cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Disconnected pancreatic duct syndrome predicts failure of percutaneous therapy in necrotizing pancreatitis

Abstract Background/objectives Minimally invasive approaches, such as percutaneous drainage (PD), are increasingly utilized as initial treatment in necrotizing pancreatitis (NP) requiring intervention. Predictors of success of PD as definitive treatment are lacking. Our aim was to assess the application, predictors of success, and natural history of PD in NP. We hypothesized that necrosis morphology patterns and disconnected pancreatic duct syndrome (DPDS) may predict the ability of PD to provide definitive therapy. Methods 714 NP patients were treated from 2005 to 2018. Patients achieving disease resolution with PD alone (PD) were compared to those requiring an escalation in intervention (Step). Outcomes were compared between groups using independent samples t-test, Fisher’s exact test, and Pearson’s correlation, as appropriate. P Results 115 patients were initially managed with PD (42 PD, 73 Step). No difference in necrosis morphology was seen between the two groups. The PD group underwent significantly more repeat percutaneous interventions (PD, 3.2; Step, 2.0; P = 0.0006) including additional drain placement and drain upsize/reposition procedures. Patients with DPDS were more likely to require an escalation in intervention (odds ratio, 3.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.5–7.6; P = 0.003). The mean number of months to NP resolution was similar (PD, 5.7; Step, 5.8; P = 0.9). Mortality was similar (PD, 7%; Step 14%, P = 0.3). Conclusions Necrosis morphology in and of itself does not reliably predict successful definitive treatment by percutaneous drainage. However, patients with disconnected pancreatic duct syndrome were less likely to have definitive resolution with PD alone.
O21 Initial Evaluation of Louisiana's “Small Changes/Healthy Habits” Pilot Program

Objective To conduct an initial evaluation of the effectiveness of the Small Changes/Healthy Habits (SCHH) community-based nutrition education curriculum on key food and physical activity behaviors among adults in Louisiana. Use of Theory or Research The SCHH curriculum is designed to influence the initiation and transition of small, healthy behavior goals into routine automatic behaviors (habits). It utilizes principles of the Transtheoretical Model and of habit formation models. Target Audience The evaluation targeted adults from all regions of Louisiana, who participated in the SCHH pilot and agreed to participate in the program evaluation. Program Description The SCHH curriculum is a four-part, hands-on series covering small goal setting and habit formation techniques; the home food environment; food labels and grocery store tour; and food preparation (knife/cooking skills). It was developed through the LSU AgCenter and piloted by AgCenter nutrition agents. Evaluation Methods For this section of the evaluation, a pre/post survey was developed and used to track short-term changes in eating, food-related, and physical activity behaviors of participants. Data is self-reported. Results Pre/post surveys were collected from 47 participants. This group was 86% White, 14% Black; 89% rural; 83% female; and 90% >50 years. Using the behavior improvement index, this group reported increases in consumption of vegetables (0.44), fruits (1.15), whole grains (0.17), and decreased soda intake (0.17). There were increases in frequency of label reading (29%), confidence to prepare healthy food (36%), and a decrease in consumption of meals prepared outside the home (27%). Participants increased physical activity by 9 minutes/day. All participants rated the program as “very good” or “excellent” and would recommend it to others. Conclusion The SCHH evaluation suggests that the program effectively influences healthy eating and physical activity behaviors. A larger pilot and longer-term evaluation will help predict influence on development of healthier lifestyles within our communities. Funding None.
Merging Multiple Equilibrium Models and Adaptive Cycle Theory in Forest Ecosystems: Implications for Managing Succession

We review the dynamics of multiple equilibrium models with the adaptive cycle concept and propose a unified theoretical framework. We highlight how the shape of basins of attraction changes along secondary succession and how the shape is influenced by the properties of the adaptive cycle (i.e., potential, connectedness, and resilience) and by ecological traps such as poverty, rigidity, and lock-in. We use degraded forest ecosystems undergoing arrested succession as an example, how the new framework can improve our understanding of restoration and management options. Here, we highlight how the adaptive cycle uses three properties to describe ecosystem dynamics and how this information can be useful for management decisions at the stand level. “Potential” is related to biomass accumulation along succession; “connectedness” to the rigidity of internal control to resist external influences (e.g., disturbances), as quantified by the depth of the basin of attraction; and “resilience” to the ability of ecosystems to stay in a basin of attraction, as determined by the basin width. We integrate these aspects of the adaptive cycle with the basins of attraction model, ecological trap properties, and succession and disturbance concepts into a conceptual framework and highlight the resulting conceptual insights by contrasting forests that follow typical successional development (and associated provision of multiple ecosystem services) and forests that have arrested succession (e.g., degraded forests that do not provide desired ecosystem services). We use restoration practices aimed at overcoming arrested succession as examples how our framework can be downscaled to stand-level conditions. The framework views restoration practices as disturbances of different severities that may modify connectedness and resilience through the manipulation of species composition and the enhancement or constraint of resources (i.e., modifying a desirable basin of attraction by deepening and widening its shape to facilitate typical successional development or vice versa for an undesirable basin). Our review led to a unified theoretical framework. The resulting conceptual basis will improve the general understanding of vegetation development, which is especially important for restoration efforts in novel, no-analog conditions, as expected under global change.
On the developmental morphology of the leaf fold galls ofMaytenus senegalensis (Lam) Excell., (Celastraceae), induced byAlocothrips hadrocerus (Karny) (Thysanoptera: Insecta)

The galls ofMaytenus senegalensis ( =Gymnosporia heyneana Lawson) induced byAlocothrips hadrocerus are histologically unique when compared with the other thrips galls. Principal cecidogenetic phenomena are hypertrophy and hyperplasia. The incidence of tannin containing as well as sclerenchymatous cells, and the epidermal proliferation are discussed in relation to gall development.
Analysis of direct discontinuous Galerkin methods for multi-dimensional convection–diffusion equations

We provide a framework for the analysis of the direct discontinuous Galerkin (DDG) methods for multi-dimensional convection–diffusion equations subject to various boundary conditions. A key tool is the global projection constructed by the DDG scheme applied to an associated elliptic problem. Such projection is well-defined for a class of diffusive flux parameters, and the optimal projection error in $$L^2$$ is obtained with an arbitrary locally regular partition of the domain and for an arbitrary degree of polynomials. This results in the optimal $$L^2$$ error for the DDG method to the elliptic problem, and further leading to the optimal $$L^2$$ error for the DDG method to the convection–diffusion problem.
Social determinants of health associated with epilepsy treatment adherence in the United States: A scoping review.

Abstract Purpose The aim of this paper is to share the results of a scoping review in which we examined the social determinants of health (SDoH) that are associated with anti-seizure medication (ASM) treatment adherence among people living with epilepsy in the United States. Methods Our review was informed by the methods of Arksey and O’Malley for a scoping review. A total of 3,826 articles were identified for reference through a literature search, of which 17 publications were deemed relevant to our scoping review. The final articles were mapped using the Epilepsy SDoH Conceptual Framework to identify gaps. Findings Our review suggests that there are multidimensional associations of SDoH in ASM adherence. The SDoH were interrelated. Race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status appeared to have major associations with ASM adherence. Several gaps in the literature were identified, including inadequately exploring the effect that each SDoH has on treatment adherence, and the methods used for assessment. Conclusions Future longitudinal research to address the identified gaps would foster interventions that promote ASM adherence among vulnerable populations living with epilepsy.
Trends in SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in Massachusetts estimated from newborn screening specimens

BackgroundEstimating the cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 is essential for setting public health policies. We leveraged de-identified Massachusetts newborn screening specimens to generate an accessible, retrospective source of maternal antibodies for estimating statewide SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in a non-test-seeking population. MethodsWe analyzed 72,117 newborn dried blood spots collected from November 2019 through December 2020, representing 337 towns and cities across Massachusetts. Seroprevalence was estimated for the general Massachusetts population after correcting for imperfect test specificity and nonrepresentative sampling using Bayesian multilevel regression and poststratification. ResultsStatewide seroprevalence was estimated to be 0.03% (90% credible interval (CI) [0.00, 0.11]) in November 2019 and rose to 1.47% (90% CI [1.00, 2.13]) by May 2020, following sustained SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the spring. Seroprevalence plateaued from May onwards, reaching 2.15% (90% CI [1.56, 2.98]) in December 2020. Seroprevalence varied substantially by community and was particularly associated with community percent non-Hispanic Black ({beta} = 0.024, 90% CI [0.004, 0.044]); i.e., a 10% increase in community percent non-Hispanic Black was associated with a 27% higher odds of seropositivity. Seroprevalence estimates had good concordance with reported case counts and wastewater surveillance for most of 2020, prior to the resurgence of transmission in winter. ConclusionsCumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 protective antibody in Massachusetts was low as of December 2020, indicating that a substantial fraction of the population was still susceptible. Maternal seroprevalence data from newborn screening can inform longitudinal trends and identify cities and towns at highest risk, particularly in settings where widespread diagnostic testing is unavailable. SummaryThe measurement of maternal antibodies in dried blood spots collected for newborn screening offers a statewide source of SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence data independent of case testing limitations. We analyzed 72,117 Massachusetts spots collected November 2019 - December 2020 and estimated longitudinal trends.
Sufficient statistics for dynamic teams

We show that a new theory of sufficient statistics for team decision problems applies equally well to general dynamic team decision problems. In particular, we show that the sufficient statistics given in the theory are sufficient for making optimal decisions, and moreover, they can be updated with new measurements without having to scan through the old measurements. The implication is that that the process of finding, updating, and interpreting the sufficient statistics for decentralized control problems can be done relatively easily using the tools of the new theory, without resorting to complicated probabilistic or algebraic arguments.
The Structure of Problem and Positive Behavior Among American Indian Adolescents: Gender and Community Differences

Using Problem-Behavior Theory as a framework, the latent structure of problem and positive behaviors was examined within a sample of 1,894 American Indian adolescents. Support was found for a two-factor second-order structure in which problem behaviors (antisocial behavior, alcohol use, drug use, and risky sexual behavior) and positive behaviors (school success, cultural activities, competencies, and community-mindedness) represented two relatively uncorrelated aspects of behavior. Hierarchical multiple regressions demonstrated that the positive behaviors construct contributed significant incremental construct validity in the statistical prediction of psychosocial outcomes, over and above the problem behaviors. In addition, the fit of the structure was examined across gender and the four participating communities. The importance of the inclusion of positive behaviors is discussed from the standpoint of both prevention/promotion activities and the communities' perceptions. Further recommendations are made for deeper understandings of community concerns and strengths in conducting preventive/promotive research efforts.
The Good Faith Thaumatrope: A Model of Rhetoric in Corporate Law Jurisprudence

This paper develops a model of rhetoric in corporate law jurisprudence. It begins by examining a recent innovation in Delaware case-law: the emerging principle of good faith. Good faith is an old notion in law generally, but it offers to bring significant change to corporate law, including realignment of the business judgment rule and a shift in the traditional balance between board authority and judicial accountability. Tracing the development of this new doctrine, the paper argues that good faith operates like a thaumatrope, oscillating between the traditional standards of care and loyalty, lowering the doctrinal hurdles of each without adding any distinct substantive content to the law. In this way, good faith functions as a rhetorical device rather than a substantive standard. That is, it operates as a speech-act, a performance, as opposed to a structured mode of analysis. Building upon political science theories and the recent work of Professor Roe and others in modeling Delaware law as a function of the twin threats of corporate migration and federal preemption, the paper argues that the judiciary employs such rhetorical devices to mitigate threats to its authority. This, then, is the rhetorical structure of corporate law. In periods of crisis and scandal, the judiciary employs rhetorical devices to reduce the pressure, typically with the effect of increasing board accountability, only to return, once the pressure recedes, to a position of board deference. The paper finds several examples of this rhetorical structure in corporate law history and argues, ultimately, that the good faith thaumatrope is merely the latest such device and is likely to follow a similar evolutionary path.
Smartphone ECG aids real time diagnosis of palpitations in the competitive college athlete

Abstract Importance Rapidly detecting dangerous arrhythmias in a symptomatic athlete continues to be an elusive goal. The use of handheld smartphone electrocardiogram (ECG) monitors could represent a helpful tool connecting the athletic trainer to the cardiologist. Observations Six college athletes presented to their athletic trainers complaining of palpitations during exercise. A single lead ECG was performed using the AliveCor Heart Monitor and sent wirelessly to the Team Cardiologist who confirmed an absence of dangerous arrhythmia. Conclusions and relevance AliveCor monitoring has the potential to enhance evaluation of symptomatic athletes by allowing trainers and team physicians to make diagnosis in real-time and facilitate faster return to play.
Quantum-Mechanical interpretation of the local many-body potential of density-functional theory

The local many-body potential of density-functional theory is thus far understood in its mathematical context as the functional derivative of the exchange-correlation energy functional of the density. In recent work we have attempted to provide a physical interpretation for this potential. We interpret it as the work required to move an electron against the electric field of its Fermi–Coulomb hole charge distribution. Implicit in this interpretation is that the potential is path-independent. For symmetric systems this is rigorously the case. For systems where this may not be the case, the potential may be derived from an effective charge distribution given by the divergence of the field, thus ensuring its path independence. Also implicit as a consequence of the total Coulomb hole charge being zero is that the asymptotic structure of the potential is entirely due to the Fermi hole charge distribution, and thus known precisely. The potential lies explicitly within the rubric of density-functional theory in that within the exchange-only approximation it satisfies the exchange energy virial theorem sum rule and all scaling properties that the exact exchange potential must satisfy. The potential does not satisfy the virial theorem sum rule for the correlation energy, and consequently a term proportional to the difference between the interacting and noninteracting system kinetic energies must be added for the sum rule to be satisfied exactly. The formalism differs from density-functional theory in that it is not derived from the variational principle for the energy, thus obviating the requirement of determining functional derivatives, as well as allowing for the study of excited states. The interpretation also leads to insights into the exact Slater exchange potential, and other approximation schemes such as the Xα method, and local density and gradient expansion approximations. The results of application to few-electron atomic and many-electron metallic surface inhomogeneous electronic systems are remarkably accurate when compared with other theoretical calculations and experiment.
The Conceptual Contingency of Mathematical Objects

Platonists often allege that mathematical entities exist of conceptual necessity, so that any view that treats such entities as fictitious is simply incoherent. (Position (i).) Less often, nominalists counter that such entities are in fact conceptually impossible, so that it is platonism that is incoherent. (Position (ii).) I think that on the most obvious construals of "conceptually necessary" (and "conceptually possible" etc.), both of these views are false: the right view (position (iii)) is that it is conceptually contingent whether mathematical entities exist. This means that the debate between platonism and nominalism on the existence of mathematical entities cannot be straightforwardly settled on conceptual grounds: other grounds are required. In formulating positions (i)-(iii) I have used the notion of conceptual necessity (and conceptual possibility etc.), and some philosophers would reject this notion as incoherent. But I find the position that there is nothing in this notion hard to take seriously. I don't dispute that talk of conceptual possibility is unclear in important ways; consequently, it could (prima facie) turn out that which of the three positions is true depends on how this notion is to be clarified. But my claim will be that in fact there is no reasonable construal of "conceptually necessary" on which the existence of mathematical entities is conceptually necessary. (I'm not sure I want to take quite so strong a line against the position that it is conceptually impossible for mathematical entities to exist: this may admit some interpretation in which it's defensible, as we'll see.) I will focus my discussion on recent work by Bob Hale and Crispin Wright, especially theirjoint paper "Nominalism and the Contingency ofAbstract Objects" (1992). Hale and Wright are among those who hold that it is conceptually necessary that mathematical entities exist. But their joint paper is mostly directed against the nominalist alternatives: and primarily, against "contingent nominalism", the view (iiib) that it is conceptually contingent whether mathematical entities exist, and that in fact they don't. (They focus on the version of contingent nominalism that I advanced in Realism, Mathematics and Modality (1989).) I think it is clear that if their arguments against contingent nominalism were correct, they would also undermine "contingent platonism", the view (iiia) that it is conceptually contingent whether mathematical entities exist, and that in fact they do. The main burden of this paper will be to defend view (iiib) against their critique; but in fact almost nothing I will say bears on the choice between (iiia) and (iiib). In my view the decision between (iiia) and (iiib) turns in large part on whether the well-known indispensability arguments for the existence of mathematical entities can be undercut; or more generally, on whether we can undercut arguments for the existence
Co-creation of value — towards an expanded paradigm of value creation

Co-creation is the process by which products, services, and experiences are developed jointly by companies and their stakeholders, opening up a whole new world of value. Firms must stop thinking of individuals as mere passive recipients of value, to whom they have traditionally delivered goods, services, and experiences. Instead, firms must seek to engage people as active co-creators of value everywhere in the system.
Outcome research in patients with chronic low back pain

Outcome research in chronic low-back pain is entering a new phase. In the past several years, several outcome measures have been evaluated for their psychometric properties, and databases for patients with low-back pain exist for some of them. A set of recommended and standardized outcome measures and questionnaires is now available for the different outcome domains. The use of computerized versions of these questionnaires will allow simplified data collection and analyses, which will not only help to formulate a more uniform design of research trials, but can be useful for clinicians interested in documenting multi-dimensional outcomes in their patient population.
Settler-Colonialism, Memoricide and Indigenous Toponymic Memory: The Appropriation of Palestinian Place Names by the Israeli State

Cartography, place-naming and state-sponsored explorations were central to the modern European conquest of the earth, empire building and settler-colonisation projects. Scholars often assume that place names provide clues to the historical and cultural heritage of places and regions. This article uses social memory theory to analyse the cultural politics of place-naming in Israel. Drawing on Maurice Halbwachs’ study of the construction of social memory by the Latin Crusaders and Christian medieval pilgrims, the article shows Zionists’ toponymic strategies in Palestine, their superimposition of Biblical and Talmudic toponyms was designed to erase the indigenous Palestinian and Arabo-Islamic heritage of the land. In the pre-Nakba period Zionist toponymic schemes utilised nineteenth century Western explorations of Biblical ‘names’ and ‘places’ and appropriated Palestinian toponyms. Following the ethnic cleansing of Palestine in 1948, the Israeli state, now in control of 78 percent of the land, accelerated its toponymic project and pursued methods whose main features were memoricide and erasure. Continuing into the post-1967 occupation, these colonial methods threaten the destruction of the diverse historical cultural heritage of the land.
Common fields : an environmental history of St. Louis

In Common Fields, environmental historian Andrew Hurley has gathered thirteen original essays to tell a compelling story of one city's history. It is a story built on the never-ending tension between urban growth and environmental sustainability - a tension that defines the fate not just of St. Louis, but of cities around the world. In these pages, geographers, archaeologists, and historians come together to consider the enduring ties between a city's diverse residents and the physical environment on which their well-being depends.
Virtual Engineering Sciences Learning Lab: Giving STEM Education a Second Life

Engineering education in the 21st century faces multiple obstacles including limited accessibility of course resources due, in part, to the costs associated with acquiring and maintaining equipment and staffing laboratories. Another continuing challenge is the low level of participation of women and other groups historically underrepresented in STEM disciplines. As a partial remedy for these issues, we established a Virtual Engineering Sciences Learning Lab (VESLL) that provides interactive objects and learning activities, multimedia displays, and instant feedback procedures in a virtual environment to guide students through a series of key quantitative skills and concepts. Developed in the online virtual world Second LifeTM, VESLL is an interactive environment that supports STEM education, with potential to help reach women and other underrepresented groups. VESLL exposes students to various quantitative skills and concepts through visualization, collaborative games, and problem solving with realistic learning activities. Initial assessments have demonstrated high student interest in VESLL's potential as a supplementary instructional tool and show that student learning experiences were improved by use of VESLL. Ultimately, the VESLL project contributes to the ongoing body of evidence suggesting that online delivery of course content has remarkable potential when properly deployed by STEM educators.
Management of partial-thickness rotator cuff tears

Partial-thickness tearing of the rotator cuff is common; however, relatively little is written on the subject. We reviewed 39 patients with partial-thickness rotator cuff tears who underwent acromioplasty, debridement of the abnormal tissue, and tendon suturing. Follow-up averaged 55 months (range 13 to 132 months). Twenty-three (59%) patients had an excellent result, 10 (26%) patients had a satisfactory result, and 6 (15%) patients had an unsatisfactory result. Four of the six patients with unsatisfactory results had also had unsuccessful previous surgery. Thirty-five (90%) patients rated their response to surgery as either much improved or improved. No complications occurred, and to date no reoperations have been required. Diagnosis of partial-thickness rotator cuff tears can be challenging. Magnetic resonance imaging supplies the most complete information about tendon structure. Conservative treatment is reasonable for most partial-thickness tears. When surgical treatment is indicated, acromioplasty, debridement, and tendon repair are effective.
Winning with warlords in Afghanistan

A fundamental contradiction has been built into America's intervention in Afghanistan since the first days of the war in 2001. On the one hand, US policymakers have viewed the promotion of liberal democracy, economic development, and strong centralized state institutions as essential to achieve victory over the long term. On the other hand, however, the US has relied on local warlords to win its battles against the Taliban from the first days of the intervention. The Obama administration's tortured policy review reflects the intractable dilemmas involved in trying to build a modern democratic state while relying on local warlords as crucial allies in the war against the Taliban.
Evidence for “direct” and “indirect” pathways through the song system basal ganglia

Song learning in oscine birds relies on a circuit known as the “anterior forebrain pathway,” which includes a specialized region of the avian basal ganglia. This region, area X, is embedded within a telencephalic structure considered homologous to the striatum, the input structure of the mammalian basal ganglia. Area X has many features in common with the mammalian striatum, yet has distinctive traits, including largely aspiny projection neurons that directly innervate the thalamus and a cell type that physiologically resembles neurons recorded in the mammalian globus pallidus. We have proposed that area X is a mixture of striatum and globus pallidus and has the same functional organization as circuits in the mammalian basal ganglia. Using electrophysiological and anatomical approaches, we found that area X contains a functional analog of the “direct” striatopallidothalamic pathway of mammals: axons of the striatal spiny neurons make close contacts on the somata and dendrites of pallidal cells. A subset of pallidal neurons project directly to the thalamus. Surprisingly, we found evidence that many pallidal cells may not project to the thalamus, but rather participate in a functional analog of the mammalian “indirect” pathway, which may oppose the effects of the direct pathway. Our results deepen our understanding of how information flows through area X and provide more support for the notion that song learning in oscines employs physiological mechanisms similar to basal ganglia-dependent forms of motor learning in mammals. J. Comp. Neurol. 484:93–104, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Asthma and invasive pneumococccal diseases: the implications for clinical practice, public health and research

Abstract In the United States, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices now recommends a single dose of 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharde vaccine to adults with asthma ages 19–64 years. In support of this recommendation, two independent population-based case-control studies showed that individuals with asthma have an increased risk of invasive pneumococcal diseases. In this paper, the author discusses the epidemiological relationship between asthma and invasive pneumococcal disease, and explores the potential mechanisms and the implications of these findings on clinical practice, public health and research.
Experimental studies on the marine algae Iridaea and Gigartina

Abstract Field and laboratory studies of the economically important marine algae Iridaea cordata (Turner) Bory and Gigartina exasperata Harvey & Bailey (Rhodophyta: Gigartinales) have been made in order to establish information essential to the aquaculture of these species. The development of a simple and successful method for experimental transplantation of these species which permits periodic removal, measurement, and photography of the transplanted algae is described and its feasibility for successfully transplanting these algae to habitats in which they do not occur naturally, demonstrated. The growth rates of such transplanted algae and the maximum size which they attain are comparable to those of plants in the population from which the transplanted algae were taken. In field experiments, the optimum depth for maximum growth rates was 3–5 m below M.L.L.W. Laboratory experiments using a crossed-gradients (light and temperature) incubator indicated that optimum growth rates are obtained at temperatures of 10–14 °C and light intensities of 8.9–16.0 × 103 erg/cm2 sec (cool-white fluorescent); such light intensities are substantially higher than the optimum for many of the red algae that have been grown in laboratory culture. These results support the biological feasibility of cultivating these algae in the inland waters of the Pacific Northwest.
Weighted-ensemble Brownian dynamics simulations for protein association reactions

A new method, weighted-ensemble Brownian dynamics, is proposed for the simulation of protein-association reactions and other events whose frequencies of outcomes are constricted by free energy barriers. The method features a weighted ensemble of trajectories in configuration space with energy levels dictating the proper correspondence between "particles" and probability. Instead of waiting a very long time for an unlikely event to occur, the probability packets are split, and small packets of probability are allowed to diffuse almost immediately into regions of configuration space that are less likely to be sampled. The method has been applied to the Northrup and Erickson (1992) model of docking-type diffusion-limited reactions and yields reaction rate constants in agreement with those obtained by direct Brownian simulation, but at a fraction of the CPU time (10(-4) to 10(-3), depending on the model). Because the method is essentially a variant of standard Brownian dynamics algorithms, it is anticipated that weighted-ensemble Brownian dynamics, in conjunction with biophysical force models, can be applied to a large class of association reactions of interest to the biophysics community.
Doing science at the elbows of experts: Issues related to the science apprenticeship camp

The purpose of this paper is to synthesize literature related to apprenticeship learning, the sociology of science, and K-12 science education to develop a set of characteristics for designing/evaluating participatory science learning experiences. Following this discussion, we further clarify and illuminate the value of these characteristics for science educators by using them as evaluative criteria for characterizing the experiences of 24 middle school learners who embarked on a 2-week long camp with ''real'' scientists engaged in ''real'' research. We also describe how middle school science teachers supported both reflection- in-practice and reflection-on-practice during the camp, and how an electronic notebook was also leveraged to support both types of reflection. Implications of these characteristics for science education more generally are discussed. fl 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 38: 70 - 102, 2001
Protective Role of Nerve Growth Factor Against Postischemic Dysfunction of Sympathetic Coronary Innervation

Background Nerve growth factor (NGF) is produced rapidly in myocardium after brief myocardial ischemia. It contributes to the maintenance of neural integrity in several tissues. We examined the effect of exogenous and endogenous NGF on ischemia-induced dysfunction of cardiac sympathetic nerves. Methods and Results In anesthetized dogs, bilateral stellate stimulation was performed, measuring changes in coronary vascular resistance (%ΔCVR) before and after release of either a 7- or 15-minute occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD). NGF (10 ng·kg−1·min−1, n=5) or vehicle (n=6) was infused into the LAD in dogs during a 15-minute LAD occlusion. In separate experiments, antibody to NGF (anti-NGF, 2 ng·kg−1·min−1, n=5) or vehicle (n=6) was infused into dogs during a 7-minute LAD occlusion. After release of a 15-minute LAD occlusion, attenuation of the coronary constriction to stellate stimulation was seen in the vehicle group (30±3% to 15±1% increase in CVR, P<.05); however, no such reduc...
A geologic investigation of the Halloran Hills, central Mojave Desert, California

The Halloran Hills consist of Precambrian (?) metamorphites, Mesozoic igneous intrusive rocks, Tertiary volcanic and sedimentary breccias, and Quaternary alluvia.
Challenging the stereotypes of fundamentalism : An Islamic feminist perspective

L'objectif de cet article est de presenter une etude avertie des hypoptheses theologiques a la base des attitudes negatives envers les femmes largement repandues dans la culture musulmane, etude faite dans une perspective feministe et non patriarchale. L'A. soutient que la comprehension de ces hypotheses est essentielle pour parvenir a etablir la justice entre les sexes ou l'egalite femme-homme, ce qui, a son tour, est une condition premiere pour le developpement et la paix dans le monde musulman et dans le monde en general.
TREATING UVEITIS-ASSOCIATED HYPOTONY WITH PARS PLANA VITRECTOMY AND SILICONE OIL INJECTION

Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine the effect on intraocular pressure (IOP) and visual acuity of treating uveitis-related hypotony in patients with vitrectomy and intravitreal silicone oil injection.
Factors affecting indoor air concentrations of volatile organic compounds at a site of subsurface gasoline contamination

We report a field study of soil gas transport of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into a slab-on-grade building found at a site contaminated with gasoline. Although the high VOC concentrations (30-60 g m{sup -3}) measured in the soil gas at depths of 0.7 m below the building suggest a potential for high levels of indoor VOC, the measured indoor air concentrations were lower than those in the soil gas by approximately six orders of magnitude ({approx} 0.03 mg m{sup -3}). This large ratio is explained by (1) the expected dilution of soil gas entering the building via ambient building ventilation (a factor of {approx}1000), and (2) an unexpectedly sharp gradient in soil gas VOC concentration between the depths of 0.1 and 0.7 m (a factor of {approx}1000). Measurements of the soil physical and biological characteristics indicate that a partial physical barrier to vertical transport in combination with microbial degradation provides a likely explanation for this gradient. These factors are likely to be important to varying degrees at other sites.
Kit inhibitor APcK110 extends survival in an AML xenograft mouse model

Background: Constitutive activation of kit contributes to pathogenesis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and targeting Kit may be of therapeutic benefit. APcK110, a novel inhibitor of Kit, has potent proapoptotic and antiproliferative activity in AML cell lines and primary AML samples. Here we extend our studies to the activity of APcK110 in a xenograft mouse model. Methods: After sub-lethal whole body radiation, OCI/AML3 cells were injected intravenously in NOD-SCID mice. Ten days later, either APcK110 or phosphate buffered saline (PBS) was injected intraperitoneally every other day. Kaplan-Meier estimates were used to calculate survival. Results: We show that 1) all mice injected with OCI/AML3 cells developed a clinical and histological picture consistent with myelomonocytic AML; and 2) survival of APcK110-treated mice was significantly longer compared with mice injected with PBS (p = .02). Conclusions: APcK110 is a novel kit kinase inhibitor with anti-AML activity in vitro and in vivo. Further evaluation in toxicology and clinical studies is warranted.
The annual cycle of zooplankton in a Long Island estuary

Zooplankton and chlorophyll-a samples and associated hydrographic data were collected at approximately weekly intervals in the Peconic Bay estuary for most of the period between May 1978 and June 1979. Surface zooplankton samples were obtained by simultaneously-towed 73 μm- and 202 μm-mesh nets, and subsurface samples were collected with 505 μm-mesh nets. Zooplankton numbers and displacement volumes fluctuated widely throughout the year, with highest values in early spring and summer. Juvenile or adult copepods accounted for means of 90.0% and 85.0% of the animals recorded for the 202 μm- and 73 μm-net samples, respectively. The combination of Acartia tonsa and A. hudsonica adults+copepodids accounted for a mean of 81.4% of the zooplankton recorded for the 202 μm-net samples, and the combination of copepod nauplii, Acartia spp. adults+copepodids, Oithona colcarva and Parvocalanus crassirostris accounted for a mean of 82.7% of the animals recorded for the 73 μm-net samples. Copepod nauplii were the most abundant zooplankters collected in the 73 μm-net samples, and they were generally collected in higher numbers than the total number of animals in the 202 μm-net samples. During the colder months, late copepodids and adults of larger copepod species comprised greater proportions of the total zooplankton than during the warmer months when nauplii and copepodids of smaller copepod species were predominant. The ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi and the medusa Cyanea capillata also had periods of abundance during warmer months. Differences between numbers of larger zooplankters collected over different depth intervals or in successive replicate tows over the same depth intervals, reveal the likely effects of both vertical and horizontal patchiness. Comparisons of zooplankton numbers from the present investigation, which were obtained with relatively fine-mesh nets, with values from previous studies in adjacent waters which used coarser-mesh nets, suggest that many previous investigations have seriously underestimated the numbers of smaller zooplankters, particularly copepod nauplii.
Studies on the exocrino-enteric circulation of mus musculus

Abstract 1. 1. The rate of hepatic secretion of intestinally absorbed L -methionine-methyl- 14 C-saline is studied in normally functioning and pathologically altered Mus musculus . 2. 2. Time analyses of 14 C radiation in the peripheral blood demonstrate, vivo , the existence of a steady-state system between host and parasite. 3. 3. The effect of parasitism on host physiology is clearly demonstrated by different products of methionine metabolism occurring in the hepatic secretions of parasitized and non-parasitized M. musculus .
Magnetic ordering in RbGd3F10

Abstract The magnetic and thermal properties of RbGd3F10 are presented. This material forms in the cubic KY3F10 structure, which contains three non-equivalent sites for the magnetic rare earth ion, each with a tetragonal symmetry axis aligned along one of the three cubic axes. Magnetic exchange is antiferromagnetic. Ordering features are observed in both magnetic susceptibility and specific heat below 1.2 K. A ground state spin arrangement is predicted by minimizing the energy of the magnetic Hamiltonian at T=0.
A Study of Thermal Fracture in Functionally Graded Thermal Barrier Coatings Using a Cohesive Zone Model

This work describes the application of two-dimensional finite element models with a cohesive zone to study quasi-static crack extension in functionally graded Yttria stabilized Zirconia (YSZ)-Bond Coat (BC) alloy (NiCoCrAlY) thermal barrier coatings (TBC). Crack growth under a single heating-cooling cycle simulating a laser thermal shock experiment is considered. The traction-separation relations for YSZ and BC alloy are coupled to yield a traction-separation relation for the individual layers of the graded TBC. Results from laser thermal shock experiments are then used for a systematic evaluation of the material properties in this traction-separation relation. The effective work of separation for YSZ-BC alloy composites, which is indicative of the material's fracture toughness, is then computed. The model is then used to predict the surface thermal fracture response in a graded TBC having an architecture different from the coatings that were used to evaluate the cohesive properties. These model predictions are then compared with results from laser thermal shock experiments.
Temperature-dependent study of the ground-state reverse proton transfer of 3-hydroxyflavone

Abstract Temperature-dependent studies of the rate of the ground-state reverse proton transfer of 3-hydroxyflavone have been performed. At room temperature, the rate of the reverse proton transfer is 6.9×10 4 s −1 in n -heptane. However, the reverse proton-transfer rate is 6.3×10 4 s −1 in a 77 K n -heptane Shpol'skii matrix, which does not conform to predictions based on extrapolation of the liquid phase kinetic data. In the course of this study we have found that, unlike the steady-state tautomer emission, the tautomer emission measured by the two-step laser excitation experiment is not obscured by contributions due to hydrogen-bonding impurities in n -heptane Shpol'skii matrices. An infrared spectrum of 3-HF in a 12 K argon matrix is presented for the first time. Photolysis of matrix-isolated 3-HF monitored by infrared spectroscopy fails to afford the ground-state tautomer.
Implanted noble gas atoms as diffusion markers in silicide formation

Abstract Implanted noble gas atoms of Ar and Xe have been used as diffusion markers in growth studies of silicides formed by reacting metal films with silicon substrates. MeV 4He ion backscattering has been used to determine the displacement of the markers. Two approaches were used: either the silicon samples were implanted with Xe or Ar and then covered with a thin layer of metal, or the metal layer was implanted with the marker. When the sample was heated to form the silicide layer, the displacement of the marker relative to the surface determined the identity of the diffusing species. Diffusion markers have been used in growth studies of six silicides: Ni2Si, Mg2Si, FeSi, VSi2, TiSi2 and Pd2Si. We found that Si atoms are the predominant moving species in diffusion in VSi2, TiSi2 and FeSi, while Ni atoms are the moving species in Ni2Si and Mg in Mg2Si. In Pd2Si, both Pd and Si are diffusing species with Si the faster of the two. Chemical effects can play a role in marker studies. In the thermal oxidation of Si, the displacement of Xe markers is consistent with the fact that oxygen is the moving species. Implanted As, on the other hand, accumulates at the Si-SiO2 interface. Therefore, it is necessary to choose markers which are chemically inert.
Influenza vaccination among health care personnel in California: 2010-2011 influenza season.

Background Influenza vaccination among health care personnel (HCP) is a key measure to prevent influenza infection and transmission in health care settings. This study described influenza vaccination coverage among employees in various health care settings in California and examined factors associated with HCP influenza vaccination. Methods This study analyzed data from 111 facilities recruited through statewide invitation. Data on facility characteristics, vaccination programs, and vaccination receipt within and outside facilities were collected using Web-based questionnaires. Employees were defined as all persons in the facility payroll system regardless of patient contact. Facility-level employee vaccination coverage was calculated for 91 facilities. Results The mean employee influenza vaccination coverage was 60.7% overall: 64.0% for acute care hospitals (n = 30), 54.7% for long-term care facilities (n = 22), 59.4% for ambulatory surgery centers (n = 8), 58.6% for dialysis centers (n = 25), and 77.2% for physician practices (n = 6). Vaccination promotion methods such as risk-benefit education, personal reminders, and vaccination data tracking and feedback were significantly associated with increased vaccination coverage. Conclusion The study findings suggest some variations in HCP vaccination coverage by type of health care setting as well as substantial challenges in reaching the Healthy People 2020 goal of 90%. Health care facilities need to use comprehensive promotion methods to improve HCP influenza vaccinations.