cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transferred Emergency General Surgery Patients Are at Increased Risk of Death: A NSQIP Propensity Score Matched Analysis.

Background Emergency general surgery (EGS) encompasses high-risk patients undergoing high-risk procedures. Admission source, particularly interhospital transfer, is rarely accounted for in clinical performance benchmarking. Our goal was to assess the impact of transfer status on outcomes after EGS. Study Design This was a retrospective analysis of the American College of Surgeons NSQIP database (2005 to 2014). All inpatients that underwent 1 of 7 EGS procedures shown to represent 80% of EGS volume, complications, and mortality nationally were included. Admission source was classified as directly admitted vs transferred from an outside emergency department or an acute care facility. The primary outcomes were overall mortality, overall morbidity, and major morbidity. A 3:1 propensity score matched analysis was used to determine the association of admission source with outcomes. Subgroup analysis was performed for high- and low-risk EGS procedures. Results A total of 222,519 EGS admissions were identified, of which 15,232 (6.8%) were transfers. Mean age was 46 years and 51.4% were female. Overall mortality was 3.1% for the entire cohort and 10.8% within the transfer group. After propensity score matched analysis for 33 clinical and demographic variables, transferred patients had higher rates of overall mortality (odds ratio 1.01; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.02), higher overall morbidity (odds ratio 1.07; 95% CI 1.05 to 1.09), and major morbidity (odds ratio 1.06; 95% CI 1.04 to 1.08) compared with directly admitted patients. Conclusions After rigorous risk adjustment, interhospital transfer status has a small effect on mortality and morbidity in the EGS population. This could suggest that it is reasonable to transfer patients and that regionalization of care should be encouraged.
Mechanochemical Signaling of the Extracellular Matrix in Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition.

Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) is a critical process in embryonic development in which epithelial cells undergo a transdifferentiation into mesenchymal cells. This process is essential for tissue patterning and organization, and it has also been implicated in a wide array of pathologies. While the intracellular signaling pathways that regulate EMT are well understood, there is increasing evidence that the mechanical properties and composition of the extracellular matrix (ECM) also play a key role in regulating EMT. In turn, EMT drives changes in the mechanics and composition of the ECM, creating a feedback loop that is tightly regulated in healthy tissues, but is often dysregulated in disease. Here we present a review that summarizes our understanding of how ECM mechanics and composition regulate EMT, and how in turn EMT alters ECM mechanics and composition.
TLE1 expression fails to distinguish between synovial sarcoma, atypical fibroxanthoma and dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans

Transducin-like enhancer of split 1 (TLE1) belongs to the Groucho/TLE/Grg family. It functions as a transcriptional corepressor and is widely used as a biomarker of synovial sarcoma (SS). Within the skin, atypical fibroxanthoma (AFX) and dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) often enter the histopathologic differential diagnosis. TLE1 expression has not been evaluated in these neoplasms. We examined archived tissues sections from the surgical pathology files from 10 adult patients diagnosed with AFX and 10 adult patients diagnosed with DFSP. We found nuclear staining in 10 of 10 AFX and 2 of 10 DFSP. We also noticed three patterns of staining in AFX: predominantly spindle component, predominantly epithelioid component, or mixed pattern of both epithelioid and spindle components. The group with the predominantly spindle pattern expressed the strongest nuclear TLE1 staining. In the DFSP group, one lesion demonstrated staining of epithelioid cells, with strong, diffuse nuclear TLE 1 expression, and the second lesion stained only the spindled cells, with weak nuclear TLE1 marking. In conclusion, TLE1, while a sensitive marker for SS, is not specific. A wide range of cutaneous spindle cell neoplasms also express TLE1. AFX and DFSP should be added to this list. TLE1 might be added to a diagnostic panel in this differential diagnosis.
A case of molecularly confirmed BAP1 inactivated melanocytic tumor with retention of immunohistochemical expression: A confounding factor

BRCA1-associated Protein 1 (BAP1)-inactivated melanocytic nevi/tumors (BIMT) have distinct morphologic features. A typical case exhibits a biphasic population of cytologically bland conventional melanocytes and a second proliferation of larger epithelioid melanocytes with abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm. The vast majority of cases harbor BRAF V600E in both components with bi-allelic inactivation of BAP1 in the epithelioid component by various molecular mechanisms resulting in loss of nuclear protein expression, which can be demonstrated by immunohistochemistry. We present a case of BIMT with histopathologic features highly suggestive of this entity but unexpected retention of nuclear expression of the BAP1 protein. Subsequent molecular tests showed heterozygous loss of the BAP1 locus on the short arm of chromosome 3 (3p21.1) by chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) and a suspected c.505C>T p.H169Y pathogenic variant identified by DNA sequencing that was subsequently confirmed by primer-specific SNaPshot mini-sequencing. In light of the heterozygous deletion of BAP1, this variant in the remaining allele encodes a catalytically inactive BAP1 mutant protein as shown in functional studies. The presence of a nonfunctional allele within the nucleus combined with a heterozygous deletion of BAP1 explains the clear and characteristic BIMT morphology observed by histopathology. This case underlines the potential importance of molecular diagnostics when protein expression studies do not correlate with morphology.
Abstract P382: Impact Of Autoimmune Disease On Acute Venous Thromboembolism Incidence After Pregnancy

Introduction: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a leading cause of mortality in the postpartum period. Several autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and Croh...
Measuring the Programming Self-Efficacy of Electrical and Electronics Engineering Students

Contribution: This article has shown that self-efficacy in performing complex computer programming tasks and the self-regulation of electrical and electronics engineering undergraduate students varies with respect to the class standing and prior experience in computer programming. Background: Computer programming is an essential skill that all engineers must possess, as most industries require engineers to own this skill. Prior studies discuss programming self-efficacy (PSE) measures; however, these studies do not specifically measure the PSE of electrical and electronics engineering major in the Indian context. Research Questions: The overarching research question of this article is: What factors related to participants’ demographics, vicarious experiences, and performance accomplishments influence the PSE of electrical and electronics engineering students in India? Methodology: To answer the above research question, a study is conducted using quantitative methods in engineering education research. This article focuses on the development of a survey instrument to measure the PSE of electrical and electronics engineering students of India. The survey includes a total of 31 items, content validity and face validity were established. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted, and the final two factors are “basic programming tasks and dependence” and “complex programming tasks and self-regulation.” A multiple regression analysis was performed to find the best fitting model for the two factors. Findings: The regression model with “basic programming tasks and dependence” was not statistically significant and the regression model with “complex programming tasks and self-regulation” was found to be statistically significant with predictors class standing and prior programming experience.
Fiscal Policy in a Networked Economy

Advanced economies feature complicated networks that connect households, firms, and regions. How do these structures affect the impact of fiscal policy and its optimal targeting? We study these questions in a model with input-output linkages, regional structure, and household heterogeneity in MPCs, consumption baskets, and shock exposures. Theoretically, we derive estimable formulae for fiscal multipliers and show how network structures determine their size. Empirically, we find that multipliers vary substantially across policies, so targeting is important. However, virtually all variation in multipliers stems from heterogeneous incidence of policies across households' MPCs. Thus, maximally expansionary fiscal policy simply targets households' MPCs.
A Configurable Successive-Cancellation List Polar Decoder Using Split-Tree Architecture

Polar codes are capacity-achieving channel codes and they have recently been adopted for fifth-generation (5G) enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) control channels. Using successive cancellation list (SCL) decoding, the error-correction performance of polar codes can surpass state-of-the-art codes of a comparable length. However, the sequential SC decoding incurs a long latency, and list decoding requires complex tracking of candidates. We present a split-tree SCL decoder that works by dividing a polar code’s decoding tree to sub-trees following a split-tree decoding algorithm. The sub-trees are decoded in parallel by smaller sub-decoders that reconcile their decisions in every decoding stage. The split-tree list decoder architecture improves the throughput and latency proportionally to the split factor. By exploiting under-utilized hardware resources, we apply frame interleaving to further increase throughput and employ dynamic clock gating to reduce energy. The results are demonstrated in a 0.64-mm2 40-nm test chip that implements a split-4, list-2, eight-frame-interleaved decoding architecture. The chip supports configurable code lengths up to 1024 bit and variable code rates. At 0.9 V and room temperature, the chip achieves 3.25 Gb/s with 42.8-mW power, or 13.2 pJ/b, and demonstrates competitive error-correction performance.
Opioid Free Ureteroscopy: What is the True Failure Rate?

Abstract Objective To determine the true failure rate of opioid free ureteroscopy (OF-URS) and rates of new-persistent opioid use utilizing a national prescription drug monitoring program. Material and Methods We identified 239 patients utilizing our retrospective stone database who underwent OF-URS from Februrary 2018-March 2020. In Feb 2018, we initiated a OF-URS pathway (diclofenac, tamsulosin, acetaminophen, pyridium and oxybutynin). Patients who had a contraindication to NSAIDs were excluded from primary analyses. A prescription drug monitoring program was then utilized to determine the number of patients who failed OF-URS (defined as receipt of an opioid within 31 days of surgery) as well as rates of new-persistent opioid use (defined as receipt of opioid 91-180 days after surgery). All statistical analyses were performed using SAS 9.4. Tests were 2-sided and statistical significance was set at P Results We found a OF-URS failure rate of 16.6% and 14.0% in the total and opioid naive cohorts, respectively. Rates of new-persistent opioid use were 0.9% and 1.2%, respectively (lower than published expected rate of ~6% after URS with postoperative opioids). 91% of patients obtained opioid from alternative sources. Uni/multivariate analyses were performed for both cohorts. In the total cohort, benzodiazepine users had a higher risk of OF-URS failure on multivariate analysis. No variables were associated with OF-URS failure in the opioid naive cohort. Conclusion The true failure rate of OF-URS is higher than previously thought at 16.6% and 14.0%. However, efforts to reduce opioid prescriptions with OF-URS pathways have successfully reduced new-persistent opioid use.
Shapere’s Galileo: Philosophy vs. History vs. Erudition

In an attempt to understand and to evaluate Dudley Shapere’s Galileo: A Philosophical Study, a number of philosophical problems, ideas, and opportunities concerning the study of Galileo are discussed. As a basis for discussion, a summary of the book is first given. Then, to avoid misunderstanding criticism, some of its scholarly and historiographical deficiencies are identified, thus determining what the book is not and also illustrating the differences among scholarship, historiography, and philosophy. After interpreting the work as a much-needed philosophical contribution to the theory of scientific rationality, and after an appreciation of the specific philosophical problems to which the book addresses itself, it is argued that the book is beset by a serious inconclusiveness. Finally, in a major section of the essay, it is argued that this inconclusiveness can be remedied by appropriately modifying Shapere’s basic approach; for when Galileo is studied with such a modified approach, his work becomes the basis of conclusions about scientific method and rationality, and the testing ground for the application of logical concepts such as deductive and inductive validity and for ideas about the nature of philosophy and its proper relation to science.
על בשלות וחוקתיות On Ripeness and Constitutionality

תקציר בעברית: בפרשות בוגרי התיכון הערבי ואיגוד הנאמנים דחה בית המשפט העליון עתירות נגד חוקתיותה של חקיקה ראשית בעילת סף של חוסר בשלות, משום שהחוקים שעמדו על הפרק טרם יושמו. בית המשפט קבע כי הכרעה שיפוטית מושכלת מחייבת קיומן של נסיבות קונקרטיות, ולכן יימנע ככלל מביקורת שיפוטית על חוקים טרם יישומם. רשימה זו תדון בכמה משמעויות מרכזיות הנובעות מהחלת דוקטרינת הבשלות בביקורת שיפוטית על חוקים בישראל ותבקר את האופן שבו היא יושמה בשתי הפרשות. כבסיס לדיון תוצג ההבחנה הדוקטרינרית העמומה בישראל בין ביקורת שיפוטית "על פני החוק" לבין "ביקורת כפי שייושם". טענותיה המרכזיות של הרשימה הן שתיים: ראשית, הגישה העולה מפסקי הדין הכורכת את שאלת חוקתיותו של חוק עם שאלת יישומו, סוטה מהפרקטיקה הנוהגת בישראל באשר לביקורת שיפוטית על חוקים. זו מוחלת לרוב במופשט, ללא זיקה הכרחית לנסיבות קונקרטיות. יוצע אפוא כי יש להבין את דוקטרינת הבשלות כמבחן של שפיטות, שהוא חדש למדי בשיטה הישראלית בהקשר החוקתי אשר עיקר פועלו במישור הזמן, והשימוש בו נתון לשיקול דעתו של בית המשפט. שנית, הרשימה תציע כי יש לראות בדוקטרינת הבשלות מבחן מהותי הכולל רכיבים שמטרתם להעריך את החוק לגופו של עניין ולא מבחן טכני הנשען בעיקר על השאלה אם החוק כבר יושם. זאת בהתבסס על ניתוח יסודות דוקטרינת הבשלות כפי שהיא חלה בארץ מוצאה – ארצות הברית. מסקנת הדיון תהיה כי השאלה אם יש מקום לדון בחוקתיותו של חוק אינה נבלעת בשאלת בשלותו להכרעה שיפוטית כפי שנוסחה בשתי הפרשות, וכי תפיסה אחרת של דוקטרינת הבשלות הייתה עשויה להביא לידי ניתוח שונה של העתירות. English Abstract: In two recent decisions the Supreme Court of Israel dismissed petitions challenging the constitutionality of laws that had not yet been implemented on grounds of ripeness. The Court held that judicial decisions must relate to concrete facts and that it would generally withhold judicial review of laws that have not yet been applied. This article considers some of the implications of incorporating the ripeness doctrine in Israeli constitutional law and criticizes its application by the Court in these decisions. It builds on the vague distinction between facial and as-applied constitutional challenges to laws as the analytical framework for this discussion. The article advances two main arguments. First, linking the constitutionality of a law to its implementation deviates from established judicial practice in Israel. Courts have generally adjudicated the constitutionality of laws in the abstract, irrespective of concrete circumstances. Therefore, the ripeness doctrine should be understood as a new justiciability requirement in constitutional adjudication, which introduces an element of time and is subject to judicial discretion. Second, the article argues that the doctrine of ripeness should be understood as a substantive rather than a technical requirement--one that seeks to examine the substance of the law rather than simply requiring implementation as a prerequisite for judicial review. Had the Supreme Court adopted the substantive version of the ripeness doctrine, it may well have decided the cases at issue differently.
Coupled effects of observation and parameter uncertainty on urban groundwater infrastructure decisions

Abstract. Urban groundwater management requires complex environmental models to represent interactions between hydrogeological processes and infrastructure systems. While the impacts of external uncertainties have been widely studied, there is limited understanding of how decision support is altered by endogenous uncertainties arising from model parameters and observations used for calibration. This study investigates (1) the importance of observation choice and parameter values on aquifer management objectives when controlling for model error, and (2) how the relative performance of management alternatives varies when exposed to endogenous uncertainties, individually and in combination. We use a spatially distributed groundwater model of the Valley of Mexico, where aquifer management alternatives include demand management, targeted infiltration, and wastewater reuse. The effects of uncertainty are evaluated using global sensitivity analysis, performance ranking of alternatives under a range of human-natural parameters, and identification of behavioral parameter sets filtered with an error metric calculated from varying subsets of observations. Results show that the parameters governing hydraulic conductivity and total water use in the basin have the greatest effect on management objectives. Model errors are not necessarily controlled by the same parameters as the objectives needed for decision-making. Additionally, observational and parameter uncertainty each play a larger role in objective variation than the management alternatives themselves. Finally, coupled endogenous uncertainties have amplifying effects on decision-making, leading to larger variations in the ranking of management alternatives than each on their own. This study highlights how the uncertain parameters of a physically-based model and their interactions with uncertain observations can affect water supply planning decisions in densely populated urban areas.
Effects of reaction temperature, time and particle size on switchgrass microwave pyrolysis and reaction kinetics

This study investigated microwave pyrolysis of switchgrass with particle sizes from 0.5 mm to 4 mm and determined the effects of reaction temperature and time on the yields of bio-oil, syngas, and bio-char. A prediction model was satisfactorily developed to describe the bio-oil conversion yield as a function of reaction temperature and time. Second-order reaction kinetics was also developed to model the switchgrass pyrolysis. Switchgrass with different particle sizes was found to be similarly pyrolyzed by microwave heating. The research results indicated that thermochemical conversion reactions can take place rapidly in large-sized switchgrass by using microwave pyrolysis. GC-MS analysis indicates that the bio-oil contained a series of important and useful chemical compounds: Phenols, aliphatic hydrocarbons, aromatic hydrocarbons, and furan derivatives. These chemical compounds evolved were related to the pyrolysis conditions.
Analysis of Airflows in Personnel Screening Booths

A finite element fluid dynamics software model, FIDAP 6.0, was used to model the air flow in two different personnel screening booth configurations; one a walk-in/walk-out booth and the other a walk-through booth. The various parameters modeled were streamline contours, speed contours, effects of puffers, and RDX concentration. For optimum results it is necessay to produce high velocity air flows and, in the case of the walk through booth, it is imperative to locate a high speed puffer on the side of the booth opposite the sampling ducts.
Investigation of wave propagation phenomena in microfabricated arrays of nonlinearly coupled oscillators

We demonstrate a MEMS platform for the investigation of energy propagation behavior in an array of nonlinearly coupled oscillators. The long-term objective is to experimentally demonstrate behaviors that have, until recently, only been theorized to occur in oscillator networks, such as passively reconfiguring bandgaps, energy localization, and chimera states. An improved fundamental understanding and of these phenomena could offer new capabilities for the prevention of catastrophic failures from shock loads, passive amplitude and frequency filters, and energy conversion systems. Here, we detail the design and fabrication of a coupled oscillator testbed, and then demonstrate transverse wave propagation along 1-D magnetically coupled oscillator arrays. Ongoing experiments seek to realize more complicated energy transfer behavior via design variations on this testbed.
Active site of (A)BC excinuclease. I. Evidence for 5' incision by UvrC through a catalytic site involving Asp399, Asp438, Asp466, and His538 residues.

(A)BC excinuclease of Escherichia coli removes damaged nucleotides from DNA by hydrolyzing the 8th phosphodiester bond 5' and the 15th phosphodiester bond 3' to the modified base. The activity results from the ordered action of UvrA, UvrB, and UvrC proteins. The role of UvrA is to help assemble the UvrB.DNA complex, and it is not involved in the actual incision reactions which are carried out by UvrB and UvrC. To investigate the role of UvrC in the nuclease activity a subset of His, Asp, and Glu residues in the C-terminal half of the protein were mutagenized in vitro. The effect of these mutations on UV resistance in vivo and incision activity in vitro were investigated. Mutations, H538F, D399A, D438A, and D466A conferred extreme UV sensitivity. Enzyme reconstituted with these mutant proteins carried out normal 3' incision but was completely defective in 5' incision activity. Our data suggest that UvrC makes the 5' incision by employing a mechanism whereby the three carboxylates acting in concert with H538 and a Mg2+ ion facilitate nucleophilic attack by an active site water molecule.
Antigenic Structure of Brucella suis Spheroplasts

Abstract Baughn, Robert E. (University of Tennessee, Memphis), and Bob A. Freeman. Antigenic structure of Brucella suis spheroplasts. J. Bacteriol. 92:1298–1303. 1966.—Immunoelectrophoresis was used to differentiate between the antigenic mosaics of normal cells of Brucella suis and of spheroplasts prepared by treatment with penicillin, glycine, and a combination of these agents. Smooth cells possessed at least 13 antigens, 10 of which were precipitated with homologous antiserum. Three additional antigens were visualized by reaction with spheroplast antisera. Spheroplasts induced with glycine were the least complex, with only six antigens. Penicillin-glycine spheroplasts were similar, but possessed one additional antigen. Penicillin spheroplasts were the most complex, with eight antigens. Although there appeared to be quantitative differences between the antigens of spheroplasts and normal cells, no completely new antigens were detected in spheroplasts. Serum absorption studies indicated that four antigens were associated with the surface of normal B. suis, none of which occurred in spheroplasts.
Continental Margins and the Sulfur Cycle

Chemical cycling at the continental margins affects ocean chemistry and thus plays a role in climate change on Earth. In their Perspective, Derry and Murray discuss work by Turchyn and Schrag that shows that the marine sulfur cycle at the continental margins has been more dynamic than expected. This sulfur cycling over the last few million years could have affected the ocean9s capacity to sequester carbon.
Fiber Angle and Aspect Ratio Influence the Shear Mechanics of Electrospun Nanofibrous Scaffolds

Fibrocartilages, including the meniscus of the knee and annulus fibrosus (AF) of the intervertebral disc, are dense connective tissues with an organized collagenous structure that play critical roles in motion and load transmission across joints. Proper mechanical function of these tissues is dependent on their structure and composition, both of which are compromised with degeneration. Tissue engineering strategies present a promising alternative to current treatments. Aligned electrospun scaffolds show promise for tissue engineering of fibrous soft tissues due to their ability to direct cell alignment and matrix deposition [1]. Furthermore, this matrix deposition results in constructs with near-native tensile properties. However, the large multi-directional forces experienced by these tissues in vivo requires that engineered constructs resist considerable shear and compressive loads as well. Unfortunately, shear properties of electrospun scaffolds are not well established. Simple shear is an appealing testing configuration because the application of tensile prestrain allows for combined fiber stretch and shear as occurs in situ. However, due to possible strain field heterogeneity, proper analysis of strain distributions must be performed [2]. The objective of this study was to quantify the effects of fiber orientation and sample aspect ratio on the shear properties of aligned electrospun scaffolds.© 2011 ASME
Etiology of human breast cancer: a review.

Literature on the risk factors for human breast cancer and specific etiologic hypotheses is reviewed. The risk of breast cancer has been found to increase with increasing age at the time of first delivery. The incidence of breast cancer increases with age though the rate of increase varies geographically and in some countries declines in later life. Early menarche and late menopause are associated with higher risk while surgically induced menopause reduces the risk. The rate of breast cancer is 5-6 times higher in North America and Northern Europe than in most areas of Africa and Asia. A history of benign breast disease and a familial history of breast cancer also increase the risk. Breast cancer has been associated with cancers of the ovary endometrium uterine corpus and the colon. The excretion of low levels of androgen metabolites have been related to an increased risk of breast cancer. The hypothesis that breast cancer risk is related to estrogen metabolism during the first few years after menarche is the hypothesis most compatible with all the major epidemiological features of the disease and is virtually the only acceptable explanation. The roles of exogenous estrogens prolactin and progesterone in the disease have yet to be evaluated in humans. Virus studies and the relationship of breast cancer risk to patterns of androgen and estrogen metabolism seem the most promising areas for research in the control of breast cancer.
Abstract 2097A: The role of Lipocalin-2 in colorectal cancer metastasis

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Colorectal cancer, the third leading cause of cancer deaths in America, has a poor clinical outcome once the disease has progressed to stage IV metastatic cancer. Five-year survivorship of stage IV is only 10%, but survivorship of stage I is drastically higher at 90%. Therefore, understanding the early stages of colorectal cancer metastasis is critical to develop therapeutic strategies for treating and preventing stage IV colorectal cancer. Using an orthotopic model for colorectal cancer metastasis, we have observed that our highly metastatic cell line produces a pre-metastatic upregulation of Lipocalin-2 both in circulation and in the liver. Overexpression of Lipocalin-2 in our highly metastatic cell line led to an overall reduction of circulating iron. Lipocalin-2 is upregulated in many primary tumors of epithelial origin, but the role of Lipocalin-2 in metastasis remains unclear. The full effects and implications of Lipocalin-2 in colorectal cancer metastasis remain to be elucidated. Citation Format: Daniel Titus Hughes. The role of Lipocalin-2 in colorectal cancer metastasis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 2097A. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-2097A
Pair- and many-atom interactions in the cohesion of surface clusters: Pd x and Ir x on W(110)

In order to explore cohesion in surface clusters, interactions between Pd atoms adsorbed on W(110) have been characterized in observations of individual adatoms using a helium-cooled field ion microscope. The free energies of pair interactions F({bold R}) have been derived from detailed measurements of the probability of finding two atoms on an otherwise empty plane at a vector separation {bold R} from each other. For Pd, pair free energies are similar to previous results for Ir atoms: interactions extend over distances larger than 13 {Angstrom}, and show a strong directional anisotropy. Along the close-packed [1{bar 1}1] direction, interactions between two Pd atoms are very close to those for Ir adatoms, even though the binding energy of Ir atoms to the substrate is more than twice that of Pd. With quantitative pair free energies available, the contributions from many-atom effects to the cohesion of clusters have been evaluated by examining the transformation from chain structures to two-dimensional islands, which takes place with both Pd and Ir on W(110). Many-atom effects are parametrized in terms of the trio interactions F{sub 3lin} in linear and F{sub 3tri} in triangular configurations. It is found that many-atom effects, rather than amounting to small perturbations ofmore » the pair contributions, are the {ital major} contributors to the cohesion of two-dimensional clusters for both Pd and Ir on W(110). {copyright} {ital 1999} {ital The American Physical Society}« less
The management of insects in recreation and tourism, edited by Raynald Harvey Lemelin

Insects such as mosquitos, ticks, cockroaches and bedbugs are commonly thought of as pests for travellers and recreationists as well as for those who manage tourism or recreation destinations. Whil...
Morning Report at Charity Hospital: Heat Stroke New Orleans Style

An in-depth discussion of Classic Heat Stroke (CHS) and Exertional Heat Stroke (EHS) Syndromes occurred during morning report at a large metropolitan teaching institution during a New Orleans heat wave. The opportunity arose to compare the syndromes via case reports of two patients admitted the same day to the same housestaff teams. The physiology of the hyperthermic state, maladaptions predisposing the hyperthermic syndrome and current heat stroke management updates are reviewed in detail. This report should compel the reader to remain attentive to the subtleties and differences presented in life-threatening high-heat and humidity-related illnesses and how to act rapidly and prudently in management of the illnesses.
Wage Determination in Japanese Manufacturing: A Review of Recent Literature,

Abstract : This paper surveys the Japanese literature on wage determination highlighting the debate between institutional and human capital explanations of interfirm wage differentials. Both approaches predict (and find) that years of tenure in the current firm are more highly rewarded than outside experience, but do not explain adequately the systematic differences in this valuation of experience across industry, firm size and occupation. An alternative hypothesis linking technical change to skills and wage differentials is reviewed and shown to be supported empirically. (Author)
Radiative property measurements for india ink suspensions of varying concentration

Abstract Despite the current interest in absorbing liquid solar collectors, little has been done to determine the inherent radiative properties of potential liquids. In this study a complete set of radiative property measurements has been made for India ink suspensions having volume concentrations in the range from 0.0025 to 0.0125 per cent. The properties include the extinction, absorption and scattering coefficients, as well as the scattering phase function. The coefficients decrease slightly with increasing wavelength over the visible region of the spectrum, while the ratio of scattering to extinction maintains a nearly constant value of approx. 0.15 over this spectral region. The coefficients increase nearly linearly with increasing ink concentration, while the ratio of scattering to extinction is approximately independent of concentration. The scattering phase function is sharply peaked in the forward direction.
Neuropeptide Y attenuates satiety: Evidence from a detailed analysis of patterns ingestion.

Centrally injected neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a potent stimulant of ingestive behavior capable of augmenting both food and fluid intake in fully satiated animals. To gain further insight into NPY's mechanism of action, we recorded patterns of licking behavior in rats drinking sweetened condensed milk solutions immediately after lateral ventricular injection of NPY (10 micrograms) or vehicle. In a separate study, we examined licking patterns after 23 h food deprivation (FD) that produced approximately the same total intake as NPY. Consistent with previous reports, we found NPY stimulated intake by increasing total ingestion time and total volume consumed during a 1-h test. Although NPY increased the number of bouts of licking and shortened pauses between bouts, it also decreased mean bout size, bout duration and within-bout lick rate (local rate). It had no significant effect on start latency or lick efficiency (licks/ml). Further analyses revealed that NPY attenuated satiety (reduced slope of lick-rate functions with session time) but had no significant effect on the beginning lick rate, a measure related to orosensory excitation. In contrast to NPY, FD increased both the beginning lick rate and individual bout size without changing either the mean number of bouts or the pause between bouts. In general, NPY stimulated an intermittent pattern of licking and delayed satiation whereas FD increased the initial rate of licking and the size of individual bouts without changing the basic licking pattern. The increase in initial lick rate suggests that FD, unlike NPY, enhances orosensory stimulation. These data compliment previous results showing that NPY increases the motivation to eat.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Loving and leaving: Sex differences in romantic attachments

We propose a two-part generalization about sex differences in entering into and giving up romantic attachments: (1) Men tend to fall in love more readily than women; (2) women tend to fall out of love more readily than men. Evidence in support of these generalizations is derived from a longitudinal study of 231 college student dating couples. The data suggest that women are more cautious than men about entering into romantic relationships, more likely to compare these relationships to alternatives, more likely to end a relationship that seems ill fated, and better able to cope with rejection. We consider several possible explanations of these sex differences from the standpoints of psychoanalytic theory, the social and economic context of mate selection, and the socialization of men and women in the management of their own emotions. To evaluate these (and any other) explanations, further research might profitably investigate whether and to what degree these sex differences are found in other segments of the population.
Versatile bilayer resist for laser lithography at 405 nm on glass substrates

We describe a simple bilayer photoresist that is particularly well suited for laser lithography at an exposure wavelength of 405 nm on glass substrates, which are often used for the fabrication of binary diffractive optics and computer-generated holograms. The resist consists of a poly-dimethyl glutarimide (PMGI) bottom layer that is used as an antire- flection coating between a glass substrate and a positive or negative pho- toresist. The optical properties of the PMGI layer at 405 nm result in excellent suppression of reflections into the photoresist and good process latitude. © The Authors. Published by SPIE under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. Distribution or reproduction of this work in whole or in part requires full attri- bution of the original publication, including its DOI. (DOI: 10.1117/1.OE.52.10.105104)
The road to pollinator health.

Agricultural production is a balancing act. On one side is sustainable production of food and biobased products for a growing population. On the other is protecting our natural resources and the environment. The global decline of the honey bee, a major domestic pollinator of many crops, exemplifies how complex the factors are that contribute to maintaining this balance. Overall bee colony decline, including loss from colony collapse disorder (CCD), poses a serious challenge to agricultural research worldwide. The causes are still not definitive, but stress from pesticides may be a factor. This spring, the European Commission temporarily restricted the use of three neonicotinoid pesticides for specific applications (pending more research). Last year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) formed a bee health task force to take an even broader look at the pollinator crisis, with a plan to collect interagency input and develop a federal Pollinator Roadmap before the end of 2013.
Cognitive and neurobiologic markers of early Alzheimer disease.

Recent studies indicate that impairments in two cognitive domains characterize the cognitive abnormalities that appear earliest in the course of Alzheimer disease (AD). These cognitive domains pertain to memory and executive function ability; in particular, memory test scores reflecting the difference between immediate and delayed recall and tasks that assess cognitive flexibility (e.g., set-shifting). Preliminary data indicate that tasks of this nature, along with specific genetic information (i.e., APOE-4 status), are important in identifying which individuals with recent cognitive changes (considered to have "questionable" disease) will progress to the point where they meet criteria for AD over time. When this cognitive and genetic information is combined with neuroimaging measures targeted at the brain regions demonstrating pathology early in AD, it may serve as specific and accurate prognostic markers of AD.
Focusing properties of electric and magnetic quadrupole lenses

Abstract Expressions for focusing coefficients applicable to the interior regions (transverse fields) of electric and magnetic quadrupole lenses have been derived through third order. Also, a simple procedure for computing the first-order contributions of the fringing fields in realistic lenses is discussed. Relativistic effects are taken fully into consideration. These results are applied to the specific problem of a medium-length magnetic quadrupole lens. The second-order contributions vanish in the interior as a result of the quadrupole symmetry, and the third-order terms are found to be considerably smaller than the first-order terms. It is concluded that the focusing properties of a quadrupole lens are governed almost entirely by the strength and axial variation of the transverse field gradient. These lens properties can be measured quite easily.
Screening and counseling associated with obesity diagnosis in a national survey of ambulatory pediatric visits.

Objective. To examine clinician-reported diagnosis of obesity and frequency of blood pressure assessment and diet and exercise counseling during ambulatory visits made by children and adolescents. Methods. The National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey 1997 to 2000 were combined for visits to clinicians of 2- to 18-year-olds. Well-child visits (WCVs) were examined for frequencies of obesity diagnosis, blood pressure screening, and diet and exercise counseling in relation to patient and clinician characteristics. Multivariate models examined the relationship of patient and visit characteristics with diet and exercise counseling. Results. Of the 32 930 ambulatory visits made by 2- to 18-year-olds in 1997–2000, obesity was diagnosed at 0.78% of all visits and 0.93% of WCVs. Blood pressure assessment was reported in 61.1% of WCVs with obesity diagnosis compared with 43.9% of WCVs without obesity diagnosis. WCVs with obesity diagnosis had higher diet counseling rates (88.4% vs 35.7%) and higher exercise counseling rates (69.2% vs 18.6%). Diet counseling was reported for 88.4% and exercise counseling was reported for 69.2% of visits with an obesity diagnosis compared with 35.7% and 18.6% during WCVs without a diagnosis of obesity. In multivariate analyses, factors associated with diet counseling at WCVs were diagnosis of obesity (odds ratio [OR]: 12.9; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.0–55.3), being seen by pediatricians (OR: 2.5; 95% CI: 1.6–3.9), 2- to 5-year-olds compared with 12- to 18-year-olds (OR: 0.7; 95% CI: 0.5–1.0), and self-pay compared with private insurance visits (OR: 0.6; 95% CI: 0.4–0.9). Associations with exercise counseling were similar to those for diet counseling, but exercise counseling occurred less frequently in visits by black youths compared with white youths (OR: 0.5; 95% CI: 0.3–0.8). Conclusions. Clinicians may overlook obesity during WCVs. Programs to increase obesity diagnosis could improve diet and exercise counseling rates, but even with diagnosis of obesity, significant opportunities for screening and intervention are missed.
Association of leisure physical activity and sleep with cardiovascular risk factors in postmenopausal women

AbstractObjectiveThe aim of this study was to examine the individual and combined associations of leisure-time physical activity and sleep with cardiovascular risk factors in postmenopausal women.MethodsWe analyzed 48-month cross-sectional follow-up data from 393 participants of the Women on the Mov
Enterohepatic recirculation model of irinotecan (CPT-11) and metabolite pharmacokinetics in patients with glioma

Background Enterohepatic recirculation of irinotecan and one of its metabolites, SN-38, has been observed in pharmacokinetic data sets from previous studies. A mathematical model that can incorporate this phenomenon was developed to describe the pharmacokinetics of irinotecan and its metabolites.
Laboratory studies of the diagenesis and mobility of 239,240pu and 137Cs in nearshore sediments

Abstract Controlled laboratory experiments have been used to study the diagenetic chemistry of 239,240Pu 137Cs, and 55Fe. Experiments using Buzzards Bay sediments in small tanks show that sulfate reduction is accompanied by the production of large pore water concentration gradients of alkalinity, phosphate, ammonia and dissolved organic carbon and the formation of subsurface maxima in Fe and Mn. These pore water profiles demonstrate that bacterially-mediated processes of organic matter degradation and redox reactions can be simulated in the laboratory. A vertical profile of 55Fe in pore waters is reported for the first time: it follows the profile of stable Fe and as such has a large (200 dpm/100 kg) subsurface maximum between 2–4 cm depth. Comparison of 55Fe/Fe ratios in sediments and pore waters shows that there is preferential solubilization of 55Fe over stable Fe. The pore water activities of 239,240Pu show no gradients within the large uncertainties of the counting statistics, but are two to four times higher than Buzzards Bay seawater (0.05 dpm/100 kg). The activity of 137Cs in the pore water profile is constant (40 dpm/100 kg) within the large counting uncertainties and is twice that of Buzzards Bay seawater. Cs-137 does not appear to be involved in diagenetic chemistry but may increase in pore waters as a result of ion exchange reactions. Flux estimates based on the pore water data show that remobilization and transport of 239,240 Pu in coastal sediments are not significant processes while the transport of l37Cs may be.
The bond hydrolyzed by cardiolipin-specific phospholipase D.

Abstract Cardiolipin-specific phospholipase D from Hemophilus parainfluenza hydrolyzes cardiolipin to yield phosphatidic acid and phosphatidyl-1'- sn -glycerol. In order to determine the configuration of the latter compound it was hydrolyzed by phospholipase C (phosphatidylcholine cholinephosphohydrolase, EC 3.1.4.3). The water-soluble product was identified as X-glycerol 1-phosphate by chromatography in two systems and oxidation with periodate to yield formaldehyde and glycolaldehyde phosphate. The failure to react with glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase ( l -glycerol-3-phosphate: NAD oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.1.8) specified that the compound must be sn -glycerol 1-phosphate. The results demonstrate that cardiolipin-specific phospholipase D has an absolute specificity for the bond between phosphate and the C-3' of cardiolipin's central glycerol.
Recent theoretical advances in analysis of AIRS/AMSU sounding data

AIRS was launched on EOS Aqua on May 4,2002, together with AMSU-A and HSB, to form a next generation polar orbiting infrared and microwave atmospheric sounding system. This paper describes the AIRS Science Team Version 5.0 retrieval algorithm. Starting in early 2007, the Goddard DAAC will use this algorithm to analyze near real time AIRS/AMSU observations. These products are then made available to the scientific community for research purposes. The products include twice daily measurements of the Earth's three dimensional global temperature, water vapor, and ozone distribution as well as cloud cover. In addition, accurate twice daily measurements of the earth's land and ocean temperatures are derived and reported. Scientists use this important set of observations for two major applications. They provide important information for climate studies of global and regional variability and trends of different aspects of the earth's atmosphere. They also provide information for researchers to improve the skill of weather forecasting. A very important new product of the AIRS Version 5 algorithm is accurate case-by-case error estimates of the retrieved products. This heightens their utility for use in both weather and climate applications. These error estimates are also used directly for quality control of the retrieved products. Version 5 also allows for accurate quality controlled AIRS only retrievals, called "Version 5 AO retrievals" which can be used as a backup methodology if AMSU fails. Examples of the accuracy of error estimates and quality controlled retrieval products of the AIRS/AMSU Version 5 and Version 5 AO algorithms are given, and shown to be significantly better than the previously used Version 4 algorithm. Assimilation of Version 5 retrievals are also shown to significantly improve forecast skill, especially when the case-by-case error estimates are utilized in the data assimilation process.
Diagnostic and prognostic value of coronary artery calcium screening.

Purpose of reviewAlgorithms and equations to calculate risk of cardiovascular events, though very useful as an in-office tool to conduct a preliminary assessment demonstrate a limited ability to predict risk in the individual patient. This has favored the development of several imaging modalities fo
Kinetics of Arsenate Reduction by Dissolved Sulfide

Arsenic toxicity and mobility in soil and aquatic environments depends on its speciation, with reducing environments generally leading to more hazardous conditions with respect to this element. Aqueous sulfide (H2S or HS-) is a strong reductant and often occurs at appreciable concentrations in reduced systems. Consequently, it may play an integral part in arsenic redox chemistry. Therefore, reactions between arsenic and sulfide may strongly influence water quality in arsenic-contaminated systems. To evaluate this possibility, we investigated the kinetics and reaction pathways of arsenate with sulfide. Arsenate reduction by hydrogen sulfide is rapid and conforms to a second-order kinetic model, having a rate constant, k = 3.2 × 102 M-1 h-1, that is more than 300 times greater at pH 4 than at pH 7. However, arsenite is not the direct reaction product. Rather, arsenic−sulfide complexes develop, including the formation of a trimeric species (HxAs3S6x-3), that persist in solution for several days, ultimately d...