cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tabula Rasa: Oxygen precipitate dissolution though rapid high temperature processing in silicon

Over one fourth of all monocrystalline silicon ingots suffer from a 20% performance degradation due to oxygen precipitates. Tabula Rasa (TR) is a mitigation technique that dissolves these precipitates, making them harmless. This work explores the dependence of oxygen dissolution on annealing time and temperature for the TR process to aid in solar cell process optimization. The dissolution time for oxygen precipitates was found to be more than 10 minutes for total dissolution, longer than normal TR process times in the electronics industry. The activation energy, extracted from the precipitate dissolution curves, is found to be 2.6±0.5 eV. This value when compared to the migration enthalpy of oxygen in silicon can be used to reveal the energy limiting proces in TR.
Inactivation of Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica and natural microflora on tempered wheat grains by atmospheric cold plasma

Abstract Bacterial foodborne disease outbreaks implicating raw wheat products have focused much attention on decontaminating wheat grains used for manufacturing flour and other milled products. The present study investigated the effectiveness of atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) for destroying Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica and natural microflora on tempered wheat grains. Portions (10 g) of grains were each inoculated with a 5-strain mixture of E. coli or S. enterica to obtain an initial count of ∼7.0 log10 CFU/g. Inoculated or non-inoculated wheat grains were sealed in plastic bags filled with atmospheric air and exposed to ACP (44 kV) dielectric barrier discharge for 0 (control), 5, 10, 15 and 20 min. Pathogen survivors were evaluated by washing wheat grains with sterile diluent, plating the wash solution on thin agar layer (TAL) media and appropriate selective (SEL) agar, and counting bacterial colonies after 48 h of incubation (35 ᵒC). Non-inoculated grains were analyzed for yeast and molds, mesophiles, psychrotrophs, and Enterobacteriaceae. After 20 min, initial viable counts (log CFU/g) on TAL medium and SEL agar, respectively, decreased by 3.09 and 4.84 (for E. coli), and 4.40 and 4.32 (for S. enterica). A higher level of sub-lethal injury occurred in E. coli compared to S. enterica (P
Characterizing complication risk from multisite, intermittent transfusions for the treatment of sickle cell disease

Blood transfusions are indicated for some acute complications of sickle cell disease (SCD). To characterize the SCD population at increased risk of transfusion-associated complications, Georgia hospital discharge data were used to estimate the frequency of intermittent transfusions and the proportion of patients receiving them at multiple institutions. Ten years of data (2007-2016) showed almost 19% of patients with SCD (1585/8529) received transfusions at more than one hospital. The likelihood of multisite transfusions increased from ages 18 through 40 and with the number of transfusions received. The results support the need to track and share transfusion histories in order to reduce complication risks.
Synchronous growth of AB-stacked bilayer graphene on Cu by simply controlling hydrogen pressure in CVD process

Abstract AB-stacked bilayer graphene has attracted considerable attention due to its feasibility of band gap tuning. Although synthesis of bilayer graphene on Cu has been reported using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) through a layer-by-layer growth mechanism, the process is long and complicated due to lack of catalytic assistance of Cu to the second graphene layer growth. Here we show that theoretical modeling demonstrates an alternative synchronous growth of bilayer graphene on Cu is possible by passivating the top graphene nuclei edges with hydrogen to allow carbon diffusion underneath the top graphene nuclei for bottom graphene layer formation. Moreover, such a growth mechanism has been achieved experimentally in a facile CVD method by simply controlling the H2 pressure. Bilayer graphene with high coverage of over ∼95% and a high AB stacking ratio of up to ∼90% has been obtained within a short growth time of 30 min. Also, graphene with single, double and multiple layers can be obtained by simply controlling the hydrogen pressure. This result represents the demonstration of the fast synchronous AB-stacked bilayer graphene growth, which is important to scalable manufacture of graphene with controllable layer number and stacking required for practical applications.
Mechanism of Small molecules Inhibiting Activator Protein-1 DNA Binding Probed with Induced Fit Docking and Metadynamics Simulations

Transcription factor activator protein-1 (AP-1) binds to cognate DNA and regulates gene expression. In recent decades, small-molecule inhibitors have been developed for therapeutic applications that block AP-1 binding to DNA. However, the mechanism by which small molecules inhibit AP-1-DNA binding remains elusive. Here, computational studies identified a drug-binding site on the AP-1 Fos/Jun apo structure. Induced fit docking of known inhibitors, together with metadynamics simulations to identify the most plausible binding pose, showed a consensus mode of AP-1/inhibitor interaction. The in silico binding mode of the inhibitors suggests a mechanism of AP-1-DNA binding inhibition, where the inhibitors block the base-contacting residues, preclude access of DNA, and prohibit conformational changes of AP-1 upon DNA binding.
Disparities in diabetes management among medicaid recipients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD): Evidence from five U.S. states

Abstract Background Diabetes is one of the most common chronic conditions among adults. Little is known about the quality of diabetes care received by adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Objective To determine the extent to which the diabetes care needs are met for a population with both IDD and diabetes who are solely insured by Medicaid in five states (Iowa, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon and South Carolina). Methods Medicaid administrative data in 2012 were used to identify Medicaid members (excluding dual eligibles) with diabetes and IDD in five states. Four diabetes care measures were compared between members with and without IDD using bivariate analyses. For those with diabetes and IDD, a logistic regression model was fitted for each state with the following predictors: age, sex, IDD subgroup, and occurrence of a specialist visit in the current or past year. A meta-analysis was then conducted to synthesize cross-state results. Results Across the five states, 6229 (2%) of the 308,804 non-dual adult Medicaid members 18–64 years old with diabetes in 2012 also had IDD. Comparing those with IDD to their non-IDD peers on receipt of all four diabetes care measures showed differences by state, but state rates of overall adherence were very low, ranging from 16.6% to 28.5% of the population. Conclusions Meta-analysis results identified specialist visits as a strong predictor of adults with diabetes and IDD receiving all four components of diabetes care. This important information should be considered in efforts to improve quality care for this population.
The Specific Language Impairment/Developmental Language Disorders Forum: Fostering a Discussion of Terminology

Purpose This prologue provides an introduction to the SIG 1 Perspectives forum addressing use of a more recently applied term, developmental language disorder (DLD), as well as a term that has been...
Effect of Establishing a Teaching Assistant Case Minimum on General Surgery Residents: 18-Year Comparison of a Single Institution to National Data

Background Teaching assistant (TA) cases are a training mainstay, due to increased resident autonomy. Since 2014, the American Board of Surgery (ABS) requires a 25 TA case minimum for graduating resident eligibility for board certification. Herein, we analyze our institution's experience compared with the national average, for any change effected by the requirement. Study Design ACGME case log data were obtained for the July 2001 to June 2018 academic years. We compared average TA cases of our program against the national average and national 50th percentile: 2001 to 2014, and 2014 to 2018 academic years. The program TA cases were also broken down by category, with a comparison before and after 2014. Values of p were calculated using a t-test and Mann-Whitney U test. Results From July 2001 to June 2018, our program averaged 30.1 TA cases/resident, and national 50th percentile average was 28.1. For July 2001 to June 2014 AY (aka pre-2014) and July 2014 to June 2018 AY (aka post-2014) cases per resident, our program averages were 24.9 and 46.1, respectively, and the national 50th percentile averages were 24.4 and 40.3, respectively—both statistically significant increases. Average program percentiles were 46.4 (pre-2014), and 61.5 (post-2014), and 59.6% of program cases logged were biliary, large intestine, and hernia (2001 to 2018 AY), with a statistically significant increase in several case subcategories post-2014. Conclusions Teaching assistant cases are an invaluable resource for residents, fostering increased autonomy. Since the 2014 minimum, a statistically significant increase in TA cases was noted in our program and nationally. The majority of sub-categories logged were core procedures. Unequivocally, the TA case minimum requirement has made a difference. This will hopefully lead to increased autonomy and therefore, more comfortable and capable general surgeons. Wide variability is noted in what counts as a TA case, with further clarification needed by the ACGME and ABS.
Tumor lymphocytic infiltration impacts recurrence in endometrioid-type endometrial carcinoma.

e15239Background: Endometrial cancers that have mismatch repair deficiency are associated with higher numbers of tumor-associated lymphocytes, but the clinical significance of this observation is u...
A case series of rapidly growing mycobacterial catheter-related bloodstream infections among immunocompetent patients.

Abstract Rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM) are ubiquitous in the environment and can cause a variety of human infections. Catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSI) caused by RGM have been reported predominantly among immunocompromised patients. Removal of central lines and antimicrobial therapy with at least 2 active agents are generally recommended for immunocompromised patients. RGM bloodstream infections (BSIs) are rare in immunocompetent patients and clinical data are very limited. Retrospective medical record review was conducted on patients with blood cultures positive for RGM from July 2012 through March 2015 at Lemuel Shattuck Hospital, a public teaching hospital in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, United States. RGM was suspected by presence of beaded Gram-positive bacilli on Gram staining of positive conventional blood cultures and it was confirmed as RGM by Massachusetts State Public Health Laboratory. Nineteen episodes of RGM BSI were identified in 17 patients who had no known immunocompromised conditions that predispose them to opportunistic pathogens. They were predominantly young male with history of intravenous drug use. Peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) was present in all episodes of RGM BSI and 74% of them clinically improved with PICC removal alone without specific antibiotic therapy for RGM. They were followed up for median duration of 45 days (interquartile range 25–385). The patients remained alive and asymptomatic until the end of follow-up periods. In immunocompetent patients, removal of catheters alone without adding specific antibiotics may be sufficient for RGM CRBSI.
Catheter Ablation in Patients With Neuroendocrine (Carcinoid) Tumors and Carcinoid Heart Disease: Outcomes, Peri-Procedural Complications, and Management Strategies.

Abstract Objectives This report describes a series of patients with neuroendocrine tumors with or without carcinoid heart disease undergoing catheter ablation at the authors’ institution. Backgroun...
Spectral Resting-State EEG (rsEEG) in Chronic Aphasia Is Reliable, Sensitive, and Correlates With Functional Behavior

We investigated spectral resting-state EEG in persons with chronic stroke-induced aphasia to determine its reliability, sensitivity, and relationship to functional behaviors. Resting-state EEG has not yet been characterized in this population and was selected given the demonstrated potential of resting-state investigations using other neuroimaging techniques to guide clinical decision-making. Controls and persons with chronic stroke-induced aphasia completed two EEG recording sessions, separated by approximately 1 month, as well as behavioral assessments of language, sensorimotor, and cognitive domains. Power in the classic frequency bands (delta, theta, alpha, and beta) was examined via spectral analysis of resting-state EEG data. Results suggest that power in the theta, alpha, and beta bands is reliable for use as a repeated measure. Significantly greater theta and lower beta power was observed in persons with aphasia (PWAs) than controls. Finally, in PWAs theta power negatively correlated with performance on a discourse informativeness measure, while alpha and beta power positively correlated with performance on the same measure. This indicates that spectral rsEEG slowing observed in PWAs in the chronic stage is pathological and suggests a possible avenue for directly altering brain activation to improve behavioral function. Taken together, these results suggest that spectral resting-state EEG holds promise for sensitive measurement of functioning and change in persons with chronic aphasia. Future studies investigating the utility of these measures as biomarkers of frank or latent aphasic deficits and treatment response in chronic stroke-induced aphasia are warranted.
Prevalence of caregiving and high caregiving strain among late-career medical school faculty members: workforce, policy, and faculty development implications.

Nearly one-third of medical school faculty members are age 55 + . As our population ages, the prevalence of family caregiving is increasing, yet we know very little about the caregiving experiences of aging faculty members in academic medicine. Faculty caregiving responsibilities coupled with projected physician shortages will likely impact the future academic medical workforce. We examined the prevalence of caregiving, concomitant caregiving strain, general well-being, and thoughts about retirement for medical school faculty members age 55 and older. We analyzed data from a survey of 2,126 full-time medical school faculty 55 + years of age conducted in 2017. Chi-square tests of independence and independent samples t-tests were used to examine statistical differences between subgroups. Of the 5,204 faculty members invited to complete the parent survey, 40.8% participated (N = 2126). Most were male (1425; 67.2%), White (1841; 88.3%), and married/partnered (1803; 85.5%). The mean age was 62.3 years. Of this sample, 19.0% (n = 396) reported providing care on an on-going basis to a family member, friend, or neighbor with a chronic illness or disability, including 22.4% (n = 154) of the female respondents and 17.3% (n = 242) of the male respondents. Among the caregiving faculty members, 90.2% reported experiencing some or a lot of mental or emotional strain from caregiving. Caregivers gave lower ratings of health, social and emotional support, and quality of life, but greater comfort in religion or spirituality than non-caregivers. Both caregiving and non-caregiving faculty members estimated retiring from full-time employment at age 67.8, on average. These data highlight caregiving responsibilities and significant concomitant mental or emotional strain of a significant proportion of U.S. medical schools’ rapidly aging workforce. Human resource and faculty development leaders in academia should strategically invest in policies, programs, and resources to meet these growing workforce needs.
The Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders Revised (HTKS-R): Development and psychometric properties of a revision to reduce floor effects

Abstract Measures of self-regulation may not capture adequate variability in children with low levels of self-regulation. This can limit a measure's ability to accurately demonstrate relations with other variables. The present study addressed this issue with a revised version of the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders task (HTKS-R), which includes a new downward extension with reduced task demands. Preschool children (N = 180; 53% Female) enrolled in Head Start programs were tested with the HTKS-R and other self-regulation tasks at 4 time points between fall of preschool and spring of kindergarten. Results demonstrated a substantial increase in variability in children's performance on the HTKS-R compared to prior versions of the task during the fall of preschool, and significant increases in the relation between the HTKS-R and other measures of self-regulation at all 4 time points. Additionally, item factor analyses revealed that the new downward extension captured the same underlying construct as the rest of the measure and that a 1 factor solution was optimal. Together, these findings illustrate that the HTKS-R improves upon prior versions of the task increasing its utility for researchers and practitioners.
Global Fictions of Wreckage and Unsheltered Communities

Contemporary writers who perceive threats and damage to the public realm create historical fictions “after the wreck.” To sketch the extent and richness of this kind of fiction, this chapter briefly analyzes several global novels of wreckage, including genocide, tyranny, and violations of human rights. In novels like Blood Meridian, Funny Boy, Half of a Yellow Sun, and Pachinko, writers portray the damaging impacts of exceptionalist nationalism on Others and on community itself. Demonstrating the expansive potential of the genre, the chapter concludes with Barbara Kingsolver’s Unsheltered: the novel’s strategic juxtaposition of current and past crises calls for a paradigm shift, for greater attention to and care for communal action and responsibility, for community itself.
Effects of Peanut Protein Supplementation on Resistance Training Adaptations in Younger Adults

Protein supplementation is a commonly employed strategy to enhance resistance training adaptations. However, little research to date has examined if peanut protein supplementation is effective in this regard. Thus, we sought to determine if peanut protein supplementation (PP; 75 total g/d of powder providing 30 g/d protein, >9.2 g/d essential amino acids, ~315 kcal/d) affected resistance training adaptations in college-aged adults. Forty-seven college-aged adults (n = 34 females, n = 13 males) with minimal prior training experience were randomly assigned to a PP group (n = 18 females, n = 5 males) or a non-supplement group (CTL; n = 16 females, n = 8 males) (ClinicalTrials.gov trial registration NCT04707963; registered 13 January 2021). Body composition and strength variables were obtained prior to the intervention (PRE). Participants then completed 10 weeks of full-body resistance training (twice weekly) and PP participants consumed their supplement daily. POST measures were obtained 72 h following the last training bout and were identical to PRE testing measures. Muscle biopsies were also obtained at PRE, 24 h following the first exercise bout, and at POST. The first two biopsy time points were used to determine myofibrillar protein synthesis (MyoPS) rates in response to a naive training bout with or without PP, and the PRE and POST biopsies were used to determine muscle fiber adaptations in females only. Dependent variables were analyzed in males and females separately using two-way (supplement × time) repeated measures ANOVAs, unless otherwise stated. The 24-h integrated MyoPS response to the first naive training bout was similar between PP and CTL participants (dependent samples t-test p = 0.759 for females, p = 0.912 for males). For males, the only significant supplement × time interactions were for DXA-derived fat mass (interaction p = 0.034) and knee extensor peak torque (interaction p = 0.010); these variables significantly increased in the CTL group (p < 0.05), but not the PP group. For females, no significant supplement × time interactions existed, although interactions for whole body lean tissue mass (p = 0.088) and vastus lateralis thickness (p = 0.099) approached significance and magnitude increases in these characteristics favored the PP versus CTL group. In summary, this is the second study to determine the effects of PP supplementation on resistance training adaptations. While PP supplementation did not significantly enhance training adaptations, the aforementioned trends in females, the limited n-size in males, and this being the second PP supplementation study warrant more research to determine if different PP dosing strategies are more effective than the current approach.
Facilitating professional development of mobile and eTextbook technologies: A special interest group approach

Purpose – While the integration of mobile and eTextbook technologies is rapidly growing throughout higher education learning environments, these technologies are often challenging to implement across the university landscape. Professional development tailored to these fluid and evolving technologies is essential to supporting effective classroom integration. The purpose of this paper is to describe and evaluate a special interest group approach to professional development regarding mobile and eTextbook technologies implemented by one university in the USA. Issues such as recruitment of members, selection of face-to-face and online spaces, and curriculum design are addressed. Design/methodology/approach – To evaluate effectiveness, a survey was given to the participants that asked about sense of community, perceived increase in knowledge and teaching practices, and overall satisfaction with the experience. Findings – The interrelated factors of sense of community, knowledge, and teaching practices were ide...
On Generalized Numerical Ranges of Quadratic Operators

It is shown that the result of Tso-Wu on the elliptical shape of the numerical range of quadratic operators holds also for the essential numerical range. The latter is described quantitatively, and based on that sufficient conditions are established under which the c-numerical range also is an ellipse. Several examples are considered, including singular integral operators with the Cauchy kernel and composition operators.
Aromatic and Cystine Side-Chain Circular Dichroism in Proteins

The contributions of aromatic side chains to the near-UV CD spectra of proteins are widely recognized and utilized as sensitive probes of protein conformation and ligand binding. The analysis of the near-UV CD spectra of proteins has been reviewed by Strickland (1974), Kahn (1979), and Drake (1993). Applications to studies of ligand binding were reviewed by Greenfield (1975). Our own computer-aided literature searches indicate that well over 600 papers have reported usage of near-UV CD spectra in recent years. Space and time limitations preclude a comprehensive review of these studies. In the limited review presented here, we have attempted to provide a sense of the range of the applications, with no claim that the “best” or “most useful” papers have been selected.
VLSI architecture for the efficient computation of line spectral frequencies

One of the more computationally intensive portions of speech coding algorithms using linear predictive (LP) methods is the calculation of line spectral frequencies (LSFs) from the predictor coefficients. Methods for the efficient computation of LSFs have been developed. A very large scale integration (VLSI) design implementing one such method is presented. The architecture is designed to be optimized for speed and area and is suitable for integration into larger speech coding systems.
Worlds in the Making: Design, Management, and the Reform of Organizational Culture

Abstract The introduction of design and design thinking into the management of organizations is at an early stage. Most of the research and applications of design have focused on attitudes, skills, methods, and techniques. These have been applied to tactical issues of the development of products and services, issues of organizational operations, and issues of the vision and strategy of organizations. But there is a principle that distinguishes design as a practice of management from other schools of management over the past century. That principle focuses on the quality of experience for all of those served by organizations, whether for-profit, not-for-profit, or governmental organizations. The design movement in management aims at organizational culture reform. It is profitable for organizations, but it also serves a deeper purpose in enhancing the lives of individuals. At its best, the design movement seeks to bring innovations—sometimes radical innovations—to organizations that have to adapt to new circumstances of economic competition, social expectation, and cultural understanding. This is the challenge to design anticipated decades ago by the famous designer George Nelson, when the tactical uses of design in product development was the center of attention. The new extension of design deeper into organizational culture offers the possibility of significant consequences.
Nonlinear Adaptive Control of a pH Neutralization Process

Nonlinear adaptive control strategies for a pH neutralization process are developed and evaluated via simulation. A physically-based nonlinear model is derived using the concept of reaction invariants. The nonlinear controller design is based on a modified input-output linearization approach. In order to account for changes in buffering, nonlinear adaptive controllers are developed using direct and indirect parameter estimation schemes. The nonlinear adaptive controllers are compared for setpoint changes and unmeasured disturbances. The robustness of the controllers to sampling is also investigated.
Data and Measurement Issues in the Analysis of Health Disparities

Objective. To describe measurement challenges and strategies in identifying and analyzing health disparities and inequities. Methods. We discuss the limitations of existing data sources for measuring health disparities and inequities, describe current strategies to address those limitations, and explore the potential of emerging strategies. Principal Findings. Larger national sample sizes are necessary to identify disparities for major population subgroups. Collecting self‐reported race and granular ethnicity data may reduce some measurement errors, but it raises other methodological questions. The assessment of health inequities presents particular challenges, requiring analysis of the interactive effects of multiple determinants of health. Indirect estimation and modeling methods are likely to be important tools for estimating health disparities and inequities for the foreseeable future. Conclusions. Interdisciplinary training and collaborative research models will be essential for future disparities research. Evaluation of evolving methodologies for assessing health disparities should be a priority for health services researchers in the next decade.
Antibiotic prophylaxis in patients with rheumatic heart disease and prosthetic devices

Prophylaxis is defined as: "measures designed to preserve health and prevent the spread of disease" (18). Two implicit parts to such a definition are first, that what is being prevented causes disease, and second, that the measure(s) proposed prevents this disease. We will briefly review the evidence that patients with rheumatic heart disease and/or prosthetic cardiac devices are at increased risk of morbidity and mortality from infection and further that antibiotics reduce this morbidity and mortality. Antibiotic prophylaxis is undertaken in patients with rheumatic heart disease and in those with prosthetic devices for two purposes: 1. prevention of reccurrences of rheumatic fever; and, 2. prevention of infective endocarditis. These are two different issues which will be discussed separately.
The decay of 161Er to levels in 161Ho

Abstract The γ-ray spectrum of the decay chain 161Er → 161Ho → 161Dy has been studied with Ge(Li) detectors. Results of γ-ray singles and coincidence experiments are reported and a decay scheme for 161Er → 161Ho is proposed. Asymptotic quantum-number assignments are made for several new energy levels, in 161Ho and the results are compared to predictions of the unified model. No evidence was found for the population of three-quasiparticle states in 161Ho. Deexcitation of the 3 2 −{ 7 2 −[523], 2+} γ-vibrational state and Coriolis coupling in the 1 2 +[411] rotational band are discussed.
Metropolitan Geographies of US Climate Action: Cities, Suburbs, and the Local Divide in Global Responsibilities

Planning for climate change is now occurring at multiple, sometimes interlocking scales of ecological governance and policy formulation. Within the context of this journal's past calls for fresh work on the ‘spatialities of (un)sustainability’, particularly around climate action, this paper examines new geographies of local climate policy within six major US metropolitan regions located in six different smart growth states. The methodological assumption of the paper is that these putatively pro-planning states in the USA should provide a particularly fertile legal and policy arena within which metropolitan-scale action might emerge. Focusing empirically on the US Mayors Climate Action Agreement, though, the discussion highlights an uneven local geography of planning for global climate change, with central cities apparently accepting responsibility and, in general, suburban municipalities concomitantly free-riding. Policy and research implications of these metropolitan geographies of (in) action are discus...
The flight to the suburbs: insights gained from an analysis of central-city vs suburban housing costs.

The central thesis of this paper is that the prices people pay for housing can be used to determine whether the movement of population to the suburbs is caused primarily by attraction to suburban advantages or by the desire to escape deteriorating conditions in the central city. Estimates of the coefficients indicating the price of central city versus suburban housing in the United States are presented and analyzed using a regression model. (ANNOTATION)
Employing Tumor Hypoxia for Oncolytic Therapy in Breast Cancer

Hypoxia is a common tumor condition associated with metastases, therapeutic resistance, and poor patient survival. Forty percent of breast cancers are hypoxic, with a median oxygen concentration of 3.9%, and a third of tumors have regions less than 0.3%. Normal breast tissue is reported to have oxygen concentrations greater than 9%. This tumor hypoxia in breast cancer confers resistance to conventional radiation therapy and chemotherapy, as well as making estrogen-receptor-positive tumors less sensitive to hormonal therapy. Novel treatment modalities are needed to target hypoxic tumor cells. Lower tumor oxygen levels compared with surrounding normal tissues may be utilized to target and enhance herpes oncolytic viral therapy in breast cancer. Attenuated oncolytic herpes simplex viruses offer a unique cancer treatment by specifically infecting, replicating within, and lysing tumor cells. They carry genetically engineered mutations to reduce their virulence and attenuate their ability to infect normal tissues. Studies have shown the safety and efficacy of oncolytic herpes simplex viruses in treating breast cancer both in humans and in preclinical models. The placement of essential viral genes under the control of a hypoxia-responsive enhancer, which is upregulated selectively in hypoxic tissue, represents a promising strategy to target oncolytic viruses precisely to hypoxic cancer cells. In this review we describe strategies to harness hypoxia as a trigger for oncolytic viral gene expression in breast cancer, thereby increasing the specificity of viral infection, replication, and cytotoxicity to hypoxic areas of tumor. Such a targeted approach will increase efficacy in the therapy of hypoxic tumors while achieving a reduction in total dose of viral therapy.
The maternal and fetal effects of milrinone and dopamine in normotensive pregnant ewes

The safety of milrinone, administered during gestation, was evaluated in seven chronically instrumented pregnant ewes and their fetuses. Each of the following six intravenous regimens was administered in random order: milrinone, 75 μg · kg −1 , over 1 minute, followed by 240-minute infusions of the drug at a rate of 1, 2, or 4 μg · kg −1 · min −1 ; dopamine 5 or 10 μg · kg −1 · min1 over 60 minutes; or normal saline solution, 0.5 ml · min −1 for 240 minutes. Maternal and fetal acid-base parameters, heart rate, and blood pressure were monitored as were the ewe's venous and intraamniotic pressures and uterine blood flow. Milrinone concentrations determined in maternal arterial blood samples obtained during 1 and 2 μg · kg −1 μ min −1 infusions were found to be within the human therapeutic range. Bolus injection of milrinone, as well as the lowest drug infusion, resulted in no significant changes in uterine blood flow, whereas 2 μg · kg −1 · min −1 milrinone infusion led to a 14% to 19% increase in uterine blood flow between 120 and 240 minutes. With the highest milrinone infusion, this increase was approximately 20%. In contrast, with both dopamine infusions, a dose-related decrease in uterine blood flow of 15% to 26% occurred between 15 and 60 minutes. No milrinone could be detected in any fetal plasma samples. Fetal arterial pH and blood gas tensions did not change during milrinone infusions. Dopamine 10 μg · kg −1 · min −1 led to a progressive decrease in fetal arterial pH and an increase in PaCO 2 , which may have been related to similar changes in the ewe. It is concluded that milrinone has no adverse effects on uterine blood flow and fetal well-being when administered during ovine pregnancy.
New World States and Empires: Politics, Religion, and Urbanism

The past decade has seen a veritable explosion in archaeological research on complex societies in Latin America. In 1993, Smith published an overview of research to that date; this article is one of two bringing that summary up to the present. Our first article, New World states and empires: Economic and social organization (Smith and Schreiber, 2005), dealt with issues regarding economic and social organization. The present article tackles political organization and dynamics, religion, urbanism, and settlement patterns. We also review recent research in the context of various theoretical perspectives, some traditional, some more contemporary, including approaches to history and process, cultural evolution, agency-based models, linguistic prehistory, migration theory, and the relationship between environmental change and cultural events. Our discussion blends empirical findings, methodological advances, and theoretical perspectives.
The influence of organic matter addition by caulescent Andean rosettes on surficial soil properties

Abstract This report examines the effects of addition of organic matter to soils below caulescent Andean rosettes in the Paramo de Piedras Blancas (Venezuelan Andes) at 4260–4300 m altitude. Two plant species, Coespeletia timotensis forma lutescens, and Espeletia semiglobulata, were investigated in an area occupied by a series of small hills. The soils here were Lithic and Typic Cryochrepts developed on pegmatitic granite and mica schist. Paired surface soil samples were obtained beneath plant canopies and in bare areas outside of these; 106 samples were gathered. Organic matter content was 36 to 52% higher under rosettes than in adjacent bare areas. Soils below plants were also finer, but these differences were not as pronounced. Due to the variation in organic matter, physical and chemical soil properties differed sharply between rosette and control areas. Soils were darker below plants; bulk density decreased, and porosity and water content at field capacity increased under rosettes. Cation-exchange capacity, total N content, and exchangeable bases (Ca, Mg, K) and P levels were considerably higher beneath rosettes. There, soil acidity decreased, and percentage base saturation and C/N ratios increased. Simple and multiple regressions indicated that soil properties were closely dependent on organic matter content. The percentage of fines (⩽ 0.05 mm) was also correlated with physical soil properties and cation-exchange capacity, but its effect on property variance was considerably less pronounced than that of organic matter. The results indicate that pedogenesis in this harsh periglacial paramo is significantly affected by the addition of plant litter. Thus, Andean rosettes appear to exert considerable influence on the evolution of the coarse high-altitude soils.
A novel glycoprotein for detection of herpes simplex virus type 1-specific antibodies.

Abstract A novel herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1)-specific glycoprotein reactive with monoclonal antibody H1379 was purified by affinity chromatography. This glycoprotein, provisionally designated as gG-1, forms two sets of bands with molecular weights of 40–44,000 and 60–88,000. When used in an immunodot enzymatic assay, gG-1 reacted strongly with rabbit antisera to HSV-1, but not with sera hyperimmune to HSV-2. Specificity of the assay was further established by the lack of reactivity of convalescent sera collected from 20 patients with primary genital HSV-2 infections, and from 100 seronegative individuals. In contrast, antibodies to gG-1 were detected in 9 of 10 patients with primary HSV-1 infection, and in 63 67 patients with culture-positive, recurrent oral or genital HSV-1 infection. Reproducibility of the gG-1 immunodot assay for HSV-1 antibody detection was 96%. Serological assay with purified gG-1, done in parallel with the assay using purified gG-2 described in an earlier report, provides simple and reliable methods to detect type-specific HSV-1 and HSV-2 antibodies for sero-epidemiological studies.
Inter- and under-canopy soil water, leaf-level and whole-plant gas exchange dynamics of a semi-arid perennial C4 grass.

It is not clear if tree canopies in savanna ecosystems exert positive or negative effects on soil moisture, and how these might affect understory plant carbon balance. To address this, we quantified rooting-zone volumetric soil moisture (θ25 cm), plant size, leaf-level and whole-plant gas exchange of the bunchgrass, bush muhly (Muhlenbergia porteri), growing under and between mesquite (Prosopis velutina) in a southwestern US savanna. Across two contrasting monsoon seasons, bare soil θ25 cm was 1.0–2.5% lower in understory than in the intercanopy, and was consistently higher than in soils under grasses, where θ25 cm was similar between locations. Understory plants had smaller canopy areas and volumes with larger basal diameters than intercanopy plants. During an above-average monsoon, intercanopy and understory plants had similar seasonal light-saturated leaf-level photosynthesis (A net-sat), stomatal conductance (g s-sat), and whole-plant aboveground respiration (R auto), but with higher whole-plant photosynthesis (GEPplant) and transpiration (T plant) in intercanopy plants. During a below-average monsoon, intercanopy plants had higher diurnally integrated GEPplant, R auto, and T plant. These findings showed little evidence of strong, direct positive canopy effects to soil moisture and attendant plant performance. Rather, it seems understory conditions foster competitive dominance by drought-tolerant species, and that positive and negative canopy effects on soil moisture and community and ecosystem processes depends on a suite of interacting biotic and abiotic factors.
Discriminative Stimulus Effects of Ethanol in Mice Lacking the γ‐Aminobutyric Acid Type A Receptor δ Subunit

Background: Genetically altered mice have been used to examine gene contributions to ethanol phenotypes. Recently, mice with a targeted deletion of the 8 subunit of the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) A receptor have been generated. These mice display decreased sensitivity to neuroactive steroids and altered responses to some behavioral effects of ethanol. Given the application of drug discrimination to characterize receptor-mediated stimulus effects of ethanol and given the data showing altered ethanol responses in mice lacking the 8 subunit of the GABA A receptor, these mice were characterized in an ethanol-discrimination procedure. It has been shown that neurosteroids will substitute for the discriminative stimulus effects of ethanol, and this study aimed to determine whether the substitution patterns of neuroactive steroids or other GABA A -positive modulators would be altered in these mice. Methods: Twelve adult δ + / + and δ - / - mice were trained to discriminate between ethanol 1.5 g/kg and saline in daily 15-min food-reinforced operant sessions. Once the discrimination was trained, substitution tests with ethanol, pentobarbital, midazolam, androsterone, alphaxalone, pregnanolone, morphine, zolpidem, and MK-801 were conducted. Results: Both δ + / + and δ - / - mice acquired ethanol discrimination in a similar number of days. Ethanol, midazolam, alphaxalone, pregnanolone, and MK-801 fully substituted (>80%) for ethanol in both δ + / + and δ - / - mice. Pentobarbital fully substituted for ethanol in δ - / - mice but only partially substituted (74%) for ethanol in δ + / + mice. Androsterone, zolpidem, and morphine did not substitute for ethanol in either δ + / + or δ - / - mice. There were no significant differences in the response rate-suppressing effects of any of the compounds between δ + / + and δ - / - mice. Conclusions: The training dose of ethanol resulted in substitution of five GABA A receptor ligands, indicating a robust GABA A mediation of ethanol's discriminative stimulus effects. Deletion of the 8 subunit of the GABA A receptor does not alter the acquisition of an ethanol/saline discrimination or the substitution patterns of GABA A -positive modulators. Therefore, the 8 subunit is not necessary in the mediation of ethanol-like effects of any of the GABA A ligands tested, including sensitivity to ethanol, barbiturate, benzodiazepine, and neurosteroid discriminative stimulus effects.
Computer based conferencing: a progress report

Computer based conferencing is now the subject of several serious large scale research programs. A number of conferencing systems exist and have been refined to the stage that they are now practical working tools for use in at least some kinds of conferencing activities. The impact of the energy crisis and a growing interest in substituting telecommunication for transportation has encouraged this growth.
Effect of wall cooling on the mean structure of a turbulent boundary layer in low-speed gas flow

Wall cooling effects on turbulent boundary layer in low speed air flow, using smooth tube and thermocouple measurements
Nursing Evaluation of Palliative Resources in an Acute Care Setting: Perceptions, Satisfaction, and Educational Needs (718)

Background: There is a lack of research available evaluating nursing staff perceptions of palliative care services and the educational needs derived from those perceptions. Purpose: To determine baseline nursing satisfaction scores and educational needs related to the palliative care resources currently available at the University of Kansas Hospital. Methods: Of approximately 1500 nurses, 216 completed the survey (15%). The survey was developed by a palliative care nurse and reviewed by the medical director. The survey included 18 quantitative and qualitative questions in five major categories: perceptions of palliative care, nursing attitudes when caring for patients receiving palliative care services, symptom management, nursing satisfaction, and education. Findings: While 85.8% of nurses surveyed realize palliative care is not only for end of life, only 65% were comfortable caring for patients who were still actively receiving treatments. When caring for patients, nurses report feeling fulfilled (45%) and sad (43%). Dyspnea was reported to be the most challenging symptom to manage (52.9%), followed by anxiety (39%) and pain (37%). Participants felt the presence of the palliative care consult team contributed to improved nursing care (80%) and job satisfaction (70%). Educational needs identified by the nurses included a palliative care reference manual (79.5%) and a 4 hour CEU offering (47.8%). Conclusion: Findings show that nurses’ report knowing what palliative care is and yet fewer felt comfortable caring for palliative care patients who were not on pure comfort measures. Nurses identified a need for improved communication from the palliative care team as well as education addressing caring for palliative care patients earlier in the disease trajectory. Future Considerations: Implementation of the suggested educational methods and a follow-up survey will be needed to evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions on the five major categories.
Wire Delay is Not a Problem for SMT (In the Near Future)

Previous papers have shown that the slow scaling of wiredelays compared to logic delays will prevent superscalar performancefrom scaling with technology.In this paper we showthat the optimal pipeline for superscalar becomes shallowerwith technology, when wire delays are considered, tighteningprevious results that deeper pipelines perform only as well asshallower pipelines.The key reason for the lack of performancescaling is that superscalar does not have sufficient parallelismto hide the relatively-increased wire delays.However,Simultaneous Multithreading (SMT) provides the much-neededparallelism.We show that an SMT running a multiprogrammedworkload with just 4-way issue not only retains theoptimal pipeline depth over technology generations, enablingat least 43% increase in clock speed every generation, but alsoachieves the remainder of the expected speedup of two pergeneration through IPC.As wire delays become more dominantin future technologies, the number of programs needs tobe scaled modestly to maintain the scaling trends, at least tillthe near-future 50nm technology.While this result ignoresbandwidth constraints, using SMT to tolerate latency due towire delays is not that simple because SMT causes bandwidthproblems.Most of the stages of a modern out-of-order-issuepipeline employ RAM and CAM structures.Wire delays in conventional,latency-optimized RAM/CAM structures preventthem from being pipelined in a scaled manner.We show thatthis limitation prevents scaling of SMT throughput.We use bitlinescaling to allow RAM/CAM bandwidth to scale with technology.Bitline scaling enables SMT throughput to scale at therate of two per technology generation in the near future.