cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparing telemedicine to in-person buprenorphine treatment in U.S. veterans with opioid use disorder.

Abstract Background Telemedicine-delivered buprenorphine (tele-buprenorphine) can potentially increase access to buprenorphine for patients with opioid use disorder (OUD), especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, but we know little about use in clinical care. Methods This study was a retrospective national cohort study of veterans diagnosed with opioid use disorder (OUD) receiving buprenorphine treatment from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) in fiscal years 2012–2019. The study examined trends in use of tele-buprenorphine and compared demographic and clinical characteristics in patients who received tele-buprenorphine versus those who received in-person treatment only. Results Utilization of tele-buprenorphine increased from 2.29% of buprenorphine patients in FY2012 (n = 187) to 7.96% (n = 1352) in FY2019 in VHA veterans nationally. Compared to patients receiving only in-person care, tele-buprenorphine patients were less likely to be male (AOR = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.73–0.98) or Black (AOR = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.45–0.65). Tele-buprenorphine patients were more likely to be treated in community-based outpatient clinics rather than large medical centers (AOR = 2.91, 95% CI: 2.67–3.17) and to live in rural areas (AOR = 2.12, 95% CI:1.92–2.35). The median days supplied of buprenorphine treatment was 722 (interquartile range: 322–1459) among the tele-buprenorphine patients compared to 295 (interquartile range: 67–854) among patients who received treatment in-person. Conclusions Use of telemedicine to deliver buprenorphine treatment in VHA increased 3.5-fold between 2012 and 2019, though overall use remained low prior to COVID-19. Tele-buprenorphine is a promising modality especially when treatment access is limited. However, we must continue to understand how practitioners and patient are using telemedicine and how these patients' outcomes compare to those using in-person care.
Commissioning a compact, tabletop EPR spectrometer for alanine dosimetry

Abstract Purpose: The large footprint and cost of the spectrometry equipment are often prohibitive for many institutions to start an alanine dosimetry program. However, compact spectrometers are gaining popularity as an alternative tool for quantitative chemical analysis and may be an attractive option for alanine dosimetry. Therefore, it was the goal of this work to characterize a novel compact EPR spectrometer and explore several spectral analysis methods that can be used for alanine dosimetry. Methods: The system stability, measurement variability, and dose response linearity was quantified for a Magnettech TM MiniScope MS 5000X tabletop spectrometer. In addition to conventional spectral analysis techniques, a novel post-processing algorithm was also developed to characterize the background spectrum signature and fit a quantum mechanical model to an alanine EPR spectrum to improve measurement repeatability. Following the system’s characterization, an uncertainty budget was developed to reflect the calibration accuracy and measurement precision. Results: A microwave power of 6.2 mW was found to provide the highest spectrum sensitivity while avoiding the saturation of the alanine response, and a modulation width of 0.65 mT provided the best noise minimization across the alanine signal while minimizing the degradation in the ruby’s EPR spectrum amplitude. The repeatability of the alanine dosimeters irradiated between 1 Gy and 10 Gy was improved using spectral fitting techniques. Conclusions: A novel tabletop EPR system was commissioned for alanine dosimetry. Following careful dosimetry protocols and analysis procedures, this work suggests that a k = 1 combined uncertainty of 2.1 % is obtainable for doses on the order of 10 Gy. However, this uncertainty reflects the use of the dosimeter within a dose range specific to its calibration and may be clinically unacceptable for lower doses, less than 1 Gy.
Gender as soft assembly

Gender as Soft Assembly weaves together insights from different disciplinary domains to open up new vistas of clinical understanding of what it means to inhabit, to perform, and to be, gendered. Opposing the traditional notion of development as the linear unfolding of predictable stages, Adrienne Harris argues that children become gendered in multiply configured contexts. And she proffers new developmental models to capture the fluid, constructed, and creative experiences of becoming and being gendered. According to Harris, these models, and the images to which they give rise, articulate not only with contemporary relational psychoanalysis but also with recent research into the origins of mentalization and symbolization.In urging us to think of gender as co-constructed in a variety of relational contexts, Harris enlarges her psychoanalytic sensibility with the insights of attachment theory, linguistics, queer theory, and feminist criticism. Nor is she inattentive to the impact of history and culture on gender meanings. Special consideration is given to chaos theory, which Harris positions at the cutting edge of developmental psychology and uses to generate new perspectives and new images for comprehending and working clinically with gender.
Reproductive Health and Behavior, HIV/AIDS, and Poverty in Africa

This paper examines the complex linkages of poverty, reproductive/sexual health and behavior, and HIV/AIDS in Africa. It addresses the following questions: (1) what have we learned to date about these links and what are the gaps in knowledge to be addressed by further research; (2) what is known about the effectiveness for HIV prevention of reproductive health and HIV/AIDS interventions and policies in Africa; and (3) what are the appropriate methodological approaches to research on these questions. With regard to what has been learned so far, the paper pays considerable attention in particular to the evidence regarding the impacts of a range of HIV interventions on risk behaviors and HIV incidence. Other sections review the extensive microeconomic literature on the impacts of AIDS on households and children in Africa and the effects of the epidemic on sexual risk behavior and fertility decisions. With regard to methodology, the paper assesses the approaches used in the literature to deal with, among other things, the problem of self-selection and non-randomness in the placement of HIV and reproductive health programs. Data requirements for different research questions are discussed, and an effort is made to assess what researchers can learn from existing sources such as Demographic and Health Surveys.
Adding Possibilistic Knowledge To Probabilities Makes Many Problems Algorithmically Decidable

Many physical theories accurately predict which events are possible and which are not, or – in situations where probabilistic (e.g., quantum) effects are important – predict the probabilities of different possible outcomes. At first glance, it may seem that this probabilistic information is all we need. We show, however, that to adequately describe physicists’ reasoning, it is important to also take into account additional knowledge – about what is possible and what is not. We show that this knowledge can be described in terms of possibility theory, and that the presence of this knowledge makes many problems algorithmically decidable.
A practical guide to pseudospectral methods

1. Introduction 2. Introduction to spectral methods via orthogonal functions 3. Introduction to PS methods via finite differences 4. Key properties of PS approximations 5. PS variations/enhancements 6. PS methods in polar and spherical geometries 7. Comparisons of computational cost - FD vs. PS methods 8. Some application areas for spectral methods Appendices.
Personality Assessment in Snow Leopards (Uncia uncia)

Knowledge of individual personality is a useful tool in animal husbandry and can be used effectively to improve welfare. This study assessed personality in snow leopards (Uncia uncia) by examining their reactions to six novel objects and comparing them to personality assessments based on a survey completed by zookeepers. The objectives were to determine whether these methods could detect differences in personality, including age and sex differences, and to assess whether the two methods yielded comparable results. Both keeper assessments and novel object tests identified age, sex, and individual differences in snow leopards. Five dimensions of personality were found based on keepers’ ratings: Active/Vigilant, Curious/Playful, Calm/Self-Assured, Timid/Anxious, and Friendly to Humans. The dimension Active/Vigilant was significantly positively correlated with the number of visits to the object, time spent locomoting, and time spent in exploratory behaviors. Curious/Playful was significantly positively correlated with the number of visits to the object, time spent locomoting, and time spent in exploratory behaviors. However, other dimensions (Calm/Self-Assured, Friendly to Humans, and Timid/Anxious) did not correlate with novel-object test variables and possible explanations for this are discussed. Thus, some of the traits and behaviors were correlated between assessment methods, showing the novel-object test to be useful in assessing an animal’s personality should a keeper be unable to, or to support
Bioassay of the growth potential of the surface water of lower Narragansett Bay over an annual cycle using the diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana (oceanic clone, 13-1 )1

The surface waters of unpolluted lower Narragansett Bay were bioassayed over an annual cycle (n = 36) with Thalassiosira pseudonana ( 13-1) at 16 different nutrient enrichments replicated three times. Omission of nitrogen usually markedly inhibited growth. This effect was followed in importance by adverse “water quality” properties associated with phytoplankton growth, which could be overcome by addition of the chelator EDTA in the prcsence of nitrogen and other elements. Silicon omission also limited growth. Limitation by omission of other nutrients was less pronounced. The following findings challenge the traditional view that phytoplankton growth is regulated by a specific limiting nutrient: seasonal variations in growth or yield limitation by a given nutrient occurred; the intensity of limitation by nutrients varied seasonally; several nutrients were usually limiting simultaneously, and with a different intensity; the combinations of limiting nutrients varied seasonally; a seasonal succession in type of nutrient limitation occurred. The results suggest that chemical changes in situ important to the occurrcncc, growth, and succession of phytoplankton spccics would not be detected by the routinely used nutrient and biological analyses.
The chain-additivity issue and the US national economic accounts

When the US Bureau of Economic Analysis adopted chain-type quantity indexes in 1996, real gross domestic product (GDP) and its components, when measured in units of the currency of a particular reference year, were no longer additive. We discuss some of the problems with the additive, fixedweighted aggregates these estimates replaced, as well as problems that arise when users treat the new “chained dollar” aggregates as if they were additive. Using properties of the Fisher index formula, we describe new tools for economic analysis that traditionally relied on the additivity of fixed- weighted GDP aggregates. We also describe some tools that have been developed for the compilation and review of chain-type estimates. Finally, we discuss Claude Hillinger’s proposed methods for creating an additive set of real aggregates and present empirical results that lead us to be skeptical about their usefulness.
Axons of early generated neurons in cingulate cortex pioneer the corpus callosum

The internal capsule and corpus callosum are the two major efferent axonal pathways of the mammalian neocortex. Previous studies have shown that the first cortical axons to grow through the internal capsule, the pathway from cortex to its subcortical targets, are extended by subplate neurons, which are the earliest generated neurons in the neocortex. Here, we characterize the origin of the first axons to project through the other major efferent pathway of the cortex, the midline corpus callosum, which connects the two cortical hemispheres. Using anterograde Dil tracing, we show that cortical axons first cross the midline through the nascent corpus callosum at E17. Retrograde Dil labeling from medial cortex at E18 reveals that these axons originate from a discrete group of neurons in medial (presumptive cingulate) cortex. These early callosal cells have complex morphologies with highly branched dendrites and later appear to take on a pyramidal form characteristic of callosal neurons in deep layers of cingulate cortex. 3H-thymidine birthdating demonstrates that these cells are predominantly generated on E14, making them among the earliest generated neurons in this cortical region. Injections of retrograde tracers in one cortical hemisphere at late embryonic or early postnatal ages result in substantial numbers of neurons labeled in the ipsilateral subplate, but only a few neurons labeled in the contralateral subplate. Thus, subplate neurons do not pioneer or ever project in significant numbers through the corpus callosum. We conclude that the two major efferent pathways from cortex, the corpus callosum and the internal capsule, are pioneered by developmentally and spatially distinct populations of early generated cortical neurons.
Testing the concurrent validity of a naturalistic upper extremity reaching task

Point-to-point reaching has been widely used to study upper extremity motor control. We have been developing a naturalistic reaching task that adds tool manipulation and object transport to this established paradigm. The purpose of this study was to determine the concurrent validity of a naturalistic reaching task in a sample of healthy adults. This task was compared to the criterion measure of standard point-to-point reaching. Twenty-eight adults performed unconstrained out-and-back movements in three different directions relative to constant start location along midline using their nondominant arm. In the naturalistic task, participants manipulated a tool to transport objects sequentially between physical targets anchored to the planar workspace. In the standard task, participants moved a digital cursor sequentially between virtual targets, veridical to the planar workspace. In both tasks, the primary measure of performance was trial time, which indicated the time to complete 15 reaches (five cycles of three reaches/target). Two other comparator tasks were also designed to test concurrent validity when components of the naturalistic task were added to the standard task. Spearman's rank correlation coefficients indicated minimal relationship between the naturalistic and standard tasks due to differences in progressive task difficulty. Accounting for this yielded a moderate linear relationship, indicating concurrent validity. The comparator tasks were also related to both the standard and naturalistic task. Thus, the principles of motor control and learning that have been established by the wealth of point-to-point reaching studies can still be applied to the naturalistic task to a certain extent.
The Hispanic Family and Male-Female Relationships: An Overview:

An overview of the traditional Hispanic family and male-female relationships is presented, with an emphasis on issues relevant to providing health care to Hispanic populations. Aspects of the family presented include visitation, decision making, self-care, and emotional problems. Male-female relationships stem from traditional gender roles. Machismo and patriarchal authority characterize the male role; the roles of a traditional woman are housewife and mother. Women are expected to defer to the authority of their husbands. The negative aspects of machismo can result in heavy drinking and the pursuit of high-risk activities, leading to domestic violence and HIV/AIDS. These health risks are exacerbated by such cultural factors as male dominance, female modesty, and the practice of keeping problems within the family. The importance of personalism in patient-provider encounters is emphasized.
Loss of crystal violet binding activity in stationary phase Yersinia enterocolitica following gamma irradiation

Abstract Ionizing radiation can eliminate virulent Yersinia enterocolitica from meat. It is possible, however unlikely, that a small number of Y. enterocolitica could survive the pasteurization process. The virulence of Y. enterocolitica is dependent upon the presence of a 70 kb plasmid. The effect of low-dose ionizing radiation on the plasmid-associated virulence trait of crystal violet binding was investigated. Y. enterocolitica strains which carried the virulence plasmid were suspended in Butterfield's Phosphate Buffer or raw ground pork and irradiated to a dose of 1·0 or 1·25 kGy, respectively. Loss of crystal violet binding increased 10-fold following exposure to ionizing radiation, regardless of the suspending medium. Polymerase chain reaction analysis of Y. enterocolitica isolates that did not bind crystal violet following irradiation indicated that loss of the virulence plasmid, as opposed to mutation of a single plasmid-encoded gene, was the major mechanism for elimination of the crystal violet binding trait.
The effect of annealing temperature on the carrier concentration OF Hg0.6Cd0.4Te

The carrier concentration dependence of Hg0.6Cd0.4Te on annealing temperature for the Hg and Te saturation condi-tions is presented in this paper. At low annealing tempera-tures, TA < 350‡ C, residual donor impurities apparently limit the carrier concentration. In contrast, at higher annealing temperatures, 350‡ C < T < 700‡ C, the stoichio-metric acceptor density is increased such that the residual donors are compensated and the material is converted to p-type with an acceptor density as large as 1017 cm−3 . An empirical expression describing this dependence of the acceptors on annealing temperature is given for both the Hg and Te saturation condition: P (Hg saturation) = 1.46 × 1022 exp (−0.84/kTA), P (Te saturation) = 1.90 × 1018 exp (−0.15/kTA).
Early metabolic imprinting events increase marbling scores in fed cattle

Early weaning of calves to a high concentrate diet results in greater fat deposition and suggests early postnatal metabolic imprinting events may be exploited as a management tool to improve cattle value. Our objective was to implement a short, high energy dietary intervention before a typical grazing period to manipulate intramuscular fat deposition in finishing cattle. Fall-born, Angus-sired steer calves (n = 24) were stratified by sire and randomly assigned to normal weaned (NW) or metabolic-imprinted (MIP) treatments. At 105 ± 6d (135kg), MIP calves were transitioned to a diet containing 20% CP and 1.26 Mcal/kg NEg. Metabolic-imprinted calves were fed ad libitum as a group. Normal weaned calves remained on their dam until 253 ± 6 d of age. At this time, treatment groups were combined and grazed for 156 d on a mixed summer pasture. Following the grazing phase, steers were adapted to a corn silage-based feedlot diet and performance was monitored on 28-d intervals. Calves were staged for harvest based on backfat endpoint (target 1.0 to 1.2 cm). Metabolic-imprinted calves were heavier (P 0.20) between treatments. However, MIP steers produced heavier (P < 0.05) carcasses (564 vs. 524 ± 5.6 kg) with higher (P < 0.001) marbling scores (645 vs. 517 ± 23). Therefore, calves consuming a high concentrate diet for 148 d after early weaning produced higher quality carcasses. This suggests early weaning and feeding a high concentrate before grazing is a viable strategy to increase marbling deposition compared with a traditional production system.
Intracranial migration of a halo pin during distraction osteogenesis for maxillary hypoplasia: case report and literature review.

Halo devices are most frequently used by orthopedic and neurosurgeons. The first reported use was by Perry and Nickel in 1959, who used a halo to immobilize the cervical spine of a poliomyelitis patient after complete fusion of the cervical spine. One of the relatively newer uses is as part of an external distraction device for stabilization and providing predictable forces to the craniofacial skeleton for distraction osteogenesis after osteotomies are performed. This is now widely used for treating maxillary hypoplasia, after being reported by Polley and Figueroa in 1997. Many of the patients that require this treatment have craniofacial abnormalities because of craniosynostosis syndromes such as Crouzon, Pfeiffer, and Apert. The common characteristic shared by these syndromes is midface recession with shallow orbits resulting in proptosis and a class III malocclusion. The procedure includes performing a Le Fort I or III osteotomy. The head frame is then secured to the skull with percutaneous pins and attached to the midface with wires. Because the device is often left in position for periods of up to 3 months, changes in the position of the pins and the device are possible. We report the case of a 19-year-old man with Crouzon’s syndrome who underwent a Le Fort III osteotomy for distraction osteogenesis, and at the time of distractor removal was found to have intracranial migration of 1 of the halo pins with dural penetration.
Exposure to mesalamine during pregnancy increased preterm deliveries (but not birth defects) and decreased birth weight

Exposure to mesalamine during pregnancy increased preterm deliveries (but not birth defects) and decreased birth weight Well-intentioned advice to women with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) to avoid medications during pregnancy creates more mischief than benefit. Activation of dormant ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease poses a much greater risk to pregnancy than do aminosalicylates, steroids, or purine antimetabolites. In particular, both the theoretical and the observed obstetrical safety records of sulfasalazine and mesalazine have remained extraordinarily benign throughout the years. In an effort to make this message even clearer and more authoritative, investigators at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto have published a prospective study of 165 pregnant women with IBD on mesalazine therapy, compared with an unspecified but presumably equal number of controls. It is in my view unfortunate that the control group, carefully matched as they were, did not have IBD nor evidently did they have any other important chronic diseases. Thus the cards might have been stacked against mesalazine in this study—blaming the drug, perhaps, for outcomes actually attributable …
Simple integral equations for two-dimensional scattering with further reduction in unknowns

A simple set of integral equations with reduced unknowns and kernel singularity are derived for simulating arbitrarily-shaped two-dimensional inhomogeneous composite scatterers. By utilising a known equivalence between electric and magnetic currents, new equivalent currents are introduced with the resultant integral formulation exhibiting a volume integral in addition to a surface integral, each in terms of a single equivalent current component. A pulse basis-point matching moment method implementation of the reduced unknown integral equations is presented. Scattering patterns computed with the numerical code are compared with results obtained via alternative analytical techniques.
Clonal composition of pituitary adenomas in patients with Cushing's disease: determination by X-chromosome inactivation analysis.

The synthesis and secretion of anterior pituitary hormones are subjected to a variety of positive and negative feedback mechanisms. Aberrancies of these highly regulated phenomena may lead to hyperplasia involving multiple cells of the anterior lobe. Alternatively, a rare genetic mutation in a single cell may precede its clonal expansion. Which of these mechanisms is operative in the development of corticotroph adenomas is not known. To examine this question, we studied the clonal composition of ACTH-producing pituitary adenomas from female patients with Cushing's disease by using X-chromosome inactivation analysis. Nine of 27 patients examined were heterozygous at 1 of the 2 X-chromosome-linked polymorphic loci, hypoxanthine-phosphoribosyl-transferase and phosphoglycerate-kinase. The methylation patterns of the hypoxanthine- phosphoribosyl-transferase and phosphoglyceratekinase genes, distinguishing between the active and inactive alleles, were analyzed in DNA extracted from the central part of the tumor...
Fibrillar Structure of Starch. Evidence for Crossed Fibrils from Incipient Gelatinization

By being brought to the threshold of gelatinization through careful heating in water, grains of native potato starch often were induced to swell differentially. At 55°C, radial elements (sectors) of the interior of these grains contracted centrifugally and expanded tangentially while the rigid exterior remained mostly unswollen and therefore was burst open due to the swelling of the interior. Evidence from the light microscope, the polarizing microscope, and the scanning electron microscope showed clearly the presence of radially oriented and near radial, crossed fibrillar elements, each of which traversed many lamellae, in the ungelatinized region. No ‘core’ was evident in the burst starch grain, nor was there any separation of lamellae.
Signatures of Divergence and Self-Organization in Soils and Weathering Profiles.

Abstract Complex system behaviors such as self‐organization are difficult to address in geology. System evolution often cannot be directly observed and, in geology models and theory, must be reconciled with field evidence. However, self‐organization can be addressed within the historical‐interpretive paradigm by applying a measure of the degree of self‐organization of geologic features, using standard interpretive methods to determine the nature of changes, and determining whether those changes result in an increase or decrease in organization. In this way, stable non‐self‐organizing convergent development can be distinguished from unstable chaotic self‐organizing divergent development. Kolmogorov entropy (K‐entropy) was used as a measure of the self‐organization of soil profiles in eastern North Carolina. In general, the profiles are low in K‐entropy, indicating a generally high level of predictability and information in the vertical arrangement of pedogenetic horizons. As a broad generality, the study p...
Religious Competition and Ethnic Mobilization in Latin America: Why the Catholic Church Promotes Indigenous Movements in Mexico

This article suggests that a society's religious market structure can explain whether religion is “the opium of the people” or a major source of dissident secular mobilization. I present a simple model explaining why under monopolistic conditions, Catholic clergy in Latin America ignored the religious and social needs of poor rural indigenous parishioners but, when confronted by the expansion of U.S. mainline Protestantism, became major institutional promoters of rural indigenous causes. Catholic indigenous parishioners empowered by competition demanded the same benefits their Protestant neighbors were receiving: social services, ecclesiastic decentralization, and the practice of religion in their own language. Unable to decentralize ecclesiastic hierarchies, and facing a reputation deficit for having sided with rich and powerful elites for centuries, Catholic clergy stepped into the secular realm and became active promoters of indigenous movements and ethnic identities; they embraced the cause of the Indians as a member retention strategy and not in response to new doctrinal ideas emanating from Vatican II. Drawing on an original data set of indigenous mobilization in Mexico and on life histories and case studies, I provide quantitative and qualitative evidence of the causal effect of religious competition on the creation of the social bases for indigenous ethnic mobilization.
A dynamic simulation model for evaluating effects of removal and contraception on genetic variation and demography of Pryor Mountain wild horses

Abstract I used an individual-based model to simulate population dynamics and changes in genetic variation of horses in the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range under a range of management strategies. Management strategies included population objectives of 90 to 180 horses and removal and/or contraception of animals of random, young, or old ages. Populations controlled only by removals fluctuated widely in size and generally exceeded objectives by >20%. Populations controlled by contraceptives remained within 3% of objective. Over a 200-year period, populations were very likely to lose alleles with an initial frequency of
Water quality of pocosins and associated wetlands of the Carolina Coastal Plain

We reviewed literature data on pocosins and associated wetlands of the Carolina coastal plain to 1) characterize the surface and subsurface water quality of undisturbed pocosins, 2) identify the processes controlling solution C, N, and P concentrations, and 3) examine the effects of disturbance on water quality and nutrient export. We hypothesized that the key to predicting nutrient losses from disturbed pocosins lies in understanding how disturbance affects both hydrologic export and the processes controlling solution C, N, and P concentrations. Since the development of pocosins for commercial forestry and agriculture involves a complex series of disturbances (drainage, vegetation removal, fire, and fertilization), we analyzed the specific effects of these component disturbances as well as the composite effects of agricultural and silvicultural development.
The Frequency of Acquisition and Quality of Images Obtained by Transesophageal Echocardiography: A Prospective Study of 100 Consecutive Cases

Although transesophageal echocardiography is capable of generating detailed images of the heart and aorta, the quality of these images and the frequency of their acquisition has not been previously defined. We performed monoplane transesophageal echocardiograms in 100 consecutive patients to determine the quality and frequency of acquisition of 10 standard, transverse views of the heart and aorta. Each image was graded for quality by ascribing a value from 0 (poor quality or not obtained) to 3 (excellent quality). The effect of age on image acquisition and quality was determined for patients less than or equal to 60 years ( n = 54) versus greater than 60 years old ( n = 46). For the 10 image planes, the average image quality score and the frequency of image acquisition (%) was (1) 2.23 and 100% for the four-chamber view, (2) 1.96 and 98% for the right ventricular inflow view and coronary sinus, (3) 2.17 and 99% for the five-chamber view, (4) 1.80 and 84% for the aortic valve short axis, (5) 1.54 and 82% for the mitral valve short axis, (6) 1.84 and 91% for the mid-left ventricular short axis, (7) 1.02 and 59% for the left ventricular apical short axis, (8) 1.79 and 93% for the ascending aorta, (9) 1.23 and 77% for the aortic arch, and (10) 1.88 and 92% for the descending thoracic aorta view. Ascending aorta and aortic valve short-axis views were obtained with a significantly higher frequency in patients less than or equal to 60 years old. In addition, image quality was significantly better for views of the left ventricular apical short axis, aortic arch, mitral valve short axis, mid-left ventricular short axis, and the right ventricular inflow view in the younger population. Image quality for most basal transesophageal images is high, higher than that of transgastric images, which are less frequently obtained. Although the frequency of image acquisition is usually not affected by age, image quality is often better in patients who are 60 years of age or younger.
Recanalized patent ductus arteriosus in the dog.

In 140 consecutive operations for patent ductus arteriosus at the Michigan State University Veterinary Clinic over a period of 10 years, three animals have had recanalized defects (2 %), and of these, one dog recanalized for the second time. Of the 140 surgeries, fifteen were suture divisions and the remaining 125 were ligations. All recanalized cases had been ligated in the original operation. We believe, due to the ease of surgery, ligation is the preferred method. However, if the ductus recanalizes, division and suture should be accomplished in the second operation.
Catalytic coprocessing of LDPE with coal and petroleum resid using different catalysts

Abstract Catalytic coprocessing of low density polyethylene (LDPE) with coal and heavy petroleum resid was investigated using four different catalysts that included both hydrotreating and hydrocracking catalysts. Reaction systems that were evaluated included LDPE alone; LDPE with coal; and LDPE, coal, and resid. The catalysts used were NiMo/Al2O3, a hydrotreating catalyst with some hydrocracking activity, and the hydrocracking catalysts Zeolyst 753, NiMo/zeolite, and HZSM-5. These catalysts were reacted individually or in combinations of 10 wt.% of each hydrocracking catalyst in NiMo/Al2O3. The catalytic reactions were performed at two temperatures, 400 and 430°C, using 1 wt.% of each catalyst or a combination of catalysts on a total feed basis. The effects of the different catalysts on the reaction products were measured in terms of solvent fractionation and total boiling point distribution. Reactions at the higher reaction temperature of 430°C resulted in substantially higher conversion and production of lighter products than the reactions at 400°C. The LDPE reaction system was sensitive to the catalyst type, and yielded increased conversion and lighter products when Zeolyst 753 and NiMo/zeolite were used. By contrast, the conversion and product slate obtained from the LDPE and coal systems were low and showed no effect due to the different types of catalyst. Introduction of resid to the LDPE/coal system increased the reactivity of the system and allowed the catalysts to have a larger effect. The hydrocracking catalysts were the most active in producing more conversion and hexane soluble material. Comparison of the effect of increasing the reaction time up to 5 h with 1 wt.% catalyst loading to the effect of increasing the catalyst loading from 1 wt.% to 10 wt.% for a reaction time of 1 h showed that increased reaction time was much more effective than catalyst loading in converting the solid LDPE to liquid reaction products.
Tetralogy of Fallot: surgical management individualized to the patient

Abstract Background . Over the past four decades, the surgical trend has been toward early, complete repair of tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). Many centers currently promote all neonates for total correction irrespective of anatomy and symptoms, with some surgeons advocating hypothermic circulatory arrest for repair in small infants. We believe this approach increases morbidity. Methods . Based on approximately 40 years' experience in 2,175 patients, we developed a management protocol focused on patient size, systemic arterial saturations, and anatomy. Symptomatic patients (hypercyanotic spells, ductal dependent pulmonary circulation) weighing less than 4 kg undergo palliative modified Blalock–Taussig shunt (BTS) followed by complete repair at 6 to 12 months. Asymptomatic patients, weighing less than 4 kg who have threatened pulmonary artery isolation, undergo BTS and repair at 6 to 12 months. All other patients undergo complete repair after 6 months. Results . From July 1, 1995, to December 1, 1999, 144 patients underwent operation for TOF (129 patients) or TOF with atrioventricular septal defect (TOF/AVSD, 15 patients). Ninety-four patients underwent one stage complete repair (88 TOF, 6 TOF/AVSD). Thirty-nine patients underwent repair after initial BTS (32 TOF, 7 TOF/AVSD). Ten patients are awaiting repair after BTS. The mean age and weight at complete repair were 18 months and 9 kg. There were no operative deaths. There have been 3 late deaths with complete follow-up (mortality 3 of 144 [2.1%]). Four of 133 patients (3%) have required reoperation after total correction. Conclusions . This management strategy optimizes outcomes by individualizing the operation to the patient. Advantages include avoidance of circulatory arrest, low morbidity and mortality, and low incidence of reoperation after complete repair.
Choledocholithiasis in the setting of portal hypertension

The successful management of biliary lithiasis in patients with cirrhosis depends on the degree of liver dysfunction. Patients with Child-Pugh class A or B hepatic reserve have excellent prognoses. Endoscopic spincterotomy is first-choice treatment for cirrhotic patients with choledocholithiasis. Endoscopic sphincterotomy can be performed in patients with Child-Pugh class A, B, or C hepatic function. Medical treatment with contact solvents is contraindicated in patients with pigment stones or calcified stones.
Some species tolerate ocean acidification

Increasing carbon dioxide levels lead to rising ocean acidity, which can harm corals and many other species of ocean life. Acidification causes calcium carbonate, which corals usually need to build skeletons, to dissolve. “Every day, ocean acidification is taking up the weight of 6 million midsize cars' worth of carbon, said Nina Keul, a graduate student at the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in Germany during a 7 December press conference at the AGU Fall Meeting. Somewhat surprising, though, is that some species are more tolerant of acidic conditions than scientists had expected. For instance, Keul exposed a species of foraminifera, Ammonia tepida, to seawater with varying acidity and varying carbonate ion concentrations. Previous studies had found that foraminifera growth declined with decreasing carbonate levels, but Keul's foraminifera continued to grow in the acidic conditions. She said that the mechanism that allows this species to tolerate the low carbonate conditions is as yet unknown.
Investigation on marginal failure characteristics and related defects analysed by soft defect localization.

Abstract Soft defect localization is a well established failure analysis technique for detecting defects causing integrated circuits to marginal fail. First simulations on Shmoo characteristics using a defect model on simple inverter logic have already been presented. However, the influence of a defect on the Shmoo characteristic for more complex circuit structures is not investigated. This paper discuss a correlation of Shmoo results to both, the defect type and failing circuit structure of a SRAM-cell. Soft defect localization has been applied on two examples showing a bridging defect with a SRAM-cell. In both cases the Shmoo characteristics show a strong voltage dependency. The effect of various bridging defects within a SRAM-cell has been simulated and discussed. With these results the Shmoo characteristic should be considered in the analysis for a defect based on soft defect localization.
Educational Policies in the United States and Implications for English Learners Políticas educacionais nos Estados Unidos e suas Implicações para aprendizes de inglês

This article provides a historical context for current educational policies in the United States, especially those mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The article explains the effects of these policies on a rapidly growing segment of the U.S. population, namely English Learners (ELs), students who are in the process of developing English as an additional language. It explains several of the controversies and concerns related to the use of standardized tests with this student population.
Women's studies periodical indexes: An in-depth comparison

(1994). Women's Studies Periodical Indexes: An In-Depth Comparison. Serials Review: Vol. 20, No. 2, pp. 65-78.
Laboratory and Field Moisture Conditions for Flexible Pavement

The primary source of water in pavements is from surface infiltration. Water from surface infiltration and other sources increases pavement maintenance costs and shortens pavement life. These effects can be mitigated by including a subdrainage system in the pavement design. A study of pavement subdrainage systems has been conducted that included a phase for laboratory tests for the hydraulic characteristics of materials used in three test sections built on I-469 at Fort Wayne, Indiana. The purpose of building these test sections was to evaluate the subdrainage performance and materials used in the sections. The sections differ in the permeable drainage layer as well as the filter (separation) layer. The sections were instrumented with different types of sensors. Instrumentation installed in the sections included time domain reflectometry (TDR) probes, moisture suction blocks, temperature probes, resistivity tree, and rainfall and outflow tipping buckets. Other features of the instrumentation site included an air temperature probe and access tube for a nuclear moisture content probe. The laboratory hydraulic characteristic test results on the materials are presented. Field moisture condition in the layers is also presented. Calibration equations for the TDR are developed for the field materials. A summary of three rainfall events and pavement outflow volumes recorded for the tests is presented. Recommendations are made for materials to be used in subdrainage systems.
Information fusion via constrained principal component regression for robust quantification with incomplete calibrations.

Abstract Incomplete calibrations are encountered in many applications and hamper chemometric data analyses. Such situations arise when target analytes are embedded in a chemically complex matrix from which calibration concentrations cannot be determined with reasonable efforts. In other cases, the samples’ chemical composition may fluctuate in an unpredictable way and thus cannot be comprehensively covered by calibration samples. The reason for calibration model to fail is the regression principle itself which seeks to explain measured data optimally in terms of the (potentially incomplete) calibration model but does not consider chemical meaningfulness. This study presents a novel chemometric approach which is based on experimentally feasible calibrations, i.e. concentration series of the target analytes outside the chemical matrix (‘ex situ calibration’). The inherent lack-of-information is then compensated by incorporating additional knowledge in form of regression constraints. Any outside knowledge can be utilized such as literature values of concentration ranges, concentration ratios implied e.g. by stoichiometry, sum parameters to which multiple analytes need to amount to, and/or reasonable signal reconstructions. The core idea is to mitigate the regression principle's strive for the best possible explanation of measured signals toward the best possible explanation under the condition of chemical meaningfulness. As proof-of-principle application, quantitative analyses of selected compounds in microalgae cells have been chosen. After acquiring FTIR calibration spectra from concentration series of 28 analytes, an ex situ calibration model has been built via principal component regression (PCR). Since microalgae biomass is a very complex matrix, the prediction step based on such an incomplete calibration fails. However, after incorporating several regression constraints into PCR predictions, chemically impossible results are avoided as depicted in the graphical abstract. Equally important are enhancements in concentration reproducibility. For most samples in the chosen application, the errorbars were reduced by one order of magnitude. By means of this novel chemometric method, quantitative analyses have been improved so much that cell responses to chemical shifts in their culturing environment can be studied.
Reliability of compound semiconductor devices for space applications

Abstract Application of semiconductor devices in high reliability space systems requires a thorough understanding of the reliability and failure mechanisms associated with the selected devices. This paper provides a description of the reliability and qualification issues related to the application of compound semiconductor devices in critical space systems. A discussion of common failure mechanisms, radiation effects and other reliability concerns is provided along with a discussion of methods for technology qualification for high reliability space applications.
Implementation of standing field treatment protocols in an urban EMS system

The objective was to describe our experience with implementation of standing field treatment protocols (SFTP) in a large, urban EMS system. A prospective, consecutive observational study examining the first 21 days of implementation of SFTPs in the City of Los Angeles, California. SFTPs were developed for 7 medical chief complaints and all major trauma patients. There were 13,586 EMS incidents, of which 4,037 (30%) received ALS treatment. SFTPs were used on 2,177 of these incidents, representing 54% of all ALS runs and 16% of all EMS incidents. The most frequently used SFTPs were for altered level of consciousness (29%), and chest pain (25%). The most common errors found were failure to document reassessment of the patient after each medication administration (45% fallout rate), and failure to document and attach a copy of the ECG to the EMS report (40%). The mean fallout rate for failure to establish or attempt IV access, administer oxygen, or provide cardiac monitoring was 7%. Out of 1,450 incidents with outcome data provided by the receiving hospitals, only 3 cases (2%) involved incorrect treatment, with an additional 2 involving the unnecessary use of lidocaine. None of these instances resulted in adverse effects or complications. SFTPs were integrated into a large EMS system with few procedural errors or adverse outcomes.
Kinetics of placenta growth factor/vascular endothelial growth factor synergy in endothelial hydraulic conductivity and proliferation.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was originally discovered as vascular permeability factor because of its ability to increase microvascular permeability to plasma proteins. Since then, it has been shown to induce proliferation and migration in endothelial cells. Placenta growth factor (PlGF) is a member of the VEGF family of growth factors, but has little or undetectable mitogenic activity on endothelial cells. Intriguingly, however, PlGF was able to potentiate the action of low concentrations of VEGF on endothelial cell growth and macromolecule permeability in vitro. Here we show that PlGF can potentiate the effects of VEGF on the hydraulic conductivity of certain endothelial cells and that the duration of pretreatment with PlGF determines the resulting response. Hydraulic conductivity (Lp) was calculated from the water flux across the monolayer of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) or bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs). After 2 h of exposure to VEGF(165), the Lp of BAEC monolayers increased threefold, but the Lp of HUVEC monolayers did not increase. PlGF alone induced a small (63%) increase in Lp in BAECs, but not in HUVECs. BAEC, but not HUVEC, monolayers exposed first to PlGF and then to VEGF exhibited a seven- to eightfold increase in Lp. This enhancement in BAEC Lp could be observed for 4 h after the administration of PlGF. PlGF also potentiated the effect of VEGF on BAEC proliferation. Thus, augmentation of VEGF action by PlGF depends on the duration of PlGF exposure and on the origin of endothelial cells.