cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mediocrity: Mechanical Training and Music for Girls

Recent scholarship has studied the ideology of virtuosity as it appears in the late eighteenth century. This chapter shifts our focus from virtuosity to mediocrity. In doing so, I expose ideological contradictions in the music education of girls. In particular, I consider the illogical attitude that artlessness is the pinnacle of a girl’s performance, but that this artlessness can be achieved without mechanical practice. My chapter examines the anxiety experienced by music professionals when mediocrity is a student’s goal. In such cases, master teachers are not required for students to achieve basic competency, and standardized lessons are more cost-effective than individualized ones. Finally, if we accept that the regimen of practice is a safe zone for the development of female assertiveness (given that the work of achieving mediocrity is a socially sanctioned, private space of female labour), I ask why women writers of pedagogical novels, epistolary fictions, and educational tracts—even those whose backgrounds include work with music professionals—do not address the potential of music in a girl’s developmental process. Primary texts include works by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Madame de Genlis, Adelaide O’Keeffe, music training works by Charles Dibdin and others, and pamphlets debating the merits of Logier’s chiroplast, a mechanical contraption for teaching piano keyboard skills.
Photochemical Synthesis and Catalytic Applications of Gold Nanoplates Fabricated Using Quercetin Diphosphate Macromolecules

The demand for safer design and synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) is on the increase with the ultimate goal of producing clean nanomaterials for biological applications. We hereby present a rapid, greener, and photochemical synthesis of gold nanoplates with sizes ranging from 10 to 200 nm using water-soluble quercetin diphosphate (QDP) macromolecules. The synthesis was achieved in water without the use of surfactants, reducing agents, or polymers. The edge length of the triangular nanoplates ranged from 50 to 1200 nm. Furthermore, the reduction of methylene blue was used to investigate the catalytic activity of AuNPs. The catalytic activity of triangular AuNPs was three times higher than that of the spherical AuNPs based on kinetic rate constants (k). The rate constants were 3.44 × 10-2 and 1.11 × 10-2 s-1 for triangular and spherical AuNPs, respectively. The X-ray diffraction data of gold nanoplates synthesized by this method exhibited that the nanocrystals were mainly dominated by (111) facets which are in agreement to the nanoplates synthesized by using thermal and chemical approaches. The calculated relative diffraction peak intensity of (200), (220), and (311) in comparison with (111) was found to be 0.35, 0.17, and 0.15, respectively, which were lower than the corresponding standard values (JCPDS 04-0784). For example, (200)/(111) = 0.35 compared to 0.52 obtained from the standard (JCPDS 04-0784), indicating that the gold nanoplates are dominated by (111) facets. The calculated lattice from selected area electron diffraction data of the as-synthesized and after 1 year nanoplates was 4.060 and 4.088 A, respectively. Our calculations were found to be in agreement with 4.078 A for face-centered cubic gold (JCPDS 04-0784) and literature values of 4.07 A. The computed QDP-Au complex demonstrated that the reduction process took place in the B ring of QDP. This approach contributes immensely to promoting the ideals of sustainable nanotechnology by eradicating the use of hazardous and toxic organic solvents.
Residual drift mitigation for bridges retrofitted with buckling restrained braces or self centering energy dissipation devices

Abstract A three-column reinforced concrete bridge bent that did not have reinforcement details necessary to provide adequate load capacity and displacement ductility was evaluated under seismic excitations. Two retrofit methods for improving its seismic performance were examined: (i) Buckling Restrained Braces (BRBs), and (ii) Self Centering Energy Dissipation devices (SCEDs). The numerical model of the bridge bent was validated with previous in-situ quasi-static experiments of a full-scale bent. The BRB inelastic behavior was modeled using isotropic and kinematic strain hardening properties. Flag-shaped hysteresis with slip deformation and bearing were used to model the SCED. The numerical models of the BRB and SCED were validated with full-scale experiments of the brace members. Nonlinear time-history analysis was carried out using far-field and pulse-type ground motion sets to evaluate the seismic performance of the as-built and retrofitted bridge bents in the transverse direction. The performance limit states were defined using HAZUS criteria. Incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) was implemented to evaluate the performance of the two retrofit methods up to the collapse limit state. The results show that a retrofit with either BRBs or SCEDs improves the seismic performance of the bridge bent by decreasing drift ratio demands, and reducing the maximum steel and concrete column strains. The BRB and SCED braces reduce damage to the concrete columns by dissipating a significant portion of the input seismic energy. SCED retrofit reduces the bridge bent residual drift ratio under strong earthquakes to acceptable levels; this improves post-earthquake serviceability, increases bridge resilience and keeps repair costs low. Bridge bent peak and residual drift ratio demands were found to be higher under far-field ground motions compared to pulse-type ground motions.
The Relationship Between Speech Perception and Psychoacoustical Measurements in Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Subjects

One of the most devastating effects of noise exposure is the potential loss in speech recognition abilities. While individuals with noise-induced hearing losses can detect speech, they often cannot discriminate its message (particularly when there is competing background noise). This often leads to frustration and communication breakdown.
The Development of Consent to Computing

The origins and transformation of digital consent are recounted in a comparative fashion, focusing on political constructions of computing in Western countries, regional bodies, and global negotiations. When data protection regimes emerged to govern computing technologies in the 1970s, the U.S., Canada, the U.K., France, and Sweden all ignored consent, but for very different reasons, and structured the governance of computers in related but diverse ways. Germany's unique construction of computing as a particular moral act that required consent would later find an interesting bedfellow with the U.S., which had relied heavily on transparency as a policy tool, as national systems gave way to international entities establishing rules for telematics, transnational data flows, and a newly individualized computer revolution in the 1980s and 1990s. This work contributes to a growing body of work on both the history of globalized communication and the legal history of computing.
Immigration and Labor Market Outcomes in U.S. Metropolitan Areas

Two broad orientations have motivated scholarship on the relationship between immigration and labor market outcomes in the United States. The first, the supply-side perspective, often focuses on ho...
Vapor phase infiltration of aluminum oxide into benzocyclobutene-based polymer dielectrics to increase adhesion strength to thin film metal interconnects

Interfacial adhesion between metallic thin films and polymers is a critical performance metric for a number of microelectronics and packaging applications. Delamination of metal-polymer interfaces is a frequent failure mode for many multilayer structures, like those used for electronics packaging. Such a failure is even more likely when electronic packages are operated under extreme conditions like high-power, high-temperature, and/or high-humidity operation. Roughening or direct chemical modification of the few layers of atoms that make up the interface is often used to promote adhesion at these interfaces. Here, the authors investigate a new process, vapor phase infiltration, that infiltrates inorganic constituents into the bulk of the polymer, creating an interpenetrating network within the subsurface of the polymer that further enhances interfacial adhesion. For the authors’ model system of copper films on a benzocyclobutene polymer, they are able to increase the interfacial adhesion strength by as much as 3×, resulting in cohesive rather than adhesive failure. The authors attribute this increased interfacial adhesion to physicochemical interlocking of the organic and inorganic phases within the subsurface of the polymer, generating a “root system” that impedes interfacial delamination.
Prevention and control measures for coastal erosion in northern high-latitude communities: a systematic review based on Alaskan case studies

Erosion along high-latitude coasts has been accelerating in recent decades, resulting in land loss and infrastructure damage, threatening the wellbeing of local communities, and forcing undesired community relocations. This review paper evaluates the state of practice of current coastal stabilization measures across several coastal communities in northern high latitudes. After considering global practices and those in northern high latitude and arctic settings, this paper then explores new and potential coastal stabilization measures to address erosion specific to northern high-latitude coastlines. The challenges in constructing the current erosion control measures and the cost of the measures over the last four decades in northern high-latitude regions are presented through case histories. The synthesis shows that among the current erosion controls being used at high latitudes, revetments built with rocks have the least reported failures and are the most common measures applied along northern high-latitude coastlines including permafrost coasts, while riprap is the most common material used. For seawalls, bulkheads, and groin systems, reported failures are common and mostly associated with displacement, deflection, settlement, vandalism, and material ruptures. Revetments have been successfully implemented at sites with a wide range of mean annual erosion rates (0.3-2.4 m/year) and episodic erosion (6.0-22.9 m) due to the low costs and easy construction, inspection, and decommissioning. No successful case history has been reported for the non-engineered expedient measures that are constructed in the event of an emergency, except for the expedient vegetation measure using root-wads and willows. Soft erosion prevention measures, which include both beach nourishment and dynamically stable beaches, have been considered in this review. The effectiveness of beach nourishment in Utqiaġvik, Alaska, which is affected by permafrost, is inconclusive. Dynamically stable beaches are effective in preventing erosion, and observations show that they experience only minor damages after single storm events. The analysis also shows that more measures have been constructed on a spit (relative to bluffs, islands, barrier islands, and river mouths), which is a landform where many Alaskan coastal communities reside. The emerging erosion control measures that can potentially be adapted to mitigate coastal erosion in high-latitude regions include geosynthetics, static bay beach concept, refrigerating techniques, and biogeochemical applications. However, this review shows that there is a lack of case studies that evaluated the performance of these new measures in high-latitude environments. This paper identifies research gaps so that these emerging measures can be upscaled for full-scale applications on permafrost coasts.
GABA metabolism is crucial for long-term survival of anoxia in annual killifish embryos.

In most vertebrates, a lack of oxygen quickly leads to irreparable damages to vital organs, such as the brain and heart. However, there are some vertebrates that have evolved mechanisms to survive periods of no oxygen (anoxia). The annual killifish (Austrofundulus limnaeus) survives in ephemeral ponds in the coastal deserts of Venezuela and their embryos have the remarkable ability to tolerate anoxia for months. When exposed to anoxia, embryos of A. limnaeus respond by producing significant amounts of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). This study aims to understand the role of GABA in supporting the metabolic response to anoxia. To explore this, we investigated four developmentally distinct stages of A. limnaeus embryos that vary in their anoxia tolerance. We measured GABA and lactate concentrations across development in response to anoxia and aerobic recovery. We then inhibited enzymes responsible for the production and degradation of GABA and observed GABA and lactate concentrations, as well as embryo mortality. Here, we show for the first time that GABA metabolism affects anoxia tolerance in A. limnaeus embryos. Inhibition of enzymes responsible for GABA production (glutamate decarboxylase) and degradation (GABA-transaminase and succinic acid semialdehyde dehydrogenase) led to decreased mortality, supporting a role for GABA as an intermediate product and not a metabolic end product. We propose multiple roles for GABA during anoxia and aerobic recovery in A. limnaeus embryos, serving as a neurotransmitter, an energy source, and an antioxidant.
Fluoroscopically-guided therapeutic injection of the proximal tibiofibular joint in a patient with lateral knee pain.

Abstract Proximal tibiofibular joint (PTFJ) pathology is an uncommon but perhaps underappreciated cause of lateral knee pain. While imaging guided therapeutic injections for diagnosis and management of joint related symptoms are now commonplace and numerous techniques for accessing most joints in the body have been documented, a technique for fluoroscopically guided injection of the PTFJ has not been yet described in the literature. We present a case of an adult patient who presented with lateral knee pain refractory to conservative management who opted for a fluoroscopically-guided therapeutic injection of her PTFJ.
Lidocaine infusions and reduced opioid consumption-Retrospective experience in pediatric hematology and oncology patients with refractory pain

BACKGROUND Despite a more robust experience with lidocaine infusions for pain management in adults and general pediatric population, there is limited evidence of efficacy of lidocaine infusions for pain management in patients with pediatric hematology and oncology diagnoses. METHODS Data pertaining to continuous intravenous lidocaine infusions prescribed between January 2009 and June 2019 were reviewed, including patients' demographic characteristics, hematology/oncology and pain diagnoses, concurrent pain medications, and lidocaine infusion dose regimens and duration. Pain scores and opioid consumption calculations based on morphine equivalent doses (mg/kg/day) of patient-controlled analgesia were collected 1 day before infusion (D1), during infusion (D2), and 1 day after infusion (D3). RESULTS The mean opioid consumption on D3 was significantly lower than that on D2 (p = .01). The pain scores on D3 were significantly lower than those on D1 when measured as average pain scores per 24 hours (p < .001) or as single pain scores immediately before and after infusions (p < .001). No significant associations were found between cumulative doses of lidocaine (loading dose plus total infusion dose) and either a decrease in the opioid consumption or a decrease in pain scores. CONCLUSIONS In this retrospective series of pediatric hematology and oncology cases, we report positive outcomes in reducing opioid consumption and pain scores after lidocaine infusions. Prospective investigations designed in a collaborative, multi-institutional fashion, including a variety of pediatric populations are needed to further investigate the efficacy of lidocaine infusions.
Examining the Predictive Validity of NIH Peer Review Scores

The predictive validity of peer review at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has not yet been demonstrated empirically. It might be assumed that the most efficient and expedient test of the predictive validity of NIH peer review would be an examination of the correlation between percentile scores from peer review and bibliometric indices of the publications produced from funded projects. The present study used a large dataset to examine the rationale for such a study, to determine if it would satisfy the requirements for a test of predictive validity. The results show significant restriction of range in the applications selected for funding. Furthermore, those few applications that are funded with slightly worse peer review scores are not selected at random or representative of other applications in the same range. The funding institutes also negotiate with applicants to address issues identified during peer review. Therefore, the peer review scores assigned to the submitted applications, especially for those few funded applications with slightly worse peer review scores, do not reflect the changed and improved projects that are eventually funded. In addition, citation metrics by themselves are not valid or appropriate measures of scientific impact. The use of bibliometric indices on their own to measure scientific impact would likely increase the inefficiencies and problems with replicability already largely attributed to the current over-emphasis on bibliometric indices. Therefore, retrospective analyses of the correlation between percentile scores from peer review and bibliometric indices of the publications resulting from funded grant applications are not valid tests of the predictive validity of peer review at the NIH.
Vascular Architecture of the Human Brain: Morphometric, Geographic and Territorial Analysis From MRA Data

Detailed knowledge of the brain vascular architecture is important not only for gaining insight into a variety of vascular pathologies and brain diseases, but also when creating arterial tree models to be used for imposing boundary conditions in numerical simulations [1]. A variety of methods have been developed to build realistic arterial trees [2, 3]. Most of these techniques require the specification of a number of parameters and constraints related to the arterial branch geometry and bifurcation characteristics. The purpose of this paper is to provide estimations of these parameters as well as information about the regional distribution of the arterial trees of the brain that can be used to guide or test methods for constructing arterial tree models.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Referral Practices for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia: A Survey Study

This study examined referring practices for cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI) by physicians at University of Michigan Hospitals and Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University. A five-item questionnaire was sent via email that inquired about the physician's patient load, number of patients complaining of insomnia, percent referred for CBTI, and impressions of what is the most effective method for improving sleep quality in their patients with insomnia. The questionnaire was completed by 239 physicians. More physicians believed a treatment other than CBTI and/or medication was most effective (N = 83). "Sleep hygiene" was recommended by a third of the sample. The smallest number of physicians felt that CBTI alone was the most effective treatment (N = 22). Additional physician education is needed.
Stimulation of HTC hepatoma cell growth in vitro by hepatic stimulator substance (HSS): Interactions with serum, insulin, glucagon, epidermal growth factor and platelet derived growth factor

Abstract Hepatic stimulator substance (HSS), a partially purified extract of weanling or regenerating adult rat liver, is an organ-specific stimulator of liver growth in vivo and in vitro. The HTC hepatoma cell line is particularly responsive to HSS. The present experiments show that HSS will stimulate HTC cells in the complete absence of serum, although graded doses of fetal cal serum (FCS), from 0.1 to 5.0%, will increase the degree of stimulation in a dose-dependent manner. In contrast, when HSS is absent, increasing doses of FCS above 0.5% inhibit DNA synthesis. Much of this inhibition is removed by prior dialysis of the FCS and maximum enhancement of the HSS-induced stimulation occurs with only 0.1–0.5% of the dialysed FCS. Sera from older animals have less or even negative effect. Evidence is presented to show that the enhanced stimulation by HSS in the presence of serum is not due to insulin, glucagon, epidermal growth factor (EGF), or platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) and that HSS does not act via a shared receptor for one of these hormones. These experiments provide further evidence that HSS is a unique stimulator of liver growth and lend support to a model of organ-specific growth control.
Improving functional ability in the elderly via the Spencer technique, an osteopathic manipulative treatment: a randomized, controlled trial.

Twenty-nine elderly patients with preexisting shoulder problems voluntarily enrolled as subjects in this study, which was undertaken to determine the efficacy of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) in an elderly population to increase functional independence, increase range of motion (ROM) of the shoulder, and decrease pain associated with common shoulder problems. Each subject had chronic pain, decreased ROM, and/or decreased functional ability in the shoulder before entering the study. Subjects were randomly assigned to either a treatment (OMT) group or a control group for 14 weeks. Over the course of treatment, both groups had significantly increased ROM (P < .01) and decreased perceived pain (P < .01). All subjects continued on their preexisting course of therapy for any concurrent medical problems. After treatment, those subjects who had received OMT demonstrated continued improvement in their ROM, while ROM in the placebo group decreased.
Thermal Decomposition of Dolomite in an Atmosphere of Carbon Dioxide: The effect of procedural variables in thermal analysis

The effects of procedural variables on dolomite decomposition in carbon dioxide were investigated. The partial pressure of carbon dioxide causes dolomite decomposition to split into a two-stage process. It was observed that the first stage of dolomite decomposition is progressively displaced to higher temperatures with an increase in heating rate. However, the second stage is not affected significantly by changes in the heating rate. These studies also indicate that decrepitation analysis on dolomite in CO2 provides better information as compared to experiments in other atmospheres. The flow rate of the purge gas does not influence the thermal behavior of dolomite.
The State in Early Modern France: The crucible, 1620s–1630s

Devouts and Good Frenchmen Louis XIII decided, in the fall of 1627, that he would personally supervise the critical siege of La Rochelle. He mustered a large army, about 30,000 men, and ordered the nobility of the nearby provinces of Guyenne and Poitou to meet him in front of the city. The governor of Poitou, the duke of la Rochefoucauld, arrived with a contingent of 1,500 mounted nobles; dismounting in front of the king, la Rochefoucauld told Louis that “there is not one of these men who is not my relative.” Shortly thereafter, Louis replaced him as governor. Here, in a single incident, we have a summary of the basic problems facing the French state in the 1620s. The governor of a relatively small province is able, on four days' notice, to raise a private army of 1,500 mounted nobles, all of whom are his client-relatives. La Rochefoucauld's feat was hardly atypical: in 1621, the duke of Epernon, governor of Guyenne, raised a similar number of nobles for a campaign against Bearn; the duke of la Tremoille once raised 3,000 men in 24 hours. The grandees ( grands ) regularly traveled with armed noble entourages of 100 to 300 men; they had military clients throughout their governorships, although the southern provinces tended to have rival factions rather than one coherent clientage network. One can imagine the effect upon the deputies of the estates of Brittany of the arrival of the duke of Rohan and his 150 mounted clients or of the baron of Pontchâteau and his armed 100.
Mitochondrial dysfunction of platelets stored in first- and second-generation containers is, in part, associated with elevated carbon dioxide levels.

BACKGROUND: The gas permeability of platelet (PLT) storage bags influences the retention of in vitro PLT parameters during storage. The aim of this study was to evaluate mitochondrial function of PLTs stored in first- and second-generation bags with different gas permeabilities. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Identical whole blood–derived PLT concentrates were stored in second-generation CLX (Pall Corp.) and first-generation PL146 (Baxter Healthcare Corp.) bags (n = 12). PLTs were assayed for standard in vitro PLT assays as well as for mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), accumulation of reactive oxygen species, Annexin V binding, mitochondrial mass, and activity of mitochondrial reduction power on Days 1, 4, 5, 6, and 7. Results were analyzed by paired t test and by multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: With PLTs stored in PL146 bags that underwent large pH declines, there was greater superoxide production, greater peroxide accumulation, and greater mitochondrial membrane depolarization. Superoxide anion generation was correlated with higher levels of carbon dioxide (p = 0.0001) and lower oxygen levels (p = 0.0064; multiple regression R2 = 0.9204). Changes in MMP were correlated with higher levels of carbon dioxide (p = 0.0288) and PLT activation (p = 0.0178; multiple regression R2 = 0.9511). CONCLUSION: Prolonged periods of elevated carbon dioxide levels, potentially coupled with other factors, is associated with PLT mitochondria dysfunction and poor pH control during storage.
Robustness of time-delay systems: a survey

Summary form only given. A survey was made of recent results on robustness of time-delay systems in the parameter-space framework. Robust stability, robust stabilization, and bounds on H-infinity norm were the main topics considered. It has been demonstrated on a counterexample that Kharitonov's theorem on the stability of interval polynomials is not extendable to polynomials in s and exp (-hs). >
Ru(II) Complexes of Tetradentate Ligands Related to 2,9-Di(pyrid-2‘-yl)-1,10-phenanthroline

A series of 1,10-phenanthrolines were prepared having additional ligating substituents at the 2,9-positions. These substituents were either a 4-substituted pyrid-2-yl, quinolin-2-yl, 1,8-naphthyrid-2-yl, N-methyl imidazo-2-yl, or N-methyl benzimidazo-2-yl group. Additionally, 3,6-di-(pyrid-2'-yl)-dipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine was prepared. All but two of these ligands coordinated Ru(II) in a tetradentate equatorial fashion with two 4-methylpyridines bound in the axial sites. An X-ray structure analysis of the diimidazoyl system indicates considerable distortion from square planar geometry in the equatorial plane. Previously reported variations in the axial ligand for such complexes appear to have a stronger effect on the electronic absorption and redox properties of the system than similar changes in the equatorial ligand. In the presence of excess Ce(IV) as a sacrificial oxidant at pH 1, all the systems examined catalyze the decomposition of water to generate oxygen. Turnover numbers are modest, ranging from 146 to 416.
Direct methods for Poisson problems in low-level computer vision

Several problems in low-level computer vision can be mathematically formulated as linear elliptic partial differential equations of the second order. A subset of these problems can be expressed in the form of a Poisson equation, Lu(x, y) = f(x, y). In this paper, fast direct methods for solving the Poisson equations of computer vision are developed. Until recently, iterative methods were used to solve these equations. Recently, direct Fourier techniques were suggested to speed up the computation. We present the Fourier Analysis and Cyclic Reduction (FACR) method which is faster than the Fourier method or the Cyclic Reduction method alone. For computation on an n x n grid, the operation count for the Fourier method is O(n2log2n), and that for the FACR method is O(n2log2log2n). The FACR method first reduces the system of equations into a smaller set using Cyclic Reduction. Next, the reduced system is solved by the Fourier method. The final solution is obtained by back-substituting the solution of the reduced system. With Neumann boundary conditions, a Poisson equation does not have a unique solution. We show how a physically meaningful solution can be obtained under such circumstances. Application of the FACR and other methods is discussed for two problems of low-level computer vision - lightness, or reflectance from brightness, and recovering height from surface gradient.© (1990) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A Structured Lighting Vision System For Dynamic Obstacle Avoidance With A Mobile Robot

Sandia National Laboratories is using a mobile robot as the focus of a research effort in artificial intelligence and robotics. One of the sensors on board this robot is a structured lighting vision system for dynamic obstacle avoidance and position updating. A 10 MIPS transputer is used in the structured lighting system to collect and process the image data. Descriptions of the system, sensor hardware, and software algorithms are presented. System limitations are also discussed.
Lectin histochemistry of mammalian Brunner's glands.

Lectin histochemical study was performed on twenty-eight specimens of formalin-fixed paraffin embedded tissues of proximal duodenum from human, cat, dog and Rhesus (macaque) monkey to demonstrate the pattern of carbohydrate residues in submucosal glands of Brunner as compared to that of the duodenal absorptive and goblet cells. Ten different biotinylated lectins were used as probes, and avidin-biotin-peroxidase (ABC) or avidin-gold-silver (AGS) complexes were used as “visualants”. Brunner's gland cells of the four species studied exhibited a similar lectin-binding pattern which differ from other duodenal cells. The epithelium of Brunner's gland stained intensely with Ricinus communis agglutinin-I (RCA-I), succinylated-WGA (S-WGA) and wheat-germ agglutinin (WGA), moderately with Bandeirea simplicifolia agglutinin-I (BS-I), Concanavalia ensiformis agglutinin (Con A) peanut agglutinin (PNA) and Ulex europaeus agglutinin-I (UEA-I) and occasionally with Dolichos biflorus agglutinin (DBA), Lens culinaris agglutinin (LCA) and soybean agglutinin (SBA). Desialylation with neuraminidase resulted in only a slight elevation in binding intensities of PNA, DBA and SBA, indicating that glycoconjugates of the Brunner's gland cells are rich in asialo-oligosaccharides, which differs from duodenal epithelial cells. In addition, these histochemical reagents were useful in localizing Brunner's gland elements in the duodenal mucosa.
Influence of Heat and Vibration on the Movement of the Northern Fowl Mite (Acari: Macronyssidae)

Abstract Heat and vibration are common host-generated cues that ectoparasites use to orient to hosts. Three experiments evaluated effects of heat and vibration on the movement of northern fowl mite, Ornithonyssus sylviarum (Canestrini & Fanzago). Individual arrested mites in an isolation chamber always initiated movement (walking) after substrate vibration (7.8-min walking duration), but only initiated movement 50% of the time (2.8-min walking duration) upon exposure to a 3°C heat fluctuation. Heat fluctuation in combination with vibration extended the period of activity by ≈50% (11.6-min walking duration) compared with activity initiated by vibration alone. Mites with longer time off-host moved for shorter durations. In a choice test, individual mites consistently moved closer to a 35°C heat source 1 or 6 mm away, but not to a heat source 11 mm away. In a circular arena, mites were able to orient accurately to a 35°C heat source and reached the arena edge almost 4 times faster (11.2 s) than mites without...
A Statistical Comparison of Drug Safety in Controlled Clinical Trials: The Genie Score as an Objective Measure of Lab Abnormalities:

The concept of the GENIE SCORE (GS) has been shown to be an effective data reduction tool for the review of lab data in clinical trials, and a convenient tool for monitoring the most severely involved individuals over the course of a study. As defined in an earlier paper, this score requires: 1. the standardization of each lab value to make it dimensionless and permit it to be combined mathematically, and 2. the computation of the score from a weighted linear combination of the absolute deviations from the reference range for the values of a functionally related group of laboratory parametersThe emphasis in this paper is to explore the effectiveness of the GENIE SCORE as a measure for comparing drug safety in controlled clinical trials. Four studies were analyzed: the first study compared two drugs in the treatment of cryptococcal meningitis in AIDS patients; the second study compared two drugs in the prevention of cryptococcal meningitis in AIDS patients who recently recovered from the disease; the third...
Vitamin D supplementation during exercise training does not alter inflammatory biomarkers in overweight and obese subjects

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of vitamin D supplementation on inflammatory biomarkers in overweight and obese adults participating in a progressive resistance exercise training program. Twenty-three (26.1 ± 4.7 years) overweight and obese (BMI 31.3 ± 3.2 kg/m2) adults were randomized into a double-blind vitamin D supplementation (Vit D 4,000 IU/day; female 5, male 5) or placebo (PL, female 7; male 6) intervention trial. Both groups performed 12 weeks (3 days/week) of progressive resistance exercise training (three sets of eight exercises) at 70-80% of one repetition maximum. Whole-blood lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated tumor necrosis factor (TNF) α production as well as circulating C-reactive protein (CRP), TNFα, interleukin 6 (IL-6), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were assessed at baseline and after the 12-week intervention. No main effects of group or time were detected for circulating CRP, TNFα, IL-6, and ALT. As expected, when PL and Vit D groups were combined, there was a significant correlation between percent body fat and CRP at baseline (r = 0.45, P = 0.04), and between serum 25OHD and CRP at 12 weeks (r = 0.49, P = 0.03). The PL group had a significant increase in 25 μg/ml LPS + polymixin B-stimulated TNFα production (P = 0.04), and both groups had a significant reduction in unstimulated TNFα production (P < 0.05) after the 12-week intervention. Vitamin D supplementation in healthy, overweight, and obese adults participating in a resistance training intervention did not augment exercise-induced changes in inflammatory biomarkers.
Endoscopic resection of fibro-osseous lesions of the paranasal sinuses.

Fibro-osseous tumors, including osteomas, ossifying fibro-mas, and fibrous dysplasia, are not uncommon benign lesions arising in the paranasal sinuses. Conventional wisdom advocates resection when ...
Algorithms and Genome Sequencing: Identifying Driver Pathways in Cancer

Two proposed algorithms predict which combinations of mutations in cancer genomes are priorities for experimental study. One relies on interaction network data to identify recurrently mutated sets of genes, while the other searches for groups of mutations that exhibit specific combinatorial properties.
Assessment of the Argentine ant invasion management by means of manual removal of winter nests in mixed cork oak and pine forests

The dynamic in Argentine ant colonies varies seasonally, influenced by biotic and abiotic factors. In winter the spatial range of the colony is contracted in large formations (winter nests) containing a large number of queens and workers. Winter nests are the clue to the species’ dispersion power and the invasion of new habitats. For this reason a yearly elimination of queens and workers in winter at the edge (front) of the invasion could be a useful tool for weakening the species’ dispersion and therefore limiting its establishment in new areas. Here, we determined the spatial dynamics of the Argentine ant nests during 1 year, and we assessed the invasion management by means of manual removal of winter nests for two consecutive winters, determining its effects during the following 3 years. We mapped nests found in 18 plots divided into two groups: extirpated (with removal of nests) and non-extirpated (control), along the fronts of three locations. Seasonal variation in the abundance of nests and workers, together with the two-year extirpation effects were evaluated. We found that colonies tended to follow an annual cycle of contraction and dispersion, with a decrease in the number of nests as we approached the invasion front. The extirpation was effective only in the front area, where it promoted smaller, less lasting and aggregated nests, as well as a decrease in the abundance of queens and workers. Nests also experienced a decrease during the two first winters but a recovery in the third, when no extirpation was done. Thus, a yearly perturbation should be performed to keep the expansion of the Argentine ant at a low rate, and to limit its establishment in new areas.
The Long-term Results of Gastric Bypass on Indexes of Sleep Apnea

Study objectives Weight loss improves obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and clinicians regularly recommend dieting to their patients with OSA; however, many morbidly obese patients may be unable to lose weight without medical or surgical intervention. Gastric bypass surgery (GB) facilitates weight loss for morbidly obese patients. Studies show GB will improve symptoms associated with OSA, but little is known regarding the long-term effects of GB on this population. Design Historical, retrospective, cohort study. Setting Sleep Disorders Center, Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, Norfolk, VA. Participants A list of subjects who underwent vertical Roux-en-Y GB was cross-referenced with the Sleep Disorders Center at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital to identify patients with a diagnosis of OSA during the preoperative evaluation prior to undergoing GB. Interventions GB. Measurements Our primary end point was the respiratory disturbance index (RDI). Secondary variables were body mass index (BMI), mean oxygen saturation, low oxygen saturation, a standardized depression scale, and the continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) requirement. Results Thirty-four subjects with a diagnosis of OSA prior to GB were identified. Of these, 28 subjects were located and offered follow-up polysomnography after GB. Eight subjects returned for repeat polysomnography. The subjects were re-evaluated an average of 28 months after GB. Seven subjects had a lower BMI after GB. Mean BMI was reduced by 31% (p = 0.001). The mean decrease in RDI was 75% (p = 0.01), and five of the eight subjects no longer required nasal CPAP. Mean nocturnal oxygen saturation improved from 95 to 97% (p = 0.04). Conclusions Weight reduction following GB is associated with significant improvements in sleep apnea indexes an average of 28 months after GB. Re-evaluation after GB is necessary to identify and treat those patients who, despite subjective improvement, may continue to require CPAP for residual OSA.
Neoclassicism, artificial intelligence, and the marginalization of ethics

Purpose – The paper examines the dependence of the positivist and welfarist preference satisfaction paradigm of neoclassical economics upon an implicit functionalist philosophy of mind. Functionalism is the doctrine that mental states are strictly materialistic and understandable in cause‐effect terms. An important aspect of functionalism is the multiple realizability thesis, namely, that mental states can be realized in any type of hardware, whether human brain or computer.Design/methodology/approach – The approach used involves investigating the fact‐value distinction after Robbins in terms of the positivist meta‐ethical view known as emotivism, and then explaining emotivism as inherently functionalist. Functionalist thinking itself is explained in terms of contemporary philosophy of mind.Findings – An important finding is that the preference satisfaction paradigm can be shown to be as suitable to artificial intelligence systems as to human beings. A consequence of this is that normative concerns are in...
Simultaneous determination of Cu, Cd and Pb in drinking-water using W-Coil AAS

An inexpensive, multi-element, W-coil atomic absorption spectrometer has been developed. Atomization occurs on W-coils extracted from commercially available slide projector bulbs. The system has minimal power requirements, 120 ACV and 15 A. A small, computer controlled CCD spectrometer is used as the detector. A multi-element Cu, Cd and Pb hollow cathode lamp is used as the source. 20 μl volumes are deposited on the coil and atomized at 6.7 A or approximately 2200°C. Cu, Cd and Pb were simultaneously determined in tap water, drinking water and a quality control sample. The instrument detection limits are 0.8, 0.2 and 3.0 μg/l for Cu, Cd and Pb, respectively.
Endoscopic repair of gastric leaks after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass: a less invasive approach.

Background Gastric leaks represent an important source of morbidity and mortality associated with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. These leaks, once managed acutely, can become chronic and represent a difficult clinical challenge. Surgical options to address a chronic gastric leak are technically challenging and often unsuccessful. We present a novel peroral endoscopic treatment for patients with chronic gastric leaks after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Design Case series. Interventions Repair of chronic gastric leaks after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass by using a combination of argon plasma coagulation, hemoclips, fibrin glue, Polyflex stent placement, and distal gastrojejunal stenosis dilation. The goal was to achieve durable fistula closure and avoid surgery. Main Outcome Measurements Durable fistula closure as assessed by an upper-GI series and clinical evaluation. Results Gastric leak closure was achieved in all 3 patients, with complete resolution of symptoms. Polyflex stent migration into the Roux limb occurred in 1 patient, and this was retrieved endoscopically. There were no other significant complications. Conclusions Peroral endoscopic repair of gastric leaks is technically feasible. This procedure may offer a less invasive alternative to traditional surgical revision.
The Stethoscope and the Art of Listening

Dr. Howard Markel contends that the stethoscope embodies the essence of doctoring: using science and technology in concert with the human skill of listening to determine what ails a patient.
Treatment of hypertrophic osteoarthropathy with zoledronic acid: case report and review of the literature.

Objectives Zoledronic acid (ZA) is rarely used to manage hypertrophic osteoarthropathy (HOA). We report our experience with ZA treatment of a patient with HOA and sarcoidosis who had also undergone lung transplant. We also conducted a literature review of the usefulness of bisphosphonates in HOA. Methods We performed a PubMed literature search using keywords HOA, periostitis, bisphosphonate, ZA, sarcoidosis, and lung transplant. A PRISMA flow diagram is presented to depict the data collection process, and a case is reported. Results A 62-year-old woman with bilateral lung transplant as a result of severe pulmonary sarcoidosis developed severe limb pain and inflammatory polyarthritis. HOA was diagnosed in the presence of periostitis with the symptoms. Failure of the refractory bone and joint pain to respond to low doses of prednisone, tramadol, or even pamidronate infusion prompted a trial of a single dose of intravenous ZA. Surprisingly, the pain completely resolved without recurrence. A total of 12 cases of HOA treated with bisphosphonates were retrieved from the literature and reviewed. Conclusions Bisphosphonates are generally effective therapy for HOA-related pain. ZA may be even more efficacious and longer lasting than pamidronate for management of the bone and joint pain associated with HOA irrespective of the underlying disorders.
Prehistoric fires and the shaping of colonial transported landscapes in southern California: A paleoenvironmental study at Dune Pond, Santa Barbara County

Using a novel combination of paleoecologic proxies including pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs), macroscopic charcoal, and Spheroidal Carbonaceous Particles (SCPs), 5000 years of landscape change, fire history and land-use have been reconstructed from Dune Pond, Santa Barbara County, California. The pond was sensitive to Holocene regional climatic variability, showing different phases of lower (4600–3700 cal yr BP, 2100–700 cal yr BP, historical period) and higher (3700–2100 cal yr BP, 700–150 cal yr BP) local moisture availability. During this period the landscape was dominated by a coastal mosaic vegetation including dune mats, coastal scrub and salt marshes on the dunes and backdunes, with chaparral and oak woodland growing in the valley plains and foothills. Fire was intimately linked with such dominating mosaic vegetation, and the combination of wet conditions and the presence of nearby human settlement were a trigger favoring coastal fires for at least two periods: from 3100 to 1500 cal yr BP and from 650 cal yr BP until the 18th century. In both cases fire was an important tool to keep an open coastal landscape attractive to hunting wildlife. Finally, matching this varied range of high-resolution paleoecological proxies with historical records we could characterize the development of colonial transported landscapes following the Euro-American settlement of Santa Barbara. The introduction of livestock grazing by Spanish colonists favored erosive processes and the introduction of fecal-borne parasites in freshwater bodies, negatively impacted salt and brackish coastal marshes, and promoted the invasion of alien grasses and ruderals. This agro-pastoral landscape was consolidated during the American period, with a greater role for cultivation, the development of industrial activities and increased population. Despite negative environmental consequences such as the loss of native habitats, exotic land-uses and plants introduced during the historical period significantly contributed to the configuration of a cultural landscape which forms part of the cultural heritage of California.
Assessment of fracture characteristics with X-ray diffraction techniques

Abstract This work outlines the fracture properties of partially annealed low carbon mild steel and attempts to predict them using X-ray diffraction techniques. For this purpose sheets 2.5 mm thick with cold reductions of 0%, 28% and 50% were used to produce partially annealed samples (610 °C for 0, 60 and 300 s), the zero condition being the initial condition in each case. For each combination of percentage cold reduction and time of annealing, duplicated tests were performed to determine X-ray line broadening, microstructure, static tensile fracture properties and fatigue crack growth rates. From the results obtained it can be concluded that there is a definite relationship between the line broadening and the fracture characteristics of partially annealed low carbon mild steel. Furthermore, these relations can be used to predict fracture properties from the line broadening results.
Conflict Templates in Negotiations, Disputes, Joint Decisions, and Tournaments:

Conflict situations present interaction partners with opportunities to behave cooperatively or competitively. Conflict templates (CTs) capture interaction partners’ perceptions of the relationships...
Microwave measurements of bromine quadrupole coupling constants and the molecular structure of XeHBr

Abstract Microwave rotational spectra for various isotopic forms of the XeHBr complex were obtained using a pulsed-nozzle, Fourier transform spectrometer. The molecular constants ( eQq ), B 0 and D j were obtained from J = 6 → 7, 7 → 8 and 8 → 9 transitions. The xenon-bromine separation distance is r Xe-Br = 4.419 A. From D j a stretching force constant k s = 0.018 mdyne/A and well depth ϵ = 244 cm −1 were obtained.