cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Baseline Vitamin D Deficiency Decreases the Effectiveness of Statins in HIV-Infected Adults on Antiretroviral Therapy.

OBJECTIVE Vitamin D deficiency is common in HIV. Statins may increase vitamin D, and it is unknown whether vitamin D modifies the effect of statins on cardiovascular disease. DESIGN SATURN-HIV was a 96-week, randomized, placebo-controlled trial designed to evaluate the effect of rosuvastatin on immune activation and subclinical vascular disease in HIV-infected adults on antiretroviral therapy. This analysis focuses on the prespecified secondary endpoint 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations. METHODS Mixed effects linear modeling and analysis of variance were used to assess the rosuvastatin effect on plasma 25(OH)D concentrations over time and to determine whether baseline vitamin D modifies the rosuvastatin effect on changes in outcomes over the trial. RESULTS Hundred forty-seven adults were randomized (72 to rosuvastatin and 75 to placebo); 78% were men, 68% African American, with a mean age of 45 years. Baseline 25(OH)D concentrations were similar (overall mean 18 ng/mL) with 65% of participants below 20 ng/mL. Changes in 25(OH)D at 96 weeks were small and not significant within- or between-rosuvastatin and placebo groups. There were significant group by vitamin D status interactions for changes in low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, proportion of patrolling monocytes expressing tissue factor (CD14dimCD16+TF+), lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2, and common carotid artery intima media thickness at most time points. For each of these outcomes, the beneficial effects of rosuvastatin were either not apparent or attenuated in participants with 25(OH)D <20 ng/mL. CONCLUSIONS Although 25(OH)D did not change with rosuvastatin, baseline vitamin D deficiency decreased the effectiveness of rosuvastatin. Vitamin D supplementation may be warranted for deficient patients initiating statin therapy.
Fiscal Federalism at Work? Central Responses to Internal Migration in India

Summary Internal migration is thought to have substantial benefits for migrants and for the development of migrant-sending and migrant-receiving areas. In order to facilitate such migration, central governments may need to use fiscal transfers to ensure services to migrants, address infrastructure shortfalls, and ameliorate labor market displacement of natives. In fact, an extensive, mostly normative “fiscal federalism” literature has argued that central governments ought to use transfers to reduce interjurisdictional externalities such as those due to population displacements. We extend this literature empirically by examining the degree to which exogenous, longterm migration prompts the redirection of central fiscal resources in India. Following the literature on distributive politics, we argue that transfers in decentralized systems addressing the costs of population movements are influenced by partisan politics. Using monsoon shocks to migration, we show that increases in migration are met with greater central transfers but that these flows are at least 50% greater if the state-level executive is in the Prime Minister’s political party. Consistent with the theory, the influence of politics is greatest on parts of the budget subject to greater executive control. This politicization may explain why Indian states maintain barriers to internal migration despite the development costs of doing so.
Structure and stability of solvation complexes of trimethyl phosphate and dimethyl methyl phosphonate

The presently used electrolytes in Lithium ion batteries, dimethyl carbonate (DMC), and ethylene carbonate are flammable. Trimethyl phosphate (TMP) and dimethyl methyl phosphonate (DMMP) have been shown to be potential nonflammable electrolytes. Density functional theory is used to calculate the structure and stability of the solvation complexes of TMP and DMMP. The calculations indicate that TMP and DMMP can form a solvation complex of the form Li+(X)4 where X is the TMP or DMMP molecule. Calculations of the solvation energy and bond dissociation energies to remove one TMP and DMMP from the solvation complexes are compared with the same calculations on DMC. The results indicate that TMP and DMMP are considerably more stable than DMC.
Expanding Audio Access to Mathematics Expressions by Students With Visual Impairments via MathML

This report describes the pilot conducted in the final phase of a project, Expanding Audio Access to Mathematics Expressions by Students With Visual Impairments via MathML, to provide easy-to-use tools for authoring and rendering secondary-school algebra-level math expressions in synthesized speech that is useful for students with blindness or low vision. The pilot evaluated the authoring and speech-rendition tools, including interactive navigation. Teachers participated in the portion of the study that evaluated the authoring tools. Secondary school students with blindness or low vision participated in the portion that evaluated the speech-rendition and navigation tools, comparing those tools to each student's usual method (braille or print) for working with math. The teachers received an interactive authoring tutorial and the students received an interactive navigation tutorial before using the tools studied. Prior to the pilot, feedback studies on authoring and navigation gathered information that was used to fine-tune the tutorials and the functionalities being evaluated. In the pilot we attempted to simulate a likely use-case for each group. In the students' case, the tools for reading and navigating spoken mathematics were compared directly with the methods each student typically used for reading math (braille or print in a size appropriate for the student). Teachers and content providers were instructed to author math expressions that matched those used in the pilot instruments given to the students. The studies showed that the authoring tools were easy for teachers to use as intended and that little observable difference existed between students' success in answering math and math-parsing questions when using the spoken math tools and their success in answering parallel questions posed in braille or print of appropriate size. Please see Appendix E for information on obtaining a version of this report that is fully accessible using the tools described.
Display Advertising's Impact: Biases and Temporal Variation in Effectiveness

In this paper, we investigate ways to accurately assess and enhance display advertising effectiveness. We construct a two-month panel of browsing behavior data that covers nearly one million users, and over 24 million display ad impressions served on behalf of 400 advertisers. We discuss the importance of accounting for two types of selection biases: targeting rules and the consumer’s browsing intensity. When ignored, selection effects overstate display advertising response by more than five-fold, with browsing intensity accounting for one-third of this bias, and targeting accounting for the remaining two-thirds. Finally, we investigate the relative impact of entertainment and outcome oriented browsing on consumer response to display advertising, and examine whether such a relationship holds equally well for advertising campaigns that focus on early and late stages of the purchase cycle. We show that consumers are nearly twice as responsive when browsing in an entertainment oriented state, that a campaign targeting entertainment oriented users is expected to generate a 15.3% more conversions, and these effects are strongest in the early stages of the purchase cycle.
The Haunted Network: Shakespeare’s Digital Ghost

The figure of William Shakespeare is a socially iterated paradigm, reinvented by different societies at different times as a popular construction of culturally sourced ideas of Shakespeare, nominally linked to the man from Stratford and instead reflective of the eras that created them. It is therefore unsurprising that Shakespeare enjoys a prolific afterlife on social networking platforms. These feeds contribute to Shakespeare’s digital ghost, a construct of Shakespeare created via digital platforms by modern curators and users. The digital ghost is a product of a massive Shakespeare network—the culmination of hundreds of years of history transposed to the digital sphere and focused through one character. Examining Twitter’s @Shakespeare and Facebook’s “William Shakespere,” the chapter explicates the concept of digital ghosting as it relates to Shakespeare and his modern user base.
A communal perspective on shared robots as social catalysts

Recent years have seen robust advancements in robotic platforms for multiple users, while HRI research is increasingly examining small group interactions. However, there has been little consideration of appropriate methodologies for design or development of human-robot interactions to foster and enhance context-specific shared goals, interactions, and experiences within larger communities. This paper presents a preliminary study using a community-centered approach to collective perceptions about shared social robots in a retirement village. It reveals novel aspects regarding people's sense of community, community roles and purposes of robots. Findings indicate need of a framework for community robotics and further studies using a community perspective to bring rich insight into goal oriented and context specific multi-user experiences and interactions in HRI.
A Mathematical Model of Marine Diesel Engine Speed Control System

Diesel engine is inherently an unstable machine and requires a reliable control system to regulate its speed for safe and efficient operation. Also, the diesel engine may operate at fixed or variable speeds depending upon user’s needs and accordingly the speed control system should have essential features to fulfil these requirements. This paper proposes a mathematical model of a marine diesel engine speed control system with droop governing function. The mathematical model includes static and dynamic characteristics of the control loop components. Model of static characteristic of the rotating fly weights speed sensing element provides an insight into the speed droop features of the speed controller. Because of big size and large time delay, the turbo charged diesel engine is represented as a first order system or sometimes even simplified to a pure integrator with constant gain which is considered acceptable in control literature. The proposed model is mathematically less complex and quick to use for preliminary analysis of the diesel engine speed controller performance.
Animal Politics: Species, Evolution, and Religious Affects

This article considers four responses to the 2015 volume Religious Affects: Animality, Evolution, and Power and draws out their implications for thinking religion, affect, science, and power.
One Physician’s Approach to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

This article presents a linear approach to using a patient’s history and physical examination to diagnose carpal tunnel syndrome. The author lists the treatments used depending on the symptoms and diagnosis.
Use of the Human Vaccine, Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette Guérin in Deer.

The only vaccine ever approved for human tuberculosis was developed a century ago from an isolate of Mycobacterium bovis derived from a tuberculous cow. Initial safety and efficacy studies of an attenuated version of this isolate were conducted in cattle and other animals. In 1921 the first human, an infant, was orally dosed with this attenuated strain that came to be known as M. bovis bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG); named for Albert Calmette and Camille Guerin, the two French scientists that developed the strain. Since 1921, billions of people have been vaccinated with BCG making it the oldest, most widely used, and safest vaccine in use today. It is also the tuberculosis vaccine most studied for use in wildlife, including deer. While BCG vaccination of deer may not reliably prevent infection, it consistently decreases lesion severity, minimizing large, necrotic lesions, which often contain large numbers of bacilli. It is believed that decreased lesion severity correlates with decreased disease transmission; however, this hypothesis remains to be proven. Safety studies in white-tailed deer show BCG may persist in lymphoid tissues for up to 12 months; a factor to be considered in deer used for food. Beyond efficacy and safety, methods of vaccine delivery to free-ranging deer are also under investigation, both in the laboratory and in the field. The ideal delivery method is effective, efficient and safe for non-target species, including livestock. Ingestion of BCG by cattle is of special concern as such cattle may present as "false positives" using currently approved diagnostic methods, thus interfering with efforts by animal health agencies to monitor cattle for tuberculosis. An effective BCG vaccine for deer would be of value in regions where free-ranging deer represent a potential source of M. bovis for livestock. Such a vaccine would also be beneficial to farmed deer where M. bovis represents a serious threat to trade and productivity.
Haftungsfallen im Zusammenhang mit der Gesamtschuld

Die Rolle, die in den Geowissenschaften das Erfassen und Erforschen von Erdbebengebieten einnimmt, in denen es infolge von Kontinentalverschiebung und tektonischer Verwerfung standig rumort, nimmt in den Rechtswissenschaften vergleichsweise die Gesamtschuld ein. Auch hier befassen sich seit jeher in zahllosen Abhandlungen, Dissertationen und im, sowohl die Grundlagen wie auch die Rechtsfolgen stetig neu in Frage stellenden Schlagabtausch Heerscharen von Juristen. Und doch kracht und rumort es gerade hier und heute gewaltig.
Synthesis and Optoelectronic Properties of New Methoxy-Substituted Diketopyrrolopyrrole Polymers

The introduction of functional groups with varying electron-donating/-withdrawing properties at the β-position of diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) has been shown to affect the optoelectronic properties of the polymers. We report the synthesis of a new diketopyrrolopyrrole monomer wherein a strong electron-donating substituent, a methoxy group, was incorporated at the β-position in an effort to modulate polymer properties. Homopolymers and co-polymers of the new β-methoxy DPP and nonderivatized DPP were synthesized, and their properties were measured by cyclic voltammetry and UV-vis-near-infrared. Density functional theory computations also were employed to predict the degree of planarity of β-methoxy oligomers to probe the significance of the newly introduced S-O conformational lock. The combined experimental and computational results showed a reduction in the gap between highest occupied molecular orbital/lowest unoccupied molecular orbital levels, a redshift toward the near-infrared region, and an increased planarity in the β-methoxy polymers.
Let's Raise a Glass to Sydney: In Memoriam (1927-2019)

![][1] Shortly after receiving the 2002 Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology, I congratulated Sydney Brenner with a magnum of 1995 Chateau Latour. He said, “Oh Ron, it's lovely but a bit young. Let's wait and we'll toast when it's ready.” Well, a bit like the wine, when Sydney
Training, retention, and transfer of data entry perceptual and motor processes over short and long retention intervals

In two experiments, subjects trained in a standard data entry task, which involved typing numbers (e.g., 2147) using their right hands. At an initial test (20 min or 6 months after training), subjects completed the standard task, followed by a left-hand variant (typing with their left hands) that involved the same perceptual, but different motoric, processes as the standard task. At a second test (2 days or 8 months after training), subjects completed the standard task, followed by a code variant (translating letters into digits, then typing the digits with their right hands) that involved different perceptual, but the same motoric, processes as the standard task. At test, for each of the three tasks, half the trials were trained numbers (old) and half were new. Repetition priming (faster execution times to old than new numbers) was found for each task, with extended delays only slightly decreasing the magnitude of the effect. Repetition priming for the standard task reflects retention of trained numbers, for the left-hand variant reflects transfer of perceptual processes, and for the code variant reflects transfer of motoric processes. There was, thus, evidence for both specificity and generalizability of training data entry perceptual and motoric processes even over very long retention intervals.
Surgical Interventions for Spine Pain Management

Surgical intervention is often considered as the last option for patients suffering from significant spinal pain syndromes. In the absence of progressive neurological compromise or spinal deformity, most patients undergo an aggressive course of nonoperative treatment which tends to be very favorable in prognosis. Numerous nonoperative options are available; however, if these options have been exhausted and the patient continues to suffer from significant pain, disability, and/or neurological loss of function, then surgical options are discussed. Clinical outcomes are optimized by appropriateness of surgical intervention, proper identification of pain source, and patient preparation. Patients need to be medically and physically optimized and counseled at length regarding the risks and benefits of surgery as a form of shared decision-making. This chapter will focus on surgical intervention and options for decompression and stabilization in those patients suffering from pain syndrome.
Transgenic mouse facial nerve model of synkinesis: Original Research

Abstract Hypothesis Our central hypothesis is that inhibition of Schwann cell de-differentiation, in the post-injury setting, will reduce synkinesis and improve facial muscle function Background No therapies exist to improve the accuracy of facial nerve regeneration. Following peripheral nerve injury, adult reactive Schwann cells de-differentiate and express glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP); suggesting that reactive Schwann cells impact axonal regeneration precision. Methods Transgenic GFAP-thymidine kinase (TK) mouse model was employed, allowing selective downregulation of reactive GFAP expressing Schwann cells on exposure of 7 day osmotic pump delivery of ganciclovir. Adult female transgenic GFAP-TK mice had right facial nerve transected and then immediately repaired with tissue glue, they then either were treated with saline or ganciclovir (GCV). At 6 weeks post-injury, mice were exposed to random air puffs events while high speed videography recorded whisker and eye movement. MatLab code video processing with publicly available BIOTACT algorithm automatically tracked whiskers. Results Whisker velocity was calculated using binning statistical analysis. Saline treated animals confirmed our model’s ability to detect aberrant movement such that intact (left) facial nerves caused whisker protraction, while repaired (right) facial nerves had retraction. Administration of GCV increased whisker retraction compared to saline. GCV did not impact intact animal whisker movement compared to repaired whiskers. Conclusions Inhibition of reactive Schwann cell proliferation appears to worse the degree of synkinesis, providing important insight into a potential therapeutic target for facial nerve injury.
Value-Centric Approaches to Design, Operations, and Maintenance of Wind Turbines

Wind turbine maintenance is emerging as an unexpectedly high component of turbine operating cost and there is an increasing interest in managing this cost. Here, we present an alternative view of maintenance as a value-driver, and develop an optimization algorithm to maximize the value delivered by maintenance. We model the stochastic deterioration of the turbine in two dimensions: the deterioration rate, and the extent of deterioration, and view maintenance as an operator that moves the turbine to an improved state in which it can generate more power and so earn more revenue. We then use a standard net present value (NPV) approach to calculate the value of the turbine by deducting the costs incurred in the installation, operations and maintenance from the revenue due to the power generation. The application of our model is demonstrated using several scenarios with a focus on blade deterioration. We evaluate the value delivered by implementing blade condition monitoring systems (CMS). A higher fidelity CMS allows the blade state to be determined with higher precision. With this improved state information, an optimal maintenance strategy can be derived. The difference between the value of the turbine with and without CMS can be interpreted as the value of the CMS. The results indicate that a higher fidelity (and more expensive) condition monitoring system (CMS) does not necessarily yield the highest value, and, that there is an optimal level of fidelity that results in maximum value. The contributions of this work are twofold. First, it is a practical approach to wind turbine valuation and operation that takes operating and market conditions into account. This work should therefore be useful to wind farm operators and investors. Second, it shows how the value of a CMS can be explicitly assessed. This work should therefore be useful to CMS manufacturers and wind farm operators.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
The Glycoprotein/Cytokine Erythropoietin Promotes Rapid Alveolar Ridge Regeneration In Vivo by Promoting New Bone Extracellular Matrix Deposition in Conjunction with Coupled Angiogenesis/Osteogenesis

The loss of bone following tooth extraction poses a significant clinical problem for maxillofacial esthetics, function, and future implant placement. In the present study, the efficacy of an erythropoietin-impregnated collagen scaffold as an alveolar ridge augmentation material versus a conventional collagen scaffold and a BioOss inorganic bovine bone xenograft was examined. The collagen/Erythropoietin (EPO) scaffold exhibited significantly more rapid and complete osseous regeneration of the alveolar defect when compared to bone xenograft and the collagen membrane alone. The new EPO induced extracellular matrix was rich in Collagen I, Collagen III, Fibronectin (Fn) and E-cadherin, and featured significantly increased levels of the osteogenic transcription factors Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) and Osterix (Osx). Histomorphometric evaluation revealed a significant two-fold increase in the number of capillaries between the EPO and the BioOss group. Moreover, there was a highly significant 3.5-fold higher level of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the collagen/EPO-treated group compared to controls. The significant effect of EPO on VEGF, FN, and RUNX2 upregulation was confirmed in vitro, and VEGF pathway analysis using VEGF inhibitors confirmed that EPO modulated extracellular matrix protein expression through VEGF even in the absence of blood vessels. Together, these data demonstrate the effectiveness of an EPO-impregnated collagen scaffold for bone regeneration as it induces rapid matrix production and osseoinduction adjacent to new capillaries via VEGF.
Early Time-to-Tocilizumab after B Cell Maturation Antigen-Directed Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell Therapy in Myeloma

ABSTRACT Preemptive administration of tocilizumab (toci) to manage cytokine release syndrome (CRS) after chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy may reduce rates of serious CRS but conversely may worsen neurotoxicity or risk of infections. Optimal toci administration strategies for patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) receiving B cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-directed CAR-T therapies have not been evaluated. The objective of this study was to identify whether shorter time-to-toci intervals (hours between first fever attributed to CRS and first dose of toci) have any impact on therapy-related toxicities or clinical outcomes among patients with RRMM receiving BCMA-directed CAR-T therapies. We retrospectively analyzed our institution's experience with 4 BCMA-directed CAR-T therapies (idecabtagene vicleucel, bb21217, ciltacabtagene autoleucel, and orvacabtagene autoceucel) for RRMM over a 3-year period ending in June 2020. We divided patients based on the administration of toci and median time-to-toci interval into early-toci (time-to-toci ≤50th percentile), late-toci (time-to-toci >50th percentile), and no-toci (no toci received) groups. We compared the early-toci and late-toci groups with regard to patient characteristics, weight-based CAR-T toxicities, selected toxicities (CRS, neurotoxicity, macrophage activation syndrome, or infections), and clinical outcomes. Of 50 analyzed patients with a median follow-up of 15.3 months, 76% (n = 38) received ≥1 dose of toci (range, 1 to 3) and were classified into early-toci (time-to-toci ≤12 hours) or late-toci (time-to-toci >12 hours) groups. The 2 groups (n = 19 each) had similar CRS grade distributions, hours to CRS onset, CRS-related biomarkers, and incidences of neurotoxicity or severe infections; however, weight-adjusted CAR-T cell doses were higher in the early-toci group (median 5.99 versus 3.80 × 106 cells/kg, P
Beneficiation of ponded coal ash through chemi-mechanical grinding

Abstract Four samples of low quality ponded coal ash were subjected to a chemi-mechanical beneficiation technique to test improvements to traditional grinding methods. The addition of water into this beneficiation process can further increase the reactivity of the subjected materials. Changes to the reactivity of these ponded ashes and their structure were analyzed utilizing ATR spectroscopy, X-Ray Diffraction, and Scanning Electron Microscopy. The results show a drop in structural order, smaller particle size, and a 7 to 70 percent increase in amorphous content. These improvements are in contrast to an increase in crystallinity observed with the more traditional dry grinding technique. ATR IR spectroscopy confirms the formation of additional terminal silanol groups after the chemi-mechanical grinding process suggesting a further increase in pozzolanic reactivity. These results suggest that the proposed modification to the beneficiation process does not interfere with the ash improvements observed with traditional grinding but further improves the ash reactivity due to the formation of additional silanol groups. Additionally, ponded ashes (being hydrated) are the ideal source material for this beneficiation process, allowing for a larger quantity of this material to be reutilized efficiently.
Towards Robust Active Feature Acquisition.

Truly intelligent systems are expected to make critical decisions with incomplete and uncertain data. Active feature acquisition (AFA), where features are sequentially acquired to improve the prediction, is a step towards this goal. However, current AFA models all deal with a small set of candidate features and have difficulty scaling to a large feature space. Moreover, they are ignorant about the valid domains where they can predict confidently, thus they can be vulnerable to out-of-distribution (OOD) inputs. In order to remedy these deficiencies and bring AFA models closer to practical use, we propose several techniques to advance the current AFA approaches. Our framework can easily handle a large number of features using a hierarchical acquisition policy and is more robust to OOD inputs with the help of an OOD detector for partially observed data. Extensive experiments demonstrate the efficacy of our framework over strong baselines.
Moving Beyond Conservative Capture

This opening chapter introduces the reader to the core institution discussed within the book—the American law school—and reviews the current political science literature on the legal academy since the 1980s. This chapter details how the leading literature has been “captured by conservatism” and then explains why an investigation into the critical legal studies (CLS) movement will improve our understanding of the politics of the legal academy.
Total Abdominal Colectomy: Straight Laparoscopic Approach

Straight laparoscopic total abdominal colectomy (TAC) can be performed electively for indications such as slow transit constipation and hereditary polyposis syndromes, as well as in urgent situations for inflammatory and infectious conditions, most commonly ulcerative colitis. In the latter cases, an end ileostomy, as opposed to an ileorectal anastomosis, is usually performed, reserving reconstruction for a later date. Perceived benefits include fewer intra-abdominal adhesions, incisional hernias, and wound infections, as well as improved cosmesis—albeit with longer operative times than hand-assisted or traditional open approaches. Numerous extraction sites can be used, including the ileostomy site or natural orifices, obviating an additional transabdominal incision. Despite being technically difficult with the attendant risks of laparoscopic colon surgery, straight laparoscopic TAC can be performed safely with significant potential benefit to the patient.
Some Mesomorphic Properties of N-(p-Azidobenzylidene) — Anilines

Synthesis of several p-substituted alkyl and alkoxy azidobenzylidene anilines was carried out to study their mesomorphic transition temperatures and the affect made upon these transitions by the linear azide moiety.
Detection of Biological Thiols

Enhanced understanding of the chemistry of aminothiols promotes both the development of novel chemosensors and new insights into their biochemistry.
Cesium and Strontium Incorporation into Uranophane, Ca[(UO2)(SiO3OH)]2.5H2O

The uranyl silicate solid uranophane, Ca[(UO2)(SiO3OH)]2·5H2O, is likely an important secondary solid that forms in the alteration of spent nuclear fuel. This 1:1 U(VI)-silicate structure may serve as a host for the incorporation of fission products such as l37Cs or 90Sr by substitution of Ca2+ in interlayer spaces in the solid. We have investigated this possibility by synthesizing 1:1 U(VI)-silicate solids where the Ca2+ is completely or partially replaced by either Sr2+ or Cs+. The solids obtained have been characterized by x-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and elemental analysis. We observe that the Sr2+ analog of uranophane yields a diffractogram that resembles the XRD pattern obtained for synthetic uranophane, although the morphology of the solid is different from uranophane. Conversely, substitution of Cs+for Ca2+ in the synthesis of the 1:1 uranyl-silicate solid yields a very different diffractogram but solid phase morphology similar to uranophane. When Ca2+ is par...
Bell’s Palsy

A computerized Ovid search of MEDLINE 1966–2005 was performed. The terms “facial paralysis” and “Bell’s palsy” were exploded, resulting in 1043 articles. These results were limited to English language and therapy-related subheadings yielding 293 trials, which were reviewed. Trials evaluating steroid treatment were reviewed to identify those that met inclusion criteria consisting of: 1) patients with Bell’s palsy (idiopathic facial nerve paralysis), 2) intervention with systemic steroids, 3) treatment within 10 days of onset, 4) outcome measures consisting of normal motor facial recovery [House-Brackmann (HB) or similar scale]. Exclusion criteria included: 1) trials including multiple, etiologies of facial paralysis, 2) multiple interventions, 3) treatment initiated after 10 days of onset. The references of these articles were then reviewed and manually cross-checked to ensure all applicable literature was reviewed. This search yielded five randomized controlled trials (RCTs) [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] and four systematic reviews [6, 7, 8, 9] that met inclusion criteria.
The First Stars and the Epoch of Reionization

We discuss the physical processes that govern the formation of the first stars. These so-called Population III stars are predicted to be predominantly very massive, and to have contributed significantly to the early reionization of the IGM. Such an early reionization epoch is inferred from the recent measurement of the Thomson optical depth by the WMAP satellite. We address the importance of heavy elements in bringing about the transition from an early star formation mode dominated by massive stars, to the familiar mode dominated by low mass stars, at later times, and present possible observational probes.
Within-drug benefit-risk evaluation of olanzapine long-acting injection at one and two years of treatment

We sought to evaluate the within-drug benefit-risk of olanzapine long-acting injection (LAI) using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Subjects included 1192 adult patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder who participated in clinical trials with the opportunity for at least two years of continuous treatment with olanzapine LAI (45–405 mg every two to four weeks). Using the Benefit Risk Action Team (BRAT) framework, we evaluated frequency versus duration of benefits and risks commonly observed with atypical antipsychotics. We then used the Transparent Uniform Risk/Benefit Overview (TURBO) method, which weighs the drug's two most medically serious and/or frequent adverse events versus its primary benefit (effectiveness) and an ancillary benefit. The most frequent events among all patients were remaining free of relapse (91.4% for an average of 306 days at one year, 88.4% for 546 days at two years) and symptomatic remission (81.7% for an average of 239 days at one year, 84.1% for 438 days at two years). One- and two-year incidence of ≥7% weight gain was 33.3% and 41.7%. Incidences for sexual dysfunction, hyperprolactinemia, and post-injection delirium/sedation syndrome (PDSS) were <2%. TURBO ratings unanimously selected PDSS and weight gain as key risks and resulted in an average score in the acceptable benefit-risk balance range.
The Wal-Martization of African American Religion: T. D. Jakes and Woman Thou Art Loosed

OF DISSERATION THE WAL-MARTIZAION OF AFRICAN AMERICAN RELIGION T.D. JAKES AND WOMAN THOU ART LOOSED BY PAULA L. MCGEE CLAREMONT GRADUATE UNIVERSITY 2012 This dissertation is an ideological critique of the New Black Church model of ministry, with T.D. Jakes and Woman Thou Art Loosed (WTAL) as a case study. T.D. Jakes is an African American televangelist who pastors The Potter’s House, a supermegachurch in Dallas, Texas. He is the quintessential example of a New Black Church pastor—a religious entrepreneur with several successful faith brands. WTAL is by far his most successful brand. Unashamed of his capitalist success, with an empire estimated to be worth $100 million dollars, Jakes says that it is occupational discrimination for him not to reap the benefits of the American dream. This dissertation identifies what has happened to the brand and Jakes’s ministry as “the Wal-Martization of African American Religion.” As a theoretical concept, Wal-Martization speaks to both the ideology and process that explains the generational differences between the New Black Church and the Black Church. It also is indicative of the branding and storytelling at every level of representation of the New Black
Patient reactions to the diagnosis of asymptomatic coronary artery disease: Implications for the primary physician and consultant cardiologist

The diagnosis of asymptomatic coronary artery disease is increasing as a result of the widespread use of non-invasive screening techniques. Because its natural history is unknown and as there is continuing controversy over proper treatment, both primary physicians and consultant cardiologists are often unsure how to approach patients with this disorder. This uncertainty on the part of physicians, combined with the paradox of having serious heart disease without symptoms, often leads to psychologic stress in patients and their families. In a pilot study to evaluate the psychologic impact of the, diagnosis of asymptomatic coronary artery disease, we elicited the reactions from 15 patients with either totally or partially asymptomatic coronary artery disease. In general, patients and spouses were surprised and concerned by the diagnosis, but most felt their physicians had been supportive in explaining the problem to them. Because patients trusted their physicians, they often changed their lifestyles markedly in regard to exercise and diet; some even underwent coronary surgery when it was recommended. Public awareness of the disorder was generally felt to be almost nonexistent. This pilot study provides insight into a subgroup of patients with potentially serious psychologic problems and the implications of these problems for their physicians.
Regulation of the Min Cell Division Inhibition Complex by the Rcs Phosphorelay in Proteus mirabilis

ABSTRACT A key regulator of swarming in Proteus mirabilis is the Rcs phosphorelay, which represses flhDC , encoding the master flagellar regulator FlhD 4 C 2 . Mutants in rcsB , the response regulator in the Rcs phosphorelay, hyperswarm on solid agar and differentiate into swarmer cells in liquid, demonstrating that this system also influences the expression of genes central to differentiation. To gain a further understanding of RcsB-regulated genes involved in swarmer cell differentiation, transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq) was used to examine the RcsB regulon. Among the 133 genes identified, minC and minD , encoding cell division inhibitors, were identified as RcsB-activated genes. A third gene, minE , was shown to be part of an operon with minCD . To examine minCDE regulation, the min promoter was identified by 5′ rapid amplification of cDNA ends (5′-RACE), and both transcriptional lacZ fusions and quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase (qRT) PCR were used to confirm that the minCDE operon was RcsB activated. Purified RcsB was capable of directly binding the minC promoter region. To determine the role of RcsB-mediated activation of minCDE in swarmer cell differentiation, a polar minC mutation was constructed. This mutant formed minicells during growth in liquid, produced shortened swarmer cells during differentiation, and exhibited decreased swarming motility. IMPORTANCE This work describes the regulation and role of the MinCDE cell division system in P. mirabilis swarming and swarmer cell elongation. Prior to this study, the mechanisms that inhibit cell division and allow swarmer cell elongation were unknown. In addition, this work outlines for the first time the RcsB regulon in P. mirabilis. Taken together, the data presented in this study begin to address how P. mirabilis elongates upon contact with a solid surface.
Theory of the Magnetic Susceptibility of Bloch Electrons

It has heretofore always been assumed that the magnetic susceptibility of a crystal could be written $\ensuremath{\chi}={\ensuremath{\chi}}_{\mathrm{dia}}^{\mathrm{core}}+{\ensuremath{\chi}}_{\mathrm{dia}}^{\mathrm{val}}+{\ensuremath{\chi}}_{\mathrm{spin}}^{\mathrm{val}}$, where ${\ensuremath{\chi}}_{\mathrm{dia}}^{\mathrm{core}}$ is the contribution of the core electrons, ${\ensuremath{\chi}}_{\mathrm{dia}}^{\mathrm{val}}$ is the contribution of the orbital motion of Bloch valence or conduction electrons completely neglecting spin, and ${\ensuremath{\chi}}_{\mathrm{spin}}^{\mathrm{val}}$ is the Pauli spin paramagnetism but with the free-electron $g$ factor replaced by the effective $g$ factor. The entire effect of spin-orbit coupling is assumed to be included in the effective $g$ factor. We show that this is not the case and that there is a large fourth contribution to $\ensuremath{\chi}$, the effect of the spin-orbit coupling on the orbital motion of the Bloch electrons ${\ensuremath{\chi}}_{\mathrm{so}}$. We construct a many-band Hamiltonian using the Bloch representation and derive the susceptibility directly from this Hamiltonian avoiding the ambiguity of the usual decoupling transformations. Our result agrees with the expression derived by Roth but is in a much more transparent form.
The 1997 ENSO event and implication for North American Laurentian Great Lakes winter severity and ice cover

Mild winters and below-average annual maximum ice cover for the Laurentian Great Lakes occur during strong warm ENSO events. During the six strongest warm ENSO events since 1950 a Great Lakes winter severity temperature index and simulated annual maximum ice cover averaged 1.2°C above and 15% below a 1950–1994 average, respectively. The observed differences between the average of the strong ENSO event years and the base period average are statistically significant.
New traffic model for performance analysis of processor-memory multistage interconnection networks

Multistage interconnection networks (MINs) provide cost effective, high bandwidth processor-memory communication in multiprocessor systems. We propose a nonuniform traffic model to analyse performance of processor-memory MINs, in the presence of switch and link failures.
Effects of melting on dielectric relaxation in poly(hexamethylene sebacamide) (nylon 610)

In order to investigate the role of solid morphology on molecular relaxation in crystaline polymers, the effect of melting on the α relaxation in poly(hexamethylene sebacamide) (nylon 610) was measured dielectrically. It was found that the α loss peak was continuous into the melt with respect to location in the frequency-temperature domain and with respect to the shape of the peak. However, the strength of the process, as measured by the difference in the relaxed and unrelaxed dielectric constants, was discontinuous on melting, the process being much stronger in the melt. These observations are consistent with a two-phase model of discrete crystalline and amorphous regions. The relaxation takes place in the amorphous regions, and melting creates more of this material but does not greatly after its nature. The correlation of the amount of amorphous material as measured by dielectric relaxation with that infrared from density measurements is discussed for nylon610, polyoxymethylene, and poly(ethylene oxide).
Use Of Phase Measuring Interferometry For Surface Characterization

The Phase Measuring Interferometer (PMI) technique has been adapted to the measurement of small scale features of very high quality (low scatter) optical surfaces. The method described has good vertical and lateral resolution over a wide range of fields. It is non-contacting, applicable to various materials and coatings, and can be extended to spherical and aspherical surfaces. The compact PMI device can be modified to provide in-situ measurements on both small and very large optical surfaces. Data, including rms surface roughness and surface contour maps, are presented for several surfaces. The nature and effect of the principal error sources are also discussed.© (1982) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Monitoring Unemployment Benefits in Comparative Perspective

Most economic theories predict a rise in unemployment when unemploy ment benefits increase. The reason is that more people will be willing to exit from work, and fewer people will enter the workforce, when benefits are high. We argue that these theories oversimplify the situation because they do not take into account the way benefits are monitored. We present a model of monitoring benefits which leads to three conclusions that are different from standard economic theory: (1) Size of unemployment benefit has no effect on unemployment; (2) Duration of unemployment benefit has a positive effect on unemployment; (3) Size of unemployment benefit has a positive effect on the monitoring of benefits. We present historical evidence in favor of these propositions from a series of countries, and test them cross-nationally with Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) data.
Effects of Fisheries on Seabird Community Ecology

Significant depletions of marine fish populations due to overfishing are becoming more and more common. Such depletions have serious consequences not only for the fished species, but also for those organisms that depend on them for food. For seabirds, in particular, the effects of fisheries can be felt via a number of pathways. However, few studies have considered those effects in terms of seabird community ecology. In this review, seabirds were separated into three functional groups based on their primary foraging strategy when they are likely to interact with fishing vessels: kleptoparasites, scavengers, and pursuit-divers. Theoretical effects webs were built for three different gear types: gillnets, longlines, and trawlers. For kleptoparasites and scavengers, to trail a fishing vessel exacts a cost but also confers a benefit; they are occasionally killed by fishing gear, but a potentially reliable food source may outweigh that risk. Also, the costs and benefits are direct. In contrast, pursuit-divers d...
Voices of Southern Protest during the Vietnam War Era: The University of South Carolina as a Case Study

Throughout the decades following America's involvement in the Vietnam War, historians have documented various aspects of the antiwar and dissident movements across the nation and on college campuses. Over time, the historiography of the antiwar movement, especially as related to campus protest movements, has expanded considerably, particularly in regard to the origins, structure, and internal dynamics of the groups involved. Yet there are shortcomings in the scholarly literature on this subject. Most historians have focused upon dissident movements in the American North and West while all but neglecting protest activities at colleges in the South. In this article, I show that dissent similar to that which shook other colleges around the nation occurred on the campus of the University of South Carolina.
A TUTORING PACKAGE TO TEACH PRONUNCIATION OF MANDARIN CHINESE CHARACTERS

We examined the effects of a tutoring package (verbal modeling, prompts, and contingent praise/Chinese conversations with the tutor) on the performance of a college student's Mandarin Chinese pronunciation. The effects of the tutoring package were analyzed using a multiple baseline design across two sets of 50 Chinese characters. The tutoring package produced improvement in the student's correct pronunciation of Chinese characters from 48% (pretutoring) to 90% (posttutoring). Results suggested that the tutoring package produced mastery pronunciation of targeted Mandarin Chinese vocalizations by a nonnative speaker.
Optimal firm size, taxes, and unemployment

Abstract We analyze a model similar to the standard implicit contracting framework, but assume that the size of the firm (the number of workers under contract) is endogenous. Some well-known predictions from contract theory with firm size fixed exogenously are reversed. In particular, a result obtained by Feldstein concerning unemployment insurance does not hold when firm size is chosen optimally: he concludes an increase in experience rating (the extent to which firms pay for unemployment benefits through their taxes) reduces unemployment, while we show that it increases unemployment under reasonable conditions.