cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intravenous Catheters and Infection

The threefold objective of this communication is to present the results of a prospective bacteriological study of subclavian central venous catheters, to outline preventive measures for minimizing infectious complications in the use of peripheral and central venous catheters, and to discuss the management of suspected catheter infection and sepsis.
The Evolution of Colonial Voodoo

The process of Creolisation, which began with the Spanish colonisation of Haiti, affected every aspect of the slave’s life, including the organisation of his religious institutions. The emerging nativist religions also bore the mark of the emerging Creole culture. In several areas of the island, because of the kind of plantation prevalent — coffee, sugar, indigo, cotton — and the African origins of the slaves, various types of Creolised slave cults emerged. Haitian historians and ethnologists, influenced by the late Dr Jean Price-Mars — a theorist of negritude — have always argued that differences that existed in Voodoo in the beginning of the eighteenth century disappeared by the time of the Haitian Revolution (Trouillot 1970; Denis and Duvalier 1944). According to these historians and ethnologists, during the regular Voodoo meetings in which maroons and slaves participated, the Voodoo cults were unified and standardised and became a cohesive political factor for revolutionary slaves and maroons (Price-Mars 1928: 114; Denis and Duvalier 1944: 21). The underlying assumption in their writings is that ritual, theological, and organisational uniformity is necessary to achieve racial solidarity and political unity. Data provided by colonial chroniclers, missionaries and travellers allows us not only to test this hypothesis, but also to reject it.1
Wet and dry etching of Sc2O3

Abstract Wet chemical and plasma etch processes were developed for pattering of Sc2O3 films on GaN. Chlorine-based plasma chemistries produced a significant chemical enhancement of removal rate over pure Ar sputtering. The etching was anisotropic and did not significantly alter the surface composition of the Sc2O3 films. Reaction-limited wet etching in the HNO3/HCl/HF system was investigated as a function of solution formulation and temperature. The activation energy for the wet etching ranged from 8 to 14 kcal/mol and the etch rates were independent of solution agitation.
Identifying Bathymetric Differences over Alaska's North Slope using a Satellite-derived Bathymetry Multi-temporal Approach

ABSTRACT Pe'eri, S.; Madore, B.; Nyberg, J.; Snyder, L.; Parrish, C., and Smith, S., 2016. Identifying bathymetric differences over Alaska's North Slope using a satellite-derived bathymetry multi-temporal approach. In: Brock, J.C.; Gesch, D.B.; Parrish, C.E.; Rogers, J.N., and Wright, C.W. (eds.), Advances in Topobathymetric Mapping, Models, and Applications. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue, No. 76, pp. 56–63. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Many nautical charts of Alaska's North Slope are based on chart data that have not been updated since the early 1950s. Additionally, these charts may have been compiled using inadequate data and contain unsurveyed areas. However, with more days per year of diminished Arctic sea-ice coverage, including along the North Slope, marine transportation in this region has increased during the past decade, thus increasing the need for updated nautical charts. Due to limited resources available for U.S. Arctic surveying, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric ...
Mode-evolution-based, broadband 1×2 port high-pass/low-pass filter for silicon photonics

We demonstrate integrated, mode-evolution-based, 1×2 port high-pass/low-pass filters in a silicon photonics platform that can simultaneously achieve broadband operation, single cutoff wavelength, and a record high filter roll-off of 2.5 dB/nm for the first time.
Wireless Mesh networking Protocol for sustained throughput in edge computing

It is critical to provide sustained data throughput in edge computing, where several sensor devices generate information that needs to be fused and used for decision making in e.g., disaster incident scenes. To this end, we compare the effectiveness of two protocols, Hybrid Wireless Mesh Protocol (HWMP) and Greedy Perimeter Stateless Routing (GPSR), based upon their ability to stream data in a mesh network. We model the two protocols using three topologies consisting of a sender, receiver and multiple Mesh Points to relay the data. We perform experiments varying the density, scale and failure rates of the topology. Finally, we evaluate the effectiveness of both protocols by comparing the total throughput from sender to receiver in each experiment. We show that geographic routing algorithms such as GPSR, given their potential for statelessness, can be more effective in delivering sustained data throughput than the 802.11s standard HWMP in high failure and large scale topology cases.
Ear studies in the newborn infant: II. Age of spontaneous visibility of the auditory canal and tympanic membrane, and the appearance of these structures in healthy newborn infants

Summary In 524 examinations of ears during the first week of life in healthy full-term infants, 191 ears were adequately visualized without cleansing. The progressive spontaneous clearing of vernix is evidenced by the finding of 169 visible drums in 316 examinations (53.5 per cent) of newborn infants on their fourth to sixth days of life, compared to only 22 visualizations in 208 examinations (10.5 per cent) in the first 3 days of life. The normal landmarks in the immediate postnatal period are described. Ear drums become less reddened after the first 24 hours and landmarks become clearer, but the ear drums are pinker and the landmarks less distinct than in the older child. New features described are the dorsal and ventral “fireballs,” spokelike markings, and a dorsal gray area.
A MODEL FOR THE ANALYSIS OF INQUIRY

Publisher Summary Inquiry has been variously described as an attitude, a state of mind, a way of learning, a process of investigation, an uncovering, and a search for the truth. Such descriptions serve to characterize phenomena only as they appear on the surface. To understand inquiry requires a look, however speculative, beneath the surface at the elements of the human condition and human functioning that play a role in the course of inquiry. This chapter presents a model to provide a theoretical framework for the analysis of the behavior of inquirers. The model evolved through 7 years of research into the inquiry process as it is manifested by intermediate-grade children. This work was done at the University of Illinois with the outside support of the U.S. Office of Education. The initial purpose was to identify the necessary and sufficient conditions for stimulating and supporting inquiry in the elementary classroom and to develop methods and materials for creating these conditions. In time, the center of focus shifted toward the nature of the inquiry process itself, particularly the major psychological dimensions related to the processes of perception, motivation, storage and retrieval, overt action, and the family of intervening functions loosely categorized as thinking or information processing.
Parkinson Disease and Melanoma: Confirming and Reexamining an Association.

Abstract Objective To examine an association between melanoma and Parkinson disease (PD). Patients and Methods Phase I: Rochester Epidemiology Project records were used to identify (between January 1, 1976, and December 31, 2013) patients with PD in Olmsted County, Minnesota, with 3 matched controls per case. After review, JMP statistical software with logistic regression analysis was used to assess the risk of preexisting melanoma in patients with PD vs controls. Phase II: All Rochester Epidemiology Project cases of melanoma were identified (between January 1, 1976, and December 31, 2014), with 1 control per case. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess the risk of developing PD after the index date in cases vs controls, and Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to determine the 35-year cumulative risk of PD. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess the risk of death from metastatic melanoma in patients with melanoma without PD compared with those with PD. Results Phase I: Patients with PD had a 3.8-fold increased likelihood of having preexisting melanoma as compared with controls (95% CI, 2.1-6.8; P Conclusion There appears to be an association between melanoma and PD. Further study is warranted; but on the basis of these results, physicians may consider counseling patients with melanoma about PD risk and implementing cutaneous and ocular melanoma surveillance in patients with PD.
'No' Review of Philip Hamburger, 'Is Administrative Law Unlawful?'

Philip Hamburger has had a vision, a dark vision of lawless and unchecked power. He wants us to see that American administrative law is “unlawful” root-and-branch, indeed that it is tyrannous -- that we have recreated, in another guise, the world of executive “prerogative” that would have obtained if James II had prevailed, and the Glorious Revolution never occurred. The administrative state stands outside, and above, the law.But before criticism, there must first come understanding. There is too much in this book about Charles I and Chief Justice Coke, about the High Commission and the dispensing power. There is not enough about the Administrative Procedure Act, about administrative law judges, about the statutes, cases and arguments that rank beginners in the subject are expected to learn and know. The book makes crippling mistakes about the administrative law of the United States; it misunderstands what that body of law actually holds and how it actually works. As a result the legal critique, launched by five-hundred-odd pages of text, falls well wide of the target.
RF Characterization of an Integrated Microwave Photonic Circuit for Self-Interference Cancellation

We perform a full radio frequency (RF) characterization of the first integrated microwave photonic interference canceller. The photonic integrated circuit is one of the first to possess only RF inputs and outputs, with monolithically integrated optical sources and detectors. The characterization is important to developing an in-depth understanding of the integrated circuit’s effect on RF receivers. We characterize the circuit’s gain, noise figure, input intercept point, 1-dB compression point, and spurious-free dynamic range as functions of on -chip device bias points and frequency up to 6 GHz. We find that the circuit’s RF properties are almost exclusively determined by the directly modulated laser. Link gain is primarily driven by the laser slope efficiency. The noise figure is dominated by signal attenuation and laser relative intensity noise. The circuit nonlinearity is the third-order intermodulation product limited. With the exception of link gain, all properties improved with increasing laser bias, saturating at 30 mA. Meanwhile, all properties degraded with increasing frequency. External optical feedback from the reflections off of waveguide transitions in the monolithic circuit created operating points of high noise figure and low gain, and should be avoided during operation. The circuit can be improved by implementing a balanced link architecture to suppress the laser relative intensity noise and using external modulators to improve the link linearity and bandwidth.
The Forfeiture of Coverage Defenses Rule: An Economic Analysis

In liability insurance, the duty to defend is broader than the duty to cover. Thus it is possible that an insurer that has a duty to defend a suit may not have the duty to cover the policyholder's liabilities in the suit. However, if the penalty for a breach of the duty to defend is limited to actual legal costs spent by the defendant, the insurer may have an incentive to refuse to defend, even when the duty to defend is clear. This occurs because the insurer will not internalize the consequences of an inadequate defense when it ultimately can avoid covering the claim. If the penalty for a breach of the duty to defend also includes a forfeiture of the right to contest coverage of the claim, the insurer will never refuse to defend when the duty to defend is clear, but such a penalty could induce an insurer to defend even when it has a good legal argument against the duty to defend. We argue that tying a forfeiture of the right to assert any defense of coverage to an unreasonable refusal to defend can give an insurer incentives to internalize the cost of an inadequate defense while allowing the insurer to make reasonable legal arguments challenging a duty to defend.
Diagonal reflections on squares

The effects of (bounded versions of) the forcing axioms $$\mathsf {SCFA}$$ , $$\mathsf {PFA}$$ and $$\mathsf {MM}$$ on the failure of weak threaded square principles of the form $$\square (\lambda ,\kappa )$$ are analyzed. To this end, a diagonal reflection principle, $$\mathsf {DSR}{\left( {<}\kappa ,S\right) }$$ is introduced. It is shown that $$\mathsf {SCFA} $$ implies $$\mathsf {DSR}{\left( \omega _1,S^\lambda _\omega \right) }$$ , for all regular $$\lambda \ge \omega _2$$ , and that $$\mathsf {DSR}{\left( \omega _1,S^\lambda _\omega \right) }$$ implies the failure of $$\square (\lambda ,\omega _1)$$ if $$\lambda >\omega _2$$ , and it implies the failure of $$\square (\lambda ,\omega )$$ if $$\lambda =\omega _2$$ . It is also shown that this result is sharp. It is noted that $$\mathsf {MM}$$ / $$\mathsf {PFA}$$ imply the failure of $$\square (\lambda ,\omega _1)$$ , for every regular $$\lambda >\omega _1$$ , and that this result is sharp as well.
Molecular imaging and validation of non-melanoma skin cancer margins

We have developed a point-of-care imaging method for non-melanoma skin cancer surgery whereby excised tissues are imaged with a smart near infrared quenched protease probe (6qcNIR) that fluoresces in the presence of overexpressed cathepsin proteases in basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and determine if margins are clear of cancer. Here we report our imaging system and our method to validate the detection of skin cancer. We imaged skin samples with an inverted, flying spot fluorescence scanner (LI-COR Odyssey CLx). Scatter in Odyssey system was greatly reduced giving an 80% improvement in the step response as compared to a previously used macroscopic imaging system with imaging of a fluorescence phantom. We developed a validation scheme for careful comparison of fluorescent cancer signal to histology annotation, involving image segmentation, fiducial based registration and non-rigid free-form deformation, using our LI-COR fluorescence images, corresponding color images, bread-loafed tissue images, H&E slides and pathologist annotation. Spatial accuracy in the bulk of the sample was ∼500 μm. Extrapolated with a linear stretch model suggests an error at the margin of <100 μm. Cancer annotations on H&E slides were transformed and superimposed on the probe fluorescence to generate the final result. In general, the fluorescence cancer signal corresponded with histological annotation.
Emerging Insights into the Esophageal Microbiome.

Analysis of the esophageal microbiome remains a relatively new field of research, and most studies to date have focused on characterizing the esophageal microbiome in states of health and disease. Microbiome alterations have been implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammatory and neoplastic conditions in the colon and elsewhere in the gastrointestinal tract. The epidemiology of various esophageal conditions including Barrett’s esophagus (BE), esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), and eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) point to the microbiome as a potential co-factor in disease pathogenesis, and the possibility exists that these microbiome alterations could contribute directly to the inflammatory environments necessary for the carcinogenesis or atopy involved in these conditions. The native esophageal microbiome is similar in composition to the oral microbiome, with a high relative abundance of the phylum Firmicutes and the genus Streptococcus. Limited studies to date suggest that there are certain microbiome alterations associated with esophageal diseases. Additionally, it may be possible to indirectly assess the esophageal microbiome via non-endoscopic means. This raises the possibility that non-invasive microbiome analysis could be used for disease screening and monitoring. Further understanding of the role of the esophageal microbiome in disease pathogenesis, as well as methods for microbiome alteration, may help elucidate future targets for disease modifying therapies, or minimally invasive screening tools in patients at high risk for development of various esophageal conditions.
Band-Reconfigurable Filter With Liquid Metal Actuation

A substrate integrated waveguide band-reconfigurable filter with four configurations: 1) dual band; 2) low band; 3) high band; and 4) no-band, is presented. Liquid metal is chosen to enable switching between the different configurations by filling or emptying certain via holes and channels. By altering the liquid metal placement in the filter, cavity boundaries and transmission lines are adjusted to obtain the desired response. In order to demonstrate the concept, a prototype filter in C-band is designed and fabricated. The frequency responses of the liquid-metal-actuated filter (in all operating configurations) are compared with simulated and fabricated copper-plated filters. Good agreement is observed between the simulation results and the measurements. For the single- and dual-band filter configurations, insertion loss less than 1.9 dB and return loss greater than 16 dB are achieved at the center frequencies of 4.6 and 7 GHz. For the no-band (or all-stop) configuration, isolation is better than 36 dB over the entire band between 4 and 8 GHz. Additionally, to quantify the impact of using liquid metal, unloaded quality factors of a fabricated liquid-metal-actuated and copper-plated resonator are compared. The presented filter clearly demonstrates the potential of using liquid metal actuation in future reconfigurable RF hardware.
Alcohol and Vitamin Metabolism

Two topics will be briefly considered before discussing the subject of alcohol and vitamin metabolism: alcohol and alcoholism, and the nutritional value of alcohol with respect to vitamins and minerals.
Current Options in Drug Design

ABSTRACT The principal goals of medicinal chemistry are the discovery of “lead” compounds, their molecular modification, the preparation of drugs, and the explanation of their molecular mode of action. “Lead” compounds are discovered by screening but if a biochemical aberration can be established as an etiological factor in a given disease, metabolites involved in the biochemical lesion can become “leads”. In a few cases, the reactions of a drug with active receptor sites, especially enzymic cofactors, have been analyzed and serve as guides for designing “lead” compounds. Molecular modification can be based rationally on bioisosterism. Some rules of bioisosterism were expanded and updated and have also received some aid from quantitative structure-activity studies.
The Nature of Retributive Justice and Its Demands on the State

The enterprise of state punishment requires the use of limited resources for which there are other competitors, such as national defense, market regulation, and social welfare. How resource-demanding retributive justice will turn out to be depends on how retributivists answer a series of questions concerning the theory’s structure. After elaborating these questions and the varieties of retributive justice that answers to them might generate, I consider the resource demands of retributive justice in the context of competing theories of distributive justice. Various tensions and outright conflicts between the pursuit of retributive and distributive justice are then explored.
Developing a legitimacy-based view of political risk: The case of Google in China

Political risk remains one of the critical factors affecting firms’ strategies and performance abroad. Yet, the nature of business-government interactions in an era of increased economic competitio...
DIASTOLIC FILLING AND CLINICAL OUTCOMES: A PROSPECTIVE CARDIAC MAGNETIC RESONANCE STUDY

There is no consensus in diastolic function evaluation using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR). In this study, we evaluated quantitative markers of ventricular filling derived from cine images and correlated with clinical outcomes. We studied adults (N = 403, 62.3±11.1 years, 93.6% male)
Growth and Rents in the Real Economy

Settlement and growth are explored in more detail and the processes driving up rents are modeled mathematically. Net aggregate product is increased each period by growth, and at the same time rents are driven up each period. Total land value is the capitalized value of rents capitalized at the long-term rate of interest, usually very close to the rate of growth. The formula derived here allows for growth to drive rents strongly or weakly, and for the growth rate to differ from the interest rate; but it nevertheless shows that George’s insight was well founded.
On Measuring the Balance between Wrongful Convictions and Wrongful Acquittals in Criminal Trials

Verdicts in criminal trials can err by convicting an innocent person or acquitting a guilty defendant. Recent work shows how the rates and relative numbers of both types of errors can be measured statistically both for judge verdicts and for jury verdicts (Spencer 2007, Gastwirth and Sinclair 1998). The key is to have multiple ratings of the cases, e.g., also record the judge's belief of the correct verdict in a jury trial or an expert observer's belief of the correct verdict in a non-jury trial. Analysis of a non-random sample of state court cases in 2000-01 from four jurisdictions studied by the National Center for State Courts (Hannaford-Agor et al 2003) yields estimates that approximately 17% of the jury verdicts were incorrect: 7% were wrongful convictions and 10% were wrongful acquittals; it was estimated that 12% of the judges' verdicts were incorrect: 10% of judges' verdicts wrongful convictions and 1% wrongful acquittals. Those numbers are subject to a number of limitations, not least the non-representative nature of the sample of cases; this paper reviews those limitations not only for the analysis of the NCSC data but, more importantly, with an eye toward future studies.
Business Rules to Improve Secondary Data Use of Electronic Healthcare Systems

The 'fit for purpose' paradigm used for data quality assessment in electronic healthcare record (EHR) systems is not so fit when assessed in the light of secondary data use. An analysis of the difficulties encountered in trying to use existing EHR data for cohort identification for prospective clinical trials and retrograde data analytics, revealed the root causes to fall in three categories: (1) issues in workflow and data registration, (2) preventable inadequacies in software configuration and personalization and (3) software development issues on the side of the vendor. By reviewing secondary data use requirements and formulating value adding business rules, development and data collection practices can be steered towards greater value in secondary data consumption.
ControlledFormation of Multilayer Films of DiscreteMolecular Catalysts for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction Using a Layer-by-LayerGrowth Mechanism Based on Sequential Click Chemistry

Molecular electrocatalysts show promise for energy-relevant multi-electron transformations due to their rationally-tunable activity and selectivity from systematic ligand modifications. However, su...
Oestradiol as a neuromodulator of learning and memory.

Although hormones such as glucocorticoids have been broadly accepted in recent decades as general neuromodulators of memory processes, sex steroid hormones such as the potent oestrogen 17β-oestradiol have been less well recognized by the scientific community in this capacity. The predominance of females in studies of oestradiol and memory and the general (but erroneous) perception that oestrogens are ‘female’ hormones have probably prevented oestradiol from being more widely considered as a key memory modulator in both sexes. Indeed, although considerable evidence supports a crucial role for oestradiol in regulating learning and memory in females, a growing body of literature indicates a similar role in males. This Review discusses the mechanisms of oestradiol signalling and provides an overview of the effects of oestradiol on spatial, object recognition, social and fear memories. Although the primary focus is on data collected in females, effects of oestradiol on memory in males will be discussed, as will sex differences in the molecular mechanisms that regulate oestrogenic modulation of memory, which may have important implications for the development of future cognitive therapeutics. Sex steroid hormones such as the potent oestrogen 17β-oestradiol have only recently started to be acknowledged as important neuromodulators. Taxier, Gross and Frick review 17β-oestradiol signalling in the brain and its effects on different types of memory.
REMARKS ON SOME MINIMALIST ACCOUNTS FOR BINDING

The present paper is a reassessment of the empirical and theoretical arguments presented by some of main minimalist accounts for binding. Some if these accounts assume that the binding principles are conditions on LF representations, others argue that they are derived by narrow syntax computations. Despite that, I present some observations indicating that there is not yet a satisfactory minimalist account for binding. The amounted evidence indicates that binding is derivational. However, pragmatics seems also engaged in building coreferentiality.
Validity of Medical Insurance Guidelines for Orthognathic Surgery.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to assess the validity of the medical insurance guidelines for orthognathic surgery used by the major American medical insurance companies. Materials and Methods This study assessed the validity of the medical insurance guidelines for orthognathic surgery used by Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS), Cigna, Humana, and UnitedHealthcare (UHC). To evaluate the validity, we calculated the approval and denial rates of the 5 guidelines when we used them to assess the medical necessity for a control group of carefully selected patients. Patients were included in the control group if they met the criteria of a “prudent provider,” crafted for this study. All rejected cases were analyzed to determine the root cause of the denials. The validity of the guidelines was also ascertained by determining their completeness and correctness. Results The current study proves that no insurance guideline is in agreement with the criteria of a “prudent provider.” When applied to carefully chosen patients, the requirements of BCBS, Aetna, Humana, and Cigna produce modest rejection rates of 6 to 12%. UHC is an outlier. Its guideline rejects 86% of patients, a rate about 7 times higher than its peers. Insurance guidelines disqualified patients for 3 different reasons: 1) no significant jaw deformity, 2) no demonstrable health impairment, and 3) the etiology of the condition is not a covered benefit. Additional evaluations demonstrate that the private insurance guidelines are incomplete, and at times, incorrect. Conclusions This study shows that the medical insurance guidelines for orthognathic surgery used by the major American medical insurance plans need revision. The most consequential flaw was considering etiology in judging medical necessity. Fortunately, only one company adopted this policy. Moreover, all guidelines have omissions and errors in the way jaw deformity is determined and how health impairment is determined.
Psychosomatic Illness in the Twentieth Century

There can be little doubt that Sigmund Freud had a major impact on the public’s perception of psychosomatic illnesses, yet his model of the conscious and unconscious mind had relatively little impact on the treatment of psychosomatic symptoms. Overall, psychoanalysis is not very helpful for treating psychosomatic symptoms, and it is not available to the vast majority of people. On the other hand, common-sense psychotherapy based on positive suggestion, reassurance and stress management has proven very effective in a wide variety of settings. The major wars of the twentieth century provided a dramatic example of the effects of chronic stress on the health of human beings. Late in the century, the new medical subspecialty, psychosomatic medicine, documented the importance of chronic stress for most medical conditions including hypertension, heart disease and even cancer. The result was a new biopsychosocial model of medicine. With this historical context, we can now address the biological and psychosocial factors that cause psychosomatic symptoms.
Gen Z, Instagram Influencers, and #OOTD Hashtags’ Effect on Purchase Intention of Apparel

This study aims to understand Gen Z and their relationship to influencers on #OOTD (Outfit Of The Day) on Instagram and how the credibility of the influencer, parasocial interaction (PSI), physical attractiveness, and self-confidence of the influencer are related and ultimately affect the purchase intention of consumers. The study was conducted using the online survey platform Qualtrics. A total of 304 participants of the study took an online survey consisting of 26 questions, including demographic and usage inquiries. All items were placed on a 3 pt. Likert scale (1: Disagree; 2: Neutral; 3: Agree) to discourage survey fatigue. This study’s main finding is that physical attractiveness is not as important to consumers as credibility, PSI, and confidence. With PSI being the strongest predictor of purchase intention. Transferring confidence and credibility are the most important aspects of influencing this generation on Instagram and creating a relationship with followers.
Spinal column shortening for secondary tethered cord syndrome: radiographic, clinical, patient-reported, and urodynamic short-term outcomes

OBJECTIVE Tethered cord syndrome (TCS) is a clinical and radiographic diagnosis of pathological stretching of the spinal cord leading to progressive loss of neurological function. The gold standard treatment for TCS is a tethered cord release. However, detethering involves significant risks of spinal cord injury and high rates of retethering. To mitigate these risks, the concept of spinal column shortening (SCS) to decrease spinal cord tension has become an alternative to detethering. In this study, the authors applied SCS to a pediatric and emerging adult population affected by secondary TCS. METHODS A retrospective review of a prospective database at the authors' tertiary pediatric institution was performed. The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, patient- and parent-reported outcomes, and urodynamics were used to evaluate the outcomes of TCS treated with SCS. RESULTS A total of 41 patients with secondary TCS were treated with SCS. The average age at the time of surgery was 15.9 years (range 5-55 years). Preoperative symptoms evaluated included pain (33 patients), weakness (30 patients), and bladder/bowel dysfunction (39 patients). The most common level of spinal column osteotomy was T12, with spinal fusion between T10 and L2. The mean follow-up time was 22.6 months (range 8-45 months). For patients with at least 12 months of follow-up, subjective clinical improvements were reported in 21/23 (91.3%) of those with preoperative pain (p < 0.01); in 16/24 (66.7%) of patients with weakness (p < 0.01), and in 15/29 (51.7%) of those with bladder/bowel dysfunction (p < 0.01). The median differences in initial and most recent Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory results were +5 for patient-reported scores (n = 19, p = 0.04) and +5 for parent-reported scores (n = 19, p = 0.08). Formal urodynamics performed at a median of 3.5 months after surgery documented stable to improved bladder function in 16/17 patients, with a median improvement in one classification category (n = 17, p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS SCS continues to represent a safe and efficacious alternative to traditional spinal cord untethering for TCS in children and emerging adults, as documented by objective formal urodynamics and patient- and parent-reported outcomes.
Assessment of acid-base status: Beyond serum bicarbonate

Maintenance of normal blood pH is critical for cellular function. Yet, blood pH is uncommonly measured in the outpatient setting. Instead, serum [total CO2] ([TCO2]) is used to screen for acid-base disturbances, the argument being that both metabolic and respiratory disorders are generally
Demographic, Symptom, and Lifestyle Factors Associated With Cancer-Related Fatigue in Men With Prostate Cancer.

Objectives To identify potential demographic, symptom, and lifestyle factors associated with cancer-related fatigue (CRF) in men with prostate cancer. Sample & setting Data were retrieved from men with prostate cancer across the disease trajectory who were enrolled in the Genitourinary Cancer Collaborative Registry-Prostate Cancer. Methods & variables Self-reported data on demographic characteristics, lifestyle habits (smoking history, alcohol consumption, physical activity/exercise, dietary habits, and vitamins/supplements), and symptom experiences (measured using the Brief Fatigue Inventory, European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality-of-Life Questionnaire-Prostate Cancer and -Bone Metastasis, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) were included in the registry. Results Demographic (younger age) and symptom (sleep quality, urinary, bowel, hormone-related, and sexual activity) correlates of CRF were identified. Higher levels of moderate to vigorous exercise and activities were associated with lower CRF in the sample as a whole. However, there was no association between CRF and physical activity in men with bone metastasis. Implications for nursing CRF is a common and burdensome symptom among individuals with cancer and survivors. Identification of demographic, symptom, and lifestyle factors associated with CRF can enhance understanding of this symptom and contribute to early risk assessment and intervention.
Handgrip as a measure of muscle strength and its physiological dependence on therapeutic variables: A randomized case.

Abstract Clinical and medical data findings have traditionally been more representative of male than female subjects, and when combined, have not clearly differentiated between the groups. In this study there were no research questions initially contemplated, as the data were obtained from an educational setting, where participants completed tasks as part of a pedagogical program of preparation. The nature of the post-hoc analysis renders the study as a hypothesis-generating type rather than a hypothesis-testing one. It began as a cross-sectional quantitative analysis of performance on a task to explore the relationship between hand grip and three independent physiological variables. The data collected from all subjects were randomized since the total group of participants contained a disproportionate number of females as compared to males, this being a result of a demographic predominance of female students in a program of teacher preparation. Graphical analysis with the slope taken as a measure of hand grip dependence on three independent variables, and the correlation value used as a measure of association between variables yielded discernible differences. The grip strength dependence on the hand size as well as the wrist thickness show consistently significant differences for females only, with t test of significance (p
American Indian Whaling

This encyclopedia entry describes American Indian whaling issues and the Makah Nation's attempt to reclaim its historic and treaty protected rights of whaling.
Matching study areas using Google Street View: A new application for an emerging technology

Google Street View (GSV) can be used as an effective tool to conduct virtual neighborhood audits. We expand on this research by exploring the utility of a GSV-based neighborhood audit to measure and match target and comparison study areas. We developed a GSV-based inventory to measure characteristics of retail alcohol stores and their surrounding neighborhoods. We assessed its reliability and assessed the utility of GSV-based audits for matching target and comparison study areas. We found that GSV-based neighborhood audits can be a useful, reliable, and cost-effective tool for matching target and comparison study areas when archival data are insufficient and primary data collection is prohibitive. We suggest that researchers focus on characteristics that are easily visible on GSV and are relatively stable over time when creating future GSV-based measuring and matching tools. Dividing the study area into small segments may also provide more accurate measurements and more precise matching.
p73 is required for the apoptotic activity of an engineered nuclear BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase

2782 The BCR-ABL oncoprotein of Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) localizes to the cell cytoplasm because its nuclear localization signals (NLS) are inactivated. In the cytoplasm, BCR-ABL activates several proliferative and anti-apoptotic signaling pathways leading to the development of CML. We have previously reported that the NLS of BCR-ABL can be re-activated and that the nuclear BCR-ABL can trigger cell death. To clarify the molecular mechanisms responsible for the apoptosis induced by nuclear BCR-ABL, we investigated its possible interactions with the p53 family of proteins. We engineered a BCR-ABLNuk construct that is capable of nuclear import while maintaining its constitutive tyrosine kinase activity. Immunofluorescence analysis and cell fractionation experiments confirmed that BCR-ABLNuk and its kinase defective counterpart BCR-ABLKDNuk both migrate to the cell nucleus. Furthermore, IP-Western experiments demonstrated that these constructs physically interact with p73 but not with p53 and p63. This interaction requires the SH3 domain of BCR-ABLNuk, since a BCR-ABLNuk construct devoid of the SH3 domain can no longer bind p73. Following its association with BCR-ABLNuk, p73 is phosphorylated on tyrosines 99 and 121. This post-translational modification stabilizes the p73 protein and leads to the induction of cell death. These results were further confirmed in fibroblasts derived from p73-null mice. In this cellular context, BCR-ABLNuk was unable to elicit cell death. However, the reconstitution of these cells with wild-type p73 promptly reestablished an apoptotic response. Our results identify p73 as a molecular target of nuclear BCR-ABL, suggesting that, in order to induce cell death, the oncoprotein requires binding and phosphorylation of p73.
Optimization of high-performance liquid chromatographic assay for catecholamines: Determination of optimal mobile phase composition and elimination of species-dependent differences in extraction recovery of 3,4-dihydroxybenzylamine

This paper describes the application of a window diagram technique to optimize the four components of eluent (sodium acetate, sodium heptanesulfonate, acetonitrile and pH adjusted by monochloroacetic acid), for complete separation of five catecholamine compounds and the internal standard (3,4-dihydroxybenzylamine, DHBA). In addition, studies were performed to address the problem of the variable recovery of DHBA from dog plasma due to a time-dependent loss of DHBA. We found that this phenomenon can be prevented by pH adjustment prior to addition of DHBA, allowing development of an accurate high-performance liquid chromatographic assay for plasma catecholamines in dogs.
Apoptosis in Xenopus egg extracts.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the apoptosis in xenopus egg extracts. Apoptosis is a program of cellular suicide initiated by a wide range of physiological stimuli. Acting in a cell-autonomous manner, the apoptotic process eliminates superfluous or harmful cells without damaging neighboring cells. While an array of deafly defined changes in cellular morphology accompany apoptosis, the underlying biochemical events that produce cell death are poorly understood. A number of molecular participants in the apoptotic process have been identified, including proteases critical for the implementation of apoptosis and several proteins believed to be important in signaling events prior to cell death. The major difficulty in unraveling the biochemistry of apoptosis lies in the nature of the process. Following a latent phase of variable duration, during which a condemned cell becomes commited to apoptosis, the cell is rapidly dismantled.
Intracellular Magnetic Labeling of Lymphocytes for In Vivo Trafficking Studies

Lymphocyte adhesion and trafficking is difficult to observe in vivo over time. We used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to identify magnetically labeled lymphocytes in phantom experiments and in tissue. A method of lymphocyte labeling was developed that is based on fluid-phase endocytosis of nanometer-sized biocompatible superparamagnetic particles. The maximum cell uptake in culture was 0.11 ng Fe/cell corresponding to 5 × 106 particles/lymphocyte. Cells stably retained the label and were fully viable for at least 3 days. Labeled lymphocytes showed adhesion to human endothelial cells similar to unlabeled cells, indicating no effect of labeling on cell surface expression of adhesion proteins. No particle-mediated cytotoxicity could be observed. The detection threshold of MRI for detecting labeled lymphocytes in the current study was 2.5 × 106 cells/30 μL sampling volume. Following intravenous injection of labeled lymphocytes into rats, cells accumulated in spleen, lymph nodes and liver with a similar bio-...
The International Policy Options

Prime Minister Nakasone’s blue-ribbon Economic Council recommended that Japan’s record 1985 current account/GNP ratio of 3.7 percent, and the expected more than 4 percent 1986 ratio be reduced to around 1.5 to 2 percent by FY 1992. Subsequently, the Maekawa Commission in both its 1986 and 1987 reports suggested this objective. While this can partially be achieved through the implementation of the domestic policy options to increase demand, and thus imports, other measures such as increased foreign direct investment and foreign aid are also needed. To illustrate the point, the elimination of the 1986 current account surplus of $86 billion alone would have required a 33 percent domestic economic growth rate.
Multi-scale applications of neutron scattering and imaging

Neutron scattering and imaging are exquisitely sensitive to differences in the bulk hydrogen content of biological materials. This provides a unique, natural contrast between common classes of biomolecules that can be used to distinguish the individual components of complex biological assemblies, membranes and multicellular tissue systems. Applications in human biology range from atomic-resolution analysis of hydrogen atoms in enzymes, through to multi-scale analysis of hierarchical structures and assemblies involved in disease and extend to sub-millimeter resolution imaging of tissues and organs. The completion of the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) and the upgrade of the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) provide access to a powerful new suite of instruments that can examine biological structure and function across multiple levels of organization that spanning from molecules to living cells and tissues.
Cox-2-selective inhibitors: the new super aspirins.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin or ibuprofen are commonly used for the occasional headache or fever or to reduce soreness and inflammation resulting from work or exercise. However, many individuals who have rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis depend on these drugs
Nitrogen Fixation in the Clostridia

Among nitrogen-fixing organisms, the genus Clostridium occupies a very special place. The species Clostridium pasteurianum is the first known free-living nitrogen-fixing bacterium, and it has been studied in the laboratory ever since its isolation by S. Winogradsky over 100 years ago (Winogradsky, 1895). After the N tracer technique became available, a number of Clostridium species, including C. acetobutylicum, C. beijerinckii, and C. butyricum were also found to be capable of nitrogen fixation (Rosenblum and Wilson, 1949). Biochemical studies conducted with C. pasteurianum between the late 1950s and early 1970s led to pivotal findings that are the foundation of our current knowledge of the enzymology of biological nitrogen fixation. These crucial events include the preparation of a consistently active nitrogen-fixing cell-free extract (Carnahan et al., 1960a, 1960b), the discovery of the low-redox potential iron-sulfur protein ferredoxin as the natural electron donor for nitrogenase (Mortenson et al., 1962, 1963; Mortenson, 1963), the discovery that ATP, in addition to ferredoxin, is required for nitrogenase activity (Mortenson, 1964), and the separation of nitrogenase into two metalloproteins (Mortenson, 1965, 1966). In retrospect, the use of an obligate anaerobe in early nitrogen-fixation research had a profound effect on the progress of this field. Because of the O2-sensitivity of the source organism, anaerobic conditions were used in the preparation of cell-free extracts and pyruvate was used in the assay to support the in vitro nitrogen-fixing activity. This combination of circumstances facilitated the realization that nitrogenase is extremely O2-sensitive and that reduced ferredoxin and ATP, both of which are produced during
Modeling of colloid and colloid-facilitated contaminant transport in a two-dimensional fracture with spatially variable aperture

Mathematical models are developed for two-dimensional transient transport of colloids, and cotransport of contaminant/colloids in a fracture-rock matrix system with spatially variable fracture aperture. The aperture in the fracture plane is considered as a lognormally distributed random variable with spatial fluctuations described by an exponential autocovariance function. Colloids are envisioned to irreversibly deposit onto fracture surfaces without penetrating the rock matrix; whereas, the contaminant is assumed to decay, sorb onto fracture surfaces and onto colloidal particles, as well as to diffuse into the rock matrix. The governing stochastic transport equations are solved numerically for each realization of the aperture fluctuations by a fully implicit finite difference scheme. Emphasis is given on the effects of variable aperture on colloid and colloid-facilitated contaminant transport. Simulated breakthrough curves of ensemble averages of several realizations show enhanced colloid transport and more pronounced fingering when colloids are subject to size exclusion from regions of small aperture size. Moreover, it is shown that an increase in the fracture aperture fluctuations leads to faster transport and increases dispersion. For the case of contaminant/colloids cotransport it is shown, for the conditions considered in this work, that colloids enhance contaminant mobility and increase contaminant dispersion.
On optimal throughput-energy curve for multi-hop wireless networks

Network throughput and energy consumption are two important performance metrics for a multi-hop wireless network. Current state-of-the-art is limited to either maximizing throughput under some energy constraint or minimizing energy consumption while satisfying some throughput requirement. In this paper, we take a multicriteria optimization approach to offer a systematic study on the relationship between the two performance objectives. We show that the solution to the multicriteria optimization problem is equivalent to finding an optimal throughput-energy curve, which characterizes the envelope of the entire throughput-energy region. We prove some important properties of the optimal throughput-energy curve. For case study, we consider both linear and nonlinear throughput functions. In the linear case, we characterize the optimal throughput-energy curve precisely through parametric analysis, while in the nonlinear case, we use a piece-wise linear approximation to approximate the optimal throughput-energy curve with arbitrary accuracy. Our results offer important insights on exploiting the trade-off between the two performance metrics.