cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Suppression of nitrogen fixation by blue-green algae in a eutrophic lake with trace additions of copper.

Nitrogen fixation by blue-green algae in highly eutrophic Clear Lake, California, was severely inhibited by trace amounts of copper. The chelation capacity of the lake is probably saturated by indigenous copper. Additions were only 1/200 of those normally used in algal control. Since nitrogen fixation provides half of the lake9s annual nitrogen budget, economical eutrophication control appears possible.
The role of mindfulness-based stress reduction on perceived stress: Preliminary evidence for the moderating role of attachment style.

The current research investigated whether adult attachment style moderated the effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) participation on levels of perceived stress. Study completing participants (secure group n = 65; insecure group n = 66) completed pre- and postintervention self-report assessments of perceived stress. The insecure group reported significantly higher stress levels prior to MBSR participation, but both groups showed significant pre–post intervention declines in perceived stress. Compared to the secure group, the insecure group also reported marginally lower perceived stress following MBSR participation. Study findings support the efficacy of MBSR for stress reduction across attachment style. Findings also suggest that MBSR participation may provide slightly greater stress reduction benefits for insecurely attached individuals.
Left Atrial Myxoma: Experience with Different Approaches Including Superior Transseptal Approach:

Forty-nine patients underwent surgical excision of left atrial myxomas during a period of 14 years (1982 to 1995). There were 25 male and 24 female patients. In all cases, the diagnosis was based on clinical examination and echocardiography; cardiac catheterization was performed in 9 patients. We considered the diagnosis of myxoma as an indication for early surgery. The myxoma was excised using various approaches: right atrial transseptal incision (38), biatrial incision (9) and superior transseptal approach (2). The latter approach has not been utilized for excision of myxoma before. One patient died in the early postoperative period. New cardiac arrhythmias were observed in 4 patients while the others had an uneventful recovery. Forty-two patients returned for follow-up over a period ranging from 0.4 to 13.6 years. They were evaluated clinically and echocardiographically. All have recovered well and we conclude that left atrial myxoma can be treated with low mortality and morbidity.
Human chromosome-specific repetitive DNA sequences: novel markers for genetic analysis

Two recombinant DNA clones that are localized to single human chromosomes were isolated from a human repetitive DNA library. Clone pHuR 98, a variant satellite 3 sequence, specifically hybridizes to chromosome position 9qh. Clone pHuR 195, a variant satellite 2 sequence, specifically hybridizes to chromosome position 16qh. These locations were determined by fluorescent in situ hybridization to metaphase chromosomes, and confirmed by DNA hybridizations to human chromosomes sorted by flow cytometry. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis analysis indicated that both sequences exist in the genome as large DNA blocks. In situ hybridization to intact interphase nuclei showed a well-defined, localized organization for both DNA sequences. The ability to tag specific human autosomal chromosomes, both at metaphase and in interphase nuclei, allows novel molecular cytogenetic analyses in numerous basic research and clinical studies.
Quantum Disordered Phase near the Mott Transition in the Staggered-Flux Hubbard Model on a Square Lattice

We investigate ground state properties of the half-filled staggered-flux Hubbard model on a square lattice. Energy gaps to charge and spin excitations and magnetic as well as dimer orders are calculated as a function of interaction strength $U/t$ by means of a constrained-path quantum Monte Carlo method. It is found that the system is a semimetal at $U/t\ensuremath{\lesssim}5.6$ and a Mott insulator, with long-range antiferromagnetic order, at $U/t\ensuremath{\gtrsim}6.6$. In the range $5.6\ensuremath{\lesssim}U/t\ensuremath{\lesssim}6.6$, the ground state is a correlated insulator where both magnetic and dimer orders are absent. Furthermore, spin excitation in the intermediate phase appears to be gapless, and the measured spin-spin correlation function exhibits power-law decaying behavior. The data suggest that the nonmagnetic ground state is a possible candidate for the putative algebraic spin liquid.
The structure-activity relationship in amides inhibiting photosynthesis.

Abstract Using substituent constants and regression analysis, the effect of various substituents on several groups of Hill-reaction inhibitors have been studied. It has been found that the primary effect of substituents in altering the activity of a parent phenylcarbamate, anilide or phenylurea is associated with the hydrophobic bonding power of the substituent. The stronger the function binds hydrophobically, the greater its inhibitory power on the photosynthetic reaction in isolated chloroplats.
Feasibility and acceptability of alternate methods of postnatal data collection.

This study was done in preparation for the launch of the National Children’s Study (NCS) main study. The goal of this study was to examine the feasibility (completion rates and completeness of data), acceptability, staff time and cost-effectiveness of three methods of data collection for the postnatal 3- and 9-month questionnaires completed as part of NCS protocol. Eligible NCS participants who were scheduled to complete a postnatal questionnaire at three and nine months were randomly assigned to receive either: (a) telephone data collection (b) web-based data collection, or (c) self-administered (mailed) questionnaires. Event completion rates and satisfaction across the three data collection methods were compared and the influence of socio-demographic factors on completion rates and satisfaction rates was examined. Cost data were compared to data for completion and satisfaction for each of the delivery methods. Completion rates and satisfaction did not differ significantly by method, but completeness of data did, with odds of data completeness higher among web than phone (p < 0.001) or mail (p < 0.001). Costs were highest for the phone, followed by mail and web methods (p < 0.001). No significant differences in participant time (i.e. burden) across the three data collection methods were seen. Mail and phone data collection were the least complete of the three methods and were the most expensive. Mailed data collection was neither complete nor exceptionally economical. Web-based data collection was the least costly and provided the most complete data. Participants without web access could complete the questionnaire over the phone.
Electrolyte solutions that unmix. Hydrophobic ions in water

Simple models for the solvent-averaged ion-ion pair potentials for aqueous solutions of tetraalkylammonium halides were previously treated under the HNC (hypernetted chain) approximation to find the parameters needed to fit osmotic coefficient data of the corresponding real solutions. Here the model Pr4NI is modified by changing the A+− Gurney parameter to give the ‘Pr4NX’ model which exhibits the unmixing (separation into two solution phases of different concentrations) that has been reported for several real aqueous tetraalkylammonim salt solutions. The models used here are established at the McMillan-Mayer (MM) or solvent-averaged level, so careful attention is given to the choice of the thermodynamic potential from which we may derive the condition of material stability (stability with respect to separation into two phases of slightly different composition), and calculate the required thermodynamic coefficients from the MM pair correlation functions. The emphasis is on the study of the hydrophobic unmixing in terms of thermodynamic coefficients derived from the pair correlation functions calculated for the Pr4NX model under HNC. In the temperature-concentration (T-cS) plane we can locate the ‘solvability line’ (which separates states for which the HNC equation can be solved from the rest) and portions of the coexistence line. To locate the coexistence line in regimes in which the double tangent method is not effective we use a method based on the osmotic pressure and the solute chemical potential isotherms. Our results suggest that for the Pr4NX model in the T-cS plane the spinodal line lies within the solvability line which, in turn, lies within the coexistence line for the states where the latter could be determined. The role of the thermodynamic inconsistency implicit in the HNC correlation functions is given special attention, as is the remarkable role of the 1/r4 cavity term in the model pair potential. Single-ion activity coefficients and DELα functions are calculated for some of the states studied.
Cloning and nucleotide sequence of three genes coding for small, acid‐soluble proteins of Clostridium perfringens spores

Three genes coding for α/β-type small, acid-soluble spore proteins (SASP) have been cloned from Clostridium perfringens and their nucleotide sequence determined. The proteins coded for contain 15 and 21 residues identical to those in Bacillus and C. bifermentans α/β-type SASP, respectively, as well as many homologous residues. However, the C. perfringens SASP exhibit significant sequence divergence from Bacillus and C. bifermentans SASP. These genes may be useful in taxonomic studies of Clostridium species.
Combined Conduction and Radiation Heat Transfer in Porous Materials Heated by Intense Solar Radiation

An analysis is presented to predict the heat transfer characteristics of a plane layer of a semitransparent, high-temperature, porous material which is irradiated by an intense solar flux. A transient, combined conduction and radiation heat transfer model, which is based on a two-flux approximation for the radiation, is used to predict the temperature distribution and heat transfer in the material. Numerical results have been obtained using thermophysical and radiative properties of zirconia as a typical material. The results show that radiation is an important mode of heat transfer, even when the opacity of the material is large (GAMMA /sub L/ greater than or equal to 100). Radiation is the dominant mode of heat transfer in the front third of the material and comparable to conduction toward the back. The semitransparency and high single scattering albedo of the zirconia combine to produce a maximum temperature in the interior of the material.
An integrated control framework for flexible manufacturing systems

This paper presents the design, development, and implementation of an integrated control framework that provides a real-time supervisory control model with limited look-ahead capability for flexible manufacturing systems. Control goals and policies are modeled and characterized by a fuzzy rule base, which is integrated with the control model. The framework consists of a finite state machine generator and a controller. The generator model is equipped with an output function and output sets. The controller model has a four-stage decision-making structure. The controller monitors performance measures of the manufacturing system and reacts according to the changes in the system states in order to keep the performance measures at desired levels. The integrated framework has been implemented on a software platform in order to validate its effectiveness. The performance of the framework has been tested on a hypothetical flexible manufacturing system using a simulation .
Kinetics of allopregnanolone formation catalyzed by human 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type III (AKR1C2).

Allopregnanolone is a neurosteroid which exhibits anxiolytic and anticonvulsant activities through potentiation of the GABAA receptor. The reduction of 5α-dihydroprogesterone (5α-DHP), the last step in allopregnanolone biosynthesis, is catalyzed by 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (3α-HSDs). While the mechanism of action of allopregnanolone and the physiological and pharmacological modulation of allopregnanolone concentrations in vivo have been extensively studied, there has been little characterization of the kinetics of human 3α-HSD catalyzed allopregnanolone formation. We report here determination of the kinetic mechanism for 5α-DHP reduction catalyzed by human 3α-HSD type III by using steady-state kinetics studies and assessment of the ability of fluoxetine and various other small molecules to activate 3α-HSD type III catalyzed allopregnanolone formation. Enzyme-catalyzed 5α-DHP reduction yielded two products, allopregnanolone and 5α,20α-tetrahydroprogesterone, as measured by using a radiometric thin-...
Association of social isolation and health across different racial and ethnic groups of older Americans.

Social isolation is a social and public health problem that affects people of all ages, especially elders. Previous studies have found that social isolation across numerous industrialised countries is associated with negative health outcomes. However, it is unknown whether and how this association differs by race/ethnicity and age. To begin to address this gap, this study examines the association of social isolation and physical and mental health among Black, White and Hispanic elders in the United States of America. Building on Cornwell and Waite's perceived isolation and social disconnectedness dimension model of social isolation, the author used multi-stage survey data from a nationally representative sample of 3,005 community-residing adults aged 57–85 from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project. Tests for association were conducted on health by age, gender, marital status, education and race/ethnicity separately. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to test the association of social isolation and health exclusively and separately among these three groups. Results showed that social isolation is strongly associated with physical and mental health. Both perceived isolation and social disconnectedness had a significant negative association with physical and mental health among White elders. For Blacks, social disconnectedness is negatively associated with their physical health while perceived isolation had a negative association with mental health. Among Hispanic elders, there seemed to be no association between social isolation and physical health, but a significant negative association was found with their mental health. Despite various associated patterns, however, social isolation overall was associated with health outcomes that were similar across three elder groups. By identifying factors influencing social isolation and health among minority older Americans, this study has relevance to the development of culturally sensitive health-care practice and services, which may be applicable to minority elders in different countries.
Effects of postmortem autolysis on the lipids of rat spinal cord.

The lipid composition of rat spinal cords undergoing postmortem autolysis for 3 min and for 4 h at 38° C was investigated as a model for lipid changes in total spinal cord ischemia. The only change in cords incubated for 3 min was an 11.7% decrease in cholesterol/g fresh weight. The cords incubated for 4 h showed a similar 11.6% decrease in cholesterol/g fresh weight as well as a 5.6% increase in water content and a 22% decrease in phosphatidyl serine. Changes of marginal statistical significance included a 15% increase in lipid phosphorus/g dry wt. and a 15% decrease in G4 (GM1)1 in the 4 h incubated cords. Therefore, autolytic processes are of little consequence in total spinal cord ischemia and attention should now be focused on exogenous pathogenetic factors to explain such ischemic changes in spinal cord. We also report discovery of an alkali-labile ganglioside, G1a in rat spinal cord.
Spirituality As A Determinant Of Transformational Leadership: Moderating Effects Of Religious Orientation

This study empirically tests the relationship between spirituality, transactional leadership, and transformational leadership. Spirituality is conceptualized as an attitude or basic human need. Consistent with transformational leadership theory (Bass, 1985), it measures transformational and transactional leadership behaviors. As the study of spirituality in the workplace is still emerging (Giacalone and Jurkiewicz, 2003; Giacalone, Jurkiewicz, and Fry, 2005; Paloutzian and Park, 2005a) and the scientific study of the psychology of religion is a well established discipline (Allport and Ross, 1967; Gorsuch and McPherson, 1989; Hood, Spilka, Hunsberger, and Gorsuch, 1996; Paloutzian and Park, 2005b), it integrates a mature measure of religious orientation into a model to give support to the relationship between spirituality and leadership style. Results from a sample of 186 senior executives from industry and academia indicate that religious orientation strengthens the relationship between spirituality and t...
Alizarin Red S and Toluidine Blue for Differentiating Adult or Embryonic Bone and Cartilage

This technic has been successfully employed by the author for staining, in toto, the bones and cartilage of mature specimens of Urodela and the developing bone and cartilage of the embryonic human, cat, pig and rat. The differential staining is accomplished by using a modification of Dawson's method of staining bone with alizarin red S following a toluidine blue solution specific for cartilage. Specimens are fixed in 10% formalin, stained one week in a solution of. 25 g. of toluidine blue in 100 cc. of 70% alcohol, macerated 5 to 7 days in a 2% KOH solution, counterstained for 24 hours in a 0.001% solution of alizarin red S in 2% aqueous KOH, dehydrated in cellosolve and cleared in methyl salicylate. In the adult and embryonic forms thus treated the soft tissues are cleared while the osseous tissue is stained red, the cartilage blue.
Enthalpy-based feedback control algorithms for the Stefan problem

A control law is derived for full-state feedback control of the single-phase Stefan problem, used as a model of industrial casting processes. A conceptually novel controller design approach is proposed for this problem, with the control law chosen to ensure exponential stability of the average enthalpy, and proven to guarantee asymptotic convergence of both the temperature field and the solidification front position to a desired reference. A plausible output feedback control algorithm is also given that demonstrates good behavior in simulation.
Methodology to probe subunit interactions in ribonucleotide reductases.

Ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) catalyze the conversion of nucleotides to deoxynucleotides, providing the monomeric precursors required for DNA replication and repair. Escherichia coli RNR is a 1:1 complex of two homodimeric subunits, α2 and β2. The interactions between α2 and β2 are thought to be largely associated with the C-terminal 20 amino acids (residues 356−375) of β2. To study subunit interactions, a single reactive cysteine has been introduced into each of 15 positions along the C-terminal tail of β2. Each cysteine has been modified with the photo-cross-linker benzophenone (BP) and the environmentally sensitive fluorophore dimethylaminonaphthalene (DAN). Each construct has been purified to homogeneity and characterized by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS−PAGE) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Each BP-β2 has been incubated with 1 equiv of α2 and photolyzed, and the results have been analyzed quantitatively by SDS−PAGE. Each DAN-β2 was incubated...
Hydride complexes of platinum(II) containing unsymmetrical di(phosphine) ligands: synthesis, characterization and evidence for pairwise addition of hydrogen based on parahydrogen induced polarization

Abstract Unsymmetrical di(phosphine) ligands (dpp)2Rop (1a, b = bis(diphenylphosphino)-2-alkyl-3-oxapropane (alkyl = methyl and ethyl)) and (dpp)2oCy (1c = trans-2-diphenylphosphinocyclohexyl diphenylphosphinite) and their Pt(II) dichloride complexes, PtCl2((dpp)2mop) (2a), PtCl2((dpp)2eop) (2b) and PtCl2((dpp)2oCy) (2c), have been synthesized and characterized by NMR spectroscopy. The crystal structures of 2b and 2c show that the geometry about the platinum centers is square planar. In 2b, the metal and di(phosphine) ligand chelate ring are in a chair conformation, whereas in 2c, the chelate ring conformation is a skewed boat. Initial reaction of sodium borohydride with 2a, b, c yields the monohydride monochloride complexes PtHCl((dpp)2mop) (5a), PtHCl((dpp)2eop) (5b) and PtHCl((dpp)2oCy) (5c). At longer reaction times, fluxional dimeric species are obtained, [PtH((dpp)2mop)]2 (4a), [PtH((dpp)2eop)]2 (4b) and [PtH((dpp)2oCy)]2 (4c),and in the case of 4c two different isomers exist. The dihydride complexes PtH2((dpp)2mop) (3a), PtH2((dpp)2eop) (3b) and PtH2((dpp)2oCy) (3c), are prepared by further reaction of NaBH4 and 2. Hydrogen cycling is facile in the dihydride complexes 3a, b, c, and oxidative addition of H2 proceeds in a pairwise manner as determined by the observation of parahydrogen induced polarization (PHIP) in the 1H NMR spectra. The reductive elimination of H2 is also shown to be concerted by reaction of dihydride complexes with D2. Crystal data: 2b (C30H32Cl6OP2Pt), monoclinic, space group P21/c (No. 14), a = 13.7040(1), b = 11.3430(7), c = 21.3880(9) A, β = 97.923(9)°, V = 3292.9(2) A3 and Z = 4; 2c (C30H30Cl2OP2Pt), monoclinic, space group P21 (No. 4), a = 11.7360(2), b = 8.4311(2), c = 14.2789(2) A, β = 101.290(1)°, V = 1385.52(4) A3 and Z = 2.
Proton nuclear magnetic resonance study of phthalide and 2‐coumaranone partially oriented in nematic phases

The 1H NMR spectra of phthalide in Merck Nematic Phase IV and in N-(p-ethoxybenzylidene)-p-n-butylaniline (EBBA) and of 2-coumaranone in Merck Nematic Phase IV were analyzed. Structural parameters were obtained. The planarity of the 5-membered ring and the molecular orientations were discussed.
Central visual discharge time-locked with spontaneous eye movements in the cat.

IT is well known that there is an illusory displacement of the visual field in man when the eyes are moved passively, while active movement of the eyes results in a stable perception. The existence of a central neural mechanism as part of the excitation pattern of the overt movement has been postulated in an attempt to account for these phenomena1,2.
Significance of Silurian stromatolite-sphinctozoan reefs

Upper Silurian (Ludlovian) limestones from the Heceta Formation of southeastern Alaska (Alexander terrane) contain skeletal stromatolite reefs and stromatolite mud mounds that were colonized by sphinctozoan sponges. Internal growth cavities, synsedimentary marine cements, and stromatolite debris flows in slope deposits indicate that these reefs grew with relief at the seaward margin of the carbonate platform. The biotas under study have evolutionary significance because they contain the earliest widespread reef-building sphinctozoans and represent a previously unrecognized stage in the evolution of Phanerozoic microbial-metazoan (predominantly poriferan) reefs. On the basis of the presence of Silurian stromatolite-sphinctozoan deposits in southeastern Alaska, southwestern and west-central Alaska, and the Urals, this study also establishes a Late Silurian paleobiogeographic connection between the Alexander terrane, cratonic northwestern North America, and the Uralian region.
Time Series Analysis of Repeated Surveys: The State–space Approach

Cross sectional estimates from repeated surveys form a time series {yt}. These estimates can be viewed as the sum yt=Yt+et of two processes, {Yt}, the population process and {et}, the survey error process. Serial correlations in the latter series are usually present, mainly due to sample overlap. Other sources of data such as censuses, administrative records and demographic population counts are also available. The state–space modelling approach to the analysis of repeated surveys allows combining information from different sources, incorporating benchmarking constraints in a natural way. Results from these methods seem to compare favourably with those from X-11-ARIMA in filtering out survey errors.
Reconfiguration-aware spectrum sharing for FPGA based software defined radio

This paper focuses on reconfigurable systems for software defined radio applications in which the underlying hardware is dynamically reconfigured for packet processing of multiple protocols. However, due to non-negligible reconfiguration delay overhead, the physical layer may not be able to respond to all the packets scheduled by MAC layer. In this paper, we present a reconfiguration-aware spectrum sharing and spectrum access scheduling at MAC layer. We considered four protocols similar to WiFi, WiMax, GPRS, and WCDMA on a FPGA-based system. Our results show that the optimal solution outperforms the adopted existing heuristic for time slot scheduling by 13.29%.
Relation Between Morphology, Etch Rate, Surface Wetting, and Electrochemical Characteristics for Micromachined Silicon Subject to Galvanic Corrosion

Immersion of silicon in HF-based solutions is utilized in microsystems fabrication to render freestanding mechanical structures. Such etching, however, creates a galvanic couple between silicon and a metallic layer (e.g., gold), resulting in corrosion damage. Morphology, resistive probe, surface wetting, and electrochemical characterization (vs Cu/CuF) of single- and polycrystalline silicon subjected to galvanic corrosion in three HF-based solutions (undiluted 48% HF, UDHF:H 2 O, and UDHF:Triton X-100) are used here to formally substantiate the results of a previous mechanical (microtensile) study. Porosity estimated from the morphology of corroded samples allows the corrosion current density to be determined from etch-rate measurements, according to Faraday's law. Resistive probe structures are used to simulate the microtensile specimens, thereby characterizing corrosion current as a function of time, etchant type, illumination, and the amount of metal utilized. The measured current density of micromachined silicon is compared against (100) wafer specimens using polarization characterization, identifying the porous Si formation regime. Using sessile drop measurements, the three etchants are further distinguished based on their surface-wetting characteristics. The chronopotentiometry, resistive probe, and microtensile characterizations all identify the behavior regimes of rapid initiation, subsequent steady-state corrosion, and the final catastrophic failure of the microtensile specimens.
Electrical properties of CaRuO3 and SrRuO3 single crystals

Abstract Single crystals of CaRuO 3 and SrRuO 3 orthorhombic perovskites were prepared from halide fluxes. Both materials show similar metallic electrical properties. There is an anomaly at T C for SrRuO 3 , but none for the purported T N of CaRuO 3 .
QUANTIZATION OF TWO-COMPONENT HIGHER ORDER SPINOR EQUATIONS

Abstract A two-component fermion field is quantized using a Lagrangian formalism containing higher order derivatives of the field variables and an indefinite metric in Hilbert space. A consistent quantization necessitates beside a massive spin one-half field, obeying the Feynman-Gell-Mann equation, the introduction of a massless spin one-half field, obeying the neutrino equation. Gauge invariant electromagnetic and vector interactions are introduced in a manner which depends on the transformation properties of the field variables. The physical restrictions placed on the S-matrix by the use of an indefinite metric eliminates the massless field from the “composite” field for electrodynamics and pseudo-vector mesons interactions and implies parity invariance but not for four-field weak interactions. The results obtained for quantum electrodynamics are equivalent to the usual four-component theory.
Evaluation of massively parallel linear sparse solvers on unstructured finite element meshes

The performance of massively parallel direct and iterative methods for solving large sparse systems of linear equations arising in finite element method on unstructured (free) meshes in solid mechanics is evaluated on a latest high performance computing system. We present a comprehensive comparison of a representative group of direct and iterative sparse solvers. Solution time, parallel scalability, and robustness are evaluated on test cases with up to 40million degrees of freedoms and 3.3billion nonzeros. The results show that direct solution methods, such as multifrontal with hybrid parallel implementation, as well as new hybrid adaptive block factorized preconditioning iterative methods can take a full advantage of a modern high performance computing system and provide superior solution time and parallel scalability performance.
Changes in inpatient staffing following implementation of new residency work hours

BACKGROUND In 2011, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education added additional resident work-hour restrictions that limited the number of hours residents could work, with increased emphasis on attending supervision. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to determine how residency programs have responded to residency work hours, specifically assessing residency night float systems and in-house attending physicians. DESIGN In May 2012, an electronic survey was sent to all US pediatric residency training programs via the Association of Pediatric Program Directors listserv with e-mail reminders to nonresponding programs. We analyzed data to assess the use of resident night float systems, admission caps, and attending physicians in-house at night. RESULTS Out of 198 programs contacted, 152 programs responded (77% response rate). Residency programs utilizing a night float system increased from 43% to 71% after new work hours were implemented. Overall use of resident admission caps did not change significantly. Twenty-three percent of programs increased the number of attending physicians in-house at night; 57% of those programs increased the number of pediatric hospitalist attendings, whereas 37% increased the number of pediatric intensivists. There is a trend toward increased pediatric hospitalist attending in-house 24/7 coverage. Of programs without 24/7 coverage, 26% plan to add coverage within 5 years. Only 12% of programs have no in-house attending coverage at night. CONCLUSIONS Although programs vary in their response to changes in residency work restrictions, they most commonly utilize night float systems and increased the amount of in-house attending coverage at night, especially pediatric hospitalist attendings. Many programs plan to add 24/7 pediatric hospitalist coverage within 5 years. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2014;9:640–645. © 2014 Society of Hospital Medicine
Inhibition of VEGFR-3 activation with the antagonistic antibody more potently suppresses lymph node and distant metastases than inactivation of VEGFR-2

Lymph nodes are the first site of metastases for most types of cancer, and lymph node status is a key indicator of patient prognosis. Induction of tumor lymphangiogenesis by vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) has been shown to play an important role in promoting tumor metastases to lymph nodes. Here, we employed receptor-specific antagonist antibodies in an orthotopic spontaneous breast cancer metastasis model to provide direct evidence for the key role of VEGFR-3 activation in metastasis. Inhibition of VEGFR-3 activation more potently suppressed regional and distant metastases than inactivation of VEGFR-2, although VEGFR-2 blockade was more effective in inhibiting angiogenesis and tumor growth. Despite prominent proliferation, metastases were not vascularized in any of the control and treatment groups, indicating that the growth of metastases was not dependent on angiogenesis at the secondary site for the duration of the experiment. Systemic treatment with either VEGFR-2 or VEGFR-3 antagonistic antibodies suppressed tumor lymphangiogenesis, indicating that VEGFR-3 signaling affects the rate of tumor cell entry into lymphatic vessels through both lymphangiogenesis-dependent and independent mechanisms. Combination treatment with the anti-VEGFR-2 and anti-VEGFR-3 antibodies more potently decreased lymph node and lung metastases than each antibody alone. These results validate the concept of targeting the lymphatic dissemination and thereby very early steps of the metastatic process for metastasis control and suggest that a combination therapy with antiangiogenic agents may be a particularly promising approach for controlling metastases.
Semi-supervised learning approaches for predicting semantic characteristics of lung nodules

Several research studies have shown that interpretation performance varies greatly among radiologists. One specific example is the Lung Image Database Consortium (LIDC) dataset. Although it was created to serve as an international research resource for the development and evaluation of computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) algorithms, out of 149 distinct nodules detected by up to four different radiologists, there were only 80 nodules on which at least three radiologists agreed in average with respect to seven nodule semantic characteristics (lobulation, malignancy, margin, sphericity, spiculation, subtlety, and texture). In this paper, we propose two semi-supervised learning approaches for automatically predicting semantic characteristics of lung nodules based on low-level image features with the final goal of using these approaches to reduce the radiologists' interpretation variability. The nodules on which at least three radiologists agree serve as the labeled data and all the other nodules serve as unlabeled data for the proposed approaches. The learning approaches have their roots in the ensemble technique DECORATE and use decision trees to build the ensemble of classifiers. We show that, in the case of the LIDC data, we are able to improve the accuracy prediction by 50% on average when using our proposed semi-supervised approaches versus the traditional supervised classificatation approaches.
Porous scaffold design for tissue engineering

A paradigm shift is taking place in medicine from using synthetic implants and tissue grafts to a tissue engineering approach that uses degradable porous material scaffolds integrated with biological cells or molecules to regenerate tissues. This new paradigm requires scaffolds that balance temporary mechanical function with mass transport to aid biological delivery and tissue regeneration. Little is known quantitatively about this balance as early scaffolds were not fabricated with precise porous architecture. Recent advances in both computational topology design (CTD) and solid free-form fabrication (SFF) have made it possible to create scaffolds with controlled architecture. This paper reviews the integration of CTD with SFF to build designer tissue-engineering scaffolds. It also details the mechanical properties and tissue regeneration achieved using designer scaffolds. Finally, future directions are suggested for using designer scaffolds with in vivo experimentation to optimize tissue-engineering treatments, and coupling designer scaffolds with cell printing to create designer material/biofactor hybrids.
Converting food waste to usable energy in the urban environment through anaerobic digestion

Urban sustainability is a subject of recent focus in North America, and Canada specifically. As our urban areas continue to grow and consume large quantities of energy and produce massive amounts of waste, we are faced with the challenge of how to manage this situation in a way which is both responsible and sustainable. One feasible urban waste-to-energy technology is anaerobic digestion. Anaerobic digestion (AD) has been a usable energy source for over 100 years and is currently being employed in several countries around the world in rural settings to generate electricity and heat, but it has yet to make a large migration to the urban environment even though it is a viable and mature process. Applied to the organic waste produced in urban environments, anaerobic digestion could provide a critical solution to growing garbage problems while simultaneously reducing external energy requirements. As landfills across Canada and the rest of the world are filled to their limits, a carbon-neutral process which can locally generate electricity and heat while providing up to 50% volatile solid reduction is something to be seriously considered. As fuel prices continue to inflate, the cost of transporting waste outside of cities to landfills will continue to rise. Large portions of this waste could be retained, digested, reduced, and converted into useable energy in the urban environment providing valuable energy. This paper investigates the feasibility of urban anaerobic digestion and provides a case study from the downtown campus of Concordia University in Montreal, Canada.
Nursing unit design and communication patterns: what is "real" work?

While considerable attention has been paid to how the design of nursing units can help reduce nurse fatigue, improve safety, and reduce nosocomial infection rates, much less attention has been paid...
Cellular Mesoblastic Nephroma with Liver Metastasis in a Neonate: Prenatal and Postnatal Diffusion-Weighted MR Imaging

Congenital mesoblastic nephroma (CMN) is the most common renal tumor in the first year of life. Here, we present unique findings of cellular variant CMN seen on prenatal and postnatal MRI with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI).The mass was well-visualized on prenatal MR DWI with diffusion restriction in the solid portions. After excision of the mass, follow-up whole body MRI with DWI helped identify local tumor recurrence with suspicious liver metastasis. This hepatic lesion also showed diffusion restriction.
Induction of interleukin-4 (IL-4) by Legionella pneumophila infection in BALB/c mice and regulation of tumor necrosis factor alpha, IL-6, and IL-1β

Infection of BALB/c mice with a sublethal concentration of Legionella pneumophila causes an acute disease that is resolved by innate immune responses. The infection also initiates the development of adaptive Th1 responses that protect the mice from challenge infections. To study the early responses, cytokines induced during the first 24 h after infection were examined. In the serum, interleukin-12 (IL-12) was detectable by 3 h and peaked at 10 h, while gamma interferon was discernible by 5 h and peaked at 8 h. Similar patterns were observed in ex vivo cultures of splenocytes. A transient IL-4 response was also detected by 3 h postinfection in ex vivo cultures. BALB/c IL-4-deficient mice were more susceptible to L. pneumophila infection than were wild-type mice. The infection induced higher serum levels of acute-phase cytokines (tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF-α], IL-1β, and IL-6), and reducing TNF-α levels with antibodies protected the mice from death. Moreover, the addition of IL-4 to L. pneumophila-infected macrophage cultures suppressed the production of these cytokines. Thus, the lack of IL-4 in the deficient mice resulted in unchecked TNF-α production, which appeared to cause the mortality. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), a chemokine that is induced by IL-4 during Listeria monocytogenes infection, was detected at between 2 and 30 h after infection. However, MCP-1 did not appear to be induced by IL-4 or to be required for the TNF-α regulation by IL-4. The data suggest that the early increase in IL-4 serves to regulate the mobilization of acute phase cytokines and thus controls the potential harmful effects of these cytokines.
Patient safety and inpatient glycemic control: translating concepts into action.

ABSTRACT Objective (1) To summarize current knowledge regarding patient safety issues and their impact on inpatient glycemic control and (2) to provide a systematic and practical approach to improving patient safety in this area. Methods: Insulin delivery in inpatient settings is examined, as are the barriers to safe insulin therapy. A distinction is made between safety strategies of proven value and those that are less useful. Characteristics of safer insulin algorithms are discussed. Results Errors in insulin administration remain a common cause of injuries. Despite strong evidence of the dangers of sliding-scale insulin regimens in inpatient settings, sliding-scale insulin regimens remain a widely used but ineffective (and occasionally dangerous) method. To correctly analyze inpatient processes of care, a systems approach is needed, and the relationship between quality of care, latent medical errors, injurious patient errors, and patient safety must be understood. In complex systems such as hospitals, catastrophic error has complex roots involving many individuals, and the design of the system often has latent flaws that make human error likely, even predictable. The concept of the scope of awareness is useful in understanding why it is ineffective to focus only on those at the point of care, and how improvement is more apt to occur with a team approach and the evaluation of systemic factors, at the “blunt end” of care. Error-prone organizations are often very unsafe, and certain practices tend to be common among them. Data are now available showing the negative impact of poorly supervised trainees and the extent of the problem worldwide on patient safety. Conclusion Redesign of patient care provided in hospitals regarding glucose control is long overdue. Practical strategies are given that focus on improving patient safety for the patient needing inpatient glycemic control. Such techniques now have a sufficient evidentiary base. Therefore, hospitals should move rapidly to make euglycemia a goal for all inpatients, and to make patient safety in glycemic control a reality, not just for a few, but for all patients in our care. (Endocr Pract. 2006;12[Suppl 3]49-55)
Voltage-Tunable Two-Color Corrugated-QWIP Focal Plane Arrays

We demonstrated a 256 times 256 voltage-tunable two- color corrugated quantum-well infrared-photodetector focal plane array. The detector operation is based on photocurrent asymmetry in a double-superlattice quantum well structure. By using a broadband corrugated light coupling scheme, we obtained a quantum efficiency of 24% in the mid-wave (MW) band and 26% in the long-wave (LW) band without AR coating. Operating at 50 K, the measured noise equivalent temperature difference is 27 mK at 33-ms integration time for the MW and 90 mK at 2 ms for the LW with f/2.44 optics. The NETD operability values are 98.4% and 95.9%, respectively.
A cross-sectional retrospective analysis of the regionalization of complex surgery

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) system has assigned a surgical complexity level to each of its medical centers by specifying requirements to perform standard, intermediate or complex surgical procedures. No study to similarly describe the patterns of relative surgical complexity among a population of United States (U.S) civilian hospitals has been completed. Design: single year, retrospective, cross-sectional. Setting/Participants: the study used Florida Inpatient Discharge Data from short-term acute hospitals for calendar year 2009. Two hundred hospitals with 2,542,920 discharges were organized into four quartiles (Q 1, 2, 3, 4) based on the number of complex procedures per hospital. The VHA surgical complexity matrix was applied to assign relative complexity to each procedure. The Clinical Classification Software (CCS) system assigned complex procedures to clinically meaningful groups. For outcome comparisons, propensity score matching methods adjusted for the surgical procedure, age, gender, race, comorbidities, mechanical ventilator use and type of admission. Main Outcome Measures: in-hospital mortality and length-of-stay (LOS). Only 5.2% of all inpatient discharges involve a complex procedure. The highest volume complex procedure hospitals (Q4) have 49.8% of all discharges but 70.1% of all complex procedures. In the 133,436 discharges with a primary complex procedure, 374 separate specific procedures are identified, only about one third of which are performed in the lowest volume complex procedure (Q1) hospitals. Complex operations of the digestive, respiratory, integumentary and musculoskeletal systems are the least concentrated and proportionately more likely to occur in the lower volume hospitals. Operations of the cardiovascular system and certain technology dependent miscellaneous diagnostic and therapeutic procedures are the most concentrated in high volume hospitals. Organ transplants are only done in Q4 hospitals. There were no significant differences in in-hospital mortality rates and the longest lengths of stay were found in higher volume hospitals. Complex surgery in Florida is effectively regionalized so that small volume hospitals operating within the range of complex procedures appropriate to their capabilities provide no increased risk of post surgical mortality.
Explaining Observed Licensing Agreements: Toward a Broader Understanding of Technology Flows∗

A lack of quantitative information on cross-firm licensing agreements constrains policy makers in their overall understanding of the innovation process and the innovative environment of firms. This paper develops a methodology for understanding the patterns of technology flows that result through licensing agreements from readily available patent data. In addition, hypotheses about firms that share technology through licensing are tested; in particular, we find that diversified firms have a higher probability of licensing their technology.
Histamine receptor antagonists and incident colorectal adenomas.

Summary Background: Prior studies suggest that histamines may modulate the development of colorectal neoplasia. Aim: To assess whether histamine receptor antagonist use was associated with adenoma formation. Methods: Patients (n = 2366) were drawn from three adenoma chemoprevention trials. All underwent baseline colonoscopy with removal of adenoma(s) and were deemed free of remaining lesions; they were followed with surveillance colonoscopy. Medication use was assessed by questionnaire. Adjusted risk ratios for adenoma formation related to histamine receptor antagonist use (histamine H1 and H2 receptor, H1RA and H2RA) were determined using log linear models. Results: In pooled analyses, H1RA exposure was not associated with subsequent adenoma risk (RR = 1.10; 95% CI 0.97–1.25) or multiple adenoma formation (RR = 0.85; 95% CI 0.67–1.07). H2RA use also was not associated with adenoma (RR = 0.90; 95% CI 0.77–1.06), or multiple adenoma (RR = 0.77; 95% CI 0.57–1.04) in the pooled analyses, but H2RA users in the first trial had a decreased risk of adenoma (RR = 0.70; 95% CI 0.48–1.03) and multiple adenoma (RR = 0.31; 95% CI 0.12–0.79). Conclusion: H2RA use was associated with reduced risk for adenoma in one trial, but not in the pooled analyses. Further study would be warranted before undertaking randomized trials of H2RAs for adenoma chemoprevention.
Symbolic computing in engineering design

Computer programs that combine traditional numeric methods with symbolic algebra and with specific knowledge of application-based techniques can provide new levels of computational support for engineering design. We illustrate this with a computer-based ‘control engineer’s assistant’. Although this program is focussed on control system design, it demonstrates techniques that should be widely applicable across many engineering disciplines. In particular, we show how, with symbolic computing, a computer-aided design system can usefully simulate engineering models early in the design process, before all (or any) system parameters have been specified numerically. Our system employs a flexible, extensible, object-oriented representation for control systems, which admits multiple mathematical models of designs and provides a framework for integrating tools that operate on diverse representations.