cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Outbreak response operations during the US measles epidemic, 2017-19.

Background To understand operational challenges involved with responding to US measles outbreaks in 2017-19 and identify applicable lessons in order to inform preparedness and response operations for future outbreaks, particularly with respect to specific operational barriers and recommendations for outbreak responses among insular communities. Methods From August 2019 to January 2020, we conducted 11 telephone interviews with 18 participants representing state and local health departments and community health centers that responded to US measles outbreaks in 2017-19, with a focus on outbreaks among insular communities. We conducted qualitative, thematic coding to identify and characterize key operational challenges and lessons identified by the interviewees. Results We categorized principal insights into 5 topic areas: scale of the response, vaccination operations, exclusion policies, community engagement, and countering anti-vaccine efforts. These topics address resource-intensive aspects of these outbreak responses, including personnel demands; guidance needed to support response operations and reduce transmission, such as excluding exposed or at-risk individuals from public spaces; operational challenges and barriers to vaccination and other response activities; and effectively engaging and educating affected populations, particularly with respect to insular and vulnerable communities. Conclusions Measles outbreak responses are resource intensive, which can quickly overwhelm existing public health capacities. Early and effective coordination with trusted leaders and organizations in affected communities, including to provide vaccination capacity and facilitate community engagement, can promote efficient response operations. The firsthand experiences of public health and healthcare personnel who responded to measles outbreaks, including among insular communities, provide evidence-based operational lessons that can inform future preparedness and response operations for outbreaks of highly transmissible diseases.
On connectivity properties of large-scale sensor networks

In this paper, we study connectivity properties of large-scale wireless sensor networks and discuss their effect on routing algorithms. In our model, n sensors are distributed randomly over a field based on a given distribution function. Two sensor nodes are connected with probability p/sub e/(n) if they are within the communication range of each other. The sensor nodes may also be unreliable. We find the necessary and sufficient conditions for the network to be k-connected, where k is a positive integer. We also find the distribution of isolated vertices. While connectivity (i.e, k = 1) insures that all nodes can communicate with each other, k-connectivity for k > 1 is required for multi-path routing. Additionally, it was found that the lengths of these multiple paths in a k-connected network are all close to the shortest path.
The Dialectic of Obscenity

The story of Jack Smith’s film Flaming Creatures and the “Fortas Film Festival” illustrates the dialectic of obscenity. The obscenity doctrine expresses the conventional wisdom that the First Amendment actually protects art, and protects pornography only by extension. But Flaming Creatures and the Fortas Film Festival suggest that obscenity is dialectical. The obscenity doctrine provides the thesis: art protects pornography, by justifying the protection of sexual expression. Flaming Creatures and the Fortas Film Festival provide the antithesis: pornography protects art, by normalizing sexual expression. The history of obscenity law provides the synthesis: art and pornography protect each other. In other words, art transgresses and pornography reifies.
Health-related Quality of Life for Patients Undergoing Radical Cystectomy: Results of a Large Prospective Cohort.

Abstract Background Radical cystectomy (RC) has the potential for profound changes to health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Objective To evaluate a broad range of HRQOL outcomes in a large RC cohort. Design, setting, and participants A single-center prospective study enrolled RC patients from 2008 to 2014. We collected 14 separate patient-reported outcome measures at the presurgical visit and at 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 mo after RC. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis To visualize the patterns of recovery over time across domains, we used generalized estimating equations (GEEs) with nonlinear terms. Given substantial differences in patient selection for the type of urinary diversion, we separately modeled longitudinal HRQOL within conduit and continent diversion groups. The mean pre-RC scores were compared to illustrate the baseline HRQOL differences between diversion groups. Results and limitations The analyzed cohort included 411 patients (n = 205 ileal conduit, n = 206 continent diversion). At baseline, patients receiving continent diversion reported better mean physical (p Conclusions RC patients reported favorable HRQOL recovery within 24 mo in most areas other than body image (ileal conduits) and sexual function (both). Importantly, large measurable decreases in scores were not reported by 3 mo after RC. These contemporary outcomes and the excellent locoregional control provided by RC further support it as the gold standard therapy for high-risk bladder cancer. Patient summary We review quality of life in the 24 mo following radical cystectomy. Large decreases in health-related quality of life were not reported, with most areas returning to, or exceeding, baseline, except for sexual function and body image.
Graph Construction: An Empirical Investigation on Setting the Range of the Y-Axis

Graphs are an effective and compelling way to present scientific results. With few rigid guidelines, researchers have many degrees-of-freedom regarding graph construction. One such choice is the range of the y-axis. A range set just beyond the data will bias readers to see all effects as big. Conversely, a range set to the full range of options will bias readers to see all effects as small. Researchers should maximize congruence between visual size of an effect and the actual size of the effect. In the experiments presented here, participants viewed graphs with the y-axis set to the minimum range required for all the data to be visible, the full range from 0 to 100, and a range of approximately 1.5 standard deviations. The results showed that participants’ sensitivity to the effect depicted in the graph was better when the y-axis range was between one to two standard deviations than with either the minimum range or the full range. In addition, bias was also smaller with the standardized axis range than the minimum or full axis ranges. To achieve congruency in scientific fields for which effects are standardized, the y-axis range should be no less than 1 standard deviations, and aim to be at least 1.5 standard deviations.
The role of delayed gastric emptying time in the etiology of aspiration pneumonia.

I N THE study of the problem of postdelivery atelectasis and aspiration pneumonia following general anesthesia, it was noted that the incidence of vomiting during anesthesia was inordinately high in obstetric patients. However, there were many patients in whom a diagnosis of aspiration pneumonia was made and in whom there was no ,recorded incidence of vomiting during or following delivery. In other patients who had undergone prolonged labor, undigested food and unexpectedly large quantities of fluid material sometimes appeared in the vomitxs. It was not unusual for undigested food to be returned eighteen to twenty hours after the last ingestion of food. It, was also noted that patients with such residual food and fluid after long labor often had abdominal distention in addition to that caused by the gravid uterus. It is well known that digestion may cease when labor starts1 However, the impression was gained from experience with deliveries in homes, where little “analgesic” medication is used, that anesthesia was better tolerated by such patients and the incidence of vomiting was much less. It seemed worth while, therefore, to investigate in a comparative fashion the role which the medicaments employed in various “analgesic” and amnesic regimes -of obstetric practice might play in delaying gastric emptying time.
Prevention of adolescent drug abuse: Targeting high-risk children with a multifaceted intervention model—The Early Risers “Skills for Success” Program

Abstract This article describes a comprehensive drug abuse preventive intervention called the Early Risers “Skills for Success” Program. Early Risers is an example of an indicated prevention strategy designed to alter the developmental trajectory leading to drug use and abuse in high-risk children as indexed by the presence of early-onset aggressive behavior. An “early-starter” developmental model to alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs provides the theoretical underpinnings for selection of the program's child and family intervention targets. Social development and social ecology theories provide the conceptual foundation for content of the major intervention components, CORE and FLEX, respectively. CORE is a coordinated set of standardized child-focused interventions that promote developmental competence by teaching skills pertinent to emotional regulation, prosocial peer affiliation, and school adjustment. This component is delivered within the context of child- and parent-focused education and skills training programs during summer and regular school year periods. The FLEX component is a family support, empowerment, and service-brokerage intervention that is individually tailored in response to the unique assets and needs of individual families. Access to services is organized by home-visiting family advocates who provide consultation, support, and brief interventions to assist families in solving daily hardship and stress-related problems. When more serious basic living and health problems are identified, family advocates broker specialized services with community agencies.
Own-Sector and Inter-Sector Tunnel Effects: Implications for the Effects of Growth and Inequality on Happiness

This note presents a simple model of Hirschman and Rothschild’s (1973) tunnel effect, which is generally interpreted as reducing inequality aversion. The model identifies two separate tunnel effects, associated with own-sector and inter-sector productivity shocks, that are closely related to two lines of empirical happiness research. Taken together, these effects produce a positive relationship between happiness and the rate of income growth and reduce inequality aversion among the rich. However, they increase inequality aversion among the poor, which is counter to the usual interpretation. This exercise suggests potential gains to formal modeling in the emerging happiness literature.
Integrated optical longitudinal strain sensor on a micromachined silicon longitudinal mode transducer

We present a silicon-based ultrasonic actuator with an integrated grating to measure ultrasonic strain and phase optically. This sensing technique will enable remote closed-loop control of silicon-based high-intensity ultrasonic actuators. This capability might allow the use of silicon-based high-intensity actuators in new applications where precise ultrasonic energy is required, which requires close-loop control over the resonator amplitude while maintaining a high quality factor. Our technique requires defining a grating on the surface where strain is to be measured. The longitudinal strain results in the grating line/space modulation, which changes the angle of the diffracted orders. We present results of this concept by presenting data on strain measurement of a micromachined silicon longitudinal mode transducer in the shape of a bar.
Death anxiety in the outpatient leukemic child.

Awareness of the seriousness of their illness seems to persist with fatally ill children, even when they are not in the hospital. As did the fatally ill hospitalized children in previous studies, so, too, the fatally ill outpatient children in the present study related significantly more stories that contained elements of preoccupation with threat to their body integrity and functioning than did the control group of children with non-fatal chronic illnesses. Not only did they express a greater general anxiety and greater anxiety in relating the stories, but, in contrast to their chronically ill counterparts, the leukemic children exhibited a lack of adaptability to the necessity of clinic visits, becoming increasingly more anxious about the clinic both as visits became more frequent and as their illness became of longer duration. The children continue to dwell on their illness, even when treated as outpatients.
Cercas y Unamuno: «La velocidad de la luz» y «Cómo se hace una novela»

This study demonstrates the many ways in which «La velocidad de la luz» (2005), of Cercas, not only is modeled on techniques of «Como se hace una novela» (1927), of Unamuno, but that it reproduces –with its fictitious «Cercas» and its allusions to the historical Cercas– the historical Unamuno and the fictitious «Unamuno» of his well-known novel. Like the «Unamuno» of Como se hace, the character «Cercas» is obsessed with his public persona, which threatens to devour his true personality. Contrary to «Unamuno», «Cercas» realizes that the purpose of his writing is not to eternalize himself at all cost, not even to create literature out of his personal life, but to expiate the unexpiable guilt that he feels on account of having offended and betrayed various people. Cercas’s novel renders homage to the most transparent of Unamuno’s metanovels, but it seems to censure Unamuno’s alleged tendency not to question his motivations to the maximum degree, a censuring that Unamuno’s novel is perfectly capable of refuting.
Persistent contact dermatitis from the insecticide dichlorvos

A driver of a truck transporting a commercial formulation of the insecticide, dichlorvos, developed unusually persistent contact dermatitis following accidental skin contact, as well as systemic signs of organophosphate toxicity. The mechanism was presumed to be irritant rather than allergic.
Effect of lattice distortions on the competition between the double and superexchange mechanisms in LaMnO3

Double exchange (DE), superexchange (SE), and higher-order contributions to the exchange interaction energy between Mn layers in ${\mathrm{LaMnO}}_{3}$ are studied using the linear-muffin-tin-orbital method as generalized to treat noncollinear magnetic configurations. The degree of the internal lattice distortion $(f)$ and the angle $(\ensuremath{\theta})$ between ferromagnetically ordered Mn layers are considered as simulation parameters. We find that both global and internal lattice distortions dramatically influence the character of the exchange interactions: global distortions associated with variations of the apical Mn-O bond length promotes the DE contribution; the bending of the Mn-O bonds in the $(a\ensuremath{-}b)$ plane suppresses the DE and promotes the antiferromagnetic SE contribution to the interlayer exchange energy. Overall, the character of exchange interactions is determined by SE contributions: in hypothetical ferromagnetic phases DE interactions mediated by itinerant electrons is present but still rather small compared with SE; in antiferromagnetic phases this DE is negligible and non-Heisenberg terms are small compared with SE. We find further that a metal-to-semiconductor transition (in the sense of a band-gap opening) occurs in the range of parameters of magnetic and lattice distortion variations given by $\ensuremath{\theta}g~120\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$ and $fg~$ 0.7.
Helium field-ion microscopy of hexagonal close-packed metals

Abstract The atomic arrangement of curved hexagonal close-packed metal surfaces is more complex than curved surfaces of body-centered and face-centered cubic metals. He field-ion microscopy discloses apparent differences in the surface structures of the h.c.p.metals Ru and Re field-evaporated under similar experimental conditions. The effect of temperature and field strength on the structure developed by field-evaporation is analyzed, and the structures of the (100) or (1010 and (001) or (0001) plane regions in particular are discussed in relation to their respective field-ion images.
Complete frequency coverage for submillimeter laser spectroscopy with optically pumped CH3OH, CH3OD, CD3OD, and CH2CF2.

With the addition of six newly discovered lines, only four pumped media (CH3OH, CH3OD, CD3OD, and CH2CF2) are needed to cover the range 8 to 244 cm−1 densely for submillimeter laser spectroscopy. The 35 reported lines have powers far exceeding those available in conventional blackbody sources and provide an average spacing comparable with that found in Fourier spectrometers. The new lines were found in CH3OD at 24.0, 30.3, 43.6, 74.2, and 214.1 cm−1 and in CH2CF2 at 13.1 cm−1.
Dietary influences on disease resistance factors in channel catfish

The effects of diet on selected disease resistance factors were studied in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). Two commercial feeds and a “control”, laboratory-prepared diet were compared. Macrophage function (phagocytosis and intracellular killing) was used to assess nonspecific disease resistance and serum antibody was measured as an indication of specific immunity. We measured the immune response to Edwardsiella ictaluri, a common bacterial pathogen of catfish, as well as the phagocytosis and killing of the bacteria. In the initial experiment fish were maintained on the experimental diets for 116 days, vaccinated and responses assayed 14 days later. Significant differences among the groups were observed in the phagocytic index as well as in circulating antibody. An additional study showed that even when fed the experimental diets for only 42 days there were significant differences in the ability of macrophages from both immunized and nonimmunized fish to kill E. ictaluri.
Health Literacy and Use of Outpatient Physician Services by Medicare Managed Care Enrollees

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether inadequate functional health literacy adversely affects use of physician outpatient services. DESIGN: Cohort study. SETTING: Community. PARTICIPANTS: New Medicare managed care enrollees age 65 or older in 4 U.S. cities (N=3,260). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We measured functional health literacy using the Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults. Administrative data were used to determine the time to first physician visit and the total number of visits during the 12 months after enrollment. The time until first visit, the proportion without any visit, and adjusted mean visits during the year after enrollment were unrelated to health literacy in crude and multivariate analyses. Participants with inadequate and marginal health literacy were more likely to have an emergency department (ED) visit than those with adequate health literacy (30.4%, 27.6%, and 21.8%, respectively; P=.01 and P<.001, respectively). In multivariate analysis, the adjusted relative risk of having 2 or more ED visits was 1.44 (95% confidence interval, 1.01 to 2.02) for enrollees with marginal health literacy and 1.34 (1.00 to 1.79) for those with inadequate health literacy compared to participants with adequate health literacy. CONCLUSIONS: Inadequate health literacy was not independently associated with the mean number of visits or the time to a first visit. This suggests that inadequate literacy is not a major barrier to accessing outpatient health care. Nevertheless, the higher rates of ED use by persons with low literacy may be caused by real or perceived barriers to using their usual source of outpatient care.
Integer-forcing interference alignment

In this paper, we propose a novel framework, integer-forcing interference alignment, that can simultaneously exploit both signal-space and signal-scale alignment. We consider receivers that can decode integer-linear combinations of desired and interfering streams and then solve for their desired symbols. This is possible by using appropriate lattice codes at the transmitters and can be applied to the class of wireless communication systems that use linear beamforming. At the core of our architecture lies the compute-and-forward framework, which we extend here to encompass asymmetric power allocations. We evaluate the performance of our scheme in the context of the three-user interference channel through simulation results.
A Method for Separation of Homogeneous and Inhomogeneous Components of Spectral Broadening of Rigid Systems

A method is suggested that allows separation of the contributions from homogeneous and inhomogeneous broadening (IB) to a total spectral contour of rigid systems. Based upon a simple convolution model of inhomogeneous broadening, the method allows calculation of homogeneously broadened spectra and an inhomogeneous distribution function (IDF) from the measured excitation-wavelength-dependent fluorescence spectra of the system. The method is applied successfully to the solid solution of coumarin 334 (C334) in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) glass at 293 K.
Effect of Platinum Nanocluster Size and Titania Surface Structure upon CO Surface Chemistry on Platinum-Supported TiO2 (110)

The adsorption chemistry of CO on clean and Pt-supported TiO2 (110) was investigated. It was found that surface structure of TiO2 plays an important role in the chemistry that takes place at the surface. On the reduced (1 x 2)-reconstructed surface, CO desorbed at 140 and 170 K, while only desorption at 140 K was observed on the stoichiometric (1 x 1) surface. Additionally, CO dissociation, possibly due to the reduction by Ti3+, was observed on the Pt-supported (1 x 2) surface. On the Pt-covered surfaces, the chemistry of CO adsorption and desorption strongly depends on the size of Pt nanoclusters. With a decrease in cluster size, CO was found to desorb at higher temperatures. This unusual desorption chemistry is likely related to quantum size effects of Pt nanoclusters. Scanning tunneling spectra revealed that clusters below 20 A in diameter exhibited nonmetallic behavior, while those above 40 A were metallic. This transition of the properties of Pt nanoclusters from metallic to nonmetallic as the cluste...
The Calculus of Civil Conflict1

Quantitative, comparative studies of violent conflict within societies constitute a growing subfield of political science. Some common assumptions of these studies are the premises that conflict events have similar properties and causes across all types of contemporary nations, and that these properties and causes are susceptible to reliable and valid measurement. Convergence is apparent in some results: violent conflict-intensifies in periods of rapid socioeconomic change; the transition to socioeconomic "modernity" helps lessen revolutionary activity but not turmoil; increased coerciveness by regimes tends under some specifiable circumstances to exacerbate civil conflict; and there is little relationship between the incidence of domestic and foreign conflict as cause, effect, or alternatives. Prospects and problems for such studies are briefly evaluated. Language: en
A shield for obtaining diffuse sky radiation from portions of the sky

Description d'une installation de mesure du rayonnement solaire diffus. Resultats obtenus dans les mesures en Juin a Albany, New York, a differentes heures de la journee et pour les 4 quadrants du ciel en Juin
Induction of luteal activity in female house mice.

Abstract Three experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis that (a) the stimulus inducing the luteal response in female mice results from swelling of the male's penis during the ejaculatory reflex, and (b) the subsequent presence of the copulatory plug in the vagina is unnecessary for the induction of luteal activity. In the first experiment, receptive and unreceptive females were stimulated for 30 sec with an artificial penis designed to stretch the vagina in a manner similar to that which occurs during the male's ejaculatory response. Stimulation resulted in pseudopregnancy in 81.5% of receptive females and 36% of unreceptive females. In the second experiment, females were mated to castrated males and then tested for the induction of luteal activity. Castrated males were found to retain the ability to induce pseudopregnancy after they had lost the capacity to deposit copulatory plugs. In the third experiment, females were mated to males rendered incapable of forming copulatory plugs by the injection of guanethidine. Twenty-five of 29 females had luteal activity induced in the absence of the plug. Comparisons of rat and mouse are made concerning site of stimulation, necessity for preejaculatory stimulation, and the functions of the copulatory plug.
Reactions of metal oxide anions

Abstract Molybdenum oxide anion clusters are produced from a filament source and studied in a fast flow apparatus. Reactions of these clusters with several oxidants including O2, NO, and NO2 are presented. The mechanisms of these reactions are explored by examining the pressure dependence of the rate coefficients. The reactions proceed by either oxygen atom abstraction or adduct formation. Rate constants and branching ratios are reported.
Effect of permanent indentation on the delamination threshold for small mass impact on plates

Small mass impacts on composite structures are common cases caused by hailstones and runway debris. Small mass impactors usually result in a wave controlled local response, which is independent of boundary conditions. This response occurs before the reflection of waves from the boundaries and cannot be modeled by large mass drop weight tests. An elasto-plastic contact law, which accounts for permanent indentation and damage effects, was used here to study small mass impact on laminated composite plates. By comparing with results from the Hertzian contact law, it was found that damage can change the dynamic response of the structure significantly with increasing impact velocity. Due to smaller contact force generated for the case of using elasto-plastic contact, the central displacement of the plate is also less than the one using Hertzian contact law. The linearized version of the contact law was then used to derive the closed-form approximations of the contact force, indentation and plate central displacement for the impact loading of composite laminates. The threshold velocity for delamination onset under small mass impact was predicted analytically based on the obtained peak contact forces by combining with an existing quasi-static delamination threshold load criterion. A good agreement was found between the predicted threshold values and published experimental results.
Estradiol and progesterone exhibit similar patterns of hepatic gene expression regulation in the bovine model.

Female sex steroid hormones, estradiol-17β (E2-17β) and progesterone (P4) regulate reproductive function and gene expression in a broad range of tissues. Given the central role of the liver in regulating homeostasis including steroid hormone metabolism, we sought to understand how E2-17β and P4 interact to affect global gene expression in liver. Ovariectomized cows (n = 8) were randomly assigned to 4 treatment groups applied in a replicated Latin Square design: 1) No hormone supplementation, 2) E2-17β treatment (ear implant), 3) P4 treatment (intravaginal inserts), and 4) E2-17β combined with P4. After 14 d of treatment, liver biopsies were collected, allowing 28 d intervals between periods. Changes in gene expression in the liver biopsies were monitored using bovine-specific arrays. Treatment with E2-17β altered expression of 479 genes, P4 472 genes, and combined treatment significantly altered expression of 468 genes. In total, 578 genes exhibited altered expression including a remarkable number (346 genes) that responded similarly to E2-17β, P4, or combined treatment. Additional evidence for similar gene expression actions of E2-17s and/or P4 were: principal component analysis placed almost every treatment array at a substantial distance from controls; Venn diagrams indicated overall treatment effects for most regulated genes; clustering analysis indicated the two major clusters had all treatments up-regulating (172 genes) or down-regulating (173 genes) expression. Thus, unexpectedly, common biological pathways were regulated by E2-17β and/or P4 in liver. This indicates that the mechanism of action of these steroid hormones in the liver might be either indirect or might occur through non-genomic pathways. This unusual pattern of gene expression in response to steroid hormones is consistent with the idea that there are classical and non-classical tissue-specific responses to steroid hormone actions. Future studies are needed to elucidate putative mechanism(s) responsible for overlapping actions of E2-17β and P4 on the liver transcriptome.
Chromatolysis in a pair of identifiable metathoracic neurons in the cockroach, Diploptera punctata.

The effect of axonal transection upon a specific pair of identifiable nerve cell bodies in the metathoracic ganglion of the cockroach, Diploptera punctata, was studied by electron microscopy. The response of these cells resembles vertebrate chromatolysis in most respects and occurs in two phases : initially, the Golgi bodies decrease in size and the Nissl bodies become more concentrated next to the nucleus and less concentrated in the periphery of the perikaryon; the morphology then changes to one that is more directly concerned with active regeneration of the axon. Autoradiographic experiments showed that the initial changes in basophilia depend primarily upon movement of the Nissl bodies toward the nucleus rather than upon synthesis of new RNA.
The impact of positioning on fear during immunizations: supine versus sitting up.

This study explored the impact of a child's position on the level of fear and perception of pain during an immunization injection. One hundred seven children, ages 4–6, participated in a random-assignment, two-group design study to evaluate the effect of positioning on fear and perceived pain. Group 1 was placed in the supine position and Group 2 in the sitting position prior to immunizations. The results substantiated the belief that children are significantly less fearful about receiving an injection when they are sitting up as compared to when they are lying down. There was no difference in perception of pain.
Changes in order of migration of polypeptides in complex III and cytochrome C oxidase under different conditions of SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

Abstract The order of migration of polypeptides in both cytochrome c oxidase and ubiquinone cytochrome c reductase has been found to differ depending on the gel conditions used. Thus the nomenclatures or numbering systems being used for the subunits of these membrane complexes by workers using Weber-Osborn gels is not the same as that being used in laboratories which use the Swank-Munkres or Fairbanks gel procedure.
Comparison of Two Methods for Obtaining Quantitative Mass Concentrations from Aerosol Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry Measurements

Aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ATOFMS) measurements provide continuous information on the aerodynamic size and chemical composition of individual particles. In this work, we compare two approaches for converting unscaled ATOFMS measurements into quantitative particle mass concentrations using (1) reference mass concentrations from a co-located micro-orifice uniform deposit impactor (MOUDI) with an accurate estimate of instrument busy time and (2) reference number concentrations from a co-located aerodynamic particle sizer (APS). Aerodynamic-diameter-dependent scaling factors are used for both methods to account for particle transmission efficiencies through the ATOFMS inlet. Scaling with APS data retains the high-resolution characteristics of the ambient aerosol because the scaling functions are specific for each hourly time period and account for a maximum in the ATOFMS transmission efficiency curve for larger-sized particles. Scaled mass concentrations obtained from both methods are compared ...
Simulation of the Viscous Sintering of Two Particles

Problems associated with the sintering of mixtures of hard and soft particles can be obviated by coating the hard particles (e.g., alumina) with a soft phase (e.g., glass). An analysis of the sintering kinetics of such materials based on finite-element simulations of the sintering of a pair of rigid spheres coated with a viscous material is presented. Until the contact radius is greater than the thickness of the coating, the sintering kinetics are very similar to those obtained if the rigid core is not present. The sintering rate decreases as the rigid cores approach each other and is limited by flow in the gap between the core particles. If the coating thickness is in excess of 20%, the simulations predict that a packing of such particles sinters to full density at a rate comparable to that of particles without a rigid core.
High resolution, large field-of-view endomicroscope with optical zoom capability

ABSTRACT Here, we present a miniature endomicroscope that combin es large field-of-view (FOV) (1.15 mm) reflectance modality and high-spatial resolution (~ 0.5 um) multiphoton imaging. The essential element of the endoscope is a 3 mm outside diameter (OD), catadioptric zoom lens based on the idea of separating the optical paths of excitation light with different wavelengths. The two imaging modes are switched by changing the wavelength of the excitation light and, therefore, the optical zoom operation is achieved withou t any mechanical adjustment at the endos cope distal end. We aligned in free space the zoom lens with a previously de monstrated miniaturized resonant/non-res onant fiber raster scanner. We tested the performance and confirmed the high resolution and large FOV of this miniature device by imaging a US Air Force test target in transmission. We acquired ex vivo images of unstained rodent tissues by using the large FOV mode to navigate to the site of interest and then using the high resolution modality to image with cellular details. The demonstrated endomicroscope with optical zoom capability is a significant step toward developing clinical optical tools for real time tissue diagnostics. Keywords: endomicroscopy, multiphoton endoscopy, lens design
Normal-state out-of-plane and in-plane resistivities of Y1−xPrxBa2Cu3O7−δ (0 < x ≤ 1) single crystals

Abstract Out-of-plane resistivity and anisotropy of fully-oxygenated Y 1− x Pr x Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7− δ (0 x ≤ 1) single crystals demonstrate a unique non-monotonic variation with Pr concentration x. The strongly temperature-dependent anisotropy reaches a maximum at x ≈ 0.4 ( T c ≈ 45 K ), and decreases for both higher and lower T c samples.
Identifying at-risk children for early intervention services: lessons from the Infant Health and Development Program

A U. S. law mandates early intervention services for infants and young children who have, or are at risk for, developmental problems. Participating states must develop definitions for identifying infants and young children at risk for developmental problems. To assess the sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value of some commonly identified risk factors, we examined the definitions proposed by five states. Data on risk factors and 36-month developmental outcomes were obtained from follow-up participants in the infant Health and Development Program, a multisite, collaborative prospective intervention program involving 985 low birth weight preterm infants. Few individual risk factors proposed by these states were associated with poor developmental outcomes. Characteristics with positive predictive values greater than 30% were highly specific but tended to involve few cases. Risk factors with positive predictive values greater than 50%, such as hypothyroidism, occurred infrequently (
Daily variability in exercise ventilation

The purpose of this study was to quantify daily variability in ventilation (VE) during submaximal exercise and establish the number of testing sessions required to produce stable exercise ventilation measures. Following 60 min of treadmill accommodation, four male (M) and four female (F) distance runners completed 5 weeks of daily treadmill testing at the same time of day while engaged in a normal routine of training and racing. During each test session, subjects completed three 6-min level treadmill runs at either 3.13, 3.57, and 4.02 m.sec-1 for F or 3.57, 4.02, and 4.47 m.sec-1 for M. Measures of VE were obtained during the last 2 min of each 6-min run. Results indicated that the mean coefficient of variation (CV) for VE across speeds was 4.33%. Reliability analyses examining all possible combinations of testing days over the 5-week period revealed that 97% of the variation in mean VE was accounted for in either 2 consecutive or non-consecutive days, while 98% of the variation in mean VE was accounted for in 5 consecutive days. These data suggest that when treadmill exposure and circadian variation are controlled, intraindividual differences in exercise VE are relatively small in male and female subjects following an unrestricted program of training and competitive racing. Additionally, acceptably stable VE values in this cohort can be derived by averaging duplicate measures obtained from consecutive or non-consecutive testing sessions.
An Experimental Investigation of the Parallel-Plate EMP Simulator with Single-Pulse Excitation

The properties of the parallel-plate Harvard EMP simulator (HES) are studied in the time domain under single-pulse excitation. The behavior of the HES is observed through three windows: the voltage at the driving point, the current and charge densities on the surfaces of the top plate, and the electric field between the plates in the simulator. In order to eliminate the systematic interference which can be quite severe, a new technique of "dual measurements" has been developed and more accurate data have been obtained. The measurements have been interpreted with the help of knowledge acquired from earlier continuous-wave investigations and from studies with the similar rhombic EMP simulator.
Critical review of international standards for respiratory protective equipment - III. Practical performance tests.

This paper, the third in a series of papers devoted to review of international standards for Respiratory Protective Equipment (R.P.E.), summarizes in tabular form, compares, and critically reviews standards of different countries or organizations pertaining to practical performance tests (Man Tests). There are similarities, differences and omissions in the national standards that deserve attention. Of the countries or organizations that require Man Tests on particulate and/or gas and vapor respirators, none described in detail the tests to be performed. For example, CEN requires that Man Tests be conducted on gas/ vapor respirators under realistic conditions to determine imperfections that cannot otherwise be determined by other performance tests, but does not stipulate the testing procedure. With respect to fresh-air hose, compressed-air line and self-contained breathing apparatus R.P.E., only Great Britain and CEN present specific Man-testing requirements in detail. Man Tests for all types of R.P.E. hav...
Impact of adding aspirin to beta-blocker and statin in high-risk patients undergoing major vascular surgery.

Background Beta-blockers (BB) and statins (S) independently have been shown to reduce perioperative mortality and myocardial infarction (MI) in patients undergoing vascular surgery. In this study we evaluated the benefits of adding aspirin (A) to BB and S (ABBS), with/without angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE-I) on postoperative outcome in high-risk patients undergoing major vascular surgery. Methods Analysis of consecutive patients undergoing elective vascular surgery at the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center was performed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were done using cardiac risk index [Revised Cardiac Risk Index (RCRI), coronary artery disease (CAD), insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), cerebral vascular disease, renal dysfunction, congestive heart failure, and major surgery]; pulmonary disease; and A, BB, S (ABBS) ± ACE-I use. Baseline clinical characteristics and medication were adjusted using propensity scores. Endpoints were bleeding, 30-day MI, stroke, and 12-month mortality. Results Between 2003 and 2010, 4,149 arterial procedures were performed, 819 of which were risk stratified as RCRI ≥3. The incidence of MI was 3-fold lower (2.5% vs. 7.8%, OR 0.31, 95% CI 0.15–0.61, P = 0.001) in ABBS ± ACE-I (n = 513) as compared with non-ABBS ± ACE-I (n = 306). The 12-month mortality was 8-fold lower in ABBS ± ACE-I as compared non-ABBS ± ACE-I (5.9% vs. 37.5%, HR 0.13, 95% CI 0.08–0.20, P Conclusions In high-risk patients undergoing major vascular surgery, ABBS therapy has superior 30-day and 12-month risk reduction benefits for MI, stroke, and mortality as compared with A, BB, or S independently. ACE-I did not demonstrate additional risk-reduction benefits.
Transcriptional regulation of eater gene expression in Drosophila blood cells.

Eater is a transmembrane protein that mediates phagocytosis in Drosophila. eater was identified in a microarray analysis of genes downregulated in S2 cells, in which Serpent had been knocked down by RNAi. The gene was shown to be expressed predominantly in plasmatocytes after embryonic development. We have extensively analyzed the transcriptional enhancer controlling eater expression with the following findings: the enhancer reproduces the plasmatocyte expression pattern of the gene as verified by anti-P1 antibody staining and a 526-basepair DNA region is active in lymph gland and hemolymph plasmatocytes. This DNA contains several GATA elements that serve as putative-binding sites for Serpent. Site-directed mutagenesis of two of these GATA sites abolishes eater expression in both lymph gland and hemolymph plasmatocytes. This suggests that Serpent regulates eater expression by binding these GATA sites, which was confirmed by gel shift analysis. These analyses allowed us to use eater-Gal4 to force plasmatocyte to lamellocyte differentiation. genesis 50:41–49, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Symptoms of pancreatic cancer

We describe the symptoms, physical findings, treatment interventions, risk factors, and length of survival in persons with pancreatic cancer referred to a palliative care service (PCS) in a tertiary care facility. Data were collected prospectively over a 2-yr period using a standard clinical assessment tool in 39 patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer. Common symptoms include pain (82%), anorexia (64%), early satiety (62%), xerostomia and sleep problems (both 54%), and weight loss (51%). Analyzed retrospectively, 82% had at least one known risk factor for the development of pancreatic cancer. Twenty-five people presented to the PCS within 1 mo of diagnosis; in this group, length of survival was analyzed according to the presence of specific symptoms, and a significant inverse relationship between the presence of dyspnea and length of survival was found. As there is no effective treatment for surgically unresectable pancreatic cancer, palliation of common symptoms should be the primary emphasis of therapy.
Differences between CMAQ fine mode particle and PM2.5 concentrations and their impact on model performance evaluation in the lower Fraser valley

Abstract This paper calculates PM 2.5 mass concentrations (PM 2.5 ) from CMAQ output quantities, and focuses on analysing the uncertainty caused by using mass concentrations of particles in the two CMAQ fine modes (PM i+j ) as approximations of PM 2.5 in model evaluations. Conceptually, CMAQ fine mode and PM 2.5 particles are different in terms of both concentrations and compositions. Quantitatively, the modelling results of the Pacific 2001 scenario at the Lower Fraser Valley shows that PM i+j and PM 2.5 can be substantially or even extremely different, depending on relative humidity (RH) values. Under low RHs, PM i+j and PM 2.5 generally correlate well and their quantitative differences are mostly moderate, although their maximum differences can still be substantial. Under high RHs, the correlation between PM i+j and PM 2.5 deteriorates considerably and the quantitative differences increase dramatically. This is true whether the analysis is conducted on an all-component or a dry-component-only basis. Therefore, PM i+j could be used as an approximation of PM 2.5 only on an average basis when RHs are low, but not under more general conditions. When compared with measured PM 2.5 concentrations, the modelled concentrations of PM 2.5 dry components (PM 2.5,dry ) performed much better than the modelled concentrations of fine mode dry components (PM i + j ,dry ) for the modelling domain and period, since the overall positive bias of the modelled PM i + j ,dry was partially compensated by the lower PM 2.5,dry values in comparison with PM i + j ,dry . In addition, by using PM 2.5,dry , the model demonstrated a better skill in simulating 24-h moving averages (MA) of measured concentrations in comparison with simulating hourly concentrations. This is different from the case of using PM i + j ,dry , where the model could not clearly show a better skill in simulating 24-h MAs. Therefore, it is highly desirable to calculate PM 2.5 values from CMAQ output and use them instead of PM i+j in model evaluations, especially under situations when RHs can be high. The method outlined in this paper can also be readily used for the calculations of PM concentrations at any cut-off diameter of interest, in addition to PM 2.5 discussed here.
Some clinical correlates of the wave and spike phantom.

Abstract 1. 1. Attention is drawn to the “wave and spike phantom” (WSP) pattern, a low voltage 5 to 6/sec. wave with a fast spike. 2. 2. Technical aspects of “comparison” linkages are mentioned. 3. 3. Clinically, the most common correlate of the WSP is “simple fainting”.
Making the Diagnosis of Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration

The 3 most common pathologic diagnoses in neurodegenerative disorders are Alzheimer disease (AD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB or LBD), and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). Almost 20 years ago, Mirra et al1 published in the Archives the special article titled “Making the Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease: A Primer for Practicing Pathologists” as a guide for community pathologists in evaluating autopsy brains for the presence of AD. While the criteria for making the pathologic diagnosis of AD have been modified over the years, the basic gross and microscopic workup, outlined in the article listed above remains useful.2–6 Immunostains for abnormal tau and amyloid-β have been added to silver or thioflavin-S stains, for better delineation of the AD pathology.7,8 Likewise, most neuropathologists have replaced ubiquitin immunohistochemistry (IHC) with α-synuclein IHC, for better delineation of the Lewy body pathology, and criteria for the pathologic diagnosis of Lewy body disorders have been more fully developed.9 In the last 10 to 15 years, awareness of the frontotemporal dementia (FTD) has increased. In fact, in demented individuals younger than age 65, FTD and AD have the same prevalence.10 Frontotemporal dementia can be separated into 2 broad categories: behavioral variant FTD and primary progressive aphasia.11,12 Further consideration of the clinical details of FTD is beyond the scope of this article. However, FTD can be inherited in up to 50% of cases, and in order to perform targeted genetic analysis of the patient and potential affected family members, and to investigate biomarkers that will allow antemortem diagnosis upon which to base future targeted therapy, determination of the specific pathologic subtype is important.13 Currently, brain autopsy remains the gold standard for diagnosis of the specific pathologic and molecular FTLD subtype.14,15 (Note: FTD refers to the clinical syndrome and FTLD to the pathologic diagnosis. See the Table for definitions of clinical and pathologic subtypes. Note that this is a fairly comprehensive list of all possible pathologic subtypes and includes many that are uncommon or rare.) Table Definitions of Clinical and Pathologic Subtypes