cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Testing peripheral somatosensory neuroprostheses by recording from raccoon cortex

A topologically organized representation of the body surface exists within the mammalian somatosensory cortical areas such that stimulation of a part of the body surface will produce a response in a localized region of the contralateral somatosensory cortex. Because of this topography, we propose that the selectivity of a peripheral somatosensory neuroprosthetic electrode array can be tested by noting whether the locus of maximum activation in the cortex moves in a consistent manner when differing portions of the array are stimulated. We further propose that the raccoon might well be the ideal animal in which to test this hypothesis, since the raccoon has a rather unique cortical somatosensory area where each digit is represented in individual subgyri around the tri-radiate sulcus. To demonstrate the feasibility of this concept, a pilot study was carried out in one raccoon under barbiturate anesthesia. The median nerve was stimulated via selective quadrants of a nerve cuff array of four tripolar electrodes implanted around the nerve. Cuff stimulation produced short-latency evoked surface potentials in the digit areas of the raccoon first somatosensory cortex. Response selectivity could be demonstrated, as could a separation between thresholds for producing movement or producing cortical evoked potentials. The sensory and motor responses elicited were consistent with the orientation of the median nerve within the cuff as determined by a postmortem identification of the muscle innervation pattern of the nerve.
The effects of epimysial electrode location on phrenic nerve recruitment and the relation between tidal volume and interpulse interval

Electrode location is of vital importance to diaphragm pacing devices using electrodes implanted on the diaphragm. Complete phrenic nerve recruitment with a single epimysial electrode implanted on the abdominal surface of the diaphragm required placement within 1 cm of the motor point. Recruitment could be increased further using multiple electrodes, provided the electrodes were implanted on opposite sides of the phrenic nerve motor point. The location of the implanted electrode relative to the phrenic nerve motor point also affected the relation between the stimulus interpulse interval (IPI) and the measured tidal volume. Specifically, the authors found that electrodes implanted lateral to the phrenic nerve motor point had different tidal volume-IPI relations than electrodes placed anterior or posterior to the motor point. The authors concluded that properly placed epimysial electrodes are required to obtain adequate phrenic nerve recruitment for full time ventilation and knowledge of the relative location of the electrode with respect to motor point is necessary to predict the tidal volume produced by a specific IPI.
Capacity and limits of associative memory in pigeons.

How much information can a brain store over a lifetime’s experience? The answer to this important, but little researched, question was investigated by looking at the long-term visual memory capacity of 2 pigeons. Over 700 sessions, the pigeons were tested with an increasingly larger pool of pictorial stimuli in a two-alternative discrimination task (incremented in sets of 20 or 30 pictures). Each picture was randomly assigned to either a right or a left choice response, forcing the pigeons to memorize each picture and its associated response. At the end of testing, 1 pigeon was performing at 73% accuracy with a memory set of over 1,800 pictures, and the 2nd was at 76% accuracy with a memory set of over 1,600 pictures. Adjusted for guessing, models of the birds’ performance suggested that the birds had access, on average, to approximately 830 memorized picture—response associations and that these were retained for months at a time. Reaction time analyses suggested that access to these memories was parallel in nature. Over the last 6 months of testing, this capacity estimate was stable for both birds, despite their learning increasingly more items, suggesting some limit on the number of picture—response associations that could be discriminated and retained in the long-term memory portion of this task. This represents the first empirically established limit on long-term memory use for any vertebrate species. The existence of this large exemplar-specific memory capacity has important implications for the evolution of stimulus control and for current theories of avian and human cognition.
Contact pressures in the flexed hip joint during lateral trochanteric loading

Acetabular fractures are an especially problematic outcome of motor vehicle side impacts. While fracture type has been correlated with impact direction and femoral orientation, actual contact pressures in the hip joint have not been quantified for lateral loading conditions. In the present study, we used pressure sensitive film to measure contact areas and pressures in seven hip joints from four cadavers under quasi-static lateral loading through the greater trochanter. The aim was to quantify the interactions of the femoral head with the acetabulum associated with variations in femoral orientation. Three angles of hip flexion (80 degrees , 90 degrees , 100 degrees ) and hip abduction (-10 degrees , 0 degrees , 10 degrees ) were tested, producing nine test orientations for each joint. We observed that contact areas, pressures, and forces varied significantly with femoral orientation for the adducted hip. The principal locations of load transmission were in the anterior and posterior regions of the acetabulum. For the abducted femur, contact pressures were concentrated anteriorly, and with increased adduction, anterior contact pressures diminished while posterior and superior pressures increased. The movement of pressure sites was consistent with mechanisms of acetabular fractures described by Letournel and Judet and provides new data for validation of finite element models of the pelvis in side impact.
Orthosteric and Allosteric Ligands of Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors for Smoking Cessation

Nicotine addiction, the result of tobacco use, leads to over six million premature deaths world-wide per year, a number that is expected to increase by a third within the next two decades. While more than half of smokers want and attempt to quit, only a small percentage of smokers are able to quit without pharmacological interventions. Therefore, over the past decades, researchers in academia and the pharmaceutical industry have focused their attention on the development of more effective smoking cessation therapies, which is now a growing 1.9 billion dollar market. Because the role of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) in nicotine addiction is well established, nAChR based therapeutics remain the leading strategy for smoking cessation. However, the development of neuronal nAChR drugs that are selective for a nAChR subpopulation is challenging, and only few neuronal nAChR drugs are clinically available. Among the many neuronal nAChR subtypes that have been identified in the brain, the α4β2 subtype is the most abundant and plays a critical role in nicotine addiction. Here, we review the role of neuronal nAChRs, especially the α4β2 subtype, in the development and treatment of nicotine addiction. We also compare available smoking cessation medications and other nAChR orthosteric and allosteric ligands that have been developed with emphasis on the difficulties faced in the development of clinically useful compounds with high nAChR subtype selectivity.
The Way Things Work: Procedures, Processes, and Institutional Records

This paper looks at the writings of selected organizational theorists and how they reflect or contradict diplomatic principles, particularly the concept of genese or process. The potential contributions of organizational theorists to archival theory and management are discussed. Specifically, processes are examined both as standard operating procedures that can easily be articulated and as work practices that evolve over time and often defy explanation. Finally, the relationships between processes, records, and record-keeping systems are explored along with issues of accountability and organizational culture. It is argued that a more sophisticated view of organizational processes can change the interpretative context and thus alter archivists' understanding of the role of records and recordkeeping systems in organizations.
Troposphere-Stratosphere Coupling in the Tropics: The Role of El Nino and the QBO

The chemical composition and dynamics of the tropical stratosphere are largely determined by forcing from the underlying troposphere,transmitted through the tropical tropopause. The properties of the tropopause region of the atmosphere are reviewed, with emphasis on the roles of Pacific sea-surface temperature variability in the El Nino mode and the stratospheric QBO as the principal factors that determine interannual variations.
Adhesives from Natural Resources

Revue des differents adhesifs d'origine naturelle repartis en trois classes. Procede de preparation d'adhesifs a partir de differentes formes de biomasse et de ses derives: lignine, composes phenoliques provenant des residus de fabrication de la pâte a papier, composes phenoliques provenant de la pyrolyse de biomasse, ecorce et autres dechets agricoles
The Flawed Trail Smelter Procedure: the Wrong Tribunal, the Wrong Parties, and the Wrong Law

Trail Smelter is known for its famous holding: "no State has the right to use or permit the use of its territory in such a manner as to cause injury by fumes in or to the territory of another or the properties or persons therein, when the case is of serious consequence and the injury is established by clear and convincing evidence." The meaning, relevance, and implications of those words have been the subject of an immense amount of scholarly attention. But the procedure that resulted in that holding is worthy of study in its own right. The U.S. and Canadian governments created an innovative mechanism to address a paradigmatic example of a widespread problem in international relations: transboundary environmental harm caused and felt by private actors. The procedure was apparently successful. It resulted in a decision accepted by the governments, payment of damages to the private victims of the pollution, and changes in the operation of the polluter to reduce the level of transboundary harm. Despite this apparent success, however, the Trail Smelter procedure has proved to be remarkably unattractive to governments as a method of resolving international environmental disputes. Indeed, it has never been used again to resolve a private dispute over international environmental harm. Why not? Why do governments refuse to employ the Trail Smelter procedural precedent? This essay argues that the refusal to apply the Trail Smelter procedure to resolve private international environmental conflicts is based at least in part on fundamental flaws in the procedure itself. In establishing the procedure, the U.S. and Canadian governments faced three basic questions: (a) whether to refer the dispute to an international or a domestic tribunal; (b) whether to allow the real parties in interest to appear on their own behalf, or to appear for them; and (c) whether to instruct the tribunal to apply domestic or international law. The governments' decisions on each of these points must have seemed reasonable at the time. But each of the decisions has proved unworkable. The governments chose the wrong tribunal, the wrong parties, and the wrong law. As a result, the Trail Smelter procedure has turned out to be useful primarily as an example of what not to do.
Apertureless Scanning Raman Microscopy

We have developed a novel experimental configuration for local chemical characterization by combining the analytical power of Raman spectroscopy with the nanometer resolution of the atomic force microscope (AFM). Preliminary results indicate that using the SERS effect yields a large local magnification of the Raman signal.
Public or private? The influence of immigration on native schooling choices in the United States☆

Abstract This study examines whether rising enrollments of foreign-born students in US public schools caused a movement among native children from public schools to private schools, something the literature has labeled native flight to private school. Using data from the National Center of Educational Statistics School District Demographic System, estimates of native flight are constructed using enrollment data on native and foreign-born, school-age children from 1990, 2000, and 2010. Concern regarding omitted variables bias necessitates the use of an instrumental variables technique. An instrument for the foreign-born enrollment is created using information about the ethnic composition of school districts in 1980 to predict the enrollment patterns of foreign-born students in later years. Two-stage least squares estimates confirm the presence of native flight. Flight to private school among white native students is occurring in smaller school districts in non-traditional immigrant receiving states, while flight among native minorities and Hispanics is located in school districts that reside in traditional immigrant receiving states.
Hepatitis Virus Infections in Poultry

SUMMARY Viral hepatitis in poultry is a complex disease syndrome caused by several viruses belonging to different families including avian hepatitis E virus (HEV), duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV), duck hepatitis A virus (DHAV-1, -2, -3), duck hepatitis virus Types 2 and 3, fowl adenoviruses (FAdV), and turkey hepatitis virus (THV). While these hepatitis viruses share the same target organ, the liver, they each possess unique clinical and biological features. In this article, we aim to review the common and unique features of major poultry hepatitis viruses in an effort to identify the knowledge gaps and aid the prevention and control of poultry viral hepatitis. Avian HEV is an Orthohepevirus B in the family Hepeviridae that naturally infects chickens and consists of three distinct genotypes worldwide. Avian HEV is associated with hepatitis-splenomegaly syndrome or big liver and spleen disease in chickens, although the majority of the infected birds are subclinical. Avihepadnaviruses in the family of Hepadna...
The Acute-Phase Protein Serum Amyloid A Induces G-CSF Expression.

Host response to injury and infection is accompanied by a rapid rise of acute-phase proteins in the blood. Serum amyloid A (SAA) is a major acute-phase protein, and has been used as a marker for inflammatory diseases. However, its precise role in inflammation has not been defined. In our previous study, we found that SAA can induce IL-8 and TNF-alpha secretion from peripheral blood neutrophils, which indicates that SAA has cytokine-like functions. We have also identified SAA as an endogenous ligand that induces the expression of interleukin-23 (IL-23), a hetero-dimeric cytokine that promotes autoimmune inflammation. In this study, we reported that SAA stimulates monocytes to secret granulocyte colony-stimulated factor (G-CSF), a cytokine and a major hematopoietic growth factor. Injection of SAA into mouse peritoneum significantly increases the number of neutrophils in both peritoneal cavity and blood circulation. These results suggest that SAA can induce granulocytosis during infection and inflammation. We hypothesize that during the inflammation, locally or systematically produced SAA can increase the number of neutrophils in blood circulation and recruits them to injured or infected sites through induction of G-CSF.
Assessment of chest CT at CTDIvol less than 1 mGy with iterative reconstruction techniques.

Objective:To assess the image quality of chest CT reconstructed with image-based iterative reconstruction (SafeCT; MedicVision®, Tirat Carmel, Israel), adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR; GE Healthcare, Waukesha, WI) and model-based iterative reconstruction (MBIR; GE Healthcare, Waukesha, WI) techniques at CT dose index volume (CTDIvol) <1 mGy.Methods:In an institutional review board-approved study, 25 patients gave written informed consent for acquisition of three reduced dose (0.25-, 0.4- and 0.8-mGy) chest CT after standard of care CT (8 mGy) on a 64-channel multidetector CT (MDCT) and reconstructed with SafeCT, ASIR and MBIR. Two board-certified thoracic radiologists evaluated images from the lowest to the highest dose of the reduced dose CT series and subsequently for standard of care CT.Results:Out of the 182 detected lesions, the missed lesions were 35 at 0.25, 24 at 0.4 and 9 at 0.8 mGy with SafeCT, ASIR and MBIR, respectively. The most missed lesions were non-calcified lung nodul...
Abnormal Uterine Bleeding in Women with Infertility

Abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) is a common gynecologic complaint of reproductive-age women that necessitates careful evaluation due to potential underlying structural and systemic abnormalities. The majority of studies on AUB and infertility examine these topics separately, despite emerging evidence that many etiologies of AUB influence fertility. This review aims to provide an updated perspective on the diagnosis and management of AUB in the context of the infertility evaluation. The FIGO PALM-COEIN classification of AUB allows for the precise identification of systemic and structural causes to guide management. Pelvic ultrasound continues to be an accessible first-line imaging technique with high sensitivity for detecting structural etiologies of abnormal bleeding, particularly when used with color Doppler or 3D imaging. Notably, recent studies suggest that many of the endometrial pathologies that lead to AUB can also negatively impact endometrial receptivity, perhaps contributing to infertility in some women. While the impact of systemic causes of AUB, such as ovulatory dysfunction, on infertility is widely recognized, the extents to which endometrial disorders and discrete structural lesions affect fertility are not entirely understood. More research is needed to assess the impact of structural abnormalities and their treatment on subsequent fertility outcomes in women with AUB.
Targeting mitochondrial dysfunction in CNS injury using Methylene Blue; still a magic bullet?

Abstract Complex, multi-factorial secondary injury cascades are initiated following traumatic brain injury, which makes this a difficult disease to treat. The secondary injury cascades following the primary mechanical tissue damage, are likely where effective therapeutic interventions may be targeted. One promising therapeutic target following brain injury are mitochondria. Mitochondria are complex organelles found within the cell, which act as powerhouses within all cells by supplying ATP. These organelles are also necessary for calcium cycling, redox signaling and play a major role in the initiation of cell death pathways. When mitochondria become dysfunctional, there is a tendency for the cell to loose cellular homeostasis and can lead to eventual cell death. Targeting of mitochondrial dysfunction in various diseases has proven a successful approach, lending support to mitochondria as a pivotal player in TBI cell death and loss of behavioral function. Within this mixed mini review/research article there will be a general discussion of mitochondrial bioenergetics, followed by a brief discussion of traumatic brain injury and how mitochondria play an integral role in the neuropathological sequelae following an injury. We will also give an overview of one relatively new TBI therapeutic approach, Methylene Blue, currently being studied to ameliorate mitochondrial dysfunction following brain injury. We will also present novel experimental findings, that for the first time, characterize the ex vivo effect of Methylene Blue on mitochondrial function in synaptic and non-synaptic populations of mitochondria.
Use of Electronic Cigarettes Leads to Significant Beta2-Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Occupancy: Evidence From a PET Imaging Study.

Background Electronic cigarettes (ECs) can influence nicotine addiction by delivering aerosolized nicotine. We investigated if nicotine from ECs is delivered to the brain β2*-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (β2*-nAChR) and how this relates to the behavioral effects and nicotine delivery from cigarettes. Methods Seven nicotine users participated in positron emission tomography (PET) studies with (-)-[18F]Flubatine before and after nicotine challenge with 0, 8, and 36 mg/ml nicotine in a 3.3 Volt, 1.5 Ohm EC or a standard tobacco cigarette. Craving was evaluated before and after product use. Results Average β2*-nAChR occupancy was higher after 36 mg/ml EC challenge compared to 8 mg/ml EC at trend level. Average β2*-nAChR occupancy after tobacco cigarette smoking was 68 ± 18% and was not different compared with 8 mg/ml (64 ± 17%,) or 36 mg/ml (84 ± 3%) nicotine in EC users. Area under the curve (AUC) of blood nicotine level was higher in the cigarette smoking group compared with the 8mg/ml group (p = 0.03), but similar compared with the 36 mg/ml EC (p = 0.29). Drug craving was reduced after use of the tobacco cigarette, 8 mg/ml EC, and 36 mg/ml EC. Conclusions In this novel investigation of EC effects at β2*-nAChRs, we show that average β2*-nAChR occupancy was higher after 36 mg/ml EC challenge compared with 8 mg/ml EC. Receptor occupancy and arterial blood nicotine levels after cigarette smoking were similar to 36 mg/ml EC use under controlled conditions. These findings suggest that the ECs studied here have abuse liability and may provide an adequate alternative nicotine delivery system for cigarette smokers. Implications This is the first study to directly determine the neurologic effects of electronic cigarettes on human brain beta-2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors using PET neuroimaging with (-)-[18F]Flubatine, a novel radiotracer. Our findings suggest that the e-cigarettes studied here have abuse liability and may provide an adequate alternative nicotine delivery system for cigarette smokers.
The Dogs That Didn’t Bark

Much of the scholarship seeking to understand why Donetsk and Luhansk succumbed to separatist takeovers in 2014, while other parts of eastern Ukraine did not, has focused on popular sentiment and economic exposure to Russia as explanatory variables. However, closer examination suggests that these factors are insufficient to explain why the central state was able to maintain or reassert control everywhere except the Donbas region. This paper argues that the success or failure of separatist movements across eastern Ukraine is best understood with reference to the preferences and actions of local political and economic elites.
Instability of the Hip Joint After Posterior Acetabular Wall Fracture: Independent Risk Factors Remain Elusive.

Background Exact determinants of hip instability have not been established for fractures of the posterior wall of the acetabulum involving ≤50% of the wall. Therefore, examination of the hip under anesthesia (EUA) is routinely performed. Recently, the superior exit point of the fracture has been reported to be an important identifiable risk factor. Pre-existing adult hip dysplasia (developmental dysplasia of the hip [DDH]) is thought to have a similar role. The purpose of this study was to determine if any known radiographic measurements and signs associated with DDH, or any fracture characteristics, are independent risk factors for hip instability after fracture of the posterior wall of the acetabulum. Methods All patients with a posterior acetabular wall fracture (OTA 62.A1) treated at our institution between 2004 and 2015 were considered for the study. Inclusion criteria were an age of ≥18 years, an isolated posterior acetabular wall fracture involving ≤50% of the acetabular wall, adequate imaging, and documented EUA results. Evaluated variables included fracture fragment size, superior exit point of the fracture, center-edge angle, acetabular index, Tonnis angle, lateralized head sign, crossover sign, posterior wall sign, ischial spine sign, and hip version. Data were examined using univariate testing, followed by a multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results Sixty-eight patients met all of the inclusion criteria. Univariate analyses identified the posterior wall sign (p = 0.033), ischial spine sign (p = 0.030), and proximity of the superior exit point of the fracture to the acetabular dome (p = 0.044) as having a significant association with hip instability. However, multivariate logistic regression modeling revealed that none of these factors were significant independent risk factors. Conclusions Consistent with previous studies, univariate analyses identified certain radiographic findings as significant risk factors for hip instability in the setting of a fracture of the posterior wall of the acetabulum. However, subsequent multivariate logistic regression modeling showed that no studied variable was an independent risk factor. Our results indicate that important factors leading to hip instability are yet to be identified or the contributions of the measured variables are relatively small. Therefore, EUA should remain the main clinical determinant of hip stability status. Level of evidence Prognostic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
A sixth order finite difference scheme for the convection diffusion equation

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses a new sixth-order difference scheme, exploiting the Richardson extrapolation compact technique (REC) and an operator interpolation scheme to solve the convection diffusion equations. The sixth-order difference scheme is based on the fourth-order compact difference scheme and results in solving tridiagonal linear systems. A detailed derivation procedure for the one-dimensional (1D) problem and generalize it to the two dimensions through the alternating direction implicit (ADI) method is also provided. The REC scheme is explicit as only the approximate values of the solution function are computed. The combined compact difference (CCD) scheme is implicit as the approximate values of the first and second derivatives as well as the approximate values of the solution function are computed.
Tacrolimus Concentration in Saliva of Kidney Transplant Recipients: Factors Influencing the Relationship with Whole Blood Concentrations.

The objective of this study was to examine the association between tacrolimus concentration in oral fluids and in whole blood and to investigate the various factors that influence this relationship. Forty-six adult kidney transplant recipients were included in the study. Study A (ten patients) included the collection of several paired oral fluid samples by passive drool over a 12-h post-dose period. Study B (36 patients) included the collection of oral fluids pre-dose and at 2 h after the tacrolimus dose under three conditions: un-stimulated, after stimulation with a tart candy, and after mouth rinsing. The tacrolimus concentration in oral fluids was measured by a specially developed sensitive and specific liquid chromatography mass spectrometry method. A salivary transferrin concentration of >1 mg/dL was used as a cut-off value for oral fluid blood contamination. Rinsing the oral cavity before sampling proved to provide the most suitable sampling strategy giving a correlation coefficient value of 0.71 (p = 0.001) between the tacrolimus concentration in oral fluids and the tacrolimus concentration in whole blood at trough. Mean and 95% confidence interval of tacrolimus concentration in oral fluids at the pre-dose concentration for samples collected after mouth rinsing was 584 (436, 782) pg/mL. The ratio of the tacrolimus concentration in oral fluids to the tacrolimus concentration in whole blood (*100) was 11% (95% confidence interval 9–13) for all sampling times. Oral fluid pH or weight of a saliva sample did not influence the tacrolimus concentration in oral fluids. Tacrolimus distribution into oral fluids exhibited a delay with a pronounced counter-clockwise hysteresis with respect to the time after dose. A multivariate analysis of variance revealed that the tacrolimus concentration in oral fluids is related to the tacrolimus concentration in whole blood and tacrolimus plasma-binding proteins including albumin and cholesterol. An optimal sampling strategy for the determination of the tacrolimus concentration in oral fluids was established. Measuring the tacrolimus concentration in oral fluids appears to be a feasible and non-invasive method for predicting the concentration of tacrolimus in whole blood.
Safety in Acute Pain Medicine-Pharmacologic Considerations and the Impact of Systems-Based Gaps.

Objective In the setting of an expanding prevalence of acute pain medicine services and the aggressive use of multimodal analgesia, an overview of systems-based safety gaps and safety concerns in the setting of aggressive multimodal analgesia is provided below. Setting Expert commentary. Methods Recent evidence focused on systems-based gaps in acute pain medicine is discussed. A focused literature review was conducted to assess safety concerns related to commonly used multimodal pharmacologic agents (opioids, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, gabapentanoids, ketamine, acetaminophen) in the setting of inpatient acute pain management. Conclusions Optimization of systems-based gaps will increase the probability of accurate pain assessment, improve the application of uniform evidence-based multimodal analgesia, and ensure a continuum of pain care. While acute pain medicine strategies should be aggressively applied, multimodal regimens must be strategically utilized to minimize risk to patients and in a comorbidity-specific fashion.
Nuclide composition non-uniformity in used nuclear fuel for considerations in pyroprocessing safeguards

Abstract An analysis of a pyroprocessing safeguards methodology employing the Pu-to-244Cm ratio is presented. The analysis includes characterization of representative used nuclear fuel assemblies with respect to computed nuclide composition. The nuclide composition data computationally generated is appropriately reformatted to correspond with the material conditions after each step in the head-end stage of pyroprocessing. Uncertainty in the Pu-to-244Cm ratio is evaluated using the Geary-Hinkley transformation method. This is because the Pu-to-244Cm ratio is a Cauchy distribution since it is the ratio of two normally distributed random variables. The calculated uncertainty of the Pu-to-244Cm ratio is propagated through the mass flow stream in the pyroprocessing steps. Finally, the probability of Type-I error for the plutonium Material Unaccounted For (MUF) is evaluated by the hypothesis testing method as a function of the sizes of powder particles and granules, which are dominant parameters to determine the sample size. The results show the probability of Type-I error is occasionally greater than 5%. However, increasing granule sample sizes could surmount the weakness of material accounting because of the non-uniformity of nuclide composition.
Comparative feeding strategies and kinematics in phocid seals: suction without specialized skull morphology

Feeding kinematic studies inform our understanding of behavioral diversity and provide a framework for studying the flexibility and constraints of different prey acquisition strategies. However, little is known about the feeding behaviors used by many marine mammals. We characterized the feeding behaviors and associated kinematics of captive bearded (Erignathus barbatus), harbor (Phoca vitulina), ringed (Pusa hispida) and spotted (Phoca largha) seals through controlled feeding trials. All species primarily used a suction feeding strategy but were also observed using a biting strategy, specifically pierce feeding. Suction feeding was distinct from pierce feeding and was characterized by significantly faster feeding times, smaller gapes and gape angles, smaller gular depressions and fewer jaw motions. Most species showed higher variability in suction feeding performance than in pierce feeding, indicating that suction feeding is a behaviorally flexible strategy. Bearded seals were the only species for which there was strong correspondence between skull and dental morphology and feeding strategy, providing further support for their classification as suction feeding specialists. Harbor, ringed and spotted seals have been classified as pierce feeders based on skull and dental morphologies. Our behavioral and kinematic analyses show that suction feeding is also an important feeding strategy for these species, indicating that skull morphology alone does not capture the true diversity of feeding behaviors used by pinnipeds. The ability of all four species to use more than one feeding strategy is likely advantageous for foraging in spatially and temporally dynamic marine ecosystems that favor opportunistic predators.
Plant Cytomechanics and Its Relationship to the Development of Form

What is the relationship between cellular mechanics and the development of form in organisms? We see from the chapters in this book that the cell is rich in ultrastructural machinery which performs various kinds of tasks within the cell; organizing subcellular components, contributing to directional transport, and in some cases controlling the shape and morphology of individual cells.
Rheumatic Valvular Disease

The mitral valve apparatus is composed of the anterior and posterior leaflets attached by chordae tendinae to their respective papillary muscles. The anterior leaflet is triangular and has a fibrous attachment to the aortic root; the posterior leaflet is quadrangular and is attached to two-thirds of the annulus fibrosis. The two leaflets are joined by commissural tissue. Whereas the anterior leaflet is mobile, the posterior is restricted in its movement and acts as a buttress so that in systole both leaflets are firmly apposed along their margins.
Why is it difficult to find comprehensive information? Implications of information scatter for search and design: Research Articles

The rapid development of Web sites providing extensive coverage of a topic, coupled with the development of powerful search engines (designed to help users find such Web sites), suggests that users can easily find comprehensive information about a topic. In domains such as consumer healthcare, finding comprehensive information about a topic is critical as it can improve a patient's judgment in making healthcare decisions, and can encourage higher compliance with treatment. However, recent studies show that despite using powerful search engines, many healthcare information seekers have difficulty finding comprehensive information even for narrow healthcare topics because the relevant information is scattered across many Web sites. To date, no studies have analyzed how facts related to a search topic are distributed across relevant Web pages and Web sites. In this study, the distribution of facts related to five common healthcare topics across high-quality sites is analyzed, and the reasons underlying those distributions are explored. The analysis revealed the existence of few pages that had many facts, many pages that had few facts, and no single page or site that provided all the facts. While such a distribution conforms to other information-related phenomena, a deeper analysis revealed that the distributions were caused by a trade-off between depth and breadth, leading to the existence of general, specialized, and sparse pages. Furthermore, the results helped to make explicit the knowledge needed by searchers to find comprehensive healthcare information, and suggested the motivation to explore distribution-conscious approaches for the development of future search systems, search interfaces, Web page designs, and training. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Eating Disorders in Adolescence

Eating disorders are serious illnesses that usually begin during adolescence and are often associated with significant medical complications and psychological impairment. Children and adolescents often do not meet full criteria for anorexia nervosa (AN) or bulimia nervosa (BN); however, those with subthreshold eating disorders have not been found to differ significantly from those with full threshold AN or BN in terms of psychopathology or medical complications. Eating disorders are multifaceted illnesses with biological, psychological, and environmental risk factors, including weight concerns, dieting behavior, negative emotionality, genetics, and sociocultural influences. The treatment of eating disorders requires a team approach, with a mental health expert to address the patient’s psychotherapeutic needs, a physician to monitor the patient’s physical health, and, if necessary, a psychiatrist to manage comorbid psychiatric concerns. Family-based treatment has been found to be an effective form of treatment for adolescents with AN, and cognitive-behavioral therapy, adapted for use with adolescents, has shown promise in the treatment of adolescents with BN.
Physical Activity and Sleep Quality and Duration During Pregnancy Among Hispanic Women: Estudio PARTO

Objective/Background: Poor sleep during pregnancy is common and is associated with pregnancy complications. Physical activity (PA) is associated with better sleep in nonpregnant populations. Howeve...
Using sensory and consumer science in drug delivery system optimization: mixed methods in women of color as a case study

Abstract Although sensory and consumer science methods may have originated in the food and beverage industries, they have widespread application for many other products, including fast moving consumer goods, personal care, and more recently, pharmaceuticals. Here, we present the later as a case study, showing how sensory methods can be applied to preclinical optimization of drug delivery systems. Past clinical trials suggest vaginal microbicides may be an effective means for women to protect themselves from HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs); critically however, these microbicides will not work if they are not used due to poor acceptability. Multiple factors influence microbicide acceptability, including product features as well as cultural and social factors. In an iterative process, we developed soft-gel vaginal suppositories and have shown that properties like firmness, size, and shape all influence women’s willingness to try. However, our prior work was conducted among white women in a rural setting, so we revisited these questions in women of color using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Here, women of color evaluated suppositories of different fracturability, firmness, size, and shape. We assessed willingness to try and imagined ease of insertion, and used Just About Right (JAR) scales to measure appropriateness of firmness and size. To better understand reasons underlying these quantitative results, qualitative reactions to suppositories of different sizes, shapes, and firmness level were obtained via focus groups with women of color. This work illustrates a) how sensory and consumer science methods can be used to optimize acceptability of drug delivery systems, and b) how mixed methods provide more complete insights than purely quantitative approaches.
Prospective evaluation of frailty and functional independence in older adult trauma patients.

Abstract Background The aim of our study was to assess the association between frailty and functional status in geriatric trauma patients. Methods 3-year(2013–2015) prospective analysis and included all geriatric trauma patients(≥65y) discharged to a single rehabilitation center from our level-I trauma center. Frailty was measured using Trauma-Specific-Frailty-Index(TSFI) while Functional status was assessed using functional-independence-measure(FIM) at admission and discharge from rehabilitation center. Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed. Results 267 patients were enrolled. Mean age was 76.9 ± 7.1y, 63.6% were males. Overall, 22.8% were frail, and 37.4% were pre-frail. On linear regression, higher motor-FIM, higher cognitive-FIM scores at admission, and longer length-of-stay at rehab were independently associated with increased discharge FIM score. While, ISS(injury-severity-score), pre-frail and frail status were negatively correlated with FIM gain. Conclusion Frail patients were less likely to recover to their baseline functional status compared with non-frail patients. Early focused intervention in frail elderly patients is warranted to improve functional status in this population.
Biosynthesis of reovirus-specified polypeptides. Molecular cDNA cloning and nucleotide sequence of the reovirus serotype 1 Lang strain s3 mRNA which encodes the nonstructural RNA-binding protein sigma NS.

Summary Human reovirus serotype 1 Lang strain Summary mRNA, which encodes the nonstructural RNA-binding polypeptide sigma NS, was cloned as a cDNA: mRNA heteroduplex in Eschericia coli using phage M13. A complete consensus nucleotide sequence was determined. The Lang strain Summary mRNA is 1198 nucleotides in length and possesses an open reading frame with a coding capacity of 366 amino acids, sufficient to account for a sigma NS polypeptide of 41,179 daltons. Comparison of the serotype 1 (Lang) Summary sequence with the serotype 3 (Dearing) S3 sequence reveals 86.8 percent homology at the nucleotide level. The predicted sigma NS polypeptides of the Lang and Dearing strains display 97 percent homology at the amino acid level.
Task Replication for Vehicular Cloud: Contextual Combinatorial Bandit with Delayed Feedback

Vehicular Cloud Computing (VCC) is a new technological shift which exploits the computation and storage resources on vehicles for computational service provisioning. Spare onboard resources are pooled by a VCC operator, e.g. a roadside unit, to serve computational tasks using the vehicle-as-a-resource framework. This paper investigates timely service provisioning for deadline-constrained tasks in VCC systems by leveraging the task replication technique (i.e., allowing one task to be executed by vehicles). A learning-based algorithm, called DATEV (Deadline-Aware Task rEplication for Vehicular Cloud), is proposed to address the special issues in VCC systems including uncertainty of vehicle movements, volatile vehicle members, and large vehicle population. The proposed algorithm is developed based on a novel contextual-combinatorial multi-armed bandit learning framework. DATE-V is “ contextual ” because it utilizes side information (context) of vehicles and tasks to infer the completion probability of a task replication under random vehicle movements. DATE-V is “combinatorial” because it replicates the received task and sends task replications to multiple vehicles to guarantee the service timeliness. When learning with multi-armed bandit, DATE-V also addresses the practical concern of delayed feedbacks caused by the task transmission/computational delay in using VCC. We rigorously prove that our learning algorithm achieves a sublinear regret bound compared to an oracle algorithm that knows the exact completion probability of any task replications. Simulations are carried out based on real-world vehicle movement traces and the results show that DATE-V significantly outperforms benchmark solutions.
Pondering an Ideal Worker in Academia and Consideration of a ‘New’ Normal of Faculty Work-Life

This chapter sets out to discuss the notion of what is the perception of faculty work-life in academia, grounding examples of faculty work-life from research studies conducted in the United States. Specifically, the discussion ponders if there is an understanding or an inherent understanding of a ‘new’ normal of faculty work-life and offers recommendations for practice and suggestions that may guide policy considerations for faculty work-life in academia. The authors first discuss the concept of all-access to technology as the premise that faculty work can conceivably be done anytime, anywhere as faculty see fit to do so. This discussion anchors the premise that a ‘new’ normal of faculty work-life is predicated on engaging in time for work that can vary from a so-called typical 8 am to 5 pm schedule. Next, a discussion of empirical research on faculty-work life in U.S. institutions is added to further the readers’ understanding on some issues explored about the integration of faculty work-life aspects. The concept of “work-family boundary management styles” (Kossek & Lautsch, Organizational Psychology Review, 2(2), 152–171, 2012) is also discussed to further our notion in understanding a consideration of a ‘new’ normal of faculty work-life, whereby the authors of this chapter extend assumptions made for a ‘new’ normal of faculty work-life and higher education institution’s role in defining and shaping the ‘ideal worker in academia’. The chapter proffers some suggestions for practice and plausible considerations for policy as a meKathrinens to further understanding and acknowledging a ‘new’ normal of faculty work-life as it relates to reflective questions and responses particular to pondering a ‘new’ normal of faculty work-life. Lastly, a summary discussion considers the notion of technology as part of understanding the ‘new’ normal of faculty work-life and recommendation is extended for research consideration.
A National Survey of Orthopaedic Residents Identifies Deficiencies in the Understanding of Medical Statistics.

BACKGROUND Biomedical research is essential for optimizing patient care. Research has suggested inadequacies in nonorthopaedic trainees' understanding of study design and biostatistics. This study assesses orthopaedic residents' knowledge of common biostatistical and study design concepts, as well as their confidence in utilizing the medical literature. METHODS A validated survey assessing knowledge and the application of study design concepts was administered to residents at 10 U.S. institutions. The survey tested knowledge as well as confidence and attitudes regarding common biostatistics principles. The association of demographic characteristics, work activities, and confidence and attitude ratings with test performance were examined using t tests and analysis of variance. RESULTS The survey response rate was 64% (178 of 279). The largest group of participants were men (83%, 137 of 165), were between the ages of 26 and 30 years (59%, 105 of 177), and had graduated medical school within the past 4 to 10 years (43%, 76 of 175). Fifty-three percent (93 of 176) had prior biostatistics training, while 44% (77 of 176) had prior epidemiology training. Less than 5% of biostatistics or epidemiology training had taken place after medical school. Forty-seven percent (83 of 176) were unable to determine a study's design. Thirty-eight percent (67 of 178) could not apply the concept of specificity and sensitivity. Eighty-three percent (147 of 178) could not assess the strength of a relationship using odds ratios. Sixty-nine percent (123 of 178) understood the implications of p values. Previous biostatistics training, but not epidemiology or evidence-based medicine training; inclusion of reading research, attending conferences, and data analysis; as well as a self-reported finding of statistics as important for the analysis of one's own research data were significantly associated with better test performance (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Notable deficits exist in orthopaedic residents' biostatistical knowledge. Greater emphasis is needed to improve biostatistics and research design training. The impact of biostatistics knowledge and/or aptitude on clinical decision-making is an area of suggested research.