cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Menstrual extraction in the adolescent

Menstrual extraction or suction aspiration of the uterus with a flexible cannula within 2 weeks of a missed menstrual period is infrequently used in the adolescent. Eighty-two adolescents (39 private and 43 clinic patients) underwent 90 menstrual extractions at the Medical University of South Carolina from January 1977 through March 1979. The clinic population consisted of a higher percentage of blacks and more individuals who had previously been pregnant and carried pregnancies to term. Major complications occurred in only two patients. One pregnancy continued to term. This could have been prevented if vigorous attempts had been made to encourage all patients to return for follow-up exam. The patients' shift to the use of pills and IUDs after the procedure suggests that menstrual extraction may serve as an introduction to effective birth control methods. Results of menstrual extraction in the adolescent compare favorably with those reported in adults.
The Solomon Islands Project: an introduction.

The first heterogenous humans arrived in the Solomon Islands by 28000 B.C. Linguistically the inhabitants are divided into non-Austronesian (NAN) and Austronesian languages introduced by homogenous people 6000-7000 B.C. Through intermixing 7 distinct groups have evolved who are included in the survey although they are divided into 3 language groups. The Bougainville groups are inland NAN speakers; the Malaita groups are Austronesian speakers and the Ontong Javanese speak a Polynesian language. Genetic similarity was found between Malaita Island inhabitants and South Bougainville Island dwellers. North Bougainvillians were different in polymorphic traits while the Ontong Javans clustered with the Malaitan groups. Population distance matrices were taken from male and female odontometrics male and female dermatoglyphics and male and female anthropometry. The Ontong Javans were removed from the rest. A ranking of population distance was devised using these matrices. The Malaita and South Bougainville groups were fairly close; the Aita of North Bougainville were close to South Bougainville groups; and the Ontong Java were closest to Malaita groups and most distant from Bougainville NAN speakers. Acculturation status caused by modernization was measured during 1966-72: the South Bougainville populations were most acculturated and the Aita of North Bougainville were the least. The Malaita and the Ontong Java were also less acculturated. The surveys of 1985-86 indicated that the populations of Bougainville Malaita and Ontong Java were affected by an open pit copper mine road construction and commerce. The traditional root crop staple pork and fish diet changed to imported white rice and bread animal lard sugar salt canned mutton cookies coffee tea and tobacco. The negative effects on serum cholesterol glucose metabolism blood pressure and body weight because of less physical activity followed.
Influence of cardiac surgeon report cards on patient referral by cardiologists in New York state after 20 years of public reporting.

The use of public reporting for quality initiative metrics for cardiac surgery is now commonplace throughout the United States and internationally. This is especially true for the most commonly performed adult cardiac surgical procedures, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), and aortic valve surgery (AVR). In 1989, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) developed an Adult Cardiac Surgery Database (ACSD), which is a clinical data registry promoting quality improvement in cardiac surgical outcomes. Baseline and intraoperative patient characteristics and operative outcomes are collected using standard definitions, with routine data auditing that has shown >95% accuracy versus chart abstraction. 1 More than 90% of the ≈1100 US cardiac surgery programs participate in the registry. 2 Throughout the years, surgeons have used this database for quality improvement and research initiatives, many of which have changed the contemporary practice in cardiac surgery. Each participating program gets an institutional risk-adjusted report card for process improvement. More recently, each surgical program is given a star rating (1–3) based on measures of quality used by the STS in the ratings for CABG. This National Quality Forum-endorsed rating system allows programs to compare themselves with other hospital programs performing CABG. Although this process had many initial critics, the public reporting of outcomes in those undergoing cardiac surgery attests to the goal for transparency and physician and hospital reimbursement based on the quality of the surgical intervention. In concert, the New York State Department of Health developed a registry to collect clinical data on all patients undergoing CABG in the state of New York. 3 Similarly, Pennsylvania was 1 of the earlier states to provide report cards for cardiac surgeons performing CABG. However, in that state as in New York, Dr Epstein 4 has failed to detect a significant change in referral pat
Rates and processes of channel response to dam removal with a sand-filled impoundment

[1] Dam removal projects are playing an increasingly important role in stream restoration, and offer unparalleled opportunities to study sediment dynamics following disturbance. We used the removal of the ∼4-m high Merrimack Village Dam (MVD) on the Souhegan River in southern New Hampshire to measure processes and rates of channel evolution in a sand-filled impoundment. From 2007 to 2010, we repeatedly surveyed 11 cross sections and the longitudinal profile, and collected sediment samples to measure changes in channel morphology and bed texture. The dam removal in August 2008 resulted in a nearly instantaneous base level drop of 3.9 m and caused a two-phased channel response. The initial, process-driven phase (2 months) was characterized by rapid incision and removal of the impounded sand (up to 1013 t d−1), followed by channel widening. Once incised to base level, the rate of sediment removal slowed (30.7 t d−1) and adjustments became event-driven, and the former impoundment segmented into a nonalluvial section and an alluvial section with erosion and deposition influenced by vegetation on the channel banks. Two years after the dam removal and two high-magnitude floods, the river has excavated 79% of the original sediment. Continued response will be substantially influenced by the establishment of bank vegetation within the former impoundment and the magnitude and frequency of high discharge events. Initial channel development and sediment erosion occurs rapidly (weeks to months) in sand-filled impoundments, but excavation of the remaining sediment occurs more slowly depending on vegetation feedbacks and flood events.
Scales of North Atlantic wind stress curl determined from the comprehensive ocean-atmosphere data set

Nineteen years of wind data over the North Atlantic are used to calculate a field of wind stress curl. An empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis is performed on this field, resulting in spatial patterns of wind stress curl and associated time series. A Monte Carlo technique is used to establish the statistical significance of each spatial pattern, and the associated time series are spectrally analyzed. The first four statistically significant EOF modes represent more than 50 percent of the curl variance, and the spatial patterns of curl associated with these modes exhibit the major elements of North Atlantic climatology. Most of the time series spectral variance is contained in annual and semiannual frequencies. The features observed include the individual annual variation of the subtropical high and the subpolar low, the annual oscillation of intensity between pressure centers, the influence of localized strong SST gradients and associated cyclogenesis regions, and the constant nature of the trades.
Age-dependent changes in susceptibility to ototoxic hearing loss

Several species undergo age-dependent changes in susceptibility to noise-induced and drug-induced hearing loss. In this experiment 18-day-old mice were given 200 mg/kg kanamycin plus varying doses of bumetanide (20, 30 or 40 mg/kg). Thresholds of the scalp-recorded compound action potential of the auditory nerve indicated that diuretic doses of 30 and 40 mg/kg produced significant loss of hearing sensitivity. Thirty-eight-day-old mice were then treated with 200 mg/kg kanamycin plus 40 mg/kg bumetanide and demonstrated no loss of hearing sensitivity. These results confirm the existence of age-dependent changes in susceptibility to ototoxic hearing loss in mice. Furthermore, the treatment, consisting of two injections on the same day, offers promise as a means of defining the critical period of susceptibility in greater detail than has been possible with aminoglycosides alone.
Ultrasonic attenuation in normal and superconducting indium

Abstract : The dependence of ultrasonic attenuation on temperature, sonic frequency, propagation direction, and superconducting state has been measured in indium single crystals using low-amplitude longitudinal waves. These measurements and the experimental apparatus with which they have been obtained are described. These data indicate that, in addition to the usual electronic attenuation described quantitatively by the BCS theory of superconductivity (Bardeen et al., Phys. Rev. 108, 1175), there is an additional source of attenuation. This secondary attenuation is generally attributed to the interaction of sound waves and crystal dislocations within the specimen, a process which has been described most thoroughly by Granato and Lucke (J. Appl. Phys. 27, 583). A comparison of the measured dislocation attenuations with those predicted by the theory of Granato and Lucke is given. This theory is shown to be inapplicable to the situation of this experiment, i.e., to indium at low temperatures. Earlier works in which similar data appear to substantiate the Granato and Lucke theory of dislocation attenuation are shown to be insufficient tests of that theory. (Author)
High performance applications for future high performance networks

Future networks based on optical technology will enable new, demanding applications that require very high throughput. This talk will describe several such applications and will demonstrate one that involves the testing of an optical MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems) device.
Meaning, sound and syntax in English number agreement.

Abstract Number is one of a small set of basic conceptual categories with relatively clear grammatical reflections and requirements. It must be called upon during fluent language production to create agreement between subjects and verbs, and the questions addressed in this paper concern how that is done. The number information that is used may be notional (whether the referent of the subject noun phrase is single or multiple), or lexical (whether the subcategorised number of the head of the subject noun phrase is singular or plural), or even morphophonological (whether the head of the subject noun phrase has the phonological features associated with plural inflections). Different views about language processes make contrasting predictions about the likelihood of contributions from each of these sources during normal speaking. In a series of experiments employing an agreement-error elicitation task, we examined the effects of variations in notional, lexical and morphophonological features on the implementa...
Preparation and properties of n-type ZnTe

Abstract ZnTe/Al crystals were prepared under high argon pressure by cooling a Zn-rich melt from 1280° to 1100°C and abrupt quenching to room temperature. These crystals are n-type with resistances of 105 to 107 ohm cm and electron mobilities from 70 to 350 cm2/Vsec.
Imaging with large-aperture arrays with heterogeneous directive elements

We have developed a new imaging algorithm for optimization of the contrast resolution of large-aperture arrays utilizing directive elements with heterogeneous responses. The algorithm employs depth-dependant pre- and post-beamforming filtering to optimize the SNR of the echo data throughout the imaging field. Sub-aperture processing is also employed to maximize the coherence of the echo data, both with respect to tissue aberrations and element heterogeneity. Pre-beamforming and sub-aperture processing leads to significant reduction in imaging artifacts due to reverberations, a significant degradation factor due to the need for water standoff. Images of quality assurance phantoms as well as ex-vivo liver tissue were obtained using our concave (100 mm radius of curvature) 64-element 1 MHz dual-mode array (DMA) and a commercial scanner. The results show that the DMA has a 50 dB field-of-view (FOV) centered at its geometric focus. This FOV extends by 6 cm and 4 cm in the axial and lateral directions, respectively. In addition, the spatial and contrast resolutions of this DMA have been tested using wire targets and speckle cell size calculations and found to be consistent with the transducer bandwidth and aperture size.
Moment-Based Representation

Moments are global descriptors which can be used to represent shapes [117, 199, 177]. They are defined as integrals, either along the boundary of the shape, or over its interior. To simplify the discussion, we introduce a common notation for both cases. Let m be a non-intersecting closed curve, and Ω m its interior. Let f be a function defined on R2. We define the following moments.
Distributed collaborative environments for the 21st century engineer

Distributed collaboration is an emerging technology for the 21st century that will significantly change how business is conducted in the defense and commercial sectors. Collaboration involves two or more geographically dispersed individuals working together to share and exchange data, information, knowledge, and actions. The product of the collaboration is defined broadly to include, for example, writing a report, creating software, designing hardware, or developing an alternative course of action for the commander. Distributed collaborative environments (DCE) provide the framework and integrate models, simulations, domain specific tools, and virtual test beds to facilitate collaboration between the multiple disciplines needed in the enterprise. The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is conducting a leading edge program in developing distributed collaborative technologies targeted to the Air Force's implementation of a simulation-aided acquisition and test process, distributed mission training, and distributed command and control. Geographically separated teams of government and industry engineers, scientists, managers, and procurement specialists will be able to jointly develop advanced technology products. The team will be able to access widely distributed computer-based engineering tools, models and simulations, databases, and research facilities. DCE will reduce the cost of development and ownership, reduce duplication of effort, improve quality of design, and result in faster time to product. The research is focusing on the open standards agent-based framework, product and process modelling, structural architecture, and the integration technologies-the glue to integrate the software components. DCE is the underlying infrastructure that makes communication between the diverse simulations and other assets possible and manages the overall flow of the experiment. The AFRL Collaborative Environment concept will foster a major cultural change in how the acquisition, training, and operational communities conduct business.
SEROLOGICAL SURVEY FOR DISEASES IN FREE-RANGING COYOTES (CANIS LATRANS) IN YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, WYOMING

From October 1989 to June 1993, we captured and sampled 110 coyotes (Canis latrans) for various diseases in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming (USA). Prevalence of antibodies against canine parvovirus (CPV) was 100% for adults (>24 months old), 100% for yearlings (12 to 24 months old), and 100% for old pups (4 to 12 months old); 0% of the young pups (<3 months old) had antibodies against CPV Presence of antibodies against canine distemper virus (CDV) was associated with the age of the coyote, with 88%, 54%, 23%, and 0% prevalence among adults, yearlings, old pups, and young pups, respectively. Prevalence of CDV antibodies declined over time from 100% in 1989 to 33% in 1992. The prevalence of canine infectious hepatitis (ICH) virus antibodies was 97%, 82%, 54%, and 33%, for adults, yearlings, old pups, and young pups, respectively. The percentage of coyotes with ICH virus antibodies also declined overtime from a high of 100% in 1989 to 31% in 1992, and 42% in 1993. Prevalence of antibodies against Yersinia...
Whole-body MRI evaluation of tumor burden in the neurofibromatosis tumor suppressor syndromes

2074 Background: Neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1), NF2, and schwannomatosis are a group of related genetic disorders in which affected individuals share the predisposition to develop multiple neurofibromas and schwannomas. The prevalence of internal tumors is not known because current estimates are based on regional MRI scans that may not detect occult tumors. A rapid and sensitive method to detect internal tumors is highly desirable since they can cause neurologic dysfunction, compress vital structures, or transform into malignant tumors. Whole-body MRI (WBMRI) is an imaging technique by which the entire body can be imaged in a relatively short time without the use of ionizing radiation. Methods: We performed WBMRI in subjects with NF1, NF2, or schwannomatosis as part of an IRB-approved research study. Each subject was imaged from head to ankles in the supine position using a 1.5 Tesla magnet, integrated body coil, and no intravenous contrast. Using five acquisitions, the entire body was imaged using a fat supp...
Nuclear Factor κB1/RelA Mediates Inflammation in Human Lung Epithelial Cells at Atmospheric Oxygen Levels

Oxygen levels range from 2% to 9% in vivo. Atmospheric O2 levels (21%) are known to induce cell proliferation defects and cellular senescence in primary cell cultures. However, the mechanistic basis of the deleterious effects of higher O2 levels is not fully understood. On the other hand, immortalized cells including cancer cell lines, which evade cellular senescence are normally cultured at 21% O2 and the effects of higher O2 on these cells are understudied. Here, we addressed this problem by culturing immortalized human bronchial epithelial (BEAS-2B) cells at ambient atmospheric, 21% O2 and lower, 10% O2. Our results show increased inflammatory response at 21% O2 but not at 10% O2. We found higher RelA binding at the NF-κB1/RelA target gene promoters as well as upregulation of several pro-inflammatory cytokines in cells cultured at 21% O2. RelA knockdown prevented the upregulation of the pro-inflammatory cytokines at 21% O2, suggesting NF-κB1/RelA as a major mediator of inflammatory response in cells cultured at 21% O2. Interestingly, unlike the 21% O2 cultured cells, exposure of 10% O2 cultured cells to H2O2 did not elicit inflammatory response, suggesting increased ability to tolerate oxidative stress in cells cultured at lower O2 levels.
Understanding Migration and Violence: Target Selection in South Africa's Xenophobic Attacks

The ethnic violence and civil war literature increasingly examines target selection. And yet, the ways in which target selection varies for different types of violence and state contexts is under-theorized, particularly in the case of xenophobic violence against migrant populations. This paper suggests that xenophobic violence presents a unique case for theories of target selection: instead of co-citizens, foreign nationals are the broad target population. Perpetrators understand threat and status differently in this setting, and accordingly select targets in particular ways. This paper argues that the specific mechanisms driving target selection in acts of xenophobic violence in South Africa are: 1) self-exclusion, and 2) the perception of an unfair advantage. This argument is based on an analysis of xenophobic violence against foreign nationals in South Africa, where the author conducted extensive fieldwork between May 2010 and July 2012. The findings in this paper are based on a ward-level dataset on predictors of xenophobic violence in South Africa, as well as five in-depth, typical case studies of settlements experiencing xenophobic violence. This paper presents each case and then tests the observable implications of several leading hypotheses on target selection. It concludes by briefly discussing how this paper’s argument travels to other contexts of mobility and xenophobic violence.
Augmented Vascular Response of the Nephrectomized Rat to Angiotensin

SummaryAn increased response to iv angiotensin occurs in rats from 10 to 20 hr after ureteral ligations or nephrectomy. During this time there is also a rise in plasma K and a marked fall in Na/K ratio. It is suggested that the vascular bed is more sensitive to the action of angiotensin when the ionic shift has taken place in the plasma.
Effect of oxytocin on adrenocortical activity in man.

ConclusionsIntravenous infusion of either Pitocin or highly purified oxytocin is not associated with increased plasma concentrations or urinary excretion of 17-hydroxycorticosteroids.
Development of DSMC chemistry models for nitrogen collisions using accurate theoretical calculations

The Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method typically used for simulating hypersonic Earth re-entry flows requires accurate total collision and reaction cross sections. However, total cross sections are often determined from extrapolations of relatively lowtemperature viscosity data, so their reliability is unknown for the high temperatures observed in hypersonic re-entries. Existing DSMC reaction models accurately reproduce experimental equilibrium reaction rates, but the applicability of these rates to the strong thermal nonequilibrium observed in hypersonic shocks is unknown. For re-entry flows, these modeling issues are particularly relevant for nitrogen, the dominant species of air. Therefore, the Molecular Dynamics/Quasi-Classical Trajectories (MD/QCT) method is used to accurately compute collision and reaction cross sections for the N(Su)-N2( 1 Σ + g ) and N2( 1 Σ + g )-N2( 1 Σ + g ) collision pairs for conditions expected in hypersonic shocks. For the N2-N2 pair, a new potential energy surface is developed using the ReaxFF method, and the internal energy relaxation process is also studied using MD/QCT. The MD/QCT-computed reaction probabilities exhibited better physical behavior and predicted less dissociation than the baseline total collision energy (TCE) reaction model for strong nonequilibrium conditions expected in a shock. The MD/QCT reaction model was validated by good agreement of computed equilibrium reaction rates to experimental shock-tube data. The MD/QCT-computed total cross sections were found to agree well with established variable hard sphere (VHS) total cross sections. The MD/QCT total cross sections and reaction probabilities were then used in a DSMC computation of a 1D 5 km/s shock. The DSMC results using the MD/QCT models predicted approximately 7.5% less dissociation and a slightly thicker shock than those using baseline TCE/VHS models.
Rearing Microplitis croceipes (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and Other Parasitoids of Noctuidae with Multicellular Host-rearing Trays

Rearing techniques for producing large numbers of parasitoids efficiently were developed based on established host-rearing techniques that utilized multicellular rearing containers. Previously, individual diet cups were used; methods were tedious and resulted in multiple handling of both host and parasitoid material. Using the newer techniques, time required to harvest parasitoid pupae was cut in half. Microplitis croceipes (Cresson) cocoons could be stored at 10.0°C for up to 2 wk with no increase in mortality. Simultaneous release of nearly 17,000 wasps was possible using low-temperature storage. Several species of parasitoids of noctuid larvae are being reared using adaptations of the method developed for M. croceipes. Advantages of using multicellular rearing techniques for parasitoids include production of large numbers of parasitoids with minimal cannibalism, minimal exposure to pathogens and injury due to handling, and tremendous savings in time and materials.
Abstract 252: The Association of Award Recognition From Get With the Guidelines-Resuscitation with Improved Survival Rates in In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Events

Background and Objectives: It is estimated that over 200,000 adults experience in-hospital cardiac arrest each year. Overall survival to discharge has remained relatively unchanged for decades and survival rates remain at about 20% (Elenbach et al., 2009). Get With The Guidelines-Resuscitation (GWTG-R) is an in-hospital quality improvement program designed to improve adherence to evidence-based care of patients who experience an in-hospital resuscitation event. GWTG-R focuses on four achievement measures. The measures for adult patients include time to first chest compression of less than or equal to one minute, device confirmation of correct endotracheal tube placement, patients with pulseless VF/VT as the initial documented rhythm with a time to first shock of less than or equal to two minutes, and events in which patients were monitored or witnessed at the time of cardiac arrest. The objective of this abstract is to examine the association between hospital adherence to GWTG-R and in-hospital cardiac arrest survival rates. Methods: A retrospective review of adult in-hospital cardiopulmonary arrest (CPA) patients (n=1849) from 21 Michigan, Illinois, and Indiana hospitals using the GWTG-R database was conducted from January 2014 through December 2014. This study included adult CPA patients that did and did not survive to discharge. Results: The review found that hospitals that had attained 84.6% or higher thresholds in all four achievement measures for at least one year, which is award recognition status, had a significantly improved in-hospital CPA survival to discharge rate of 29.6%. Hospitals that did not obtain award status had a CPA survival to discharge rate of 24.3%. The national survival rate for in-hospital adult CPA survival to discharge is 20%. Hospitals that did not achieve award recognition status still demonstrated improvement in survival rate when compared to the national survival rate, indicating the importance of a quality improvement program such as GWTG-R. No significant difference was found between in-hospital adult CPA survival rate and race between GWTG-R award winning and non-award winning hospitals. Hospitals that earned award recognition from GWTG-R had a survival to discharge rate of 30.2% for African Americans and 29.6% for whites. Hospitals that were did not earn award recognition from GWTG-R had a survival to discharge rate of 20.0% for African Americans and 20.1% for whites. Conclusions: Survival of in-hospital adult CPA patients improved significantly when GWTG-R measures are adhered to. Survival of in-hospital adult CPA patients also improves with implementation of GWTG-R. It is crucial that hospitals collect and analyze data regarding resuscitation processes and outcomes. Quality improvement measures can then be implemented in order to assist with improving in-hospital CPA survival rates.
Comparison of two brands of clomiphene citrate for stimulation of follicular development in a program for in vitro fertilization

Although clomiphene citrate (CC) is used frequently to stimulate multiple follicular development in in vitro fertilization programs, comparison of the two commercially available types has been limited. Therefore, a comparison was made of Serophene (Serono Laboratories, Inc., Randolph, MA) and Clomid (Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cincinnati, OH), using the same dosage regimen of CC (150 mg/day for days 3 to 7 of the cycle). Weights and ages of the two groups were not different. Serum estradiol (E2) levels were significantly elevated in Clomid cycles, but the number of developing follicles was not different between the two brands. The percentages of patients in each group who underwent laparoscopy, oocyte recovery, oocyte fertilization, and embryo transfer were also equivalent. Among patients undergoing laparoscopy, no differences in oocyte recovery, oocyte fertilization, and embryo development were noted. Thus, despite greater elevation of serum E2 levels with Clomid, no difference in stimulation regimen outcome was observed.
A study of the frequency of recovery of unexpected Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium from duodenal aspirates taken during routine upper endoscopy

UNLABELLED In this study, our objective was to determine whether the microscopic examination of duodenal aspirates recovered during routine upper endoscopy in unselected, immunocompetent patients, would disclose unsuspected Giardia lamblia or Cryptosporidium. DESIGN Prospective, cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence of duodenal parasitosis. SETTING Endoscopy unit in a university hospital. PATIENTS One hundred and thirty-one unselected, immunocompetent patients undergoing upper endoscopy. MEASUREMENTS Microscopic examination of duodenal aspirates, obtained during upper endoscopy. No pathogenic or commensal parasite was identified in any patient. CONCLUSIONS No case of unsuspected parasitosis was found in the present study. On the basis of our findings, we do not recommend routine collection of duodenal aspirates during upper endoscopy.
CT Colonography: Updated

Computed tomography (CT) colonography has been in development for more than a decade, with hundreds of articles now published on its performance and technical capabilities. With the conclusion and publication of the National CT Colonography trial [1] and endorsement of the technique for screening by a multi-society task force (including the American Cancer Society, American College of Radiology, US Multi-society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer) [2], the clinical validation of CT colonography in the prepared colon has been completed. This chapter highlights the most important current issues for CT colonography.
Principles of ECG Gating for CMR

The constant motion of the heart imposes particular challenges on cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) as compared to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of other organs. Thus, imaging the heart requires synchronization of data acquisition to the cardiac cycle, typically using an electrocardiographic recording of the heart’s electrical activity. This technique is known as electrocardiographic (ECG)-gating. Depending on the specific anatomical or functional information desired, data acquisition may need to occur throughout the cardiac cycle, or may need to be synchronized to a particular phase of the cardiac cycle. This chapter will review basic ECG concepts, ECG-gating modes, common problems and suggestions for troubleshooting these issues.
The Revised Inventory of the Dimensions of Emerging Adulthood (IDEA-R) and Substance Use Among College Students:

Transition-to-adulthood themes, or thoughts and feelings about emerging adulthood, have been measured by the Inventory of the Dimensions of Emerging Adulthood (IDEA) and found to be associated with...
Microchip-Nano-Electrospray Device for Rapid On-Chip Digestion and Mass Spectrometric Analysis of Hemoglobin Variants

The emerging technology of microfabrication has generated devices that enable the completion of complex chemical processes on highly integrated miniaturized platforms. We have recently developed a microchip-nanoelectrospray device capable of providing subattomole sensitivity for peptide and protein samples [1]. A major advantage of this miniaturized electrospray platform is that it can operate as a stand-alone device, without any external assistance for stabilizing the electrospray. In this present manuscript we report on its applicability to the rapid analysis of on-chip generated proteolytic digestion fragments of hemoglobin variants using time-of-flight mass spectrometric (TOFMS) detection. The amount of initial protein consumed, sufficient for positive identification using peptide mass fingerprinting, ranges in the low femtomole to attomole region.
Twenty-four hour Holter monitoring in finishing cattle housed outdoors.

Abstract Introduction Atrial premature complexes have been reported to be the most common arrhythmia in cattle and is suspected to be secondary to systemic disease, especially gastrointestinal disease. In order to properly identify pathologic arrhythmia in cattle, the normal rhythm and arrhythmia prevalence should be defined. The objective of this study was to determine the normal heart rate, rhythm, number of ventricular premature complexes (VPCs), and atrial premature complexes (APCs) in unrestrained Angus steers. Animals Twenty-seven client owned steers with unremarkable physical examinations and serum biochemical analyses were used. Materials and methods Twenty-four hour Holter monitors, attached by a custom-made harness, were retrospectively evaluated. Three lead electrocardiographic registrations of good quality and normal sinus rhythm were obtained from all steers in the study. Results The mean heart rate was 66.8 bpm ± 16.4 bpm. Ventricular premature complexes were rare (noted in 14.8% of steers), and APCs were common (noted in 85% of the steers). Simple second degree AV block was observed in 18.5% of the steers. Conclusion In summary, healthy steers have rare single VPCs, although it is possible for an individual animal to have apparent more frequent VPCs. Mean heart rate varies with a diurnal pattern similar to other species. Atrial premature complexes are the most prevalent abnormality observed in feedlot steers.
The potential educational benefits of extending foster care to young adults: findings from a natural experiment

Abstract Research has demonstrated the employment and earnings benefits accompanying educational attainment, and the relatively poor educational attainment and economic well-being of young people who transition to adulthood from foster care. Policymakers' concern over these poor outcomes has long been reflected in U.S. child welfare policy, most recently in the provisions of the 2008 Fostering Connections to Success Act allowing states to claim federal reimbursement for extending foster care from age 18 to age 21. While the policy of allowing youth to remain in foster care past age 18 has promise as a strategy for helping them continue their education, empirical evidence of its impact is lacking. Using data from a longitudinal study of youth (n = 732) who transitioned to adulthood from foster care, this study takes advantage of between-state policy variation in the age at which youth are required to leave care to assess the relationship between extended foster care and educational attainment at age 26. Distinguishing between not having obtained a high school diploma or GED, having only a high school diploma or GED, and having obtained at least one year of college, each additional year in care is associated with a 46% increase in the estimated odds that former foster youth will progress to the next level of educational attainment, controlling for a range of youth characteristics measured at ages 17–18. Background characteristics including youth's gender, race, employment, parenting, educational performance and aspirations, and indicators of behavioral health problems are also associated with educational attainment in early adulthood.
Stereotactic Brachytherapy Physics

The word “stereotactic” (or “stereotaxic”) is compounded from the Greek words “stereos,” meaning “solid” or “three-dimensional,” and “taxis,” meaning “arrangement” or “positioning.” Stereotactic brachytherapy refers to the accurate placement of radioactive sources with the aid of a special mechanical frame. Such frames allow a user to specify target points as precise three-dimensional (3-D) sets of coordinates, and to guide a probe along a variety of trajectories to hit a target with great accuracy. A high-resolution 3-D imaging technique, such as computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), is usually required for identifying the targets.
Mass Casualty Incident Management Preparedness: A Survey of the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma

Mass casualty incidents (MCIs) are events resulting in more injured patients than hospital systems can handle with standard protocols. Several studies have assessed hospital preparedness during MCIs. However, physicians and trauma surgeons need to be familiar with their hospital's MCI Plan. The purpose of this survey was to assess hospitals' and trauma surgeon's preparedness for MCIs. Online surveys were e-mailed to members of the American College of Surgeons committee on Trauma Ad Hoc Committee on Disaster and Mass Casualty Management before the March 2012 meeting. Eighty surveys were analyzed (of 258). About 76 per cent were American College of Surgeons Level I trauma centers, 18 per cent were Level II trauma centers. Fifty-seven per cent of Level I and 21 per cent of Level II trauma centers had experienced an MCI. A total of 98 per cent of respondents thought it was likely their hospital would see a future MCI. Severe weather storm was the most likely event (95%), followed by public transportation incident (86%), then explosion (85%). About 83 per cent of hospitals had mechanisms to request additional physician/surgeons, and 80 per cent reported plans for operative triage. The majority of trauma surgeons felt prepared for an MCI and believed an event was likely to occur in the future. The survey was limited by the highly select group of respondents and future surveys will be necessary.
Avoiding Bias in the Study of Populism

The comparative study of populism has produced a wide spectrum of scholarship that covers different regions and historical periods. However, and despite significant breakthroughs in conceptualization and methodology, the process of scientific cumulation is hampered by the unyielding persistence of several misconceptions around the nature of populism, even in the face of repeated refutation by empirical developments. In this paper, I single out and discuss three main problems in the literature: the regional bias, the policy bias, and the normative bias. I argue that to protect the study of populism from the increasing threat of conceptual dilution due to sensationalist punditry and partisan scholarship, analysts should (a) avoid generalizing from region-specific perspectives; (b) remain skeptical of any association of populism with economic policy; and (c) refrain from exaggerating populism’s impact on democratic institutions.
An examination of the effect of aerosolized permanone insecticide on zebra finch susceptibility to West Nile virus

West Nile virus (WNV) is maintained cryptically primarily in avian (passerine) populations, where it is transmitted by Culex spp. mosquitoes. Mosquito-control measures currently include physical activities to reduce mosquito-breeding sites and the application of mosquito larvicides or aerosolized insecticides to kill adults (adulticides) when arboviral diseases such as WNV or Zika virus are detected in mosquito populations. Organochlorine, organophosphorus, carbamate, and pyrethroid insecticides are often used. Previous work suggests an effect of pyrethroids on the immune system in a variety of vertebrates. We examined the effects of exposure to aerosolized Permanone® 30:30 insecticide (permethrin and piperonyl butoxide in soy oil vehicle) at approximately 103 to 106 times potential environmental concentrations on the response of captive zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) to experimental challenge with WNV. Compared to vehicle control birds, WNV outcome was unchanged (65% of birds produced a viremia) in the "low" exposure (9.52 ± 3.13 mg/m3 standard deviation [SD] permethrin) group but reduced in the "high" exposure (mean 376.5 ± 27.9 mg/m3 SD permethrin) group (30% were viremic; p < 0.05). After clearing WNV infection, birds treated with Permanone regained less body mass than vehicle-treated birds (p < 0.001). The present study suggests that exposure to aerosolized Permanone insecticide at levels exceeding typical application rates has the potential to not change or to mildly enhance a bird's resistance to WNV. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:3376-3386. Published 2017 Wiley Periodicals Inc. on behalf of SETAC. This article is a US government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.
Logic device characterization using computer-aided test and analysis

Device characterization is performed using computer-aided test and analysis systems. DC data for a 32-bit EDAC has been analyzed using a multivariable analysis svstem for exploratory data analysis. Pin-to-pin variations in the DC parameters are detectable. Multivariate plots establish predictable behavior over temperature ranges. Lot-to-lot variations in test parameters are also detected. This analysis provides new insight into device design. performance, and process.
Chapter 20 – Phenotypic and Functional Measurements on Circulating Immune Cells and their Subsets

This chapter focuses on the use of flow cytometry technique in immunology. Current flow cytometry technique as applied to the detection of biomarkers is defined by several attributes: application of quality control measures, use of multiple-color measurements, use of the quantitative capacities of flow cytometry, and measuring function on defined subpopulations of cells within a heterogeneous mixture. The development of these advances is traced, and examples and practical suggestions for their implementation in basic and translational research are provided. An early but classic example of immune monitoring is the study of Noel et al. in which the kinetics of peripheral T and B cell reconstitution was followed in allogeneic bone marrow transplant patients with and without acute graft versus host disease. One of the earliest assays to be applied to immune monitoring was the lymphocyte blast transformation assay, later referred to as the lymphoproliferation assay. This was performed by stimulating isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (lymphocytes, monocytes, and immature DC) with mitogens or soluble protein antigens. The chapter presents an example of a modern day multiparameter variation in which Ficoll/Hypaque separated peripheral blood mononuclear cells are cultured for 5 days with a protein recall antigen (diphtheria toxoid) and proliferation is measured by expression of the transferrin receptor, CD71. The gating strategy is first to determine which parameters are to be used to classify the cells into subsets, and then to measure outcome parameters in each subset.
Advances in the Prenatal Diagnosis of Hematologic Diseases

Prenatal diagnosis of hematologic diseases can now be performed with fetal blood, fetal amniotic fluid cell DNA, and fetal chorionic villi DNA. Some hemoglobinopathies can be detected by all three methods, and the choice will depend on the available obstetric and laboratory techniques, as well as the time of presentation of the pregnancy. Hopefully, further development of molecular probes and techniques will soon expand these options to all of the globin disorders. Detection of coagulation disorders in utero currently requires samples of pure fetal blood. Gene cloning is accomplished for some (factor IX and antithrombin III) and is underway for others (factor VIII), and further investigation is necessary to determine whether deficiencies in these gene products are due to gene deletion or to mutant genes linked to polymorphic restriction enzyme sites of diagnostic use. Thus, molecular biology may be applied to prenatal diagnosis of the clotting problems, but this has not yet been accomplished. Disorders affecting the number and/or function of erythrocytes, leukocytes, and platelets can be diagnosed by analysis of fetal blood. Blood samples will continue to be required until more is known about the molecular biology of hematopoiesis. Syndromes that can be diagnosed by chromosome studies should be revealed in cultures of amniotic fluid cells, fetal blood lymphocytes, and chorionic villi cells. Cultured cells can be examined for karyotypes, Y-chromatin, spontaneous or induced chromosome breakage, DNA repair, SCEs, and translocations. The techniques for culturing amniotic cells and fetal blood white cells are established, and those for growing cells from chorionic villi are improving rapidly. Direct preparations of cells from villi only may suffice for some of the above analyses. The study of hematologic disease in utero has thus come full circle, from the use of amniotic cells to determine the sex in X-linked disorders, to fetal blood sampling for the analysis of gene products, then back to amniocentesis for DNA, and now earlier in gestation to chorionic villi. All of this has occurred in less than ten years, and it is anticipated that developments in the next ten years will be equally dramatic. The future should bring all prenatal testing into the first trimester, use molecular probes, and provide for both early diagnosis and early treatment of genetic hematologic disease.
The Impact of a Nurse Led Guideline Directed Medical Therapy Clinic

Background Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is a leading cause of rehospitalizations, high morbidity and mortality. Current guidelines recommend the use of Guideline Directed Medical Therapy (GDMT) at maximum tolerated doses which have shown to improve outcomes. Unfortunately, Methods We conducted a retrospective chart review of existing patient data in a single center teaching hospital of patients referred to a nurse led GDMT clinic primarily staffed with heart failure trained nurses, physician assistants and cardiologists. Protocols for the initiation and uptitration of GDMT were developed based on existing guidelines. Our primary objective was to determine whether enrollment into a nurse led GDMT clinic would increase the proportion of patients with HFrEF on appropriate medications at doses. Our secondary objective was to determine the benefit on renal function, hospital admissions, mortality and implantable defibrillator shocks. Results Between November 2015 to November 2017, 61 patients were enrolled into the clinic. Mean duration of follow up was 264.44 days. Mean ejection fraction (EF) was 21.8%. New onset HFrEF (diagnosed 90 days) comprised 48% of the population. Patients with NYHA class III comprised 65% of the population. There was a statistically significant increase in the mean number of GDMT at any dose (2.31 to 2.74; p: Fig 1 ). There was a significant increase in utilization of ARNI and AA while a significant decrease in utilization of ACE-I ( Fig 2 ). There was a significant improvement in EF from 21.8% to 36.2% (p: Conclusions This pilot study showed that a nurse led GDMT titration program successfully increased the number of GDMT at target doses that patients were able to tolerate, all the while enhancing functional status, EF, sodium and chloride levels, with a reduction in rehospitalization rates.