cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Caregiver coping strategies predict neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia: The Cache County Dementia Progression Study

Background: Little is known about the factors that influence dementia screening behaviors in primary care providers (PCPs). We explored individual perceptions that lead PCPs intention to evaluate their patients for dementia. We hypothesized that the PCP’s knowledge of dementia and prior medical practice involving other disease screeningwould predict their intention to evaluate patients for cognitive disorders. Methods: Invitations were mailed to the PCP offices to participate in an internet survey; 138 respondents completed the survey (12%response rate). Step-wise linear regression modeled PCP intention to screen patients for dementia. Results: The PCP had a mean age 1⁄4 47 + 10y (70% male; 79% white) with 17y practice experience. On an 11-item test of dementia knowledge, the mean score was 8.1 + 2 (range 3-11); 29% correctly answered>10 questions; 20% correctly answered<6.While the majority of respondents evaluated patients for memory problems if the patient or family complained, only 25% of clinicians routinely considered mental status testing in patients at risk for dementia; 10% did not utilize any standard assessment of mental status. PCPs were active proponents of other screeningmodalities based on published guidelines. PCP Intention to Screen was predicted by knowledge, age, years of practice, current screening behaviors, greater perceived benefit for evaluating patients and fewer perceived barriers. When the model was based on patient/family complaints, intention to screen was predicted by knowledge, age, years of practice, subjective norms and perceived benefits. Conclusions: We identified knowledge deficits and belief systems regarding how PCPs approach older adults. More recent graduates were more internet savvy and were more likely to consider evaluation of the older adult for cognitive problems. We developed 2 behavior-specific predictive models. Consumer-driven practices are predicated by subjective norms, that is what the physician perceived to be the accepted level of care amongst his colleagues and community. This is in contrast to proactive screening which is predicted by the perceived benefits of screening outweighing the perceived barriers to such screening. These findings will allow us to develop, implement and assess interventions to increase physician awareness of early signs of disease. These findings will be critical to developing national screening programs for AD and related disorders.
Treating Entropy and Conformational Changes in Implicit Solvent Simulations of Small Molecules

Implicit solvent models are increasingly popular for estimating aqueous solvation (hydration) free energies in molecular simulations and other applications. In many cases, parameters for these models are derived to reproduce experimental values for small molecule hydration free energies. Often, these hydration free energies are computed for a single solute conformation, neglecting solute conformational changes upon solvation. Here, we incorporate these effects using alchemical free energy methods. We find significant errors when hydration free energies are estimated using only a single solute conformation, even for relatively small, simple, rigid solutes. For example, we find conformational entropy (TΔS) changes of up to 2.3 kcal/mol upon hydration. Interestingly, these changes in conformational entropy correlate poorly (R2 = 0.03) with the number of rotatable bonds. The present study illustrates that implicit solvent modeling can be improved by eliminating the approximation that solutes are rigid.
2014 AGU Union Medalists, Awardees, and Prize Recipient Announced

On behalf of the Honors and Recognition Committee and the Union award selection committees, we are very pleased to present the 2014 AGU Union medals, awards, and prize recipients. We honor these individuals, whose passion for scientific excellence and outstanding achievements in advancing and communicating science significantly contribute to a better future for us all. Their work truly embodies AGU's vision to “advance and communicate science and its power to ensure a sustainable future.”
Acknowledging sexual victimization as rape: Results from a national-level study

There has been ongoing debate on how women are counted when they do not acknowledge as rapes experiences that are characterized by the key components of rape. This article explores this methodological issue by using a two-stage measurement strategy with behaviorally specific screen questions to gather information on incidents of sexual victimization from 4,446 randomly selected female college students. Our results revealed that almost half of the completed rape victims considered the incidents rapes, yet few of the attempted rape or nonrape victims considered the incidents rapes. The results of a multivariate analysis highlighted the characteristics of incidents that are likely to be considered rapes. The findings buttress the assertion that women who are counted as rape victims have experienced such victimization.
Water separator shows potential for reducing respirable dust generated on small-diameter rotary blasthole drills

Drilling with water has the potential to significantly reduce the respirable dust concentrations generated from small-diameter rotary drills when drilling blastholes on surface mining operations. However, water adversely affects tri-cone drill bits commonly used in surface drilling operations, causing excessive wear and premature replacement. Consequently, dry drilling with a dust collector system has the most widespread use in the industry. Tests have been conducted by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Pittsburgh Research Laboratory (PRL) on a newly designed device for smaller diameter drills that separates the water from the bailing air before it reaches the bit and thus provides the cost benefit of dry drilling while providing the benefit of wet drilling for dust suppression. The water that is delivered to the hole with the bailing air is separated from the air by a proprietary mechanical device that is encased in a drill sub (short section of drill rod/pipe) located imm...
On the processing of saliva samples for progesterone assay

Abstract Reports from several laboratories indicate that the concentration of progesterone in the saliva provides a valid indicator of corpus luteum function. However; optimal conditions for the treatment and storage of saliva specimens prior to analysis was not addressed in these papers. We have found that 1) sonication of saliva in brief bursts produces a homogeneous sample from which progesterone is removed quantitatively by a single extraction with hexane in a vortex mixer, and 2) prompt freezing of saliva is important since storage of samples at room temperature for 48 hours results in a significant decrease in radioimmunoassayable progesterone. Four normal women provided daily saliva specimens throughout one menstrual cycle and serum samples every 3 days during the luteal phase. Excellent correlations between the progesterone profiles in the two fluids were obtained.
Rejuvenating procholinergic treatments for cognition enhancement in AD: current challenges and future prospects

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder characterized by global cognitive decline, with predominant impairments arising in attention and memory (Perry and Hodges, 1999). It is the sixth largest cause of death, and currently there is no way to prevent, cure, or even slow the progression (Klafki et al., 2006; Alzheimer's Association, 2014). Although there is a widespread decline in various neurotransmitter-containing cell bodies and axonal terminals in AD, the most consistent losses are seen in the basal forebrain (BF) cholinergic neurons and its projections (Mesulam, 2004; Schliebs and Arendt, 2011). Because of the documented role of the BF cholinergic system in learning and memory, the “cholinergic hypothesis” of AD was established (Bartus et al., 1982) and has been the primary directive for drug development and treatment in AD for almost three decades. While cholinomimetic drugs such as acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors, which elevate extracellular levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh), are the viable treatment option for AD and provide moderate alleviation to cognitive impairment, the magnitude of cognitive improvements with these drugs has remained limited (McGleenon et al., 1999; Raina et al., 2008). Additionally, these drugs are not successful in halting the progression of AD. Furthermore, the evidence that non-specific blockade of either muscarinic or nicotinic ACh receptors (mAChRs and nAChRs) alone produce dementia-like symptoms has remained inconsistent (Little et al., 1998; Erskine et al., 2004; Roegge and Levin, 2006). These issues have raised questions concerning the validity of the cholinergic hypothesis and whether the development of procholinergic therapies as cognition enhancers should be considered for AD. Here we argue that psychopharmacological approaches targeting the cholinergic system are based on previous conceptualizations of ACh regulating arousal states. We urge that emerging views from recent studies that refine our understanding of the cholinergic mediation of specific cognitive processes, and how cholinergic mechanisms interact with other pathological markers during the progression of AD, should be considered while designing procholinergic therapies. This discussion will also focus on the development of new drug candidates such as cholinergic receptor subtype-specific agonists, choline transporter (CHT) modulators and neurotrophin-based therapeutics to normalize cholinergic function in AD. Additionally, the need to combine multiple therapeutic approaches to slow AD progression and maximize cognitive benefits will be emphasized.
Comparative study of laser and scalpel nerve transections.

This investigation was designed to compare standard scalpel transections of the tibial branch of the rat sciatic nerve with those performed using either a milliwatt carbon dioxide (CO2) or a potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP/532) laser. Four transection groups consisted of nerves sectioned with (1) scalpel (control), (2) milliwatt CO2 laser, (3) KTP/532 with microscope attachment, and (4) KTP/532 laser with 400-n-m bare fiber. Each laser was used with the same parameters: 10 watts, 0.4-mm spot size, and continuous-wave mode. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was applied to the proximal stump for 30 min, and the animals were sacrificed 24 h later. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-labeled motoneuron cell bodies in the lumbar spinal cord were then counted. The average numbers of labeled neurons in each group were as follows: group I (n = 14) 518, group II (n = 8) 424, group III (n = 8) 351, and group IV (n = 8) 283. The standard deviations were quite large, however. When all laser transections were pooled and compared with paired scalpel transections, we found a significant difference, both by the paired t-test (P = 0.016) and by the Wilcoxon matched-paired test (P = 0.02). We conclude that laser transection significantly diminishes the number of neurons labeled by the retrograde transport of HRP.
Involvement of CYP 2C9 in Mediating the Proinflammatory Effects of Linoleic Acid in Vascular Endothelial Cells

Objective: Polyunsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic acid are well known dietary lipids that may be atherogenic by activating vascular endothelial cells. In the liver, fatty acids can be metabolized by cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, but little is known about the role of these enzymes in the vascular endothelium. CYP 2C9 is involved in linoleic acid epoxygenation, and the major product of this reaction is leukotoxin (LTX). We investigated the role of CYP-mediated mechanisms of linoleic acid metabolism in endothelial cell activation by examining the effects of linoleic acid or its oxidized metabolites such as LTX and leukotoxin diol (LTD).Methods: The effect of linoleic acid on CYP 2C9 gene expression was studied by RT-PCR. Oxidative stress was monitored by measuring DCF fluorescence and intracellular glutathione levels, and electrophoretic mobility shift assay was carried out to study the activation of oxidative stress sensitive transcription factors. Analysis of oxidized lipids was carried out by liqui...
Crystalline structure and morphology of biaxially oriented polyamide‐11 films

The effect of the uniaxial and biaxial stretching and subsequent solution annealing of extrusion-cast polyamide-11 films on the crystalline structure and morphology was investigated with differential scanning calorimetry, wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The extrusion-cast polyamide-11 films exhibited elevations in the glass-transition and cold-crystallization temperatures with a constant crystallinity and a constant melting point during aging under room conditions (20-26 °C and 20-31%. relative humidity). WAXD and SAXS suggested that chain-folded lamellae of coexisting α- and β-crystals existed in all the stretched polyamide-11 films. WAXD pole figures indicated that hydrogen bonds in the hydrogen-bonded sheets of these two crystalline forms apparently formed between antiparallel chain molecules. The unit cell parameters [a = 9.52 A, b = 5.35 A, c = 14.90 A (chain axis), a = 48.5°, β = 90°, and y = 74.7° for a triclinic a form and a = 9.52 A, b = 14.90 A (chain axis), c = 4.00 A, a = 90°, β = 67.5°, and γ = 90° for a monoclinic β form] for polyamide-11 crystals were proposed according to the results of this study and the results of previous investigators. The unit cell parameters of the stretched extrusion-cast polyamide-11 films varied, depending on the stretching conditions (the stretch temperature and stretch ratio). As the stretch temperature and stretch ratio were increased, the crystal became more similar to the form described previously and was accompanied by an increase in the long spacing of crystalline lamellae. Annealing the stretched films in a boiling 20% formic acid solution made slightly more perfected crystals. The hydrogen-bonding a(010) + β(002) planes, which are nearly parallel to both amide group planes and zigzag methylene sequence planes of the biaxially stretched films were found to be parallel to the film surface.
Merging Psychophysical and Psychometric Theory to Estimate Global Visual State Measures from Forced-Choices

Visual acuity, a forced-choice psychophysical measure of visual spatial resolution, is the sine qua non of clinical visual impairment testing in ophthalmology and optometry patients with visual system disorders ranging from refractive error to retinal, optic nerve, or central visual system pathology. Visual acuity measures are standardized against a norm, but it is well known that visual acuity depends on a variety of stimulus parameters, including contrast and exposure duration. This paper asks if it is possible to estimate a single global visual state measure from visual acuity measures as a function of stimulus parameters that can represent the patient's overall visual health state with a single variable. Psychophysical theory (at the sensory level) and psychometric theory (at the decision level) are merged to identify the conditions that must be satisfied to derive a global visual state measure from parameterised visual acuity measures. A global visual state measurement model is developed and tested with forced-choice visual acuity measures from 116 subjects with no visual impairments and 560 subjects with uncorrected refractive error. The results are in agreement with the expectations of the model.
One‐Pot Protection‐Glycosylation Reactions for Synthesis of Lipid II Analogues

(2,6-Dichloro-4-methoxyphenyl)(2,4-dichlorophenyl)methyl trichloroacetimidate (3) and its polymer-supported reagent 4 can be successfully applied to a one-pot protection-glycosylation reaction to form the disaccharide derivative 7 d for the synthesis of lipid II analogues. The temporary protecting group or linker at the C-6 position and N-Troc protecting group of 7 d can be cleaved simultaneously through a reductive condition. Overall yields of syntheses of lipid II (1) and neryl-lipid II N(e)-dansylthiourea are significantly improved by using the described methods.
Democracy's Prisoner: Eugene V. Debs, the Great War, and the Right to Dissent, by Ernest Freeberg

Democracy's Prisoner: Eugene V. Debs, the Great War, and the Right to Dissent, by Ernest Freeberg, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press, 2008, 380 pp., $29.95 (cloth), ISBN: 978-0-674-02792-3 Er...
Venovenous extracorporeal life support after pulmonary endarterectomy: indications, techniques, and outcomes.

Background Pulmonary endarterectomy is the accepted therapy for thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. A recognized complication of this surgery is the postoperative development of reperfusion edema, a potentially fatal cause of respiratory failure. Because reperfusion edema can be a reversible process, temporizing support measures may be life saving. Methods We retrospectively reviewed our experience with venovenous extracorporeal life support (V-V ECLS) from July 1990 to February 2006, in 20 adult patients (mean age 50.5 ± 14.5 years) presenting with potentially reversible respiratory failure after pulmonary endarterectomy. This subset of patients comprised 1.12% of our total pulmonary endarterectomy experience during that time (1,790 cases). Results Overall in-hospital survival was 30.0% for patients requiring ECLS support after pulmonary endarterectomy versus 94.2% for patients who underwent pulmonary endarterectomy alone during the same timeframe. V-V ECLS was instituted at a mean of 86.8 hours after surgery. The mean duration of V-V ECLS was 123.4 ± 71.3 hours. The most common cause of death in ECLS patients after pulmonary endarterectomy was pulmonary hemorrhage. Survival was greater in patients cannulated within 120 hours of surgery (46.2% survival; 6 of 13 patients) compared with those cannulated after 120 hours (0 of 7 patients). Multiple logistic regression identified long duration of mechanical ventilation pre-ECLS and severity of preoperative pulmonary hypertension together as predictors of mortality. Conclusions A small subset of patients undergoing pulmonary endarterectomy develop temporary life-threatening respiratory failure secondary to severe reperfusion edema. In those patients with satisfactory hemodynamic outcome, V-V ECLS is a therapeutic option when all other conventional strategies have been exhausted.
The impact of student pharmacists at health fair events.

Objectives. To evaluate student pharmacists’ impact on health fair participant knowledge of selected disease states and to evaluate the intent of health fair participants with abnormal screening results to seek follow-up care within 1 month of screening. Methods. Health fair participants were assessed for changes in their knowledge of specific diseases before and after screenings. Participants’ intent to seek health care was assessed through a survey instrument developed using Rosenstock’s Health Belief Model. Results. Increases in participant knowledge of hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and body mass index were significant, and 78% of participants with abnormal results intended to contact a provider. Conclusions. Student pharmacists’ had a positive impact on health fair participants’ disease knowledge and intent to follow up with a provider.
Parallel hardware for constraint satisfaction

A parallel implementation of constraint satisfaction by arc consistency is presented. The implementation is constructed of standard digital hardware elements, used in a very fine-grained, massively parallel style. As an example of how to specialize the design, a parallel implementation for solving graph isomorphism with arc consistency is also given. Complexity analyses are given for both circuits. Worst case running time for the algorithms turns out to be linear in the number of variables n and labels a, O(an), and if the I/O must be serial, it will dominate the computation time. Finegrained parallelism trades off time complexity for space complexity, but the number of gates required is only O(a2n2).
The infrared Galactic disk: What have we learned?

A brief overview is given of some of the new insights we have achieved from the Spitzer/GLIMPSE/MIPSGAL surveys of the Galactic plane. Particular emphasis is given to infrared bubbles, rapidly accreting protostars, infrared dark clouds, and diffuse PAH emission. Large scale galactic structure based on the distribution of red clump giants will be discussed by Robert Benjamin in this volume.
High-frequency wirebonding: process and reliability implications

Most of the current wirebonding machines operate at a nominal frequency of 60 kHz. The choice of 60 kHz was made several decades ago based on appropriate transducer dimensions for the product sizes of the era and stability during the bonding load. A wide range of frequencies (25 to over 300 kHz) has been used to ultrasonically attach wires. Today's interest in higher-frequency wirebonding stems from reports that using higher ultrasonic frequencies produces better welding at lower temperatures in shorter bonding times (dwell times). It has also been indicated that higher-frequency wirebonding improves bonding to pads placed over soft polymers such as Teflon/spl reg/ and unreinforced polyimide. Despite these reports, few, if any, systematic side-by-side studies using controlled conditions have been performed. The current work continues our systematic efforts to evaluate the effects of using higher bonding frequency on bond quality and reliability. Using two identical bonding machines (except for ultrasonic frequency), we have investigated the bonding process on a variety of metallizations and substrates. In this study, statistical methods were used to determine whether the differences in the means and variances between comparable samples sets (one bonded at 60 kHz and the other bonded at 100 kHz) were significant. Results of our studies indicate that significant differences exist between bonding at nominally 60 kHz and bonding at 100 kHz. In particular, we describe effects associated with: (1) the ball shear strength before and after thermal aging (150/spl deg/C for 120 hours) for both 60 kHz and 100 kHz bonds, (2) the influence of substrate-metallizations combinations on the geometry and strength of the bonds at the different frequencies, and (3) the sensitivity and control of the overall bonding processes.
Psychoanatomical substrates of Bálint's syndrome.

Objectives: From a series of glimpses, we perceive a seamless and richly detailed visual world. Cerebral damage, however, can destroy this illusion. In the case of Balint9s syndrome, the visual world is perceived erratically, as a series of single objects. The goal of this review is to explore a range of psychological and anatomical explanations for this striking visual disorder and to propose new directions for interpreting the findings in Balint9s syndrome and related cerebral disorders of visual processing. Methods: Balint9s syndrome is reviewed in the light of current concepts and methodologies of vision research. Results: The syndrome affects visual perception (causing simultanagnosia/visual disorientation) and visual control of eye and hand movement (causing ocular apraxia and optic ataxia). Although it has been generally construed as a biparietal syndrome causing an inability to see more than one object at a time, other lesions and mechanisms are also possible. Key syndrome components are dissociable and comprise a range of disturbances that overlap the hemineglect syndrome. Inouye9s observations in similar cases, beginning in 1900, antedated Balint9s initial report. Because Balint9s syndrome is not common and is difficult to assess with standard clinical tools, the literature is dominated by case reports and confounded by case selection bias, non-uniform application of operational definitions, inadequate study of basic vision, poor lesion localisation, and failure to distinguish between deficits in the acute and chronic phases of recovery. Conclusions: Studies of Balint9s syndrome have provided unique evidence on neural substrates for attention, perception, and visuomotor control. Future studies should address possible underlying psychoanatomical mechanisms at “bottom up” and “top down” levels, and should specifically consider visual working memory and attention (including object based attention) as well as systems for identification of object structure and depth from binocular stereopsis, kinetic depth, motion parallax, eye movement signals, and other cues.
Parallel multi-frequency narrowband active noise control systems

This paper analyzes and optimizes narrowband active noise control systems using multiple second-order adaptive filters. Theoretical analysis of the overall parallel structure is based on autocorrelation and cross-correlation matrices. Analytical result shows the use of single error signal to update all adaptive filters with different input signals will introduce extra tonal components in the residual noise. An optimized algorithm that uses bandpass filters to split the fullband error signal into multiple bandlimited subband error signals according to the frequencies of reference signals is developed to improve steady-state performance.
Where-What Network 3: Developmental top-down attention for multiple foregrounds and complex backgrounds

The Where-What Network 3 (WWN-3) is an artificial developmental network modeled after visual cortical pathways, for the purpose of attention and recognition in the presence of complex natural backgrounds. It is general-purpose and not pre-determined to detect a certain type of stimulus. It is a learning network, which develops its weights from images using a supervised paradigm and a local Hebbian learning algorithm. Attention has been thought of as bottom-up or top-down. This paper focuses on the biologically-inspired mechanisms of top-down attention in WWN-3, through top-down excitation that interacts with bottom-up activity at every layer within the network. Top-down excitation in WWN-3 can control the location of attention by imposing a certain location or disengaging from the current location. It can also control what type of object to search for. Paired layers and sparse coding deal with potential hallucination problems. Top-down attention in WWN occurs as soon as an action emerges at a motor layer, which could be imposed by a teacher or internally selected. Given two competing foregrounds in the same scene, WWN showed effective performance in all the attention modes tested.
Gauge-field-theory solution of the elastic state of a screw dislocation in a dispersive (non-local) crystalline solid

The relaxed state of a type of topological defect (screw dislocation) located in a dispersive (non-local) elastic solid is discussed from a viewpoint of gauge field theory. The starting point of th...
Bombesin-like peptides and receptors in normal fetal baboon lung: roles in lung growth and maturation.

Previously, we have shown that bombesin-like peptide (BLP) promotes fetal lung development in rodents and humans but mediates postnatal lung injury in hyperoxic baboons. The present study analyzed the normal ontogeny of BLP and BLP receptors as well as the effects of BLP on cultured normal fetal baboon lungs. Transcripts encoding gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP), a pulmonary BLP, were detectable on gestational day 60 (ED60), peaked on approximately ED90, and then declined before term (ED180). Numbers of BLP-immunopositive neuroendocrine cells peaked from ED80 to ED125 and declined by ED160, preceding GRP-receptor mRNAs detected from ED125 until birth. BLP (0.1–10 nM) stimulated type II cell differentiation in organ cultures as assessed by [3H]choline incorporation into surfactant phospholipids, electron microscopy, and increased surfactant protein (SP) A- and/or SP-C-immunopositive cells and SP-A mRNA. BLP also induced neuroendocrine differentiation on ED60. Cell proliferation was induced by GRP, peaking on ED90. Similarly, blocking BLP degradation stimulated lung growth and maturation, which was completely reversed by a BLP-specific antagonist. The dissociation between GRP and GRP-receptor gene expression during ontogeny suggests that novel BLP receptors and/or peptides might be implicated in these responses.
Parallel sparse matrix-matrix multiplication: a scalable solution with 1D algorithm

This paper presents a novel implementation of parallel sparse matrix-matrix multiplication using distributed memory systems on heterogeneous hardware architecture. The proposed algorithm is expected to be linearly scalable up to several thousands of processors for matrices with dimensions over 10
Can Response Force Be Shaped by Reinforcement

Frick in 1986, writing in this journal, suggested that experiments purporting to demonstrate the shaping of response force by reinforcement lacked critical controls. He argued instead that such procedures create a mental schema concerning the response topography which influences force indirectly. Although Frick's methodological criticisms are well taken, there is additional evidence suggesting that response force can be strengthened by reinforcement and that such learning generalizes across behaviors.
Mechanism of Alcohol Oxidation Mediated by Copper(II) and Nitroxyl Radicals

2,2′-Bipyridine-ligated copper complexes, in combination with TEMPO (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-N-oxyl), are highly effective catalysts for aerobic alcohol oxidation. Considerable uncertainty and debate exist over the mechanism of alcohol oxidation mediated by CuII and TEMPO. Here, we report experimental and density functional theory (DFT) computational studies that distinguish among numerous previously proposed mechanistic pathways. Oxidation of various classes of radical-probe substrates shows that long-lived radicals are not formed in the reaction. DFT computational studies support this conclusion. A bimolecular pathway involving hydrogen-atom-transfer from a CuII–alkoxide to a nitroxyl radical is higher in energy than hydrogen transfer from a CuII–alkoxide to a coordinated nitroxyl species. The data presented here reconcile a collection of diverse and seemingly contradictory experimental and computational data reported previously in the literature. The resulting Oppenauer-like reaction pathway furt...
Health and Renaissance: Academic Medicine and the Remaking of Modern Pittsburgh

In 1959, the Pittsburgh Hospital Service Association celebrated the city’s bicentennial with a publication titled “Pittsburgh’s Fortresses of Health,” which extolled the virtues of Allegheny County’s twenty-eight general hospitals.1 Calling all of these institutions a “city . . . a city within the city . . . that never sleeps, night or day,” the Hospital Service Association reminded its audience of school children, area industrial concerns, labor leaders, universities, and elected officials that through the provision of patient care and scientific research, not-for-profit hospitals comprised a “Fortress of Health” that defended the region by protecting the strength and vitality of its industrial workers and managers. Five decades later, however, when the story of this first Renaissance is retold, the role of not-for-profit institutions as an essential bulwarks of industrial capitalism has been largely overlooked in favor of a narrative that focuses on dramatic physical renewal projects like Point State Park, or seeks to tell a broader public policy story like the creation of the city’s famous elite-driven public–private partnership between the Allegheny Conference on Community Development (the Conference) and the Mayor’s office.2 An important reason for this omission is perception. For much of the twentieth century, the power of the “Fortress of Health” metaphor has been to cast hospitals, and by extension many other not-for-profit institutions, as defensive or nonproductive assets designed to support, rather
Ultra Thin High Quality Ta2O5 Gate Dielectrics Prepared by In-situ Rapid Thermal Processing

In this paper, ultra thin CVD Ta2O5 stacked gate dielectrics (Teq∼14A-22A) was fabricated by in-situ RTP processing. The leakage current of Ta2O5 devices is 103× lower leakage current compared to SiO2 of identical thickness for devices with Teq between 18A-22A. While Teq<18A, the leakage current follows same train and J∼10−3A/cm2 for Ta2O5 stacked gate dielectrics with Teq=14A. Superior interface properties and reliability have been obtained.
CO2 Reduction to Methanol on TiO2-Passivated GaP Photocatalysts

In the past, the electrochemical instability of III–V semiconductors has severely limited their applicability in photocatlaysis. As a result, a vast majority of the research on photocatalysis has been done on TiO2, which is chemically robust over a wide range of pH. However, TiO2 has a wide band gap (3.2 eV) and can only absorb ∼4% of the solar spectrum, and thus, it will never provide efficient solar energy conversion/storage on its own. Here, we report photocatalytic CO2 reduction with water to produce methanol using TiO2-passivated GaP photocathodes under 532 nm wavelength illumination. The TiO2 layer prevents corrosion of the GaP, as evidenced by atomic force microscopy and photoelectrochemical measurements. Here, the GaP surface is passivated using a thin film of TiO2 deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD), which provides a viable, stable photocatalyst without sacrificing photocatalytic efficiency. In addition to providing a stable photocatalytic surface, the TiO2 passivation provides substantial...
A Grounded Theory Study of How Nurses Integrate Pregnancy and Full-Time Employment: Becoming Someone Different.

Background A holistic exploration of the experience of how nurses integrate pregnancy and employment is lacking among the global nursing literature. Objective The purpose of this research was to explore how primiparous U.S. nurses integrated pregnancy and full-time employment. Methods Using a grounded theory approach, 20 nurses from the United States, who were pregnant and delivered their first baby-while employed full time on 12-hour work shifts-provided a firsthand account of how they incorporated pregnancy with professional nursing employment. Results The basic social process, "becoming someone different," emerged to explain how U.S. nurses integrated pregnancy and full-time employment in early and late stages. Four core categories were: (a) "looking different, feeling different,"(b) "expectations while expecting," (c) "connecting differently," and (d) "transitioning labor." Discussion Within early and late stages, pregnant nurses becoming someone different navigate through various social interactions with peers and patients alike, with meaning assigned to those experiences. Research with pregnant nurses from other countries, nurses working in settings other than acute care, and multiparous nurses is needed to further expand on these findings.
SoundFORMS: Manipulating Sound Through Touch

SoundFORMS creates a new method for composers of electronic music to interact with their compositions. Through the use of a pin-based shape-shifting display, synthesized waveforms are projected in three dimensions in real time affording the ability to hear, visualize, and interact with the timbre of the notes. Two types of music composition are explored: generation of oscillator tones, and triggering of pre-recorded audio samples. The synthesized oscillating tones have three timbres: sine, sawtooth and square wave. The pre-recorded audio samples are drum tracks. Through the use of a gestural vocabulary, the user can directly touch and modify synthesized waveforms.
Quality Control of Storage Phosphor Radiography Machines

Procedures for assuring the quality of image generation by Storage Phosphor Radiography (SR) machines have not been defined by the manufacturer and do not appear to have been described elsewhere. The information given in this article is based on experiences with several Fuji AC-1, several Fuji 7000, and one AGFA ADC. AGFA has designed a test phantom for SR that will be available in the future. The phantom tests geometric consistency and gray scale features of SR.
Determination of ethylene qxide for disposable sanitary products by HSGC

Objective:To establish Headspace GC amethod for disposable sanitary products.Methods:A sample was heated at headspace incubation temperature 60℃for 60 min,detected by Gas chromatography.Results:The linear ranges were 98.3 μg～491.2 μg(r=0.9999),and the detection limit was 0.1 μg/g,standard deviations were 2.3%～5.5%.Conclusion:This method is suitable,reliable and effective to determine Ethylene Qxide in disposable sanitary products.
Mechanism of the protective effect of propylthiouracil against acetaminophen (Tylenol) toxicity in the rat.

Abstract The hypothesis that propylthiouracil (PTU)-induced hypothyroidism (HT) has a protective effect against the hepatic toxicity of acetaminophen (Tylenol or Paracetamol) was tested in a rat model. Toxic doses of acetaminophen (AAP) were administered to rats which had been made hypothyroid by oral administration of PTU for a period of 12 days, or by surgical thyroidectomy (STx) 3 wk before study, and to euthyroid controls. Hepatotoxicity was evaluated by the determination of serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT) and serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) levels, and by light and electron microscopy. PTU treatment effectively prevented the increase of SGOT and SGPT levels, while controls had a 10-fold (1 g of AAP/kg body wt) to 70-fold increase (3 g/kg body wt) of transaminase levels. Only sporadic necrosis was observed in the PTU-treated rats, while the controls had extensive centrilobular necrosis. Electron microscopy showed slight changes in the hepatocytes of the PTU rats after 36 hr, which were considered to be reversible because these changes could not be detected after 6 days. A similar but less effective protective effect was observed 3 wk after STx. The protective effect was not mediated by delayed intestinal absorption; in contrast, the PTU rats absorbed, metabolized, and excreted the drug significantly faster than the euthyroid controls. However, the hepatic reduced glutathione (GSH) concentrations were significantly higher in the PTU-treated rats before AAP treatment, and, although decreased 6 hr after AAP treatment, they were still significantly higher than the AAP treated euthyroid controls. Higher GSH levels were inversely related to covalent binding of the toxic metabolite to hepatic tissue. Inflammatory response to necrotic hepatic tissue, as seen in all controls, was virtually absent in all HT rats. The mechanism of the protective effect of induced HT on hepatic toxicity of AAP was attributed to (a) induction of increased hepatic GSH levels resulting in decreased covalent binding of a toxic metabolite of AAP, (b) enhanced glucuronidation may prevent either formation or binding of a reactive metabolite to hepatocytes, and (c) prevention of inflammatory reaction to necrotic liver tissue.
Decisions and problems in the management of hypospadias.

The goals and objectives for the management of the hypospadias patient are adequate urinary stream, a distal penile urethral meatus, a straight, reasonably sized penis on erection, and freedom from proximal obstruction. The consistent attainment of these goals is difficult, as all experienced surgeons know.
TepiTool: A Pipeline for Computational Prediction of T Cell Epitope Candidates

Computational prediction of T cell epitope candidates is currently being used in several applications including vaccine discovery studies, development of diagnostics, and removal of unwanted immune responses against protein therapeutics. There have been continuous improvements in the performance of MHC binding prediction tools, but their general adoption by immunologists has been slow due to the lack of user-friendly interfaces and guidelines. Current tools only provide minimal advice on what alleles to include, what lengths to consider, how to deal with homologous peptides, and what cutoffs should be considered relevant. This protocol provides step-by-step instructions with necessary recommendations for prediction of the best T cell epitope candidates with the newly developed online tool called TepiTool. TepiTool, which is part of the Immune Epitope Database (IEDB), provides some of the top MHC binding prediction algorithms for number of species including humans, chimpanzees, bovines, gorillas, macaques, mice, and pigs. The TepiTool is freely accessible at http://tools.iedb.org/tepitool/. © 2016 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Keywords: binding affinity prediction; CTL epitope prediction; MHC class I; MHC class II; T cell epitope
A Real Science and Technology of Education

Publisher Summary Parents in well-to-do communities may be happy with schools that treat education as an art. Well-educated parents with adequate income provide much of the critical instruction, which children need to progress, through schools that treat education as an art. Impoverished children receive one-third of the language interactions that children from professional families receive, often because there is not enough time for children in homes where economic survival is a day-to-day gamble. The students simply do not have the repertoires to obtain reinforcement for academic responding. Their source of reinforcement in the class comes from misbehaving, which results in attention from their peers and teachers. The deficits in classroom reinforcement for these children for academic responses relegate those who have not received adequate instruction to sources of reinforcement for behaviors that work for them in the streets. Behaviors reinforced in the culture of the streets are not in the best interests of these children or society.
Mobile manifestations of alertness: connecting biological rhythms with patterns of smartphone app use

Our body clock causes considerable variations in our behavioral, mental, and physical processes, including alertness, throughout the day. While much research has studied technology usage patterns, the potential impact of underlying biological processes on these patterns is under-explored. Using data from 20 participants over 40 days, this paper presents the first study to connect patterns of mobile application usage with these contributing biological factors. Among other results, we find that usage patterns vary for individuals with different body clock types, that usage correlates with rhythms of alertness, that app use features such as duration and switching can distinguish periods of low and high alertness, and that app use reflects sleep interruptions as well as sleep duration. We conclude by discussing how our findings inform the design of biologically-friendly technology that can better support personal rhythms of performance.
Technical Aspects in the Use of “Belly Boards” for Small Bowel Minimization

Abstract The position in which a patient is treated for pelvic irradiation has been shown to have dramatic significance in regard to the volume of small bowel within the treatment field. Previous studies in the literature have repeatedly supported the fact that volume may be the leading factor in both acute and chronic morbidity. We have prospectively evaluated and treated 30 patients utilizing a custom-made polyurethane foam and styrofoam “belly board” with a dropout cut from the level of the xyphoid process to the superior border of the treatment field, specifically designed to allow maximal superior and anterior displacement of small bowel by bladder distention and gravity, while allowing reliable daily reproducibility, accurate immobilization and equally important, increased patient comfort and compliance. By evaluating all patients (in both the supine position alone, and prone in the “Belly Board”) with a dedicated treatment planning CT scanner, we have been able to achieve 80–100% reduction in the volume of small bowel within the radiation portals. We will discuss data on the technical set-up, cost, and variations which allow the “Belly Board” to be specifically tailored for use when treating other intraabdominal sites. This technique is simple, inexpensive, highly reproducible, and permits maximal bowel displacement outside the treatment fields.
An Introduction to the EPRI Reliability-based Design Guide

ABSTRACT The “Guide for Reliability-Based Design of Transmission Line Structures” has been prepared under the sponsorship of the Electric Power Research Institute to facilitate the improved structural design of transmission line and similar utility structures. The primary features of this guide and its use in design applications are summarized. The guide presents two similar data sensitive reliability-based formats for design, background on this design approach and development of the designer-oriented formats, along with information on the environmental (wind, ice) and other structural loads, recently developed analysis software, and resistance information on wood poles and other components. Calibration studies to aid in the selection of appropriate design reliability levels are described, along with design examples.
Smooth Muscle Tumor Originating in the Pleura: A Case Report and Updated Literature Review.

Smooth muscle tumors (SMTs) of the pleura are exceptionally rare. At present and to the best of these authors’ knowledge, there are only 17 cases reported in the literature. We describe a case of a 51-year-old woman who complained of left sided pleuritic chest pain. Further, computed tomography (CT) revealed a left sided localized pleural-based mass involving the 9th rib. She underwent an interventional radiology guided percutaneous core biopsy of the lesion, which disclosed a “Smooth Muscle Tumor of Undetermined Malignant Potential (SMT-UMP).” A video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) was performed for diagnosis and treatment purposes. Resections of the pleural-based mass and 9th rib were performed. SMT-UMP was the definitive diagnosis.
Employment and choice-making for adults with intellectual disability, autism, and down syndrome

Abstract Background Adults with disabilities are employed at a significantly lower rate than adults without disabilities. Of adults with disabilities in the workforce, more individuals work in a facility setting rather than a community setting, despite efforts to improve community inclusion. Choice-making has been proposed as a predictive factor for employment for individuals with disabilities. Aims The purpose of this research was to examine the current state of employment for three groups of adults with intellectual disability (ID): individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), individuals with Down syndrome (DS), and individuals with idiopathic ID. Choice-making and its relation to improved employment outcomes was explored. Methods This study used National Core Indicator’s Adult Consumer Survey datasets from years 2011–2012 and 2012–2013. Factor analyses revealed latent variables from six choice-making questions in the Adult Consumer Survey. Ordinal logistic regression was used to identify factors related to employment status. Results Adults with DS had the highest rates of paid community jobs, but adults with ID had the highest rates of choice-making. ID severity level and short-term choice-making had the greatest effects on employment status in all three groups. Conclusions Employment rates remain low despite national efforts to find jobs for people with disabilities. Choice-making is a unique factor that was found to be associated with employment status and provides a target for interventions to increase employability.