cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of Polymer Brush Membranes via HF Etch Liftoff Technique

Surface modification using end-tethered polymer brushes is an attractive, versatile, and effective method of tailoring the surface properties of a material. However, because the chains are covalently attached, characterization of these films is limited. When polymer brushes are detached in their native state, as opposed to fabricating a cross-linked initiator support, additional analytical techniques can be employed. We report lifting off patterned polymer brush membranes from a silicon oxide surface via a hydrofluoric acid etch. This method allows examination of polymer brushes via TEM and thus provides information regarding the perfection of initiator self-assembled monolayer formation and brush growth, as well as the effect of different cross-linking procedures.
Observations on the anatomy and behavior of Phronima sedentaria (Forskal) (Amphipoda: Hyperiidea)

ABSTRACT Phronimasedentaria is one of the most well-known and common hyperiid amphipods in the plankton, and its relationship with gelatinous zooplankton such as siphonophores, pyrosomes, and salps has been central to their invasion of the pelagic zone. These amphipods have adapted to the pelagic realm through various morphological, physiological, and behavioral specializations. Behavioral specializations include the formation of transparent barrels from salps, which they pilot through the water and on which they deposit their young (demarsupiation). Feeding behavior appears to vary with the consistency of the gelatinous organism being ingested. Pereiopods 3 and 4 are used to pick and pull soft-bodied prey toward the mouth, where the mouthparts may remove smaller pieces and push them into the esophagus. If the tissue is somewhat tough, pereiopods 1-3 hold the tissue across the mouthcone area where the mandible can bite and tear off small pieces. On the other hand, if the material is fairly fluid (e.g., salp stomach contents), the mouthparts flatten against the wall of the mouthcone and the contents are sucked into the foregut using the muscles of the esophagus and gut. The internal anatomy is roughly similar to other described amphipods but differs in certain respects. The digestive system differs from the generalized amphipod as depicted by McLaughlin (1980) in that the foregut is reduced and completely enclosed by a midgut chamber. The midgut caeca are reduced in size. The brain is circumesophageal and has four pairs of major nerves, which lead to the dorsal and ventral compound eyes, ventral nerve cord, and antennules. The reproductive and circulatory systems are described.
Simulation at Wars’ End: A “Documentary” in the Field of Evidence Quest:

The release of Muktir Gaan in 1995 ended a long, politically induced drought in films about the 1971 war that created Bangladesh. Built by Tareque and Catherine Masud from repurposed “found footage...
Acute effects of piretanide in normal subjects

Acute clearance studies were performed in normal subjects to assess the actions of the new diuretic, piretanide, on renal function. The drug increased both glomerular filtration rate and effective renal plasma flow in roughly proportionate amounts, so that filtration fraction did not change. In a dosage of 2 to 3 mg, it induced an increase in sodium excretion of almost 13% of filtered load, and there was an associated 2- to 3-fold increase in potassium excretion. The abstraction of solute-free water from the collecting duct was markedly reduced, but the drug induced no significant decline in the generation of free water. The rate of bicarbonate excretion, as well as that of titratable acid and ammonium, was increased approximately proportionately so that there was no increase in urinary pH or net hydrogen ion excretion. There was no phosphaturia, a unique finding, since all other drugs and maneuvers that cause a bicarbonate diuresis are also phosphaturic. Piretanide increased calcium excretion by approximately 19% of filtered load. The data suggest that the drug acts largely in the ascending limb of the loop of Henle and that it also affects the proximal tubule. Despite its sulfonamide structure, none of the drug's effects appear to be related to inhibition of carbonic anhydrase.
Uppermost mantle seismic velocity structure beneath USArray

We apply Pn tomography beneath the entire USArray footprint to image uppermost mantle velocity structure and anisotropy, as well as crustal thickness constraints, beneath the United States. The sparse source distribution in the eastern United States and the resulting longer raypaths provide new challenges and justify the inclusion of additional parameters that account for the velocity gradient in the mantle lid. At large scale, Pn velocities are higher in the eastern United States compared to the west, but we observe patches of lower velocities around the New Madrid seismic zone and below the eastern Appalachians. For much of the mantle lid below the central and eastern United States we find a moderate positive velocity gradient. In the western United States, we observe a moderate gradient in the region of the Juan de Fuca subduction zone, but no significant gradient to the south and east of this region. In terms of anisotropy, we find that the Pn fast axes generally do not agree with SKS splitting orientations, suggesting significant vertical changes in anisotropy in the upper mantle. In particular the circular pattern of the fast polarization direction of SKS in the western United States is much less pronounced in the Pn results, and in the eastern US the dominant Pn fast direction is approximately north-south, whereas the SKS fast polarizations are oriented roughly parallel to the absolute plate motion direction.
Mitochondria-driven assembly of a cortical anchor for mitochondria and dynein.

Interorganelle contacts facilitate communication between organelles and impact fundamental cellular functions. In this study, we examine the assembly of the MECA (mitochondria–endoplasmic reticulum [ER]–cortex anchor), which tethers mitochondria to the ER and plasma membrane. We find that the assembly of Num1, the core component of MECA, requires mitochondria. Once assembled, Num1 clusters persistently anchor mitochondria to the cell cortex. Num1 clusters also function to anchor dynein to the plasma membrane, where dynein captures and walks along astral microtubules to help orient the mitotic spindle. We find that dynein is anchored by Num1 clusters that have been assembled by mitochondria. When mitochondrial inheritance is inhibited, Num1 clusters are not assembled in the bud, and defects in dynein-mediated spindle positioning are observed. The mitochondria-dependent assembly of a dual-function cortical anchor provides a mechanism to integrate the positioning and inheritance of the two essential organelles and expands the function of organelle contact sites.
Sunitinib in Patients With Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma: Clinical Outcome According to International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium Risk Group

Abstract Background Sunitinib malate, a targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is standard of care for metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) and serves as the active comparator in several ongoing mRCC clinical trials. In this analysis we report benchmarks for clinical outcomes on the basis of International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium (IMDC) risk groups for patients treated with sunitinib for mRCC in a first-line setting. Materials and Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on data from sunitinib-treated patients (n = 375) in the pivotal phase III trial of sunitinib versus interferon-α as first-line treatment for mRCC. Objective response rates (ORRs) were determined from independently reviewed radiologic assessments. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to estimate median progression-free survival (PFS) and median overall survival (OS) according to patient risk group. Results Median PFS (95% confidence interval [CI]) was 14.1 (13.4-17.1), 10.7 (10.5-12.5), 2.4 (1.1-4.7), and 10.6 (8.1-10.9) months in sunitinib-treated patients in the IMDC favorable (n = 134), intermediate (n = 205), poor (n = 34), and intermediate + poor (n = 239) risk groups, respectively. Median OS (95% CI) was 23.0 (19.8-27.8), 5.1 (4.3-9.9), and 20.3 (16.8-23.0) months in sunitinib-treated patients in IMDC intermediate, poor, and intermediate + poor risk groups, respectively, and was not reached in the favorable risk group (>50% of patients were alive at data cutoff). ORRs (95% CI) was 53.0% (44.2%-61.7%), 33.7% (27.2%-40.6%), 11.8% (3.3%-27.5%), and 30.5% (24.8%-36.8%) in sunitinib-treated patients in IMDC favorable, intermediate, poor, and intermediate + poor risk groups, respectively. Conclusion Results of this retrospective analysis show differences in patient outcomes for PFS, OS, and ORR on the basis of IMDC prognostic risk group assignment for patients with mRCC.
Is MBSE helping? Measuring value on Europa Clipper

JPL's Integrated Model Centric Engineering Initiative (IMCE) has led the infusion of MBSE at JPL. In 2009 I authored for IMCE a set of challenges that confronted systems engineering at JPL, based on examination of issues and lessons from several recent projects (the “Five System Engineering Challenges”). In 2012 I augmented this work to describe specific areas where it appeared MBSE could help address these challenges. Around the same time, the Europa Clipper Mission became the first project at JPL to attempt, in close collaboration with IMCE, a widespread adoption of MBSE. This adoption has been highly successful so far. Europa Clipper completed Phase A (Formulation) with a successful System Requirements Review / Mission Definition Review, and is nearing the end of Phase B, with a successful Flight System Preliminary Design Review in October 2017. This is an opportune time to take stock of the progress and the work yet to go. This paper proposes a practical method for measuring value added through use of MBSE, applies this method to the Europa Clipper Project, and suggests how it might be applied to other projects and organizations.
Optimizing data transfers for improved performance on shared GPUs using reinforcement learning

Optimizing resource utilization is a critical issue in cloud and cluster-based computing systems. In such systems, computing resources often consist of one or more GPU devices, and much research has already been conducted on means for maximizing compute resources through shared execution strategies. However, one of the most severe resource constraints in these scenarios is the data transfer channel between the host (i.e., CPU) and the device (i.e., GPU). Data transfer contention has been shown to have a significant impact on performance, yet methods for optimizing such contention have not been thoroughly studied. Techniques that have been examined make certain assumptions which limit effectiveness in the general case. In this paper, we introduce a heuristic which selectively aggregates transfers in order to maximize system performance by optimizing the transfer channel bandwidth. We compare this heuristic to traditional first-come-first-served approach, and apply Monte Carlo reinforcement learning to find an optimal policy for message aggregation. Finally, we evaluate the performance of Monte Carlo reinforcement learning with an arbitrarily-initialized policy. We demonstrate its effectiveness in learning optimal data transfer policy without detailed system characterization, which will enable a general adaptable solution for resource management of future systems.
Physiological Simulation of Cotton Growth and Yield

Scientists early in the twentieth century sought ways to describe and predict plant growth. Gregory (1917) and Blackman (1919) developed methodology called “growth analysis” to describe net assimilation rate, and compared dry matter accumulation to compound interest. By the middle of the century, leaf area index and light interception were recognized as important parameters for estimating photosynthesis in crop stands and were thus related to canopy dry matter growth. During the 1960s and 1970s, leaf and canopy photosynthesis were described using commercially available gx analyzers, radiation sensors, and other devices for measuring environmental conditions that facilitated studies remarkably. There were extensive debates regarding leaf angles, radiation attenuation, carbon accumulation, and maintenance and growth respiration. Several laboratories became interested in relating information on environmental conditions to photosynthesis, plant growth, and harvestable yield. The development of simulation models of the various processes had become feasible. The objectives and validation methods varied widely among crop modelers.
Genetics of Longevity in Man

In this chapter, we shall consider three major topics: the evolutionary implications of the length of life, the light that genetics may throw on the nature of longevity, and the empirical evidence that there is a heritable component. It is wise to perceive at the start not only that these topics are elusive but also that they are posed inside an arbitrary conceptual framework. There is a priori no reason to believe that the terms of the question, or even the question itself, have any meaning; it may be that we think the questions are sound simply because, as reflecting animals, we are interested in prolonging life. Superficially, it appears a simple problem to explore, but the more we try to crystallize it with scientific investigation in mind, the more it becomes eroded by elimination of aspects that prove to be irrelevant.
Quality Improvement: Professional Initiatives

“The knowledge, judgment, and skill of the physician is the single most important determinant of the quality of health care.” This is the conclusion of Enthoven and Vorhaus (1997), although they caution that completing a residency and achieving licensure do not ensure that a physician has those necessary qualities. This “single most important determinant” of health care has received surprisingly little attention in the many recent initiatives to improve its quality. The well-honed skills of the physician are indeed essential to good care, and no structure, good process or oversight can compensate for their absence. It is remarkable, then, that in many institutions, quality management is carried out quite separate from physicians’ and other providers’ practice. It is even the case that first-line providers often are not privy to the findings of the quality managers.
A test-bed application for analog sensors used in wireless sensor networks: student paper

The purpose of this project was to research the use of traditional analog sensors in conjunction with wireless sensor networks to develop a test-bed application for those sensors. This test-bed application would increase the efficiency of prototyping new applications and serve as a template for the development of more complex systems upon the completion of prototyping. The project used the nesC programming language and TinyOS operating system running on the Crossbow Technology Smart Dust sensor platform. A sample application, TESTMDA300, and a series of build scripts, mdabuild, were created to demonstrate the feasibility of such a tool for increasing test efficiency. The performance was verified and documented by conducting a proof-of-concept analysis on a Vernier CO2-BTA CO2 gas sensor.
Applications of Synchrotron X-Ray Scattering for the Investigation of the Electrochemical Interphase

†The submitted manuscript has been created by the University of Chicago as Operator of Argonne National Laboratory (“Argonne'') under contract No. W-31-109ENG-38 with the U.S. Department of Energy. The U.S. Government retains for itself, and others acting on its behalf, a paid-up, nonexclusive, irrevocable worldwide license in said article to reproduce, prepare derivative works, distribute copies to the public, and perform publicly and display publicly, by or on behalf of the Government.
Abstract A12: Characterization of the mitronic tsmiR miR6855-3p as a DNA damage repair regulator in the SLUG-high metastatic breast cancer cells

The precursor of the human microRNA hsa-miR-6855-3p is a 5-tailed mitronic pre-miRNA that is coded by intron #13 of the deubiquitinase USP20 gene. Our preliminary data suggest that the biosynthesis of this miRNA is upregulated by oxidative stress in the SLUG-high metastatic breast cancer cells, promoting DNA double-strand break repair (DSBR) through the indirect enhancement of BRCA2 gene expression. We found that miR-6855-3p favors BRCA2 biosynthesis through the enhancement of the level of an alternately translated form of the BRCA2 gene enhancer protein SPRDX5. We hypothesize that BRCA2 gene silencer acts as a scaffolding to co-recruit SLUG and SPRDX5 and promote SPRDX5-mediated oxidative inactivation of the BRCA2 negative regulator protein SLUG. Here, we present evidence that (a) the expression of miR-6855-3p is essential for the expression of BRCA2 in the SLUG-high metastatic breast cancer cells; (b) knockdown of miR-6855-3p affects DSBR in these cells; and (c) the miR-6855-3p knocked-down cells are susceptible to the synthetic lethality by the PARP inhibitors. Our study reveals a novel mechanism of regulation of BRCA2 gene expression in the aggressive breast cancer cells, offering an alternative strategy to chemically intervene in the progression of hard-to-cure, highly aggressive SLUG-high breast cancer. We propose that the inhibition of miR-6855-3p will induce BRCA2 deficiency in the BLBC cells, thus increasing their susceptibility to standard chemotherapy as well as to PARP inhibitors as has been described for other BRCA2-deficient cells. Supported in part by DOD-CDMRP IDEA Expansion Grant #BC103645 and NIH/NCI grant 1R21CA181920-01 to GC and 1U54RR026140 to SM. Note: This abstract was not presented at the conference. Citation Format: Marshall JD Ellison, Smita Misra, Gautam Chaudhuri. Characterization of the mitronic tsmiR miR6855-3p as a DNA damage repair regulator in the SLUG-high metastatic breast cancer cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Advances in Breast Cancer Research; 2017 Oct 7-10; Hollywood, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2018;16(8_Suppl):Abstract nr A12.
The Potential for Metal–Carbon Nanotubes Composites as Interconnects

Despite their high potential, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are yet to be effectively utilized in microelectronics due to challenges involved with their fabrication and integration with current microelectronic materials. This manuscript summarizes the effort made in fabricating the CNT-Cu composites for interconnects in microelectronics. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and plasma enhanced CVD (PECVD) are used to grow CNTs on substrates covered with Ti, TiN and Al2O3 and several plating processes such as electroplating, electroless plating, and sputtering methods were used to create the Cu-CNT composite layer. The PECVD is the best approach in growing the CNT forest with the right density. The seed layers selected in this study were not effective in allowing electroplating to occur. The most successful method was to use TiN as an underlayer, PECVD for CNT growth and sputtering as plating technique.
Direct Data Transfer from SCT Institutional Systems to Agnis/CIBMTR.

Submission of transplant center data to CIBMTR commonly involves manual transcription of center data derived from departmental databases, EMR, or other institutional systems to FormsNetR (72%) or vendor/institutional applications (19%). This transcription method is expensive, error prone, and complex to audit. In contrast, if data were transmitted directly from institutional systems to CIBMTR, substantial cost reduction and improved data accuracy would be realized. Only a very limited number of centers have developed this type of solution which requires design complexities. MD Anderson Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy developed a direct electronic data transmission method of this type which has been in continuous use since 2009. More than 21,000 forms have been successfully accepted by CIBMTR. This method requires several components. An audited departmental Oracle database was developed with structured data fields and tables containing almost all specialized granular or derived data required to populate CIBMTR forms, as well as a much larger data set required for departmental research and quality purposes. This data was stored using common data elements (CDE) contained in the Cancer Data Standards Repository (caDSR) of the NCI. EMR interfaces were developed to acquire all HL-7 coded data necessary to contribute to the forms, and from specialized sources such as the HL-A Laboratory and centralized LIS systems. An interface engine with business rule functionality was designed to transform granular data to derived as well as to reconfigure "time stamped" elements to conform to the periodic forms (30 day, 100 day, 1 year, etc) structure used by the CIBMTR. This method has resulted in substantial reductions in data management effort and has served as a stimulus for CIBMTR to consider newer IT methods in the future. Schematic representations for these systems will be displayed on the full poster.
Low-salinity-based enhanced oil recovery literature review and associated screening criteria

A thorough literature review is conducted that pertains to low-salinity-based enhanced oil recovery (EOR). This is meant to be a comprehensive review of all the refereed published papers, conference papers, master’s theses and other reports in this area. The review is specifically focused on establishing various relations/characteristics or “screening criteria” such as: (1) classification/grouping of clays that have shown or are amenable to low-salinity benefits; (2) clay types vs. range of residual oil saturations; (3) API gravity and down hole oil viscosity range that is amenable for low salinity; (4) salinity range for EOR benefits; (5) pore sizes, porosity, absolute permeability and wettability range for low-salinity EOR; (6) continuous low-salinity injection vs. slug-wise injection; (7) grouping of possible low-salinity mechanisms; (8) contradictions or similarities between laboratory experiments and field evidence; and (9) compositional variations in tested low-salinity waters. A proposed screening criterion for low-salinity waterflooding is introduced. It can be concluded that either one or more of these mechanisms, or a combination thereof, may be the case-specific mechanism, i.e., depending on the particular oil–brine–rock (OBR) system rather than something that is “universal” or universally applicable. Therefore, every OBR system that is unique or specific ought to be individually investigated to determine the benefits (if any) of low-salinity water injection; however, the proposed screening criteria may help in narrowing down some of the dominant responsible mechanisms. Although this review primarily focuses on sandstones, given the prominence of carbonates containing ~60% of the world’s oil reserves, a summary of possible mechanisms and screening criteria, pertaining to low-salinity waterflooding, for carbonates is also included. Finally, the enhancement of polymer flooding by using low-salinity water as a makeup water to further decrease the residual oil saturation is also discussed.
Incidence and Management of Olaratumab Infusion-Related Reactions.

PURPOSE:Olaratumab is a human monoclonal immunoglobulin G1 antibody against platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α. We report the nature and frequency of infusion-related reactions (IRRs) with o...
Global Health Education

Global health is a complex area for study, research, and practice that transcends national boundaries and that places a priority on improving health and achieving equity in healthcare for all people worldwide through interdisciplinary collaborative means. Global health is an amalgam of the preventative measures from public health with clinical care that considers health determinants to develop solutions. It represents a paradigm shift from older top-down international health and development models that positioned high-income Western nations as sources of expertise and low- and middle-income countries as sites of disease-based (mainly tropical and diarrheal diseases) intervention.
A single-cell expression simulator guided by gene regulatory networks

Abstract A common approach to benchmarking of single-cell transcriptomics tools is to generate synthetic data sets that resemble experimental data in their statistical properties. However, existing single-cell simulators do not incorporate known principles of transcription factor-gene regulatory interactions that underlie expression dynamics. Here we present SERGIO, a simulator of single-cell gene expression data that models the stochastic nature of transcription as well as linear and non-linear influences of multiple transcription factors on genes according to a user-provided gene regulatory network. SERGIO is capable of simulating any number of cell types in steady-state or cells differentiating to multiple fates according to a provided trajectory, reporting both unspliced and spliced transcript counts in single-cells. We show that data sets generated by SERGIO are comparable with experimental data in terms of multiple statistical measures. We also illustrate the use of SERGIO to benchmark several popular single-cell analysis tools, including GRN inference methods.
Selecting and Designing Measurements to Track the Reading Progress of Students With Disabilities

To support students with disabilities who do not respond to typically effective reading intervention, special education teachers are expected to implement evidence-based practices for intensifying ...
Quantitative MRI: Rationale and Challenges

Abstract Current MRI image interpretation is nearly completely qualitative, where images of different contrast “weighting” are interpreted together to characterize tissue and provide a diagnosis. However, a long-standing goal in the magnetic resonance (MR) community has been quantitative imaging, where properties of interest are quantitatively mapped, and image interpretation is both anatomical and numerical. This goal has been traditionally hampered by barriers such as imaging speed, computational practicalities, and reproducibility and repeatability of MR measurements. Here, we lay out the rationale behind a quantitative approach to MRI, and also explain why recent advances in computation, data collection and image reconstruction, and attitudes in medicine may pave the way for new technologies to move towards clinical use. We also lay out some technical, translational, and clinical barriers to the clinical adoption of these quantitative approaches. This chapter also serves as an introduction to a larger body of work on quantitative imaging described in the rest of this book.
Law is Inherently Normative, Not Moral: Hart, Dworkin, and the Rule-Following Paradox

What does it mean to give a legal interpretation? And, more specifically, when legal practitioners disagree about the proper resolution to a legal question, what are they actually arguing about? This paper creates a framework for answering those questions. In the first section, I develop a rudimentary model of legal reasoning: the act of legal interpretation involves selecting a set of mutually agreed upon 'axioms,' statements of legal rules which are clearly relevant to the situation at hand. These axioms are then aggregated into an overall legal rule which decides the issue in the case, in a process akin to logical derivation. In the remainder of this paper, I argue that this model is defective, and in ways which shed light on the concept of law debate which has descended from the Hart-Fuller and Hart-Dworkin exchanges. With reference to the rule interpretation problem discussed at length in Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations, I suggest that something 'more' must be added to the set of legal axioms applicable to the case in order to develop anything like a uniquely 'correct' outcome. This something, I argue, is an inherently normative standard -- one that provides an 'ought' under which rule candidates are to be evaluated. In the final section of the paper, I argue that this view is much like, but not identical to, Dworkinian constructive interpretation. I argue that a legal constructive interpretation is not, contra Dworkin, intrinsically 'moral' in any immediate sense. Rather, the normative standard to be used is that intrinsic to the act of lawmaking which produced the background legal propositions of importance. I then suggest that this understanding illustrates some conceptual problems for both the exclusive and inclusive legal positivist frameworks.
Use of Remote Sensing for Mapping Wetlands

This paper summarizes contemporary remote sensing methodology and its application in wetlands. Using color, color infrared, black-and-white, and black-and-white infrared photography, multiband imagery, and infrared imagery, various applications are examined as they relate to wetlands use. Boundary mapping, vegetation differentiation, and plant primary production patterns have all been demonstrated using remote sensing. A new approach is presented for determination of intertidal water movement using infrared imagery in place of more costly time-consuming dye studies. Remote sensing also has been used in wetlands for location and field orientation, comparative analysis, landform analysis, and water pollution analysis. In terms of documenting baseline conditions for future litigation as well as planning purposes, remote sensing techniques afford the most reliable, least expensive and least time-consuming means of accomplishing these tasks.
Deep Venous Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism

Venous thromboembolism (VTE), a term encompassing both deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolus (PE), is a common problem, estimated to occur in about 1 in 1,000 adults annually (1). DVT and PE are interrelated diseases. Not only do they share many risk factors, but in one autopsy series of 195 patients who died of PE, DVT was identified in 83% of patients (2), and risk of PE from DVT is at least 40% (3, 4). VTE is an extremely serious condition, with a 3-month mortality rate of 8.65% among patients who presented with symptomatic VTE (5).
eMedicine Otolaryngology: an online textbook for ENT specialists.

A new online publishing effort, eMedicine Otolaryngology-Facial Plastic Surgery (FPS), is a comprehensive textbook now being developed on the Internet (www.emedicine.com). This book is one of a series of 15 electronic textbooks written by a worldwide panel of authors and editors, and it is distributed free of charge to anyone with a computer and a modem. Advantages of online textbooks such as eMedicine Otolaryngology-FPS are that they provide readers with easy accessibility to reliable, up-to-date information, and they allow authors to quickly edit and revise editorial content and supplement traditional text with sound, graphics, and video. An ambitious undertaking, eMedicine Otolaryngology-FPS represents a significant advance in the way medical information is written, edited, and distributed. Although it is unlikely that electronic textbooks will replace traditional textbooks any time soon, these types of publishing efforts will continue to proliferate.
Gelation study of high processability and high reliability ternary systems based on benzoxazine, epoxy, and phenolic resins for an application as electronic packaging materials

Fourier transform mechanical spectroscopy technique (FTMS) is utilized as a powerful tool to study the sol-gel transition of covalent bonded polymeric network. Winter and Chambon criteria resulting from the fractal-geometry characteristic of the gel networks allow the determination of the gel point with only single experiment using this technique. The gelation behaviors of low melt viscosity ternary systems of benzoxazine, epoxy, and phenolic resins are investigated and analyzed by the technique in order to study the effect of epoxy diluent on the rheological property development before and after the gel points. The gel time at 140 °C ranges from 5 min to 30 min and less than 5 min at 180 °C for all tested ternary system compositions. The gelation of the ternary mixture shows an Arrhenius-type behavior and the gel time can be well-predicted by the Arrhenius equation.
Convenient synthesis of tris-heteroleptic ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complexes.

A convenient synthesis of tris-heteroleptic polypyridyl [Ru(pp)(pp‘)(pp‘ ‘)]2+ complexes is reported (where pp, pp‘, and pp‘ ‘ represent three different polypyridyl ligands). Photolysis of [BzRu(pp)Cl]Cl (Bz = η6-C6H6) gives a mixture of Ru(pp)(CH3CN)2Cl2 and [Ru(pp)(CH3CN)3Cl]Cl. Refluxing this mixture with pp‘ yields Ru(pp)(pp‘)Cl2. Finally, refluxing Ru(pp)(pp‘)Cl2 with pp‘ ‘ in a 75% ethanol/water solution gives [Ru(pp)(pp‘)(pp‘ ‘)]2+. No ligand scrambling is observed. The complexes are characterized by 1H NMR, elemental analysis, FAB-MB, UV−vis and emission spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry.
Radiation dose reduction in pediatric cardiac computed tomography: experience from a tertiary medical center.

Cardiac CT angiography (cCTA) has become an established method for the assessment of congenital heart disease. However, the potential harmful effects of ionizing radiation must be considered, particularly in younger, more radiosensitive patients. In this study, we sought to assess the temporal change in radiation doses from pediatric cCTA during an 8-year period at a tertiary medical center. This retrospective study included all patients ≤18 years old who were referred to electrocardiography (ECG)-gated cCTA for the assessment of congenital heart disease or inflammatory disease (Kawasaki disease) from November 2004 to September 2012. During the study period, 95 patients were scanned using 3 different scanner models—64-slice multidetector CT (64-MDCT) and first- (64-DSCT) and second-generation (128-DSCT) dual-source CT—and 3 scan protocols—retrospective ECG-gated helical scanning (RG), prospective ECG-triggered axial scanning (PT), or prospective ECG-triggered high-pitch helical scanning (HPH). Effective dose (ED) was calculated with the dose length product method with a conversion factor (k) adjusted for age. ED was then compared among scan protocols. Image quality was extracted from clinical cCTA reports when available. Overall, 94 % of scans were diagnostic (80 % for 64-slice MDCT, 93 % for 64-slice DSCT, and 97 % for 128-slice DSCT).With 128-DSCT, median ED (1.0 [range 0.6–2.0] mSv) decreased by 85.8 % and 66.8 % compared with 64-MDCT (6.8 [range 2.9–13.6] mSv) and 64-DSCT (2.9 [range 0.9–4.1] mSv), respectively. With HPH, median ED (0.9 [range 0.6–1.8] mSv) decreased by 59.4 % and 85.4 % compared with PT (2.2 [range 0.9–3.4] mSv) and RG (6.1 [range 2.5–10.6] mSv). cCTA can now be obtained at very low radiation doses in pediatric patients using the latest dual-source CT technology in combination with prospective ECG-triggered HPH acquisition.
A Near-Infrared/Millimeter-Wave Study of Six Fourth-Quadrant High-Mass Star Formation Regions

We present near-infrared and millimeter-wave observations of six high-mass star-forming regions in the fourth quadrant: RCW 108, G333.6, RCW 117, RCW 122, NGC 6334 I, and G351.6. These regions have heliocentric distances of 1.3–3.0 kpc and total luminosities ranging from 0.5 to 3 × 105 L⊙. Millimeter maps taken in transitions of C18O, HC3N, 12C16O, and SiO with the Swedish-ESO Submillimetre Telescope 15 m telescope detail the structure and kinematics of the clouds. Near-infrared K-band images of the same regions obtained with the MPG/ESO 2.2 m telescope are used to map the stellar surface density. The C18O (1 → 0) line shows extended high column density gas, with column densities ranging from 1022 to 3 × 1023 cm-2; in contrast, the HC3N (15 → 14) emission shows eight sharply peaked dense cores. We examine these cores for recent and ongoing star formation by searching for high-velocity, non-Gaussian wings on the CO (1 → 0) and SiO (2 → 1) lines, peaks in the surface density of stars, and positional coincidences with IRAS point sources, as well as masers and H II regions reported in the literature. All of the cores show evidence of ongoing star formation. NGC 6334 I(N) stands out as a unique case in which an outflow has formed and masers have appeared, but no IRAS source, K-band cluster, or UC H II region has yet appeared; our data support previous claims that this is a rare example of a core in the earliest stages of forming a cluster of high- and low-mass stars.
Veterans of combat: still at risk when the battle is over.

Approximately 2.6 million troops have served or are serving overseas as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn in Iraq and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, as of September 2013.1 There have been 6664 casualties and 51 904 wounded as of February 2014.2 Although definitions of combat experience vary, 30% of veterans with service in Afghanistan and 71% to 86% of those serving in Iraq have participated in a firefight.3 The rising mental health problems of returning veterans are well documented,4 with ≤20% of returning veterans meeting diagnostic criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)5 and up to 17% meeting criteria for any psychological disorder (depression, anxiety, or PTSD).3 These mental health problems stem directly from combat, with a dose-response relationship–the more firefights the soldiers had experienced, the higher the rate of PTSD and depression.3 Article see p 1813 However, evidence is emerging for a role of combat in exerting not just a psychological but also a physiologic toll. Previous studies of the long-term physical consequences of combat have shown mixed results. In one prospective longitudinal study enrolling veterans shortly after World War II, those who had experienced combat were more likely to die or report physical decline over a 15-year period.6 In the Atherosclerotic Risk in Communities study, however, no increase in coronary heart disease (CHD) was seen in combat-exposed veterans compared with those who had not seen combat or who …
Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) as a marker for 6-MMP and 6-TG, the toxic and active metabolites of 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP)

Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) as a marker for 6-MMP and 6-TG, the toxic and active metabolites of 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP)
Jane Campion's The Piano: melodrama as mode of exchange

The prevailing understanding of the melodramatic mode distinguishes between melodrama as a social sensibility and as an artistic representation. In this traditional model, the melodramatic mode mediates between social experience and artistic representations by inhabiting both of them. This paper argues that these two aspects (social experience and representation) derive from a more fundamental aspect of melodrama, constituted by acts of exchange. I analyze the acts of exchange in two melodramas – The Piano (Jane Campion, 1993) and The Story of Adele H. (Francois Truffaut, 1975) – explaining how the states of being and representations we associate with melodrama derive from unequal acts of exchange. Melodrama polices the boundary between exchange and the realm that lies beyond exchange, dramatizing the consequences of putting into circulation objects and ideas that should not be assigned an exchange value.
Rationale for Percutaneous Intervention of CTO

Chronic total occlusion (CTO) accounts for 15% of cases during diagnostic angiography with a higher referral rate for surgical revascularization. With contemporary strategies and techniques, the success rate with experienced operators can exceed 90%. Currently available observational studies in carefully selected patient populations show evidence of a trend toward symptom relief; improvement in quality of life (QOL), left ventricular (LV) function, and a mortality benefit; and an improved tolerance of future ischemic events. Lack of randomized controlled trials comparing current optimal medical management with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for CTO is a major barrier to widespread adoption of this advanced complex interventional technique.
Unusual organization of a developmentally regulated mitochondrial RNA polymerase (TBMTRNAP) gene in Trypanosoma brucei

We report here the characterization of a developmentally regulated mitochondrial RNA polymerase transcript in the parasitic protozoan, Trypanosoma brucei. The 3822 bp protein-coding region of the T. brucei mitochondrial RNA polymerase (TBMTRNAP) gene is predicted to encode a 1274 amino acid polypeptide, the carboxyl-terminal domain of which exhibits 29–37% identity with the mitochondrial RNA polymerases from other organisms in the molecular databases. Interestingly, the TBMTRNAP mRNA is one of several mature mRNA species post-transcriptionally processed from a stable, polycistronic precursor. Alternative polyadenylation of the TBMTRNAP mRNA produces two mature transcripts that differ by 500 nt and that show stage-specific differences in abundance during the T. brucei life cycle. This alternative polyadenylation event appears to be accompanied by the alternative splicing of a high abundance, non-coding downstream transcript of unknown function. Our finding that the TBMTRNAP gene is transcribed into two distinct mRNAs subject to differential regulation during the T. brucei life cycle suggests that mitochondrial differentiation might be achieved in part through the regulated expression of this gene.
Multilingual acoustic models using distributed deep neural networks

Today's speech recognition technology is mature enough to be useful for many practical applications. In this context, it is of paramount importance to train accurate acoustic models for many languages within given resource constraints such as data, processing power, and time. Multilingual training has the potential to solve the data issue and close the performance gap between resource-rich and resource-scarce languages. Neural networks lend themselves naturally to parameter sharing across languages, and distributed implementations have made it feasible to train large networks. In this paper, we present experimental results for cross- and multi-lingual network training of eleven Romance languages on 10k hours of data in total. The average relative gains over the monolingual baselines are 4%/2% (data-scarce/data-rich languages) for cross- and 7%/2% for multi-lingual training. However, the additional gain from jointly training the languages on all data comes at an increased training time of roughly four weeks, compared to two weeks (monolingual) and one week (crosslingual).
Federal advisory commissions in an economic model of representative democracy

This paper developed an economic theory of representative democracy to explain the use of outside advisory commissions in collective decisionmaking. In this model, legislators maximize net political support expected from supplying legislation to consumer-voters and producer-voters. Outside advisory bodies were viewed as vehicles for enhancing net political support, particularly that received from special-interest groups. By helping special-interest groups overcome the free-rider problem, advisory bodies increased the ability of special interests to provide political support in return for favorable legislation. And by providing a mechanism for safeguarding favorable legislation, advisory bodies increased the durability, and hence the value, of this legislation to the favored special interest. Thus, advisory bodies increased the ability and the willingness of special-interests to provide political support in return for favorable legislation.
Five Feuds: An Analysis of Homicides in Eastern Kentucky in the Late Nineteenth Century

Kentucky feuds are an example of market-based feuding, one of two major types of feuding. Compensation is not paid for a homicide in regions where a local market system is linked to the world system. Feuding kinship groups in Kentucky struggle to eliminate each other, whereas in regions where compensation is paid functional/equilibrium theories are used to explain the balance that seems to occur between kinship groups. The trouble case method is used to analyze five Kentucky feuds. Episodes or homicidal encounters are placed within feud sequences. Encounters include ambushes, gunfights, house attacks, encounter battles, and arranged battles. Although each feud differs greatly from the others, the structure of the Kentucky feud is delineated.
The effects of xylazine and alpha-adrenoreceptor antagonists on bovine uterine contractility in vitro.

Abstract The effects of alpha-adrenoreceptor antagonists prazosin (alpha-1), yohimbine (alpha-2), and idazoxan (alpha-2) on xylazine-induced bovine uterine contractility were tested in vitro. Uterine strips from proestrous/estrous and diestrous cows were mounted in tissue baths containing Tyrode's solution. Changes in uterine contractility were measured by strain gauge. The following results were observed: 1) Xylazine increased uterine contractility in a dose dependent manner (cumulative concentrations: 10−8, 3×10−8, 10−7, 3×10−7 and 10−6M). 2) Idazoxan (10−8, 10−7 and 10−6M) and yohimbine (10−6, 10−5 and 10−4M) antagonized uterine contractility induced by xylazine in a dose-dependent manner. Idazoxan was approximately 50 to 100 times more potent than yohimbine. 3) Prazosin (10−5M) did not alter the effect of xylazine on uterine contractility. These results suggested that xylazine-induced uterine contractility in the cyclic cow is directly mediated by myometrial alpha-2 adrenoreceptors.
Direct interpretation methods in applied geophysics

Abstract In contrast to the use of master curves and other trial-and-error processes, the direct methods of interpreting geophysical data are based on computational procedures which yield the unknowns in a more direct way. The present paper emphasizes the usefulness of these methods, and it is shown that they are closely related to the methods of electrical network synthesis. The driving point exploration and synthesis of linear lumped parameter ladders on the basis of continued fraction expansions is shown in some detail. An analogous procedure is applied to systems with distributed parameters. It is shown that the interpretation of D.C. conduction data obtained in the case of a horizontally stratified earth is equivalent to the driving point synthesis of an elastic bar composed of homogeneous sections and capable of longitudinal displacements. Similarly, the interpretation of magneto-telluric data is equivalent to the driving point synthesis of an electric line composed of sections with constant specific inductance and specific resistance. Formal solutions of the synthesis problems involved are given, and further geophysical cases are discussed.
Design of the Hermes-RISC processor

This paper presents the structural design and the functional characteristics of a RISC processor called Hermes-RISC. The design of the Hermes-RISC processor is based on the study and evaluation of a variety of assembly instruction sets. The Hermes-RISC is a pipeline superscalar RISC processor with four superscalar units. The first stage evaluation of the Hermes-RISC performance is also presented here. This evaluation is based on the execution of a set of primitive processing tasks, such as summation, multiplication of numbers, multiplication of matrices, sorting, finding maximum values among a set of numbers, procedure calls, etc. Moreover, the performance of Hermes-RISC is compared with a variety of RISC processors.