cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Significant Clinical Practice Cost Savings Through Downsizing Office Supply Inventory and Just in Time Ordering

Purpose: Cost containment in the office is becoming more important secondary to increasing overhead costs and lower reimbursement. In an attempt to limit these particular expenditures we analyzed and restructured our methods of ordering, storing and distributing office supply inventory.Materials and Methods: In a large academic practice with 11 urologists and approximately 20,000 annual patient visits an attempt was made to decrease overhead costs using the principle of just in time inventory popularized by large manufacturing companies. We initially issued a return of excess and/or unused supplies from our office inventory stock room. Our main supply room was then centralized to contain office supplies for up to 4 weeks. The 12 individual clinic rooms were stocked with appropriate supplies to last 1 week. Limited access to the main supply room was established and a supply manager was established to log all input and output.Results: The initial credit for the return of unused/overstocked supplies was $10,...
The effect of aerosol size distribution and measurement method on respirator fit.

The particle size-dependent leakage into a respirator was examined by measuring the leakage of particle sizes between 0.07 to 4.4 µm through three hole sizes in a negative-pressure half-mask respirator worn by a human subject. This investigation showed that the size distribution of an aerosol test agent and the measurement method have an effect on the leakage measured in a quantitative fit test. For instance, the ratio of percent leakage measured by light scattering between test aerosols with count median diameters of 2.2 and 0.28 μm can be as large at 5:1. Likewise, the ratio of the percent leakage measured by a particle count method vs. a mass method of detection of the same polydisperse aerosol with a count median diameter equal to 2.2 µm can be as high as 4:1. The mass leakage into a mask with a leak is also greater for an exposure aerosol with a count median diameter between 0.15 to 0.30 µm compared to exposure aerosols with larger count median diameters for aerosols with the same mass concentration.
Effect of fendiline on the maintenance and expression of methamphetamine-induced conditioned place preference in Sprague-Dawley rats

Fendiline is a GABAB receptor-positive allosteric modulator and L-type Ca2+ channel blocker that is safe for human use. Based on these pharmacological properties, fendiline may be useful to disrupt associative memories that can drive relapse to drug use in drug-addicted individuals The current study evaluated the potential of fendiline to inhibit the maintenance and expression of learned associations between methamphetamine (meth) and an environmental context using conditioned place preference (CPP) in rats, to model for the associative learning that occurs during drug abuse by humans Following meth conditioning (1 mg/kg), fendiline (5 mg/kg) was administered at various post-conditioning times to ascertain if there was a temporal window during which fendiline would be effective. Two once-daily injections of fendiline did not influence the maintenance of CPP regardless of the post-conditioning treatment time while 10 once-daily fendiline treatments inhibited CPP maintenance (p < 0.05). Fendiline administered immediately prior to the CPP test inhibited expression of meth-induced CPP in rats with a fendiline treatment history of 10 once-daily injections (p < 0.05) or those that received two injections that corresponded to the last 2 days of the 10-day treatment (p < 0.05). Fendiline did not produce preference or aversion on its own, nor did it alter motivated motor behavior. Maintenance and expression of meth CPP is mitigated by repeated fendiline treatments when administered during the days that precede CPP testing. Reduction in the significance of meth-associated cues can reduce relapse; therefore, fendiline may be of value for addiction therapy in abstinent, meth-addicted humans.
Absence of dimers and nature of iron binding in transferrin solutions.

A CONTROVERSIAL question in the chemistry of the transferrins is whether the two specific sites of the proteins bind metal ions pairwise or randomly. Equilibrium dialysis studies by Aasa et al.1, in which care was taken to show that true equilibrium had been achieved, indicated that the stability constants for the sites were virtually identical; this suggested that the binding sites were equivalent and non-interacting. This work was corroborated by studies using the techniques of moving boundary electrophoresis2 and isoelectric focusing3. In each of these studies, three species of transferrin were recognized and it was suggested that these represented molecules containing nought, one or two iron atoms. This assignment has been challenged by Wood-worth et al.4, who argued that the species with intermediate electrophoretic mobility or intermediate isoelectric point was really a dimer composed of molecules devoid of iron and molecules containing two iron atoms. This alternative interpretation was taken as supporting the earlier contention of Woodworth based on kinetic studies that iron atoms bind to transferrin only pairwise, and that solutions of transferrin less than fully saturated with iron would contain only two separable species of protein molecules, those without any iron and those with two iron atoms per molecule5.
On the 1-cohomology of the groups SL3(32 and SU3(3n

We compute the first cohomology groups with values in the simple modules for the algebraic group A2(F 3) and related finite groups
Report of the national survey of Urology Program Directors: attitudes and actions regarding the accreditation council for graduate medical education regulations.

ABSTRACTPurpose:: Residency programs in the United States are held accountable for achieving outcomes based on the new Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) regulations for improving resident fatigue and education. A national survey of Urology Program Directors was conducted to determine the attitudes toward the new regulations and the actions taken to implement them.Materials and Methods:: A national survey was developed by an ad hoc committee and distributed electronically. A total of 24 multiple-choice customized Likert scale questions were used to obtain opinions from Urology Program Directors across the country. The data were evaluated using statistical analysis.Results:: There was an 88% response rate to the survey. Of the respondents 53% demonstrated a statistically significant association between the size of the program and the degree to which the program was involved in addressing the duty hours standard (p=0.015). A majority of program directors reported involvement in edu...
Vint Cerf: A Brief History of Packets

TCP/IP evolved from 20 years' research that sought a way to move from a telephone-style circuit-switched infrastructure to a packet-switched infrastructure. The first Web extra at http://youtu.be/B2-NhlmkDMo is a video interview with Vint Cerf about how TCP/IP evolved from ARPANET, an earlier small-scale research network. The second Web extra at http://youtu.be/awOa4Pk82Kg is an audio recording of Charles Severance&#x00ED;s Computing Conversations column, in which he discusses his interview with Vint Cerf about the history of packets.
The dynamics of neuronal activation during food anticipation and feeding in the brain of food-entrained rats

Rats can anticipate a daily mealtime when they are maintained on restricted feeding schedules (RFS). Neural substrates of the food-entrainable oscillator (FEO) are not yet fully understood. The numerous lesions of a single brain region failed to abolish the behavioral anticipation of a daily meal, suggesting that the FEO may be represented by a distributed neuronal network. The present study was designed to detect the dynamics of neuronal activation, using as a marker the expression of c-fos mRNA in the brain of rats subjected to 2-hour daily RFS, 3, 2 and 1 h before the expected meal, at the time of the usual feeding, and 1 h after feeding. We also aimed to clarify whether the increase in plasma corticosterone in food-anticipating rats coincides with the increase in expression of corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) mRNA in the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVH). The obtained results revealed that the neuronal activation occurring 3 h before the expected meal was not confined to one brain structure, but was evident in the anterior hippocampal continuation and septohippocampal nucleus (AH/SHi), the anterior part of the paraventricular thalamic nucleus (PVTa), and the dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus (DMH), thus representing distributed septohippocampal-thalamo-hypothalamic circuitry that may act as the FEO. The pattern of neuronal activation after feeding was different from that detected during food anticipation for some specific nucleus or subregions. The increase in plasma corticosterone during food anticipation was not accompanied by an increase in CRF mRNA levels, suggesting that factors other than CRF are involved in the control of adrenocortical secretion under RFS.
OMIP-006: Phenotypic subset analysis of human T regulatory cells via polychromatic flow cytometry

This panel was optimized for the enumeration and phenotypic characterization of T regulatory cells (Tregs) within the CD4⁺ T-cell pool using human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) using intranuclear and intracellular staining methods. The panel was optimized for HIV⁺ clinical trial specimens through the use of HIV-infected and normal donor PBMC. Because the panel is to be used in the context of testing cryopreserved PBMC obtained from multiple sites participating in clinical trials, it was essential to develop an assay that performed well using cryopreserved PBMC. Other tissue types have not been tested.
We can eliminate invasions or live with them. Successful management projects

Pessimism about the prospects of eradicating invasive species or managing them at acceptably low densities is fostered by publicity about failures, but it is often unwarranted. Many species, including insects, plants, and aquatic invaders of various taxa, have been eradicated, and a variety of management techniques have maintained others at low densities for long periods. Many of these projects entailed low-tech, scorched-earth approaches, often using mechanical, physical, or chemical means. Others required sophisticated scientific research. There are at best rough guidelines rather than general rules about what approach to undertake. It is therefore important in each case to consider the full range of possible methods for eradication or long-term control, including the possibility of marshalling a massive amount of physical labor.
Corporate blogging strategies of the Fortune 500 companies

Purpose – This study aims to investigate the emerging new phenomenon of corporate blogging and its objectives. In particular, this study focuses on how Fortune 500 firms attempt to maintain control, while supporting employee autonomy in corporate blogging.Design/methodology/approach – Using the framework of corporate blogging strategies proposed in this study, corporate blogging practices of the 2005 Fortune 500 companies were analysed.Findings – Most organisations maintain high levels of control by implementing top‐down blogging strategies, while few support employee autonomy by applying a bottom‐up blogging strategy. Because of the inherent limitation of each strategy, many organisations attempt to take advantage of the complementary mechanism that balances autonomy and control. Organisations emphasising bottom‐up blogging tend to focus on product development and customer service content strategy, while those practising top‐down blogging focus on thought leadership or promotional content strategy.Resear...
Laparoscopic Management of Endometriosis: Comprehensive Review of Best Evidence

Abstract Study Objective To provide a comprehensive review of the best evidence available in the laparoscopic management of endometriosis for pain and/or fertility and to provide practical recommendations based on this information. Design Review article of randomized controlled trials. Patients Women with endometriosis. Methods A systematic search was performed of the Cochrane Library and MEDLINE database for randomized controlled trials relating only to laparoscopic management of endometriosis. The information from 7 Cochrane review articles and 35 original randomized trials is presented in a clinically relevant question-and-answer format. Conclusions Awareness of endometriosis as a disease with substantial morbidity is vitally important. Laparoscopic treatment of endometriosis is beneficial for reducing pain and improving fertility. Laparoscopic presacral neurectomy, but not laparoscopic uterosacral nerve ablation, is a useful adjunct to conservative surgery for endometriosis in patients with a midline component of pain. Preoperative hormonal suppression with gonadotropin-receptor hormone analogue may be helpful in decreasing endometriosis disease scores. Postoperative hormonal suppression with either a gonadotropin-receptor hormone analogue or progestin (including the levonorgestrel intrauterine system) may be helpful in reducing pain and increasing time to recurrence of symptoms. Excisional cystectomy is the preferred method to treat endometrial cysts for both pain and fertility and may be aided by the use of mesna and initial circular excision. An absorbable adhesion barrier (Interceed), 4% icodextrin solution (Adept), and a viscoelastic gel (Oxiplex/AP, FzioMed, Inc., San Luis Obispd, CA; not available in the United States) are safe and effective products to help prevent adhesions in laparoscopic surgery to treat endometriosis.
The dream interview method in addiction recovery a treatment guide

The Dream Interview Method is a recently developed tool for dream interpretation that can facilitate work on addiction issues at all stages of recovery. This paper describes the method in detail and discusses examples of its application in a group composed of individuals in varying stages of the recovery process. It permits the therapist to accelerate the development of insight, and once the method is learned, it can be applied in self-help formats.
Friendships moderate psychosocial maladjustment in socially anxious early adolescents

Close mutual friendships may help protect socially anxious early adolescents against concurrent psychosocial risks. This study investigated whether close mutual friendships moderated associations among social anxiety and several indices of psychosocial maladjustment (loneliness, peer victimization, and low social self-efficacy) in early adolescence, independent of social skills. Participants were 383 sixth and seventh grade students, and data included self, peer, and teacher reports. Results supported the moderating role of mutual friendships across measures of psychosocial maladjustment, and evidence for moderation varied by level of friendship closeness. Specifically, associations linking social anxiety with loneliness and self-reported victimization were attenuated among early adolescents with more close friendships, as compared to early adolescents with fewer close friendships. The association between social anxiety and lower social self-efficacy was attenuated among early adolescents with more secondary friendships, as compared to early adolescents with fewer secondary friendships. Findings are considered in the developmental context of early adolescence, and the potential benefits of including friendship-building as part of interventions for socially anxious youth are discussed.
France acts on electronic cigarettes

France is deciding how to regulate electronic cigarettes. I first consider the French approach and how it contrasts with other attempts at electronic cigarette regulation globally. Next, I critique the individual elements of the French proposal. The overall approach taken by France is a positive development, but banning indoor use appears unnecessary and banning advertising may be counterproductive.
A Comparison between the Theoretical and Experimental Electronic Density of States of Liquid Metals

The electronic structure and electronic density of states (EDS) are investigated for eleven liquid metals. The theoretical results are obtained from the nonlocal, energy dependent pseudopotentials which reveal some new features not observed previously with the local pseudopotential theory and on Fermi surface approximation. However, a good agreement is found when these theoretical results are compared with the recently available experimental measurements, especially for liquid Cu, Ga, In, Tl, Sn, and Pb. Die Elektronenstruktur und die elektronische Zustandsdichte (EDS) werden fur elf flussige Metalle untersucht. Die theoretischen Ergebnisse werden aus den nichtlokalen, energieabhangigen Pseudopotentialen erhalten, die einige neue Fakten enthalten, die fruher mit der lokalen Pseudopotential-theorie und der Fermiflachennaherung nicht beobachtet wurden. Jedoch wird gute Ubereinstimmung gefunden, wenn diese theoretischen Ergebnisse mit neueren experimentellen Messungen, insbesondere fur flussiges Cu, Ga, In, Tl, Sn und Pb verglichen werden.
Saccharum species as horticultural classes

Sugarcane, commonly referred to as Saccharum officinarum, is currently divided into six species, two of them are wild and four exist only in cultivation. The two wild species and three of the cultivated ones are interfertile and have produced the interspecific hybrids that constitute the sugarcane of commerce. All species are represented by wide ranges of intergrades preserved as clones through vegetative propagation. Species are separated by variable floral characters, sugar content, chromosome numbers and epidermal hair groups. Floral characteristics are sometimes useful with clones that flower, sugar is present in widely overlapping ranges and is highly influenced by environment, chromosome numbers range from 36 to 170 in the genus and range widely within species, and some epidermal hair groups are more quantitative than qualitative. Molecular techniques show that Saccharum spontaneum is distinctly different from the other species in cytoplasmic DNA, and cluster analyses of nuclear DNA support the difference. Not only are the species interfertile but chromosomal pairing and recombination have been demonstrated, as has the possibility that some Saccharum species are hybrids of others. Taken together, these observations suggest that there is little basis for the present separation and that the six species should more properly consist of two: one being S. spontaneum, based on molecular data, and the other S. officinarum including the other four species and all interspecific hybrids.
Short term differences of infant development in nursery homes and in private families.

Summary The investigation was done to determine the degree to which infant homes designed to be modern and humanized are successful in rearing infants when compared to private families. Twenty-two nursery children and twenty-two family children were given the Hetzer-Buhler developmental tests at ages 6 and 8 months. The two samples were controlled for health, age, sex, and social background. Characterization of the social environment was made on the basis of participant observation, home visits, and informal interviews, A remarkable similarity was found in the living environment for all the babies. There were only two marked differences between the life situation in the nurseries as compared to the private families. The emotional bonds between infant and parental figure appeared less intense, and there was a lack of continuity of the relationship. At 6 months the probability was greater than 0.5 that the two groups belonged to the same population. The nursery group showed a considerable relative retardation in the 2 months thereafter. It is suggested that the 6 first months of an infant's stay in a nursery be sufficient for arrangement of adoption or sufficient improvement in parent(s) life situation for them to take care of the child.
Dietary fats and fatty-acid composition of bollworms as factors influencing insecticide susceptibility.

Heliothis zea (Boddie) reared on 5 diets which altered their fatty acid composition were treated topically with methyl parathion, endrin, and carbaryl and the LD50 of each insecticide was determined for the 5 groups of larvae. There was no difference in the LD50 of methyl parathion among the groups of bollworms. There were differences in the LD50 of endrin and carbaryl among the 5 groups, but these differences did not appear to be correlated with variations in their fatty acid composition.
Subversive Strategies In Chinese Avant-Garde Art

This chapter looks at the Chinese avant-garde as a series of subversions of the claims of certain beliefs to be true. The first subversion is of the presumption that a communist government with a capitalist economy can carve out a social space in which people can be themselves; the second, that the discourses in place in China are interpretable; and the third, that Western conceptions of art, supposing as they do a chasm between art and nature raw, can be adequate to China at the turn of the new century. Chinese avant-garde artists perform ritualistic erasures of systems of intelligibility like language and art. Part of what is distinctive about the work of the Chinese avant-garde is its subject matter and, most important, the attitude the artist takes toward it. Keywords: Chinese avant-garde; Chinese avant-garde artists; communist government
Generalized boundary conditions for the axial dispersion model

Abstract The Danckwerts boundary conditions for the axial dispersion model predict concentration profiles which are unrealistic when the dispersion coefficient is determined mainly by convection rather than by diffusion. Modified boundary conditions have been suggested as a simple means of overcoming this limitation. These are explored in a systematic way which introduces two new adjustable parameters in the model. Time-domain and Laplace-domain solutions for the residence time distribution are given. The new parameters can be found from inert tracer experiments just as the Peclet number is found. Differences between the modified model and the standard model exist for axial Peclet numbers less than 16.
Secondary students' attitudes towards mathematics

Attitudes towards mathematics and associated anxiety have been known to plague students with diverse socio-economic backgrounds. The purpose of this study was to investigate senior high student‘s attitudes towards mathematics and to explore sex differences in attitudes towards mathematics among students in Accra. A cross-sectional data containing demographic information and attitudes towards mathematics were collected from 181 students made up of 109 boys and 72 girls. They were conveniently sampled from three high schools. Two anonymous self-administered questionnaires were used namely the demographic data questionnaire and the Attitudes Towards Mathematics Inventory (ATMI). The data was analyzed using the SPSS version 16 for calculating mean and the results revealed that there was a significant difference in attitudes shown towards mathematics between boys and girls. The school environment, teachers attitudes and beliefs, teaching styles and parental attitudes were identified as explanation factors that account for student‘s attitudes towards mathematics. Teachers and other stakeholders in the education industry should organize seminars and workshops for students, parents, teachers and school administrators to enhance and promote positive attitudes towards mathematics.
Autonomous characterization of unknown environments

The key to the autonomous exploration of an unknown area by a scientific robotic rover is the ability of the vehicle to autonomously recognize objects of interest and generalize about the region. This paper presents a Bayesian framework under which a mobile robot can learn how different classes of objects are distributed over a geographical region, using imperfect observations and non-random sampling. This yields dramatic improvements in classification accuracy by exploiting the interdependencies between objects in an area and allows the robot to autonomously characterize the region. This is demonstrated with data from Carnegie Mellon University's Nomad robot in Antarctica, where it traversed the ice sheet, classifying rocks in its path.
Allergen exposure and asthma

Sir—Susanne Lau and co-workers (Oct 21, p 1392) state that exposure to environmental allergens does not cause asthma. An increasing number of reports show negative results for exposure to cat and dog allergen and sensitisation to such animals, or show no association between early exposure to pets and subsequent asthma. However, the design of such reports has not been the best to assess causation. Lau and colleagues’ German birth cohort Multicentre Allergy Study—one of few well designed prospective birth cohort studies—is therefore important. The investigators show a relation between exposure to mite and cat allergen and sensitisation, and between sensitisation and bronchial hyperresponsiveness. However, they saw no relation between early indoor allergen exposure (cat and house-dust mites) and the prevalence of asthma, wheeze, and bronchial hyper-responsiveness. We think this latter finding might be a consequence of inappropriate analysis. First, Lau and colleagues do not say whether they analysed parental tobacco smoking as a confounding factor. They have previously shown that keeping of pets and parental tobacco smoke are covariate factors.
Single-walled nanotube bucky paper and nanocomposite

A new processing method for the fabrication of single-walled nanotube (SWNT)-reinforced nanocomposites was developed to achieve uniform dispersion and high composition of the nanotubes in the nanocomposites. In this method, SWNTs were preformed as bucky paper by multi-step dispersion and micro-filtration of a suspension of nanotubes. The nanocomposites were then fabricated by infiltration of diluted epoxy resin through the bucky paper and hot pressing. The wetting of the nanocomposites was examined using scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The results showed that the epoxy resin completely penetrated the bucky paper through the nanoporous structures. The results of dynamic mechanical analysis of the nanocomposites showed that the storage moduli of the nanocomposites increased by 200–250%. The tan δ curves indicated that the nanotubes had a strong influence on the damping properties of the nanocomposites. This processing technique is an effective method for fabricating nanocomposites with uniform dispersion and high composition of SWNTs. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry
Highly persistent and effective prime/boost regimens against tuberculosis that use a multivalent modified vaccine virus Ankara-based tuberculosis vaccine with interleukin-15 as a molecular adjuvant.

Novel immunization strategies are needed to enhance the global control of tuberculosis (TB). In this study, we assessed the immunizing activity of a recombinant modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) construct (MVA/IL-15/5Mtb) which overexpresses five Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens (antigen 85A, antigen 85B, ESAT6, HSP60, and Mtb39), as well as the molecular adjuvant interleukin-15 (IL-15). Homologous prime/boost studies showed that the MVA/IL-15/5Mtb vaccine induced moderate but highly persistent protective immune responses for at least 16 months after the initial vaccination and that the interval between the prime and boost did not significantly alter vaccine-induced antituberculosis protective immunity. At 16 months, when the Mycobacterium bovis BCG and MVA/IL-15/5Mtb vaccine-induced protection was essentially equivalent, the protective responses after a tuberculous challenge were associated with elevated levels of gamma interferon (IFN-γ), IL-17F, Cxcl9, and Cxcl10. To amplify the immunizing potential of the MVA/IL-15/5Mtb vaccine, a heterologous prime/boost regimen was tested using an ESAT6-antigen 85B (E6-85) fusion protein formulated in dimethyldiotacylammonium bromide/monophosphoryl lipid A (DDA/MPL) adjuvant as the priming vaccine and the MVA/IL-15/5Mtb recombinant virus as the boosting agent. When MVA/IL-15/5Mtb vaccine boosting was done at 2 or 6 months following the final fusion protein injections, the prime/boost regimen evoked protective responses against an aerogenic M. tuberculosis challenge which was equivalent to that induced by BCG immunization. Long-term memory after immunization with the E6-85-MVA/IL-15/5Mtb combination regimen was associated with the induction of monofunctional CD4 and CD8 IFN-γ-producing T cells and multifunctional CD4 and CD8 T cells expressing IFN-γ/tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), TNF-α/IL-2, and IFN-γ/TNF-α/IL-2. In contrast, BCG-induced protection was characterized by fewer CD4 and CD8 monofunctional T cells expressing IFN-γ and only IFN-γ/TNF-α and IFN-γ/TNF-α/IL-2 expressing multifunctional T (MFT) cells. Taken together, these results suggest that a heterologous prime/boost protocol using an MVA-based tuberculosis vaccines to boost after priming with TB protein/adjuvant preparations should be considered when designing long-lived TB immunization strategies.
On fixing edges in graph minors

An area of much recent research activity has been involved with tying the presence of certain minors in a matroid to specific elements of this matroid. The aim of this paper is to show that there are exactly two 3-connected simple graphsG with at least four edges and the property that ifH is a 3-connected simple graph havingG as a minor ande andf are edges ofH, thenH has a minor isomorphic toG which containse andf in its edge set. Some extensions of this result are also considered.
Lipoprotein abnormalities in compound heterozygous lipoprotein lipase deficiency after treatment with a low-fat diet and orlistat.

Background The treatment of familial hyperchylomicronemia presenting in early childhood with episodes of pancreatitis has been ineffective, and affected patients remain at risk for pancreatitis. Objective To report on the effect of orlistat in siblings with severe inherited hyperchylomicronemia and to assess posttreatment lipoprotein concentrations and composition. Methods Serial observations of plasma lipid levels and hospitalizations after treatment with orlistat and lipoprotein studies on a single fasting posttreatment sample. Results The affected siblings inherited a lipoprotein lipase gene mutation from each of their parents: a novel mutation from their father (c.542G > C, p.G181R) and a known missense mutation from their mother (c.644G > A, p.G215E). When the boy presented to us at age 9 years of age and his sister at age 7 years, we found that addition of orlistat, a pancreatic lipase inhibitor, at a dose of 120 mg given before three low-fat meals a day was effective in reducing episodes of pancreatitis in the boy and in maintaining the triglyceride at lower levels in both children. During treatment, the children were observed to have elevations in apolipoprotein (apo)B, low-density lipoprotein particle concentration, abnormal apoB-containing subclasses, and deficiencies in apoA-I and apoA-II-containing lipoproteins, changes consistent with continuing increased cardiovascular risk. Conclusion The data support the need for more effective long-term treatments that not only prevent pancreatitis but also offset cardiovascular risk. Orlistat can be considered effective in augmenting the effect of a low-fat diet and reducing risk for pancreatitis.
Love and the Value of a Life

This essay is about love and its place in ethics. It argues that there is no one it is irrational to love, that it is rational to act with partiality to those we love, and that the rationality of doing so is not conditional on love. It follows that Anscombe and Taurek are right: you are not required to save three instead of one, even when those you could save are perfect strangers.
Exponential-type solutions to a generalized Drinfel'd–Sokolov equation

Exact exponential-type solutions to the generalized Drinfel'd–Sokolov (GDS) equations are obtained for the case in which α2=0, for various values of the other model parameters. A modification of the homotopy analysis method is then applied to obtain analytical solutions for nonzero values of the parameter α2, in effect extending the exact solutions. In our modification of the standard method, we employ a nonlinear auxiliary operator. In contrast to most standard perturbation methods, in which a nonlinear problem is reduced to 'infinitely many' linear problems, here we reduce a hard nonlinear problem to 'infinitely many' easier nonlinear problems. Indeed, we also provide a solution using a linear auxiliary operator and show that the convergence of obtained solutions is improved (in the sense that fewer terms are required for the approximate solutions to obtain a desired accuracy) when using the auxiliary nonlinear operator, in some cases. An error analysis of the obtained approximate analytical solutions is provided.
DAILY PRECIPITATION DISTRIBUTIONS OVER THE INTRA-AMERICAS SEA AND THEIR INTERANNUAL VARIABILITY (edited by H. Diaz).

Se analiza la variabilidad estacional (de marzo a octubre) e interanual de la funcion de distribucion acumulativa (FDA) relativa a la precipitacion en Mesoamerica, el Pacifico oriental y el Atlantico occidental, que suelen denominarse mar intraamericano. Se desarrollaron FDA para grandes areas de precipitacion en tierra y albercas de agua caliente mayores a 28.5 oC y de 26.5 a 28.5 oC. Los valores de las distribuciones de precipitacion relativas a aguas de menor temperatura tienden a ser menores en comparacion con los de tierra y los de la alberca de agua caliente del hemisferio occidental (WHWP, por sus siglas en ingles). Las distribuciones de la precipitacion en tierra y en la WHWP tienen valores similares de marzo a mayo. De junio a octubre, el histograma de precipitacion en tierra es mas estrecho (menor lluvia ligera e intensa) que el de la WHWP. En esta, la lluvia intensa a extrema tiene mayor probabilidad de presentarse en junio. De 1997 a 2008, la Oscilacion del Sur/El Nino (ENSO, por sus siglas en ingles) se vinculo con las FDA de la precipitacion en tierra durante el verano, donde en fases de El Nino se observa una tendencia a menor lluvia total. No hay una relacion fuerte entre ENSO y las CDF de la precipitacion sobre las WHWP. Por ultimo, una extensa WHWP de mayo a julio se relaciona con las FDA de precipitacion sobre las WHWP en octubre, es decir, se observa una tendencia hacia valores mas altos de lluvia total y a mayor presencia de eventos extremos. El tamano de la WHWP en julio explica el 75% de la variabilidad en la frecuencia de precipitaciones mayores a 50 mm en dicha alberca caliente en octubre, y la raiz del error cuadratico medio entre los puntos observados y el modelo lineal es de alrededor de 0.005. Sin embargo, esta aparente predictibilidad no se debe unicamente a una anomalia estacional calida que conduce a efectos termodinamicos locales. La correlacion simultanea entre la extension de la WHWP en octubre y la FDA de las precipitaciones en ese lugar es baja, lo cual indica ausencia de una respuesta coincidente. Este trabajo muestra, mediante el reanalisis oceanico-atmosferico, que los extremos de precipitacion en octubre dependen del desarrollo de la porcion atlantica de la WHWP entre mayo y julio. Las WHWP extensas en estos meses son consistentes con el inicio temprano de la alberca caliente del Atlantico y la inestabilidad atmosferica sobre Centroamerica que conduce a eventos extremos de precipitacion durante el verano.
Portrait Toxigenic Clostridium difficile assay, an isothermal amplification assay detects toxigenic C. difficile in clinical stool specimens

The Portrait Toxigenic Clostridium difficile assay is a rapid, qualitative assay for the detection of the tcdB gene of C. difficile in stool specimens from patients suspected of C. difficile infections, and received 510(k) clearance by the US FDA in March 2012. The Portrait Toxigenic C. difficile assay combines novel blocked-primer-mediated helicase-dependent multiplex amplification (bpHDA) technology and chip-based detection in an automated sample-to-result format. The assay requires minimal sample preparation and results are available within 90 min. In a multicenter evaluation, the Portrait Toxigenic C. difficile assay had a sensitivity of 98.2% and specificity of 92.8% compared with toxigenic culture. A comparative study between the Portrait Toxigenic C. difficile assay and three FDA-cleared molecular assays for the detection of toxigenic C. difficile exhibited a high degree of agreement (93.8–97.5%). The Portrait Toxigenic C. difficile assay provides a simple, cost-effective method with broad applicab...
Institution and Family: An Alternative View of Nineteenth-Century Child Saving

Over the last decade, the history of deviance and social control institutions has become mired in a futile debate over the morality and motivations of reform and has insulated itself from the main theoretical and methodological developments in social history. I urge a materialist recasting of the field, in which attention would focus on client experience and on concrete reproductive functions performed by institutions to accommodate working-class families to increasing misery. I illustrate my arguments with case study evidence on the origins of nineteenthcentury child saving.
Aging With a Disability

Abstract Klingbeil H, Baer HR, Wilson PE. Aging with a disability. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2004;85(Suppl 3):S68–73. This focused review highlights important issues in the care of persons who are aging with a disability. It is part of the study guide on geriatric rehabilitation in the Self-Directed Physiatric Education Program for practitioners and trainees in physical medicine and rehabilitation. This article specifically focuses on significant medical and rehabilitation issues pertinent to persons with cerebral palsy, spina bifida, postpoliomyelitis syndrome, and selected other neurologic and neuromuscular diseases. In addition to normal physiologic aging, people with these conditions often experience secondary complications and accelerated impairments because of aging itself. These complications are described, and monitoring strategies and treatment are recommended. Overall article objective To summarize issues in the care of persons aging with a disability.
Association of Ischemic Lesion Patterns on Early Diffusion-Weighted Imaging with TOAST Stroke Subtypes

Background Different topographic patterns in patients who experience an acute ischemic stroke may be related to specific stroke causes. Objective To determine if lesion patterns on early diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) are associated with stroke subtypes determined by the TOAST (Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment) classification. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting General community hospital. Patients We studied 172 consecutive ischemic stroke patients with a symptomatic lesion on DWI performed within 24 hours of stroke onset. Main Outcome Measures Lesion patterns on DWI were classified into single lesions (corticosubcortical, cortical, subcortical ≥15 mm, or subcortical Results We found an overall significant relationship between DWI lesion patterns and TOAST stroke subtypes ( P P = .01), multiple lesions in anterior and posterior circulations ( P = .03), and multiple lesions in multiple cerebral circulations ( P = .008) were associated with cardioembolism. Multiple lesions in the unilateral anterior circulation ( P = .04) and small scattered lesions in one vascular territory ( P = .06) were related to large-artery atherosclerosis. Nearly half (11/23) of the patients with a single subcortical lesion that was 15 mm or larger were classified as having cryptogenic strokes ( P = .001), although 9 of these patients had a classic lacunar syndrome without cortical hypoperfusion. Conclusions Early DWI lesion patterns are associated with specific stroke causes. Conventional 15-mm criteria for lacunes, however, may underestimate the diagnosis of small-vessel occlusion with DWI.
Power Control for AP-Based Wireless Networks under the SINR Interference Model: Complexity and Efficient Algorithm Development

In this paper, the power control problem is considered for access-point based wireless networks under the SINR interference model. This problem is NP hard in terms of the number of APs in the network, and if not designed properly can have high polynomial complexity in terms of the power levels. We first separate the overall problem into two sub-problems using the primal-dual method. We then develop an efficient algorithm under the SINR-interference model that uses only two power levels to solve a subproblem of the overall power control problem, which we call the utility-independent power control (UIPC) subproblem. This approach allows the optimality gap of the UIPC subproblem to be bounded. Moreover, a two-stage iterative algorithm is developed that solves the overall power control problem within a small neighborhood of the global optimum. This offline algorithm has a significantly lower computational complexity than the globally optimal algorithm. Further, based on the structure of the iterative algorithm, an efficient heuristic two-stage greedy algorithm is proposed with low polynomial time complexity. Finally, numerical results are provided to demonstrate the efficacy of our solution.
An in-situ X-ray Diffraction Study of the Desorption of TiCl3-doped Sodium Alanate

Sodium alanate was milled with and without TiCl 3 . The hydrogen release and uptake was measured during temperature-programmed absorption and desorption, as well as by isothermal charging and discharging, using a Sieverts' type apparatus. These data were supplemented by in-situ X-ray diffraction studies of hydrogen desorption. Rate constants derived from XRD were slower than those derived from volumetric H 2 measurements. Al formation observed in XRD exceeded that expected from the observed decomposition of NaAlH 4 and Na 3 AlH 6 .
Quantification of fluorescence in thick specimens, with an application to cyclin B—GFP expression in starfish oocytes

Background information. Fluorescence imaging of living cells is widely used in cell biology. It is now being extended to thick specimens such as large cells or tissues where it is important to establish methods for obtaining quantitative fluorescence data due to the increasing importance of computational and systems biology approaches. Results. Fluorescent solutions were used as a calibration standard for determining cellular fluorescence concentrations from z series image sequences. The accuracy of the measurements was evaluated using quantitatively injected cells. Different fluorescence attenuation rates of the cytoplasm and nucleoplasm were documented, and autofluorescence levels were determined. This method was used to characterize the effect of cyclin B overexpression on cell-cycle timing in starfish oocytes. The time interval between application of maturation hormone and germinal vesicle breakdown decreased with increasing cyclin B—GFP (green fluorescent protein) concentration to a level of 100–300 nM, beyond which there was no effect. Conclusions. Conditions for determining fluorescent probe concentrations in large cells or multicellular tissues were established, which will facilitate the collection of data for quantitative studies. This method was used to characterize the effect of cyclin B—GFP expression levels on cell-cycle timing in starfish oocytes.
The Myth of Modularity in Rule-Based Systems for Reasoning with Uncertainty

In this paper, we examine the concept of modularity , an often cited advantage of the ruled-based representation methodology. We argue that the notion of modularity consists of two distinct concepts which we call syntactic modularity and semantic modularity. We argue that when reasoning under certainty, it is reasonable to regard the rule-based approach as both syntactically and semantically modular. However, we argue that in the case of plausible reasoning, rules are syntactically modular but are rarely semantically modular. To illustrate this point, we examine a particular approach for managing uncertainty in rule-based systems called the MYCIN certainty factor model. We formally define the concept of semantic modularity with respect to the certainty factor model and discuss logical consequences of the definition. We show that the assumption of semantic modularity imposes strong restrictions on rules in a knowledge base. We argue that such restrictions are rarely valid in practical applications. Finally, we suggest how the concept of semantic modularity can be relaxed in a manner that makes it appropriate for plausible reasoning.
Differences in Viewing Time for Mammograms Displayed on Film Versus a CRT Monitor

A large number of Radiology Departments are “going digital”. In addition to the traditional digital acquisition modalities (e.g., MRI, CT, ultrasound), many departments now have computed radiography (CR) systems and are even starting to use more specialized digital acquisition systems. One area which has seen a boom in the area of digital acquisition systems is mammography. Digital systems for stereotactic breast needle biopsies have been around for a few years now, have been evaluated [1], and are being used regularly in many breast clinics around the world. More recently, advances have been made in the area of full-field digital mammography [2],[3]. What this push towards digital acquisition has produced, is an equally strong push towards viewing these digitally acquired images on CRT monitors instead of printing them, to film. One of the main advantages of digital images is that the processes of acquisition and display are separate. Thus, images displayed on a CRT monitor rather than printed to film can be image processed, can be subjected to computer-aided detection (CAD) schemes, and can be transmitted electronically from one site to another (e.g., for telemedicine purposes), without the intervening (and lossy) step of digitization. In mammography the push for digital display systems is just as great as in other areas and is perhaps even stronger. If we cannot find ways to optimally display digitally acquired mammograms on monitors, the entire digital mammography enterprise may fail.
Labor Supply Effects of Occupational Regulation: Evidence from the Nurse Licensure Compact

There is concern that licensure requirements impede mobility of licensed professionals to areas of high demand. Nursing has not been immune to this criticism, especially in the context of perceived nurse shortages and large expected future demand. The Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) was introduced to solve this problem by permitting registered nurses to practice across state lines without obtaining additional licensure. We exploit the staggered adoption of the NLC to examine whether a reduction in licensure-induced barriers alters the nurse labor market. Using data on over 1.8 million nurses and other health care workers we find no evidence that the labor supply or mobility of nurses increases following the adoption of the NLC, even among the residents of counties bordering other NLC states who are potentially most affected by the NLC. This suggests that nationalizing occupational licensing will not substantially reduce labor market frictions.Institutional subscribers to the NBER working paper series, and residents of developing countries may download this paper without additional charge at www.nber.org.