cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predicting mortality risk associated with serious treatable surgical complications at the University of Virginia health system

This study focuses on predicting the risk of occurrence of serious but treatable complications and subsequent risk of mortality using a patient's preoperative conditions. Serious treatable complications include deep vein thrombosis/ pulmonary embolism, pneumonia, sepsis, and shock/cardiac arrest. These complications, if not identified and treated in time, can cause lengthened hospital stays, morbidity, and in some cases, mortality. We have modeled the risk of developing complications, and mortality due to complications, using a hierarchical prediction approach. In the first level of the hierarchy, extreme gradient boosted trees with cost sensitive weighting was used to model the risk of each complication and to identify the factors responsible for each type of complication. In the second level, similar statistical methods were used but on a smaller population set of patients, specifically those who developed one or more complications, to predict the risk of mortality. In our population of 32,202 patients, 963 developed one of the complications of interest, and of those with complications 174 died. Our predictions for sepsis, pneumonia, cardiac shock, and deep vein thrombosis/ pulmonary embolism, resulted in mean AUC values of 0.815, 0.935, 0.854, and 0.879 respectively. When making mortality predictions we achieved a mean AUC of 0.921. A propensity score analysis of patients that were predicted to be low risk but actually developed a complication was also performed. The framework proposed in this study provides hospitals with a way to more closely examine patient data regarding quality metrics by enabling them to identify patient born risks before surgical procedures are performed.
Toward Seamless Access: Libraries from Alexandria Through the Digital Age

The advent of the internet has revolutionized the ways in which libraries serve their users by facilitating the expansion of collections and enhancing access to those collections. However, though this chapter examines recent technological advancements and their implications for libraries, it reaches back to ancient times to trace how other key innovations throughout history, also ground-breaking in their respective times, have set the stage for the development of the modern library by increasing access to information. Among these developments are the invention of the Gutenberg printing press , the collocation of library materials by subject, and the use of assignment indexing .
Strain dyssynchrony index correlates with improvement in left ventricular volume after cardiac resynchronization therapy better than tissue velocity dyssynchrony indexes.

Background— Various dyssynchrony indexes derived from tissue velocity and strain imaging have been proposed to predict the effectiveness of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). We sought to compare the effect of CRT on dyssynchrony indexes derived by tissue velocity and strain and to determine which baseline intraventricular dyssynchrony parameters correlate with improvement in left ventricular volume after CRT. Methods and Results— Echocardiography with tissue Doppler imaging was performed in 45 patients with systolic heart failure at baseline, 1 day after CRT, and a median of 6 months after CRT. We calculated septal–lateral delay and anteroseptal–posterior delay and standard deviation of time to peak systolic velocity in the 12 basal and mid-left ventricular segments (Tv-SD). The standard deviation for time to peak strain in the 12 basal and mid-left ventricular segments (Te-SD) was calculated as a strain-derived dyssynchrony index. None of the tissue velocity–derived dyssynchrony indexes improved after CRT (septal–lateral delay, P =0.39; anteroseptal–posterior delay, P =0.46; Tv-SD, P =0.30), whereas Te-SD decreased significantly after CRT ( P <0.001). Improvement in Te-SD 1 day after CRT correlated with the reduction in end-systolic volume at follow-up ( r =0.66; P <0.001). Baseline Te-SD demonstrated significant correlation with the reduction of end-systolic volume at follow-up ( r =0.57; P <0.001); however, baseline tissue velocity–derived dyssynchrony indexes failed to predict the effect of CRT. Conclusions— The strain-derived dyssynchrony index is a better measurement than the tissue velocity dyssynchrony index for monitoring changes in mechanical dyssynchrony after CRT and for predicting reduction in left ventricular volume after CRT. Received February 19, 2008; accepted May 16, 2008.
Engineering Cyber Physical Systems: Preface

Abstract Multi-faceted systems of the future will entail complex logic and reasoning with many levels of reasoning in intricate arrangement. The organization of these systems involves a web of connections and demonstrates self-driven adaptability. They are designed for autonomy and may exhibit emergent behavior that can be visualized. They will impact manufacturing industry, defense, healthcare, energy, transportation, emergency response, agriculture and society overall. The success will come how the current challenges related to cybersecurity, interoperability, privacy, safety and socio-technical aspects mainly interaction of human behavior and complex adaptive systems are handled Complex Adaptive Systems have dynamically changing meta-architectures. Finding an optimal architecture for these systems is a multi-criteria decision making problem often involving many objectives in the order of 20 or more. This creates “Pareto Breakdown“ which prevents ordinary multi-objective optimization approaches from effectively searching for an optimal solution; saturating the decision maker with large sets of solutions that may not be representative for a compromise architecture selection from the solution space. Our quest continues to handle complexities to design and operate these systems. The challenge in Complex Adaptive Systems design is to create an organized complexity that will allow a system to achieve its goals. Researchers from academia, industry and government met in Chicago, Illinois, on October 30 to November 1, 2017, to share their findings and expand the boundaries of research in Complex Adaptive Systems. This year we are concentered on the current state of practice in Engineering Cyber Physical Systems. This publication of the Complex Adaptive Systems Proceedings series contains the edited versions of the technical presentations of Complex Adaptive Systems held October 30 to November 1, 2017, in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A. The extended version of each selected paper was reviewed by two referees, then revised, edited and condensed to the format herein. I would like to express my gratitude to the plenary speakers at the conference for their invaluable contributions through their talks. Further, I wish to express my gratitude to all authors for their contributions to this volume of proceedings and for their presentations at the conference, as well as, to all referees for their comments and suggestions for revising the papers. I would like to mention our appreciation to the conference sponsors for bringing real life dimension, issues and engineering problems to the meeting. I would also like to thank Sue Turner and Latesha Zach for all their help and efforts that enabled me to sail smoothly in the organization of this conference and production of this volume.
Integrated Interventional Radiology Residency Program Websites: A Development in Progress

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the comprehensiveness of interventional radiology (IR) residency program websites. MATERIALS AND METHODS. We determined whether all integrated IR...
Limited achievement of NIH research independence by pediatric K award recipients.

Author(s): Good, Misty; McElroy, Steven J; Berger, Jennifer N; Moore, Daniel J; Wynn, James L
Characterization of taurine uptake in the rat retina.

Taurine is a free amino acid found in mammalian tissues and its pharmacological depletion in various animal models has been demonstrated to cause visual deficits and morphological degeneration in the retina1. Taurine is an important modulator of cellular processes whose most unique characteristic is the unusually high mM concentrations in which it is found intracellularly2. In the retina, concentrations as high as 79 mM have been measured3 with most of the taurine being exogenous in nature1. The steep gradient across the cell membrane requires a very efficient transport system that is carefully regulated. Taurine uptake in the retina has been demonstrated, in various species, to have 2 saturable components of differing affinity to taurine2. The transport systems exhibit a 10to 100-fold difference in their affinites for taurine, as measured by the taurine concentration at which a half-maximal velocity is attained (Km). In the retina, visual transduction is initiated in the rod outer segments (ROS) of the photoreceptor cells4 to which the high-affinity taurine uptake component has been specifically linked5,6. However, the kinetics of taurine uptake in the ROS have not been studied in detail. In view of the
48-P : VALIDATION OF VIRTUAL CROSSMATCH USING DONOR SPECIFIC ANTIBODY

Aim Virtual crossmatches (VXM) are used by transplant programs to evaluate compatibility with potential donors using a recipient’s HLA antibody profile and donor HLA typing. The aim of this study was to determine if the MFIs of single antigen donor specific antibodies (DSA) could be used to predict flow cytometric crossmatches (XM). Methods Patient samples were screened for antibodies to mismatched donor antigens using Luminex single antigen (LSA) beads. The LSA bead MFI values were then correlated with the XM value. Only single antigen DSA was used for this study. Patients with anti-Cw or anti-DP antibodies and MFI values on beads known to give false positive results were also removed. Results The mean LSA bead MFI values of the recipients correlated with their XM values (r2 = 0.81 for class I DSA; r2 = 0.75 for class II DSA). A significant difference between the DSA MFI values in patients whose XM was weak versus strong was found for both class I and class II antibodies. A cutoff MFI value of ⩾2000 predicted 100% of the moderate and strong XMs for both class I and class II antibodies. A prospective XM would be recommended for LSA bead MFI values from 1000-1999 (grey zone). [Fig. 1] Conclusions A patient’s DSA profile can be used for a VXM and its predictive power is better when the LSA MFI is higher. Single antigen DSA MFI values can be used to predict moderate and strong XM. Further analysis of multiple DSA with VXM needs to be performed.
Measurements of Elastic Constants of Metal Matrix Ceramic Composites using Ultrasonic Plate Mode Antiresonances

The concept and the technique of using ultrasonic antiresonance to determine elastic constants of thin-plate anisotropic media have recently been introduced by the authors [1]. The technique is based on measurement of obliquely incident ultrasonic beam zero-transmission angles and reconstruction from these angles of the composite elastic constants. Such a technique is particularly useful for measuring elastic constants of anisotropic plates and it has a unique capacity to measure in-plane elastic constants of thin anisotropic plates. So far this technique has been applied successfully to the determination of elastic constants of composite materials containing many rows of fibers [1–3].
The Relation Between the Temperature Differences Between the 700-Mb and 500-Mb Levels and Thunderstorm Rainfall

In establishing a relation between the amount of thunderstorm rainfall and certain upper-air parameters for use in New Mexico, it was found that the rainfall and the temperature difference between the 700-mb and 500-mb levels are negatively correlated. A similar relation was verified for summer thunderstorms in southern Florida. It is suggested that this may be characteristic of some non-frontal thunderstorms.
A Non-Convex Approach To Joint Sensor Calibration And Spectrum Estimation

Blind sensor calibration for spectrum estimation is the problem of estimating the unknown sensor calibration parameters as well as the parameters-of-interest of the impinging signals simultaneously from snapshots of measurements obtained from an array of sensors. In this paper, we consider blind phase and gain calibration (BPGC) problem for direction-of-arrival estimation with multiple snapshots of measurements obtained from an uniform array of sensors, where each sensor is perturbed by an unknown gain and phase parameter. Due to the unknown sensor and signal parameters, BPGC problem is a highly nonlinear problem. Assuming that the sources are uncorrelated, the covariance matrix of the measurements in a perfectly calibrated array is a Toeplitz matrix. Leveraging this fact, we first change the nonlinear problem to a linear problem considering certain rank-one positive semidefinite matrix, and then suggest a non-convex optimization approach to find the factor of the rank-one matrix under a unit norm constraint to avoid trivial solutions. Numerical experiments demonstrate that our proposed non-convex optimization approach provides better or competitive recovery performance than existing methods in the literature, without requiring any tuning parameters.
Impact of Interventions to Change CBC and Differential Ordering Patterns in the Emergency Department.

Objectives A CBC with leukocyte differential (CBC-DIFF) is a frequently ordered emergency department (ED) test. The DIFF component often does not add to clinical decision making. Our objective was to evaluate the impact of a performance improvement project on CBC ordering. Methods ED orders for CBC-DIFF were identified through the laboratory information system. Two interventions were evaluated: an educational intervention regarding CBC-DIFF uses and a reprioritization of ED CBC-DIFF and CBC in the electronic medical record (EMR) orders. Pearson χ2 tests were used to assess for differences in the proportions. Results There was no difference in the proportion of CBC tests performed after the education intervention (175/6,192, 2.8% [95% CI, 2.39%-3.21%] vs 219/6,270, 3.5% [95% CI, 3.05%-3.95%]). There was a significant increase in CBC samples ordered following the EMR intervention (604/6,044, 9.1% [95% CI, 8.37%-9.83%]; P Conclusions Reprioritizing EMR laboratory orders can reduce overutilization of CBC-DIFF testing.
Epicatechin Supplementation Inhibits Aerobic Adaptations to Cycling Exercise in Humans

The purpose of the study was to determine if cycling exercise combined with (-)-epicatechin supplementation was more effective at increasing training adaptations than cycling combined with a placebo. Blood and muscle samples were obtained at rest before and after training to determine the effects of (-)-epicatechin supplementation on total serum antioxidant capacity, skeletal muscle mitochondrial protein content, and skeletal muscle myostatin gene expression. Participants (n = 20) completed two testing sessions separated by 4 weeks of cycle training, with supplementation of 100 mg (200 mg total daily) of (-)-epicatechin or a placebo, twice daily. Data were analyzed using a two-way mixed model ANOVA for each variable and the alpha level was set at p ≤ 0.05. A significant increase was observed for time for relative peak anaerobic power (p 0.05). Likewise, no interaction or main effect of time was observed for cytochrome C or citrate synthase (p > 0.05). A significant interaction effect was observed for succinate dehydrogenase (SDH; p = 0.02). SDH content increased significantly for the placebo group (p = 0.03, partial η2 = 0.59), but not for the (-)-epicatechin group (p = 0.81). Further, whereas no difference existed between the groups for SDH at baseline (p = 0.23), SDH content was significantly greater in the placebo group at the post time point (p = 0.01). Results indicate that (-)-epicatechin supplementation does not affect myostatin gene expression or anaerobic training adaptations but inhibits aerobic and mitochondrial SDH adaptations to cycle exercise training.
Response characterization of multistable shallow domes with cosine-curved profile

Abstract The multistable elastic behavior of a shallow dome with a cosine-curved profile is investigated in this work. The dome exhibits snap-through instability and could be used as a building block for energy dissipation mechanism in structures subjected to cyclic loading and high deformation demands. Numerical and experimental studies were carried on the geometric and material properties of the cosine-curved domes (CCD) under concentrated load at the apex. Finite element analyses (FEA), validated by experimental tests on 3D printed specimens, were conducted to study the controlling geometric and material properties of the CCD. Three types of response were recognized and discussed based on the force- and strain energy-displacement curves. Limitations on the geometric parameters that govern the recoverability of the original shape and the stability state upon load removal are also identified. In addition, empirical relations to estimate the limit-point load and displacement, and to characterize the snap-through response were developed. Good agreement was observed using the determined limits on the geometric parameters and the developed relations with the results from FEA and experimental tests.
Substance P in the Gas Phase: Conformational Changes and Dissociations Induced by Collisional Activation in a Drift Tube.

The work presented below is related to our companion paper in this issue, entitled: Substance P in solution: trans-to-cis configurational changes of penultimate prolines initiate non-enzymatic peptide bond cleavages. Two-dimensional ion mobility spectrometry (IMS-IMS) and mass spectrometry techniques are used to investigate structural transitions for [M+3H]3+ ions of substance P (subP) upon collisional activation (CA) in the gas phase. In this approach, different conformations of ions having a specified mobility are selected after an initial IMS separation, collisionally activated to produce new conformers, and these product structures are separated again using a second IMS region. In this way, it is possible to follow folding and unfolding transitions of different conformations. The analysis shows evidence for five conformations. Unlike other systems, every transition is irreversible. Studies as a function of activation voltage are used to discern pathways of structural changes prior to reaching the energy required for dissociation. Thresholds associated with the onsets of transitions are calibrated to obtain estimates of the energetic barriers between different structures and semi-quantitative potential energy diagrams are presented. Overall, barriers associated with structural transitions of [subP+3H]3+ in the absence of solvent are on the order of ~ 40 kJ mol−1, substantially lower than the ~ 90 kJ mol−1 required for some similar structural transitions in solutions of ethanol. Comparisons of the transition energies in the gas phase with thermochemistry for similar transitions in solution provide clues about why reverse transitions are prohibited.
Self-Starting Lithium Niobate Soliton Microcombs

We report soliton generation in a high-Q lithium niobate resonator. The photo-refractive effect enables self-starting mode locking and is able to produce stable single solitons on demand that feature reversible switching between soliton states. © 2019 The Author(s)
Overlap of Pink-footed Shearwaters and central Chilean purse-seine fisheries: Implications for bycatch risk

Understanding susceptibility of seabirds to fisheries bycatch requires quantifying overlap of seabird at-sea habitat with fisheries' distribution and effort. Pink-footed Shearwaters (Ardenna creatopus) are vulnerable seabirds that breed only in Chile. Recently, high rates of Pink-footed Shearwater bycatch (i.e. >1,500 observed mortalities 2015–2017) were documented by observers in central Chilean purse-seine fisheries. We present analysis of Pink-footed Shearwater at-sea movements and overlap with central Chilean purse-seine fleets targeting common sardine (Strangomera bentincki), Peruvian anchoveta (Engraulis ringens), and Chilean jack mackerel (Trachurus murphyi). To determine overlap during 2015–2017, we paired locations from 49 Pink-footed Shearwaters rearing nestlings at Isla Mocha, Chile, with locations and number of observed purse-seine sets in central Chile. Pink-footed Shearwaters typically visited waters ≤30 km offshore throughout central Chile. Foraging trip durations varied interannually, with longer trips in 2016, but all years revealed persistent foraging hotspots near Valdivia, the Gulf of Arauco, and Isla Mocha, Chile. Greatest overlap between Pink-footed Shearwaters and fisheries occurred with the sardine/anchoveta fleet near Valdivia (artisanal and industrial) and the Gulf of Arauco (artisanal); overlap with the jack mackerel fleet was minimal. Given Pink-footed Shearwater bycatch documented in these fisheries, this overlap may indicate risk of bycatch for these birds, although we did not directly quantify shearwater–fisheries interaction. Our results can inform further fishery monitoring efforts, as well as collaboration among scientists, managers, and fishers to identify, quantify, and reduce fisheries bycatch of Pink-footed Shearwaters within Chile and internationally.
Recent trophic state changes of selected Florida lakes inferred from bulk sediment geochemical variables and biomarkers

Short sediment cores (80–100 cm) from three Florida (USA) lakes (Sheelar, Wauberg, and Apopka) that range in trophic status, were analyzed for total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen, stable isotopes of organic carbon (δ13CTOC) and biomarkers (n-alkanes and fatty acids), to identify the sources of organic matter in the lake deposits, and to link changes in primary productivity to anthropogenic activities during the last ~ 150 years. Relatively small (0.07 km2), ultra-oligotrophic Lake Sheelar is located in a state park, and sediment analyses indicate stable trophic status in the water body since at least the middle of the nineteenth century. Algal biomarkers are in low abundance throughout the core and terrestrial lipids and δ13CTOC values suggest that vascular plants were the primary source of TOC to the lake sediments during the period of record. In larger, eutrophic Lakes Wauberg (1.5 km2) and Apopka (125 km2), algal-derived biomarkers increase in recent sediments, whereas δ13CTOC values and concentrations of terrestrial biomarkers decrease toward the sediment surface. Increasing dominance through time of autochthonous carbon sources in the Lake Wauberg and Apopka sediment records coincides with specific anthropogenic activities in the respective watersheds. Submersed macrophytes in Lake Wauberg were replaced by algal communities in the mid-1980s, following expansion of residential development in the watershed. Biomarker data from the Lake Apopka core show there was an abrupt transition in the lake in the late 1940s, from domination by vascular plants to domination by algae, which has been documented by other paleolimnological studies that used alternative trophic state indicators. The trophic state shift in Lake Apopka corresponds to a period of increased nutrient input to the lake, associated with extensive farming along the north shore. Florida lakes have experienced different trophic state trajectories over the last ~ 150 years, driven by specific human activities in their respective watersheds.
Proportionate Adaptive Filters Based on Minimizing Diversity Measures for Promoting Sparsity

In this paper, a novel way of deriving proportionate adaptive filters is proposed based on diversity measure minimization using the iterative reweighting techniques well-known in the sparse signal recovery (SSR) area. The resulting least mean square (LMS)-type and normalized LMS (NLMS)-type sparse adaptive filtering algorithms can incorporate various diversity measures that have proved effective in SSR. Furthermore, by setting the regularization coefficient of the diversity measure term to zero in the resulting algorithms, Sparsity promoting LMS (SLMS) and Sparsity promoting NLMS (SNLMS) are introduced, which exploit but do not strictly enforce the sparsity of the system response if it already exists. Moreover, unlike most existing proportionate algorithms that design the step-size control factors based on heuristics, our SSR-based framework leads to designing the factors in a more systematic way. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate the convergence behavior of the derived algorithms for systems with different sparsity levels.
Genetic Analysis of Serologically Undefined Determinants: A T Cell “Clonological” Analysis of the Mls System

Just as the development of B cell hybridization techniques and the availability of B cell monospecific products (monoclonal antibody) have revolutionized basic immunological approaches, recently established techniques for T cell cloning have provided another powerful tool. Experiments utilizing T cell clones have provided information relevant to T cell specificity, function, and the biochemistry of the T cell receptor which had been difficult to obtain with polyclonal T cell populations. In this communication, we describe a “clonological analysis”, i.e. the use of cloned T cells for genetic analysis of the strongly stimulatory, yet serologically undefined, T cell stimulatory determinants of the Mls (minor lymphocyte stimulatory locus) system.
Overexpression of Extradomain-B Fibronectin is Associated with Invasion of Breast Cancer Cells

Breast tumor heterogeneity is a major impediment to oncotherapy. Cancer cells undergo rapid clonal evolution, thereby acquiring significant growth and invasive advantages. The absence of specific markers of these high-risk populations precludes efficient therapeutic and diagnostic management of the disease. Given the critical function of tumor microenvironment in the oncogenic circuitry, we sought to determine the expression profile of the extracellular matrix oncoprotein, extradomain-B fibronectin (EDB-FN) in invasive breast cancer. Analyses of TCGA/GTEx databases and immunostaining of clinical samples found a significant overexpression of EDB-FN in breast tumors, which correlated with poor overall survival. Significant upregulation of EDB-FN was observed in invasive cell populations generated from relatively less invasive MCF7 and MDA-MB-468 cells by long-term TGF-β treatment and acquired chemoresistance. Treatment of the invasive cell populations with an AKT inhibitor (MK2206-HCl) reduced their invasive potential, with a concomitant decrease in their EDB-FN expression, partly through the phosphoAKT-SRp55 pathway. EDB-FN downregulation, with direct RNAi of EDB-FN or indirectly through RNAi of SRp55, also resulted in reduced motility of the invasive cell populations, validating the correlation between EDB-FN expression and invasion of breast cancer cells. These data establish EDB-FN as a promising molecular marker for non-invasive therapeutic surveillance of aggressive breast cancer.
Methods of Gaging Liquid Oxygen

Propellant loading of a missile must be precisely-controlled so that neither fuel nor oxidizer will burn out prematurely, resulting in loss of range. To satisfy the stringent loading requirements for liquid propellant missiles requires determining the true content of a tank containing liquid oxygen; this being the most common and widely used liquid fuel oxidizer at the present time.
Hydrocarbon pheromone production in insects

Abstract The recognition of the role of hydrocarbons in insect communication has skyrocketed in the past several decades. In addition to their critical function to restrict water loss to prevent a lethal rate of desiccation, they serve a variety of functions in chemical communication in many species where contact or short-range chemicals are needed. Hydrocarbons mediate mate recognition, courtship and mate choice in many solitary insects. In social insects, they serve as nestmate and caste recognition cues, mediate task allocation and serve as dominance and fertility cues. Our understanding of hydrocarbon biosynthesis comes from a variety of insect species, and thus, this chapter will not concentrate on any one group of insects, but will bring together our knowledge of hydrocarbon production from a variety of insect groups. Hydrocarbons are biosynthesized in oenocytes, specialized cells often associated with the peripheral fat body, and are transported to the cuticle by lipophorin. Recent work on fatty acid synthesis, desaturation, elongation, reduction to alcohols and then oxididation to aldehydes and reductive decarbonylation to hydrocarbons in a number of insect species have given us new insights into how hydrocarbons are made, answering some long standing questions and raising new ones about hydrocarbon production. We also review recent work that has taken advantage of the tools of molecular biology, especially genomics and RNAi knockdown of specific genes to better understand hydrocarbon formation.
Telemedicine for Intensive Care

Telemedicine for intensive care unit patients (tele-ICU) has dramatically improved remote access to ICU patients by intensivists. Although it is not clear which patient population will be best served by tele-ICU, it appears that only the sickest patient populations should be attended by tele-ICU for institutions, where tele-ICU can serve as a second set of eyes. However, there is no question that tele-ICU is a must-have for hospitals that do not have 24/7 ICU in-person coverage such as smaller hospitals and community hospitals. The tele-ICU team should take full charge and responsibility for ICU patients and should not just serve to write an admission note and wait for artificial intelligence set criteria to set alarms off. While the initial cost may be prohibitive for many hospitals, technology is rapidly advancing and becoming less expensive. Team building between the bedside practitioners and tele-ICU requires a number of innovative approaches and protocols in order to improve integration and build trust between the teams.
A Prospective Study of Family Satisfaction Changes After Tracheostomy Placement in Trauma Patients

BackgroundTracheostomy is a commonly performed procedure in surgical intensive care units. Although the indications and benefits of this procedure are well known, little has been studied in the adu...
The Incisionless Totally Laparoscopic Total Abdominal Colectomy: How I Do It?

Laparoscopic total abdominal colectomy (TAC) is the optimal operative approach for patients with medically refractory inflammatory bowel disease and other benign colon conditions. Minimally invasiv...
Decision-Making Capacity

Surgeons obtain informed consent from patients for the procedures they perform. Occasionally, however, the medical consultant will be asked to assist with assessment of a particular patient’s capacity (or lack thereof) to consent to evaluation and/or treatment. Patients are presumed to possess decision-making capacity, unless a clinical evaluation suggests that it is lacking. Studies suggest, however, that clinicians frequently fail to recognize when patients lack decision-making capacity.
Measurement of 125I-low density lipoprotein uptake in selected tissues of the squirrel monkey by quantitative autoradiography.

A recently developed technique of absolute quantitative light microscopic autoradiography of /sup 125/I-labeled proteins in biologic specimens was used to measure /sup 125/I-low density lipoprotein (/sup 125/I-LDL) concentration levels in various tissues of the squirrel monkey after 30 minutes of in vivo LDL circulation. Liver and adrenal cortex exhibited high /sup 125/I-LDL concentrations, presumably because of binding to specific cell surface receptors and/or internalization in vascular beds with high permeability to LDL. High tissue concentrations of LDL were associated with the zona fasciculata and reticularis of the adrenal cortex and the interstitial cells of Leydig in the testis; significantly lower levels of /sup 125/I-LDL were observed in the adrenal medulla, the zona glomerulosa, and germinal centers of the testis. Contrary to previous reports, low /sup 125/I-LDL concentrations were observed throughout the gastrointestinal tract and in lymph nodes. In addition, multiple arterial intramural focal areas of high /sup 125/I-LDL concentrations were identified in arteries supplying the adrenal gland, lymph node, small bowel, and liver.
The Function of the Judge and Jury in the Literary Property Lawsuit

THERE HAS been comparatively little discussion of the diverse functions of the court and jury in cases involving plagiarism or other actions dealing with the ownership and infringement of rights in intellectual compositions. By far the great majority of cases of this nature have been tried initially by a court sitting without a jury. This may have been due to the fact that under the Copyright Law there are specific equitable remedies provided which have been customarily invoked by plaintiffs. It may also have been due to the desire of counsel for both parties to submit technical copyright issues to a court rather than a jury. Until recently at least, the majority of all the cases involving this type of property have been brought under the Federal Copyright Law rather than under any claim of common law rights.? Regardless of the reasons, the fact remains that heretofore most decisions have presented situations wherein the court acted not only as the arbiter of the law, but as the trier of the facts; consequently, there is a marked paucity of authority discussing the lines to be drawn between socalled "issues of law and fact."2 Recently, however, especially in California, jury trials have been demanded in almost every case. For that reason it is believed a discussion of this almost uncharted field is appropriate. It is first valuable to determine the usual issues in the ordinary case involving literary property. Almost every action for plagiarism will require the determination of the following issues: (1) What material in plaintiff's work is capable of legal protectibility, i.e., may constitute "property"? (2) To what extent is such property the product of plaintiff's own independent creative effort?
The Dynamics of Synthesis and Degradation of Polyamines in Normal and Regenerating Rat Liver and Brain

Abstract Putrescine (1,4-diaminobutane), the product of the decarboxylation of ornithine, is a precursor of the polyamines spermidine and spermine. After administration in vivo of radiolabeled ornithine or putrescine, changes in specific activity of putrescine, spermidine, and spermine have been assessed in normal and regenerating liver and in brain. In both normal liver and in brain, after labeling with exogenous putrescine, the specific activity of spermidine declines with a half-life of about 4 days. Following partial hepatectomy, marked and characteristic changes occur in the endogenous levels of putrescine, spermidine, and spermine in the regenerating liver of the rat. Putrescine concentration is increased 5-fold as early as 4 hours after the operation, whereas spermidine levels rise more slowly and attain a maximum which is double that of control values within the first 5 days. Spermine concentration declines initially but becomes elevated by 11 days after hepatectomy. In regenerating rat liver, the rate of decline of the labeling of spermidine after administration of 14C-putrescine or 14C-ornithine is the same as in normal liver. There is a very rapid fall (t½ = 2 hours) of the labeling of putrescine in regenerating rat liver after the administration of 14C-ornithine.
Energieversorgung elektrischer Bahnen

Die Energieversorgung der mit Gleichstrom, Drehstrom oder Einphasenwechselstrom unverminderter Frequenz (Landesfrequenz) elektrifizierten Bahnen erfolgt aus dem allgemeinen Landesnetz (Kraftwerke und Drehstrom-Ubertragungsleitungen der allgemeinen Landesversorgung).
In Vitro Assay of Pre-mRNA Splicing in Mammalian Nuclear Extract

The in vitro splicing assay is a valuable technique that can be used to study the mechanism and machinery involved in the splicing process. The ability to investigate various aspects of splicing and alternative splicing appears to be endless due to the flexibility of this assay. Here, we describe the tools and techniques necessary to carry out an in vitro splicing assay. Through the use of radiolabeled pre-mRNA and crude nuclear extract, spliced mRNAs can be purified and visualized by autoradiography for downstream analysis.
A biosensing model system: selective interaction of biotinylated PPEs with streptavidin-coated polystyrene microspheres

Formation of a highly fluorescent composite formed from the biotinylated PPE 3 and streptavidin covered polystyrene microspheres is reported.
Ultra Low Density and Highly Crosslinked Biocompatible Shape Memory Polyurethane Foams

We report the development of highly chemically crosslinked, ultra low density (~0.015 g/cc) polyurethane shape memory foams synthesized from symmetrical, low molecular weight and branched hydroxyl monomers. Sharp single glass transitions (Tg) customizable in the functional range of 45-70 °C were achieved. Thermomechanical testing confirmed shape memory behavior with 97-98% shape recovery over repeated cycles, a glassy storage modulus of 200-300 kPa and recovery stresses of 5-15 kPa. Shape holding tests under constrained storage above the Tg showed stable shape memory. A high volume expansion of up to 70 times was seen on actuation of these foams from a fully compressed state. Low in-vitro cell activation induced by the foam compared to controls demonstrates low acute bio-reactivity. We believe these porous polymeric scaffolds constitute an important class of novel smart biomaterials with multiple potential applications.
Retaining traditionally hard to reach participants: Lessons learned from three childhood obesity studies

Retaining underserved populations, particularly low-income and/or minority participants in research trials, presents a unique set of challenges. In this paper, we describe the initial retention strategies and enhanced the retention strategies over time across three childhood obesity prevention trials. Hip-Hop to Health Jr. (HH) was a randomized controlled trial (RCT) testing a preschool-based obesity prevention intervention among predominately African-American children. Retention was 89% at 14-weeks, 71% at 1-year, and 73% at 2-year follow-up. Primary retention strategies for HH included: 1) collaboration with a community-based organization to enhance program credibility; 2) continuity of data collection locations; 3) collecting detailed contact information and provision of monetary compensation; and 4) developing a detailed tracking/search protocol. In a follow-up trial, Hip-Hop to Health Jr. Obesity Prevention Effectiveness Trial (HH Effectiveness), 95% of participants completed assessment at 14 weeks and 88% completed assessment at 1 year. For this trial, we emphasized staffing continuity in order to enhance participant relationship building and required data collection staff to have relevant community service experience. In a third study, we assessed dietary quality among participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) across three time points following the WIC food package shift instituted nationally in 2009. Retention rates were 91% at 12 months and 89% at 18 months. For our WIC\ study, we augmented retention by developing a home data collection protocol and increased focus on staff diversity training. We conclude with a summary of key strategies and suggestions for future research.
Impact of witnessing violence on growth curves for problem behaviors among early adolescents in urban and rural settings

Two studies used latent growth-curve analysis to examine the relation between witnessing violence and changes in problem behaviors (drug use, aggression, and delinquency) and attitudes during early adolescence. In Study 1, six waves of data covering 6th to 8th grades were collected from 731 students in urban schools serving mostly African-American students. Strong cross-sectional relations were found between witnessing violence and other variables. Witnessing violence also predicted subsequent increases in drug use and attitudes supporting violence and decreases in value on achievement. In Study 2, five waves of data covering 6th to 9th grades were collected from an ethnically diverse sample of 922 students at four rural schools. Witnessing violence predicted subsequent changes in drug use, but not in other variables. Growth-curve trajectories indicated that boys reported greater increases in witnessing violence than girls. Strong cross-sectional relations again were found between witnessing violence and other variables. Increases in witnessing violence also were related strongly to increases in problem behaviors and attitudes supporting violence and to decreases in attitudes supporting nonviolence. These findings have important implications for research and intervention efforts. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comm Psychol 32: 505–525, 2004.
Multi-element Analysis of Food by Microwave Digestion and Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry

Abstract A microwave digestion procedure for multi-elemental analysis of food was developed using one program to digest a variety of food matrices at the same time. A single program was enabled by an analytical portion mass based on the food's energy content calculated from macronutrient data (fat, protein and carbohydrate). The procedure allows a maximum mass to be analyzed for each food matrix without adjustment of the microwave digestion program to compensate for the variable reactivity of food matrices. Inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry with ultrasonic nebulization was used to determine aluminum, arsenic, boron, barium, calcium, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, potassium, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, sodium, nickel, phosphorus, lead, selenium, strontium, thallium, vanadium, and zinc. Method validation was performed on seven certified reference materials and 20 foods. Element fortification recovery of foods was acceptable (88–113%) and a majority of available comparisons to reference materials indicated agreement except for aluminum, chromium, and selenium.
Release of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor from a Human Melanoma Cell Line, WM35, Is Induced by Hypoxia but Not Ultraviolet Radiation and Is Potentiated by Activated Ras Mutation

Angiogenesis, the formation of blood vessels, is a major factor influencing tumor growth and metastatic capacity, and VEGF is the prototype angiogenic factor. VEGF expression is also found in the dermis and tumor stroma during the course of melanoma progression. Various oncogenes such as c-Src, v-Raf, and Ras, and multiple environmental stimuli, including hypoxia and ultraviolet radiation (UVR), can regulate VEGF expression under certain conditions. We have constructed several cell lines from a radial growth phase, primary human melanoma cell line, WM35. We have stably transfected WM35 cells with mutant activated H-ras, N-ras, dominant negative p53, or empty vector. In this report, we determined how VEGF expression and release from these melanoma cell lines were affected by the following important factors associated with melanoma initiation and progression: hypoxia, UVR, activated Ras, dominant negative p53, and culture conditions mimicking radial growth phase melanoma (monolayer culture) and vertical growth phase melanoma (spheroid culture). We found that hypoxia, but not UVR, up-regulates VEGF mRNA expression and protein release in these melanoma cells. In addition, activated Ras and dominant negative p53 enhances the hypoxia-induced VEGF protein release. We propose that hypoxia-induced VEGF release promotes tumor progression, especially in melanomas with Ras or p53 mutations.
The effect of nonlinear gradient terms on localized states near a weakly inverted bifurcation

Abstract We study the effect of nonlinear gradient terms on localized states in a complex Ginzburg-Landau equation near a weakly inverted bifurcation. We find that these terms can greatly affect the speed of the state as well as cause an asymmetry. We also study the interaction of counterpropagating localized states in the coupled equations for counterpropagating waves. A comparison with recent experiments in binary fluid convection is made.
Petascale atmospheric models for the Community Climate System Model: new developments and evaluation of scalable dynamical cores

We present results from the integration and evaluation of the spectral finite-element method into the atmospheric component of the Community Climate System Model (CCSM). This method overcomes the atmospheric scalability bottleneck by allowing the use of a true two-dimensional domain decomposition for the first time in the CCSM. Scalability is demonstrated out to 86,200 processors with an average grid spacing of 0.25? (25 km). We present initial evaluations results using a standardized test problem with the full suite of CCSM atmospheric model forcings and subgrid parametrizations but without the CCSM land, ice, or ocean models. For this realistic setting, the true solution is unknown. Even convergence under mesh refinement is not expected, so we cannot rely on high-resolution reference solutions. Instead we focus on intermodel comparisons and use the Williamson equivalent resolution methodology to evaluate the results.
Mitochondrial Placement and Function in Insect Ion-transporting Cells

The ion-transporting epithelia of insects possess some unusual morphological adaptations which promote close juxtaposition of mitochondria and the ion-transporting plasma membranes. A particularly striking example of this adaptation is provided by the movement of branches of mitochondria into and out of the apical microvilli in the Malpighian tubules. In the hemipteran Rhodmus prohxus , the microvilli in the resorptive lower tubule are small and contain no mitochondria during the non-transporting period. When ion transport is stimulated,either in vivo or in vitro , there is a concomitant growth in microvillar volume and surface area. In addition, branches of mitochondria enter these microvilli. It has been shown that these mitochondrial movements are driven by an actinassociated process involving the microvillar core microfilaments. The stimulation for this movement in vivo is the insect diuretic hormone. In the lepidopteran Calpodes ethhus , the rates of fluid transport which the Malpighian tubules can sustain vary during the insect's life stages. Larvae and adults show rapid transport, while pupal Malpighian tubules show none. In the larvae and adults, microvilli in the Malpighian tubules are large and contain mitochondria. In the pupae, reduced transport is associated with mitochondrial retraction and microvillar shrinkage. These ultrastructural changes appear tobe regulated by the insect's developmental hormones. In the Malpighian tubules of adult female mosquitoes of the genus Aedes , intracellular infection by microfiliarial nematodes has hen shown to cause mitochondrial retraction and reduced rates of fluid transport. A model is presented which serves to summarize currently proposed mechanisms of membrane and mitochondrial function in the ion-transporting epithelia of insects.