cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Methotrimeprazine on Arterial Blood Gases in Human Volunteers

Since methotrimeprazine proved to be both an effective tranquilizer and analgesic, its effect in a tranquilizing dose of 0.15 mg/kg on the arterial blood gases was determined in human volunteers. Because of the known potentiating effect of some phenothiazines on the narcotic-analgesic induced respiratory depression and analgesia, the effect of methotrimeprazine on the meperidine-induced respiratory depression was also studied. Before, and at five minute intervals after the administration of the test drugs, PaO2, PaCO2 and pH were determined by a Radiometer Copenhagen Blood Gas Analyzer (Radiometer Copenhagen, 72 Endruvej, Denmark) through a Riley-needle. Continuous ECG lead II tracings were taken during the experiment. No significant decrease in PaO2 or increase in PaCO2 (P less than 0.01) was observed in 6 healthy volunteers (mean age = 25 yrs) after 0.15 mg/kg i.v. methotrimeprazine. In 19 volunteers (mean age = 32 yrs), the intravenous infusion of 1.5 mg/kg meperidine caused significant decrease in PaO2 and increase in PaCO2 five minutes after its administration. The combined administration of both drugs to 6 volunteers (mean age = 23 yr) caused initially the same decrease in PaO2 as after meperidine alone with subsequent increase in PaO2 over normal levels, however, the PaCO2 significantly increased both as compared to baseline values and as compared with meperidine alone. The pH reductions after the combination of both drugs were greater than after meperidine alone, which in combination with the PaCO2 values confirms the potentiation of meperidine-induced respiratory depression by methotrimeprazine. The results indicate the methotrimeprazine alone causes no significant respiratory depression, but it potentiates the respiratory depression caused by meperidine.
Effective thermal conductivity of sintered metal fibers

For the effective thermal conductivity of dry and fluid-saturated sintered metal fibers, existing correlations are compared to experimental data, and a new empirical expression that compensates for the effect of the aspect ratio of the fibers is presented. It is shown that the present equation predicts the data with 10% deviation, while the Acton equation, which has been recommended in some references, has approximately 200% error.
Hypothesis: Menopause discourages infanticide and encourages continued investment by Agnates

Abstract Williams (1957) hypothesized that menopause evolved because early cessation of child-bearing might increase a Pleistocene woman's chance of surviving to care for her already born children and grandchildren. Others have elaborated on this hypothesis by suggesting that menopause might also change a woman's social role in a manner that benefits even more distant members of her kin group (e.g., Alexander 1974). However, empirical and model tests cast doubt on whether these considerations, alone, can account for the evolution and maintenance of menopause (Hill and Hurtado 1991; Rogers 1993). I suggest that menopause may also have benefited women by reducing infanticide and by helping to maintain agnatic investment in children. This hypothesis makes two assumptions. Both are at least moderately plausible given the available data: (1) compared to protohominids (which may have had rather chimpanzee-like mating systems), hominid mating relationships became relatively stable and involved increasing levels of paternal care (e.g., Alexander and Noonan 1979), and (2) the male in these relationships was generally older than the female(s) and thus was likely to be the first to die. Under these conditions, a female who remains fertile after the death of her primary mating partner invites the presence of a new male, which in turn threatens the existence of extant offspring (especially the youngest) and also threatens to disrupt any nepotistic relationship that may have existed with the primary mate's family. These additional costs of continued fertility, if considered in conjunction with the benefits traditionally thought to accrue from the early cessation of fertility (e.g., Williams 1957; Alexander 1974), may be sufficient to account for the evolution and maintenance of menopause.
Solute-solvent interactions in acid-base dissociation: nine protonated nitrogen bases in water-DMSO solvents

A titration method utilizing glass electrodes and silver-silver chloride electrodes in a cell without liquid junction has been used to determine the acidic dissociation constants at 15, 25, and 35°C of nine protonated nitrogen bases in mixtures of water and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). The mole fraction of DMSO in the mixed solvents was 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8. The cell was calibrated with HCl (molality=0.01 mole-kg−1) in the mixed solvents, and the ionic strength and chloride molality remained substantially unchanged during the titration with added base. This method minimizes the errors resulting from the formation of AgCl 2 − in the media rich in DMSO. The pK a of all the protonated bases passes through a minimum at a solvent composition close to that at which H2O-DMSO mixtures display a maximum solvent structure. The results are discussed in terms of the preferential solvation of ions by the two types of solvent molecules. They are consistent with the hypothesis that increased solvent structure is accompanied by increased desolvation of the cation acids.
Identity Processing Styles and Value Orientations: The Mediational Role of Self-Regulation and Identity Commitment

Recent research has found systematic associations between identity processing styles (how individuals negotiate the process of identity formation) and value orientations (personal views about what values and goals should be pursued). This investigation evaluated the hypothesis that these relationships would at least in part be mediated by individual differences in self-regulation and self-defining commitment. Consistent with previous research, an informational identity style was positively associated with values that transcended selfish interest whereas a normative style was positively associated with values that emphasized security and tradition. A diffuse-avoidant identity style was positively associated with values that highlighted self-interest. As hypothesized, a number of the relationships were mediated by the commitments the participants held and their levels of self-regulatory resources. The more self-defining the participants considered their commitments to be, the more likely they were to endors...
J. G. A. Pocock's republicanism and political theory: A critique and reinterpretation

A growing sense of the exhaustion of both liberalism and Marxism has fueled a revival of interest in civic republicanism among historians, political theorists, and social commentators. This turn is evaluated via an examination of the normative implications off. G. A. Pocock's account of civic republicanism. Arguing that what is at issue between liberals and republicans has been misunderstood by both sides in the debate, the author shows that the turn to republicanism fails to address the most vexing problems liberalism confronts in the modern world, and that it is and has been compatible with much of what critics of liberalism dislike. He argues, further, that the civic republican view involves an instrumental attitude to outsiders that cannot be justified in today's world and has other unattractive dimensions of which too little account has been taken by defenders and detractors alike.
Age-related alterations in energy metabolism contribute to the increased vulnerability of the aging brain to anoxic damage

Abstract Aging increases the vulnerability of brain tissue to anoxia and ischemia. We investigated whether age-related alterations in energy metabolism underlie this increased vulnerability. Energy metabolism was manipulated in hippocampal slices from Fischer 344 rats of ages 6–9 (young adult), 16–19 (middle-aged adult), and 26–29 (aged adult) months by altering glucose concentrations or by using lactate instead of glucose as the metabolic substrate. Extracellular K + activity (K o + ) and synaptic excitability were monitored in stratum pyramidale of hippocampal subfield CA1. Aging diminished how well increasing concentrations of glucose delayed onset of anoxic depolarization and improved postanoxic recovery of K o + homeostasis and synaptic transmission. Hippocampal slices from all age groups responded to anoxia similarly when lactate was present instead of glucose. Also, no age-related differences were seen in normoxic ATP and phosphocreatine levels. These results suggest that an age-related decline in the glycolytic capacity of brain cells contributes to earlier onset of anoxic depolarization and poorer recovery of ion homeostasis and synaptic transmission in aging brain tissue.
Structures of Bacterial Polynucleotide Kinase in a Michaelis Complex with Nucleoside Triphosphate (NTP)-Mg2+ and 5′-OH RNA and a Mixed Substrate-Product Complex with NTP-Mg2+ and a 5′-Phosphorylated Oligonucleotide

Clostridium thermocellum polynucleotide kinase (CthPnk), the 5'-end-healing module of a bacterial RNA repair system, catalyzes reversible phosphoryl transfer from a nucleoside triphosphate (NTP) donor to a 5'-OH polynucleotide acceptor, either DNA or RNA. Here we report the 1.5-A crystal structure of CthPnk-D38N in a Michaelis complex with GTP-Mg(2+) and a 5'-OH RNA oligonucleotide. The RNA-binding mode of CthPnk is different from that of the metazoan RNA kinase Clp1. CthPnk makes hydrogen bonds to the ribose 2'-hydroxyls of the 5' terminal nucleoside, via Gln51, and the penultimate nucleoside, via Gln83. The 5'-terminal nucleobase is sandwiched by Gln51 and Val129. Mutating Gln51 or Val129 to alanine reduced kinase specific activity 3-fold. Ser37 and Thr80 donate functionally redundant hydrogen bonds to the terminal phosphodiester; a S37A-T80A double mutation reduced kinase activity 50-fold. Crystallization of catalytically active CthPnk with GTP-Mg(2+) and a 5'-OH DNA yielded a mixed substrate-product complex with GTP-Mg(2+) and 5'-PO4 DNA, wherein the product 5' phosphate group is displaced by the NTP γ phosphate and the local architecture of the acceptor site is perturbed.
Photoreactions of Mo(CO) 6 on Potassium Precovered Silicon Surface with UV to IR Radiation

The adsorption and photoreactions of Mo(CO) 6 coadsorbed with K on Si(111)7×7 at 90 K have been studied under ultra-high vacuum conditions. It is found that dissociative adsorption of Mo(CO) 6 on the K preadsorbed surface occurs for coverages below a monolayer. A multilayer of physisorbed Mo(CO) 6 molecules is formed on top of the monolayer. Under photon irradiation physisorbed Mo(CO) 6 molecules are dissociated and CO desorption is observed. The photoreactions of Mo(CO) 6 occur over a wide wavelength range from the UV to IR. In contrast, only UV radiation induces photoreactions of Mo(CO) 6 on the K-free Si(111)7×7 surface. Evidently K opens a new channel for the photoreactions of Mo(CO) 6 on the surface. A mechanism involving interactions between photogenerated charge carriers and the substrate-adsorbate complex is proposed.
Effect of hybridization on 4d→4f spectra in light lanthanides

The effect of the hybridization of 4f electrons on La, Ce, and Pr tripositive ions with ligand states or conduction electrons was simulated by reducing the Slater integrals involving the 4f electrons by 10% or 20%, depending on whether the integrand involves one or two 4f electrons, respectively. The dipole-allowed 4d..-->..4f spectra were calculated. Observable effects, changes in line energies, and oscillator strengths, were compared with limited data available for ionic and metallic solids containing these lanthanides, and for Ce vapor. Many of the observed changes in the 4d..-->..4f spectra attributed to hybridization effects are found qualitatively in the calculation.
Transient production of α‐smooth muscle actin by skeletal myoblasts during differentiation in culture and following intramuscular implantation

alpha-smooth muscle actin (SMA) is typically not present in post-embryonic skeletal muscle myoblasts or skeletal muscle fibers. However, both primary myoblasts isolated from neonatal mouse muscle tissue, and C2C12, an established myoblast cell line, produced SMA in culture within hours of exposure to differentiation medium. The SMA appeared during the cells' initial elongation, persisted through differentiation and fusion into myotubes, remained abundant in early myotubes, and was occasionally observed in a striated pattern. SMA continued to be present during the initial appearance of sarcomeric actin, but disappeared shortly thereafter leaving only sarcomeric actin in contractile myotubes derived from primary myoblasts. Within one day after implantation of primary myoblasts into mouse skeletal muscle, SMA was observed in the myoblasts; but by 9 days post-implantation, no SMA was detectable in myoblasts or muscle fibers. Thus, both neonatal primary myoblasts and an established myoblast cell line appear to similarly reprise an embryonic developmental program during differentiation in culture as well as differentiation within adult mouse muscles.
Psychophysical estimation of the effects of aging on direction-of-heading judgments

We conducted psychophysical experiments on direction-of-heading judgments using old and young subjects. Subjects estimated heading directions on a translation perpendicular to the vertical plane (frontoparallel); we found that heading judgments were affected by age. Increasing the random dot density in the stimulus from 24 to 400 dots did not improve threshold significantly. Older subjects started performing worse at the highest dots condition of 400. The speed of the radial motion was important, as heading judgments with slower radial motion were difficult to judge than faster radial motion, as the focus of expansion was easier to locate owing to the larger displacement of dots. Gender differences indicated that older women had a higher threshold than older men. This was only significant for the faster simulated radial speed. A general trend of women having a higher threshold than men was noticed.
Diode Laser Spectroscopy of the ν1and ν3Bands of SD+3

Abstract The ν 1 and ν 3 bands of SD + 3 were observed at 5.45 μm with a diode laser spectrometer. The ions were generated in a concentration-modulated, low-temperature, hollow-cathode discharge of deuterium and carbonyl sulfide gases. One hundred and ninety-two lines were measured and assigned to SD + 3 . The majority of these lines were assigned to the ν 3 perpendicular band with 49 lines assigned to the ν 1 parallel band. A simultaneous fit of these bands provided the first experimental parameters for the SD + 3 ion.
An extensible real-time digital transient network analyzer

The development of a completely digital power system multiprocessor transient network analyzer (TNA) is reported. Generators, loads, transformers and power lines are represented by simple linear electrical equivalents. Results are reported for both single-phase and three-phase networks. Electromagnetic transient phenomena can be modeled with available digital technology to a detail of about 100 mu s, corresponding to frequencies below about 5 kHz. >
Bitter-sweet reentry after studying abroad

Abstract This qualitative study was conducted to explore reentry experiences of U.S. college students and to provide possible explanations for those experiences. Study participants took part in a semester or year-long study abroad program organized by a Midwestern public research university and shared their experiences through semi-structured interviews and an online survey. The major finding was that the participants reported a wide range of experiences during reentry, instead of just the challenging side mostly present in the literature. This study suggests approaching reentry from a more inclusive perspective and possibly describing it as “bitter-sweet” – the phrase used by several interviewees. The “bitter” side of the reentry was connected with students’ sense of loss over the people, experiences, and cultural environment they encountered while abroad; their inability to communicate their intercultural experiences to people at home who did not have similar experiences; and developing a critical lens toward U.S. culture. These findings support the existing literature on the challenging side of reentry experiences. The “sweet” side was connected to students’ reuniting with people, experiences, and elements of their home culture they missed while being abroad; communication with people who had similar intercultural experiences and could understand the need of the returnees to talk about their experiences; and developing an appreciative lens toward U.S. culture. These findings add to the very limited amount of literature on the positive side of reentry and provide explanations of those experiences that were almost lacking in the literature. Recommendations for future researchers and implications for practitioners are provided.
Spectral crosstalk by radiative recombination in sequential-mode, dual mid-wavelength infrared band HgCdTe detectors

For small pixel, infrared (IR) focal plane arrays (FPAs), Raytheon Vision Systems’ architecture for integrated, dual-band detectors uses the sequential mode of the n-p+-n configuration. There is a single indium bump per pixel, leaving the p+ layer floating, and the operating polarity of the bias selects the spectral sensitivity by reverse-biasing the active p-n junction. Photogenerated minority carriers in the absorber layer of the forward-biased inactive photodiode are lost through recombination. This paper is the first report of a new optical crosstalk mechanism that occurs in sequential-mode, dual-band detectors. In the long-wavelength mode under out-of-band, short-wavelength illumination, radiative recombination yields emission near the bandgap energy of the short-wavelength absorber layer, resulting in a spurious short-wavelength response that appears as spectral crosstalk. We present experimental and device modeling results on the spectral crosstalk in molecular-beam-epitaxy-grown HgCdTe arrays with the cutoff wavelength of both bands in the 4–5-µm range.
Scavenger enzymes and resistance to oxygen mediated damage in Trichinella spiralis

In order to understand why different stages of Trichinella spiralis vary in their susceptibility to killing by leukocytes, the effects of artificially generated oxidants on different stages of this parasite were compared. More than 90% newborn larvae were killed after incubation in acetaldehyde-xanthine oxidase or glucose-glucose oxidase. On the other hand, fewer than 10% of adult worms or muscle larvae were killed when incubated under identical conditions. Thus, only the stages which are resistant to killing by leukocytes are resistant to killing by oxidants. The larvicidal effect of acetaldehyde-xanthine oxidase was blocked by the addition of either superoxide dismutase or catalase and was partially inhibited by radical scavengers and singlet oxygen quenchers. The oxidant resistant adults and muscle larvae contained 3–5 times more superoxide dismutase and at least five times more glutathione peroxidase than the oxidant sensitive newborn larvae. In contrast, all 3 stages lacked detectable amounts of catalase and contained roughly equivalent amounts of reduced glutathione. Accordingly, adults and muscle larvae may be more resistant to killing by leukocytes than newborn larvae because they contain better oxidant defenses.
An Analysis of the HumaPen® Luxura™ HD Pen: What is the Role of 0.5-Unit Insulin Dosing?

The HumaPen Luxura HD is an insulin pen device that has the ability to deliver insulin in half-unit increments. This study demonstrates the precision of this pen device using a computer-controlled dose accuracy glide force system. Although one other half-unit pen device is currently on the market, we are not aware of any studies using a similar methodology to verify its precision and accuracy. Clinical experience in treating a select group of adults with diabetes demonstrates the need for such a device. Although there are no outcome studies, this device should help to improve glycemic control and reduce hypoglycemia in such patients. We believe a half-unit insulin pen device is beneficial to more than just the pediatric population, and therefore, this device represents an improvement in present technology.
Design and test of a differential scanning stage system for an x-ray nanoprobe instrument

We have developed a prototype instrument with a novel interferometrically controlled differential scanning stage system. The system consists of 9 DC-motor-driven stages, 4 picomotor-driven stages, and 2 PZT-driven stages. A custom-built laser Doppler displacement meter system provides two-dimensional (2D) differential displacement measurement with subnanometer resolution between the zone-plate x-ray optics and the sample holder. The entire scanning system was designed with high stiffness, high repeatability, low drift, flexible scanning schemes, and possibility of fast feedback for differential motion. Designs of the scanning stage system, as well as preliminary mechanical test results, are presented in this paper.
Penetration of N‐nitrosonornicotine (NNN) across oral mucosa in the presence of ethanol and nicotine

The effects of ethanol concentrations of 5, 15, 20, 25, 27, 30 and 50% on the penetration of the tobacco-specific carcinogen, nitrosonornicotine (NNN), across porcine oral mucosa were examined using an in vitro perfusion system. Concentrations of ethanol of 25% and above significantly increased the permeability of oral mucosa to NNN, although this increase ceased with 50% ethanol, possibly due to a fixative effect. Nicotine is a consistent component of smoked and smokeless tobacco; the presence of 0.2% nicotine significantly increased the permeability of oral mucosa to NNN and 2% nicotine caused a further increase. Combined use of nicotine and ethanol significantly increased the penetration of NNN across oral mucosa over that of ethanol alone until the concentration of ethanol reached 50%. The results of this study suggest that the synergy between tobacco and alcohol in the etiology of oral cancer may be explained, at least in part, by the local permeabilizing effects of alcohol on the penetration of tobacco-specific (and other) carcinogens across oral mucosa.
The effects of psyllium hydrophilic mucilloid on diarrhea in enterally fed patients

Abstract OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of psyllium hydrophilic mucilloid (PHM) for prevention of diarrhea and to compare methods of PHM delivery. DESIGN: Experimental. SETTING: University-affiliated Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. SUBJECTS: Sixty patients from medical-surgical and intensive care units who received newly initiated enteral feeding via feeding tube. OUTCOME MEASURES: Diarrhea, stool frequency and consistency, and feeding tube obstruction. INTERVENTION: Receipt of PHM (7 gm, twice-daily) added to continuous feeding or given as a bolus with intermittent feeding, or receipt of No PHM for 7 days after initiation of enteral feeding. RESULTS: Fifteen subjects (25%) developed diarrhea (defined as 3 or more liquid stools per day, or 2 or more liquid stools on successive days). There were no significant differences in incidence of diarrhea or percentage of days of diarrhea between subjects who did and did not receive PHM. However, subjects who received PHM in their continuous feedings had a significantly higher number of gelatinous stools, and the combined PHM groups had a significantly lower number of liquid stools and a higher number of normal stools than did subjects who did not receive PHM. For the combined PHM groups, there was a 12% incidence of small-bore feeding tube occlusion—requiring replacement. CONCLUSIONS: Further study with a larger sample is necessary to evaluate trends found in this pilot study and to determine PHM efficacy for prevention of diarrhea. PHM administration may result in small-bore feeding tube obstruction, and thus requires adequate dilution and close monitoring.
Effects of facial lobectomy on goldfish feeding behavior

The role of the facial lobe (FL) of goldfish in feeding behavior (search, pick up and ingestion) was investigated using the ablation method. Facial lobectomy (FLX) was performed on 10 fish, five of which were also fitted with blinders (BLs). It was found that FLX did not have any apparent effect on feeding behavior; however, this does not rule out some other, undetected and perhaps subtle, role of the FL in the feeding repertoire. A salient aspect of this finding was the observation that food pick up was not blocked, showing that the FL is not necessary for this feeding step. These results are contrary to that reported in catfish. This difference might be explained by the fact that the FLs of the two species are quite different anatomically; yet it does not account for the fact that the current results are at variance with the commonly accepted role of the teleostean FL as reflected in the literature. The use of BLs alone or combined with FLX also indicated no apparent involvement of the FL in feeding, as was able to be measured within the limitations of this investigation.
Polymer electro-optic devices for integrated optics

Abstract Recent advances in polymer electro-optic polymers and in fabrication techniques have made possible advances in polymer optical guided wave devices which bring them much closer to system ready. The processing of a new thermal set FTC polymer and its incorporation into a high-frequency, low-Vπ optical amplitude modulator are reviewed. The design and fabrication of 100 GHz modulators and their integration with rectangular metal waveguides using an anti-podal finline transition with a flexible Mylar substrate is discussed. High-speed polymer modulators with balanced outputs and the in situ trimming of the output coupler is described. More complex guided wave devices using polymers are demonstrated by the photonic rf phase shifter. Techniques for integrating both passive and active polymers into the same optical circuit without the need for mode matching is presented and demonstrated. To reduce the Vπ of a polymer amplitude modulator to 1 V or under, a technique of constant-bias voltage is demonstrated. Finally, a technique to directly laser write electro-optic polymer devices is reviewed.
Abstract 991: The DNA methylome of castration-resistant prostate cancer

Lethal prostate cancer is predominantly a castrate-resistant disease. However, castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is clinically heterogeneous and a classification that is predictive of outcome and response to therapies is lacking. Previous epigenetic profiling studies in CRPC have been limited to a small number of genes or sequences and therefore we explored the DNA methylome of CRPC and its capacity to classify the disease. We performed methylated CpG island amplification microarrays (MCAMs) using a panel of xenografts derived from 24 patients with CRPC tumors, 8 prostate tumors, 1 local recurrence, 5 liver metastases, 3 pleural fluid samples, 2 adrenal gland metastases and 1 each of the following: bone, subcutaneous tissue, retroperitoneal lymph node, ascitic fluid and brain. The xenograft morphology consisted of 15 adenocarcinomas, 11 small cell carcinomas, 3 large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas, 1 squamous cell carcinoma, 2 mixed morphologies and 2 unknown. The Lowess-normalized M values were used for analysis and the MCAM results were validated by pyrosequencing of 20 sequences associated with 12 genes with a sensitivity of 61.9%, a specificity of 84.3%, a positive predictive value of 73.6% and a negative predictive value of 75.7%. An unsupervised hierarchal clustering analysis using M values for probes located in CpG islands was performed and these results were compared with the clinicopathological features of the tissues. We observed that, different xenograft sublines derived from the same donor tumor clustered together suggesting that the DNA methylome is homogenous throughout a given tumor mass, despite the presence of histological heterogeneity, and that it is maintained through serial passages in mice. Unsupervised hierarchal clustering classified the xenografts into 3 groups, which showed trend towards distinct clinicopathological features including overall survival and androgen receptor (AR) status. In summary, we found that DNA methylation is a frequent event in CRPC and well preserved in xenograft tumors. Furthermore, the methylation profile of CRPC may represent a marker of clinicopathological subgroups with differential survival and AR status. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 991. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-991
FAVORED AND DISFAVORED FRAGMENT DISTRIBUTIONS.

The general form of the ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{1}$ distribution function for favored and disfavored fragmentation is obtained from the fragmentation picture. The ${(1\ensuremath{-}x)}^{\ensuremath{\beta}}$ dependence for the ${\ensuremath{\tau}}_{1}$ function is found to be in very good agreement with existing experimental data.
Prediction intervals based on partial observations for some discrete distributions

Prediction limits of the following type are considered for the binomial, hypergeometric, and negative-binomial distributions. For the binomial distribution, suppose X/sub r/ successes have occurred in the first r trials, and based on this partial information it is desired to predict the total number of successes X/sub s/ (r >
Improving emergency physician performance using audit and feedback: a systematic review.

Abstract Background Audit and feedback can decrease variation and improve the quality of care in a variety of health care settings. There is a growing literature on audit and feedback in the emergency department (ED) setting. Because most studies have been small and not focused on a single clinical process, systematic assessment could determine the effectiveness of audit and feedback interventions in the ED and which specific characteristics improve the quality of emergency care. Objective The objective of the study is to assess the effect of audit and feedback on emergency physician performance and identify features critical to success. Methods We adhered to the PRISMA statement to conduct a systematic review of the literature from January 1994 to January 2014 related to audit and feedback of physicians in the ED. We searched Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and PubMed databases. We included studies that were conducted in the ED and reported quantitative outcomes with interventions using both audit and feedback. For included studies, 2 reviewers independently assessed methodological quality using the validated Downs and Black checklist for nonrandomized studies. Treatment effect and heterogeneity were to be reported via meta-analysis and the I 2 inconsistency index. Results The search yielded 4332 articles, all of which underwent title review; 780 abstracts and 131 full-text articles were reviewed. Of these, 24 studies met inclusion criteria with an average Downs and Black score of 15.6 of 30 (range, 6-22). Improved performance was reported in 23 of the 24 studies. Six studies reported sufficient outcome data to conduct summary analysis. Pooled data from studies that included 41124 patients yielded an average treatment effect among physicians of 36% (SD, 16%) with high heterogeneity (I 2 = 83%). Conclusion The literature on audit and feedback in the ED reports positive results for interventions across numerous clinical conditions but without standardized reporting sufficient for meta-analysis. Characteristics of audit and feedback interventions that were used in a majority of studies were feedback that targeted errors of omission and that was explicit with measurable instruction and a plan for change delivered in the clinical setting greater than 1 week after the audited performance using a combination of media and types at both the individual and group levels. Future work should use standardized reporting to identify the specific aspects of audit or feedback that drive effectiveness in the ED.
Alcohol in pregnancy and neonatal outcome

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and other fetal alcohol effects in children are characterized by life-long compromises in growth, health, behaviour and cognitive ability. Most of the structural signs and many behavioural signs of FAS are evident at birth. This review describes the expression of fetal alcohol effects in neonates, including diagnostic criteria, alcohol withdrawal, pregnancy outcome, growth retardation, facial dysmorphology and behavioural outcomes.
Solid-state power generation and cooling micro/nanodevices for distributed system architectures

Miniaturized solid-state devices for integrated thermal management packages and low power, high voltage, electrical power source systems are of interest for a variety of space and terrestrial applications. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) have been planning the use of much smaller spacecraft that will incorporate a variety of micro/nanodevices, such as microdetectors and microsensors, into miniature autonomous vehicles, such as microprobes and microrovers. High performance solid-state microcoolers and microgenerators based on thermoelectric, alpha-voltaic and thermionic energy conversion offer attractive solutions to the accelerating trend towards miniaturization of electronic components and distributed "system-on-a-chip" (SOAC) architectures where the functions of sense, compute, actuate, control, communicate and power are integrated. Novel thermoelectric micro/nanodevices that will provide the ability to handle much higher heat fluxes (thus resulting in high cooling power or electrical power densities), possess much faster response time as well as the possibility of generating high voltages under very small temperature differentials are being fabricated. After discussing the potential of thermoelectric and alpha-voltaic microdevices for SOAC architectures, we will report on our progress in electrochemical deposition of thermoelectric micro/nanoelements, thermoelectric and alpha-voltaic device microfabrication techniques as well as the electrical and thermal performance of the first devices.
The Potential Role of Doxycycline in the Treatment of Osteoarthritis of the Temporomandibular Joint

Collagenase and gelatinase are matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) which play an important role in tissue destruction in arthritic joints. Studies have demonstrated that tetracyclines can inhibit MMPs and prevent tissue destruction independent of their antimicrobial activity. The purpose of this pilot study is to assess the potential therapeutic role of Doxycycline in patients with advanced osteoarthritis of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ).This ongoing investigation includes patients with a diagnosis of osteoarthritis of the TMJ based on clinical and diagnostic imaging findings, symptoms (localized TMJ pain, limited mobility, dysfunction) for a minimum of 36 months, and failure of previous non-surgical and surgical modalities to alleviate the symptoms. A synovial fluid sample is collected by a saline injection and aspiration technique, followed by diagnostic arthroscopy. Patients are placed on Doxycycline 50 mg BID for three months and then undergo repeat diagnostic arthroscopy and synovial fluid collectio...
Hybridization in the Recent Past

Abstract: The question we address in this article is how hybridization in the recent past can be detected in recently evolved species. Such species may not have evolved genetic incompatibilities and may hybridize with little or no fitness loss. Hybridization can be recognized by relatively small genetic differences between sympatric populations because sympatric populations have the opportunity to interbreed whereas allopatric populations do not. Using microsatellite DNA data from Darwin’s finches in the Galapagos archipelago, we compare sympatric and allopatric genetic distances in pairs of Geospiza and Camarhynchus species. In agreement with the hybridization hypothesis, we found a statistically strong tendency for a species to be more similar genetically to a sympatric relative than to allopatric populations of that relative. Hybridization has been studied directly on two islands, but it is evidently more widespread in the archipelago. We argue that introgressive hybridization may have been a persisten...
High-resolution tunable spectrograph for x-ray laser linewidth measurements with a plane varied-line-spacing grating.

We describe a spectrograph for x-ray laser linewidth measurements in the range 100–220 A. The design employs a plane varied-line-spacing grating operating in the convergent light produced by imaging of the entrance slit with a concave spherical mirror. By the appropriate choice of the linear term in the grating-spacing variation, two separate wavelengths can be focused at the same image distance. As a result all wavelengths within the range of interest are focused at or near the same distance. The spectrograph can be tuned by rotation of the grating to bring any wavelength within the range to the center of the focal plane, and the spectra are dispersed on a surface that is erect or practically flat and perpendicular to the principal ray. This allows the use of a planar detector. With a streak camera used as a detector, the instrument obtained time-resolved linewidth data on x-ray lasers with a resolving power of 1 × 104 to 2 × 104. This paper presents the design methods used to optimize the varied-line-spacing grating, the design of the tunable spectrograph, and the results from the instrument in operation.
Coordinate developmental regulation of purine catabolic enzyme expression in gastrointestinal and postimplantation reproductive tracts

Using histochemical detection, we have visualized in situ the complete metabolic pathway for the degradation of purine nucleotides. From the tongue to the ileum, diverse epithelial cell types lining the lumen of the mouse gastrointestinal (GI) tract strongly coexpress each of the five key purine catabolic enzymes. Dramatic increases in the expression of each enzyme occurred during postnatal maturation of the GI tract. Using in situ hybridization, an intense accumulation of adenosine deaminase (ADA) mRNA was detected only within GI epithelial cells undergoing postmitotic differentiation. In a similar manner, at the developing maternal-fetal interface, high level expression of the purine catabolic pathway also occurred in a unique subset of maternal decidual cells previously known to express high levels of alkaline phosphatase and ADA. This induction occurred almost immediately after implantation in the periembryonic maternal decidual cells, shortly thereafter in antimesometrial decidual cells, and later in cells of the placental decidua basalis: all of which contain cell types thought to be undergoing programmed cell death. The expression of the pathway at the site of embryo implantation appears to be critical because its pharmacologic inhibition during pregnancy has been found to be embryolethal or teratogenic. Purine destruction at these nutritional interfaces (placenta and gastrointestinal tract) seem to override any potential economy of purine salvage, and may represent biochemical adaptation to nucleic acid breakdown occurring in the context of dietary digestion or extensive programmed cell death.
Logic flowgraph methodology: a tool for modeling embedded systems

The logic flowgraph methodology (LFM), a method for modeling hardware in terms of its process parameters, has been extended to form an analytical tool for the analysis of integrated (hardware/software) embedded systems. In the software part of a given embedded system model, timing and the control flow among different software components are modeled by augmenting LFM with modified Petri net structures. The objective of the use of such an augmented LFM model is to uncover possible errors and the potential for unanticipated software/hardware interactions. This is done by backtracking through the augmented LFM mode according to established procedures which allow the semiautomated construction of fault trees for any chosen state of the embedded system (top event). These fault trees, in turn, produce the possible combinations of lower-level states (events) that may lead to the top event. >
Using Extrinsic Motivation to Influence Student Attitude and Behavior Toward State Assessments at an Urban High School

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to discover the influence of a student achievement program implemented at one large urban high school that employed extrinsic motivation to promot...
Statistical PIC in Multirate DS-CDMA Systems Over Dispersive Fading Channels

Statistical parallel interference cancellation (STPIC) is a reduced complexity IC technique in which IC is performed only on a small percentage of "unreliable" bits. In this paper, we extend our previous STPIC analysis for single rate direct sequence-code division multiple access (DS-CDMA) systems over flat fading channels to multi-rate systems with variable spreading gain (VSG) over dispersive fading channels. We show that with STPIC, both low rate (LR) and high rate (HR) users can achieve performance similar to or better than full PIC, but with reduced computational complexity. We also show that for LR users STPIC BER analysis based on the Gaussian approximation (GA) matches simulated results well at low signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) and is slightly optimistic at high SNRs; whereas for HR users with small processing gains, the GA analysis can be either optimistic or pessimistic depending on SNRs, the IC threshold u, and loading factors.
Formal Semantics and Pragmatics for Natural Language Querying

This book discusses the connection between two areas of semantics, namely the semantics of databases and the semantics of natural language, and links them via a common view of the semantics of time. It is argued that a coherent theory of the semantics of time is an essential ingredient for the success of efforts to incorporate more 'real world' semantics into database models. This idea is a relatively recent concern of database research but it is receiving growing interest. The book begins with a discussion of database querying which motivates the use of the paradigm of Montague Semantics and discusses the details of the intensional logic ILs. This is followed by a description of the author's own model, the Historical Relational Data Model (HRDM) which extends the RDM to include a temporal dimension. Finally the database querying language QEHIII is defined and examples illustrate its use. A formal model for the interpretation of questions is presented in this work which will form the basis for much further research.
Application of a method for estimating effective population size and admixture using diagnostic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs): implications for conservation of threatened Paiute cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii seleniris) in Silver King Creek, California

The threatened Paiute cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii seleniris, PCT) is endemic to Silver King Creek, California, USA, which was stocked with non-native trout beginning in 1930. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and microsatellite data reveal that the trout population in Silver King Creek is weakly structured and composed of introgressed California golden trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss aguabonita, CAGT), hatchery rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss, RT), and some native PCT. Two SNP groups were analyzed: (i) one mitochondrial and five autosomal SNPs, diagnostic between Lahontan cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii henshawi) or PCT and CAGT or RT and (ii) one mitochondrial and five autosomal SNPs nearly diagnostic between CAGT and RT. The five autosomal cutthroat–rainbow SNPs were used to jointly estimate the cutthroat trout mixing proportion in Silver King Creek and effective population size (Ne) of the admixed population, using a coalescent-based maximum likelihood method. Given the stocking histor...
Commentary: Inventing Diagnosis for Civil Commitment of Rapists

In the past two decades, public fear and antipathy toward sexual offenders have led to public registries of their names and addresses, longer prison sentences, consideration of the death penalty, and civil commitment laws that allow potentially lifetime preventive detention after these offenders complete prison sentences. Twenty states and the federal government have enacted such civil commitment laws. Some forensic evaluators of rapists base findings supporting such commitment on the diagnosis of paraphilia not otherwise specified, using this miscellaneous category as a substitute for a proposed diagnosis that was rejected for inclusion in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) in 1986. Despite the deliberate rejection of such a hypothesized rape paraphilia for DSM, and despite a continued lack of research supporting the validity or interrater reliability of such a diagnosis, it is widely used as a basis for confining rapists. This article discusses the history and ethics-related implications of this forensic practice.
Potential Role of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Selecting Patients for Thrombolytic Therapy

The emergence of very early treatment strategies for acute stroke, such as thrombolysis, raises a number of interesting questions regarding the approach to imaging in such patients. The traditional approach to imaging in acute stroke employs CT, mainly to exclude brain hemorrhage masquerading as infarction. Some early treatment strategies, including anticoagulation and, more recently, thrombolytic therapy are considered contraindicated in the presence of CT-detected brain hemorrhage.
Inkjet deposition of itraconazole onto poly(glycolic acid) microneedle arrays

Poly(glycolic acid) microneedle arrays were fabricated using a drawing lithography process; these arrays were modified with a drug release agent and an antifungal agent by piezoelectric inkjet printing. Coatings containing poly(methyl vinyl ether-co-maleic anhydride), a water-soluble drug release layer, and itraconazole (an antifungal agent), were applied to the microneedles by piezoelectric inkjet printing. Microscopic evaluation of the microneedles indicated that the modified microneedles contained the piezoelectric inkjet printing-deposited agents and that the surface coatings were released in porcine skin. Energy dispersive x-ray spectrometry aided in confirmation that the piezoelectric inkjet printing-deposited agents were successfully applied to the desired target areas of the microneedle surface. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to confirm the presence of the component materials in the piezoelectric inkjet printing-deposited material. Itraconazole-modified microneedle arrays incubated with agar plates containing Candida albicans cultures showed zones of growth inhibition.