cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nationwide variability of colonoscopy preparation instructions.

Patients undergoing colonoscopy are typically provided preparation instructions. However, these are not standardized for type of bowel purgative, dietary restrictions, or management of prescription and nonprescription medications. To examine the degree of variability in colonoscopy instructions across the USA. Collected colonoscopy preparation instructions from endoscopy units that successfully participated in the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy’s Endoscopy Unit Recognition Program (EURP). Descriptive statistics were used to describe the variability in bowel preparation, dietary restrictions, medication instructions, and other patient advice. Preparation instructions were available from 201 (49 %) of 411 EURP units. Split dosing of bowel purgatives was used by 82 % of practices, although 79 units (39 %) offered instructions for both single- and split-dose regimens and 18 % of units relied only on single-dose regimens. Patients were restricted to a clear liquid diet on the day prior to the colonoscopy by 91 % of practices, but other specific dietary instructions (such as avoidance of nuts or legumes) varied. Instructions for the management of anti-thrombotic and anti-platelet agents, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and diabetes medications varied widely among practices. Geographic variations in instructions were also observed. Compared to units in the northeast, units in the west were more likely to rely on split-dose preparations exclusively (p = 0.05) and units in the south were less likely to include instructions on warfarin management (p < 0.02). Units throughout the USA were less likely to specifically recommend continuing aspirin use compared to the northeast (p < 0.02). Despite national recommendations for use of split-dose bowel purgatives, many practices are still relying on single-dose preparations. Clear liquid diets are widely recommended for the day prior to the colonoscopy, despite a lack of data to support the need for such a strict dietary regimen. Patients receive disparate instructions regarding the management of their medications. These findings suggest a need for more evidence-based and comprehensive colonoscopy preparation instructions.
Computational Model for Cell Shape Regulation through Mechanosensing and Mechanical Feedback

In response to both intracellular and extracellular signals, cells undergo controlled changes in morphology, which form a fundamental step in many developmental processes, including tissue morphogenesis and organogenesis. These changes require a means for sensing and interpreting the signaling cues, for generating the forces that act on the cell's physical material, and a control system that regulates this process. Identifying the molecular mechanisms that drive and regulate cell shape changes is a great challenge in the field of cell biology.In studies of dividing Dictyostelium discoideum amoebae, it has been shown that force-generating proteins could be localized in response to external mechanical perturbations. This mechanosensing, and the ensuing mechanical feedback, is believed to play an important role in minimizing the effect of mechanical disturbances during cell division. Owing to the complexity of the feedback system, which couples mechanical and biochemical signals involved in shape regulation, it is essential to develop theoretical approaches that can guide further experimentation and investigation.Here, we present a mechano-chemical computational model that explains the different mechanosensory and mechanoresponsive behaviors observed in Dictyostelium cells.This model expands a multi-scale myosin bipolar thick filament assembly model that incorporates cooperative and force-dependent myosin-actin binding, by identifying the feedback mechanisms hidden in the observed mechanoresponsive behaviors (monotonic vs. oscillatory) of Dictyostelium cells in the micropipette aspiration experiments. By doing so, we can explain the mechanism behind different modes of cellular retraction and hence cell shape regulation.
ASSIMILATION TIME AS A FACTOR OF PERFORMANCE IN QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS

The schedule, length, and number of class meetings have tended to be dictated by tradition, space availability, and instructor convenience. A significant factor which must receive attention is the assimilation time of the student. With the increased emphasis on quantitative analysis as well as the expansion of the boundaries of course content, the ability of the student to successfully absorb and digest the material must be considered. The authors have statistically studied assimilation time as a performance factor in a mathematically-oriented course. Their conclusions indicate that the length and number of class meetings can be modified to a degree with equifinality, but administrators and instructors should empirically verify the best mix for their specific needs.
Electrical Prospecting Methods in Oil Exploration: ABSTRACT

Electrical-prospecting methods may be used in an exploration program in one of three ways. (1) They may be used to determine the depth to resistant basement rock. (2) They may be used to detect directly the presence of oil. (3) They may be used to map variations in texture associated with lithologic traps. Electrical-prospecting methods are being used extensively in some parts of the world for mapping major structural features within sedimentary basins, but in the United States seismic methods have proved to be far more effective for such studies. Electrical-prospecting methods have been used in the past to detect increases in resistivity caused by the presence of oil, but such applications have been limited to very shallow occurrences. The direct discovery of oil by electrical methods at greater depths would require great improvement in techniques. Electrical methods have been little used in the study of lithologic changes in a sedimentary column associated with oil traps. The Department of Geophysics at the Colorado School of Mines has been investigating such an application, using bot well logs and field surveys from the Denver basin. End_of_Article - Last_Page 2035------------
Does magnetic resonance imaging compromise integrity of the blood−brain barrier?

It has been reported that a standard clinical procedure of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) carried out experimentally in the rat caused temporary opening of the blood-brain barrier. Electron micrography indicated blood-to-brain movement of horseradish peroxidase, a protein tracer that does not normally permeate the barrier. In the present study, permeability-area products (PA), describing the limited permeation of blood-borne [14C]sucrose into brain parenchyma, were measured in anesthetized rats subjected either to 23 min of MRI, to osmotic barrier opening by intracarotid infusion of hypertonic arabinose, or to control conditions. Osmotic opening caused manyfold increases in PA whereas MRI produced no change. The proposal that MRI can compromise integrity of the blood-brain barrier is not supported by these findings.
Linearizations for mechanical systems in generalized coordinates

We describe an algorithm for calculating the linearization of the dynamics for arbitrary constrained mechanical systems in generalized coordinates without using symbolic equations. Linearizations of dynamics are useful tools for controllability and stability analysis and can be used to generate locally stabilizing controllers for linear and non-linear systems. However, the computational expense for finding linearizations of complex mechanical systems is often cited as a limiting factor that prevents their use. Recent work has introduced new methods of calculating the dynamics of arbitrary mechanical systems in generalized coordinates without deriving large, system-specific equations of motion. This paper extends that approach to calculate the linearizations of the dynamics without using the symbolic equations of motion. Using these ideas, it becomes practical to both simulate, analyze, and control more complex mechanical systems without sacrificing the benefits of generalized coordinates. Furthermore, this method addresses systems with closed kinematic chains, constraints, and external non-conservative forcing. The technique is applied to an example system with a closed kinematic chain and the resulting linearization agrees with results found by symbolically differentiating the full equations of motion.
Maximum proton kinetic energy and patient-generated neutron fluence considerations in proton beam arc delivery radiation therapy.

Several compact proton accelerator systems for use in proton therapy have recently been proposed. Of paramount importance to the development of such an accelerator system is the maximum kinetic energy of protons, immediately prior to entry into the patient, that must be reached by the treatment system. The commonly used value for the maximum kinetic energy required for a medical proton accelerator is 250 MeV, but it has not been demonstrated that this energy is indeed necessary to treat all or most patients eligible for proton therapy. This article quantifies the maximum kinetic energy of protons, immediately prior to entry into the patient, necessary to treat a given percentage of patients with rotational proton therapy, and examines the impact of this energy threshold on the cost and feasibility of a compact, gantry-mounted proton accelerator treatment system. One hundred randomized treatment plans from patients treated with IMRT were analyzed. The maximum radiological pathlength from the surface of the patient to the distal edge of the treatment volume was obtained for 180° continuous arc proton therapy and for 180° split arc proton therapy (two 90° arcs) using CT# profiles from the Pinnacle™ (Philips Medical Systems, Madison, WI) treatment planning system. In each case, the maximum kinetic energy of protons, immediately prior to entry into the patient, that would be necessary to treat the patient was calculated using proton range tables for various media. In addition, Monte Carlo simulations were performed to quantify neutron production in a water phantom representing a patient as a function of the maximum proton kinetic energy achievable by a proton treatment system. Protons with a kinetic energy of 240 MeV, immediately prior to entry into the patient, were needed to treat 100% of patients in this study. However, it was shown that 90% of patients could be treated at 198 MeV, and 95% of patients could be treated at 207 MeV. Decreasing the proton kinetic energy from 250 to 200 MeV decreases the total neutron energy fluence produced by stopping a monoenergetic pencil beam in a water phantom by a factor of 2.3. It is possible to significantly lower the requirements on the maximum kinetic energy of a compact proton accelerator if the ability to treat a small percentage of patients with rotational therapy is sacrificed. This decrease in maximum kinetic energy, along with the corresponding decrease in neutron production, could lower the cost and ease the engineering constraints on a compact proton accelerator treatment facility.
Long-Term Outcomes of Patients Sent Emergently to the Catheterization Laboratory for Possible Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Current guidelines advocate primary percutaneous coronary intervention as the therapy of choice for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) when available. Little is known about the outcomes of patients without a culprit lesion after referral for primary percutaneous coronary intervention for a presumed STEMI. Subjects were identified within a registry containing consecutive patients who underwent emergent angiography for a potential STEMI from October 2008 to July 2012. Vital status was obtained from the medical record and Social Security Death Index. Cox proportional hazards models were created to evaluate the relation between the angiographic findings and cardiovascular outcomes, including major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and mortality. Among 539 patients who underwent emergent angiography, 65 (12%) had no coronary artery disease (CAD), 110 (20%) had CAD without a culprit lesion, and 364 (68%) had a culprit lesion. Kaplan-Meier analysis of MACE demonstrated that patients with CAD who lack a culprit lesion had a similar rate of MACE to those with a culprit lesion (p = 0.64), and both groups had significantly increased risk compared with those with no CAD (hazard ratio [HR] 1.9, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01 to 3.41 and HR 2.0, 95% CI 1.15 to 3.54, respectively). Kaplan-Meier analysis of mortality illustrated a nonsignificant trend toward increased mortality in patients having a culprit lesion (HR 1.7, 95% CI 0.59 to 4.80) and those having CAD without a culprit lesion (HR 1.2, 95% CI 0.39 to 3.81) compared with those with no CAD. In conclusion, patients found to have CAD without a culprit lesion in emergent angiography after a presumptive STEMI diagnosis have similar long-term rates of MACE compared with those requiring emergent revascularization.
Dietary chromium - forms and availabilities.

Abstract The chromium naturally occurring in plants eluted from Sephadex G-25 at approximately 2600 D. Total chromium was quantitated with flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry. A plant ligand tagged with radioactive chromium both in vivo and in vitro migrated on Sephadex G-25 identically to the naturally occurring chromium compound. The molecular weight of the radioactively tagged chromium compound was 2600 daltons on Sephadex G-25. Similar complexes isolated from plant species were found attached to an organic ligand. The ligand appears to have 2 components, differing in composition by an amine group. This extremely stable (K D = 9 × 10 −5 ) anionic complex does not contain peptide or deoxyribose units. When alfalfa was exposed to either Cr(III) or Cr(VI), only Cr(III) was isolated in this organic chromium compound. The alfalfa bioreduction system can be saturated, as evidenced by Cr(VI) isolation of ionic in those plant extracts incubated with high levels of Cr(VI) in vitro. The gastrointestinal chromium physiology studies show that the radioactively labelled plant chromium compounds remained intact through the gastrointestinal tract up to the large intestine. Some degradation products were identified in the rat cecum. Approximately 30% of the plant chromium available to the rat was absorbed across the gastrointestinal tract.
Undrained poroelastic response of sandstones to deviatoric stress change

Deformation of porous crustal rock, through diagenesis, tectonic loading or other processes, can change pore volume and affect fluid pressure. The largest stress- induced pore pressure changes occur when fluid is trapped in pores in an 'undrained' condition. We have measured the undrained poroelastic response of two sandstones to changes in mean and deviatoric stress. Pore pressure was found to respond to mean stress σ m in the usual manner: ∆ p = B∆ σ m (B ranging from 0.4 to 0.7), nearly independent of the ambient deviatoric stress state. However, variations in deviatoric stress ( σ d = (σ 1 - σ 3)/2) at constant mean stress were also found to induce a reversible (elastic) pore pressure response to stress levels up to and exceeding 80 percent failure stress ( i.e., ∆ p = η∆ σ d |σ m =const.). The coefficient η became more negative with increasing deviatoric stress level in sandstone and Ottawa sand samples. That is, η represents a dilatant response where increased deviatoric stress causes a decrease in pore pressure. The poroelastic response to deviatoric stress is explained in terms of anisotropic matrix stiffening due to closure of crack-like pore space or flattening of grain contacts at high ambient stress levels and can be important in calculations of earthquake stress transfer.
The lowdown on linkage disequilibrium.

Flowering time varies among Arabidopsis accessions. Some of the genes that contribute to this polygenic trait have been localized using quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping, eventually leading to the identification of genetic variants that contribute to observed differences in flowering time ([El-
International Marketing Policy: A Discussion of the Standardization Construct and its Relevance for Corporate Policy

A fundamental question in international marketing concerns the desirability and feasibility of standardizing marketing programs and procedures internationally. The primary objective of this paper is to present an overview and evaluation of the standardization debate. Central issues of interest include a discussion of the standardization construct and an evaluation of the evidence regarding corporate implementation of standardization strategies.
Carbon fluxes resulting from U.S. private timberland management

A carbon budget model was developed to examine the effects of forest management practices on carbon storage in U.S. private timberlands. The model explicitly incorporates the demand for wood products and its impact on harvesting and other management decisions. Forest carbon is divided into four components: carbon stored in trees, soils, forest litter, and understory vegetation. Changes in the forest carbon inventory result from tree growth and management activities, in particular harvesting. Harvesting of timber for wood products is determined by demand and supply forces. The model then tracks carbon in timber removals through primary and secondary processing and disposal stages. Harvesting also has effects on carbon in soils, forest litter, and understory vegetation. A base-run scenario projects increases in carbon storage in U.S. private timberlands by 2040; however, this increase is offset by carbon emissions resulting from harvesting.
Verbal Medication Orders in the OR

ABSTRACT MEDICATION ERRORS are the fourth most commonly reported sentinel event, and changes in practice are needed to provide a safe environment for patients in the OR. EXISTING MEASURES for preventing medication errors in the OR have focused on labeling medication containers on and off the sterile field. Very little attention, however, has been given to the potential for errors caused by verbal orders in the OR or to developing processes to prevent such errors. SIMPLE SOLUTIONS for improving the safety of verbal medication orders include instituting a read-back system in which verbal orders are written on a dry-erase board and verified by the ordering physician, requesting clarification of questionable orders, and reducing distractions in the OR.
Three‐dimensional external‐beam radiation treatment planning and real‐time dose verification of pituitary adenoma: Clinical and physical considerations

The purpose of this study is to establish protocols for simulation and external-beam radiotherapy of pituitary tumors and to examine the performance of a new 3-dimensional treatment planning system (3-D RTP). The asymmetric collimation feature of a dual-energy photon beam linear accelerator allows the user to set up half-beam treatment fields posterior to the orbits with no divergence to anterior structures. Treatment planning was performed with a relatively new Food and Drug Adminisration (FDA)-approved 3-D RTP system. Computerized tomographic (CT) scans used by this system to generate isodose distributions and dose-volume histograms were obtained directly from the scanner which is connected via ethernet cabling to the 3D treatment planning system. These were used for evaluating the dose distribution to the treatment volume, clinical target volume, gross tumor volume, and certain critical organs. Using 6 and 18 MV photon beams, different configurations of standard treatment techniques for pituitary tumors, i.e., a 190° flying wedge arc, 3-fields (an anterior plus a lateral wedged pair), and a pair of lateral fields, were studied and the resulting dose distributions were analyzed. Real-time dose measurements on patients using diode dosimetry were made and compared with computed dose values. With regard to minimizing radiation dose to surrounding structures, (i.e., lens, temporal lobes, spinal cord, etc.) the 190° flying wedge arc technique gave the best isodose distributions, followed by 3 fields (an anterior plus a lateral wedged pair). The opposing lateral fields gave the highest integral dose to the temporal lobes. The dose measured on the patient during the treatment agrees to within ±2% with the computed dose. The protocols presented in this work for simulation, immobilization, and treatment planning of patients with pituitary tumors provide the optimum dose distributions in the target volume with reduced irradiation of surrounding non-target tissues, and can be easily implemented in a radiation oncology department. The presence of a real-time dose-measuring system plays an important role in verifying the actual delivery of radiation dose. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Abstract 3494: Experimentally validated modeling for optimizing therapeutic combinations of oncolytic adenoviruses and MEK inhibitor

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC Oncolytic adenoviruses are therapeutic anti-cancer agents that selectively replicate in and lyse cancer cells motivating their use in targeted gene therapy. Successful entry of adenoviruses into target cells depends on attachment of the adenovirus fiber-knob protein to the Coxsackie-and Adenovirus Receptor (CAR), which is often down-regulated in highly malignant cells. In a previous study, we demonstrate that MEK inhibition may counter this effect by up-regulating CAR expression. In this study we optimize infection by investigating the combinatorial effect of oncolytic adenovirus infection and MEK inhibition through data-driven models and model-driven experiments. To motivate and test our hypotheses, we use HCT116 colon cancer cell line treated with MEK inhibitor, CI1040, and infected with oncolytic adenoviruses, ONYX-015, Delta-24 and Delta-24RGD. We developed a nonlinear ordinary differential equation model that characterizes the dynamics of these cancer cells subject to ONYX-015 infection modulated by CI1040. Resulting simulations offer predictions that may help guide experimental design and inform optimal timing of CI1040 treatment and ONYX-015 infection to minimize cancer growth. Experimental results demonstrate that HCT116 cells treated with CI1040 for 2 days and infected with adenoviruses have stronger cytopathic effects, greater virus uptake, and greater production when compared to the DMSO control. We also found that G1 cell cycle arrest, caused by CI1040 treatment, is associated with increased virus production. To assess the role of release from cell cycle arrest as a mechanism leading to enhanced production of oncolytic adenoviruses, we synchronize cells by density arrest for 48 hours, release and infect with adenoviruses. The results showed a more potent cell killing effect and virus production on cells arrested in G1 and released. We expanded our analysis to a panel of 21 pancreatic cell lines, as this tumor type is a possible target for adenoviral therapies. Enhanced virus replication and cell killing were observed in different pancreatic cell lines, suggesting that combination therapy of CI1040 and oncolytic adenoviruses have potential implications for the design of future clinical trials and improved oncolytic adenoviruses therapies. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3494.
User interface design for decision support systems: a self-adaptive approach

Abstract This paper presents a self-adaptive approach to user interface design. The primary philosophy of this design is that the user interface must be aware of the changes in its user's behavior and then adapt to it. Three different default policies are proposed to control the adaptation of a user interface: fixed default, dynamic default, and no default. Performance of these policies are compared for various patterns of usage. Mechanisms that determine the optimal default value to reduce the unnecessary effort are also discussed.
Thermodynamics of Aβ(1−40) Amyloid Fibril Elongation†

We describe herein the characterization of the equilibrium point for A beta(1-40) amyloid fibril elongation in phosphate-buffered saline at 37 degrees C. Seeded fibril elongation progresses rapidly to a reproducible end point of 0.7-1.0 microM unpolymerized monomeric peptide. This remaining monomeric material is functional, since after concentration it supports fibril elongation. Incubation of fibrils in the same buffer results in dissociation to a final monomer concentration in the same range. This robust C(r) value is equivalent to the A beta(1-40) fibril dissociation constant, Kd. The fact that a similar value for Kd is obtained from a ratio of dissociation and elongation rate constants further supports the view that these values are associated with a position of dynamic equilibrium and therefore are related to free energies of amyloid fibril elongation. The C(r) value reported here for wild-type A beta(1-40) fibrils corresponds to a free energy of fibril elongation of about -9 kcal/mol, a value similar to free energies of folding for small globular proteins. Elongation and dissociation of amyloid fibrils from point mutants of A beta(1-40) also yield C(r) values, different for different mutants, that reflect stabilizing/destabilizing effects. Interestingly, assembly of A beta(1-40) fibrils in the presence of a saturating concentration of the amyloid dye thioflavin T does not measurably affect fibril stability, in contrast to the commonly observed stabilization of globular proteins by ligand binding. The ability to quantify and compare amyloid fibril thermodynamic stabilities makes it possible to include fibrils, and potentially other aggregates, in quantitative descriptions of protein folding landscapes.
Nondisjunction of the X chromosomes in females ofDrosophila hydei

An investigation of nondisjunction inDrosophila hydei has disclosed that spontaneous primary nondisjunction of the X chromosomes occurs with a frequency of 1/13000, and secondary nondisjunction with a frequency of 1/3500. These rates are much lower than the ones previously reported forDrosophila melanogaster which are about 1/1000 for primary nondisjunction and 1/50 for secondary nondisjunction.
Attitude and behavior are correlates

Science attitude scales can be expected to predict science-related behavior. But A-B correspondence can seldom be expected to approach the r value of 1.00. Attitude and behavior covary to the degree that valid measurement and mediating variables are considered: Individual differences of subjects (e.g., high versus low self-monitoring); the social situation (e.g., direct experience); cognitive factors (e.g., attitude accessibility in memory). Attitude and behavior are reciprocal; that is, attitude can follow behavior. Variables other than attitude, e.g., behavioral intention, previous behavior, and habit, may under some conditions better predict behavior. Also, a viable alternative to attitude testing may be direct appraisal of some science classroom behaviors through ethnomethodology.
A novel double-side heat-removing laser structure for very high efficiency and high power lasers

Thermal design is known to be very important in high-power opto-electronic packaging. Efficient heat removing arrangement can greatly improve the device performance including the maximum output power, which is closely related to the junction and heat sink temperature difference, and the device lifetime, which strongly depends on the built-in thermal stress. A novel double-side heat-removing structure is proposed to reduce the junction and the heat sink temperature difference to a few degree K. Theoretic analysis and simulation results are presented.
Design tool integration: an exercise in semantic interoperability

The integration of software tools used in an engineering process is a problem that arises frequently in large-scale engineering projects. Traditional approaches are insufficient for complex engineering tools and processes. The solution must also account for the evolution of the system, as tools and processes change over time. This paper shows a new approach to the problem, describes the supporting infrastructure, and discusses the background model-integrated generation technology.
Human Facilitation of Phragmites australis Invasions in Tidal Marshes: A Review and Synthesis

Efforts to manage or prevent Phragmites australis invasion in salt and brackish marshes are complicated by the lack of a general causal role for specific human activities. The pattern of invasion within a marsh differs among sites, and each may have different causal histories. A review of the literature finds three establishment/invasion patterns: (1) from stands established on ditch- or creek-bank levees toward interior portions of high marshes, (2) from stands along upland borders toward high marsh interiors, and (3) centroid spread from high marsh stands established in ostensibly random locations. Each invasion pattern seems to have different anthropogenic precursors, therefore preventing generalizations about the role of any one human activity in all sites. However, historical and experimental evidence suggests that regardless of invasion pattern, establishment is much more likely at sites where rhizomes are buried in well-drained, low salinity marsh areas. Any human activity that buries large rhizomes, increases drainage, or lowers salinity increases chances of establishing invasive clones. To integrate these patterns and improve our understanding of the rapid spread of Phragmites, recent evidence has been synthesized into a dichotomous flow chart which poses questions about current site conditions and the potential for proposed activities to change site conditions that may facilitate invasion. This simple framework could help managers assess susceptibility and take preventative measures in coastal marshes before invasion occurs or before removal becomes very expensive.
Technology-mediated learning and prior academic performance

Business school expenditures related to online learning environments continue to rise at a somewhat unabated pace. Yet, little is known about the nature of learning in these technology-mediated learning environments. Prior research has generally assumed that the effects of technology-mediated learning (TML) are uniform across students and learning objectives. Using Bloom and Anderson et al.'s taxonomy, we focus on the lower-level learning objectives - for which TML tools are particularly appropriate - to investigate whether the effectiveness of TML is related to students' prior academic performance. Our results indicate that for the learning objectives examined, use of the online environment is of greatest benefit to students with a history of lower achievement. These findings lend credence to the assertion that the benefits of learning in TML environments are contingent upon the individuals and the technologies involved. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Necrotizing Fasciitis in an Obstetric Patient

Childbearing Poster Presentation Background Premature rupture of membranes (PROM) in a preterm infant is a serious concern. Additional complications, such as chorioamnionitis and a primary herpes outbreak, mean the delivery team must be vigilant in the care of such a patient. Case A 32-year-old woman was transferred to our facility with a singleton pregnancy at 35 weeks gestation. The woman presented with unidentified PROM and had brown watery discharge for the past 3 weeks. Additionally, she had a primary herpes outbreak, was positive for group B streptococci, and reported flu-like symptoms for the past 3 weeks. The woman was febrile and her abdomen was tender to touch. Once stabilized with appropriate antibiotic and antiviral treatments, the woman underwent a primary cesarean. During the surgery, the uterus was found to be full of pus. The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) team was present at the delivery. The newborn had a low Apgar score, oxygen saturation in the 30 s, no respiratory effort, and required prolonged respiratory support. The woman's postpartum course was progressing well until bowel sounds and urinary output decreased. Reddened areas around her incision were shown to her physicians and were attributed to tape burn. With no improvement, the woman was transferred back to the labor and delivery unit where she could receive a higher level of care. The nurse noticed the reddened area around the surgical site and convinced the physicians that this was not due to ordinary tape burn. A surgical consult was ordered and the woman was taken to the operating room (OR) to have her wound reopened. In the OR, her wound was cleaned and debrided but necrotizing fasciitis had set in. The woman was moved between the intensive care unit (ICU) and the OR for serial debridements. Eventually it was determined that her uterus could not be saved, and the woman had a hysterectomy. Soon after the surgery, she began to improve. The clinical nurse specialist was involved with keeping family and staff from the ICU, NICU, and OB departments up to date on the clinical condition of the dyad and provided resources to all areas as needed. The infant remained depressed for several days but did not contract herpes and was discharged appearing normal at 25 days of life. Conclusion As this complex patient deteriorated, she was cared for by many specialists, including clinicians from obstetrics, infectious disease, neonatology, nephrology, general surgery, and critical care. Though this case was very medically intensive, nurses had a key role in identifying subtle changes in the patient, communicating and advocating for increased medical surveillance and treatment.
Provisioning of the Inka army in wartime: obsidian procurement in Pambamarca, Ecuador

Ninety-nine obsidian artifacts from fortified and non-fortified sites in the Pambamarca region of northern Ecuador were analyzed with XRF to examine patterns of procurement of obsidian by soldiers in the Inka army and by the local Cayambes who were resisting Inka conquest. The results show that the Inkas acquired material from several different sources, a pattern consistent with provisioning by subject peoples in partial fulfillment of labor obligations. The Cayambes also acquired material from multiple sources, although they may not have directly procured material from all of the sources because the external boundary of Inka territory bisected the region of obsidian sources. That frontier may have prevented the Inkas from accessing one source, Callejones, from which the Cayambes acquired some of their obsidian. In addition, the Inkas were acquiring some obsidian from the Yanaurco-Quiscatola source, which had been previously abandoned around AD 1000.
The Mössbauer community in the USA

Scientists in the United States assumed major roles in developing the Mossbauer community during its early years. However, since the termination of the Mossbauer Effect Methodology meetings in 1976, there has been little in the way of regular Mossbauer meetings in the United States. Nevertheless, there is an active United States Mossbauer community, as noted by the number of annual publications — 156 in 2004. In recent decades, attendance of Mossbauer researchers from the United States at the International Conferences on the Applications of the Mossbauer Effect (ICAME) has been far below what would be expected from the number of contributions in the Mossbauer literature. Attempts have been made, unsuccessfully, to arrange for regular Mossbauer meetings. Models for possible future Mossbauer meetings of US scientists are discussed, including a regular biannual meeting, and another being a virtual Mossbauer conference. Also discussed are other models to maintaining an active Mossbauer community in the United States, making use of information technologies that are available to us along with other resources we can use.
Self-Weighing Throughout Adolescence and Young Adulthood: Implications for Well-Being.

Abstract Objective To describe the prevalence of self-weighing in the transition period from adolescence to young adulthood and examine cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between self-weighing and weight status, psychological, and behavioral outcomes. Design Project Eating and Activity in Teens and Young Adults , a longitudinal cohort study that assessed variables 3 times over 10 years. Participants A total of 1,868 adolescents and young adults. Main Outcome Measures Weight, body mass index, weight disparity, body satisfaction, weight concern, self-esteem, depression, and unhealthy weight control behaviors. Analysis Cross-sectional and longitudinal. Results Significant positive correlations were found at each time point between self-weighing and weight concern for both genders. Self-weighing was significantly inversely related to self-esteem at each time point in female participants. Increases in endorsement of self-weighing were significantly related to decreases in body satisfaction and self-esteem and increases in weight concern and depression in female participants and to increases in weight concern in male participants. Conclusions and Implications Findings suggest that self-weighing may not be an innocuous behavior for young people, particularly women. Interventions should assess potential harmful consequences of self-weighing in addition to any potential benefits. It may be appropriate for clinicians to ask about self-weighing, and if it is frequent, to explore motivations, perceived benefits, and potential adverse correlates or consequences.
Power spectrum analysis of bursting cells in area MT in the behaving monkey

It is widely held that visual cortical neurons encode information primarily in their mean firing rates. Some proposals, however, emphasize the information potentially available in the temporal structure of spike trains (Optican and Richmond, 1987; Bialek et al., 1991), in particular with respect to stimulus-related synchronized oscillations in the 30–70 Hz range (Eckhorn et al., 1988; Gray et al., 1989; Kreiter and Singer, 1992) as well as via bursting cells (Cattaneo et al., 1981a; Bonds, 1992). We investigate the temporal fine structure of spike trains recorded in extrastriate area MT of the trained macaque monkey, a region that plays a major role in processing motion information. The data were recorded while the monkey performed a near- threshold direction discrimination task so that both physiological and psychophysical data could be obtained on the same set of trials (Britten et al., 1992). We identify bursting cells and quantify their properties, in particular in relation to the behavior of the animal. We compute the power spectrum and the distribution of interspike intervals (ISIs) associated with individual spike trains from 212 cells, averaging these quantities across similar trials. (1) About 33% of the cells have a relatively flat power spectrum with a dip at low temporal frequencies. We analytically derive the power spectrum of a Poisson process with refractory period and show that it matches the observed spectrum of these cells. (2) About 62% of the cells have a peak in the 20–60 Hz frequency band. In about 10% of all cells, this peak is at least twice the height of its base. The presence of such a peak strongly correlates with a tendency of the cell to respond in bursts, that is, two to four spikes within 2–8 msec. For 93% of cells, the shape of the power spectrum did not change dramatically with stimulus conditions. (3) Both the ISI distribution and the power spectrum of the vast majority of bursting cells are compatible with the notion that these cells fire Poisson-distributed bursts, with a burst-related refractory period. Thus, for our stimulus conditions, no explicitly oscillating neuronal process is required to yield a peak in the power spectrum. (4) We found no statistically significant relationship between the peak in the power spectrum and psychophysical measures of the monkeys' performance on the direction discrimination task.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
The Influence of Puberty, Family Processes, and Leisure Activities on the Timing of First Sexual Experience.

This study investigated the effects of pubertal timing, demographics, family processes, and leisure activities on the timing of first sexual experience. The sample included 15-18-year-old adolescents from the former East and West Germanys. Hierarchical model using Cox regression examined the differences in the patterns of predictors by nation and sex. Higher levels of parental monitoring predicted later initiation of sexual experience for West males and females and East males. In the final model pubertal timing was significant only for East males. Higher levels of risky leisure predicted earlier first sexual experience for East males and females and West females. Social-romantic leisure was a significant predictor of earlier timing for both West males and females.
High-Density Hydrogen Research

This paper presents three different efforts at Livermore which are proceeding toward a characterization of high-density hydrogen. Two are experimental, aimed at measuring hydrogen’s properties at high density. The other is theoretical, with the goal of correlating experimental results with theoretical calculations. The results of all three efforts have proven useful to the understanding of how the molecular liquid phase, initially at a density less than 0.1 g/cm3, can be compressed more than tenfold to make the relatively dense metallic hydrogen phase forecast by Wigner and Huntington [1].
Investment and Capital Market Imperfections: A Switching Regression Approach Using U.S. Firm Panel Data

In this paper we develop a switching regression model of investment, in which the probability of a firm facing a high premium on external finance is endogenously determined. This approach allows on...
Interpretation of motion trajectories using focus of expansion

The focus of expansion (FOE) of a group of motion trajectories is defined to be a point in the image plane at which the trajectories intersect when they are extended. The FOE observed over a time sequence defines the locus of the FOE. The authors present an analytical approach for the study of dynamic events as they project on the image plane by analyzing the locus of the FOE. They find that the locus of the FOE can be used to make qualitative assertions regarding the type of motion. Interesting behavior of the locus of the FOE for various types of motion is observed. The cases include a single point and a horizontal, a vertical, and a sloped straight line. It was also possible to determine whether the object has approaching or receding motion or when the object changes its direction of motion. This inference can be used in qualitative computer vision. >
Communications: An ear to the universe: Sensitive antennas, pattern recognizing computers, and informed conjecture are being tuned to possible signals from the stars

Describes the research works by the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) project. The present plan is only to listen using sensitive antennas, pattern recognising computers, and informed conjective which are being tuned to possible signals from the stars.
Digital System Design Using Microarchitectural Modeling

Microarchitectural modeling partitions a digital system into a data part and a control part. The data part contains registers, arithmetic and logic units (ALUs), and multiplexers. The control part can be implemented as a finite state machine, programmable logic array, or microprogram. In this paper, the method of defining a digital function in a procedural description and then applying a microarchitectural modeling technique to generate a design is presented. This methodology, which is very systematic and easy to learn, has been taught to students in an Advanced Digital Design course. Students applied the method to the design of various algorithmic specifications and produced working systems in field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) technologies. Class surveys indicated that students very much appreciated the power of this formal method for digital design.
Unusual palatal root canal morphology in maxillary molars

Abstract Three clinical cases are presented in which the palatal root(s) of human maxillary molars exhibited root canal morphology characterized by multiple canals/roots.
Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuresis may herald or accompany neuromyelitis optica

Aquaporin-4 (AQP4) is the target autoantigen of an immunoglobulin G (IgG) autoantibody that distinguishes a spectrum of inflammatory demyelinating CNS disorders (the neuromyelitis optica [NMO] spectrum) from multiple sclerosis (MS) and other CNS demyelinating disorders.1 Compelling evidence supports this IgG having a central role in the pathogenesis of NMO. AQP4 is concentrated in astrocytic foot processes at interfaces between CNS parenchyma and fluid compartments, both CSF and blood,1 and in areas involved in osmosensitivity and osmoregulation, including supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei of the hypothalamus and sensory circumventricular organs, the subfornical organ, the organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis, and the area postrema.2 A single case of the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuresis (SIAD) has been described in NMO.3 Here we report the frequency of SIAD in NMO.
Cutting corners: the dynamics of turning behaviors in two primate species.

SUMMARY In an attempt to characterize more fully the variation in substrate reaction forces in the locomotor repertoire of primates, we recorded the forces involved in directional changes for two species. These are the first records of turning forces for vertebrate quadrupeds, much less primates. Three ring-tailed lemurs and two patas monkeys performed turns of approximately 30° as they crossed a force platform. The ring-tailed lemurs also turned on a horizontal branch-like support with a segment attached to the force transducer. Mediolateral forces of up to 40% body weight were recorded. These are considerably higher than during linear locomotion. Pivot limbs in ground turns and turns on the branch differed in the lemurs, suggesting that substrate influences turning strategies. Limbs encountered both medial and lateral reaction forces, and as a result, they may be exposed to variable bending regimes in the frontal plane. The stereotypy in bending regimes suggested by in vivo bone strain studies, therefore, may characterize linear locomotion only. The lemurs showed hindlimb dominance in turns, both in terms of frequency used as well as force magnitude (hindlimb steering). Hindlimb dominance in weight support characterizes both species (and primates in general), but it is more pronounced in the lemurs. In the patas monkeys, forces were more evenly distributed among the two pairs of limbs. The mediolateral turning forces therefore seem to track the amount of weight to be shifted sideways. Overall variance in mediolateral forces was greater in the arboreal and versatile lemurs than in the terrestrial and cursorial patas monkeys.
Partition inequalities for capacitated survivable network design based on directed p-cycles

We study the design of capacitated survivable networks using directed p-cycles. A p-cycle is a cycle with at least three arcs, used for rerouting disrupted flow during edge failures. Survivability of the network is accomplished by reserving sufficient slack on directed p-cycles so that if an edge fails, its flow can be rerouted along the p-cycles. We describe a model for designing capacitated survivable networks based on directed p-cycles. We motivate this model by comparing it with other means of ensuring survivability, and present a mixed-integer programming formulation for it. We derive valid inequalities for the model based on the minimum capacity requirement between partitions of the nodes and give facet conditions for them. We discuss the separation for these inequalities and present results of computational experiments for testing their effectiveness as cutting planes when incorporated in a branch-and-cut algorithm. Our experiments show that the proposed inequalities reduce the computational effort significantly.