cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PEEP Generated by High-Flow Nasal Cannula in a Pediatric Model.

BACKGROUND: High-flow nasal cannulas (HFNC) have been increasingly used in the pediatric critical care patient population. There are different theories about the mechanism by which HFNC reduces work of breathing, including diminishing upper airway dead space by the washout of carbon dioxide. However, one of the likely primary mechanisms by which HFNC reduces work of breathing is by generating PEEP. There are limited data assessing the PEEP delivered by moderate flows (8 –50 L/min) of HFNC, which are used most commonly in pediatric patients. METHODS: Pediatric upper-airway models were created with 5 different nares produced by a 3-dimensional printer and connected to a lung simulator. Age-specific flows were delivered via the 5 different setups. Pressure throughout the simulated airway was measured at HFNC flows of 6 – 60 L/min with 25%, 50%, and 75% air leak to simulate open-mouth breathing. RESULTS: PEEPs of 1.2–36 cm H2O were generated with HFNC flows of 6 – 60 L/min. In general, for each specific cannula, increasing the flow and decreasing the air leak resulted in higher levels of PEEP delivered (P 10% difference). Changes in lung mechanics as generated by the lung simulator to simulate different patient ages resulted in the establishment of different levels of PEEP. CONCLUSIONS: HFNCs deliver varying amounts of PEEP at the alveolar level with flows of 6 – 60 L/min. Increasing flow and decreasing leak resulted in the generation of greater PEEP. PEEP levels differed across cannulas and model weights at the same leak level, likely due to differences in the nasal interface between the HFNC device and the model nares.
Quality improvement initiative to decrease time to full feeds and central line utilization among infants born less than or equal to 32 0/7 weeks through compliance with standardized feeding guidelines.

Background There are emerging evidences that support more aggressive feeding advancement among preterm infants. Our NICU had conservative feeding advancement guidelines that delayed enteral feeding and prolonged central line use. We aimed to reduce time to full feeds among infants born ≤ 32 0/7 weeks from 12.8 days to 8 days. Methods A multidisciplinary team implemented evidence-based feeding guidelines using quality improvement methods. Days to full enteral feeds, central line days, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) rates, and extrauterine growth restriction (EUGR) rates were analyzed. Results Average days to full enteral feeds decreased from 12.8 to 7.7 days and from 17.5 to 9.1 days for infants born ≤ 32 0/7 weeks and ≤ 28 0/7 weeks respectively, without significant change in NEC rate. Central line days decreased by 35%. Insignificant improvement in EUGR rate was found. Conclusions Faster feeding advancement guidelines led to earlier full enteral feeds and reduced central line utilization without increasing complications.
A proposed method for the calculation of age-dependent QRS duration z-scores

Abstract Background There are currently no published algorithms for calculation of age-dependent QRS duration z-scores. The absence of a standardized measure has limited researchers' abilities to compare ECG measurements of electrical synchrony between subjects of different ages or longitudinally over time. Methods Four existing studies of normal ECG measurements (total 19,062 subjects) were used to estimate age and sex-dependent means and standard deviations. Results Weighted means and standard deviations were best estimated by cubic functions to create z-score algorithms. Conclusion Nomograms and algorithms for QRS duration z-scores may be estimated to compare ECG findings in both children and adults.
The Interaction between Leaf Allelopathy and Symbiosis with Rhizobium of Ulex europaeus on Hawaii Island.

The objective of this study was to assess the magnitudes of the leaf allelopathy of Ulex europaeus in two different habitats, and discuss the driver of the differences, including rhizobia. The magnitudes of leaf allelopathy of the samples collected in two different habitats were assessed by comparing the hypocotyl and radicle lengths of the lettuce seeds tested on the samples. One habitat was in and adjacent to an Acasia koa forest, while the other was more than 50 m away. A. koa is indigenous to Hawaii and known to have a close symbiotic relationship with Bradyrhizobium for nitrogen-fixing. Within the past three years, U. europaeus has newly invaded both sampling sites, whereas the A. koa forest has been there for several decades. The combined result of both hypocotyl and radicle lengths of the lettuce seeds tested on both sites by linear model and multicomparison analyses showed no significant difference. But the radicle lengths of the lettuce seeds tested on U. europaeus sampled in and adjacent to the A. koa forest were significantly longer than those of the samples more than 50 m away, as measured by t-test (p = 0.05). This result suggested that the magnitude of the leaf allelopathy of U. europaeus depended on the distance of the habitat from the A. koa forest.
Cities and Comic Books. Berlin in Alberto Madrigal’s Graphic Novels

The present work is organised in three parts. The first one deals with the analysis of the relationship between architecture and comics, which originated at the beginning of the last century; the second one examines a fundamental aspect of this relationship, namely the representation of cities in comic books and, above all, how this aspect has evolved over the last century from the utopias linked to the great urban metropolis to their fall at the end of the century. Finally, in the third part, the works of Madrigal are analysed. The common trait that forges the graphic production of this young Spanish author is represented by the constant presence of the city of Berlin, which, despite being portrayed in a language that is always coherent, takes on specific connotations with the stories that are told within the author’s different graphic novels. The relationship between the city and comic books in the work of Madrigal translates into the essentiality of its design. The simplification of the stroke-work and the absence of over-structures correspond to an immediacy of the message that the author tries to convey, allowing him to more easily reach out to the emotions of the reader.
Chiari and Scoliosis

There is a well-known relationship between Chiari malformation and thoracolumbar scoliosis. The incidence of scoliosis can range from 2% to 4% in the general population but may be as high as 30% in patients with Chiari malformation type I and as high as 70% with spinal cord syrinx. In this chapter, we review the relationship between these conditions and discuss emerging evidence regarding risk factors, diagnosis, and management of children with Chiari-related scoliosis.
Seeing around corners using time of flight

The problem of seeing around corners, often referred in the broader "Non-Line-of-Sight" context, is to use sensed information from directly visible surfaces of an environment to infer properties of the scene not directly visible. For example, the geometry above presents a classic "around the corner" setting, where a flat wall is used as the visible surface, and the hidden scene is occluded by another wall. While many proposed sensing modalities have been proposed, including acoustic and RF signals, most approaches utilize photonic sensors in the visible spectrum due to the availability of hardware, and better temporal and spatial resolution. Approaches range from active time-resolved measurements, time-averaged continuous wave sources, and even to passive exploitation of ambient illumination.
Digital ion trap mass analysis of high mass protein complexes using IR activation coupled with ion/ion reactions

Native mass spectrometry (MS) focuses on measuring the masses of large biomolecular complexes and probing their structures. Large biomolecular complexes are readily introduced into mass spectrometers as gas-phase ions using electrospray ionization (ESI); however, the ions tend to be heavily adducted with solvent and salts, which leads to mass measurement errors. Various solution clean-up approaches can reduce the degree of adduction prior to introduction to the mass spectrometer. Gas-phase activation of trapped ions can provide additional adduct reduction, and charge reduction ion/ion reactions increase charge state separation. Together, gas-phase activation and charge reduction can combine to yield spectra of well separated charge states for improved mass measurements. A simple gas-phase collisional activation technique is to apply a dipolar DC (DDC) field to opposing electrodes in an ion trap. DDC activation loses its efficacy when ions are trapped at low q values, which is true of the high m/z ions generated by charge reduction ion/ion reactions. Digital ion trapping (DIT) readily traps high m/z ions at higher q values by varying trapping frequency rather than amplitude, but the low frequencies used to trap high m/z ions also decreases the efficacy of DDC activation. We demonstrate here using ions derived from GroEL that IR activation of ions shows no discrimination against high m/z ions trapped with DIT, because they can be focused equally well to the trap center to interact with the IR laser beam. Following pump out of excess background gas, IR activation can also induce efficient dissociation of the GroEL complex. This work demonstrates that IR activation is an effective approach for ion heating in native MS over the unusually wide range of charge states accessible via gas-phase ion/ion reactions.
Theoretical Justification of the Bi Error Method

Incorrect usage of $p$-values, particularly within the context of significance testing using the arbitrary .05 threshold, has become a major problem in modern statistical practice. The prevalence of this problem can be traced back to the context-free 5-step method commonly taught to undergraduates: we teach it because it is what is done, and we do it because it is what we are taught. This hold particularly true for practitioners of statistics who are not formal statisticians. Thus, in order to improve scientific practice and overcome statistical dichotomania, an accessible replacement for the 5-step method is warranted. We propose a method foundational on the utilization of the Youden Index as a potential decision threshold, which has been shown in the literature to be effective in conjunction with neutral zones. Unlike the traditional 5-step method, our 5-step method (the Bi Error method) allows for neutral results, does not require $p$-values, and does not provide any default threshold values. Instead, our method explicitly requires contextual error analysis as well as quantification of statistical power. Furthermore, and in part due to its lack of usage of p-values, the method sports improved accessibility. This accessibility is supported by a generalized analytical derivation of the Youden Index.
Negative Zero-Point-Energy Parameter in the Meyer-Miller Mapping Model for Nonadiabatic Dynamics

The celebrated Meyer-Miller mapping model has been a useful approach for generating practical trajectory-based nonadiabatic dynamics methods. It is generally assumed that the zero-point-energy (ZPE) parameter is positive. The constraint implied in the conventional Meyer-Miller mapping Hamiltonian for an F-electronic-state system actually requires γ∈(-1/F, ∞) for the ZPE parameter for each electronic degree of freedom. Both negative and positive values are possible for such a parameter. We first establish a rigorous formulation to construct exact mapping models in the Cartesian phase space when the constraint is applied. When nuclear dynamics is approximated by the linearized semiclassical initial value representation, a negative ZPE parameter could lead to reasonably good performance in describing dynamic behaviors in typical spin-boson models for condensed-phase two-state systems, even at challenging zero temperature.
Nonviral Vehicles for Gene Delivery

Nonviral gene delivery (NVGD) is an appealing alternative to viral gene delivery for clinical applications due to its lower cost and increased safety. A variety of promising nonviral vectors are un...
Addressing Hispanic Obesity Disparities Using a Community Health Worker Model Grounded in Motivational Interviewing.

PURPOSE To determine whether Hispanic residents receiving the Healthy Fit intervention enhanced with Motivational Interviewing (MI) experienced greater improvements in body composition, relative to participants receiving the initial intervention. DESIGN Quasi-experimental evaluation. SETTING El Paso, Texas. SAMPLE Among 656 baseline participants, 374 (54%) completed the 12-month assessment. INTERVENTION In Healthy Fit, community health workers (CHWs) promote nutrition and exercise. To strengthen intrinsic motivation and help participants overcome barriers to change, we incorporated a 30-minute motivational interview into the baseline assessment. Follow-up phone calls at 1, 3, and 6 months were identical across conditions. MEASURES CHWs assessed body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage (BFP) using a bioelectrical impedance scale. ANALYSIS Regression models estimated differences between intervention conditions on change in BMI and BFP from baseline to the 12-month assessment. RESULTS Participants receiving MI had 2.13 times higher odds of losing weight (OR = 2.14, 95% CI [1.30, 3.53], P = .003) and 2.59 times higher odds of reduced BFP (OR = 2.59, 95% CI [1.51, 4.41], P < .001), relative to initial intervention participants. MI participants lost an average of 1.23 kg (2.71 lbs.) and their BFP declined 2% over 12 months. CONCLUSION Findings suggest CHW use of MI is a promising approach for promoting incremental changes in diet and exercise, which Healthy Fit integrates into a low-cost intervention.
Wind-Excited Response of Buildings in Higher Modes

In this note, a simple method of computing the contribution of higher modes to the crosswind response is presented, and the results are compared with those of a detailed analysis.
The use of partially recorded reflections for post refinement, scaling and averaging X‐ray diffraction data

Previous methods used for placing diffraction data recorded on a set of image frames onto a common scale have depended on finding scale factors that minimize the difference between scaled, fully recorded reflections. However, frozen crystals usually have mosaic spreads comparable to the oscillation angle, resulting in only very few, if any, fully recorded reflections on any one frame. Two methods are presented for solving this problem. The first depends on summing the components of a reflection on neighbouring frames; the second depends on calculating the degree of partiality (described in the Appendix) of each partial reflection. Problems of reflection selection for scaling and the use of post refinement for accurate determination of unit-cell parameters and crystal setting angles are discussed.
COMMUNITY‐LEVEL VICTIMIZATION AND AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR IN AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE ADOLESCENTS: A PROFILE ANALYSIS

Community victimization is associated with elevated rates of aggression in African American male adolescents; however, existing research provides little information about the within-group variability for victimization and aggression. Through cluster analysis, the current study identified three distinct profiles of community victimization and aggressive behavior in 223 African American male adolescents (mean age = 15.15, standard deviation = 1.05). The aggressive victims group reported high victimization and moderately high aggression. The aggressive nonvictims group reported low victimization, but moderately high aggression. The nonaggressive nonvictims group reported below-average rates of victimization and aggression. The aggressive victims and aggressive nonvictims reported more maladaptive outcomes. The results highlight the importance of using person-based analyses to understand within-group variability in African American male adolescents. Identifying subtypes of youth has implications for violence interventions by providing information about who is most affected by community victimization and the patterns of associated emotional and behavioral problems that should be targeted in interventions.
The Health of Caregiving Grandmothers: A Rural-Urban Comparison

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the characteristics of rural versus urban caregiving grandmothers along with their physical and mental health status. Methods: A secondary analysis of data produced from the first wave of a longitudinal study of 485 Ohio grandmothers was conducted. Health status was measured using the SF-36 Health Survey and the 20-item CES-D depression scale. Rural-urban classification was made using Rural Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) codes based on resident ZIP codes, identifying 97 rural and 388 urban grandmothers in the sample. Findings: The rural and urban grandmothers were similar in age, educational level and employment status; however, 90% of the rural grandmothers compared with 60% of the urban grandmothers were white. Rural grandmothers were most likely to have traditional nonresidential relationships with their grandchildren. Approximately 38% of both the rural and urban grandmothers served as primary caregivers for their grandchildren, but a lower percentage of rural grandmothers lived in multigenerational homes. There was no significant difference between the rural and urban grandmothers in relation to physical or mental health. Among rural grandmothers, primary caregivers had significantly lower levels of mental health compared with the other caregiver groups. Conclusions: These findings suggest that rural and urban grandmothers have similar levels of physical and mental health, despite differences in demographics and caregiving arrangements. Health promotion efforts with rural caregiving grandparents are indicated, addressing both mental and physical health.
Module placement for power supply noise and wire congestion avoidance in 3D packaging

In this work, we present an automatic module placement algorithm for simultaneous power supply noise and routing congestion minimization for 3D packaging that are seriously threatening the performance and reliability of 3D packaging. We employ decoupling capacitance insertion for noise suppression and 3D global routing for congestion avoidance.
PAPER’S RESISTANCE TO WETTING – A REVIEW OF INTERNAL SIZING CHEMICALS AND THEIR EFFECTS

This review considers research related to internal sizing agents. Such chemicals, when added as emulsions or in micellar form to slurries of cellulosic fibers before paper is made, can make the product resist water and other fluids. Significant progress has been achieved to elucidate the modes of action of alkylketene dimer (AKD), alkenylsuccinic anhydride (ASA), rosin products, and other sizing chemicals. Recent findings generally support a traditional view that efficient hydrophobation requires that the sizing chemicals contain hydrophobic groups, that they are efficiently retained on fiber surfaces during the papermaking process, that they become well distributed on a molecular scale, and that they need to be chemically anchored. A variety of studies have quantified ways in which internal sizing treatments tend to be inefficient, compared to what is theoretically possible. The inefficient nature of chemical and physical processes associated with internal sizing, as well as competing reactions and some interfering or contributing factors, help to explain apparent inconsistencies between the results of some recent studies.
Numerical Simulations of Triggered Star Formation. I. Collapse of Dense Molecular Cloud Cores

Results from numerical simulations of shock waves impacting molecular cloud cores are presented. The three-dimensional smoothed particle hydrodynamics code used in the calculations includes effects from a varying adiabatic exponent, molecular, atomic, and dust cooling, as well as magnetic pseudofluid. The molecular cloud cores are assumed to be embedded in background cloud material and to have evolved into their preimpact state under ambipolar diffusion. The shock wave is assumed to be locally plane parallel and steady. The results are sensitive to the thermodynamics employed in the calculations, because it determines the shock structure and the stability of the core. Shocks with velocities in the range of 20-45 km s-1 are capable of triggering collapse, while those with lower speeds rarely do. The results also depend on the properties of the preimpact core. Highly evolved cores with high initial densities are easier to trigger into collapse, and they tend to collapse to a single point. Less evolved cores with lower densities and larger radii may fragment during collapse and form binaries.
The Effects of Spherical Geometry on Baroclinic Instability

A baroclinic stability analysis is performed for a simple family of zonal shear profiles over a sphere, using a two-layer, quasi-geostrophic model. The stability properties and the structure of the most unstable waves are qualitatively similar to those on a beta-plane. However, the spherical geometry plays a major role in locating some of the important features of the most unstable waves. In particular, the locations of the maximum wave amplitude, maximum eddy heat fluxes, and maximum convergence of the eddy angular momentum flux are all well correlated with the location of the maximum excess of the vertical shear over the minimum value necessary for local instability on a sphere. Consequently the eddy momentum flux tends to generate a mid-latitude jet even if there is no preexisting mid-latitude jet in the basic state zonal flow. These findings suggest some of the elements needed for parameterizing the meridional variations of baroclinic eddy fluxes accurately.
The application of statistical moment theory to the evaluation of in vivo dissolution time and absorption time

Moments analysis has been applied to the calculation of mean (in vivo)dissolution time (MDT) and mean absorption time (MAT) from plasma level of drug versus time data. Methods for accurately estimating the MDT under varying conditions, limitations of the methods, and interpretation of the data are presented. The importance of accurate estimates of the terminal rate constant (λz) and the drug concentration at the time of withdrawing the final plasma sample (Ĉz)is emphasized in connection with extrapolation to t=∞.The appropriate use of a logarithmic trapezoidal equation for calculating the area under the moments curve (AUMC) is shown to increase the accuracy of estimating MDT.
Phonemic confusability, precategorical acoustic storage, and the suffix effect

Ss attempted ordered recall of acoustically presented strings of seven consonant-vowel syllables. In a control condition, each string was followed by a tone in presentation, while in the experimental (suffix) conditions, a verbal syllable followed the last to-be-remembered item. The independent variable was the phonemic similarity between the verbal suffix and the memory stimuli Although the verbal syllables produced a large suffix effect as compared with the control condition, and although more errors were made overall when similarity was high, the degree to which the verbal suffix items reduced the recency advantage at the end of the series was independent of their phonemic similarity to the stimuli. This independence was taken as support for a distinction between acoustic and articulatory coding.
Longevity, stability and DNA repair.

The functional capacity of a cell, tissue, organ, or organism is dependent upon its ability to maintain the stability of its unit components. The higher the differentiated state of the system, the greater the amount of stability required to maintain that state as a function of time. Stability can be achieved via either redundancy or repair. Redundancy while easily achievable in biological systems is both costly and limited by thermodynamic considerations. Repair, in its general sense, has no such limitations. Repair at the cellular and macromolecular level is multiple in its forms and varies as a function of species, tissue, and stage of the cell cycle. The repair of DNA damage is a dynamic process with many components and subcomponents, each interacting with one another in order to achieve a balance between individual stability and evolutionary diversity. Thus, between internal and external factors which damage DNA and the subsequent expression of alterations in the functional stability of DNA lie the multi-functional pathways which attempt to maintain DNA fidelity. A strong correlation between ulta-violet light induced excision or pre-replication repair, as measured by autoradiogrphy and maximum species lifespan has been reported within different strains of the same species, between related species (e.g. Mus musculus and Peromyscus leucopus), between five orders of mammals, and most recently within members of the primate family. As has been demonstrated by the authors and others, differences in excision repair between species and tissues may relate to the turning off of portions of the repair processes during embryogenesis. Regardless of why such correlations exist or the nature of their mechanisms, it is naive to either assert or deny a causal role for DNA repair in longevity assurance systems. For example, while species-related differences in DNA repair may reflect the turning off of such repair processes during fetal development this does not mean that rates of accumulation of DNA damage are not altered by such changes. Indeed, such a phenomena might well explain the rapid evolution of lifespan within the primates without a concurrent input of new genes.
Development and performance of a semi-automated clean-up procedure for the analysis of PCDD/PCDF in ground whole fish samples

Abstract Modifications to the US EPA Method 8290 for analyzing PCDD and PCDF in ground whole fish samples are presented. The new procedure is partially automated and increases sample throughput while providing reliable precise data.
Stress-induced enhancement of leukocyte trafficking into sites of surgery or immune activation.

Effective immunoprotection requires rapid recruitment of leukocytes into sites of surgery, wounding, infection, or vaccination. In contrast to immunosuppressive chronic stressors, short-term acute stressors have immunoenhancing effects. Here, we quantify leukocyte infiltration within a surgical sponge to elucidate the kinetics, magnitude, subpopulation, and chemoattractant specificity of an acute stress-induced increase in leukocyte trafficking to a site of immune activation. Mice acutely stressed before sponge implantation showed 200–300% higher neutrophil, macrophage, natural killer cell, and T cell infiltration than did nonstressed animals. We also quantified the effects of acute stress on lymphotactin- (LTN; a predominantly lymphocyte-specific chemokine), and TNF-α- (a proinflammatory cytokine) stimulated leukocyte infiltration. An additional stress-induced increase in infiltration was observed for neutrophils, in response to TNF-α, macrophages, in response to TNF-α and LTN, and natural killer cells and T cells in response to LTN. These results show that acute stress initially increases trafficking of all major leukocyte subpopulations to a site of immune activation. Tissue damage-, antigen-, or pathogen-driven chemoattractants subsequently determine which subpopulations are recruited more vigorously. Such stress-induced increases in leukocyte trafficking may enhance immunoprotection during surgery, vaccination, or infection, but may also exacerbate immunopathology during inflammatory (cardiovascular disease or gingivitis) or autoimmune (psoriasis, arthritis, or multiple sclerosis) diseases.
The use of anterior caspar plate fixation in acute cervical spine injury

Abstract Optimal management of cervical cord injury in the presence of documented instability and/or compression of neural elements remains a controversial topic. Surgery and internal stabilization of cervical spine fracture/dislocations are effective and well accepted, but controversy exists on the relative merits of the anterior versus the posterior approach as well as the optimal timing of surgical intervention. We report our experience with the Caspar technique and instrumentation for anterior stabilization in 54 patients for acute cervical spine injury. Our series consists of 38 male and 16 female patients whose ages ranged from 16 to 68 years, with a mean age of 29.2 years. Thirty-two of these patients had complete neurological sensory/motor deficits at the time of presentation, eight were neurologically intact, and 14 had preservation of some motor and sensory function. All 54 patients had radiographic evidence of posterior instability as well as anterior disruption of either a vertebral body or intervertebral disk. We found that “early” intervention (less than 24 hours after injury) was performed frequently in the neurologically compromised patients. Twelve of the 22 patients undergoing surgery less than 24 hours after admission regained significant neurological function, with 13 of 22 developing postoperative complications. In the “delayed” group (surgery more than 24 hours after injury, mean 14.3 days), 14 patients experienced postoperative complications, with 15 of 24 demonstrating neurological improvement. The eight patients who were intact did uniformly well. There was no mortality during the follow-up. All 54 patients showed a solid fusion (clinically and radiologically) within 6 months of surgery. In two cases the plates had to be removed, without risking the fusion. Our experience suggests that although anterior cervical fusion and Caspar plating remain appropriate for patients with documented anterior compromise of the canal, it should not substitute for more traditional posterior stabilization procedures. Because this route has the potential for more serious complications, it should be reserved for those cases in which anterior decompression is deemed necessary or posterior fusion was unsuccessful. With appropriate selection of patients, no adverse effect of early surgery was demonstrated. In fact, neurologically compromised patients had the benefits of increased ease of patient care and early transfer to rehabilitation.
Energetics of the Catalytic Reaction of Ribonuclease A: A Computational Study of Alternative Mechanisms

The energetics of the catalytic reaction of ribonuclease A have been explored with empirical valence bond (EVB) simulations to elucidate the origin of the enormous catalytic power of this enzyme and to examine different mechanistic alternatives. The two mechanisms analyzed were a general acid−general base mechanism with a dianionic transition state and a triester-like mechanism with a monoionic transition state. The first step of the analysis used experimental information to determine the activation energy of each assumed mechanism in a water cage. This has provided an experimentally based reference point for the catalytic effect of the enzyme. The next step of the analysis involved EVB simulations of the reaction in water and calibrated these simulations against the above-mentioned energetics of the reference reaction. The simulations were performed in the protein environment without changing any EVB parameters. The catalysis was measured as the difference in the overall activation free energy of the res...
The interaction effect of bereavement and sex on the risk of suicide in the elderly: An historical cohort study

Abstract To examine the hypothesis that the increased risk of suicide for the widowed elderly is dependent of sex, suicide mortality in a cohort of 6266 white married and 3486 white widowed persons aged 60 yr or older in 1963 was evaluated based on a 12-yr follow-up survey in Washington County, MD. Death rates from suicide were 28.7 per 100,000 person-yr for the married, and 40.4 for the widowed. An interaction effect was found between bereavement and sex: the risk of suicide for widowed men was 3.3 times as high as for married men (95% confidence interval, 1.3–8.3), but the risk of suicide for widowed women did not increase compared with that for married women (relative risk 1.0, 95% CI 0.3–3.1). Adjustment for social and behavioral factors did not change the interaction effect to any meaningful extent. The results suggest that widowed men should be one of the prior targets of suicide prevention and intervention programs for the elderly.
Impact of calcium chloride addition on mercury transformations and control in coal flue gas

Abstract Pilot-scale experiments were conducted to investigate mercury transformations in coal flue gas when firing subbituminous coal with a CaCl 2 additive. Cofiring the CaCl 2 additive with the subbituminous coal resulted in approximately 50% oxidized mercury, as a result of reactive chlorine species formed in coal flue gas, compared to the dominance of elemental mercury in the baseline flue gas. The mercury data indicate that mercury-flue gas chemistry reactions may occur at fairly high temperatures (>400 °C) in chlorine-enriched flue gas. Field tests were conducted to further demonstrate the impact of cofiring CaCl 2 on the eventual fate of mercury. These tests were completed on a 650-MW subbituminous coal-fired power plant equipped with selective catalytic reduction (SCR), a fabric filter (FF), and a wet scrubber. Overall mercury removals across the SCR-FF-wet scrubber system ranged from 75% to 96% with 200–800 ppm (coal basis) chlorine addition compared to 18–32% during baseline operations. Field data indicate that the SCR enhanced mercury oxidation, possibly as a result of the supplemental formation of reactive chlorine species and the aid of the SCR catalyst. As a result, most of the mercury in the flue gas was in an oxidized state and was removed in the downstream wet scrubber, indicating that cofiring CaCl 2 is an effective mercury control approach for a subbituminous coal-fired plant equipped with an SCR and wet scrubber.
Streamlining a Meteorological Database for Knowledge Discovery

Knowledge discovery in databases (KDD) is a multi stage process for extracting non trivial information from databases; two such stages are data preparation and data mining. We show how KDD techniques have been applied to a meteorological database to search for climatic patterns between geographical locations and how the size and quality of the data give rise to problems in the data mining stage.
Sick child care: a developmental perspective

Sick child care programs provide an alternative when mildly ill children are excluded from their regular child care program. Although infectious disease implications have been addressed, little attention has been directed to the potentially negative consequences of care by unfamiliar providers in unfamiliar settings. Appropriate options for care during illness must be based not only on the physical but the emotional and developmental needs of young children.
Historical fire in sagebrush landscapes of the Gunnison sage-grouse range from land-survey records.

Abstract We use land-survey records to reconstruct historical fire and landscapes in the current range of the Gunnison sage-grouse (GUSG; Centrocercus minimus ), which is proposed for listing under the Endangered Species Act. Using section-line descriptions from 1872 to 1892 surveys, and fire indicators, we reconstructed 110 potential fire patches and 76 fires over about 219,000 ha of sagebrush. The fire-size distribution was inverse-J shaped with a geometric mean patch size of 154 ha and fire size of 212 ha. Historical fire rotations were 178–357 years in Wyoming big sagebrush ( Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis ) and 90–143 years in mountain big sagebrush ( A. tridentata ssp. vaseyana ). Fires left little interior unburned area ( 10,000 ha created expansive grass-dominated vegetation followed by extended recovery and dominance by mature sagebrush. Historical landscapes contained large contiguous expanses of mature sagebrush, structured by variations in density and patches of trees. Dense sagebrush covered 20%, scattered sagebrush 15%, and sagebrush with scattered trees 19% of the area, likely representing natural tree fluctuation in sagebrush and slow post-fire recovery in adjoining woodlands. Preserving large expanses of contiguous sagebrush is consistent with historical fire and recent fragmentation of sagebrush habitat. Treatments to thin and reduce sagebrush appear unnecessary.
Development and transferability of a cost-effective laparoscopic camera navigation simulator

Laparoscopic camera navigation (LCN) is vital for the successful performance of laparoscopic operations, yet little time is spent on training. This study aimed to develop an inexpensive LCN simulator, to design a structured curriculum, and to determine the transferability of skills acquired. In this study, 0° and 30° LCN simulators were developed for use on a videotrainer platform. Transferability was tested by enrolling 20 medical students in an institutional review board-approved, randomized, controlled, blinded protocol. Subjects viewed a video tutorial and were pretested in LCN on a porcine Nissen model. Procedures were videotaped and the LCN performance was scored by a blinded rater according to the number of standardized verbal cues required and the percentage of time an optimal surgical view (%OSV) was obtained. Procedure time also was recorded. Subjects were stratified and randomized. The trained group practiced on the LCN simulator until competency was demonstrated. The control group received no training. Both groups were posttested on the porcine Nissen model. The constructed simulators required 35 man hours for development, cost $25 per board for materials, and proved to be durable. The trained group demonstrated significant improvement in verbal cues (p = 0.001), %OSV (p < 0.001), and procedure time (p = 0.001), whereas the control group showed improvement only in verbal cues (p < 0.02). At posttesting, the training group demonstrated significantly better scores for verbal cues (2.1 vs 8.0; p = 0.02) and %OSV (64% vs 45% p = 0.01) than the control group. These data suggest that the LCN simulator is cost effective and provides trainees with skills that translate to the operating room.
A Caveat Emptor for myocardial regeneration: Mechanical without electrical recovery will not suffice

Evidence suggesting the use of adult stem cells as a viable treatment for myocardial infarction continues to mount. In this issue of the Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, Mills et al present compelling evidence that suggests mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), when used to treat myocardial infarction, are not pro-arrhythmic and may actually help sustain the action potentials in myocytes surviving in the border zone and infarcted region. These findings stand in stark contrast to the failure of skeletal myoblasts (SKMBs) to propagate an action potential to those same regions, although both cell types appear to confer similar recovery of mechanical function in a rat myocardial infarction model. The main conclusions of the study are that (1) both approaches successfully improve mechanical function as compared to saline injection, (2) SKMBs increase the susceptibility to and incidence of ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation while the MSCs may decrease these serious electrical outcomes, (3) that the SKMBs exist as isolated islands with no gap junctional coupling to adjacent cells, while the MSCs effectively integrate into the cardiac syncytium, and (4) the amplitude of the action potential (AP) recorded by optical techniques in the presence of SKMBs shows a decrement similar to that observed in the presence of saline, while MSCs reduce this decrement in AP amplitude.
Conditional Survival of Malignant Thymoma Using National Population-Based Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Registry (1973–2011)

Introduction Thymoma is a rare and unique tumor with a long natural history that makes it difficult to study. Consequently, there is a dearth of prospective diagnostic or therapeutic clinical trials. To our knowledge, there has not been an analysis of conditional survival of thymoma in the literature. The specific aim of this study was to study the 5-year conditional survivals of a large population of thymoma patients. Methods Cases of thymoma were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry (1973–2011) and categorized into Masaoka–Koga stage groupings. The primary outcomes compared overall survival (OS), cause specific survival (CSS), and 5-year conditional OS and CSS, by stage. OS and CSS were calculated using the Kaplan–Meier method with the log-rank test for significance using SAS v9.3. Conditional survival was the probability of surviving an additional 5 years at any point in follow-up, and used analysis of variance to test significance. Results A total of 2182 patients met inclusion criteria and were categorized as Masaoka–Koga stage groupings of I and IIA ("localized," 24%), IIB ("regional," 16%), III and IV ("distant," 50%), and unknown (10%). Median age was 56 (18–91), and 53% were male. Earlier stages had better OS ( p p Conclusions Conditional survival provides more relevant survival estimates for patients during follow-up. Further studies should investigate the possibility that thymoma should be considered a chronic disease.
53.2: A Binocular Stereoscopic Display System with Coupled Convergence and Accommodation Demands

Conflict between the accommodation and convergence demand in stereo display systems has been implicated as a cause of perceptual error (failure of size constancy), discomfort and visual system changes. A novel method is proposed for such displays, which, by utilizing a measured object of fixation can resolve the conflicts via computational approach. We implemented such a display system and used it to evaluate the feasibility of the approach.
Preparation of living isolated vertebrate photoreceptor cells for fluorescence imaging.

In the vertebrate retina, phototransduction, the conversion of light to an electrical signal, is carried out by the rod and cone photoreceptor cells1-4. Rod photoreceptors are responsible for vision in dim light, cones in bright light. Phototransduction takes place in the outer segment of the photoreceptor cell, a specialized compartment that contains a high concentration of visual pigment, the primary light detector. The visual pigment is composed of a chromophore, 11-cis retinal, attached to a protein, opsin. A photon absorbed by the visual pigment isomerizes the chromophore from 11-cis to all-trans. This photoisomerization brings about a conformational change in the visual pigment that initiates a cascade of reactions culminating in a change in membrane potential, and bringing about the transduction of the light stimulus to an electrical signal. The recovery of the cell from light stimulation involves the deactivation of the intermediates activated by light, and the reestablishment of the membrane potential. Ca2+ modulates the activity of several of the enzymes involved in phototransduction, and its concentration is reduced upon light stimulation. In this way, Ca2+ plays an important role in the recovery of the cell from light stimulation and its adaptation to background light. Another essential part of the recovery process is the regeneration of the visual pigment that has been destroyed during light-detection by the photoisomerization of its 11-cis chromophore to all-trans5-7. This regeneration begins with the release of all-trans retinal by the photoactivated pigment, leaving behind the apo-protein opsin. The released all-trans retinal is rapidly reduced in a reaction utilizing NADPH to all- trans retinol, and opsin combines with fresh 11-cis retinal brought into the outer segment to reform the visual pigment. All-trans retinol is then transferred out of the outer segment and into neighboring cells by the specialized carrier Interphotoreceptor Retinoid Binding Protein (IRBP). Fluorescence imaging of single photoreceptor cells can be used to study their physiology and cell biology. Ca2+-sensitive fluorescent dyes can be used to examine in detail the interplay between outer segment Ca2+ changes and response to light8-12 as well as the role of inner segment Ca2+ stores in Ca2+ homeostasis13,14. Fluorescent dyes can also be used for measuring Mg2+ concentration15, pH, and as tracers of aqueous and membrane compartments16. Finally, the intrinsic fluorescence of all-trans retinol (vitamin A) can be used to monitor the kinetics of its formation and removal in single photoreceptor cells17-19.
Marine stratocumulus structure

Thirty-three Landsat TM scenes of California stratocumulus cloud fields were acquired as part of the FIRE Marine Stratocumulus Intensive Field Observations in July 1987. They exhibit a wide variety of stratocumulus structures. Analysis has so far focused upon the July 7 scene, in which aircraft from NASA, NCAR, and the British Meteorological Office repeatedly gathered data across a stratocumulus-fair weather cumulus transition. The aircraft soundings validate the cloud base temperature threshold determined by spatial coherence analysis of the TM thermal band. Brightness variations in the stratocumulus region exhibit a -5/3 power-law decrease of the wavenumber spectra for scales larger than the cloud thickness, about 200 m, changing to a -3 power at smaller scales. Observations by an upward-looking three-channel microwave radiometer on San Nicolas Island also show the -5/3 power-law in total integrated liquid water, suggesting that the largest-scale TM brightness variations are primarily due to variations in the liquid water. The Kolmogorov 5/3 power suggests that for some purposes liquid water in turbulent stratocumulus clouds may be treated as a passive scalar, simply reflecting variations in vertical velocity. This may be tested using the velocities measured by the aircraft.
Faking on Personality Measures: Implications for selection involving multiple predictors

The potential for faking on noncognitive measures in high stakes testing situations remains a concern for many selection researchers and practitioners. However, the majority of previous research examining the practical effects of faking on noncognitive assessments has focused on these measures in isolation, rather than the more common situation in which they are used in combination with other predictors. The present simulation examined the effects of faking on a conscientiousness measure on criterion-related validity, mean performance of those selected, and selection decision consistency when hiring decisions were based on this measure alone vs in combination with two other predictors across a range of likely selection scenarios. Overall, results indicated that including additional predictors substantially reduced – but did not eliminate – the negative effects of faking. Faking effects varied across outcomes and selection scenarios, with effects ranging from trivial to noteworthy even for multiple-predictor selection. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
Similarity and reluctance to trade

Previous research has shown that after decision makers are endowed with an object, they are reluctant to trade it for an alternative item. This endowment effect can be explained by loss aversion, the tendency to weight losses more heavily than gains. Consequently, there is no reluctance to trade when no true loss is involved. Four studies investigated whether reluctance to trade declines when the trade involves less of a loss—specifically, when one item is traded for another very similar item. Three experiments did not reveal a relation between willingness to trade and the similarity between the two items being traded. A fourth experiment, however, indicated that subjects were quite willing to trade for an identical item, less willing to trade for a similar item, and even less willing to trade for a dissimilar item. Thus, reluctance to trade decreased as the similarity between the endowment and the alternative increased. This result suggests that loss aversion is a function not only of the item being lost but also of the trade itself—that is, of the relation between the two items being traded. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.