cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enhanced microdialysis relative recovery of inflammatory cytokines using antibody-coated microspheres analyzed by flow cytometry

Achieving high relative recovery (RR) of proteins during microdialysis sampling is difficult due to the diffusion limitations inherent to this sampling process. This often causes low microdialysis RR for proteins with molecular weight >10 kDa. A RR enhancement process for microdialysis sampling of proteins has been developed that can be readily used with flow cytometers. Multiplexed RR enhancement and detection of five different cytokines (TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-4, and IL-5) was achieved by including antibody-coated microspheres in the microdialysis perfusion fluid. Inclusion of these antibody-coated microspheres causes an increase in the analyte diffusive driving force across the dialysis membrane and a subsequent increase in the relative recovery. For the five cytokines, typical control and enhanced relative recoveries at a 1.0 μL/min flow rate were as follows (n = 3): TNF-α, 5.5 ± 0.6% and 60.4 ± 5.8%; IFN-γ, 2.6 ± 0.3% and 25.8 ± 2.3%; IL-5, 1.4 ± 0.2% and 4.9 ± 0.1%; IL-4, 10.9 ± 0.6% and 78.8 ± 8.0...
Variable-temperature magic-angle spring

Probleme de la determination et de la regulation precise de la temperature pour des etudes de RMN avec rotation a l'angle magique sur des solides
Auto-structuring fuzzy neural system for intelligent control

An auto-structuring fuzzy neural network-based control system (ASFNS), which includes the auto-structuring fuzzy neural network (ASFNN) controller and the supervisory controller, is proposed in this paper. The ASFNN is used as the main controller to approximate the ideal controller and the supervisory controller is incorporated with the ASFNN for coping with the chattering phenomenon of the traditional sliding-mode control. In the ASFNS, an automatic structure learning mechanism is proposed for network structure optimization, where two criteria of node-adding and node-pruning are introduced. It enables the ASFNN to determine the nodes autonomously while ensures the control performance. In the ASFNS, all the parameters are evolved by the means of the Lyapunov theorem and back-propagation to ensure the system stability. Thus, an intelligent control approach for adaptive control is presented, where the structure and parameter can be evolved simultaneously. The proposed ASFNS features the following salient properties: (1) on-line and model-free control, (2) relax design in controller structure, (3) overall system stability. To investigate the capabilities, the ASFNS is applied to a kind of nonlinear system control. Through the simulation results the advantages of the proposed ASFNS can be validated.
Support for Resilience Theory with Female Adolescents Who Are Violent: A MIMIC Model

Resilience theory has been shown to explain aggression and violence in adolescents in general. No studies were found that supported this theory specifically with female adolescents. A multiple indicators multiple causes (MIMIC) model was developed from the review of the literature. Structural equation modeling was then used to quantitatively test this theoretical MIMIC model. Results indicate that the direct effect of the demographic contingencies are significantly related to violent behavior: race (β = −.53, t = 0.04, p < .001), community supports (β = −0.55, t = −0.04, p < .001), and subsidized income supports (β = 0.54, t = 0.04, p < .001). These results suggest demographic contingencies play an important role in predicting violent behavior in female adolescents.
FMRF-amide-like immunoreactive efferent fibers and FMRF-amide suppression of pacemaker neurons in eyes of Bulla.

The eyes of certain marine gastropods, including Aplysia and Bulla, contain circadian pacemakers, which produce a circadian rhythm of autogenous compound action potential (CAP) activity. The CAPs are generated by the synchronous spike discharge of a distinctive population of retinal pacemaker neurons whose axons convey the CAP activity to the CNS. When CAP activity is recorded from a preparation with eyes attached to the CNS, the CAP activity is modulated by efferent activity. In this study we have identified FMRF-amide-like immunoreactive efferent axons in the optic nerves of Bulla. These axons arborize in the basal retinal neuropil adjacent to the pacemaker neurons and are in a position to make synaptic contacts with their dendrites. Similar immunoreactive fibers are not observed in Aplysia eyes. Exogenous FMRF-amide at micromolar concentrations suppresses ongoing CAP activity in isolated eyes but does not suppress the ERG or phase shift the circadian rhythm of CAP activity. Intracellular recordings from the retinal pacemaker neurons reveal that FMRF-amide hyperpolarizes the membrane potential, suppresses spike discharge, and decreases the input resistance, suggesting that a K conductance is increased. Electrical stimulation of the region of the cerebral ganglion that contains FMRF-amide immunoreactive neurons suppresses ongoing CAP activity. All these results are consistent with the idea that the FMRF-amide immunoreactive central neurons and their axons provide a pathway for efferent modulation of the CAP rhythm generated by the retinal pacemaker neurons.
The albedo and diameter of 1862 Apollo

Infrared thermal emission measurements are reported of 1862 Apollo, which is the type example of an earth-crossing asteroid. A geometric albedo of 0.21 plus or minus 0.02 is derived which is within the albedo range of the S class of asteroids. The effective diameter was observed to vary with rotation from 1.2 plus or minus 0.1 to 1.5 plus or minus 0.1 km.
Toward a chip-scale multiwavelength mode-locked semiconductor laser

We describe a chip-scale version of a multiwavelength modelocked semiconductor laser that produces discrete wavelength channels on a 25 GHz grid in the 1550 nm spectral region. The laser utilizes a two-section semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) device in a partially external cavity which enables tuning of the laser cavity length. Since the wavelength channels are simply the longitudinal modes of the laser cavity, the channel spacing can be easily adjusted to match arbitrary wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) protocols. The hybridly modelocked semiconductor laser produces 5 ps FWHM pulses at 25 GHz pulse-repetition rate. Conversely, we demultiplex individual axial modes and employ them as continuous wave (CW) WDM sources. The modes are characterized through relative intensity noise (RIN) measurement as well as eye-diagrams of pseudorandom data imposed by an external modulator. The modelocked laser functions dually as a compact source of high speed, ultrashort pulses and as an economical source of CW WDM channels.
Analytic modelling of “working set like” replacement algorithms

Although a large amount of theoretical work has been performed in the analysis of the pure working set replacement algorithm, little has been done applying these results to the approximations that have been implemented. This paper presents a general technique for the analysis of these implementations by analytic methods. Extensive simulations are reported which validate the analytic model and show significant simplifications that can be made with little loss of accuracy. The problem of choosing memory policy parameter values is examined and related in a simple way to the choice of a working set window size.
Optical Momentum Transfer to Graphene in Resonators: Generalizing Coulomb-Lorentz Force on a Conductive Single Atomic Layer

We demonstrate that judicious selection of mirrors/substrates, operational frequency, and graphene location inside a cavity yields unprecedented optical forces on graphene, while tolerably modifies the cavity Q.
Feasibility of optically detected cyclotron resonance to study electron mobility in ultrapure GaAs

While the optically detected cyclotron resonance (ODCR) technique is a widely applied technique for the study of semiconductors, the effect of cyclotron resonance (CR) on the carrier capture and recombination processes is not well understood. We report on a comparative study of microwave CR and ODCR in photoexcited ultrapure GaAs at low temperatures. We found that the ODCR spectrum is broader and thus gives lower electron mobility than the CR spectrum under the same experimental conditions. To explain the discrepancy, a rate-equation model is developed for the dependence of the exciton density on the microwave power (free-electron temperature) under the CR conditions. A good agreement between the experimental data and the model calculations was obtained by assuming the exciton formation rate dependence on the hot-electron temperature.
Annular profiles of polygons with applications

Measuring similarity between polygonal shapes is an important problem in pattern recognition and machine intelligence. Often, the recognition is done by attracting a set of features that represent an unknown object and comparing this set with sets of features extracted from objects of known identification (prototypes). The prototype that is closest to the unknown object, when measured in a suitable metric, is assigned as the label for the unknown object. We consider the problem of comparing polygonal shapes based on their `annular profiles.' We show that the annular profile of a polygon Q of n sides induced by a given placement of an annular panel of size k can be computed in O(log k + W) time when Q is simple and in O(n log k + W) time when Q has holes. We show that profile query problem (PQP) can be answered in O(log n) time, given O(n) space and O(n2) pre-processing time. By relating the Voronoi diagrams of the edges and vertices of Q, we prove that all non-simple panels of Q can be computed in (Omega) (n5) time. We conclude by discussing the problem of constructing polygon from its annular profiles.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
POST‐SHIPMENT SERVICES: TURNING CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS INTO ASSETS

A major area of customer complaints involves warranty and nonwarranty repairs for industrial durables (capital goods). A customer‐oriented approach is necessary to solve these problems.
Development and validation of a reversed-phase HPLC method for the simultaneous analysis of simvastatin and tocotrienols in combined dosage forms

A RP-HPLC method for the simultaneous analysis of tocotrienol isoforms (TRF) and simvastatin (SIM) in SIM-TRF nanoparticles (NPs) was developed. Analytes were monitored by UV detection at 238 and 295 nm for SIM and TRF, respectively, using a gradient methanol/water elution. Calibration curves for TRF and SIM were linear over concentration range of 20-80 microg/mL and 1-10 microg/mL with correlation coefficients 0.9990 and 0.9991, respectively. The recovery of TRF and SIM from the NPs was in the range from 97.35 to 102.19% and from 92.71 to 104.35%, respectively. This developed method was successfully employed in quantifying both drugs in NPs for future use in cancer therapy.
Mechanism of Interfacial Coarsening in Molecular Beam Epitaxy Growth on (001) Surfaces

We theoretically address epitaxial growth on (001) crystalline surfaces symmetry, in the regime when pyramids are formed across the growing interface due to Schwoebel step-edge barriers. We develop a kinetic scaling theory that analytically explains numerous experiments and simulations suggesting that pyramid size grows, via coarsening, as a fourth root of the deposition time. Pyramid dynamics is elucidated in terms of pyramid edges that form a growing self-organized square lattice across the growing interface. The edge lattice of pyramids is disordered by topological defects that are characterized here as dislocations. We show that pyramid coarsening is mediated by climb-motion of the dislocations of the edge lattice.
Construction of Drug and Disease Templates to Enhance Patient Counseling

AbstractPatient education is essential for proper healthcare. The uninformed patient may experience complications and not react timely or appropriately, which in turn will cost the healthcare system and citizens significantly. Comprehensive patient counseling should include both medication and disease information. Information should include correct actions upon the patient's observance of specific complications. Currently, there are no templates to be utilized by clinicians to aid in the comprehensive coverage of essential topics upon providing effective patient counseling. We have developed two templates; five axes each, to provide drug and disease information. Axes in the drug template include the name and description, directions for use, precautions and guidelines, side effects, and techniques for self-monitoring. The disease template includes general information, symptoms and complications, diagnosis and treatment, recommended actions, and sources for additional information and support. This model was...
Effects of `Visible' Light on 5-Bromouracil-labelled DNA

INCORPORATION of 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BUdR) into the DNA of bacteriophages, bacteria and mammalian cells results in highly increased sensitivity not only to short-wave ultra-violet light1–4 but also, and even more profoundly, to ‘visible’ light2,4 or more probably to its long-wave ultra-violet component. An attempt was made to determine the photochemical mechanism of this phenomenon, as a logical extension of our earlier work on the mechanism of short-wave (2537 A) ultra-violet light effects on BUdR-labelled cells and transforming DNA5. It was suspected that photochemical dehalogenation, a reaction already observed with short-wave ultra-violet light6, accounts for most of the lethal effects of ‘visible’ light, especially of the 3000–3600 A component. The experiments were performed either with intact cells or with protein- and RNA-free DNA isolated from genetically transforming strains of Bacillus subtilis. In a few experiments, a thymine-requiring strain of Escherichia coli, 15 T−, was also used. The growth conditions resulting in massive incorporation of BUdR were described earlier7. 5-Bromouracil labelled with carbon-14 was used to label the cell DNA for the chromatographic experiments. A fluorescent lamp (General Electric, warm-white, 20 W) served as the source of ‘visible’ illumination. (Prolonged irradiation of frozen thymine solution with this lamp results in formation of small quantities of the thymine dimer, indicating that a minute fraction of its spectral output is a photochemically active ultra-violet component, which otherwise would scarcely be detectable by the usual spectrophotometric procedures.)
Electron Transfer Photochemistry of Chrysanthemol: An Intramolecular SN2‘ Reaction of a Vinylcyclopropane Radical Cation

The electron transfer photochemistry of optically pure (1R,3S)-(+)-cis-chrysanthemol (cis-2) results in the formation of (R)-5-(1-(p-cyanophenyl)-1-methylethyl)-2,2-dimethyl oxacyclohex-3-ene (4) w...
LARGE-TIME EXPONENTIAL DECAY AND "HIDDEN VARIABLES"

If "hidden variables" exist, they might become observable in radioactive samples that have decayed for many half-lives. No large deviations from exponential decrease occur in the decay of the intensity of the 1.8-Mev gamma rays from ${\mathrm{Mn}}^{56}$ during the first 34 half-lives.
Reticulated versus crenelated surfaces on macroporous polystyrene–divinylbenzene membranes

Reticulated polystyrene–divinylbenzene (PSt–DVB) copolymer membranes or thin sheets were prepared using two different methods. The first method employed a nonsolvating diluent which dissolves the monomer but precipitates the polymer. This resulted in skinned membranes with the skin being nonporous, being either crenelated or smooth. The second method used paraffin wax as the inert phase. The wax was precipitated by cooling, followed by polymerization of the styrene. The wax was then solvent extracted. This resulted in a reticulated structure both on the surface and in the interior of the membrane. The resulting products from the two methods were compared using scanning electron microscopy. The objective of this study was to prepare a skinless, macroporous, crosslinked polystyrene, as polymer I for the preparation of novel interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) materials.
Potential radioprotective agents — IV. Schiff bases

Abstract Twelve Schiff bases were prepared using salicylaldehyde, one with 5-chlorosalicylaldehyde, one with benzaldehyde, and a series of anilines substituted in the m - or p -positions. They were assayed for radioprotective activity in male, Swiss mice irradiated with a nearly lethal dose (950 cGy) of 6 mV photons produced by a linear accelerator, and were compared with the parent amines. Schiff base formation reduced toxicity of the parent amines; its effect on radioprotective activity was erratic, increasing activity in some cases, decreasing activity in others, and having no effect in still others. Radioprotective activity appears to be unrelated to a number of molecular descriptors. The highest radioprotection (100 %) was observed for mixtures of p -aminopropiophenone with its Schiff base, or with the Schiff base of 1-( p -aminophenyl)-1-propanol (95 %).
Investigation of efficient ASK demodulation for wirelessly powered biodevices

A new hardware architecture of amplitude shift keying (ASK) demodulation for portable wirelessly data-combined power transfer, especially those biomedical applications requiring permanently harvested power through radio frequency, is proposed. The architecture along with its circuit details provides dramatically enhanced energy efficiency in the system while at the same time achieving cost-effective data demodulation under a real challenging condition at the ASK modulation index. Experimental results in a 0.18 µm technology demonstrate the advantages of the proposed design.
Fabrication and Applications of Volume Bragg Gratings

Basics and last results in laser beam control by volume Bragg gratings recorded in photo-thermo-refractive glass based on their high efficiency, narrow spectral selectivity and high tolerance to high power laser radiation are presented.
Generalized barycentric coordinates on irregular polygons

In this paper we present an easy computation of a generalized form of barycentric coordinates for irregular, convex n-sided polygons. Triangular barycentric coordinates have had many classical applications in computer graphics, from texture mapping to ray tracing. Our new equations preserve many of the familiar properties of the triangular barycentric coordinates with an equally simple calculation, contrary to previous formulations. We illustrate the properties and behavior of these new generalized barycentric coordinates through several example applications.
Purely Platonic Relations with Isabel: Henry James's The Portrait of a Lady and Plato's Allegory of the Cave

(2006). Purely Platonic Relations with Isabel: Henry James's The Portrait of a Lady and Plato's Allegory of the Cave. ANQ: A Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes and Reviews: Vol. 19, No. 2, pp. 49-53.
From here to eternity: a unified kinetic model for the pathophysiology of atherosclerotic events.

Abstract Two operative pathophysiological models underlie the clinical management of ischemic heart disease: a physical model founded on the magnitude of vascular stenosis and a biochemical model founded on the inflammatory processes within the atherosclerotic plaque. Despite their complementary natures, these 2 models are implicitly competitive—the stenotic model supporting the primacy of aggressive interventional procedures and the inflammatory model supporting the primacy of conservative medical management. We unified these alternative perspectives through a kinetic model that characterizes the pathophysiology of cardiovascular events as a network of exponential transitions between the inflammatory and stenotic states. According to this model, the prevalence of the normative (nonstenotic and noninflammatory) state falls exponentially, while the prevalences of the inflammatory and stenotic states rise to a peak and then fall off exponentially. According to this model, event rate increases as a complex function of both myocardial ischemia and vascular inflammation. Although the model has yet to be prospectively validated, it provides a theoretical foundation for predicting the degree to which atherosclerotic events are due to inflammation versus stenosis and the degree to which they can thereby be prevented by treatment strategies directed at plaque stabilization or relief of ischemia.
Shared decision making in a revolutionary child's healthcare journey.

The “patients’ partnership” is especially difficult when anxious parents come to paediatric hospitals.1 Unmanaged anxiety can lead to clinical misunderstandings or induce deleterious online “doctor shopping.”2 Parents attend the hospital anxious about their child’s disease and go home anxious …
The significant negative impact of in-hospital venous thromboembolism after cardiovascular procedures.

Our objective was to assess the impact of venous thromboembolism (VTE) on common postoperative cardiovascular surgical patients. An administrative database, the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS, a sampling of 20% of all inpatients across the United States), from 1998 to 2001, was queried for all patients who were hospitalized for primary procedural diagnosis of abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (AAA), amputation (AMP), coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), carotid endarterectomy (CEA), lower extremity revascularization (LE), and aortic or mitral valve repair (VALV) and for secondary diagnosis of VTE, using standard ICD-9-CM codes. To validate these findings for specificity, the same patient procedure groups with a secondary code of VTE and the same hospitalization procedural code for inferior vena cava (IVC) filter were also analyzed. Factors relating to VTE and the outcomes of death, length of stay (LOS), and unfavorable discharge were analyzed by logistical regression, with odds ratios (ORs) reported as well as analysis of covariance for cost and LOS determinations. A total of 191,666 patients were identified from the NIS, with a mean age of 68 years, 65% men, 85% white race, and a mean VTE incidence of 0.68%. VTE incidence varied with primary procedure: AAA = 1.2%, AMP = 1.1%, CABG = 0.54%, CEA = 0.26%, LE = 0.78%, VALV = 0.63%. VTE was more likely with AAA (OR = 3.9), AMP (3.1), LE (2.8), VALV (2.0), and CABG (1.9) (all compared with CEA, P P =0.03) but not race or age. Mortality was associated with increased age (1.05), female gender (1.2), and VTE (3.4) (all P P P n = 150) of those undergoing the index procedures who received an IVC filter during the same hospitalization as VTE diagnosis, including increased risk of death, cost, LOS, and unfavorable discharge (all P
On the Optimality of Layered Video Streaming Rate in a P2P Mesh Network

Layered streaming is an effective solution to address receiver heterogeneity in a Peer-to-peer (P2P) network. This paper addresses the problem of rate allocation for layered video stream in p2p mesh networks. We present a distributed rate allocation algorithm that achieves close to optimal layer allocation among peers receiving the same video. We use load balancing technique that evenly distributes layer requests to a parent peer. Weight based layer allocation technique ensures that a child peer with higher children receives higher priority in servicing layer allocation request from its parents. Results show that for up to seven layers streamed by a server, the algorithm maintains a layer delivery ratio of 88% or more among all peers in a network. I. INTRODUCTION
IC manufacturing diagnosis based on statistical analysis techniques

During the production of integrated circuits, variations in the production environment can cause significant drops in yield. Since large amounts of data may have to be processed to diagnose the process conditions, the application of computer tools could greatly aid the engineer responsible for this task. In this paper the authors present a methodology for diagnosis, describe the algorithms, and illustrate applications with results from industrial data. More specifically, this paper presents the algorithms for the analysis of intrawafer variability. Measurements are made on many individual devices or circuits across an entire wafer. This information is used as the input to the diagnosis system. The system uses process, device, and circuit simulators to model the fabrication process. The results of the data analysis are lists of faults that may have caused the variability of measured performances. These faults are represented in terms of the inputs to the process simulator. >
ALVEOLAR BONE LEVELS IN AIDS AND HIV SEROPOSITIVE PATIENTS AND IN CONTROL SUBJECTS

Alveolar bone levels were studied from intraoral radiographs of 24 non-hospitalized patients with AIDS, 17 HIV seropositive subjects, and 39 matched control subjects. The AIDS/HIV subjects were seeking dental care in a faculty practice. The matched control subjects came from those non-HIV-infected patients seeking dental care at the University of Washington. Magnified intraoral radiographs were used to assess the distance between the cemento-enamel junction (CEJ) and the alveolar bone level (BL). The extent of vertical defects and furcation invasions was also assessed. The mean age of the AIDS, HIV, and control subjects was 38.9 ± 6.6 years, 37.1 ± 7.6, and 39.9 ± 5.6, respectively, and was not statistically different. Among the AIDS patients, 75% were smokers, while 88.2% of the HIV subjects were cigarette smokers. Therefore, the matched control subjects were also smokers to the same extent. The mean difference in distance CEJ-BL was 0.1 mm (mesial) and 0.3 mm (distal) and greater in the HIV/AIDS group t...
Using What's at Hand: English Catholic Reinterpretations of the Rosary, 1559–1642

This article investigates changes in rosary worship in England after Elizabeth I's insistence on Protestant conformity in 1559. It addresses how Catholics, faced with Protestant restrictions on traditional forms of worship, might have re-conceptualized religious rituals, symbols, and objects to satisfy their devotional needs. The rosary — understood as both a material object and a set of prayers — was (and is) the Catholic Church's most popular Marian devotion. Examining the prayers attached to the rosary offers insight into how English Catholics — often lacking access to priests and sacraments — understood their appeals to Mary, now portrayed as a strong, warrior-like advocate for believers’ souls. Since material objects such as rosaries have long played an integral part in Catholic religious culture, examining the evolving roles of such objects opens a window through which to view the new experiences in piety available within European Catholicism, in general, and within English Catholicism, in particular, during the Reformation era.
Characterization of networks from the peroxide cure of polybutadiene. II. Kinetics and sol–gel

The kinetics of cure of polybutadiene with molecular weights varying from 12,500 to 92,000 g/mole and containing 23–93% of 1,2 microstructure were investigated at two levels of dicumyl peroxide and two temperatures. The relative rates of termination were determined as a function of vinyl content and of reactive additives. Sol-gel measurements showed that molecular weights between crosslinks of less than 100 g/mole could be obtained. Network formation was found to be a polymerization process in which each free radical formed started only one crosslink chain. However, at high initiator levels chain scission did occur during cure.
Explaining Recent Modifications to the Treatment and Use of Repurchase Transactions

The research outlined in this article considers recent events that have transpired in the repurchase transaction market. In the United States, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) has changed the accounting treatment of repurchase transactions. Across the globe, regulators have changed the treatment and capital required for financial institutions to participate in repurchase transactions. The intended effect is clear: new rules treat repurchase agreements as debt and require participating institutions to provide additional financial statement disclosures about repurchase agreement activities. What impact will the stricter rules have on the repurchase transaction market? Federal Reserve data on the repurchase transaction market suggest that the recent changes have decreased repurchase market activity. Remaining questions for practitioners and theoreticians might include the effect that a smaller repo market might have on other credit markets as well as the financial markets as a whole.
Potato demand in an increasingly organic marketplace.

The authors investigate pricing and demand issues for four fresh potato categories (russet, red, white, and minor colored), organic fresh potatoes, and two processed potato categories (frozen/refrigerated and dehydrated) using a nonlinear generalized almost ideal demand system (GAIDS) that is closed under unit scaling (CUUS). The model used regionally aggregated at-home consumption data from 2000 to 2005. Estimated uncompensated own price elasticities for fresh potatoes were highly significant and ranged between � 0.5 and � 1.6. The study was designed to capture the effects of the aggregate organic market on the prices, expenditures, and demand for each potato category. Organic food market penetration elasticities suggest that specialty potatoes (organic and minor-colored) are particularly well positioned if demands for organic products continue to rise, red potatoes are not well positioned and evidence of the early warning signs of slippage in market share for white and russet potatoes may exist. Producers and promoters of conventional potato products should account for the increasingly important role of organic products in making decisions. As an auxiliary exercise, we also statistically sourced the variance of the organic potato price premium relative to the other four fresh potato prices. At the present time, the variability of the organic potato premium is not much affected by production costs or other supply-related factors: the premium variability was driven largely by demand, and demographic/seasonal factors. Producers should be cautious about shifting to organic potato production until lower cost practices emerge. [JEL Codes: D120, Q130, Q180]. r 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Reconstructing the ancestral butterfly eye: focus on the opsins

SUMMARY The eyes of butterflies are remarkable, because they are nearly as diverse as the colors of wings. Much of eye diversity can be traced to alterations in the number, spectral properties and spatial distribution of the visual pigments. Visual pigments are light-sensitive molecules composed of an opsin protein and a chromophore. Most butterflies have eyes that contain visual pigments with a wavelength of peak absorbance, λ max , in the ultraviolet (UV, 300–400 nm), blue (B, 400–500 nm) and long wavelength (LW, 500–600 nm) part of the visible light spectrum, respectively, encoded by distinct UV, B and LW opsin genes. In the compound eye of butterflies, each individual ommatidium is composed of nine photoreceptor cells (R1–9) that generally express only one opsin mRNA per cell, although in some butterfly eyes there are ommatidial subtypes in which two opsins are co-expressed in the same photoreceptor cell. Based on a phylogenetic analysis of opsin cDNAs from the five butterfly families, Papilionidae, Pieridae, Nymphalidae, Lycaenidae and Riodinidae, and comparative analysis of opsin gene expression patterns from four of the five families, I propose a model for the patterning of the ancestral butterfly eye that is most closely aligned with the nymphalid eye. The R1 and R2 cells of the main retina expressed UV–UV-, UV–B- or B–B-absorbing visual pigments while the R3–9 cells expressed a LW-absorbing visual pigment. Visual systems of existing butterflies then underwent an adaptive expansion based on lineage-specific B and LW opsin gene multiplications and on alterations in the spatial expression of opsins within the eye. Understanding the molecular sophistication of butterfly eye complexity is a challenge that, if met, has broad biological implications.
Dabigatran etexilate: A novel oral direct thrombin inhibitor

Purpose The pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, clinical efficacy, tolerability, dosage and administration, and place in therapy of dabigatran etexilate are reviewed. Summary Dabigatran is a reversible direct thrombin inhibitor (DTI) that has rapid and predictable anticoagulant effects and does not require the anticoagulation monitoring seen with oral vitamin K antagonists. Dabigatran etexilate has demonstrated efficacy in several clinical studies in preventing venous thromboembolism (VTE) for patients undergoing total hip or knee replacement, in preventing strokes in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, and in treating acute VTE. Dabigatran etexilate is a prodrug that is orally absorbed and completely converted to the active form dabigatran by carboxylesterases. Neither the conversion of dabigatran etexilate nor the metabolism of active dabigatran involves the cytochrome P-450 isoenzyme system. Other than hemorrhage, dabigatran is generally well tolerated, with gastrointestinal effects being the most commonly reported adverse events. All dosages should be adjusted in patients with reduced renal function. Dabigatran is currently being investigated for several thromboembolic disorders. It was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in October 2010 for stroke and VTE prevention in adult patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, and it was approved by the European Medicines Agency in March 2009 for the prevention of VTE in adult patients undergoing elective total hip or knee replacement. Conclusion Dabigatran etexilate, the first oral DTI marketed in the United States, is indicated to reduce the risk of stroke and systemic embolism in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. Dabigatran may be a viable option for anticoagulation in some patients due to its oral administration, rapid onset of action, and predictable anticoagulant effects.
Development of the recruitment value proposition for geocentric staffing

Organizations wanting to use a geocentric staffing strategy need to develop and communicate a value proposition that will attract the most qualified employees. This article provides a framework for understanding how culture affects the value proposition offered. The framework proposes that cultural differences will impact the perception of job and work characteristics, total rewards, and corporate image—the three main components of a recruitment value proposition. International experience is proposed as a moderator of the relationship between cultural differences and these components. Recommendations for organizations based on the framework and for future research are provided. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
DETECTING CHAOTIC DRIVE–RESPONSE GEOMETRY IN GENERALIZED SYNCHRONIZATION

Dynamical systems which can be decomposed into a drive–response pair sometimes display the phenomenon of generalized synchronization wherein the response state y is a function of the drive state x, y = ϕ (x). The questions of detecting when this is true in experimental data, and what are the properties of the function ϕ, require the development of statistics that are based on concepts and definitions from analysis, rather than the standard statistics literature. We show that these statistics can display when such a generalized synchronization situation exists and characterize the nature of the manifold (given by ϕ) of the response over the drive, including when that manifold is fractal.
Practices of Enchantment: The Theatre of Zora Neale Hurston

Contemporary critical work in the field of new materialism, whose practitioners take seriously the concept of nonhuman agency, has largely neglected the genres of theatre and performance. African American author and folklorist Zora Neale Hurston’s folk revues of the 1930s offer an opportunity to examine the intersections between contemporary new materialist theory and the stage, revealing that black Atlantic performance practices have long explored concepts of nonhuman agency in the service of a cultural and racial politics.
Pancreatic tuberculosis diagnosed with endoscopic ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration

Context Isolated pancreatic tuberculosis is rare in the Western world. Its clinical presentation often mimics pancreatic malignancy and the diagnosis is usually not suspected or confirmed prior to laparotomy. Endoscopic ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration cytology has proved to be an excellent tool for the cytological diagnosis of pancreatic and peripancreatic masses. However, this technique has not been reported for diagnosing pancreatic or peripancreatic tuberculosis. Case report We describe a 57-year-old South Asian man with pancreatic tuberculosis who presented with fever of undetermined origin and a pancreatic mass on imaging. He was successfully treated with anti-tuberculosis regimen following confirmation of his diagnosis with endoscopic ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration cytology. Conclusions Pancreatic tuberculosis should be suspected in patients having a pancreatic mass, particularly if patient presents with fever and lived in, or traveled to, an area of endemic tuberculosis or exposed to tuberculosis. When the diagnosis is suspected, endoscopic ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration cytology of the pancreatic lesion can confirm the diagnosis and so avoid an unnecessary explorative laparotomy or pancreatic resection.
Communication Apprehension and Academic Advising: Advising the Communicatively Apprehensive Student

Communication apprehemion, bp-oadly defined, is the anxiety associated with communicating with others. A.5 many as 20% of students may suj'er from high leuels o/ communication afifirrhpnsion, intelfering with their ability to communicate efiectiuelv with lhrir acadrmic adzjisors. The author o//rrs suggestions for respondir~g to the needs of communicati~~ely appr~hensiue aduisee.~.
Proteolytic Digestion and TiO2 Phosphopeptide Enrichment Microreactor for Fast MS Identification of Proteins.

The characterization of phosphorylation state(s) of a protein is best accomplished by using isolated or enriched phosphoprotein samples or their corresponding phosphopeptides. The process is typically time-consuming as, often, a combination of analytical approaches must be used. To facilitate throughput in the study of phosphoproteins, a microreactor that enables a novel strategy for performing fast proteolytic digestion and selective phosphopeptide enrichment was developed. The microreactor was fabricated using 100 μm i.d. fused-silica capillaries packed with 1-2 mm beds of C18 and/or TiO2 particles. Proteolytic digestion-only, phosphopeptide enrichment-only, and sequential proteolytic digestion/phosphopeptide enrichment microreactors were developed and tested with standard protein mixtures. The protein samples were adsorbed on the C18 particles, quickly digested with a proteolytic enzyme infused over the adsorbed proteins, and further eluted onto the TiO2 microreactor for enrichment in phosphopeptides. A number of parameters were optimized to speed up the digestion and enrichments processes, including microreactor dimensions, sample concentrations, digestion time, flow rates, buffer compositions, and pH. The effective time for the steps of proteolytic digestion and enrichment was less than 5 min. For simple samples, such as standard protein mixtures, this approach provided equivalent or better results than conventional bench-top methods, in terms of both enzymatic digestion and selectivity. Analysis times and reagent costs were reduced ~10- to 15-fold. Preliminary analysis of cell extracts and recombinant proteins indicated the feasibility of integration of these microreactors in more advanced workflows amenable for handling real-world biological samples. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.
Semi-automated Measurement of Composites Flexural Stress Relaxation

Composite materials offer the opportunity to formulate combinations of mechanical properties unobtainable in single component materials. High stiffness fiber-reinforced thermoplastic and thermosetting resins are replacing metals and ceramics in many applications where anisotropic stiffness and light weight are advantageous. Viscoelasticity becomes an important concern in non-metalic composites because they usually show significant time-dependence of their mechanical properties at lower temperatures than metals. The problem of predicting composite viscoelasticity from that of the components has, of course, been addressed theoretically.1,2 There is a need, however, for sensitive and convenient experimental methods to investigate the many different combinations of fibers and resins being generated in materials research. Small strain, temperature scanned dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) is one such method found useful in characterizing composites by the intensity and position of mechanical damping peaks.3,4 Traditional time-domain measurements such as creep and stress relaxation are also needed since these directly probe the load-bearing stability so important to designers.
Quantitative assessment of cardiorespiratory fitness, skeletal muscle function, and body composition in adults with primary malignant glioma

e13002 Background: The neuropsychological impact of malignant glioma is well documented; the physiological and functional effects are not known. We conducted a pilot study to quantitatively assess cardiorespiratiory fitness, skeletal muscle function, and body composition of patients with primary malignant glioma. Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, patients with clinically stable postsurgical (10 ± 7 days post surgery) high-grade glioma (HGG; n=25) and low-grade glioma (LGG) were studied. Participants performed a cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) with expired gas analysis to assess peak exercise capacity (VO2peak) and other parameters of cardiovascular function. Other physiological outcomes included skeletal muscle cross-sectional area (CSA; magnetic resonance imaging), isokinetic muscle strength (isokinetic dynamometer), and body composition (air displacement plethysmography). QOL was assessed by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Brain scale (FACT-BR). Results: CPET was a feasible and s...
COMPARATIVE MORPHOLOGY, INTRACOMPATIBILITY, AND INTERINCOMPATIBILITY OF SEVERAL SPECIES OF EXIDIOPSIS (EXIDIACEAE)

Intracollection pairings of single spore isolates demonstrated that Exidiopsis calcea, E. grisea, E. effusa, E. plumbescens, and three undescribed species of Exidiopsis are bifactorial. Selected mating types of these species were paired in all possible combinations; mating types of two stocks of E. plumbescens representing partially interincompatible populations of this species were included in these interspecific pairings. Clamp connections were not detected in any interspecific pairing. The contact zones of all interspecific pairings varied in morphology; however, they were, in general, more distinct than the contact zones of intraspecific, compatible pairings. Often an obvious line of aversion was formed in the contact zones of the interspecific pairings resulting in distinct hyphal ridges. Frequently these ridges grew together in 5 wk to form a mound-like zone between the two strains. A brownish, water soluble pigment was evident in many of the interspecific pairings and in a few of the intraspecific pairings. The three undescribed species, E. paniculata, E. diversa, and E. punicea, are described and illustrated.
Film bulk acoustic resonators for parallel mass sensing

This paper describes the principle of array sensing with film bulk acoustic resonators (FBARs) for combinatory mass sensing and the use of the arrayed FBAR resonant mass sensor for parallel detection of protein-ligand reactions in liquid environment. Various ligands were immobilized on the gold layer on the FBAR’s sensing surface for selective protein detection. The FBARs of the arrayed FBAR were fabricated to have different resonant frequencies from one another by adding slightly varied amount of mass loading on the resonators. Results showed that the arrayed FBAR could detect specific bindings on its surfaces as the concentration of the target ligand was varied.
Trends in the Use and Characteristics of Chiropractic Services in the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Abstract Objectives The purpose of this study was to analyze national trends and key features of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA’s) chiropractic service delivery and chiropractic provider workforce since their initial inception. Methods This was a serial cross-sectional analysis of the VA administrative data sampled from the first record of chiropractic services in VA through September 30, 2015. Data were obtained from VA’s Corporate Data Warehouse and analyzed with descriptive statistics. Results From October 1, 2004, through September 30, 2015, the annual number of patients seen in VA chiropractic clinics increased from 4052 to 37 349 (821.7%), and the annual number of chiropractic visits increased from 20 072 to 159 366 (693.9%). The typical VA chiropractic patient is male, is between the ages of 45 and 64, is seen for low back and/or neck conditions, and receives chiropractic spinal manipulation and evaluation and management services. The total number of VA chiropractic clinics grew from 27 to 65 (9.4% annually), and the number of chiropractor employees grew from 13 to 86 (21.3% annually). The typical VA chiropractor employee is a 45.9-year-old man, has worked in VA for 4.5 years, and receives annual compensation of $97 860. VA also purchased care from private sector chiropractors starting in 2000, growing to 159 533 chiropractic visits for 19 435 patients at a cost of $11 155 654 annually. Conclusions Use of chiropractic services and the chiropractic workforce in VA have grown substantially over more than a decade since their introduction.
Galvanic separation of X- and Y-chromosome-bearing sperm.

Researchers generally agree that nonmotile or immobilized sperm all possess negative charges on their outer surfaces and migrate toward the anode in neutral buffers. When motile sperm are electrophoresed exceptions occur. The 2-way migration of motile sperm was not strictly electrophoresis but might better be described as galvanic separation. Inseminations with such sperm have been reported to produce significant deviations from expected sex ratios of progeny. This research with rabbit and bull sperm was designed to study such phenomena. Details of methods used are given. When data were analyzed the tendency of cathode-migrating sperm to result in male offspring seemed limited to samples with motility greater than 5% but this deviation was not significant. Accumulated sex ratio data from insemination with rabbit and bull sperm after electrophoresis in 3 different cells and observations during electrophoresis in another cell included a total of 1291 young. These data yielded ambiguous results. Motile sperm became oriented as "head-anode" or "tail-anode" within about 5 seconds. As electrophoresis progressed motile sperm became sluggish and finally mobiligy ceased. All nonmotile sperm migrated toward the anode. A total of 366 rabbits from experiments with a newly devised 3-chambered cell yielded a clear majority of females from anode sperm with .10 M phosphate and 5% egg yolk buffer while with .14 M phosphate it did not. Another experiment indicated that separation of X- and Y-chromosome-bearing sperm was more effective at 30 degrees C than at 10 degrees C. Neither repetitive ejaculations nor washing sperm before electrophoresis altered sex ratios from either anode or cathode sperm. Fertility of electrophoresed sperm following freezing was poor. Among 60 calves born there was little evidence of a separation of X- and Y-chr omosome-bearing sperm. Discussion and questions by others follow.