cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Patient Co-Morbidity and Functional Status Influence the Occurrence of Hospital Acquired Conditions More Strongly than Hospital Factors.

Never events (NE) and hospital-acquired conditions (HAC) are used by Medicare/Medicaid Services to define hospital performance measures that dictate payments/penalties. Pre-op patient comorbidity may significantly influence HAC development. We studied 8,118,615 patients from the NIS database (2002–2012) who underwent upper/lower gastrointestinal and/or hepatopancreatobiliary procedures. Multivariate analysis, using logistic regression, was used to identify HAC and NE risk factors. A total of 63,762 (0.8%) HAC events and 1645 (0.02%) NE were reported. A total of 99.9% of NE were retained foreign body. Most frequent HAC were: pressure ulcer stage III/IV (36.7%), poor glycemic control (26.9%), vascular catheter-associated infection (20.3%), and catheter-associated urinary tract infection (13.7%). Factors correlating with HAC included: open surgical approach (AOR: 1.25, P 70 (AOR: 1.09, P < 0.01)], hospital factors [small vs. large (AOR: 1.07, P < 0.01), non-teaching vs teaching (AOR: 1.10, P < 0.01), private profit vs. non-profit/governmental (AOR: 1.20, P < 0.01)], severe preoperative mortality risk (AOR: 3.48, P < 0.01), and non-elective admission (AOR: 1.38, P < 0.01). HAC were associated with increased: hospitalization length (21 vs 7 days, P < 0.01), hospital charges ($164,803 vs $54,858, P < 0.01), and mortality (8 vs 3%, AOR: 1.14, P < 0.01). HAC incidence was highest among patients with severe comorbid conditions. While small, non-teaching, and for-profit hospitals had increased HAC, the strongest HAC risks were non-modifiable patient factors (preoperative loss function, diabetes, paraplegia, advanced age, etc.). This data questions the validity of using HAC as hospital performance measures, since hospitals caring for these complex patients would be unduly penalized. CMS should consider patient comorbidity as a crucial factor influencing HAC development.
Assessing LGBT People's Perceptions of Police Legitimacy.

Although lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people have achieved increased acceptance and access to social institutions in recent years, they have continued to be confronted with persistent homophobic attitudes, including from U.S. law enforcement personnel. Police culture often fosters these beliefs, and consequently results in the under-policing of LGBT citizens when victimized, but over-policing in places of leisure. This relationship is exacerbated when considering the intersectional effect of gender and sexual orientation, undoubtedly impacting legitimacy perceptions due to perceived (and actual) procedural injustice. Using original data collected at an LGBT festival in Arizona (N = 428), the current study examines the relationship between procedural justice and perceptions of police legitimacy among a historically marginalized population. Implications for theory and policy are discussed, with special attention given to contextualizing the findings within the current legitimacy crisis faced by American law enforcement.
BOOK REVIEW: Dreams for Lesotho: Independence, Foreign Assistance and Development

John Aerni-Flessner’s Dreams for Lesotho: Independence, Foreign Assistance and Development is a study of the largely flawed development efforts in Lesotho during the late colonial period and first ...
Abstract 619: Alpha Keto Acids Decompose Peroxides and Prevents Oxidation of Lipoproteins

Background: Alpha keto acids are unstable and decompose rapidly. In this study, we tested the ability of alpha keto acids to reduce peroxides and inhibit oxidation of lipoproteins. Methods: Keto sa...
Gated-Dynode Photomultiplier Tube Assembly for the Boronated Scintillator Detector of the ISS-CREAM Experiment

Abstract We present the design of a four-photomultiplier tube (PMT) assembly for measuring light generation in the Boronated Scintillator Detector (BSD) of the Cosmic Ray Energetics And Mass experiment for the International Space Station (ISS-CREAM). The light produced in the scintillator includes a contribution from the capture of thermalized neutrons produced in cosmic ray interactions, as well as delayed fluorescence, in the range of several microseconds following the incident cosmic ray impact. The BSD is held in an insensitive state until a cosmic-ray trigger causes a rapid turn on of the PMTs to detect late light signals, several microseconds after the trigger. The design includes two pulsed high-voltage supplies, which serve to gate the first two dynodes of the Hamamatsu R1924A PMTs used in the assembly. When the dynode gates are held in the “off” state, this scheme is shown to suppress >10 5 photons from injection into the tube’s multiplier stage, while being capable of rapid switching into a stable operating mode in less than 1 μ s. This mitigates any backgrounds from afterpulsing that might otherwise be present in the PMT response following the cosmic ray incidence.
Effect of genetic liability to migraine on coronary artery disease and atrial fibrillation: a Mendelian randomization study.

Background and purpose Observational studies have implicated migraine as a risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD) and atrial fibrillation (AF); however, it is unclear whether migraine is causal in this relationship. Potential causality between genetically instrumented liability to migraine and cardiovascular disease outcomes was investigated using two-sample Mendelian randomization. Methods The exposure comprised 35 independent, genome-wide significant genetic variants identified in the largest published genome-wide association study of migraine (Ncases = 59 674/Ncontrols = 316 078). The outcome datasets included genome-wide association studies of CAD (76 014/264 785), myocardial infarction (43 676/128 199), angina (10 618/326 065) and AF (60 620/970 216). Mendelian randomization estimates were calculated using inverse-variance weighted regression, and were further assessed with conventional Mendelian randomization sensitivity analyses. Results Evidence was found for a protective effect of migraine liability on CAD (odds ratio 0.86, 95% confidence interval 0.76-0.96, P = 0.003), myocardial infarction (0.86, 0.74-0.96, P = 0.01) and angina (0.86, 0.75-0.99, P = 0.04), but not on AF (1.00, 0.95-1.05, P = 0.88). Analyses by migraine subtype showed an effect of liability to migraine without aura on CAD risk (0.91, 0.84-0.99, P = 0.014), but not of migraine with aura (1.00, 0.97-1.03, P = 0.89). Sensitivity analyses indicated minimal bias by horizontal pleiotropy, outliers, reverse causality or sample overlap. Conclusions A potentially protective effect of genetically instrumented liability to migraine on CAD risk was identified. Mechanistic research investigating this link is warranted.
The (Black) Elephant in the Room: McLuhan and the Racial

Background This article combines Marshall McLuhan’s media theory with the “racial contract” theory of political philosopher Charles Mills.Analysis Mills critiques the older, Western “social contract,” which holds that “Western man” moves from a “state of nature” (or McLuhan’s tribal man) into “civilization” (McLuhan’s detribal man and retribal man) via organizing with similar humans to establish the rules, laws, codes, guidelines, and, as is argued here, technologies necessary for human cohabitation. Mills argues that there are racial assumptions of the social contract, meaning only some are consenting signatories, particularly White men; thus, the social contract is actually a racial contract.Conclusion and implications McLuhan’s media theory is consistent with Mills’ racial contract: tribal man resides in a state of nature, awaiting man’s detribal or retribal benevolence.ContexteCet article combine la theorie des medias de Marshall McLuhan et la theorie sur le « contrat racial » du philosophe politique Charles W. Mills.Analyse Mills critique le vieux « contrat social » occidental, qui maintient que « l’homme occidental » passe d’un « etat de nature » (l’homme tribal selon McLuhan) jusqu’a la « civilisation » (l’homme detribalise et l’homme retribalise selon McLuhan) en collaborant avec ses semblables afin d’etablir les regles, lois, codes, directives et, tel que soutenu dans cet article, les technologies necessaires pour la cohabitation humaine. Mills soutient que le contrat social comporte des suppositions raciales, du fait que certains hommes seulement—particulierement des hommes blancs—en sont des signataires consentants; ainsi, le contrat social est reellement un contrat racial.Conclusion et implications La theorie des medias de McLuhan est en accord avec le contrat racial de Mills : l’homme tribal vit dans l’etat de nature, en attente de la bienveillance de l’homme detribalise ou retribalise.
Fire: Distance, 2001

In this highly improvisational film, the trauma influenced by the apocalyptic cult Aum Shinrikyō is re-examined through the imagined stories of four surviving family members. Distance (2001) offers striking, and redemptive, images of fire and water in a remote forest landscape.
It Starts by Asking the Right Questions-Meeting the Needs of the Hispanic Community in Public Libraries

Mecklenburg County, North Carolina has seen exponential growth in its Hispanic population. Recognizing that this growth requires the public library to reinvent itself to meet the needs of Hispanic ...
Effect of Routing Constraints on Learning Efficiency of Destination Recommender Systems in Mobility-on-Demand Services

With Mobility-as-a-Service platforms moving toward vertical service expansion, we propose a destination recommender system for Mobility-on-Demand (MOD) services that explicitly considers dynamic vehicle routing constraints as a form of a ``physical internet search engine''. It incorporates a routing algorithm to build vehicle routes and an upper confidence bound based algorithm for a generalized linear contextual bandit algorithm to identify alternatives which are acceptable to passengers. As a contextual bandit algorithm, the added context from the routing subproblem makes it unclear how effective learning is under such circumstances. We propose a new simulation experimental framework to evaluate the impact of adding the routing constraints to the destination recommender algorithm. The proposed algorithm is first tested on a 7 by 7 grid network and performs better than benchmarks that include random alternatives, selecting the highest rating, or selecting the destination with the smallest vehicle routing cost increase. The RecoMOD algorithm also reduces average increases in vehicle travel costs compared to using random or highest rating recommendation. Its application to Manhattan dataset with ratings for 1,012 destinations reveals that a higher customer arrival rate and faster vehicle speeds lead to better acceptance rates. While these two results sound contradictory, they provide important managerial insights for MOD operators.
Opioid Misuse Among American Indian Adolescents.

Objectives. To present data for opioid misuse among US reservation-based American Indian (AI) adolescents and to compare these data with national rates from Monitoring the Future (MTF).Methods. Dat...
A comprehensive uncertainty quantification of large-scale process-based crop modeling frameworks

Regional and global impact assessment tools are increasingly used to explore and evaluate the impact of climate change and extreme events on crop yield and environmental externalities. However, the large uncertainties associate with the inputs or the parameters in crop models within these tools, limits their predictive ability, exceeding the spatiotemporal variability of observed yields. The objective of this study is to explore and quantify different sources of uncertainties and assumptions made behind initial conditions (IC), soil input, meteorological forcing, management practices and model cultivar parameters by running regional simulations for the time period between 2009-2019. Simulations were performed for maize and soybean using the pSIMS platform across the U.S Midwest by incrementally accounting for 5 sources of uncertainty with a 7km x 7km resolution using the APSIM and DSSAT crop growth models. First, the relative contribution of different sources of uncertainty was estimated over time and space. Then, a series of nitrate leaching hotpots were identified and a regional maize yield productivity index was estimated by decomposing the uncertainty in the same scenario using a hierarchical Bayesian random-effect model. Our results showed vast areas over northern IA, IL and IN with high potential for NO3 leaching and southern IA, IL and east NE with lower maize productivity index compared to the regional average. All factors showed a strong spatial pattern in their contribution to the total uncertainty and their contribution was found to be partially dependent on location. However, across the whole region, it was found that the uncertainty around management is larger than IC, soil and meteorological forcing while showing a strong correlation with each of these factors. Given the high spatial correlation, we hypothesize that constraining soil inputs and management uncertainty could allow for the largest reduction in predictive uncertainty for crop yield.
Short-Term Changes in Skeletal Muscle Mass After Anthracycline Administration in Adolescent and Young Adult Sarcoma Patients.

Identification of anthracycline-induced muscle loss is critical for maintaining health in adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer patients. We used routine chest computed tomography (CT) scans to i...
From Districts to Schools: The Distribution of Resources Across Schools in Big City School Districts

This paper explores the determinants of resource allocation across schools in large districts and examines options for improving resource distribution patterns. Previous research on intra-district allocations consistently reveals resource disparities across schools within districts, particularly in the distribution of teachers. While overall expenditures are sometimes related to the characteristics of students in schools, the ratio of teachers per pupil is consistently larger in high poverty, high-minority and low-performing schools. These teachers, though, generally have lower experience and education levels -- and consequently, lower salaries -- as compared to teachers in more advantaged schools. We explore these patterns in New York City, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio by estimating de facto expenditure equations relating resource measures to school and student characteristics. Consistent with previous research, we find schools that have higher percentages of poor pupils receive more money and have more teachers per pupil, but the teachers tend to be less educated and less well paid, with a particularly consistent pattern in New York City schools. The paper concludes with policy options for changing intra-district resource distributions in order to promote more efficient, more equitable or more effective use of resources. These options include allocating dollars rather than teacher positions to schools, providing teacher pay differentials in hard-to-staff schools and subjects, and adapting current district-based funding formulas to the school (and student) level.
Exchange Rate Regimes, Location, and Specialization

This paper investigates the effects of fixed versus flexible exchange rates on firms' location choices and on countries' specialization patterns. In a two-country, twodifferentiated-goods monetary model, uncertainty arises after wages are set and prices are optimally chosen. The paper shows that countries are more specialized under flexible than fixed rates, which indicates that the pattern of specialization is not uniquely defined by trade models but also depends on the exchange rate regime. The creation of a currency area endogenously increases the desirability of such an area by reducing the asymmetry of shocks across member countries. The results also shed light on the effects of exchange rate variability on trade. Copyright 2006, International Monetary Fund
A Tribute to Judge Phyllis A. Kravitch

This is a tribute to Judge Phyllis A. Kravitch, who honorably served two decades on the bench during a period of great transition in the South.
Following the Flow of Energy in Biomolecules

A variety of biomolecules can rapidly and efficiently move energy from one form to another. Despite much study, the mechanism by which such energy transfers take place in the face of rapid energy dissipation remains unclear. In his Perspective, [Champion][1] discusses results reported in the same issue by [ Kukura et al. ][2] in which femtosecond Raman spectroscopy is used to examine the structural dynamics of the visual pigment rhodopsin in the earliest stages of the photophysical process. As a result of these studies, a picture is emerging in which fast electron transitions followed by a slower nuclear response play separate but complementary roles. [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/310/5750/980 [2]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/310/5750/1006
TGFβ Signaling in Cartilage Development and Maintenance

Members of the transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) superfamily of secreted factors play essential roles in nearly every aspect of cartilage formation and maintenance. However, the mechanisms by which TGFβs transduce their effects in cartilage in vivo remain poorly understood. Mutations in several TGFβ family members, their receptors, extracellular modulators, and intracellular transducers have been described, and these usually impact the development of the cartilaginous skeleton. Furthermore, genome-wide association studies have linked components of the (TGFβ) superfamily to susceptibility to osteoarthritis. This review focuses on recent discoveries from genetic studies in the mouse regarding the regulation of TGFβ signaling in developing growth plate and articular cartilage, as well as the different modes of crosstalk between canonical and noncanonical TGFβ signaling. These new insights into TGFβ signaling in cartilage may open new prospects for therapies that maintain healthy articular cartilage.
Visual information seeking

The present study reports on the information seeking processes in a visual context, referred to throughout as visual information seeking. This study synthesizes research throughout different, yet complementary, areas, each capable of contributing findings and understanding to visual information seeking. Methods previously applied for examining the visual information seeking process are reviewed, including interactive experiments, surveys, and various qualitative approaches. The methods and resulting findings are presented and structured according to generalized phases of existing information seeking models, which include the needs, actions, and assessments of users. A review of visual information needs focuses on need and thus query formulation; user actions, as reviewed, centers on search and browse behaviors and the observed trends, concluded by a survey of users' assessments of visual information as part of the interactive process. This separate examination, specific to a visual context, is significant; visual information can influence outcomes in an interactive process and presents variations in the types of needs, tasks, considerations, and decisions of users, as compared to information seeking in other contexts.
Topics in Algebraic Deformation Theory

We give a selective survey of topics in algebraic deformation theory ranging from its inception to current times. Throughout, the numerous contributions of Murray Gerstenhaber are emphasized, especially the common themes of cohomology, infinitesimal methods, and explicit global deformation formulas.
What users want: Assessing government information preferences to drive information services

Abstract Access to government information has changed dramatically in the past 20 years. There are many indicators of information use, but it is challenging for service institutions to gain a current and comprehensive view of the research practices and preferences of their users. Information stakeholders must seek out current data to gauge the potential success of new initiatives and policies in order to meet user needs. To that end, a user study was conducted on the University of Montana campus in spring of 2006. The survey was sent to a random, stratified sample of the campus population. The instrument included questions on frequency of government information use, methods of locating and learning about government documents, awareness of the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP), and service and format preferences. The results show that the majority of researchers are using government information at least quarterly and that they most often use general search engines to find it. Respondents indicate a strong interest in alerting services, tutorials, virtual reference, and topic-oriented assistance. Although some respondents prefer printed materials for specific types of information, users generally want to find and access government information online. The results offer current data for program planning, collection development, and information policy creation.
Meniscus behavior and oxygen reduction in tapered pore gas diffusion electrodes

Abstract The electrochemical reduction of oxygen in 0.88 M KOH at 25°C was studied using two silver plated copper electrodes that contained uniform, parallel, tapered pores. Photolithography, etching, and plating techniques were used to fabricate these electrodes. Exchange current densities of 2 × 10−5 A cm−2 and 2 × 10−6 A cm−2 were measured using an initial slope method. Diffusion limiting currents increased with differential pressure across the gas-electrolyte interface which suggests smaller contact angles at higher pressures. A wedge meniscus model that treats activation, ohmic, and concentration overpotential was applied to fit the polarization curves.
Effect of quinine on digoxin kinetics

Six subjects were evaluated for the effect of quinine, the 1-isomer of quinidine, on digoxin pharmacokinetics. A 1.0-mg intravenous digoxin dose was given before and during quinine administration, followed by the measurement of digoxin serum and urine concentrations for 96 hr after each dose. Quinine reduced digoxin total body clearance by 26% from 2.98 to 2.22 ml/min/kg (p < 0.03). Digoxin elimination half-life (t½) was lengthened from 34.2 to 51.8 hr, reflecting a 32% decrease in digoxin elimination rate constant (p < 0.003). Quinine did not reduce digoxin renal clearance or any volumes of distribution. The amount of digoxin excreted into the urine increased from x = 628.29 μg to x = 772.52 μg (p < 0.02). Digoxin nonrenal clearance decreased an average of 55% from 1.2 to 0.55 ml/min/kg (p < 0.05). These results suggest that quinine alters digoxin metabolism or biliary secretion, reducing digoxin total body clearance by a mechanism that is qualitatively similar, but quantitatively different, from quinidine. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1980) 28, 425–430; doi:10.1038/clpt.1980.183
15N-NMR studies of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum: comparison of assimilation of different nitrogen sources

Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum can utilize glutamine and urea as well as ammonia as the sole nitrogen source during growth on H2 and CO2. High-field 15N-NMR has been used to compare the assimilation of these different nitrogen sources by this organism. The 15N-NMR spectra of extracts of cells grown in media containing [delta-15N]glutamine as the nitrogen source show that the glutamine amide nitrogen is rapidly converted to glutamate. The 15N-NMR spectra of cell extracts from cells grown on [15N]urea show a marked increase in the labeling of the alpha-NH2 of glutamate concurrent with a decrease in the urea resonance. These two nitrogen sources do not show the metabolic shift to alanine as the major resonance in stationary phase as is seen with 15NH4Cl. This behavior is discussed in terms of the enzymes of nitrogen metabolism.
Phenotypic characterization of antigenic hybrids of poliovirus

Three poliovirus hybrids, modified in neutralization antigenic sites (NAgs) I or II, were characterized for several phenotypic traits. The modifications to the capsid interfered with some stage of the life-cycle of the virus, since all three hybrids were growth-impaired in comparison to poliovirus type 1 (Mahoney) [PV1 (M)], the wild-type parent virus. All hybrids exhibited a reduced growth rate and a small-plaque phenotype, but they were not temperature sensitive. Furthermore, only one hybrid was slightly less stable to heating than the parent virus; the other two were as stable as the parent. Therefore, decreased thermal stability of the capsid is not an important cause of the poor growth characteristics of these hybrids.
Soul as Process: Buddhist Reflections on Mark Graves’ Mind, Brain and the Elusive Soul

This essay explores five aspects of Mark Graves’ work that relate to Buddhist psychological theories. These five are consciousness as a stream, ineffability, the true self/false self dichotomy, hierarchy, and Graves’ conception of the soul as process. More than similarities and differences, the essay suggests to productive points of interaction.
Student workshops and neighborhood revitalization

This paper describes an effort to integrate neighborhood technical assistance and student field training through a student workshop. In the spring of 1978, ten students in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign provided technical assistance to the South Austin Realty Association (SARA), a leading neighborhood organization in Chicago. Working in close collaboration with neighborhood leaders, the students produced a report which concluded that South Austin was an excellent location for neighborhood revitalization and that housing rehabilitation was the recommended approach for a “demonstration” block. The students received academic credit, a positive educational experience, and $72.87 for production costs of the finished report. Neighborhood leaders used the report to help develop plans for a project on the block, then used these plans in a proposal which resulted in a $120,062 contract from the Office of Neighborhood Development of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. This paper examines the way in which students provided a neighborhood organization with a written plan, assistance in raising funds, and working relations with a university. It also examines the way in which students received substantive knowledge and skills, credentials for future education and careers, and valuable new experiences. It concludes with analysis of the major lessons learned and of the practical problems and questions for educators.
A comprehensive profile of DNA copy number variations in a Korean population: identification of copy number invariant regions among Koreans.

To examine copy number variations among the Korean population, we compared individual genomes with the Korean reference genome assembly using the publicly available Korean HapMap SNP 50 k chip data from 90 individuals. Korean individuals exhibited 123 copy number variation regions (CNVRs) covering 27.2 mb, equivalent to 1.0% of the genome in the copy number variation (CNV) analysis using the combined criteria of P value (P < 0.01) and standard deviation of copy numbers (SD ≥ 0.25) among study subjects. In contrast, when compared to the Affymetrix reference genome assembly from multiple ethnic groups, considerably more CNVRs (n = 643) were detected in larger proportions (5.0%) of the genome covering 135.1 mb even by more stringent criteria (P < 0.001 and SD ≥ 0.25), reflecting ethnic diversity of structural variations between Korean and other populations. Some CNVRs were validated by the quantitative multiplex PCR of short fluorescent fragment (QMPSF) method, and then copy number invariant regions were detected among the study subjects. These copy number invariant regions would be used as good internal controls for further CNV studies. Lastly, we demonstrated that the CNV information could stratify even a single ethnic population with a proper reference genome assembly from multiple heterogeneous populations.
Objects & Outliers: Narrative Community in Don DeLillo's Underworld

ABSTRACT This essay investigates Don DeLillo's novel Underworld in the context of Jean-Luc Nancy's understanding of the distinction between society and community, and argues that DeLillo's narrative uses objects to move beyond the mere exposure of cultural mythologies and nostalgic ideas of postwar America. In postulating a collective around an object like a baseball, DeLillo uses narrative to construct a community that takes into account but does not systemically depend on the past, and does not attempt to avoid or decide the future.
Lung cancer risk in families of nonsmoking probands: heterogeneity by age at diagnosis.

In an earlier investigation, we did not detect a major genetic component to lung cancer in families of nonsmoking lung cancer probands. However, heterogeneity with respect to familial aggregation, based on probands' age at diagnosis, was evident. We reanalyzed our previously collected data of 257 families, stratified by age at diagnosis of the probands, using complex segregation analysis. We specifically tested the effects of a Mendelian diallelic gene, history of tobacco use, and history of selected chronic lung diseases in families with a proband diagnosed at the age of 60 years or older and in families with a younger proband (i.e. , under 60 years of age). Cases were identified from the Metropolitan Detroit Cancer Surveillance System. Information on lung cancer occurrence, smoking history, and chronic respiratory diseases in first-degree relatives was obtained for 210 older probands and for 47 younger probands. In older probands' families, no evidence of a major genetic effect was detected. A history of emphysema and tobacco-smoke exposure were found to be significant risk factors. In younger probands' families, a Mendelian codominant model with significant modifying effects of smoking and chronic bronchitis best explained the observed data. Our results suggest the presence of a high-risk gene contributing to early-onset lung cancer in a population where the probands are nonsmokers.
Comment on ``Comment on Dunning's correlation-consistent basis sets''

Abstract By using a general linear transformation of Dunning's contracted basis set, the contraction length can be reduced even more than noted in the Comment by Hashimoto et al. With GAUSSIAN 94, this results in a considerable savings in computer time. If one is willing to neglect small coefficients, even greater savings are possible.
A systematic review of the evidence for complementary and alternative medicine in infertility

Abstract Background The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by patients and physicians has increased markedly in recent years. Many case reports, case series, and uncontrolled trials of varying quality have been completed; however, there is now a slowly increasing number of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the use of CAM. Objectives To identify, survey, and review RCTs investigating the use of CAM for infertility treatment. Search strategy The MEDLINE and Cochrane databases were electronically searched. Selection criteria RCTs examining modalities for treatment or improvement of health status were reviewed. Data collection and analysis RCTs were included based on use of objective measures, articles written in English, availability through the University of Michigan database, and clear published clinical outcomes. Main results Thirty-seven articles assessing a variety of CAM modalities met inclusion criteria. Acupuncture, selenium supplementation, weight loss, and psychotherapeutic intervention had 3 or more studies demonstrating beneficial effect. Other interventions had been studied less and evidence for them was limited. Conclusions Although there is preliminary evidence of the effectiveness of some CAM interventions among infertile patients, many of these interventions require further investigation before they can be considered for routine clinical use.
Embolization of an iodine-125 radioactive seed from the prostate gland into the right ventricle: An unusual pattern of seed migration

Abstract Transperineal permanent brachytherapy using iodine-125 or palladium-103 seeds is a standard treatment modality for localized prostate cancer. Migration of seeds to the lungs is a common phenomenon, whereas migration of seeds to the right ventricle is a rare event. We report a case of iodine-125 seed migration to the right ventricle as demonstrated by chest CT scan and add to the very few published reports on this finding. These rare patients did not suffer adverse effects from such event.
Effect of antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory medications on the sense of taste

Elderly individuals and HIV-infected patients have a disproportionate number of taste complaints relative to the general population, and these taste alterations are correlated with the use of medications. Clinical reports of taste disorders have been associated with many drugs, including antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory medications. The purpose of this study was to quantify the taste effects of 6 nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) and 13 antimicrobial drugs. The six NSAIDS were: diclofenac sodium salt, fenoprofen calcium salt, ibuprofen, ketoprofen, nabumetone, and sulindac. The 13 antimicrobials were: acyclovir, ampicillin, atovaquone, dapsone, enoxacin, ethambutol, lomefloxacin HCl, ofloxacin, pentamidine isethionate, pyrimethamine, sulfamethoxazole, tetracycline HCl, and trimethoprim. These 19 medications were applied topically to the tongues of unmedicated young and elderly volunteers as well as unmedicated HIV-infected patients to measure the direct effect of the drug on taste receptors. Topical application of drugs to the apical tongue surface was used to mimic the situation in which the drug is secreted into the saliva. The main finding was that the taste qualities of these drugs were perceived as predominantly bitter, metallic, and/or sour, although several did not have a taste. Elderly subjects had higher thresholds than young subjects for one-third of the drugs that were tested. Thresholds for HIV-infected patients were statistically equivalent to young controls; however, HIV-infected patients rated the drugs as more intense at four times above the detection threshold than young subjects. Most of these drugs when applied directly to the tongue also modified the taste intensity of other tastants (e.g., NaCl, citric acid).
Mourning beyond melancholia: Freud's psychoanalysis of loss

Freud's mourning theory has been criticized for assuming a model of subjectivity based on a strongly bounded form of individuation. This model informs "Mourning and Melancholia" (1917), in which Freud argued that mourning comes to a decisive end when the subject severs its emotional attachment to the lost one and reinvests the free libido in a new object. Yet Freud revised his mourning theory in writings concerned with the Great War and in The Ego and the Id (1923), where he redefined the identification process previously associated with melancholia as an integral component of mourning. By viewing the character of the ego as an elegiac formation, that is, as "a precipitate of abandoned object-cathexes," Freud's later work registers the endlessness of normal grieving; however, it also imports into mourning the violent characteristics of melancholia, the internal acts of moralized aggression waged in an effort to dissolve the internal trace of the other and establish an autonomous identity. Because it is not immediately clear how Freud's text offers a theory of mourning beyond melancholy violence, his account of the elegiac ego is shown here to ultimately undermine the wish for an identity unencumbered by the claims of the lost other and the past, and to suggest the affirmative and ethical aspects of mourning.
Behavioral treatment of selective mutism: A case report

Abstract This case report describes an in vivo desensitization program designed to reinstate normal verbal communication in an 11-yr-old girl who was selectively mute for approximately 6 yr. Contrary to traditional desensitization therapy, the procedure discussed below was conducted within the context of the patient's everyday environment, and utilized the emotional effects of positive reinforcement as the postulated reciprocal inhibitor of fear.
Entrepreneurial Persistence: Family Business Focus on Nonfinancial Benefits

When facing attractive alternatives, family business entrepreneurs are faced with decisions regarding whether to continue their current business or abandon their business to focus on new projects. ...
High sensitivity neutron activation analysis of environmental and biological standard reference materials

Abstract Neutron activation analysis is a sensitive method with unique capabilities for the analysis of environmental and biological samples. Since it is based upon the nuclear properties of the elements, it does not suffer from many of the chemical effects that plaque other methods of analysis. Analyses can be performed either with no chemical treatment of the sample (intrumentally), or with separations of the elements of interest after neutron irradiation (radiochemically). Typical examples of both types of analysis are discussed, and data obtained for a number of environmental and biological SRMs are presented.
Laser-induced fluorescence diagnostics of a propane/air flame with a manganese fuel additive☆☆☆

Abstract Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) has been used to investigate the effects of MMT, a managanese-containing fuel additive, on a premixed propane/air flame burning at 40 torr. The emphasis was placed on the chemistry of formation of prompt nitric oxide. No measurable effect due to the MMT on the gas-phase chemistry of this flame was observed. LIF profiles as a function of burner height were made for OH, H, O, CH, NO, CO, Mn, MnO, and temperature using OH rotational excitation scans. Photochemical interferences were observed when exciting O, H, CO, and NO deep in the ultraviolet (205–230 nm), due either to laser-generated trace species or concomitant LIF from other species. Low laser power is required to avoid these problems. The interferences were significantly more severe in this propane flame than seen previously for a methane flame under similar conditions, most certainly due to absorption and photochemical activity of pyrolytic and partially oxidized fragmentary hydrocarbons with two or more carbons. This suggests caution when applying laser diagnostics (including excimer lasers) to flames with complex hydrocarbon fuels. Mn and MnO LIF detection strategies were developed on an atmospheric pressure burner and applied to this low pressure flame. The Mn LIF signals are strong but those from MnO are of low intensity and in a region of strong LIF from C2 molecules.
A short recipe for seashell synthesis

Several artistic examples of seashell-like forms produced on a graphics supercomputer are provided. The shapes were created using a simple graphics primitive and rendered using lighting and shading facilities of 3-D extensions to X Windows or the PHIGS+ proposed standard. It is expected that the techniques, equations, and systems will provide useful tools and stimulate future studies in the graphics characterization of morphologically rich spiral shapes produced by relatively simple generating formulas. >
Metabolic pathways from tracer experiments.

Abstract Some metabolic pathways consistent with the findings of many tracer experiments where the data are represented as a series of exponential terms are presented. Specific examples for data on phosphorus metabolism in the rat liver are discussed in detail. The inability of existing tracer data to furnish sufficiently restrictive conditions is contrasted with the efficacy of such data in deciding against certain suggested interrelations.
There is more to autophagy than induction: regulating the roller coaster.

Considerable attention has been paid to the topic of autophagy induction. In part, this is because of the potential for modulating this process for therapeutic purposes. Of course we know that induced autophagy can also be problematic—for example, when trying to eliminate an established tumor that might be relying on autophagy for its own cytoprotective uses. Accordingly, inhibitory mechanisms have been considered; however, the corresponding studies have tended to focus on the pathways that block autophagy under noninducing conditions, such as when nutrients are available. In contrast, relatively little is known about the mechanisms for inhibiting autophagy under inducing conditions. Yet, this type of regulation must be occurring on a routine basis. We know that dysregulation of autophagy, e.g., due to improper activation of Beclin 1 leading to excessive autophagy activity, can cause cell death.1 Accordingly, we assume that during starvation or other inducing conditions there must be a mechanism to modulate autophagy. That is, once you turn it on, you do not want to let it continue unchecked. But how is autophagy downregulated when the inducing conditions still exist?
Labiomandibular, Transoral Approach to Chordomas in the Clivus and Upper Cervical Spine

Three patients with chordomas of the clivus and the upper cervical spine underwent the removal of their tumors through a transoral approach with labiomandibular splitting and microsurgical techniques. This surgical approach provided excellent visualization of the anterior craniocervical area and allowed a gross total removal in each case. Although the lesions in our patients were chordomas, this approach could also be used for other surgical lesions in this area.
DIRECT VASODILATOR ACTIVITY OF ATROPINE IN THE RAT PERFUSED HINDLIMB PREPARATION

SUMMARY 1. The autoperfused hindlimb technique in the rat was used to determine the effects of atropine upon the peripheral vasculature. 2. Injection of atropine (0.1–0.8 μmoles) into the hindlimb perfusion circuit resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in perfusion pressure which was immediate in onset and always preceded systemic pressure changes. The duration of vasodilation lengthened with increasing doses of atropine and ranged from 1.5 to 9 min. 3. During atropine-induced vasodilation, challenging doses of acetylcholine did not alter the perfusion pressure. 4. These experiments suggest that atropine is capable of direct vasodilator activity upon the peripheral vasculature in which a muscarinic mechanism appears unlikely.
Examination of the Relationships among General and Work-Specific Self-Evaluations, Work-Related Control Beliefs, and Job Attitudes

Les auteurs ont decrit et mis a l’epreuve les liens supposes exister entre les differences individuelles (les auto-evaluations specifiques au travail et generales), les variables contextuelles (les croyances relatives au controle des tâches) et trois attitudes professionnelles (la satisfaction relative a l’emploi, l’engagement organisationnel et l’implication liee au poste). Les resultats tires d’une investigation portant sur 159 salaries des services de sante montrent que les auto-evaluations, en particulier l’estime de soi liee a l’organisation, predisent fortement les attitudes professionnelles. En outre, les auto-evaluations specifiques au travail permettent d’expliquer pourquoi et comment les auto-evaluations generales et les croyances relatives au controle des tâches sont reliees aux attitudes professionnelles. En derniere analyse, les correlations entre les auto-evaluations generales et l’estime de soi liee a l’organisation etaient modulees par les croyances relatives au controle des tâches. On reflechit a ce que ces resultats peuvent apporter a la theorie et a la pratique organisationnelles. Et des pistes pour de futures recherches sont suggerees. The authors delineated and tested the relationships among individual differences (general and work-specific self-evaluations), contextual variables (work-related control beliefs), and three job attitudes (job satisfaction, organisational commitment, and job involvement). Results from a study of 159 healthcare employees found that work-specific self-evaluations, particularly organisation-based self-esteem, strongly predicted job attitudes. Moreover, work-specific self-evaluations helped explain why and how general self-evaluations and work-related control beliefs relate to job attitudes. Finally, the correlations between general self-evaluations and organisation-based self-esteem were moderated by work-related control beliefs. Contributions to organisational theory and practice, as well as suggestions for future research are discussed.
Intermittent non-ketotic dicarboxylic aciduria in two siblings with hypoglycaemia: An apparent defect in β-oxidation of fatty acids

Two siblings with intermittent hypoglycaemia, lethargy and coma associated with fatty infiltration of the liver are reported. Urine contained C6 to C14-dicarboxylic acids.
Commensal microbiota is hepatoprotective and prevents liver fibrosis in mice

Translocation of bacteria and their products across the intestinal barrier is common in patients with liver disease, and there is evidence that experimental liver fibrosis depends on bacterial translocation. The purpose of our study was to investigate liver fibrosis in conventional and germ-free (GF) C57BL/6 mice. Chronic liver injury was induced by administration of thioacetamide (TAA) in the drinking water for 21 wk or by repeated intraperitoneal injections of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). Increased liver fibrosis was observed in GF mice compared with conventional mice. Hepatocytes showed more toxin-induced oxidative stress and cell death. This was accompanied by increased activation of hepatic stellate cells, but hepatic mediators of inflammation were not significantly different. Similarly, a genetic model using Myd88/Trif-deficient mice, which lack downstream innate immunity signaling, had more severe fibrosis than wild-type mice. Isolated Myd88/Trif-deficient hepatocytes were more susceptible to toxin-induced cell death in culture. In conclusion, the commensal microbiota prevents fibrosis upon chronic liver injury in mice. This is the first study describing a beneficial role of the commensal microbiota in maintaining liver homeostasis and preventing liver fibrosis.
Benzpyrene Hydroxylase Induction by Polycyclic Hydrocarbons in Hamster Embryonic Cells Grown in vitro

Treatment of hamster embryonic cells with 1,2-benzanthracene for 4 to 48 hours induced a three- to tenfold increase in the activity of benzpyrene hydroxylase. That the increase in enzyme activity was completely prevented by puromycin suggested an induction of enzyme synthesis.
Faculty learning communities for preparing future faculty

Faculty learning communities have many attributes that can contribute to the successful preparation of graduate students as future faculty members.
Cascade Organic Solar Cells

We demonstrate planar organic solar cells consisting of a series of complementary donor materials with cascading exciton energies, incorporated in the following structure: glass/indium-tin-oxide/donor cascade/C60/bathocuproine/Al. Using a tetracene layer grown in a descending energy cascade on 5,6-diphenyl-tetracene and capped with 5,6,11,12-tetraphenyl-tetracene, where the accessibility of the π-system in each material is expected to influence the rate of parasitic carrier leakage and charge recombination at the donor/acceptor interface, we observe an increase in open circuit voltage (Voc) of approximately 40% (corresponding to a change of +200 mV) compared to that of a single tetracene donor. Little change is observed in other parameters such as fill factor and short circuit current density (FF = 0.50 ± 0.02 and Jsc = 2.55 ± 0.23 mA/cm2) compared to those of the control tetracene–C60 solar cells (FF = 0.54 ± 0.02 and Jsc = 2.86 ± 0.23 mA/cm2). We demonstrate that this cascade architecture is effective i...