cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Psychosocial Considerations of Mechanical Circulatory Support: Decision Making, Behavioral Evaluation, Quality of Life, Caregivers, and End of Life

An understanding of the tenets of medical ethics and related fundamentals of medical decision making and communication is critical to the optimal implantation, maintenance, and discontinuation of long-term mechanical circulatory support (MCS). Shared decision making incorporates the perspective of the patient, who is responsible for articulating values, goals, and preferences as they relate to his or her healthcare. For patients with advanced heart failure who are considering the option of MCS, understanding benefits, risks, burdens of available options, and outcomes (survival and health-related quality of life [HRQOL]) and changes in lifestyle, implications for caregivers, and potential for withdrawal of MCS are critical to successful implantation, within the context of patient values, preferences, and goals. An ethical process fully engages patients, their families, and the advanced heart failure team and supports the potential for successful decision making and enhanced outcomes. The purpose of this chapter is to discuss decision making and informed consent, psychosocial and behavioral evaluation prior to surgery, HRQOL outcomes, caregiver burden, and palliative care/end-of-life care for patients who undergo long-term MCS implantation.
A fast method to emulate an iterative POCS image reconstruction algorithm

Purpose Iterative image reconstruction algorithms are commonly used to optimize an objective function, especially when the objective function is nonquadratic. Generally speaking, the iterative algorithms are computationally inefficient. This paper presents a fast algorithm that has one backprojection and no forward projection. Methods This paper derives a new method to solve an optimization problem. The nonquadratic constraint, for example, an edge-preserving denoising constraint is implemented as a nonlinear filter. The algorithm is derived based on the POCS (projections onto projections onto convex sets) approach. A windowed FBP (filtered backprojection) algorithm enforces the data fidelity. An iterative procedure, divided into segments, enforces edge-enhancement denoising. Each segment performs nonlinear filtering. Results The derived iterative algorithm is computationally efficient. It contains only one backprojection and no forward projection. Low-dose CT data are used for algorithm feasibility studies. The nonlinearity is implemented as an edge-enhancing noise-smoothing filter. Conclusions The patient studies results demonstrate its effectiveness in processing low-dose x ray CT data. This fast algorithm can be used to replace many iterative algorithms.
Myeloid-derived cells reside in subcutaneous adipose tissue but are not found in circulation: a DC-expressing BDCA-1 CD206 and hematopoetic progenitor cells (HUM4P.273)

Obesity is an insulin resistance-associated metabolic disorder which is a hallmark of and risk factor for type 2 diabetes and the metabolic syndrome. It is also often linked to cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and inflammatory diseases. Different immune cells have been identified in visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) which are indicators of inflammation associated with insulin resistance and systemic endothelial dysfunction in the peripheral vasculature. However, detailed studies of infiltrating leukocytes and associated cytokines are largely absent in human adipose tissue. One hypothesis that may link obesity with inflammatory immune response is that Th17 T-cells may be involved with pathological processes. Since past studies have shown increased production of CCL20 by adipocytes in obese humans , this chemokine would be expected to chemoattract DCs and Th17 T-cells into adipose tissue; associated Th17 activation could be the nidus for inflammatory diseases. In this study, we have found that obese SAT samples have a higher percentage of DCs than in the lean SAT samples of a DC which is BDCA-1 positive. Half of these BDCA-1 cells express CD206, this population is not found in blood. We also found a population unique to SAT, a hematopoietic progenitor cell. We additionally found an increase of Th17 cells in blood of obese subjects in comparison to lean subjects.
Earnings, Adaptation and Equity Value

This paper develops and tests an option-style valuation model, whose main prediction is that equity value is a convex function of both earnings and book value, where the function depends on the relative values of earnings and book value. Earnings provides a measure of how the firm's resources are currently used. Book value provides a measure of the value of the firm's resources, independent of how the resources are currently used. When the ratio earnings/book value is high, the firm is likely to continue its current way of using resources, and earnings is the more important determinant of equity value. When earnings/book value is low, the firm is more likely to exercise the option to adapt its resources to a superior alternative use, and book value becomes the more important determinant of equity value. Evidence from a variety of empirical specifications is consistent with the convexity prediction.
Treatment of the Pediatric Chiari I Malformation

Decompression of the craniocervical junction for the Chiari I malformation is a safe and effective procedure for appropriately selected patients. Postoperatively, associated syringes are likely to resolve and, if small, do not usually progress, and Valsalva-related occipital headaches are predicatively relieved immediately after surgery and do not recur. Serious surgical complications are rare. Although pathology is not usually identified, we believe that evaluation of the intradural contents is important in order to verify for intradural pathology (e.g., arachnoid webs) and to avoid continued symptoms and the necessity for reoperation. Avoiding subarachnoid blood and other subarachnoid irritants enhances recovery, and free cerebrospinal fluid egress from the fourth ventricular outlets is critical. Preoperative evaluation of potentially associated hydrocephalus and craniocervical instability is important.
Extrinsic Snout Musculature in Afrotheria and Lipotyphla

As currently recognized, the mammalian order Lipotyphla contains six extant families: Chrysochloridae, Erinaceidae, Solenodontidae, Soricidae, Talpidae, and Tenrecidae. Although most mammalogists have accepted this taxon, the morphological support for Lipotyphla is relatively weak, and recent phylogenetic studies using molecular data have concluded that it is not monophyletic. Instead, these molecular studies place chrysochlorids and tenrecids in the proposed clade Afrotheria, together with aardvarks, elephants, elephant shrews, hyraxes, and sirenians. Despite strong molecular support, Afrotheria has received little or no morphological support. It was recently suggested that a mobile snout might be a morphological feature uniting afrotherians. To test this proposal, I dissected the extrinsic snout musculature in an assortment of lipotyphlan and afrotherian mammals. These muscles provide support for Lipotyphla but not for Afrotheria. The snout is moved by different muscles in different afrotherian taxa, suggesting that the mobile snout is not homologous across different afrotherian lineages. In contrast, lipotyphlans have a distinctive set of five snout muscles moving the snout tip that appears to be unique to these six families. In addition, in soricids and talpids, four of the five snout muscles originate posterior to the zygomatic arch, supporting sister-taxon status for these two lineages. Although the extrinsic snout musculature does not support Afrotheria as presently proposed, it is consistent with an Afrotheria that does not include chrysochlorids and tenrecids.
Gender, Law, and Justice

The chapter begins with an in-depth examination of feminist theories of law. Feminist legal theorizing emerged as a significant strand of jurisprudence during the heyday of the contemporary women’s movement in the early 1970s. Early feminist critiques focused on gender-specific laws that meted out different privileges and punishments according to gender, and on a variety of institutional practices that discriminated on the basis of sex. Feminist jurisprudence was preoccupied by ‘‘sameness,’’ in that justice meant men and women should receive equal treatment under the law. An equal treatment approach was appealing on a number of levels, particularly since it held the liberal promise of readily rectifying social inequality. At the same time, it tended to ignore other differences in the life experiences of women and men that complicated the application of equal treatment. Throughout the 1980s, feminist legal theory was polarized by ideas about difference. It became increasingly apparent that justice for women could not be achieved solely through equal application of the law. Indeed, the fact that men and women are not similarly situated within institutions and social relationships renders liberal strategies at best ineffective, and at worst harmful. The sameness/difference debate, reviewed in detail below, proved quite fertile in giving rise to a number of different strands of feminist legal theorizing, including radical feminism, difference feminism, and critical feminism. At the forefront of contemporary debate lies the challenges posed by postmodernist analyses of gender and discourse, and the distinctly
Evapotranspiration from a wetland complex on the arctic coastal plain of Alaska

Evapotranspiration (ET) from an arctic coastal wetland near Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, was studied during the summers between 1994 and 1996. The purpose of the study was to compare different ET models and to gain a better understanding of evapotranspiration from arctic wetlands. The models used to obtain ET from the watershed were the Bowen ratio energy balance (BREB), Priestley-Taylor (PT), Penman-Monteith (PM), Penman Combination (PC), energy balance (EB), water balance (WB), and WB based on Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR). For one of the ponds, evaporation determined by the EB, PT, PC, BREB, WB, and the aerodynamic (AD) methods were also compared. ET during the summer snow-free period for the watershed averaged 1.45 mm/day obtained via the BREB model. Evaporation from all ponds after spring snowmelt averaged 3.11 mm/day (obtained via the WB). Evaporation rate from ponds was on average twice that of the tundra as a whole. Latent heat flux was the dominant energy sink in wetlands and ponds, whereas sensible heat flux dominated in the drier upland area. The PT and PM models compared well to the BREB (used as the standard of comparison for ET) for 1994 and 1995, once parameters were properly calibrated using 1996 data. The BREB compared well with independent values of ET from the water balance and eddy correlation methods. For the pond, the EB, BREB, WB, PT, and AD methods gave very similar evaporation results for the summer.
Response ofDrosophila tocis- andtrans-22-dehydrocholesterol: I. A survey

Cis- andtrans-22-dehydrocholesterol were added to media for 10 species ofDrosophila. Thecis isomer prevented normal maturation of 4 species and thetrans isomer was toxic to 9. These findings were corroborated by tests with 4 representative species on a sterol-deficient medium under axenic conditions. Addition of cholesterol to the latter overcame the toxicity of thetrans isomer.Trans-22-dehydrocholesterol may be acting as a competitive inhibitor in the metabolism of phytosterols to cholesterol or ecdysone by the insects.
Efficient Modeling of Acoustic Feedback Path in Hearing Aids by Voice Activity Detector-Supervised Multiple Noise Injections

Adaptive Feedback Cancellation (AFC) techniques are widely used to eliminate the undesired acoustic feedback effect arising in the Hearing Aid Devices (HADs) due to the coupling between the speaker and the microphone of the HAD. This paper proposes a method to eliminate the acoustic feedback effect in the HADs in presence of noisy environment. The method involves utilization of a computationally efficient Spectral Flux feature-based voice activity detector (VAD), which controls the process of Noise Injection in the proposed AFC algorithm (SFNIAFC). The proposed algorithm’s performance is objectively evaluated using Misalignment (MISA) and Perceptual Evaluation of Speech Quality (PESQ) criteria for realistic noisy conditions. The simulations performed for the proposed method shows faster convergence and reduction in the MISA values with high PESQ values in comparison to the earlier method. Subjective test results support the effectiveness and better performance of the proposed algorithm for the HAD applications over earlier method.
Partisan strength and legislative bargaining

We extend the canonical Baron–Ferejohn model of majoritarian legislative bargaining in order to analyze the effects of partisanship on bargaining outcomes. We consider three legislators, two of who...
Effect of Water Content on Sodium Chloride Sorption in Cross-Linked Cation Exchange Membranes

Ion exchange membranes used for energy generation and water purification selectively transport ions, and this characteristic is strongly influenced by ion sorption in such membranes. Although water...
Nudging out support for a carbon tax

A carbon tax is widely accepted as the most effective policy for curbing carbon emissions but is controversial because it imposes costs on consumers. An alternative, ‘nudge,’ approach promises smaller benefits but with much lower costs. However, nudges aimed at reducing carbon emissions could have a pernicious indirect effect if they offer the promise of a ‘quick fix’ and thereby undermine support for policies of greater impact. Across six experiments, including one conducted with individuals involved in policymaking, we show that introducing a green energy default nudge diminishes support for a carbon tax. We propose that nudges decrease support for substantive policies by providing false hope that problems can be tackled without imposing considerable costs. Consistent with this account, we show that by minimizing the perceived economic cost of the tax and disclosing the small impact of the nudge, eliminates crowding-out without diminishing support for the nudge. Behavioural interventions aimed at curbing carbon emissions are inexpensive and easy to implement but can offer the false promise of a quick fix. Across six experiments, the authors show that exposure to a green energy nudge diminishes support for carbon taxes.
Should Oncologists Recommend Cannabis

Cannabis is a useful botanical with a wide range of therapeutic potential. Global prohibition over the past century has impeded the ability to study the plant as medicine. However, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has been developed as a stand-alone pharmaceutical initially approved for the treatment of chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting in 1986. The indication was expanded in 1992 to include treatment of anorexia in patients with the AIDS wasting syndrome. Hence, if the dominant cannabinoid is available as a schedule III prescription medication, it would seem logical that the parent botanical would likely have similar therapeutic benefits. The system of cannabinoid receptors and endogenous cannabinoids (endocannabinoids) has likely developed to help us modulate our response to noxious stimuli. Phytocannabinoids also complex with these receptors, and the analgesic effects of cannabis are perhaps the best supported by clinical evidence. Cannabis and its constituents have also been reported to be useful in assisting with sleep, mood, and anxiety. Despite significant in vitro and animal model evidence supporting the anti-cancer activity of individual cannabinoids—particularly THC and cannabidiol (CBD)—clinical evidence is absent. A single intervention that can assist with nausea, appetite, pain, mood, and sleep is certainly a valuable addition to the palliative care armamentarium. Although many healthcare providers advise against the inhalation of a botanical as a twenty-first century drug-delivery system, evidence for serious harmful effects of cannabis inhalation is scant and a variety of other methods of ingestion are currently available from dispensaries in locales where patients have access to medicinal cannabis. Oncologists and palliative care providers should recommend this botanical remedy to their patients to gain first-hand evidence of its therapeutic potential despite the paucity of results from randomized placebo-controlled clinical trials to appreciate that it is both safe and effective and really does not require a package insert.
Changing Others' Beliefs Online: Online Comments' Persuasiveness

Achieving social welfare and success is heavily reliant on our ability to persuade and influence others, yet this capacity is known to be one of the most challenging social skills to develop and possess. With social networking websites becoming a crucial platform for routine social activities, gaining insight into the strategies and mechanisms behind online persuasion is of great interest and value to a variety of disciplines. Hence, in this study, we aim to study written comments in online deliberations and understand what makes people change their beliefs. We explore different dimensions of the language, the order of the comments, as well as the attributes of the participating users and their relation to the persuasion process. In addition, we investigate the factors that persuaded users (the ones who have already changed their beliefs) perceived to be the reasons that led to their opinion change. We link our findings to earlier research on persuasion and belief change in traditional forms, hoping to uncover when and how they apply to online persuasion.
Synaptic Specializations of Melanopsin-Retinal Ganglion Cells in Multiple Brain Regions Revealed by Genetic Label for Light and Electron Microscopy

The form and synaptic fine structure of melanopsin-expressing retinal ganglion cells, also called intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs), were determined using a new membrane-targeted version of a genetic probe for correlated light and electron microscopy (CLEM). ipRGCs project to multiple brain regions, and because the method labels the entire neuron, it was possible to analyze nerve terminals in multiple retinorecipient brain regions, including the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), olivary pretectal nucleus (OPN), and subregions of the lateral geniculate. Although ipRGCs provide the only direct retinal input to the OPN and SCN, ipRGC terminal arbors and boutons were found to be remarkably different in each target region. A network of dendro-dendritic chemical synapses (DDCSs) was also revealed in the SCN, with ipRGC axon terminals preferentially synapsing on the DDCS-linked cells. The methods developed to enable this analysis should propel other CLEM studies of long-distance brain circuits at high resolution.
Microsphere Technology: Hype or Help?

Initiation of effective topical therapy as early as possible within the disease course is associated with improved patient experiences and better therapeutic outcomes in most dermatological diseases. Additionally, patient adherence is associated with better outcomes and lower long-term treatment costs, while poor adherence is directly linked to poor treatment results and patient dissatisfaction. Local cutaneous irritation associated with topical drug formulations has been an historical challenge to therapy initiation and adherence. Retinoids and benzoyl peroxide-essential elements of topical acne treatment-are two of the drugs most commonly associated with application-site adverse events. Novel approaches to product formulation incorporating microsphere technology may improve treatment tolerability, encourage adherence, and contribute to better long-term therapeutic outcomes. Microsphere technology eliminates the rapid delivery of high concentrations of active drug to the application site and instead facilitates controlled release of potentially irritating drugs. It is associated with improved treatment outcomes and minimal irritation. Microsphere formulations of topical tretinoin and benzoyl peroxide currently on the market have demonstrated good efficacy and tolerability and are expected to encourage adherence and long-term therapeutic benefit.
Using marketing automation to modernize data collection in the California Teachers Study cohort

Background: Like other cancer epidemiologic cohorts, the California Teachers Study (CTS) has experienced declining participation to follow-up questionnaires; neither the reasons for these declines nor the steps that could be taken to mitigate these trends are fully understood. Methods: The CTS offered their 6th study questionnaire (Q6) in the fall of 2017 using an integrated, online system. The team delivered a Web and mobile-adaptive questionnaire to 45,239 participants via e-mail using marketing automation technology. The study9s integrated platform captured data on recruitment activities that may influence overall response, including the date and time invitations and reminders were e-mailed and the date and time questionnaires were started and submitted. Results: The overall response rate was 43%. Participants ages 65 to 69 were 25% more likely to participate than their younger counterparts (OR = 1.25; 95% CI, 1.18–1.32) and nonwhite participants were 28% less likely to participate than non-Hispanic white cohort members (OR = 0.72; 95% CI, 0.68–0.76). Previous questionnaire participation was strongly associated with response (OR = 6.07; 95% CI, 5.50–6.70). Invitations sent after 2 pm had the highest response (OR = 1.75; 95% CI, 1.65–1.84), as did invitations sent on Saturdays (OR = 1.48; 95% CI, 1.36–1.60). Conclusions: An integrated system that captures paradata about questionnaire recruitment and response can enable studies to quantify the engagement patterns and communication desires of cohort members. Impact: As cohorts continue to collect scientific data, it is imperative to collect and analyze information on how participants engage with the study. See all articles in this CEBP Focus section, “Modernizing Population Science.”
A Scoping Review of "Responsible Drinking" Interventions.

Public health groups, researchers, the beverage alcohol industry, and other stakeholders have promoted and applied the concept of “responsible drinking” for the past 50 years. However, little is kn...
Quantitative Evaluation of Ion Chromatogram Extraction Algorithms

Extracted ion chromatograms (XIC) are the fundamental signal unit in mass spectrometry. There are many algorithms for analyzing raw mass spectrometry data tasked with distinguishing real isotopic s...
Comparative analysis of dayside magnetic reconnection models in global magnetosphere simulations

We test and compare a number of existing models predicting the location of magnetic reconnection at Earth's dayside magnetopause for various solar wind conditions. We employ robust image processing techniques to determine the locations where each model predicts reconnection to occur. The predictions are then compared to the magnetic separators, the magnetic field lines separating different magnetic topologies. The predictions are tested in distinct high-resolution simulations with interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) clock angles ranging from 30 to 165° in global magnetohydrodynamic simulations using the three-dimensional Block Adaptive Tree Solarwind Roe-type Upwind Scheme code with a uniform resistivity, although the described techniques can be generally applied to any self-consistent magnetosphere code. Additional simulations are carried out to test location model dependence on IMF strength and dipole tilt. We find that most of the models match large portions of the magnetic separators when the IMF has a southward component, with the models saying reconnection occurs where the local reconnection rate and reconnection outflow speed are maximized performing best. When the IMF has a northward component, none of the models tested faithfully map the entire magnetic separator, but the maximum magnetic shear model is the best at mapping the separator in the cusp region where reconnection has been observed. Predictions for some models with northward IMF orientations improve after accounting for plasma flow shear parallel to the reconnecting components of the magnetic fields. Implications for observations are discussed.
Bulk viscosity in the nonlinear and anharmonic regimes of strange quark matter

The bulk viscosity of cold, dense three-flavor quark matter is studied as a function of temperature and the amplitude of density oscillations. The study is extended to the case of two different types of anharmonic oscillations of density. We point out several qualitative effects due to the anharmonicity, although quantitatively they appear to be relatively small. We found that, in most regions of the parameter space, except for very large amplitudes of density oscillations (i.e. 10% and above), nonlinear effects and anharmonicity have a small effect on the interplay of the nonleptonic and semileptonic processes in the bulk viscosity.
Global Well-Being Is Associated With A1C and Frequency of Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose in Predominately Latinx Youth and Young Adults With Type 1 Diabetes.

Youth and young adults (YYAs) with type 1 diabetes do not consistently meet A1C targets set forth by national and international guidelines (1,2). Diabetes care is further compromised for YYAs because they are at high risk of failure to transition from a pediatric to an adult endocrinologist (1,3). Additionally, people from minority racial/ethnic groups have poorer A1C, increased diabetes complications, and worse diabetes-related outcomes compared with those from nonminority groups (4–6). Youth from lower socioeconomic backgrounds have poorer diabetes-specific outcomes compared with those of higher socioeconomic backgrounds (7). Unfortunately, consistent with the medical field at large, research in type 1 diabetes consistently underrepresents YYAs of low socioeconomic status (SES) and racial/ethnic minority groups (8). Contributing factors to the disparities in A1C and type 1 diabetes–specific outcomes remain largely unexplored. It is known that barriers to diabetes care such as cost, communication issues, and low health literacy affect diabetes-related health outcomes and the quality of care delivered (9). Psychosocial factors have long been associated with glycemic outcomes, quality of life, and self-care behaviors such as self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) (10). Specifically, diabetes distress, general anxiety, depression, and generalized distress have been associated with poor type 1 diabetes–related outcomes (10). Furthermore, poor psychosocial states are associated with decreased SMBG and diabetes-related self-care behaviors (11). Although well-being has been linked to positive general health outcomes in healthy young adult populations (12), little is known about the relationship between global well-being and diabetes-related outcomes. In addition, minority populations are underrepresented in the literature with regard to the impact of psychosocial factors and global well-being on diabetes-specific outcomes. Evaluating and addressing psychosocial determinants of diabetes-specific health may be important in the management of type 1 diabetes for YYAs from minority groups (1,13), and recognizing and …
All about My Employer - The Effects of Job Seeker Characteristics and Job Attributes on Electronic Staff Word of Mouth Helpfulness

We focus on the unaddressed area of electronic staff word of mouth (eSWOM) in employer review sites. We theorize the role of job characteristics (tangible vs. intangible) in online review content in impacting online review helpfulness. Besides, we hypothesize the moderating role of two dimensions, traditionalist and survivalist values of the job seeker's culture, in the relationship between online review content and review helpfulness.
Interactive conversion of web tables

Two hundred web tables from ten sites were imported into Excel. The tables were edited as needed, then converted into layout independent Wang Notation using the Table Abstraction Tool (TAT). The output generated by TAT consists of XML files to be used for constructing narrow-domain ontologies. On an average each table required 104 seconds for editing. Augmentations like aggregates, footnotes, table titles, captions, units and notes were also extracted in an average time of 93 seconds. Every user intervention was logged and audited. The logged interactions were analyzed to determine the relative influence of factors like table size, number of categories and various types of augmentations on the processing time. The analysis suggests which aspects of interactive table processing can be automated in the near term, and how much time such automation would save. The correlation coefficient between predicted and actual processing time was 0.66.
The Status of Evaluating Accuracy of Regional Forecasts

Recent reviews of the regional growth and change literature conclude that the strand of research attempting to identify determinants of growth in general terms has been reasonably successful, but the strand attempting to provide public policy direction has been far less successful. A critical distinction between these two strands is that the former studies the past while the latter makes a forecast. One of the reasons we may not have been particularly effective in guiding public policy is that we haven’t addressed the question, “Is the accuracy of our regional forecasting record acceptable?” This paper reviews the literature on evaluating regional forecast accuracy, discusses the question of “When is a regional forecast ‘accurate’?” and outlines how accuracy analysis can be used to improve forecast precision. A concluding section suggests possible avenues for future research.
Spin-polarized electron induced asymmetric reactions in chiral molecules.

Understanding the origin of chirality in nature has been an active area of research since the time of Pasteur. In this chapter we examine one possible route by which this asymmetry could have arisen, namely chiral-specific chemistry induced by spin-polarized electrons. The various sources of spin-polarized electrons (parity violation, photoemission, and secondary processes) are discussed. Experiments aimed at exploring these interactions are reviewed starting with those based on the Vester–Ulbricht hypothesis through recent studies of spin polarized secondary electrons from a magnetic substrate. We will conclude with a discussion of possible new avenues of research that could impact this area.
Comparison of five anaerobic incubation methods for enumeration of Clostridium perfringens from foods

This study compared the cost, speed, convenience, and sensitivity of five anaerobic systems. Fung's double-tube (FDT) method, the minitube method (MT), the sandwiched microtiter plate (SMP) method, and the Mitsubishi AnaeroPack System were compared with the Brewer anaerobic jar for total anaerobic bacterial counts in foods. Incubation was at 37 degrees C for 4, 8, 12, and 24 h. The results indicated that FDT, MT, SMP, and the Mitsubishi AnaeroPack System were as sensitive as the Brewer anaerobic jar for the detection and enumeration of Clostridium perfringens from food products. The FDT, MT, and SMP methods recovered higher numbers of C. perfringens compared to the Brewer anaerobic jar (P < 0.05) after 12 and 24 h incubation. The Brewer anaerobic jar was the most expensive method.
Operative Management of Ulnar Collateral Ligament Insufficiency in Adolescent Athletes

Background:The incidence of ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injuries of the elbow has increased in adolescents over the past decade because of widespread participation in athletics and heightened awareness among physicians.Hypothesis:Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction using the docking technique would result in a successful return to athletic activity in this age group.Study Design:Case series; Level of evidence, 4.Methods:Study participants were 55 skeletally mature adolescent athletes (mean age, 17.6 years; range, 15-18 years) who underwent UCL reconstruction between 2008 and 2010. While the majority of patients were baseball players (n = 47), there were 3 gymnasts and 5 javelin throwers included in the study. Each patient underwent UCL reconstruction utilizing the docking technique after an adequate trial of nonoperative management (mean, 5.8 months). At the latest follow-up, patients were evaluated to determine their ability to return to athletic activity. Clinical outcomes were classified using...
Constraint-driven programming in strongly-typed object-oriented languages

Abstract Strongly-typed object-oriented languages are well suited for software engineering. In this paper the difficulty of implementing specification of overall properties of an object in such languages is addressed and solved by introducing constraint-driven reevaluation into strongly-typed object-oriented programming. The programming language Eiffel forms the basis of this work, and its syntax and semantics are enhanced with a constraint-driven system from Thinglab II. The benefits of this enhancement to software specification and development are demonstrated. It is shown that Eiffel's strong typing and its inheritance discipline make it possible to improve on Thinglab II in specification of inputs and outputs of constraint fixes, and allows refinement of constraints through inheritance.
Km defect in neuraminidase of dysmorphic type sialidosis with and without β-galactosidase deficiency

Kinetic studies of 4-methylumbelliferyl neuraminidase activity were carried out in cultured skin fibroblasts from patients with various disorders of neuraminidase deficiency. Cell extracts from two patients with dysmorphic type sialidosis of infantile onset, with isolated deficiency of neuraminidase activity, and three patients with dysmorphic type sialidosis of juvenile onset, with combined deficiency of neuraminidase and beta-galactosidase activities, demonstrated 7-12 times higher apparent Km values than those of normal controls (1.0-1.5 mmol/l as compared with 0.12-0.15 mmol/l). The apparent Ki values for N-acetylneuraminic acid and colominic acid were also increased in the dysmorphic type (7-15 and 7-11 times the normal values, respectively). In contrast, in the normomorphic type, normal apparent Km and Ki values were found for 4-methylumbelliferyl neuraminidase activity in fibroblasts from one patient with isolated neuraminidase deficiency and two patients with combined deficiency of neuraminidase and beta-galactosidase. The altered kinetics in the dysmorphic cases indicates a primary defect in neuraminidase with a secondary deficiency of beta-galactosidase in patients with combined deficiency. It is not clear if the primary defect in the normomorphic cases involves a defect in neuraminidase other than a Km defect or if neuraminidase or both neuraminidase and beta-galactosidase deficiencies are secondary to another defect as yet undetermined.
Left Ventricular Noncompaction

According to the World Health Organization classification of cardiomyopathies, left ventricular noncompaction is still an unclassified cardiomyopathy. In 2006, the American Heart Association classified this entity as a primary cardiomyopathy of genetic origin. In 2008, the European Society of Cardiology updated the classification scheme similar to the World Health Organization classification. At present, there is no consensus on the diagnostic criteria, and diagnosis is based on the morphologic features identified by cardiac imaging studies or at autopsy. Due to lack of standardization of the diagnostic criteria and little awareness of this condition among clinicians, the true prevalence of this disease is not clear. There is no specific therapy for this condition. However, it seems prognosis is much better than initially reported. The current status of diagnosis, prognosis, and management of isolated noncompaction in adults is discussed in this review.
Diakoptics and system operations: automatic generation control in multiareas

A procedure for the instant-by-instant control of all the generation, or the so-called automatic generation control, of power pools is described. The multicomputer configuration formed by the multiplicity of individual company computers present is utilised in the procedure. The method is an extension of the present basepoint-and-participation-factor approach used in the USA for the control of the generation in a single area. The paper first summarises the single-area method, and then presents the necessary multiarea theory; this is followed by the multiarea-dispatch algorithm and the procedure for the automatic generation control of power pools. It is shown that the hierarchy of multilevel control can be readily extended to a multiplicity of power pools or so-called ‘superpools’.
Infrared Problem in Non-Abelian Gauge Theory

I extend the Bloch-Nordsieck idea to show that in the lowest nontrivial order of radiative correction the fermion-fermion and gauge-meson-fermion scattering rates are finite, provided that they are averaged over the initial and summed over the final internal spin states. Questions of the physical gauge coupling and infrared slavery are discussed.
Computer-aided evaluation of neuroblastoma on whole-slide histology images: Classifying grade of neuroblastic differentiation

Neuroblastoma (NB) is one of the most frequently occurring cancerous tumors in children. The current grading evaluations for patients with this disease require pathologists to identify certain morphological characteristics with microscopic examinations of tumor tissues. Thanks to the advent of modern digital scanners, it is now feasible to scan cross-section tissue specimens and acquire whole-slide digital images. As a result, computerized analysis of these images can generate key quantifiable parameters and assist pathologists with grading evaluations. In this study, image analysis techniques are applied to histological images of haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained slides for identifying image regions associated with different pathological components. Texture features derived from segmented components of tissues are extracted and processed by an automated classifier group trained with sample images with different grades of neuroblastic differentiation in a multi-resolution framework. The trained classification system is tested on 33 whole-slide tumor images. The resulting whole-slide classification accuracy produced by the computerized system is 87.88%. Therefore, the developed system is a promising tool to facilitate grading whole-slide images of NB biopsies with high throughput.
Role of inflammatory markers in Takayasu arteritis disease monitoring

Takayasu arteritis (TA) is an idiopathic large-vessel vasculitis that can result in significant morbidity and mortality secondary to progressive stenosis and occlusion. Monitoring disease progression is crucial to preventing relapse, but is often complicated by the lack of clinical symptoms in the setting of active disease. Although acute phase reactants such as ESR and CRP are generally used as an indicator of inflammation and disease activity, mounting evidence suggests that these markers cannot reliably distinguish active from inactive TA. We report a 24-year-old Hispanic female with a 5-year history of TA who presented with stroke-like symptoms and evidence of left MCA occlusion on imaging, despite a history of decreasing inflammatory markers. CTA revealed complete occlusion of the left common carotid artery, left subclavian, and left MCA from their origins. It also revealed a striking compensatory circulation supplying the left anterior circulation as well as the left subclavian as a response to progressive stenosis. Monitoring ESR and CRP levels alone may not be a reliable method to evaluate disease progression in patients with TA, and should be taken in context with both patient’s clinical picture and the imaging. We recommend that serial imaging be performed regularly in the setting of active disease to monitor progression and allow for immediate therapy in response to evidence of disease advancement, with a relaxation of the imaging interval once the disease is presumed inactive.
Tree regeneration following clearcut logging in red fir forests of California.

Abstract We sampled red fir ( Abies magnifica ) clearcuts of various age to identify site factors that predict successful regeneration. During three field seasons, 113 clearcuts were sampled in five national forests along the western slope of the Sierra Nevada between 37 and 40°N latitude. They were 4–32 years old and 2028 ha in area, had slopes of 3–30° that cumulatively faced all directions, and were situated on slope faces that ranged from concave, convex, constant, to mixed. We recorded the cover of all herbs, shrubs, and tree saplings, and the density of saplings by age class. A total of 208 taxa were encountered. Both red fir regeneration (represented by sapling cover) and invasiveness (the reciprocal of clearcut age minus average red fir sapling age) were maximum on gentle, northeast-facing, concave slopes; in clearcuts with maximum edge (the ratio of perimeter to area); and a relatively high latitudes and relatively low elevations. Both shrub and herb cover were positively correlated with red fir regeneration, indicating that management suppression of these species is not necessary. Microclimate models showed that regeneration, invasiveness, and canopy growth were most negatively correlated with daily summer insolation and most positively correlated with late snow melt, the latter resulting from deep snowpacks and/or late snow melt on north-facing slopes. In general, abundant natural red fir regeneration occurred only after a post-logging lag phase of 12 years.
Survival of Low-Birth-Weight Infants With Neonatal Intraventricular Hemorrhage: Outcome in the Preschool Years

• Twenty-nine low-birth-weight infants who survived neonatal intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) were followed up prospectively and were last examined at a mean age of 3½ years. The mean gestational age (± SD) of the group was 28.9 weeks (±2.4 weeks), and the mean birth weight (±SD) was 1,167 g (±292 g). Ten patients (34%) had normal neurologic outcome, and four (14%) had minimal abnormalities. Nine children (31%) were categorized as moderately abnormal, and six (21%) had severe abnormalities on neurologic examination. Intellectual performance was normal for 14 patients (48%), mildly delayed for seven (24%), and in the retarded range for eight (28%). Twelve children (41%), at 3 years of age, had handicapping conditions severe enough to warrant admission to special education programs in the public school. The grade of IVH was related significantly to neurologic outcome; both grade of hemorrhage and birth weight were correlated significantly with need for special education. Intellectual performance was related not only to grade of hemorrhage and birth weight, but also to paternal social class. (Am J Dis Child1983;137:1181-1184)
Carotid Wall Thickness is Predictive of Incident Clinical Stroke: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study

Few studies have determined whether carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) is associated prospectively with risk of first ischemic stroke. In the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, carotid IMT, an index of generalized atherosclerosis, was defined as the mean of IMT measured by B-mode ultrasonography at six sites of the carotid arteries. The authors assessed the relation of mean IMT to stroke incidence over 6-9 years' follow-up (1987-1995) among 7,865 women and 6,349 men aged 45-64 years without prior stroke at baseline in four US communities. There were 90 incident ischemic stroke events for women and 109 for men. In sex-specific Cox proportional hazards models adjusting only for age, race, and community, the hazard rate ratios comparing extreme mean IMT values (> or =1 mm) to values less than 0.6 mm were 8.5 for women (95% confidence interval: 3.5, 20.7) and 3.6 for men (95% confidence interval: 1.5, 9.2). The relation was graded, and models with cubic splines indicated significant nonlinearity, with hazards increasing more rapidly at lower IMTs than at higher IMTs. Thus, models using linear IMT values substantially underestimate the strength of the association at lower IMTs. The strength of the association was reduced by the inclusion of putative stroke risk factors, but it remained elevated at higher IMTs. Hence, mean carotid IMT is a noninvasive predictor of future ischemic stroke incidence.
Needed research and development in educating high ability children an editorial

For those exploring areas for research in gifted education, this article offers suggestions. Drawing from a paper prepared for the First European Council for High Ability Conference in Zurich, Switzerland (November, 1988), Dr. Passow discusses issues and problems which warrant further research.
Solid‐catalyzed reaction in a fluidized bed

Results are presented for the solid-catalyzed hydrogenation of ethylene in fixed and fluidized beds. The effect of gas velocity, bed height, catalyst activity, particle size, and internal baffles on fluidized reactor efficiency are given, and Equations derived from a simplified mathematical model correlate the data.
Varicella Vaccination in Children

Varicella vaccines have been developed, studied, tested and used since the early 1970s, first in Japan and subsequently in Europe, the US, Asia and South and Central America. Varicella vaccination was first used to immunise Japanese children in cancer remission, as wild-type varicella disease is often fatal in immunocompromised individuals. Since then, it has been licensed for use in healthy children as well. There are 3 manufacturers of the vaccine: Biken (Japan), Merck and Co. (US) and SmithKline Beecham (Belgium). The Biken vaccine has been approved for use in Japan since 1986 (although it was developed and used for research purposes from 1974). The Merck and Co. vaccine was approved in the US in March 1995 and the SmithKline Beecham vaccine was first licensed for use in immunocompromised children in 1984 and for healthy children in Sweden in October 1994. All 3 vaccines are derived from the Oka (Japanese) strain obtained from an immunologically normal 3-year-old Japanese boy named Oka with wild-type disease. Aventis-Pasteur has also purchased the rights to the Oka strain but no published literature is available for review. Use of the varicella vaccine has been controversial because many argue that: (i) the disease is mild and not worth preventing; (ii) the long term immunity provided by the vaccine is unknown; and (iii) the average age of those with the disease will increase if the vaccine is used and hence there will be more complications in older patients and, therefore, more costs. Because of some outbreaks of secondary bacterial infections after varicella in children in US day care centres, vaccination of healthy children is required in some states. It will be interesting to see whether other countries adopt a similar recommendation as more families have 2 working parents. The financial benefit of the vaccine (keeping parents at work) may encourage more use of the vaccine and a subsequent recommendation for immunisation schedules.
ECONOMICS AND ETHICS: THE CASE OF SALOMON BROTHERS

The author draws two main lessons from the Treasury bond bidding scandal at Salomon Brothers that took place in the early 1990s, which led to a sharp curtailment of both the firm's franchise value and its future as an independent company: (1) private market forces provide strong deterrents to unethical conduct, thereby reinforcing ethical standards and in some cases limiting the need for regulation; and (2) badly designed laws and regulations—those that effectively provide people with incentives to cheat customers and otherwise game the system—are almost certain to produce the bad corporate culture and ethical lapses that many observers are all too ready to attribute to capitalism and the pursuit of profit. The second of these two lessons appears to have gotten through to the U.S. Treasury, which in 1998 replaced the multiple‐bid procedure that many identified as inviting manipulation with a single‐bid auction that Milton Friedman, among others, recommended as early as the 1970s. And the Treasury auction process has since proved scandal‐free.