cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regenerative rehabilitation of catastrophic extremity injury in military conflicts and a review of recent developmental efforts.

This review aims to describe the current state of regenerative rehabilitation of severe military extremity injuries, and promising new therapies on the horizon. The nature of warfare is rapidly shi...
Climate Change and Human Health: A Review of Allergies, Autoimmunity and the Microbiome

The impact of climate change on human health is a topic of critical importance. While only recently beginning to gain attention, it is clear that immediate action is necessary to minimize this impact. In our review, we will outline a subset of these effects in detail. We will examine how climate change has worsened respiratory allergic disease. We will discuss how climate change has altered antigen exposure, possibly disrupting antigen-specific tolerance by the immune system, leading, in turn, to an increase in the prevalence of immunologic diseases. Finally, we will explore how the loss of biodiversity related to climate change may affect the microbiome, potentially leading to dysbiosis, inflammatory, autoimmune and neurologic diseases.
In Situ Remediation of Sediments Contaminated with Organic Pollutants Using Ultrasound and Ozone Nanobubbles

An in situ remediation method was developed based on low-frequency ultrasound, and ozone nanobubbles to remediate heavily contaminated Passaic River sediments. This study evaluated the performance ...
Is a Chest Radiograph After Thoracostomy Tube Removal Necessary? A Cost-Effective Analysis

Abstract Background Following placement of tube thoracostomy (TT) for evacuation of traumatic hemopneumothorax (HPTX), controversy persists over the need for routine post-TT removal chest radiograph (CXR). Current research demonstrates routine CXR may offer no advantage over clinical observation alone while simultaneously increasing hospital resource utilization. As such, we hypothesized that in resolved traumatic HPTXs routine post-TT removal CXR to assess recurrent PTX compared to clinical observation is not cost-effective. Methods We performed a decision-analytic model to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of routine CXR compared to clinical observation following TT removal. Our base case was a patient that sustained thoracic trauma with radiographic and clinical resolution of HPTX following TT evacuation. Cost, utility and probability estimates were generated from published literature, with costs represented in 2019 US dollars and utilities in Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs). Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed. Results Decision-analytic model identified that clinical observation after TT removal was the dominant strategy with increased benefit at less cost, when compared to routine CXR, with a net cost of $194.92, QALYs of 0.44. In comparison, routine CXR demonstrated an increase of $821.42 in cost with 0.43 QALYs. On probabilistic sensitivity analysis the clinical observation strategy was found cost-effective in 99.5% of 10,000 iterations. Conclusion In trauma patients with clinical and radiographic evidence of a resolved HPTX, the adoption of clinical observation in lieu of post-TT removal CXR is cost-effective. Routine CXR following TT removal accrues more cost without additional benefit. The practice of routinely obtaining a CXR following TT removal should be scrutinized.
The relationship between molar morphology and ecology within Neotoma

The extensive diversity in dental form across mammals and its strong relationship with function provides insights into the diet, habitat, and behavior, of both extant and extinct taxa. Understanding the extent of variation in dental morphology across species allows for more accurate identification of fossils and a better ability to infer relationships between form and function and ecology. We examined variation in the size and shape of the first upper molar among the genus Neotoma. We employed elliptical Fourier analysis to quantify differences in the shape of 2D outlines for 23 populations and six species of Neotoma, varying in body size and habitat preference. As expected, molar length is a strong predictor of body size and is significantly and negatively correlated with temperature, particularly in species whose ranges span large latitudinal gradients. We found that differences in molar shape separate species into three general morpho-groups, with no evidence of a phylogenetic signal. While outline analysis could not robustly classify all molars to the species level, it did perform well for Neotoma cinerea, probably because of the greater degree of folding and more acute angling of molar lophs. In contrast, wider lophs with shallower enamel infolding was characteristic of species specializing on softer, more succulent resources (i.e., Neotoma albigula and Neotoma micropus). Neotoma floridana were inaccurately classified to species in the majority of cases, but were the only molars correctly identified to locality 100% of the time, suggesting that dietary specializations at a local level may drive morphological changes within the species as well as across the genus.
Bounding Entangled Two-Photon Absorption with Sensitive Transmittance Measurements

Two-photon absorption rates may be enhanced with energy-time entangled states of light. Using a sensitive transmittance measurement we find no evidence of this enhancement, in disagreement with previously reported results.
Female participation in U.S. oncology clinical trials registered on ClinicalTrials.gov from 2008 to 2020.

85Background: Females are thought to be underrepresented in clinical trials, which may lead to care disparities. We characterized female enrollment trends in U.S. oncology trials registered on Clin...
Quantum search-to-decision reductions and the state synthesis problem.

It is a useful fact in classical computer science that many search problems are reducible to decision problems; this has led to decision problems being regarded as the $\textit{de facto}$ computational task to study in complexity theory. In this work, we explore search-to-decision reductions for quantum search problems, wherein a quantum algorithm makes queries to a classical decision oracle to output a desired quantum state. In particular, we focus on search-to-decision reductions for $\mathsf{QMA}$, and show that there exists a quantum polynomial-time algorithm that can generate a witness for a $\mathsf{QMA}$ problem up to inverse polynomial precision by making one query to a $\mathsf{PP}$ decision oracle. We complement this result by showing that $\mathsf{QMA}$-search does $\textit{not}$ reduce to $\mathsf{QMA}$-decision in polynomial-time, relative to a quantum oracle. We also explore the more general $\textit{state synthesis problem}$, in which the goal is to efficiently synthesize a target state by making queries to a classical oracle encoding the state. We prove that there exists a classical oracle with which any quantum state can be synthesized to inverse polynomial precision using only one oracle query and to inverse exponential precision using two oracle queries. This answers an open question of Aaronson from 2016, who presented a state synthesis algorithm that makes $O(n)$ queries to a classical oracle to prepare an $n$-qubit state, and asked if the query complexity could be made sublinear.
CXCL12/SDF-1 and Hematopoiesis

Regulation of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell numbers and function as well as that of their more mature offspring within the bone marrow is critical for normal hematopoiesis. In this article, we mainly describe the role of the chemokine stromal-derived factor-1/CXCL12 and its receptor, CXCR4, in maintenance of these cell populations within the bone marrow. This includes mechanisms in which CXCL12 and CXCR4 expression is regulated under homeostatic or inflammatory conditions, and how this alters the balance between myeloid and lymphoid cell development.
Interbehaviorism and Interbehavioral Psychology

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses interbehaviorism and interbehavioral psychology. Interbehaviorism is one of the most overlooked systems in psychology's history. Jacob Robert Kantor (1888–1984) was a prolific contributor to the psychological and philosophical literature for over six decades. Speculation as to the reasons for this obscurity has focused on a number of issues, including his ponderous writing style and his harsh and unwavering criticism of dualism. “Traditional beliefs, cultural rituals, diverse social relations, and economic opportunism” led to conventional understandings within groups and discord between groups. More important than his dismissal of dualistic thinking was the obligation it provided to formulate a philosophical system void of it. Kantor described four stages in the development of naturalistic thinking in science. The first and second of these were a rejection of animism and a control of descriptive abstractions. The third stage entailed the development of field constructions; and the forth, an explicit treatment of behavior field. Finally Kantor's contribution to psychology has been to provide a formulation of this subject matter in the field theoretical perspective of contemporary science more generally—a formulation as yet to be fully adopted in psychology and which may find illustration in Kantor's work.
Experimental validation of models of parallel computation

The right model of parallel computation must possess various properties including accurately predicting the behavior of real programs on physical computers. It is argued that this property must be tested experimentally. Three experiments are reviewed supporting the hypothesis that the CTA machine model and the Phase Abstractions programming model predict accurately for real programs on physical computers. Data for ten MIMD computers is reported. Additionally, basic concepts connected with models of computation are reviewed, and several recently developed parallel models are critiqued.
Matlock, David (Dr.)

David Matlock is a physician in the United States and perhaps one of the most publicized doctors who performs female genital cosmetic surgery, in particular the method he trademarked, Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation and Designer Laser Vaginoplasty. Though he has often been uncritically received in the popular media for these procedures, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists stress that these surgeries are neither medically indicated nor documented as safe and effective. Keywords: designer laser vaginoplasty; female genital cosmetic surgery/designer vaginas; laser vaginal rejuvenation
Current Sheet Formation and Reconnection on Separator Field Lines

Magnetic reconnection is believed to play a fundamental role in many types of coronal activity such as flaring and transient loop brightenings. Reconnection occurs when flux is transferred between neighboring coronal flux systems. A single flux system consists of coronal magnetic field lines originating in a common pair of photospheric features (i.e. flux tubes). Changing the flux in such a system requires a substantial electric field in the corona, parallel to a magnetic field line in at least one place. Such an electric field is not consistent with the highly conductive nature of the hot corona.
The increased rate of stimulant treatment for hyperactive/inattentive students in secondary schools.

Objective To describe trends in medication use for hyperactive/inattentive (HA/I) secondary school students from 1975 through 1993 and to present differences in the treatment of HA/I relative to school grade. Design A comprehensive survey of the HA/I treatment of public elementary and secondary school students has been conducted biennially by school nurses in Baltimore County, MD since 1975. Results Although only 11% of all public school students on medication for HA/I were in secondary schools in 1975, the proportion gradually rose such that in the 1990s, 30% of all medicated students were attending secondary schools. Also in secondary schools, the gender ratio for students on medication for HA/I narrowed from a 1:12 female/male ratio in 1981 to a 1:6 female/male ratio in 1993. Conclusions Many more elementary school students are now remaining on stimulant medication for HA/I into their teens. Compared with a decade ago, relatively more girls are on stimulant treatment for HA/I during their secondary school years.
Bit error detection and recovery for X2D MMR coded bitstreams

This paper proposes a bit error recovery method for extended 2 dimensional MMR coded bitstreams. When an error occurs in an MMR coded bitstream, the bitstream cannot be decoded correctly after the error point. To prevent losing valid information after an error, we developed an error recovery system that detects bit errors and applies bit-inversion to correct the errors. In case the bit-inversion cannot correct the error, the system applies new algorithms that utilize syntactical structure information of the coded bitstream to recover nearly all the data.
Measurement and Significance of Specific Activity in the Heterotrophic Bacteria of Natural Waters

It is now possible to obtain accurate total counts of the bacteria of natural waters with the use of acridine orange staining and epifluorescence microscopy. This approach can be coupled to highly sensitive measurements of heterotrophic activity using radioisotopes. To accomplish this, three variations of a "specific activity index" are suggested, based on different approaches to measuring heterotrophic activity with radiolabeled organic solutes. The denominator of each index is the direct count of bacteria from a given natural sample. Three numerators are presented, each of which has been shown to vary directly with heterotrophic bacterial activity: V(max), turnover rate, and direct uptake (at high substrate concentrations). Each approach is illustrated with data from estuarine and coastal waters of northeastern Massachusetts. The data show major differences in specific activity that accompany such habitat differences as distances within or offshore from an estuary and vertical location in the water column. These and other data suggest that specific activity is a valid indicator of the physiological state and metabolic role of the bacteria. Some evidence is presented in support of the hypothesis that the natural bacteria are adapted to conditions of nutrient starvation by becoming "dormant," existing for an unknown period of time in a reversible physiological state that reflects the availability of organic nutrients.
Sports and the City: How to Curb Professional Sports Teams' Demands for Free Public Stadiums

This article argues that America needs to better protect its local communities against monopolist sports leagues' demands for publicly funded stadiums. Part I of this article discusses the evolution of sports stadium subsidies. Part II discusses why American communities continue to provide subsidies to professional sports teams. Part III explains why providing stadium subsidies is a bad idea for most local communities. Part IV discusses four types of proposals intended to reduce sports teams' power to demand stadium subsidies. Part V proposes a federal bill that would better protect the interests of American communities by ensuring that any community which builds a professional sports facility is able to keep the pro rata share of that facility's revenue stream.
A high performance fine-grained approach to SRAM based FPGAs

This paper discusses the advantages of a reprogrammable partitioned "fine-grained" core-cell approach to FPGAs coupled with timing driven automated place and route software. Singh et al. (1992) have attempted to show that a medium to coarse cell structure and a fixed look-up table structure, is optimal for performance. Their findings were based primarily on empirical data. This paper demonstrates, that a fine grained structure, with hierarchical routing resources can achieve results which are equal to or better than the established architectures.
Exchange-traded funds, liquidity and volatility

Given the exponential growth in exchange-traded fund (ETF) trading, ETFs have become a significant factor in the volatility generating process of their largest component stocks. A simple model of trading is developed for securities that are included in ETFs, and empirical support is provided for the model hypotheses. Volatility spillovers from ETFs to their largest component stocks are economically significant. These spillovers are increasing in liquidity, the proportion of each stock held by the fund, deviations from net asset value, ETF flow of funds and ETF market capitalization. The results are consistent with a positive volume–volatility relation and trading-based explanations of volatility, and are generally stronger for smaller stocks.
New Maleic Anhydride Modified PP Copolymers with Block Structure: Synthesis and Application in PP/Polyamide Reactive Blends

This paper discusses a new class of maleic anhydride modified PP polymers (PP-MA), having a relatively well-defined molecular structure. The chemistry involves the borane-terminated PP intermediate that is prepared by hydroboration of the chain-end unsaturated PP. The borane group at the chain end was selectively oxidized by oxygen to form a “stable” polymeric radical which then in situ reacts with maleic anhydride to produce maleic anhydride terminated PP (PP-t-MA) with a single MA unit. In the presence of styrene, the polymeric radical initiated an alternative copolymerization of styrene and maleic anhydride to produce PP-b-SMA diblock copolymers, and the incorporated MA units are proportional to the concentration of styrene and the reaction time. No detectable side reaction was observed in the PP polymer chain. The resulting relatively well-defined PP-MA copolymers, with controllable PP molecular weight and MA concentration, were evaluated systematically in the reactive PP/PP-MA/polyamide blends. The c...
Computational Setup of Structural Health Monitoring for Real-Time Thermal Verification

Research at the AFRL Space Vehicles Directorate is being conducted to reduce schedule times for assembly, integration, and test, to make satellite-based capabilities more responsive to user needs. Structural Health Monitoring has been pursued as a means for validating workmanship and has been proven on PnPSat-1. Embedded ultrasonic piezoelectric wafer active sensors (PWAS) have been utilized with local and global inspection techniques, developed both in house and by collaborating universities, to detect structural changes that may occur during assembly, integration, and test. Specific attention has focused on interface qualification. It is now reasonable to believe that evaluation of interfaces through the use of such sensors can also be used to indirectly qualify the structure thermally and that tedious thermal-vacuum testing may be truncated or eliminated altogether. This paper focuses on the computational development of extracting thermal properties from ultrasonic transmission records. Methods are validated on simple bolted lap-joint cantilever beams.
Maternal transfer of photoperiodic information in Siberian hamsters. III. Melatonin injections program postnatal reproductive development expressed in constant light.

In Siberian hamsters, transference of photoperiodic information from dam to fetus influences pubertal testicular development of the young when reared either in constant light (LL) or postnatal photoperiods of intermediate length (i.e. 14L:10D). The effects of short photoperiods during gestation can be mimicked by administering melatonin to pregnant females. This experiment examined whether there exists a daily pattern of sensitivity to melatonin when it is administered to pineal-intact pregnant females housed on a long photoperiod. Groups of pregnant and lactating females received melatonin at each hour of the day. The young were not treated with exogenous melatonin. At the approximate time of maturation of their endogenous pineal melatonin rhythm (Day 15), the young were placed in LL to suppress pineal melatonin secretion. Young males were killed at 28 days of age. Afternoon (1200 h-2000 h) and late night (0400 h) injections of melatonin into females caused their male young to develop as though gestation occurred on a short photoperiod. Melatonin injections at other times were ineffective. The daily pattern of effectiveness of exogenous melatonin administration to pregnant females resembles that observed in adult males of this and other hamster species and is consistent with the hypothesis that a daily rhythm in sensitivity to melatonin is involved in the transduction of photoperiodic signals.
Energy-Momentum Tensor for Plane Waves

A general form is established for the energy momentum tensor for plane waves propagating in a homogeneous medium, the field equations of which are derivable from a quadratic Lagrangian function. Energy density and momentum density are proportional to frequency and the wave vector, the coefficient of proportionality being "action density." Energy flow and momentum flow are related to energy density and momentum density by the group velocity. The relation between momentum density and the wave vector is valid even in a nonlinear system. For a wave packet, one finds that the total energy is related to frequency and the total momentum to the wave vector by the total action of the packet, in close analogy with corresponding relations of quantum mechanics.
Improved long-range prediction with data-aided noise reduction for adaptive modulation systems

A novel data-aided noise reduction (DANR) method is proposed to enhance the accuracy of long-range prediction (LRP) for wireless fading channels, thereby improving the spectral efficiency (SE) of adaptive modulation (AM) system enabled by the LRP. This method includes an adaptive pilot transmission mechanism, robust noise reduction and decision-directed channel estimation. An improved practical AM scheme is used to test the proposed DANR method. Since this method maintains low pilot rates, it results in higher SE than previously proposed noise reduction (NR) techniques, which rely on oversampled pilots. These conclusions are confirmed for practical prediction ranges using the standard Jakes model and our realistic physical model.
A sociological approach to counseling homosexual clients and their families.

Stigma lies at the root of many problems typically experienced by homosexual clients and their families. Sociological theory and research shed light on the dynamics of stigma and its consequences, both for the stigmatized population and for their heterosexual families and associates. This article summarizes key sociological research on the nature and development of sexual orientation. It considers the dynamics of homophobia and its implication for homosexual youngsters and their families. It offers practical tips for helping clients to understand their own or a family member's homosexual orientation, for coping with stigma, for reconciling issues of religion and morality, and for determining lifestyle. Suggestions for therapist office materials are also included.
Auditory middle latency responses in chronic smokers compared to nonsmokers: differential effects of stimulus and age.

Purpose Effects of clicks and tonebursts on early and late auditory middle latency response (AMLR) components were evaluated in young and older cigarette smokers and nonsmokers. Method Participants (n = 49) were categorized by smoking and age into 4 groups: (a) older smokers, (b) older nonsmokers, (c) young smokers, and (d) young nonsmokers. Monaural, 2-channel AMLRs were acquired from Fz and Cz electrodes with 3 stimuli (clicks, 500 Hz, and 3000 Hz). Results Group differences included significantly higher V–Na amplitude in young adults and shorter Pb latency in older nonsmokers. Young smokers had a significantly higher Nb–Pb amplitude and shorter Nb latency than other groups. Toneburst stimuli yielded significantly longer V, Na, and Pa latencies compared to clicks. Pb latency was shorter at Fz than at Cz. Relative amplitudes were significantly higher at Fz than at Cz overall; Pa–Nb and Nb–Pb were significantly lower for 3000 Hz than for 500 Hz and clicks. Conclusions Responses from young smokers revealed...
Different fates of Legionella pneumophila pmi and mil mutants within macrophages and alveolar epithelial cells.

Abstract Alveolar epithelial cells, which constitute the majority of the alveolar surface, may represent a potential niche for intracellular replication ofLegionella pneumophilathat has been largely overlooked. We examined the phenotypes of a bank of 121 macrophage-defective mutants ofL. pneumophila(designated aspmiandmil) for their cytopathogenicity to and intracellular survival and replication within human alveolar epithelial cells. Our data showed that 91 of 121 mutants that were defective (modest–severe) in macrophages exhibited wild type-like phenotypes in human type I alveolar epithelial cells. In contrast, the other 30 mutants were defective in both macrophages and alveolar epithelial cells. Transmission electron microscopy of the intracellular infection by three mutants showed that the defect in intracellular replication in macrophages and epithelial cells was associated with a defect in recruitment of the RER around the phagosome. Differences in attachment to macrophages and epithelial cells were also exhibited by some of the mutants. Pulmonary infection studies of A/J mice showed that a mutant defective in macrophages but not in alveolar epithelial cells replicated like the wild type strain in the lungs of A/J mice. In contrast, a mutant defective in both macrophages and alveolar epithelial cells failed to replicate and was killed. We conclude that certain distinct genetic loci ofL. pneumophilaare uniquely required for intracellular survival and replication within phagocytic but not epithelial cells, which may be important in vivo.
The autism risk genes MET and PLAUR differentially impact cortical development

Candidate risk genes for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been identified, but the challenge of determining their contribution to pathogenesis remains. We previously identified two ASD risk genes encoding the receptor tyrosine kinase MET and the urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (PLAUR), which is thought to modulate availability of the MET ligand. We also reported a role for Met signaling in cortical interneuron development in vitro and a reduction of these neurons in uPAR (mouse ortholog of PLAUR) null mice, suggesting that disruption of either gene impacts cortical development similarly. Here, we modify this conclusion, reporting that interneuron numbers are unchanged in the neocortex of Met(fx/fx) / Dlx5/6(cre) mice, in which Met is ablated from cells arising from the ventral telencephalon (VTel). Consistent with this, Met transcript is not detected in the VTel during interneuron genesis and migration; furthermore, during the postnatal period of interneuron maturation, Met is co-expressed in glutamatergic projection neurons, but not interneurons. Low levels of Met protein are expressed in the VTel at E12.5 and E14.5, likely reflecting the arrival of Met containing corticofugal axons. Met expression, however, is induced in E12.5 VTel cells after 2 days in vitro, perhaps underlying discrepancies between observations in vitro and in Met(fx/fx) / Dlx5/6(cre) mice. We suggest that, in vivo, Met impacts the development of cortical projection neurons, whereas uPAR influences interneuron maturation. An altered balance between excitation and inhibition has been postulated as a biological mechanism for ASD; this imbalance could arise from different risk genes differentially affecting either or both elements.
Nonverbal Decoding on Facebook: Applying the IPT-15 and the SSI to Personality Judgments

This study uses the lens model paradigm to explore whether two interpersonal sensitivity tests [i.e., Interpersonal Perception Task (IPT-15), Social Skills Inventory (SSI)] are associated with the accuracy of personality judgments made from Facebook (FB) profile pages. Target participants’ (N = 100) personality, self-monitoring, and FB honesty were self-reported, and the FB profile of each target was downloaded. Observers (N = 35) completed the IPT-15 and SSI and then estimated each profile owner’s personality from the profile pages. Observers’ scores on the IPT-15 were positively associated with the accuracy of estimates of targets’ extraversion and neuroticism. Observers’ SSI-ES scores were positively associated with the accuracy of estimates of targets’ agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness. Characteristics of targets, such as self-monitoring, FB honesty, and overall FB use, also affected the accuracy of estimates. Results demonstrate that offline measures of sensitivity are associated with the accuracy of online personality judgments.
Cytoplasmic inclusions of Trichamoeba and their reaction to vital dyes and to osmic and silver impregnation

In Trichamoeba sp two types of inclusions are recognized on the basis of reaction to vital dyes and tomethods of osmic and silver impregnation. Globular inclusions, which are stained selectively with neutral red, may be blackened under direct observation by exposure to osmic vapor in hanging-drop preparations and demonstrated by osmic and silver impregnation. Rod-like and granular mitochondria, stainable vitally with Janus green, may be distinguished from the neutral-red globules in preparations stained with a mixture of Janus green and neutral red, and are demonstrated by Regaud's chondriosome method.
Collision-Tolerant Media Access Control with On-Off Accumulative Transmission

In this paper, a cross-layer collision-tolerant (CT) media access control (MAC) scheme is proposed for wireless networks. Unlike conventional MAC schemes that discard and retransmit signals colliding at a receiver, the CT-MAC extracts the salient information from the colliding signals with a new on-off accumulative transmission (OOAT) scheme in the physical layer. Users employing OOAT deliver information to the base station (BS) through uncoordinated on-off transmissions of multiple identical sub-symbols (accumulative transmission). Silence periods are inserted between sub-symbols inside a frame to reduce collision probability and render a special signal structure for physical layer detection. Algebraic properties of the on-off transmission patterns, which are represented as cyclic-shifted binary vectors, are analyzed, and the results provide guidelines on the design of OOAT systems and other systems that rely on cyclic-shifted binary vectors. Then, we demonstrate that the structure of the on-off transmission patterns enables a sub-optimum iterative detection method, which improves performance by iteratively exchanging extrinsic soft information between a forward and a backward soft interference cancellation (SIC). Both analytical and simulation results show that the new CT-MAC with OOAT scheme significantly outperforms many existing cross-layer MAC schemes in terms of the number of users supported and the normalized throughput.
Broadening the Spectrum of Treatment Options for SNHL

Kubo T. Effects of intratympanic injection of steroids on changes in rat inner ear aquaporin expression. Acta Otolaryngol. 2002;122:600606. 8. Parnes LS, Sun AH, Freeman DJ. Corticosteroid pharmacokinetics in the inner ear fluids: an animal study followed by clinical application. Laryngoscope. 1999;109:1-17. 9. Alzamil KS, Linthicum FH Jr. Extraneous round window membranes and plugs: possible effect on intratympanic therapy. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2000;109:30-32. 10. Silverstein H, Arruda J, Rosenberg SI, Deems D, Hester TO. Direct round window membrane application of gentamicin in the treatment of Meniere’s disease. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1999; 120:649-655.
Major structural features of the cell wall arabinogalactans of Mycobacterium, Rhodococcus, and Nocardia spp.

Abstract The cell wall arabinogalactans of strains of Mycobacterium , Rhodococcus , and Nocardia were per- O -methylated, partially hydrolyzed with acid, and the resulting oligosaccharides were reduced and per- O -ethylated to yield per- O -alkylated oligoglycosyl alditol fragments. Analyses of these fragments by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and of the intact solubilized polysaccharides by 1 H and 13 C NMR revealed the major structural features of the different arabinogalactans from representatives of the different genera. All of the mycobacterial products contained a homogalactan segment of alternating 5-linked α-galactofuranosyl (Gal f ) and 6-linked β-Gal f residues. The arabinan segment consisted of three major domains, linear 5-linked α-arabinofuranosyl (Ara f ) residues and branched (3 → 5)-linked Ara f units substituted with either 5-linked Ara f or the disaccharide β-Ara f -(1 → 2)-α-Ara f at both branched positions. The recognition of these features in in vivo grown Mycobacterium leprae is an important development. The arabinan from strains of Nocardia contains a nonreducing-end motif composed of the linear trisaccharide, β-Ara f -(1 → 2)-α-Ara f -(1 → 5)-Ara f , attached to linear 5-linked α-Ara f units. The galactan segment of the arabinogalactan of Nocardia sp. is composed of linear 5-linked β-Gal f units substituted in part at O-6 with terminal β-glucosyl units. The two representative strains of Rhodococcus also differed in the composition of the galactan moiety; in addition to the 5-linked Gal f , 2- and 3-linked β-Gal f units are present. The reducing end of the galactans, and therefore, apparently, of the entire arabinogalactans from all species from all genera, are apparently composed of the unit, rhamnosyl-(1 → 3)- N -acetyl-glucosamine, which, in turn, is apparently attached to peptidoglycan via phosphodiester linkage.
Vibration-Based System for Pavement Condition Evaluation

Proper evaluation of pavement conditions provides important decision-support to implement preventative rehabilitation. Traditional method for pavement inspection relies on human observation that has low-efficiency and is subjective to errors. More recent tool for pavement distress inspection utilizes digital video and image analyses to record and identify the pavement surface conditions. This significantly increased the inspection efficiency and reliability. However, the video based system requires large storage space and extensive computation for image processing. It is also difficult to automate the pavement rating. This paper describes the use of recent data acquisition hardware to develop a vibration-based system for preliminary evaluation of pavement conditions. In analogy to the video record which looks at the surface of the pavement, the vibration-based system feels the ground conditions based on mechanical responses of the testing vehicle. The interactions of the ground and vehicle can be described by a model where vehicle is under random force excitations. The distresses of the pavement, including the cracks and surface rutting, impose impacting forces on the vehicle. The frequency and magnitude of the forces are dependent on the extent and magnitude of pavement distresses. On the other hand, the pavement surface conditions can be estimated from the recorded responses of the testing vehicle when driving on the pavement. A testing system was set up and data were collected to validate the measurement concept. Analyses of the testing data indicate that there is a good correlation between vibration responses and the pavement conditions. Factors such as the driving speed and the transition of vehicle motion were investigated. The vibration-based pavement evaluation system described in this paper has the advantage of small storage requirement, cost-effective and amenable for automatic real-time data processing. While this system does not provide the complete details of distress characteristics as by video-based system, it can be an inexpensive tool for routine inspections to provide preliminary evaluation of pavement conditions.
The Phenomenon of Gender Inequality in Access to and Equity in University Education in Nigeria

Education is a fulcrum for achieving progress in all aspects of human life. This is in consonance with the 1998 World Conference on Education Commitment that higher education should be geared towards development and progress. Therefore, it is expected that higher education is equally accessible to all, all persons seeking higher education have optimal range of choice and participation of women in higher education should be emphasized. This paper, therefore, examine the meaning of gender inequality, access and equity, as well as the rationale to ensure gender equitable access in university education in Nigeria. Also, the paper highlights the trends in male and female enrolment in university education and the factors that give rise to gender inequality in equitable access to university education in Nigeria. Finally, the paper examines measures to enhance gender equitable access to university education in Nigeria. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2013.v4n7p129
Television, fantasy and vicarious catharsis

Reviewers and critics of research on the effects of media violence have rejected the catharsis hypothesis for a lack of empirical evidence. This essay suggests that catharsis research has been based on an unsound formulation of how catharsis functions, ignoring the degree to which viewers are able to fantasize. That ability is posited as being crucial to experiencing vicarious catharsis. A discussion of the construct of television viewing suggests that fantasy is not in the media content but in the person. Assumptions in previous research that (1) catharsis should take place equally for all, and (2) cathartic fantasy will be violent in nature are challenged.
Bacteriophage concentration from water by filter chromatography

Abstract The efficiency of an electropositive filter for membrane chromatography of viruses was examined using coliform phages T 1 , T 4 , lambda and Salmonella phage P 22 . Phages diluted in dechlorinated tap water were adsorbed to filters at neutral pH and eluted by 3% beet extract in 0.05 M glycine buffer at selected alkaline pH values. With exception of lambda phage, which displayed erratic adsorption behavior at any pH, all bacteriophages studied, adsorbed to filters with an efficiency of 97–100% at pH values ranging between 6.0 and 8.0. Each phage was readily eluted at alkaline pH levels. Maximal elution (86.2%) of T 1 phage and lambda phage (79%) occurred at pH 10, while T 4 and Salmonella phages were eluted most efficiently at pH 11 at values of 91.7 and 81.9%, respectively. The resolving power of the filter was such that individual phages within the same virus group (T 1 and T 4 phage) could be eluted at pHs differing by only one unit.
Defining international education

Americans can learn much about U.S. culture by studying and visiting other cultures. The study of other cultures can also promote tolerance and help avert acts of international aggression.
Philosophical Foundations of Respect for Autonomy

Understanding the philosophical foundations of the principle of respect for autonomy is essential for its proper application within medical ethics. The foundations provided by Immanuel Kant's principle of humanity and John Stuart Mill's principle of liberty share substantial areas of agreement including: the grounding of respect for autonomy in the capacity for rational agency, the restriction of this principle to rational agents, and the important distinction between influence and control. Their work helps to clarify the scope and role of the principle of respect for autonomy in health care delivery; its implications for truth telling, informed consent, and confidentiality; and its relationship to other moral principles, such as beneficence and distributive justice.
Methods for Starting the Detection of Undocumented Multiple Changepoints

Abstract Four algorithms are given, as a first step toward the practical detection of undocumented multiple changepoints. These algorithms are based on the two-phase regression method of Lund and Reeves, as well as the robust method of Lazante. The result of each method is a set that contains statistically detectable changepoints; each candidate is then either independently validated as a changepoint or discarded. This is demonstrated and the methods are compared on artificial data, and then the methods are implemented on streamflow data from the Flint River in southwest Georgia. Most notably, the method based on two-phase regression was able to detect a well-known yet undocumented drop in streamflow from a local drought that no other methods have so far been able to detect.
Associations Among Lesbian Disclosure, Social Support, Depression and Demographic Variables

Strong associations were identified among disclosure, social support, and depression in a sample of 265 self-identified lesbians representing 33 U.S. states and 5 Canadian provinces. Social support was identified as a mediator and moderator between disclosure and depression and may protect against the consequences of disclosure or nondisclosure. Demographic variables, such as the age when the lesbian “came out” and the length of time since identifying as lesbian, provided support to the notion of the “expert lesbian”—one who senses, judges, and negotiates disclosure choices and consequences with finesse and success. Suggestions for health care providers are offered.
Organization of corporate web pages: Publics and functions

Abstract This article reports on two sets of data that were collected to lay the groundwork for developing an empirically based typology of corporate World Wide Web sites. A systematic, random sample of Fortune 500 corporation Web sites was employed. The first wave of data showed that more than 85% of the sample had substantial content that addressed two or more publics. The most frequent combination of publics addressed by Web site content was that of investor/customer/press. The second part of the study examined the prominence organizations gave to audiences and features on the front or “home” page. The findings indicated that many corporate Web pages were designed to be accessible and easily navigated. This part of the study clearly distinguished between primary and secondary publics. In particular, the press emerged as a secondary public in the second wave of data. The results point toward the investor/financial community as the paramount audience for corporate Web sites. The research suggests that both content and organization need to be employed as corporate Web typologies are developed and that practitioners should think about exactly where navigational and interactive features are employed as a site is created. Stuart L. Esrock, Ph.D., is an assistant professor and Greg B. Leichty, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Louisville.
The Judicial Dialogue

A variety of theoretical positions are emerging to explain the judicial process from such perspectives as hermeneutics, semiotics, critical theory and argumentation/rhetoric. They ask such questions as these: What is the source of judicial authority? How do judges arrive at their decisions? By what logic are decisions to be tested? In this essay I argue that a focus on decisions and their justifications alone masks the broader process in which judges, along with all the other relevant groups, engage in a continuing and evolving dialogue to structure their normative universe through the complementary processes of dialectic and rhetoric. Contemporary concepts of argumentation can serve to analyze this process critically.
WE-E-224C-02: Investigation of Simple IMRT Delivery to Stage I Lung Cancer Patients with Significant Respiratory Motion Using Respiratory Gated CT Scans

Purpose: To investigate the use of IMRT for the treatment of stage I lungcancer associated with significant respiratory motion using 4DCT data. Method and Materials: A 4DCT scan ‐ covering a full respiratory cycle in 10 phases ‐ of a patient with a 1.8 cm diameter lungcancer was used to design several static step‐and‐shoot IMRT plans. Three plans were designed: two using snapshots of the tumor (mid‐inhale, full‐exhale), one using the superposition of all phases. Because of the significant tumor motion (maximum excursion of 2.5 cm) the effect of different margins around the CTV were studied. To reduce interplay between the MLC movement and respiratory motion in an ungated delivery, the number of intensity‐levels was minimized while maintaining coverage to the PTV and minimizing dose to OARs. Results: In this case‐study five‐field IMRT plans were generated using 18 MV photons delivering a total dose of 66 Gy in 33 fractions to the PTV. Plans based on snapshot scans of the lung only resulted in full coverage, if large margins (3 cm) were incorporated. All plans based on superimposed scans achieved full coverage, while allowing tight margins and minimizing the dosage to OARs. A small number of intensity‐levels (3–5 per beam) were sufficient for PTV coverage, thereby reducing the risk of unwanted interplay effects between MLC movement and respiratory motion. Conclusion: Using snapshot free‐breathing CT scans for treatment planning can lead to geometrical misses and underdosage of the target volume unless large PTV margins are applied at the expense of increased dose to OARs. Taking the superimposed CT scans of all respiratory phases for treatment planning ensures the full coverage of the tumor volume, without increasing dose to OARs. For this case‐study only a small number of segments were needed, allowing the application of IMRT despite significant tumor motion.
Spreadsheet Optimization for Parameter Estimation of Pressure-Saturation Equations Used for Two-Phase Groundwater Flow

Spreadsheet optimization using a range of nonlinear error functions was utilized for parameter estimation of the two-phase pressure–saturation models developed by van Genuchten, Brutsaert, Russo and Kosugi. The data was obtained from the UNSODA database (US Salinity Laboratory, Riverside, California). Results show that spreadsheet optimization is a practical platform for evaluations based on minimizing nonlinear error functions, consequently allowing for a broader mathematical approach to parameter estimation. An error function representing the sum of the squares of errors provided the best fit for a majority of the soils evaluated, although the fractional error function provided the best fit for silts and loams. Outcomes indicated that the van Genuchten parameters m and n may also be estimated individually as opposed to following the published relationship of m=1−1/n.
Changing Assumptions in Primate Ecology

Ecological research on nonhuman primates developed separately from the discipline of ecology as a whole, and has in the past been characterized by a distinctive set of goals and assumptions. This paper examines some of the problems surrounding these assumptions. Recently, primate ecologists have begun to adopt the conceptual framework of other ecologists; it is argued here that this trend does not in fact solve all the old problems. Finally, the future of primate ecology is considered briefly. [Primates, ecology, adaptation, strategies, optimization]