cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Attitudes Associated With Alcohol and Marijuana Referral Actions by Resident Assistants

This exploratory study examined associations between resident assistant (RA) attitudes and referral actions to identify training strategies for strengthening the ability of these paraprofessionals to recognize and refer college students in their living units who misuse alcohol and marijuana. The study’s hypotheses were that (1) referral self-efficacy and perceived referral norms would be positively associated with RA referral actions and (2) perceived referral barriers and referral anticipatory anxiety would be negatively associated with RAs’ referral actions. A total of 317 RAs at eight residential campuses in different regions of the U.S. took part in the study. All participating RAs had at least one semester of work experience. Just prior to the Fall semester of 2012, RA’s responded to an online survey that assessed their alcohol and marijuana referral attitudes and referral actions. Overall, RAs reported considerable anxiety about approaching and referring students who may have an alcohol and/or marijuana problem. Perceived referral norms among RAs indicated substantial variability in perceptions about others’ expectations of them for referring students who may have alcohol and marijuana problems. Results from two multivariable logistic regression analyses showed that referral self-efficacy distinguished RAs who took alcohol referral actions and marijuana referral actions from those who did not do so. Neither length of RA service nor time spent on campus was associated with referral actions. RA training programs could give attention to strengthening referral self-efficacy through a series of increasingly difficult skill-building activities during pre- and in-service training. In addition, senior residence life and housing professional staff may consider assessing the extent to which RAs under their supervision follow established protocols for assisting students with possible alcohol and marijuana problems. The development of evidence-based RA training programs will require additional research.
Reducing weapon-carrying among urban American Indian young people.

Abstract Purpose To examine the likelihood of weapon-carrying among urban American Indian young people, given the presence of salient risk and protective factors. Methods The study used data from a confidential, self-report Urban Indian Youth Health Survey with 200 forced-choice items examining risk and protective factors and social, contextual, and demographic information. Between 1995 and 1998, 569 American Indian youths, aged 9–15 years, completed surveys administered in public schools and an after-school program. Using logistic regression, probability profiles compared the likelihood of weapon-carrying, given the combinations of salient risk and protective factors. Results In the final models, weapon-carrying was associated significantly with one risk factor (substance use) and two protective factors (school connectedness, perceiving peers as having prosocial behavior attitudes/norms). With one risk factor and two protective factors, in various combinations in the models, the likelihood of weapon carrying ranged from 4% (with two protective factors and no risk factor in the model) to 80% of youth (with the risk factor and no protective factors in the model). Even in the presence of the risk factor, the two protective factors decreased the likelihood of weapon-carrying to 25%. Conclusions This analysis highlights the importance of protective factors in comprehensive assessments and interventions for vulnerable youth. In that the risk factor and two protective factors significantly related to weapon-carrying are amenable to intervention at both individual and population-focused levels, study findings offer a guide for prioritizing strategies for decreasing weapon-carrying among urban American Indian young people.
Beyond medicalisation-demedicalisation: the case of holistic health

Discourse relating to the dual processes of medicalisation and demedicalisation has become deeply embedded in the sociological literature and increasingly in the cultural fabric itself. This paper highlights several contradictory dimensions and discrepancies inherent in those notions of medicalisation and demedicalisation. Three key components of the conceptualisations of medicalisation are separated out for examination: the locus of causality, the purview of the pathogenic sphere, and status inequality or professionalisation. Data from the holistic health movement are utilised to illustrate more precisely those problematic and at times contradictory dimensions.
Helical repeat and chirality effects on DNA gel electrophoretic mobility

We determined a value of 10.34 +/- 0.04 base pairs (bp) per turn for the helical repeat of bent DNA sequences of the form A6N4-A6N5 by estimating the sequence repeat required to produce a planar curve, as judged from the maximum in the electrophoretic mobility anomaly of multimers containing different sequence repeats (10.00, 10.33, 10.50, 10.67, and 11.00 bp per turn). This result provides the basis for a method to evaluate the helical repeat of any DNA segment by comparative electrophoresis measurements. The sequence of interest is placed between two A-tract bends and the phasing is varied over an entire helical turn. Knowledge of the number of base pairs between the bends in the cis isomer, which has the lowest electrophoretic mobility, allows calculation of the average helical repeat of the inserted sequence. In the course of these experiments we observed an unexpected dependence of electrophoretic mobility on the shape of DNA molecules: in high-percentage polyacrylamide gels, those bent molecules for which we deduced a right-handed superhelical form are less retarded than their homologous left-handed isomers. To explain this finding we propose that superhelical chirality influences the choice of DNA migration pathway, leading to rotation of the DNA molecule relative to the local coordinate frame in the gel. High-percentage gels have sufficiently close contact with the right-handed DNA helical twist to differentiate the frictional consequences of right- and left-handed twisting motions.
Ferromagneticlike resonance behavior in superfluid /sup 3/He-B

Nonlinear cw NMR behavior, similar to that observed on ferromagnets at high rf powers, has been observed in superfluid /sup 3/He-B using a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer in fields of 31, 102, 180, and 308 Oe and at a pressure of 21 bar. It is observed that beyond some threshold value of the transverse H/sub 1/ field the z component of magnetization anomalously decreases and is followed by a rapid increase back to the normal resonance curve as the frequency of the H/sub 1/ field is swept through resonance.
Light-induced change in the buffer capacity of spinach chloroplast suspensions

Abstract Illumination of spinach chloroplast suspensions in the presence of a redox dye causes large changes in the buffer capacity of the suspensions. The light-induced changes of buffer capacity above pH 6.4 can be completely reversed in the dark, while buffer capacity changes at pH values less than 6.4 are partly or completely irreversible. While the light-induced buffer capacity change at pH 7.2 and light-induced net proton uptake show similar responses to uncouplers and similar light requirements, the buffer capacity change at pH 6.2 has a much lower light intensity requirement than the other phenomena. The demonstration of light-induced buffer capacity changes in chloroplast suspensions calls for quantitative reappraisal of the literature dealing with light-induced net proton uptake by chloroplasts.
Forgotten Dialysis Catheter Caps

OUR institutional review board does not require approval for case reports such as this. A 63-year-old man with multiple myeloma, renal failure, and numerous medical problems presented to our service for over-the-wire exchange of a tunneled hemodialysis catheter. Four days earlier the patient had been admitted for suspected catheter-related infection after having fever and chills during his hemodialysis session, and intravenous antibiotic treatment was started. There was also a report of poor flow during hemodialysis for the previous 2 weeks. The original catheter had been placed 68 days earlier for initiation of hemodialysis for acute renal failure. The catheter was successfully exchanged; however, when he arrived at the inpatient hemodialysis unit it was noted that the end caps were missing from the catheter. The patient was then returned to the interventional radiology department because the nephrologists were extremely concerned about catheter contamination in the 2-hour interval, and repeat catheter exchange was performed. The patient again tolerated the procedure well, and this time it
Spatial imaging of the spin Hall effect and current-induced polarization in two-dimensional electron gases

Spatial imaging of the spin Hall effect and current-induced polarization in two-dimensional electron gases
Progress in laser guide star adaptive optics and lessons learned

Laser Guide Star (LGS) Adaptive Optics (AO) on large telescopes has recently become a very productive science tool for the astronomical community. Astronomical objects can now be observed at an unprecedented resolution over much of the sky. The science enabled by LGS AO and the capabilities and limitations of these systems will be discussed, along with the lessons learned that can be applied to LGS AO systems on existing and planned telescopes.
Comparison of isocaloric quantities of medium-chain tryglyceride and carbohydrate in promoting weight gain in short bowel rats.

Weight gain was studied in short-bowel rats fed diets consisting of rat chow supplemented with isocaloric quantities of long chain triglycerides (LCT), medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) or carbohydrate. Compared with the LCT-supplemented diet, MCT supplementation did not result in a significant weight gain, while a significantly increased weight gain was obtained by the rats on a sucrose- or maltose-supplemented diet. These studies suggest that while the caloric content per gram of disaccharides is only one-half that of MCT, disaccharides were better absorbed than MCT and thus provided as good, if not a better, source of calories for short-bowel rats.
Zinc Sensing via Enhancement of Two-Photon Excited Fluorescence

A branched chromophore tris[p-(4-pyridylethynyl)phenyl]amine (TPPA) with pyridine terminal groups is investigated for its ability to sense small quantities of Zinc ions via a two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) enhancement mechanism. Changes in the linear and nonlinear optical properties upon coordination with Zn 2+ have been studied using steady-state measurements, Two-photon absorption and femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy. An order of magnitude increase in the TPEF signal of the Zn-bound chromophore was observed, thereby rendering our chromophore a "turn-on" sensor for Zn 2+ . The molecule was highly selective toward Zn 2+ and was able to detect Zn 2+ at the ppm level. Transient absorption measurements revealed the excited-state dynamics and elucidated the reasons for the observed behavior of the TPPA chromophore. This study provides a guideline along which organic chromophores could be developed for "turn-on" metal ion sensing using multiphoton excitation.
Nonlinear Formulation and Efficiency Enhancement of Free-Electron Lasers

We present a general, self-consistent, nonlinear theory of the free-electron laser (FEL) process. The formulation of the temporal steady-state problem results in a set of coupled nonlinear FEL equations governing the spatial evolution of the amplitudes and wavelengths of the fields. We show that intrinsic FEL efficiencies can be greatly enhanced by spatially contouring the magnetic pump-field parameters. In the optical regime, the single-pass efficiencies are found to exceed 20%.
Are new vitamin D analogues in renal bone disease superior to calcitriol

Progression of chronic kidney disease is associated with an early reduction in serum calcitriol levels; thus, therapy with calcitriol should be initiated early in the course of chronic kidney disease to prevent the development of secondary hyperparathyroidism. Initial studies demonstrated a potential role of calcitriol in the prevention of growth retardation in children with chronic kidney disease prior to dialysis. But the optimal parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels that will maximize growth response during calcitriol treatment remain to be defined. Therapy with calcitriol has been shown to control the biochemical and skeletal manifestations of secondary hyperparathyroidism, but patients developed hypercalcemia, hyperphosphatemia and adynamic osteodystrophy. Thus, new vitamin D analogues with a lower hypercalcemic response have been developed. Although comparative studies are lacking, current evidence indicates that these new active vitamin D sterols (19-nor-paracalcitol and doxercalciferol) adequately control secondary hyperparathyroidism with minimal changes in serum calcium and phosphorus levels during treatment with calcium-containing binders. The long-term effect of such therapies on the skeleton and the process of vascular calcifications remain to be evaluated.
Revisiting the Importance of Knowledge From Namibia, a Case for Promoting Knowledge by Campaigns to Reduce Stigma

Reducing stigma against people living with HIV is key to encouraging HIV testing, which in turn is an important component in the treatment-as-prevention approach. We analyzed nationally representative survey data of participants aged 15 years and older in Namibia (N = 4,300) to determine whether knowledge about HIV and self-efficacy to protect against sexually transmitted HIV would be independently and jointly associated with stigma against people living with HIV, after controlling for demographics. Findings indicated that having less knowledge and feeling less self-efficacy were associated with greater stigma. Our key interaction hypothesis was also supported: stigma among those with lower self-efficacy to reduce risk of sexually transmitted HIV infection was particularly sensitive to the effects of increased knowledge about HIV. Results highlight the importance of enriching knowledge about HIV transmission modes, prevention strategies, and support services among those with low self-efficacy in order to ...
Data-Driven Model Development for the SuperSonic SemiSpan Transport

In this report, we will investigate two common approaches to model development for robust control synthesis in the aerospace community; namely, reduced order aeroservoelastic modelling based on structural finite-element and computational fluid dynamics based aerodynamic models, and a data-driven system identification procedure. It is shown via analysis of experimental SuperSonic SemiSpan Transport (S4T) wind-tunnel data that by using a system identification approach it is possible to estimate a model at a fixed Mach, which is parsimonious and robust across varying dynamic pressures.
Prolonged incubation with elevated glucose inhibits the regulatory response to shrinkage of cultured human retinal pigment epithelial cells

Transport defects by retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) and other cells are observed in experimental models of diabetes mellitus. Recent studies have established that glucose concentration, per se, is the critical risk factor in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications. This study was designed to test whether transport alterations could be produced in the simplest model of diabetes, sustained exposure of cultured cells to a high-glucose environment. The regulatory transport responses to acute changes in cell volume were measured in order to assess the effects of glucose on a range of transport processes. Continuous lines of nontransformed human retinal pigment epithelial (hRPE) cells were grown for two weeks with either 5.6 low glucose (LG) or 26.0 high glucose (HG) mm in paired experiments. The cell volumes of suspended cells were studied in hypo-, iso- and hypertonic solutions containing the same ionic composition. Hypotonic swelling triggered a regulatory volume decrease (RVD), inhibited by reducing the chemical driving force for K+ efflux, or blocking K+ channels (with Ba2+) or Cl− channels (with NPPB). Thus, the RVD of the hRPE cells likely reflects efflux of K+ and Cl− through parallel channels. Shrinkage caused a regulatory volume increase (RVI), which was inhibited by blocking Na+/H+ (with dimethylamiloride) or Cl−/HCO 3 − exchange (with DIDS). Bumetanide inhibited the RVI significantly only when the K+ concentration was increased above the baseline level. Therefore, the RVI under our baseline conditions likely reflects primarily Na+/H+ and Cr/HCO 3 − antiport exchange. Growth in high-glucose medium had no substantial effect on the RVD, but reduced the rate constant of the RVI by ≈ 50%. The RVI was unaffected by growth in high-mannitol medium. Stimulation of protein kinase C (PKC) with DiC8 increased the RVI of HG-cells, but not of LG-cells. The DiC8-induced stimulation was bumetanide insensitive and abolished by 1 mM amiloride. Other transport effects of PKC (on the RVD) were unaltered in the HG-cells. We conclude that sustained elevation of extracellular glucose, per se, can downregulate the Na+/H+ antiport of target cells, an effect noted in streptozotocin-treated rats, and that this downregulation does not reflect interruption of the PKC-signaling pathway.
Continuous-Wave Fourier Transform Laser Sources

Continuous-wave frequency comb Fourier transform sources utilize interference of frequency combs to measure spectra. Spectra obtained with this approach are in agreement with results from traditional spectrometers. The sources contain no moving parts.
Face Processing: Models For Recognition

Abstract The human ability to process faces is remarkable. We can identify perhaps thousands offaces learned throughout our lifetime and read facial expression to understand such subtle qualities as emotion. These skills are quite robust, despite sometimes large changes in the visualstimulus due to expression, aging, and distractions such as glasses or changes in hairstyle or facialhair. Computers which model and recognize faces will be useful in a variety of applications,including criminal identification, human -computer interface, and animation. We discuss modelsfor representing faces and their applicability to the task of recognition, and present techniquesfor identifying faces and detecting eye blinks. 1 Introduction The human face, far beyond any other part of the body, communicates identity, emotion, race, andage, and also is quite useful in judging gender, size, and perhaps even character. The subject of visualprocessing of faces has received attention from philosophers and scientists for centuries. Aristotledevoted six chapters of the Historia Animalium to the study of facial appearance. Physiognomy,the practice or art of inferring intellectual or character qualities of a person from outward appear-ance, particularly the face, has had periods of fashion in various societies. Darwin considered facialexpression and its identification to be a significant advantage for the survival of species. Develop-mental studies have focused on strategies of recognition or identification and the differences betweeninfant and adult subjects. Neurological disorders of face perception have been isolated and studied,providing insight into normal as well as abnormal face processing. In recent years, computers havebeen introduced into various aspects of the subject, with systems attempting to model, display, andrecognize human faces.
Genetic analysis of cerebellar folial pattern in crosses of C57BL/6J and DBA/2J inbred mice.

Abstract Variation in the cerebellar folial pattern of mice is influenced by genetic elements [Inouye, M. and Oda, S., J. Comp. Neurol. , 190 (1980) 357–362]. In crosses of C57BL/6J and DBA/2J inbred mice, the presence or absence of a specific fissure, the intraculminate fissure, is largely determined by a single genetic locus ( Cfp-1 ), which is located on distal Chromosome 4 [Neumann et al., Brain Res. , 524 (1990) 85–89]. In the present study, the mid-sagittal cerebellar folial pattern has been examined in crosses of C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice and in BXD recombinant inbred strains. At least three loci, including Cfp-1 , are involved in variation in vermian pattern formation. Genetic variation in thyroid hormone function may be involved in the inheritance of folial pattern. A locus ( Cfp-2 ) that appears to be partially responsible for this negative genetic correlation in mice may be linked to Afp on Chromosome 5. This hypothesis was suggested by the negative correlation between neonatal serum T 4 level and the number of folia in rats given neonatal injections of thyroxine or propylthiouracil [Lauder, J.M. et al., Brain Res. , 76 (1974) 33–40].
An evaluation of the DAWN‐B light scattering unit from wyatt technology: Suggested calibration, normalization, and clarification procedures

Proper normalization, calibration, and sample clarification procedures for use with the Wyatt Technology DAWN-B laser light scattering photometer are described. The utility of the proposed methods is confirmed by comparing results obtained on the solution properties of polystyrene standards in three different solvents (toluene, tetrahydrofuran, and methyl ethyl ketone) with results from the literature and generated using a Chromatix KMX-6 low-angle light scattering photometer. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Exacerbation of pre-existing interstitial lung disease after oxaliplatin therapy: A report of three cases

Summary Background To describe the possible role of oxaliplatin in worsening pre-existing interstitial lung disease. Methods After we encountered a patient with an interstitial lung disease who experienced a fatal progression of his pulmonary disease associated with oxaliplatin therapy, a computer-aided search was conducted to identify other similar patients. Twenty-six patients with various lung diseases who had received oxaliplatin therapy at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN from January 2000 to December 2006 were identified. Three of these patients had radiologic evidence of interstitial lung disease before undergoing oxaliplatin therapy. We examined the medical records and imaging studies of these three patients to further define their clinical presentation, radiological and functional characteristics, and clinical outcome. Results All three patients experienced symptomatic and radiologic worsening of their interstitial lung disease following oxaliplatin administration. One of these patients died from refractory respiratory failure; the remaining two patients stabilized after the discontinuation of oxaliplatin therapy and have since shown modest improvement in pulmonary symptoms and lung function. There were no other potential causes identified for the unexpected progression of their lung disease other than the temporal relationship to oxaliplatin therapy. Conclusions Treatment with oxaliplatin, in the setting of a pre-existing interstitial lung disease, may be associated with respiratory deterioration. It is unknown whether this is mediated by acceleration of the underlying parenchymal disease or by a superimposed acute lung injury caused by oxaliplatin.
Cooperative growth of dislocation loops and voids under electron irradiation

Abstract Electron irradiation damage studies have been performed on thin foils of pure copper in a high voltage electron microscope. The effects of foil thickness, electron flux, temperature, and initial dislocation density on the formation of voids were studied. Kinetics of void nucleation and growth were interpreted in terms of dislocation biasing of the vacancy and interstitial concentrations and the capture ratio. The void density initially increased as a function of dislocation density, while void size decreased. As a result, swelling at first was increased and subsequently decreased with increasing dislocation density. It was thus confirmed that the presence of dislocations is a necessary condition for void formation.
SU-E-T-40: Analysis of Composite MVCT Planning Dosimetry with SBRT of Upper Peripheral Lung Cancer

Purpose: Quantitatively evaluate and compare the final adaptive planning doses of upper peripherally located lung SBRT treated with Tomotherapy using 3rd party software tool. Methods: With tumor located in the upper quadrant of lung, a 3rd party software tool was implemented to evaluate the Tomotherapy composite dosimetry created by adaptive fan beam MVCT images described by RTOG 0915 dose criteria (48 Gy / 4 fractions). The composite doses was then summarized with deformable registration in this package with corresponding target and critical structures. The final dosimetry variation, both for target and critical structures, were evaluated in a tabular format and isodose distribution comparisons. Results: Composite SBRT treatment doses were evaluated with adaptive planning. The PTV and several critical structures were mapped/deformed into the package via DICOM from Tomotherapy after the final composite doses were created. Initial plan versus the final composite plan calculated from verification images were compared. The ITV defined by 4D CT and contoured on MVCT images were correlated in patient repositioning. Final composite dose calculated for PTV coverage has shown 0.1–0.17 cGy coverage (0.2–0.4% of prescription dose) variation. Total lung and cord were both less than 0.17 Gy which represented <0.4% difference. All other critical structure were within statistical significance. The adaptive plans justified/included the breathing and motion during the treatment process. Final 95% isotope line coverage from prescription has been met without issues. Conclusions: With lung tumor location in the upper peripheral area, breathing control was not necessary required during SBRT treatment using Tomotherapy technique. Slow fan beam CT provides definitive ITV information and the adaptive composite plan for all fractions were suitable for final dose delivery. The final composite dose calculated with Tomotherapy adaptive tool indicated that the composite dosimetry justified the target location with SBRT delivery, safe with minimum margin of errors.
Fluoroquinolone antibiotics in infants and children.

Despite class label warnings against use in children, prescriptions for quinolone antibiotics to treat infections in children have become increasingly prevalent. Many of the characteristics of the contemporary fluoroquinolones, the derivatives of the first quinolone antibiotic, nalidixic acid, are particularly appealing for certain pediatric populations. The fluoroquinolones are rapidly bactericidal and have an extended antimicrobial spectrum that includes Pseudomonas, gram-positive cocci, and intracellular pathogens. They have advantageous pharmacokinetic properties, such as absorption from the gastrointestinal tract, excellent penetration into many tissues, and good intracellular diffusion. These antimicrobials have been effective in the treatment or prevention of a variety of bacterial infections in adults, including infections of the respiratory and urinary tracts, skin and soft tissue, bone and joint, and eye and ear. Overall, fluoroquinolones are generally well tolerated; the most frequent adverse events during treatment are gastrointestinal disturbances, reactions of the central nervous system, and skin reactions [1,2]. The use of fluoroquinolones in children has been limited because of their potential to induce arthropathy in juvenile animals [3–5]. This extraordinary form of age-related drug toxicity has been shown with all the fluoroquinolones tested so far and has led to important restrictions: Their use has been considered to be contraindicated in children, in growing adolescents, and in women during pregnancy and lactation. Since the mid-1980s, many children have received treatment with fluoroquinolones (mainly ciprofloxacin), however, because they are the only oral antimicrobials with potential activity against such multiply resistant and difficult-to-treat infections as Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in children with cystic fibrosis, complicated urinary tract infections, and enteric infections in developing countries. Results of these trials indicate that prolonged therapy with the fluoroquinolones is effective
The CDC's campaign to prevent antimicrobial resistance offers structure, strategy, and authority to a hospital's efforts to battle an increase in resistant organisms

ISSUE: This is a 547-bed urban teaching hospital with 26,000 annual discharges. In the fall of 1999, the incidence of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) MRSA doubled; a year later, the incidence of nosocomial cases (N-MRSA) also doubled. By the end of 2002, the incidence of CA-MRSA had quadrupled and N-MRSA had tripled over the pre-2000 baseline. PROJECT: In August 2002, the infection control committee commissioned a task force (TF) to address this trend. Its primary goal was to implement the CDC Campaign to Prevent Antimicrobial Resistance. The first priority was to gain recognition and support from hospital leadership, then to aim advertising efforts at the entire hospital community. The TF was organized into four working groups (WGs). Each WG initiated at least one project. Project champions were chosen to lead each effort. The Prevent Infection (PI) WG sought to improve the number of inpatients immunized against influenza. In 2002-2003 only 95 inpatients were immunized. Diagnose and Treat (DT) chose to construct a standardized pathway for treatment of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). No standard approach for management of CAP existed in 2002. Use Antibiotics Wisely (UAW) focused its efforts on establishing an antibiotic management team (AMT). In 2002, antibiotic oversight consisted of a specialized pharmacist and a restricted formulary requiring approval from an infectious disease (ID) fellow. Prevent Transmission (PT) implemented the CDC 2002 Guideline for Hand Hygiene in Health Care Settings. In 2002, poor hand hygiene practices were observed in many areas of the hospital. RESULTS: PI's campaign facilitated an increased influenza immunization of high-risk inpatients to >700 a year. DT involved multidisciplinary stakeholders to develop a CAP care path that was implemented in July 2004. Endpoints are tracked, and use of the pathway has increased. UAW established an AMT composed of an ID physician and a pharmacological doctor. Antimicrobial usage was reduced by 7%, and costs were reduced by 15% over the previous fiscal year. PT instituted an intense campaign to improve hand hygiene, which resulted in steady improvement. Since 2002, incidence of N-MRSA has decreased, while incidence of CA-MRSA has doubled. LESSONS LEARNED: Reduction of antibiotic-resistant organisms requires three components: support from leadership, effective project champions, and a marketing strategy to reach the entire workforce. The CDC's Campaign to Reduce Antimicrobial Resistance offers a vehicle and a strategy to reach these objectives.
Categorization and Optimization of Synchronization Dependencies in Business Processes

The current approach for modeling synchronization in business processes relies on sequencing constructs, such as sequence, parallel etc. However, sequencing constructs obfuscate the true source of dependencies in a business process. Moreover, because of the nested structure and scattered code that results from using sequencing constructs, it is hard to add or delete additional constraints without over-specifying necessary constraints or invalidating existing ones. We propose a dataflow programming approach in which dependencies are explicitly modeled to guide activity scheduling. We first give a systematic categorization of dependencies: data, control, service and cooperation. Each dimension models dependency from its own point of view. Then we show that dependencies of various kinds can be first merged and then optimized to generate a minimal dependency set, which guarantees high concurrency and minimal maintenance cost for process execution.
Quantitative Evaluation of Skin Lesions Using Transient Thermal Imaging

We have recently developed a thermal (infrared - IR) imaging system that allows accurate measurements of transient temperature distributions of the skin surface. It relies on active infrared imaging for the characterization of skin lesions. We hypothesize that lesions with increased proliferative potential or inflammatory processes in the skin generate quantifiable amounts of heat and possess an ability to reheat more quickly than the surrounding normal skin. We demonstrate that the visualization and measurement of the transient thermal response of the skin to a cooling excitation can aid the identification of skin lesions of different origin. In the preliminary studies we focused on optimizing this high-resolution infrared scanning system in order to evaluate thermal images of the skin with the aim to distinguish benign from malignant pigmented lesions. Such an imaging tool is expected to improve the diagnostic accuracy and sensitivity for melanoma as well as other skin cancers, while decreasing the number of unnecessary biopsies. Therefore, we are currently conducting a pilot clinical trial of our transient thermal imaging system to verify the feasibility of the described approach in distinguishing pigmented lesions of varying malignant potential. In our trial patients who possess a pigmented lesion with a clinical indication for biopsy are selected to participate in the study. After scanning the lesions, they are biopsied and graded for malignant potential. Biopsy results are correlated with thermal images and bright light images in order to evaluate thermal associations with malignant potential.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Nanomanipulation of ridges in few-layer epitaxial graphene grown on the carbon face of 4H-SiC

The atomic force microscope (AFM) is used to study the morphology of graphene grown on 4H-SiC. A mesh-like network of ridges with high curvature is revealed that bound atomically flat, tile-like facets of few-layer graphene (FLG). To further study the structural properties of the ridge network, nanomanipulation experiments are performed using an AFM tip to deform the ridges in both the vertical and lateral directions. From these experiments, evidence is obtained that the ridges can be displaced in both the vertical and lateral directions. In some instances, ridges are found to return to their original shape after deformation. Cross-section transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies show that the ridges are formed by the delamination of FLG from the SiC substrate.
Polarization-entangled light for quantum key distribution: how frequency spectrum and energy affect detection statistics

Light pulses used in quantum key distribution (QKD) designed for polarization entanglement also exhibit frequency entanglement. Although absent from the simplified models that initiated QKD, the degree of frequency entanglement of polarization-entangled light pulses is shown to affect the amount of key that can be distilled from raw light signals. In one example, extreme frequency entanglement generates 4/3 of the amount of distilled key as does no frequency entanglement.
Kinetics and mechanisms of carbon self-diffusion in uranium carbides

Abstract Depending upon the temperature, uranium carbide, UC x , has the B1 (NaCl type) crystal structure and is characterized by a wide range of the carbon-to-uranium ratio ( 0.95 ). In this report, the kinetics of carbon diffusion in uranium carbides are examined and mechanisms are proposed which explain the diffusivities determined by numerous investigators for compositions in the range 0.95 . When the composition is hypostoichiometric, the defect structure in the carbon sub-lattice consists of constitutional vacancies; the concentration of these vacancies is fixed by the carbon-to-uranium ratio and equals ( 1−x ). Carbon diffusion occurs by the random migration of carbon atoms from one octahedral site to an adjacent vacant octahedral site. The defect structure in the carbon sub-lattice of stoichiometric and hyperstoichiometric uranium carbides consists of C2 groups and single carbon atoms in the octahedral sites; the concentration of unoccupied octahedral sites (vacancies) is negligibly small. Diffusion occurs by the random migration of single carbon atoms from doubly occupied sites to adjacent singly occupied octahedral sites. Quantitative expressions of these mechanisms are developed which accurately describe the diffusion kinetics. The preponderant discordance in the experimental results of other investigators are reviewed and examined; it is concluded that the wide variability in these results was probably caused by microstructural effects,
Application of the Veneziano model to the analysis of three pion charmonium decays

In this study, we adapt the Veneziano model to the analysis of vector charmonium decays. Starting from a set of covariant Veneziano terms we show how to construct partial waves amplitudes that receive contributions from selected Regge trajectories. The amplitudes, nevertheless retain the proper asymptotic limit. This arises from duality between directly produced resonances and cross-channel Reggeons and in practical applications helps remove uncertainties in the parametrization of backgrounds.
THE DYNAMICS OF TWO PULSE-COUPLED RELAXATION OSCILLATORS

The dynamics of a pair of coupled integrate-and-fire oscillators is studied. Previous work by Mirollo and Strogatz is extended here to include the more realistic case in which the oscillators have different natural frequencies. It is shown that, given sufficient coupling, oscillators with arbitrary natural frequencies can always be made to synchronize. Furthermore, the condition necessary and sufficient for synchronization is determined. It is also shown that for any given set of parameter values there is a single periodic trajectory toward which all initial conditions are attracted: neither chaos nor quasiperiodicity is possible.
Dispersion of elastic guided waves in piezoelectric infinite plates with inversion layers

Abstract In this work, we study the dispersion of elastic waves in piezoelectric infinite plates with ferroelectric inversion layers. The motivation is to analyze the effect of ferroelectric inversion layers on wave dispersion and resonant behavior under impulsive line loads. A semi-analytical finite-element (SAFE) method has been adopted to analyze the problem. Two model problems are considered for analysis. In one, the plate is composed of a layer of 36° rotated y -cut LiNbO 3 with a ferroelectric inversion layer. In the other, material is PZT-4 with a ferroelectric inversion layer. Comparison with experimental results, reported in the literature for isotropic materials, shows a very good agreement with theoretical predictions obtained using SAFE method. Furthermore, comparison of the resonance frequencies of the S 1 modes, calculated using KLM approximation ( f 0 = C d /2 h ) and SAFE method, are illustrated for each problem. The frequency spectra of the surface displacements show that resonant peaks occur at frequencies where the group velocity vanishes and the phase velocity remains finite, i.e. , a minimum in the dispersion curve below the cut-off frequency. The effect of the ratio of the thicknesses of the inversion layer (IL) and the plate on the frequencies and strength of the resonant peaks is examined. It is observed that for PZT-4 with 50% IL to plate thickness ratio the frequency for the second resonant peak is about twice that for the first one. Results are presented showing the dependence of resonant frequencies on the material properties and anisotropy. Materials selection for single-element harmonic ultrasound transducers is a very important factor for optimum design of transducers with multiple thickness-mode resonant frequencies. The theoretical analysis presented in this study should provide a means for optimum ultrasound transducer design for harmonic imaging in medical applications.
Iterative reconstruction-reprojection and the expectation-maximization algorithm

The iterative reconstruction-reprojection (IRR) algorithm is a method for estimating missing projections in computed tomography. It is derived as an expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm that increases a suitable likelihood function. The constraint that the data form a consistent set of projections is loosened to require only that the means of the data form a consistent set, thereby suggesting that the algorithm is suitable for use with noisy data. Proofs of convergence to a stationary point and of monotonicity of the sequence of iterates are given. Simulations supporting these results are described. >
Wittgenstein and ant-watching

Research in animal behavior begins by identifying what animals are doing. In the course of observation, the observer comes to see animals as performing a particular activity. How does this process work? How cn we be certain that behavior is identified correctly? Wittgenstein offers an approach to these questions. looking at the uses of certainly rather than attempting to find rules that guarantee it. Here two stages in research are distinguished: first, watching animals, and second, reporting the results to other scientists. Certainly about what animals are doing, has different uses at each stage.
Right coronary artery aneurysm with aneurysmal dilation and thrombosis of the sinoatrial nodal branch mimicking a right atrial mass

Aneurysms of the branches of the coronary arteries are rare. We report a case of a right coronary artery aneurysm with aneurysmal dilation and thrombosis of the sinoatrial nodal branch presenting as a right atrial mass. The patient underwent multiple imaging evaluations before coronary CT angiography diagnosed aneurysm and thrombosis of the sinoatrial nodal branch.
A perspective on form and experience

“A Perspective on Form and Experience” is an introspective effort by a practicing composer regarding both what it means to be a composer and how the formal design of contemporary musical works can reflect more meaningfully the daily lives of contemporary individuals. Beginning with two perspectives, the composer as performer and the contrasting behaviors of the “maker” and the “searcher” (terms defined in the article), the paper goes on to explore the origins of narrative form and later what is called “revelatory form.” Traditional variation technique is contrasted with the author's extension, the “transformational mosaic.” The overall discussion proceeds against a background of detailed consideration of the composition Archipelago, commissioned by IRCAM (1981–83).
Challenging Gerontology’s Empirical Molehills: A Commentary on Powell’s Foucauldian Toolkit

Gerontology and theory have long been intellectually separate, with empirical studies dominant. Marrying Foucauldian theory, as Powell proposes, with gerontology is clever, timely and potentially fruitful for policy, practice and research. Although Foucault had little to say about age, his insights on power and on bodies are profoundly relevant to the process of ageing. Powell’s proposed application of a Foucauldian toolkit to caring for older people, enables the opening of insights into both the cared for and the carers, the latter of whom are differentially disadvantaged as well by gender, ethnicity, class and often immigration status. Viewed through Foucault’s concept of power, ageing population is observed as a fiction, justifying all manner of policy panics and woes that may not exist as actual challenges. Foucault’s concepts of power, identity, regulation, resistance and the bodily as socially shaped, have transformed sociology. A similar transformation of gerontology would be welcome.
Corrective Models for Speech Recognition of Inflected Languages

This paper presents a corrective model for speech recognition of inflected languages. The model, based on a discriminative framework, incorporates word n-grams features as well as factored morphological features, providing error reduction over the model based solely on word n-gram features. Experiments on a large vocabulary task, namely the Czech portion of the MALACH corpus, demonstrate performance gain of about 1.1--1.5% absolute in word error rate, wherein morphological features contribute about a third of the improvement. A simple feature selection mechanism based on X2 statistics is shown to be effective in reducing the number of features by about 70% without any loss in performance, making it feasible to explore yet larger feature spaces.
2002 JOSEPH A. CUSHMAN AWARD

The recipient of the 2002 Joseph A. Cushman Award is Isabella Premoli Silva in celebration of her more than four decades of foraminiferal research, and for her tireless efforts of service to the geologic profession. Professor Premoli Silva is one of the most widely recognized names in foraminiferal paleontology and her research contributions and service to various international committees and commissions are familiar to stratigraphic paleontologists worldwide. She authored or co-authored more than 170 papers concerning micropaleontology, stratigraphy, cyclostratigraphy, paleobiogeography, and paleoceanography, and spanning the geologic record from Paleozoic to Recent. Her special emphasis is on Cretaceous to Miocene planktonic foraminifera. Professor Premoli Silva is the world’s leading expert in the identification of planktonic foraminifera in thin-section. Fortunately, she has always been eager to share this knowledge with many students and colleagues. As a student of Professor Maria Bianca Cita at the University of Milan, Isabella was well grounded in the rich geologic and micropaleontologic heritage of Italy and the Mediterranean region. Her thesis on “Planktonic Foraminifera of the Type Langhian (Northern Italy)” was just the beginning of her own contributions to this storied heritage. She has gone on to contribute voluminously to the Mesozoic-Cenozoic geologic and paleoceanographic history of Italy. Isabella was an instructor at the University …
The Existential Threat: Varieties of Socialism and the Origins of Electoral Systems in Early Democracies

The origins of electoral systems in early democracies have received a great deal of attention in recent years, as scholars seek to explain why at the time of suffrage expansion some countries adopted proportional representation (PR) while others chose single-member plurality (SMP). This paper offers a systematic explanation of the choice of electoral systems based on the “existential threat” posed by rising workers’ parties after suffrage expansion, that is, the extent to which these parties threatened the institutions of capitalism and liberal democracy. Original historical research offers important correctives to the dominant scholarly narrative, revealing that PR and SMP were both novel systems at the time, devised to replace the “mixed” systems that prevailed in the predemocratic period. Both, moreover, were seen as elite safeguards that, through different mechanisms, would protect right parties from the impact of suffrage expansion. Mid-range analysis of 18 historical cases reveals that the choice ultimately turned on the different strategic advantages and time horizons associated with the two systems as well as the existential threat presented by new workers’ parties.
Discovery of Aminoquinazolines as Potent, Orally Bioavailable Inhibitors of Lck: Synthesis, SAR, and in Vivo Anti-Inflammatory Activity

The lymphocyte-specific kinase (Lck) is a cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase of the Src family expressed in T cells and natural killer (NK) cells. Genetic evidence in both mice and humans demonstrates that Lck kinase activity is critical for signaling mediated by the T cell receptor (TCR), which leads to normal T cell development and activation. Selective inhibition of Lck is expected to offer a new therapy for the treatment of T-cell-mediated autoimmune and inflammatory disease. Screening of our kinase-preferred collection identified aminoquinazoline 1 as a potent, nonselective inhibitor of Lck and T cell proliferation. In this report, we describe the synthesis and structure−activity relationships of a series of novel aminoquinazolines possessing in vitro mechanism-based potency. Optimized, orally bioavailable compounds 32 and 47 exhibit anti-inflammatory activity (ED50 of 22 and 11 mg/kg, respectively) in the anti-CD3-induced production of interleukin-2 (IL-2) in mice.