cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Management of ventricular electrical storm: a contemporary appraisal

Ventricular electrical storm (VES) is a clinical scenario characterized by the clustering of multiple episodes of sustained ventricular arrhythmias (VA) over a short duration. Patients with VES are prone to psychological disorders, heart failure decompensation, and increased mortality. Studies have shown that 10-28% of the patients with secondary prevention ICDs can sustain VES. The triad of a susceptible electrophysiologic substrate, triggers, and autonomic dysregulation govern the pathogenesis of VES. The rate of VA, underlying ventricular function, and the presence of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) determine the clinical presentation. A multi-faceted approach is often required for management consisting of acute hemodynamic stabilization, ICD reprogramming when appropriate, antiarrhythmic drug therapy, and sedation. Some patients may be eligible for catheter ablation, and autonomic modulation with thoracic epidural anesthesia, stellate ganglion block, or cardiac sympathetic denervation. Hemodynamically unstable patients may benefit from the use of left ventricular assist devices, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Special scenarios such as idiopathic ventricular fibrillation, Brugada syndrome, Long and short QT syndrome, early repolarization syndrome, catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, and cardiac sarcoidosis have been described as well. VES is a cardiac emergency that requires swift intervention. It is associated with poor short and long-term outcomes. A structured team-based management approach is paramount for the safe and effective treatment of this sick cohort.
The effects of high-quality financial reporting on municipal bond ratings: evidence from US local governments

While credit rating agencies mention that a government factor is one criterion for assessing municipal bond ratings, current studies on credit ratings offer relatively little evidence as to how the...
Manifold learning analysis reveals the functional genomics at the cell-type level for neuronal electrophysiology in the mouse brain

Abstract Recent single-cell multi-modal data reveal different characteristics of single cells, such as transcriptomics, morphology, and electrophysiology. However, our understanding of functional genomics and gene regulation leading to the cellular characteristics remains elusive. To address this, we used emerging manifold learning to align gene expression and electrophysiological data of single neuronal cells in the mouse brain. After manifold alignment, the cell clusters highly correspond to transcriptomic and morphological cell-types, suggesting a strong nonlinear linkage between gene expression and electrophysiology at the cell-type level. Additional functional enrichment and gene regulatory network analyses revealed potential novel molecular mechanistic insights from genes to electrophysiology at cellular resolution.
Antiepileptic Drug Management in Acute Ischemic Stroke: Are Vascular Neurologists Utilizing Electroencephalograms? An Observational Cohort Study.

Introduction This study examines the utility of electroencephalography (EEG) in clinical decision making in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients in regards to the prescription of antiseizure medications. Methods Patients were grouped as having positive EEG (+) for epileptiform activity or negative EEG (-). These studies were no more than 30 minutes in length. Patients' charts were retrospectively reviewed for antiepileptic drug (AED) use before, during, and on discharge from AIS hospitalization. Results Of the 509 patients meeting inclusion criteria, 24 (4.7%) had a positive EEG. Patients did not significantly differ with respect to any demographic or baseline characteristics with the exception of prior history of seizure. In the EEG- group, AEDs were discontinued in only 3.5% of patients. In the EEG+ group, only 37.5% of patients had an initiation or change to their AED regimen within 36 hours of the study. 62.5% of the EEG+ group had a cortical stroke. Significance. Our results indicate that vascular neurologists are not using spot EEGs to routinely guide inpatient AED management. EEGs may have greater utility in those with a prior history of seizures and cortical strokes. Longer or continuous EEG monitoring may have better utility in the AIS population if there is clinical suspicion of seizure.
Does Affirmative Action Work? Evaluating India’s Quota System:

This paper examines two common critiques of ethnic quota policies in government hiring and education: that they do not benefit the target group, and that any benefits are unevenly distributed withi...
Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol in psychosis: A balancing act of the principal phyto-cannabinoids on human brain and behavior?

Abstract Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are the principal phyto-cannabinoids in the cannabis plant. The differential and possibly antagonistic effects of these compounds on specific brain and behavioral responses, and the mechanisms underlying their effects have generated extensive interest in pre-clinical and clinical neuroscience investigations. In this double-blind randomized placebo-controlled counterbalanced human laboratory experiment, we examined the effects of three different dose ratios of CBD: THC (1:1, 2:1 and 3:1) on ‘neural noise’, an electrophysiological biomarker of psychosis known to be sensitive to cannabinoids as well as subjective and psychotomimetic effects. Interestingly, the lowest CBD:THC ratio (1:1) resulted in maximal attenuation of both THC induced psychotomimetic effects (PANSS positive - ATS = 7.83, df = 1, pcorr = 0.015) and neural noise (ATS = 8.83, df = 1, pcorr = 0.009) with an inverse-linear dose response relationship. Further, in line with previous studies, addition of CBD did not reduce the subjective experience of THC induced “high” (p > 0.05 for all CBD doses). These novel results demonstrate that CBD attenuates THC induced subjective and objective effects relevant to psychosis- but in a dose/ratio dependent manner. Given the increasing global trend of cannabis liberalization and application for medical indications, these results assume considerable significance given the potential dose related interactions of these key phyto-cannabinoids.
Genome sequences of antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli isolated from veal calves in the USA.

ABSTRACT Objectives The aim of this study was to describe the genome sequences of 38 antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli isolated from veal calves. Methods The isolates were recovered in 2015 from nine veal farms in the eastern USA and were screened for antibiotic susceptibility using an automated microdilution procedure. The draft genomes were sequenced on an Illumina NextSeq 500 platform and were assembled using SPAdes. Results In total, 294 resistance genes, categorised into 42 unique genes, conferring resistance to seven different antibiotic classes were detected. Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) genes (blaCTX-M and blaCMY) and the azithromycin resistance gene mph(A) were detected in multiple genomes. Furthermore, mutations in gyrA, parC and parE conferring resistance to fluoroquinolones were detected, as were mutations in the ampC promoter responsible for hyperproduction of β-lactamases. We identified 25 unique sequence types (STs), including STs that are associated with extraintestinal infections. Conclusion The results of this study indicate a high level of diversity among multidrug-resistant E. coli isolates from veal operations. The identification of multiple isolates encoding resistance to β-lactams, macrolides and fluoroquinolones as well as virulence factors responsible for human infections warrants more study on the ecology of antibiotic resistance in veal operations.
EquiTensors: Learning Fair Integrations of Heterogeneous Urban Data

Neural methods are state-of-the-art for urban prediction problems such as transportation resource demand, accident risk, crowd mobility, and public safety. Model performance can be improved by integrating exogenous features from open data repositories (e.g., weather, housing prices, traffic, etc.), but these uncurated sources are often too noisy, incomplete, and biased to use directly. We propose to learn integrated representations, called EquiTensors, from heterogeneous datasets that can be reused across a variety of tasks. We align datasets to a consistent spatio-temporal domain, then describe an unsupervised model based on convolutional denoising autoencoders to learn shared representations. We extend this core integrative model with adaptive weighting to prevent certain datasets from dominating the signal. To combat discriminatory bias, we use adversarial learning to remove correlations with a sensitive attribute (e.g., race or income). Experiments with 23 input datasets and 4 real applications show that EquiTensors could help mitigate the effects of the sensitive information embodied in the biased data. Meanwhile, applications using EquiTensors outperform models that ignore exogenous features and are competitive with "oracle" models that use hand-selected datasets.
Capturing patients, missing inequities: Data standardization on sexual orientation and gender identity across unequal clinical contexts.

Abstract In effort to address fundamental causes and reduce health disparities, public programs increasingly mandate sites of care to capture patient data on social and behavioral domains within Electronic Health Records (EHRs). Data reporting drawing from EHRs plays an essential role in public management of social problems, and data on social factors are commonly cited as foundational for eliminating health inequities. Yet one major shortcoming of these data-centered initiatives is their limited attention to social context, including the institutional conditions of biomedical stratification and variation of care provision across clinical settings. In this article, we leverage comparative fieldwork to examine provider and system responses to mandated data collection on patient sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI), highlighting unequal clinical contexts as they appear across a large county safety-net institution and an LGBTQ-oriented health organization. Although point of care data collection is commonly justified for governance in the aggregate (e.g., disparity monitoring), we find standardized data on social domains presents a double-edged sword in clinical settings: formal categories promote visibility where certain issues remain hidden, yet constrain clinical utility in sites with greater knowledge and experience with related topics. We further illustrate how data standardization captures patient identities yet fundamentally misses these unequal contexts, resulting in limited attenuation of inequity despite broad expectations of clinical change. By revealing the often-invisible contexts of care that elude standard measurement, our findings underline the strengths of qualitative social science in accounting for the complex dynamics of enduring social problems. We call for deeper engagement with the unequal contexts of biomedical stratification, especially in light of increasing pressure to quantify the social amidst the rising tide of data-driven care.
Herd immunity at what price? Using auctions to estimate what university students must be paid to get the flu vaccine

Abstract There is significant resistance to vaccinations. Fewer than half of adults get a flu shot in the United States in a typical year, and a large minority of Americans say they will not get vaccinated against COVID-19. This resistance to vaccines creates challenges for both public health and the economy. The academic literature needs to consider potential policy solutions that might increase vaccination rates. In this study, we use experimental auctions to estimate how much university students need to be paid in exchange for agreeing to get a flu shot. These were real auctions where winners received compensation to get the flu shot. As found in prior research, the perceived stakes of such auctions incentivize participants to estimate the price at which they would engage in the auctioned behavior – in this instance, receiving a flu shot. We find that 50% require less than $1, and an additional 30% would get vaccinated for a payment of $20 or less. We also use a tobit regression to estimate bids as a function of participants’ demographic characteristics. If low levels of compensation increase vaccination rates, this has significant public health implications. The government may be able to achieve higher vaccination rates at a relatively low cost, particularly in comparison with the economic harms caused by illness. This study demonstrates that experimental auctions may be useful for estimating how much a larger, more representative sample would need to be paid in exchange for agreeing to receive flu or COVID-19 vaccinations.
Performance of high-recovery recycling reverse osmosis with wash water

Inclusion of a recycling loop for partially-desalted water from second-stage reverse-osmosis permeate has been shown useful for achieving high-recovery at moderate applied pressures. This approach has now been applied to simulated wash waters, to obtain data on retention by the membranes of solutes in a mixture comparable to anticipated spacecraft hygiene wastewaters, and to generate an estimate of the maximum concentration that can be expected without causing membrane fouling. A first experiment set provides selectivity information from a single membrane and an Igepon detergent, as a function of final concentration. A reject concentration of 3.1% Total Organic Carbon has been reached, at a pressure of 1.4 Mega Pascals, without membrane fouling. Further experiments have generated selectivity values for the recycle configuration from two washwater simulations, as a function of applied pump pressure. Reverse osmosis removal has also been tested for washwater containing detergent formulated for plant growth compatibility (containing nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium functional groups.)
Siamang Socioecology in Spatiotemporally Heterogenous Landscapes: Do “Typical” Groups Exist?

Tropical rainforest habitats are the most biologically diverse and spatially heterogeneous landscapes on earth, including a bewildering variety of life forms organized into a complex three-dimensional lattice. Sumatran forests contain enormous numbers of plant species, some of which are present at low densities, and the dominant tree species vary with elevation, soil structure, other landscape features, and geographic region (Whitten et al. 2000). Natural and anthropogenic disturbances produce a diversity of microhabitats within each general habitat type. Plant dispersal dynamics, interactions among plant species or individuals within rainforest habitats, and plant-animal interactions may also result in uneven distributions of plants across space (Condit et al. 2000; Silva and Tabarelli 2001). Therefore, each unit of area in a rainforest habitat contains a set of plants that differs at least slightly from that in the adjacent area. Accordingly, for territorial animal species that utilize plant resources, the actual and relative availability of specific plant foods in a given month may vary substantially between territories, even among neighboring groups.
Legal Transitions, Rational Expectations, and Legal Progress

This paper was written for a symposium on legal transitions. The central question in the transitions literature is whether or to what extent the government should provide compensation for (or seek in some way to ameliorate) the losses of wealth occasioned by unexpected changes in the law or social policy. This Article argues that the prevailing normative framework for evaluating legal transitions - the consequentialist or economic framework - relies critically on two assumptions: the assumption that private parties (whose incentives are sought to be affected by the choice of transition norm) will behave with rational expectations and the assumption that the law will tend to change in a desirable direction, that there will be "legal progress." Perhaps the most important, and certainly the most well-known, insight of the consequentialist framework has been that, if both of these assumptions hold, a powerful case can be made in favor of a norm of applying legal change retroactively. To the extent, however, that these assumptions do not apply, the case for retroactivity becomes considerably weaker, at least on incentive- or anticipation-grounds. One conclusion of the Article is that those assumptions are quite likely to apply - and hence a retroactivity norm will likely make good sense - with respect to two fairly narrow types of legal change: 1) expansions in products liability law (or expansions in product safety or environmental regulation generally) that are based on the incorporation of the latest (and adequately confirmed) scientific discoveries; and 2) moves, by Congress, courts, or the IRS to eliminate abusive tax shelter transactions. In both of these admittedly unrelated cases, there is a strong case to be made that the relevant parties - manufacturers in one and sophisticated taxpayers in the other - can rationally predict the future course of law and its application to them. And there is a strong case that these types of legal change will tend to be desirable. One way of putting my conclusion is that, if retroactivity is ever going to make sense on incentive grounds, it will make sense in these cases.
Using dependent types to port type systems to low-level languages

A major difficulty when trying to apply high-level type systems to low-level languages is that we must reason about relationships between values. For example, in a low-level implementation of object-oriented dynamic dispatch we must ensure that the “self” argument passed to the method is the same object from whose virtual table we fetched the pointer to the method. Similarly, in low-level code using arrays we must relate the array address with the variables that store the bounds. We show for several examples that the high-level type system must be extended with dependent types in order to reason about low-level code. The novel feature in this use of dependent types is that they can be used in presence of pointers and mutation. We discuss three case studies. First, we show a variant of bytecode verification that operates on the assembly language output of a native code compiler. Second, we show how to express and check at the assembly level the invariants enforced by CCured, a source-level instrumentation tool that guarantees type safety in legacy C programs. Finally, we show that dependent types are a natural specification mechanism for enforcing common safe programming practices in C programs. We have used this mechanism to efficiently enforce memory safety for several Linux device drivers.
HCl ABSORPTION TOWARD SAGITTARIUS B2

We have detected the 626 GHz J = 1 → 0 transition of hydrogen chloride (H^(35)Cl) in absorption against the dust continuum emission of the molecular cloud Sagittarius B2. The observed line shape is consistent with the blending of the three hyperfine components of this transition by the velocity profile of Sgr B2 observed in other species. The apparent optical depth of the line is t ≈ 1, and the minimum HCl column density is 1.6 x 10^(14) cm^(-2) A detailed radiative transfer model was constructed which includes collisional and radiative excitation, absorption and emission by dust, and the radial variation of temperature and density. Good agreement between the model and the data is obtained for HCl/H_2 ~ 1.1 x 10^(-9). Comparison of this result to chemical models indicates that the depletion factor of gas-phase chlorine is between 50–180 in the molecular envelope surrounding the SgrB2(N) and (M) dust cores.
Ultrasonic phase-shift oxygen measuring system-Error estimation and data analysis

An oxygen measurement system using the phase delay of ultrasonic waves has been developed. The error estimation for the sequence of data acquisition and processing and the analysis of updated data are presented here. The actually measured and the estimated errors are compared as a final step to verify the system performance. The actually measured errors were close to or even less than the estimated ones. >
Parallel and Distributed Data Mining: An Introduction

The explosive growth in data collection in business and scienti fic fields has literally forced upon us the need to analyze and mine useful knowledge from it. Data mining refers to the entire process of extracting useful and novel patterns/models from large datasets. Due to the huge size of data and amount of computation involved in data mining, high-performance computing is an essential component for any successful large-scale data mining application. This chapter presents a survey on large-scale parallel and distributed data mining algorithms and systems, serving as an introduction to the rest of this volume. It also discusses the issues and challenges that must be overcome for designing and implementing successful tools for large-scale data mining.
Attention maintenance in novice drivers: assessment and training

All programs assessing attention maintenance inside the vehicle have required eye trackers and either a driving simulator or a specially equipped field vehicle. Ideally, one would like a way to assess attention maintenance that could be implemented on a desktop PC. Additionally, one would like to have a program that could be used to train novice drivers to maintain their attention more safely on the forward roadway. An experiment was run (a) to determine whether a program FOCAL (Focused Concentration and Attention Learning) using a desktop PC could differentiate between the attention maintenance skills of novice and experienced drivers and (b) to determine whether a program that improved the hazard anticipation skills of novice drivers might also improve their attention maintenance skills. FOCAL was able to differentiate between the attention maintenance skills of novice and experienced drivers. However, hazard anticipation training did not improve the attention maintenance skills of the novice drivers.
Plant virus transport: motions of functional equivalence.

Plant virus cell-to-cell movement and subsequent systemic transport are governed by a series of mechanisms involving various virus and plant factors. Specialized virus encoded movement proteins (MPs) control the cell-to-cell transport of viral nucleoprotein complexes through plasmodesmata. MPs of different viruses have diverse properties and each interacts with specific host factors that also have a range of functions. Most viruses are then transported via the phloem as either nucleoprotein complexes or virions, with contributions from host and virus proteins. Some virus proteins contribute to the establishment and maintenance of systemic infection by inhibiting RNA silencing-mediated degradation of viral RNA. In spite of all the different movement strategies and the viral and host components, there are possible functional commonalities in virus–host interactions that govern viral spread through plants.
Endoscopic removal of PMMA in hip revision surgery with a CO2 laser

Purpose: to compare CO 2 laser to mechanical means of PMMA removal in total hip arthroplasty revision surgery. Materials and methods: Forty-five patients requiring hip revision surgery were studied and compared to historical controls. Cement was removed from the femoral canal utilizing a 30 centimeter laparoscope. A CO 2 laser waveguide was passed through the laparoscope into the femoral canal and a TV camera was placed over the eye piece to permit visualization of the depths of the femoral canal on a video monitor. The leg was placed in a horizontal position which avoided the pooling of blood or saline in the depths of the femur. Under direct vision the distal plug could be vaporized with a 40 centimeter CO 2 laser waveguide. Power settings of 20 to 25 watts and a superpulsed mode were used. A 2 mm suction tube was welded to the outside of the laparoscope permitting aspiration of the products of vaporization. Results: Of 45 hip revisions there were no shaft perforation, fractures or undue loss of bone stock. There was no statistically different stay in hospital time, blood loss or operative time between the CO 2 revision group compared to the non-laser revision group, in which cement was removed by mechanical methods. Conclusions: Mechanical methods used in removing bone cement using high speed burrs, reamers, gouges, and osteotomies is technically difficult and fraught with complications including shaft fracture, perforations, and unnecessary loss of bone stock. The authors' experience using the CO 2 laser in hip revision surgery has permitted the removal of bone cement. Use of a modified laparoscope has allowed for precise, complete removal of bone cement deep within the femoral shaft without complication or additional operative time. The authors now advocate the use of a CO 2 laser with modified laparoscope in hip revision surgery in which bone cement is to be removed from within the femoral shaft.
Global biodiversity of Scorpionflies and Hangingflies (Mecoptera) in freshwater

Seven species and one sub-species of Mecoptera are aquatic as larvae and pupae. All aquatic species are classified in two genera of the family Nannochoristidae and have very restricted geographic ranges, with three species confined to extreme southern South America, three species and one sub-species confined to New South Wales or Tasmania in Australia, and one species confined to the South Island of New Zealand.
Mahoganoid and mahogany mutations rectify the obesity of the yellow mouse by effects on endosomal traffic of MC4R protein.

The ubiquitous overexpression of agouti-signaling protein (ASP), a paracrine-signaling molecule that regulates pigment-type switching in the hair follicle of the mouse, is responsible for the obesity and yellow pelage of the Yellow mouse (Ay). Mahogany (Attractin, Atrn/mg) and mahoganoid (Mahogunin Ring Finger-1, Mgrn1/md) are mutations epistatic to Ay. These mutations have been described as suppressors of ASP action, blocking its antagonizing effects on the melanocortin 1 and 4 receptors (MC1R and MC4R) in the skin and the brain, respectively, via unknown mechanisms. Here, we describe the molecular bases for the md- and mg-dependent rescue of the Ay phenotype at the MC4R. We show that overexpression of ASP inhibits the rise in cAMP levels in response to α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone, an MC4R agonist, by blocking ligand binding and by directing MC4R trafficking to the lysosome. Loss-of-function of either attractin or MGRN1 blocks ASP-dependent MC4R degradation and promotes increased trafficking of internalized MC4R to the cell surface, but it does not restore α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone-dependent cAMP signaling. We propose that MGRN1 and attractin are components of an evolutionarily conserved receptor trafficking pathway and that the md and mg mutations rescue the Ay phenotypes by a primarily cAMP-independent mechanism promoting trafficking of MC4R and likely MC1R away from the lysosome toward the cell surface.
Double phase conjugation

We model the double phase-conjugate mirror (DPCM) as a function of time, the average direction of propagation of the two beams forming the DPCM, and one transverse coordinate. Calculations show that the conjugation fidelity and reflectivity have different dependencies on the photorefractive coupling coefficient times length; the fidelity turns on abruptly with a threshold, whereas the reflectivity increases smoothly. The DPCM behaves as an oscillator at and above threshold: the time required for the reflectivity to reach the steady state dramatically slows down near threshold (like critical slowing down in lasers); above threshold the DPCM is self-sustaining even if the random noise terms used to start the process are set to zero. A decrease in the noise level improves the fidelity but increases the response time. The use of unbalanced input beam ratios results in asymmetric conjugation such that the fidelity obtained on the side of the weaker input beam is significantly reduced. The slowing down diminishes with increasing noise level or unbalanced input intensities.
Recrystallization of amorphous and nanocrystalline NdBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-x/ and GdBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-x/

Using a novel melt-spinning technique, the authors have produced both amorphous and nanocrystalline NdBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-x/ and GdBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-x/ materials. Samples melt-spun in O/sub 2/ consist of nanocrystals with the tetragonal 123 structure while those processed in N/sub 2/ show an amorphous matrix with small amounts of crystalline BaCu/sub 2/O/sub 2/, as shown by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies. The difference is due to the strong dependence of the phase relations on the O/sub 2/ partial pressure. Superconductivity can be fully restored by heating above 1000 degrees C followed by a 450 degrees C anneal in O/sub 2/. High-temperature XRD studies show that the 123 phase crystallizes directly from the amorphous matrix below 800 degrees C. Restoration of the orthorhombic 123 phase does not necessarily ensure good superconducting properties, a result attributed to disorder on the heavy metal sites. >
Optimization of SiN AR coating for Si solar cells and modules through quantitative assessment of optical and efficiency loss mechanism

Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) SiN films are widely used as antireflection (AR) coating for silicon solar cells and particularly for multi-crystalline solar cells for hydrogen passivation of bulk defects. In this paper, the detailed optical properties of various SiN films and their effect on silicon solar cell efficiency in air and under glass is evaluated by a combination of Monte-Carlo geometrical ray tracing program, Sunrays, and a device modeling program PC1D. Maximum module power under glass and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) encapsulation is used as the figure of merit for optimizing the index and thickness of the SiN films. Simulations are categorized by surface morphology (planar or textured) and ambient (air or glass). SiN films with refractive index (n) in the range of 2.03–2.42 are used for this study. It is found that although n = 2.03 is not the optimum index in terms of reflectance under glass (n = 1.5), it produces maximum cell or module efficiency under glass. This is because n = 2.03 film produces much higher cell efficiency (17.9%) in air, therefore, even after a significant optical encapsulation loss of 0.8% in absolute efficiency, the cell efficiency remains highest (17.1%) under glass. In contrast SiN film with an index of 2.4 produces only 0.5% air to glass efficiency loss but due to the low starting efficiency of 17% in air; the final cell efficiency under glass is only 16.5%. In addition, texturing provides a larger window of thickness around the optimum without affecting the optical performance. Similar analysis done for planar cells indicate that optimum index for highest module power is 2.20. This is because reflection is much higher in planar cells, therefore higher index can be tolerated before loss due to absorption in SiN exceeds the gain in reflectance under glass. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Weak scattering in random media, with applications to remote probing

A simple phase-screen technique has been used to derive statistical characterizations of the perturbations imposed upon a wave (plane, spherical, or beamed) propagating through a random medium. The method is essentially physical rather than mathematical; its application is limited only by the weak-scattering approximation, a limitation which is important only for long optical or acoustical paths. No other wavelength restriction is imposed. Situations treated include arbitrary path geometries, finite transmitting and receiving apertures, anisotropic or lossy media, and polarization effects. Results include, in addition to the usual statistical quantities, time-lagged functions, mixed functions involving phase and amplitude fluctuations, angle-of-arrival covariances, frequency covariance, and other higher order quantities.
Genetic variation for traits related to temperate adaptation of rice cultivars

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is cultivated in diverse environments including temperate, subtropical, and tropical regions. Temperate rice areas are dominated by the japonica subspecies, while indica cultivars are confined to the tropical or subtropical zones. The present study was conducted to characterize a diverse set of predominately japonica rice cultivars for traits related to adaptation to temperate environments. The 117 cultivars were previously classified into indica and two japonica (temperate and tropical) groups based on RAPD markers. While considerable diversity existed within groups, temperate japonica cultivars had better seedling-stage cold tolerance (i.e., less chlorosis at 9 and 13°C treatments), higher seedling vigor, shorter growth duration, higher panicle exsertion, and lower threshability (i.e., less shattering or seed shedding) than indica cultivars. Cultivars from the same class were grouped together based on principal components analysis using the above traits, but the distributions were continuous. Tropical japonica cultivars were usually intermediate between temperate japonicas and indicas; however, there was no appreciable difference in seedling cold tolerance between tropical and temperate japonicas. Despite their association with tropical environments, the tropical japonicas possess many of the traits relative to low-temperature adaptation present in the temperate types.
Baseline quality of life as a prognostic survival tool in patients receiving sunitinib for metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

Baseline quality of life as a prognostic survival tool in patients receiving sunitinib for metastatic renal cell carcinoma
Long-range neutrino forces exerted by kerr black holes

In flat space there is a long-range $\frac{1}{{r}^{5}}$ potential between two collections of matter arising from the exchange of neutrino pairs between them. It is shown that a Kerr black hole cannot exert a weak-interaction force of this kind. A Kerr black hole has no exterior neutrino field with classical effects.
Preliminary studies on the use of modulation sensing for noninvasive monitoring of drug compliance

Presently two methods in concert, a marker method and an electronic monitoring method, have been emphasized for an objective monitoring of drug compliance in ambulatory care. While the marker method proves dose ingestion, the electronic monitoring method provides continuous record of timing of presumptive drug doses. The marker method is however time intensive with associated safety problems, and the electronic monitoring method is easily defeated. We here present preliminary results on modulation sensing, a new method that could be used to non-invasively monitor patient compliance. Measurement is based on observing the amplitude modulation of the emission from both a short lifetime marker fluorophore of interest and a long lifetime reference fluorophore contained in the monitoring device. At some intermediate frequencies, the observed modulation of the combined emission is nearly equivalent to the fractional intensity of the marker fluorophore. This method precludes problems associated with measuring fluorescence intensities in highly scattering media. Using this method we measured the presence of rhodamine 800 (Rh800) in intralipid suspensions and chicken tissue. Rh800 is excited at long wavelengths not absorbed by tissues. Micromolar concentrations of this dye were detected in intralipid and chicken muscle covered with a layer of chicken skin.
Occlusion lowers cytokine mRNA levels in essential fatty acid-deficient and normal mouse epidermis, but not after acute barrier disruption

Acute disruption of the permeability barrier by either tape stripping or acetone treatment and chronic disruption by feeding an essential fatty acid-deficient diet increase the mRNA levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha), interleukin (IL)-1 alpha, IL-1 beta, IL-1ra, and granulocyte/macrophage-colony-stimulating factor in murine epidermis. Furthermore, epidermal TNF alpha protein levels also are stimulated by barrier disruption. To understand the relation of epidermal cytokine production to barrier function, we studied the effect of the application of a water vapor-impermeable membrane on epidermal cytokine production both in normal epidermis and after barrier disruption. Latex occlusion of essential fatty acid-deficient mice for 24-48 h lowered the mRNA levels of epidermal TNF alpha, IL-1 alpha, and IL-1ra to nearly control values, but not the levels of IL-1 beta mRNA. Occlusion of normal mice for 8, 24, and 48 h did not alter the levels of epidermal mRNAs encoding TNF alpha, IL-1 beta, or IL-1ra. Yet mRNA levels of IL-1 alpha, the major constitutively produced epidermal cytokine, were reduced by 40% after 24 h and by 80% after 48 h of occlusion of normal mouse epidermis. In contrast, latex occlusion of mice immediately after acute barrier disruption by either tape stripping or acetone treatment blocked neither the stimulation of epidermal mRNAs for TNF alpha, IL-1 alpha, IL-1 beta, or IL-1ra, nor the increase in epidermal TNF alpha protein. Taken together, these results suggest that barrier status regulates the production of specific cytokines in essential fatty acid-deficient and normal mouse epidermis. However, the signals that regulate epidermal cytokine production in response to acute barrier disruption do not appear to be influenced by occlusion.
BLOOD PLASMA PROTEIN REGENERATION AS INFLUENCED BY FASTING, INFECTION, AND DIET FACTORS VARIABLE RESERVE STORES OF PLASMA PROTEIN BUILDING MATERIAL IN THE DOG

When blood plasma proteins are depleted by bleeding, with return of the washed red cells (plasmapheresis) it is possible to bring dogs to a steady state of hypoproteinemia and a uniform plasma protein production on a basal low protein diet. These dogs are clinically normal with normal appetite, no anemia and normal nitrogen metabolism. These dogs become test subjects by which various factors relating to plasma protein production may be tested. The normal dog (10 to 13 kg.) has a substantial reserve store of plasma protein building material (10 to 60+ gm.) which requires 2 to 6 weeks plasmapheresis for its complete removal. After this period the dog will produce uniform amounts of plasma protein each week on a fixed basal diet. Dogs previously depleted by plasmapheresis and then permitted to return to normal during a long rest period of many weeks, may show much higher reserve stores of protein building material in subsequent periods of plasma depletion (see Table 1). Under uniform conditions of low protein diet intake when plasmapheresis is discontinued for 2 weeks the plasma protein building material is stored quantitatively in the body and can subsequently be recovered (Table 4) in the next 2 to 3 weeks of plasmapheresis. Given complete depletion of plasma protein building reserve stores the dog can produce very little (2+/- gm. per week) plasma protein on a protein-free diet. This may be related to the wear and tear of body protein and conservation of these split products. Abscesses produced in a depleted dog during a fast may cause some excess production of plasma protein which is probably related to products of tissue destruction conserved for protein anabolism. Gelatin alone added to the basal diet causes very little plasma protein production but when supplemented by tryptophane gives a large protein output, while tryptophane alone is inert.
Interfacing and operation of a Princeton Applied Research multichannel detector controller with a Digital Equipment Corporation DECLAB 11/MNC computer

Abstract The hardware and software aspects of an interface between a Princeton Applied Research (PAR) model 1216 Vidicon controller and a Digital Equipment Corporation DECLAB-11/MNC computer are described. The interface permits complete control of the Vidicon scanning parameters and data gathering. A major advantage over the OMA series offered by PAR is that the utility of the computer is not dedicated to control of the Vidicon; its full capabilities are available for additional tasks such as experimental control.
Inhibition of interferon secretion in human fibroblast by vinblastine.

Vinblastine treatment of superinduced human fibroblast (FS-4) cultures strongly inhibited interferon (IFN) secretion and resulted in intracellular accumulation of IFN activity. The cell-associated IFN migrated slower than secreted IFN in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, indicating a larger size. The results suggest the presence of a possible precursor form of mature Hu IFN-β with biological activity.
Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor improves survival of dopaminergic neurons in transplants of fetal ventral mesencephalic tissue.

This study was designed to determine whether or not an exogenous source of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) could be delivered continuously into the denervated/transplanted striatum and stimulate the survival, growth, and function of fetal ventral mesencephalic tissue transplants. Adult male rats with unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesions received transplants of fetal ventral mesencephalic tissue into the denervated striatum. Immediately thereafter, osmotic pumps [Alzet 2002, 0.5 μl/h] were attached to intracerebral cannula and either a citrate buffer alone [control] or r-methuGDNF [dissolved in sodium citrate buffer to a concentration of 0.45 μg/μl] was infused into a site ∼ 1.0 mm lateral to the transplant for a 2-week period; one group of lesioned animals did not receive transplants but was infused with GDNF. The effect of GDNF on tyrosine hydroxylase-positive (TH+) fiber outgrowth from transplants was variable, and image analysis revealed no significant difference between the GDNF and citrate groups. In contrast, the mean number of TH+ cells bodies in transplants infused with GDNF [2,037 ± 149, n = 8] vs citrate [663 ± 160, n = 8] was statistically significant (P < 0.001); cell counts were made in every third brain section [35 μm]. Similarly, transplants infused with GDNF showed an over-compensatory effect to amphetamine-induced rotational behavior that was significantly lower than that observed in transplanted animals receiving citrate buffer infusions. Infusions of GDNF into the denervated striatum alone had no significant effect on amphetamine-induced rotational behavior or on TH fiber morphology in the lesioned striatum. Thus, a continuous infusion of GDNF can improve the survivability of dopaminergic neurons in transplants of fetal ventral mesencephalic tissue.
The Nature of Attitude

Resume LA NATURE DE L'ATTITUDE Un examen de cinquante-cinq manuels de sociologie, de psychologie, et de psychologie sociale indique que l'emploi du terme ‘attitude’ est devenu beaucoup plus etendu dans les annees recemment passees. Les auteurs different beaucoup a l'egard de la composition specifique de l'attitude. On a distingue quatre types de theorie: (1) le type de 'set organique' avec deux varietes: le type de ‘set moteur’ et le type de ‘set neural’; (2) les theories generales; (3) la theorie de comportement; et (4) les theories de ‘preparation mentale.’ Les auteurs s'accordent cependent generalement a croire qu'une attitude est une preparation pour l'action. Ils s'accordent aussi a croire que les attitudes sont pour la plupart acquises pendant toute la vie. L'objet de reference ou de valeur est une partie indispensable d'une attitude. C'est le point a l'egard duquel on devient dispose de sorte qu'on peut agir pour ou contre quand le mobile approprie se presente. On peut classifier les attitudes selo...
Vestibular stimulation influence on motor development in infants

Preambulatory, normal human infants were exposed to sessions of mild semicircular canal stimulation on 2 days per week for 4 weeks. The gross motor ability of each child was assessed before and after the 4-week period. The vestibular stimulation effected a significant improvement in gross motor skills.
Role of the native oxide on indium antimonide surface properties

Abstract The native oxide was allowed to grow at room temperature on bulk InSb prior to deposition of indirect plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposited silicon dioxide. Capacitance characterization of metal-insulator-semiconductor structure samples showed superior results when contrasted with native oxide-free specimens. Both p-type and n-type InSb samples were studied and surface state densities decreased following oxidation to approximately 3 X 10 11 cm −2 eV −1 while hysteresis decreased significantly. We conclude that preservation of the native oxide is critical for good dielectric-semiconductor interfaces on InSb, especially p-type material.
Information science: Some questions and answers

The basic opinion voiced in this paper is that an information scientist, in the all-round sense of the word, is an individual who is capable of dealing with information problems wherever they occur. Libraries make up only one of hundreds of environments in which an information scientist should be able to work intelligently on problems, and library science is only one part of the much broader field of information science. In the University, the logical organization for training information scientists would be in a Department of Information Science which would grant a degree in information science. It would also grant a degree in library science as a highly specialized degree within the information science field. The total number of courses to prepare a student for work in all fields of information science is too large to be incorporated into the one-year-plus-one-summer period which is presently allotted to earning a master's degree in library science. The information science sequence should start in the freshman year and result in the traditional bachelor's (after 4 years), master's (after 1 or 2 additional years) and doctor's (after at least 3 years beyond the master's) degree. As the student progresses through the various degrees, increasing specialization takes place, and increasing emphasis would be placed on research.
Quantitative analysis of continuous-wave Doppler spectral broadening for the diagnosis of carotid disease: results of a multicenter study.

Abstract This article reports the results of a multicenter study that compares 333 frequency analysis studies with the continuous-wave Doppler method with angiography. With receiver operating characteristic curves, the study documents the accuracy of the Doppler technique for the diagnosis of extracranial carotid arterial stenosis greater than 45% diameter reduction. It confirms the accuracy of the measurement of the maximal peak Doppler frequency and, in addition, shows that quantitative analysis of the instantaneous Doppler spectrum at peak systole by the measurement of the spectral broadening index is of diagnostic value. Likelihood ratios have been calculated with the use of curve-fitting techniques and it has been demonstrated how both the peak frequency and the spectral broadening index can be used together to improve the certainty of diagnosis. It is concluded that the probability that an individual patient has significant carotid arterial disease can be determined with the measurements of peak frequency and spectral broadening index from the continuous-wave Doppler spectral waveform. (J VASC SURG 1986;4:493-504.)