cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pretreatment Brain States Identify Likely Nonresponse to Standard Treatments for Depression

Background Treatment approaches for major depressive disorder (MDD) result in approximately one third of patients achieving remission after a first treatment. Added treatment generally improves remission rates, but approximately one third of all patients fail to respond after several treatments (sequential monotherapies or combined treatment). A pretreatment biomarker could help identify these patients. Overactivity of the subcallosal cingulate has been associated with failure of response to treatment in MDD, and it is a potential candidate for such a biomarker. Methods Investigators enrolled 82 patients with MDD currently not receiving treatment in a two-phase treatment study. Patients underwent a fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography scan. After scanning, patients were randomly assigned to 12 weeks of treatment with either escitalopram or cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Patients not achieving remission after 12 weeks of initial treatment were treated with an additional 12 weeks of escitalopram plus CBT. Subcallosal cingulate metabolism was compared between patients who failed to achieve a response and patients who achieved remission as a result of either phase one or phase two treatment. This analysis was followed by a whole-brain analysis making the same comparison. Results After two phases of treatment (24 weeks), 36 patients were identified as remitters, 6 patients were responders, and 9 patients were nonresponders. Subcallosal cingulate metabolism was significantly higher in nonresponders than remitters. In the follow-up whole-brain analysis, increased superior temporal sulcus activity was also associated with nonresponse to two treatments. Conclusions Patients with MDD who fail to achieve remission as a result of CBT or escitalopram, either alone or in combination, have a distinct brain metabolic pattern compared with patients who achieve remission as a result of CBT, escitalopram, or their combination.
Can't see the wood...?

Abstract Forest Products Biotechnology edited by Alan Bruce and John W. Palfreyman, Taylor & Francis, 1998. UK£49.95 hbk (xi+326 pages) ISBN 0 74840 415 5
Salinity limits of vegetation in Cienega de Santa Clara, an oligotrophic marsh in the delta of the Colorado River, Mexico: Implications for an increase in salinity

Abstract Greenhouse and field trials were conducted to determine the salinity limits for main vegetation types in Cienega de Santa Clara, an oligohaline marsh in the delta of the Colorado River in Mexico. The Cienega is the largest brackish marsh in the Sonoran Desert and supports numerous bird, mammal and invertebrate species, including threatened or endangered marsh birds. It is supported by brackish agricultural return flows from the USA and Mexico, and operation of the Yuma Desalting Plant (YDP) could reduce the volume and increase the salinity of inflows. Current inflows average 4 m 3 s −1 at 2.8 g L −1 Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), and the dominant vegetation type is Typha domingensis , with subdominant stands of Schoenoplectus americanus and other emergent species distributed amidst the Typha stands. A greenhouse experiment showed that under flooded-soil conditions, T. domingensis had a linear reduction in relative growth rate based on biomass production (RGR Biomass ) with salinity, with zero RGR Biomass at 8.3 g L −1 TDS and a 50% reduction at 4.0 g L −1 TDS. S. americanus was about twice as salt-tolerant, with zero RGR Biomass at 12.5 g L −1 TDS and 50% RGR Biomass at 9 g L −1 TDS. The results are consistent with other studies that show a mean reduction in RGR Biomass of 13.3% per g L −1 TDS for Typha spp. and 4.3% per g L −1 TDS for Schoenoplectus spp. Field surveys showed that T. domingensis stands were restricted to salinities of 6.5 g L −1 TDS or less, and that annual biomass production was reduced by 85% in a stand at 5.9 g L −1 TDS compared to a stand at 3.0 g L −1 TDS. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values of T. domingensis stands from satellite imagery showed a linear decline with increasing salinity in the marsh. It was concluded that 6 g L −1 TDS is the approximate upper limit for vigorous stands of T. domingensis , and that replacement by S. americanus is a possibility if salinities increase. Implications for marsh vegetation structure and habitat value are discussed under different possible operating scenarios for the YDP.
Learning Stylistic Desires and Generating Preferred Designs of Consumers Using Neural Networks and Genetic Algorithms

Consumers have different ideas of what makes a design stylish. Some consumers may want a sporty looking car, while others may want a rugged looking or a fuel-efficient looking car. Can computers learn what it means to satisfy those style-based goals and use this knowledge to generate designs that target style-based goals in design? An experiment was conducted where participants were asked to rate computer generated car profiles for sportiness, ruggedness, beauty, and fuel efficiency. This survey data is used as an indicator of consumer stylistic form preferences, and was used to train Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) for each of the four rating categories. The resulting ANNs were then inverted using a Genetic Algorithm (GA) in order to generate new designs that elicit targeted style goals from consumers.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Study on Strategic Choice Timing Decision Model of Industry Conversion Enterprises

The nonreversibility of strategic investment and nondeterminacy of information acquired from inner and outer environment put importance on the strategic choice timing. Whether the conversion timing is chosen correctly or not has become one of the key factors influencing the conversion performance. At first, this paper analyzes the influencing factors and random characters of strategic choice timing, and establishes the theoretic existence of optimal time through real option approach. And then the general principle of conversion timing choice is systematically put forward for enterprise's sustainable development, and either the optimal exit time of current main business or investment time of potential main business is determined. At last, by comparative static analysis, it is further discussed that the change of organizational adaptation involving firm's opportunity identification ability, operational capability, investment ability and assets' complementary ability have an effect on the strategic choice timing.
Anisotropy in oxidation of zirconium surfaces from density functional theory calculations

Abstract This work uses density functional theory calculations to analyze the energy barriers for oxygen migration into the basal and prismatic surfaces of zirconium. Specifically, the migration energy barriers between each octahedral site and tetrahedral site in the basal surface, prism surface, and the bulk are determined. The possible oxygen migration paths in each system are also analyzed. Oxygen has higher energy barriers to penetrating the basal surface than the prism surface. It also has a lower energy barrier to escape from basal surface than from the prism surface. This is consistent with the experimental observation that the prism plane of zirconium oxidizes more quickly than the basal plane.
Landscaping pebbles attract nesting by the native ground-nesting bee Halictus rubicundus (Hymenoptera: Halictidae)

Most species of bees nest underground. Recent interest in pollinator-friendly gardens and landscaping focuses on planting suitable flowering species for bees, but we know little about providing for the ground-nesting needs of bees other than leaving them bare dirt surfaces. In this study, a surface layer of decorative flat stream pebbles was experimentally deployed in 24 paired subplots amid a nesting aggregation of the bee Halictus rubicundus. Over 2 years, females consistently preferred to nest amid the pebbles rather than adjacent bare dirt. Species of Halictus and their relatives (Lasioglossum, Dialictus) are widespread native floral generalists found in many urban areas of the northern hemisphere. Discovery of this practical soil nesting enhancement for H. rubicundus offers an aesthetically acceptable landscaping technique to promote these bees’ nesting, particularly where pollinator gardens and bee-friendly landscaping is already being provided.
Total and ester sulfate sulfur in leaf-blades and petioles of the yellow water-lily, Nuphar advena

Abstract The total and ester sulfate sulfur content was measured for living and decomposing leaf-blades and petioles of the yellow water-lily, Nuphar advena Ait. Total sulfur in leaf and petiole samples is 232 and 122 μmoles S g −1 dry wt., respectively. Ester sulfate sulfur is 48 and 39 μmoles S g −1 dry wt. in leaf-blades and petioles respectively. Studies of the sulfur content of decomposing leaf and petiole tissues show that both total and ester sulfate are degraded but that the degradation of sulfur-containing compounds is in general slower than that of other organic compounds. Our measurements of total and ester sulfate sulfur also reveal the potential significance of macrophyte sulfur to the quantitative and qualitative nature of sulfur in fossil fuels.
Inhibitors of sterol synthesis. Studies of the metabolism of 5α-cholest-8(14)-en-3β-ol-15-one in Chinese hamster ovary cells and its effects on activities of early enzymes in cholesterol biosynthesis

Abstract The metabolism of [2,4- 3 ]5α-cholest-8(14)-en-3β-ol-15-one (I) has been studied in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-K1) cells which were maintained in a lipid-deficient medium. The incorporaton of I into the cells was linear with respect to sterol concentration in the medium over the ranges of concentrations studied and was more than 3.5 times that of the uptake of cholesterol. The results of detailed chromatographic analyses of the lipids recovered from the cells after 6 h of incubation with [2,4- 3 H]I (0.5 μM or 6.0 μM) indicated that most of the 3 H was associated with free I. Considerably lesser amounts of the 3 H was associated with esters of I. No formation of [ 3 H]cholesterol or [ 3 H]cholesteryl esters (or other C 27 monohydroxysterols) from labeled I was observed. The labeled material with the chromatographic behavior of the esters of I gave, after mild alkaline hydrolysis, the free 15-ketosterol which was characterized by the results of chromatographic and cocrystallization studies. Upon transfer of the CHO-K1 cells from a culture medium containing 8% newborn calf serum to the same medium containing 8% lipid-deficient newborn calf serum, increases in the levels of activity of cytosolic acetoacetyl-CoA thiolaseand 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) synthase and of HMG-CoA reductase were observed. These increases were blocked by the addition of I at a concentration of 1.0 μM. I (1.0 μM) also caused a decrease in the levels of activity of the three enzymes in cells previously grown in medium containing lipid-deficient serum. These results demonstrate that I not only affects the enzymatic reduction of HMG-CoA but also the enzymatic formation of this key intermediate in cholesterol biosynthesis.
Initiation versus Execution Time During Manual and Oral Counting by Stutterers

Severe stutterers were found to be significantly slower than control subjects in performing a speech counting task that was judged to be fluent and in silently counting on their fingers. For both c...
Marginal bands in nucleated erythrocytes

Marginal bands from erythrocytes of several non-mammalian vertebrates were studied by light and electron microscopy. Cells were observed in thin sections after various fixing procedures and in wholemount preparations. Isolated marginal bands were prepared by air drying and freeze drying. The marginal bands are composed of tubular elements which vary in diameter from 200 A to 500 A, depending on the preparation method. It is suggested that these tubules are part of a general class of microtubules, and that the real diameters of microtubules are approximately twice those observed in fixed and sectioned material.
Genetic Fusions of a CFA/I/II/IV MEFA (Multiepitope Fusion Antigen) and a Toxoid Fusion of Heat-Stable Toxin (STa) and Heat-Labile Toxin (LT) of Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) Retain Broad Anti-CFA and Antitoxin Antigenicity

Immunological heterogeneity has long been the major challenge in developing broadly effective vaccines to protect humans and animals against bacterial and viral infections. Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) strains, the leading bacterial cause of diarrhea in humans, express at least 23 immunologically different colonization factor antigens (CFAs) and two distinct enterotoxins [heat-labile toxin (LT) and heat-stable toxin type Ib (STa or hSTa)]. ETEC strains expressing any one or two CFAs and either toxin cause diarrhea, therefore vaccines inducing broad immunity against a majority of CFAs, if not all, and both toxins are expected to be effective against ETEC. In this study, we applied the multiepitope fusion antigen (MEFA) strategy to construct ETEC antigens and examined antigens for broad anti-CFA and antitoxin immunogenicity. CFA MEFA CFA/I/II/IV [CVI 2014, 21(2):243-9], which carried epitopes of seven CFAs [CFA/I, CFA/II (CS1, CS2, CS3), CFA/IV (CS4, CS5, CS6)] expressed by the most prevalent and virulent ETEC strains, was genetically fused to LT-STa toxoid fusion monomer 3xSTaA14Q-dmLT or 3xSTaN12S-dmLT [IAI 2014, 82(5):1823-32] for CFA/I/II/IV-STaA14Q-dmLT and CFA/I/II/IV-STaN12S-dmLT MEFAs. Mice intraperitoneally immunized with either CFA/I/II/IV-STa-toxoid-dmLT MEFA developed antibodies specific to seven CFAs and both toxins, at levels equivalent or comparable to those induced from co-administration of the CFA/I/II/IV MEFA and toxoid fusion 3xSTaN12S-dmLT. Moreover, induced antibodies showed in vitro adherence inhibition activities against ETEC or E. coli strains expressing these seven CFAs and neutralization activities against both toxins. These results indicated CFA/I/II/IV-STa-toxoid-dmLT MEFA or CFA/I/II/IV MEFA combined with 3xSTaN12S-dmLT induced broadly protective anti-CFA and antitoxin immunity, and suggested their potential application in broadly effective ETEC vaccine development. This MEFA strategy may be generally used in multivalent vaccine development.
Tactile discrimination following analgesia-producing brainstem stimulation in the rat

Female albino rats were trained on a standard tactile discrimination and implanted with subcutaneous heating coils and stimulating electrodes aimed at analgesia-producing sites in brainstem. The effectiveness of brainstem stimulation in producing analgesia was assessed by measuring increase in latency of face wiping elicited by heating the subcutaneous coils about 30 sec after brain stimulation. Stimulation was then introduced 15 sec before or at the start of one of the six daily massed tactile discrimination trials. Errors and response latencies on the test discrimination trials were compared with errors and latencies on the immediately preceding and subsequent trials. Eight rats increased latency of face wiping and had electrodes in dorsal periaqueductal gray (PAG). Their performance on the tactile discrimination was disrupted on trials immediately following stimulation. Four other rats also showed increased face-wiping latencies but had electrodes outside dorsal PAG. Their discrimination performance was less consistently affected by brain stimulation. The remaining seven rats did not show increased face-wiping latencies. Their electrodes were also outside dorsal PAG, and they showed latency increases only when stimulation occurred at the start of test trials. These data indicate that analgesia-producing brainstem stimulation can affect performance on a tactile discrimination task as well as on the reaction to noxious stimulation.
Patterned orocutaneous therapy improves sucking and oral feeding in preterm infants

Aim: To determine whether NTrainer patterned orocutaneous therapy affects preterm infants' non-nutritive suck and/or oral feeding success. Subjects: Thirty-one preterm infants (mean gestational age 29.3 weeks) who demonstrated minimal non-nutritive suck output and delayed transition to oral feeds at 34 weeks post-menstrual age. Intervention: NTrainer treatment was provided to 21 infants. The NTrainer promotes non-nutritive suck output by providing patterned orocutaneous stimulation through a silicone pacifier that mimics the temporal organization of suck. Method: Infants' non-nutritive suck pressure signals were digitized in the NICU before and after NTrainer therapy and compared to matched controls. Non-nutritive suck motor pattern stability was calculated based on infants' time- and amplitude-normalized digital suck pressure signals, producing a single value termed the Non-Nutritive Suck Spatiotemporal Index. Percent oral feeding was the other outcome of interest, and revealed the NTrainer's ability to advance the infant from gavage to oral feeding. Results: Multilevel regression analyses revealed that treated infants manifest a disproportionate increase in suck pattern stability and percent oral feeding, beyond that attributed to maturational effects alone. Conclusion: The NTrainer patterned orocutaneous therapy effectively accelerates non-nutritive suck development and oral feeding success in preterm infants who are at risk for oromotor dysfunction.
Insulin biosynthesis: the IREny of it all.

Recent studies have shown that the unfolded protein response (UPR) is essential for the survival of insulin-producing β cells. Work in this issue of Cell Metabolism (Lipson et al., 2006) identifies a novel role for UPR activation in β cell function by demonstrating that the UPR effector IRE1 is a positive regulator of glucose-stimulated proinsulin biosynthesis.
The Emergence of a Scientific Culture

Stephen Gaukroger: The Emergence of a Scientific Culture: Science and the Shaping of Modernity 1210–1685 (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 2007) xx + 563 pp. £35.00 ISBN 0-19-929644-8 Stephen Gaukroger's p...
Channelized hotelling and human observer study of optimal smoothing in SPECT MAP reconstruction

We compared the performance of a channelized Hotelling observer (CHO) to that of human observers to determine an optimal smoothing parameter /spl beta/ for an SKE/BKE detection task in a SPECT MAP (maximum a posteriori) reconstruction. The study is motivated in part by the recent development of theoretical methods that can rapidly predict CHO signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) for MAP reconstructions. We found that a CHO not adjusted for internal noise effects was less predictive of the optimal smoothing parameters than one that used human observer data to tune the CHO for internal noise. We used a three-channel, square profile, radially symmetric channel structure, and, for internal noise, a method that altered the diagonal elements of the channel covariance matrix. The human observer study for two different signals A and B showed that /spl beta/ in the range 0.5-10.0 produced high detectability as measured by high d/sub A//sup 2/, while the CHO without internal noise showed high SNR/sup 2/ for /spl beta/ in the wider range 0.01-10.0. The CHO at location A was modified by internal noise utilizing human data at A, so that the d/sub A//sup 2/ and SNR/sup 2/ overlapped well, but when these internal noise parameters from A were applied at B, the curves did not overlap well. Nevertheless, both modified CHOs predicted a /spl beta/ range in accord with human data. We conclude that CHOs may need some way of incorporating internal noise without having to conduct a human study in the first place to determine internal noise parameters.
Volume visualization in cell biology

The authors discuss the special properties of volumetric cell data (e.g., noise, discontinuity, raggedness) and the particular difficulties encountered when trying to visualize them in three dimensions. The authors describe some of the solutions adopted, specifically in surface discrimination and shading. Nerve cells (neuroblastoma) grown in tissue culture were selected as the biological preparation because these cells possess very rich actin structures. The cells were stained with a fluorescent probe specific for actin (rhodamine-phalloidin) and were viewed and optically sectioned using the Bio-Rad MRC 600 confocal fluorescence microscope. The slice dataset was then reconstructed and processed in the BioCube environment, a comprehensive system developed for volume visualization of cellular structures. The actin cytoskeleton of single cells was visualized and manipulated using this system. >
Changes in the timing of snowmelt and streamflow in Colorado: a response to recent warming

Abstract Trends in the timing of snowmelt and associated runoff in Colorado were evaluated for the 1978–2007 water years using the regional Kendall test (RKT) on daily snow-water equivalent (SWE) data from snowpack telemetry (SNOTEL) sites and daily streamflow data from headwater streams. The RKT is a robust, nonparametric test that provides an increased power of trend detection by grouping data from multiple sites within a given geographic region. The RKT analyses indicated strong, pervasive trends in snowmelt and streamflow timing, which have shifted toward earlier in the year by a median of 2–3 weeks over the 29-yr study period. In contrast, relatively few statistically significant trends were detected using simple linear regression. RKT analyses also indicated that November–May air temperatures increased by a median of 0.9°C decade−1, while 1 April SWE and maximum SWE declined by a median of 4.1 and 3.6 cm decade−1, respectively. Multiple linear regression models were created, using monthly air temper...
Comment on A. Agarwal and S. Haney, “Some Critical Materials and Processing Issues in SiC Power Devices” [J. Electron. Mater. 37, 646 (2008)]

Agarwal and Haney [J. Electron. Mater. 37, 646 (2008)] have recently suggested that bulk defects may limit the inversion-layer mobility in SiC metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors. However, we believe that the physics of charge trapping and Coulomb scattering by bulk traps quantitatively contradicts this model.
The weighted histogram analysis method for free-energy calculations on biomolecules. I: The method

The Weighted Histogram Analysis Method (WHAM), an extension of Ferrenberg and Swendsen's Multiple Histogram Technique, has been applied for the first time on complex biomolecular Hamiltonians. The method is presented here as an extension of the Umbrella Sampling method for free-energy and Potential of Mean Force calculations. This algorithm possesses the following advantages over methods that are currently employed: (1) It provides a built-in estimate of sampling errors thereby yielding objective estimates of the optimal location and length of additional simulations needed to achieve a desired level of precision; (2) it yields the “best” value of free energies by taking into account all the simulations so as to minimize the statistical errors; (3) in addition to optimizing the links between simulations, it also allows multiple overlaps of probability distributions for obtaining better estimates of the free-energy differences. By recasting the Ferrenberg–Swendsen Multiple Histogram equations in a form suitable for molecular mechanics type Hamiltonians, we have demonstrated the feasibility and robustness of this method by applying it to a test problem of the generation of the Potential of Mean Force profile of the pseudorotation phase angle of the sugar ring in deoxyadenosine. © 1992 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Modeling vegetation heights from high resolution stereo aerial photography: an application for broad-scale rangeland monitoring

Vertical vegetation structure in rangeland ecosystems can be a valuable indicator for assessing rangeland health and monitoring riparian areas, post-fire recovery, available forage for livestock, and wildlife habitat. Federal land management agencies are directed to monitor and manage rangelands at landscapes scales, but traditional field methods for measuring vegetation heights are often too costly and time consuming to apply at these broad scales. Most emerging remote sensing techniques capable of measuring surface and vegetation height (e.g., LiDAR or synthetic aperture radar) are often too expensive, and require specialized sensors. An alternative remote sensing approach that is potentially more practical for managers is to measure vegetation heights from digital stereo aerial photographs. As aerial photography is already commonly used for rangeland monitoring, acquiring it in stereo enables three-dimensional modeling and estimation of vegetation height. The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility and accuracy of estimating shrub heights from high-resolution (HR, 3-cm ground sampling distance) digital stereo-pair aerial images. Overlapping HR imagery was taken in March 2009 near Lake Mead, Nevada and 5-cm resolution digital surface models (DSMs) were created by photogrammetric methods (aerial triangulation, digital image matching) for twenty-six test plots. We compared the heights of individual shrubs and plot averages derived from the DSMs to field measurements. We found strong positive correlations between field and image measurements for several metrics. Individual shrub heights tended to be underestimated in the imagery, however, accuracy was higher for dense, compact shrubs compared with shrubs with thin branches. Plot averages of shrub height from DSMs were also strongly correlated to field measurements but consistently underestimated. Grasses and forbs were generally too small to be detected with the resolution of the DSMs. Estimates of vertical structure will be more accurate in plots having low herbaceous cover and high amounts of dense shrubs. Through the use of statistically derived correction factors or choosing field methods that better correlate with the imagery, vegetation heights from HR DSMs could be a valuable technique for broad-scale rangeland monitoring needs.
Cause and Effect: The Anticipatory Drive and the Principle of Least Time

Open peer commentary on the target article “How and Why the Brain Lays the Foundations for a Conscious Self” by Martin V. Butz. Excerpt: Butz proposes an anticipatory drive that is postulated …
Randomized clinical trial of implant-supported ceramic-ceramic and metal-ceramic fixed dental prostheses: preliminary results.

Purpose The aim of this study was to determine the survival rates over time of implant-supported ceramic-ceramic and metal-ceramic prostheses as a function of core-veneer thickness ratio, gingival connector embrasure design, and connector height.
Circulator boot therapy alters the natural history of ischemic limb ulceration.

Despite numerous advances in interventional radiology and vascular surgery, the clin- ician continues to be confronted with inoperable vascular disease. Previous studies have shown that ulceration associated with a transcutaneous oxygen pressure (tcPO2 )o f,20 mmHg is refractory to all attempts at healing. External pneumatic compression for the treatment of pe- ripheral vascular disease has been available for several years, although there is a relative pau- city of data regarding its role in clinical practice as well as its efficacy. The objective of this study was to examine the experience with circulator boot therapy in the treatment of ischemic ulcers in the absence of osteomyelitis, and specifically to determine whether such therapy can be of benefit in ischemic limb ulceration associated with a tcPO2 of ,20 mmHg. A retrospective chart review was undertaken of all patients with a lower limb ulcer who, in the absence of osteomyelitis, underwent circulator boot therapy at the Gonda Vascular Center. A total of 98 patients was identified. Two patients died within 1 month of commencing therapy and were not included in further analysis. The tcPO2 data were unavailable in five patients. Outcome in the patient population was classified as favorable if (1) healing was achieved, (2) the ulcer decreased in size, or (3) the affected limb improved sufficiently to allow successful revasculariz- ation. An unfavorable outcome was one where a major amputation was performed or where the ulcer increased in size. Out of a total of 29 patients with a tcPO2 ,20 mmHg at the area of ulceration, 19 had a favorable outcome following circulator boot therapy. Of the remaining 62 patients with a tcPO2 .20 mmHg, 54 had a favorable outcome. Circulator boot therapy is asso- ciated with improved outcomes in limb ulceration due to peripheral vascular disease. Complete ulcer healing as well as preservation of the affected limb can be achieved in most cases.
Shadow on the White House : presidents and the Vietnam War, 1945-1975

Harry Truman's administration began searching for an American response to the clash in Indochina between French colonialism and Vietminh communism in 1945. 30 years and five administrations later, Gerald Ford and his aides tried unsuccessfully to solicit additional aid for South Vietnam from a reluctant Congress. For Truman, Ford and every American leader in between, the dilemma in Vietnam hung ominously over the presidency. In ""Shadow on the White House"", seven historians examine how the leadership of six presidents and an issue that grew into a difficult and often unpopular war shaped each other. Focusing on the personalities, politics, priorities and actions of the presidents as they confronted Vietnam, the authors consider the expansion of presidential power in foreign-policy formulation since World War II. In their analyses, they chronicle the history of executive leadership as it related to Vietnam, assess the presidential prerogatives and motives on war and peace issues, and clarify the interconnection between the modern presidency and the nation's frustrating and humiliating failure in Southeast Asia. Although other histories have been written about the Vietnam experience, this book is a systematic and comparative survey on presidential leadership as it relates to the war issue. It is organised by presidential administrations, giving a detailed examination of each president's decisions and policies. Based on the most recently opened archival sources, the essays provide a framework on which to hang the events of the war.
Systolic flutter of the mitral valve

Abstract Systolic flutter of the mitral valve was observed in 11 cases during the past 3-12years. All patients had mitral regurgitation due to mitral valve prolapse or flail leaflets, and nine of the 11 (82 per cent) had prior or concurrent bacterial endocarditis. Systolic flutter is uncommon in the absence of endocarditis and was observed in only two of 15 patients (13 per cent) with proven chordae tendineae or papillary muscle rupture without historical and pathological evidence of infection involving the mitral valve. Systolic flutter was also not seen in a large number of patients with mitral regurgitation due to other causes. It is postulated that the regurgitant jet of blood across the edge of a structurally abnormal but flexible mitral leaflet is important for the development of flutter.
VARIATION IN MALE AND FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS AMONG FLORAL MORPHS IN THE TRISTYLOUS PLANT LYTHRUM SALICARIA (LYTHRACEAE)

The purpose of this study was to assess variation in male and female reproductive success among the three morphs of the tristylous plant, Lythrum salicaria. Fluorescent dyes were used as pollen analogs to determine whether morphs differ in their abilities to donate and receive pollen, and actual and potential seed set was measured with a hand pollination experiment. Dye transfer among morphs was highly asymmetric, with more frequent transfer from the short-styled morph to the longand mid-styled morphs. This suggests that shorts are performing better at pollen donation and longs and mids are performing better at pollen receipt. All flowers on 95 plants were hand pollinated to test whether female reproductive success is more pollen-limited in the short-styled morph than in other morphs. Hand-pollinated short-styled plants had significantly higher total seed mass and more seeds per capsule than short controls, whereas hand pollination failed to increase seed set in long and mid morphs. As predicted, short-styled morphs showed significant pollen limitation, whereas seed set in longand midstyled morphs was not pollen-limited. Thus, in Lythrum salicaria asymmetrical pollen flow generates morph-specific differences in male and female fitness.
Research note: The impact of incentives and three forms of postage on mail survey response rates

Abstract Mail surveys are an important methodological tool for collecting data for leisure research. Researchers have looked at numerous issues involving mail surveys (e.g., the impact of nonresponse bias and of various elements of the mail survey process on response rates). This study involved an experimental design to test the efficacy of two components of the mail survey process, different types of postage and the use of incentives, to determine their impact on the overall response rate. The manipulation of these two components has proved effective in other types of studies, but with mixed results. The present study used a 3 × 2 factorial design, controlling for three types of postage and the inclusion or exclusion of an incentive. The results indicate the use of incentives did make a positive contribution to the overall response rate, and the use of various types of postage was mixed and not in the expected direction.
Improved predictions of lead free solder joint reliability that include aging effects

It has been demonstrated that isothermal aging leads to large reductions (up to 50%) in several key material properties for lead free solders including stiffness (modulus), yield stress, ultimate strength, and strain to failure. In addition, even more dramatic evolution has been observed in the creep response of aged solders, where up to 10,000X increases have been observed in the steady state (secondary) creep strain rate (creep compliance). Such degradations in the stiffness, strength, and creep compliance of the solder material are expected to be universally detrimental to reliability of solder joints in electronic assemblies. Traditional finite element based predictions for solder joint reliability during thermal cycling accelerated life testing are based on solder constitutive equations (e.g. Anand viscoplastic model) and failure models (e.g. energy dissipation per cycle models) that do not evolve with material aging. Thus, there will be significant errors in the calculations with lead free SAC alloys that illustrate dramatic aging phenomena. In our current research, we are developing new reliability prediction procedures that utilize constitutive relations and failure criteria that incorporate aging effects, and then validating the new approaches through correlation with thermal cycling accelerated life testing experimental data. In this paper, we report on the first step of that development, namely the establishment of a revised set of Anand viscoplastic stress-strain relations for solder that include material parameters that evolve with the thermal history of the solder material. The effects of aging on the nine Anand model parameters have been examined by performing stressstrain tests on SAC305 samples that were aged for various durations (0–6 months) at a temperature of 100 C. For each aging time, stress-strain data were measured at three strain rates (0.001, 0.0001, and 0.00001 1/sec) and five temperatures (25, 50, 75, 100, and 125 C). Using the measured stress-strain data, the Anand model material parameters have been determined for various aging conditions. Mathematical expressions were then developed to model the evolution of the Anand model parameter with aging time. Our results show that 2 of the 9 constants remain essentially constant during aging, while the other 6 show large changes (30–70%) with up to 6 months of aging at 100 C. Preliminary finite element simulations have also shown that the use of the modified Anand model leads to a strong dependence of the calculated plastic work dissipated per cycle on the aging conditions prior to thermal cycling.
Voltage Ramp Stress for Hot-Carrier Screening of Scaled CMOS Devices

The voltage ramp stress (VRS) methodology is introduced for hot-carrier screening of advanced CMOS devices. It is demonstrated that the voltage and the time dependence measured with VRS are in good agreement with the constant voltage stress procedure, yielding equivalent reliability modeling parameters for conventional poly-Si/SiON and metal-gate/high-k n-channel MOSFETs. Since little knowledge about the transistor design is required for VRS testing, it becomes the preferred procedure for process screening and monitoring of advanced CMOS devices. Additionally, the VRS method is used to quantify channel hot-carrier degradation by correcting for bias temperature instability contributions during hot-carrier injection-VRS test.
What drives basin scale spatial variability of snowpack properties in northern Colorado

This study uses a combination of field measure- ments and Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) operational snow data to understand the drivers of snow den- sity and snow water equivalent (SWE) variability at the basin scale (100s to 1000s km 2 ). Historic snow course snowpack density observations were analyzed within a multiple lin- ear regression snow density model to estimate SWE directly from snow depth measurements. Snow surveys were com- pleted on or about 1 April 2011 and 2012 and combined with NRCS operational measurements to investigate the spatial variability of SWE near peak snow accumulation. Bivariate relations and multiple linear regression models were devel- oped to understand the relation of snow density and SWE with terrain variables (derived using a geographic informa- tion system (GIS)). Snow density variability was best ex- plained by day of year, snow depth, UTM Easting, and el- evation. Calculation of SWE directly from snow depth mea- surement using the snow density model has strong statisti- cal performance, and model validation suggests the model is transferable to independent data within the bounds of the original data set. This pathway of estimating SWE directly from snow depth measurement is useful when evaluating snowpack properties at the basin scale, where many time- consuming measurements of SWE are often not feasible. A comparison with a previously developed snow density model shows that calibrating a snow density model to a specific basin can provide improvement of SWE estimation at this scale, and should be considered for future basin scale analy- ses. During both water year (WY) 2011 and 2012, elevation and location (UTM Easting and/or UTM Northing) were the most important SWE model variables, suggesting that oro- graphic precipitation and storm track patterns are likely driv- ing basin scale SWE variability. Terrain curvature was also shown to be an important variable, but to a lesser extent at the scale of interest.
Scribe Impacts on Provider Experience, Operations, and Teaching in an Academic Emergency Medicine Practice

Introduction: Physicians dedicate substantial time to documentation. Scribes are sometimes used to improve efficiency by performing documentation tasks, although their impacts have not been prospectively evaluated. Our objective was to assess a scribe program’s impact on emergency department (ED) throughput, physician time utilization, and job satisfaction in a large academic emergency medicine practice. Methods: We evaluated the intervention using pre- and post-intervention surveys and administrative data. All site physicians were included. Pre- and post-intervention data were collected in four-month periods one year apart. Primary outcomes included changes in monthly average ED length of stay (LOS), provider-specific average relative value units (RVUs) per hour (raw and normalized to volume), self-reported estimates of time spent teaching, self-reported estimates of time spent documenting, and job satisfaction. We analyzed data using descriptive statistics and appropriate tests for paired pre-post differences in continuous, categorical, and ranked variables. Results: Pre- and post-survey response rates were 76.1% and 69.0%, respectively. Most responded positively to the intervention, although 9.5% reported negative impressions. There was a 36% reduction (25%-50%; p<0.01) in time spent documenting and a 30% increase (11%-46%, p<0.01) in time spent in direct patient contact. No statistically significant changes were seen in job satisfaction or perception of time spent teaching. ED volume increased by 88 patients per day (32-146, p=0.04) pre- to post- and LOS was unchanged; rates of patients leaving against medical advice dropped, and rates of patients leaving without being seen increased. RVUs per hour increased 5.5% and per patient 5.3%; both were statistically significant. No statistically significant changes were seen in patients seen per hour. There was moderate correlation between changes in ED volume and changes in productivity metrics. Conclusion: Scribes were well received in our practice. Documentation time was substantially reduced and redirected primarily to patient care. Despite an ED volume increase, LOS was maintained, with fewer patients leaving against medical advice but more leaving without being seen. RVUs per hour and per patient both increased.
Low bone mineral density is a common finding in patients with homocystinuria

Homocystinuria (HCU) due to deficiency of cystathionine beta-synthetase is associated with increased plasma levels of homocysteine and methionine and is characterized by developmental delay, intellectual impairment, ocular defects, thromboembolism and skeletal abnormalities. HCU has been associated with increased risk for osteoporosis in some studies, but the natural history of HCU-related bone disease is poorly understood. The objective of this study was to characterize bone mineral density (BMD) measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in a multi-center, retrospective cohort of children and adults with HCU. We identified 19 subjects (9 males) aged 3.5 to 49.2 years who had DXA scans performed as a part of routine clinical care from 2002-2010. The mean lumbar spine (LS) BMD Z-score at the time of first DXA scan in this cohort was -1.2 (± SD of 1.3); 38% of participants had low BMD for age (as defined by a Z-score ≤-2). Homocysteine and methionine were positively associated with LS BMD Z-score in multiple linear regression models. Our findings suggest that low BMD is common in both children and adults with HCU and that routine assessment of bone health in this patient population is warranted. Future studies are needed to clarify the relationship between HCU and BMD.
Numerical Investigation of Road Vehicle Aerodynamics Using the Immersed Boundary RANS Approach

This paper describes the computational results of the flow field around two vehicle geometries using the Immersed Boundary (IB) technique in conjunction with a steady RANS CFD solver. The IB approach allows the computation of the flow around objects without requiring the grid lines to be aligned with the body surfaces. In the IB approach instead of specifying body boundary conditions, a body force is introduced in the governing equations to model the effect of the presence of an object on the flow. This approach reduces the time necessary for meshing and allows utilization of more efficient and fast CFD solvers. The simulations are carried out for an SUV and a pickup truck models at a Reynolds number of 8×10 5 . Cartesian meshes (non-uniform) with local grid refinement are used to increase the resolution close to the boundaries. The simulation results are compared with the existing measurements in terms of surface pressures, velocity profiles, and drag coefficients. The comparisons between the simulation results and the time-averaged measurements revealed that the CFD calculations were able to track the flow trends very well. Furthermore, the CFD simulations predicted the drag coefficients for the SUV and the pickup truck models within 6% of the measured values.
Elementary Preservice Teachers as Warm Demanders in an African American School

The literature related to warm demanding describes teachers who balance care and authority to create a learning environment that supports a culture of achievement for African American students. Embedded in this stance is sociopolitical consciousness that explicitly links teachers’ care and authority with a larger social justice agenda. Drawing on interviews and online course assignments, we describe two preservice teachers’ conceptions and enactments of warm demanding in full-time elementary school internships in an African American elementary school. Findings reveal that although the preservice teachers communicated similar commitments to warm demanding, they enacted the stance differently, suggesting that while warm demanders share similar commitments, their practice may vary. The two cases highlight the promise of teacher education courses and field experiences to be structured in ways that promote the development of teacher aptitudes for strengthening equity and excellence in the education of an historically marginalized population of students.
Treatment of canine meningoencephalomyelitis of unknown aetiology with mycophenolate mofetil and corticosteroids: 25 cases (2007-2012).

The use of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) for a variety of immune-mediated diseases in veterinary medicine has been described. However, there is only a small number of cases documenting its use in dogs with meningoencephalomyelitis of unknown aetiology (MUE). We hypothesized that the use of MMF and corticosteroids in dogs with MUE results in comparable survival data to other published treatment protocols and is associated with limited adverse effects. A retrospective study of medical case records of dogs clinically diagnosed with MUE recorded signalment, neuroanatomic localization, magnetic resonance imaging findings, cerebrospinal fluid analysis results, medications administered, follow-up neurologic examinations, survival and adverse events. Variables were compared between dogs which were treated with MMF within 30 days of diagnosis (immediate group) vs. dogs in which MMF therapy was started >30 days after diagnosis (delayed group). Twenty-five cases of MUE were identified. The overall median survival time from diagnosis was 731 days (range 43–1672 days). After 1 month of MMF treatment, 92% of dogs showed improvement on a neurological examination. There was no significant effect of any recorded parameter on survival, including delayed vs. immediate initiation of MMF treatment. Dogs with delayed treatment had significantly lower clinical remission rates than dogs with immediate treatment at 6 months after starting MMF. Adverse events were identified in two cases (8%) and were characterized by mild gastrointestinal signs (vomiting and decreased appetite). Administration of MMF appears safe in dogs with MUE. The use of MMF results in comparable survival times to alternate immunosuppressive protocols.
Analysis and Discussion on Warm-up Mode of Large-scale Steam Turbine

Warm up is a core problem of steam turbine in start-up processing.A reasonable way to warm up is important for the life and safety of the turbines.Based on the design technology,industrial test and operational experience,each turbine overseas manufacturer determines different warm-up schemes,which is used as technical specifications for domestic turbine manufactures.The paper introduces typical warm-up mode of the turbine and several important issues of in start-up processing,and analyzes the function characteristics of each warm-up process as well as the design idea advantages of the warm up schemes proposed by the overseas turbine manufacturers.
The benign killer: carcinoma of the prostate.

AbstractRadical prostatectomy has a significant role in the treatment of early stage carcinoma of the prostate, with a 6-fold difference in the radically and conservatively treated groups. Since 32 per cent of carcinomas will be missed even by experienced examiners on rectal examination, we believe that open perineal biopsy of the posterior lamella as described in 1968 would increase the yield of carcinoma and the subsequent cure by a radical operation. We have found that older patients do well with the perineal surgery—the extreme lithotomy position is no great problem and the postoperative course, without a painful abdominal wound, is less complicated.