cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sticky foam technology for less-than-lethal force situations

Sticky foam is an extremely tacky, tenacious material used to entangle and impair an individual. It was developed at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) in the late 1970's for usage in nuclear safeguards and security applications. In late 1992, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the research arm of the Department of Justice, began a project with SNL to determine the applicability of sticky foam for law enforcement usage. The objectives of the project were to develop a dispenser capable of firing sticky foam, to conduct an extensive toxicology review of sticky foam (formulation SF-283), to test the developed dispenser and sticky foam effectiveness on SNL volunteers acting out prison and law enforcement scenarios, and to have the dispenser and sticky foam further evaluated by correctional representatives. This paper discusses the results of the project. >
"Pathologic" fractures: should these be included in epidemiologic studies of osteoporotic fractures?

Summary Pathologic fractures are often excluded in epidemiologic studies of osteoporosis. Using Medicare administrative data, we identified persons with vertebral and hip fractures. Among these, 48% (vertebral) and 3% (hip) of the fractures were coded as pathologic. Only 25% and 66% of persons with these pathologic fractures had evidence for malignancy.
Disobedient Bodies: Racialization, Resistance, and the Mass (Re)Articulation of the Mexican Immigrant Body

In scores of grassroots protest activities in 2006, immigrants and immigrant-rights supporters effectively derailed anti-immigrant legislation before Congress, as they meaningfully engaged with “th...
Pairing success relative to male plumage redness and pigment symmetry in the house finch: temporal and geographic constancy

Male house finches (Carpodacus mexicanus) have carotenoid-based ornamental plumage coloration. In previous research it was shown that for a single population of house finches in a single year, males that paired were on average redder in plumage coloration than males that did not pair, and males with redder plumage tended to nest earlier than males with less red plumage. Here we show that these patterns continued over 6 years and at two widely separated locations. We also tested whether the symmetry of carotenoid-based crown pigmentation differed between paired and unpaired males and found that paired males have, on average, more perfect symmetry of crown pigmentation than males not paired. These observations support the idea that expression of carotenoid-based plumage coloration by males is a persistent and widespread criterion in female mate choice in the house finch. Key words: carotenoids, Carpodacus mexicanus, fluctuating asymmetry, mate choice, sexual selection. [Behav Ecol 10:48‐53 (1999)]
Evaluation of a screening interview for restless legs syndrome.

Objectives – We evaluated a fully structured interview for restless legs syndrome (RLS) for potential use in primary care settings and in epidemiological research. Methods – Seventy-four veterans were recruited at Veterans Affairs outpatient clinics. The interview was administered telephonically by trained non-clinicians (time 1) and readministered face to face (time 2). A physician conducted gold standard examinations. We calculated sensitivity, specificity and reproducibility. Results – Reproducibility was low (κ = 0.34, P < 0.01), but was higher for interviews repeated within 1 year (κ = 0.55, P < 0.01). Including those reporting ≥3 symptoms as cases, sensitivity ranged from 63% (time 1) to 75% (time 2). Specificity ranged from 88% to 71%. Conclusions – The sensitivity and specificity reported here are lower than previously reported in specialty care. This interview for RLS might be useful for preliminary screening of patients with related complaints if followed by additional diagnostic maneuvers or might be used in observational epidemiological research.
Implications for Future Survival of Delta Smelt from Four Climate Change Scenarios for the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California

Changes in the position of the low salinity zone, a habitat suitability index, turbidity, and water temperature modeled from four 100-year scenarios of climate change were evaluated for possible effects on delta smelt Hypomesus transpacificus, which is endemic to the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta. The persistence of delta smelt in much of its current habitat into the next century appears uncertain. By mid-century, the position of the low salinity zone in the fall and the habitat suitability index converged on values only observed during the worst droughts of the baseline period (1969–2000). Projected higher water temperatures would render waters historically inhabited by delta smelt near the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers largely uninhabitable. However, the scenarios of climate change are based on assumptions that require caution in the interpretation of the results. Projections like these provide managers with a useful tool for anticipating long-term challenges to managing fish populations and possibly adapting water management to ameliorate those challenges.
A stochastic optimization scheme for automatic registration of aerial images

The topic of this work is related to image registration of aerial images. This topic represents a very complicated problem especially when several variations and distortions occur. In addition to that, the requirement for an automated process further complicates this task. In this paper a stochastic optimization scheme is proposed using genetic algorithms to address misalignments caused by viewpoint, temporal and terrain variations of aerial images. A multiscale optical flow approach is applied next to achieve subpixel registration. Some experimental results are also presented to indicate the applicability of the proposed scheme.
Internal heterogeneity of gaps and species richness in Costa Rican tropical wet forest

In Costa Rican tropical wet forest the distribution of seedlings of most tree species colonizing 51 tree-fall gaps is clumped, probably because of differences in the proximity of gaps to fruiting trees. Different gap zones (root, bole and crown) are more similar to one another, in terms of their species composition, than they are to other zones in the same gap. This nonrandom pattern is established soon after gap formation, indicating that mortality of young seedlings is both high and related to gap zones. Some tree species are strongly positively associated with one of the gap zones, whereas others are associated with the age of the gap at the time the census was taken or the species of tree whose fall caused the gap. Root zones are dominated by fewer species than are bole or crown zones. Results are consistent with the assumption that an initial random distribution of seedlings is quickly changed to a strongly non-random pattern by selective mortality of seedlings of different tree species in the different gap zones. The internal heterogeneity of gaps is probably one of the factors helping to maintain the high tree species richness characteristic of tropical wet forests.
Infectious disease risk in the elderly

Older persons suffer excessively from infectious diseases such as pneumonia and urinary tract infections. This article discusses some of the reasons for this additional morbidity and mortality, including the anatomical and physiological changes with aging, impairment of immune function, presence of co-morbid diseases, and delays in diagnosis and initiation of therapy.
Data analysis techniques and applications of diffusion tensor imaging

Diffusion tensor imaging can provide unique information about the white matter architecture. The technique is unique in a sense that it can provide multiple contrasts depending on data processing methods. Based on the fiber orientation information, three-dimensional reconstruction of tract trajectories is also possible. In the paper, possibilities and limitations of various DTI-based visualization techniques are discussed.
DISTRIBUTION, SURVIVAL, AND INTRA-TREE MOVEMENT OF LATE-INSTAR BIRCH CASEBEARER LARVAE ON WHITE BIRCH (LEPIDOPTERA: COLEOPHORIDAE)

The number of the birch casebearer larvae, Coleophora fuscedinella Zeller, within white birch crowns, Betula papyrifera Marsh., decreased 70% from overwintered survivors to about 50% pupae in the population. Within a crown, the highest number occurred in the outer shell and lowest in the inner. Casebearer numbers, weighted by the number of leaf clusters, were highest in the inner shell and lowest in the outer. Among crown quarters, both unweighted and weighted numbers were generally highest in the middle two crown quarters, lowest in the bottom quarter, and variable in the top quarter. Peaks in immigration and emigration of larvae among crown strata occurred first when third and again when fourth instar larvae were most abundant. Immigration consisted only of intra-tree crawling, but emigration consisted of intra-tree crawling, removal by predation, and larvae leaving the tree to pupate on ground vegetation.
The Effects of a Beef-Based Meal Compared to a Calorie Matched Bean-Based Meal on Appetite and Food Intake

Protein and fiber have strong satiety-inducing potential. Beef is a high quality, protein-rich food. Beans contain moderate levels of protein as well as fiber. To determine the effects of a high protein meal (beef) compared to a moderate protein, high fiber meal (beans) on subjective appetite and energy intake at a subsequent meal twenty-eight adults, 14 men (ages 24 ± 5 y, BMI 23 ± 2 kg/m(2) ) and 14 women (ages 25 ± 5 y, BMI 22 ± 2 kg/m(2) ) consumed 2 test lunches containing a "meatloaf" made from either beef or beans. The beef meal provided 26 g of protein and 3 g of fiber while the bean meal provided 17 g of protein and 12 g of fiber. An ad libitum snack was given 3 h after the test meal. Visual analogue scales were used to assess hunger, satiety, fullness, and prospective food intake. Gastrointestinal (GI) tolerance was assessed over 24 h. No difference between the beef and bean was observed for appetite ratings over 3 h, food intake at the subsequent meal (632 ± 75 kcal compared with 611 ± 75 kcal, respectively), or sum of GI score (2.2 ± 0.5 compared with 2.9 ± 0.5, respectively). Gas and bloating were reported more often after the bean meal than the beef meal (2.0 ± 0.4 compared with 1.3 ± 0.4, P value 0.057). A beef-based meal with high protein and a bean-based meal with moderate protein and high fiber produced similar satiety, while the bean-based meal resulting in higher, yet moderate, gas and bloating.
High dimensional decision dilemmas in climate models

Abstract. An important source of uncertainty in climate models is linked to the calibration of model parameters. Interest in systematic and automated parameter optimization procedures stems from the desire to improve the model climatology and to quantify the average sensitivity associated with potential changes in the climate system. Building upon on the smoothness of the response of an atmospheric circulation model (AGCM) to changes of four adjustable parameters, Neelin et al. (2010) used a quadratic metamodel to objectively calibrate the AGCM. The metamodel accurately estimates global spatial averages of common fields of climatic interest, from precipitation, to low and high level winds, from temperature at various levels to sea level pressure and geopotential height, while providing a computationally cheap strategy to explore the influence of parameter settings. Here, guided by the metamodel, the ambiguities or dilemmas related to the decision making process in relation to model sensitivity and optimization are examined. Simulations of current climate are subject to considerable regional-scale biases. Those biases may vary substantially depending on the climate variable considered, and/or on the performance metric adopted. Common dilemmas are associated with model revisions yielding improvement in one field or regional pattern or season, but degradation in another, or improvement in the model climatology but degradation in the interannual variability representation. Challenges are posed to the modeler by the high dimensionality of the model output fields and by the large number of adjustable parameters. The use of the metamodel in the optimization strategy helps visualize trade-offs at a regional level, e.g., how mismatches between sensitivity and error spatial fields yield regional errors under minimization of global objective functions.
Oat cover cropping and soil insecticides in an integrated sugarbeet root maggot (Diptera: Otitidae) management program.

Sugarbeet, Beta vulgaris L., producers occasionally establish cereal cover crops to minimize early-season soil erosion, wind abrasion, and mechanical injury of seedlings. We evaluated the use of living oat, Avena sativa L., cover cropping as a cultural tactic to minimize feeding injury from sugarbeet root maggot, Tetanops myopaeformis (Roder), larvae at five field sites during 1996, 1998, and 1999. Sweep-net sampling yielded 4.8-, 11.2-, and 7.2-fold more flies from oat cover-cropped chlorpyrifos, terbufos, and untreated control plots, respectively, than in noncover counterparts. However, larval feeding injury in terbufos-treated plots was reduced when cover-cropped (383 seeds/m2) at St. Thomas in all years. A reduced oat seeding rate (224 seeds/m2) also enhanced root protection in terbufos-treated plots at St. Thomas in 1999. Less root injury was sustained in cover-cropped chlorpyrifos plots than in noncover counterparts at St. Thomas in 2 study yr. Oat cover cropping also frequently resulted in reduced T. myopaeformis feeding injury in the absence of a soil insecticide. Although trends toward increased yields were often evident, significant yield benefits were limited to a 6.8% root yield increase in oat cover plots when compared with noncover treatments overall at St. Thomas in 1996 and an 18.4% sucrose yield increase in terbufos-treated plots at St. Thomas in 1999. These findings suggest that beneficial interactions between planting-time soil insecticides and cereal cover crops are achievable in areas infested by T. myopaeformis. Demonstrated reductions in root feeding injury, combined with additional agronomic benefits, may warrant use of this production practice as part of an integrated management program for this key insect pest of sugarbeet.
Origins of the binocular head mirror: The mystery of Dr. Clar, clarified

Abstract Background The origin of Dr. Clar's forehead mirror remains a mystery. The aim of this study is to track the roots of this eponym anew to find a definitive answer. Methods Historical, notably by the analysis of the reports of medical meetings and the content of instrument trade catalogs of the corresponding epoch. Results Konrad or Conrad Clar (1844–1904) was an Austrian balneologist and geologist particularly interested in laryngological examination. He notably invented a lighting apparatus in 1874, his famous forehead mirror in 1886, and a handgrip for laryngological instruments in 1901. Conclusions Konrad Clar is the man behind the eponymous Dr. Clar's mirror. This study allowed to definitively confirm this statement.
A computer architecture for implementation within autonomous machines

As additional capabilities are added to intelligent machines, they are increasingly likely to require sophisticated parallel architectures, but no general consensus has developed with regard to the basic form of such architectures. A structure called ANIMA is proposed, derived from basic principles, which is capable of implementing approaches generally considered to be incompatible, allowing it to serve as a platform for comparing methodologies on a single machine. ANIMA is targeted for all types of intelligent sensor-based systems and can be implemented in a variety of ways, including heterogeneous processor networks. The architecture is described symbolically in the language of CSP (Communicating Sequential Processes), and a proof of freedom from deadlock is given. The timing characteristics of ANIMA are analyzed from the standpoint of response to machine perceptions. An implementation based on the Inmos transputer is developed, with the ability to control either an actual mobile robot or a simulated machine, with the simulation occurring within the same processor network. The implementation includes a variety of modular components, each described as a separate case study. These include low-level sensor and effector subsystems, as well as several different reasoning structures. A complete functional robot using ANIMA has participated in a mobile robot competition with entries from other schools and institutions. Follow-on systems have targeted another competition and a hazardous waste application for the Department of Energy. The fundamental goal of this research is to establish a useful framework of abstractions for truly autonomous machines and to relate them to actual hardware requirements. In so doing, an architectural basis is established for a family of robots, which can evolve merely through improvements in algorithms, technology enhancements in the hardware modules, and expansion by adding modules.
Factors Related to Job Satisfaction in Urology

Abstract Introduction There is little information on job satisfaction in the extant literature in urology. The purpose of this study is to examine 1) the current state of job satisfaction among urologists in the United States, and 2) the demographic and work place factors that have the greatest influence on satisfaction. Methods We collaborated with AUA (American Urological Association) to query its domestic membership of practicing urologists regarding socioeconomic, work force and quality of life issues. A total of 848 responses were collected for a total response rate of 13%. Linear regression models were used to evaluate bivariable and multivariable associations with job satisfaction scores on a 1 to 5 scale. Results Of providers 70% reported being satisfied, 63% reported that they would choose medicine again and 83% would choose urology again. Age and job satisfaction did not demonstrate a linear association on statistical analysis but rather a U-shaped relationship. On bivariate analysis significant factors associated with higher job satisfaction included younger and older age, higher income (p = 0.047), fewer call days (p = 0.006), fellowship training (p = 0.006) and academic practice (overall p = 0.002). On multivariate analysis age (younger and older ages) and academic practice remained significant predictors of job satisfaction (p = 0.01) as did higher income (p = 0.038). Conclusions The current study helps describe the current state of job satisfaction among American urologists and examined work place factors that influence satisfaction. Income, hours worked, academic practice and age each have a significant impact on job satisfaction for the practicing urologist. Keeping abreast of the drivers of job satisfaction is critical to ensure that urologists continue to care for patients, perform research, educate future physicians and provide service to their communities.
Medical Malpractice Reform--Historical Approaches, Alternative Models, and Communication and Resolution Programs.

Alternative dispute resolution models promote clinicians’ ethical behavior and provide patients reasonable compensation within a reasonable timeframe.
Linear Convergence and the Bisection Algorithm

(1986). Linear Convergence and the Bisection Algorithm. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 93, No. 1, pp. 48-51.
Release of Antidiuretic Hormone Due to Common Carotid Occlusion and Its Relation with Vagus Nerve.

SummaryIn bilaterally vagotomized dogs, occlusion of common carotid arteries caused an increase in plasma ADH concentration, which averaged 264% of control at 2 minutes after beginning the occlusion. This increase in ADH was not observed in normal dogs with vagi intact or in dogs with efferent vagi blocked by atropine. It is concluded that the afferent vagal fibers exert some inhibitory influence on the supraoptico-hypophyseal system and that carotid occlusion results in ADH release when the vagal inhibition is removed.
Reactions of atomic hydrogen with formic acid and carbon monoxide in solid parahydrogen II: Deuterated reaction studies.

It is difficult to determine whether the measured rate constant for reaction of atomic hydrogen with formic acid reported in Part 1 reflects the H atom quantum diffusion rate or the rate constant for the tunneling reaction step. In Part 2 of this series, we present kinetic studies of the postphotolysis H atom reactions with deuterated formic acid (DCOOD) to address this ambiguity. Short duration 193 nm in situ photolysis of DCOOD trapped in solid parahydrogen results in partial depletion of the DCOOD precursor and photoproduction of primarily CO, CO2, DOCO, HCO and mobile H atoms. At 1.9 K we observe post-irradiation growth in the concentrations of DOCO and HCO that can be explained by H atom tunneling reactions with DCOOD and CO, respectively. Conducting experiments with different deuterium isotopomers of formic acid (DCOOD, DCOOH, HCOOD and HCOOH) provides strong circumstantial evidence the reaction involves H atom abstraction from the alkyl group of formic acid. Further, the anomalous temperature depen...
Simultaneous determination of arsenic and antimony in water by hydride generation-atomic fluorescence spectrometry

[Objective]To establish the method for simultaneous determination of arsenic and antimony in drinking water by double channel atomic fluorescence spectrometer,improve work efficiency.[Methods]Choosing optimal instrument condition,the sample treatment method,acidity,concentration of potassium borohydride,detection limit,linear range,precision and the recovery of standard addition were studied.[Results]The linear relationship of arsenic and antimony was 0-80 μg/L and 0-40 μg/L respectively.The detection limit of arsenic and antimony was 0.087 μg/L and 0.19 μg/L respectively.The relative standard deviation of arsenic and antimony was 1.93%-2.55% and 1.97%-3.02% respectively.The average recovery of standard addition of arsenic and antimony was 95.7% and 96.5% respectively.[Conclusion]This method has the advantages of simple operation and high sensitivity,it is rapid and easy to spread,which is suitable for simultaneous determination of arsenic and antimony in water.
Improving efficiency in a residency training clinic: results from addressing a root cause of inefficiency.

BACKGROUND: Since the early 1980s, primary care teaching clinics have repeatedly been reported to be inefficient. This paper describes the results of a 5-year effort to improve the efficiency of our residency teaching clinic. METHODS: This 5-year longitudinal tracking study of a clinic monitored monthly patient volume, number of providers scheduled per half day, and patient satisfaction with waiting times while interventions occurred to improve clinic efficiency. RESULTS: Prior to rigorously tracking the number of providers in clinic, monthly clinic patient volume increased temporarily (1998-1999) but fell back to baseline the following year. Variation in the number of providers in clinic explained nearly half the variability in the number of patients seen. After beginning a process of tracking and proactively optimizing the number of providers in clinic per half day, patient volumes increased significantly and stabilized at the higher levels. Patient satisfaction with waiting time improved slightly. CONCLUSIONS: Tracking and optimizing a single operational variable can improve clinic performance significantly. Reducing the variation in the number of providers scheduled to see patients toward an optimum number based on the number of available exam rooms resulted in sustainable increases in the number of patients seen without any negative impact on the patient satisfaction with waiting times.
Mission Delayed: The Russian Orthodox Church after the Conquest of Kazan'

Muscovy's active period of eastward expansion began with the conquest of the Khanate of Kazan’ in 1552. By the seventeenth century, one observer claimed that the conquest of Kazan’ was the event that made Ivan IV a tsar and Muscovy an empire. With this victory, the tsar claimed new lands, adding to his subjects the diverse animistic and Muslim population of Turkic Tatars and Chuvashes, and Finno-Ugric Maris, Mordvins, and Udmurts. The conquest of Kazan’ provided both the Metropolitan of Moscow and Ivan IV (the Terrible) an opportunity to transform the image of Muscovy into that of a victorious Orthodox power and to justify the title of its Grand Prince as a new caesar (tsar). Since the conquest was the first Orthodox victory against Islam since the fall of Constantinople, commemorations of it were immediate, including the construction of the Church of the Intercession by the Moat (St. Basil's) on Red Square.The incorporation of the lands and peoples of Kazan’ has served traditionally to date the establishment of the Russian Empire. Accounts of the conquest have emphasized the victory of Orthodoxy against Islam, with the Russian Orthodox Church and its Metropolitan as the motive force behind this expansion. The conversion of the Muslims and animists of the region is portrayed frequently as automatic, facing little resistance. More recently, scholars have criticized this simplistic account of the conquest by discussing the conversion mission as a rhetorical construct and have placed increasing emphasis on the local non-Russian and non-Orthodox resistance to the interests of the Church and state.
Tea and Inflammation

Scientific evidence from preclinical and clinical studies suggests that chronic inflammation may lead to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, among other devastating diseases. Several studies have concluded that bioactive compounds present in tea, such as catechins and theaflavins, may reduce the risk of inflammation, and therefore various related chronic diseases, including cancer. Dietary intake of green tea and some herbal teas may regulate pro-inflammatory cytokine activity in inflammatory-related diseases. Green tea extracts may also reduce inflammation in addition to oxidative and metabolic stress. Major advances have been made to understand the role of tea and its compounds in the molecular events leading to inflammation reduction and health promotion; however, the evidence is not conclusive. Possible mechanisms of action may explain the cancer-preventing aspects of tea components, specifically related to its anti-inflammatory effects. Tea polyphenols inhibit nuclear translocation of NF-κB subunits which prevent the transcription of inflammatory genes – resulting in reduced inflammation. Human interventional studies with well-characterized tea products are needed.
Carlyle and Art: Symbol, Emblem and Image

While there are many who would quarrel over Carlyle’s ideas, few would deny his claim as artist; and one significant ‘artistic’ device upon which he relied was the use of emblems or symbols, a device that again reflects his view of the whole. In analysing Teufelsdrockh’s statement that all visible things are symbols of more important invisible ideas or forces, Georg Tennyson writes: The sentence, with its three independent clauses, states this idea from several vantage points, turns, as it were, the jewel to different lights …. By the conclusion of the sentence Carlyle has moved to a philosophic … vocabulary—Matter, Idea—which lends authority to the statement that began with common language. Moreover, Carlyle, by the end of the sentence, has made a more inclusive statement than the one he began with.1 Carlyle’s method, then, reflects his own religious, philosophic, and aesthetic thought: it straddles two worlds, the common and the philosophic, the real and the ideal. Newton and Goethe were simply two sides of a single concept, each necessary to the other. Newton’s universe was the Word; Goethe’s the Idea: Newton’s the photograph or Emblem; Goethe’s the Reality.
Cross-frequency coupling during auditory perception in human cortex

Cross-frequency coupling plays an important role in coordinating neuronal computations underlying human perception, learning and memory. Here we compared four methods for measuring phase/amplitude coupling (PAC) of theta (4–7 Hz) and high-gamma (70–150 Hz) in intracranial electrocorticographic (ECoG) recordings. Time-frequency spectral and time-domain evoked responses were derived for comparison. All four methods showed significant increases in theta/high-gamma PAC in auditory cortex at sites where significant event-related increases in high-gamma power were also observed. Similarly, all PAC methods revealed stimulus effects (type, probability). However, the patterns of PAC increases differed across methods. Results suggest that PAC measures may be differentially sensitive to the underlying neural activity, including high-gamma amplitude, phase locking, and response timing.
LC-MS/MS strategies for therapeutic antibodies and investigation into the quantitative impact of antidrug-antibodies.

Aim: We aimed to establish novel, high-throughput LC–MS/MS strategies for quantification of monoclonal antibodies in human serum and examine the potential impact of antidrug antibodies. Methodology: We present two strategies using a thermally stable immobilized trypsin. The first strategy uses whole serum digestion and the second introduces Protein G enrichment to improve the selectivity. The impact of anti-trastuzumab antibodies on the methods was tested. Conclusion: Whole serum digestion has been validated for trastuzumab (LLOQ 0.25 µg/ml). Protein G enrichment has been validated for trastuzumab (LLOQ 0.1 µg/ml), bevacizumab (LLOQ 0.1 µg/ml) and adalimumab (LLOQ 0.25 µg/ml). We have shown the potential for anti-drug antibodies to impact on the quantification and we have subsequently established a strategy to overcome this impact where total quantification is desired.
Harnessing catalytic pumps for directional delivery of microparticles in microchambers.

The directed transport of microparticles in microfluidic devices is vital for efficient bioassays and fabrication of complex microstructures. There remains, however, a need for methods to propel and steer microscopic cargo that do not require modifying these particles. Using theory and experiments, we show that catalytic surface reactions can be used to deliver microparticle cargo to specified regions in microchambers. Here reagents diffuse from a gel reservoir and react with the catalyst-coated surface. Fluid density gradients due to the spatially varying reagent concentration induce a convective flow, which carries the suspended particles until the reagents are consumed. Consequently, the cargo is deposited around a specific position on the surface. The velocity and final peak location of the cargo can be tuned independently. By increasing the local particle concentration, highly sensitive assays can be performed efficiently and rapidly. Moreover, the process can be repeated by introducing fresh reagent into the microchamber. Targeted delivery of microparticles is desirable for rapid, sensitive biological assays or self-assembly process. Here Daset al. use catalytic reactions on the surface of microfluidic chambers to generate unidirectional flows that carry and deposit microparticles to selective regions of the chamber.
Patient experience with discharge instructions in postdischarge recovery: A qualitative study

Objectives We examined the role of discharge instructions in postoperative recovery for patients undergoing colorectal surgery and report themes related to patient perceptions of discharge instructions and postdischarge experience. Design Semistructured interviews were conducted as part of a formative evaluation of a Project Re-Engineered Discharge intervention adapted for surgical patients. Setting Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, a tertiary referral centre in Houston, Texas. Participants Twelve patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery. Interviews were conducted at the two-week postoperative appointment. Results Participants demonstrated understanding of the content in the discharge instructions. During the interviews, participants reported several positive roles for discharge instructions in their postdischarge care: a sense of security, a reminder of inhospital education, a living document and a source of empowerment. Despite these positive associations, participants reported that the instructions provided insufficient information to promote access to care that effectively addressed acute issues following discharge. Participants noted difficulty reaching providers after discharge, which resulted in the adoption of workarounds to overcome system barriers. Conclusions Despite concerted efforts to provide patient-centred instructions, the discharge instructions did not provide enough context to effectively guide postdischarge interactions with the healthcare system. Insufficient information on how to access and communicate with the most appropriate personnel in the healthcare system is an important barrier to patients receiving high-quality postdischarge care. Tools and strategies from team training programmes, such as team strategies and tools to enhance performance and patient safety, could be adapted to include patients and provide them with structured methods for communicating with healthcare providers post discharge.
Role of Microtubules and Centrioles in Growth Regulation of Mammalian Cells

Recent studies have shown that hormonal growth factors can change the cytoskeleton (Tucker et al., 1979a; Tucker, 1980) and that changes in the cytoskeleton can affect the efficiency with which exogenous growth factors induce DNA synthesis (Teng et al., 1977; Vasiliev et al., 1971; Friedkin et al., 1979; Otto et al., 1979; Crossin and Carney, 1981a; Tucker, 1980; Baker, 1976b). The role of microtubules and centrioles in these interactions between growth factors and the cell has not yet been defined. However, one hypothesis, the surface modulation theory (Yahara and Edelman, 1979), which explains how microtubules might affect the role of growth factors, has been widely accepted. This theory assumes that growth factor receptors are connected to cytoplasmic microtubules and actin filaments, and that unhooking receptors from the cytoskeleton results in increased receptor motility and enhanced clustering or capping of receptors. This change of receptor position in the plasma membrane in turn either decreases or increases stimulation of DNA synthesis (McClain and Edelman, 1980; McClain et al., 1977). While this hypothesis is attractive because it explains many diverse pieces of data in the literature, there is no definitive evidence that microtubules in fact directly affect the mobility of surface receptors. Moreover, recent studies (DeMey et al., 1978; Osborn and Weber, 1977; Tucker et al., 1978; Eichhorn and Peterkofsky, 1979) have not supported previous evidence (Brinkley et al., 1975; Fuller and Brinkley, 1976; Edelman and Yahara, 1976; Rubin and Warren, 1979; Zimmer et al., 1980; Fonte and Porter, 1974) for different distributions of microtubules in cells (neoplastic and nonneoplastic) that respond differently to growth factors.
Tutorial I: Influence of IC packaging technology on ESD robustness of components

The IC packaging technology has a surprisingly large influence on an IC's electrostatic discharge (ESD) robustness at both the component and system levels. For charge device model (CDM) component-level ESD, the package determines the amount of energy dissipated in the die, and for both system and component-level ESD, the package determines the current return path. This tutorial will explore those phenomena and demonstrate how the on-chip ESD protection network design should be mindful of the package design. The effect of 3D integration will also be addressed.
Crush Injuries of the Hand.

Crush injuries of the hand are a rare but devastating phenomenon, with historically poor outcomes. A compressive force, usually caused by a high-energy mechanism such as a motor vehicle or industrial accident, crushes and transiently increases the pressures within the hand. This force acts on the incompressible blood in the vasculature and leads to a dramatic rise in tissue pressures and damage to multiple tissue types, including bones, blood vessels, nerves, and soft tissues. A wide zone of injury results from a delayed inflammatory reaction involving the zone bordering the crushed cells, which may initially belie the severity of the injury. As such, these injuries go on to produce tremendous inflammation and swelling, potentially followed by compartment syndrome or other vascular damage, infection, neurological injury, and tissue necrosis. Crush injuries with minimal skin disruptions can be particularly challenging to accurately diagnose and manage. This paper provides a review of the initial evaluation of hand crush injuries as well as short- and long-term management strategies.
PP2A-B56γ is Required for an Efficient Spindle Assembly Checkpoint

The Spindle Assembly Checkpoint (SAC) is part of a complex feedback system designed to ensure that cells do not proceed through mitosis unless all chromosomal kinetochores have attached to spindle microtubules. The formation of the kinetochore complex and the implementation of the SAC are regulated by multiple kinases and phosphatases. BubR1 is a phosphoprotein that is part of the Cdc20 containing mitotic checkpoint complex that inhibits the APC/C so that Cyclin B1 and Securin are not degraded, thus preventing cells going into anaphase. In this study, we found that PP2A in association with its B56γ regulatory subunit, are needed for the stability of BubR1 during nocodazole induced cell cycle arrest. In primary cells that lack B56γ, BubR1 is prematurely degraded and the cells proceed through mitosis. The reduced SAC efficiency results in cells with abnormal chromosomal segregation, a hallmark of transformed cells. Previous studies on PP2A's role in the SAC and kinetochore formation were done using siRNAs to all 5 of the B56 family members. In our study we show that inactivation of only the PP2A-B56γ subunit can affect the efficiency of the SAC. We also provide data that show the intracellular locations of the B56 subunits varies between family members, which is consistent with the hypothesis that they are not completely functionally redundant.
Dexamethasone Injected Perineurally is More Effective than Administered Intravenously for Peripheral Nerve Blocks: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Introduction:Peripheral nerve blocks (PNBs) are widely and increasingly used for better acute perioperative pain control for a variety of procedures. Clinically preservative-free dexamethasone is arguably the most commonly used adjuvant and offers the most optimization effects on PNBs yet with the l
Characterization of isolated amyloid myopathy.

Background and purpose Amyloid myopathy frequently occurs in the setting of systemic amyloidosis and less commonly in isolation (isolated amyloid myopathy). Anoctaminopathy-5 and dysferlinopathy were recently recognized as causes of isolated amyloid myopathy. The present study aimed to characterize the isolated amyloid myopathy and to compare it with amyloid myopathy associated with systemic amyloidosis. Methods We searched the Muscle Laboratory database to identify patients with pathologically confirmed amyloid myopathy seen in neurology clinics between January 1998 and September 2016. Patients with monoclonal gammopathy, peripheral neuropathy, organomegaly or symptoms or pathologic evidence of amyloid deposition outside skeletal muscle were classified as having systemic amyloidosis-associated myopathy. Results Fifty-two patients were identified, including 14 with isolated amyloid myopathy (eight anoctaminopathy-5, two dysferlinopathy and four genetically unknown) and 38 with systemic amyloidosis (32 immunoglobulin light-chain amyloidosis, four familial amyloid polyneuropathy and two senile systemic amyloidosis). Compared with patients with systemic amyloidosis, patients with isolated amyloid myopathy had a younger age of onset (median, 41.5 vs. 65 years), no dysphagia (0% vs. 26%) or weight loss (0% vs. 26%), but more frequent calf atrophy (57% vs. 0%), small collections of inflammatory cells on muscle biopsy (43% vs. 0%) and asymptomatic hyperCKemia at onset (21% vs. 0%). All patients with isolated amyloid myopathy had creatine kinase (CK) values >2.5 times the upper limit of normal. Conclusions Isolated amyloid myopathy accounts for 27% of patients with amyloid myopathy, mostly due to anoctaminopathy-5. There are various clinical and laboratory parameters that can help to differentiate isolated amyloid myopathy from systemic amyloidosis.
The post-natal development of intraocular pressure in normal domestic cats (Felis catus) and in feline congenital glaucoma.

Intraocular pressure (IOP) is the most consistent risk factor for progressive vision loss in glaucoma. Cats with recessively inherited feline congenital glaucoma (FCG) exhibit elevated IOP with gradual, painless progression of glaucoma similar to humans and are studied as a model of glaucoma in humans and animals. Here, post-natal development of IOP was characterized in normal domestic cats and in cats with FCG caused by a homozygous LTBP2 mutation. Rebound tonometry (TonoVet®, ICare Oy, Finland) was used to measure IOP non-invasively, 2-3 times weekly in 63 FCG and 33 normal kittens, of both sexes, from eyelid opening until 3-6 months of age. IOPs in the left and right eyes of both FCG and normal kittens were compared by paired t-test and linear regression. One-way ANOVA and Tukey-Kramer post-tests were used to compare IOP of cats grouped by age and disease status. A p-value <0.05 was considered significant. In the second week of life, mean IOP was 7.16 mmHg (SD = 1.3) in normal kittens and 8.72 mmHg (SD = 1.4) in kittens with FCG. Mean IOP at age 10 weeks was significantly higher in FCG (19.8 mmHg; 95% CI = 17.7, 21.9 mmHg) than in normal kittens (13.2 mmHg; 95% CI = 11.9, 14.5 mmHg). At 3 months of age, IOP in normal cats reached adult values while IOP in FCG cats continued to increase through at least six months of age. These results provide ranges for normal IOP values in young kittens and confirm that IOP is significantly higher than normal by 10wks of age in this spontaneous feline glaucoma model.
Frequency-Division Multiple Access

In Chapter 4 we analyzed a single-channel transponder with a single uplink carrier. We now extend the discussion to transponders designed for multiple carriers. Recall that when multiple carriers are used in satellite communications, it is necessary that a multiple-accessing format be established over the system. This format allows distinct separation of the uplink transmissions in passing through the satellite processor. In Section 1.6 three of the most common multiple-access formats were described. Each format has its own specific characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages. Satellite anomalies, such as nonlinear amplification and power division, will therefore have widely different effects on system performance for each method. Hence, it is necessary to carry out separate analysis procedures to assess analytically (and therefore design) satellite systems of each type. In this and the next three chapters we present comparisons of the accessing formats described in that section. Our basic objective is to describe the relationship, analytically and graphically, between key system parameters of the link and the established performance criterion, such as SNR and bit-error probability, of the system receivers. In this chapter we concentrate on frequency-division multiple accessing (FDMA) systems.
Elevated CO2 induces substantial and persistent declines in forage quality irrespective of warming in mixedgrass prairie.

Increasing atmospheric [CO2 ] and temperature are expected to affect the productivity, species composition, biogeochemistry, and therefore the quantity and quality of forage available to herbivores in rangeland ecosystems. Both elevated CO2 (eCO2 ) and warming affect plant tissue chemistry through multiple direct and indirect pathways, such that the cumulative outcomes of these effects are difficult to predict. Here, we report on a 7-yr study examining effects of CO2 enrichment (to 600 ppm) and infrared warming (+1.5°C day/3°C night) under realistic field conditions on forage quality and quantity in a semiarid, mixedgrass prairie. For the three dominant forage grasses, warming effects on in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and tissue [N] were detected only in certain years, varied from negative to positive, and were relatively minor. In contrast, eCO2 substantially reduced IVDMD (two most abundant grasses) and [N] (all three dominant grass species) in most years, except the two wettest years. Furthermore, eCO2 reduced IVDMD and [N] independent of warming effects. Reduced IVDMD with eCO2 was related both to reduced [N] and increased acid detergent fiber (ADF) content of grass tissues. For the six most abundant forage species (representing 96% of total forage production), combined warming and eCO2 increased forage production by 38% and reduced forage [N] by 13% relative to ambient climate. Although the absolute magnitude of the decline in IVDMD and [N] due to combined warming and eCO2 may seem small (e.g., from 63.3 to 61.1% IVDMD and 1.25 to 1.04% [N] for Pascopyrum smithii), such shifts could have substantial consequences for the rate at which ruminants gain weight during the primary growing season in the largest remaining rangeland ecosystem in North America. With forage production increases, declining forage quality could potentially be mitigated by adaptively increasing stocking rates, and through management such as prescribed burning, fertilization at low rates, and legume interseeding to enhance forage quality.