cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long-term outcomes of transobturator midurethral slings: A critical evaluation of a real-world population.

Aims The American Urological Association/Society of Urodynamics, Female Pelvic Medicine and Urogenital Reconstruction stress urinary incontinence (SUI) guidelines strongly recommend the midurethral sling (MUS) for the index female patient with SUI. While numerous studies report long-term outcomes and complications for the retropubic MUS, these are largely absent for the transobturator MUS and are assessed in this study. Methods This is an Institutional Review Board approved retrospective chart review of all women who underwent a transobturator MUS at a single institution from 2004 to 2010. Pre- and postoperative assessment included a cough-stress test, SEAPI assessment, and validated quality-of-life (QoL) questionnaires. SUI resolution was defined as no subjective or objective SUI, and no additional surgery to achieve stress continence. Results Of 437 women, 305 (70%) had a minimum follow-up of 48 months (mean 88; median 92). SUI was resolved in 69% of the entire cohort and 58% of the 78 women who had MUS only. The median time to SUI recurrence was 38 months in the entire cohort and 18 months in the MUS only group. Perioperative complications were infrequent and typically associated with concomitant surgery. A statistically significant improvement was observed in SEAPI scores and all QoL indices postoperatively. Conclusions Long-term resolution of SUI after the transobturator MUS is achieved by 69%, which is commensurate with success rates reported in the literature. Overall, women experience a significant improvement in their QoL after transobturator MUS; however, late recurrences and delayed sequelae may occur. Thus, long-term follow-up is warranted in this population.
A Dynamic Theory of Parliamentary Democracy

This paper presents a dynamic model of election, government formation, and legislation in a parliamentary democracy with proportional representation in which the policy chosen in one period becomes the status quo for the next period. The electorate votes strategically by taking into account the likely governments that parties would form and the policies they would choose as a function of the status quo. The status quo thus a¤ects both the election outcomes and the bargaining power of the parties during government formation. A formateur party thus has incentives to strategically position the current policy to gain an advantage in both the next election and the subsequent bargaining over government formation and policy choice. These incentives can give rise to centrifugal forces that result in policies that are outside the Pareto set of the parties. JEL Code: D7, C7, H1.
Cannabis use and measurement of cannabinoids in plasma and breast milk of breastfeeding mothers.

Background Information on cannabinoids in breast milk and maternal cannabis use is limited. We quantified cannabinoids in plasma and breast milk of breastfeeding mothers and assessed cannabis use patterns. Methods This is a prospective study at a university hospital in a state with legal medical and recreational cannabis. Breast milk and plasma samples along with survey data were collected from volunteers using cannabis in the last 48 h at 2 weeks and 2 months postpartum. Results Twenty subjects were enrolled. Median age (IQR) was 27 (24-34) years. Median (IQR) instances of cannabis use in the last 7 days were visit 1: 17 (6-29) and visit 2: 23 (15-45). Median (IQR) tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentrations were: plasma 3.7 ng/ml (0.8-56.8) and breast milk 27.5 ng/ml (0.8-190.5). Median (IQR) cannabidiol (CBD) concentrations were: plasma 0.6 ng/ml (0.5-6.4) and breast milk 1.2 ng/ml (0.5-17.0). Median (IQR) THC M/P: 7.0 (1.8-34.6) and CBD M/P: 2.6. Median breast milk THC concentration increased from visit 1 to visit 2 by 30.2 ng/ml (95% CI 3.05-69.3 ng/ml). Conclusions THC and CBD accumulate in breast milk. Breastfeeding mothers used cannabis frequently and increased use in the early postpartum period. Research on the effects of infant exposure to cannabinoids in breast milk is urgently needed. Impact Cannabis use is increasing in the general population and many nursing mothers use cannabis. THC has been previously detected in breast milk but little is known on how it concentrates relative to plasma. Data on cannabinoids other than THC, reasons for cannabis use, and patterns of use in breastfeeding women are also limited. We detected THC and CBD in breast milk. Both concentrate in breast milk relative to plasma. We showed that breastfeeding mothers increased cannabis use in the weeks after childbirth. Further research is needed to evaluate infant exposure to cannabinoids via breast milk and effects on infant health.
Dynamically consistent coarse-grain simulation model of chemically specific polymer melts via friction parameterization.

Coarse-grained (CG) models of polymers involve grouping many atoms in an all-atom (AA) representation into single sites to reduce computational effort yet retain the hierarchy of length and time scales inherent to macromolecules. Parameterization of such models is often via “bottom-up” methods, which preserve chemical specificity but suffer from artificially accelerated dynamics with respect to the AA model from which they were derived. Here, we study the combination of a bottom-up CG model with a dissipative potential as a means to obtain a chemically specific and dynamically correct model. We generate the conservative part of the force-field using the iterative Boltzmann inversion (IBI) method, which seeks to recover the AA structure. This is augmented with the dissipative Langevin thermostat, which introduces a single parameterizable friction factor to correct the unphysically fast dynamics of the IBI-generated force-field. We study this approach for linear polystyrene oligomer melts for three separate systems with 11, 21, and 41 monomers per chain and a mapping of one monomer per CG site. To parameterize the friction factor, target values are extracted from the AA dynamics using translational monomer diffusion, translational chain diffusion, and rotational chain motion to test the consistency of the parameterization across different modes of motion. We find that the value of the friction parameter needed to bring the CG dynamics in line with AA target values varies based on the mode of parameterization with short-time monomer translational dynamics requiring the highest values, long-time chain translational dynamics requiring the lowest values, and rotational dynamics falling in between. The friction ranges most widely for the shortest chains, and the span narrows with increasing chain length. For longer chains, a practical working value of the friction parameter may be derived from the rotational dynamics, owing to the contribution of multiple relaxation modes to chain rotation and a lack of sensitivity of the translational dynamics at these intermediate levels of friction. A study of equilibrium chain structure reveals that all chains studied are non-Gaussian. However, longer chains better approximate ideal chain dimensions than more rod-like shorter chains and thus are most closely described by a single friction parameter. We also find that the separability of the conservative and dissipative potentials is preserved.
Vibrio mimicus wound infection in a burn patient

Burns are one of the most common and devastating forms of trauma. Burns are a significant problem with high associated morbidity and mortality worldwide. Burn wound infection is a serious complication, which plays an important role in increasing the overall fatality rate in burn patients. In this study, we report a case of the polymicrobial burn wound infection involving V mimicus in a 56-year-old male, who was transferred from an outside hospital to the inpatient burn unit after sustaining traumatic and burn injuries in a firework explosion accident. The patient underwent surgical treatment and antibiotics with good improvement. Although rare, our case study will help to underscore the important role of V mimicus as a human pathogen.
COVID 19 Reinfection: First Case in New Jersey

IntroductionSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) induces an immune response but the degree and duration for which it provides protective immunity is still unknown. Herein we report a case of reinfection where the patient was tested positive again after being tested negative two subsequent times. Case DescriptionA 31-year-old Hispanic female with a past medical history of asthma, gastric sleeve surgery, and pulmonary embolism during pregnancy presented in March 2020 with subjective fever, dry cough, headache, and fatigue for 5 days. Vitals were significant for oxygen saturation of 96% on room air and BMI 44.4 kg/m2. Physical examination was normal. Labs and chest radiograph were normal. SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR was positive. The patient was discharged and was advised to quarantine herself and monitor her oxygen saturation. She was re-tested again in July 2020 and September 2020 and SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR was negative both times. The patient came to the hospital again in November 2020 with subjective fevers, chills, shortness of breath, body ache, and malaise for 1 week. Vitals were significant for a heart rate of 112/min, temperature 99.6 °F, respiratory rate of 20/min, hypoxia requiring 5L nasal cannula to maintain an oxygen saturation of 95%, and BMI 44.7 kg/m2. Physical exam revealed decreased air entry in the lungs bilaterally. Complete blood count and basic metabolic profile were within normal limits. Inflammatory markers were elevated. Computed tomography (CT) thorax showed bilateral, predominantly peripheral, and subpleural ill-defined ground-glass opacities consistent with pneumonia. SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR was positive. The patient was treated with intravenous remdesivir for 5 days and oral dexamethasone 6mg for 10 days. She improved clinically and was discharged on home oxygen. DiscussionAlthough the risk of COVID reinfection is low, cases of possible reinfection have been reported. Our patient was not immunocompromised, tested negative after 4 months and 6 months but presented again after 8 months with severe symptoms as compared to the first time. There have been case reports where the reinfection was more severe, however, there is not sufficient data to support that. There is not enough data demonstrating degree and duration of protection after the primary infection either. Reinfection could be due to infection with a more virulent strain or evolution of the previous viral strain in the body. The absence of genomic sequencing limits our ability to diagnose that. More research in this field and genomic sequencing can help us with an accurate diagnosis.
PESTICIDE EFFECTS ON HONEYBEE SURVIVAL AND GENE EXPRESSION

Some widely used pesticides, such as neonicotinoids, are known to be extremely toxic for bees and can, even at sublethal doses, significantly decrease honeybee performance and trigger disorders in colony dynamics and labour partition. The aim of the present work was to assess the effects of agricultural pesticides on honeybee survival and physiological stress. A large number of foragers were tracked during their foraging activity in four different agricultural landscapes. Those landscapes included three agricultural areas that contained large field crops (corn, cotton, soybean, and sorghum) and one control treatment with no agriculture. Marked bees were recovered from their colonies after few weeks and analyzed chemically. Expressions of some detoxification genes were quantified in the recovered bee brains too. Our results show that recovered foragers contained low doses of pesticides except those foraging in non-agricultural area. Genetic expression of the studied genes showed no response to pesticide exposure but rather to the bee ages.
Automated Monitoring of Suicidal Adolescents' Digital Media Use: Qualitative Study Exploring Acceptability Within Clinical Care

Background: Monitoring linguistic cues from adolescents’ digital media use (DMU; ie, digital content transmitted on the web, such as through text messages or social media) that could denote suicidal risk offers a unique opportunity to protect adolescents vulnerable to suicide, the second leading cause of death among youth. Adolescents communicate through digital media in high volumes and frequently express emotionality. In fact, web-based disclosures of suicidality are more common than in-person disclosures. The use of automated methods of digital media monitoring triggered by a natural language processing algorithm offers the potential to detect suicidal risk from subtle linguistic units (eg, negatively valanced words, phrases, or emoticons known to be associated with suicidality) present within adolescents’ digital media content and to use this information to respond to alerts of suicidal risk. Critical to the implementation of such an approach is the consideration of its acceptability in the clinical care of adolescents at high risk of suicide. Objective: Through data collection among recently suicidal adolescents, parents, and clinicians, this study examines the current context of digital media monitoring for suicidal adolescents seeking clinical care to inform the need for automated monitoring and the factors that influence the acceptance of automated monitoring of suicidal adolescents’ DMU within clinical care. Methods: A total of 15 recently suicidal adolescents (aged 13-17 years), 12 parents, and 10 clinicians participated in focus groups, qualitative interviews, and a group discussion, respectively. Data were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Participants described important challenges to the current strategies for monitoring the DMU of suicidal youth. They felt that automated monitoring would have advantages over current monitoring approaches, namely, by protecting web-based environments and aiding adolescent disclosure and support seeking about web-based suicidal risk communication, which may otherwise go unnoticed. However, they identified barriers that could impede implementation within clinical care, namely, adolescents’ and parents’ concerns about unintended consequences of automated monitoring, that is, the potential for loss of privacy or false alerts, and clinicians’ concerns about liability to respond to alerts of suicidal risk. On the basis of the needs and preferences of adolescents, parents, and clinicians, a model for automated digital media monitoring is presented that aims to optimize acceptability within clinical care for suicidal youth. Conclusions: Automated digital media monitoring offers a promising means to augment detection and response to suicidal risk within the clinical care of suicidal youth when strategies that address the preferences of adolescents, parents, and clinicians are in place.
Importance of Soil Heterogeneity Study in Variety Testing Programs

The exponentially growing population has triggered the need for more food. Lot of work is being done in the field of crop improvement and variety testing to develop high yielding varieties. But the question is whether modifying crops at molecular or gene level is the only thing required to improve yield? Is there any factor that may affect the yield of these elite varieties? Should we consider that factor in crop improvement and variety testing programs? The answer is yes. Soil heterogeneity is an important factor that may affect the yield of these elite varieties. Unfortunately, it is the least explored area in any crop improvement or variety testing program. Soil heterogeneity results in over- or under-application of inputs such as fertilizers or irrigation that affects crop growth and development. Same genotypes planted at different sites on a field varying in amount of nutrients or organic matter tend to perform differently. All these increases the complexity of agricultural research and slow down the process of varietal selection by breeders. Soil heterogeneity may occur at site, space, or time level. In the field condition, soil is rarely homogeneous. Variability exists and hence, should be explored in crop improvement and variety testing programs. There are several ways to do soil sampling—random sampling, grid sampling, or sensor-based to study soil variability but they are either not accurate, time-consuming, require resources, or complex to work with. UAV has emerged as a low-cost tool that provides near real-time data and is capable of mapping soil heterogeneity for moisture, nutrients, etc. It can be a great tool to consider in exploring the effect of soil heterogeneity on crop varietal growth and development and making decisions accordingly.
Monitoring basal autophagy in the retina utilizing CAG-mRFP-EGFP-MAP1LC3B reporter mouse: technical and biological considerations.

We describe the utility of a tandem-tagged autophagy reporter mouse model (CAG-RFP-EGFP-MAP1LC3B) in investigating basal macroautophagic/autophagic flux in the neural retina. Western blot, in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, and confocal microscopy showed that CAG promoter-driven expression of RFP-EGFP-MAP1LC3B increased "cytosolic" RFP-EGFP-LC3B-I levels, whereas RFP-EGFP-LC3B-II decorates true phagosomes. We verified that the electroretinographic (ERG) responses of tandem-tagged LC3B mice were comparable to those of age-matched controls. Optimized microscope settings detected lipofuscin autofluorescence in retinas of abca4-/- mice. The majority of retinal phagosomes in the reporter mice exhibited only RFP (not EGFP) fluorescence, suggesting rapid maturation of phagosomes. Only ~1.5% of the total phagosome population was EGFP-labeled; RFP-labeled (mature) phagosomes colocalized with lysosomal markers LAMP2 and CTSD. In the outer retina, phagosome sizes were as follows (in µm2, ave ± SEM): RPE, 0.309 ± 0.015; photoreceptor inner segment-myoid, 0.544 ± 0.031; and outer nuclear layer, 0.429 ± 0.011. Detection of RPE phagosomes by fluorescence microscopy is challenging, due to the presence of melanin. Increased lipofuscin autofluorescence, such as observed in the abca4-/- mouse model of Stargardt disease, is a strong confounding factor when attempting to study autophagy in the RPE. In addition to RPE and photoreceptor cells, phagosomes were detected in inner retinal cell types, microglia, astrocytes, and endothelial cells. We conclude that the tandem-tagged LC3B mouse model serves as a useful system for studying autophagy in the retina. This utility, however, is dependent upon several technical and biological factors, including microscope settings, transgene expression, choice of fluorophores, and lipofuscin autofluorescence.Abbreviations: ACTB: actin, beta; AIF1: allograft inflammatory factor 1; ATG: autophagy related; CTSD: cathepsin D; DAPI: (4',6-diamido-2-phenylindole); DIC: differential interference contrast; EGFP: enhanced green fluorescent protein; ELM: external limiting membrane; ERG: electroretinography; GCL: ganglion cell layer; GLUL: glutamine-ammonia ligase (glutamine synthetase); INL: inner nuclear layer; IS-E/M: inner segment - ellipsoid/myoid; ISH: in situ hybridization; LAMP2: lysosomal-associated membrane protein 2; L.I.: laser Intensity; MAP1LC3B: microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 beta; MTOR: mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase; O.C.T.: optimal cutting temperature; OS: outer segment; ONL: outer nuclear layer; PE: phosphatidylethanolamine; RFP: red fluorescent protein; R.O.I.: region of interest; RPE: retinal pigment epithelium.
Promoting Readiness of Minors in Supplemental Security Income (PROMISE): Early Impacts from a Multi-Site Random Assignment Evaluation.

BACKGROUND PROMISE was a federal initiative to support youth receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) during the transition to adulthood. OBJECTIVES This article presents estimates of the impacts of the six PROMISE projects on youth and family outcomes as of 18 months after enrolling in PROMISE. RESEARCH DESIGN The study uses a randomized controlled trial design. SUBJECTS The six PROMISE projects each enrolled a minimum of 2000 treatment and control youth (and their parents) residing in their service areas who were aged 14 to 16 and receiving SSI. MEASURES We estimated impacts on outcomes related to youth and family service use, school enrollment, training, employment, earnings, and federal disability program participation using survey and administrative data. RESULTS The projects succeeded in connecting more youth to transition services and more families to support services during the 18 months after enrollment, and most increased the likelihood that youth applied for state vocational rehabilitation services. On average, there was no impact on youth's school enrollment, but there were favorable impacts on youth's receipt of job-related training, employment, earnings, and total income. The projects did not affect parents' employment, earnings, or income, on average. For most outcomes PROMISE affected, the impacts varied substantially across the projects. CONCLUSIONS The positive short-term impacts of PROMISE on youth's use of transition services, youth employment, and families' use of services are consistent with the program logic model and suggest there might be potential for longer-term favorable impacts on youth and family outcomes.
The Grand Challenge in Information Technology and the Illusion of Validity

Rather than progressing in revolutionary, paradigm-shifting steps, Computer Science and Information Technology (IT) follow the much more mundane path called Normal Science by Thomas S. Kuhn in "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions." Scientific and Industrial Revolutions arise only in rare circumstances. The path so often projected by the Industrial IT and Computer Science communities is of revolutions and paradigm shifts. Notwithstanding the Illusion of Validity, the belief in the visions and the claims based on proponent provided justifications, the track record suggests that most claims for emerging technologies are simply false. What should responsible computer scientists and information technologists do when faced with evaluating claims for purported technical advances and new directions? What is a likely outcome of a hot new technology? For example, when will Cooperative Information Systems (CoopISs) come into being? Will we see the claims for Web Services and the Semantic Web realized? Barring rare Nobel Prize-worthy contributions and genuine revolutions the answer is a qualified no - not as claimed and not in the proposed timeframes. Why? Because at their heart is the Grand Challenge of Computer Science: automatically dealing with the "semantics" of data and of computation, e.g., semantic heterogeneity, on which there has been little progress in decades.This talk looks at the history of claims for emerging technologies, particularly those that contain the Grand Challenge. It reviews some seldom-applied formal and informal methods that can be used to evaluate the potential success of such claims and asks questions such as: What can we expect from Web Services? and How should national funding agencies invest in these areas? The talk concludes after suggesting practical but not novel steps towards making progress, by announcing the next killer app!
Guiding Blind Funds to Banks in Need: The Role of Nontransaction Deposits during Liquidity Crises

This paper studies the critical role of nontransaction deposits during and after liquidity crises. In contrast to Gatev and Strahan (2005) who document that the voluntary transaction deposits inflow toward banking system offsets the banks' funds outflow from their loan commitment take-downs, we show that bank heterogeneity, especially due to size differences, leads to a funding imbalance within the banking system. This leaves some institutions with a funding shortage, and the interest-bearing property of nontransaction deposits enables active liability management among banks via a price mechanism. As a result, blind money is guided to banks in need in the form of nontransaction funds. We construct both price and quantity measures for individual bank's nontransaction deposits, and using loan commitments as a contractual binding instrument we show that banks face a non-frictionless financing market for nontransaction funds. However, the cost is far from prohibitive. This suggest that banks, thanks to the NA management, are in a favorable position to provide liquidity when the market refuses to do so, even after taking into account long-run and potentially amplifying competition for nontransaction funds. Nevertheless during liquidity crises we find negative evidence regarding the advantage of banks over finance companies, which is opposite to Gatev and Strahan (2005).
Transformation: The Missing Link of MDA

In this paper we explore the issue of transforming models to models, an essential part of the OMG's Model Driven Architecture (MDA) vision. Drawing from the literature and our experiences implementing a number of transformations using different technologies, we explore the strengths and weaknesses of the different technologies and identify requirements for a transformation language for performing the kind of model-to-model transformations required to realise the MDA vision.
Operation Desert Storm: emergence of the need for technical communication

The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and Saddam Hussein's threat to use chemical weapons accelerated the demands for technical information from the US Army's Chemical Research, Development and Engineering Center (CRDEC). The technical communicators at the research center became the specialists who quickly produced the details of the US chemical-biological defensive capabilities. Narrowing the distance between the chemical R&D community and decision and policy makers was the key to promoting better communications, countering the misunderstandings and erroneous assumptions, and easing the impact of continual inquiries. Desert Shield, and subsequently Desert Storm, represented turning points in joining technical communicators with the scientists and engineers into a cohesive team, an after effect likely to continue. Top military and civilian managers had the foresight to include technical communicators on the R&D team at CRDEC and the results were strategies that improved quality of communication and succeeded in conveying needed scientific and engineering information. The design and development of communication tools included clear and precise informational materials, innovative briefing and speech materials. and practical and knowledgeable advice on communication matters. >
Outage data collection and parameter estimation for an improved probabilistic contigency analysis

Probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) techniques are increasingly being used in electric power industry applications for better coping with uncertainties over deterministic approaches. One application where PRA techniques can add value is data analysis for parameters such as outage frequency. Focusing on a probabilistic contingency analysis (PCA), this study examines the issue of obtaining a point estimate of outage statistics by lumping or pooling outage data records together from different sources. A Pearson Chi-square test is adopted to determine the poolability of data, and a lognormal distribution is used to model the data source variability and capture variations of operation and maintenance practices among different utilities. The distribution parameters representing outage frequencies and durations are calculated from the raw outage data. An improved PCA scheme based on the outcomes of this study is proposed and being implemented.
Glacial-Holocene δ15N record from the Gulf of Tehuantepec, Mexico: Implications for denitrification in the eastern equatorial Pacific and changes in atmospheric N2O

[1] The intensity of denitrification in the Gulf of Tehuantepec, along the Mexican margin of the eastern tropical North Pacific (ETNP), was reconstructed for the last 23,000 years using the nitrogen isotopic composition of sediment organic matter (δ15Norg) in conjunction with other geochemical tracers of water column productivity. During the last glacial period, δ15Norg values ranged from 6.5 to 8.6‰ with values increasing between 23 and 17 ka. Deglaciation was marked by an abrupt increase in δ15Norg with maximum values (9.9‰) occurring during the Bolling/Allerod period and the earliest Holocene. A decline in δ15Norg values occurred over the last 10,000 years, with late Holocene values being similar to those of the glacial period. Our data suggest that denitrification in this region was minimal during the last glacial and is consistent with the deposition of bioturbated sediments at the study site. The intensity of denitrification increased dramatically during deglaciation and the early Holocene, signaling the presence of a strong oxygen minimum zone. This period is also marked by the deposition of laminated sediments in the region. The δ15Norg records display similar temporal trends to those seen in the Greenland ice core record of atmospheric N2O concentrations. At present, denitrification within the eastern tropical Pacific and Arabian Sea accounts for a major portion of the global marine loss of fixed nitrogen, and a significant fraction of the ocean-atmosphere N2O flux originates from these areas. Large changes in N2O emissions from these regions in the past would have directly impacted global greenhouse gas concentrations.
A Test Methodology for Evaluating Cognitive Radio Systems

The cognitive radio (CR) field currently lacks a standardized end-user test methodology that is repeatable, flexible, and effective across multiple CR architectures. Furthermore, the CR field lacks a suitable device-agnostic framework that allows testing of an integrated CR system and not solely specific components. This paper presents a CR test methodology, known as the Cognitive RAdio Test Methodology (CRATM), to address these issues. CRATM proposes to use behavior-based testing in which cognition may be measured by evaluating both primary user (PU) and secondary user (SU) (i.e., the CR under test) performance. Data on behavior-based testing are collected and evaluated. An SU pair and a PU radio pair are implemented using the Wireless Open-Access Research Platform (WARP) and the WARPLab software running in MATLAB. The PU is used to create five distinct radio-frequency environments utilizing narrow-band, wideband, and noncontiguous waveforms. The SU response to the PU created environments is measured. The SU implements a simple cognitive engine (CE) that incorporates energy-detection spectrum sensing. The effect of the CE on both SU and PU performance is measured and evaluated.
Action-Oriented Population Nutrition Research: High Demand but Limited Supply

Background: The relatively rapid ascendancy of nutrition and health on policy agendas, along with greater emphasis on accountability and results, has stimulated interest in new forms of research to guide the development and implementation of effective policies, programs, and interventions—what we refer to as action-oriented research. To date, action-oriented research in the nutrition field is thought to be the exception rather than the rule, but empirical evidence to support this claim is lacking. Methods: We conducted a survey of selected journals in nutrition and public health to assess the extent and nature of population nutrition research published in 2012 that embodied 5 defined characteristics of action-oriented research in relation to: (1) topic(s) of study, (2) processes/influences, (3) actors, (4) methods, and (5) approaches. We identified 762 articles from the 6 selected nutrition journals and 77 nutrition-related articles from the 4 selected public health journals that met our search criteria. Results: Only 7% of the 762 papers in nutrition journals had at least 1 of the 5 action-oriented research characteristics, compared with 36% of the 77 nutrition-related papers in the public health journals. Of all 80 articles that had at least 1 action-oriented research characteristic, only 5 articles (6.25%) embodied all 5 characteristics. Articles with actionoriented research covered a broad range of topics and processes/influences, including policy, workforce development, and schools, as well as actors, such as program staff, store owners, parents, and school staff. In addition, various research methods were used, such as stakeholder analysis, ethnographic narrative, iterative action research, and decision tree modeling, as well as different approaches, including participant-observer and community-based participatory research. Conclusions: Action-oriented research represents a small fraction of articles published in nutrition journals, especially compared with public health journals. This reinforces recent calls to expand population nutrition research agendas to more effectively inform and guide the initiation, development, implementation, and governance of policies, programs, and interventions to address the varied forms of nutrition-related problems. With heightened attention to the magnitude and importance of nutrition problems worldwide, there are substantial reasons and opportunities to incentivize and support such expansion.
Diffusion tensor MRI of the corpus callosum in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Purpose To determine if decline in corpus callosum (CC) white matter integrity in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is localized to motor-related areas. Materials and Methods Twenty-one ALS patients and 21 controls participated. Diffusion tensor images (DTI) were acquired using 3 Tesla (T) MRI. Tract-based spatial statistics were used to examine whole-brain white matter damage. A segmentation schema was used to define CC volumes-of-interest (VOI). Fractional anisotropy (FA) and radial- and axial-diffusivity (RD, AD) were extracted from VOIs and compared between groups. DTI measurements in motor-related Area III were tested for correlation with symptoms and disease duration. Results Extracted FA values from CC VOIs were reduced in ALS patients (P ≤ 0.0001), particularly in Areas II and III (P ≤ 0.01). Reduced FA in Area III correlated with disease symptomology (P ≤ 0.05) and duration (P ≤ 0.02). Between-group whole-brain comparisons (P ≤ 0.05, corrected) showed reduced FA and increased RD throughout white matter regions including the CC, corona radiata, and internal capsule. AD was increased in the left corona radiata and internal and external capsules. Conclusion FA in motor-related regions of the CC is more affected than other CC areas in ALS patients. Microstructural pathology of transcallosal fiber tracts may represent a future component of an imaging biomarker for ALS. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2014;39:641–647. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Hydrogen permeation and diffusion in niobium

High temperature hydrogen permeation experiments were performed on niobium using ultra high vacuum techniques in an attempt to maintain clean specimen surfaces. Diffusivities and permeabilities were measured from 700 K to about 1400 K at hydrogen pressures ranging from 4.26 Pa to about 0.013 Pa. The measured diffusivities are in agreement with values extrapolated from the low temperature surface independent measurements. In contrast to low temperature measurements, a trend indicating a classical isotope effect is observed for hydrogen and deuterium diffusivities in niobium at the higher temperatures. The measured hydrogen permeation constants agree with independent solubility and diffusivity measurements and are characterized by a negative enthalpy, as expected from low temperature solubility and diffusivity measurements. These results are contrasted with previous measurements which appear to have been controlled by surface reactions.
Comparison of Hetastarch With Albumin for Postoperative Volume Expansion in Children After Cardiopulmonary Bypass

Objective: Hetastarch has been studied as a volume expander in adults after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and in recommended dosages has not altered coagulation studies or increased clinical bleeding. Hetastarch was compared with albumin in children after CPB to determine whether hetastarch use was associated with increased clinical bleeding or alteration of coagulation studies. Design: Randomized double-blinded study. Setting: University-affiliated children's hospital. Participants: Forty-seven children age 1 year or greater (mean 72.8 months; range 12 months to 15.5 years) scheduled for repair of congenital heart disease with moderate hypothermia were randomized to receive hetastarch or albumin as a postoperative volume expander during the first 24 hours after surgery. Interventions: Thirty-eight children required colloid replacement therapy. Blood pressure, central venous pressure, urine output, and chest tube drainage were used to determine colloid requirement. Measurements and Main Results: Clinical bleeding and laboratory studies of coagulation were evaluated as were requirements for colloid, crystalloid, and blood products. Twenty children received 6% hetastarch, and 18 received 5% albumin. No differences were found in the amount of replacement fluids required, or in coagulation parameters in children receiving 20 mL/kg or less of either colloid replacement therapy. An increase in prothrombin time was demonstrated in children who received greater than 20 mL/kg of 6% hetastarch ( p = 0.006); however, no difference in clinical bleeding or blood product requirement was demonstrated between the hetastarch or albumin groups receiving more than 20 mL/kg. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that 6% hetastarch is safe and an effective plasma volume expander in the postoperative management of children, using volumes up to 20 mL/kg. Close laboratory monitoring and careful evaluation of clinical bleeding are suggested when larger doses of hetastarch are administered because of prolongation of the prothrombin time with more than 20 mL/kg of hetastarch.
Eliassen-Palm Diagnostics of Wave-Mean Flow Interaction in the GFDL "SKYHI" General Circulation Model

Abstract The Eliassen-Palm flux is important in analytical studies of small-amplitude waves where it provides a powerful and elegant tool for the description of wave propagation in mean zonal shear flows, as well as for analysis of the effective mean zonal force induced by the waves. Furthermore, it has recently been used as a diagnostic in a number of studies of atmospheric data and numerical models of specific dynamical phenomena. In this paper, we apply it to the GFDL "SKYHI" global general circulation model of the troposphere-stratosphere-mesosphere, and describe computations of the primitive equations, isobaric coordinate form of the Eliassen-Palm flux and its divergence under conditions of annual-mean insolation. The Eliassen-Palm flux diagnostics show a clear picture of planetary wave propagation from the midlatitude troposphere into the stratosphere and mesosphere. In the tropics, the presence of Kelvin waves confuses the picture somewhat (because their phase speeds are eastward with respect to th...
SU‐E‐T‐201: Safety‐Focused Customization of Treatment Plan Documentation

Purpose: Plan report documentation contains numerous details about the treatment plan, but critical information for patient safety is often presented without special emphasis. This can make it difficult to detect errors from treatment planning and data transfer during the initial chart review. The objective of this work is to improve safety measures in radiation therapy practice by customizing the treatment plan report to emphasize safety‐critical information. Methods: Commands within the template file from a commercial planning system (Eclipse, Varian Medical Systems) that automatically generates the treatment plan report were reviewed and modified. Safety‐critical plan parameters were identified from published risks known to be inherent in the treatment planning process. Risks having medium to high potential impact on patient safety included incorrect patient identifiers, erroneous use of the treatment prescription, and incorrect transfer of beam parameters or consideration of accessories. Specific examples of critical information in the treatment plan report that can be overlooked during a chart review included prescribed dose per fraction and number of fractions, wedge and open field monitor units, presence of beam accessories, and table shifts for patient setup. Results: Critical information was streamlined and concentrated. Patient and plan identification, dose prescription details, and patient positioning couch shift instructions were placed on the first page. Plan information to verify the correct data transfer to the record and verify system was re‐organized in an easy to review tabular format and placed in the second page of the customized printout. Placeholders were introduced to indicate both the presence and absence of beam modifiers. Font sizes and spacing were adjusted for clarity, and departmental standards and terminology were introduced to streamline data communication among staff members. Conclusions: Plan reporting documentation has been customized to concentrate and emphasize safety‐critical information, which should allow for a more efficient, robust chart review process.
An approach for efficiently locating and electrically contacting nanostructures fabricated via UHV-STM lithography on Si(100)

The development of atomically precise UHV-STM nanofabrication of metallic, dielectric, and organic nanostructures on Si(100) surfaces has created new opportunities for realizing future nanoelectronic devices. Concomitant with these opportunities are the practical challenges of efficient location/registration of nanostructures and macroscopic-to-nanoscale electrical interfaces. In this paper, we present an approach utilizing p-n junctions to contact nanostructures. The junctions are located potentiometrically and are fully compatible with UHV experimental procedures.
Increasing the mutation rate for jagged1 mutations in patients with Alagille syndrome

Alagille syndrome (AGS) is caused by heterozygous mutations in JAG1, and mutations have been previously reported in about 70% of patients who meet clinical diagnostic criteria. We studied a cohort of 247 clinically well-defined patients, and using an aggressive and sequential screening approach we identified JAG1 mutations in 94% of individuals. Mutations were found in 232 out of 247 patients studied and 83 of the mutations were novel. This increase in the mutation rate was accomplished by combining rigorous clinical phenotyping, with a combination of mutation detection techniques, including fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), genomic and cDNA sequencing, and quantitative PCR. This higher rate of mutation identification has implications for clinical practice, facilitating genetic counseling, prenatal diagnosis, and evaluation of living-related liver transplant donors. Our results suggest that more aggressive screening may similarly increase the rate of mutation detection in other dominant and recessive disorders.
Evaluation of a Brief Intervention Based on Social Cognitive Theory to Develop Problem-Solving Skills among Sixth-Grade Children

This study evaluated an intervention based on social cognitive theory (SCT) intended to develop problem-solving skills (PSS) in sixth graders. Psychometrically tested measures were developed for (1) constructs of SCT (situational perception of stressors, expectations of PSS, self-efficacy for PSS, self-efficacy in overcoming barriers, and self control when applying PSS), (2) PSS, and (3) application of PSS to real-life problems. Five classrooms (n = 133) were randomly assigned to the SCT-based intervention and five classrooms (n = 127) to an equivalent knowledge-based intervention. Using a partial nested design, statistically significant improvements for expectations of PSS, self-efficacy for PSS, and PSS were found in the SCT-based intervention. At posttest, 36% of the students in the SCT-based intervention reported applying PSS to real-life problems as compared with 1% in the knowledge-based group. This pilot study suggested that an SCT-based intervention was more efficacious in developing PSS than a knowledge-based intervention.
Halosphaera viridis in the Mediterranean sea: size range, vertical distribution, and potential energy source for deep-sea benthos

Abstract Phycomata of Halosphaera viridis were collected at 21 stations throughout the Meditteranean Sea with opening/closing ‘Bongo’ nets on three oceanographic cruises, two in the fall and one in late spring. Depth-specific samples were taken from the surface to depths as great as 2500 m and all or some phycomata in them were counted and measured. During the fall cruise of 1971, unpreserved cells collected below 1000 m were removed for carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen elementary analyses, electron microscopy, and culture work. In the eastern and western basins of the Mediterranean Sea profiles of the fall vertical distribution of phycomata increased 25- to 100-fold in abundance from the surface (0·02–0·06 indiv m−3) to depths greater than 1000 m (0·55–6·1 m−3). In late spring the numbers of individuals below 1000 m are 1–2 orders of magnitude fewer than in the fall, indicating a sinking rate for these cells of 8–33 m day−1. A small, but significant, increase in phycoma diameter occurred with depth. On two cruises, the size distribution was bimodal, the smaller mode being less than the mesh aperture of the nets. Average carbon content per phycoma was 0·427 μg. We estimate that in the fall of the year, below 1000 m, they contribute between 2·4 × 10−4μg C and 2·6 × 10−3μg C 1−1 and account for only 1/3000 or less of the total particulate organic carbon at depth. However, calculations indicate that these cells, sinking to the deep-sea floor could contribute 4·3–195% of the benthic energy requirement in the eastern basin in the fall and 0·01–1·1% in late spring.
Solar Radio Emission at 9.1 cm and Sector Boundaries

A possible connection between solar radio emission from 1.0 to 9.4 GHz and the interplanetary sector boundaries has been previously reported in the literature. The present research does not support the previous work as expected. The 9.1 cm activity appears to be organized around sector boundaries only in a very limited sense in that the distribution of very strong active regions peaks near the −/+ boundaries. However, this phenomenon is only observed during the most active part of the solar cycle. A peculiar asymmetry is found regarding the length of the positive and negative sectors.
Expériences de double irradiation en résonance magnétique par la méthode d'impulsions

Des experiences sont realisees au cours desquelles des echos de spin nucleaire en precession libre d'un systeme (A) sont observees a une frequence donnee pendant qu'une autre frequence d'excitation est appliquee a une autre espece de spins nucleaires (B) presents dans le meme echantillon. Les spins (B) sont lies par couplage dipole-dipole aux spins (A ) et l'excitation de resonance des (B) est detectee grâce a l'observation du changement qu'elle produit dans le temps de relaxation des (A) qu'on observe. On arrive a distinguer differents mecanismes assurant le couplage induit (A)-(B).
Use of in vitro systems to study male germ cell development in neonatal rats

The aim of this review is to summarize ways in which in vitro approaches have allowed us to investigate several aspects of gametogenesis in the male. In our laboratory, we have established both organ culture and cell co-culture methodologies and applied them to questions focused on cellular and molecular events important for development of primitive spermatogonia, or gonocytes, in testes of neonatal rats. We have described their postnatal reinitiation of mitosis and their migration to the basal lamina in anticipation of basal compartment formation and, through use of these in vitro systems, we have identified several mechanisms regulating these processes. These include matrix influence on mitosis and migration, adhesive mechanisms active between gonocytes and Sertoli cells, and involvement of the Kit receptor on germ cells and its ligand from Sertoli cells in supporting gonocyte migration, as described below.