cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interpretation of the vibrational spectra of bicyclic hydrocarbons: norbornane and norbornadiene

Abstract Infrared spectra of gaseous and polycrystalline norbornane [Ricyclo (2.2.1) heptane] and norbornadiene [bicyclo (2.2.1) hepta-2,5-diene] were recorded from 300 to 4000 cm −1 . Raman spectra for the liquid and solid states of both systems were measured from 100 to 4000 cm −1 . Vibrational assignments for these two appreciably strained bicyclic molecules were based upon group frequency correlations, Raman and infrared band intensities and Raman depolarization ratios. Low temperature Raman techniques appear particularly useful in the characterization and assignment of the fundamental vibrations of these systems. Specifically, the observation of weak transitions and the analyses of diffuse spectral regions are facilitated by investigations at liquid nitrogen temperatures. Normal coordinate analyses were performed at various stages of the assignment process in order to access the consistency of the spectral assignments and to identify strongly coupled modes. In these calculations particular emphasis was directed toward the vibrational descriptions provided by the potential energy distributions.
Intelligent computing about complex dynamical systems

Abstract We develop computational mechanisms for intelligently simulating nonlinear control systems. These mechanisms enhance numerical simulations with deep domain knowledge of dynamical systems theory and control theory, a qualitative phase-space representation of dynamical systems, symbolic and geometric manipulation capabilities, and a high-level interface. Programs equipped with these capabilities are able to autonomously simulate a dynamical system, analyze the simulation results, and utilize the analysis to perform design tasks. We demonstrate the mechanisms with an implemented computational environment called the Control Engineer's Workbench.
“Bringing It All Back Home”: An Interdisciplinary Model for Community-Based Learning

AbstractLeaders of community-based learning programs must prove the worth of their programs to community hosts, while engaging students at appropriate levels of learning. Pitfalls multiply when programs are interdisciplinary, involve multiple sites, and/or deal with questions of social equity. Such programs must effectively match and prepare students and site supervisors, coordinate disparate curricular elements, facilitate communication between participants, and provide an educationally valid approach to ethically charged aspects of the curriculum. The 2007–2010 Hamline University “Bringing It All Back Home” project, focused on environmental and justice issues associated with large-scale urban redevelopment, provides one model for meeting challenges that such programs commonly pose.
Evaluating aggregation of gold nanoparticles and humic substances using fluorescence spectroscopy.

The fate and transport of diagnostic gold nanoparticles in surface waters would significantly depend on their interactions with humic substances, which are ubiquitously found in natural aquatic systems. The current study employs UV−visible absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy to investigate the interactions of commercial humic acid (HA) with gold nanoparticles having a core size of 5 nm and coated with two different stabilizers, β-d-glucose and citrate. Humic substances (HS) are fluorescent in nature, providing a unique probe of nanometer-scale morphological changes for interactions between these natural polyelectrolytes and water-soluble gold nanoparticles. Quenching of fluorescence intensity was observed with β-d-glucose-coated gold nanoparticles, whereas an enhancement effect was noticed with the citrate-coated particles when mixed with HA having concentrations of 2 and 8 ppm (surface waters typically may contain ∼10 ppm HS). Examining the quenching and enhancement of fluorescence provides insight ...
The combination of monthly carboplatin and weekly paclitaxel is highly active for the treatment of recurrent ovarian cancer

Abstract Objectives To evaluate the response rate and toxicity of a regimen comprised of monthly carboplatin and weekly paclitaxel for recurrent ovarian cancer. Methods We performed a retrospective chart review of patients with recurrent ovarian cancer treated between 2001 and 2006 at a single institution with carboplatin AUC 5 (day 1), and paclitaxel 80 mg/m 2 (days 1, 8, 15) of a 28-day cycle. Primary endpoints were response rate, progression-free survival and overall survival. Results Twenty patients were treated with this regimen from 2001 to 2006. Stage ranged from stages IC to IV. All received intravenous platinum and taxane as their initial therapy. Histologic subtypes included papillary serous (17), carcinosarcoma (1), and clear cell (2). The median number of prior regimens was 1 (range 1–3). The overall response rate was 85.0% (15 complete responses, 2 partial responses). Patients with tumors categorized as platinum sensitive had a response rate of 93.3% (14/15) and those with tumors deemed platinum resistant had a response rate of 60.0% (3/5). The median survival has not yet been reached after a median follow-up of 28 months. Neutropenia was the only grade 3/4 toxicity, occurring in 7 patients (35.0%). Platinum hypersensitivity reactions occurred in 5 patients (25.0%) who all successfully continued treatment using a carboplatin desensitization protocol. Conclusions A monthly carboplatin and weekly paclitaxel regimen is highly active for women with recurrent platinum-sensitive and platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian cancer. The regimen is well tolerated. This pilot series demonstrates the potential for this regimen as treatment of choice among doublet first salvage regimens for patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer, thus warranting multi-institutional study.
Relay selection and power allocation in amplify-and-forward cognitive radio systems

In this paper, we consider the problem of joint relay selection and power allocation at the source and relay the nodes in a cognitive radio (CR) system in which nodes are allowed to cooperate with each other. In particular, we consider an amplify-and-forward (AF) relaying secondary system that operates in the presence of a primary system. Joint relay selection and power allocation are aimed to achieve the maximum possible throughput for the secondary system subject to power constraints at the secondary source and relay nodes and by considering interference constraints from the secondary to the primary system. Using constrained optimization techniques, we derive an optimal joint power allocation and relay selection scheme for the secondary system. The proposed optimal scheme requires exhaustive search over all the candidate relay nodes and to reduce its complexity, a non-exhaustive sub-optimal search method is also proposed. By simulation, we show that both optimal and sub-optimal schemes provide a significant throughput gain when compared to random relay selection with optimal power allocation (OPA) and equal power allocations (EPA).
Public Health and Bathing in Late Imperial Russia: A Statistical Approach

Going to the Russian bathhouse (bania) helped people preserve their health, at least according to common idioms and many medical doctors at the end of the nineteenth century and into the twentieth century. Yet the thousands of public bathhouses across the empire were often damp, dank, and overcrowded places conducive to the spread of infectious diseases. Were Russian Imperial bathhouses healthy or dangerous? Did they prevent and cure ailments or did they foster the spread of sickness and in turn increase mortality and incidence of disease? Qualitative reports from the period are inconclusive: some cite the benefits of bathhouses, others cite their threat to public health, and many note both. In this paper we use data from reports produced in the 1890s and early 1900s to undertake a statistical analysis of the health effects of public bathhouses in late Imperial Russia. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to apply modern statistical techniques to questions of Russian health and hygiene in this period. We find no evidence to support doctors' claims that banias were beneficial to public health and instead find some evidence that banias were associated with higher incidence of disease.
Simulations of HIV Capsid Protein Dimerization Reveal the Effect of Chemistry and Topography on the Mechanism of Hydrophobic Protein Association

Recent work has shown that the hydrophobic protein surfaces in aqueous solution sit near a drying transition. The tendency for these surfaces to expel water from their vicinity leads to self-assembly of macromolecular complexes. In this article, we show with a realistic model for a biologically pertinent system how this phenomenon appears at the molecular level. We focus on the association of the C-terminal domain (CA-C) of the human immunodeficiency virus capsid protein. By combining all-atom simulations with specialized sampling techniques, we measure the water density distribution during the approach of two CA-C proteins as a function of separation and amino acid sequence in the interfacial region. The simulations demonstrate that CA-C protein-protein interactions sit at the edge of a dewetting transition and that this mesoscopic manifestation of the underlying liquid-vapor phase transition can be readily manipulated by biology or protein engineering to significantly affect association behavior. Although the wild-type protein remains wet until contact, we identify a set of in silico mutations, in which three hydrophilic amino acids are replaced with nonpolar residues, that leads to dewetting before association. The existence of dewetting depends on the size and relative locations of substituted residues separated by nanometer length scales, indicating long-range cooperativity and a sensitivity to surface topography. These observations identify important details that are missing from descriptions of protein association based on buried hydrophobic surface area.
The effects of terminal food and water deprivation on the reinforcing properties of light-onset

To test the hypothesis that increases in need increase rats’ tendencies to react to stimuli, groups of acutely food- or water-deprived rats and ad lib controls were tested in a double bar lever-pressing apparatus. One lever produced the onset of a dim light; the other lever served as a control. Both deprived groups preferred the lever which turned on the light to a greater extent than the ad lib group, supporting the hypothesis. The food-deprived animals emitted more total responses than the ad lib or water-deprived groups.
A subdeterminant inequality for normal matrices

Abstract Let A be an n × n normal matrix over C , and Qm, n be the set of strictly increasing integer sequences of length m chosen from 1,…,n. For α, β ϵ Qm, n denote by A[α|β] the submatrix obtained from A by using rows numbered α and columns numbered β. For k ϵ {0, 1,…, m} we write |α∩β| = k if there exists a rearrangement of 1,…, m, say i1,…, ik, ik+1,…, im, such that α(ij) = β(ij), i = 1,…, k, and {α(ik+1),…, α(im) } ∩ {β(ik+1),…, β(im) } = ⊘. A new bound for |detA[α|β ]| is obtained in terms of the eigenvalues of A when 2m = n and |α∩β| = 0. Let U n be the group of n × n unitary matrices. Define the nonnegative number where | α ∩ β| = k. It is proved that Let A be semidefinite hermitian. We conjecture that ρ0(A) ⩽ ρ1(A) ⩽ ··· ⩽ ρm(A). These inequalities have been tested by machine calculations.
The origin of naturally occurring perchlorate: the role of atmospheric processes.

Perchlorate, an iodide uptake inhibitor, is increasingly being detected in new places and new matrices. Perchlorate contamination has been attributed largely to the manufacture and use of ammonium perchlorate (the oxidizer in solid fuel rockets) and/or the earlier use of Chilean nitrate as fertilizer (∼0.1% perchlorate). However, there are regions such as the southern high plains (Texas Panhandle) where there is no clear historical or current evidence of the extensive presence of rocket fuel or Chilean fertilizer sources. The occurrence of easily measurable concentrations of perchlorate in such places is difficult to understand. In the southern high plains groundwater, perchlorate is better correlated with iodate, known to be of atmospheric origin, compared to any other species. We show that perchlorate is readily formed by a variety of simulated atmospheric processes. For example, it is formed from chloride aerosol by electrical discharge and by exposing aqueous chloride to high concentrations of ozone. ...
Investigation of facet formation and competition in MBE growth

A theoretical model has been developed to study the facet formation and competition processes during epitaxial growth on patterned Si(100) substrates. Minimizing total free energy and surface migration are considered in the model. The inter-facet and intra-facet surface migration effects are discussed to elucidate the facet formation and competition. The results of the model explain most of our recent experimental observations. The model provides a better understanding and control of the facet growth processes on patterned Si substrates.
Chaotic vibrations of a magnet near a superconductor

Abstract The forced vibration of a small permanent magnet near the surface of a high temperature superconducting ceramic disc is shown to produce period doubling oscillations and chaos. The source of these anomalous vibrations is the nonlinear, hysteretic force between the magnet and the superconductor. These forces are believed to be related to flux pinning and flux dragging effects in the superconductor in the type II state. A return map, based on the displacement of the magnet, reveals a single hump polynomial function which under iteration exhibits a bifurcation structure similar to the experimental results.
Characterization of particle composition, organic vapor constituents, and mutagenicity of indoor air pollutant emissions

Abstract A joint chamber experiment was carried out by the California Indoor Air Quality Program and Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory to characterize particle and organic vapor emissions from several important indoor sources, including a gas range, tobacco smoking, hamburger frying, a kerosene heater, and selected aerosol spray products. Among the emissions data collected for each source were particle size distributions, particle-phase chemical compositions, volatile organic compounds, and mutagenicity of particles and vapor-phase constituents. Findings were used to assess qualitatively the nature of airborne emissions from each source and to compare emission constituents among source categories. This approach is a necessary first step in evaluating the feasibility of developing unique signatures for individual sources using a broad array of emission characteristics.
GaAs1−xSbx growth by OMVPE

The system GaAs1−xSbx has a solid phase miscibility gap ranging from x = 0.2 to x = 0.8 at the typical growth temperature of 600 C; however, metastable alloys covering this entire composition range have been grown by organometallic vapor phase epitaxy (OMVPE) using trimethylgallium, antimony and -arsenic as the source materials. The solid composition is studied for various values of growth temperature, the ratio of Sb to total group V elements in the vapor phase and the ratio of group III to group V elements in the vapor phase. The fraction of trimethylarsenic (TMAs) pyrolyzed in the vapor phase is found to be < 1 and to vary with temperature. Taking into account the incomplete pyrolysis of TMAs, solid composition is found to be controlled by thermodynamics. The effects of temperature and vapor composition are all accurately predicted using a simple thermodynamic model assuming equilibrium to be established at the solid-vapor interface. The properties of these metastable GaAs1−x Sbx alloys were explored using interference contrast microscopy, room temperature and 4 K photoluminescence, Hall effect and conductivity measurements. The alloy GaAs0.5Sb0.5 grown lattice matched to the InP substrate has excellent surface morphology, is p-type, and the photoluminescence spectrum consists of a single, intense, fairly broad (23.5 meV half width) peak at a wavelength of 1.54 Μm.
XYLEM ANATOMY AND RELATIONSHIPS OF GOMORTEGACEAE

THE SYSTEMATIC POSITION and relationships of Gomortegaceae have been uncertain since 1794 when Ruiz and Pavon described the only genus, Gomortega. Most of this dubiety probably has been caused not by the lack of sagacity among those investigators who have studied Gomortega but by the paucity of abundant and complete research material. This is still true today. Consequently, descriptions of Gomortega probably are incomplete, rather than inaccurate. Ruiz and Pavon (1798) placed the only species, Gomortega nitidat, in the Linnaean taxon "Decandria monogynia." Persoon (1805) followed Ruiz and Pavon in his Synopsis plantarum and also included Gomortega (which he called Adenostemum) within the Linnaean category. Gomortega (Adenostemum) is included by Nees (1836) in the Systema laurinarum as an uncertain genus. Gomor. tega is listed as a synonym of Pewunus (Monimiaceae) and as such is included as the third subdivision of Cryptocarya (Lauraceae) by Endlicher (1836-1840). Lindley (1853) lists Gomortega as synonymous with Peumus, Adenostemon and Keulia. R. A. Philippi (1864-1865) concluded that because of the 3-celled ovary and abundant endosperm of Gomortega (Adenostemum) it does not belong with Lauraceae. In a later work (1868) he affirms this and suggests that the large endosperm reminds one of Monimiaceae. Furthermore, this author states that Gomortega (Adenostemum) appears to constitute a transition between Lauraceae and Monimiaceae. F. Philippi (1881) chooses to align Gomortega with the Laurineae. Bentham and Hooker (1880), although tentatively placing Gomortega with Lauraceae, mention that the tricarpellate syncarpous ovary may point to relationship with Euphorbiaceae. Gomortega is excluded from Lauraceae and referred to Monimiaceae by Mez (1889). In his critical analysis of Gomortega, Reiche (1896) remarks that this is a genus anomalum which is not easily inserted into any existing plant family. Although he recognized the similarities of Gomortega to both Lauraceae and Monimiaceae, Reiche erected the family Gomortegaceae to
Rhetoric and paradox: Seeking knowledge from the “container and thing contained”;

(1988). Rhetoric and paradox: Seeking knowledge from the “container and thing contained”; Rhetoric Society Quarterly: Vol. 18, No. 1, pp. 15-30.
Promoting Interprofessional Collaboration Through the Co-Curricular Environment

Interprofessional (IP) experiences are increasing in frequency and scope in health professions education, though little is known about the role of the co-curricular environment in fostering students’ attitudes towards IP collaboration. We examined if participants in IP co-curricular activities of substantive duration held attitudes toward IP learning and collaboration differently than students who did not participate in such activities. We distributed a questionnaire composed of the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) and the Interdisciplinary Education Perception Scale (IEPS) to the 2008, 2009, and 2010 graduates of an academic health center. Respondents indicated if they participated in any of the six substantive IP co-curricular activities offered by the institution. Respondents were grouped by participation in “one or more IP activity” or “no participation.” Independent sample T-tests were performed for each of the RIPLS and IEPS scales to assess differences between those groups. 997 (58.1%) of the graduates completed the survey; 52.9% of the respondents reporting participation in at least one IP activity. Of the seven scales from the two instruments, the mean scores of one scale were significantly different between the two groups: IEPS “perceived need for cooperation” (p Results indicate that students who have participated in a substantive IP co-curricular activity hold more positive attitudes toward the perceived need for cooperation. It is likely that as a result of their IP collaborative experiences, these students recognize the value and need for cooperation. It appears that important IP collaborative learning occurs within the IP co-curricular environment, and in turn, may translate into improved use of IP collaboration skills in practice.
Infection prevention guidelines for cardiac catheterization laboratories

The following guidelines for prevention of catheterization laboratory infections are based on standard precautions for infection prevention in surgical wounds. Specific recommendations for patient preparation include proper methods for hair removal, skin cleaning and draping, antibiotic prophylaxis, wound irrigation and dressing, and sheath removal. Sterile precautions should be more vigorous for cutdown procedures compared to percutaneous. Caps, masks, gowns, and gloves help to protect both the patient and operator. Handwashing is the most important procedure for preventing infections. Maintenance of the catheterization laboratory environment includes appropriate cleaning, limitation of traffic, and maintenance of adequate ventilation. Proper catheterization technique and appropriate use of sterile equipment will decrease the wound infection rate. Protection of personnel may be accomplished by proper gowning and gloving, disposal of contaminated equipment, and care of puncture wounds and lacerations. All personnel should receive vaccination for hepatitis B.
Evidence for lateral transfer to Brucellae: characterization of a locus with a Tn-like element (Tn2020).

Abstract A genomic locus was discovered within Brucella abortus that contains a novel transposon-like element designated Tn 2020 . Tn 2020 is bounded by a copy of an insertion sequence designated IS 2020 and a truncated imperfect copy of IS 2020 (tIS 2020 A). The truncated copy is immediately adjacent to a second copy of IS 2020 . These data are consistent with the locus having evolved by a complex rearrangement following the transposition of a second copy of Tn 2020 . Analysis of the organization, orientation, and open reading frames (ORFs) of IS 2020 places it within the IS 6 family. Four ORFs from Tn 2020 were translated in vitro producing a potential transposase with an apparent molecular mass of 27.5 kDa, and three polypeptides with apparent molecular masses of 71 kDa, 22 kDa, and 14 kDa. The central region of Tn 2020 encodes the 71 kDa and 14 kDa proteins, while the 22 kDa protein is likely an internal translation initiation product of the IS 2020 transposase. The 71 kDa protein shares sequence similarity with several bacterial transcriptional regulatory proteins and may form a helix-turn-helix structure capable of binding DNA. No homologous protein sequences to the 14 kDa peptide were detected in available databases. The 27.5 kDa transposase and its 22 kDa internal translation product shared significant similarity to several transposases from diverse bacterial hosts. Immediately 5′ of Tn 2020 are genes encoding ribosomal proteins RplU and RpmA. This region also contains a 90 bp sequence that shares significant homology to a repetitive element with inverted repeats from the Sinorhizobium genome. Downstream from Tn 2020 is an ORF encoding a protein having significant similarity to a hypothetical protein from Caulobacter . The locus is lower in G+C content from that of the genome. These data suggest that lateral transfer of genetic material has occurred.
Spectral solution of inviscid supersonic flows over wedges and axisymmetric cones

A shock-fitted multidomain spectral collocation method is used to solve both steady and unsteady inviscid supersonic flows over bodies. New aspects of the method include two subdomain interface types and a zonal solution procedure to get efficient convergence to steady-state in supersonic regions. Steady-state examples include flow over a sharp cone, a hyperbolic cone and a hyperbolic wedge. For the cone, the exact flow solution is used to show that the method is spectrally accurate. As an example of an unsteady flow, a calculation of the interaction of a free-stream hot ring with the flow over a sharp cone is presented.
Behaviorally active doses of the CB1 receptor antagonist SR 141716A increase brain serotonin and dopamine levels and turnover.

Large doses (10-40 mg/kg) of the selective cannabinoid CB(1) receptor antagonist, SR 141716A, produce the head-twitch response (HTR) and scratching in rodents and vomiting in the least shrew (Cryptotis parva). Agents that increase brain serotonin (5-HT) levels induce the HTR in rodents, whereas enhancements in either brain 5-HT or dopamine concentrations can lead to production of emesis in vomiting species. The present study was undertaken to demonstrate whether large doses of SR 141716A can (1) induce the HTR and scratching in the least shrew and (2) cause concurrent biochemical changes in brain 5-HT and dopamine concentrations. SR 141716A (0, 1, 5, 10, 20 and 40 mg/kg i.p.) administration induced the HTR, scratching and vomiting. The HTR effect was bell shaped with a maximum frequency occurring at the 20 mg/kg SR 141716A dose, whereas the scratching and vomiting behaviors displayed dose-dependent effects. The selective 5-HT(2A/C) receptor antagonist, SR 46349B (0, 0.1, 0.25, 1, 3 and 6 mg/kg i.p.), differentially attenuated all SR 141716A (20 mg/kg)-induced behaviors because the HTR was relatively more potently and completely blocked. In the shrew forebrain, SR 141716A (20 and 40 mg/kg ip) caused dose- and time-dependent increases in the levels of 5-HT and dopamine and the concentrations of their major metabolites [5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIAA), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanilic acid (HVA)] and the turnover of both monoamines. Although the effects of SR 141716A on brainstem concentrations of both monoamines and their metabolites were not always consistent, the CB(1) antagonist did increase the turnover of both 5-HT and dopamine. The present findings suggest that the mechanism and the neurochemical substrate for SR 141716A-induced HTR and scratching behaviors is enhancement of 5-HT release, whereas increased release of 5-HT and dopamine probably contributes to the production of emesis.
The population, agriculture, and environment nexus in Latin America: country-level evidence from the latter half of the twentieth century

Unprecedented population growth and migration accompanied equally unprecedented land use and land cover change in Latin America during the latter decades of the twentieth century. Country-level data are examined with bivariate statistics to determine relationships between changes in population patterns and land use (agriculture and forest cover) from 1961 to 2001. In South America, large forest areas were eliminated during the period, while exceptionally high rates of forest clearing were ubiquitous in the Central America/Caribbean region. These environmental changes accompanied dissimilar initial population densities and different effects of population change on agriculture. While interacting with a host of political, socio-economic, and geographic processes, it appears that both Malthusian and Boserupian demographic processes were important drivers of deforestation. Given continued, though slowing, population growth, increased urban consumption, and future land use constraints, policy makers face myriad challenges in advancing sustainable agriculture-population dynamics in Latin America.
Deposition of bismuth by Yersinia enterocolitica.

Yersinia enterocolitica 808lc cultures in exponential growth were incubated for 1 h in 0.1 % microcrystalline bismuth subsalicylate (BSS) suspensions. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed microcrystals directly bound to BSS-treated bacteria. Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) X-ray microanalysis of the attached microcrystals confirmed that the crystals were the microcrystalline BSS. X-ray spectra positive for bismuth were also obtained by SEM-EDS X-ray microanalysis of whole bacteria, suggesting metal incorporation into the bacteria in regions absent of bound microcrystals. Transmission electron microscopy of thin sections of embedded preparations of BSS-treated exponential-growth-phase bacteria showed electron-dense deposits in the periphery of the bacteria. Y. enterocolitica cultures that were in stationary phase at the time of incubation with microcrystalline BSS showed no evidence of the electron-dense deposits and EDS spectra were negative for bismuth. Bacteria incubated in the absence of microcrystalline BSS also lacked electron-dense deposits. Scanning transmission electron microscopy used in conjunction with EDS X-ray microanalysis to view and analyze semi-thick sections (250–300 nm) of embedded preparations of BSS-treated bacteria in exponential growth confirmed that the electron-dense deposits at the periphery of the bacteria are the sites of bismuth depositions.
ON A GENERALIZATION OF A THEOREM OF LICHNEROWICZ TO MANIFOLDS WITH BOUNDARY

A theorem due to Lichnerowicz which establishes a lower bound on the lowest nonzero eigenvalue of the Laplacian acting on functions on a compact, closed manifold is reviewed. It is shown how this theorem can be extended to the case of a manifold with nonempty boundary. Lower bounds for different boundary conditions, analogous to the empty boundary case, are formulated and some novel proofs are presented.
Barbed Sutures and Wound Complications in Plastic Surgery: An Analysis of Outcomes

Background Barbed sutures may expedite dermal approximation and improve tissue support while requiring less time and material than conventional sutures. Several types of barbed sutures are available, each with unique advantages. Objectives The authors sought to determine whether the incidence of complications differed after wound approximation in plastic surgery when various brands of barbed vs nonbarbed traditional sutures were employed. Methods The authors conducted a retrospective review of outcomes in body contouring, free flap, and breast reconstruction. Suture type and closure method were noted for each case. The number of complications after traditional 2-layer closure with nonbarbed sutures was compared with the number of complications after closure via 1- and 2-layer techniques with several brands of barbed sutures, and the brands of barbed sutures were compared with each other. Results A total of 1011 unique surgical procedures, including 298 procedures with barbed sutures and 713 procedures with nonbarbed sutures, were performed by 5 members of the plastic surgery faculty. The 2-layer technique with barbed sutures was associated with significantly higher rates of wound separation than traditional methods. Excessive erythema along the incision site was significantly more frequent with Quill barbed sutures than with V-Loc barbed sutures. Conclusions Barbed sutures were associated with significantly higher rates of minor wound complications, specifically when the 2-layer closure technique was performed. Significantly higher rates of erythema were associated with Quill barbed sutures than with V-Loc barbed sutures. Level of Evidence: 4 ![Graphic][1] Risk [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif
N Saturation Symptoms in Chaparral Catchments Are Not Reversed by Prescribed Fire

Fire is a critical ecosystem process in many landscapes and is particularly dominant in the chaparral shrublands of southern California which are also exposed to high levels of atmospheric N deposition. Few studies have addressed the combined effects of these two disturbance factors. In this study we evaluate the hydrologic and biogeochemical response of a control and a prescribed burn catchment over a 15-year period. Streamwater nitrate concentrations and export in the burned catchment were higher than those in the unburned catchment for 7-10 years after the burn and concentrations remained high in both catchments during the entire study. Therefore, fire is not an effective mitigation tool for N deposition in these semi-arid systems. Additionally, the extended N export in this system indicates that chaparral ecosystems do not recovertheir N retention capabilities as rapidly as humid systems do when subjected to disturbance.
Voltammetric determination of electron-transfer rate between an enzyme and a mediator

Abstract Oxidation of glucose oxidase by ferrocenecarboxylic acid in the presence of glucose was examined by comparing experimental catalytic efficiencies from cyclic voltammetry with those digitally simulated by the general program ELEC. The program permitted consideration of individual diffusion coefficients of enzyme and mediator, the second-order nature of the initial electron-transfer event and the follow-up reaction of oxidized enzyme with glucose. A rate constant of 1.06 × 105 l mol−1 s−1 was found by analysis with such simulations for the accepted two-electron EC'C pathway. This was nearly half the approximate value found by a previously used pseudo-first-order EC' model assuming equal diffusion coefficients.
Phalloidin shift on velocity sedimentation sucrose gradient centrifugation for identification of microfilament-associated proteins☆

Velocity sedimentation by sucrose density gradient centrifugation has been used to characterize ascites microvillar microfilament cores and to identify microfilament-associated proteins. Fluoride, calcium, phalloidin and chemical cross-linking treatments of microvilli during Triton X-100 extractions increase the sedimentation rate of the microfilament core, compared with untreated control samples. Electrophoretic analyses of the distributions of actin, alpha-actinin and other microfilament-associated proteins across the gradients indicate that the primary mechanism for stabilization of the microfilament core is the reduction of fragmentation of the microfilaments. Significantly, alpha-actinin could be completely removed from the microfilaments by calcium treatment without causing a decrease in the size of the microfilament core. Because of the specificity of phalloidin in the stabilization of microfilaments, the shift on the gradients of microfilaments and their associated proteins in the presence of phalloidin provides a diagnostic tool for the identification of microfilament-associated proteins. This phalloidin shift technique should have widespread utility in the analysis of actin forms and microfilament-associated proteins from complex cell fractions.
TU-D-330A-02: A Search Model for Medical Image Interpretations

Search involves locating lesions in images under conditions of uncertainty regarding the number and locations of lesions that may be present. A mathematical model of search is presented that applies to situations, as in the free‐response paradigm, where on each image the number of normal regions that could be mistaken for lesions is unknown and the number of observer generated localizations of suspected regions (marks) is unpredictable. The search model is based on a two‐stage descriptive model proposed in the literature according to which at the first stage the observer uses mainly peripheral vision to identify likely lesion candidates, and at the second stage the observer decides whether or not to report the candidates. The mathematical search model regards the unpredictable numbers of lesion and non‐lesion localizations as random variables and models them via appropriate statistical distributions. The model has three parameters quantifying the perceived lesion signal‐to‐noise ratio, the observer's expertise at rejecting non‐lesion locations and the observer' expertise at finding lesions. A figure‐of‐merit quantifying the observer's search performance is described, as well as ROC and FROC curves predicted by the search model. Finally, we describe a preliminary method for estimating the parameters of the search model from free‐response data.
Random edge domination

Abstract The edge dominating number of the random graph G n, 1 2 is shown to be sharply concentrated.
Activation of a CrmA-insensitive, p35-sensitive Pathway in Ionizing Radiation-induced Apoptosis

The response of eukaryotic cells to ionizing radiation (IR) includes induction of apoptosis. However, the signals that regulate this response are unknown. The present studies demonstrate that IR treatment of U-937 cells is associated with: (i) internucleosomal DNA fragmentation; (ii) cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase; (iii) cleavage of protein kinase C δ; and (iv) induction of an Ac-DEVD-p-nitroanilide cleaving activity. Overexpression of the cowpox protein CrmA blocked tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-induced apoptosis but had no effect on IR-induced DNA fragmentation or cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and protein kinase C δ. By contrast, overexpression of the baculovirus p35 protein blocked both IR- and TNF-induced apoptosis. The results further demonstrate that the IR-induced proteolytic activity is directly inhibited by the addition of purified recombinant p35, but not by CrmA. We show that the CPP32 protease is sensitive to p35 and not CrmA. We also show that IR induces activation of CPP32 and that this event, like induction of apoptosis, is sensitive to overexpression of p35 and not CrmA. These findings indicate that IR-induced apoptosis involves activation of CPP32 and that this CrmA-insensitive apoptotic pathway is distinct from those induced by TNF and certain other stimuli.
Longitudinal Assessment of Noncontact Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Risk Factors During Maturation in a Female Athlete: A Case Report

Abstract Objective: To present a unique case of a young pubertal female athlete who was prospectively monitored for previously identified anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury risk factors for 3 ...
The Cemetery as Public Space: Spoon River Anthology and Act 3 of Our Town

The cemetery is often portrayed in literary and cultural works as a heterotopic site for the other, awash in gothic or melodramatic features. This essay argues that Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters and act 3 of Thornton Wilder's Our Town offer something quite different, a cemetery that invites people to use it as public space. After a historical overview of the American burial ground, the essay positions the cemetery in the current debate on public space. As the epitaphs of Spoon River and act 3 of Our Town typify, the cemetery is a contested site, open to constant negotiation and redefinition by the people who use it.
Fossils to fertilizer: Taphonomic implications of uranium roll fronts

Wyoming is famous for its deep structural basins containing both abundant vertebrate fossils and uranium-ore deposits in the form of roll fronts. Research conducted in The Breaks, an area of badlands in the northeastern corner of the Hanna Basin, south-central Wyoming, shows that these two disparate phenomena have an important relationship. Vertebrate bones and teeth, composed of bioapatite, are chemically stable under most diagenetic conditions. The chemical changes that occur at the leading edge of a propagating roll front, however, are capable of eliminating these fossils. This happens as pyrite is oxidized, which releases sulfuric acid to the ground water. Sulfuric acid reacts vigorously with apatite, releasing soluble phosphate. Phosphate liberated from the dissolved bones and teeth provides a valuable, often limiting, nutrient to plants or lichens once the roll front is exposed on the ground surface. In The Breaks, bedrock permeability is the most important factor controlling the distribution of roll fronts and, therefore, also of vertebrate fossils. Thus, patterns of roll-front distribution, observed from differing lithologic characteristics or floral assemblages growing on the rock, might provide a useful prospecting tool for paleontologists.
A Remote Sensing Survey of the Role of Landform on the Organization of Orographic Precipitation in Central and Southern Mexico

Abstract Data from NASA’s TRMM satellite and NOAA’s GOES satellites were used to survey the orographic organization of cloud precipitation in central and southern Mexico during the monsoon with two main objectives: 1) to investigate large-scale forcing versus local landform controls, and 2) to compare the results with previous work in the Himalayas. At large scales, the modes of spatial variability of cloudiness were estimated using the empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis of GOES brightness temperatures. Terrain modulation of synoptic-scale high-frequency variability (3–5- and 6–9-day cycles normally associated with the propagation of easterly waves) was found to cause higher dispersion in the EOF spectrum, with the first mode explaining less than 30% of the spatial variability in central and southern Mexico as opposed to 50% and higher in the Himalayas. A detailed analysis of the first three EOFs for 1999, an average La Nina year with above average rainfall, and for 2001, a weak La Nina year wit...
Geoscience data curation using a digital object model and open-source frameworks: Provenance applications

We find that software frameworks for digital content management and access may be used for capturing certain data provenance information, particularly for data that has already been created and archived at a repository center. One of the key enabling factors is the abstraction concept of a digital object augmented with semantic relationships. One set of frameworks, Fedora Repository and Drupal CMS with the Islandora connector hold great promise for provenance applications as well as long-term curation of Geoscience datasets.
Selecting Attributes for Sentiment Classification Using Feature Relation Networks

A major concern when incorporating large sets of diverse n-gram features for sentiment classification is the presence of noisy, irrelevant, and redundant attributes. These concerns can often make it difficult to harness the augmented discriminatory potential of extended feature sets. We propose a rule-based multivariate text feature selection method called Feature Relation Network (FRN) that considers semantic information and also leverages the syntactic relationships between n-gram features. FRN is intended to efficiently enable the inclusion of extended sets of heterogeneous n-gram features for enhanced sentiment classification. Experiments were conducted on three online review testbeds in comparison with methods used in prior sentiment classification research. FRN outperformed the comparison univariate, multivariate, and hybrid feature selection methods; it was able to select attributes resulting in significantly better classification accuracy irrespective of the feature subset sizes. Furthermore, by incorporating syntactic information about n-gram relations, FRN is able to select features in a more computationally efficient manner than many multivariate and hybrid techniques.
Identifying medical terms in patient-authored text: a crowdsourcing-based approach.

Background and objective As people increasingly engage in online health-seeking behavior and contribute to health-oriented websites, the volume of medical text authored by patients and other medical novices grows rapidly. However, we lack an effective method for automatically identifying medical terms in patientauthored text (PAT). We demonstrate that crowdsourcing PAT medical term identification tasks to non-experts is a viable method for creating large, accurately-labeled PAT datasets; moreover, such datasets can be used to train classifiers that outperform existing medical term identification tools. Materials and methods To evaluate the viability of using non-expert crowds to label PAT, we compare expert (registered nurses) and non-expert (Amazon Mechanical Turk workers; Turkers) responses to a PAT medical term identification task. Next, we build a crowdlabeled dataset comprising 10 000 sentences from MedHelp. We train two models on this dataset and evaluate their performance, as well as that of MetaMap, Open Biomedical Annotator (OBA), and NaCTeM’s TerMINE, against two gold standard datasets: one from MedHelp and the other from CureTogether. Results When aggregated according to a corroborative voting policy, Turker responses predict expert responses with an F1 score of 84%. A conditional random field (CRF) trained on 10 000 crowd-labeled MedHelp sentences achieves an F1 score of 78% against the CureTogether gold standard, widely outperforming OBA (47%), TerMINE (43%), and MetaMap (39%). A failure analysis of the CRF suggests that misclassified terms are likely to be either generic or rare. Conclusions Our results show that combining statistical models sensitive to sentence-level context with crowd-labeled data is a scalable and effective technique for automatically identifying medical terms in PAT.
The Relationship Between Import Penetration and Operation of the U.S. Textile and Apparel Industries From 2002 to 2008

The U.S. textile and apparel (T&A) industries have respectively adopted various restructuring strategies in recent years which fundamentally changed the way the two industries operate and the shift...
ELASTICITY OF TETRAGONAL END-MEMBER MAJORITE AND SOLID SOLUTIONS IN THE SYSTEM MG4SI4O12-MG3AL2SI3O12

The adiabatic elastic moduli of polycrystalline En50Py50 and En80Py20 majorite-garnet solid solutions (where En=4MgSiO3, Py=Mg3Al2Si3O12) and the end-member En100 tetragonal majorite were determined at ambient conditions using Brillouin spectroscopy. The adiabatic bulk modulus, K, and shear modulus, μ, of En50Py50 were found to be K=173.1 (20) and μ=92.3 (10) GPa, and are indistinguishable from those of the end-member pyrope, Py100. The moduli of the more majorite-rich samples are significantly lower and are virtually identical to each other (K=162.6(11) and μ=85.7(7) for En80Py20; K=166(5) and μ=88(2) for En100). In combination with previously reported moduli for this system, we conclude that both K and μ are constant over the compositional range from Py100 to a majorite content of about 70–80%, whereupon the moduli decrease substantially. For compositions ranging from En80Py20 to the end-member majorite, the moduli are also approximately independent of composition, but at a lower value. An alternative model with a continuous decrease in moduli with increasing majorite content cannot be excluded, within the uncertainties of existing measurements. The contrast in moduli between aluminous pyrope garnet and Al-free majorite are small compared with the modulus changes accompanying the pyroxene – majorite phase transformation.
Surgical management of pediatric radial neck fractures.

Background Management of pediatric radial neck fractures is controversial regarding acceptable alignment, variable reduction techniques, and suboptimal outcomes. The purpose of this study was to assess the characteristics, management, and results in a surgical cohort, in efforts to identify prognostic factors and offer treatment suggestions. It was hypothesized that less invasive reduction maneuvers would precede open reduction and that worse results would correlate with fracture severity, open reduction, and the presence of associated injuries. Methods Retrospective analysis of 151 children in whom a radial neck fracture had been surgically treated from 2001 to 2011 was performed. The mean age (and standard deviation) and duration of follow-up were 8.4 ± 2.9 years and 13.3 ± 20.0 months, respectively; 40% of the patients were male. A successful clinical result was defined as elbow flexion of ≥120°, flexion contracture of Results An isolated radial neck fracture occurred in 54% of the children. The mean angulation and displacement improved from 43° ± 19° and 37% ± 35%, respectively, before treatment to 13° ± 7° and 0.9% ± 4% after treatment (p Conclusions There continues to be great variation in the approach to treatment of displaced radial neck fractures in children. Suboptimal results occurred in 31% of the patients in this series, with worse results in patients older than ten years, who had increased fracture severity, and who underwent open reduction. Less invasive reduction methods should precede open reduction whenever possible.