cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Rebellion of the Coprophages

Pynchon's famously encyclopedic narratives are so heteroglossic that we should be surprised if they did not include a range of eating and drinking motifs. Pynchon's creative and puzzling onomastics illustrate the point: Meatball Mulligan, Slab, Bloody Chiclitz, Edwin Treacle, Brigadier Ernest Pudding, RC and Moonpie, Mr. Chew, Billy Barf and the Vomitones. More to the purpose here are the descriptions of food, such as "a basket filled with cold eggplant parmigian' sandwiches" in The Crying of Lot 49, "a large Basket dedicated to Saccharomanic Appetites, piled to the Brim with fresh-fried Dough-Nuts roll'd in Sugar, glaz'd Chestnuts, Buns, Fritters, Crullers, Tarts" in Mason & Dixon, and Vineland's Bodhi Dharma pizza, whose crust has "the lightness and digestibility of a manhole cover," and Spinach Casserole made with "UBI, or Universal Binding Ingredient, cream of mushroom soup." The satiric possibilities are obvious.
A Precursor to Multiloculated Hydrocephalus: Case Report and Review of Literature

Background Multiloculated hydrocephalus (MH) is a challenging pathology for pediatric neurosurgeons, arising from various etiologies including intraventricular hemorrhage, infection, and overshunting. Although previous publications have discussed the potential etiology of this pathological process, including fibroglial webbing, no clear precursor has been proven. We present a case of MH developing after both intraventricular hemorrhage and intraventricular infection, with visualization of the precursor via endoscopy and a confirmed glial scar on pathological examination. Case Description Our patient is an preterm-born (at 24 weeks of gestation) male with a grade III intraventricular hemorrhage treated with reservoir placement and serial taps. He did not develop posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus but presented back at approximately 4 months of age with Escherichia coli meningitis that necessitated multiple interventions for intraventricular abscesses, including an endoscopic exploration. He ultimately developed MH requiring placement of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. Conclusions MH is a complex pathology with multiple risk factors. To date, only theories regarding the etiology have been proposed. Our case represents the first known direct visualization of intraventricular fibroglial webbing with magnetic resonance imaging correlation. Improved understanding of the pathophysiology of this entity may improve our ability to treat this pathology before loculations develop.
Reversal of heart failure in a chemogenetic model of persistent cardiac redox stress.

The chemogenetic approach allows us to distinguish cardiac myocyte-specific pathology from the pleiotropic changes that are characteristic of other “interventional” animal models of heart failure. ...
Navigating the “Passaggio” Between Voice Therapy and a Singing Lesson: Ethical Considerations for the Speech-Language Pathologist

Purpose The purpose of this article is to discuss factors that guide ethical decision making in determining what constitutes medically necessary voice therapy that involves or targets singing, whic...
Chain tension reduces monomer friction in simulated polymer melts

The monomer friction coefficient ζ is known to vary with monomer structure, solvent, and concentration; its variation with chain conformation is less well known and appreciated. We explore the decrease of the friction coefficient in the extensional flow of polymer liquids, during which chains become partially stretched and aligned. To induce stretching and alignment similar to the extensional flow without a nonequilibrium flow simulation, we apply equal and opposite forces to the chain ends. We measure the friction coefficient by observing the diffusion of chains along the direction of pull. Our results for friction coefficient versus stretching qualitatively support recent arguments from rheology that friction reduction is necessary to account for smaller than predicted stress overshoots in the startup of the flow.
A probabilistic framework to dissect functional cell-type-specific regulatory elements and risk loci underlying the genetics of complex traits

Dissecting the physiological circuitry underlying diverse human complex traits associated with heritable common mutations is an ongoing effort. The primary challenge involves identifying the relevant cell types and the causal variants among the vast majority of the associated mutations in the noncoding regions. To address this challenge, we developed an efficient probabilistic framework. First, we propose a sparse group-guided learning algorithm to infer cell-type-specific enrichments. Second, we propose a fine-mapping Bayesian model that incorporates as Bayesian priors the sparse enrichments to infer risk variants. Using the proposed framework to analyze 32 complex human traits revealed meaningful tissue-specific epigenomic enrichments indicative of the relevant disease pathologies. The prioritized variants exhibit prominent tissue-specific epigenomic signatures and significant enrichments for eQTL and conserved elements. Together, we demonstrate the general benefits of the proposed integrative framework in elucidating meaningful tissue-specific epigenomic elements from large-scale correlated annotations and the implicated functional variants for future experimental interrogation.
Implementation of Evidence-Based Cervical Ripening Protocol: Outcomes and Next Steps

Objective A prominent randomized controlled trial demonstrated that low-dose misoprostol with the concurrent cervical Foley shortened the median time to delivery when compared with either method alone. Our study aims to address implementation of this protocol and evaluate its impact on time to delivery. Study Design This was a retrospective before-and-after study of nulliparous women who delivered nonanomalous, term, singletons at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) in two separate 2-year periods before and after changes in UCSF's cervical ripening protocol. The primary outcome was time from first misoprostol dose to delivery. Results A total of 1,496 women met inclusion criteria, with 698 in the preimplementation group and 798 in the postimplementation group. There were no statistically significant differences in time to delivery (29 vs. 30 hours, p = 0.69), rate of cesarean delivery (30 vs. 26%, p = 0.09), or cesarean delivery for fetal indications (11 vs. 8%, p = 0.15) between the groups. Conclusion Implementing evidence-based low-dose misoprostol with the concurrent cervical Foley did not change the time to delivery, time to vaginal-delivery, or likelihood of vaginal delivery in our population. This may be due to differences in labor management practices and incomplete fidelity to the protocol. Real-world effectiveness of these interventions will vary and should be considered when choosing an induction method.
Studies of the Role of Basophils in Aspirin Exacerbated Respiratory Disease Pathogenesis

Background Aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) is characterized by the triad of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP), asthma, and intolerance to cyclooxygenase-1 enzyme inhibitors. The underlying mechanisms contributing to AERD pathogenesis are not fully understood, but AERD is characterized by an enhanced type 2 inflammatory phenotype. Basophils are potent type 2 effector cells, but their involvement in AERD pathophysiology remains unclear. Objective We sought to characterize the systemic and local basophil responses in patients with AERD compared with patients with CRSwNP. Methods Sinonasal tissues including inferior turbinate and/or nasal polyps (NPs) and peripheral blood were collected from controls, patients with AERD, and patients with CRSwNP. Expression of cell surface (CD45, FceRI, CD203c), activation (CD63), and intracellular (2D7) markers associated with basophils was characterized using flow cytometry. Clinical data including Lund-Mackay scores and pulmonary function were obtained. Results The mean number of basophils (CD45+CD203c+FceRI+CD117−) detected in AERD NPs (147 ± 28 cells/mg tissue) was significantly elevated compared with that detected in CRSwNP NPs (69 ± 20 cells/mg tissue; P = .01). The number of circulating basophils was significantly elevated in patients with AERD (P = .04). Basophils in NPs had significantly higher CD203c and CD63 mean fluorescence intensity compared with blood in both conditions (P Conclusions Increased basophil numbers and extent of ongoing degranulation in NPs of patients with AERD compared with patients with CRSwNP may contribute to the exaggerated disease pathogenesis and severity unique to AERD.
Optimal Power Flow Estimation of Microgrid Considering the Grid Services of EV Batteries

Demand for the grid state estimation with partial power network observation is growing rapidly with the increasing amount of distributed energy resources (DER) connected to the grid with incomplete measured information. The grid services that could be provided by these DER, such as electrical vehicles (EVs), have the potential to affect the resilience and efficiency of the grid. This paper proposes a constrained optimization solver based on the AC power flows to recover the incomplete information of the grid. Further reactive power constraints following the specifications in IEEE 1547 are added to the solver to explore the effects of adding grid services to the steady-state microgrid.
Alumni relations in hospitality education programs.

(1994). Alumni Relations in Hospitality Education Programs. Hospitality & Tourism Educator: Vol. 6, No. 3, pp. 21-23.
Topical platelet-derived growth factor vs placebo therapy of diabetic foot ulcers offloaded with windowed casts: a randomized, controlled trial.

Objective This study sought to compare the efficacy of topical platelet derived growth factor (Regranex, Smith and Nephew, London, UK) (test group) to placebo (control group) in treating diabetic foot ulcers. All subjects had a short leg walking cast with a window fashioned in the cast over the site of the ulcer. Methods Forty-six subjects were randomized (double-blind) 1:1 to the test or control group and treated for up to 4 months. Subjects had Wagner grade I ulcers with wound area of 1 cm2 to 16 cm2 without severe peripheral arterial disease, osteomyelitis, or any infection requiring antibiotics. Study medication was applied daily and casts changed approximately every 14 days. Results Of the 46 subjects randomized, 38 either healed or completed 16 weeks of therapy without healing. Eight subjects dropped out prior to 16 weeks. Based on intention-to-treat, 12 of 23 (52%) test group subjects healed before 16 weeks compared to 13 of 23 (57%) control group subjects (not significant). Regression analysis demonstrated that slower healing was associated with larger initial wound size (hazard radio [HR] = 0.997, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.995-1.00, P = 0.028) and excessive wound drainage (HR = 0.346, 95% CI: 0.126-0.948, P = 0.039). Excluding the patients who dropped out, 25 of 38 (66%) subjects healed by 4 months. Three additional subjects healed with casts that were worn longer than 4 months, for an overall rate of 74% at 9 months. Five subjects developed cast burns, and 3 patients required amputation. Conclusion Topical platelet derived growth factor does not appear to significantly improve healing of Wagner grade I diabetic foot ulcers that are treated by offloading with a short leg walking cast. Excellent healing rates may be achieved with casting alone.
The New Colored People: The Mixed‐Race Movement in America

The New Colored People: The Mixed-Race Movement in America. Jon Michael Spencer. New York: New York University Press, 1997. 169 pp.
Finite Element Modeling of Gross Motion of Human Cadavers in Side Impact

To determine human responses and tolerances in lateral collisions, seventeen Heidelberg type cadaveric side impact sled tests, two sled-to-sled tests, and forty-four pendulum tests have been conducted at Wayne State University. In this paper, described is the development of a simplified finite element model of a human occupant in side impact configuration to simulate cadaveric experiments. It is found that there is a fair agreement between model results and experimental data. The model can be used to estimate the current chest injury parameters of an elderly occupant involved in a side impact. Language: en
Tax Fraud in the Film Industry: Inside the United States Cinema Circus

Since the first film tax incentive offered more than a decade ago in the United States, the various states have sought to embrace filmmakers with incentives in the hopes of luring film production into their states. States envisaged increased benefits and revenues to state and municipal coffers from a variety of revenue streams. The type and amount of resultant incentives offered on a state-by-state basis have proliferated due to the increased competition for the film industry among the states. Unfortunately, the benefits associated with such incentives have incurred a range of problems and the crescendo of incentives has come under fire. Furthermore, less than ethical individuals have seen the generous tax incentives as lucrative opportunities to commit tax fraud. Many are in jail or on trial. This study explores recent tax scandals and questions whether the benefits are worth the cost. Of particular focus is the film industry in the United States and the related tax fraud issues.
Deterrence and Uncertain Legal Standards

When private parties know exactly what a legal rule requires of them, sufficiently large penalties combined with a sufficiently high probability that violations will be penalized should create incentives for exact compliance with the rule. The threat of penalties can make it unprofitable to risk incurring those penalites by doing any less than what the law requires. At the same time, if the law's requirements are really known with certainty, then anyone who satisfies those requirements can be confident of not being punished, so there is no incentive to do more than the law requires either. In the real world, however, legal standards (and their enforcement) are seldom certain. Rules are often phrased to prohibit such things as "unreasonable" behavior or "substantial" injury, and even when the language is more precise the enforcement policies of prosecutors (or the vagaries of the trial process) may also be uncertain. As we pointed out in a previous paper,1 this changes the deterrent impact of legal rules by creating two opposing effects. Uncertainty creates a positive chance that someone who violates the legal
Viscoelastic Fracture of Structural Adhesives

Abstract Experiments conducted on several different elastomer-modified epoxy systems indicated that the high fracture energy of most structural adhesives is achieved through crack-tip deformation processes that are viscoelastic. It is essential therefore that the fracture behavior of such materials be determined as a function of temperature and loading history. The linear viscoelastic properties of the model systems were functions of formulation and thermal history but when these parameters were controlled the behavior was thermo-rheologically simple over a wide range of conditions. The fracture behavior was also dependent on formulation and thermal history although the effects of history were quite small in the range of conditions studied here. The fracture behavior at various temperatures and loading rates could be characterized to a first approximation by a master curve of fracture energy vs. reduced time-to-failure. This characterization makes it possible to compare the properties of different formula...
Transformation of the histochemical profile of skeletal muscle by "foreign" innervation.

EVIDENCE that long term neuronal influence has a decisive role in determining the cytochemical features of skeletal muscle cells is presented in this report.
Anomalous Diurnal Patterns of Stem Xylem Water Potentials in Larrea tridentata

Diurnal stem xylem H2O potentials of Larrea tridentata (DC.) Cov. were measured with a pressure chamber during the summers of 1973, 1974. Plants growing in dry soils had minimum stem xylem H2O potentials at night and maximum values during the daylight hours. Vertical H2O vapor movements in the soil profile in response to temperature gradients may be implicated although further data are needed to establish their role conclusively. Water vapor apparently moves up out of the rooting One at night and back down into the rooting zone during the day. The occurrence of this phenomenon probably enhances the ability of Larrea shrubs to maintain photosynthetic activity when soil H2O potentials are low and makes questionable the use of predawn stem xylem H2O potential measurements to assess seasonal trends in plant H2O status. See full-text article at JSTOR
Reduced Error-Related Activation of Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Across Pediatric Anxiety Disorders

Objective Abnormalities of cognitive control functions, such as conflict and error monitoring, have been theorized to underlie obsessive-compulsive symptoms but only recently have been considered a potentially relevant psychological construct for understanding other forms of anxiety. The authors sought to determine whether these cognitive control processes elicit the same abnormalities of brain function in patients with pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) as in those with non-OCD anxiety disorders. Method Functional magnetic resonance imaging of the Multisource Interference Task was used to measure conflict- and error-related activations in youth (8–18 years) with OCD (n = 21) and non-OCD anxiety disorders (generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, separation anxiety disorder; n = 23) compared with age-matched healthy controls (n = 25). Results There were no differences in performance (accuracy, response times) among groups. However, a significant effect of group was observed in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) during error processing, driven by decreased activation in patients with OCD and those with non-OCD anxiety compared with healthy youth. Between patient groups, there was no difference in error-related dlPFC activation. Conclusions Hypoactive dlPFC response to errors occurs in pediatric patients with OCD and those with non-OCD anxiety. These findings suggest that insufficient error-related engagement of the dlPFC associates with anxiety across traditional diagnostic boundaries and appears during the early stages of illness.
COMPARATIVE ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY STUDY OF THE CHAIN LENGTH DEPENDENCE OF FRICTIONAL PROPERTIES OF ALKANETHIOLS ON GOLD AND ALKYLSILANES ON MICA

A comparative study of the frictional properties of alkanethiols and alkylsilanes as a function of chain length is presented. The monolayers were produced by self-assembly on Au(111) and mica, respectively. The same tip was used for all the experiments, and freshly cleaved mica was used as a reference. For both types of films, the frictional forces depend strongly on the number of carbon atoms in the alkane chain (CH3−(CH2)n-1−R). Thiols and silanes give rise to similar frictional force for the same n when n > 11, while for n < 11 the behavior is markedly different; the silanes exhibit higher friction, larger than that for the thiols by a factor of ∼3 for n = 6. The increase in friction is attributed to the increased disorder that occurs when going from a thiol to a silane anchor or when decreasing n. It is proposed that disorder favors the increase of the number and type of low-energy modes (kinks, bending, distortions) that are available for excitation and energy dissipation.
In-vitro assay for mutagenic activity and gas chromatographic-mass spectral analysis of coal liquefaction material and the products resulting from its hydrogenation

Abstract Employing assays for microbial mutagenesis activity together with solvent fractionation and gas chromatographic-mass spectral analysis, coal liquefaction material was compared to its catalytically hydrogenated products with regard to biological activity and chemical composition. The mutagenic activity of the moderate and severly hydrogenated products was substantially reduced compared to that of the feedstock. In contrast to the essentially aromatic nature of the principal components in the coal oil feedstock, the hydrogenated products were shown to contain mainly hydroaromatic species with a significant decrease in the fraction of basic and tar components as obtained by our acid-base solvent separation procedure. Subfractions of the basic and tar components obtained from the feedstock were shown to contain primary aromatic amines, the concentrations of which were essentially in direct proportion to the observed microbial mutagenic activity. No primary aromatic amines were detected in the hydrogenated products. Hydrotreating appears to produce a coalderived liquid with far less mutagenic activity than the untreated coal liquefaction material.
Investigation of human brain tumors for the presence of polyomavirus genome sequences by two independent laboratories

JC virus (JCV), BK virus (BKV) and simian virus 40 (SV40) may be associated with human brain tumors. These polyomaviruses have been shown to induce brain tumors in experimentally infected animals. Several studies have found polyomavirus genomic sequences in human brain tumor tissues by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), while others have not. Inconsistencies in previous findings may be due in part to small sample sizes and differences in underlying patient populations, laboratory techniques and quality control measures. To assess the role of polyomaviruses in human brain tumors and address inconsistencies of previous reports, we investigated the prevalence of viral sequences in a series of 225 brain tumor tissue specimens in 2 independent laboratories. PCR followed by Southern hybridization was performed at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Real-time quantitative PCR was performed on the same tissues at Johns Hopkins University (JHU). Only those tumors with amplifiable DNA were tested further for polyomavirus sequences. Positive and negative control tissues were included, and all specimens were masked. Amplifiable DNA was detected in 225/225 (100%) tumors at NINDS, 9 (4%) of which contained polyomavirus sequences (3 JCV-positive, 3 BKV-positive and 3 SV40-positive). The JHU laboratory amplified DNA from 165/225 (73%) tumors, of which 1 tumor tested positive (for SV40). No tumors tested positive in both laboratories. Results for masked quality control tissues were concordant between laboratories. Nucleotide sequences for JCV, BKV and SV40 are rarely present in a large series of adult and pediatric brain tumors.
Assessing Parental Satisfaction with Children's Mental Health Services with the Youth Services Survey for Families.

We assessed parent satisfaction with children’s mental health services with a new instrument: The Youth Services Survey for Families (YSSF). The Dillman method was used to administer the survey to a random sample of 1,500 parents of Medicaid youth from Kentucky’s 14 community mental health centers (CMHCs). The response rate was 37% (n = 534 parents). A factor analysis of YSSF identified five parent-perceived factors: (a) Appropriateness, (b) Outcome, (c) Participation in Treatment, (d) Access, and (e) Cultural Sensitivity. About 70% of parents reported a high level of endorsement with the Appropriateness factor, but only 47% reported high levels of endorsement with the Outcome factor. Results were interpreted as providing support for the reliability of the YSSF in evaluating children’s mental health services in CMHCs.
Signal transmission by the insulin-like growth factors.

Insulin is one of the few known agents required by virtually all cell types for optimal growth and proliferation. Two structurally related polypeptides, insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) I and II, can substitute for insulin in this role
Conservation or Co-evolution? Intermediate Levels of Aboriginal Burning and Hunting Have Positive Effects on Kangaroo Populations in Western Australia

Studies of conservation in small scale societies typically portray indigenous peoples as either sustainably managing resources, or forsaking long-term sustainability for short-term gains. To explain this variability, we propose an alternative framework derived from a co-evolutionary perspective. In environments with long histories of consistent interaction, we suggest that local species will frequently be well adapted to human disturbance; but where novel interactions are introduced, human disturbance may have negative environmental consequences. To test this co-evolutionary hypothesis, we examine the effect of Aboriginal burning and hunting on hill kangaroo (Macropus robustus) abundance. We find that hill kangaroo populations peak at intermediate levels of human disturbance, showing that in ecosystems characterized by long-term human-environmental interactions, humans can act as trophic mediators, resulting in patterns consistent with epiphenomenal conservation. Framing the question within this co-evolutionary perspective provides an explanation for the underlying mechanisms that drive environmental outcomes of subsistence practices.
The effect of multi-radio nodes on network connectivity -- a graph theoretic analysis

We analyze the gain in network connectivity that is obtained by implementing multiple radio interfaces in the nodes. The multi-radio nodes can act as if the network had effectively multiple physical layers. We model such a network topology by a multigraph and capture the gain by introducing the novel graph theoretic concept of the multigraph advantage. When applied to connectivity, it is the surplus of connectivity over the sum of the individual connectivities, as we put together several graphs to form a "multigraph sum". We prove in a random graph model that this results in a strict super-additive behavior, always yielding multigraph advantage. Moreover, for the most important density range, called moderately dense regime, we prove that the gain grows to infinity with the graph size and the percentage (relative) gain remains constant and does not vanish with growing network size.
Towed-Chain Measurements of Ocean Microstructure

Abstract Towed-chain measurements of conductivity microstructure in the Sargasso Sea are reported for a 15-m aperture of high-frequency conductivity sensors and thermistors. Since the conductivity sensors are dc capable, co-located with thermistors, and nearly immune to biologic fouling, we are able to compute the density ratio, Rρ, from salinity and temperature gradients as the chain crosses isopycnal surfaces. Observations are made of numerous microstructure patches that are shown to be active salt-fingering and others that are not associated with double-diffusion. Three tows (duration of about 20 h) within varying environments described as Deep-Homogeneous, Shallow-Homogeneous, and Frontal have been analyzed to describe the characteristics of the microstructure and its relation to the temperature-salinity finestructure and in particular Rρ. Hypothesis testing for the dependence of microstructure on Rρ shows that the hypothesis “microstructure is independent of Rρ” fails for the three environments. The ...
Individual Ownership and the Sharing of Game in Hunting Societies

In most hunting societies there occur together two patterns of behavior that seem incompatible: on the one hand, there are precise formulae for ascribing ownership of an animal to one person when many contribute to acquiring it; and on the other hand, there are patterns for community wide distribution of such animals. Why should such explicit property rules exist if the animals will be distributed anyway? The seeming paradox becomes resolved when these patterns are viewed in the context of the dynamics of reciprocal distributive systems and patterns of esteem-acquisition through superiority in contributing to the community subsistence. The pattern of ownership involved appears to have the function of suppressing conflict among those who contribute to acquiring an animal, since all would like to own it and thus be able to share it. Support for this conclusion derives from social situations in which the pattern of property ascription is absent and conflict is present.
Neuropathologic findings in multi-infarct dementia associated with anticardiolipin antibody. Evidence for endothelial injury as the primary event.

Objective. There are few reports describing histopathologic changes associated with the antiphospholipid antibody syndrome. We describe a patient with multi-infarct dementia and antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, in whom a brain biopsy was performed. Methods. Biopsy material from the left frontal cortex, including meninges, cortex, and underlying subcortical white matter, was investigated. Microscopic examination and special staining were performed. Results. Microscopic examination showed lumenal occlusion by thrombi, and marked endothelial hyperplasia of small meningeal and cortical arterioles. Conclusion. These findings suggest that the pathogenesis of this cerebral vasculopathy is noninflammatory and is associated with reactive endothelial hyperplasia and thrombosis of small arterioles.
Experimental Investigation of Single-Phase Micro Jets Impingement Cooling for Electronic Applications

Impinging jets for cooling of electronic equipment have been used by many researchers. Only few studies using arrays composed of a small number of jets are available in the literature. When very small jet diameters are used, the jet Reynolds number becomes quite small and no data are available for Reynolds number values below 500. In this work attention has been focused on circular arrays of free surface micro jets. Experiments were conducted by employing three jet pitches, 1, 2 and 3 mm and four jet diameters 50, 100, 150 and 250 μm and two different fluids, DI water and FC 40. The jet Reynolds number range was varied between 90 and 2000 while the Prandtl number varied from 6 to 84. Heat fluxes as high as 250 W/cm2 could be removed when water was utilized. Experimental data have been correlated within ±20%.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Pharmacist-conducted medication reconciliation in an emergency department.

Purpose. The effect of pharmacist conducted medication reconciliation on compliance with a hospital’s medication reconciliation policy was studied. Methods. In this eight-week pilot study, one pharmacist worked in the emergency department (ED) to facilitate the safe and accurate transfer of medication histories for admitted patients. During the first four weeks, retrospective chart review was performed for 100 patients in March 2006 to determine the compliance rate to the hospital’s medication reconciliation policy (medication reconciliation completed for every patient using the hospital-approved form). Over the next four weeks, the same pharmacist prospectively obtained medication histories from consecutive patients in April 2006; these patients comprised the study group. The pharmacist completed the medication reconciliation form and identified and corrected all discrepancies. Unpaired t tests and Fisher’s exact test were used to determine significant differences between groups. Results. The hospital-approved medication form was used for 78% of patients in the control group (78 of 100) and 100% of patients in the study group (60 of 60). The mean ± S.D. number of errors per form was significantly higher in the control group than in the study group, and the percentage of forms containing at least one error was significantly higher in the control group ( p = 0.001 for both comparisons). Allergy documentation was recorded for 62 patients in the study group versus all 60 in the study group ( p = 0.001). Conclusion. Pharmacist-conducted medication reconciliation in the ED increased compliance to the institution‘s medication reconciliation policy for admitted patients. Pharmacist-acquired medication histories had significantly fewer errors in documentation and had more documentation of patient allergies.
CalDAG-GEFI and platelet activation

Rapid activation of platelets at sites of vascular injury is a critical event in thrombosis and hemostasis. Here, we review recent findings, which (a) identified CalDAG-GEFI (RasGRP2) at the nexus of the rapid Ca(2+)-dependent platelet activation, (b) demonstrated a complex synergy between signaling provided by CalDAG-GEFI, protein kinase C and the Gi-coupled receptor for ADP, P2Y12, and (c) suggested CalDAG-GEFI as a novel target for anti-platelet therapy.
Comparison of Graininess and Speeds of Different Types of Photographic Films

In this investigation the graininess and speed of the more popular commercial films developed in typical fine-grain developers were determined quantitatively. It was found that the differences in graininess produced by the developers were small in comparison with the inherent differences among the various films. Certain fine-grain developers were effective in reducing the graininess of fast, coarse-grain emulsions, but only at the sacrifice of effective emulsion speed. These developers, however, were only slightly effective in reducing the graininess of slow, fine-grain emulsions, small differences in density or contrast completely obscuring the effects of the developers.
Bidirectional synaptic plasticity in the dentate gyrus of the awake freely behaving mouse.

There is significant interest in in vivo synaptic plasticity in mice due to the many relevant genetic mutants now available. Nevertheless, use of in vivo models remains limited. To date long-term potentiation (LTP) has been studied infrequently, and long-term depression (LTD) has not been characterized in the mouse in vivo. Herein we describe protocols and improved methodologies we developed to record hippocampal synaptic plasticity reliably from the dentate gyrus of the awake freely behaving mouse. Seven days prior to recording, we implanted microelectrodes encapsulated within a lightweight, low profile head stage assembly. On the day of recording, we induced either LTP or LTD in the awake freely behaving animal, and monitored subsequent changes in population spike amplitude for at least 24 h. Using this protocol we attained 80% success in inducing and maintaining either LTP or LTD. Recording from a chronic implant using this improved methodology is best suited to reveal naturally occurring brain activity and avoids both acute effects of local electrode insertion and drifts in neuronal excitability associated with anesthesia. Ultimately a reliable freely behaving mouse model of bi-directional synaptic plasticity is invaluable for full characterization of genetic models of disease states and manipulations of the mechanisms implicated in learning and memory.
Spectroscopic ellipsometry of grafted poly(dimethylsiloxane) brushes in carbon dioxide

Abstract Spectroscopic ellipsometry was used to characterize the chain extension and optical properties of end-grafted deuterated poly(dimethylsiloxane) (d-PDMS) brushes on SiOx wafers exposed to liquid and supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2). The brush properties were manipulated by tuning the CO2 solvent quality over a large range from ideal gas conditions (non-solvent) to a near-Θ solvent by varying temperature and CO2 density. The chain extension determined by ellipsometry, for an average value of the pure component refractive index of CO2 in the film (average nCO2 model), is in good agreement with that determined from neutron reflectivity. The d-PDMS chains extend into the CO2 and the brush refractive index decreases as the solvent density is increased, especially at densities above the upper critical solution density for bulk PDMS in CO2.
Calcium mediated neurohumoral inhibition of chicken enterocyte Na influx: role of phosphatidylinositol metabolites.

Abstract Carbachol (CCH), serotonin (5HT), divalent ionophore A23187, cAMP, and certain neuropeptides, i.e. substance P (SP), inhibit the initial rate of uptake (influx) of 22Na into isolated chicken villus enterocytes. All these agents also increase cytosolic Ca. However, the increases stimulated by CCH, 5HT, and cAMP are not blocked by chelation of extracellular Ca, whereas those of A23187 and SP are. Only CCH and 5HT stimulate hdrolysis of membrane phosphoinositides to form inositol phosphates. CCH and 5HT also stimulate incorporation of [32P]-PO4 into membrane polyphosphoinositides. These studies suggest that at least three mechanisms exist to increase cytosolic Ca in chicken enterocytes and thereby inhibit Na influx. Certain neurohumoral agents such as SP open a plasma membrane permeability for Ca, permitting extracellular Ca to enter the cell down its electrochemical gradient. These agents do not stimulate phosphatidylinositol breakdown. CCH and 5HT stimulate phosphatidylinositol breakdown and via the formation of inositol triphoosphate release Ca from intracellular stores. A third mechanism exists for cAMP which mobilizes Ca from intracellular stores, but does not involve the metabolism of membrane phosphatidylinositols.
Differential effects of androgens on cortical bone histomorphometry in gonadectomized male and female rats

The physiological role of gonadal androgens in regulating bone metabolism is not established. To determine if androgens antagonize the changes in cortical bone after gonadectomy, we treated orchiectomized (ORX) rats with testosterone (T) and 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and ovariectomized (OVX) rats with the afore-mentioned androgens, as well as the synthetic androgen fluoxymesterone (Fl) and the nonsteroidal estrogen diethylstilbestrol (DES). OVX resulted in a rapid, sustained increase in periosteal bone formation at the tibial diaphysis, whereas ORX resulted in decreased bone formation. Androgen treatment stimulated bone formation in ORX rats and suppressed bone formation in OVX rats. A large dose of DES suppressed bone formation in OVX rats to values below the intact controls. The results of these studies demonstrate that androgens counteract the changes in cortical bone formation after gonadectomy in females as well as males, and thereby reestablish the sex difference observed in intact rats.
Electron microscopic observations on granulosis virus entry, uncoating and replication processes during infection of the midgut cells of Trichoplusia ni.

A detailed ultrastructural study is presented showing the processes whereby intact granulosis virus particles invade and infect the midgut epithelial cells of Trichoplusia ni larvae by per os routes. Intact, enveloped nucleocapsids released from the proteinic crystals in the gut lumen apparently entered the columnar cells by interactions with the microvilli not yet defined and understood. The results of this study suggest that the viral envelope is lost at, or during, the entry process since only nonenveloped nucleocapsids were seen in cells shortly after infection. Phagocytosis of enveloped or naked nucleocapsids was not observed, nor were such virions observed in cytoplasmic vesicles shortly after infection. After entry, observations indicate that naked nucleocapsids interact end-on with the nuclear pore of susceptible cell nuclei to directly release viral contents into the nuclear region. Such observations as described above were frequently made shortly after introducing highly purified, occluded virions into the gut lumen. Virus progeny were observed in columnar cell nuclei 24 hours after virus entry. Certain aberrant forms of progeny nucleocapsids were also observed at that time. Assembled virions were not occluded in a proteinaceous crystal in midgut cells, but, for the most part, were released from the nuclei and caught up in vesicles which migrated toward the base of the cell, and into elements of the basement membrane; thus suggesting that virus progeny are released into the insect hemocoel by such processes. Plaque elements or structures were frequently seen on the surface of the virus-containing vesicles before and after release from the columnar cell into the hemocoel. Discussions are presented considering the source of the membranous structures associated with the virions.
Creating school environments that deter antisocial behaviors in youth

School violence has become of paramount concern in recent years, leaving many schools unprepared to deal with the varied problems students bring to the classroom. Conditions within the school can be readily identified that predict and contribute to problematic behavior. The success of preventive and intervention programs for youth violence hinges upon recognizing and modifying aspects of school climate, teacher/school personnel interactions with students, and school structure. Several of these aspects are identified in this article and suggestions for improving the educational environment to prevent the development of antisocial behaviors in youth are offered. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Suboptimal Schemes for Retrospective Data Assimilation Based on the Fixed-Lag Kalman Smoother

Abstract The fixed-lag Kalman smoother was proposed recently by S. E. Cohn et al. as a framework for providing retrospective data assimilation capability in atmospheric reanalysis projects. Retrospective data assimilation refers to the dynamically consistent incorporation of data observed well past each analysis time into each analysis. Like the Kalman filter, the fixed-lag Kalman smoother requires statistical information that is not available in practice and involves an excessive amount of computation if implemented by brute force, and must therefore be approximated sensibly to become feasible for operational use. In this article the performance of suboptimal retrospective data assimilation systems (RDASs) based on a variety of approximations to the optimal fixed-lag Kalman smoother is evaluated. Since the fixed-lag Kalman smoother formulation employed in this work separates naturally into a (Kalman) filter portion and an optimal retrospective analysis portion, two suboptimal strategies are considered: (...
Bodies in critique: a technological intervention in the dance production process

The dance production process is strongly influenced within the physical rehearsal space by social context factors and dynamics, such as intimacy of bodies, gender distribution, and the hierarchy of choreographers and dancers. Introducing online tools for asynchronous collaboration can change the traditional dance production process and impact the social dynamics of the group. We developed and deployed the Choreographer's Notebook, a web-based, collaborative, multi-modal annotation tool used in the creative process of making dance. We collected usage logs and choreographer reflections on the use of this tool, along with conducting interviews and focus groups, from the interdisciplinary perspectives of both technologists and choreographers involved in the project. We describe the socio-technical impacts of the Choreographer's Notebook based on the results of its usage in three dance productions. We analyze these case studies through various contextual lenses and provide a visualization of how the choreographic correction process evolved.
EFFECTS OF SUCROSE AND ACIDS ON OSMOVAC-DEHYDRATION OF TROPICAL FRUITS1

A determination of the relationship of acidity and sucrose concentrations to rate of osmotic dehydration of papaya and mango was made. Dehydration by the osmotic step was found to increase with increasing sucrose concentration and contact time. Mango weight loss was directly proportional to sucrose concentration while it was non-linear for papaya, apparently due to reversal of pectin gelation. Acidification of concentrated sucrose syrups with organic acids increased the osmotic rate for dehydration of papaya but not mango. Combining acid and sucrose was found to increase moisture removal from papaya by inhibiting gelation.
Cross-correlation between cosmic microwave background lensing and galaxy intrinsic alignment as a contaminant to gravitational lensing cross-correlated probes of the Universe

We introduce here a cross-correlation term between CMB lensing and galaxy intrinsic alignment, noted here as $\ensuremath{\phi}I$. This effect acts as a contaminant to the cross correlation between CMB lensing and galaxy lensing. The latter cross correlation has recently been detected for the first time, and measurements will greatly improve as the area of overlap between galaxy and CMB surveys increases and measurements of the CMB polarization become more significant. This will constitute a powerful probe for studying the structure and evolution of the universe. The magnitude of the $\ensuremath{\phi}I$ term is found to be about 15% of the pure CMB lensing-galaxy lensing component and acts to reduce the magnitude of its measured spectrum. This offset in the spectrum will strongly impact its use for precision cosmological study if left unmitigated. We also propose here a method to calibrate this $\ensuremath{\phi}I$ contamination through the use of a scaling relation that allows one to reduce the impact of $\ensuremath{\phi}I$ by a factor of 20 or more in all redshift bins, which would reduce its magnitude down to detection limits in almost all cases. This will allow the full use of this probe for precision cosmology.
Calculation of nuclear reaction cross sections on excited nuclei with the coupled-channels method

We calculate nuclear cross sections on excited nuclei in the fast neutron energy range. We partition the whole process into two contributions: the direct reaction part and the compound nuclear reactions. A coupled-channels method is used for calculating the direct transition of the nucleus from the initial excited state, which is a member of the ground-state rotational band, to the final ground and excited low-lying levels. This process is strongly affected by the channel coupling. The compound nuclear reactions on the excited state are calculated with the statistical Hauser-Feshbach model, with the transmission coefficients obtained from the coupled-channels calculation. The calculations are performed for a strongly deformed nucleus {sup 169}Tm, and selected cross sections for the ground and first excited states are compared. The calculation is also made for actinides to investigate possible modification to the fission cross section when the target is excited. It is shown that both the level coupling for the entrance channel, and the different target spin, change the fission cross section.
Role of exercise thallium-201 myocardial perfusion scintigraphy in predicting prognosis in suspected coronary artery disease

Abstract While exercise thallium imaging has improved sensitivity and specificity for detection of coronary artery disease (CAD), Its predictive value for morbid cardiac events is unclear. Of 532 consecutive patients who underwent exercise thallium Imaging, follow-up was complete in 515 (97%) after an average of 36 months (range 31 to 48). Two hundred six patients had an abnormal exercise thallium response and 309 had a normal response. Twenty morbid cardiac events occurred (13 deaths and 7 acute myocardial Infarctions [AMI]). Of the 13 patients who died, 12 had abnormal thallium results. Overall, 5.8% of the patients with abnormal thallium results died, in contrast to 0.3% of patients with normal results. Of the 7 patients who had a nonfatal AMI, 3 had abnormal exercise thallium results. Moreover, similar proportions of patients (1.4% and 1.3%) with normal and abnormal exercise thallium results had nonfatal AMI. Presence or absence of pathologic Q waves and inclusion of exercise electrocardiographic results did not significantly after the results. Thus, although a normal exercise thallium response significantly reduces the likelihood of cardiovascular death, its predictive value for nonfatal AMI is limited. Moreover, the relatively low event rate for patients with a positive exercise thallium response further limits Its prognostic value.