the myocardium, with a tendency to narrow or occlude in systole without local hypokinesia or dyskinesia. While little is known about the clinical significance of this entity, this report elaborates on the confounding terminology and differential diagnosis of this condition.
Atherosclerotic plaque imaging: the last frontier for cardiac magnetic resonance.

For many years, studies of atherosclerosis had been relegated to the realm of the pathologist. It has only been in the last 15 years or so that the imaging approaches have developed the ability to perform atherosclerosis imaging in vivo, enabling serial studies in animals and humans rather than post
A New Form of Agent-Based Virtue Ethics

In Morals From Motives, Michael Slote defends an agent-based theory of right action according to which right acts are those that express virtuous motives like benevolence or care. Critics have claimed that Slote’s view— and agent-based views more generally— cannot account for several basic tenets of commonsense morality. In particular, the critics maintain that agent-based theories: (i) violate the deontic axiom that “ought” implies “can”, (ii) cannot allow for a person’s doing the right thing for the wrong reason, and (iii) do not yield clear verdicts in a number of cases involving “conflicting motives” and “motivational over-determination”. In this paper I develop a new agent-based theory of right action designed to avoid the problems presented for Slote’s view. This view makes morally right action a matter of expressing an optimal balance of virtue over vice and commands agents in each situation to improve their degree of excellence to the greatest extent possible.
Response-independent habituation of the orienting response in the preweanling rat

The effect of pattern of stimulus presentation on habituation of the cardiac component of the orienting response to an auditory stimulus was investigated in four experiments. The duration of stimulus presentation was held constant, but some animals were given six 10-sec stimulus presentations and others were given a single 60-sec stimulus. During the first 10 sec of the auditory stimulus, heart rate (HR) decreased approximately 40 beats per minute (bpm) in both groups, but during subsequent 10-sec epochs, the changes in HR were markedly different in the two groups. For those animals given a single 60-sec stimulus, the cardiac orienting response did not habituate; that is, HR either continued to decrease or remained approximately 40 bpm below baseline. In contrast, those animals given six 10-sec stimulus presentations showed smaller decreases in HR with each successive stimulus presentation, and after approximately four presentations, no detectable change in HR was observed. Despite these dramatic differences in habituation of the cardiac component of the orienting response, neither group oriented to the auditory stimulus when it was presented again following a short retention interval. Moreover, with increasing retention intervals, both groups showed the same forgetting function (reappearance of the orienting response). The implications of these findings for theories of the orienting response as well as theories of habituation are discussed.
NARROW-BAND, NARROW-FIELD-OF-VIEW RAMAN LIDAR WITH COMBINED DAY AND NIGHT CAPABILITY FOR TROPOSPHERIC WATER-VAPOR PROFILE MEASUREMENTS

We describe a high-performance Raman lidar system with combined day and night capability for tropospheric water-vapor profile measurements. The system incorporates high-performance UV interference filters and a narrow-band, dual-field-of-view receiver for rejection of background sunlight. Daytime performance has been demonstrated up to 5 km with 150-m vertical and 5-min temporal averaging. The nighttime performance is significantly better with measurements routinely extending from 10 to 12 km with 75-m range resolution and a 5-min temporal average. We describe design issues for daytime operation and a novel daytime calibration technique.
Establishing the Secretion Hierarchy

Type III protein secretion systems (T3SSs) are specialized complexes of molecules in Gram-negative bacteria that mediate the introduction of virulence proteins directly into eukaryotic host cells. These supramolecular structures span the bacterial membranes, cross the extracellular space, and penetrate host cell membranes. The proper function of these systems depends on sequential secretion of the needle components, the proteins that enable translocation across the host cell membrane (translocases), and the effector proteins that carry out virulence functions ( 1 ). How this hierarchical process is regulated, however, has been unclear. On page 1188 of this issue, Lara-Tejero et al. ( 2 ) demonstrate that a large complex of T3SS proteins in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium serves to sort components of the system for secretion in the appropriate sequence. Also, on page 1192, Schraidt and Marlovits ( 3 ) define the precise symmetry and stoichiometry of proteins that constitute the base of the needle complex.
A hydrogen-bonding triad stabilizes the chemical transition state of a group I ribozyme

Background The group I intron is an RNA enzyme capable of efficiently catalyzing phosphoryl-transfer reactions. Functional groups that stabilize the chemical transition state of the cleavage reaction have been identified, but they are all located within either the 5′-exon (P1) helix or the guanosine cofactor, which are the substrates of the reaction. Functional groups within the ribozyme active site are also expected to assist in transition-state stabilization, and their role must be explored to understand the chemical basis of group I intron catalysis. Results Using nucleotide analog interference mapping and site-specific functional group substitution experiments, we demonstrate that the 2′-OH at A207, a highly conserved nucleotide in the ribozyme active site, specifically stabilizes the chemical transition state by ~2 kcal mol −1 . The A207 2′-OH only makes its contribution when the U(−1) 2′-OH immediately adjacent to the scissile phosphate is present, suggesting that the 2′-OHs of A207 and U(−1) interact during the chemical step. Conclusions These data support a model in which the 3′-oxyanion leaving group of the transesterification reaction is stabilized by a hydrogen-bonding triad consisting of the 2′-OH groups of U(−1) and A207 and the exocyclic amine of G22. Because all three nucleotides occur within highly conserved non-canonical base pairings, this stabilization mechanism is likely to occur throughout group I introns. Although this mechanism utilizes functional groups distinctive of RNA enzymes, it is analogous to the transition states of some protein enzymes that perform similar phosphoryl-transfer reactions.
Stability analysis of a nonhomogeneous Markovian landscape model

Quantitative methods to analyze spatial patterns of landscapes are an important area of research in landscape ecology. Nonhomogeneous Markov models can be used to represent landscape dynamics; however, methods to analyze the stability of these models are needed. A method for determining the stability is developed in this paper, and its application to a model of vegetation dynamics in southern Texas savanna is also given. Using Lyapunov stability theory, the theorem that the family of these transition matrices will be stable if the symmetric matrices associated with the vertex matrices have matrix measures less than two has been proved. The results of the stability analysis accord well with current understanding of vegetation dynamics in the southern Texas landscape.
Nanobuilding blocks based on the [OSiO1.5]x (x= 6, 8, 10) octasilsesquioxanes

The dissolution of high surface area silica with tetralkylammonium hydroxides at concentrations greater than 0.2 M, produces polyanionic cage structures, [R4N+][−OSiO1.5]x or Qx, where x = 6, 8 or 10. The value x depends on the type of alkyl or alkanol group. If R = Me or Me3NCH2CH2OH+ group (choline) x = 8 is favored. These silicate anions can be functionalized by reaction with chlorosilanes or siloxanes to produce [RSiMe2OSiO1.5]x. The octafunctional molecules are 1.2–1.4 nm in diameter, each functional group occupies a different octant in Cartesian space and as such all functional groups are either orthogonal to or opposite each other. This highly symmetrical structure offers the opportunity to construct multiple kinds of materials one nanometer at a time in one, two or three dimensions. In this review, we discuss methods of synthesizing the polyanionic silicates, their transformation into octafunctional building blocks, “cubes,” and their use in formulating polyfunctional compounds and nanocomposites therefrom. Examples of tailoring global properties by tailoring the chemistries used to link cubes are given.
Improved method for the lateral vibration analysis of a rotor system

A component modal synthesis technique for calculating the system dynamics of a rotor system is presented. In this method, the rotor system is divided into bladed disks, rotor shafts, and the nonrotating subsystems. The subsystem frequency transfer function matrices, geometric compatibility, and force equilibrium equations are combined to solve the critical speeds of the rotor system. The degrees of freedom in the final critical speed equation are reduced to the number of physical connections between subsystems. It is much smaller than the total number of substructure modes used in the synthesis. The proposed technique is capable of handling the rotor system with frequency-dependent properties, such as bearing stiffness. The method applies equally well for the synchronous and nonsynchronous rotor whirl. Numerical results indicate that the proposed method can efficiently and accurately determine the dynamic characteristics of a rotor system.
A radioscopic technique to study convective fluid dynamics in opaque liquid metals

Experimental verification of theoretical investigations into the behaviour of liquid metal convective flows is required to validate analytical models and numerical simulation codes. A real-time radioscopic density visualization system has been developed and is beginning to provide useful data. The X-ray facility for studying opaque low-Prandtl-number fluid flow is described. Density changes as low as 10−3 g cm−3 can be visualized by careful control of scatter radiation. The new capability is demonstrated with natural convection benchmark experiments in a narrow vertical layer of gallium melt of aspect ratio A=1.4. The density field in that cell is three-dimensional. Good agreement between calculations and experiments is obtained. Experiments with solidification are provided for further theoretical use.
The enthalpy of formation of dicesium monoxide (Cs2O)

Abstract A sample of high-purity Cs2O(c) was especially prepared for a solution-calorimetric study of its enthalpy of reaction with excess water to form CsOH(aq). The standard enthalpy of formation, ΔHfo(Cs2O, c, 298.15 K), was derived to be −(82.69 ± 0.28) kcalth mol−1.
What Educational Opportunities Should Professionals in Aging Provide?: A Pilot Community Assessment.

With the aging workforce and the increase of older adults, educational needs of the workforce in aging services are broadening. The pilot study used a survey to examine the types of educational opportunities and needs of professionals providing services to older adults in eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania. Respondents (25.9%) reported learning about aging through a bachelor's degree program, 29.6% learned through self-study, and 33.3% reported learning on the job. Professionals are interested in enrolling in gerontology programs. Policy makers should provide funding to help educate professionals. Professional organizations should expand to ensure that employees have gerontological education.
Transfer function analysis of a stable and feedback-stabilized plasma

The transfer function of a magnetic mirror plasma containing a feedback loop is measured experimentally. The measurements are obtained in a configuration where 1) the interchange mode is weakly damped, and 2) the interchange mode is unstable, but stabilized by the feedback loop. The results are in good agreement with the theoretically derived transfer function involving parameters (e.g. damping rates) determined by fitting the theoretical curve to the data. This method of analysis has diagnostic utility for mode identification and the measurement of damping rates.
Universal Scaling of Hyperfine-Induced Electron Spin Echo Decay

The decoherence of a localized electron spin in a lattice of nuclear spins is an important problem for potential solid-state implementations of a quantum computer. We demonstrate that even at high fields, virtual electron spin-flip processes due solely to the hyperfine interaction can lead to complex nuclear spin dynamics. These dynamics, in turn, can lead to single electron spin phase fluctuation and decoherence. We show here that remarkably, a spin echo pulse sequence can almost completely reverse these nuclear dynamics except for a small visibility loss, thereby suppressing contribution of the hyperfine interaction to T_2 processes. For small systems, we present numerical evidence which demonstrates a universal scaling of the magnitude of visibility loss that depends only on the inhomogeneous line width of the system and the magnetic field.
The influence of patient age on primary care resident physician-patient interaction.

OBJECTIVES: To explore resident physician-patient interaction in primary care to address issues relevant to quality of care for older people. DESIGN: A sample of 509 new, adult, nonpregnant patients was assigned to the care of second- and third-year residents in primary care clinics. Care was compared for three subgroups of patients: older patients (65 years or older; n = 45), those aged 18 to 44 years (n = 320), and those aged 45 to 64 years (n = 144). SETTING: Observations were made at the family medicine and general internal medicine clinics at the University of California, Davis. MEASUREMENTS: Self-report by means of the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (MOS SF-36) was used to determine patient demographics and patient health status. Two measures of satisfaction were obtained gauging reaction to medical care in general and to the videotaped visit specifically. Videotapes were coded for content using the Davis Observation Code. RESULTS: Self-reported health status of older persons was poorer than that of younger groups as measured by the MOS SF-36. Differences in demographics were explored and then controlled, along with physical health status in subsequent analyses. Supporting prior studies, this study found that older patients had more return visits and reported higher levels of satisfaction than did younger comparison groups. Contrary to prior literature, older patients were found to have longer visits than did younger cohorts. The physician-patient interaction was significantly different in many areas between these three groups. Whereas older patients experienced more chatting in their visits, they were given less counseling, asked fewer questions, had less discussion about their families and their use of substances, were asked to change their health behavior habits less often, and were given less health education. For older patients, more of each visit was spent checking on compliance with earlier treatment and developing treatment plans. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide a new and more detailed view of how resident physician-patient interaction differs between older and younger groups and raise important issues on whether quality of care needs for this population are being adequately addressed, particularly regarding mental health issues. J Am Geriatr Soc 48: 30–35, 2000.