cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The site of the optical image in the eye

Based on good empirical evidence it is generally said that the layer of the retina containing the rod and cone cells is the site where the optical image of the external world falls, and whence the neural signal is transmitted to the brain. The historical path to this idea is traced from the ancient Greeks, through Kepler to modern times. The newer hypothesis suggests that the retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) layer behind the rods and cones may be the actual photoreceptive apparatus. It is supported by clinical pictures, such as retinal detachment and Vitamin A deficiency, and the physical law of Grotthuss and Draper, together with further evidence from recent advances in molecular biology dealing with G protein-coupled receptors, that received the Nobel Prize in 2012.
Galvanic synthesis of hollow non-precious metal nanoparticles using aluminum nanoparticle template and their catalytic applications

Aluminum nanoparticles, owing to the large negative redox potential, are demonstrated to be an efficient template material to synthesize nanomaterials using the galvanic replacement reaction. The new nanoparticle template has lead to the production of hollow non-precious metal nanoparticles including nickel and cobalt. These hollow nanoparticles are characterized by electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and BET measurements. When used as catalysts for hydrogen generation from sodium borohydride hydrolysis reaction, these hollow nanoparticles show improved catalytic properties over their solid counterparts due to their large surface area.
Residual stress characterization of welded specimens by non-destructive activation technique

Welded specimens consisting of Type 304L stainless steel and/or Alloy EP-823 were tested for evaluations of the extent and nature of resultant residual stress in terms of line-shape parameters based on the activation technique associated with positron annihilation spectroscopy. A maximum residual stress was estimated near the welded region of specimens of similar and dissimilar materials. It is suggested that the compressive residual stress in the vicinity of the fusion line of Alloy EP-823 side of the welded specimen may be attributed to the volume increase and plastic strain developed during its rapid cooling and solidification.
Assessment of the biological impact of point source discharges employing Asiatic clams

Three thousandCorbicula fluminea were transplanted for six months along a stress gradient produced by the thermal discharge of a power plant to ascertain whether Asiatic clams could be employed to monitor the biological impact of point source discharges. Water temperature at the warmest site (station 1) was between 25 and 35°C, 7–13°C above that in the river. Almost complete clam mortality was recorded here within 60 days. Water temperature at the next cooler site (station 2) was elevated 0.5–2.0°C above ambient river temperature (stations 3 and 4). Adult and juvenile clam shell and tissue growth and condition index was less here (P 0.1). A one time measurement of juvenile clam scope for growth (SFG) also demonstrated a decreasing trend along the thermal gradient. SFG was positively correlated with juvenile clam shell and tissue growth (P P > 0.05).
Effects of animal density and supply of deposited and suspended food particles on feeding, growth and small-scale distributions of two spionid polychaetes

Abstract Many soft-sediment taxa can switch between deposit feeding and suspension feeding, depending on near-bottom flow conditions. Because the foraging spaces of individuals are typically greater when deposit feeding than when suspension feeding, density-dependent interactions should be more pronounced when deposit feeding. To test this hypothesis, laboratory experiments were conducted with two species of spionid polychaetes, Boccardia pugettensis (Blake) and Pseudopolydora kempi japonica (Imajima & Hartman). Densities of the two species were manipulated singly and together to examine intraspecific and interspecific effects. Food particles were supplied by episodic bedload transport, under which conditions both species deposit feed, or by continuous suspended load transport, under which conditions both species facultatively suspension feed. Contrary to the hypothesis, feeding and growth rates in the intraspecific experiments showed no density dependence when deposit feeding or suspension feeding, even when densities of conspecifics were as high as 220% (for Boccardia ) and 940% (for Pseudopolydora ), the average densities in the field. Supporting the hypothesis, there was weak evidence from the interspecific experiments that a high density of Boccardia exerted a negative effect on Pseudopolydora 's growth rate when animals were deposit feeding but not when suspension feeding. Other, more clear, density-dependent effects were detected. Emigration of Boccardia from high-density treatments was pronounced when deposit feeding, but no emigration occurred when suspension feeding. Pseudopolydora emigrated at high density whether deposit feeding or suspension feeding. When deposit feeding, individuals of both species maintained a constant distance to their nearest neighbor, regardless of density of animals. When suspension feeding, however, distances between neighbors significantly decreased at high densities.
The STRIP rule system for efficiently maintaining derived data

Derived data is maintained in a database system to correlate and summarize base data which records real world facts. As base data changes, derived data needs to be recomputed. This is often implemented by writing active rules that are triggered by changes to base data. In a system with rapidly changing base data, a database with a standard rule system may consume most of its resources running rules to recompute data. This paper presents the rule system implemented as part of the STandard Real-time Information Processor (STRIP). The STRIP rule system is an extension of SQL3-type rules that allows groups of rule actions to be batched together to reduce the total recomputation load on the system. In this paper we describe the syntax and semantics of the STRIP rule system, present an example set of rules to maintain stock index and theoretical option prices in a program trading application, and report the results of experiments performed on the running system. The experiments verify that STRIP's rules allow much more efficient derived data maintenance than conventional rules without batching.
BURNING AND SOOTING BEHAVIOR OF ETHANOL DROPLET COMBUSTION UNDER MICROGRAVITY CONDITIONS

In an effort to gain a better understanding of the burning and sooting behavior of ethanol, isolated droplet combustion experiments were performed in the 2.2-s drop tower at NASA Glenn Research Center. The measurement of the burning rate, soot standoff ratio, and soot volume fraction are described in which initial droplet diameter, oxygen concentration, and ambient pressure were varied. The experiments reveal that while ethanol droplets burn in 1-atm air without soot formation, luminous radiation from soot particles is observed at higher pressures, with increased sooting at higher oxygen volume fraction. Increases in the oxygen concentration at elevated pressures results in a nonmonotonic behavior in the measured soot volume fraction. These experiments provide the first quantitative measurements of the soot volume fraction for ethanol droplet burning under microgravity conditions.
Grain Boundary Properties and Grain Growth: Al Foils, Al Films

Relative grain boundary energy as a function of misorientation angle has been measured in cube-oriented, i.e., fiber-textured, 120 [.proportional]m-thick Al foil using orientation imaging microscopy and a statistical multiscale method. The energies of low-angle boundaries increase with misorientation angle, in good agreement with the Read-Shockley model. The relative energies of high-angle boundaries exhibit little variation with misorientation. Examination of the grain structure of fiber-textured, 100 nm-thick Al films annealed at 400°C for 0.5-10 h shows 5 and 6 sided grains to be the most frequent, and the fraction of four-sided grains to be significant. The mean number of sides is slightly lower than the expected value of 6 for two- dimensional structures. Of lognormal, gamma and Rayleigh distributions, gamma gives the best fit to the grain size data in the films; however, the difference between gamma and lognormal is small. Grain growth is not self-similar and stagnates after one hour of annealing. The evolution of the grain size distribution with time indicates that the growth stagnation in the films is neither consistent with boundary pinning by grooving nor with conventional treatments of solute drag. Surface, elastic-strain and plastic-strain energy driving forces do not play a significant role in the grain growth and the subsequent stagnation since the films are strongly textured even in the as- deposited state. The steady-state distributions of reduced grain area for two-dimensional, Monte Carlo and partial differential equation based simulations show excellent agreement with each other, even when anisotropic boundary energies are used. However, comparison with experimental distributions reveals a significantly higher population of small grains in the experiments.
Genomics of the NF-κB signaling pathway: hypothesized role in ovarian cancer

Objective We sought to review evidence linking nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) to ovarian cancer and to identify genetic variants involved in NF-κB signaling.
Acoustic mode measurements in the inlet of a model turbofan using a continuously rotating rake: Data collection/analysis techniques

The rotating microphone measurement technique and data analysis procedures are documented which are used to determine circumferential and radial acoustic mode content in the inlet of the Advanced Ducted Propeller (ADP) model. Circumferential acoustic mode levels were measured at a series of radial locations using the Doppler frequency shift produced by a rotating inlet microphone probe. Radial mode content was then computed using a least squares curve fit with the measured radial distribution for each circumferential mode. The rotating microphone technique is superior to fixed-probe techniques because it results in minimal interference with the acoustic modes generated by rotor-stator interaction. This effort represents the first experimental implementation of a measuring technique developed by T. G. Sofrin. Testing was performed in the NASA Lewis Low Speed Anechoic Wind Tunnel at a simulated takeoff condition of Mach 0.2. The design is included of the data analysis software and the performance of the rotating rake apparatus. The effect of experiment errors is also discussed.
Lung growth in response to altered metabolic demand in hamsters: Influence of thyroid function and cold exposure

Abstract This study examines the relation between whole body O2 requirements and lung growth. 6-week-old hamsters were exposed to cold (5°C) or injected with thyroid hormone. These treatments elevated O2 consumption by 26% over a 28-day period. Both alveolar surface area and total lung air volume were increased by approximately 25% in each group. Morphometric data suggest that lung enlargment was due to an increase in the number or complexity, rather than size of individual alveolar units. Further elevating O2 demand by increasing thyroid dosage did not enhance lung size beyond the level observed with the lowest dose used. Depressing metabolic rate with an antithyroid drug for four weeks had no effect on lunf structure (in this animal model). Results indicate that in hamsters, increased physiologic O2 demand may be met to a certain extent by augmentation of the pulmonary diffusing surface.
Bayesian priors and multisensory integration at multiple levels of visual processing. Reply to comments on “Crossmodal influences on visual perception”

We would like to thank all commentators for their insightful and thought-provoking commentaries. We ﬁnd itgratifying that the commentators represent a diverse array of expertise, as they have enriched the discussion with theirdifferent perspectives on this topic. The commentaries have also identiﬁed and highlighted important open questionsin this ﬁeld; an important step in advancing the ﬁeld. Here, we discuss some of the important theoretical issues andobservations raised by de Haas and Rees [1], Spence [2], Alais [3], Vroomen [4], and Barone [5].de Haas and Rees [1] underscore that crossmodal interactions appear to occur at multiple levels of processing, andargue that any theory of multisensory perception should account for this phenomenon. We agree with this assessment.As discussed in the target paper [6], crossmodal interactions have been reported for a variety of visual tasks rangingfrom low-level perceptual tasks such as detection and motion perception, to high-level tasks such as object recognition.Even for a simple low-level task, there appear to be interactions between modalities at multiple levels of processing.For example, as noted by de Haas and Rees [1], in the numerosity judgment task (discussed in Sections 3 and 4 ofthe target paper), fMRI revealed interactions in areas ranging from superior colliculus, V1, and STS [7,8], and MEGrevealed early-onset interactions in occipital regions followed by later interactions in parietal and frontal areas [9].Interactions at multiple levels of processing are indeed consistent with a Bayesian inference scheme in which bothlikelihoods (sensory representations) and priors (expectations) play a role in the perceptual process. While the combi-nation of sensory information (likelihood functions) can occur at an early neural level of processing (e.g., V1, superiorcolliculus, or thalamus), the priors may involve interactions at a range of neural processing levels. For example, in
Charisma and Cultural Change: The Case of the Jamaa Movement in Katanga (Congo Republic)*

Study of charismatic movements has become an increasingly large, complex, and rather confusing field. A recent bibliography on modern religious movements in Africa, to which these considerations will be restricted, lists 1,313 items.' Various approaches to understanding these movements have been tried by students with different motives and theoretical inclinations. Personal, or at least historically limited, reasons rather than general theoretical problems seem to have been the driving forces behind the majority of studies that have appeared during the last twenty years. Here are some of the motives as I see them at this moment.
A method for controlling the within-root CO2 concentration

Abstract A method is presented for the control of carbon dioxide concentrations within the roots of Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh. The results indicated a linear fit of the root CO2 concentrations to the CO2 levels of the treatment gases: y= l.l. x+105 (r= 0.98, 18 d.f.). The method presented for controlling CO2 can be easily modified for other gas mixtures and plant species.
Collaborative care for depression in patients with diabetes increased depression-free days and had economic benefit

Source Citation Simon GE, Katon WJ, Lin EH, et al. Cost-effectiveness of systematic depression treatment among people with diabetes mellitus. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2007;64:65-72. 17199056
Ecotone characteristics of a southern Appalachian Mountain wetland

article i nfo Article history: Southern Appalachian Mountain wetlands support important habitat and serve several hydrologic functions. However, they may be threatened by human activities and global climate change. These wetlands are often located in remote, biogeographically isolated locations at high elevations. One of the largest of these wetlands — the peatlands within the Cranberry Glades Botanical Area — was assessed for meadow-forest ecotone characteristics. The Cranberry Glades have been reported to be infilling with trees from the surrounding forest, but little research has been conducted on the patterns of tree growth within the moss-dominated communities. Tree establishment patterns were analyzed in regard to location within the ecotone, hummock/hollow topography, and soil conditions by recording the growing conditions of 1389 trees located within nine, 10×100 m belt transects. The results indicated that tree growth within the ecotone occurred in decreasing density fromthe forest tothe meadow interior, and much of the tree establishment occurred intreeislands (80% of trees were found in tree islands). Significantly more trees (92%) were also found on hummocks than hollows (8%), likely in response to the greater distance from the water table that the hummocks provide. Most soil properties did not vary significantly across the ecotone or in association with topography. The results add to the minimal literature on southern peatlands and may assist in peatland restoration and conservation efforts.
Food and complex societies

In complex societies individuals from distinct social, economic, gender, or age groups often consume different foods because of various economic, political, and ideological factors. The food system not only involves what is consumed but includes the labor and technology that goes into the production and preparation of food as well as how certain foods are distributed and eventually discarded. Food systems within and among complex societies are thus tightly intertwined with social differentiation and the political economy and participate in defining and maintaining differential social relations.
On the hydromagnetic model of comets

Several consequences of Alfven's (1957) hydromagnetic model of comets are developed. It is shown that such a model not only accounts for the observed morphology and time variations of the fine structure in the plasma tail, but also leads, in a natural way, towards explanations of two of the central problems in cometary physics; namely, the short ionization time-scales of the cometary molecules, and the large velocities and accelerations observed far down the tail.
`Aftermath: Living with the crisis': From PTC to Governing Through Crime

In these disparate voices we can hear the closure occurring — the interlocking mechanisms closing, the doors clanging shut. The society is battening itself down for `the long haul' through a crisis. There is light at the end of the tunnel — but not much; and it is far off. Meanwhile, the state has won the right, and indeed inherited the duty, to move swiftly, to stamp fast and hard, to listen in, discreetly survey, saturate and swamp, charge or hold without charge, act on suspicion, hustle and shoulder, to keep society on the straight and narrow. Liberalism, that last back-stop against arbitrary power, is in retreat. It is suspended. The times are exceptional. The crisis is real. We are inside the `law-and-order' state. (Hall et al., 1978: 323)Welcome to the desert of the real.1
A Hierarchical Bit-Map Format for the Representation of IC Mask Data

An alternative representation to the usual outline description of geometric entities for IC mask artwork is described. Rather than identifying opaque areas of a mask by individual shape outlines as described by their corners' coordinates, both the opaque and transparent areas of the design are represented by 1's and 0's respectively in a grid pattern or "bit map" of the entire mask plane. A bit-map representation is well suited to many computer design aids which deal with IC layout data. Artwork output programs which require a "MERGE" operation on all shapes of each mask benefit from this data format since it already contains the merged version of each mask's geometric entities. The bit-map format especially promises to increase the operational efficiency of Boolean comparisons of various mask levels as performed by artwork analysis programs for locating design rule errors and for identifying circuit elements directly from the masks. A hierarchical scheme for describing the bit patterns of a mask efficiently is presented which limits the memory requirements of this data format to a size proportional to the usual outline description. Consequently the bit-map representation can be used not only in those computer aids where it supports program functions very well, but also as the central data format for a CAD system.
Millimeter-Wave Dual Polarized L-Shaped Horn Antenna for Wide-Angle Phased Arrays

A new broadband dual polarized L-shaped horn antenna and associated waveguide feed structure is presented. The antenna is well suited for millimeter-wave polarimetric phased array systems requiring wide-angle scanning and ease of integration with planar circuits. A stereolithographic fabrication process is employed to obtain the complex angles and intricate features that are essential for the antenna and feed design. Dielectric material is used to fill the horn antenna and waveguide feed, which allows for the desired radiation characteristics as well as low loss transition to the microstrip circuitry. Broadband attributes are demonstrated with measured return losses of better than -10 dB from 34 to 40 GHz. The measured gain is 5.3 dB at 35 GHz, along with 19 dB cross-polarization discrimination
Abdominal pain and milky white serum.

A 40-year-old Caucasian man presented with intractable abdominal pain and nausea for 2 days. The epigastric pain was sharp, insidious in onset and radiated to the right upper quadrant. He reported nausea but no vomitings or changes in bowel movements. He denied any fever or chills and rigors. He denied any similar episodes in the past. He denied any alcohol use in the past 1 week. He denied using any over-the-counter medications. He had non-insulin-dependent diabetes and dyslipidemia for the last 5 years. He was non-adherent to medications. …
Using simulation and visualization technologies to strengthen the design/construction interface

The design and construction of a building, heavy civil or industrial project requires input from a wide range of members of the project team. Throughout the different phases of the facility development process, different members of the project team need to interact with each other, with one party generating information that needs to be used by the other party for their own tasks. The interface between the design team and the construction team is particularly important, especially since the quality of construction for the facility many times is a function of the quality of the information generated during the planning and design phases, and especially of the degree of construction input to the design process. The paper describes a new methodology for simulating construction operations, which strengthens the design/construction interface. This methodology provides a way of running interactive and real-time simulation of construction operations in a virtual environment that brings the user closer to the real world than ever before. Within this environment, a user can identify problems visually during the planning or design phases of a project, and solve them prior to actual construction of the facility.
Neuro-ophthalmologic complications of cataract surgery

Neuro-ophthalmologic complications from cataract surgery are uncommon and include central nervous system toxicity, binocular diplopia, traumatic optic neuropathy and ischemic optic neuropathy. Retrobulbar blocks may be accidentally injected into the subarachnoid space with diffusion to the brainstem. This leads to cardiovascular, respiratory, and mental status compromise. Most patients have complete recovery with adequate support. Post-operative, binocular diplopia may occur secondary to anisometropia or previously unrecognized misalignment. Periocular injection may cause paresis or fibrosis of extraocular muscles. Anterior or posterior ischemic optic neuropathy can occur in the first 6 weeks after cataract surgery with or without periocular injection. The risk to the other eye is high with subsequent contralateral cataract extraction. Post-operative vision loss associated with direct traumatic needle injury is recognized immediately. Therefore, an orbital MRI may be warranted for a patient with an optic neuropathy in the first 24 hours after cataract surgery using periocular anesthesia. If evidence of needle injury is present on neuroimaging, a trial of steroids should be considered.
Complexity of Inflammatory Responses in Endothelial Cells and Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Determined by Microarray Analysis

To better understand the molecular basis of vascular cell system behavior in inflammation, we used gene expression microarrays to analyze the expression of 7,075 genes and their response to IL-1beta and TNFalpha in cultures of coronary artery endothelium and smooth muscle derived from a single coronary artery. The most noticeable difference between the cell types was the considerably greater magnitude and complexity of the transcriptional response in the endothelial cells. Two hundred and nine genes were regulated in the endothelium and only 39 in vascular smooth muscle. Among the 209 regulated genes in the endothelium, 99 have not been previously associated with endothelial cell activation and many implicate the endothelium in unconventional roles. For example, the induced genes include several that have only been associated with leukocyte function (e.g., IL-7 receptor, EBI-3 receptor) and others related to antiviral and antibacterial defense (e.g., oligoadenylate synthetase, LMP7, toll-like receptor 4, complement component 3). In addition, 43 genes likely to participate in signal transduction (eg. IL-18 receptor, STK2 kinase, STAF50, ANP receptor, VIP receptor, RAC3, IFP35) were regulated providing evidence that a major effect of TNFalpha and IL-1beta is to alter the potential of the endothelial cell to respond to various other external stimuli.
On Verification of Controlled Hybrid Dynamics through Ellipsoidal Techniques

This paper deals with the dynamics of controlled hybrid systems under piecewise open-loop controls restricted by hard bounds. The system equations may be reset when crossing some prespecified domains ("the guards") in the state space. Here the continuous dynamics which govern the motion between the guards are complemented by discrete transitions which govern the resets. A state space model for such systems is proposed and the reach sets for such models are described. A verification problem is considered whose solution indicates whether the reach set (at given time or at some time within a given time interval) intersects or avoids a prespecified target set. The computational side of verification is treated through ellipsoidal techniques that indicate routes for numerical algorithms including parallel calculations.
A look at tuberculosis and its relationship to HIV/AIDS.

As nursing students in the 1970s my classmates and I were told that tuberculosis (TB) was on the verge of being eradicated globally. At that time TB could have been definitively diagnosed and affordably treated with standard affordable first-line drugs. Unfortunately that possibility was never realized. The growing TB epidemic was a pervasive theme at The XVI International AIDS Conference. At the conference it was reported that two billion people one third of the worlds population are believed to be infected with TB. Each year 8 million people develop active TB and nearly 2 million people with active TB die. In 2005 14093 cases of active TB were diagnosed in the United States and it is believed that as many as 15 million U.S. residents are latently infected with TB. TB and HIV/AIDS are inseparably linked and these infections occur most frequently in economically deprived regions of the developing world. The immunodeficiency caused by HIV infection reactivates latent TB infection and accelerates the progression of newly acquired TB. TB is one of the defining illnesses that marks the progression of HIV infection to AIDS and it is responsible for one third of all HIV-related deaths making it the leading cause of death for persons living with AIDS. (excerpt)
Luminescence and decay properties of the 1D2 level of Pr3+-doped YPO4

This investigation reports on the spectroscopic properties of trivalent Pr in YPO4. In particular, we show how the luminescence from the 1D2 level depends on the polarization of the emission and on...
Nanoscale hotspots due to nonequilibrium thermal transport.

Recent experimental and modeling efforts have been directed towards the issue of temperature localization and hotspot formation in the vicinity of nanoscale heat generating devices. The nonequilibrium transport conditions which develop around these nanoscale devices results in elevated temperatures near the heat source which can not be predicted by continuum diffusion theory. Efforts to determine the severity of this temperature localization phenomena in silicon devices near and above room temperature are of technological importance to the development of microelectronics and other nanotechnologies. In this work, we have developed a new modeling tool in order to explore the magnitude of the additional thermal resistance which forms around nanoscale hotspots from temperatures of 100-1000K. The models are based on a two fluid approximation in which thermal energy is transferred between ''stationary'' optical phonons and fast propagating acoustic phonon modes. The results of the model have shown excellent agreement with experimental results of localized hotspots in silicon at lower temperatures. The model predicts that the effect of added thermal resistance due to the nonequilibrium phonon distribution is greatest at lower temperatures, but is maintained out to temperatures of 1000K. The resistance predicted by the numerical code can be easily integrated with continuum modelsmore » in order to predict the temperature distribution around nanoscale heat sources with improved accuracy. Additional research efforts also focused on the measurements of the thermal resistance of silicon thin films at higher temperatures, with a focus on polycrystalline silicon. This work was intended to provide much needed experimental data on the thermal transport properties for micro and nanoscale devices built with this material. Initial experiments have shown that the exposure of polycrystalline silicon to high temperatures may induce recrystallization and radically increase the thermal transport properties at room temperature. In addition, the defect density was observed to play a major role in the rate of change in thermal resistivity as a function of temperature.« less
Theamylase gene-enzyme system of fishes: II. Comparison of amylases from the mosquitofish, rat andDrosophila

Amylases from the mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis holbrooki, Pisces: Poeciliidae) and rat were purified and compared withDrosophila amylases in terms of structure and function. At the structural level, amino acid compositions of the three amylases were compared. At the functional level, amylase activities were compared on various substrates and in the presence of inhibitors. While the amylases from all three organisms had properties typical of alpha-amylases, both structural and functional differences were observed. Using resemblance coefficients of distance and similarity from numerical taxonomy, it was determined that the amylases from the rat andDrosophila were more similar to each other than either was to amylase from the mosquitofish, and that structural differences between the amylases did not reflect functional differences, i.e. there was no correlation between amylase structural and functional distances.
Extraordinary photoresponse in two-dimensional In(2)Se(3) nanosheets.

We demonstrate extraordinary photoconductive behavior in two-dimensional (2D) crystalline indium selenide (In2Se3) nanosheets. Photocurrent measurements reveal that semiconducting In2Se3 nanosheets have an extremely high response to visible light, exhibiting a photoresponsivity of 3.95 × 102 A·W–1 at 300 nm with an external quantum efficiency greater than 1.63 × 105 % at 5 V bias. The key figures-of-merit exceed that of graphene and other 2D material-based photodetectors reported to date. In addition, the photodetector has a fast response time of 1.8 × 10–2 s and a specific detectivity of 2.26 × 1012 Jones. The photoconductive response of α-In2Se3 nanosheets extends into ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared spectral regions. The high photocurrent response is attributed to the direct band gap (EG = 1.3 eV) of In2Se3 combined with a large surface-area-to-volume ratio and a self-terminated/native-oxide-free surface, which help to reduce carrier recombination while keeping fast response, allowing for real-...
Revisiting the Vanishing Frontier: The Legacy of Frederick Jackson Turner

all the articles and books and dissertations, what could possibly justify yet another excursion onto the "blood-drenched field" of the frontier thesis?' That thesis is by now so familiar that even to summarize it is to engage in ritual. Its central claim is contained in a sentence which many of us have nearly memorized: "The existence of an area of free land, its continuous recession, and the advance of American settlement westward, explain American development."2 How did "free land"-"the frontier"'--' 'explain American development"? According to Turner, the West was a place where easterners and Europeans experienced a return to a time before civilization when the energies of the race were young. Once the descent to the primitive was complete, frontier communities underwent an evolution which recapitulated the development of civilization itself, tracing the path from hunter to trader to farmer to town. In that process of descent and reevolution-as the frontier successively emerged and vanished-a special American character was forged, marked by fierce individualism, pragmatism, and egalitarianism. Thus, fundamentally transformed as a people, Americans built their commitment to democracy, escaped the perils of class conflict, and overran a continent. Now, in the 1890s, the frontier was gone, and a new foundation for American life must somehow be discovered. So ran Turner's argument. No less familiar than the Turner thesis itself, of course, are the complaints against it made by Turner's critics.3 In the half century since Turner's
Crystal structures of five 1-alkyl-4-aryl-1,2,4-triazol-1-ium halide salts.

The asymmetric units for the salts 4-(4-fluoro­phen­yl)-1-isopropyl-1,2,4-triazol-1-ium iodide, C11H13FN3+·I−, (1), 1-isopropyl-4-(4-methyl­phen­yl)-1,2,4-triazol-1-ium iodide, C12H16N3+·I−, (2), 1-isopropyl-4-phenyl-1,2,4-triazol-1-ium iodide, C11H14N3+·I−, (3), and 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,4-triazol-1-ium iodide, C9H10N3+·I−, (4), contain one cation and one iodide ion, whereas in 1-benzyl-4-phenyl-1,2,4-triazol-1-ium bromide monohydrate, C15H14N3+·Br−·H2O, (5), there is an additional single water mol­ecule. There is a predominant C—H⋯X(halide) inter­action for all salts, resulting in a two-dimensional extended sheet network between the triazolium cation and the halide ions. For salts with para-substitution on the aryl ring, there is an additional π–anion inter­action between a triazolium carbon and iodide displayed by the layers. For salts without the para-substitution on the aryl ring, the π–π inter­actions are between the triazolium and aryl rings. The melting points of these salts agree with the predicted substituent inductive effects.
Pathophysiology of Skeletal Muscle Injury

The pathophysiology of muscle injury is a complex process, which is not yet fully understood. There is a variety of risk factors, which influence the location, severity, and resulting limitations that injuries cause. The pathophysiology is unique to each of the three most common primary injuries contusions, lacerations, and strains. The structural makeup of the musculoskeletal system also has a large influence in the biomechanics of our movement, and thus on the locations of injuries and the requirements of healing.
Disclaiming Dealership Authorization

The right to resell a genuine branded item in an unchanged state normally carries with it the right to advertise to others that the dealer is selling that product, as long as such advertising does not mislead the public into thinking that the dealer is an agent or authorized distributor of the owner of the trademarked item. McCarthy elaborates on this: One court observed that when plaintiff’s goods were usually sold through an authorized dealer, defendant’s use of plaintiff’s marks in selling genuine goods can lead customers to mistakenly think that defendant is part of plaintiff’s authorized dealer network. Therefore, the distributor who is not an authorized dealer can use the trademark of the goods, but not in a way that would suggest that the distributor is part of the authorized dealer’s network. However, the unauthorized retail sale of a product in a type of outlet that the manufacturer does not approve does not per se create a false impression that the retailer is an authorized dealer. (1997: 25.43) Therefore, if resale of a trademarked product causes damage to that mark, the reseller is subject to the charge of trademark infringement. One remedy for this is to produce a disclaimer. Disclaimers are known in the US, UK, Scandinavia, and selected other parts of the world.
Comparison of two angles of approach for trigger point dry needling of the lumbar multifidus in human donors (cadavers)

Abstract Study design Descriptive comparison study. Objective To assess the accuracy of two needle angle approaches for dry needling of the lumbar multifidus. Background Low back pain is a leading cause of disability around the world; the lumbar multifidus plays a vital role in low back health. Manual therapy such as dry needling can improve pain mediation and motor control activation of the lumbar multifidus. Clinicians practicing dry needling at the lumbar multifidus typically use an inferomedial approach considered non-controversial. Clinicians practicing electromyography and nerve conduction studies commonly sample the lumbar multifidus in a directly posteroanterior approach that may provide another option for dry needling technique. Methods Four human donors were used for a total of eight needle placements—four with an inferomedial orientation and four with a posteroanterior orientation. Each needle was placed from 1 to 1.5 cm lateral to the spinous process of L4 to the depth of the lumbar lamina. Each lower lumbar spine was then dissected to determine the structures that the needle traversed and the needle's final resting place. Results All four inferomedial approach needles ended at the lamina of the vertebrae below. All four posterior-anterior approach needles ended in the lamina of the same level. Conclusions All eight needles traversed the lumbar multifidus and ended in the lumbar lamina with little possibility of the needle entering the subarachnoid space. Thus both the inferomedial and the posteroanterior angles of approach are efficacious for clinicians to use in dry needling of the lumbar mulifidus.
Assessment of the longevity of valves placed in the pulmonary position in patients with congenital heart disease

Abstract Pulmonary valve replacement is often performed in patients with complex congenital heart disease with pathology involving the right ventricular outflow tract. Progressive valve dysfunction is a well-described phenomenon. The aim of this study was to compare the longevity of homograft and bioprosthetic valves placed in the pulmonary position and to determine factors influencing valve dysfunction. We conducted a retrospective chart review of all patients who underwent surgical pulmonary valve replacement with homograft or bioprosthetic (bovine pericardial or porcine) valves during the period January 2000 through December 2013 ( n =81). Serial echocardiographic data and the time to valve dysfunction were reviewed as well as factors associated with valve dysfunction and/or re-intervention. There was a shorter time to valve dysfunction in the homograft valve group as compared to the bioprosthetic valve group. Freedom from valve dysfunction was 63% at 1year, 38% at 5years and 29% at 10years in the homograft group compared to 96% at 1year, 77% at 5years and 52% at 10years in the bioprosthetic valve group. However, on subgroup analysis, age at surgery was strongly associated with time to valve dysfunction, with older age being more protective (chi square with one degree of freedom=23.42; p ≤0.0001; hazard ratio 0.857). When adjusted for age, there was no significant difference in freedom from valve dysfunction between the two valve types (chi square with one degree of freedom=0.031; p =0.86). Overall, the longevity of bioprosthetic valve and homograft valve used in right ventricular outflow surgery is largely dependent on the age of valve implantation with no difference in valve performance between valve types.
Fully integrated 2D CMUT ring arrays for endoscopic ultrasound

Ultrasound has become more prevalent as a medical tool for real-time volumetric imaging. Sparse 2D CMUT ring arrays generate high resolution volumetric images with fewer elements than a fully populated 2D array, allow for integration with electronics in an endoscope form factor, and provide a central lumen for simultaneous use of additional diagnostic and therapeutic tools, such as HIFU or photoacoustic fibers, without increasing the overall package size. We have previously fabricated QuadRing capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducers (CMUTs). Each of the four independent, concentric rings in the array contains 128 elements and operates at a different center frequency. In this work, we use one of the four concentric rings at 4MHz for a fully integrated endoscope assembly. Custom charge-amplifier ASICs were used in these assemblies rather than transimpedance amplifiers, reducing the noise figure of the system. The CMUT arrays are flip chip bonded to a custom 8-leg flexible PCB (flex) that provides electrical connections between the CMUT array, ASICs, and Verasonics imaging system. The flip chip bonded assembly is integrated with a custom 3D printed tip that encases and mechanically supports the assembly, and provides a convenient built-in reference for the passivation layer. Additionally, one flex version flips the CMUT bias, grounding the top electrode without additional circuitry by level-shifting the IC supplies. This feature is particularly desirable for clinical applications, as it shields the patient from the CMUT bias voltage. This new 128-element forward-facing CMUT endoscope has been used for real-time 3D imaging on the bench and expands the toolkit beyond previous work in several ways: high quality images are obtained using a relatively sparse array; new ASICs have shown improvements in SNR; and the array size has enabled use of new 3D-printed, highly customizable assembly tools. We have validated operation with a grounded CMUT top electrode, a critical step towards clinical use. Furthermore, a large lumen increases the breadth of tools that can be used in conjunction with the imaging array.
In Vivo Immunologic Alterations by a Food Antioxidant Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) in Male Swiss-Webster Mice

Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) is considered to be an anticarcinogenic substance in experimental animals, and has been shown to have immunosuppressive activity in vitro. Male Swiss-Webster mice were fed semisynthetic powder diets containing 0.02% or 0.2% BHA. Splenic lymphocytes from mice exposed for 9 or 30 days were cultured in vitro with or without mitogens, namely phytohemagglutinin (PHA), pokeweed mitogen (PWM) or bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). At the level of 0.02% BHA in the diet, 3H-thymidine uptake by PHA-stimulated splenic cells from the 9-day feeding group was elevated. The uptake of 3H-thymidine of the splenic cells of the 30-day treatment was reduced with all mitogens used at both BHA levels, but not significantly. After a 23-day exposure, splenic lymphocytes from animals inoculated with sheep erythrocytes were tested for plaque formation. No significant differences were apparent among treatment groups. Delayed hypersensitivity in mice, as measured by the incorporation of 3H-thymidine after repeated sensitization and challenge with oxazolone, was not significantly affected by a 28-day exposure at either level of BHA. Significant differences of organ weights were obtained; however, these differences may not have been associated with the effect of BHA on the immune system. The effects of the low (0.02%) and high (0.2%) doses on BHA on immunomodulation in mice were not clearly shown to be either suppressive or stimulative.
The Use of Frozen Section in the Early Diagnosis of Acute Invasive Fungal Sinusitis

Objectives Acute invasive fungal sinusitis (AIFS) remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the immunocompromised patient population. Early diagnosis is key to improving patient outcomes. Frozen section biopsies have been shown to decrease time to diagnosis when compared with permanent pathology. However, its accuracy has not been adequately described in the literature, specifically in regard to AIFS. The aim of this study is to evaluate the statistical diagnostic accuracy of frozen sections and to review the etiology, clinical presentation, and current diagnostic protocols in management of AIFS. Study Design Case series with chart review. Setting Tertiary referral center. Subjects and Methods Retrospective review included 67 pathologic records in Co-Path, with search criteria including invasive fungal, clinical history, frozen section, and final diagnosis between the dates of 2006 and 2015. Results Sixty-seven cases were reviewed per the search criteria in Co-Path. Of these, 31 met further criteria of having had frozen section analysis. Variables such as sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were assessed. All 21 positive frozen sections correlated with positive permanent pathology, giving a positive predictive value of 100%. Frozen section biopsies were 87.5% sensitive and 100% specific. Conclusion Early diagnosis of AIFS has been shown to decrease morbidity and mortality. Frozen section biopsies remain key in obtaining an early diagnosis among patients with a high clinical suspicion for invasive fungal sinusitis. Frozen section biopsies positive for invasive fungal pathology were universally consistent with definitive diagnosis.
Safety Outcomes After Percutaneous Transcatheter Closure of Patent Foramen Ovale.

Background and Purpose— We sought to evaluate the real-world rate of safety outcomes after patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure in patients with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Methods— We performed a retrospective cohort study using administrative claims data on all hospitalizations from 2005 to 2013 in New York, California, and Florida. Using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes, we identified patients who underwent percutaneous transcatheter PFO closure within 1 year of ischemic stroke or TIA. Our outcome was an adverse event occurring during the hospitalization for PFO closure, defined as in prior studies as atrial fibrillation or flutter, cardiac tamponade, pneumothorax, hemothorax, a vascular access complication, or death. Crude rates were reported with exact confidence intervals. Results— We identified 1887 patients who underwent PFO closure after ischemic stroke or TIA. The rate of any adverse outcome during the hospitalization for PFO closure was 7.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.9%–8.2%). Rates of adverse outcomes varied by age and type of preceding cerebrovascular event. In patients >60 years of age, the rate of adverse outcomes was 10.9% (95% CI, 8.6%–13.6%) versus 4.9% (95% CI, 3.8%–6.3%) in patients ≤60 years of age. The rate of adverse outcomes was 9.9% (95% CI, 7.3%–12.5%) in patients with preceding ischemic stroke versus 5.9% (95% CI, 4.7%–7.1%) after TIA. Conclusions— Approximately 1 in 14 patients who underwent percutaneous transcatheter PFO closure after ischemic stroke or TIA experienced a serious periprocedural adverse outcome or death. The risk of adverse outcomes was highest in older patients and in those with preceding ischemic stroke.