cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vagus nerve stimulation does not lead to significant changes in body weight in patients with epilepsy.

Abstract Background Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is an FDA-approved treatment for medically intractable epilepsy. The effect of this therapy on body weight is unclear. VNS could cause weight loss by engaging vagal afferents from the gastrointestinal tract mediating satiety. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of body weight changes over a period up to 2 years following VNS implantation. We studied 21 patients (13 M/8 F) 35 ± 12 years old, who received a Cyberonics VNS Therapy System for medically intractable epilepsy between April 1998 and May 2004. The mean ± SD duration of follow-up was 613.1 ± 389.1 days. The study had 80% power with a type I error of 0.05 to detect a 5% weight change. Data were analyzed with repeated-measures ANOVA. Results Weight changes relative to baseline at 30, 60, 120, 360, 480, and 720 days were −0.17 ± 2.33, +0.33 ± 2.64, −0.32 ± 3.56, +1.09 ± 5.97, +1.06 ± 7.47, and +0.33 ± 3.69%, respectively. At all time points these differences failed to reach statistical significance. Conclusions Vagus nerve stimulation with parameters typically used in the treatment of patients with epilepsy was not associated with clinically significant weight changes. A well-controlled prospective study is necessary for more precise evaluation of the effect of VNS therapy on body weight.
Morphological response of Trichophyton mentagrophytes to keratin.

The protein keratin can induce a reversible change in morphology of some granular strains ofTrichophyton mentagrophytes leading to a gross appearance which is indistinguishable from the pleomorphic mutation. The only other chemical which induced the same morphological change was a low concentration of sodium acetate. Pleomorphic cultures ofT. mentagrophytes were unaffected.
Control of ventilation during submaximal exercise: A brief review

Abstract This review discusses the leading hypotheses concerning ventilatory control during submaximal exercise. The ventilatory response at the onset of submaximal exercise has been studied extensively. It is generally agreed that expired ventilation (VE) increases rapidly at the initiation of exercise followed by a slower increase in FE until a steady state is reached. In general, there are four schools of thought concerning the mechanisms that are responsible for the exercise hyperpnoea. Two of the hypotheses relate the increase in VE to neural regulation. One group argues that the increase in VE during work is primarily due to afferent neural feedback to the ventilatory control centre while the other group proposes that efferent neural activity can explain the hyperpnoea. A third group of hypotheses submit that humoral mechanisms must be actively involved in the increase in VE during exercise. The leading hypothesis in this area is based on experiments that suggest that CO2 return to the lung provides...
Common and distinct neural correlates of perceptual and memorial selection

A critical aspect of cognitive control is the ability to select goal-relevant information in the face of competing distraction. A popular account is that common top-down selection processes underlie the ability to select among competing percepts and memories. We test the degree to which selective attention and memorial selection recruit the same neural resources. We demonstrate that both functions elicit largely overlapping networks within the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), frontal eye fields (FEF), premotor cortex, and superior parietal lobule (SPL). Despite the close commonalities of selective attention and memorial selection, our results demonstrate that the SPL and FEF show preferential involvement in selective attention, whereas left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) is uniquely associated with memorial selection. Thus, the two sorts of selection are not identical. We show further that variations in shared selection circuits are associated with differences in behavioral performance, suggesting that economy of control is beneficial to performance.
Quantum mechanical Hamiltonian models of discrete processes that erase their own histories: Application to Turing machines

Work done before on the construction of quantum mechanical Hamiltonian models of Turing machines and general discrete processes is extended here to include processes which erase their own histories. The models consist of three phases: the forward process phase in which a mapT is iterated and a history of iterations is generated, a copy phase, which is activated if and only ifT reaches a fix point, and an erase phase, which erases the iteration history, undoes the iterations ofT, and recovers the initial state except for the copy system. A ballast system is used to stop the evolution at the desired state. The general model so constructed is applied to Turing machines. The main changes are that the system undergoing the evolution corresponding toT iterations becomes three systems corresponding to the internal machine, the computation tape, and computation head. Also the copy phase becomes more complex since it is desired that this correspond also to a copying Turing machine.
Echocardiography in the Doppler Era: Impact on Care of Children Less Than Two Years of Age 150

Over the last 20 years, echocardiography has significantly changed the evaluation of congenital heart disease (CHD). Extensive use of Doppler-echo has been a more recent development. To assess the impact of modern 2D/Doppler echo on care of children with CHD, we reviewed the records of all patients≤2 years old seen in Pediatric Cardiology during 1992 (n=215). To determine changes in practice patterns, the 1992 group was compared to previously reported groups of the same age from 1975 (n=161) and 1985 (n=206). In 1992, 183 patients (85%) had echo, 36 (17%) had diagnostic preoperative catheterization, 90 patients (40%) had cardiac surgery, and 17 patients (8%) had interventional catheterization procedures. Since 1975 frequency of operation without any prior catheterization progressively increased (10% in 1975, 37% in 1985, 53% in 1992; p <0.04). Catheterization rarely changed the primary echo diagnosis after 1975 (21% in 1975, 0% in 1985, 3% in 1992). Catheterization provided supplementary information in 32% of pts (18/57) having catheterization in 1992. This is unchanged from 26% in 1985. Maximal benefit of catheterization was seen in pulmonary atresia (PA/VSD) patients. In 7 of 16 patients with PA/VSD, catheterization provided new data, primarily defining collateral arteries. Conversely, in patients having catheterization to assess VSD (n=31) or coronary arteries (n=37), new data was obtained in 0 and 1 pt, respectively.
Phase difference between sea level and magnetic reversal rate

In this letter I report a negative correlation and a phase difference of ∼10 Myr between recent data on long-term eustatic sea level change1 and geomagnetic reversal rate for the past 150 Myr. The phase difference is detectable both by visual inspection and through a correlation analysis. I also show that the same phase difference (but with a positive correlation) could theoretically have existed between this eustatic sea-level data and sea-floor creation rate. In light of the ridge-volume hypothesis of long-term eustasy, the analysis suggests the view that sea-floor creation rate (and/or subduction rate) and geomagnetic reversal rate are closely associated and perhaps synchronized in their changes.
A Matlab package computing polynomial roots and multiplicities

MULTROOT is a collection of Matlab modules for accurate computation of polynomial roots, especially roots with high multiplicities, using standard machine precision. As a blackbox-type software, MULTROOT requires the polynomial coefficients as the only input, and outputs the computed roots, multiplicities, backward error, estimated forward error, as well as the pejorative condition number.There are two common limitations for standard numerical root-finding software when multiple roots are present. Namely, those methods suffer from severe loss of accuracy and lack the capacity of multiplicity identification. Symbolic polynomial factorization requires exact rational coefficients. In contrast, the most significant features of MULTROOT are the multiplicity identification capability and the remarkable accuracy on multiple roots without using the multiprecision arithmetic, even if the polynomial coefficients are inexact.There is a so-called "attainable accuracy" for conventional root-finders: the attainable number of corrected digits of a computed root is limited by the data/machine precision divided by the multiplicity. For roots with high multiplicities, this accuracy barrier suggests that multiprecision arithmetic is required in addition to exact coefficients. Using a novel approach based on the pejorative manifold theory, MULTROOT achieves high accuracy even if the polynomial is perturbed and the machine precision is not extended. A stable numerical polynomial GCD-finder is also developed as an essential component that determines the multiplicity structure.MULTROOT is a combination of two programs that can be used independently. GCDROOT calculates the multiplicity structure and initial root approximation. PEJROOT refines the root approximations by projecting the polynomial onto a prescribed pejorative manifold. A comprehensive test suit of polynomials that are collected from the literature is included for numerical experiments and performance comparison.The detailed algorithm and analysis is presented in this conference [1].
Object matching in disjoint cameras using a color transfer approach

Object appearance models are a consequence of illumination, viewing direction, camera intrinsics, and other conditions that are specific to a particular camera. As a result, a model acquired in one view is often inappropriate for use in other viewpoints. In this work we treat this appearance model distortion between two non-overlapping cameras as one in which some unknown color transfer function warps a known appearance model from one view to another. We demonstrate how to recover this function in the case where the distortion function is approximated as general affine and object appearance is represented as a mixture of Gaussians. Appearance models are brought into correspondence by searching for a bijection function that best minimizes an entropic metric for model dissimilarity. These correspondences lead to a solution for the transfer function that brings the parameters of the models into alignment in the UV chromaticity plane. Finally, a set of these transfer functions acquired from a collection of object pairs are generalized to a single camera-pair-specific transfer function via robust fitting. We demonstrate the method in the context of a video surveillance network and show that recognition of subjects in disjoint views can be significantly improved using the new color transfer approach.
Automated simultaneous detection of low levels of listeriae and salmonellae in foods

Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes continue to be major pathogens of concern to food processors. However, routine screening of food samples to detect these pathogens is generally labor intensive and costly. Automated optical procedures for the detection of salmonellae and listeriae in foods were developed in our laboratory. In the present study we report their adaptation to a simultaneous recovery and detection procedure. Milk, shell eggs, fresh and ready-to-eat (RTE) meats or raw chicken contaminated with a combination of sub-lethally injured salmonellae and listeriae (10-50 cells each) were incubated for 6 h at 35 degrees C in modified universal pre-enrichment broth (MUPB). Volumes (4 ml) were then transferred to vials containing selective liquid media for these pathogens (4 ml), and incubated overnight at 35 degrees C in a BioSys instrument. The presence of the pathogens was identified by a black coloration of the media and a sharp drop in light transmittance caused by hydrogen sulfide production (Salmonella organisms), or esculin hydrolysis (Listeria organisms). There was no difference in the detection time of salmonellae when incubated alone or with listeriae, but listeriae grew at a slower rate in the presence of salmonellae, resulting in a delay of < or = 1 h in their detection. Overall, the detection of 10-50 salmonellae and 10-50 listeriae in 25 g of the tested foods required a total of 24 h. Confirmation of the pathogens by PCR-based assay (6 h) was completed the following day directly from positive vials, requiring a total of < or = 30 h for detection and confirmation. Negative samples required no confirmation. The testing system was confirmed in 70 naturally contaminated foods.
Statistical Estimation of Correlated Genome Associations to a Quantitative Trait Network

Many complex disease syndromes, such as asthma, consist of a large number of highly related, rather than independent, clinical or molecular phenotypes. This raises a new technical challenge in identifying genetic variations associated simultaneously with correlated traits. In this study, we propose a new statistical framework called graph-guided fused lasso (GFlasso) to directly and effectively incorporate the correlation structure of multiple quantitative traits such as clinical metrics and gene expressions in association analysis. Our approach represents correlation information explicitly among the quantitative traits as a quantitative trait network (QTN) and then leverages this network to encode structured regularization functions in a multivariate regression model over the genotypes and traits. The result is that the genetic markers that jointly influence subgroups of highly correlated traits can be detected jointly with high sensitivity and specificity. While most of the traditional methods examined each phenotype independently and combined the results afterwards, our approach analyzes all of the traits jointly in a single statistical framework. This allows our method to borrow information across correlated phenotypes to discover the genetic markers that perturb a subset of the correlated traits synergistically. Using simulated datasets based on the HapMap consortium and an asthma dataset, we compared the performance of our method with other methods based on single-marker analysis and regression-based methods that do not use any of the relational information in the traits. We found that our method showed an increased power in detecting causal variants affecting correlated traits. Our results showed that, when correlation patterns among traits in a QTN are considered explicitly and directly during a structured multivariate genome association analysis using our proposed methods, the power of detecting true causal SNPs with possibly pleiotropic effects increased significantly without compromising performance on non-pleiotropic SNPs.
Losses due to Adsorption during Filtration of Aqueous Solutions of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

ALTHOUGH it has been pointed out that some adsorption of a solute may occur during filtrations1 there is apparently no general awareness of the possible magnitude of such losses with dilute solutions of certain solutes. Loss by adsorption of polycyclic, aromatic hydrocarbons during filtration2 or dialysis3 has been mentioned briefly, and such adsorption has been shown4 to be the cause of a major discrepancy in some recent attempts to determine the solubilities of such hydrocarbons in aqueous solutions of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)3,5–7. Stauff and Reske8 found filtration to be unsuitable for the removal of benzo[a]pyrene in determinations of solubility in aqueous protein solutions; they attributed the observed 20–50 per cent error to mechanical denaturation of the protein by the glass frit during filtration, but it is quite possible that adsorption of the hydrocarbon was also a contributing factor. Except for a brief investigation of the amount of protein adsorbed during the nitration of aqueous solutions through ‘Millipore’ filters9, however, there has been no detailed report on the extent of losses due to adsorption.
On non-linear extensions of the Perron-Frobenius theorem

Abstract The note provides bounds for eigenvalues of non-negative, homogeneous mappings, which need not be linear. It also gives a simple proof of the result, that repeated iterations of a primitive mapping take any semipositive vector to the positive eigenvector.
Widely tunable 10 Gbit/s separate absorption and modulation Mach-Zehnder wavelength converter

A fully monolithic separate absorption and modulation region wavelength converter requiring no bias tees has been fabricated. The device consists of a transmitter comprising a sampled-grating DBR laser and series-push-pull Mach-Zehnder modulator, and a receiver composed of a linear semiconductor optical amplifier and a quantum well pin photodetector. The wavelength converter has a 13 GHz bandwidth and demonstrates error-free operation at 10 Gbit/s with unity gain
Analysis of Empirical Bivariate Extremal Distributions

Abstract Two examples illustrate the use of bivariate extremal distributions of the first type. One is the distribution of oldest ages at death for the two sexes; the other consists of the floods of the same river recorded at two stations located upstream and downstream. The first is an illustration of independence; the second, of dependence. These illustrations were chosen so as to facilitate the decision on the hypothesis of independence. We limit our consideration to the first, double exponential, extremal distribution because it can be written in a form which is parameter-free. Distribution-free tests for the hypothesis of independence and a criterion for independence of bivariate extremal distributions are given. Bivariate density curves of independent largest values are shown.
Quantification of motion of different thoracic locations using four-dimensional computed tomography: implications for radiotherapy planning.

Purpose To assess the respiratory motion of different thoracic nodal locations and its dependence on the presence of enlarged nodes; to assess the respiratory motion of different parenchymal tumor locations; and to determine the appropriate margins to cover the respiratory motion of targets at these locations. Methods and Materials We reviewed the four-dimensional computed tomography scans of 20 patients with thoracic tumors treated at our institution. The motion of four central thoracic locations (aortic arch, carina, and bilateral hila), parenchymal tumor locations (upper vs. lower, and anterior vs. middle vs. posterior thorax), and bilateral diaphragmatic domes was measured. Results For the central thoracic locations, the largest motion was in the superoinferior (SI) dimension (>5 mm for bilateral hila and carina, but Conclusions The results of our study have provided data for appropriate site-specific internal target volume expansion that could be useful in the absence of four-dimensional computed tomography-based treatment planning. However, generalizing the results from a small patient population requires discretion.
Guidelines for experimental studies.

Abstract Objectives. The purpose of this document is to present guidelines for the training of researchers and for the planning of experiments that ensure optimum interaction and communication among the investigators and statisticians of the research team. Methods. The protocol described in this document is designed to systematically guide a researcher through a sequence of planning steps and checkpoints to ensure proper experimental design, data management, statistical analyses, and interpretation. Results. The investigator and the statistician, as a collaborative team, will be able to determine the most effective and appropriate procedures and tools necessary for the successful completion of a research project. Significance. Planning an experimental study necessitates much thought. Lack of essential communication with a statistician in the initial stages of the experimental design can doom the experiment to failure. Flawed research studies may be associated with one or more of the following: failure of the established testable hypothesis, uncontrolled biases, insufficient sample size, lack of appropriate controls, variability in specimen preparation, improper calibration of instruments or standardization of measurements, incorrect data entries, inappropriate statistical analyses, errors in interpretation of statistical analyses, and erroneously drawn conclusions. Standard guidelines will eliminate many of these potential problems.
Research and Action for Bridging Science and Practice in Prevention

There is a well-known gap between science and practice. To address this gap in the areas of Child Maltreatment (CM) and Youth Violence (Y/V), the Division of Violence Prevention (DVP) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) embarked on a Dissemination/Implementation (D/I) planning project. The project was aimed at identifying better ways to connect research and practice through reviews of the literature as well as through discussions with experts on violence prevention and research utilization. This introductory article sets the stage for the rest of the special issue by defining terms, providing a rationale for the planning project, describing the planning process, and summarizing what is to come in the rest of the issue.
De-Westernizing Communication Research: Altering questions and changing frameworks

Georgette Wang, London & New York, Routledge, 2011, US$125 (hard), 282 pp. These essays make an interesting contribution to the crucial ongoing debate concerning the impact on the social sciences o...
A study of solution algorithms for shape design sensitivity analysis on a supermini computer with an attached array processor

This paper presents a study and comparison of shape design sensitivity analysis algorithms that are based on the continuum adjoint variable method, the continuum direct differentiation method, and the finite difference method, implemented on a supermini computer with an attached array processor. The basic algorithms and their differences in evaluating shape design sensitivity coefficients are outlined. A solution method for solving a system of equations, using a general sparse storage technique, is used for numerical implementation of shape design sensitivity analysis. It is found that computing shape design sensitivity coefficients using the direct differentiation method is significantly more efficient than using the adjoint variable method or the finite difference method. A detailed performance evaluation of the methods, using an attached array processor, is presented. The performance of the attached array processor, compared to a supermini computer is shown to depend strongly on the type of computations to be carried out. When only parts of a program are running on an attached array processor, the CPU time distribution among the different subroutines of the program can change significantly, compared to using the host processor only.
The frequency of perceived stress, anxiety, and depression in patients with common pathologies affecting voice.

Summary The study's objectives were to investigate (1) the frequency of perceived stress, anxiety, and depression for patients with common voice disorders, (2) the distribution of these variables by diagnosis, and (3) the distribution of the variables by gender. Retrospective data were derived from self-report questionnaires assessing recent stress (Perceived Stress Scale-10), anxiety, and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) in a cohort of new patients presenting to a voice clinic. Data are presented on 160 patients with muscle tension dysphonia (MTD), benign vocal fold lesions, paradoxical vocal fold movement disorder (PVFMD), or glottal insufficiency. Pooled data indicated that average stress, anxiety, and depression scores were similar to those found for the healthy population. However, 25.0%, 36.9%, and 31.2% of patients showed elevated stress, anxiety, and depression scores, respectively, compared to norms. Patients with PVFMD had the most frequent occurrence—and patients with glottal insufficiency had the least frequent occurrence of elevated stress, anxiety, and depression. Stress and depression were more common with MTD than with lesions, whereas reverse results were obtained for anxiety. More females than males had elevated stress, anxiety, and depression scores. The data are consistent with suggestions that stress, anxiety, and depression may be common among some patients with PVFMD, MTD, and vocal fold lesions and more common for women than men. However, individual variability in the data set was large. Further studies should evaluate the specific role of these conditions for selected categories of voice disorders in susceptible individuals.
Production of a permanent radiographic record of transillumination of the neonate.

A simple method of obtaining a permanent record of transillumination is described which demands minimal equipment and time.
Nonrandom Packaging of Host RNAs in Moloney Murine Leukemia Virus

Moloney murine leukemia virus (MLV) particles contain both viral genomic RNA and an assortment of host cell RNAs. Packaging of virus-encoded RNA is selective, with virions virtually devoid of spliced env mRNA and highly enriched for unspliced genome. Except for primer tRNA, it is unclear whether packaged host RNAs are randomly sampled from the cell or specifically encapsidated. To address possible biases in host RNA sampling, the relative abundances of several host RNAs in MLV particles and in producer cells were compared. Using 7SL RNA as a standard, some cellular RNAs, such as those of the Ro RNP, were found to be enriched in MLV particles in that their ratios relative to 7SL differed little, if at all, from their ratios in cells. Some RNAs were underrepresented, with ratios relative to 7SL several orders of magnitude lower in virions than in cells, while others displayed intermediate values. At least some enriched RNAs were encapsidated by genome-defective nucleocapsid mutants. Virion RNAs were not a random sample of the cytosol as a whole, since some cytoplasmic RNAs like tRNAMet were vastly underrepresented, while U6 spliceosomal RNA, which functions in the nucleus, was enriched. Real-time PCR demonstrated that env mRNA, although several orders of magnitude less abundant than unspliced viral RNA, was slightly enriched relative to actin mRNA in virions. These data demonstrate that certain host RNAs are nearly as enriched in virions as genomic RNA and suggest that Ψ− mRNAs and some other host RNAs may be specifically excluded from assembly sites.
Failure Mechanisms in Ceramic‐Fiber/Ceramic‐Matrix Composites

Mechanisms of failure in a unidirectional Sic-fibe/glass-ceramic composite are investigated using in situ observations during tensile and flexural loading. These experiments show that failure in tension occurs in several stages (similar to certain other brittle fiber composites): multiple matrix cracking, followed by fiber fracture and pullout. In flexural loading the failure process is more complex. Consequently, the flexural test cannot be used for measurement of tensile strength (although it can be used for measurement of the stress for matrix cracking). The application of conventional fracture mechanics to describe tensile failure is discussed. The in situ observations provide direct indication of the importance of frictional bonding between the matrix and fibers. Some novel methods for measuring the frictional forces and residual stresses are investigated, and the influence of surface damage on strength is assessed.
Spontaneous Insertion of a B2 Element in the Ptpn6 Gene Drives a Systemic Autoinflammatory Disease in Mice Resembling Neutrophilic Dermatosis in Humans

We found a spontaneous autosomal mutation in a mouse leading to neutrophil infiltration with ulceration in the upper dermis of homozygous offspring. These animals had increased neutrophil numbers, associated with normal lymphocyte count, in peripheral blood and bone marrow, suggesting a myeloproliferative disorder; however, granulocyte precursor proliferation in bone marrow was actually reduced (because circulating neutrophils were less susceptible to apoptosis). Neutrophil infiltration of the skin and other organs and high serum levels of immunoglobulins and autoantibodies, cytokines, and acute-phase proteins were additional abnormalities, all of which could be reduced by high-dose corticosteroid treatment or neutrophil depletion by antibodies. Use of genome-wide screening localized the mutation within an 0.4-Mbp region on mouse chromosome 6. We identified insertion of a B2 element in exon 6 of the Ptpn6 gene (protein tyrosine phosphatase, non-receptor type 6; also known as Shp-1). This insertion involves amino acid substitutions that significantly reduced the enzyme activity in mice homozygous for the mutation. Disease onset was delayed, and the clinical phenotype was milder than the phenotypes of other Ptpn6-mutants described in motheaten (me, mev) mice; we designated this new genotype as Ptpn6meB2/meB2 and the phenotype as meB2. This new phenotype encompasses an autoinflammatory disease showing similarities to many aspects of the so-called neutrophilic dermatoses, a heterogeneous group of skin diseases with unknown etiology in humans.
Yeast Artificial Chromosome Clones of Rice Chromosome 2 Ordered Using DNA Markers

Yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) clones were ordered for the physical mapping of rice chromosome 2, the last of the 12 rice chromosomes to be assigned YACs by the Rice Genome Research Program. A total of 128 restriction fragment length polymorphism markers and 4 sequence-tagged site (STS) markers located on our high-density genetic map were used for YAC clone landing. By colony/Southern hybridization and polymerase chain reaction screening, a total of 239 individual YACs were selected from our YAC library of 6934 clones covering six genome equivalents. The YACs located on the corresponding marker positions in the linkage map formed 43 contigs and islands and were estimated to encompass about 50% of the length of rice chromosome 2.
Debris cloaking in Endomychidae: a new species from Peru (Coleoptera)

Adults and immature stages of the mychothenine endomychid Bystus decorator sp. nov. from Peru are described. All life stages occur together on rotting logs and feed on fungal spores. Larval debris cloaking and morphological adaptations associated with it are discussed in detail. Some larval setae are apically clubbed and barbed along the shafts to facilitate particle adhesion. Pronation of the thoracic lateral lobes bring the setae into contact with the substrate to gather particles of debris. The anatomy and functional morphology of the thoracic musculature is considered in the context of cloaking behaviour. Variations in debris cloaking behaviours among mychothenine endomychids are discussed and compared to other debris-cloaking insects.
Contributions of the environment and environmentally vulnerable physiology to autism spectrum disorders

Purpose of reviewThis review presents a rationale and evidence for contributions of environmental influences and environmentally vulnerable physiology to autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).Recent findingsRecent studies suggest a substantial increase in ASD prevalence above earlier Centers for Disease
Retrospective Evaluation of Patient-Controlled Analgesia Use in a Large Teaching Institution

Because of a significant increase in the number of patients receiving patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) therapy at our institution, we conducted a review of PCA use. Our objectives were to determine if a PCA recording document (monitoring form) could be used to identify potential problems associated with PCA therapy and to identify measures that could be taken to improve analgesic therapy with this method of administration. The PCA recording document for each patient was reviewed retrospectively to identify patients suspected of having problems with the therapy. Three criteria addressing duration of therapy, change in prescribed narcotic, and respiratory rate were used to evaluate PCA therapy. The standard was set at 100 percent. Complete patient records were reviewed for those patients not meeting the standard to determine whether problems actually existed. PCA recording documents were reviewed for 518 patients. Sixty-one patients did not meet the standard. Of these 61 patients, 41 (67.2 percent) were found to have problems with PCA therapy. Suspected adverse reactions occurred in 27 of these 41 patients and 14 experienced inadequate pain control. Nausea and vomiting were the most prevalent adverse reactions. Our results indicate that PCA therapy is discontinued in many patients because of inadequate pain relief and suspected narcotic-induced nausea and vomiting. To improve analgesic therapy, clinicians should be reeducated regarding ways to optimize analgesic therapy, and a prospective PCA monitoring service should be considered.
TOWARDS AUTONOMOUS CARGO DEPLOYMENT AND RETRIEVAL BY AN UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE USING VISUAL SERVOING

This paper presents the design and implementation of systems for autonomous tracking, payload pickup, and deployment of a 1/10th scale RC vehicle via a UAV helicopter. The tracking system uses a visual servoing algorithm and is tested using open loop velocity control of a three degree of freedom gantry system with a camera mounted via a pan-tilt unit on the end effecter. The pickup system uses vision to control the camera pan tilt unit as well as a second pan tilt unit with a hook mounted on the end of the arm. The ability of the pickup system to hook a target is tested by mounting it on the gantry while recorded helicopter velocities are played back by the gantry. A preliminary semi-autonomous deployment system is field tested, where a manually controlled RC car is transported by a UAV helicopter under computer control that is manually directed to GPS waypoints using a ground station.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Identification of sucrose synthase as an actin‐binding protein

Several lines of evidence indicate that sucrose synthase (SuSy) binds both G- and F-actin: (i) presence of SuSy in the Triton X-100-insoluble fraction of microsomal membranes (i.e. crude cytoskeleton fraction); (ii) co-immunoprecipitation of actin with anti-SuSy monoclonal antibodies; (iii) association of SuSy with in situ phalloidin-stabilized F-actin filaments; and (iv) direct binding to F-actin, polymerized in vitro. Aldolase, well known to interact with F-actin, interfered with binding of SuSy, suggesting that a common or overlapping binding site may be involved. We postulate that some of the soluble SuSy in the cytosol may be associated with the actin cytoskeleton in vivo.
A structural model of algebra achievement: computational fluency and spatial visualisation as mediators of the effect of working memory on algebra achievement

The goal of this study was to develop and evaluate a structural model of the relations among cognitive abilities and arithmetic skills and college students’ algebra achievement. The model of algebra achievement was compared to a model of performance on the Scholastic Assessment in Mathematics (SAT‐M) to determine whether the pattern of relations is similar for different types of higher level maths achievement. Structural equation modelling was used to test the effects of working memory, 3D spatial ability, and computational fluency on both types of higher order maths achievement. Computational fluency had the strongest effect on algebra achievement, with 3D spatial ability and working memory showing moderate effects. In contrast, 3D spatial ability had a stronger effect on SAT‐M scores than did computational fluency. Computational fluency and 3D spatial ability completely mediated the effect of working memory for both algebra and SAT‐M achievement.
Radioiron utilization and ethylenediamine in female mice

Abstract The effects of ethylenediamine (EDA) on the distribution of radioiron citrate (59Fe) among erythrocytes, plasma, spleen, and liver were explored in female ICR mice. The 7-day LD50 of EDA was found to be 1.5 mg/g sc. Within hours of injection a maximum nonlethal dosage of EDA appeared to reduce the availability of 59Fe for erythropoiesis. A more prolonged effect was also observed where EDA reduced the erythrocyte 24-hr 59Fe uptake during a 1-week period following administration. Spleen 59Fe uptake was affected by EDA most during the early period; a dose-response relationship was noted. Liver and femur obtained from experimental animals did not vary in their 59Fe content from those of control mice at all test intervals. The hematocrit and total hemoglobin were not changed by EDA treatment.
Sex-specific silencing of X-linked genes by Xist RNA

X-inactive specific transcript (Xist) long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) is thought to catalyze silencing of X-linked genes in cis during X-chromosome inactivation, which equalizes X-linked gene dosage between male and female mammals. To test the impact of Xist RNA on X-linked gene silencing, we ectopically induced endogenous Xist by ablating the antisense repressor Tsix in mice. We find that ectopic Xist RNA induction and subsequent X-linked gene silencing is sex specific in embryos and in differentiating embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and epiblast stem cells (EpiSCs). A higher frequency of X(ΔTsix)Y male cells displayed ectopic Xist RNA coating compared with X(ΔTsix)X female cells. This increase reflected the inability of X(ΔTsix)Y cells to efficiently silence X-linked genes compared with X(ΔTsix)X cells, despite equivalent Xist RNA induction and coating. Silencing of genes on both Xs resulted in significantly reduced proliferation and increased cell death in X(ΔTsix)X female cells relative to X(ΔTsix)Y male cells. Thus, whereas Xist RNA can inactivate the X chromosome in females it may not do so in males. We further found comparable silencing in differentiating X(ΔTsix)Y and 39,X(ΔTsix) (X(ΔTsix)O) ESCs, excluding the Y chromosome and instead implicating the X-chromosome dose as the source of the sex-specific differences. Because X(ΔTsix)X female embryonic epiblast cells and EpiSCs harbor an inactivated X chromosome prior to ectopic inactivation of the active X(ΔTsix) X chromosome, we propose that the increased expression of one or more X-inactivation escapees activates Xist and, separately, helps trigger X-linked gene silencing.
Psychopathology and Attirition in the Epidemiologic Catchment Area Surveys

This analysis shows the effect of sociodemographic variables and psychopathology on attrition in a 1-year follow-up of 10,167 household-residing respondents, aged 18-64 years, from four sites of the National Institute of Mental Health Epidemiologic Catchment Area Program. Attrition is defined in two ways: failure to locate (n = 1,035) and refusal to participate (n = 1,010). As compared with 8,122 respondents successfully interviewed after 1 year, those who are not located are more likely to be male, Hispanic, young, and unmarried. Refusers are older and more likely to be married and to have lower educational attainment than those successfully reinterviewed. After adjusting for sociodemographic variables, psychopathology had a small to moderate effect on attrition. Panic and depression were associated with failure to locate, but no diagnoses, or selected symptoms, were strongly or significantly associated with refusal to participate in the second wave.
Preoperative Evaluation of the Patient with Substance Use Disorder and Perioperative Considerations

The patient with a current or former history of substance use disorder can be challenging to adequately care for in the perioperative period. A thorough preoperative evaluation is essential. In addition to drug abuse screening, the evaluation should include an assessment of the effects of the substance abuse, associated diseases, end-organ damage, and an awareness of the potential perioperative risks so appropriate plans are developed to minimize the risks. Intraoperatively, anesthetic management needs to be appropriately modified. Signs and symptoms of withdrawal should be monitored for postoperatively. Pain management is particularly challenging. After discharge, this patient population is vulnerable and requires close follow-up and early referral to appropriate specialists when needed.
Does Trust Matter? Corruption and Environmental Regulatory Policy in the United States

This study shows that the level of trust matters for how corruption affects public policy outcomes in the long run, in particular with regard to the stringency of environmental policies. We argue that the level of trust affects the relative strength of industry and environmental lobby groups, and therefore the effects of corruption. We construct a unique index measuring the reflection of corruption in each state using Associated Press (AP) state news wires. We estimate the long-run cointegrating relationship between environmental policy, corruption, and trust using Dynamic OLS. We find that higher corruption reduces the stringency of environmental policies when the level of trust is low, but has little or no effect at higher levels of trust.
High Temperature Photoluminescence and Photoluminescence Excitation Spectroscopy of Er Doped Gallium Nitride

We report results of high temperature photoluminescence and photoluminescence excitation studies of Er doped GaN. Er was doped into GaN either by ion-implantation or during growth by metalorganic molecular beam epitaxy (MOMBE). Using above gap excitation (λ ex =325nm), GaN:Er showed strong 1.54 μm Er 3+ luminescence up to 550K which indicates the potential of this material for high temperature opto-electronic applications. In addition, we performed timeresolved photoluminescence excitation (PLE) measurements over the wavelength range 420 to 680 nm using a Nd:YAG pumped Optical Parametric Oscillator (OPO). Similar to our previous PLE results of Er doped AIN, we observed that Er 3+ ions in GaN can be excited either through resonant pumping of Er 3+ energy levels or through energy-transfer processes involving defect states. The relative contribution of direct and indirect Er 3+ excitation, however, seems to depend on the material preparation method.
MYStIX: Massive Young Stellar Cluster Study in Infrared and X-Rays

The Massive Young Stellar Cluster Study in Infrared and X-rays (MYStIX) is a project to develop a new census of pre-main sequence and OB members of ∼ 20 star clusters associated with giant molecular clouds. The census is based on archived observations obtained with NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, UKIRT’s UKIDSS Galactic plane survey, and NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope. With advanced data analysis techniques and probabilistic algorithms to reduce contaminants such as field stars, we obtain the richest available census of cluster members. In addition, source-free X-ray images show 107 K plasma from shocked OB winds interacting with cold interstellar environments. MYStIX will address a variety of questions concerning the formation and early evolution of rich stellar clusters.
Interests Divided: Risks to Disaster Research Subjects vs. Benefits to Future Disaster Victims

The increase in number of severe disasters worldwide, together with the professionalization of first responders, rescue teams and humanitarian organisations, has led to the emergence of a new kind of research, ‘disaster research.’ There are presently no research rules or codes of ethics that take into account the status of disaster victims as a vulnerable population, and the need to articulate an ethical justification for conducting disaster research has gathered momentum.
Risk Based Security Management at Research Reactors

This presentation provides a background of what led to the international emphasis on nuclear security and describes how nuclear security is effectively implemented so as to preserve the societal benefits of nuclear and radioactive materials.
Vision/Critique/Avowal

We may disagree with some aspect of their [minority cultures’] moral, ethical, or evaluative practices without dismissing or holding in disrespect their life-worlds altogether. Most human encounters ... occur in this in-between space of partial evaluations, translations, and contestations. – Seyla Benhabib In the Chinatown live animal market conflict, the optics of cruelty , racism , and ecological harm highlight and challenge (or purport to challenge) different dimensions of power – human domination over animals, white domination over the Chinese, and human domination over nature, respectively. Each optic directs our focus to a specific issue in a particular way, even as it necessarily diverts our attention away from other concerns. Single-optic vision of this kind tends to lead in the course of political struggle to a posture of mutual disavowal, where each group elevates its own suffering and justice claims over the suffering and justice claims of the other group, either partly or wholly invalidating the latter as a matter of political and moral concern. Disavowal, an act of dis-association and rejection, can range from failing to recognize that one is causing harm to the other group to refusing to acknowledge that the other group suffers or has valid justice claims to actively and knowingly reproducing patterns of social injury to the other group. The posture of mutual disavowal is unsurprising in one sense: politics as a struggle over scarce resources (material, symbolic, and other) is by its very nature oppositional – one is always mobilizing for and therefore against something, so disavowing an opponent’s claims and perspective is par for the course. The rub arises when one is mobilizing not against an oppressive majority but rather against another subordinated group (or, in the case of animal advocates, those representing a subordinated group). If we believe that justice requires the mitigation or cessation of various forms of social domination, the possible implications of disavowal here should give us pause.
Metalevel Programming in Constructive Type Theory

This paper describes a particular version of constructive type theory, a subset of the one underlying the Nuprl proof development system, and it examines its role as a programming environment. Special attention is given to the property of the theory to talk about itself. This reflective capability is the basis for automating proof development and for metalevel programming.
‘Because of your hardness of heart’: Calvin and the limits of law

This article proposes that Calvin's ‘hardness of heart’ principle functions as a substantive limitation on political authority and the law, creating the legal space for meaningful moral pluralism. Calvin distinguished between the spiritual and civil uses of the law, as well as between the natural moral law and the civil law within the Mosaic law. He repeatedly used Jesus' concept of ‘hardness of heart’ to explain inadequacies within the Mosaic law and to articulate a general principle about the nature and limits of civil law. This approach has important implications for law and morality in contemporary contexts characterised by a degree of moral pluralism that Calvin scarcely could have anticipated.