cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prenatal and infant exposure to ambient pesticides and autism spectrum disorder in children: population based case-control study.

Abstract Objective To examine associations between early developmental exposure to ambient pesticides and autism spectrum disorder. Design Population based case-control study. Setting California’s main agricultural region, Central Valley, using 1998-2010 birth data from the Office of Vital Statistics. Population 2961 individuals with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition, revised (up to 31 December 2013), including 445 with intellectual disability comorbidity, were identified through records maintained at the California Department of Developmental Services and linked to their birth records. Controls derived from birth records were matched to cases 10:1 by sex and birth year. Exposure Data from California state mandated Pesticide Use Reporting were integrated into a geographic information system tool to estimate prenatal and infant exposures to pesticides (measured as pounds of pesticides applied per acre/month within 2000 m from the maternal residence). 11 high use pesticides were selected for examination a priori according to previous evidence of neurodevelopmental toxicity in vivo or in vitro (exposure defined as ever v never for each pesticide during specific developmental periods). Main outcome measure Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals using multivariable logistic regression were used to assess associations between pesticide exposure and autism spectrum disorder (with or without intellectual disabilities) in offspring, adjusting for confounders. Results Risk of autism spectrum disorder was associated with prenatal exposure to glyphosate (odds ratio 1.16, 95% confidence interval 1.06 to 1.27), chlorpyrifos (1.13, 1.05 to 1.23), diazinon (1.11, 1.01 to 1.21), malathion (1.11, 1.01 to 1.22), avermectin (1.12, 1.04 to 1.22), and permethrin (1.10, 1.01 to 1.20). For autism spectrum disorder with intellectual disability, estimated odds ratios were higher (by about 30%) for prenatal exposure to glyphosate (1.33, 1.05 to 1.69), chlorpyrifos (1.27, 1.04 to 1.56), diazinon (1.41, 1.15 to 1.73), permethrin (1.46, 1.20 to 1.78), methyl bromide (1.33, 1.07 to 1.64), and myclobutanil (1.32, 1.09 to 1.60); exposure in the first year of life increased the odds for the disorder with comorbid intellectual disability by up to 50% for some pesticide substances. Conclusion Findings suggest that an offspring’s risk of autism spectrum disorder increases following prenatal exposure to ambient pesticides within 2000 m of their mother’s residence during pregnancy, compared with offspring of women from the same agricultural region without such exposure. Infant exposure could further increase risks for autism spectrum disorder with comorbid intellectual disability.
Author Correction: Retinal transcriptome and eQTL analyses identify genes associated with age-related macular degeneration

In the version of this article initially published, in Supplementary Data 5, the logFC, FC, P value and adjusted P value for advanced AMD versus control (DE 4/1) without age correction did not correspond to the correct gene IDs. The errors have been corrected in the HTML version of the article.
Observing Transient Bipolar Electrochemical Coupling on Single Nanoparticles Translocating through a Nanopore.

We report the observation of transient bipolar electrochemical coupling on freely moving 40 nm silver nanoparticles. The use of an asymmetric nanoelectrochemical environment at the nanopore orifice, for example, an acid inside the pipette and halide ions in the bulk, enabled us to observe unusually large current blockages of single Ag nanoparticles. We attribute these current blockages to the formation of H2 nanobubbles on the surface of Ag nanoparticles due to the coupled faradaic reactions, in which the reduction of protons and water is coupled to the oxidation of Ag and water under potentials higher than 1 V. The appearance of large current blockages was strongly dependent on the applied voltage and the choice of anions in the bulk solution. The correlation between large current blockages with the oxidation of Ag nanoparticles and their nanopore translocation was further supported by simultaneous fluorescence and electric recordings. This study demonstrates that transient bipolar electrochemistry can t...
Magnetic resonance imaging of elbow injuries in children

Evaluating elbow injuries is challenging because of the complex anatomy of the joint. In children, injury patterns depend on the sports-specific mechanism as well as the stage of skeletal maturity. This article reviews the anatomy of the elbow and common injury patterns seen in children, with an emphasis on MRI and the throwing athlete. Imaging pitfalls specific to children are described.
Stepwise chromatin and transcriptional acquisition of an intraepithelial lymphocyte program

Abstract Mesenteric lymph node (mLN) T cells undergo tissue adaptation upon migrating to intestinal lamina propria (LP) and intraepithelial (IE) compartments, ensuring appropriate balance between tolerance and resistance. By combining mouse genetics with single-cell and chromatin analyses, we addressed the molecular imprinting of gut epithelium on T cells. Transcriptionally, conventional and regulatory (Treg) CD4+ T cells from mLN, LP and IE segregate based on the gut layer they occupy; trajectory analysis suggests a stepwise loss of CD4-programming and acquisition of an intraepithelial profile. Treg fate–mapping coupled with RNA– and ATAC–sequencing revealed that the Treg program shuts down before an intraepithelial program becomes fully accessible at the epithelium. Ablation of CD4 lineage–defining transcription factor ThPOK results in premature acquisition of an IEL profile by mLN Tregs, partially recapitulating epithelium imprinting. Thus, coordinated replacement of circulating lymphocyte program with site–specific transcriptional and chromatin changes is necessary for tissue imprinting.
An Overlooked Factor? How Religion and Spirituality Influence Students’ Perception of the Campus Environment

Postsecondary institutions are frequently forced to respond to discriminatory acts, including those against religious minorities. Such actions can create the perception of a hostile campus for stud...
Privacy-Enhancing Preferential LBS Query for Mobile Social Network Users

While social networking sites gain massive popularity for their friendship networks, user privacy issues arise due to the incorporation of location-based services (LBS) into the system. Preferential LBS takes a user’s social profile along with their location to generate personalized recommender systems. With the availability of the user’s profile and location history, we often reveal sensitive information to unwanted parties. Hence, providing location privacy to such preferential LBS requests has become crucial. However, the current technologies focus on anonymizing the location through granularity generalization. Such systems, although provides the required privacy, come at the cost of losing accurate recommendations. Hence, in this paper, we propose a novel location privacy-preserving mechanism that provides location privacy through - anonymity and provides the most accurate results. Experimental results that focus on mobile users and context-aware LBS requests prove that the proposed method performs superior to the existing methods.
Aerodynamic analysis and structural integrity for optimal performance of sweeping and spanning morphing unmanned air vehicles

Abstract An optimized morphing unmanned aerial vehicle capable of sweeping and spanning its wings is proposed and analyzed aerodynamically and structurally in order to examine and improve its efficiency, flight transition analysis, and structural integrity. The lift to drag ratio of five different flight modes of the drone is examined using the Pollhamus lift theory to evaluate the aerodynamic performance during the transition phases. To verify Pollhamus lift theory in the determination of the aerodynamic loads for the four configurations of the morphing unmanned system, namely, fully compressed, fully expanded, fully swept, and fully expanded and swept, 3D panel and Vortex Lattice Methods are used. In order to improve the structural stability during the transition phase of the flight, a finite element analysis is conducted to approximate pressures on the wings of the unmanned system under a load and specific boundary conditions. The information from the finite element simulations is then utilized to determine the number of support rods needed for structural stability and the ideal positions of the rods. The vibratory qualities of the wings are also analyzed through modal and transient analyses. According to the results of the modal analysis, because of the low natural frequency of the wing, there is a strong possibility of flutter and a vibratory response due to the aerodynamic force and disturbances. The transient analysis demonstrates that the stress waves propagating through the wings, due to an excitation force, tend to localize around the circumference of the support rods.
Severe Bandemia Is Not Associated With Increased Risk for Adverse Events in General Pediatric Emergency Department Patients

INTRODUCTION The presence of band cells > 10% of the total white blood cell (WBC) count ("bandemia") is often used as an indicator of serious bacterial illness (SBI). Results from studies of bandemia as a predictor of SBI were conflicting and little is known about the relationship between severe bandemia (SB) and clinical outcomes from SBI in children. We hypothesized that SB (band level > 20%) is not associated with adverse outcomes in an emergency department (ED) pediatric population. METHODS Medical records from children between the ages of two months and 18 years with SB who presented to a tertiary referral regional hospital were studied. Outcomes were categorized as severe adverse events (SAEs) or moderate adverse events (MAEs). Multivariate logistic regressions were used to assess the association between SB and outcomes. RESULTS We analyzed 102 patients. Mean age (standard deviation, SD) was 5.25 (0.5) years, 18 (18%) had MAE, 21 (21%) had SAE, and no patients died. Mean band levels were similar between groups: no adverse events 28 (10) vs. SAE 31 (9) vs. MAE 27 (8), p=0.64. Multivariate logistic regressions showed SB was not associated with any adverse events (odds ratio (OR) 1.04, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.9-1.1, p=0.27). Non-normal X-ray (XR) (OR 17, 95% CI 3.3-90, p<0.001) was associated with MAE, while non-normal computerized tomography (CT) scan (OR 15.4, 95% CI 2.2-100+, p=0.002) was associated with SAE. CONCLUSION SB was not associated with higher odds of adverse events among the general ED pediatric population. Clinicians should base their clinical judgment on the overall context of history, physical examinations, and other laboratory and imaging data.
Gastric adenocarcinoma burden and late-stage diagnosis in Latino and non-Latino populations in the United States and Texas, during 2004-2016: A multilevel analysis.

Background Gastric cancer disproportionately affects Latinos, but little is known about regional effects and risk factors. We compared primary incidence, late-stage diagnosis, and risk factors for gastric adenocarcinoma (GCA) from 2004 to 2016 in Latinos and non-Latinos in the United States, Texas (TX), and South Texas (STX). Methods We collected case data from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) and the Texas Cancer Registry. We generated average annual age-adjusted incidence rates, rate ratios (RRs), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using SEER*Stat software and analyzed the cases by anatomic site, demographics, and county-level risk factors using SAS 9.4. We constructed multilevel logistic regression models for late-stage GCA, adjusting for patient- and county-level characteristics. Results Latinos had higher overall GCA incidence rates in all regions, with the greatest disparities in overlap GCA in STX males (RR 4.39; 95% CI: 2.85, 6.93). There were no differences in cardia GCA rates for non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs) and Latino women in all regions. Younger patients, patients with overlapping or not otherwise specified (NOS) lesions, and patients diagnosed during 2012-2016 had higher odds of late-stage GCA. The stratification by location showed no differences in late-stage disease between NHWs and Latinos. The stratification by anatomic site showed Latinos with cardia GCA were more likely to have late-stage GCA than NHWs (OR: 1.13, p = 0.008). At the county level, higher odds of late-stage GCA were associated with medium and high social deprivation levels in TX without STX (OR: 1.25 and 1.20, p = 0.007 and 0.028, respectively), and medium social deprivation index (SDI) in patients with NOS GCA (OR: 1.21, p = 0.01). Conclusions STX Latinos experience greater GCA disparities than those in TX and the United States. Younger age and social deprivation increase the risk for late-stage GCA, while Latinos and women are at higher risk specifically for late-stage cardia GCA. There is a need for population-specific, culturally responsive intervention and prevention measures, and additional research to elucidate contributing risk factors.
Treatment of anastomotic recurrence after esophagectomy

Abstract Background Isolated local recurrence after curative esophagectomy for esophageal cancer is a rare event. Although it is potentially curable, management can be challenging. Methods We performed a retrospective review of all patients undergoing esophagectomy for esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) from 2000 to 2019. Date of recurrence was defined as the date at which the initial abnormal surveillance study or symptomatic presentation led to further workup and subsequent pathologic diagnosis of recurrence. Overall survival after recurrence was estimated using Kaplan-Meier methods and compared between treatment groups using the log-rank test. Results Of the 1370 patients with EAC who underwent esophagectomy in our cohort, 531 (39%) developed recurrence of their disease. The 5-year cumulative incidence of recurrence was 2.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.0%-3.6%) for local, 6.3% (95% CI, 5.2%-7.8%) for regional, and 22.0% (95% CI, 20.0%-24.4%) for distant recurrences. On univariable and multivariable competing-risk regression analysis, advanced pT stage, signet ring histology, and serious complication were independently associated with local recurrence. Patients with local recurrence treated with definitive therapy had a median survival after recurrence of 19.1 months (95% CI, 11.4-33.2 months), compared with 10.6 months (95% CI, 8.5-14.2 months) for chemotherapy or radiotherapy alone and 1.73 months (95% CI, 0.23-15.6 months) for no treatment (P Conclusions Isolated local recurrence occurred in only 3% of patients. Advanced T stage, signet cell histology, and serious complication were risk factors for recurrence. Although complex surgical resection is required, in very select cases, more-aggressive treatment may be warranted.
The Rules, Practice and Jurisprudence of International Courts and Tribunals

INTRODUCTION COURTS AND TRIBUNALS OF GENERAL JURISDICTION I. The International Court of Justice, Sean D. Murphy II. Permanent Court of Arbitration, Brooks W. Daly COURTS AND TRIBUNALS OF SPECIALIZED JURISDICTION III. International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes, Carolyn Lamm, Chiara Giorgetti, and Mairee Uran-Bidegain IV. The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, Laurence Boisson de Chazournes V. The World Trade Organization, Gregory J. Spak and Gisele Kapterian VI. Administrative Tribunals of International Organizations, Olufemi Elias and Melissa Thomas SPECIALIZED COURTS: INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURTS AND TRIBUNALS VII. The International Criminal Court, David P. Stewart VIII. The International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, Santiago Villalpando IX. The International Tribunal for Rwanda, Robert D. Sloane X. Hybrid And Internationalized Tribunals, Caitlin Reiger SPECIALIZED COURTS: HUMAN RIGHTS XI. The European Court of Human Rights, Christiane Bourloyannis-Vrailas XII. The Inter-American Commission of Human Rights and the Inter-American Court on Human Rights, Christina M. Cerna XIII. The African Human Rights System, Bart M.J. Szewczyk SPECIALIZED COURTS: REGIONAL ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL INTEGRATION AGREEMENTS XIV. European Union Courts, Sonja Boelaert XV. Courts of Other Economic Communities: NAFTA, Andrea J. Menaker and Brody K. Greenwald XVI. Courts and Tribunals Established by Regional Economic Integration Agreements, Jennifer Thornton INTERNATIONAL AD-HOC TRIBUNALS AND CLAIMS COMMISSIONS XVII. The United Nations Compensation Commission, Timothy J. Feighery XVIII. Iran-United States Claims Tribunal, Jeremy K. Sharpe XIX. The Claims Resolution Tribunal, Roger P. Alford INDICES
Guanylate cyclase, a cell surface receptor.

Guanylate cyclase appears to represent a central member of a diverse family of proteins involved in cell signaling mechanisms including the protein kinases, a low Mr ANP receptor, and possibly adenylate cyclase (based on limited sequence identity with the yeast enzyme). A membrane form of guanylate cyclase represents a new model for cell surface receptors, although such a model was once envisioned for adenylate cyclase (79). In original models for adenylate cyclase, hormone was thought to bind with either the enzyme or with an unknown protein to enhance cyclic AMP production (79). Guanylate cyclase appears to fall into the first adenylate cyclase model where binding of a ligand to an extracellular site on the enzyme transmits a signal to an intracellular catalytic site. The production of cyclic GMP, a second messenger, and of pyrophosphate are then increased. The protein tyrosine kinase family of receptors (80) and possibly another forthcoming family of cell surface receptors containing protein tyrosine phosphatase activity (81–83) contain a single transmembrane domain like guanylate cyclase. Furthermore, the protein tyrosine kinases are activated by ligand binding to the extracellular domain. However, the activation of guanylate cyclase, unlike these cell surface receptors, results in the formation of a low molecular weight second messenger.
Ideology and Empire in Eighteenth-Century India: The British in Bengal

Robert Travers' analysis of British conquests in late eighteenth-century India shows how new ideas were formulated about the construction of empire. After the British East India Company conquered the vast province of Bengal, Britons confronted the apparent anomaly of a European trading company acting as an Indian ruler. Responding to a prolonged crisis of imperial legitimacy, British officials in Bengal tried to build their authority on the basis of an 'ancient constitution', supposedly discovered among the remnants of the declining Mughal Empire. In the search for an indigenous constitution, British political concepts were redeployed and redefined on the Indian frontier of empire, while stereotypes about 'oriental despotism' were challenged by the encounter with sophisticated Indian state forms. This highly original book uncovers a forgotten style of imperial state-building based on constitutional restoration, and in the process opens up new points of connection between British, imperial and South Asian history.
Active Region Dynamics

New methods of local helioseismology and uninterrupted time series of solar oscillation data from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) have led to a major advance in our understanding of the structure and dynamics of active regions in the subsurface layers. The initial results show that large active regions are formed by repeated magnetic flux emergence from the deep interior, and that their roots are at least 50 Mm deep. The active regions change the temperature structure and flow dynamics of the upper convection zone, forming large circulation cells of converging flows. The helioseismic observations also indicate that the processes of magnetic energy release, flares and coronal mass ejections, might be associated with strong (1–2 km/s) shearing flows, 4–6 Mm below the surface.
Behavioral Competitive Equilibrium and Extreme Prices

We introduce a notion of behavioral competitive equilibrium (BCE), to study house-holds' inability to tailor their consumption to the state of the economy. Our notion is motivated by limited cognitive ability (in particular attention, memory, and complexity) and it maintains the complete market structure of competitive equilibrium. Compared to standard competitive equilibrium, our concept yields riskier allocations and more extreme prices (both for consumption and for assets). Thus, limited cognitive ability can produce market data that are usually attributed to heightened degree of risk aversion. We provide a tractable model that is suitable for general equilibrium analysis as well as asset pricing in dynamic environments.
Molecular Aspects of Sperm‐Egg Fusion

Fertilization, as one of the few well-studied physiological cell fusion systems, provides a glimpse of hierarchies of control that may exist in other membrane fusions as well. Sperm become fusogenic only after undergoing exocytosis from an apical vesicle; this acrosome reaction, induced by an egg surface component, confers upon the sperm the capacity to bind to and fuse with an egg. The acrosome reaction requires Ca2+ and Na+ and is mediated by a complex series of ionic alterations in sperm, including plasma membrane potential depolarization, Ca2+ influx, and increased intracellular pH. These changes take their toll of the sperm, which dies soon thereafter if it does not fertilize an egg. Sperm-egg fusion itself is rapid, with a negligible requirement for extracellular Ca2+, and is inhibited by depolarization of the egg plasma membrane potential. Gamete membrane fusion is followed by dramatic changes in egg physiology, including those that inhibit subsequent sperm-egg fusions. These blocks to polyspermy include a partial decrease in egg surface receptivity caused by egg membrane depolarization immediately after gamete fusion, followed by a complete inhibition of sperm entry due to a massive exocytosis from vesicles beneath the egg plasma membrane, with a concomitant change in the egg plasma membrane and cell coat. The sperm that has successfully fused with an egg contributes not only its genome, but cytoplasmic components as well. Some cytoplasmic constituents from the sperm, including several proteins, persist without degradation throughout early development; several remain localized in a single region. Whether these cytoplasmic components transferred from the sperm play a role in subsequent morphogenesis of the embryo is not clear.
Amino acid profiles and serial blood urea nitrogen levels in infants less than 1250 g receiving early parenteral nutrition

Objective: To analyze amino acid profiles and serial blood urea nitrogen values (BUN) in infants <1250 g receiving early amino acid infusion within hours of birth and compare them to previously published values. Design/methods: A retrospective study was conducted on infants <1250 g admitted to the NICU between July 2009 to July 2010. Plasma amino acid (AA) profiles were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography and values were compared to previously established reference values. Demographic data, treatment with indomethacin or neoprofen and laboratory results were also collected. Results: A total of 40 neonates were studied. Thirty infants had a single plasma sample and 10 infants were followed with serial samples. AA profiles were consistent with previously published reference values. Serial samples showed little change over 3 days of infusion. Increased BUN did not correlate with abnormal AA profiles or concentration of AA infused in the infants
Political Culture and Child Poverty: An examination of Western and post-communist European states

This paper examines political culture in relation to child poverty outcomes in Western European and postcommunist Central and Eastern European (CEE) states. Although the European Union represents advanced industrial economies and has committed itself to the eradication of child poverty, variation in welfare policies as well as child poverty outcomes exist across Europe. Research has shown that egalitarian attitudes towards redistribution are linked with lower poverty outcomes. In addition to egalitarianism, this paper examines the relationship between gender roles and child poverty. The findings of this study indicate that support for feminist gender roles and an egalitarian distribution of wealth are related to lower child poverty outcomes. The situation in Eastern Europe, however, is complicated by a communist past that has left behind a political culture of egalitarian ideals of redistribution combined with a backlash of traditional values regarding gender
Purification and characterization of two trypsin inhibitors from the hemolymph of Manduca sexta larvae

Trypsin inhibitory activity from the hemolymph of the tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta) was purified by affinity chromatography on immobilized trypsin and resolved into two fractions with molecular weights of 14,000 (M. sexta hemolymph trypsin inhibitor (HLTI) A) and 8,000 (HLTI B) by molecular sieve chromatography on Sephadex G-75. Electrophoresis of these inhibitors under reducing conditions on polyacrylamide gels gave molecular weight estimates of 8,300 for HLTI A and 9,100 for HLTI B, suggesting that HLTI A is a dimer and HLTI B is a monomer. Isoelectrofocusing on polyacrylamide gels focused HLTI A as a single band with pI 5.7, whereas HLTI B was resolved into two components with pI values of 5.3 and 7.1. Both inhibitors were stable at 100 degrees C and pH 1.0 for at least 30 min. HLTIs A and B inhibited serine proteases such as trypsin, chymotrypsin, and plasmin, but did not inhibit elastase, papain, pepsin, subtilisin BPN', and thermolysin. In fact, subtilisin BPN' completely inactivated both inhibitors. Both inhibitors formed low-dissociation complexes with trypsin in a 1:1 molar ratio. The inhibition constant for trypsin inhibition by HLTI A was estimated to be 1.45 x 10(-8) M. The HLTI A-chymotrypsin complex did not inhibit trypsin; similarly, the HLTI A-trypsin complex did not inhibit chymotrypsin, indicating that HLTI A has a common binding site for both trypsin and chymotrypsin. The amino-terminal amino acid sequences of HLTIs A and B revealed that both these inhibitors are homologous to bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (Kunitz).
Replay debugging for distributed applications

We have developed a new replay debugging tool, liblog, for distributed C/C++ applications. It logs the execution of deployed application processes and replays them deterministically, faithfully reproducing race conditions and non-deterministic failures, enabling careful offline analysis. To our knowledge, liblog is the first replay tool to address the requirements of large distributed systems: lightweight support for long-running programs, consistent replay of arbitrary subsets of application nodes, and operation in a mixed environment of logging and nonlogging processes. In addition, it requires no special hardware or kernel patches, supports unmodified application executables, and integrates GDB into the replay mechanism for simultaneous source-level debugging of multiple processes. This paper presents liblog's design, an evaluation of its runtime overhead, and a discussion of our experience with the tool to date.
Variations in Peritoneal Lines of Attachment of the Cecum, Appendix, and Terminal Ileum in Adult Females

Abstract Objective: Gynecologic surgery often necessitates mobilization of the cecum and terminal ileum for adequate operative exposure. The objective of this study was to document the individual variations in peritoneal attachments of the ileocecum in adult female patients without a history of abdominal surgeries. Study Design: This was a prospective observational study from January 1, 2013 to June 30, 2013. All patients undergoing laparotomy or minimally invasive gynecologic surgery were eligible. Patients who had undergone prior pelvic surgery (except tubal sterilization), had apparent evidence of a concurrent or prior pelvic inflammatory process, or had extensive pelvic peritoneal disease (advanced ovarian cancer, severe endometriosis) were excluded. Results: Seventy-one patients were accrued. The most common preoperative diagnosis was uterine cancer (n=34). A minimally invasive approach was employed in the majority of procedures (71.8%). Forty-five patients were noted to have natural or congenital pe...
Investigation of Bulk Damage Progression and Inspection for GFRP Laminate Properties

A study has been accomplished to compare bulk material degradation in two graphite fiber-reinforced plastic (GFRP) laminates under cyclical fatigue. This study is the first in a series of experiments to characterize and quantify acoustic response to large-area bulk properties of field systems with hybrid structural composite-metallic systems. Long before failure of load-bearing composite components, stiffness reduction creates loading path changes, potentially overloading or fatiguing metallic substructure. The composite materials used in this study represent potential components and their respective correlation of stiffness changes to acoustic signal degradation through direct area measurement techniques. Specimens tested were fatigued using a sinusoidal waveform at continuous max loading and stress range at 30, 50, 60, and 70% of each layup, and UTS and cyclic stress-strain data were collected over 100,000 cycles to generate discrete levels of stiffness change. Additional specimens were cycled to one million cycles to generate higher levels of damage and determine failure life in specimens examined. All the specimens in this study were 8-ply, woven, 30.5-cm-long, 2.54-cm-wide, 0.297-cm-thick, rectangular specimens. A damage parameter based on material stiffness, as determined by changes in Young’s modulus (D = 1 − E/E0), was employed to compare the overall stiffness changes in the specimens. This damage parameter was correlated to ultrasonic scan results to provide a basis for field characterization of bulk material damage and, subsequently, life estimates of in-use structural parts. Examination of these effects showed a strong correlation of back-face signal strength to stiffness degradation in both laminates.
On the Problem of Scheduling Parallel Computations of Multibody Dynamic Analysis

A formulation of a graph problem for scheduling parallel computations of multibody dynamic analysis is presented. The complexity of scheduling parallel computations for a multibody dynamic analysis is studied. The problem of finding a shortest critical branch spanning tree is described and transformed to a minimum radius spanning tree, which is solved by an algorithm of polynomial complexity. The problems of shortest critical branch minimum weight spanning tree (SCBMWST) and the minimum weight shortest critical branch spanning tree (MWSCBST) are also presented, Both problems are shown to be NP-hard by proving that the bounded critical branch bounded weight spanning tree (BCBBWST) problem is NP-complete. It is also shown that the minimum computational cost spanning tree (MCCST) is at least as hard as SCBMWST or MWSCBST problems. bence itself an NP-hard problem. A heuristic approach to solving these problems is developed and implemented, and simulation results are discussed.
Potassium release from selected slow‐release fertilizers 1

Abstract Potassium (K) release rate from Osmocote 14–6.3–11.6 (N‐P‐k), MagAmp 7–18–5, Choice 10–4.3–8.3, Scotts 21–3–5.8 and Unimix 10–8.7–4.2 was determined. During the 63‐day experiment Osmocote and Scotts had relatively linear release rates while the release rate from the other fertilizers was initially rapid and decreased over time.
Use of postexcision preirradiation mammography in patients with ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast treated with breast-conserving therapy.

Abstract Purpose Postexcision preirradiation mammography (PPM) is frequently performed in patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) treated with breast-conserving therapy (BCT) to evaluate for residual suspicious calcifications; but no clear evidence supports this practice. The current study was undertaken to investigate the value of PPM in the management of patients with DCIS. Methods and Materials We conducted a retrospective review of patients treated for DCIS with BCT at the University of Pennsylvania. The impact of PPM on surgical management and on local recurrence was evaluated. Factors associated with the use of PPM, the results of PPM, and the likelihood of finding residual malignancy at the time of re-excision in patients with PPM were also examined. Results One hundred forty-four of 281 patients (51%) underwent PPM. Of the 144 patients who received PPM, 34 (24%; 95% confidence interval, 17%-31%) had residual suspicious calcifications (a "positive PPM"). Of the 34 patients with a positive PPM, all underwent a re-excision and 19 (56%; 95% confidence interval, 35%-70%) were found to have residual malignancy. Ten of 34 patients with a positive PPM had negative margins, of which 6 had a residual malignancy. Assuming all patients with close, positive, or indeterminate surgical margins would have undergone re-excision regardless of the findings of PPM, PPM resulted in a change in surgical management in 7% (10/144) of patients and removal of residual DCIS in 4% (6/144). With a median follow-up of 9.5 years, the use of PPM was not associated with an improvement in 10-year local recurrence-free survival (94.8% vs 91.5%, P = .368). Conclusions In this study, PPM affected surgical management in only a small percentage of patients and had no impact on local recurrence. The routine use of PPM in women undergoing BCT for DCIS may not be warranted.
The corticotropin releasing hormone gene is expressed in human placenta

Summary Maternal plasma immunoreactive corticotropin-releasing hormone (IR-CRH) increases progressively with pregnancy. This elevated plasma IR-CRH is presumably secreted by the placenta. To investigate further this hypothesis, we searched for the CRH mRNA and its peptide product in full term human placentae. Using a radiolabelled 48-mer oligonucleotide probe complementary to a portion of human CRH mRNA, we identified a 1300 nucleotide RNA from human placenta and rat hypothalami. We next examined the chromatographic characteristics of the placental IR-CRH. The bulk of the IR-CRH extracted from placenta and the IR-CRH secreted in vitro by placental fragments had the same chromatographic profiles as synthetic CRH. These findings indicate that the CRH gene is expressed in human placenta and imply that this organ is a site of CRH biosynthesis during pregnancy.
Kinetic behavior of potassium bicarbonate crystallization in a carbonate-based CO2 absorption process

Abstract A carbonate-based CO 2 absorption process is currently under development that involves crystallizing potassium bicarbonate from a potassium carbonate/bicarbonate solution to form slurry used for stripping CO 2 at high pressure. Kinetics of the bicarbonate crystallization process was investigated using a laboratory mixed suspension, mixed product removal (MSMPR) reactor. Effects of the mean residence time, agitation speed, relative supersaturation level, crystallization temperature, and suspension density on nucleation and growth rates of the bicarbonate crystals were quantified. The observed crystal population density distribution featured a size-dependent growth pattern. A three-parameter kinetic model was used for bicarbonate crystallization, and model parameters were determined by fitting the experimental data. Crystallization kinetics was applied to perform a preliminary analysis of the crystallizer design for the carbonate-based CO 2 capture process.
Current Concepts of Tuberculous Pleurisy with Effusion as Derived from Pleural Biopsy Studies

It has long been accepted that pleurisy with effusion represents a manifestation of tuberculosis in 70-80 per cent of cases.1” It has also been accepted until recent years that such effusion resulted from some type of allergic response of the pleura either to a subpleural tuberculous focus, or to the introduction of a relatively few tubercle bacilli into the pleural space, rather than from direct invasion of the pleura by tubercle bacilli. This concept grew out of Paterson’s demonstration in 1917 of a marked pleural reaction in tuberculin sensitive guinea pigs when a few tubercle bacilli were introduced.3 The older literature on this subject has been extensively reviewed and no attempt will be made to repeat this.”4 The “allergic” explanation has been employed more recently by Wallgren,’ Miller,’ Rich,7 Lindskog and Liebow,’ and Hinshaw and Garland.’ However, the advent of pleural biopsy by aspiration or open thoracotomy techniques resulted in pathologic findings which cast doubt on the “allergic” theory as the total explanation. Thus, Sutliff,’#{176} Small,” Breckler,” Heller,” and Stead,’ and their associates reported the presence of typical histologic evidence of tuberculosis of the pleura in from 70 to 100 per cent of cases studied by one or the other type of biopsy. The studies of Stead and his group’ are of special interest in that all of their 24 cases underwent complete exploratory thoracotomy. Fifteen showed a chronic granulomatous pleuritis in 12 of which a caseous subpleural tuberculous focus could be demonstrated. Seven cases showed extensive small pulmonary foci which had not been demonstrable by x-ray. Donohue, Katz and Matthews’4 recently reviewed 111 patients on whom either needle or open thoracotomy biopsies, or both, were done. Granulomatous pleuritis was demonstrable in about 70 per cent of cases whose clinical courses warranted a diagnosis of tuberculosis. Strauss, Loring, and Henderson” reported on pleural biopsy studies on 200 patients with pleural effusion both tuberculous and non-tuberculous. The tuberculous cases showed five histologic patterns: “(1) acute, edematous, hypercellular pleura, (2) non-caseating granulomata, (3) classical caseating tubercles, (4) confluent caseation with associated fibrosis, hyalinization, and calcification, and (5) hyalinized and fibrous whorls of tissue.” They state: “In pleural tuberculosis the pleura is diffusely involved by the characteristic spectrum of tuberculosis and there is little to support the former concept that tuberculous pleural effusions are due to allergic phenomenon.”
Measurements of bow shock particles far upstream from the Earth

Electrons and ions moving upstream frequently appear at distances up to 240 earth radii from earth at times when the direction of the interplanetary magnetic field allows their propagation from the bow shock. Strong asymmetries in the ion angular pitch angle distribution are often observed, a consequence of the sharp gradient in guiding center density and very weak scattering. The gradient is due to the restricted spatial region over which these particles are accelerated. The solar wind electric field acts on these particles and produces striking effects in both the ion angular distributions and the ion energy spectra. The frequent occurrence of these effects implies that the source region of the diffuse ions at the bow shock is not more than a few tens of thousands of km.
Medication reconciliation in a community pharmacy setting

Abstract Objectives To describe the types and frequencies of medication discrepancies identified through medication reconciliation in a community pharmacy setting, to identify potential correlations between a patient's electronic medical record (EMR) and pharmacy medication list, and to determine the relationship between patients who use prescribers and/or pharmacies outside of the Family Medicine Center (FMC) and the occurrence of medication discrepancies. Methods Cross-sectional comparison of patients' EMR medication lists and pharmacy medication fill history for a sample of patients presenting to the Family Medicine Pharmacy (FMP), which is located in the FMC on the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center campus in Oklahoma City. Discrepancies identified were classified according to one of six categories that included therapeutic duplication, medication exclusion, medications that should be designated inactive in the EMR medication list, and differences in medication strength, dosage form, or dosing regimen. Results A total of 100 patients were included. Most patients reported having all of their medications dispensed from FMP (89%), and most patients had prescriptions prescribed by FMC physicians only (57%). Each patient had an average of six medication discrepancies. Most discrepancies belonged to the inactive medication category (41%). The correlation between patients' FMP medication lists and their EMR medication lists was 0.73. Patients with one or more non-FMC prescribers had a greater number of medication discrepancies than patients with FMC prescribers only, but this relationship was not identified for those who used pharmacies outside of FMP ( P = 0.0264 and 0.2580, respectively). Conclusion A variety of medication discrepancies were observed, signaling a need for medication reconciliation in the outpatient setting. Future research on this topic should focus on the implications of such discrepancies in the outpatient setting, interventions to reduce the number of discrepancies, and identifying patients at high risk for such discrepancies.
Sifting and Winnowing: The Uses and Abuses of Academic Freedom

Whatever may be the limitations which trammel inquiry elsewhere, we believe that the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found. (University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, 1894)1 The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition… Academic freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research…It carries with it duties correlative with rights… Teachers are entitled to freedom in the classroom in discussing their subject, but they should be careful not to introduce into their teaching controversial matter which has no relation to their subject… College and university teachers are citizens, members of a learned profession, and officers of an educational institution. When they speak or write as citizens, they should be free from institutional censorship or discipline, but their special position in the community imposes special obligations…Hence they should at all times be accurate, should exercise appropriate restraint, should show respect for the opinions of others…(American Association of University Professors, 1940). These two straightforward statements, from 1894 and 1940, aptly express the essence of academic freedom. Yet in the contemporary academic world, this admirable ideal is sometimes distorted or invoked in ways that have little to do with its definition and purpose. Moreover, to the extent that threats to academic freedom exist, they come predominantly not from outside academia and from the political right—as was the case in the early Cold War years—but more typically from within the academy and from the left. Although there are instances of pressure from the right, they are mostly evident vis-a-vis primary and secondary education, on issues such as evolution, intelligent design, sex education, and separation of church and state or come from voices that …
Aortic valve bypass for aortic stenosis: imaging appearances on multidetector CT

Object Aortic valve bypass is a technique used in high-risk patients with critical aortic stenosis that consists of placement of a conduit from the left ventricular apex to descending aorta. We describe the imaging appearances of this apicoaortic conduit on multidetector CT (MDCT).
Oxygen bonding in GeO2 glass

Abstract Interpretation of oxygen bonding from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra of oxide glasses is always ambiguous. In this work, Ge(100) substrates with native thin GeO2 layers on them were chosen to investigate the various oxygen bonds in amorphous GeO2 because the Ge–Ge bond in the substrate provides a reference signal. Four different peaks used to fit the oxidized Ge 3d photoelectron signal were assigned to the Ge atoms bonded to four, three, two, and one oxygen atoms. In order to confirm the assignment, a 2.8 keV Ar+ beam was applied to gradually remove the GeO2 film in order to separate the contributions from different types of oxygen bonding and corresponding XPS spectra were taken to compare with the structural and compositional results obtained from the sample without sputtering. The sputtering results clearly indicate that Ge atoms bonded to four, three, and two oxygen atoms decrease in concentration and Ge atoms bonded to one oxygen atom show a slight increase with increasing sputter time. The assignment of the peaks to the different types of oxygen bonds inside GeO2 glass networks provides an important guide for analyzing the XPS data of GeO2 glass.
Regional tilt of the Mount Stuart batholith, Washington, determined using aluminum-in-hornblende barometry: Implications for northward translation of Baja British Columbia

We have developed a new quantitative method to estimate paleohorizontal in granitic plutons using the aluminum-in-hornblende (AH) barometer. The method is used to correct previously published paleomagnetic data from the 93‐96 Ma Mount Stuart batholith of the Cascades Mountains, Washington State, for the effects of postemplacement tilting. AH barometry was done on 46 samples from the batholith using the compositions of hornblende rims coexisting with the full mineral assemblage required for pressureestimation.High-contrastback-scatteredelectronimagingwas usedtoensurethattheanalyzedhornblendeswerenotsignificantly affected by subsolidus alteration. The success of the AH barometry is indicated by two observations. First, increases in the Al content of the hornblendes are governed almost entirely by a pressure-sensitive tschermak-type substitution. Second, amphibole-plagioclase thermometry indicates that assemblage equilibration occurred at or very near magmatic conditions (’650 &C) and that temperature has a negligible effect on our pressure estimates. AH barometry results indicate that the depth of crystallization across the batholith decreases systematically from ’0.3 GPa in the northwest to ’0.15 GPa in the southeast,consistentwithindependentbarometryforthecontactaureole ofthebatholithandregionalstructuralandstratigraphicrelations. Using a best-fit planar-tilt model and bootstrap analysis of uncertainties, we estimate that the paleohorizontal plane has a strike of 43& 630.4&and dip of 7& 62.0&southeast (695% confidence). Our estimated paleohorizontal allows us to restore the paleomagnetic data of Beck et al. (1981) and to estimate the original paleolatitude of the Mount Stuart batholith. Beck et al. found that the southern part of the batholith yielded a number of sites with a well-defined high-coercivity remanence. The carrier of this remanence was not resolved, but the following four lines of evidence stronglysuggestthatthepublisheddirectionswereacquiredshortly after emplacement of the batholith. (1) The ‘‘stable’’ sites all came from the shallowest and most rapidly cooled portions of the batholith as indicated by our AH results and concordant K/Ar ages for hornblende/biotite pairs. (2) The high coercivity component was always normal in polarity, which is consistent with emplacement of the Mount Stuart batholith at the end of the Cretaceous long normal. (3) Sites from the batholith and the contact aureole gave similar directions. (4) The directions show no indication of tilt-related smearing. After restoration, the paleomagnetic data indicate 42& 6 11& clockwise rotation and 3100 6 600 km of northward offset