cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Continuing Patient Care during Electronic Health Record Downtime

Introduction Electronic health record (EHR) downtime is any period during which the EHR system is fully or partially unavailable. These periods are operationally disruptive and pose risks to patients. EHR downtime has not sufficiently been studied in the literature, and most hospitals are not adequately prepared. Objective The objective of this study was to assess the operational implications of downtime with a focus on the clinical laboratory, and to derive recommendations for improved downtime contingency planning. Methods A hybrid qualitative–quantitative study based on historic performance data and semistructured interviews was performed at two mid-Atlantic hospitals. In the quantitative analysis, paper records from downtime events were analyzed and compared with normal operations. To enrich this quantitative analysis, interviews were conducted with 17 hospital employees, who had experienced several downtime events, including a hospital-wide EHR shutdown. Results During downtime, laboratory testing results were delayed by an average of 62% compared with normal operation. However, the archival data were incomplete due to inconsistencies in the downtime paper records. The qualitative interview data confirmed that delays in laboratory result reporting are significant, and further uncovered that the delays are often due to improper procedural execution, and incomplete or incorrect documentation. Interviewees provided a variety of perspectives on the operational implications of downtime, and how to best address them. Based on these insights, recommendations for improved downtime contingency planning were derived, which provide a foundation to enhance Safety Assurance Factors for EHR Resilience guides. Conclusion This study documents the extent to which downtime events are disruptive to hospital operations. It further highlights the challenge of quantitatively assessing the implication of downtimes events, due to a lack of otherwise EHR-recorded data. Organizations that seek to improve and evaluate their downtime contingency plans need to find more effective methods to collect data during these times.
Should a Law Governing the Pharmaceutical Market Be Ethically Examined Based on Its Intent or Its Practical Applications

Prescription drug prices are a top health care concern among US consumers. Although this issue is at the forefront of current policy discussions, it is not new. In 1984, the Drug Pricing Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act (colloquially, the Hatch-Waxman Act) addressed drug pricing concerns. This article argues that Hatch-Waxman properly applies utilitarian principles to complex issues of biopharmaceutical development by balancing innovation and availability. However, the statute's efficacy has been marred by so-called pay-for-delay arrangements, which disrupted that carefully constructed equilibrium. This article also argues that the 2013 US Supreme Court holding in Federal Trade Commission v Actavis, Inc appropriately restored the utilitarian balance initially achieved by Hatch-Waxman.
Equations of state for polyethylene and its shock-driven decomposition products

We construct new equations of state (EOS) for high density and ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene and their chemical decomposition products under shock loading. The former were built using the SESAME framework, based in part on new specific heat and thermal expansion data reported here. The products EOS was based on thermochemical modeling under the assumption of full thermodynamic and chemical equilibrium. The products are represented as the ideal mixture of bulk carbon in the form of diamond, H2, H, and CH4. In the process of building a new EOS for the products, we recalibrated our exponential-6 pair potential for methane in order to better agree with data that have appeared since its original parameterization. The polyethylene EOS were calibrated to thermal, thermomechanical, and shock data, and their performance was evaluated in hydrodynamic modeling of deep release experiments reported previously.
Evaluations of moving versus stopped motor vehicle screen use: Mean differences and correlates

Abstract Research on texting while driving routinely does not distinguish between drivers’ moving (while actively driving) and stopped (e.g., while at a red light) screen use behavior, but these behaviors conceptually differ in risk. The purpose of this study was to analyze differences in the prevalence, evaluations, and correlates of moving versus stopped motor vehicle screen use (MVSU). Participants were 236 adults (Mage = 35.36; 71% female) representing 31 U.S. states. Results indicate that individuals perceive and evaluate moving and stopped motor vehicle screen use (MVSU) differently, as well as engage in these behaviors at different rates. Compared to moving MVSU, participants engaged in stopped MVSU more frequently, felt more efficacious and less guilty about such behavior, and evaluated it as less risky, more acceptable, and as less reflective of moral values. Although levels of stopped versus moving MVSU were strongly correlated, larger differences in evaluations of stopped versus moving MVSU were associated with weaker correlations between engaging in the two MVSU behaviors. Participant age, race, and gender also moderated associations between stopped and moving MVSU.
The Coping Self-Efficacy Scale: Psychometric properties in an outpatient sample of active duty military personnel

Active duty military service members endure a unique constellation of stressors while deployed or at home. Yet, assessment of protective factors against these stressors among active duty service me...
Application of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Tourette Syndrome

Tourette syndrome (TS) is a childhood-onset neuropsychiatric disorder with a lifetime prevalence of 0.8% and a higher incidence in males. It is characterized by chronic motor and vocal tics that are often preceded by premonitory urges. Although tic symptoms in the majority of children with TS improve during adolescence, adults with persistent illness can experience chronic and severe tics. Behavioral and pharmacological treatments for TS exist. However, approximately one-third of individuals with TS do not benefit from first-line treatments, and several of the most effective medications have significant side effects. Although the etiology of TS is unknown, exploring tic disorders has led to a deeper understanding of neural pathways and circuits in the brain that subserve sensory and motor function, linking the frontal lobes, the striatum, and the thalamus. The emerging knowledge concerning the underlying circuitry of TS has been used to guide the design of focal brain interventions, such as noninvasive brain stimulation, as novel putative treatment strategies. Here is a report about the promising, although preliminary, results of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in the treatment of TS.
Experience and imagination: a pedagogical approach to write what you know

Even novice creative writing students know the maxim Write What You Know, but understanding and applying it to their work can be challenging. Admonitions to ignore this canonical advice abound, lea...
Particle dynamics in stormwater treatment areas

Abstract In south Florida, USA, Stormwater Treatment Areas (STAs) are used to reduce Phosphorus (P) loading into the northern portion of the Everglades. Phosphorus is well retained in the STAs (e.g. P biological uptake and P-sorption on adequate substrata) but a small, yet significant portion of it, leaves the STAs as particulate P (PP) in the discharge water. Thus, this study was conducted to improve the understanding of mechanisms and factors that affect PP removal efficiency of the STAs. Specifically, this study employed a suite of field and analytical methods to determine the effects of hydraulic conditions on the erosion, entrainment, transport, and settling of particles in the STAs. Prediction of the flux of sediment by numerical models requires estimates of the density, settling velocity, size, and fractal dimension of the particles and estimates of the critical bed shear velocity. We found that the STA particles are porous aggregates as in other similar shallow water bodies, but have a relatively high settling velocity, likely due to the high amount of CaCO3 and relatively low amount of organic matter in the sediment. Correlations between diurnal variations in windspeed and suspended sediment concentrations suggest that wind generated turbulence was responsible for resuspended matter in the water column. However, the wind-generated shear stresses applied to the bed were much smaller that the critical shear stress measured at the bed. These results suggest that much of the suspended material came from entrainment of materials from the surfaces of the surrounding submerged aquatic vegetation rather than erosion and entrainment of sedimented materials from the bed. Using calibrated acoustic backscatter from an acoustic doppler velocimeter, an analogy of Type 2 erosion was applied to estimate the critical shear stress of particles from the stems and leaves of submerged aquatic vegetation. The estimated critical stress was close to zero, supporting the idea that this unconsolidated and easily resuspended material comprises the bulk of the suspended sediment during normal operating conditions.
Fabrication approaches for high-throughput and biomimetic disease modeling

Abstract There is often a tradeoff between in vitro disease modeling platforms that capture pathophysiologic complexity and those that are amenable to high-throughput fabrication and analysis. However, this divide is closing through the application of a handful of fabrication approaches—parallel fabrication, automation, and flow-driven assembly—to design sophisticated cellular and biomaterial systems. The purpose of this review is to highlight methods for the fabrication of high-throughput biomaterial-based platforms and showcase examples that demonstrate their utility over a range of throughput and complexity. We conclude with a discussion of future considerations for the continued development of higher-throughput in vitro platforms that capture the appropriate level of biological complexity for the desired application. Statement of significance There is a pressing need for new biomedical tools to study and understand disease. These platforms should mimic the complex properties of the body while also permitting investigation of many combinations of cells, extracellular cues, and/or therapeutics in high-throughput. This review summarizes emerging strategies to fabricate biomimetic disease models that bridge the gap between complex tissue-mimicking microenvironments and high-throughput screens for personalized medicine.
Critical Realism, Human Rights, and Emotion: How an Emotive Ontology Can Resolve the Tensions Between Universalism and Relativism

This article demonstrates how critical realism can resolve persistent theoretical debates in the human rights literature. Critical realism is a philosophy of science that proposes a complex ontological framework to study causal relations. Methodological and theoretical decisions in research are always premised on some ontological presumption whether they are explicitly stated or not. However, much of the social sciences follow the discipline’s empiricist orthodoxy which often dismisses ontological inquiry. As a consequence, theoretical and methodological debates persist without scholars recognizing how they reflect deeper ontological differences. I argue that this is the case with human rights research and demonstrate how critical realism can resolve tensions between universalism and relativism. Critical realism proposes that social relations resolve across multiple ontological levels. This ontological framework can illustrate how universal structures on one level can generate diverse human rights standards on another level relative to the cultural conditions that bring them about.
An Overview of Fairness in Clustering

Clustering algorithms are a class of unsupervised machine learning (ML) algorithms that feature ubiquitously in modern data science, and play a key role in many learning-based application pipelines. Recently, research in the ML community has pivoted to analyzing the fairness of learning models, including clustering algorithms. Furthermore, research on fair clustering varies widely depending on the choice of clustering algorithm, fairness definitions employed, and other assumptions made regarding models. Despite this, a comprehensive survey of the field does not exist. In this paper, we seek to bridge this gap by categorizing existing research on fair clustering, and discussing possible avenues for future work. Through this survey, we aim to provide researchers with an organized overview of the field, and motivate new and unexplored lines of research regarding fairness in clustering.
The Effect of a web-based physical activity intervention on COPD knowledge: A secondary cohort study.

Abstract Background Novel strategies to complement current methods of education delivery by healthcare providers in clinic encounters or in pulmonary rehabilitation are needed to promote COPD self-management. Methods We developed a COPD web-based platform that delivers education as part of a physical activity intervention. We examined COPD knowledge in persons with COPD who used a web-mediated, pedometer-based physical activity intervention. Knowledge was assessed with the Bristol COPD Knowledge Questionnaire (BCKQ) at baseline, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater knowledge. Repeated measures ANOVA (PROC MIXED, SAS 9.4) examined trends across the 12 months and identified changes from baseline at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Results We enrolled 72 participants with COPD, 93% males with mean ± sd age of 69 ± 7 years and FEV1% predicted of 60 ± 23%. There was a significant increase from baseline to 9 months (p = 0.012), although this increase did not persist at 12 months. Among the 13 topics, participants scored the highest at baseline on smoking knowledge (65.3 ± 17.4) and the lowest on inhaled steroids (9.7 ± 15.4). Across the 12 months, there were significant increases in knowledge about inhaled bronchodilators (p = 0.011) and inhaled steroids (p = 0.035). At 12 months, there were significant improvements in knowledge about exercise (p = 0.004), vaccination (p = 0.027), inhaled bronchodilators (p = 0.002), and inhaled steroids (p = 0.002). Conclusion An internet-mediated intervention may provide another option for COPD education delivery and support for disease self-management.
Single-cell generalized trend model (scGTM): a flexible and interpretable model of gene expression trend along cell pseudotime

Modeling single-cell gene expression trends along cell pseudotime is a crucial analysis for exploring biological processes. Most existing methods rely on nonparametric regression models for their flexibility; however, nonparametric models often provide trends too complex to interpret. Other existing methods use interpretable but restrictive models. Since model interpretability and flexibility are both indispensable for understanding biological processes, the single-cell field needs a model that improves the interpretability and largely maintains the flexibility of nonparametric regression models. Here we propose the single-cell generalized trend model (scGTM) for capturing a gene9s expression trend, which may be monotone, hill-shaped, or valley-shaped, along cell pseudotime. The scGTM has three advantages: (1) it can capture non-monotonic trends that are still easy to interpret, (2) its parameters are biologically interpretable and trend informative, and (3) it can flexibly accommodate common distributions for modeling gene expression counts. To tackle the complex optimization problems, we use the particle swarm optimization algorithm to find the constrained maximum likelihood estimates for the scGTM parameters. As an application, we analyze several single-cell gene expression data sets using the scGTM and show that it can capture interpretable gene expression trends along cell pseudotime and reveal molecular insights underlying the biological processes. We also provide an open-access Python package for fitting the scGTM at https://github. com/ElvisCuiHan/scGTM.
International and product diversification

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to investigate how e‐commerce may influence international and product diversification.Design/methodology/approach – The current study elaborates the importance of resource‐based and resource dependence theory to illustrate how internal and external resources may enable firms to diversify. Prior studies on resource‐based theory, resource dependence theory, international diversification, product diversification, and IT capabilities have been presented to show gaps in the literature and identify avenues for future research.Findings – This paper has established a theoretical perspective on the importance of external resources or infrastructure, as well as firm‐specific capabilities, on encouraging product and international diversification. A model has been developed and propositions given.Research limitations/implications – Future studies on this topic will need to empirically test the model given in this paper, in order to manage all of the interconnected variables and medi...
Prospect of multiphoton induced inner shell excitations for X-ray laser pumping

The possibility that modest-energy, high-brightness table-top lasers could be used to pump a medium in an X-ray laser geometry is being studied. The ultrahigh irradiance produced in the focal volumes of such lasers generate multiphoton-induced nonlinear effects in target materials. Focusing 20-mJ, 0.7-ps pulses to a peak irradiance of approximately 3*10/sup 17/ W/cm/sup 2/ at a repetition rate of 3 Hz, the authors have searched for prompt fluorescence photons from inner shell excitations in Xe gas atoms at a density of approximately 5*10/sup 15/ cm/sup -3/. In more than 100000 laser shots they observed only delayed photons (distributed from 3 to 200 ns after the laser pulse), presumably due to recombination processes, but not a single prompt photon of energy >or approximately=50 eV. This sets an approximate upper limit for the production of prompt photons per Xe atom at P >
Theory of Stellar Coronae: An Interpretation of X-Ray Emission From Non-Degenerate Stellar Sources

I present arguments to demonstrate that the acoustic wave heating theory of stellar coronae is inadequate to explain Einstein observations of stellar coronae as well as previous ultraviolet and X-ray observations of the Sun and other stars. I outline the various lines of evidence that imply that magnetic fields, stellar rotation rates, and to some extent convection zone parameters are the important quantities in determining coronal heating and thus X-ray emission. These general results and the recent Einstein Observatory stellar observations suggest a speculative scenario of stellar coronae consisting of the following elements: Coronae in O-type stars are heated by the in-teraction of turbulent stellar winds with slowly decaying primordial magnetic fields or by radiative instabilities in the flow. The apparent absence of coronae in Ap stars, which have large but stable magnetic fields, is due to the absence of temporal changes in very stable atmospheres for which even weak convection is suppressed by the strong field. Weak X-ray emission in some normal A-type stars may be due to the beginnings of dynamo action, which is likely the dominant field regeneration process in cooler stars. In F- and later-type dwarfs, dynamo processes, which increase with stellar rotation velocity and convection zone depth, continually replenish surface magnetic fields. These in turn heat the corona through several possible mechanisms. The distinction between dMe and dM stars is probably a result of larger rotational velocities in the former, since these stars are very likely fully convective. For BY Draconis and RS CVn-type systems, which typically are close binaries, binarity is probably only important to the extent that tidal synchronism forces rapid rotation. K- and M-type giants and supergiants are very likely deficient in coronal material because in such stars strong chromospheric winds provide a cooling channel alternative to the conventional hot corona. This notion is reinforced by the “hybrid” character of early G supergiants, which provide an intermediate case. These stars show variable emission lines from hot lasma as well as strong chromosphere winds. The coexisting phenomena suggest the presence of two very distinct outer atmospheric structures, perhaps hot plasma entrained in closed magnetic loops and cool outflowing material in open field regions analogous to solar coronal holes.
PET Studies of the Effects of ECT on Cerebral Physiology

ECT is a remarkably effective treatment for major depressive disorder [MDD]. Neuroimaging studies of rCBF and rCMR are helpful in addressing mechanisms of therapeutic effects. We have reported that reductions in rCBF in prefrontal regions are associated with positive response to ECT[1], and that a course of bilateral ECT is associated with marked reduction in prefrontal rCMR[2]. We now report on a new study of patients receiving ECT for MDD. This study provides the first comparison of the relative acute effects of seizures on both rCBF and rCMR.
Risk and the Discount Rate for Public Investment

This paper enlarges upon some recent work regarding the appropriate discount rate for public projects and, in particular, shows more fully why risk should enter into the calculation. Indeed, we argue that efficient allocation of risk bearing is usually more difficult for government projects than it is for private ones. Therefore, if anything, the allowance for risk should be greater for government projects than it is for other-wise comparable private ones (assuming no distortions from competitive equilibrium). We then outline the implications of recent mean-variance asset pricing models for the project evaluation framework, providing an integration of the treat-ment of risk with Harberger's (1968) solution to the distortion problem. In the context of this theory we also offer specific arguments on the risks of different types mid classes of govern-ment projects.
A study of mitosis in mouse ear epidermis in vitro. II. Effects of oxygen tension and glucose concentration.

Abstract 1. 1. In an attempt to review the experimental evidence concerning the energy requirements for mitosis, the present study re-examined the relationship between oxygen tension and mitotic activity in mouse ear epidermis cultured in vitro. 2. 2. The relationship between high oxygen tension and epidermal mitotic activity was shown to depend upon the concentration of glucose in the culture medium. The positive effects of oxygen tension could be seen with 0.02 M but not with 0.002 M glucose. 3. 3. It was shown that 0.002 M is more favorable for mitosis and represents the optimum concentration for mitotic activity, whereas 0.02 M is less effective in supporting epidermal mitosis and represents a point of diminishing glucose effect. 4. 4. If the effects of oxygen tension are to be used as positive evidence in theories of glucose utilization for mitosis, they should, we believe, be shown to exist at a concentration of glucose that is optimum for mitosis. Since views concerning aerobic energy production for mitosis have been based upon in vitro studies using a concentration of 0.02 M glucose, our report questions the significance of a relationship between oxygen tension and epidermal mitotic activity seen only under sub-optimum conditions. 5. 5. Our study also questions the validity of viewing the effects of anaerobiosis in terms of decreased energy production and mitosis because it was shown that epidermal cells become necrotic in this instance.
Cloning and mutagenesis of a cytochrome P-450 locus from Bradyrhizobium japonicum that is expressed anaerobically and symbiotically

Abstract Cytochromes P-450, which in many organisms participate in the metabolism of a variety of endobiotic and xenobiotic substances, are synthesized by symbiotic bacteroids of Bradyrhizobium japonicum. Polyclonal antibodies were raised against two cytochromes P-450 (CYP112 and CYP114) purified from bacteroids. A lambda gt11 expression clone of B. japonicum USDA 110 DNA that reacted with the anti-CYP112 antibody was obtained and was used to screen a library of USDA 110 genomic DNA in pLAFR1 for a clone of the P-450 locus. Forced expression of subclones of the P-450 locus in Escherichia coli produced polypeptides that reacted with either the anti-CYP112 antibody or the anti-CYP114 antibody; no cross-reactivity was evident. A Western blot (immunoblot) analysis showed that neither protein was present in free-living aerobically grown B. japonicum cells, but that both proteins were present in cells grown anaerobically, as well as in bacteroids. A mutant strain disrupted in the CYP112 locus produced neither CYP112 nor CYP114, indicating that the mutation was polar for CYP114. The mutant produced effective nodules on soybeans, even though the bacteroids contained no detectable P-450. This suggests that the cytochromes P-450 which we examined are not involved in an essential symbiotic function.
Memory and Forgetting: Long-Term and Gradual Changes in Memory Storage*

Behavioral forgetting can reflect, in part, a literal loss of information from storage and a corresponding loss of some of the synaptic changes that initially represented the stored information. Coordinated neural activity in the neocortex is thought to underlie perception and the capacity for immediate memory. Simultaneous and coordinated activity in the neocortex is sufficient for the task of perception and short-term memory. The sites of storage in the neocortex undergo two, possibly related, kinds of changes. First, forgetting occurs because of the establishment of new connections, which interfere with the coherence of already established networks and because of actual weakening or loss of existing connections within established networks. Second, the distributed networks that together constitute a whole memory develop greater coherence, perhaps by developing functional corticocortical connections or by rerepresenting information in a more efficient form. Because of these gradual changes, remembering becomes possible without the participation of the medial temporal lobe memory system.
The Patrilocal Band: A Linguistically and Culturally Hybrid Social Unit1

AN ENDURING and usually unquestioned assumption underlying general anthropological theory is that which suggests the "homogeneity" of very simple societies. For the purposes of the development of evolutionary theory, or for the generation of a descriptive ethnography, or for the discussion of the validity of the "genetic" approach in historical linguistics, it is customarily assumed that "primitive," or "simple" or "folk" societies contain individuals who think, and act, and speak more or less alike.*
Generics: are all immunosuppression agents created equally?

Background The Affordable Care Act initiated innumerable cost-containment measures, including promoting generic conversion from brand medications and directing the Food and Drug Administration to decrease requirements for generic approvals. Despite this mandate, few data existed on generic conversion of immunosuppressant medications with narrow therapeutic troughs. Methods A retrospective analysis of our initial experience with generic tacrolimus (n = 39) was performed using a control cohort from our renal transplant database. A rejection and cost analysis was performed using a consecutive 2-year prior cohort (n = 159) as a control to determine the effect of generic conversion on tacrolimus a narrow therapeutic index immunosuppressant medication. Results During the first year after transplantation, the generic group had a greater drug variability (20% ± change in trough levels) that required more dosage adjustments (5.42 vs 3.59 drug dosage changes; P = .038) to obtain a stable dose, required increased number of intravenous magnesium infusions (4.95 vs 1.68 infusions; P = .001), and incurred a greater incidence of rejection (23.1% vs 10.2%; P = .024). A yearly institutional cost was evaluated against a negotiated $18,000/yearly central pharmacy cost savings compared with a $652,862 institutional cost to treat unanticipated rejections. Conclusion Programmatic conversion from brand to generic tacrolimus resulted in increased drug variability, a greater incidence of magnesium wasting, and more episodes of rejection, leading to increases in institutional costs of care. This government-driven attempt at cost containment may be applicable to noncritical medications such as antibiotics and antihypertensives, but this policy should be reconsidered for narrow therapeutic index medications, such as tacrolimus and other immunosuppressant medications.
CL/CL-36 Accelerator-Mass-Spectrometry Standards: Verification of Their Serial-Dilution-Solution Preparations by Radioactivity Measurements

A eonsortium of accelerator-mass-spectrometry (AMS) laboratories recently prepared a series of ^"Cl/Cl isotopic ratio AMS standards by an eight-step serial gravimetric dilution scheme. Of the resulting nine solutions, only the latter sbt could be assayed by AMS to confirm the gravimetric dilution factors. This paper provides the results of relative radioactivity measurements on the first four solutions to verify the first three dilution factors. The fourth solution was the only dilution capable of being directly measured by both AMS and radionuclidic metrology of ^''Cl, and therefore its assay by radioactivity counting was deemed of considerable importance. Assays were performed by 4ir^~ liquid scintillation (LS) counting of gravimetric aliquots of the solutions, with confirmatory measurements by 2TT/3 " gas-flow proportional counting of gravimetrically-prepared solid sources. The radioactivity measurements on the fourth solution were complex and difficult because of the conflicting combination of a low activity concentration (0.036 Bq-g"') and high salt content (146 mg NaCI per g of solution). These conditions necessitated independent studies of the ^"Cl LS efficiency as a function of NaCI loading in the LS cocktails and of the feasibility of LS counting of precipitated samples, both of which are also reported here. The results of the radioactivity measurements confirmed the dilution factors for the first three solutions to absolute differences of about 1%, and that for the fourth solution to about 1% to 2%. The overall uncertainties for these verification measurements, at a relative three standard deviation uncertainty interval, were of comparable magnitude, i.e., in the range of ±1% to ±2% for the first three solutions and roughly ±3% for the fourth solution.
PERCUTANEOUS VESICOLITHOTOMY: AN ALTERNATIVE TO OPEN BLADDER SURGERY IN PATIENTS WITH AN IMPASSABLE OR SURGICALLY ABLATED URETHRA

AbstractPurpose: Although vesical calculi are routinely treated transurethrally, open vesicolithotomy is generally performed in patients with an impassable or surgically ablated urethra. We describe a technique of percutaneous vesicolithotomy which we used in patients who had undergone urethral ablation and concomitant continent diversion by appendicovesicostomy.Materials and Methods: Bladder stones were detected in 3 patients with neurogenic bladder who had undergone continent urinary diversion with bladder neck closure and appendicovesicostomy. To treat the stones access to the bladder was achieved percutaneously and the tract was enlarged using a balloon dilator. An Amplatz sheath was slipped over the inflated balloon and after the dilator was removed the sheath provided a working channel through which stones were fragmented and removed using a nephroscope.Results: Each patient was rendered stone-free and discharged home the same day as the procedure.Conclusions: Percutaneous vesicolithotomy provides a...
Get Fit With the Grizzlies: A Community‐School‐Home Initiative to Fight Childhood Obesity

BACKGROUND: Professional sport organizations in the United States have notable celebrity status, and several teams have used this “star power” to collaborate with local school districts toward the goal of affecting children's health. Program effectiveness is unknown due to the absence of comprehensive evaluations for these initiatives. The Memphis Grizzlies, the city's National Basketball Association franchise, launched “Get Fit with the Grizzlies,” a 6-week, curricular addition focusing on nutrition and physical activity for the fourth and fifth grades in Memphis City Schools (MCS). The health-infused mini-unit was delivered by physical education teachers during their classes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the “Get Fit” program effectiveness. METHODS: Survey research was employed which measured health knowledge acquisition and health behavior change using a matched pre/posttest design in randomly chosen schools (n = 11) from all elementary schools in the MCS system (N = 110). The total number of matched pre/posttests (n = 888) equaled approximately 5% of the total fourth-/fifth-grade population. McNemar's test for significance (p < .05) was applied. Odds ratios were calculated for each question. RESULTS: Analyses confirmed that there was significant health knowledge acquisition (7 of 8 questions) with odds ratios confirming moderate to strong associations. Seven out of 10 health behavior change questions significantly improved after intervention, whereas odds ratios indicated a low level of association after intervention. CONCLUSIONS: This community-school-home initiative using a professional team's celebrity platform within a certain locale is largely overlooked by school districts and should be considered as a positive strategy to confront childhood obesity.
Stability of the split-band solution and energy gap in the narrow-band region of the Hubbard model

By inserting quasielectron energies ..omega.. calculated from the fully renormalized Green's function of the Hubbard model obtained in the preceding paper into the exact expression of Galitskii and Migdal, the ground-state energy, the chemical potential, and the dynamic- and thermodynamic-stability conditions are calculated in the narrow-band region. The results show that as long as the interaction energy I is finite, electrons in the narrow-band region do not obey the Landau theory of Fermi liquids, and a gap appears between the lowest quasielectron energy ..omega.. and the chemical potential ..mu.. for any occupation n, regardless of whether the lower band is exactly filled or not. This unusual behavior is possible because, when an electron is added to the system of N electrons, the whole system relaxes due to the strong interaction, introducing a relaxation energy difference between the two quantities. We also show that all previous solutions which exhibit the split-band structure, including Hubbard's work, yield the same conclusion that electrons do not behave like Landau quasiparticles. However, the energy gap is calculated to be negative at least for some occupations n, demonstrating the dynamic instability of those solutions. They also exhibit thermodynamic instability for certain occupations, while the fully renormalizedmore » solution, having sufficient electron correlations built in, satisfies the dynamic and thermodynamic stability conditions for all occupations. When the lower band is nearly filled, the nature of the solution is shown to change, making the coherent motion of electrons with fixed k values more difficult. In the pathological limit where I=infinity , however, the gap vanishes, yielding a metallic state.« less
On the homotopy suspension

The present paper is devoted to a study of the following process: take an ~ rbitrary map d: A-~X, use it to attach the cone CA to X and obtain a space B = X u CA, and then lift d in a natural way to a map e: A ~ F , where F is the "fibre" of the inclusion map X-*B. An important particular case arises when X is a point; the resulting map e is then readily identified to the natural embedding A ~ r , A of A in the loops of its suspension. This case, which is crucial for computing homotopy groups of spheres, has been thoroughly investigated in [21], and most of the results therein extend to the general situation considered here [4]. Next, as shown in [4] and [6], study of the above process yields a satisfactory theory of the dual of Lusternik-Schnirelmann category; in particular, it elucidates the relationship between this dual and the homotopical nilpotency of loop spaces. Finally, the analysis of low-dimensional cases presented in the last section of this paper reveals that some results of homological algebra may also be derived from the general theorems pertinent to the process described. The main problem in this context is to study the map e; specifically, one seeks convenient descriptions of the homotopy types of the fibre E and of the cofibre K of e so as to obtain generalizations of the EHP sequence [21]. Duality and the result in [4; 1. l ] suggest that the homotopy type of K only depends on those of A and B; however, examples (see 1.4 below) disprove this conjecture. Nevertheless, the homotopy type of the suspension 2~K is determined by those of A and B, and this enables us to express the homotopy type of K itself in terms of A and B in a limited range of dimensions. There are several ways of doing that, and the maps which relate K to various functors of the two arguments A and B appear as generalizations of various forms of the Hopf invariant. Description of the homotopy type of E brings the generalized Whitehead product into the picture. Some of those questions were already studied in [4]. The present paper improves and simplifies the results in [4; w 3 and w 4], and is independent of them. In [4], a
Volterra series representation of nonlinear systems

A simple technique is introduced for calculating the kernels in the Volterra series expansion, which represents the solution of a large class of nonlinear differential equations. The Volterra series considered in previous discussions can represent only solutions with zero initial conditions. The scope is widened in this paper to allow representation of the general solution of nonlinear differential equations. The last section of the paper presents an adaptation of a technique commonly used in the analysis and design of linear systems to a nonlinear system through the use of the Volterra series.
Radiation-induced molecular changes inEscherichia coli B and its S-30 and DNA-plus-membrane fractions

Oxygenated aqueous suspensions ofEscherichia coli B cells in the resting state were irradiated with 0.8-MeV electrons. Dried films of whole cells, the S-30 fraction, and the DNA-plus-membrane fraction were studied by using infrared spectroscopy in conjunction with the technique of attenuated total reflectance (ATR) in the range from 4000 cm−1 to 800 cm−1. Cells irradiated in the oxygenated or the anoxic state yield the same kind of molecular damage, the main difference being the lower doses (by a factor 4 or 5) required in well oxygenated systems. Results show that some bonds are more sensitive to radiation than others. Decreases in the PO2 bands (1225 and 1084 cm−1) indicate radiation-induced degradation of the DNA-RNA backbone. The increase in absorption between 1700 cm−1 and 1750 cm−1 indicates formation of C=O bonds upon exposure to ionizing radiation. Most of the radiation damage occurs in cells that have undergone lysis during irradiation, but the process of cell lysis, by itself, does not cause appreciable molecular bond damage as measured by ATR. Doses ranged from 0.1 Mrad to 1.1. Mrad.
Unusual inguinal mass secondary to vasitis

Abstract A case is reported of vasitis that presented as an inguinal mass in a forty-six-year-old man. A brief review of the literature is given.
B cell maintenance and function in aging

In this review we discuss the changes that occur in the B lymphocyte compartment of mice and humans as they progress to old age, focusing on recent advances in this important area of research. Primary areas considered include increased morbidity and mortality in the elderly following infection, and decreased responsiveness to vaccines that evoke primary humoral immune responses, as well as those that evoke responses by memory B cells generated following vaccination and natural infection earlier in life. We then consider some of the mechanisms that may underlie these observed declines in humoral immune function. This includes a discussion of alterations in B cell repertoire and subcompartment distribution, as well as defects in B lymphopoiesis, cell development and homeostasis that may contribute to these alterations, and ultimately to declining protective quality of antibodies produced in the elderly.
‘CIRCLE OF IRON’: AFRICAN COLONIAL EMPLOYEES AND THE INTERPRETATION OF COLONIAL RULE IN FRENCH WEST AFRICA

This article investigates the role of African colonial employees in the functioning of the colonial state in French West Africa. Case studies from the 1890s and early 1900s demonstrate that in the transition from conquest to occupation, low-level African colonial intermediaries continually shaped the localized meanings that colonialism acquired in practice. Well-placed African colonial intermediaries in the colonies of Guinee Francaise and Soudan Francais often controlled the dissemination of information and knowledge in the interactions of French colonial officials with local elites and members of the general population. The contributions of these African employees to the daily operations of the French colonial state show that scholars have long overlooked a cadre of men who played a significant role in shaping colonial rule.
Preliminary SEU analysis of the SAMPEX MIL-STD-1773 space-flight data

The Small Explorer Data System (SEDS) relies heavily on new technologies in the electrical designs. Among the key technologies utilized are fiber optics. The effects of the harsh space radiation environment on these spacecraft components can be quite severe. This paper takes a preliminary look at the single event upset (SEU) data seen during the early portion of SAMPEX flight (launched in July 1992) versus the ground test predictions. The new technologies are addressed along with the error handling abilities of the fiber optic system (MIL-STD-1773). The predicted SAMPEX radiation environment is discussed as well as the methodology of SEU rate prediction utilizing both cosmic ray and proton concerns. A comparison of the flight data to ground test predictions is discussed along with information concerning the significance of where and when the SEUs have occurred.
Relation Between Anterior Cruciate Ligament Graft Obliquity and Knee Laxity in Elite Athletes at the National Football League Combine

Purpose The purposes of this study were to determine the incidence of vertical anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructions in elite athletes and to determine whether graft obliquity correlates with knee stability in this population. Methods One hundred thirty-seven knees in 125 athletes at the 2005-2009 National Football League Combine were identified as having had previous ACL reconstructions. The graft type, fixation, and physical examination findings were recorded for each athlete. Graft obliquity was measured by previously described methods based on plain radiography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Radiographic measurements included tibial tunnel and femoral tunnel locations, as well as a sum of these tunnel positions on the lateral radiograph (sum score). MRI measurements included sagittal and coronal ACL angles and the ACL–Blumensaat line angle. The relation of graft obliquity to physical examination findings was assessed. Results Sixty-four percent of knees had vertical grafts based on radiography and 35% based on MRI criteria. The average tibial tunnel location on radiography was 33% from the anterior tibial plateau in the oblique group compared with 42% in the vertical group ( P P Conclusions There was a wide range of ACL graft obliquity in the examined cohort of elite athletes who continued to perform at high levels. Less oblique (more vertical) grafts were associated with greater anterior tibial translation on Lachman testing. ACL graft obliquity, which is particularly sensitive to tibial tunnel placement, can influence knee stability. Level of Evidence Level IV, therapeutic case series.
A modest proposal: A response to the marketing challenges presented by the crisis confronting humanity in respect to the requirement to feed nine billion by 2050

AbstractThis paper develops a proposal on the original offered by Swift in seeking to address the marketing challenges presented by the requirement to feed nine billion humans by the year 2050. Although Swift was aware of the centrality of the customer to the success of his enterprise, his proposal would have benefited from a knowledge of marketing exemplified by the formulation of the marketing concept, which takes the customer as the heart of the enterprise and by the more recent development of Service-Dominant Logic, which recognises the customer as co-producer and even co-creator of value.
A curved multimorph based electrothermal micromirror with large scan range and low drive voltage

Abstract We report a circular micromirror with a 1 mm aperture that has an optical scan range of 60° at 0.68 V applied voltage and 11 mW power input. The mirror is actuated by a semicircular aluminum (Al)–tungsten (W) electrothermal multimorph that bends and twists upon controlled Joule heating. W acts as an active layer of the multimorph and a resistive heater. The curved actuator design not only maximizes the efficiency of chip area usage, but also achieves high resonant frequency due to torsional stiffness encountered during beam deformation. The first three resonant modes of the micromirror are at 104 Hz, 400 Hz and 416 Hz, respectively. Two-dimensional (2D) optical scanning is demonstrated by using the second resonant mode. The low power consumption may be attributed to the use of a single actuator beam. Mirror-center shift produced by actuator bending and twisting partially compensate each other and this results in 1.6 times lower center-shift compared to previously reported straight multimorph based designs. Device fabrication involves surface and bulk micromachining on an SOI wafer.
The influence of marine biofilms on corrosion: A concise review

Abstract The following is a concise review of the literature that addresses the impact of marine biofilms on two phenomena—ennoblement of corrosion potential and sulfide derivitization due to sulfate-reducing bacteria. A universally defined mechanism of potential ennoblement has not been established. Extent of ennoblement varies among locations and the extent of ennoblement for a particular material cannot be used to predict an increased likelihood of localized corrosion. There is some controversy as to the susceptibility of low- and medium-grade stainless steels. Carbon steel and copper alloys are susceptible to sulfide derivitization but thermodynamic models cannot predict the susceptibility of these materials. Laboratory experiments designed to provide data on susceptibility to sulfide derivitization have produced conflicting results because of the following: (1) laboratory media can contain anions that inhibit localized corrosion, (2) laboratory media can contain yeast extract that interferes with electrochemical measurements, and (3) deaeration procedures can produce environments that are not conducive for the growth of sulfate-reducing bacteria. In general, alloys that undergo ennoblement are not vulnerable to sulfide derivitization and conversely, alloys that are subject to sulfide derivitization do not become ennobled.
Would the Employee Free Choice Act Effectively Protect the Right to Unionize?: Evidence from a South Florida Nursing Home Case

This article examines in detail union busting in a nursing home facility in Florida and asks whether the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) would have protected workers' freedom to choose if it had be...