cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A comparison of Villalta-Prandoni scale and venous clinical severity score in the assessment of post thrombotic syndrome

Background Post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS) is the most important late complication of acute deep venous thrombosis (DVT), with as many as two-thirds of patients developing symptoms of pain, edema, hyperpigmentation, or ulceration. Although several instruments are available for evaluation of the severity of PTS, including the Villalta–Prandoni scale (VPS) and Venous Clinical Severity Score (VCSS), no studies have yet compared the 2 instruments. The purpose of this study is to compare the 2 instruments as part of a larger randomized controlled study that assessed the impact of graduated compressive stockings in the prevention of PTS. Methods Sixty-nine consecutive patients with acute DVT documented by duplex ultrasonography were randomized to treatment with 30–40 mm Hg graduated compressive stockings (GCS) or no stockings. Patients were followed clinically at months 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 after the diagnosis of DVT. PTS as defined by the VPS and VCSS were assessed at these follow-up visits. Based upon the VPS, PTS was scored as absent (score Results Good correlation was detected in the ability of VPS and VCSS instruments to detect mild to moderate disease (gamma statistic = 0.71–0.98; P 0.05), especially at 12 and 24 months. Conclusion Both VPS and the VCSS scoring systems are important tools in the identification and follow-up of PTS. There exists agreement between the 2 instruments for detecting mild to moderate disease. For severe disease however, VCSS may possibly be a more sensitive instrument.
Use of oxygen isotope ratios in correlation of tuffs, East Rudolf Basin, northern Kenya

Abstract Oxygen isotope determinations were made using CoF 3 to extract oxygen from 27 volcanic glass samples from the East Rudolf Basin, northern Kenya. Results show that the older tuffs are progressively enriched in 18 O and that this index can be used in the correlation of volcanic ash units. This method could not distinguish individual samples from the youngest units studied because their ranges of δ 18 O overlap. The δ 18 O values for the shards in the Tulu Bor Tuff, the KBS Tuff, the Koobi Fora Tuff and the Chari Tuff range from 14.5 to 16.4, from 8.9 to 9.5, from 6.6 to 7.0 and from 7.0 to 7.2, respectively, in decreasing age. Determinations from pumice cobbles are consistently higher than the above values.
In situ infrared studies of glucose oxidation on platinum in an alkaline medium

Abstract The oxidation of α-D(+)-glucose on a platinum electrode in 0.1 M NaOH was investigated by in situ Fourier transform infrared reflection-absorption spectroscopy in the potential range, −0.76 to +0.46 V vs. Hg/HgO, OH−. The surface adsorbates were found to involve linear CO and bridged CO. The linear CO persisted on platinum in the entire potential range with gradual shifts to higher frequencies, ca. 70 cm−1/V while the bridged CO disappeared as the electrode potential reached −0.05 V. The oxidation products were car☐ylic acid and CO2. A potential excursion up to +0.46 V was found to cause a pH swing of more than 8 in the spectroelectrochemical thin layer due to the great extent of glucose oxidation. This was evident from the gluconic acid and CO2 peaks in the IR spectra.
Regulated Nuclear-Cytoplasmic Localization of CCAAT/ Enhancer-binding Protein δ in Osteoblasts

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) plays a central role in skeletal growth by promoting bone cell replication and differentiation. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and parathyroid hormone enhance cAMP production in cultured rat osteoblasts and stimulate IGF-I expression through a transcriptional mechanism mediated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA). We previously showed that PGE2 activated the transcription factor CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein delta (C/EBPdelta) in osteoblasts and induced its binding to a DNA element within the IGF-I promoter. We report here that a PKA-dependent pathway stimulates nuclear translocation of C/EBPdelta. Under basal conditions, C/EBPdelta was cytoplasmic but rapidly accumulated in the nucleus after PGE2 treatment (t(1/2) < 30 min). Nuclear translocation occurred without concurrent protein synthesis and was maintained in the presence of hormone. Nuclear localization required PKA and was blocked by a dominant-interfering regulatory subunit of the enzyme, even though C/EBPdelta was not a PKA substrate. Upon removal of hormonal stimulus, C/EBPdelta quickly exited the nucleus (t(1/2) < 12 min) through a pathway blocked by leptomycin B. Mutagenesis studies indicated that the basic domain of C/EBPdelta was necessary for nuclear localization and that the leucine zipper region permitted full nuclear accumulation. We thus define a pathway for PKA-mediated activation of C/EBPdelta through its regulated nuclear import.
Fatigue crack growth behavior of composites

Fatigue crack growth data of discontinuously reinforced composites published in the literature has been re-evaluated using the two-parametric approach developed by the authors. The use of these two parameters involves †KandK maxas the driving forces, which are required simultaneously for fatigue crack growth to occur. These two parameters are intrinsic to fatigue deformation process. The first parameter is related to the degree of cyclic plasticity that results in fatigue damage near the crack tip, and the second (the peak stress) is required for initiating the local fracture processes in the fatigue-damaged region. Both driving forces are required simultaneously and have to exceed some critical minima for crack advancement. Thus, there are two fatigue thresholds instead of one as is normally assumed. However, in a given region, depending on the material and its crack-tip environment, one or the other parameter controls the growth behavior. Thus, normally for all materials (including composites) below a certain criticalR ratio, fatigue crack growth is Kmax controlled. Above the criticalR ratio, it is †K controlled. Although one parameter is the controlling factor in a given regime, both driving forces are needed to complete the fatigue description. This two-parametric approach is valid not only at the thresholds, but also at the higher crack growth rates. An understanding of fatigue process, then, requires a systematic evaluation of how these two driving forces vary with the reinforcement size, shape, volume fraction, and distribution, along with other material properties of the constituent phases, such as the interfaces. Finally, this article discusses some of the possible mechanisms and their effects on the two driving forces, using the limited available data in the literature.
The electrostatic accelerator as a source of ionizing energy

The growing need in science and technology for intense sources of high-energy particles and other forms of ionizing energy is being met to an increasing extent by devices which depend on electrostatic forces and principles. Their effectiveness is evident in such diverse activities as nuclear research, supervoltage X-ray treatment of disease, and the sterilization of biologicals and foods.
Lysosomal enzymes and mucopolysaccharides in the gastrointestinal tract of the rat and pig

Abstract Six lysosomal enzymes were found in the tissue homogenates of the stomach, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum and colon of the rat and five of the enzymes were active in the same tissues of the pig. The concentrations of acid mucopolysaccharides in the tissue homogenates were measured. In the rat, they paralleled closely the specific activities for aryl sulfatase (aryl-sulfate sulfohydrolase, EC 3.1.6.1), β-glucuronidase (β- d -glucuronide glucuronohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.31) and β-galactosidase (β- d -galactoside galactohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.23), and in the pig that for aryl sulfatase. Compared to other segments of the tract, rat colon had the highest concentration of mucopolysaccharides and the highest specific activities for aryl sulfatase, β-glucuronidase and β-galactosidase. These three particulate enzymes from rat colon were released by osmotic shock and the solubilized enzymes had acid pH optima.
Human sciatic nerve phospholipid profiles from non-diabetes mellitus, non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus individuals. A 31P NMR spectroscopy study

Abstract 1. 1. Human sciatic nerve phospholipids obtained from non-diabetes mellitus (NDM), non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) patients, after lower extremity amputation, were studied by 31P NMR spectrometry. 2. 2. Nine phospholipids resonances in NDM and NIDDM groups were identified as followed: Ethanolamine plasmalogen (Epias, Chemical shift = 0.07δ); phosphatidylethanolamine (PE, 0.03δ); phosphatidylserine (PS, −0.05δ); sphingomyelin (SM, −0.09δ); lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC, −0.28δ); phosphatidylinositol (PI, −0.30δ); alkylacylphosphorylcholine (A1.PC, -0.78δ); phosphatidylcholine (PC −0.84δ), and an unknown resonance (U, 0.13δ). 3. 3. In the IDDM group a resonance of lysophosphatidylinositol (LPI, 0.01δ) was detected in addition to the nine phospholipids listed above. 4. 4. IDDM showed that PI and Al.PC were elevated and U was lower when compared with NDM; also, Eplas was lower when compared with NIDDM. PC was elevated and PS was lower when compared with both NDM and NIDDM. 5. 5. Indices calculated from this data, showed that the choline ratio and choline/ ethanolamine ratio were elevated; while ethanolamine ratio, and myelin ratio were lower in IDDM group, when compared with both NDM and NIDDM groups. 6. 6. Inactivation of the cholineacethyltransferase enzyme (ChAT) and enhancement of the phospholipidmethyltransferase enzyme (PLMT), secondary to an insulin deficiency, are proposed as an interpretation of these findings.
Cost/margin analysis: a third approach to menu pricing and design

Abstract The article presents a menu analysis methodology that is compared to menu engineering and the Miller matrix. Cost/margin analysis uses item food cost percentage and weighted dollar contribution margin to develop a sales mix that will both minimize the overall food cost percentage and optimize sales revenue and gross profit return. Previous methods of menu analysis have treated food cost percentage and dollar contribution margin in a mutually exclusive manner. This has resulted in biased interpretation of the data. Cost/margin analysis displays the food cost and contribution margin graphically and clearly identifies the menu items that are helping or hindering the revenue-cost-profit objectives. This information allows the menu to be designed to improve forecasting and cost control techniques.
Species-specific defense reactions in escape-from-fear situations

Five experiments are reported in which rats were given CS-shock pairings and then permitted, in the absence of shock, to perform a hurdle-jump response that led to CS offset. In Experiment 1–4, the animals failed to learn the required response. Although several procedural variations were employed, the experimental groups continued to perform no better than backward-conditioned controls. In Experiment 5, some animals were punished for remaining immobile during a single trial at the start of hurdle-jump training. These animals performed significantly better than nonpunished controls and better than any group in Experiments 1–4. The results support the idea that the major role of the CS in escape-from-fear situations is to activate an innate motivational system which chooses between the species-specific defense reactions of freezing and fleeing.
Clinical trials in neurosurgical oncology

Brain tumors such as diffuse infiltrating gliomas continue to represent a major clinical challenge. Overall survival for patients diagnosed with glioblastoma, the most common primary brain tumor, remains less than 2 years despite intensive multimodal therapy with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. However, advances have been made in standard therapies and novel treatments that are showing great potential. These advances reflect careful study performed in the context of clinical trials. Neurosurgeons have played and will continue to play key parts in these studies. In this manuscript, we review clinical trials in neuro-oncology from a neurosurgical point of view and discuss potential roles for neurosurgeons in advancing glioma therapy in the future.
Asymmetric hydrogenations over modified Raney nickel

Abstract Enantioselective Raney nickel catalyst systems are prepared by modification with asymmetric amino acids and hydroxy acids and used in the hydrogenation of prochiral ketones and prochiral CC double bonds. A substantial increase in asymmetric induction is accomplished by paying careful attention to modification and hydrogenation variables. Important factors are (i) the contact times of modifying and washing solutions during catalyst modification, and (ii) the contact times of modified catalyst and substrate before reaction. By employing combinations of deuterated Raney nickel, deuterium gas, and deuterated modifiers it is shown that hydrogen (deuterium) in the modifying molecule is involved in the geometry determining transition state.
Certain reproductive organs in the Neritidae

Descriptions and figures of the subordinate sex-organs are given for thirty species taken at random throughout the entire family. It is found: that the higher genera have organs not present in the lower; that they have a storage sac for mineral particles to be added to the secreted capsules within which the eggs will develop; that the anus is more or less fused to the mouth of the oviduct to allow of easy passage of the above materials from anus to oviduct; that spermatophores grade from simple elongated tubes of the lower to stout double tubes with various forms, with spicules, or with spirals, in the higher forms; that the sacs for holding the spermatophores may be simple, when the spermatophores are cast out after discharge, but are more evolved when spermatophores are to be permanently retained and digested; that while lower forms have no sex organs upon the head, peculiar organs occur in the higher genera, in one or both sexes. These organs have value as aids in classification of genera within the family Neritidae. The very marked coordination among these organs may be better understood when further observation reveals how they are used in sperm transfer.
Knowledge, beliefs, and practices concerning seat belt use during pregnancy.

This paper evaluates patterns of and beliefs surrounding restraint use among pregnant women. A total of 450 women were asked to complete a survey during prenatal care visits at county health department clinics. The women provided demographic information and reported their frequency and knowledge of proper automobile restraint use. Survey results showed that 95.4% of respondents either maintained or increased their pre-pregnancy frequency of restraint use. Most (72.5%) respondents indicated that they wore their restraints in the correct location, with women who wore restraints most frequently being more likely to report correct placement. About 60% of women reported that restraints would protect their baby if they were involved in a collision, while 11.6% thought that restraints would cause injury to their baby and 37% were unsure. Women who reported that restraints would protect them and their baby if involved in a collision were significantly more likely to report always wearing restraints compared with those who were unsure or had negative perceptions of restraints. The most commonly reported reasons for lack of restraint use were lack of comfort (52.8%) and forgetfulness (42.5%). Findings also showed that only 37% of women reported receiving information regarding restraint use during their current pregnancy. These results suggest that many pregnant women lack information regarding proper seat belt use and its importance in injury prevention.
The impact of magnetic resonance imaging of the knee on surgical decision making

Although magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the knee is known to be an accurate technique for diagnosing soft tissue disorders of the knee, the value of MRI in improving patient outcome is controversial. The purpose of this project was to study the value of MRI in a subgroup of patients with knee pain and disability whose diagnosis was uncertain after standard orthopaedic evaluation. An extensive database was recorded prospectively for each of 208 patients providing clinical data as well as diagnoses from clinical, MRI, and surgical observations. These data were analyzed to determine the effect of MRI on diagnosis and patient outcome regarding surgical decision making. The overall diagnostic accuracy of MRI was determined to be 97% in patients undergoing arthroscopy. MRI differed from the clinical diagnosis in 33% of cases, the most common variance being diagnosis of meniscal tear. After combining the MRI and clinical information, surgical decision making was altered in 27% of cases. In a group of patients with acute knee symptoms, the decision not to proceed with surgery was made in 64% of cases. The study shows that MRI of the knee is a valuable tool for augmenting the diagnostic process. The data further show that MRI is a cost-effective technique for avoiding unnecessary surgery and affects patient outcome by improving surgical decision making.
Inhibitory effects of undecayed wood and the detection of Postia placenta using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

Pulverized, undecayed wood was shown to be, in general, inhibitory to attempts to use enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in detecting and quantifying the decay fungus Postia placenta (Fr.) M. Lars. et Lomb. Nevertheless, the assay was still able to adequately detect the presence of P. placenta at a greater than 1: 10,000 dilution even in the presence of 0.1 g/ml spruce wood. The use of polyvinyl pyrrolidone did not improve ELISA performance but adsorbent polystyrene had some effect on the assay sensitivity.
The effect of section model details on aeroelastic parameters

In the five decades since the flutter-induced failure of the Tacoma Narrows bridge, understanding of the physical mechanisms at work has advanced. On the one hand, numerical modeling capability, most notably through the finite element method, and developments in the theory of random vibration have contributed; on the other hand, wind tunnel modeling remains of central importance relative to long-span bridges. The results presented herein indicate the critical dependence of the aeroelastic behavior on even minor details such as a deck railing. These particular observations have important general implications for both 2-D and 3-D modeling. The paper examines a particular problem of details in some depth to emphasize its importance.
Evidence for the binding of human serum amyloid P component to Clq and Fabγ

In order to clarify the mechanism of interaction of serum amyloid P component (SAP) with complement, the interaction of SAP with C1q and with IgG was studied. It is known that SAP binds Sepharose in the presence of calcium. When purified 125I-C1q was incubated with SAP prior to Sepharose affinity chromatography, 125I-C1q was retained. However, in the absence of SAP, the 125I-C1q was not retained. To further examine the interaction of SAP with C1q, isolated SAP was incubated at varying ratios with C1q in the presence of 1.5 mM Ca2+. These mixtures were subsequently examined via crossed immunoelectrophoresis against goat anti-SAP. A change in the electrophoretic behavior of SAP was observed in the presence of C1q. In other studies, it was observed that SAP might interact with the collagen-like stem of C1q. In these latter studies, 125I-SAP was incubated with pepsin digests of C1q in a microtitre solid-phase binding assay. In addition, a microtitre solid-phase binding assay was utilized in order to investigate the possible binding of isolated 125I-SAP with IgG. Interestingly in the presence of Ca2+, human IgG and Fab gamma, but not Fc gamma, were found to bind 125I-SAP.
Idiopathic Retroperitoneal Fibrosis: A Retrospective Review of Clinical Presentation, Treatment, and Outcomes

OBJECTIVE To describe the clinical manifestations, laboratory results, imaging findings, and treatments in patients with idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis (IRF) seen at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. PATIENTS AND METHODS In this retrospective study, we used International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes to identify all patients evaluated for IRF between January 1, 1996, and December 31, 2006, at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Medical records were reviewed, and clinical information was abstracted. Idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis was diagnosed on the basis of compatible imaging findings. Patients were followed up until their last visit at Mayo Clinic, death, or December 31, 2008, whichever came first. RESULTS Of the 185 patients identified as having IRF, 113 (61%) were men and 72 (39%) were women. Mean ± SD age at diagnosis was 57.6±11.8 years. Biopsy specimens were obtained in 142 cases (77%). The most common presenting symptoms were back pain (38%) and abdominal pain (40%). Baseline erythrocyte sedimentation rate and/or C-reactive protein levels were elevated in 88 (58%) of the 151 patients tested. The median creatinine level at diagnosis was 1.3 mg/dL (interquartile range, 1.1-2.1 mg/dL). Fifteen patients (8%) were treated with ureteral procedures only, 58 patients (31%) with medications only, and 105 patients (57%) with a combination of medical and surgical therapies. Seven patients (4%) were not treated. Corticosteroids were initiated in 116 patients (63%), and tamoxifen was used in 120 patients (65%). Follow-up was available for 151 patients (82%). Creatinine levels were normal at last visit in 102 (68%) of the 151 patients with follow-up. No patient developed end-stage renal disease. Relapses occurred in 18 (12%) of the 151 patients. Eleven patients died. CONCLUSION In this cohort, outcomes such as end-stage renal disease or death from renal failure were not observed. Relapses may occur, and patients with IRF warrant long-term follow-up.
Eustra petrovi sp. nov. - first record of a troglobitic Ozaenini from China (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Paussinae)

Normal 0 21 false false false BG X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Eustra petrovi sp. nov. from China, Yunnan Province (type locality: cave Xianren Dong near to village Datianba, Longling County, Baoshan City ) is described and illustrated . The new species exhibits troglomorphic features (depigmentation of tegument, brachyptery, microphthalmy) and can be separated from other species of Eustra by presenting a particular combination of character states. /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
Local Politics and Portfolio Management Models: National Reform Ideas and Local Control

Amid the growth of charter schools, autonomous schools, and private management organizations, an increasing number of urban districts are moving toward a portfolio management model (PMM). In a PMM, the district central office oversees schools that operate under a variety of governance models. The expansion of PMMs raises questions about local control, as new national and local organizations become increasingly central players in the design and delivery of public education and educational systems. Looking across 10 distinct localities, this paper explores the variations in the role of local, state, and national actors in the initiation of PMMs and the provision of education within them. We find that the relationship between PMM reforms and issues of local control is a complicated one mediated by local contexts, including local civic and provider capacity, available resources, and issues of governance.
Direct numerical simulations of flow over two-dimensional and three-dimensional ripples and implication to sediment transport: Steady flow

Abstract A well resolved and highly accurate direct numerical simulation (DNS) solver has been developed to understand the implication of hydrodynamics to sediment transport. In the first part of the study we focus on steady flow over two-dimensional and three-dimensional ripples at two Reynolds numbers Re τ = 180 and 400 (defined by channel half-height and wall-friction velocity) in a channel geometry. The DNS scheme is based on a fourth-order vertical velocity and second-order vertical vorticity formulation, which resolves the difficulties in pressure boundary condition encountered when solving the Navier–Stokes equations. The complex boundary introduced due to the ripples has been imposed in the Cartesian domain using an elegant immersed boundary method. Detailed hydrodynamic analysis has revealed turbulence statistics (in particular, the higher order) and henceforth, the flow structures are sensitive — whether the ripples are two-dimensional or three-dimensional. The importance of fluctuating component of the bottom stress in addition to its mean component; and its significance to sediment transport and ripple migration speed have been investigated.
Charm baryon and hyperon physics at Fermilab's SELEX spectrometer

Fermilab experiment 781, or SELEX, is starting to take data, with the goal of observing on the order of 1 million reconstructed charm decays. A variety of targets and beams will yield significant new information on charm production. The detector has good efficiency in the forward direction, which will enhance the yield of charm baryon decays. Several topics in hyperon physics can be addressed as well with this spectrometer.
twisting the gift: translating precolonial into colonial exchanges in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia

In this article I reexamine the relationship between gift giving and hierarchy using data about early-20th-century colonial contacts in western Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Dutch colonial officials and European missionaries disrupted prior community and regional exchange patterns and initiated strategic policies of asymmetric interethnic gift giving that elevated European missionaries and officials as political and spiritual sources of power.
Hybrid lattice particle modeling of wave propagation induced fracture of solids

Abstract This paper presents a discrete dynamic fracture model, hybrid lattice particle modeling (HLPM), and its applications in the wave propagation induced fracture problems of solids. The HLPM is established based on a combination of the first author’s prior particle modeling (PM) technique with the conventional lattice modeling (LM) theory. The HLPM has the robustness of simulating the dynamic fragmentation of solids under high strain rate loadings at macro-scales with a varying Poisson’s ratio. In this paper, first, the wave propagation in 1D and 2D homogenous materials with HLPM is modeled and the obtained results are validated by a comparison with the analytical solutions; then, two HLPM simulations of the wave propagation induced fracture, spall cracks, due to hyper-velocity impact and blasting, are completed. In the impact case, spall crack formation due to hyper-velocity impact is captured, and the HLPM results are in good agreement with the analogous molecular dynamics (MD) simulations by Krivtsov (1999) [27] , [28] . Moreover, a functionally designed infrastructure material coated with a high strength layer, but with different coating strengths at the interface, is also investigated to find out the protective effect of material from spallation. The modeling results demonstrate that prevention of a material from spallation under extreme loadings is difficult; it needs the coating material with a super strength. In the blasting study, the fracturing efficiency associated with different spatial explosive setup is investigated. This will benefit the explosive fracturing applications.
Kinetics of onset of mouse sperm acrosome reaction induced by solubilized zona pellucida: fluorimetric determination of loss of pH gradient between acrosomal lumen and medium monitored by Dapoxyl (2-aminoethyl) sulfonamide and of intracellular Ca2+ changes monitored by fluo-3.

The onset of the zona pellucida-induced acrosome reaction in mouse sperm is marked by loss of the pH gradient existing in acrosome-intact sperm between the acidic acrosomal lumen and the suspending medium, due to pore formation between outer acrosomal and plasma membranes. In earlier work, it was shown that this pH gradient loss occurred in single sperm bound to structurally intact zonae pellucidae with a half-time of 2.1 min; the extended kinetics of this loss determined in a sperm population bound to intact zonae was due to a 180-min range of variable lag times. We hypothesized that this lag time range was due to steric constraints imposed by the three-dimensional structure of the structurally intact zona pellucida, and that this constraint should be removed in solubilized zonae. The fluorescent probe, Dapoxyl(TM) (2-aminoethyl)sulfonamide (DAES) allowed a test of this hypothesis in a population of sperm cells. It is a weak base that is non-fluorescent in aqueous solution, but which accumulates in the acidic acrosomal compartment due to the pH gradient with highly enhanced fluorescence; loss of the pH gradient leads to a decrease in fluorescence. The half-time for DAES fluorescence loss in a population of capacitated, acrosome-intact sperm in response to solubilized zona pellucida protein was 2.13 +/- 0.10 min (SEM, n = 9). The agreement between single cell and cell population kinetics validates the hypothesis of steric constraint in the structurally intact zona pellucida. The change in intracellular Ca(2+) concentration in response to solubilized zona pellucida, as monitored with fluo-3, was a rapid increase, followed by a decrease, with a half-time of 0.85 +/- 0.09 min (SEM, n = 6) to a steady state level higher than the initial level, indicating this Ca(2+) transient as the precursor reaction to onset of the zona-induced acrosome reaction.
A Study of Excimer Emission in Solutions of Poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene) Using Electrogenerated Chemiluminescence

We report electrochemical studies and the observation of excimer emission from the conjugated polymer poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene) (PDOF) in benzene−MeCN solutions during electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL). The ECL emission spectrum resulting from the annihilation reaction between PDOF radical ions is characterized by two bands, one at 438 nm and a broad band centered at 610 nm. The ECL emission at shorter wavelengths is assigned to intrapolymer emission of PDOF, while the emission at longer wavelengths arises from the excited-state complex of the polymer formed in the radical annihilation reaction. The relative excimer emission from PDOF (the ratio of excimer ECL emission to intrapolymer emission) depends on polymer concentration.
Deaths Reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, United States, 1997–2013

Background Vaccines are among the safest medical products in use today. Hundreds of millions of vaccinations are administered in the United States each year. Serious adverse reactions are uncommon. However, temporally associated deaths can occur following vaccination. Our aim was to characterize main causes of death among reports submitted to the US Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), a spontaneous vaccine safety surveillance system. Methods We searched VAERS for US reports of death after any vaccination from 1 July 1997 through 31 December 2013. Available medical records, autopsy reports, and death certificates were reviewed to identify cause of death. Results VAERS received 2149 death reports, most (n = 1469 [68.4%]) in children. Median age was 0.5 years (range, 0-100 years); males accounted for 1226 (57%) reports. The total annual number of death reports generally decreased during the latter part of the study period. Most common causes of death among 1244 child reports with available death certificates/autopsy reports included sudden infant death syndrome (n = 544 [44%]), asphyxia (n = 74 [6.0%]), septicemia (n = 61 [4.9%]), and pneumonia (n = 57 [4.6%]). Among 526 adult reports, most common causes of death included diseases of the circulatory (n = 247 [46.9%]) and respiratory systems (n = 77 [14.6%]), certain infections and parasitic diseases (n = 62 [11.8%]), and malignant neoplasms (n = 20 [3.8%]). For child death reports, 79.4% received >1 vaccine on the same day. Inactivated influenza vaccine given alone was most commonly associated with death reports in adults (51.4%). Conclusions No concerning pattern was noted among death reports submitted to VAERS during 1997-2013. The main causes of death were consistent with the most common causes of death in the US population.
Work addiction as a function of family of origin and its influence on current family functioning.

This study examined the relationship between work addiction, family-of-0oigin dysfunction, and current family functioning among a national sample of 107 self-identified work-addicted respondents. Results indicate what clinicians have observed for years: that work addiction can interfere with intimate and social relationships and may lead some work-addicted individuals to recreate dysfunctional families in adulthood similar to the ones in which they were reared. Although there was no significant relationship between work addiction and family-of-origin dysfunction, work-addicted respondents who had sought help for their work habits were more likely to have grown up in dysfunctionalfamilies in which intimacy was low and to have more problems with intimate relationships in adulthood, compared with those who had never received help for their work habits.
Assessing the relationship among urban trees, nitrogen dioxide, and respiratory health.

Modeled atmospheric pollution removal by trees based on eddy flux, leaf, and chamber studies of relatively few species may not scale up to adequately assess landscape-level air pollution effects of the urban forest. A land use regression (LUR) model (R2 = 0.70) based on NO2 measured at 144 sites in Portland, Oregon (USA), after controlling for roads, railroads, and elevation, estimated every 10 ha (20%) of tree canopy within 400 m of a site was associated with a 0.57 ppb decrease in NO2. Using BenMAP and a 200 m resolution NO2 model, we estimated that the NO2 reduction associated with trees in Portland could result in significantly fewer incidences of respiratory problems, providing a $7 million USD benefit annually. These in-situ urban measurements predict a significantly higher reduction of NO2 by urban trees than do existing models. Further studies are needed to maximize the potential of urban trees in improving air quality.
Editorial---New Editorial Structure for Marketing Science

Marketing Science recently announced a new editorial structure for the journal. In this editorial, we describe the roles of editor-in-chief (EIC) and senior editors (SEs) and the review process under this new structure. The new structure was developed based on recommendations of a task force appointed by INFORMS. The task force, with Peter Fader as the chair and Bart Bronnenberg, Ganesh Iyer, Scott Neslin, Oded Netzer, and Kannan Srinivasan as other members, made its recommendation after conducting a comprehensive review of the journal that also included a survey of Marketing Science authors and other stakeholders. The most important aspect of the new structure is that it introduces a new position, senior editor, in the office of the editor. In brief, the EIC will work with and oversee a small number of SEs who will serve as the editor for the papers assigned to them. The inaugural set of senior editors is, in alphabetical order, Fred Feinberg, Ganesh Iyer, K. Sudhir, and Russ Winer.
Reflecting upon Feelings: An fMRI Study of Neural Systems Supporting the Attribution of Emotion to Self and Other

Understanding one's own and other individual's emotional states is essential for maintaining emotional equilibrium and strong social bonds. Although the neural substrates supporting ref lection upon one's own feelings have been investigated, no studies have directly examined attributions about the internal emotional states of others to determine whether common or distinct neural systems support these abilities. The present study sought to directly compare brain regions involved in judging one's own, as compared to another individual's, emotional state. Thirteen participants viewed mixed valence blocks of photos drawn from the International Affective Picture System while whole-brain fMRI data were collected. Preblock cues instructed participants to evaluate either their emotional response to each photo, the emotional state of the central figure in each photo, or (in a baseline condition) whether the photo was taken indoors or outdoors. Contrasts indicated (1) that both self and other judgments activated the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), the superior temporal gyrus, and the posterior cingulate/precuneus, (2) that self judgments selectively activated subregions of the MPFC and the left temporal cortex, whereas (3) other judgments selectively activated the left lateral prefrontal cortex (including Broca's area) and the medial occipital cortex. These results suggest (1) that self and other evaluation of emotion rely on a network of common mechanisms centered on the MPFC, which has been hypothesized to support mental state attributions in general, and (2) that medial and lateral PFC regions selectively recruited by self or other judgments may be involved in attention to, and elaboration of, internally as opposed to externally generated information.
Factors affecting sequestration and bioavailability of phenanthrene in soils

A study was conducted to determine factors affecting the sequestration and changes in bioavailability as phenanthrene persists in soils. Phenanthrene became sequestered in seven soils differing appreciably in organic matter and clay content as measured by earthworm uptake, bacterial mineralization, or extractability. Phenanthrene also became sequestered as it aged in soil aggregates of various sizes as measured by decline in availability to a bacterium, a mild extractant, or both. Wetting and drying a soil during aging reduced the amount of phenanthrene recovered by a mild extractant and the rate and extent of bacterial mineralization of the hydrocarbon. After biodegradation of phenanthrene added to the soil, more of the compound remained if it had been aged than if it had not been aged. Wetting and drying the soil during aging further increased the amount of phenanthrene remaining after biodegradation. The rate and extent of bacterial mineralization of phenanthrene were less in leached than in unleached soil. Aging/sequestration is thus markedly affected by soil properties and environmental factors.
Understanding depressive symptoms among high-risk, pregnant, African-American women.

Abstract Purpose Depression has been shown to be a risk factor of poor pregnancy outcomes among African-American women. The goal of this study was to examine both risk and protective factors of depressive symptoms among urban, high-risk African-American, pregnant women. Methods Data were drawn from a larger randomized controlled trial, Health Outcomes of Pregnancy Education that was a part of the National Institutes of Health–DC Initiative to Reduce Infant Mortality in Minority Populations in the District of Columbia. For purposes of the present study, a sample of African-American pregnant women ( n = 1,044) were recruited from six urban prenatal care clinics. Baseline depressive symptoms were assessed using the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-Depression Scale. Results Forty-four percent of women were confirmed as moderately to severely depressed at baseline. In multivariate linear regression analysis among the total sample, maternal age, intimate partner violence, illicit drug and alcohol use during pregnancy, and reproductive history (no live birth/only loss; no live birth/no loss) were associated with increased depressive symptoms. Being very happy about the pregnancy, having emotional support from others, and reporting more positive expectancies about the ability to regulate negative moods were associated with decreased depressive symptoms. Conclusion Results highlight the importance of attending to the context of high-risk, African-American, pregnant women, paying attention to both risk and protective factors of poor psychological well-being. Implications for future research in this area are discussed.
Body Weight Measurement of Patients Receiving Nutritional Support

A review of patient records over a 14-day period revealed that daily weights were recorded in only 65.5% of patients receiving parenteral nutrition and 53% of patients receiving enteral alimentation despite a hospital nursing practice requirement for daily weights during nutritional support. A semi-structured questionnaire was given to staff nurses to elicit their opinions regarding the importance of weight obtainment and to ascertain their reasons why patients are not weighted. Of 74 staff nurses who completed the survey, 68% considered weights "very important" but only 34% believed this attitude to be prevalent among their co-workers. The three reasons most often cited for failure to weigh patients were: (1) "patient too critically ill"; (2) "nurse felt other priorities of care existed; and, (3) "patient refuses." The two factors nurses most often felt should be changed to increase body weight measurement were "nurse staffing shortage" and "scales broken and/or unreliable." This study documents a need for both logistical changes (eg, equipment availability and reliability and timing of patient weights) and educational changes at both nursing staff and patient level to improve compliance with established requirements for daily weights during nutritional support.
Effects of Breathing O2 or O2 + CO2 and of the Injection of Neurohumors on the PO2 of Cat Cerebral Cortex

Tissue PO2 was measured in the outer 1.7 mm of the brain of the lightly anesthetized cat by means of a micro O2 electrode introduced through a small hole in the skull. There was considerable variation from one location to another and from animal to animal. The interindividual variation was not related to the level of the arterial pressure or to rectal temperature. Individual values for the PO2 in 569 locations in the 11 cats ranged from 0 to 90 mm Hg with a mean of 25. There was a significant downward trend in PO2 from the surface layers inward. When the electrode was left in one location, the PO2 usually fluctuated, though not often rhythmically as seen in skeletal muscle. Breathing pure O2 (N=41) or 95% O2 – 5% CO2 (N = 33) caused an equal (50%) increase in PO2. The intravenous injection of epinephrine or norepinephrine caused a primary rise in PO2 usually with a secondary decrease. Acetylcholine caused a primary decrease and usually a secondary increase.
Fast-marching eikonal solver in the tetragonal coordinates

Accurate and ecien t traveltime calculation is an important topic in seismic imaging. We present a fast-marching eikonal solver in the tetragonal coordinates (3-D) and trigonal coordinates (2-D), tetragonal (trigonal) fast-marching eikonal solver (TFMES), which can signican tly reduce the rst-order approximation error without greatly increasing the computational complexity. In the trigonal coordinates, there are six equally-spaced points surrounding one specic point and the number is twelve in the tetragonal coordinates, whereas the numbers of points are four and six respectively in the Cartesian coordinates. This means that the local traveltime updating space is more densely sampled in the tetragonal ( or trigonal) coordinates, which is the main reason that TFMES is more accurate than its counterpart in the Cartesian coordinates. Compared with the fast-marching eikonal solver in the polar coordinates, TFMES is more convenient since it needs only to transform the velocity model from the Cartesian to the tetragonal coordinates for one time. Potentially, TFMES can handle the complex velocity model better than the polar fast-marching solver. We also show that TFMES can be completely derived from Fermat’s principle. This variational formulation implies that the fast-marching method can be extended for traveltime computation on other nonorthogonal or unstructured grids.
Students as service champions: a success story

University helpdesk staff have a daunting job description: work all hours of the day and night, support an impossibly diverse population using an array of software and services, and keep up with an ever-changing university environment, all without getting burned out on service altogether. While many campuses have assumed that FTEs are the only answer, Northwestern University has had tremendous success with an all-student staff for over 30 years. We'll share how we've used a team of students and student managers to:provide comprehensive first level support for all major software packages and services, and fulfill the role of second-level support,log over 90-95% of customer contacts, allowing for collection of detailed metrics,work seamlessly with full-time staff in other areas of IT; handle tricky service issues and day-to-day helpdesk operations after full timers have gone home for the day... ...all while maintaining a customer service satisfaction rating of over 90%!
Why knees fail.

Successful revision knee arthroplasty requires an accurate understanding of the cause of failure. Because a differential diagnosis is necessary, 9 causes of failure are proposed: i) aseptic loosening with or without osteolysis or progression of arthritis in a unicondylar arthroplasty; ii) tibial femoral instability because of collateral ligament instability; iii) patellar complications and malrotation; iv) no diagnosis, the so-called mystery knee; v) structural failure of the implant; vi) sepsis; vii) extensor mechanism rupture; viii) stiffness; and ix) fracture. A revision surgery should correct shortcomings in the original arthroplasty and not simply restore a mechanical situation that has failed.
Cardiovascular Correlates of Misconduct in Children and Adolescents

Abstract: Prior literature reviews addressing cardiovascular correlates of misconduct have focused on resting heart rate (HR) and skin conductance (SC). The present paper is a quantitative review of studies that tested the relationship between child/adolescent misconduct and cardiovascular regulation. An additional selection criterion for the present review was that the study examined physiological variables beyond resting HR and SC (e.g., cardiovascular reactivity). Misconduct was related to low HR reactivity, low resting parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) control, and less withdrawal of PNS control during mental challenge. These findings expand on prior reviews that indicated resting sympathetic nervous system underarousal is associated with antisocial behavior/misconduct. Cardiovascular reactivity to stress and PNS control may also be important correlates of misconduct.