cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Further experience with the ileocecal segment in urinary reconstruction.

AbstractIn selected patients it is possible and desirable to reconstruct a normal or near normal method of urinary drainage after temporary ileal loop urinary diversion or after cystectomy for nonurothelial pelvic malignancy. Satisfactory results have been achieved in 20 of 23 patients, with followup as long as 10 years. Seven patients have undergone reconstruction after temporary ileal conduit urinary diversion for benign conditions. One patient underwent urinary reconstruction following prolonged ileal conduit urinary diversion for radiation-induced injury to the bladder as part of treatment for cervical carcinoma. In 11 patients the ileocecal segment was used as part of a planned urinary reconstructive procedure after cystectomy for nonurothelial pelvic malignancy or when correcting a benign lower urinary tract pathologic condition that resulted in a cutaneous fistula.The ileocecal segment is a surgical unit that allows replacement or augmentation of the bladder, with the ileum substituting for as much...
Three-Body Dispersion Energy Shift: Contributions from Higher Electric Multipoles

Employing the Craig-Power Hamiltonian, a general formula is obtained for the retarded dispersion energy shift among three arbitrarily electrically polarisable atoms or molecules. Explicit expressions are then extracted for the first few leading order corrections to the triple dipole potential. These include energy shifts in which two of the particles are electric dipole polarisable and the third is either electric quadrupole or octupole polarisable, as well as the interaction between an electric dipole polarisable atom and two electric quadrupole polarisable ones. Results are obtained for arbitrary three-body configurations, and for equilateral triangle and collinear arrangements. In each case, near- and far-zone asymptotes are computed.
Disparities in hospitalization outcomes among African-American and White prostate cancer patients.

Abstract Objectives This paper aims to determine whether racial disparities exist in hospitalization outcomes among African-American and White hospitalized prostate cancer patients in the United States. We evaluated racial differences among matched groups of patients in post-operative complications, hospital length of stay and in-hospital mortality. Methods We identified a total of 183,856 men aged 40 years and older with a primary diagnosis of prostate cancer, of which 58,701 underwent prostatectomy, through the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, and matched all African-American patients with White patients on: 1) Demographics, 2) Demographics + Clinical presentation and 3) Demographics + Clinical presentation + Treatment. Multivariable regression analyses were conducted in SAS and estimates were reported with 95% confidence intervals. Results African-American patients were more likely to be admitted with metastatic disease (24.8%) compared with White patients matched on demographics (17.9%), and demographics + presentation (23.6%). However, 23.9% of African-American patients received surgery compared with 38.2% and 34.2% of Whites matched on demographics and demographics + presentation, respectively. White patients had lower in-hospital mortality compared with African-American patients matched on demographics (OR: 0.72, 95% CI: 0.66-0.79), demographics + presentation (OR: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.81-0.96), but was no longer significantly lower when matched on demographics, presentation and treatment (OR: 0.92, 95% CI: 0.85–1.00). Conclusion There were significant racial differences in outcomes among prostate cancer patients within the inpatient setting, even after accounting for demographic and presentation differences.
CHARACTERIZATION OF [3H]SPIROPERIDOL BINDING IN THE RAT SUBSTANTIA NIGRA

ABSTRACT [3H]Spiroperidol labels a dopaminergic binding site in rat substantia nigra (SN) that appears to be biochemically similar to the site in the rat corpus striatum (CS). The high affinity KD determined by both saturation and kinetic methods, is 25 to 30 pM in each area of brain. The SN shows stereospecificity to (+) and (-)-butaclamol (400:1) and is more effectively inhibited by apomorphine, ADTN, and dopamine than by serotonin. Lesion of the CS with intrastriatal kainic acid produces a dramatic loss of [3H]spiroperidol binding in the CS. However, no alterations of [3H]spiroperidol binding in the SN were observed. Similar results have been obtained in the CS and SN of Huntington's Diseased (HD) brains. Thus the [3H]spiroperidol binding in the SN appears not to be located on striato-nigral neurons and may therefore not be associated with the dopamine-sensitive adenylate cyclase (DA-AC).
Spotlight on Chance News

Chance News (http://chance.dartmouth.edu/chancewiki/index.php/Main_Page) is “a newsletter that reviews articles in the news that use probability or statistical concepts (chance news). It is aimed a...
Cost Analysis as a Tool for the Development of Sc Recovery Processes from Bauxite Residue (Red Mud)

Process development for the recovery of rare earth elements (REEs) from production wastes is generally seen as one strategy to address potential supply shortages for these critical materials. However, very few reported process systems are both technologically feasible and economically viable. Herein, we propose a strategy which considers comprehensive cost analysis in the presence of irreducible uncertainty as a core strategy introduced early on at the process design stage for the recovery of scandium (Sc) from bauxite residue (red mud). The latter represents an important process example of REE recovery from what is typically considered a waste material. In particular, using both a classical and a probabilistic framework for cost model development and assessment, cost is considered as a key design parameter in addition to selectivity and yield to design processes primed for industrial applications. We further show that such an approach affords significantly enhanced prospects of economic viability to the ...
Short-Stay Unit Requirements

Chest pain units (CPU) are specialized units in the acute care hospital that are designed and staffed to provide the highest quality, most cost efficient services to patients with chest pain. Patients are identified for evaluation and management in a CPU by cardiac risk stratification by the physician upon their presentation to the hospital. Those with low risk, negative cardiac biomarkers, and an EKG negative for acute findings are appropriate for the CPU. Monitoring requirements for patients in a CPU bed need to be at the level of those patients in a hospital intensive care unit, telemetry, or emergency department bed. Staffing requirements are similar to an emergency department or a hospital telemetry unit. With a properly structured and staffed CPU, the highest quality patient care and optimal outcome can be provided to the patient who presents to the physician with chest pain or chest pain equivalent and possible cardiac disease.
AMPA receptors in epilepsy and as targets for antiepileptic drugs

alpha-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors are key mediators of seizure spread in the nervous system and represent promising targets for antiepileptic drugs. There is emerging evidence that AMPA receptors may play a role in epileptogenesis and in seizure-induced brain damage. This evidence suggests that AMPA receptor antagonists could have broad utility in epilepsy therapy. Regional, developmental, and disease-associated variations in AMPA receptors produced by differential expression of AMPA receptor subunits and variations in posttranscriptional processing, including alternative splicing and pre-mRNA editing, provide a diversity of functionally distinct AMPA receptor isoforms that allow opportunities for selective drug targeting. Four types of AMPA receptor antagonist are discussed in this chapter: (a) competitive AMPA recognition site antagonists, including those of the quinoxalinedione and newer nonquinoxalinedione classes, (b) 2,3-benzodiazepine noncompetitive (allosteric) antagonists, (c) desensitization enhancing antagonists, exemplified by SCN-, and (d) antagonists of Ca(2+)-permeable AMPA receptors, including polyamine amide arthropod toxins and their synthetic analogues. Competitive and noncompetitive AMPA receptor antagonists are broad-spectrum anticonvulsants in animal seizure models. Their effectiveness and safety for humans remain to be determined. There is evidence that these antagonists can potentiate the antiseizure activity of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists and conventional antiepileptic drugs. This evidence suggests that the preferred use of AMPA receptor antagonists may be in combination therapies. Agents that enhance desensitization may have advantages in comparison with other AMPA receptor antagonists to the extent that they preferentially block high-frequency synaptic signaling and avoid depressing AMPA receptors on interneurons, which would lead to disinhibition and enhanced excitability. Evidence has accumulated that Ca(2+)-permeable AMPA receptors (those lacking the edited GluR2 subunit) may play a role in epileptogenesis and the brain damage occurring with prolonged seizures. Because Ca(2+)-permeable AMPA receptors are predominately expressed in gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic interneurons, it is hypothesized that some forms of epilepsy might be caused by reduced GABA inhibition resulting from Ca(2+)-permeable AMPA receptor-mediated excitotoxic death of interneurons. It is further proposed that drugs that selectively target Ca(2+)-permeable AMPA receptors might have antiepileptogenic and neuroprotective properties. Certain polyamine toxins and their analogues are channel-blocking AMPA receptor antagonists that selectively inhibit Ca(2+)-permeable AMPA receptors. These substances might give clues to the development of such antagonists.
The Assignment Problem

The assignment problem can be understood as the issue how decision rights are allocated to the agents and organizational subunits of a society. In this wide interpretation, the assignment problem refers to three different, albeit related phenomena: i) the allocation of property rights to individuals, i.e. households, and to firms, ii) the allocation of decisions rights to the government (including its subunits) relative to the private sector, and, within the sphere of government, iii) the attribution of policy instruments to economic policy agents. Economic policy agents are the different layers of government, the central bank, and trade unions to name the most important ones.1 Assigning decisions rights is not only a national problem but refers to international decision rules as well.
Crisis Intervention and Psychological First Aid

Throughout this text, we have discussed the body and mind’s continuing struggle to maintain homeostasis. As the body struggles to maintain a physical homeostasis (Cannon, 1932), or “steady state,” so the mind struggles to maintain a similar balance. As a medical crisis is a state wherein physiological homeostasis has been disrupted with resultant physical distress and dysfunction, we then see the possibility of a psychological analogue. A psychological crisis is a response to a critical incident or distressing event wherein the individual’s psychological balance has been disrupted. There is, in effect, a psychological disequilibrium. This disequilibrium results because the individual’s usual coping mechanisms have failed. The predictable result is the emergence of evidence of acute psychological or behavioral distress coupled with some degree of functional impairment. More practically speaking, a crisis may be defined as a state of acute distress wherein one’s usual coping mechanisms have failed in the face of a perceived challenge or threat and there results some degree of functional impairment (see Caplan, 1961, 1964). This description argues more for an acute stress management-based intervention platform rather than traditional psychotherapeutic engagements. In 1952, F. C. Thorne wrote the following, “In our opinion, … preoccupation with depth psychology [psychotherapy] has had a very detrimental effect in causing us to overlook presenting complaints which may be very distressing to the client and about which he urgently wishes us to do something … Prophylactically, it is probable that many disorders could be nipped in the bud if prompt attention could be given to germinating seeds which may later grow into tall oaks … Diagnostically, one of our problems is to identify these emergency situations so that we can discriminate what needs to be done immediately…Therapeutically, much will be gained if the client can be made more comfortable even though no deep cure can be effected by first aid methods” (Thorne, 1952, p. 210). In this chapter, we shall examine crisis intervention and psychological first aid (PFA) as interventions that target acute distress seeking stabilization and acute mitigation rather than resolution and therapeutic growth.
Conceptual Issues and Criticisms of the Study

This chapter focuses on broad conceptual issues, many of which have implications that go far beyond the New York Telephone (NYT) proceedings, raised by the interested parties in the case. Among the issues considered is that of the conflict between an industrial relations policy that seeks to promote collective bargaining in regulated industries, a target-rate-of-return pricing policy in these industries, and the goal of providing the services of public utilities to consumers at the lowest possible cost. The chapter considers whether regulatory commissions can legally take any action that may even indirectly influence the size of the wage settlements in the industries they regulate. The first critical issue discussed in the chapter is the conflict that exists among public policies that seek to promote collective bargaining and the rights of workers and a regulatory policy that strives to provide the services produced by regulated industries at the least possible cost to consumers. The second issue concerns whether regulatory commissions can legally take any action that may even indirectly influence the wage settlements obtained by unions representing utilities' employees. Commissions have the right to evaluate whether utilities' labor costs are just and reasonable, and it considers issues that relate to the criteria commissions should use. The chapter discusses the issues, such as the treatment of nonwage employee benefits, turnover, and strike costs; whether union representation of a utility's employees should affect the standard; whether state commission review of utilities' labor costs is limited by collective bargaining negotiations that occur at the national level; what the appropriate comparison groups are; and what the role of productivity growth should be.
Regularized topological data analysis for extraction of coherent brain regions

Clustering is widely used in medical imaging to reduce data dimension and discover subgroups in patient populations. However, most of the current clustering algorithms depend on scale parameters which are especially difficult to select. Persistence homology has been introduced to address this issue. This topological data analysis framework analyses a dataset at multiple scales by generating clusters of increasing sizes, similar to single-linkage hierarchical clustering. Because of this approach, however, the results are sensitive to the presence of noise and outliers. Several strategies have been suggested to fix this issue. In this paper, we support this research effort by demonstrating how gradient preserving data smoothings, such as total variation regularization, can improve the stability of persistence homology results, and we derive analytical confidence regions for the significance of the persistence measured for clusters based on Pearson distances. We demonstrate the advantages of our methods by analysing structural and functional MRI data released by the Human Connectome Project.
An autism-associated calcium channel variant causes defects in neuronal polarity and axon termination in the ALM neuron of C. elegans

Variants of the CACNA1C voltage-gated calcium channel gene have been associated with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and ADHD. The Timothy syndrome mutation is a rare de novo gain-of-function variant in CACNA1C that causes autism with high penetrance, providing a powerful avenue into investigating the role of CACNA1C variants in neurodevelopmental disorders. In our previous work, we demonstrated that an egl-19(gof) mutation, that is equivalent to the Timothy syndrome mutation in the human homolog CACNA1C, can disrupt termination of the PLM axon in C. elegans. Here, we find that the egl-19(gof) mutation disrupts the polarity of process outgrowth in the ALM neuron of C. elegans. We also find that the egl-19(gof) mutation can disrupt termination of the ALM axon. These results suggest that the Timothy syndrome mutation can disrupt multiple steps of axon development. Further work exploring the molecular mechanisms that underlie these perturbations in neuronal polarity and axon termination will give us better understanding to how variants in CACNA1C contribute to the axonal defects that underlie autism.
Effect of Kegel Exercise on Vital Capacity According to the Position: A Preliminary Study

Purpose: This study examined the immediate effect of Kegel exercise on the vital capacity according to the position. Methods: Seventeen subjects participated in the study (male=7, female=10). The subjects performed Kegel exercise in two positions: sitting and hooklying. The order of exercise was conducted in a random order selected by the subjects to exclude the learning effect. The maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV) was measured using a spirometer. The vital capacity was measured according to the manual in the sitting position before the experiment. After each exercise, the vital capacity was also measured in the same way. One way repeated measures analysis of the variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the vital capacity according to the position, and a Bonferroni test was used for post hoc analysis. Results: Significant differences in vital capacity were observed after exercise than before exercise (p 0.05). Conclusion: This study was a preliminary study to determine the vital capacity according to the Kegel exercise and two positions. Never theless, further study with several revisions of the number of subjects, duration, and time for intervention will be needed.
Intracranial Pressure and Cerebral Perfusion Pressure in Large Spontaneous Intracranial Hemorrhage and Impact of Minimally Invasive Surgery.

Introduction: We investigated the effect of hematoma volume reduction with minimally invasive surgery (MIS) on intracranial pressure (ICP) and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) in patients with large spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Methods:Post-hoc analysis of the Minimally Invasive Surgery Plus Alteplase for Intracerebral Hemorrhage Evacuation (MISTIE III) study, a clinical trial with blinded outcome assessments. The primary outcome was the proportion of ICP readings ≥20 and 30 mmHg, and CPP readings 3) and mortality at 30 and 365 days. We assessed the relationship between proportion of high ICP and low CPP events and MIS using binomial generalized linear models, and outcomes using multiple logistic regression. Results: Of 499 patients enrolled in MISTIE III, 72 patients had guideline based ICP monitors placed, 34 in the MIS group and 38 in control (no surgery) group. Threshold ICP and CPP events ≥20/ <70 mmHg occurred in 31 (43.1%) and 52 (72.2%) patients respectively. On adjusted analyses, proportion of ICP readings ≥20 and 30 mmHg were significantly lower in the MIS group vs. control group [Odds Ratio (OR) 0.27, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 0.11–0.63 (p = 0.002); OR = 0.18, 0.04–0.75, p = 0.02], respectively. Proportion of CPP readings <70 and 60 mm Hg were also significantly lower in MIS patients [OR 0.31, 95% CI 0.15–0.63 (p = 0.001); OR 0.30, 95% CI 0.11–0.83 (p = 0.02)], respectively. Higher proportions of CPP readings <70 and 60 mm were significantly associated with short term mortality (p = 0.04), and (p = 0.006), respectively. Long term mortality was significantly associated with higher proportion of time with ICP ≥ 20 (p = 0.04), ICP ≥ 30 (p = 0.04), and CPP <70 mmHg (p = 0.01). Conclusion: Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that surgical reduction of ICH volume decreases proportion of high ICP and low CPP events and that these variables are associated with short- and long-term mortality.
Prediction of diabetes using logistic regression and ensemble techniques

Abstract Background Logistic regression is a classification model in machine learning, extensively used in clinical analysis. It uses probabilistic estimations which helps in understanding the relationship between the dependent variable and one or more independent variables. Diabetes, being one of the most common diseases around the world, when detected early, may prevent the progression of the disease and avoid other complications. In this work, we design a prediction model, that predicts whether a patient has diabetes, based on certain diagnostic measurements included in the dataset, and explore various techniques to boost the performance and accuracy. Methods Logistic Regression is the main algorithm used in this paper and the analysis is carried out using Python IDE. The experiment mainly uses two datasets – one is the PIMA Indians Diabetes dataset, which is originally from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, and the other dataset is from Vanderbilt, which is based on a study of rural African Americans in Virginia. Feature selection is carried out using two different methods. Ensemble methods are further used, that improve performance by producing better predictions compared to a single model. Results The accuracy and runtimes are captured for the original datasets and also for the ones obtained after using feature selection and ensemble techniques. A comparison is also shown in each case. The highest accuracy obtained was around 78% for Dataset 1, after employing the ensemble technique- Max Voting; and it was around 93% for Dataset 2, after using the ensemble techniques- Max Voting, and Stacking. Conclusion Logistic Regression has shown to be one of the efficient algorithms in building prediction models. This study also shows that apart from the choice of algorithms, there are other factors that could improve the accuracy and runtimes of the model, such as: data-preprocessing, removal of redundant and null values, normalization, cross-validation, feature selection, and usage of ensemble techniques.
Integration of Clinical Pharmacists into a Heart Failure Clinic within a Safety-Net Hospital

Background Management of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) requires timely initiation and up-titration of guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT). In safety-net hospitals (SNHs), limited healthcare staff and resources make achievement of optimal medical therapy challenging. Recent studies have shown that medication titration performed by clinical pharmacists can improve outcomes in ambulatory management of HFrEF; however, the impact of these services within a SNH remains unknown. Objective Determine the impact of integrating clinical pharmacists into a heart failure (HF) clinic on initiation and titration of GDMT within a SNH. Methods We performed a single-center retrospective cohort study of patients with HFrEF treated in an ambulatory HF medication titration clinic within a SNH before and after clinical pharmacist integration. Primary outcomes included dose optimization rates of GDMT, time between clinic visits, and time to optimization of GDMT. Exploratory secondary outcomes were all-cause, HF, and cardiovascular acute care service utilization and all-cause, HF, and cardiovascular mortality before and after clinical pharmacist integration up to 6 months following initial clinic visit. Results A total of 153 patients with HFrEF were treated. Baseline characteristics in the pre- and post-intervention groups were comparable. After clinical pharmacist integration, there was a significant improvement in optimization of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitor or hydralazine/nitrate equivalent (82% versus 94%, p=.02). Dose optimization rates of beta-blockers (90% versus 83%, p=0.22) and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (57% versus 57%, p>0.99) were unchanged. There was a significant reduction in mean time between clinic visits (26 versus 14 days, p Conclusion In SNHs, where limited healthcare staff and resources present as barriers to timely initiation and titration of GDMT, integration of clinical pharmacists into HF clinics can serve as a practical solution.
The future of anticoagulation

Joanna Chataway & Catherine Lichten speak to Ellen Clark, Commissioning Editor: Joanna Chataway is a Director of the Innovation, Health and Science Group at RAND Europe. She has held senior positions and appointments across a range of academic, policy research, consulting and research funding bodies. She has >25 years of experience in the areas of research, innovation and technology policy. She has particular expertise in the fields of global development and health innovation and has researched extensively the range of factors that influence the rate and direction of product and process innovation in health. Her research has spanned public and private sectors and she has worked in industrially developed and developing countries. She has researched and reported on regulation, standards, public opinion, finance, institutional and organizational arrangements, public/private partnerships, intellectual property and clinician and patient behaviors in relation to medical and health innovation. In addition to her...
Preliminary Experimental Analyses of Entrapment

In this chapter we shall describe the earliest attempts to study entrapment under controlled conditions. The entrapment phenomenon has been investigated programmatically in three research laboratories in the past 10 years: by Barry Staw and his colleagues (Fox & Staw, 1979; Staw, 1976; Staw & Ross, 1978), by Allan Teger and his students (Teger, 1980), and by the present authors and our students. Interestingly, the three research programs have operated in relative ignorance of one another. In fact, a major reason why we wrote this book was to provide an integrative push to these diverse research programs.
Linkage of pH, Anion and Cation Effects in Protein-Nucleic Acid Equilibria: Escherichia coli SSB Protein-Single Stranded Nucleic Acid Interactions

We have examined the linkage between pH and monovalent salt concentration (NaCl and NaF) on the equilibrium binding of the Escherichia coli SSB protein to single stranded poly(U) in its (SSB)65 binding mode. In this mode, single-stranded nucleic acid interacts with all four subunits of the SSB tetramer covering approximately 65 nucleotides and nearest-neighbor cooperative interactions can form between DNA bound SSB tetramers, although protein clusters are limited to dimers of tetramers (octamers). The intrinsic association equilibrium constant, K(obs), and the "limited" cooperativity parameter, omega T/O, have been determined from titrations that monitor the quenching of the SSB tryptophan fluorescence upon binding poly(U). The cooperativity parameter, omega T/O, is independent of salt concentration and type and increases only slightly with increasing pH. However, K(obs) decreases with increasing salt concentration due to a net release of ions accompanying complex formation. This net ion release has contributions from cation release from the nucleic acid as well as differential binding of both cations and anions to the protein. The dependence of K(obs) on [NaF] is independent of pH with delta logK(obs)/delta log[NaF] = -4.5(+/- 0.5). However, there is a strong linkage between the effects of [NaCl] and pH, such that (delta logK(obs)/delta log[NaCl]) ranges from -12.0(+/- 0.8) at pH 5.5, to -6.0(+/- 0.5) at pH 9.0 (at 25 degrees C). Thus Cl- release increases with decreasing pH due to a linkage between chloride binding and protonation of the protein, whereas there is essentially no release of F-. The linkages of ion concentration and pH on K(obs) can be described in terms of: (1) cation release from the polynucleotide; (2) release of Cl- from sites on the SSB tetramer that require protonation to bind Cl-; (3) binding of cations to sites on the SSB tetramer which require deprotonation for cation binding, and (4) required binding of two-to-three protons by the SSB tetramer in order to form the SSB-poly(U) complex. Thus, the influence of salt concentration on protein-nucleic acid equilibria can be quite complex with contributions from differential ion binding to both the protein and the nucleic acid; however, these can be resolved by examining the linked effects of pH and salt concentration on these interactions.
Louisiana Academic Libraries: Partnering to Enhance Distance Education Services

The state of Louisiana has a long history of consortial activities among academic libraries. Having this infrastructure in place contributed to the ease of creation of a distance library services network that includes both public and private universities. This paper traces the history of academic library consortia in Louisiana, and provides methodologies and results of several surveys of distance education students. The results of a survey currently being conducted are forthcoming.
Mechanical Verification of Total Correctness through Diversion Verification Conditions

The total correctness of programs with mutually recursive procedures is significantly more complex than their partial correctness. Past methods of proving termination have suffered from being rigid, not general, non-intuitive, and ad hoc in structure, not suitable for mechanization. We have devised a new method for proving termination and mechanized it within an automatic tool called a Verification Condition Generator. This tool analyzes not only the program's syntax but also, uniquely, its procedure call graph, to produce verification conditions sufficient to ensure the program's total correctness. Diversion verification conditions reduce the labor involved in proving termination from infinite to finite. The VCG tool has itself been deeply embedded and proven sound within the HOL theorem prover with respect to the underlying structural operational semantics. Now proofs of total correctness of individual programs may be significantly automated with complete security.
Structure of the Jovian Envelope and the Equation of State of Dense Hydrogen

The interior composition of the planet Jupiter is deduced by comparing models generated from the equation of hydrostatic equilibrium and high-pressure equations of state with the known mass, equatorial radius, and gravitational multipole moments of the planet. The planet is primarily composed of liquid metallic hydrogen, but there appears to be a substantial admixture of denser elements present as well. Jupiter’s hydrogen-rich envelope is substantially enriched in material other than hydrogen and helium, containing approximately 20 to 60 earth masses of such material, in addition to 6 to 4 earth masses of such material in a distinct core. Thus Jupiter’s bulk composition differs from that of the sun. These conclusions are heavily dependent upon accurate pressure-density relations for pure metallic hydrogen in the pressure range from about 3 to 40 megabars, and at temperatures ranging from about 10000 to 20000 K. Experimental results for compression of hydrogen in the nonmetallic pressure range are helpful in constraining models, but accurate theoretical calculations of the thermodynamics of the liquid metallic phase provide the most help in constraining models. We discuss the state of the strongly-coupled plasma in the Jovian interior, and propose a phase diagram for dense liquid hydrogen.
A constraint-posting framework for scheduling under complex constraints

Scheduling in many practical industrial domains is complicated by the need to account for diverse and idiosyncratic constraints. Research in temporal reasoning and constraint satisfaction has produced problem solving models that operate with respect to general representational assumptions. These frameworks offer possibilities for developing scheduling technologies that naturally extend to accommodate the peculiarities of various application domains. One critical issue is whether such generality can be obtained without sacrificing scheduling performance. We investigate this issue through application of a previously developed constraint satisfaction problem solving (CSP) model for deadline scheduling to a complicated, multiproduct hoist scheduling problem encountered in printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing. The goal is to maximize throughput of an automated PCB electroplating facility while ensuring feasibility with respect to process, capacity and material movement constraints. Building from a heuristic procedure generically referred to as PCP (precedence constraint posting), which relies on a temporal constraint graph representation of the problem, we straightforwardly define an extended solution procedure for minimizing makespan. In a series of comparative experiments, our procedure is found to significantly outperform previously published procedures for solving this hoist problem across a broad range of input assumptions.
Synergistic effects of dust and ammonia on the occupational health effects of poultry production workers.

Abstract Objective. As production methods for livestock and poultry moved towards large industrial-scale confinement facilities, the occupational health community reported risks for respiratory illnesses in workers. Likely, greater risks for respiratory disease will occur with the continuing trend towards full-time confinement workers, who inspire a combination of bioaerosols, particulates, and gases.1-3 Although there have been numerous studies on the individual health effects of air contaminants inside confined animal production facilities, there have been no reports on the effects of combined exposures. The objective of this study was to investigate the combined health effects of air contaminants on poultry production workers. Sample Population. Two hundred and fifty-seven poultry production workers participated in this study. The workers represented various areas of the poultry industry, including turkey growing, broiler production, egg laying, and unloading/shakeling in poultry processing. Worker pro...
Considerations in incorporating office-based ultrasound of the head and neck:

Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the cost considerations and strategies for incorporating ultrasound (US) in a head and neck practice. Study design and setting A retrospective chart review of office-based US procedures from 2001 to 2005 was completed at our academic medical center. Billing and coding for US and US guided fine needle aspiration (USFNA) were examined. Results The appropriate CPT codes are 76536 for US and 76942 and 10022 for USFNA-related procedures. The USFNA codes should be used repeatedly for correct coding of biopsies from multiple sites. Cost (equipment) sharing between specialties is a potential strategy for office-based US incorporation. Conclusion Based on practice volume, specific CPT coding, and Medicare reimbursements, office-based US equipment and certification costs could be offset in 1 year. Significance Office-based US can be readily incorporated with significant benefits to patients. Billing and usage strategies were identified that would improve the economics of providing office-based US.
Finite- Difference Numerical Methods for Solving the Energy- Momentum Transport Equations in Two-Valley Semiconductors*

Abstract Two finite-difference methods for solving the energy-momentum transport equations for electrons in two-valley semiconductors are analyzed. For each method, stability analyses are carried out including the electric field terms and relaxation terms in the equations. Results of large-signal simulations of GaAs IMPATTs using these numerical methods are presented and compared.
The Transit Light Curve Project. II. Two Transits of the Exoplanet OGLE-TR-111b

As part of our ongoing effort to measure exoplanet sizes and transit times with greater accuracy, we present I-band observations of two transits of OGLE-TR-111b. The photometry has an accuracy of 0.15%-0.20% and a cadence of 1-2 minutes. We derive a planetary radius of RP = 1.067 ± 0.054RJup and a stellar radius of RS = 0.831 ± 0.031 R⊙. The uncertainties are dominated by errors in the photometry rather than by systematic errors arising from uncertainties in the limb-darkening function or the stellar mass. Both the stellar radius and the planetary radius are in agreement with theoretical expectations. The transit times are accurate to within 30 s and allow us to refine the estimate of the mean orbital period: 4.0144479 ± 0.0000041 days.
Organizational benefits of having emotionally intelligent managers and employees

In decades past, workers were, in effect, told to leave their emotions at home and most complied. No more. A person with high emotional intelligence (EI) has the ability to understand and relate to people. In fact, this skill is now considered to have greater impact on individual and group performance than traditional measures of intelligence such as IQ. When emotional intelligence is present, there is increased employee cooperation, increased motivation, increased productivity, and increased profits. However, emotional intelligence is lacking in the US workplace. This lack is clearly chronicled in the comic strip, Dilbert, where Scott Adams, the creator, lampoons what occurs in the workplace: vapid corporate‐speak with no guts and no emotionally‐honest message. This article defines emotional intelligence, describes how the comic strip, Dilbert, daily depicts situations where emotional intelligence is lacking, and discusses the organizational benefits of having emotionally intelligent managers and employees.
Modeling and characterization of adaptive lanthanum-modified lead zirconate titanate (PLZT) microlenses

We report the modeling and characterization of adaptive voltage controlled electro-optic microlenses. First, we utilize finite element analysis (FEA) to simulate the induced electro-optic effect in lanthanum-modified lead zirconate titanate (PLZT). FEA simulation provides microlens parameters such as phase and focal length. A simple z-scan method is developed to fully characterize the adaptive voltage controlled linear lens. Experimental z-scan results are shown to match the theoretical predictions from FEA.
Cement bonding characteristics in gas wells

A program was performed to study the effects of cyclic pressure/temperature fluctuations of gas storage wells on annular leakage. A review of pertinent literature was conducted, and operators of gas storage wells were surveyed to determine their experience in the area. Results indicate that for most of the gas storage wells currently in operation, surface leakage is not a problem. Where leakage is reported, cyclic fluctuations do not appear to be a significant cause. In the majority of cases, leakage occurs within the first few cycles, indicating that it is caused more by static than by dynamic loads. The only variables found to correlate with leakage at a high level of significance were depth and bottomhole pressure (BHP).
Tests of the performance of reduced-form exchange rate models

This study analyzes the performance of reduced-form exchange rate models through a number of tests of specification, stability, and prediction. It confirms earlier tests showing that monetary models do not perform well, but it finds more positive results for other models. Some portfoliobalance models are sufficiently stable to do better than a random walk in post-sample tests. The study concludes that monetary models are unduly restrictive in the way they incorporate purchasing power parity and perfect asset substitutability.
Total concentrations of mercury in Wisconsin (USA) lakes and rivers

We analyzed surface waters from 30 Wisconsin lakes and rivers for total mercury ([Hg]T) and total suspended particulates (TSP) on a state-wide basis with trace-metal ‘ultraclean’ techniques. Mercury concentrations ranged from 0.3 to 2.9 ng L−1 in lakes and from 0.7 to 8.9 ng L−1 in rivers. TSP concentrations ranged from 0.9 to 6.6 mg L−1 in lakes and from 3.1 to 31.4 mg L−1 in rivers. Spatial trends were weak; however, [Hg] T was generally higher in the spring than in the autumn of 1991. Total mercury concentration was weakly dependent on TSP with the coefficient of determination (r 2) ranging 0.06 to 0.49 across seasonal and geophysical differences.
Connecting enclaves across the global information grid utilizing layer-3 virtual private networking protocols

This paper presents a modification to the routing architecture within the global information grid (GIG). Primarily, the goal is to simplify the deployment and reachability of sub-networks deployed behind security gateways. We propose the application of commercially supported layer-3 virtual private networking (L3-VPN) protocols to inter-connect collaborating enclaves. Such an approach alleviates many issues introduced by hiding these enclaves' IP addresses. The application of L3-VPN to the problem allows for the re-use of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) products, protocols, and tools to reduce the overall cost of deploying and managing the GIG
Matrix infrared spectra of HF complexes with N2O, OCS and CS2

Abstract Solid neon/N 2 O/HF mixtures reveal infrared spectra of the N 2 O---HF and ON 2 ---HF structural isomers of the hydrogen bonded complexes observed in nozzle beam expansions. Solid argon/OCS/HF and argon/CS 2 /HF mixtures yield spectra of the SCO---HF and CS 2 ---HF complexes and provide several interesting comparisons with CO 2 ---HF complex spectra.
The effects of neuroticism and extraversion on self-assessed health and health-relevant cognition

Previous research suggests that personality traits are related to poorer self-assessed health (SAH) and other health-relevant cognition. In the current study, the effects of neuroticism (N), extraversion (E) and their interaction on a variety of SAH and health cognition variables were examined in 66 male and 69 female participants. Previous relations between N, SAH, and self-reported health behavior were replicated and extended. N was also found to predict poorer health behavior self-efficacy, particularly in the presence of low E. E was positively related to health behavior, health behavior outcome expectancies and likelihood estimates for positive health outcomes. There was a curvilinear effect of E on SAH, such that E was related to higher symptom reports and poorer global health ratings only among individuals high in E. The findings suggest that N and E are reliable predictors of health-relevant cognition.
Microdialysis combined with proteomics for protein identification in breast tumor microenvironment in vivo.

Tumor microenvironment constitutes a reservoir for proteins released from tumor cells and the host, which can contribute significantly to tumor growth and invasion. This study aims to apply a method of combining in vivo microdialysis and proteomics to identify proteins in mammary tumor interstitial fluids, a major component of tumor microenvironment. In vivo microdialysis was performed in polyomavirus middle T antigen (PyVmT) transgenic mouse mammary tumors and age-matched control wild-type mammary glands. Over four hundred proteins were identified from the microdialysis perfusates, using the Multidimensional Protein Identification Technology. Osteopontin (OPN) is one of the proteins overexpressed in breast tumor perfusates, as confirmed with immunoassays. OPN was also found to be present in tumor-associated stroma in both PyVmT and human breast tumors, using immunohistochemistry. Specifically, fibroblasts were further shown to express OPN at both mRNA and protein levels. In vitro assays showed that OPN can stimulate PyVmT breast carcinoma cell proliferation and migration. Finally, the expression of OPN was significantly higher in the peripheral blood of mice bearing breast tumors, compared to wild-type mice. Overall, microdialysis combined with proteomics is a unique technique for identifying proteins in a tumor microenvironment in vivo. Mammary fibroblasts can secrete OPN, and its overexpression in mammary tumor microenvironment may contribute significantly to mammary tumor progression.
A lattice-statistical model for ternary polymer mixtures: exact phase diagrams

Abstract We consider a model for ternary polymer mixtures with bi- and tri-functional monomers and solvent molecules embedded on a honeycomb lattice. We first show that the grand partition function of the model polymer mixture is equivalent to the partition function of an eight-vertex model on the same lattice. This equivalence transforms the model into an Ising model in a non-zero external magnetic field. Using the known results for the Ising model, an exact analysis of the phase diagrams for the phase separation transition in the ternary system is carried out. Particularly, we determine the exact two-phase coexistence surface in the temperature-composition space and study the connectivity properties of the model. It is noteworthy that the theory incorporates cyclicity (polymer rings) as well as excluded volume effects.
A Burning Desire Assimilation into a Fire Department

This study utilized Myers and Oetzel’s six-dimensional model of organizational assimilation as a framework to explore members’ assimilation into a highreliability organization (HRO)—14 stations of a fire department in a major U.S. city. Qualitative data were gathered from semistructured interviews and participant observation. Consistent with the Myers and Oetzel framework, new firefighters did develop a familiarity with others, acculturate, become involved, feel recognized, and develop job skills. The firefighters did not role negotiate, but they put considerable effort into establishing trustworthiness. Trust was built by demonstrating humility and a good work ethic. Furthermore, unlike newcomers to most non-HROs, newcomers were required to socialize themselves prior to entry. The study also reveals how a strong culture and environment affect informal socialization and offers additional evidence of the reciprocal nature of organizational assimilation. Implications and suggestions for future research are ...
Recent developments in the 13C NMR spectroscopic analysis of paramagnetic hemes and heme proteins

Despite the wealth of information that has been obtained from the study of paramagnetic hemes and heme proteins by 1H NMR spectroscopy, there are certain limitations imposed by the nature of paramagnetically affected resonances that are difficult to overcome. Although it has long been recognized that 13C NMR spectroscopy is likely to be a powerful complementary technique to overcome some of these limitations, the low sensitivity and low natural abundance of 13C nuclei has resulted in a lag in the application of 13C NMR spectroscopy to the study of paramagnetic hemes and heme proteins. The tremendous advances in methodology and instrumentation witnessed in the NMR field, coupled to the advent of recombinant DNA methods that have made possible the preparation and purification of significant quantities of proteins, and the biosynthesis of 13C-labeled heme, have contributed to an increased interest in the study of paramagnetic heme active sites by 13C NMR spectroscopy. As a consequence, 13C NMR spectroscopy is emerging as a powerful tool to study heme electronic structure and structure–function relationships in heme-containing proteins. In this report we strive to summarize some of the recent developments in the analysis of paramagnetic hemes and heme-containing proteins by 13C NMR spectroscopy.