cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rehabilitation Protocols for Superior Capsular Reconstruction Are Variable: A Systematic Review.

Purpose To screen manuscripts that discuss rehabilitation protocols for patients who underwent superior capsular reconstruction (SCR) to elucidate whether a standard rehabilitation algorithm exists for SCR. Methods A systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses (i.e., PRISMA) guidelines. PubMed (MEDLINE) and Embase were searched using pertinent Boolean operation terms “superior capsular reconstruction” and “rotator cuff repair rehabilitation,” and articles that included rehabilitation protocols following superior capsular reconstruction surgery were reviewed. Two independent reviewers performed the search and quality assessment. Results A total of 549 articles were yielded after our database search. Fourteen studies fulfilled our inclusion criteria and were included in the review. Study designs included 9 editorials, 3 case series, and 2 case reports. Each study included in this review used a unique rehabilitation algorithm that posed significant variability between the protocols. Four phases were identified to summarize each protocol and were used as a basis of discussion—sling versus brace time (3-6 weeks for comfort/removal vs complete immobilization), passive range of motion (immediately after surgery to initiation at 6 weeks), active range of motion (4-8 weeks), and strengthening/return to full activity (12-52 weeks). Initiation of rehabilitation, length of time spent in each phase, types of exercises, and overarching goals for return to function were significantly variable and were decided upon by the surgeon based on current massive rotator cuff repair protocols. Presently, there is no standard rehabilitation protocol for SCR. Conclusions SCR is a relatively new procedure that is gaining rapid popularity with promising outcomes. Based on our review, there is no standard rehabilitation protocol in place; thus, it is not possible to recommend an evidence-based rehabilitation protocol following SCR at this time. Level of Evidence Level V, systematic review of Level IV and V studies.
Neuromodulation, Deep Brain Stimulation, and Spinal Cord Stimulation on YouTube: A Content-Quality Analysis of Search Terms.

Background YouTube is one of the most widely accessed platforms for patients seeking information across all medical specialties. More than 50% of patients engage with online information before seeing a physician. There has been no qualitative analysis of neuromodulation content on YouTube. Methods By evaluating the search interest of neuromodulation terms via Google Trends, the authors selected 3 search terms to assess on YouTube. For each term, the top 20 videos were selected, 10 sorting by view count and 10 by relevance. DISCERN criteria were used to evaluate each video. Statistical analysis was performed with R software to discover associations among video characteristics and DISCERN scores (DSs). Results Neuromodulation, deep brain stimulation, and spinal cord stimulation terms were searched. There were 52 unique and 8 duplicate videos, which were excluded. The videos received 6,984,743 combined views (134,321 average). Neurosurgeons were the most common authors, producing 22 videos, followed by anesthesiologists with 10 videos. Statistical analysis showed that videos that were sponsored (DS 44.79 vs. 34.53; P Conclusions Certain characteristics of YouTube videos are associated with higher quality. Video producers should aim to use these characteristics and follow DISCERN criteria when preparing online videos.
Mesh generation and optimization from digital rock fractures based on neural style transfer

Abstract The complex geometric features of subsurface fractures at different scales makes mesh generation challenging and/or expensive. In this paper, we make use of neural style transfer (NST), a machine learning technique, to generate mesh from rock fracture images. In this new approach, we use digital rock fractures at multiple scales that represent ‘content’ and define uniformly shaped and sized triangles to represent ‘style’. The 19-layer convolutional neural network (CNN) learns the content from the rock image, including lower-level features (such as edges and corners) and higher-level features (such as rock, fractures, or other mineral fillings), and learns the style from the triangular grids. By optimizing the cost function to achieve approximation to represent both the content and the style, numerical meshes can be generated and optimized. We utilize the NST to generate meshes for rough fractures with asperities formed in rock, a network of fractures embedded in rock, and a sand aggregate with multiple grains. Based on the examples, we show that this new NST technique can make mesh generation and optimization much more efficient by achieving a good balance between the density of the mesh and the presentation of the geometric features. Finally, we discuss future applications of this approach and perspectives of applying machine learning to bridge the gaps between numerical modeling and experiments.
Analysis of Clustering Algorithms to Clean and Normalize Early Modern European Book Titles

In this paper, we identify the most accurate method of clustering to deduplicate the past centuries book records from multiple libraries for data analysis out of five common algorithms. The presence of duplicate records is a major concern in data analysis. The dataset we studied contains over 5 million records of books published in European languages between 1500 and 1800 in the Machine-Readable Cataloging (MARC) data format from 17,983 libraries in 123 countries. However, each book record was archived by the library owning it. This creates a consistency problem in which the same book was archived in a slightly different way between libraries. Moreover, the change in geography and language over the past centuries also affects data consistency regarding the name of a person and place. Many slightly different names represent the same record. Analyzing such a dataset without proper cleaning will misrepresent the result. Due to the size of the dataset and unknown number of duplicate records with variation, it is impractical to create a lookup table to replace each record. To solve this problem, we use data clustering to deduplicate this dataset. Our work is informed by scholarship on European History and the History of the Book. We find that clustering is an effective method for detecting the slight differences in records caused by the above-mentioned cataloging inconsistencies. Our foundation was experimentation with several candidate clustering methods on a test dataset. The test dataset was prepared by corrupting a clean dataset according to the same characteristics found in the whole dataset. The clean dataset contains roughly 1,000 random records in English, German, French, and Latin with approximately the same language distribution and average record lengths as the whole dataset. Our evaluation reveals that some clustering algorithms can achieve accuracy up to 0.97072. The clustering techniques perform well on the dataset we studied as demonstrated in this paper.
The Role of Social Isolation in Suicide

This paper reviews the literature which relates to the role of social isolation in suicide. Major areas include theories on suicide and social isolation, measures of social isolation, and empirical studies which concern the relationship of social isolation to suicide. Social isolation seems to be related to suicidal behaviors in a direct and fundamental way. Implications for helping contacts and the community are addressed.
Radiotherapy Treatment Design and Linear Programming

Intensity modulated radiotherapy treatment (IMRT) design is the process of choosing how beams of radiation will travel through a cancer patient to treat the disease, and although optimization techniques have been suggested since the 1960s, they are still not widely used. Instead, the vast majority of treatment plans are designed by clinicians through trial-and-error. Modern treatment facilities have the technology to treat patients with extremely complicated plans, and designing plans that take full advantage of the technology is tedious. The increased technology found in modern treatment facilities makes the use of optimization paramount in the design of successful treatment plans. The goals of this work are to 1) present a concise description of the linear models that are under current investigation, 2) develop the analysis certificates that these models allow, and 3) suggest future research avenues.
Development of a multilayer organic packaging technique for a fully embedded T/R module

This paper presents an organic Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) based system-on-package (SoP) module for an X-band SiGe transmit/receive module with integrated low noise amplifier, duplexer switch and 3-bit phase shifter. An embedded die concept is implemented to achieve reduced form factor, planar profile and near-hermetic packaging. The die is flip-chipped and fully embedded into an all LCP platform through construction of a cavity to host the chip. Performance of the die is measured before and after packaging for comparison of the receiver gain, noise figure and phase shifter states. Results show 0.2 dB of loss attributed to the embedding of the chip while 0.4 dB of loss is attributed to the flip-chip interface. The package introduces only 0.3 dB of added noise figure and minimal distortion to the phase shifter.
Extreme contractions on continuous vector-valued function spaces

An old question asks whether extreme contractions on C(K) are necessarily nice; that is, whether the conjugate of such an operator maps extreme points of the dual ball to extreme points. Partial results have been obtained. Determining which operators are extreme seems to be a difficult task, even in the scalar case. Here we consider the case of extreme contractions on C(K,E), where E itself is a Banach space. We show that every extreme contraction T on C(K, E) to itself which maps extreme points to elements of norm one is nice, where K is compact and E is the sequence space c 0 .
Connectivity of forest fuels and surface fire regimes

The connectivity of a landscape can influence the dynamics of disturbances such as fire. In fire-adapted ecosystems, fire suppression may increase the connectivity of fuels and could result in qualitatively different fire patterns and behavior. We used a spatially explicit forest simulation model developed for the Sierra Nevada to investigate how the frequency of surface fires influences the connectivity of burnable area within a forest stand, and how this connectivity varies along an elevation gradient. Connectivity of burnable area was a function of fuel loads, fuel moisture, and fuel bed bulk density. Our analysis isolated the effects of fuel moisture and fuel bed bulk density to emphasize the influence of fuel loads on connectivity. Connectivity was inversely related to fire frequency and generally increased with elevation. However, certain conditions of fuel moisture and fuel bed bulk density obscured these relationships. Nonlinear patterns in connectivity across the elevation gradient occurred as a result of gradients in fuel loads and fuel bed bulk density that are simulated by the model. Changes in connectivity with elevation could affect how readily fires can spread from low elevation sites to higher elevations.
Disorders of Negative Affect

Disorders of negative affect include mental health difficulties characterized by depressive mood and/or anxious distress. These diagnoses collectively constitute one of the most prevalent and impairing classes of mental health diagnoses affecting individuals across the life span. The optimal system for classifying disorders of negative affect and their underlying mechanisms remains the subject of continued debate. We first review the DSM model of classifying disorders of negative affect, before turning our attention to dimensional models and emerging theories on common factors across these disorders. We conclude with a review of supported interventions for effectively treating disorders of negative affect.
Detection of Gene Expression in Genetically Engineered Microorganisms and Natural Phytoplankton Populations in the Marine Environment by mRNA Analysis.

Abstract A simple method that combines guanidinium isothiocyanate RNA extraction and probing with antisense and sense RNA probes is described for analysis of microbial gene expression in planktonic populations. Probing of RNA sample extracts with sense-strand RNA probes was used as a control for nonspecific hybridization or contamination of mRNA with target DNA. This method enabled detection of expression of a plasmid-encoded neomycin phosphotransferase gene (nptII) in as few as 104Vibrio cells per ml in 100 ml of seawater. We have used this method to detect expression of the ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase large-subunit gene (rbcL) in Synechococcus cultures and natural phytoplankton populations in the Dry Tortugas, Florida. During a 36-h diel study, rbcL expression of the indigenous phytoplankton was greatest in the day, least at night (1100, 0300, and 0100 h), and variable at dawn or dusk (0700 and 1900 h). These results are the first report of gene expression in natural populations by mRNA isolation and probing. This methodology should be useful for the study of gene expression in microorganisms released into the environment for agricultural or bioremediation purposes and indigenous populations containing highly conserved target gene sequences.
An Economic Evaluation of a Self-Care Intervention in Persons With Heart Failure and Diabetes

Abstract Background Persons with concomitant heart failure (HF) and diabetes mellitus constitute a growing population whose quality of life is encumbered with worse clinical outcomes as well as high health resource use (HRU) and costs. Methods and Results Extensive data on HRU and costs were collected as part of a prospective cost-effectiveness analysis of a self-care intervention to improve outcomes in persons with both HF and diabetes. HRU costs were assigned from a Medicare reimbursement perspective. Patients (n = 134) randomized to the self-care intervention and those receiving usual care/attention control were followed for 6 months, revealing significant differences in the number of hospitalization days and associated costs between groups. The mean number of inpatient days was 3 with bootstrapped bias-corrected (BCa) confidence intervals (CIs) of 1.8–4.4 d for the intervention group and 7.3 d (BCa CI 4.1–10.9 d) in the control group: P = .044. Total direct HRU costs per participant were an estimated $9,065 (BCa CI $6,496–$11,936) in the intervention and $16,712 (BCa CI 8,200–$26,621) in the control group, for a mean difference of −$7,647 (BCa CI −$17,588 to $809; P = .21) in favor of the intervention, including intervention costs estimated to be $130.67 per patient. Conclusions The self-care intervention demonstrated dominance in lowering costs without sacrificing quality-adjusted life-years.
Description of the Anatomy, Surgical Technique, and Outcome of Hemipelvectomy in 4 Dogs and 5 Cats

Objective To provide (1) a comprehensive description of hemipelvectomy; and (2) report clinical application and outcome of hemipelvectomy in dogs and cats. Study Design Descriptive report and retrospective case series. Animals Dogs (n = 4) and 5 cats. Methods Cadaveric dissection was performed for imaging purposes using 4 mixed breed dogs euthanatized for reasons unrelated to this study. Medical records (2005–2012) were reviewed for dogs and cats that had hemipelvectomy. Data collected included signalment, body weight, body condition score, clinical presentation, diagnostic imaging findings, location and extent of tumor, definitive diagnosis, use of adjuvant therapy, ability to ambulate postoperatively, complications, and survival. Results The most common indication for hemipelvectomy in cats was injection site sarcoma (ISS) and in dogs, osteosarcoma or peripheral nerve sheath tumor (PNST). Complete tumor excision was achieved in 6 (67%) cases. Incomplete excision occurred in 2 dogs with lumbosacral PNST and 1 cat having a 2nd surgery for ISS. Complications included intraoperative hemorrhage (n = 2), postoperative soft tissue infection (2), and discharge from the incision site (1). All but 1 animal were ambulatory at the time of discharge. Hospitalization ranged from 1–10 days (median, 4 days). Survival after surgery was individually assessed. Conclusion With in-depth anatomic familiarity, hemipelvectomy can be successful for excision of neoplastic lesions of the proximal aspect of the pelvic limb, with only minor complications.
Teaching graphics for games using Microsoft XNA

We present an approach to teaching introductory computer graphics for game development using Microsoft XNA as a development platform. One of the main challenges for such courses is an uneven level of student knowledge and skills, particularly in the underlying mathematics. In our course, the participants' background ranged from undergraduates who just completed CS2 to seniors in their last semester. Our course had four individual programming assignments, designed to help with the assimilation of the necessary game development and mathematical concepts by connecting the debugging process with visual feedback. We discuss the topics we covered, pedagogical methods, goals of the assignments, and student feedback for each of the programming assignments.
The Cost of Screening for Synchronous Thyroid Disease in Patients Presenting With Primary Hyperparathyroidism

Objective To use decision analysis to compare the costs associated with minimally invasive parathyroidectomy (MIP) and bilateral neck exploration (BNE) in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism with regard to treatment of incidental synchronous thyroid disease. Design We developed a decision tree model to evaluate the cost of managing thyroid pathology in primary hyperparathyroidism with the following 3 approaches: MIP, MIP with preoperative ultrasonography, and routine BNE with intraoperative thyroid evaluation. We tested the robustness of the optimal decision with sensitivity analyses. Setting A tertiary care academic medical center. Main Outcome Measure Total costs from a provider perspective. Results Minimally invasive parathyroidectomy without an active search for thyroid abnormalities was determined to have the lowest expected cost ($5275 per patient). Parathyroid surgery with routine preoperative thyroid ultrasonography and further thyroid treatment as indicated had an expected cost of $5910 per patient. Bilateral neck exploration with intraoperative thyroid evaluation and treatment of the thyroid gland had an expected cost of $5916 per patient. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the results across a reasonable range of surgical and imaging costs. Conclusions Minimally invasive parathyroidectomy is not contraindicated on the basis of cost by an inability to screen for synchronous thyroid disease. In addition, ultrasonographic screening of the thyroid glands of patients undergoing MIP is not cost prohibitive and, in fact, is less costly than BNE. Ultrasonography has the added advantage of confirming the location of the offending parathyroid.
Controlling the Nanoscale Optical Transmission with Single and Stacked Metasurfaces

We introduce a composite plasmonic metascreen, or meta-transmitarray, formed by a subwavelength stack of metasurfaces, which allows molding the optical transmission with ideal efficiency and zero reflection, overcoming inherent symmetry limitations of single ultrathin metasurfaces.
Thermophilic Fe(III)-Reducing Bacteria from the Deep Subsurface: The Evolutionary Implications

Thermophilic (45° to 75°C) bacteria that reduce amorphous Fe(III)-oxyhydroxide to magnetic iron oxides have been discovered in two geologically and hydrologically isolated Cretaceous- and Triassic-age sedimentary basins in the deep (>860 meters below land surface) terrestrial subsurface. Molecular analyses based on 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequences revealed that some of these bacteria represent an unrecognized phylogenetic group of dissimilatory Fe(III)-reducing bacteria. This discovery adds another dimension to the study of microbial Fe(III) reduction and biogenic magnetism. It also provides examples for understanding the history of Fe(III)-reducing microorganisms and for assessing possible roles of such microorganisms on hot primitive planets.
1474 ACCURACY OF MANUAL VENTILATION WITH AND WITHOUT A MANOMETER

The quality of ventilation in ill neonates and the prevention of acute and chronic respiratory complications depends in part on accuracy and stability of ventilatory performance. While mechanical ventilators are manufactured under strict standards, the performance of manual resuscitators is not and depends upon human skills. Performance of MDs and RNs in the ICN in manual bag ventilation was tested with & without monitoring using a manometer Manual ventilation of a Resusci-Baby using a pediatric Ambu-bag® connected to a manometer (Bird #4407)® and transducer with recorder was performed. Ten ICN RNs and MDs were asked to create stable pressure wave forms at a constant rate (30 breaths/min). One minute samples of recordings at 2 pressure levels (15 & 30 cm H20) with & without the performers observing the manometer were analyzed. Watching the manometer, performers could maintain the above low & high pressures in a range of ±2 cm H2O 70 and 74% of the time respectively. Without the ability to monitor their bagging with a manometer, the desired pressure ranges were maintained in only 18 and 14% respectively. Only 2/10 could maintain the low pressures ±2 cm H2O and only 1/10 could maintain the high pressure ±2 cm H2O accuracy without a manometer at a rate of 30/min. Our results demonstrate that accurate (±2 cm H2O) manual ventilation can only be achieved by the use of a manometer in most instances by skilled neonatal caregivers & that all manual ventilation bags must incorporate a pressure manometer for accurate manual ventilation. (Supp. by HD-13279)
Global Gender Inequality and the Empowerment of Women: A Discussion of Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide

Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide is a powerful journalistic account of the oppression of women worldwide, and of the ways that some women and men have struggle against this oppression and discovered new forms of economic empowerment. The book—in its eleventh printing in less than a year, and with testimonials from the likes of Angelina Jolie and George Clooney—is also a publishing sensation. Half the Sky brings much attention to an important and timely topic, and it creatively combines narrative, analysis, and policy prescriptions, and so we invited three prominent scholars of gender inequality and development to reflect on the book's strengths and weaknesses: Ayelet Shachar, Uma Narayan, and Valentine M. Moghadam.
Schizophrenia: From Genetics to Biology to Predictive Medicine

Identifying genes for psychiatric disorders using traditional genetic approaches has thus far proven quite difficult. Reasons for this include the complexity of these disorders and the poor definition of the clinical phenotype. However, recent studies have demonstrated the power of an approach called convergent functional genomics (CFG). CFG is a methodology that integrates different types of data to increase the ability to identify genes involved in various psychiatric and nonpsychiatric disorders. The work exemplified in this article integrated human brain and blood gene expression data, relevant animal model brain and blood gene expression data, and human genetic data to identify candidate genes and blood biomarkers for schizophrenia.
Synthesis of (+)[1,1'-15N2, 2'-13C]-trans-3'-methylnicotine

The synthesis of (±)-[1,1′-15N2, 2′-13C]-trans-3′-methylnicotine is reported. 15N-3-Bromopyridine obtained from bromination of pyridine was formulated with nBuLi/[carbonyl-13C]-methyl formate. The resulting 15N-Pyridine-3-[13C-carbonyl]-carboxaldehyde was reacted with 15N-methylamine and then the resulting Schiff's base was condensed with succinic anhydride to give (±)-[1,1′-15N2, 5′-13C]-trans-4′-carboxycotinine. Reduction with lithium aluminium hydride and mesylation followed by reduction with Zn/Nal gave (±)-[1,1′-15N2, 2′-13C]-trans-3′-methylnicotine.
PACING EFFECTS ON MANNED ASSEMBLY LINES

SUMMARY A computer simulation of an assembly line enforcing pacing on manned sequential stations indicates that unpaced station operations are superior to paced. Using the variability and work-time distribution of operator performance on repetitive tasks, a number of studies were carried out which show that an assembly line cannot perform at maximum efficiency (in terms of operator idle time and units completed) unless queues are provided before each work station. Studies of various station speed configurations indicate that the generally preferred configuration is Fast-Medium-Slow (short-medium-long cycle time) and that there is little difference among various configurations when the inter-arrival time is larger than any of the operator mean cycle times.
Interaction, critical, percolation and kinetic glass transitions in pluronic L-64 micellar solutions

We briefly discuss results of analyses of an extensive set of small angle neutron scattering (SANS) intensity distributions from a class of Pluronic tri-block copolymer micelles in aqueous solutions. This class of Pluronic has a symmetric structure (PEOMPPONPEOM), with PPO/PEO molecular weight ratio of 60/40. It is shown that the micelles are spherical, each consisting of a hydrophobic core and a diffuse hydrophilic corona region having substantial hydration. We use a previously developed ‘cap-and-gown’ model for the microstructure of the micelle, taking into account the polymer segmental distribution and water penetration profile in the core and corona regions. We treat the inter-micellar correlations using a sticky hard sphere model. With this combination, we are able to fit all SANS intensities satisfactorily for micellar solutions within the range of disordered micellar phase in absolute scale. The structure and interaction of micelle stay is essentially the same as the concentration increases. But the aggregation number and surface stickiness increases, and the micelle becomes less hydrated with increasing temperature. Micellar core is not completely dry but contains up to 20% (volume fraction) of solvent molecules at lower temperatures. We then discuss, in some details, Pluronic L64 (PEO13PPO30PEO13) micellar system. This system shows an inverted bi-nodal line with a lower critical consolute point and a percolation line. We investigated the structure and interaction between these micelles as temperature approaches the bi-nodal line along iso-concentration lines. The model developed above is able to describe SANS data in critical region also satisfactorily. As one approaches the bi-nodal line at constant weight fraction of the copolymer, the aggregation number and the stickiness parameter increase. In particular, at weight fraction of 5%, the stickiness parameter approaches the critical value 10.2 at T=330.9 K. We investigated the effect of hydrophobic impurities in the commercial polymer on the critical phenomenon. We conclude that in both the pure and impure systems, the micellar solution shows a critical demixing point where micelles stay spherical but interact strongly with each other by a short range temperature dependent attraction. Furthermore, from this fitting procedure we find relationships between the stickiness parameter and temperature, the volume fraction of micelles and the polymer concentration. Using these two relations, we are able to map the phase diagram of the sticky sphere model onto that of the micellar solution. The agreement between the
A Daily Diary Study of Late-Life Depression

Objective The objective of this study was to use data from daily diaries to characterize the day-to-day variability in positive and negative affects, and the relationship between daily events and daily affects in primary care patients with late-life depression. Method Daily diary data were obtained from primary care patients with major depression (N = 25) and other depressive disorders (N = 33); data from a two-week period were compared with those from elderly normal volunteer comparison subjects (N = 70) who participated in other studies. Results There was significant day-to-day variability in negative affect in patients with major depression and other depressive disorders. Dysphoric days (days with a negative affect ratings that occurred once every two weeks in normal subjects) represented 65.3% (standard deviation [SD]: 37.1) of days in those with major depression and 50.6% (SD: 37.6) in those with other depression versus 7.7% (SD: 16.3) in normal subjects (F = 36.0, p Conclusions Diary methods demonstrated characteristics of late-life depression that have not been identified with assessment methods that have lower time resolution.
Coding for the binary asymmetric channel

Motivated by the recent emergence of storage technologies characterized by the intrinsic asymmetries in data recording, this work presents a preliminary look of two simple but practical high-rate code constructions for the Z-channel. The constructions are based on transforming LDPC codes designed for the binary symmetric channel to bias the number of ones that are sent through the channel. Using simulation results, the performance of this new class of codes is compared against some existing codes, and under certain conditions, new codes are shown to be superior existing asymmetric error correcting codes.
Congenital heart surgeon's technical proficiency affects neonatal hospital survival

Objective Risk factors for mortality after neonatal cardiac surgery have been seldom studied. We sought to identify contemporary risk factors for mortality and the impact of surgical technical performance on surgical outcomes after neonatal cardiac surgery. Methods We conducted a matched case-control study comparing 56 neonates who died after cardiac surgery (2002-2008) with 56 survivors matched by surgical procedure and year of surgery. Surgical efficacy for repair or palliation was graded using a reliable simple surgical technical score. Patient and surgical characteristics were compared for the survivors and nonsurvivors using paired analyses. Results There was no significant difference between patients who died and their matched controls in terms of age, Aristotle score, Risk Adjustment in Congenital Heart Surgery-1 category, and single versus biventricular repair. When compared with survivors, patients who died were more likely to be premature (41% vs 5%, P P = .05), and to have inadequate surgical repair or palliation (55% vs 9%, P P = .002). Highest postoperative lactate (median, 9.0 vs 6.0, P P P P = .02) and need for postoperative extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (odds ratio, 5.1, P = .009) were the only risk factors associated with hospital death. Conclusions Our study highlights the need for optimal technical performance to minimize neonatal deaths. This has important implications when sustaining or developing a pediatric cardiac program.
Identity, training, and expertise among sexual health professionals

ABSTRACT The current study explores identity, training, and reported areas of expertise among sexual health professionals. Members of sexual health organizations (n = 500) completed an Internet survey. Personal interest in sexuality best predicted a priori planning to enter the field. Few individuals reported advanced training in sexual health, but those who did reported more mentorship, training satisfaction, and current work hours focused on sexual health. Participants reported more work in sex therapy than in sex education or research. Female and male sexual dysfunction received more professional attention at the expense of specialized topics. To nurture sexual health as a field, more training opportunities, more sex research, more sex education, and more attention to marginalized topics are needed.
Polychlorobiphenyl (PCB) metabolism by plant cells

Suspension cultures of Paul's Scarlet rose provided with 0.3 ppm of 2,2′, 4,4′-tetrachlorobiphenyl metabolized the compound at a rate of 45 proles· n−1·g dry wt−1. The environmental and technological significance of plants to metabolize environmentally persistent compounds is discussed.
Recombinant gas vesicles from Halobacterium sp . displaying SIV peptides demonstrate biotechnology potential as a pathogen peptide delivery vehicle

Previous studies indicated that recombinant gas vesicles (r-GV) from a mutant strain of Halobacterium sp. NRC-1 could express a cassette containing test sequences of SIVmac gag derived DNA, and function as an antigen display/delivery system. Tests using mice indicated that the humoral immune response to the gag encoded sequences evoked immunologic memory in the absence of an exogenous adjuvant. The goal of this research was to extend this demonstration to diverse gene sequences by testing recombinant gas vesicles displaying peptides encoded by different SIV genes (SIVtat, rev or nef). Verification that different peptides can be successfully incorporated into the GvpC surface protein of gas vesicle would support a more general biotechnology application of this potential display/delivery system. Selected SIVsm-GvpC fusion peptides were generated by creating and expressing fusion genes, then assessing the resulting recombinant gas vesicles for SIV peptide specific antigenic and immunogenic capabilities. Results from these analyses support three conclusions: (i) Different recombinant gvpC-SIV genes will support the biosynthesis of chimeric, GvpC fusion proteins which are incorporated into the gas vesicles and generate functional organelles. (ii) Monkey antibody elicited by in vivo infection with SHIV recognizes these expressed SIV sequences in the fusion proteins encoded by the gvpC-SIV fusion genes as SIV peptides. (iii) Test of antiserum elicited by immunizing mice with recombinant gas vesicles demonstrated notable and long term antibody titers. The observed level of humoral responses, and the maintenance of elevated responses to, Tat, Rev and Nef1 encoded peptides carried by the respective r-GV, are consistent with the suggestion that in vivo there may be a natural and slow release of epitope over time. The findings therefore suggest that in addition to providing information about these specific inserts, r-GV displaying peptide inserts from other relevant pathogens could have significant biotechnological potential for display and delivery, or serve as a cost effective initial screen of pathogen derived peptides naturally expressed during infections in vivo.
The phosphorelay signal transduction pathway in the initiation of Bacillus subtilis sporulation

The formation of spores in Bacillus subtilis is a developmental process under genetic control. The decision to either divide or sporulate is regulated by the state of phosphorylation of the SpoOA transcription factor. Phosphorylated SpoOA (SpoOA approximately P) is both a repressor and an activator of transcription depending on the promoter it is affecting. SpoOA approximately P is the end product of the phosphorelay, a signal transduction system linking environmental information to the activation of sporulation. Activation or deinhibition of two ATP-dependent kinases, KinA and KinB, to phosphorylate the SpoOF secondary messenger initiates the phosphorelay. SpoOF approximately P is the substrate for the SpoOB protein, a phosphoprotein phosphotransferase which transfers the phosphate group to SpoOA. The SpoOA approximately P formed from this pathway orchestrates transcription events during the initial stage of spore development through direct effects on a variety of promoters and through the use of other transcription factors, termed transition state regulators, whose activity it controls. Because commitment to sporulation has serious cellular programming consequences and is not undertaken capriciously, the phosphorelay is subject to a variety of complex controls on the flow of phosphate through its components.
Gender as Social Temporality: Butler (and Marx)

This article addresses the notions of gender performativity and temporality in Butler’s early work on gender. The paper is articulated in four steps. First it gives an account of the role and nature of temporality in Butler’s theory of gender performativity. Second, it shows some similarities and connections between the role played by temporality in Butler’s theory of gender performativity and its role in Marx’s analysis of capital. Third, it raises some criticisms of Butler’s understanding of temporality and historicity, focusing in particular on the lack of historicisation of her own categories in both Gender Trouble and Bodies that Matter. This deficit is a consequence of the epistemological framework within which she is operating, in particular of her understanding of social practices and relations through the lens of linguistic concepts extrapolated from their theoretical context. The article concludes by referring to Floyd’s and Hennessy’s analyses of the formation of sexual identities as examples of the fruitful historicisation of gender performativity, which also sheds some light on the ‘the abstract character’ of the temporality of gender performativity.
Petroleum Accumulation Trends in East Texas Salt Dome Area: ABSTRACT

Three main genetically related classes of salt domes can be recognized relative to the regional structures in the East Texas basin--anticlinal, synclinal, and flank domes. The anticlinal domes are deep seated while the synclinal and flank domes occur at shallow and intermediate depths. High dome maturity and associated flank bed configurations were achieved in the synclinal domes such as Hainesville and Bethel, only partly achieved in some flank domes such as Grand Saline, while other flank domes such as Keechi and presumably the anticlinal domes are immature. The largest oil and gas accumulations in the east Texas dome region occur in crestal anticlines of the deep-seated anticlinal domes. The shallow domes on the regional flanks and synclines have all been nonproductive from their crestal anticlines probably because they do not uplift adequate sedimentary sections. The synclinal and flank domes therefore appear to have poor potentials except for entrapment beneath overhangs and porosity pinch-outs on the flanks when the evolution of the domes promotes these features. Patchy carbonate porosity and sandstone pinch-outs may develop around elevated dome flanks during the immature earlier history of the mature synclinal domes and throughout the history of the immature flank and anticlinal domes. Salt overhangs appear to be better developed in he more mature domes. This model highlights the potential targets around salt domes in east Texas and can be used to reevaluate both the producing and nonproducing domes in the basin. The genetic basis for the model also underscores its applicability in other halokinetic basins. End_of_Article - Last_Page 668------------
Pediatric Patients With Bleeding Dyscrasias: What is the Cause of Delays in Initiating Replacement Therapy?

Abstract Introduction: The objectives of this study were to (a) evaluate the emergency department management of pediatric patients with bleeding disorders, specifically regarding time intervals from triage to administration of replacement therapy, and (b) to review resultant patient outcomes. Methods: A retrospective review was performed of charts from June 1996 to June 1998 for all patients with known bleeding disorders whose course was followed by the hematology clinic. Records were reviewed for all emergency department visits that required replacement therapy. Time intervals from triage to initiation of therapy were evaluated. Results: Eleven of 24 patients required administration of factor or desmopressin acetate. The mean time from triage to therapy administration was 103 minutes (range, 7 to 175 minutes; SD ± 38). The mean time from triage to placement in a room was 34.3 minutes (SD ± 32.6). The mean time to order replacement therapy was 26.7 minutes (SD ± 27.4). The mean time from physician evaluation to administration of replacement therapy was 34.2 minutes (SD ± 15.9). These intervals were believed to be suboptimal, and a new nursing driven protocol was established to expedite patient care. Discussion: Simple delays in time to replacement therapy may result in increased patient morbidity. We present an easy-to-follow algorithm that can be implemented to expedite the care of pediatric patients with a known bleeding disorder. J Pediatr Health Care. (2001). 15, 10-13.
A Longitudinal Analysis of the Effect of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure on Growth

Cross-sectional analyses have demonstrated that prenatal exposure to alcohol can result in growth deficits at birth and in early childhood. However, there have been few longitudinal analyses of this relationship. This study presents an analysis of the longitudinal effect of prenatal alcohol exposure on growth. The model used for analysis was a general unbalanced repeated-measures model with a fully parameterized covariance matrix. Application of the model demonstrated that for length and head circumference, the effect of prenatal alcohol exposure was constant over time. The relationship between prenatal alcohol exposure and growth in weight was more complex. Prenatal alcohol exposure affected the rate of growth between birth and the eight month. Subsequently, the relationship between weight and prenatal alcohol exposure was constant. Therefore, for length and head circumference, prenatal alcohol exposure suppresses the rate of growth in the fetus but not at subsequent time points. For weight, exposure affects the rate of growth through the eighth month but not at subsequent time points. For each of the growth parameters, there is no catch-up growth, and the smaller size observed in the offspring is maintained.
RNase PH catalyzes a synthetic reaction, the addition of nucleotides to the 3′ end of RNA

Escherichia coli RNase PH is a phosphate-dependent exoribonuclease that has been implicated in the 3′ processing of tRNA precursors. It degrades RNA chains in a phosphorolytic manner releasing nucleoside diphosphates as products. Here we show that RNase PH also catalyzes a synthetic reaction, the addition of nucleotides to the 3′ termini of RNA molecules. The synthetic activity co-purifies with RNase PH throughout an extensive enrichment indicating that it is due to the same enzyme. The synthetic activity can incorporate all nucleoside diphosphates, but not triphosphates, and is strongly inhibited by Pi, but not PPi. Various RNA molecules stimulate nucleotide incorporation, and with tRNA the 3′ end of the molecule serves a primer function. RNA chains as long as 40 residues can be synthesized in this system. As with polynucleotide phosphorylase, the synthetic activity of RNase PH apparently represents the reversal of the degradative reaction.
The effect of humidity on reverse breakdown in 3D silicon sensors

Abstract The effect of humidity on reverse breakdown in silicon sensors of the “3D” geometry is studied for unirradiated and irradiated samples exposed to fluences relevant to the environment of the High Luminosity Large Hadron Collider. Leakage currents are measured and breakdown voltages are compared for a range of relative humidities and bias voltages. The proton beam at LANSCE, Los Alamos National Laboratory, was used to irradiate samples with 800 MeV protons up to 2 × 10 16 p / cm 2 .
Ultra-Compact Mid-IR Modulators Based on Electrically Tunable Optical Antennas

We demonstrated electrical tuning of optical antennas over a broad wavelength range (~1100 nm, ~20% of the resonance frequency) and achieved optical modulators at the mid-infrared wavelength range with nanosecond response time.
Activation in vitro of sequence-specific DNA binding by a human regulatory factor

The human heat-shock factor (HSF) regulates heat-shock genes in response to elevated temperature1–6. When human cells are heated to 43 °C, HSF is modified post-translationally from a form that does not bind DNA to a form that binds to a specific sequence (the heat-shock element, HSE7,8) found upstream of heat-shock genes6. To investigate the transduction of the heat signal to HSF, and more generally, how mammalian cells respond at the molecular level to environmental stimuli, we have developed a cell-free system that exhibits heat-induced activation of human HSF in vitro. Comparison of HSF activation in vitro and in intact cells suggests that the response of human cells to heat shock involves at least two steps. First, an ATP-independent, heat-induced alteration of HSF allows it to bind the HSE; the temperature at which activation occurs in vitro implies that a human factor directly senses temperature. Second, HSF is phosphorylated. It is possible that similar multi-step activation mechanisms play a role in the response of eukaryotic cells to a variety of environmental stimuli, and that these mechanisms evolved to increase the range and flexibility of the response.
Androgen regulation of prostate morphoregulatory gene expression: Fgf10-dependent and -independent pathways.

Androgens are essential and sufficient for prostate gland morphogenesis; however, the downstream gene targets that mediate this action are unclear. To identify androgen-regulated genes involved in prostate development, we used short-term organ culture and examined the effect of testosterone on the expression of several critical prostate morphoregulatory genes. Rat ventral prostates (VP) and lateral prostates (LP) were collected at birth, and contralateral lobes were cultured for 18 h in the presence or absence of 10 nm testosterone with or without OH-flutamide to block residual androgens. Gene expression was quantitated using real-time RT-PCR. Although expression of Fgf10, Nkx3.1, and Ptc was increased in both prostate lobes, other genes were regulated by testosterone in a lobe-specific manner. This included up-regulation of epithelial genes FgfR2iiib, Shh, Hoxb13, and Bmp7 in the VP specifically and down-regulation of mesenchymal genes Wnt5a (VP) and Bmp4 (LP). Thus, in addition to stimulation of homeobo...
Nonlinear peltier effect in quantum point contacts

A theoretical analysis of the Peltier effect in two-dimensional quantum point contacts, in field-free conditions and under the influence of applied magnetic fields, is presented. It is shown that in the nonlinear regime (finite applied voltage) new peaks in the Peltier coefficient appear leading to violation of Onsager's relation. Oscillations of the Peltier coefficient in a magnetic field are demonstrated.
Blackbox security evaluation of chromecast network communications

Chromecast is a small, system-on-chip device, that plugs into the HDMI port of a larger screen and turns it into a smart screen. It is designed for multimedia streaming in a home-network environment. By setting up Chromecast, you can stream videos onto a larger screen and control it from a mobile device such as a smart-phone, tablet or a laptop. We examined the network packets exchanged between the smaller remote control device and the Chromecast attached larger screen. While Chromecast encrypts most of the content, remote control device sends control packets to the remote servers in the clear-text, which makes it vulnerable to reply-attacks or session-hijacking attacks. Besides, data transmission pattern leak personal information outside of the home-network, raising privacy concerns. Network protocols used by Chromecast are investigated and known vulnerabilities are listed. A method to detect the existence of Chromecast behind a home-router is proposed.