cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Trends in Outpatient Versus Inpatient Total Shoulder Arthroplasty Over Time

Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to investigate the safety of outpatient and inpatient total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) and to investigate changes over time. Methods Patients undergoing primary TSA during 2006-2019 as part of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program were identified. Patients were divided into an early cohort (2006-2016, 12,401 patients) and a late cohort (2017-2019, 12,845 patients). Outpatient procedures were defined as those discharged on the day of surgery. Patient comorbidities and rate of adverse events within 30 days postoperatively were compared with adjustment for baseline characteristics using standard multivariate regression. Results There was a significant reduction in complications over time when considering all cases (5.69% in the early cohort versus 3.67% in the late cohort, adjusted relative risk [RR]=0.65, 95%CI=0.58-0.73, p Conclusions The overall complication rate of TSA has decreased over time as outpatient TSA has become increasingly common. When contemporary data are examined, the complication rate of outpatient procedures has remained constant over time while that of inpatient procedures decreased, despite the changing demographics of patients undergoing TSA. This indicates that outpatient TSA remains a safe procedure as patient selection criteria have evolved, while the safety of inpatient TSA continues to improve.
Use of ultra-high field MRI in small rodent models of polycystic kidney disease for in vivo phenotyping and drug monitoring

Several in vivo pre-clinical studies in Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) utilize orthologous rodent models to identify and study the genetic and molecular mechanisms responsible for the disease, and are very convenient for rapid drug screening and testing of promising therapies. A limiting factor in these studies is often the lack of efficient non-invasive methods for sequentially analyzing the anatomical and functional changes in the kidney. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the current gold standard imaging technique to follow autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) patients, providing excellent soft tissue contrast and anatomic detail and allowing Total Kidney Volume (TKV) measurements.A major advantage of MRI in rodent models of PKD is the possibility for in vivo imaging allowing for longitudinal studies that use the same animal and therefore reducing the total number of animals required. In this manuscript, we will focus on using Ultra-high field (UHF) MRI to non-invasively acquire in vivo images of rodent models for PKD. The main goal of this work is to introduce the use of MRI as a tool for in vivo phenotypical characterization and drug monitoring in rodent models for PKD.
Comparative Diagnostic Performance of Volumetric Laser Endomicroscopy and Confocal Laser Endomicroscopy in the Detection of Dysplasia Associated with Barrett's Esophagus

Background and Aims Probe-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (pCLE) and volumetric laser endomicroscopy (VLE) (also known as frequency domain optical coherence tomography) are advanced endoscopic imaging modalities that may be useful in the diagnosis of dysplasia associated with Barrett's esophagus (BE). We performed pCLE examination in ex-vivo EMR specimens and compared the diagnostic performance of using the current VLE scoring index (previously established as OCT-SI) and a novel VLE diagnostic algorithm (VLE-DA) for the detection of dysplasia. Methods A total of 27 patients with BE enrolled in a surveillance program at a tertiary-care center underwent 50 clinically indicated EMRs that were imaged with VLE and pCLE and classified into neoplastic (N = 34; high-grade dysplasia, intramucosal adenocarcinoma) and nonneoplastic (N = 16; low-grade dysplasia, nondysplastic BE), based on histology. Image datasets (VLE, N = 50; pCLE, N = 50) were rated by 3 gastroenterologists trained in the established diagnostic criteria for each imaging modality as well as a new diagnostic algorithm for VLE derived from a training set that demonstrated association of specific VLE features with neoplasia. Sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy were assessed for each imaging modality and diagnostic criteria. Results The sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of pCLE for detection of BE dysplasia was 76% (95% confidence interval [CI], 59-88), 79% (95% CI, 53-92), and 77% (95% CI, 72-82), respectively. The optimal diagnostic performance of OCT-SI showed a sensitivity of 70% (95% CI, 52-84), specificity of 60% (95% CI, 36-79), and diagnostic accuracy of 67%; (95% CI, 58-78). The use of the novel VLE-DA showed a sensitivity of 86% (95% CI, 69-96), specificity of 88% (95% CI, 60-99), and diagnostic accuracy of 87% (95% CI, 86-88). The diagnostic accuracy of using the new VLE-DA criteria was significantly superior to the current OCT-SI ( P Conclusion The use of a new VLE-DA showed enhanced diagnostic performance for detecting BE dysplasia ex vivo compared with the current OCT-SI. Further validation of this algorithm in vivo is warranted.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: A Social Worker's Guide for Prevention and Intervention

ABSTRACT Alcohol use during pregnancy can lead to a variety of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral problems, collectively known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). There are approximately 40,000 infants born each year in the United States affected by FASD. Despite warnings on the dangers of drinking while pregnant and the existence of effective screening tools, many women at risk for an alcohol-exposed pregnancy fail to be identified. The authors suggest that social workers are uniquely qualified to assist in efforts to screen and intervene with this population. Screening tools and additional resources that may prove beneficial for social workers practicing in health care settings with childbearing aged and/or pregnant women, as well as families impacted by FASD, are discussed.
Sensory Systems in Vertebrates: General Overview

Vertebrates have a rich complement of sensory systems that sample both external environmental conditions and the animal's own internal milieu. The nervous system uses sensory information to intiate and modify complex behaviours and to adjust physiological processes within the body. Keywords: exteroreceptor; interoreceptor
Activity in varicosities within the myenteric plexus between and during the colonic migrating motor complex in the isolated murine large intestine

Background Neuronal communication within the myenteric plexus occurs when action potentials along nerve fibers produce Ca2+ transients in varicosities leading to exocytosis of vesicles and neurotransmitters release. We used Ca2+ transients in varicosities to monitor action potential activity in myenteric nerve pathways both between and during the colonic migrating motor complex (CMMC) in the isolated murine colon. Methods Strips of longitudinal muscle were removed to reveal the myenteric ganglia, which were then loaded with Fluo-4. Key Results Many varicosities, including synaptotagmin 1 labeled varicosities, exhibited ongoing Ca2+ transients (duration of unitary Ca2+ transient 3.9 s). Between CMMCs, varicosities fired at a frequency of 0.6 Hz, which correlated with spontaneous inhibitory junction potentials in the circular muscle, suggesting they were mainly in inhibitory nerve pathways. During a CMMC other previously quiescent varicosities fired at 1.3 Hz (max. 2.0 Hz) for the duration (24 s) of the CMMC, suggesting they were on excitatory nerve pathways. Activity in varicosities was correlated with Ca2+ transient responses in a number of neurons. Some varicosities appeared to release an inhibitory neurotransmitter that reduced activity in nNOS-positive neurons. Varicosities along the same nerve fiber exhibited identical patterns of activity that allowed nerve fibers to be traced throughout the myenteric plexus and internodal strands. Activity in varicosities was reduced by hexamethonium (100 μmol L−1), and blocked by ω-conotoxin GVIA (200 nM) and tetrodotoxin (1 μmol L−1; TTX). Conclusions & Inferences Ca2+ imaging of varicosities allows for a determination of activity in neural pathways within the enteric nervous system.
Ehrlich ascites tumor cell surface membranes: an abnormality in ether lipid content.

Most mammalian neoplasms have a defect in ether lipid content manifested by the presence of abnormally large quantities of O-alkyl glyceryl ethers, in contrast to normal tissues in which the alk-1-enyl structure predominates. These lipids are for the most part structural. The manner in which tumor cell plasma membranes differ from normal may be important, and it has been hitherto unclear whether or not the O-alkyl lipid abnormality of neoplasms includes the plasma membrane. The present investigation reveals that O-alkyl lipids are present in the membranes of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells isolated by several different methods. The amount of O-alkyl lipid, on a weight basis, represents 1–3% of the total phospholipids and 1–4% of the total aliphatic lipid. These quantities are the same as or greater than the amount of O-alkyl lipid found in microsomes, mitochondria, and whole cell homogenate. As is generally the case for intact neoplastic tissues, the quantity of O-alkyl lipids of Ehrlich ascites tumor plasma membrane is greater than the amount of alk-1-enyl lipids.
Digestion and absorption of nutrients by beef heifers fed a high concentrate diet

A replicated, 3 X 3 Latin square design was used to evaluate effects of calculated metabolizable energy (ME) intake by beef heifers on apparent digestibility (AD), retention and net absorption (portal-arterial plasma concentration times portal plasma flow measured by dye dilution) of various nutrients. Six Hereford X Angus heifers (295 +/- 4 kg) with catheters in portal and mesenteric veins and iliac artery were fed once daily a high concentrate, pelleted diet to provide 84, 157 or 225 kcal ME/kg0.75. Linear (P less than 0.05) responses to increased ME intake included AD of dry matter (84.9-76.7%); AD of digestible energy (DE) (83.4-74.3%); AD of nitrogen (N) (70.5-62.1%); N retained (-6.3 to 25.6 g/day); portal blood flow (444-782 liters/hour); and net absorption of volatile fatty acids (VFA) (311-795 mmol/hour), L-lactate (62.5-118.4 mmol/hour), and urea-N (-19.9 to -51.4 mmol/hour). Net ammonia-N absorption increased linearly (P less than 0.10) from 35.6 to 43.8 mmol/hour as ME intake increased. Net glucose absorption was negative at low intake, but tended to increase to positive values as intake increased. Moles of acetate (46.3), propionate (29.3) or 4-carbon VFA (6.3) per 100 mol of net organic acid (VFA plus L-lactate) absorbed were similar among intake levels. Intake level did not affect proportions of DE intake (0.43) or calculated ME intake (0.46) accounted for by net organic acid absorption.
Reinscribing the Birthing Body: Homebirth as Ritual Performance

In this article, I examine the clinical practices engaged in by U.S. homebirth midwives and their clients from the beginning of pregnancy through to the immediate postpartum period, deconstructing them for their symbolic and ritual content. Using data collected from open-ended, semistructured interviews and intensive participant-observation, I describe the roles ritual plays in the construction, performance, and maintenance of birth at home as a transgressive rite of passage. As midwives ritually elaborate approaches to care to capitalize on their semiotic power to transmit a set of counterhegemonic values to participants, they are attempting, quite self-consciously, to peel away the fictions of medicalized birthing care. Their goal: to expose strong and capable women who "grow" and birth babies outside the regulatory and self-regulatory processes naturalized by modern, technocratic obstetrics. Homebirth practices are, thus, not simply evidence-based care strategies. They are intentionally manipulated rituals of technocratic subversion designed to reinscribe pregnant bodies and to reterritorialize childbirth spaces (home) and authorities (midwives and mothers).
Fluorinated polyphenylenevinylene (PPV) block co-polymers for nanophotonics

Polymer based optoelectronic materials and thin film devices exhibit great potential in future space applications due to their flexibility, light weight, large light absorption coefficient, and promising radiation tolerance in space environment as compared to their inorganic semiconductor counterparts. Since carbon-fluorine (C-F) chemical bonds are much stronger than the carbon-hydrogen (C-H) bonds, fluorinated polymer films offer great potential for space applications due their expected resistance to oxidation, thermal stability, excellent wear properties, and low coefficients of friction. Their use in a space environment is extremely attractive since they are expected to retain their lubricating characteristics in vacuum, unlike many solid lubricants. Current existing polymer photovoltaic materials and devices suffer low photoelectric power conversion efficiencies due to a number factors including poor morphologies at nano scale that hinder the charge separation and transport. This paper reports our recent work on a fluorinated DBfA type block copolymer system where the donor (D) block contains a donor substituted and hydrocarbon based polyphenylenevinylene (PPV), acceptor (fA) block contains a fluorinated and a sulfone acceptor substituted polyphenylenevinylene (f-PPV), and B is a non-conjugated and flexible bridge unit. Preliminary studies reveal DBfA exhibits better nano phase morphologies and over 100 times more efficient optoelectronic conversion efficiencies as compared to D/fA blend.
An experimental analysis of a hybrid bicycle frame

An experimental analysis of the frame design for a hybrid BMX bicycle was presented. The analysis was conducted to obtain an understanding of the dynamic load distribution which may be encountered during competitive riding. Experimental measurements were also necessary for a verification of a numerical analysis. Dynamic strains resulting from typical riding events indicated that the design scaling from static to dynamic events required a scaling factor of at least 20. In addition, the load history resulting from dynamic activities provided the appropriate information necessary for a preliminary fatigue design analysis.
The Transition to Kindergarten: How Families from Lower-Income Backgrounds Experienced the First Year

The transition to kindergarten is regarded as a critical time for both children and families, especially for families with low incomes who are at greatest risk for educational challenges. Most studies focus on the school perspective as children enter classrooms, and less scholarship focuses on the family perspective. This paper shifts the conversation to the context of the family and how families understand and experience kindergarten entry. As part of a larger qualitative study on the transition to school, 24 parents participated in semi-structured interviews where they described the process of preparing children for kindergarten before school entry, and then reflected on the actual process 1 year later. Based on a thematic analysis of interview data, four main themes emerged: (1) The transition is still going, (2) Logistics were the toughest part, (3) I told you this would happen, and (4) The first time is the hardest. Findings from this study generate new knowledge related to the lived experiences of families from lower-income backgrounds, as well as many of the challenges they encounter with the educational system. Supporting the transition to school requires the building of relationships with families and examining the family context in addition to the school context. Implications for early childhood personnel and schools are discussed.
A survey to evaluate the management of orthodontic patients with a history of rheumatic fever or congenital heart disease

A survey concerning the orthodontic management of patients with a history of rheumatic fever or congenital heart disease was mailed to a random sample of 500 orthodontists throughout the United States. Two hundred thirty-two surveys were completed and returned. Analysis revealed that 88% of the respondents were aware that they should screen for patients with a history of rheumatic fever or congenital heart disease, only 11% used the antibiotic regimen recommended in 1977 by the American Heart Association (see Fig. 2), one half of the respondents thought it was necessary to provide antibiotic coverage during banding, and 38% deemed it necessary for debanding procedures which were likely to cause some degree of bleeding from the gingival sulcus. Only one half of the respondents would discontinue treatment if a condition of gingivitis developed which did not show signs of improvement, and only 70% provided medication for orthodontic procedures that could result in bacteremia. Furthermore, the results of this survey indicated that there was a great variation in the antibiotic regimen of orthodontic treatment for patients at risk of developing endocarditis and that there was a need to make the orthodontist more aware of the 1977 recommendations of the American Heart Association. Finally, a comparison between the year of graduation from an orthodontic program and the number of respondents who did not screen for or did not premedicate at-risk patients revealed a direct relationship. The earlier the education, the smaller the number of respondents who screened or premedicated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Amelioration of chronic anthracycline cardiotoxicity by ICRF-187 and other compounds.

A major limitation to the effective use ofanthracyclines such as daunorubicin and doxorubicin in cancer chemotherapy is dose-related, chronic, irreversible cardiomyopathy (3, 10). It has been suggested that this cardiotoxicity is mediated through toxic oxygen free radicals formed by reactions catalyzed by the anthracyclines (1, 12). Potential free radical scavengers such as vitamin E, cysteamine and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) have been reported to exert protective effects (5, 6, 12) against the acute toxicity produced by single, large doses of anthracyclines. ICRF-187 ([ + ] 1,2-bis-(3,5-dioxo-piperazinyl-l-yl)propane), a derivative of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) also reduces the acute toxicity of high doses of daunorubicin (7). Recently, pretreatment with ICRF-i87 was found to reduce chronic cardiac toxicity in rabbits treated with daunorubicin (9) and dogs treated with doxorubicin (8). However, the protective effects of ICRF-187 and free radical scavengers such as vitamin E and NAC have not been investigated under comparable experimental conditions. The present studies used miniature swine and beagle dogs to examine the potential of these agents to protect against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity.
Determinants of Corruption: A Cross‐National Analysis

The background literature survey points to the fact that the degree of corruption is a function of multiple factors of a society. Thus, it is imperative to take a more comprehensive and cross‐disciplinary approach to understand the complete picture of corruption. The research findings indicate economic freedom, socio‐political stability, tradition of law abidance and national cultures are the major variables that dictate the degree of corruption. This study expands the existing knowledge about the determinants of corruption and provides incremental information to help the policy makers fight against this cancerous social disease.
The Life Cycle of the Rare Human Tapeworm, Taenia Confusa Ward, 1896.:

In March, 1929, there was referred to the writer for diagnosis a complete strobila of an unarmed tapeworm, passed by a native white woman from St. John Parish, Louisiana, after administration of oleoresin of male fern. The worm grossly resembled Taenia saginata, but differed in several specific characters, including a more distinctly oval scolex, a pair of lateral elytra along the unsegmented region behind the scolex, longer and narrower terminal proglottids, and more clumped, less discrete branches of the uterus in these proglottids. In view of the fact that only 3 cases of this infection were on record (Nebraska, 2, Ward,1 Guyer,2 Texas, 1, Chandler3) and that this specimen was the first one to be diagnosed in the unpreserved condition, it seemed desirable to attempt to determine by experimental feeding what animal served as larval host. Information elicited from the patient indicated that she occasionally ate pork, rabbits and deer meat, and that she was fond of raw beef.A 2-weeks old suckling calf and...
Management of hepatic metastases

Although the liver is the most common site of metastatic disease from a variety of tumor types, isolated hepatic metastases most commonly occur from colorectal cancer and, less frequently, from neuroendocrine tumors, gastrointestinal sarcoma, ocular melanoma, and others. Complete evaluation of the extent of metastatic disease, both intrahepatically and extrahepatically, is important before considering treatment options. Based on a preponderance of uncontrolled studies for hepatic metastatic colorectal carcinoma, surgical resection offers the only potential for cure of selected patients with completely resected disease, with 5-year survival rates of 25% to 46%. Systemic and hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy may be useful treatment options in patients with unresectable disease and possibly as an adjuvant treatment after liver resection. Other techniques of local tumor ablation, including cryotherapy and radiofrequency ablation, although promising, remain unproved. Management of hepatic metastases from neuroendocrine tumors and other noncolorectal primary tumors should be individualized based on the patient's clinical course, extent of disease, and symptoms.
Consequences of Displacement after the Gulf Crisis: A Study of the Responses of 207 Displaced Palestinian and Jordanian Workers

Throughout the war period and immediately thereafter, punitive measures were instituted against Jordanian nationals working in the Gulf; hundreds of thousands were dismissed from their jobs without compensation, and many more were expelled from the Gulf, leaving behind personal belongings, as well as bitter memories. The purpose of this study is to: (1) investigate the effects of the Gulf Crisis on the amount of annual contributions to Jordan's economy by Gulf workers; (2) measure the amount of property loss incurred by Gulf workers as a result of the displacement; (3) examine the duration of unemployment caused among the displaced workers; and (4) measure attitudinal changes among the displaced workers regarding their economic future and the future of Jordan's economy.
Skull of Catopithecus browni, an early tertiary catarrhine

Fossil crania from quarry L-41, Fayum, Egypt, representing Catopithecus browni, a primate similar in size to callitrichids but with a catarrhine dental formula, provide the geologically earliest record of an anthropoidean skull. Catopithecus had postorbital closure developed to the stage seen in extant anthropoideans, with direct contact between zygomatic plate and maxillary tuber, isolating an anterior orbital fissure from the inferior orbital fissure. The auditory region also resembles that of later anthropoideans: The posterior carotid foramen is placed adjacent to the jugular fossa; a large promontory canal crosses the promontorium; and the annular ectotympanic is fused ventrally to the bulla. The incisors and canines show an assemblage of features found only among modern anthropoideans and adapoids. The face is characterized by a relatively deep maxilla, broad ascending wing of the premaxilla, and long nasal bones, yielding a moderate muzzle similar to that of Aegyptopithecus. The small braincase bears an anteriorly broad frontal trigon and a posteriorly developed sagittal crest. The mandibular symphysis is unfused even in mature adults. The encephalization quotient (EQ) probably falls within the range of Eocene prosimians, much lower than the EQs of Neogene anthropoideans.
Real-world practice patterns, health-care utilization, and costs in patients with low back pain: the long road to guideline-concordant care

Abstract Background context Treatment guidelines suggest that most acute low back pain (LBP) episodes substantially improve within a few weeks and that immediate use of imaging and aggressive therapies should be avoided. Purpose Assess the actual practice patterns of imaging, noninvasive therapy, medication use, and surgery in patients with LBP, and compare their costs to those of matched controls without LBP. Study design A retrospective analysis of claims data from 40 self-insured employers in the United States. Patient sample The study sample included 211,551 patients, aged 18 to 64 years, with one LBP diagnosis or more (per Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set specification) during 2004 to 2006, identified from a claims database. Patients had continuous eligibility for 12 months or more after their index LBP diagnosis (study period), for 6 months or more before their index diagnosis (baseline period), and no other LBP diagnosis during the baseline period. Patients with LBP were matched to a random cohort of patients without LBP by age, gender, employment status, and index year. Outcomes measures Physiological measures (eg, imaging and diagnostic tests), functional measures (eg, pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatment for LBP, health-care resource use), and direct (medical and prescription drug) and indirect (disability and medically related absenteeism) costs were assessed within the year after the LBP diagnosis. Methods Univariate analyses described treatment patterns and compared baseline characteristics and study period costs. Results Patients with LBP had significantly higher rates of baseline comorbidities and resource use compared with controls. Of patients with LBP, 41.6% had imaging mean (median) [standard deviation] 34.3 (0) [78.6] days after the LBP diagnosis. Most patients with LBP (69.4%) used medications starting 51.9 (8) [86.2] days after the diagnosis. Opioids were commonly prescribed early (41.6% of patients; after 82.8 (25) [105.9] days). Of patients with LBP, 2.05% had surgery during the study period. Patients with LBP were likely to have chiropractic treatment first, followed by pharmacotherapy with muscle relaxants and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Except for less surgery, these findings also held for patients with only nonspecific LBP. Patients with LBP had higher mean direct costs compared with controls ($7,211 vs. $2,382, respectively; p Conclusions Contrary to clinical guidelines, many patients with LBP start incurring significant resource use and associated expenses soon after the index diagnosis. Achieving guideline-concordant care will require substantial changes in LBP practice patterns.
A Planetary Companion to 70 Virginis

An extremely low mass companion to the solar-type star 70 Virginis is inferred from the observed periodic Doppler reflex motion of the primary during 8 yr. The minimum mass (M2 sin i) of 70 Vir "B" is 6.6 Jovian masses (MJ), which falls in the mass range associated with "extrasolar giant planets" (0.3-15 MJ). An orbital fit to the velocities yields a period P = 116.6 days, an amplitude K = 318 m s-1, and an eccentricity e = 0.40. The residuals to the fit scatter by 8 m s-1, consistent with the errors. Thus 70 Vir B and 51 Peg B represent the first planets found outside our solar system. Alternatively, the probability that 70 Vir B is an orbiting brown dwarf of mass M > 40 MJ is ~1%, requiring an extreme (face-on) orbital inclination of i < 9°. With a likely mass of 6.6-9 MJ, 70 Vir B lies in the nebulously defined domain between solar system planets and brown dwarfs. Its effective temperature is computed to be ~90°C. The formation of such giant planets in eccentric orbits is not explained by current theory.
Treatment of hepatic failure—1996: Current concepts and progress toward liver dialysis

Liver failure, especially in its acute form, is a medical emergency that quickly leads to failure of multiple other organs. Many of these end-organ failures can be supported temporarily by drugs or medical devices, but the support is invariably short-lived if liver function is not restored. In most instances, liver function can only be restored by transplantation, although patients with acute disease have the potential to recover by regeneration ("spontaneous recovery"). Unfortunately, spontaneous recovery from acute liver failure is uncommon, so the two most important aspects of patient management are highly skilled intensive care and early recognition of patients in need of liver transplantation. Even under these circumstances, the mortality of liver failure remains high because we have no easy way of replacing liver function on demand and donor organs are becoming increasingly difficult to obtain in time. The development of techniques for liver assist offer the possibility that patients with liver failure will become a simple management problem, analogous to the options available in the treatment of acute and chronic renal failure.
Designing a robust high-speed CMOS-MEMS capacitive humidity sensor

In our previous work (Lazarus and Fedder 2011 J. Micromech. Microeng. 21 0650281), we demonstrated a CMOS-MEMS capacitive humidity sensor with a 72% improvement in sensitivity over the highest previously integrated on a CMOS die. This paper explores a series of methods for creating a faster and more manufacturable high-sensitivity capacitive humidity sensor. These techniques include adding oxide pillars to hold the plates apart, spin coating polymer to allow sensors to be fabricated more cheaply, adding a polysilicon heater and etching away excess polymer in the release holes. In most cases a tradeoff was found between sensitivity and other factors such as response time or robustness. A robust high-speed sensor was designed with a sensitivity of 0.21% change in capacitance per per cent relative humidity, while dropping the response time constant from 70 to 4s. Although less sensitive than our design, the sensor remains 17% more sensitive than the most sensitive interdigitated designs successfully integrated with CMOS.
Design of an ultra low frequency force ballistocardiograph on the principle of the horizontal pendulum.

A low frequency ballistocardiographic system based on the principle of the horizontal pendulum is described. By increasing the coupling of the body to the bed and by the use of an extended frequency range accelerometer, ballistocardiograms having clearly defined high frequency components were recorded. The physical principles of such a system are briefly reviewed.
Behavioral symptoms following serial or simultaneous septal-forebrain lesions: similar syndromes.

Abstract Male hooded rats with serial unilateral septal-lesions exhibited a behavioral syndrome similar to that exhibited by counterparts with simultaneous bilateral septal-lesions. Subjects with serial lesions and subjects with simultaneous lesions differed from control subjects on measures of open-field activity and shock-avoidance performance. However, the lesion groups did not differ from each other on the behavioral measures. Rats with unilateral septal-damage also differed from control subjects; therefore, unilateral damage was sufficient to result in hypoactivity and enhanced shock-avoidance. Serial lesions did not result in behavioral recovery/sparing, regardless of whether rats were 60 or 120 days old at the time of surgery, and regardless of whether rats were housed in a complex or impoverished environment during a 30-day interoperative interval. The present findings do not confirm previous ones, but they indicate that the conditions under which serial lesions and exposure to environmental complexity facilitate behavioral recovery/sparing remain to be defined more precisely.
Should Basic Rights and Lack of Common Sense and Responsibility Be Regulated? Comments on Whether Access to In Vitro Fertilization Should Be Regulated in the United States

In his thought-provoking article, Murphy (2013) suggests that if a society is going to be required to accept assisted reproduction as a basic right, the same society should have the right to regula...
An expert manufacturing simulation system

An expert simulation system for an electronics manufacturing plant has been developed with emphasis on the natural language interface. This includes the transformer and the understander, the simulation writer, the simulation analyzer, and the simula tion language.
Effects of Diet on Exaggerated Natriuresis in Hypertension

The effects of high and low salt diet on exaggerated natriuresis after volume expansion were examined in two groups of hypertensive patients, 6 with labile and 6 with fixed uncomplicated essential hypertension. Fixed hypertensives eliminated the administered salt-load faster than the labile hypertensives, and diet had no effect on the exaggerated natriuresis of both groups. No association was observed between plasma renin activity and natriuresis in both groups of patients. We conclude that, 1) diet did not affect the saline-induced natriuresis in hypertensive patients, 2) there was no apparent association between plasma renin activity and exaggerated natriuresis in hypertension, 3) other factors such as the capacitance system and vasopressin may play an important role in volume expansion natriuresis, especially in fixed hypertensives.
The 1997-98 El Nino Event and Related Wintertime Lightning Variations in the Southeastern United States

The El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a climate anomaly responsible for worldwide weather impacts ranging from droughts to floods. In the United States, warm episode years are known to produce above normal rainfall along the Southeast U.S. Gulf Coast and into the Gulf of Mexico, with the greatest response observed in the October-March period of the warm episode year. The 1997-98 warm episode is notable for being the strongest event since 198283. With the recent launch of a lightning sensor on NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) in November 1997 and the detailed coverage of the U.S. National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN), such interannual changes in lightning activity can be examined with far greater detail than ever before. For the 1997-98 ENSO event the most significant year-to-year changes in lightning frequency worldwide occurred along the Gulf Coast and within the Gulf of Mexico basin during the Northern Hemisphere winter. Within a broad swath across the northern Gulf of Mexico basin there is a 100-150% increase in lightning days year-to-year (a peak of 33 days in the winter of 1997-98 vs. only 15 days or fewer in both the 1996-97 and 1998-99 winter). In addition, there is a nearly 200% increase in lightning hours (a peak of 138 hours in 1996-97 vs. 50 hours in both 1996-97 and 1998-99). The increase in lightning activity during ENSO occurs in association with a 100% increase in the number of synoptic scale cyclones that developed within or moved through the Gulf basin. The primary variables controlling these enhancements in thunderstorm activity are the position and strength of the jet stream.
Pericardial abscess extending from mitral vegetation: an unusual complication of infective endocarditis.

Infective endocarditis and its complications are life-threatening and require prompt recognition and treatment. We report a patient who developed a sinus tract connecting a mitral valve vegetation to a subepicardial abscess
Reply by Author to R.A. Spurrier

Received Feb. 3,1978. Index categories: Navigation, Control and Guidance Theory; Computer Technology and Computer Simulation Techniques. *Staff Member. algorithm I suggested has the effect of halving word length, but only for near-zero quaternion elements. By clever arrangement of equations equivalent to Spurrier's, Shepperd' has independently produced an algorithm offering the same precision and almost as much speed as Spurrier's, and in addition, the shortest load module of the three. Byte counts for the three HAL/S IBM-370 load modules (with trace option) are Spurrier 750, Klumpp 648, Shepperd 580. All three were coded by the same person, eliminating the programmer variable. Reference 1 presents Shepperd's equations. Reference 2 includes the algorithm.
Anesthesia type and perioperative outcome: open colectomies in the United States.

Abstract Background Adding neuraxial to general anesthesia (GA) has been associated with improved perioperative outcome after orthopedic surgery. Presuming a similar effect in major abdominal surgery we studied its effect on perioperative outcome in open colectomy patients. Materials and methods Retrospective study using the Premier Perspective database ( n = 98,290 elective open colectomies, 2006–2012). Multilevel multivariable logistic regression models measured the association between anesthesia type (GA or general and neuraxial anesthesia combined [GNA]) and perioperative outcome with odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Outcomes were thromboembolism, acute myocardial infarction, postoperative infection, postoperative ileus, cerebrovascular events, blood transfusion, admission to an intensive care unit, and mechanical ventilation. Results GA was used in 93.9%, GNA in 6.1%, with a similar Charlson comorbidity index between the groups (2.66 versus 2.72, respectively; P = 0.121). The multivariable analyses showed GNA ( versus GA) to be associated with a significantly decreased risk for thromboembolism (OR 0.74; CI 0.58–0.93) and cerebrovascular events (OR 0.67; CI 0.51–0.88), whereas the association was nonsignificant for wound infections, pneumonia, and mechanical ventilation. However, GNA use was significantly associated with increased risk for acute myocardial infarction (OR 2.74; CI 2.19–3.43), urinary tract infection (OR 1.35; CI 1.21–1.50), postoperative ileus (OR 1.17; CI 1.09–1.26), blood transfusion (OR 1.12; CI 1.01–1.24), and admission to intensive care unit (OR 1.32; CI 1.22–1.43). Conclusions We found no clear pattern of consistent favorable results for patients undergoing their open colectomy under GNA. Further prospective research is needed to help identify those who are more likely to benefit from GNA use and its mechanism of actions.
Colouring the Claddagh: A Distorted View?

AbstractThis article examines the dress worn in a selection of Marguerite Mespoulet’s autochromes taken of the inhabitants of the Claddagh and in the vicinity of Galway City, western Ireland in 1913. They belong to the Archives de la Planete, an ambitious project launched by French financier Albert Kahn in 1908 to record the culture of ordinary people in fifty countries in order to promote peace through mutual understanding. The Lumiere brothers’ autochrome was the first viable photographic process to reproduce authentic colours, unmitigated by intervention or manipulation, and was used for commercial and private purposes between 1907 and the early 1930s. Mespoulet’s images are thought to be the first colour photographs ever taken in Ireland, and so are invaluable records of the folk dress of a region where the last vestiges of Gaelic culture survived into the twentieth century. Along with her diary notes, they provide a platform from which to explore the slippery nexus between myth and reality, and to qu...
Discerning the margins of constitutional encroachment: The drug courier profile in the airport milieu

Very little is known about the legal dimensions of the drug courier profile and how it functions in relation to airport detainments. This article attempts to fill that gap by analyzing relevant case law. Further, the authors demonstrate how the United States Supreme Court struggles to balance the competing interests of the public’s need to be protected from narcotics and drug trafficking versus the citizen’s right to be protected from unlawful searches and seizures. The article closes with a brief discussion of the implications this balancing portends for the future administration of justice in this area.
The rate of systemic reactions to immunotherapy injections is the same whether or not the dose is reduced after a local reaction.

Background Even though no studies have shown that local reactions to immunotherapy injections predict subsequent systemic reactions, many protocols continue to call for dose adjustments after local reactions. Objective To determine whether the rate of systemic reactions to immunotherapy injections is affected by dose adjustment after local reactions. Methods In our clinic before March 1999, if a patient had a local reaction to an immunotherapy injection, an adjustment was made to repeat or reduce the next dose. From March 1999 on, no such adjustments were made. At our outlying clinics, the adjustment protocol continued. A retrospective review was conducted for shots given from March 1997 to February 2001, recording whether an immunotherapy visit resulted in a systemic reaction. Results In our clinic, there were 3,250 shot visits from March 1997 to February 1999 (adjustment protocol) and 4,692 visits from March 1999 to February 2001 (no adjustment protocol). The systemic reaction rate during the 2 periods was not different (1.11% vs 0.85%, P = .29). In the outlying clinics, there were 1,138 shot visits from March 1999 to February 2001 (adjustment protocol), and the systemic reaction rate was not different than in our clinic (no adjustment protocol) (0.88% vs 0.85%, P = .86). Conclusions The rate of systemic reactions to immunotherapy injections is the same whether or not the dose is adjusted after a local reaction. These dose adjustments are thus unnecessary, and eliminating them lessens chances for errors and decreases the number of shots required to reach a therapeutic dose.
Prevalence of SCID-diagnosed personality disorders in agoraphobic outpatients

Abstract The prevalence of DSM-III-R Axis II personality disorders (PDs) and comorbidity of Axis I and Axis II disorders was examined in a sample of 133 agoraphobic outpatients. Diagnoses were assigned according to the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (SCID). Fifty-six percent of the sample had at least one PD. Diagnoses of the anxious cluster (44% of all clients) were most prevalent. Avoidant personality disorder was the single most frequent Axis II diagnosis (32% of the sample). Presence of a PD was not related to severity or duration of agoraphobic avoidance or frequency of panic attacks. Subjects with a PD were more frequently assigned secondary diagnoses of dysthymia, social phobia, and simple phobia than those without an Axis II disorder. Patients with any PD, those with an anxious cluster diagnosis, and those with a PD diagnosis of the dramatic cluster also showed significantly higher scores on self-reported depression and social fear compared to patients with no PD diagnosis. The data suggest that persistent personality pathology seems to go hand in hand with a chronic form of depression, as well as social anxiety, and that DSM-III-R Axis I and Axis II disorders tend to co-occur.
Threading the needle - Medicaid and the 113th Congress

Medicaid plays a vital role in the U.S. health care system and a foundational role in health care reform. As we approach a major debate over U.S. spending and federal deficits, how can we preserve this role and shield Medicaid from crippling spending reductions?
Forced convection over rotating bodies with non-uniform surface temperature

Abstract An analytical method is developed for obtaining the temperature distribution and the rate of heat transfer in laminar boundary-layer forced convective flow over a rotating body of revolution having a step change in surface temperature. By using a special coordinate transformation and an appropriate series expansion of the temperature, the energy equation becomes expressible in terms of a set of partial differential equations which contain universal functions. These universal functions can be tabulated once and for all. Numerical examples are presented for an isothermal surface and for a surface which has a step discontinuity in temperature for the special cases of a rotating sphere and a rotating disk. These results are compared with values obtained from other formulas available in the literature.
Primate population densities in three nutrient-poor Amazonian terra firme forests of south-eastern Colombia

We censused primate populations at three non-hunted 'terra firme' forests of south-eastern Colombian Amazonia. The aggregate biomass densities of diurnal primates at all sites were amongst the lowest recorded for any non-hunted forest in western Amazonia and elsewhere in the Neotropics. Densities of red howler monkeys were low, as is typical in Amazonian terra firme forests far removed from white-water rivers, and densities of woolly monkeys were 1.5-3.5 times lower than those estimated for this species in central-western Brazilian Amazonia. Densities of small to mid-sized primates except for brown capuchins (Cebus apella) and white-faced capuchins (Cebus albifrons) were similar to those of other oligotrophic Amazonian forest sites. Our results are in agreement with other studies showing that terra firme forests of lowland Amazonia typically sustain a low biomass density of primates and other mid-sized to large vertebrates. Large reserves are therefore required to assure the viability of primate populations in oligotrophic systems. Given the escalating negative impacts of human habitat disturbance and hunting in Colombian Amazonia, we urge that a baseline sampling protocol to quantify the abundance and distribution of the harvest-sensitive vertebrate fauna be established within protected areas and the large indigenous reserves so that conservation efforts can be defined and implemented.