cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tissue Motion Annular Displacement Predicts Mortality/Transplant After the Bidirectional Glenn.

Background Quantifying right ventricular function in patients with a systemic right ventricle (RV) is difficult but important for prognosis. Tissue motion annular displacement tracks displacement of the tricuspid annulus toward the apex. We evaluated this measure alongside fractional area change (FAC) on patients with single, RV prior to the bidirectional Glenn procedure. We tested both measures for correlation with outcomes. Methods Retrospective measurement of tissue motion annular displacement and FAC was performed on echocardiographic clips obtained prior to the bidirectional Glenn. A chart review included postoperative outcomes and midterm mortality/transplant. Bivariate correlations and Cox proportional hazards models were used for analyses. Results Fifty-one patients with dominant RV underwent the bidirectional Glenn procedure and all had image quality that allowed analysis. The age ranged from 3 to 11 months (median 4 months). Neither tissue motion annular displacement nor FAC correlated with short-term postoperative outcomes. Tissue motion annular displacement was independently predictive of mortality/transplant ( P = .03) in the Cox hazard model. The mean for survivors was 12.4% and for nonsurvivors/transplants was 10.0%. Tissue motion annular displacement intra-observer variability was 2.8% (1.2%-3.5%). Interobserver mean variability was 6.1% (3.3%-8.1%). Fractional area change was not predictive of mortality/transplant. Conclusion Tissue motion annular displacement is an independent predictor of midterm mortality/transplant after the bidirectional Glenn procedure in patients with single, RV, in this study. It may outperform FAC in this regard and has good reproducibility. Tissue motion annular displacement may be a useful measure in identifying high-risk children in this population.
Comparison of the effect of daily versus bolus dose maternal vitamin D3 supplementation on the 24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 to 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 ratio.

Abstract Objective Supplementing lactating mothers with high doses of vitamin D3 can adequately meet vitamin D requirements of the breastfed infant. We compared the effect of bolus versus daily vitamin D3 dosing in lactating mothers on vitamin D3 catabolism. We hypothesized that catabolism of 25(OH)D3 to 24,25(OH)2D3 would be greater in the bolus than in the daily dose group. Design, setting and patients Randomized controlled trial ( clinicaltrials.gov NCT01240265 ) in 40 lactating women. Interventions Subjects were randomized to receive vitamin D3 orally, either a single dose of 150,000 IU or 5000 IU daily for 28 days. Vitamin D metabolites were measured in serum and breast milk at baseline, 1, 3, 7, 14 and 28 days. Main outcome measure Temporal changes in the serum 24,25(OH)2D3/25(OH)D3 ratio. Results The concentration of serum 24,25(OH)2D3 was directly related to that of 25(OH)D in both groups (r2 = 0.63; p Conclusions After a 14-day lag, a single high dose of vitamin D led to greater production of 24,25(OH)2D3, presumably via induction of the 24-hydroxylase enzyme (CYP24A1), relative to the 25(OH)D3 value than did daily vitamin D supplementation, and this effect persisted for at least 28 days after vitamin D administration. A daily dose of vitamin D may have more lasting effectiveness in increasing 25(OH)D3 with lesser diversion of 25(OH)D3 to 24,25(OH)2D3 than does larger bolus dosing.
Molecular Detection for Unconcentrated Gas With ppm Sensitivity Using 220-to-320-GHz Dual-Frequency-Comb Spectrometer in CMOS

Millimeter-wave/terahertz rotational spectroscopy of polar gaseous molecules provides a powerful tool for complicated gas mixture analysis. In this paper, a 220-to-320-GHz dual-frequency-comb spectrometer in 65-nm bulk CMOS is presented, along with a systematic analysis on fundamental issues of rotational spectrometer, including the impacts of various noise mechanisms, gas cell, molecular properties, detection sensitivity, etc. Our comb spectrometer, based on a high-parallelism architecture, probes gas sample with 20 comb lines simultaneously. It does not only improve the scanning speed by 20 $\times$ , but also reduces the overall energy consumption to 90 mJ/point with 1 Hz bandwidth (or 0.5 s integration time). With its channelized 100-GHz scanning range and sub-kHz specificity, wide range of molecules can be detected. In the measurements, state-of-the-art total radiated power of 5.2 mW and single sideband noise figure of 14.6–19.5 dB are achieved, which further boost the scanning speed and sensitivity. Finally, spectroscopic measurements for carbonyl sulfide (OCS) and acetonitrile (CH $_3$ CN) are presented. With a path length of 70 cm and 1 Hz bandwidth, the measured minimum detectable absorption coefficient reaches $\alpha _{\text{gas,min}} = \text{7.2}\times \text{10}^{-7}$ cm $^{-1}$ . For OCS that enables a minimum detectable concentration of 11 ppm. The predicted sensitivity for some other molecules reaches ppm level (e.g., 3 ppm for hydrogen cyanide), or 10 ppt level if gas preconcentration with a typical gain of 10 $^5$ is used.
Production of colony-stimulating activity by a murine bone marrow stromal cell line on porous microcarriers

The murine bone marrow stromal cell line, LC2, cultivated on porous microcarriers, displayed cell density-dependent growth, which was alleviated by its own conditioned-medium. Volumetric production of the colony-stimulating activity in the microcarrier culture was many fold over that obtained from the T-flask culture, providing a means of scaling up for production.
Logical and Physical Data Independence for Native Scientific Data Repositories.

Many datasets in the physical sciences, especially the results of simulations, are defined over a topological grid structure. Applications in these domains would benefit from a principled interface to gridded datasets via a specialized data model. Traditionally, benefits of a data model are realized only after data is ensconced within a managed database environment. However, massive bulk-loading and reloading operations in large-scale data repositories are prohibitively expensive. Instead, we superimpose a specialized data model over native data repositories stored on directly on OS filesystems rather than managed by a database system. Views in a specialized data model can be defined via references to native directory structures and file content, providing physical and logical data independence. This non-intrusive approach appears to reduce space requirements, speed development, and cooperate with legacy applications.
Take It Away or Walk the Other Way? Finding Positive Solutions for Integer Subtraction

Practicing teachers as well as researchers, mathematicians, and teacher educators have offered opinions and theoretical critiques of the multiple models used to teach integer arithmetic. Few studies, however, have investigated what students learn with models or empirically compared affordances and constraints of integer models. This led me to investigate how 160 fifth- and sixth-grade students who were learning integer arithmetic for the first time could benefit from a particular model. Each integer model encouraged students to conceive of numbers using distinct conceptual metaphors and move in certain ways to represent integer subtraction. Thus, I used embodied cognition to illuminate ways a manipulative-based cancellation model (chip model) and a physically enacted number line model (walk-it-off model) differentially impacted students’ subtraction knowledge. Integer subtraction, particularly the idea that subtracting a negative number could create a positive solution is especially difficult for students regardless of age, so assessment of this construct deserved a special focus in the test design of the larger study. This chapter reports students’ accuracy and reasoning on this difficult subtraction type 5 weeks after instruction with their assigned model. Findings for practice suggest the walk-it-off model was more effective as the first model students used and more research is needed.
Comparative analysis of technical success rates and procedural complication rates of bedside inferior vena cava filter placement by intraprocedural imaging modality.

Abstract Objective Transabdominal duplex ultrasound, intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), and fluoroscopy have been used to assist with inferior vena cava filter (IVCF) placement since the late 1990s. We sought to compare the technical success and procedural complications of bedside placement of IVCF by the three commonly used modalities, namely, duplex ultrasound, IVUS, and combined IVUS and fluoroscopy. Methods All published reports including prospective and retrospective cohort studies and case series with a minimum of 10 patients from inception to August 2017 were identified by an electronic search of PubMed and Embase. The studies were then pooled to create a sample of patient data for statistical analysis. Bonferroni correction was used for comparison of the three groups. Values of P Results A total of 21 studies comprising 2166 patients were identified. No significant differences were found in technical success and complication rates between the duplex ultrasound and IVUS arm, the combined IVUS and IVUS with fluoroscopy arm, or the duplex ultrasound and the combined IVUS with fluoroscopy arm. However, there was a trend toward decreased complication rates in the duplex ultrasound arm compared with the other two arms. A trend toward increased technical success was also observed in the combined IVUS and fluoroscopy arm compared with the other two arms. Conclusions There are no significant differences in the technical success and complication rates between the three commonly used modalities of bedside IVCF placement.
Fluid-Electrolyte Imbalances and Extracorporeal Therapy in the Neurosurgical Setting

Fluid-electrolyte imbalances are important causes of morbidity and mortality in neurocritical care. Hyponatremia is common, and awareness of volume status can differentiate cerebral salt wasting from syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion and guide management. Hypernatremia in this population may occur from central diabetes insipidus due to damage of the hypothalamic-pituitary region. Cerebral perfusion is crucial in neurocritical care and can be improved by maintaining serum sodium at 145–155 mmol/L with hypertonic saline. Management of blood pressure (BP) and autonomic issues differs based on the underlying neurological condition, and guidelines for management exist for the most common conditions. Acute kidney injury occurs at variable rates in this setting, and many medications used in care of these patients have nephrotoxic effects. When needed, continuous renal replacement therapy (RRT) is preferred in the neurocritical care setting due to the importance of volume and hemodynamic control in preventing cerebral ischemia.
Transcription Regulation: Tales of a Divergent Mediator

Mediator is a large, multi-module complex that plays a key role in transcription regulation in eukaryotes. A divergent Mediator from a unicellular eukaryote has been identified and characterized, revealing novel adaptations to mRNA and ncRNA transcription.
Sample content of kinesthetic educational training: Reducing scattered X-ray exposures to interventional physician operators of fluoroscopy.

Content used by Medical Physicists for fluoroscopy safety training to staff is deliverable via several formats, that is, online content or a live audience slide presentations. Here, we share one example of a kinesthetic (live, hands-on simulation) educational program in use at our facility for some time (~10 years). In this example, the format and content specifically target methods of reducing physician operator exposures from scattered x rays. A kinesthetic format identifies and promotes the adoption of exposure-reducing behaviors. Key kinesthetic elements of this type of training include: physician hands-on measurements of radiation levels at locations specific to their standing positions (e.g., primary arterial access points) in the room using handheld exposure rate meters, measurement of exposure rate reduction to physicians provided by using personal protective equipment, that is, wearable aprons, hanging lead drapes, and pull-down shields. Physician choice of procedure-specific tableside selectable controls affecting exposure rate from optional fluoroscopy, Cine or digital subtraction angiography (DSA), along with comparative measured contribution to physician exposure is demonstrated. The inverse square exposure rate reduction to physicians when stepping back from the table during DSA is a key observation. Kinesthetic simulations in the rooms used by physicians have been found to provide the highest level of understanding giving rise to adoption of practices that are impactful for physicians. Specific training scripts are in place for physician sub-specialization in interventional radiology, cardiology, neurosurgery, vascular surgery, and gastroenterology. This training is used for new physician staff while classroom presentations (whose content mimics in room training) are used with staff who have had previously had in room training.
Unveiling the Finite Temperature Physics of Hydrogen Chains via Auxiliary Field Quantum Monte Carlo.

The ability to accurately predict the finite temperature properties and phase diagrams of realistic quantum solids is central to uncovering new phases and engineering materials with novel properties ripe for device applications. Nonetheless, there remain comparatively few many-body techniques capable of elucidating the finite temperature physics of solids from first principles. In this work, we take a significant step toward developing such a technique by generalizing our previous, exact fully ab initio finite temperature Auxiliary Field Quantum Monte Carlo (FT-AFQMC) method to model periodic solids and employing it to uncover the finite temperature physics of periodic hydrogen chains. Our chains' unit cells consist of 10 hydrogen atoms modeled in a minimal basis, and we sample 5 k-points from the first Brillouin zone to arrive at a supercell consisting of 50 orbitals and 50 electrons. Based upon our calculations of these chains' many-body energies, free energies, entropies, heat capacities, double and natural occupancies, and charge and spin correlation functions, we outline their metal-insulator and magnetic ordering as a function of both H-H bond distance and temperature. At low temperatures approaching the ground state, we observe both metal-insulator and ferromagnetic-antiferromagnetic crossovers at bond lengths between 0.5 and 0.75 A. We then demonstrate how this low-temperature ordering evolves into a metallic phase with decreasing magnetic order at higher temperatures. In order to contextualize our results, we compare the features we observe to those previously seen in one-dimensional, half-filled Hubbard models at finite temperature and in ground state hydrogen chains. Interestingly, we identify signatures of the Pomeranchuk effect in hydrogen chains for the first time and show that spin and charge excitations that typically arise at distinct temperatures in the Hubbard model are indistinguishably coupled in these systems. Beyond qualitatively revealing the many-body phase behavior of hydrogen chains in a numerically exact manner without invoking the phaseless approximation, our efforts shed light on the further theoretical developments that will be required to construct the phase diagrams of the more complex transition metal, lanthanide, and actinide solids of longstanding interest to physicists.
Chasing Fevers: An Interactive Exercise for Pediatrics Residents on Triaging and Assessing Inpatients With Fever.

Introduction Pediatrics residents are frequently tasked with triaging fevers in pediatric inpatients. The variety of clinical scenarios in the inpatient setting—patients with a multitude of disease...
Visual 3D Reconstruction and Dynamic Simulation of Fruit Trees for Robotic Manipulation

Modern agriculture is facing a series of challenges to adopt new technologies to improve sustainability, profitability and resilience. One of them is the use of robotic applications to assist or even replace manual workers for the complex task of interaction with the vegetation. For example, harvesting and pruning are tasks that need certain dexterity to not only make the cuts, but also to move branches or foliage in the canopy to reach hidden objects or locations. For such capability, first the robot should be able to perceive the vegetation and estimate the dynamics for the interaction. This work mainly focuses on the perception problem, aiming to digitize commercial tree fruit canopies and estimating how it moves when force is applied to the branches. We studied the suitability of two known algorithms, viz. the space colonization and the Laplace based contraction algorithms, to build a geometric model of the tree using point cloud data from stereo cameras. Such model is then used to estimate the dynamics of the tree, by considering the branches as links articulated by spring-damper joints. The geometric model was evaluated for topological and morphological correctness by comparing it with the ground truth, obtaining better results with the Laplace based contraction algorithm. Furthermore, results of the dynamics estimation showed that by adjusting the parameters for the spring-damper model, the motion prediction is promising, with a maximum mean squared error of 0.073m in the tracking of the movement of the branches.
Consumer perceptions of anticake agents on shredded Cheddar cheese

ABSTRACT Prepackaged natural cheese shreds are a growing consumer category. Anticake agents are applied to commercial cheese shreds to assist with shelf life and ease of use. The objective of this study was to investigate consumer perception of 3 anticake agents applied at various levels to Cheddar cheese shreds. Three common anticake agents (80% potato starch/20% cellulose blend, 100% potato starch, or potato starch/corn starch/calcium sulfate blend) were applied to duplicate lots of Cheddar cheese shreds at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5% (wt/wt). Control Cheddar cheese shreds with no anticake were also included. Sensory properties (appearance, flavor, texture, and hot texture) were documented using a trained sensory panel (n = 8), and 3 consumer acceptance tests were also conducted. In test 1, consumers (n = 110) visually evaluated liking of cold shred appearance. In test 2, consumers (n = 100) evaluated melted shreds on a flour tortilla for overall liking and appearance, flavor, and texture liking. In test 3, consumers (n = 49) participated in a home usage test. Two-way ANOVA (anticake × anticake application rate) was used to interpret the collected data from each test. Visual appearance of shreds was the primary attribute influenced by anticake application and anticake agent. Trained panel evaluation demonstrated that the 100% potato starch anticake had minimal effects on visual appearance. The other 2 agents (80% potato starch/20% cellulose blend and potato starch/corn starch/calcium sulfate blend) showed increases in visible powder at >3% (wt/wt). Consistent with results from trained panelists, higher application rates decreased consumer appearance and color liking for Cheddar shreds with 80% potato starch/20% cellulose and potato starch/corn starch/calcium sulfate blends at >2 or 3% (wt/wt), respectively. Appearance liking of melted shreds decreased with increased anticake application percent but decreased the most for 100% potato starch anticake at greater than 1% (wt/wt) application. Overall liking, flavor liking, and texture liking attributes for melted shreds were negatively affected at >3% (wt/wt) application regardless of anticake agent used. In general, anticake agents can be applied to Cheddar cheese shreds at up to 3% (wt/wt) with minimal effect on consumer perception.
Special Engagements: Forecasts and Valuation

Auditors have an intimate understanding of their client’s finances. Because of that, they are likely to be called upon to assess the value of a new or existing investment. This chapter reviews the factors that go into performing a successful assurance and valuation assessment for a client.
A Behavioral Remedy for the Censorship Bias

Existing evidence suggests that managers exhibit a censorship bias: demand beliefs tend to be biased low when lost sales from stockouts are unobservable (censored demand) compared to when they are observable (uncensored demand). We develop a non-constraining, easily implementable behavioral debias technique to help mitigate this tendency in demand forecasting and inventory decision-making settings. The debiasing technique has individuals record estimates of demand outcomes (REDO): participants explicitly record a self-generated estimate of every demand realization, allowing them to record a different value than the number of sales in periods with stockouts. In doing so, they construct a more representative sample of demand realizations (that differs from the sales sample). In three laboratory experiments with MBA and undergraduate students, this remedy significantly reduces downward bias in demand beliefs under censorship and leads to higher inventory order decisions.
Thinking About Thinking About Work: A Meta-Analysis of Off-Job Positive and Negative Work-Related Thoughts

Work is frequently on the minds of employees—even during evenings, weekends, and vacations. The present study is the first comprehensive meta-analysis of off-job work-related thoughts (WRTs; i.e., thoughts employees have about work when they are not at work). We were particularly interested in comparing off-job positive and negative work-related thoughts (PWRTs and NWRTs; i.e., thoughts about positive/negative work experiences or characteristics) to each other and other off-job WRT constructs, which we integrated into a typology. We coded 520 effect sizes from 171 independent samples (N = 58,682) and conducted a random-effects, individual-correction meta-analysis. We found that PWRTs and NWRTs were unrelated, and psychological detachment was negatively related to NWRTs but unrelated to PWRTs. Furthermore, PWRTs and NWRTs exhibited significantly different relationships with various antecedents (e.g., age, negative affectivity) and outcomes (e.g., work engagement, burnout). Compared to PWRTs and NWRTs, psychological detachment and problem-solving pondering exhibited generally weaker relationships with outcomes. NWRTs contaminated with negative affective strains (i.e., negative work-related thoughts and feelings) exhibited generally stronger relationships with outcomes. Overall, our meta-analytic findings indicate that PWRTs and NWRTs are different and underscore the importance of empirically and conceptually separating PWRTs and NWRTs from each other and other off-job WRT constructs. The findings also complement the nascent literature on interventions that target promoting PWRTs and reducing NWRTs.
Empirical Analysis of Security Vulnerabilities in Python Packages

Software ecosystems play an important role in modern software development, providing an open platform of reusable packages that speed up and facilitate development tasks. However, this level of code reusability supported by software ecosystems also makes the discovery of security vulnerabilities much more difficult, as software systems depend on an increasingly high number of packages. Recently, security vulnerabilities in the npm ecosystem, the ecosystem of Node.js packages, have been studied in the literature. As different software ecosystems embodied different programming languages and particularities, we argue that it is also important to study other popular programming languages to build stronger empirical evidence about vulnerabilities in software ecosystems.In this paper, we present an empirical study of 550 vulnerability reports affecting 252 Python packages in the Python ecosystem (PyPi). In particular, we study the propagation and life span of security vulnerabilities, accounting for how long they take to be discovered and fixed. Our findings show that the discovered vulnerabilities in Python packages are increasing over time, and they take more than 3 years to be discovered. The majority of these vulnerabilities (50.55%) are only fixed after being publicly announced, giving ample time for attackers exploitation. We find similarities in some characteristics of vulnerabilities in PyPi and npm and divergences that can be attributed to specific PyPi policies. By leveraging our findings, we provide a series of implications that can help the security of software ecosystems by improving the process of discovering, fixing and managing package vulnerabilities.
The Economic Logic Behind the Ultimate Resource

Using economic reasoning, Julian Simon offered crucial insights into a range of pressing issues including the environment, immigration, and economic development. The main lesson from Simon’s scholarship is that the ultimate resource does not reside in the ground (natural resources), or even in the accumulated wisdom and knowledge in books and scientific journals (human capital), but in the imagination of people. Through their purposeful actions, people turn their thoughts and aspiration into a new reality that enables immense improvements in the human condition. In making this argument, Simon articulated the core ideas of Ludwig von Mises, F.A. Hayek, and Israel Kirzner regarding the discovery and use of knowledge in society, and the role of entrepreneurship as the prime mover of progress. This paper makes this intellectual connection clear.
A Review of Telemedicine Interventions for Weight Loss.

Telemedicine has become popular as an alternative for in-person weight loss treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic. This review focuses on weight loss interventions utilizing real-time telemedicine. Telemedicine interventions are usually run as a weekly counseling and educational session or as a complement to a primarily Web-based intervention. A wide variety of healthcare professionals may provide the intervention. Common content includes portion control, increased physical activity, and relapse prevention. Self-monitoring is associated with intervention success. Modalities considered include online chats, text messages, phone calls, and videoconferences. Videoconferencing may be especially useful in capturing the interpersonal connection associated with in-person care but is understudied compared to other modalities. While many interventions show improvements in weight and weight-related outcomes, small sample sizes limit generalizability. Technology access and digital literacy are both necessary. Telemedicine interventions can successfully help patients with obesity lose weight. Telemedicine interventions provide a safe, remote alternative and may expand treatment access to hard-to-reach populations. Further research is needed on telemedicine weight loss treatments for seniors, men, and ethnic minorities, as well as on the impact of long-term interventions.
Developing beginning language learners’ (meta-)cultural understanding via student-led Linguistic Landscape research

Abstract Practitioners of additional-language (AL) education have consistently argued for the pedagogical benefits of engaging students in Linguistic Landscape (LL) research. The potential of how LL study may contribute to students’ development in (meta-)cultural understanding is yet to be explored. Additionally, while a number of present studies target students at the intermediate or advanced level, student-led LL research projects designed for learners with beginning AL proficiency are under-explored. This paper seeks to fill these gaps by offering a study of undergraduate students learning Chinese and those learning Korean in their first year in the United States. Analysis of student work and pre- and post-project survey data demonstrates that engaging beginning learners of AL in LL research enables them to develop enriched and nuanced understanding of cultural authenticity as well as a deeper appreciation of their target culture. In other words, it is beneficial for promoting their meta-cultural as well as culture-specific learning.
Immature Male Chimpanzees’ (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) Social Relationships with Adult Males, but Not Peers, Persist into Adulthood

Highly differentiated and affiliative social relationships are observed in a variety of mammals, including primates, cetaceans, and social carnivores. Although there has been a transformation in our understanding of the form and function of social bonds in the past two decades, the role of early life social experiences in the development of bonds remains less clear. Few studies have examined whether social relationships during infancy and juvenility (aside from those between mothers and offspring) persist into adulthood. In this study, we used longitudinal data on wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) at Gombe National Park, Tanzania, to investigate the effects of party-level association during infancy and juvenility (hereafter immaturity) on affiliative relationships among adult males (the philopatric sex). In total, we examined behavioral data from focal follows between 1970 and 2015 (N = 23 adult males). We used maternal associations as proxies for the associations of immature males, and we measured adult male social relationships using party-level associations and grooming activity. We found that immature males that associated with individual adult males at higher rates had stronger relationships with those same adult males later in life. By contrast, rates of association between pairs of immature males did not predict the strength of their dyadic relationships as adults. Overall, these findings emphasize the importance of early socialization in male chimpanzee social development. These results also reinforce studies in mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei) and bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.), suggesting that the persistence of social relationships that do not involve the mother may be more likely to evolve in long-lived species where young adult males face challenges entering an adult hierarchy composed of stronger and/or more socially experienced competitors.
Prevalence of Lens Opacities in Adult Chinese Americans: The Chinese American Eye Study (CHES)

Purpose We determined the age- and sex-specific prevalence of posterior subcapsular (PSC), nuclear, cortical, and mixed lens opacities in a population-based sample of Chinese-American adults. Methods A population-based sample of Chinese-Americans 50 years and older, from 10 census tracts in Monterey Park, CA, USA, underwent a detailed interview and a comprehensive clinical examination that included assessment of different types of lens opacities by the slit-lamp-based Lens Opacities Classification System II (LOCS II). All lens changes (including pseudophakia/aphakia), PSC, nuclear, and/or cortical opacities, were evaluated and graded. Results Of the 5782 eligible subjects, 4582 (79.2%) Chinese Americans aged 50 years and older completed a comprehensive eye examination. Of the participants with LOCS II grading (n = 4234/4582, 92%), 3.0% had PSC opacities, 38.1% had nuclear opacities, and 23.4% had cortical opacities. The prevalence of all lens changes was 48.0% for all age groups and was higher by 10-year increasing age groups (P < 0.0001). The prevalence of visual impairment in the better-seeing eye with cortical only, nuclear only, PSC only, and mixed opacities was 3.9%, 5.0%, 14.3%, and 9.4%, respectively. A total of 454 (9.9%) individuals had undergone cataract extraction in at least one eye. Conclusions Chinese Americans have a high prevalence of visual impairment associated with lens opacities, and a high prevalence of nuclear opacities. Public health policies and programs designed to improve cataract detection and treatment could help reduce the burden of visual impairment in Chinese Americans.
Administering the Employment Relationship: The Ethics of Conflict Resolution in Relation to Justice in the Workplace

The purpose of this paper is to provide a historical overview of the ethical concept of organizational due process in relation to contemporary issues in the utilization of company grievance procedures in the rapidly growing nonunion arena. Another objective of this paper is to appraise the current practices that employers have evolved for resolving issues generated by grievances, particularly those of professional, white collar employees.
Phosphate content of human amniotic fluid and its relationship to bacterial growth inhibition.

: A sensitive method for assay of phosphate has been adapted for use with human amniotic fluid. The presence of an antibacterial factor in amniotic fluid inactivated by phosphate suggested that measurement of free phosphate may predict antibacterial activity and hence susceptibility to intrapartum infection. The intrinsic antibacterial activity of amniotic fluid was altered by addition of large amounts of phosphate, but the intrinsic concentration of free phosphate correlated poorly with antibacterial activity and organically combined phosphates did not appear to be related to the antibacterial property.
Generation of superoxide radicals by hydrazine: Its role in phenylhydrazine-induced hemolytic anemia

Abstract Hemolysis and the peroxidation of red cell membrane lipids have been measured in rats treaetd with hydrazine, phenylhydrazine or acetylphenylhydrazine. It was observed that hydrazine has the capacity to generate superoxide anion radical and hydrogen peroxide and to cause the formation of lipid proxide and Heinz bodies. The hemolysis found to accompany these events i similar to that caused by phenylhydrazine and acetylphenylhydrazine. Thus at least part of the cyotoxicity of phenylhydrazine and acetylphenylhydrazine need not involve the formation of organic radicals but takes place through the action of hydrogen peroxide.
Group Dynamics in Occupational Therapy, the Theoretical Basis and Practice Application of Group Intervention 3rd ed. by Cole, M. B.

This reviewer approached this book with ambivalence that stemmed from two sources. First, occupational therapy is not a field to which I had attributed much sophistication about the uses of groups....
NVH Considerations in Engine Development

Engines generate noise by directly radiating sound from engine surfaces and also by creating pressure pulses in the intake and exhaust systems. Forces generated by engine operation result in vibrations that can be transmitted into the vehicle structure or that result in sound radiation. Sources of vibration include unbalanced forces and moments and gas pressure forces. Noise radiated by engine surfaces is also a result of forces applied to the structure of the engine. These forces can be divided into combustion excitation and mechanical excitation. A number of design measures can be taken to reduce the sensitivity of the engine structure to excitation forces and to reduce the noise radiated by engine exterior surfaces. Radiation efficiency is a key concept to use in the reduction of noise radiated by the exterior surfaces of larger engines. There are also measures that can be taken to reduce the amplitude of forcing functions such as combustion excitation or gear rattle. Analytic techniques are available to predict the engine's structural response to forcing functions and to predict radiated noise that results from the engine's response to forcing functions. Keywords: diesel engine noise; spark ignited engine noise; combustion noise; forcing function; structural response; mechanical noise; radiation efficiency; noise prediction; NVH
Rapid Identification and Typing of Herpes Simplex Virus Types 1 and 2 by a Direct Immunofluorescence Technique

An immunofluorescence (FA) technique has been developed which can identify herpes simplex virus (HSV) in clinical specimens and also type the virus directly as type 1 or type 2. This test, first applied to cervicovaginal specimens obtained from 80 mice genitally inoculated with HSV, indicated a sensitivity approaching 80% in comparison to standard viral isolation methods. A similar sensitivity was found when the test was applied to 185 clinical specimens with adequate cells for staining, which were obtained from a variety of sites of patients with suspect herpetic infection. In only 1 of 6 specimens positive by both FA and culture methods was the HSV type wrongly identified by the FA technique. There were also six specimens which were negative by culture methods but positive by the FA test, indicating a specificity of 91%. It is likely that these are not instances of false-positive tests but of other factors which may have resulted in negative viral isolations by culture methods. As more specific reagents become available, it is anticipated that the FA technique will have wider usage in diagnostic laboratories for the identification and typing of HSV types 1 and 2.
The Effect of Voice Quality on Ad Efficacy

Extensive research has examined how to make broadcast advertising as effective as possible. However, one area of advertising that has received little research is the effect of the announcer or spokesperson's voice on consumers’ reactions to the ad or the product being advertised. In this paper, we examine the effect of the announcer's voice quality, or an overall impression of his or her voice, on consumers’ purchasing intentions for a new service. We find that female listeners are most likely to purchase this service when they hear it advertised by a man who has a creaky voice, but least likely to purchase it when they hear it advertised by a woman with a creaky voice. Other voice qualities produce more moderate results. Men, in contrast, are relatively insensitive to the effect of voice quality.
When is it Wrong to Trade Stocks on the Basis of Inside Information? Public Views of the Morality of Insider Trading

While the conduct that underlies traditional core offenses like murder and rape is viewed by the public as unambiguously wrong, there is less certainty about the behavior that underlies many newer white collar crimes. A previous study by the same authors examined public views of bribery, perjury, and fraud, and found an often blurry line between what subjects thought should be criminalized and what should not. The current set of studies focused on public perceptions of insider trading. Across three studies, lay participants were found to view the core case of insider trading, in which the trader obtained inside information by breaching a duty of loyalty to an employer or client, as highly blameworthy and worthy of criminalization. But when the same information was obtained by luck, trading was not viewed as blameworthy, despite the arguably unfair information advantage held. In this, lay views were consistent with current law in the U.S. Lay views also tracked current law and practice with respect to several narrower issues. Subjects agreed with current practice that only insider trading resulting in a large amount of ill-gotten gains should result in criminal sanctions, while those trades resulting in comparatively small gains should be treated civilly. Lay subjects also agreed with current law that a tipper who gave inside information to a tippee should be prosecuted criminally only where his motives were selfish, and not when they were altruistic.Perhaps most strikingly, the study found that, though lay subjects had strong intuitions that insider trading was in some general sense morally wrong, they had real difficulty saying exactly what wrongs it entails and what harms it causes.
The Association between Insomnia Symptoms and Diet Quality and Energy Intake

Insomnia, characterized by difficulty initiating sleep (DIS), difficulty maintaining sleep (DMS), early-morning awakenings (EMA), or nonrestorative sleep (NRS), is the most common sleep disorder. W...
Spear 3 - The First Year of Operation

The first electrons were accumulated in the newly completed 3-GeV SPEAR 3 storage ring on December 15, 2003, five days after the beginning of commissioning. By mid-January of 2004, 100 mA were stored, the maximum current allowed in the first phase of SPEAR 3 operation, and ring characterization and tuning continued until early March when the first photon beam line was opened for users. After the first year of operation the SPEAR 3 beam properties and ring performance had been extensively measured. These include micron stability using slow orbit feedback, an emittance coupling of ∼ 0.1% and 50-h lifetimes. The performance of SPEAR 3 during its first year of commissioning and operation and the improvement plans are described.
Emergency endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in critically ill patients

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the frequency, indications, yield, and outcome of emergency endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in critically ill patients. Methods: Records of all intensive care unit patients undergoing emergency ERCP were reviewed over a 40-month period. Indications, findings, therapeutic interventions, and survival were analyzed. Those requiring mechanical ventilation at the time of ERCP were in group A and those who did not were in group B. Results: Of 1781 ERCPs, 32 (1.80%) were performed on intensive care unit patients. Fifteen patients belonged to group A (46.87%) and 17 (53.13%) to group B. The common bile duct was the duct of interest in 30 patients (94%) and was cannulated in 97%. Indications included possible biliary sepsis (68.75%), gallstone pancreatitis, and jaundice (12.5% each). The most common finding was choledocholithiasis (34%), followed by failure to fill the cystic duct (16%) and common bile duct stricture (9%). A normal examination was present in 18.75% of cases. Endoscopic therapy was required in 66.6% of patients in group A and 70.5% of group B. The overall 30-day mortality was 25% (33% for group A and 17.6% for group B) and not related to the ERCP. Conclusions: Two percent of all ERCPs performed were on intensive care unit patients (47% requiring mechanical ventilation) primarily to evaluate for possible biliary sepsis. Technical success was not compromised by mechanical ventilation. Therapeutic intervention was required in more than two thirds of patients and the overall 30-day mortality was 25%. (Gastrointest Endosc 1998;47:368-71.)
A heuristic approach to the management of Muscle-related temporomandibular disorders

Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) have been defined as a collective term used to embrace a number of clinical problems that involve the masticatory musculature and the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) itself.1 This paper will discuss the management of extra-articular muscle-related TMD since this has been the topic of much anecdotal commentary and debate.
Bacterial contamination rates for non-clean-catch and clean-catch midstream urine collections in boys

Standard practice for collecting a midstream urine specimen for bacterial culture includes cleansing the urethral meatus to decrease specimen contamination, 1. 2 This study was performed to determine whether meatal cleansing affects the rate of bacterial contamination of midstream urine specimens collected from healthy male children. METHODS One hundred two healthy boys between the ages of 2 and 14 years were studied. Seventy-five percent were older than 5 years of age. All of the boys were toilet trained, had no history of renal disease or urinary tract infections, had no congenital or acquired meatal abnormality, .had received no antibiotics for more than 1 week, and had no fever at the time of study. The urine specimens were obtained at the University of Virginia Children's Medical Center Clinic and at local elementary schools. Prior to producing a urine specimen, each subject was individually instructed by medical personnel on midstream collection technique, but most were not supervised during the collection process. The first urine specimen obtained was without meatal cleansing (non-clean-catch urine). This specimen was collected in a sterile wide-mouth container with screw lid (Superior Plastic Products Corp., Cumberland, R.I.). Twenty-four hours or more after the first specimen collection, a second specimen was collected following meatal cleansing with 2% Castile soap (clean-catch urine) using a standard clean-catch kit (Medline Industries, Inc., Northbrook, Ill.). The specimens obtained in the clinic were processed immediately in an on-site microbiology laboratory. The specimens obtained in the schools were immediately stored in ice and transported within 1 hour to the same laboratory for immediate processing. Urinalyses and cultures were performed using standard methods. The culture media utilized were trypticase soy
Wafer noise models for defect inspection

The ability to simulate patterned wafer inspection microscopy is important to guide equipment development, with defect signal-to-noise being the key output metric. With the ongoing introduction of aggressively low k1 lithography, the contribution of wafer noise is becoming one of the dominant noise elements. Quantitative noise models which accurately represent wafer noise are required. The present work develops structural models for line edge roughness and surface roughness. Aerial image FDTD simulations are performed on the model structures and the relationships between the model parameters and defect signal-to-wafer-noise are explored, with conclusions being drawn regarding the wafer inspection sensitivity process window.
The hippocampus and mechanisms of declarative memory

The hippocampus is critical to declarative memory in humans and spatial memory in rodents. This review attempts to bridge between these two characterizations of hippocampal dependent memory, and in doing so reveal fundamental cognitive and neural coding mechanisms that are common to both. Evidence is presented that the hippocampus and its connections are critical to the establishment of a systematic organization of memories and to flexible expression of memory outside repetition of the training experience. In addition, evidence is presented that hippocampal neurons encode a broad range of experience and that these codings may be organized as representations of episodes in memory. It is suggested that these episodic codings are linked by common elements to construct an organized representation of acquired knowledge.
OBSERVATIONS ON THE SYNTHESIS AND in vivo PHOTODYNAMIC ACTIVITY OF SOME BENZOCHLORINS

An improved synthesis of benzochlorins is reported. Demetallation of the meso-hydroxyme- thylvinyl derivative of octaethylporphyrin, followed by treatment with sulfuric acid results in cyclization to generate the corresponding octaethylbenzochlorin in high yield. Prolonged treatment with acid generates the sulfonated derivative. These sensitizers were shown to be efficient photodynamic agents in vivo. Animals bearing a transplanted N-(4-(5-nitro-2-furyl)-2-thiazolyl}formamide induced urothelial tumor were treated with either the benzochlorin or its sulfonated derivative. Irradiation of tumors 24 h later resulted in a significant tumoricidal effect in a short term assay. We conclude that benzochlor- ins warrant further examination as potential agents for use in photodynamic therapy.
BIVARIATE FAILURE RATE

Abstract In this article bivariate failure rate is defined, and it is shown that no absolutely continuous bivariate distribution with constant failure rate exists except in the special case when the marginals are independently distributed.
Nonmetallic behavior of thin Pt and AuPd films

Abstract The electrical properties of thin Pt and AuPd films at low temperatures have been studied. For both types of films the resistance rises logarithmically as the temperature is lowered. In both cases the magnitude of the rise is proportional to the sheet resistence, but it is larger for the Pt than for the AuPd films. Possible explanations of this “nonuniversal” behavior are discussed.
Sums of weight vectors and sums of semilinear functions

Etablissement d'un theoreme fondamental d'algebre lineaire applique aux sommes de fonctions semilineaires