cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Does Adherence to Preoperative Surgical Selection Criteria Reduce the Rate of Prosthetic Joint Infection in Primary and Revision Total Knee Arthroplasties

Abstract Background There has been recent increased focus on the importance of modifiable risk factors that can affect the risk of potentially avoidable complications such as prosthetic joint infection (PJI). We aimed to assess the relationship between adherence to a preoperative optimization protocol at our institution and its influence on the rate of PJI after primary and revision total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Methods A single-institution, retrospective study was conducted on all elective primary and revision TKAs performed over a 2-year period. PJI was diagnosed using the 2011 Musculoskeletal Infection Society criteria. Surgical outcomes and PJI were assessed relative to adherence to preoperative optimization criteria. Compliance was set as a binary variable with any case that did not meet all criteria deemed noncompliant. Results A total of 669 TKAs met inclusion criteria, including 510 primary and 159 revision TKAs. Overall compliance was 61.3%. There were 26 PJIs (3.9%) in total. The PJI rate was 1.2% (6) among primary and 14.4% (20) among revision TKAs. The rate of PJI among cases that met the preoperative optimization criteria was 2.4% (5), and the rate among cases that did not was 6.2% (21) (P Conclusions Adherence to preoperative optimization criteria may decrease the incidence of PJI after primary and revision TKA, but further study is needed to confirm the findings of this study.
Dolichoectatic Carotid Arterial Compression of the Optic Nerve: The Unusual Suspect in the Setting of a Coexisting Incidental Pituitary Adenoma.

Background Anatomic compression of the optic nerve secondary to a dolichoectatic cerebrovascular compression is a rare clinical entity. Because of the limited number of published cases and variable clinical presentation, the natural history remains ambiguous and no consensus exists regarding management. In addition, there is an ongoing debate regarding whether a dolichoectatic cerebral blood vessel can actually cause optic neuropathy, or it merely represents an incidental finding. As a result, it is thought that a diagnosis of compressive optic neuropathy from an adjacent dolichoectatic internal carotid artery (ICA) should be considered only after other possible etiologies are excluded. Although this might seem straightforward, the clinical scenario becomes complex if the patient is also found to have additional incidental pituitary lesions. Such coexistence has not been reported previously in the literature. Case Description A 52-year-old left-handed man presented to us with intermittent headache and painless progressive visual deterioration in the right eye for 1 month. Screening magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan revealed a 9-mm eccentrically placed pituitary adenoma with right optic nerve compression because of dolichoectatic ICA. He underwent microvascular decompression of the right optic nerve. On follow-up, significant vision improvement was noticed and MRI scan revealed no change in the size of the pituitary adenoma. Conclusions The compression of the optic nerve by dolichoectatic ICA is commonly thought to be a diagnosis of exclusion. However, the presence of a coexisting pathology should not prompt the exclusion in every case and a case-based approach is highly recommended to correctly manage this rare clinical condition.
Impact of a Genetic Evaluation Initiative to Increase Access to Genetic Services for Adolescent and Young Adults at a Tertiary Cancer Hospital.

Purpose: Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer are at increased risk for inherited cancer predisposition syndromes. Genetic counseling (GC) is important for accurate risk assessment, diag...
Hard Lessons: The Role of Law Schools in Addressing Prosecutorial Misconduct

concepts that the clinician's actual experiences can bring instantly to life. In teaching students to recognize this type of misconduct, the clinician's task is further complicated by the fact that "[the line separating acceptable from improper advocacy is not easily drawn; there is often a gray zone."122 It is important that students recognize this "gray zone" so that they can learn to avoid it themselves, as well as exercise caution in deciding whether an objection to "gray zone" remarks is worth making. 123 In-class exercises can include role-plays in which some students are assigned to give potentially objectionable closing arguments and other students are assigned the role of opposing counsel. In both roles, the students should have to identify the improper statement-if any-and make the appropriate on-the-spot objection. Following the example, the discussion can center on why-or whether-a particular statement or claim was out-of-bounds and what the prosecutor or defense counsel should do, or not do, in response. At the conclusion of the exercise, clinicians might prompt the students to discuss the importance of 121 United States v. Frady, 456 U.S. 152, 163 & n.14 (1982). The prosecutor's position is somewhat different. If the prosecutor fails to object to an improper argument by defense counsel and the defendant is subsequently acquitted, there is no appeal. Thus, a contemporaneous objection is the prosecutor's only remedy. Additionally, reviewing courts strongly encourage prosecutors to object and seek a curative instruction rather than use the invited response doctrine to justify responding in kind under the theory that "two wrongs don't make a right." Young, 470 U.S. at 13. 122 Young, 470 U.S. at 7. 123 Id. at 13-14 (stating that "interruptions of arguments, either by an opposing counsel or a presiding judge, are matters to be approached cautiously"). 424 [Vol. 16:2 34 Berkeley Journal of Criminal Law, Vol. 16, Iss. 2 [2011], Art. 3 http://scholarship.law.berkeley.edu/bjcl/vol16/iss2/3 DOI: doi:10.15779/Z38V03W
Empirische Selbst-Positionierungsweisen angelernter Arbeiter

Nachdem im sechsten Kapitel die Selbst- und Fremd-Positionierungsweisen der Arbeitnehmer vorgestellt und diskutiert wurden, geht es im siebten Kapitel darum, die dabei sichtbar gewordenen Subjektpositionierungen im Hinblick auf die tatsachlichen Subjektivierungsweisen von angelernten Arbeitern empirisch zu untersuchen – denn ohne die Berucksichtigung der subjektiven Perspektive wurden die arbeitsweltlichen Analysen in den vorangegangen Abschnitten nur eine oberflachliche und normativ verkurzte Rekonstruktion von identitaren Positionierungsweisen ergeben.
What "Crowdsourcing" Obscures: Exposing the Dynamics of Connected Crowd Work during Disaster

The aim of this paper is to demonstrate that the current understanding of crowdsourcing may not be broad enough to capture the diversity of crowd work during disasters, or specific enough to highlight the unique dynamics of information organizing by the crowd in that context. In making this argument, this paper first unpacks the crowdsourcing term, examining its roots in open source development and outsourcing business models, and tying it to related concepts of human computation and collective intelligence. The paper then attempts to characterize several examples of crowd work during disasters using current definitions of crowdsourcing and existing models for human computation and collective intelligence, exposing a need for future research towards a framework for understanding crowd work.
Paper Route: Finding My Way to Precision Journalism

Before Philip Meyer figured out precision journalism, he had to first find journalism itself, and this engaging memoir recounts his journey from a rural childhood in the Midwest to his status as a ...
Difficulties in dopamine transporter radioligand PET analysis: the example of LBT-999 using [18F] and [11C] labelling: Part II: Metabolism studies

Abstract Introduction LBT-999, ( E )- N -(4-fluorobut-2-enyl)-2β-carbomethoxy-3β-(4'-tolyl)nortropane, has been developed for PET imaging of the dopamine transporter. [ 18 F]LBT-999 PET studies in baboons showed a lower brain uptake than [ 11 C]LBT-999 and a high bone uptake, suggesting the presence of interfering metabolites. Therefore, in vitro and in vivo metabolism of these radiotracers was investigated. Methods Rat and human liver microsomal incubations, baboon plasma and rat brain extracts were analyzed by radio-HPLC and LC-MS-MS. Results In vitro experiments demonstrated the formation by P450s of five polar metabolites. The main routes of LBT-999 metabolism proposed were N -dealkylation, tolyl-hydroxylation and dealkylation plus tolyl-hydroxylation. In vivo in baboons, [ 18 F]LBT-999 was rapidly converted into a [ 18 F]hydroxylated metabolite likely oxidized in plasma into a [ 18 F]carboxylic acid and into unlabeled N -dealkyl-LBT-999. The latter was detected in baboon plasma and in rat brain by LC-MS-MS. The time course of unchanged [ 18 F]LBT-999 decreased rapidly in plasma and was higher than that of [ 11 C]LBT-999 due to the formation of unlabeled N -dealkyl-LBT-999. In rats, striatum-to-cerebellum ratios of [ 18 F]LBT-999, [ 18 F]hydroxylated and [ 18 F]acidic metabolite were 20, 4.2 and 1.65, respectively, suggesting a possible accumulation of the hydroxylated compound in the striatum. Conclusion P450s catalyzed the formation of dealkylated and hydroxylated metabolites of LBT-999. In baboons, an extensive metabolism of [ 18 F]LBT-999, with formation of unlabeled N -dealkyl-LBT-999, [ 18 F]fluorobutenaldehyde (or its oxidation product) and [ 18 F]hydroxy-LBT-999 able to penetrate the brain, prevented an easy and accurate estimation of the input function of the radiotracer. CYP3A4 being the main P450 involved in the metabolism of LBT-999, a similar pathway may occur in humans and confound PET quantification.
Dynamic verification of hybrid programs

Hybrid (mixed MPI/thread) programs are extremely important for efficiently programming future HPC systems. In this paper, we report our experience adapting ISP [3,4,5], our dynamic verifier for MPI programs, to verify a large hybrid MPI/Pthread program called Eddy Murphi [1]. ISP is a stateless model checker that works by replaying schedules leading up to previously recorded non-deterministic selection points, and pursuing new behaviors out of these points. The main difficulty we faced was the inability to deterministically replay up to these selection points because ISP instruments only the MPI calls issued by an application, whereas thread level scheduling non-determinism may change the course of execution. Instrumenting both MPI and Pthreads API calls requires an invasive modification of ISP which was not favored. The novelty of our solution is to determinize thread schedules using a record/replay daemon and demonstrating that this approach works on a realistic hybrid application: the Eddy Murphi model checker.
Gating of a novel brain potential is associated with perceptual anomalies in bipolar disorder

Patterson JV, Sandman CA, Jin Y, Kemp AS, Potkin SG, Bunney WE Jr. Gating of a novel brain potential is associated with perceptual anomalies in bipolar disorder. Bipolar Disord 2013: 00: 000–000. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S.Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Objectives: Our laboratory recently identified the P85 gating ratio as a candidate biomarker for bipolar disorder. In order to evaluate the phenomenological significance of P85 gating, the current study examined reports of perceptual anomalies and their relationship to the P50 and P85 physiological measures of sensory gating. Methods: Reports of perceptual anomalies on the Structured Clinical Interview to Assess Perceptual Anomalies were compared in patients meeting DSM-IV criteria for paranoid schizophrenia (n = 66), schizoaffective disorder (n = 45), or bipolar I disorder (n = 42), and controls (n = 56), as well as their relationship with P85 and P50 gating. Results: The bipolar disorder group reported significantly more auditory, visual, and total anomalies than both the schizophrenia and control groups. The schizophrenia group also had more anomalies than the control group. Comparison of psychiatric subgroups revealed that the bipolar depressed, bipolar disorder with psychosis, and schizoaffective bipolar type groups reported the most anomalies compared to the other patient groups (bipolar disorder without psychosis, schizoaffective, bipolar manic). The total perceptual anomalies score and the P85 ratio significantly differentiated the bipolar disorder, schizoaffective, and paranoid schizophrenia groups from each other. Conclusions: These findings provide evidence of the phenomenological significance of P85. The results also yield further support not only for the P85 ratio, but also for increased reports of perceptual anomalies as possible markers for bipolar disorder.
Opioid dysregulation in anorexia nervosa : naloxone effects on preprandial and postprandial growth hormone response to growth hormone-releasing hormone

Previously, we have shown that in the opposite extremes of nutritional status, obesity and anorexia nervosa (AN), growth hormone (GH) response to growth hormone-releasing hormone (GH-RH) is not inhibited by the ingestion of a normal 800-cal meal consumed at lunch time (1 pm), which is at variance with results in normal subjects. However, in obese patients the postprandial increase in GH response to GH-RH is inhibited by an infusion of naloxone (NAL). In this study we have tested anorectic patients, performing the following tests at 1 pm: GH-RH test (50 μg IV) or, in a different day session, NAL (1.6 mg/h, starting 30 minutes before GH-RH) + GH-RH test (50 μg IV). The tests were performed in the following three different experimental conditions: (1) short-term fasting studies (lasting from breakfast), (2) long-term fasting studies (from midnight of the day before) and (3) postprandial studies (after a standard meal consumed 1 hour before the test). In AN, the GH response to GH-RH was not influenced by NAL infusion at 1 pm, in both short-and long-term fasting studies (short-term fasting: peak values after GH-RH alone, 26.5 ± 6.5 ng/mL, duirng NAL, 28.0 ± 3.3 ng/mL; long-term fasting: peak values after GH-RH alone, 32.2 ± 6.8 ng/mL, during NAL, 30.6 ± 4.0 ng/mL). A partial NAL-inhibitory effect was instead observed in postprandial studies, as evidenced by the calculation of areas under the curve ([AUCs] 1,662.1 ± 90.0 after GH-RH alone v 1,090.5 ± 245.4 ng/mL/h during NAL). These findings indicate that NAL exerts differential effects in AN before and after a meal. Comparison to the results previously obtained in normal and obese subjects seems to suggest a differential opioid modulation of GH response to GH-RH in AN patients versus normal subjects or patients with obesity.
Stimulation of sugar transport in rat diaphragm by 8-bromoguanosine 3', 5'-monophosphate.

Abstract The cyclic GMP derivative, 8-bromo cyclic GMP, increases the uptake of D -xylose and of 2-deoxy D -glucose into intact rat diaphragm incubated in vitro. 8-Bromo cyclic GMP does not stimulate the incorporation of [14C] glucose into glycogen in the diaphragm, or the uptake of α-amino isobutyric acid into this tissue. The effect of 8-bromo cyclic GMP on the diaphragm is consistent with the hypothesis that cyclic GMP plays a role in the regulation of sugar transport in muscle.
At random - Engineering, marketing teams, and management

Engineers, marketing folks, and managers must agree to a joint vision to develop a product.
Cholesterol esters of the cockroach Eurycotis floridana.

INVESTIGATIONS of the metabolism and occurrence of sterols in insects have led to several reports of the presence of sterol esters in these organisms1–3, and some observations concerning the characteristics of a sterol esterase in at least one species of cockroach have been recorded1. Up to the present time, however, no work on the constitution of the sterol esters of an insect has been described. We have undertaken such a study in relation to a broader investigation of the functions of sterols in the cockroach, Eurycotis floridana, and some of our preliminary findings are reported here.
Effects of freezing and hardening on the sulfhydryl groups of protein fractions from cabbage leaves.

Disc electrophoresis was used to separate water soluble proteins from hardy, non-hardy, and frost killed cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) leaves. Amidoschwarz staining failed to reveal any new bands as a result of hardening although the relative amounts of proteins in individual bands changed. Sulfhydryl groups in the protein bands were stained with 2,2-dihydroxy-6,6-dinaphthyl disulfide and labeled with 14C p-chloromercuribenzoate. Significant decreases in the sulfhydryl content of the total water soluble protein were found during hardening and as a result of frost death. The decrease during hardening was paralleled by a significant increase in the water soluble protein. There was a significant increase in the sulfhydryl content per unit high molecular weight protein but a decrease in the sulfhydryl content per total protein as a result of frost death. This was interpreted as evidence for intermolecular disulfide bond formation during freezing.
What does percent organic carbon in sediments measure

Weight percent total organic carbon (TOC) is one of the most commonly used descriptors for both Recent and ancient sediments. It is commonly considered to be approximately proportional to organic carbon accumulation rates and, therefore, a gauge of those rates. Weight percent TOC is also used to judge hydrocarbon source rock potential and primary productivity of the overlying water column. On the basis of data from both the Recent and the entire Phanerozoic, we conclude that weight percent TOC is an unreliable measure of the rate of deposition of organic carbon and that arguments and conclusions based on that relationship are suspect.
The blood-brain barrier to proteins under normal and pathological conditions.

Abstract The sites of various barriers within the brain to the extracellular movement of exogenous protein have been examined electron-microscopically in several classes of vertebrates. In mice, intravenously administered peroxidase (M.W. 43,000) cannot leave the capillary lumen because the extracellular clefts between adjacent endothelial cells are closed by uninterrupted, circumferential belts of tight junctions. The same kind of junction between the epithelial cells lining the choroid plexus, median eminence, and area postrema prevents the entry of protein into the ventricular cerebrospinal fluid. If peroxidase is injected directly into the cerebral ventricles, the protein percolates through the open cerebral interspaces by passing around the discontinuous gap junctions between ependymal cells and glial cells, even filling the perivascular basement membranes. However, the passage of peroxidase from here into the capillary lumen is prevented by the same endothelial tight junctions that block movement from blood to parenchyma. In the shark brain, the endothelial junctions are open to peroxidase which is then prevented from entering the parenchymal interspace by some structure, presumably glial, lying beyond the endothelium. In pathological conditions the damage to the BBB can be expressed in different patterns of abnormal passage of protein tracers. In brain edema of the vasogenic type, locally-extravasated proteins spread extensively and preferentially through the white matter, migrating via enlarged intercellular spaces. The rate of this migration is greatly influenced by systolic blood pressure. It was shown that an acute hypertension alone can produce extensive disturbances of the BBB to proteins. On the other hand, a remarkable resistance to the development of post-traumatic brain edema was observed in sharks in which brain tissue appears also to be greatly resistant to the effects of radiation. In conditions associated with an acute oxygen deprivation of the mammalian brain, there is frequently a striking pattern of protein tracer accumulation in the nerve cells. Such distribution of the markers might be related to assumed selective vulnerability of the neurons in hypoxia.
What are the implications of implementation science for medical education

Background : Derived from multiple disciplines and established in industries outside of medicine, Implementation Science (IS) seeks to move evidence-based approaches into widespread use to enable improved outcomes to be realized as quickly as possible by as many as possible. Methods : This review highlights selected IS theories and models, chosen based on the experience of the authors, that could be used to plan and deliver medical education activities to help learners better implement and sustain new knowledge and skills in their work settings. Results : IS models, theories and approaches can help medical educators promote and determine their success in achieving desired learner outcomes. We discuss the importance of incorporating IS into the training of individuals, teams, and organizations, and employing IS across the medical education continuum. Challenges and specific strategies for the application of IS in educational settings are also discussed. Conclusions : Utilizing IS in medical education can help us better achieve changes in competence, performance, and patient outcomes. IS should be incorporated into curricula across disciplines and across the continuum of medical education to facilitate implementation of learning. Educators should start by selecting, applying, and evaluating the teaching and patient care impact one or two IS strategies in their work. Keywords: dissemination and implementation; evidence translation; educational continuum (Published: 23 April 2015) Citation: Med Educ Online 2015, 20: 27003 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/meo.v20.27003
Demographic projection of high-elevation white pines infected with white pine blister rust: a nonlinear disease model.

Matrix population models have long been used to examine and predict the fate of threatened populations. However, the majority of these efforts concentrate on long-term equilibrium dynamics of linear systems and their underlying assumptions and, therefore, omit the analysis of transience. Since management decisions are typically concerned with the short term (<100 years), asymptotic analyses could lead to inaccurate conclusions or, worse yet, critical parameters or processes of ecological concern may go undetected altogether. We present a stage-structured, deterministic, nonlinear, disease model which is parameterized for the population dynamics of high-elevation white pines in the face of infection with white pine blister rust (WPBR). We evaluate the model using newly developed software to calculate sensitivity and elasticity for nonlinear population models at any projected time step. We concentrate on two points in time, during transience and at equilibrium, and under two scenarios: a regenerating pine s...
The Role of Hormonal Therapy in the Treatment of Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer—Regional Perspectives: USA

Abstract Current thinking suggests that the first assessment of an individual patient's risk of disease progression is important when choosing a treatment regimen in prostate cancer. Biochemical markers, such as PSA, and tumour characteristics, such as T-stage and Gleason score, have proved to be reliable predictors of disease progression. Earlier detection and diagnosis of prostate cancer in recent years have increased the numbers of patients seen with low-risk disease, and for the high-risk patient there are many and varied treatment options. Multimodal therapy, with a combination of agents (hormonal therapy, radiation or chemotherapy), many of which are still under investigation, is of considerable interest and seems to offer survival advantages in many patients.
AXIAL AND EQUATORIAL HYDROGEN SHIFTS IN METHYL SUBSTITUTED CYCLOHEXYLIDENES. STEREOCHEMICALLY-DEPENDENT ISOTOPE EFFECTS AND BYSTANDER ASSISTANCE

Abstract Carbenes were generated from 4- t -butyl- cis -2-methylcyclohexanone ( 4a ) and from 4- t -butyl- cis -2- trans -6-dimethylcyclohexanone ( 8a , and its corresponding 2,6-d 2 analog 8b ) by conventional Bamford-Stevens reactions. Product analysis revealed that an equatorial CH 3 assists migration of a geminal H more efficiently than does an axial CH 3 by a factor of about 4.6. The primary deuterium isotope effect (k H /k D ) for axial shift (I ax ) is ca . 1.5 times greater than for equatorial shift (I eq ) in the anchored dimethyl substituted carbene 9 .
The recognition memory test in the detection of malingered and exaggerated memory deficits

Abstract The capacity of the Recognition Memory Test (RMT) to detect exaggerated or malingered memory impairment was investigated in a study of 30 subjects. Subjects with reported mild head trauma (MT) who were seeking financial compensation obtained significantly lower scores on both subtests of the RMT than subjects who had documented moderate and severe traumatic brain injuries (ST) who were not seeking financial compensation. Of the MT subjects, 50% performed worse on the Words subtest of the RMT than any of the ST subjects. At a 90% specificity level, the sensitivity of the Words subtest to classify correctly the MT subjects was 70%. An unreplicated discriminant function using both RMT subtests resulted in an overall correct classification rate of 76%.
Expression of the AML-1 Oncogene Shortens the G1Phase of the Cell Cycle

The AML-1-encoded transcription factor, AML-1B, regulates numerous hematopoietic-specific genes. Inappropriate expression of AML-1-family proteins is oncogenic in cell culture systems and in mice. To understand the oncogenic functions of AML-1, we established cell lines expressing AML-1B to examine the role of AML-1 in the cell cycle. DNA content analysis and bromodeoxyuridine pulse-chase studies indicated that entry into the S phase of the cell cycle was accelerated by up to 4 h in AML-1B-expressing 32D.3 myeloid progenitor cells as compared with control cells or cells expressing E2F-1. However, AML-1B was not able to induce continued cell cycle progression in the absence of growth factors. The DNA binding and transactivation domains of AML-1B were required for altering the cell cycle. Thus, AML-1B is the first transcription factor that affects the timing of the mammalian cell cycle.
A novel 2-D adaptive Wiener-filter-based algorithm for mitigation of atmospheric turbulence effects in deep-space optical communications

Atmospheric turbulence along with the background noise is a major limiting factor in a typical free space optical communication link. As compared to terrestrial links, Earth based optical receivers operating in near-space and deepspace communication links are affected more severely by the turbulence, as these systems have to look directly towards the sky to maintain line of sight with the transmitter. Especially during the daytime when the optical turbulence effect is at its peak and atmospheric seeing is the worst, the presence of the diffuse background light from the sky severely degrades the performance of an optical communication receiver. In this paper, we analyze the origin of the turbulence and simulate turbulence effects in an Earth-space optical channel. The photon counting focal plane detector arrays obeying Poisson statistics are employed in the receiver. We develop the concept of a pre-processor for optical communication receivers, which employ 2-D adaptive Wiener filter based practical algorithms for mitigation of turbulence and background noise effects. It is shown through simulations that for photon counting receivers observing Poisson distributed optical signals, performance improvements of 4-7 dB can be achieved under adverse conditions. This performance improvement is not only significant but the implementation of the pre-processor is also cost effective and practical.
Calculations of the surface temperature rise and desorption temperature in laser‐induced thermal desorption

The laser‐induced thermal desorption (LITD) process is discussed with reference to measurements of the translational energies (temperatures) of desorbed molecules. We present simple expressions which predict both the surface temperature rise for a laser‐heated surface and the desorption temperature in LITD. We show that these approximations are excellent descriptions of the laser heating and LITD processes. These expressions are convenient alternatives to numerical solutions of the heat conduction and desorption rate equations using the actual shape of a laser pulse and specific combinations of kinetic parameters.
Early identification of hearing impaired infants: Public Law 94-142 falls short.

Public Law (P.L.) 94-142, although greatly increasing the physician's role in delivery of services to handicapped children, falls short in meeting the needs of hearing impaired children from birth to 36 months in that it does not mandate referral services until age three years. The literature has shown that both conductive and sensorineural hearing losses cause delay in the development of normal speech and language. Further, those children identified and treated earlier demonstrate higher skill levels on speech and language tasks than those children identified late. The High Risk Register for hearing loss has been found a reliable means to identify such children. Given that the most critical period for learning language is from birth to three years and that at least two objective and reliable procedures for evaluating the hearing of infants and pre-school children, Impedance Audiometry and Brainstem Evoked Response Audiometry, are becoming more readily available in the United States, it is no longer acceptable to support the "wait and see" approach in referring suspected hearing impaired children for auditory, speech, and language diagnostics and habilitative intervention.
Guest aggregation within poly(L-lactic acid)/pluronic P104 thin films.

Rhodamine 6G (R6G) doped thin films composed of poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) and Pluronic P104 were spin cast onto glass microscope slides and characterized by ultraviolet–visible, steady-state, and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. The results show that R6G aggregation within the film increases as the R6G concentration and P104 loading increases. These results suggest an approach for studying drug distributions (monomers, aggregates) within biodegradable polymer formulations.
Optical properties of spatially dispersive dielectric spheres

The classical Mie theory for the scattering and absorption of electromagnetic radiation by a sphere is extended to the case of a spatially dispersive sphere. Three alternative extensions, based on three different types of additional boundary conditions, are derived. Extinction spectra of small ZnSe spheres are calculated, and it is found that the frequency of the main resonance exhibits a strong dependence on the choice of the additional boundary conditions.
Bending stress enhancement in materials with limited shear resistance—part II. Unlayered shear-weak model

Abstract An alternative model for materials with limited shear resistance is explored. Quantitative comparisons with the layered-beam considered in Part I are presented. Finally, we draw some conclusions regarding composite strength in bending.
Noncyclic Division Algebras.

An associative algebra whose center is a field will be called centrally finite if it is finite dimensional over its center. An algebraic extension of commutative fields F c K has been called Galois provided that K is a finite, normal, separable extension of F. An extension F c K of fields is cyclic provided it is a Galois extension whose Galois group G(K/F) is cyclic. If D is a division ring that is centrally finite over F and K c D any maximal subfield, then the F-vector space dimensions satisfy [D:F]=[,K:F]2=[G(K/F)] 2. A simple algebra A that is centrally finite over its center F will be called cyclic if (i) there exists a maximal subfield K ~ A such that F ~ K is cyclic, and (ii) [,A :F] = [K :F] 2. In the construction of centrally finite noncrossed product division rings in [-6] and [14], a certain class of noncyclic crossed product division algebras had to be constructed ([-6; p. 412, Theorem 3], or [14; p. 102, Theorem 1]). The centers of these latter division rings had to be formal Laurent series fields in a finite number of variables over an algebraically closed field. The purpose of this note is to construct a new class of noncyclic crossed products. Their centers are more general than in the construction in [6]. The method of proving noncyclicity is not new, it is Albert's. In actually proving that the algebras are noncyclic, several new classes of division rings will be constructed, which may be of independent interest. The main difficulty is not in defining these algebras, but in actually proving that they are division rings. The point of this note is that by using an algebra D that is different than Albert's original one, a straightforward, simple proof which is different from Albert's original proof ([-1, 2], and [12, 9, 13]) that D is a noncyclic division ring can be given. Also, in [2] the center F was a formally real field ([2; p. 449, bottom]), while the present proof holds more generally for centers F such that ] / I r In particular, the construction may be used in case char F + 0.
Atomic theory of liquid helium near absolute zero

The properties of liquid helium at very low temperatures (below 0.5°K) are discussed from the atomic point of view. It is argued that the lowest states are compressional waves (phonons). Long-range motions which leave density unaltered (stirrings) are impossible for Bose statistics since they simply permute the atoms. Motions on an atomic scale are possible, but require a minimum energy of excitation. Therefore at low temperature the specific heat varies as T3 and the flow resistance of the fluid is small. The arguments are entirely qualitative—no calculation of the energy of excitation nor of the low-temperature viscosity is given. In an appendix an expression, previously given, for the partition function is modified to include the effects of phonons.
Effects of Induced Low-Temperature Stress on Raw Peanuts

Peanuts were exposed to low temperatures before they were dried to simulate temperature abuse. Samples were exposed to temperatures ranging from 0°C to −6°C. Visual examination of exposed samples revealed a glossy appearance around the edges and on the central surface of the cotyledons. A comparison of volatile profiles from exposed samples (0°C to −6°C) showed increased concentrations of acetaldehyde and ethanol with decreased temperatures. Conductivity was a measure of the electrolytes in the leachate from exposed samples and reflected the extent of membrane leakage. Concentrations of organic carbon and inorganic ions increased with decreased temperatures. Evidence of increased acetaldehyde and ethanol concentrations indicated anaerobic respiration was involved in quality deterioration of freeze damaged peanuts.
Association between hepatitis C virus and opioid use while in buprenorphine treatment: preliminary findings.

AbstractBackground: The prevalence of hepatitis-C-virus (HCV) infections is high among opioid-dependent individuals. Prior research on the simultaneous treatment of both conditions has primarily assessed success as it pertains to HCV. However, it has been noted that favorable substance use therapy outcomes may improve the likelihood of HCV-treatment initiation and success. Therefore, current guidelines for the treatment of HCV among illicit drug users suggest that treatment for addiction be given the highest priority. Objectives: To determine whether opioid-dependent participants in a clinical trial of buprenorphine-treatment tapering regimens, who tested positive for the HCV antibody, experienced significantly different levels of opioid abstinence than those not infected. Methods: Data came from the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trial Network study 0003. 516 eligible opioid-dependent participants were randomized to either a 7-day or 28-day buprenorphine tapering schedule following a 4-week bupre...
Evaluation of wild tuber-bearingSolanum accessions for foliar glycoalkaloid level and composition

Six hundred forty-five accessions of 70Solanum species and six natural hybrids were screened for foliar glycoalkaloids. Total foliar glycoalkaloid (TFGA) level and glycoalkaloid composition of one or more accessions of each species were determined by TLC and GLC analyses. Of the more than 12 different glycoalkaloids found in the wild species in this survey, solanine and chaconine account for more than 60% of the TFGA found in the foliage of these plants. There was wide variation in the total glycoalkaloid levels among the species.S. neocardenasii had the highest average TFGA value of the 70 species, 222 mg/100 g fresh wt (222 mg %) and an accession ofS. chacoense had the highest TFGA value recorded in the survey, 486 mg %. Of the 70 species, only 11 had average TFGA levels of more than 100 mg %. However, one or more accessions in 27 of the species synthesized more than 100 mg %. Forty-five species synthesized an average level of less than 50 mg %. The level usually found in the foliage of commercial potato cultivars is about 50 mg %. Therefore, most of theSolanum species in the potato germplasm collection can be considered low glycoalkaloid species.
A Study of Demand for Higher Education at Private Institutions in the US: A Dynamic and General Specification

Time-series annual data were used to study the effects of changes in tuition and other factors on enrolment at private colleges and universities in the US. A general functional from with a dynamic specification is used for the functional relationship. Empirical results show that the log-linear and linear functional forms and the static model, which have been used in previous studies, can be rejected statistically at the 5% level. Results also show that actual enrolment adjusts to the desired enrolment very slowly, and that tuition and other related costs of attending colleges and universities have considerable effects on the enrolment at private colleges and universities in the US.
The vertical structure of limb hazes in the Martian atmosphere

Vertical distribution and reflectance properties of aerosols in the Martian atmosphere are presented, based on Viking Orbiter images containing the planetary limb. Profiles of scattered light above the limb are used to constrain the temporal and spatial behavior of the aerosols. The data cover a wide range of seasons, locations, and viewing geometries. The typical atmospheric column contains one or more discrete, optically thin, ice-like haze layers between 30 and 90 km elevation, depending on the season, whose composition is inferred to be water ice. Below the detached hazes there is a continuous haze extending to the surface. The continuous haze is rarely above 50 km and is much redder in color than the detached hazes above, implying a composition that has a strong dust component. The aerosol distribution exhibits solid seasonal control inferred to be driven by the variable solar flux around the orbit of Mars.
Bit-error rate improvement through all-optical signal regeneration in deposited silicon waveguides

We demonstrate all-optical signal regeneration using a Mamyshev design in a hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) waveguide. Bit-error-rate improvement of 2 dB is achieved with 5.2 W peak power at telecommunication data rates (10 GHz).
Revitalization and Indigenous Resistance to Globalization and Neoliberalism

This article reviews discussions and case studies of indigenous peoples, especially American Indians (Lakota, Navajo, and Wampanoag), the Zapatista movement, Latin American examples (Mapuche, Guarani, and Miskito), the Adevasi in India, and the Maori, adding short sketches of Kurds in the Middle East, Pashtun in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and cases from Africa and southeast Asia to develop a general indigenous model, including social systems of decision making, economic distribution, land tenure system, and community relations. The authors present two such models, one on indigenous revitalization and another on the resistance to state domination and the forces of globalization, especially in respect to neoliberalism, and then the authors make an applied analysis toward indigenous peoples' struggles globally.
Depression and Social Information Gathering

An experiment was conducted to investigate depressed and nondepressed subjects' social information gathering under high -and low-utility conditions. Subjects were asked to help develop a videotape presumably concerned with interview processes. Subsequently, under conditions designed to manipulate the utility of the information, subjects selected questions to ask during the interview. As expected, depressed subjects sought more diagnostic information than nondepressed subjects. In addition, even when the information was considered to be of little usefulness, depressives asked significantly more high-diagnostic questions and fewer low-diagnostic questions. It is proposed that depressives have increased motivation to seek diagnostic information owing to feelings of a lack of control and uncertainty.
A critique of the space-time variables in physical theory

Reasons for seeking to remove the space-time variables from the axioms of physical theory are presented, together with vague glimmerings on how this might be done.
AGE-RELATED DECREMENTS IN AUTOMOBILE INSTRUMENT PANEL TASK PERFORMANCE

This research was undertaken, in part, to determine the magnitudes of performance decrements associated with automotive instrument panel tasks as a function of driver age. Driver eye scanning and dwell time measures and task completion measures were collected while 24 drivers aged 18 to 72 performed a variety of instrument panel tasks as each drove an instrumented vehicle along preselected routes. The results indicated a monotonically increasing relationship between driver age and task completion time and the number of glances to the instrument panel. Mean glance dwell times, either to the roadway or the instrument, were not significantly different among the various age groups. The nature of these differences for the various task categories used in the present study was examined.
Vitreous aspirates from patients with proliferative vitreoretinopathy stimulate retinal pigment epithelial cell migration.

• Several studies have focused on retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell proliferation as an important event in proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). Little attention has been given to the question of how RPE cells gain access to the vitreous cavity where proliferation occurs. We have recently demonstrated that the serum components fibronectin and platelet-derived growth factor stimulate and direct RPE migration in vitro. In this study, we used this same in vitro technique to examine vitreous aspirates from 13 eyes with PVR, five eyes with macular puckers, and three eyes with uncomplicated retinal detachments for their ability to stimulate RPE migration. We found that aspirates from eyes with PVR stimulated RPE migration to a much greater extent than aspirates from eyes with macular pucker and uncomplicated retinal detachments. The ability to stimulate RPE cell migration correlated with high levels (mean ± SEM, 178 ± 67 mg/L) of immunoreactive fibronectin.
Clinical utility and cost-effectiveness of sensitive thyrotropin assays in ambulatory and hospitalized patients.

In either an ambulatory or a hospitalized patient setting, a normal serum sensitive thyrotropin (TSH) value is strongly suggestive of euthyroidism if the patient has intact hypothalamic-pituitary function and is not receiving drugs known to suppress pituitary TSH secretion. In stable ambulatory patients, an abnormal sensitive TSH value is strongly suggestive of clinical or subclinical thyroid hormone excess or deficiency, which can be confirmed by a free thyroxine (T 4 ) index (FT 4 I) and evaluation for antimicrosomal antibody (AMA) as a marker of autoimmune thyroid disease. In a hospitalized patient, an abnormality in sensitive TSH or FT 4 I does not necessarily indicate a thyroid problem but may merely reflect a nonthyroidal illness or glucocorticoid or dopamine treatment. A thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) test may be needed to diagnose hyperthyroidism in a hospitalized patient with a basal sensitive TSH level of less than 0.1 μ U/ml because a detectable TRH response contraindicates hyperthyroidism whereas hyperthyroid patients with nonthyroidal illness have the expected absent response. In a hospitalized patient, hypothyroidism must be diagnosed on the basis of both a high TSH level and a low FT 4 I because an isolated high TSH value may merely reflect the recovery phase of a nonthyroidal illness. No clinical urgency exists for establishing a diagnosis of subclinical hypothyroidism in a hospitalized patient; definitive determination of thyroid status can be deferred until recovery and discharge.
Faculty and department head preferences for dealing with retrenchment demands

A random sample of faculty members and department heads rated the acceptability of alternative responses to financial retrenchment pressures within a framework created by a fictitious but realistic scenario. Relatively few differences were found among the recommendations and/or preferences of department heads, tenured faculty, and nontenured faculty. There was a strong preference for protecting the instructional program even at the cost of research and service activities. Several findings, including the preference for reductions in noninstructional rather than instructional programs, were consistent with a self-serving hypothesis. Respondents from departments with recent enrollment declines were more willing than other respondents to accept heavier work loads as a response to retrenchment pressures. Implications for planning processes were discussed.
Optimizing test systems for operational test benefits using parallel test capable instruments

In the past operational testing has either been too expensive or to complex to offer return on investment sufficient to justify developing a general purpose automatic test system (ATS). A small change in the way one traditionally thinks about tester/TPS development opens the door to increased return on investment in ATS equipment and ATS programs.
The gene for human carbonic anhydrase II (CA2) is located at chromosome 8q22

The gene CA2 for the human carbonic anhydrase II isozyme is encoded in band q22 of chromosome 8. These data and supporting evidence predict that the genes for carbonic anhydrase I and III are also phy
Fluctuations in target visibility as related to the occurrence of the alpha component of the electroencephalogram.

Abstract Under stabilized image viewing conditions, alpha onset and termination precede respectively the report of disappearance and reappearance of the image. When a pattern of visibility is imposed on the same target viewed normally, either by defocusing or dimming it, alpha onset and termination generally follow the report of image fading and regeneration. Spontaneous fluctuations in the visibility of a normally viewed target is obtained at low luminance levels, but alpha shows no clear temporal relation to image disappearance and reappearance. Temporal alpha occurrence patterns are found to be similar when a low or high luminance target is viewed normally. Stabilized presentation of the target changes the temporal characteristics of alpha occurrence. A correlation between image visibility and alpha occurrence pattern is found only when the image is stabilized or the luminance of a normally viewed image is periodically decreased. It is proposed first that temporal patterning of alpha activity reflects the presence or absence of stimulation provided by image motions; and secondly, that fluctuations in the visibility of a stabilized image are controlled by the spontaneous fluctuations in the resting activity level of cortical structures.