cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clinician and Staff Perspectives on Participating in Practice-based Research (PBR): A Report from the Wisconsin Research and Education Network (WREN)

Background: The success of practice-based research (PBR) depends on the willingness of clinicians and staff to incorporate meaningful and useful research protocols into already demanding clinic schedules. The impact of participation on those who implement multiple projects and how to address the issues that arise during this complex process remain incompletely described. This article reports a qualitative evaluation of the experiences of primary care clinicians and clinic staff who participated in multiple PBR projects with the Wisconsin Research and Education Network (WREN). Also included are their suggestions to researchers and clinicians for future collaborations. Methods: For program evaluation purposes, WREN conducted 4 focus groups at its 2014 annual meeting. The main focus group question was, “How has participation in PBR affected you and your clinic?” A total of 27 project members from 13 clinics participated in 4 groups (physicians, nurses, managers, and other clinical staff). The 2-hour sessions were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed to identify recurring themes. Results: Five major focus group themes emerged: receptivity to research, outcomes as a result of participation, barriers to implementation, facilitators of success, and advice to researchers and colleagues. Focus group members find research valuable and enjoy participating in projects that are relevant to their practice, even though many barriers exist. They indicated that research participation produces clinical changes that they believe result in improved patient care. They offered ways to improve the research process, with particular emphasis on collaborative early planning, project development, and communication before, during, and after a project. Conclusions: Clinics that participate in WREN projects remain willing to risk potential work constraints because of immediate or impending benefits to their clinical practice and/or patient population. Including a broader array of clinic personnel in the communication processes, especially in the development of relevant research ideas and planning for clinic implementation and ongoing participation in research projects, would address many of the barriers identified in implementing PBR. The themes and supporting quotes identified in this evaluation of WREN projects may inform researchers planning to collaborate with primary care clinics and clinicians and staff considering participating in research endeavors.
Quality of Life Perception in Patients With Intractable Epilepsy or Pseudoseizures

Objectives To contrast and compare self-reported quality of life in patients with intractable epilepsy and pseudoseizures and to examine the relationship between self-reports and objective measures of cognitive functioning in both of these groups. Design Case series using profile analysis and analysis of covariance. Setting University epilepsy surgery program. Participants Forty-three patients with intractable complex partial seizures of unilateral temporal lobe origin and 25 patients with pseudoseizures. Measures Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory-89; neuropsychological tests assessing verbal memory, nonverbal memory, naming, and attention; and the Depression Scale (2) of the MMPI-2 (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory). Results Patients with pseudoseizures described themselves as more limited in the physical health domain than patients with complex partial seizures. Self-perceptions of cognitive functioning were similar between groups, despite the superior performance of patients with pseudoseizures on objective measures. Self-perception of cognitive dysfunction was related to mood disorder in the pseudoseizure group only, and there were no relationships between subjective and objective measurements of cognitive status within this group independent of mood disorder. For the complex partial seizures group, relationships between subjective and objective measures of cognitive function were dependent on the side of seizure onset. Conclusions Results are consistent with hypotheses that suggest that patients with pseudoseizures focus on physical rather than psychological explanations for stress, and that this focus is related, at least in a subgroup of patients, to mood disorder. Results also provide support for the validity of the Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory-89 in populations with intractable seizure disorder, although there is evidence for a possible floor effect on some of the subscales.
Role of polyunsaturated fatty acids in lung disease

DF Horrobin hypothesized that the low preva- lence of lung disease among Eskimos is the result of their diet, which is high in n23 fatty acids. The n23 and n26 fatty acids shunt eicosanoid production away from the arachidonic acid path- way, and hence decrease the production of bronchoconstrictive leukotrienes. Animal studies showed that eicosapentaenoic acid or g-linolenic acid supplementation of animals exposed to endotox- ins results in decreased effects on thromboxane B 2 and pulmonary vascular resistance. Small human trials confirmed that supplemen- tation with eicosapentaenoic acid results in increased eicosapen- taenoic acid in phospholipids and decreased generation of leukotrienes by neutrophils. Hence, a protective effect of such fatty acids in lung disease is biologically plausible. The results of human intervention studies looking at respiratory outcomes have been mixed, but they do suggest a possible difference between long-term and short-term effects. Epidemiologic studies showed possible protective effects against asthma in children, but weak to no evidence of such effects in adults. Results for bronchitis are more positive, although intervention trials are lacking. Recently, a cross-sectional analysis of data from the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey reported an <80-mL difference in forced expiratory volume at 1 s between adults with high com- pared with low fish consumption. This response was not limited to asthmatic subjects. Others found that both fish consumption and n23 fatty acid consumption (as estimated from food-frequency questionnaires) were protective against physician-diagnosed emphysema and chronic bronchitis and low spirometry values. Only smokers were included in this analysis. These results suggest that dietary fatty acids may play a role in lung disease; further work is needed to elucidate that role. Am J Clin Nutr 2000;71(suppl):393S-6S.
Blind loyalty? When group loyalty makes us see evil or engage in it

Abstract Loyalty often drives corruption. Corporate scandals, political machinations, and sports cheating highlight how loyalty’s pernicious nature manifests in collusion, conspiracy, cronyism, nepotism, and other forms of cheating. Yet loyalty is also touted as an ethical principle that guides behavior. Drawing on moral psychology and behavioral ethics research, we developed hypotheses about when group loyalty fosters ethical behavior and when it fosters corruption. Across nine studies, we found that individuals primed with loyalty cheated less than those not primed (Study 1A and 1B). Members more loyal to their fraternities (Study 2A) and students more loyal to their study groups (Study 2B) also cheated less than their less loyal counterparts due to greater ethical salience when they pledged their loyalty (Studies 3A and 3B). Importantly, competition moderated these effects: when competition was high, members more loyal to their fraternities (Study 4) or individuals primed with loyalty (Studies 5A and 5B) cheated more.
Benign phyllodes tumor of the vulva: a case report and literature review

Phyllodes tumor is an uncommon breast lesion with characteristic histologic appearance when examined by hematoxylin and eosin staining: leaf-like fronds projecting into cystic spaces on low-power microscopy, and biphasic (epithelial and stromal) components on high-power microscopy. We report a rare primary case of this tumor arising within the vulva. A 34-year old African American female presented with a 3 cm slow-growing vulvar mass initially thought to be an inclusion cyst. The lesion was excised and histologic examination demonstrated this lesion to be a rare case of benign phyllodes tumor with morphologic features similar to those arising from breast tissue. Patient received no further treatment and did not exhibit any recurrence or metastasis. Nearly two years after excision, the patient died due to an unrelated medical cause. This rare tumor should be considered in the differential diagnosis for women presenting with a slow-growing vulvar mass.
Mycorrhizae and Reforestation Success in the Oak-Hickory Region

The potential for improving the growth of outplanted oak seedlings through the manipulation of mycorrhizal symbiosis is promising. However, only limited research has been conducted on the mycorrhizal relationships of commercially valuable oak species. This study was conducted to evaluate the role of mycorrhizal inoculation in an oak reforestation program.
State Interests and the Problem of Piracy: Comparing U.S. and UK Approaches to Maritime PMSCs

The U.S. and the UK supported the introduction of PMSCs on merchant vessels to address Somali piracy. This article describes U.S. and UK regulations and guidelines for PMSCs and shippers seeking to hire them. A central concern for each has been ensuring control of the weapons to be used by PMSCs. The U.S. has also sought to vet contractors to ensure the security of U.S. ports and transport facilities, while the UK has focused on ensuring that contractors and companies meet its firearms requirements. These distinctions reflect differences in the regulation of firearms in the U.S. and the UK.
Determining Charge Transport Pathways through Single Porphyrin Molecules Using Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Break Junctions

Charge transport in a porphyrin with four identical pyridyl substituents, 5,10,15,20-tetra(4-pyridyl)-21H,23H-porphine (TPyP), was investigated using the scanning tunneling microscopy break junction method. To determine the dominant pathway, we studied two structurally similar porphyrins, o-DPyP and p-DPyP. Our experiments reveal that charge transport through TPyP in a break junction configuration does not follow the traditional assumption, i.e., the shortest path between the neighboring side groups. Instead, the charge transport pathway was dominated by the farthest anchoring groups. Furthermore, these single molecule experiments can distinguish between the two structural isomers, which is important in molecular discrimination, porphyrin chemistry, and molecular electronics.
Head-Elevated Patient Positioning Decreases Complications of Emergent Tracheal Intubation in the Ward and Intensive Care Unit.

BACKGROUND:Based on the data from elective surgical patients, positioning patients in a back-up head-elevated position for preoxygenation and tracheal intubation can improve patient safety. However, data specific to the emergent setting are lacking. We hypothesized that back-up head-elevated positio
Anesthetic Activity of Some New Derivatives of Barbituric Acid.

SummaryThe anesthetic activity in mice of seven new 5,5-dialkyl-barbituric acids has been studied. Intravenous anesthetic doses, intraperitoneal anesthetic doses, intraperitoneal lethal doses, and duration of action were measured.
Per-packet rate adaptation for wireless video

Streaming video over error-prone wireless channels is a challenge as the dynamic network conditions and slow adaptation to channel degradations may affect the quality of the streamed video. Unequal error protection (UEP) can potentially address this issue by considering the importance of each video packet and its impact on the quality of reconstructed video. This paper proposes a cross-layer UEP solution for wireless video streaming over IEEE 802.11 networks. Video packets are prioritized based on the relative importance of the video packet. UEP is achieved by adapting the link layer parameters on a per-packet basis, using inherent forward error correction and adaptive modulation capabilities of the 802.11n network. Experimental results revealed that the proposed solution achieves comparable performance to the state-of-the-art methods at a lower complexity.
Quantitative real-time detection of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) from pancreatic cyst fluid using 3-D surface molecular imprinting.

In this study, a sensitive, yet robust, biosensing system with real-time electrochemical readout was developed. The biosensor system was applied to the detection of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), which is a common marker for many cancers such as pancreatic, breast, and colon cancer. Real time detection of CEA during a medical procedure can be used to make critical decisions regarding further surgical intervention. CEA was templated on gold surface (RMS roughness ∼3–4 nm) coated with a hydrophilic self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on the working electrode of an open circuit potentiometric network. The subsequent removal of template CEA makes the biosensor capable of CEA detection based on its specific structure and conformation. The molecular imprinting (MI) biosensor was further calibrated using the potentiometric responses in solutions with known CEA concentrations and a detection limit of 0.5 ng ml−1 was achieved. Potentiometric sensing was then applied to pancreatic cyst fluid samples obtained from 18 patients when the cyst fluid was also evaluated using ELISA in a certified pathology laboratory. Excellent agreement was obtained between the quantitation of CEA obtained by both the ELISA and MI biosensor detection for CEA. A 3-D MI model, using the natural rms roughness of PVD gold layers, is presented to explain the high degree of sensitivity and linearity observed in those experiments.
Implant Size Availability Affects Reproduction of Distal Femoral Anatomy.

A total knee arthroplasty system offers more distal femoral implant anterior-posterior (AP) sizes than its predecessor. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of increased size availability on an implant system's ability to reproduce the AP dimension of the native distal femur. We measured 200 cadaveric femora with the AP-sizing guides of Zimmer (Warsaw, IN) NexGen (8 sizes) and Zimmer Persona (12 sizes) total knee arthroplasty systems. We defined "size deviation" as the difference in the AP dimension between the anatomic size of the native femur and the closest implant size. We defined satisfactory reproduction of distal femoral dimensions as < 1 mm difference between the implant and native femur size. The NexGen system was associated with a mean 0.46 mm greater implant size deviation than Persona (p < 0.001). When using a 1 mm size deviation as a cutoff for satisfactory replication of the native distal femoral anatomy, 85/200 specimens (42.5%) were a poor fit by NexGen, but a satisfactory fit by Persona. Only 1/200 specimens (0.5%) was a poor fit by Persona, but a satisfactory fit by NexGen (p < 0.001). The novel knee system with 12 versus 8 sizes reproduces the AP dimension of the native distal femur more closely than its predecessor. Further study is needed to determine the clinical impact of these differences.
The Dirt and The Bees: The Epidemiology of Neonicotinoids

Neonicotinoids, such as Thiamethoxam (TMX ) and its metabolite Clothianidin (CLO ), are widely used insecticides commonly coated on planting seeds. Due to their contamination of waterways, their accumulation in aquatic organisms is often lethal and possibly contributes to the decline of honey bees. In order to understand the distribution of TMX and CLO in an agricultural-urban-mixed impacted stream, their levels in sediments from seven locations along Stroubles Creek, Blacksburg were investigated. The sediment samples were extracted using liquid/solid extraction, cleaned up using PSA , and analyzed on a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometer (UPLC /MS /MS). The following study suggests the ability of insecticide to travel through the soil to the creek, shows lower levels of CLO than TMX , and reveals the necessity of further research in regards to CLO concentration. Overall, this study re-affirms that TMX can travel into an adjacent aquatic system, which honey bees use for their water foraging needs.
Use of Macrophage Inhibitory Cytokine-1 as a Biomarker in Screening and Surveillance of Colorectal Neoplasia.

Use of Macrophage Inhibitory Cytokine-1 as a Biomarker in Screening and Surveillance of Colorectal Neoplasia
Decreased uptake of orotate in kidney tumors.

The uptake of isotope by three transplanted kidney tumors after i.p. injection of 3H-labeled orotate was less than 5% of that in the host kidney cortex. A decrease of similar magnitude in the uptake into the acid-soluble tissue fractions from the kidney tumors was observed with very low incorporation into RNA relative to the host kidney cortex. Total uptake of orotate-3H and incorporation into RNA were several fold higher in the normal kidney cortex than in the kidney medulla and for the kidney cortex both parameters were less in young than in old rats. The uptake of uracil-3H by two kidney tumors was approximately 40% of that in the kidney cortex of host rats. Although the uptake of orotate-3H in kidney cortex was greater than that for uracil-3H the reverse situation was observed with kidney tumors, indicating that renal neoplasia in the rat is accompanied by an altered pattern of uptake of these metabolites.
Managing technical professionals: applying management skills to other aspects of our lives

HAVING an aging family member diagnosed recently with Dementia, I have been reading articles, blogs, and various communications about the disease. The Friday before Easter, one of the weekly newsletters, I read regularly, had an article entitled "Focus on what really matters and soar above the clouds". It's a great article written by Angela Lunde in May 2014 and I recommend everyone to read it. It's not specifically about Dementia, but more about life and our attitude towards life in general; the general premise being "focus on what's important and let go of the smaller things that don't really matter", and it also shows how applying some of the critical skills we have all been trained to use at work could help us in our personal lives as well. It is this aspect of the article along with a recent experience I had in one of my new IEEE assignments that led me to write this quarter's article on "applying management skills to other aspects of our lives".
1970: The Social Significance of Environmental Pollution

It is now a commonplace that environmental pollution is a major public concern. The immediate reasons for this concern are not difficult to detect, for they assail our senses every day: our eyes smart with smog; our ears throb with the noise of automobiles, aircraft and construction tools; we are assailed by the odors of polluted waters and the sight of mounting heaps of rubbish.
Animal Models of Reward Behavior

Reward behavior represents a subset of conditioning procedures that have been developed by psychologists to study learning in animals. In particular, rewarded behavior involves an instrumental response that is maintained by a reinforcer. The procedures that have been developed cover a broad spectrum of behaviors, from simple running in a straight alley to very complex operant schedules of reinforcement that can require multiple responses over long periods of time. Many species of animal have also been trained on these procedures. Procedures have been developed to study the initial learning process as well as steady-state behavior. Procedures have also been developed to study memory. As such, rewarded behavior models can be used to study a wide variety of human diseases and conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease, obesity, drug abuse, obsessive-compulsive disorder and many others.
An enhanced sample average approximation method for stochastic optimization

Abstract Choosing the appropriate sample size in Sample Average Approximation (SAA) method is very challenging. Inappropriate sample size can lead to the generation of low quality solutions with high computational burden. To overcome this challenge, our study proposes an enhanced SAA algorithm that utilizes clustering techniques to dynamically update the sample sizes and offers high quality solutions in a reasonable amount of time. We evaluate this proposed algorithm in the context of a facility location problem [FLP]. A number of numerical experiments (e.g., impact of different clustering techniques, fixed vs. dynamic clusters) are performed for various problem instances to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. Results indicate that on average, enhanced SAA with fixed clustering size and dynamic clustering size solves [FLP] almost 631% and 699% faster than the basic SAA algorithm, respectively. Furthermore, it is observed that there is no single winner among the clustering techniques to solve all the problem instances of enhanced SAA algorithm and the performance is highly impacted by the size of the problems.
The Uncanny Muse of Creative Reading: On the New Cambridge Edition of Mrs. Dalloway

O’Hara notes Woolf’s inclusive gesture offering readers the democratic play of readings: whatever edition used, they can use their novel’s key elements. Author, reader, and characters participate in reformative play. Sublime crisis is the impetus for discovering the latent impression of the future residing in the past. Following a brief review of Hegel’s dialectical self-making O’Hara shows the symbolic “god-image” as nexus where community and individual converge. Uncanny experience of the confrontation between past, present, and future is social and personal, as a close reading of the woman in the opposite house, noticed by Clarissa when she processes Septimus’s suicide, demonstrates.
Geographic variations in electronic cigarette advertisements on Twitter in the United States.

Studies have identified a proliferation of e-cigarette advertisements on Twitter. We investigate whether the prevalence of e-cigarette related advertising is associated with state tobacco regulations after taking socio-economic characteristics into account. We collected e-cigarette related tweets from July 23 to October 14, 2015 (n = 757,167) on Twitter. State regulations and smoking prevalence were provided by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids program. The socio-economic data were provided by the American Community Survey. The number of commercial tweets was 319,041/day with a high potential reach (830,495,700/day). The prevalence of commercial tweets varied significantly by US state. The higher prevalence of e-cigarette advertising was associated with states with better tobacco control impact (r = 0.54, p < 0.0001) and lower youth smoking prevalence (r = −0.39, p = 0.005). In the multivariate analysis, state tobacco control impact is significantly associated with the prevalence of commercial tweets (β = 0.03 ± 0.01, p = 0.02). Policies at both the federal and state levels are needed to regulate the content of commercial tweets and mitigate the negative effect of social media advertisements.
Transparent optical network design with mixed line rates

Future telecommunication networks are expected to be increasingly heterogeneous and support a wide variety of traffic demands. Based on the nature of the demands, it may be convenient to set up lightpaths with different bit rates. Then, the network design cost could be reduced because low-bit-rate services will need less grooming (i.e., less multiplexing with other low-bit-rate services onto high-capacity wavelengths) while high-bit-rate services can be accommodated on a wavelength itself. Future optical networks may support mixed line rates (say over 10/40/100 Gbps). Since a lightpath may travel a long distance, for high bit rates, the effect of the physical impairments along a lightpath may become very significant (leading to high bit-error rate (BER)); and the signal's maximum transmission range, which depends on the bit rate, will become limited. In this study, we propose a novel, cost-effective approach to design a mixed-line-rate (MLR) network with transmission-range (TR) constraint. By intelligent assignment of channel rates to lightpaths, based on their TR constraint, the need for signal regeneration can be minimized, and a ldquotransparentrdquo optical network can be designed to support all-optical end-to-end lightpaths. The design problem is formulated as an integer linear program (ILP). Our results show that, with mixed line rates and maximum transmission range constraints, one can design a cost-effective network.
9 – High-Level Petri Nets—Extensions, Analysis, and Applications

This chapter provides an introduction to Petri nets. Petri nets are an excellent formal model for studying concurrent and distributed systems and are widely applied in many different areas of computer science and other disciplines Petri nets are also extended in many different ways to study specific system properties, such as performance, reliability, and schedulability. Well-known examples of extended Petri nets include timed Petri nets and stochastic Petri nets. Petri nets are a model-oriented formal method and are well suited for modeling the dynamic behaviors of concurrent and distributed systems. Petri net specifications reveal system design structures and thus provide guidelines for system implementation. Furthermore, Petri net specifications are executable and support system simulation and testing in addition to formal analysis. This chapter presents several extensions to Petri nets based on the research work and provides analysis techniques for these extended Petri net models. It also discusses the intended applications of these extended Petri nets and their potential benefits.
SUSTAINABLE TOURIST DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL AREAS IN SERBIA

The concept of eco-tourism had its peak towards the end of the twentieth century. General tendency is to search for new directions of tourism development in tourism that meets special needs. Problems of polluted environment, ever growing alienation from nature, standardization and uniformity of the modern living, are all the reasons why recently more and more people are interested in return to nature and healthy way of life. Great diversity in rural areas that Serbia has is the foundation upon which its future tourist development can be based. Vast number of various natural and geographical areas and the preserved eco-system in them, along with multiethnic communities, old trades, etc. can be offered as extra services in these areas. Tourism itself and its multiplied effect will have positive influence on the economy in these areas. The concept of sustainable development must play an important role in that process, and it should also be the pre-condition for all future plans and activities. The aim of this paper is to show the directions and possibilities for future sustainable tourist development in rural areas in Serbia based on eco-tourism, keeping in mind, above all, its highly preserved and respectable resources.
Biological control of Sirex noctilio (Hymenoptera: Siricidae) in the northeastern United States using an exotic parasitic nematode

Abstract The woodwasp Sirex noctilio is a devastating killer of pines in the southern hemisphere. Over the 20th Century, it has invaded exotic pine plantations in New Zealand, Australia, South America, and South Africa successively. In response to this woodwasp threat, in the 1960–70s CSIRO in Australia launched a major campaign of exploration for biological control agents in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, the presumed indigenous range of S. noctilio. The most promising natural enemy discovered was a nematode, Deladenus siricidicola, which lives inside a pine tree as a mycophagous form but becomes parasitic when near host larvae and sterilizes adult woodwasp females. Australian scientists developed a biological control management system based on the nematode, including how to rear and release it in the field. The CSIRO program has been a model for Sirex management in the pine-growing regions of the southern hemisphere since the 1960s. Thus, when S. noctilio was collected in North America in 2004, it seemed natural to try using the Australian model as a simple technology transfer. Unfortunately the transfer has not proved to be so simple. In the following, we present the results of six years of experimental controlled release studies, in which no nematodes were actually released into the field. One of the first discoveries was that another strain, a “non-sterilizing” strain, of D. siricidicola was already present in the areas invaded by S. noctilio. Our annual studies compared infection rates between trees inoculated with the Australian “Kamona strain” and controls without nematodes. In most cases, the treated trees had the higher rates of nematode parasitism, but the controls were not always zero, suggesting that the non-sterilizing strain was well-established in our study plots. Many of the Kamona-treated trees did not contain Kamonas, suggesting that the non-sterilizing strain may have out-competed the Kamonas. Even with Kamona treatments, there was relatively little sterilization, indeed much less than expected. It seems likely that the S. noctilio strain invading North America is physiologically different from the Australian nematode and not susceptible to Kamona sterilization. Another interesting result was observed between host tree species. In a three-year study, nematode parasitism rates were consistently higher in P. sylvestris than in P. resinosa and significantly higher when the three years of data were pooled. We conclude with the observation that the Kamona strain is apparently not compatible with the S. noctilio invading North America and suggest that more exploration is needed in its area of origin for different and more effective nematode genotypes.
Sexual health inventory in men screened for prostate cancer

A83 Introduction: Penile erection is the result of a series of neurological and vasculogenic responses to a psychological and peripheral stimulation. Erectile dysfunction is defined as a consistent and recurrent inability of a man to achieve or maintain an erection sufficient for satisfactory performance of intercourse. The Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM) is a widely used scale for screening and diagnosis of erectile dysfunction (ED). It has serve as a formidable tool to assess ED outcomes after primary treatment for prostate cancer. Our objective was to estimate the prevalence of ED among men screened for prostate cancer Methods: During September of 2006, men younger than 75 years living in the Washington metropolitan area were invited to participate in the George Washington University Prostate Cancer Screening Program. Assessment of erectile function was performed by evaluation of the patient9s Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM), which constitutes essentially the erectile function domain of the International Index of Erectile Dysfunction (ED) that has been well documented, validated and scores between 1 and 25. SHIM questionnaires were administered along with measurement of serum PSA levels and a digital rectal exam. Men who registered SHIM scores of 17 or less were considered to have erectile dysfunction. Results: The ethnic composition of men who participated in the screening was as follows. Overall, 333 men attended the invitation. Of these, 61% were African-Americans (AA), 30% Caucasians, 5% Hispanics, and 4% were of Asian ethnicity. Thirty-four percent lived in the District of Columbia, 48% in Maryland and 18% were from Virginia. Five of the 333 did not complete the SHIM questionnaire. Thirty men (9%) reportedly used a PDE5 inhibitor at the time of the survey. There was a significant difference in the overall prevalence of ED between AA vs non-AA as 25% and 41% respectively were found to have SHIM scores
Silica-coated ruthenium-complex nanoprobes for two-photon oxygen microscopy in biological media

Multiphoton microscopy (MPM) allows for three-dimensional in vivo microscopy in scattering tissue with submicron resolution and high signal-to-noise ratio. MPM combined with fluorescence lifetime measurements further enables quantitative imaging of molecular concentrations, such as dissolved oxygen, with the same optical resolution as MPM, in vivo. However, biocompatible oxygen-sensitive MPM probes are not available commercially and are difficult to synthesize. Here we present a simple MPM oxygen imaging probe compatible with aqueous biological media based on a water-soluble ruthenium-complex nanomicelle. By adding a layer of silica shell to the nanomicelle assembly, oxygen sensitivity and probe stability in biological media increases dramatically. While uncoated probes are unusable in the presence of serum albumin, photophysical characterization shows that the silica coating enables quantitative oxygen measurements in biological media and increases probe stability by more than an order of magnitude.
José da Silva Lisboa and the Pathology of Revolution

Focusing on Jose da Silva Lisboa’s Constituicao Moral e Deveres do Cidadao (1824/1825), this article explores how the image of Revolution, modeled on the "catastrophic" experiences of France and Haiti, projects itself onto the scenario of the nascent Brazilian empire. For Lisboa, the moralizing discourse should be capable of founding a new order in the tropics, of protecting "Brazilian youth" from the seduction of renovating principles, of maintaining well-tied the knots of a social fabric threatened by the madness of revolutionaries, who brought to the horizon of a young nation the danger of dissolution and corruption of the body politic.
Salmones Puyuhuapi: Production Planning

This case is appropriate for undergraduate, MBA, and MBAE audiences, but is specifically designed for Decision Analysis and Decision Analysis and Optimization, first-year MBA electives. It is related to but separable from "Salmones Puyuhuapi (A)" (UVA-QA-0749). That A case was about whether to harvest salmon early due to the threat of a virus, and it used a simple approximation for relating the value of a harvested salmon to its live weight. This production planning case addresses in detail how harvested salmon are processed and sold. Here, the plan Elisa Perez develops will determine how much value Salmones Puyuhuapi achieves from a day's harvest of salmon from one of the company's sites in southern Chile. Excerpt UVA-QA-0753 Rev. Apr. 7, 2014 Salmones Puyuhuapi: Production Planning Are you ready? The first boat with the harvest is on its way to the plant. Everything is set up to start processing in four hours, right? I just sent you an e-mail with the harvest specifications. Elisa Perez was at first surprised and then petrified when she received the phone call about the harvest's impending arrival. How could she have forgotten about this? She immediately remembered a previous discussion she had had with the CEO of the company, Osvaldo Correa. Correa's last words to her were “I'm going to give you one last chance. The next time, you are out.” As the commercial manager of Salmones Puyuhuapi (SP), Perez was in charge of developing production plans for SP's salmon processing plant. One of her main duties was to determine the best production mix based on each harvest's characteristics (number of salmon, average weight, weight dispersion, and quality), the processing plant capacities (the freezer tunnel was often a bottleneck), and market conditions (prices and customer requirements). . . .
Building a New Clothing Factory—1950s to 1971

By the end of the Second World War it was clear that the premises occupied by the Australian Government Clothing Factory in South Melbourne were no longer satisfactory or safe for the production of Army and other uniforms. It was time to review and reinvigorate the entire operation. Several working parties were appointed, none of which were ever to suggest to abolish the Factory altogether. A reorganisation involving the transfer away of the cap and canvas sections took place in 1952, but this did not deflect from the fact that the Factory had become outmoded. Further reports and cost estimates were tabled during the following years. The crucial report for the decision to build a new factory came from the Allison–Brewster inquiry of 1964. This report recognised the value of the Factory as a ‘laboratory for garment design and development’: It was driving innovation by experimenting with new techniques and designs. Once it had been decided to build a new Factory, its new location became the subject of further investigation and industry interviews. Finally, the Chaney Report of 1968, a mere four pages, settled the question and a new Factory was built in Coburg, Victoria, and officially opened on 19 April 1971.
Improvement of COD Elimination in Activated Sludge Treatment Plant for Pulp and Paper Mill Waste Waters

In recent years, authorities have issued more stringent COD regulations for industrial effluents in addition to BOD limitations. Optimization of operation in the activated sludge treatment plant can be an effective way to meet those regulations without increasing treatment cost. A well dimensioned aerobic or anaerobic plus aerobic treatment plant for pulp or paper mill waste waters is capable of reducing BOD effluent concentrations to values below 25 mg/l. If the aerobic plant is just big enough to meet this limit, COD elimination will be found to be in a certain ratio to BOD elimination, which has become well known in recent years. If this COD elimination is not sufficient to meet official requirements for COD concentration in the effluent, improvement of COD elimination by optimizing the operating conditions of the activated sludge plant may be possible. Lowering BOD sludge loading and increasing hydraulic retention time to more than 8 hours generally are the ways to do this. Concentration of dissolved oxygen has no effect on COD elimination above 1 mg/l. The best COD elimination can be obtained in optimized aeration cascade reactors and two stage aeration reactors.
Varus collapse of comminuted distal femur fractures after open reduction and internal fixation with a lateral condylar buttress plate.

Twenty-six comminuted distal femur fractures treated with a lateral condylar buttress plate were followed up until fracture union or implant revision (mean follow-up, 26 months). Mean postoperative angle (medial distal femoral angle immediately after surgery) was 96 degrees, and mean final angle (angle at fracture healing or implant revision) was 91 degrees (P = .06). Distal femoral angle decreased 5 degrees or less in 15 patients, 6 degrees to 10 degrees in 8 patients, and more than 10 degrees in 3 patients. Final distal femoral angle was 90 degrees or less in 13 of the 26 fractures: 38% of these 13 fractures required reconstruction for nonunion, malunion, or knee arthrosis. The lateral condylar buttress plate, which is not a fixed-angle device, allowed more than 5 degrees of varus collapse to occur in 42% of the comminuted distal femur fractures.
Biodegradation of aromatic compounds and TCE by a filamentous bacteria-dominated consortium.

The Michaelis-Menten biodegradation kinetics (k and Ks) of aromatic compounds and trichloroethene (TCE) by an aerobic enrichment culture grown on phenol and dominated by a unique filamentous bacterium were measured. The average k and Ks values for phenol, benzene (B), toluene (T), ethylbenzene (E), o-xylene (oX), p-xylene (pX), naphthalene and TCE in g per g VSS-d and mg L-1 were 5.72 and 0.34, 1.20 and 0.51, 2.09 and 0.47, 0.77 and 0.23, 0.61 and 0.16, 0.73 and 0.23, 0.17 and 0.18, and 0.16 and 0.18, respectively. Significant variability in these measured kinetics was noted between tests conducted over the 5-month period during which the fed-batch culture with a 5-day solids retention time was maintained; the coefficient of variation of the k and Ks values ranged from 11–43% and 4–50%, respectively. This variation was significantly greater than the method measurement error on a given date. Degradation of BTEoXpX mixtures could be described by a basic competitive inhibition model.
Prevention of central venous catheter sepsis: A prospective randomized trial

A prospective randomized trial was undertaken to evaluate the influence of routine 72-hour catheter exchange and the use of an implantable collagen cuff in preventing central venous catheter infection in critically ill patients requiring multiple lumen central venous access. Patients were randomized to one of four groups, which determined whether the central venous catheter placed would be removed at 3 or 7 days and whether an implantable collagen cuff would be used or not. Upon removal, cultures of the central line tip, the insertion site, and peripheral blood were obtained. One hundred and fifty-nine catheters were studied in 85 patients during a 14-month period. There were 26 (16.4%) episodes of catheter colonization and four (2.5%) episodes of catheter infection in the entire population. Catheter colonization rates (same organisms cultured from catheter tip and skin site) were 14.5 per cent at 3 days and 18.4 per cent at 7 days. Infection rates (same organism cultured from catheter tip and peripheral blood culture) were 2.4 per cent at 3 days and 2.6 per cent at 7 days. With regard to the use of the collagen cuff, colonization rates were 14.5 per cent with the use of the cuff and 18.1 per cent without the use of the cuff. Infection rates were 5.3 per cent with the use of the cuff and 0 per cent without the use of the cuff. None of these differences reached statistical significance.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Systems with Geared Links

So far, we have studied the dynamics modeling of systems with non-geared, direct-drive hinge actuators. However, many systems have geared joints. When the gear ratios are large, the motor inertias have significant effect on the system dynam- ics, since the equations of motion contain motor inertia terms that are magnified by the square of the gear ratio. For such systems, it is important that gear and actuator dynamics be included in the dynamics model of the manipulator. Reliance on sim- plified and approximate models can lead to errors in control design, with consequent degradation in system stability and performance.
A Comparison of the Open Semi-extended Parapatellar Versus Standard Entry Tibial Nailing Techniques and Knee Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective To determine if an open, semi-extended, parapatellar tibial nailing technique (SEK) imparts any undue knee symptoms/pain compared with the traditional infrapatellar tibial nailing technique (FK). Design Randomized controlled trial. Setting Level 1 trauma center. Patients Forty-seven patients with OTA/AO 42A-C tibial shaft fractures were included in the study. Intervention Patients were randomized to treatment with either a SEK or an FK technique. Main outcome The main outcome was a symptoms subset of the International Knee Documentation Committee (SS-IKDC) pertaining to knee symptoms/pain. Results Final follow-up was collected at 1 year for 24 SEK and 23 FK patients. No significant differences were found between the groups in regards to demographics, injury, or surgery-related variables. The 2 techniques did have equivalent symptoms scores [mean for the difference (SEK - FK): 0.29, 90% confidence interval: -4.16 to 4.75] but did not have equivalent pain scores [mean for the difference (SEK - FK): 0.2, 90% confidence interval: -3.18 to 3.59]. When comparing demographic and injury-related variables to the SS-IKDC, only Kellgren-Lawrence classification was statistically significant (P = 0.026), where increasing presence of osteoarthritis was associated with lower scores. Conclusions The results of this single-center randomized controlled trial show that SEK and FK techniques for tibial nailing are equivalent in regards to knee symptoms (defined as ±5 points on the SS-IKDC) but not specifically pain that showed trends toward decreasing knee pain with the open SEK technique. This randomized controlled trial demonstrates that the use of the open semi-extended, parapatellar technique for tibial nailing should not be associated with any higher likelihood of knee pain/symptoms than the traditional flexed knee, infrapatellar technique. Level of evidence Therapeutic Level I. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Impact of Infrared Optical Properties on Crystalline Si and Thin Film CdTe Solar Cells

Photons with energies below the photovoltaic (PV) absorber band gap do not generate current and adversely impact performance when absorbed in other solar cell components to produce heat. Here we incorporate infrared (IR) optical response in simulations for understanding thermal losses. Spectroscopic ellipsometry is used to measure Al-Si interface optical properties in Si PV. Reflectance of an Si module has been analyzed to account for encapsulant and Al-Si interface contributions. IR extended quantum efficiency simulations calculate efficiency gains / losses arising from variations in current generated and total reflectance as functions of transparent front contact material in thin film CdTe PV.
Structuring Academic Tasks for Emotionally Disturbed Boys

The procedures of scheduling and reinforcement were structured into two teaching methods designed to guide disturbed boys in the acquisition of vocabulary word learning and attentional work time. Results indicated a strong affirmation of the positive influence of the highly structured rather than a modified structured approach on the boys' performances.
Activation of Bone Marrow-Derived Cells and Resident Aortic Cells During Aortic Injury.

Abstract Background The process of aortic injury, repair, and remodeling during aortic aneurysm and dissection is poorly understood. We examined the activation of bone marrow (BM)-derived and resident aortic cells in response to aortic injury in a mouse model of sporadic aortic aneurysm and dissection. Materials and methods Wild-type C57BL/6 mice were transplanted with green fluorescent protein (GFP)+ BM cells. For 4 wk, these mice were either unchallenged with chow diet and saline infusion or challenged with high-fat diet and angiotensin II infusion. We then examined the aortic recruitment of GFP+ BM-derived cells, growth factor production, and the differentiation potential of GFP+ BM-derived and GFP− resident aortic cells. Results Aortic challenge induced recruitment of GFP+ BM cells and activation of GFP− resident aortic cells, both of which produced growth factors. Although BM cells and resident aortic cells equally contributed to the fibroblast populations, we did not detect the differentiation of BM cells into smooth muscle cells. Interestingly, aortic macrophages were both of BM-derived (45%) and of non−BM-derived (55%) origin. We also observed a significant increase in stem cell antigen-1 (Sca-1)+ stem/progenitor cells and neural/glial antigen 2 (NG2+) cells in the aortic wall of challenged mice. Although some of the Sca-1+ cells and NG2+ cells were BM derived, most of these cells were resident aortic cells. Sca-1+ cells produced growth factors and differentiated into fibroblasts and NG2+ cells. Conclusions BM-derived and resident aortic cells are activated in response to aortic injury and contribute to aortic inflammation, repair, and remodeling by producing growth factors and differentiating into fibroblasts and inflammatory cells.