cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Radiation Dose Practice Audit of 6,234 Fluoroscopically-Guided Spinal Injections.

Background Fluoroscopic imaging guidance is frequently used in performing spinal interventional techniques. Reference level standards are a quality improvement tool to help reduce radiation dose and serve as benchmarks for physicians and their technologists to achieve reasonable radiation exposure while performing fluoroscopically-guided spinal procedures. There are limited data describing radiation dose for musculoskeletal injections - in particular, spinal injections without any published reference standards. Objective The purpose of this study is to perform a practice audit of radiation doses of fluoroscopically-guided spinal injections to establish preliminary reference levels as a quality improvement tool for potential use in future radiation reduction measures. Study design Retrospective, observational study. Settings An academic-based subspecialty, high volume pain medicine practice. Methods A retrospective analysis of 6,234 spinal injections of 9 different types performed by experienced practitioners between January and December 2012 was conducted under an institutional review board's approval with HIPAA compliance and waiver of informed consent. Cumulative radiation dose (in mGy) and exposure time (in seconds) distributions (percentiles) as displayed on the C-arm were calculated per injection for each type of fluoroscopically-guided spinal injection. Confidence intervals for the dose distributions were determined by using bootstrap resampling and were used to determine preliminary reference levels. Results Proposed preliminary reference levels of cumulative radiation dose (in mGy) and exposure time (in seconds) for fluoroscopically-guided spinal interventional procedures are provided for lumbar transforaminal (13 mGy, 30 s), cervical transforaminal (6 mGy, 49 s), caudal epidural (12 mGy, 23s), cervical facet injection (3 mGy, 36 s), lumbar facet injection (9 mGy, 20s), interlaminar (13mGy, 39s), lumbar radiofrequency denervation (7 mGy, 17s), lumbar sympathetic block (21 mGy, 39s), cervical medial branch block (2 mGy, 25 s), lumbar medial branch block (4 mGy, 12s) and sacroiliac joint injections (18 mGy, 37s). Limitations Study performed at a single subspecialty institution using only one type of C-arm which limits generalizability. Conclusions Radiation doses and preliminary reference levels of fluoroscopically-guided interventional spine procedures performed by experienced practitioners are made available without correction for body habitus or field of view, magnification or subtraction techniques or continuous vs pulsed mode. A registry of radiation-dose data for fluoroscopically-guided interventional spine procedures would be the next step to refine this data. Key words Spinal procedures, radiation dose, patient safety.
Assessing the need for transfer to the intensive care unit for Coronavirus-19 disease: Epidemiology and risk factors.

Abstract Background Although many patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) require direct admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), some are sent after admission. Clinicians require an understanding of this phenomenon and various risk stratification approaches for recognizing these subjects. Methods We examined all Covid-19 patients sent initially to a ward who subsequently required care in the ICU. We examined the timing transfer and attempted to develop a risk score based on baseline variables to predict progressive disease. We evaluated the utility of the CURB-65 score at identifying the need for ICU transfer. Results The cohort included 245 subjects (mean age 59.0 ± 14.2 years, 61.2% male) and 20% were eventually sent to the ICU. The median time to transfer was 2.5 days. Approximately 1/3rd of patients were not moved until day 4 or later and the main reason for transfer (79.2%) was worsening respiratory failure. A baseline absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) of ≤0.8 103/ml and a serum ferritin ≥1000 ng/ml were independently associated with ICU transfer. Co-morbid illnesses did not correlate with eventual ICU care. Neither a risk score based on a low ALC and/or high ferritin nor the CURB-65 score performed well at predicting need for transfer. Conclusion Covid-19 patients admitted to general wards face a significant risk for deterioration necessitating ICU admission and respiratory failure can occur late in this disease. Neither baseline clinical factors nor the CURB-65 score perform well as screening tests to categorize these subjects as likely to progress to ICU care.
68Ga-RM2 PET/CT in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Intermediate- or High-Risk Prostate Cancer

1261 Objectives: 68Ga-RM2 is a synthetic bombesin receptor antagonist that targets gastrin-releasing peptide receptors (GRPRs). GRPRs are highly overexpressed in several human tumors, including prostate cancer (PC). In this study we evaluated 68Ga-RM2 PET/CT in patients with newly diagnosed intermediate- or high-risk PC. Methods: We enrolled 34 men, 50-78 years-old (mean±SD: 62.9±7.1). Images were acquired 42-72 minutes (mean±SD: 54.0±6.7) after injection of 3.3-6.7 mCi (mean±SD: 3.8±0.6) of 68Ga-RM2. 68Ga-RM2 PET/CT findings were compared to concurrent preoperative pelvic mpMRI (n=29) and 68Ga-PSMA11 PET (n=13). Findings were also correlated with pre-scan prostate saturation biopsy (n=34) and post-prostatectomy whole-mount pathology (n=27). Seven participants decided to undergo radiation therapy. Results: The cohort included 13 participants with intermediate-risk and 21 participants with high-risk PC, with PSA 3.3-504 ng/ml (mean±SD: 24.6±84.9) at diagnosis. Preoperative 68Ga-RM2 PET identified intraprostatic cancer foci in 33 patients (57 lesions), whereas mpMRI alone identified PIRADS 4 or 5 lesions in 26/29 patients (34 lesions vs. 44 lesions on 68Ga-RM2 PET) and PIRADS 3 in 3/29 patients (5 lesions vs. 4 lesions on 68Ga-RM2 PET). mpMRI was negative in 2/29 patients (3 lesions on 68Ga-RM2 PET). 68Ga-RM2 PET demonstrated focal uptake in non-enlarged pelvic lymph nodes in 4 patients. Final pathology confirmed nodal metastases in 3 patients and follow-up imaging confirmed nodal metastasis in 1 patient. One patient with normal pelvic nodes on PET/CT had nodal metastases on post-surgery histopathology. 68Ga-RM2 PET and 68Ga-PSMA11 PET done 1-12 days (mean±SD: 3.7±3.8) apart identified 23 and 21 intraprostatic lesions, respectively, as well as 4 and 5 pelvic lymph nodes, respectively. Non-congruent findings between 68Ga-RM2 PET and 68Ga-PSMA11 PET were recorded in 4/13 patients (intraprostatic lesions in 3 patients and nodal lesion in 1 patient). Conclusions: Our preliminary results suggest that 68Ga-RM2 PET can accurately detect intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer. In addition, it appears to have better performance when compared to mpMRI and similar performance to 68Ga-PSMA11 PET. These findings need to be confirmed in larger studies.
One versus many: Multiple examples in word learning

Abstract A large body of research indicates that children can map words to categories and generalize the label to new instances of the category after hearing a single instance of the category labeled. Additional research demonstrates that word learning is enhanced when children are presented with multiple instances of a category through comparison or contrast. In this study, 3-year-old children participated in a novel noun generalization task in which a label was given for either (a) a single instance of a category, (b) multiple instances of a category, or (c) contrasting a category instance with non-category members. Children were asked to extend the label to a new category at test either immediately (Study 1) or after a 10-s delay (Study 2). The results indicate that when tested immediately, children who heard a single instance labeled outperformed children who were presented with multiple instances. However, when tested after a brief delay, there was no difference among the conditions.
The electoral consequences of anti-Muslim prejudice

Abstract A growing body of research has documented the development of pervasive anti-Muslim sentiment among White Americans. We build on this research to demonstrate that anti-Muslim attitudes and negative stereotypes of Muslim people have become an enduring and consistent component of White Americans' presidential vote choice beyond any one specific candidate or election. We argue that the racialization of Muslim Americas has increased their salience and significance in both the minds of White Americans and in national political discourse, making attitudes toward Muslims a consistent predictor of Whites’ presidential candidate evaluations in every election since at least 2004. We support this account with empirical evidence from the 2004–2020 American National Election Studies, using measures of group affect and negative stereotypes of Muslim people.
Association of pneumococcal serotype with susceptibility to antimicrobial drugs: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND Pneumococcal serotypes differ in antimicrobial susceptibility. However, patterns and causes of this variation are not comprehensively understood. METHODS We undertook a systematic review of epidemiologic studies of pneumococci isolated from carriage or invasive disease among children globally from 2000-2019. We evaluated associations of each serotype with nonsusceptibility to penicillin, macrolides, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. We evaluated differences in the prevalence of nonsusceptibility to major antibiotic classes across serotypes using random effects meta-regression models, and assessed changes in prevalence of nonsusceptibility after implementation of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs). We also evaluated associations between biological characteristics of serotypes and their likelihood of nonsusceptibility to each drug. RESULTS We included data from 129 studies representing 32,187 isolates across 52 countries. Within serotypes, the proportion of nonsusceptible isolates varied geographically and over time, in settings using and those not using PCVs. Factors predicting enhanced fitness of serotypes in colonization as well as enhanced pathogenicity were each associated with higher likelihood of nonsusceptibility to penicillin, macrolides, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. Increases in prevalence of nonsusceptibility following PCV implementation were evident among non-PCV serotypes including 6A, 6C, 15A, 15B/C, 19A, and 35B; however, this pattern was not universally evident among non-PCV serotypes. Post-vaccination increases in nonsusceptibility for serotypes 6A and 19A were attenuated in settings that implemented PCV13. CONCLUSIONS In pneumococci, nonsusceptibility to penicillin, macrolides, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole is associated with more frequent opportunities for antibiotic exposure during both prolonged carriage episodes and when serotypes cause disease. These findings suggest multiple pathways leading to resistance selection in pneumococci.
Current Issues in the Enforcement of International Arbitration Awards

flutter in the arbitration community, in that these decisions are inconsistent with accepted views of how enforcement of international arbitral awards is supposed to work.1 Two of the decisions run counter to a central claim of international arbitration, which is that enforcement of arbitral awards even those originating in other countries or legal systems is summary, simple, and more readily obtainable than enforcement of foreign court judgments.2 These two decisions permitted the respondents to avoid enforcement actions based on purely procedural objections. In the first decision, Base Metal Trading, Ltd. v. OJSC "Novokuznetsky Aluminum Factory," the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled that, contrary to common impression, a claimant could not necessarily bring an enforcement action wherever assets of the debtor were found.3 The court dis-
Flow Development of a Train of Particles in Capillaries

The fluid flow and particle motion in a tube are solved numerically by coupling the Navier-Stokes equations with the dynamic equation of a particle. The particulate flow is simulated from rest under a prescribed pressure drop. The symptotic steady state solution is in good agreement with the analytical solution of creeping flow and with the experimental data reported in the literature. The present computational analysis explores the Reynolds numbers effects on the flow processes and gives some insight into qualitative similarities of the kinematics and dynamics of particulate flows. The resistant coefficient, the apparent viscosity, the tube hemotocrit, and the distribution of viscous stresses and pressure on the particle and on the capillary wall are considered along with the curvilinear flow patterns.
Nucleation and propagation of { 101¯2} twins in AZ31 magnesium alloy

Abstract Nucleation and propagation of tensile twins in magnesium alloy AZ31 are investigated for a large number of twins at an early stage of their development. High-resolution electron backscatter diffraction (HREBSD) techniques are employed to give additional insights. Correlations with grain orientation, boundary misorientation and active slip systems are observed in the region of twins that arise at grain boundaries. Two types of twin are identified: (1) slip-assisted twins that nucleate at grain boundaries with no apparent influence from nearby twins, and (2) twin-assisted twins that result from twins propagating across a grain boundary. Twinning occurs in “hard” grains that cannot accommodate necessary contraction via 〈a〉-type slip. Slip assisted twins nucleate at high-angle boundaries. Twin-assisted twinning occurs at low-angle boundaries. The distributions of grain boundary misorientation associated with each type of twin nucleation are mapped, and a strong correlation between Schmid factor and the emerging twin variant is highlighted.
Taking Campaign Strategy Online: Using Candidate Websites to Advance the Study of Issue Emphasis

Previous research into political candidates’ issue emphasis strategies has been limited by the difficulty of estimating the amount of attention candidates devote to particular issues. Nearly all existing studies generate their estimates by analyzing either newspaper articles on campaigns or data on television advertising. I present a third alternative for measuring candidate's strategies: the coding of emphasis on campaign websites via automated text analysis. This approach offers a number of advantages over existing methods, chief among them the availability of data for a much greater number of candidates and the greater depth of content than that available from brief advertisements or second-hand reports. In this paper, I describe the process for automatically coding candidate websites, discuss some of the challenges involved, and present preliminary results from the coding of websites for 2002 US Senate candidates. These results are used to illustrate the potential for this method of estimating issue emphasis strategies to be used for advancing the study of campaign strategy and finally providing answers to questions that have plagued previous researchers.
Purification of follicle-stimulating hormone from human pituitary glands.

Abstract A highly purified follicle-stimulating hormone from human pituitary glands has been prepared by ammonium sulfate and ethanol fractionation, gel filtration on Sephadex G-100, ion exchange chromatography on carboxymethyl cellulose, zone electrophoresis on cellulose columns, and preparative continuous flow polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The final product has shown 10,000-fold purification over the crude pituitary acetone powder. The follicle-stimulating hormone has sedimented as a single boundary in the ultracentrifuge with an s20,w value of 2.04, has shown a single zone in polyacrylamide disc electrophoreses at pH 8.6 and pH 4.3, and has shown a single precipitin line in immunoelectrophoresis in agar against anti-follicle-stimulating hormone sera produced in rabbits. The purified follicle-stimulating hormone contained 185 NIH-FSH-S3 and less than 0.02 NIH-LH-S4 (luteinizing hormone) units per mg, and was free of pituitary, thyrotropic, growth, prolactic, and adrenocorticotropic hormones.
Image quality of an investigational imaging panel for use with the imaging beam line cone-beam CT

The purpose of this study was to measure and compare the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) as a function of dose for the cone-beam CT (CBCT) produced by the imaging beam line (IBL) for the standard and an investigational imaging panel. Two Siemens Artiste linear accelerators were modified at our institution such that the MV-CBCT would operate under an investigational IBL. The imaging panel from one of the machines was replaced with an investigational imaging panel. After the modification, a set of CBCT for a large and small phantom consisting of eight tissue-equivalent inserts was acquired for the standard imager and for the investigational imager with and without the standard copper plate. Ten dose settings for each phantom using the IBL in combination with the standard and investigational imaging panel were acquired. The CNR for each tissue-equivalent insert was calculated. Resolution measurements in line pairs per mm (lp/mm) of the CBCT for the various imaging panel setups were made. In addition, CBCT images of two patients that were imaged with each panel configuration were displayed for a group of physicians and therapists who were asked to identify the best and worst CBCT for each patient. This was used as a qualitative judge of practical image quality. The CNR of the muscle insert for the large phantom with 1.5 cGy at isocenter was 1.3 for the standard imager, 1.5 for the investigational imager with the copper plate, and 1.9 without the plate. Under the same conditions, the CNR of the trabecular bone insert was 5.9, 7.3, and 9.7, respectively. For the small phantom with the same dose to isocenter, the CNR for muscle was 1.7, 2.1, and 3.3, respectively. For the trabecular bone, the CNR was 8.1, 9.6, and 12.1 respectively. The resolution for 1 cGy at isocenter was 0.37 lp/mm for the standard imager, 0.32 and 0.33 for the investigational imager with and without the copper plate. The qualitative test ranked the CBCT of the investigational imager without the copper plate to be the best image, and the standard imager to be the worst. The investigational imaging panel improves image quality as compared to the standard imager for IBL CBCTs. A 1 cGy IBL CBCT, no matter which imager is used, is sufficient for bony anatomy localization. The investigational imager without the copper plate was judged clinically to produce the best IBL CBCT.
CRH as a Predictor of Preterm Birth in Minority Women.

Objective To determine the predictive capability of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) as a biomarker of preterm birth (PTB) in minority women. Study design Venous blood samples were obtained at 22-24 weeks' gestation in a prospective, descriptive study of 707 minority women experiencing low-risk pregnancies. CRH was analyzed using a radioimmunoassay and methanol extraction protocol. Result CRH predicted PTB in both African American and Hispanic women. The odds ratio was 1.8 times greater for having a PTB if the CRH level was >24 pg/ml. The median CRH for African American women having a PTB was 46.6 pg/ml and for Hispanic women was 35.03 pg/ml. Using a receiver-operating characteristic curve, the threshold for CRH among the African American women was 30.6 pg/ml and among the Hispanic women was 27.4 pg/ml. Conclusion CRH may be an important biomarker for predicting PTB in minority women, especially when combined with other predictors.
Intrahousehold Resource Allocation in Developing Countries

Intrahousehold Resource Allocation in Developing Countries Lawrence Haddad. John Hoddinott. and Harold Alderman. eds. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1997.
A computer organization course project: simulation of a modern traffic signal system

This paper describes a simulation project concerning a modern traffic signal control system that was carried out by students in a computer organization course and in a subsequent independent research course. The overall project required both hardware realization and software development for simulating the traffic flow using assembly language. The features of this control system, the project scope, a prototype implementation - both hardware and software - and the educational value of such a project are presented.
Older mothers follow conservative strategies under predator pressure: The adaptive role of maternal glucocorticoids in yellow-bellied marmots

When the maternal environment is a good predictor of the offspring environment, maternal glucocorticoid (GC) levels might serve to pre-program offspring to express certain phenotypes or life-history characteristics that will increase their fitness. We conducted a field study to assess the effects of naturally occurring maternal GC levels on their offspring in yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris) subjected to different predator pressures. Maternal fecal corticosteroid metabolites (FCM) were positively correlated with predator pressure. Predators had both direct and indirect effects on pups. We found that older mothers with higher FCM levels had smaller and female-biased litters. Moreover, sons from older mothers with high FCM levels dispersed significantly more than those from older mothers with low FCM levels, whereas the opposite pattern was found in pups from younger mothers. These age-related effects may permit females to make adaptive decisions that increase their pups' fitness according to their current situation.
Note on the end game in homotopy zero curve tracking

Homotopy algorithms to solve a nonlinear system of equations f(x) = 0 involve tracking the zero curve of a homotopy map p(a, l, x) from l = 0 until l = 1. When the algorithm nears or crosses the hyperplane l = 1, an “end game” phase is begun to compute the solution x¯ satisfying p(a, l, x¯) = f(x¯) = 0. This note compares several end game strategies, including the one implemented in the normal flow code FIXPNF in the homotopy software package HOMPACK.
Intraobserver and interobserver reproducibility of fetal biometry

Objective To assess the intra- and interobserver reproducibility of ultrasound measurements of fetal biometric parameters. Methods We assessed the intraobserver and the interobserver agreement in measurements of fetal biparietal diameter (BPD), abdominal circumference (AC), head circumference (HC) and femur length (FL) on 122 singleton pregnancies. Patients were each examined twice by the first sonographer to determine the intraobserver reliability of measurements of fetal biometry. Subsequently, during the same ultrasound examination, a second blinded sonographer measured fetal biometric parameters to assess interobserver reliability. The consensus between and among observers was analyzed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (intra-CC) and interclass correlation coefficient (inter-CC) and the reliability coefficients (RC, α) for the four biometric measurements. A value > 0.75 was considered a reliable consensus for the intra-CC and inter-CC. A Bland and Altman plot was also created for the fetal biometric parameters to assess the repeatability of the measurements. Results Reliable consensus was observed for both the intra-CC and inter-CC and RC for all four biometric parameters. The intra-CC with the 95% CI and RC for the BPD, AC, HC and FL were as follows: 0.996 (0.995, 0.997), α 0.998; 0.994 (0.992, 0.996), α 0.997; 0.996 (0.994, 0.997), α 0.998; and 0.994 (0.992, 0.996), α 0.997, respectively. Similarly, the inter-CC with the 95% CI and RC for the same parameters were as follows: 0.995 (0.993, 0.997), α 0.998; 0.980 (0.971, 0.990), α 0.990; 0.994 (0.992, 0.996), α 0.997; and 0.990 (0.985,0.993), α 0.995, respectively. The Bland and Altman plots demonstrated a high degree of repeatability of BPD, AC, HC, and FL measurements. Conclusion Our results demonstrate that the intra- and interobserver reproducibility of ultrasound measurements of fetal biometry are highly reliable. Copyright © 2004 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Political Cues and the Perception of Candidates

Though typically they have not been the subject of systematic analysis, political cues are often depicted as having a major influence on voters' perceptions of political candidates. In this regard, different interpretations have been offered by those adopting perceptual balance and rational choice perspectives. After reviewing the points of controversy separating these two approaches, a more comprehensive explanation of political cues is offered. In particular, the use of political cues is depicted as involving two key elements: the political cue and the political stereotype with which the cue is associated. The implications of this perspective for voter rationality are then discussed. Finally, some of the key hypotheses are tested, and found to be supported through the use of experimental data.
Propagation of round-off error in a model of quadratic rational rotations

We investigate the propagation of round-off error for a discrete map modeling a one-dimensional linear oscillator viewed stroboscopically in phase space, with uniform, non-dissipative round-off. The probability P(r,t) of a net displacement r during t time steps can be reduced, essentially, to a weighted sum over contributions from a small number of infinite scaling sequences of periodic orbits. We show that the successive members of each scaling sequence can be built up by application of a set of substitution rules. This implies recursion relations, not only for the geometry of the orbits, but also for P(r,t) and its moments, allowing these quantities to be calculated exactly as algebraic numbers. For asymptotically large t, the moments have power-law increase, modulated by log-periodic or (in one particularly interesting case) log-quasi-periodic oscillations.
A hierarchical approach to stochastic discrete and continuous performance simulation using composable software components

This paper describes an integrated approach to modeling and simulation of discrete, continuous, and combined discrete/continuous dynamical behavior of stochastic systems. Representational paradigms and simulation techniques are presented. Integration is achieved by constructing a hierarchical suite of abstractions and simulation services built on a common microkernel. The abstractions and services are encapsulated into composable software components that leverage emerging distributed component platform technology, such as JavaBeans or Common Object Request Broker Architecture objects, for interoperation. Following the trend in large software system development, composable abstractions and services enables the use of interoperable components to assemble simulation applications from a variety of services and models, potentially from different vendors. The results illustrate a unified modeling and simulation strategy spanning low level logical/functional unit to high level architectural/process system design. New efficiencies in design methodologies are promoted by consolidating disparate simulation environments and models. Examples are given concerning performance simulation of microelectrofluidic systems.
Spatially-resolved electroluminescence of operating organic light-emitting diodes using conductive atomic force microscopy

A conductive atomic force microscopy (cAFM) technique has been developed that concurrently monitors topography, charge transport, and electroluminescence. This cAFM approach is particularly well suited for probing the electroluminescent response characteristics of operating organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) over short length scales. In a typical experiment, charge is injected into individual OLED structures with the cAFM tip, and the resulting electroluminescence and current are measured with collecting optics and a variable gain photomultiplier tube. As a proof of principle, the real-time spatial and temporal current–voltage and electroluminescence–voltage properties of 8μm×8μm OLED pixels are simultaneously imaged.
The Mathematics of Elementary Thermodynamics

The purpose of this paper1 is to bridge the gap between calculus as taught in elemen-tary mathematics courses, and calculus as ap-plied in the first courses on thermodynamics. Many beginners are baffled by two discrepancies.
Adsorption of hydrophobin proteins at hydrophobic and hydrophilic interfaces.

Abstract The surface activity of two hydrophobin proteins, HFBII and SC3, at the solid–liquid, liquid–liquid and liquid–vapor interface has been investigated. Hydrophobins are fungal proteins that are known to adsorb and affect the physico-chemical properties of an interface. In this study, the surface activity was determined by measuring the interaction of hydrophobin molecules with various liquids, solid particles and films that are commonly used or produced in industrial processes. We found that a very low concentration of hydrophobin is required to facilitate the wet-in of hydrophobic solid particles, such as Teflon ® , into aqueous solutions. It is also capable of stabilizing aqueous dispersions of Kevlar ® nanopulp, reversing the wettability of hydrophobic films and stabilizing polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) oil-in-water emulsions.
The role of cell adhesion molecules in ischemic acute renal failure.

Ischemia remains the primary cause of acute renal failure in adults. Following the development and practical application of dialysis, little progress has been made in the treatment of ischemic acute renal failure (ARF) to significantly affect patient outcome. However, excellent advancement has occurred in the understanding of the cellular consequences of ischemic injury. This has occurred through an integrated approach using complementary in vivo and in vitro models of ischemic cell injury. Fundamental insights into the physiology, biochemistry, cell biology, and molecular biology of ischemic cell injury have now resulted in new clinical trials and renewed optimism. These combined basic science and clinical research approaches to design and test new therapies were recently reviewed to identify priorities by a NIH supported conference (1). Since substantial progress has been made in the pathophysiologic aspects of cell adhesion molecules in the injury and recovery phases of ischemic ARF, the purpose of this review is to delineate and synthesize these findings. Although brief introductions will be given to the different classes of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs), the reader is referred to the original article in this series, which dealt exclusively with the structure and cellular function of these molecules (2).
From classical mobility to hopping conductivity: charge hopping in an ultracold gas.

Studies of charge mobilities in an ultracold gas are reported. Calculations for the $\mathrm{Na}+{\mathrm{Na}}^{+}$ system have been carried out as a function of temperature $T$ and densities, and the conductivity of the ultracold charged gas is obtained. The total charge mobility exhibits a sharp increase as $T$ is lowered, indicating a transition from an almost insulating to a conducting system at few $\ensuremath{\mu}$K. It is shown that the nature of the charge mobility changes with temperature: at high $T$, the charges are transported by massive centers (i.e., the ions), and at low $T$, by electrons jumping from neighboring atoms onto the positive ions (the positive holes exhibit hopping conductivity). An experiment is proposed to detect this effect.
Cardiac contractility, cAMP concentration, cAMP-dependent protein kinase, and phosphorylase activation during acute pressure overload.

The relationship between increases in myocardial contractility and cAMP and protein kinase activity were studied for hearts of normal rats and those with altered sympathectic capacity produced by the combined treatments of adrenalectomy, and 6-hydroxydopamine and propranol injections. Increases in myocardial contractility, evaluated from intra-ventricular pressure changes, were produced by occlusion of the ascending aorta for 15, 20, or 25 s. Resting peak left ventricular pressure and the rate of rise of left ventricular pressure were lower (p<0.05) in sympathectomized animals, however, aortic occlusion abolished these differences. Time to peak tension and the relationship between end-diastolic pressure and developed pressure were unchanged by sympathectomy. ATP and CP concentrations in freeze clamped samples of the myocardium were lower (P<0.05) in both groups after aortic occlusion whereas lactate was elevated (P<0.05). Sympathectomy delayed and reduced the magnitude of the increase in the phosphorylasea/a+b ratio produced by aortic occlusion. Myocardial cAMP concentration was increased in the normal rats but decreased in sympathectomized animals after aortic occlusion. cAMP-dependent protein kinase activity followed the pattern of cAMP. The results demonstrate that heart possesses the capacity to increase its contractility to an acute, short-term overload even when devoid of sympathetic control.
Toward Reducing Behavior Problems in Autistic Children.

A historical perspective was presented, attempting to trace how some clinical concepts and working assumptions, effective in the past, had drifted out of relationship with social changes, and were now considered by many as being myths. These included the assumption that developmental deviations such as autism were primarily normal responses to family stress and that autism primarily involved the child's social withdrawal from a hostile environment. In this paper some relationships between such myth beliefs and parental difficulties in managing their autistic child were identified. Specific management difficulties were distinguished from general ones. The latter manifest themselves in parental confusion, inappropriate expectations, and social role diffusion. Suggestions were made for helping parental management through changing treatment structures from traditional procedures.
A Comparison of the Performance of Quasi-Optimal and Conventional Objective Analysis Schemes

Abstract Verification error covariance statistics for operational 12-hr prognoses of 300-mb heights and winds have been obtained. Based on these statistical data, optimal weightings on height and wind observations at a typical distribution of upper air observing stations have been derived and the indicated error of the resulting objective analysis calculated. For comparison, the weightings implied by the conventional (NMC) analysis scheme were determined and evaluated by means of the same statistics.
The Role of Marketing

As marketing gains increasing prominence as an orientation that everyone in the organization shares and as a process that all functions participate in deploying, a critical issue that arises is the...
766-4 X-Linked Cardiomyopathy: Selective Deficiency of Dystrophin mRNA and Protein in the Heart

Mutations in the membrane associated cytoskeletal protein dystrophin is typically associated with Duchenne and Beckers Muscular Dystrophy. Insome cases dystrophin mutations appear causes a selective cardiomyopathy with little skeletal muscle disease. The molecular mechanisms which cause this phenotype have not been defined. We are particularly interested in how a mutation in a protein normally expressed in all muscle tissues can selectively cause disease in the heart. Most cardiomyopathic dystrophin mutations occur at the 5’ end of the gene. suggesting that regulatory elements may playa role in the cardiac specific phenotype. We have analyzed cardiac and skeletal muscle dystrophin mRNA and protein from a family with severe cardiomyopathy, and a 5’ duplication in exons 2–7 of the dystrophin gene. Sequence analysis of cDNA across the mutation site, showed no difference between heart and skeletal muscle transcripts. However, ribonuclease protection assay demonstrated markedly diminished dystrophin transcript in the heart. Western blot and immunocytochemistry showed marked reduction in cardiac dystrophin protein compared with skeletal muscle. These results demonstrate that mutations in the 5’ dystrophin gene can cause cardiomyopathy without significant muscle disease by a selective reduction of dystrophin gene expression in the heart.
Clinical results of the excision of heterotopic bone around the elbow: a systematic review

Background Heterotopic ossification (HO) of the elbow can occur following direct trauma, brain injury, or burns. Development of elbow HO is sporadic, making levels 1-3 clinical evidence difficult to establish. We systematically reviewed literature regarding management and outcomes of surgically treated elbow HO. Methods A systematic review of the literature regarding elbow HO was performed to compare imaging modalities, surgical timing, surgical approaches, and methods of prophylaxis in outcomes of patients treated with excision. Results Our systematic review included 24 level 3 or 4 studies investigating 384 post-trauma (158), brain injury (105), or burn (94) patients with elbows complicated by HO that were treated with surgical excision. Average patient age was 36.9 years and there was a 65/35 M/F ratio. For all etiologies, preoperatively elbow flexion/extension averaged 53/83; postoperatively elbow flexion/extension significantly improved to 22/123. Regardless of the etiology, surgical excision of elbow HO significantly improved functional range of motion. Neither total body surface area (TBSA) burned for burn patients or Garland classification for brain-injured patients correlated with outcome. Overall complication rate was 22.6% and included HO recurrence (11.9%), ulnar nerve injury, infection, and delayed wound healing. Conclusion Surgical treatment of elbow HO leads to improved functional outcome, whether the etiology of bone formation was direct elbow trauma, brain injury, or thermal injury.
Insulin Resistance and Incident Gallbladder Disease in Pregnancy

Background & Aims: Insulin resistance is associated with prevalent gallstones, but its effect on initial gallstone formation is not well-understood. Methods: We conducted a nested case-control study to examine whether insulin resistance is a risk factor for initial gallbladder sludge and stone formation during pregnancy. Cases were 205 women with new gallbladder sludge and stones during pregnancy and the early postpartum. Controls were 443 randomly selected women without sludge or stones during pregnancy. Gallbladder ultrasounds were obtained during each trimester and at 4–6 weeks post partum. Fasting serum glucose, lipids, and insulin were measured at 26–28 weeks gestation. Insulin resistance was measured by the homeostasis model. Logistic regression was used to identify independent risk factors for gallstone formation. Results: Insulin resistance was significantly greater in cases than in controls on univariate analysis ( P P P = .01). On multivariate analysis, insulin resistance was significantly associated with gallstone formation ( P = .004), even after adjustment for pre-pregnancy body mass index and other confounding factors including high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and physical activity. This association was strongest in women with pre-pregnancy body mass index 2 . Conclusions: Insulin resistance is a risk factor for incident gallbladder sludge and stones during pregnancy, even after adjustment for body mass index. Insulin resistance might represent a causal link between obesity and overweight and gallstones.
Iterative refinement of the method of moments

It is observed that Vorobyev's method of moments, because it is a specialized form of Galerkin's method, is easily accelerated by the use of Sloan's trick of taking first iterates. The improvement, which is nearly costless since it requires no new quantities, is illustrated in a numerical example.
Piezoelectric Wafer Active Sensor Structural Health Monitoring of Space Structures

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) is a valuable tool for in-service assessment of structural condition. Despite a broad use in many engineering fields, SHM has seen limited application in space systems. This article explores specifics of SHM applied to space systems and satellites in particular. It is suggested that SHM may be considered for aiding rapid assembly of spacecraft components, monitoring system dynamics during launch, and model updating from an assessment of in-service variation of structural properties. The article presents a discussion of factors affecting realization of the SHM system for spacecraft and provides recommendations for the system configuration and its practical use. The SHM system design based on a network of piezoelectric active sensors is considered. System operation focuses on SHM of improperly tightened bolts, assessment of adhesive bonds, and embedded material characterization techniques. Synergistic use of the same hardware for acoustoelastic, non-linear acoustic, and ma...
The Giant That Never Woke Parole Authorities as the Lynchpin to Evidence-Based Practices and Prisoner Reentry

This article argues that discretionary parole is the lynchpin to improved correctional practice. Calls to abolish discretionary parole have failed to consider its potential to steer correctional agendas toward sustainable evidence-based practices (EBPs) and effective reentry/transitional services. The history of corrections and parole is marked by tension between the goals of warehousing and correcting prisoners. Notwithstanding a growing body of impressive research that clarifies the importance of the implementation of EBPs to recidivism reduction, their ubiquitous implementation has been impeded by structural flaws within correctional organizations. Moreover, corrections practitioners and scholars have not addressed issues related to the professional competency of discretionary parole authorities as well as their potential to serve as a protective organizational factor that promotes offender rehabilitation and reintegration.
Gradient co-activation and speech error articulation: comment on Pouplier and Goldstein (2010)

Recent studies show that speech errors involve the co-production of the phonetic properties of both targets and error outcomes. Based on the spatial and temporal properties of these co-productions, Pouplier and Goldstein argued that they are influenced by speech production mechanisms that detect and suppress errorful articulations. In this commentary, we provide simulation data supporting an alternative account based on cascading activation. Novel simulation results in the Gradient Symbol Processing framework show that in speech errors target and error phonological representations are gradiently co-activated. Using the TADA system, we show how these types of co-activation patterns could give rise to the articulatory patterns observed by Pouplier and Goldstein. These results show that cascading activation could provide a plausible account not only for the presence of co-productions in speech errors but also for their temporal and spatial properties.
“One glove does not fit all” in bilingual reading acquisition: Using the age of first bilingual language exposure to understand optimal contexts for reading success

AbstractIn teaching reading, educators strive to find the balance between a code-emphasis approach and a meaning-oriented literacy approach. However, little is known about how different approaches to literacy can benefit bilingual children’s early reading acquisition. To investigate the novel hypothesis that children’s age of first bilingual exposure can interact with different approaches to literacy, we tested 56 Spanish-English bilingual children (ages 7–9), with birth exposure to Spanish and either early (before age 3) or late (3–4) age of first bilingual exposure to English. The children attended reading programs identified with either phonics or whole language emphasis. Consistent with our hypothesis, differential outcomes were linked to different ages of first bilingual exposure. Early bilingual exposure to English was associated with more advanced reading abilities under whole language emphasis, while later (ages 3–4) exposure was associated with better decoding and reading abilities under phonics ...
Thallium-201 myocardial scintigraphy: Improved sensitivity, specificity and predictive accuracy by application of a statistical image analysis algorithm

Exercise and 3 hour delayed redistribution thallium-201 myocardial perfusion imaging was performed in 107 patients including 87 patients with documented coronary artery disease and 20 patients with normal coronary arteriograms. A computer algorithm for statistical analysis and redisplay of the analog scintillation data was developed to augment the visual analysis of the standard analog image. The basic algorithm identified the myocardial area (pixel) with the most absolute counts and developed an appropriate standard deviation range from a table. All pixels in the area of the myocardium containing absolute counts below three standard deviation ranges (or approximately 6 standard deviations) were deleted from the final image. The remaining pixels were redisplayed in a digitized bimodal format and the image photographed. Two experienced observers compared visual analysis of the analog image alone and the analog image in conjunction with the computer-analyzed image for sensitivity, specificity and predictive accuracy in the detection of perfusion defects in patients with coronary artery disease and in normal subjects. Sensitivity in patients with coronary artery disease and in normal subjects. Sensitivity in patients with coronary artery disease for the analog scintillation image alone was 79 percent (69 of 87) and with computer analysis 95 percent (83 of 87). Specificity in the patients with no coronary disease was 100 percent (20 of 20) for both techniques. The predictive accuracy of the test was 83 percent (89 of 107) for the analog image alone and 96 percent (103 of 107) for the two images combined. It is concluded that use of a computer statistical analysis algorithm of thallium-201 analog myocardial perfusion images improves the accuracy of detection of perfusion defects in patients with coronary artery disease.
Movement of Surface Drifters in the American Mediterranean

Abstract Between 25 October and 11 December of 1973, 1015 surface drifters were launched at 36 stations in the American Mediterranean. Returns from 75 drifters (7.4%) have been received from 23 (64%) of the 36 stations. No flow into the Caribbean Sea through the Mona and Windward Passages was indicated. A net westward drift in the Caribbean Sea of 0.18 m s−1 was indicated. Movement in the Gulf of Mexico was consistent with observations and models of the Loop Current.
A communication on Mg2 thermochemical stability

Abstract Till now there has been no theoretical analysis on earth alkali metal complexes with any of the Gaussian-based approximation or density functional theory methods. We provide the results of our calculations on Mg 2 thermochemical stability. The results of our CBS-Q, CBS-QB3, G2 calculations are presented. Basis set effects, geometrical deviations between wave function-based methods and density functional theory methods are all discussed.
Electronic Structure of Long Polyenes: States and Transition Dipoles

Electronic excitation energies and transition dipoles measured for symmetrically substituted linear polyenes (R-(CH=CH) N -R) with chain lengths n ranging from 2 to 8 are well fit by the functional form A+B/N. Extrapolation to the long chain limit correlates the band gap transition of polyacetylene with the polyene 1 1 A g to 1 1 B u transition. The amount by which the highly correlated polyene 2 1 A g state is lower than the 1 1 B u state increases with increasing chain length, extrapolating to roughly half of the 1 1 B u excitation energy. The 1 1 A g to 1 1 B u transition dipole magnitude per chain repeat unit attains a maximum value of 3.0 Debye at an effective conjugation length 5 double bonds. Careful studies on linear polyenes provides insight into the electronic structure of polyacetylene.