cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
How the immune system protects the host from infection

The immune system is made up of sets of interacting cells. The first to respond in all cases are the antigen-presenting cells (APCs), which are equipped with receptors for microbial patterns. Engagement of these receptors induces co-stimulatory molecules on the surface of the APCs, and allows it to stimulate potent CD4 T-cell responses, and also CD8 T-cell responses. This in turn leads to B-cell-derived antibody responses. The entire response is controlled by suppressor T cells, as predicted many years ago by Richard Gershon.
Transient pool boiling from downward-facing curved surfaces

Abstract Quenching experiments were performed to investigate the effects of wall thickness on pool boiling from downward-facing curved surfaces in water. Experiments employed three copper sections of the same diameter (50.8 mm) and surface radius (148 mm), but of different thicknesses (12.8, 20 and 30 mm). Local and average pool boiling curves were obtained at saturation and 5, 10 and 14 K subcooling. The maximum and minimum film boiling heat fluxes, which increased with increased subcooling, were independent of wall thickness > 19 mm and Biot number >0.8 and 0.008, respectively, indicating that boiling curves for the 20 and 30 mm thick sections were representative of quasi steady-state, but not those for the 12.8 mm thick section. When compared to that of a flat surface section of the same material and dimensions, the average pool boiling curve for the 12.8 mm thick section showed significant increases in the maximum heat flux (from 0.21 to 0.41 MW m −2 ) and the minimum film boiling heat flux (from 2 to 13 kW m −2 ) and about 11.5 and 60 K increase in the corresponding wall superheats, respectively.
Electron tunneling in Ru-modified His46Asp azurin. Coupling through the Cu ligands

We compare electron transfer (ET) rates in two chemically modified Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurins, to examine the role of the Cu ligands in the ET coupling. In both cases, ET proceeded from Cu^+ to a Ru(bpy)_2(im)^(3+) attached to the native His83. In this otherwise native system, the Cu^+ Ru^(3+) → Cu^(2+)Ru^(2+) rate is 1.2(1) × 10^6 s^(−1) (−ΔG° = 0.76 eV) (J.J. Regan, A.J. Di Bilio, R. Langen, L.K. Skov, J.R. Winkler, H.B. Gray and J.N. Onuchic, Chem. Biol., 2 (1995) 489 [1]; A.J. Di Bilio, M.G. Hill, N. Bonander, B.G. Karlsson, R.M. Villahermosa, B.G. Malmstrom, J.R. Winkler and H.B. Gray, J. Am. Chem. Soc., 119 (1997) 9921 [2]). In the His46Asp mutant (46 being one of the Cu ligands), the rate drops to 3.2(4) × 10^4 s^(−1) (−ΔG° ∼ 0.78 eV). Analysis suggests that this drop is primarily due to a disruption of electronic tube coupling, rather than to just a change in the driving force and/or reorganization energy of the reaction.
Genetics of Parenchyma Cell Death in Corn Stalk Internodes and Leaf Midribs

Pith (parenchyma) cell death (PCD) in stalk internodes of corn (Zea mays L.) is positively associated with stalk rot. Only limited information on inheritance of PCD is available, and none for corn with the leafy (Lfy) gene. The objectives of this study were to (i) estimate general (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) effects, (ii) determine the effect of the LfY gene on PCD and leaf midrib parenchyma cell death (LMCD) among 21 F 1 crosses from seven Lfy synthetics (A619, A632, B73, Hy, Mo17, Wf9, and 914) and (iii) determine if LMCD is correlated with PCD (.)
The Canada‐U.S. Free Trade Agreement: Implications for Red Meat and Grain

Canada and the U.S. acknowledged the problems arising from trade barriers and sought to reduce them through negotiation of a bilateral Free Trade Agreement. Implementation of the FTA may cause significant economic changes within the red meat/livestock and grain sectors for both countries. Although both sectors are of major importance, the actual magnitudes and distribution of gains and losses have not been quantified. This paper focuses on consumer and producer welfare issues and the effects of the FTA on the red meat/livestock and grain sectors for selected regions of the U.S. and Canada. Data were carefully researched, expert opinion was solicited from both countries, and a mathematical programming model was used to complete the analysis. The 1989 provisions of the FTA will have only marginal effects on the respective sectors or on welfare as measured in the model. The analysis demonstrates that if additional provisions of the FTA are phased in over time (partial FTA policy) instead of being adopted all at once (comprehensive FTA policy), more severe dislocations occur. For either scenario, and as measured in the model, consumers benefit at the expense of producers. Le Canada et les Etats-Unis ont reconnu les problemes provenant des barrieres commer-ciales internationales, et ont churche a les reduire a travers la negociation d'un accord bilateral de libre echange. La realisation de cet accord « FTA » pourrait entrainer des change-ments economiques importants, dans les secteurs viande de boeuf et cereales, pour les deux pays. Bien que les deux secteurs soient d'une importance majeure, l' etendue des gains et des pertes n'avait pas encore ete evaluee. Ce papier se preoccupe de la repartition des benefices aux consommateurs et aux producteurs, ainsi que des effets du FTA sur les secteurs viande de boeuf et cereales de certains regions des Etats-Unis et du Canada. Les donnees utilisees dans ce papier ont ete soumises a une recherche soignee, les opinions d'experts des deux pays ont ete solicitees, et un modele de programmation mathematique a ete employe afin de completer cette analyse. Les provisions 1989 du FTA n'auront que des effets marginaux sur les secteurs respectifs et les benefices, tels qu'ils sont mesures dans le modele. L'analyse demontre que l'adoption d'une facon graduelle de provisions supplementaires du FTA « partial FTA policy » aura des consequences plus severes qu'une adoption totale de toutes ces provisions « comprehensive FTA policy ». Selon Tun ou l'autre des scenarios, tels que mesure dans le modele, les consommateurs profiteraient au depens des producteurs.
The Value of Hard Copy Output in Computer‐Administered Programmed Instruction

Three groups of university students were exposed to the same computer‐administered programmed instruction in numerical differentiation with different degrees of access to the output from the typewriter terminal. Analysis of covariance showed no significant difference on post‐test scores between students who were allowed to keep the output and those who were not, nor between those students who could look back during the session at previous output and those whose view was restricted to the most recent output. This evidence lends partial support to the conclusion that character display terminals for computer‐administered programmed instruction are not necessarily enhanced by the provision of a feature for the production of hard copy.
Differences in responsiveness to testosterone of penile reflexes and copulatory behavior of male rats

Abstract The display of penile reflexes and copulatory behavior appears to reflect the activity of two different underlying neuronal systems, both of which are modulated by systemic testosterone (T) concentration. To indirectly compare the two systems, the responsiveness to T of penile reflexes and copulatory behavior was examined. In the first experiment castrated spinal male rats were given penile reflex tests while receiving replacement T through Silastic capsule implants filled with T (50 mm T). After capsule removal the number of penile erections and flips declined within 24 hr and gradually decreased for 12 days. Subjects were then reimplanted with new 50-mm T capsules. The number of penile flips and erections increased within 6 and 12 hr, respectively. This is a much more rapid response rate to T than has been established for copulatory behavior. In the second experiment castrated spinal male rats were tested for penile reflexes with a 50-mm T capsule, which was then replaced with a 10-, 5-, or 2-mm T or an empty capsule. The number of penile reflexes declined in a dose-response fashion. In the third experiment, castrated sexually experienced male rats were tested for copulatory behavior with two 25-mm T capsules which were then replaced with a 10 or 2-mm T or an empty capsule. Only males with empty capsules had decrements in copulatory behavior, revealing that a low level of T can maintain virtually normal sexual behavior despite a marked decline in penile reflex activity. The neuronal system underlying penile reflexes (spinal neurons) is apparently much more responsive to changes in T concentrations than the neuronal system underlying motivational and appetitive aspects of copulatory behavior (brain neurons).
Fluoroscopy vs. Traditional guided femoral arterial access and the use of closure devices: A randomized controlled trial†

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of accessing the common femoral artery (CFA) using fluoroscopic guidance (FG) versus traditional anatomic landmark guidance (TALG) during cardiac catheterization and to determine the effect of the two modalities on the appropriateness for use of vascular closure devices (VCDs). Background: Previous studies have shown a consistent relationship between the head of the femur and the CFA, yet there is no prospective data validating the superiority of fluoroscopy-assisted CFA access. Methods: A total of 972 patients were randomized to either FG or TALG access. The primary endpoint of the study was the angiographic suitability of the puncture site for VCD use. Secondary endpoints included arteriotomy location, time and number of attempts needed to obtain access, and the incidence of vascular complications. Results: Of these, 474 patients were randomized into the FG arm and 498 patients into the TALG arm. A total of 79.5% of patients in the fluoroscopy arm and 80.7% in the traditional arm (P = 0.7) were deemed angiographically suitable for VCD based on the arteriotomy. The fluoroscopy group had significantly less arteriotomies below the inferior border of the head of the femur (P = 0.03). Total time for sheath insertion (105.7 ± 130.7 vs. 106.5 ± 152.6 sec) and number of arterial punctures (1.1 ± 0.4 vs. 1.1 ± 0.5) did not differ among the FG and TALG, respectively. The rates of vascular complications were not different. Conclusion: The angiographic suitability for VCD was not different between FG and TALG groups. Fluoroscopy decreased the number of low arteriotomies. The time to sheath insertion, number of arterial punctures needed to obtain access, and the incidence of complications were also similar. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Speech Pattern Improvement Following Gingivectomy of Excess Palatal Tissue

Background: Speech disruption secondary to excessive gingival tissue has received scant attention in periodontal literature. Although a few articles have addressed the causes of this condition, documentation and scientific explanation of treatment outcomes are virtually non-existent. This case report describes speech pattern improvements secondary to periodontal surgery and provides a concise review of linguistic and phonetic literature pertinent to the case.Methods: A 21-year-old white female with a history of gingival abscesses secondary to excessive palatal tissue presented for treatment. Bilateral gingivectomies of palatal tissues were performed with inverse bevel incisions extending distally from teeth #5 and #12 to the maxillary tuberosities, and large wedges of epithelium/connective tissue were excised.Results: Within the first month of the surgery, the patient noted “changes in the manner in which her tongue contacted the roof of her mouth” and “changes in her speech.” Further anecdotal investigat...
Alteration of the Fatty Acid Profile of Streptomyces coelicolor by Replacement of the Initiation Enzyme 3-Ketoacyl Acyl Carrier Protein Synthase III (FabH)

The first elongation step of fatty acid biosynthesis by a type II dissociated fatty acid synthases is catalyzed by 3-ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) synthase III (KASIII, FabH). This enzyme, encoded by the fabH gene, catalyzes a decarboxylative condensation between an acyl coenzyme A (CoA) primer and malonyl-ACP. In organisms such as Escherichia coli, which generate only straight-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), FabH has a substrate preference for acetyl-CoA. In streptomycetes and other organisms which produce a mixture of both SCFAs and branched-chain fatty acids (BCFAs), FabH has been shown to utilize straight- and branched-chain acyl-CoA substrates. We report herein the generation of a Streptomyces coelicolor mutant (YL/ecFabH) in which the chromosomal copy of the fabH gene has been replaced and the essential process of fatty acid biosynthesis is initiated by plasmid-based expression of the E. coli FabH (bearing only 35% amino acid identity to the Streptomyces enzyme). The YL/ecFabH mutant produces predominantly SCFAs (86%). In contrast, BCFAs predominate (approximately 70%) in both the S. coelicolor parental strain and S. coelicolor YL/sgFabH (a deltafabH mutant carrying a plasmid expressing the Streptomyces glaucescens FabH). These results provide the first unequivocal evidence that the substrate specificity of FabH observed in vitro is a determinant of the fatty acid made in an organism. The YL/ecFabH strain grows significantly slower on both solid and liquid media. The levels of FabH activity in cell extracts of YL/ecFabH were also significantly lower than those in cell extracts of YL/sgFabH, suggesting that a decreased rate of fatty acid synthesis may account for the observed decreased growth rate. The production of low levels of BCFAs in YL/ecFabH suggests either that the E. coli FabH is more tolerant of different acyl-CoAs substrates than previously thought or that there is an additional pathway for initiation of BCFA biosynthesis in Streptomyces coelicolor.
Genetic Screening and Testing

Genetic screening is the systematic search in a population for individuals of certain genotypes. The usual purpose is to detect persons who themselves are at risk or whose offspring are at risk for a genetic disease or a genetically determined susceptibility to an environmental agent. Genetic testing is performed to determine the genotype of an individual suspected of having a mutation. This suspicion may arise because of suggestive clinical features or a genetic relationship to a person known to have the genetic abnormality in question. Keywords: prenatal diagnosis; newborn screening; carrier screening
Surface Chemistry of Te-RICH CdTe

A study of the changes in surface structure and composition of CdTe(100) irradiated by 248 nm excimer laser radiation in the fluence range 18-75 mJ/cm2 is presented. Material is removed from the CdTe surface at all fluences, but above a threshold fluence of 40 mJ/cm2 the surface becomes Te-rich. Reflection high energy electron diffraction measurements indicate that the original 2×1 surface reconstruction is converted to a 1×1 pattern at fluences < 40 mJ/cm2. At exposures which generate a Te-rich surface a RHEED pattern is not observed. Temperature programmed desorption experiments show that weakly bound Tex exists on the surface after exposure at all fluences used in this study. A correlation of Auger data, desorption lineshapes, and model calculations suggest that the excess Te forms three dimensional islands on the surface.
An accurate and efficient tangential force–displacement model for elastic frictional contact in particle-flow simulations

Abstract An improved tangential force–displacement (TFD) model for 3-D discrete element simulations of dry particle systems is proposed in this paper. This model is based on the Mindlin and Deresiewicz (1953) theory for elastic frictional contact. Comparisons of the force–displacement (FD) behavior of this model with the Mindlin and Deresiewicz (1953) theory and the Walton and Braun (1986) TFD model are presented. Finite element method validation was also carried out for the proposed TFD model. We implemented this model in a particle simulation code. To validate the computer code, simulations were carried out for a benchmark test of 100 hard spherical particles colliding with a rigid planar surface. We also present the results obtained from the simulation of ellipsoidal particles flowing down a chute, with a bumpy bottom, using a parallelepiped having four periodic lateral boundaries as the simulation domain. Results such as the development of the granular flow velocity, contact force statistics, etc., are presented and discussed.
The fabrication of all-diamond packaging panels with built-in interconnects for wireless integrated microsystems

To explore polycrystalline diamond (poly-C) as a packaging material for wireless integrated microsystems (WIMS), a new fabrication technology has been developed to fabricate thick WIMS packaging panels with built-in interconnects. An ultrafast poly-C growth technique, used in this study, involves electrophoresis seeding and filling of dry-etched Si channels by undoped poly-C followed by removal of Si. A second layer of highly B-doped poly-C, which acts as a built-in interconnect, is deposited on the backside of undoped poly-C layer. The lowest resistivity values demonstrated on control samples are in the range from 0.003 to 0.31 /spl Omega/-cm. The results show that, by increasing the poly-C growth areas through the use of 2-/spl mu/m-wide Si channels, the poly-C growth time can be reduced by a factor in the range from 2.75 to 10.5 depending upon the aspect ratio of Si channels. The poly-C packaging technology, which is expected to provide new structures/concepts in MEMS/WIMS packaging, is being reported for the first time.
Evaluation of biological indicators of body burden of cadmium in humans.

Abstract The cadmium content in the left kidney (KCd) and concentration in the liver (LCd) were measured in vivo in 51 adult male workers actively employed at a cadmium plant and in 10 nonexposed controls. Cadmium levels in blood (BCd), urine (UCd) and hair (HCd) were also obtained for each subject. When the workers were classified on the basis of urinary excretion of β 2 -microglobulin, albumin and total protein, 33 workers were judged to have normal renal function, and 18 workers were found to have renal dysfunction. In the two groups of industrial workers the mean value for each biological index of cadmium exposure was statistically elevated when compared with the mean value for the controls. Examination of the interrelationships among KCd, LCd, BCd, UCd and HCd provided the following conclusions: (a) Only on a group basis was UCd correlated (r = 0.61) with KCd in workers with normal renal function; (b) BCd was corrected with LCd in workers with normal kidney function (r = 0.53) and in workers with renal dysfunction (r = 0.68); (c) HCd had the largest variability of the biological indices and was unrelated to body burden; (d) KCd and LCd were positively correlated in workers with normal kidney function, whereas KCd decreased with increasing LCd in workers with renal dysfunction. This study demonstrates that the qualitative nature of the relationship of BCd, UCd and HCd (biological indices of exposure) with KCd and LCd (body burden) is not sufficiently quantitative for predicting the body burden of an individual worker.
Left ventricular false aneurysm following percutaneus balloon aortic valvuloplasty: magnetic resonance imaging as diagnostic tool.

Fig. 2. Magnetic resonance imaging study shows a large false aneurysm (FA) located at the base of the left ventricular lateral free wall with a 1-cm neck. We assume that the presence of pericardial adhesions due to prior CABG procedure prevented classical signs of LV perforation and let to delayed diagnosis. Patient underwent emergent reoperative false aneurysm repair with bovine pericardial patch and aortic valve replacement (predicted mortality by logistic EuroSCORE 76%). Postoperatively she developed biventricular failure progressively and expired despite inotropic support and IABP insertion. (a) Two chamber view; (b—d) four chamber view. LA: left atrium, LV: left ventricle, FA: false aneurysm. Fig. 1. Patient was considered too high risk for reoperative aortic valve replacement therefore PABV was performed. The retrospective review of cardiac catheterization during PABV showed the guide wire was placed inadvertently against the free left ventricular lateral wall puncturing the left ventricle and leading to ventricular perforation.
Subcellular localization of rolipram-sensitive, cAMP-specific phosphodiesterases. Differential targeting and activation of the splicing variants derived from the PDE4D gene.

Biochemical and immunofluorescence analyses revealed that phosphodiesterase variants encoded by thePDE4D gene are targeted to discrete subcellular structures. In quiescent FRTL-5 thyroid cells, the rolipram-sensitive phosphodiesterase (PDE) activity (cAMP-PDE) was recovered both in the soluble and particulate fractions of the homogenate. Although an immunoreactive 93-kDa PDE (PDE4D3) variant was recovered in both compartments, a 105-kDa variant with the properties of PDE4D4 was recovered mostly in the particulate fraction. The PDE4D3 form was readily solubilized with nonionic detergents. Conversely, the PDE4D4 form required buffers containing ionic detergents for extraction, suggesting that different mechanisms target these variants to insoluble structures. A 15-min stimulation with thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) led to an activation of the cAMP-PDE in both compartments and was correlated with a shift in electrophoretic mobility of the PDE4D3 polypeptide. Long term incubation with TSH caused an increase of the PDE activity in the soluble fraction and the appearance of a 68-kDa immunoreactive polypeptide with the properties of PDE4D2. Immunofluorescence analysis showed, in addition to diffuse staining, a signal localized on regions adjacent to the plasma membrane on cytoskeletal structures and in a perinuclear region of quiescent cells. Long term incubation with TSH caused an increase in the immunofluorescence signal in the soluble compartment. These data demonstrate that three PDE4D splicing variants are targeted to discrete subcellular compartments and that hormones cause the activation of these isoforms in a temporally and spatially dependent manner.
Stable manifold embeddings with operators satisfying the Restricted Isometry Property

Signals of interests can often be thought to come from a low dimensional signal model. The exploitation of this fact has led to many recent interesting advances in signal processing, one notable example being in the field of compressive sensing (CS). The literature on CS has established that many matrices satisfy the Restricted Isometry Property (RIP), which guarantees a stable (i.e., distance-preserving) embedding of a sparse signal model from an undersampled linear measurement system. In this work, we study the stable embedding of manifold signal models using matrices that satisfy the RIP. We show that by paying reasonable additional factors in the number of measurements, all matrices that satisfy the RIP can also be used (in conjunction with a random sign sequence) to obtain a stable embedding of a manifold.
Increased Mortality of Patients With Diabetes Reporting Severe Hypoglycemia

RESULTSdIn total, 1,013 patients with type 1 (21.3%) and type 2 (78.7%) diabetes were questioned about hypoglycemia. Among these, 625 (61.7%) reported any hypoglycemia, and 76 (7.5%) reported severe hypoglycemia. After 5 years, patients who reported severe hypoglycemia had 3.4-fold higher mortality (95% CI 1.5–7.4; P = 0.005) compared with those who reported mild/no hypoglycemia. CONCLUSIONSdSelf-report of severe hypoglycemia is associated with 3.4-fold increased risk of death. Patient-reported outcomes, including patient-reported hypoglycemia, may therefore augment risk stratification and disease management of patients with diabetes. Diabetes Care 35:1897–1901, 2012
Positioning Ganglioside D3 as an Immunotherapeutic Target in Lymphangioleiomyomatosis

Tumors that develop in lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) as a consequence of biallelic loss of TSC1 or TSC2 gene function express melanoma differentiation antigens. However, the percentage of LAM cells expressing these melanosomal antigens is limited. Here, we report the overexpression of ganglioside D3 (GD3) in LAM. GD3 is a tumor-associated antigen otherwise found in melanoma and neuroendocrine tumors; normal expression is largely restricted to neuronal cells in the brain. We also observed markedly reduced serum antibody titers to GD3, which may allow for a population of GD3-expressing LAM cells to expand within patients. This is supported by the demonstrated sensitivity of cultured LAM cells to complement mediated cytotoxicity via GD3 antibodies. GD3 can serve as a natural killer T (NKT) cell antigen when presented on CD1d molecules expressed on professional antigen-presenting cells. Although CD1d-expressing monocyte derivatives were present in situ, enhanced NKT-cell recruitment to LAM lung was not observed. Cultured LAM cells retained surface expression of GD3 over several passages and also expressed CD1d, implying that infiltrating NKT cells can be directly cytotoxic toward LAM lung lesions. Immunization with antibodies to GD3 may thus be therapeutic in LAM, and enhancement of existing NKT-cell infiltration may be effective to further improve antitumor responses. Overall, we hereby establish GD3 as a suitable target for immunotherapy of LAM.
Generation of Neutralizing Antipeptide Antibodies to the Enzymatic Domain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Exotoxin A

Burn patients suffer a break in the physical barrier (skin), which, when combined with their generalized state of immunodeficiency, creates an open window for opportunistic infections, mainly with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Infection of the burn wound has always been a major factor in retardation of wound healing, and sepsis remains the leading cause of death in burn patients. Because studies have shown that topical treatment with antiexotoxin A (ETA) antibodies significantly increases survival in rats infected with toxin-producing strains of P. aeruginosa, we examined 11 synthetic peptides encompassing 12 to 45 amino acid (aa) residues, representing what were predicted by computer analysis to be the most hydrophilic and antigenic regions of ETA. These synthetic peptides were injected into rabbits for antibody production. Different groups of rabbits were immunized with a combination of peptides, with each combination representing one of the three distinct domains of ETA. Animals immunized with various peptide combinations produced peptide-specific antibodies that exhibited cross-reactivity to ETA. Two major epitopes were identified on the ETA molecule by experiments with peptide-specific antibodies in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoprecipitation. One of these epitopes was located in the translocation domain (II) (aa 297 to 310), while the other was mapped to the last 13 aa residues at the carboxy-terminal end of the enzymatic domain (III) (aa 626 to 638). Of these two regions, the epitope in the enzymatic domain induced a much higher level of neutralizing antibodies that abrogated the cytotoxic activity of ETA in vitro. Antibodies to this epitope blocked the ADP-ribosyltransferase activity of ETA and appeared to interfere with binding of the substrate elongation factor 2 to the enzymatic active site of the ETA molecule. We conclude that polyclonal, as well as monoclonal, antibodies to short peptides, representing small regions of ETA, may have therapeutic potential in passive immunization or topical treatment of burn patients infected with toxin-producing strains of P. aeruginosa.
Pulse propagation in coupled resonator optical waveguides

Summary form only given. A coupled resonator optical waveguide (CROW) is a recently-introduced family of waveguides that structurally comprises a periodic array of isolated elements (e.g., high-Q resonators such as defects in photonic crystals) weakly coupled to one another. Waveguiding is fundamentally a consequence not of total internal reflection or Bragg reflection from a periodic structure, but instead of the overlap between the individual resonator modes of the structural elements. In direct correspondence with the description of electrons in a weak periodic potential in solid state physics, a CROW can be described using the tight binding approximation; this has been verified by recent experiments in the microwave and optical regimes. We have derived the fundamental representation of pulse propagation in a CROW that represents the effects of a nonlinear electric polarization generated by optical fields, as the starting point for the analysis of all nonlinear optical phenomena in the coupled mode framework.
Access and quality in child health services: voltage drops.

Children require a health care system that promotes healthy development for all children while reaching out to the neediest. Barriers to care have been described as “voltage drops”—resistance point...
Laser in situ keratomileusis for treated anisometropic amblyopia in awake, autofixating pediatric and adolescent patients

Purpose To establish the safety and efficacy of laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) in pediatric and adolescent patients with anisometropic amblyopia who completed amblyopia therapy and had a visual acuity of 20/30 or better bilaterally. Setting Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of Texas-Houston Medical School, Houston, Texas, USA. Methods From August 2000 to March 2002, LASIK was performed in 21 eyes of 19 consecutive patients meeting eligibility requirements. The procedure was performed with the Summit Autonomous LADARVision ® 4000 excimer laser (Alcon Laboratories, Inc.) in the amblyopic eye for the correction of anisometropia or in both eyes. All patients were awake and autofixating during the procedure. Results The mean patient age was 13.14 years (range 8 to 19 years). Seventeen patients were treated in the amblyopic eye only to correct anisometropia; treatment was performed in both eyes of 2 patients who were older than 18 years. Patients were followed for a mean of 18.0 months (range 8.6 to 26.5 months). Anisometropia was greater than 2.00 diopters (D) in all cases (mean 4.43 D, range 13.25 to 2.25 D). The percentage deviation from the attempted correction in the myopic group was 4.0% ± 4.0% (SD) (range 2.0% to 10.0%) and 38.0% ± 13.0% (range 5.0% to 58.0%) in the hyperopic group. Anisometropia decreased uniformly to less than 2.00 D in all patients (mean 1.52 D). The percentage of patients with stereo acuity increased from 63.0% preoperatively to 84.0% postoperatively. Conclusions Laser in situ keratomileusis safely and effectively reduced anisometropia in these patients. If stereo acuity is not possible preoperatively, it may be obtained postoperatively.
Deflationism and the Normativity of Truth

This paper argues, in response to Huw Price, that deflationism has theresources to account for the normativity of truth. The discussioncenters on a principle of hyper-objective assertibility, that one isincorrect to assert that p if not-p. If this principle doesn’t statea fact about truth, it needn’t be explained by deflationists. If itdoes, it can be explained.
Logical Data Modeling (LDM)

Logical data modeling is a set of procedures that examines an entity to ensure that its component attributes (data elements) should reside in that entity rather than be stored in another or new entity. Therefore, LDM focuses solely on the stored data model. The LDM process is somewhat controversial and subject to various opinions; however, listed below are the common steps used by many professionals in the industry: 1. identify major entities; 2. select primary and alternate keys; 3. determine key business rules; 4. apply normalization to 3rd normal form; 5. combine user views; 6. integrate with existing models (legacy interfaces); 7. determine domains and triggering operations; 8. de-normalize carefully.
FURTHER EVIDENCE ON INSTITUTIONAL OWNERSHIP AND CORPORATE VALUE

Whether institutional investors monitor corporations and improve firm value is a key question for corporate governance and investment management. I find little empirical support for the hypothesis that institutions undertake monitoring that increases firm quality and valuation. Granger causation tests show that while quality firms do attract institutional investment, institutions do not monitor and firm value subsequently declines. Instead, institutional incentives are critical; some institutions with strong incentives to monitor do, indeed, monitor. Institutions with concentrated portfolios successfully monitor while institutions with a larger percentage stake do not. Pensions and endowments are better monitors than insurers, banks and mutual funds.
Extraneous Liability in Antitrust

Whether an act gives rise to liability should turn on its tendency to yield particular outcomes, rather than on its ultimate effect, which may have resulted from extraneous factors beyond the actor’s control and foresight. This principle is firmly engrained in jurisprudence, yet antitrust violates this principle in a number of unappreciated ways. The law judges commercial conduct based not on the nature of the challenged behavior to bring about particular results, but on the stochastic confluence of extraneous factors. This Article explores the phenomenon of extraneous liability, finding fault with several important features of the modern antitrust system. Nevertheless, the paper accepts a legitimate role for extraneous factors in antitrust analysis. To the extent that such forces are both reasonably identifiable and at least somewhat determinate ex ante, they may appropriately affect the legality of conduct the future commercial impact of which depends on those forces.
Speech, Subsidies, and Traditions: AID v. AOSI and the First Amendment

In a victory for free speech and individual liberty, Agency for International Development v. Alliance for Open Society International, Inc. (AID v. AOSI) — the only First Amendment decision of the Supreme Court’s 2012-13 term — struck down a government funding condition requiring recipients to pledge ideological support for government policies. In this essay, written for the Cato Supreme Court Review, I outline the Court’s prior holdings on the constitutionality of conditions on government funding and other subsidies before examining AID v. AOSI in detail. While I applaud its holding, the dispositive distinction the Court pronounced between funding conditions operating within and without a government program can’t govern every funding condition; otherwise, the government could manipulate the scope and funding for its programs as a subterfuge to regulate its citizens’ beliefs and communications. As with other situations in which the government attempts to alter typical First Amendment expressive protections, the overarching appraisal should necessitate continued judicial acquiescence in traditional regulatory practices. While inside-program limitations are one such tradition in the government funding context, additional complementary traditions exist that must be taken into account to protect public forums and other expressive spheres from government overreach.
Telling ‘What Is’: Frame Narrative in Zbig Rybczynski’s Tango, Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis’s When the Day Breaks, and Yuri Norstein’s Tale of Tales:

Using analytic tools developed by the literary critic, James Phelan, the author investigates frame narrative organization in three animated films. Zbig Rybczynski’s Tango uses addition and subtract...
UK Data Archive

In an era when big data and its analysis is paramount, a resource, such as the UK Digital Archive, can prove indispensable. Although the website heading, “The UK's Largest Collection of Digital Res...
Trends in the Thermodynamic Stability of Ultrathin Supported Oxide Films

The formation of thin oxide films on metal supports is an important phenomenon, especially in the context of strong metal support interaction (SMSI). Computational predictions of the stability of these films are hampered by their structural complexity and a varying lattice mismatch with different supports. In this study, we report a large combination of supports and ultrathin oxide films studied with density functional theory (DFT). Trends in stability are investigated through a descriptor-based analysis. Since the studied films are bound to the support exclusively through metal–metal interaction, the adsorption energy of the oxide-constituting metal atom can be expected to be a reasonable descriptor for the stability of the overlayers. If the same supercell is used for all supports, the overlayers experience different amounts of stress. Using supercells with small lattice mismatch for each system leads to significantly improved scaling relations for the stability of the overlayers. This approach works we...
On Multiple Roles: Past, Present, and Future

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses current demographic trends and then looks at the early research on multiple roles, examining the then dominant underlying theoretical perspectives and the findings that grew out of that viewpoint. It turns to the present, once again laying out newer theories and associated empirical results. Most of the chapter is devoted to this section primarily because the research results, while compelling, still have not had the effect of changing earlier and still popular ideas about the effects of multiple roles, especially for women with children. Finally, it comments on the implications of projected demographic and attitudinal changes for multiple roles in the future. It reveals that it is important to note that the early research on multiple roles focused almost exclusively on women, especially on women who occupied the roles of wife, mother, and employee. Research on men and multiple roles became increasingly more prevalent only in the last 20 years, in part, accompanying the striking growth among dual-earner families. The chapter chronicles how far we have come from the notion that the number of roles an individual can attend to is limited to women as keeper of hearth and home and to men as family breadwinners.
Truth-telling and deception in the management of nonorganic vision loss.

Ophthalmologists face an ethical dilemma when communicating with patients diagnosed with nonorganic vision loss (NOVL): Either reveal the diagnosis of NOVL, risking a potential angry breakdown in trust, or offer reassurance without discussing the full truth. This dilemma reflects the ethical obligation of physicians to weigh the principle of respect for autonomy against the principle of beneficence. We conducted a survey of physicians who specialize in neuro-ophthalmology to examine professional perspectives regarding diagnosis and management of NOVL for adults and children with the goal of promoting discussion of the ethical implications for clinical practice. Survey results showed that using deceptive methods to prove visual acuity was viewed as ethically appropriate (99.2%). Communication involving the disclosure of a NOVL diagnosis was not favoured in adults (11.4%) and children (4.9%) without a perceived secondary gain. In contrast, communication involving the disclosure of a NOVL diagnosis was favoured in adults with a perceived secondary gain (49.2%). Treatment of children with a placebo (3.8%) was favoured more highly than placebo treatment of adults (1.6%). Ophthalmologists adapt their disclosure of diagnoses and management to their patients, which imposes some limits on truth-telling. Only a minority of ophthalmologists disclose the diagnosis of NOVL. The best method for communicating the diagnosis of NOVL will need to balance ethical considerations with therapeutic benefit. When the therapeutic benefit of deception is unproven, physicians have an ethical duty to disclose.
The Space L (Algebraic Theory)

Let a, b, c be elements of ℤ p ∩ ℚ, such that $$c - a,c - b,b,a all lie outside \mathbb{Z}.$$ (1.1)
Poor expectations of knee replacement benefit are associated with modifiable psychological factors and influence the decision to have surgery: A cross-sectional and longitudinal study of a community-based sample

Abstract Background Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a highly effective surgery, but is underutilized by some patient groups. This study determined factors associated with a person's expectations with respect to pain and walking function following a TKA procedure, should they elect to undergo a TKA. Methods A total of 3542 people were studied with or at risk of knee osteoarthritis and enrolled in the community-based Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI). Multivariable logistic regression analyses identified demographic, socioeconomic, osteoarthritis-related, joint replacement awareness, and psychological correlates as poor outcome expectations. Logistic regression determined if outcome expectation was associated with future knee arthroplasty utilization. Results Approximately 25% of the sample expected a poor outcome. Several factors were associated with poor pain outcome expectation, with the most powerful being African American race (Odds Ratio (OR)=2.11, 95% CI=1.69, 2.64) and an interaction between clinical depression symptoms and pain catastrophizing (OR=3.17, 95% CI=2.26, 4.44 when both were coded ‘yes'). Whether a person had knee OA did not affect expectations. Pain outcome expectations were strongly associated with future TKA utilization (OR=4.9, 95% CI=2.2, 11.1). Conclusion A variety of modifiable psychological factors impact people's expectations of the extent of pain and walking difficulty following a potential future TKA. Expectations strongly predict future TKA utilization. Given the high prevalence of knee osteoarthritis, mass media educational interventions for the population may assist in better aligning expectations with evidence-based knee arthroplasty outcomes and lead to more appropriate utilization of an effective procedure.
Complexity-entropy feature plane for gear fault detection

The Complexity-Entropy Causality Plane (CECP) is a representation space with two dimensions: normalized permutation entropy (H s ) and Jensen-Shannon complexity (Cjs). CECP has wide found applications in non-linear dynamic analysis to classify a given signal according to its randomness and complexity which is a motivation to investigate its application for machine fault diagnostics. In this work we extract features from vibration signals (from gear box) using CECP approach to classify normal operational condition and faulty condition. We observe that the method using CECP is able to identify the changes in underlying dynamics of the input signal, which enables high accuracy classification. The method using CECP generates two-feature vectors with minimal preprocessing of the raw signals. In addition CECP is insensitive to external noise, non-stationarity, and trends; this makes CECP a good candidate for machine fault classification.
Surface characteristics influencing bacterial adhesion to polymeric substrates

Superhydrophobic surfaces have been reported to reduce bacterial adhesion, but interactions between bacterial media and solid surfaces at the interface have rarely been associated with the solid area fraction (f) from the Cassie–Baxter wetting state. This study aimed to investigate the effective surface area for bacterial adhesion by analyzing the solid area fraction of surfaces where the bacterial medium is in contact with a solid surface. Also, the self-cleaning ability of the superhydrophobic surface against adhered bacteria was examined. The influences of roughness, surface energy, entrapped air, and surface charge of substrate materials on bacterial adhesion were examined, and the critical surface characteristics that are conducive to reducing Escherichia coli adherence to polymeric surfaces were determined. Moderate hydrophobicity with water contact angle of about 90° produced the highest level of bacterial adhesion. Entrapped air at the interface of superhydrophobic surfaces interfered with the direct contact of bacteria to solid surfaces, leading to less bacterial adhesion. The superhydrophobic surface with a reduced solid area fraction displayed self-cleaning ability, where initially-adhered bacteria were removed by washing. The superhydrophilic substrate with negative zeta potential exhibited limited bacterial binding, due to the reduced hydrophobic interaction and possible repulsive interaction between bacteria and surface. The findings of this study can be utilized for an effective surface design to circumvent bacterial adhesion as an alternative solution to using antibiotics.
Deficiencies in mitochondrial dynamics sensitize Caenorhabditis elegans to arsenite and other mitochondrial toxicants by reducing mitochondrial adaptability

Mitochondrial fission, fusion, and mitophagy are interlinked processes that regulate mitochondrial shape, number, and size, as well as metabolic activity and stress response. The fundamental importance of these processes is evident in the fact that mutations in fission (DRP1), fusion (MFN2, OPA1), and mitophagy (PINK1, PARK2) genes can cause human disease (collectively >1/10,000). Interestingly, however, the age of onset and severity of clinical manifestations varies greatly between patients with these diseases (even those harboring identical mutations), suggesting a role for environmental factors in the development and progression of certain mitochondrial diseases. Using the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans, we screened ten mitochondrial toxicants (2, 4-dinitrophenol, acetaldehyde, acrolein, aflatoxin B1, arsenite, cadmium, cisplatin, doxycycline, paraquat, rotenone) for increased or decreased toxicity in fusion (fzo-1, eat-3)-, fission (drp-1)-, and mitophagy (pdr-1, pink-1)-deficient nematodes using a larval growth assay. In general, fusion-deficient nematodes were the most sensitive to toxicants, including aflatoxin B1, arsenite, cisplatin, paraquat, and rotenone. Because arsenite was particularly potent in fission- and fusion-deficient nematodes, and hundreds of millions of people are chronically exposed to arsenic, we investigated the effects of these genetic deficiencies on arsenic toxicity in more depth. We found that deficiencies in fission and fusion sensitized nematodes to arsenite-induced lethality throughout aging. Furthermore, low-dose arsenite, which acted in a "mitohormetic" fashion by increasing mitochondrial function (in particular, basal and maximal oxygen consumption) in wild-type nematodes by a wide range of measures, exacerbated mitochondrial dysfunction in fusion-deficient nematodes. Analysis of multiple mechanistic changes suggested that disruption of pyruvate metabolism and Krebs cycle activity underlie the observed arsenite-induced mitochondrial deficits, and these disruptions are exacerbated in the absence of mitochondrial fusion. This research demonstrates the importance of mitochondrial dynamics in limiting arsenite toxicity by permitting mitochondrial adaptability. It also suggests that individuals suffering from deficiencies in mitodynamic processes may be more susceptible to the mitochondrial toxicity of arsenic and other toxicants.
Ethnic Violence, Local Security and Return Migration: Enclave communities in Kosovo

Forced migration has become commonplace in the international political landscape. In 2015, 60 million people were displaced by violence, more than ever before recorded (UNHCR, 2015). While we know that violence leads to displacement, we know little about return migration after conflict – who comes back and where they settle. This article seeks to engage and supplement the literature on return migration after conflict, advocating for a broader understanding of the security choices made by displaced people. Emphasized here is the importance of a local understanding of safety and the role played by enclave communities in providing a secure context in which people can enjoy the society of their co-ethnics.