cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Does nutrition consultation in the year leading up to neuromuscular scoliosis surgery result in significant weight gain, or just a larger magnitude curve?

PURPOSE Patients with neuromuscular scoliosis undergoing posterior instrumented spinal fusion can be underweight, malnourished, and have higher complication rates. A nutrition consult is common in this population and it is unclear if weight gain occurs from the consult or surgery. The purpose of the study was to determine if nutrition consultation in the year prior to spinal fusion resulted in significant differences in weight gain or percentile on the CP growth chart. The secondary aim was to determine if there would be deformity progression during that time. METHODS Retrospective chart and radiograph review was performed for all patients with neuromuscular spinal deformity treated with posterior instrumented spinal fusion at one institution between January 1, 2009 and August 1, 2015. Inclusion criteria included < 20 years old, diagnosis of neuromuscular scoliosis, and 1-year pre-operative percentile on the CP growth chart < 50. Patient demographics, GMFCS level, weight, percentile on appropriate CP growth chart, major curve and pelvic obliquity at 1 year pre-operatively and at surgery were recorded. RESULTS Sixty-eight patients met inclusion criteria. Thirty-seven patients had a nutrition appointment within 1 year pre-operatively, 31 patients did not. There were no significant differences between the groups when comparing increase in weight (p = 0.9), percentile on CP growth charts (p = 0.3), major deformity (p = 0.1), and pelvic obliquity (p = 0.2). Overall, there was a mean 3.2 kg weight gain, 5.2% increase on CP growth charts, 40° increase in major curve, and 5° worsening of pelvic obliquity in the year before surgery. There was an average overall increase in the pre-operative albumin value, but this was not different between groups (p = 0.6). Children who were tube fed gained on average 10.8 percentiles on the CP growth chart, whereas children without gained only 0.5 percentiles (p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS Nutrition consultations in the year preceding posterior instrumented spinal fusion do not lead to weight optimization prior to surgery in comparison to patients without nutrition consults. Gastrostomy tubes were found to be helpful for weight optimization and should be considered as an alternative nutrition option in pre-operative planning in underweight patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE III-therapeutic study: retrospective comparative study.
Chemical Release of Endodormancy in Potato Involves Multiple Mechanisms

The cessation of endodormancy in potato meristems can be accomplished with the application of compounds including bromoethane (BE), Rindite, or synthetic cytokinins such as 1-(α-ethylbenzyl)-3-nitroguanidine (NG). Rindite and BE are toxic compounds and induced a significant stress on dormant tissues. Transcriptional analysis reveals that BE induces the expression of genes associated with stress responses. RNA-seq analysis of dormant tubers treated with NG reveals a rapid response and induction of transcripts associated with cell cycle progression. Analysis of small RNAs demonstrates that nondormant potato meristems have an increased level of miR166, which is involved with shoot meristem development. The diverse transcriptional profiles between BE-treated and NG-treated potato meristems suggest that these compounds terminate potato endodormancy through different mechanisms. Cessation of endodormancy may involve miRNA activity that modifies the transcriptional machinery regulating the development of the shoot apical meristem.
Chapter 4 – Communication

Effective communication is inseparable from quality medical care. This is particularly challenging and relevant in geriatrics. We describe the special considerations necessary to optimize patient-centered communication with older patients, including important direct care and training roles for clinical psychologists to enhance “psychosocial talk.” Persistent gaps in patient-physician communication are reviewed along with specific, evidence-based communication strategies for filling them. Barriers to implementation are presented as are solutions.
Literary Criticism from Plato to Postmodernism: The Humanistic Alternative

This book offers a history of literary criticism from Plato to the present, arguing that this history can best be seen as a dialogue among three traditions - the Platonic, Neoplatonic, and the humanistic, originated by Aristotle. There are many histories of literary criticism, but this is the first to clarify our understanding of the many seemingly incommensurable approaches employed over the centuries by reference to the three traditions. Making its case by careful analyses of individual critics, the book argues for the relevance of the humanistic tradition in the twenty-first century and beyond.
Abstract 266: Pay-It-Forward: A School-Centered Educational Intervention to Increase Bystander-Initiated Resuscitation in Neighborhoods

Objective: Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED) use are vital links in the chain of survival for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). The purpose of this study was to determine the knowledge acquisition and efficiency of a school-centered SCA response educational intervention. Methods: CPR Anytime kits were used to provide facilitated video self-instruction of compression-only CPR and AED use to 9 th and 10 th graders. Participants in the classroom-based educational intervention took the CPR Anytime kits home to train friends and family in our pay-it-forward model. The primary outcome measure was knowledge acquisition as determined by pre- and post-assessment surveys. The secondary outcome measure was training efficiency as determined by: (i) the training efficiency index for cardiac arrest (TEICA), i.e., volunteer hours per person trained, and (ii) cardiac arrest training yield (CATY), i.e., number trained/neighborhood population. Results: The average percent increase of correct responses between pre and post surveys among the students was 111.8%. The average percent increase in the pay-it-forward participants was 49.5%. Four volunteer hours were used to train 418 people (71 students plus 347 friends and family members) for a TEICA of 0.0096 hours/person. The school neighborhood has 10 middle and high schools serving a population of 20,881. If we assume that this school serves 10% of the neighborhood population, the CATY for this intervention is 20% (418 / 2088). Conclusion: Our Pay-it-forward model is an efficient way to deliver an SCA educational intervention in neighborhoods. Because schools are centrally-organized settings to which all children and their families have access, school-centered interventions may significantly increase bystander CPR and AED use. Future research will seek to determine long-term knowledge retention of this educational intervention.
US Trade in Advanced Technology Products

In 2002, US net exports of advanced technology products (ATPs) registered a deficit of US$16.6 billion for the first time. By 2006, the ATP trade deficit reached US$43.7 billion. This is primarily due to China's increasing importance as an ATP import source and does not indicate a wholesale loss of US competitiveness in ATPs. Mostly, China's market share gain came at the expense of other Asian countries. This geographical shift in China's favor is due to her greater integration with Asian supply chains. Trade gravity regressions show that the USA exports more advanced technology parts and accessories to lower income countries but advanced technology capital and consumer goods imports by the USA are not correlated with the income of the import source countries. Thus, there is weak evidence that labor cost savings via foreign assembly operations dominate US ATP trade with middle and low income countries.
Saul John S.. The Next Liberation Struggle: Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy in Southern Africa . Toronto: Between the Lines/Scottsville: University of KwaZulu-Natal Press/New York: Monthly Review Press/London: The Merlin Press, 2005; 341 pp. Index. $21.95. Paper.

John S. Saul. The Next Liberation Struggle: Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy in Southern Africa. Toronto: Between the Lines/Scottsville: University of KwaZulu-Natal Press/New York: Monthly Review Press/London: The Merlin Press, 2005; 341 pp. Index. $21.95. Paper. In The Next Liberation Struggle John S. Saul brings together essays written over the last forty years (some were co-written) to show that a new liberation struggle is developing in Southern Africa. The first part, "Continental Considerations," traces Africa's insertion into the global capitalist economy as a producer of raw materials. Saul shows that rather than being the solution, capitalism is part of the reason for Africa's underdevelopment. In chapter 1 (co-written with Colin Leys) the authors ask: Is Africa a victim of exploitation or of marginalization? The short answer must be that it is both. In the popular meaning of exploitation, Africa suffers acutely from exploitation: every packet of cheap Kenyan tea sold in New York, every overpriced tractor exported to Nigeria, every dollar of interest on ill-conceived and negligently supervised loans to African governments (interest that accrues to Western banks)-not to mention every diamond illegally purchased from warlords in Sierra Leone or Angola-benefits people in the West at the expense of Africa's impoverished populations. (20-21) According to Saul, in the short run three developments might occur. First, the AIDS crisis, mercenaries, and hunting grounds in Africa will present dangers to the rest of the world. Second, in the countries of the North, more people oppose "The Washington Consensus." Finally, global capitalism is reaching limits of growth because "within a few decades continued broad-based growth will be increasingly impossible and market logic will be in question on all sides" (28). Why did socialism fail? Saul notes that Mozambique's leadership succumbed to Marxist-Leninism and became a "leftist developmental dictatorship" while it faced various challenges in the economy. Socialism also failed because of lack of resources. External pressures added to its woes. In Tanzania, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere's economic development attempts failed to materialize because of both poor implementation and lack of resources. Saul seems very disappointed and surprised by the African National Congress's adoption of neoliberalism; for him, South Africa's industrialized economy made it a good candidate for socialism. However, Saul overestimates the ANC's ability to control the economy. He does not ask why capitalism believed the ANC was a good partner-it had done the same throughout the continent (except in Algeria and the socialist states). Saul's subtitle, "Stigmatizing Socialism: The Market as Common Sense," is interesting. Nobody needed to "stigmatize" socialism. …
Comparing systems and analyzing functions to improve constructive induction

Viewing a concept or any goal as a function over a description space suggests that a purpose of constructive induction is to transform that space into a simpler one by merging dispersed disjuncts, peaks, or regions of uniform value. Such a simplification of the goal function allows better task performance or improved behavior of associated learning. This is particularly relevant in empirical concept learning, where constructive induction is essential to learn hard concepts having many peaks. This analysis helps to unify current systems and suggests ways to improve their design.
MO‐FG‐210‐02: Implementation of Image‐Guided Prostate HDR Brachytherapy Using MR‐Ultrasound Fusion

Ultrasound (US) is one of the most widely used imaging modalities in medical practice. Since US imaging offers real-time imaging capability, it has becomes an excellent option to provide image guidance for brachytherapy (IGBT). (1) The physics and the fundamental principles of US imaging are presented, and the typical steps required to commission an US system for IGBT is provided for illustration. (2) Application of US for prostate HDR brachytherapy, including partial prostate treatments using MR-ultrasound co-registration to enable a focused treatment on the disease within the prostate is also presented. Prostate HDR with US image guidance planning can benefit from real time visualization of the needles, and fusion of the ultrasound images with T2 weighted MR allows the focusing of the treatment to the specific areas of disease within the prostate, so that the entire gland need not be treated. Finally, (3) ultrasound guidance for an eye plaque program is presented. US can be a key component of placement and QA for episcleral plaque brachytherapy for ocular cancer, and the UCLA eye plaque program with US for image guidance is presented to demonstrate the utility of US verification of plaque placement in improving the methods and QA in episcleral plaque brachytherapy. Learning Objectives: 1. To understand the physics of an US system and the necessary aspects of commissioning US for image guided brachytherapy (IGBT). 2. To understand real time planning of prostate HDR using ultrasound, and its application in partial prostate treatments using MR-ultrasound fusion to focus treatment on disease within the prostate. 3. To understand the methods and QA in applying US for localizing the target and the implant during a episcleral plaque brachytherapy procedures.
Tight bounds on the algebraic connectivity of a balanced binary tree

In this paper, quite tight lower and upper bounds are obtained on the algebraic connectivity, namely, the second-smallest eigenvalue of the Laplacian matrix, of an unweighted balanced binary tree with k levels and hence n = 2 1 vertices. This is accomplished by considering the inverse of a matrix of order k 1 readily obtained from the Laplacian matrix. It is shown that the algebraic connectivity is 1=(2 2k + 3) +O(1=2).
Functional consequences of cocaine expectation: findings in a non-human primate model of cocaine self-administration

Exposure to stimuli and environments associated with drug use is considered one of the most important contributors to relapse among substance abusers. Neuroimaging studies have identified neural circuits underlying these responses in cocaine-dependent subjects. But these studies are often difficult to interpret because of the heterogeneity of the participants, substances abused, and differences in drug histories and social variables. Therefore, the goal of this study was to assess the functional effects of exposure to cocaine-associated stimuli in a non-human primate model of cocaine self-administration, providing precise control over these variables, with the 2-[(14) C]deoxyglucose method. Rhesus monkeys self-administered 0.3 mg/kg/injection cocaine (n = 4) under a fixed-interval 3-minute (FI 3-min) schedule of reinforcement (30 injections/session) for 100 sessions. Control animals (n = 4) underwent identical schedules of food reinforcement. Sessions were then discontinued for 30 days, after which time, monkeys were exposed to cocaine- or food-paired cues, and the 2-[(14) C]deoxyglucose experiment was conducted. The presentation of the cocaine-paired cues resulted in significant increases in functional activity within highly restricted circuits that included portions of the pre-commissural striatum, medial prefrontal cortex, rostral temporal cortex and limbic thalamus when compared with control animals presented with the food-paired cues. The presentation of cocaine-associated cues increased brain functional activity in contrast to the decreases observed after cocaine consumption. Furthermore, the topography of brain circuits engaged by the expectation of cocaine is similar to the distribution of effects during the earliest phases of cocaine self-administration, prior to the onset of neuroadaptations that accompany chronic cocaine exposure.
An Official American Thoracic Society Research Statement: Current Understanding and Future Research Needs in Tobacco Control and Treatment.

Introduction: Since the mid-20th century, the scientific community has substantially improved its understanding of the worldwide tobacco epidemic. Although significant progress has been made, the sheer enormity and scope of the global problem put it on track to take a billion lives this century. Curbing the epidemic will require maximizing the impact of proven tools as well as the development of new, breakthrough methods to help interrupt the spread of nicotine addiction and reduce the downstream morbidity.Methods: Members of the Tobacco Action Committee of the American Thoracic Society queried bibliographic databases, including Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Collaborative, to identify primary sources and reviews relevant to the epidemic. Exploded search terms were used to identify evidence, including tobacco, addiction, smoking, cigarettes, nicotine, and smoking cessation. Evidence was consolidated into three thematic areas: (1) determinants of risk, (2) maternal-fetal exposure, and (3) current tobacc...
Play Signals as Punctuation: The Structure of Social Play in Canids

Actions called play signals have evolved in many species in which social play has been observed. Despite there being only few empirical demonstrations, it generally is accepted that play signals are important in the initiation ("I want to play") and maintenance ("I still want to play") of ongoing social play. In this study I consider whether a specific and highly stereotyped signal, the bow, is used to maintain social play in adult and infant domestic dogs, infant wolves, and infant coyotes. To answer this question the temporal placement of bows relative to actions that are also used in other contexts (dominance or predatory encounters) such as biting accompanied by rapid side-to-side shaking of the head was analyzed to determine if bows performed during ongoing social play are used to communicate the message "I want to play despite what I am going to do or just did - I still want to play". The non-random occurrence of bows supports the hypothesis that bows are used to maintain social play in these canids when actions borrowed from other contexts, especially biting accompanied by rapid side-to-side shaking of the head, are likely to be misinterpreted.
MAGNETIC CIRCULAR DICHROISM SPECTROSCOPY AS A PROBE OF GEOMETRIC AND ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE OF COBALT(II)-SUBSTITUTED PROTEINS : GROUND-STATE ZERO-FIELD SPLITTING AS A COORDINATION NUMBER INDICATOR

Variable-temperature magnetic circular dichroism (VT MCD) is used as a probe of the ground-state electronic structure in Co(II)-substituted liver alcohol dehyrogenase, carbonic anhydrase, carboxypeptidase, substrate and inhibitor complexes of these enzymes, and four- and five-coordinate Co(II) model complexes. VT MCD was used to determine the magnitude of the ground-state zero-field splitting (ZFS) in these samples. The four-coordinate Co(II) species had ZFS's that ranged from 2.3 to 30 cm-1 and the five-coordinate species had ZFS's that ranged from 2.7 to 98 cm-1, values which fall outside of the ranges previously suggested for distinguishing 4-coordinate and 5-coordinate Co(II) (Makinen, M. W.; Kuo, L. C.; Yim, M. B.; Wells, G. B.; Fukuyama, J. M.; Kim, J. E. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1985, 107, 5245−5255). The magnitude of the ZFS is not very sensitive to ligand heterogeneity but can be very sensitive to bond angles. Since protein active sites are in general highly angularly distorted from ideal four- or five-...
In-gel trypsin digest of gel-fractionated proteins.

This protocol describes a method for in-gel digestion of proteins after fractionation using SDS-PAGE. It is applicable to both oneand two-dimensional polyacrylamide gels of different thicknesses, acrylamide concentrations, and band (spot) sizes. This protocol followed by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) or matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization/time of flight/time of flight (MALDI-TOF/TOF) is capable of identifying low femtomole quantities of a protein. High-sensitivity mass spectrometry should be capable of identifying attomole quantities of protein.
Nutritional Considerations in Adult Cardiothoracic Surgical Patients

The importance of the preoperative nutritional status of cardiothoracic surgical patients in determining outcomes is demonstrated and discussed. Demographic, anthropometric, and biochemical changes in patients undergoing cardiothoracic surgery increase the importance of identifying those at risk for postoperative complications resulting from malnutrition. The interrelationships of chronic heart failure, cardiac cachexia, nutritional status, and nutritional support are identified and emphasized. The complexities of myocardial energetics and metabolism are outlined together with the nutrient needs for patients undergoing cardiac, pulmonary, or other intrathoracic operative procedures.
Expansion of cumulant‐based classifier to frequency shift keying modulations and to the use of support vector machines

This paper proposes an expansion of the cumulant-based classifier of digital modulations to frequency shift keying (FSK) modulations. Cumulant estimates are calculated when the FSK modulation is present. The features obtained from the cumulant estimators are used in a support vector machine (SVM) classifier. The performance of the SVM classifier is compared to other classifiers. Among these other classifiers is the cumulant-based tree classifier which uses thresholds defined by the asymptotic values of the cumulant estimators. The simulation results show that using SVM classifier improves the performance. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cover Picture: Eur. J. Immunol. 11/10

The cover image of this issue consists of an hematoxylin and eosin staining of a sagittal section of hind paw harvested from a wild-type BALB/c mouse 6 weeks after proteoglycan (PG)-dimethyldioctadecyl-ammonium bromide (DDA) immunization, and is taken from Hamel et al. (pp. 3117–3127). In this article, the authors examine the role of the programmed death (PD)-1 ligand, B7-H1, in the development of PG-induced arthritis (PGIA). The authors show that B7-H1−/− mice exhibit exacerbated PGIA and increased Th1 CD4+ T-cell responses, while the PG-specific antibody response in these mice is diminished.
The impact of hepatitis B vaccine in China and in the China GAVI Project

The China GAVI Project (CGP) was initiated in 2002 to provide hepatitis B (HB) vaccine to infants born in the less developed areas of China including the Western provinces and poverty counties of Middle provinces, to prevent the consequences of hepatitis B virus infection. By 2009, the project areas had raised coverage of 3 doses of HB vaccine and timely birth doses to almost 90% among infants, comparable to those in wealthier Eastern provinces, and reduced HBV prevalence to <1% among children in these areas. We estimated the impact in disease prevented by HB vaccine in China between 1992, when the vaccine was routinely recommended, and 2009, and in CGP areas for the years 2003-2009, when the CGP was active. A published model was used to estimate the burden of chronic and acute HBV infection and death prevented due to HB vaccination in China and the CGP areas using data from national serosurveys in China in 1992 and 2006, and HB vaccine coverage from surveys in 2004, 2006 and 2010. We used sigmoid modeling to estimate vaccine coverage nationally, regionally, and CGP areas. We also estimated the incremental impact of the CGP on HB vaccine coverage in those underserved areas. Our findings suggest that between 1992 and 2009, HB vaccination in China has prevented 24 million chronic HBV infections and 4.3 million future deaths due to cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma and acute hepatitis. During the CGP between 2003 and 2009, an estimated 3.8 million chronic HBV infections and 680,000 deaths were prevented in CGP areas. We found that the CGP funding increased HB vaccine coverage in project areas by 4-15% for HB3 and 4-27% for timely birth dose beyond the coverage expected without the CGP. The CGP represents a highly successful public health collaboration between the national government and international partners.
Synthesis and characterization of mesoporous ZSM-12 by using carbon particles

Abstract The generation of mesoporosity in 1-dimensional zeolite ZSM-12 was explored by using carbon black as template for the expected mesoporosity during synthesis. After the carbon particles were burned off, intracrystalline mesopore networks were formed. For relatively high C/Si and H 2 O/Si ratios, there is higher opportunity to generate mesoporosity. All the samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, nitrogen physisorption, SEM, ICP and FT-IR. Mesoporous ZSM-12 samples with nominal Si/Al ratios of 40, 60, 75, 100 in the gel, were successfully synthesized. The mesopore volumes were in the range of 0.15–0.19 cm 3 /g and the mesopores distributed in the range of 10–50 nm were determined by nitrogen physisorption. The STPD and FT-IR results revealed that these mesoporous ZSM-12 samples possess the same number of acid sites as regularly synthesized ZSM-12 samples for comparable Si/Al ratios. For the synthesis gel containing the same Si/Al ratios, Si/Al ratios were almost the same in both the mesoporous and conventional ZSM-12 products, which indicated that the carbon black involved in the synthesis did not affect the crystallization efficiency of aluminum during the nucleation. The conversion of n -tridecane and 1,3-dimethylcyclohexane were chosen as test reactions. The mesoporous ZSM-12 samples (“Swiss Cheese” like) are found to exhibit higher activity compared to conventional ones especially under high WHSVs. The enhanced activity we observed can be attributed to the introduction of the mesopores in the zeolite crystals, which decreases the intracrystalline mass transfer limitations. Moreover, the mesoporous samples promoted the production of longer and more branched products than the case of the traditional samples since the former ones favor to a higher extent the outwards diffusion of the products.
Molecular dynamics simulation study of short time dynamics in polystyrene

Abstract Molecular dynamics simulation of atactic polystyrene was performed at six temperatures from 23 to 523 K. The volume–temperature relationship obtained from the simulation agrees with experimental data. The short time dynamics is investigated by evaluating (i) the mean square displacement, (ii) the intermediate scattering function, and (iii) the dynamic structure factor. These have all the features displayed by experimental data obtained from neutron scattering. The mean square displacement shows the dynamics to consist of two processes; one,
Tidal asymmetry and velocity skew over tidal flats and shallow channels within a macrotidal river delta

[1] It is often assumed that, in short, shallow estuaries, at leading order velocity and elevation are exactly out of phase, so that duration asymmetries in the rise and fall of the tide should be manifest as skewed velocities. We observed alternating ebb- and flood-dominant velocity skew in response to the spring-neap modulation of incident asymmetry generated by the mixed, mainly semidiurnal astronomical tides within the macrotidal Skagit River delta in Puget Sound, Washington. We describe three factors that may contribute to local asymmetries: (1) ebb dominance caused by phase lags between the surface gradient and local depth, (2) ebb dominance due to fluvial discharge, and (3) near-bed flood dominance due to baroclinicity. Large spring tides led to greater frictionally generated phase lags and resulted in ebb-dominant velocity skew. This ebb dominance caused by tidal drainage was reinforced by fluvial discharge across the tidal flat at lower-low water. The baroclinic component of this discharge, however, produced flood-dominant near-bed velocity skew that countered the ebb dominance of the frictional effects. The balance of these processes depends strongly on the spring-neap cycle, magnitude of river discharge, and position within the tidal flat and channel system. Our observations are notable in the context of previous studies describing these processes because our analyses indicate that these mechanisms are relevant over very short spatial scales of just a few kilometers and in very shallow systems.
Operations process planning: a systems approach

The public telephone network is evolving rapidly from an embedded analog network to a digital network with a diverse capability for new services in a multi-media environment. Planning operations processes to effectively provision and maintain this ever-changing network is a challenge. This paper presents a systems approach for operations process planning that is a cost-effective alternative to a “trial-and-error” method for instituting change. This methodology enables a planner to gather a full understanding of existing processes and to test out the system effects of changes to the process. An Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) maintenance provisioning process is used to illustrate the methodology and how it would be useful to operations planners. Extensions of the use of this methodology to architect new processes for other new services and technologies will be discussed briefly.
Linear relativistic Hamiltonians

Abstract A 2(2J + 1)-component relativistic Hamiltonian H that describes free particles of mass m and spin J is said to be linear if it has the form H = h x · p + gm , where x _. = i[H, x ] − , h is a numerical factor, and g commutes with x and p. All such Hamiltonians are found, provided that the metric is either the unit matrix or ϱ3 and provided that the theory is invariant under the discrete symmetries. If the operator Γ in the generator K = 1 2 [ x , H] + + Γ of Lorentz boosts is required to be local, there are only two possibilities; either Γ = 0, which generalizes the Dirac spin- 1 2 theory, or Γ = −ϱ 3 ( 1 2m ) S × p , which generalizes the Sakata-Taketani spin-0 and spin-1 theories. The relationship to linear manifestly covariant equations and its significance is discussed.
The effect of insulin on ovine fetal oxygen extraction.

Abstract Infusion of exogenous insulin (54 ± 19 mU/kg/hr) to seven fetal lambs caused hyperinsulinism and arterial hypoxemia but not hypoglycemia. We measured the relationship between fetal oxygen delivery and oxygen use for a better understanding of the cause of the observed hypoxemia. Oxygen delivered to the fetus is the product of fetal umbilical venous oxygen content and umbilical blood flow. Both of these quantities decreased as fetal insulin concentration rose. The fall in umbilical blood flow was due to a change in the distribution of cardiac output. Cardiac output rose, but placental perfusion decreased while blood flow to the fetal carcass increased. Oxygen consumption by the ovine fetus increased as insulin concentration rose. Since the delivery of oxygen to the fetus did not increase when its use was rising, fetal extraction of available oxygen increased. Fetal arterial hypoxemia is the result of this increased extraction of available oxygen.
Chemical Etching of Thermally Oxidized Silicon Nitride: Comparison of Wet and Dry Etching Methods

The ability to etch silicon nitride changes after this material is exposed to a wet oxygen ambient, as a result of the partial oxidation of the silicon nitride to form a silicon oxynitride. We have measured the etch rate of silicon nitride exposed to different oxidation temperatures and pressures, to determine how these parameters affect the mask removal step needed in the local oxidation of silicon‐based processing sequence. Both wet (hydrofluoric acid and phosphoric acid) and dry ( remote plasma) isotropic etch methods are described, and correlated to Rutherford backscattering and ellipsometric measurements. Our results show the presence of an oxidized layer which increased in thickness with oxidation temperature and pressure. Process modifications must comprehend the altered silicon nitride surface in order to adequately strip this film.
Role of projectile and surface temperatures in the energy transfer dynamics of protonated peptide ion collisions with the diamond {111} surface.

The effects of temperature on energy transfer during collisions of protonated diglycine ions, Gly2-H+, with a diamond {111} surface were investigated by chemical dynamics simulations. The simulations were performed for a collision energy of 70 eV and angle of 0° with respect to the surface normal. In one set of simulations the initial surface temperature, Tsurf, was varied from 300 to 2000 K, while the Gly2-H+ vibrational and rotational temperatures were maintained at 300 K. For the second set of simulations the Gly2-H+ vibrational temperature, Tvib, was varied from 300 to 2000 K, keeping both the Gly2-H+ rotational and surface temperatures at 300 K. Increasing either the surface temperature or Gly2-H+ vibrational temperature to values as high as 2000 K has, at most, only a negligible effect on the partitioning of the incident collision energy to the surface and to the vibrational and rotational modes of Gly2-H+. To a good approximation, the initial surface and peptide ion energies are nearly adiabatic du...
Developing an agent based Feed Analyzer system in the cloud

This paper presents an experience report documenting the design and development of an agent-based distributed software system called the “Feed Analyzer” a system deployed to Microsoft's Windows Azure Cloud Service. Cloud services are emerging as an increasingly attractive deployment option given that system developers can leverage the power of a scalable infrastructure without the need to purchase or directly manage hardware or IT resources themselves; all at relatively reduced costs. But as this trend towards the cloud continues, reliable software engineering methodologies that readily lend themselves to the development of cloud applications will become increasingly important. The goal of this experience report is not to evaluate the results of the Feed Analyzer project, either quantitatively or qualitatively, from the perspective of a working software system. The goal of the project itself was to evaluate the applicability of agent-based software engineering methodologies to the relatively new realm of cloud services. Consequently, the overarching purpose of this experience report is to contribute to the body of knowledge relative to the process of deploying agent-based systems to cloud platforms.
Individual formation parameters of charged point defects in silver chloride.

The analysis of the original measurements of the subsurface electrical potential in oriented single crystals of AgCl [Hudson, Farlow, and Slifkin, Phys. Rev. B 36, 4651 (1987)] has been corrected for two previously neglected effects. The resulting values for the surface potential ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Phi}}}_{\mathit{S}}$ have been reanalyzed to resolve the Frenkel-pair formation enthalpy and entropy into the contributions from the two distinct defects comprising the pair. It is shown that the effects of divalent impurities and of impurity-vacancy association are important even for temperatures that appear intrinsic in Arrhenius ionic-conductivity plots. The new values of the formation free energies are somewhat different from those of the earlier results, and the decomposition of these into the formation enthalpy and entropy for both the silver interstitial and the silver vacancy yields surprisingly different results. For example, for formation at the (100) surface, ${\mathit{H}}_{\mathit{V}}$, ${\mathit{H}}_{\mathit{i}}$, ${\mathit{S}}_{\mathit{V}}$, and ${\mathit{S}}_{\mathit{i}}$ are 0.12 eV, 1.35 eV, -13.2k, and 23.0k, respectively, apparently involving very large effects on the entropy of phonon frequency relaxations.
Eulogy for a quality measure.

On May 8, one of the best-known quality measures in health care was put to rest: the percentage of patients with acute myocardial infarction who receive a prescription for beta-blockers within 7 days of hospital discharge. Dr. Thomas Lee writes that this development offers encouragement and important lessons.
A morphological comparison of the regional distribution of methadone in human and rat brain as demonstrated by immunofluorescence

Abstract The brains of ten narcotic addicts who had died from an overdose of methadone, and the brains of ten rats, given methadone for one month, were examined by the immunofluorescent technic. Positive neuronal fluorescence was seen primarily in the limbic systems of both species as well as in closely associated areas. In the human, Purkinje cell fluorescence was seen in the cerebellum, whereas only stellate cell staining was observed in rat cerebellum. Neurons of the hippocampal dentate gyrus often fluoresced in man while only pyramidal cell staining was seen in this region of rat brain. The method should prove to be of value in the detection and tracing of narcotic drugs and may be helpful in investigations of drug tolerance and dependence.
A high-frequency magnetic servo amplifier

THE ADVANTAGES of operating magnetic amplifiers at frequencies higher than the usual 50 to 400 cps are improved transient response and reduced size and weight.
The varied responses of different F1-ATPases to chlorpromazine.

Abstract The effects of chlorpromazine on various properties of the F 1 -ATPases from bovine heart mitochondria (MF 1 ), the plasma membranes of Escherichia coli (EF 1 ), and plasma membranes of the thermophilic bacterium PS3 (TF 1 ) have been examined. While chlorpromazine inhibited MF 1 with an I 0.5 of about 50 μ m and EF 1 with an I 0.5 of about 150 μ m at 23 °C, the ATPase activity of TF 1 was stimulated by chlorpromazine concentrations up to 0.6 m m at this temperature. Maximal activation of about 20% was observed at 0.2 m m chlorpromazine at 23 °C. Chlorpromazine concentrations greater than 0.6 m m inhibited TF 1 at 23 °C. At 37 °C the ATPase activity of TF 1 was doubled in the presence of 0.5 m m chlorpromazine, the concentration at which maximal stimulation was observed at this temperature. Chlorpromazine inhibited the rate of inactivation of EF 1 by dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD) at 23 ° C and pH 6.5. Concentrations of chlorpromazine which inhibited the ATPase activity of TF 1 at pH 7.0 accelerated the rate of inactivation of the enzyme by DCCD at pH 6.5, while lower concentrations of the phenothiazine, which stimulated the ATPase, had no effect on DCCD inactivation. Chlorpromazine concentrations up to 1.0 m m had no effect on the rate of inactivation of TF 1 by DCCD at 37 °C and pH 6.5. Chlorpromazine at 0.5 m m accelerated the rate of inactivation of MF 1 by 5′- p -fluorosulfonylbenzoyladenosine (FSBA), while it slowed the rate of inactivation of EF 1 by FSBA. The inactivation of TF 1 by FSBA in the absence of chlorpromazine was complex and was not included in this comparison. Chlorpromazine protected MF 1 and EF 1 against cold inactivation. Whereas 100 μ m chlorpromazine afforded about 90% stabilization of MF 1 at 4 °C, only about 30% stabilization of EF 1 was observed under the same conditions in the presence of 400 μ m chlorpromazine. Each of the ATPases was inactivated by the structural analog of chlorpromazine, quinacrine mustard. Whereas 5 m m ATP and 5 m m ADP protected MF 1 and TF 1 against inactivation by 0.5 m m quinacrine mustard, the rate of inactivation of EF 1 by quinacrine mustard was accelerated fourfold by 5 m m ATP and slightly accelerated by 5 m m ADP.
Racial and Ethnic Differences in Factors Related to Workplace Violence Victimization

Workplace violence (WPV) is a significant public health concern affecting all racial or ethnic groups. This study examined whether different racial/ethnic groups differed in vulnerability to WPV exposure and utilization of resources at the workplace. This cross-sectional research focused on White, Black, and Asian nursing employees (N = 2,033) employed in four health care institutions in a mid-Atlantic U.S. metropolitan area. Whereas childhood physical abuse was significantly related to risk of WPV among workers from all racial/ethnic backgrounds, intimate partner abuse was a significant factor for Asians and Whites. Blacks and Asians were found to be less likely than Whites to be knowledgeable about WPV resources or use resources to address WPV. Services to address past trauma, and education and training opportunities for new workers may reduce risk of WPV and promote resource utilization among minority workers.
In vitro seed production from sex-modified male spinach plants regenerated from callus cultures

Abstract Shoots regenerated from leaf-derived callus of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L. cultivar ‘High Pack’) were induced to flower by exposure to 14-h photoperiods (50 μmol m−2 s−1) and day/night temperatures of 20° C 16° C . Leaves from male and female plants served as sources for explants. Shoots regenerated from callus were induced to flower on a hormone-free medium. The majority of regenerated plants exhibited sex corresponding to their respective explant donors; a proportion of regenerants of male origin, however, shifted to monoecious. These sex-modified plantlets developed viable seeds in vitro. This phenomenon can be useful in producing seeds from elite selected male plants.
Algorithms for weakly secure data exchange

We consider the problem of direct data exchange among a group of wireless clients in the presence of an eavesdropper. An instance of this problem includes a set of packets X and a set of clients, such that each client has an access to a subset of packets and requests the rest of the packets in X. The clients use a lossless broadcast channel to transmit packets to other clients in the group. All transmitted packets can be observed by an eavesdropper that might have prior side information about the packets exchanged by the clients. Our goal is to construct a coding scheme that prevents the eavesdropper from decoding any individual packet in X (beyond those it already knowns). In weakly secure schemes, the more packets the eavesdropper has, the harder it is to construct a scheme that prevents the eavesdropper from obtaining additional packets. Thus, it is natural to measure the degree of secrecy by the maximum number of packets that can be held by the eavesdropper. Accordingly, our goal is to construct a coding scheme that can handle an eavesdropper that has as many packets as possible. We also present randomized and deterministic solutions for this problem and analyze their performance. We also establish a tight upper bound on the maximum degree of secrecy that a weakly secure scheme can provide for each instance of the problem.
The effects of intertrial interval on discrimination reversal learning in the pigeon

Pigeons were trained on an extensive series of color-discrimination reversal problems with an intertrial interval (ITI) of 4 sec. They were then shifted to ITI values of 15, 30, and 60 sec, with each ITI being used for either 10 or 20 successive reversal problems. Reversal learning proficiency was found to be an inverse function of ITI. Also, learning proficiency within a given ITI increased during training on the 15-sec ITI but decreased during training on the 30- and 60-sec ITIs.
Objective facial motion analysis in patients with facial nerve dysfunction.

Objectives/Hypothesis To objectively measure facial motion at various facial landmarks using a video-computer interactive system. Study Design Clinical, prospective, non-randomized. Methods A video-computer interactive system, The Peak Motus Motion Measurement System, was used to study linear displacement at preselected facial landmarks in the normal and abnormal face. Subjects with normal facial function (n = 34) and patients with abnormal facial function (n = 26) from various etiologies were studied. The sites studied were marked with reflective beads. Of a larger repertoire of expressions, two expressions (eyes closed and closed-lip smile) were studied in all subjects. The percent asymmetry in facial displacement between the sides of the face was calculated. The sensitivity of this measurement to facial dysfunction was evaluated. The presence of synkinesis was examined by quantifying the displacement at facial sites that were remote to the sites primarily involved in a given facial expression. Test–retest reliability of the percent asymmetry measurement was evaluated with the paired t test. Results The video-computer interactive approach used accurately detected and quantified gross and subtle changes in facial function. The sensitivity of the percent asymmetry measurement was 95% (both expressions) for patients with apparent facial dysfunction (House-Brackmann rating >I/VI). In patients with facial nerve dysfunction, displacement on the presumably normal side was significantly excessive in 27% to 35%, depending on the expression. With this interactive computer-video system, synkinesis was detected in 58% of the pathologic subjects during the eyes closed or closed-lip smile expressions. The paired t test indicated strong test–retest reliability (r = 0.73–0.99) of the percent asymmetry measurement. Conclusions The present report indicates that this approach to the assessment of facial motion is sensitive to facial dysfunction. This computer-video interactive system is able to quantify synkinesis. A grading system for the magnitude of synkinesis, based on the magnitude of the displacement at remote facial sites, is proposed. The common occurrence of excessive facial motion on the presumably normal side of affected individuals indicates that patients with facial paralysis often overcompensate by exaggerating the normal side in an effort to move the affected side. This system is of value in the objective measurement of normal facial function and may prove a useful tool to quantify the outcomes of various medical and surgical treatments for facial nerve dysfunction.
The effects of workload and understaffing on staff in an educational service setting

Abstract The effects of workload and understaffing on the experience of staff in an educational service setting were investigated. Wicker and Kirmeyer's (1976) model of staffing in service settings provided the theoretical basis for the study. Based on a refinement of McGrath's (1976) model of organizational stress, the staffing model involved a five-stage progression of stress-related feedback between the person and environment. Fifty-two staff from an introductory psychology testing program served as subjects. On selected days staff completed a questionnaire which assessed perceived workload, coping strategies, positive understaffing experiences (i.e., feeling involved, challenged and needed), and overload stress. In addition, a number of objective staffing measures were obtained by having staff record the number of student demands via an electric time-stamp. Staff reported heavier workloads, considered and initiated more coping actions, and reported more positive understaffing experiences and overload stress, during testing sessions characterized by heavy student demands. Inconsistent with previous studies, the overall volume of work demands was a better predictor of staff experiences than the more discrete lulls and surges in the demand pattern. The conceptual staffing model significantly predicted both staff involvement and overload stress. These findings provided considerable support for the usefulness of the model in predicting staff experiences in service settings.
Proteomic Analysis in Pediatric Renal Disease

Children with renal disease have tremendous potential for recovery, particularly when disease processes are detected early in the disease course. However, invasive diagnostic maneuvers can be challenging, especially in younger children who may require general anesthesia. Urine proteomics technologies present an opportunity to discover noninvasive yet informative diagnostic and prognostic markers of renal disease in children. In this article we review current concepts regarding the normal urine proteome, followed by an overview of urine proteomics as applied to nephrotic syndrome, and conclude with a discussion of some of the challenges of performing proteomic profiling on nephrotic urine, with its inherent abundance of proteins.