cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Geriatric Physiology and the Frailty Syndrome

Understanding geriatric physiology is critical for successful perioperative management of older surgical patients. The frailty syndrome is evolving as an important, potentially modifiable process capturing a patient's biologic age and is more predictive of adverse perioperative outcomes than chronologic age. Use of frailty in risk stratification and perioperative decision-making allows providers to effectively diagnose, risk stratify, and treat patients in the perioperative setting. Further study is needed to develop a universal definition of frailty, to identify comprehensive yet feasible screening tools that allow for accurate detection of frailty in the perioperative setting, and to refine treatment programs for frail surgical patients.
Radiative cooling resource maps for the contiguous United States

Passive cooling devices take advantage of the partially transparent properties of the atmosphere in the longwave spectral band from 8 to 13 μm (the so-called “atmospheric window”) to reject radiation to outer space. Spectrally designed thermophotonic devices have raised substantial attention recently for their potential to provide passive and carbon-free alternatives to air conditioning. However, the level of transparency of the atmospheric window depends on the local content of water vapor in the atmosphere and on the optical depth of clouds in the local sky. Thus, the radiative cooling capacity of solar reflectors not only depends on the optical properties of their surfaces but also on local meteorological conditions. In this work, detailed radiative cooling resource maps for the contiguous United States are presented with the goal of determining the best climates for large-scale deployment of passive radiative cooling technologies. The passive cooling potential is estimated based on ideal optical properties, i.e., zero shortwave absorptance (maximum reflectance) and blackbody longwave emittance. Both annual and season-averaged maps are presented. Daytime and nighttime cooling potential are also computed and compared. The annual average cooling potential over the contiguous United States is 50.5 m−2. The southwestern United States has the highest annual averaged cooling potential, over 70 W m−2, due to its dry and mostly clear sky meteorological conditions. The southeastern United States has the lowest potential, around 30 W m−2, due to frequent humid and/or overcast weather conditions. In the spring and fall months, the Arizona and New Mexico climates provide the highest passive cooling potential, while in the summer months, Nevada and Utah exhibit higher potentials. Passive radiative cooling is primarily effective in the western United States, while it is mostly ineffective in humid and overcast climates elsewhere.Passive cooling devices take advantage of the partially transparent properties of the atmosphere in the longwave spectral band from 8 to 13 μm (the so-called “atmospheric window”) to reject radiation to outer space. Spectrally designed thermophotonic devices have raised substantial attention recently for their potential to provide passive and carbon-free alternatives to air conditioning. However, the level of transparency of the atmospheric window depends on the local content of water vapor in the atmosphere and on the optical depth of clouds in the local sky. Thus, the radiative cooling capacity of solar reflectors not only depends on the optical properties of their surfaces but also on local meteorological conditions. In this work, detailed radiative cooling resource maps for the contiguous United States are presented with the goal of determining the best climates for large-scale deployment of passive rad...
Student Teams in Mathematics Class

The classes that I worked with were ho mogeneously grouped. Such grouping, as explained below, is critical for the success of this method. There were three tracks. Track one was composed of above-average students who would usually take a New York State Regents Examination at the completion of the course. Track two con sisted of students who were slightly below average in mathematics but who were in terested in learning the standard subject matter without the threat of taking a Re gents exam. Track three was composed of those students who were below average in mathematics ability and were taking gen eral mathematics geared toward business. My program consisted of track one classes in first-year algebra, geometry, and pr? calculs and track two classes in geometry. I used this method in five, fifty-minute classes a day over a period of two years. As the school year progressed, my stu dents and I developed the method's struc ture. The students knew that the system was subject to r??valuation and change; thus, they had an investment in its success. It was not imposed on them as a new set of laws by which they had to abide. It is best, when implementing the system yourself, to handle it in this informal manner.
Transcriptional programming and T cell receptor repertoires distinguish human lung and lymph node memory T cells

Antigen-specific memory T cells persist for years after exposure to a pathogen and provide effective recall responses. Many memory T cell subsets have been identified and differ in abundance throughout tissues. This study focused on CD4 and CD8 memory T cells from paired human lung and lung draining lymph node (LDLN) samples and identified substantial differences in the transcriptional landscape of these subsets, including higher expression of an array of innate immune receptors in lung T cells which were further validated by flow cytometry. Using T cell receptor analysis, we determined the clonal overlap between memory T cell subsets within the lung and within the LDLN, and this was greater than the clonal overlap observed between memory T cell subsets compared across tissues. Our results suggest that lung and LDLN memory T cells originate from different precursor pools, recognize distinct antigens and likely have separate roles in immune responses.
Plasma-material boundary conditions for discontinuous galerkin continuum-kinetic simulations, with a focus on secondary electron emission

Abstract Continuum kinetic simulations of plasmas, where particle distribution functions are directly discretized in phase-space, permit fully kinetic simulations without the statistical noise of particle-in-cell methods. Recent advances in numerical algorithms have made continuum kinetic simulations computationally competitive. This work presents a continuum kinetic description of high-fidelity wall boundary conditions that utilize the readily available particle distribution function without coupling to additional physical models. The boundary condition is realized through a reflection function that can capture a wide range of cases from simple specular reflection to more involved first principles models. While the framework is usable for various numerical methods and boundary conditions, this work focuses on the discontinuous Galerkin implementation of electron emission using a first-principles quantum-mechanical model. Presented results demonstrate effects of electron emission from a dielectric material on formation of a classical plasma sheath.
Affine equivalence of cubic homogeneous rotation symmetric functions

Homogeneous rotation symmetric Boolean functions have been extensively studied in recent years because of their applications in cryptography. Little is known about the basic question of when two such functions are affine equivalent. The simplest case of quadratic rotation symmetric functions which are generated by cyclic permutations of the variables in a single monomial was only settled in 2009. This paper studies the much more complicated cubic case for such functions. A new concept of patterns is introduced, by means of which the structure of the smallest group G"n, whose action on the set of all such cubic functions in n variables gives the affine equivalence classes for these functions under permutation of the variables, is determined. We conjecture that the equivalence classes are the same if all nonsingular affine transformations, not just permutations, are allowed. Our method gives much more information about the equivalence classes; for example, in this paper we give a complete description of the equivalence classes when n is a prime or a power of 3.
Differences in Serum Alkaline Phosphatase Levels in Infants with Spontaneous Intestinal Perforation versus Necrotizing Enterocolitis with Perforation.

Introduction Data on laboratory markers of spontaneous intestinal perforation (SIP) and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) remain sparse. Objective To compare serum alkaline phosphatase levels in infants with bowel perforation secondary to SIP versus surgical NEC, and then investigate the possible role of serum alkaline phosphatase in differentiating infants with these conditions. Methods A retrospective case-control study of infants admitted with bowel perforation from 2005 to 2015. Demographic and prenatal data, postnatal exposures, and clinical, laboratory, and radiographic findings were extracted from inpatient medical records and analyzed using regression analysis. Results Of 114 outborn infants included, 48 infants had SIP (cases) and 66 had NEC (controls). Upon admission from the referring hospital, the serum alkaline phosphatase level was significantly higher in infants with SIP, i.e., a median value of 782 versus236 U/L in NEC patients (p 500 U/L in multivariate regression model. Infants with SIP had significantly younger gestational age, presented earlier in life, primarily with pneumoperitoneum, and had greater exposure to steroids and indomethacin compared to infants with NEC. Alkaline phosphatase levels decreased rapidly in infants with SIP following admission. Conclusion A transient increase in serum alkaline phosphatase level is independently associated with SIP when compared to NEC. Studies to confirm the role of alkaline phosphatase in the diagnosis of SIP are necessary and have potentially significant clinical and prognostic implications.
Moderate Sedation Education for Nurses in Interventional Radiology to Promote Patient Safety: Results of a National Survey

Abstract Moderate sedation in interventional radiology (IR) relies on registered nurses (RNs) with specific education to ensure the best patient outcomes. Research conducted during the previous decades has improved the understanding of nursing labor quality and the relationship to outcomes; yet, there is limited description related to specialty practice areas. Defining parameters for IR nursing allows the study of nurse-driven outcomes for patients receiving sedation. A 26-question survey was sent to a national sample of radiologic administrators (n=510). Statistics included frequency distributions, means, standard deviations, medians, interquartile ranges, chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests; statistical significance p
Advanced High-Strength Sheet Steels for Automotive Applications

Automotive light-weighting efforts have resulted in the development and implementation of a variety of so-called advanced high-strength steels (AHSS). These AHSS exhibit superior strength and ductility/formability as compared to mild steels or high-strength fully martensitic steels. A variety of microstructural concepts and associated alloying and processing routes have been pursued in AHSS development to include dual-phase, transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP), bainitic- and TRIP-aided bainitic ferritic, quenching and partitioning steels, etc. This chapter will review these various concepts along with press-hardening, a process where forming is done at high temperature in the austenitic phase field and final strength is set by quenching following forming to obtain a high-strength martensitic microstructure.
Basic Evaluation of the Patient with Pelvic Floor Dysfunction (General Review)

Pelvic floor dysfunction encompasses multiple symptom complexes that can occur alone or in combination. The underlying etiology should be thoroughly elucidated by careful patient history, evaluation of symptoms, and physical examination. Unnecessary tests and procedures should be avoided in the straightforward patient. In complex patients, however, appropriate additional testing is recommended.
Brushes and Cycles

In Euclidean geometry the set of all lines passing through a point is called a pencil. (The term comes from the former use of the word for an artist’s paintbrush.) The set of all lines parallel to a given line in the Euclidean plane is called a parallel pencil. To be useful this second idea must be refined for the Bolyai — Lobachevsky plane where we have two distinct types of parallelism.
The Distribution of Acetylcholinesterase Enzyme in the Amygdala and its Role in Aggressive Behavior

The terminology and classification of the amygdaloid nuclei is based mainly on the work of Johnston (1923). Johnston postulated that many of the amygdaloid nuclei were formed by an ingrowth from the lower border of the pyriform cortex in the region of the endorhinal sulcus (usually referred to as the amygdaloid fissure at this level), the cells of which remained superficial medial to the sulcus forming a cortical amygdaloid nucleus. He thinks that this nucleus and the nucleus of the lateral olfactory tract, also superficial in position, and the more deeply situated central and medial nuclei are phylogenetically older than two other nuclei which he referred to as basal and lateral. Later workers (Crosby and Humphrey, 1941) refer to these nuclear groups as cortico-medial and baso-lateral, respectively. However, the question of their relative phylogenetic age is doubtful because it is difficult to establish the homologies of the individual nuclei in sub-mammalian vertebrates.
Particle separation and concentration control for digital microfluidic systems

This paper proposes a concept of separation and concentration control of particles in droplets for eventual digital microfluidic systems. The concept is confirmed by facilitating electrophoresis of particles within droplets that are driven by electrowetting on dielectric (EWOD) and is aimed to take advantage of the simplicity of digital operation for complex systems.
Remote collaboration on physical whiteboards

A whiteboard provides a large shared space for the participants to focus their attention and express their ideas, and is therefore a great collaboration tool for information workers. However, it has several limitations; notably, the contents on the whiteboard are hard to archive or share with people who are not present in the discussions. This paper presents our work in developing tools to facilitate collaboration on physical whiteboards by using a camera and a microphone. In particular, our system allows a user to take notes of a whiteboard meeting when he/she wants or in an automatic way, to transmit the whiteboard content to remote participants in real time and in an efficient way, and to archive the whole whiteboard session for efficient post-viewing. Our system can be retrofit to any existing whiteboard. With the help of a camera and a microphone, we are effectively bridging the physical and digital worlds.
Empowerment of Slum Children in Developing Countries Through Information Technology: Human Capabilities Versus Environmental Determinism

Urban migration in developing countries is expected to increase the number of slum inhabitants from 940 million in 2003 to over two billion by 2030. As socio-economic status at birth is a strong predictor of future socio-economic status, slum children seem destined to a life of poverty. However, emerging examples of empowerment appear to demonstrate possibilities of information technology to benefit the lives of slum children. In this paper, we use social cognitive theory to study why children participate in IT learning in the absence of formal training courses, using the constructs of symbolizing, forethought, visceral, self-regulating and self-reflecting human capabilities. In doing this, we attempt to validate a theoretical basis for human capabilities of slum children to overcome the forces of environmental determinism working against them.
Signal preemption as a priority treatment tool for transit demand management

The purpose of this paper is to present an analytic procedure for testing the feasibility of using signal pre-emption as a tool for transit demand management. Signal pre-emption is designed to reduce delays, thus resulting in reduced cycle time, reduced fleet size and reduced operating cost. Further, reduced travel time is likely to make the transit system more attractive, thus generating more rider-ship and higher revenue. A software PREEMPT was developed that can estimate driving times based upon higher speeds and can calculate the fleet size, operating costs, revenue, and revised demand. Using the data base from a recently completed UMTA sponsored study, 3 transit sectors in the Detroit area were analyzed for base condition and various pre-emption scenarios, and the results are presented in this paper.
Alternating the Temporal Picture for Safety

We use alternating automata on infinite words to reduce the verification of linear temporal logic (LTL) safety properties over infinite-state systems to the proof of first-order verification conditions. Thus method generalizes the traditional deductive verification approach of providing verification rules for particular classes of formulas, such as invariances, nested precedence formulas, etc. It facilitates the deductive verification of arbitrary safety properties without the need for explicit temporal reasoning.
Using Online Psychological Consultation in Early Childhood Student Teacher Preparation

This paper describes the incorporation of online psychological consultation regarding child behavior in an early childhood teacher education program. The authors discuss psychological consultation in terms of current theory and philosophy in early childhood teacher education in general, and in terms of the professional objectives of this specific program. The experiences and thinking that eventually resulted in the choice of an online vehicle for the delivery of psychological consultation are also discussed. Specific psychological education objectives addressed through this consultation are illustrated in excerpts from actual interchanges between the consulting clinical psychologist and student teachers. The paper concludes with reactions regarding this seminar addition from supervisors and student teachers. This project was supported, in part, by a Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant from the U.S. Department of Education to the Illinois Professional Learners' Partnership.
Reduction in oxidative stress by superoxide dismutase overexpression attenuates acute brain injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage via activation of Akt/glycogen synthase kinase-3β survival signaling

Recent studies have revealed that oxidative stress has detrimental effects in several models of neurodegenerative diseases, including subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). However, how oxidative stress affects acute brain injury after SAH remains unknown. We have previously reported that overexpression of copper/zinc-superoxide dismutase (SOD1) reduces oxidative stress and subsequent neuronal injury after cerebral ischemia. In this study, we investigated the relationship between oxidative stress and acute brain injury after SAH using SOD1 transgenic (Tg) rats. SAH was produced by endovascular perforation in wild-type (Wt) and SOD1 Tg rats. Apoptotic cell death at 24 h, detected by a cell death assay, was significantly decreased in the cerebral cortex of the SOD1 Tg rats compared with the Wt rats. The mortality rate at 24 h was also significantly decreased in the SOD1 Tg rats. A hydroethidine study demonstrated that superoxide anion production after SAH was reduced in the cerebral cortex of the SOD1 Tg rats. Moreover, phosphorylation of Akt and glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β), which are survival signals in apoptotic cell death, was more enhanced in the cerebral cortex of the SOD1 Tg rats after SAH using Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. We conclude that reduction in oxidative stress by SOD1 overexpression may attenuate acute brain injury after SAH via activation of Akt/GSK3β survival signaling.
ZIP-IO: Architecture for application-specific compression of Big Data

We have entered the “Big Data” age: scaling of networks and sensors has led to exponentially increasing amounts of data. Compression is an effective way to deal with many of these large data sets, and application-specific compression algorithms have become popular in problems with large working sets. Unfortunately, these compression algorithms are often computationally difficult and can result in application-level slow-down when implemented in software. To address this issue, we investigate ZIP-IO, a framework for FPGA-accelerated compression. Using this system we demonstrate that an unmodified industrial software workload can be accelerated 3x while simultaneously achieving more than 1000x compression in its data set.
DETERMINATION OF THE LOCAL HEAT FLUX IN CONDENSATION EXPERIMENTS

Abstract This article presents a novel method for determining the local heat flux in heated tubes. The technique was applied to a condensing test section to investigate the in-tube local condensation heat transfer, using a jacket pipe to create an annulus for coolant, with thermocouples mounted on the annulus inner and outer walls. Based on the κ-ϵ turbulence model, coolant temperature-profile shape factors were calculated to provide a matrix of profile factors. The local coolant bulk temperature could then be calculated from the measured temperatures on both annulus walls, and coolant flow rate. The local heat fluxes were then determined from an energy balance using a statistically selected fit of the coolant bulk temperature data. The new method improves experimental accuracy significantly compared to other techniques.
Phonons in titanium doped vitreous silica

Abstract In this paper we report the infrared and Raman studies of titanium doped silicate glasses for a number of Ti concentrations. New modes associated with the titanium groups are identified. The observed shifts and broadenings in the spectra of vitreous silica are discussed in the context of random network models. The “anomalous” decrease in density with the addition of titanium is attributed to an increase in the average intertetrahedral angle of the SiO 4 network.
Biosynthesis of adrenal corticosteroids: energy metabolism and the hydroxylases

Abstract Evidence for the existence of at least two different cytochrome P450s concerned with corticosteroid hydroxylation has been presented. Metyrapone, a competitive inhibitor of steroid 11β-hydroxylation, affects the ligand fields of the iron of these mixed function oxidases. This agent interferes with the binding of 11β-hydroxylation substrates at the same or interacting sites at low concentrations and with other substrates at high concentrations. Because of the parallel changes in optical properties of the oxygenase, oxygen uptake and oxidation of reduced pyridine nucleotides upon addition of steroid substrates, in addition to their competitive interaction with metyrapone, it seems likely that they also react with the ligand field of cytochrome P450 to alter its redox properties. This presumably increases its rate of oxidation of electron donors and its rate of reaction with oxygen and hydroxylation of substrate. Such a substrate initiated event could be the site of primary control in steroidogenesis and might activate energy metabolism in general by reducing the level of citrate and ATP, and thereby, producing the activation observed in phosphofructokinase. However, the failure to observe an affect of cholesterol on the above parameters even though its oxygenase has very similar properties as other steroid oxygenases, as judged by its action spectrum, argues against such a substrate mediated control mechanism as a general phenomenon for control of corticosteroid hydroxylations. Since subcellular adrenal preparations generally show a high rate of synthesis of corticosteroids from endogenous precursor (cholesterol), when fortified with suitable electron donors, it is likely that the failure to demonstrate cholesterol effects on the cytochrome P450 of these particles is because the oxygenase is already saturated with endogenous cholesterol. Under such circumstances, the rate limiting reations would, most logically, be concerned with the generation of reducing equivalents and not with the provision of corticoid intermediates. The possibility exists that in the isolation of the subcellular particles the cholesterol hydroxylating enzyme is altered in some manner or a compartment is destroyed that permits it to interact with its substrate, a process normally mediated by ACTH. In this case, the primary action of ACTH would be either on the activation or synthesis of a “permease” or a specific synthetase. However, ability of NADPH-generator systems to bypass the stimulatory effect of ACTH on corticoid secretion in certain in vitro studies (8.10) argues against this possibility and further supports the hypothesis that places the control of corticosteroidogenesis on a regulation of energy metabolism. Basically similar conclusions have been drawn by many other investigators (51), differing only in the site at which the control is placed. The studies reported here suggest that phosphofructokinase, but not phosphorylase, could be a regulatory site. Whether or not it is primary, secondary, or concurrent to regulation at other sites is not known.
Every Sperm Is Sacred: Fertilization in Caenorhabditis elegans

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is an attractive model system for the study of fertilization. C. elegans exists as a self-fertilizing hermaphrodite or as a male. This unusual situation provides an excellent opportunity to identify and maintain sterile mutants that affect sperm and no other cells. Analysis of these mutants can identify genes that encode proteins required for gamete recognition, adhesion, signaling, fusion, and/or activation at fertilization. These genes can also provide a starting point for the identification of additional molecules required for fertility. This review describes progress in the genetic and molecular dissection of fertilization in C. elegans and related studies on sperm competition.
A 2.5Gb/s/pin 256Mb GDDR3 SDRAM with Series Pipelined CAS Latency Control and Dual-Loop Digital DLL

A series pipelined CAS latency control with voltage-controlled delay line that extends maximum data rate to 2.5Gb/s/pin at 1.7V, is presented. Other schemes applied in the DLL are dual loop control that increases power noise immunity and LPDCC that achieves low power consumption. All these schemes are implemented in a 8M times 32 device using a 0.10 mum DRAM process
Toxicologic Risk Assessment Issues for Drinking Water Safety

The intent of this presentation is to review the studies conducted by the National Research Council (NRC) where risk assessment was the central theme and to present both a current view and some ideas for the future of risk assessment procedures for drinking water. Although the principal interest is in the use of toxicologic data in assessing risk, nonetheless, mention is made of the use of epidemiologic studies and other types of research investigations that may produce useful information for estimating risk to humans from chemical exposure.
A method for scoring the pain map of the McGill pain questionnaire for use in epidemiologic studies

Identifying and quantifying the location of pain may be important for understanding specific functional impairments in elderly populations. The purpose of the present analysis was two- fold: first, to describe the reliability of a scoring method for the McGill Pain Map (MPM), and second, to validate the method of scoring the MPM as a tool for assessing areas of body pain in an epidemiologic study. In interviews performed at the subjects’ homes, 411 community dwelling Mexican- American and non- Hispanic white subjects aged 65–74 from the San Antonio Longitudinal Study of Aging (SALSA) were asked to describe the location of their pain on the map of the human body included in the McGill Pain Questionnaire. The location of pain was scored by overlaying the survey figures with a MPM template divided into 36 anatomical areas. Inter- and intra- rater agreement among three raters was measured by calculating a kappa statistic for each of the body areas, and an intraclass correlation coefficient for the total number of painful areas (NPA). Internal validity was measured by Spearman’s rho between the NPA and the Present Pain Index (PPI) and Pain Rating Index (PRI) of the McGill Pain Questionnaire, and external validity by correlation between NPA and the Perceived Health (PH), Amount of Bodily Pain (APB), and Pain Interference with Work (PIW) items of the Medical Outcomes Study, and the Perceived Physical Health (PPH) question of the San Antonio Heart Study. Average inter- rater agreement for individual MPM areas was 0.92± 0.01, and average agreement for NPA was 0.96± 0.01. Intra- rater agreement for individual areas averaged 0.94± 0.01, and for NPA = 0.99± 0.001. Pain in one or more areas was present in 47.7% of the subjects. For the whole sample, correlations between NPA and the validation indices were: PPI (0.91), PRI (0.89), PH (0.25), ABP (0.64), PIW (0.49), and PPH (0.20). Among the 196 subjects with pain, correlations were: PPI (0.34), PRI (0.34), PH (0.19), ABP (0.21), PIW (0.38), and PPH (0.19) — p<0.01 for all correlations. In conclusion, we have developed a reliable method of scoring the MPM and have shown evidence of its validity in a community- based sample of elderly subjects. Patterns of painful body areas may be associated with specific diseases and functional impairments.
Analysis of the Escherichia coli genome VI: DNA sequence of the region from 92.8 through 100 minutes

Abstract The 338.5 kb of the Escherichia coli genome described here together with previously described segments bring the total of contiguous finished sequence of this genome to > 1 Mb. Of 319 open reading frames (ORFs) found in this 338.5 kb segment, 147 (46%) are potential new genes. The positions of several genes which had been previously located here by mapping or partial sequencing have been confirmed. Several ORFs have functions suggested by similarities to other characterised genes but cannot be assigned with certainty. Fifteen of the ORFs of unknown function had been previously sequenced. Eight transfer RNAs are encoded in the region and there are two grey holes in which no features were found. The attachment site for phage P4 and three insertion sequences were located. The region was also analysed for chi sites, bend sites, REP elements and other repeats. A computer search identified potential promoters and tentative transcription units were assigned. The occurrence of the rare tetramer CTAG was analysed in 1.6 Mb of contiguous E.coli sequence. Hypotheses addressing the rarity and distribution of CTAG are discussed.
Pasión y política en Catilina de Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda

In this article, we suggest a reading of Catilina (1867) by Gertrudis Gomez de Avellaneda. First of all, we analyse some general ideas about her works as a whole and their reception in Spain and Cuba; we then emphasise the concept of imitatio as a type of creation, and also highlight the eclectic character of her play writing and her personal relationship with Neoclassicism and Romanticism. Finally we analyse the dramatic resources of this work and the treatment of passionate and politic conflicts.
How do physicians weigh iatrogenic complications

Objective: To determine how physicians weigh iatrogenic complications when making clinical decisions. Design: Physicians were mailed a questionnaire describing two simplified scenarios—one involving a patient with a cerebral embolism and the other involving a patient with a life-threatening arrhythmia. In each scenario there was one potential natural adverse outcome (which could be prevented with drug therapy) and one potential drug side effect (iatrogenic adverse outcome), which would be clinically indistinguishable from the natural adverse outcome. Half the respondents were given the probability of the natural adverse outcome (PN) and were asked to specify the probability of the iatrogenic adverse outcome (P1) at which they felt that giving and withholding the therapy were equivalent strategies. The other respondents were given the P, and asked to specify the PN at which they felt the two strategies were equivalent. Setting: Academic medical center. Participants: Staff physicians. Measurements and main results: Results are expressed as the ratio P1/PN at which the respondent felt that giving and not giving therapy were equivalent strategies. A ratio less than 1 indicates that errors of commission (iatrogenic adverse outcomes) were given more weight than were errors of omission (natural adverse outcomes when therapy was withheld). Ratios less than 1 were provided in 56% of the responses (n=230). The mean P1/PN in the group with ratios less than 1 was 0.53±0.26 (SD;n=129). Conclusions: In making decisions, some physicians appear to weigh errors of commission more heavily than they do errors of omission, while others weigh them equally. This diversity of physicians’ attitudes may explain some of the variation observed in clinical practice in settings where the possibility of iatrogenic complications is of concern. Key words|iatrogenic complications|medical decision making|physicians
A PHOSPHATIDYLINOSITOL 3-KINASE-DEPENDENT PATHWAY THAT DIFFERENTIALLY REGULATES C-RAF AND A-RAF

Cytokines trigger the rapid assembly of multimolecular signaling complexes that direct the activation of downstream protein kinase cascades. Two protein kinases that have been linked to growth factor-regulated proliferation and survival are mitogen-activated protein/ERK kinase (MEK) and its downstream target Erk, a member of the mitogen-activated protein kinase family. Using complementary pharmacological and genetic approaches, we demonstrate that MEK and Erk activation requires a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K)-generated signal in an interleukin (IL)-3-dependent myeloid progenitor cell line. Analysis of the upstream pathway leading to MEK activation revealed that inhibition of PI3-K did not block c-Raf activation, whereas MEK activation was effectively blocked under these conditions. Furthermore, agents that elevated cAMP suppressed IL-3-induced c-Raf activation but did not inhibit MEK activation. Because c-Raf activation and MEK activation were inversely affected by PI3-K- and cAMP-dependent pathways, we examined whether IL-3 activated the alternative Raf isoforms A-Raf and B-Raf. Although IL-3 did not activate B-Raf, A-Raf was activated by the cytokine. Moreover, A-Raf activation, like MEK activation, was blocked by inhibition of PI3-K but was insensitive to cAMP. Experiments with dominant negative mutants of the Raf isoforms showed that overexpression of dominant negative c-Raf did not prevent MEK activation. However, dominant negative A-Raf effectively blocked MEK activation, suggesting that activation of the MEK-Erk signaling cascade is mediated through A-Raf. Taken together, these results suggest that IL-3 receptors engage and activate both c-Raf and A-Raf in hemopoietic cells. However, these intermediates are differentially regulated by upstream signaling cascades and selectively coupled to downstream signaling pathways.
The Effect of Protein and Fiber on the Kinetics of Starch Gelatinization and Melting in Waxy Corn Flour

The in situ presence of corn proteins and fibers along with starch in waxy corn flour affect the DSC scan of starch only slightly. The kinetic behaviors of cooking waxy corn flour with limited water contents (25 % and 35 %, w/w) are very similar to that of cooking waxy cornstarch, There are increases in reaction rate constants for samples with 25% water content when corn flour data are compared to that of corn starch. For samples with 35% water, the rate constants are very close for flour and starch. Cooking of corn flour requires a lower activation energy than cooking of cornstarch.
Eimeria lancasterensis Joseph, 1969 and E. confusa Joseph, 1969 from the grey squirrel Sciurus carolinensis.

SYNOPSIS. Forty grey squirrels Sciurus carolinensis were examined for coccidia during a 2-year period. Eimeria lancasterensis was found in all of them. The ellipsoidal oocysts of this species averaged 24.6 by 14.6 μ. They had no micropyle or oocyst residuum. A polar body was present. The sporocysts averaged 14.1 by 8.4 μ. The endogenous phases of the parasite were found in the epithelial cells of the villi thru the entire length of the small intestine. E. confusa was found in one of 40 squirrels. The oocysts of this species were subspherical, occasionally ellipsoidal or rarely spherical; they averaged 33.2 by 26.7 μ. Oocyst residuum and micropyle were absent. Polar granules ranged in number from 0–5. The sporocysts averaged 19.6 by 12.1 μ. The prepatent period for this species was 7–8 days and the patent period 6–13 days. E. ontarioensis was found in 3 of the 40 squirrels.
Shaping the conventional wisdom

Abstract Most studies of media coverage of elections focus on campaign coverage and stop at election day. In this article, the process by which national election results are interpreted by news media is examined. This process is one in which news media rely heavily on competing sources inside Washington whose interpretations are calculated to maximize their political advantage in the postelection political environment Ultimately, a “conventional wisdom” emerges about die meaning of the election that gives political actors a common understanding of political reality on which to base their interaction. The “winning” interpretations may not be the only plausible interpretations of the election, but will be those most vigorously promoted by their supporters inside Washington. In 1988 the dominant interpretations emerging from news coverage of the postelection period were that the president‐elect had no mandate to lead Congress and that the Democratic party lost because its message was too liberal.
Recrystallization mechanisms during friction stir welding/processing of aluminum alloys

Abstract Restoration models for hot working of metals and alloys are reviewed in the context of their applicability to friction stir welding (FSW) and friction stir processing (FSP). Two of these models are used to interpret microstructure and microtexture data for two aluminum alloys subjected to FSP. The need for further experiments and model extensions to accommodate the transients and steep gradients in the strain, strain rate and temperature experienced by materials during FSW and FSP are discussed.
The financial implications of fit between competitive strategy and innovation types and sources

Abstract In recent years American companies have shown considerable interest and commitment to innovation. In their quest for superior financial performance, these companies have explored different types and sources of innovation. This study examines how business-level (competitive) strategy influences companies' emphasis on different innovation types (product, process, and administrative) and sources (incubative, imitative, and acquisitive). Data from 102 businesses (strategic business units, SBUs) suggest that different strategies are associated with distinct patterns of innovation types and sources. Further, the fit between competitive strategies and innovation types and sources is associated with superior company financial performance.
Departures from Binomial Assumptions in Short-Term Memory Models.

Experiments in short-term memory usually collect binary data and pool the results of several subjects. The observed pooled proportion of recall is then transformed by the angular transformation to stabilize the variance. In this paper the variance of the transformed proportion is derived and a simple test statistic is obtained to check the validity of the binomial model. Some numerical comparisons for selected poolings are made.
Bilateral neonatal Wilms' tumor with B-C chromosomal translocation.

A working copy of the discharge form is included in the chart of each pediatric patient at the time of his admission to the hospital. Problems which are present at the time of admission are immediately entered. New problems are entered as they alirpear. At the time of discharge, the form is completed by the house officer, then reviewed and counter-signed by the attending physician. The summary is then transported to the record room, typed, and returned within 24 hours to the unit secretary. The secretary is responsible for obtaining signatures of the house officers and attending physicians and for mailing summaries to the appropriate physicians. A small card (Fig. 2) is sent along with the discharge summary to the referring physician. This card may be returned if the physician wishes photocopies of additional portions of the hospital chart. Our new system has now been employed for a period of 15 months. It has been viewed favorably by house officers, faculty, and the referring physicians. Only seven requests for additional information have been received during the past year. In order to assess the efficiency of the new system, the number of charts awaiting summary at the end of each month for the period March, 1973, to February, 1974, was compared with the same period in 1972-1973. A total of 662 charts had not been summarized in the year 1972-1973, while only six had not been completed in the year 1973-1974. Other approaches to the problem may work equally well. We have been pleased with the efficiency of this particular approach and the satisfaction it has engendered on the part of both the sender and the recipient.
A new inventory model for cold items that considers costs and emissions

Abstract A new inventory model that considers both cost and emission functions is proposed for environments where temperature-controlled items need to be stored at a certain, non-ambient temperature and to do so modular temperature-control units are used. Transportation unit capacity and storage unit capacity are considered, which results in non-linear, non-continuous cost and emissions functions. A set of exact algorithms are developed to find the optimal order quantity based on cost and emission function minimization, and the mathematical proof of the optimality of the solutions are presented. Using a variety of parameter ratios, a set of experiments are run to show the effectiveness of the proposed model compared to the current models in the literature and to provide managerial insights into the cold item inventory problem. Optimum order quantity for cost function optimization and emission function optimization are compared against each other and the tradeoff between the functions is analyzed to provide insights.
"Nosotros también somos parte del pueblo": gaitanismo, empleados y la formación histórica de la clase media en Bogotá, 1936-1948

Although gaitanismo has been one of the most intensively discussed topics in Colombian history, there are few studies that historicize the formation of middle class identities during the 1930s and 1940s. Moreover, most studies about populism in Latin America have left us with few analytical tools to understand middle-class experiences, precisely because these analyses assume a sociological opposition between "the people" (el pueblo) and "the oligarquia" as a foundational feature of populist practices. The main goal of this essay is to explore how certain white-collar workers mobilized discourses, ideas, and practices of populism as a powerful mode of persuasion and identification to constantly redefine, on the one hand, their political identities as middle class men and, on the other, their place as part of the pueblo gaitanista. By looking at recently uncovered historical documents, the essay rethinks the making of a gendered middle class and its political role in the consolidation of populist practices during the 1930s and 1940s in Colombia.
10. Pilot evaluation of an anal cancer risk awareness program

Background With the incidence of anal cancer rising in the United States, particularly among targeted segments of the population, awareness programs specifically designed for those targeted populations are needed. Happy Hiney Health is an innovative, physician-designed program that addresses the needs of MSM sexual health. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the knowledge level of a sample of high-risk individuals in a community setting regarding HPV, anorectal carcinoma, and screening before and immediately following an educational program provided by a physician specialist in anal neoplasia. Specifically, the efficacy of implementing such programs for targeted, high-risk populations was evaluated. Methods: This study was descriptive and exploratory in nature. IRB approval was obtained through Florida International University. The study participants were recruited in October 2012 during a chartered cruise for HIV-infected individuals and their partners/friends (POZ cruise). The educational session was advertised and held during the cruise. The sample included 102 participants. Most all of the attendees reported being HIV positive. An investigator-developed pre- and post-test was distributed to the attendees. Results: A paired-samples t-test was calculated to compare the mean pretest to the mean posttest exam score. The mean on the pretest was 43.14 (s.d. = 11.69), and the mean on the post-test was 91.96 (s.d. = 10.05). A significant increase pretest to post-test was found (t(101) = –29.797, P < 0.001). Conclusions: Findings from this pilot evaluation indicate that educational programs are beneficial in raising awareness related to anal cancer.
Bacterial domestication: underlying assumptions.

On the basis of well-established principles of evolutionary biology and microbiology, I conclude that (i) the deliberate introduction of a novel bacterial strain to the environment is not substantially more dangerous than the accidental release of a smaller number of cells; (ii) distant organisms are less (rather than more) likely to yield dangerous hybrids than more closely related ones; and (iii) the complex attribute of pathogenicity is not likely to emerge from genetic alterations in nonpathogens. If these conclusions are correct, most engineered bacteria need not be regulated more strictly than the bacterial strains that have been tested in the field in the past. The only exceptions would be strains derived from cells, or appropriate genes, of microbes pathogenic for plants or animals. Microbiologists not only recognize the need to handle pathogens with caution: they have long accepted regulations, such as those governing transportation, that reinforce that recognition. It is remarkable that we can still be arguing, on the basis of analogies rather than firm scientific principles or evidence, about hypothetical disasters from kinds of organisms that are being produced in hundreds or thousands of laboratories without a trace of demonstrable harm. RAC required 6 years to adjust its initially conservative guidelines to the emerging understanding of the scientific realities, while maintaining public confidence. Since the level of public concern is not nearly as great today, EPA should be able to relax its excessive restrictions much more quickly. Even better would be a return to having RAC, or a single successor group, evaluate the problems of danger for all classes of engineered bacteria, since the applicable shared principles outweigh any specialized differences in the nature or use of the specific strains. But the regulations are unlikely to be unified in this way, or to be divested of unproductive restrictions, without broad encouragement from the scientific community—including, hopefully, many ecologists. The agenda has been set for too long by apocalyptic activists. To protect this promising field of research and technological application the scientific community must take initiative in helping the public and decision-makers to distinguish reasonable probabilities from remote fantasies.