cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The health behavior of Sri Lankan Buddhist nuns with type 2 diabetes: duty, devotion, and detachment.

Sri Lanka has experienced an increase in the rate of type 2 diabetes. Selfmanagement of diabetes among Sri Lanka’s Buddhist nuns, who depend on food donations and limit physical activity in accord with the monastic code of conduct, presents unique challenges and has not been previously studied. The purpose of this focused ethnographic study of 10 Buddhist nuns was to understand how they managed their illness within the restrictions on diet and physical activity. Three themes—duty, devotion, and detachment—explained and described their health behavior regarding type 2 diabetes within the context of their daily routines and obligations.
Bilirubin the beneficent.

To the Editor .— I wish to add a few corrections and comments to the recent timely review by Sedlak and Snyder on bilirubin,1 the born-again benignant pigment. 1. It is not true that bilirubin formation is restricted to mammals. This is an obsolete, but frequently repeated, hypothesis that flies in the face of scientific evidence. Bilirubin and its conjugates occur in many nonmammals, although they may not be the principle bile pigments excreted in bile.2 For example, conjugates of bilirubin are excreted in bile in many fish species, and jaundice in fish is not unknown.3 Bilirubin conjugates are also present in bile of embryonic and adult chickens,4 and the observation in 1886 by Minkowski and Naunyn5 that arsine poisoning produced marked jaundice in normal but not hepatectomized geese was a key observation in the elucidation of the physiologic pathway of heme catabolism and the role of the reticuloendothelial system. Similarly, observations on the biosynthesis of bilirubin in ducks were important in elucidating bilirubin-formation pathways in humans.6 Bilirubin pigments also occur in alligators, snakes, and turtles,2 and a biliverdin reductase with substantial sequence homology to the human enzyme is present even in the lowly unicellular cyanobacterium Synechocystis .7 Therefore, the hoary idea that bilirubin occurs uniquely in …
Pharmacology and Toxicology of Nizatidine

In well-established animal models, nizatidine is a potent, specific, and competitive orally active H2-receptor antagonist. In rat and dog models, species in which the absorption, plasma half-life and routes of metabolism are similar to that of humans, nizatidine was three- to four-fold more active than cimetidine and was of similar potency to ranitidine. On repeated daily dosing in dogs for two weeks, no tolerance was developed to the pharmacological action. Following oral dosing to dogs, nizatidine reduced gastric acid secretion for up to 8 h suggesting that this compound could be used in humans with a once or twice daily dosage regime. Apart from its H2-antagonist activity on the gastric mucosa, nizatidine produced few effects on the cardiovascular, respiratory, or central nervous system of animals. Nizatidine was rapidly and well-absorbed orally in mice, rats, and dogs, was widely distributed in tissues and the majority of the dose was excreted in the urine within 24 h. A similar absorption and excretion profile has been seen in humans. The plasma half-life in each of the animal species was between 1 and 2 h and no accumulation of nizatidine or its metabolites was seen in rats or dogs after daily oral administration for long periods. Similarities in the pharmacokinetic profile of nizatidine in the laboratory animals and humans supported the selection of the mouse, rat, and dog for acute and chronic toxicity studies. Nizatidine was well-tolerated in animals after both intravenous and oral administration and following single or repeated administration.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Noise sensitivity of band-limited signal derivative interpolation

The sensitivity of interpolation of the pth derivative of a band-limited signal directly from the signal's samples in the presence of additive stationary noise is considered. Oversampling and filtering generally decrease the interpolation noise level when the data noise is not band-limited. A lower bound on the interpolation noise level can be approached arbitrarily closely by increasing the sampling rate. The lower bound is equivalent to the noise level obtained by low-pass filtering and pth-order differentiation of the unsampled additive input noise.
Arthus reactions in chickens.

Abstract Arthus reactions can be produced in chickens. The sensitivity of chickens to the Arthus reaction was low compared to the sensitivity of some other animal species. Reverse passive Arthus reactions (RPA) of minimal severity were produced with 60–120 μg of either rabbit or chicken anti-BSA N. The reaction was not induced in the guinea pig with as much as 312 μg chicken anti-BSA N. Older chickens were less sensitive than young chicks to RPA; maximal reactions occurred in 4- to 6-week old chicks. These findings extend the range of biological activities of chicken antibodies.
Chronology of cirque glaciation, Colorado front range

Abstract Moraines and rock glaciers in Front Range cirques record at least four, and possibly five, intervals of Holocene glacier expansion. The earliest and most extensive was the Satanta Peak advance, which deposited multiple terminal moraines near present timberline shortly before 9915 ± 165 BP. By 9200 ± 135 BP, timberline had risen to at least its modern elevation; by 8460 ± 140 BP, patterned ground on Satanta Peak moraines had become inactive. Although a minor ice advance may have occurred just prior to 7900 ± 130 BP, there is no evidence that glaciers or perennial snowbanks survived in the Front Range during the “Altithermal” maximum (ca. 6000–7500 BP), or during a subsequent interval of alpine soil formation (ca. 5000–6000 BP). Glaciers were larger during the Triple Lakes advance (3000–5000 BP) than at any other time during Neoglaciation. Minimum ages of 4485 ± 100 BP, 3865 ± 100 BP, and ca. 3150 BP apply to a threefold sequence of Triple Lakes deposits in Arapaho Cirque. After an important interval of soil formation and cavernous weathering, glaciers and rock glaciers of the Audubon advance (950–1850 BP) reoccupied many cirques, and perennial snowbanks blanketed much of the area above present timberline; although the general Audubon snow cover had begun to melt from valley floors by 1505 ± 95 BP, expanded snowbanks lingered on tundra ridge crests until 1050–1150 BP, and glaciers persisted is sheltered cirques until at least 955 ± 95 BP. Following a minor interval of ice retreat, glaciers of the Arapaho Peak advance (100–300 BP) deposited multiple moraines in favorably oriented cirques. Interpretation of Holocene glacial deposits in the Southern and Central Rocky Mountains has been hampered by (1) a heavy reliance upon relative-dating criteria, many of which are influenced by factors other than age; (2) the assumption that glacial advances in high-altitude cirques can be correlated directly with alluvial deposition in far-distant lowlands; and (3) the assumption that glacial advances have necessarily been synchronous throughout the Rocky Mountain region and the world. Although Holocene glacier fluctuations in the Front Range are believed to reflect changes in regional climate, the Front Range chronology does not have particularly close analogs in other parts of North America. Better-dated local sequences are needed before the hypothesis of global synchroneity can be adequately evaluated; until synchroneity has been proven, long-distance correlations and worldwide cycles of recurring glaciation will remain unconvincing.
Crystal and molecular structure of chlorotris(monomethylthiourea)silver(I)

The crystal and molecular structure of chlorotris(monomethylthiourea)silver(I) has been solved and refined by full-matrix least-squares methods to a finalR of 0·039 from 1150 reflections measured by counter techniques at ambient room temperature. The crystals are orthorhombic:Pmcn, a = 14·824(2),b = 8·524(1),c = 12·671(1) A,Z = 4,D m = 1·68,D c = 1·72 gcm−3. The structure consists of independent, distorted tetrahedral Ag(I) moieties with only weak hydrogen bonds and/or van der Waals interactions between molecules. These molecules are packed in such a way that Ag, Cl and one entire monomethylthiourea ligand all lie in a crystallographic mirror plane, and the other two ligands are related by this mirror. This arrangement, plus the alternation of the Ag-Cl bond direction, leads to a non-polar sheet of Ag, Cl and monomethylthiourea groups with other monomethylthiourea groups protruding from either side of the sheet. Only N-H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds and van der Waals interactions exist between sheets. The Ag-S distance is somewhat long at 2·649(3) A, as is one of the Ag-S distances at 2·665(3) A. The other two Ag-S distances are 2·520(2) A. The geometry of the complex makes it clear that the Ag-S bond is formed by donation of an electron pair from a sulfur sp2 orbital.
Effect of Ovariectomy on Basal Metabolic Rate of the Albino Rat

ConclusionsFollowing the removal of the ovaries in young rats (26th day of age) the animals will gain weight much faster than the control rats for the first few weeks and will remain heavier at least up to 800 days of age. During the growing period when the rate of growth of the ovariectomized rats is significantly greater than the controls the metabolic rate is significantly higher in the former than the latter. The metabolic rate of the normal and ovariectomized rat will be higher at 800 days of age than at 200 days of age, but less at either of these ages than at 90-105 days when growth is taking place most rapidly.
Traveling solitary wave solutions to evolution equations with nonlinear terms of any order

Abstract Many physical phenomena in one- or higher-dimensional space can be described by nonlinear evolution equations, which can be reduced to ordinary differential equations such as the Lienard equation. Thus, to study those ordinary differential equations is of significance not only in mathematics itself, but also in physics. In this paper, a kind of explicit exact solutions to the Lienard equation is obtained. The applications of the solutions to the nonlinear RR-equation and the compound KdV-type equation are presented, which extend the results obtained in the previous literature.
Embedded Mathematics Remediation Using The Math You Need, When You Need It: A 21st-Century Solution to an Age-Old Problem

Using the need for math skills in geoscience courses as an example, Helen E. Burn and Eric M. D. Baer from Highline Community College and Jennifer M. Wenner from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh...
An Integrated Stress Process Theory: Viewing Intersections of Crime and Mental Illness

Conventional perspectives dichotomize mental illness and crime into distinct and largely unrelated categories. Both “being mad” and “being bad” (Mechanic, 1999) involve social deviance, yet each is ascribed with Criminal and mentally ill populations have traditionally been addressed by different systems and corrective philosophies. Recent studies, however, have identified high prevalence rates of depression and substance abuse disorders among inmates. Such comorbidity presents numerous conceptual challenges. Mental health theories are not designed to explain crime; criminology is not calibrated to explain depression. This article proposes paradigmatic modifications designed to help theory catch up with data. Criminological concepts of “criminal coping” and “deviant peers” are integrated into the Stress Process paradigm. A theory for explaining comorbidity and covariation of crime and mental illness is proposed. Social policy implications are raised. [Article copies available for a fee from The Transformative Studies Institute. E-mail address: journal@transformativestudies.org Website: http://www.transformativestudies.org ©2009 by The Transformative Studies Institute. All rights reserved.]
Expanding Practitioner Scopes of Practice During Public Health Emergencies: Experiences from the 2009 H1N1 Pandemic Vaccination Efforts

In a public health emergency involving significant surges in patients and shortages of medical staff, supplies, and space, temporarily expanding scopes of practice of certain healthcare practitioners may help to address heightened population health needs. Scopes of practice, which are defined by state practice acts, set forth the range of services that licensed practitioners are authorized to perform. The U.S. has had limited experience with temporarily expanding scopes of practice during emergencies. However, during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic response, many states took some form of action to expand the practice scopes of certain categories of practitioners in order to authorize them to administer the pandemic vaccine. No standard legal approach for expanding scopes of practice during emergencies exists across states, and scope of practice expansions during routine, nonemergency times have been the subject of professional society debate and legal action. These issues raise the question of how states could effectively implement expansions for health services beyond administering vaccine and ensure consistency in expansions across states during catastrophic events that require a shift to crisis standards of care. This article provides an overview of scopes of practice, a summary of the range of legal and regulatory approaches used in the U.S. to expand practice scopes for vaccination during the 2009 H1N1 response, and recommendations for future research.
THREE DIMENSIONAL MODELING OF SILICON DEPOSITION PROCESS SCALE-UP EMPLOYING SUPERSONIC JETS. II

A new technique to deposit silicon thin film employing supersonic beams is examined. Our previous studies involved both experimental and numerical approaches, in which the thin films were deposited at a high growth rate but over relatively small areas. The current studies are focused on the process scale-up by using multiple supersonic jets. Three dimensional simulations are conducted to investigate the geometrical effects of the molecular beam sources. One source configuration involving four jets is found to successfully deposit uniform silicon films over an area of 18 cm in diameter, with a growth rate higher than 200 A/min. The molecular beam energy obtained under these conditions is approximately 1.3 eV. A configuration is also designed to increase the deposition area in a laboratory facility for experimental verification.
Inhibidores de la recaptación de serotonina y noradrenalina en el manejo del dolor de la neuropatía diabética

Resumen Introduccion Los antidepresivos triciclicos (ATC) han sido considerados durante muchos anos farmacos de primera linea para el tratamiento del dolor neuropatico periferico de origen diabetico (DNPD). Sin embargo, sus efectos secundarios e interacciones medicamentosas limitan el uso, especialmente en pacientes con comorbilidades. Los inhibidores de la recaptacion de serotonina y noradrenalina (ISRSN) producen alivio del dolor en la neuropatia diabetica mediante la inhibicion dual de dichos neurotransmisores, de manera similar que los ATC, indicando su utilidad como alternativa de tratamiento para el DNPD. Objetivos Se ha realizado una revision sistematica de publicaciones cientificas con la finalidad de resumir datos actuales relacionados con los mecanismos de accion y eficacia de los antidepresivos, en especial los ISRSN, en el manejo del DNPD. Desarrollo Varios antidepresivos han sido estudiados para el tratamiento del dolor neuropatico. Aunque el mecanismo de accion exacto es aun desconocido, se considera que el principal mecanismo mediante el cual los ATC y los ISRSN producen alivio del dolor es la inhibicion de la recaptacion de serotonina y noradrenalina en el sistema nervioso central. Los nuevos antidepresivos del grupo de los ISRSN han demostrado ser efectivos en el tratamiento del DNPD y se ha observado que producen menos efectos secundarios que los ATC. Conclusiones Los ISRSN tales como la duloxetina y la venlafaxina demuestran ser efectivos para el manejo del DNPD, con un mecanismo de accion similar al de los ATC, aunque con un mejor perfil de tolerabilidad debido a su accion farmacologica selectiva.
Beliefs about Literacy: Measuring Women into Silence/Hearing Women into Speech

Beliefs about what literacy is, who should have it and for what purposes inform most workplace literacy programs. One such program for female hospital employees was based on mainstream assumptions about competence, knowledge construction and assessment that conceived employees as deficient. The women resisted this definition with a silence and invisibility that often perpetuated their own marginalization. Issues of class, ethnicity, and gender were defined as literacy problems and then used to keep employees in their places as entry-level workers.
The Neptune photoinjector

Abstract The RF photoinjector in the Neptune advanced accelerator laboratory, along with associated beam diagnostics, transport and phase-space manipulation techniques are described. This versatile injector has been designed to produce short-pulse electron beams for a variety of uses: ultra-short bunches for injection into a next-generation plasma beatwave acceleration experiment, 2 space-charge dominated beam physics studies, plasma wake-field acceleration driver, plasma lensing, and free-electron laser microbunching techniques. The component parts of the photoinjector, the RF gun, photocathode drive laser systems, booster linac, RF system, chicane compressor, beam diagnostic systems, and control system, are discussed. The present status of photoinjector commissioning at Neptune is reviewed, and proposed experiments are detailed.
Efficient Secrecy: Public versus Private Threats in Crisis Diplomacy

This paper explores when and why private communication works in crisis diplomacy. Conventional audience-cost models suggest that state leaders must go public to reveal information in interstate crises because leaders cannot enhance their credibility by tying their hands if domestic audiences cannot observe their private signals. I present a crisis bargaining game where both the sender and the receiver of signals have a domestic audience. The equilibrium analysis demonstrates that a private threat, albeit of limited credibility, can be equally compelling as a fully credible public threat. Secrecy works in crisis diplomacy despite its informational ine‐cacy because secrecy insulates leaders from domestic political consequences when they capitulate to a challenge to avoid risking unwarranted war. The logic of e‐cient secrecy may shed light on the unaccounted history of private diplomacy in international crises. The Alaska Boundary Dispute illustrates this logic.
The effect of medical student teaching on patient satisfaction in a managed care setting

OBJECTIVE: To measure the effect on patient satisfaction of medical student participation in care and the presence of medical student teaching. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Eight outpatient internal medicine departments of a university-affiliated HMO in Massachusetts. PATIENTS: Two hundred seven patients seen on teaching days (81 patients who saw a medical student-preceptor dyad and 126 patients who saw the preceptor alone), and 360 patients who saw the preceptor on nonteaching days. Five hundred (88%) of 567 eligible patients responded. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Thirteen closed-response items on a written questionnaire, measuring satisfaction with specific dimensions of care and with care as a whole. Visit satisfaction was similar among patients on teaching and nonteaching days. Ninety-one percent of patients seeing a medical student, 93% of patients seeing the preceptor alone on teaching days, and 93% of patients on nonteaching days were satisfied or very satisfied with their visit; less than 2% of patients in each group were dissatisfied with their visit. Satisfaction on all measured dimensions of care was similar for patients seeing a medical student, patients seeing the preceptor alone on teaching days, and patients seeing the preceptor on nonteaching days. CONCLUSIONS: Medical student participation and the presence of medical student teaching had little effect on patient satisfaction. Concerns about patient satisfaction should not prevent managed care organizations from participating in primary care education.
Mating Type Inheritance in Glaucoma

SYNOPSIS. Mating was observed in collections of Glaucoma from 2 localities in Illinois. The collections could be divided into 2 syngens on the basis of mating type reactions. Corticotype analysis showed that syngen 1 was intermediate in meridian number between Glaucoma chattoni and Glaucoma scintillans, while syngen 2 had the same range as Glaucoma scintillans (Lee, unpublished). The major features of mating type inheritance in syngen 1 are that exconjugant clones usually have identical mating types and that mating types I and II appear in an approximately 1:1 ratio in successive generations. This is the result expected in genic mating type inheritance if one of the original parents was a homozygote and the other a heterozygote at the mating type locus. No significant immaturity period was found in these strains. Only 2 viable pairs were obtained from syngen 2 crosses, but results from these suggest that mating type inheritance may be epigenetic and a longer immaturity period may characterize this syngen.
A Unique Presentation of Chronic Primary Sternal Osteomyelitis With Mediastinal Abscess

A previously healthy 9-month-old boy presented to the emergency department with 4 days of daily fevers as high as 39.1°C rectally. Parents reported that he was increasingly difficult to console for the previous several days. Although not initially reported, after the diagnosis was made, the parents reported occasional tactile fever and difficulty sleeping, particularly when lying prone, over the preceding few weeks. On examination, the child was febrile (39.2°C rectally) and tachycardic (pulse 140 beats/min). He was alert but crying inconsolably, seemingly in significant discomfort. Complete examinations by multiple physicians failed to demonstrate any apparent source of his pain and fever. Notably, bony tenderness was not appreciated, and he had no erythema or swelling over his sternum. Initial laboratory data demonstrated a white blood cell (WBC) count of 15 900/uL with 53% neutrophils and 5% bands. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate was 20 mm/h and C-reactive protein (CRP) was 22 mg/dL. On admission, cerebrospinal fluid examination, urinalysis, and computed tomography (CT) imaging of the head and abdomen were unremarkable. Chest x-ray demonstrated a retrocardiac left lower lobe infiltrate. He was admitted for further observation and evaluation of fever and irritability. Less than 24 hours after admission, a blood culture was positive for Gram-positive cocci in clusters, later identified as methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA), and vancomycin was started. Susceptibilities of the isolate demonstrated clindamycin susceptibility and erythromycin resistance. However, the D-test was positive for inducible clindamycin resistance. The isolate additionally demonstrated susceptibility to ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin. Blood cultures continued to be positive for 2 subsequent days. Echocardiogram demonstrated a mediastinal mass possibly mildly compressing the anterior surface of the right ventricle. Of note, the patient slept comfortably during the transthoracic echocardiogram. Chest CT demonstrated a large anterior mediastinal abscess (Figure 1). The abscess tracked around the sternum with marked bony erosion and fragmentation compatible with sternal osteomyelitis. The anterior mediastinal abscess extended from the level of the left brachiocephalic vein to the cardiac apex, and osseous fragments were lying within the abscess (Figure 2). Retrospective review of the chest x-ray revealed destruction of the sternal ossification centers that had not been recognized initially. The cardiovascular surgeons incised and drained the mediastinal abscess, debrided his sternum, and placed a wound vacuum-assisted closure device.
Hallmarks of telomeres in ageing research

Telomeres are repetitive DNA sequences at the ends of linear chromosomes. Telomerase, a cellular reverse transcriptase, helps maintain telomere length in human stem cells, reproductive cells and cancer cells by adding TTAGGG repeats onto the telomeres. However, most normal human cells do not express telomerase and thus each time a cell divides some telomeric sequences are lost. When telomeres in a subset of cells become short (unprotected), cells enter an irreversible growth arrest state called replicative senescence. Cells in senescence produce a different constellation of proteins compared to normal quiescent cells. This may lead to a change in the homeostatic environment in a tissue-specific manner. In most instances cells become senescent before they can become cancerous; thus, the initial growth arrest induced by short telomeres may be thought of as a potent anti-cancer protection mechanism. When cells can be adequately cultured until they reach telomere-based replicative senescence, introduction of the telomerase catalytic protein component (hTERT) into telomerase-silent cells is sufficient to restore telomerase activity and extend cellular lifespan. Cells with introduced telomerase are not cancer cells, since they have not accumulated the other changes needed to become cancerous. This indicates that telomerase-induced telomere length manipulations may have utility for tissue engineering and for dissecting the molecular mechanisms underlying genetic diseases, including cancer.
The relationship between hand strength and the forces used to access containers by well elderly persons

OBJECTIVE. This study extended previous work of Rice, Leonard, and Carter [AJOT, 52(8), 621‐626] and examined the relationship between grip and pinch strengths and the forces produced while accessing common household containers in healthy, elderly persons. METHOD. Forty-two women and 9 men 60 years of age and older were assigned randomly to one of four order groups in a counterbalanced, repeated-measures design. Grip strength was measured via a dynamometer and pinch strength via a pinch meter. The forces required to access six common household containers were measured with force sensing resistors applied to each container. Data analysis included Pearson productmoment correlations between the dependent variables of grip and pinch strength and force produced on the containers. Analyses of variance were used to determine differences by gender on the dependent measures and order of presentation of containers. RESULTS. A fair relationship (r = .31 to .44) was found between grip and pinch strength and the ability to open three containers. Little or no relationship was found between grip and pinch strength and the ability to open the remaining three containers (r = ‐.03 to .25). Significant gender differences existed on overall strength and the force used to access two of the six containers. No order effects were found. CONCLUSIONS. Strong relationships did not exist between the grip and pinch strength and the amount of force the elderly participants used to open the containers, which is similar to what Rice et al. found for younger persons. The participants appeared to use a greater proportion of their available strength when accessing the containers than did their younger counterparts previously studied. Further research is needed to determine at what level of weakness one would expect to see performance deficits in common daily occupations.
Standing Stability Enhancement With an Intelligent Powered Transfemoral Prosthesis

The authors have developed a ground-adaptive standing controller for a powered knee and ankle prosthesis which is intended to enhance the standing stability of transfemoral amputees. The finite-state-based controller includes a ground-searching phase, a slope estimation phase, and a joint impedance modulation phase, which together enable the prosthesis to quickly conform to the ground and provide stabilizing assistance to the user. In order to assess the efficacy of the ground-adaptive standing controller, the control approach was implemented on a powered knee and ankle prosthesis, and experimental data were collected on an amputee subject for a variety of standing conditions. Results indicate that the controller can estimate the ground slope within ±1° over a range of ±15°, and that it can provide appropriate joint impedances for standing on slopes within this range.
Reading and Auditory-Visual Equivalences

A retarded boy, unable to read printed words orally or with comprehension, could match spoken words to pictures and could name pictures. After being taught to match spoken to printed words, he was ...
Cost-Benefit Analysis of Universal Tandem Mass Spectrometry for Newborn Screening

Objective. To estimate potential costs and benefits of routinely using tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) to screen newborns for inborn errors of metabolism. Method. Analysis of costs and benefits resulting from use of MS/MS in screening of 32 000 newborn infants using data from the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program of Northern California plus other published data. Setting. A large health maintenance organization. Results. In the base scenario, the cost per quality-adjusted life year saved by MS/MS screening was $5827; in the least favorable scenario, this cost was $11 419, and in the most favorable scenario, $736. Conclusion. Costs per quality-adjusted life year saved by MS/MS screening for inborn errors of metabolism compare favorably with other mass screening programs, including those for breast and prostate cancer.
Airborne lidar measurements of ozone, water vapor, and aerosols in large-scale atmospheric studies

The NASA Langley Research Center's airborne DIfferential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) systems have been used to study large-scale atmospheric distributions of ozone, water vapor, and aerosols in 12 international field experiments over the last 13 years. This paper describes the authors' airborne DIAL systems and discusses recent measurements of ozone and aerosol distributions in the summertime troposphere over the western Pacific and in the wintertime Arctic stratosphere. Airborne DIAL measurements of tropospheric water vapor and aerosol distributions during the daytime and nighttime are also discussed. >
N,N-(2,4-Dinitrophenyl)octylamine Derivatives for the Isolation, Purification, and Mass Spectrometric Characterization of Oligosaccharides

A simple, sensitive method for the structural characterization of oligosaccharides by fast atom bombardment-mass spectrometry (FAB-MS) has been designed. Oligosaccharides are labeled with a uv chromophore (which also serves as a charge stabilizing group) and with a hydrophobic alkyl tail. The chromophore, a 2,4-dinitrophenyl group, aids uv detection during HPLC and stabilizes negative ion species formed during analysis by FAB-MS. The hydrophobic tail, provided by an octyl group, enhances the surface activity of the analytes and makes them amenable to separation by reverse-phase chromatography using a C18 bonded phase. This method was applied to the structural analysis of the components of a mixture of starch maltodextrins with a degree of polymerization 1-16, to the analysis of the structure of pure maltohexaose, and to a previously characterized oligosaccharide from a Rhizobium capsular polysaccharide. The method gave a good yield of [M-H]- anions for the derivatized compounds, which in most cases were detectable at a level of about 1 pmol. In the case of maltohexaose, four series of sequence anions corresponding to sequential loss of glycosyl residues from the reducing and nonreducing end by different mechanisms were observed. The mixture of derivatized malto-oligosaccharides could easily be separated by HPLC. Based on the relative proportions of the individual oligomers in the mixture calculated from HPLC analysis, even though the higher oligomers were present in amounts of about 0.1%, they could still be easily detected in mass spectra of the entire mixture.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Historical perspectives in occupational medicine. Victoria M. Trasko: Champion of state-based surveillance of occupational diseases in the United States, 1937 to 1971

Victoria M. Trasko (1907-1979), a relatively unknown figure to many currently practicing occupational health specialists, was a pioneer in state-based surveillance of occupational diseases in the United States. To highlight her accomplishments during her career with the United States Public Health Service from 1937 to 1971, this report briefly reviews her publications on occupational disease surveillance. Her span of work includes guidelines for state industrial hygiene programs, numbers of workers in state occupational health programs, compilation of state and local laws related to industrial hygiene, proposals for standardized reporting of occupational disease, and analysis of trends in workers' compensation and mortality statistics for occupational diseases. She pilot tested the first state-based model system for occupational disease reporting in the United States. She documented the great difficulty experienced by states in getting physicians to report cases of occupational diseases, and pointed out that surveillance of other existing data sources was worthwhile, at least for some occupational diseases. She was the first to report on the distribution of silicosis cases in the United States by state, industry, and job title. She was the first to comment on mortality trends for the pneumoconioses and to document problems in comparability between different International Classification of Disease (ICD) periods.
Calibration of a PEM detector with depth of interaction measurement

We present an in situ calibration technique for the LBNL positron emission mammography (PEM) detector module that is capable of measuring depth of interaction (DOI). The detector module consists of 64 LSO crystals coupled on one end to a single photomultiplier tube (PMT) and on the opposite end to a 64 pixel array of silicon photodiodes (PD). The PMT provides an accurate timing pulse, the PDs identify the crystal of interaction, the sum provides a total energy signal and the /spl Gamma/=PD/(PD+PMT) ratio determines the depth of interaction. We calibrate using the /sup 176/Lu natural background radiation of the LSO crystals. We determine the relative gain (K) of the PMT and PD by minimizing the asymmetry of the /spl Gamma/ distribution. We determine the depth dependence from the width of the /spl Gamma/ distribution with optimal K. The performance of calibrated detector modules is evaluated by averaging results from 12 modules. The energy resolution is a function of depth ranging from 24% FWHM at the PD end to 51% FWHM at the PMT end, and the DOI resolution ranges from 6 mm FWHM at the PD end to 11 mm FWHM at the PMT end.
Ignorance of Hedonic Adaptation to Hemodialysis: A Study Using Ecological Momentary Assessment

Healthy people generally underestimate the self-reported well-being of people with disabilities and serious illnesses. The cause of this discrepancy is in dispute, and the present study provides evidence for 2 causes. First, healthy people fail to anticipate hedonic adaptation to poor health. Using an ecological momentary assessment measure of mood, the authors failed to find evidence that hemodialysis patients are less happy than healthy nonpatients are, suggesting that they have largely, if not completely, adapted to their condition. In a forecasting task, healthy people failed to anticipate this adaptation. Second, although controls understated their own mood in both an estimation task and a recall task, patients were quite accurate in both tasks. This relative negativity in controls' estimates of their own moods could also contribute to their underestimation of the moods and overall well-being of patients.
Tissue engineering and reparative medicine.

Reparative medicine is a critical frontier in biomedical and clinical research. The National Institutes of Health Bioengineering Consortium (BECON) convened a symposium titled "Reparative Medicine: Growing Tis- sues and Organs," which was held on June 25 and 26, 2001 in Bethesda, Mary- land. The relevant realms of cells, molecular signaling, extracellular matrix, engineering design principles, vascular assembly, bioreactors, storage and translation, and host remodeling and the immune response that are essential to tissue engineering were discussed. This overview of the scientific program sum- marizes the plenary talks, extended poster presentations and breakout session reports with an emphasis on scientific and technical hurdles that must be over- come to achieve the promise of restoring, replacing, or enhancing tissue and or- gan function that tissue engineering offers.
Satellite and VIZ-Radiosonde Intercomparisons for Diagnosis of Nonclimatic Influences

Abstract Radiosonde datasets of temperature often suffer from discontinuities due to changes in instrumentation, location, observing practices, and algorithms. To identify temporal discontinuities that affect the VIZ/Sippican family of radiosondes, the 1979–2004 time series of a composite of 31 VIZ stations are compared to composites of collocated values of layer temperatures from two microwave sounding unit datasets—the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) and Remote Sensing Systems (RSS). Discontinuities in the radiosonde time series relative to the two satellite datasets were detected with high significance and with similar magnitudes; however, some instances occurred where only one satellite dataset differed from the radiosondes. For the products known as lower troposphere (LT; surface–300 hPa) and midtroposphere (MT; surface–75-hPa layer), significant discontinuities relative to both satellite datasets were found—two cases for LT and four for MT. These are likely associated with changes in the r...
Long-term outcomes after lobectomy for non-small cell lung cancer when unsuspected pN2 disease is found: A National Cancer Data Base analysis.

Abstract Objective There are few studies evaluating whether to proceed with planned resection when a patient with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) unexpectedly is found to have N2 disease at the time of thoracoscopy or thoracotomy. To help guide management of this clinical scenario, we evaluated outcomes for patients who were upstaged to pN2 after lobectomy without induction therapy using the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB). Methods Survival of NSCLC patients treated with lobectomy for clinically unsuspected mediastinal nodal disease (cT1-cT3 cN0-cN1, pN2 disease) from 1998-2006 in the NCDB was compared with "suspected" N2 disease patients (cT1-cT3 cN2) who were treated with chemotherapy with or without radiation followed by lobectomy, using matched analysis based on propensity scores. Results Unsuspected pN2 disease was found in 4.4% of patients (2047 out of 46,691) who underwent lobectomy as primary therapy for cT1-cT3 cN0-cN1 NSCLC. The 5-year survival was 42%, 36%, 21%, and 28% for patients who underwent adjuvant chemotherapy (n = 385), chemoradiation (n = 504), radiation (n = 300), and no adjuvant therapy (n = 858), respectively. Five-year survival of the entire unsuspected pN2 cohort was worse than survival of 2302 patients who were treated with lobectomy after induction therapy for clinical N2 disease (30% vs 40%; P P = .95). Conclusions This population-based analysis suggests that, in the setting of unsuspected pN2 NSCLC, proceeding with lobectomy does not appear to compromise outcomes if adjuvant chemotherapy with or without radiation therapy can be administered following surgery.
Care activities and outcomes of patients cared for by acute care nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and resident physicians: a comparison.

Background Little information is available on the practice of acute care nurse practitioners and physician assistants in acute care settings. Objectives To compare the care activities performed by acute care nurse practitioners and physician assistants and the outcomes of their patients with the care activities and patients' outcomes of resident physicians. Methods Sixteen acute care nurse practitioners and physician assistants and a matched group of resident physicians were studied during a 14-month period. Data on the subjects' daily activities and on patients' outcomes were collected 4 times. Results Compared with the acute care nurse practitioners and physician assistants, residents cared for patients who were older and sicker, cared for more patients, worked more hours, took a more active role in patient rounds, and spent more time in lectures and conferences. The nurse practitioners and physician assistants were more likely than the residents to discuss patients with bedside nurses and to interact with patients' families. They also spent more time in research and administrative activities. Few of the acute care nurse practitioners and physician assistants performed invasive procedures on a regular basis. Outcomes were assessed for 187 patients treated by the acute care nurse practitioners and physician assistants and for 202 patients treated by the resident physicians. Outcomes did not differ markedly for patients treated by either group. The acute care nurse practitioners and physician assistants were more likely than the residents to include patients' social history in the admission notes. Conclusions The tasks and activities performed by acute care nurse practitioners and physician assistants are similar to those performed by resident physicians. However, residents treat patients who are sicker and older than those treated by acute care nurse practitioners and physician assistants. Patients' outcomes are similar for both groups of subjects.
The improvement trajectory of PCR DNA replication and ERP software as general purpose technologies: an exploratory study of ‘anchor technologies’

ABSTRACTAs an effort to peek into the black box of large-scale general purpose technologies (GPTs) like biotechnology and information technology, we develop the concept of ‘anchor technologies’. An anchor technology is a core technology of a large-scale GPT (‘mega-GPT’) that opens a new era in the development and diffusion of the mega-GPT. We trace the historical evolution of two process-based, yet otherwise very different, anchor technologies: enterprise resource planning (ERP) software within the mega-GPT of information technology and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) DNA replication within the mega-GPT of biotechnology. The case studies reveal the utility of ‘productisation’ as an important means of commercialising innovations in anchor technologies; more generally, the interplay between improvement in process-based technologies and in complementary product-based technologies provides insight into how ERP and PCR were able to sustain a path of continued improvement within their respective mega-GPT.
High confidence off-policy evaluation

Many reinforcement learning algorithms use trajectories collected from the execution of one or more policies to propose a new policy. Because execution of a bad policy can be costly or dangerous, techniques for evaluating the performance of the new policy without requiring its execution have been of recent interest in industry. Such off-policy evaluation methods, which estimate the performance of a policy using trajectories collected from the execution of other policies, heretofore have not provided confidences regarding the accuracy of their estimates. In this paper we propose an off-policy method for computing a lower confidence bound on the expected return of a policy.
Biomechanics simulations using cubic Hermite meshes with extraordinary nodes for isogeometric cardiac modeling

Cubic Hermite hexahedral finite element meshes have some well-known advantages over linear tetrahedral finite element meshes in biomechanical and anatomic modeling using isogeometric analysis. These include faster convergence rates as well as the ability to easily model rule-based anatomic features such as cardiac fiber directions. However, it is not possible to create closed complex objects with only regular nodes; these objects require the presence of extraordinary nodes (nodes with 3 or = 5 adjacent elements in 2D) in the mesh. The presence of extraordinary nodes requires new constraints on the derivatives of adjacent elements to maintain continuity. We have developed a new method that uses an ensemble coordinate frame at the nodes and a local-to-global mapping to maintain continuity. In this paper, we make use of this mapping to create cubic Hermite models of the human ventricles and a four-chamber heart. We also extend the methods to the finite element equations to perform biomechanics simulations using these meshes. The new methods are validated using simple test models and applied to anatomically accurate ventricular meshes with valve annuli to simulate complete cardiac cycle simulations.
Successful pregnancy outcome after cryopreservation of all fresh embryos with subsequent transfer into an unstimulated cycle

Objective To assess the pregnancy outcome of freezing and storing all fresh embryos produced in a stimulated IVF cycle and replacing them in a subsequent nongonadotropin-stimulated cycle. Design Retrospective study. Setting University-associated assisted reproductive technology program. Patients We studied 36 patients (age range 23 to 44 years) who underwent cryopreservation of all fresh embryos in a controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) cycle because of either the risk of severe ovarian hyperstimulation (24 patients, group 1) or the presence of an endometrial lining Results Twenty-one clinical pregnancies were achieved, giving a pregnancy rate (PR) of 58.3% per patient (33.3% per cycle). The live birth rate was 50% per patient (28.6% per cycle). The implantation rate was 9.1%. Groups 1 and 2 had a similar PR per patient (58.3%). With 208 cryopreserved embryos remaining and considering the 33.3% PR per cycle, we expect the overall extrapolated PR to be 63.9%. Conclusions This is the first series showing that freezing and storing all fresh embryos produced in a stimulated IVF cycle and replacing them in a subsequent nongonadotropin-stimulated cycle results in successful PRs. These results underlie the importance of a successful cryopreservation program in IVF and could be a possible approach to overcoming the alleged adverse effects of COH on the endometrium, thereby improving the chances of pregnancy when numerous embryos are obtained simultaneously.
Historic origins and role of pediatric anesthesiology in child health care.

This article reviews the origins of anesthesia for infants and children, the past and current interdependence of pediatric general and cardiovascular surgery, neonatology and pediatric anesthesia, the contributions of pediatric anesthesiology to pediatric critical care medicine and pain management, and the important role modern pediatric anesthesiology plays in children’s health care.
The effects of moderate protein deficiency or high vitamin E on intestinal secretory and serum IgA levels in mice.

Vitamin E, which is a powerful antioxidant, also has a marked effect on resistance to bacterial infection through enhancing the humoral immune response to antigenic stimulation (1). Tanaka et al. (2), studied the effect of vitamin E on the humoral immune response by testing its influence on antibody production in mice using a hapten-carrier conjugate as an antigen. They found that although vitamin E supplementation does not augment either initial IgM or late IgG responses, it seems to facilitate the shift of antibody production from IgM to IgG. They suggested that vitamin E stimulates the helper activity of T lymphocytes. Tengerdy et al. (3) reported that the humoral immune response of mice against sheep red blood cells or tetanus toxoid antigens was increased by 30–40% when the food was supplemented by vitamin E (60–180 mg/kg). Similar results were reported by Nockels (4). Campbell et al. (5), demonstrated that the addition of vitamin E to the medium can stimulate the response of nonadherent spleen cells to sheep red blood cells in the relative absence of adherent cells. They also showed that vitamin E enhances in vitro immune responses by populations of spleen cells containing both adherent and nonadherent cells.