cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Obese frailty, physical performance deficits, and falls in older men with biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer on androgen deprivation therapy: a case-control study.

OBJECTIVES: To test the hypothesis that early androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) has no proven survival advantage in older men with biochemical recurrence (BCR) of prostate cancer (PCa), and it may contribute to geriatric frailty. METHODS: We conducted a case-control study of men aged 60+ years with BCR on ADT (n = 63) vs PCa survivors without recurrence (n = 71). Frailty prevalence, "obese" frailty, Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) scores, and falls were compared. An exploratory analysis of frailty biomarkers (C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, hemoglobin, albumin, and total cholesterol) was performed. Summary statistics and univariate and multivariate regression analyses were conducted. RESULTS: More patients on ADT were obese (body mass index >30; 46.2% vs 20.6%; P = .03). There were no statistical differences in SPPB (P = .41) or frailty (P = .20). Using a proposed "obese" frailty criteria, 8.7% in ADT group were frail and 56.5% were "prefrail," compared with 2.9% and 48.8% of controls (P = .02). Falls in the last year were higher in the ADT group (14.3% vs 2.8%; P = .02). In analyses controlling for age, clinical characteristics, and comorbidities, the ADT group trended toward significance for "obese" frailty (P = .14) and falls (OR = 4.74, P = .11). Comorbidity significantly increased the likelihood of "obese" frailty (P = .01) and falls (OR 2.02, P = .01). CONCLUSIONS: Men with BCR on ADT are frailer using proposed modified "obese" frailty criteria. They may have lower performance status and more falls. A larger, prospective trial is necessary to establish a causal link between ADT use and progression of frailty and disability. Language: en
Comparative Absorption of Lead from Contaminated Soil and Lead Salts by Weanling Fischer 344 Rats

Abstract A 44-day dosed feed study was performed to compare the bioavailability of lead from contaminated soil versus two lead salts and the effect of soil on gastrointestinal absorption of ingested lead. Male Fischer rats (approximately 4 weeks of age) received lead, 17, 42, or 127 ppm, in the form of lead acetate, lead sulfide, lead-contaminated soil, or combinations thereof in the diet for 7, 15, or 44 days. Control soil was added to the diets of some animals to determine how it might alter lead bioavailability. Blood Δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (Δ-ALAD) and blood, bone, kidney, and liver lead were determined in groups of animals at each time-point. Blood Δ-ALAD was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner and to the greatest degree in the lead acetate and lead acetate/control soil groups, followed by the lead sulfide and lead-contaminated soil groups. Bone and tissue lead levels increased in a dose-dependent manner and were greatest in animals receiving lead acetate and significantly less in animals receiving lead sulfide and lead-contaminated soil. Blood lead levels were generally greatest by 7 days and stabilized at lower levels thereafter. Bone lead concentration–time patterns did not demonstrate the biphasic change seen with tissues and continued to increase in most treatment groups through the course of the study. The presence of soil in the diet clearly attenuated the absorption of lead acetate, but had little effect on the absorption of lead sulfide. Results of these studies confirm previous observations that lead absorption is highly dependent on the form of lead ingested and the matrix in which it is ingested. More important, these studies demonstrate that lead in soil may be significantly less available than estimated by current default assumptions and that the presence of soil may decrease the availability of lead from lead salts on which the default assumptions are based. Results presented here also demonstrate that the weanling rat may represent an appropriate model that could be used to obtain relatively rapid and economical estimates of the availability of lead in complex matrices such as soil.
Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery: Impact on Resource Usage, Costs, Length of Stay, and Return to Function

"Minimally invasive" approaches to coronary artery surgery include a number of procedures, most of which avoid the use of extracorporeal circulation. Economic considerations have contributed to the...
Generation of multiband, single nanosecond pulses in CO 2 lasers

A technique of generating single nanosecond pulses of CO 2 laser radiation using a CdTe electro-optic gate driven by a laser triggered Blumlein structure is described. By the use of intercavity absorbers, simultaneous output is obtained on multiple rotational lines of both the 9.4 µm and 10.4 µm vibrational bands.
Emerging technologies in yeast genomics

The genomic revolution is undeniable: in the past year alone, the term 'genomics' was found in nearly 500 research articles, and at least 6 journals are devoted solely to genomic biology. More than just a buzzword, molecular biology has genuinely embraced genomics (the systematic, large-scale study of genomes and their functions). With its facile genetics, the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has emerged as an important model organism in the development of many current genomic methodologies. These techniques have greatly influenced the manner in which biology is studied in yeast and in other organisms. In this review, we summarize the most promising technologies in yeast genomics.
Dynamic link labels for energy efficient MAC headers in wireless sensor networks

Sensor data typically consists of packets with small payloads due to which the MAC header is a significant and energy-expensive overhead. We present a scheme that replaces conventional MAC addresses with dynamically assigned short link labels that are spatially reused. This would be useful in self-configuring sensor networks. We also present an encoded representation of these labels for use in data packets. We develop a distributed algorithm involving local exchange of control messages for the assignment of these labels. Simulation results demonstrate the scalability of the assignment algorithm and the encoded label representation. In typical scenarios, the MAC header is reduced by a factor of eight as compared to traditional MAC headers. We also show the conditions under which the energy savings outweigh the protocol overheads.
Field-Induced Interfacial Properties of Gold Nanoparticles in AC Microelectrophoretic Experiments

Electrophoretically induced aggregation of Au nanoparticles has been studied in the past especially in relation to interparticle interactions or particle/surface interactions leading to self-organization of particles into structures. The work described here focuses on field-induced interfacial changes preceding the aggregation. We show that, in strong AC electric fields, comparable to those used for electrophoretic aggregation of microwires and 2D crystals at electrode surfaces, slow field-dependent variations in the nanoparticle mobility occur. These variations in mobility are accompanied by a few orders of magnitude increase in the adsorption rate of colloidal gold nanoparticles, onto a similarly charged silica surface. The onset time of adsorption strongly depends on the applied AC field intensity. A qualitative model aimed at explaining the observed field-induced adsorption of negatively charged gold particles on a similarly charged silica surface is proposed. The model is based on the idea that the adsorbed ion distribution at the particle surface is influenced by the applied electric field. The result of prolonged electric field exposure is a nonuniform distribution of charge across the nanoparticle surface, which renders orientation-dependent adsorption possible.
Ground-penetrating-radar response to fracture-fluid salinity: Why lower frequencies are favorable for resolving salinity changes

Time-lapse ground-penetrating-radar GPR surveys exploit signal-amplitude changes to monitor saline tracers in fractures and to identify groundwater flow paths. However, the relationships between GPR signal amplitude, phase, and frequency with fracture aperture and fluid electrical conductivity are not well understood. We used analytical modeling, numerical simulations, and field experiments of multifrequency GPR to investigate these relationships for a millimeter-scale-aperturefracturesaturatedwithwaterofvaryingsalinity. We found that the response of lower-frequency radar signals detects changes in fluid salinity better than the response of higher-frequency signals. Increasing fluid electrical conductivity decreases low-frequency GPR signal wavelength, which improves its thin-layer resolution capability. We concluded that lower signal frequencies, such as 50 MHz, and saline tracers of up to 1 S/m conductivity are preferablewhenusingGPRtomonitorflowinfracturedrock. Furthermore, we found that GPR amplitude and phase responsesaredetectableinthefieldandpredictablebyEMtheory and modeling; therefore, they can be related to fracture aperture and fluid salinity for hydrologic investigations of fractured-rockflowandtransportproperties.
Measuring Qualitative Information in Capital Markets Research

A growing stream of research in accounting and finance tests the extent to which the tone of financial disclosure narrative affects security prices, over and above the disclosed financial performance. These studies measure tone by counting the relative frequency of positive versus negative words in a given disclosure (e.g., earnings press releases). Critical to the analysis is the list of words deemed to be positive or negative. Most studies use general wordlists (GI or Diction) rather than wordlists that are specific to the domain of financial disclosure. General wordlists likely omit words that would be considered positive or negative in the context of financial disclosure and include words that would not. Application of general wordlists to financial disclosure also gives rise to problems with polysemy. For example, the word 'division' is considered a negative word in the GI wordlist, but that word is commonly used in financial disclosure to describe a segment of a company and is thus neither negative nor positive in a domain-specific context. In this study, we compare the predictive validity of these commonly-used wordlists to a wordlist developed specifically for the context of financial disclosure. Using a sample of over 15,000 earnings press releases, we find that the context-specific wordlist developed by Henry (2006, 2008) is more powerful than the general wordlists used in past research. Our findings suggest that capital markets researchers will benefit by using the domain-specific wordlist in the context of financial disclosure. These results will help to establish a firm foundation for research on qualitative information in financial disclosure.
Rational prescribing of extended-spectrum penicillin beta-lactamase inhibitor combinations: focus on ticarcillin/clavulanic acid.

OBJECTIVETo provide an overview of the clinical pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of ticarcillin/clavulanic acid and to reassess traditional dosage recommendations based on contemporary pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic principles.DATA SOURCESPublished ticarcillin and clavulanic acid pharmacokinetic data derived from infants and children combined with data obtained from a rigorous, dose-escalation study performed in 12 healthy adults. Pharmacodynamic correlates were derived from published in vitro susceptibility data for the combination drug ticarcillin/clavulanic acid.DATA SYNTHESIS:Limited differences were observed in the pharmacokinetic disposition profiles between ticarcillin and clavulanic acid and relative to subject age. Integration of these data with defined pathogen minimum inhibitory concentrations underscores the appropriateness of an extended dosing interval (e.g., q8h to q12h) for many infections and demonstrates the probable therapeutic interchangeability of the following three intrave...
Size-dependent enhancement of water relations during post-fire resprouting

In resprouting species, fire-induced topkill causes a reduction in height and leaf area without a comparable reduction in the size of the root system, which should lead to an increase in the efficiency of water transport after fire. However, large plants undergo a greater relative reduction in size, compared with small plants, so we hypothesized that this enhancement in hydraulic efficiency would be greatest among large growth forms. In the ecotone between long-leaf pine ( Pinus palustris Mill.) savannas and wetlands, we measured stomatal conductance (gs), mid-day leaf water potential (Ψleaf), leaf-specific whole-plant hydraulic conductance (KL.p), leaf area and height of 10 species covering a range of growth forms in burned and unburned sites. As predicted, KL.p was higher in post-fire resprouts than in unburned plants, and the post-fire increase in KL.p was positively related to plant size. Specifically, large-statured species tended to undergo the greatest relative reductions in leaf area and height, and correspondingly experienced the greatest increases in KL.p. The post-fire increase in KL.p was smaller than expected, however, due to a decrease in absolute root hydraulic conductance (i.e., not scaled to leaf area). The higher KL.p in burned sites was manifested as an increase in gs rather than an increase in Ψleaf. Post-fire increases in gs should promote high rates of photosynthesis for recovery of carbohydrate reserves and aboveground biomass, which is particularly important for large-statured species that require more time to recover their pre-fire size.
Some effects of hole-hole interactions in systems of fermions

A generalized reaction matrix of the Brueckner theory is discussed involving the effects of hole-hole interactions in large systems of fermions. Corrections to the real part of the single particle excitation energy are estimated for the cases of nuclear matter and liquid3He. In accordance with a suggestion byKlein andPrange such corrections to the potential near the Fermi level may be large while the total energy is enhanced only a little. The effects are sentitive to nuclear density. The problem of the damping factor (i.e., the imaginary energy shift) is discussed.
CareView: analyzing nursing narratives for temporal trends

In a study of home-healthcare practitioners, we found that temporal trends contained in patients' clinical records form one of the most critical pieces of information when selecting and administering appropriate treatment. However, these records are comprised of quantitative and qualitative data, and recorded as a narrative. This format makes the extraction of historical trends difficult and time-consuming. To address this limitation, we introduce CareView, a system that utilizes a set of visualization techniques to increase the visibility of temporal trends in clinical narratives. Specifically, our system focuses on integrated temporal visualizations of numeric and qualitative records; a visualization to facilitate rapid comparison of a patient's condition against previously established care goals; and the ability to immediately visualize data as it is entered. Two experiments comparing the market-leading tabular interface with CareView revealed a significant reduction in the time required to identify trends in patients' conditions. However, interviews with nurses highlighted the importance of preserving the integrity of the holistic narrative and suggested extending the design space.
Improving Pyrite Liberation and Grinding Efficiency in Fine Coal Comminution by Swelling Pretreatment

Experimental studies with Kentucky bituminous coals have shown that ash content has a significant influence on the coal's grindability. For the Kentucky coals studied, the specific energy consumption in grinding the coal to 10 urn, at which 90 percent liberation of the mineral matter can be achieved, exceeds 400 kwh/ton for high ash-content (> 20%) coals, while less than 100 kwh/ton energy consumption is required for low ash (< 5%) coals. An innovative technique has been investigated to improve the liberation of mineral matter and, simultaneously reduce grinding energy consumption in fine coal grinding of the coals. By treating coal with a swelling chemical agent prior to grinding, the grindability of coals can be considerably improved. The Hardgrove Grindability tests show that the HGI values for a high-pyrite Kentucky No. 9 coal is increased by 50–150 percent after swelling pretreatment, depending on the treatment reagent and time. Batch stirred ball mill grinding results demonstrate that this new techn...
A comparison of peritoneal dialysis-related infections in short- and long-term peritoneal dialysis patients.

ObjectiveWe hypothesized that the infection rates and organisms would differ in long-term peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients versus those who died or transferred to hemodialysis during the first 4 y...
Update on Difficult Polypectomy Techniques

Endoscopists often encounter colon polyps that are technically difficult to resect. These lesions traditionally were managed surgically, with significant potential morbidity and mortality. Recent advances in endoscopic techniques and instruments have allowed endoscopists to safely and effectively remove colorectal lesions with high technical and clinical success and potentially avoid invasive surgery. Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) has gained acceptance as the first-line therapy for large colorectal lesions. Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has been reported to be associated with higher rate of en bloc resection and less risk of short-time recurrence, but with an increased risk of adverse events. Therefore, the role of colorectal ESD should be restricted to lesions with high-risk morphologic features of submucosal invasion. In this article, we review the recent literature on the endoscopic management of difficult colorectal neoplasms.
The cardiac surgeon as electrophysiologist

From the Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minn. Disclosures: Authors have nothing to disclose with regard to commercial support. Received for publication Sept 17, 2015; accepted for publication Sept 23, 2015; available ahead of print Oct 26, 2015. Address for reprints: John M. Stulak, MD, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905 (E-mail: stulak.john@mayo.edu). J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2016;151:298-9 0022-5223/$36.00 Copyright 2016 by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jtcvs.2015.09.098
Variation-Based Linearization of Nonlinear Systems Evolving on $SO(3)$ and $\mathbb S^{2}$

In this paper, we propose a variation-based method to linearize the nonlinear dynamics of robotic systems, whose configuration spaces contain the manifolds $\mathbb S^{2}$ and $SO(3)$ , along dynamically feasible reference trajectories. The proposed variation-based linearization results in an implicitly time-varying linear system, representing the error dynamics, that is globally valid. We illustrate this method through three different systems: 1) a 3-D pendulum: 2) a spherical pendulum; and 3) a quadrotor with a suspended load, whose dynamics evolve on $SO(3)$ , $\mathbb S^{2}$ , and $SE(3) \times \mathbb S^{2}$ , respectively. We show that for these systems, the resulting time-varying linear system obtained as the linearization about a reference trajectory is controllable for all possible reference trajectories. Finally, a linear quadratic regulator-based controller is designed to attenuate the error so as to locally exponentially stabilize tracking of a reference trajectory for the nonlinear system. Several simulations results are provided to validate the effectiveness of this method.
Extrinsic Evaluation of Dialog State Tracking and Predictive Metrics for Dialog Policy Optimization

During the recent Dialog State Tracking Challenge (DSTC), a fundamental question was raised: “Would better performance in dialog state tracking translate to better performance of the optimized policy by reinforcement learning?” Also, during the challenge system evaluation, another nontrivial question arose: “Which evaluation metric and schedule would best predict improvement in overall dialog performance?” This paper aims to answer these questions by applying an off-policy reinforcement learning method to the output of each challenge system. The results give a positive answer to the first question. Thus the effort to separately improve the performance of dialog state tracking as carried out in the DSTC may be justified. The answer to the second question also draws several insightful conclusions on the characteristics of different evaluation metrics and schedules.
Increasing pesticide-resistant ectoparasitic infections may increase pesticide poisoning risks in children

Head louse and scabies mite infestations are common among pre-school and school-age children, and topical pesticides are frequently prescribed to treat such conditions. Ectoparasite resistance to the safest and most commonly prescribed pyrethrin/pyrethroid pesticides for ectoparasitic infections has, however, been increasing since the 1980s. The increasing resistance of these arthropods to the safest pesticides may lead to greater use of more toxic, alternative pesticides to control infestations and to prevent institutional outbreaks. MEDLINE and Cochrane searches, 1966-2008, were conducted to assess the impact of increasing pesticide resistance on prescribing practices for ectoparasitic infections and to describe the evolving global epidemiology of pediatric poisonings by more toxic pediculicides and miticides, including carbamates, organochlorines, and organophosphates. Pharmacists, physicians, and poison control personnel should be fully informed about increasing pesticide resistance among the most commonly encountered ectoparasites of children and the institutionalized and be prepared to prevent and to treat accidental home and institutional pesticide poisonings with more toxic pesticides.
An examination of North American Library and Information Studies faculty perceptions of and experience with open-access scholarly publishing

Abstract Open-access (OA) scholarly publishing has grown steadily in academia for the past few decades as an alternative to traditional, subscription-based journal publishing. This research presents the descriptive analysis of a systematic survey of North American library and information science (LIS) faculty about their attitudes toward and experience with OA publishing. The study reveals that LIS faculty tend to be more experienced with and knowledgeable about open access than their colleagues in other disciplines. A majority of LIS faculty is very critical of what is perceived to be detrimental control exercised by publishers over the scholarly communication system and agrees that major changes need to be made to this system. Although a majority of LIS faculty considers OA journals to be comparable to traditional journals, a sizable minority remains unconvinced of the purported benefits of open-access journals. The perceived constraints of the tenure and promotion system within the academy tend to limit LIS faculty engagement with open-access publishing in ways similar to other academic disciplines. There thus exists a disconnect between proclaimed support for and actual engagement with open access.
An Examination of Doctoral Preparation Information in the United States: A Content Analysis of Counselor Education Doctoral Program Websites.

Counselor Education (CE) program websites play a role in program fit by helping prospective students learn about the profession, search for programs and apply for admission. Using the 2014 ACA Code of Ethics’ nine categories of orientation content as its framework, this study explored the information provided on the 63 CACREP-accredited CE doctoral programs’ websites in the U.S. Content suggestions for CE program websites are provided. The purpose is to improve program fit via providing prospective students with thorough information about the CE profession, a department and its program.
A literature review of heart rate variability in depressive and bipolar disorders.

Objective:Autonomic nervous system dysfunction has the potential to adversely impact general medical health and is known to exist in a number of psychiatric disorders. It reflects alterations in the function of several regions of the central nervous system. Measurement of heart rate variability provides a non-invasive tool for studying autonomic function. While the literature relating to the technical process of heart rate variability and aspects of depressive disorders has been reviewed in the past, research relating to both depressive and bipolar disorders has not been comprehensively reviewed. This paper critically considers the published research in heart rate variability in both depressive and bipolar affective disorders.Method:A literature search using Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO, ProQuest Psychology and references included in published literature was conducted using the following keywords: ‘heart rate variability and autonomic, combined with depression, depressive disorder, bipolar, mania and sleep’....
Horatio at the Orifice: The Significance of Bacteriuria

myself, both before I entered his laboratory and during the almost 30 years since I arrived there. Second, I am most grateful to the officers and members of the Infectious Diseases Society for affording me this privilege. My association with the Society began at the earliest stages of its conception. The creation of the Society was a rather controversial proposal made by a small group of us who were first appointed by Dr. Finland, who was acting as chairman of an informal dinner group that met to discuss infectious diseases during meetings devoted to advances in antibiotic therapy. This small group was asked to explore the need for more definitive representation of those interested in infectious diseases apart from the continuing interest in antimicrobial therapy. Now is not the time to go into the history of the Infectious Diseases Society, although I hope to do this at another time.
A Mathematical Model of a Blood-gas Service

Krieg, Arthur F., Israel, Michael, Dinkel, John J., and Kochenberger, Gary A.: A mathematical model of a blood-gas service. A mathematical model depicting operation of a blood-gas workstation was developed by two systems analysts working closely with two clinical pathologists. This model was used to provide estimates of average as well as maximum turnaround times under various conditions of workload, specimen types (capillary vs . syringe), methodology (use of IL 513 vs . IL 313 for capillary samples), and reporting procedures (report each sample as analyzed vs . report after analysis of all samples in batch). These estimates have been validated against actual experience in our laboratory. Such an objective mathematical model can be used to plan optimal service.
The Boulevard of Broken Dreams: Industrial Policy and Entrepreneurship

The financial crisis and recession that began in 2008 opened the door to massive public interventions in the western economies. In many nations, governments responded to the threats of illiquidity and insolvency by making huge investments into troubled firms, frequently taking large ownership stakes.
Application Research of iSIGHT in Solving Multi-objective Design Optimization Problems

In engineering areas,single design target has not made designers content with increasing of design demands,so multi-objective design optimization problems have gradually dominated in design areas.Now these are so many methods of multi-objective design optimization,and they all have their own advantages and shortcomings.This thesis mainly introduces iSIGHT which is a kind of Design Optimization Framework.Meanwhile we will research application circumstances of iSIGHT in the multi-objective design optimization problem of shell structure of torpedo.And we would discuss feasibility of iSIGHT in solving multi-objective design optimization problems.
Chloritoid inclusions in pyrite from Navajun, Spain

Almost pure Fe end-member chloritoid was identified as the major included phase in large cubes of pyrite from Navajun, Logrono, Spain. The silicates in the pyrite matrix as well as isolated mineral separates were analyzed by electron microprobe, X-ray diffraction, and Mossbauer spectroscopy. Mossbauer spectra taken at room temperature and at 77 Kelvin show a superposition of an Fe (super 2+) doublet and at least one Fe (super 3+) doublet. The chloritoid from one of the pyrite cubes analyzed is more oxidized than that in the two other cubes. Mossbauer data give some evidence that this may be due to the presence of Fe (super 3+) in sites normally occupied by Fe (super 2+) . In all samples, significant effects due to preferred orientation have been observed in both the X-ray and Mossbauer spectra.
Default logic, propositional logic and constraints

We present a mapping from a class of default theories to sentences in propositional logic, such that each model of the latter corresponds to an extension of the former. Using this mapping we show that many properties of default theories can be determined by solving propositional satisfiability. In particular, we show how CSP techniques can be used to identify, analyze and solve tractable subsets of Reiter's default logic.
What Is the Future of British Politics

Governments constantly face challenges. Even in the most prosperous and well-managed political system, there are always crises and decisions. Because Britain is neither the most prosperous nor the best-managed nation on earth, it must sustain itself in the face of a significant number of challenges to its political and economic systems. Many of these challenges arise from the international economic and political environment within which Britain operates, but some challenges arise from the characteristics of the political system itself.
Wet chemistry based copper oxide and zinc oxide nanowire photovoltaic cells

Solar cells are a promising, green energy source; however, cost and efficiency limitations prevent widespread adoption. We propose a solar cell design that is cost-effective both in production and materials. Here, the junction is made of copper (I) oxide and zinc oxide, which are oxides of earth-abundant metals. Furthermore, we utilize a wet chemistry fabrication process, making the production of such cells inexpensive and easily scalable. The process involves growing copper nanowires, plating zinc, oxidizing, and depositing a top contact, detailed below in Figure 1. This is a greener manufacturing method of solar cells where no harmful compounds or excessive energy is used in fabrication.
AEDs after ICH: Preventing the prophylaxis

Has the routine use of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) become a habit too difficult to break? Adherents to evidence-based medicine must surely have a conniption in light of this continuing practice. The guidelines have remained clear over the years: Do not use antiseizure medications in ICH unless there has been a seizure. Yet prophylactic AED use after acute ICH remains widespread in the United States. This is brought to our attention in the current issue of Neurology ®. Naidech et al.1 report on the patterns of AED use in ICH over 5 years across several academic medical centers in Chicago. Placing the study period into its historical context, it was conducted after the publication of the 2010 American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA) guidelines on the management of ICH, the first to recommend against this practice.2 The authors show a widespread disregard for this expert recommendation. In fact, over the 5-year study period, the use of AEDs almost doubled, and towards the end of the study period, in 2012, 40% of all patients were given AEDs. The study was done in academic centers, commonly believed to uphold the standards of evidence-based management more strictly than others. During this study period, the use of phenytoin fell dramatically, while that of levetiracetam increased. The authors submit, as a possible explanation for the increased use of AEDs, the ease of use of levetiracetam over phenytoin, with fewer drug interactions and adverse events, despite the guideline recommendations.
Investigation of an Articulated Quadrilateral Bracing System utilizing Shape Memory Alloys

Abstract A shape memory alloy based articulated quadrilateral bracing system is developed and experimentally tested for seismic resisting applications. The articulated quadrilateral arrangement provides a scalable, reconfigurable, convenient means of combining nickel-titanium (NiTi) wires and energy dissipating elements. This configuration creates a system with an adjustable amount of recentering and damping, which could potentially be used in a wide variety of new and existing buildings. For these prototype tests, NiTi wire bundles were combined with long C-shaped dampers to create a system with a good balance of recentering and energy dissipation. The system was subjected to cyclic loading to assess the behavior. The system maintained strength, ductility, and recentering after being cycled to 2% drift, which is a typical maximum in structural systems if non-structural elements are to be preserved. An analytical case study demonstrated that shape memory alloy systems tend to distribute the deformation more evenly over the height of the structure compared to traditional systems, which is a desirable seismic performance characteristic. It is envisioned that, by using the same basic bracing setup, a wide range of force-deformation responses can be at an engineer's disposal.
Techniques For In Vivo Tissue Characterization

In vitro tissue characterization studies have shown differences between normal and ischemic or infarcted myocardium. However, the deterministic approach of these methods requires precise knowledge and control of factors precluded by the in vivo situation. A technique which avoids these difficulties takes into account the stochastic nature of the diffuse signals from a tissue volume by recording echo ensembles from a clinical instrument in real-time and regarding them as sample functions from a random process. Two experiments which exploit the random nature of the returned echo waveforms are described. An in vivo differentiation between normal and damaged myocardium is obtained from amplitude probability distributions of echoes from the hearts of live dogs with induced ischemia which were recorded using a real-time phased array sector scanner. Similar results were obtained from histograms computed from normal human and myocardial infarction patient data. The second experiment applied frequency domain methods to recognizing tissue structure characteristics. Autocorrelations of the frequency spectra of echoes from a sponge, as tissue model, showed peaks corresponding to fiber size. Similar processing of in vivo heart and liver data resulted in similar peaks. Thus it appears promising that basic tissue structure information can be derived from in vivo data.
Psychological Errors In Photo-Optical Systems Of Simulation

Human factors are one of the most neglected aspects of reliability, even though they appear to be a major source of unreliability. Regardless of the accuracy of photo-optical instruments, if they are operated by a man, the reliability of the instruments will drop approximately 80 per cent. In this supplementary paper, some of the psychological aspects of the sources of unreliability in man-machine systems are briefly discussed. This discussion consequently helps in the consideration of the selection and training of users of photo-optical instruments.© (1969) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Non-invasive in vivo characterization of skin wound healing using label-free multiphoton microscopy (Conference Presentation)

Non-healing ulcerative wounds, such as diabetic foot ulcers, are challenging to diagnose and treat due to their numerous possible etiologies and the variable efficacy of advanced wound care products. Thus, there is a critical need to develop new quantitative biomarkers and diagnostic technologies that are sensitive to wound status in order to guide care. The objective of this study was to evaluate the utility of label-free multiphoton microscopy for characterizing wound healing dynamics in vivo and identifying potential differences in diabetic wounds. We isolated and measured an optical redox ratio of FAD/(NADH+FAD) autofluorescence to provide three-dimensional maps of local cellular metabolism. Using a mouse model of wound healing, in vivo imaging at the wound edge identified a significant decrease in the optical redox ratio of the epidermis (p≤0.0103) between Days 3 through 14 compared to Day 1. This decrease in redox ratio coincided with a decrease in NADH fluorescence lifetime and thickening of the epithelium, collectively suggesting a sensitivity to keratinocyte hyperproliferation. In contrast to normal wounds, we have found that keratinocytes from diabetic wounds remain in a proliferative state at later time points with a lower redox ratio at the wound edge. Microstructural organization and composition was also measured from second harmonic generation imaging of collagen and revealed differences between diabetic and non-diabetic wounds. Our work demonstrates label-free multiphoton microscopy offers potential to provide non-invasive structural and functional biomarkers associated with different stages of skin wound healing, which may be used to detect delayed healing and guide treatment.
Functional group penetration thickness and intraparticle diffusivity of electrospun poly(acrylonitrile) ion-exchange fibers

The penetration depth of the functional group and the intraparticle diffusivity of a transition metal cation (Cu2+) have been determined for sub-micron-sized electrospun alkali hydrolyzed poly(acrylonitrile) ion-exchange fibers. The ion-exchange fiber’s shell thickness, determined using a TEM coupled with EDX spectrophotometer, was 8–14 nm and it averaged ~11 nm. The intraparticle diffusivity obtained through numerical simulation for the bidirectional transport of ions into and out of the fiber, i.e., for uptake as well as regeneration kinetics, is in the order of 10−20 m2/s.
Coda: On Santa Fe and Chicana Art

The book concludes with the 2001 Santa Fe, New Mexico, Museum of International Folk Art exhibit Cyber Arte: Tradition Meets Technology and the controversy around Los Angeles-based artist Alma Lopez’s Our Lady. The study contextualizes Our Lady within the revisionary aesthetics of Chicana feminist art while also reframing the controversy from the perspective of Chicana/o critical regionalism. This critical perspective of gender and place offers another way of understanding Chicana/o art within and across the greater Mexican American Southwest.
Dye Excited States Oriented Relative to TiO2 Surface Electric Fields

Two ruthenium compounds were anchored to mesoporous nanocrystalline TiO2 thin films to probe local electric fields generated by TiO2 reduction or cation adsorption in acetonitrile electrolytes. The metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) excited states were well formulated as [RuIII(dtb)2(dcb–)]2+* and [RuIII(btfmb)(dcb)(btfmb–)]2+*, where dtb is 4,4′-(tert-butyl)2-2,2-bipyridine, dcb is 4,4′-(CO2H)2-2,2-bipyridine, and btfmb is 4,4′-(CF3)2-2,2-bipyridine. The MLCT excited state was orientated toward the TiO2 surface linker (antiparallel to the field) for Ru(dtb)2(dcb–)*/TiO2 and away from the surface for Ru(btfmb)(dcb)(btfmb–)*/TiO2. Reduction of the TiO2 in an electrochemical cell resulted in a blue shift of the Ru(dtb)2(dcb–)*/TiO2 photoluminescence spectrum, while the Ru(btfmb)(dcb)(btfmb–)*/TiO2 spectrum was either unchanged or was red-shifted. Accompanying these spectral shifts were bimodal changes in the PL intensity and excited-state lifetime that first increased and then decreased as the quasi-Fer...
Ethical Considerations of the Practice of Psychiatry in the Military

There are aspects of the medical specialty of psychiatry in which, as the American Psychiatric Association describes in the 2013 “The Principles of Medical Ethics with Annotations Especially Applicable to Psychiatry,” the “general (ethical) guidelines [are] sometimes difficult to interpret.” This chapter presents military case studies and illustrates how the areas in which the American Psychiatric Association has chosen to discuss the applicability of general principles to psychiatry could create ethical dilemmas for military psychiatrists. In discussing the guiding principles of ethical psychiatric practice, this chapter focuses on areas where military psychiatry requires special consideration—such as dual agency function with regard to beneficence, non-maleficence, and autonomy—and examines some of the inherent conflicts involved in military practice, such as maintenance of boundaries. The chapter describes unique ethical conflicts inherent to the role of a military psychiatrist regarding the performance of one’s duty in balancing the needs of both the patient and the military service.
Reliability analysis of tunnels using an adaptive RBF and a first-order reliability method

Abstract A new reliability analysis method for tunnels was developed by integrating an adaptive Radial Basis Function (RBF) metamodeling technique with a First-Order Reliability Method (FORM). In each iteration of the adaptive RBF (A-RBF) technique, an explicit metamodel of the performance function was constructed using an augmented RBF, before an alternate FORM was applied. Additional sample points were then added in the neighborhood of the design point in order to improve the accuracy of the metamodel. Three examples were solved and the proposed approach worked well. This work provides an efficient and effective reliability analysis method for practical tunnel engineering problems.
Select dietary fatty acids attenuate cardiopulmonary dysfunction during acute lung injury in pigs.

We examined the effect of substituting linoleic acid (LA) with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and gamma-linolenic acid (gamma-LA), precursors of trienoic and monoenoic eicosanoids, respectively, on ac...
The Role of Reduced Oxygen Intermediates during Myocardial Ischemia

The following study has two principal aims: 1) the demonstration that oxygen free radicals possess negative inotropic properties and 2) the characterization of the role of the oxygen free radicals during myocardial ischemia in producing the disruption of the excitation-contraction coupling system. In the intact dog, the infusion of phorbol myristate acetate (known to activate neutrophils and generate hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radical) resulted in a decrease in mean arterial pressure and cardiac index over 45 min from 105 ± 7.4 to 28 ± 8 mm Hg and 0.20 ± 0.02 to 0.04 ± 0.01 1/min/kg (p<0.01), respectively. This depression of cardiovascular function was inhibited by either pretreatment with superoxide dismutase + catalase or neutrophil depletion. During 30 min of global myocardial ischemia, sarco-plasmic reticulum calcium uptake rates and Ca2+-ATPase activity decreased from 1.38 ± 0.1 to 0.25 ± 0.02 μmoles Ca2+/mg-min and 2.35 ± 0.05 to 0.6 ± 0.03 pmoles Pi/mg-min (p<0.01), respectively. Acidosis (pH = 6.4) significantly increased this rate of decay of sarcoplasmic reticulum function. In vitro, an exogenous free radical generating system (xanthine-xanthine oxidase) produced similar effects on cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum. In addition, 30 min of normothermic, global ischemia resulted in activation of a phospholipase C-sphingomyelinase with a pH optimum of 5.0. Pretreatment of the heart with superoxide dismutase and catalase inhibited the activation of the sphingomyelinase and preserved sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium uptake rates and Ca2+-ATPase activity. It is concluded that oxygen free radicals, now demonstrated to be potent negative inotropic agents, contribute to the intracellular breakdown of the excitation-contraction coupling system during primary myocardial ischemia by activating a highly toxic sphingomyelinase which in turn disrupts the sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium transport system.
Quantum Theory and Locality

The relationship of quantum theory and space-time theory is clarified in historical context. In particular, non-local property correlation is described in relation to various notions of locality. This lays the ground for a search for the ontology most appropriate to quantum theory and the role and nature of causation in quantum theory, where Einstein’s metaphysical views, the EPR argument, Gleason’s theorem, and the Bell-type inequalities play key roles. The fundamental principles of quantum theory, such as the Superposition principle and the Born rule, and the relevance of the theory of communication to quantum theory are also explained. It is shown that various presumptions about the above relationships are unwarranted, the most significant of these being the presumption that the failure of correlations between properties of quantum systems always to have local explanations, in Bell’s sense of locality, requires a rejection of metaphysical realism.
Kept Under the Hood: Neglect of the Clitoris in Common Vernacular

Even though the “clitoris” is the organ homologous to the “penis,” this term may not be commonly used as the female counterpart to the penis. We conducted three studies to examine the usage of terminology for female sexual anatomy. In the first study 57 books in a university computer database for “sex instruction” were examined for the inclusion of terms such as penis, clitoris, vagina, vulva, and uterus. Penis was mentioned more often than either the clitoris or vulva in these books. In the second and third studies we investigated the terminology used by college students as well as their sexual attitudes and knowledge. Participants in the studies were Euro-American (76%/76%, Study 2/Study 3 respectively), Hispanic (18%/14%), and African American (4%/7%); students reported that they were overwhelmingly taught vagina as the female counterpart to the penis. Believing that the inner portion of the vagina is the most sexually sensitive part of the female body correlated with negative attitudes toward masturbation (Study 2) and agreement with sex myths (Studies 2 and 3).
A quorum-based replication framework for distributed software transactional memory

Distributed software transactional memory (D-STM) promises to alleviate difficulties with lock-based (distributed) synchronization and object performance bottlenecks in distributed systems. Past single copy data-flow (SC) D-STM proposals keep only one writable copy of each object in the system and are not fault-tolerant in the presence of network node/link failures in large-scale distributed systems. In this paper, we propose a quorum-based replication (QR) D-STM model, which provides provable fault-tolerant property without incurring high communication overhead compared with SC model. QR model operates on an overlay tree constructed on a metric-space failure-prone network where communication cost between nodes forms a metric. QR model stores object replicas in a tree quorum system, where two quorums intersect if one of them is a write quorum, and ensures the consistency among replicas at commit-time. The communication cost of an operation in QR model is proportional to the communication cost from the requesting node to its closest read or write quorum. In the presence of node failures, QR model exhibits high availability and degrades gracefully when the number of failed nodes increases, with reasonable higher communication cost.