cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prognostic impact of a large mesenteric mass >2 cm in ileal neuroendocrine tumors.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Ileal neuroendocrine tumors (i-NETs) frequently metastasize to mesenteric lymph nodes and the liver. Regional lymphadenopathy is associated with desmoplasia of the mesentery forming a large mesenteric mass (LMM). Although the latest American Joint Committee on Cancer TNM staging (8th edition) defined LMM >2 cm as N2, the prognostic impact of LMM is ill-defined. We evaluated whether LMM is prognostic for patients with i-NETs. METHODS This single-institution, retrospective cohort study included 106 patients who underwent resection of i-NETs between 2007 and 2018. Overall survival (OS) and liver progression-free survival (LPFS) were compared between patients with and without LMM. RESULTS LMM was present in 66 patients (62%) and was not associated with the presence or absence of liver metastasis (P = .969) or the extent of liver involvement (P = .938). OS and LPFS differed significantly between patients with and without LMM (5-year OS rates of 64.8% and 92.9%, respectively, P = .011; 3-year LPFS rates of 45.3% and 67.5%, respectively, P = .025). In multivariate analysis, LMM was an independent prognostic factor for both OS (hazard ratio: 4.69, 95% confidence interval: 1.63-17.6) and LPFS (1.99, 1.08-3.88). CONCLUSION LMM >2 cm is prognostic for OS and LPFS and represents aggressive tumor biology.
Unmet Needs of US Acute Stroke Survivors Enrolled in a Transitional Care Intervention Trial

Abstract Background: Needs of patients that go unmet after a stroke can compromise the speed and extent of recovery. While unmet needs in long-term survivors has been studied, less is known about the unmet needs of acute stroke survivors. We examine unmet needs in the immediate postdischarge period among 160 participants in the (blinded for review) a transitional care intervention conducted in (blinded for review [1 US state]) during 2016 and 2017. Methods: Bivariate and multivariate analyses using Poisson models were used to examine the relationship between total number of unmet needs and demographics, stroke type and severity, stroke effects, and stroke risk factors. Results: The mean number of unmet needs was 4.55; number of unmet needs ranged from 2 to9; all participants had some unmet need. The most common unmet needs were stroke education (73.8%), financial (33.8%), and health-related (29.4%). In the final multivariate model income and education were inversely associated with number of unmet needs. As total number of stroke effects increased, so did number of unmet needs. Demographic variables (age, gender, and race), stroke risk factors, stroke type, and stroke severity were not statistically significantly associated with the number of unmet needs. Conclusions: These results identify that in the acute post discharge period stroke survivors have many unmet needs that range from physical to psychosocial. Targeting interventions to those with the potential for greater numbers of unmet needs might be a salient clinical approach to improving stroke recovery and rehabilitation.
Sonographer health and well‐being, it starts with you

This Editorial prefaces a special issue with a focus on you, specifically your health and well‐being as a sonographer or sonologist. Sonography was built on the foundation of the Soundeffects news magazine, which continues to update members with regular submissions from the Australasian Sonographers Association's (ASA) dedicated Sonographer Health and Well‐being Special Interest Group (SIG); several members of which have made significant contributions to resources and awareness of the topic. The substance of this special issue affects sonographers of all levels of experience, encompassing the spectrum of health and well‐being from physical injury to mental health considerations, topics that have been the subject of international sonography literature over recent decades.1, 2 Articles in this issue address contemporary considerations on the topic and have been contributed by a range of Australasian authors, a mix of emerging sonographer researchers, experienced clinical sonographers, and established academics from across our profession...
Capturing Neighborhood Physical Disorder Using Small, Unmanned Aerial Systems

Neighborhood physical disorder manifests in many different ways, from litter and graffiti, to abandoned cars and broken windows. The effects of physical disorder are also varied, from limiting recreational activity for both young and elderly neighborhood residents, to creating a discount effect on housing prices. Methods for capturing physical disorder in neighborhoods often include in-person observation, the use of virtual street audits, windshield tours, and satellite imagery. The purpose of this chapter is to explore how small unmanned aerial systems can be used to capture physical disorder in neighborhoods. In addition, we discuss a basic analytical framework for quantifying disorder and detecting problematic areas within the community. Limitations and implications for urban and environmental planning are discussed.
Modern Love: You, Me, and Smartphone Makes Three

AbstractRomantic, dyadic relationships arise, in part, from communication, disclosure, and boundaries. Information communication technology (ICT), such as smartphones, has rapidly integrated into o...
Early Adolescents’ Responses to Witnessing Gender-Based Harassment Differ by their Perceived School Belonging and Gender Typicality

The current study examined bystanders of gender-based harassment (GBH) in early adolescence. Specifically, it examined whether early adolescents’ sense of school belonging, perceived peer support, and self-perceived gender typicality predicted how they respond to witnessing GBH (e.g., whether they confront the perpetrator, seek social support, or ignore it), and whether they feel good or worried about confronting perpetrators of GBH. U.S. 7th and 8th graders (n = 594; 300 male early adolescents and 294 female early adolescents; Mage = 12.74, SD = .70) completed measures of same- and other-gender typicality, school belonging, peer support, and experiences witnessing GBH. Students reported how often they had witnessed GBH, how they thought they would feel about confronting the perpetrator of GBH, and how they responded (or thought they would respond) to witnessing GBH. The more strongly early adolescents felt a sense of belonging to their school, (a) the more worried and good they felt about confronting GBH and (b) the more likely they were to both confront perpetrators of GBH and to seek social support after witnessing GBH. Early adolescents who were lower in gender typicality felt less positively about confronting GBH, but they were more likely to report confronting perpetrators of GBH. These results indicate that bystander interventions targeting GBH should focus on increasing students’ sense of school belonging and considering individuals simultaneously as both targets and bystanders.
Creative sketching partner: an analysis of human-AI co-creativity

The creative sketching partner (CSP) is a proof of concept intelligent interface to inspire designers while sketching in response to a specified design task. With this interactive system we are studying the effect of an AI model of visual and conceptual similarity for selecting the Al's sketch response as an inspiration to the current state of the user's sketch. Specifically, we are interested in the user's behavior and response to an AI partner when engaged in a design task. By developing deep learning models of the sketches from a large-scale dataset, the user can control the amount of visual and conceptual similarity of the AI response when requesting inspiration from the CSP. We conducted a study with 50 design students to examine the participants' interaction behavior and their self reports. The participants' behavior maps into clusters that are co-related with three types of design creativity: combinatorial, exploratory, and transformational. Our findings demonstrate that the tool can facilitate ideation and overcome design fixation. In addition, analysis suggests that inspiration related to conceptual similarity is more associated with transformational creativity and inspiration related to visual similarity occurs more frequently during the detailed stages of design and is more prevalent with combinatorial creativity.
ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC AND HEMODYNAMIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TRANSTHYRETIN AND LIGHT CHAIN AMYLOID AT TIME OF DIAGNOSIS

Cardiac amyloidosis results from amyloid deposition into the extracellular space of the heart resulting in fibrosis, myocardial dysfunction, heart failure, and arrhythmias. Most common causes of amyloid affecting the heart include light chain (AL) or Transthyretin (TTR) amyloid. The aim of our study
Can mental health apps be effective for depression, anxiety, and stress during a pandemic?

COVID-19 is poised to exacerbate the global mental health crisis because social isolation, unemployment, and economic recession are risk factors for negative mental health consequences Because the need for social distancing can make face-to-face services less accessible, people may turn to mental health apps as an accessible and inexpensive solution But are the claims about the efficacy of these apps supported by evidence? We identified 19 published articles on PubMed of peer-reviewed randomized clinical trials of mental health apps focused on stress, anxiety, and depression Despite some evidence for the effectiveness of mental health apps, it remains unclear how effective these apps are compared with standard of care Populations studied so far also lack diversity, making it difficult to generalize any benefits to racial minorities and low-income individuals-the very people who have been most negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and traditionally have higher barriers to mental health services Whereas apps are not a substitute for face-to-face therapy, further evidence is warranted, given their potential for delivering scalable, low-cost care to patients We call for regulatory oversight as a means to ensure mental health apps demonstrate safety and effectiveness prior to marketing (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved) Impact Statement Clinical Impact Statement -Mental health apps are increasingly available to consumers/patients for depression, stress, and anxiety Early evidence suggests that those apps studied have a positive impact on these conditions, but further research and regulatory oversight is needed before apps should be recommended to patients (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)
Modeling default risk: A new structural approach

Abstract This paper provides an alternative approach to the structural credit risk models. The first-passage-time approach extends the original Merton [1974. Journal of Finance 29, 449–470] model by accounting for the fact that the default may occur not only at the debt's maturity, but also prior to this date. Default happens when the firm value process crosses an exhaust barrier. In contrast, this paper defines default as the first time the firm value process crosses a barrier, and the area under the barrier is greater than the exogenous level. This technique is used to price risky debt as an example.
Settling the Horizon-Dependence of Sample Complexity in Reinforcement Learning.

Recently there is a surge of interest in understanding the horizon-dependence of the sample complexity in reinforcement learning (RL). Notably, for an RL environment with horizon length $H$, previous work have shown that there is a probably approximately correct (PAC) algorithm that learns an $O(1)$-optimal policy using $\mathrm{polylog}(H)$ episodes of environment interactions when the number of states and actions is fixed. It is yet unknown whether the $\mathrm{polylog}(H)$ dependence is necessary or not. In this work, we resolve this question by developing an algorithm that achieves the same PAC guarantee while using only $O(1)$ episodes of environment interactions, completely settling the horizon-dependence of the sample complexity in RL. We achieve this bound by (i) establishing a connection between value functions in discounted and finite-horizon Markov decision processes (MDPs) and (ii) a novel perturbation analysis in MDPs. We believe our new techniques are of independent interest and could be applied in related questions in RL.
Psychological Consequences of Infertility

Infertility, the failure to conceive after 1 year of trying, is not statistically normal, yet this chapter is included here because infertility does affect a significant (15%) proportion of the reproductive population, and its prevalence is increasing. There are now an estimated 10 million infertile Americans, whose inability to have children is a major life crisis both for themselves, their spouses, and their families (Menning, 1977, 1979). The focus in this chapter is on primary infertility as opposed to secondary infertility that couples may experience after successfully having one or more children.
Applications to Hierarchical and Replicated Databases

In this chapter, we discuss how the transaction processing solutions presented earlier can be applied in both hierarchical and replicated databases. In each case, we begin with a brief introduction and a description showing how hierarchical and replicated databases are structurally similar to MLS databases.
Fuzzy spatial relationships and mobile agent technology in geospatial information systems

This chapter discusses an integrated work in the definition and implementation of sets of fuzzy spatial relationships concerning topology and direction. We present our basic approach to defining these relationships as an extension to previous work in temporal relations. We also discuss several extensions to this approach that include refinements and alternate definitions. Two implementations are also described, one in a C++, Oracle database environment and another utilizing the expert system shell Fuzzy Clips. Finally we discuss the integration of this querying approach in an agent-based framework. Agent technology has become a leading implementation paradigm for distributed and complex systems, and has recently garnered much interest from researchers in the area of spatial databases. Agents offer many advantages with respect to intelligence abilities and mobility that can provide solutions for issues related to uncertainty in spatial data, such as those of spatial relationships.
Perceptions of Effective and Ineffective Nurse–Physician Communication in Hospitals

PROBLEM. Nurse–physician communication affects patient safety. Such communication has been well studied using a variety of survey and observational methods; however, missing from the literature is an investigation of what constitutes effective and ineffective interprofessional communication from the perspective of the professionals involved. The purpose of this study was to explore nurse and physician perceptions of effective and ineffective communication between the two professions. METHODS. Using focus group methodology, we asked nurses and physicians with at least 5 years' acute care hospital experience to reflect on effective and ineffective interprofessional communication and to provide examples. Three focus groups were held with 6 participants each (total sample 18). Sessions were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were coded into categories of effective and ineffective communication. FINDINGS. The following themes were found. For effective communication: clarity and precision of message that relies on verification, collaborative problem solving, calm and supportive demeanor under stress, maintenance of mutual respect, and authentic understanding of the unique role. For ineffective communication: making someone less than, dependence on electronic systems, and linguistic and cultural barriers. CONCLUSION. These themes may be useful in designing learning activities to promote effective interprofessional communication.
ALLERGIC COLIC IN INFANTS IN THE GENERAL PRACTICE OF PEDIATRICS

Gastrointestinal allergy has been said to be a rare cause of colic in infancy. We had been impressed by the family history of allergy elicited in many cases. Frequent occurrence in colicky babies of stools containing mucus, eosinophils, and sometimes blood, was also noted. The Nance method of staining stool mucus for eosinophils was used. A point was made of inquiring concerning hay fever, allergic asthma, perennial allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, frequent and severe sinusitis and migraine headache, in the mother, father, siblings, grandfathers, uncles, aunts and first cousins. This has been done in the case of all newborns. The following data were accumulated from newborns whom we treated throughout the course of their complaint. We found 367 colicky infants among 611 who came from allergic families, an incidence of 60.1 per cent; among 296 infants from non-allergic families, 74 had colic, an incidence of 25 per cent. Where the father and mother both suffered from major manifestations of allergy, out of 55 infants, 43 had colic, an incidence of 78.2 per cent. A total of 814 infants had 308 colicky babies among them, an incidence of 36.1 pen cent in our practice. These data were gathered because we could find none in the literature answering the basic question of the incidence of colic in private pediatric practice. A broad cross-section of social classes and nationalities found in a metropolitan area were included. The over-all incidence of 36.1 per cent was a surprise to us. The incidence of 60.1 per cent of colic found in allergic families was impressive.
Vasoactive Amines and Inotropic Agents

Maintaining hemodynamic stability is the primary goal of clinicians who care for critically ill patients. This requires knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the autonomic nervous system, the cardiovascular system, and their interactions. This chapter reviews the autonomic innervation of the heart and peripheral circulation and the cardiovascular effects of the vasoactive amines and various inotropes.
Use of polymerase chain reaction for detection of toxigenic Vibrio cholerae O1 strains from the Latin American cholera epidemic.

In January 1991, an outbreak of cholera started in Peru and spread throughout most of Latin America within 8 months. As of March 1992, over 450,000 cases and approximately 4,000 deaths have been reported to the Pan American Health Organization. The causative organism is toxigenic Vibrio cholerae O1 of the El Tor biotype and is distinct from the U.S. Gulf Coast strains. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) that amplifies a 564-bp fragment of the cholera toxin A subunit gene (ctxA) was used to identify toxigenic V. cholerae O1 strains. A total of 150 V. cholerae O1 isolates were tested. They were of unknown toxin status, were associated with recent outbreaks, and were isolated from patients, food, and water. One hundred forty isolates were found to be toxigenic both by PCR and the routine diagnostic enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Thirty-eight known toxigenic strains isolated worldwide from 1921 to 1991 were also positive in the PCR. A collection of 18 nontoxigenic V. cholerae O1 strains, 35 Escherichia coli heat-labile-enterotoxin-I-producing strains, 26 Campylobacter strains, and 8 strains of Aeromonas hydrophila, previously reported to produce cholera toxin-like toxin, were all negative in the ctxA PCR. We conclude that this PCR is a diagnostic method that specifically detects toxin genes in V. cholerae O1 strains in a reference laboratory. It is more rapid and less cumbersome than other diagnostic methods for detection of toxicity in these strains.
Power disparities and paradoxical conflict outcomes

The “paradox of unrealized power” arises when weaker states defeat more powerful states in military conflicts. Such conflict outcomes can be accounted for by stressing the lack of will or skill on the part of the apparently more powerful states, or by focusing on the extent to which power resources effective within some polity‐contingency frameworks are relatively useless in others. The fact that the former type of explanation can be unfalsifiable has led some analysts to prefer the latter. However, recent research has shown that such activation, or conversion process models are not necessarily invulnerable to evidence. Finally, the principle of parsimony offers useful guidelines when theoretical arguments and empirical evidence have contributed all they can to a resolution of controversies regarding the relative impact of alternative factors on paradoxical conflict outcomes. For example, that principle (and some empirical evidence) suggests that “smaller battalions” often win because they receive help in...
Translation of the otago exercise program for adoption and implementation in the United States.

Background The Otago Exercise Program (OEP) is an evidence-based fall prevention program developed, evaluated, and disseminated in New Zealand. The program was designed for delivery in the home by physical therapists (PTs). It was not known if American PTs would require additional training and resources to adopt the OEP. This article describes the process of translating the OEP for dissemination in the US. Processes included reviewing and piloting the New Zealand training materials to identify implementation challenges, updating training materials to be consistent with American physical therapy practices, piloting the updated training materials in an online format, and determining if the online format reached the target PT audience.
Early mouse embryos exhibit strain variation in radiation-induced sister-chromatid exchange: relationship with DNA repair

Although mature mammalian sperm are incapable of DNA repair, repair of damaged sperm DNA can occur after fertilization, as the sperm head decondenses and forms the male pronucleus. To quantify the cytogenetic effects of damage to sperm DNA we adapted the sister-chromatid exchange (SCE) test for use in early mouse embryos. After ultraviolet (UV) irradiation of sperm, eggs were fertilized in vitro and cultured for 2 cell cycles in medium containing fluorodeoxyuridine and bromodeoxyuridine; chromosomes were then prepared for SCE analysis. We found that UV-induced SCEs could be detected at the second cleavage division, and that eggs of different strains showed different frequencies of SCEs when fertilized by damaged sperm of a single strain. These results may indicate strain-specific differences in DNA repair of UV-induced DNA lesions by the early mouse embryo.
Enhanced population responses in the basolateral amygdala of kainate-treated, epileptic rats in vitro

Several lines of evidence suggest that the amygdala is altered functionally in humans with temporal lobe epilepsy, but little is known about neuronal interactions in the amygdala of humans or animals with chronic epilepsy. Using extracellular and intracellular recordings in horizontal slices, we tested the hypothesis that changes in local circuitry in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) permanently enhance neuronal responsiveness in kainate-treated, epileptic rats. Population responses in the BLA to orthodromic stimulation were significantly enhanced, which was at least partly due to a decrease in local inhibition. In the presence of GABA receptor antagonists, population responses were about twice as robust in epileptic versus control rats. We conclude that the enhanced neuronal responsiveness of the BLA in this model of temporal lobe epilepsy involves decreased inhibition, but may also include increased excitation.
Fast Mersenne prime testing on the GPU

The Lucas-Lehmer test for Mersenne primality can be efficiently parallelized for GPU-based computation. The gpuLucas project implements an irrational-base discrete weighted transform approach (IBDWT) using balanced-integers, non-power-of-two transforms, and carry-save radix representations. gpuLucas uses the CUDA programming language and requires the double-precision floating point capabilities of recent GPUs. Results show up to 7×speedups over benchmark averages for optimized sequential code and factor-of-two speedups over CUDALucas, another GPU-based Lucas-Lehmer tester developed independently and with a different optimization strategy. This work demonstrates techniques for implementing GPU-based number theoretic algorithms on very large numbers, including fast multiplication, prefix-sum-based carry-propagation, and the use of carry-save arithmetic with balanced integers. The work presents timing profiles of convolution-based integer multiplication based on the IBDWT, in particular for non-power-of-two transformations, and establishes the usefulness of the software as a GPU benchmarking application and as a platform for large-integer and polynomial experimentation.
Decrease in telomerase activity in U-87MG human glioblastomas after treatment with an antagonist of growth hormone-releasing hormone

Antagonists of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GH-RH) inhibit the growth of various tumors through mechanisms that involve the suppression of the insulin-like growth factor I and/or insulin-like growth factor II levels or secretion. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that the tumor inhibition is associated with a decrease in telomerase activity because telomerase is considered obligatory for continued tumor growth. Nude mice bearing xenografts of U-87MG human glioblastomas were treated with GH-RH antagonist MZ-5-156. Telomerase activity was assessed by the telomerase repeat amplification protocol. Treatment with MZ-5-156 reduced levels of telomerase activity as compared with controls. When U-87 glioblastomas, H-69 small cell lung carcinomas, H-23 non-small cell lung carcinomas, and MDA-MB-468 breast carcinoma cells were cultured in vitro, addition of 3 μM MZ-5-156 also inhibited telomerase activity. Reverse transcription–PCR analysis revealed that in U-87MG glioblastomas, the expression of the hTRT gene encoding for the telomerase catalytic subunit was significantly decreased by MZ-5-156, whereas the levels of mRNA for hTR and TP1, which encode for the telomerase RNA and telomerase-associated protein, respectively, were unaffected. The repression of the telomerase activity was not accompanied by a significant decrease of mRNA level for the c-myc protooncogene that regulates telomerase. Our findings suggest that tumor inhibition induced by the GH-RH antagonists in U-87MG glioblastomas is associated with the down-regulation of the hTRT gene, resulting in a decrease in telomerase activity. Further studies are needed to establish whether GH-RH antagonists produce telomerase inhibition in other tumors.
The End of Shareholder Value: Corporations at the Crossroads

The article reviews the book “The End of Shareholder Value: Corporations at the Crossroads,” by Allan A. Kennedy.
Staphylococcus capitis endocarditis due to a transvenous endocardial pacemaker infection: case report and review of Staphylococcus capitis endocarditis.

Summary Objectives: Newer microbiologic methods to determine the species of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) have evolved which have shown that most endocarditis due to CoNS is caused by Staphylococcus epidermidis , and far fewer by Staphylococcus warneri and Staphylococcus lugdunensis . Methods: The recent opportunity to successfully treat a patient with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus capitis endocarditis secondary to an infected transvenous pacemaker led to a review of the literature relating to S. capitis endocarditis. Results: Thirteen previously recorded patients were identified. Twelve (86%) patients were male. Ten had endocarditis associated with a native valve, two with prosthetic valves and one with a transvenous pacemaker. Mortality was low in all 14 cases (including this case report) with only two deaths; one in a patient with a native valve and the other with a prosthetic valve. Four of the isolates were methicillin resistant but sensitive to vancomycin, which was used in the treatment of eight patients. Those patients with prosthetic cardiac devices appear to do better when the devices are surgically removed. Conclusions: CoNS as a cause of endocarditis appears to be increasing and the current ability to determine the species of these organisms should elicit the epidemiology, clinical characteristics and biomolecular mechanisms involved in the induction of valvular disease.
Prostatitis and male factor infertility: A review of the literature

Prostatitis is the most common urologic diagnosis in men under the age of 50 years. Given the prostate’s intimate association with male reproductive function, prostatitis has long been suspected of playing a role in male subfertility. Strong evidence for a direct impact of prostatitis on male fertility is lacking. This article presents a brief overview of the disease entities known collectively as prostatitis and a review of the current literature on the association between prostatitis and seminal fluid variables, sperm morphology and function, seminal reactive oxygen species, antisperm antibodies, and their impact on male fertility.
Charge-transfer absorption of olefins with nitrosonium. Structural relevance to the dimethylbutene complex with dinitrogen tetraoxide

The transient electron donor-acceptor (EDA) complexes of various olefins (dimethylbutene, etc.) with the nitrosonium acceptor (NO+) show diagnostic charge-transfer absorption bands in dichloromethane solutions at low temperatures. Since the same charge-transfer absorption bands are observed when olefins are exposed to dinitrogen tetraoxide, they are ascribed to analogous EDA complexes [olefin, NO+] NO3 − that are derived from the ionic disproportionation of nitrogen dioxide.
Hammerhead cleavage of the phosphorodithioate linkage.

Under standard reaction conditions, a hammerhead ribozyme with a phosphorodithioate linkage at the cleavage site cleaved to the expected products with a rate about 500-fold slower than the corresponding phosphodiester linkage. When the greater stability of the dithioate linkage to nonenzymatic nucleophilic attack is taken into account, the hammerhead is remarkably effective at cleaving the dithioate linkage considering that the RP-phosphoromonothioate linkage is virtually inactive. On the basis of experiments determining the Mg2+ concentration dependence of the cleavage rate and the stimulation of cleavage by thiophilic Cd2+ ion, the lesser catalytic rate enhancement of the dithioate linkage is primarily due to the loss of a single Mg2+ ion bound near the cleavage site. These results are qualitatively similar to, but quantitatively different from, similar experiments examining the hammerhead cleavage properties of the RP-phosphoromonothioate linkage. The dithioate linkage thus promises to be a valuable al...
APDs for single-photon detection at telecom wavelengths

This paper presents a physical model for dark count rate and single-photon quantum efficiency of single-photon avalanche photodiodes. The model makes direct connections between the performance of single photon avalanche detectors and the physical parameters of the devices, which are useful for choosing commercial APDs to function in single-photon mode, designing APDs specifically for single-photon detection, and setting up suitable device operation conditions for optimal performance. Good agreement between the calculations and the experimental data from commercial InGaAs/InP APDs validates the model.
Sex differences in nest construction, incubation, and parental behaviour in the polyandrous American jaçana (Jacana spinosa)

Abstract The polyandrous American jacana shows sex-role reversal. Before egg-laying, males perform most nest-building movements. This behaviour primarily serves a communication rather than a building function. Some males build during incubation. Only males incubate, and incubation constancy is exceptionally low. Incubating males sit on their wings with two eggs between each wing and the breast. Males do almost all brooding; females brood occasionally after 2 or more days of rain. Although adults never feed the chicks, they feed more rapidly when accompanied by the male than when alone. Anti-predator behaviour by both sexes increases at hatching and remains high. The rarity with which females perform parental care suggests that selection has favoured behaviour that maximizes polyandry.
Effects of neutral interactions on velocity-shear-driven plasma waves

In a laboratory experiment, we demonstrate the substantial effects that collisions between charged and neutral particles have on low-frequency (Ωi ≪ ω ≪ Ωe) shear-driven electrostatic lower hybrid waves in a plasma. We establish a strong (up to 2.5 kV/m) highly localized electric field with a length scale shorter than the ion gyroradius, so that the ions in the plasma, unlike the electrons, do not develop the full E × B drift velocity. The resulting shear in the particle velocities initiates the electron-ion hybrid (EIH) instability, and we observe the formation of strong waves in the vicinity of the shear with variations in plasma densities of 10% or greater. Our experimental configuration allows us to vary the neutral background density by more than a factor of two while holding the charged particle density effectively constant. Not surprisingly, increasing the neutral density decreases the growth rate/saturation amplitude of the waves and increases the threshold electric field necessary for wave format...
Diffusion tensor imaging in MDMA users and controls: association with decision making.

Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) may provide information regarding effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) use on brain structure. Twelve MDMA users and 20 healthy controls underwent whole brain DTI data acquisition. Fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (Dav), and longitudinal (λ1) and transverse (λT) diffusivities were compared between MDMA users and controls in 6 regions of the corpus callosum. MDMA users also completed the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS), and a subset of subjects completed the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). Results showed significantly smaller λ1 in the rostral body of the corpus callosum in MDMA users, with no differences between groups on λT, FA, or Dav. MDMA users also had a significantly higher BIS nonplanning score and greater preference for disadvantageous choices on the IGT. There was a significant positive correlation between λ1 in the rostral body of the corpus callosum and advantageous choices on the IGT. Further research on the etiology of these findings is wa...
Atomistic Simulation of Sigma 3 (111) Grain Boundary Fracture in Tungsten Containing Various Impurities

Abstract The effect of various impurities and micro-alloying additions (B, N, C, O, Al, Si, S and P) on the intrinsic resistance of the ∑3 (111) grain boundary in tungsten has been investigated using the molecular dynamics simulation. The atomic interactions have been accounted for through the use of Finnis-Sinclair interatomic potentials. The fracture resistance of the grain boundary has been characterized by computing, in each case, the ideal work of grain boundary separation, the mode I stress intensity factor and the Eshelby's F1 conservation integral at the onset of crack propagation. The results obtained suggest that pure tungsten is relatively resistant to grain boundary decohesion and that this resistance is further enhanced by the presence of B, C and N. Elements such as O, Al and Si however, have a relatively minor effect on the cohesion strength of the ∑3 (111) grain boundary. In sharp contrast, S and P greatly reduce this strength making tungsten quite brittle. These findings have been correlated with the effect of the impurity atoms on material evolution at the crack tip.
Trisomy 18 mosaicism with features of Russell Silver syndrome

SUMMARY A child is described who presented at 16 months with developmental delay and clinical features of the Russell-Silver syndrome. Chromosome analysis revealed trisomy-18 mosaicism. Only one other similar case has been reported in the literature. It is recommended that chromosomal studies continue to be included in the clinical investigation of children with Russell-Silver syndrome. RESUME Trisomie-18 en mosaique avec les symptomes du syndrome de Russell-Silver Les auteurs decrivent le cas d'un enfant qui, a 16 mois, presentait un retard de developpement et les caracteristiques cliniques d'un syndrome de Russell-Silver. Le caryotype a revele une trisomie-18 en mosaique. Un seul autre cas semblable a ete releve dans la litterature. Le caryotype continue aetre recommande dans la recherche du syndrome clinique de Russell-Silver. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Trisomie-18 Mosaik mit Merkmalen des Russell-Silver Syndroms Es wird uber ein Kind berichtet, das mit 16 Monaten eine Entwicklungsverzogerung und die klinischen Merkmale eines Russell-Silver Syndroms bot. Die Chromosomenanalyse ergab ein Trisomie-18-Mosaik. In der Literatur ist bisher nur ein anderer ahnlicher Fall beschrieben. Es wird empfohlen, die Chromosomenanalyse weiterhin in die Diagnostik eines klinischen Russell-Silver Syndroms einzubeziehen. RESUMEN Trisomia-18-mosaicismo con caracteristicas del sindrome de Russell-Silver Se describe un nino de 16 meses que presentaba retraso en el desarrollo y caracteres clinicos del sindrome de Russell-Silver. El analisis cromosomico demostro trisomia 18 mosaicismo. En la literatura solo hay otro caso descrito. Se recomienda que los estudios cromosomicos sigan incluidos en la investigacion del sindrome clinico de Russell-Silver.
Reducing clock skew variability via cross links

Increasingly significant variational effects present a great challenge for delivering desired clock skew reliably. Non-tree clock network has been recognized as a promising approach to overcome the variation problem. Existing non-tree clock routing methods are restricted to a few simple or regular structures, and often consume excessive amount of wire-length. In this paper, we suggest to construct a low cost non-tree clock network by inserting cross links in a given clock tree. The effects of the link insertion on clock skew variability are analyzed. Based on the analysis, we propose two link insertion schemes that can quickly convert a clock tree to a non-tree with significantly lower skew variability and very limited wirelength increase. In these schemes, the complicated non-tree delay computation is circumvented. Further, they can be applied to the recently popular non-zero skew routing easily. Experimental results on benchmark circuits show that this approach can achieve significant skew variability reduction with less than 2 increase of wirelength.
Tensor Square of the Minimal Representation of O(p,q)

In this paper, we study the tensor product � = �min ⊗ �min of the minimal representation � min of O(p, q) with itself, and decomposeinto a direct integral of irreducible representations. The decomposition is given in terms of the Plancherel measure on a certain real hyperbolic space.
Compliance calibration for fatigue crack propagation testing of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene

Abstract Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) total joint replacement components under certain conditions are at risk of fatigue fracture. Thus, the fatigue crack inception/propagation resistance of UHMWPE is of interest. During fatigue crack propagation tests of UHMWPE, crack growth is often followed visually; however, this approach can be time consuming and requires that the specimen be accessible during testing. The objective of this study was to demonstrate the applicability of the compliance method for fatigue crack propagation tests of UHMWPE. We hypothesized that the standard calibration coefficients developed for metals may not be appropriate for UHMWPE and that different UHMWPE materials would require different compliance calibration coefficients. Three UHMWPE materials: sterilized (30 kGy); highly crosslinked and annealed (100 kGy, 130 °C); and highly crosslinked and remelted (100 kGy, 150 °C) were examined under ambient conditions. The results support the applicability of the compliance method for determination of crack length during fatigue crack propagation testing of UHMWPE. As hypothesized, the standard calibration coefficients were found to be inaccurate for UHMWPE. New UHMWPE-specific calibration coefficients were determined which predicted the crack growth behavior accurately. Also, as hypothesized, the compliance calibration coefficients for the three materials were significantly different. This is the first reported study to demonstrate the applicability of a compliance method to measure crack length in UHMWPE.
System requirements for water resource systems

While there is a long history of using systems analysis in water resources management, there is little application of systems engineering to develop and implement the management solutions. A summary of the history of water resources management and system concepts is presented, and the potential of better management using systems engineering is formulated. The FRAT systems engineering process of defining functions and requirements prior to seeking solutions and implementation provides a bridge between the existing systems analysis practices and the proposed systems engineering improvements. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Syst Eng 1: 14-30, 1998
Ontogeny of Prey-Killing Behavior in Canidae

The development of prey-killing behavior in naive hand-raised wolves, coyotes and grey foxes was studied. Action patterns and sequences of prey-killing and play with prey were also determined in these species and also in the red and Arctic fox and domesticated dog. Movement of the prey was a strong stimulus to all canids, eliciting orientation, approach and attack. These reactions occurred earliest in ontogeny, followed by seizure of the prey and carrying to a safe or quiet place. Consummatory eating in the wolf and grey fox appeared to be triggered by blood. The ontogeny of temporal sequences of prey killing behavior are detailed, and the action patterns which are species-specific and family-specific are compared. Temporal cycles of play with prey are described in the coyote and grey fox. The question of intraspecific and interspecies aggression in relation to prey killing patterns is discussed and the socio-ecological aspects of hunting, which have not been studied in this investigation, are considered.
Chicken liver contains a large quantity of a G-protein-linked neurotensin receptor

Abstract Using 125 I-labeled neurotensin (NT), chicken liver was found to contain high affinity, G-protein-linked receptors directed specifically towards the bioactive C -terminal portion of NT. Binding was proportional to membrane and optimal at pH 7.5. The apparent K d (∼91 p M ) for this single class of binding sites was similar to K d s reported for the high-affinity components of NT binding to mammalian brain and intestinal membranes. However, the binding capacity ( B max , ∼2.3 pmol/mg) was 10–100 times higher than values reported for these mammalian tissues. Binding was inhibited by GTP analogues and by treatment with pertussis toxin but not by cholera toxin. Treatments with alkaline solutions, shown to inactivate G-proteins, decreased subsequent binding at pH 7.5. Whereas low concentrations of Mg 2+ (optimum, ∼0.5 m M ) enhanced NT binding, concentrations of 5 m M and above were inhibitory. Cross-linking of 125 I-labeled NT to liver membranes using glutaraldehyde specifically labeled two substances of ∼52 and ∼90 kDa, which could represent different binding proteins or complexes. These data demonstrate the presence in chicken liver of large amounts of high-affinity NT receptor(s) coupled to pertussis toxinsensitive G-protein(s).
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone-induced Ca2+ transients in single identified gonadotropes require both intracellular Ca2+ mobilization and Ca2+ influx

We examined the effects of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) on the intracellular free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in single rat anterior pituitary gonadotropes identified by a reverse hemolytic plaque assay. Concentrations of GnRH greater than 10 pM elicited increases in [Ca2+]i in identified cells but not in others. In contrast, depolarization induced by 50 mM K+ increased [Ca2+]i in all cells. Ca2+ transients induced by GnRH exhibited a complex time course. After an initial rapid rise, the [Ca2+]i fell to near basal levels only to be followed by a secondary extended rise and fall. Analysis of the Ca2+ transients on a rapid time base revealed that responses frequently consisted of several rapid oscillations in [Ca2+]i. Removal of extracellular Ca2+ or addition of the dihydropyridine Ca2+-channel blocker nitrendipine completely blocked the secondary rise in [Ca2+]i but had no effect whatsoever on the initial spike. Nitrendipine also blocked 50 mM K+-induced increases in [Ca2+]i in identified gonadotropes. The secondary rise induced by GnRH could be enhanced by a phorbol ester in a nitrendipine-sensitive fashion. Multiple spike responses to GnRH stimulation of the same cell could only be obtained if subsequent Ca2+ influx was permitted either by allowing a secondary rise to occur or by producing a Ca2+ transient by depolarizing the cells with 50 mM K+. It therefore appears that the response to GnRH consists of an initial phase of Ca2+ mobilization, probably mediated by inositol trisphosphate, and a subsequent phase of Ca2+ influx through nitrendipine-sensitive Ca2+ channels that may be activated by protein kinase C. The relative roles of these phases in the control of gonadotropin secretion are discussed.
Effects of diuretic and propranolol on plasma lipoprotein lipids

Ticrynafen (TCNF), a nonthiazide diuretic, has been reported to be nonhyperlipidemic. To define the effects of these drugs on plasma lipoproteins, experiments were performed in hypertensive subjects after placebo therapy, 4 wk after therapy with either hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) or TCNF, 3 mo after diuretic with propranolol, and 1 mo after therapy with propranolol alone. Plasma lipoproteins were separated by ultracentrifugation and the lipid fractions isolated by extraction and silicic acid thin-layer chromatography. Plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL) total cholesterol fell and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) total cholesterol rose in subjects receiving TCNF. TCNF had no effect on plasma very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) triglyceride or phospholipid. There were no significant changes in LDL or HDL total cholesterol in subjects on HCTZ. HCTZ tended to increase plasma VLDL triglyceride and phospholipid. The addition of propranolol to either diuretic had no effect on LDL or HDL total cholesterol but increased VLDL triglyceride, especially in subjects on HCTZ. Propranolol alone had no effect on any of the lipids measured. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1981) 30, 35–43; doi:10.1038/clpt.1981.124
Thin-Film Composite Pressure Retarded Osmosis Membranes for Sustainable Power Generation from Salinity Gradients

Pressure retarded osmosis has the potential to produce renewable energy from natural salinity gradients. This work presents the fabrication of thin-film composite membranes customized for high performance in pressure retarded osmosis. We also present the development of a theoretical model to predict the water flux in pressure retarded osmosis, from which we can predict the power density that can be achieved by a membrane. The model is the first to incorporate external concentration polarization, a performance limiting phenomenon that becomes significant for high-performance membranes. The fabricated membranes consist of a selective polyamide layer formed by interfacial polymerization on top of a polysulfone support layer made by phase separation. The highly porous support layer (structural parameter S = 349 μm), which minimizes internal concentration polarization, allows the transport properties of the active layer to be customized to enhance PRO performance. It is shown that a hand-cast membrane that bal...