cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Traffic noise exposure alters nestling physiology and telomere attrition through direct, but not maternal, effects in a free-living bird

Anthropogenic impacts, such as noise pollution from transportation networks, can serve as stressors to some wildlife species. For example, increased exposure to traffic noise has been found to alter baseline and stress-induced corticosterone levels, reduce body condition and reproductive success, and increase telomere attrition in free-living birds. However, it remains unknown if alterations in nestling phenotype are due to direct or indirect effects of noise exposure. For example, indirect (maternal) effects of noise may occur if altered baseline and stress-induced corticosterone in mothers results in differential deposition of yolk steroids or other components in eggs. Noise exposure may also alter nestling corticosterone levels directly, given that nestlings cannot escape the nest during development. Here, we examined maternal versus direct effects of traffic noise exposure on baseline and stress-induced corticosterone levels, and body condition (as measured by size-corrected mass) in nestling tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). We used a two-way factorial design and partially cross-fostered eggs between nests exposed to differing levels (i.e. amplitudes) of traffic noise. For nestlings that were not cross-fostered, we also investigated the effects of traffic noise on telomere dynamics. Our results show a positive relationship between nestling baseline and stress-induced corticosterone and nestling noise exposure, but not maternal noise exposure. While we did not find a relationship between noise and body condition in nestlings, nestling baseline corticosterone was negatively associated with body condition. We also found greater telomere attrition for nestlings from nests with greater traffic noise amplitudes. These results suggest that direct, rather than maternal, effects result in potentially long-lasting consequences of noise exposure. Reduced nestling body condition and increased telomere attrition have been shown to reduce post-fledging survival in this species. Given that human transportation networks continue to expand, strategies to mitigate noise exposure on wildlife during critical periods (i.e. breeding) may be needed to maintain local population health in free-living passerines, such as tree swallows.
Double-Regge-Pole model analysis of π−p → π−π−Δ++ at 6 GeV/c

Abstract Experimental distributions for all momentum transfers, two-body masses and decay angles in the π − π − Δ ++ final state have been obtained and analyzed with two models: diffraction production combined with one-pion exchange and double-Regge-trajectory exchange. The double-Regge-Pole model yields a good description of the data even when all allowed values of final state two body masses are used, an approach justified by duality.
Toluene-induced phase transitions in blue phase liquid crystals

ABSTRACTWe report phase transitions in blue phase-forming liquid crystals (LCs) that are triggered by exposure to toluene vapours. Specifically, we reveal that room-temperature cholesteric phase mi...
Translation, Retranslation and Recreation in the Literary Field

Ameen Fares Rihani rewrote a few of his Arabic poems, such as “I am the East” and “New York” in English, to enable American and Arab readers to understand the poems within their cultural settings, to promote the Eastern culture in the West, and to introduce the West to the Easterners. This paper argues that in his translations of his own poetry, Rihani was a recreator rather than a translator. A comparative analysis of Rihani’s rewritten poems in English and the translations made by other translators of the same poems will prove that the author-translator’s choice of terms along with their cultural backgrounds, deep meanings and etymologies reveal his deep understanding of the source and target cultures, the Eastern and the Western ones. The study further analyzes Rihani’s literary recreations or in other terms transcreations and examines as well the other translators’ rendering of the same works. Comparative study shows how poetry transcends cultural barriers and understands the linguistic and cultural spirit of the target language, thereby attempts to bridge the civilization and cultural gaps between the East and the West.
What Not to Biopsy

A major source of errors and pitfalls in ultrasound (US)-guided percutaneous biopsies of the breast and regional nodal basins is biopsying lesions that should not be biopsied under US guidance. If a good question is “what should we biopsy,” a better one is “what should we not biopsy.” Needle biopsies have been developed and promoted to avoid unnecessary surgical biopsies. As a result, the number of surgical biopsies has decreased, but this decrease has been accompanied by a proliferation of unnecessary “benign” and nondiagnostic needle biopsies. As US scanners show smaller and smaller lesions (with benign ones outnumbering the malignant ones by a factor of thousands) and the line between minute fibrocystic changes and normal anatomy is blurred, the proliferation of unnecessary biopsies is becoming a growing problem. This chapter focuses on when not to proceed with US-guided percutaneous biopsy.
Microsystems Manufacturing Methods: Integrated Circuit Processing Steps

A general overview of the processing steps commonly used in integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing is provided in Chap. 3. How each processing step is performed, the equipment commonly used, and guidance on the expected dimensional variations when performing the processing step are given. The subsequent chapter will focus on specialized processing steps used in MEMS fabrication. The major categories of processing steps used in IC fabrication include depositions or growths; lithography; etching; impurity doping; and metrology. Depending on the process sequence involved, there may also be other types of processing steps in the sequence as well such as planarization, rapid thermal anneals, and others. A number of these processing steps will be performed sequentially to implement the ICs, and some will be repeated multiple times. Once the fabrication is completed, the wafers will usually go through a series of tests to determine their functionality and performance. This is discussed in more detail in Chaps. 7, 8, and 9. Table 3.4 provides a compilation of the expected “best-case” dimensional variations for each of the processing steps reviewed in this chapter as a quick reference.
Clustering and Connectedness: How Inventor Network Configurations within Incumbent Firms Influence Their Assimilation and Absorption of New Venture Technologies

We explore how an incumbent firm’s internal inventor network configuration influences its ability to assimilate and absorb new venture technologies. We find that incumbents that have internal inven...
Beyond neonicotinoids - Wild pollinators are exposed to a range of pesticides while foraging in agroecosystems.

Abstract Pesticide exposure is a growing global concern for pollinator conservation. While most current pesticide studies have specifically focused on the impacts of neonicotinoid insecticides toward honeybees and some native bee species, wild pollinators may be exposed to a broader range of agrochemicals. In 2016 and 2017 we collected a total of 637 wild bees and butterflies from the margins of cultivated agricultural fields situated on five Conservation Areas in mid-northern Missouri. Pollinators were composited by individual genera (90 samples) and whole tissues were then analyzed for the presence of 168 pesticides and degradation products. At least one pesticide was detected (% frequency) in the following wild bee genera: Bombus (96%), Eucera (75%), Melissodes (73%), Ptilothrix (50%), Xylocopa (50%), and Megachile (17%). Similarly, at least one pesticide was detected in the following lepidopteran genera: Hemaris (100%), Hylephila (75%), Danaus (60%), and Colias (50%). Active ingredients detected in >2% of overall pollinator samples were as follows: metolachlor (24%), tebuconazole (22%), atrazine (18%), imidacloprid desnitro (13%), bifenthrin (9%), flumetralin (9%), p, p′-DDD (6%), tebupirimfos (4%), fludioxonil (4%), flutriafol (3%), cyproconazole (2%), and oxadiazon (2%). Concentrations of individual pesticides ranged from 2 to 174 ng/g. Results of this pilot field study indicate that wild pollinators are exposed to and are potentially bioaccumulating a wide variety of pesticides in addition to neonicotinoids. Here, we provide evidence that wild bee and butterfly genera may face exposure to a wide range of insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides despite being collected from areas managed for conservation. Therefore, even with the presence of extensive habitat, minimal agricultural activity on Conservation Areas may expose pollinators to a range of pesticides.
State Insurance Mandates and the Workforce for Children With Autism.

BACKGROUND: State mandates have required insurance companies to provide coverage for autism-related child health care services; however, it has not been determined if insurance mandates have improved the supply of child health care providers. We investigate the effect of state insurance mandates on the supply of child psychiatrists, pediatricians, and board-certified behavioral analysts (BCBAs). METHODS: We used data from the National Conference of State Legislatures and Health Resources and Services Administration’s Area Health Resource Files to examine child psychiatrists, pediatricians, and BCBAs in all 50 states from 2003 to 2017. Fixed-effects regression models compared change in workforce density before versus one year after mandate implementation and the effect of mandate generosity across 44 US states implementing mandates between 2003 and 2017. RESULTS: From 2003 to 2017, child psychiatrists increased from 7.40 to 10.03 per 100 000 children, pediatricians from 62.35 to 68.86, and BCBAs from 1.34 to 29.88. Mandate introduction was associated with an additional increase of 0.77 BCBAs per 100 000 children (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.18 to 1.42) one year after mandate enactment. Mandate introduction was also associated with a more modest increase among child psychiatrists (95% CI: 0.10 to 0.91) and was not associated with the prevalence of pediatricians (95% CI: −0.76 to 1.13). We also found evidence that more generous mandate benefits were associated with larger effects on workforce supply. CONCLUSIONS: State insurance mandates were associated with an ∼16% increase in BCBAs from 2003 to 2017, but the association with child psychiatrists was smaller and nonsignificant among pediatricians. In these findings, it is suggested that policies are needed that specifically address workforce constraints in the provision of services for children with autism spectrum disorder.
Human Trajectory Prediction Using Similarity-Based Multi-Model Fusion

Understanding pedestrian behaviors is crucial for a safe navigation of self-driving vehicles. However, pedestrians exhibit a large variety in their motion behaviors that are affected by interaction with the environment and other users of the road/sidewalk. Most of current models are limited to batch (offline) settings which requires to learn from the entire datasets. This letter presents a similarity-based model fusion algorithm, called SimFuse , for improving the prediction accuracy which enables autonomous agents to incrementally update their knowledge by communicating with other vehicles (V2V) by infrastructures (V2I). In the proposed framework, knowledge is shared in a compact form of “learned model” instead of raw data which provides a scalable sharing paradigm between agents. This work extends our prior work SILA [1] by providing multi model fusion of $n\ge 2$ models at the same time. We evaluate our algorithm in both intersection and non intersection scenarios and compare it with other baselines. The results show our algorithm outperforms state of the art in terms of Average Displacement Error at intersection scenarios and it has comparable result for non intersection scenarios with 3% improvement over SILA in ADE. The results also show that SimFuse updating time is up to 12 times faster than SILA with similar performance.
Sustainable and replicable clinical and financial outcomes in an interprofessional education and collaborative practice nexus.

Our Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice (IPECP) Nexus previously reported significant reductions in Emergency Department (ED) visits, hospitalizations, hemoglobin A1c levels, and...
The Pediatric Palliative Improvement Network: A national Healthcare Learning Collaborative.

Abstract Context and objectives Although multiple national organizations have created consensus guidelines and metrics for pediatric palliative care (PPC), standardized implementation and measurement has been challenging. In 2016, 6 PPC physician-experts in program development and quality improvement (QI) formed a healthcare learning collaborative network entitled the Pediatric Palliative Improvement Network (PPIN). Methods The primary drivers identified were 1) Feasibility of a national learning network demonstrated through the completion of one small QI project, 2) Standard education in QI methodology and 3) Salient pediatric palliative care operational, clinical and satisfaction metrics clearly defined. Results PPIN now includes146 members representing 51 organizations. In 2019 the group completed a national collaborative QI project focused on pain assessment at the time of initial consult, demonstrating a national increase in pain assessment from 75.8% to >90% over 12 months. PPIN has hosted two national QI workshops training more than 50 PPC clinicians in QI, with a 2-hour webinar provided in 2020 due to COVID. Monthly calls since 2017 provide QI methods “refreshers”, share local works in progress, and provide infrastructure for future collaborative projects. Conclusions PPIN has become a sustainable organization which improves the quality of PPC through focus on national QI methods training, successful collaborative projects, and the creation of a learning and peer support community with regular calls. With the advent of the Palliative Care Quality Collaborative in 2020, PPIN provides critical educational and organizational infrastructure to inform ongoing quality efforts in PPC, now and in the future.
T product Tensors Part II: Tail Bounds for Sums of Random T product Tensors

This paper is the Part II of a serious work about T product tensors focusing at establishing new probability bounds for sums of random, independent, T product tensors. These probability bounds characterize large deviation behavior of the extreme eigenvalue of the sums of random T product tensors. We apply Lapalace transform method and Lieb concavity theorem for T product tensors obtained from our Part I paper, and apply these tools to generalize the classical bounds associated with the names Chernoff, and Bernstein from the scalar to the T product tensor setting. Tail bounds for the norm of a sum of random rectangular T product tensors are also derived from corollaries of random Hermitian T product tensors cases. The proof mechanism is also applied to T product tensor valued martingales and T product tensor based Azuma, Hoeffding and McDiarmid inequalities are derived.
A review of musculoskeletal modelling of human locomotion

Locomotion through the environment is important because movement provides access to key resources, including food, shelter and mates. Central to many locomotion-focused questions is the need to und...
Possible Futures of Electricity Retailing

This chapter characterizes the initial conditions and policy goals that are likely to drive a region’s decision to pursue a reactive versus a forward-looking approach to adapting to the new technologies impacting electricity retailing. We divide regulatory responses to these initial conditions and policy goals into three groups: (1) adaptations that should occur in all regions, (2) those that can be delayed in regions following a reactive approach, and (3) those that should be undertaken under a forward-looking approach. Because different regions have different natural resource mixes, different electricity demands, and different energy and environmental policy goals, there is no single optimal future market or regulatory structure for electricity retailing for all regions. As discussed throughout this book, an important driver of the choice between a reactive versus a forward-looking approach is the extent of deployment of interval metering technology.
Passive Acoustic Methods for Tracking Marine Mammals Using Widely-Spaced Bottom-Mounted Hydrophones

Abstract : The long-term goal of this project is to improve passive acoustic methods for tracking marine mammals, with the primary effort dedicated to methods that use bottom-mounted hydrophones. When possible, tracking results are used to study marine mammal behavior and bioacoustics. The specific objective of the project is to develop and implement methods to deal with two specific challenges associated with tracking marine mammals using widely-spaced bottom-mounted hydrophone arrays: (1) multiple animals whose calls cannot be easily separated or associated, and (2) insufficient receiver coverage, in which case standard time-of-arrival (TOA) tracking methods fail. The project uses existing datasets to develop and apply the tracking methods. The main effort is directed toward data collected at Navy Ranges. The main species of interest are sperm whales, beaked whales, minke whales, and humpback whales. Most methods will be generalizable to other species. Although the two main tracking challenges addressed by this project (insufficient receiver coverage and multiple animals) are not exclusive of one another, initial efforts focus on isolating the problems and solving them separately. As the separate challenges are met, efforts will progress to the joint problem. Model-based tracking methods are used since they can account for depth-dependent sound speed profiles (particularly important as refraction becomes significant at long distances, such as on Navy ranges) and since they can accurately model and make use of multi-path arrivals. Methods are implemented using a Bayesian framework to incorporate available a priori information, get error estimates on position, and improve performance in uncertain and fluctuating environments. In this framework, a three-dimensional grid is created and the likelihood of an animal present is calculated for each grid point and time.
Inspection of Components Having Complex Geometries Using Laser-Based Ultrasound

Laser-based ultrasound (LBU) has a number of distinct advantages compared with conventional contact piezoelectric transducer systems. The LBU technique is noncontacting and the laser beams conform to the part surface so that couplant nonuniformities and the need for maintaining normality to, and fixed distance from, the part are eliminated. The LBU technique thus potentially allows rapid, and close to 100%, inspections of complexly contoured surfaces. Various laser techniques used to generate and receive ultrasonic waves have been reviewed by several authors [1–2]. While the generation and detection procedures employed by LBU are distinctly different from systems employing piezoelectric transducers, once ultrasound is generated by a laser, it propagates into a material and interacts with defects in precisely the same way. Thus, laser-based ultrasound can provide inspection resolution comparable to that which can be obtained using commercially available ultrasonic squirter systems, which require water coupling to the part.
Dantrolene-associated hepatic injury. Incidence and character.

Hepatic injury during long term dantrolene sodium therapy occurred in 19 of 1044 patients (1.8%) monitored for at least 60 days. Six had icteric hepatitis (0.6%) and 3 died (0.3%). After the marketing of the drug, an additional 31 cases of dantrolene-associated liver disease were available for analysis. Of these 16 had icteric hepatitis with a favorable outcome, whereas 11 died. The injury was mainly hepatocellular with a pattern of acute or subacute hepatic disease or chronic active hepatitis. Analysis of a total of 50 cases showed a 28% case fatality rate. All the fatalities occurred in patients above 30 years of age and after at least 2 months of therapy, with 57% cases exposed for at least 6 months. Eleven of the 14 fatalities occurred in females (P
How Smart are Smartphone Apps for Smoking Cessation? A Content Analysis.

Introduction Smartphone technology is ideally suited to provide tailored smoking cessation support, yet it is unclear to what extent currently existing smartphone "apps" use tailoring, and if tailoring is related to app popularity and user-rated quality. Methods We conducted a content analysis of Android smoking cessation apps (n = 225), downloaded between October 1, 2013 to May 31, 2014. We recorded app popularity (>10,000 downloads) and user-rated quality (number of stars) from Google Play, and coded the existence of tailoring features in the apps within the context of using the 5As ("ask," "advise," "assess," "assist," and "arrange follow-up"), as recommended by national clinical practice guidelines. Results Apps largely provided simplistic tools (eg, calculators, trackers), and used tailoring sparingly: on average, apps addressed 2.1 ± 0.9 of the 5As and used tailoring for 0.7 ± 0.9 of the 5As. Tailoring was positively related to app popularity and user-rated quality: apps that used two-way interactions (odds ratio [OR] = 5.56 [2.45-12.62]), proactive alerts (OR = 3.80 [1.54-9.38]), responsiveness to quit status (OR = 5.28 [2.18-12.79]), addressed more of the 5As (OR = 1.53 [1.10-2.14]), used tailoring for more As (OR = 1.67 [1.21-2.30]), and/or used more ways of tailoring 5As content (OR = 1.35 [1.13-1.62]) were more likely to be frequently downloaded. Higher star ratings were associated with a higher number of 5As addressed (b = 0.16 [0.03-0.30]), a higher number of 5As with any level of tailoring (b = 0.14 [0.01-0.27]), and a higher number of ways of tailoring 5As content (b = 0.08 [0.002-0.15]). Conclusions Publically available smartphone smoking cessation apps are not particularly "smart": they commonly fall short of providing tailored feedback, despite users' preference for these features.
Improving the Lung Cancer Resection Rate in the US Department of Veterans Affairs Health System

Abstract Background The optimal treatment for non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is surgical resection; however, most patients are ineligible because of advanced disease. Although resection rates of 25% have been reported nationally, rates in the Veterans Affairs (VA) system appear lower, perhaps because of limited access to specialized care. We hypothesized that, since the introduction of a specialized Lung Mass Clinic in 1999, the resection rate at the Birmingham VA Medical Center would be comparable with US benchmarks. We also sought to identify the medical and nonmedical factors that influenced the use of surgery. Patients and Methods We reviewed the electronic medical records of all veterans seen in the Lung Mass Clinic from 1999 to 2003 and identified patients with NSCLC. Demographics, comorbidities, diagnostic methods, times to diagnosis/resection, and postoperative survival were recorded. Reasons for nonresection were documented and tabulated, and differences between the resected and nonresected subgroups were examined. Results One hundred fifty-six patients with NSCLC were identified, and 31 (20%) underwent resection. There were no differences in age, ethnicity, or sex between those undergoing resection and those denied surgery. Patients who underwent resection were less likely to have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and had better pulmonary function. Eighty-four percent of those who did not undergo resection had advanced disease, poor pulmonary function, or had refused therapy. Although the median time to resection was longer than expected (104 days), overall survival was comparable with other reports (65% at 3 years). Conclusion Since the inception of the Lung Mass Clinic, the resection rate at Birmingham VA Medical Center has improved. The primary limitation to resection was late presentation and not preoperative delays.
A Golgi study of the early postnatal development of the visual cortex of the hooded rat

Although neuroanatomical plasticity has been demonstrated in the rat visual cortex, no systematic data on the dendritic development of the area are available. In the present study, the visual cortex of hooded rats at 1, 3, 5, 7, 10 and 15 postnatal days of age (P1-P15) was impregnated with the rapid Golgi method. The cortex was divided into the superficial layers, II-IV, and the middle layer V. At P1, pyramidal neurons had apical shafts and the beginning of the apical terminal arch. Analysis of both basilar and oblique dendritic number showed that pyramidal neurons of the middle layer developed more quickly than those in the superficial layers. The number of lower order basilar dendritic branches reached asymptote over the examined time period, whereas the higher order branches were still increasing in number but at a decelerating rate by P15. Dendrites at all ages exhibited varicosities which were especially prominent on the thin dendritic branches of the earlier ages. Some thin, filamentous processes, termed protospines, were found on dendrites and cell bodies at P1 to P5. They seemed to decrease by P7, when a few mature spines appeared. Spines increased in number on days P10 and P15. A comparison of the data from this study with quantified Golgi studies in adult rats indicates that by P10 and P15 the number of basilar branches is in the range seen in the adult.
Whole body BMC in pediatric Crohn disease: independent effects of altered growth, maturation, and body composition.

Whole body BMC was assessed in 104 children and young adults with CD and 233 healthy controls. CD was associated with significant deficits in BMC and lean mass, relative to height. Adjustment for lean mass eliminated the bone deficit in CD. Steroid exposure was associated with short stature but not bone deficits relative to height. Introduction: Children with Crohn disease (CD) have multiple risk factors for impaired bone accrual. The confounding effects of poor growth and delayed maturation limit the interpretation of prior studies of bone health in CD. The objective of this study was to assess BMC relative to growth, body composition, and maturation in CD compared with controls. Materials and Methods: Whole body BMC and lean mass were assessed by DXA in 104 CD subjects and 233 healthy controls, 4–26 years of age. Multivariable linear regression models were developed to sequentially adjust for differences in skeletal size, pubertal maturation, and muscle mass. BMC-for-height z scores were derived to determine CD-specific covariates associated with bone deficits. Results: Subjects with CD had significantly lower height z score, body mass index z score, and lean mass relative to height compared with controls (all p < 0.0001). After adjustment for group differences in age, height, and race, the ratio of BMC in CD relative to controls was significantly reduced in males (0.86; 95% CI, 0.83, 0.94) and females (0.91; 95% CI, 0.85, 0.98) with CD. Adjustment for pubertal maturation did not alter the estimate; however, addition of lean mass to the model eliminated the bone deficit. Steroid exposure was associated with short stature but not bone deficits. Conclusion: This study shows the importance of considering differences in body size and composition when interpreting DXA data in children with chronic inflammatory conditions and shows an association between deficits in muscle mass and bone in pediatric CD.
Is appendiceal CT scan overused for evaluating patients with right lower quadrant pain

Reports citing excellent sensitivity, specificity, and predictive accuracy of focused appendiceal computed tomography (CT) and showing an overall reduction in resource use and nontherapeutic laparotomies have led to increasing use of that imaging modality. Diagnostic algorithms have begun to incorporate appendiceal CT for patients presenting to the emergency department with right lower quadrant pain. We present a series of 4 cases in which use of appendiceal CT ultimately led to increased cost, resource use, and complexity in patient care. The results of these cases support an argument against unbridled use of appendiceal CT scanning and reinforce the need for clinical evaluation by the operating surgeon before routine performance of appendiceal CT scan.
Perpendicular upper critical field of granular Pb films near the superconductor-to-insulator transition.

We have measured the perpendicular upper critical field, ${\mathit{H}}_{\mathit{c}2}$(T), in ultrathin granular Pb films with normal-state sheet resistances, ${\mathit{R}}_{\mathit{N}}$, that range from 10 \ensuremath{\Omega} to 11 k\ensuremath{\Omega}. The films with the highest ${\mathit{R}}_{\mathit{N}}$ are near the threshold for the superconductor-to-insulator (S-I) transition. We compare our results to calculations for granular superconductors and obtain values for the grain size and coherence length characteristic of a single grain. In addition, we present a measurement of the ratio of the intergrain Josephson-coupling energy to the single-grain condensation energy near the S-I transition in these films. The small value of this ratio, 0.05, at ${\mathit{R}}_{\mathit{N}}$=11 k\ensuremath{\Omega} is consistent with the picture that fluctuations in the phase of the order parameter dominate the S-I transition in these films.
Interaction of oxygen vacancies with domain walls and its impact on fatigue in ferroelectric thin films

The role of oxygen vacancies in fatigue and dielectric breakdown has been a topic of intense research in ferroelectric perovskites like BaTiO_3. This paper presents a comprehensive model that treats the ferroelectrics as polarizable wide band-gap semiconductors where the oxygen vacancies act as donors. First, a fully coupled nonlinear model is developed with space charges, polarization, electric potential and elastic displacements as variables without making any a priori assumptions on the space charge distribution and the polarization. Second, a Pt/BaTiO_3/Pt structure is considered. Full-field coupled numerical simulations are used to investigate the structure of 180° and 90° domain walls in both perfect and defected crystals. The interactions of oxygen vacancies with domain walls are explored. Numerical results show that there is pronounced charge trapping near 90° domain walls, giving rise to possible domain wall pinning and dielectric breakdown. Third, a simple analytical solution of the potential profile for a metal/ferroelectric semiconductor interface is obtained and the depletion layer width is estimated. These analytical estimates agree with our numerical results and provide a useful tool to discuss the implications of our results.
The solubilization of the poorly water soluble drug nifedipine by water soluble 4-sulphonic calix[n]arenes

In this study, the solubilizing effect of 4-sulphonic calix[n]arenes on the poorly water soluble drug nifedipine was investigated. 4-Sulphonic calix[n]arenes are water-soluble phenolic cyclooligomers that form complexes with neutral molecules such as nifedipine. Solubility experiments were performed at 30 degrees C using the Higuchi rotating bottle method. The amount of nifedipine in solution was determined by HPLC. The results showed that the size of the 4-sulphonic calix[n]arenes, the pH of solubility medium, and the concentration of the calix[n]arenes all significantly changed the solubility of nifedipine. 4-Sulphonic calix[8]arene improved the solubility of nifedipine the most, about 3 times the control at 0.008 M and pH 5, followed by 4-sulphonic calix[4]arene, about 1.5 times the control at 0.008 M and pH 5, while in the presence of 4-sulphonic calix[6]arene, the solubility of nifedipine was decreased. The possible mechanisms involving in the complexation between 4-sulphonic calix[4]arenes, 4-sulphonic calix[8]arene and nifedipine may be a combination of hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic bonding, and possibly electron donor-acceptor interactions. However, the degree to which these forces promote the formation of nifedipine:4-sulphonic calix[n]arene complexes with increased solubility was limited by conformational changes in the 4-sulphonic calix[n]arene molecules.
Choosing an index for abdominal obesity: An opportunity for epidemiologic clarification

Abstract Despite numerous reports that abdominal obesity is related to disease risk, the study of body-fat distribution remains a largely empirical science. Elucidation of the pathophysiologic linkage between abdominal obesity and disease would be better served by generating hypotheses and testing them—the process of deductive science. Physiologists have proposed that adipose tissue of the intra-abdominal compartment (that drained by the portal vein) contributes strongly to atherosclerosis. If this is so, then the volume of the intra-abdominal fat depot might be better correlated with disease states than a less specific anthropometric index such as the waist-to-hip girth ratio. Alternative abdominal-obesity indices (e.g. sagittal abdominal diameter divided by thigh girth) could be tested in epidemiologic studies to improve our pathophysiologic understanding of how body-fat distribution is related to atherosclerosis and other diseases.
Progestin-releasing intrauterine systems and leiomyoma

Review of the existing published literature suggests that, in women with uterine fibroids, with or without menorrhagia, the high contraceptive efficacy of the levornorgestrel intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) remains intact. In such women, the LNG-IUS reduces menstrual blood loss and likely reduces menstrual pain. However, use of the LNG-IUS does not appear to reduce overall uterine dimensions or those of uterine fibroids. In women with uterine fibroids and menorrhagia, LNG-IUS expulsion rates may be somewhat higher than in women without fibroids. Although symptomatic relief is not guaranteed, these findings indicate that insertion of a LNG-IUS represents an appropriate therapeutic option for selected women with menstrual symptoms associated with uterine fibroids. Questions remain regarding the usefulness of routine preinsertion evaluation of the endometrial cavity as well as ultrasound-guided LNG-IUS insertion. Clinicians who candidly inform their patients regarding what we do and do not know regarding the benefits and risks of the LNG-IUS in women with fibroids should selectively make this therapy available prior to resorting to surgical therapies.
Elasticity of polymer-anchored membranes

The renormalization of the elastic constants of a polymer-anchored membrane is investigated by means of systematic Monte Carlo simulations. Our results indicate that when polymers are grafted on both sides, and are in the brush regime, the excess bending rigidity scales as N3σα (N and σ being the number of statistical segments and grafting density, respectively) with 7/3 < α < 5. When the membrane is grafted on one side only, the induced excess bending modulus depends on the bare membrane bending modulus, κ0, and approaches a value of (3/2)κ0. These results are largely in agreement with the self-consistent field theory and scaling arguments using the blob picture.
279 WATER DEPRIVATION AND WATER LOADING IN CHILDREN WITH CENTRAL DIABETES INSIPIDUS (DI) DURING THERAPY WITH l-DEAMINO-8-D ARGININE VASOPRESSIN (DDAVP)

To assess the risks of dehydration and hemodilution during potentially normal circumstances in patients treated with DDAVP, we tested 9 children aged 7 2/12 - 17 9/12 with central DI. Three patients with other hormone deficits were receiving appropriate replacement. All had been stabilized on DDAVP for 1 yr with doses varying from 5 μg b.i.d. to 15 μg am and 10 μg pm. Urine volume and osmols and serum osmols were measured hourly from 8 am to 4 pm with 1) food and fluid ad lib, 2) food and water deprivation from 12 mn, 3) water load 20 ml/kg at 8 am. In most children the unine volume and osmols were similar during the 3 days. Serum osmols hardly varied during normal fluid intake and water deprivation despite a mean 0.5 kg weight loss during the latter. However, only 26.5±9% of the water load was excreted in 8 hrs resulting in a significant (p<.001) depression of serum osmols. Despite this drop (occurring in 1 - 3 hrs) none were symptomatic. Thus DDAVP therapy results in a wide margin of safety during water deprivation and loading.
A Virtual Network Embedding Algorithm for Providing Stronger Connectivity in the Residual Networks

How to efficiently map the nodes and links in a given virtual network (VN) to those in the substrate network (SN) so that the residual substrate network (RSN) can host as many VN requests as possible is a major challenge in virtual network embedding. Most research has developed heuristic algorithms with interactive or two-stage methods. These methods, however, could cause the RSN fragmented into several disconnected components that are insufficient to host a large number of given VN requests. Without loss of generality, we assume that SNs, as the Internet, are small world and scale free, meaning that the average number of hops between any two nodes is a small constant and that most nodes have small degrees while only a small number of nodes have large degrees. Taking advantage of these two properties, we devise in this paper a new twostage VN embedding approach to improve the connectivity of the residual substrate network so that it has the capacity to host more VN requests. Our algorithm uses a greedy strategy that maps neighboring VN nodes to substrate nodes whose distances are bounded by a small constant. We also map the edge nodes of given VN, i.e., nodes with small degrees, to nodes with large degrees in the SN. We then map the links by solving shortest path problems. Our experimental evaluations show that our algorithms offer better mappings and results in significantly fewer rejections for VN requests.
Aerobic Alcohol Oxidations Catalyzed by Oxorhenium Complexes Containing Redox-Active Ligands

The capacity of five-coordinate oxorhenium(V) anions with redox-active catecholate ligands to homolyze O2 and afford dioxorhenium(VII) products is utilized for the development of new aerobic alcohol oxidation catalysts. The reaction of [ReVII(O)2(cat)2]– with benzyl alcohol (BnOH) affords the expected products of net H2 transfer: [ReV(O)(cat)2]–, benzaldehyde, and presumably H2O. However, mechanistic studies reveal that the formation of the active oxidant requires both the dioxo and monooxo species, so BnOH oxidation by[ReVII(O)2(cat)2]– exhibits an unexpected catalytic dependence on [ReV(O)(cat)2]–. Attempts to oxidize more thermodynamically challenging primary alcohols, which include CH3OH, using the [ReVII(O)2(cat)2]– + [ReV(O)(cat)2]– system did not yield aldehyde products. However, experiments performed in CH3OH allowed the observation of a catalytically active intermediate species, which provides an insight into the mechanism of catalytic action and catalyst degradation. Based on these observations, complexes that contain a more oxidatively robust [Br4cat]2– ligand were shown to exhibit higher catalytic activity as measured by total turnover number. The requirement for a redox-active ligand for catalyst function has both benefits and limitations that are discussed in the context of aerobic alcohol oxidation catalysis.
Velocity autocorrelation functions in classical fluids

Abstract A self-consistent iteration scheme has been used to calculate velocity autocorrelation functions in classical fluids. For this calculation it is not necessary to introduce any adjustable parameters. The calculation also bypasses the necessity for a detailed knowledge about the many-body hamiltonian. Results are in good with computer experiments on liquid argon.
Superolateral Hoffa's Fat Pad Edema: Association With Patellofemoral Maltracking and Impingement

OBJECTIVE. Nonelderly patients presenting with knee pain often have patellofemoral maltracking or impingement abnormalities. There is a relative paucity of literature on the incidence and significance of impingement-related edema of the superolateral aspect of Hoffa's (infrapatellar) fat pad in these cases. Our study was designed to systematically evaluate the correlation of superolateral Hoffa's fat pad edema with various anatomic parameters of trochlear morphology and patellar alignment.MATERIALS AND METHODS. We evaluated 50 knee MRI examinations in 47 patients for the presence of edema in superolateral Hoffa's fat pad and associated anatomic abnormalities of the patellofemoral joint.RESULTS. Of the 50 examinations, 25 (50%) showed superolateral Hoffa's fat pad edema, and statistically significant differences were seen between those with and without edema with respect to sex (6/22 men vs 19/28 women) and patellar tendon patellar–length ratio (1.3 ± 0.16 and 1.1 ± 0.12 for those with and without edema, r...
Predation of schistosomiasis vector snails by ostracoda (crustacea)

An ostracod species of Cypretta is an effective predator in laboratory experiments on 1- to 3-day-old Biomphalaria glabrata, a vector snail of the blood fluke that causes the tropical and subtropical disease schistosomiasis.
Serotonin1 and serotonin2 receptors hyperpolarize and depolarize separate populations of medial pontine reticular formation neurons in vitro.

Abstract The action of serotonin on medial pontine reticular formation neurons was examined using intracellular electrophysiological methods in rat brainstem slices in vitro. A hyperpolarization associated with a decrease in input resistance was elicited by serotonin in 34% of the neurons, and a depolarization associated with an increase in input resistance was produced in 56% of the neurons. Both responses persisted in the presence of tetrodotoxin. The hyperpolarization resulted from a steady-state increase in outward current which varied with the external potassium concentration in a manner consistent with a conductance increase primarily to this ion. This response was mimicked by the serotonin1 agonist, 5-carboxamidotryptamine, as well as by the serotonin1a agonist, 8-hydroxy-dipropyl aminotetralin hydrobromide, and was blocked by spiperone, an antagonist of serotonin, sites. The depolarization resulted from a steady-state decrease in outward current which varied with external potassium. The depolarization was mimicked by the serotonin2 agonist, α-methyl-5-hydroxytryptamine, and was blocked by the serotonin2 antagonist, ketanserin. Neither of these agents had any effect upon serotonin-induced hyperpolarizations. In conclusion, the excitability of medial pontine reticular formation neurons is influenced by serotonin acting to increase or decrease potassium conductance(s). These opposing effects reflect actions on distinct serotonin receptor subtypes that are segregated to distinct populations of medial pontine reticular formation neurons.
Production of an exopolysaccharide-containing whey protein concentrate by fermentation of whey

Using whey as a fermentation medium presents the opportunity to create value-added products. Conditions were developed to partially hydrolyze whey proteins and then ferment partially hydrolyzed whey with Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus RR (RR; an EPS-producing bacterium). In preliminary experiments, pasteurized Cheddar cheese whey was treated with Flavourzyme to partially hydrolyze the protein (2 to 13% hydrolyzed). Fermentation (2 L, 38 degrees C, pH 5.0) with RR resulted in EPS levels ranging from 95 to 110 mg of EPS per liter of hydrolyzed whey. There were no significant differences in the amount of EPS produced during fermentations of whey hydrolyzed to varying degrees. Since a high level of hydrolysis was not necessary for increased EPS production, a low level of hydrolysis (2 to 4%) was selected for future work. In scale up experiments, whey was separated and pasteurized, then treated with Flavourzyme to hydrolyze 2 to 4% of the protein. Following protease inactivation, 60 L of partially hydrolyzed whey was fermented at 38 degrees C and pH 5.0. After fermentation, the broth was pasteurized, and bacterial cells were removed using a Sharples continuous centrifuge. The whey was then ultrafiltered and diafiltered to remove lactose and salts, freeze-dried, and milled to a powder. Unfermented hydrolyzed and unhydrolyzed whey controls were processed in the same manner. The EPS-WPC ingredients contained approximately 72% protein and 6% EPS, but they exhibited low protein solubility (65%, pH 7.0; 58%, pH 3.0).
TiN and TiC coating on cemented carbides by ion plating

Abstract The ion plating process was employed in this study for the coating of cemented carbide inserts with a layer of TiN or TiC about 5 μm thick in order to make a comparison with the chemical vapor deposition process employed at Sumitomo Electric Industries. The study demonstrates that the wear resistance of carbides coated by ion plating is similar to that of carbides coated by chemical vapor deposition. However, the toughness obtained by ion plating is superior to that of chemically vapor-deposited coatings.
Using magnetoencephalography to study patterns of brain magnetic activity in Alzheimer's disease.

The use of magnetoencephalography to study neurophysiologic abnormalities associated with Alzheimer’s disease is reviewed. The most consistent observation is that Alzheimer’s disease patients exhibit an increase in focal slow-wave activity that covaried with cognitive performance. It is still unclear whether generation of focal slow-wave activity precedes or is a consequence of Alzheimer’s disease-related neuropathology. Also reviewed is the use of magnetoencephalography to identify early functional changes preceding the diagnosis of dementia. Magnetoencephalography detected neurophysiologic abnormalities associated with cognitive deficits before the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment. This is supported by evidence presented suggesting that some patients with subjective cognitive complaints, without evidence of dementia, show an increase in focal slow-wave generators. Further research is needed to determine whether the outstanding spatial and temporal resolution of the magnetoencephalography technique...
Cleavage of Cyclodimethylsiloxanes by Dialkylaluminum Hydrides and the Nature of the Siloxyaluminum Products

The interaction of R2AlH with cyclic siloxanes leads to rupture of the silicon−oxygen framework and yields aluminum polysiloxides. The room-temperature reaction of R2AlH with (Me2SiO)3 yields the a...