cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vocational interest structures for Asian Americans, Middle-Eastern Americans and Native Americans on the 2005 Strong Interest Inventory

Abstract This study examined whether the vocational interests of Asian Americans, Middle-Eastern Americans, and Native Americans, as measured by the 2005 Strong Interest Inventory (SII), followed Holland's (1997) calculus hypotheses for a RIASEC ordering. The structures of interests of these three racial/ethnic groups were examined for fit with two structural models: (1) a less-stringent model requiring a circular RIASEC ordering and (2) a more stringent model requiring equal distances between adjacent interest types. Individuals who completed the 2005 Strong Interest Inventory were included in the sample (N = 22,394), and the overall sample was divided between racial/ethnic groups, gender, and professional status (i.e. student and employed adults). Results from randomization tests of hypothesized order and circular unidimensional scaling analyses found that a circular RIASEC order is applicable to Asian American, Middle-Eastern American and Native American students and employed adults, regardless of gender, when measured by the 2005 Strong Interest Inventory. Results from this study indicate that the current version of the Strong Interest Inventory measures vocational interests in a manner that strongly aligns with Holland's calculus hypothesis for both men and women.
Persistence and efficacy of a Beauveria bassiana biopesticide against the house fly, Musca domestica, on typical structural substrates of poultry houses

Entomopathogenic fungi, such as Beauveria bassiana, offer potential for use as biopesticides for control of house flies in poultry production facilities. This study evaluates persistence and efficacy of oil-formulated B. bassiana conidia against adult house flies on a range of structural substrates commonly found in poultry houses. Exposure of flies to fungal-treated surfaces produced high levels of infection leading up to 100% mortality in 6–10 days. However, the infectivity of the spray residues declined rapidly within 1 or 2 weeks following repeated fly exposures. Investigations showed that, in the absence of flies, conidia remained viable on test surfaces for up to 3 months regardless of substrate type, application method or fungal production batch. Rather, it was the presence of flies themselves that was responsible for reducing persistence. The exact mechanisms remain unclear but involve a combination of physical removal and chemical deactivation, with decay rates increasing at higher fly densities....
Forearm and Upper-Arm Oscillometric Blood Pressure Comparison in Acutely III Adults:

When patients' upper arms are not accessible and/or when cuffs do not fit large upper arms, the forearm site is often used for blood pressure (BP) measurement. The purpose of this study is to compare forearm and upper-arm BPs in 70 acutely ill adults, admitted to a community hospital's 14-bed ICU. Using Philips oscillometric monitors, three repeated measures of forearm and upper-arm BPs are obtained with head of bed flat and with head of bed elevated at 30 degrees. Arms are resting on the bed. Paired t tests show statistically significant differences in systolic BPs, diastolic BPs, and mean arterial pressures in the supine and head-elevated positions. Bland-Altman analyses indicate that forearm and upper-arm oscillometric BPs are not interchangeable in acutely ill adults.
Effect of shear deformations and rotary inertia on optimum beam frequencies

Accounting for shear deformations and rotary inertia effects, necessary condition for optimum fundamental frequency of a vibrating beam of constant volume and with a given distribution of non-structural mass, is obtained through the calculus of variations. Minimum cross-section of the beam is controlled by the introduction of an inequality constraint. A finite element displacement formulation is then used in an iterativve manner to arrive at the optimum fundamental frequency and the corresponding material distribution for the discretized beam models with various boundary conditions. A comparison is then made with the corresponding results of an Euler beam.
A miniature Couette to generate shear for flow cytometry: Studying real‐time modulation of intracellular calcium in monocytic cells

Extracellular hydrodynamic forces may be transmitted to the interior of cells through the alteration of integrin conformation and affinity. Integrin activation regulates leukocyte recruitment, cell activation, and transmigration. The cellular and molecular mechanisms for integrin activation are not precisely known, although intracellular calcium signaling is involved. Flow cytometry offers a versatile way to study intracellular calcium signaling in real-time. We report a novel method to generate defined shear by using a miniature Couette. Testing involved measuring shear-induced intracellular calcium signals of human monoblastoid U937 cells in suspension. The Couette was connected externally to a flow cytometer and pressurized at 6 PSI (4.1 N/m2). Cells were subjected to a well-defined shear between 0 and 1,000 s−1 and delivered continuously within 10 s to a FACScan at 1 μl/s. Intracellular calcium levels and the percentage of cells activated increased as shear increased in duration and intensity. © 2011 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry
Signaling in the Immunological Synapse: Defining the Optimal Size

In this issue of Immunity, Varma et al. (2006) report that in the synapses between T cells and planar bilayers, T cell receptor (TCR) proximal signaling takes place in peripheral TCR-microclusters that form continually and that TCR signaling ceases when they fuse with the central supramolecular activation cluster.
Phagocyte Strategy vs. Microbial Tactics

We are constantly in contact with a vast array of microorganisms living in our external environment as well as on our own mucosal surfaces. The overwhelming majority of these organisms are nonpathogenic, only a relative few being virulent for humans. Nonetheless, our survival in this sea of microbes depends largely on the ability of phagocytic cells to seek out and destroy these organisms. The importance of phagocytic cells is amply illustrated by the high rates of infection and dismal survival statistics for patients who are severely neutropenic for prolonged periods. Since phagocytic cells are motile, are capable of ingesting microbial organisms, and possess specialized mechanisms for killing ingested organisms, they are well suited to their protective role. However, it is naive to assume that microbes passively accept their fate at the hands of phagocytes. In fact, it appears that for every step in the normal phagocytic response to infection, a mechanism exists by which microorganisms can avoid or neutralize the injurious consequences of their encounters with phagocytes. The tactics that different organisms employ to counter phagocytic strategy are the topic of this paper. Microbial interactions with phagocytic cells have been the subject of several recent reviews [1-3] and a conference [4]. The important role that the microbial surface plays in this interaction has also received appropriate emphasis [5, 6]. A knowledge of the physiology of phagocytic
Portable tritium processing using a drum bubbler

Abstract The removal of free tritium (primarily in the oxide form) is required for personnel and environmental protection prior to maintenance inslde the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) vacuum vessel. The conventional methods for reducing the tritium hazard involve removing gas from TFTR and processing it through catalyst and molecular sieve beds using the Tritium Processing Systems. Among these methods, the most effective is the introduction of ambient air into the vacuum vessel which improves the removal of tritium oxide. Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (“PPPL”) refers to this activity as pump-purges. Pump-purges are very effective, but significantly increase tiie amount of radioactive waste because of the number of Disposable Molecular Sieve Beds (“DMSB”) required.
Persistent Hypoxemia and Pulmonary Hypertension in a 3-day-old Infant

### History of Present Illness A 3 day-old ex-term caucasian female with persistent hypoxemia and pulmonary hypertension presents from an outside community neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for possible extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy. ### Prenatal History The patient was born to a 27-year old gravida four mother who received prenatal care from early in the first trimester. An initial prenatal ultrasound showed a two-vessel cord and bilateral hydronephrosis; a higher-level ultrasound did not show any evidence of congenital heart disease. ### Family History There is no history of consanguinity in the family. The patient’s aunt has congenital heart disease, and the brother has hydrocephalus and hydronephrosis of unknown etiology. ### Birth History She was a 3500 gram product of an estimated 39 weeks gestation born via repeat cesarean section with rupture of membranes and clear amniotic fluid at the time of delivery. She received routine care at delivery and transitioned well with Apgars of 8 and 9 at 1 and 5 minutes respectively. ### Initial Presentation She was initially noted to be dusky in the newborn nursery 4 hours after delivery and was transferred emergently to the NICU for evaluation. An initial chest radiograph showed a small cardiac silhouette with clear lung fields; the initial CBC did not have findings suggestive of infection. Congenital heart disease was suspected after a hyperoxia test showed a pre-ductal paO2 of 71 mmHg. A prostaglandin E1 infusion was started and she was transferred to a higher level of care for further evaluation. At an outside Level III NICU, her hypoxemia worsened, and she was eventually transitioned to high frequency oscillatory ventilation with a peak mean airway pressure of 17 cm H20 and 100% oxygen. A postnatal echocardiogram …
Analysis of geometrically nonlinear anisotropic membranes: theory and verification

A new anisotropic constitutive model is introduced to simulate the geometrically nonlinear dynamic behavior of general anisotropic membranes experiencing large deformations. This model relates the second Piola-Kirchhoff stress with the Green-Lagrange strain in a 3-D convected curvilinear coordinate frame. The construction of the anisotropic constitutive law from the predefined principal material coordinate system to the final convected curvilinear coordinate system using coordinate transformations is presented. The proposed theory is implemented into a finite element code and several numerical examples are given for validation. An application problem is described to demonstrate the importance of the new model in real applications.
Use of position-dependent stress-free standards for diffraction stress measurements

Abstract Residual stress measurements using neutron diffraction are inherently triaxial in nature due to the low adsorption, and thus high penetration, of neutrons in samples of interest. This means that stress-free reference standards are required to convert measured changes in peak position to strain and stress tensors. Althogh a number of empirical and analytical approaches have been utilized to obtain accurate stress-free reference cell parameters, they all presume the presence of a single reference value for the material being measured. However, important cases can arise for which the local stress-free cell parameter varies from point to point. One such case, a circumferentially welded cylinder, is presented here. A method of point-to-point correction is employed, involving the sectioning of a companion piece into small cubes corresponding to the positions of stress measurement. The variations in peak position and peak breadth are presented. It is shown that accurate stress tensors can be obtained and that use of a constant value of stress-free reference cell parameter from the unaffected base metal leads to errors of up to 700 MPa in some stress tensor components. Effects on the principal stresses are also presented.
When is consent really consent? An analysis of Schneckloth v. Bustamonte and its progeny

This article examines the doctrine of consent as it has been applied to vehicular searches and seizures by the federal courts. It takes the position that current doctrine has undermined many of the freedoms implied in the Fourth Amendment and, in the context of other Supreme Court decisions and of “racial profiling”, may contribute to the racial divisions found in our criminal justice system.
Savings Vehicles and the Taxation of Individual Investors

This article is the first in a series of four, dedicated to the study of the broad issue of asset allocation. It is divided into two distinct sections. First the author introduces the overall study, discusses its general purpose and methodology, and reviews his overall broad conclusions. Second, he presents “Savings Vehicles,” a stand-alone article that focuses specifically on the issue of savings vehicles, asking how one should select a vehicle for the retirement portion of a household9s savings. The article first describes features of the five major savings vehicles in the U.S.: a personal or taxable account, a nondeductible pension, and a Roth IRA. It then presents the after-tax ending-wealth model for each vehicle and compares and contrasts the ending-wealth models.
Sensitivity analysis from sample paths using likelihoods

We modify the likelihood-based method for obtaining derivatives with respect to the rate of a Poisson process to that it is not necessary to know the exact value of that rate. This type of modification is necessary if the method is to be used on a sample path from a real system. The method is also applicable to simulation studies of certain real time control policies and may be useful in trace driven simulations. The modification to the likelihood estimator is simply to use the value of the Poisson rate estimated during the sample interval. For regenerative systems, this produces a strongly consistent, asymptotically normal and asymptotically unbiased estimate of the derivative. The strong law and central limit theorem are generalized to the case of estimating a derivative with respect to an unknown parameter from the exponential class of probability density functions. Numerical results for the M/M/1 queue illustrate little difference between the estimates for the derivative of the expected delay with respect to arrival rate obtained when the arrival rate is known and unknown. However, both estimates are highly biased for small sample sizes. This bias can be reduced by jackknifing.
Low-Temperature Solution-Processed Perovskite Solar Cells with High Efficiency and Flexibility

Perovskite compounds have attracted recently great attention in photovoltaic research. The devices are typically fabricated using condensed or mesoporous TiO2 as the electron transport layer and 2,2′7,7′-tetrakis-(N,N-dip-methoxyphenylamine)9,9′-spirobifluorene as the hole transport layer. However, the high-temperature processing (450 °C) requirement of the TiO2 layer could hinder the widespread adoption of the technology. In this report, we adopted a low-temperature processing technique to attain high-efficiency devices in both rigid and flexible substrates, using device structure substrate/ITO/PEDOT:PSS/CH3NH3PbI3–xClx/PCBM/Al, where PEDOT:PSS and PCBM are used as hole and electron transport layers, respectively. Mixed halide perovskite, CH3NH3PbI3–xClx, was used due to its long carrier lifetime and good electrical properties. All of these layers are solution-processed under 120 °C. Based on the proposed device structure, power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 11.5% is obtained in rigid substrates (glass/...
COLLECTIVE EFFICACY, AUTHORITATIVE PARENTING AND DELINQUENCY: A LONGITUDINAL TEST OF A MODEL INTEGRATING COMMUNITY- AND FAMILY- LEVEL PROCESSES *

In this paper, we develop and test hypotheses on how authoritative parenting and collective efficacy combine to increase a child's risk of affiliating with deviant peers and engaging in delinquent behavior. Analyses using two waves of data from a sample of several hundred African American caregivers and their children largely supported the predictions. Over time, increases in collective efficacy within a community were associated with increases in authoritative parenting. Further, both authoritative parenting and collective efficacy served to deter affiliation with deviant peers and involvement in delinquent behavior. Finally, there was evidence of an amplification process whereby the deterrent effect of authoritative parenting on affiliation with deviant peers and delinquency was enhanced when it was administered within a community with high collective efficacy.
A comparison of pharmacist travel-health specialists' versus primary care providers' recommendations for travel-related medications, vaccinations, and patient compliance in a college health setting.

Background. Pretravel medication and vaccination recommendations and receipt were compared between primary care providers (PCPs) without special training and clinical pharmacists specializing in pretravel health. Methods. A retrospective chart review of patients seen for pretravel health services in a pharmacist-run travel clinic (PTC) compared to PCPs at a University Student Health Center. Vaccine/medication recommendations were assessed for consistency with national/international guidelines. Medical/pharmacy records were queried to determine the receipt of medications/vaccinations. Results. The PTC recommended antibiotics for travelers' diarrhea were given more often when indicated (96% vs 50%, p < 0.0001), and patients seen in the PTC received their medications more often (75% vs 63%, p = 0.04). PCPs prescribed more antibiotics for travelers' diarrhea that were inconsistent with guidelines (not ordered when indicated 49% vs 6%, p < 0.0001 and ordered when not indicated 21% vs 3%, p < 0.0001). The PTC prescribed antimalarials more often when indicated (98% vs 81%, p < 0.0001), while PCPs prescribed more antimalarials that were inconsistent with guidelines (not ordered when indicated 15% vs 1%, p < 0.0001 and ordered when not indicated 19% vs 2%, p < 0.0001). The PTC ordered more vaccines per patient when indicated (mean = 2.77 vs 2.31, p = 0.0012). PTC patients were more likely to receive vaccines when ordered (mean = 2.38 vs 1.95, p = 0.0039). PCPs recommended more vaccines per patient that were inconsistent with guidelines (not ordered when indicated: mean = 0.78 vs 0.12, p < 0.0001, ordered when not indicated: mean 0.18 vs 0.025, p < 0.0001). Conclusions. A pharmacist-run pretravel health clinic can provide consistent evidence-based care and improve patient compliance compared to PCPs without special training. Pretravel health is a dynamic and specialized field that requires adequate time, resources, and expertise to deliver the best possible care.
The effect of keeping an end-product on intrinsic motivation.

OBJECTIVE: According to literature in occupational therapy and psychology, intrinsic motivation is thought to be enhanced if people can keep the end-product of an activity. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of keeping an end-product on intrinsic motivation. METHOD: Fifty participants chose one of four activities (painting a ceramic vase, decorating cookies, stringing beads for a necklace, creating stationery) and performed two conditions (keep, no-keep) in counterbalanced order. Participants were timed in each condition and, after each condition, ranked their self-determination and competence, which are psychological needs underlying intrinsic motivation. Participants were interviewed at the end of the study to examine their experiences. RESULTS: Participants worked significantly longer on a chosen activity when the end-product could be kept and rated themselves significantly more self-determined and competent after performing the keep condition. However, further analysis revealed that these results depended on the activity chosen. CONCLUSION: The findings support that keeping an end-product can enhance performance of an activity. However, because results were not consistent across all activity choices, further research is needed to characterize the meaningfulness of particular activities.
Gastrointestinal endoscopy: past and future

The former editor of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy reflects on the history of endoscopy, which reveals much about the mechanisms whereby innovation occurred, and attempts to forecast the future. Endoscopic technological development in most industrialised countries will be determined largely by various combinations of many external factors together with the further development of virtual imaging
Term structure surprises: the predictive content of curvature, level, and slope

SUMMARY This paper analyzes the predictive content of the term structure components level, slope, and curvature within a dynamic factor model of macroeconomic and interest rate data. Surprise changes of the three components are identified using sign restrictions, and their macroeconomic underpinnings are studied via impulse response analysis. The curvature factor is found to carry predictive information both about the future evolution of the yield curve and the macroeconomy. In particular, unexpected increases of the curvature factor precede a flattening of the yield curve and announce a significant decline of output more than 1 year ahead. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Comfort Care Principles for the High-risk Newborn

After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Apply palliative care principles in neonatal intensive care. 2. List the professionals who should be involved with palliative care programs. 3. Describe the focus of palliative care. 4. Describe the critical components of palliative care. The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) remains one of the most sophisticated and technical environments in which children are treated. Medical, nursing, respiratory, and surgical care routinely are intensive, invasive, and at times aggressive as lifesaving interventions are provided to the most vulnerable of pediatric patients. Do comfort or palliative care measures have a place in the NICU? If so, for whom, and in what particular circumstances? This article addresses the important concept of comfort care for certain groups of newborns, the ethical principles underlying decisions for such care, and the appropriate family-centered provision of comprehensive palliative care in the NICU. Applying hospice (palliative care) concepts to the newborn initially was described in the United States in 1982. Clinicians in the NICU can endeavor to create an environment in which the highly technical care required for lifesaving or life-prolonging treatments and the “high touch” care of comfort-oriented, patient-centered, and family-friendly care can coexist and complement one another. Most NICUs are competent in caring for infants who die, but there are wide variations in the care measures provided for hopelessly ill newborns, and opportunities abound for improving the provision of comprehensive palliative care for dying newborns. Such care should include pain and symptomatic management, psychosocial support for family members, spiritual support for family members, and attention to the newborn’s quality of life and best interests as determined through a culturally sensitive, negotiated, family-centered approach (Figure ⇓). When such measures are the focus of care, everyone in the NICU stands to benefit, including the newborn patient, his or her family, and …
The human CENP-A centromeric nucleosome-associated complex

The basic element for chromosome inheritance, the centromere, is epigenetically determined in mammals. The prime candidate for specifying centromere identity is the array of nucleosomes assembled with CENP-A, the centromere-specific histone H3 variant. Here, we show that CENP-A nucleosomes directly recruit a proximal CENP-A nucleosome associated complex (NAC) comprised of three new human centromere proteins (CENP-M, CENP-N and CENP-T), along with CENP-U(50), CENP-C and CENP-H. Assembly of the CENP-A NAC at centromeres is dependent on CENP-M, CENP-N and CENP-T. Facilitates chromatin transcription (FACT) and nucleophosmin-1 (previously implicated in transcriptional chromatin remodelling and as a multifunctional nuclear chaperone, respectively) are absent from histone H3-containing nucleosomes, but are stably recruited to CENP-A nucleosomes independent of CENP-A NAC. Seven new CENP-A-nucleosome distal (CAD) centromere components (CENP-K, CENP-L, CENP-O, CENP-P, CENP-Q, CENP-R and CENP-S) are identified as assembling on the CENP-A NAC. The CENP-A NAC is essential, as disruption of the complex causes errors of chromosome alignment and segregation that preclude cell survival despite continued centromere-derived mitotic checkpoint signalling.
How insensitive … how a mutation in the SCN5A voltage sensor leads to clinical arrhythmia.

t i g a c m w a Earlier this year (2012), one of the fathers of electrohysiology passed away at the age of 94. Sir Andrew Huxley, along with his research partner Sir Alan Hodgkin, first described in the 1940s and 1950s the electrical underpinnings of nerve conduction by using a squid giant axon model. Theirs was the first description of the critical importance of sodium and potassium transmembrane flux in the conduction of electrical impulses in biologic tissues. They even postulated the presence of discrete carriers of sodium and potassium current within the membrane, now well understood to be transmembrane ion channels. Hodgkin and Huxley, along with John Eccles, were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work. Decades later, Neher and Sakmann performed the first single-channel patchclamp experiments that gave direct evidence of the existence of discrete membrane entities that carry specific ionic currents, including sodium. Subsequently, basic science electrophysiologists were able to deduce much of the functional details of these putative ion channels, including their electrophysiologic characteristics, and even their likely molecular underpinnings, merely based on the clever observation of their behavior both in the native state and in response to electrical and chemical perturbations in the laboratory. With the development of molecular cloning and sequencing techniques, the genetic code for many ion channels, including potassium, sodium, and calcium channels, was revealed. One of the more exciting observations was that any common structural themes were seen across different lasses of ion channels. Among voltage-gated channels, a ommon theme became clear: the fourth transmembrane egment (S4) contained, in addition to a string of hydrohobic amino acids that enabled it to reside within the ellular membrane, charged amino acids—specifically argiine—repeated every 3 amino acids several times. It was mmediately postulated that this motif acted as a “voltage ensor,” residing in the hydrophobic cellular membrane, ble to respond to the changes in membrane potential seen
A Facile Preparation of the Ethylene Glycol Mono-Ketal of Cyclohexane-1, 4-Dione

Abstract The ethylene glycol mono-ketal of cyclohexane-1,4-dione (4) is an exceedingly useful bifunctional synthetic intermediate. In order to prepare synthetically useful amounts of the previously reported 1 pyrrolidine enamine 5, we have developed a straightforward route which starts from cyclohexane-1,4-diol (1). We have found that oxidation of diol 1 with slightly less than 1 equivalent of Jones reagent2 gives a mixture which contains a 90% yield of the desired hydroxy-ketone 2.3 The ketal 3 could be prepared directly from the crude hydroxy-ketone 2 by the standard procedure employing ethylene glycol and benzene with minimal extractive work up. We utilize a chromium trioxide-pyridine oxidation4 of the alcohol 3 to obtain the ketone-ketal 4. This procedure circumvents the problem caused by the high water solubility of intermediates 2 and 3 which frustrate some of the previously reported preparations.
A Multi-Purpose Miniature Computer for Clinical Applications

A low-cost miniature computer suitable for multipurpose applications is described. The computer combines digital and analog circuitry to provide a hybrid system that offers both economy and versatility. It uses a stored program to carry out data acquisition and processing operations automatically, and presents results on a numerical display in decimal format. Results are reported for molecular and atomic absorption spectroscopy and for the kinetic determination of enzymes.
BURAQ: A Dynamically Reconfigurable System for Stateful Measurement of Network Traffic

Programmable analysis of network traffic is critical for wide range of higher level traffic engineering and anomaly detection applications. Such applications demand stateful and programmable network traffic measurements (NTM) at high throughputs. We exploit the features and requirements of NTM, and develop an application-specific FPGA based Partial Dynamic Reconfiguration (PDR) scheme that is tailored to NTM problem. PDR has traditionally been done through swapping of statically compiled FPGA configuration data. Besides being latency intensive, static compilation cannot take into account exact requirements as they appear during real-time in many applications like NTM. In this paper, we make novel use of fine-grained PDR, performing minute logic changes in real-time and demonstrate its effectiveness in a prototype solution for programmable and real-time NTM. We specifically make use of flexibility available through the application and present a number of novel tools and algorithms that enabled developing the BURAQ system. Our results show 4x area and 1.3x latency improvements of BURAQ from a comparative statically compiled recent solution.
Surface Water Mixing in the Solomon Sea as Documented by a High-Resolution Coral 14 C Record

A bimonthly coral-based record of the postbomb radiocarbon content of Solomon Sea surface waters is interpreted to reflect mixing of subtropical surface water and that advected in from the east by the equatorial branch of the South Equatorial Current (SEC). Annual mean D14C has a dynamic range of nearly 175‰, with a total range of nearly 200‰. Prebomb values average 256‰ and the annual mean postbomb maxima occurs in 1985 with a value of 1117%. Interannual variability in the record reflects surface current variations in
Effects of calcium silicate treatment on the composition of forest floor organic matter in a northern hardwood forest stand

Calcium amendment can help improve forest sustainability in stands that have been impacted by chronic acid deposition. An important component of this improvement is the stimulation of the microbial activity that supports ecosystem nutrient cycling processes. To test the hypothesis that Ca treatment alters the structure and solubility of organic matter substrates, an important driver of microbial activity, we investigated the effect of wollastonite (CaSiO3) treatment on soil organic matter (SOM) and hot-water-extractable organic matter (HWEOM). We found a decrease in the HWEOM content of forest floor soils within 2 years of treatment with a high dosage of wollastonite (4,250 kg Ca/ha), but not at a low dosage (850 kg Ca/ha). High-dosage treatment did not reduce the biodegradability of HWEOM. Hence, a high dose of CaSiO3 appears to reduce the solubility of organic matter in the forest floor but not the bioavailability of the extracted SOM. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed no significant changes in the O-alkyl C content of SOM in response to wollastonite addition, but a reduction in the O-alkyl C content of HWEOM suggests that the extractability of carbohydrate structures was reduced by added CaSiO3. Phosphorous treatment, when performed in combination with Ca, also decreased the O-alkyl C content of HWEOM, but had no effect when performed without Ca. The reduced solubility of SOM after Ca treatment may have been the result of bridging between Ca2+ and negatively charged sites on SOM, as suggested in other studies. Also, high concentrations of Si in soil solution, due to dissolution of the wollastonite, likely resulted in oversaturated conditions with respect to SiO2 or kaolinite, perhaps leading to co-precipitation of soluble organic matter. Overall, our results suggest that added Ca and/or Si may react with SOM to reduce the accessibility of labile C forms to soil microbes.
Sch9: Sch9 protein kinase (S. cerevisiae)

The chapter focuses on the SCH9 gene that was cloned from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae) as a suppressor of a cdc25 temperature-sensitive mutant. Disruption of the SCH9 gene results in a slow growth defect that can be suppressed by activation of the Ras-regulated cAMP pathway. When overexpressed, SCH9 is capable of suppressing loss of the yeast ScPKA-encoding genes, TPKl, 2 and 3, as well as loss of function of RAS and CYRl (which encodes adenylyl cyclase). Sch9 may be a component of a growth control pathway that is partially redundant with the RAS-regulated cAMP pathway in S. cerevisiae. The kinase domain is homologous to mammalian PKA and yeast ScPKA. The regulatory domain does not exhibit homology to any known protein.
Thinness and Other Refusals in Contemporary Fashion Advertisements

(1998). Thinness and Other Refusals in Contemporary Fashion Advertisements. Fashion Theory: Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 129-150.
DFT and ENDOR Study of Bixin Radical Cations and Neutral Radicals on Silica-Alumina.

Bixin, a carotenoid found in annatto (Bixa orellana), is unique among natural carotenoids by being water-soluble. We stabilized free radicals from bixin on the surface of silica–alumina (Si–Al) and characterized them by pulsed electron–nuclear double resonance (ENDOR). DFT calculations of unpaired electron spin distribution for various bixin radicals predict the EPR hyperfine couplings. Least-square fitting of experimental ENDOR spectra by spectra calculated from DFT hyperfine couplings characterized the radicals trapped on Si–Al. DFT predicts that the trans bixin radical cation is more stable than the cis bixin radical cation by 1.26 kcal/mol. This small energy difference is consistent with the 26% trans and 23% cis radical cations in the ENDOR spectrum. The remainder of the ENDOR spectrum is due to several neutral radicals formed by loss of a H+ ion from the 9, 9′, 13, or 13′ methyl group, a common occurrence in all water-insoluble carotenoids previously studied. Although carboxyl groups of bixin strong...
The far lateral transpontomedullary sulcus approach to pontine cavernous malformations: technical report and surgical results

Background Pontine cavernous malformations (CMs) located on a peripheral pontine surface or the fourth ventricular floor are resectable lesions, but those deep within the pons away from a pial surface are typically observed. However, the anterior bulge of the pons formed by the brachium pontis creates a unique entry point for access to deep pontine lesions from below, working upward through the pontomedullary sulcus. Objective We developed a transpontomedullary sulcus (TPMS) approach to these lesions. Methods The TPMS approach used the far lateral craniotomy and upper vagoaccessory triangle to define the surgical corridor. The entry point was above the olive, lateral to the pyramidal tracts and cranial nerve (CN) VI, above the preolivary sulcus and CN XII, and medial to CNs VII and VIII and CNs IX through XI. Results Four patients underwent this approach. All presented with hemorrhage and CN VI palsies. All pontine CMs were resected completely. Three patients were improved or unchanged, with good outcomes (modified Rankin Scale score ≤2) in all patients. Conclusion The central pons remains difficult territory to access, and new surgical corridors are needed. The bulging underbelly of the pons allows access to pontine lesions deep to the pial surface from below. The far lateral TPMS approach is a novel and more direct alternative to the retrosigmoid transmiddle cerebellar peduncle approach. Unlike the retrosigmoid approach, the TPMS approach requires minimal parenchymal transgression and uses a brainstem entry point medial to most lower CNs. Favorable results demonstrate the feasibility of resecting pontine CMs that might have been previously deemed unresectable.
Cost-effectiveness of the Cardiac Component of the Focused Assessment of Sonography in Trauma Examination in Blunt Trauma.

Background Blunt cardiac injury severe enough to require surgical intervention (sBCI) is an exceedingly rare event occurring in approximately 1 out of every 1600 trauma patients. While performing the cardiac component of the Focused Assessment of Sonography in Trauma (cFAST) exam is effective in penetrating trauma, it is unclear whether it is of value in blunt trauma given the low prevalence of sBCI, the imperfect test characteristics of the FAST exam, and the rate of incidental pericardial effusion. Objective The objective was to determine through decision analysis whether performing the cFAST exam is cost-effective in the evaluation of hypotensive and normotensive blunt trauma patients. Methods We created two decision analytic models using commercially available software (TreeAgePro2011) to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the cFAST in hypotensive (systolic blood pressure <90 mm Hg) and normotensive blunt trauma patients. Clinical probabilities were obtained from published data. Costs were estimated from Medicare reimbursement and charge data. The willingness-to-pay threshold was $50,000/quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). Sensitivity analyses were performed over plausible ranges using available literature. Results In hypotensive patients, for the base case scenario of a 34-year-old with blunt trauma, the cFAST strategy had a cost of $42,882.70 and an effectiveness of 25.3597 QALYs, whereas the no cFAST strategy had a cost of $42,753.52 and an effectiveness of 25.3532 QALYs. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was $19,918/QALY. For normotensive patients the cFAST strategy had a cost of $18,331.03 and an effectiveness of 23.2817 QALYs, whereas the no cFAST strategy had a cost of $18,207.58 and an effectiveness of 23.2814 QALYs. The ICER was $465,867/QALY. In the sensitivity analyses, age, probability of death from sBCI with prompt treatment, and probability of sBCI were the main drivers of variability in the model outcomes. Conclusions The cFAST for blunt trauma is cost-effective for hypotensive but not for normotensive patients. The ICER for hypotensive patients was more than 20 times higher than the ICER for normotensive patients. Our results suggest that performing the cFAST exam may not be an effective use of resources in normotensive blunt trauma patients.
Abstract 777: Rosehip (Rosa canina) extracts prevent Akt-mediated cell proliferation in glioblastoma cells

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) are aggressive malignant tumors that develop in the brain. GBMs demonstrate increased rates of cell proliferation, a lack of apoptosis as well the propensity to migrate to distal sites in the brain. The clinical management of glioblastoma consists of surgical resection followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. However, this treatment regimen is not very effective and more effective therapies need to be developed. Activation of several signaling pathways has been associated with the increased proliferative capacity of GBM cells. Activity of the Akt/mTOR pathway is exceptionally high in GBMs and may regulate sensitivity to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Akt and its downstream effector p70S6 kinase (p70S6K) demonstrate a high amount of activity in GBMs. Inactivation of Akt and p70S6K attenuate GBM cell growth and may inhibit GBM cell proliferation. Therefore, we investigated the antiproliferative capacity of extracts from the Rosehip (Rosa canina) plant. Rosehip extracts have been used as dietary supplements to relieve symptoms associated with diarrhea, gastritis and rheumatoid arthritis. U-1242MG, a human GBM cell line, treated with Rosehip extracts (250 µg/ml) demonstrated a decrease in cell proliferation. The Rosehip extract-mediated decrease in cell proliferation was equal to the decrease of cell proliferation observed when LY294002 (20 µM),a known Akt inhibitor was utilized. Additionally, pretreatment of the U-1242 MG cells with these Rosehip extracts (250 µg/ml) decreased p70S6K phosphorylation, suggesting these extracts prevent GBM cell proliferation by blocking Akt/mTOR signaling mechanisms. Taken together these data suggest that p70S6K positively regulates GBM cell proliferation, and Rosehip extracts may serve as an alternative or supplement to current therapeutic regimens for GBMs. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 777.
Pynchon's Eve of De-struction

In the epigraph to Gravity's Rainbow. the German rocket pioneer Wernher von Braun tersely declares that "Nature does not know extinction; all it knows is transformation." Even before his fiction begins. Pynchon offers a chilling instance of the supreme Cover-Up. the Ultimate Rationale which. in effect. excuses the human race in advance for inflicting unimaginable atrocities upon itself. culminating in its own annihilation. So long as the brute and brutal reality of extinction can be rationalized or fictionalized as a mere episode of transformation from one stage to another in some idealistic evolution of the spirit. mankind can plunge ahead mindlessly towards its own destruction.
Two-week postpartum intrauterine contraception insertion: a study of feasibility, patient acceptability and short-term outcomes.

Abstract Objective To determine the feasibility and acceptability of inserting the levonorgestrel intrauterine system, LNG 52 mg IUS (LNG IUS), at 2 weeks postpartum. Study design This prospective study of feasibility and patient acceptability recruited women interested in a postpartum LNG IUS and placed the LNG IUS under ultrasound guidance on days 14–20 postpartum. We determined feasibility by our ability to recruit and insert the LNG IUS in our predetermined sample size of 50 women. We measured our primary acceptability outcome at 6 months postpartum with the question: “Would you recommend Mirena placement at 2 weeks postpartum to a friend?” Other outcomes included expulsion and pain. The three study visits consisted of (1) insertion visit (14–20 days postpartum), (2) standard postpartum visit with a string check (6 weeks postpartum) and (3) research visit with sonography and assessment of the primary outcome (6 months postpartum). Results We enrolled 50 women over 8 months, all of whom received LNG IUS. Forty-three of the 50 (86%) provided follow-up data for the primary outcome. Of those, 93% (40/43) would recommend 2-week LNG IUS insertion to a friend, and 86% (37/43) continued using their LNG IUS at the conclusion of the 6-month visit. There were two partial expulsions; one was symptomatic. There were no uterine perforations. Conclusions LNG IUS inserted at 2 weeks postpartum is feasible and acceptable to patients. These results offer evidence to support intrauterine contraception insertion prior to the onset of ovulation and at a potentially more convenient time point in the postpartum period. Implications This study supports offering the LNG IUS beginning on the 14th postpartum day. The 4% expulsion rate is consistent with the rate of interval insertion and lower than immediate postplacental insertion. Additional research is needed to ensure a low risk of adverse events with other brands of intrauterine contraception.
Context-dependent colonization dynamics: Regional reward contagion drives local compression in aquatic beetles.

Habitat selection by colonizing organisms is an important factor in determining species abundance and community dynamics at multiple spatial scales. Many organisms select habitat patches based on intrinsic patch quality, but patches exist in complex landscapes linked by dispersal and colonization, forming metapopulations and metacommunities. Perceived patch quality can be influenced by neighbouring patches through spatial contagion, wherein perceived quality of one patch can extend beyond its borders and either increase or decrease the colonization of neighbouring patches and localities. These spatially explicit colonization dynamics can result in habitat compression, wherein more colonists occupy a patch or locality than in the absence of spatial context dependence. Previous work on contagion/compression focused primarily on the role of predators in driving colonization patterns. Our goal was to determine whether resource abundance can drive multi-scale colonization dynamics of aquatic beetles through the processes of contagion and compression in naturally colonized experimental pools. We established two levels (high/low quality) of within-patch resource abundances (leaf litter) using an experimental landscape of mesocosms, and assayed colonization by 35 species of aquatic beetles. Patches were arranged in localities (sets of two patches), which consisted of a combination of two patch-level resource levels in a 2 × 2 factorial design, allowing us to assay colonization at both locality and patch levels. We demonstrate that patterns of species abundance and richness of colonizing aquatic beetles are determined by patch quality and context-dependent processes at multiple spatial scales. Localities that consisted of at least one high-quality patch were colonized at equivalent rates that were higher than localities containing only low-quality patches, displaying regional reward contagion. In localities that consisted of one high- and one low-quality patch, reward contagion produced by higher leaf litter levels resulted in greater abundance of beetles in such localities, which then compressed into the highest quality patches. Our results provide further support for the critical roles of habitat selection and spatial context, particularly the quality of neighbouring habitat patches, in generating patterns of species abundances and community structure across landscapes.
Pain catastrophizing as a predictor for postoperative pain and opiate consumption in total joint arthroplasty patients.

Pain catastrophizing has been suggested as a prospective risk factor for poor postoperative pain outcomes in total joint arthroplasty (TJA). However, results from the previous studies have been mixed and have not controlled for postoperative opiate analgesic intake. This study investigates pain catastrophizing and postoperative pain intensity in TJA patients, adjusting for analgesic intake. We hypothesized that “pain catastrophizers” would exhibit higher pain scores and increased analgesic requirements postoperatively. In this prospective cohort study, patients were defined as catastrophizers (PCS > 30), or non-catastrophizers (PCS ≤ 30). The primary outcome was the visual analog scale (VAS) pain score at 3-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes included length of stay (LOS) for the index hospitalization, total daily opiate analgesic intake, and VAS pain scores on postoperative days 0, 1, 2, and 3 through discharge. Multivariable regression was used to control for total daily morphine equivalent dose consumed during the stay in addition to other clinical and demographic factors. There were 87 patients in the “non-catastrophizing” and 36 in the “catastrophizing” groups. There was no clinically significant difference in VAS pain scores between groups at 3-month follow-up. Patients with a length of stay (LOS) ≥ 3 postoperative days differed in VAS pain scores (“non-catastrophizers” = 5.08 vs. “catastrophizers” = 7.13; p = 0.002) and were 2.4 times more likely to be catastrophizers than non-catastrophizers (p = 0.042). There were no differences in the remaining secondary outcomes. The pain catastrophizing scale is a poor predictor of postoperative pain at 3-month follow-up. However, it may be a risk factor for increased LOS.
Verifying the proxy design pattern using object propositions

In this extended abstract we explore the expressiveness and modularity of our recently published object propositions methodology by applying it to verify properties about programs that use the proxy design pattern. Our instance of the proxy pattern implements a general proxy-real object system that is routinely used in industry and the verification of which is challenging.