cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Percutaneous Vertebral Augmentation for Vertebral Compression Fractures: National Trends in the Medicare Population (2005-2015).

STUDY DESIGN Retrospective analysis of Medicare data OBJECTIVE.: To analyze trends of vertebral augmentation in the elderly Medicare population in the context of evolving evidence and varied medical society opinions. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Percutaneous vertebral augmentation offers a minimally invasive therapy for vertebral compression fractures. Numerous trials have been published on this topic with mixed results. The impact of these studies and societal recommendations on physician practice patterns is not well understood. METHODS The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services annual Medicare Physician Supplier Procedure Summary database was examined for kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty procedures from 2005 through 2015. Top provider specialties were determined based on annual procedural volume, and grouped into the three broad categories of radiology, surgery, and anesthesia/pain medicine. Data entries were independently analyzed by provider type, site of service, submitted charges, and reimbursement rates for interventions during the study period. RESULTS Between 2005 and 2015 total annual claims for vertebral augmentation procedures in the Medicare population increased from 108.11% (37,133-77,276) peaking in 2008 and declining by 15.56% in 2009. Radiology is the largest provider of vertebral augmentation by specialty with declining market shares from 71% in 2005 to 43% in 2015. The frequency of vertebroplasty declined by 61.7% (35,409-13,478) from 2005 to 2015 with reduction in Medicare reimbursement. Annual volume of kyphoplasty grew by 18.3% (48,725-57,646) with significant increase in reimbursement for office-based procedures ($728.50/yr, P < 0.001, R = 0.69). CONCLUSION The annual volume of vertebral augmentation declined in 2009 following two negative trials on vertebroplasty. Although these publications had a persistent negative impact on practice of vertebroplasty, the overall frequency of vertebral augmentation in the Medicare population has not changed significantly between 2005 and 2015. Instead, there has been a significant shift in provider practice patterns in favor of kyphoplasty in increasingly outpatient and office-based settings. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 3.
Unhappy consciousness, one-dimensionality, and the possibility of social transformation

The present article departs from concepts and ideas thoroughly developed by Herbert Marcuse. As such, it deals with his approach concerning the possibility of social transformation, looking to problematize the obstacles and hardships associated to the ongoing forms of social domination. To take this through, central works such as Eros and civilization and One-dimensional man are taken up, along with a number of lesser known texts and posthumously published reflections. Asserting the influence of Hegel, Marx and Freud, it is considered possible to criticize some of the existing contradictions that mark capitalist relations, interpreting them dialectically and immanently to unveil the potentials for social change through democratic attunement.
“I disagree! Sexism is silly to me!” Teaching children to recognize and confront gender biases

Abstract Teaching children to identify and confront sexism is challenging, in part because children often personally endorse gender stereotypes and harbor gender prejudices. Reducing gender stereotyping and prejudice in children is thus an important component of intervention aimed at facilitating their ability to identify and confront sexism. In this chapter, we make the case for intervention by outlining some of the dysfunctional consequences of gender stereotyping. We then summarize past intervention attempts, noting empirical and theoretical limitations of such work. In the interest of identifying obstacles to reduce and prevent gender bias in children, we discuss causal factors in the formation of gender biases, and finally, we outline theoretically and empirically derived recommendations concerning strategies for preparing boys and girls to understand, reject, and confront sexism.
Stress State of a Hollow Cylindrical Body with a System of Cracks Under Oscillations of Longitudinal Shear

The problem of determining the stress state near the through-cracks in an infinite hollow cylinder of arbitrary cross-section under oscillations of longitudinal shear is solved. The method allows satisfying the conditions separately on the surface of cracks and on the borders of the cylinder. The solution scheme is based on the use of discontinuous solutions of equations of motion of elastic medium with jumps of displacements on the surface of defects. For this displacement are represented by the sums of discontinuous solutions, built for each defect, and an unknown characteristic function. Designed presentation enables fulfilling separately the boundary conditions on the surface of defects that leads to the set of systems of integral equations, which don’t depend from the shape of the boundaries of the body. Then the unknown coefficients of represented characteristic function are determined from the conditions on the boundaries of the body by the collocation method.
Analytical model of steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) process in relation to constant injection rate

Abstract Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage or SAGD is a widely tested method for producing bitumen from oil sands (tar sands). Several analytical treatments of the basic process have been reported. In a typical model, the focus is on bitumen drainage ahead of an advancing steam-oil interface with no recourse to the steam injection rate – which is worked out after the fact. In this study, a comprehensive analytical model of the SAGD process in relation to constant injection rate, for the first time, was developed encompassing steam chamber rise, sideways expansion, and the confinement phases to evaluate the SAGD performance. The model is called Comprehensive Constant Heat Injection (CCHI). The accumulated heat ahead of the front plays a crucial role in SAGD modeling in order to find the advancing front velocity. There is a reciprocal relation between the advancing front velocity and the amount of stored heat ahead of the front. Considering the equilibrium situation for thermal recovery methods with dominant gravity drainage driving force, the advancing front velocity is responsible for heat accumulation ahead of the front, and in turn, the heated oil drains down to the production well and advances the front. Therefore, the key point in the modeling is to determine the advancing front movement that satisfies heat and mass balances over the system under equilibrium. In the CCHI model, after the rising chamber reaches the reservoir top, steam is injected at a constant rate into the system which is the case in the most field applications, and it provides heat for the growing steam chamber size, increasing heat loss, and heat flow by conduction ahead of the front. Unlike previous works, the steam chamber growth is maximum at the beginning of the sideways expansion phase with growth and oil production rate decreasing with time. It is believed that the inclusion of increasing heat loss and interface extension with time, ignored in previous works, into energy and mass balances results in decreasing steam chamber velocity. In this model, it is the first time that the SAGD oil rate is directly related to the steam injection rate. Some interesting analysis of a SAGD process can be extracted from the model. Also, the approach provides a tool for quick field-scale optimization and performance predictions instead of using extremely time-consuming thermal numerical simulators.
Prediction calculator for nonroutine discharge and length of stay after spine surgery

Abstract BACKGROUND CONTEXT Following spine surgery, delays in referral to rehabilitation facilities leads to increased length of hospital stay (LOS), increases costs, more risk of hospital acquired complications, and decreased patient satisfaction. PURPOSE We sought to create a prediction calculator to determine the expected LOS after spine surgery and identify patients most likely to need postoperative nonhome discharge. The goal would be to facilitate earlier referral to rehabilitation and thereby ultimately shorten LOS, reduce costs, and improve patient satisfaction. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective. PATIENT SAMPLE We retrospectively reviewed all adult patients who underwent spine surgery for all indications between January and June 2018. OUTCOME MEASURES Length of stay and discharge disposition. METHODS Demographic variables, insurance status, baseline comorbidities, narcotic use, operative characteristics, as well as postoperative length of stay and discharge disposition data were collected. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to identify independent predictors of LOS and discharge disposition. RESULTS Two hundred fifty-seven patients were included. Mean age was 59 years, 46% were females, and 52% had private insurance vs 7% with Medicaid and 41% with Medicare. The most commonly performed procedure was lumbar fusion (31.9%). Mean LOS after surgery was 4.8 days and 18% had prolonged LOS >7 days. Age, insurance type, marriage status, and surgical procedure were significantly associated with LOS and discharge disposition. The final model had an area under the curve of 89% with good discrimination. A web based calculator was developed: https://jhuspine1.shinyapps.io/RehabLOS/ CONCLUSIONS This study established a novel pilot calculator to identify those patients most likely to be discharged to rehabilitation facilities and to predict LOS after spine surgery. Our calculator had a high predictive accuracy of 89% compared to others in the literature. With validation this tool may ultimately facilitate streamlining of the postoperative period to shorten LOS, optimize resource utilization, and improve patient care.
A novel BMPR2 mutation with widely disparate heritable pulmonary arterial hypertension clinical phenotype.

Mutations in the gene encoding bone morphogenetic protein receptor type II (BMPR2) have been associated with heritable pulmonary arterial hypertension (HPAH), whereas mutations in the gene encoding...
Science, technology, and life politics beyond the market

Arguments in Science & Technology Studies for public participation in decision-making regarding science and technology and for responsible innovation have not adequately addressed the obstacles pos...
Contrastive Lexical Diffusion Coefficient: Quantifying the Stickiness of the Ordinary

Lexical phenomena, such as clusters of words, disseminate through social networks at different rates but most models of diffusion focus on the discrete adoption of new lexical phenomena (i.e. new topics or memes). It is possible much of lexical diffusion happens via the changing rates of existing word categories or concepts (those that are already being used, at least to some extent, regularly) rather than new ones. In this study we introduce a new metric, contrastive lexical diffusion (CLD) coefficient, which attempts to measure the degree to which ordinary language (here clusters of common words) catch on over friendship connections over time. For instance topics related to meeting and job are found to be sticky, while negative thinking and emotion, and global events, like ‘school orientation’ were found to be less sticky even though they change rates over time. We evaluate CLD coefficient over both quantitative and qualitative tests, studied over 6 years of language on Twitter. We find CLD predicts the spread of tweets and friendship connections, scores converge with human judgments of lexical diffusion (r=0.92), and CLD coefficients replicate across disjoint networks (r=0.85). Comparing CLD scores can help understand lexical diffusion: positive emotion words appear more diffusive than negative emotions, first-person plurals (we) score higher than other pronouns, and numbers and time appear non-contagious.
Patterns in assignment submission times: Procrastination, gender, grades, and grade components

Women procrastinate less than men, submitting online assignments on average 8 hours earlier than men.
Parametric Studies of Heat Pump Water Heater Using Low GWP Refrigerants

ABSTRACT A storage heat pump water heater (HPWH) comprises a vapor compression system and a hot water tank. It can lead to more than 70% energy saving, compared with electric resistance heating. HPWH usually uses a wrapped-tank coil as the water heater. The wrapped coil has a strong interaction with the water tank and impose a new challenge for the engineering design and simulation study. Based on the US DOE/ORNL Heat Pump Design Model (HPDM), i.e., a public-domain, component-based thermal system modelling platform, a segment-to-segment wrapped-tank coil model coupled with a one-dimensional stratified water tank model were developed, which facilitates modeling and design HPWHs having various configurations and components. The hardware-based design model was used to evaluate refrigerants having lower global warming potentials to replace R-134a, including R-1234yf, R-1234ze, R-290, R-513A and R-450A, when effects of compressor size, refrigerant charge on 24-hour uniform energy factor (UEF) and first-hour rating (FHR) were investigated. In the drop-in replacements, R-1234ze achieved the best UEF, and R-290 resulted in the lowest UEF. When downsizing the compressor to maximize the UEFs, the UEFs of R-134a, R-290, R1234yf, R-450A and R-513A ascended to the range of 4.4 to 4.53, with R-513A having the highest UEF. The R-1234ze ended up having the lowest UEF of 4.27. Refrigerants having larger volumetric vaporization heat led to higher FHRs if using the fixed-size compressor, that R-290 resulted in the highest FHR.
Acute macular neuroretinopathy following Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccination.

Abstract Purpose To describe a case of acute macular neuroretinopathy (AMN) in a patient immediately following administration of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Observations The patient complained of paracentral scotoma supported by paracentral visual field loss on multiple Humphrey visual fields that corresponded to outer retinal pathology on optical coherence tomography. The patient's symptoms resolved without treatment. Conclusions and Importance We conclude that the clinical testing demonstrated findings consistent with AMN. AMN may be an exceedingly rare adverse ocular effect of a novel vaccine and likely only in the setting of multiple other risk factors. Despite this, we strongly recommend vaccination against COVID-19.
Simulation-based validation of activity logger data for animal behavior studies

Bio-loggers are widely used for studying the movement and behavior of animals. However, some sensors provide more data than is practical to store given experiment or bio-logger design constraints. One approach for overcoming this limitation is to utilize data collection strategies, such as non-continuous recording or data summarization that may record data more efficiently, but need to be validated for correctness. In this paper we address two fundamental questions—how can researchers determine suitable parameters and behaviors for bio-logger sensors, and how do they validate their choices? We present a methodology that uses software-based simulation of bio-loggers to validate various data collection strategies using recorded data and synchronized, annotated video. The use of simulation allows for fast and repeatable tests, which facilitates the validation of data collection methods as well as the configuration of bio-loggers in preparation for experiments. We demonstrate this methodology using accelerometer loggers for recording the activity of the small songbird Junco hyemalis hyemalis.
Host plant shift differentially alters olfactory sensitivity in female and male Drosophila mojavensis.

Abstract Animals may vary in their utilization of plants depending on plant availability, and also on the sex of the animal. Evolutionary adaptations may arise, particularly in specialist animals to the chemistry of the host plants, and these adaptations may differ between the sexes due to differences in their interactions with the plants. Drosophila mojavensis uses different host cacti across its range, and volatile chemicals emitted by the host are the primary cue for host plant identification. In this study, we measured responses of individual olfactory sensory neurons to a large suite of odorants across males and females of the two southern D. mojavensis populations. We show that a switch in host plant is accompanied by changes in the olfactory system, but the effect of this switch is minor compared to that of sex. That is, we observe differences in olfactory receptor neuron specificity and sensitivity to odorants between sexes, and to a lesser extent between populations. The majority of sensory differences are restricted to only three of the 17 sensory neurons measured. Further, we found numerous differences between sexes that only occur within one population, i.e., sex-by-population interactions.
Why are Firms With Entrenched Managers More Likely to Pay Dividends

I find that firms with entrenched managers, as measured by strong managerial power resulting from takeover protections, are more likely to pay dividends. Their high propensity to pay persists over time. My results support the view that firms choose a combination of governance provisions and dividend policy to maximize value. A large cash reserve can be used to deter hostile takeovers. Paying dividends reduces cash holdings, leaving the firm more vulnerable to hostile takeovers. In equilibrium, value-maximizing firms with weak investment opportunities provide managers against takeovers to induce them to distribute cash rather than build a warchest against unwanted takeovers.
Why Did You Turn On That Light

The overarching goal of this paper is to study if certain contextual factors out of the variables that a researcher is interested in has causal influence on human-building interaction for a building under design. To limit the scope of the study, we concentrate on causal analysis of light switch behavior (i.e., an occupant switching on or off a light) in office buildings. Due to the lack of high-fidelity in data obtained from empirical and lab experiments, we relied on Stated Choice Experiments (SCEs) using Immersive Virtual Environments (IVEs) to collect data on human-light switch interaction. IVEs have shown to have the capability to render realistic virtual experiences to subjects and evoke responses from them for data collection. As far as we know, existing literature taking into account the causal effects of different contextual factors on light switch behavior is limited. The study enhances the knowledge on the various factors influencing the use of office lighting systems by occupants’ and provides quantitative evidence and reference for building designers to design comfort environments for occupants with low energy footprint.
Lasers, Lights, and Compounds for Melasma in Aesthetics.

Abstract Melasma is a chronic and relapsing skin condition. Although melasma is usually asymptomatic, it can be associated with immense psychosocial stress and greatly impact a patient's quality of life. Over the years, many different treatments have been used, ranging from daily photoprotection, topical lightening creams, and oral agents to laser and light-based therapies; however, efficacy is often limited with such treatments, and there is currently no effective modality to prevent recurrence. While treatment strategies had originally centered on the use of hydroquinone, newer modalities now include oral tranexamic acid and lasers. We examined previous and ongoing debates related to melasma treatments and have reviewed the current efficacy and safety of available treatments. Critical components essential to the successful management of melasma are the setting of patient expectations and assurance of treatment compliance.
Helix: A Digital Tool to Address Provider Needs for Prostate Cancer Genetic Testing in Clinical Practice

Abstract Background Prostate cancer (PCA) germline testing (GT) is now standard-of-care for men with advanced PCA. Thousands of men may consider GT due to clinical and family history (FH) features. Identifying and consenting men for GT can be complex. Here we identified barriers and facilitators of GT across a spectrum of providers which informed the development of Helix – an educational and clinical/FH collection tool to facilitate GT in practice. Materials and Methods A 12-question survey assessing knowledge of genetics PCA risk and FH was administered December 2017-March 2018 in the Philadelphia area and at the Mid-Atlantic AUA meeting (March 2018). Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and urologists across practice settings from March-October 2020 as part of a larger study based on the TICD framework. Helix was then developed followed by user testing. Results Fifty-six providers (50% urologists) responded to the survey. Multiple FH and genetic knowledge gaps were identified: only 66% collected maternal FH and 43% correctly identified BRCA2 and association to aggressive PCA. Genetic counseling gaps included low rates of discussing genetic discrimination laws (45%). Provider interviews (n=14) identified barriers to FH intake including access to details and time needed. In user testing (n=10), providers found Helix helpful for FH collection. All providers found Helix easy to use, suggesting expanded clinical use. Conclusion Helix addressed multiple GT knowledge and practice gaps across a spectrum of providers. This tool will become publicly available soon to facilitate PCA GT in clinical practice. Micro Abstract Prostate cancer (PCA) germline testing (GT) informs precision therapy, screening, and hereditary cancer risk. Identifying and consenting for GT is complex, requiring new practice strategies. We identified multiple knowledge and practice gaps among a spectrum of providers which informed the development of Helix, a digital educational and clinical/family history collection tool. User testing was promising, supporting clinical use of Helix.
Chronic Low Protein Intake Reduces Tissue Protein Synthesis in a Pig Model of Protein Malnutrition

To determine the effect of severe chronic protein deficiency on protein synthesis in different tissues and total protein in plasma, and on plasma biochemical constituents involved in amino acid metabolism, we fed diets containing either 20 or 3% protein to two groups of four age-matched piglets. After consuming the diets for 8 wk, the pigs received a primed-constant infusion of 2 H 3 -leucine for 8 h to measure the fractional synthesis rates (FSR) of tissue protein and total protein in plasma. Plasma urea and amino acid concentrations, particularly indispensable amino acids, were significantly lower in protein-deficient pigs. Fractional protein synthesis rates were lower in skin by 66% (P < 0.01), in jejunal mucosa by 50% (P < 0.05), in masseter muscle by 40% (P < 0.05), and in liver by 25% (P < 0.02) ; the fractional synthesis rate of the longissimus muscle was not different than controls. Although plasma protein concentration was significantly (P < 0.01) lower in protein-deficient pigs, the fractional synthesis rate of the total intravascular plasma protein pool was not different. We conclude that adaptation to a low protein diet involves a reduction in the rate of protein synthesis in most body tissues, with the most marked changes occurring in skin and intestine, two tissues which frequently exhibit severe functional impairment in protein malnutrition.
Human Development Report 2006 - Beyond Scarcity: Power, Poverty and the Global Water Crisis

Throughout history water has confronted humanity with some of its greatest challenges. Water is a source of life and a natural resource that sustains our environments and supports livelihoods – but it is also a source of risk and vulnerability. In the early 21st Century, prospects for human development are threatened by a deepening global water crisis. Debunking the myth that the crisis is the result of scarcity, this report argues poverty, power and inequality are at the heart of the problem.In a world of unprecedented wealth, almost 2 million children die each year for want of a glass of clean water and adequate sanitation. Millions of women and young girls are forced to spend hours collecting and carrying water, restricting their opportunities and their choices. And water-borne infectious diseases are holding back poverty reduction and economic growth in some of the world’s poorest countries.Beyond the household, competition for water as a productive resource is intensifying. Symptoms of that competition include the collapse of water-based ecological systems, declining river flows and large-scale groundwater depletion. Conflicts over water are intensifying within countries, with the rural poor losing out. The potential for tensions between countries is also growing, though there are large potential human development gains from increased cooperation.
Terramycin hydrochloride in the treatment of Salmonella choleraesuis bacteremia.

Three cases of S. choleraesuis bacteremia have been presented. They were treated with terramycin, a new antibiotic. Encouraging results were obtained in all cases. The average duration of toxicity and temperature (above 37.2°C. rectally) was approximately five days after administration of the antibiotic. Blood cultures became negative within 48 hours in two cases. In the other case blood culture on the fifth day of treatment was positive but four subsequent daily cultures were negative. No untoward reactions were observed. The drug was readily accepted when administered orally. Though appraisal of the therapeutic effect of terramycin is difficult because of the variability of duration of the untreated disease, it would appear that terramycin may be superior to the sulfonamides and to the other currently available antibiotics in the treatment of S. choleraesuis septicemia in children.
Report from ANZAPS

1. What is ANZAPS and what does it do? The acronym ANZAPS stands for the Australia and New Zealand Association of Planning Schools. ANZAPS is a network of planning educators covering New Zealand and Australia. It serves as a forum for the exchange of information between academics and planning programs in the two countries. Another way to describe ANZAPS is as an informal community of planning scholars down-under. Comparable organisations exist in other global regions such as Europe, Africa, North America and Asia but these tend to operate in a more structured fashion.
Propagation of a massive spin-3/2 particle

The propagation of an off-shell spin-3/2 baryon is investigated in a consistent framework using projections corresponding to one irreducible spin-3/2 and two irreducible spin-1/2 representations arising from the usual spinor-vector representation of the spin-3/2 fields. Starting from the most general Lagrangian invariant under point transformations containing first-order derivatives only and imposing the constraint $\gamma_\mu \psi^\mu=0$, we eliminate one of the spin-1/2 contributions. The resulting propagator provides a clean separation of spin-3/2 proper and the one remaining spin-1/2 contribution. In addition to a conventional pole term describing pure spin-3/2, which is identical to the propagator proposed by Williams, this procedure yields a second pole term describing spin-1/2 only, with a pole at twice the mass parameter of the Lagrangian. Its effect on physical observables may manifest itself in a manner which is indistinguishable from a particle in its own right. The second pole term cancels the $1/p^2$ singularity of the Williams propagator and the propagator derived here is well behaved for vanishing $p^2$.
Marketing the hospitality program to community college transfer students.

The articulation process of community college students into a four-year hospitality program was examined to determine why the students chose a particular institution. In addition, the types and origins of problems in the articulation process were analyzed. A profile of the transfer student was developed. Finally, marketing recommendations were made for the four-year hospitality program to increase enrollment with community college students.
Tunable compensation of dispersion-induced RF power degradation in multiple-channel SCM transmission by nonlinearly-chirped FBGs

Summary form only given. For many applications, it is quite advantageous to transmit several analog or digital subcarrier-multiplexed (SCM) RF channels over a fiber link or network. These applications include: CATV, interfacing wireless networks, microwave photonic systems, and transmitting control information for optical packet switching. However, transmitting traditional double-sideband (DSB) signals over a fiber is problematic due to the fiber's chromatic dispersion in which the two sidebands walk-off from each other. This causes serious RF power fading and is a function of subcarrier frequency and accumulated fiber dispersion. We report the use of a nonlinearly-chirped fiber Bragg grating to tunably compensate for dispersion-induced RF power degradation in multiple-channel SCM transmission.
Special issues of measurement in longitudinal studies.

This paper is based on the session discussing special issues of “Measurement in Longitudinal Studies” at the International Conference on Consumption Measures and Models for Use in Policy Development and Evaluation, May 12-14, 1997 in Bethesda, MD. The session chair was Kaye M. Fillmore; and presenters were Thomas Harford, Bryan Johnstone, Paul Lemmens, Robin Room, Anders Romelsjo, and John Searles.
Acetylcarnitine Inhibits Alcohol Dehydrogenase

Carnitine and acetylcarnitine are used as dietary supplements and as therapeutic agents. Carnitine attenuates ethanol metabolism in intact animals but the in vitro activities of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), microsomal ethanol oxidizing system (MEOS) or catalase are not significantly altered by carnitine. Since acetylcarnitine was a far more potent inhibitor of ethanol oxidation than carnitine in hepatocytes, the activities of rat liver ADH and MEOS were determined with or without acetylcarnitine. The activity of ADH, not MEOS, was significantly inhibited by acetylcarnitine at NAD: acetylcarnitine < or = 1. The inhibition is of a competitive nature where acetylcarnitine competes with NAD+ (Ki = 135 mumol.L-1). This finding is unique in that this is the first report of this function of acetylcarnitine and it is a novel interaction between two important nutrients, niacin and carnitine.
The effects of in situ chemical oxidation on microbiological processes: A review

The effects of in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) on biological processes, as reported in the literature, were researched to determine if coupling ISCO with in situ bioremediation could be achieved in field and laboratory experiments. Literature was compiled concerning the effect of ISCO on microbial communities following addition of a chemical oxidant at a range of concentrations designed to treat a variety of subsurface contaminants. The results indicate that although microbial communities may potentially be adversely affected by chemical oxidation in the short term, a rebound of microbial biomass and/or bioremediation activity can be expected. Successfully coupling ISCO with bioremediation in field applications may be a cost-effective method of achieving risk-based site remediation goals. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Women Prisoners' Multidimensional Locus of Control

Most studies investigating internal-external locus of control (LOC) in prison samples have found inmates to be externally oriented. On the whole, these studies have excluded women prison inmates. The present study investigated LOC in a sample of volunteers (n = 174) from randomly selected inmates at a state prison for women. Results on a multidimensional measure of LOC showed that: (a) education and income were significantly and positively related to the internal orientation and negatively related to the external orientation of LOC; (b) compared to minority women inmates, white women inmates were less likely to attribute events to chance; and (c) no significant relationship was found between LOC and length of imprisonment. Findings suggest that differences in LOC between men and women prison inmates are related to sex-specific adaptation to prison and differences in prison environs rather than to length of imprisonment.
Irradiation-enhanced adsorption and trapping of O 2 on nanoporous water ice

We have found that irradiation with 50--150 keV protons enhances gas adsorption in nanoporous amorphous ice by creating high-energy binding sites. If irradiation is done in vacuum, the ice is compacted and does not adsorb significantly in subsequent exposure to gas. If irradiation occurs while the ice is exposed to an ambient ${\text{O}}_{2}$ pressure, adsorption is enhanced by a factor as high as 5.5 compared to unirradiated ice. The maximum concentration of adsorbed ${\text{O}}_{2}$ increased with increasing pressure and decreasing ion flux, achieving $\ensuremath{\sim}6%$ throughout the ion-penetration depth in the low-flux limit (at $7.2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}\text{ }\text{mbar}$ and 50 K). After simultaneous irradiation and oxygen exposure, the adsorbed ${\text{O}}_{2}$ could be retained in the ice when the ambient oxygen was removed, indicating that ion impacts close nanopores containing ${\text{O}}_{2}$. Similar results, but with somewhat lower gas/ice ratios where obtained with Ar, which has a lower binding energy than ${\text{O}}_{2}$. The experiments suggest a mechanism for gas trapping in comets and icy satellites in the outer Solar system.
Patterned Redox Arrays of Polyarylamines II. Growth of Thin Films and Their Electrochemical Behavior

Thin films of tetra-p-anisyl-p-phenylenediamine, 1, and p-phenylenediamine (PD) with four pendent diarylamino (AA) groups (4AA/PD, 3) are prepared by vapor deposition under high vacuum. Film growth...
Prostaglandin E2 protects human lung fibroblasts from cigarette smoke extract-induced apoptosis via EP2 receptor activation

Prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) has been shown to have a strong cytoprotective effect, inhibiting apoptosis. In the present study, we evaluated whether PGE(2) has a protective effect on cigarette smoke extract (CSE)-induced apoptosis in human lung fibroblasts. Apoptosis was assessed by various methods, including DNA content analysis. CSE (15%-20%) led to apoptosis and induced imbalance in favor of pro- over anti-apoptotic protein expression and activated caspases. PGE(2) blocked CSE-induced apoptosis and modulated the balance of pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins and decreased the activation of caspases. This anti-apoptotic effect was mediated via EP(2) receptor activation as the EP(2) agonist butaprost mimicked PGE(2) activity and siRNA for the EP(2) receptor blocked it. An adenylyl cyclase inhibitor was found to abolish the PGE(2)-mediated cytoprotective effect. Correspondingly, c-AMP analogs blocked CSE-induced apoptosis. Consistently, the protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor KT-5720 abolished PGE(2)-mediated protection. PGE(2) and butaprost phosphorylated Bad and KT-5720 blocked phosphorylation. These results suggest that PGE(2) inhibits CSE-induced apoptosis via EP(2) receptor activation and activation of PKA, which leads to an alteration in the balance between pro- and anti-apoptotic factors. Through such a mechanism, PGE(2) may alter survival of cells in the smoke-exposed lungs, thus affecting the pathogenesis of cigarette smoke-induced disease.
Substituent effects on benzyne electronic structures

The effect of inductive strength and π-conjugating tendency on the structure and energetics of singly substituted benzynes is studied for different substituents. For amino and cyano substituents, all possible isomers are examined. For silyl and ammonio substituents, meta isomers are examined. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
N152G, -S, and -T substitutions in CMY-2 β-lactamase increase catalytic efficiency for cefoxitin and inactivation rates for tazobactam.

Class C cephalosporinases are a growing threat, and clinical inhibitors of these enzymes are currently unavailable. Previous studies have explored the role of Asn152 in the Escherichia coli AmpC and P99 enzymes and have suggested that interactions between C-6′ or C-7′ substituents on penicillins or cephalosporins and Asn152 are important in determining substrate specificity and enzymatic stability. We sought to characterize the role of Asn152 in the clinically important CMY-2 cephalosporinase with substrates and inhibitors. Mutagenesis of CMY-2 at position 152 yields functional mutants (N152G, -S, and -T) that exhibit improved penicillinase activity and retain cephamycinase activity. We also tested whether the position 152 substitutions would affect the inactivation kinetics of tazobactam, a class A β-lactamase inhibitor with in vitro activity against CMY-2. Using standard assays, we showed that the N152G, -S, and -T variants possessed increased catalytic activity against cefoxitin compared to the wild type. The 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) for tazobactam improved dramatically, with an 18-fold reduction for the N152S mutant due to higher rates of enzyme inactivation. Modeling studies have shown active-site expansion due to interactions between Y150 and S152 in the apoenzyme and the Michaelis-Menten complex with tazobactam. Substitutions at N152 might become clinically important as new class C β-lactamase inhibitors are developed.
Social Competence in Late Elementary School: Relationships to Parenting and Neighborhood Context.

Despite evidence that neighborhoods confer both risk and resilience for youth development, the existing neighborhood research has a number of methodological limitations including lack of diversity in neighborhoods sampled and neighborhood characteristics assessed. The purpose of this study was to address these methodological limitations of existing research and to examine the relationship of neighborhood structural and social characteristics to family-level social processes and teacher-reported social competence during early adolescence. The study sample of 3,624 fifth graders (51 % girls) was ethnically diverse, including roughly even proportions of non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, and Hispanic youth. Neighborhood measures included economic disadvantage derived from the U.S. Census, physical and social disorder obtained by direct observation, and social capital from parental reports. Family-level social processes included parent reported family cohesion and youth reported maternal and paternal nurturance. We found that neighborhood factors significantly associated with youth social aggression and social competence but not social withdrawal, after controlling for individual demographic characteristics and parenting factors. There was limited evidence of moderation of family influences by neighborhood characteristics as well as the moderation of neighborhood effects by children’s gender. Neighborhood physical disorder was associated with increased social aggression among boys but with increased social withdrawal among girls. Implications of the study’s findings for research on neighborhoods and adolescent development and the development of preventive interventions are discussed.
Seasonal Development of the Southern Pine Beetle in East Texas

The southern pine beetle, Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmerman, passed through 7 (and a partial 8th) consecutive development periods in field-infested bolts kept in an outdoor insectary in east Texas in 1962. This phenomenon suggested that approximately 7 generations may develop each year under favorable forest conditions, A summer generation was complieted in as few as 26 days, but 3½ months were required for a winter generation.
Genotypic variation in the parasitic dinoflagellate Hematodinium perezi along the Delmarva Peninsula, Virginia

Hematodiniumperezi (genotype III) is a parasitic dinoflagellate that infects blue crabs along the eastern seaboard and Gulf of Mexico, USA. In order to examine the intra-specific genetic variation of this parasite, eleven microsatellite markers from H. perezi (III) were amplified from 227 infected blue crabs collected during 2008–2009 from six sites in Virginia. Simultaneous infections with multiple genetic types in a single-host individual were common and observed in 42 % of the samples. The remaining 58 % of samples had a single allele per locus at all eight polymorphic loci suggesting that the life history stages of the parasite in the host hemolymph are likely haploid. The composition and distribution of multi-locus genotypes (MLG) from samples with infections of a single genetic type indicated high genotypic variation along the Delmarva Peninsula, Virginia, with no evidence of population structure. The lack of linkage disequilibrium combined with the large number of unique MLGs (84 %) is strong evidence for recombination in the life cycle, but the sexual stages remain undetermined. This is the first evidence of ploidy level, infections by multiple genetic types in an individual host animal, high levels of genotypic variation, and sexual reproduction for any species of Hematodinium.
(CPS)^2: integration of center pivot systems with wireless underground sensor networks for autonomous precision agriculture

Precision agriculture (PA) refers to a series of practices and tools necessary to correctly evaluate farming needs and a high density of soil sensors is an essential part of this effort. The accuracy and effectiveness of PA solutions are highly dependent on accurate and timely analysis of the soil conditions. Traditional soil measurements techniques, however, do not provide real-time data and hence, cannot fully satisfy these requirements. Moreover, the use of wired sensors, which usually must be installed and removed frequently, impacts the deployment of a high density of sensor nodes for a certain area. In this paper, a novel cyber-physical system (CPS) is developed through the integration of center pivot systems with wireless underground sensor networks, i.e., (CPS)2 for precision agriculture (PA). The Wireless Underground Sensor Networks (WUSNs) consist of wirelessly connected underground sensor nodes that communicate untethered through soil. A CP provides one of the highest efficient irrigation solutions for agriculture and the integration of WUSNs with the CP structure can provide autonomous irrigation capabilities that are driven by the physical world, i.e., conditions of the soil. However, the wireless communication channel for the soil-air path is significantly affected by many spatio-temporal aspects, such as the location and burial depth of the sensors, the soil texture and moisture, the vegetation canopy, and also the speed of the center pivot engine. Due to the high number of real-time parameters to be considered, a cyber-physical system (CPS) must be developed. In this paper, as a proof-of-concept, the results of empirical experiments with these components are provided. The main characteristics of a precision agriculture CPS are highlighted as a result of the experiments realized with a WUSN built on top of a real-life center pivot system. The experiment results show that the concept of (CPS)2 is feasible and can be made highly reliable using commodity wireless sensor motes. Moreover, it is shown that the realization of (CPS)2 requires non-trivial management due to stochastic real-time communication constraints. Accordingly, guidelines for the development of an efficient (CPS)2 solution are provided. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that considers a CPS solution based on WUSNs for precision agriculture.
Use of contrast enhancement for the assessment of left ventricular function

Endocardial visualization is essential for accurate interpretation of regional wall thickening abnormalities, which constitute the diagnostic hallmark of coronary artery disease, and for reproducible assessment of left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction. Unfortunately, in many cardiac patients, poor image quality does not allow consistent visualization, let alone automated detection, of the endocardial boundary in all segments throughout the cardiac cycle. Continuing efforts directed towards improving endocardial visualization made by both echocardiographic imaging equipment manufacturers and researchers have recently produced new objective, quantitative approaches for the assessment of global and regional LV function. Although these developments have not been integrated into routine clinical practice, they may have a positive impact on endocardial visualization and, thus, eventually improve the ability to accurately and objectively evaluate LV performance. In this review, we discuss some of the latest developments in the use of contrast for the evaluation of LV function.
Inhibition of DNA synthesis in permeabilized L cells by novobiocin.

Abstract Novobiocin was equipotent in inhibiting DNA and RNA synthesis in cultured mouse L cells. It also suppressed in vitro DNA and RNA synthesis in permeabilized L cells and nuclei; 50 percent inhibition of DNA and RNA synthesis was obtained by 1 mM and 20 mM novobiocin, respectively. ATP antagonized the effect of novobiocin. Nalidixic acid had a weak inhibitory effect on in vitro DNA synthesis; 10 mM nalidixic acid showed 60 percent inhibition. ATP did not antagonize nalidixic acid. The inhibitory effect of novobiocin exceeded that of aphidicolin. These findings suggest a participation of a gyrase- and/or type II topoisomerase-like enzyme in the DNA replication machinery in L cells.
Axial pressure gradient in the canine superior vena cava

In the superior vena cava of anaesthetised open chest dogs the axial pressure gradient was measured simultaneously with the blood flow velocity under different preload conditions. Both pressure gradient and velocity curves showed distinct systolic and diastolic waves. Peak pressure gradient ranged between 26 and 93 Pa·cm−1 (0.2-0.7 mm Hg·cm−1) and velocity varied between 0.095 and 0.19 m·s−1. Peak systolic pressure gradient, but not peak diastolic pressure gradient, was significantly linearly correlated to peak systolic velocity and peak diastolic velocity respectively. The shape of the two curves corresponded fairly well, but variations in pressure gradient preceded the variations in velocity. Both the correspondence in shape and the phase lag between pressure gradient and velocity waves were evaluated by the normalised cross correlation technique. During volume expansion the shape correspondence improved and the phase lag decreased. It is concluded that the transient vena caval blood velocity variations are directly related to the pulsatile axial pressure gradient.
Wound Care Specialization: The Current Status and Future Plans to Move Wound Care into the Medical Community.

Background: There has been an explosion of basic science results in the field of wound care over the past 20 years. Initially, wound dressings were the only therapeutic option available to the wound practitioner. With advanced basic science knowledge, technical innovation, and the recent participation of pharmaceutical companies, the wound clinician now has an arsenal of dressings, biological tissue replacements, gene therapy, and cell-based treatment options. What has not, however, kept pace with these changes is the education and practical training for those treating nonhealing wounds. The pace of innovation in wound diagnostic tools has also lagged, creating even more pressure on the clinician to use experience, skill, and training to properly diagnose the root cause for the nonhealing wound. As wound healing is not considered a medical specialty, there is no formal training process for physicians, and subsequently, allied health practitioners are often the only ones available to provide care for these...