cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
If pharmacotherapies for alcohol use disorders are effective, why are they underutilised?

Commentary on : Jonas DE, Amick HR, Feltner C, et al. Pharmacotherapy for adults with alcohol use disorders in outpatient settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA 2014;311:1889–900.[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3][Web of Science][4] Although alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are highly prevalent and often disabling, effective pharmacological treatments are underutilised, due partly to clinicians’ lack of knowledge and misperceptions about effectiveness.1 ,2 This systematic review and meta-analysis examined research literature on the efficacy of pharmacotherapies for AUDs in outpatient settings, providing an updated synthesis of effect sizes for a variety of outcomes. The study reviewed pharmacotherapy studies for AUDs from January 1970 through March 2014, including randomised clinical trials (RCTs) of at least 12 weeks duration in an outpatient setting with alcohol outcomes (eg, return to any drinking, return to heavy drinking), and head-to-head prospective cohort studies with health or adverse effect outcomes. Studies using FDA-approved medications (ie, naltrexone, acamprosate and disulfiram) … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DJAMA%26rft.volume%253D311%26rft.spage%253D1889%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1001%252Fjama.2014.3628%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F24825644%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1001/jama.2014.3628&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=24825644&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febmed%2F19%2F6%2F230.atom [4]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=000335798100021&link_type=ISI
Density-Dependence in Salvia Lyrata: Experimental Alteration of Densities of Established Plants

(1) Two experiments were conducted in a natural population of Salvia lyrata to investigate the effects of conspecific density on survival, fecundity and growth of established individuals. In both experiments, the density around monitored Salvia individuals was altered, either by removal of surrounding Salvia individuals within a specified distance, or by planting Salvia in as neighbours. (2) In both experiments, survival, fecundity and growth showed small responses to the density manipulations. The responses varied with individual size. In large individuals these traits tended to decrease with increasing density, whereas small plants were in several respects favoured by more crowded conditions. (3) The weakness of the responses to neighbours suggests that the population of mature Salvia is not strongly self-regulating at typical natural densities or that marked effects of crowding appear only after a delay of more than two years. Mortality at the seedling stage as well as density-independent determinants of growth appear to maintain the adult population below the threshold at which neighbour interactions have strong effects.
Novel Synthesis of Stable Polypyrrole Nanospheres Using Ozone

In this study, a novel and exceedingly simple method for the aqueous synthesis of stable, unagglomerated polypyrrole nanospheres was investigated. The method is template- and surfactant-free and uses only pyrrole monomer, water, and ozone. When the monomer concentration, exposure time to ozone, and temperature were varied, it was determined that the temperature was the critical factor controlling the particle size through particle size measurements via dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). From the particle size measurements, a particle size distribution with a number-weighted mean diameter of 73 nm and a standard deviation of 18 nm was achieved. The particles were also investigated using ζ-potential measurements, ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis in an effort to determine the identity of the nanoparticles as well as the mechanism by which the nanoparticles are formed and stabilized.
Analysis on explosion parameters of blast seismic exploration in carbonatite rock

Petroleum exploration with blasting seismic waves is an important method.But blasting seismic effects are influenced by blasting conditions and medium around.Effects of explosive configuration and quantity on properties of blasting stress waves and attenuating characteristics of blasting seismic waves in carbonatite rock were analyzed by numerical simulation with ANSYS/LS-DYNA software.The relationship of stress and vibration velocity and explosion parameters were attained.Results were compared with those calculated by empirical formula.The analyses indicate that rock stress and loading time are bigger under spherical explosive configuration when explosive quantities of two configuration are equal.Influence of explosive configuration on stress waves is affected and augmented by explosive quantity.The exploration energy and ratio of effect and expense is well produced when explosive quantity of cylindrical configuration is twenty kilograms and that of spherical configuration is fifty kilograms.The conclusion is a reference to select a proper method to seismic exploration in southwest region.3figs.,5tabs.,10refs.
Conversion of Forskolin-Insensitive to Forskolin-Sensitive (Mouse-Type IX) Adenylyl Cyclase

Forskolin potently activates all cloned mammalian adenylyl cyclases except type IX by interacting with two homologous cytoplasmic domains (C1 and C2) that form the catalytic core. A mutational analysis of the IIC2 protein (C2domain from type II adenylyl cyclase) and forskolin analogs suggests that Ser942 interacts with the 7-acetyl group of forskolin. The C1/C2 complex has only one forskolin, one ATP, and one binding site for the α subunit of the G protein that stimulates adenylyl cyclase (Gsα) and its structure may be modeled using the three-dimensional structure of (IIC2/forskolin)2. The Ser942 mutation defines which forskolin in the (IIC2/forskolin)2structure exists in C1/C2 complex. Thus, the forskolin-binding site is close to the Gsα-binding site but distal (15–20A) from the catalytic site. Mutation from Leu912 of IIC2 protein to tyrosine or alanine severely reduces Gsα activation and completely prevents forskolin activation. The corresponding residue of Leu912 is Tyr1082 at type IX isoform of adenylyl cyclase. Similar to recombinant type IX enzyme, soluble adenylyl cyclase derived from mouse-type IX adenylyl cyclase is sensitive to Gsα activation but not to forskolin. Changing Tyr1082 to leucine makes soluble type IX adenylyl cyclase forskolin-responsive.
SU-F-T-598: Robotic Radiosurgery System Versus Pencil Beam Scanning Proton Therapy for Definitive Intracranial Treatments

Purpose: To characterize the dose distributions of Cyberknife and intensity-modulated-proton-therapy (IMPT). Methods: A total of 20 patients previously treated with Cyberknife were selected. The original planning-target-volume (PTV) was used in the ‘IMPT-ideal’ plan assuming a comparable image-guidance with Cyberknife. A 3mm expansion was made to create the proton-PTV for the ‘IMPT-3mm’ plan representing the current proton-therapy where a margin of 3mm is used to account for the inferior image-guidance. The proton range uncertainty was taken-care in beam-design by adding the proximal- and distal-margins (3%water-equivalent-depth+1mm) for both proton plans. The IMPT plans were generated to meet the same target coverage as the Cyberknife-plans. The plan quality of IMPT-ideal and IMPT-3mm were compared to the Cyberknife-plan. To characterize plan quality, we defined the ratio(R) of volumes encompassed by the selected isodose surfaces for Cyberknife and IMPT plans (VCK/VIMPT). Comparisons were made for both Cyberknife versus IMPT-ideal and Cyberknife versusIMPT-3mm to further discuss the impact of setup error margins used in proton therapy and the correlation with target size and location. Results: IMPT-ideal plans yield comparable plan quality as CK plans and slightly better OAR sparing while the IMPT-3mm plan results in a higher dose to the OARs, especially for centralized tumors. Comparing to the IMPT-ideal plans, a slightly larger 80% (Ravg=1.05) dose cloud and significantly larger 50% (Ravg=1.3) and 20% (Ravg=1.60) dose clouds are seen in CK plans. However, the 3mm expansion results in a larger high and medium dose clouds in IMPT-3mm plans (Ravg=0.65 for 80%-isodose; Ravg=0.93 for 50%-isodose). The trend increases with the size of the target and the distance from the brainstem to the center of target. Conclusion: Cyberknife is more preferable for treating centralized targets and proton therapy is advantageous for the large and peripheral targets. Advanced image guidance would improve the efficacy of proton therapy for intracranial treatments.
An efficient optical maser modulation scheme

One of the great attractions of optical masers is that they can provide us with a communication carrier at light frequencies. In the present day shortage of communication channels this is a great asset. When we consider the output of a ruby optical maser, we find that it corresponds to a carrier whose frequency is given by v = = c/λ = 4. 3 x 1014 cycles per second. With a 0,1% modulation bandwidth, we could then obtain a 400 Gc/s wide modulation channel. For practical reasons we could only consider, at present, a modulation channel of some 4 Gc/s, i.e., in the microwave range of frequencies, but even that is exceptionally large by ordinary communication standards. An excellent review of the use of optical masers in the field of communications is given in reference [1].
Hamiltonian modeling and control of AC microgrids with spinning machines and inverters

This paper presents a novel approach to the modeling and control of AC microgrids that contain spinning machines, power electronic inverters and energy storage devices. The inverters in the system can adjust their frequencies and power angles very quickly, so the modeling focuses on establishing a common references frequency and angle in the microgrid based on the spinning machines. From this dynamic model, nonlinear Hamiltonians surface shaping power flow control method is applied and shown to stabilize. From this approach the energy flow in the system is used to show the energy storage device requirements and limitations for the system. The modeling and control approach presented in this paper enables a unified, stable response to system disturbances, thus increasing resiliency. This paper first describes the dynamic model for a AC microgrid used for the controls development. Then a Hamiltonian energy based control is developed and shown to be stable and robust. A simulation example demonstrate the efficacy of the approach in stabilizing and optimization of the AC microgrid.
Reconstructing Noise-Corrupted Spectrographic Components for Robust Speech Recognition

An effective solution for missing-feature problems is the imputation of the missing components, based on the reliable components and prior knowledge about the distribution of the data. In this chapter we will describe various imputationmethods, including those that consider correlation across time and those that do not, and present experimental evaluation of the techniques. We will demonstrate how imputation of missing spectrographic components prior to cepstral feature computation can in fact be superior to techniques that attempt to perform computation directly in the domain with the incomplete data, due to the superior performance obtained with cepstral features.
A Feminist Bloodletting

Let’s face it: being a female vampire within the world of Victorian fiction sucks, both literally and figuratively. In almost all of her depictions throughout the nineteenth century, the female vampire is seen in two states: either feeding from the necks of her victims or on the hunt to do so, in the quest to satiate her voracious appetite.
Process variations-aware resistive associative processor design

Recent breakthroughs in memristive devices have demonstrated the potential of using resistive content addressable memories for associative processing. These architectures enable ultra-high density integrated circuits along with low-power computation. However, the reliability of memristive elements is limiting the widespread adoption of these architectures. In this study, we address the reliability issues that arise in high density, resistive associative processor architectures. We propose methods to design process variation immune resistive content addressable memories and minimize the error probabilities. According to SPICE-based circuit simulations, the reliability of the circuit increases significantly and thus positively influences the accuracy of arithmetic operations as well.
Non-Classical Anti-Factor VIII C2 Domain Inhibitors Are Present in the Plasmas of Most Factor VIII Inhibitor Patients.

Approximately 30% of patients with severe hemophilia A will develop inhibitory antibodies to factor VIII (fVIII inhibitors). The immune response to fVIII currently is the most significant complication in the management of patients with hemophilia A. In addition, autoimmune antibodies to fVIII can develop in non-hemophiliacs, producing acquired hemophilia A, which frequently produces life- or limb-threatening bleeding. These inhibitors primarily are directed against the A2 or C2 domains of fVIII. The human response to the C2 domain of fVIII classically has been thought to inhibit fVIII activity by blocking its binding to phospholipid. We recently characterized the antibody response to the C2 domain of human fVIII in a murine hemophilia model and described 5 structural groups of antibodies. Groups A, AB, and B are classical anti-C2 antibodies. Groups BC and C consist of non-classical anti-C2 antibodies that inhibit the proteolytic activation of fVIII but do not block the binding of fVIII to phospholipid. Most non-classical antibodies have inhibitor titers greater than 10,000 Bethesda units/mg IgG. To determine if non-classical antibodies are present in fVIII inhibitor patients, patient plasmas were tested in an ELISA for their ability to block the binding of representative antibodies from the different anti-human fVIII C2 antibody groups. Classical and non-classical monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were biotinylated and serially diluted into either fVIII deficient plasma or patient inhibitor plasma and then added to microtiter wells coated with fVIII. The ability of patient plasma to block the binding of the murine MAbs to fVIII was determined. A total of 16 patient plasmas were assessed: 4 from patients with a C2 predominant response, 2 with a non-C2 predominant response, and 10 with unknown specificities. Three of the 4 patients with C2 predominant responses had non-classical anti-C2 antibodies, while the 2 with non-C2 predominant responses did not. In the unknown plasmas, 6 of 10 had evidence of non-classical antibodies. Figure 1 shows representative results of the effect of 3 patient plasmas on the binding of a biotinylated non-classical MAb to fVIII. Patient plasmas 1 and 2 blocked MAb binding while patient plasma 3 did not. This study indicates that the majority of patients with fVIII inhibitors have non-classical anti-C2 antibodies in their response to fVIII. ![Figure][1] Figure [1]: pending:yes
Screen Media and the Youngest Viewers: Implications for Attention and Learning

Abstract Infants and toddlers spend 1–2 h a day engaged in screen media. Although most of them view television, their access to newer mobile technologies such as tablets and smartphones is increasing. They are also exposed to over 5 h daily of background television intended for adults. This amount of screen time has prompted a debate about the positive and negative potentials of those media to affect the development of attention and learning in these very young viewers. Research shows that age and cognitive maturity, the content of the material viewed, and the availability of a co-viewing adult are more critical to developmental outcomes than the amount of viewing per se. Importantly, research shows that children under 2 years have a transfer deficit whereby they have difficulty relating video material to the real world and therefore learn more effectively from an interactive adult than from any video medium. Another concern is that too much screen time is detrimental to developing attention processes. Although there is no evidence that media causes attention deficits, there is a relation between exposure to media and poorer executive functions and self-regulation. Also, background television distracts infants and toddlers during play and diminishes parent-child verbal and social interactions. There is an expectation that newer interactive devices might be more effective in promoting learning and focussed attention, but this remains an empirical question.
The Cell Cycle and the Control of Cellular Reproduction

Publisher Summary This chapter summarizes about the cell life cycle. An effort has been made to integrate the information into a general scheme of operation for the cell cycle with comments about mechanisms that may provide for cycle continuity and for interruption of the cycle in the regulation of cell reproduction. Cell cycle continuity is considered to be based on the sequential transcription and translation of the set of cell cycle genes that are held in temporal order by the activation of one cell cycle gene, by the function of an antecedently activated gene. The outlines of the cell cycle have been established, and this has led to clearer definition of the problems of cell growth and reproduction. The major tasks are to determine the basic causal sequence of molecular events that underlies the procession of G,-S-G2-D, to explain how the many, various growth activities participate in or are coordinated with this procession, and to discover how the cycle is arrested in G, to provide regulation of cell reproduction.
Attributes of the Next Generation Sprint Optical Transport Network

The telecommunications optical network layer has many definitions and many different applications. The Sprint optical network definition continues to evolve with the technology and customer demands. New technology advances and progress in standards are opening a window into a vastly enhanced optical layer. Optical networking may soon be possible and practical for a long distance network spanning the size of the United States. Sprint is studying the options for the optical layer and its boundaries. This paper discusses some of the attributes of a future Sprint optical network.
Alkali burn-induced synthesis of inflammatory eicosanoids in rabbit corneal epithelium.

Purpose. Alkali burning of the rabbit cornea is a well-established model for the study of anterior surface inflammation, neovascularization, and wound-healing processes. 12-hydroxyeicosanoids have been implicated as mediators of such responses. 12(S)-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12[S]-HETE) is a lipoxygenase-derived arachidonate metabolite and 12(R)-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12[R]-HETE) is formed by a cytochrome P450 monooxygenase; both give rise to the potent angiogenic factor 12(R)-hydroxyeicosatrienoic acid (12[R]-HETrE). In this study, the authors correlate the pattern of their synthesis in the corneal epithelium with the inflammatory response after alkali injury. Methods. New Zealand albino rabbits were anesthetized and alkali burns created with 10-mm filter paper discs (1N NaOH for 2 minutes). Corneas were then rinsed; 1 to 7 days later, corneal epithelium was scraped and used to assess 14 C-arachidonic acid conversion to 12-HETE and 12-HETrE enantiomers in the presence of NADPH by chiral high-pressure liquid chromatography. The inflammatory response secondary to the alkali burn was quantified through area measurements of reepithelialization and neovascularization. Results. Alkali burn induced a time-dependent production of corneal epithelial 12-HETE and 12-HETrE. A marked increase in 12-HETE and 12-HETrE synthesis was evident at day 2 (from 22 ± 7 to to 139 22 ng/hour) after injury, increasing to 800 ± 68 ng/hour at day 7. Chiral analysis revealed a time-dependent synthesis of the R and S enantiomers of12-HETE (24% R, 76% S) and 12-HETrE (72% R, 28% S). Total arachidonate metabolism, as well as the formation of 12(R)-HETrE, correlated youth the area of neovascularization (P < 0.01 and P < 0.02, respectively). Conclusions. The results demonstrate that stunning and regenerating epithelium has an increased capacity of synthesizing 12(s)-HETE and 12(R)-HETE and that maximal production of 12 (R)-HETrE, a known direct and indirect angiogenic factor, coincides with neovascularization in this model. Thus, the lipoxygenase and cytochrome P450-dependent activities increased in a time-dependent manner, indicating the potential involvement of both pathways in the inflammatory response to alkali burn. The formation of significant quantities of 12(R)-HETE and 12(R)-HETrE is a novel finding in this alkali injury model. Invest Ophthalmol Vis
HIGH-TEMPERATURE OXIDATION OF IRON-ALUMINUM ALLOYS

The oxidation of Fe-5Al, Fe-15Al, Fe-25Al and Fe-25Cr-4Al has been investigated at 1000 and 1100°C in 5 × 10 −3 torr oxygen. Emphasis is placed on the characterization of oxide scales formed on Fe-15Al and Fe-25Al at 1100°C. These scales have been examined by RHEED, Auger and SIMS depth profiling, and SIMS imaging in an attempt to evaluate the extent of oxygen transport during α-Al 2 O 3 growth. The SIMS data show that α-Al 2 O 3 (containing very little Fe) grows primarily by anion transport, and that new oxide forms at localized regions within the scale.
Diagnosing epilepsy in older adults: what does it mean for the primary care physician?

Acute and chronic seizures (epilepsy) occur frequently in older adults. However, despite its high prevalence, epilepsy is often overlooked or misdiagnosed because seizures mimic other common conditions in the aged. Recognizing and correctly diagnosing seizures can lead to a number of effective treatments.
Parallel Thermal Wave IR Video Imaging of Polymer Coatings and Adhesive Bonds

Bonding of materials such as metals, plastics, ceramics, alloys, and composites are extremely important in the manufacturing industry. One of the most commonly used bondings is the adhesive bond. In this paper we describe the use of parallel thermal wave IR video imaging[1,2] for the detection of bonding flaws in plastic and composite samples and also for the inspection of polymer coatings on metal. Using both parallel box-car thermal wave imaging[3] and parallel vector lock-in thermal wave imaging,[4] sub-surface defects have been detected in painted metal panels, and in epoxy and vinyl adhesive bondings of nylon and composite samples.
Muller's nobel prize research and peer review

Background This paper assesses possible reasons why Hermann J. Muller avoided peer-review of data that became the basis of his Nobel Prize award for producing gene mutations in male Drosophila by X-rays.
Reversing an extracellular electron transfer pathway for electrode-driven NADH generation

Microbial electrosynthesis is an emerging technology with the potential to simultaneously store renewably generated energy, fix carbon dioxide, and produce high-value organic compounds. However, limited understanding of the route of electrons into the cell remains an obstacle to developing a robust microbial electrosynthesis platform. To address this challenge, we engineered an inward electron transfer pathway in Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. The pathway uses native Mtr proteins to transfer electrons from an electrode to the inner membrane quinone pool. Subsequently, electrons are transferred from quinones to NAD+ by native NADH dehydrogenases. This reverse functioning of NADH dehydrogenases is thermodynamically unfavorable, therefore we have added a light-driven proton pump (proteorhodopsin) to generate proton-motive force to drive this activity. Finally, we use reduction of acetoin to 2,3-butanediol via a heterologous butanediol dehydrogenase (Bdh) as an electron sink. Bdh is an NADH-dependent enzyme, therefore, observation of acetoin reduction supports our hypothesis that cathodic electrons are transferred to intracellular NAD+. Multiple lines of evidence indicate proper functioning of the engineered electrosynthesis system: electron flux from the cathode is influenced by both light and acetoin availability; and 2,3-butanediol production is highest when both light and a poised electrode are present. Using a hydrogenase-deficient S. oneidensis background strain resulted in a stronger correlation between electron transfer and 2,3-butanediol production, suggesting that hydrogen production is an off-target electron sink in the wild-type background. This system represents a promising genetically engineered microbial electrosynthesis platform and will enable a new focus on synthesis of specific compounds using electrical energy.
StreamGuard: A Bayesian Network Approach to Copyright Infringement Detection Problem in Large-scale Live Video Sharing Systems

Copyright infringement detection is a critical problem in large-scale online video sharing systems: the copyright-infringing videos must be correctly identified and removed from the system to protect the copyright of the content owners. This paper focuses on a challenging problem of detecting copyright infringement in live video streams. The problem is particularly difficult because i) streamers can be sophisticated and modify the title or tweak the presentation of the video to bypass the detection system; ii) legal videos and copyright-infringing ones may have very similar visual content and descriptions. We found current commercial copyright detection systems did not address this problem well: a large amount of copyrighted content bypasses the detection system while legal streams are taken down by mistake. In this paper, we develop the StreamGuard, an unsupervised Bayesian network based copyright infringement detection system that addresses the above challenges by leveraging live chat messages from the audience. We evaluate StreamGuard on real-world live video streams collected from YouTube. The results show that StreamGuard is effective and efficient in identifying the copyright-infringing videos.
Power-tracking control for cross-flow turbines

For economic reasons, above a certain water speed, it is desirable for current turbines to maintain a constant power output. This requires a control strategy to shed power. Here, such a strategy is evaluated through simulation and laboratory experiment for a helically bladed turbine with four blades and a straight-bladed turbine with two blades. These are contrasting cases because hydrodynamic torque produced by the straight-bladed turbine has a substantially more azimuthal phase variability than the helically bladed turbine. For practical implementation, a control algorithm is desired that requires only a time-average characteristic performance curve and estimates of angular velocity and control torque. Additionally, the transition between power maximizing and power tracking regimes should be smooth and automatic. The controller can be further constrained to only apply a resistive torque to the turbine. A control strategy satisfying these constraints is shown experimentally to achieve these objectives for both types of turbines at a variety of power set points. The power-tracking error (<3%) is primarily at the blade passage frequency for the straight-bladed turbine and at the rate of turbine rotation for the helical turbine. While partially a consequence of how the generator drive is tuned, comparison to simulation indicates that perfect power-tracking is not generally possible even under ideal conditions for a fixed-pitch, cross-flow turbine using purely resistive torque control.
State Approaches to Funding Home and Community-Based Mental Health Care for Non-Medicaid Youth: Alternatives to Medicaid Waivers

Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Medicaid waivers for children increase the availability of public funding for HCBS by waiving or expanding the means tests for parents’ income, basing child eligibility for Medicaid coverage primarily on clinical need. But many states provide mechanisms apart from HCBS waivers to increase coverage for youth with significant mental health needs. Through interviews with public mental health officials from 37 states, this study identifies and explains non-waiver funding strategies for HCBS services for otherwise ineligible youth. Results demonstrate that states expand Medicaid-eligibility through CHIP or use state general revenue funds to pay for medically necessary HCBS for non-Medicaid youth.
Adult education in neoliberal times: policies, philosophies and professionalism

Marion Bowl’s book, originally published by NIACE in 2014, has thankfully been reissued by Palgrave Macmillan. This clear and convincing volume contextualises adult education within the landscape o...
Aesthetics in Science, as Practised by Quakers in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries

Geoffrey Cantor University of Leeds Quaker Studies 4 (1999): 1-20 Drawing on examples from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, it will be argued that the sciences but particularly observational sciences such as astronomy, botany and meteorology were highly acceptable to Quakers. Moreover, the study of nature was vested with an aesthetic that emphasised God as the Creator of nature and of order and beauty in the natural world. While many wealthy Quakers participated in these sciences, botany also provided employment for Quakers from less affiuent backgrounds. Hence a number Quakers made careers as botanical lecturers, writers, publishers and illustrators. The role of the botanical illustrator is explored to show that the aim was to portray natureGod's Creationwith integrity. This made botanical illustration, as opposed to most other forms of art, an acceptable activity.
Ebola Virus Hemorrhagic Fever, Zaire, 1995: an Ultrastructural Study

Ebola and Marburg viruses, members of the family Filoviridae, cause a severe and often fatal hemorrhagic fever. In April and May of 1995, an outbreak of Ebola virus hemorrhagic fever occurred in Kikwit, Zaire, and of 318 known cases, approximately 77% died. The ultrastructural pathology associated with filoviruses has been well described in non-human primates. On the other hand, ultrastructural studies on human tissues have been relatively few, and limited for the most part to examination of the liver. We report here our ultrastructural observations of autopsy tissues from the liver, as well as lung, skin, and testes of infected patients by using both thin section electron microscopy (EM) and immunogold labeling electron microscopy (IEM).At the hospital in Kikwit, strict barrier precautions were employed to collect tissue specimens. These were diced into small blocks, placed into fixative, and later transferred to phosphate buffer. Specimens were hand-transported to the CDC in Atlanta, gamma-irradiated, and embedded in either Epon-substitute/Araldite for standard EM, or in LR White for IEM.
Factors predicting knowledge on COVID-19 misconceptions and perception of government efforts in Ghana: a cross-sectional study

Background: With the increasing rate of COVID-19 cases and mortality across the globe, countries and most people have adopted precautionary and preventive measures to avoid been infected with the disease. However, several trending myths and misconceptions also floods the world during this era. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 587 participants (53% males, 78% aged 18-30 years, and 74% having at least tertiary level education) in Ghana, using a convenience snowballing sampling approach. A self-designed questionnaire based on “World Health Organization (WHO) myth-busters” was used for data collection. A logistic regression model was developed to explore variables predicting misconceptions. Results: With about 75% of respondents believing they knew “a lot” about coronavirus, 41% (confidence interval: 37-45) reported a high level of knowledge on the new coronavirus misconceptions. Social media (87%), and television/radio (57%) were the major sources of knowledge. Masters/Ph.D. degree education, National democratic congress (NDC) political members, other political party members, excellent self-health ratings, social media, respondents that anticipate a remedy in 1-5 years, and the perception that the government is “not doing enough” in fighting the pandemic, were reported factors predicting knowledge in a multiple logistic regression model (p<0.05). Region of residence, political affiliation, self-health ratings, predicted time of remedy, and level of knowledge on covid-19 misconceptions were also associated with the perception of government efforts (p<0.05). Conclusion: Most Ghanaians have much belief in trending misinformation related to the pandemic. Public health education and campaigns should address these misconceptions and encourage the public to seek information from credible sources.
Metal nitride nanosheets enable highly efficient electrochemical oxidation of ammonia

Abstract Ammonia has been recognized as a promising hydrogen mediator as it reduces the expense of the long-range transportation of hydrogen. However, methods to extract hydrogen from ammonia require improvements to decrease the overall cost. Ammonia electrolysis provides a convenient method to attain a low-cost hydrogen production. Here, we report that nickel-cobalt nitride nanosheets can achieve high electrocatalytic activity for the ammonia oxidation reaction (AOR) in non-aqueous solutions. The AOR onset overpotential of NiCo2N nanosheets is 0.55 V, which is about 0.25 V lower than that of the Pt/C electrocatalyst. Our ultraviolet–visible and mass spectroscopy studies reveal that NiCo2N nanosheets bypass the formation of the soluble metal-amine complex and preferentially oxidize ammonia to environmentally friendly diatomic nitrogen with a Faradic efficiency of over 90%. Theoretical simulation further indicates that the downshift of metal d-band on NiCo2N nanosheets surface helps retain a long-lasting electrocatalytic activity. Overall, this work introduces a new family of active and stable electrocatalysts for AOR that is based on earth-abundant transition metals, heralding the feasibility of using ammonia as a hydrogen mediator in hydrogen-based applications.
Understanding how non-condensable gases modify cavitation mass transfer through the van der Waals theory of capillarity

Cavitation of a pure fluid continues to be a challenging problem in fluid dynamics. However, most cavitating fluids contain small amounts of non-condensable gases that can change the dynamics of the process significantly. While the effect of non-condensable gases on the surface and bulk properties of the fluid has been studied in detail, its impact on liquid–vapor mass transfer has remained elusive. Here, we provide mechanistic insight into this process using theory and simulations. Our results point to a dual role of non-condensable gases on liquid–vapor mass transfer. While the presence of non-condensable gases always reduces hydrodynamic cavitation, it also leads to a mass transfer mechanism that we call mixing cavitation. We show that mixing cavitation may increase or reduce mass transfer under different physical conditions and can dominate hydrodynamic cavitation. This study opens possibilities to better understand cavitation inception.
Importing Activists: Determinants and Consequences of Increased Cross-border Shareholder Activism

We use a comprehensive sample of nearly 7,000 shareholder activism campaigns across 56 countries to examine how corporate governance regulations interact with activism to drive changes in real corporate-sector outcomes. We develop a novel country-level framework of regulatory characteristics that serve as necessary precursors for minority shareholders to influence firm governance. We find that the incidence of both foreign and domestic activism, as measured by the number of campaigns, increases by over 60% (95%) following reforms that increase shareholder voting rights (board independence). Using these shareholder-empowering changes to governance regulation as shocks to the threat of activism, and the presence of independent institutional investors to identify high-activism-risk firms, we find that firms facing a high threat of activism (including non-targeted firms) increase profitability, reduce investment, and increase payouts. These effects are concentrated in countries where the preexisting corporate governance regulations are weaker and the level of activism was relatively low; we find little evidence of significant changes in countries with historically higher levels of activism. Overall, our results suggest that, when shareholder-empowering governance regulations give activists a way to gain access to untapped markets, they can serve as catalysts for widespread changes in corporate activities.
A case report of open-aorta, direct transcatheter valve-in-valve implantation: an innovative approach to manage the hazard of coronary flow compromise in transcatheter aortic valve re-interventions.

Background Coronary flow compromise is a significant risk of transcatheter aortic valve therapy. Warranting preservation of coronary flow is even more challenging with transcatheter aortic valve re-intervention since the implantation of a transcatheter valve within a degenerated bioprosthetic or transcatheter valve increases significantly this hazard. Case summary We present a case of heart failure secondary to transcatheter aortic valve degeneration requiring a transcatheter aortic valve re-intervention. Pre-operative imaging studies demonstrated a high risk for iatrogenic coronary flow impairment. The patient underwent a successful surgical removal of the prosthetic valve leaflets followed by direct transcatheter aortic valve implantation. Conclusion We reviewed the literature on the approach to difficult coronaries in transcatheter aortic valve therapy, and we describe an innovative hybrid approach that may represent a viable alternative in cases where catheter techniques of coronary flow preservation are not applicable.
Incidental identification of inv(16)(p13.1q22)/CBFB–MYH11 variant transcript in a patient with therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia by routine leukemia translocation panel screen: implications for diagnosis and therapy

A 52-yr-old woman presented with therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia. A bone marrow biopsy showed 21% blasts with a myeloid phenotype and no other notable features such as abnormal eosinophils. Routine nanofluidics-based reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (PCR) leukemia translocation panel designed to screen for recurrent genetic abnormalities in acute leukemia detected an inversion 16 transcript variant E. This prompted rereview of karyotype and fluorescence in situ hybridization studies, which confirmed inv(16), leading to appropriate prognostication and modification of treatment. This case underscores the utility of a powerful molecular screening method for the routine detection of recurrent genetic abnormalities of acute myeloid leukemia. It was especially useful in this case because of the lack of characteristic morphologic findings seen in inversion 16 and the difficulty in its detection by conventional karyotype analysis.
Getting over our Immune-Complex – C5a receptor blockade is the answer

Several autoimmune and infectious diseases are associated with immune-complex glomerulonephritis (ICGN). Simplistically, ICGN can be thought of as having three components: (i) an initiating adaptive immune response to an endogenous or exogenous antigen, (ii) the deposition or formation of immune-complexes within glomeruli, and (iii) inflammatory injury of the glomeruli (Figure 1). When the antigen is exogenous – such as in Hepatitis C-associated glomerulonephritis – the ideal approach is to eliminate the antigen. In cases where the antigen cannot be eliminated, however, most current therapies target the immune response to the antigen or the downstream mediators of injury. The complement cascade is group of plasma proteins that are activated by immune-complexes, and there has been a longstanding interest blocking complement activation as a treatment for ICGN1,2.
The design of forward looking cost models for local exchange telecommunications networks

In the last few years great strides have been made in the development of algorithms that design telephone networks. As computational capabilities improve it is possible to produce better results, both from an engineering and an economic standpoint. This paper considers the design issues that cost model developers have addressed successfully. Many of these issues are illustrated by a detailed description of a model developed by FCC staff, known as the Hybrid Cost Proxy Model (HCPM). HCPM is capable of utilizing very precise customer location data. From these data, the model uses clustering algorithms to identify serving areas that satisfy appropriate engineering constraints. Within each serving area, the model uses a modified minimum-cost spanning tree algorithm to connect actual customer locations to a serving area interface. The same tree algorithm connects each interface point to a switch. Within each path, the model performs intensive integer searches to find the cost minimizing, yet engineering-feasible, choice of technology and electronics for that path. The result is a-low cost, feasible network plan that gives an appropriate estimate of the forward looking cost of providing wireline telephone service to a particular area. This estimate should prove particularly useful in the ongoing debate about the size and make-up of the Universal Service Fund, and for other regulatory purposes such as the pricing of interconnection and unbundled network elements.
Magnetic fields in the heliosphere - Pioneer observations

A review is presented of major physical processes in the outer heliosphere involving the magnetic field as measured by Pioneers 10 and 11. Topics discussed include spatial gradients out to 20 AU, the merging of solar wind structures (coronal mass-ejections and corotating streams) from 5 to 20 AU, and the search for waves near 10 AU associated with interstellar ions.
Problem Solving by English Learners and English Primary Students in an Algebra Readiness ITS

Problem solving was compared for English Learners and English Primary students who had used AnimalWatch, an algebra-readiness ITS. Data records for word problems solved by students in both language groups were located and compared. Results indicated that English Learners were less likely to answer correctly, had more incorrect answer attempts, took longer on each problem, and were more likely to use multimedia help features in the ITS. Differences between English Learners and English Primary students were most apparent on word problems with challenging English text.
Transformation of an engineering management program to encompass distance learning needs

This work describes the transformation of the graduate engineering management program at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) from a convention graduate program to a responsive program that couples campus-based courses with distance learning in a seamless manner. This transformation addressed increasing demands locally and regionally for balancing pressure for life-long learning with demand from work and personal lives. Current research is aimed as evaluating the effectiveness of this transformation in meeting needs of employers and their employees and the perception and support within the community for the new program.
Modulated multiple set camera for improved localization of gamma ray bursts

The addition of a modulation collimator technique to a one‐dimensional coded aperature imaging system known as the Multiple Slit Camera (MSC) can improve the location precision for gamma ray bursts and slower hard X‐ray transients to about a tenth of a square arcminute. Wires are wound coaxially around the random slit collimator and imaging proportional counter of one half of a MSC. The ratio of counts between the modulated and unmodulated halves provides an array of possible fine positions. The ambiguity is reduced to one or a few fine positions by a coarse position from another MSC orthogonal to the first. The addition of the modulation collimator reduces the system sensitivity only slightly. The fine position capability operates over about two‐thirds of the nearly all‐sky field of view of the MSC. This system offers excellent sensitivity and provides gamma burst positions from a single spacecraft that are as precise as the best of those from the long baseline network of interplantary spacecraft.
Antibody-based nanoprobe for measurement of a fluorescent analyte in a single cell.

We report here the application of an antibody-based nanoprobe for in situ measurements of a single cell. The nanoprobe employs antibody-based receptors targeted to a fluorescent analyte, benzopyrene tetrol (BPT), a metabolite of the carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and of the BaP–DNA adduct. Detection of BPT is of great biomedical interest, since this species can serve as a biomarker for monitoring DNA damage due to BaP exposure and for possible precancer diagnosis. The measurements were performed on the rat liver epithelial clone 9 cell line, which was used as the model cell system. Before making measurements, the cells were treated with BPT. Nanoprobes were inserted into individual cells, incubated 5 min to allow antigen–antibody binding, and then removed for fluorescence detection. We determined a concentration of 9.6 ± 0.2 × 10−11 M for BPT in the individual cells investigated. The results demonstrate the possibility of in situ measurements inside a single cell using an antibody-based nanoprobe.
A Programmable 25-MHz to 6-GHz $K/L$ Frequency Multiplier With Digital $K_{\rm vco}$ Compensation

A programmable rational-K/L frequency multiplier that can synthesize any frequency between 25 MHz and 6 GHz from an input clock ranging from 1 to 5.5 GHz is presented. The architecture employs a fractional-N input clock divider followed by a fractional- N PLL. In contrast to conventional architectures, this allows large K and L, whose maximum values are limited only by the word-length of digital SigmaDelta modulators. Additionally, to alleviate large K vco variation and fractional spurs, which are inevitable in wide tuning range VCOs and fractional-N synthesizers, new compensation techniques are implemented without involving additional circuitry. This is an ideal solution to support a programmable serializer/deserializer on a field-programmable gate array.
Forward motion effects on jet noise, panel vibration, and radiation

A model of the interaction of sound from a spreading subsonic jet with a four-panel assembly is studied numerically in two dimensions. The effect of forward motion of the jet is allowed for by considering a uniform flowfield superimposed on a mean jet exit profile. The jet is initially excited by a pulselike source inserted into the flow field. The pulse triggers instabilities associated with the inviscid instability of the jet shear layer. These instabilities generate sound, which in turn serves to excite the panels. The far-field acoustic radiation, the panel response, and the sound radiated from the panels are all computed and compared with computations with a static jet. The results demonstrate that for a jet in forward motion there is a reduction in sound in downstream directions and an increase in sound in upstream directions, in agreement with experiments. Furthermore, the panel response and radiation for a jet in forward motion exhibit a downstream attenuation as compared with the static case.