cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gastric per-oral endoscopic myotomy (G-POEM) for the treatment of gastric sleeve stenosis: a feasibility and safety study

Background Traditional endoscopic treatments have limited success in gastric sleeve stenosis (GSS). Gastric peroral endoscopic myotomy (G-POEM) could conceivably obliterate the twist/angulation that causes GSS through a tunneled stricturotomy. We report early outcomes of G-POEM for GSS treatment. Methods We retrospectively reviewed all patients with GSS treated with G-POEM at our center. The primary end point was clinical success, defined as symptom improvement with resumption of adequate oral intake, without requiring further intervention. Results 13 patients (mean age 43 ± 10.9 years; 12 female) underwent G-POEM for predominantly helical (11/13, 85 %) GSS. Three (23 %) had concurrent sleeve leak and 10 (77 %) had prior GSS treatment. Two intraoperative complications occurred, with no deviation to the procedure; no major complications occurred. At median follow-up of 175 (interquartile range [IQR] 119–260) days, clinical success was achieved in 10 patients (77 %). Median Gastroparesis Cardinal Symptom Index score in responders decreased from 2.06 (IQR 1.5–2.8) to 0.39 (IQR 0.2–0.5). Three patients (23 %) required surgical revision. Conclusions G-POEM was feasible and safe, and may provide an alternative option for those averse to undergoing surgical revision for treatment of GSS.
Ecogeography of Plumage Pigmentation in Great Horned Owls

Plumage pigmentation is fundamental to a bird's phenotype, with pigment deposition causing relative crypsis or conspicuousness, depending on the environmental context. Geographic variation in plumage melanin tends to be predictable, suggesting that aspects of climate cause local matching of plumage to environment via genetic adaptation. Ecogeographic rules describe this predictability: Gloger's rule predicts that populations in wetter and warmer environments will be more pigmented; Bogert's Rule predicts more pigmentation in cold environments. The Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) exhibits extensive geographic variation in the degree of melanin-based pigmentation. We examined fine-scale spatial variation in owl plumage melanism along environmental gradients in southwestern North America. We tested whether variation is explained by either of two non-mutually exclusive hypotheses: (1) a history of allopatric divergence between subspecies or (2) in situ local adaptation consistent with ecogeographic rules. The allopatric divergence hypothesis predicts a bimodal distribution of plumage melanism, with a geographic cline across a zone of secondary contact, whereas the local adaptation hypothesis predicts that climate explains variation independently of geography. Using a colorimeter, we measured coloration in 101 museum specimens of breeding-season Great Horned Owls that had been obtained from variable environments and elevations. Specimens previously identified as separate subspecies were distinguishable by colorimetry. Plumage lightness, however, was continuously distributed, rather than bimodal. While accounting for males having reduced pigmentation relative to females, linear models revealed that lighter plumage was associated with low latitude, low elevation, high temperature, and low precipitation. These findings suggest that variation in Great Horned Owl plumage pigmentation is best understood as continuous ecogeographic variation, consistent with ecogeographic predictions, and currently maintained in situ along multiple environmental gradients that characterize the “sky island” topography of the southwestern USA.
Through the Ivory Curtain: African Americans in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, before the Fair Housing Movement:

This article examines the largely neglected history of African American struggles to obtain housing in Cleveland Heights, a first-ring suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, between 1900 and 1960, prior to the...
Specter of Stalemate: Vietnam War Perspectives in Newsweek, Time, and U.S. News & World Report, 1965–1968

Abstract Several months prior to the military offensive by communists during Tet 1968, an event generally considered a turning point for news coverage of the Vietnam War, readers of Newsweek, Time, and U.S. News & World Report already had learned that victory seemed unlikely. Until summer 1967, each newsmagazine had provided different perspectives on the status of military progress. Negative commentary by the newsmagazines played a part in the decision by the Johnson administration in August 1967 to begin a campaign to persuade journalists the war was going well, a strategy that prompted a media backlash at Tet 1968.
Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor primes neutrophils by activating a pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein not associated with phosphatidylinositol turnover.

Abstract Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is a hematopoietic cytokine which produces diverse biological effects in target cells of myeloid origin. GM-CSF enhances the production of superoxide anion (O2-) by mature neutrophils in response to chemotactic peptides such as formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP), but alone it has no effect on this system. This process has been termed "priming." fMLP activates neutrophils via a pertussis toxin-sensitive GTP-binding protein, leading to the rapid production of the second messengers diacylglycerol (DAG) and inositol trisphosphate, via phosphatidylinositol turnover, and arachidonic acid (AA) by a presumptive phospholipase A2-mediated mechanism. All three second messengers may lead to the generation of O2-. We investigated the effect of priming of GM-CSF on these systems. GM-CSF had no effect on fMLP-stimulated DAG and inositol trisphosphate levels, nor did it amplify the response to exogenously added phorbol ester (to mimic the action of DAG) or calcium ionophore. Neutrophils primed with the cytokine showed a small, but significant, enhancement of fMLP-stimulated AA release. Compared with unprimed controls, primed neutrophils also showed a significant increase in O2- production when stimulated with either AA or the nonhydrolyzable GTP analogue, GTP-gamma-S. The magnitude of enhanced O2- production was similar to that observed after fMLP treatment of primed cells. All of these effects, including the increased sensitivity to AA treatment, were inhibited by pertussis toxin. These data show that GM-CSF primes neutrophils by modulating the activity of at least one pertussis toxin-sensitive G protein coupled to a metabolic pathway that mobilizes and utilizes arachidonic acid.
Detection of histone H2AX phosphorylation on Ser-139 as an indicator of DNA damage (DNA double-strand breaks).

This unit describes immunocytochemical detection of phosphorylated histone H2AX for revealing the presence of DNA double-strand breaks. Double-strand breaks indicate DNA damage induced by ionizing radiation or by treatment with antitumor drugs such as DNA topoisomerase inhibitors. However, double-strand breaks can also be intrinsic, occurring in healthy, nontreated cells for a variety of reasons, and are generated in the course of DNA fragmentation in apoptotic cells. The unit presents strategies to distinguish radiation- or drug-induced breaks from those intrinsically formed in untreated cells or associated with apoptosis. The protocol describes the immunocytochemical detection of histone H2AX phosphorylated on Ser-139 combined with measurement of DNA content to identify cells that have DNA double-strand breaks and to concurrently assess their cell cycle phase. The detection is based on indirect immunofluorescence using a FITC-labeled secondary antibody, and DNA is counterstained with propidium iodide (PI). Cellular RNA, which may be stained by PI, is removed with RNase A. Keywords: DNA damage; double-strand breaks; phosphorylated histone; flow cytometry; immunofluorescence
A multicoral calibration method to approximate a universal equation relating Sr/Ca and growth rate to sea surface temperature

[1] Combining strontium-to-calcium ratios (Sr/Ca) with mean annual growth rates in Bermuda Diploria labyrinthiformis (brain corals) is shown to improve sea surface temperature (SST) calibrations relative to instrumental data. Growth-corrected Sr/Ca–SST calibrations based on single-coral colonies over the same calibration interval, however, are found to be poorly suited for application to data from different coral colonies. This raises concerns about the accuracy of SST reconstructions from fossil coral measurements that involve extrapolation beyond the range of values seen during the calibration period. Here we pursue a novel approach to this problem by incorporating data from multiple coral colonies into a single growth-corrected Sr/Ca–SST calibration equation, effectively expanding the range of modern values constraining the model. The use of a multiple-colony calibration model for reconstructing SST yields greater precision and accuracy relative to instrumental data than single-colony models, providing greater confidence for applications to fossil coral samples.
Listening Competence in Initial Interactions II: Applying Trait Centrality to Discover the Relative Placement of Listening Competence Among Implicit Competency Theories

This article explores the relative placement of listening competence within other implicit theories used to form judgments of interlocutor competence. Two studies explore the relations among communicative competence, social skills, and listening competence and various attributes that are purportedly implied by each. Study 1 reveals that very few attributes are uniquely related to any one implicit theory. Study 2 demonstrates that listening competence is located subordinately to communicative competence. The discussion focuses on what these studies add to the competency literature and how future research can continue to explore implicit competency theories.
Measuring the variability of data from other values in the set

Summary Students have intuitive notions of the meaning of variability; some may see variability as how values in a set vary from each other. This article provides a measure of variability that is based on that conception. We introduce this new measure and a method for calculating it. Finally, we prove that this measure is equivalent to the population variance.
Quantification of Engineering Limits to J Control of Ductile Crack Growth

The J-integral has been developed as a ductile fracture parameter over the past 15 years and has been applied to an ever-expanding range of applications and materials. Limits originally placed on the application of J by analytical considerations have, in most cases, proven too stringent-and in some cases the analytical limits have even seemed to be inapplicable or irrelevant. This has been particularly true of the omega (ω) criterion introduced by Hutchinson and Paris. Experimental work has seemed to show little correspondence between the limits predicted by this criterion and the experimentally measured size limitations. Recent experimental work by Joyce et al. has shown that the J-integral is applicable to much larger crack extensions than previously proposed. Using these experiments Joyce and Hackett have proposed an experimental method to define the limit to J-integral controlled crack growth. This paper now shows that the ω criterion is consistent with the collected data set, except that the limiting value for ω is on the order of one, not the value of 5 to 10 originally proposed. Three simple analyses are presented using the ω criterion to develop proposed limits on J and crack extension that can be used in a predictive manner for fracture analysis.
Radio observations of venus and the interpretations.

The radio observations of Venus are reviewed and compared with theoretical microwave spectra computed for a variety of models of the Venusian environment. The models considered are (a) a CO2-N2 atmosphere, (b) an atmosphere of dust (the aeolosphere model), and (c) a cloud model with various loss mechanisms in the cloud. The effect of polarization on the surface emissivity has been included in all the computations. It is shown how the radio observations place limits upon the acceptable models, for example, the density and size of dust particles required in the aeolosphere model. It is shown how some models place severe restrictions on radar observations at short centimeter wavelengths, thereby emphasizing the importance of such experiments. These same models show that the Mariner II observations can not be interpreted in terms of surface phenomena and provide a new interpretation for the microwave phase effect.
Predation on Pacific Salmon Eggs by Salmonids in a Tributary of Lake Ontario

Abstract Diets of salmonids in a tributary of Lake Ontario were examined during the fall of 1977. Pacific salmon eggs accounted for at least 90% of the October diet of juvenile steelhead and coho salmon, and adult brook trout and brown trout. In November, salmon eggs comprised 38-95% of the diet. Egg consumption appeared to be responsible for large increases in the condition factor of all groups studied. Increased condition may enhance survival during the severe winters characteristic of the Tug Hill region.
Photomechanics of blanket and patterned liquid crystal elastomer films

Recent studies have demonstrated the coupling of optical and mechanical energy in liquid crystal elastomers that contain light-sensitive molecules. The molecular structure of these materials consists of stiff, ordered, rod-like molecules that are connected to long, crosslinked molecular chains, resulting in a coupling between the orientational order of the rods and mechanical deformation of the network. Irradiation with light at a specific wavelength causes the stiff rod-like molecules to bend which dilutes the orientational order and thus causes deformation. Irradiation at a different specific wavelength then reverses the process by straightening the rod-like molecules which enhances orientational order and causes deformation. When unconstrained this deformation can be considered a stress-free eigenstrain and we call it photostrain; it can vary from a few to hundreds of percent. When the material exists as a plate-like film with nematic order, it will undergo an incompressible expansion or contraction in the film plane if it is uniformly irradiated through its thickness. However, if the light intensity varies with position, either through the thickness or within the plane of the film, it will undergo more complex deformation due to the spatial variation of the photostrain. Here we study the deformation of thin-film plates with photostrains and build on existing work by incorporating the effects of geometric nonlinearity, while retaining the assumptions of isotropic linear elastic material behavior. We develop fairly simple analytical estimates of the overall deformation of photo-actuated liquid crystal elastomer plates, and also carry out more accurate nonlinear finite element simulations. As shown experimentally in the literature, large shape changes can occur, and geometric nonlinearity effects can be significant. Finally, we use a recently-developed topology optimization approach to design irradiation patterns in the plane of the film that will lead to specified target shapes by taking advantage of geometric nonlinearity and photostrain anisotropy. Spatial patterning of light intensity, which can potentially be realized using various existing optical techniques, opens the door to the realization of a rich set of photomechanical materials and structures.
Program correctness: on inductive assertion methods

A study of several of the proof of correctness methods is presented. In particular, the form of induction used is explored in detail. A relational semantic model for programming languages is introduced and its relation to predicate transformers is explored. A rather elementary viewpoint is taken in order to expose, as simply as possible, the basic differences of the methods and the underlying principles involved. These results were obtained by attempting to thoroughly understand the "subgoal induction" method.
A Monte Carlo model for the gardening of the lunar regolith

The processes of movement and turnover of the lunar regolith are described by a Monte Carlo model. The movement of material by the direct cratering process is the dominant mode, but slumping is also included for angles exceeding the static angle of repose. Using a group of interrelated computer programs, a large number of properties are calculated, including topography, formation of layers, depth of the disturbed layer, nuclear-track distributions, and cosmogenic nuclides. In the most complex program, the history of a 36-point square array is followed for times up to 400 million years. The histories generated are complex and exhibit great variety. Because a crater covers much less area than its ejecta blanket, there is a tendency for the height change at a test point to exhibit periods of slow accumulation followed by sudden excavation. In general, the agreement with experiment and observation seems good, but two areas of disagreement stand out. First, the calculated surface is rougher than that observed. Second, the observed bombardment ages, of the order 400 million are shorter than expected (by perhaps a factor of 5).
A preliminary investigation of the relationship between team racial heterogeneity and team performance in college basketball

Abstract The purpose of this investigation was to study group performance among basketball teams working together for an extended period and having differing degrees of racial heterogeneity. Participants were the starting members of 202 NCAA basketball teams. Teams were divided on their degree of racial heterogeneity into homogeneous, slightly heterogeneous and heavily heterogeneous groups. The slightly heterogeneous teams performed significantly better in terms of percentage games won in one season than the other two categories. Though the effect was significant, only a relatively small amount of variance was accounted for.
Confidence Limits for Seeding Effect in Single-Area Weather Modification Experiments.

Abstract A recurring problem in single-area randomized seeding experiments has been the assessment of statistical significance over all experimental units, such as days, when some of the units receive no precipitation. The present paper solves the problem in two ways: 1) the likelihood ratio test of the complete model including both zero and positive observations and 2) an approximate confidence interval for the ratio of mean values over all seeded and non-seeded experimental units. The results are obtained for both log-normal and gamma distributions. They are illustrated by numerical examples from the 1972–74 National Hail Research Experiment randomized seeding experiment.
Ice-storm disturbance and long-term forest dynamics in the Adirondack Mountains

Abstract Ice storms cause periodic disturbance to temperate forests of eastern North America. They are the primary agents of disturbance in some eastern forests. In this paper, a forest gap model is employed to explore consequences of ice storms for the long-term dynamics of Tsuga canadensis-northern hardwoods forests. The gap model LINKAGES was modified to simulate periodic ice storm disturbance in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. To adapt the gap model for this purpose, field data on ice storm disturbance are used to develop a polytomous logistic regression model of tree damage. The logistic regression model was then incorporated into the modified forest gap model, LINKADIR, to determine the type of damage sustained by each simulated tree. The logistic regression model predicts high probabilities of bent boles or severe bole damage (leaning, snapping, or uprooting) in small-diameter trees, and increasing probability of canopy damage as tree size increases. Canopy damage is most likely on gentle slo...
Surface Morphology Effects on High-Rate Fracture of an Aluminum/Epoxy Interface

Crack initiation and propagation along interfaces are influenced by interface morphology under quasi-static loading conditions. In this article, the loading rate and surface topography effects on energy dissipation during dynamic fracture of an aluminum/epoxy interface were experimentally investigated. Four-point bending specimens with a precrack on the interface were dynamically loaded at high rates with stress waves. The aluminum side of the interface on the specimen had four surface roughness levels. The study of surface morphology effects at high rates is the original contribution of this research. The results indicate that surface morphology significantly affect the energy dissipation during the dynamic fracture of the interface. At a specific roughness, fracture toughness and energy dissipation increase with increasing loading rates.
An analysis of the familiarization explanation of the risky-shift☆

Abstract Whether preceding or following the standard omnibus familiarization procedure, group discussion increased risk-taking. Contrariwise, omnibus familiarization—whether before or after discussion—failed to increase riskiness. Consequently, attempts to experimentally isolate the psychological processes underlying previous instances in which omnibus familiarization increased risk-taking necessarily failed. The results strongly counter those of Bateson, and Flanders and Thistlethwaite. They add to accumulating evidence that familiarity with the task neither underlies increased risk-taking produced by group discussion or independently increases risk-taking in socially isolated individuals. Furthermore, they show that one component of the standard omnibus familiarization procedure (viz., “serious reconsideration”) decreases risk-taking. Whether the risky-shift is a true or pseudo group-effect remains unanswered. Other untested variables (e.g., involvement) might increase risk-taking in both group and in individual situations.
Homeless Gay and Transgender Youth of Color in San Francisco: “No One Likes Street Kids”—Even in the Castro

This study, focused on five transgender and gay youth of color from San Francisco, explored how family problems, poverty, homophobia, and transphobia propelled them into homelessness and made gay-friendly spaces and resources especially meaningful to them. These young people describe seeking support in San Francisco's well-known gay enclave, the Castro District, to form community and find safety from a homophobic and transphobic world. This study also explored difficulties these youth face as homeless LGBTQ young people of color navigating this neighborhood, which is widely considered a safe haven for LGBTQ people. In the Castro, they experienced invisibility, police and community harassment, sexualization, and commodification. Finally, this article examined how participation in a visible gay neighborhood contributed to their vulnerability yet offered marginally housed transgender and gay youth of color an important space to explore their identities.
OPTIMIZATION OF CONFORMAL THORACIC RADIOTHERAPY USING CONE-BEAM CT IMAGING FOR TREATMENT VERIFICATION

Abstract Purpose: Megavoltage cone-beam computed tomography (MVCBCT) has been proposed for treatment verification in conformal radiotherapy. However, the doses required for such imaging may compromise the quality of the delivered dose distribution. The present paper explores the effect of cone-beam imaging on dose homogeneity and critical organ dose and the use of our new tool, adapted intensity-modulated radiation therapy (AIMRT). Methods and Materials: Three types of treatment plans were devised (3D-CRT [three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy], IMRT [intensity-modulated radiotherapy], and AIMRT) based on 4 patients with thoracic malignancies. MVCBCT fields were then integrated into the plans. The MVCBCT technique used 21 imaging portals at 10° intervals. The MVCBCT apertures were shaped to conform to the planning target volume with a 6-mm margin. In a second set of plans, the field size was expanded by a further 2 cm. The unoptimized MVCBCT dose distribution was incorporated into the IMRT plan using AIMRT. Results: Normal-tissue complication probability with MVCBCT is acceptable for all plans at the 66.6 Gy level, but exceeds tolerance for both 3D-CRT alone and 3D-CRT with MVCBCT at higher doses. In contrast, the use of AIMRT planning with MVCBCT allowed safe dose escalation to 85 Gy. Expanding the MVCBCT aperture provided better anatomic visibility with an acceptable lung dose. The results using IMRT with MVCBCT fell between the values measured for 3D-CRT and AIMRT with MVCBCT. Conclusion: The present study is the first to demonstrate that MVCBCT can be incorporated into 3D-CRT and IMRT planning with minimal effect on planning target volume homogeneity and dose to critical structures. This paves the way for highly conformal radiotherapy at greater doses delivered with increased confidence and safety.
Liver function values in adults receiving total parenteral nutrition.

A retrospective review was made of results of conventional liver function tests in adult patients who received fat-free total parenteral nutrition (TPN) for two weeks or longer and who did not have other obvious causes for liver function abnormalities. A "meaningful" increase (≥50% increase above baseline pre-TPN value) in SGOT levels was noted in 68% of patients, in alkaline phosphatase levels in 54%, and in serum bilirubin levels in 21% of patients. The median peak values for SGOT, alkaline phosphatase, and bilirubin were 3-, 1.9-, and 0.25-fold above the upper limit of normal, respectively. The median time interval of peak increase for each of the three tests was between 9 and 12 days after TPN was started. Liver biopsy specimens from four patients, taken when liver function values were abnormal, showed pronounced steatosis in three patients and mild periportal cholestasis in the fourth patient. The cause(s) of the elevated liver values is unknown, but possibilities include cellular damage, such as steatosis, and an "overshoot" of enzymes when starved patients are refed. (JAMA241:2398-2400, 1979)
The functional anatomy of non-verbal (pitch memory) function in left and right anterior temporal lobectomy patients.

An fMRI pitch memory task was administered to left and right anterior temporal lobectomy (ATL) patients. The goal was to verify the neuroanatomical correlates of non-verbal memory, and to determine if pitch memory tasks can identify cognitive risk prior to ATL. The data showed that the bilateral posterior superior temporal lobes implement pitch memory in both ATL patients and NCs (normal controls), indicating that the task can be accomplished with either anterior temporal lobe resected. NCs activate the posterior temporal lobes more strongly than ATL patients during highly accurate performance. In contrast, both ATL groups activate the anterior cingulate in association with accuracy. While our data clarifies the functional neuroanatomy of pitch memory, it also indicates that such tasks do not serve well to lateralize and functionally map potentially “at risk” non-verbal memory skills prior to ATL.
Kinetics of tyrosine oxidation by crude tyrosinase preparations from Neurospora crassa.

Summary1. Oxidation of tyrosine by crude enzyme extracts of Neurospora mycelium, as measured by spectrophotometric determination of dopachrome formation, follows a course similar to that exhibited by purified tyrosinase. 2. The reaction exhibits conventional Michaelis-Menten kinetics with a pH optimum of 7.4. 3. Each mole of tyrosine utilized during the reaction is converted into a mole of dopachrome, thus demonstrating that no enzymatic systems utilizing tyrosine other than tyrosinase are present, and that the use of crude extracts and spectrophotometric methods is justified. 4. The induction period exhibited during the oxidation of tyrosine by the crude extracts results from both the production of catalytic amounts of dihydroxyphenols and conversion of protyrosinase to tyrosinase.
Children's use of motor vehicle restraints: maternal psychological distress, maternal motor vehicle restraint practices, and sociodemographics

Objective To determine the relative contribution of maternal psychological distress, maternal restraint use, and sociodemographic characteristics to the likelihood that a child would not be restrained in a motor vehicle. Methods We examined data on 6251 children aged 0–17 years from the 1998 National Health Interview Survey. The level of children's motor vehicle restraint use (low vs high) was examined by maternal psychological distress and motor vehicle restraint use. Multivariate regression analyses were used to model the odds of children's low use of motor vehicle restraints, controlling for potential confounders. Results According to maternal reports, more than 10% of children and nearly 13% of mothers reported low use of motor vehicle restraints. Multivariate analyses revealed that maternal use of restraints and psychological distress were both independently related to children's use of restraints, with maternal low use as the stronger correlate. Older children were more likely than younger children to be low users of motor vehicle restraints if the mother reported that she was a low user of restraints. Families with male children, black and Hispanic mothers, and 4 or more members reported lower use of restraints for their children. Conclusions Children's low use of motor vehicle restraints was associated with low levels of maternal motor vehicle restraint use and maternal psychological distress. Moreover, maternal motor vehicle restraint practices become increasingly important as children age. Health care providers should consider maternal motor vehicle restraint use, maternal psychological distress, and child age in addition to sociodemographics when assessing children's motor vehicle safety.
Combined KHFAC + DC nerve block without onset or reduced nerve conductivity after block.

Objective. Kilohertz frequency alternating current (KHFAC) waveforms have been shown to provide peripheral nerve conductivity block in many acute and chronic animal models. KHFAC nerve block could be used to address multiple disorders caused by neural over-activity, including blocking pain and spasticity. However, one drawback of KHFAC block is a transient activation of nerve fibers during the initiation of the nerve block, called the onset response. The objective of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of using charge balanced direct current (CBDC) waveforms to temporarily block motor nerve conductivity distally to the KHFAC electrodes to mitigate the block onset-response. Approach. A total of eight animals were used in this study. A set of four animals were used to assess feasibility and reproducibility of a combined KHFAC + CBDC block. A following randomized study, conducted on a second set of four animals, compared the onset response resulting from KHFAC alone and combined KHFAC + CBDC waveforms. To quantify the onset, peak forces and the force-time integral were measured during KHFAC block initiation. Nerve conductivity was monitored throughout the study by comparing muscle twitch forces evoked by supra-maximal stimulation proximal and distal to the block electrodes. Each animal of the randomized study received at least 300 s (range: 318–1563 s) of cumulative dc to investigate the impact of combined KHFAC + CBDC on nerve viability. Main results. The peak onset force was reduced significantly from 20.73 N (range: 18.6–26.5 N) with KHFAC alone to 0.45 N (range: 0.2–0.7 N) with the combined CBDC and KHFAC block waveform (p < 0.001). The area under the force curve was reduced from 6.8 Ns (range: 3.5–21.9 Ns) to 0.54 Ns (range: 0.18–0.86 Ns) (p < 0.01). No change in nerve conductivity was observed after application of the combined KHFAC + CBDC block relative to KHFAC waveforms. Significance. The distal application of CBDC can significantly reduce or even completely prevent the KHFAC onset response without a change in nerve conductivity.
Implementing an immunization program.

(1985). Implementing an Immunization Program. Journal of American College Health: Vol. 34, No. 2, pp. 100-101.
The United States and genocide in East Timor

(1981). The United States and genocide in East Timor. Journal of Contemporary Asia: Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 44-61.
Design of FPGA interconnect for multilevel metalization

How does multilevel metalization impact the design of FPGA interconnect? The availability of a growing number of metal layers presents the opportunity to use wiring in the third-dimension to reduce switch requirements. Unfortunately, traditional FPGA wiring schemes are not designed to exploit these additional metal layers. We introduce an alternate topology, based on Leighton's Mesh-of-Trees, which carefully exploits hierarchy to allow additional metal layers to support arbitrary device scaling. When wiring layers grow sufficiently fast with aggregate network size (N), our network requires only O(N) area; this is in stark contrast to traditional, Manhattan FPGA routing schemes where switching requirements alone grow superlinearly in N. In practice, we show that, even for the admittedly small designs in the Toronto "FPGA Place and Route Challenge," the Mesh-of-Trees networks require 10% less switches than the standard, Manhattan FPGA routing scheme.
Across the great divide [global trading system]

Some 30 or 40 years ago, when computers were becoming established in business and government, these new machines drew complaints from people who disliked the standardization that they imposed. Global trade has indeed destroyed local industries but, at the same time, it has generally given the world a higher standard of living. Like the computer age, the era of global trade has come with a new sense of standardization. Trade agreements are technical documents that include lengthy sections of technical definitions, rules, and standards. Hence, it is probably not surprising that the goods and services that have moved most easily from economy to economy and from culture to culture are those that are easily standardized
Does saccadic space compression mean size shrinking

10-deg bar 5-deg bar 1-deg bar Linear (10-deg bar) Outline •Stimuli flashed around saccade onset time are perceived to shift towards the saccade target. The mislocalization pattern is interpreted as saccadic “space compression”. •Does perceived size really shrink during the “space compression”? •We flashed horizontal bars and asked subjects to point to the endpoints. •The bar location shifted as “space compression” predicted, but the bar length did not change as predicted.
Food Habits of Lacustrine Salmonids in Washington State in Relation to Infections with Larvae of the Bass Tapeworm (Proteocephalus ambloplitis)

Abstract Analysis of stomach contents of rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, and coho salmon from four lakes revealed a diversity of feeding habits. Copepods were the most frequently observed food items in the stomachs of the three salmonids. Cyclopoid copepods were most abundant in rainbow trout (198/fish), and less abundant in coho salmon (150/fish) and cutthroat trout (142/fish), respectively. Between 89-93% of the copepods found in stomach contents were Cyclops bicuspidatus, a species found to transmit bass tapeworm larvae to rainbow trout in laboratory experiments.
An anticoincidence-shielded NaI spectrometer designed to minimize neutron backgrounds☆

Abstract A 25 × 25 cm2 NaI gamma spectrometer with a plastiv anticoincidence shield has been constructed with particular regard to minimizing neutron-associated backgrounds. The spectrometer is used with the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory cyclograaff accelerator. The unique feature of the spectrometer is the use of thick shields of 6LiH completely surrounding both the central NaI crystal and the anticoincedence plastic. It is found that under normal conditions the count-rate limitation of the spectrometer is due to gammas in the central crystal emitted from accelerator target, and not to neutron-induced events.
Disparities in cardiovascular care: does a rising tide lift all boats?

Last year, an Institute of Medicine panel identified health care delivery and disparities as the nation’s top 2 priorities for comparative effectiveness research.1 We have long known that disparities in the delivery of cardiovascular care are pervasive and harmful; the literature is robust and clear. These disturbing disparities are most prominent for emerging high-technology procedures. Compared with whites, blacks are less likely to undergo coronary angiography and revascularization and are more likely to die of cardiovascular disease.2 As the cardiovascular research community moves from describing disparities to finding solutions, a key question emerges: Will improving quality of care for all patients eliminate disparities, or should we tailor our approach and target particular contributors and populations? Article see p 2294 In this issue of Circulation , Cohen et al3 used data from the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Get With the Guidelines (GWTG) program to address the long-standing debate of whether improving quality of care overall is enough to eliminate disparities in care. Based on a sample of >140 000 patients with acute myocardial infarction seen in 443 hospitals between 2002 and 2007, the authors found that a general trend toward improved quality of care was associated with an apparent elimination of disparities. In 2002, 70% of whites and Hispanics received “defect-free care,” whereas only 60% of blacks did; by 2007, well over 90% of all patients received defect-free care with no substantial differences in ethnic groups. The AHA GWTG program is a remarkable quality improvement collaborative. Participation in the GWTG–Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) program has been independently associated with improvements in guideline adherence above that in other hospitals participating in public reporting programs.4 Many hospitals enrolled in the GWTG program achieve extraordinarily high levels of recommended care for …
Perceptions among occupational and physical therapy students of a nontraditional methodology for teaching laboratory gross anatomy

This pilot study was designed to assess the perceptions of physical therapy (PT) and occupational therapy (OT) students regarding the use of computer-assisted pedagogy and prosection-oriented communications in the laboratory component of a human anatomy course at a comprehensive health sciences university in the southeastern United States. The goal was to determine whether student perceptions changed over the course of a summer session regarding verbal, visual, tactile, and web-based teaching methodologies. Pretest and post-test surveys were distributed online to students who volunteered to participate in the pilot study. Despite the relatively small sample size, statistically significant results indicated that PT and OT students who participated in this study perceived an improved ability to name major anatomical structures from memory, to draw major anatomical structures from memory, and to explain major anatomical relationships from memory. Students differed in their preferred learning styles. This study demonstrates that the combination of small group learning and digital web-based learning seems to increase PT and OT students' confidence in their anatomical knowledge. Further research is needed to determine which forms of integrated instruction lead to improved student performance in the human gross anatomy laboratory.
Richard Rorty's Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature : An Existential Critique

Seeing philosophy as conversation with a number of fruitful avenues of discourse, Rorty seems to be caught in limbo, unwilling to follow through or commit himself to any particular line of discourse for fear of closing himself off to alternative discourses. Choosing to adopt this particular attitude he still has made a choice: he has made a commitment to non-commitment, or as Ortega puts it, “decided not to decide.” 1 Such a commitment or decision is in no way neutral, for it attempts to enforce, by moral requirement, 2 a new vocabulary which views philosophy as conversation between speakers, with a whole range of obligations and implications included. Thus the Rortian alternative, like the alternatives he criticizes, plays the role “of the cultural overseer who knows everyone's common ground — the Platonic philosopherking who knows what everybody else is really doing whether they know it or not, because he knows about the ultimate context ... within which they are doing it.” 3 In fact, Rorty even refers to “conversation as the ultimate context” 4 In assuming to know everyone's common ground, that every-one is participating in the conversation of humankind whether they realize it or not, Rorty seems to fall prey to a similar “self-deceptive ... absurdity of thinking that the vocabulary [he uses] ... has some privileged attachment to reality which makes it more than just a further set of descriptions.” 5
‘A Versifying Maid of Honour’: Anne Finch and the Libretto for Venus and Adonis

The anonymous libretto for John Blow's Venus and Adonis (c. 1683) may be the work of Anne Kingsmill, later Anne Finch, who was a Maid of Honour to the second Duchess of York at the time it was performed. Earlier musical dramas originating in that court, such as Ariane and Calisto, also have mythological plots, pastoral interludes, and an emphasis on female characters. While at court, Finch began a translation of Tasso's Aminto, a pastoral drama resembling Venus and Adonis. ‘The Grove’, a partially blotted manuscript poem ‘Written when I was a Maid of Honour’, has close verbal parallels with the musical work. A Maid of Honour would have reasons to conceal her authorship of this delicately erotic libretto. Finch later remarked on that she had been careful not ‘to lett any attempts of mine in Poetry shew themselves whilst I livd in such a publick place as the Court, where every one would have made their remarks upon a Versifying Maid of Honour’. Her efforts to efface or conceal later works with close resemblances to the opera suggest that she remained determined to cover her tracks. There are numerous verbal parallels between Venus and Adonis and later works by Finch, and if some of the phrases are conventional, their frequency points to Finch as the author of Venus and Adonis.
Multilinear methods in linear algebra

Abstract Several classical and a few new results are presented in which multilinear algebra has proven to be an effective tool. Some of the topics covered are: Weyl's inequalities; the Hadamard product; mappings on tensor spaces; Gram matrices in tensor spaces; strong nonsingularity and the LDU theorem.
A Code in the Nose

The mammalian nose is arguably the best chemical detector on the planet, capable of detecting and discriminating among many thousands of compounds. This ability is mediated at the earliest steps by a large family of G protein (heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide-binding protein)-coupled receptors (GPCRs). The capacity to detect and discriminate odors depends on a combinatorial code, in which any given receptor recognizes many odors and any given odor compound might serve as a ligand at multiple receptors. Recent research adds a layer of complexity to the interpretation of this olfactory code, suggesting that the overall effect of a mixture of odorants is not simply equal to the sum of its parts. Rather, individual odorants can act as antagonists at the level of individual GPCRs, thereby suppressing some of the signaling pathways activated by structurally related compounds. Thus, the odor code not only is a function of the pattern of activated receptors, but also may be further sharpened by the action of antagonism. It seems that odor coding is now a division of pharmacology.
Impact of staging transesophageal EUS on treatment and survival in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer.

Background Transesophageal EUS-guided FNA (EUS-FNA) is safe, accurate, and cost effective in staging patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the impact of EUS-FNA on patient survival has not been demonstrated. Objective To determine the impact of metastatic disease in mediastinal lymph nodes as determined by EUS staging on treatment choice and survival in patients with NSCLC. Design Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data. Setting Tertiary university-based referral center. Patients Patients with biopsy-proven NSCLC who underwent staging EUS-FNA. The relationship between the EUS nodal status and patient survival was evaluated. Cox proportional hazards models were used to determine the significance of EUS nodal status and patient characteristics on patient survival. Main Outcomes Measurements Impact of EUS-FNA on therapy and survival in patients with NSCLC. Results Of 125 patients with NSCLC, EUS-FNA confirmed metastatic disease in 46% of the patients. Patients who were node positive were more likely to receive chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy and were less likely to undergo surgery compared with patients who were node negative ( P P = .004). Adjusting for age, race, and sex, EUS-FNA was the most important predictor of survival of patients with NSCLC in this cohort of patients (hazard ratio 2.34, 95% CI 1.31-4.21). Limitations Lack of surgical reference standard in all patients and referral to a tertiary center. Conclusions Patients with node-positive NSCLC as detected by EUS-FNA have a shorter survival time compared with patients who were node negative. They are more likely to receive neoadjuvant therapy and less likely to receive surgery. Preoperative EUS-FNA is a minimally invasive technique that provides important prognostic information in patients with NSCLC.
Effects of a locally injected signal on phase synchronization in a network of self-excited cells

We consider in this paper the problem of phase synchronization in a network of coupled self-excited cells with free-end boundary conditions. The eigenvalues properties are used to perform the stability boundaries of the synchronization process for pure sinusoidal and quasi-sinusoidal oscillatory states. In the case where the cells’ oscillatory states are quasi-periodic, more energy and time are required for the network to become fully synchronized, compared to the case where each cell exhibits a periodic oscillation. The influence on the stability boundaries of a periodic external excitation locally injected in the network is tackled. For both cases (with and without local injection), numerical simulations are used to check the accuracy and to complement the results derived from the analytical treatment. In this configuration, the local injection helps to drastically increase the range of the coupling parameter for which all cells become synchronized.
Comparison of the Frequency Control Strategy of Wind Turbines and its Optimization Scheme

In order to improve the frequency stability of grid, new control strategy for wind turbines need to be developed with high wind power penetration. This work analyzes the requirements of frequency control for wind turbines in some countries, and the characteristics and methods of typical frequency control strategy are analyzed. To meet the requirements of frequency control of wind turbine and to improve wind energy utilization efficiency, a method of optimization scheme of frequency control on wind turbine is given in the paper, and the operating curve of wind turbine with the control method is determined, at the same time this work gives a general method about how to determine some key parameters.
An Evaluation of Selective Differential Plating Media for the Isolation of Yersinia enterocolitica from Experimentally Inoculated Fresh Ground Pork Homogenate

Seven selective differential plating media were evaluated for their effectiveness in recovering eight serotypes (0:3; 0:8; 0:9; 0:11,24; 0:12,25; 0.16; 0:17; and 0:28) of Y. enterocolitica from pure cultures and from artificially inoculated fresh ground pork homogenate. Cefsulodin-irgasan-novobiocin (CIN) agar was the most effective medium for the recovery of Y. enterocolitica. However, Y. enterocolitica 0:12,25 was slightly inhibited on CIN agar. Bismuth sulfite agar, MacConkey, and MacConkey-Tween 80 agars were acceptable; cellobiose-arginine-lysine, desoxycholate citrate, and Salmonella-Shigella agars were the least effective media.