cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Kinetics of cocaine distribution, elimination, and chronotropic effects

The pharmacokinetics of cocaine were studied in five subjects with histories of drug abuse who were otherwise healthy. A two-compartment system was used to model the distribution kinetics of the drug. The steady-state volume of distribution averaged 131.8 L or 1.96 L/kg, elimination clearance was 2.10 L/min, and the t 1/2 was 48 minutes. Cocaine concentrations in a hypothetic biophase were estimated to correlate the chronotropic effects of this drug with its pharmacokinetics. The experimentally determined kinetic parameters indicate that the peak chronotropic effect would occur 7.3 minutes after intravenous bolus injection of cocaine, and that biophase cocaine concentrations would initially accelerate the heart rate by 0.3 bpm for each 1 ng/ml. The kinetic analysis also demonstrated that the chronotropic effects of cocaine decline more rapidly than either plasma levels or biophase concentrations. This progressive attenuation in intensity of the chronotropic effect of a given biophase cocaine concentration could be modeled as a first-order process and is compatible with either the intervention of homeostatic reflex mechanisms or the phenomenon of acute tolerance.
The optimal initial choice for permanent arteriovenous hemodialysis access.

Michael D. Sgroi, MD, Madhukar S. Patel, MD, MBA, and Samuel E. Wilson, MD, Orange and Long Beach, Calif Chronic kidney disease is a devastating condition that, according to 2008 data, affects 33 million Americans, or 16% of the United States population, with diabetes mellitus replacing hypertension as the most frequent etiology. Paralleling the increase in chronic kidney disease is the number of patients requiring vascular access for hemodialysis. In 2009, the incidence of new patients per year of hemodialysis in the United States was w106,000 and the prevalence was >370,000. Since the introduction of the arteriovenous (AV) fistula in 1966 by Brescia and Cimino et al, vascular access procedures have become one of the most frequent operations in the United States. It is estimated that >500,000 vascular access surgeries (including revisions) are being performed annually. This substantial population living with end-
Graceful adaptation of guaranteed performance service connections

Most of the solutions proposed to support guaranteed performance communication services in a packet-switching network adopt a connection-oriented and reservation-oriented approach. In this approach, the resource allocation and route selection decisions are made during connection establishment on the basis of the current resource availability and real-time network load, and are usually kept for the duration of the connection's life time. However, such an approach shows two major limitations: first, the communication service provided is usually fixed, with limited or no capability of adapting to dynamic changes in the clients' requirements; second, a low utilization of the network may be observed. In the paper, the authors present a flexible management scheme that allows graceful adaptation of guaranteed performance service connections. Mechanisms have been devised to allow changing of the trade and performance parameters of a real-time connection during its lifetime. These mechanisms, together with an adaptation policy, can make more efficient use of the network resources by performing cooperative, consenting, high-level multiplexing. the authors distinguish between two types of adaptation: client initiated adaptation and network initiated adaptation. They give examples for both types and present results from simulation experiments to show the effectiveness of the approach. >
In Situ Stable Isotopic Evidence for Protracted and Complex Carbonate Cementation in a Petroleum Reservoir, North Coles Levee, San Joaquin Basin, California, U.S.A

ABSTRACT Knowledge of the evolution of carbonate cementation in hydrocarbon reservoirs is key to understanding the history of fluid flow during petroleum accumulation. The Stevens sands is a sequence of marine shales and deep-sea fan sands that was deposited within the Miocene Monterey Formation in the south-central part of the San Joaquin basin, California, during the upper Miocene (10-6 Ma). Rapid, high-precision in situ oxygen and carbon isotopic analyses of carbonate phases using the ion microprobe operated in multi-collection mode, in conjunction with electron microprobe analyses, indicate that carbonate cement zones within the Stevens sands at North Coles Levee (NCL) have had a complex and protracted fluid history. Three main generations of carbonate cement were identified. The relative timing of carbonate cement precipitation within the Stevens sands at NCL was estimated using the thermal and burial history of the San Joaquin basin, in situ oxygen isotope data, and cementation temperatures derived from equilibrium oxygen isotope fractionation factors for calcite-water and dolomite-water. Precipitation of these cement zones began soon after sediment deposition ( 7 Ma) and is ongoing. Early dolomite was precipitated at a temperature of 10°C, near the sediment-water interface, and soon after sediment deposition. Calcite cements, which are the most abundant variety, precipitated semicontinuously between 4 Ma and 5 Ma, at temperatures between 50°C and 65°C, and depths of 800 m to 1300 m. Fe-dolomite, which is paragenetically late, appears to have precipitated at temperatures near 100°C in response to pore-pressure reduction, which accompanied exploitation of the gas cap within the last 35 years. Carbon in these cements was likely derived from several sources including marine, maturing hydrocarbons, and a zone of methanogenesis.
Integral manifolds for non‐linear circuits

Although the theory of integral manifolds is well known among applied mathematicians as a powerful tool in non-linear oscillations, it is relatively unknown, let alone applied, among circuit engineers. the purpose of this mostly tutorial paper is to illustrate the applications of integral manifolds to explain various non-linear phenomena widely observed in non-linear circuits. Numerous examples and graphical illustrations are included in order to present the theory with a minimum amount of mathematics.
Design of compact polarization rotator using simple silicon nanowires

In this paper, an ultracompact design of a polarization rotator (PR) based on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform is presented. The design contains two simple silicon nanowires but with unequal width, which will be easier to fabricate. It is shown here that a low-loss, wide-bandwidth, and 52.8-μm-long compact PR with polarization cross talk of −20 dB can be achieved. A full-vectorial finite element method and the least-squares boundary residual method are used to study the effects of the fabrication tolerances. This design shows reasonably stable performances.
High School Sports Involvement Diminishes the Association Between Childhood Conduct Disorder and Adult Antisocial Behavior

Purpose: Life courseepersistent antisocial behavior manifests as a display of aggressive and antisocial behavior beginning in childhood (conduct disorder [CD]) and lasting through adulthood (adult antisocial personality disorder). This study aimed to build on prior research by evaluating whether involvement in high school sports helped attenuate the association between CD and subsequent adult antisocial behavior (AAB). Methods: A prospective sample of 967 male and female adolescents (56% adopted) was used. Structured interviews were used to assess CD (symptoms before the age of 15 years), involvement in sports during high school, and past-year adult antisocial personality disorder symptoms in young adulthood (M age ¼ 22.4 years). Results: As expected, the association between CD and AAB was significantly less for those involved in sports ( b ¼ .28; p < .001) compared with those not involved in sports (b ¼ .49; p < .001), c 2 (1) ¼ 4.13; p ¼ .04. This difference remained after including known covariates of antisocial behavior in the model (age, gender, adoption status), and results were consistent across males and females. Involvement in other extracurricular activities (e.g., student government, plays, clubs) did not significantly moderate the relationship between CD and AAB. Conclusions: Although selection effects were evident (those with more CD symptoms were less likely to be involved in sports), findings nevertheless suggest high school sports involvement may be a notable factor related to disrupting persistent antisocial behavior beginning in childhood and adolescence and lasting through young adulthood. Implications are discussed.
Input, Interaction, and Second Language Production.

The role of conversational interactions in the development of a second language has been central in the recent second language acquisition literature. While a great deal is now known about the way in which nonnative speakers interact with native speakers and other nonnative speakers, little is known about the lasting effects of these interactions on a nonnative's linguistic development. This paper specifically investigates the relationship among input, interaction, and second language production. Through data from native–nonnative speaker interactions in a direction-giving task, we show that both modified input and interaction affect task performance. However, only interaction has an effect on subsequent task performance.
Achieving direct volume visualization with interactive semantic region selection

Interactive direct visualization of 3D data requires fast update rates and the ability to extract regions of interest from the surrounding data. Parallel volume rendering yields rates that make interactive control of image viewing possible for the first time. We have achieved rates as high as 15 frames per second by trading some function for speed. while volume rendering with a full complement of ramp classification capabilities is performed at 1.4 frames per second. These speeds have made the combination of region selection with volume rendering practical for the first time. Semantic driven selection, rather than geometric clipping, has proven to be a natural means of interacting with 3d data. Internal organs in medical data or other regions of interest can be built from preprocessed region primitives. We have applied the resulting combined system to real 3D medical data with encouraging results. The ideas presented are not just limited to our platform, but can be generalized to include most parallel architectures. We present lessons learned from writing fast volume renderers and from applying image processing techniques to viewing volumetric data.
Experimental investigation of matrix permeability of gas shales

Predicting long-term production from gas shale reservoirs has been a major challenge for the petroleum industry. To better understand how production profiles are likely to evolve with time, we have conducted laboratory experiments examining the effects of confining stress and pore pressure on permeability. Experiments were conducted on intact core samples from the Barnett, Eagle Ford, Marcellus, and Montney shale reservoirs. The methodology used to measure permeability allows us to separate the reduction of permeability with depletion (because of the resultant increase in effective confining stress) and the increase in permeability associated with Knudsen diffusion and molecular slippage (also known as Klinkenberg) effects at very low pore pressure. By separating these effects, we are able to estimate the relative contribution of both Darcy and diffusive fluxes to total flow in depleted reservoirs. Our data show that the effective permeability of the rock is significantly enhanced at very low pore pressures ( []) because of the slippage effects. We use the magnitude of the Klinkenberg effect to estimate the effective aperture of the flow paths within the samples and compare these estimates to scanning electron microscopy image observations. Our results suggest effective flow paths to be on the order from tens of nanometers in most samples to 100–200 nm, in a relatively high-permeability Eagle Ford sample. Finally, to gain insight on the scale dependence of permeability measurements, the same core plugs were crushed, and permeability was again measured at the particle scale using the so-called Gas Research Institute method. The results show much lower permeability than the intact core samples, with very little correlation to the measurements on the larger scale cores.
Physiological stress effects of continuous‐ and pulsed‐DC electroshock on juvenile bull trout

Juvenile bull trout Salvelinus confluentus exposed to continuous- or pulsed-DC electroshock exhibited rapid elevations in plasma cortisol and glucose, but plasma chloride did not change. In a 1-h experiment using 240 V at 1·4 A of 60-Hz pulsed DC (voltage gradient 0·81 V cm−1), which proved lethal, plasma cortisol and glucose rose significantly within 15 min of a 10-s electroshock. Plasma cortisol reached a peak level of 156 ± 18 ng ml−1 at 45 min and then decreased, whereas plasma glucose reached its highest level of 179 ± 7·5mg dl−1 at 1 h. In a 24-h experiment using lower dosages, plasma cortisol increased from 6·1-16 ng ml−1 to peak levels of 155–161 ng ml−1 in 1 h in response to a 10-s electroshock of continuous (130 V, 0·5 A, 1·45 V cm−1) or pulsed (120 V, 0·5 A, 60 Hz, 0·55 V cm−1) DC. Although plasma concentrations declined thereafter, levels remained above control values at 24 h. Plasma glucose was elevated from 60–65 to 120–134 mg dl−1 after 1h by both electroshock treatments and remained near or above those levels for the 24-h duration. Plasma cortisol and glucose levels were much higher in electroshocked bull trout at 1 h compared with those in fish 1 h after receiving a 30-s handling stressor (cortisol, 90 ± 12 ng ml−1; glucose, 82 ± 6·1 mg dl−1). The results indicate that both continuous and pulsed DC were more stressful to juvenile bull trout than handling and that recovery, at least for pulsed DC, may take longer than 24 h.
Enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose to glucose lung immobilized ?-glucosidase

The production of sugars by enzymic hydrolysis of cellulose is a multistep process which includes conversion of the intermediate cellobiose to glucose by B-glucosidase. Aside from its role as an intermediate cellobiose inhibits the endolglucanase components of typical cellulase enzyme systems. Because these enzyme systems often contain insufficient concentrations of B-glucosidase to prevent accumulation of inhibitory cellobiose, the use of supplemental immobilized B-glucosidase to increase yields of glucose was investigated. Immobolized B-glucosidase from Aspergillus phoenicis was produced by sorption on controlled-pore alumina with approximately 90% activity retention. The product lost only approximately 10% of the original activity during an on-stream reaction period of 500 h with cellobiose as substrate. Maximum activity occurred near pH 3.5, and the apparent activation energy was approx. 11 kcal/mol. The immobilized B-glucosidase was used together with Trichoderma reesei cellulase to hydrolyze cellulosic materials, such as Solka Floc, corn stover, and exploded wood. Increased yields of glucose and greater conversion of cellobiose to glucose were observed when the reaction systems contained supplemental immobilized B-glucosidase.
Licensing and the interlibrary loan workflow: The best solution is prevention

Achieving interlibrary loan compliance with a wide range of licensing agreements that have varied requirements is difficult, especially since the issue of fair use in an electronic environment is under debate. Sample clauses from a variety of publishers and aggregators are discussed. Several techniques for compliance are described, and examples from other libraries are presented. The authors conclude that the ideal solution is to prevent a proliferation of different ILL clauses by using model licenses to negotiate a standard clause with all vendors.
Dynamics in the Preisach accommodation model

The motion of particles in the Preisach plane is the source of accommodation in a model recently introduced. When pulsed magnetic fields are applied, additional effects can occur which vary with the sizes and duration of the pulses. There are two causes for these effects: the motion distribution in the Preisach plane and the motion of the particles within the distribution. This paper describes this behavior qualitatively.
Control and Contingency Online (Introduction to Edited Volume Command Lines)

It is becoming increasingly clear that the shift toward a digital society entails fundamental reconfigurations of forms of governance broadly defined. The emergence of governance online is edging steadily into the fields of vision of researchers, policy-makers, and the public at large. As has happened with our understanding of the economics of information and of the processes by which knowledge becomes codified, the informatization of society has deepened our appreciation of the variety of means by which political forms as complex adaptive systems become transformed within the broader legal field. At the same time, there has been recognition of the potential contributions of internet-based social practice since the first utopian fantasies and dystopian fears about what the net might bring; we now see rapidly growing participation in virtual worlds, networked games, and other online social spaces. Beyond these developments, of course, is the recognition that technological systems in themselves may offer potentials for and constraints upon democratic practice, but which of these become realized depends upon actions that range from technical design decisions, all the way through and past policy, to the practices of user communities. This introduction charts the bases for a productive encounter between our developing understandings of information, digital society, and technological architecture, and how all of these contribute to the transformation of multiple forms of governance, by proposing a framework for the multiple sources of control and contingency that together constitute governance online.
The arithmetic and combinatorics of buildings for $Sp_n$

In this paper we investigate both arithmetic and combinatorial aspects of buildings and associated Hecke operators for Spn(K) with K a local eld. We characterize the action of the ane Weyl group in terms of a symplectic basis for an apartment, characterize the special vertices as those which are \self-dual" with respect to the induced inner product, and nally establish a one-to-one correspondence between the special vertices in an apartment and the elements of the quotient Z n+1 =Z(2; 1; : : : ; 1). We then give a natural representation of the local Hecke algebra over Qp acting on the special vertices of the Bruhat-Tits building for Spn(Qp). Finally, we give an application of the Hecke operators dened on the building by characterizing minimal walks on the building for Spn. Buildings play a large role in the study of classical groups, and in particular a role in the study of Hecke algebras associated to these groups. In [5], Serre dened Hecke operators acting on trees (the building associated to SL2 over a local eld), and this work was generalized to SLn in [2]. In this paper we investigate both arithmetic and combinatorial aspects of buildings and associated Hecke operators for Spn(K) with K a local eld. Compared to the theory of buildings for the special linear group, the theory for the symplectic group is far less developed, so the rst part of this paper is devoted to giving more concrete characterizations of the vertices in an apartment with particular attention to so-called special vertices. We note that in the case of SLn all vertices in the building are special. We characterize the action of the ane Weyl group in terms of a symplectic basis for an apartment, characterize the special vertices as those which are \self-dual" with respect to the induced inner product, and nally establish a one-to-one correspondence between the
Collagen and Injectable Fillers

Soft tissue augmentation of facial rhytids, scars, and deformities is a frequently performed office procedure. This article reviews the available biologic (collagen, Dermalogen, Autologen, Isolagen, autologous fat, Fibrel, hyaluronic acid derivatives, particulate fascia lata, micronized Alloderm) and alloplastic (silicone, Bioplastique, and Artecoll) soft tissue injectable fillers.
On the ratio-correlation and related methods of subnational population estimation

The ratio-correlation method is one of several methods currently being used in the United States for making postcensal estimates of subnational units such as states and counties. It seems to have been commonly presumed by those writing on the subject that the working of the ratiocorrelation method can be understood simply on the basis of the multiple regression theory. That this common notion may sometimes be untenable is demonstrated in this paper. It is pointed out that the ratio-correlation method of subnational population estimation has certain characteristic features that make its application fall sometimes outside the usual contexts in which the conventional multiple regression theory is applicable. A number of alternatives to the ratio-correlation method are suggested. Some of the alternatives suggested are shown to yield relatively more accurate results when used for estimating postcensal populations of North Carolina counties.
To JUPITER and beyond: statins, inflammation, and primary prevention.

The trial was stopped after a median follow-up of 1.9 years (maximum, 5.0). Rosuvastatin reduced LDL cholesterol levels by 50% and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels by 37%. The rates of the primary end point were 0.77 and 1.36 per 100 person-years of follow-up in the rosuvastatin and placebo groups, respectively (hazard ratio for rosuvastatin, 0.56; 95% confi dence interval [CI], 0.46 to 0.69; P<0.00001), with corresponding rates of 0.17 and 0.37 for myocardial infarction (hazard ratio, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.30 to 0.70; P=0.0002), 0.18 and 0.34 for stroke (hazard ratio, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.34 to 0.79; P=0.002), 0.41 and 0.77 for revascularization or unstable angina (hazard ratio, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.40 to 0.70; P<0.00001), 0.45 and 0.85 for the combined end point of myocardial infarction, stroke, or death from cardiovascular causes (hazard ratio, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.40 to 0.69; P<0.00001), and 1.00 and 1.25 for death from any cause (hazard ratio, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.67 to 0.97; P=0.02). Consistent eff ects were observed in all subgroups evaluated. The rosuvastatin group did not have a signifi cant increase in myopathy or cancer but did have a higher incidence of physician-reported diabetes. Conclusions In this trial of apparently healthy persons without hyperlipidemia but with elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels, rosuvastatin signifi cantly reduced the incidence of major cardiovascular events. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00239681.)
Power-grid (PG) analysis challenges for large microprocessor designs: (our experience with oracle sparc processor designs)

True to Moore's law, chip sizes have been growing exponentially. For signal nets, this implies an increase in the number of nets, for power-grids, this implies and increase in size/complexity1.Monolithic power-grids on large composed flat blocks, which we will call clusters in this talk, present a capacity challenge for all stages of analysis from extraction to simulation. It is not uncommon to see larger than 100G parasitics files (with more than half a billion nodes and a billion elements) for a single power net.Advances in automated place&route technology makes it advantageous2 to compose large designs flat up from library cells (without intermediate hierarchy). This reduces the scope/potential for hierarchical analysis as a solution for the capacity challenges. Luckily, most of the grid density is on lower metal layers within library cells so gate level analysis allows some reduction of data size but this is not a scalable advantage like true hierarchical analysis. Artificial hierarchy injection into power-grid is one approach but it has its own limitations3.Another challenge of large designs such as clusters in SPARC processors is the aggregation of ECO fixes into fewer designs. To avoid tapeout bottlenecks it is important to fix as many of these violations as early as possible in design cycle, preferably during composition where the flexibility for width increase is greatest. At Oracle, we developed a set of in-house power-grid analysis solutions that analyze various stages of design with appropriate performance-accuracy tradeoff4.
A brief review of the pharmacologic and therapeutic aspects of memantine in Alzheimer’s disease

The past decade has seen an increase in therapeutic options for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) that target neurotransmitters, such as acetylcholine, and research continues to target abnormal proteins in the AD brain. Recently, glutamate excitotoxicity has also become a target for AD treatment with the advent of memantine. Clinical trial data reviewed for memantine show good tolerability, low side-effect profiles and a positive therapeutic impact in moderate-to-severe AD, both as monotherapy and in conjunction with donepezil. However, additional data suggest variable benefits in the mild stages of AD. Furthermore, published reports support reduced dosing in patients with significant renal disease. However, the opportunity to target a second mechanism in the treatment of AD, thereby providing added symptomatic benefit, appears to be a useful consideration for clinicians who treat this devastating neurodegenerative disorder.
Systematic Quality Improvement in Medicine: Everyone Can Do It

In this brief review, written from the perspective of a physician-leader who has fostered the development of comprehensive quality improvement efforts at two academic medical centers, I review the need for improvement, some conceptual barriers that must be overcome, the goals of a comprehensive quality improvement (QI) effort, some of the results we have obtained, and some observations on how to develop a culture of continuous improvement in an academic medical center. The mandate for quality improvement is clear; current healthcare is wasteful and error-prone, leading to excessive morbidity and mortality and unsustainably high costs. Successful quality improvement requires the abandonment of two paradigms: the craft model of medical practice and the notion that many forms of harm to patients are not preventable. I will describe how dramatic improvement has been achieved in reducing, by up to 10-fold, rates of central line infections, ventilator-associated pneumonias, peritonitis in peritoneal dialysis patients, and mortality due to cardiac arrest in hospital. I will describe as well how these methods can improve access to out-patient clinics dramatically and enhance the reliability and safety of hand-offs between covering physicians. To develop and maintain systematic quality improvement in all phases of medical care we must articulate a culture in which: everyone working at the medical center makes improvements every day; front-line staff, who know best how the work is done, are empowered to improve the processes of care; and multidisciplinary teams create the protocols that reduce variation that is due to physician preference, leaving only the variation required by the individual needs of patients. I will review as well the crucial elements of education of trainees and faculty members needed to guide and sustain a culture of quality. Finally, I will add some observations on how oversight boards and medical center leaders can help create systematic quality improvement in their medical centers.
TAPRAV: An interactive analysis tool for exploring workload aligned to models of task execution

Pupillary response is a valid indicator of mental workload and is being increasingly leveraged to identify lower cost moments for interruption, evaluate complex interfaces, and develop further understanding of psychological processes. Existing tools are not sufficient for analyzing this type of data, as it typically needs to be analyzed in relation to the corresponding task's execution. To address this emerging need, we have developed a new interactive analysis tool, TAPRAV. The primary components of the tool include; (i) a visualization of pupillary response aligned to the corresponding model of task execution, useful for exploring relationships between these two data sources; (ii) an interactive overview+detail metaphor, enabling rapid inspection of details while maintaining global context; (iii) synchronized playback of the video of the user's screen interaction, providing awareness of the state of the task; and (iv) interaction supporting discovery driven analysis. Results from a user study showed that users are able to efficiently interact with the tool to analyze relationships between pupillary response and task execution. The primary contribution of our tool is that it demonstrates an effective visualization and interaction design for rapidly exploring pupillary response in relation to models of task execution, thereby reducing the analysis effort.
A Voice of Reason in the Wilderness

In this response to Dr. Robinson’s essay, the arguments set forth are supported and elaborated upon from this author’s personal experiences. Robinson has helped educators reconsider political correctness in order to reshape their vision of what the focus of the field should be. The argument is made that gifted educators must begin once again to lead with their heads instead of their hearts and emotions if the best services are to be provided to the heart of this field: the children themselves. Case studies that illustrate Robinson’s statements, both in acknowledgement of the issues on which she has expounded and in trying to arrive at some solution for these issues, are provided.
Intracellular acidification induced by passive and active transport of ammonium ions in astrocytes.

We describe an unconventional response of intracellular pH to NH4Cl in mouse cerebral astrocytes. Rapid alkalinization reversed abruptly to be replaced by an intense sustained acidification in the ...
Feasibility of interim fish production in water-harvesting tanks in rainfed drought-prone areas

In watershed management project a portion of the cultivable \VKA is converted into a small reservoir or water-harvesting tank. To increase the {Hofit Aom such farm ponds, int»im fish production was tried along with crop production.
Detection of Tension Loss in Cables of Cable-Stayed Bridges by Distributed Monitoring of Bridge Deck Strains

AbstractDevelopment of a simplified approach for monitoring the cables of cable-stayed bridges is described in this article. The method introduced in this paper uses the distributed measurement of strains along the bridge deck to detect the cables that have totally or partially lost their tensile force. The fundamental principle employed in formulating the method is the interrelationship between the individual cable forces and the bending moment along the bridge span. The proposed method was evaluated through an experimental program that involved fabrication and testing of a reduced scale model of a single plane cable-stayed bridge. Distributed strain along the span length was monitored by a Brillouin Optical (Neubrex, Hyogo, Japan) Time Domain Analysis fiber optic sensor system. Strain gauges, Fiber Bragg Grating sensors (Technica Optical Component, LLC, Beijing, China), and a finite element model of the bridge were employed for evaluating the efficiency of the proposed method. Several different damage c...
Tactile Imaging System for inclusion size and stiffness characterization

We developed Tactile Imaging System (TIS), which measures mechanical properties of tissue inclusions. The functional components of TIS include: a monochrome camera, a soft and transparent silicone probe, and an LED illumination circuit. The deformation of the soft TIS probe is used to evaluate size and compliance of inclusions, which is the inverse of elastic modulus. TIS algorithm development and testing were performed using a fabricated silicone tissue phantom with soft inclusions. We completed validation experiments for size and compliance estimation with TIS using the phantom. The results from these experiments suggest that TIS can be used for characterization of tissue inclusions.
Patient Outcomes when Housestaff Exceed 80 Hours per Week.

Abstract Background It has been posited that high workload and long work hours for trainees could affect the quality and efficiency of patient care. Duty hour restrictions seek to balance patient care and resident education by limiting resident work hours. Through a retrospective cohort study, we investigated whether patient care on an inpatient general medicine service at a large academic medical center is impacted when housestaff work more than 80 hours per week. Methods We identified all admissions to a housestaff-run general medicine service between June 25, 2013 and June 29, 2014. Each hospitalization was classified by whether the patient was admitted by housestaff who have worked more than 80 hours per week during their hospitalization. Housestaff computer activity and duty hours were calculated by institutional electronic heath record audit, as well as length of stay and a composite of in-hospital mortality, intensive care unit (ICU) transfer rate, and 30-day readmission rate. Results We identified 4767 hospitalizations by 3450 unique patients; of which 40.9% of hospitalizations were managed by housestaff who worked more than 80 hours that week during their hospitalization. There was a significantly higher rate of the composite outcome (19.2% vs 16.7%, P = .031) for patients admitted by housestaff working more than 80 hours per week during their hospitalization. We found a statistically significant higher length of stay (5.12 vs 4.66 days, P = .048) and rate of ICU transfer (3.53% vs 2.38%, P = .029). There was no statistically significant difference in 30-day readmission rate (13.7% vs 12.8%, P = .395) or in-hospital mortality rate (3.18% vs 2.42%, P = .115). There was no correlation with team census on admission and patient outcomes. Conclusions Patients taken care of by housestaff working more than 80 hours per week had increased length of stay and number of ICU transfers. There was no association between resident work-hours and patient in-hospital mortality or 30-day readmission rate.
Postpartum Health Services Requested by Mothers with Newborns Receiving Intensive Care

Objectives Our pilot study aimed to build knowledge of the postpartum health needs of mothers with infants in a newborn intensive care unit (NICU). Methods Between May 2008 and December 2009, a Certified Nurse Midwife was available during workday hours to provide health care services to mothers visiting their infants in the NICU at a large tertiary care center. Results A total of 424 health service encounters were recorded. Maternal requests for services covered a wide variety of needs, with primary care being the most common. Key health concerns included blood pressure monitoring, colds, coughs, sore throats, insomnia and migraines. Mothers also expressed a need for mental health assessment and support, obstetric care, treatment for sexually transmitted infections, tobacco cessation, breastfeeding assistance, postpartum visits, and provision of contraception. Conclusions Our study suggests that mothers with babies in the NICU have a host of health needs. We also found that women were receptive to receiving health services in a critical care pediatric setting. Intensive care nurseries could feasibly partner with in-patient mother–baby units and/or on-site obstetric clinics to increase access to health care for the mothers of the high-risk newborns in their units. Modifications should be made within health care systems that serve high-risk infants to better address the many needs of the mother/baby dyad in the postpartum period.
Investing in information technology to grow firm value

302The perennial question of any business is “How does an organization add value?” Value can be defined from many different perspectives and may result from tangible and intangible factors. Principal stakeholders include shareholders (investors), customers, and employees. Shareholders typically measure value in terms of economic return on their investment based on some level of perceived risk. For customers, value is assessed in terms of a price–value relationship; that is, how much they received in terms of product and services for the price they paid. For employees, value is measured by salary and by the intrinsic rewards of the job. Yet, one of the most elusive questions with respect to information technology (IT) is “How can value be measured?” This question is especially important given the growing costs, capital intensity, and competitive requirements to invest heavily in IT and is the subject of this chapter. Hospitality business professionals must be able to successfully answer this question to create compelling business cases, to evaluate and make appropriate strategic and resource allocation decisions, measure and monitor the success of IT projects, and hold IT staff accountable.
Beyond “Guns versus Butter:” Security and Development

Scholarly debate has raged for more than two decades about the relationship between military expenditures and economic growth in developing countries. The debate has focused on the effect of military outlays on economic performance. Some, such as Benoit (1973) and Biswas (1993), have discerned benefits to economic development from military spending. Others, like Lim (1983), Faini, et al. (1984), and Ball (1988), have concluded that military expenditures have a negative impact on economic growth. Still others, such asJoerding (1986), have found that military outlays neither help nor hinder economic development. Seeking Security and Development: The Impact of Military Spending and Arms Transfers attempts to move beyond this narrow analytic framework and explore the complexities of the linkages among security, military spending, and economic performance in the Third World. The book grew out of a series of workshops at Michigan State University involving political scientists, economists, and sociologists. The workshops sought to devise longitudinal, multidisciplinary, and comparative research designs for tackling questions bearing on these linkages. The contributions to Seeking Security and Development fall into three parts that are sandwiched between a short introduction by Norman Graham that sets the theoretical and collaborative contexts for the book and an even briefer conclusion that
Patient Decision Aids for Colorectal Cancer Screening: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Context Decision aids prepare patients to make decisions about healthcare options consistent with their preferences. Helping patients choose among available options for colorectal cancer screening is important because rates are lower than screening for other cancers. This systematic review describes studies evaluating patient decision aids for colorectal cancer screening in average-risk adults and their impact on knowledge, screening intentions, and uptake. Evidence acquisition Sources included Ovid MEDLINE, Elsevier EMBASE, EBSCO CINAHL Plus, Ovid PsycINFO through July 21, 2015, pertinent reference lists, and Cochrane review of patient decisions aids. Reviewers independently selected studies that quantitatively evaluated a decision aid compared to one or more conditions or within a pre−post evaluation. Using a standardized form, reviewers independently extracted study characteristics, interventions, comparators, and outcomes. Analysis was conducted in August 2015. Evidence synthesis Twenty-three articles representing 21 trials including 11,900 subjects were eligible. Patients exposed to a decision aid showed greater knowledge than those exposed to a control condition (mean difference=18.3 of 100; 95% CI=15.5, 21.1), were more likely to be interested in screening (pooled relative risk=1.5; 95% CI=1.2, 2.0), and more likely to be screened (pooled relative risk=1.3; 95% CI=1.1, 1.4). Decision aid patients had greater knowledge than patients receiving general colorectal cancer screening information (pooled mean difference=19.3 of 100; 95% CI=14.7, 23.8); however, there were no significant differences in screening interest or behavior. Conclusions Decision aids improve knowledge and interest in screening, and lead to increased screening over no information, but their impact on screening is similar to general colorectal cancer screening information.
Constructivism and Activity Theory: A Consideration of Their Similarities and Differences as They Relate to Mathematics Education

The primary purpose of this chapter is to clarify the basic tenets of activity theory and constructivism, and to compare and contras instructional approaches developed within these global theoretical perspectives. This issue is worthy of discussion in that research and development programs derived from these two perspectives are both vigorous. For example, the work of sociocultural theorists conducted within the activity theory tradition has become increasingly influential in the United States in recent years. One paradigmatic group of studies conducted by Lave (1988), Newman, Griffin, and Cole (1089). and Scribner (1984) has related arithmetical computation to more encompassing social activities such as shopping in a supermarket, packing crates in a dairy, and completing worksheets in school. Taken together, these analyses demonstrate powerfully the need to consider broader social and cultural processes when accounting for children’s development of mathematic cal competeuce.
Field crops and the fear of heat stress—Opportunities, challenges and future directions

Abstract Predicted increase in temperature variability can result in short duration of heat stress episodes coinciding with vulnerable reproductive processes leading to significant reduction in floret-fertility in crops. Recent knowledge on alternations in the pollen and stigmatic morphology, pollen biochemical and lipid composition, variable sensitivity of floral reproductive organs and differential temperature thresholds across crops advances the knowledge on heat stress induced reduction in seed-set and harvest index. Rapid increase in night-time temperature, leading to narrowing diurnal temperature amplitude is a major emerging threat to sustain crop productivity. Interestingly, wild wheat (Aegilops spp.) with higher heat-tolerance and wild rice (Oryza officinalis) escaping damage by completing flowering during early morning hours, are examples of novel opportunities to breed field crops resilient to heat stress. Information on mechanisms leading to heat stress induced sterility is biased towards rice, wheat and sorghum, while the same across other field crops is limited. Hence, increasing research efforts in this direction is critical and timely.
Self‐Enforcing Democracy

Democracy endures only if it self-enforcing. It is not a contract because there are no third parties to enforce it. To survive, democracy must be an equilibrium at least for those political forces which can overthrow it: given that others respect democracy, each must prefer it over the feasible alternatives. Without getting mired in de...nitional discussions, here is how democracy works: (for a fuller account, see Przeworski 1991, Chapter 1): (1) Interests or values are in con‡ict. If they were not, if interests were harmonious or values were unanimously shared, anyone’s decisions would be accepted by all, so that anyone could be a benevolent dictator. (2) The authorization to rule is derived from elections. (3) Elections designate ”winners” and ”losers.” This designation is an instruction to the participants as to what they should and should not do. Democracy is an equilibrium when winners and losers obey the instructions inherent in their designations. (4) Democracy functions under a system of rules. Some rules, notably those that map the results of elections on the designations of winners and losers, say the majority rule, are ”constitutive” in these sense of Searle (1995), that is, they enable behaviors that would not be possible without them. But most rules emerge in equilibrium: they are but descriptions of equilibrium strategies. Most importantly, I argue below, under democracy governments are moderate not because they are constrained by exogenous, constitutional, rules but because they must anticipate sanctions were their actions more extreme. My purpose is to examine conditions under which such a system
Child Abuse and Neglect

A familiar public response to intrafamily harm is child protection. It is a response that occurs when cases of child abuse or neglect are given over to a family or juvenile court. The court orders a disposition primarily aimed at protecting the child from further harm. The disposition may consist of court ordered home services for the family, temporary transfer of the child to a foster family, or permanent severance of the parent-child relationship. In creating the disposition, a judge will first attempt to determine what is in the child’s best interest. This is where philosophical questions arise. What is an interest? How does an interest relate to the concept of a harm? What should count as a child’s interests? What interests are best or better than other interests? The answer to these questions often depends on one’s conception of the relationship of a child to the family. We look at a distinction between different models or ideals of the family, each of which generates different answers. These answers are closely related to a debate between social welfare professionals over whether it is more important to protect the child or to preserve the family, and to a related debate between those who want to criminalize abusive conduct and those who want to take a therapeutic approach to domestic violence by searching for and correcting its underlying causes.
Multicomponent Condensation Reactions via ortho-Quinone Methides

Iron(III) salts promote the condensation of aldehydes or acetals with electron-rich phenols to generate ortho-quinone methides that undergo Diels—Alder condensations with alkenes. The reaction sequence occurs in a single vessel to afford benzopyrans in up to 95% yield. The reaction was discovered while investigating a two-component strategy using 2-(hydroxy(phenyl)methyl)phenols to access the desired ortho-quinone methide in a Diels—Alder condensation. The two-component condensation also afforded the corresponding benzopyran products in yields up to 97%. Taken together, the two- and three-component strategies using ortho-quinone methide intermediates provide efficient access to benzopyrans in good yields and selectivities.
Cerenkov radiation-induced photoimmunotherapy with 18F-FDG

Near-infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT) is a new cancer treatment that combines the specificity of antibodies for targeting tumors with toxicity induced by photoabsorbers after irradiation with NIR light. A limitation of NIR-PIT is the inability to deliver NIR light to a tumor located deep inside the body. Cerenkov radiation (CR) is the ultraviolet and blue light that is produced by a charged particle traveling through a dielectric medium faster than the speed of light in that medium and is commonly produced during radioactive decay. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of using CR generated by 18F-FDG accumulated in tumors to induce photoimmunotherapy. Methods: Using A431-luc cells, we evaluated the therapeutic effects of CR-PIT in vitro and in vivo using bioluminescence imaging. Results: CR-PIT showed significant suppression of tumor size, but the decrease of bioluminescence after CR-PIT was not observed consistently over the entire time course. Conclusion: Although CR-PIT can induce tumor killing deep within body, it is less effective than NIR-PIT, possibly related to the relatively lower efficiency of short wavelength light than NIR.