cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Renormalized Born Inversion

Typical ultrasound B-scan processing relies on one dimensional Born inversion. That is, the images displayed represent grey-scale maps of Born inversion profiles: impedance changes are proportional to backscattered amplitude, and depth × = cot/2. These approximations yield useful images. By systematically exploiting the implicit assumptions that underlie the success of traditional imaging, however, significant improvements can be made to better image quality with little or no additional processing expense.
Chondroradionecrosis of the larynx: 24-year University of Wisconsin experience

Background Chondroradionecrosis (CRN) is an uncommon but significant complication of laryngeal radiotherapy that presents a diagnostic challenge to clinicians through its similarity in presentation to cancer recurrence. Methods Two hundred ninety-four patients underwent primary, adjuvant, or salvage radiation for laryngeal cancer from 1991 to 2015 at the University of Wisconsin. Medical records were reviewed to identify and characterize patients with a diagnosis of CRN. Results Of the 294 patients, 7 cases (2.4%) of CRN were identified. Development of CRN was associated with the presence of cartilage invasion by tumor (p = .038) and ongoing alcohol use postradiotherapy (p = .036). Additionally, a trend between development of CRN and ongoing smoking postradiotherapy was observed (p = .067). Conclusion The diagnosis of CRN is challenging, and the likelihood of successful resolution is modest. A high premium should be placed on efforts directed at prevention, such as tobacco and alcohol cessation. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 39: 1189–1194, 2017
Phylogenetic Relationships of Spider Monkeys (Ateles) Based on Mitochondrial DNA Variation

Our goal was to determine phylogenetic relationships among geographically and taxonomically distinct haplotypes of spider monkeys (Ateles) based on DNA sequence variation for the mitochondrial DNA control region and cytochrome c oxidase subunit II gene. We obtained samples from most previously recognized subspecies of Ateles, ranging from Central America throughout the Amazon Basin, to determine phylogenetic relationships among racially recognized groups. Comparison of DNA sequences using both parsimony analysis and genetic distance analysis produced phylogenetic relationships that were very similar for each genetic region. We analyzed the phylograms produced, along with associated bootstrap support, confidence probabilities, and genetic distances between taxonomic groups, to identify four monophyletic species of Ateles: Ateles paniscus, composed of haplotypes from the northeastern Amazon Basin; A. belzebuth in the southern Amazon Basin; A. hybridus, located primarily along the Magdalena River valley of Colombia; and A. geoffroyi, which includes two former species: A. geoffroyi and A. fusciceps. This arrangement is contradictory to long-held taxonomies of Ateles based on pelage variation and is similar to a recent analysis based on craniodental variation. Results of this investigation suggest patterns of gene flow, evolutionary relationships, and speciation patterns that are more plausible than previous pelage-based taxonomies, which required seemingly impossible patterns of gene flow. Conservation efforts aimed at protecting Ateles, one of the Neotropics most endangered genera, will also benefit from the findings presented in this paper.
Trends in Primary Care Provision to Medicare Beneficiaries by Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, or Physician Assistants: 2008-2014:

Objectives: To document the temporal trends in alternative primary care models in which physicians, nurse practitioners (NPs), or physician assistants (PAs) engaged in care provision to the elderly...
Neurodegenerative Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis

Various neurodegenerative diseases in childhood may mimic acquired demyelinating conditions, and a thorough work-up may be required to reach a definite diagnosis. Both categories of conditions can present with multifocal central nervous system involvement and can have a variable course to include relapsing or progressive disease. Details of the clinical history, CSF results, and neuroimaging findings can help to distinguish between conditions, although more extensive investigations can be required when a clear diagnosis cannot be determined. Neurodegenerative Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) may occur with a history of known systemic disease, but occasional patients may present without a previous diagnosis and can pose a diagnostic dilemma to the clinician with features that might be suggestive of ADEM, MS, or even NMO among other diseases. We present the clinical course of a 13-year-old girl with a known diagnosis of LCH who presented with new neurological features concerning for neurodegenerative disease.
Barriers and Facilitators to Improving Virginia's HPV Vaccination Rate: A Stakeholder Analysis With Implications for Pediatric Nurses

Abstract Purpose Despite the evidence, the availability since 2006, and strong recommendations from many professional organizations, the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine has had a low uptake rate nationally and these trends have been even lower in the state of Virginia. Design and methods We explored key stakeholders' perspectives on factors influencing HPV vaccination in central and southern Virginia organized within the socio-ecological model (SEM) framework. We conducted semi-structured key informant interviews with 31 stakeholders involved in HPV vaccination or cancer prevention. Results Stakeholders identified barriers at all SEM levels: Knowledge gaps and sexuality concerns (parent-child dyad level), time constraint and inconsistent recommendation (interpersonal level), lack of leadership and informational support (organizational and community level), and an ineffective mandate (policy level). Facilitators identified were realistic/receptive attitude (parent-child dyad level), provider's strong recommendation and educational support (interpersonal level), team approach and useful data (organizational level), educational outreach and community resources (community level), and support from federal and professional organizations (policy level). Conclusions The stakeholder analysis provided an environmental scan of the barriers and facilitators so that an effective HPV vaccination strategy can be planned and implemented in the Commonwealth of Virginia by public health nurses.
Locality Bound for Dissipative Quantum Transport

We prove an upper bound on the diffusivity of a dissipative, local, and translation invariant quantum Markovian spin system: D≤D_{0}+(αv_{LR}τ+βξ)v_{C}. Here v_{LR} is the Lieb-Robinson velocity, v_{C} is a velocity defined by the current operator, τ is the decoherence time, ξ is the range of interactions, D_{0} is a decoherence-induced microscopic diffusivity, and α and β are precisely defined dimensionless coefficients. The bound constrains quantum transport by quantities that can either be obtained from the microscopic interactions (D_{0}, v_{LR}, v_{C}, ξ) or else determined from independent local nontransport measurements (τ, α, β). We illustrate the general result with the case of a spin-half XXZ chain with on-site dephasing. Our result generalizes the Lieb-Robinson bound to constrain the sub-ballistic diffusion of conserved densities in a dissipative setting.
ESCHERICHIA COLI | Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli: Introduction and Detection by Classical Cultural and Molecular Techniques

Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli (EIEC) occupy a somewhat-distinct niche as it has many biochemical characteristics of E. coli and yet it is pathogenetically similar to Shigella . The pathogen causes bacillary dysentery but unlike shigellae, appears to be better adapted to survive in the environment and not to be restricted to host dependency for survival. Although EIEC and Shigella species are considered to compose a single pathovar within the genus E. coli , these pathogens most likely arose from different E. coli lineages. They do share a common evolutionary event, the acquisition of a large virulence plasmid. An overall identification scheme for EIEC would include amplification of the ipaH gene by PCR, maintained by both EIEC and Shigella species; biochemical tests; and serological assays using antisera to distinguish EIEC from noninvasive E. coli as well as Shigella . As a pathogen, the occurrence of food-related outbreaks is uncommon in industrial and developing countries but occasionally does cause sporadic cases.
Clinical Legal Education & Access to Justice: Conflicts, Interests, & Evolution

The explosive growth in the number of law school clinics over the last 50 years began with an individual client focus as a core component. This contributed to reducing unmet legal needs in substantive areas such as landlord-tenant, family, consumer and other areas. These service clinics accomplished the dual purpose of training students in the day-to-day challenges of practice while reducing the number of unrepresented poor. In recent years, however, the trend has been to broaden the law school clinical experience beyond individual representation and preparation for law firm practice. So-called "impact" clinics typically address systemic change without significant individual client representation. In this chapter from the forthcoming volume, "Beyond Elite Law: Access To Civil Justice For Americans Of Average Means" (Samuel Estreicher & Joy Radice eds., Cambridge University Press, forthcoming 2014), the authors argue that the shift from service clinics to impact clinics is partly driven by clinicians’ search for status within the academy. Specifically, status plays an important role in a clinic design that permits clinicians to more easily engage in theoretical and doctrinal scholarship on subject matters that are more respected within the academy. The authors predict that this trend toward development of impact clinics will continue, particularly at higher ranked law schools, with the unfortunate side effect of reducing clinics’ contribution to addressing access to justice issues.
Generating Predictive Inferences When Multiple Alternatives Are Available

The generation of predictive inferences may be difficult when a story leads to multiple possible consequences. The present study examined whether inferences are generated when the story implies two...
Anion-Binding Macrocycles Operate Beyond the Electrostatic Regime: Interaction Distances Matter.

Anion recognition impacts many areas of chemistry and often relies on receptors with multiple hydrogen-bond donors. Previous studies of these donors in small molecules have long promoted the idea that electrostatic interactions alone correlate with association strength, yet this correlation has not been critically evaluated in the framework of larger, macrocyclic receptors. Here, we provide that assessment by evaluating how much electrostatics contributes to the gas-phase binding energy of macrocyclic receptors with various anions. Whereas small-molecule complexes behave as expected, we find that electrostatic interactions fail to accurately describe total binding energies of many common macrocyclic receptors: calix[4]pyrroles, dipyrrolyldiketones, indolocarbazoles, amido-pyrroles, triazolophanes, and cyanostars. This deviation arises from the fact that most macrocycles have multiple points of contact with the anion. Whereas the hydrogen-bond donors collectively stabilize the anion, the interaction distances are typically larger than equilibrium values seen with small molecules. This leads to increases in the relative contributions of the attractive components such as induction (e.g., induced dipoles) and dispersion, which are found to be as high as 32 % for CH-donor based tricarbazole triazolophane complex with large polarizable ClO4- . This study augments previous observations of the importance of dispersion and induction towards anion binding of macrocyclic receptors in solution.
PF74 Inhibits HIV-1 Integration by Altering the Composition of the Preintegration Complex

The HIV-1 capsid protein (CA) facilitates reverse transcription and nuclear entry of the virus. However, CA's role in post-nuclear entry steps remains speculative. We describe a direct link between CA and integration by employing the capsid inhibitor PF74 as a probe coupled with the biochemical analysis of HIV-1 preintegration complexes (PICs) isolated from acutely infected cells. At a low micromolar concentration, PF74 potently inhibited HIV-1 infection without affecting reverse transcription. Surprisingly, PF74 markedly reduced proviral integration owing to inhibition of nuclear entry and/or integration. However, a 2-fold reduction in nuclear entry by PF74 did not quantitatively correlate with the level of antiviral activity. Titration of PF74 against the integrase inhibitor raltegravir showed an additive antiviral effect that is dependent on a block at the post-nuclear entry step. PF74's inhibitory effect was not due to the formation of defective viral DNA ends or a delay in integration, suggesting that the compound inhibits PIC-associated integration activity. Unexpectedly, PICs recovered from cells infected in the presence of PF74 exhibited elevated integration activity. PF74's effect on PIC activity is CA specific since the compound did not increase the integration activity of PICs of a PF74-resistant HIV-1 CA mutant. Sucrose gradient-based fractionation studies revealed that PICs assembled in the presence of PF74 contained lower levels of CA, suggesting a negative association between CA and PIC-associated integration activity. Finally, the addition of a CA-specific antibody or PF74 inhibited PIC-associated integration activity. Collectively, our results demonstrate that PF74's targeting of PIC-associated CA results in impaired HIV-1 integration.IMPORTANCE Antiretroviral therapy (ART) that uses various combinations of small molecule inhibitors has been highly effective in controlling HIV. However, the drugs used in the ART regimen are expensive, cause side effects, and face viral resistance. The HIV-1 CA plays critical roles in the virus life cycle and is an attractive therapeutic target. While currently there is no CA-based therapy, highly potent CA-specific inhibitors are being developed as a new class of antivirals. Efforts to develop a CA-targeted therapy can be aided through a clear understanding of the role of CA in HIV-1 infection. CA is well established to coordinate reverse transcription and nuclear entry of the virus. However, the role of CA in post-nuclear entry steps of HIV-1 infection is poorly understood. We show that a CA-specific drug PF74 inhibits HIV-1 integration revealing a novel role of this multifunctional viral protein in a post-nuclear entry step of HIV-1 infection.
Value Congruence and Organizational Commitment in the Central Government of South Korea

This research examines the association between value congruence and organizational commitment. Value congruence is important because it allows employees to obtain fulfillment from their work, helps organizations minimize the cost of turnover, and promotes extra-role behaviors. The competing values model was used to measure perceived values and congruence was operationalized in terms of the perceived gap between actual and preferred organizational culture. Polynomial regression employing HLM initially indicated a relationship between value congruence and organizational commitment. However, response surface analysis indicates that the relationships do not fully meet the hypothetical relationship a “perfect congruence effect.” Therefore, we conclude that the research does not support a relationship between value congruence and organizational commitment.
“A Force for Good”: Army-Building After War in Liberia

International efforts to reconstruct weak states after war have increased in recent years. These endeavors often focus on rebuilding militaries given the importance of strong and professional milit...
Attached to my shape: College women perceptions of body shape, body area satisfaction, and religion.

This study investigates both attachment pathways by investigating the high and low levels of attachment to God and religious commitment along with women’s perspectives of body shape and body area satisfaction. Findings revealed college women perceived their body shape differently from their actual BMI body shape.
Polymicrobial Pseudomonas Plus Candida Parapsilosis Endocarditis in an Injection Drug User: Considerations for Diagnosis and Management.

Fungal endocarditis (FE) is a potentially lethal condition and its diagnosis can be challenging due to the low yield from blood cultures. FE should be suspected in patients with associated risk factors despite the identification of positive bacterial blood cultures. The common risk factors for FE discussed in the literature are total parenteral nutrition, immune suppression, prior antimicrobial therapy, intravenous drug addiction, and cardiac surgery. In this report, we discuss a patient who had positive blood cultures for Pseudomonas but was found to have Candida parapsilosis on valve culture. Physicians need to maintain a high index of suspicion for co-infective endocarditis in this patient population.
The Effect of Airbnb on Hotel Performance: Comparing Single- and Multi-Unit Host Listings in the United States:

Extant research provides ample evidence that Airbnb has an adverse impact on hotel revenues and that a majority of Airbnb hosts offer multiple listings on the platform. Arguably, multi-unit host li...
The Importance of Making-While-Reading for Undergraduate Readers: An Example of Inductive SoTL

This paper gives an example of an inductive Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) process, adapting Anthony Ciccone’s five conditions of a meaningful SoTL question. Presenting a study on pre-class reading in an undergraduate religion class, I describe how my question went through five life stages. I began with nine different pre-class reading assignments. Students judged the “map” assignment to be most helpful. This led to a further question: why maps? In a close reading of students’ reading reflections, two themes stood out: students experienced maps as helping them create a mental overview of the reading, and maps facilitated greater ownership of the act of reading. In conclusion, I argue that humanities instructors who wish to teach advanced reading skills can start by providing pre-class assignments that allow for making-while-reading, and that this making should not be merged with other reading steps. In an epilogue I reflect on the inductive research process. I suggest that SoTL scholars who use this process may reach an impasse when deciding how to present meaningful answers because their conceptual answers will stand in tension with SoTL’s practical orientation. I propose focusing on conceptual generalization (rather than empirical generalization), while still foregrounding a balance between “what works” and “what is.”
Owner-reported Incidence of Clinical Salmonellosis in Northeastern Dairy Herds

Bovine salmonellosis is important because of clinical effects and zoonotic potential. Our objectives were to determine the frequency of owner-reported salmonellosis in northeastern US dairy herds and to examine the relationship of salmonellosis with herd size and housing type.
Is there a Security Mindset and Can it be Taught

The field of cybersecurity is becoming very dynamic, and needs continuous evolution. This requires not only the formal and informal education, but a security mindset to be developed for our future workforce. This panel elaborates on some such aspects.
Everyday News Use and Misinformation in Kenya

A growing body of work in journalism studies focuses on understanding audiences’ relationship with news and misinformation. This article adds to this area of inquiry by exploring Kenyans’ experienc...
Poster: A Pilot Study On Camera-based Neurological Deficit Detection

The BANDIT - Brain Attack Neurological Deficit Identification Tool - project aims at developing an automatic tool to quantitatively assess stroke-related neurological deficits such as facial weakness and limb drift. In this paper, we first introduce the BANDIT project by describing the main framework and then present a patient video data acquisition protocol that was conducted in a real-world hospital setting. We also discuss the inherent bias and variations within our dataset that may create challenges for the algorithm design. The experiences and lessons gained from our study could be beneficial for other researchers who conduct camera-based research in the connected health area.
Polymers and interfacial modifiers for durable perovskite solar cells: a review

This review focuses on the advancements in stability of perovskite solar cells under stress from ambient moisture, high temperatures, and UV light exposure. Moisture stability has been improved by utilizing several polymeric encapsulation methods, moisture-resistant hole transport layers (HTLs), CF4 plasma treatments, and perovskite grain crosslinking. Fluorinated encapsulation methods have proven especially successful, producing cells that maintained their PCE after 75 days at 50% RH and 5 mW cm−2 of UV radiation. Temperature destabilization has been hypothesized to occur as a result of perovskite phase transitions and the HTL dopant migration to the mesoporous TiO2 surface. Temperature-sensitive perovskites have been stabilized by tuning the Goldschmidt tolerance factor and introducing thermally resistant HTLs embedded in a polymeric matrix with polycarbonate acting as an effective thermal insulating matrix. UV light instabilities have also been shown to occur due to the photocatalysis of TiO2 and the TiO2 perovskite interface. The introduction of a Sb2S3 buffer or CsBr clusters as interface modifiers can stabilize the interface of TiO2 perovskite. Herein, we aim at highlighting the main processes that prevent perovskite degradation using polymers and interfacial modifiers.
Rural residence is related to shorter survival in epithelial ovarian cancer patients.

Abstract Objective Rural residence has been related to health disparities and greater mortality risk in cancer patients, including gynecologic cancer patients. Lower survival rates for rural cancer survivors have been attributed to limited access to specialized healthcare, including surgery. Here, we examined whether a rural/urban survival gap existed in ovarian cancer patients receiving surgery at tertiary-care facilities, and potential causes for this gap, including educational attainment. Methods Rural and urban patients with high grade invasive ovarian cancer (n = 342) seeking treatment at two midwestern tertiary-care university hospitals were recruited pre-surgery and followed until death or censoring date. Rural/urban residence was categorized using the USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Codes. Stratified Cox proportional hazards regression analyses, with clinical site as strata, adjusting for clinical and demographic covariates, were used to examine the effect of rurality on survival. Results Despite specialized surgical care, rural cancer survivors showed a higher likelihood of death compared to their urban counterparts, HR = 1.39 (95% CI: 1.04, 1.85) p = 0.026, adjusted for covariates. A rurality by education interaction was observed (p = 0.027), indicating significantly poorer survival in rural vs. urban patients among those with trade school/some college education, adjusted HR = 2.49 (95% CI: 1.44, 4.30), p = 0.001; there was no rurality survival disparity for the other 2 levels of education. Conclusions Differences in ovarian cancer survival are impacted by rurality, which is moderated by educational attainment even in patients receiving initial care in tertiary settings. Clinicians should be aware of rurality and education as potential risk factors for adverse outcomes and develop approaches to address these possible risks.
LAND AND FAMILY IN RURAL IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES

The maintenance of rural immigrant communities in the American Middle West depended upon the transmission of landed wealth within the family. An examination of land transfer practices in seven Swedish communities in Minnesota shows that there was variation in behavior between communities. These differences are related to the social and institutional character of the settlements and to land transfer patterns in migration-linked districts in Sweden.
The Page Act of 1875: In the Name of Morality

The Page Act of 1875 is usually characterized as an anti-prostitution law that helped pave the way for the infamous Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. Most scholars also describe the Page Act as an example of lawmaking restraint, as Congress refrained from broader immigration restrictions out of respect for the existing Burlingame Treaty with China. This Article suggests that such an understanding is inaccurate or at best, questionable. Though the Page Act’s text may be focused on the protection of American morals, a review of newspaper articles, legislative debates, and other historical records indicate that the true driving force was the protection of American labor. Furthermore, while the text maybe have complied with the Burlingame Treaty, the Act’s application was a de facto violation of Chinese immigration protections. The focus on prostitution was thus a strategic victory: the emphasis on morality successfully masked what would otherwise be questionable restrictions on Chinese immigration. The Page Act is thus an early example of legislation purposefully couched in the name of morality in order to avoid legal or political backlash. It should be remembered not as a footnote to the Chinese Exclusion Acts, but as an important episode in the development of both immigration and foreign treaty law.
Molecular dynamics predictions for chemical modification of "nanopeapods" via ion beam deposition

Simulations and experiments have found that at incident energies of 10-80 eV/ion, ion deposition on carbon nanotube bundles leads to covalent bond formation between nanotubes or adjacent tube walls. In this study, classical molecular dynamics simulations are used to study the polyatomic-ion beam deposition on C/sub 60/-filled carbon nanotubes (nanopeapods). The ion beam consists of 10 CF/sub 3//sup +/ ions and the incident energy considered is 80 eV/ion. The system consists of a bundle of (10,10) single-walled carbon nanotubes filled with C/sub 60/ molecules. The forces in the simulation are calculated with the short-ranged many-body, reactive empirical bond-order potential for hydrocarbons and fluorocarbons and long-range Lennard-Jones potentials. The simulations confirm the effectiveness of ion beam deposition in producing covalent cross-links between the carbon nanotubes and the C/sub 60/ molecules. They also predict the dependence of such modifications on the location of the nanotube within the bundle relative to the ion beam from an atomic-scale point of view. The findings could have important implications for the production of carbon nanotube-based nanocomposites materials and electronic devices.
Triumph Forsaken: The Vietnam War, 1954-1965

Preface 1. Heritage 2. Two Vietnams: July 1954-December 1955 3. Peaceful coexistence: 1956-9 4. Insurgency: 1960 5. Commitment: 1961 6. Rejuvenation: January-June 1962 7. Attack: July-December 1962 8. The battle of Ap Bac: January 1963 9. Diem on trial: February-July 1963 10. Betrayal: August 1963 11. Self-destruction: September-November 2, 1963 12. The return of the twelve warlords: November 3-December 1963 13. Self-imposed restrictions: January-July 1964 14. Signals: August-October 1964 15. Invasion: November-December 1964 16. The prize for victory: January-May 1965 17. Decision: June-July 1965.
Political and Fiscal Risk Determinants of Sovereign Spreads in Emerging Markets

Abstract Using a panel of 46 emerging market economies from 1997 to 2008,this paper investigates the key determi-nants of country risk premiums as measured by sovereign bond spreads.Unlike previous studies,the resultsindicate that both political and ﬁscal factors matter for credit risk in emerging markets. Lower levels ofpolitical risk are associated with tighter spreads, particularly during ﬁnancial turmoil. Efforts at ﬁscal con-solidation narrow credit spreads,especially in countries with high initial public debt levels.The compositionof ﬁscal policy also matters as higher public investment lowers spreads as long as the ﬁscal position remainssustainable and the ﬁscal deﬁcit does not worsen. 1. Introduction Notwithstanding recent developments, ﬁnancial markets’ perception of credit risks inemerging economies has sharply improved over the last decade. The spread of thecomposite Emerging Market Bond Index Global (EMBIG) calculated by JP Morgantightened by more than 500 basis points between mid-2002 andAugust 2007 (Baldacci,2007). This downward trend was partially reversed during the 2007–08 subprime-induced ﬁnancial crisis (IMF, 2008), particularly as spillovers spread from majorﬁnancial centers to emerging markets during the last quarter of 2008. However,EMBIG spreads have recently fallen back to pre-crisis levels (e.g.prior to the collapseof Lehman Brothers in September 2008) as ﬁnancial markets rebounded following theactions taken by the major economies to repair their banks’ balance sheets and helpspur demand. Overall, the downward trend in bond spreads suggests that a lowerpremium is required to protect investors in emerging market economies againstcountry-speciﬁc and asset-class-wide risks than earlier in the decade.Also, the cost ofbuying protection against defaults of sovereign emerging market debt instruments, asmeasured by the spreads of credit default swap (CDS) derivative instruments, felldrastically over the last ﬁve years despite the recent cyclical uptick.The literature has attributed the long-term tightening of emerging market spreads tothree factors: (i) sound macroeconomic policies that brought inﬂation under control(including through more independent monetary authorities),reduced output volatility,and signiﬁcant reductions in public and external debt (Ciarlone et al.,2007);(ii) highercommodity prices and favorable liquidity conditions that lowered risks and resulted inlarge capital ﬂows to these countries (Hartelius et al., 2008); and (iii) development of
ACTH Stimulation Test for Adrenal Insufficiency with Total Cortisol Levels

Indication This test is performed to determine whether the adrenal glands can respond normally to ACTH by producing free cortisol. This test is particularly helpful in patient with albumin < 2.5 mg/dl or low CBG.
Light-induced morphological alteration in anthocyanin-accumulating vacuoles of maize cells

Plant pigmentation is affected by a variety of factors. Light, an important plant developmental signal, influences the accumulation of anthocyanins primarily through the activation of the transcription factors that regulate the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway. In this study, we utilized maize Black Mexican Sweet (BMS) cells expressing the R and C1 regulators of anthocyanin biosynthesis from a light-insensitive promoter as a means to investigate the existence of additional levels of control of pigmentation by light. BMS cells expressing the R and C1 regulators from the CaMV 35S constitutive promoter accumulate anthocyanins when grown in complete darkness, suggesting that the transcription factors R and C1 are sufficient for the transcription of the genes corresponding to the structural enzymes of the pathway, with no requirement for additional light-induced regulators. Interestingly, light induces a "darkening" in the color of the purple anthocyanin pigmentation of transgenic BMS cells expressing R and C1. This change in the pigment hue is not associated with a variation in the levels or types of anthocyanins present, or with an alteration of the transcript levels of several flavonoid biosynthetic genes. However, cytological observations show that light drives unexpected changes in the morphology and distribution of the anthocyanins-containing vacuolar compartments. By uncoupling the effect of light on anthocyanin accumulation, we have found light to induce the fusion of anthocyanin-containing vacuoles, the coalescence of anthocyanic vacuolar inclusion (AVI)-like structures contained, and the spread of anthocyanins from the inclusions into the vacuolar sap. Similar light-induced alterations in vacuolar morphology are also evident in the epidermal cells of maize floral whorls accumulating anthocyanins. Our findings suggest a novel mechanism for the action of light on the vacuolar storage of anthocyanin.
No Middle Ground? Reflections on the Citizens United Decision

My interest in this brief essay is to explore precisely what the Court decided in Citizen’s United and the constitutional basis upon which the decision rests. I will turn first to the Kennedy opinion, its broad holding that corporations are first amendment speakers, its logical consequences, and the analytical problems under the First Amendment and Supreme Court doctrine that Kennedy basically ignored. I will then turn to the Scalia opinion and its significance for first amendment theory and doctrine. Finally, I will make the claim that Justice Scalia’s opinion is, for analytical purposes, the governing opinion. At least this is so on all of the “holdings” in the Court’s opinion that Justice Kennedy’s style of decision unnecessarily (in terms of Justice Scalia’s reasoning) reached out to announce. These broad holdings are the very basis upon which the controversy about the decision has rested.
Distributed User Interfaces: State of the Art

We summarize the state of the art in the field of distributed user interfaces (DUIs). Topics surveyed include pervasive and ubiquitous computing, migratory and migratable interfaces, plasticity and adaptivity in interaction, and applications to multi-display and multi-surface environments. Based on this survey, we then draw some general conclusions on past and current research within the field. Our purpose is to provide a solid foundation for future research in distributed user interfaces.
Anthropometric and clinical factors associated with mortality in subjects with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome and may be associated with increased mortality. Our aim was to determine whether anthropometric measures are independently associated with mortality in NAFLD. The third National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (1988–1994) data was used. Extensive radiologic, serologic and clinical data were available. NAFLD was defined as moderate-to-severe hepatic steatosis on the hepatic ultrasound in the absence of any cause of chronic liver disease (e.g. hepatitis C virus RNA negative, hepatitis B-surface antigen negative, normal transferrin saturation and alcohol consumption <20 gram/day). Anthropometric measures [body mass index (kg/m2), waist, hip, arm, and thigh circumferences (cm), waist-to-hip ratio, percentage of body fat, and sum of skinfolds (mm)], laboratory measures and clinico-demographic data were analyzed. Statistical analyses were conducted with SUDAAN 10.0. A total of 10,565 adult participants were included [2,510 (weighted 21 %) with NAFLD and 8,055 non-NAFLD controls]. In multivariate analysis, NAFLD was independently associated with being Mexican-American (including Hispanic or other ethnicity), larger waist circumference (cm), type-2 diabetes, insulin resistance and hypertension. After about 14 years (median) of follow up, liver-specific mortality was independently associated with NAFLD and being White. Components of metabolic syndrome, and Mexican-American ethnicity are independently associated with NAFLD. Furthermore, NAFLD is an independent predictors of liver-specific mortality in men and Whites.
Time-Domain Deconvolution Removes the Effects of Near-Field Scatterers

This paper studies deconvolution algorithms for removing the interference caused by objects near an antenna. Infinitely many time-domain algorithms are considered, the best of which may compete with frequency-domain methods. Special care is taken to find a stable deconvolution algorithm that also accommodates the discontinuity-related numerical noise in standard finite-difference time-domain data.
Low Temperature Thermoelectric Properties of Bi 2-x Sb x TeSe 2 Crystals near the n-p Crossover

Abstract Seebeck coefficients, electrical resistivities, thermal conductivities and figure of merit ZT of Bi2−xSbxTeSe2 crystals (x=0.8, 0.9, 1.0, 1.1, and 1.2) measured along the hexagonal basal plane are presented. The crystals gradually change from n- to p-type with increasing Sb content, with the crossover lying in the region between x=1.0 and 1.1. The crossover is accounted for by a simple (p–n) electron-hole compensation model, as supported by carrier concentrations determined from Hall measurements. ZT was found to be maximized near the crossover on the p-type side, with the high electrical resistance of the Se-rich crystals apparently the limiting factor in the performance. These materials may serve as a basis for future nanostructuring or doping studies.
Understanding stroke recovery and rehabilitation: Current and emerging approaches

Although stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States, it is the significant disability among survivors that has the greatest impact on healthcare and society. It is currently accepted that comprehensive rehabilitation programs improve outcome following stroke. We are now trying to discern which specific therapeutic approaches work and which do not. Years of animal research have resulted in a better understanding of what occurs in the brain following stroke and how the brain may reorganize in response to treatment. Repetitive use of the involved extremities appears key to optimal behavioral recovery and optimal brain reorganization. The advent of technology such as functional magnetic resonance imaging and transcortical magnetic stimulation has allowed the study of brain reorganization following stroke and rehabilitation in humans. Certain drugs also appear to influence neuroplasticity after stroke. Timing of therapy and drug delivery appears crucial; the optimal "critical period" has not yet been clearly identified. New approaches are slow to reach widespread adoption. Neural transplantation combined with repetitive training approaches produces behavioral recovery in animals and offers hope for the future.
APPLIED RESEARCH: Effectiveness of Lectures Attended via Interactive Video Conferencing Versus In-Person in Preparing Third-Year Internal Medicine Clerkship Students for Clinical Practice Examinations (CPX)

Abstract Background: The current practice in medical education is to place students at off-site locations. The effectiveness of these students attending remote lectures using interactive videoconferencing needs to be evaluated. Purpose: To determine whether lecture content covering clinical objectives is learned by medical students located at remote sites. Methods: During the University of Vermont medicine clerkship, 52 medical students attended lectures both in person and via 2-way videoconferencing over a telemedicine network. The study used a crossover design, such that all students attended half of the lectures in person and half using videoconferencing. At the end of the clerkship, students were assessed via a Clinical Practice Examination (CPX), with each student completing 1 exam for material learned in person and 1 for material learned over telemedicine. Results: Exam scores did not differ for the 2 lecture modes, with a mean score of 76% for lectures attended in person and a mean score of 78% for...
School‐Based BMI and Body Composition Screening and Parent Notification in California: Methods and Messages

Pediatric obesity in the United States remains a major public health concern.1, 2 An Institute of Medicine (IOM) report recommended school-based body mass index (BMI) screening to address childhood obesity, asserting that “schools should measure yearly each student’s [BMI] and make this information available to parents and to the student (when age appropriate).”3 As of 2010, 20 states require BMI or body composition screening and 6 states recommend screening, either alone or as part of a comprehensive fitness assessment.4 Among states requiring BMI or body composition screening, fewer than half require parent notification of test results,4 and prevalence of notification is unknown in these states. Yet, notification serves as the major mechanism by which BMI screening is expected to impact obesity: it is theorized that increasing parents’ awareness of their child’s risk will compel them to take steps towards improving their child’s health.5, 6 In addition to uncertainty about notification rates, little is known about methods used when school districts elect to notify parents. The FITNESSGRAM®,7 a battery of 6 fitness assessments that evaluate body composition (BMI, skinfolds, or bioelectrical impedance), aerobic capacity, flexibility, and strength and endurance, is required or recommended in at least 16 states4 and may be the vehicle for BMI or body composition screening and notification in many school districts (in California, 95% of schools use BMI to assess body composition for the FITNESSGRAM, personal communication from the California Department of Education [CDE]). A recent study of BMI screening and notification via FITNESSGRAM assessments did not demonstrate improvements in pediatric obesity at the population level;8 therefore, a better understanding of current notification methods will be critical in informing school-based efforts to reduce obesity. In California, annual FITNESSGRAM assessments have been required for 5th, 7th, and 9th grade students since 2001;9 however, parent notification has been optional. California’s policy affords the opportunity to collect meaningful data on the practice of BMI and body composition notification in the most populous state. Therefore, this study sought to examine the prevalence of and reasons for notification among school districts when notification is optional, the methods by which notification occurs, and the content and quality of notification messages.
SU-FF-T-646: Quality Evaluation of Unflattened Photon Beam Model

Purpose: Unflattened external photon beams provide extra high dose rate and greatly reduce the treatment time. The purpose of this project is to verify the feasibility of unflattened photon beam modeling for treatment planning and delivery. Method and Materials: Profiles of a set of square open fields are used to determine parameters of the unflattened beam model for Pinnacle3 TPS. The Gamma‐index is used to evaluate the beam model. Decision maps and gamma‐indices are calculated for planned and measured 20×20 cm2 open and jagged fields in order to assess the dosimetric accuracy. Ten cases of gated IMRTlivercancer treatment plans are used to verify the feasibility of clinically using unflattened beams. Results: All PDD and in‐field cross‐plane profiles pass the 2.4mm/2.4% gamma‐index test for the unflattened beam model (NF) while the flattened beam model (WF) passes at 3mm/3%. The 20×20 cm2 open field and the jagged field pass the 3mm/3% decision map check. The ion chamber measurement and the Pinnacle3 calculated profiles passing the middle of the blocked areas in the jagged field agree very well. All points pass the 2.4mm/2.4% gamma‐index test. The percentage dose differences between the prescribed and delivered dose at the isocenter for ten gated IMRTlivercancer cases are within 3% except for one unflattened case, which is 3.9%. This might be due to the uncertainty in the ion chamber set‐up. Both flattened and unflattened cases pass the 3mm/3% decision map check. The passing rate is 83.15% for the WF case and 93.46% for the NF case in the 3mm/3% check and 93.99% for the WF case and 98.45% for the NF case in the 5mm/5% check. The average time reduction is 60%. Conclusion: Clinically, the unflattened external photon beam can be modeled as well as the flattened beam.
Protection for low current superconducting coils wound with insulated strand cable

The insulated strand cable concept for winding of low current superconducting coil leads to an ideal quench protection by induction coupling. A superconducting secondary loop was made within a cable of an 6.2 Henry dipole coil. When quenching occurred, current was induced in the secondary strand above the critical value. The normal strand quenched the whole cable due to good thermal contact. The secondary loop works as a heater turned on as the wire becomes normal throughout the coil. With a well spread quench, the energy dissipation density is decreased thus preventing local burnout. The mechanism is possible because of close coupling that is present in the insulated cable as in bifilar wLndind. For the coil tested a 12 strand cable was used, thus a favorable 11 to 1 turn ratio was obtained for the primary to secondary. The superconductor in the secondary had a lower resistance until the critical current was achieved. A theoretical explanation is described for a simplified circuit. Test on the dipole coil with four individual shells showed that the one shell protected with the induced coupling heater always had a more rapid reduction of current.
Nuclear DNA codes for the photosystem II chlorophyll-protein of chloroplast membranes.

The use of various reciprocal, interspecific, Nicotiana hybrid combinations has made it possible to study the mode of inheritance of chloroplast macromolecular constituents in order to reveal whether the coding information for such proteins is in the chloroplast or nucleus. In the case of constituents located within the mobile phase [ I] of chloroplasts, Kawashima and Wildman [2] demonstrated that nuclear DNA contains the genetic information for the sequence of amino acids of the small subunit of Fraction 1 protein. Bourque and Wildman [3] showed that three proteins in the 50 S subunit of chloroplast ribosomes were also coded by nuclear DNA. The availability of a homogeneous Photosystem 11 chlorophyll-protein complex of higher plants [4], which is a known major protein component of chloroplast lamellae [S] , now permits an insight into the location of DNA coding for a structural protein of the thylakoid membrane. The present paper demonstrates a Mendelian mode of inheritance of fingerprints of tryptic peptides produced upon digestion of this protein moiety obtained from N. tabacum, N. glauca and their reciprocal hybrids.
Chlorination of sulfur dioxide in a plasma arc photochemical reactor: Part II. Chlorination of sulfur dioxide

The photochemical chlorination of sulfur dioxide was investigated experimentally. The photochemical reactor was the vortex-stabilized arc radiation source described in Part I. Aqueous inorganic solutions, providing selective wavelength filtration, were circulated through the inner annular region. The outer annulus served as the reaction volume. The dependence of the reaction on wavelength, reaction gas inlet temperature, pressure, and reactant flow rate was investigated. The amount of sulfur dioxide in the mixture was varied from 1/6 to 2/3 atmosphere. The photochemical rate of formation of sulfuryl chloride is best described by the rate expression: where J is the volumetric rate of light absorption and where k0 and E have values of 0.0542 s1/2 and −2.6 kcal/gmol, respectively.
The apparent first dissociation constant (pK1′) of carbonic acid in saliva

Abstract The wide discrepancy which we had previously reported between the pK1′ of carbonic acid in saliva as calculated from the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation and as calculated from the ionic strength of saliva led us to re-examine this problem to try and account for the difference. From purely theoretical considerations we postulated that the discrepancy may be due to the fact that not all of the bound-CO2 in saliva was in the form of bicarbonate but that, in fact, part of it was present in the carbamino form. This hypothesis was tested experimentally and found to be valid. When the amount of carbamino CO2 in saliva (about 25 per cent of the total CO2) was taken into consideration in calculating the pK1′ by the HH equation, the result (6.28) was almost identical with the anticipated value of 6.27.