cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The relation between prescribing of different antibiotics and rates of mortality with sepsis in US adults

Antibiotic use contributes to the rates of sepsis and the associated mortality, particularly through lack of clearance of resistant infections following antibiotic treatment. At the same time, there is limited information on the effects of prescribing of some antibiotics vs. others on subsequent sepsis and sepsis-related mortality. We used a multivariable mixed-effects model to relate state-specific rates of outpatient prescribing overall for oral fluoroquinolones, penicillins, macrolides, and cephalosporins between 2014 and 2015 to state-specific rates of mortality with sepsis (ICD-10 codes A40–41 present as either underlying or contributing causes of death on a death certificate) in different age groups of US adults between 2014 and 2015, adjusting for additional covariates and random effects associated with the ten US Health and Human Services (HHS) regions. Increase in the rate of prescribing of oral penicillins by 1 annual dose per 1000 state residents was associated with increases in annual rates of mortality with sepsis of 0.95 (95% CI (0.02,1.88)) per 100,000 persons aged 75-84y, and of 2.97 (0.72,5.22) per 100,000 persons aged 85 + y. Additionally, the percent of individuals aged 50-64y lacking health insurance, as well as the percent of individuals aged 65-84y who are African-American were associated with rates of mortality with sepsis in the corresponding age groups. Our results suggest that prescribing of penicillins is associated with rates of mortality with sepsis in older US adults. Those results, as well as the related epidemiological data suggest that replacement of certain antibiotics, particularly penicillins in the treatment of different syndromes should be considered with the aim of reducing the rates of severe outcomes, including mortality related to bacterial infections.
Campus Ministry and Academics

Divided into three parts, this article first describes the impact that historical and sociological factors, especially the weakening of the Catholic subculture and the recent development of “emerging adulthood”, have on Catholic colleges and universities. The second part is a discussion of the typical approaches—both strengths and weaknesses—of campus ministers and academics to the formation of young adult Catholics, and some of the differences that result from size, residential character, and academic aspirations. The third part offers several recommendations, encouraging faculty to take students’ pastoral needs into serious consideration, and challenging campus ministers to be more attentive to the intellectual dimensions of students’ faith.
Preoperative Emergency Department Visits Are Predictive of 90-Day Postoperative Emergency Department Visits and Discharge Disposition in Total Knee Arthroplasty Patients.

The increasing number of patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has resulted in efforts to better understand patient utilization of healthcare services in the 90-day postoperative period. The primary purpose of this study was to examine whether emergency department (ED) visits in the year prior to elective TKA were predictive of postoperative ED visits in the 90-day global period following surgery. A retrospective chart review was performed for all patients undergoing TKA from June 1, 2011 to December 31, 2015 at a Veterans Affairs hospital. Total number of ED visits in the year prior to surgery and 90 days following surgery were tabulated. Binary and ordinal logistic regression analyses were utilized to determine if preoperative ED visits were predictive of postoperative ED visits. The significance level was set to α = 0.05. Overall, 611 eligible TKA procedures were performed. The logistic regression model for postoperative ED visits was significant (p < 0.001), with the number of preoperative ED visits (1 vs. 0: p < 0.001; 2 vs. 1: p = 0.012) and presence of diabetes (p = 0.007) both predicting the likelihood of a postoperative ED visit. Healthcare changes that are redefining the concept of quality of care to include the postoperative care episode, coupled with an increasingly aging population in need of TKA, will continue to challenge orthopaedic surgeons to provide safe, competent, and cost-effective care to patients. The results of this study demonstrate that a patient's propensity to visit the ED prior to TKA is predictive of a tendency to do so postoperatively and is of use to surgeons when evaluating and counselling patients who will be undergoing a TKA.
138. Cervical radiographic parameters and patient reported outcomes following Harrington instrumentation: a minimum 35-year follow-up

BACKGROUND CONTEXT As patients who underwent Harrington instrumentation for AIS approach older age, identifying the cervical spine deformity in the setting of preexisting Harrington instrumentation is important. There are few studies that have evaluated this topic. PURPOSE To evaluate cervical radiographic parameters and patient-reported outcomes in patients undergoing Harrington instrumentation for AIS. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING Observational. PATIENT SAMPLE Patients undergoing Harrington Instrumentation from 1962 to 1984. OUTCOME MEASURES Radiographic parameters, Neck Disability Index METHODS AIS patients undergoing Harrington instrumentation from 1962 to 1984 were identified. Inclusion criteria were completion of the patient-reported outcomes and recent cervical/scoliosis radiographs. Recent cervical and scoliosis radiographs were used to measure cervical deformity parameters (C2-C7 SVA, T1 slope, C2 SVA, C7 SCA). Neck Disability Index (NDI) was used to assess patient-reported outcomes. Using multivariate analysis, radiographic measurements and NDI scores were assessed. RESULTS A total of 32 patients met our inclusion criteria. The mean follow-up was 48 years (35-57). The mean age was 63.5± (51-82) years; 29 were females and 3 were males. The average age at which surgeries were performed was 15.4 (11-47) years with the average number of levels fused 9.7±1.7. Radiographic measurements resulted in C2-C7 SVA (mean, 24.7±11.1), T1 slope (mean, 26.1±10.7), C2 SVA (mean, 60.0±38.1) and C7 SVA (40.7±30.6). The mean NDI was 11.5 (0-48). Higher radiographic measurements of C2-C7 SVA (p=0.004) and C7 SVA (p=0.003) were strongly correlated with worse NDI scores, indicating decreased patient satisfaction with increased level of angulation. The T1 slope did not yield a statistically significant correlation (p=0.90). CONCLUSIONS Higher C2-C7 SVA and C7 SVA angles are correlated with worse patient reported outcomes in patients with minimum of 35 years follow-up after Harrington instrumentation for AIS. FDA DEVICE/DRUG STATUS This abstract does not discuss or include any applicable devices or drugs.
Where Are You? Young Adults With Autism Calling and Texting Location Following Video Modeling Instruction:

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of using video modeling (VM) to teach three young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID) to independently ...
Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad: It's a Women-Only Business

The story of Lijjat offers an opportunity to challenge students to think about what a business is for. It can be used to explore students' cultural intelligence starting point and discover what they need to learn from others who are different from them. The material lends itself to explore the concepts of missions, visions, values, strategies, and goals in the context of a highly successful business in India. For many years, members of the same family—mothers, daughters, sisters, and mothers-in-law—worked side by side producing Lijjat papads in India. All had started out underprivileged. Lijjat existed to improve the quality of each woman's life. Yet Lijjat was a business and market leader. President Swati R. Paradkar knew it had to continue to grow and was unwilling to do so at the expense of what made the organization unique—it was built on the labor of women who had little except a desire for self-dignity. Paradkar and her team had plans to increase production by opening facilities in nonmetro regions that suited the company's business model. But what would they do about replicating the model outside of India? Excerpt UVA-OB-1091 Dec. 7, 2015 Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad: It's A Women-Only Business You could call it an institution. You could call it an organization. You could call it a society. But anyone who called Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad (Lijjat) a company was quickly corrected by its president, Swati R. Paradkar. For those who didn't know better, Lijjat seemed to look like many other successful companies. Its products could easily be found on food shelves throughout India and around the world. Yet a closer look from the outside revealed some major differences. Even before Sam Walton called his employees associates, the group of women making up Lijjat referred to themselves as lady members rather than employees. They treated the organization like a sacred place—much like a temple, church, or mosque. And any economic activity was for the goal of improving the lives of those in need. That included those who joined and worked at producing Lijjat's products—the business. All lady members were impoverished when they started. Over its 56 years, Lijjat had grown from an investment of INR80 (~USD16.8) to annual sales of INR1,200crore (~USD183.6 million). The brand had been built by women's empowerment. In the minds of many consumers in India, the papad—a seasoned dough, flattened and cooked crispy with dry heat—was synonymous with Lijjat. Indeed, the words “papad” and “Lijjat” were used interchangeably. As with anything successful, imitation was sure to follow. So when it was discovered that fake Lijjat papads were hitting markets worldwide, the lady members had to do something. While original packaging had the trademarked photo of a child called Babla eating a papad, a pink rabbit was added in the 1980s in hopes of making identification of the real thing more readily visible (see Exhibit 1). . . .
Entanglement Generation in Superconducting Qubits Using Holonomic Operations

Theory indicates that a quantum computer manipulating quantum information by means of geometric phases in Hilbert space ($h\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}o\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}l\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}o\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}n\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}o\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}m\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}i\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}c$ $q\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}u\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}a\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}n\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}t\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}u\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}m$ $c\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}o\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}m\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}p\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}u\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}t\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}i\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}n\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}g$) could be resilient to certain forms of noise. Two-qubit nonadiabatic holonomies are important for computing architectures based on fixed-frequency superconducting qubits, as they provide the means to directly realize an exchange-type operation. Here researchers implement a nonadiabatic holonomic operation between two such qubits connected by a microwave resonator, to create entangled states. As proof of principle, this operation is used to calculate the ground state of molecular hydrogen.
General Framework for Multi-Classification of EEG Signals Based on Multi-Scale Properties

Numerous computer automated diagnosis (CAD) systems have been proposed to detect epilepsy in electroencephalogram (EEG) signals. The aim of this paper is to look at multi-scaling properties obtained by multi-scale analysis (MSA) as main distinctive features to simultaneously distinguish between all categories of EEG signals that compose the popular database hosted by the department of epileptology, University of Bonn, Germany. Particularly, multi-scale analysis is employed to capture long-range properties of the EEG signal at different scales used to represent its short and long variations. Then, the obtained multi-scale properties are used to train four different classifiers; namely, k-nearest neighbor (k-NN), linear discriminant analysis (LDA), naive Bayes (NB), and the support vector machine (SVM). Experimental results based on ten-fold cross-validation method show that each single classifier achieves 100% accuracy. In this respect, multi-scale properties are found to be effective as they outperformed existing works on the same database by achieving perfect accuracy to distinguish between all five distinct EEG categories. Overall, the obtained results are promising.
Pfizer Pharmaceuticals: Green Chemistry Innovation and Business Strategy

Between 2002 and 2004, Pfizer explored green chemistry as a product, process, and strategy design approach that could address a growing set of market complexities. The case requires students to understand and analyze how and why green chemistry might contribute to corporate growth. The case elaborates on the conditions encouraging pharmaceutical companies to engage more actively on environmental and health issues as an area of opportunity as opposed to an effort toward compliance or response to competitive threat. Excerpt UVA-ENT-0088 PFIZER PHARMACEUTICALS: GREEN CHEMISTRY INNOVATION AND BUSINESS STRATEGY Yujie Wang reviewed the presentation she had prepared for the executive committee's strategy meeting later that afternoon. Three of the committee members were familiar with the ideas, and she could count on their support. Four others had pushed for new ideas to be fed into their group over the last year. Depending on the strength of her argument this time, they might be persuaded to support the project. The final two, who had significant responsibility for product development and operations respectively, were somewhat less predictable. She had informed them of her progress during the project but they seemed disinterested at best. Then again, they were all busy people, and it had been hard to schedule the intermediate briefings she wanted to hold to bring everyone along. She knew the executives must be won over at least to a stance of “no opposition” to the proposal she would make. Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs) The objective of an efficacious pharmaceutical is to make certain molecules biologically active in humans. Not surprisingly, however, the same molecules that can cause desired results can have adverse effects in the body as well as postpatient—after the drug is expressed from the body and its active ingredients are released from disposal pipes into streams and other water bodies. . . .
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) medical students - an examination of their journey and experiences as medical students in limbo.

Although the value of DACA medical students has been hypothesized, no data are available on their contribution to US healthcare. While the exact number of DACA recipients in medical school is unknown, DACA medical students are projected to represent an increasing proportion of physicians in the future. The current literature on DACA students has not analyzed the experiences of these students. A mixed-methods study on the career intentions and experiences of DACA medical students was performed utilizing survey data and in-depth interviews. The academic performance of a convenience sample of DACA medical students was compared to that of matriculated medical students from corresponding medical schools, national averages, and first-year residents according to specialty. Thirty-three DACA medical students completed the survey and five participated in a qualitative interview. The average undergraduate GPA (SD) of the DACA medical student sample was 3.7 (0.3), the same as the national GPA of 2017–2018 matriculated medical students. The most common intended residency programs were Internal Medicine (27.2%), Emergency Medicine (15.2%), and Family Medicine (9.1%). In interviews, DACA students discussed their motivation for pursuing medicine, barriers and facilitators that they faced in attending medical school, their experiences as medical students, and their future plans. The intent of this sample to pursue medical specialties in which there is a growing need further exemplifies the unique value of these students. It is vital to protect the status of DACA recipients and realize the contributions that DACA physicians provide to US healthcare.
Muscarinic cholinergic receptors in the piebald mouse model for Hirschsprung's disease

Abstract The contracted segment of terminal large intestine in both Hirschsprung's disease in humans and in the piebald-lethal strain of mice with congenital megacolon may result from muscarinic cholinergic receptor denervation supersensitivity. This hypothesis was tested by direct binding studies using the muscarinic receptor ligand, tritiated quinuclidinyl benzilate. There were no differences in either the receptor density, dissociation constant, or agonist/ antagonist Hill coefficients in the proximal, middle, or distal colon of mice with congenital megacolon as compared with normal littermates. These data do not support the concept of denervation supersensitivity. The data support the suggestion that absence of the inhibitory neurons of the enteric nervous system accounts for the hyperexcitability of the musculature of the aganglionic terminal segment and the obstructive constriction of the segment.
The Scientific Spirit

Excerpt When a layman enters the professional presence of a physician, he does so in humility, and possibly even in fear and trembling. Since even a philosopher or a student of philosophy cannot en...
Correlation of Bacterial Lipid Composition with Antibiotic Resistance

Abstract The correlation of bacterial lipid composition with antibiotic resistance was investigated with particular emphasis on those organisms in which resistance may be related to membrane or envelope structure or function, as in resistance to tetracyclines and polymyxin. Chloroform-methanol-extractable lipids, phosphatidyl ethanolamine fractions, and both fatty acids of these lipid fractions and total fatty acids were studied by using thin-layer chromatography, gas chromatography, and infrared spectroscopy. Consistent quantitative differences were found between the fatty acid compositions of sensitive and resistant strains. Most notable was the fact that, in gram-negative organisms, resistant strains showed decreases in cyclopropane acids as compared with sensitive strains. These changes were found to be inherent in the strains and not due to growth stage or culture age. No significant qualitative differences were noted. In contrast, no such variation in fatty acid content was observed in penicillin-sensitive and resistant strains of gram-positive cocci. As significant alterations of fatty acid composition were noted in gram-negative strains resistant to antibiotics, we suggest that resistance is correlated to membrane or envelope lipid composition.
Chapter 11 – Simulation

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the simulation of random variables from an arbitrary distribution. The chapter presents three methods for simulating continuous random variables: (1) the inverse transformation method, (2) the rejection method, and (3) the hazard rate method. The inverse transformation method is based on the following proposition: if U is a uniform (0,1) random variable and for any continuous distribution function F if the random variable X is defined byX = F–1(U), then the random variable X has distribution function F. A point process consisting of randomly occurring points in the plane is said to be a two-dimensional Poisson process having rate A if the number of points in any given region of area A is Poisson distributed with mean λA, and if the numbers of points in disjoint regions are independent.
AM Herculis binaries - Particle acceleration, radio emission and synchronization

It has been suggested that the recently discovered radio emission from AM Her arises as a result of gyrosynchrotron radiation from electrons at energies ≈400 keV in the magnetosphere of the white dwarf. However, no mechanism for producing such energetic electrons was discussed. In this paper, we argue that small departures from synchronous rotation can cause the companion star to act as a unipolar inductor. This leads to high voltages being produced across the companion star, which provides the necessary acceleration mechanism. This also implies that if the magnetic white dwarf was formed with a rapid rotation, synchronization would be achieved on a time scale ∿104 yr.
Adaptive learning for scalable video transmission with HARQ over dynamic wireless channels

This paper addresses the problem of dynamic, real-time video transmission control over a time-varying wireless channel. The problem of adaptive source coding control is studied on the basis of scalable video coding schemes. A video-layer-based hybrid automatic repeat request scheme is adopted to achieve adaptive error protection allocation. The problem of joint source-channel resource allocation over a time-varying wireless channel is posed as a constrained Markov Decision Process (MDP). The goal of the proposed video streaming MDP is to minimize the average end-to-end frame distortion with the constraint on the average transmission time for each layer. In order to address the issue of unknown channel dynamics and inaccurate distortion model, the R-learning-based on-line algorithm is adopted for learning the transmission police. To handle the constrained MDP with the standard R-learning algorithm, the constrained MDP is converted into an unconstrained MDP through the Lagrangian approach. The efficiency and convergence of the proposed learning algorithm are demonstrated with the simulation results.
Considerations in low power wireless sensor networks

The wireless sensor networks (WSN) technology is becoming increasingly attractive for a wide range of real-world applications, mostly due to their shrinking size and cost, while demonstrating improved performances and functionalities. There is another critical factor that affects the operation of WSN, which is the power consumption of the nodes and their battery life. This paper highlights the important IEEE 802 based standards, such as ZigBee and Bluetooth 4.0+ protocols. Cost-effective and reliable systems can be implemented with the help of these protocols by considering proper software architectures. Tiny OS and FreeRTOS are open source operating-system software available for embedded applications. The OS can be integrated with drivers and software stack to achieve full functionality and offer software solutions for sensor networks applications. There are various development platforms that are available to develop low power sensor networks and nodes. While considering sensor platforms and their applications, the power consumption is one of the important factors to take into consideration. This paper provides a survey as well as an overview of the low power WSN and example hardware platforms.
Automatic door opener

People may have difficulty accessing the entry door to their house because it is difficult for them to turn a key or they cannot maneuver a wheelchair into a position to either open the door or grasp the doorknob. The Automatic Door Opener is designed to pneumatically open or close a door by remote control using radio frequency communication technology. A fingerprint recognition system is also installed for security purposes preventing unauthorized users from gaining entry.
Computer Summaries of Life Cycle Data for Cow Research Herds

Abstract A computerized system with programs in Fortran IV was developed to organize and report routinely in chronological order detailed records of individuals in a dairy herd for teaching and research. The goal was to facilitate access to recorded information and to increase its usefulness for routine herd management, teaching, and the specialized requirements of research projects. Capacity of the system can be increased or reduced without altering system format or computer programs. Data input was simplified by preprinted forms and preprinted codes. Specific notations such as symptoms of ailment and medication can be included. The system is useful for decisions of herd management and is especially efficient for retrieving data on animals in class demonstrations and controlled research trials.
Flow cytometric surface light chain analysis of lymphocyte-rich effusions. A useful adjunct to cytologic diagnosis

The cytologic diagnoses in 49 body cavity fluids from 46 patients, of whom 30 had a clinical diagnosis of lymphoma or lymphatic leukemia, and 16 patients with benign inflammatory or reactive conditions, were compared to flow cytometric surface immunoglobulin light chain analysis (kappa-lambda analysis [KLA]). The results of both tests were correlated with clinical outcome and all available information from biopsy, autopsy, and additional cell marker studies. When the diagnoses by both cytologic analysis and KLA were in agreement (57.1% of cases), there were no false-negative or false-positive results. Overall, false-positive and false-negative rates were, respectively, 6.1% and 12.2% with cytologic study, and 4.1% and 4.1% with KLA. Sixteen samples were from patients with small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL) and small cleaved lymphoma, which had a false-negative rate of 37.5% by cytologic study, and only 6.2% by KLA. There was one false-positive result by KLA among the benign effusions. These findings indicate that KLA is a powerful adjunct to the cytologic evaluation of lymphocyte-rich effusions, especially in cases of lymphoproliferative disorders characterized by small lymphocytes, in which the cytologic diagnosis is frequently difficult.
Computer game for inner-city children does not improve asthma outcomes

Abstract Introduction: The purpose of this randomized control trial was to evaluate the effects of a computer-assisted instructional (CAI) game on asthma symptoms (eg, coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and nighttime awakenings) in 7- to 12-year-old inner-city children over 12 weeks. Method: A CAI that focused on reducing environmental irritants/allergens and the correct use of prescribed medications to prevent asthma symptoms was used with 101 children (56 in the intervention group and 45 in the control group). The primary outcome evaluated a change in children's asthma symptoms as measured by responses to nine symptom questions in Juniper's Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQOL) and measurements of lung function. Results: No significant changes in asthma symptoms occurred between the two groups before and after the intervention. No significant changes were noted in PAQOL scores for activities, emotions, and total PAQOL score, lung function measurements, and asthma severity between the two groups. Asthma knowledge of both groups was high before intervention, but there were no significant changes between groups after the intervention. Discussion: Findings indicate that this CAI game was not effective in improving asthma symptoms in this group of children. J Pediatr Health Care. (2003). 17, 72-78.
THE NEXT ERA FOR PROSTATE CANCER : CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIALS

The field of prostate cancer is important, changing, and confusing. Prostate cancer is the most frequent cancer and the second most common cause of cancer death among US men. Yet autopsy studies show that many men without clinical prostate cancer have some cancer in their prostates, albeit in small volumes. This, plus the fact that prostate cancer occurs in aging men and often grows slowly, means that many more men die with prostate cancer than of it. In the past, early diagnosis was advocated by periodic digital rectal examinations (DREs), treatments for curative intent consisted of radical prostatectomy and/or radiation therapy, and significant palliation as afforded by androgen ablation therapies. Yet the mortality from prostate cancer has not altered in decades. 1 Today, concepts about prostatic cancer treatment are changing rapidly, principally because of the availability of spring-loaded biopsy guns and transrectal ultrasonography (which make prostate biopsies safer, easier, and
The M2 Tide and Its Residual on the Outer Banks of the Gulf of Maine

Abstract Tidal computations are reported for the Gulf of Maine with emphasis on its seaward banks. Georges Bank, Browns Bank, Nantucket Shoals, and the nearshore region off Cape Sable. The model is 3D and nonlinear, with quadratic vertical viscosity; stratification is ignored. The objective is to establish a theoretical baseline for tidal and residual currents on detailed topography against which seasonal changes may be examined. Two triangular meshes are used. The base case corresponds to earlier studies with roughly 6-km resolution on the banks. A more refined and extended mesh provides resolution at 2–3 km in critical areas and has boundaries farther removed from the banks. Both meshes provide very good fits with observed M2 elevations. Comparison of computed and observed M2 current profiles at 76 sites reveals general agreement that improves with resolution. For the refined mesh and the 48 sites with records exceeding 60 days, average deviations for M2 ellipse parameters are (6.1, 4.7) cm s−1 for the ...
Decomposition of roots in a seasonally flooded swamp ecosystem.

Abstract Decomposition rates of roots to a depth of 40 cm were estimated by two methods in four plant communities in the periodically flooded Great Dismal Swamp. The community dominants were Chamaecyparis thyoides (L.) BSP., Taxodium distichum (L.) Richard, mixed Quercus spp. and Acer rubrum L.- Nyssa spp. respectively. Modified litter bags and a core method were simultaneously employed on three flooded sites and an unflooded site. Long vertical litter bags were developed to measure root decay over a vertical soil profile with minimal disturbance to the soil. Reciprocal samples (litter from each of the other sites) were placed on each site to examine the effects of litter quality. Roots in the cores exhibited higher decay rates than in the litter bags; rates in the bags ranged from 0.48 to 1.00 mg g −1 day −1 and the range for the cores was 1.15–2.74 mg g −1 day −1 . The core method was ineffective in estimating decay rates for the >5 mm diameter roots because of high sample variability. Reciprocal samples revealed statistically significant differences between root types, with roots from the mixed Quercus site being most resistant to decay. Just as leaf litter quality has been shown to regulate aboveground decomposition, root quality appears to play a major role in belowground decay. The present study also demonstrated the importance of environmental influences since root decay was slowest on the sites ( Chamaecyparis and Acer-Nyssa ) with the longest duration of soil saturation. Both techniques exhibited slow decay rates with increasing depth. The litter bag technique is the recommended approach; several problems make the core technique a less than satisfactory method.
Interventions with Parents to Support the Parental Holding Environment to Permit the Debriefing of Children

Helping children who are exposed to violence requires the work of parents to create a safe environment, to hear their children's story of exposure, and to help the children reestablish and continue their development of healthy life patterns. When child therapists can integrate the debriefing with a family- based approach, the child's sense of security and empathic connection with parents can be enhanced. In many instances, however, associated treatment for the parent is required to facilitate the best responses from parents to their child, as well as the best outcome for the child. The therapist must be prepared to identify the red flags that suggest when a family-based debriefing should not begin, should not continue, or requires further parent support and intervention to be successful.
Carbon nanotube-induced structure and phase evolution in polymer-based nanocomposites crystallized at elevated pressures

Abstract The dispersion of small weight fraction of carbon nanotube (CNT) in Nylon 6,6 introduces a significant difference in the structure and phase evolution during crystallization at ambient and elevated pressures. In the nanocomposite, the γ-phase is promoted at low crystallization pressure of ∼0.1–25 MPa and is in striking contrast to pure Nylon 6,6, where γ-phase is nucleated only at crystallization pressures exceeding ∼50 MPa. The differences in the behavior of Nylon 6,6 and its nanocomposites is attributed to CNT–polymer interface driven nucleation, which is also responsible for significant reduction in spherulite size and increase in crystallinity. The nanoindentation behavior of the nanocomposite is assessed via nanoscale deformation experiments, which indicated that a significantly higher indentation-force is required for the Nylon 6,6–CNT nanocomposite as compared to Nylon 6,6 to produce a constant displacement. The observed significantly higher modulus and hardness is primarily CNT-induced effect. This observation is of particular relevance to functional devices because they are most likely to experience force in the nanonewton range, which can induce deformation at the micro- and/or nanometer scale.
Race, Income, and Penetration of the Justice System:

A great deal of interest and controversy has focused on the impact of race on crime and justice system status. Some have suggested that the overrepresentation of identifiable racial minorities in our system can be attributed to discrimination; others suggest that this can be attributed to the higher levels of poverty observed in these groups. This study addressed this issue by the use of available summary data in the census, Department of Corrections reports, and law enforcement information from the State Criminal Justice Information System. The findings provide partial support for the hypothesis that when economic status is held constant, blacks will be more likely to be processed by the justice system than whites. Race does not appear to have an effect, with economic status controlled, at the arrest level. However, blacks are more likely to be incarcerated than whites, indicating that race has an impact on the degree of penetration of the system.
Habits of the heart: life history and the developmental neuroendocrinology of emotion.

The centrality of emotion in cognition and social intelligence as well as its impact on health has intensified investigation into the causes and consequences of individual variation in emotion regulation. Central processing of experience directly informs regulation of endocrine axes, essentially forming a neuro-endocrine continuum integrating information intake, processing, and physiological and behavioral response. Two major elements of life history—resource allocation and niche partitioning—are served by linking cognitive-affective with physiologic and behavioral processes. Scarce cognitive resources (attention, memory, and time) are allocated under guidance from affective co-processing. Affective-cognitive processing, in turn, regulates physiologic activity through neuro-endocrine outflow and thereby orchestrates energetic resource allocation and trade-offs, both acutely and through time. Reciprocally, peripheral activity (e.g., immunologic, metabolic, or energetic markers) influences affective-cognitive processing. By guiding attention, memory, and behavior, affective-cognitive processing also informs individual stances toward, patterns of activity in, and relationships with the world. As such, it mediates processes of niche partitioning that adaptively exploit social and material resources. Developmental behavioral neurobiology has identified multiple factors that influence the ontogeny of emotion regulation to form affective and behavioral styles. Evidence is reviewed documenting roles for genetic, epigenetic, and experiential factors in the development of emotion regulation, social cognition, and behavior with important implications for understanding mechanisms that underlie life history construction and the sources of differential health. Overall, this dynamic arena for research promises to link the biological bases of life history theory with the psychobehavioral phenomena that figure so centrally in quotidian experience and adaptation, particularly, for humans. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Pleomorphic soft tissue sarcoma metastatic to the skin of the scalp and groin.

Rarely, the dermatologist may encounter a primary cutaneous pleomorphic sarcoma (also known as a malignant fibrous histiocytoma), an undifferentiated neoplasm thought to be of mesenchymal origin.1 These uncommon skin tumors typically manifest as tender subcutaneous nodules. In contrast to primary cutaneous sarcomas, we present a case of a soft tissue pleomorphic sarcoma with multiple metastases to the cutaneous scalp and the groin. Although previous reports have described leiomyosarcoma metastatic to the skin, no report to our knowledge has detailed a widely metastatic undifferentiated sarcoma with lesions in multiple skin sites.
On approximate symmetries of the elastic properties and elliptic orthotropy

Abstract The theory of anisotropic elasticity was originally motivated by applications to crystals, where geometric symmetries hold with high precision. In contrast, symmetries of the effective elastic responses of heterogeneous materials are usually approximate due to various imperfections of microgeometry. A related issue is that available data on the elastic constants may be incomplete or imprecise; it may be appropriate to select the highest possible elastic symmetry that fits the data reasonably well. Some of these problems have been discussed in literature in the context of specific applications, primarily in geomechanics. The present work provides a systematic discussion of the related issues, illustrated by examples on the effective elastic properties of heterogeneous materials. We also discuss a special type of orthotropy typical for a variety of heterogeneous materials – elliptic orthotropy – when the fourth-rank tensor of elastic constants can be represented in terms of a certain symmetric second-rank tensor. This representation leads, in particular, to reduced number of independent elastic constants.
A Program Evaluation of Postpartum/Newborn Home Visitation Services in Aiken County, South Carolina

Objective: Home visiting programs for very young children seek to promote their health and development. We conducted a process and outcome evaluation of the Postpartum/Newborn Home Visit (PPNBHV) service in 1 county. Design: A retrospective study of Aiken County Health records of live infant births in 2004 was conducted. Sample: A random sample of 176 infants who were born in 2004 and enrolled in the women, infants, and children's (WIC) program in the same year was selected. Measures: Process measures include timeliness of the home visit, and appropriateness of revisits. Outcome measures include age at WIC enrollment and immunization status at 6/9 months. Results: Of the 176 infants, 76 (43%) received a home visit. Of these, 13 (17%) received the visit within the stipulated time frame. After controlling for potential confounders, infants who received a home visit were 4 times (95% CI 1.92–8.36) as likely to enroll early in the WIC program compared with those who did not. Conclusion: The PPNBHV service may contribute to early enrollment in the WIC program. Improvement in the timeliness of the visits is needed. Program monitoring and evaluation are necessary to ensure adherence, measure outcomes, and provide feedback for continuous quality improvement.
Process Structure of Parent-Child-Environment Relations and the Prevention of Children's Injuries

The reasoning of caregivers is discussed in the context of preventing childhood accidents. This reasoning process, which uses knowledge about children's behavior in an environment, leads to appropriate preventive actions on the part of the caregiver. Illustrative examples of parents interacting with children are presented. Language: en
Can the small dairy farm remain competitive in US agriculture

Smaller dairy farms in the US are observed to have higher costs than larger farms, and whether those higher costs are due to technology or inefficiency has implications for policy to address the small farm. If high cost of production on smaller farms is due to a higher cost frontier, then to make small farms competitive would require research to devise and design technology that is suitable for small farms. If instead high cost is due to inefficiency, then educational approaches are needed to ensure small dairy farms use technology efficiently. To determine the cause of higher costs on small farms, the cost of milk production by farm size was decomposed into frontier and efficiency components with a stochastic cost curve using data on USA dairy farms. Although the frontier cost of production decreases with farm size, that cost reduction is not as pronounced as a cost curve that includes inefficiency. The higher cost of production on many smaller farms is caused by inefficiency rather than technology.
Nigrostriatal rAAV-mediated GDNF overexpression induces robust weight loss in a rat model of age-related obesity.

Intraventricular administration of glial cell line–derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) in primate and humans to study Parkinson's disease (PD) has revealed the potential for GDNF to induce weight loss. Our previous data indicate that bilateral continuous hypothalamic GDNF overexpression via recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) results in significant failure to gain weight in young rats and weight loss in aged rats. Based on these previous results, we hypothesized that because the nigrostriatal tract passes through the lateral hypothalamus, motor hyperactivity mediated by nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) may have been responsible for the previously observed effect on body weight. In this study, we compared bilateral injections of rAAV2/5-GDNF in hypothalamus versus substantia nigra (SN) in aged Brown-Norway X Fisher 344 rats. Nigrostriatal GDNF overexpression resulted in significantly greater weight loss than rats treated in hypothalamus. The nigral or hypothalamic GDNF-induced weight loss was unrelated to motor activity levels of the rats, though some of the weight loss could be attributed to a transient reduction in food intake. Forebrain DA levels did not account for the observed effects on body weight, although GDNF-induced increases in nucleus accumbens DA may have partially contributed to this effect in the hypothalamic GDNF-treated group. However, only nigrostriatal GDNF overexpression induced activation of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p-ERK) in a small population of corticotrophin-releasing factor [corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH)] neurons located specifically in the medial parvocellullar division (MPD) of the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. Activation of these hypothalamic CRH neurons likely accounted for the observed metabolic effects leading to weight loss in obese rats.
Transition to Adulthood in Spina Bifida: Changing Roles and Expectations

Survival to adulthood for people with Spina Bifida now exceeds 85% due to improvements in medical and surgical management. Rates remain lower than expected for community participation, healthy lifestyle choices, employment and independent living. The importance of transition programming to help adolescents with disabilities prepare for adult life roles is now understood. Literature currently is mainly conceptual or descriptive, but informs the process of developing transition program models. The need for competent and effective adult care providers is discussed. Both the transition to adulthood and the transfer of care to adult care clinics are important and distinct components of spina bifida lifespan care.
Polymer chain segment orientation during stress relaxation

This report presents results on simultaneous measurement of stress and molecular orientation on uniaxially stretched polymer films. Stress is measured using a force transducer and orientation using infrared dichroism. A set of deuterated polystyrene samples were prepared with deuterated blocks at either the center or ends of the polymer chains. Using infrared bands, unique to the deuterated or hydrogenated sample, the relaxation of ends versus middle of the polymer chain can be monitored. The essential feature of the reptation models is that relaxation occurs from the ends of the chains first. Experimental results show: relaxation of the chain ends is more rapid than relaxation of the central portion of the chain, orientation of the chain ends increases linearly with total elongational strain, orientation increases with polymer molecular weight, and the relaxation of overall chain orientation at long times follows stress relaxation, which is in agreement with the classical ''stress-optical law''.
A review of Herpesvirus papio, a B-lymphotropic virus of baboons related to EBV.

Abstract In the last four year B-lymphotropic herpesvirus have been identified as indigenous viruses of chimpanzees, baboons, orang-utans and gorillas. These viruses are related to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) as demonstrated by cross-reactivity of certain viral antigens and partial viral genome homology. In addition they share certain biologic properties in common with EBV, i.e. replication limited only to B-lymphocytic cells, transformation of lymphocytes in vitro , and potential for inducing lymphoproliferative disease in susceptible hosts. Herpesvirus papio (HVP) the indigenous virus of baboons ( Papio sp. ), has been the most extensively studied of this group of viruses and this review summarizes and compares with EBV the relevant properties of HVP.
UNITED STATES NATIONAL RESPONSE TEAM GUIDELINES FOR PLACES OF REFUGE DECISION-MAKING FOR VESSELS NEEDING ASSISTANCE

ABSTRACT The major oil spills that resulted from the T/V ERIKA and M/V PRESTIGE breaking up and sinking off the coasts of France in December 1999 and Spain in November 2002, respectively, underscored the need for regulatory authorities, natural resource trustees, and other stakeholders to conduct pre-incident planning for vessels needing assistance. Both of these incidents provided the impetus for the development of places of refuge guidelines. By the end of 2003, both the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the Australian Government had developed guidelines for places of refuges decision-making. By the end of 2006, places of refuge guidelines had also been developed and adopted by a number of entities in North America; including, the Alaska, Region 9, and Region 10 Regional Response Teams (RRTs) and the Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force (Pacific States/BC Task Force). In August 2006, the United States (U.S.) National Response Team (NRT) created an NRT Places of Refuge Workgro...
A MICROBURETTE FOR DELIVERY OF UNIFORM DROPLETS.

Abstract The design and calibration of a microburette apparatus are described. This instrument was designed to deliver microquantities of liquids as discrete droplets at a uniform rate. The controlled particle sizes produced are between 50 and 700 microns. Delivery weights may be varied from 0.0003 to 0.3220 gm/min widi liquids ranging in viscosity from 1.00 to 20.30 centipoises at 20°C. This device has been used in the titration of concentrated liquids, the study of small droplet behavior on surfaces of various textures, and for applying small doses of materials to the skin to study irritation and allergy reactions.