cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Can guidelines for the treatment of respiratory infections lead to reduced rates of antibiotic resistance

Guidelines have been developed for the therapy of both community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP), and, potentially, if applied appropriately, could lead to a containment or reduction in the frequency of antibiotic resistance. In the therapy of CAP, guidelines could minimize the use of excessive antibiotic therapy, and if they also improve the accuracy of therapy, they could minimize the emergence of resistant organisms in the community. However, the impact of such guidelines on resistance remains to be shown. In the near future, CAP guidelines could help contain the growing problem of quinolone-resistant pneumococci by advocating the use of the most effective of the new agents, administered at the optimal dosages. When managing HAP, the use of guidelines could improve outcome by leading to a greater percentage of patients receiving adequate empiric antibiotic therapy. It remains uncertain whether such an approach can minimize the emergence of antibiotic resistance, particularly in the intensive care unit (ICU), but it is clear that if guidelines are to be accurate , they must account for the resistance patterns that are unique to each individual hospital setting. To date, the use of computer-assisted guidelines for the therapy of nosocomial infections has been successful in minimizing the frequency of inadequate therapy, with no negative impact on antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic restriction policies have been proposed as a way to have an impact on resistance, with variable effects. In the future, antibiotic rotation is likely to be studied as a way to reduce resistance, particularly in the ICU, but a number of practical issues may limit the efficacy of such an approach.
Antigenic drift in influenza A/USSR/90/77(H1N1) variants selected in vitro with monoclonal antibodies.

Abstract Variants of A/USSR/90/77(H1N1) virus were selected in vitro by breakthrough neutralization with monoclonal antibodies, at a frequency consistent with them arising by single-step point mutations. When examined by hemagglutination-inhibition tests with postinfection ferret sera, all those variants with a change in the epitope recognized by antibody 264 exhibited significant antigenic drift away from A/USSR/90/77, whereas no variants lacking a change in the epitope recognized by this antibody differed from A/USSR/90/77 when tested with the heterogeneous sera. One of the in vitro variants had acquired a distinctive specificity with ferret sera similar to that of a previously described sporadically detected, natural variant, A/Lackland/3/78, that exhibits reciprocal antigenic drift from A/USSR/90/77. Another variant was quite similar to the epidemic strain A/Brazil/11/78 in its ferret serum reaction pattern, exhibiting modest asymmetric antigenic drift from A/USSR/90/77. The in vitro variants were not, however, identical to natural variants in reaction patterns with both monoclonal antibodies and ferret sera. Nevertheless, the findings support the possibility for significant antigenic variation of A/USSR/90/77 influenza virus to occur by means of a point mutation at a critical locus in the determinant recognized by monoclonal antibody 264, and suggest that some natural variants may have arisen by point mutations in this determinant.
Calcium-sensing by parathyroid glands in secondary hyperparathyroidism.

Calcium-sensing by the parathyroids is abnormal in familial benign hypocalciuric hypercalcemia and in primary hyperparathyroidism (1°HPT), but the role of a calcium-sensing defect in uremic secondary hyperparathyroidism (2°HPT) remains controversial. To study the regulation of PTH release by calcium, set point estimates were obtained using the four parameter model during in vivo dynamic tests of parathyroid gland function in 31 patients with 2°HPT, 8 patients with advanced 2°HPT studied shortly before undergoing parathyroidectomy (Pre-PTX), 3 patients with 1°HPT, and 20 subjects with normal renal function (NL); the response to 2-h iv calcium infusions was also evaluated. Neither blood ionized calcium (iCa+2) levels nor the set point for calcium-regulated PTH release differed between 2°HPT and NL; iCa+2 levels and set point values were moderately elevated in Pre-PTX and markedly elevated in 1°HPT. Compared with values obtained in NL, the lowest serum PTH levels achieved during calcium infusions, expressed ...
On the emergence of an Arctic amplification signal in terrestrial Arctic snow extent

[1] The impact of declining sea ice in amplifying surface air temperatures (SAT) over the Arctic Ocean is readily visible, and this “Arctic amplification” will become more pronounced as more sea ice is lost in the coming decades. The effect of sea ice loss on atmospheric temperatures and circulation patterns is of utmost significance as these changes will affect the terrestrial climate. Land-surface snow is vulnerable to these changes; hence, we search for any link between changes in Arctic sea ice and Northern Hemisphere snow cover. Analyses of observational data sets suggest that the increasing snow cover over Siberia during fall and early winter is correlated with the decreasing September Arctic sea ice over the Pacific sector. We also examine modeled covariance between sea ice and snow using historical and future simulations of the Community Climate System Model (CCSM3). Results indicate the emergence of a Siberian snow signal during the last half of the 21st century most strongly during late winter. Moreover, CCSM3 future simulations show diminishment of snow at a hemispheric scale outside of the Siberian region, which is correlated with the loss of Arctic sea ice. These results indicate that we may be seeing the first, albeit weak, signs of “Arctic amplification” on the terrestrial Arctic snowpack; that only a weak and therefore inconclusive signal would be expected at this time; and that the signal should strengthen over the coming decades.
Avoiding Friendly Fire Incidents Through Performance Assessment

During the combat operations phase of the Iraq War, Patriot air defense missile units were involved in two fratricide incidents. Patriot's unacceptable fratricide rate (18% of engagements) prompted the commanding general of the air defense center to request a human-performance-oriented assessmentof the fratricide incidents to complement the official board of inquiry investigation. this article summarizes the results and recommendations from that assessment.
Molecules in high spin states II: the pure rotational spectrum of MnF (X7Σ+)

The pure rotational spectrum of MnF has been measured in its X 7 R þ ground state using millimeter/sub-millimeter direct absorption methods. Five and six rotational transitions, respectively, were recorded for this radical in its v¼ 0 and v¼ 1 states in the range 338–630 GHz. MnF was created from SF6 and manganese vapor, produced in a Broidatype oven. The species exhibited a complex pattern where the fine and 55 Mn and 19 F hyperfine structures are intermixed. Rotational, spin–rotation, spin–spin and hyperfine parameters have been determined for MnF. These constants have been interpreted in terms of bonding and electronic structure in metal fluorides. 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Fabrication process for a novel high speed coplanar-to-coaxial off-chip interconnect

In this paper, we present the design and fabrication of a novel chip-to-chip interconnect scheme for use in system-in-package applications. The interconnect system uses an etched trench at the edge of a standard silicon substrate to interface a miniature coaxial cable to the on-chip surface metal layers. This system delivers a shielded, matched impedance transmission path by using a coplanar structure on-chip and a coaxial structure between chips. This system is designed to be compatible with typical perimeter bonded pad sizing and spacing such that the coplanar-to-coaxial transition can be selectively added to a standard wire bond process on high-speed nets.
Comparison of the behavior of normal factor IX and the factor IX BM variant hilo in the prothrombin time test using tissue factors from bovine, human, and rabbit sources

A subset of hemophilia B patients have a prolonged bovine-brain prothrombin time. These CRM+ patients are classified as having hemophilia Bm. The prolongation of the prothrombin time has been reported only with bovine brain (referred to as ox brain in some literature) as the source of thromboplastin; prothrombin times determined with thromboplastin from rabbit brain or human brain are not reported to be prolonged. Factor IX from a hemophilia Bm patient (factor IX Hilo) was isolated. The activity of factor IX Hilo was compared to that of normal factor IX in prothrombin time assays when the thromboplastin source was of bovine, rabbit, or human origin. Factor IX, either normal or Hilo, prolonged a prothrombin time regardless of the tissue factor source. However, unless thromboplastin was from a bovine source, this prolongation required high concentrations of factor IX. Further, factor IX normal was as effective as factor IX Hilo in prolonging the prothrombin time when rabbit or human thromboplastin was used. With bovine thromboplastin, factor IX Hilo was significantly better than factor IX normal at prolonging the prothrombin time. The amount of prolongation was dependent on the amount of factor IX Hilo added. In addition, the prolongation was dependent on the concentration of factor X present in the sample. The prothrombin time changed as much as 20 seconds when the factor X concentration was varied from 50% to 150% to normal (fixed concentration of factor IX Hilo). These results demonstrate the difficulty of classifying the severity of a hemophilia Bm patient based on the bovine brain prothrombin time unless both the factor IX and factor X concentrations are known.
Cognitive Loafing The Effects of Accountability and Shared Responsibility on Cognitive Effort

The study reported here tests the effects of accountability and shared responsibility on cognitive effort. Fifty undergraduate students performed a multiattribute judgment task, and math models of their judgments were constructed. As expected, judges who shared responsibility for the judgment task and were not held accountable for their judgments used less complex judgment strategies than judges working alone. This replicates the social loafing effect found by Weldon and Gargano (1985) in an earlier study of cognitive effort. Results also showed that social loafing was reduced under conditions of individual accountability. Multiple judges who expected to justify their judgments worked as hard as individual judges on one measure of cognitive effort.
The MicroGrid: using online simulation to predict application performance in diverse grid network environments

Improvements in networking and middleware technology are enabling large-scale grids that aggregate resources over wide-area networks to support applications at unprecedented levels of scale and performance. Unfortunately, existing middleware and tools provide little information to users as to the suitability of a given grid topology for a specific grid application. Instead, users generally use ad-hoc performance models to evaluate mappings of their applications to resource and network topologies. Grid application behavior alone is complex, and adding resource and network behavior makes the situation even worse. As a result, users typically employ nearly blind experimentation to find good deployments of their applications in each new grid environment. Only through actual deployment and execution can a user discovers if the mapping was a good one. Further, even after finding a good configuration, there is no basis to determine if a much better configuration has been missed. This approach slows effective grid application development and deployment. We present a richer methodology for evaluating grid software and diverse grid environments based on the MicroGrid grid online simulator. With the MicroGrid, users, grid researchers, or grid operators can define and simulate arbitrary collections of resources and networks. This allows study of an existing grid testbed under controlled conditions or even to study the efficacy of higher performance environments than are available today. Further, the MicroGrid supports direct execution of grid applications unchanged. These application can be written with MPI, C, C++, Perl, and/or Python and use the Globus middleware. This enables detailed and accurate study of application behavior. This work presents: (1) the first validation of the MicroGrid for studying whole-program performance of MPI grid applications and (2) a demonstration of the MicroGrid as a tool for predicting the performance of applications on a range of grid resources and novel network topologies.
Effects of reactor decontamination complexing agents on soil adsorption of metals

The effects of picolinate, an organic ligand used to decontaminate nuclear reactor cooling systems, in leachates generated from shallow-land burial (SLB) of low-level nuclear wastes (LLW) on soil adsorption was determined. Using batch adsorption tests and varying the concentration of picolinate, the adsorption tendencies of two metals [Ni(II) and U(VI)] and the ligand were measured as a function of solution pH. The authors found that when total metal concentrations were fixed at 10{sup {minus}5} M, picolinate at ligand-to-metal [L:M] ratios {ge}10 did significantly reduce adsorption of Ni but even at a L:M ratio of 100 there was no effect on U(VI) adsorption. These results are compared with data on other metals in the presence of picolinate and for metal adsorption in the presence of EDTA. The authors conclude that picolinic acid is less of a threat than EDTA in waste leachates to reduce metal adsorption (increase mobility) and that picolinate concentrations must reach or exceed 10{sup {minus}4} M for the most impacted metals (i.e., those that form the very strongest complexes with picolinate). There are no leachate data on these decontamination agents for the common burial technique (disposal of de-watered resins in high integrity containers) that can be used tomore » evaluate potential hazards of these organo-radionuclide complexes.« less
Source selectable path diversity via routing deflections

We present the design of a routing system in which end-systems set tags to select non-shortest path routes as an alternative to explicit source routes. Routers collectively generate these routes by using tags as hints to independently deflect packets to neighbors that lie off the shortest-path. We show how this can be done simply, by local extensions of the shortest path machinery, and safely, so that loops are provably not formed. The result is to provide end-systems with a high-level of path diversity that allows them to bypass unde-sirable locations within the network. Unlike explicit source routing, our scheme is inherently scalable and compatible with ISP policies because it derives from the deployed Internet routing. We also sug-gest an encoding that is compatible with common IP usage, making our scheme incrementally deployable at the granularity of individual routers.
Problem Determination in Enterprise Middleware Systems using Change Point Correlation of Time Series Data

Clustered enterprise middleware systems employing dynamic workload scheduling are susceptible to a variety of application malfunctions that can manifest themselves in a counterintuitive fashion and cause debilitating damage. Until now, diagnosing problems in that domain involves investigating log files and configuration settings and requires in-depth knowledge of the middleware architecture and application design. This paper presents a method for problem determination using change point detection techniques and problem signatures consisting of a combination of changes (or absence of changes) in different metrics. We implemented this approach on a clustered middleware system and applied it to the detection of the storm drain condition: a debilitating problem encountered in clustered systems with counterintuitive symptoms. Our experimental results show that the system detects 93% of storm drain faults with no false positives.
Propagation and scattering in very shallow water

Over the past several years COASTSYSTA has developed a sonar simulation for modeling sonar performance in very shallow water and the surf zone called PC SWAT (Personal Computer Shallow Water Acoustic Tool-set). The latest version of PC SWAT (7.0) is scheduled for release in September of 2001. It includes propagation in a 3-dimensional environment, a time-varying sea surface, a model for the evolution of bubble clouds in the surf zone, 3-dimensional targets, and coherent imaging capabilities. This article focuses on some of the new features that have been added to PC SWAT during FY 2001.
Some syntactic methods for specifying extendible programming languages

Our model of a programming-language translator system is represented schematically in the block diagram of Figure 1. This diagram divides the translator system into two components. The first component T is a translator program that reads in and translates the valid programs of some programming language L. The output of the translator is a subset T(L) of the intermediate language. The second component is a system M for executing the programs translated into the intermediate language. It will be seen that, in this intermediate language, the operators follow their operands in postfix (reverse polish) form, and they are relatively machine independent. In this paper, we will be mainly concerned with defining the operation of the translator component by specifying the input-output relationships of the translator for a particular programming language. These relationships will be described in a syntactic notation that is independent of the particular translation algorithm used for implementing the translator T.
Safety and Efficacy of Tranexamic Acid Compared With Aprotinin in Thoracic Aortic Surgery With Deep Hypothermic Circulatory Arrest

Objectives This study was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of high-dose tranexamic acid (TA) compared with aprotinin in patients who underwent thoracic aortic surgery with deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA). Design A retrospective study. Participants Eighty-four patients underwent thoracic aortic surgery with DHCA arrest between July 2006 and December 2007. Antifibrinolytic efficacy and perioperative outcomes were compared between the groups by appropriate statistical tests. Measurements and Main Results Demographic data, comorbid conditions, aortic pathology, surgical procedures, and operative data were comparable between groups. The use of blood products tended to be more in the TA group, despite the fact that the aprotinin group had longer CPB duration. Thirty-day mortality was 5 of 48 (10.4%) in the aprotinin group versus 5 of 36 (13.9%) in the TA group (p = 0.44). Neurologic, cardiac, and respiratory dysfunctions were comparable as well as intensive care unit and hospital stay. Serum creatinine increased significantly postoperatively in both groups, with more patients in the aprotinin group developing stage 1 postoperative renal dysfunction based on Acute Kidney Insufficiency Network criteria. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified risk factors for postoperative renal dysfunction including preoperative creatinine clearance, blood transfusion, and sepsis. Throughout the study, both drugs were available for use, allowing selective bias for providers. Conclusions Aprotinin appeared more effective in reducing blood product use after thoracic aortic surgery in this limited cohort. Aprotinin use also appeared to be associated with postoperative renal dysfunction. The choice of antifibrinolytic appeared to not be associated with cardiac, neurologic, or respiratory outcomes or survival after thoracic aortic surgery requiring DHCA.
The Mentoring Competency Assessment: validation of a new instrument to evaluate skills of research mentors.

Purpose To determine the psychometric properties of the Mentoring Competency Assessment (MCA), a 26-item skills inventory that enables research mentors and mentees to evaluate six competencies of mentors: maintaining effective communication, aligning expectations, assessing understanding, addressing diversity, fostering independence, and promoting professional development. Method In 2010, investigators administered the MCA to 283 mentor–mentee pairs from 16 universities participating in a trial of a mentoring curriculum for clinical and translational research mentors. The authors analyzed baseline MCA data to describe the instrument’s psychometric properties. Results Coefficient alpha scores for the MCA showed reliability (internal consistency). The hypothesized model with its six latent constructs (competencies) resulted in an acceptable fit to the data. For the instrument completed by mentors, chi-square = 663.20; df = 284; P < .001; root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.069 (90% CI, 0.062–0.076); comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.85; and Tucker-Lewis index (TLI) = 0.83. For the instrument completed by mentees, chi-square = 840.62; df = 284; P < .001; RMSEA = 0.080 (90% CI, 0.063–0.077); CFI = 0.87; and TLI = 0.85. The correlations among the six competencies were high: 0.49–0.87 for mentors, 0.58–0.92 for mentees. All parameter estimates for the individual items were significant; standardized factor loadings ranged from 0.32 to 0.81 for mentors and 0.56 to 0.86 for mentees. Conclusions The findings demonstrate that the MCA has reliability and validity. In addition, this study provides preliminary norms derived from a national sample of mentors and mentees.
Multiframe feature-based motion analysis

An overview is given of the important aspects of feature-based motion analysis, especially with regard to more than two frames. These topics include some history of feature-based techniques, reasons to use feature-based techniques and longer sequences, applications to real motion sequences, and some directions for this kind of research. It is pointed out that feature-based motion analysis involves work on several subproblems such as feature extraction, feature matching, motion estimation, and the use of the motion estimates. The final use of the motion analysis can be for target tracking 3D reconstruction and improved matching results. Real-world motion analysis programs must assume that the computed feature matches are only good enough for motion estimation, and not perfect. Feature-based systems offer many ways to achieve good performance with real-world data. >
Fourteen Years of Bt Cotton Advances IPM in Arizona

The pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), first invaded Arizona in 1926 and has been a key pest of cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., since the early 1960s. A broad range of tactics has been developed to manage this pest including a variety of cultural methods, mating disruption via pheromones, sterile insect release, and plant resistance. Transgenic cotton producing the insecticidal proteins of Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bt) was introduced in 1996 and was rapidly and widely adopted by producers in Arizona. Adoption rose to approximately 86% by 2006 and has been more than 93% since 2007 when the state was granted a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency exemption to eliminate required refuge plantings as part of a regional eradication program. The deployment of Bt cotton for selective control of caterpillars led to dramatic regional reductions in abundance of pink bollworm, and associated crop damage and insecticide use. Bt cotton has also been a key technology enabling more selective and biologically-based control approaches for sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), and western tarnished plant bug, Lygus hesperus Knight, two other keys pests of cotton in Arizona. Overall insecticide use (statewide average number of sprays per hectare) in cotton has dropped 88% since 1995. Some challenges ahead include re-invasion of eradicated zones, maintaining susceptibility of pink bollworm to Bt cotton, the economics of Bt cotton use in a post-eradication future, and a rapidly changing agroecosystem.
Epilepsy: A Spectrum Disorder

Epilepsy, a disorder of unprovoked seizures is a multifaceted disease affecting individuals of all ages with a particular predilection for the very young and old. In addition to seizures, many patients often report cognitive and psychiatric problems associated with both the seizures themselves and its therapy. Epilepsy has numerous etiologies both idiopathic and acquired with a wide range of therapeutic responses. Despite numerous treatments available to control repetitive seizures including medications, diets, immunotherapy, surgery, and neuromodulatory devices, a large percentage of patients continue to suffer the consequences of uncontrolled seizures, which include psychosocial stigma and death.
Limitations of the Standard Interaction Formula for Biaxial Bending

This paper illustrates the limitations and crudeness of the standard interaction formula for biaxial bending when compared to the analytical method in structural analysis. The comparison can now be made because the analytical method in predicting the ultimate strength of reinforced concrete circular and rectangular sections have been made available by the author in his book entitled ‘Analytical Method in Reinforced Concrete’. The standard interaction formula assumes equilibrium of internal and external forces without actually demonstrating it. Thus, it cannot satisfy the basic requirement in any structural analysis mandating that summation of forces and moments are equal to zero. It also relates the external loads to the internal capacity of a section by a formula expressing the rations of these moments not to exceed unity. The analytical method can predict the capacity of a concrete section at any position of the capacity axis from zero to π/2. This is not possible with the interaction formula for biaxia...
Chemoradiation for carcinoma of the cervix: Advances and opportunities

Abstract Eifel, P. Chemoradiation for Carcinoma of the Cervix: Advances and Opportunities. Although it is possible to cure many patients with locally advanced cervical cancer using radiation therapy alone, loco-regional relapse continues to be a component of most recurrences. To improve control rates, clinicians have investigated ways of combining chemotherapy and radiation for more than 30 years. Despite encouraging results from phase II trials of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, randomized trials failed to improve on the results with radiation therapy alone. For a number of reasons, early trials of concurrent chemoradiation were inconclusive. However, recent reports of five large prospective randomized trials demonstrated dramatic improvements in survival and local control rates when cisplatin-containing chemotherapy was given during radiation therapy. These results also suggest a number of avenues for future research.
Exact finite-range CCBA calculations for the reaction /sup 16/O(d, /sup 6/Li)/sup 12/C at E/sub d/ = 35 MeV

The reaction /sup 16/O(d, /sup 6/Li)/sup 12/C at 35 MeV has been analyzed with a finite-range coupled channel Born approximation code. Agreement in shape and normalization is found if the interaction radius for the cluster system /sup 12/C + ..cap alpha.. is taken to be R = 1.27(12/sup 1///sup 3/ + 4/sup 1///sup 3/) fm. (AIP)
Effects of light sources and intensity on broilers grown to heavy weights. Part 1: Growth performance, carcass characteristics, and welfare indices

This study investigated the effects of light sources and light intensity on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and welfare indices of heavy broilers (>3.0 kg) in 4 trials with 2 replications per trial. A total of 960 one-day-old Ross×Ross 708 chicks (30 males/30 females/room) were randomly distributed into 16 environmentally controlled rooms at 50% RH. A 4×2 factorial treatment structure evaluated 4 light sources (incandescent [ICD, standard], compact fluorescent [CFL], neutral light emitting diode [Neutral-LED], and cool poultry specific filtered LED [Cool-PSF-LED]) and 2 levels (5 lx, 20 lx) of light intensities. Each of the 4 light sources was paired with one of the 2 light intensities. Birds were fed the same diet with a 4-phase feeding program (starter, grower, finisher, and withdrawal). Feed and water were provided ad libitum. Birds and feed were weighed on one, 14, 21, 28, 42, and 56 d of age for growth performance. All mortality was recorded daily and feed conversion was adjusted for mortality. Immune response was determined on d 28 to d 35, whereas other welfare indices were performed on d 42 and 49, respectively. At d 56 of each trial, 20 (10 males and 10 females) birds from each room were processed to determine weights and yields. The BW, BW gain, live weight, and carcass weights of birds reared under Cool-PSF-LED were different (P≤0.05) in comparison to birds reared under ICD. However, FI, FCR, and mortality were not affected by treatments. There was no effect of treatments on fat or breast and tender weights and yields. In addition, there was no effect of treatments on ocular development, immune response, and other welfare indices, suggesting that the light sources evaluated did not compromise welfare of heavy broilers. It was concluded that the 3 light sources evaluated in this study may be suitable for replacement of ICD light source in poultry facilities to reduce energy cost and optimize production efficiency.
Assessing copper status in pediatric patients receiving parenteral nutrition.

Background: Copper is a trace mineral essential for numerous physiological processes. The purpose of this article is to provide data on copper levels in pediatric patients receiving parenteral nutrition (PN) that are useful to guide supplementation in PN formulation. Method: This is a retrospective review of hospitalized pediatric patients receiving PN supplemented and not supplemented with copper. In total, 751 supplemented pediatric patients and 90 pediatric patients not supplemented had serum copper levels measured. We assessed patient demographics, days on PN before copper level was drawn, serum copper levels, conjugated bilirubin levels, and C-reactive protein (CRP). Results: The mean serum copper level was 80 mcg/dL at 20 days for supplemented patients and 64 mcg/dL at 14 days for the 90 nonsupplemented patients (P = .0002). In the supplemented patients, 50% of the levels were low and 45% were within the normal range. The remaining 5% of patients had high levels. In nonsupplemented patients, 71% wer...
Pd Nanoparticle-Catalyzed Isomerization vs Hydrogenation of Allyl Alcohol: Solvent-Dependent Regioselectivity

Our previous work has shown that alkanethiolate-capped Pd nanoparticles generated from sodium S-dodecylthiosulfate are excellent catalysts for selective isomerization of various allyl alcohols to the carbonyl analogues. The present work focuses on understanding the mechanism and the regioselectivity of Pd nanoparticles in different environments. First, the presence of H2 gas has turned out to be essential for the efficient catalytic isomerization reaction. This suggests that the mechanism likely involves the Pd-alkyl intermediate rather than the η3 π-allyl Pd hydride intermediate. Second, the Pd nanoparticles are found to convert allyl alcohol selectively to either propanal or 1-propanol depending on the type of solvent used for the catalytic reactions. The reaction pathway is most likely determined by steric hindrance, which is the result of the interaction between substrate and alkylthiolate ligands on Pd nanoparticles. Presumably, the conformation of alkylthiolate ligands changes upon the type of solve...
Synthesis of Nanostructured Li[Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/3]O2 via a Modified Carbonate Process

Li[Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/3]O2 synthesized via the modified carbonate process showed a homogeneous particle distribution with 10-μm secondary particles. Higher discharge capacity was retained even at 10 C (2800 mA g-1). This superior high rate capability would be mainly due to the well-controlled synthesis process, thus the morphology and its effects on electrochemical properties are significantly reproducible.
The Boys Club: Borrowing a Feminist Lens to Critique Men-Only Groups in the Fight against Gender Oppression.

AbstractGraduation and retention rates for men in higher education are falling while instances of violence against women on campus are rising. This environment has produced a focused effort to stem the tide of violence against women in college and a desire to restore men to previous levels of academic achievement. The authors commend and support these efforts while at the same time questioning the notion that men, by themselves, are capable of counteracting a sexist culture. This work examines the problematic structure of men’s only groups in the fight against gender oppression and offers different ways of thinking about supporting men.
Ought the Mighty To Punish Blasphemers

In The Mighty and the Almighty: An Essay in Political Theology, Nick Wolterstorff defends the claim that Christian and liberal democratic conceptions of political authority are fundamentally compatible.1 They are fundamentally compatible because both affirm the claim that governmental authority is bound by robust normative constraints. According to liberal democratic conceptions of political authority, government must never violate the natural rights of its citizens, not because so doing would be an abuse of its authority, but because it lacks entirely the authority to do so. “Liberal democracies, as we know them in the West today, have an 'idea' behind them, an implicit commitment to values or principles that make sense of the whole; they are not just fortuitous collocations of disparate elements. I have tacitly been assuming that a central component in the governing idea of those polities is that the natural rights of citizens place normative limits on the authority of government” (153). This generic conception of the 'rights-limited state' comports with a Pauline understanding of political authority and thus an understanding that is normative for Christians: “When we put what Paul says in Romans about the task and authority of the state together with the political implications of the nature and existence of the church, what we get is an argument for a state that is limited in exactly the sort of way that our liberal democracies are limited. . . . That there are normative, rights-based, limits on state authority is implicit in what Paul says God authorizes government to so” (151). At the core of a Christian conception of political authority, says Wolterstorff, is the claim that God authorizes the state to curb wrong-doing and thus that the state lacks the authority to issue directives that wrong citizens (99). In short, in a serendipitous convergence, Christian theology and liberal democracy affirm the legitimacy of a properly limited, morally constrained state. To be sure, this compatibility claim would be rather empty were it not married to the further claim that Christian and liberal democratic conceptions (roughly) agree on the moral limits that define the contours of state authority. Wolterstorff believes that there is substantial agreement and he focuses primarily on the 'first freedom'—the right to religious freedom (152). Both Christian and liberal conceptions of political authority incorporate the claim that each citizen has a right to the 'free exercise' of religion: to speak about God, to gather with others in worship of God, to urge others to join in that worshipping community—all without the
How allomorphic is English article allomorphy

The question of how to distinguish allomorphy from phonology plays a central role in morphological theory. While English a/an has been cited as a hallmark case of “phrasal” allomorphy, the parallel alternation between /.i/ and /.ə/ in the English definite article (/.ə/ book , /.i/ apple ) has not received as much attention. This paper provides a formal analysis of English a/an and /.i/~/.ə/. I argue that: (i) /.i/~/.ə/ is not allomorphic, but is derived by the same phonological rules (tensing and vowel-reduction) as other V~ə alternations in English; and (ii) a/an involves a two-tiered derivation: first allomorphy establishes a basic split between V and Vn; then the same phonological rules involved in the (tensing and vowel-reduction) derive the four surface variants /ej/, /aen/, /ə/, and /ən/. In other words, in addition to its basic n~O alternation, a/an also participates in the same V~ə alternation as other strong-weak function-word pairs in English (/.i/~/.ə/ in the , /kaen/~/kən/ in can , etc.). This two-tiered serialist approach is incompatible with analyses of a/an as surface phonological optimization, or TETU (Mascaro 1996b). Accordingly, I provide evidence from emphatic glottal stops, /h/ ‑ deletion and pause-fillers showing that despite initial appearances, neither a/an nor /.i/~/.ə/ is driven by surface syllable well-formedness constraints.
The Effect of Fractures on Weathering of Igneous and Volcaniclastic Sedimentary Rocks in the Puerto Rican Tropical Rain Forest

Abstract Just as microscopic observations show that minerals dissolve quickly at sites where defects intersect the water-crystal interface and dissolve slowly at zones of perfect lattice structure, weathering rates also vary across a landscape. Specifically, at landscape scale, dissolution (weathering) occurs faster where defects (fractures) intersect the land surface, and slower in unfractured zones. In the rain forest of Puerto Rico, for example, we used ground penetrating radar to document how deep fracture zones allow meteoric waters to accelerate weathering in the Luquillo Mountains. The mountains comprise a metamorphic aureole complex where a quartz diorite pluton intruded into volcaniclastic sedimentary country rock. In the only watershed that has incised deeply into the quartz diorite (Rio Icacos), water infiltrates slowly through areas without deep fractures and penetrates more deeply into fractured zones that criss-cross the landscape. These deep fracture zones contain weathered granular material, spheroidally weathered corestones, and waters with higher Si concentrations, [Si]. In the areas between fracture zones, the flowpaths are shallower, intersecting only weathered granular material and perhaps a single corestone, and are characterized by lower [Si]. In contrast, in the volcaniclastic sedimentary rocks, fractures are distributed more homogeneously. Penetration of water in those rocks is thus more homogeneous at the landscape scale. Weathering controlled release rates of Si were estimated using residence times of surface and groundwater based on tritium concentrations, [ 3 H]. The Si weathering release rates are higher for waters that have penetrated to deeper depths as expected if fractures accelerate weathering at depth by providing both preferential hydrologic flowpaths and access to highly soluble Si-containing mineral phases.
Heat transfer and hydrodynamics of free water jet impingement at low nozzle-to-plate spacings

Abstract In this study, heat transfer and hydrodynamics of a free water jet impinging a flat plate surface are experimentally investigated. The effects of the nozzle-to-plate spacing, which is equal to or less than one nozzle diameter ( H / d = 0.08–1), on the Nusselt number, hydraulic jump diameter, and pressure at the stagnation point are considered. The results show that the normalized stagnation Nusselt number, pressure, and hydraulic jump diameter are divided into two regions: Region (I) jet deflection region ( H / d ⩽ 0.4) and Region (II) inertia dominant region (0.4 H / d ⩽ 1). In region I, the normalized stagnation Nusselt number and hydraulic jump diameter drastically increase with decreasing the nozzle-to-plate spacing, since the stagnation pressure increases due to the jet deflection effect. In region II, the effect of the nozzle-to-plate spacing is negligible on the normalized stagnation Nusselt number and hydraulic jump diameter since the average velocity of the jet is constant, which means the jet deflection effect disappears. Based on the experimental results, new correlations for the normalized hydraulic jump diameter, stagnation Nusselt number, and pressure are developed as a function of the nozzle-to-plate spacing alone.
Establishing Wiring Specificity in Visual System Circuits: From the Retina to the Brain

The retina is a tremendously complex image processor, containing numerous cell types that form microcircuits encoding different aspects of the visual scene. Each microcircuit exhibits a distinct pattern of synaptic connectivity. The developmental mechanisms responsible for this patterning are just beginning to be revealed. Furthermore, signals processed by different retinal circuits are relayed to specific, often distinct, brain regions. Thus, much work has focused on understanding the mechanisms that wire retinal axonal projections to their appropriate central targets. Here, we highlight recently discovered cellular and molecular mechanisms that together shape stereotypic wiring patterns along the visual pathway, from within the retina to the brain. Although some mechanisms are common across circuits, others play unconventional and circuit-specific roles. Indeed, the highly organized connectivity of the visual system has greatly facilitated the discovery of novel mechanisms that establish precise synaptic connections within the nervous system.
Compliance with a Sales Policy on Flavored Non-cigarette Tobacco Products.

Objectives We assessed the effect of the New York City (NYC) policy restricting sales of flavored non-cigarette tobacco products on retail sales using a quasi-experimental comparison design. We also studied possible cross-border purchasing and product substitution by consumers. Methods We compiled retail scanner data for January 2010-January 2014 for NYC, a proximal comparison area (PCA) surrounding NYC, and the US. We used regression models to assess trends in sales of flavored cigars, smokeless tobacco (SLT), loose tobacco (RYO), and total cigars in all areas. Results Sales of flavored cigars (-22.3%), SLT (-97.6%), and RYO (-42.5%) declined following policy implementation (all ps < .01). Flavored cigar sales declined nonsignificantly in the comparison areas. An average 7.4% reduction in total cigar sales was seen in NYC following the policy (p < .01), as cigar sales increased 12% nationally, suggesting that NYC consumers did not substitute flavored cigars with non-flavored varieties. Conclusions Implementation of the NYC policy was associated with significant reductions in sales of all restricted products, both absolutely and relative to comparison areas. Despite persistent sales of flavored cigars, overall cigar sales in NYC declined following the policy, although more intensive enforcement is needed to ensure greater policy compliance.
Pleiotropy in Drosophila organogenesis: Mechanistic insights from Combgap and the retinal determination gene network.

ABSTRACTMaster regulatory transcription factors cooperate in networks to shepherd cells through organogenesis. In the Drosophila eye, a collection of master control proteins known as the retinal determination gene network (RDGN) switches the direction and targets of its output to choreograph developmental transitions, but the molecular partners that enable such regulatory flexibility are not known. We recently showed that two RDGN members, Eyes absent (Eya) and Sine oculis (So), promote exit from the terminal cell cycle known as the second mitotic wave (SMW) to permit differentiation. A search for co-factors identified the ubiquitously expressed Combgap (Cg) as a novel transcriptional partner that impedes cell cycle exit and interferes with Eya-So activity specifically in this context. Here, we argue that Cg acts as a flexible transcriptional platform that contributes to numerous gene expression outcomes by a variety of mechanisms. For example, Cg provides repressive activities that dampen Eya-So output, ...
Multivariate and convex approximation by Choquet integrals

Here we consider the quantitative approximation of positive sublinear operators to the unit operator. These are given a precise Choquet integral interpretation. Initially we start with the study of the rate of the convergence of the well-known Bernstein–Kantorovich–Choquet and Bernstein–Durrmeyer–Choquet polynomial Choquet-integral operators. We introduce also their multivariate analogs. Then we study the very general comonotonic positive sublinear operators based on the representation theorem of Schmeidler (Proc Am Math Soc 97:255–261, 1986). We finish with the approximation by the very general direct Choquet-integral form positive sublinear operators. All approximations are given via inequalities involving the modulus of continuity of the approximated function or its higher order derivative. We derive univariate and multivariate results without or with convexity assumptions. In the latter case estimates become very elegant and brief.
Hits and misses in research trends to monitor contaminants in foods

Monitoring of chemicals of toxicological concern in food is commonly needed for many purposes, which include (in part) food safety, regulatory enforcement, risk assessment, international food trade, label claims, environmental protection, industry needs, academic research, and consumer confidence. Chemicals of current concern include a variety of toxins, pesticides, veterinary drugs, growth promoters, environmental contaminants, toxic metals, allergens, endocrine disruptors, genetically modified organisms, melamine, acrylamide, furans, nitrosamines, food additives, packaging components, and miscellaneous other chemicals. In light of past crises, the potential harm from known or unknown chemicals not currently monitored are a source of additional concern by the food industry, regulators, scientists, and consumers. As global food trade has expanded and detection techniques have improved, chemical contaminant analysis of foods has also increased in importance and activity. This critical review article is aimed to highlight current trends in the literature, including neglected research needs, on the analysis of chemicals of toxicological concern in foods. Graphical abstract.
Ecology of Viruses Infecting Bacteria

Bacteriophage are viruses of bacteria. An enormous number of bacteriophages are found the world over, on the order of 1030 or more. This article first presents an overview of techniques employed to characterize phage existence in natural environments, including by direct microscopic count, viable count, and various molecular means of phage in situ characterization. Then it provides an overview of the science of phage ecology. This overview is followed by four sections in which four subdisciplines of phage ecology – phage organismal ecology, phage population ecology, phage community ecology, and phage ecosystem ecology – are discussed in detail. These represent, respectively, (1) the impact of phage growth parameters (such as latent period, burst size, and virion resistance to decay) on phage ecological success, (2) phage population growth and intraspecific interaction, (3) the phage impact especially on bacterial communities, and (4) the phage impact on environmental energy flow and nutrient cycling. Note that these various means of looking at phage ecology build upon one another.
One and Two Dimensional Exponential Sums

In number theory, one often encounters sums of the form Open image in new window Where D is a bounded domain in R k and e(w) =e2πiw. We shall Refer to the case k = 1 as the one-dimensional case, k = 2 as the two- dimensional case, etc. Our objective here is to give an exposition of van der Corput’s method for estimating the sums in (1). The one- dimensional case is well understood. Our knowledge of the two-dimensional case is fragmentary, and dimensions higher than two are terra incognita We shall review the one-dimensional case in Section 2. In Section 3 we will give an outline of what is known and what is conjectured about the two-dimensional case.