cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A multiple imputation procedure for record linkage and causal inference to estimate the effects of home-delivered meals

Causal analysis of observational studies requires data that comprise a set of covariates, a treatment assignment indicator and the observed outcomes. However, data confidentiality restrictions or the nature of data collection may distribute these variables across two or more datasets. In the absence of unique identifiers to link records across files, probabilistic record linkage algorithms can be leveraged to merge the datasets. Current applications of record linkage are concerned with estimation of associations between variables that are exclusive to one file and not causal relationships. We propose a Bayesian framework for record linkage and causal inference where one file comprises all the covariate and observed outcome information, and the second file consists of a list of all individuals who receive the active treatment. Under certain ignorability assumptions, the procedure properly propagates the error in the record linkage process, resulting in valid statistical inferences. To estimate the causal effects, we devise a two-stage procedure. The first stage of the procedure performs Bayesian record linkage to multiply-impute the treatment assignment for all individuals in the first file, while adjustments for covariates’ imbalance and imputation of missing potential outcomes are performed in the second stage. This procedure is used to evaluate the effect of Meals on Wheels services on mortality and healthcare utilization among homebound older adults in Rhode Island. In addition, an interpretable sensitivity analysis is developed to assess potential violations of the ignorability assumptions.
Mars Land Use Policy Implementation: Approaches and Best Methods

Abstract Sending humans to Mars has been a component of the official US space policy of multiple presidential administrations. Additional stakeholders with interests in visiting Earth's terrestrial neighbor in the coming decades include private companies and the space agencies of other spacefaring nations. Numerous motivations exist for humans to explore and settle on the Martian surface, including environmental suitability and species survival, the search for life, scientific and technological development, economic profitability, and fundamental human nature. However, if human settlement and sustainability on Mars is expected to become a reality, existing legal regime deficiencies must be addressed, six of which I have identified: (1) national jurisdiction and responsibilities, (2) resource utilization, (3) conflict resolution and central authority, (4) environmental protection, (5) future settler legal status, and (6) social justice. This article examines the feasibility of various land use policies applied to the Mars case. I conduct a policy option evaluation of the following proposed land use approaches using assessment criteria based on the identified legal deficiencies: (1) bounded first possession by landfall [Collins, 2008], (2) bounded possession with planetary parks [Bruhns and Haqq-Misra, 2016], (3) liberating Mars [Haqq-Misra, 2015], (4) a Mars tax [Collins, 2008], and (5) planetary parks [Cockell and Horneck, 2004]. Based on this analysis, I recommend approach (2), which allows for bounded possession and creates planetary parks. This approach sufficiently addresses all assessment criteria by permitting occupation and resource rights to limited plots of land on the Martian surface, advocating for a Mars Secretariat as a conflict mediation method, implementation of a planetary park system to protect valuable lands, and designating the application of laws within and outside of land claim areas. Implications of the findings presented here are valuable not only for the future exploration and settlement of Mars but other solar system bodies where human activity may be an eventual reality.
Protocol for a machine learning algorithm predicting depressive disorders using the T1w/T2w ratio.

Abstract The T1w/T2w ratio is a novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measure that is thought to be sensitive to cortical myelin. Using this novel measure requires developing novel pipelines for the data quality assurance, data analysis, and validation of the findings in order to apply the T1w/T2w ratio for classification of disorders associated with the changes in the myelin levels. In this article, we provide a detailed description of such a pipeline as well as the reference to the scripts used in our recent report that applied the T1w/T2w ratio and machine learning to classify individuals with depressive disorders from healthy controls.
Emergence of Topographical Responding Following Equivalence-Based Neuroanatomy Instruction

Equivalence-based instruction (EBI) has been utilized to teach a number of college-level academic concepts. The majority of these studies measured effectiveness with selection-based responding (i.e., multiple-choice questions). Recently, researchers have begun examining effectiveness using topographical responding, or responding to open-ended questions. In the current study, participants learned neuroanatomy concepts through section-based EBI, and we measured the effects of instruction on both selection-based and topographical responding. Following equivalence class formation, participants responded with higher accuracy to both selection-based and topographical questions compared to baseline. Furthermore, participants demonstrated higher levels of accuracy with selection-based questions than topographical questions. As a measure of social validity, topographical responding was assessed by a neuroscience professor who was naive to the study. Results demonstrated a typical grade distribution for topographical responding. Implications and future directions for EBI studies evaluating topographical responding are discussed.
The Female Athlete

Female athletes have unique concerns in terms of both anatomic and physiological issues concerning pain from musculoskeletal injuries and orthopedic conditions. Both mechanical loading and hormonal/endocrinological feedback strongly influence the female body structure. This chapter will examine gender-specific musculoskeletal disorders both in the acute traumatic and nonacute, atraumatic settings. Prevention and management of female athletic injuries will be addressed; the latter encompasses both surgical and nonoperative treatment.
Digital Computers in Nuclear Medicine

Digital computers were introduced in nuclear medicine practice in the mid-1960s, but did not become an integral part in both imaging and nonimaging applications until the mid-1970s. In imaging modalities, the computers are used to quantitate the distribution of radiopharmaceuticals in an object both spatially and temporally. Both data acquisition and image processing in scintigraphy are accomplished by digital computers. In nonimaging applications, patient scheduling, archiving, inventory of supplies, management of budget, record keeping, and health physics are just a few examples of what is accomplished with the help of digital computers. Computational capabilities have advanced tremendously over the years and are still evolving, and the utility of a computer is limited only by the limitations of hardware and software.
Gastric Pepsin in an Anuran Larva

Larval stomach development was studied in the obligate carnivorous larva of the frog Lepidobatrachus laevis. Pepsin producing cells of the larval stomach were identified using rabbit anti-porcine pepsin and immunohistochemical techniques. Pepsin production was detected at a very early stage of development (stage 24: during opercular development) when the larvae were first competent for feeding. Peptic activity in isolated larval stomachs was demonstrated in a microassay using acid denatured hemoglobin at pH 1.7. The total activity per stomach increased 5,400 fold through the beginning of metamorphosis and the specific activity increased 345 fold through the same period. Electrophoretic analysis of the larval pepsinogens, using a caseinolytic assay revealed the presence of one major pepsinogen at stage 24; two additional isozymes were observed during later larval development. The molecular weight of the isopepsinogens was 34,800.
Control room modernization in operating nuclear power plants

Summary form only given. The majority of instrumentation and control (I&C) equipment in nuclear plants contain analog and relay components that are or soon will be obsolete. Plants are procuring digital-based designs as a result of obsolescence or the need to improve performance. As an integral part of this modernization, control rooms and other human-system interfaces (HSIs) will be modernized. To support safe and effective operation, it is critical to design control room and interface changes to take advantage of human cognitive processing abilities. In most cases, modernized control rooms will be the result of incremental modernization of equipment and HSIs. NRC has published human factors guidance documents in some areas that are intended for use by NRC in reviewing proposed upgrades regarding safety issues. A major aspect of the endpoint vision of the control room is the determination of the capability/functionality of the systems and interfaces. A major project to provide the guidance and processes requested by the owner/operators is now being carried out under EPRI and DOE NEPO funding.
GM1-induced activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase: involvement of Trk receptors.

*Department of Psychiatry, Division of Molecular Neuropsychopharmacology, College of Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus,Ohio, USA Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USAThe ganglioside GM1 acts as a pleiotropic neurotrophicfactor promoting neuronal growth, differentiation, survival,phenotypic expression, and function restoration after aneuroinjury in vitro and in vivo. Its trophic repertoire extendsto a wide range of neuronal populations and its neuropro-tective and neurorestorative effects cover different types ofneuronal injury as well as normative aging (Hadjiconstanti-nou and Neff 1998, 2000).The mechanism(s) for theneurotrophic actions of GM1 is not completely understood.It may interact with endogenous neurotrophic factors and/oractivate pathways used by these factors for signaling. Ofinterest are data indicating that GM1 interacts with neuro-trophins and their receptors. Indeed, in cell cultures GM1 cansubstitute for and/or potentiate the action of neurotrophins(Hadjiconstantinou and Neff 1998, 2000) and activate theircognate receptors, TrkA, TrkB, and TrkC (Ferrari et al. 1995;Mutoh et al. 1995; Rabin and Mocchetti 1995; Farooquiet al. 1997). Reports that GM1 activates Trk receptors inbrain tissue in situ, and in vivo after a single intracerebro-ventricular or chronic systemic administration (Ducheminet al. 2002; Mo et al. 2005) have provided the ﬁrst directevidence supporting a role of neurotrophin signaling for theGM1 effect on the brain.Activation of Trk receptors transduces signals throughvarious kinase-dependent cascades that regulate diverseneuronal functions, such as survival, differentiation, pheno-typic expression, and synaptic strength and plasticity (Huangand Reichardt 2003). Survival in many neuronal populationsis promoted through activation of class I
Regulation of Branched-Chain Amino Acid Biosynthesis in Salmonella typhimurium: Isolation of Regulatory Mutants

Abstract 5′,5′,5′-Trifluoro-dl-leucine inhibited the activity of α-isopropylmalate synthetase (the initial enzyme unique to leucine biosynthesis) as well as the growth of Salmonella typhimurium. Mutants of S. typhimurium resistant to the analogue were isolated and characterized. In most cases, they overproduced and excreted leucine or leucine, valine, and isoleucine as a result of an alteration in the regulation of branched-chain amino acid biosynthesis. Biochemical and genetic tests allowed the mutants to be grouped into three classes: I, a moderately large group (13%) which had high, constitutive leucine biosynthetic enzyme levels and mutant sites linked to the leucine operon (operator constitutive); II, a single mutant in which the mutant site was linked to the leucine operon and in which α-isopropylmalate synthetase was not inhibited by leucine (feedback negative); III, a majority type which had constitutive levels of leucine, valine, and isoleucine biosynthetic enzymes and mutant sites unlinked to the leucine operon. Mutants of class I provide important evidence for the concept of an operon organization of genes involved in leucine biosynthesis. The properties of class III mutants indicate that there is some element involved in regulation which is common to the three pathways.
Technical advances in pediatric laparoscopy have had a beneficial impact on splenectomy.

Abstract Purpose: The aim of this study was to demonstrate the effects of recent technical advances on the safety and benefits of pediatric laparoscopic splenectomy. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of patients undergoing laparoscopic splenectomy from January 1998 to January 2000. Technical advances utilized during this period included the harmonic scalpel, a specialized flexible hilar retractor, a larger, wire-rimmed specimen bag, and lateral patient positioning. Results: Laparoscopic splenectomy was performed successfully on 18 patients aged 3 to 17 years (median, 9). The indications were hereditary spherocytosis (n = 10), idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (n = 5), and other (n = 3). Eight patients had concomitant procedures including cholecystectomy (n = 3), resection of an accessory spleen (n = 3), and other (n = 2). The median operating time, including the concomitant procedures, was 125 minutes (range, 70 to 235). Patients tolerated a regular diet on median postoperative day 1 (range, 1 to 3), and 16 were discharged home on or before postoperative day 2. None of the patients required blood product transfusion or conversion to an open technique. There were no complications, and all patients had returned to usual activity by 2 weeks. Conclusion: With recent technological advances, the laparoscopic approach has become easy to perform, safe, and should be considered the procedure of choice for pediatric splenectomy. J Pediatr Surg 35:1578-1581. Copyright © 2000 by W.B. Saunders Company.
A study of multiple X line reconnection at the dayside magnetopause

Interaction between the interplanetary magnetic field and the earth's geomagnetic field at the dayside magnetopause is studied by a global two-dimensional incompressible MHD simulation. It is found that for a large magnetic Reynolds number (R/sub m/greater than or equal to400), the multiple X line reconnection (MXR) becomes the major dayside reconnection process, while for a small magnetic Reynolds number (R/sub m/less than or equal to100), the classical single X line reconnection takes place. Since the magnetic Reynolds number at the dayside magnetopause is probably very high (R/sub m/>10/sup 3/), it may be suggested that MXR will dominate the dayside reconnection pattern. As a result of the MXR process, magnetic islands are formed on the dayside magnetopause surface. The dependence of the dayside reconnection geometry of the solar wind Alfven Mach number is also examined. copyright American Geophysical Union 1988
Assessing acute platelet adhesion on opaque metallic and polymeric biomaterials with fiber optic microscopy.

The degree of platelet adhesion and subsequent thrombus formation is an important measure of biocompatibility for cardiovascular biomaterials. Traditional methods of quantifying platelet adhesion often are limited by the need for direct optical access, limited spatial resolution, or the lack of temporal resolution. We have developed a new imaging system that utilizes fiber optics and fluorescence microscopy for the quantification of platelet adhesion. This fiber optic remote microscope is capable of imaging individual fluorescently labeled platelets in whole blood on opaque surfaces. Using this method, platelet adhesion was quantified on a series of metallic [low-temperature isotropic carbon (LTIC); titanium alloy (Ti); diamond-like carbon (DLC); oxidized titanium alloy (TiO); and polycrystalline diamond (PCD)] and polymeric [woven Dacron (WD)] collagen-impregnated Dacron (HEM), expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE), and denucleated ePTFE (dePTFE)] biomaterials designed for use in cardiovascular applications. These materials were perfused with heparinized whole human blood in an in vitro parallel plate flow chamber. Platelet adhesion after 5 min of perfusion ranged from 3.7 ± 1.0 (dePTFE) to 16.8 ± 1.5 (WD) platelets/1000 μm. The temporal information revealed by these studies provides a comparative measure of the acute thrombogenicity of these materials as well as some insight into their long-term hemocompatibilities. Also studied here were the effects of wall shear rate and axial position on platelet adhesion. A predicted increase in platelet adhesion with increased wall shear rate and a trend toward a decrease in platelet adhesion with increased axial distance was observed with the fiber optic microscope. Future applications for this imaging technique may include the long-term evaluation of thrombosis in blood-contacting devices in vitro and, in animal models, in vivo. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 49, 460–468, 2000.
Relationship of Children's Career Aspirations to Parents' Occupations

(1992). Relationship of Children's Career Aspirations to Parents' Occupations. The Journal of Genetic Psychology: Vol. 153, No. 3, pp. 355-357.
Advanced statistics: linear regression, part I: simple linear regression

Simple linear regression is a mathematical technique used to model the relationship between a single independent predictor variable and a single dependent outcome variable. In this, the first of a two-part series exploring concepts in linear regression analysis, the four fundamental assumptions and the mechanics of simple linear regression are reviewed. The most common technique used to derive the regression line, the method of least squares, is described. The reader will be acquainted with other important concepts in simple linear regression, including: variable transformations, dummy variables, relationship to inference testing, and leverage. Simplified clinical examples with small datasets and graphic models are used to illustrate the points. This will provide a foundation for the second article in this series: a discussion of multiple linear regression, in which there are multiple predictor variables.
The Zen Critique of Pure Land Buddhism

world, Pure Land Buddhist tradition (J6do-shiT and Jbdo-Shinshii) has often been viewed as standing in direct opposition to Zen Buddhism's teaching of "self-effort"l because of its stress on "other-power"2 as the prerequisite for salvation.3 Indeed, in China both traditions were found within the same monastery representing somewhat different patterns of discipline and meditative practice.4 Even in Japan during the twelfth century, when rather sharp divisions developed between the Pure Land tradition and the older Japanese schools of Buddhism because of H6nen's and Shinran's revolutionary emphasis upon nembutsu5 and faith as the unique and ultimately only means of salvation
Pseudopotential Calculations of Electronic Charge Densities in Seven Semiconductors

Electronic charge densities are calculated as a function of position in the unit cell for seven diamond and zinc-blende semiconductors using wave functions derived from pseudopotential band-structure calculations. Detailed plots of the charge density are presented in the (110) plane for each valence band of Ge, GaAs, and ZnSe and for the sum of the valence bands of Ge, GaAs, ZnSe, $\ensuremath{\alpha}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{S}\mathrm{n}$, InSb, CdTe, and Si. Trends in bonding and ionicity are discussed in detail. The covalent-bonding charge is also calculated for these crystals and is plotted against the ionicity scales of Phillips and Van Vechten and of Pauling. It is shown that an extrapolation to zero covalent-bonding charge yields a critical value of the ionicity which separates fourfold-coordinated and sixfold-coordinated diatomic crystals. This value is in agreement with the empirical value obtained by Phillips and Van Vechten.
670F THE USE OF COMMUNITY LABORATORIES IN PRIMARY CARE PEDIATRIC RESIDENCY TRAINING

“Community Laboratories”, a longitudinal three year outreach rotation for Pediatric Residents was instituted in 1978 to broaden the Resident's primary care training. Rural Pediatric practices within a 30 mile radius of the Medical Center were selected on the basis of community interest and teaching potential. Residents,for three years, spend part of each week in the same community. The Resident develops a panel of families that (s)he follows for the three years, and becomes actively involved in the community's health services, including school health,child abuse,public health and health planning. Medical Center faculty are responsible for developing curricula in each area of community health and aid in their local adaptation. The Pediatric practices are members of a Cooperative Data Project, and data on diagnosis frequency and patient management are fed back to the Residents for self-evaluation. The community Pediatricians attend group sessions to share experiences, critique the program, and receive instruction in teaching techniques, evaluation and medicine updates. Community health personnel also meet with the Residency Faculty to review the program and take part in inservice training. In the first year of the community rotation, 40% of all Resident outpatient encounters - 1700 visits - occurred at the community sites. The community laboratories offer a dynamic method for Residents to develop the skills necessary to manage the “new morbidities” of Pediatric practice in a setting that closely simulates the realities of rural Primary Pediatric Care.
Selective Association of the Tyrosine Kinases Src, Fyn, and Lyn with Integrin-Rich Actin Cytoskeletons of Activated, Nonaggregated Platelets

Abstract Integrin-mediated interactions between cytoskeletal proteins and extracellular fibrinogen are required for platelet adhesion. We have previously demonstrated that the major platelet integrin, αIIbβ3, becomes incorporated into the actin cytoskeleton of platelets in an activation-dependent, aggregation-independent manner. To determine if regulatory molecules are also associated with these integrin-rich cytoskeletal complexes, we examined actin cytoskeletons for the presence of kinases and phosphoproteins. Western immunoblot analysis revealed that the tyrosine kinases Src, Fyn, and Lyn are specifically associated with actin cytoskeletons of activated, nonaggregated platelets. However, as noted by others, the cytoskeletal association of focal adhesion kinase depends on platelet aggregation. Actin cytoskeletons isolated from 32P-labeled platelets also contain a number of phosphorylated proteins. Interestingly, an ∼18-kDa phosphoprotein was uniquely present in activated platelet cytoskeletons. Collectively, our results demonstrate that actin cytoskeletons of activated, nonaggregated platelets contain not only integrins, but also kinases and phosphoproteins that could regulate platelet adhesion and transmembrane communication.
Rat uterine progesterone receptor: Stabilization of hormone-binding components for biochemical analyses

A method was developed for quantitative recovery of the labile rat uterine progesterone receptor hormone-binding components. Initial conditions were established by the sucrose gradient procedure. Upon centrifugation through low-salt 5-20% sucrose gradients prepared in 10% glycerol, the well-known 6-8 S progesterone receptor components were observed either when cytosol was prelabeled with [3H]17,21-dimethyl-19-nor-4,9-pregnadiene-3,20-dione [( 3H]R5020) or when prelabeled with [3H]progesterone followed by postlabeling the fractions collected after centrifugation with either [3H]progesterone or [3H]R5020. Recovery of progesterone receptor binding was improved by prelabeling with [3H]R5020, by adding 1.5 mM ethylene glycol bis(beta-aminoethylether)N,N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA) to all buffers, and at high tissue concentrations. Under these conditions quantitative conversion of the receptor to specific [3H]R5020-binding 4S components was achieved with 150 or 400 mM KCl. Similar conditions proved unsuitable for receptor analysis by gel filtration (Bio-Rad agarose A0.5M or A1.5M), apparently due to [3H]R5020 dissociation from the receptor in the large volume of elution buffer. However, excellent receptor recovery (97.2 +/- 6.7%) was achieved by including 10 nM unlabeled progesterone in all preparation and elution buffers. Receptors were then detected by the addition of 5 nM [3H]R5020 to the column fractions, exchange incubation for 3-6 h at 4 degrees C, and subsequent separation of bound and free steroid by the hydroxyapatite assay. This method resulted in a consistent elution pattern suggestive of receptor heterogeneity. Identity of the peak(s) as progesterone receptor components(s) was confirmed by the lack of competition by 2 microM cortisol when added either to cytosol or during the postlabeling-exchange process. Neither the qualitative nor quantitative results of the column profiles were changed substantially in the presence of 20 mM molybdate. Although the receptor structure has yet to be established, both statistical analysis of the column profiles by computer curve-fitting procedures and rechromatography of peak fractions suggested that the rat uterine progesterone receptor may be composed of multiple components. This ligand-stabilization/postlabeling-exchange procedure provides a method for further studies of progesterone receptor biochemistry in mammalian systems. Additionally, similar procedures may stabilize other labile ligand-binding proteins for biochemical analyses and/or purification.
Blood gas monitor for extended extracorporeal procedures

The construction and performance of a system to monitorpO2,pCO2, and blood oxygen saturation for extended periods is described. The system is designed to be used during prolonged extracorporeal circulation procedures. The gases are measured by allowing them to diffuse into a stream of pure nitrogen which carries them to specific gas sensors, amperometric for O2 and calorimetric for CO2. Oxygen saturation is measured with a dual-wavelength solid-state oximeter. Linearity, response time, and otherin vitro test results are shown, as well as those of a 73-hrex vivo test with a lamb. In general, theex vivo tests showed the system to give values within 5 mm Hg (O2) or 3 mm Hg (CO2) compared with direct measurements on blood samples.
Mediators of the daily hassles-suicidal ideation link in African American women.

Depressive symptoms and hopelessness as mediators of the daily hassles-suicidal ideation link in low-income African American women exposed to intimate partner violence (n = 100) were investigated. As hypothesized, daily hassles, depressive symptoms, and hopelessness were each significantly and positively associated with suicidal ideation. Moreover, the relation between daily hassles and suicidal ideation was, in part, accounted for by depressive symptoms and hopelessness. This study demonstrates the importance of assessing for the presence of these risk factors when determining the likelihood that an abused African American woman will consider suicide. The findings further highlight the value of designing and implementing interventions that target the reduction in depressive symptoms and hopelessness in abused African American women exposed to daily hassles to reduce their suicide risk. Language: en
Rationale and design of the randomized, multicenter, Cilostazol for restenosis (CREST) trial

Restenosis of a segment of diseased coronary artery following metallic stenting is a common clinical problem and a major limitation of the procedure. Systemic pharmacologic interventions to deal with this problem have met with little success. Several small studies suggest that cilostazol, a phosphodiesterase III inhibitor whose pharmacologic properties include antiplatelet, antithrombotic, and vasodilatory effects; a beneficial effect on serum lipids; and in vitro inhibition of smooth muscle cell proliferation, may help prevent platelet aggregation and impede the accumulation of new intimal tissue in the stented artery. The Cilostazol for RESTenosis (CREST) trial will aim to evaluate more definitively the ability of cilostazol to prevent restenosis following uncomplicated stent implantation for de novo coronary artery stenosis. In this randomized, double-blind, multicenter study, 700 patients will receive clopidogrel, aspirin, and either cilostazol or placebo after successful intracoronary stent implantation. The primary endpoint is minimal luminal diameter (MLD) of the first lesion stented after 6 months; secondary endpoints include MLD in all lesions, mean percent diameter stenosis, target lesion revascularization, and major angiographic endpoints. Safety endpoints are abnormal complete blood count and liver function tests at 1, 3, and 6 months. The trial has been initiated, and enrollment is anticipated to be concluded in 2003. Cilostazol has properties that may reduce or avert in-stent coronary restenosis. The CREST trial is a large, rigorously conducted trial that may corroborate the favorable effects of cilostazol on coronary stent restenosis suggested by earlier studies.
A parallel randomized approximation scheme for shortest paths

We give a randomized parallel algorithm for approximate shortest path computation in an undirected weighted graph. The algorithm is based on a technique used by Ullman and Yannakakis in a parallel algorithm for breadth-first search. It has application, e.g., in approximate solution of multicommodity flow problems with unit capacities. We also show how to adapt the algorithm to perform better for planar graphs.
Models for mentoring students in medicine: implications for student well-being

The stresses which students commonly face during premedical and medical training can take a costly toll on student well-being and, eventually, on empathic patient care. This paper describes supportive programs for students at two schools of medicine, the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) and Brown University. The docent teams at UMKC provide students with a 4-year system of mentoring by a physician/teacher and a junior/senior student partnership. At Brown Medical School, affinity groups, led by medical faculty and arts and sciences faculty, engage students in the study of issues of common interest while providing opportunities for early clinical experience and community involvement. They meet weekly during years three through six of the 8-year program and function as a support group with educational objectives. Implications for other medical schools are suggested, and data measuring the two programs' effectiveness are presented.
A mobility and traffic generation framework for modeling and simulating ad hoc communication networks

We present a generic mobility and traffic generation framework that can be incorporated into a tool for modeling and simulating large scale ad hoc networks. The basic framework consists of the following components:1. A Mobility Data Generator (MDG) that generates positions and states of transceivers at specified times of the simulation clock. This module can support a variety of mobility models.2. A Graph Structure Generator (GSG) that constructs the graph corresponding to the ad hoc network from the mobility data provided by MDG. This module can generate directed or undirected graphs depending on the radio range and propagation models.3. A Terrain Modification Tool (TMT) that modifies the connectivity of the graph produced by GSG to allow for terrain effects or arbitrary obstructions.4. An Activity Data Generator (ADG) that generates sessions (i.e., packet transmission activities) for a specified fraction of the transceivers that are active at specified times of the simulation clock.The design allows a user to incorporate various realistic parameters crucial in simulating and modeling ad hoc communication networks. We illustrate the utility of our tool with two examples. The first example shows how purely synthetic movement patterns can be used in driving a simulation. The second example shows realistic movement patterns obtained via an urban population mobility modeling tool developed at Los Alamos.
Opiate alkaloids in Ascaris suum.

The parasitic worm Ascaris suum contains the opiate alkaloids morphine and morphine-6-glucuronide as determined by HPLC coupled to electrochemical detection and by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The level of morphine in muscle tissue of female and male is 252±32.68, 1168±278 and 180±23.47 (ng/g of wet tissue), respectively. The level of M6G in muscle tissue of female and male is 167±28.37 and 92±11.45 (ng/g of wet tissue), respectively. Furthermore, Ascaris maintained for 5 days contained a significant amount of morphine, as did their medium, demonstrating their ability to synthesize the opiate alkaloid. The anatomic distribution of morphine was examined by indirect immunofluorescent staining and HPLC of various tissues dissected from male and female adult worms. Immunofluorescence revealed morphine in the subcuticle layers, in the animals' nerve chords and in the female reproductive organs. Morphine was found to be most prevalent in the muscle tissue and there is significantly more morphine in fem...
Restricted Trivariate Polycube Splines for Volumetric Data Modeling

This paper presents a volumetric modeling framework to construct a novel spline scheme called restricted trivariate polycube splines (RTP-splines). The RTP-spline aims to generalize both trivariate T-splines and tensor-product B-splines; it uses solid polycube structure as underlying parametric domains and strictly bounds blending functions within such domains. We construct volumetric RTP-splines in a top-down fashion in four steps: 1) Extending the polycube domain to its bounding volume via space filling; 2) building the B-spline volume over the extended domain with restricted boundaries; 3) inserting duplicate knots by adding anchor points and performing local refinement; and 4) removing exterior cells and anchors. Besides local refinement inherited from general T-splines, the RTP-splines have a few attractive properties as follows: 1) They naturally model solid objects with complicated topologies/bifurcations using a one-piece continuous representation without domain trimming/patching/merging. 2) They have guaranteed semistandardness so that the functions and derivatives evaluation is very efficient. 3) Their restricted support regions of blending functions prevent control points from influencing other nearby domain regions that stay opposite to the immediate boundaries. These features are highly desirable for certain applications such as isogeometric analysis. We conduct extensive experiments on converting complicated solid models into RTP-splines, and demonstrate the proposed spline to be a powerful and promising tool for volumetric modeling and other scientific/engineering applications where data sets with multiattributes are prevalent.
Pregnancy and childbirth among the Amish

This study examined Amish patterns of perinatal health care utilization from the perspective of Amish women and local health care providers in Geauga County, Ohio. Participant observation and interviews with health care providers and 15 Amish women yielded data on perinatal beliefs and utilization patterns for 76 pregnancies. While local health care providers regard the Amish as suboptimally utilizing prenatal care, this study found a consistent pattern of health seeking behavior. In the absence of symptoms perceived to be serious, Amish women initiated prenatal care earlier for first pregnancies and progressively later with increasing parity. Amish women's perinatal health care utilization must be seen within the context of barriers of transportation, cost, and child care needs. The Amish do not automatically reject medical technology, but select those aspects that are congruent with and that will support and maintain their way of life. Further, despite outward appearances of homogeneity, Amish women display individual variability in responding to pregnancy and childbirth.
Stability of porous sol-gel silica to water diffusion: experimental and theoretical analysis

Understanding the stability of porous Type VI silica gel matrices during diffusion of water is important because this new material is being used as a host for optically active composites. Aqueous solutions are being used during processing as a carrier for optically active phases for: filters, graded index lenses, laser dyes, and scintillators. A pore wall model has been developed to calculate the wall thickness of Type VI porous silica-gel matrices. The Austin Method (AM1) Molecular Orbital calculations have been performed to model silica structures with dimensions close to those expected for the pore walls. A base line value for the mean pore wall thickness was determined from comparisons between the mode and experimental results. This value separates environmentally stable matrices from unstable gels during water diffusion (or percolation). A ring opening hydrolysis mechanism is proposed to explain the role of water in fracture of the porous sol-gel silica matrices.
FUNDAMENTAL STUDIES ON THE STRUCTURES AND PROPERTIES OF SOME B12-BASED CRYSTALS

The first-principles orthogonalized linear combination of atomic orbitals method has been applied to calculate the electronic structures, total energies, and optical properties of four boron-rich compounds: ${\mathrm{B}}_{12}$${\mathrm{As}}_{2}$, ${\mathrm{B}}_{12}$${\mathrm{P}}_{2}$, ${\mathrm{B}}_{11}$C(CBC) (or ${\mathrm{B}}_{4}$C), and ${\mathrm{B}}_{13}$${\mathrm{C}}_{2}$. The band structures show that ${\mathrm{B}}_{12}$${\mathrm{As}}_{2}$, ${\mathrm{B}}_{12}$${\mathrm{P}}_{2}$, ${\mathrm{B}}_{11}$C(CBC) are semiconductors with indirect band gaps while ${\mathrm{B}}_{13}$${\mathrm{C}}_{2}$ is a metal with an intrinsic hole at the top of the valence band below a semiconductorlike gap. The calculated density of states are resolved into atomic and orbital partial components and the valence-charge distributions are also studied. The natural bonding characteristics in these crystals are illuminated by evaluating the Mulliken effective charges on each atom and overlap populations between pairs of atoms. It is shown that intericosahedral bonding is much stronger than the intraicosahedral bonding. The chain elements in ${\mathrm{B}}_{12}$${\mathrm{As}}_{2}$ and ${\mathrm{B}}_{12}$${\mathrm{P}}_{2}$ donate electrons to the icosahedra while in the other two crystals, they gain a slight amount of charge in forming strong covalent bonds. The bulk moduli of these crystals are estimated by means of total-energy calculation as a function of crystal volume, and are to be considered as upper limits. We have also calculated the interband optical conductivities and the complex dielectric functions in these crystals. Static dielectric constants for the three semiconductors are estimated to be 6.59, 5.49, and 6.35, respectively, which are in good agreement with recent experimental measurements. The bulk plasmon excitations in these four crystals are found to be in the 30--34-eV range.
Inversion of Matrices by Partitioning

The inversion of nonsingular matrices is considered. A method is developed which starts with an arbitrary partitioning of the given matrix. The separate submatrices are grouped into sets determined by the nonzero entries of some appropriate group, G, of permutation matrices. The group structure of G then establishes a sequence of operations on these sets of submatrices from which the corresponding representation of the inverse is obtained.Whether the method described is to be preferred to, say, Gauss's algorithm will depend on the capabilities that are required by other parts of the algorithm that is to be implemented in the special-purpose parallel computer. The basic speed, measured by the count of parallel multiplications and divisions, is comparable to that obtained with Gauss's algorithm and is slightly better under certain conditions. The principal difference is that this method uses primarily matrix multiplication, whereas Gauss's algorithm uses primarily row combinations. When the special-purpose computer under design must supply this capability anyway, the method developed here should be considered.Application of the process is limited to matrices for which we can set up a partitioning such that we can guarantee, a priori, that certain of the submatrices are nonsingular. Hence the method is not useful for arbitrary nonsingular matrices. However, it can be applied to certain important classes of matrices, notably those that are “dominated by the diagonal.” Noise covariance matrices are of this type; therefore the method can be applied to them. The inversion of a noise covariance matrix is required in some problems of optimal prediction and control. It is for applications of this sort that the method seems particularly attractive.
Leveraging Electronic Health Record Systems to Create and Provide Electronic Cancer Survivorship Care Plans: A Pilot Study

Rapid care plan creation and delivery within an EHR is possible. Further research is required to explore the barriers to automating importation into plans as well as the impact of EHR-integrated plans.
Response of retinal pigment epithelial detachments to intravitreal aflibercept in neovascular age-related macular degeneration refractory ranibizumab

Purpose Recent reports demonstrated that large retinal pigment epithelial detachments (PED) associated with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) was successfully treated with aflibercept. The aim of this study is to report unexpected short-term response of aflibercept in the treatment of AMD with associated large PED which had been failed to ranibizumab treatment. Methods The method comprised a retrospective review of the medical records of patients with PEDs associated neovascular AMD and recently treated with aflibercept and previously treated with ranibizumab. Results Two eyes of male Japanese patients of ages 79 and 80 years old with large serous PEDs and subretinal fluid (SRF) associated with occult choroidal neovascularization and neovascular AMD were treated with aflibercept after intravitreal ranibizumab had failed to resolve the lesions. All had complete resolution of SRF and complete or near- complete resolution of the serous PEDs after aflibercept injections over a 2-month period. However, after the second injection of aflibercep, all eyes displayed fibrovascular PED in the lesion where serous PED was observed. Moreover, one eye presented a sudden retinal hemorrhage and a recurrent PED just after the third injection of aflibercept, and the visual acuity decreased 10/20 to 2/20. Conclusion Intravitreal aflibercept may be carefully applied for for serous PED in neovascular AMD patients after ranibizumab have previously failed. Larger studies with longer follow-up are required to determine the role of aflibercept in treatment of serous PED in neovascular AMD.
Solid-state 13C NMR studies of dissolved organic matter in pore waters from different depositional environments

Abstract Dissolved organic matter (DOM) in pore waters from sediments of a number of different depositional environments was isolated by ultrafiltration using membranes with a nominal molecular weight cutoff of 500. This > 500 molecular weight DOM represents 70–98% of the total DOM in these pore waters. We determined the gross chemical structure of this material using both solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and elemental analysis. Our results show that the DOM in these pore waters appears to exist as two major types: one type dominated by carbohydrates and paraffinic structures and the second dominated by paraffinic and aromatic structures. We suggest that the dominance of one or the other structural type of DOM in the pore water depends on the relative oxidizing/reducing nature of the sediments as well as the source of the detrital organic matter. Under dominantly anaerobic conditions carbohydrates in the sediments are degraded by bacteria and accumulate in the pore water as DOM. However, little or no degradation of lignin occurs under these conditions. In contrast, sediments thought to be predominantly aerobic in character have DOM with diminished carbohydrate and enhanced aromatic character. The aromatic structures in the DOM from these sediments are thought to arise from the degradation of lignin. The large amounts of paraffinic structures in both types of DOM may be due to the degradation of unidentified paraffinic materials in algal or bacterial remains.
Seedless clustering in all-sky searches for gravitational-wave transients

The problem of searching for unmodeled gravitational-wave bursts can be thought of as a pattern recognition problem: how to find statistically significant clusters in spectrograms of strain power when the precise signal morphology is unknown. In a previous publication, we showed how “seedless clustering” can be used to dramatically improve the sensitivity of searches for long-lived (∼10–1000 s) gravitational-wave transients. To manage the computational costs, this initial analysis focused on externally triggered searches where the source location and emission time are both known to some degree of precision. In this paper, we show how the principle of seedless clustering can be extended to facilitate computationally feasible, all-sky searches where the direction and emission time of the source are entirely unknown. We further demonstrate that it is possible to achieve a considerable reduction in computation time by using graphical processor units, thereby facilitating more sensitive searches.
Postural adjustments while standing with two types of loaded backpack

Two types of frame backpack, the internal-frame pack and the external-frame pack, are commonly used by hikers to carry heavy loads. The centre of volume of the internal-frame pack is lower and closer to the body than that of the external-frame type. This study examined how carrying each pack type changed the body posture compared with the typical standing posture as a control. The packs were loaded with 19 kg loads for the men and 14 kg loads for the women. The positions of the knees, hips, shoulders and ears were recorded photographically; the whole-body centre of gravity and the partial centres of gravity above the knee and hip were calculated. The nine female and seven male subjects were experienced in carrying packs. Both types of packs caused the subjects to lean forward; the bend was greatest above the hips but the knees and hips were also forward of the control position. The internal-frame pack caused a greater displacement and also a greater uncompensated torque at the hips: The female subjects ov...
Developments in distribution apparatus and systems

ALTHOUGH the distribution field may not seem as spectacular as others, it represents approximately half the total power system investment. It is in this area that the ultimate quality of service is determined. Future opportunities for improving the quality and minimizing the cost of electrical service are believed to be greatest in the distribution field.
Light-mediated C-C σ-bond driven crystallization of a phenalenyl radical dimer

Polymorphismthe phenomenon that a given compound forms more than one crystalline arrangement of the molecules in the solid state plays a crucial role in understanding organic conductors, superconductors, and magnets. We have found that solutions of a new phenalenyl radical can give rise to two (nonpolymorphic) crystalline forms depending on whether the crystallization is allowed to proceed in the presence or absence of light. In both cases the crystals take the form of black shining blades and are indistinguishable by optical microscopy. We have fully characterized these crystalline forms, and we show that they differ by the presence or absence of a C−C σ-bond between the unpaired electrons of the parent radical. These molecular forms crystallize from the same solvent to give rise to a σ-dimerized insulator and a monomeric radical semiconductor as dictated by the presence or absence of light.