cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Policosanol, an aliphatic alcohol sugarcane derivative: use in patients intolerant of or inadequately responsive to statin therapy

Policosanol is a compound derived from sugarcane wax with low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol-lowering properties. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of Policosanol on LDL cholesterol reduction in patients intolerant of statin therapy or on concomitant statin therapy but not at target LDL cholesterol levels. Twenty-one patients treated with policosanol 10 mg twice a day for 156 ± 63 days were analyzed retrospectively. Pre- and posttreatment fasting lipid profiles were collected and statistical analysis was performed as paired t-tests. Data were further analyzed into subgroups based on the presence or absence of statin therapy. In the 21 patients, LDL cholesterol decreased by 17% (p < 0.001) and total cholesterol decreased by 9.4% (p < 0.001). No significant changes were seen in high-density-lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol or triglyceride levels. In the 6 patients treated with a statin and Policosanol, there was also a 17% LDL cholesterol reduction (p = 0.005). In the 15 patients treated only with Policosanol, LDL cholesterol was also decreased by 17% (p = 0.003). Policosanol use was observed to be associated with a mild-to-moderate (17%) decrease in LDL cholesterol. This association was observed in patients intolerant of statin therapy and in those receiving adjunctive Policosanol with statin therapy.
A retail market study of organic and conventional potatoes (Solanum tuberosum): mineral content and nutritional implications.

Whether or not all foods marketed to consumers as organic meet specified standards for use of that descriptor, or are nutritionally different from conventional foods, is uncertain. In a retail market study in a Western US metropolitan area, differences in mineral composition between conventional potatoes and those marketed as organic were analysed. Potatoes marketed as organic had more copper and magnesium (p < 0.0001), less iron (p < 0.0001) and sodium (p < 0.02), and the same concentration of calcium, potassium and zinc as conventional potatoes. Comparison of individual mineral concentrations between foodstuffs sold as organic or conventional is unlikely to establish a chemical fingerprint to objectively distinguish between organic and conventional produce, but more sophisticated chemometric analysis of multi-element fingerprints holds promise of doing so. Although statistically significant, these differences would only minimally affect total dietary intake of these minerals and be unlikely to result in...
Localization of Glycosaminoglycan Substitution Sites on Domain V of Mouse Perlecan

Perlecan, the predominant basement membrane proteoglycan, has previously been shown to contain glycosaminoglycans attached at serine residues, numbers 65, 71, and 76, in domain I. However, the C-terminal domains IV and V of this molecule may also be substituted with glycosaminoglycan chains, but the exact substitution sites were not identified. The amino acid sequence of mouse perlecan reveals many ser-gly sequences in these domains that are possible sites for glycosaminoglycan substitution. We expressed recombinant domain IV and/or V of mouse perlecan in COS-7 cells and analyzed glycosaminoglycan substitution. Both heparan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate chains could be detected on recombinant domain V. One site, ser-gly-glu (serine residue 3593), toward the C-terminal region of domain V is a substitution site for heparan sulfate. When this sequence was absent, chondroitin/dermatan sulfate substitution was deleted, and the likely site for this galactosaminoglycan substitution was ser-gly-ala-gly (serine residue 3250) on domain V.
Determination of triphenyltin hydroxide derivatives by capillary GC and tin-selective FPD

A new method for the determination of triphenyltin hydroxide using capillary column gas chromatography with a tin-selective flame photometric detector has been developed. Triphenyltin hydroxide and its potential metabolites are converted to methyl derivatives and separated on glass capillary columns coated with OV-101. Derivatization of triphenyltin hydroxide, triphenyltin chloride, diphenyltin dichloride, phenyltin trichloride, and bis-triphenyltin oxide is nearly quantitative with a minimum of redistribution products. The selectivity of the flame photometric detector is cearly demonstrated by the comparison of chromatographic profiles obtained from using both the flame photometric and flame ionization detectors. The use of this chromatographic system in the analysis of triphenyltin hydroxide in a fortified water sample demonstrates the potential use of this system in organotin residue chemistry.
Institutionalization and Well-Being Among the Elderly*

Iatrogenic, prosthetic, and other perspectives are used to derive hypotheses concerning the roles of perceived health and residence satisfaction in mediating the effects of nursing home institutionalization on subjective well-being. The findings show that perceived health and residence satisfaction are important intervening variables. Institutionalization has a positive effect on well-being, mediated by perceived health, but institutionalization has a stronger negative effect on well-being, mediated by residence satisfaction. Thus, institutionalization's total effect on well-being is negative. Theoretical and policy implications of these findings are discussed.
Cumulative fatigue damage assessment and life predictions of as-forged vs QT V-based MA steels using two-step loading experiments

AbstractThis study examines the fatigue damage accumulation process associated with a commonly produced forged vanadium-based microalloyed (MA) steel and its comparison with its quenched and tempered (Q&T) counterpart at the same hardness level. The advantage of MA steels compared to the traditional Q&T steels is the elimination of the costly quenching and tempering processes. Completely reversed strain-controlled two-level block loading tests were conducted on smooth axial specimens at room temperature. Under multi-level block cycling, the two steels displayed different characteristics, though they showed similar behaviour in constant amplitude fatigue. Therefore, a key to successful assessment of fatigue damage accumulation under variable amplitude service loading is selection of an appropriate cumulative fatigue life prediction model which reflects the material's damage characteristics. The effectiveness of several cumulative fatigue damage models and their life prediction capabilities are evaluated us...
Anatomy and Physiology of Venous System Vascular Access: Implications

Ideal characteristics for long-term vascular access that can be managed in the home environment include a large vascular lumen in a high-flow blood system to minimize risks of obstruction and phlebitis, ease of sterile dressing maintenance, patient comfort, and longevity of the access site. Additionally, adaptation to placement at the bedside or in the home, technical ease and safety of placement, and minimal expense would be beneficial. With these considerations, possible anatomical sites would include the external and internal jugular veins, subclavian vein, cephalic vein, basilic vein, femoral vein, right atrial appendage, and translumbar and transhepatic access to the inferior vena cava. Of these, the internal jugular vein, subclavian vein, cephalic vein, basilic vein, and femoral vein would seem best suited for long-term venous access.
Boundary Treatments for Multilevel Methods on Unstructured Meshes

In applying multilevel iterative methods on unstructured meshes, the grid hierarchy can allow general coarse grids whose boundaries may be nonmatching to the boundary of the fine grid. In this case, the standard coarse-to-fine grid transfer operators with linear interpolants are not accurate enough at Neumann boundaries so special care is needed to correctly handle different types of boundary conditions. We propose two effective ways to adapt the standard coarse-to-fine interpolations to correctly implement boundary conditions for two-dimensional polygonal domains, and we provide some numerical examples of multilevel Schwarz methods (and multigrid methods) which show that these methods are as efficient as in the structured case. In addition, we prove that the proposed interpolants possess the local optimal L2-approximation and H1-stability, which are essential in the convergence analysis of the multilevel Schwarz methods. Using these results, we give a condition number bound for two-level Schwarz methods.
Patterns of Local Failure Following Prostate Brachytherapy

Purpose: We describe biopsy results in patients with prostate cancer treated with brachytherapy.Materials and Methods: A total of 1,562 men with localized prostate cancer were treated with permanent prostate brachytherapy, of whom 508 agreed to ultrasound guided biopsies 2 years after the completion of all therapy. Median followup was 6.7 years (range 2 to 14.6) and median prostate specific antigen was 7.4 ng/ml (range 0.3 to 300). Disease was categorized as Gleason score less than 7 in 74.8% of patients, stage T2a or less in 64.2%, low risk in 43.1%, intermediate risk in 24.2% and high risk in 32.7%. Of the 508 men 315 (62%) received 125I, 110 (21.7%) received 103Pd and 83 (16.3%) received 103Pd and external beam radiotherapy. A total of 237 men (46.7%) received a short course of hormonal therapy (3 to 9 months). Subsequent biopsies were performed after 2 years if initial biopsy was positive or prostate specific antigen increased. Post-implantation dosimetry results were grouped into low, normal and high...
Numerical calculation of cumulative probability from the moment-generating function

A numerical method for determining the cumulative probability distribution of a nonnegative random variable is based on the steepest descent approximation of the inverse Laplace transform of its moment-generating function. Good numerical agreement with the cumulative exponential and Poisson distributions is demonstrated.
Management of axillary dermatolipodystrophy following massive reduction mammaplasty

7. Panfilov DE. Augmentative phalloplasty. Aesthetic Plast Surg 2006;30:183e97. 8. Shaeer O, Shaeer K. Penile girth augmentation using flaps ‘‘Shaeer’s augmentation phalloplasty’’: a case report. J Sex Med 2006;3:164e9. 9. Perovic SV, Byun JS, Scheplev P, et al. New perspectives of penile enhancement surgery: tissue engineering with biodegradable scaffolds. Eur Urol 2006 Jan;49:139e47. 11. Anderson JM, Hering TM, Ansel AL, et al. Nosocomial graft fragmentation and healing response of an ePTFE angioaccess graft. J Biomed Mater Res 1987;21:153e62. 12. Allen PJ, Jackson MR, O’Donnell SD, et al. Saphenous vein versus polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) carotid patch angioplasty. Am J Surg 1997;174:115e7. 13. Sala F, Hassen-Khodja R, Lecis A, et al. Long-term outcome of femoral above-knee popliteal artery bypass using autologous saphenous vein versus expanded polytetrafluoroethylene grafts. Ann Vasc Surg 2003 Jul;17:401e17. 14. Yi NJ, Suh KS, Lee HW, et al. An artificial vascular graft is a useful interpositional material for drainage of the right anterior section in living donor liver transplantation. Liver Transpl 2007 Aug;13:1159e67.
Studying a simple TPF-C

ABSTRACT The NASA Terrestrial Planet Finder Coronagraph (TPF-C) mission envisions using a space telescope with an approximately 8 m by 3 m diameter primary mirror to imag e and spectroscopically character ize at visible wavelengths Earth-like planets orbiting nearby stars. Such terrestrial planets have intensities of 10 -10 relative to their stars at separations of a fraction of an arcsecond, requiring extremely high-contrast imaging capabilities. A simple optical system with a minimal number of surfaces will likely have th e best chance to image a very faint source near a bright star. A proposed version of a TPF-C integrated starlight suppression system and camera called SpeckleCam encompasses such a design. It incorporates two high-density deformable mirrors to control phase and amplitude wavefront errors, a coronagraph to suppress the stellar diffr action pattern, and simultaneous imaging in three passbands. We use the SpeckleCam concept to examine the utility of the PROPER modeling package, a set of IDL routines that simulate wavefront propagation in an optical system. Keywords: Terrestrial Planet Finder, coronagraph, optical modeling 1. INTRODUCTION TO THE TPF-C MISSION The search for other Earth-like planets represents a major st ep toward answering the ques tion Is there life beyond our world?. NASAs Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) program is dedicated to find ing and characterizing such planets at orbital radii around nearby stars where conventional life may exist (i.e. within habitable zones). This endeavor is extremely difficult. A planet with the same characteristics as Earth and with the same orbital radius reflects only 10
The complex cepstrum and bicepstrum: analytic performance evaluation in the presence of Gaussian noise

An analytic performance evaluation of the complex cepstrum, power cepstrum, bicepstrum, and power bicepstrum is presented by providing approximate expressions of the bias and variance of the cepstrum parameters due to the presence of Gaussian noise. The approximations are based on the asymptotic properties of bispectrum estimates, and they are valid for moderate signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). The assumed model consists of a deterministic signal (e.g. multiple echoes) in additive white Gaussian noise and finite length data. The validity of the analytic expressions is verified with Monte Carlo simulations. Performance comparisons between bicepstrum and cepstrum methods suggest that the improved performance of the bicepstrum is a function of SNR, A( omega ), M, and N. >
Quantifying topographic fabric: eigenvector analysis using digital elevation models

Digital elevation models provide an estimate of the topographic fabric (the tendency for topography to have a preferred orientation) of the earth's surface. The algorithm extracts the eigenvectors and eigenvalues from a 3 X 3 matrix of the sums of the cross products of the directional cosines of the surface normals computed at each point in the DEM. The ratio of eigenvalues S1 (largest) and S2 measures the ruggedness of the terrain. The ratio of eigenvalues S2 and S3 (smallest) measures the tendency for the terrain to have a preferred orientation, while their orientation reflects the direction of dominant topographic fabric. Sample sizes of about 500 - 2500 points provide robust statistics, allowing sample regions of 1/2 to 1/3 square degree for global data sets and about 600 meters on a side with 30 m US topography. Topographic fabric appears to be a fundamental characteristic of landforms amenable to quantitative study. It should be included in terrain analysis and classification, and may lead to better estimates for cross-country mobility.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Potent Bacterial Mutagens Produced by Chlorination of Simulated Poultry Chiller Water

Hypochlorite treatment of a simulated food-processing mixture produces 3,4-dichloromaleimide and 3,3-dichloro-4-(dichloromethylene)-2,5-pyrrolidinedione (C5HCl4NO2). The tetrachloro compound and two analogs, which can be synthesized from citraconic anhydride and itaconic anhydride, are direct-acting Ames mutagens in Salmonella typhimurium TA100 tester strain. These novel five-carbon cyclic imides are structurally similar to 3-chloro-4-(dichloromethyl)-5-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanone (MX), the principal mutagenic compound present in paper pulp bleaching liquors. Molecular structure analysis of the mutagens was based on X-ray crystallography, 13C NMR, and mass spectrometry of synthetic chlorinated imides with identical mass spectra and gas chromatographic retention indices. The tetrachloroimide accounts for much of the mutagenicity of the dichloromethane-extractable pH 2 fraction from chlorination of a simulated food-processing system consisting of chicken frankfurters. In the Ames TA100 tester strain it has a mol...
Chronic Haloperidol Administration Does Not Block Acute Nicotine-Induced Improvements in Radial-Arm Maze Performance in the Rat

Abstract Nicotine has been found to improve cognitive performance in a variety of tasks including the radial maze. Nicotine has also been shown to promote the release of a variety of neurotransmitters including dopamine (DA). DA has been found to be important for nicotine’s reinforcing effects. DA involvement with nicotine’s cognitive effects is unclear. In the current study, the effects of acute nicotine injections (0, 0.1, 0.2, or 0.4 mg/kg) were examined on radial-arm maze performance in rats given chronic infusions the DA antagonist haloperidol (0, 0.2, or 0.6 mg/kg/day). Chronic haloperidol infusion was not found to attenuate the memory improvement caused by acute nicotine injection. In fact, the dose-related nicotine-induced memory improvement was clearer in the haloperidol-treated groups than in controls. This is similar to the effect of nicotine we saw in human subjects given chronic doses of haloperidol. Our previous studies demonstrated significant nicotinic–DA interactions with regard to memory function. The current results suggest that in the DA–nicotinic relationship DA stimulation is not necessary for the memory improvement caused by nicotine.
Young urban women's patterns of unprotected sex with men engaging in HIV risk behaviors.

This study explored reasons women engaged in unprotected sex with male partners they distrusted and perceived to engage in HIV risk behaviors. Seven focus groups were held in public housing and neighborhood centers in the urban Northeast with 43 African American and Latina women. Content analysis was conducted by open and axial coding. Barrett’s theory of power as knowing participation in change and sex script theory guided interpretation. Results indicated that Patterns of Unprotected Sex is a usual practice to maintain hope, sensuality, intimacy, strategic gain, and stability with a male partner. In low power sex scripts the salient risks of HIV were buried under an awareness of oneself as having to satisfy a man and accept cheating. High power sex scripts involved women’s awareness of themselves as worthy of self care with diverse choices. High power scripts can be integrated into normative sex scripts as exemplars of more powerful ways of being and acting to reduce HIV risk.
You say you want a revolution (in military affairs)

Much of the discussion of a contemporary revolution in military affairs (RMA) involves an exchange of views about speculative technologies, organizations, or doctrine thought likely to increase military capabilities. Although this discussion suffers from many overgeneralizations, a premature consensus has emerged to define an RMA as a discontinuous increase in military capability and effectiveness resulting from combinations of new technology, doctrine, and organization. Unfortunately, this definition does not obtain in many situations accepted as historical RMAs, nor do some periods of military change that fit the definition appear to represent the paradigm shift assumed to accompany an RMA, partly because it downplays the role that developments off the battlefield have in military change. Consequently, it is premature to develop operational military capabilities around this concept of military change until we understand context. A new definition of the RMA and potential lines of analysis are offered in ...
A uniqueness result for the quasiconvex operator and first order PDEs for convex envelopes

Abstract The operator involved in quasiconvex functions is L ( u ) = min | y | = 1 , y ⋅ D u = 0 y D 2 u y T and this also arises as the governing operator in a worst case tug-of-war (Kohn and Serfaty (2006) [7] ) and principal curvature of a surface. In Barron et al. (2012) [4] a comparison principle for L ( u ) = g > 0 was proved. A new and much simpler proof is presented in this paper based on Barles and Busca (2001) [3] and Lu and Wang (2008) [8] . Since L ( u ) / | D u | is the minimal principal curvature of a surface, we show by example that L ( u ) − g | D u | = 0 does not have a unique solution, even if g > 0 . Finally, we complete the identification of first order evolution problems giving the convex envelope of a given function.
Structure recognition from high resolution images of ceramic composites

Fibers provide exceptional strength-to-weight ratio capabilities when woven into ceramic composites, transforming them into materials with exceptional resistance to high temperature, and high strength combined with improved fracture toughness. Microcracks are inevitable when the material is under strain, which can be imaged using synchrotron X-ray computed micro-tomography (μ-CT) for assessment of material mechanical toughness variation. An important part of this analysis is to recognize fibrillar features. This paper presents algorithms for detecting and quantifying composite cracks and fiber breaks from high-resolution image stacks. First, we propose recognition algorithms to identify the different structures of the composite, including matrix cracks and fibers breaks. Second, we introduce our package F3D for fast filtering of large 3D imagery, implemented in OpenCL to take advantage of graphic cards. Results show that our algorithms automatically identify micro-damage and that the GPU-based implementation introduced here takes minutes, being 17x faster than similar tools on a typical image file.
From Doom Town to Sin City: Chick Tracts and Anti-gay Political Rhetoric

The most popular and recognized of all Christian religious tracts are Chick Publications. The comic-book format tracts have been distributed since the 1960s and are now translated into over 100 languages. Some Christian Right opinion leaders regard the tracts with ambivalence, and many outside the Christian conservative community who comment on Chick's career believe that the tracts are no longer available through Christian retail outlets. Not only are the tracts still available, they represent an important form of conservative Christian political pedagogy. The tracts anticipated and continue to reflect Christian Right politics, including the centrality of same-sex sexuality to those politics. On the other hand, the tracts have come to conflict with key dimensions of Christian Right political strategy. This article traces the genealogy of the tracts, examines the anti-gay political rhetoric of Chick Publications and traces Christian Right ambivalence toward the tracts to the movement's efforts to “center”...
Gypsum-karst problems in constructing dams in the USA

Gypsum is a highly soluble rock and is dissolved readily to form caves, sinkholes, disappearing streams, and other karst features that typically are also present in limestones and dolomites. Gypsum karst is widespread in the USA and has caused problems at several sites where dams were built, or where dam construction was considered. Gypsum karst is present (at least locally) in most areas where gypsum crops out, or is less than 30–60 m below the land surface. These karst features can compromise on the ability of a dam to hold water in a reservoir, and can even cause collapse of a dam. Gypsum karst in the abutments or foundation of a dam can allow water to pass through, around, or under a dam, and solution channels can enlarge quickly, once water starts flowing through such a karst system. The common procedure for controlling gypsum karst beneath the dam is a deep cut-off trench, backfilled with impermeable material, or a close-spaced grout curtain that hopefully will fill all cavities. In Oklahoma, the proposed Upper Mangum Dam was abandoned before construction, because of extensive gypsum karst in the abutments and impoundment area. Catastrophic failure of the Quail Creek Dike in southwest Utah in 1989 was due to flow of water through an undetected karstified gypsum unit beneath the earth-fill embankment. The dike was rebuilt, at a cost of US $12 million, with construction of a cut-off trench 600 m long and 25 m deep. Other dams in the USA with severe gypsum-karst leakage problems in recent years are Horsetooth and Carter Lake Dams, in Colorado, and Anchor Dam, in Wyoming.
Stimulus dominance and ear dominance in the perception of dichotic voicing contrasts.

Abstract Two studies were conducted to determine the effect of variations in voice onset time (VOT) on the perception of dichotic stop-consonant-vowel syllables contrasting in the voicing feature. The dichotic stimuli were partially fused, so that only a single response was required. Variations in VOT had a systematic effect on the probability of hearing the fused stimuli as voiced or voiceless. Changing the VOT of a voiceless stimulus had a larger effect than changing the VOT of a voiced stimulus. Unless one of the competing stimuli was close to the category boundary, the perceptual integration of their VOTs seemed to be roughly additive. The relative phase of the periodic portions of the stimuli had an unexpected effect on perception that remains to be explained. A number of subjects showed very strong right-ear dominance in these tests. The range and reliability of the laterality effects obtained, as well as certain other methodological features, make the present tests promising as tools for assessing individual differences in ear dominance.
Effect of Catalyst Deactivation on Polymerization of Electrolytes by Surface-Confined Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization in Aqueous Solutions

We have investigated the cause of catalyst deactivation observed during surface-confined atom-transfer radical polymerization of acidic monomers. Surface-tethered polyelectrolyte layers of poly(ita...
Microstructural and mechanical characterization of carbon coatings on SiC fibers

A series of carbon coatings was deposited on a 1040 SiC monofilament using chemical vapor deposition, and failure of the fiber-matrix interfacial region under transverse tension was studied. Deposition substrate temperatures were approximately 920, 1000, and 1080 °C, and all other deposition parameters were held constant. The microstructures of these carbon-coated fibers were examined using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). TEM observations were made using bright-field imaging, dark-field imaging, selected-area diffraction, and high-resolution lattice imaging. Tensile testing of single-fiber composite samples was performed transverse to the fiber axis to determine the stress required to cause debonding of the fiber from the titanium alloy matrix. Adhesion experiments were used to examine differences in bond strength of the SiC–C interfaces of the three coatings. A systematic increase in the grain size of the SiC substrate fiber within 3 μm of the SiC–C interface with increasing deposition temperature was observed. The crystallographic texturing of the basic structural units of carbon within the coatings was also found to increase with increasing deposition temperature. The SiC–C interface strength increased with increasing deposition temperature and correlates with the microstructural changes in both the SiC and carbon at the interface. The overall composite transverse strength was not affected by the change in deposition temperature, although the fracture location was affected. The carbon coating with the lowest SiC–C interface strength failed at this interface, and the coatings with more highly textured carbon failed within the coating, where the proportion of weak van der Waals bonds parallel to the tensile direction was correspondingly higher.
When one liter does not equal 1000 milliliters: implications for the tumescent technique.

Background. Tumescent anesthesia has revolutionized the practice of liposuction. Inherent to the tumescent technique is the use of large volumes of dilute solutions of lidocaine with epinephrine instilled into subcutaneous fat deposits. Precise formulation of the tumescent anesthesia is essential to liposuction technique. Objectives. To determine the actual volumes of fluids contained in intravenous (IV) 1 L bags of saline used for tumescent anesthesia, to calculate volumes supplied in 50 cc stock solutions of 1% lidocaine, and to measure the amount of fluid retained by peristalic pump tubing used for infiltration. Methods. The amount of saline contained in fifteen 1 L saline bags from three different manufacturers was calculated using graduated cylinder methodology. The volume of tumescent anesthesia retained by peristaltic pump tubing was calculated by expelling the contents of the filler tubing and measuring it. The actual amount of 1% lidocaine contained within fifteen 50 ml “stock” 1% lidocaine bottles from different manufacturers and with different lot numbers was calculated by transferring the contents into graduated cylinders. Results. One liter IV bags of physiologic saline contained an average volume of 1051 ml (range 1033–1069 ml). The 50 ml bottles of 1% lidocaine with epinephrine contain an average of 54 ml of anesthetic (range 52.5–55 ml). Infusion tubing for use with peristaltic pumps may retain 46–146 ml of tumescent anesthesia. Conclusion. One liter IV bags of normal saline contain more than 1 L, having an average volume of 1051 ml. Common methods of preparation of 0.05% lidocaine with 1:1,000,000 epinephrine and sodium bicarbonate can increase the total amount of fluid in the tumescent anesthesia to 1112 ml for 0.05% solutions and preparation of a 0.1% solution contains an average volume of 1162 ml. The fluid contained in each bag may be increased over labeling by as much as 11–16%. Final concentrations of lidocaine in tumescent anesthesia may be reduced due to extra fluids. A 0.05% lidocaine solution may have a final lidocaine concentration of 0.045% and a 0.1% lidocaine solution may have an actual concentration of 0.086%. Lidocaine concentrations may be reduced by as much as 10–14%. Extra anesthesia fluid is also contained within stock 50 ml bottles of 1% lidocaine. Dermatologic surgeons should be aware of extra fluid possibly contained within tumescent anesthetic preparation, be aware of the extra anesthesia supplied in standard 1% lidocaine bottles, and possible decreased concentration of lidocaine within the final tumescent anesthesia.
Impeach the traitors: citizenship, sovereignty and nation in immigration control activism in the United States

Immigration has been a focal point of acrimonious politics in the United States, with activist groups advocating increased control over immigration taking a major role in shaping public debate. Some groups have moved beyond advocacy of their position to a form of active citizenship that adopts state enforcement functions as their own through border patrol operations in the face of perceived state inaction. This article examines the understandings of nation, sovereignty, and citizenship mobilized by these groups. Underlying the current debate over immigration are at least two different visions of national identity and citizenship. Neo-liberal changes in citizenship and sovereignty are challenged by border protection activists in their defense of the state and national sovereignty in the name of the law.
Reaction Mechanism and Kinetics of the Traceless Staudinger Ligation

The traceless Staudinger ligation enables the formation of an amide bond between a phosphinothioester (or phosphinoester) and an azide without the incorporation of residual atoms. Here, the coupling of peptides by this reaction was characterized in detail. Experiments with [18O]H2O indicated that the reaction mediated by (diphenylphosphino)methanethiol proceeded by S→N acyl transfer of the iminophosphorane intermediate to form an amidophosphonium salt, rather than by an aza-Wittig reaction and subsequent hydrolysis of the resulting thioimidate. A continuous 13C NMR-based assay revealed that the rate-determining step in the Staudinger ligation of glycyl residues mediated by (diphenylphosphino)methanethiol was the formation of the initial phosphazide intermediate. Less efficacious coupling reagents and reaction conditions led to the accumulation of an amine byproduct (which resulted from a Staudinger reduction) or phosphonamide byproduct (which resulted from an aza-Wittig reaction). The Staudinger ligation ...
Gel Processing for Highly Oriented Conjugated Polymer Films

Hexafluoroisopropanol functionalized polythiophene is able to build up an isotropic self-supporting network structure. The gel network can be melted and then transformed via mechanical shearing to form an anisotropic gel with the chains highly aligned along the shearing direction and the conjugated backbones π-stacked with respect to each other neighbors. The mechanism by which a dipole functionalized polythiophene can form a reversible network able to be deformed into structurally oriented films may be of interest in the development of novel processing routes for conjugated polymers.
Models of Pacific salmon orientation and navigation on the open ocean

The assumptions and conclusions of a recent model of Pacific salmon ( Oncorhynchus spp.) migration at sea ( Jamon, 1990 , J. theor. Biol. 143 , 197–213.) are evaluated in light of empirical information on migratory behavior. The fundamental assumption underlying the model (random direction of movement) is incorrect; salmon movements at sea and in coastal waters are not random. A result of the simulation (salmon encountering the coast over a wide area) is contrary to fact. Finally, the data set used to evaluate the success of the model at simulating actual salmon homing (recovery in coastal waters of salmon tagged on the open ocean) was misinterpreted. While there is no experimental evidence for navigation by salmon at sea, any simulation must be consistent with the large body of information indicating rapid, directed movement and little spatial or temporal error in migration.
Risk factors for the development of fulminant Clostridium difficile colitis.

Background The development of fulminant Clostridium difficile colitis (FCDC) requires prompt operative intervention and is associated with a high mortality rate. The aim of this study was to use a case-control design to define the clinical and laboratory parameters that predict which patients with Clostridium difficile infection are most likely to progress to FCDC. Methods Cases from 1994 to 2006 with documented in-hospital progression of Clostridium difficile infection to FCDC were matched retrospectively at the start of medical therapy by age, sex, and intensive care unit (ICU) status to controls with Clostridium difficile infection who did not develop FCDC. Chi-Square and multivariable logistic regression were used to identify risk factors for progression to FCDC. Results A total of 35 patients with FCDC were matched to 70 controls with Clostridium difficile infection who did not develop FCDC. The patients with FCDC underwent colectomy after an average of 4.6 days of medical therapy and had a mortality rate of 40%. On multivariate analysis, independent risk factors for the development of FCDC were a WBC > 16,000 cells/mm3 (P Conclusions Leukocytosis, recent prior operative therapy, and a history of inflammatory bowel disease and intravenous immunoglobulin treatment were negative prognostic indicators for patients with Clostridium difficile infection. The presence of these factors merits close observation for progression to FCDC and acceleration of the planning process for operative intervention.
Children coping with impaired appearance: Social and psychologic influences

Coping with impaired appearance presents difficulties for children. This study is based on interviews of children with vitiligo, a disfiguring disorder that involves depigmentation of the skin, and focuses on social and psychologic factors that predict effectiveness of coping. Age plays an extremely important part in adjustment, with the junior high school years especially traumatic. Change of location or situation also is a predictor of stress. Children who develop other competencies that build self-esteem cope well with the disorder. These and other factors are explored in depth, and strategies for helping child patients with disfiguring disorders are suggested.
Cosets and Cayley-Sudoku Tables

SummaryThe popular Sudoku puzzles are 9 by 9 tables divided into nine 3 by 3 sub-tables or blocks. Digits 1 through 9 appear in some of the entries. Other entries are blank. The goal is to fill the blank entries with digits 1 through 9 in such a way that each digit appears exactly once in each row and in each column and in each block. Cayley tables are group operation tables. As such, each group element always appears exactly once in each row and in each column, two thirds of being a Sudoku-like table. Cayley-Sudoku tables are Cayley tables arranged in such a way as to satisfy the additional requirement. Namely, the Cayley table may be divided into blocks with each group element appearing exactly once in each block. We show three ways to construct nontrivial Cayley-Sudoku tables for finite groups, present a Cayley-Sudoku puzzle to solve, and give several suggestions for additional investigations.
Action Recognition with Temporal Relationships

Action recognition is an important component in human-machine interactive systems and video analysis. Besides low-level actions, temporal relationships are also important for many actions, which are not fully studied for recognizing actions. We model the temporal structure of low-level actions based on dense trajectory groups. Trajectory groups are a higher level and more meaningful representation of actions than raw individual trajectories. Based on the temporal ordering of trajectory groups, we describe the temporal structure using Allen's temporal relations in a discriminative manner, and combine it with a generative model using bag-of-words. The simple idea behind the model is to extract mid-level features from domain-independent dense trajectories and classify the actions by exploring the temporal structure among them based on a set of Allen's relations. We compare the proposed approach with bag-of-words representation using public datasets, and the results show that our approach improves recognition accuracy.
Derivation of the compton effect for non-stationary and bound electrons

Abstract This note provides a brief historical review of articles treating Compton scattering from non-stationary and bound electrons.
The Death of the Angel: Reflections on the Relationship between Enlightenment and Enchantment in the Twenty-first Century

Tango artist Astor Piazzolla’s composition, ‘La muerte del angel’, serves as inspiration for a few reflections on the relationship between enlightenment and enchantment in the 21st century. Piazzolla wrote the fugue as accompaniment to a play, ‘Tango del angel’, about an angel who tries to heal broken human spirits in Buenos Aires and ends up dying in a knife fight. Drawing on tango’s melancholy, longing, and hesitant hoping, I share stories from my travels where I engage with the struggle to sustain an ethnographic art that brings heart to the process of knowing the world.
Gender Socialization in Latino/a Families: Results from Two Retrospective Studies

In this article, we present findings from 2 studies designed to explore gender-related socialization in Latino/a families. In Study 1, 22 adult Latinas (ages 20–45) completed in-depth interviews. In Study 2, 166 Latino/a college students (58% women; M age 21.4 years) completed self-report surveys. Study 1 findings suggest that many Latino/a parents socialize their daughters in ways that are marked by “traditional” gender-related expectations and messages. Results of Study 2, which included descriptive analyses and the creation of scales to explore family correlates of gender-related socialization, support and expand these findings. Male and female respondents described different experiences of household activities, socialization of gender-typed behavior, and freedom to pursue social activities or gain access to privileges. Parental characteristics, particularly gender role attitudes, were linked to gender-related socialization. Findings are discussed in light of the developmental and cultural literature on gender-related socialization.
Dietary Genistein Exerts Estrogenic Effects upon the Uterus, Mammary Gland and the Hypothalamic/Pituitary Axis in Rats

These studies were undertaken to assess the estrogenic and antiestrogenic effects of dietary genistein. To determine estrogenic effects, genistein was mixed into a modified AIN-76 or AIN-93G semipurified diet at 0 (negative control), 150, 375 or 750 microg/g and 17, beta-estradiol at 1.0 microg/g and fed to ovariectomized 70-d-old Sprague-Dawley rats. Estrogenic potency was determined by analyzing uterine weight, mammary gland development, plasma prolactin and expression of uterine c-fos. Dietary genistein (375 and 750 microg/g) increased uterine wet and dry weights (P < 0.05). Mammary gland regression following ovariectomy was significantly inhibited by dietary genistein at 750 microg/g (P < 0.05). Plasma prolactin was significantly greater in ovariectomized rats fed genistein (750 microg/g) compared with comparable rats not receiving genistein. The relative binding affinity of genistein to the estrogen receptor (ER) was 0.01 that of estradiol. Genistein (750 microg/g) induced the uterine expression of c-fos. To evaluate potential antiestrogenic effects, genistein and estradiol were mixed into the modified AIN diets at the doses noted above and fed to ovariectomized rats. Dietary genistein (375 or 750 microg/g) did not inhibit the effects of estradiol on uterine weight, mammary gland development or plasma prolactin. Serum concentration of total genistein (conjugated plus free) in rats fed 750 microg/g was 2.2 micromol/L and free genistein was 0.4 micromol/L. Administration of dietary genistein at 750 microg/g can exert estrogenic effects in the uterus, mammary gland and hypothalamic/pituitary axis. Dietary genistein (750 microg/g) did not antagonize the action of estradiol in estradiol-supplemented ovariectomized rats or in intact rats.
An mcmc approach to joint estimation of clean speech and noise for robust speech recognition

We present a novel framework for joint estimation of speech and noise statistics using a Markov chain Monte Carlo approximation. The underlying distributions of the speech and noise components of noisy speech are estimated at each frame and inferences are made from these distributions. The clean speech is approximated by a discrete distribution, from which new features are extracted and used in the recognition process. The availability of information about the noise statistics enables the algorithm to handle non-stationary noise within an utterance and also improves the overall recognition performance when compared to the previously available sequential Monte Carlo (particle filter) methods for noisy speech compensation. We report experimental results obtained with the Aurora-2 connected digit recognition task and achieve an error reduction of 12.87% over state-of-the-art multi-condition training.
Dance Between Performance and Image

Bodycast: An Artist Lecture by Suzanne Bocanegra starring Frances McDormand, written by Suzanne Bocanegra, directed by Paul Lazar, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Fishman Space, Brooklyn, NY, December 3–7, 2013. Levees des conflits extended and Flip Book, choreographed by Boris Charmatz, Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY, October 25–27 and November 1–3, 2013. Night Stand, choreographed and performed by Lisa Nelson and Steve Paxton, Dia: Chelsea, New York, NY, October 10–12 and 17–19, 2013. Exit/Exist, choreographed and performed by Gregory Maqoma, Kumble Theater for the Performing Arts, Brooklyn, NY, November 1–2, 2013. Desh, directed, choreographed, and performed by Akram Khan, Rose Theater, New York, NY, November 6–7, 2013.
A soliton ring network

The recent demonstration of ultrafast, cascadable, all-optical soliton gates, although with long latency and at an early stage of research, opens the possibility of niche exploitation in architectures whose performance is primarily limited by the absence of a few such logic elements. A candidate system is a widely distributed, self-routing short packet, slotted ring system running at peak rates well beyond that of the conventional electronic hosts at each access node. The authors describe an architecture for a system with a 1.25 GHz packet rate, 32-bit payload, and 100 Gb/s peak bit rate serving a few hundred user nodes. An optical format is retained by through-going node traffic, so that the overhead of conversion to/from electronics is incurred only at the source and destination. This design effort has served to sharpen their understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of using such gates in carefully chosen applications. >
Nickel-titanium shape memory alloy Memokath 051 ureteral stent for managing long-term ureteral obstruction: 4-year experience.

Purpose: We present our 4-year experience with the thermo-expandable shape memory alloy Memokath 051 stent (Engineers and Doctors of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark) for managing long-term ureteral obstruction.Materials and Methods: We used a nickel-titanium shape memory alloy ureteral stent to treat 28 patients 29 to 86 years old (mean age 59.2). Ureteral obstruction was caused by malignancy in 18 cases and by recurrent benign disease in 10. A total of 37 stents were inserted from November 1996 to November 2000 using general anesthesia. Mean followup was 19.3 months (range 3 to 35).Results: Upper tract decompression was achieved in all cases. Currently 15 stents are functional in 13 patients, while 8 patients died with a total of 13 functioning stents in place. In 7 patients 9 stents were removed for various reasons. There has been no radiological evidence of encrustation to date. No patient has been rehospitalized with stent related sepsis pain or hematuria, resulting in improved quality of life.Conclus...
Solving Real-World Linear Programs: A Decade and More of Progress

This paper is an invited contribution to the 50th anniversary issue of the journalOperations Research, published by the Institute of Operations Research and Management Science (INFORMS). It describes one person's perspective on the development of computational tools for linear programming. The paper begins with a short personal history, followed by historical remarks covering the some 40 years of linear-programming developments that predate my own involvement in this subject. It concludes with a more detailed look at the evolution of computational linear programming since 1987.
Implementation of a pharmacist-supervised outpatient diabetes treatment clinic.

Purpose The implementation of a pharmacist-managed Veterans Affairs (VA) clinic for high-risk patients with type 2 diabetes is described, including a review of first-year performance data. Summary As part of VA’s ongoing initiative to improve chronic disease management by creating multidisciplinary Patient-Aligned Care Teams (PACTs) that include clinical pharmacy specialists, an outpatient diabetes treatment clinic was implemented at a VA site in Massachusetts. Operated two days weekly, the clinic provides continuity of care between physician visits by applying standard protocols and procedures for insulin therapy; oral medication and insulin doses are adjusted according to self-monitored blood glucose values and other health data transmitted by patients via telephone or secure messaging system. The clinic pharmacist monitors patients’ progress toward attainment of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) goals and provides frequent followup and education to prevent hypoglycemia. During its first year of operation, the clinic enrolled 160 veterans. Among 85 patients included in a three-month review of outcomes data, the mean ± S.D. HbA1c concentration declined by more than one percentage point (from 9.12% ± 1.41% to 7.94% ± 1.18%). Further HbA1c improvements were documented in a subset of 46 patients followed for six months after clinic enrollment, with no episodes of severe hypoglycemia. Conclusion An outpatient clinic successfully integrated a pharmacist into a multidisciplinary PACT focused on veterans with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes. The clinic’s initial experience suggests that frequent pharmacist interventions have a positive impact in promoting appropriate insulin use in this high-risk patient population.