cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of a sport food bar on Lipolysis and fat oxidation during prolonged exercise

The purpose of this study was to investigate a manufacturer's claim that the Access Fat Conversion Activity Bar increases lipolysis and fat oxidation during prolonged exercise. Eight subjects completed two identical 120‐min bouts (58% of VO2Peak) after consuming either an Access bar or nothing. No significant difference between the two trials or trials x time were observed for the respiratory exchange ratio (RER) or plasma glycerol concentration (P > 0.05). Overall, the RER group mean value averaged 0.82 ±0.02 and 0.83 ±0.03 for the control and Access bar trials, respectively. The average group mean plasma glycerol concentration for the control and Access bar trials was 0.32 ±0.18 and 0.26 ± 0.07 mmol‐P1. Further, there were no differences between trials or trials x time for perceived exertion, blood glucose and lactate concentration. The Access bar was concluded not to influence lipolysis or fat oxidation during moderate intensity exercise.
VOCAL AND OTHER BEHAVIOUR OF THE GREEN BARBET IN KENYA

Summary Short, L.L. & Horne, J. F. M. 1980, Vocal and other behaviour of the Green Barbet in Kenya. Ostrich 51:219–229. Brief field studies of the Green Barbet Stactolaema olivacea in coastal Kenya, with emphasis on vocalizations, document its social behaviour, including communal roosting of four birds in a cavity. Green Barbets are aggressive, interacting strongly with a number of species. Erecting of the crown feathers, cocking of the tail, and woodpeckerlike swinging movements characterize displays. Wing Flutters and audible Bill Wiping are visual-auditory displays. Vocalizations include the Grating Call, Kek Call, Chuk Call and Chowp Call. These are agonistic and agonistic-reproductive in function. The Chowp Call comprises the song, used in simultaneous singing and duetting.
On an extension of a mathematical model for tumor anti-angiogenesis

Abstract We describe the optimal synthesis of controlled trajectories for a mathematical model for tumor anti-angiogenesis when natural growth and death of the endothelial support are included in the modeling. The admissibility of an optimal singular arc that forms the center piece for this synthesis is investigated depending on a parameter μ that denotes the net rate of these effects on the carrying capacity of the vasculature.
Transport of radioactive aerosols across the trade wind inversion at Hawaii

Radioactivity concentration measurements in aerosol and precipitation samples collected along the slopes of Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii have been examined in relation to vertical profiles of temperature and humidity in the atmosphere across the trade wind inversion. The gradient of radioactive aerosol concentration in the air with height is related to the humidity profile and the character of the trade wind inversion. The concentrations increased with height across the trade wind inversion in contrast to aerosols of terrestrial origin whose concentrations in air decreased with height. The concentrations in rainfall generally decreased with height, except for an anomolous result at 2250 m, just below the trade wind inversion. At this altitude, the gross radioactivity concentration increased while the Sr 90 concentration decreased. The ratio of the gross beta concentration in air and rain gives a parameter with dimensions of mixing ratio, which may be of potential use in determining rainout efficiencies. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1967.tb01493.x
Handling objects in old age: forces and moments acting on the object

We measured the external moments and digit-tip force directions acting on a freely moveable object while it was grasped and manipulated by old (OA) and young (YA) adults. Participants performed a grasp and lift task and a precision orientation (key-slot) task with a precision (thumb-finger) grip. During the grasp-lift task the OA group misaligned their thumb and finger contacts and produced greater grip force, greater external moments on the object around its roll axis, and oriented force vectors differently compared with the YA group. During the key-slot task, the OA group was more variable in digit-tip force directions and performed the key-slot task more slowly. With practice the OA group aligned their digits, reduced their grip force, and minimized external moments on the object, clearly demonstrating that the nervous system monitored and actively manipulated one or more variables related to object tilt. This was true even for the grip-lift task, a task for which no instructions regarding object orientation were given and which could tolerate modest amounts of object tilt without interfering with task goals. Although the OA group performed the key-slot task faster with experience, they remained slower than the YA group. We conclude that with old age comes a reduced ability to control the forces and moments applied to objects during precision grasp and manipulation. This may contribute to the ubiquitous slowing and deteriorating manual dexterity in healthy aging.
Transient IR and visible laser absorption-reflection spectroscopic studies of interadsorbate and adsorbate/substrate interactions

Transient IR reflection-absorption spectroscopy with diode lasers has been used to characterize the adsorption kinetics and the nature of the bonding of CO on Cu(100). Although the strong dynamic dipole coupling between the CO molecules adversely affect the absorption intensity and frequency, it can be used to reveal the interadsorbate interactions. It was found that the adsorption of CO on Cu is correlated, resulting from a repulsive interaction between the first and second nearest neighboring sites. A model based on static screening of the charge transferred from CO to Cu is proposed to account for all the observations. Furthermore, a nonresonant reflectivity change, which results only from chemisorption, but not physisorption, was identified in both the IR and visible regions.
Characterization of mandibular fractures incurred from battle injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan from 2001-2010.

Purpose The mandible is the most commonly fractured bone in the craniomaxillofacial skeleton among military casualties. The purpose of this study was to characterize the nature and severity of mandibular fractures incurred by US military personnel during combat. Materials and Methods We queried the Joint Theater Trauma Registry from October 2001 to April 2011 using all pertinent International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes to identify fractures of the mandible. Fractures were then classified based on type and location. Chart reviews were performed on the subset of patients who were treated at San Antonio Military Medical Center to further classify the anatomic pattern and treatment of these fractures. Results We identified 391 patients with mandibular fractures, of whom 45 were transferred to San Antonio Military Medical Center. Open fractures were seen in 75% of patients. Two or more fractures of the mandible were seen in 51% of patients. Comminuted fractures were present in 84%, and 31% had segmental losses. Eighty-six percent of fractures were operative; two-thirds of patients required a single surgical procedure, whereas the remaining one-third required multiple procedures. Forty-six percent of patients had pan-facial fractures. Conclusions Mandibular fractures as a result of combat blast injuries were characterized by a high incidence of open, comminuted, multiple fractures. Associated facial fractures were common.
Twelve-year trends in health insurance coverage among Latinos, by subgroup and immigration status.

We examine twelve-year trends in the Latino uninsured population by ethnic subgroup and immigration status. From 1993 to 1999, most Latino subgroups, particularly Puerto Ricans, had large decreases in Medicaid coverage. For some subgroups these were offset by increases in employer coverage, but not for Mexicans, resulting in a four-percentage-point increase in their uninsured population. During 2000–2004, Medicaid/SCHIP expansions benefited most subgroups and mitigated smaller losses in employer coverage. However, during 1993–2004, the percentage of noncitizen Latinos lacking coverage increased by several percentage points. This was attributable to Medicaid losses during 1993–1999 and losses in employer coverage during 2000–2004.
Looking Back at Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits

The historical progression of the artifacts has mirrored the evolution of the MMIC field.A monolithic microwave integrated circuit is an active or passive microwave circuit formed in situ on a semiconductor substrate by a combination of deposition techniques including diffusion, evaporation, epitaxy, implantation and other means. It is appropriate to note that the raison d'etre for this technology was to fulfill the following objectives: 1) low cost, 2) reliability and reproducibility, 3) small size and weight, 4) circuit design flexibility and multifunction capabilities, and 5) multioctave performance.
Selective Activation of Caspases During Apoptotic Induction in HL-60 Cells EFFECTS OF A TETRAPEPTIDE INHIBITOR

Apoptosis is a highly regulated biochemical process that results in the selective death of cells. Members of the caspase family of cysteine proteases play a pivotal role in the effector phase of apoptosis. We show that, in HL-60 cells, the addition of either anisomycin, a protein synthesis inhibitor, or geranylgeraniol, an intermediate in the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway, results in a rapid and en masse induction of apoptosis. The levels of actin, p42 and p44 MAPK, JNK1, JNK2, p38, and PCNA were not substantially altered during this process. Although these treatments appear to function by diverse pathways, they both result in the processing and activation of caspase-3 (CPP32β/Yama/Apopain). In contrast, no activation of caspase-1 (interleukin-1β converting enzyme (ICE)) was observed. Furthermore, we obtained ambiguous results regarding the activation of caspase-2 (Ich-1) depending on the antibody used. Pretreatment of the cells with benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp-(OMe)-fluoromethylketone (zVAD.fmk), a tetrapeptide inhibitor of caspases, prevented the induction of apoptosis for 24 h. Even after 72 h of treatment, some cells were still alive and progressing through the cell cycle, suggesting that blockage of caspase activity is able to protect cells. These results suggest that selective activation of some caspases is necessary to induce apoptosis in HL-60 cells.
The pool boiling curve in microgravity

Pool boiling experiments using R-113 were conducted in the microgravity of space on a flat heater, consisting of a semi-transparent gold film sputtered on quartz substrate, 19.05 mm x 38.1 mm (0.75" x 1.50"). Transient measurements of both the mean heater surface temperature and input heat flux are used to compute the mean heat transfer coefficient at the heater wall. Steady state pool boiling is achieved in microgravity under conditions in which a large vapor bubble somewhat removed from the heater surface is formed, which acts as a reservoir for the nucleating bubbles. The steady nucleate boiling heat transfer is enhanced materially in microgravity relative to that in earth gravity, while the heat flux at which dryout occurs is considerably less. Using quasi-steady data obtained during periods in which some significant portions of the heater surface were dried out it was possible to construct two distinct composite approximate microgravity pool boiling curves for R-l 13, one for the higher level of subcooling and one for the lower level of subcooling. These are compared with a Reference Curve for pool boiling at a/g=+1, constructed from all available data correlations deemed to reasonably represent the circumstances present. L sys q'T t t* nucleation Nomenclature
A shear test for the bond strength of ceramometals

Abstract An innovative shear-testing method was introduced to study the effect of firing temperature, type of metal, and surface texture on the bond strength of the ceramometals. Two common ceramic/metal alloys were used: Olympia, a precious alloy, and Talladium, a base alloy. A Ceramco II Paint-O-Pake opaque was selected for the study. Each porcelain alloy was prepared in a similar manner before porcelain application to achieve uniform surfaces. A separate category of base alloy samples was subjected to etching after sandblasting. Each category was then divided into two groups. Opaque porcelain was fired according to the manufacturer's instructions in one group and 65 ° F higher in the other. The bond strengths were compared by statistical analysis and post-tested samples were evaluated visually and microscopically with a scanning electron microscope.
Measurement of the electrical conductivity of xenon in a shock tube

Abstract : The electrical conductivity of xenon was measured in a shock tube at gas pressures of about one atmosphere and in the temperature range of 5500K to 9000K. Where ionization equilibrium was achieved immediately behind the shock front, the experimental conductivities were in agreement with the theoretical analyses based on either the Boltzman equation or the Fokker-Plank equation. At Mach numbers below 8 ionization equilibrium was not always achieved and considerable uncertainty exists in correlating the measured conductivity to known gas properties. (Author)
FATE OF STAPHYLOCOCCI WITHIN HUMAN LEUKOCYTES

Direct observations by phase microscopy have demonstrated that small numbers of pathogenic staphylococci survive prolonged periods of time within living human polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Non-pathogenic microorganisms are rapidly destroyed in similar preparations. Leukocytes in which staphylococci remained viable often appeared less vigorous after ingesting microorganisms, but intracellular survival could not be correlated with obvious leukocyte damage with any consistency. Both pathogenic and non-pathogenic cocci were seen to divide within living granulocytes during the first few minutes after ingestion. Occasionally pathogenic staphylococci multiplied in dying cells after long periods of intracellular residence. Phagocytosis of more than one pair of staphylococci by a single leukocyte appeared to act as a stimulus to bacterial destruction. Multiple ingestions of pathogenic staphylococci reduced the incidence of survival of the total microbiol population contained within the cell.
Thermal degradation of polymers with phenylene units in the chain. IV. Aromatic polyamides and polyimides

The breakdown mechanism of an aromatic polyamide and four polyimides has been studied under vacuum in the temperature range of 375–620°C, by using techniques described earlier, involving collection and analysis of volatile products as well as analyses of residues at different temperatures. The decomposition of the polyamide up to 375°C yielded predominantly carbon dioxide, while between 375 and 450°C about equal amounts of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide formed. Hydrogen is the major product between 450 and 550°C, along with hydrogen cyanide, methane, and carbon monoxide. The major reaction at the lower temperatures seems to be the cleavage of the linkage between the carbonyl group and the ring, with subsequent formation of a carbodiimide linkage via isocyanate intermediates, and liberation of carbon dioxide. Alternatively, cleavage between the carboxyl and the NH-group leads to the formation of carbon monoxide. Carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide are also the major volatile decomposition products of the polyimides at the lower temperatures. The primary cleavage reaction is believed to be the rupture of the imide ring between a carbonyl and nitrogen, with subsequent formation of isocyanate groups. The latter react with each other to form carbodiimide linkages and carbon dioxide, while the remaining benzoyl radical is the source for carbon monoxide.
Electroconvulsive therapy in the elderly.

ECT is a safe, useful, and effective treatment for a variety of disorders and can be administered safely in elderly patients. Efforts need to be undertaken to increase the awareness and acceptability of ECT treatments. As Carl Salzman says in the January 1998 issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry, "Let us not perpetuate outmoded, nonscientific and incorrect attitudes toward ECT in our younger colleagues. Rather, let us stimulate scientific curiosity and research into this cost-effective and safe psychiatric treatment."
Transmigration in Indonesia: Lessons from its Environmental and Social Impacts

This article identifies the lessons learned from transmigration programs in Indonesia during 1976-89 and describes briefly the history and types of transmigration in Indonesia the World Bank project the demographic and agricultural benefits and the environmental and social impacts. During transmigration millions of people from overcrowded islands of Java Madura Bali and Lombok were resettled in the outer islands of Sumatra Kalimantan Sulawesi and Irian Jaya. The World Bank which funded the program has been criticized for its irresponsibility. An evaluation of the relative benefits of resettlement schemes is dependent upon answering several questions. One question is to what extent development initiatives "going wrong" should be accepted and given support to lesson the damage. Another question is to what extent should financing agencies be responsible for damage that is unlike limited impacts of more discrete projects. About 17% of transmigration projects are corrupt and choice of sites is controversial. Environmental impact statements are required but are not publicly available or debated. Impact assessments stipulate inclusion of local people in the process whereas in practice locals are included as data. Sometimes impacts are not ready before industry is installed. World Bank review processes result in significant deletions between draft and final Appraisal Reports. Governments maintain secrecy. The effect of transmigration is the diluting of native cultures the excuse-making because "it is going to happen anyway" inadequate assessments environmental degradation and continuance of schemes under other names.
Parallelization spectroscopy: analysis of thread-level parallelism in hpc programs

In this paper, we present a method - parallelization spectroscopy - for analyzing the thread-level parallelism available in production High Performance Computing (HPC) codes.We survey a number of techniques that are commonly used for parallelization and classify all the loops in the case study presented using a sensitivity metric: how likely is a particular technique is successful in parallelizing the loop.
Maternal perceptions of toddler body size: accuracy and satisfaction differ by toddler weight status.

Objectives To examine (1) accuracy of maternal perceptions of toddler body size; (2) factors associated with accuracy of toddler body size; and (3) how maternal satisfaction relates to accuracy/toddler body size. Design Cross-sectional. Setting Low-income community sample from suburban Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)/urban pediatric clinics. Participants Two hundred eighty-one mother-toddler dyads (toddlers: 54.1% male; mean age, 20.2 months; 70.8% African American; 8.5% underweight [ Main Exposure Measured anthropometry (mother/toddler) and demographics. Outcome Measure Validated toddler silhouette scale (accuracy and satisfaction). Results Nearly 70% of mothers were inaccurate in assessing their toddler's body size. Compared with mothers of healthy-weight toddlers, mothers of underweight toddlers were 9.13 times more likely to be accurate (95% CI, 2.94-28.36) and mothers of overweight toddlers were 87% less likely to be accurate (95% CI, 0.05-0.33); accuracy did not differ by toddler age, sex, or race or mother's education or weight status. More than 70% of all mothers and 81.7% of mothers of overweight toddlers were satisfied with their toddler's body size. Accurate mothers of underweight toddlers were less likely to be satisfied than accurate mothers of healthy-weight toddlers (30.0% vs 76.8%; P Conclusions Mothers of overweight toddlers had inaccurate perceptions of their toddler's body size and were highly satisfied, suggesting a view of heavy toddlers as normative. Mothers of underweight toddlers had accurate perceptions yet were dissatisfied, suggesting recognition of their child as outside the norm. Because inaccurate perceptions begin early in toddlerhood, pediatric providers should help improve families' understanding of healthy body size. Future studies should examine how satisfaction and accuracy relate to parenting behaviors.
Utilization of a psychiatric clinical pharmacist in an integrated behavioral health program of a community health center

Treatment of mental illnesses has slowly shifted to primary care settings over the past decade. As more patients are identified as needing treatment for a mental illness, the availability of behavioral health (BH) practitioners has become more strained, leading to this shift towards primary care treatment. With more patients receiving psychiatric health care from their primary care providers (PCP), a need for dedicated BH practitioners within the primary care setting was developed. This article describes a novel program where a clinical psychiatric pharmacist is utilized as the primary psychiatric provider within an integrated BH program of a busy primary care clinic in a major metropolitan area. Working under a collaborative practice agreement to prescribe, the pharmacist acts as the initial BH contact for the clinic, as well as a liaison between primary care and BH. Patients referred to the pharmacist from primary care are then evaluated and appropriate medication prescribed for their illness. Most pati...
Deletion of znuA virulence factor attenuates Brucella abortus and confers protection against wild-type challenge.

znuA is known to be an important factor for survival and normal growth under low Zn 2 concentrations for Escherichia coli, Haemophilus spp., Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Pasteurella multocida. We hypothesized that the znuA gene present in Brucella melitensis 16 M would be similar to znuA in B. abortus and questioned whether it may also be an important factor for growth and virulence of Brucella abortus. Using the B. melitensis 16 M genome sequence, primers were designed to construct a B. abortus deletion mutant. A znuA knockout mutation in B. abortus 2308 (znuA) was constructed and found to be lethal in low-Zn 2 medium. When used to infect macrophages, znuA B. abortus showed minimal growth. Further study with znuA B. abortus showed that its virulence in BALB/c mice was attenuated, and most of the bacteria were cleared from the spleen within 8 weeks. Protection studies confirmed the znuA mutant as a potential live vaccine, since protection against wild-type B. abortus 2308 challenge was as effective as that obtained with the RB51 or S19 vaccine strain.
Large-scale integrated photonics for high-performance interconnects

High-end computing systems are expected to scale from petascale to exascale over the next decade. We describe requirements and architectures for high-bandwidth interconnects based on integrated photonic components that could enable this performance growth.
Aridity shapes cyanogenesis cline evolution in white clover (Trifolium repens L.)

Adaptive differentiation between populations is often proposed to be the product of multiple interacting selective pressures, although empirical support for this is scarce. In white clover, populations show adaptive differentiation in frequencies of cyanogenesis, the ability to produce hydrogen cyanide after tissue damage. This polymorphism arises through independently segregating polymorphisms for the presence/absence of two required cyanogenic components, cyanogenic glucosides and their hydrolysing enzyme. White clover populations worldwide have evolved a series of recurrent, climate-associated clines, with higher frequencies of cyanogenic plants in warmer locations. These clines have traditionally been hypothesized to reflect a fitness trade-off between chemical defence in herbivore-rich areas (warmer climates) and energetic costs of producing cyanogenic components in areas of low herbivore pressure (cooler climates). Recent observational studies suggest that cyanogenic components may also be beneficial in water-stressed environments. We investigated fitness trade-offs associated with temperature-induced water stress in the cyanogenesis system using manipulative experiments in growth chambers and population surveys across a longitudinal precipitation gradient in the central United States. We find that plants producing cyanogenic glucosides have higher relative fitness in treatments simulating a moderate, persistent drought stress. In water-neutral treatments, there are energetic costs to producing cyanogenic components, but only in treatments with nutrient stress. These fitness trade-offs are consistent with cyanogenesis frequencies in natural populations, where we find clinal variation in the proportion of plants producing cyanogenic glucosides along the precipitation gradient. These results suggest that multiple selective pressures interact to maintain this adaptive polymorphism and that modelling adaptation will require knowledge of environment-specific fitness effects.
Vitamin E Effects on In Vitro Immunoglobulin M and Interleukin-lβ Production and Transcription in Dairy Cattle

Abstract Experiments were conducted to determine the effect of dietary vitamin E on in vitro IgM and interleukin-1 production and its transcription by bovine peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Cells were isolated from Jersey cows and cultured with pokeweed mitogen, a T-cell-dependent, B-lymphocyte mitogen, to stimulate polyclonal IgM production. Addition of 55 and 110 ng/ml of α-tocopherol at time 0 to cell cultures containing pokeweed mitogen significantly enhanced IgM production compared with control cultures containing pokeweed mitogen alone. Cultures supplemented with 55 ng/ml of α-tocopherol at 0, 24, or 48 h after incubation with mitogen had enhanced IgM production compared with control cultures incubated for the same duration. However, addition of α-tocopherol to cultures at 72 and 96 h did not affect IgM production. Production of interleukin-1 in culture supernatants obtained 24 h after stimulation with pokeweed mitogen was similar between control cultures and cultures supplemented with α-tocopherol. At 48 h, secretion of interleukin-l was maintained in the supplemented cultures but declined in control cultures. Mononuclear cells obtained from steers receiving vitamin E supplement or control steers were used to examine the effects of in vivo vitamin E status on interleukin-1 mRNA expression. Concanavalin A-stimulated cells from Jersey steers fed diets supplemented with vitamin E expressed 55% higher interleukin-1 mRNA than cells from control steers.
4-Liter Split-Dose Polyethylene Glycol Is Superior to Other Bowel Preparations, Based on Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background & Aims Adequate bowel cleansing is an important determinant of the efficacy of screening colonoscopy. Polyethylene glycol (PEG)-based solutions are used commonly in bowel preparation, but their poor palatability and large volumes (4 L) influence compliance. Adjunct therapies, such as bisacodyl, split-dose regimens, and lower-volume regimens have been tested. We performed a meta-analysis to determine whether a 4-L split dose of PEG is better than others for bowel cleansing before colonoscopy. Methods We searched MEDLINE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Database, recent abstracts from major conference proceedings, references from selected reviews and randomized trials (http://clinicaltrials.gov), and Google Scholar, through September 2011, for high-quality, randomized trials that compared 4-L split-dose PEG without adjunct therapy with other bowel preparation methods. Nine of 2477 trials considered were used in the analysis. We calculated pooled estimates of bowel preparation quality (primary outcome: excellent or good), preparation compliance, favorable overall experiences, willingness to repeat same preparation, and side effects. We calculated pooled estimates of odds ratios by fixed- and random-effects models. We also assessed heterogeneity among studies and publication bias. Results The overall pooled odds ratio for excellent or good bowel preparation quality for 4-L split-dose PEG was 3.46, compared with other methods (95% confidence interval, 2.45–4.89; P Conclusions A meta-analysis showed that 4-L split-dose PEG is better than other bowel preparation methods for colonoscopy. Significant heterogeneity among studies might result from differences in patient demographics and protocols. A 4-L split dose of PEG should be considered the standard with which new bowel preparation methods are compared.
One sound or two? Object-related negativity indexes echo perception

The ability to isolate a single sound source among concurrent sources and reverberant energy is necessary for understanding the auditory world. The precedence effect describes a related experimental finding, that when presented with identical sounds from two locations with a short onset asynchrony (on the order of milliseconds), listeners report a single source with a location dominated by the lead sound. Single-cell recordings in multiple animal models have indicated that there are low-level mechanisms that may contribute to the precedence effect, yet psychophysical studies in humans have provided evidence that top-down cognitive processes have a great deal of influence on the perception of simulated echoes. In the present study, event-related potentials evoked by click pairs at and around listeners' echo thresholds indicate that perception of the lead and lag sound as individual sources elicits a negativity between 100 and 250 msec, previously termed the object-related negativity (ORN). Even for physically identical stimuli, the ORN is evident when listeners report hearing, as compared with not hearing, a second sound source. These results define a neural mechanism related to the conscious perception of multiple auditory objects.
The impact of electronic health records on healthcare quality: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective: To assess the impact of electronic health record (EHR) on healthcare quality, we hence carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies on this topic. Methods: PubMed, Web of Knowledge, Scopus and Cochrane Library databases were searched to identify studies that investigated the association between the EHR implementation and process or outcome indicators. Two reviewers screened identified citations and extracted data according to the PRISMA guidelines. Meta-analysis was performed using the random effects model for each indicator. Heterogeneity was quantified using the Cochran Q test and I2 statistics, and publication bias was assessed using the Egger’s test. Results: Of the 23 398 citations identified, 47 articles were included in the analysis. Meta-analysis showed an association between EHR use and a reduced documentation time with a difference in mean of −22.4% [95% confidence interval (CI) = −38.8 to −6.0%; P < 0.007]. EHR resulted also associated with a higher guideline adherence with a risk ratio (RR) of 1.33 (95% CI = 1.01 to 1.76; P = 0.049) and a lower number of medication errors with an overall RR of 0.46 (95% CI = 0.38 to 0.55; P < 0.001), and adverse drug effects (ADEs) with an overall RR of 0.66 (95% CI = 0.44 to 0.99; P = 0.045). No association with mortality was evident ( P = 0.936). High heterogeneity among the studies was evident. Publication bias was not evident. Conclusions: EHR system, when properly implemented, can improve the quality of healthcare, increasing time efficiency and guideline adherence and reducing medication errors and ADEs. Strategies for EHR implementation should be therefore recommended and promoted.
Use of a mathematical model of rodent in vitro benzene metabolism to predict human in vitro metabolism data

Benzene, a ubiquitous environmental pollutant, is known to cause leukemia and aplastic anemia in humans and hematotoxicity and myelotoxicity in rodents. Toxicity is thought to be exerted through oxidative metabolites formed in the liver, primarily via pathways mediated by cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1). Phenol, hydroquinone and trans-trans-muconaldehyde have all been hypothesized to be involved in benzene-induced toxicity. Recent reports indicate that benzene oxide is produced in vitro and in vivo and may be sufficiently stable to reach the bone marrow. Our goal was to improve existing mathematical models of microsomal benzene metabolism by including time course data for benzene oxide, by obtaining better parameter estimates and by determining if enzymes other than CYP2E1 are involved. Microsomes from male B6C3F1 mice and F344 rats were incubated with [(14)C]benzene (14 microM), [(14)C]phenol (303 microM) and [(14)C]hydroquinone (8 microM). Benzene and phenol were also incubated with mouse microsomes in the presence of trans-dichloroethylene, a CYP2E1 inhibitor, and benzene was incubated with trichloropropene oxide, an epoxide hydrolase inhibitor. These experiments did not indicate significant contributions of enzymes other than CYP2E1. Mathematical model parameters were fitted to rodent data and the model was validated by predicting human data. Model simulations predicted the qualitative behavior of three human time course data sets and explained up to 81% of the total variation in data from incubations of benzene for 16 min with microsomes from nine human individuals. While model predictions did deviate systematically from the data for benzene oxide and trihydroxybenzene, overall model performance in predicting the human data was good. The model should be useful in quantifying human risk due to benzene exposure and explicitly accounts for interindividual variation in CYP2E1 activity.
Changes in non-target arthropod populations following application of liquid bait formulations of insecticides for control of rangeland grasshoppers

This study was undertaken to determine the non-target impacts of rangeland grasshopper control using liquid bait formulations of insecticides (canola and corn oil as carriers of carbaryl, diflubenzuron, and malathion). The research was conducted on native rangeland in Wyoming under drought conditions. Three collection methods (pitfall traps, yellow sticky cards, and sweep nets) were used to estimate non-target arthropod densities. The formulated insecticides were applied according to the protocol of reduced agent-area treatments, an application method designed to reduce economic and environmental costs by applying insecticides at low rates with incomplete coverage via alternating treated and untreated swaths). Canola and corn oils are vegetable oils high in linolenic and linoleic acids which function as attractants and phagostimulants for many species of grasshoppers. Crop oil is a biologically inert paraffin-based petroleum product that served as a control. Although all treatments markedly reduced grasshopper population densities, non-target populations were nominally affected. There were no consistent, significant differences in the responses of non-target populations to treatments with the liquid baits (canola and corn oil carriers) relative to those observed with the standard carrier (crop oil). Only one taxonomic group (Formicidae) showed a significant negative response to treatment relative to untreated controls. Logistical and ecological factors associated with grasshopper control methods may account for the nominal effects on non-target taxa. Sweep net and sticky trap sampling were more sensitive to treatment effects and time-by-treatment interactions. Temporal changes in population densities may have made treatment effects difficult to distinguish in several taxonomic groups.
Temperature-dependent performance as a driver of warm-water fish species replacement along the river continuum

Replacement of fish species by their congeners along gradients of stream size is common in warm-water streams, but the causative environmental factors driving this turnover are not fully understood. We used laboratory experiments to test for differences in temperature-dependent egg hatch success and age-0 food ration size for three congeneric cyprinids that differ in abundance along temperature–stream size gradients. Headwater species (Pimephales promelas and Pimephales notatus) had lower thermal optima and narrower thermal breadths for hatch success compared with a river mainstem species (Pimephales vigilax). Temperature sensitivity of ration size was lowest for P. promelas, intermediate for P. notatus, and highest for P. vigilax. Using an empirical stream temperature model, we predicted water temperatures and projected hatch success and ration size for 7974 stream segments in Kansas, USA. Projected hatch success from May to July and ration size from July to September generally matched abundance–stream s...
Hip arthroplasty in hemophilic arthropathy.

ABSTRACT As hemophilic arthropathy infrequently affects the hip joint, we performed a multicenter retrospective study to determine the results of hip arthroplasty in hemophilic patients. Thirty-four hip arthroplasties were performed in twenty-seven male patients at four major hemophilia centers from October 1972 through September 1990. Twenty-six patients had classic hemophilia and one had factor-IX deficiency. The mean age of the patients at the time of the operation was thirty-eight years (range, fifteen to seventy-three years). The mean duration of follow-up was eight years, with a minimum of two years for all patients who were still alive at the time of this review. Four patients were seropositive for the human immunodeficiency virus at the time of the operation, and sixteen patients were seropositive at the time of the most recent follow-up examination. Nine patients (33 per cent) died before the time of this review; seven had been seropositive for the human immunodeficiency virus. There were twenty-six total hip arthroplasties performed with cement, six total hip arthroplasties performed without cement, one total hip arthroplasty in which the femoral component was inserted with cement and the acetabular component was inserted without it (so-called hybrid arthroplasty), and one bipolar arthroplasty performed with cement. There were no early infections after these thirty-four primary arthroplasties. There were three late infections around prostheses inserted with cement, and all led to a resection arthroplasty. Six (21 per cent) of the twenty-eight cemented femoral components and six (23 per cent) of the twenty-six cemented acetabular components were revised because of aseptic loosening. Of the twenty-four cemented femoral components for which radiographs were available and that were still in place at the time of this review or at the time of death, ten were definitely loose, two were probably loose, five were possibly loose, and seven had no evidence of loosening. Of the twenty-three cemented acetabular components for which radiographs were available and that were still in place at the time of this review, ten were definitely loose, seven were probably loose, three were possibly loose, and three were not loose. None of the prostheses that had been inserted without cement were loose. There was a high rate of loosening of the cemented hip prostheses in these patients. There was also a high rate of mortality over-all and a high rate of late deep infection in the patients who were seropositive for the human immunodeficiency virus.
The Effect of Emergency Department Boarding on Order Completion

Study objective We identify differences in the process of care for admitted patients who board in the emergency department (ED) compared with admitted patients who are transferred to an inpatient care area. Methods This is a retrospective study of a random sample of adult patients admitted through the ED at one urban teaching hospital. Patients who boarded in the ED for at least 6 hours after the decision to admit were matched to similar control patients. Data were collected by 2 trained medical students using a standardized data abstraction tool. All physician orders placed in the first 24 hours after admission orders were signed were identified. The medical record was searched for documentation of order completion. Each order was classified as being executed on time, delayed, or missed. Results Of 848 patients screened for inclusion in the study, a total of 145 matched case-control pairs were included, making a total of 290 patients. A total of 9,260 distinct orders were identified. Use of a generalized estimating equation that controlled for correlation within subjects showed that orders were less likely to be completed on time for boarders than for controls (odds ratio [OR] 0.46; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.38 to 0.55). Among boarders, orders were more likely to be either delayed (OR 1.84; 95% CI 1.46 to 2.30) or missed entirely (OR 2.58; 95% CI 1.94 to 3.42). Boarders missed a median of 11 orders during their first 24 hours of admission compared with 6 orders for control patients. Conclusion This study detected an important process difference between boarded patients compared with control patients, which could explain previously suggested outcome differences between these 2 groups. This provides additional support for efforts to move patients to inpatient care areas in a timely fashion rather than board in the ED.
The Expert Linguist Meets the Adversarial System

The lawyer’s obligations in a litigation are both to the client and to the judicial system. Rules of conduct leave a wide range of possibilities for lawyers to attempt to persuade a judge or jury through insincere statements that do not reach the level of falsehood. This chapter examines the role of the expert in such a system. The lawyer’s interest is in having an expert that has become committed to being a team player. In these circumstances, it is very difficult for experts to maintain their independence. For this reason, it is of the utmost importance that forensic linguists and other forensic scientists develop methodologies that have been tested to be reliable, and which can speak for themselves. Proficiency testing is discussed as a stopgap measure while methods are developed in new fields. In setting forth the problem, the chapter explores certain biases to which experts are susceptible even with they try to act disinterestedly, and discusses the “bias blind spot,” a term used by psychologists to describe the propensity to believe that oneself is immune from bias even if others are susceptible.
Using the Power of Organic Synthesis for Engineering the Interactions of Nanoparticles with Biological Systems

The surface properties of nanoparticles (NPs) dictate their interaction with the outside world. The use of precisely designed molecular ligands to control NP surface properties provides an important toolkit for modulating their interaction with biological systems, facilitating their use in biomedicine. In this review we will discuss the application of the atom-by-atom control provided by organic synthesis to the generation of engineered nanoparticles, with emphasis on how the functionalization of NPs with these "small" organic molecules (Mw < 1,000) can be used to engineer NPs for a wide range of applications.
Thermal biology of Pacific cicada killers, Sphecius convallis Patton, in the Upper Sonoran Desert

A comprehensive investigation of the Pacific cicada killer, Sphecius convallis Patton, was undertaken to examine the behavioral and physiological mechanisms by which they are able to complete their life cycle in the thermal extremes of the Upper Sonoran Desert. S. convallis were endothermic, exhibiting elevated and relatively constant thorax temperatures during many activities. Males basked in trees at dawn to warm up, then used a variety of behaviors and perching strategies to maintain thorax temperature during territorial behavior. The thorax temperature of females was highest during provisioning and orientation flights, somewhat lower while investigating burrows, and lowest while digging burrows. The optimal thorax temperature for flight was about 40°C, which was approximated most closely by males resting in the shade during the afternoon. In mating clusters, the mated male was the hottest, the female was coolest and the other males were intermediate. Wasps lost about 5% of body mass during heating treatments, and may use evaporative water loss for cooling. Pacific cicada killers use a complex suite of behavioral and physiological adaptations to regulate body temperature during their nesting season.
Mammalian cell-virus relationship. III. Poliovirus production by non-primate cells exposed to poliovirus ribonucleic acid.

SummaryExposure of non-primate cells in vitro and in vivo to poliovirus RNA resulted in production of infectious poliovirus, without induction of apparent cytopathogenic effect in vitro or disease in vivo.
Compare and analyze the schistosomiasis endemic situation in the national surveillance sites of Hubei province in 2010-2011

Objective To compare and analyze the schistosomiasis endemic situation in the national surveillance sites of Hubei province in 2010-2011,in order to provide the scientific basis for schistosomiasis control. Method The surveillance was carried out in 16 national surveillance sites of Hubei province according to the national surveillance protocol. Results In the 16 national surveillance sites in 2010 and 2011,the infection rate of residents was 0.89% and 0.40%,respectively; compared with 2010 the infection rate was dropped 55.06% in 2011. Cattle average infection rates of 2010 and 2011 were 1.41% and 0.81%,respectively; with a decrease of 42.55% in 2011. In 2010 fishermen had the highest infection rate and in 2011 farmers had the highest prevalence. In 2011 live snails average density,infected snails average density and prevalence of infected snails when compared with those of 2010 showing a decrease of 42.44%,78.95% and 62.71%,respectively. Conclusion Compared with 2010,the schistosomiasis endemic situation in the national surveillance sites of Hubei province in 2011 has decreased obviously,but as the recurrent of the disease,the control of infectious sources and the management of cattle should be strengthened,as well as the snail control.
Exploring the Ethics of Eco-Productivity

Eco-productivity is a new mode of production.Compared with the traditional productivity,eco-productivity respects the full value and rights of nature,emphasizes man's moral obligations to nature,adheres to the harmonious development of man and nature.In practice,eco-productivity requires man build up awareness of ecological ethics,performing the ethical obligation to protect the environment,bearing the moral responsibility to protect the environment.
DNP-Enhanced Ultrawideline Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy: Studies of Platinum in Metal–Organic Frameworks

Ultrawideline dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP)-enhanced 195Pt solid-state NMR (SSNMR) spectroscopy and theoretical calculations are used to determine the coordination of atomic Pt species supported within the pores of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). The 195Pt SSNMR spectra, with breadths reaching 10 000 ppm, were obtained by combining DNP with broadbanded cross-polarization and CPMG acquisition. Although the DNP enhancements in static samples are lower than those typically observed under magic-angle spinning conditions, the presented measurements would be very challenging using the conventional SSNMR methods. The DNP-enhanced ultrawideline NMR spectra served to separate signals from cis- and trans-coordinated atomic Pt2+ species supported on the UiO-66-NH2 MOF. Additionally, the data revealed a dominance of kinetic effects in the formation of Pt2+ complexes and the thermodynamic effects in their reduction to nanoparticles. A single cis-coordinated Pt2+ complex was confirmed in MOF-253.