cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Good and poor adherence: optimal cut-point for adherence measures using administrative claims data

ABSTRACTObjective: To identify the adherence value cut-off point that optimally stratifies good versus poor compliers using administratively derived adherence measures, the medication possession ratio (MPR) and the proportion of days covered (PDC) using hospitalization episode as the primary outcome among Medicaid eligible persons diagnosed with schizophrenia, diabetes, hypertension, congestive heart failure (CHF), or hyperlipidemia.Research design and methods: This was a retrospective analysis of Arkansas Medicaid administrative claims data. Patients ≥18 years old had to have at least one ICD-9-CM code for the study diseases during the recruitment period July 2000 through April 2004 and be continuously eligible for 6 months prior and 24 months after their first prescription for the target condition. Adherence rates to disease-specific drug therapy were assessed during 1 year using MPR and PDC.Main outcome measure and analysis scheme: The primary outcome measure was any-cause and disease-related hospitali...
Ray tracing complex models containing surface tessellations

An approach to ray tracing complex models containing mathematically defined surfaces is presented. Parametric and implicit surfaces, and boolean combinations of these, are first tessellated into triangles. The resulting triangles from many such surfaces are organized in a hierachy of lists and 3D grids, allowing efficient calculation of ray/model intersections.The technique has been used to ray trace models containing billions of traiangles and surfaces never before ray traced. The organizing scheme developed is also independently useful for efficiently ray tracing any complex model, whether or not it contains surface tessellations.
Toxicity of copper-spiked sediments to freshwater invertebrates

Natural freshwater sediments from two Oregon sites were spiked with copper in the laboratory and two static toxicity tests were conducted with series of copper concentrations ranging from 59 to 10,600 mg/kg of dry sediment. Water (800 ml) was added to 1-liter test beakers over the sediment (200 ml) and repeatedly removed and replaced to lower the aqueous copper concentrations. When copper concentrations stabilized, i.e., attained equilibrium between water and sediment, the midge Chironomus tentans, the cladoceran Daphnia magna and the amphipods Hyalella azteca and Gammarus lacustris were introduced as test animals in solid-phase sediment toxicity bioassays. Based on dry-weight sediment copper concentrations, LC50 values (48-h for Daphnia, 10-d for other organisms) ranged from 681 to 2,296 mg/kg.
Induction of Vascular Insulin Resistance and Endothelin-1 Expression and Acceleration of Atherosclerosis by the Overexpression of Protein Kinase C-β Isoform in the Endothelium

Rationale: Loss of insulin action in the endothelium can cause endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis. Hyperglycemia and elevated fatty acids induced by diabetes mellitus can activate protein kinase C-β isoforms and selectively inhibit insulin signaling via phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt pathway to inhibit the activation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase and metabolic actions. Objective: To demonstrate that overexpressing protein kinase C-β2 isoform in endothelial cells can cause selective insulin resistance and exacerbate atherosclerosis in the aorta. Methods and Results: Protein kinase C-β2 isoform was overexpressed in endothelial cells using a promoter of vascular endothelial cell cadherin. These mice were cross-bred with apoE −/− mice [Tg (Prkcb) apoE −/− ]. On a Western diet, Tg(Prkcb) apoE −/− and apoE −/− mice did not differ in systemic insulin sensitivity, glucose tolerance, plasma lipid, or blood pressure. Insulin action in endothelial cells and femoral artery from Tg(Prkcb) apoE −/− mice was impaired by ≈40% with respect to Akt/endothelial nitric oxide synthase activation, and leukocyte-endothelial cell binding increased in cultured lung endothelial cells from Tg(Prkcb) apoE −/− mice compared with that from apoE −/− mice. Basal and angiotensin-stimulated big endothelin-1 levels were elevated in Tg(Prkcb) apoE −/− mice compared with apoE −/− mice. The severity of atherosclerosis in the aorta from Tg(Prkcb) apoE −/− mice increased by ≈70% as measured by en face fat staining and plaque content of the number of smooth muscle cells, macrophages, and extracellular matrix. Conclusions: Specific protein kinase C-β2 activation in the endothelial cells caused dysfunction and accelerated atherosclerosis because of loss of insulin-stimulated Akt/endothelial nitric oxide synthase activation and angiotensin-induced increases in endothelin-1 expression.
Molecular epidemiology of mumps virus strains circulating in south-west China from 2007 to 2009.

The genetic characteristics of mumps virus (MuV) strains isolated from sporadic mumps cases between 2007 and 2009 in three provinces of south-west China were investigated. MuV detection was carried out by nested RT-PCR on 117 cases. The small hydrophobic gene of 33 isolated strains was identified, and sequence analysis revealed that all the isolates belonged to the lineage genotype F with slight nucleotide variation. Furthermore, the virus haemagglutinin–neuraminidase and nucleoprotein antigens exhibited a high degree of nucleotide and amino acid similarity (>99 %) within all isolates, whilst the fusion protein appeared to have certain geographical differences. This study on molecular surveillance will help to monitor the circulation of MuV in China.
Chimpanzee Mindreading and the Value of Parsimonious Mental Models

I analyze two recent parsimony arguments that have been offered to break the current impasse in the chimpanzee mindreading controversy, the ‘logical problem’ argument from Povinelli, Penn, and Vonk, and Sober's attempt to apply model selection criteria in support of the mindreading hypothesis. I argue that Sober's approach fails to adequately rebut the ‘logical problem’. However, applying model selection criteria to chimpanzees' own mental models of behavior does yield a response to the ‘logical problem’ and reveals an adaptive advantage of mindreading models and a potential solution to a paradox raised by Whiten.
Brain Responses to Sine Wave Modulated Light (SML): Reliability and Relationship to Spontaneous EEG

Brain activity elicited by sine wave modulated light and spontaneous EEGs were obtained from 11 healthy adult males on two separate occasions. Within-subject correlations (test-retest correlation coefficients) for SML responses were high, and comparable to reliability estimates of spontaneous EEG activity in this sample. Reliability of the spontaneous EEG was evaluated using two measures: absolute and relative power. Although their magnitudes were comparable, the test-retest correlation coefficients for the right occipital were consistently higher than those of the left using absolute measures; this pattern was not reflected by test-retest correlations based on relative EEG measures. Finally, the SML responses to 5, 15, 18 and 24 Hz stimulation frequency rates correlated most highly with absolute measures of spontaneous EEG beta, whereas the SML response to 10 Hz stimulation yielded the highest correlations with spontaneous alpha activity.
An Evaluation of Sceptridium dissectum (Ophioglossaceae) with ISSR Markers: Implications for Sceptridium Systematics

Abstract Sceptridium dissectum, the most variable North American grapefern species, demonstrates variation in degree of blade dissection, blade color, pinnule shape, and pinnule margins. Historically, various morphologies have been included within S. dissectum. For example, Clausen's monograph recognized five infraspecific taxa in S. dissectum, of which only the morphologies of variety dissectum and obliquum are currently retained. However, the taxonomic status of the two varieties has been debated. We used ISSR (Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat) markers to assess the genetic distinctness of S. dissectum var. dissectum and var. obliquum in 17 Ohio populations. Five ISSR primers generated 69 reproducible loci. In UPGMA analyses and AMOVA, S. dissectum var. dissectum individuals did not cluster separately from var. obliquum individuals, nor did individuals from the same population cluster together. ISSR markers revealed levels of population genetic structure in S. dissectum similar to levels detected by previou...
Molecularly based analysis of deformation of spectrin network and human erythrocyte

We examine the large deformation elastic response of the spectrin network in a human red blood cell (RBC) on the basis of molecular-level constitutive laws. These formulations are shown to be consistent with the predictions of continuum level models for the hyperelastic deformation of RBC, and are compared with recent experimental studies of whole-cell deformation using optical tweezers stretching. Implications of these analysis for extracting cell membrane and cytoskeleton response from whole-cell computational simulations of large deformation for realistic geometries of RBC spectrin network are described. Aspects of large deformation, such as the folding of cell wall during large deformation, are also examined. We also provide general scaling relationships and closed-form functions on the basis of which mechanical properties of RBCs can be extracted from optical tweezers experiments. D 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Revitalizing Undergraduate Programs through Intercollegiate Mock Trial Competition.

Chief Justices meeting in Williamsburg, Virginia, endorsed mock trial competition as a means of promoting greater understanding of the legal system. Initially, the national collegiate tournament was sponsored by the Drake University Law School in Des Moines, Iowa. Richard Calkins, then dean, was influential in establishing mock trial competition, and he has subsequently served as the guiding light of the American Mock Trial Association. AMTA has now become an independent corporation with an expanding board of directors made up of representatives from undergraduate institutions throughout the country. In addition to the national tournament, AMTA sponsored a variety of invitational tournaments and 11 regional mock trial competitions during the 1993-94 school year. These, in turn, qualified students to participate in one of three flights of national competition, two held in Des Moines, Iowa, and the third (primarily for new schools) held at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. The activity is also growing at the high school level, providing colleges and universities with established mock trial programs an effective recruiting tool that is especially appealing to good students.
Genetic variation in the rhythmonome: ethnic variation and haplotype structure in candidate genes for arrhythmias

Aims: The ‘rhythmonome’ is the term we have adopted to describe the set of genes that determine the normal coordinated electrical activity in the heart. Elements of this set include pore-forming ion channels, function-modifying proteins and intracellular calcium control elements. Rare mutations in many of these genes are known to cause unusual congenital monogenic arrhythmia syndromes, and single common variants have been reported to modify arrhythmia phenotypes. Here, we report an evaluation of the variation and haplotype structure in six key components of the rhythmonome. Materials & methods: SNPs were typed using DNA extracted from Coriell cell lines to survey allele frequencies and haplotype structure in six genes (ANK2, SCN5A, KCNE1 and 2 gene cluster, KCNQ1, KCNH2 and RYR2) across four human populations (African–American, European American, Han Chinese and Mexican American). Results: A total of 307 SNPs were analyzed across the six genes, revealing significant allele-frequency differences between po...
Distributed Statistical Inference using Type Based Random Access over Multi-access Fading Channels

The problem of distributed detection and estimation in a sensor network over a multiaccess fading channel is considered. A communication scheme known as the type-based random access (TBRA) is employed and its performance is characterized with respect to the mean transmission rate and the channel coherence index. For extreme values of channel coherence index i.e., 0 and infin, we give an optimal TBRA scheme which is essentially a sensor activation strategy that achieves the optimal allocation of transmission energy to spatial and temporal domains. For channels with zero coherence index, it is shown that there exists a finite optimal mean transmission rate maximizing performance. This optimal rate can be calculated numerically or estimated using the Gaussian approximation. On the other hand, for channels with infinite coherence index (i.e., no fading) the optimal strategy is to allocate all the energy to the spatial domain. Numerical examples and simulations confirm our theory.
Effects of prehospital medications on mortality and length of stay in congestive heart failure.

Hypothesis: Prehospital medications for congestive heart failure should affect hospital outcomes (survival and length of stay). Study design: In a retrospective case series, hospital outcomes were compared for patients treated with prehospital nitroglycerin, furosemide, and/or morphine (252) versus those given no medications (241). Setting: A rural/suburban emergency medical services system (population 140,000) served by three paramedic units. Participants: Four hundred ninety-three consecutive cases of congestive heart failure or pulmonary edema were identified by hospital discharge diagnosis from a data base of 8,315 paramedic transports with known outcome. Interventions: Oxygen was given by protocol to 489 patients. Other medications were given by order of on-line physician medical command. Results: Overall mortality was 10.9% (54 of 493). Treated and untreated patients were comparable in age, sex, cardiac rhythms, prior use of cardiac medications, and response and scene times; mortality was reduced in treated versus untreated patients (odds ratio for improved survival, 2.51; 95% confidence interval, 1.37 to 4.55; P P Conclusion: Prehospital medications improve survival in congestive heart failure, especially in critical patients. More than one combination of medications seems effective, and early treatment is associated with improved survival. However, these medications appear to increase mortality in patients misdiagnosed in the field. Factors used in paramedic and medical command assessments require further study.
Impairment of Mucosal Immunity by Total Parenteral Nutrition: Requirement for IgA in Murine Nasotracheal Anti-Influenza Immunity

Secretory IgA (SIgA) is the primary mucosal Ig and has been shown to mediate nasotracheal (NT) mucosal immunity in normal immune BALB/c mice. This finding has been challenged by a report of NT immunity without IgA in knockout mice, suggesting that IgA may not be necessary for the protection of mucosal surfaces. Although other protective mechanisms may become active in the congenital absence of SIgA, these mechanisms are not the primary means of protection in normal mice. In this paper we show that feeding chemically defined total parenteral nutrition (TPN) to genetically normal, immune ICR mice by the i.v. route results in loss of nasal anti-influenza immunity and a significant drop in influenza-specific SIgA in the upper respiratory tract compared with chow-fed mice (p < 0.005), while the serum influenza-specific IgG titer is unaffected. Loss of upper respiratory tract mucosal immunity is not related to serum Ab, because 10 of 13 TPN-fed mice shed virus into their nasal secretions despite adequate serum anti-influenza IgG titers. The number of IgG Ab-secreting cells in the nasal passages and spleens of TPN-fed mice was unaffected, while both the number and the percentage of splenic IgA-secreting cells were decreased relative to those in chow-fed animals. The loss of immunity is due to the route of nutrition, not the composition of the diet, because TPN solution fed orally via gastrostomy instead of i.v. maintains NT anti-influenza mucosal immunity. We hypothesize that delivery of nutrition via the gut triggers the release of gastrointestinal neuropeptides necessary for maintenance of the mucosal immune system.
Sampling Minority Business Owners and Their Families: The Understudied Entrepreneurial Experience*

We here review and critique prior research on minority entrepreneurship, paying particular attention to the contributions and limitations of deployed sampling techniques and research methodologies. As based on this review, we then introduce the 2003 and 2005 National Minority Business Owner Surveys—a comprehensive and primary data collection effort that used varied methodologies to secure in-depth information about random national samples of African American, Korean American, and Mexican American populations as well as a comparison sample of nonminority business owners. We present the initial business ownership profiles developed with these recent data, in part, as a benchmark of the U.S. entrepreneurial experience, and compare the profiles with those presented in prior research. These profiles document similarities and differences across the four groups and provide an empirical foundation for understanding the origin of those similarities and differences. No longer can we ignore the in-depth study of minority businesses and their owning families nor can we simply assume that all businesses are the same, regardless of minority status or ethnicity.
Effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, Ca2+ channel antagonists, and α-adrenergic blockers on glucose and lipid metabolism in NIDDM patients with hypertension

We compared the effects of captopril, nifedipine, and doxazosin on glucose and lipid metabolism in 30 hypertensive non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) patients (age = 50 +/- 3 years; body mass index = 30 +/- 1 kg/m2). Of these patients, 9 were treated with captopril, 11 with nifedipine, and 10 with doxazosin for 12 weeks. Blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose (FPG) concentration, HbA1c, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), euglycemic insulin clamp, and plasma lipids were measured before and after a 3-month period. Mean arterial blood pressure (114 +/- 2 mmHg) was similar in all groups before initiating antihypertensive therapy and declined to 102 +/- 2 (captopril), 103 +/- 1 (nifedipine), and 103 +/- 2 (doxazosin) mmHg (P < 0.001). Baseline FPG (148 +/- 11 mg/dl) and HbA1c (6.3 +/- 1%) were similar in all groups and did not change significantly with treatment. Plasma glucose, insulin, and free fatty acid (FFA) concentrations during the OGTT were similar in all groups before antihypertensive treatment and did not change with captopril and nifedipine; after doxazosin, plasma glucose and FFA concentrations during the OGTT decreased (both P < 0.05) without change in plasma insulin response. Insulin-mediated glucose uptake (144 +/- 11 mg.m-2.min-1), glucose oxidation (76 +/- 4 mg.m-2.min-1), and nonoxidative glucose disposal (71 +/- 6 mg.m-2.min-1) were similar in all groups before the start of antihypertensive treatment and did not change in captopril and nifedipine groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Cross‐Polarization Confocal Imaging of Subsurface Flaws in Silicon Nitride

A cross-polarization confocal microscopy (CPCM) method was developed to image subsurface flaws in optically translucent silicon nitride (Si{sub 3}N{sub 4}) ceramics. Unlike conventional confocal microscopy, which measures reflected light so is applicable only to transparent and semi-transparent materials, CPCM detects scattered light from subsurface while filtering out the reflected light from ceramic surface. For subsurface imaging, the refractive-index mismatch between imaging (air) and imaged (ceramic) medium may cause image distortion and reduce resolution in the depth direction. This effect, characterized by an axial scaling factor (ASF), was analyzed and experimentally determined for glass and Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} materials. The experimental CPCM system was used to image Hertzian C-cracks generated by various indentation loads in the subsurface of a Si{sub 3}N{sub 4} specimen. It was demonstrated that CPCM may provide detailed information of subsurface cracks, such as crack angle and path, and subsurface microstructural variations.
Shari’a Reasoning and the Justice of Religious War

Most contemporary advocates of the Just War Tradition (JWT) condemn religious war. If they are correct, waging war should be a secular affair, fully justifiable on non-religious grounds. This secularized understanding of the JWT draws on normative commitments that lead many political theorists to advocate in favor of a secularized politics in western liberal polities. As a matter of historical fact and contemporary commitment, many Muslims have rejected the secularized conception of the morality of war found in contemporary conceptions of the JWT. I argue that, given appropriate distinctions between relevantly different kinds of religious war, advocates of the JWT have excellent reason to rethink their antipathy to religious war. Specifically, I argue that distinct kinds of religious war can enjoy differential normative standing and that there is no compelling reason to believe that religiously justified wars must be waged in a morally improper manner, viz., in a way that violates the JWT's in bello requirements.
SOUND AND SCENTS

After more than a decade scrutinizing the importance of sight in the nineteenth century, Victorian scholars are training their own sights on other senses. Books like Jonathan Crary's Techniques of the Observer (MIT 1990), James Krasner's Entangled Eye (Oxford 1992), and Kate Flint's The Victorians and the Visual Imagination (Cambridge 2000) - studies that revolutionized our understanding of why and how sight mattered in Victorian culture have recently been complemented by books like the two under review here. Janice Carlisle's Common Scents: Comparative Encounters in High-Victorian Fiction and John M. Picker's Victorian Soundscapes have much in common. While focusing on a sense other than sight, each shifts gracefully between Victorian culture and literature, and each demonstrates concern with class and gender. Both books can certainly awaken a reader to a new recognition of what it meant to be alive during an era of rapid change and rampant class-consciousness. We sniff out others along with the characters in Carlisle's chosen novels and retreat to our own quiet studies with sighs of relief as we read about Picker's Victorian scholars' and illustrators' attempts to create soundproof studies in order to exclude the cries and clatter of London streets. As we do so, it is all but impossible to come away without a refreshed perception of what it meant to be a middle-class Victorian male, besieged by the smell of an alluring woman or the annoying sound of a persistent organ grinder. Carlisle's book is smaller in scope and time frame than is Picker's, devoted as it is to one genre and one decade, the 1860s. But what Carlisle details is a fascinating subject: just how human exchanges can be prescribed by olfaction and how odors consequently define encounters between literary characters. The scents of her period are subtle, different from the malodorous scents of death and poverty found in the novels of the 1840s, she tells us. Her first chapters are devoted to discussing the whys and wherefores of such differences as she sets up the terms of her study. In these early sections, Carlisle presents generalizations and cultural norms, while in later sections, she analyzes specific novels and types of characters. This reader would have profited from more social analysis in those early chapters, along with a more extended discussion of the culture of smell as defined by Victorian science, although Carlisle touches briefly upon Grant Allen's and George Henry Lewes's popular conceptions of smell and on Alexander Bain's psychophysiology. But Carlisle is most expertly at home in the world of the novel, and here is where she excels. Her book moves from the culture of scent, to the demonstration of scent in a series of novels, to the more probing study of one particular novel. In doing so, it ranges comfortably among some eighty texts, centering on works like Dickens's Great Expectations, Oliphant 's Salem Chapel, Meredith's Evan
Myringotomy—An Office Procedure

Knowing how to employ myringotomy properly will help the physician control acute otitis media with or without mas toiditis, and assist in preventing the hearing loss so often associated with chronic otitis.Here is a description of how myringotomy can be utilized to uncover occult pathologic processes, as well as to provide adequate sur gical drainage when needed.
Performance evaluation of Smart Grid data aggregation via homomorphic encryption

Homomorphic encryption allows arithmetic operations to be performed on ciphertext and gives the same result as if the same arithmetic operation is done on the plaintext. Homomorphic encryption has been touted as one of the promising methods to be employed in Smart Grid (SG) to provide data privacy which is one of the main security concerns in SG. In addition to data privacy, real-time data flow is crucial in SG to provide on-time detection and recovery of possible failures. In this paper, we investigate the overhead of using homomorphic encryption in SG in terms of bandwidth and end-to-end data delay when providing data privacy. Specifically, we compare the latency and data size of end-to-end (ETE) and hop-by-hop (HBH) homomorphic encryption within a network of Smart Meters (SMs). In HBH encryption, at each intermediate node, the received encrypted data from downstream nodes are decrypted first before the aggregation, and then the result is encrypted again for transmission to upstream nodes. On the other hand, the intermediate node in ETE encryption only performs aggregation on ciphertexts for transmission to upstream nodes. We implemented secure data aggregation using Paillier cryptosystem and tested it under various conditions. The experiment results have shown that even though HBH homomorphic encryption has additional computational overhead at intermediate nodes, surprisingly it provides comparable latency and fixed data size passing through the network compared to ETE homomorphic encryption.
The Heat-Resistant Agglutinin Family Includes a Novel Adhesin from Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli Strain 60A

Heat-resistant agglutinin 1 (Hra1) is an accessory colonization factor of enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) strain 042. Tia, a close homolog of Hra1, is an invasin and adhesin that has been described in enterotoxigenic E. coli. We devised a PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism screen for the associated genes and found that they occur among 55 (36.7%) of the enteroaggregative E. coli isolates screened, as well as lower proportions of enterotoxigenic, enteropathogenic, enterohemorrhagic, and commensal E. coli isolates. Overall, 25%, 8%, and 3% of 150 EAEC strains harbored hra1 alone, tia alone, or both genes, respectively. One EAEC isolate, 60A, produced an amplicon with a unique restriction profile, distinct from those of hra1 and tia. We cloned and sequenced the full-length agglutinin gene from strain 60A and have designated it hra2. The hra2 gene was not detected in any of 257 diarrheagenic E. coli isolates in our collection but is present in the genome of Salmonella enterica serovar Heidelberg strain SL476. The cloned hra2 gene from strain 60A, which encodes a predicted amino acid sequence that is 64% identical to that of Hra1 and 68% identical to that of Tia, was sufficient to confer adherence on E. coli K-12. We constructed an hra2 deletion mutant of EAEC strain 60A. The mutant was deficient in adherence but not autoaggregation or invasion, pointing to a functional distinction from the autoagglutinin Hra1 and the Tia invasin. Hra1, Tia, and the novel accessory adhesin Hra2 are members of a family of integral outer membrane proteins that confer different colonization-associated phenotypes.
Now I see it, now I don’t: researcher’s position and reflexivity in qualitative research:

This article addresses potential effects on reflexivity of researcher’s social position (e.g. gender, age, race, immigration status, sexual orientation), personal experiences, and political and professional beliefs. Because reflexivity is a major strategy for quality control in qualitative research, understanding how it may be impacted by the characteristics and experiences of the researcher is of paramount importance. Benefits and challenges to reflexivity under three types of researcher’s position are discussed and illustrated by means of case examples: (1) reflexivity when researcher shares the experience of study participants, (2) reflexivity when researcher moves from the position of an outsider to the position of an insider in the course of the study, and (3) reflexivity when researcher has no personal familiarity or experience with what is being studied. Strategies are offered for harvesting the benefits of researcher’s familiarity with the subject and for curbing its potentially negative effects. ...
Low-sextupole steering dipoles for the MIT-Bates SHR

The South Hall Ring (SHR) requires use of iron-core steering dipoles in the ring lattice, each capable of bending 1-GeV electrons by 1 mrad. Acceptable second-order aberration effects require a very low integrated sextupole strength. The authors have studied double-axis cos theta coils, single-axis current sheets with rectangular box frames, and conventionally wound box frames. The multipole content of each unit was determined by a fit to the measured two-dimensional field map. In conventional box frames, lower sextupoles were achieved by increasing the ratio of width/gap and by optimizing the shape of the pole plates of the frame box. The latest design of a box frame steerer meets the sextupole requirements for the SHR and has removable pole plates with convex edges with R=200 cm, where R is the radius of curvature of the pole plate ends. However, in order to minimize sensitivity of the coils to the hysteresis effects, all plates need to be annealed or steel of higher quality should be used. >
Effects of a live educational music therapy intervention on acute psychiatric inpatients' perceived social support and trust in the therapist: a four-group randomized effectiveness study.

Background Social support is associated with enhanced illness management and recovery in persons with mental illness, making it an important topic addressed through acute inpatient psychoeducational programs. In addition, trust in the therapist may mediate clinical outcomes in this patient population. To date, few studies have examined the effect of music-based psychoeducational programs on these variables. Purpose The purpose of this study was to isolate and examine the component parts of a live educational music therapy intervention, and its effect on acute psychiatric inpatients' perceived social support from significant others, family, and friends and trust in the therapist. This study also explored whether trust in therapist varied across conditions, but did not examine it as a mediator for social support. Method Participants (N = 96) were cluster-randomized in a single-session posttest-only design to one of four conditions: live educational music therapy, recorded educational music therapy, education without music, or recreational music therapy without education. Conditions were designed to isolate the following intervention components: live vs. recorded music, educational vs. non-educational content, and music vs. nonmusic modality. Dependent measures were assessed post intervention via established self-report instruments evaluating perceived social support and trust in the therapist. Results There were no significant between-group differences for social support or trust in therapist total scores. However, subscale score analyses revealed two significant between-group differences: (a) participants in the Live Educational Music Therapy condition reported significantly higher perceived therapist competence compared with the Recorded Educational Music Therapy condition; (b) participants in the Live Educational Music Therapy condition reported significantly higher perceived support from friends compared with the Recreational Music Therapy condition. Conclusions Live educational music therapy may be a way to heighten psychiatric inpatients' perceived social support concerning friends and perceptions of the therapist's competence. The current results demonstrated differences between live and recorded music therapy in psychiatric music therapy and provide empirical support for competent musicianship. Implications for clinical practice, limitations, and suggestions for future research are included.
Observations of nonclassical frontal propagation and frontally forced gravity waves adjacent to steep topography

Through the integrated analysis of remote sensing and in situ data taken along the Front Range of Colorado, this study describes the interactions that occurred between a leeside arctic front and topographically modulated flows. These interactions resulted in nonclassical frontal behavior and structure across northeastern Colorado. The shallow arctic front initially advanced southwestward toward the Front Range foothills, before retreating eastward. Then, a secondary surge of arctic air migrated westward into the foothills. During its initial southwestward advance, the front exhibited obstacle-like, density-current characteristics. Its initial advance was interrupted by strong downslope northwesterly flow associated with a high-amplitude mountain wave downstream of the Continental Divide, and by a temporal decrease in the density contrast across the front due to diurnal heating in the cold air and weak cold advection in the warm air. The direction and depth of flow within the arctic air also influenced the frontal propagation. The shallow, obstacle-like front actively generated both vertically propagating and vertically trapped gravity waves as it advanced into the downslope northwesterly flow, resulting in midtropospheric lenticular wave clouds aloft that tracked with the front. Because the front entered a region where strong downslope winds and mountain waves extended downstream over the high plains, the wave field in northeastern Colorado included both frontally forced and true mountain-forced gravity waves. A sequence of Scorer parameter profiles calculated from hourly observations reveals a sharp contrast between the prefrontal and postfrontal wave environments. Consequently, analytic resonant wave mode calculations based on the Scorer parameter profiles reveal that the waves supported in the postfrontal regime differed markedly from those supported in the prefrontal environment. This result is consistent with wind profiler observations that showed the amplitude of vertical motions decreasing substantially through 16 km above mean sea level (MSL) after the shallow frontal passage.
Entrainment of Syrian hamster circadian activity rhythms by neonatal melatonin injections

The circadian rhythms of fetal and neonatal rodents are entrained by their mother. This entrainment is dependent upon the maternal suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), but the mechanism of entrainment is unknown. Administration of the pineal hormone melatonin to pregnant, SCN-lesioned female Syrian hamsters entrains the activity rhythms of their hamster pups. The aim of this study was to determine whether melatonin injected directly in neonatal Syrian hamsters is able to entrain circadian rhythms and, if so, for how long this effect persists during development. Injection of melatonin in two groups of hamster pups at opposite phases on postnatal days 1-5 entrained the onset of activity rhythms on the day of weaning to two phases 10.67 h apart. Melatonin injection did not entrain activity rhythms to opposite phases on either postnatal days 6-10 or 21-25. Vehicle injection did not entrain animals to opposite phases at any of the ages studied. These results demonstrate that melatonin is able to act directly on the neonate to cause entrainment and that this effect disappears after postnatal day 6.
The Levin-Chambers Case: A Discursive Analysis

In the following pages an actual discourse on murder is presented: The Levin-Chambers case, a widely publicized case of sexual assault in New York City. The conversation takes place between a mother (M), a father (F), and a daughter (D). The discourse is verbatim and took place in the home. The discourse was recorded openly by a student-experimenter, with the full knowledge and consensus of the participants. The student-experimenter freely participated in the conversation.
A Comparison of Reaction and Movement Times of Women Athletes and Nonathletes

Abstract Scores for reaction time and movement time, as measured on an electronic apparatus, of 47 women athletes were compared with similar scores of 75 women nonathletes. The athletes were further studied by grouping them by sport specialties—tennis players, fencers, swimmers, and field hockey players. It was concluded that women athletes are significantly faster than women nonathletes in speed of movement and reaction. Also, tennis players, swimmers, fencers, and field hockey players differ significantly in speed of movement, but they do not differ in reaction time. In addition, a statistically significant relationship was found between reaction and movement time.
Spontaneous and evoked release of [3H]taurine from a P2 subcellular fraction of the rat retina

The effects of spontaneous and evoked [3H]taurine release from a P2 fraction prepared from rat retinas were studied. The P2 fraction was preloaded with [3H]taurine under conditions of high-affinity uptake and then examined for [3H]taurine efflux utilizing superfusion techniques. Exposure of the P2 fraction to high K+ (56 mM) evoked a Ca2+-independent release of [3H]taurine. Li+ (56 mM) and veratridine (100 μM) had significantly less effect (8–15% and 15–30%, respectively) on releasing [3H]taurine compared to the K+-evoked release. 4-Aminopyridine (1 mM) had no effect on the release of [3H]taurine. The spontaneous release of [3H]taurine was also Ca2+-independent. When Na+ was omitted from the incubation medium K+-evoked [3H]taurine release was inhibited by approximately 40% at the first 5 minute depolarization period but was not affected at a second subsequent 5 minute depolarization period. The spontaneous release of [3H]taurine was inhibited by 60% in the absence of Na+. Substitution of Br− for Cl− had no effect on the release of either spontaneous or K+-evoked [3H]taurine release. However, substitution of the Cl− with acetate, isethionate, or gluconate decreased K+-evoked [3H]taurine release. Addition of taurine to the superfusion medium (homoexchange) resulted in no significant increase in [3H]taurine efflux. The taurine-transport inhibitor guanidinoethanesulfonic acid increased the spontaneous release of [3H]taurine by approximately 40%. These results suggest that the taurine release of [3H]taurine is not simply a reversal of the carrier-mediated uptake system. It also appears that taurine is not released from vesicles within the synaptosomes but does not rule out the possibility that taurine is a neurotransmitter. The data involving chloride substitution with permeant and impermeant anions support the concept that the major portion of [3H]taurine release is due to an osmoregulatory action of taurine while depolarization accounts for only a small portion of [3H]taurine release.
Law, Religion, and the Metaphysics of Abortion: A Reply to Simmons

In his essay, "Religious Liberty and Abortion Policy: Casey as 'Catch-22',''1 Paul D. Simmons argues that the U.S. Supreme Court's decisions on abortion have resulted in a dilemma for the pregnant wo man. On the one hand, the Court seems to be saying in Roe v. Wade 2 (and in portions of Planned Parenthood v. Casey)3 that the right to abortion is a fundamental liberty, and that the decision to abort is one
Selective Area Spatial Atomic Layer Deposition of ZnO, Al2O3, and Aluminum-Doped ZnO Using Poly(vinyl pyrrolidone)

Spatial atomic layer deposition (SALD) is gaining traction in the thin film electronics field because of its ability to produce quality films at a fraction of the time typically associated with ALD processes. Here, we explore the process space for the fabrication of thin film patterned-by-printing electronics using the combination of SALD and selective area patterning. First, a study of SALD growth conditions for the three primary components of our metal oxide thin film electronics, namely alumina (Al2O3) dielectric, zinc oxide (ZnO) semiconductor, and aluminum doped ZnO (AZO) conductor, provides insight into the potential trade-offs in performance, substrate latitude (temperature), and process speed. At constant precursor partial pressures, the precursor exposure times and substrate temperatures were varied from 25 to 400 ms and from 100 to 300 °C, respectively. The very short gas exposure and purge times obtainable only with a spatial implementation of ALD are shown always to be advantageous for through...
Bayesian methodology for the design and interpretation of clinical trials in critical care medicine: a primer for clinicians.

Objectives:To review Bayesian methodology and its utility to clinical decision making and research in the critical care field.Data Source and Study Selection:Clinical, epidemiological, and biostatistical studies on Bayesian methods in PubMed and Embase from their inception to December 2013.Data Synt
Chemical Functional Applications and Fundamental Researches of Metallic Glasses

Metallic glasses are a group of amorphous solids composed mainly of metallic elements. They stay in non-equilibrium states and show metastable characters. Plenty of fresh research hotspots are emerging as a result of their recent booming development. In this brief review,the excellent catalytic properties and high activity of metallic glasses in chemical reactions,i. e. application in degrading azo dyes in polluted water,are overviewed. The experimental results show that the reactivity of ball-milled Mg-based and Fe-based metallic glass powders can be 1 000 and 200 times higher than the commercial Fe powders,respectively. Moreover,the reactivity also depends on the preparation methods,i. e. the ballmilled metallic glass powders are more active than the gas-atomized powders. This can be attributed to the high specific surface area and low reaction activation energy after ball-milling. The promising prospects for functional applications and related fundamental researches of metallic glasses are discussed.
Maternal and congenital toxoplasmosis. Is prevention possible

PreviewToxoplasmosis is a serious threat to the fetus. Diagnosis can be difficult and treatment of the infected mother is problematic. Yet, recent diagnostic advances and results of studies in France offer hope for reducing the severity of—and possibly someday eliminating—this multisystem disease. Dr Rosenfeld reviews the latest findings in this rapidly changing field.
Dexamethasone for Dyspnea in Cancer Patients: A Pilot Double-Blind, Randomized, Controlled Trial.

Abstract Context Dexamethasone is often used to treat dyspnea in cancer patients, but evidence is lacking. Objectives We determined the feasibility of conducting a randomized trial of dexamethasone in cancer patients and estimated the efficacy of dexamethasone in the treatment of dyspnea. Methods In this double-blind, randomized, controlled trial, patients with dyspnea ≥4 were randomized to receive either dexamethasone 8 mg twice daily × four days then 4 mg twice daily × three days or placebo for seven days, followed by an open-label phase for seven days. We documented the changes in dyspnea (0–10 numeric rating scale), spirometry measures, quality of life, and toxicities. Results A total of 41 patients were randomized and 35 (85%) completed the blinded phase. Dexamethasone was associated with a significant reduction in dyspnea numeric rating scale of −1.9 (95% CI −3.3 to −0.5, P = 0.01) by Day 4 and −1.8 (95% CI −3.2 to −0.3, P = 0.02) by Day 7. In contrast, placebo was associated with a reduction of −0.7 (95% CI −2.1 to 0.6, P = 0.38) by Day 4 and −1.3 (95% CI −2.4 to −0.2, P = 0.03) by Day 7. The between-arm difference was not statistically significant. Drowsiness improved with dexamethasone. Dexamethasone was well tolerated with no significant toxicities. Conclusion A double-blind, randomized, controlled trial of dexamethasone was feasible with a low attrition rate. Our preliminary data suggest that dexamethasone may be associated with rapid improvement in dyspnea and was well tolerated. Further studies are needed to confirm our findings. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01670097.
Integrated smart appliance scheduling and HVAC control for peak residential load management

Residential consumers are significant contributors to peak energy demand because of their aggregate daily consumption as a result of typical occupancy cycles and responses to fluctuations in ambient temperature. In this work, we create an energy management framework that optimizes the use of air-conditioning (A/C) systems and energy-intensive household appliances in order to minimize the peak load for a community of homes. Specifically, we propose a two-tiered approach that first implements a centralized model predictive control system which makes thermostat set point decisions that reduce the peak of the aggregate demand profile. We then execute a scheduling calculation that optimizes the start times and cycle duration of the most energy-intensive (and flexible) smart appliances to further reduce the peak load. We rely on residential energy use data collected from 40 existing houses in Austin, TX, USA and local weather information to provide a case study demonstrating the efficacy of our framework. On average, the aggregate neighborhood load is reduced by 25.8% (15.7kW) (compared with the case using the original thermostat settings and appliance start times), while minimally increasing energy use, respecting the thermal comfort and appliance completion time preferences of individual homes, and without creating secondary demand peaks.
LACHESIS: A Tool for Benchmarking Internet Service Providers

Internet access is increasingly critical to organizations and individuals [1]. With the current boom in Internet Service Providers (ISPs), how does one judge one vendor from another? LACHESIS* is a tool that provides a way to benchmark ISPs. LACHESIS takes a list of prominent Internet Landmarks and determines the packet loss and network latency involved in reaching those landmarks. Throughput was rejected as a factor. Several studies indicate that network latency is a critical factor in World Wide Web (WWW) performance [2-5]. The default set of LACHESIS landmarks (landmarks used are customizable) includes the Domain Name Service (DNS) root servers, well known FTP servers, and popular WWW servers. LACHESIS is implemented as a PERL script wrapped around FPING. The LACHESIS tool encourages ISPs to have good interconnectivity with other ISPs. It also encourages ISPs to have plenty of capacity and not to drop packets. LACHESIS has the potential to swamp landmarks with ICMP packets (used by FPING), but this can be dealt with by filtering out ICMP from abusive hosts. ISPs can cheat by favoring ICMP packets. Future plans include a Winsock implementation so that individual SLIP/PPP Internet subscribers can run their own benchmarks.