cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Endovascular Balloon Occlusion in Obstetrical Hemorrhage

Reduction in the maternal mortality ratio and in major obstetrical morbidity has long been a goal of the World Health Organization and other national and international groups. The loss of a mother during or after delivery exerts tremendous cost, not only financially but also psychosocially on her children, spouse and family, and her healthcare team. While maternal mortality has dramatically decreased in the last century in both developed nations and low-resource settings, over the last two decades, a disturbing rising trend in maternal mortality has been evident in the United States. Maternal mortality in developing nations, although improving, remains unacceptably high. Hemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal death world-wide and remains a leading cause even in high-resource settings. Novel approaches to timely, effective hemostatic control are needed to further reduce risk of death from hemorrhage. This chapter will review risk factors for bleeding in pregnancy, the leading causes of obstetrical hemorrhage, and the potential for use of endovascular balloon occlusion in this setting.
Stabilization of the wave equation with a localized nonlinear strong damping

We consider a locally damped wave equation in a bounded domain. The damping is nonlinear, involves the Laplace operator, and is localized in a suitable open subset of the domain under consideration. First, we discuss the well-posedness and regularity of the solutions of the system by using a combination of the nonlinear semigroup theory and the Faedo–Galerkin scheme. Then, using the energy method combined with the piecewise multipliers method and relying on the localized smoothing property, we derive the exponential decay of the energy when the nonlinear damping grows linearly, the damping coefficient is smooth enough and further satisfies a structural condition; this is in agreement with what is known in the case of a linear damping of Kelvin–Voigt type. The novelty of our approach lies on the fact that: (1) we are using a nonlinear damping, which makes it trickier to study the regularity of solutions as well as the exploitation of the localized smoothness property, in order to prove that the energy decays exponentially; (2) the energy estimates are carried out directly in the time domain, unlike the frequency domain method utilized in all earlier works on the stabilization of the wave equation involving a localized Kelvin–Voigt damping.
Novel Antiplatelet Perioperative Bridging Protocol for Lung Lobectomy: A Case Report.

Introduction Some patients with cardiac stents will need thoracic surgery during the dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) period. When surgery cannot be safely delayed to allow 1 year of uninterrupted DAPT, appropriate perioperative management of anticoagulation is critical. Case presentation A patient treated with new drug-eluting stents and DAPT was concomitantly diagnosed with lung cancer and required a lobectomy. We describe the novel addition of ticagrelor (a short-acting oral antiplatelet agent) to eptifibatide (a short-acting intravenous antiplatelet agent) to bridge DAPT for surgery. Discussion This ticagrelor-eptifibatide perioperative bridge resulted in decreased preoperative hospitalization compared with eptifibatide alone. There were no associated perioperative cardiac or bleeding complications.
Combinatorial aesthetics: from the material to the relational

My studio work pursues two paths of inquiry: (1) the combinatoric development of sets of forms and (2) systematic approaches to colour relativity. Although usually separate from one another, these ...
IoT-Based Cyber-Physical Additive Manufacturing Systems: A Secure Communication Architecture, Research Challenges and Directions

The digital system modeling plays an important role to plan, design, cost-effective layouts, and market-driven implementation of the physical devices such as electric vehicles, 3D-home, and aircrafts. Based on the client demands, requirements, and specifications, manufacturing company is sending physical items or layouts or STL files to destinations which can be local and international places. Unfortunately, it is a challenging, expensive, risky, and time consuming task. Interesting, the internet of things (IoT) can play an important role to transfer design layout to the qualified and intended destination for verification and fabrication. Regrettably, attacker can hack, modify, steal, and destroy layout and prototype over networks. Due to industrial revolution, the additive manufacturing industry is the second most vulnerable sector after financial institution where cyber attack can play significant impact. This paper summarises the cyber physical additive manufacturing systems security and privacy issues and provide a secure IoT communication architecture. In order to improve the security and privacy, we proposed an innovative IoT communication network where information is securely transferred to the destination.
Ockham's razor and the metabolic syndrome.

Abstract The broad effects of bariatric/metabolic surgery on virtually every tissue and organ system remain unexplained. Weight loss, although a major factor, does not fully account for the rapid, full, and durable remission of type 2 diabetes, return of islet function, reduction of the prevalence of cancers, increase in gray matter of the brain, and decrease in all-cause mortality. This review supports the thesis that the metabolic syndrome is not a group of separate diseases but rather multiple expressions of a shared defect in the utilization of carbohydrates and lipids. That error is probably caused by a dysmetabolic signal from the foregut, stimulated by food, that limits entry of 2-carbon fragments into the tricarboxylic acid cycle, the accumulation of lactate and, in turn, increases in glucose and insulin. Surgery limits that signal by reducing contact between food and foregut mucosa. Speciation of that signal(s) may offer a new pathway for drug development.
Risks and resources for college students’ mental health: ACEs, attachment, and mindfulness

OBJECTIVE To examine associations between risks and resources in predicting college students' depressive symptoms at the beginning of one semester and change over the semester. Participants: Participants were undergraduate students taking human development courses at one of 11 universities in the U.S. (N = 854). Methods: Survey data were collected at the beginning and end of the semester. Results: Experiencing more direct abusive or neglectful adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and attachment preoccupation were associated with higher depressive symptoms at the beginning of the semester. Conversely, greater mindful awareness and attachment security were associated with lower initial depressive symptoms. Experiences of ACEs were associated with increases in depressive symptoms, as were higher levels of attachment dismissiveness. Greater mindful acceptance was associated with decreases in depressive symptoms. In most analyses, resources did not moderate the associations between ACEs and depressive symptoms. Conclusions: Results may inform instructors and counselors in supporting students' well-being.
Brood success of northern bobwhite is biased by incomplete detectability during flush-counts

Flush-count surveys of game bird broods are a common method of deriving estimates of brood survival, but detection of chicks during surveys is < 1 due to factors such as vegetation obscurity, adult brooding behavior and variation by observer. Radio-telemetry is an alternative method for estimating survival that circumvents such factors and allow for higher detection. However, this practice is costly and labor-intensive and therefore not readily adopted. We sought to estimate detection probability of chicks during flush-counts as a function of vegetation height and adult brooding behavior. Secondly, we evaluated compromises in detection by comparing estimates of brood survival derived from flush-counts and radiotelemetry. Lastly, we compared counts between two observers to discern whether an additional observer could increase accuracy of counts.We radiomarked 247 northern bobwhite Colinus virginianus chicks at 10–12 days of age and conducted 46 flush-counts at 21 days of age. Vegetation height substantially decreased detection (β = –1.18; 95 CrI: –1.68 to –0.73); mean detection probability was 0.30 (95 CrI: 0.22–0.40). Observers failed to detect radio-marked chicks when adults exhibited running behavior (n = 16 chicks, n = 6 surveys), orphaning occurred (n = 11 chicks, n = 5 surveys) or brooding adults died or had transmitter failures (n = 4 chicks, n = 3 surveys). An additional observer did not affect counts with a mean difference of –0.6 chicks (95 CrI: –4.0 to 2.7) counted between observers. Chicks were not detected during 47% of surveys when ≥ 1 radio-marked individuals were known to be alive. Brood survival was 0.83 (95 CrI: 0.70–0.92) and 0.48 (95 CrI: 0.34–0.62) for radiotelemetry and naive flush-counts, respectively. Because of low detectability of chicks during flush-counts, alternative methods should be considered by future researchers.
Predictive factor for failure of conservative management in the treatment of calcific tendinitis of the shoulder

Objectives:Calcific tendinitis of the shoulder is a painful condition characterized by the presence of calcium deposits within the tendons of the rotator cuff (RTC) and accounts for up to 7% of all...
Chapter 5 – Cadmium in the Ocean

Publisher Summary Because of the speciation of cadmium in seawater, its tendency to bind weakly to particles and the formation of soluble sulfides under reducing conditions, cadmium is relatively mobile in the marine environment. Much of the cadmium pool in estuarine and marine waters is exchangeable and potentially bioavailable. However, ionic cadmium (Cd+2), which usually represents only a small fraction of the total cadmium dissolved in seawater, is the most bioavailable species. Cadmium, a Group 2b transition element with an atomic weight of 112.4, is present in the free ionic state in water as a divalent cation. Cadmium metal is insoluble in water, but its chloride and sulfate salts are freely soluble. The total inventory of cadmium in the ocean is approximately 68 million metric tons. Cadmium occurs in seawater in a variety of dissolved and solid forms. The dominant cadmium species in solution in seawater, each accounting for about 30% of the total, are CdC1+, CdC12, and CdC13-1. The relative amounts of dissolved cadmium in the different cadmium complexes vary with seawater salinity.
Chapter 5 Sodium Channels in Neural Cells: Molecular Properties and Analysis of Mutants

Publisher Summary Neurons generally maintain large ionic gradients across their surface membranes such that the intracellular fluid contains a low concentration of Na + and Ca 2+ and a high concentration of K + relative to the extracellular fluid. These large ion gradients are maintained by the action of energy-dependent ion pumps specific for Na + and K + or Ca 2+ . Nerve cells are electrically excitable because of the presence of voltage-sensitive ion channels in their surface membranes that are selective for Na + , K + , or Ca 2+ . These channels contribute significantly to signal processing and transmission in neurons. This chapter reviews the physiological properties of sodium channels. It describes recent experiments that define the nature of the membrane macromolecules that comprise the sodium channel in neurons. Somatic cell genetic approach is presented to analyze of sodium channel properties. The ionic mechanisms underlying electrical excitability are essentially defined using the voltage clamp method. Analysis of sodium channel properties by the voltage clamp method provides a detailed description of the three essential functional properties of sodium channels, namely voltage-dependent activation, inactivation, and selective ion transport.
Chemical stability of amiodarone hydrochloride in intravenous fluids.

The chemical stability of amiodarone hydrochloride in two intravenous (IV) fluids, 5% dextrose injection and 0.9% sodium chloride injection, was studied. Drug degradation was monitored using a stabiility-indicating, high-performance liquid chromatography assay method. The admixtures of amiodarone in the two IV fluids were found to be stable for 32 days when refrigerated (5 deg C) , and also at room temperature (25 deg C). All solutions remained clear during this period. The recommendations from the manufacturer are conservative. The admixtures are apparently physically and chemically stable for more than 24 hours, provided they are protected from microbiological contamination. However at 40 deg C, significant degradation was observed ater 18 days; and the solutions turned cloudy. Precautions must be taken to prevent temperature elevation during storage.
Change and persistence with failed technological innovation

Organizations learn by reinforcing past actions. When firms experience actions with negative outcomes, they change in response. Any persistence with such actions is said to be suboptimal, attributable to factors such as threat rigidities. This paper theorizes that persistence may sometimes be rational, attributable to the characteristics of feedback. It uses a novel dataset of medical devices to show how organizations learn to search for future novel or incremental innovations based on failure. It finds that firms change innovation activities when novel innovations fail, but persist when incremental innovations fail. These findings support the hypothesis that inferences based on failure from incremental innovations tend to be more robust, leading firms to be more willing to persist when failure occurs. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An Asymmetry in the Ethics of Procreation

According to the Asymmetry, it is wrong to bring a miserable child into existence but permissible not to bring a happy child into existence. When it comes to procreation, we don’t have complete procreative liberty. But we do have some discretion. The Asymmetry seems highly intuitive. But a plausible account of the Asymmetry has been surprisingly difficult to provide, and it may well be that most moral philosophers – or at least most consequentialists – think that all reasonable efforts to provide such an account have by now been exhausted. In this paper, I argue that, despite the difficulties, the Asymmetry is too important to be set aside. I also note a handful of accounts of the Asymmetry that have been proposed and why they fail. It seems, for example, that it will not do to say that some people matter morally and others don’t, or that a person matters morally in some worlds but not others. My own conclusion is that, while we are bound to say all people matter morally – you, me and the merely possible – we are not bound to say that all their losses– or all ours– matter morally. We can instead distinguish between morally significant and insignificant losses, with the distinction between the two being a matter of where the loss is incurred in relation to the person who incurs it. This way of looking at things – which I call Variabilism– provides the basis for a plausible account of the Asymmetry. The availability of such an account suggests, I think, that our prospects for rescuing the Asymmetry are bright.
Variations in Brain Death Declaration: A Worldwide Survey (I10-2.002)

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the practice of brain death declaration on an international level. BACKGROUND: The concept of brain death has evolved since first delineated in the 1960s. In 1995 the AAN published evidence-based practice parameters, most recently updated in 2010, to provide an algorithmic, universal step-by-step approach to brain death determination. DESIGN/METHODS: An electronic survey was distributed to physicians with reputed knowledge of brain death via the Neurocritical Care Society, published correspondence addresses, and personal contacts. RESULTS: The response rate was 71.5% (88 of 123 countries contacted); 28% of respondents (n=25) were from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Respondents were neurointensivists (n=17, 19%), non-neurologist intensivists (n=19, 22%), neurologists (n=42, 48%) and physicians from other relevant subspecialties (n=10, 12%).Most countries (77%, n=68) reported the presence of a formal institutional protocol. Among those hospitals without a provision for brain death, 80% (n=15) were from LMICs; the most common reasons cited for the absence of brain death declaration were ‘no advanced technology/ICU care’ (n=15, 77%) and ‘no physician expertise’ (n=12, 62%). Countries with an organized transplant network were more likely to have a brain death provision compared with countries without (54/62, 87% vs. 6/24, 25%, p<0.001). Marked variability was noted in requisite examination findings, execution of apnea testing, necessity and type of ancillary testing, as well as the number and minimum qualifications of physicians required for declaration. Distinct criteria for declaration in children were common (56%, n=38). CONCLUSIONS: This recent worldwide survey demonstrates that the concept of brain death is widely established, but marked differences remain in the practice of declaration, even amongst neurological specialists. We expand on the previous reports by adding 26 countries and exploring additional parameters. These differences may be due to cultural, religious and legal reasons, personal concepts of brain death or a combination of these influences. Disclosure: Dr. Wahlster has nothing to disclose. Dr. Wijdicks has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity for Neurocritical Care. Dr. Patel has nothing to disclose. Dr. Greer has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hemphill has received personal compensation for activities with Ornim as an advisory board member, and in medicolegal matters. Dr. Hemphill has received research support from Cerebrotech Medical. Dr. Mateen has nothing to disclose.
Studies of solid surfaces at atomic resolution: Atom-probe and field ion microscopy

Abstract The structure and composition are basic information of a surface. Using a field ion microscope the atomic structure of a surface can be observed, whereas using a time-of-flight atom-probe the composition of a surface can be analyzed, often with true single atomic layer depth resolution. We present here a brief review of studies with this technique, emphasizing recent developments. These include: (1) Observation of surface atomic reconstructions. (2) Successful imaging of silicon surfaces of well ordered atomic structures. (3) Using ns pulsed-laser heating, atomic processes in atom transport and surface reconstructions can be studied in 5 ns steps with true atomic resolution. (4) By using ps pulsed-laser assisted field desorption for the atom-probe operation, dissociation of compound ions in high electric field by atomic tunneling can be studied with a time resolution of 20 fs. These and other new theoretical and experimental developments in atom-probe and field ion microscopy and its application to surface science will be briefly described, focusing especially on the atomic resolution and the quantitative aspects of these studies.
Internalized Homophobia and Intimate Partner Violence in Young Adult Women’s Same-Sex Relationships

This study examined the relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV), internalized homophobia, and psychological maladjustment in a convenience sample of young adult women. Rates of psychological and physical abuse in women’s same-sex relationships were shown to be commensurate to previously reported rates of violence in the IPV literature; rates of sexual coercion were also ascertained. A relationship was found between Moral and Religious Attitudes Toward Lesbianism (MRATL), a dimension of internalized homophobia, and the perpetration of sexual coercion. As expected, internalized homophobia was connected to psychological maladjustment. In addition, both the perpetration of psychological aggression and physical violence were associated with emotional instability. The study findings are discussed within the current body of literature on IPV.
Mechatronic assessment of arm impairment after chronic brain injury

Significant potential exists for mechatronic devices to improve assessment and treatment of individuals with a movement disability following stroke, traumatic brain injury, or cerebral palsy. We report the use of a mechatronic device for evaluation of the arm after chronic brain injury. We performed a series of experiments with the device in order to identify the relative contribution of three different motor impairments to decreased active range of motion of reaching in five brain-injured subjects. Our findings were that passive tissue restraint and agonist weakness, rather than antagonist restraint, were the most common contributors to decreased active range of motion. These results demonstrate the feasibility of objective assessment of functional movement using a mechatronic device, and could provide the basis for improved, individualized treatment planning and monitoring following brain injury.
Familial clustering of colon, breast, uterine, and ovarian cancers as assessed by family history

The aggregation of colon, endometrial, ovarian, and possibly breast cancers in families has been described as a "cancer family syndrome" (now called Lynch syndrome II). To determine if the familial clustering of these malignancies was more common in women with cancer than without, we analyzed data from the Iowa Women's Health Study (IWHS), a population-based sample of 41,837 women aged 55-69 years. Self-reported information was collected on history of colon, uterine, ovarian, and breast cancers in female first-degree relatives. A family history of cancer of the breast (odds ratio [OR] = 1.4), colon (OR = 1.3), and uterus (OR = 1.3), but not ovary (OR = 1.2), was significantly more common among women with a personal history of any of these four cancers (all P < 0.05); the pattern of the ORs suggested strongly that the clustering tended to be site-specific. Age-adjusted relative risks (RR) of incident colon cancer over 5 years of follow-up (N = 237) were calculated with regard to family history. Colon cancer incidence was increased among women with a family history of breast (RR = 1.3), uterine (RR = 1.4), colon (RR = 1.5), and ovarian (RR = 1.3) cancers, although none of the risk estimates achieved statistical significance. RR was, however, significantly related to the number of different cancer sites reported among family members (Ptrend = 0.008). These data on a representative sample of postmenopausal women suggest that family histories of colon, breast, uterine, and ovarian cancers are associated with an increased risk of cancer at the same site, but provide little support for the hypothesis that Lynch syndrome II is a non-random occurrence.
Pavement management decision analysis using belief functions in valuation-based systems

A valuation-based system (VBS) for belief-function theory is applied to pavement management system (PMS) decision-making. The VBS provides a general framework for representing knowledge and drawing inferences under uncertainty. A VBS network is constructed and potentials are introduced in the form of belief functions (or basic probability assignments) in a PMS decision-making environment. A valuation network is another method of representing and solving Bayesian decision problems. It is based on the framework of VBSs. Valuation networks depict decision variables, random variables, utility functions and information constraints. The solution method for the valuation network is called a fusion algorithm, and Dempster's rule of combination can be successfully applied in this framework. It is shown that this approach can capture quantitative, qualitative and incomplete information in PMS decision-making.
One‐step purification of histidine‐rich polypeptides from human parotid saliva and determination of anti‐candidal activity

Immunoadsorption affinity chromatography was used to selectively purify the family of the histidine-rich polypeptides (HRPs) from human parotid saliva. The immunoadsorbent was prepared by coupling an enriched preparation of horse anti-(HRPs 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) IgG to protein G. Both freshly collected stimulated untreated and acidified boiled salivas (5 ml) were applied to the affinity column. When native saliva was used it appeared that all of the components of saliva, with the exception of the HRPs, were present in the fraction nonadsorbed to the affinity column; however, recovery of the HRPs with 0.2 M sodium acetate-HCl, pH 1.8, was poor. Yields of HRPs desorbed from the column with the pH 1.8 treatment were significantly improved if salivary HRP proteolysis was delayed immediately after collection by acidifying the saliva to pH 4.5 followed by a short boiling time period, which neither affected HRP quantification nor biological activity. Affinity chromatography results were checked both by catronic polyacryl-amide gel and by capillary electrophoresis. Antifungal activity was found to reside only in the low pH HRP fraction of the immunoadsorbent column, suggesting that it is the histidine-rich family of polypeptides that is responsible for salivary antifungal action.
A MEASURE OF AVERAGE SENSITIVITY FOR FUZZY LOGICS

Experts usually express their uncertainty by words of natural languages (like "perhaps", "for sure", etc). In the majority of expert systems and intelligent control systems, uncertainty of experts' statements is represented by a number from the interval [0, 1]. There are many different procedures that translate the words that experts use into numbers from [0, 1]. For one and the same word, different procedures can lead to different numbers. Some &– and ∨–operations are very sensitive to this difference in the sense that small changes in t(A) and t(B) can lead to absolutely different estimates for t(A&B) and t(A ∨ B). In view of that, it is reasonable to restrict ourselves to the operations that are the least sensitive to such changes. In this paper, we prove that ab and a + b − ab are "in the average" the least sensitive &– and ∨–operations. This result is in good accordance with the experimental data according to which in. many cases, these operations provide the best description of how experts actually think. We also show how this idea can be applied to other logical connectives (e.g., "not"), and to the choice of membership functions.
Glutathione (GSH) and the GSH synthesis gene Gclm modulate vascular reactivity in mice

Oxidative stress has been implicated in the development of vascular disease and in the promotion of endothelial dysfunction via the reduction in bioavailable nitric oxide (NO()). Glutathione (GSH) is a tripeptide thiol antioxidant that is utilized by glutathione peroxidase (GPx) to scavenge reactive oxygen species such as hydrogen peroxide and phospholipid hydroperoxides. Relatively frequent single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the 5' promoters of the GSH synthesis genes GCLC and GCLM are associated with impaired vasomotor function, as measured by decreased acetylcholine-stimulated coronary artery dilation, and with increased risk of myocardial infarction. Although the influence of genetic knockdown of GPx on vascular function has been investigated in mice, no work to date has been published on the role of genetic knockdown of GSH synthesis genes on vascular reactivity. We therefore investigated the effects of targeted disruption of Gclm in mice and the subsequent depletion of GSH on vascular reactivity, NO() production, aortic nitrotyrosine protein modification, and whole-genome transcriptional responses as measured by DNA microarray. Gclm(-/+) and Gclm(-/-) mice had 72 and 12%, respectively, of wild-type (WT) aortic GSH content. Gclm(-/+) mice had a significant impairment in acetylcholine (ACh)-induced relaxation in aortic rings as well as increased aortic nitrotyrosine protein modification. Surprisingly, Gclm(-/-) aortas showed enhanced relaxation compared to Gclm(-/+) aortas, as well as increased NO() production. Although aortic rings from Gclm(-/-) mice had enhanced ACh relaxation, they had a significantly increased sensitivity to phenylephrine (PE)-induced contraction. Alternatively, the PE response of Gclm(-/+) aortas was nearly identical to that of their WT littermates. To examine the role of NO() or other potential endothelium-derived factors in differentially regulating vasomotor activity, we incubated aortic rings with the NO() synthase inhibitor L-NAME or physically removed the endothelium before PE treatment. L-NAME treatment and endothelium removal enhanced PE-induced contraction in WT and Gclm(-/+) mice, but this effect was severely diminished in Gclm(-/-) mice, indicating a potentially unique role for GSH in mediating vessel contraction. Whole-genome assessment of aortic mRNA in Gclm(-/-) and WT mice revealed altered expression of genes within the canonical Ca(2+) signaling pathway, which may have a role in mediating these observed functional effects. These findings provide additional evidence that the de novo synthesis of GSH can influence vascular reactivity and provide insights regarding possible mechanisms by which SNPs within GCLM and GCLC influence the risk of developing vascular diseases in humans.
Complications of retained nuclear fragments in the anterior chamber after phacoemulsification with posterior chamber lens implant.

Purpose We report two cases in which retained nuclear fragments in the anterior chamber after phacoemulsification and posterior chamber lens implant resulted in intraocular complications. Methods Case reports. Results In two eyes of two patients, retained nuclear fragments resulted in minimal anterior chamber reaction but substantial corneal edema and reduced visual acuity. Topical anti-inflammatory medications did not alter the postoperative course. Improvement occurred only when the nuclear fragments were surgically removed. Conclusions Retained nuclear fragments in the anterior chamber can cause corneal edema and reduced vision that may be reversed by removing the fragments.
Neurochemical characteristics associated with ethanol preference in selected alcohol-preferring and -nonpreferring rats: a quantitative microdialysis study.

Background: Rodent lines selected for alcohol preference and nonpreference have been used extensively to determine the neurobiological basis of alcohol-seeking behavior. Evidence suggests that innate differences in the mesolimbic dopamine and serotonin systems may contribute to disparate alcohol-seeking behaviors between these selected lines. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify neurochemical characteristics which may predict ethanol preference in selected alcohol-preferring and -nonpreferring rats [high-alcohol-preferring (HAD), low-alcohol-preferring (LAD), Alko alcohol (AA), Alko nonalcohol (ANA), Wistar]. Methods: Basal release of dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) in the nucleus accumbens of ethanol-naive rats was analyzed for its relationship with subsequent measures of ethanol preference. Initially, basal extracellular DA and 5-HT levels were measured by no-net-flux quantitative microdialysis. Subsequently, the dopaminergic response to systemic ethanol administration (1.5 g/kg; intraperitoneal) was determined. After completion of the neurochemical tests, the rats received unlimited two-bottle, free-choice access to 10% (w/v) ethanol and water in the home cage for 28 days. Results: Analysis of the data across individual animals revealed that extracellular dopamine levels ([DA]e; r = + 0.64; p < 0.006) and the percent of baseline increase in DA (%incrDA; r = + 0.77; p < 0.001) due to ethanol were significant predictors of ethanol preference. Comparison of the data between genetic lines yielded a significant relationship between preference and %incrDA (r = + 0.87; p < 0.05). Analysis of the data across animals within each line and their respective control line determined that in the AA/ANA line pair (r = + 0.67; p < 0.03) and Wistar line (r = + 0.66;p < 0.03) %incrDA was a significant predictor of preference. In the HAD/LAD line pair, %incrDA (r = + 0.56; p < 0.005) and [DA]e (r = + 0.86; p < 0.004) were significant predictors of ethanol preference. Conclusions: Overall, these findings suggest that elevated extracellular levels of dopamine within the nucleus accumbens and a greater responsivity to enhancements in DA release by ethanol may be factors which contribute to high-alcohol preference. Furthermore, the data suggest that alcohol may be more reinforcing in animals that exhibit an enhanced dopaminergic response to the first ethanol exposure, and that this effect may subsequently be associated with high-alcohol-seeking behavior.
The Interaction of Process Losses, Process Gains, and Meeting Satisfaction Within Technology-Supported Environments:

Although computer mediated communication (CMC) technology has been shown to enhance productivity, increase participation equality, and improve decision quality, these reported increases in performance have not always been accompanied by related increases in meeting satisfaction. Various input-process-output models in the CMC literature have portrayed process losses and process gains as important variables affecting meeting satisfaction. A research model portraying the impact of process losses and process gains upon two dimensions of meeting satisfaction (outcome satisfaction and process satisfaction) is developed and tested. Results indicate that process losses generate negative effects upon both dimensions of meeting satisfaction, but only within identified CMC environments. Within anonymous CMC environments, however, the effect of process losses upon either outcome satisfaction or process satisfaction is negligible. Conversely, process gains generate positive effects upon both outcome and process satisf...
Exploring the effects of alcohol and marijuana use on experience of teen dating violence among high school students in Maryland

had≥one positive urine drug tests for cocaine. Receipt of BZD prescription was associated with an increased hazard of having≥ two early opioid refills, adjusted hazard ratio (HR) =1.54 (95% CI, 1.09–2.18); but was not associated with increased odds for a positive cocaine test, adjusted odds ratio =1.07 (95% CI, 0.55–2.23). Conclusions: Among primary care patients receiving chronic opioid therapy, BZD prescription was associated with≥ two early opioid refills but not with cocaine use. Because alternative therapies exist for the primary indications for BZD prescription, further research should better elucidate the risks and benefits of prescribing BZDs to patients receiving chronic opioid therapy. Financial support: R01DA034252-01, R25DA033211.
DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF WAVELET-DOMAIN VIDEO COMPRESSION USING MULTIRESOLUTION MOTION ESTIMATION AND COMPENSATION

Video compression techniques have been applied routinely in order to conserve storage space and minimize bandwidth utilization in various video applications. To reduce inter-pixel redundancies inside and between video frames, video codecs (coder/decoder or compression/decompression) are mainly characterized by applying motion estimation and motion compensation (MEMC) in combination with discrete cosine transform (DCT). However, blocking artifacts are obvious from the block-based motion estimation and transformation, especially at low bit rates. Due to the intrinsic advantages of multiresolution and scalability of discrete wavelet transform (DWT), video compression techniques have been infused with exciting prospects by the beneficial integration of motion estimation and wavelet transformation. The contributions of this paper are in (1) proposing a design architecture of the wavelet-domain encoder and decoder; (2) implementing the multiresolution motion estimation and compensation method; and in (3) realizing the dynamic entropy encoding and decoding, so as to achieve more efficient video compression than the conventional spatial domain methods for low bit rate applications without the annoying blocking artifacts.
Postpartum mothers' attitudes, knowledge, and trust regarding vaccination.

Objective To examine attitudes and knowledge about vaccinations in postpartum mothers. Methods This cross-sectional study collected data via written survey to postpartum mothers in a large teaching hospital in Connecticut. We used multivariable analysis to identify mothers who were less trusting with regard to vaccines. Results Of 228 mothers who participated in the study, 29% of mothers worried about vaccinating their infants: 23% were worried the vaccines would not work, 11% were worried the doctor would give the wrong vaccine, and 8% worried that “they” are experimenting when they give vaccines. Mothers reported that the most important reasons to vaccinate were to prevent disease in the baby (74%) and in society (11%). Knowledge about vaccination was poor; e.g., 33% correctly matched chicken pox with varicella vaccine. Mothers who were planning to breastfeed (P = .01), were primiparous (P = .01), or had an income <$40,000 but did not receive support from the women, infants, and children (WIC) program were less trusting with regard to vaccines (P = .03). Although 70% wanted information about vaccines during pregnancy, only 18% reported receiving such information during prenatal care. Conclusion Although the majority of infants receive vaccines, their mothers have concerns and would like to receive immunization information earlier. Mothers who are primiparous, have low family incomes but do not qualify for the WIC program, or are breastfeeding may need special attention to develop a trusting relationship around vaccination. Mothers would benefit from additional knowledge regarding the risks and benefits of vaccines particularly during prenatal care.
Takotsubo cardiomyopathy: its possible impact during adult donor care

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, the syndrome caused by an extreme release and circulation of catecholamines, shares several histopathological and clinical similarities with cardiac changes after brain death noted in animal investigations and human observation. Overwhelming stimulation of myocardial inotropic β receptors may alter their responsiveness and induce other biochemical processes, producing reduced cardiac contractility. Treatment methods in Takotsubo cardiomyopathy that use extracorporeal circulatory support and medications that do not rely on β-receptor stimulation and preemptive blockade of β receptors or calcium channels before brain death may be relevant to donor care.
Trace gas and particle emissions from fires in large diameter and belowground biomass fuels

[1] We adopt a working definition of residual smoldering combustion (RSC) as biomass combustion that produces emissions that are not lofted by strong fire-induced convection. RSC emissions can be produced for up to several weeks after the passage of a flame front and they are mostly unaffected by flames. Fuels prone to RSC include downed logs, duff, and organic soils. Limited observations in the tropics and the boreal forest suggest that RSC is a globally significant source of emissions to the troposphere. This source was previously uncharacterized. We measured the first emission factors (EF) for RSC in a series of laboratory fires and in a wooded savanna in Zambia, Africa. We report EFRSC for both particles with diameter <2.5 mm (PM2.5) and the major trace gases as measured by open-path Fourier transform infrared (OP-FTIR) spectroscopy. The major trace gases include carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, ethane, ethene, acetylene, propene, formaldehyde, methanol, acetic acid, formic acid, glycolaldehyde, phenol, furan, ammonia, and hydrogen cyanide. We show that a model used to predict trace gas EF for fires in a wide variety of aboveground fine fuels fails to predict EF for RSC. For many compounds, our EF for RSC-prone fuels from the boreal forest and wooded savanna are very different from the EF for the same compounds measured in fire convection columns above these ecosystems. We couple our newly measured EFRSC with estimates of fuel consumption by RSC to refine emission estimates for fires in the boreal forest and wooded savanna. We find some large changes in estimates of biomass fire emissions with the inclusion of RSC. For instance, the wooded savanna methane EF increases by a factor of 2.5 even when RSC accounts for only 10% of fuel consumption. This shows that many more measurements of fuel consumption and EF for RSC are needed to improve estimates of biomass burning emissions. INDEX TERMS: 0345 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Pollution—urban and regional (0305); 0368 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Troposphere—constituent transport and chemistry; 0394 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Instruments and techniques; 0365 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Troposphere—composition and chemistry; KEYWORDS: biomass burning, smoldering combustion, oxygenated organic compounds, ammonia, methanol, smoke Citation: Bertschi, I., R. J. Yokelson, D. E. Ward, R. E. Babbitt, R. A. Susott, J. G. Goode, and W. M. Hao, Trace gas and particle emissions from fires in large diameter and belowground biomass fuels, J. Geophys. Res., 108(D13), 8472, doi:10.1029/2002JD002100, 2003.
Neutron Sensitive Criticality Detection System

An improved alarm system to detect and warn against uncontrolled nuclear criticality events has been developed for the Hanford site. The system is neutron sensitive with an alarm threshold of 8 millirad/hour of "steady" neutron irradiation or 4 microrad of pulsed radiation. Redundancy techniques and self-check features have been incorporated whenever possible to enhance operational reliability.
Mechanistic analyses of ion dependences in a high-affinity human serotonin transport system in transfected murine fibroblast cells

1A clonal cell line, L-S1, has been identified from transfection of human genomic DNA into cultured mouse L-M fibroblasts. Because this transfectant cell line stably expresses a high-affinity serotonin (5-HT) transport mechanism with kinetic and pharmacological properties comparable to those of other serotonin uptake systems, it was used to investigate the mechanistic involvement of Na+ and Cl− ions in the ligand binding and kinetic uptake processes of this system. 2Intact transfectant cells, when incubated at low temperature (4 °C), enabled quantitative assessment of imipramine-displaceable 5-[3H]HT binding to the 5-HT transport system. This binding activity is insensitive to the presence of various ligands specific for 5-HT receptor subtypes. 3Imipramine-displaceable 5-[3H]HT binding to intact L-S1 cells was shown to be a Cl−-dependent but Na+-independent process. Chloride ions lack binding co-operativity in facilitating ligand binding. Changes in external Cl− concentration altered the Kd but not the Bmax of binding. 4The overall transport activity was observed to be highly dependent on both external Na+ and Cl− concentrations, characterized by a 5-HT:Na+:Cl− coupling ratio of 1:1:1 per transport cycle. Alterations in the external concentrations of both Na+ and Cl− ions altered only the Km and not the Vmax of transport. 5Both binding and kinetic results are consistent with kinetic modelling predictions of the Cl− ion in facilitating 5-HT binding to the transport system, and of the Na+ ion in enabling translocation of bound 5-HT across the plasma membrane. Thus, Na+ and Cl− ions facilitate mechanistically distinct and discernible functions in the transport cycle.
Dynamic coordination of two robot arms

This paper presents a new control method for coordinated control of two robot arms. The two arms are assumed to work on the same object simultaneously. The control method uses a dynamic coordinator acting on relative position and velocity task space errors and on relative force-torque errors between the two arms as sensed at the end effectors. This method is novel because we could superimpose the position and velocity error feedback with the force-torque error feedback in the task space simultaneously.
The potential of genotypically diverse cultivar mixtures to moderate aphid populations in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Plant species diversity has long been considered a primary driver of arthropod community structure; however, recent ecological research has demonstrated that plant genotypic diversity can also play a major role in influencing the composition of arthropod communities. Genotypic diversity has already been exploited in some agricultural systems to improve disease control and appears to hold promise for managing some insect species as well. To explore the potential for using genotypic diversity within a crop species to help manage insect pests, we used laboratory-based studies to investigate the influence of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypic diversity on aphid (Rhopalosiphum padi L.) population growth. Increasingly diverse mixtures of wheat genotypes supported lower aphid populations compared with monocultures and were equally productive as single variety plantings. In the absence of aphids, genotypic mixtures were more productive than monocultures. We also analyzed the volatile organic compounds emitted by non-infested genotypic mixtures to provide insight on a possible mechanism influencing aphid populations. Mixtures and monocultures of wheat emitted the same compounds, but mixtures emitted greater amounts of volatile compounds than monocultures. Our results suggest that genotypic mixtures can strongly influence the growth rate and size of aphid populations; therefore, cultivar mixtures appear to hold good potential to be an effective tool for managing insect pests in crop fields.
Dairy Goat Lactation Records and Potential for Buck Evaluation

Abstract A study of edited dairy goat records initiated from 1968 through 1978 included lactations of 12,712 Alpine, 3,094 LaMancha, 14,005 Nubian, 5,718 Saanen, 7,534 Toggenburg, 780 experimental, 7,401 unknown breed, and 287 mixed breed does. California accounted for 39% of the records. About 80% of the kiddings were from February through May; March accounted for 27% of all kiddings. Nubians tended to kid earlier. First lactations accounted for 40% of the records and second lactations for 26%. Almost 80% of the records were from the most recent 5 yr. About 69% (3 5,322) of the records had a dry date or 305 days in milk. Of these, 20,131 were lactations of 275 or more days. For these records, milk and milk fat were greatest in lactation 4. Production of milk and fat essentially has not changed over the most recent 5 yr; average production was 878kg of milk and 3 3kg of fat. Number of herds on test has increased over years with the addition of many small herds. About 20% of the herd-years had only one buck represented. More than 55% of the 10,102 bucks had only one daughter record. Among 9,812 bucks with daughters in herd-years with daughters of other bucks, 52% appeared in only one herd-year.
Protecting victims of elder financial exploitation: the role of an Elder Abuse Forensic Center in referring victims for conservatorship

Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the extent to which an Elder Abuse Forensic Center protects financial exploitation (FE) victims through referral to the Office of the Public Guardian (PG) for investigation and possible conservatorship (called ‘guardianship’ in many states).Method: Los Angeles County Elder Abuse Forensic Center cases involving adults aged 65 and older (April 2007–December 2009) were matched using one-to-one propensity-score matching to 33,650 usual care Adult Protective Services (APS) cases. The final analysis sample consisted of 472 FE cases.Results: Compared to usual care, Forensic Center cases were more likely to be referred to the PG for investigation (30.6%, n = 72 vs. 5.9%, n = 14, p < .001). The strongest predictors of PG referral were suspected cognitive impairment, as identified by APS (odds ratio [OR] = 11.69, confidence intervals [CI]: 3.50–39.03), and Forensic Center review (OR = 7.85, CI: 3.86–15.95). Among referred cases, the court approved conservatorship at ...