cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The relationship between caffeine and blood pressure in preadolescent African American girls.

BACKGROUND While high caffeine consumption has been shown to be associated with increased blood pressure in controlled experiments, the relationship between caffeine consumption and blood pressure in preadolescent (ages 6-11 years) and adolescent (ages 12-19 years) children has not been well studied. The primary objective of this study was to assess the cross-sectional relationship between caffeine intake and blood pressure in 8- to 10-year-old African American girls who eat an unrestricted diet. METHODS Demographic, 24-hour dietary recall, and blood pressure data collected at baseline from 303 African American girls aged 8-10 years in the Girls health Enrichment Multisite Studies (GEMS) cohort were analyzed by using linear and multiple regression models. RESULTS Dietary caffeine intake was not associated with either systolic or diastolic blood pressure (P=.33 and P=.36, respectively). However, consistent with the literature, height and body mass index were each positively and independently associated with systolic blood pressure (both P<.0001). Height and amount of sodium intake were positively associated with diastolic blood pressure (P=.01 and P=.02, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Dietary caffeine intake in low amounts is not associated with elevated blood pressure in 8- to 10-year-old African American girls who eat an unrestricted diet.
The Platonic Doctrine of the Human Soul

One of the areas laid out for investigation in ist study was that of the theory of the soul. We shall, therefore, study this theory in function of the ratio-positio analysis and with attention to its relationship to the via Platonica.
Teaching Elections in a Secondary Classroom.

How to deal with undocumented workers, gun control, refugee resettlement, forest preservation, the death penalty, limiting the number of hours spent on standardized testing, homelessness, and menta...
Direct evaluation of hyper-singularity in surface integral equation using quadrature by expansion

This paper implemented a new integration method, quadrature by expansion (QBX), to directly evaluate the singular kernel of surface integral equation for general 3D electromagnetic problems. In discrete formulation of integral equation, the interaction between each pair of quadrature points is obtained by first computing the radiating field at a center slightly off the observation point, then expanding the field using spherical harmonics. The integration over source patch thus can be expressed as a congregation of the fields at the expansion center, of all quadrature points on source patch. The QBX approach can handle arbitrary high-order singular kernels since no singularity is observed in the transformed kernel. Results are given to show the accuracy of the proposed method.
Numerical study of an array of dielectrophoretic traps to quantify physical properties of single particles

Dielectrophoretic traps have been broadly studied in light of their many advantages of high controllability, ease of operation, and high efficiency. Most studies are confined to the trapping of a large number of particles and analyzing general traits of the particles. Here, we demonstrate an optimized array of dielectrophoretic traps using numerical methods. The array of traps can be used to evaluate a particle's physical properties at the single particle level.
Variance and Convergence Analysis of Monte Carlo Line and Segment Sampling

Recently researchers have started employing Monte Carlo-like line sample estimators in rendering, demonstrating dramatic reductions in variance visible noise for effects such as soft shadows, defocus blur, and participating media. Unfortunately, there is currently no formal theoretical framework to predict and analyze Monte Carlo variance using line and segment samples which have inherently anisotropic Fourier power spectra. In this work, we propose a theoretical formulation for lines and finite-length segment samples in the frequency domain that allows analyzing their anisotropic power spectra using previous isotropic variance and convergence tools. Our analysis shows that judiciously oriented line samples not only reduce the dimensionality but also pre-filter C0 discontinuities, resulting in further improvement in variance and convergence rates. Our theoretical insights also explain how finite-length segment samples impact variance and convergence rates only by pre-filtering discontinuities. We further extend our analysis to consider uncorrelated multi-directional line segment sampling, showing that such schemes can increase variance compared to unidirectional sampling. We validate our theoretical results with a set of experiments including direct lighting, ambient occlusion, and volumetric caustics using points, lines, and segment samples.
Normal Striatal Vesicular Acetylcholine Transporter Expression in Tourette Syndrome

Abstract Considerable prior work suggests basal ganglia dysfunction in Tourette syndrome (TS). Analysis of a small number of postmortem specimens suggests deficits of some striatal interneuron populations, including striatal cholinergic interneurons. To assess the integrity of striatal cholinergic interneurons in TS, we used [ 18 F]FEOBV positron emission tomography (PET) to quantify striatal vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) expression, a measure of cholinergic terminal density, in human TS and control subjects. We found no evidence of striatal cholinergic deficits. Discrepant imaging and postmortem analysis results may reflect agonal or postmortem changes, medication effects, or significant disease heterogeneity.
RARE FIRST PRESENTATION OF AL AMYLOIDOSIS

Cardiac amyloidosis is a rare condition that carries a poor prognosis. A case of AL amyloidosis with cardiac arrest as the first presentation is presented. A 63-year-old woman presented following an out of hospital cardiac arrest with successful resuscitation by defibrillation. She was intubated
Idiosyncratic Deals to Employee Outcomes: Mediating Role of Social Exchange Relationships:

The individualized work-related agreements known as idiosyncratic deals (i-deals), which are negotiated between the employee and the employer, has been shown to affect employee outcomes. In this st...
Exploring Readiness, Motivation, and Capacity for Implementing an iPad Campus Initiative: A Rural Community College Case Study

ABSTRACTThis intrinsic case study explored organizational readiness to implement a campus-wide technology initiative. Specifically, this research examined a rural community college’s implementation of an “iPad campus” initiative in which all students, faculty, and staff were required to adopt iPad technology. We apply a heuristic for organizational readiness, R = MC2, as a framework to understand motivation, general organizational capacity, and innovation-specific capacities. The findings of our case study identified four key themes that provide insight into the challenges faced in the implementation of a campus-wide iPad initiative. The findings included (1) a top-down approach to implementation, (2) inconsistent communication of vision and expectations, (3) lack of aligned support, and (4) technology infrastructure challenges. Community colleges face numerous hurdles in implementing new policies, procedures, and practices. These challenges may be intensified when implementing complex technological innov...
Stereoelectronic Effects on the Binding of Neutral Lewis Bases to CdSe Nanocrystals.

Using 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, we monitor the competition between tri-n-butylphosphine (Bu3P) and various amine and phosphine ligands for the surface of chloride terminated CdSe nanocrystals. Distinct 31P NMR signals for free and bound phosphine ligands allow the surface ligand coverage to be measured in phosphine solution. Ligands with a small steric profile achieve higher surface coverages (Bu3P = 0.5 nm–2, Me2P-n-octyl = 2.0 nm–2, NH2Bu = >3 nm–2) and have greater relative binding affinity for the nanocrystal (binding affinity: Me3P > Me2P–n-octyl ∼ Me2P–n-octadecyl > Et3P > Bu3P). Among phosphines, only Bu3P and Me2P–n-octyl support a colloidal dispersion, allowing a relative surface binding affinity (Krel) to be estimated in that case (Krel = 3.1). The affinity of the amine ligands is measured by the extent to which they displace Bu3P from the nanocrystals (Krel: H2NBu ∼ N-n-butylimidazole > 4-ethylpyridine > Bu3P ∼ HNBu2 > Me2NBu > Bu3N). The affinity for the CdSe surface i...
Managing a Positive Air-Leak Test During a Gastrojejunostomy Revision.

Background Gastrojejunostomy revision after gastric bypass surgery is a challenging procedure that requires advanced skills. The air-leak test was performed to identify gastrojejunostomy leaks. Omental patch seal technique is a well-known treatment of perforated gastrojejunostomy ulcers (Surg Obes Relat Dis 4:423-8, 2012; Surg Endosc 2:384-9, 2013; Surg Endosc 11:2110, 2007). Methods We present a case of a 40-year-old female, who underwent laparoscopic gastric bypass 6 years prior and subsequently developed marginal ulcer, resulting in chronic gastrojejunostomy stricture. She underwent multiple endoscopic dilations until it became refractory. She was taken for a gastrojejunostomy revision. After dissection of dense adhesion, the gastric pouch was identified. The Roux limb was identified as retrocolic and retrogastric. The pouch was divided just below the left gastric pedicle. Endoscope air insufflation was showed no leak of the new pouch. The Roux limb was freed and gastrojejunal anastomosis was performed with a posterior lair, linear stapler, and two layers of running 2-0 absorbable sutures for common enterotomy. The leak test demonstrated air bubbles which were at the anastomosis lateral aspect. A 2-0 non-absorbable suture was placed repeatedly but the leak remained positive. Fibrin glue was placed over the gastrojejunostomy. A tongue of omentum was pulled posteriorly to the pouch and sewed to itself to encircle the gastrojejunostomy. The leak test was not repeated since it would not have changed our management at this point. A remnant gastrostomy tube was placed. Two suction drains were placed. Upper endoscopy, at the end of the case, demonstrated a patulous gastrojejunostomy. Results The patient's post-operative course was uneventful. Enteric feeding was initiated via the remnant gastrostomy. Upper GI fluoroscopy was performed on POD 5 and was negative for leak or stricture. She was discharged on POD 7. At 6-month follow-up, she was doing excellent, maintaining her weight without symptoms. Conclusions Gastrojejunostomy revision is a complex procedure that requires an advanced bariatric surgery skills and experience. Omental patch can be used in cases where friable tissue anastomosis leaks as a sealant along with a protective feeding gastrostomy.
The Comparative Pathology of Nonhuman Primate Atherosclerosis

The ideal animal model for atherosclerosis research would develop the lesions gradually during its lifetime and would develop clinical manifestations of the disease in late middle and old age. The atherosclerotic lesions of the ideal model would range from trivial abnormalities, such as fatty streaks, found only at necropsy, to raised plaques with complications such as ulceration, stenosis, hemorrhage and superimposed thrombosis. The number of animals developing such complicated lesions would ideally constitute about 20% of the population, with males developing complications more frequently than females, particularly in the coronary arteries. The clinically-significant lesions would be found first in the aorta, later in the coronary arteries and later still in the arteries supplying the brain. The end-organ complications of myocardial and cerebral infarction and gangrene of the extremities would be seen. Aneurysm formation in the aorta would develop occasionally. All of these things should take place in an animal sufficiently large to allow diagnostic and therapeutic measurements similar to those useful for human beings.
The influence of central interleukin-6 on behavioral changes associated with acute alcohol intoxication in adult male rats

Abstract Recent studies have demonstrated brain cytokine fluctuations associated with acute ethanol intoxication (increased IL-6) and withdrawal (increased IL-1β and TNFα). The purpose of the present studies was to examine the potential functional role of increased central interleukin-6 (IL-6). We utilized two tests of ethanol sensitivity to establish a potential role for IL-6 after high (3.5–4.0 g/kg, intraperitoneally [i.p.]) or moderate (2.0 g/kg, i.p.) doses of ethanol: loss of righting reflex (LORR) and conditioned taste aversion (CTA), respectively. Briefly, guide cannulae were implanted into the third ventricle of adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. In the first experiments, rats were infused with 25, 50, 100, or 200 ng of IL-6; or 0.3, 3.0, or 9.0 μg of the JAK/STAT inhibitor AG490 30 min prior to a high-dose ethanol challenge. Although sleep time was not affected by exogenous IL-6, infusion of AG490 increased latency to lose the righting reflex relative to vehicle-infused rats. Next, we assessed whether IL-6 was sufficient to produce a CTA. Moderately water-deprived rats received intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) infusions of 25, 50, or 100 ng IL-6 immediately after 60-min access to 5% sucrose solution. Forty-eight hours later, rats were returned to the context and given 60-min access to sucrose solution. IL-6 infusion had no significant effect on sucrose intake when all rats were considered together. However, a median split revealed that low sucrose-consuming rats significantly increased their drinking on test day, an effect that was not seen in rats that received 50 or 100 ng of IL-6. In the last study, AG490 had no effect on ethanol-induced CTA (2 g/kg). Overall, these studies suggest that IL-6 had only a minor influence on ethanol-induced behavioral changes, yet phenotypic differences in sensitivity to IL-6 were apparent. These studies are among the first to examine a potential functional role for IL-6 in ethanol-related behaviors, and may have important implications for understanding the relationship between acute ethanol intoxication and its associated behavioral alterations.
Invariant-mass spectroscopy of 18 Ne, 16 O, and 10 C excited states formed in neutron-transfer reactions

Neutron-transfer reactions with fast secondary beams of $^{17}\mathrm{Ne}, ^{15}\mathrm{O}$, and $^{9}\mathrm{C}$ have been studied with the HiRA and CAESAR arrays. Excited states of $^{18}\mathrm{Ne}, ^{16}\mathrm{O}$, and $^{10}\mathrm{C}$ in the continuum have been identified using invariant-mass spectroscopy. The best experimental resolution of these states is achieved by selecting events where the decay fragments are emitted transverse to the beam direction. We have confirmed a number of spin assignments made in previous works for the negative-parity states of $^{18}\mathrm{Ne}$. In addition we have found new higher-lying excited states in $^{16}\mathrm{O}$ and $^{18}\mathrm{Ne}$, some of which fission into two ground-state $^{8}\mathrm{Be}$ fragments. Finally for $^{10}\mathrm{C}$, a new excited state was observed. These transfer reactions were found to leave the remnant of the $^{9}\mathrm{Be}$ target nuclei at very high excitation energies and may be associated with the pickup of a deeply bound $^{9}\mathrm{Be}$ neutron.
Manuscript circulation and the invention of politics in early Stuart England: by Noah Millstone, (Cambridge Studies in Early Modern British History), Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2016, xvi + 358 pp., $120 (hardback), ISBN 9781107120723

Early modern English booklists regularly include manuscripts as well as printed books. Among the approximately 4500 volumes in the mid seventeenth-century library of the Sidney family at Penshurst ...
The Adult with Post-operative Congenital Heart Disease: a Systematic Echocardiographic Approach

This article attempts to review some of the commonly seen repaired congenital heart defects in the adult population (ACHD), with a focus on important echocardiographic findings that may assist a practitioner in recognizing and managing this group of patients. The prevalence of ACHD population is increasing, and currently, there are over 1 million adults with congenital heart disease. At the current time, the total number of ACHD patients exceeds the total number of pediatric patients with CHD. The recently released 2018 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines for the management of adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD) recommends transthoracic echocardiography for all ACHD patients for initial assessment and serial assessment as needed (class of recommendation: I) and echocardiography remains the mainstay for diagnosing and managing these patients in adjunct with other available imaging modalities. It is imperative for all cardiologists to be familiar with the echocardiographic features of the commonly seen repaired CHD in adult population.
Psyche-Image; or Truth in the Infinitive

ABSTRACTThis essay takes “Ode to Psyche” as its point of departure to explore the “auratics of agnosticism,” an aesthetics of affective disbelief that runs from Shelley and Keats through Pater and ...
Impact of early release of oral investigational prescriptions on safety and efficiency at a comprehensive cancer center.

257Background: At Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI), timing of order release to the pharmacy is a contributing factor to safety and processing concerns for oral investigational medications. Day-o...
Finding Missing Children: Aging Deep Face Features

Given a gallery of face images of missing children, state-of-the-art face recognition systems fall short in identifying a child (probe) recovered at a later age. We propose an age-progression module that can age-progress deep face features output by any commodity face matcher. For time lapses larger than 10 years (the missing child is found after 10 or more years), the proposed age-progression module improves the closed-set identification accuracy of FaceNet from 40% to 49.56% and CosFace from 56.88% to 61.25% on a child celebrity dataset, namely ITWCC. The proposed method also outperforms state-of-the-art approaches with a rank-1 identification rate from 94.91% to 95.91% on a public aging dataset, FG-NET, and from 99.50% to 99.58% on CACD-VS. These results suggest that aging face features enhances the ability to identify young children who are possible victims of child trafficking or abduction.
Materielle Körper in der SR

Das Michelson-Morley-Experiment wird vorgestellt. Die Zeitdilatation und die Lorentz-FitzGerald-Korperkontraktion sind zwei Eigenschaften eines materiellen Korpers, die erforderlich sind, um die Unbeobachtbarkeit einer (absoluten) Korpergeschwindigkeit sicherzustellen. Wir diskutieren Auswirkungen dieser Korpereigenschaften in der Teilchen- und Kernphysik. Wir erklaren, warum die relativistische Korperkontraktion so real ist wie die Zeitdilatation. Wir listen Missverstandnisse im Zusammenhang mit der SR auf und besprechen sie.
Percutaneous and Open Tracheostomy in Patients with COVID-19: Comparison and Outcomes of an Institutional Series in New York City.

Objective The aim of this study was to report the safety, efficacy, and early results of tracheostomy in patients with COVID-19 and determine whether differences exist between percutaneous and open methods. Summary background data Prolonged respiratory failure is common in symptomatic patients with COVID-19, the disease process caused by infection with the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Tracheostomy, although posing potential risk to the operative team and other healthcare workers, may be beneficial for safe weaning of sedation and ventilator support. However, short- and long-term outcomes remain largely unknown. Methods A prospectively collected database of patients with COVID-19 undergoing tracheostomy at a major medical center in New York City between April 4 and April 30, 2020 was reviewed. The primary endpoint was need for continued mechanical ventilation. Secondary outcomes included complication rates, sedation weaning, and need for intensive care unit (ICU) level of care. Patient characteristics, perioperative conditions, and outcomes between percutaneous and open groups were analyzed. Results During the study period, 67 consecutive patients underwent tracheostomy, including 48 males and 19 females with a median age of 66 years [interquartile range (IQR) 52-72]. Two surgeons alternated techniques, with 35 tracheostomies performed percutaneously and 32 via an open approach. The median time from intubation to tracheostomy was 23 days (IQR 20-26). At a median follow-up of 26 days, 52 patients (78%) no longer required mechanical ventilation and 58 patients (87%) were off continuous sedation. Five patients (7.5%) died of systemic causes. There were 11 total complications (16%) in 10 patients, most of which involved minor bleeding. There were no significant differences in outcomes between percutaneous and open methods. Conclusions Tracheostomy under apneic conditions by either percutaneous or open technique can be safely performed in patients with respiratory failure due to COVID-19. Tracheostomy facilitated weaning from continuous intravenous sedation and mechanical ventilation. Continued follow-up of these patients to ascertain long-term outcome data is ongoing.
Point-of-Care Platform Blood Biomarker Testing of Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein versus S100 Calcium-Binding Protein B for Prediction of Traumatic Brain Injuries: A Transforming Research and Clinical Knowledge in Traumatic Brain Injury Study

Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) is cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to determine need for head computed tomography (CT) within 12 h after mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) (...
Early, awake proning in emergency department patients with COVID-19.

Abstract Objective Proning has been shown to improve oxygenation and mortality in certain populations of intubated patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Small observational analyses of COVID-19 patients suggest awake proning may lead to clinical improvement. Data on safety and efficacy is lacking. We sought to describe the effect of proning on oxygenation in nonintubated COVID-19 patients. We also evaluated feasibility, safety, and other physiological and clinical outcomes associated with this intervention. Methods We conducted a prospective, observational cohort study of nonintubated patients with COVID-19 who underwent proning per an Emergency Department (ED) clinical protocol. Patients with mild to moderate respiratory distress were included. We calculated change in oxygenation by comparing the oxygen saturation to fraction of inspired oxygen ratio (SpO2:FiO2) during the five minutes prior to proning and first 30 min of proning. We also captured data on respiratory rate, duration of proning, need for intubation, intensive care unit admission, survival to discharge. Results Fifty-two patients were enrolled. Thirty were excluded for not meeting protocol inclusion criteria or missing baseline oxygenation data, leaving 22 for analysis. The SpO2:FiO2 ratio increased by a median of 5 (IQR: 0–15) in the post-proning period compared to the pre-proning period (median: 298 (IQR: 263–352) vs 295 (IQR: 276–350), p = 0.01). Respiratory rate did not change significantly between time periods. No immediate adverse events occurred during proning. Five patients (23%) were intubated within 48 h of admission. Conclusion Early, awake proning may be feasible in select COVID-19 patients and was associated with improved oxygenation.
The Three Ps: Increasing Concurrent Operation by Unambiguously Defining and Delegating Radio Rights

The increasingly intensive coexistence of diverse radio systems and the inability of existing institutions to resolve conflicts in a timely manner requires a change in the way operating rights are defined, assigned and enforced.We propose that operating rights should be articulated using transmission permissions and reception protections, defined probabilistically (the Three Ps). Transmission permissions should be based on resulting field strength over space and frequency, rather than radiated power at a transmitter. Reception protections should state the maximum electromagnetic energy an operator can expect from other operations. This formulation does not require a definition of harmful interference, which is delegated to operators and adjudicators should the need for it arise, and does not entail receiver standards.We also recommend ways to facilitate the adjustment of rights in the market place. The remedy (injunction vs. damages) that attaches to an operating right should be stipulated when it is issued. The regulator should separate its rule making and adjudication roles by not changing rights during dispute resolution. The regulator should leave parameter values unchanged after defining an entitlement, though it may add new parameters at license renewal. Values may be adjusted by negotiation between operators at any time, though any changes should be recorded in a public registry of entitlements. The number of parties to a negotiation should be limited by minimizing the number of rights recipients and by enabling direct bargaining between the parties through effective delegation, obviating the regulator’s participation.
How many sabertooths? Reevaluating the number of carnivoran sabretooth lineages with total-evidence Bayesian techniques and a novel origin of the Miocene Nimravidae

Sabertooth craniodental adaptations have evolved numerous times amongst carnivorous mammals. Some of the most extreme sabertooth adaptations are found within the carnivoran subfamily Barbourofelina...
New peritoneal dialysis fluids: practical use for children

In recent years several new peritoneal dialysis solutions have come onto the market. These solutions differ from the conventional ones with respect to osmotic agent, buffer, and/or calcium concentration. Icodextrin-containing solutions are characterized by slow, but sustained ultrafiltration. Experience in both adults and children has been favorable for the long dwell period, giving rise to both increased ultrafiltration and clearances. The use of icodextrin during the daytime seems ideal in patients on nightly intermittent peritoneal dialysis with a low peritoneal ultrafiltration rate. However, long-term experience still has to be obtained, particularly in children. The application of pH-neutral solutions, containing bicarbonate, lactate, or a bicarbonate/lactate mixture as a buffer, has shown better preservation of peritoneal cells and better tolerance. The standard calcium concentration of 1.75 mmol/l of the dialysis solution is too high in many situations. Individual strategies for an adequate calcium balance are required depending on age, clinical situation, and oral intake of calcium and vitamin D metabolites.
Child Abuse Reporting Laws and Attorney-Client Privilege: Ethical Dilemmas and Practical Suggestions for the Forensic Psychologist

ABSTRACT This article explores the legal, ethical, and moral dilemmas faced by forensic psychologists who, during an evaluation for an attorney, discover information that would warrant making a child abuse report. It attempts to assist forensic psychologists with navigating the question of whether attorney-client privilege overrides their duty to report suspected child abuse. Through a review of the legal and psychological literatures, the article (1) reviews the development and current status of mandatory child abuse reporting laws as well as the attorney-client privilege and the attorney work product doctrine on this issue and (2) provides guidance and practical suggestions for forensic psychologists hired by attorneys regarding the mandated child abuse reporting quandary.
Carbon nanonets spark new electronics.

Random networks of tiny carbon tubes could make possible low-cost, flexible devices such as "electronic paper" and printable solar cells
Immunotherapy of prostatic cancer with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin and purified protein derivative. Preliminary results.

Abstract Two patients with stage D adenocarcinoma of the prostate received an immunologic evaluation, and were then treated with intraprostatic injections of purified protein derivative (PPD) and bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG). The first patient had lymphocyte depression and did not respond to therapy. The other patient with good lymphocyte activity showed necrosis of the tumor and production of circulating antibodies. Mechanisms of action of BCG on tumor are discussed. This mode of adjuvant immunotherapy should be further evaluated.
Solar modulation of galactic antiprotons

Galactic antiproton data of current interest lie in an energy regime heavily influenced by solar modulation. Correcting for it needs to be done more carefully than it has been in the past. The well-known force-field analytic approximation of the spherically-symmetric, steady-state, cosmic-ray transport equation is applied in order to account for modulation down to at least 100 MeV. A sample solution which applies to the currently available antiproton data set (1979-80), and can be used to accurately modulate any possible interstellar antiproton spectrum, is given. The solution is easily adapted for comparison to future measurements. It also shows that boosting the low-energy (less than 600 MeV) side of the interstellar antiproton spectrum will not affect the low-energy spectrum at 1 AU, due to strong adiabatic deceleration during that time.
Radiographic and histologic analysis of the tibial tunnel after allograft anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in goats.

BackgroundSeveral problems have been reported with use of allogenic grafts in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, including local immune response to allograft tendon within the synovial fluid, delayed maturation and ligamentization, and progressive tibial tunnel enlargement.HypothesisThere is a correlation between the use of allograft and tibial tunnel enlargement.Study DesignControlled laboratory study.MethodsTwenty healthy adult female goats underwent allograft anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction and were followed with serial radiographs at 6-week intervals. Animals were randomly chosen for sacrifice between 18 and 36 weeks for histologic assessment.ResultsSignificant radiographic increases in tunnel size were noted within the first 6 weeks of healing and remained up to 36 weeks with no further remodeling noted. Histologic analysis showed progressive ligamentization of the allografts with tendon-to-tunnel wall biologic fixation with dense connective tissue. Remodeling and incorporation of t...
Risk factor analysis may provide clues to diarrhea prevention in outdoor-housed rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)

Seventy-five percent of rhesus macaques at national primate research centers are housed outside. Annually, 15-39% of these animals experience diarrhea and require veterinary treatment for dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, or weight loss. An estimated 21-33% of these patients will die or be euthanized. Many studies have explored the various infectious etiologies of non-human primate diarrhea. However, there is little published information on diarrhea incidence rates and risk factors in outdoor-housed rhesus macaques. Without this information, it is challenging to determine endemic and epidemic diarrhea levels, or to develop and evaluate mitigation strategies. Using electronic medical records, we conducted a retrospective cohort study to calculate diarrhea incidence rates for rhesus macaques (N = 3,181) housed in three different outdoor housing types (corrals, shelters, and temporary housing) at the Oregon National Primate Research Center between November 1, 2009 and October 31, 2010. With multiple logistic regression analysis, we determined the relative risk of housing type, sex, and age on development of diarrhea. Diarrhea incidence and mortality in our population was lower than many published ranges. Type of outdoor housing, age, and previous diarrhea episode were positively correlated with diarrhea risk. Younger animals in smaller shelters and temporary housing had a greater risk of acquiring diarrhea, with juvenile animals (0.7-3.9 years) having the highest mortality rate. Sex was not a risk factor, but adult females with diarrhea were more likely to develop life-threatening complications than adult males. We also constructed a predictive model for diarrhea-associated mortality using Classification and Regression Tree. Findings from this study will be used to develop and evaluate mitigation strategies in our outdoor-housed population and to provide a foundation for genetic susceptibility and immune function testing.
The formalist manifesto (artificial intelligence)

A categorical model of problem solving is introduced. The concept is that domain-dependent knowledge can also take the form of structural knowledge about the domain and, more specifically, that the decomposition methods that have proved to be so effective in mathematical reasoning can also be applied in the case of artificial intelligence systems. The fact that such knowledge is superficially more arcane because of its abstract nature does not automatically indict it as being necessarily weak. It is shown that a number of algebraic approaches to problem solving can be incorporated into the viewpoint. >
Adjustment policies in developing countries: A reassessment

This paper analyzes policy responses to external shocks of the 1973-76 and 1979-81 periods in developing economies, grouped according to the level of industrialization and the policies applied. It is shown that outward-oriented economies relied largely on export promotion and import substitution to offset the balance-of-payments effects of external shocks in both periods. Inward-oriented economies failed to apply such output-increasing policies of adjustment; rather, they financed the balance of payments effects of external shocks by foreign loans in the 1974-76 period and had to take deflationary measures in 1979-81 when their increased indebtedness limited the possibilities for further borrowing. The policies applied led to rates of economic growth substantially higher in outward-oriented than in inward-oriented economies, with growth rates in 1983 averaging 5 percent in the first case and practically nil in the second.
Controlling both ground- and excited-state thermal barriers to Bergman cyclization with alkyne termini substitution.

The cross-coupling reaction of 2,3-dibromo-5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin with corresponding organostannanes in the presence of a Pd0 catalyst in THF at reflux temperature yields free base 2,3-dialkynylporphyrins 1a,c−e. The subsequent deprotection of trimethylsilyl group of 1a with TBAF in THF under aqueous conditions produces the 2,3-diethynyl-5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrins 1b in 87% yield. Compounds 1a−d undergo zinc insertion upon treatment with Zn(OAc)2·2H2O in CHCl3/MeOH to give zinc(II) 2,3-dialkynyl-5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrins (2a−d) in 70−92% yields. Thermal Bergman cyclization of 1a−e and 2a−d was studied in chlorobenzene and ∼35-fold 1,4-cyclohexadiene at 120−210 °C. Compounds 1b and 2b with R = H react at lower temperature (120 °C) and produce cyclized products 3b and 4b in higher yields (65−70%) than their propyl, isopropyl, and phenyl analogues, with R = Ph being the most stable. Continuing in this trend, the −TMS derivatives 1a and 2a exhibit no reactivity even after heating at 190 ...
Respirable Aerosol Sampler Performance Testing

Performance tests for evaluating respirable aerosol sampling methods were developed. The tests entail measurement of the flow-dependent collection efficiency of the aerosol size-discriminating part of the sampler using an aerodynamic particle sizer. The bias relative to an international sampler standard adopted by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, the International Standards Organization, and the Comite Europeen de Normalisation is mapped over aerosol size distributions of intended application. Imprecision from flow-effects, filter weighing errors, and intersampler variability is either measured or estimated. Uncertainty in the evaluation experiment itself is explained. Samplers can be rejected if, at specified confidence in the evaluation testing, accuracy is lacking in too large a fraction of samples. Alternatively, the data permit specifying a value of the inaccuracy. Two commercially available personal samplers were subjected to the performance tests suggested. The result ...
An Iterative Time Integration Scheme Designed to Preserve a Low-Frequency Wave

Abstract A two-step iterative time integration scheme is formulated, by which the amplitude of a low-frequency wave in a primitive equations model is preserved fairly well for a period of short-range weather prediction while the high-frequency noises are damped. The desired computational characteristics are obtained by separating the terms of the equations at the corrector step. Numerical examples are presented which show the damping property of the proposed scheme. The new scheme does not require more data space in a computer than the amount used in the Euler-backward method.
Preparing for Your Will

(1976). Preparing for Your Will. The Journal of Business Education: Vol. 52, No. 1, pp. 30-33.
Tropical tree seedling dynamics: recruitment patterns and their population consequences for three canopy species in Panama

A study of seedling demography of three shade-tolerant canopy tree species (Quararibea asterolepis, Trichilia tuberculata, and Tetragastris panamensis) was initiated to integrate with long-term studies of tree fruit production and of tree population dynamics on Barro Colorado Island, Panama. Over a five-year period, all seedlings (height <50 cm) and small saplings (height ≥50 cm to dbh 1 cm) were measured and monitored in permanent tree-centred transects (N = 10–11 trees per species). Survival rates increased with plant size class and were similar among species. Maximum height growth rates increased with increasing plant size, but average growth rates did not; this disparity suggests the importance of release from understorey suppression for long-term recruitment success. Among the three species, Quararibea had the lowest standing seedling densities and almost no sapling recruitment, whereas Tetragastris had the highest densities of both seedlings and saplings; Trichilia seedling and sapling densities were intermediate. In all three species, a few trees produced very high seedling and sapling densities in comparison with the sample average. All three species exhibited a year of exceptionally high new seedling recruitment during the study period; these good years were not coincident among the species but instead reflected the species' phenological differences. Since seedling survival becomes relatively constant and high after the first few years of life (c. 80% y−1), such large new cohorts persist as a year-class effect in the seedling population and thus maintain seedling numbers over time. The interspecific differences in seedling and sapling dynamics were consistent with overall 10-year trends of a declining Quararibea population, a stable Trichilia population, and an increasing Tetragastris population.
K/sub l3/ FORM FACTORS AND SPECTRAL FUNCTIONS OF CURRENTS.

Employing the usual techniques of the algebra of currents and the Weinberg spectralfunction sum rules, expressions are obtained relating the parameters ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{+}$, ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{\ensuremath{-}}$, and $\ensuremath{\xi}$ in ${K}_{l3}$ decays. If one neglects the (${0}^{+}$) kappa ($\ensuremath{\kappa}$) meson contribution, a comparatively large value of ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{\ensuremath{-}}$ (an order of magnitude larger than ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{+}$) is predicted. This is in agreement with the present experimental data. It is also shown that $\ensuremath{\xi}{\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{\ensuremath{-}}$ should be small and comparable with ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{+}$.
Affinity purification of lipid vesicles.

We present a novel column chromatography technique for recovery and purification of lipid vesicles, which can be extended to other macromolecular assemblies. This technique is based on reversible binding of biotinylated lipids to monomeric avidin. Unlike the very strong binding of biotin and biotin-functionalized molecules to streptavidin, the interaction between biotin-functionalized molecules and monomeric avidin can be disrupted effectively by ligand competition from free biotin. In this work, biotin-functionalized lipids (biotin-PEG-PE) were incorporated into synthetic lipid vesicles (DOPC), resulting in unilamellar biotinylated lipid vesicles. The vesicles were bound to immobilized monomeric avidin, washed extensively with buffer, and eluted with a buffer supplemented with free biotin. Increasing the biotinyl lipid molar ratio beyond 0.53% of all lipids did not increase the efficiency of vesicle recovery. A simple adsorption model suggests 1.1 x 10 13 active binding sites/mL of resin with an equilibrium binding constant of K = 1.0 x 10 8 M -1 . We also show that this method is very robust and reproducible and can accommodate vesicles of varying sizes with diverse contents. This method can be scaled up to larger columns and/or high throughput analysis, such as a 96-well plate format.
Vibrational analysis of 3-methylbut-1-yne and 3,3-dimethylbut-1-yne

Abstract Infrared and Raman spectra were obtained for 3-methylbut-1-yne and 3,3-dimethylbut-1-yne. Vibrational assignments were made with the aid of normal coordinate calculations that utilized a 27-parameter modified valence force field. The average difference between the observed and calculated wavenumbers was 6.0 cm −1 for the two molecules. Molecular mechanics calculations were also done for both compounds.
Electrochemical cleavage of the nitrogen-nitrogen bond in hydrazido(2-) complexes of molybdenum: Formation of ammonia

Abstract The controlled potential electrolysis of a series of hydrazido(2-) complexes of molybdenum, [MoX(NNH2)(TR1)(PPh3)]Y[TR1 = PhP(CH2CH2PPh2)2; 1, X = Y = Br; 2, X = Y = Cl; 3, X = F, Y = BF4] in tetrahydrofuran (thf) at a mercury-pool electrode with 85% phosphoric acid as the proton source generates ammonia. The yield of ammonia is quantitative for 2. For 1 and 3 the yields are 0.32 and 0.24 mol of ammonia per mole of complex, respectively. These data are compared with yields of ammonia obtained from non-electrolysis methods.
Alveolar Recruitment Maneuvers Under General Anesthesia: A Systematic Review of the Literature

BACKGROUND: The sigh is a normal homeostatic reflex that maintains lung compliance and decreases atelectasis. General anesthesia abolishes the sigh reflex with rapid onset of atelectasis in 100% of patients. Studies show a strong correlation between atelectasis and postoperative pulmonary complications, raising health-care costs. Alveolar recruitment maneuvers recruit collapsed alveoli, increase gas exchange, and improve arterial oxygenation. There is no consensus in the literature about the benefits of alveolar recruitment maneuvers. A systematic review is necessary to delineate their usefulness. METHODS: The search strategy included utilizing PubMed, CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, the National Guideline Clearinghouse, and all subsequent research reference lists up to January 2014. Inclusion criteria involved studies that compared the use of an alveolar recruitment maneuver with a control group lacking an alveolar recruitment maneuver in adult surgical subjects not suffering from ARDS or undergoing cardiac or thoracic surgeries. RESULTS: Six randomized controlled trials of the 439 studies initially identified achieved a score of ≥ 3 on the Jadad scale and were included in this review. Alveolar recruitment maneuvers consisted of a stepwise increase in tidal volume to a plateau pressure of 30 cm H2O, a stepwise increase in PEEP to 20 cm H2O, or sustained manual inflations of the anesthesia reservoir bag to a peak inspiratory pressure of 40 cm H2O. Subjects in the alveolar recruitment maneuver groups experienced a higher intraoperative PaO2 with improved lung compliance. Different alveolar recruitment maneuvers were equally effective. There was a significant advantage when alveolar recruitment maneuvers were followed by PEEP application. CONCLUSIONS: Alveolar recruitment maneuvers followed by PEEP should be instituted after induction of general anesthesia, routinely during maintenance, and in the presence of a falling SpO2 whenever feasible. They allow the anesthesia provider to reduce the FIO2 while maintaining a higher SpO2, limiting the masking of shunts. Utilization of alveolar recruitment maneuvers may reduce postoperative pulmonary complications and improve patient outcomes.
A Novel Markov Chain Monte Carlo Approach for Constructing Accurate Meiotic Maps

Mapping markers from linkage data continues to be a task performed in many genetic epidemiological studies. Data collected in a study may be used to refine published map estimates and a study may use markers that do not appear in any published map. Furthermore, inaccuracies in meiotic maps can seriously bias linkage findings. To make best use of the available marker information, multilocus linkage analyses are performed. However, two computational issues greatly limit the number of markers currently mapped jointly; the number of candidate marker orders increases exponentially with marker number and computing exact multilocus likelihoods on general pedigrees is computationally demanding. In this article, a new Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) approach that solves both these computational problems is presented. The MCMC approach allows many markers to be mapped jointly, using data observed on general pedigrees with unobserved individuals. The performance of the new mapping procedure is demonstrated through the analysis of simulated and real data. The MCMC procedure performs extremely well, even when there are millions of candidate orders, and gives results superior to those of CRI-MAP.
Modeling Bone Surface Morphology: A Fully Quantitative Method for Age-at-Death Estimation Using the Pubic Symphysis.

The pubic symphysis is widely used in age estimation for the adult skeleton. Standard practice requires the visual comparison of surface morphology against criteria representing predefined phases and the estimation of case-specific age from an age range associated with the chosen phase. Known problems of method and observer error necessitate alternative tools to quantify age-related change in pubic morphology. This paper presents an objective, fully quantitative method for estimating age-at-death from the skeleton, which exploits a variance-based score of surface complexity computed from vertices obtained from a scanner sampling the pubic symphysis. For laser scans from 41 modern American male skeletons, this method produces results that are significantly associated with known age-at-death (RMSE = 17.15 years). Chronological age is predicted, therefore, equally well, if not, better, with this robust, objective, and fully quantitative method than with prevailing phase-aging systems. This method contributes to forensic casework by responding to medico-legal expectations for evidence standards.
"Preconditioning" for feature selection and regression in high-dimensional problems

We consider regression problems where the number of predictors greatly exceeds the number of observations. We propose a method for variable selection that first estimates the regression function, yielding a "preconditioned" response variable. The primary method used for this initial regression is supervised principal components. Then we apply a standard procedure such as forward stepwise selection or the LASSO to the preconditioned response variable. In a number of simulated and real data examples, this two-step procedure outperforms forward stepwise selection or the usual LASSO (applied directly to the raw outcome). We also show that under a certain Gaussian latent variable model, application of the LASSO to the preconditioned response variable is consistent as the number of predictors and observations increases. Moreover, when the observational noise is rather large, the suggested procedure can give a more accurate estimate than LASSO. We illustrate our method on some real problems, including survival analysis with microarray data.