cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Feminist Periodical Press: Women, Periodical Studies, and Modernity

The study of feminist periodical culture is playing an increasingly important role in the larger fields of modernist periodical studies and of feminist or women's print culture. Treated as important objects of study in their own right and for their own sake, the feminist periodicals of the early twentieth century – suffrage papers, avant-garde feminist journals, feminist literary reviews and more – give researchers a glimpse into the intersection of gender and discourses of modernity. Feminist periodicals embed literary texts – plays, short stories, poems as well as book and theater reviews – in the context of economic and political discussions, personal journalism, investigative journalism and advertisements to highlight connections between Edwardian feminist literature and the central issues for feminism – the vote, imperialism, socialism, women's professional labor, and women's engagement with commodity culture.
Naming and Claiming Cancer among African American Women: An Application of Problematic Integration Theory

This study examines how a sample of African American women understands the uncertainties fundamental to cancer risk communication. Utilizing data from four focus groups, Problematic Integration (PI) theory is applied as an interpretive lens for illustrating their felt difficulties of talking openly about cancer and breast cancer in everyday life. The women describe worry about cancer and its prevalence among African American women; ambivalence and uncertainty; belief that what is not uncertain is certain and awful; fear and avoidance; contradictions in “claiming” and “rebuking” cancer; and hopefulness.
Role of the cell wall integrity and filamentous growth mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways in cell wall remodeling during filamentous growth.

Many fungal species including pathogens exhibit filamentous growth (FG) as a means of foraging for nutrients. Genetic screens were performed to identify genes required for FG in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Genes encoding proteins with established functions in transcriptional activation (MCM1, MAT2, PHD1, MSN2, SIR4, and HMS2), cell wall integrity (MPT5, WSC2, and MID2), and cell polarity (BUD5) were identified as potential regulators of FG. The transcription factors MCM1 and MAT2 induced invasive growth by promoting diploid-specific bipolar budding in haploid cells. Components of the cell wall integrity pathway including the cell surface proteins Slg1p/Wsc1p, Wsc2p, Mid2p, and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) Slt2p/Mpk1p contributed to multiple aspects of the FG response including cell elongation, cell-cell adherence, and agar invasion. Mid2p and Wsc2p stimulated the FG MAPK pathway through the signaling mucin Msb2p and components of the MAPK cascade. The FG pathway contributed to cell wall integrity in parallel with the cell wall integrity pathway and in opposition with the high osmolarity glycerol response pathway. Mass spectrometry approaches identified components of the filamentous cell wall including the mucin-like proteins Msb2p, Flo11p, and subtelomeric (silenced) mucin Flo10p. Secretion of Msb2p, which occurs as part of the maturation of the protein, was inhibited by the s-1,3-glucan layer of the cell wall, which highlights a new regulatory aspect to cell wall remodeling in this organism. Disruption of s-1,3-glucan linkages induced mucin shedding and resulted in defects in cell-cell adhesion and invasion of cells into the agar matrix.
Impedance and attenuation profile estimation of multilayered material from reflected ultrasound

Time-domain and spectral shift methods for determining the attenuation and impedance profiles of multilayered structures are presented. The time-domain technique utilizes two-sided interrogation to measure attenuation and acoustic impedance for individual layers separately under the assumption of a narrowband incident wave. This method is based solely on peak amplitude ratios of successive time-domain echo returns from both sides of the target. The spectral shift technique requires that the propagating pulse have a Gaussian-shaped spectrum, and the transfer function of each layer be characterized by either linear or quadratic frequency dependent attenuation. This method derives the attenuation coefficients and acoustic impedances for individual layers from the information of spectral shift and spectral amplitude peak ratios of the successive gated pulses from single sided interrogation. Experimental results are compared with published data to confirm the validity of these approaches. >
Perinatal correlates and neonatal outcomes of small for gestational age infants born at term gestation.

Objective: We sought to examine the current perinatal correlates and neonatal morbidity associated with intrauterine growth failure among neonates born at term gestation. Study Design: We compared 372 small for gestational age (SGA, birth weight <10th percentile) infants born at term gestation to 372 appropriate for gestational age controls (AGA, birth weight 10th to 90th percentile) matched by sex, race, and gestational age within 2 weeks. Results: Compared with AGA controls, significant (P <.05) maternal risk factors for SGA status included single marital status (59% versus 53%), lower prepregnancy weight (144 ± 41 lbs versus 153 ± 40 lbs), lower weight gain during pregnancy (29 ± 15 lbs versus 33 ± 15 lbs), smoking (25% versus 17%), hypertension (14% versus 7%), and multiple gestation (9% versus 2%). Mothers of SGA infants were more likely to undergo multiple (≥3) antenatal ultrasound evaluations (19% versus 7%), biophysical profile monitoring (11% versus 4%), and oxytocin delivery induction (28% versus 16%) (P <.05). Pediatrician attendance was more common among SGA deliveries (50% versus 37%, P <.05). SGA infants had significantly higher rates of hypothermia (18% versus 6%) and symptomatic hypoglycemia (5% versus 1%). These neonatal problems remained significant even when medical or pathologic causes of intrauterine growth failure, including pregnancy hypertension, multiple gestation, and congenital malformations, were excluded. Conclusion: Despite higher rates of pregnancy complications among mothers of SGA infants, the rates of neonatal adverse outcomes are low. However, SGA infants remain at risk for hypothermia and hypoglycemia and require careful neonatal surveillance. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2001;185:652-9.)
Fast, Two-Dimensional Optical Beamscanning by Wavelength Switching

We introduce a passive (stationary) 2-dimensional beamscanner which scans by wavelength tuning. Our prototype system demonstrated discrete 0.2 ms switching over a 11.0deg times 10.3deg scanning range. 100 nanosecond switching is possible using existing tunable lasers.
Surface corona-bar discharges for production of pre-ionizing UV light for pulsed high-pressure plasmas

Multi-atmospheric pressure, pulsed electric discharge excited lasers require pre-ionization to produce spatially uniform glows. Many such systems use corona bars to produce ultraviolet (UV) and vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) light as photo-ionization sources for this purpose. Corona bars are transient surface discharges, typically in a cylindrical geometry, that sustain high electron temperatures and so are efficient UV and VUV sources. In this paper, results from a numerical study of surface corona-bar discharges in a multi-atmosphere pressure Ne/Xe gas mixture are discussed. The discharge consists of a high-voltage electrode placed on the surface of a corona bar which is a dielectric tube surrounding a cylindrical metal electrode. After the initial breakdown an ionization front propagates along the circumference of the corona bar and produces a thin plasma sheet near the dielectric surface. The propagation speed of the ionization front ranges from 2 ×10 7 to 3.5 ×10 8 cms −1 , depending on the applied voltage and dielectric constant of the corona-bar insulator. As the discharge propagates around the circumference, the surface of the corona-bar is charged. The combined effects of surface curvature and charge deposition result in a non-monotonic variation of the electric field and electron temperature as the ionization front traverses the circumference. The UV fluxes collected on a surrounding circular surface correlate with the motion of the ionization front but with a time delay due to the relatively long lifetime of the precursor to the emitting species Ne ∗ .
A capability maturity model for scientific data management: Evidence from the literature

In this paper, we propose a capability maturity model (CMM) for scientific data management (SDM) practices, with the goal of supporting assessment and improvement of these practices. The model describes key process areas and practices necessary for effective SDM. Appropriate SDM practices were identified by content analysis of papers about SDM and include both those specific SDM practices and generic process management practices. The CMM further characterizes organizations by the level of maturity of these processes, meaning the organizational capability to reliably perform SDM processes. The model may be useful to organizations in evaluating and planning improvements to their SDM practices.
Moral distress and avoidance behavior in nurses working in critical care and noncritical care units

Nurses facing impediments to what they perceive as moral practice may experience moral distress. The purpose of this descriptive, cross-sectional study was to determine similarities and differences in moral distress and avoidance behavior between critical care nurses and non-critical care nurses. Sixty-eight critical care and 28 non-critical care nurses completed the Moral Distress Scale and Impact of Event Scale (IES). There were no differences in moral distress scores (F = 0.892, p = 0.347) or impact of event scores (F = 3.80, p = 0.054) between groups after adjusting for age. There was a small positive correlation between moral distress and avoidance behaviors for both the groups. Moral distress is present in both critical care and noncritical care nurses. It is important that nurses are provided with opportunities to cope with this distress and that retention strategies include ways to reduce suffering and mitigate the effects on professional practice.
Rocuronium versus Succinylcholine-Atracurium for Tracheal Intubation and Maintenance Relaxation During Propofol Anesthesia

Abstract Study Objectives: To compare the onset and offset time (clinical duration), and intubating conditions obtained with rocuronium bromide 0.6 mg/kg and succinylcholine 1.0 mg/kg after induction with propofol and fentanyl; and to compare rocuronium with atracurium for maintenance during propofol anesthesia. Design: Prospective, open-label, parallel group comparative, randomized study. Setting: Operating rooms of a university hospital. Patients: 30 ASA physical status I and II adult patients scheduled for elective surgeries with general anesthesia. Interventions: Patients premedicated with midazolam 2 mg were anesthetized with fentanyl 2 μg/kg followed by propofol 2.5 mg/kg and muscle relaxants. Group 1 (n = 15) received succinylcholine 1.5 mg/kg and Group 2 (n = 16) received rocuronium bromide 0.6 mg/kg. Intubation was performed 60 seconds after the administration of muscle relaxant. Patients in Group 1 received atracurium and patients in Group 2 received rocuronium for maintenance if required. Measurements: The ease of intubation was scored using a scale of 1 to 4. Onset and offset time monitored with evoked twitch response of the adductor pollicis were recorded. Main Results: Intubation was successful in all patients and there was no difference in scores between the two groups. Although onset time was shorter with succinylcholine than with rocuronium, neuromuscular blockade was successfully antagonized in both groups, and the recovery profile was not different between the two groups. Conclusions: Rocuronium bromide at a dose of 0.6 mg/kg, when used with propofol and fentanyl for induction, provides intubating conditions similar to succinylcholine 1.0 mg/kg at 1 minute. The actual onset time and offset time, however, are significantly longer with rocuronium. There was no difference between atracurium and rocuronium as a maintenance drug. Rocuronium is suitable for surgical procedures greater than 30 minutes, eliminating the need for an additional relaxant to succinylcholine.
Toward Optimal Network Fault Correction via End-to-End Inference

We consider an end-to-end approach of inferring network faults that manifest in multiple protocol layers, with an optimization goal of minimizing the expected cost of correcting all faulty nodes. Instead of first checking the most likely faulty nodes as in conventional fault localization problems, we prove that an optimal strategy should start with checking one of the candidate nodes, which are identified based on a potential function that we develop. We propose several efficient heuristics for inferring the best node to be checked in large-scale networks. By extensive simulation, we show that we can infer the best node in at least 95%, and that checking first the candidate nodes rather than the most likely faulty nodes can decrease the checking cost of correcting all faulty nodes by up to 25%.
Continuous measurement with traveling-wave probes

We consider the use of a traveling-wave probe to continuously measure the quantum state of an atom in free space. Unlike the more familiar cavity QED geometry, the traveling wave is intrinsically a multimode problem. Using an appropriate modal decomposition, we determine the effective measurement strength for different atom-field interactions and different initial states of the field. These include the interaction of a coherent-state pulse with an atom, the interaction of a Fock-state pulse with an atom, and the use of Faraday rotation of a polarized laser probe to perform a quantum nondemolition measurement on an atomic spin.
Modelocked diode lasers for ultra-wideband communications and signal processing

Modelocked semiconductor lasers are used to generate a set of phase locked optical frequencies on a periodic grid. The resulting optical frequency components can be used for communication applications relying on direct detection, dense WDM, coherent detection WDM, OTDM, and OCDMA. In addition, the periodic and phase coherent nature of the optical frequency combs make it possible for the realization of high performance optical and RF arbitrary waveform synthesis. This paper highlights recent results in the use of optical frequency combs for ultrawideband communication and signal processing applications.
Localization and radiofrequency ablation of atriofascicular pathways using electroanatomic mapping

Atriofascicular pathways supporting antidromic reentrant tachycardia are uncommon, and may be difficult to ablate. Traditional mapping can be associated with traumatic loss of atriofascicular conduction. Atriofascicular fibers can insert into the right bundle and will, therefore, first activate the right ventricle. In contrast to initial activation of the ventricle near the tricuspid annulus that can be seen in patients with right-sided decremental atrioventricular pathways. We used electroanatomic mapping to map and ablate the ventricular insertion of atriofascicular pathways in two patients during sinus rhythm and during atrial pacing. In our 2 cases an atriofascicular potential was recorded from below the tricuspid valve annulus and tagged. At this site, each pathway was ablated with one radiofrequency lesion. We describe 2 cases where electroanatomic mapping of the right ventricle was used to map and ablate atriofascicular pathways.
Localized Interlobar Effusion in Heart Failure: Phantom Lung Tumor

SUMMARY Localized interlobar effusions are relatively rare, but important enough to merit recognition. When a patient in congestive failure presents a pulmonary mass, the possibility of interlobar effusion must be considered before submitting the patient to exhausting studies. The term "Phantom Lung Tumor" is applied to a transudative interlobar fluid collection in congestive heart failure, which disappears spontaneously with compensation and may reappear with each bout of cardiac decompensation. The localization is believed to be due to pleural adhesions. One of our cases is not consistent with this explanation. Congestive heart failure is an essential feature. The interlobar collection of fluid almost always occurs on the right side. On a postero-anterior chest film it appears as a dense, well-delineated shadow of variable shape, not infrequently resembling pulmonary tumor. The "Tumor" disappears within a few days on digitalization and diuresis, but may recur with subsequent decompensation. The condition seems to be more frequent than is generally believed.
High-Risk Children Referred to an Early-Intervention Developmental Program

Early-intervention programs for infants with developmental disabilities or with high-risk factors for such problems were first established in the United States more than 20 years ago. The benefits of such programs are generally recognized. This study describes the presenting problems of 698 children referred to an early-intervention program over a 15-year period (1975-1989). Medical condition groups rather than specific diagnoses are considered. The developmental progress of 464 children who attended the program for at least 6 months was determined by comparing their admission and discharge developmental quotients (DQ). Admission trends over time are noted and the value of intervention programs for young children with disabilities is discussed.
Kinematics of jaw movements during chewing at different frequencies

The three-dimensional jaw movement trajectory and its velocity profile were investigated to provide information regarding the motor control of chewing. This was done on a cycle-by-cycle basis across three voluntarily guided chewing frequencies to test the lack of invariance at the velocity level and the evidence for a cost function. The data revealed that an increase in chewing frequencies resulted in a significant reduction of the three-dimensional path, being significantly higher in opening than closing. The ratio of peak speed/three-dimensional distance, a kinematic index of stiffness, increased with increase in chewing frequency; higher stiffness being associated with faster chewing, the stiffness being significantly higher in opening than in closing. The ratio of peak velocity to mean velocity decreased as a function of increase in chewing frequency only at the highest frequency and this decrease again was different in opening than in closing. The results demonstrated that the velocity profile of chewing movements, like that of speech movements, lacked invariance. Rather than minimizing one cost function, the system used an efficient trade-off between time, space and effort, based on the objective of movements.
A Solar-Hydrogen Energy System for Environmental Compatibility

Our Biosphere, the only one known to exist, is under attack by various factors. Major culprits amongst these include fossil-fuel-produced air pollution, acidic precipitation (acid rains), and CO2. As we run out of petroleum and natural gas, the question becomes: what should the new energy-system be, so that the damage to The Biosphere and life can be stopped? In view of the rapid depletion of the main energy sources of the present, the fluid fossil-fuels, this paper analyses the various primary energy-options (such as coal, breeder reactors, fusion reactors, and solar energy), and also considers such possible energy-carriers as synthetic fossil-fuels and hydrogen. In this analysis, the environmental effects of various options are considered both qualitatively and quantitatively.It is concluded that the Hydrogen Energy-system is the most efficient and economical energy-system possible, and that it results in the environmentally most compatible and permanent energy-system when coupled with solar energy as the primary energy-source. It is important now that this information be disseminated among the public in general, and environmentalists in particular, so that the implementation of the solar-hydrogen economy can be started without delay, in order to minimize any further damage to The Biosphere and its living components.
The NSF NSDL GREEN Digital Library: Green's Functions Research And Education Enhancement Network

Green's functions are powerful mathematical tools with strong pedagogical value providing not only solutions to difficult problems but also visualization for understanding phenomena. The majority of upper division engineering and materials science students receive very little exposure to Green's functions and the boundary element method. The Green's Functions Research and Education Enhancement Network (GREEN) Digital Library which the authors are developing will, therefore, play an important role in undergraduate and graduate education. The National Science Foundation has launched the National Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology Education Digital Library (NSDL) program to stimulate and sustain continual improvements in the quality of science, mathematics, engineering, and technology education. The NSDL Program is a major digital library initiative and the GREEN Digital Library is a collaboration of the Center for Theoretical and Computational Materials Science of the Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Kent State University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This paper describes the primary components of the GREEN Digital Library, an organized collection of educational materials integrating research, education, and application of Green's functions to serve undergraduate and graduate communities: 1. Problem Bank: A bank of available “real-world” problems, introduced by industrial participants. 2. Code Bank: Working code for solved Green's functions routines. 3. Archive: A list of citations to relevant literature, and published / unpublished works subject to copyright restrictions, with links elsewhere for additional information. 4. Teaching Bank: A collection of lecture / course notes from existing university courses, as well as providing a forum for discussion of approaches to teaching this material.
Public Perceptions and Attitudes Toward Adolescent Marijuana Use: Results of a Statewide Survey

The purpose of the current study is to examine patterns in public perceptions and attitudes toward marijuana use among adolescents. Computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) was used to collect data from a statewide sample of adults in Michigan identified through random-digit dialing (n = 560). CATI interviews were supplemented with web- and paper-based surveys for nonrespondents. We used latent class analysis to characterize patterns in public perception, using a vignette technique that assessed (a) whether adults recognize adolescent marijuana use as a problem, (b) how they view the efficacy of treatment, (c) how they view help-seeking with mental health professionals, and (d) whether they support prevention services for adolescents. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between class membership and demographics, substance use, and methodological factors. Three latent classes were identified: (a) a discriminating group, (b) a low-concern group, and (c) a high-concern...
Roles of regulated internalization in the polarization of cell surface receptors

Cell polarization, the generation of cellular asymmetries, is a fundamental biological process. Polarity of different molecules can arise through several mechanisms. Among these, internalization has been shown to play an important role in the polarization of cell surface receptors. The internalization of cell surface receptors can be upregulated upon ligand binding. Additional regulatory mechanism can downregulate the internalization process. Here we describe a general model, which incorporates these two opposing processes, to study the role of internalization in the establishment of cell polarity. We find that the competition between these two processes is sufficient to induce receptor polarization. Our results show that regulated internalization provides additional regulation on polarization as well. In addition, we discuss applications of our model to the yeast system, which shows the capability and potential of the model.
Photoelectrochemical Performance of Nanostructured Ti- and Sn-Doped α-Fe2O3 Photoanodes

Thin films of α-Fe2O3 doped with either Ti or Sn were prepared by coevaporating iron and titanium/tin in a reactive oxygen ambient, and their physical, chemical, and photoelectrochemical properties were studied. It was found that manipulating the deposition angle had a profound effect on the photoelectrochemical water oxidation performance of 4% Ti-doped α-Fe2O3 films, and a maximum in photocurrent at 1.4 V vs RHE (Reversible Hydrogen Electrode) was achieved for films grown at 75° incidence. It was also found that the nanocolumnar morphology and superior porosity attained using glancing angles improved the relative conversion of visible-light (λ > 420 nm) photons compared to dense films deposited at normal incidence. Sn-doped films were also prepared for comparison using the same deposition conditions, and although they were substantially better than undoped films, their performance was somewhat below that of Ti-doped films. The Ti-doped films deposited using optimum conditions resulted in incident photon...
A variational treatment of the effects of vibrational anharmonicity on gas-phase electron diffraction intensities: Part II. Temperature dependence

Abstract The vibrational average of the electron diffraction intensity has been calculated for sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide for T = 0, 300, 600, 800 and 1000 K using variational wavefunctions. Effective electron diffraction structural parameters were determined by fitting the numerical values of the vibrationally averaged cross section. Analytical expressions which relate those parameters to the vibrational wavefunction are also developed.
Triploidisation of pikeperch (Sander lucioperca), first success

Abstract The use of triploid fish in intensive aquaculture can lead to higher filet yield, faster growth and higher profit. To induce triploidy in pikeperch, fertilized eggs incubated at 15 °C were immersed in a water bath at shock temperatures (ST) of 29 °C (Exp. 1) and 31 °C (Exp. 2) at shock initiation times (TI) of 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10 min after egg and spermatozoa activation for 20 and 40 min. Ploidy levels of hatched larvae were determined by flow cytometry. Shock temperature of 29 °C led to low hatching rates (0–11.5%) and low rates of triploidy (0–75%). With ST of 31 °C, 100% triploidy was obtained with TI of 1 min and duration of 20 and 40 min and at TI of 5 min for 20 min. A shock temperature of 31 °C was associated with 0.9–74.1% malformed larvae compared to 0–3.3% at ST of 29 °C. The most important finding of this study is that heat shock treatment can produce all-triploid pikeperch population. However, further research is required to determine a method of production of all-triploid pikeperch population at higher hatching rates.
The tongue is attached, with unusual clinical analysis of surgical correction

Objective To explore the clinical application of tongue,belt and abnormal attachment surgery treatment effect value.Methods In our hospital treatment of children with ankyloglossia 290 as the object of study,a retrospective analysis of the clinical data of children with operation,analysis of tongue,with abnormal attachment surgery treatment effect.Results The tongue shape has improved in 183 cases,effective rate was 96.3%,all patients postoperative wound healing well,only 2 cases of postoperative infection,expression is the area under the tongue red,swollen,pain,liquid flow,the local and systemic medication 2 weeks after wound healing.Conclusion the tongue tied,with abnormal attachment surgery in treatment of children with ankyloglossia reliable curative effect,less complications,but should grasp the indications of good operation.
Phosphorus losses from grasslands fertilized with broiler litter: EPIC simulations.

Broiler litter, a mixture of poultry excreta and bedding material, is commonly used to fertilize grasslands in the southeastern USA. Previous work has shown that under certain situations, application of broiler (Gallus gallus domesticus) litter to grasslands may lead to elevated levels of phosphorus (P) in surface runoff. The EPIC simulation model may be a useful tool to identify those situations. This work was conducted to evaluate EPIC's ability to simulate event and annual runoff volume and losses of dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) from tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.)-bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] paddocks fertilized with broiler litter. The EPIC simulations of event runoff volume showed a trend toward underestimation, particularly for runoff events > 30 mm. On an annual basis, EPIC also tended to underestimate runoff, especially at runoff volumes > 100 mm. Both event and annual runoff estimations were strongly associated with observed values, indicating that model calibration could improve the simulation of surface runoff volume. The relationship between simulated and observed values of DRP loss was relatively poor on an event basis (r = 0.65), but was stronger (r = 0.75) on an annual basis. In general, EPIC tended to underestimate annual DRP losses. This underestimation was apparently caused by the lack of an explicit mechanism to model broiler litter on the soil surface. These results suggested that additional work on the EPIC P submodel would be warranted to improve its simulation of surface application of broiler litter to grasslands.
Surgery of the aortic arch branches and vertebral arteries.

Prevention of stroke and relief of disabling symptoms of hypoperfusion are the objectives of vascular reconstruction in the proximal brachiocephalic and vertebral arteries. Endarterectomy, graft replacement, or “in line” bypass grafts are generally preferable to more remote transcervical bypass operations.
Preservation of overmature, ancient, sedimentary organic matter in carbonate concretions during outcrop weathering.

Concretions are preferentially cemented zones within sediments and sedimentary rocks. Cementation can result from relatively early diagenetic processes that include degradation of sedimentary organic compounds or methane as indicated by significantly 13 C-depleted or enriched carbon isotope compositions. As minerals fill pore space, reduced permeability may promote preservation of sediment components from degradation during subsequent diagenesis, burial heating and outcrop weathering. Discrete and macroscopic organic remains, macro and microfossils, magnetic grains, and sedimentary structures can be preferentially preserved within concretions. Here, Cretaceous carbonate concretions of the Holz Shale are shown to contain relatively high carbonate-free total organic carbon (TOC) contents (up to ~18.5 wt%) compared to the surrounding host rock (with <2.1 wt%). TOC increases with total inorganic carbon (TIC) content, a metric of the degree of cementation. Pyrite contents within concretions generally correlate with organic carbon contents. Concretion carbonate carbon isotope compositions (δ13 Ccarb ) range from -22.5 to -3.4‰ (VPDB) and do not correlate strongly with TOC. Organic carbon isotope compositions (δ13 Corg ) of concretions and host rock are similar. Thermal maturity data indicate that both host and concretion organic matter are overmature and have evolved beyond the oil window maturity stage. Although the organic matter in general has experienced significant oxidative weathering, concretion interiors exhibit lower oxygen indices relative to the host. These results suggest that carbonate concretions can preferentially preserve overmature, ancient, sedimentary organic matter during outcrop weathering, despite evidence for organic matter degradation genetic mechanisms. As a result, concretions may provide an optimal proxy target for characterization of more primary organic carbon concentrations and chemical compositions. In addition, these findings indicate that concretions can promote delayed oxidative weathering of organic carbon in outcrop and therefore impact local chemical cycling.
Monitoring Enterovirus Activity in a Tri-state Area: 1980 and 1981 Enterovirus Seasons

Enterovirus cultures were performed on specimens submitted from institutions and physicians in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia during 1980 and 1981 for the months of June through November. The overall positive enterovirus culture rate was 9.4% in 1980 and 7.5% in 1981. Peaks occurred in August of both years: 27.1% and 13.1%, respectively. Forty-eight percent of patients with positive enterovirus cultures had clinical histories of aseptic meningitis. The predominant enterovirus isolated was echovirus.
Validity in Performance Measurement

Performance measurement is an evaluative function within programs or organizations that involves systematically and regularly tracking indicators of outputs, outcomes, and impacts. This information enables stakeholders to take timely corrective action and increase the likelihood for program success. Effective performance measurement largely depends on the use of appropriate indicators. Indicators are operationalization of program results (outcomes and impacts). Inaccuracy in the use of appropriate indicators affects construct validity. Preconditions for construct validity of indicators include specificity, clarity, directness, achievability, relevance, and adequacy. Assumptions arise whenever these preconditions are unexamined or taken for granted.
Birt-Hogg-Dubé Syndrome

In 1977, Birt, Hogg, and Dube described a kindred of 70 individuals, some of whom presented with small skin-colored papules, predominantly of the face. These developed in early adulthood and were noted to be inherited in a dominant pattern. The histomorphology of the papules was described as “abnormal hair follicles with epithelial strands extending out from the infundibulum of the hair follicle into a hyperplastic mantle of specialized fibrous tissue.” The authors applied the term fibrofolliculoma (FF) to these lesions. Also described in these patients were trichodiscomas (TD) and acrochordons. Trichodiscoma is a benign tumor of perifollicular mesenchyme. It is thought to represent a proliferation of the haarscheibe (hair disk), a perifollicular “richly vascularized dermal pad covered with thick epidermis containing Merkel cells and supplied by a thick myelinated nerve the branches of which end at the lower epidermal surface and on the blood vessels of the dermal pad.” It is composed of a dermal interfollicular proliferation of spindle cells in a loose connective tissue matrix with varying amounts of mucin. It may have an orientation parallel to the skin surface. The haarscheibe is thought to represent a mechanoreceptor in animal skin. Its significance in humans is uncertain. The acrochordons in the original description of the syndrome were reported to have histologic findings typical of acrochordons. However, a subsequent study suggests that they have pathologic features of fibrofolliculoma and trichodiscoma. Some patients have also been found to have facial lesions indistinguishable from angiofibroma.
Image segmentation approach for realizing zoomable streaming HEVC video

The next generation compression technology High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) can provide a substantially higher compression capability than the existing H.264/AVC standard. It has received increased attention and is lauded as the enabler for a host of new services and capabilities [4]. A better user experience for browsing videos on the limited and heterogeneous screen sizes requires streaming of an arbitrary region of interest (ROI) from a high resolution video. It is essential to support cropping and zooming within a video stream which allows the users to view a cropped ROI at a high resolution, in effect, magnifying the ROI. This paper thesis explores two methods for ROI-based streaming, referring to them as tiled encoding which partitions video frames into grid of tiles and encodes each tile as an independently decodable stream and partial decoding where only the ROI and dependence area are decoded. Apart from these, slice structure dependency on tiled encoding was performed for further bandwidth efficiency. These two methods were evaluated in terms of bandwidth efficiency, storage requirements, and computational costs under different video encoding parameters. HM15.0 version reference software for HEVC was used [8]. Partial decoding results show that the decoding calculation cost was reduced by 40–55% for 32 buffered luma pixels around ROI. Tiled encoding results show optimal decoding calculation cost and bandwidth efficiency for a tile size of 16−16 pixels. Simulation results show that larger tiles significantly improve compression efficiency in tiled encoding, but it would lead to higher bandwidth while a larger slice size increases the bandwidth efficiency (reduces transmission overhead) but would result in lower compression. The results show that 1460 bytes slice structure improved bandwidth efficiency than 64 bytes slice structure.
Assessment of State Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention Laws.

Introduction Identifying pregnant women with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection for post-exposure prophylaxis of their infants is critical to preventing mother-to-child transmission of HBV infection. HBV infection in infancy results in premature death from chronic liver disease or cancer in 25% of affected infants. Universal screening of pregnant women for HBV infection is the standard of care, and in many states is supported by laws for screening and reporting these infections to public health. No recent assessment of state screening and reporting laws for HBV infection has been published. Methods In 2014, the authors analyzed laws current through December 31, 2013 from U.S. jurisdictions (50 states and the District of Columbia) related to HBV infection and hepatitis B surface antigen screening and reporting requirements generally and for pregnant women specifically. Results All states require reporting of cases of HBV infection. Twenty-six states require pregnant women to be screened. Thirty-three states require public health reporting of HBV infections in pregnant women, but only 12 states require reporting pregnancy status of women with HBV infection. Conclusions This assessment revealed significant variability in laws related to screening and reporting of HBV infection among pregnant women in the U.S. Implementing comprehensive HBV infection screening and reporting laws for pregnant women may facilitate identifying HBV-infected pregnant women and preventing HBV infection in their infants.
Risk of Growth and Toxin Production by Clostridium botulinum Nonproteolytic Types B, E, and F in Salmon Fillets Stored Under Modified Atmospheres at Low and Abused Temperatures.

In factorial design experiments we inoculated fresh salmon fillets with a spore pool of 13 nonproteolytic strains of Clostridium botulinum type B, E, and F at 6 levels (10-1 to 104/50 g of fillet), and incubated at 1, 4, 8, 12 and 30°C under modified atmospheres (MA) of vacuum, 100% CO2 and 70% CO2 + 30% air for up to 60 d. The earliest time we detected toxin in the fillets at 30, 12 and 8°C, irrespective of MA, was after 1, 3-9 and 6-12 d of storage and required 100-103, 101-103, 101-102 spores/fillet. The probability (P) of toxin production was significantly (P<0.05) affected by temperature (T), MA storage time (ST), MA × T, MA × ST and T × ST. Only type B toxin was detected in the toxic fillets. No toxin was detected in fillets stored at 4°C for up to 60 d. Toxin detection coincided with spoilage at 30°C, but preceded spoilage at 8 and 12°C, and followed spoilage at 4°C. Using linear and logistic regression analysis, best fit equations were derived relating the length of the lag phase and P of toxin production to T, ST, MA and spore inoculum level.
A multicomponent behavioral intervention to reduce stroke risk factor behaviors: the stroke health and risk education cluster-randomized controlled trial.

Background and Purpose—The Stroke Health and Risk Education Project was a cluster-randomized, faith-based, culturally sensitive, theory-based multicomponent behavioral intervention trial to reduce key stroke risk factor behaviors in Hispanics/Latinos and European Americans. Methods—Ten Catholic churches were randomized to intervention or control group. The intervention group received a 1-year multicomponent intervention (with poor adherence) that included self-help materials, tailored newsletters, and motivational interviewing counseling calls. Multilevel modeling, accounting for clustering within subject pairs and parishes, was used to test treatment differences in the average change since baseline (ascertained at 6 and 12 months) in dietary sodium, fruit and vegetable intake, and physical activity, measured using standardized questionnaires. A priori, the trial was considered successful if any one of the 3 outcomes was significant at the 0.05/3 level. Results—Of 801 subjects who consented, 760 completed...
Utility of Abbreviated Exposure Time in Mice - Contribution to Understanding Pathogenesis of Cigarette Smoke Induced Lung Disease

BackgroundThe utility of the mouse to understand the pathogenesis of cigarette smoke (CS) induced lung disease in humans is challenged as much by the diversity of the human disease phenotype as it ...
A reappraisal of the mechanisms underlying the cardiac complications of sickle cell anemia

Anemia, hemolysis-driven vasculopathy, and intrinsic myocardial injury have been proposed as predisposing factors to cardiac disease in sickle cell anemia (SCA). The individual impact of these mechanisms on the cardiac features of SCA and the way they influence complications such as sudden death and dysrhythmias have been unclear. Recent findings of an acquired restrictive SCA-related cardiomyopathy, driven by myocardial fibrosis, may explain some of these cardiac features. Given the complexity of cardiac pathology in SCA, using additional parameters to tricuspid regurgitant jet velocity (left atrial volume, diastolic parameters, NT-proBNP) may improve the accuracy of noninvasive screening for cardiopulmonary complications in SCA.
Student pharmacist experiences as inpatient psychiatry medication education group leaders during an early immersion program.

Abstract Background and purpose While research suggests that pharmacists generally hold positive attitudes toward consumers of psychiatric medications, they often feel less comfortable talking about these medications and providing services for patients with mental illness. The purpose of this program was to train second and third year student pharmacists as psychiatry medication education groups leaders and to examine resulting student self-efficacy and mental health stigma. Educational activity and setting In partnership with the University of North Carolina (UNC) Eshelman School of Pharmacy, the inpatient psychiatry service at UNC Medical Center expanded weekly medication education groups with the help of trained student pharmacists. All second- and third-year student pharmacists were invited to participate. Pre/post surveys and reflection statements were collected from 13 students that received training, provided informed consent, and participated in one or more medication education groups. Data were analyzed with a mixed methods approach. Findings Student responses revealed an increase in student self-efficacy (p Discussion and summary Results from this study suggest that students gained an appreciation for pharmacists and the workplace while developing self-efficacy and strategies for engaging with patients with mental illness as a part of medication education groups.
Variation in Formula Supplementation of Breastfed Newborn Infants in New York Hospitals.

OBJECTIVES: We examined the variation between 126 New York hospitals in formula supplementation among breastfed infants after adjusting for socioeconomic, maternal, and infant factors and stratifying by level of perinatal care. METHODS: We used 2014 birth certificate data for 160 911 breastfed infants to calculate hospital-specific formula supplementation percentages by using multivariable hierarchical logistic regression models. RESULTS: Formula supplementation percentages varied widely among hospitals, from 2.3% to 98.3%, and was lower among level 1 hospitals (18.2%) than higher-level hospitals (50.6%–57.0%). Significant disparities in supplementation were noted for race and ethnicity (adjusted odds ratios [aORs] were 1.54–2.05 for African Americans, 1.85–2.74 for Asian Americans, and 1.25–2.16 for Hispanics, compared with whites), maternal education (aORs were 2.01–2.95 for ≤12th grade, 1.74–1.85 for high school or general education development, and 1.18–1.28 for some college or a college degree, compared with a Master’s degree), and insurance coverage (aOR was 1.27–1.60 for Medicaid insurance versus other). Formula supplementation was higher among mothers who smoked, had a cesarean delivery, or diabetes. At all 4 levels of perinatal care, there were exemplar hospitals that met the HealthyPeople 2020 supplementation goal of ≤14.2%. After adjusting for individual risk factors, the hospital-specific, risk-adjusted supplemental formula percentages still revealed a wide variation. CONCLUSIONS: A better understanding of the exemplar hospitals could inform future efforts to improve maternity care practices and breastfeeding support to reduce unnecessary formula supplementation, reduce disparities, increase exclusive breastfeeding and breastfeeding duration, and improve maternal and child health outcomes.
Object recognition using cellular simultaneous recurrent networks and convolutional neural network

In recent years, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) have become very popular and have achieved great success in many computer vision tasks — particularly in object recognition. Partially inspired by neuroscience, CNNs share many properties with the visual system of the brain. However, the filters of convolutional layers play a vital role on overall accuracy of CNNs. In this paper, the Cellular Simultaneous Recurrent Networks (CSRNs) are applied to generate initial filters of Convolutional Networks (CNs) for features extraction and Regularized Extreme Learning Machines (RELM) are used for classification. Furthermore, Deep Belief Networks (DBN), CNNs with random and Gabor filters are implemented to evaluate the overall performance against the proposed CSRN's filters based CNs with RELM. Experiments were conducted on three popular datasets for object recognition (such as face, pedestrian, and car) to evaluate the performance of the proposed system. The experimental results show that in most of the cases, the proposed approach provides better performance on the extracted features using CSRN's filters with CNs compare to initialize with Gaussian random and DBN for object recognition.