cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Squeegee of fluid in the compressed canine trachea.

Abstract We photographed the lumen of in vitro segments of canine tracheae during rapid compression. It was observed that when trachealis muscle had a low active tension the invaginating pars membranacea exerted a squeegee effect on the wall of the trachea in such a way that fluid was pushed into the lumen. This effect was dependent on active tension in trachealis muscle in that it was not seen when trachealis muscle was apparently completely relaxed or when the trachealis muscle was contracted with acetylcholine. It is postulated that the squeegee effect of the invaginating pars membranacea may be an important mechanism for fluid or mucous removal during the cough.
Standardized Enteral Orders Attain Caloric Goals Sooner: A Prospective Study:

Standardized enteral nutrition order forms were introduced listing the enteral formulary, the advancement schedule of formulae, and whether feedings should be given continuously or intermittently. The efficiency of these forms was evaluated prospectively by counting the number of days needed to reach the patient's estimated caloric needs in a total of 113 patients studied 3 months before (pre-group) and 3 months after (post-group) the introduction of the form. When the standardized enteral order forms were used, patients in the post-group reached their caloric goals 3.1 days sooner than did those in the pre-group. Use of standardized enteral nutrition order forms decreases the time needed to reach a patient's estimated caloric needs, thereby achieving effective nutritional therapy sooner. (Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition16:149—151, 1992)
Sunitinib inhibits postoperative adhesions in a rabbit model.

Background Postoperative abdominal adhesions are a major cause of morbidity and mortality. We previously demonstrated the inhibitory effect of sunitinib, a receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, on adhesion formation in a murine model, and now investigate its effects in a rabbit model. Methods Forty New Zealand White rabbits underwent a standard adhesion procedure. Preoperatively, animals were randomized to treatment with sunitinib or saline (control). Animals were treated with a total of 11 daily doses, 1 preoperative and 10 postoperative. One group of 20 animals (group 1) was humanely killed on postoperative day 10, and the other (group 2) on postoperative day 30. After killing, adhesions were scored and abdominal wounds were collected for tensile strength and microvessel density measurements. Results Sunitinib-treated animals in group 1 had a mean tenacity score of 1.67 ± 0.29 compared with 3.60 ± 0.16 in control animals (P Conclusion Sunitinib significantly reduces postoperative adhesions in a rabbit model. This therapy may improve postoperative adhesion-related morbidity and mortality.
DNA sequence and analysis of a 90.1-kb plasmid in Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O145:NM 83-75

Abstract Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains belonging to serogroup O145 are important emerging food-borne pathogens responsible for sporadic cases and outbreaks of hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome. A large plasmid carried by STEC O145:NM strain 83-75 and named pO145-NM was sequenced, and the genes were annotated. pO145-NM is 90,103 bp in size and carries 89 open reading frames. Four genes/regions in pO145-NM encode for STEC virulence factors, including toxB (protein involved in adherence), espP (a serine protease), katP (catalase peroxidase), and the hly (hemolysin) gene cluster. These genes have also been identified in large virulence plasmids found in other STEC serogroups, including O26, O157, O111, and O103. pO145-NM carries the espPα subtype that is associated with STEC strains that cause more severe disease. Phylogenetic analyses of HlyB, EspP, and ToxB in various STEC strains showed a high degree of similarity of these proteins in E. coli serotypes O145:NM, O26:H11/H−, O111:NM/H−, and O157:H7 potentially placing these STEC into a related group.
The Incidence of Adverse Medical Outcomes Under Prospective Payments

This paper examines the effect of prospective payment for hospital care on adverse medical outcomes. In 1983, the federal government replaced its previous cost-based reimbursement method with a prospective payment system, where reimbursement depends only On the diagnosis of the patient. Hospitals thus lost the marginal reimbursement they formally received for providing additional treatments. In addition, the average price each received changed with fixed reimbursement. This paper related each of these changes to adverse outcomes, with two conclusions. First, there is a change in the timing of deaths associated with changes in average prices. In hospitals with price declines, a greater share of deaths occur in the hospital or shortly after discharge, but by one or two years post-discharge, this difference in mortality rates disappears. Second, there is a trend increase in readmission rates caused by the elimination of marginal reimbursement. This appears to be due to accounting changes on the part of hospitals, however, rather than true changes in morbidity.
Pasteurization of intact shell eggs

Abstract The feasibility of pasteurization for destruction ofSalmonella enteritidisin artificially- inoculated intact shell eggs was investigated. Water-bath and hot air ovens were used for pasteurization of intact shell eggs under different conditions using these two heating methods, either individually or in combination. Eggs pasteurized in a 57°C circulating water-bath for 25 min gave reductions inS. enteritidisATCC 13076 of about 3 log cycles whereas heating at 55°C in a hot air oven for 180 min gave a 5 log reduction ofS. enteritidis. A combin?ation of the two methods (water-bath heating at 57°C for 25 min followed by hot-air heating at 55°C for 60 min) produced 7 log reductions inS. enteritidisATCC 13076 in shell eggs. Examination of lysozyme activity and other physical properties of egg white upon heating indicated that the overall functionality of pasteurized shell eggs are acceptable under the heating conditions defined in this study. This process may be used to produce safe, pasteurized shell eggs.sed
Isolation and characterization of low and high affinity goat antibodies directed to single antigenic sites on human hemoglobin

Abstract A group of anti-hemoglobin antibodies from a goat immunized with human HbA1 has been fractionated according to affinity. By elution of anti-HbA1 antibodies bound to a β chain Sepharose column with a gradient of decreasing pH and increasing acetic acid concentration, the lower affinity antibodies eluted earlier from the column and were separated from the higher affinity antibodies. Fluorescence quenching titrations with HbA1 and the β chains showed the first and the last of these fractions to be directed toward single antigenic sites on the β chain. Comparisons of their interactions with several hemoglobin variants establish that they bind to different sites on the β chain. The antigenic site on the β-chain to which the high affinity fraction binds involves the β6 position since its affinity for HbS (β6 glu → val) and Hb Leiden (β6 or7 deleted) is significantly lower than its affinity for HbA1.
Effect of the fluid-structure interactions on low-density lipoprotein transport within a multi-layered arterial wall.

The effects of fluid–structure interactions (FSI) and pulsation on the transport of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) through an arterial wall are analyzed in this work. To this end, a comprehensive multi-layer model for both LDL transport as well as fluid–structure interaction (FSI) is introduced. The constructed model is analyzed and compared with the existing results in the limiting cases. Excellent agreement is found between the presented model and the existing results in the limiting cases. The presented model takes into account the complete multi-layered LDL transport while incorporating the FSI aspects to enable a comprehensive study of the deformation effect on the pertinent parameters of the transport processes within an artery. Since the flow inside an artery is time-dependent, the impact of pulsatile flow is also analyzed with and without FSI. A detailed analysis is presented to illustrate the consequence of different factors on the LDL transport in an artery.
Wavelets and the Angle between Past and Future

The main result, the Riesz projectionP+(or, equivalently, Hilbert TransformT), is bounded in the weighted spaceL2(W) whereWis a matrix-valued weight if and only ifsupi‖[1|I|∫IW]1/2[1|I|∫IW−1]1/2‖<∞wheresupremumis taken over all intervalsI. Motivation for this problem comes from stationary processes (Riesz projection is bounded means the angle between “past” and “future” of a stationary process with spectral measureWis nonzero). In the scalar case the result is the well known Hunt–Muckenhoupt–Wheeden theorem. The main step in our proof is to show that a vector Haar system forms an unconditional basis inL2(W). As a byproduct of our approach we get some new results about bases of wavelets in weighted spaces (in both scalar and vector-valued cases).
OLD AGE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL READERS

Early socialization is thought to be crucial in the formation of attitudes, beliefs, and values. Among socializing agents are reading texts. In this descriptive study, findings from two content analyses of elementary school reading textbooks are presented and compared with regard to content about old age and the presentation of old characters. A total of 47 books, primer through grade six, published from 1953 to 1968 and in use in the public schoob of Grand Rapids, Michigan, are analyzed in regard to text and illustrations and compared with a set of 33 readers all published in 1975 by the same publisher. More than 70% of the books contain stories with old characters. Fewer than 6% of the total characters in each set of texts are old. Although both sets of books are heavily illustrated, old characters are portrayed in fewer than 5% of the illustrations. The presentation of old characters is generally consistently positive in content and form across the grade levels of the textbooks but appears to be quite ...
Cluster Analysis of Intercity Rail Passengers in Emerging High-Speed Rail Corridor

Recent pledges by the U.S. federal government to increase investments in high-speed passenger rail have highlighted the importance of identifying the potential impacts of these investments on current rail passengers. Identification of these impacts depends largely on the demographics, travel habits, and attitudes of these passengers—in essence, who these passengers are. This investigation applied cluster analysis, a method typically used to determine potential consumer groups for marketing research, to identify similar groups of rail passengers riding Amtrak's Hiawatha service between Chicago, Illinois, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. These groups were then analyzed for their potential responses to future high-speed rail service. Analysis results showed that clustering was an effective method to determine differences between segments of a market, in this case, current passenger rail users. Further analysis indicated that these segments exhibited potentially different responses to future high-speed rail service....
Virtual endoscopy vs. real endoscopy : A comparative evaluation

Virtual endoscopy techniques have significant clinical promise for patient screening and may replace some real endoscopic examinations. Visualizations that mimic reality to an acceptable degree are a key factor for physician acceptance of virtual endoscopy. Clinicians must be able to interact with and quickly understand the visualizations. We are studying image generation paradigms and parameters within each paradigm to evaluate the important of various factors in the clinical utility of virtual endoscopy. By involving clinicians at each step of the study, we seek to better understand the parameters that clinicians find most important, and to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each image generation paradigm.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Performance Characteristics of Nanoporous Carbon Membranes for Protein Ultrafiltration

Nanoporous carbon membranes could be very attractive for applications of ultrafiltration in the biotechnology industry because of their greater mechanical strength and longer membrane life. The objective of this study was to obtain quantitative data on the performance characteristics of nanoporous carbon membranes formed within a stainless steel support that was first modified by deposition of silica particles within the macroporous support. The nanoporous carbon membrane effectively removed small solutes from a protein solution using diafiltration, with performance comparable to that of commercial polymeric membranes. Protein fouling was evident, although the nanoporous carbon membranes were easily regenerated; cleaning with 0.5 N NaOH at 50 °C completely restored the water permeability for multiple cycles. The nanoporous carbon membranes were also compatible with steam sterilization. Significant increases in process flux could be obtained using periodic back-pulsing, with no evidence of any structural alterations in the membrane. These results clearly demonstrate the potential benefits and opportunities for using nanoporous carbon membranes for protein ultrafiltration.
Forward electricity markets with uncertain supply: Cost sharing and efficiency loss

Renewable energy continues to increase its share of total US electricity production at a dramatic rate. Power derived from such resources is inherently variable and naturally incurs a balancing cost to the power system. A basic question we aim to address in this paper is, given a collection of variable energy producers, how to disentangle the individual sources of cost causation from the aggregate system cost and allocate it back to those responsible parties, so as to induce a near efficient outcome in the forward market for energy. In particular, we propose an ex post cost sharing mechanism, satisfying certain fairness axioms, to allocate to each player a share of the total system cost in proportion to her relative contribution to the aggregate system imbalance. We establish the existence and certain properties of Nash equilibria of the forward contract game under proportional cost sharing and provide an explicit characterization for the Price of Anarchy (PoA) as the number of participants in the market grows large. We also characterize a family of ‘worst case’ prior distributions on the supply profile at which the asymptotic PoA is maximized.
Resonance raman study of metal-formazans: A model for complexes of metalloenzymes with chelate inhibitors

Abstract The resonance Raman (RR) spectra of a series of triaryl formazans and several of their metal complexes have been recorded. The spectra of the free formazans display several bands of weak to medium intensity that are unaffected by physical state or metal complex formation. However, strong bands in the 1050–1200 cm −1 and 1330–1430 cm −1 regions are sensitive to both the physical state of the formazan and to the formation of metal complexes. This observation, coupled with the intensity of these bands, leads to the conclusion that they are fundamentals of CN, φN, CN, and NN stretching character that are diagnostic of conformation of the formazyl linkage. The bands ascribed to ν(CN) and ν(NN) in the 1330–1430 cm −1 region may also be used as indicators of the formation of metal complexes. The results of the RR studies of the free and complexed formazans are compared with spectra obtained for the inhibitor complex formed between liver alcohol dehydrogenase and 2-carboxy-2′-hydroxy-5′-sulfoformazylbenzene (zincon). Similarities between the spectra of zincon bound to the enzyme and the various model complexes lead to the conclusion that zincon is coordinated to the enzyme zinc atom but that the formazyl linkage is in an “open” rather than “closed” conformation on the enzyme surface, whereas the simple zinc complex is in the “closed” conformation.
Design of viscoelastic impact absorbers: Optimal material properties

Abstract Analytical investigations of impact absorption of linear and isothermal viscoelastic materials are described. Three methods based on different considerations and approximations are studied, and similarities are shown in their results. For a viscoelastic buffer of a given thickness, the optimal loss tangent is determined to be approximately one. Greater reductions in impact force can be achieved if the high loss is accompanied by stiffness reduced by a factor of three to four compared with that of an elastic buffer. If the impactor is spherical rather than flat, a higher loss tangent, of the order of 10, is needed to minimize the impact force. A more sophisticated interpretation scheme for the ball rebound test for screening the loss tangent of viscoelastic materials is derived.
Computing optical flow in the primate visual system

Computing motion on the basis of the time-varying image intensity is a difficult problem for both artificial and biological vision systems. We show how gradient models, a well-known class of motion algorithms, can be implemented within the magnocellular pathway of the primate's visual system. Our cooperative algorithm computes optical flow in two steps. In the first stage, assumed to be located in primary visual cortex, local motion is measured while spatial integration occurs in the second stage, assumed to be located in the middle temporal area (MT). The final optical flow is extracted in this second stage using population coding, such that the velocity is represented by the vector sum of neurons coding for motion in different directions. Our theory, relating the single-cell to the perceptual level, accounts for a number of psychophysical and electrophysiological observations and illusions.
Development of alarm-call responses in Belding's ground squirrels: the role of dams

Abstract Experiences with adult conspecifics can influence the ontogeny of species-typical behaviours in naive young of many species. Two processes of influence, direct and indirect, are proposed to describe the effect of adult behaviours on juvenile development. In Belding’s ground squirrels,Spermophilus beldingiexposure to adults experienced with responding to alarm calls may affect how juveniles respond to calls and/or the rate at which juveniles acquire adult-like responses to calls. Because dams and their juvenile offspring interact extensively during early development, the influence of dams on the ontogeny of juvenile alarm-call responses was investigated by conducting playbacks of alarm calls and non-alarm calls to captive ground squirrels. Juveniles were more likely to respond to auditory stimuli if their dam responded, but the responses of unrelated adult females did not influence juveniles. A dam's presence at the time of a playback had no consistent effect, however, on the type of initial response made by her juvenile, its response duration or the vigilance of its postures. The permanent absence of adult models (dams) after weaning appeared to delay the rate at which juveniles developed a discrimination between alarm calls and non-alarm calls, but had no long-term influence on juveniles' expression of responses. Thus, dams indirectly influenced juvenile response development by acting as models of species-typical responses. The outcome of dams' influence was facilitative rather than inductive, because exposure to dams affected the rate of response development but was not necessary for juveniles to acquire alarm-call responses.
Unified steady-state analysis of soft-switching DC-DC converters

In this paper, based on the switching cell approach, a unified steady state analysis for families of soft-switching DC-DC converters with complete unified design equations will be presented. The concept of the unified approach and step by step procedure for a generalized process are discussed and applied to selected soft-switching families such as zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) and zero-current-switching (ZCS)-quasi-resonant converter families, ZVS-clamped voltage quasi-square-wave (QSW) family, ZCS-clamped-current (CC) QSW family, and zero-voltage-transition and zero-current-transition pulse-width modulation families. Also, it has been noted that all the analyzed families have one generalized transformation table. The basic unified equations are summarized and the cell-to-cell comparison will be introduced. It will be shown that the unified analysis leads to several advantages such as improving the computer-aided analysis and design, simplified mathematical modeling, and giving more insight into the converter-cell operation.
Radiographic fusion rate after implantation of facet bone dowels.

Abstract Background context Achieving a posterolateral fusion in conjunction with performing decompressive laminectomies can prevent recurrence of stenosis or worsening of spondylolisthesis. Facet bone dowels have been introduced and marketed as a less invasive alternative to pedicle screws. Surgeons have been placing them during lumbar laminectomy surgery and coding for intervertebral biomechanical device and posterolateral fusion. These bone dowels have also been placed percutaneously in outpatient surgery centers and pain clinics for facet-mediated back pain. Purpose To describe fusion outcomes in patients who underwent facet bone dowel placement. Study design/setting Retrospective analysis of a single center's experience. Patient sample Ninety-six patients comprise the entire cohort of patients who underwent facet bone dowel implantation at our institution with adequate postoperative imaging to determine fusion status. Outcome measures Fusion rates as determined on postoperative computed tomography (CT) scans and dynamic lumbar X-rays if CT is not available. Methods Threaded facet bone dowels in this study were placed according to the manufacturer's recommended methods. The bone dowels were placed after open exploration of the facet complex or percutaneously through a tubular retractor on the contralateral side from a microdiscectomy or synovial cyst resection. The most recent available postoperative imaging was reviewed to determine fusion status. Results Of 96 patients in our series, 6 (6.3%) had a fusion seen on CT and 4 did not exhibit any movement on dynamic lumbar X-rays for a total fusion rate of 10.4% (10/96). Eighty-six (89.6%) patients were shown on imaging to not have a solid fusion either by visualizing a patent facet joint on CT or measurable movement between the flexion and the extension lumbar X-rays. Conclusions This article is mainly intended to question whether the implantation of facet bone dowels can produce a solid fusion radiographically. In our experience, the placement of facet bone dowels does not equal the time, skill, or attention to detail that is necessary for a posterolateral lumbar arthrodesis, and our follow-up radiographic studies clearly demonstrate an inadequate fusion rate.
Adaptive optics for in-orbit aberration correction: spherical aberration feasibility study

We investigate the feasibility of using an adaptive mirror for in-orbit aberration corrections. The advantage of an in situ aberration correction of optical components in the space environment is that the mirror shape can be adjusted in an iterative fashion until the best image is obtained. Using the actuator spacing, corresponding to one half of the Nyquist frequency, the Strehl ratio of the corrected wave front improves to 0.95 when the mirror is fabricated with 6.5 waves of spherical aberration. The Strehl ratio decreases to 0.86 when the number of actuators is reduced by a factor of 4, in a two-dimensional adaptive optics model.
Shared Environment Estimates for Educational Attainment: A Puzzle and Possible Solutions

Classical behavioral genetics models for twin and other family designs decompose traits into heritability, shared environment, and nonshared environment components. Estimates of heritability of adult traits are pervasively observed to be far higher than those of shared environment, which has been used to make broad claims about the impotence of upbringing. However, the most commonly studied nondemographic variable in many areas of social science, educational attainment, exhibits robustly high estimates both for heritability and for shared environment. When previously noticed, the usual explanation has emphasized family resources, but evidence suggests this is unlikely to explain the anomalous high estimates for shared environment of educational attainment. We articulate eight potential complementary explanations and discuss evidence of their prospective contributions to resolving the puzzle. In so doing, we hope to further consideration of how behavioral genetics findings may advance studies of social stratification beyond the effort to articulate specific genetic influences.
The Right Atrial Free Wall: An Alternative Pacing Site

A major advantage of active fixation permanent pacing leads is their ability to be actively attached in areas where conventional passive fixation leads cannot be. In a review of records of 134 consecutive patients requiring dual chamber pacing, all of whom received active fixation atrial leads, 56 had right atrial appendage (AA) pacing and 78 had right atrial free-wall (AFW) pacing. Acute electrical parameters including sensed P wave amplitude (AA = 5.6 +/- 2.3 mV, AFW = 5.5 +/- 2.3 mV), slew rate (AA = 1.21 +/- 0.77 V/sec, AFW = 1.20 +/- 0.74 V/sec), stimulation thresholds (voltage and current) including rheobase voltage (AA = 0.6 +/- 0.2 V, AFW = 0.6 +/- 0.2 V), and pacing impedance (AA = 516 +/- 89 ohms, AFW = 504 +/- 84 ohms) were similar in both groups. There were two dislodgements (atrial appendage group) and no episodes of clinically important perforation or diaphragmatic stimulation. The free wall of the right atrium appears to be an excellent alternative pacing site to the appendage.
The Public Safety Impact of Community Notification Laws Rearrest of Convicted Sex Offenders

Sex offender management is one of the highest-profile issues in public safety today. Although states have enacted community notification laws as a means to protect communities from sexual offending, limited research has been conducted to examine the impact of these laws on public safety. As such, this study used a quasi-experimental design to examine the relationship, if any, between community notification legislation and sex offender rearrest. Sex offenders who were subject to community notification (n = 10,592, 61.7%) were compared to sex offenders who were not subject to community notification requirements (n = 6,573, 38.3%). Results indicate that sex offenders subject to community notification were rearrested twice as quickly (for a sexual offense) and 47% more quickly (for a nonsexual offense) than those not subject to community notification. The findings yield implications for sex offender interventions and public policies and suggest that notification may not be an effective strategy for significan...
Role of neonicotinyl insecticides in Washington apple integrated pest management. Part II. Nontarget effects on integrated mite control.

The effect of neonicotinyl insecticides on integrated mite control in Washington apple was examined from 0 In a series of 20 field trials (54 treatments) designed primarily to look at efficacy against the codling moth, Cydia pomonella, nearly half of the treatments using four or more applications of acetamiprid had peak mite densities exceeding the economic threshold of 5 mites per leaf. Overall, acetamiprid treatments had 4.6-fold higher mite densities than the standard organophosphate insecticide treatment. Of the treatments with high mite populations, Panonychus ulmi, the European red mite, and Tetranychus urticae, the twospotted spider mite, were the dominant species in roughly equal numbers of cases. Only 11.1% of the thiacloprid treatments exceeded 5 mites per leaf; these experimental treatments included eight applications, whereas the current label restricts the number of applications at the rate for C. pomonella to two applications. One out of six clothianidin treatments caused a significantly higher mite density than the standard treatment; however, this material appeared to suppress predatory mites. Neonicotinyl insecticides did not eliminate predatory mites, but they inhibited their ability to respond normally to increasing prey populations. In field trials designed specifically to examine mite population densities where neonicotinyl insecticides were used, significantly higher levels of tetranychid mites occurred in one or more acetamiprid treatments (one, two or four applications) in five out of six trials. In the sixth trial (in a commercial orchard), only two acetamiprid applications were made, and mite populations were low in all treatments. While elevated mite densities were more likely to occur with four applications, in one case it occurred following a single application. The predominant tetranychid mite species (either P. ulmi or T. urticae) varied from trial to trial; however, there was no apparent bias regarding stimulation of the two species. Horticultural mineral oil was used with acetamiprid in some trials in an attempt to mitigate mite outbreaks. However, the addition of oil did not counteract the tendency of acetamiprid to increase tetranychid mite populations, and in one trial, had a negative effect on predatory mite densities. Seasonal tetranychid mite density was positively related to the total grams AI (or number of applications) of acetamiprid, thus reducing the number of applications per season should lower the probability of mite outbreaks. Abbreviation: AI active ingredient CMD cumulative mite days
Local similarity discriminant analysis

We propose a local, generative model for similarity-based classification. The method is applicable to the case that only pairwise similarities between samples are available. The classifier models the local class-conditional distribution using a maximum entropy estimate and empirical moment constraints. The resulting exponential class conditional-distributions are combined with class prior probabilities and misclassification costs to form the local similarity discriminant analysis (local SDA) classifier. We compare the performance of local SDA to a non-local version, to the local nearest centroid classifier, the nearest centroid classifier, k-NN, and to the recently-developed potential support vector machine (PSVM). Results show that local SDA is competitive with k-NN and the computationally-demanding PSVM while offering the advantages of a generative classifier.
Assessment of the Safety of Glutamine and Other Amino Acids

Glutamine is used to supplement intravenous and enteral feeding. Although there have been many human studies of its efficacy, there have been very few studies with safety as a primary goal. This article analyzes the literature on the safety of glutamine and also examines the available information on high intakes of total protein and other amino acids, so that additional indicators of potentially adverse effects can be suggested. Four studies that specifically addressed glutamine safety were identified, from which it was concluded that glutamine is safe in adults and in preterm infants. However, the published studies of safety have not fully taken account of chronic consumption by healthy subjects of all age groups. To help identify potential undetected hazards of glutamine intake, the literature on adverse effects of high dietary intake of protein and other amino acids was examined. High protein is reputed to cause nausea, vomiting and ultimately death in adults, and has been shown to result in neurological damage in preterm infants. Individual amino acids cause a variety of adverse effects, some of them potentially fatal, but neurological effects were the most frequently observed. Because glutamine is metabolized to glutamate and ammonia, both of which have neurological effects, psychological and behavioral testing may be especially important.
In tribute to Derek John de Solla Price: a citation analysis of little science, big sicence

Derek John de Solla Price died on September 3, 1983. The loss of this exciting and dynamic man is one which is felt not just by his friends, but by the scientific community as a whole. This article was originally planned as part of an essay forCurrent Contents® (CC®).1 But I was delighted by the opportunity to contribute it to this special tribute issue ofScientometrics.
Tighten after Relax: Minimax-Optimal Sparse PCA in Polynomial Time

We provide statistical and computational analysis of sparse Principal Component Analysis (PCA) in high dimensions. The sparse PCA problem is highly nonconvex in nature. Consequently, though its global solution attains the optimal statistical rate of convergence, such solution is computationally intractable to obtain. Meanwhile, although its convex relaxations are tractable to compute, they yield estimators with suboptimal statistical rates of convergence. On the other hand, existing nonconvex optimization procedures, such as greedy methods, lack statistical guarantees. In this paper, we propose a two-stage sparse PCA procedure that attains the optimal principal subspace estimator in polynomial time. The main stage employs a novel algorithm named sparse orthogonal iteration pursuit, which iteratively solves the underlying nonconvex problem. However, our analysis shows that this algorithm only has desired computational and statistical guarantees within a restricted region, namely the basin of attraction. To obtain the desired initial estimator that falls into this region, we solve a convex formulation of sparse PCA with early stopping. Under an integrated analytic framework, we simultaneously characterize the computational and statistical performance of this two-stage procedure. Computationally, our procedure converges at the rate of 1/√t within the initialization stage, and at a geometric rate within the main stage. Statistically, the final principal subspace estimator achieves the minimax-optimal statistical rate of convergence with respect to the sparsity level s*, dimension d and sample size n. Our procedure motivates a general paradigm of tackling nonconvex statistical learning problems with provable statistical guarantees.
Effects of Sampling Scale and Analysis Method on Perceptions of Phytoplankton Species Associations

Phytoplankton associations generally are identified by nonrandom co-occurrence of phytoplankton species, and are considered to be a result of similar species response to properties of the environment. Because an association is characterized by co-occurrence of species across samples, or synchrony of the abundance of species over time, we proposed that the perception of phytoplankton association is subject to spatial and temporal sampling scale and analysis method. We investigated this using an intensive phytoplankton dataset from three lakes of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, with particular concentration on Asterionella formosa (AF) and Aulacoseira subarctica (AS). We compared numerical analyses, including Fager analysis of recurrent groups, rank correlation, and other measures of synchrony, for differences in assessment of co-occurrence. The analyses were conducted on the entire dataset, and then the dataset was reduced to assess the effect of different spatial or temporal sampling regimes on apparent association. While the two diatom species significantly co-occurred across samples, assessment of synchrony was affected by analysis method and sampling regime. AF and AS abundance were positively correlated across lakes and within each lake, but peaks in abundance of the two species did not significantly coincide over time. In addition, species abundance were negatively correlated across depths, and we argue that this is significant to the autecology of each species. These results indicate that the perception of phytoplankton association may simply be an artifact of the limits of our understanding of the distribution and physiology of the organisms.
Professional Learning Communities, Leadership, and Student Learning.

Professional learning communities have become one of the most talked about ideas in education today. Many K-12 schools are working to become professional learning communities in the hope that stude...
Drawing the line between kinematics and dynamics in special relativity

In his book, Physical Relativity, Harvey Brown challenges the orthodox view that special relativity is preferable to those parts of Lorentz’s classical ether theory it replaced because it revealed various phenomena that were given a dynamical explanation in Lorentz’s theory to be purely kinematical. I want to defend this orthodoxy. The phenomena most commonly discussed in this context in the philosophical literature are length contraction and time dilation. I consider three other phenomena of this kind that played a role in the early reception of special relativity in the physics literature: the Fresnel drag eect in the Fizeau experiment, the velocity dependence of electron mass in -ray deflection experiments by Kaufmann and others, and the delicately balanced torques on a moving charged capacitor in the Trouton-Noble experiment. I oer historical sketches of how Lorentz’s dynamical explanations of
Increased acute myocardial infarction rates and cardiovascular risk factors among patients with human immunodeficiency virus disease.

Context: Metabolic changes and smoking are common among HIV patients and may confer increased cardiovascular risk. Objective: The aim of the study was to determine acute myocardial infarction (AMI) rates and cardiovascular risk factors in HIV compared with non-HIV patients in two tertiary care hospitals. Design, Setting, and Participants: We conducted a health care system-based cohort study using a large data registry with 3,851 HIV and 1,044,589 non-HIV patients. AMI rates were determined among patients receiving longitudinal care between October 1, 1996, and June 30, 2004. Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome was myocardial infarction, identified by International Classification of Diseases coding criteria. Results: AMI was identified in 189 HIV and 26,142 non-HIV patients. AMI rates per 1000 person-years were increased in HIV vs. non-HIV patients [11.13 (95% confidence interval [CI] 9.58–12.68) vs. 6.98 (95% CI 6.89–7.06)]. The HIV cohort had significantly higher proportions of hypertension (21.2 ...
Allelic variation in the erythropoietin receptor gene is associated with uterine capacity and litter size in swine.

Summary A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP; C vs. T) that creates an extra GATA-1 site (T allele) in intron 4 of the swine erythropoietin receptor (EPOR) gene was discovered and a genotyping assay for this SNP was developed. A total of 402 gilts from lines selected either at random (control), for ovulation rate (OR) or for uterine capacity (UC) for 11 generations were unilaterally hysterectomized-ovariectomized (UHO) at 160 days of age, mated at approximately 250 days of age and slaughtered at 105 days of pregnancy. Blood samples and spleens were collected from each foetus and the numbers of corpora lutea (CL) and live foetuses, the weights of each foetus and placenta, and each foetal haematocrit were recorded. In addition, intact gilts from the OR line or from a Yorkshire, Landrace, Duroc, crossbred line (BX) were mated and farrowed. At farrowing, the numbers of fully formed and live piglets were recorded for each litter. Genomic DNA was isolated for both the UHO and intact gilts, from foetuses from the UHO gilts that were heterozygous for the EPOR SNP, and from the boars from the BX line and were then used to determine EPOR SNP genotypes. Only CC and CT gilts were observed in the control, OR and UC selected lines. Presence of the EPOR T allele was associated (P < 0.05) with increased UC in these gilts. The number of heterozygous and homozygous foetuses did not differ within UHO litters, or did EPOR genotype influence foetal haematocrit. In intact gilts from the OR line, litter size was significantly associated (P < 0.05) with EPOR SNP genotype. Finally, results from intact gilts of the BX line, in which both the gilt and the boar genotypes were known, allowed an analysis to determine the effect of the gilt and/or the foetal genotype on litter size. This analysis indicated that the predicted foetal genotype (with gilt genotype as covariate) was associated with litter size (an increase of 2.6 ± 1.0 piglets born alive predicted for homozygous T litters compared with homozygous C litters, P < 0.01) whereas the effect of the gilt genotype (adjusted for foetal genotype) on litter size was not significant. These results indicate that the EPOR SNP is associated with UC and litter size in two distinct populations and could be useful in increasing litter size in swine that are not limited in OR.
Using active networking's adaptability in ad hoc routing

The early goals of Active Networking (AN) were to increase the pace of network evolution and to facilitate application specific protocols. Our aim is to demonstrate that for a specific application domain, Ad Hoc network routing, these goals have been substantially met. We argue that Ad Hoc networking is a domain that is well suited for this demonstration, due to its needs for both evolution and adaptation. We support our claim by building a series of Ad Hoc routing protocols, based on both DSR and AODV, that demonstrate heavyweight evolution, lightweight evolution, and routing adaptation. We based our design and implementation on our Mobile Active Networking Environment (MANE). MANE is a direct descendant of PLAN/PLANet and, as such, supports both Active Packets and Active Extensions as programmability mechanisms, thus giving us maximum flexibility in our demonstrations.
THE ROLE OF REGIONAL DIFFERENCES IN THE MAJOR HISTOCOMPATIBILITY COMPLEX IN THE PRODUCTION DURING PREGNANCY OF A SERUM FACTOR INHIBITING MACROPHAGE MIGRATION

Summary The response by the mother to the paternal antigens of her foetus was evaluated in the rat by the production of a serum factor which inhibits macrophage migration (serum inhibitory factor, SIF). The SIF response depended upon antigenic differences controlled by genes within the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), as demonstrated by the use of congenic strains. Differences between mother and foetus within the RT1.A* region of the MHC led to SIF stimulation, whereas, differences in the RT1.B region did not. The SIF response followed the course of the pregnancy: it began at the time of implantation, reached a maximum at birth and then fell precipitously. In contrast, the SIF response to skin grafting did not correlate with differences in the MHC. Thus, the antigenic factors stimulating this maternal response to foetal antigens appear to depend upon a unique type of genetic difference, and this may be a factor in the apparent immunologic privilege enjoyed by the foetus during gestation.
Parameterization of the Autoconversion Process. Part II: Generalization of Sundqvist-Type Parameterizations

Existing Sundqvist-type parameterizations, which only consider dependence of the autoconversion rate on cloud liquid water content, are generalized to explicitly account for the droplet concentration and relative dispersion of the cloud droplet size distribution as well. The generalized Sundqvist-type parameterization includes the more commonly used Kessler-type parameterization as a special case, unifying the two different types of parameterizations for the autoconversion rate. The generalized Sundqvist-type parameterization is identical with the Kessler-type parameterization presented in Part I beyond the autoconversion threshold, but exhibits a more realistic, smooth transition in the vicinity of the autoconversion threshold (threshold behavior) in contrast to the discontinuously abrupt transition embodied in the Kesslertype parameterization. A new Sundqvist-type parameterization is further derived by applying the expression for the critical radius derived from the kinetic potential theory to the generalized Sundqvist-type parameterization. The new parameterization eliminates the need for defining the driving radius and for prescribing the critical radius associated with Kessler-type parameterizations. The two-part structure of the autoconversion process raises questions regarding model-based empirical parameterizations obtained by fitting simulation results from detailed collection models with a single function.
The Mixing Layer Forced by Fundamental and Subharmonic

The evolution of coherent structures in a mixing layer can be manipulated very efficiently by forcing at a single frequency near the most amplified frequency (Ho and Huang [1]). Futhermore, the linear stability analysis (Monkewitz and Huerre [2]) based on the tanh or Blasius profiles can well predict the most amplified frequency and the amplification rates in the mixing layer.
Patients Who Leave the Hospital Against Medical Advice: The Role of the Psychiatric Consultant

Previous studies have identified characteristics of patients who threaten to leave non-psychiatric units against medical advice, but few have described the role of the psychiatric consultant in the patient's decision. This study compared the medical records of 31 patients who threatened to leave the hospital against medical advice (AMA) and who were seen in consultation with the records of AMA-discharged patients who were not seen by a psychiatric consultant. Most patients who received consultations remained hospitalized or were discharged in regular fashion. Those seen soon after admission were most likely to stay. Patients were more likely to remain hospitalized if the consultant's recommendations had a practical, rather than a psychological, orientation.
An update on the current pharmacotherapy for endometrial cancer

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Endometrial cancer (EC) is the most common gynecologic malignancy in the developed world and is increasing in incidence. While the mainstay of treatment for EC is surgery followed by chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy, the available pharmacotherapies are rapidly and constantly evolving. Understanding these new therapies is an important part of the research and clinical care of women with EC. A review of available literature from MEDLINE (1879–2015) was conducted for the historic treatments and current therapies available for endometrial tumors.Areas covered: This article reviews the current conventional therapies and discusses novel therapeutic agents, some of which are available to clinicians while others are currently being investigated in the preclinical setting.Expert opinion: Genomic and immunohistochemical characterization of endometrial cancer may soon be the best approach for the identification of aggressive forms of tumor. Targeted therapies will soon be standard in the m...
Corrigendum to “ Tursiocola denysii sp . nov . (Bacillariophyta) from the neck skin of Loggerhead sea turtles ( Caretta caretta )”

In our paper entitled “Tursiocola denysii sp. nov. (Bacillariophyta) from the neck skin of Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta)” (Phytotaxa 234: 227–236) we incorrectly cited (p. 236) a paper authored by Majewska et al. as: ‘Majewska, R., De Stefano, M. & Van de Vijver, B. (in press) Two new gomphonemoid diatom genera (Bacillariophyta) living on marine turtles from Costa Rica. Phytotaxa.’ It should be:
MEASUREMENT OF GENE FREQUENCY DRIFT IN SMALL POPULATIONS

The causes of changes in gene frequency from generation to generation in an evolving population may be thought of as being of two kinds (Wright, 1949, 1951): (1) systematic factors (selection, mutation, and migration) which tend to carry the gene frequency to an equilibrium point, and (2) dispersive factors (chance fluctuations in finite populations and variations in the magnitude and direction of the systematic factors) which cause the gene frequency to scatter. The result of these two factors is a stochastic process leading to a succession of changes in gene frequency. The mathematical formulation of this process and the distribution of gene frequency probabilities when a steady state is reached have been the subject of much mathematical inquiry (Fisher, 1922, 1930; Wright, 1931, 1945, 1949, 1952; Kolmogoroff, 1935; Malecot, 1948; Feller, 1951; Kimura, 1954). Wright and others have shown, by various methods, that the process is adequately described by the Fokker-Planck equation