cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Implementation and Practical Application of the Nutrition Care Process in the Dialysis Unit

The Nutrition Care Process (NCP) was introduced in 2003 (Lacey and Pritchett, J Am Diet Assoc. 2003;103:1061-1071). Since then, dietitians have been encouraged to incorporate the NCP into their daily practice, yet it has not been totally adopted in all dialysis units (Dent and McDuffie, J Ren Nutr. 2011;1:205-207). The renal dietitian has the benefit of being able to follow-up with the dialysis patient on a monthly basis. During these monthly visits, as information unfolds, a unique relationship culminates with the dialysis patient. The NCP allows the dietitian to make precise nutrition diagnoses, which reflect the complexity of the renal dietitian's involvement with the dialysis patient. The purpose of this article is to provide a brief description of the NCP as it relates to dialysis, offer a framework on how to begin using the NCP in the dialysis unit, and provide an example of a monthly nutrition note.
Quantitative gas-liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry of the N(O)-perfluorobutyryl-O-isoamyl derivatives of amino acids.

Abstract A modification of a gas-liquid chromatographic method for quantitative analysis of amino acids as the N(O) -perfluorobutyryl- O -isoamyl derivatives is described. The modifications include changes in time and temperature for esterification, improved preparation of the esterification reagents and conducting the derivatizations in vacuo to obtain reproducible values for amino acids such as methionine and arginine. Mass spectral data are presented for all the derivatized amino acids.
Dietary Reference Intakes for the U.S. and Canada: Update on Implications for Nutrient Databases

Abstract New Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) for the United States and Canada have recently been set for 31 nutrients, and are likely to be of interest to health professionals in other countries as well. In several cases, the units for these recommendations do not match those traditionally carried on nutrient composition databases. To allow users of nutrient databases to provide relevant evaluations of dietary data, developers will need to consider carrying new variables to allow the calculation of folate intake in μg of dietary folate equivalents, vitamin E intake as mg of α -tocopherol (not as mg of α -tocopherol equivalents), and vitamin A intake as μg of retinol activity equivalents (not as μg of retinol equivalents). Because the new recommendations for upper levels of intake sometimes refer to a specific form or source of a nutrient, nutrients occurring in foods must be separated from added or supplemental forms for vitamin E, niacin, and folate; pharmacological magnesium must be carried as a separate variable; and preformed vitamin A must be separated from vitamin A from carotenoids. The use of INFOODS tagnames will provide clarity when describing these new nutrient variables. For more information on the DRIs, see: www.nap.edu.
Risk-Constrained Microgrid Reconfiguration Using Group Sparsity

The system reconfiguration task is considered for existing power distribution systems and microgrids, in the presence of renewable-based generation and load foresting errors. The system topology is obtained by solving a chance-constrained optimization problem, where loss-of-load (LOL) constraints and ampacity limits of the distribution lines are enforced. Similar to various distribution system reconfiguration renditions, solving the resultant problem is computationally prohibitive due to the pres- ence of binary line selection variables. Further, lack of closed-form expressions for the joint probability distribution of forecasting errors hinders tractability of LOL constraints. Nevertheless, a convex problem reformulation is developed here by resorting to a scenario approximation technique, and by leveraging the under- lying group-sparsity attribute of currents flowing on distribution linesequippedwithtieandsectionalizingswitches.Thenovelconvex LOL-constrained reconfiguration scheme can also afford a distrib- uted solution using the alternating direction method of multipliers, toaddressthecasewheremultifacilitiesaremanagedautonomously from the rest of the system.
Psychometric properties of measures of behavioral inhibition with preschool-age children: Implications for assessment of children at risk for ADHD.

Measures of behavioral inhibition offer promise in research with young children with ADHD. This study investigated the factorial validity, ecological validity, and temporal reliability of five perf...
Defining critical residues for substrate binding to 1-deoxy- d -xylulose 5-phosphate synthase - Active site substitutions stabilize the predecarboxylation intermediate C2α-lactylthiamin diphosphate

1-Deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate (DXP) synthase catalyzes the formation of DXP from pyruvate and d-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate (GraP) in a thiamin diphosphate-dependent manner, and is the first step in the essential pathway to isoprenoids in human pathogens. Understanding the mechanism of this unique enzyme is critical for developing new anti-infective agents that selectively target isoprenoid biosynthesis. The present study used mutagenesis and a combination of protein fluorescence, CD and kinetics experiments to investigate the roles of Arg420, Arg478 and Tyr392 in substrate binding and catalysis. The results support a random sequential, preferred order mechanism, and predict that Arg420 and Arg478 are involved in binding of the acceptor substrate, GraP. d-Glyceraldehyde, an alternative acceptor substrate lacking the phosphoryl group predicted to interact with Arg420 and Arg478, also accelerates decarboxylation of the predecarboxylation intermediate C2α-lactylthiamin diphosphate (LThDP) on DXP synthase, indicating that this binding interaction is not absolutely required, and that the hydroxyaldehyde sufficiently triggers decarboxylation. Unexpectedly, Tyr392 contributes to GraP affinity, and is not required for LThDP formation or its GraP-promoted decarboxylation. Time-resolved CD spectroscopy and NMR experiments indicate that LThDP is significantly stabilized on R420A and Y392F variants as compared with wild-type DXP synthase in the absence of acceptor substrate, but these substitutions do not appear to affect the rate of GraP-promoted LThDP decarboxylation in the presence of high levels of GraP, and LThDP formation remains the rate-limiting step. These results suggest a role of these residues in promoting GraP binding, which in turn facilitates decarboxylation, and also highlight interesting differences between DXP synthase and other thiamin diphosphate-dependent enzymes.
The use of complex variables to obtain stresses in a notched plate under tension

The problem of a notched semi-infinite plate under tension has been solved by the complex variable method. This leads to a simpler formulation than previous solutions in the real plane.
Low cost oscilloscope histogram generator with memory.

Abstract A low cost circuit is described which collects neuronal data and generates a constant image of a peristimulus histogram on an ordinary oscilloscope. This device uses common integrated circuits and is readily changed to accomodate different needs in collection time and bin width. It may also be easily modified to be directly interfaced with a microcomputer system for further data analysis and storage. This device provides immediate feedback as to the pattern of neuronal activity in response to some sequence of events and may play an important role in guiding the path of an individual experiment.
Application of Animal Toxicology Data to Clinical Study of Experimental Drugs

The pharmaceutical industry performs safety studies in animals to underwrite administration of new chemical entities to man. Early clinical evaluation of drugs in volunteers is performed, generally, using highdose acute studies in rodents and 1-month repeat dose studies in one rodent species and one non-rodent species as a basis for risk assessment. Results from the 1-month toxicology studies enable a ceiling for initial clinical doses to be set and give some indication of the major target organs for toxicity. Extrapolation of these results to man helps determine the preliminary safety endpoints, including clinical chemistry parameters, for use in early clinical studies in man.
On the pteropod pavement of the eastern Rio Grande Rise

Abstract A pteropod-rich surface layer covers the seafloor on the Rio Grande Rise and its vicinity in less than 3400 m water depth. Sedimentologic analyses of seven box cores, including oxygen isotope stratigraphy and radiocarbon dating, indicate that the pteropod pavement is a lag deposit, and that agitation by bottom currents delays the burial of pteropod shells. Changes in grain size distribution within cores suggest that the strength of bottom circulation has varied considerably through time. Maximum winnowing of fines occurred near the end of full glaciation, decreased in intensity during mid-deglaciation and increased again within the Holocene, culminating in recent erosion. The recent increase in winnowing is probably tied to an increase in the production of North Atlantic Deep Water, which also would have produced a drop in the aragonite compensation depth (ACD). Changes in the abundances of pteropods downcore support this hypothesis. Fe-staining of pteropod shells in the surface layer occurs throughout the Holocene with Fe-accumulation rates on the order of 1 μ m 1000 years .
An important risk factor in idiopathic generalized epilepsies

15q13.3 microdeletions increase risk of idiopathic generalized epilepsy Helbig et al. (2009) Nature Genetics 41(2):160–162
Energy loss effects on turbulent heating

Abstract Experimental evidence is presented for the effect of electron energy loss on determining the type of cross field electron streaming instability that develops in low density, high temperature plasmas.
Measuring Quality in Thyroid Cancer Surgery

Many of the surgical quality measures currently in use are not disease specific. For thyroid cancer, mortality and even recurrence are difficult to measure since mortality is rare and recurrence can take decades to occur. Therefore, there is a critical need for quality indicators in thyroid cancer surgery that are easily measured and disease specific. Here we will review recent research on two potential quality indicators in thyroid cancer surgery. The uptake percentage on postoperative radioactive iodine scans indicates the completeness of resection. Another measure, the lymph node ratio, is the proportion of metastatic nodes to the total number of nodes dissected. This serves as a more global measure of quality since it indicates not only the completeness of lymph node dissection but also the preoperative lymph node evaluation and decision-making. Together, these two quality measures offer a more accurate, disease-specific oncologic indicator of quality that can help guide quality assurance and improvement.
The Benthic Boundary Biofacies Model: Hartland Shale member, Greenhorn Formation (Cenomanian), Western Interior, North America

Abstract Well-laminated, predominantly non-burrowed strata of the mid-Cretaceous Western Interior basin contain in situ epifaunal body fossils indicative of dysaerobic benthic oxygen levels. A gradient of increasing ecological complexity in these dysaerobic faunas is identifiable and reflects improvements in benthic conditions. Using these faunal assemblages, a Benthic Boundary Biofacies Model is developed in which the critical redox boundary is in dynamic equilibrium at the sediment-water interface. Variations in bottom water oxygenation, as well as substrate characteristics, are cited as the controlling factors in the position of this boundary, and thus control benthic colonization. The model describes a background of low-oxygen tolerant flat-clam communities which were predominant during deposition of the late Cenomanian Hartland Shale Member. Superimposed on this background, a history of brief episodic colonization and sedimentation events reveals a dynamic climate-ocean system in the Western Interior sea which maintained a delicate balance of oxygen deficiency at the sediment-water interface.
Electromagnetic radiation shielding by intrinsically conducting polymers

The shielding efficiency of various intrinsically conducting polymers (ICPs) as a function of their intrinsic properties (conductivity and dielectric constant), thickness, and temperature is determined. Two types of shielding, reflection and absorption, by ICPs are discussed. The high shielding efficiencies of highly conducting doped polyaniline, polypyrrole, and polyacetylene are reported and compared to that of copper. The easy tuning of intrinsic properties by chemical processing suggests the wide applications of ICPs, especially polyaniline for shielding.
Some applications of conformal transformation to airscrew theory

Recent reports contain tables of a parameter K required in calculating the performance of an airscrew by a new method.The method of calculating K (due to Goldstein) is unsuitable for large values of the pitch especially near the tip of the airscrew.In the case of infinite pitch we fall back, for a two-bladed airscrew, on the problem of a rotating lamina in two dimensions.The solution for a cross lamina (corresponding to a four-bladed propeller) is given below and the tables of K for four blades are completed.A formula for the limit of K/Kp at the airscrew tip is given for a propeller with any number of blades, where Kp is an approximate value of K due to Prandtl.K for any number of blades is given in the form of an infinite series. The case of three blades is discussed in detail.
Biomaterial-microvasculature interactions

The utility of implanted sensors, drug-delivery systems, immunoisolation devices, engineered cells, and engineered tissues can be limited by inadequate transport to and from the circulation. As the primary function of the microvasculature is to facilitate transport between the circulation and the surrounding tissue, interactions between biomaterials and the microvasculature have been explored to understand the mechanisms controlling transport to implanted objects and ultimately improve it. This review surveys work on biomaterial-microvasculature interactions with a focus on the use of biomaterials to regulate the structure and function of the microvasculature. Several applications in which biomaterial-microvasculature interactions play a crucial role are briefly presented. These applications provide motivation and framework for a more in-depth discussion of general principles that appear to govern biomaterial-microvasculature interactions (i.e., the microarchitecture and physio-chemical properties of a biomaterial as well as the local biochemical environment).
12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate activates phosphatidylethanol and phosphatidylglycerol synthesis by phospholipase D in cell lysates.

Summary A cell-free system for the synthesis of phosphatidylalcohols was developed in sonicates of HL-60 cells. With [ 32 P]phosphatidylcholine as the exogenous substrate, both phosphatidylethanol and phosphatidylglycerol were formed through a phospholipase D-catalyzed transphosphatidylation of ethanol and glycerol, respectively. The transphosphatidylation by phospholipase D was stimulated in vitro by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and required the addition of ATP for an optimal response. GTP-γ-S, an activator of G protein systems, also stimulated the process by an independent mechanism. It is postulated that the stimulation of phospholipid metabolism through phospholipase D activation represents an important mechanism whereby TPA might modulate intracellular signal generating systems or influence the activity of membrane-bound proteins by altering their lipid environment.
Experimental studies on the evagination of the cysticercoids of Raillietina kashiwarensis

Abstract 1. (1) Cysticercoids of Raillietina kashiwarensis were placed in various commercial digestive juices and the states of their evagination within an hour were investigated. 2. (2) Best results were obtained in 0.1% pancreatin solution, pH 7 at 40–42 °C, approximating the body temperature of chickens. One hundred per cent evagination occurred in 30 minutes. Not only temperature but also hydrogen ion concentration appeared to play an important role in causing evagination of the cysticercoids in 0.1% pancreatin solution. 3. (3) Evagination occurred more frequently in 0.1% trypsin solution than in 0.1% lipase solution. It is conceivable that trypsin may be an important factor in causing evagination of the cysticercoids in pancreatin. 4. (4) Bile salts, lipase, and pepsin solutions were not essential for evaginating cysticercoids. 5. (5) Treatment in pepsin followed by trypsin or pancreatin solution was not so effective in evaginating cysticercoids.
Effect of 60Co gamma radiation on the mechanical properties of epoxy blends and epoxy-graphite fiber interface

The effect of Co-60 gamma radiation of up to 100 Mrads on an IM6-G graphite fiber-epoxy interface was studied using the single-fiber-composite (SFC) technique. Flexible epoxy blends were formulated using DGEBA based and polyglycol diepoxide epoxies which were cured with aliphatic and aromatic curing agents. Bulk epoxy specimens and graphite fibers were tension tested to obtain their tensile properties. The fragment length distribution from SFC tests, single fiber strength data, and a Monte Carlo simulation of Poisson/Weibull model for fiber strength and flaws were used to obtain the effective interfacial shear strength values. The results indicate that while graphite fiber strength is not affected by radiation, the tensile properties of the epoxies used are adversely affected by the radiation. The interfacial shear strength, however, increases significantly with the radiation dose. 36 refs.
Textural properties of agarose gels. I. Rheological and fracture properties

Abstract Small- and large-strain rheological methods were used to develop rheological profiles of agarose gels, including linear, non-linear, and fracture properties. Gel properties were examined under conditions of varying agarose concentration (0.5–2.5% w/w), glycerol concentration (0–60% w/w), and strain rate (0.0017–0.17 s −1 ). Small-strain behaviors were primarily elastic with only slight frequency dependence. Large-strain behaviors and fracture properties were dependent upon strain rate, agarose and glycerol concentration. Increasing concentrations of agarose produced an increasingly stronger, more brittle network, while increasing concentrations of glycerol produced an increasingly stronger, more deformable network. All fracture properties and non-linear behaviors increased with increasing strain rate in a similar manner, suggesting a general mechanism responsible for strain rate effects that is similar for non-linear and fracture behavior. Increasing concentrations of agarose and glycerol, respectively, increased and decreased the strain rate dependence of non-linear behavior. Phenomenological models were evaluated for describing non-linear behavior. A second-order polynomial equation was determined to describe the data more accurately than the commonly used BST equation [Blatz, P. J., Sharda, S. C., & Tschoegl, N. W. (1974). Strain energy function for rubberlike materials based on a generalized measure of strain. Transactions of the Society of Rheology , 18 (1) 145–161.], providing an estimated parameter that allowed relative non-linear behavior to be reliably quantified.
Demonstration of left ventricular outflow tract eccentricity by 64-slice multi-detector CT.

Background Newer three-dimensional imaging technologies provide insight into cardiac shape and geometry from views previously unobtainable. Standard formulae like the continuity equation (CE) that rely on inherent assumptions about left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) shape may need to be revisited. In the CE, small changes in LVOT diameter may significantly change calculated aortic valve area (AVA). Using 64-slice Multi-detector CT (MDCT), we performed LVOT planimetry to obviate the need for any geometric assumptions. Methods 64-slice MDCT was performed in 30 consecutive patients. The diameter-derived LVOT area (ALVOTdiam) was calculated from a view analogous to the 2D echo parasternal long axis. Direct planimetry of the LVOT (ALVOTplan) was performed just beneath the aortic valve in a plane perpendicular to the LVOT long axis. Further, assuming an ellipsoid outflow tract shape, LVOT area (ALVOTellip) was calculated using πab from the long and short diameters of the planimetered LVOT view. Eccentricity index (EI) was estimated by subtracting the ratio of shortest and longest LVOT diameters from one. Results ALVOTdiam always measured smaller than ALVOTplan (mean 3.7 ± 1.2 cm2 vs. 4.1 ± 1.3 cm2, respectively). The median EI was 0.18 (95% CI = 0.16–0.2; P = 0.0001). ALVOTellip more closely agreed with ALVOTplan (correlation = 0.96; P < 0.0001) than did ALVOTdiam (correlation = 0.87; P < 0.0001). Conclusion Using MDCT, the LVOT was shown to be elliptical in most patients. Applying the CE which assumes roundness of the LVOT consistently underestimated the LVOT area which may affect estimated AVA. Planimetry of the LVOT utilizing three-dimensional imaging modalities such as 3-D echocardiography, MRI, or MDCT may render a more precise AVA.
A method for determination of human urinary inactive kallikrein (prekallikrein).

SHIMAMOTO, K., CHAO, J. and MARGOLIUS, H.S. A Method for Determination of Human Urinary Inactive Kallikrein (Prekallikrein). Tohoku J. exp. Med., 1982, 137 (3), 269-274-Inactive kallikrein (prekallikrein) in human urine was discovered recently. A more accurate method to measure this zymogen and total kallikrein is described. With trypsin pretreatment, it was found that 35.3±2.7% of total urinary kallikrein activity was prekallikrein. The results are supported by a new direct radioimmunoassay which measures predominantly active kallikrein.
St. Luke's University Health Network: Strategic Use of Health Information Technology

The VP and CIO of St. Luke's University Health Network wants to ensure that IT is a partner with the business in enabling new health care delivery models while controlling rapidly increasing costs. They face the challenge of maintaining existing resources while keeping up with rapid advances in information technology that provide opportunities to transform health care delivery. The VP/CIO wants to insure that new applications are in line with the strategic objectives of the health network. Instituting appropriate project management and governance strategies are critical to achieving this goal as is educating the business users on the role of information systems in health care today.
EMS Education Agenda for the Future: A Vision for the Future of EMS Education

Abstract [National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. EMS Education Agenda for the Future: a vision for the future of EMS education. Ann Emerg Med. June 2000;35:623-624.]
The spinal cord as a major site for the antinociceptive action of nicotine in the rat

These studies were conducted to localize the antinociceptive action of nicotine within the CNS. Antinociceptive and biodispositional studies were carried out after the injection of [3H]nicotine subcutaneously and intracerebroventricularly into the common carotid and vertebral arteries and into the subarachnoid space. The data indicated that [3H]nicotine was most potent when given into the subarachnoid space than by any of the other route of administration. Further, the disposition studies showed that [3H]nicotine was almost entirely contained in the thoracic and lumbar areas. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the spinal cord is an important site for antinociception induced by nicotine.
Mechanism of tension generation in muscle: an analysis of the forward and reverse rate constants.

Tension generation in muscle occurs during the attached phase of the ATP-powered cyclic interaction of myosin heads with thin filaments. The transient nature of tension-generating intermediates and the complexity of the mechanochemical cross-bridge cycle have impeded a quantitative description of tension generation. Recent experiments performed under special conditions yielded a sigmoidal dependence of fiber tension on temperature—a unique case that simplifies the system to a two-state transition. We have applied this two-state analysis to kinetic data obtained from biexponential laser temperature-jump tension transients. Here we present the forward and reverse rate constants for de novo tension generation derived from analysis of the kinetics of the fast laser temperature-jump phase τ2 (equivalent of the length-jump phase 2slow). The slow phase τ3 is temperature-independent indicating coupling to rather than a direct role in, de novo tension generation. Increasing temperature accelerates the forward, and slows the reverse, rate constant for the creation of the tension-generating state. Arrhenius behavior of the forward and anti-Arrhenius behavior of the reverse rate constant is a kinetic signature of multistate multipathway protein-folding reactions. We conclude that locally unfolded tertiary and/or secondary structure of the actomyosin cross-bridge mediates the power stroke.
Crowdsensing Maps of On-street Parking Spaces

It has been estimated that traffic congestion costs the world economy hundreds of billions of dollars each year, increases pollution, and has a negative impact on the overall quality of life in metropolitan areas. A significant part of congestion in urban areas is due to vehicles searching for on-street parking. Detailed and accurate on-street parking maps can help drivers easily locate areas with large numbers of legal parking spaces and thus relieve congestion. In this paper, we address the problem of mapping street parking spaces using vehicles' preinstalled parking sensors. In particular, we focus on identifying legal parking spaces from crowdsourced data, whereas earlier work has largely assumed that such maps of legal spaces are given. We demonstrate that crowdsensing data from vehicle parking sensors can be used to classify on-street areas into legal/illegal parking spaces. Based on more than 2 million data points collected in Highland Park, NJ and downtown Brooklyn, NY areas, we show that on-street parking maps can be estimated with an accuracy of ~90% using proposed weighted occupancy rate thresholding algorithm.
1334 THE EFFECT OF ANTENATAL ADMINISTRATION OF BETAMETHASONE ON THE HOSPITAL COSTS AND SURVIVAL OF PREMATURE INFANTS

Prenatal administration of glucocorticoids (betamethasone) has been shown to decrease the incidence and severity of respiratory distress syndrome in premature infants, but little is known regarding the immediate economic impact of this reduction in respiratory morbidity. This study examined 336 infants born during 1978 and 1979 and hospitalized in the University of Minnesota Hospitals. Comparison of survival and the hospital costs between infants whose mothers had received or not received prenatal glucocorticoid therapy showed that glucocorticoids had a significant effect in lowering mortality in infants with birth weights between 750 and 1249 grams (27-29 weeks gestation) (P<.05). Glucocorticoids were also effective in decreasing morbidity as reflected by hospital costs of surviving infants with birth weights between 1250 and 1749 grams (30-32 weeks gestation)(P<.05). In both steroid treated (r=-.994) and non-treated (r=-.919) pregnancies, prolongation of gestation decreased hospital cost in a linear fashion. The noted decrease in hospital costs should not be a justification for prenatal glucocorticoid administration but a stimulus to further examine the long term positive and negative effects of the drug on surviving infants.
The Effects of Urban Patterns on Ecosystem Function

Urban ecological systems are characterized by complex interactions among social, economic, institutional, and environmental variables. These interactions generate complex human-dominated landscapes...
Factors influencing hair loss among female captive rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta).

Although rare among wild animals, hair loss is common among captive animals, which suggests that some aspect of the captive environment contributes to abnormal hair loss. Female rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) at the California National Primate Research Center (CNPRC) housed in outdoor enclosures exhibited hair loss that varied significantly by pregnancy, season, ground substrate, rank, and age as well as by several pair-wise interactions. Pregnant females were 2.4 times more likely to have worse coat condition than non-pregnant females (P < 0.001). Among pregnant females, pronounced hair loss was apparent 1–2 months into gestation, as well as during the month following parturition. Females in general exhibited the lowest degree of hair loss in Fall (Fall vs. Winter: P < 0.001; Fall vs. Spring: P < 0.001; Fall vs. Summer: P < 0.001). Independent of reproductive condition and seasonality, macaques housed in enclosures with gravel substrate were 3.7 times more likely to have greater hair loss than those in enclosures with grass substrate (P < 0.001), and low-ranking females exhibited significantly greater hair loss than high-ranking females (P < 0.001). Older females had significantly greater hair loss than younger females (P < 0.001). Finally, females in larger groups tended to have greater hair loss than those in smaller groups. These results indicate that multiple factors influence the degree of hair loss among female captive rhesus macaques, some of which include housing conditions that can be modified to improve coat condition, such as planting grass in outdoor enclosures and adopting management procedures that reduce levels of social stress experienced by lower-ranking animals and animals living at higher densities.
The characteristic sequence of a first-order formula

For a first-order formula φ(x;y) we introduce and study the characteristic sequence 〈 Pn: n < ω 〉 of hypergraphs defined by Pn(y1,…,yn) := (∃ x) ⋁i ≤ n φ(x;yi). We show that combinatorial and classification theoretic properties of the characteristic sequence reflect classification theoretic properties of φ and vice versa. The main results are a characterization of NIP and of simplicity in terms of persistence of configurations in the characteristic sequence. Specifically, we show that some tree properties are detected by the presence of certain combinatorial configurations in the characteristic sequence while other properties such as instability and the independence property manifest themselves in the persistence of complicated configurations under localization.
Thomas Harriot’s optics, between experiment and imagination: the case of Mr Bulkeley’s glass

Some time in the late 1590s, the Welsh amateur mathematician John Bulkeley wrote to Thomas Harriot asking his opinion about the properties of a truly gargantuan (but totally imaginary) plano-spherical convex lens, 48 feet in diameter. While Bulkeley’s original letter is lost, Harriot devoted several pages to the optical properties of “Mr Bulkeley his Glasse” in his optical papers (now in British Library MS Add. 6789), paying particular attention to the place of its burning point. Harriot’s calculational methods in these papers are almost unique in Harriot’s optical remains, in that he uses both the sine law of refraction and interpolation from Witelo’s refraction tables in order to analyze the passage of light through the glass. For this and other reasons, it is very likely that Harriot wrote his papers on Bulkeley’s glass very shortly after his discovery of the law and while still working closely with Witelo’s great Optics; the papers represent, perhaps, his very first application of the law. His and Bulkeley’s interest in this giant glass conform to a long English tradition of curiosity about the optical and burning properties of large glasses, which grew more intense in late sixteenth-century England. In particular, Thomas Digges’s bold and widely known assertions about his father’s glasses that could see things several miles distant and could burn objects a half-mile or further away may have attracted Harriot and Bulkeley’s skeptical attention; for Harriot’s analysis of the burning distance and the intensity of Bulkeley’s fantastic lens, it shows that Digges’s claims could never have been true about any real lens (and this, I propose, was what Bulkeley had asked about in his original letter to Harriot). There was also a deeper, mathematical relevance to the problem that may have caught Harriot’s attention. His most recent source on refraction—Giambattista della Porta’s De refractione of 1593—identified a mathematical flaw in Witelo’s cursory suggestion about the optics of a lens (the only place that lenses appear, however fleetingly, in the writings of the thirteenth-century Perspectivist authors). In his early notes on optics, in a copy of Witelo’s optics, Harriot highlighted Witelo’s remarks on the lens and della Porta’s criticism (which he found unsatisfactory). The most significant problem with Witelo’s theorem would disappear as the radius of curvature of the lens approached infinity. Bulkeley’s gigantic glass, then, may have provided Harriot an opportunity to test out Witelo’s claims about a plano-spherical glass, at a time when he was still intensely concerned with the problems and methods of the Perspectivist school.
Education of medical students in clinical breast examination during surgical clerkship

Abstract Background Medical student training in clinical breast examination is deficient at most medical schools. The use of silicone breast models may allow the education of abnormal and normal findings. This study examines the efficacy of silicone breast models to educate medical students in clinical breast examinations during their third-year surgical rotation. Methods Medical students were randomly selected to participate in formalized training sessions in clinical breast examination or as a control group. Presession and postsession testing with silicone breast models were performed. True positives (masses that were present and documented by the student) and false positives (masses that were not present but were documented by the student) were recorded. Results Medical students undergoing the training sessions demonstrated improved true positive scores (2.2 to 2.8; P P = 0.30) and total scores (−0.8 to 0.8; P = 0.07). Students who documented an increase in the number of breast examinations during their rotations had statistically lower false positive scores. Conclusions Students after formalized clinical breast examination sessions do improve their ability to detect breast masses, although they continue to detect masses that are not present. Experience of actual breast examinations during their surgical rotations may refine their clinical skills.
Epidemiological models with age structure, proportionate mixing, and cross-immunity

Infection by one strain of influenza type A provides some protection (cross-immunity) against infection by a related strain. It is important to determine how this influences the observed co-circulation of comparatively minor variants of the H1N1 and H3N2 subtypes. To this end, we formulate discrete and continuous time models with two viral strains, cross-immunity, age structure, and infectious disease dynamics. Simulation and analysis of models with cross-immunity indicate that sustained oscillations cannot be maintained by age-specific infection activity level rates when the mortality rate is constant; but are possible if mortalities are age-specific, even if activity levels are independent of age. Sustained oscillations do not seem possible for a single-strain model, even in the presence of age-specific mortalities; and thus it is suggested that the interplay between cross-immunity and age-specific mortalities may underlie observed oscillations.
Irregular and Illegal Migration through Ukraine

With the expansion of Europes borders Ukraine has entered the spotlight of attention as a source and transit country for irregular migrants. Irregular migration has risen on the international security and political agendas because it is perceived as a threat to security and has been linked to problems such as crime and drugs. In the debate about how to manage this migration the voices of the migrants themselves are often lost. Drawing on a review of the literature and migrants testimonies this paper argues that assumptions about irregular migrants in policy and position papers can be revised in light of migrants experiences. For example whereas officials and workers in non-governmental organizations often picture irregular migration in terms of an inexorable striving what migrants emphasize most is the undesirable nature of their movement. And whereas many sources view irregular migration as symptomatic of globalization and the transnational "flows" of people capital and ideas asylum seekers who become irregular in the absence of a strong asylum system in Ukraine describe highly constrained lives that include detention and isolation. Before more efforts are directed toward combating irregular migration migrants descriptions of a traumatic and transformative experience of being "turned into illegals" and "broken" can be taken into account. While there is a tendency to view the migrants as the problem this paper suggests it is international migration regimes and not migrants that need amendment and improvement. (authors)
Bounds on the Gain of Network Coding and Broadcasting in Wireless Networks

Gupta and Kumar established that the per node throughput of ad hoc networks with multi-pair unicast traffic scales (poorly) as lambda(n) = Theta (1 / radic(n log n)) with an increasing number of nodes n. However, Gupta and Kumar did not consider the possibility of network coding and broadcasting in their model, and recent work has suggested that such techniques have the potential to greatly improve network throughput. In [1], we have shown that for the protocol communication model of Gupta and Kumar [2], the multi-unicast throughput of schemes using arbitrary network coding and broadcasting in a two-dimensional random topology also scales as lambda(n) = Theta (1 / radic(n log n))1, thus showing that network coding provides no order difference improvement on throughput. Of course, in practice the constant factor of improvement is important; thus, here we derive bounds for the throughput benefit ratio -the ratio of the throughput of the optimal network coding scheme to the throughput of the optimal non-coding flow scheme. We show that the improvement factor is 1+ Delta / 1+Delta /2for 1D random networks, where Delta > 0 is a parameter of the wireless medium that characterizes the intensity of the interference. We obtain this by giving tight bounds (both upper and lower) on the throughput of the coding and flow schemes. For 2D networks, we obtain an upper bound for the throughput benefit ratio as alpha (n) les 2cDelta radic(pi = 1+Delta/Delta) for large n, wnere cDelta = max {2, radic(Delta2 + 2Delta)}. This is obtained by finding an upper bound for the coding throughput and a lower bound for the flow throughput. We then consider the more general physical communication model as in Gupta and Kumar. We show that the coding scheme throughput in this case is upper bounded by Theta (1/n) for the 1D random network and by Theta(1/radic(n)) for the 2D case. We also show the flow scheme throughput for the ID case can achieve the same order throughput as the coding scheme. Combined with previous work on a 2D lower bound [3], we conclude that the throughput benefit ratio under the physical model is also bounded by a constant; thus, we have shown for both the protocol and physical model that the coding benefit in terms of throughput is a constant factor. Finally, we evaluate the potential coding gain from another important perspective - total energy efficiency - and show that the factor by which the total energy is decreased is upper bounded by 3.
Multicenter Evaluation of BBL CHROMagar MRSA Medium for Direct Detection of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus from Surveillance Cultures of the Anterior Nares

Active surveillance for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is among the strategies recommended by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America for control of nosocomial MRSA infections. Infection control and laboratory personnel desire rapid, sensitive, and inexpensive methods to enhance surveillance activities. A multicenter study was performed to evaluate a new selective and differential chromogenic medium, BBL CHROMagar MRSA (C-MRSA) medium (BD Diagnostics, Sparks, MD), which enables recovery and concomitant identification of MRSA strains directly from nasal swab specimens taken from the anterior nares. Specimens were inoculated to C-MRSA and Trypticase soy agar with 5% sheep blood agar (TSA II, BD Diagnostics). Mauve colonies on C-MRSA at 24 h and 48 h and suspicious colonies on TSA II were confirmed as Staphylococcus aureus by Gram stain morphology and a coagulase test. In addition, the results of C-MRSA were compared to results of susceptibility testing (five different methods) of S. aureus strains isolated on TSA II. A total of 2,015 specimens were inoculated to C-MRSA and TSA II. Three hundred fifty-four S. aureus isolates were recovered; 208 (59%) were oxacillin (methicillin) susceptible and 146 (41%) were oxacillin resistant (MRSA). On C-MRSA, 139/146 or 95.2% of MRSA isolates were recovered, whereas recovery on TSA II was 86.9% (127/146) (P = 0.0027). The overall specificity of C-MRSA was 99.7%. When C-MRSA was compared to each susceptibility testing method, the sensitivity and specificity, respectively, were as follows: oxacillin MIC by broth microdilution, 94.4% and 96.7%; oxacillin screen agar, 94.3% and 96.7%; PBP2′ latex agglutination, 93.7% and 98.5%; cefoxitin disk diffusion, 95.0% and 98.1%; and mecA PCR, 95.1% and 98.1%. In this study, C-MRSA was superior to TSA II for recovery of MRSA from surveillance specimens obtained from the anterior nares and was comparable to conventional, rapid, and molecular susceptibility methods for the identification of MRSA isolates.
SOLAR ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION AND THE SPAWNING HABITAT OF YELLOW PERCH, PERCA FLAVESCENS

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) strongly influences the underwater levels of potentially damaging solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) in freshwater lakes. Even so, little is known about how DOC-related variation in UVR may influence natural populations and communities in lakes. Past studies of fish recruitment have emphasized the importance of temperature, food limitation, and predation in controlling year-class strength in fish. Here we report that high UVR levels in low-DOC lakes also may modify the spawning depth, hatching success, and thus recruitment of certain freshwater fishes. We examined how UVR influences the spawning habitat and hatching success of yellow perch (Perca flavescens) eggs in two lakes with different DOC levels and thus different UVR environ- ments. Yellow perch eggs were incubated at the same depth (0.8 m) in quartz tubes (with mesh ends for water exchange) in both lakes in a modified reciprocal transplant experiment. Solar radiation was manipulated to provide three treatments that included exposure to full solar radiation (quartz alone), shielding from UV-B with wavelength selective filters (Mylar D), and dark controls that removed all wavelengths of solar radiation. All eggs in the light treatments in the high-UVR lake perished, whereas survival to hatching of eggs in all treatments in the low-UVR lake and in the dark controls in the high-UVR lake were ?96%. Survival time in the high-UVR lake was longer in UV-B-shielded than in fully exposed (quartz) treatments, and eggs collected from the high-UVR lake survived longer than those collected from the low-UVR lake in identical UVR treatments. A survey of natural spawning depths in the two lakes revealed a much deeper spawning depth in the high-UVR lake (median = 3.2 m) than in the low-UVR lake (median = 0.4 m). Deeper spawning depths in the high-UVR lake suggest that yellow perch can avoid direct UVR damage in low- DOC lakes. DOC and hence UVR in lakes may be altered by both anthropogenic and natural disturbances in the surrounding watershed, suggesting that these disturbances may have consequences for the spawning habitat of fish.
Constitutively Active G Protein-coupled Receptor Mutants Block Dictyostelium Development

cAR1, a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) for cAMP, is required for the multicellular development of Dictyostelium. The activation of multiple pathways by cAR1 is transient because of poorly define...
Survey of pediatric otolaryngologists: Clinical practice trends used to prevent and treat blocked ventilation ear tubes in children

Summary Objective To estimate clinical impact of blocked tubes in children and to identify prevention/treatment trends. Methods A survey was sent to American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology (ASPO) members via Internet. Results One hundred twenty two members of ASPO members responded (58%). Most clinicians saw their patients 4–8 weeks after surgery. The estimated blockage rate was between 0 and 9% (despite the use of prophylactic drops applied perioperatively including those with antibiotics only (55%), antibiotic with steroids (36%) or decongestant drops (14%), respectively). Most clinicians opted to treat blocked tube with a course of drops applied at home (73% used drops over half the time). Those drops most commonly used included the following either alone or in combination for up to 14 days: antibiotics with steroids, antibiotics alone, or either 1.5 or 3% hydrogen peroxide. Fewer clinicians used suction and/or debridement under microscopic guidance to unblock the tube at the office visit. However, most clinicians agreed that microscopic debridement was more effective than a course of drops in opening blocked tubes (80% versus 70% estimated median success rate, respectively, p = 0.0003). Conclusions Approximately one half million sets of tubes (1,000,000 total tubes) are placed per year in North America. Based on results of this survey and those from the literature, 50,000 patients require treatment postoperatively because their tubes blocked (despite the use of prophylactic eardrops). This study identifies that a variety of treatments exist and confirms that further study is warranted to prevent postoperative tube blockage.
Atherosclerosis, oxidative stress, and antioxidant protection in endothelium-derived relaxing factor action

The vascular endothelium plays a central role in the regulation of vascular function. In particular, the local release of endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) regulates vascular tone and prevents platelet adhesion to the vascular wall. Impairment of EDRF action develops early in atherosclerosis and, in part, contributes to platelet deposition and vasospasm involved in the clinical expression of coronary artery disease. Recent evidence suggests that an imbalance between vascular oxidative stress and antioxidant protection is involved in the development of this vascular dysfunction. In this report, the relation between oxidative stress, atherosclerosis, and abnormal EDRF action is reviewed with particular attention to the effects of antioxidant supplementation in animal models of atherosclerosis and hypercholesterolemia.
Review of Session 7: non-cancer risk

Astronauts in space and cancer patients being treated with ion beam radiotherapy can be exposed to charged particle radiations including energetic protons and heavy ions. These charged particles may be more effective than photons in inducing cancer as well as in causing non-cancer effects. The latter include acute damage from large solar particle events to the blood-forming organs and skin, acute and (from heavier ions) late damage to the central nervous system, and late degenerative damage to the lens of the eye and the cardiovascular, circulatory and respiratory systems. The presentations in this session discussed a number of non-cancer effects of protons and heavier charged particles including acute hematopoietic alterations, potentially detrimental cardiovascular and circulatory effects, and lifespan shortening.