cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of Maternal Substance Abuse on the Fetus, Neonate, and Child

1. Nicole A. Bailey, MD*,† 2. Magaly Diaz-Barbosa, MD*,† 1. *Division of Neonatology, Kidz Medical Services, Coral Gables, FL 2. †Division of Neonatology, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital/Florida International University School of Medicine, Miami, FL * Abbreviations: AAP: : American Academy of Pediatrics ACOG: : American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists ADHD: : attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder AMPH: : amphetamine CNS: : central nervous system FAS: : fetal alcohol syndrome LBW: : low birthweight MDMA: : 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine METH: : methamphetamine NAS: : neonatal abstinence syndrome NIDA: : National Institute on Drug Abuse PCP: : phencyclidine SSRI: : selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor Clinicians should be able to describe the short- and long-term effects on the newborn of exposure to substance abuse in utero. After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Describe the placental transfer of drugs and their effect on embryogenesis. 2. Identify the methods to screen for drugs in the mother and neonate. 3. Understand the short- and long-term adverse effects of legal and illicit maternal substance abuse in the newborn. 4. Identify therapies for the drug-exposed neonate. 5. Describe American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations for breastfeeding mothers who abuse substances. The abuse of certain drugs or medications during pregnancy can have detrimental effects on the fetus and neonate. Previous research has shown that 5% of pregnant women use 1 or more addictive substances. (1)(2) Approximately 1 in 20 infants is exposed to illicit drugs. (3) Marijuana, cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, and inhalants are examples of illicit drugs. (4) According to a 2010 survey conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), 16% of pregnant women aged 15 to 17 years, 7.4% of pregnant women aged 18 to 25 years, and 1.9% of pregnant women aged 26 to 44 years abuse illicit substances. (5) From 2002 through 2010, the rate of reported illicit drug use among pregnant women aged 15 to 44 years rose from 3% to 4.4%. (1)(5)(6) The maternal abuse of narcotics has also risen because of “more liberal use of prescription opiates in pregnant women to palliate acute and/or chronic pain.” (7) As a result, the incidence of infants born addicted to drugs has increased. (1) The rise in substance use disorders among pregnant …
Epistemology of Disagreement, Bias, and Political Deliberation: The Problems for a Conciliatory Democracy

In this paper, I will discuss the relevance of epistemology of disagreement to political disagreement. The two major positions in the epistemology of disagreement literature are the steadfast and the conciliationist approaches: while the conciliationist says that disagreement with one’s epistemic equals should compel one to epistemically “split the difference” with those peers, the steadfast approach claims that one can maintain one’s antecedent position even in the face of such peer disagreement. Martin Ebeling (Conciliatory democracy: from deliberation toward a new politics of disagreement, Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2017) applies a conciliationist approach to democratic deliberations, arguing that deliberative participants ought to pursue full epistemic conciliation when disagreeing with their peers on political questions. I argue that this epistemic “splitting the difference” could make participants vulnerable to certain cognitive biases. We might avoid these biases by paying more attention to the deliberative environment in which disagreement takes place.
Is Yelp Actually Cleaning Up the Restaurant Industry? A Re-Analysis on the Relative Usefulness of Consumer Reviews

Social media provides the government with novel methods to improve regulation. One leading case has been the use of Yelp reviews to target food safety inspections. While previous research on data from Seattle finds that Yelp reviews can predict unhygienic establishments, we provide a more cautionary perspective. First, we show that prior results are sensitive to what we call “Extreme Imbalanced Sampling”: extreme because the dataset was restricted from roughly 13k inspections to a sample of only 612 inspections with only extremely high or low inspection scores, and imbalanced by not accounting for class imbalance in the population. We show that extreme imbalanced sampling is responsible for claims about the power of Yelp information in the original classification setup. Second, a re-analysis that utilizes the full dataset of 13k inspections and models the full inspection score (regression instead of classification) shows that (a) Yelp information has lower predictive power than prior inspection history and (b) Yelp reviews do not significantly improve predictions, given existing information about restaurants and inspection history. Contrary to prior claims, Yelp reviews do not appear to aid regulatory targeting. Third, this case study highlights critical issues when using social media for predictive models in governance and corroborates recent calls for greater transparency and reproducibility in machine learning.
Acute Stroke Intervention: The Role of Interventional Cardiologists

In the past several years, there has been a paradigm shift in acute stroke care driven by a series of randomized controlled trials demonstrating that timely reperfusion with mechanical thrombectomy (MT) results in superior outcomes compared with intravenous thrombolysis in patients with large vessel
Monitoring Ice Accumulation and Active De-icing Control of Wind Turbine Blades

Ice accumulation on wind turbines operating in cold regions reduces power generation by degrading aerodynamic efficiency and causes mass imbalance and fatigue loads on the blades. Due to blade rotation and variation of the pitch angle, different locations on the blade experience large variation of Reynolds number, Nusselt number, heat loss, and nonuniform ice distribution. Hence, applying different amounts of heat flux in different blade locations can provide more effective de-icing for the same total power consumption. This large variation of required heat flux highly motivates using distributed resistive heating with the capability of locally adjusting thermal power as a function of location on the blade. Under medium/severe icing conditions, active de-icing with accurate direct ice detection is more energy efficient and effective in keeping the blade ice-free. This chapter includes: (1) A literature study on different methods of ice detection and a review on passive and active anti/de-icing techniques on wind turbines, (2) Development of an optical ice sensing method for direct detection of ice on the blade, including experimental results, (3) Development of an aero/thermodynamic model, which predicts how much heat flux is needed locally for de-icing under variable atmospheric conditions, (4) Experimental results showing a proof of concept of closed-loop de-icing using distributed optical ice sensing and resistive heating, and (5) Numerical modeling of ice melting on a blade for different distributed heater layouts and geometries in order to optimize thermal actuation strategy, improve de-icing efficiency, and reduce power consumption. We conclude with discussions of future directions on distributed ice sensing and thermal actuation for the next generation of de-icing systems on wind turbines.
Growth chamber assay for evaluating resistance to Athelia rolfsii

ABSTRACT Planting resistant cultivars is most sustainable method for managing Athelia rolfsii (= Sclerotium rolfsii), one of the most damaging pathogens of peanut worldwide. However, evaluating ger...
Practical Fluorescence Reconstruction Microscopy for High-Content Imaging

Fluorescence reconstruction microscopy (FRM) is an approach where transmitted light images are passed into a convolutional neural network which then outputs predicted epifluorescence images. This approach enables many benefits including reduced phototoxicity, freeing up of fluorescence channels, simplified sample preparation, and the ability to re-process legacy data for new insights. However, current FRM benchmarks are single scores that are difficult to relate to how useful for trustworthy and FRM predicition is. Here, we relate the conventional benchmark to practical and familiar cell biology analyses to demonstrate that FRM should be judged in context. We further demonstrate that it performs remarkably well even with lower-magnification microscopy data, as are often collected in high content imaging. Specifically, we present promising results for nuclei, cell-cell junctions, and fine feature reconstruction; provide experimental design guidelines; and provide the code, sample data, and user manual to enable more widespread adoption of FRM.
Posterolateral plating is a safe alternative for the treatment of distal tibial fractures.

Abstract Introduction We assessed the outcome and safety of posterior plating of distal tibial fractures. Methods We conducted a retrospective case series at a Level I trauma center. Seventy-four consecutive patients with distal tibial fractures treated with anatomically contoured 3.5-mm T-shaped locking compression plate using a posterolateral approach from January 2008 through April 2018 were included in the study. The mean patient age was 48 years (range, 18−87 years). Fifty-nine percent of the patients were male patients, 47% of the fractures were open fractures; and 27% of the patients had multiple traumatic injuries. Eleven fractures were AO/OTA type 42, 22 were type 43A, and 41 were type 43C. Sixty-two (84%) patients were treated with initial spanning external fixation (median time, 23 days) and staged open reduction and internal fixation. The main outcome measure was unplanned reoperation to address implant failure, nonunion, deep surgical site infection, or symptomatic implant. Results Overall risk of unplanned reoperation was 15% (11 of 74 patients, 95% confidence interval, 9%–25%). Four (5%) reoperations were for nonunion, three (4%) were for surgical site infection, two (3%) were for infected nonunion, and two (3%) were for implant prominence. Loss of alignment >10 degrees occurred in one patient who underwent unplanned reoperation for nonunion. No plate breakage occurred. Median time to reoperation was 221 days (range, 22–436 days). Only one other complication was noted: wound dehiscence associated with the posterolateral approach, which was treated with irrigation and debridement and a 6-week regimen of oral antibiotics. Conclusions Use of a posterolateral approach with a pre-contoured locking compression T-plate for the treatment of distal tibial fractures led to reasonable outcomes with an acceptable risk of unplanned reoperation, even with a high proportion of open fractures commonly staged with external fixation.
Concentrations of epidermal growth factor and transforming growth factor-alpha in preterm milk.

Human milk is the major source of nutrients and growth promoting substances in the first weeks of life for the majority of neonates (Goldman 2000). As neonatal care has improved, survival of extremely prematurely born neonates has increased significantly. Yet these infants have the highest incidence of morbid events, such as necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) (Lucas & Cole 1990). Questions have arisen about the most suitable and relevant nutritional support for these immature infants. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) and transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-α) are trophic peptides present in human milk with significant healing effects on injured gastrointestinal tract mucosa. Human milk EGF levels are highest in the first days after parturition and then gradually decrease during the first two weeks of lactation (Read et al. 1984). Another structural homologue of EGF, TGF-α also is present in human colostrum and milk (Okada et al. 1991; Wagner et al. 1995), but at much lower concentrations than is EGF. However, neither peptide is found in commercial infant formulas. Decreasing gestational age of neonates is associated with higher risk to develop gastrointestinal tract disorders, and human milk provides better protection against these diseases compared with formula. The aim of this study was to determine whether the concentration of growth factors in human milk varies with gestation time. Concentrations of EGF and TGF-α in human milk collected during the first month of lactation from mothers with 1) extremely preterm born (EPT), 2) preterm born (PT), and 3) full-term born (FT) infants were measured.
An Online Retail Prediction Model Based on AGA-LSTM Neural Network

With the development of e-commerce, the scale of online retail is becoming larger and larger. The prediction of sales volume is facing the challenges of various categories and changeable customer demands. Based on this, this paper proposes an online retail prediction model based on AGA-LSTM neural network. In the process of building LSTM neural network, the adaptive genetic algorithm (AGA) is used to optimize the network parameters such as time step, hidden layer number and training times to improve the prediction accuracy of the model, and it is used to forecast the types of goods and the total sales volume. The results on the Online Retail II dataset in UCI show that the prediction accuracy of AGA-LSTM model is greatly enhanced compared with the traditional LSTM model, which verifies the effectiveness of this algorithm.
Drug–Drug Interaction Between Oxycodone and Diazepam by a Combined in Silico Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Modeling Approach

Opioids and benzodiazepines have complex drug-drug interactions (DDIs), which serve as an important source of adverse drug effects. In this work, we predicted the DDI between oxycodone (OXY) and diazepam (DZP) in the human body by applying in silico pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) modeling and simulation. First, we studied the PK interaction between OXY and DZP with a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model. Second, we applied molecular modeling techniques including molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, and the molecular mechanics/Poisson-Boltzmann surface area (MM-PBSA) free energy method to predict the PD-DDI between these two drugs. The PK interaction between OXY and DZP predicted by the PBPK model was not obvious. No significant interaction was observed between the two drugs at normal doses, though very high doses of DZP demonstrated a non-negligible inhibitory effect on OXY metabolism. On the contrary, the molecular modeling study shows that DZP has potential to compete with OXY at the same binding pocket of the active μ-opioid receptor (MOR) and κ-opioid receptor (KOR). MD simulation and MM-PBSA calculation results demonstrated that there is likely a synergetic effect between OXY and DZP binding to opioid receptors, as OXY is likely to target the active MOR while DZP selectively binds to the active KOR. Thus, pharmacokinetics contributes slightly to the DDI between OXY and DZP although an overdose of DZP has been brought to attention. Pharmacodynamics is likely to play a more important role than pharmacokinetics in revealing the mechanism of DDI between OXY and DZP.
Speed Change Response of Switched Reluctance Motor Drives Under a Scheduled Q-Learning Scheme

This paper investigated the speed change response of the scheduled Q-learning adaptive control of Switched Reluctance Motor (SRM) drives. This novel algorithm includes a scheduling approach to permit controlling the nonlinear domain of an SRM using a set of Q-learning cores, each of which is a Q-learning controller at a local linear operating point, which expands over the nonlinear surface of the system. Despite the effective tracking performance of this algorithm, the main issue with the use of this controller for SRM application is that motor speed appears inside the model of the machine and hence the Q-cores are directly impacted by the speed. To cope with this issue, the Q-table should retrain the Q-matrices whenever the rotational speed changes. This causes a slow speed change response due to learning process. In this paper, a new 3D Simulation and experimental results have illustrated the speed change response of SRM at different stages of the operation condition.
Preventing Decision Fatigue with Aesthetically Engaging Information Buttons

In many different kinds of complex forms (financial, job applications, etc.), information button widgets are used to give context-specific information to enable users to fill out forms completely. However, in longer forms, “decision fatigue” can set in, leading to the user not absorbing these helpful tips but rather rushing through and possibly making errors. This research seeks to identify if using a more engaging version of the traditional information button widgets will reduce decision fatigue, preventing errors and increasing information retention. The research experiment involved a user study asking participants to fill out a tax form with information provided to them about a fictional person, with one group of participants given a form with traditional information widgets and another group being given a form with more engaging information button widgets. The results of this experiment show that the information button has no effect on the completion of financial forms or in reducing decision fatigue associated with filling out forms.
Deciphering cell signaling networks with massively multiplexed biosensor barcoding

Genetically encoded fluorescent biosensors are powerful tools for monitoring biochemical activities in live cells, but their multiplexing capacity is limited by the available spectral space. We overcome this problem by developing a set of barcoding proteins that can generate over 100 barcodes and are spectrally separable from commonly used biosensors. Mixtures of barcoded cells expressing different biosensors are simultaneously imaged and analyzed by deep learning models to achieve massively multiplexed tracking of signaling events. Importantly, different biosensors in cell mixtures show highly coordinated activities, thus facilitating the delineation of their temporal relationship. Simultaneous tracking of multiple biosensors in the receptor tyrosine kinase signaling network reveals distinct mechanisms of effector adaptation, cell autonomous and non-autonomous effects of KRAS mutations, as well as complex interactions in the network. Biosensor barcoding presents a scalable method to expand multiplexing capabilities for deciphering the complexity of signaling networks and their interactions between cells.
Scaphocephaly of the newborn

Abstract 1. 1. A case of scaphocephaly in the newborn is presented. It is unusual in its very early development of stenosis of the sagittal suture, the marked closure of the fontanelles, and the extreme anteroposterior length. The patient was delivered by extraperitoneal cesarean section, in preference to expectant treatment and forceps. She had previously delivered a baby with hydrocephalus. 2. 2. A review of the literature reveals but one reference to scaphocephaly as a cause of dystocia. 3. 3. Two of the varieties of craniostenosis, oxycephaly and acrocephaly, should be extremely rare causes of dystocia, because (1) the diameters of the head are less than usual and (2) the fontanelles are open. It is probable that when they do cause dystocia it is because of an accompanying hydrocephalus. 4. 4. That variety of craniostenosis called scaphocephaly with its increase in the anteroposterior diameter can cause dystocia if the stenosis of the suture lines occurs to a marked enough degree in utero to cause closure of the fontanelles and resulting cranial rigidity. A review of the literature reveals, however, that the stenosis is rarely marked enough, or early enough, to do so.
Actual and anticipated inheritance receipts

Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, we compare actual inheritances received during the period 1994 to 2004 with the amounts that, in 1994, households anticipated receiving within 10 years. We find little evidence of systematic forecasting errors. The factors affecting inheritance receipt also affect expectation formation. Although the distribution is highly skewed, inheritances are generally modest in amount and uncorrelated with lifetime income, and therefore have almost no effect on various measures of inequality. We find no evidence that households anticipating receipt of an inheritance save less than that of similar households, although this could reflect unobserved heterogeneity in tastes for saving.
Parallel exact time series motif discovery

Time series motifs are an integral part of diverse data mining applications including classification, summarization and near-duplicate detection. These are used across wide variety of domains such as image processing, bioinformatics, medicine, extreme weather prediction, the analysis of web log and customer shopping sequences, the study of XML query access patterns, electroencephalograph interpretation and entomological telemetry data mining. Exact Motif discovery in soft real-time over 100K time series is a challenging problem. We present novel parallel algorithms for soft real-time exact motif discovery on multi-core architectures. Experimental results on large scale P6 SMP system, using real life and synthetic time series data, demonstrate the scalability of our algorithms and their ability to discover motifs in soft real-time. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first such work on parallel scalable soft real-time exact motif discovery.
Instantaneous Measurements of Flame Temperature and Density by Laser Raman Scattering

Combustion science has substantial need for spatially and temporally wellresolved, non-intrusive and non-perturbing measurement techniques. Demanding requirements are put upon candidate methods by the necessity to probe rapidly fluctuating, hot flows which can be out of thermal and chemical equilibrium.
The Stabilization of a Linearized Self-Excited Wave Equation by an Energy Absorbing Boundary

We study the linearised self-excited wave equation x tt - ? x-P(x) x t =0, where P(x)?0, P(x) L?(?), in a bounded domain ? ? Rn with smooth boundary ? where boundary damping is present. Considering the partition {? + , ? - } of the boundary ? on which x=0 on ?, and u n + Ku t + Lu= 0, on ?, we find two different bounds for P such that the energy decays exponentially in the energy space as t tends to infinity (Here we assume ? + ? ? - = ? for n ≫ 3). Both bounds depend on ? (The domain of wave equation in Rn, n ? 1). The second bound also depends on the feed-back functions K,L L?(? + ) or more precisely depends on a positive function k(x) L?(? + ) which determines K and L on the partition ? + .
Current and future management of the corticobasal syndrome and corticobasal degeneration.

Publisher Summary This chapter describes corticobasal degeneration (CBD) as a complex neurodegenerative disorder with prominent tau-positive pathology in neurons and glia. CBD is often associated with a distinctive constellation of clinical findings known as the corticobasal syndrome (CBS); however it can also present as dementia and/or progressive aphasia. The chapter emphasizes that the current management of CBD–the disease and CBS–the syndrome is challenging. The chapter also reviews pharmacologic and rehabilitative strategies for addressing the motor, cognitive, and neuropsychiatric manifestations of the CBS. The chapter presents concepts and data that may prove important as clinical drug trials are designed using agents that affect tau pathophysiology in CBS/CBD. The primary goal in medicine is to prevent disease, and without a clear understanding of exactly what triggers the cascade of events that lead to neurodegeneration, a preventive approach to CBS/CBD will require much more work. A more realistic goal in the near future is therefore to slow the rate of progression once the earliest signs and symptoms have become evident. The chapter concludes that investigators should begin addressing the many challenges that lie ahead so that the foundation for drug trial development will be established and treatment trials can proceed quickly once tau-active drugs are identified.
Linear complexity of transformed sequences

This paper deals with the effect of bit change errors on the linear complexity of finite sequences. Though a change in a single bit can cause a large change in linear complexity, it is shown that on the average the change will be small even when many bits, e.g. 10%, are changed. General bijections on the set of sequences of length n are studied and tight bounds are found on the average difference in linear complexity between a sequence and its image. It is also shown that to change all sequences of length n into sequences with linear complexity less than c(n) where limn→∞c(n)/n=0, at least n−1/n2n of the sequences must have close to half of their bits changed.
New Experimental Data and What It Tells Us About the Sources and Acceleration of Cosmic Rays

This paper summarizes new data in several fields of astronomy that relate to the origin and acceleration of cosmic rays in our galaxy and similar nearby galaxies. Data from radio astronomy shows that supernova remnants, both in our galaxy and neighboring galaxies, appear to be the sources of most of the accelerated electrons observed in these galaxies. γ-ray measurements also reveal several strong sources associated with supernova remnants in our galaxy. These sources have γ-ray spectra that are suggestive of the acceleration of cosmic-ray nuclei. Cosmic-ray observations from the Voyager and Ulysses spacecraft suggest a source composition that is very similar to the solar composition but with distinctive differences in the 4He, 12C,14 N and 22Ne abundances that are the imprint of giant W-R star nucleosynthesis. Injection effects which depend on the first ionization potential (FIP) of the elements involved are also observed, in a manner similar to the fractionization observed between the solar photosphere and corona and also analogous to the preferential acceleration observed for high FIP elements at the heliospheric solar wind termination shock. Most of the 59Ni produced in the nucleosynthesis of Fe peak nuclei just prior to a SN explosion appears to have decayed to 59Co before the cosmic rays have been accelerated, suggesting that the59 Ni is accelerated at least 105 yr after it is produced. The decay of certain K capture isotopes produced during cosmic-ray propagation has also been observed for the first time. These measurements suggest that re-acceleration after an initial principal acceleration cannot be large. The high energy spectral indices of cosmic-ray nuclei show a significant charge dependent trend with the index of hydrogen being -2.76 and that of Fe -2.61. The escape length dependence of cosmic rays from our galaxy can now be measured up to ~300 GeV nucl-1 using the Fe sec/Fe ratio. This escape length is ∼P-0.05 above 10 GeV nucl-1 leading to a typical source spectral index of (2.70±0.10) -0.50 = -2.20 for nuclei. This is similar to the source index of -2.3 inferred for electrons within the errors of ±0.1 in the index for both components. Spacecraft measurements in the outer heliosphere suggest that the local cosmic-ray energy density is ~2eV cm-3 – larger than previously assumed. Gamma-ray measurements of electron bremsstrahlung below 50 MeV from the Comptel experiment on CGRO show that fully 20–30% of this energy is in electrons, several times that previously assumed. New estimates of the amount of matter traversed by cosmic rays using measurements of the B/C ratio are also higher than earlier estimates – this value is now ~10 g cm-2 at 1 GeV nucl-1. Thus altogether cosmic rays are energetically a more important component of our galaxy than previously assumed. This has implications both for the types of sources that are capable of accelerating cosmic rays and also for the role that cosmic rays may play in ionizing the diffuse interstellar medium.
Laryngeal transplantation: ethical considerations.

On February 10, 1969, Kluyskens performed a partial laryngeal transp1antation.l Although initial graft viability and function proved such an operation to be feasible, secondary failure due to cancer recurrence highlighted the inherent conflict between “acceptable risk,” both to the individual and society, and “potential benefit.” When considering the potential for laryngeal transplantation today, the dilemma that otolaryngologists and society as a whole must confront still revolves around these fundamental issues. Recent advances in immunosuppression, graft preservation techniques, and an understanding of the cellular mechanisms of allograft rejection have diminished the risk of this therapeutic modality and warrant reconsideration of the ethics of laryngeal transplantation in the context of current scientific knowledge. A prerequisite for any type of ethical analysis of laryngeal transplantation is a statement of purpose. The goals of this procedure are the restoration of near-normal speech, deglutition, and cosmesis with a minimal risk of aspiration. In order to attain these benefits, the patient accepts significant risks, including a potentially increased probability of cancer recurrence, graft rejection, and the inherent morbidity of chronic immunosuppression. If we are to conclude that this procedure is ethical, it is first necessary to ascertain that such goals cannot be achieved by currently available surgical or medical techniques with less patient risk. There are several operative techniques for voice restoration in the post-laryngectomy pa-
Entropy and heat capacity of methane; spin-species conversion

Abstract The heat capacity of methane from 0.4 to 28 K was measured for both pure methane and samples doped with about 0.8 per cent of oxygen as a spin-species conversion catalyst. With the conversion catalyst it was possible to obtain equilibrium with the spin system within about 30 min and to measure heat capacities down to 0.4 K. For pure methane the spin-species conversion becomes very slow below 10 K; however, one can measure non-equilibrium heat capacities on the basis of no change in spin-species composition. Entropy values are calculated from the heat capacities on the basis of both fixed and equilibrium spin-species composition and compared with the statistical calculation for gaseous methane. The results agree within possible experimental error with the expected zero-point entropies for the two spin situations.
New marketing mix stresses service

The seven Ps of service management include some nontraditional ingredients to help formulate marketing strategy. Two examples illustrate how competitive advantage can be won or lost based on applying or ignoring the seven Ps.
Predictors of worsening renal function in adult patients with congestive heart failure receiving recombinant human B-type brain natriuretic peptide (nesiritide)

Background. A recent meta-analysis suggested that the use of nesiritide (NES), a new agent for the treatment of congestive heart failure (CHF), is associated with an increased risk of acute renal failure (ARF). Methods. We examined this issue among 219 consecutive CHF patients, and determined the risk factors for development of ARF [defined as a rise in serum creatinine (SCr) >0.3 mg/dl]. The sole primary outcome was the development of ARF. Results. Seventy one of 219 patients received NES. There was no difference in ARF between patients receiving vs not receiving NES (29 vs 20%, P ¼ 0.17). Evaluation of the entire cohort employing forward stepwise regression analysis revealed the following independent predictors of ARF: admission blood urea nitrogen (BUN) [P ¼ 0.0004, odds ratio (OR) ¼ 1.026], and admission brain natiuretic peptide (P ¼ 0.04, OR ¼ 1.0003). We repeated the same analysis for the subgroups of patients receiving or not receiving NES. For patients not receiving NES (n ¼ 148), ARF developed in 30 (20%), with lower estimated glomerular filtration rate and older age being independent predictors. For patients receiving NES (n ¼ 71), ARF developed in 21 (29%), with hypertension, elevated BUN/SCr ratio, and lack of use of angiotensin inhibitors being independent predictors. Conclusion. Among all patients with CHF, the use of NES was not an independent risk factor for the development of ARF. However, risk factors for developing ARF differed among patients receiving vs not receiving NES. Comparison of these differing factors suggests that administering NES in the setting of diminished renal perfusion and/or altered renal autoregulation may confer an increased risk of ARF.
Spallation production of 127Cs-129Cs mixtures for medical use.

Abstract The feasibility of producing 127Cs-129Cs mixtures by spallation for use in nuclear medicine was investigated. It is possible to use this mixture since the energies of the principal gamma-ray emissions of both 6-h 127Cs and 32-h 129Cs are similar. Chemical compounds of barium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium and neodymium were irradiated with 590-MeV protons; and thin-target cross sections were determined for the formation of the desired 127Cs and 129Cs, and the unwanted contaminants 132Cs and 136Cs. Cross sections for the formation of 127Cs, 129Cs, 132Cs and 136Cs from praseodymium, which gave the purest 127Cs-129Cs from the five targets irradiated, were 49 ± 8, 58 ± 8, 0·23 ± 0·06 and 0·011 ± 0·008 mbarn, respectively. The total 132Cs-136Cs contamination 24 h after the end of a typical irradiation was 0·08 per cent of the 127Cs-129Cs activity. Ge(Li) spectra showed that the chemical procedure used quantitatively removed all non-cesium radioactive impurities.
Olefin metathesis catalysts bearing a pH-responsive NHC ligand: a feasible approach to catalyst separation from RCM products

Two novel ruthenium-based olefin metathesis catalysts, H2ITap(PCy3)Cl2RuCH–Ph 12 and H2ITapCl2RuCH–(C6H4–O–iPr) 13 (H2ITap = 1,3-bis(2′,6′-dimethyl-4′-dimethylaminophenyl)-4,5-dihydroimidazol-2-ylidene), were synthesized bearing a pH-responsive NHC ligand with two aromatic NMe2 groups. The crystal structures of complexes 12 and 13 were determined via X-ray crystallography. Both catalysts perform ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of cyclooctene (COE) at faster rates than their commercially available counterparts H2IMes(PCy3)Cl2RuCH–Ph 2 and H2IMesCl2RuCH–(C6H4–O–iPr) 3 (H2IMes = 1,3-bis(2′,4′,6′-trimethylphenyl)-4,5-dihydroimidazol-2-ylidene) and perform at similar rates during ring closing metathesis (RCM) of diethyldiallylmalonate (DEDAM). Upon addition of 2 equiv. of HCl, catalyst 12 is converted into a mixture of several mono and diprotonated Ru-carbene species 12′ which are soluble in methanol but degrade within a few hours at room temperature. Catalyst 13 can be protonated with 2 equiv. of HCl and the resulting complex 13′ is moderately water-soluble. The complex is stable in aqueous solution in air for >4 h, but over prolonged periods of time shows degradation in acidic media due to hydrolysis of the NHC–Ru bond. Catalysts 12 and 13 perform RCM of diallylmalonic acid in acidic protic media with only moderate activity at 50 °C and do not produce polymer in the ROMP of cationic 7-oxanorbornene derivative 14 under the same conditions. Catalyst 13 was used for Ru-seperation studies when RCM of DEDAM or 3,3-diallypentadione (DAP) was conducted in low-polar organic solution and the Ru-species was subsequently precipitated by addition of strong acid. The Ru-species were removed by (1) filtration and (2) filtration and subsequent extraction with water. The residual Ru-levels could be reduced to as far as 11 ppm (method 2) and 24 ppm (method 1) without the use of chromatography or other scavenging methods.
Effects of Hypolimnetic Releases on Two Impoundments and Their Receiving Streams in Southwest Wisconsin

Abstract The effects of bottom water withdrawals were evaluated within and below two southwestern Wisconsin impoundments. Like many man-made lakes in the unglaciated area of Wisconsin, Twin Valley Lake and White Mound Lake were constructed during the late 1960s for flood control and recreation. Both impoundments, which are located in large agricultural watersheds, were originally designed to release cold bottom water with the intended goal of managing trout below the dams. However, recent water quality monitoring results revealed that the streams became degraded due to frequent dissolved oxygen criterion violations and excessive filamentous bacteria growths. Organic loading from the bottom discharges is the likely reason that trout stream habitat was not successfully created below the dams as originally intended. Despite the accelerated phosphorus removal from the long-term withdrawals, blue-green algal blooms continued to be a problem in both impoundments. While maximizing total phosphorus export can imp...
Downsizing and Firm Performance: Panacea or Paradise Lost?

The article presents findings which investigated the effectiveness of downsizing as a mechanism for improving shareholders' wealth. The author believes the logic behind the practice is to cut ineffective processes and excessive bureaucracy in order to make the company a more efficient corporate machine, which will improve stock price performance. A study of 537 companies from the Standard and Poor's 500 questioned whether this commonly held belief is true. The study found that companies who focus on downsizing employees saw a 14 percent decline in their return on assets, while companies that downsized their assets saw a four percent increase in their return on assets.
Fractures of the medial column of the distal humerus in adults.

Purpose Medial column fractures of the distal humerus are uncommon in adults. Among 26 patients identified in the English language literature, only 2 had articular fragmentation. We reviewed the experience of 2 trauma centers with isolated medial column fractures to evaluate our impression that these fractures often involve complex articular fragmentation. Methods There were 10 men and 4 women with an average age of 61 years (range, 44–86 years). The incidence was 3% of all distal humerus fractures at one institution with a prospective fracture database. The mechanism of injury was a fall from standing height in most patients. There was one B2.1 fracture, 3 B2.2 fractures, 9 B2.3 (multifragmentary), and 1 C3.2 fracture. All patients were treated surgically; 7 were treated with an olecranon osteotomy. Eight patients had 1 or more postoperative complications and 5 patients underwent subsequent surgeries. Results We observed 11 patients for an average of 8 years (range, 14 months to 21 years). The arc of ulnohumeral motion averaged 92°, average flexion was 118°, and average flexion contracture was 25°. According to the Broberg and Morrey Functional Rating Index, the result was excellent in 4 patients, good in 6, and fair in 1. Six patients had arthrosis (3 grade 1 and 3 grade 2) according to the radiographic criteria of Broberg and Morrey. Conclusions Surgeons should be aware that the relatively uncommon medial column adult distal humerus fracture usually features complex articular fragmentation, but that satisfactory results can be obtained after open reduction and internal fixation. Type of study/level of evidence Therapeutic IV.
Physical volcanology of mid-Proterozoic plateau lavas: The Keweenawan North Shore Volcanic Group, Minnesota

The North Shore Volcanic Group, a thick sequence of plateau lavas of Keweenawan (Proterozoic, 1,100 m.y.) age, was erupted during the development of the Midcontinent Rift of North America. It contains many well-exposed physical features that imply a range of eruptive styles and flow mechanisms. These include (a) high-volume and high-effusion-rate floods of basalt and basaltic andesite, which ponded and crystallized largely after flow had ceased; (b) moderate- to small-volume and -effusion-rate flows and small floods, some probably building low shields; and (c) small flows to very large flows and ignimbrites of icelandite and rhyolite lacking visible vent areas. Viscosities calculated from 183 chemical analyses correlate well with the physical features. The style of volcanism combined characteristics of the Columbia Plateau and the Snake River Plain ("plains volcanism") and was very similar to that of the Tertiary of eastern Iceland.
Glutamine synthetase activity in tissues of lower vertebrates

Abstract 1. 1. Glutamine synthetase has been shown to be present in liver, kidney and muscle, as well as in brain, of lower vertebrates. 2. 2. Success in demonstrating activity was largely due to the inclusion in the assay of an ATP-regenerating system which prevents accumulation of inhibitory concentrations of ADP.
Root distribution of grapefruit trees under dry granular broadcast vs. fertigation method

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of nitrogen (N) fertilization methods on root distribution and mineral element concentrations of White Marsh grapefruit (Citrus paradisi MacFadyen) trees on sour orange (C. aurantium Lush) rootstock on a poorly drained soil. At 0–15 cm depth of soil, root density was significantly greater for trees receiving 112 kg N ha-1 yr-1 as dry granular broadcast than those receiving the same amount of N as fertigation. Of the total roots in the top 60 cm soil, >75% was at 0–15 cm and <10% was at 30–60 cm. Root density was greatest near the emitter. Nitrogen concentration of roots was greater for the trees which received fertigation as compared to the trees which received dry fertilizer broadcast or no N.
Tricyclic antidepressants block histamine H1 receptors of mouse neuroblastoma cells.

TRICYCLIC antidepressants are structurally related to anti-histamines and are known to possess antihistaminic properties1. Green and co-workers2,24 showed that these drugs competitively antagonised histamine H2 receptor-mediated cyclic AMP formation by homogenates of guinea pig brain. Using muscarinic acetylcholine receptor-mediated cyclic GMP formation by mouse neuroblastoma cells (clone N1E-115)3, the interactions of psychotherapeutic drugs with this cholinergic receptor were studied in this laboratory4,5. While investigating the desensitisation of this muscarinic receptor6, it was found that histamine also stimulated cyclic GMP formation by activation of histamine H1 receptors of these cells7. This assay for histamine H1 receptors was used to obtain quantitative data for tricyclic antidepressant interactions with these receptors. This report shows that these drugs are potent competitive inhibitors of histamine H1 receptors and that some of these compounds are amongst the most potent H1 antagonists known.
A responsive and persuasive audio device to stimulate exercise and fitness in children

Designing to stimulate health and fitness in children proposes particular challenges because children lack direct control over their environment. Additionally, children respond more to activities emphasizing recreation over education. This paper details the design and development process for children, highlighting design choices with research from industry, parents and children. The end product is a responsive and persuasive audio player that controls and varies music tempo based on measured activity level. This device makes use of music's natural ability to fuel activity, and it gives children a way to directly control some portion of their environment. Additionally, it delivers increased exercise under the disguise of fun and recreation. This paper contributes to the HCI design process for children by showing how to develop persuasive technologies to implicitly succeed a specific goal without explicitly addressing an existing problem.
An analysis of occupational homicides involving workers 19 years old and younger.

Studies indicate that persons employed in various retail occupations such as convenience stores and restaurants experience an increased risk for being a victim of an occupational homicide. A large proportion of workers aged 19 and under are employed in these types of occupations. The purpose of this study was to determine if the workers from this age group employed in retail trades have a significantly greater risk for being a victim of a homicide. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries were analyzed in this study. The cases included in this study were victims of an occupational homicide that occurred during the period of 1992 to 1996. Proportionate mortality ratios were used to identify the industries in which workers aged 19 and under were experiencing significantly higher proportion of fatalities. Relative risks were calculated to determine if, based on the number of person-years of exposure, workers aged 19 and under in retail trades were experiencing a significantly greater relative risk for being a victim of an occupational homicide. Results indicate that workers aged 19 and under experience a significantly greater proportion of fatalities due to violence in the retail trade. Workers 19 years and under employed in retail trade occupations do experience a significantly greater proportion of fatalities than their counterparts in other industries. Prevention strategies presented include providing employee training and implementing various security measures. Language: en
Site-Specifically Labeled Metallo-Oligodeoxynucleotides

Abstract Growing interest in site-specifically labeled metallo-oligodeoxynucleotides for diagnostic, therapeutic and mechanistic applications provides the impetus for the development of new synthetic methods that are user-friendly and amenable to large-scale production. This review describes advances in the field since the early 1980′s and highlights recent solution-phase and automated solid-phase coupling procedures.
The structure of the symmetry groups of perfect 1-factorizations of K 2 n

We give a characterization of the structure of the symmetry groups of perfect 1-factorizations of the complete graph on 2n vertices. This characterization is strong for symmetry groups which have no trivial stability subgroups. In this case if n is not prime, we show that the full group of symmetries must be a semi-direct product of a nilpotent group which acts strictly transitively on 2n−1 vertices with a subgroup of its automorphism group consisting of fixed-point-free automorphisms. As a consquence there are certain values of 2n (for example 16, 36, 40, 52, 56, 64, 66, 70, 76, 88, 92, and 98) for which every symmetry group must have at least one trivial stability subgroup, and thus its order must be less than 2n. We also show that the order of any symmetry group must divide one of the numbers 2n(2n−1), 2n(n−1), or (2n−1)(2n−2). Moreover if the order of the symmetry group is (2n−1)(n−1) or greater, then it must act 2-homogeneously on the 1-factors, and it must have (Zp)m as the nilponent group mentioned above where p is prime.
Some Aspects of the Effects of the Regional Distribution of Scientific Talent on Regional Economic Activity

There is a persistent belief that regional R and D activity will have stimulating effects on the region's economic activity. In order to explore this view further, a multi-equation econometric model is derived to determine the extent to which the spatial distribution of scientific talent is in turn reflected in regional economic activity. The parameters of the model are estimated by the two-stage least-squares method. It is concluded that such economic variables as investment in plant and equipment, employment, and earnings are positively related to the distribution of scientific talent, although these relationships are relatively inelastic. It is also seen that the regional distribution of Department of Defense R and D expenditures tends to be extremely elastic with respect to the regional distribution of scientific talent. It is therefore concluded that concern for the scientific sophistication of a region's population, and the economic implications of this sophistication, is by no means misplaced.