cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Essay – Fair Use Factor Four Revisited: Valuing the ‘Value of the Copyrighted Work’

Recent caselaw has restored the prominence of the fourth statutory factor – “the effect of the use upon the market for or value of the copyrighted work” – in the fair use analysis. The revitalization of the inquiry should also occasion renewed reflection on its meaning. As digital media bring to the fore new or previously under-examined kinds of harm, courts not only need to continue refining their appreciation of a work’s markets. They must also expand their analyses beyond the traditional inquiry into whether the challenged use substitutes for an actual or potential market for the work. Courts should acknowledge that the statute’s designation of “the value of the copyrighted work” identifies independent kinds of harm, and entails considerations distinct from market substitution. Those harms include the undermining of business models in which the “value of” the copied work may be its utility as a “draw” for goods or services other than the copied work. Relevant considerations also concern creators’ economic and moral interests in being recognized as the authors of the copied works. This Essay explores the basis for and consequences of according autonomous value to the inquiry into the impact of the use upon the “value of the copyrighted work.”
Network Effects, Customer Reviews, and Product Proliferation in Online Durable Goods Markets

In an online retail setting, we study the interplay between social learning-induced network effects and product proliferation-induced substitution effects within a product category in which customer-generated online reviews are available. We show that, when product launches are asynchronous, learning can happen in distinct phases even for products introduced relatively close to each other in time. This is due to the nonlinear feedback of the demand process, which amplifies small differences. Using a fluid approximation, we characterize the learning trajectories of products and show that differences in launch times lead to doubly-exponential differences in market share during the transient learning phase. We also show, by analysis and simulation, that transient learning phases are roughly linear in the size of the market and can last for very long periods of time. Using aggregate category data from an online retailer's durable goods, we show that the time clock on the transient learning phase can be slower than the new product introduction rate, so that the categories are effectively always in the learning phase. Further, we analyze the effect of price and quality on the learning rate, showing that high-quality/high-price products may have a much slower learning rate than lower-quality/lower-price products due to the increased risk that uncertainty about quality poses in the high price markets. We conduct both fluid approximation and stochastic simulations, and show that while mean effects persist, path-dependency and large uncertainty about the learning trajectory can and do arise.
Ubrogepant in the Acute Management of Migraine: A Narrative Review

Ubrogepant is a small-molecule calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist that received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the acute treatment of migraine with and without aura in adults. The ACHIEVE I and ACHIEVE II Phase III clinical trials showed that ubrogepant was superior to placebo for pain freedom and freedom of the most bothersome migraine-associated symptom at 2 hours after medication intake. The 52-week open label extension of the Phase III trials demonstrated safety of ubrogepant. A real-world study conducted at a tertiary headache center also confirmed the efficacy and safety of ubrogepant. Adverse event rates were higher in the real-world population. Studies are needed to evaluate its long-term efficacy and safety, especially in the setting of co-administration with other CGRP modulating therapies such as the CGRP monoclonal antibodies.
Hybridization in the Temperate Bamboos (Poaceae: Bambusoideae: Arundinarieae): A Phylogenetic Study Using AFLPs and cpDNA Sequence Data

The temperate bamboos are a taxonomically difficult group with nearly 600 species in approximately 30 genera and at least 12 constituent lineages. In this study, phylogenetic relationships were explored using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) data in comparison with a phylogeny based on plastid DNA sequences, with an emphasis on Arundinaria of North America and its allies in East Asia (the Arundinaria clade). Molecular analyses involved 248 individuals in 10 genera and 60 species. Hybridization was detected both within and among genera. Comparative analyses indicated hybrid origins for species in several widespread and well-known genera, including Hibanobambusa, Sasaella, and Semiarundinaria. Evidence also indicated that Pseudosasa japonica (the type species of Pseudosasa) is an intergeneric hybrid involving Pleioblastus and Sasamorpha. In addition, cryptic hybrids were detected within and among Pleioblastus, Sasa, and Sasamorpha. After accounting for hybrids, phylogenetic analyses of AFLP data provided resolution for core lineages in the Arundinaria clade, including Pleioblastus sensu stricto, Sasa s. s., and Sasamorpha. AFLP data also provided evidence for the monophyly of the North American cane bamboos (Arundinaria, three species) but failed to identify their closest relative among the East Asian taxa. The broader evolutionary implications of hybridization in the temperate bamboos are discussed along with recommendations for future studies.
Severe Hepatic Steatosis by Controlled Attenuation Parameter Predicts Quality of Life Independent of Fibrosis

Liver fibrosis is associated with poor patient-reported outcomes (PROs), but the impact of steatosis is unknown. We aimed to evaluate the impact of steatosis on PROs independent of liver fibrosis. We evaluated the impact of steatosis, measured by Controlled-Attenuation Parameter (CAP) on transient elastography, and PROs using the 2017–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database. We used univariate and multivariate logistic and ordinal regression to evaluate categorical CAP score with PROs measuring physical disability, general health and depression. Of 4,509 participants included, 38% had severe steatosis (> 280 dB/m). Those with severe steatosis were older and more likely to be male (56% vs. 43% and 51%). On univariate analysis, severe steatosis was associated with more difficulty walking (P = 0.01), dressing (P = 0.005), lifting objects (P = 0.02), bending (P < 0.001), and moving large objects (P = 0.0006). After multivariate adjustment, severe steatosis remained associated with difficulty lifting objects (odds ratio [OR]: 1.7, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.2–2.4, P = 0.01) and difficulty bending (OR: 1.8, 95% CI: 1.2–2.7, P = 0.006). Severe steatosis increased risk of having any of the disabilities (OR: 1.7, 95% CI: 1.2–2.4, P = 0.008) and had higher ordinal disability index (OR: 1.6, 95% CI: 1.2–2.2, P = 0.007). Lastly, severe steatosis was also associated with worse self-perceived health status (OR: 1.5, 95% CI: 1.2–1.9, P = 0.002), while general health compared to one year ago and depression trended toward significance. Patients with severe steatosis are at increased risk of physical disability and have worse self-perceived health status independent of liver fibrosis.
Learning General Halfspaces with General Massart Noise under the Gaussian Distribution.

We study the problem of PAC learning halfspaces on $\mathbb{R}^d$ with Massart noise under the Gaussian distribution. In the Massart model, an adversary is allowed to flip the label of each point $\mathbf{x}$ with unknown probability $\eta(\mathbf{x}) \leq \eta$, for some parameter $\eta \in [0,1/2]$. The goal is to find a hypothesis with misclassification error of $\mathrm{OPT} + \epsilon$, where $\mathrm{OPT}$ is the error of the target halfspace. This problem had been previously studied under two assumptions: (i) the target halfspace is homogeneous (i.e., the separating hyperplane goes through the origin), and (ii) the parameter $\eta$ is strictly smaller than $1/2$. Prior to this work, no nontrivial bounds were known when either of these assumptions is removed. We study the general problem and establish the following: For $\eta <1/2$, we give a learning algorithm for general halfspaces with sample and computational complexity $d^{O_{\eta}(\log(1/\gamma))}\mathrm{poly}(1/\epsilon)$, where $\gamma =\max\{\epsilon, \min\{\mathbf{Pr}[f(\mathbf{x}) = 1], \mathbf{Pr}[f(\mathbf{x}) = -1]\} \}$ is the bias of the target halfspace $f$. Prior efficient algorithms could only handle the special case of $\gamma = 1/2$. Interestingly, we establish a qualitatively matching lower bound of $d^{\Omega(\log(1/\gamma))}$ on the complexity of any Statistical Query (SQ) algorithm. For $\eta = 1/2$, we give a learning algorithm for general halfspaces with sample and computational complexity $O_\epsilon(1) d^{O(\log(1/\epsilon))}$. This result is new even for the subclass of homogeneous halfspaces; prior algorithms for homogeneous Massart halfspaces provide vacuous guarantees for $\eta=1/2$. We complement our upper bound with a nearly-matching SQ lower bound of $d^{\Omega(\log(1/\epsilon))}$, which holds even for the special case of homogeneous halfspaces.
Glasnost: the Slogan, the Reality, the Magazine

“Glasnost” and “perestroika”, Gorbachev's twin policies designed to reform the failing Marxist economic system to preserve the Leninist dictatorship, are terms whose meaning and practice are matters of intense debate in the Soviet Union. One important challenge is a number of unofficial, critical publications, seemingly encouraged by Gorbachev - “glasnost” is one. Glasnost is also the title that a group of ex-political prisoners and dissident writers have christened the first independent journal ever published in the Soviet Union. The magazine, launched in Moscow in June 1987, circulates freely. However, publishing under Soviet Communism has not been easy. The Kremlin has harassed the editor and members of his staff on numerous occasions but has not halted publication. This study traces the background of the publication, its staff and contributors; discusses the contents, and examines its English-language issues. It is argued that the government of the Soviet Union, with an announced policy of glasnost, i...
The Reception of Bartolomeo Bermejo’s Saint Augustine: Modern Enigma versus Renaissance Certainty

The Art Institute of Chicago’s St. Augustine (oil on panel) is a universally accepted work by the Spanish artist Bartolome Bermejo. Painted around 1475, the writing saint has been identified as various Benedictine saints and St. Augustine, but these proposals are problematic because they do not take into account all of the iconographic elements within the panel or early Renaissance liturgical practices.This essay will examine the many iconographic details of the panel and consider the surviving archival materials, including an original contract for an ecclesiastically similar figure, Sto. Domingo de Silos by Bermejo. Uncommon ecclesiastical circumstances of Sto. Domingo de Silos in Daraco found in a papal document mirror those found in St. Benedict’s foundation in Monte Cassino. These iconogaphic and textual studies in coordination with an understanding of contemporary liturgical and Benedictine practices will reveal that St. Benedict is the single figure whose personal and ecclesiastical life most closely corresponds to the evidence in the Chicago panel.
The Isolation of a Bacteriophage (Bacterial Virus) from Bacillus Larvae

(1955). The Isolation of a Bacteriophage (Bacterial Virus) from Bacillus Larvae. Bee World: Vol. 36, No. 6, pp. 101-103.
Hospital-based emergency department visits involving dental conditions: profile and predictors of poor outcomes and resource utilization.

ABSTRACT Background Untreated dental conditions may progress to lesions that are severe enough to necessitate emergency visits to hospitals. The authors conducted a study to investigate nationally representative trends in U.S. hospital-based emergency department (ED) visits involving dental conditions and to examine patient-related characteristics associated with ED charges. Methods The authors used the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, for the years 2008 through 2010. They selected all ED visits involving patients with a diagnosis of either dental caries, pulpal or periapical lesions, gingival or periodontal conditions, or mouth cellulitis or abscess. Outcomes examined included post-ED disposition status and hospital ED charges. Results During the study period, 4,049,361 ED visits involved diagnosis of a dental condition, which is about 1 percent of all ED visits occurring in the entire United States. Uninsured patients made about 40.5 percent of all dental condition–related ED visits. One hundred one patients in the study died in EDs. The mean hospital ED charge per visit was approximately $760 (adjusted to 2010 dollars), and the total ED charges across the entire United States during the three-year study period was $2.7 billion. Conclusions Patients without insurance are a cohort at high risk of seeking dental care in hospital-based ED settings. A substantial amount of hospital resources are used to treat dental conditions in ED settings. Patients with mouth cellulitis, periodontal conditions and numerous comorbidities are likely to incur higher ED charges. Practical Implications Dental conditions can be treated more effectively in a dental office setting than in hospital-based settings.
Differentiation of slowly growing Mycobacterium species, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, by gene amplification and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis.

A two-step assay combining a gene amplification step and a restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis was developed to differentiate the Mycobacterium species that account for greater than 90% of potentially pathogenic isolates and greater than 86% of all isolates in clinical laboratories in the United States. These species are M. tuberculosis, M. bovis, M. avium, M. intracellulare, M. kansasii, and M. gordonae. With lysates of pure cultures as the template, two oligonucleotide primers that amplified an approximately 1,380-bp portion of the hsp65 gene from all 139 strains of 19 Mycobacterium species tested, but not from the 19 non-Mycobacterium species tested, were identified. Digestion of the amplicons from 126 strains of the six most commonly isolated Mycobacterium species with the restriction enzymes BstNI and XhoI in separate reactions generated restriction fragment patterns that were distinctive for each of these species, except for those of M. tuberculosis and M. bovis, which were not distinguishable. By including size standards in each sample, the restriction fragment profiles could be normalized to a fixed distance and the similarities of patterns could be calculated by using a computer-aided comparison program. The availability of this data base should enable the identification of an unknown Mycobacterium strain to the species level by a comparison of the restriction fragment pattern of the unknown with the data base of known patterns. Images
2-D scanning mirror using plastically deformed angular vertical comb drive actuator

We have demonstrated microfabricated, monolithic two degrees of freedom (2D) electrostatic torsional mirrors using a 3-mask process on SOI wafer with a single plastic deformation step. The mirror operated independently in two orthogonal directions as controlled by two sets of self-aligned angular vertical combs. The measured dynamic performance showed resonant frequencies of 10.56 kHz and 1.54 kHz with optical scanning angles up to 27 degrees and 20 degrees in the two orthogonal axes respectively, under driving voltages of 20V/sub dc/ plus 15V/sub pp/. A reliability test of 90-day continuous mirror operation that corresponds to peak resonance of 80- and 12.1-billion cycles on the two orthogonal axes showed negligible performance variations.
The 2004 Presidential Election: Did Voters Bring Their Pocketbooks to the Polls?

In the wake of the 2004 presidential election, supporters of Senator John Kerry’s candidacy searched for explanations of voter behavior. The Kerry campaign succeeded in turning out record numbers of low-income voters. Kerry strategists predicted that these voters would hold incumbent President George W. Bush responsible for a decline in their personal economic well-being. Kerry attempted to facilitate this electoral behavior by offering what he believed to be an economic plan attractive to low-income voters. The pocketbook theory of voting underpinned this strategy. This theory asserts that voters consider the perceived impact which an incumbent has had on their personal economic well-being when deciding to cast their vote. This paper models the 2004 presidential election to determine if voters considered their personal economic wellbeing when casting their vote. The results suggest that personal economic well-being was significant in determining vote choice, with lower income voters marginally more likely to cast their vote for Kerry. However, this effect was mitigated by voters’ race and gender. This article is available in Undergraduate Economic Review: http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/uer/vol2/iss1/10 The 2004 Presidential Election: Did Voters Bring Their Pocketbooks to the Polls? Paul Masi Davidson College
Glucocorticoid-Induced Apoptosis of Thymocytes: Requirement of Proteasome-Dependent Mitochondrial Activity

Thymocytes undergo negative and positive selection during development in the thymus. During this selection process, the majority of thymocytes are eliminated by apoptosis through signaling via TCR or die by neglect, possibly mediated through glucocorticoids. In this study, we report that thymocytes require molecular oxygen to undergo apoptosis induced by dexamethasone (DEX), a synthetic glucocorticoid, and treatment with N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), a thiol antioxidant, inhibits thymocyte apoptosis in vivo as well as ex vivo. We detected elevated intracellular levels of hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) during DEX-induced apoptosis, which is reduced by NAC treatment, indicating that the elevated levels of intracellular H(2)O(2) are proapoptotic. We also show that loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, cytochrome c release, as well as caspase-3 activation induced by DEX are attenuated by NAC treatment. We identified the production site for H(2)O(2) as the ubiquinone cycle at complex III of mitochondria by using various inhibitors of the mitochondrial electron transport chain, and we show that the cell death events mediated by mitochondria are also significantly reduced when the inhibitors were used. Through inhibition of the proteasome, we also show that the production of H(2)O(2) and the cell death events mediated by mitochondria are regulated by proteosomal activities in DEX-induced thymocyte apoptosis. We conclude that in DEX-treated thymocytes, the increased production of H(2)O(2) originates from mitochondria and is proapoptotic for cell death mediated by mitochondria. We also conclude that all the apoptotic events mediated by mitochondria are regulated by proteasomes.
Renal Hypophosphatemic Rickets: Growth Acceleration After Long-Term Treatment with 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin-D3

Treatment with 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin-D3 and phosphorus supplementation for as long as 48 months was evaluated in six patients with renal hypophosphatemic rickets. Previous phosphorus supplementation of 1,800 to 4,000 mg/sq m of body surface area per day was continued while 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin-D3 at 17 to 80 ng/kg of body weight per day was given orally in place of vitamin-D2. The serum calcium concentration stayed within the normal range in the majority of patients, while the serum phosphorus concentration rose from 2.5 +/- 0.4 to 3.4 +/- 1.2 mg/100 ml after one month (P < .01). With rare exceptions, serum alkaline phosphatase and parthyroid hormone concentrations stayed normal throughout the study. Healing of rickets was demonstrated by radiography. In five patients, growth velocity was evaluated for 12 months before and after therapy. Growth accelerations were 123% to 235% of that expected for changes in chronologic age and 114% to 200% expected for changes in bone age after therapy. Orally administered, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin-D3 increased renal calcium excretion and calcium retention was achieved by virtue of the decreased fecal calcium loss. In contrast, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin-D3, even at doses up to 4 micrograms/day (80 ng/kg/day) did not significantly alter renal phosphaturia. The phosphorus retention was therefore achieved as the result of the decreased fecal phosphate excretion. The absence of hypercalcemia even at high doses of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin-D3 and the enhanced linear growth support the long-term therapeutic value of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin-D3 in renal hypophosphatemic rickets.
DDD-pacing na cardiochirurgie

Na diverse thoraxchirurgische ingrepen wordt gebruikgemaakt van DDD-pacing. Om pacing in zowel atria als ventrikels veilig toe te passen, zijn een aantal voorzorgmaatregelen belangrijk. Daarnaast passeren voordelen, instellingen, pittfalls en de nieuwste ontwikkelingen in dit artikel de revue.
Effect of experimental wood addition on hyporheic exchange and thermal dynamics in a losing meadow stream

[1] Stream restoration structures such as large wood can enhance shallow river-groundwater exchange, or hyporheic exchange, and alter temperature dynamics in restored reaches. We added and then removed channel-spanning logs in a second-order mountain meadow stream to test short-term impacts on hyporheic exchange, streambed temperatures, and surface water temperatures. Based on vertical seepage measurements and numerical simulations of hyporheic fluid and heat flow, large wood addition increased hyporheic exchange and altered streambed temperatures. In this losing stream, meter-scale hyporheic exchange cells formed beneath large wood. Upwelling pore water downstream of logs stabilized diel temperature cycles across <8% of the streambed, creating localized but potentially valuable thermal refuge. Exchange rates were <0.1% of channel discharge—too small to impact the range of diel temperature signals in surface water. However, the lag between downstream and upstream diel temperature signals was slightly greater with large wood, which may indicate that surface storage zones rather than hyporheic storage zones increased thermal retardation. Losing conditions limited the spatial extent and rates of hyporheic exchange near large wood. Impacts of large wood reintroduction on hyporheic exchange depend on ambient groundwater discharge or recharge, streambed permeability, channel Froude number, large wood blockage ratio, and large wood spacing. In many streams, large wood reintroduction may increase hyporheic habitat volume and complexity but may not increase exchange rates enough to alter surface water temperature or chemistry. Surface storage zones such as eddies and pools can still influence heat and solute retention in the channel.
Ca2+–Zn2+ permeable AMPA or kainate receptors: possible key factors in selective neurodegeneration

Neurological diseases, including global ischemia, Alzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, are characterized by selective patterns of neurodegeneration. Most studies of potential glutamate-receptor-mediated contributions to disease have focused on the highly Ca2+-permeable and widely distributed NMDA-receptor channel. However, an alternative hypothesis is that the presence of AMPA- or kainate-receptor channels that are directly permeable to Ca2+ ions (Ca-A/K-receptor channels) is of greater significance to the neuronal loss seen in these conditions. Besides a restricted distribution and high Ca2+ permeability, two other factors make Ca-A/K receptors appealing candidate contributors to selective injury: their high permeability to Zn2+ ions and the possibility that their numbers increase in disease-associated conditions. Further characterization of the functions of these channels should result in new approaches to treatment of these conditions.
PEPR - A Developmental System For Rapid Processing Of Bubble-Chamber Film

The bulk of this paper will deal with PEPR a device under development at MIT for rapid pro-cessing of bubble-chamber film.© (1966) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Speech recognition systems on the cell broadband engine processor

In this paper we describe our design, implementation, and initial results of a prototype connected-phoneme-based speech recognition system on the Cell Broadband Engine™ (Cell/B.E.) processor. Automated speech recognition decodes speech samples into plaintext (other representations are possible) and must process samples at real-time rates. Fortunately, the computational tasks involved in this pipeline are highly data parallel and can receive significant hardware acceleration from vector-streaming architectures such as the Cell/B.E. Architecture. Identifying and exploiting these parallelism opportunities is challenging and critical to improving system performance. From our initial performance timings, we observed that a single Cell/B.E. processor can recognize speech from thousands of simultaneous voice channels in real time-a channel density that is orders of magnitude greater than the capacity of existing software speech recognizers based on CPUs (central processing units). This result emphasizes the potential for Cell/B.E. processor-based speech recognition and will likely lead to the development of production speech systems using Cell/B.E. processor clusters.
The relationship between circulating testosterone levels and male sexual behavior in rats

Abstract The relationships between plasma testosterone (T) and various parameters of male sexual behavior were examined in intact and castrated T-treated male rats. Repeated blood sampling and behavioral testing revealed no correlation between any measure of sexual behavior and plasma T in normal untreated sexually active males. T-Filled Silastic capsules, implanted subcutaneously at the time of castration, were found to produce plasma T levels proportional to capsule size. Plasma T titers less than 10% of normal (0.2 ng/ml) maintained ejaculatory behavior near normal levels for the 58 days of the experiment. Measures of sexual behavior which showed androgen dependence were intromission latency, postejaculatory interval, and intromission frequency. The plasma T concentration required to maintain these parameters within the intact range was 0.7 ng/ml, which is less than one-third of the mean intact level (2.6 ng/ml). No significant improvement in the sex behavior measures was seen with plasma T levels between 0.7 and 3.1 ng/ml. It was concluded that the absence of relationships between circulating T and sexual behavior in the normal rat population is due to the androgen requirement for this behavior being less than the amount normally present. Findings on T levels and T treatment in noncopulator males are also presented.
Race and sex disparities in the treatment of older patients with T1a renal cell carcinoma: A comorbidity-controlled competing-risks model

Abstract Objectives Recognizing population-level disparities for the treatment of patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) would inform clinical practice and health policy. Few studies, reporting conflicting results, have investigated race and sex disparities specifically among patients with small renal masses. Methods and materials The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare database (1995–2007) was queried for patients with localized T1a RCC undergoing radical nephrectomy, partial nephrectomy (PN), or deferred therapy (DT). Demographics, comorbidity, and treatment approach were assessed. Multivariable logistic regression models evaluated predictors of DT and then PN among those receiving surgery. Cox proportional hazards model evaluated survival differences for whites vs. blacks and women vs. men. Results A total of 6,092 white and 617 black patients with T1a RCC met the inclusion criteria. Blacks were twice as likely to defer therapy compared with whites (odds ratio = 1.95, 95% CI: 1.52–2.51) and had worse overall survival (hazard ratio = 1.36, 95% CI: 1.19–1.56). However, cancer-specific survival (CSS) was similar (P = 0.429). The greatest discrepancy was among healthy (Charlson comorbidity index≤1) blacks who had a much higher rate of DT compared with their white counterparts. Women were found to have decreased use of PN compared with men (odds ratio = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.74–0.96) and better CSS (hazard ratio = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.58–0.94), but there were no differences by race. Conclusions The differential use of DT by race instead of purely by age and comorbidity is concerning but has not led to a significant difference in CSS. Women are less likely to undergo PN compared with men, but they also have a notably improved CSS.
Pressure dependence of the superconducting transition temperature in alkali tungsten bronzes

The superconducting transition temperatures have been measured for the tetragonal I phase of Na0.23WO3, the hexagonal phase of K0.33 WO3, and the hexagonal phase of Rb0.33WO3 for pressures up to 20,000 bar. The slope of the curves is + 1.7 × 10−5 K/bar for the sodium bronze, −5.8 × 10−5 K /bar for the potassium bronze, and −1.5 × 10−5 K/bar for the rubidium bronze. A sharp change in slope of the transition temperature vs. pressure curve for the potassium bronze at 4000 bar may indicate a phase change.
Distribution of mineral matter in pulverized coal

Abstract Mineral transformations, and therefore fly ash evolution, during pulverized coal combustion, depend on the amount, composition and spatial distribution of the inorganic matter within individual pulverized coal particles. Thus, it is necessary to have information on the mineral composition of individual particles, as well as that of the raw pulverized coal. A model is proposed based on the assumption that mineral inclusions of size and composition determined using a CCSEM are distributed randomly in the coal. From this distribution it is possible to generate distributions of mineral content for any particle size and density fraction of coal. The model has been checked by comparing computed results with data on the compositional variations of narrowly and density classified fractions of an Upper Freeport bituminous coal. The results of individual coal particle compositions are used to generate information on the variability of the composition of the fly ash generated during combustion.
Antiretroviral adherence in persons with HIV/AIDS and severe mental illness.

Abstract This study identified factors impacting adherence to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) therapies in a sample of 46 persons diagnosed with HIV/acquired immune deficiency syndrome and severe mental illness who were receiving care through a day care program in Northern California. Comprehensive descriptions of factors and circumstances that influence adherence behaviors were obtained through critical incident interviews, and a taxonomy of adherence factors was determined. A χ2 analysis that examined differences between patient characteristics and major adherence factors found that planning was more likely to be reported by older persons taking HIV medications over longer periods. Nonwhite persons and those living alone were more apt to rely on the use of reminders and cues. Persons with bipolar disorder reported substantially more incidents of the impact of their symptoms on adherence to HIV therapies than persons with other psychiatric diagnoses. The taxonomy of adherence factors provides important information for developing relevant adherence education programs and an essential foundation for testing compliance interventions.
Eating Disorders in Women of Color

This article reviews evidence for ethnic differences in eating disorders, examining problems in extant research that have led to contradictory and confusing results. Problems include use of measures of assessment that have been validated only on White samples, lack of specificity in defining groups of people under study, ethnic differences in clinical presentation, and biases in detecting and reporting eating disorders in women of color. The possibility of different etiological pathways for White women and women of color is discussed, with internalized racism and acculturative stress postulated as contributing to the development of eating disorders in women of color. Suggestions are made to refine research in this area and to enhance treatment approaches in working with women of color.
Inhibition Of Recycling Endosomes By Brefeldin-A Prevents KLHL1-mediated Upregulation Of α1h T-type Currents

The Kelch-like 1 (KLHL1) actin binding protein interacts with α1H calcium channels and increases calcium current density via interaction with the actin cytoskeleton, resulting in an increase in the number of channels at the membrane. We probed the effect of Brefeldin A (BFA), which affects protein transport via disruption of the trans-Golgi network and by blocking vesicle recycling. HEK 293 cells stably transfected with α1H were incubated with various BFA concentrations; overnight incubations resulted in the elimination of basal α1H currents (IC50=21μM), consistent with impaired channel trafficking from the Golgi complex. Interestingly, low [BFA] (107 nM) and/or short-term incubations (3.6 μM for 1 hr) did not alter endogenous α1H levels, yet completely eliminated the KLHL1 effect. Current deactivation kinetics changes originally observed in the presence of KLHL1 persisted in the presence of BFA, indicating that BFA does not affect the direct interaction of KLHL1 with α1H already present at the plasma membrane.Our data suggests KLHL1 up-regulates channel number by increasing α1H re-insertion tino the membrane via recycling endosomes, a process that involves stabilization of the actin cytoskeleton. Supported by AHA-0615508Z (KA) and NSF- 0641141 (EPR).View Large Image | View Hi-Res Image | Download PowerPoint Slide
The Role of Proteolytic Enzymes in the Development of Pulmonary Emphysema and Periodontal Disease

Pulmonary emphysema and periodontal disease are each characterized by the uncontrolled proteolysis of connective tissue proteins by proteinases derived from human neutrophils. Although these diseases would not appear to be related in terms of the initial insult to individual tissues, the ultimate result in each disease is the accumulation and degranulation of neutrophils at inflammatory sites, apparently as a result of frustrated phagocytosis and specific activation of these phagocytic cells. This result is easily recognized in the case of emphysema, where there is clear evidence that the primary cause of the disease is the accumulation of foreign materials in the lung (e.g., smoke condensate), followed by the recruitment of neutrophils to the organ and the release of oxidative and hydrolytic enzymes. In periodontitis, however, the problem begins with the accumulation of plaque at the base of the teeth, followed by the growth of opportunistic anaerobic bacteria below the gum line. These parasitic microbes, which are resistant to killing by both monocytes and granulocytes, secrete proteinases that can activate the kallikrein-kinin pathway, degrade clotting factors, and release the potent neutrophil chemotactic factor, C5a, from complement. It is under such conditions that neutrophils are recruited to infected sites within the periodontium. After the neutrophil-recruitment stage, the two diseases become similar in that degranulation of neutrophils occurs during attempted phagocytosis of either cigarette smoke components (emphysema) or bacteria (periodontitis), followed by inactivation of tissue proteinase inhibitors and degradation of connective tissue proteins, the ultimate result being the destruction of the alveolus or gingiva, respectively.
Patterns of poisoning and drug overdosage and their outcome among in-patients admitted to the emergency medicine department of a tertiary care hospital.

Background: Poisoning and drug overdose (DO) are important health problems in developing countries. These emergencies are associated with high mortality and morbidity. Different factors affect the final outcome of patients. This study aims to review the pattern of poisoning and DO in an urban tertiary care hospital and also the determinants and final outcome of patients with poisoning and DO. Materials and Methods: Observational, retrospective hospital records-based study at a tertiary care hospital (15 months). Data on demography, hospitalization, complications, type of poison/drug and outcome of patients with poisoning and DO were collected. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi square test and ANOVA. P Results: Of the total of 296 records, 213 were included (122 poisoning, 91 DO). Organophosphates (OP) (32.5%), pyrethroids (17.2%) and organocarbamates (12.2%) were the commonly used poisons. Sedatives and antiepileptics (21% each) were the common DOs. Poisoning among men was greater than that among women ( P P Conclusions: OP compounds were the most common among poisons, while sedatives were frequently consumed drugs. Young adults from urban areas were the common victims with suicidal intention. Regulations, educational awareness and poison information centers will help to reduce the growth of this public health problem.
A new concept of skin-associated lymphoid tissue (SALT): UVB light impaired cutaneous immunity reveals a prominent role for cutaneous nerves.

More than 20 years have passed since the concept that the skin has its own associated immune system was first proposed by Streilein. This proposal was advanced in part on evidence that cutaneous contact hypersensitivity (CH) reactions are closely correlated with Langerhans cells (LC). Recent reports have demonstrated that LC have neural connectivity with cutaneous nerve termini containing calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), suggesting that a link exists between innervation and immune responses in the skin. Here we discuss the neural components which have recently been found to be participants in skin-associated lymphoid tissue (SALT). In part, discovery of a functional link between the nervous system and SALT is based on studies in which cutaneous immunity was impaired by ultraviolet-B radiation (UVR). The deleterious effects of UVR on cutaneous immunity iUclude failed CH induction and promotion of hapten-specific tolerance, effects that are mediated by tumor necrosis factor-a and interleukin-10, respectively. The source of these cytokines after UVR appears to be dermal mast cells. Evidence indicates that mast cells are triggered to release these cytokines in response to CGRP, which is released from UVR-damaged cutaneous nerve endings. Moreover, a substance P agonist was able to reverse the deleterious effects of UVR on CH induction, rendering the mice able to develop intense CH. These observations indicate that two cell types not originally included in the SALT concept are critical to the functional integrity of cutaneous immunity: mast cells and cutaneous nerves. We propose that cutaneous nerves dictate whether antigen applied to or arising within skin will lead to sensitivity or tolerance.
A Novel IPN Hydrogel Based on Poly (N‐Isopropylacrylamide) and β‐Cyclodextrin Polymer

Abstract A novel interpenetrating polymeric network (IPN) was prepared based on poly (N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPA) and β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) polymer with two steps of polymerization techniques. A β‐CD polymer (β‐CD‐EPI‐PVA) was first synthesized by reaction of β‐CD with epichlorohydrin (EPI) in diluent poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) aqueous solution, and the IPN was synthesized via dispersing NIPA monomer into the β‐CD polymer, polymerized, and crossliked in situ. Infrared spectroscopy, element analysis, DSC, TGA, and swelling measurements were used to characterize the structures of β‐CD‐EPI‐PVA polymer and related IPN hydrogel. The results indicated that equilibrium swelling ratio (ESR) of the β‐CD‐EPI‐PVA network decreases gradually with the increase in temperature. The volume phase transition temperature (T v) of IPN hydrogel is still sensitively kept at about 33°C.
Latent atopy and the incidence of the atopic state

Abstract 1.1. Two hundred twenty-seven persons admitted to the surgical wards of a general hospital for conditions not known to have any relation to atopy were tested intracutaneously with pollen and dander extracts, and interrogated as to the occurrence of clinical manifestations of atopy. 2.2. The latent, or subclinical, phase of atopy as indicated by reactions to intracutaneous testing in the absence of past or present allergic symptoms, was observed in 15 subjects, or 6.6 per cent. Atopy in its clinically manifest phase was found in 32 subjects, or 14.1 per cent, making a total incidence of 47 or 20.7 per cent. 3.3. Accordingly from this study it would appear that the total incidence of atopy in the general population is about 20 per cent, two-thirds being in the clinical phase and one-third in the latent phase. 4.4. Five subjects with latent atopy were tested by the passive transfer method. In only one case was this positive, in four others negative. It is suggested that in the latent phase of atopy circulating reagins may not usually be present in sufficient titer to permit a positive passive transfer reaction despite the presence of repeated strong reactions on direct skin testing.
Near-infrared fluorescence imaging of lymphatics in head and neck lymphedema

Treatment of lymphatic disease is complicated and controversial, due in part to the limited understanding of the lymphatic system. Lymphedema (LE) is a frequent complication after surgical resection and radiation treatment in cancer survivors, and is especially debilitating in regions where treatment options are limited. Although some extremity LE can be effectively treated with manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) therapy or compression devices to direct proximal lymph transport, head and neck LE is more challenging, due to complicated geometry and complex lymphatic structure in head and neck region. Herein, we describe the compassionate use of an investigatory technique of near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging to understand the lymphatic anatomy and function, and to help direct MLD in a patient with head and neck LE. Immediately after 9 intradermal injections of 25 μg indocyanine green each around the face and neck region, NIR fluorescence images were collected using a custom-built imaging system with diffused excitation light illumination. These images were then used to direct MLD therapy. In addition, 3-dimensional (3D) surface profilometry was used to monitor response to therapy. NIR fluorescence images of functioning lymphatic vessels and abnormal structures were obtained. Precise geometries of facial structures were obtained using 3D profilometry, and detection of small changes in edema between therapy sessions was achieved. NIR fluorescence imaging provides a mapping of lymphatic architecture to direct MLD therapy and thus improve treatment efficacy in the head and neck LE, while 3D profilometry allowed longitudinal assessment of edema to evaluate the efficacy of therapy.
Binding Energies of the Neutral and Ionic Clusters of Naphthalene in Their Ground Electronic States

The binding energies of the neutral and ionic clusters of naphthalene have been determined from the two-color two-photon measurements of the ionization potentials and appearance potentials. The measured binding energies (D 0 ) of the neutral dimer is significantly smaller than the binding energies (D e ) computed by correlated (MP2) quantum chemistry calculations. Interestingly, the experimental binding energy of the naphthalene dimer ion is very close to half the transition energy of its charge resonance absorption band, indicating that the dimer ion is stabilized mostly by charge resonance interactions. The slow increase in the dimer ion current with increasing photon energy, near the threshold of the excimer-mediated photoionization, suggests that the geometry of the dimer ion is significantly different from the sandwich-pair geometry of the excimer. Finally, the measured evaporation energies of the neutral tetramer, trimer ion, and tetramer ion support the trimer core structure of the neutral tetramer and the dimer core structure of the ionic clusters.
Sites and services - and subsidies : the economics of low-cost housing in developing countries

Sites and services projects represent a major innovation in shelter policy in developing countries and have been sponsored by international aid agencies for somewhat more than a decade. Such government projects deliver a package of shelter-related services, the standards of which depend on the ability and willingness to pay of intended beneficiaries. Typically, such projects represent a sharp break with pre-existing government shelter policies in that they attempt, in principle, to focus directly on lower-income groups and to deliver shelter and services with small or no subsidies. This article : i) describes the background of the sites and services concept; ii) reviews recent evaluations of sites and services projects; iii) presents an analytical model of the sites and services paradigm; iv) summarizes recent research on housing demand; v) reviews planning assumptions used in World Bank sites and services projects; vi) compares these assumptions with empirical evidence on willingness to pay for housing; and vii) examines project experience in light of contrasts between actual planning assumptions and empirical research on demand for shelter. The article concludes with suggestions for ways to improve the project design process and reform housing sector policies to increase the efficacy of the sites and services paradigm.
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN DISTRIBUTION OF TUBULIN-PARACRYSTALS, GRANULES STAINING WITH NEUTRAL RED AND CLEAVAGE ACTIVITY IN SEA URCHIN EGG-FRAGMENTS1,2

Unfertilized eggs of Japanese sea urchins (Temnopleurus toreumaticus and Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus)were separated by centrifugation into two fractions (nucleated light and enucleated heavy fragments) or three fractions (nucleated light, enucleated middle, and enucleated heavy fragments). These fragments were stained with neutral red and then fertilized. Cleavage took place only in fragments containing cytoplasmic granules staining with neutral red: no cleavage occurred in fragment without these granules. When fragments of unfertilized eggs were incubated in a solution in sea water of 10−4M vinblastine, a mitotic poison that specifically binds to tubulin, tubulin-paracrystals were found in all kinds of fragments, irrespective of whether they had stained granules and cleavage activity. These results suggest that lack of cleavage activity in the fragments is not due to the absence of polymerizable tubulin molecules in the cytoplasm, but rather to other factors, such as the absence of granules staining with neutral red. In other words, there is no relation between the distribution of these granules and polymerizable tubulin, but a close relation between the number of stainable granules and cleavage activity. Quantitative analysis of tubulin molecules in the egg fragments is necessary for confirmation of this idea.
Endoscopic Ultrasound Staging and Novel Therapeutics for Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer remains a challenging disease, being the fourth leading cause of death in both men and women in the United States. Patients with pancreatic cancer present with symptoms including jaundice, pruritus, and weight loss, which often herald advanced disease with little chance for curative resection. Multiple imaging modalities are used to diagnose and stage pancreatic cancer. This article discusses the utility of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) for diagnosis and staging, and introduces novel EUS-guided therapeutic options for the treatment of pancreatic cancers. EUS-guided fine-needle injection of chemotherapy agents is a promising development in pancreatic tumor treatment.