cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of Pharmacist Previsit Input to Providers on Chronic Opioid Prescribing Safety.

INTRODUCTION Primary care providers (PCPs) account for half of opioid prescriptions, often feel chronic pain patients are challenging to manage, and there is wide variability in practice patterns. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the impact of a previsit pharmacist review of high-risk patients treated with opioids for chronic pain on compliance to guideline recommendations at a family medicine residency clinic. METHODS All adult patients with an appointment for chronic pain who were prescribed >50 morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs)/day had charts reviewed by a pharmacist before each appointment; recommendations were sent electronically to the provider before the appointment. After 4 months of implementation, each patient's chart was manually reviewed to gather outcome variables. The primary outcomes were the mean MMEs/day and pain scores. RESULTS Pharmacist previsit recommendations were provided for 45 patients. When comparing outcomes before and after intervention, the mean MMEs/day decreased by 14% (P < .001), with no change in pain scores (P = .783). Statistically significant improvements were noted in multiple other secondary opioid safety outcomes. CONCLUSION Clinical pharmacists providing previsit recommendations was associated with decreased opioid utilization with no corresponding increase in pain scores and increased compliance to guideline recommendations.
Mothers' Ideal Positive Affect Predicts their Socialization of Children's Positive Affect.

Parents generally want their children to be happy, but little is known about particular types of positive affect (PA) that parents want their children to experience. Tsai's (2007) affect valuation ...
Transition to Survivorship

Cancer leads patients on a trajectory, including diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, and care through the balance of ones’ life. Each phase makes distinct demands on the patient, caregivers, healthcare providers, and complicated healthcare delivery systems. This chapter addresses survivorship care and the need for ongoing health maintenance from the perspective of the patient and their healthcare providers, including the vital role of navigation. The chapter will provide a broad description of the crosscutting issues surrounding cancer survivorship and will close with an example of survivorship care in practice.
Simulating Collaborative Robots in a Massive Multi-agent Game Environment (SCRIMMAGE).

Testing mobile robotic systems in the field is a costly and risky task. Unfortunately, there is a gap between the existing simulation capabilities and those required to simulate large numbers of aerial vehicles. Many multi-agent robotics simulators have been restricted to the 2D plane, which limits their usefulness for aerial robotic platforms. While high-fidelity 3D robotics simulators exist, simulating large numbers of agents in these simulators can result in slower-than-real-time performance. SCRIMMAGE provides a 3D robotics environment that can simulate varying levels of collision detection, sensor modeling, communications modeling, and motion modeling fidelity due to its flexible plugin interface. This allows a robotics researcher to simulate hundreds of aircraft with low-fidelity motion models or tens of aircraft with high-fidelity motion models on single computer. SCRIMMAGE provides tools for batch simulation runs, varying initial conditions, and deployment to a cluster.
Osteopontin Promotes Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction Through a Mitochondrial Pathway

Abstract Background Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and coincident heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) may constitute a distinct HFpEF phenotype. Osteopontin (OPN) is a biomarker of HFpEF and predictive of disease outcome. We recently reported that OPN blockade reversed hypertension, mitochondrial dysfunction, and kidney failure in Col4a3−/− mice, a model of human Alport syndrome. Objectives The purpose of this study was to identify potential OPN targets in biopsies of HF patients, healthy control subjects, and human induced pluripotent stem cell–derived cardiomyocytes (hiPS-CMs), and to characterize the cardiac phenotype of Col4a3−/− mice, relate this to HFpEF, and investigate possible causative roles for OPN in driving the cardiomyopathy. Methods OGDHL mRNA and protein were quantified in myocardial samples from patients with HFpEF, heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, and donor control subjects. OGDHL expression was quantified in hiPS-CMs treated with or without anti-OPN antibody. Cardiac parameters were evaluated in Col4a3−/− mice with and without global OPN knockout or AAV9-mediated delivery of 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase-like (Ogdhl) to the heart. Results OGDHL mRNA and protein displayed abnormal abundances in cardiac biopsies of HFpEF (n = 17) compared with donor control subjects (n = 12; p Conclusions Col4a3−/− mice present a model of HFpEF secondary to CKD wherein OPN and OGDHL are intermediates, and possibly therapeutic targets.
Fiduciary Law and Corruption

This chapter, which will be published as part of a forthcoming volume, The Oxford Handbook on Fiduciary Law, argues that the common law of fiduciary obligation contains an anti-corruption norm, which broadly (albeit inconsistently) proscribes and remedies the use of an entrusted position for self-regarding gain. Part I begins with the conventional definition of public corruption, the use of public office for private gain, to derive a general definition of corruption that is applicable to both public and private sector contexts. Corruption is generally defined as the use of an entrusted position for self-regarding gain. Part II argues that courts have aimed to prevent corruption and invoked the anti-corruption norm in cases applying fiduciary law’s proscriptive rules, the no-conflict and no-profit rules, in various fiduciary contexts. These rules are generally grounded in the rationale that fiduciaries should avoid being tempted into using their positions to seek their own advantage. Part III argues that one of the main insights to be gained from understanding that fiduciary law contains an anti-corruption norm is that fiduciary law helps to preserve and promote the legitimacy of important social institutions. While this chapter principally relies on the prevailing “public-office-centered” definition of corruption, which is used by contemporary social scientists and which attempts to identify corrupt behavior, it shows how a broader, classical understanding of corruption, which emphasizes the moral decay and depravity of an individual’s character, has also informed fiduciary law.
Candomblé’s Cosmic Tree and Brazil’s Ficus Species

Candomble identifies largely orally transmitted religious traditions in Brazil tracing back to various parts of Africa. This research identifies the species of Ficus that serve as Candomble’s cosmic tree. Nineteen religious centers (terreiros) were surveyed and 17 had fig trees. Contrary to the general assumption of a single species, five native figs were identified, including Ficus elliotiana (S. Moore), F. clusiifolia (Schott), F. gomelleira (Kunth), F. cyclophylla (Miquel), and F. tomentella ((Miq.) Miq.) The most common was F. elliotiana, followed by F. gomelleira and F. clusiifolia. These results suggest that Candomble has a complex relation with a variety of Ficus species, both native and exotic, and a wider survey that includes more rural communities and other urban areas will probably yield many surprises.
Fault-Free Integrity Analysis of Mega-Constellation-Augmented GNSS

In this paper, we evaluate the potential of mega-constellation-augmented GNSS (GNSS-MC) to provide fault-free high-integrity positioning in both open sky and urban areas. We derive a method to integrate dual-frequency carrier-phase ranging measurements from GNSS at medium Earth orbit (MEO), and mega-constellations at low Earth orbit (LEO) to achieve global carrier-phase positioning. From the perspective of users on earth, LEO satellites are moving much faster than GNSS at MEO. The large angular variations generated by these fast-moving LEO satellites are exploited for rapid estimation of floating valued cycle ambiguities. The addition of mega-constellations to GNSS also improves the spatial diversity of ranging sources which enables improved navigation performance in areas where visible GNSS satellites are too few to obtain a position fix, such as in dense cities and urban canyons. This research helps identify the scope of applications potentially enabled by leveraging communication mega-constellations in safety-critical land navigation applications.
Mesenchymal Progenitor Regulation of Tooth Eruption: A View from PTHrP:

Tooth eruption is a unique biological process by which highly mineralized tissues emerge into the outer world, and it occurs concomitantly with tooth root formation. These 2 processes have been con...
The Risk of Vitamin D Deficiency, Osteoporosis, and Fractures in Acute Pancreatitis.

OBJECTIVES A few past studies have found increased utilization of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and prevalence of osteoporosis in acute pancreatitis (AP). Our aim was to obtain a survey of bone diseases after a sentinel episode of AP. METHODS A database (Explorys), an aggregate of electronic health record from 26 integrated United States healthcare systems, was queried. A cohort of patients with a Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine-Clinical Terms diagnosis of AP between 2014 and 2019, after excluding patients with selected medical conditions and medications that are associated with poor bone health, was identified. The prevalence of new diagnoses of vitamin D deficiency (VDD), osteoporosis, and fractures in the study cohort was evaluated. Age-, race-, and sex-based distributions and risk factors were determined through univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS Of the 36,087,380 individuals in the database, we identified 256,580 (0.71%) with AP. In multivariate analysis, patients with AP were more likely to develop VDD (odds ratio [OR], 1.25; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.24-1.26; P < 0.0001), osteoporosis (OR, 1.89; CI, 1.81-1.85; P < 0.0001), and fractures (OR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.57-1.59; P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Acute pancreatitis was associated with increased risk of VDD, osteoporosis, and fractures.
Effect of Pre-Blended Phosphates on the Freezing Quality Characteristics of Ground Woody Breast Meat Compared to Normal Meat

Woody breast (WB) myopathy affected meat has a tough texture, higher cook loss, and decreased water holding capacity (WHC), and thus lower consumer acceptability. The WB meat can be ground and further converted into further processed products or frozen, stored, and shipped to further processors. Freezing and thawing of ground WB meat may further affect the quality of WB meat products. Hence, research is required to determine the effect of pre-blended phosphates on the quality of ground WB meat as well as its cryoprotective effect during frozen storage. The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effect of pre-blended phosphate levels on meat quality in WB and normal breast (NB) fillets before and after freezing. NB fillets and severely affected WB fillets were procured from a local commercial processor. The meat was separated into various treatment groups according to the sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) inclusion levels (0, 0.25, and 0.5% w/w). The meat was ground with respective phosphate treatments and subdivided into vacuum-sealed bags (n = 240; 1 kg each). Half of the bags (n = 120) from each treatment were taken for meat quality analysis, while the other bags were placed in a freezer (-18 °C) for 6 days. Fresh samples were analyzed within 6-8 h while the frozen samples were thawed for 18 h at 4°C prior to analysis. Samples (n = 10) were analyzed for gel strength, pH, color (L* a* b*), proximate composition, and randomly selected samples (n = 5) were analyzed for aerobic plate count (APC). Experiments were repeated in two separate replications and the data was analyzed using the Proc Glimmix model procedure in SAS (v. 9.4) (Cary, NC, USA) with LSMeans Separation at p ≤ 0.05. The gel strength (g) of the fresh ground NB meat (883.7 g) was higher than the gel strength of woody meat (720.8 g) with 0% phosphate (p ≤ 0.05). Addition of phosphate (0.25 and 0.5%) significantly increased the gel strength of fresh woody meat but it was significantly lower than NB meat added with 0.25 and 0.5% phosphate treatment. After freezing, ground NB meat samples with 0.25 and 0.5% phosphate had higher gel strength compared to fresh and frozen ground WB meat (p ≤ 0.05). Pre-blended STPP raised the pH in all treatments (p < 0.05). Treatments did not have any clear impact on APC of ground WB or NB meat. Addition of pre-blended sodium tripolyphosphate increases the functionality of fresh and frozen ground WB meat, as well as NB meat.
“Location, Location, Location”: Challenges of Effective Geoscience Education Within Geotourism Opportunities at Coastal US Fossil Park Sites

In the United States, a unique geotourism venue exists with fossil parks. These sites provide informal geoscience education for the visitor while also permitting the sustainable collection and retention of a small number of personal fossils. US fossil parks bridge the protected and well-interpreted US National Park Service sites (where no fossil or rock collecting is allowed, but visitor education is developed through signage and visitors’ centers) and public fossiliferous outcrops that local collectors may visit and find fossils to keep, but which do not offer any educational instruction for the uninformed or casual visitor. Because fossils illustrate geologic time, evolution and extinction, and Earth’s changes in biodiversity, sea level, and climate, they can be used to improve visitors’ geoliteracy by addressing several big ideas of the Earth Science Literacy Initiative (ESLI in Earth science literacy principles: The big ideas and supporting concepts of Earth science. National Science Foundation, Washington, D.C., 2010) that all people should understand in order to live harmoniously on our planet. Many variables contribute to visitors’ enjoyment and improved geoliteracy at fossil parks, including the authenticity of collecting experiences, geological age of the strata, training opportunities for visitors with regards to fossil retrieval, availability of paleontology mentors, ease of fossil identification by visitors, the organization of the site, and site accessibility, including visitor safety and handicapped visitor access (Clary and Wandersee in Qualitative Inquiry in geoscience education research, GSA special papers, vol 474. Geological Society of America, Denver, CO, USA, pp. 113–134, 2011; Lessons from US fossil parks for effective informal science education. Geoheritage 6(4):241–256, 2014). Underdeveloped fossil park sites can be optimized through the fossil park model and targeting the Earth Science Literacy Initiative’s 9 big ideas (Clary in Handbook of geotourism. Edward Elgar Publishing, Cheltenham, UK, pp. 244–253, 2018) However, this process is more challenging when the park contains marine fossils and is located near a coastal area. Three US Miocene-age coastal sites were researched in 2016: Calvert Cliffs State Park, Maryland, Purse State Park, Maryland, and Westmoreland State Park, Virginia. At each of the parks, extensive observations were recorded, fossils were collected, onsite signage and website information were coded and analyzed, and the park was scored with the fossil park model. All three sites faced challenges for promoting visitor geoliteracy. Visitors struggled to understand (1) fossils were millions of years old, (2) many fossils represented extinct organisms; and (3) sea level had been higher in the past leading to the deposition of the fossiliferous layers. Even with additional interpretive challenges, the parks can extend visitor geoliteracy for optimized geotourism opportunities.
All photon analysis of ultrasonically sculpted virtual optical waveguides using a custom-designed physics-based renderer

We discuss the characterization and analysis of ultrasonically sculpted virtual optical waveguides in scattering media using a novel physics-based renderer. Our renderer is physically accurate, unbiased, and fast. Unlike other simulators, our renderer can handle heterogeneous refractive index profiles in scattering media. Using the renderer, we characterized the effect of different parameters of virtual optical waveguides to enhance the overall light throughput in transparent and scattering media. The simulator can potentially be used for analysis-by-synthesis and design of innovative acousto-optics systems, capable of generating complex virtual elements in scattering media.
An accurate method of measuring shoulder sling compliance: a validation study.

BACKGROUND The effect of postoperative shoulder sling compliance on surgical outcomes is unknown. The goal was to determine an accurate method to measure sling compliance. We compared volunteer recorded sling wear time with temperature-based sensors to monitor sling compliance. METHODS Data loggers sutured at three locations measured heat generated in 15-minute intervals. Slings wearers logged sling wear to accurately cross-reference with temperature sensors. Secondary experiments analyzed whether surrounding ambient temperature can be discerned from actual sling wear. We created an algorithm to describe actual sling wear time as a function of heat recorded and calculated percent wear accuracy. RESULTS The modified sling was worn for 172 h. The algorithm modeled sling on/off times by analyzing cutoff temperatures. Diagnostic accuracy was >99 % for the three locations, with no statistically significant differences among them. Compared with sling wear, ambient temperature took longer to reach critical temperature values determined by the algorithm, helping distinguish compliance from false positives. CONCLUSIONS The described algorithm can effectively quantify shoulder sling wear time based on heat-generated sensor readings. False positives from ambient temperature are minimal. This measurement method could be used to study the relationship between postoperative sling use and functional outcomes after shoulder surgery.
A novel nonlinear dimension reduction approach to infer population structure for low-coverage sequencing data.

Low-depth sequencing allows researchers to increase sample size at the expense of lower accuracy. To incorporate uncertainties while maintaining statistical power, we introduce MCPCA_PopGen to analyze population structure of low-depth sequencing data. The method optimizes the choice of nonlinear transformations of dosages to maximize the Ky Fan norm of the covariance matrix. The transformation incorporates the uncertainty in calling between heterozygotes and the common homozygotes for loci having a rare allele and is more linear when both variants are common. We apply MCPCA_PopGen to samples from two indigenous Siberian populations and reveal hidden population structure accurately using only a single chromosome. The MCPCA_PopGen package is available on https://github.com/yiwenstat/MCPCA_PopGen .
How UAVs’ Highly Dynamic 3D Movement Improves Network Security?

Cooperative ad hoc unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) networks need essential security services to ensure their communication security. Cryptography, as the inseparable tool for providing security services, requires a robust key management system. Alas, the absence of infrastructure in cooperative networks leads to the infeasibility of providing conventional key management systems. Key pre-distribution schemes have shown promising performance in different cooperative networks due to their lightweight nature. However, intermediate decryption-encryption (DE) steps and the lack of key updates are the most concerning issues they suffer from. In this paper, we propose a simple and effective key management algorithm inspired by the idea of key pre-distribution, where it utilizes the highly dynamic UAV node movement in 3D space to provide the key update feature and optimizes the number of intermediate DE steps. Although it is a general model for any mobile ad hoc network, we have selected UAV network as an example domain to show the efficiency of the model given the high mobility. We define the communication density parameter to analytically show that using any highly dynamic random movement pattern leads our algorithm to work effectively. To show the proposed algorithm’s effectiveness, we exhaustively analyze its security and performance in the UAV network using the ns-3 network simulator. Results validate our analytical findings and show how the highly dynamic UAV network movement helps our algorithm to provide the key update feature and to optimize the number of DE steps 1.
Problem-Solving Courts and the Defense Function: The Wisconsin Experience

Problem-solving courts have emerged as one of the fastest growing innovations in the criminal justice system. Their growth has not been without controversy, given their dramatic departure from a traditional adversary model in favor of a collaborative approach in dealing with offenders with serious alcohol, substance abuse, or mental health issues. The most outspoken criticism of this approach has come from the defense bar. This paper suggests much of the criticism is misplaced, and, that if care is exercised in separating the roles that defense counsel play in communities with problem-solving courts the promise of this approach for appropriate offenders can be realized without compromising the core duties that counsel owes his client. The template proposed here for reconciling these conflicting interests is based in large part on the work and experiences of shareholders in Wisconsin problem-solving courts. It is further suggested that the proposed ABA Standards for the Defense Function fail to address most, if not all, of the unique defense function issues presented by the problem-solving court model.
Late‐Life Psychosis

The most common psychoses to appear in the later years of life are those associated with dementia and major depressive disorder with psychotic features, with delusional disorders being much less common. This article provides an overview of recent advances pertinent to each of these major categories of late-life psychosis. Keywords: dementia; late-life psychosis; psychosis; psychopathology
Allergic Transfusion Reactions

Publisher Summary Allergic reactions to blood product transfusion encompass a broad range of clinical symptoms and severity. Allergic reactions include mild urticarial reactions, serious anaphylactoid reactions, and rare anaphylactic reactions. Mild allergic reactions mediated by IgE are among the most common adverse reactions to transfusion therapy. These mild transfusion reactions, thought to be caused by soluble proteins in donor plasma, may be associated with transfusion of any type of blood component. Anaphylactoid reactions resemble anaphylaxis but lack demonstrable IgE antibodies. Documented cases of acute anaphylaxis have occurred upon transfusion of blood products to IgA-deficient patients who have high titers of anti-IgA in their sera. Mild allergic reactions are best managed by discontinuation of the transfusion and administration of antihistamines. For mild reactions characterized by focal urticaria only, the transfusion usually can be restarted after 15 minutes, following treatment with antihistamines and alleviation of symptoms. It is found that patients with a history of mild allergic reactions usually benefit from premedication with an oral or intravenous antihistamine given 30–60 minutes prior to transfusion. Patients with repeated allergic reactions may benefit from premedication with methylprednisolone given several hours prior to transfusion.
Asymmetric merger of black holes

We study event horizons of non-axisymmetric black holes and show how features found in axisymmetric studies of colliding black holes and of toroidal black holes are non-generic and how new features emerge. Most of the details of black hole formation and black hole merger are known only in the axisymmetric case, in which numerical evolution has successfully produced dynamical space-times. The work that is presented here uses a new approach to construct the geometry of the event horizon, not by locating it in a given space-time, but by direct construction. In the axisymmetric case, our method produces the familiar pair-of-pants structure found in previous numerical simulations of black hole mergers, as well as event horizons that go through a toroidal epoch as discovered in the collapse of rotating matter. The main purpose of this paper is to show how new---substantially different---features emerge in the non-axisymmetric case. In particular, we show how black holes generically go through a toroidal phase before they become spherical, and how this fits together with the merger of black holes.
Working Time in the Employment Relationship: Perceived Control and Work-Life Balance

The consequences of hours of employment for a worker’s work-life interface depends not only on the number of hours of work but also whether a worker perceives that they have some discretion over the setting and timing of their work hours and schedule. When a worker perceives to lack such discretion, this may have at least as much adverse effect on work-life balance as working long or extra hours. This research analyzes data from a large nationally representative survey in the US that permit observation of six indicators of employee-centered flexibility, discretion or control that may or may not be available to workers. Three types of flexibility include the extent to which the employee sets their own scheduled hours, can vary their daily starting and quitting times of work and can take time off during the work day. Three types of inflexibility include whether their overtime hours of work are required by their employer, work shift times are irregular and actual hours of work are longer than their preferred number of hours. Multinomial regression analysis finds that a longer duration of weekly hours, extra days worked per month and working full-time work hours enhances both conflict and fatigue. When controlling for these effects of longer hours, however, having discretion in setting their own work schedule, an ability to vary their own starting and quitting times of work and to take time off during the work day are all associated with lower work-life conflict. Similarly, an inability to refuse overtime work or to realize a preference for part-time hours, and working irregular shift times, are all associated with greater work-family conflict. Having discretion over schedule, ability to take time off during the day and flexible start and end times are all associated with less daily fatigue among full-time workers and salaried workers, however, not among hourly paid workers. Having mandatory overtime work is associated with greater frequency of fatigue, but working irregular shift times has no relation to fatigue. The analysis suggests that an employment relationship of the future that features the type of flexibility which permits better integration of work with non-work time, will promote better daily work-life balance. In particular, granting employees more autonomy to set and adjust the timing of their work schedules will help counter the deleterious effects of longer work hours on the daily well being of workers. The implications for collective action through public policy or collective bargaining, in countries such as US and Australia, are that creating more individualized working time structures and options for more workers would better facilitate daily work-life balance.
Ecological factors predictive of wild spider monkey (Ateles belzebuth) foraging decisions in Yasuní, Ecuador.

Because fruiting trees are uncommon in tropical forests, frugivorous primates experience selective pressure to incorporate knowledge of where to find feeding trees, what to expect when they arrive there, and when they can return after depleting a tree. I investigated these abilities in wild spider monkeys (Ateles belzebuth) in Yasuni, Ecuador, by analyzing the characteristics of feeding trees that drive foraging decisions. Foraging data were derived from four 2-week follows of focal adult females, conducted between May and December 1999, during which I measured and mapped all trees in which the focal subject fed, feeding bout duration, and the number of conspecifics feeding simultaneously with the focal. Taking into account the order in which feeding trees were visited across each follow, I analyzed each foraging decision from the second week of a follow, treating all previously visited trees as options for visits. I scored each option tree in terms of nine ecological variables, including the distance from the decision to each location tree, DBH, recent feeding time and mean feeding times for the focal and other monkeys present, and the interval in hours between the foraging decision and the most recent visit to each option tree. I then examined the predictive strength of the model using logistic regression analysis, comparing characteristics of selected trees to those not selected. The overall model successfully predicted trees selected by focal monkeys (r2 = 0.27). Monkeys preferentially moved to nearby, large canopy trees, in which previous feeding success was high, and which were visited after an interval of 3.5 days. Interval mattered most for medium and large trees, but did not predict selection for trees <10 cm DBH. Despite the large home range and large numbers of trees, Yasuni spider monkeys appeared to integrate spatial, value, and temporal information when deciding where to feed. Am. J. Primatol. 76:1185–1195, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Adrenal modulation of brain size in adult rats.

Absolute brain weight and brain/body ratios are significantly increased by adrenalectomy. One month after surgery, brain/body ratios of adult male rats range from 14 to 18% higher than those of sham-operated controls. These differences are uniform across forebrain and hindbrain portions. Desiccation of the brain materials indicates that the increase is structural and unrelated to fluid shifts.
Heart rate and the rate-pressure product as determinants of cardiovascular risk in patients with hypertension

Inability to supply oxygen to the myocardium when demand is high appears to be related to several cardiovascular events, including transient myocardial ischemia, acute myocardial infarction, and sudden death. Myocardial oxygen consumption is correlated with the rate-pressure product (heart rate x systolic blood pressure) and this hemodynamic parameter has been shown to follow a circadian pattern similar to that observed with cardiovascular events. However, the clinical implications of this observation and the appropriate clinical interventions have not been studied. Therefore, the impact of the chronotherapeutic controlled-onset extended release delivery (COER-verapamil) on heart rate and the rate-pressure product was assessed and compared with that of nifedipine gastrointestinal therapeutic system (GITS), which is designed to provide a constant or homeostatic drug effect. A total of 557 hypertensive patients were enrolled in the 51-center, randomized, double-blind prospective study. Twenty-four-hour ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring was performed at baseline, after 4 weeks of stable-dose therapy, and after 10 weeks of treatment; heart rate was assessed concomitantly. Heart rate, rate of rise (slope) of BP and heart rate, and the rate-pressure product were all reduced to a greater extent by COER-verapamil during the early morning hours compared with the nifedipine GITS treatment. Thus, COER-verapamil exerted a beneficial hemodynamic profile for the treatment of the increases in rate-pressure product typically observed in the early morning in patients with hypertension.
Inheritance of potato glycoalkaloids

Significant differences in tuber glycoalkaloid (TGA) content were found among parents and among family means in a two year study of 10 tetraploid crosses. TGA contents of the parents ranged from 3.6–36 mg/100 g, with an average content of 10 mg/100 g. Offspring variations within families were generally continuous, indicating polygenic inheritance. Heritability (1-year—1-replicate base) ranged from 86–89% in the broad sense and from 66–84% in the narrow sense. It was concluded that TGA content is highly heritable. The use of parents with high TGA contents in a breeding program is discussed.
Influence of Age and Sulfur Metabolism on ATP Sulfurylase Activity in the Soybean and a Survey of Selected Species

ATP sulfurylase activity varied greatly among different leaves on the soybean plant [Glycine max (L.) Meer.], and high levels of activity did not appear in the leaves until the seedlings were about 3 weeks old. In general, leaves from the top of the plant had a higher activity than leaves from the bottom of the plant. A much greater activity was found in soybean leaves than in soybean roots. The absence of sulfate in the nutrient solution resulted in higher enzyme activity in leaves from young plants and in lower activity in leaves from older plants. Over the growing season, however, ATP sulfurylase activity appeared to be related to sulfur content of the leaf. Several other plant species also had measurable levels of ATP sulfurylase.
Radiolysis of Polyethylene Films Containing Arenes: Bromopyrene Dissociation and Pyrene Binding in Polymer Films

Radiation induced dehalogenation of haloarenes and binding of arenes have been studied in polyolefin films. Dehalogenation takes place from a highly excited triplet state that is formed by the recombination of arene radical ions, while binding takes place through a polymer aryl radical intermediate. The latter process is dependent on the reactivity of the polymer radical and decreases in low molecular weight and branched polymer films. It is found that energy deposited by high-energy irradiation is transferred efficiently out of the crystalline zones and into the amorphous zones of the polymer.
Formation of peroxidases in response to indole-3-acetic acid in cultured tobacco cells

Abstract Tissue cultures of Nicotiana tabacum (var. White Burley), grown on an agar medium with either IAA or 2,4-D as the auxin, display peroxidase forms which are dependent on the auxin used for growth. Two enzyme forms are found only in cells whose growth is stimulated by IAA, while all other observed forms are common to cells grown with either auxin. In suspension cultures supplied both IAA (2 ppm) and 2,4-D (0·1 ppm), the forms induced by IAA are found exclusively in the culture medium, apparently completely secreted as exoenzymes.
Effect of Vitamin C on Hemoglobin Production in Chicks

Abstract HART, Steenbock, Lepkovsky, and Halpin (1925) demonstrated the synthesis of vitamin C in the chick by using the livers from chicks on vitamin C deficient diets to cure the avitaminosis in scorbutic guinea pigs. The chicken livers were found to contain more vitamin C than could be accounted for on the basis of the vitamin C content of the diet. The role of vitamin C in the metabolism of hens was studied by Bell, Satterfield and Cook (1941) who observed a reduced egg production in heavy laying breeds fed diets low in vitamin C. Injection of vitamin C increased the egg production. Briggs, Luckey, Elvehjem, and Hart (1944) observed a growth stimulation in chicks when vitamin C was added to a purified diet containing crude concentrates of folic acid. Since synthetic folic acid has become available to replace the semi-crude liver preparations used in the earlier work, a consistent growth . . .
Development of methods to observe fatigue damage through surface characteristics

ABSTRACT The objective of this work is to develop a methodology for predicting material failure by evaluating changes inmaterial characteristics directly prior to unstable crack growth. In an effort to establish and document these changes, severalTi-6A1-4V flat, notched samples have been subjected to fatigue loading to partial life. After a fatigue crack was initiatedcharacterization was performed during in-situ application of an incrementally increased static load. White light interferencemicroscopy was found to be a successful nondestructive tool for characterizing changes in the deformation zone in front ofthe crack tip. A relationship between the applied load and the surface area of the deformation zone was obtained. Thisrelationship was exponential directly prior to failure of the specimen. Surface observations during in-situ testing allowedsamples to be brought near to failure without complete fracture. This result can have important applications for optimizingthe service life of airframe structural components.Keywords: Nondestructive characterization, NDE, titanium alloys, fatigue crack growth, failure prediction
Accuracy of friction-style and spring-style mechanical torque limiting devices for dental implants.

Statement of problem Accurate delivery of torque to implant prosthetic screws is critical to generate ideal preload in the screw joint and offer protection against screw loosening. Mechanical torque limiting devices (MTLDs) are available in 2 different styles that have not been compared for accuracy. Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of friction-style and spring-style MTLDs in delivering target torque values. Material and methods Five MTLDs from each of 6 different implant manufacturers (n=30) were selected to determine their accuracy relative to their target torque values. All MTLDs were new; 3 types were of the friction style while 3 were of the spring style. To measure the output of each MTLD, a digital torque gauge with a 3-jaw chuck to hold the driver was used. Force was applied to the MTLD until either the friction style released at a precalibrated torque value or the spring style flexed to a precalibrated limit. The peak torque value registered by the digital torque gauge was recorded and the procedure was repeated 50 times for each MTLD. Statistical analysis used repeated-measures ANOVA (α=.05) to assess the accuracy of the MTLDs in delivering target torque values. Results Both the mean absolute difference (ABSDIFF) and the mean percentage deviation (PERDEV) between measured torque values and target torque values differed significantly ( P Conclusions Within the limitations of this study, MTLDs that use spring-style components are significantly more accurate than those that use friction-style components in achieving their target torque values. (J Prosthet Dent 2008;100:86-92)
Benefit-risk assessment: the use of clinical utility index.

Importance of the field: Measurement of the tradeoff between efficacy and safety is rarely done in a quantitative fashion. The use of a clinical utility index (CUI) has been proposed as a tool to aid in this assessment. The methodology from multi-attribute decision analysis is in its early stage in drug development and can be used to understand the therapeutic index and the value relative to the competitive landscape.Areas covered in this review: Different examples and applications of the use of CUI are reviewed and key steps involved in the development described. These include: i) characterization of the exposure–response of efficacy and safety end points; ii) definition of clinically meaningful parameters; iii) selection and weighting of important attributes and iv) sensitivity analysis and measurement of uncertainty.What the reader will gain: An understanding of the value and limitations of CUI in drug development.Take home message: The use of a CUI for quantitative assessment of benefit/risk is most u...
On the retrieval of lightning radio sources from time-of-arrival data

We examine the problem of retrieving three-dimensional lightning locations from radio frequency Time-Of-Arrival (TOA) measurements. Arbitrary antenna locations are considered. By judiciously differencing measurements that are related to the location of the antennas and their excitation times, the problem is converted from the initial spherical nonlinear form to a system of linear equations. In the linear formalism, the source location and time-of-occurrence is viewed geometrically as an intersection of hyperplanes in the four-dimensional Minkowski space (x,y,z,t). The linear equations are solved to obtain explicit analytic expressions for the location and time variables. Retrieval errors are not interpreted with conventional Geometrical Dilution of Precision (GDOP) arguments as discussed by Holmes and Reedy (1951), but with more recent inversion analyses considered by Twomey (1977). Measurement errors are propagated analytically so that the specific effect of these errors on the solution is clarified. The sensitivity of the solution on the number of antennas used, antenna network geometry, source position, and measurement differencing schemes are discussed in terms of the eigenvalues of the linear system.
Simple population models with diffusion

Abstract A class of reaction-diffusion models is discussed. These models contain internal reactions (kinetics) and motion in one space dimension (diffusion). Two kinds of diffusion, random and directed, are considered. Simple models in population and epidemic theory are presented to illustrate the flexibility of the directed diffusion concept.
Study of carbohydrate release during the clotting of fibrinogen.

Abstract Rabbits were injected with glucosamine-1-C 14 , and the radioactive fibrinogen was isolated and used to study the possible release of carbohydrates during the clotting process. The clot supernatant fluids resulting from conversion of fibrinogen to soluble-fibrin or to insoluble-fibrin contained less than 1% of the radioactivity originally in the fibrinogen. This corresponds to the liberation of less than one mole of sialic acid, or glucosamine or both per mole of fibrinogen clotted. It is concluded that neither glucosamine nor sialic acid are released in a trichloroacetic acid-soluble form during the clotting of fibrinogen.
ISOTOPE SHIFT ANOMALIES AND NUCLEAR STRUCTURE

When observed isotope shifts in the electronic spectra of the heavy elements have been corrected for electronic structure, the resulting shifts give new insight into nuclear structure. In comparison with the shifts predicted for constant density spherical nuclei, the reduced observed shifts are anomalous (1) in magnitude, being on the average too small by a factor 0.5, (2) in trend with neutron number, showing an oscillation in magnitude, and (3) in the staggering of shifts between even and odd isotopes. The present work shows that the anomaly in magnitude largely disappears when account is taken of the compressibility and polarizability of nuclear matter, as a result of which the nuclear radius is found to vary less rapidly with change in neutron number than is predicted by the average ${A}^{\frac{1}{3}}$ law. The analysis of experimental data also suggests that nuclear particle density variations are slightly greater than indicated by earlier theoretical estimates. Likewise, the oscillatory trend in isotope shifts ceases to appear anomalous when associated with the regular progression in nuclear shapes as derived from configuration theory, from the analysis of quadrupole moments and the first excited states of even-even nuclei, and from other sources. The general size of the amplitude and the nodal positions of the shift variation are consistent with expectations. Finally, the even-odd staggering in isotope shifts is reasonably to be connected with the staggering to be expected in the progression of nuclear deformations through odd and even isotopes. Thus the over-all pattern of isotope shifts appears to fit together with present ideas and to provide new specific information on nuclear structure.
Choline levels are increased in cerebrospinal fluid of Alzheimer patients.

We measured choline (Ch), acetylcholinesterase activity (AChE) and total protein in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 66 Alzheimer patients (ages 54–89 years) and 22 age-matched controls (ages 52–80 years), looking for markers of the well-established cholinergic deficit and neuronal degeneration in Alzheimer disease (AD). Three or more lumbar punctures were performed in 21 patients over a span of 24 months in order to study the changes in these CSF components with disease progression. We found a statistically significant reduction in AChE and an increase in Ch with advancing dementia. These changes were not related to patient age. We suggest that the rise in CSF choline is related to neuronal membrane breakdown and reduced Ch uptake by cholinergic neurons. The reduction in CSF AChE is consistent with the depletion of cholinergic neurons in AD.
Mandatory Parental Consent to Abortion

This report analyzes the ethical issues raised by requirements that parents be involved when minors seek an abortion. Parents are generally supportive and understanding and can provide helpful guidance to their children. In some cases, however, parents may respond abusively to the knowledge that their minor child is pregnant or is considering an abortion. In addition, privacy in matters of health care is a profound need of minors as well as adults. Accordingly, the Council concludes that, while minors should be encouraged to discuss their pregnancy with their parents and other adults, minors should not be required to involve their parents before deciding whether to undergo an abortion. ( JAMA . 1993;269:82-86)
Spiral-enteroscopy-assisted enteral stent placement for palliation of malignant small-bowel obstruction (with video)

found, and the infiltration of inflammatory cells with fibrosis was present in the gastric mucosal layer; therefore, it was speculated that thickening and elevation of the mucosa by the infiltration of inflammatory cells might have formed a polypoid lesion. Nevertheless, the reason for the multiplicity of lesional occurrences in AIP is unclear. In conclusion, it is necessary to be aware of the existence of gastric lesions in the event of encountering a case of AIP, and further collection and examination of similar cases are required.
Induced flow direction of a single ehd plasma actuator using the one atmosphere uniform glow discharge plasma (OAUDGP)

Summary form only given. EHD plasma actuators have proven effective in delaying separation and re-attaching internal or external low speed flows in wind tunnel experiments that utilize drag balances, Pitot tubes, smoke flow visualization, and fluid dynamic modeling programs. Recent experiments showed that with the additional momentum from a single plasma actuator on its leading edge, the stall angle of a standard airfoil was increased from 15deg to 21deg with a free-steam flow velocity as high as 75 m/s. The induced flow should be laminar and parallel to the surface to realize flow re-attachment and minimize boundary layer turbulence. Some early experimental studies at the UT Plasma Sciences Laboratory and in the NASA Langley 7times10 low speed wind tunnel generally indicated that there exists no significant vertical component of induced velocity. These results were obtained with paraelectric plasma actuators having electrode gap distances d = 1 to 2 mm. However, there have been reports from experimental investigations and numerical simulations of plasma actuators that the flow velocity vector was lifting off the surface at an angle that could range up to 30 to 45 degrees. In this paper, we present the horizontal and vertical flow profile measurements for gapless and variable gap plasma actuators at selected values of RF frequency and RMS voltage
The rolling-up of a vortex sheet

Die vorliegenden Untersuchungen befassen sich mit dem Problem der zweidimensionalen zeitabhangigen Stromung, welche mit dem Abrollen einer semiunendlichen Wirbelflache verbunden ist. Obwohl bereits vorliegende analytische Untersuchungen an diesem Problem Naherungslosungen fur die Spiralform der aufgerollten Wirbelflache ergeben, so durfte es doch schwierig sein, aus diesen Ergebnissen das zugehorige Stromungsfeld zu erhalten. In dieser Arbeit werden Differentialgleichungen fur den Mittelwert und den Sprung des komplexen Potentials abgeleitet, welche zur Beschreibung des Stromungsfeldes uber die gesamte Ebene benutzt werden konnen. Fur den Spiralkern stimmt die hier angegebene Losung mit der vonKaden uberein.