cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Galen Pharmaceutics: The Booklet Label Decision

A packaging supplier for a pharmaceutical firm proposes an innovative cost-saving measure for the next clinical trial: instead of dozens of custom labels for participating countries, one universal booklet label with a page for each. A senior clinical supplies manager must weigh the proposal before presenting it to the clinical team. Were the efficiency and cost savings worth the hassle? This fictionalized case is designed for a first-year operations module on supply chain management. Excerpt UVA-OM-1446 Aug. 3, 2011 GALEN PHARMACEUTICS: THE BOOKLET LABEL DECISION Once again, Milad King, senior clinical supplies manager at Galen Pharmaceutics Inc. (Galen), reviewed the documents on his desk. It was May 2011, and he had just received a proposal from one of his packaging suppliers for Galen's latest Phase III clinical trial. This proposal was unlike any he had seen in the past in complexity, operational design, and, consequently, cost. The supplier was proposing an innovative way to label the supplies for the trial. Although the new label would cost $ 4.00 more per label, the supplier promised significant operational and manufacturing savings that would more than make up for the cost. King knew the clinical team would want his recommendation at its next bi-weekly meeting—which happened to be the following morning. Galen Pharmaceuticals and the Development of GP-8210 . . .
Synoptic–Dynamic Climatology of the Aleutian High

AbstractA climatology of the anticyclone that commonly appears over the Aleutian Islands in the wintertime Northern Hemisphere stratosphere is presented. Applying a geometric moments technique to a reanalysis dataset and updating a previously published definition, 68 Aleutian high (AH) events have been identified during 35 winter (October–March) seasons (1979/80–2013/14), or about 2 events per season. The events lasted an average of approximately 33 days. Thirteen of the 68 AH events each temporally and spatially coincided with tropospheric blocking identified with a wave-breaking definition, while 41 of the AH onsets each coincided with a persistently positive geopotential height anomaly in the troposphere. Also, 41 of the 68 AH events each coincided with or were followed by an objectively defined disturbance (split or displacement) to the stratospheric polar vortex. Finally, 47 of these disturbance events were each preceded by an AH onset, such that in almost all winters (33 out of 35), an early season ...
Short-term outcomes in children undergoing restorative proctocolectomy with ileal-pouch anal anastomosis.

Abstract Introduction Patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) and ulcerative colitis (UC) commonly undergo restorative proctocolectomy with ileal-pouch anal anastomosis (RP-IPAA). We sought to describe patient characteristics and postoperative outcomes in this patient population. Methods Using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program-Pediatric Participant Use Files from 2012 to 2015, children who were 6–18years old who underwent RP-IPAA for FAP or UC were identified. Postoperative morbidity, including reoperation and readmission were quantified. Associations between preoperative characteristics and postoperative outcomes were analyzed. Results A total of 260 children met the inclusion criteria, of which 56.2% had UC. Most cases were performed laparoscopically (58.1%), and the operative time was longer with a laparoscopic versus open approach (326 [257–408] versus 281 [216–391] minutes, p=0.02). The overall morbidity was 11.5%, and there were high reoperation and readmission rates (12.7% and 21.5%, respectively). On bivariate analysis, preoperative steroid use was associated with reoperation (22.5% versus 10.9%, p=0.04). On multivariable regression analysis, obesity was independently associated with reoperation (odds ratio: 3.34 [95% confidence intervals: 1.08–10.38], p=0.04). Conclusions Children who undergo RP-IPAA have high rates of overall morbidity, reoperation, and readmission. Obesity was independently associated with reoperation. This data can be used by practitioners in the preoperative setting to better counsel families and establish expectations for the postoperative setting. Type of Study Retrospective Comparative Study. Level of Evidence Level III.
Expanding the Library of Uranyl Amide Derivatives: New Complexes Featuring the tert-Butyldimethylsilylamide Ligand.

New uranyl derivatives featuring the amide ligand, −N(SiHMe2)tBu, were synthesized and characterized by X-ray crystallography, multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, and absorption spectroscopies. Steric properties of these complexes were also quantified using the computational program Solid-G. The increased basicity of the free ligand −N(SiHMe2)tBu was demonstrated by direct comparison to −N(SiMe3)2, a popular supporting ligand for uranyl. Substitutional lability on a uranyl center was also demonstrated by exchange with the −N(SiMe3)2 ligand. The increased basicity of this ligand and diverse characterization handles discussed here will make these compounds useful synthons for future reactivity.
Effects of Processing Conditions on Chitosan-Hydroxyapatite Biocomposite Mechanical Properties

Hydroxyapatite (HAp) based composites are used in numerous biomedical applications from bone pastes and cements to tissue scaffolds. Chitosan (Ch) is a ubiquitous biocompatible polymer derived from chitin which is soluble in acidic solutions and can be found in natural organisms such as shellfish. Past work has demonstrated that composites of HAP-Ch have high mechanical strength when processing conditions are optimized. Here, we present the effects of changes in the HAP/Ch mass fractions, the use of malic and citric acids on chitosan processing, and of nanoscale HAp particles on the composite strength and modulus. SEM is used to analyze the fracture surfaces and identify matrix-particle bonding morphology. Chemical variations are measured within the material structure by the use of FTIR and EXAFS and related to the composite processing changes.
The Development of Piezoelectric Materials and the New Perspective

Abstract: Certain materials produce electric charges on their surfaces as a consequence of applying mechanical stress. The induced charges are proportional to the mechanical stress. This is called the direct piezoelectric effect and was discovered in quartz by Pierre and Jacques Curie in 1880. Materials showing have a geometric strain proportional to an applied electric field. This is the converse piezoelectric effect, discovered by Gabriel Lippmann in 1881. This article first reviews the historical episodes of piezoelectric materials in the sequence of quartz, Rochelle salt, barium titanate, PZT, lithium niobate/tantalate, relaxor ferroelectrics, PVDF, Pb-free piezoelectrics, and composites. Then, the detailed performances are described in the following section, which serves as the introduction to each chapter in this book. Third, since piezoelectricity is utilized extensively in the fabrication of various devices such as transducers, sensors, actuators, surface acoustic wave devices, frequency control, etc., applications of piezoelectric materials are introduced briefly in conjunction with materials. The author hopes that the reader can ‘learn the history aiming at creating a new perspective for the future of piezoelectric materials’.
The use of biomass to produce bio-based composites and building materials

Abstract: There are many different types of natural fibers coming from a wide variety of plant sources. These fibers have been used by humans since the beginning of human existence for clothing, heating, shelter, weapons, tools, packaging and writing materials. This chapter will deal with the use of biomass in biocomposites. These will include waferboard, flakeboard, particleboard, fiberboard, geotextiles, filters, and sorbents as well as physical and chemical properties of natural fibers. In most cases, natural resources have been used in composites without any modification for high volume, low cost and low performance products. It is possible to improve property performance through chemical modification so that natural, renewable, recyclable, and sustainable fibers can be used in value added markets.
Designing Critical Experiments in Support of Full Burnup Credit

Burnup credit is the process of accounting for the negative reactivity due to fuel burnup and generation of parasitic absorbers over fuel assembly lifetime. For years, the fresh fuel assumption was used as a simple bound in criticality work for used fuel storage and transportation. More recently, major actinides have been included [1]. However, even this yields a highly conservative estimate in criticality calculations. Because of the numerous economical benefits including all available negative reactivity (i.e., full burnup credit) could provide [2], it is advantageous to work toward full burnup credit. Unfortunately, comparatively little work has been done to include non-major actinides and other fission products (FP) in burnup credit analyses due in part to insufficient experimental data for validation of codes and nuclear data. The Burnup Credit Criticality Experiment (BUCCX) at Sandia National Laboratory was a set of experiments with {sup 103}Rh that have relevance for burnup credit [3]. This work uses TSUNAMI-3D to investigate and adjust a BUCCX model to match isotope-specific, energy-dependent k{sub eff} sensitivity profiles to those of a representative high-capacity cask model (GBC-32) [4] for each FP of interest. The isotopes considered are {sup 149}Sm, {sup 143}Nd, {sup 103}Rh, {sup 133}Cs, {sup 155}Gd, {sup 152}Sm,more » {sup 99}Tc, {sup 145}Nd, {sup 153}Eu, {sup 147}Sm, {sup 109}Ag, {sup 95}Mo, {sup 150}Sm, {sup 101}Ru, and {sup 151}Eu. The goal is to understand the biases and bias uncertainties inherent in nuclear data, and ultimately, to apply these in support of full burnup credit.« less
Midline and Parasagittal Seizures are Rare in Adult Patients

For decades, half of the electrodes used in traditional electroencephalography (EEG) have been dedicated to midline and parasagittal coverage. Recently, newer EEG devices have used fewer electrodes without direct coverage over the midline or parasagittal regions. However, no systematic study to date has explored the prevalence of midline parasagittal seizures, and as such the risk of missing such seizures with only ten electrodes remains unknown. We reviewed retrospective EEG data from a cohort of 300 patients at Stanford University Medical Center and determined the frequency of seizures localized to the midline parasagittal regions. We then compiled previously reported EEG cohorts that reported the prevalence of midline parasagittal seizures to validate our findings. In our cohort, only two EEGs (0.66%) were identified with a midline or parasagittal seizure focus. In a subsequent study, we compiled literature evidence from 169510 EEGs and found that the prevalence of midline or parasagittal epileptic spikes/seizures was similarly less than 1%. Our study serves as the first to systematically explore the scope of EEG abnormalities captured exclusively by midline or parasagittal electrodes and document their very low prevalence.
Special districts and social cohesion: an initial study

The USA is experiencing increased social and economic fragmentation. Various explanations are offered, but an overlooked factor may be increasing reliance on special districts (SDs) to deliver public services. This study draws from ethical discourse theory to investigate the relationship between SDs and social cohesion. Using male incarceration rates as an indicator for levels of social cohesion and marginalisation, this study finds that as the different types of SDs within a state increases, male incarceration rates also increase. This initial study does not posit causality. Relying on SDs to deliver public services may lead to reduced social cohesion and increased marginalisation, as ethical discourse theory suggests. Alternatively, it may be that reliance on SDs and male incarceration rates are both functions of other factors that reduce social cohesion.
Using a quality improvement initiative to reduce acute kidney injury during on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting.

Introduction:In response to a perceived high incidence of acute kidney injury following cardiopulmonary bypass at our institution, a quality improvement initiative consisting of a systematic change...
A study of U.S. consumers’ intention to purchase slow fashion apparel: understanding the key determinants

In recent years, slow fashion has become a sustainable consumption movement that is the opposite of fast fashion. This study aimed to identify the key factors influencing the U.S. consumers’ purcha...
Assay temperature affects corticosteroid-binding globulin and free corticosterone estimates across species.

Abstract Glucocorticoid hormones are often measured to assess how organisms physiologically respond to challenges in their environment. In plasma, glucocorticoids circulate in two forms: bound to corticosteroid-binding globulins (CBG) or unbound (free). Measuring CBG allows us to estimate the amount of free glucocorticoids present in a plasma sample. However, free glucocorticoid estimates are affected by the assay temperature used when measuring CBG, with colder temperatures maximizing specific binding but likely underestimating glucocorticoid’s affinity for CBG. Here, we test how a biologically relevant incubation temperature (41 °C) changes the disassociation constant (Kd; used to estimate free glucocorticoid levels) when compared to the traditional 4 °C incubation temperature, across four commonly studied avian species. We then apply the new Kd’s calculated at 41 °C to existing data sets to examine how the change in Kd affects free corticosterone estimates and data interpretation. Kd’s were generally higher (lower affinity for CORT) at warmer incubation temperatures which resulted in higher levels of estimated free CORT in all four species but differed among subspecies. This increase in free CORT levels did not qualitatively change previously reported statistical relationships, but did affect variance and alpha (P) values. We suggest that future assays be run at biologically relevant temperatures for more accurate estimates of free CORT levels in vivo and to increase the chances of detecting biological patterns of free-CORT that may not be revealed with the classic methodology that tends to underestimate free CORT levels.
Current State of Tele-Neurology

Telemedicine has gained popularity as a tool for improving delivery of specialty care. In this chapter, we discuss a telemedicine approach to concussion, including advantages, disadvantages, and potential solutions.
Dictionary of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics

A compilation of over 4,000 terms and their definitions relevant to artificial intelligence and robotics. Keeping in mind newcomers and more experienced practitioners in the field, the book includes multiple and alternative meanings, abbreviations, acronyms, and foreign expressions. It supplies both general and specialized entries; cites the relationship between robotics, AI, and computer control terms where applicable, and groups entries containing mutual concepts together alphabetically, by their common term. In addition, the book identifies archaic terms and their preferred alternative, and should prove useful for increasing clarity, exactness, and stabilizing the most current terminology.
Radiation biology of the western cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis indifferens Curran (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Irradiation of the western cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis indifferens Curran, as adults and pupae induced sterility. A reduction in egg hatch of about 99% occurred when males were irradiated with a dose of 8 krad and mated to normal females. Longevity of male flies decreased significantly with increasing doses of radiation. Adult females were more sensitive to radiation than males; they became infecund at 5 krad. However, the longevity of females was only slightly reduced by radiation of up to 16 krad. In laboratory cages, sterile males were more competitive in ratios of 4:1 than 8:1, the total number of matings was about the same with the larger number of males. Sterile males irradiated as adults mated only slightly less frequently than normal males in the same cages. Males irradiated as pupae were less than half as competitive as males irradiated as adults. Data indicate that R. indifferens is a good candidate for sterile insect release technique. Zusammenfassung Zur Bestrahlungs-Biologie der Westlichen Kirschfruchtfliege, Rhagoletis indifferens Curr. (Dipt., Tephritidae): Wirkungen der Gammabestrahlung auf die Fertilitat, Lebensdauer und Wettbewerbskraft Die Bestrahlung von R. indifferens im Puppen- und Imaginalstadium erzeugte Sterilitat. Es kam zu einer Reduktion in der Eientwicklung von 99%, wenn mit 8 Krad bestrahlte Mannchen unbehandelte Weibchen begatteten. Die Lebensdauer der Mannchen nahm mit zunehmender Bestrahlungsdosis signifikant ab. Die Weibchen waren gegenuber der Bestrahlung empfindlicher als die Mannchen; sie waren bei 5 Krad unfruchtbar. Die Lebensdauer der Weibchen war dagegen bei einer Bestrahlungsdosis bis zu 16 Krad nur leicht vermindert. In Laborkafigen waren die sterilisierten Mannchen im Verhaltnis 4: 1 konkurrenzfahiger als bei 8: 1; die Zahl der Kopulationen nahm mit der hoheren Zahl an Mannchen nicht signifikant zu. Sterilisierte Mannchen, die im Adultstadium bestrahlt wurden, kopulierten nur unwesentlich weniger als unbestrahlte Mannchen. Mannchen, die im Puppenstadium bestrahlt wurden, waren weniger als halb so konkurrenzfahig wie Mannchen, die im Adultstadium bestrahlt wurden. Die Resultate zeigen, das Rhagoletis indifferens sich gut fur die Sterilpartnermethode der biologisch-technischen Bekampfung eignet.
The fragility of fertility.

Among apparently healthy men who nonetheless produce few or no sperm, about ten percent have microdeletions on their Y chromosome. Most of these de novo mutations occur in the AZFc region on the long arm of the chromosome. The high frequency of deletion is explained by the extraordinary structure of the region, which consists almost entirely of very long repeat units.
Designing a Mixed Public and Private System for the Health Insurance Market

This paper considers some design features of a health care reform proposal that would make a government-run health insurance plan available to all. The details of any health care reform proposal are important, and the details of this proposal still are under development. However, some details are available and discussed here. The analysis begins with a description of problems in markets for health insurance that reforms might address. It then considers a specific reform proposal: offering a public plan and competing private plans in a government-run purchasing pool. The Medicare program provides an important precedent for such a system, and offers a practical guide to the problems and opportunities offered by such a mixed public and private system. The analysis then turns to application of the mixed public and private system to the commercial insurance market, discussing the likely problems and ways to resolve them. An important assumption underlying this analysis is that public and private plans have inherent advantages and disadvantages, and neither type of plan needs to be favored with special subsidies or regulations. Both plans can be offered on a relatively level playing field. The best judges of the advantages, disadvantages and economic value of each plan are not politicians, bureaucrats, or policy analysts, but consumers supported by good data systems.In this analysis, "the commercial health insurance market" means the market for health insurance faced by people who are not currently enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid, government-subsidized high-risk pools or other public insurance program. For example, the non-elderly disabled population that is enrolled in Medicare would not be part of the commercial insurance market as discussed here; nor would the low-income individuals enrolled in Medicaid; nor would the aged-entitled Medicare-enrolled population, even though many Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in private health plans (the Medicare Advantage [MA] program, private supplementary policies, or private Part D drug coverage plans).
An Update on Functional Electrical Stimulation after Spinal Cord Injury

Recent advances in biomedical engineering as applied to neurologic rehabilitation have finally borne clinically relevant fruit. Nowhere is this more evident than in the field of functional electrical stimulation (FES). This article highlights the remarkable clinical progress that has been made in the use of electrical stimulation for restoring movement and function in individuals with spinal cord injury. Specific attention is given to respiratory-assist devices, hand-grasp systems, standing and walking, and bladder control. This review article features discussion of eight devices that have gone through the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory approval process.
Prevalence of Pulmonary Hypertension and its Influence on Survival in Patients With Advanced Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Prior to Lung Transplantation

AbstractIntroduction: Prevalence of pulmonary hypertension (PH) and its influence on survival in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are not well studied in the lung allocation score (LAS) era.Methods: The UNOS database was queried from 2005 to 2013 to identify first-time adult lung transplant candidates with COPD who were tracked from wait list entry date until death or censoring to determine both prevalence and influence of PH. Using right heart catheterization measurements, mild PH was defined as mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) ≥ 25 mmHg and severe ≥ 35 mmHg.Results: Of 1315 COPD candidates not transplanted, 1243 were used for survival analysis using Cox proportional hazards models, and 1010 (mild PH) and 244 (severe PH) were used for propensity score matching, respectively. A total of 52% (652) of subjects had PH mPAP ≥ 25 mmHg. Univariate analysis revealed significant differences in survival for mild PH (HR = 1.769; 95% CI: 1.331, 2.351; p < 0.001) and severe PH (HR = 3.271; 95% CI: 2....
Glitazones and Heart Failure: Critical Appraisal for the Clinician

To the Editor: I would like to add my clinical observations to the excellent scientific review of heart failure and “glitazone” drugs by Wang et al.1 Symptomatic peripheral edema is quite common in insulin-treated patients in whom glitazones are added (≈15% in the rosiglitazone2 and pioglitazone3 clinical trials) and occasionally profound, even presenting as anasarca.4 When severe, it usually starts within 3 to 4 weeks, often before a significant change in glycemia. The most common …
Differential effect of insulin on saturated and unsaturated fatty acids

Abstract Fatty acids fulfill important roles in physiology. The plasma concentrations of fatty acids are principally regulated by insulin, which suppresses the release of fatty acids from lipid stores, and catecholamines, which increase their release from lipid stores. Although insulin regulates the concentration of plasma free fatty acids (FFAs), little is known about the relative effects of insulin on the saturated compared with the unsaturated plasma fatty acids. In the current study, we specifically measured the plasma concentration of 3 saturated and 4 unsaturated fatty acids along with an estimate of lipolytic activity using a stable isotope of glycerol during a 3-hour, 1-step, euglycemic clamp study in humans. The data showed the expected decline in plasma fatty acids from 0.26 [plusmn] 0.02 to 0.06 [plusmn] 0.01 [mu ]mol/mL. Saturated fatty acids were reduced from 0.12 [plusmn] 0.01 to 0.05 [plusmn] 0.005 [mu ]mol/mL and unsaturated fatty acids were reduced from 0.11 [plusmn] 0.01 to 0.01 [plusmn] 0.001 [mu ]mol/mL after 3 hours of insulin infusion. At baseline, the ratio of saturated to unsaturated fatty acid was 55:45, which increased to 82:18 by the end of study. The changes in fatty acids were evident within 1 hour. Whole body lipolytic rates were measured with deuterated glycerol and decreased from 1.48 [plusmn] 0.56 [mu ]mol [middot] kg [minus ]1 [middot] min [minus ]1 to 0.75 [plusmn] 0.34 [mu ]mol [middot] kg [minus ]1 [middot] min [minus ]1 . Baseline postabsorptive plasma fatty acid concentrations were significantly correlated to insulin sensitivity (M value) as measured during the euglycemic clamp. There were no significant differences between the more insulin-sensitive subjects when compared with the more insulin-resistant subjects with respect to the relative decreases in saturated and unsaturated fatty acids during insulin infusion. These data demonstrate a sustained differential effect of insulin on the plasma fatty acid profile.
Explaining Spousal Differences in Reproductive Preferences: A Gender Inequality Approach

Using data from the 1988 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey we show that, contrary to some earlier findings, substantial differences in fertility goals exist between spouses in sub-Saharan Africa. Further, we indicate that gender inequality is associated with these differences in fertility goals. Women in dyads that give nonnumeric responses to questions on preferred family size are very likely to have low status, which may lead them to have high fertility. The need for more research at the micro level is stressed, given the social, economic, and environmental costs of neglecting to do so.
How I Manage the Adult Potential Organ Donor: Donation After Cardiac Death (Part 2)

To address the gap between organs available for transplant and the number of patients on the transplant waiting list, the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, Institute of Medicine, United Network for Organ Sharing and the federal government have recommended the increased used of donation after cardiac death (DCD) (JCAHOnline http://www.jointcommission.org/Library/JCAHOnline/jo_06.06.htm ; UNOS, Highlights of the June Board Meeting, 2006). DCD is defined as organ donation once death is declared after irreversible cessation of circulatory and respiratory functions, as opposed to brain death (donation after neurological death). Though DCD is one of the fastest growing categories of organ donors, it comprises only 8% of all deceased donors (Steinbrook in N Engl J Med 357:209-213, 2007). Prior to 1968, when the Ad Hoc Committee of Harvard Medical School proposed a neurological definition of death based on brain-death criteria, organs from deceased donors came from patients who had suffered cardio-pulmonary demise (IOM, Non-heart-beating organ transplantation: practice and protocols, 2000). Early transplantation from DCD donors met with limited success and most transplant surgeons turned to brain-dead donors. Consequently, DCD fell out of vogue and, until recently, has not been the focus of transplant initiatives.
Genetic aspects of dilated cardiomyopathy

Abstract Dilated cardiomyopathy, which is characterized by ventricular dilatation and reduced systolic function, is the most common form of primary myocardial disease and the leading indication for cardiac transplantation. Although the majority of cases are described as idiopathic, a significant number are identified as being acquired due to an inflammatory response, and 20–30% are familial. Molecular biologic methods have been increasingly used during the past decade to attempt to better characterize the underlying etiology and pathogenetic mechanisms leading to both acquired and genetic forms of dilated cardiomyopathy. The aim of this chapter is to describe recent developments in the understanding of the inherited forms of this disease. This chapter will first describe the clinical aspects of dilated cardiomyopathy before outlining the progress currently being made in the genetic forms of dilated cardiomyopathy.
Concerted and sequential pathways of proton-coupled electron transfer in hydrogen halide elimination

Proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) is a key reaction in a diverse array of chemical and biochemical processes. Concerted PCET, a single step process where no intermediates are expected, is often difficult to distinguish from sequential electron transfer/proton transfer (or proton transfer/electron transfer) events that involve one or more reactive intermediates. Here we demonstrate that in an apparently simple and fundamental organic reaction, hydrogen halide elimination (dehydrohalogenation), both mechanisms occur, with concerted PCET kinetically favored over sequential ET/PT. The latter involves a well-defined reactive intermediate, the corresponding iso-halon.
Sulfur Amino Acid Requirement and Foot Pad Dermatitis in Turkey Poults

Abstract Five experiments were conducted with Large White poults to determine the effect of methionine and other sulfur-containing compounds on the incidence and severity of dermatitis and on growth and feed efficiency to three or four weeks of age. The poults were housed in battery brooders with wire screen floors in four experiments, and in floor pens with litter in one experiment. Male turkeys were used in four experiments and female turkeys in one experiment. Either a corn-soy diet or a cornstarch-soy diet was used as the basal diet in the various studies. A high incidence of foot-pad dermatitis was observed in poults fed the basal diets unsupplemented with methionine. A high incidence of a dermatitis on the upper part of the beak was also observed in poults maintained in battery brooders but not in floor pens. Adding methionine to the diets significantly lowered the incidence and severity of dermatitis, but cystine and potassium sulfate failed to modify dermatitis. Some foot-pad dermatitis was still observed in poults fed levels of methionine more than adequate to meet the requirements for optimum growth and feed efficiency. The incidence and severity of foot-pad dermatitis generally increased with age during the experiment among poults fed methionine-supplemented diets. Although methionine deficiency is a major cause of foot-pad dermatitis in poults, other environmental or dietary factors also appeared to be involved in the development of the condition. The methionine requirement for optimum growth, feed efficiency, and prevention of dermatitis was approximately 0.6% or 2.1 g. per mcal. of metabolizable energy (M.E.). This is higher than the present recommendation of the National Research Council. With corn-soybean meal diets the requirement for total sulfur amino acids is approximately 1.05% or 3.7 g. per mcal. of M.E.
Vulnerability of the developing heart to oxygen deprivation as a cause of congenital heart defects.

Background The heart develops under reduced and varying oxygen concentrations, yet there is little understanding of oxygen metabolism in the normal and mal-development of the heart. Here we used a novel reagent, the ODD-Luc hypoxia reporter mouse ( o xygen d egradation d omain, ODD) of Hif-1 α fused to Luciferase (Luc), to assay the activity of the oxygen sensor, prolyl hydroxylase, and oxygen reserve, in the developing heart. We tested the role of hypoxia-dependent responses in heart development by targeted inactivation of Hif-1 α. Methods and Results ODD-Luciferase activity was 14-fold higher in mouse embryonic day 10.5 (E10.5) versus adult heart and liver tissue lysates. ODD-Luc activity decreased in 2 stages, the first corresponding with the formation of a functional cardiovascular system for oxygen delivery at E15.5, and the second after birth consistent with complete oxygenation of the blood and tissues. Reduction of maternal inspired oxygen to 8% for 4 hours caused minimal induction of luciferase activity in the maternal tissues but robust induction in the embryonic tissues in proportion to the basal activity, indicating a lack of oxygen reserve, and corresponding induction of a hypoxia-dependent gene program. Bioluminescent imaging of intact embryos demonstrated highest activity in the outflow portion of the E13.5 heart. Hif-1 α inactivation or prolonged hypoxia caused outflow and septation defects only when targeted to this specific developmental window. Conclusions Low oxygen concentrations and lack of oxygen reserve during a critical phase of heart organogenesis may provide a basis for vulnerability to the development of common septation and conotruncal heart defects.
Enhancing Innovative Performance of Self-Directed Engineering Teams

ABSTRACTBased on a field study, this article investigates the characteristics of high-performing self-directed teams in technology-oriented work environments and the leadership style most conducive to innovative work group performance. Barriers and drivers critical to effective team performance are identified, and the relationship between the organizational work environment and innovative performance is analyzed. The study shows that effectively managing innovative engineering teams involves a complex set of variables related to the task, people, and organizational environment. The correlation of these variables to performance suggests that to be effective, team leaders must consider both the physical and the psychological environment of the project team to foster a work environment conducive to the team's needs.
Identification and analysis of left atrial isomerism

Abstract The veno-atrial connections, atrial morphology, atrioventricular (AV) junction, ventricular mass, ventriculoarterial (VA) connection and great arteries in 22 autopsied hearts, diagnosed as having bilateral left-sidedness because of the morphology of the atrial appendages, were studied. The findings were correlated with the arrangement of the thoracic-abdominal organs. A solitary spleen was found in 3 and double spleens in 2 hearts (the remaining 17 hearts had multiple spleens) but left bronchial isomerism existed in all hearts in which bronchial arrangement could be determined. The heart was in the left chest in 14 cases, in the right chest in 5 and midline in 3. The apex pointed to the left in 18 hearts while in 4 hearts it pointed to the right. Fifteen hearts had a biventricular and ambiguous AV connection, 3 hearts had an absent left AV connection and 4 had double-inlet connection via a common valve (to the left ventricle in 3 and the right ventricle in 1). The VA connection was concordant in 14 hearts, discordant in 1, double outlet from the right ventricle in 4, double outlet from a solitary indeterminate ventricle in 1 and single outlet from the right ventricle through a pulmonary trunk with aortic atresia in 2 hearts. Superior caval veins were present bilaterally in 13 hearts. There was interruption of the infrahepatic inferior caval vein with azygos or hemiazygos continuation in 19 hearts while in 3 hearts the inferior caval vein continued upwards to drain into the right-sided morphologically left atrium. The hepatic veins drained bilaterally in 9 hearts, via a supraheptic confluence in 8 hearts and separately to one or the other atrium in 5 hearts. The pulmonary veins were bilaterally connected to the atria in 11 hearts. Aortic outflow tract atresia or obstruction was present in 10 hearts.
HIV/AIDS: 30 Years of progress and future challenges

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) was first described 30 years ago in a report from the US Centers for Disease Control. Two years later the causative virus was identified and afterwards named the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This article reviews the progress made in the three decades since the recognition of AIDS and the discovery of HIV, with respect to the virus, the infected cell, and the host, as well as directions for future studies.
Policy Makers Will Need A Way To Update Bundled Payments That Reflects Highly Skewed Spending Growth Of Various Care Episodes

Bundled payment entails paying a single price for all services delivered as part of an episode of care for a specific condition. It is seen as a promising way to slow the growth of health care spending while maintaining or improving the quality of care. To implement bundled payment, policy makers must set base payment rates for episodes of care and update the rates over time to reflect changes in the costs of delivering care and the components of care. Adopting the fee-for-service paradigm of adjusting payments with uniform update rates would be fair and accurate if costs increased at a uniform rate across episodes. But our analysis of 2003 and 2007 US commercial claims data showed spending growth to be highly skewed across episodes: 10 percent of episodes accounted for 82.5 percent of spending growth, and within-episode spending growth ranged from a decline of 75 percent to an increase of 323 percent. Given that spending growth was much faster for some episodes than for others, a situation known as skewn...
Trust in elections, vote buying, and turnout in Latin America

Although national elections in Latin America are now described as reasonably free and fair by international observations teams, electoral processes are still affected by a series of malpractices (unequal access to the media and public resources, registration problems, vote buying). These irregularities negatively affect citizens' trust in elections. In this paper, we analyze the consequences of low trust in elections and exposure to vote buying practices on electoral participation in Latin America. Using data from the 2010 wave of LAPOP surveys, we find that perceiving that the election is unfair reduces the willingness to participate in national elections, but receiving material incentives during the campaign has the opposite effect of increasing electoral participation. We also show that the effect of trust in elections on turnout is larger in countries where voting is not mandatory.
External factors and self-regulating mechanisms which may influence the sporulation of oocysts of the rat coccidium, Eimeria nieschulzi.

Oocysts of rat coccidium Eimeria nieschulzi were collected daily during the patent period from rats infected with 5000 sporulated oocysts. The discharged occysts were allowed to sporulate under laboratory conditions by using several different techniques and by manipulating the variables associated with these techniques. Parameters examined included: (1) the bottom area of the sporulation container in which the oocysts were kept, (2) the numbers of oocysts/container, (3) the relative quantity of daily fecal debris, (4) the surface area for O2 exchange, (5) the volume and depth of the oocyst-containing medium (3 % aqueous potassium dichromate), and (6) the day of patency. Factors (2) and (3) seem to be the most important in determining whether or not oocysts will sporulate. In all cases where a low percent sporulation (<80%) was seen, either large numbers of oocysts were packed together or oocysts were associated with much fecal debris, or both. The possible existence of a sporulation inhibiting factor (SIF) and the evolution of such a device as well as the selective value of self-regulating mechanisms in populations of parasites are discussed.
Analysis of human serum and whole blood for mineral content by ICP-MS and ICP-OES: development of a mineralomics method.

Minerals are inorganic compounds that are essential to the support of a variety of biological functions. Understanding the range and variability of the content of these minerals in biological samples can provide insight into the relationships between mineral content and the health of individuals. In particular, abnormal mineral content may serve as an indicator of illness. The development of robust, reliable analytical methods for the determination of the mineral content of biological samples is essential to developing biological models for understanding the relationship between minerals and illnesses. This paper describes a method for the analysis of the mineral content of small volumes of serum and whole blood samples from healthy individuals. Interday and intraday precision for the mineral content of the blood (250 μL) and serum (250 μL) samples was measured for eight essential minerals—sodium (Na), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and selenium (Se)—by plasma spectrometric methods and ranged from 0.635 to 10.1 % relative standard deviation (RSD) for serum and 0.348–5.98 % for whole blood. A comparison of the determined ranges for ten serum samples and six whole blood samples provided good agreement with literature reference ranges. The results demonstrate that the digestion and analysis methods can be used to reliably measure the content of these minerals and potentially of other minerals.
Water-Soluble Electrospun Nanofibers as a Method for On-Chip Reagent Storage

This work demonstrates the ability to electrospin reagents into water-soluble nanofibers resulting in a stable on-chip enzyme storage format. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) nanofibers were spun with incorporation of the enzyme horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the spun nanofibers was used to confirm the non-woven structure which had an average diameter of 155 ± 34 nm. The HRP containing fibers were tested for their change in activity following electrospinning and during storage. A colorimetric assay was used to characterize the activity of HRP by reaction with the nanofiber mats in a microtiter plate and monitoring the change in absorption over time. Immediately following electrospinning, the activity peak for the HRP decreased by approximately 20%. After a storage study over 280 days, 40% of the activity remained. In addition to activity, the fibers were observed to solubilize in the microfluidic chamber. The chromogenic 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine solution reacted immediately with the fibers as they passed through a microfluidic channel. The ability to store enzymes and other reagents on-chip in a rapidly dispersible format could reduce the assay steps required of an operator to perform.
Separation of top and bottom components of alfalfa mosaic virus by combined differential and density gradient centrifugation.

Top and bottom components of alfalfa mosaic virus have been separated by combined differential and density gradient centrifugation. Bottom component was obtained in a highly purified state. The advantage of the technique employed is that it allows one to obtain the two viral components in mg quantities. Straight fractionation from zones obtained in centrifuged density-gradient columns yielded relatively pure top-component, but bottom-component still contaminated with top-component and middle-component. Also, much greater effort was required to obtain high yields of either component if differential centrifugation was eliminated from the procedure.
Evaluation of Perinatal Services An Application of Social Area Analysis

A design for evaluating the impact of perinatal projects is developed using social area analysis. Social area analysis permits the simultaneous investigation ofproject effects and concomitant variation by two approaches. The typology approach enables grouping of similar social areas and, within the groupings, comparison of perinatal outcomesfor areas with and without a project. Areas aggregated by presence or absence of a project can also be examined by investigating the effect of the social environment on outcomes. A preliminary example of the typology approach provides support for the application of social area analysis in evaluating the Improved Pregnancy Outcome Project.
Sensitization of photoeffects by hyper-Rayleigh scattering (HRS)

Abstract We have observed fluorescence from Coumarin334 (C334) in a variety of solvents using a fundamental wavelength (840 nm) twice that of radiation actinic for excitation of this fluorescence, and we attribute this fluorescence to second harmonic, hyper-Rayleigh light scattering (HRS). Fluorescence intensity is compared to that obtained by direct excitation of fluorescence under the same conditions to provide an estimate of the efficiency of the HRS process; Φ= ca . 10 −6 , strongly solvent dependent. Photochemical actinometry indicates a fundamental optical power of 1 mW cm−2 under our conditions. By mapping the action spectrum for second harmonic excitation of fluorescence, we exclude the possibility suggested by the solvent dependence of Φ, namely that the principal pathway for excitation of C334 involves second harmonic scattering by solvent, followed by absorption of actinic light by the solute. Instead, we find that the action spectrum does not correlate with the absorption spectrum of C334. Therefore, we hypothesize that second harmonic scattering is coupled to an electronic transition in the C334 chromophore, which probably involves a higher excited state than that responsible for emission.
Two-center formulation of Mn 2 + -electron s − d exchange coupling in bulk and quantum-confined diluted magnetic semiconductors

Magnetic exchange coupling between ${\text{Mn}}^{2+}$ spins and conduction-band electrons in diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMSs) is formulated in terms of a two-center kinetic-exchange process involving the empty ${\text{Mn}}^{2+}\text{ }4s$ orbital. This formulation allows interpretation of the sign and magnitude of the $s\text{\ensuremath{-}}d$ coupling in terms of specific interorbital transfer integrals and charge-transfer energies for the first time, similar to established approaches for interpreting $p\text{\ensuremath{-}}d$ and $d\text{\ensuremath{-}}d$ exchange energies in the same materials. This formulation allows recent proposals of dominant confinement-induced antiferromagnetic $s\text{\ensuremath{-}}d$ exchange in DMS nanostructures to be assessed critically.
Criteria by which to evaluate risk-adjusted outcomes programs in cardiac surgery

Abstract Risk adjustment models for hospitalized patients are most advanced for the assessment of the clinical outcome of cardiac procedures, and for coronary artery bypass grafting in particular. The goal of being able to use outcomes as a credible indicator of quality of care has stimulated the development of several programs that use reliable, valid patient data collected during the surgical episode to adjust outcomes for the severity of illness. Several criteria that are useful in the assessment of risk adjustment methods for outcome and quality-of-care investigations are discussed in detail and five of these programs are compared. The programs have more similarities than differences and identify many of the same patient characteristics predictive of a higher likelihood of mortality in the period immediately after operation. Whether persistent differences in mortality after risk adjustment across institutions or Individual surgeons, or both, may ultimately be attributed to the process and structure of care needs further study and investigation. Similar methods should be applied to other outcomes of importance to patients, their families, and their physicians, such as surgically related morbidity, functional status, quality of life, costs, and patient-reported perceptions of the nontechnical aspects of their care.
The Goal Project: A Group Assignment to Encourage Creative Thinking, Leadership Abilities and Communication Skills

AbstractThe classroom assignment described in this paper, The Goal Project, gives students an opportunity to develop four of the skills and abilities required to be a successful accountant. In 1990, the Accounting Education Change Commission issued Position Statement Number One, Objectives of Education for Accountants. Appendix B of that statement contains eight categories of knowledge, skills, personal capacities and attitudes that are needed by accounting graduates. The Institute of Management Accountants has outlined the work of a management accountant to include working in small business teams and participating in strategic decision making. The project described in this paper replicates the work an accountant would perform when working in problem-solving teams. Data was collected and results are included from a questionnaire completed by 166 students who participated in The Goal Project. The results of perceived improvement in creative problem solving, leadership skills, and oral and written communica...