cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Morphological assortment in introduced Hawaiian passerines

To evaluate the role of competition in structuring communities, we conducted morphological analyses on the surviving species of passerine birds that were successfully introduced to the Hawaiian islands. Forty-nine species have been introduced a total of 111 times to five of the six main islands. There have been 33 extinctions. Our analyses were done at two separate organizational levels: all species introduced to an island; and all forest-dwelling species. If competition determines which species can coexist, and the intensity of competition is correlated with morphological similarity, then the surviving species should be overdispersed in morphological space. Further, sets of surviving species that coexist should be regularly positioned in morphological space. At the island-wide organizational level, the surviving species were neither overdispersed nor regularly positioned in morphological space. However, at the forest-wide level the surviving species were not only highly overdispersed, they were also regularly positioned when compared to randomly assembled communities.
Pathways toward higher performance CdS/CdTe devices: Te exposure of CdTe surface before ZnTe:Cu/Ti contacting

Abstract Many studies of thin-film CdS/CdTe photovoltaic devices have suggested that performance may be improved by reducing recombination due to Te-vacancy (VTe), Te antisite (TeCd), or Te-interstitial (Tei) defects. Although formation of these intrinsic defects is likely influenced by CdTe deposition parameters, it may be also coupled to the formation of beneficial cadmium vacancy (VCd) defects. In this study, we expose the CdTe surface to Te vapor prior to ZnTe:Cu/Ti contact-interface formation with the goal of reducing VTe without significantly reducing VCd. Initial results show that when this modified contact is used on a CdCl2-treated CdS/CdTe device, poorer device performance results. This suggests two things: First, the amount of free-Te available during contact formation (either from chemical etching or CuxTe or ZnTe deposition) may be a more important parameter to device performance than previously appreciated. Second, if processes have been used to reduce the effect of VTe (e.g., oxygen and chlorine additions), adding even a small amount of Te may produce detrimental defects.
Crystallization of co-sputtered amorphous cobalt-carbon alloys

Abstract Cobalt-carbon (C:5–67 at.%) alloys were prepared by co-sputtering. Their crystallization behavior was studied by in situ transmission electron microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. Alloys with more than 10 at.% carbon show an amorphous structure. On heating, two exothermic peaks were observed at 250–350 and 380–420°C for the alloys with less than 35 at.% carbon. These peaks are due to formation of a metastable δ′-phase (orthorhombic, a = 2.84, b = 4.58 and c = 4.42 A ) and closed-packed hexagonal (c.p.h.) cobalt, and to decomposition of the δ′-phase to c.p.h. cobalt and graphite, respectively. A new carbide phase was also found whose unit cell is simple cubic with a = 5.82 A . For alloys with more than 40 at.% carbon, the excess free-energy is reduced by precipitation of c.p.h. cobalt while carbon remains amorphous.
Anger in an inpatient treatment sample of chronic alcoholics

Four measures of anger were investigated in sober male and female alcoholics and nonalcoholic peers. The relationships among anger variables, past drinking behavior, and substance abuse consequences in alcoholics were explored. Additionally, the interrelationships among anger, depression, and anxiety in the groups were examined, and the relationships between an overall dysphoria index and drinking behavior and substance abuse consequences were determined. 104 alcoholics (sober 21 to 45 days) and 70 community controls, aged 21 to 56, were given the Spielberger Anger Expression Inventory, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory. Alcoholics scored higher than controls on Trait Anger, Anger-In, and Anger-Out, but not on State Anger. There were no main effects of sex. Anger-In was significantly negatively correlated with the Quantity-Frequency Index in alcoholic males. Anger-In was significantly positively correlated with depression in male and female alcoholics and with substance abuse consequences in the latter group. The depression measure was significantly correlated with consequences in female, but not in male alcoholics. These data have treatment implications, especially for female alcoholics.
Effect of ovarlectomy on response to dietary cholesterol in patas monkeys (Erythrocebus patas)

Abstract From a group of 20 patas monkeys ( Erythrocebus patas ), four high and four low responders to dietary cholesterol were selected for this study. The monkeys were paired according to their responsiveness to cholesterol, and ovariectomies were carried out on one group of the matched pairs. For the study, the monkeys were fed a Prudent Diet (at 0.1 mg cholesterol/cal) for 5 months preceding the ovariectomy and for 7 months after the ovariectomy followed by a Rich Diet (at 0.4 mg cholesterol/cal) for 7 months. Serum cholesterol, apo B, and apo A-I concentrations and cholesterol distributions were determined. We observed that while the monkeys consumed the Prudent Diet, total serum cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and apo A-I increased in the ovariectomized group, but not in the control group. When they began consuming the Rich Diet, total serum cholesterol, apo B, and apo A-I concentrations increased in all monkeys, but increased more in the ovariectomized monkeys. The effect of the loss of ovarian function on lipoprotein metabolism is accentuated when the monkeys are fed a Rich Diet designed to be similar to a saturated fat, cholesterol-rich diet consumed by human beings.
Kinetic Energy Budgets of the Low-Level Jet during TAMEX IOP 5

Using results from numerical experiments, budgets of divergent kinetic energy (kD) and nondivergent kinetic energy (kND), are examined for the subsynoptic-scale low-level jet (LLJ) event that occurred during 1-2 June 1987 (TAMEX IOP 5) to diagnose the energy conversion process leading to the LLJ development. Nondivergent kinetic energy (kND) dominates the total kinetic energy. The intensification of the LLJ, and the subsynoptic-scale upper-level jet (ULJ) is due to the increase in kND. Divergent kinetic energy (kD) is rather small. In the area encompassing the LLJ, the most important energy source of kND is kD generated from the potential energy (PE) through the cross-contour divergent winds, and then converted into kND via a conversion process through the transverse secondary circulation across the jet-front system. In the upper troposphere, the cross-contour flow across the ULJ is dominated by the nondivergent winds. The major source for the increase of kND associated with the intensification of ULJ is the conversion from the potential energy to kND via cross-contour nondivergent winds. This conversion rate is independent of the strength of the secondary circulation. The upper-level divergence ahead of the upperlevel trough is mainly contributed by the along-stream agesotrophic winds along the ULJ axis, and it provides the upper-level support needed for the LLJ development in the lower troposphere. This mechanism is at variance with the CISK (Condtional Instability of the Second Kind) process in the traditional view. Without the feedback effects from convective heating (NOLH), low-level frontal cyclone fails to fully develop. The secondary circulation is weaker with a much slower energy conversion process from PE to kD, and then to kND in the lower troposphere. As a result, the simulated LLJ in the NOLH experiment is much weaker. Nevertheless, the intensity of the simulated ULJ without latent heating is about the same as that with latent heating. This is because the conversion from the potential energy to kND via crosscontour nondivergence winds, is independent of the strength of the transverse secondary circulation across the jet-front system.
Designing Treatability Studies for CERCLA Sites: Three Critical Issues

A great urgency has developed in the past few years within the U.S. EPA remediation program to perform treatability studies at Superfund (CERCLA) sites. The major reasons for this urgency is to ensure the selected treatment technology is applicable to the waste characteristics, and that Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) cleanup goals can be achieved. However, prior to conducting a treatability study, three critical issues must be resolved by the site manager. First, what scale and timing are appropriate? Second, should the treatability study be performed by a treatment technology vendor using proprietary equipment and processes, or can a generic study be performed? Third, should the study be performed in the field or should the waste be taken to the laboratory for testing? The objectives of the treatability study will have a major impact on how these issues are resolved. This paper discusses these major issues and provides information for the design and conduct...
A colorimetric sensor array for organics in water.

Molecular recognition of organic compounds in aqueous solutions is inherently challenging due to the potential interference from the very high concentration of water. Here we present a simple colorimetric sensor array that probes a wide range of chemical properties. By printing hydrophobic dyes on a hydrophobic membrane, sensor arrays are easily prepared that provide substantial chemical selectivity for the identification and quantification of various organics (both single compounds and complex mixtures) dissolved in water. It is possible to differentiate easily even among closely related organic compounds. Upon immersion in aqueous solutions, digital imaging of the dye array before and after exposure to an analyte provide a color change profile that is a fingerprint for the organic components of the solution. Facile identification of a wide variety of aqueous organic solutions is possible over a concentration range of 0.1 M to 1 μM. Complex mixtures present no inherent difficulty; for example, a series o...
Comment on Brethauer et al. Bariatric Surgery Improves the Metabolic Profile of Morbidly Obese Patients With Type 1 Diabetes. Diabetes Care 2014;37:e51–e52

We read the article of Brethauer et al. (1) with great interest. Gastric bypass surgery in type 1 diabetes has previously not been well studied except for a small number of case reports. We recently reported on the effects of gastric bypass surgery on severely obese females with type 1 diabetes during short-term follow-up (2 …
Physicochemical properties of imidazolium-derived ionic liquids with different C-2 substitutions

Five room temperature ionic liquids based on C-2 substituted imidazolium cations and bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (TFSI) anions were synthesized and their physicochemical properties: thermal property, density, viscosity, ionic conductivity, self-diffusion coefficients, and electrochemical stability, were systematically investigated. The temperature dependence of both viscosity and ionic conductivities of these ionic liquids can be described by the Vogel-Fulcher-Tamman (VFT) equation. Compared with the reference, 1-propyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide, the introduction of functional groups at the C-2 position generally increased the viscosity and lowered the ionic conductivity. The introduction of an ether group (-CH(2)OCH(2)CH(2)CH(2)CH(3)) at the C-2 position not only enhanced the reduction stability of the ionic liquids but also exhibited the lowest solid electrolyte interfacial resistance (R(SEI)). In contrast, the introduction of a cyano group (-CN) at the C-2 position not only decreased the reduction stability but also adversely increased the SEI resistance. The effect of the C-2 substitution on the reduction stability was explained by the change in the energy level of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital. The self-diffusion coefficients (D) of each ion were measured by pulsed field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance (PFG-NMR). The lithium transference number (t(Li)) of 0.5 M LiTFSI/IL solutions calculated from the self-diffusion coefficients was in the range of 0.04 to 0.09.
Numerical solution of two-point boundary value problems in simultaneous second-order nonlinear ordinary differential equations

Abstract Systems of simultaneous second-order nonlinear ordinary differential equations with boundary conditions at two points are solved by a new numerical scheme. By adding fictitious accumulation terms, ordinary differential equations become parabolic partial differential equations. A stable numerical method based upon Saul'yev's technique is used to integrate the parabolic partial differential equations. At an early stage of integration only a few mesh points are required and later the number increases gradually as the steady-state is approached. Since one is only interested in obtaining the steady-state solution to the partial differential equations, one can change the values of coefficients of accumulation terms and also use relatively large time increments. Two examples are given to illustrate this technique. The first problem is three simultaneous ordinary differential equations describing two reactions within porous catalyst particles under nonisothermal conditions. The second problem deals with Taylor diffusion in tubular reactors. Results are obtained within short computer times and one does not require a close initial guess to the steady-state solution.
Effects of matrix grain size on the kinetics of intergranular diffusion

A linear relationship exists between the mean volume of garnet porphyroblasts and the squared inverse of mean matrix grain diameter for six samples of garnetiferous mica quartzite with identical thermal histories and similar mineralogy and modes. This relationship accords with theoretical predictions of the dependence of intergranular diffusive fluxes on the volume fraction of grain edges that function as diffusional pathways during porphyroblast growth. The impact of matrix grain size is large: compared to a rock with a 1-mm matrix, a rock with a 10-μm matrix would experience rates of diffusion-controlled porphyroblast growth that are 10 000 times faster, and characteristic length scales for chemical equilibration that are 100 times larger. Precursor grain sizes may therefore exert a major influence on crystallization kinetics. If matrix coarsening occurs during prograde reaction, a decrease in the volume fraction of diffusional pathways will tend to counteract the exponential thermal increase in diffusive fluxes. The impact of such matrix grain growth, although difficult to assess without firm knowledge of coarsening rates in polymineralic aggregates, might be significant for matrices finer than c. 100 μm at temperatures above c. 500–600 °C, but is likely negligible for coarser grain sizes and lower temperatures.
"...The Silent Compulsions of Economic Relations": Markets and the Demand for Education.

Some recent analyses have argued that public education in the United States has been isolated from market processes and pressures, that the institutional environment of public education has been dominated by democratic politics and centralized bureaucracies, and that the key to the reform of public education lies in the exposure ofpublic education to market pressures. This article suggests that market forces shape the demand for, and the politics of, American education. It also suggests that, to the extent that market pressures and processes have shaped the institutional environment of American education, market processes and pressures have to bear a substantial amount of the responsibility for the condition of American schools and the problems that afflict them.
Bragg Curve Spectroscopy

Abstract A new method named “Bragg curve spectroscopy”, based on the Bragg curve of the heavy ion being stopped in a gaseous ionization chamber, has been developed for identifying the particle and measuring its energy. The design of such a chamber and the experience obtained with the chamber using various kinds of fast heavy ions are described. In conclusion, several problems to be solved in this method are pointed out.
Atypical Response of Xeroderma Pigmentosum to 5‐Fluorouracil: A Histopathological Image Analysis Study Reveals New Insight into Etiopathogenesis

Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) is a recessively inherited genodermatosis associated with extreme sun sensitivity, defective repair of several types of sunlight induced adducts in cellular DNA, and numerous, early-onset skin cancers. The dry, rough skin corresponds to progressive cytologic atypia and loss of polarity in the underlying epidermis. Associated with these changes are immune deficiencies against ultraviolet radiation-induced skin cancer. 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is a DNA synthesis antimetabolite used against several types of cancers. Applied topically in normal subjects it is associated with moderate to severe inflammation in areas where actinic keratoses have arisen followed by ablation of the actinic keratoses which is dependent on the inflammation. We applied 5-FU to the sun-exposed skin of two patients with XP, a 14 year-old light complected black male and a 14 year-old Caucasian female. No inflammation was observed, but marked improvement in the clinical presentation of the skin was seen, as well as an absence of new malignancies. This change was confirmed histopathologically and correlated with normalization of polarity and cytologic changes in the epidermal cells. These histologic findings were quantitated using computerized image analysis. These results may be due to activation of alternative DNA repair pathways in these nucleotide excision repair deficient cells.
Landscape patterns of soil oxygen and atmospheric greenhouse gases in a northern hardwood forest landscape

Abstract. The production and consumption of the greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), and methane (CH4), are controlled by redox reactions in soils. Together with oxygen (O2), seasonal and spatial dynamics of these atmospheric gases can serve as robust indicators of soil redox status, respiration rates, and nitrogen cycling. We examined landscape patterns of soil oxygen and greenhouse gas dynamics in Watershed 3 at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, NH, USA. We analyzed depth profiles of soil O2, CO2, N2O, and CH4 approximately bimonthly for one year. Soil gas depth profiles were obtained from several different soil types encompassing a range of topographic positions, drainage classes, and organic matter content. Soil O2 was a good predictor of greenhouse gas concentrations. Unsaturated soils always had O2 concentrations >18 %, while saturated soils had O2 ranging from 0 to 18 %. For unsaturated soils, changes in CO2 were nearly stoichiometric with O2. High concentrations of CH4 (>10 μL L−1) were typically associated with saturated soils; CH4 was typically below atmospheric concentrations ( 5000 nL L−1) were found only in well-aerated soils after summer rainfall events and in marginally-anoxic soils; N2O was consumed (
Analysis of subthreshold leakage reduction in CMOS digital circuits

Leakage power dissipation is projected to grow exponentially in the next decade according to the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS). This directly affects portable battery operated devices such as cellular phones and PDAs since they have long idle times. Several techniques have been proposed that efficiently minimize this leakage power loss. A comprehensive survey and analysis of various subthreshold leakage power reduction techniques that are applicable to current battery operated devices is presented in this work with an emphasis on static CMOS circuits. Results show a clear tradeoff between leakage power and other circuit performance parameters. Based on this analysis, a designer or an automation tool would be able to select the appropriate leakage control technique for a particular application.
Formation and analysis of topographical domains between lipid membranes tethered by DNA hybrids of different lengths

We recently described a strategy to prepare DNA-tethered lipid membranes either to fixed DNA on a surface or to DNA displayed on a supported bilayer [Boxer et al., J. Struct. Biol., 2009, 168, 190; Boxer et al., Langmuir, 2011, 27, 5492]. With the latter system, the DNA hybrids are laterally mobile; when orthogonal sense–antisense pairs of different lengths are used, the DNA hybrids segregate by height and the tethered membrane deforms to accommodate the height difference. This architecture is particularly useful for modelling interactions between membranes mediated by molecular recognition and resembles cell-to-cell junctions. The length, affinity and population of the DNA hybrids between the membranes are completely controllable. Interesting patterns of height segregation are observed by fluorescence interference contrast microscopy. Diverse behavior is observed in the segregation and pattern forming process and possible mechanisms are discussed. This model system captures some of the essential physics of synapse formation and is a step towards understanding lipid membrane behaviour in cell-to-cell junctions.
Intensification and variability of ocean thermohaline circulation through the last deglaciation

Neodymium isotope ratios in the authigenic ferromanganese oxide component in a southeastern Atlantic core reveal a history of the global overturning circulation intensity through the last deglaciation. From a minimum during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) began to strengthen between 18 and 17 kyr cal. BP, approximately 2000–3000 years before the Bolling warming. It exhibits a gradually increasing baseline intensity that plateaus in the early Holocene, tracks increasing Northern Hemisphere insolation and parallels atmospheric CO2 concentration. Millennial-scale fluctuations are superimposed on this baseline NADW increase, corresponding to events in Northern Hemisphere climate records. The millennial excursions show sharp increases associated with the pre-Bolling retreat of continental glaciers and the Bolling warming itself, a decrease with Allerod cooling, and a recovery through the Younger Dryas and early Holocene. The data confirm a close link between deep-ocean circulation and North Atlantic climate changes. There is no clear linkage with meltwater pulses, indicating that rapid meltwater additions did not trigger observable mode changes in NADW production. However, rapid changes in North Atlantic sea ice cover show a strong relationship with the millennial perturbations of NADW flux to the deep Southern Ocean. The data indicate that the baseline intensity of NADW reaching the Cape Basin is paced by Northern Hemisphere insolation and that North Atlantic sea ice coverage acts as a major amplifying link between the oceans and the atmosphere. D 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
LANDMARKS IN THE CRITICAL STUDY OF SECULARISM

This essay sets the contemporary problematic of secularism in a critical frame by posing six key questions: Why is it so difficult—perhaps impossible—to reach a scholarly, much less political, consensus on the significance of “secularism”? What are the implications of mounting pressures within Euro-American discourses to tie secularism ever more closely to Christianity? Insofar as secularism is historically constituted through (a contentious and incomplete) exclusion of religion, can the contours of this contested formation be traced more clearly by drawing on an archive of theological figures, such as that of conversion? If secularism cannot be understood as simply coextensive with modernity, what are the limits of the secular? To what extent does political pluralism presuppose and depend on some notion or formation of the secular? And finally, within the shifting patterns of our world today, what are the most salient connections among secularism, nation, state, and capital? [secular, secularism, Christianity, conversion]
Predicting speech fluency and naming abilities in aphasic patients

There is a need to identify biomarkers that predict degree of chronic speech fluency/language impairment and potential for improvement after stroke. We previously showed that the Arcuate Fasciculus lesion load (AF-LL), a combined variable of lesion site and size, predicted speech fluency in patients with chronic aphasia. In the current study, we compared lesion loads of such a structural map (i.e., AF-LL) with those of a functional map [i.e., the functional gray matter lesion load (fGM-LL)] in their ability to predict speech fluency and naming performance in a large group of patients. The fGM map was constructed from functional brain images acquired during an overt speaking task in a group of healthy elderly controls. The AF map was reconstructed from high-resolution diffusion tensor images also from a group of healthy elderly controls. In addition to these two canonical maps, a combined AF-fGM map was derived from summing fGM and AF maps. Each canonical map was overlaid with individual lesion masks of 50 chronic aphasic patients with varying degrees of impairment in speech production and fluency to calculate a functional and structural lesion load value for each patient, and to regress these values with measures of speech fluency and naming. We found that both AF-LL and fGM-LL independently predicted speech fluency and naming ability; however, AF lesion load explained most of the variance for both measures. The combined AF-fGM lesion load did not have a higher predictability than either AF-LL or fGM-LL alone. Clustering and classification methods confirmed that AF lesion load was best at stratifying patients into severe and non-severe outcome groups with 96% accuracy for speech fluency and 90% accuracy for naming. An AF-LL of greater than 4 cc was the critical threshold that determined poor fluency and naming outcomes, and constitutes the severe outcome group. Thus, surrogate markers of impairments have the potential to predict outcomes and can be used as a stratifier in experimental studies.
Cross Validation of the Einstein Assessment of School-Related Skills

The Einstein Assessment of School Related Skills is a brief screening measure designed to assist professionals in the educational, medical, and health care fields in identifying children at risk for or experiencing learning problems in grades kindergarten through five. Students identified by the Einstein are intended to be referred for a more comprehensive individual evaluation. The current study presents cross-validation data from a new sample of students from a socioeconomic back-ground similar to the standardization sample. The Einstein Assessment of School-Related Skills was administered to a total of 164 children in grades kindergarten through five who attended two outpatient hospital clinics, one for primary pediatric medicine and the other for children with developmental disabilities. Testing results indicated that between 87% and 89% of the sample was classified correctly. The study's results support the findings from the original test standardization, i.e., that the Einstein is an effective predi...
Prediction of volume of distribution at steady state in humans: comparison of different approaches

Introduction: Reasonable prediction of volume of distribution at steady state (Vdss) in humans is required for screening drug candidates, evaluating drug safety, and estimating first-in-human doses. Areas covered: This review summarizes methods for the prediction of human Vdss and tissue plasma partition coefficients (Kp). The methods reviewed includes allometric scaling, physiologically based models, correlation with animal Vdss and in silico models. The assumptions, equations, input data required, advantages, and limitations of each approach are discussed. Due to the variations among test datasets, some studies have reached inconsistent conclusions. Hence, a comprehensive comparison of various approaches using a large and exhaustive dataset is warranted to address the controversies in human Vdss prediction. Expert opinion: Compared with allometric scaling, the Oie–Tozer method and correlations between human and animal Vdss are more accurate. All the three methods can be used for accurate predictions of ...
Asymptomatic 50% to 75% Internal Carotid Artery Stenosis in 288 Patients Risk Factors for Disease Progression and Ipsilateral Neurological Symptoms

Introduction. This study identified characteristics of patients with moderate internal carotid artery stenosis that are at increased risk for disease progression. Methods. Patients with asymptomatic moderate internal carotid disease correlating to 50% to 75% diameter reduction were followed for 3 years. Progression to greater than 75% diameter reduction or presentation with focal neurological symptoms was documented. Descriptive statistics and χ2 testing provided statistical analysis. Results. During follow-up, 26 (9%) developed symptoms or had an asymptomatic increase in diameter reduction to >75%. The rate of disease progression and/or development of symptoms was 5.5% at 12 months and increased to 7.2% by 24 months. Comorbidities with the highest associated event incidences were coronary artery disease (8.1%), hyperlipidemia (7.3%), and hypertension (6.7%). Conclusion. Male patients with coronary artery disease, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension are at increased risk and are candidates for frequent scree...
Diversity and Distribution of Idioblasts Producing Calcium Oxalate Crystals in Dieffenbachia Seguine (Araceae)

Although cells that synthesize crystals are known throughout the plant kingdom, their functional significance is still unknown. Mechanical support, mineral balance, waste sequestration, and protection against herbivores have all been proposed as crystal functions. To seek clues to their role(s), I systematically examined all organs except fruit of Dieffenbachia seguine (Araceae) for crystals. Crystals were found in nearly every organ. Raphides (long, slim, pointed crystals) were most common, but druses (crystal aggregates) and prisms were also found. Raphides varied in size by a factor of 10 and also in organization from tightly bundled to loosely organized. Biforines, a type of cell capable of expelling raphides, or biforine-like cells, were found in nearly all organs, but especially in leaves, spathes, and anthers. Different organs had different crystal complements, and characteristic crystals were found at specific locations, such as among pollen, along the undersides of leaf veins, and at root branch points. All crystals appeared to be composed of calcium oxalate, based on acid solubility. Possible roles of the crystals are discussed in light of these findings.
Anselm's neglected argument

Anselm is commonly credited with two a priori arguments for God's existence, the non-modal argument of Proslogion 2 and a modal argument some find in Proslogion 3. But his Reply to Gaunilo contains a third. The argument as Anselm gives it has flaws, but they are not fatal, and its main premise can serve as the basis of a simpler, stronger argument.
Diagnostic Value of Microscopic Examination of Gram-Stained Sputum and Sputum Cultures in Patients with Bacteremic Pneumococcal Pneumonia

Clinicians continue to question the usefulness of microscopic examination of Gram-stained sputum specimens ("Gram staining") and sputum culture for diagnosis of pneumonia. We analyzed the sensitivity of these techniques in 105 patients with pneumococcal pneumonia proven by blood culture. Gram staining revealed gram-positive cocci in pairs and chains, and culture yielded pneumococci in only 31% and 44% of all cases, respectively. However, sputum specimens were never submitted for examination in 31 cases; in 16 others, the specimen was inadequate and a culture was not done. Excluding these cases, the sensitivities of Gram staining and culture were 57% and 79%, respectively. If patients receiving antibiotics for >24 h had been excluded, Gram staining would have suggested pneumococci in 63%, and culture results would have been positive in 86%. Sensitivity increased in inverse proportion to the duration of antibiotic therapy (P 80% of cases of pneumococcal pneumonia.
Circuit techniques for ultra-low power subthreshold SRAMs

Subthreshold operation has become an important area in applications where minimal power consumption and energy efficiency are the critical constraints. In particular, ultra- low power SRAM designs are critical for implementing such applications due to the large portion of the systems that they account for. However, sub-threshold SRAMs have many design issues such as cell stability, readability, and writability. In this paper, we give an overview of sub-threshold SRAM design issues and discuss several circuit techniques. We will focus on SRAM cell stability during read and write operation, improved writability, and read port circuits for the design of an ultra-low power sub-threshold SRAMs.
Why oomycetes have not stopped being fungi

As one of the endangered breed of mycologists to have maintained an interest in oomycetes, I am compelled to defend the rationale in continuing to refer to these micro-organisms as fungi. This paper is stimulated by recent communications in which my mycological colleagues have, with apparent relish, pointed to what they perceive as inaccurate references to oomycetes as fungi. David Moore (1997) provides a prime example in his review of The Growing Fungus edited by N. A. R. Gow & G. M. Gadd (1995). Moore criticizes the editors for allowing so many pages of their book to be devoted to these micro-organisms, when ‘…Neurospora is probably more closely related to a cow's nose than it is to Saprolegnia’. While a phylogenetic chasm separates the oomycetes from other fungi, I shall argue that it is impractical to restrict the usage of the term fungus to those micro-organisms that qualify as members of the Phylum Fungi (Alexopoulos, Mims & Blackwell, 1996, provide a contemporary overview of fungal systematics). This argument should have been settled by a series of clear-sighted articles published after molecular genetic analyses confirmed the polyphyletic nature of the fungi (Christensen, 1990; Bruns, White & Taylor, 1991; Hawksworth, 1991; Barr, 1992). For example, Donald Barr (1992) suggested that oomycetes are fungi in the colloquial sense of the term and that it is the colloquial sense of the term that will continue to be most meaningful to mycologists. But since the message of these articles was apparently missed by many mycologists, I hope that this note will clarify a practical definition of the fungi that includes the oomycetes but which does not conflict with a natural classification of the Phylum Fungi that excludes them.
Prevention of Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism

Venous thromboembolism comprises deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) and strikes more than 1 in 1000 adults per year, causing discomfort, suffering, and occasionally death. DVT is defined as blood clots in the pelvic, leg, or major upper-extremity veins. These clots can break off from the veins, travel through the heart, and lodge in the lung arteries, causing potentially deadly PE. Although about 300 000 new cases are diagnosed yearly in the United States, probably 3 to 4 times as many cases occur without obvious symptoms and are never detected. This illness is often “silent” and can mimic other common conditions such as heart attack, pneumonia, and anxiety. Its aftermath spans a wide spectrum, from inconsequential to fatal. Awareness of DVT and PE is the best way to prevent this condition. Medical professionals have recognized DVT for almost 2 centuries, but until recently, only about half of Americans were informed about the disease. Without knowledge of DVT as a medical problem, the public could not engage healthcare providers to discuss lifestyle changes and more intensive measures that usually succeed in preventing this illness. Historically, many prominent public figures have been afflicted with DVT but received little attention. However, …
The VPS-20 Subunit of the Endosomal Sorting Complex ESCRT-III Exhibits an Open Conformation in the Absence of Upstream Activation

SAXS analysis reveals that the endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT)-III subunit vacuolar protein sorting (VPS)-20 exhibits an extended open conformation in solution, but does not homo-polymerize. These findings challenge the concept that all ESCRT-III subunits adopt closed auto-inhibited conformations to prevent premature polymer assembly.
Health Services Research: Physical Therapy Has Arrived!

Health services research (HSR) and health policy topics are critically important to the future of the physical therapy profession, but they are included only rarely in physical therapy journals—until now. We are pleased to introduce the first of a 3-part special series on physical therapy–relevant HSR and health policy in rehabilitation. According to the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality, HSR is a “multidisciplinary field of scientific investigation that studies how social factors, financing systems, organizational structures and processes, health technologies, and personal behaviors affect access to health care, the quality and cost of health care, and ultimately, our health and well-being.”1 HSR provides data, evidence, and tools to help make health care affordable, safe, effective, equitable, accessible, and patient centered. Products derived from HSR inform health policy—defined as “decisions, plans, and actions that are undertaken to achieve specific health care goals within a society”2—at all levels, from individual providers (eg, physical therapists), to health care organizations and systems, to payers and government. At one end of the spectrum, HSR can enable providers and patients to make better decisions about their individual health care; at the other end, HSR can inform decisions about payment policy and health care coverage for populations. Health services research has never been more important than it is now, as health systems struggle to control costs and provide high-quality, high-value care. Desperately needed to demonstrate both the necessity and the value of physical therapy, this domain of research will provide data to inform the organization and delivery of physical therapy care, payment policies related to physical therapy, and future state and federal health care regulations. In physical therapy, HSR was first promoted within APTA's Health Policy Administration (HPA) Section and presented through HPA platform and poster presentations. In 2005, the section initiated …
Resonance Production in Relativistic Heavy Ion Collisions

Resonances and their decay products may interact strongly with the hadrons in the fireball medium from the time of chemical freeze-out until the system breaks up at kinetic freeze-out. In order to understand the evolution and expansion of this hot and dense medium we compare resonance particle yields and spectra from elementary p+p and heavy ion collisions.
"Click"-capture, ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP), release: facile triazolation utilizing ROMP-derived oligomeric phosphates.

Soluble, high-load ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP)-derived oligomeric triazole phosphates (OTP) are reported for application as efficient triazolating reagents of nucleophilic species. Utilizing a “Click”-capture, ROMP, release protocol, the efficient and purification-free, direct triazolation of N-, O-, and S-nucleophilic species was successfully achieved. A variety of OTP derivatives were rapidly synthesized as free-flowing solids on a multigram scale from commercially available materials.
Malathion Resistance in Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae): Differences Between Discriminating Concentrations by Topical Application and Residual Mortality on Treated Surfaces

Field strains of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), previously tested for malathion resistance by topical application of a discriminating concentration of 500 ppm, were exposed on galvanized steel and plywood surfaces treated with 1.63 g (AI)/0.227 m2 (the labeled rate). These field strains and a malathion-susceptible laboratory strain were exposed for 24, 48, and 72 h at weekly intervals for 12 wk. Residues on steel and plywood killed the susceptible laboratory strain for the entire 12 wk of the test. Initial residue deposits were more toxic on steel than on plywood. Three field strains in particular were highly resistant to the surface residues, two field strains were susceptible, and the responses of the remaining strains varied between these extremes. Knockdown and mortality of the field strains to malathion residues on steel and plywood were not correlated with results from the discriminating concentration tests. We conclude that malathion resistance frequencies, as determined by topical application, cannot be used to predict red flour beetle mortality under simulated field conditions.
An MDP-Based Winning Approach to Autonomous Power Trading: Formalization and Empirical Analysis

With the efforts of moving to sustainable and reliable energy supply, electricity markets are undergoing far-reaching changes. Due to the high-cost of failure in the real-world, it is important to test new market structures in simulation. This is the focus of the Power Trading Agent Competition (Power TAC), which proposes autonomous electricity broker agents as a means for stabilizing the electricity grid. This paper focuses on the question: how should an autonomous electricity broker agent act in competitive electricity markets to maximize its profit. We formalize the electricity trading problem as a continuous, high-dimensional Markov Decision Process (MDP), which is computationally intractable to solve. Our formalization provides a guideline for approximating the MDP's solution, and for extending existing solutions. We show that a previously champion broker can be viewed as approximating the solution using a lookahead policy. We present TacTex'15, which improves upon this previous approximation and achieves state-of-the-art performance in competitions and controlled experiments. Using thousands of experiments against 2015 finalist brokers, we analyze TacTex'15's performance and the reasons for its success. We find that lookahead policies can be effective, but their performance can be sensitive to errors in the transition function prediction, specifically demand-prediction.
Abnormal sound event detection using temporal trajectories mixtures

Detection of anomalous sound events in audio surveillance is a challenging task when applied to realistic settings. Part of the difficulty stems from properly defining the ‘normal’ behavior of a crowd or an environment (e.g. airport, train station, sport field). By successfully capturing the heterogeneous nature of sound events in an acoustic environment, we can use it as a reference against which anomalous behavior can be detected in continuous audio recordings. The current study proposes a methodology for representing sound classes using a hierarchical network of convolutional features and mixture of temporal trajectories (MTT). The framework couples unsupervised and supervised learning and provides a robust scheme for detection of abnormal sound events in a subway station. The results reveal the strength of the proposed representation in capturing non-trivial commonalities within a single sound class and variabilities across different sound classes as well as high degree of robustness in noise.
Histone Deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) Regulates Gene Transcription and Enucleation during Erythroid Differentiation

The deacetylation of histone and non-histone proteins by histone deacetylase (HDACs) plays a critical role in gene transcription and many other cellular processes in eukaryotic cells. Class II deacetylase HDAC6 is mainly localized in the cytoplasm and deacetylates tubulin and other cytoplasmic proteins. Earlier studies from our laboratory showed that HDAC6 can be transported to the nucleus, and can interact and deacetylate nuclear proteins, such as histones. In this study, we investigate the function of HDAC6 during erythroid differentiation. In proerythroblast cells, HDAC6 is detected in the nucleus and gradually migrates to the cytoplasm upon the induction of differentiation, indicating different HDAC6 functions during erythropoiesis. Inhibition of HDAC6 in mouse fetal liver erythroblasts impairs differentiation and enucleation. β-globin gene transcription is reduced by HDAC6 specific inhibitor, Tubastatin A, in cultured fetal erythroblasts. HDAC6 knockout mice also showed impaired globin gene transcription. HDAC6 specifically interacts with serine 2 phosphorylated Pol II and is recruited mainly at the transcribed region of β-globin, correlating with RNA Pol II recruitment. These results suggest that HDAC6 promotes erythroblast differentiation through the regulation of transcription elongation. HDAC6 also plays a role in regulating the enucleation process during the late stage of erythropoiesis. The formation of the contractile actin ring is disrupted and the enucleation process is blocked in cultured mouse fetal erythroblasts treated with the HDAC6 inhibitor. We further investigated the molecular mechanism of HDAC6 regulated enucleation. We found that HDAC6 interacts with and deacetylates mDia2, an effector of Rho GTPases that is required for erythroblast enucleation. Deacetylation of mDia2 is required for the formation of the contractile actin ring and subsequent enucleation. Altogether, our results identify the important role of HDAC6 in regulating transcription and enucleation during the different stages of mammalian erythropoiesis. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Effect of amniotic fluid volume on neonatal outcome in diamniotic twin pregnancies.

PROBLEM We assessed neonatal outcome of normal diamniotic twin pregnancies with known amniotic fluid (AF) volume. METHOD The AF volume was empirically determined in 39 diamniotic twin gestations. The neonates were stratified by AF volume and evaluated for clinical outcome, gestational age, lecithin-sphingomyelin (L/S) ratio, and birth weight. RESULTS Neonatal complications did not significantly differ among infants delivered from pregnancies with low (155 to 404 mL), moderate (405 to 807 mL), or high (808 to 5,430 mL) volumes of AF. Relatively constant volumes of AF were maintained throughout the 27 to 38 week range of gestational age, with no apparent correlation between AF volume and gestational age. Variations in the L/S ratio and newborn birth weights were also independent of AF volume. Gestational age was the only significant determinant of the frequency of neonatal complications. CONCLUSION Amniotic fluid volume does not greatly affect neonatal outcome in normal diamniotic twin pregnancies.
International Collaboration for Global Public Health

There is a long tradition of global collaboration in biomedicine and public health. Examples range from medical outposts in rural communities run by foreign missionaries (Good 1991) to the early infectious disease programs of the Rockefeller Foundation (Fosdick 1989) and from medical services and training programs for indigenous populations set up by colonial authorities (Marks 1997) to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) established by a collective of sovereign governments (Cueto 2007).