cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Water Bath Radiation for Extensive, Extremity-Based Cutaneous Disease of Mycosis Fungoides.

Abstract Purpose Radiotherapy is an effective palliative treatment modality for cutaneous T-cell lymphomas such as mycosis fungoides (MF) due to its sensitivity to radiation. For patients with extensive skin involvement of the limbs, it is challenging to accommodate a number of clinical concerns: providing homogeneous dose to an irregular surface, minimizing the treatment time, and maintaining reproducible setups for multiple treatments. We utilized water as a tissue compensator to address all of these concerns. Case presentation A 66-year-old man with a history of stage IB mycosis fungoides previously treated with multiple prior therapies, including surface applicator high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy. The disease then progressed to involve the right upper extremity distal to the prior treatment and much of the left upper extremity. In addition, he had recurrence of the prior right posterior thigh plaque, and face without scalp involvement. In order to avoid prolonged treatment time and inhomogeneous dose delivery, external beam radiation therapy using a water bath for tissue compensation was used to treat the upper extremities. We used a water tank and aligned each extremity to the center of the tank with custom-fit immobilization devices. A dose of 10 Gy in 2.5 Gy per fraction using 6 mega-voltage photons was prescribed to the mid-plane of the water tank. Two opposed lateral beams were used to obtain homogeneous dose across the water tank. Results The patient tolerated the treatment without toxicities. A complete response was observed during follow-ups at 6 and 12 weeks after treatment. Conclusions The patient reported improved function and cosmesis following treatment of his upper extremities with the water bath technique radiation therapy. Using a water bath as a tissue compensator was a fast and reproducible method for treatment of MF with circumferential cutaneous involvement of the extremity.
Alternative Employment Strategies for Hard-to-Employ TANF Recipients: Final Results from a Test of Transitional Jobs and Preemployment Services in Philadelphia

This report presents final, four-year results from a rigorous evaluation of two different employment strategies for hard-to-employ public assistance recipients in Philadelphia. An earlier report discussed findings after one and a half years of follow-up. The study is part of the Enhanced Services for the Hard-to-Employ Demonstration and Evaluation Project, which is testing innovative employment strategies for various groups facing serious obstacles to steady work. The Hard-to-Employ project is sponsored by the Administration for Children and Families and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), with additional funding from the U.S. Department of Labor. It is being conducted under contract to HHS by MDRC, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization, along with the Urban Institute and other partners.
The Role of Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins in Controlling the Expression of IGF Actions

Although the insulin-like growth factors are secreted into blood and transported to peripheral tissues where they can act as traditional endocrine hormones, they are also synthesized and secreted by many types of cells and may exert their effects in the local microenvironment by autocrine or paracrine regulatory mechanisms. Specifically, IGF-I mRNA has been detected by in situ hybridization in connective tissue cells in several human tissues1. This mRNA appears to be translated and the peptide secreted since several types of cells in culture, such as fibroblasts, have been shown to secrete IGF-I2,3. Furthermore, blocking the binding of cell-secreted IGF-I to the type I IGF receptor will block mitogenic response in the fibroblasts that constitutively synthesize this peptide4. These data suggest that IGF-I is made by the connective tissue cell types within organs, and is secreted into interstitial fluids. Following secretion IGF-I not only binds to receptors on fibroblasts but it can bind also to receptors on cells of epithelial origin that contain receptors but do not contain IGF-I mRNA. Immunocytochemical localization studies have shown IGF-I to be present on the surfaces of many cell types that apparently do not synthesize and secrete this peptide5.
The "good" physician: Oslerian aphorisms in the 21st century.

On February 2, 1899, William Osler gave a lecture before the students and faculty of Albany Medical College. As a founding member of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Osler had already establis...
Intersymbol Interference and Equalization for Large 5G Phased Arrays With Wide Scan Angles

Intersymbol interference (ISI) is introduced in a phased array when the beam is scanned. The cause of the ISI is demonstrated and its dependence on the phased array dimensions, scan angle, and symbol rate is derived. A mathematical model is created to simulate the ISI effects on transmitted (or received) symbols, and an equalizer model is introduced and achieves near-perfect equalization of the ISI. Also, for wideband signals, it is shown that large phased arrays result in amplitude modulation versus frequency. The effect of ISI on the error vector magnitude (EVM) is simulated using complex modulated signals, and the EVM before and after equalization is compared, using an adaptive 17-tap linear equalizer implemented in MATLAB. The results show that ISI in large phased arrays can be equalized regardless of the modulation, bandwidth, scan angle, and symbol rate. The EVM of 16-, 64-, and 256-quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) signals is measured for a 256-element array in the transmit mode. The measurements verify the derivations, eliminating ISI and resulting in low EVM values after equalization. The effect of array tapering on EVM is also presented, and the results show no difference in the EVM for uniform and tapered excitations.
Rhodium catalyzed homogeneous hydroformylation of unsaturated compounds in supercritical carbon dioxide

Publisher Summary This chapter investigates the rhodium catalyzed homogeneous hydroformylation of unsaturated compounds in supercritical carbon dioxide. A novel catalyst, HRh (CO) [P ( p -CF 3 C 6 H 4 ) 3 ] 3 , was synthesized for homogeneous catalytic hydroformylation of unsaturated compounds in supercritical carbon dioxide. The incorporation of para -trifluoromethyl groups to the conventional hydroformylation catalyst, HRh (CO) [P (C 6 H 5 ) 3 ] 3 , provided enhanced solubility in supercritical carbon dioxide while maintaining catalyst activity. The substrates 1-octene, 1-decene, 1,7-octadiene, styrene, allylbenzene, trans -2-octene , 2-methyl-1-heptene, and cyclohexene were hydroformylated at 50°C and 273 atm. The rates and selectivities were observed for various substrates under standard reaction conditions. Selectivities were found to be similar to those for the conventional catalyst in organic solvents. Initial rates were calculated from the linear portion of each rate curve by estimating the slope in mol dm –3 min –1 . The reaction rates for compounds with unsubstituted terminal double bonds were more than an order-of-magnitude higher than for compounds with substituted or internal double bonds. Furthermore, the reaction rate for cyclohexene was an additional order-of-magnitude lower than for 2-octene, whereas 1-octyne was not converted at all.
Characterization of the thermal properties of forest fuels by combustible gas analysis

The thermal decompositions of forty-three typical forest fuels have been characterized up to 500 degrees C. The fuels studied include foliage, wood, small stems, and bark. Evolved gas analysis gave quantitative measurements of the oxygen stoichiometry for combustion of volatile pyrolysis products. Oxygen consumption by the volatiles is highly correlated to their calculated heats of combustion. Char heats of combustion were also determined and found to be very similar for the fuels studied. These data were used to partition total heat of combustion into flaming and glowing components. Addition of combustible gas analysis to other thermal analysis techniques provides a more complete comparison of thermal behavior over a wide temperature. (Refs. 30).
BONDING BETWEEN CELLULOSIC FIBERS IN THE ABSENCE AND PRESENCE OF DRY-STRENGTH AGENTS - A REVIEW

Various hydrophilic polyelectrolytes, including cationic starch products, are used by papermakers to promote inter-fiber bonding and increase paper’s dry-strength. Thus, papermakers can meet customer require-ments with a lower net cost of materials, more recycled fibers, or higher mineral content. In the absence of polymeric additives, key mechanisms governing bond development between cellulosic fibers include capillary action, three-dimensional mixing of macromolecules on facing surfaces, conformability of the materials, and hydrogen bonding. Dry-strength additives need to adsorb efficiently onto fibers, have a hydrophilic character, and have a sufficiently high molecular mass. Though it is possible to achieve significant strength gains by optimal usage of individual polyelectrolytes, greater strength gains can be achieved by sequential addition of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes. Superior strength can be achieved by in-situ formation of polyelectrolyte com-plexes, followed by deposition of those complexes onto fiber surfaces. Polyampholytes also hold promise as efficient dry-strength additives. Opportunities for further increases in performance of dry-strength agents may involve fiber surface modification, self-assembled layers, and optimization of the dry film characteristics of dry-strength polymers or systems of polymers.
Overconfidence and Team Coordination

We model a team in which the marginal productivity of a player increases with the effort of other players on the team. Because the effort of any player is not observable to any other player, the performance of the team is negatively affected by a free-rider problem and by a lack of effort coordination across players. We show that, in this context, the overconfidence of some players not only enhances team performance but may create a Pareto improvement at the individual level. Indeed, because an overconfident player overestimates his marginal productivity, his decision to exert effort does not require as much expected effort from other players. Knowing that this overconfident player works hard and thus increases their marginal productivity, other players work harder too. This concerted effort by all benefits the team, the rational players and, in some cases, the overconfident player, who overworks but benefits from the positive externality that other players working harder brings about. Such Pareto improvement may provide a rationale for individual overconfidence to perpetuate itself in firms and partnerships.
Bell Pepper Cultivar Performance under Short, Variable Growing Seasons

Twenty-seven green bell pepper (Capsicum annuum) cultivars were evaluated over three growing seasons in Maine. Each year, plants started in a greenhouse were transplanted into double rows on raised beds covered with black plastic mulch. Overall yields were low compared with similar experiments in other regions of North America and varied considerably from year to year. ‘Ace’ and ‘New Ace’ consistently produced the largest crops by both weight and number of fruit. However, both of these cultivars had undesirable characteristics of small fruit size (<150 g), few lobes (two-three), and thin fruit walls (<6 mm), limiting their commercial market potential. Other cultivars, including ‘Vivaldi’, ‘Patriot’, and ‘Socrates’, had significantly better fruit quality but very low or inconsistent yield. The results of this study demonstrate the current limitations for growing economically viable crops of bell peppers in regions such as Maine that have short growing seasons and a wide range of seasonal temperatures. Further, the data underline the need for the development of cultivars better adapted to these growing conditions.
The Use and Implications of a Canine Companion in a Therapeutic Day Program for Nursing Home Residents with Dementia

Abstract This manuscript reports the use and implications of a Canine Companion within a rehabilitation model program for nursing home residents with dementia. Projected results included elimination of some restraints for wanderers, social interaction between the animal and individuals, between group members about the dog, and orientation of individuals to the present in the presence of the dog. Unexpected results included re-orientation of individuals who had withdrawn into themselves, and the use of the dog's presence to anchor orientation to the day of the week by residents. General and specific implications of these findings are discussed with recommendations for future research.
Bodies of Cultures: A World Tour of Body Modification

Bodies of Cultures:. World Tour of Body Modification. An online exhibition of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.CARRIEHERTZ
Active and Semi-active Adaptive Control for Undamaged and Damaged Building Structures Under Seismic Load

: During the lifetime of a structural system, many severe events such as earthquakes and strong winds may impact the system and result in potential damage. To mitigate the structural vibration and damage during these extreme events, control devices such as active and semi-active devices have received considerable attention because of their attractive characteristics. Active control devices are adaptable to any change and semi-active devices have the capability of offering the reliability of passive devices and the versatility and adaptability of active devices. In this research, a direct-adaptive-control method is used to control the behavior of an undamaged and a damaged structure using semi-active and active devices. In the adaptive control method, the controlled system is forced to behave like the model system which exhibits the desired behavior. The model of the adaptive control method is defined in a way to optimize the response of the controlled structure. The controller developed using this method can deal with changes that occur in the characteristics of the structure because it can modify its parameters during the control process. A magnetorheological (MR) damper is used as the semi-active device in this study, whereas a hydraulic actuator is utilized as the active device to control the behavior of the structure. The performance of a three-story building from the SAC project for the third generation of the control benchmark problem is studied by performing time–history analyses. The structure is subjected to different earthquakes and controlled by the direct adaptive control method. In the analysis of the structure, some stiffness reduction is assumed as a result of potential damage in the first story of the building. Also, the direct adaptive control strategy is used to optimize the response of the undamaged structure and to mitigate the damage impact on the performance of the controlled structure in the presence of noise for output measurements. The results of adaptive control method are compared with those of other control strategies. It is shown that the performance of the three-story building is improved using the adaptive control method. By assessing the results of different control approaches, it is found that the adaptive control method works more effectively than other methods and semi-active devices can provide reliable results.
Estimating gas holdup via pressure difference measurements in a cocurrent bubble column

Abstract Estimating gas holdup via pressure difference measurements is a simple and low-cost non-invasive technique to study gas holdup in bubble columns. It is usually used in a manner where the wall shear stress effect is neglected, termed Method II in this paper. In cocurrent bubble columns, when the liquid velocity is high or the fluid is highly viscous, wall shear stress may be significant and Method II may result in substantial error. Directly including the wall shear stress term in the determination of gas holdup (Method I) requires knowledge of two-phase wall shear stress models and usually requires the solution of non-linear equations. A new gas holdup estimation method (Method III) via differential pressure measurements for cocurrent bubble columns is proposed in this paper. This method considers the wall shear stress influences on gas holdup values without calculating the wall shear stress. A detailed analysis shows that Method III always results in a smaller gas holdup error than Method II, and in many cases, the error is significantly smaller than that of Method II. The applicability of Method III in measuring gas holdup in a cocurrent air–water–fiber bubble column is examined. Analysis based on experimental data shows that with Method III, accurate gas holdup measurements can be obtained, while measurement error is significant when Method II is used for some operational conditions.
Myomatous Erythrocytosis Syndrome: A Case Report

We report the case of a 36-year-old woman with erythrocytosis due to ectopic erythropoietin production by a very large uterine leiomyoma. Awareness of this uncommon condition is important so that the correct diagnosis can be suggested prior to surgery and radical resection can be avoided.
Effects of Uncertainties in Thermodynamic Data and Models on Process Calculations

Thermodynamic models and experimental data exhibit systematic and random errors. The severity of their errors depends on their use, such as for process calculations in a process simulator. Similarly, the value of better thermodynamic models and/or data should be measured with reference to such use. Strategies for quantification of such thermodynamics-induced process uncertainties via Monte Carlo simulation, regression analysis, and analogies to optimization are described, with simple examples. Such approaches can be used for safety-factor/risk analysis, guidelines for process simulator use, experimental design, and model comparisons.
A History of the Vietnamese

Introduction 1. The provincial era 2. The Ly dynasty 3. The Tran dynasty 4. The Le dynasty 5. The beginning of inter-regional warfare 6. The Fifty Years War 7. The south and the north diverge 8. The Thirty Years War 9. The Nguyen dynasty 10. The French conquest 11. Franco-Vietnamese colonial relations 12. Indochina at war 13. From two countries to one Retrospective Bibliographic essay Figures Tables Maps Index.
Reducing the cancer burden among African Americans

Since the "War on Cancer" was declared in 1971, numerous strides have been made in terms of cancer prevention, detection, treatment, and quality of life. However, although the nation boasts of the progress being achieved relative to cancer prevention, risk reduction, detection, treatment, and rehabilitation, the burden of cancer borne by of African Americans continues to surpass the burden borne by other racial or ethnic populations within the United States. The trends by which basic components of cancer prevention and cancer care are used among and administered to African Americans have long been recognized by our nation's scientists and clinicians. However, they can be ignored no longer. Armed with the new knowledge of what cancer is; how it develops; who is at risk; how best to screen, detect, diagnose, and treat cancer; and how to improve the quality of life of cancer patients and survivors, priority should be given to reducing the cancer burden among African Americans in the United States. The strides that have been made in the area of cancer are laudable. However, they are meaningless if they are not used aggressively to lighten the cancer burden of those who are known to carry the greatest load. Cancer 1998;83:1877-1884. © 1998 American Cancer Society.
Is subtotal colectomy a viable option in the management of chronic constipation

To determine if subtotal colectomy constitutes a valuable alternative in the treatment of patients with chronic constipation, a retrospective review of 52 consecutive patients who underwent subtotal colectomy between January 1980 and August 1985 was undertaken. Forty-six patients underwent ileodistal sigmoidostomy while five patients underwent ileoproctostomy and five with concomitant rectal prolapse underwent simultaneous proctopexy. A mortality rate of 3.8 percent and morbidity rate of 60 percent were encountered. The most frequently occurring complication was small-bowel obstruction, which occurred in 36 percent, and necessitated laparotomy in 66 percent. Additional procedures were necessary in five patients because of newly discovered rectal prolapse (two patients), rectocele (one patient), unrelieved constipation (one patient), and incapacitating incontinence (one patient). Follow-up data available in 94 percent (mean, 46 months) disclosed that patients had an average of 2.8 bowel movements per day without the use of laxatives (89 percent) or enemas (80 percent). Overall, 79 percent were satisfied with the final outcome. It is concluded that subtotal colectomy constitutes a viable option in the treatment of chronic constipation. However, the significant morbidity and mortality associated with the procedure dictate the need for careful patient selection on the basis of appropriate physiologic testing.
Effect of duration on detection by the chromatic and achromatic systems.

Detectability was determined as a function of stimulus duration for the chromatic and achromatic systems. For the achromatic system, detectability remains relatively constant for durations ranging from 43 to 1,000 msec, whereas for the chromatic system, detectability increases with duration up to about 500 msec. This suggests that the chromatic system has a more sustained output than the achromatic system.
Contributions of π' Bonding to the Nonlinear Optical Properties of Inorganic Polymers

Inorganic polymers are characterized by both in-plane it''and out-of-plane it bonding interactions in contrast to organic materials where iteffects dominate the optical properties. Involvement of the it'' bonding system results in higher electronic transition energies with the first transition being a it'' ic process. Second hyperpolarizabiities are affected by both it bonding systems and are reduced by higher transition energies and lower transition probabilities. In this paper we present electronic structure calculations of the static hyperpolarizabilities of a series of model compounds for inorganic polymers to illustrate the relationship between their electronic structure and nonlinear optical properties. 1. 0
Developing New Design Requirements to Reduce Failures in Early Complex Systems Design

In this paper, we develop a method that produces recommendations, usable by a designer, that reduce the likelihood of a failure occurring. Prior work introduced the Function Failure Rate Design Method (FFRDM) which uses historical data as evidence to generate new design requirements. This paper presents improvements to FFRDM by including an iterative loop within the method that begins with specific recommendations. This allows evidence from the analysis to support the addition of new requirements and functionality into the design. Once the iterative loop has converged with no new requirements left to generate, all recommendations are used for concept generation. In addition, metrics are developed that can be used later to analyze the design. These metrics are important to ensure that the design has considered the full set of recommendations. Specifically, the updated FFRDM improves the original FFRDM with 1) a systematic and repeatable heuristic to group failure modes and determine which failure modes are predominate, 2) a categorization of the recommendations, 3) metrics built for the recommendations used in concept generation to make them measurable, and 4) using recommendations to develop new requirements and functionality. To show the usefulness of each improvement to FFRDM, a case study using an electrical power system (EPS) is provided.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Effects of peripheral circular contours on dynamic spatial orientation.

The rod-and-frame effect (RFE) was investigated with the use of a frame that oscillated about an axis at its center at five different frequencies, ranging from .013 to .213 I-Iz. The resultant RFE shifted continuously with the roll motion of the frame, and it was significantly larger at the lowest frequency (.013 Hz) than under comparable static conditions. The dynamic RFE was lowest at the higher oscillation frequencies. Oscillatory roll vection—apparent self-motion—was reported by 3 of the 9 subjects when the frame was oscillating at its highest frequency (.213 Hz). The subjects yielded large increases in the RFE during the sessions with reports of vection. Surrounding the kinetic frame with a circular contour eliminated all reports of vection and significantly interacted with frequency to reduce the RFE—but only at low frequencies. The reduction amounted to 21.2% averaged over all 9 subjects at the three lowest frequencies. A surrounding contour, therefore, suppressed low-frequency kinetic visual orientation information that might otherwise have produced larger changes in apparent self-orientation and perceived vertical. Vection-sensitive subjects differed from nonvection subjects by exhibiting (1) a high-frequency fall-off in real-motion gain, (2) a high-frequency enhancement in illusory-motion gain, and (3) only a small and nonsignificant increase in illusory-movement phase lag with increases in frequency.
Radiolysis of lipids in monolayers. I: Saturated fatty acids

In order to study the effect of molecular orientation on the behavior of lipids when exposed to high energy radiation, model systems of palmitic acid or ethyl palmitate adsorbed as monolayers on silica were irradiated with60Co at 25 Mrad under vacuum, and the volatile products compared with those of control samples irradiated in bulk. Major quantitative differences were observed. More of the C n−1 alkane relative to the shorter-chain members of the homologous series were formed in bulk samples as compared to samples in monolayer. The C n−2 alkene and C n aldehyde also were formed in greater quantities in bulk. These observations are explained on the basis of a reduced preferential cleavage near the carbonyl group and a restricted mobility of free radical intermediates, in the case of the monolayers.
Propagation of gravitational waves in Robertson-Walker backgrounds

The electric and magnetic parts of the linearized Weyl tensor, when the stress-energy tensor is that of a perfect fluid and the background is of Robertson-Walker type, are known to satisfy wave equations that differ by the presence of a source term for the electric part. It is shown here that all of the allowed solutions of the inhomogeneous equation can be obtained by applying a differential operator to the solutions of the homogeneous equation; consequently, electric-type and magnetic-type gravitational waves have the same propagation properties. The results of a complete integration of the appropriately linearized Newman-Penrose equations are given.
Acquired agraphia caused by focal brain damage

Motor and linguistic aspects of writing were evaluated in 31 subjects with focal damage in 1 of 3 regions of the left hemisphere: (1) dorsolateral frontal lobe sparing primary motor cortex (group FL), (2) parietal lobe (group PL), or (3) temporal lobe (group TL). A standard procedure was used to evaluate writing for grapheme formation, spatial arrangement, spelling, word selection, grammar, and perseveration. It was predicted that agraphia would be observed in all 3 groups, and that the most severe impairments would be associated with frontal lobe damage, particularly in aspects of writing dependent on sequencing (grapheme formation, spelling, and grammar). It was found that agraphia was common in all groups, particularly in the acute epoch, and that all groups showed considerable recovery of writing by the chronic epoch. Few differences were found between groups. However, the FL group was impaired on spelling and grammar relative to the PL group in the acute epoch and impaired on grammar relative to the TL group in the chronic epoch. The findings are consistent with the notion that writing relies on a distributed neuroanatomical network, which acts in concert to link fragments of visuomotor activity with component linguistic elements.
The effect of 4-isothiocyanatobenzoic acid on the oxygen-linked chloride binding sites in human hemoglobin: influence on the alkaline Bohr effect.

Abstract Human oxyhemoglobin reacted with 4-isothiocyanatobenzoic acid shows a decreased oxygen affinity that does not change with increasing chloride concentration indicating that all of the oxygen-linked chloride binding sites are blocked in the modified protein. By contrast, reaction of oxyhemoglobin with 4-isothiocyanatobenzenesulfonamide produces a modified protein with increased oxygen affinity below pH 7.3 that shows the expected decrease in oxygen affinity with increasing chloride concentration. The latter result demonstrates the importance of the negatively charged moiety in producing both the decrease in oxygen affinity and the effect on the oxygen-linked chloride binding sites produced by 4-isothiocyanatobenzoic acid. Reduction in the alkaline Bohr effect by 50% in the protein modified by 4-isothiocyanatobenzoic acid indicates that contribution to the alkaline Bohr effect is evenly divided between chloride dependent and chloride independent groups.
Selective analysis for adenosine using reversed-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography

A high-pressure liquid chromatographic procedure for the selective determination of adenosine in the presence of other nucleic acid components is reported. Reversed-phase microparticle columns and an isocratic elution mode of dilute potassium dihydrophosphate and anhydrous methanol were used. The analysis is specific for adenosine and is achieved in less than 10 min. An example of the use of this analysis in a biomedical study is reported.
Polymers from 2,5-difluoroterephthalic acid. I. Polyesters

A new synthetic route to 2,5-difluoroterephthalic acid (DFTA) was devised and from this several new series of polymers were prepared by polycondensation. This inaugural paper will cover polyesters while subsequent papers will report on keto polyethers, polyamides and other backbones derived from DFTA. DFTA was synthesized from 2,5-difluorotoluene, which was acylated and subsequently converted to the diacid by a several step oxidation process. Various polyesters were prepared by reacting it with numerous bisphenols and diols by solution condensation to give a series of difluoroterephthalate polyesters with viscosities ranging from 0.16 to 0.61 dl/g. Thermogravimetric analyses showed that the polyesters had thermal stabilities up to 480°C in nitrogen; melting temperatures ranged from 127 to 318°C.
Effect of Rapid Infrared Annealing on the Photoelectrochemical Properties of Anodically Fabricated TiO2 Nanotube Arrays

A significant enhancement in the photoconversion efficiency of anodically grown titania nanotube array photoanodes is observed when crystallized using an infrared annealing process. This infrared (IR) annealing treatment is performed over relatively short periods, 5−15 min, over the temperature range 300−600 °C with the anatase crystallite size increasing with annealing temperature and duration. Used as photoanodes to photoelectrochemically split water, the 15 min, 600 °C IR crystallized nanotube arrays show a three-electrode photoconversion efficiency of 13.13% under UV illumination (100 mW/cm2, 320−400 nm, 1 M KOH). A reduction in the carrier trap states and an increased charge carrier transport due to reduction of the barrier layer thickness are believed responsible for the significant conversion efficiency seen with the IR annealed samples.
The low temperature infrared spectrum of thiazyl fluoride and the addition compounds of thiazyl fluoride with boron trifluoride, phosphorus penta-fluoride and arsenic pentafluoride

Abstract The low temperature infrared spectra of the solid addition compounds of thiazyl fluoride, NSF, with the Lewis acids BF 3 , PF 5 , and AsF 5 were interpreted in terms of ionic compounds containing the thiazyl cation, (NS) + . The low temperature infrared spectrum of thiazyl fluoride itself was indicative of an unionized form in the solid state.
A dynamic theory of acquisition and extinction in operant learning

This article offers a new neural network framework for understanding both the transients and the asymptotes of operant (instrumental) learning. The theory shows that interplay between simple short and long-term memory mechanisms is sufficient to explain a large number of operant phenomena. It describes short- and long-term effects of reinforcement and how these effects modulate the operant response, how novel events are detected and processed, and how their consequences also modulate the operant response. The critical features of the present theory are: (1) reinforcement expectancy is defined as the aggregate prediction of response-reinforcement and stimulus-reinforcement associations; (2) reinforcement expectancy controls the rate of increase of the operant response; (3) the response is controlled by a behavioral inhibition unit which integrates the mismatch between expected (long-term) and experienced (short-term) events. The model predicts the general features of several operant phenomena such as response selection, development of preference under different manipulations of reinforcement probabilities, negative contrast, partial reinforcement extinction effect, and spontaneous recovery. Implications of the present theory for other operant conditioning phenomena, classical conditioning, and avoidance behavior are suggested. Copyright 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Seismological evidence for differential rotation of the Earth's inner core

The travel times of seismic waves that traverse the Earth's inner core show a small but systematic variation over the past three decades. This variation is best explained by a rotation of the inner core that moves the symmetry axis of its known seismic anisotropy. The inferred rotation rate is on the order of 1° per year faster than the daily rotation of the mantle and crust.
Sequential tunneling and inelastic cotunneling in nanoparticle arrays

We investigate transport in weakly coupled metal nanoparticle arrays, focusing on the regime where tunneling is competing with strong single electron charging effects. This competition gives rise to an interplay between two types of charge transport. In sequential tunneling, transport is dominated by independent electron hops from a particle to its nearest neighbor along the current path. In inelastic cotunneling, transport is dominated by cooperative multielectron hops that each go to the nearest neighbor but are synchronized to move charge over distances of several particles. In order to test how the temperature-dependent cotunnel distance affects the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics, we perform a series of systematic experiments on highly ordered close-packed nanoparticle arrays. The arrays consist of ∼5.5 nm diameter gold nanocrystals with tight size dispersion, spaced ∼1.7 nm apart by interdigitating shells of dodecanethiol ligands. We present I-V data for monolayer, bilayer, trilayer, and tetralayer arrays. For stacks 2–4 layers thick we compare in-plane measurements with data for vertical transport perpendicular to the array plane. Our results support a picture whereby transport inside the Coulomb blockade regime occurs by inelastic cotunneling, while sequential tunneling takes over at large bias above the global Coulomb blockade threshold Vt(T) and at high temperatures. For the smallest measurable voltages, our data was fitted well by recent predictions for the temperature dependence zero-bias conductance due to multiple cotunneling. At finite but small bias, the cotunnel distance is predicted to set the curvature of the nonlinear I-V characteristics, in good agreement with our data. The absence of significant magnetic-field dependence up to 10 T in the measured I-V characteristics further supports the picture of inelastic cotunneling events where individual electrons hop no further than the nearest neighbor. At large bias, above the global Coulomb blockade threshold, the I-V characteristics follow power-law behavior with temperature-independent exponent close to two, predicted for sequential tunneling along branching paths that optimize the overall charging energy cost.
Grassroots literacy and the written record: Asbestos activism in South Africa

This article uses two key terms – ‘grassroots literacy’ and the ‘written record’ – to examine writing produced by the Asbestos Interest Group (AIG), a community organization in Kuruman, South Africa. The article considers the formation of the AIG's grassroots literacy in terms of the unequal distribution of semiotic resources in a stratified world system, with particular attention to how the allotment of the means of representation enables and constrains the capacity of texts to move across social locations. The article analyzes how the AIG negotiates the paperwork of state, legal, and medical bureaucracies in compensation cases for asbestos-related disease. It examines how the AIG's grassroots texts, such as monthly reports and handwritten/drawn maps, manage or not to circulate translocally, to take on semiotic mobility by making the AIG's interests known in the written record. Lekwalonyana le, le dirisa mareomagolo a mabedi – ‘go ruta baagi go buisa le go kwala’ le ‘rekoto e e kwadilweng’ – go lekola mokwalo o o tlhagisitsweng ke Abestos Interest Group (AIG), mogatlho wa set haba kwa Kuruman, Aforika Borwa. Lekwalonyana le, le sekaseka go tlhamiwa ga go ruta baagi go buisa le go kwala ke AIG go ya ka go aba ga tiriso ya didiriswa tsa matshwao ka mokgwa o o sa lekalekaneng mo bathong go lebeletswe thata mokgwa wa go aba ka kemedi e e kgotshang le go thibela bokgoni ba dipolelwana tse di kgonang go fitlhelela batho mo ba nnang. Lekwalonyana le, le sekaseka mokgwa o AIG e buisanang le tiro ya dikwalo tsa puso, tsa semolao le maparego a boitekanelo mo go neeleng ditlhapiso mo dikgetseng tse di amanang le abesetose e e tlholang bolwetsi jwa mafatlha. [Setswana]
Statin Intolerance Because of Myalgia, Myositis, Myopathy, or Myonecrosis Can in Most Cases be Safely Resolved by Vitamin D Supplementation.

Background: Low serum vitamin D can cause myalgia, myositis, myopathy, and myonecrosis. Statin-induced myalgia is a major and common cause of statin intolerance. Low serum vitamin D and statins, additively or synergistically, cause myalgia, myositis, myopathy, and/or myonecrosis. Statin-induced myalgia in vitamin D deficient patients can often be resolved by vitamin D supplementation, normalizing serum vitamin D levels. Aims: In 74 men and 72 women (age 59 ± 14 years) intolerant to ≥2 statins because of myalgia, myositis, myopathy, or myonecrosis and found to have low (<32 ng/mL) serum vitamin D, we prospectively assessed whether vitamin D supplementation (vitamin D2: 50,000-100,000 units/week) to normalize serum vitamin D would allow successful rechallenge therapy with statins. Materials and Methods: Follow-up evaluation on vitamin D supplementation was done on 134 patients at 6 months (median 5.3), 103 patients at 12 months (median 12.2), and 82 patients at 24 months (median 24). Results: Median entry serum vitamin D (22 ng/mL, 23 ng/mL, and 23 ng/mL) rose at 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months follow-up to 53 ng/mL, 53 ng/mL, and 55 ng/mL, respectively, (P < .0001 for all) on vitamin D therapy (50,000-100,000 units/week). On vitamin D supplementation, serum vitamin D normalized at 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months follow-up in 90%, 86%, and 91% of the patients, respectively. On rechallenge with statins while on vitamin D supplementation, median low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC) fell from the study entry (167 mg/dL, 164 mg/dL, and 158 mg/dL) to 90 mg/dL, 91 mg/dL, and 84 mg/dL, respectively, (P < .0001 for all). On follow-up at median 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months on statins and vitamin D, 88%, 91%, and 95% of the previously statin-intolerant patients, respectively, were free of myalgia, myositis, myopathy, and/or myonecrosis. Conclusions: Statin intolerance because of myalgia, myositis, myopathy, or myonecrosis associated with low serum vitamin D can be safely resolved by vitamin D supplementation (50,000-100,000 units /week) in most cases (88-95%).
Ferrite-Piezoelectric Layered Structures: Microwave Magnetoelectric Effects and Electric Field Tunable Devices

Studies on (i) microwave magnetoelectric (ME) interactions in ferrite-piezoelectric bilayers and (ii) electric field tunable ME signal processing devices are discussed. An electric field E applied to the bilayer produces a mechanical deformation in the piezoelectric, resulting in a frequency (δ f) or magnetic field shift (δ H) in the ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) absorption spectra for the ferrite. Bilayers of single crystal yttrium iron garnet (YIG) and lead zirconium niobate-lead titanate (PMN-PT) were studied. The strength of ME coupling A = δ H/E has been measured from FMR absorption profiles at 1–10 GHz for E = 0–10 kV/cm. Variation in δ f or δ H with E is found to be linear. A decrease in the ME coefficient is measured as the thickness of YIG film is increased. The fabrication and characterization of electric field tunable YIG/PMN-PT resonators are discussed.
Effectiveness of ultra-low volume nighttime applications of an adulticide against diurnal Aedes albopictus, a critical vector of dengue and chikungunya viruses.

Aedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito, continues expanding its geographic range and involvement in mosquito-borne diseases such as chikungunya and dengue. Vector control programs rarely attempt to suppress this diurnal species with an ultra-low volume (ULV) adulticide because for maximum efficacy applications are conducted at night. During 2009–2011 we performed experimental nighttime applications of a novel adulticide (DUET®) against field populations of Ae. albopictus within an urban site composed of approximately 1,000 parcels (home and yard) in northeastern USA. Dual applications at mid label rate of the adulticide spaced one or two days apart accomplished significantly higher control (85.0±5.4% average reduction) than single full rate applications (73.0±5.4%). Our results demonstrate that nighttime ULV adulticiding is effective in reducing Ae. albopictus abundance and highlight its potential for use as part of integrated pest management programs and during disease epidemics when reducing human illness is of paramount importance.
Imagining Home: Race and the West Indian Diaspora in the San Francisco Bay Area

Existe un entendimiento ordinario que concibe la identidad diasporica como el producto de un fenomeno colectivo de desplazamiento y de dispersion a partir de una tierra de origen real o imaginada. Esta concepcion ignora la manera integral por la cual las identidades son incrustadas en geografias nacionales, locales, sociales, culturales y politicas. Especiicamente, la identidad diasporica emerge dentro de coyunturas historicas, sociales y culturales cuando discursos que construyen la pertenencia nacional niegan airmaciones de ciudadania evocando razones raciales, culturales, religiosas, linguisticas o otras. La identidad diasporica es una respuesta a nociones de populacion nacional de las cuales los sujetos diasporicos son excluidos. Alguien es �caribeno�, �negro�, o �jamaiquino�, o negro norteamericano, por ejemplo, no en relacion con mitos originarios ijados en Africa, sino en relacion a una geografia social, politica y cultural de locacion; en relacion a su posicionalidad social y economica, y a contextos sociales e institucionales. Esto es lo que argumento en este ensayo, con un analisis de la presencia de inmigrantes caribenos (West Indians) en la region de la bahia de San Francisco, en California focolizando sobre la construccion/imaginacion de una tierra de origen caribena (West Indian) que surge en respuesta a, o en contra de, discursos y practicas de exclusion la gente negra quien parece como no ciudadana. Ellos utilizan representaciones de si mismo en terminos de una subjetividad moderna para hacer airmaciones de su pertenencia legitima al espacio de los Estados Unidos. Con este afan, aprovechan de imagenes de �minoria modela� (model minority) de las cuales gozan en los Estados Unidos. Estas, combinadas con su estatuto de inmigrantes, les sirven para distinguirse de los negros norte-americanos, un grupo al cual estan ligados �racialmente�.
Recognition of abnormal connections of coronary arteries with the use of Doppler color flow mapping

Abstract Anomalous connection of a coronary artery to a ventricle or pulmonary artery causes shunting of blood from the coronary circuit and may produce myocardial ischemia. Such a coronary anomaly may occur in isolation or with other defects. Doppler color flow mapping and two-dimensional echocardiography were used to diagnose anomalous coronary connections in 13 patients, 1 day to 7 years of age, over a 1 year period. The diagnoses were anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary trunk in five patients, a coronary artery to left ventricle fistula or coronary artery to pulmonary artery fistula in four patients with other complex defects, right ventricular sinusoids in two patients with pulmonary atresia and intact ventricular septum and an isolated coronary artery fistula in two patients. In all cases, the abnormal coronary connection was recognized on the basis of an abnormal, continuous or to and fro flow pattern in the fistula and its connections as demonstrated by scanning in multiple views with Doppler color flow mapping. The low spatial resolution of Doppler color flow mapping limits the anatomic detail available; nonetheless, it is a significant advance in the noninvasive diagnosis of abnormal coronary connections.
Focus on Psychometrics Single-Item Indicators in Nursing Research

Single-item indicators that ask respondents for their global rating of a specific concept are congruent with nursing's emphasis on wholism and individualism. They allow the subject to take personally salient features of the situation into account when providing a response. The psychometric performance of single-item indicators in published research and in a sample data set using measures of the mother's choice and satisfaction with her employment decision support the validity and reliability of the measures, suggesting that these indicators deserve more attention in nursing research. Recommendations for the use of single-item indicators are provided.
Transforming Growth Factor-Beta 3 Alters Intestinal Smooth Muscle Function: Implications for Gastroschisis-Related Intestinal Dysfunction

Background Gastroschisis (GS) is a congenital abdominal wall defect that results in the development of GS-related intestinal dysfunction (GRID). Transforming growth factor-β, a pro-inflammatory cytokine, has been shown to cause organ dysfunction through alterations in vascular and airway smooth muscle. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of TGF-β3 on intestinal smooth muscle function and contractile gene expression.