cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Proliferation of leukemic B cells in response to SAC and anti-μ. Evidence for different modes of action and comparison to proliferation and differentiation induced by conditioned medium

Abstract We investigated the proliferative responses and immunoglobulin production of highly purified E-rosette negative largely leukemic B cells from patients with CLL to Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I (SAC) or to SAC in combination with anti-μ or conditioned medium (CM). The latter was derived by stimulating human peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes with PHA. We observed: (1) that purified E-rosette negative largely leukemic B cells from 25% (five out of 20) of the patients exhibited proliferative responses to SAC; (2) inhibition of SAC-induced proliferation by anti-μ in certain patients, whereas synergism between SAC and anti-μ in inducing proliferative responses in others; (3) the lack of synergism between SAC and CM in inducing proliferative responses, which is in contrast to the strong synergism that was observed between anti-μ and CM in inducing proliferation; and (4) induction or enhancement by SAC alone of Ig production by largely leukemic B-cell populations from few patients with CLL and purified tonsillar B lymphocytes, but not peripheral blood B cells from normal donors. These results suggest that SAC and anti-μ induce proliferation of B cells by different mechanisms and that B-cell proliferation and differentiation is dependent not only on the mitogen but also on the activation state of the cells.
Studying Cancer Stem Cell Dynamics on PDMS Surfaces for Microfluidics Device Design

This systematic study clarified a few interfacial aspects of cancer cell phenotypes on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates and indicated that the cell phenotypic equilibrium greatly responds to cell-to-surface interactions. We demonstrated that coatings of fibronectin, bovine serum albumin (BSA), or collagen with or without oxygen-plasma treatments of the PDMS surfaces dramatically impacted the phenotypic equilibrium of breast cancer stem cells, while the variations of the PDMS elastic stiffness had much less such effects. Our results showed that the surface coatings of collagen and fibronectin on PDMS maintained breast cancer cell phenotypes to be nearly identical to the cultures on commercial polystyrene Petri dishes. The surface coating of BSA provided a weak cell-substrate adhesion that stimulated the increase in stem-cell-like subpopulation. Our observations may potentially guide surface modification approaches to obtain specific cell phenotypes.
Anthropological Encounters of a Semiotic Kind

This article prints for the first time two oral presentations occasioned by visits to Brandeis University by the medievalist Brigitte Miriam Bedos-Rezak and the classicist Gregory Nagy. The path-breaking and authoritative papers and books by these two scholars provide key insights for anthropologists working from a semiotic perspective. Bedos-Rezak’s proposal that the practice of sealing documents in pre-scholastic France can be seen as evidence for a general semiotic ideology of the “imprint” raises the possibility that the systematicity of sign processes and corresponding metasemiotic discourses reflects esoteric attempts to conceal pragmatic variability in favour of nostalgic coherence. Similarly, Nagy’s insistence on the importance of the performance contexts for the shaping of the Homeric epics is grounded in the recognition that the semiotic ideology of radical “decentring” found in these texts masks the changing course of their actual pragmatic enactment.
Fragmentation in a rotating protostar - A comparison of two three-dimensional computer codes

The collapse of an isothermal protostellar cloud with pressure, gravity, and rotation included is followed with two independent computer codes. For the initial condition, a nonaxisymmetric perturbation of mode m = 2 and 50% amplitude is introduced into a cloud of 1 solar mass with a mean density of 1.44 x 10 to the -17g/cu cm and a uniform angular velocity of 1.6 x 10 to the -12 rad/sec. The collapse is followed through an increase in density of over four orders of magnitude to the point where a binary protostar forms. The agreement between the results of the two calculations is good.
Working “Off the Books”: Patterns of Informal Market Participation within New York's East Village

Most research on the informal economy concentrates on how the informal economy operates at the international and regional levels along with the formal economy and the state. This article departs from current research on the informal economy by looking at how the informal economy operates within the lives of its participants. It considers how informal workers use informal work as both an economic and an identity resource. Informal workers create informal careers and informal work environments in accordance with financial and identity goals and needs. The intersection of informal work as an identity resource and as an economic resource creates a typology of informal market participation types. Among a group of self-employed workers in New York City's East Village neighborhood, four patterns of informal market participation emerge: Entrepreneur, Occupier, Avocationalist, and Allowance Seeker.
On the Distribution of Water-Insoluble Aerosol Particles in Hailstones and Its Possible Value as an Indication of the Hail Growth History.

Abstract The distribution of water-insoluble aerosol particles with diameters in the range 3 to 60 (m has been studied as a function of hailstone radius for a collection of large hailstones. Most of the stones had opaque (probably graupel) embryos; a few had transparent (probably frozen drop) embryos. The concentration of particles within the opaque hailstone embryos was substantially smaller than the concentration of particles within the outer parts of the same hailstones, suggesting that the bulk of the hailstone growth had occurred in a different part of the storm from the region of embryo formation. It seems that the opaque embryos (graupel) form in weak updrafts and then grow into large haillstones upon entering an updraft core which is fed by dust-laden air originating closer to the ground. The transparent embryos were found to contain many more particles than the opaque embryos, perhaps indicating a different place of origin and also indicating an active role by the large particles ingested by a st...
On the Currents Carried by Electrons of Uniform Initial Velocity

The following problem is treated: Electrons enter the space between two infinite parallel planes with uniform velocity at right angles to the planes. The current is studied for all possible values (positive and negative) of the potential difference between the planes. The complete solution can be obtained if this boundary condition for the current is accepted: The number of electrons entering the discharge space must be equal to or smaller than a given number ${N}_{0}$ per ${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ per sec., and is for each potential as high as the potential permits. The problem depends on two dimensionless parameters, a reduced plate distance ${\ensuremath{\xi}}_{0}$ (involving the current) and ${\ensuremath{\eta}}_{0}=\frac{{V}_{0}}{{E}_{0}}$, where ${V}_{0}$ is the impressed potential difference and $e{E}_{0}$ the energy of the electrons. For each value of ${\ensuremath{\xi}}_{0}$ the current is space-charge limited below a critical value of ${\ensuremath{\eta}}_{0}$. The limitation, however, is not due to the appearance of a potential minimum low enough to stop the electrons, but is due to the fact that the solution does not exist unless the current is limited. The space-charge limited characteristic is a simple generalization of Child and Langmuir's well-known formula [see Eqs. (28) or (35)]. The deviations from this formula are very considerable if ${E}_{0}\ensuremath{\sim}{V}_{0}$ (see Fig. 2). The behavior of the potential distribution is graphed for some typical cases of positive, zero, and negative potentials ${V}_{0}$. Currents can pass with zero or negative potentials only below critical values of the reduced plate distance.
Dietary intake and supplement use of vitamins C and E and upper respiratory tract infection.

Objective: Antioxidants are regulators of immune function and may play a role in upper respiratory tract infections (URTI). We investigated the potential effects of dietary intake from food and sup ...
Effect of Cholesterol with Different Dietary Fats on the Fatty Acid Composition of Egg Yolk and Various Body Tissues

Abstract THERE is extensive evidence that dietary fats influence the fatty acids of chicken tissue, blood (Machlin et al., 1962; Evans et al., 1962; Adamson et al., 1961; Menge et al., 1964; Isaacks et al., 1964) and egg yolk lipids (Fisher and Leveille, 1957; Choudhury and Reiser, 1959 Wheeler et al., 1959; Evans et al., 1963 Machlin et al., 1962; Chen et al., 1965). Fatty acid changes in tissue lipids resulting from cholesterol feeding have been described in rats (Okey et al., 1961; Patil and Magar, 1960), rabbits (Swell et al., 1961, 1962; Evrard et al., 1962) and chickens (Machlin and Gordon, 1961; Dam and Nielson, 1957; Leveille et al., 1963; Blomstrand and Christensen, 1961). Chung et al. (1965) reported that the iodine number values of egg yolk and liver lipids were increased when cholesterol was consumed. Chung et al. (1966) showed that cholesterol in diets varying widely in linoleic acid …
The Modifiability of Intelligent Behavior

Piaget's theory of intellectual development provides educators of handicapped individuals with an instructional framework that views development as an ordinal sequence in which later forms of complex behavior are derived from earlier and less complex response forms. Piagetian-based curricular attempts in special education may have to begin with a system for representing the individual's current level of behavioral organization and designing environmental interactions that expand the constructions of the individual into reorganized, more complex forms. While Piagetian theory can define the content of instruction for handicapped people, it is the application of the principles of applied behavior analysis that guides the teacher in the systematic arrangement of instructional events necessary to produce behavioral change.
Correction of motion artifacts in linogram and projection reconstruction MRI using geometry and consistency constraints.

Motion results in various artifacts such as blurring and streaks in clinical imaging of subjects based on reconstruction from projections. We model subject motion‐induced artifacts due to scaling, translational and rotational motion. A correction algorithm based on the Ludwig–Helgason consistency conditions is derived here. These conditions are satisfied whenever the projection data are consistent. We apply the algorithm to simulated data collected on linogram (LR) and projection reconstruction (PR) geometries, and to real PR geometry data, in magnetic resonance imaging(MRI). The results show that motion‐induced in‐plane, interview artifacts can be reduced with application of the algorithm. The algorithm is general enough to be applied to certain other cases arising in tomographic imaging.
A redefinition of the syndrome of Broca's aphasia: Implications for a neuropsychological model of language

A neuropsychological theory is offered to account for the syndrome of Broca's aphasia. A critical review of the literature, with emphasis on recent research, provides the basis for a redefinition of the syndrome that considerably broadens its classical description. The argument is advanced that the focus of neuropsychological explanation should be on theoretically separable psychological mechanisms that might be disrupted in relative isolation from other components in conditions of focal brain damage, rather than on isolated units of aphasic performance. The symptoms that characterize Broca's aphasia are explained as predictable behavioral manifestations of a central disruption of the syntactic parsing component of the language System, coupled with a (theoretically independent) articulatory deficit that affects only the speech output System. The neuroanatomical implications of this argument are considered within the framework of the classical “strong localizationist” hypothesis.
Getting an NSF CAREER award and beyond

The National Science Foundation (NSF), USA, CAREER program is a premier program that emphasizes the importance the Foundation places on the early development of academic careers solely dedicated to stimulating the discovery process in which the excitement of research enriched by inspired teaching and enthusiastic learning. This paper presents the research and education experiences gained by the principal investigator - Venayagamoorthy and his research collaborators and students as a result of a NSF CAREER proposal been awarded by the Power, Control and Adaptive Networks (PCAN) program of the Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems Division, effective June 1, 2004. The main emphasis of this paper is how and what a CAREER proposal awardee do to be a double winner in all aspects - research, education and outreach. In addition, suggestions on writing a winning NSF CAREER proposal are presented.
The gender of poverty in an aging population.

Recent studies have documented an increasing feminization of poverty, especially among households with children and among elderly households. Because those studies have been based mainly on aggregate data, they do not provide a clear picture of the conditions of gender differences in the risk of poverty. Using individual-level data from a 1986 survey of Florida's resident population aged 55 and older, the authors analyze the gender differential relative to several correlates of poverty-for example, race/ethnicity, education, income sources, and living arrangements. In addition to specifying conditions under which older women have faced greatest risks of poverty, the analyses provide an estimate of the extent to which poverty is gendered in later stages of the life course, net of other "determinants" or correlates of poverty.
Market factors related to hospitals’ patient satisfaction ratings

Patient satisfaction is an important dimension of care that has been linked to improved clinical outcomes and increased compliance as well as organizational success. The passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act included rules that incentivize hospitals to improve patient satisfaction by offering increased reimbursements. In this analysis, three data sets are used to retrospectively examine the relationship between environmental market factors and patient satisfaction. We find that per capita income within the hospital’s catchment area, competition, metro status, and availability of general and specialty practitioners are significantly associated with hospitals’ patient satisfaction levels. In a new era of pay-for-performance and increased competition for scarce resources, hospitals must closely monitor and respond to external forces. One strategy for overcoming a turbulent external environment may be to focus on patient satisfaction.
Pattern of development of ascending and descending fibers in embryonic spinal cord of chick: I. Role of position information

Previous studies on the rigid time and position pattern of embryonic spinal cord development are extended to include the pattern of growth of axonal processes. This study was designed to analyze the position of axons in the marginal zone as they course (fasciculate) in the ascending and descending direction from a single spinal segment. Injections of 3H-proline were made into L1 or T6 of chick embryos of stages 21--29 (3.5--6 days of incubation). The location of radioactive label in the marginal zone was analyzed autoradiographically to show the location of labeled axons originating from the injected segment. In the early stages of development (stage 21), the labeled descending axons were located in the most ventromedial aspect of the marginal zone. The labeled ascending axons were located more laterally and to the perimeter of this zone. In stages 27--29, the labeled axons near the site of injection were located in the inner two-thirds of the marginal zone, and in the progressively more rostral levels the label shifted laterally and to the perimeter in a laminar pattern. It was concluded that the labeled ascending axons from an individual spinal segment layer upon the axons which originate from the more rostral segments. How this rigid time and position pattern of axonal growth can impart a topographic order into fiber tracts of the spinal cord was discussed.
E-Waste Stream Analysis and Design Implications

The quantity and age of the incoming stream of “feedstock” from product take-back systems are known as the major sources of the uncertainty that complicates the e-waste recovery. This paper presents the results of an analysis of data from an incoming stream for an e-waste collection center and analyzes the quantity and age of e-waste by product type and brand. The analysis results point out receiving of outdated products and processing of multiple generations, and brands of products at the same time are among main obstacles to the e-waste recovery. The potential role of product design in overcoming those obstacles is discussed with emphasis on design for upgrade, repurpose, and commonality.
Perineurial Glia Require Notch Signaling during Motor Nerve Development but Not Regeneration

Motor nerves play the critical role of shunting information out of the CNS to targets in the periphery. Their formation requires the coordinated development of distinct cellular components, including motor axons and the Schwann cells and perineurial glia that ensheath them. During nervous system assembly, these glial cells must migrate long distances and terminally differentiate, ensuring the efficient propagation of action potentials. Although we know quite a bit about the mechanisms that control Schwann cell development during this process, nothing is known about the mechanisms that mediate the migration and differentiation of perineurial glia. Using in vivo imaging in zebrafish, we demonstrate that Notch signaling is required for both perineurial migration and differentiation during nerve formation, but not regeneration. Interestingly, loss of Notch signaling in perineurial cells also causes a failure of Schwann cell differentiation, demonstrating that Schwann cells require perineurial glia for aspects of their own development. These studies describe a novel mechanism that mediates multiple aspects of perineurial development and reveal the critical importance of perineurial glia for Schwann cell maturation and nerve formation.
Evolutionary Capacitance and Control of Protein Stability in Protein-Protein Interaction Networks

In addition to their biological function, protein complexes reduce the exposure of the constituent proteins to the risk of undesired oligomerization by reducing the concentration of the free monomeric state. We interpret this reduced risk as a stabilization of the functional state of the protein. We estimate that protein-protein interactions can account for of additional stabilization; a substantial contribution to intrinsic stability. We hypothesize that proteins in the interaction network act as evolutionary capacitors which allows their binding partners to explore regions of the sequence space which correspond to less stable proteins. In the interaction network of baker's yeast, we find that statistically proteins that receive higher energetic benefits from the interaction network are more likely to misfold. A simplified fitness landscape wherein the fitness of an organism is inversely proportional to the total concentration of unfolded proteins provides an evolutionary justification for the proposed trends. We conclude by outlining clear biophysical experiments to test our predictions.
A general theory of crime and computer crime: An empirical test

Abstract Computer crime has become a global issue and continues to rapidly grow; however, few studies had examined the applicability of a general theory of crime in explaining computer deviance. Using a panel of 2,751 Korean youths, the current study examined whether low self-control theory can be useful as a theoretical framework for explaining computer crime. The results indicated the applicability of low self-control theory in explaining both illegal download of software and illegal use of others’ personal identification online. Consistent with the theory's prediction, opportunity variables, especially hours of computer use, were found to be significant predictors of computer crime. The shortcomings of the current research and the directions for future research were discussed.
On the performance of coded/shaped modulation

An upper bound on the error probability of a shaped modulation scheme is derived. The bound shows that nonequiprobable signaling affects the performance in two ways. First, it reduces the average signal energy which contributes positively to the shaping gain. Second, it reduces the "equivalent minimum distance" of the signal set relative to the noise level which contributes negatively to the shaping gain. The "equivalent minimum distance" becomes the true minimum distance in the signal set when the noise level is near zero (SNR/spl rarr//spl infin/). Thus, the conventional definition of shaping gain is in fact the asymptotic shaping gain. >
Maximizing network profit by service-list control in multi-service-networks

The network service providers (NSP) of the future Internet Protocol (IP) network will provide network transport services with multiple quality of service (QoS) levels by using QoS technologies such as integrated services (IntServ) and differentiated services (DiffServ). We call this network the multi-service-network. It seems obvious that each class can be offered with a different price according to the network resources consumed. In the multi-service-network, the following factors are correlated: the service-list showing the prices and QoS details of all classes; users' behavior in terms of service choice; total required network resources; ISP profit. For example, when a user has some communication need, the price and QoS of each service influences the user's service selection. His choice impacts not only the network resources required to provide the service but also the profit of the NSP. We propose a framework for the multi-service-network that maximizes the profit of the NSP through the control of the service-list.
Feature versus gestalt representation of stimuli in the mismatch negativity system of 7- to 9-year-old children

We examined preattentive auditory change detection in 7- to 9-year-old children. The question of interest was whether the preattentive comparison of stimuli indexed by the scalp-recorded mismatch negativity (MMN) was performed on representations of individual stimulus features or on gestalt representations of their combined attributes. The design of the study, based on a work by D. Deacon, J. Nousak, M. Pilotti, W. Ritter, and C. Yang (Psychophysiology, 1998), was such that both feature and gestalt representations could have been available to the comparator mechanism generating the MMN. The data indicated that for the majority of the children-those that exhibited an inverse relationship between the amplitude of the MMN and the probability of the deviant-the MMN was based on feature-specific information. This study also provides a method to obtain MMNs to deviants in three different features in the time usually required to obtain an MMN to a single acoustic feature.
Curricular Satisfaction Levels of National Athletic Trainers' Association–Accredited Postprofessional Athletic Training Graduates

Abstract Context: Academic programs rely on outcomes assessments to determine if changes in the curriculum are necessary. Objective: To examine the overall satisfaction levels of graduates (2005–20...
Evidence of Formosan Subterranean Termite Group Size and Associated Bacteria in the Suppression of Entomopathogenic Bacteria, Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies israelensis and thuringiensis

ABSTRACT The Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, was studied for its ability to suppress two entomopathogenic bacteria, Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies israelensis (Bti) and thuringiensis (Btt). Different group sizes (50, 25, 10, and no termites [control]) of C. formosanus were placed on well-grown Bti or Btt agar plates. On day 1, the diameters of Bti and Btt colonies in the three treatments containing termites were significantly smaller than in the controls. The diameters of Bti and Btt colonies in the 50-termite treatment were significantly smaller than in the 10-termite treatment. However, neither was significantly different from the 25-termite treatment. This group sized dependent suppression was even more distinct on day 2. On day 5, inhibitory zones were observed in all three treatments containing termites where Bti or Btt colonies originally grew. The Bti and Btt cells from these inhibitory zones regenerated on new plates after transfer from 25- and 10-termite treatmen...
A portable debugger for parallel and distributed programs

We describe the design and implementation of a portable debugger for parallel and distributed programs. The design incorporates a client server model in order to isolate nonportable debugger code from the user interface. The precise definition of a protocol for client server interaction facilitates a high degree of client portability. Replication of server components permits the implementation of a debugger for distributed computations. Portability across message passing implementations is achieved with a protocol that specifies the interaction between a message passing library and the debugger. This permits the same debugger to be used both on PVM and MPI programs. The process abstractions used for debugging message passing programs can be adapted to debug HPF programs at the source level. This permits the meaningful display of information obscured in tool generated code. >
Phase Transitions from Intermediate to Relativistic Energies

We summarize recent progress in utilizing the spinodal decomposition mechanism to probe the liquid-gas phase transition in nuclear matter, which occurs at subsaturation densities and moderate temperatures, and then discuss the prospects for exploiting this mechanism as a probe of the transition from a quark-gluon plasma to a hadron gas.
Sampling Native Wasps Along Both Vertical and Horizontal Gradients in the Maine Lowbush Blueberry Landscape

Native wasps were sampled from 33 lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) fields and adjacent forests in eastern Maine during the summers of 1997 and 1998. Sampling was conducted along a horizontal transect that bisected the field/forest interface using two methods: window-pane traps suspended at varying heights (1, 7, and 14 m above the ground) and ground-level malaise traps. The objectives of this study were to assess (1) the spatial distributions of wasp species assemblages associated with the two distinct habitats and (2) the potential interactions of wasp species assemblages across the blueberry/forest landscape. Wasp samples from the two trap types collected different wasp species assemblages, each of which were consistent across the 2 yr. Both methods documented lower abundances of wasps in blueberry fields in comparison with adjacent forests. Window pane traps at varying heights identified statistically significant but remarkably minor differences in height even at the highest traps in the middle of blueberry fields in both years of the study. The malaise traps detected distinct species assemblages whose horizontal distributions differed substantially from each other. Distributions ranged from those that were trapped exclusively in the forest, through those that were evenly distributed across the landscape, to taxa that were almost exclusively found in the blueberry field centers. Our results suggest that forest and edge habitats may be important refugia for wasp species assemblages that contribute to regulation of blueberry insect pest populations. Detailed knowledge of specific taxa should assist in the management of the blueberry/forest landscape for the conservation and enhancement of beneficial insects.
Antifertility Effects of an Intracervical Progestational Device

To determine the effect of progestagen-impregnated intracervical devices on fertilization implantation and sperm transport silastic devices impregnated with chlormadinone acetate were inserted in one uterine horn of female rabbits. Devices without the progestagen were also placed in rabbits as controls. For fertilization determination the does were mated 10-28 days after insertion of the device and the reproductive tract was examined 48 hours later. Implantation determination was made in 6 does mated 27-48 days after insertion from laparatomies performed 8-15 days after mating. Sperm recovery experiments were performed 4 hours after mating. The rate of hormone absorption from the device in each animal was determined by weight differentials before insertion and after removal. The chlormadinone devices were 100% effective in preventing fertilization in both uterine horns when the hormone absorption rate exceeded 13.7 mcg/kg/day. This contraceptive effectiveness decreased to zero when the absorption rate fell below 7.0 mcg/kg/day. At absorption rates insufficient to prevent fertilization a reduction in the number of implantations was noted. Sperm transport was inhibited in the uterine horns treated with the device but not in the contralateral horn. A preliminary experiment using these chlormadinone-impreganted silastic intracervical devices in women produced highly varied results without any conclusive evidence of contraceptive practicality or effectiveness. The desire for effective contraception with the lowest possible hormonal dose should prompt further research into these devices.
Field-scale fluorescence fingerprinting of biochar-borne dissolved organic carbon

Biochar continues to receive worldwide enthusiasm as means of augmenting recalcitrant organic carbon in agricultural soils. Realistic biochar amendment rate (typically less than 1 wt%) in the field scale, and subsequent loss by sizing, rain, and other transport events demand reliable methods to quantify the remaining portions of amended biochar. This study employed fluorescence excitation-emission (EEM) spectrophotometry and parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) to specifically target pyrogenic dissolved organic carbon (DOC) released by amended biochar during the course of a field trial at Bowling Green, KY experimental site. Toluene/methanol (1:6 v/v) extracts of surface (0-15 cm) soils amended with 21.28 t ha(-1) fast pyrolysis biochar afforded PARAFAC fingerprints representing different degrees of aromaticity. Compared to the control without treatments, biochar treatment (with and without poultry manure or chemical fertilizer) increased the relative contribution of PARAFAC fingerprint attributable to labile polyaromatic DOC structures. Poultry manure or chemical fertilizer alone (without biochar) did not influence the amounts of polyaromatic DOC structures. Existence of biochar could be further validated by the changes in %DOC (relative to the total carbon), fixed C content, and UV absorbance (360 nm), whereas FTIR, %O, and sorption of model agrochemical (deisopropylatrazine) did not reflect the presence of biochar in the soil samples. Developed toluene/methanol-based EEM-PARAFAC technique will provide a sensitive, rapid, and cost-competitive method to validate the long-term carbon sequestration by the biochar soil amendment.
Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Epidural with Conventional Analgesia after Minimally Invasive Colorectal Surgery

RESULTS: Mean age was 57 14 years; 43% of patients were female and mean BMI was 28.6 6 kg/m. The 2 groups were similar in characteristics. The EA group had a higher incidence of hypotensive systolic blood pressure ( 0.05). Mean length of stay (4 3 vs 4 3 days), daily VAS (3.0 2 vs 3.3 2), OBAS scores (3.6 2 vs 3.3 2), and time to start postoperative diet (2.8 2 vs 2.2 2 days) were equivalent. The EA patients had a trend toward a higher total dose of narcotics (147.5 192 vs 98.1 112 mg), and similar amounts of IV narcotics (59.34 152.18 vs 68.67 87.27 mg). The EA and IV groups had equivalent total hospital charges ($144,991 vs $141,338).
Scanning Probe Microscopy of Polymer Surfaces

Abstract Basic principles and recent results of scanning probe microscopy (SPM) studies of polymer surfaces are reviewed. Applicability of various SPM techniques—including contact, dynamic, force modulation, friction force, chemical force, electrostatic, adhesion, and thermal modes—to probing of polymer surfaces is illustrated. Examples of recent studies of surface morphology and properties of various polymers are presented and briefly discussed. An extensive bibliography of more than 200 references is included. Classes of polymers considered here are: crystalline and amorphous, composites and blends, fibers and deformed polymers, block polymers and latexes, rubbers and liquid crystalline polymers, thin films and ionomers. Current focuses and future trends are summarized including quantitative SPM measurements, probing of nano- and microscale mechanical properties, studying dynamical surface properties, and exploring local chemical interactions.
Chronic Hormonal Imbalance and Adipose Redistribution Is Associated with Hypothalamic Neuropathology following Blast Exposure

Endocrine disorders have been shown to be a consequence of blast traumatic brain injury in soldiers returning from military conflicts. Hormone deficiency and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) dysfunction can lead to symptoms such as fatigue, anxiety, irritability, insomnia, sexual dysfunction, and decreased quality of life. Given these changes following blast exposure, the current study focused on investigating chronic pathology within the hypothalamus following blast, in addition to systemic effects. An established rodent model of blast neurotrauma was used to induce mild blast-induced neurotrauma. Adipose tissue, blood, and brain samples were collected at one and three months following a single blast exposure. Adipose tissue and blood were evaluated for changes in ACTH, adiponectin, C-reactive protein, glial fibrillary acidic protein, interleukin (IL)-1β, and leptin. The hypothalamus was evaluated for injury using immunohistochemical techniques. The results demonstrated that the weight of the blast animals was significantly less, compared with the sham group. The slower rate of increase in their weight was associated with changes in ACTH, IL-1β, and leptin levels. Further, histological analysis indicated elevated levels of cleaved caspase-3 positive cells within the hypothalamus. The data suggest that long-term outcomes of brain injury occurring from blast exposure include dysfunction of the hypothalamus, which leads to compromised hormonal function, elevated biological stress-related hormones, and subsequent adipose tissue remodeling.
System support for concurrent software reliability

Parallel and concurrent software is more complex than sequential code because interactions between concurrent computations and the ordering of program events can vary across executions. This nondeterministic variation is hard to understand and control, introducing the potential for concurrency bugs. This dissertation addresses two challenges related to concurrency bugs, focusing on shared-memory multi-threaded programs. First, concurrency bugs are hard to find, understand, and fix, but debugging is essential to software correctness. Second, concurrency bugs cause schedule-dependent failures that degrade system reliability. Targeting debugging, we develop two new concurrency debugging techniques based on statistical analysis and novel abstractions of inter-thread communication. These techniques isolate communications related to bugs and reconstruct failing executions. We show several hardware and software system designs that efficiently implement these techniques. Targeting the avoidance of schedule-dependent failures, we then develop two techniques for automatically avoiding schedule-dependent failures due to atomicity violations, a common concurrent program failure. We use specialized serializability analyses to identify code that should be atomic and system support to enforce atomicity. We implement these techniques with architecture and system support. Finally, we develop a mechanism for general schedule-dependent failure avoidance. We use a statistical analysis and leverage large communities of deployed systems to learn how to constrain executions to avoid previously seen failures. We show a software-only distributed system implementation that avoids real software failures with overheads low enough for production use.
Classification of older adults with/without a fall history using machine learning methods

Falling is a serious problem in an aged society such that assessment of the risk of falls for individuals is imperative for the research and practice of falls prevention. This paper introduces an application of several machine learning methods for training a classifier which is capable of classifying individual older adults into a high risk group and a low risk group (distinguished by whether or not the members of the group have a recent history of falls). Using a 3D motion capture system, significant gait features related to falls risk are extracted. By training these features, classification hypotheses are obtained based on machine learning techniques (K Nearest-neighbour, Naive Bayes, Logistic Regression, Neural Network, and Support Vector Machine). Training and test accuracies with sensitivity and specificity of each of these techniques are assessed. The feature adjustment and tuning of the machine learning algorithms are discussed. The outcome of the study will benefit the prediction and prevention of falls.
The β-Radiations of Uranium X 1

An investigation of the distribution with momentum of the $\ensuremath{\beta}$-rays of uranium ${X}_{1}$ has been made by analyzing them with the magnetic electron lens spectrometer. The results are recorded by an electrical counter detection and mechanical recorder in the range between ${H}_{\ensuremath{\rho}}l650$ and ${H}_{\ensuremath{\rho}}g1875$. The lower limit of the range is limited by the window of the detecting device. The results of the experimental records $\frac{N}{{H}_{\ensuremath{\rho}}}$ are plotted against ${H}_{\ensuremath{\rho}}$ and the plot represents the normalized energy spectrum. In the continuity of the spectrum there is a clear evidence of three distinct peaks. The energy values of these peaks which represent three groups of $\ensuremath{\beta}$-rays due to internal conversion agree with those obtained by Meitner. The spectrogram shows that the end point of the continuous $\mathrm{U}{X}_{1}$ $\ensuremath{\beta}$-ray spectrum is at ${H}_{\ensuremath{\rho}}$ 1617 (189.9 kev), a value which agrees with those that are obtained by absorption method but differs considerably from Marshall's value obtained by the method of the expansion chamber. The present value, unlike that of Marshall, gives a point on the Sargent diagram nearly on the curve of allowed transitions.
Valvular Heart Disease and Acquired Type 2A von Willebrand Syndrome The "Hemostatic" Waring Blender Syndrome

Few have witnessed the so-called Waring blender syndrome. This hemolysis of red blood cells, sometimes lifethreatening, typically occurs in the setting of a dysfunctional prosthetic heart valve. 1 Biomedical engineering and surgical advances have largely reduced this syndrome to textbooks. Unlike this exceedingly rare syndrome, acquired type 2A von Willebrand syndrome is a relatively common and typically unrecognized life-threatening condition with a similar etiology. 2 Acquired type 2A von Willebrand syndrome also arises from blood flow exposed to abnormally increased shear stress. Blackshear and colleagues 3 convincingly extend the recognition of acquired von Willebrand syndrome to dysfunctional prosthetic valves. They and others have previously described this phenomenon and confirmed its mechanism in native valve diseases, abnormal vascular structures, congenital heart lesions, and therapy with left ventricular assist devices. Advances in the last decade only now permit a detailed mechanistic understanding of this syndrome. While diagnostic and treatment criteria remain to be rigorously defined, pathophysiologic knowledge will help guide clinical recognition and management.
Sociodemographic Factors to Dengue Hemmorrhagic Fever Case in Indonesia

Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) is a leading cause of hospitalization and death among children. Indonesia is one of those countries categorized by World Health Organization (WHO) as hyperendemicity with four serotypes circulating in urban area. Sociodemographic factors are considered as factors affecting DHF in Indonesia. This study used secondary data downloaded from Province Health Database 2010 of Health Ministry Republic of Indonesia to determine correlation between three sociodemographic factors to DHF incidence. This study used quantitative descriptive correlational methods. Results showed the selected two sociodemographic factors had a linear impact on DHF incidence. Multiple regression multivariate analysis showed least correlation between DHF incidence and three selected sociodemographic factors. However, the univariate regression analysis showed that population density and poverty had significant correlation to DHF, respectively the population density r(4) = 0.843, p value < 0.05 and poverty r(4) = 0.897, p value < 0.05. Variable of age under 15 years old did not have any positive correlation to DHF. It is expected this study may have contribution to DHF prevention programs by helping public health practitioners develop more strategies with respect to the sociodemographic factors. Abstrak Demam berdarah dengue (DBD) adalah penyebab utama rawat inap dan kematian pada anak-anak. Indonesia adalah salah satu negara yang oleh WHO dikategorikan hyperendemicity dengan empat serotipe virus tersebar di daerah perkotaan. Faktor sosiodemografi dianggap sebagai faktor pendukung terjadinya DBD di Indonesia. Studi ini menggunakan data sekunder yang diunduh dari Basis Data Kesehatan Provinsi tahun 2010 Kementerian Kesehatan Republik Indonesia untuk menentukan korelasi antara ketiga faktor sosiodemografi dengan insiden DBD. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode kuantitatif deskripsi korelasi. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa dua faktor sosiodemografi terpilih memiliki korelasi linier dengan insiden DBD. Analisa regresi multivariat menunjukkan kecilnya korelasi antara insiden DBD dengan sekaligus tiga faktor sosiodemografi terpilih. Akan tetapi, hasil perhitungan analisa regresi univariat menunjukkan bahwa kepadatan penduduk dan kemiskinan memiliki korelasi yang signifikan terhadap DBD. Kepadatan penduduk r(4) = 0,843, nilai p < 0,05, sedangkan kemiskinan r(4)= 0,897, nilai p < 0,05. Variabel usia di bawah 15 tahun tidak memiliki korelasi positif terhadap insiden DBD. Diharapkan penelitian ini dapat memiliki kontribusi terhadap program pencegahan DBD dengan cara membantu praktisi kesehatan masyarakat mengembangkan strategi pencegahan DBD, terutama yang berhubungan dengan faktor sosiodemografi.
Big Data Processing of School Shooting Archives

Web archives about school shootings consist of webpages that may or may not be relevant to the events of interest. There are 3 main goals of this work; first is to clean the webpages, which involves getting rid of the stop words and non-relevant parts of a webpage. The second goal is to select just webpages relevant to the events of interest. The third goal is to upload the cleaned and relevant webpages to Apache Solr so that they are easily accessible. We show the details of all the steps required to achieve these goals. The results show that representative Web archives are noisy, with 2% - 40% relevant content. By cleaning the archives, we aid researchers to focus on relevant content for their analysis.
Microbially Produced Acetate: A "Missing Link" in Understanding Obesity?

Numerous studies have connected the gut microbiome with diet-induced obesity; however, mechanistic explanations for the host-microbial interactions are needed. Perry et al. (2016) present studies suggesting that microbially produced acetate (MPA) increases post-prandial insulin release via a sequential and integrated gut, brain, and pancreatic signaling network promoting energy retention.
Prevention and Management of Infections

The hallmark of primary immunodeficiencies is infection susceptibility. While it is known that acute and chronic infections lead to morbidity, such as bronchiectasis, the proven role of prophylactic antimicrobials is poorly studied and remains largely driven by anxiety, belief, and experience, the latter usually derived from more common diseases, like HIV. In common infection susceptibility states, guidelines exist and, increasingly, are evidence-based. Studies abound for prophylactic antibiotics in fever and neutropenia after chemotherapy, for urinary tract infection prevention in the setting of vesico-ureteral reflux, and for antifungal prophylaxis in premature infants. Primary immunodeficiencies, on the other hand, are rare, and for the most part lack evidence-based guidelines. Therefore, approaches from more common immunodeficiencies, like HIV or transplant, are often used. However, this is necessarily likely to be inappropriate, since each immunodeficiency has its own specific infection susceptibility. This chapter discusses antibiotic prophylaxis across several of the more common primary immunodeficiencies, taking into account their specific susceptibility, available data, and prudence.
Potestad jurisdiccional de la administración: reflexiones en torno a su constitucionalidad, manifestaciones y alcances

La funcion de la administracion del Estado ha sido encomendada en nuestra legislacion a organismos que, bajo la identidad de un Poder Publico, actuan con plena independencia y autonomia.
65 Telephone Triage in Specialist Palliative Care

Over the last 10 years specialist palliative care and its provision has been closely scrutinised. The need for palliative care services to be flexible and extend to patients with non-malignant conditions is now universally acknowledged. New and innovative approaches to the provision of care are needed. Since 1997, before the NHS modernisation agenda called for providers of health care …
Robotic Placement of the FENIX Continence Restoration System in a Patient with Previous Radiation to the Pelvis: A Case Report.

Abstract Fecal incontinence (FI) is a disabling problem affecting women. Conservative treatment includes dietary modification, antimotility agents, and pelvic floor physical therapy. If conservative medical management is unsuccessful, surgical intervention may be required. Surgical options include rectal sphincteroplasty, bulking agent injection, radiofrequency anal sphincter remodeling, and sacral nerve stimulation therapy. Recently, a new therapy for FI, the FENIX Continence Restoration System (Torax Medical, Inc., Shoreview, MN), has become available. The FENIX device is placed through a perineal incision; however, pelvic radiation and previous anal carcinoma are both contraindications. We report the case of a 62-year-old woman with FI after anal carcinoma. Treatment included surgery, chemotherapy, and pelvic radiation. Initially, she was treated with conservative therapy and sacral nerve stimulation, which were only partially effective. A physical examination showed perineal skin changes consistent with previous radiation, which increased the patient's risk of infection and a nonhealing wound. Therefore, a robotic approach was used to place the FENIX device and improve the patient's quality of life. Our case sets a precedent for expanding the treatment options of FI in patients with previous pelvic radiation and using a robotic approach for the placement of the FENIX device.