cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Counting on your friends: The role of social environment on quantity discrimination

Quantity discrimination has been established in a range of species. However, most demonstrations of quantity discrimination control for social factors by testing animals individually. I tested whether sociality affects quantity discrimination in the wild by comparing the performances of the highly social Mexican jay (MJ; Aphelocoma wollweberi) and the territorial Western scrub jay (WJ; Aphelocoma californica). The birds were given a choice between two lines of peanuts that differed in initial quantity ranging from 2 vs 8 to 14 vs 16. Their choices were recorded until all peanuts were eaten or cached. Whereas non-social WJ selected the larger quantity across all the trials significantly more than chance, social MJ selected the larger line only when the difference in the number of peanuts between lines was small. In MJ, individual choice when selecting the large or small quantity was influenced by what line the previous bird had chosen when the difference in lines was large, with followers significantly more likely to select the smaller quantity. WJ were not significantly affected by the choices of other individuals. The only factors that influenced WJ choice were ratio and total differences between the two quantities. These results suggests that in certain scenarios, both species can discriminate between different quantities. However, MJ were greatly influenced by social factors, a previously untested factor, while WJ were only influenced by ratio and total difference between the quantities, consistent with findings in other species. Overall, this study demonstrates the important role of sociality in numerical cognitive performance, a previously overlooked factor.
Biochemical and structural changes in cultured heart cells induced by metabolic inhibition.

We examined the relationship between ionic homeostasis, ATP, and irreversible cell injury in cultured embryonic chick heart cells treated with rotenone (10(-4) M) alone or in combination with iodoacetate (IAA) (10(-3) M), in the presence of extracellular calcium (Ca0) (2.7 mM) and its nominal absence. Changes in Na, K, and total cell Ca content did not correlate with parameters indicative of irreversible injury, i.e., ultrastructural damage or lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release. Because structural defects in the plasma membrane occurred without a significant release of LDH after exposure to rotenone plus IAA for 1 h, LDH release appears to be a relatively late event in cell injury. In addition, cells exposed to rotenone in the presence of Ca0 for 2.5 h showed a significant fall in ATP and a rise in LDH release. This response was attenuated in the nominal absence of Ca0, and the addition of rotenone caused an eightfold increase in intracellular sodium (Nai), whereas in the presence of Ca0, Nai increased only threefold in 2.5 h. Thus Ca0 appears to promote Nai-Ca0 exchange and lead to an increase in cell Ca that can then stimulate ATP breakdown by Ca-activated ATPases. Of the measured variables associated with myocardial cell injury, a decline in ATP correlates best with changes in either LDH or morphology. The apparent lack of correlation between changes in intracellular ion content, LDH release, and morphology supports the conclusion that myocardial cell injury is a multifactorial process.
Effect of rate of hemorrhage on release of ACTH in cats

The effect of rate of blood loss by acute hemorrhage (H) on adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) and cortisol plasma concentrations was assessed in anesthetized cats. Arterial blood was withdrawn at a rapid rate (10% blood vol/min) or at a slow rate (2%/min), and responses were compared across three volumes of H (10, 20, and 30% of blood vol). After rapid rate of H, ACTH increased in proportion to volume of H (r = 0.669, P less than 0.001) with a mean elevation of 124 +/- 27, 267 +/- 102, and 950 +/- 195 pg/ml for 10, 20, and 30% H, respectively. Slow rate of H evoked a significant increase in ACTH that was not proportional to volume of H (r = 0.314, P greater than 0.10), and the mean change during the post-H sampling period was 611 +/- 166, 828 +/- 302, and 1,070 +/- 239 pg/ml for 10, 20, and 30% H, respectively. Control animals showed no change in ACTH to the repeated sampling paradigm. Rapid H evoked an immediate decrease in mean arterial pressure (MAP) with a post-H recovery of MAP inversely proportionate to volume of H (r = -0.552, P less than 0.01). Slow H caused a progressive decrease in MAP with no significant post-H recovery of MAP at any volume of H. Cortisol concentration increased in proportion to volume of H after rapid H (r = 0.515, P less than 0.025), but not after slow H.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
MO-AB-206-01: PET Physics

This education session will cover the physics and operation principles of gamma cameras and PET scanners. The first talk will focus on PET imaging. An overview of the principles of PET imaging will be provided, including positron decay physics, and the transition from 2D to 3D imaging. More recent advances in hardware and software will be discussed, such as time-of-flight imaging, and improvements in reconstruction algorithms that provide for options such as depth-of-interaction corrections. Quantitative applications of PET will be discussed, as well as the requirements for doing accurate quantitation. Relevant performance tests will also be described. Learning Objectives: 1.Be able to describe basic physics principles of PET and operation of PET scanners. 2.Learn about recent advances in PET scanner hardware technology. 3.Be able to describe advances in reconstruction techniques and improvements 4.Be able to list relevant performance tests. The second talk will focus on gamma cameras. The Nuclear Medicine subcommittee has charged a task group (TG177) to develop a report on the current state of physics testing of gamma cameras, SPECT, and SPECT/CT systems. The report makes recommendations for performance tests to be done for routine quality assurance, annual physics testing, and acceptance tests, and identifies those needed satisfy the ACR accreditation program and The Joint Commission imaging standards. The report is also intended to be used as a manual with detailed instructions on how to perform tests under widely varying conditions. Learning Objectives: At the end of the presentation members of the audience will: 1.Be familiar with the tests recommended for routine quality assurance, annual physics testing, and acceptance tests of gamma cameras for planar imaging. 2.Be familiar with the tests recommended for routine quality assurance, annual physics testing, and acceptance tests of SPECT systems. 3.Be familiar with the tests of a SPECT/CT system that include the CT images for SPECT reconstructions. 4.Become knowledgeable of items to be included in annual acceptance testing reports including CT dosimetry and PACS monitor measurements. T. Turkington, GE Healthcare
An Unlikely Union: The Love-Hate Story of New York’s Irish and Italians

A rich and nuanced tapestry of arguments, clashes, and love stories, An Unlikely Union stemmed from author Paul Moses’ personal desire to understand the Italian and Irish sides of his own family, u...
Student Scientists: Transforming the Undergraduate Biology Lab into a Research Experience

Abstract This article features an authentic research-lab experience developed for use in a freshman-level general biology course for nonmajors at a two-year college. Students work in groups to select and investigate factors affecting microalgal cell growth and relate their findings to a real-life application of social significance. This lab experience was designed using a four-step pedagogical framework originally developed at a four-year university in a sophomorelevel molecular and cell biology course. The creators of the pedagogical framework at the four-year university mentored the instructor at the twoyear college through the process of using the pedagogical framework to design and implement the authentic research lab experience described in this article. This example shows that adaptation of successful pedagogical models, particularly within mentoring partnerships, can greatly increase the implementation of authentic research experiences in biology lab courses at varying levels of study.
Extending the toxicity-testing paradigm for freshwater mussels: Assessing chronic reproductive effects of the synthetic estrogen 17α-ethinylestradiol on the unionid mussel Elliptio complanata.

Abstract Surface water concentrations of the synthetic estrogen 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) as low as 1 ng/L can cause adverse reproductive effects in fish under acute and chronic exposure conditions, whereas higher concentrations (> 5 ng/L) in acute studies are necessary to elicit adverse effects in freshwater mussels. Prolonged chronic exposures of freshwater mussels to EE2 remain un-evaluated. An extended duration testing paradigm was used to examine reproductive and biochemical (carbohydrate, lipid, protein) effects of EE2 on the unionid mussel, Elliptio complanata , throughout its reproductive cycle. Mussels were exposed to a control and EE2 concentrations (5 and 50 ng/L) in six discrete and sequential 28 d tests, and in one discrete and simultaneous 180 d test, from February through August. Foot protrusion and siphoning behavior were recorded daily, along with conglutinate releases and larval (glochidia) mortality. Gonad, hemolymph, and gonad fluid samples were taken for biochemical and vitellogenin-like protein (Vtg) analysis post-exposure. Female mussels released eggs and conglutinates during the months of April to June, indicating sexual maturation during this time. Conglutinates released in the 5 ng/L treatment in 28 d exposures contained fewer glochidia and more eggs, and increased concentrations of Vtg in hemolymph were observed from April to August in the 5 ng/L treatment during the 180 d exposure. Results indicate that the 180 d test approach, concurrent with the sequence of 28 d tests, enabled a more robust evaluation of mussel behavior and physiology than would have been possible with a single short-term (28 d) test.
A Nutritional Profile of the Trap-Nesting Wasp Trypoxylon lactitarse (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae): Comparison of Sexes and Overwintering and Non-Overwintering Generations

The wasp Trypoxylon lactitarse Saussure is a bivoltine trap-nesting species that possesses a non-overwintering generation (G1) and a generation that overwinters as a prepupa (G2). Thus, the nutritional needs of the G1 individuals were predicted to be different than the G2 because the latter generation needs to store energy prior to diapause. Trap-nesting Trypoxylon are also of interest because, unlike most Hymenoptera, the males guard the nest while females forage. Thus, males may lose nutrients as they stay and guard the nest. In this study, a nutritional profile was created for T. lactitarse to compare the macronutrient (protein, carbohydrates, and lipids) and micronutrient (Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, and Zn) levels of the different life stages of the wasp and compare individuals of the G1 and G2 generations. There were distinct changes in the nutrient levels relative to the original food source as individuals metamorphosed into larvae, pupae, and adults. G1 larvae had higher levels of carbohydrates than G2 larvae. G2 larvae had higher levels of lipids and K than G1 larvae, indicating possible differences in energy storage. In adults, there was an increase in levels of carbohydrates and Mn. Parental males, which stay and guard the nest, were found to have higher levels of carbohydrates at the end of the nesting period than females and emerging adults. One possible implication is that females may feed males during the nesting period, as the females are the only individuals to forage.
Factors influencing teacher appropriation of professional learning focused on the use of technology in science classrooms

AbstractUnderstanding factors that impact teacher implementation of learning from professional development is critical in order to maximize the educational and financial investment in teacher professional learning. This multi-case qualitative investigation elucidates factors that influence the appropriation of instructional tools associated with professional development focused on technology within science classrooms using activity theory as a theoretical framework. This framework has the capacity to account for multiple elements in professional learning. Implementation variability associated with professional development adoption drives this inquiry to search for better understandings of the appropriation of pedagogical practices. Purposeful sampling was used to identify four participants from a group of science teachers engaged in professional development designed to investigate how cyber-enabled technologies might enhance instruction and learning in eighth-grade science classrooms. The data from this i...
MR quantification of abnormal stromal enhancement in the periphery of invasive breast tumors

636 Background: In dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCEMRI), properties of tissue microvasculature and overall vascularity can be quantified using kinetics of contrast enhancement. It has been shown that areas with high signal enhancement ratio (SER) were significantly correlated with high tumor vascularity, and that mean SER in nearby non-cancerous breast stroma was significantly associated with disease free survival. No universally accepted methods exist to determine the optimal extent of histologically normal breast tissue to treat. Although a relationship between normal tissue SER and recurrence has been observed, the spatial relationship of enhancement within the non-cancerous stroma with respect to proximity of the tumor has not been shown. We hypothesized that abnormalities in vasculature exist within the histologically normal breast stroma that can be detected by measuring changes in enhancement intensity. Methods: We performed a secondary analysis of pre-treatment DCEMRI data from 27 invasive breas...
Pre-College Factors Influencing College Students’ Civic Attitudes: The Importance of Familial and Community Service Experiences

Entering university students (N = 178) were surveyed in the fall of 2013 to learn about their attitudes toward college and civic engagement. As with students beginning study at the same university five to seven years earlier, participants felt positive about the institution’s public service graduation requirement and indicated plans to engage in substantial service during college. Their civic attitudes were as or slightly more positive than those of students surveyed earlier, but they were less positive in their self-reported knowledge of the community. Students’ reports of family orientation toward community service predicted their views of the graduation requirement, as well as their civic attitudes (i.e., civic responsibility, value placed on community service, and social justice). Replicating earlier research, students’ pre-college community service, especially their reported enjoyment of service activities, predicted attitudes toward the graduation requirement and civic attitudes. A mediation model showed that the effects of family orientation on civic attitudes were partially mediated by students’ involvement in service during secondary school years. The authors discuss the implications of these findings for K-12 and college programming.
Identification of Patients With Localized Ewing Sarcoma at Higher Risk for Local Failure: A Report From the Children's Oncology Group.

Purpose To identify clinical and treatment variables associated with a higher risk of local failure in Ewing sarcoma patients treated on recent Children's Oncology Group protocols. Methods and Materials Data for 956 patients treated with ifosfamide and etoposide–based chemotherapy on INT-0091, INT-0154, and AEWS0031 were analyzed. Local treatment modalities were defined as surgery, definitive radiation therapy (RT), or surgery plus radiation (S+RT). Five-year cumulative incidence of local failure was determined. Results The local failure rate for the entire cohort was 7.3%, with a 3.9% rate for surgery, 15.3% for RT ( P P =.12). The local failure incidence was 5.4% for extremity tumors, 13.2% for pelvis tumors ( P P =.90), 9.1% for extraskeletal tumors ( P =.08), and 3.6% for spine tumors ( P =.49). The incidence of local failure was 14.8% for extremity tumors and 22.4% for pelvis tumors treated with RT, compared with 3.7% for extremity tumors and 3.9% for pelvis tumors treated with surgery ( P ≤.01). There was no difference in local failure incidence by local treatment modality for axial non-spine, spine, and extraskeletal tumors. The local failure incidence was 11.9% in patients aged ≥18 years versus 6.7% in patients aged P =.02). Age ≥18 years (hazard ratio 1.9, P =.04) and treatment with RT (hazard ratio 2.40, P Conclusions Local tumor control is excellent and similar between surgery and RT for axial non-spine, spine, and extraskeletal tumors. Age ≥18 years and use of RT, primarily for pelvis and extremity tumors, are associated with the highest risk of local failure. Further efforts should focus on improving outcomes for these patients.
Compact and high efficiency Doherty power amplifier using a new modulation load range

We propose a new modulating load range for a Doherty power amplifier (DPA) that will maintain maximum drain voltage swing and consequently peak efficiency in over 6-dB power back-off (PBO). At 6-dB PBO, the real part of the new modulating load seen by the main amplifier is less than 2∗Ropt. The new load range allows for the design of a compact, low loss output matching and combiner circuit and a simple single drain bias line for the main and auxiliary amplifiers. The proposed 2-stage DPA using the new modulating loads is designed at 15 GHZ in a 0.15 μm enhancement mode (E-mode) Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistor (pHEMT) process. The proposed DPA achieves a measured Psat of 27 dBm, a peak power added efficiency (PAE) of 41% and a PAE of 34% at 6 dB PBO with a gain of 17 dB.
Depressive Symptoms Predict Anti-tumor Necrosis Factor Therapy Noncompliance in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Noncompliance in use of anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) therapy in patients with moderate-to-severe inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can be a factor in medication failure. Few studies have evaluated the contribution of depressive symptoms to medication noncompliance in anti-TNF therapies. A retrospective chart review was performed in a single-center tertiary care IBD center for patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis starting anti-TNF therapy over a 2-year period. Medication noncompliance was defined as interruption of medication (not filling anti-TNF prescription if injectable or not getting infliximab infusion for 30 days beyond needed date for continuation) due to patient-driven circumstances. Depressive symptoms were evaluated at baseline using the well-validated Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), with PHQ-9 ≥ 10 indicative of at least moderate depressive symptoms. Statistical analysis was performed using Cox proportional hazards regression controlling for age, sex, psychiatric history, and disease. A total of 246 patients (75 with ulcerative colitis, 171 with Crohn’s disease) were started on anti-TNF therapy. Seventy-nine patients (32%) had a prior psychiatric diagnosis reported in the medical record. Thirty-three patients (13%) were noncompliant in follow-up. Sixty patients (24%) had at least moderate depressive symptoms at baseline (PHQ ≥ 10). Depressive symptoms at baseline were significantly associated with noncompliance in follow-up (hazards ratio 2.28, CI 1.1–4.6, p < 0.05). Depressive symptoms at baseline were associated with medication noncompliance of anti-TNF therapies at follow-up when controlling for age, sex, disease type, and history of psychiatric disease.
A load frequency control for microgrid including stochastic elements based on Hebb Learning

Load Frequency Control (LFC) for an islanded microgrid is so critical due to intermittent behaviors of load and renewable energies. Performance of PID controllers deteriorates under uncertainties necessitating a controller that specifically considers these uncertainties. A stochastic controller can count for these uncertainties and hence a self-tuning PID controller based on Hebbian Learning method is proposed. Its varying control structure can ensure efficient control of this system under a wide range of operating conditions. For the Electric Vehicles (EV), only V2G mode of operation, where EVs give energy to grid, is considered. Comparisons of proposed controller with the PID controller demonstrate a superior operation of the proposed controller.
Personality Traits in Bilinguals

This chapter reviews the research on the personality characteristics associated with speaking two languages. It has been found that bilinguals frequently report feeling like a different person when speaking the first language (L1) compared to the second language (L2). Previous studies have found differences in the Big Five Inventory (BFI) dimensions (extraversion, conscientiousness, and agreeableness) of Spanish–English bilinguals. The chapter further presents a new study in which Spanish–English bilinguals answered the BFI in both languages. Results showed the language effect on all personality dimensions.
Incorporating the rotational setup uncertainty into the planning target volume margin expansion for the single isocenter for multiple targets technique

Abstract Purpose The single isocenter for multiple targets (SIMT) technique has become a popular treatment approach for multiple brain metastases. However, the rotational error that is introduced is usually not considered in planning target volume (PTV) expansion. We have developed a statistical model that takes into account both translational and rotational uncertainties. In this study, we incorporated the rotational error into PTV margin expansion for the clinical use of the SIMT technique. Methods and materials In the statistical model, both translational and rotational errors are assumed to follow the 3-dimensional, independent, normal distribution with a zero mean and standard deviations of σS and σR, where σR = 0.01424σD (rotational uncertainty in degree)×dI ⇔ T (distance in mm from isocenter to target). Based on this model, we derived in this study the additional PTV margin, ∆M, that is required to maintain the same coverage probability when the rotational uncertainty is present as a function of MS (initial PTV margin), σD, and dI ⇔ T. The maximum allowable dI ⇔ T, C and σD, C were also calculated as a function of user-specified ∆Mc/MS, the fraction of MS below which the extra PTV margins can be ignored. Results Combined PTV margin, ME, and additional PTV margin, ∆M, were plotted for commonly encountered clinical parameters including dI ⇔ T, MS, or σD. Unlike other reported margin recipes, ∆M is not a linear function of any of these 3 parameters. In addition, the rate of increase for ∆M is quite slow for small dI ⇔ T and becomes more significant for larger dI ⇔ T. Cutoff values dI ⇔ T, C and σD, C were also plotted for various ∆Mc/MS, which can be used to determine if an additional PTV margin is needed for the SIMT technique. Conclusions The presented data provide a convenient way for clinics to determine the appropriate PTV margin for the SIMT technique.
Should We Be Teaching Public Participation? Student Responses and MPA Program Practices

An online survey of public administration graduate students in the United States1 was conducted in early 2010 to measure students’ views on public participation. In addition, document analysis was used to investigate MPA curricula and the extent to which NASPAA-accredited programs were teaching courses in this area. Survey results2 indicate that most respondents (a) believe public participation is important to good governance, (b) see themselves as facilitators of public participation, and (c) are interested in learning more about the subject. Analysis of MPA-accredited program curricula showed few graduate-level public administration programs offering courses on public participation and citizen engagement. The findings point to the opportunity, and need, for greater emphasis on public participation in MPA curricula.
Sir Magdi H. Yacoub, the Leonardo da Vinci of cardiac surgery.

The second half of the 20th century witnessed the emergence and the triumph of cardiac surgery. One of the legends of the period is Sir Magdi H. Yacoub (1935–), pioneer surgeon, scientist, master c...
Effects of carbonic anhydrase inhibition on biomass and primary production of estuarine benthic microalgal communities

Abstract Recent studies have focused on carbon concentrating mechanisms and the associated enzyme, carbonic anhydrase, to better understand the efficiency of CO2 uptake rates and carbon fixation in photoautotrophs. Some benthic microalgae (BMA) may be limited by inorganic carbon availability because high photosynthetic rates withdraw a large amount of CO2 and HCO3– in the top layer of sediment. Investigating the mechanisms that affect carbon acquisition are necessary if we are to fully understand the functioning and structuring processes of these systems. From this, we can better predict the potential impacts of increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations on BMA communities. The purpose of this research was to examine a carbon concentrating mechanism used by BMA through their responses to induced carbon limitation. This approach was conducted through the removal of carbonic anhydrase (CA) activity using an inhibitor, ethoxyzolamide. Microcosm experiments were performed on intertidal muddy sediments from North Inlet Estuary, SC. Exposure to ethoxyzolamide resulted in a reduction of gross primary productivity (GPP) without a reduction in total BMA biomass. Furthermore, removed CA activity caused BMA cumulative GPP maxima to shift upward toward the surface in the sediment column. Active CA was necessary to maintain high GPP rates in these communities and allowed motile BMA to use a wider portion of the sediment column. Available HCO3– at lower depths could still be dehydrated into CO2 by microalgae with CA. Changes in global atmospheric CO2 concentrations leading to higher CO2 availability at the atmosphere-sediment interface may alter the structure and function of these BMA systems, and the vertical distribution of GPP. These consequences may have important implications for the biogeochemical cycling occurring in estuaries.
Does stress impact technical interview performance

Software engineering candidates commonly participate in whiteboard technical interviews as part of a hiring assessment. During these sessions, candidates write code while thinking aloud as they work towards a solution, under the watchful eye of an interviewer. While technical interviews should allow for an unbiased and inclusive assessment of problem-solving ability, surprisingly, technical interviews may be instead a procedure for identifying candidates who best handle and migrate stress solely caused by being examined by an interviewer (performance anxiety). To understand if coding interviews—as administered today—can induce stress that significantly hinders performance, we conducted a randomized controlled trial with 48 Computer Science students, comparing them in private and public whiteboard settings. We found that performance is reduced by more than half, by simply being watched by an interviewer. We also observed that stress and cognitive load were significantly higher in a traditional technical interview when compared with our private interview. Consequently, interviewers may be filtering out qualified candidates by confounding assessment of problem-solving ability with unnecessary stress. We propose interview modifications to make problem-solving assessment more equitable and inclusive, such as through private focus sessions and retrospective think-aloud, allowing companies to hire from a larger and diverse pool of talent.
Recurrent Bilateral Strokes in a Patient Treated With Sipuleucel-T for Prostate Cancer

Sipuleucel-T is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Herein, we present a patient with recurrent bilateral embolic stroke who was on sipuleucel-T therapy for CRPC. Laboratory and imaging data didn't reveal any source of embolic stroke. A focused history disclosed that the patient received two doses of sipuleucel-T before the first stroke and was advised not to receive his third dose. He reported no other episode of stroke at the six-month follow-up. This case highlights the importance of identifying sipuleucel-T as a potential cause of embolic stroke if the source is not detectable, as discontinuing the therapy can be beneficial. Physicians should evaluate patients for risk of stroke before starting the therapy to prevent future strokes.
Differences in the characteristics and outcomes of isolated tricuspid and mitral valve surgery for valvular regurgitation.

BACKGROUND Isolated tricuspid valve (TV) surgery is associated with markedly worse outcomes than isolated mitral valve (MV) surgery. We hypothesized that this is related to late referral of patients with isolated TV disease. METHODS Adult patients who underwent isolated TV or MV surgery in 2016-2017 were identified in the National-Readmission-Database. We compared the outcomes of isolated TV and MV surgery before and after adjustment for surrogates of late referral. RESULTS A total of 21,446 patients who had isolated MV (n = 19,933), or TV surgery (n = 1153) were included. Patients in the TV group were younger (55.7 ± 16.6 vs. 63.4 ± 12.3 years), had lower socioeconomic status, but higher prevalence of surrogates for late referral [acute HF 41.0% vs. 22.0%, advanced liver disease 16.8% vs. 2.6%, non-elective surgery status 44.3% vs. 23.5%, need for peri-operative mechanical circulatory support 27.7% vs. 4.7%, and unplanned admissions in the 90 days before surgery 31.0% vs. 18.8%, (P < 0.001 for all)]. Surgery was performed on day 0/1 of the admission in 80% of patients in the MV group and 52% in the TV group, P < 0.001. Repair rate was 63.5% in the TV group and 56.3% in the MV group (P < 0.001). In-hospital mortality was 3-folds higher after TV surgery (8.7% vs. 2.5%; OR = 3.41, 95%CI 2.73-4.25, p < 0.001). However, this difference became non-significant after adjusting for baseline characteristics including surrogates for late referral (OR = 1.24, 95%CI 0.85-1.82, p = 0.27). CONCLUSION The poor outcomes of isolated TV surgery compared with isolated MV surgery may be largely explained by the late referral for intervention in patients with isolated TR.
Effects of Levels of Implicit Association, Symbolic Racism, and Explicit Racial Resentment on Evaluation of White and Black Candidates

For decades, scholars have struggled to measure levels of racism. The question is characterized by unique complexity as a result of the “norm of equality.” Because Americans overwhelmingly believe in racial equality in the abstract, capturing latent racism is challenging. In this paper, we examine the relationship of three measures — Implicit Associations, Symbolic Racism, and Explicit Racial — on evaluation of Black and White candidates in a fictitious biracial legislative election. This initial examination focuses on evaluation of candidates by participants who saw ads from both candidates, neither of which contained a racial appeal. Results are inconclusive and preliminary, serving as a baseline for future analysis of ads that contain both implicit and explicit race-based messages.
Quantum Mechanics for Scientists and Engineers: Waves and quantum mechanics – Schrödinger's equation

Prerequisites: Appendix A Background mathematics; Appendix B Background physics. If the world of quantum mechanics is so different from everything we have been taught before, how can we even begin to understand it? Miniscule electrons seem so remote from what we see in the world around us that we do not know what concepts from our everyday experience we could use to get started. There is, however, one lever from our existing intellectual toolkit that we can use to pry open this apparently impenetrable subject, and that lever is the idea of waves. If we just allow ourselves to suppose that electrons might be describable as waves and follow the consequences of that radical idea, the subject can open up before us. Astonishingly, we will find we can then understand a large fraction of those aspects of our everyday experience that can only be explained by quantum mechanics, such as color and the properties of materials. We will also be able to engineer novel phenomena and devices for quite practical applications. On the face of it, proposing that we describe particles as waves is a strange intellectual leap in the dark. There is apparently nothing in our everyday view of the world to suggest we should do so. Nevertheless, it was exactly such a proposal historically (i.e., de Broglie's hypothesis) that opened up much of quantum mechanics. That proposal was made before there was direct experimental evidence of wave behavior of electrons.
Serologic Diagnosis of Vibrio cholerae O1 Infections

Isolation of Vibrio cholerae 01 from the stools of persons with diarrheal illness remains the definitive diagnostic method for cholera. The most commonly performed methods for serodiagnosis of Vibrio cholerae O1 infection involve measurement of antibacterial antibodies by agglutination or vibriocidal antibody essays. A variety of methods have been used to measure the antibacterial immune responses of humans to infection with V. cholerae. The vibriocidal antibody test has been used extensively for serologic surveys, since it is amenable to the titration of large numbers of sera by microtiter methodology, and the acquisition of antibody through natural exposure or vaccination shows an apparent correlation to immunity on a population basis and in volunteers challenged with the organism. Other procedures such as the indirect hemagglutination test and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) have been investigated by a number of workers. While O antibodies are clearly reactive in the vibriocidal test, it is possible that other antigens such as outer membrane proteins and cell-bound hemagglutinins participate in the vibriocidal reaction. The development of cell culture models for detecting cholera toxin (CT) also provided marked improvement in the ability to measure antitoxic antibodies.
Dose–Time–Response Models for Radiation Carcinogenesis

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses two types of dose-time-response models—descriptive models and mechanistic models. The value of a mechanistic model lies in its ability to organize a complex set of hypotheses into a unified framework and to allow tests of submodels within that framework. The most important human data on the carcinogenic effects of radiation exposure come from the Japanese atomic bomb survivors. The dose-response function for leukemia induction in the atomic bomb survivor data has both linear and quadratic components, with a “crossover dose”—that is, the dose at which linear and quadratic components contribute equally. As a group, the nonleukemias are characterized by generally linear dose-response relations. The chapter discusses the major concepts in radiobiology that play important roles in determining the emergence of a radiation-induced malignant cell and the subsequent expression of a tumor. Any dose-response relationship for cancer that ignores gender, age, and time effects is a serious oversimplification.
Factor of 18 enhancement in the sensitivity-bandwidth product of the aLIGO gravitational wave detector using a white light cavity

We show that the sensitivity-bandwidth product of the aLIGO gravitational wave detector can be enhanced by a factor of 18, while remaining below the standard quantum limit, by employing a white light cavity configuration.
Obstetricians' attitudes and practices of life support for extremely premature low birth weight infants in El Salvador

Background: The increasing availability of costly life-support technologies in developing countries raises questions about the utility of resuscitation and intensive care for extremely premature infants. Objective: To characterize obstetricians’ attitudes and resuscitation practices for preterm infants in El Salvador. Design/Methods: Surveys (n = 214) were mailed to Salvadoran perinatal providers in 2000, and 100 more were distributed at a Latin American obstetrics and gynecology conference in December 2000. Survey questions covered counseling practices, resuscitation thresholds for prematurity, attitudes on life support, and demographics. Results: Of 111 Salvadoran respondents, more providers counsel parents antenatally (41% at 25 wks to 58% at 29 wks) as gestational age increased. Median thresholds for resuscitation were 26 weeks for intubation and ventilation and 27 weeks for cardiac massage or pharmacologic resuscitation, and 1000 grams for each of these interventions. Seventy-two percent of respondents would use all interventions to save life regardless of anticipated outcome, a stance correlated with religious activity (p = 0.03). Decisions to limit resuscitation were influenced by congenital anomalies (62%) more than parental wishes (28%), infant pain (21%) and moral or religious considerations (27%). Older obstetricians were more likely to withdraw support from an extremely premature infant with perinatal HIV exposure (p = 0.006), but not with severe intraventricular hemorrhage or a major congenital anomaly. Fifty-five percent felt their institution was “not aggressive enough” in caring for infants < 26 wks gestation. Less religious obstetricians were more likely to perceive their unit as “too aggressive.” Over 80% believed that physicians (44%), rather than parents (15%), should make final resuscitation decisions when consensus cannot be reached. Conclusions: In El Salvador, the obstetric management of extreme prematurity is influenced by providers’ level of religious activity. The majority of obstetricians regard care in their unit as not aggressive enough, despite using higher resuscitation thresholds than in other developing countries. Local economic constraints influence resuscitation options available to obstetricians and parents of extremely premature infants.
Insulin Resistance, Thyroid-Related Hormones, and Duration of Postpartum Amenorrhea in Lactating Women

Although the mechanisms regulating fertility during the postpartum period are not well understood, maternal nutritional status and suckling behaviors have been shown to be related to duration of po...
PLASTIC EXTERIOR BODY PANELS : MATERIAL PROCESS REQUIREMENTS

This paper reviews the progress in the automotive industry toward plastic bodied vehicles. The material, process and design requirements for exterior body panels are discussed according to the various body panel applications. Material and process alternatives for these body panels are discussed. While the potential is large, there is need for a long-term commitment by suppliers toward developing the necessary design, material and process technology.
Phonons and solitons in one-dimensional Mott insulators

We study the problem of one-dimensional Luttinger liquids in the insulating Mott-Hubbard phase in the presence of acoustic phonons in the semiclassical limit. We show that solitonic excitations can propagate freely in the system and the energy required to produce a soliton is reduced by a polaronic effect. We find a critical value of the electron-phonon coupling constant for which this energy vanishes.
Direct measurement for SOI and bulk diodes of single-event-upset charge collection from energetic ions and alpha particles

We describe experiments on charge collection from fluorine ions striking ICs and compare with the collection from alpha particles. The fluorine ion strikes are similar to the energetic heavy ions produced when cosmic-ray-generated neutrons collide with silicon nuclei in an IC. The typical measured charge collection is 10 fC for alpha particles and greater than 100 fC for fluorine ions in bulk diodes. For fluorine ions hitting silicon-on-insulator (SOI) diodes, the charge collection is typically less than 9 fC.
Benzamide on chondrocytic differentiation in chick limb bud cell culture

Benzamide, an inhibitor of (ADP-ribose) transferase, augmented chondrocytic differentiation of chick limb bud mesenchymal cells in micromass cultures; the incorporation of 35SO42− into the trichloroacetic-acid-insoluble constituents of cell masses as well as the formation of cartilage nodules (Nishio, Nakanishi, Doull & Uyeki, 1983) occurred about 24h earlier than in untreated cultures and continued to be enhanced in benzamide-treated cultures of stage 23- to 24-chick limb bud cells. Benzamide also significantly increased cell proliferation. However, benzamide did not affect DNA and RNA syntheses except for one period: 24 to 30 h after the start of culture, RNA synthesis was stimulated. From 48h of culture, (ADP-ribose) transferase activity decreased daily in untreated cultures, whereas benzamide treatment diminished (ADP-ribose) transferase activity 24 h earlier. On the other hand, intracellular NAD levels increased daily in untreated cultures, and benzamide significantly increased the NAD levels above untreated cultures. ATP levels did not differ significantly during the culture period, and benzamide did not affect ATP levels.
Tetracycline bone labeling in surgical management of chronic osteomyelitis: a case report

b hronic osteomyelitis of the mandible is commonly reated by long-term antibiotic therapy along with urgical debridement of the affected region. Debrideent has been described as saucerization, peripheral stectomy, or curettage.1-4 All of these techniques hare the common goal of removing infected minerlized tissue and preserving viable tissue. Surgical xcision can be problematic due in part to the diffiulty in differentiating live bone from necrotic bone. linical indicators used intraoperatively to establish he extent of the debridement may not reliably distinuish between affected and viable bone. As a result, his procedure can be rather arbitrary, leading to nsufficient bone removal or excessive surgery that ould compromise future reconstruction of the residal defect. Tetracycline is used as a fluorescent marker in this ase of chronic osteomyelitis of the mandible to idenify the contrast between viable and nonviable bone nder a Wood’s lamp. This use of tetracycline is not ntended to replace diagnostic modalities such as clincal examination, radiography, computed tomography canning, and radionuclide imaging. The purpose is to rovide an additional intraoperative guide for the sureon.
Removal of Cryptosporidium -Sized Polystyrene Microspheres from Swimming Pool Water with a Sand Filter with and without Added Perlite Filter Media

Waterborne disease outbreaks in U.S. swimming pools have been increasing in recent years, and the majority of the outbreaks are caused by Cryptosporidium oocysts. This research project evaluates sand filtration for swimming pools without and with an amendment, perlite. The evaluation was formed on the basis of removing 5-μm polystyrene microspheres, as a surrogate for Cryptosporidium oocyst, from simulated pool water stored in a 757 L (200 gal) tank. The results showed that a sand filter, without perlite, was not efficient at removing Cryptosporidium-sized particles (i.e., the 5-μm microspheres), with removals averaging 19% (or 0.09 log). The sand filter with a thin layer (1.2 kg/m2 or 0.25 lbs/ft2) of perlite media on top demonstrated removals of 98% (or 1.8 log). The filtration rate was maintained at 49 m/h (20 gpm/ft2) in all experiments. These results indicate that perlite may hold promise in reducing the likelihood of outbreaks of cryptosporidiosis associated with swimming pools.
Compartment Syndrome and Lower-Limb Fasciotomies in the Combat Environment

Prophylactic and therapeutic treatment of leg compartment syndrome with decompression by double-incision fasciotomy prevents progression of soft-tissue injury in high-energy trauma. This treatment is the standard of care in civilian trauma and combat settings. More controversial is the use of either single- or dual-incision fasciotomy of the foot for prophylactic treatment of foot compartment syndrome. Fasciotomy must be performed in the face of major trauma to the foot with severe swelling and unremitting pain. The role for prophylactic fasciotomy of the foot is unclear and should be considered on a case by case basis. The surgeon must maintain a high degree of vigilance for the development of compartment syndrome in the combat casualty.
Level-dependent critical bandwidth for phase discrimination

Monaural phase discrimination was evaluated at 1000 Hz in six normal-hearing listeners as a function of the frequency difference between components in three-tone complexes at 40, 60, 80, and 100 dB SPL. The phase of the center component of 100% sinusoidally amplitude-modulated (SAM) waveforms was shifted by 90 degrees to produce quasi-frequency-modulated (QFM) waveforms that had identical long-term power spectra to the SAM waveforms but with different amplitude envelopes and temporal fine structure. At low modulation frequencies, where spectral components were close together and presumably all well within a single auditory filter, normal-hearing listeners could easily discriminate QFM from SAM waveforms. As modulation frequency increased, a point was reached where listeners could no longer distinguish QFM from SAM waveforms, referred to here as the critical bandwidth for phase discrimination (CBphs). Discrimination performance (d') was measured as a function of modulation frequency to yield a psychometric function for phase discrimination. From the psychometric function, CBphs was defined as the modulation frequency corresponding to d' = 1.0. At a carrier frequency of 1000 Hz, CBphs increased with level between 40 and 80 dB SPL according to the relation: CBphs = 34.I(0.136). Above 80 dB SPL, very little change in CBphs with level was seen. The increase with level of the geometric mean CBphs was predicted from level-dependent auditory filter slopes inferred from forward-masked tuning curves, as was the tendency to reach an asymptote above 80 dB SPL. Comparisons with previous work indicate that CBphs values from the best performing subjects were well within the audibility region for cubic difference tones. It is proposed that internally generated cubic difference tones interact with externally generated acoustic components, both limited by a level-dependent auditory filter, to produce an internal excitation envelope that is the basis for discriminating between SAM and QFM waveforms. It is also suggested that individual differences at low levels may be due to internal phase ambiguities.
Leukocyte-renal epithelial cell interactions regulate lupus nephritis

Summary Renal disease is the major cause of morbidity in patients with lupus. MRL- Fas lpr mice share features with human lupus. The tempo, predictability, and homogeneous expression of disease in MRL- Fas lpr mice make them an excellent tool to probe the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis and to identify therapeutic targets. This article focuses on the concepts that renal parenchymal cells are active participants that regulate immune responses in the kidney, and that the interaction between parenchymal cells and leukocytes (macrophages, T cells) determine whether the kidney is protected or destroyed during lupus nephritis. In particular we review the role of macrophages, fueled by the principal macrophage developmental molecule, colony stimulating factor-1, in lupus nephritis, and we review T cells and costimulatory pathways and the interaction of these leukocytes with renal parenchymal cells that regulate lupus nephritis.