cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Risk of Periprosthetic Joint Infection in Patients With Multiple Arthroplasties.

Abstract Background Risk of subsequent periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) in a second prosthetic joint following initial PJI has been shown to be 19%-20%. We sought to identify (1) the risk of developing a second PJI for our patients with multiple prosthetic joints and (2) the effect of bacteremia on development of a subsequent PJI. Methods We retrospectively reviewed all patients treated surgically for PJI by a single surgeon from 2003 to 2014. Time between initial and subsequent infection, bacteremia, and risk factors for PJI were identified. Results Of 167 patients treated for PJI, 76 had multiple prosthetic joints. Thirteen percent (10/76) developed a PJI in a second location. Excluding simultaneous infections, the rate was 8.3% (6/72), despite having a 57% incidence of immunosuppression, diabetes, renal failure, smoking, or steroid use. Average follow-up for patients with 1 PJI was 4.6 years (range 0.03-13.6). Seventy percent (7/10) of patients with multiple infections were bacteremic at the time of initial infection compared to 18.1% (12/66) of patients with a single infection (P = .0004). Excluding the 4 simultaneous infections (all bacteremic), the risk of developing an infection in a second joint was 20% if bacteremic and 5.2% if not bacteremic. Conclusion Our study identified the risk of developing a subsequent PJI to be one half of previous studies. Bacteremia at the time of PJI is an important factor for developing subsequent PJI. Multiple prosthetic joints may be less hazardous than previously thought for patients with PJI suggesting that suppressive antibiotics may only be necessary in cases with bacteremia.
Gas Hydrates as Self-Assembled Templated Lattices

The theme of this NATO ARW is the challenge posed by the design, synthesis and characterization of large supramolecular assemblies. On the structural characterization side, the advent of the CCD-detector equipped diffractometer has revolutionized the way that crystallographic analysis is carried out. One example is the solution of the bromine hydrate structure some 150 years after its existence was first reported1, and another is the double rosette structure published recently2. Significant advances are also being made in solution techniques such as NMR spectroscopy and gas-phase methods such as mass spectrometry. In this setting of improved instrumentation and characterization methodology it is again of interest to examine the possibilities of studying the processes that lead to self-assembly and that connect the product to possible pre-cursor states. Developments in the NMR spectroscopy of noble gases has made it particularly attractive to focus on the longstanding and ever important problem of gas hydrate formation3.
Contract's Role in Relational Contract

What role do contracts play in long-term relationships? Very little, if any, according to the relational contract literature. It is not the contract that induces promise-keeping but the imposition of (or threat of imposing) relational or informal sanctions, such as suspension or termination of trade. Yet, in reality, parties in long-term relationships write elaborate contracts enforceable through litigation (often with vague, open-ended clauses such as “best efforts”) or set up dispute resolution mechanisms that mimic formal adjudication process. Why go through all that trouble if formal mechanisms are to be used rarely? This paper attempts to answer these questions. The paper argues that formal sanctions have two important advantages that informal sanctions often lack. First, with formal sanctions, parties can design the remedy (e.g., liquidated damages) and even the adjudication process (e.g., arbitration), and such flexibility allows them to decouple the deterrence benefit of the sanction from the cost of its imposition in achieving a better deterrence cost-benefit ratio. With relational sanctions, by contrast, both the deterrence benefit and the imposition cost are largely dictated by the value of future relationship: the more valuable the future relationship, the larger the deterrence benefit from threatening to terminate it, but also the larger the cost of carrying out that threat. Second, the formal adjudication process often uncovers evidence that parties and other market actors can use to better tailor relational sanctions. In fact, the desire to generate more accurate information can explain why contracting parties use vague, open-ended standards, such as “best efforts.” Recognizing these benefits but wary of inducing too much litigation, the most effective means for deterring breach of contract will often combine relational and legal sanctions, an approach commonly observed in the real-world. The paper also shows how various empirical findings are consistent with the theoretical predictions and how the findings can inform courts in interpreting “good faith” obligations.
Brackett- Line Emission Maps of Four Galaxies

Observations of the Br-γ hydrogen recombination line have been made in a sample of four galaxies. The data were acquired with the new Palomar Prime-Focus Infrared Camera (PFIRCAM) mounted at the prime focus (f/3.3) of the Hale 5-m telescope. The galaxies were imaged with narrow band filters centered on the Br-γ (2.166 μm) line and nearby K-band continuum. This project was undertaken with two goals in mind. First, to demonstrate the feasibility of extragalactic narrow-band imaging with near-infrared arrays, and second, to measure the Br-γ to Hα flux ratio corresponding to regions undergoing massive star formation. The galaxies are all at low redshift, but of a variety of morphologies: late-type galaxies, NGC 3683 (Sbc, 1656 km/s) and NGC 4713 (Sbd, 653 km/s), early-type galaxy, NGC 5866 (S0-f , 770 km/s), and irregular-type galaxy, NGC 2537 (IRR, 447 km/s). In three of the galaxies, NGC 2537, NGC 3683 and NGC 4713, we detect Br-γ emission at the ≥3σ level, and in NGC 5866 we obtain an upper limit. The spatial resolution of the raw 2.2μm data was about 1″, with the final maps smoothed to a resolution of 1 – 1.5″. Our Br-γ detections resolve individual H II region complexes in the galaxies. By comparing the Br-γ emission with Hα emission, we may derive an effective extinction measure, and infer a Lyman continuum flux from massive stars. This Lyman luminosity can then be converted into a total mass estimate for young stars, assuming an initial mass function and an upper mass cut-off. To date we have acquired Ha images of NGC 3683, NGC 4713, and NGC 5866. The preliminary results of NGC 4713 are presented in this paper.
Chaos and the Foreign Exchange Market

In the past, complex phenomena have often been assumed to be the result of stochastic processes. Because systems that exhibit chaos appear stochastic, measures are needed to differentiate among them. A common measure, the correlation dimension, is determined from the time series generated by daily foreign exchange spot prices for the Swiss Franc, Japanese Yen, and French Franc. The correlation dimension is found to saturate at dC ≈ 2.8 for the Swiss Franc and Japanese Yen, and at dC ≈ 2.1 for the French Franc.
A graph-partitioned sharp-interface immersed boundary solver for efficient solution of internal flows

Abstract In this Short Note, a graph-partitioning framework for a sharp-interface immersed boundary method is proposed so as to increase its computational efficiency for simulating internal flows on large-scale parallel computers. Immersed boundary methods are generally inefficient for internal flows with complex geometries due to the larger proportion of grid points that fall outside the fluid domain for such configurations. The graph-partitioning framework proposed here enables the solver to effectively ignore these points and focus the computation on the active points inside the fluid domain. A novel coarsening-partitioning process is proposed to ensure that sufficient overlapping layers are available at the sub-domain interfaces to accommodate computational stencils associated with the discretization as well as the sharp-interface boundary conditions. The benchmark test shows that the adoption of the graph topology reduces the computational cost (wall-time and memory cost) substantially. Moreover, the computational cost is shown to only scale with the number of computationally active grid points. The capability of the graph-partitioned solver is further demonstrated by simulating the flow inside an arterial network, a configuration which would otherwise be out of reach for most immersed boundary methods.
Preclinical animal tumor models to study prevention of colon cancer recurrence by curcumin

Abstract Relapse or recurrence of colorectal cancer (CRC), which leads to metastasis, is one of the biggest clinical challenges, since mortality and morbidity are very high in this patient population. Despite advances in medicine, there is no cure in sight. Chemotherapy that produces high degree of toxicity has not been very successful. Various combinations of conventional chemotherapy and targeted therapeutics also show only limited benefit. Therefore, development of novel strategies to prevent/arrest the relapse and progression of malignancies, specifically CRC is of significant clinical importance. Newer therapeutic approaches are now under consideration with the advent of new chemotherapeutic or preventive agents and regimens. The validation of a nontoxic agent that could improve upon the current chemotherapeutic regimen would therefore be highly desirable. Testing these novel regimens in appropriate preclinical animal tumor models is of utmost importance for successful translation of these concepts. The current chapter summarizes the recent development of different chemopreventive strategies with natural agents, specifically curcumin and its analogues to combat the recurrence of CRC.
Examining the assessment literacy required for interpreting score reports: A focus on educators of K–12 English learners:

This study investigated the assessment literacy required for K–12 educators to interpret score reports from a K–12 English language proficiency assessment. The assessment in concern is ACCESS for E...
Firm Characteristics, Stock Market Regimes, and the Cross-Section of Expected Returns

I propose a regime-switching generalization of instrumented principal components analysis (IPCA) that yields new insights about the relation between characteristics, factor loadings, and expected stock returns. Using a two-regime specification, I find evidence of a high-volatility regime in which individual stocks have high conditional expected returns. This contrasts sharply with the pattern of bull and bear regimes that is obtained by analyzing only market returns. Although exact factor pricing can be rejected, characteristics are more strongly related to priced covariances in the high-volatility regime. Furthermore, regime-switching predictability makes a substantial incremental contribution to the out-of-sample explanatory power of IPCA estimates.
Keeping tabs: Reducing postoperative opioid prescriptions for patients after breast surgical procedures.

Abstract Background As the opioid crisis continues, it is critical that health care providers ensure they are not overprescribing opioid medications. At our institution (Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD), postoperative patients after breast surgeries are discharged with variable amounts of opioid medications. However, many patients report minimal opioid use. The objectives of this study were to characterize postoperative opioid usage and prescribing practices for patients undergoing various breast surgeries and to recommend the number of opioid pills for discharge for each procedure. Methods This was a prospective, single-institution study of all patients undergoing breast surgery from October 2018 to 2019. All patients were enrolled in our institution’s enhanced recovery after surgery protocol. Patients were given questionnaires at their 2-week postoperative clinic appointment that evaluated perioperative pain and use of pain medications. The electronic medical record was reviewed to obtain additional information. Appropriate parametric and nonparametric tests were used for analysis. Results A total of 190 breast surgery patients completed the survey. We observed no significant differences in pain scores except between re-excision and mastectomy. Of these patients, 99% were prescribed opioids; however, only 53% of patients used them. Of those patients who were prescribed opioids, on average, all were prescribed more pills than were used. Conclusion Our study demonstrates that it is possible to discharge all breast surgery patients with fewer than 10 opioid pills, except for special circumstances. This is the first study to provide a set of specific recommended discharge medications. Utilization of an enhanced recovery after surgery protocol with standardized discharge opioids can be used successfully to reduce the number of opioids prescribed to patients.
Interpersonal Trauma and Posttraumatic Stress in Autistic Adults

Background: Many autistic adults report interpersonal traumas (IPTs) such as physical or sexual assault, which are often associated with posttraumatic stress and dissociation. Factors such as gende...
CO 2 Injection Well Build-Out Scenarios for Achieving 2DS

This study assumes that the target mass of CO2 can be captured and delivered to injection wells at acceptable costs, largely ignoring the primary economic factors needed to ensure successful full-scale capture deployment. The analysis presented uses the historical development of hydrocarbon extraction wells drilled in various regions as a basis for the expected rate of future well deployment for CO2 injection (Fig. 1). The most aggressive of these is the Bakken unconventional development in the central U.S., and the smallest scale is represented by the offshore hydrocarbon development offshore Texas. The Norwegian North Sea and the entire Gulf of Mexico represent other potential scenarios. This future hypothetical CO2 well development assumes that experience and technology will allow a similar exponential growth in deployment as was observed for hydrocarbon extraction, as well as for other technologies (Kramer and Haigh, 2009). By making some further assumptions based on industry experience about the likely life of each injection well (25 years) and the average annual rate of CO2 injection (0.7 Mtpa; Ringrose and Meckel, 2019), the future incremental and cumulative volume (Fig. 2) of injected CO2 can be estimated. Such estimates are useful for understanding the scale of regional and global deployment needed, as well as for providing a basis with which to evaluate incremental progress and maintain targets.
Salivary Gland-type Tumors of the Lung.

CONTEXT.— Salivary gland-type tumors (SGTs) of the lung represent a distinct group of lung neoplasms. Pulmonary SGTs often pose diagnostic challenges, especially in small biopsy and cytology samples because of limited sample volume and overlapping morphology among pulmonary SGTs, metastatic SGTs of head and neck origin, and other lung tumors. OBJECTIVE.— To identify the clinical characteristics, histomorphology, immunophenotypic features, and molecular alterations that are crucial for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of pulmonary SGTs, especially in small biopsy and cytology specimens. DATA SOURCES.— Literature review and authors' personal practice experience. CONCLUSIONS.— An accurate diagnosis of pulmonary SGTs can be achieved by careful evaluation of clinical findings and histomorphology in conjunction with immunohistochemical studies and molecular analysis.
On Black Mattering and (Un)framing the Preparation of Higher Education/Student Affairs Administrators

The purpose of this critical content analysis study was to examine higher education/student affairs (HE/SA) preparation toward a racial framing that centers and honors Black mattering. We explored linkages between Black literacies and epistemic credibility as indicators of Black mattering by analyzing 24 syllabi of foundational courses in HE/SA graduate preparation programs using Muhammad’s (2020) Historically Responsive Literacy (HRL) framework. The HRL framework is a four-layered equity framework with the following learning goals: (a) identity development; (b) skill development; (c) intellectual development; and (d) criticality. Across the four layers, we found little evidence of Black mattering in our data. To meaningfully situate Black mattering within curriculum development, we suggest instructors use their syllabus to begin unframing white supremacy and framing the curriculum with Black mattering.
Summary of Conference Plenary Sessions

As an introduction to the discussion of steroid hormone action and cancer, Dr. Roy Hertz presented data derived from studies of experimental animals and humans on tumors that are induced by steroids as well as those secreting steroids, and those that are responsive to steroids. A variety of estrogen-induced tumors were described; high tumor strains of various species are found to be more susceptible to tumor induction by exogenous steroids than are low tumor strains. Dosage and duration of exposure also play a critical role in tumor induction by steroids. For example, there is a very critical period during organogenesis of the female genital tract for the induction of vaginal adenosis and possibly carcinoma. Steroid-producing tumors are restricted to those organs that normally synthesize steroids such as ovary, testis and adrenal. In the adrenal cortex the growth potential of the neoplastic as well as the normal adrenocortical cell is readily separable from its steroidogenic function. Hormone-responsive tumors provide examples of tumors that are responsive to endocrine therapy. Notable among these are the tumors of the breast and the endometrium which respond to hormonal treatment. A paradoxical case history of DES therapy of breast cancer was presented. Some breast cancers grow in response to estrogens, whereas others undergo regression with DES therapy.
Electric field derivative waveforms from dart-stepped-leader steps in triggered lightning

Electric field derivative (dE/dt) pulse waveforms from dart-stepped-leaders in rocket-and-wire triggered lightning, recorded a distance of 226 m from the channel base, are characterized. A single dE/dt pulse associated with a leader step consists of a fast initial rise of the same polarity as the following return stroke followed by an opposite polarity overshoot of smaller amplitude and subsequent decay to background level, without superimposed secondary pulses. A “slow front” often precedes the fast initial rise. For 47 single dE/dt leader pulses occurring during the final 15 µs of 24 dart-stepped-leaders, the pulse mean half-peak width was 76 ns, mean 10-to-90% risetime 73 ns, and mean range-normalized peak amplitude 2.5 V/m/µs. For integrated dE/dt, the mean half-peak width was 214 ns and the mean range-normalized peak amplitude 0.21 V/m. Most dart-stepped-leader dE/dt pulses are more complex than a single pulse. Interpulse interval and average peak amplitude range normalized to 100 km were measured for both single and complex dE/dt pulses during the final 15 µs of 10 dart-stepped-leaders preceding triggered return strokes with peak currents ranging from 8.1 to 31.4 kA. The average range-normalized dE/dt and numerically integrated dE/dt (electric field) peak amplitude increased from 0.9 to 4.9 V/m/µs and 0.13 to 0.47 V/m, respectively, with increasing return stroke peak current while the interpulse interval remained relatively constant at about 2 µs. Strong positive linear correlations were found between both average range-normalized peak pulse amplitude and interstroke interval versus the following return stroke peak current.
Pigou and Coase: A mathematical reconciliation

Abstract This paper provides a rigorous statement of the Coase theorem and establishes a formal equivalence between abstract allocative mechanisms attributed to Coase and Pigou. The model proceeds from output functions that reduce to production functions in special cases, thereby capturing effects that are obscured by conventional production and cost functions. The model also emphasizes fundamental differences in the characteristics of inputs (particularly land) that are implied in the construction of externality stories. Finally, the model embodies a clear distinction between local (e.g. nuisance) and global (e.g. pollution) externalities. The Coase theorem (as stated) is valid only in the former case.
Feeding location affects demographic performance of cabbage aphids on winter canola

The cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae L. (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is a perennial pest that specializes on plants of the Brassicaceae family, attacking winter canola (Brassica napus L.) mainly during and after flowering. Under field conditions, cabbage aphid colonizes the upper flowering canopy. Population dynamics of aphids in the flowering canopy could be regulated by differences in either plant quality (bottom-up) or predatory (top-down) forces. The goal of our study was to determine the effect of feeding location on cabbage aphid demography. A stage-structured matrix population model was constructed for aphids restricted to reproductive or vegetative plant tissues of canola. We found that feeding location had a large impact on demography of cabbage aphid; the finite rate of increase (λ ± SEM) was higher when aphids were restricted to reproductive tissues, compared to aphids feeding on vegetative tissues: 1.25 ± 0.01 vs. 1.17 ± 0.01 (leaves). Aphids confined to reproductive tissues with higher λ exhibited shorter generation times (T = 14.2 ± 0.2 days) and 53–75% higher net reproductive rates (R0 = 23.3 ± 1.7) than aphids feeding on vegetative tissues. Prospective analyses showed that there was a nymph-skewed stable stage distribution, and elasticity values revealed that λ is most sensitive to changes in stasis of adults staying in the adult stage and to adult survival. Retrospective analyses indicated that variation in adult fecundity (value of 0.05) had the largest effect on population dynamics but collectively, growth of nymphal stage 2–3, 3–4, and 4 to adult accounted for most of the difference in λ between the treatments. Monitoring programs should target adults and penultimate instars colonizing reproductive tissues of canola plants in the field as aphids on these plant structures contribute most to population growth.
Protective Immunity and Defects in the Neonatal and Elderly Immune Response to Sepsis

Populations encompassing extremes of age, including neonates and elderly, have greater mortality from sepsis. We propose that the increased mortality observed in the neonatal and elderly populations after sepsis is due to fundamental differences in host-protective immunity and is manifested at the level of the leukocyte transcriptome. Neonatal (5-7 d), young adult (6-12 wk), or elderly (20-24 mo) mice underwent a cecal slurry model of intra-abdominal sepsis. Both neonatal and elderly mice exhibited significantly greater mortality to sepsis (p < 0.05). Neonates in particular exhibited significant attenuation of their inflammatory response (p < 0.05), as well as reductions in cell recruitment and reactive oxygen species production (both p < 0.05), all of which could be confirmed at the level of the leukocyte transcriptome. In contrast, elderly mice were also more susceptible to abdominal peritonitis, but this was associated with no significant differences in the magnitude of the inflammatory response, reduced bacterial killing (p < 0.05), reduced early myeloid cell activation (p < 0.05), and a persistent inflammatory response that failed to resolve. Interestingly, elderly mice expressed a persistent inflammatory and immunosuppressive response at the level of the leukocyte transcriptome, with failure to return to baseline by 3 d. This study reveals that neonatal and elderly mice have profoundly different responses to sepsis that are manifested at the level of their circulating leukocyte transcriptome, although the net result of increased mortality is similar. Considering these differences are fundamental aspects of the genomic response to sepsis, interventional therapies will require individualization based on the age of the population.
Supernovae and the Origin of Cosmic Rays (I)

There have been few papers on the theoretical origin of cosmic rays in the last decade that have not in some way or other invoked the phenomenology of a supernova. Some of these have been particularly vague about the details of the supernova itself only regarding supernovae as in some fashion making violence in our galaxy, and out of it emerges the cosmic ray spectrum. On the other hand, other theoretical interpretations of cosmic rays, in particular, the shock origin model, have almost monotonously dwelt upon the morphology of supernovae themselves. Cosmic rays are then only a small effect in the whole range of explosive phenomena.
Incendiary Speech and Social Media

Incidents illustrating the incendiary capacity of social media have rekindled concerns about the "mismatch" between existing doctrinal categories and new types of dangerous speech. This Essay examines two such incidents, one in which an offensive tweet and YouTube video led a hostile audience to riot and murder, and the other in which a blogger urged his nameless, faceless audience to murder federal judges. One incident resulted in liability for the speaker even though no violence occurred; the other did not lead to liability for the speaker even though at least thirty people died as a result of his words. An examination of both incidents reveals flaws in existing First Amendment doctrines. In particular, this examination raises questions about whether underlying assumptions made by current doctrine concerning how audiences respond to incitement, threats, or fighting words are confounded by the new reality social media create.
Rare Earth Abundances in Meteoritic Chondrules

Rare earth elements and yttrium in meteoritic chondrules determined by radiochemical neutron activation analysis
The Induction of Hypnosis: An Ericksonian Elicitation Approach by Jeffrey K. Zeig

Jeffrey Zeig has edited and written a number of books on Ericksonian hypnosis over the past four decades. He initially produced and edited volumes of teaching seminars and various books describing ...
A Small, Mini-Computer-Automated Thermoanalytical Laboratory

Several years ago the need for a thermoanalytical laboratory that provided services over a broad area was recognized at LLL. The objectives were to provide thermophysical and thermochemical data for a variety of unique problems. The quality of the data required vary with the needs of the requestor and the problem under investigation. The nature of the type of measurements is known to change with time and the services are therefore required to change also. The services provided by such a laboratory would include: Differential thermal analyses (DTA) of organic and inorganic systems over ranges of 4 to 2400 K. Thermogravimetric analyses (TGA) in the range from 300 to 1300 K. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) over a range from 150 to 500 K. Simultaneous differential thermal and thermogravimetric analyses of systems that decompose and mass spectroscopy of the decomposition products over a range from 300 to 1300 K.
Numerical analysis of thermal fracturing in subsurface cold water injection by finite element methods

SUMMARY Integration of poromechanics and fracture mechanics plays an important role in understanding a series of thermal fracturing phenomena in subsurface porous media such as cold water flooding for enhanced oil recovery, produced-water reinjection for waste disposal, cold water injection for geothermal energy extraction, and CO2 injection for geosequestration. Thermal fracturing modeling is important to prevent the potential risks when fractures propagate into undesired zones, and it involves the coupling of heat transfer, mass transport, and stress change as well as the fracture propagation. Analytical method, finite element method, and finite difference method as well as boundary element method have been used to perform the thermal fracturing modeling considering different degrees and combinations of coupling. In this paper, extended finite element method is employed for the thermal fracturing modeling in a fully coupled fashion with remeshing avoided, and the stabilized finite element method is employed to account for the convection-dominated heat transfer in the fracturing process with numerical oscillation circumvented. With the thermal fracturing model, a hypothetical numerical experiment on cold water injection into a deep warm aquifer is conducted. Results show that parameters such as injection rate, injection temperature, aquifer stiffness, and permeability can affect the fracture development in different ways and extended finite element method and stabilized finite element method provide effective tools for thermal fracturing simulation. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
CAPILLARY ELECTROPHORESIS DETERMINATION OF BUTALBITAL FROM SERUM USING SOLID PHASE EXTRACTION (SPE) AND ULTRAVIOLET DETECTION

Butalbital is a sedative hypnotic that is used mainly in combination with analgesics in the treatment of tension headaches. This paper develops and validates a rapid and sensitive method for the determination of butalbital in serum using capillary electrophoresis (CE) and ultraviolet detection. The internal standard chosen for this assay was aprobarbital because it showed similar chemical structure, identical chromatographic/SPE characteristics, and was commercially available. The CE run buffer contained 50 mM sodium dihydrogen phosphate buffer at pH 9.0 containing 20 mM hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin as a capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) buffer additive. An SPE method, using C[18] Bond-Elut cartridges, was developed to recover the drug and internal standard from serum. The CE system consists of a 75 micron I.D., 52 cm length fused silica capillary maintained at a run voltage of 15 kV with sample detection performed at 254 nm. The limit of detection for butalbital was <l μg/mL from serum. Linear calibra...
Double umbilical cord blood transplantation

Unrelated umbilical cord blood (UCB) is an alternative donor source for allogeneic haematopoietic cell transplantation and, compared with unrelated donor bone marrow, has the advantages of rapid availability, greater tolerance of HLA disparity and lower incidence of severe graft-versus-host disease. Graft cell dose is an important determinant of haematopoietic recovery and overall outcome following UCB transplantation, and the limited cell dose of single UCB units has been a major barrier to its more widespread use. Transplantation with two unrelated UCB units is feasible, safe and effective and can overcome the limitation of cell dose of single UCB units.
Light spread and scatter from some common adapting stimuli: computations based on the point-source light profile.

Abstract A point source of light is not so imaged on the photoreceptor mosaic. The light is distributed over the retina by diffraction, imperfections in the optics of the eye, and scatter. The spatial distribution of light is specified quantitatively by the point-source light profile, which can be used in convolution to determine light spread from more complex visual stimuli. We use the Vos, Walraven and van Meeteren [ Vision Res. 16 , 215–219 (1976)] light profile to determine spread light in specific regions within the spared area of an illuminated surround, and within a thin spared ring in an otherwise uniformly illuminated circular field. Surrounds of different sizes and rings of various widths and diameters are evaluated.
Service Delivery Models Used With Adolescents: A Pilot Study

Purpose: I surveyed ASHA-certified speech-language pathologists (SLPs) working in Virginia public schools to determine current practices used to treat the adolescent population. Method: I used surv...
A boundary element formulation for a layered elastic half-space

Abstract A numerical formulation is presented for the analysis of two-dimensional layered elastic media. A generalized image method is introduced in order to obtain the elastic responses in the layered domain to a point source disturbance. The numerical implementation of the fundamental solution in the boundary integral equation is then presented. An illustrative example involving a uniformly pressured cylindrical cavity in a two-layer half-space is considered and numerical results are compared to known solutions.
Induction of a memory retrieval strategy by young children.

Abstract This study examines children's modification of their own retrieval processes in a cued recall task. Each experiment had multiple study-test trials with triplets of categorically related words (Horse–Pig–Cow). Category-orienting questions were asked at acquisition, and each trial had different triplet stimuli. The last triplet word was the target, and the retrieval cues were the whole-context cue (Horse–Pig), a part-context cue (Horse), or a noncontext associate (Goat). The measure of retrieval induction was recall increases across trials. Experiments 1 and 3 examined retrieval support for induction by 7- to 12-year olds by manipulating cue type. Experiments 2 and 4 manipulated acquisition variables that might affect retrieval induction. The results showed induction of an effective retrieval strategy in the situations of maximum retrieval support even by the 7-year olds, and developmental differences occurred in the situations where the retrieval cues provided few hints about the acquisition encoding operation. The results suggest that monitoring and modification of retrieval processes should be distinguished and that monitoring is necessary but not sufficient for induction of an effective retrieval strategy. The results have implications for understanding children's strategy-utilization deficiencies in memory tasks.
Modulation of serum complement levels following exposure to polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins.

Abstract Subchronic 14-day exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin (TCDD) suppressed serum total hemolytic complement activity (CH50) in female B6C3F1 mice at doses of 0.01, 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 μg/kg. Serum levels of complement component C3 were also suppressed at doses of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 μg/kg. Another dioxin isomer, 1,2,3,6,7,8-hexachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin (HCDD), also produced dose-dependent suppression of complement activity at doses of 0.1, 1.0, and 10 μg/kg with decreased C3 levels at 10 μg/kg. Both TCDD and HCDD enhanced susceptibility to Streptococcus pneumoniae , a bacterial pathogen whose host defense is complement mediated. Recovery studies demonstrated that complement activity in TCDD (1 μg/kg) and HCDD (10 μg/kg)-treated animals was suppressed until 50 days post-treatment, while low doses of HCDD (0.1 and 1.0 μg/kg) elevated CH50 levels. Acute exposure to TCDD (14 μg/kg) also suppressed complement CH50 and C3 levels. These studies demonstrate that the complement system and innate immunity represent potential target sites for polychlornated dibenzo- p -dioxins.
eFindSite: Improved prediction of ligand binding sites in protein models using meta-threading, machine learning and auxiliary ligands

Molecular structures and functions of the majority of proteins across different species are yet to be identified. Much needed functional annotation of these gene products often benefits from the knowledge of protein–ligand interactions. Towards this goal, we developed eFindSite, an improved version of FINDSITE, designed to more efficiently identify ligand binding sites and residues using only weakly homologous templates. It employs a collection of effective algorithms, including highly sensitive meta-threading approaches, improved clustering techniques, advanced machine learning methods and reliable confidence estimation systems. Depending on the quality of target protein structures, eFindSite outperforms geometric pocket detection algorithms by 15–40 % in binding site detection and by 5–35 % in binding residue prediction. Moreover, compared to FINDSITE, it identifies 14 % more binding residues in the most difficult cases. When multiple putative binding pockets are identified, the ranking accuracy is 75–78 %, which can be further improved by 3–4 % by including auxiliary information on binding ligands extracted from biomedical literature. As a first across-genome application, we describe structure modeling and binding site prediction for the entire proteome of Escherichia coli. Carefully calibrated confidence estimates strongly indicate that highly reliable ligand binding predictions are made for the majority of gene products, thus eFindSite holds a significant promise for large-scale genome annotation and drug development projects. eFindSite is freely available to the academic community at http://www.brylinski.org/efindsite .
FURTHER STUDIES OF THE BACK-SCATTERING CROSS-SECTIONS OF WATER DROPS AND WET AND DRY ICE SPHERES

Abstract By using laboratory techniques described in a previous paper, results of the measurements of the back-scattering cross-sections of falling water drops and suspended ice spheres are presented for wavelengths of 1.50 and 5.72 cm. As in the earlier study at 3.20 cm, the water-value agreement with the complete diffraction theory of Mie is excellent. Rayleigh values are a good approximation at 5.72 cm out to drop diameters of about 0.35 cm but can be used at 1.50 cm only for drops less than about 0.15 cm in diameter. In addition, recent theoretical evaluations by Herman and Battan of the Mie back-scattering from melting ice spheres are compared with earlier observations made at 3.20 cm. When a constant water film thickness of 0.01 cm is used, the observed back-scattering cross-sections versus drop diameter are in remarkable agreement with theory.
The optical properties of zirconium diboride thin films

Abstract The optical properties of evaporated thin films of zirconium diboride were investigated from 4.1 to 11.3 eV. The optical constants were determined by reflectance measurements made at near-normal and oblique angles of incidence. The existence and energy of interband transitions and the plasma frequency are inferred from these results.
Composition-Selective Detection of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) By Oxygen-Chlorine Exchange Reaction in a Tandem Mass Spectrometer (Ms/Ms)

The exchange reaction of chlorine by oxygen with polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) anions was explored as a method for composition-selective detection of PCB congeners in a gas chromatograph/tandem mass spectrometer (GC/MS/MS) experiment. The odd-electron molecular anions of PCBs react with molecular oxygen introduced into the collision cell of a triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer to form a product ion that has 19 mass units less (35Cl - 16O) than the precursor. The even-electron anions which also form in the source do not react when allowed to pass through the precursor analyzer. Multiple reaction monitoring allows the generation of separate chromatograms for each different composition from tetrachloro through nonochloro PCB. Most coelutants are resolved in this way. Response factors for the 12 coplanar congeners that exhibit dioxin-like toxicity relative to octachloronaphthalene vary from 1.6 to 580. Results of the analysis of an Aroclor 1242 sample for the coplanar congeners compare well with previously determined values.
In vivo electron paramagnetic resonance oximetry with particulate materials.

Abstract Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) methods can be used to study tissue pO 2 (Pt o 2 ) in anesthetized or awake animals (EPR oximetry). The method takes advantage of the fact that some paramagnetic materials have an EPR linewidth that is sensitive to the pO 2 in which the material is located. This article provides an overview of the method of EPR oximetry using implanted particulate materials as the sensors of pO 2 . Characteristics of these materials are described to help the reader understand the factors involved in choosing the optimum particulate material. Examples of biological studies are included that show how EPR oximetry may be used on both awake and anesthetized animals.
Microstructure, Physical Properties, and Tribological Characteristics of Composite Solid Lubricant Coatings with Gas Atomized BaF2-CaF2

PS304 is a NASA-developed composite solid lubricant for friction and wear reduction at high temperatures. The microstructure, physical properties, and tribological performance of PS304 using standard comminuted BaF2-CaF2 and novel gas atomized BaF2-CaF2 were compared. Two atomized BaF2-CaF2 particle size distributions were used. Overall, feedstock powder with atomized BaF2-CaF2 flowed more freely than standard PS304 feedstock. The cohesion strength of coatings with atomized BaF2-CaF2 was lower than that of standard PS304, while the hardness of all of the studied coatings was essentially the same (approximately 58 HRA). Pin wear was lower against the new coatings and the coefficients of friction were essentially the same for all coatings. These results indicate that atomized BaF2-CaF2 can be substituted for comminuted BaF2-CaF2, providing a high-volume BaF2-CaF2 fabrication technique to reduce the cost of PS304 and improve its commercial availability.
Immediate changes in pressure pain sensitivity after thoracic spinal manipulative therapy in patients with subacromial impingement syndrome: A randomized controlled study.

Abstract Background Thoracic SMT can improve symptoms in patients with subacromial impingement syndrome. However, at this time the mechanisms of SMT are not well established. It is possible that changes in pain sensitivity may occur following SMT. Objectives To assess the immediate pain response in patients with shoulder pain following thoracic spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) using pressure pain threshold (PPT), and to assess the relationship of change in pain sensitivity to patient-rated outcomes of pain and function following treatment. Design Randomized Controlled Study. Methods Subjects with unilateral subacromial impingement syndrome (n = 45) were randomly assigned to receive treatment with thoracic SMT or sham thoracic SMT. PPT was measured at the painful shoulder (deltoid) and unaffected regions (contralateral deltoid and bilateral lower trapezius areas) immediately pre- and post-treatment. Patient-rated outcomes were pain (numeric pain rating scale – NPRS), function (Pennsylvania Shoulder Score – Penn), and global rating of change (GROC). Results There were no significant differences between groups in pre-to post-treatment changes in PPT (p ≥ 0.583) nor were there significant changes in PPT within either group (p ≥ 0.372) following treatment. NPRS, Penn and GROC improved across both groups (p Conclusion There were no differences in pressure pain sensitivity between participants receiving thoracic SMT versus sham thoracic SMT. Both groups had improved patient-rated pain and function within 24–48 h of treatment, but there was no difference in outcomes between the groups.
Resistance genes against plant-parasitic nematodes: a durable control strategy?

Plant-parasitic nematodes are a major pest of all agricultural systems, causing extensive economic losses. Natural resistance (R) genes offer an alternative to chemical control and have been shown effectively to limit nematode damage to crops in the field. Whilst a number of resistant cultivars have conferred resistance against root-knot and cyst nematodes for many decades, an increasing number of reports of resistance-breaking nematode pathotypes are beginning to emerge. The forces affecting the emergence of virulent nematodes are complex, multifactorial and involve both the host and parasite of the plant-nematode interaction. This review provides an overview of the root-knot and cyst nematode R genes characterised to date, in addition to examining the evolutionary forces influencing nematode populations and the emergence of virulence. Finally, potential strategies to improve R gene durability in the field are outlined, and areas that would benefit from further research efforts are highlighted.
Optimal Outcomes for Patients with Blunt Cerebrovascular Injury (BCVI): Tailoring Treatment to the Lesion

Background Blunt cerebrovascular injuries (BCVI) once went unrecognized until cerebral ischemia or death occurred. We previously demonstrated that screening of high-risk asymptomatic patients and early treatment improved outcomes. However, major dissections, pseudoaneurysms, and fistulas rarely heal with antithrombotic therapy alone. Endovascular therapy in these lesions has increased without reports of outcomes. We sought to determine ischemic stroke and death rates after BCVI with and without endovascular treatment. Study Design Patients with BCVI during a 53-month period ending May 2009 were identified. Antithrombotic therapy with heparin (goal partial thromboplastin time 40–60 s) or antiplatelets (aspirin and/or clopidogrel) was instituted after diagnosis of BCVI. Endovascular treatment was performed in patients with pseudoaneurysms, major dissections, and fistulas, whereas minor dissections and occluded vessels were treated with medical therapy alone. Outcomes evaluated were ischemic stroke and mortality, both in hospital and long term. Results A total of 222 patients had 263 BCVI (115 carotid, 148 vertebral injuries); 22 patients had ischemic strokes before their angiographic diagnosis (17 present on arrival, 5 before angiography); 41% of patients underwent endovascular treatment for their BCVI, 50% were placed on heparin drips, and 76% and 52% were given aspirin and clopidogrel, respectively. Seven patients developed infarcts after BCVI diagnosis for a postdiagnosis rate of 4%. Follow-up was achieved in 85% of patients at a mean of 22 months. In-hospital mortality was 11%, and overall mortality rate was 16% at last follow-up. Conclusions Endovascular therapy of appropriate lesions in conjunction with medical therapy leads to the lowest ischemic stroke rates reported. Despite being used for more severe lesions with higher potential for ischemia, endovascular therapy had outcomes similar to medical therapy. Aggressive screening and treatment of BCVI leads to the lowest reported mortality and stroke rates.
Phase I/II trial of non-cytotoxic suramin in combination with weekly paclitaxel in metastatic breast cancer treated with prior taxanes

Purpose Suramin, a polysulfonated naphthylurea, inhibits the actions of polypeptide growth factors including acidic and basic fibroblast growth factors (aFGF and bFGF), which confer broad spectrum chemotherapy resistance. We hypothesized that suramin at non-cytotoxic doses in combination with weekly paclitaxel would be well tolerated and demonstrate anti-tumor activity.
Hemodialysis catheters and ports.

Percutaneous placement of cuffed tunneled catheters for hemodialysis access has become a firmly established method of providing vascular access to patients with end-stage renal disease. Considerable evidence supports the right internal jugular vein as the preferred site for catheter insertion. The use of real-time imaging using both ultrasound and fluoroscopy permits simple, safe, and effective placement of the catheter for hemodialysis. The use of these imaging techniques has significantly reduced the number of and severity of complications associated with catheter placement. A specific method of placement is described including variations for specific catheter types. The new subcutaneous port as an alternative to the cuffed tunneled catheter appears to provide another option for vascular access; preliminary data suggests higher flow rates and lower infection rates compared with externalized cuffed tunneled catheters. Finally, the criteria for obtaining training and proficiency in placement of cuffed tunneled catheters are outlined.