cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CN YUR CMPUTR RAED THS

This paper describes strategies for automatic recognition of unknown variants of known words in a natural language processing system. The types of lexical variants which are detectable include inflexional aberrations, ad hoc abbreviations and spelling/typographical errors. This technique is independent of any particular grammar or parsing formalism, and can be implemented as a lexical lookup routine which heuristically prunes and orders the list of possible fixes found in the lexicon, then allowing the parser to treat the list of candidates as a set of multiple meanings for a polysemous word.
Structural Analysis of Lipid Complexes of GM2-Activator Protein

The GM2-activator protein (GM2-AP) is a small lysosomal lipid transfer protein essential for the hydrolytic conversion of ganglioside GM2 to GM3 by beta-hexosaminidase A. The crystal structure of human apo-GM2-AP is known to consist of a novel beta-cup fold with a spacious hydrophobic interior. Here, we present two new structures of GM2-AP with bound lipids, showing two different lipid-binding modes within the apolar pocket. The 1.9A structure with GM2 bound shows the position of the ceramide tail and significant conformational differences among the three molecular copies in the asymmetric unit. The tetrasaccharide head group is not visible and is presumed to be disordered. However, its general position could be established through modeling. The structure of a low-pH crystal, determined at 2.5A resolution, has a significantly enlarged hydrophobic channel that merges with the apolar pocket. Electron density inside the pocket and channel suggests the presence of a trapped phospholipid molecule. Structure alignments among the four crystallographically unique monomers provide information on the potential role for lipid binding of flexible chain segments at the rim of the cavity opening. Two discrete orientations of the S130-T133 loop define an open and a closed configuration of the hydrophobic channel that merges with the apolar pocket. We propose: (i) that the low-pH structure represents an active membrane-binding conformation; (ii) that the mobile S130-T133 loop serves as a gate for passage of ligand into the apolar pocket; and (iii) that this loop and the adjacent apolar V59-W63 loop form a surface patch with two exposed tryptophan residues that could interface with lipid bilayers.
Formulation and Storage Stability of a Fabricated Breakfast Strip Utilizing Cooked Fowl

Abstract Cooked thigh meat from spent fowl was used to manufacture a fabricated breakfast strip. The formulation included mechanically deboned chicken and isolated soy protein to improve product color and binding properties. Raw fowl thigh skin and cook-out fat were used as the fat component of the formulation. Compared to commercial pork bacon and Sizzlean®, the fowl breakfast strip was higher in protein, lower in fat content, and had a greater cooked yield. Sensory panel evaluation showed that the product was comparable to commercial pork bacon and Sizzlean®. The vacuum-packaged breakfast strips maintained excellent quality during refrigerated storage, whereas the air-packaged samples allowed a rapid increase in total plate counts and in thiobarbituric acid values. Mold growth was observed on the air-packaged, refrigerated breakfast strips at 56 days. During frozen storage, the vacuum-packaged and air-packaged breakfast strips retained low TBA values and total plate counts throughout the entire storage time. Results indicated that fowl breakfast strip has the potential to provide a lean alternative to pork bacon and pork breakfast strips at an economical price.
Examining hotel crimes from police crime reports

The tourism industry has been rapidly expanding over the past few decades, and hotels and lodgings have become an integrated part of tourism-expansion in many tourist-oriented destinations. Many factors influence tourists' decisions on where to visit and in which hotel to stay, and the extent of criminal activity in and around hotels is of critical importance to tourists. The hotel industry is extremely sensitive to criminal activities against hotel guests. This study focuses on the nature and the patterns of criminal victimizations against hotel guests in the city of Miami Beach, Florida. By using the offense-incident reports of the Miami Beach Police Department, the present researchers analyzed the effects of hotel guests' characteristics and other contributing factors on criminal victimizations among hotel guests. Results showed that a majority of hotel crimes were property-related; burglary and theft were two major crimes committed against hotel guests. The results of this study indicated that such victimizations might be significantly minimized if hoteliers enhanced crime prevention measures such as increasing security in the parking lot or installing more surveillance cameras inside and outside the hotel.
Dynamics of particle production by strong electric fields in non-Abelian plasmas

We develop methods for computing the dynamics of fermion pair production by strong color electric fields including backreaction using the semiclassical Boltzmann-Vlasov (B-V) equation. We implement the Schwinger pair production by inserting a source term in the B-V equation which includes Pauli-Blocking effects. We present numerical results for a model with SU(2) symmetries in (1+1) Cartesian dimensions.
Aging and Family Therapy: Exploring The Training and Knowledge of Family Therapists

The present study examined therapists' training in aging issues, and their knowledge and attitudes about aging. One hundred and ninety-one clinicians completed a web-based questionnaire. The majority of respondents reported to have some training in aging issues, although they did not believe it prepared them well to work with older clients. Clinicians reported feeling comfortable working with older adults, yet they also agreed that special training could benefit their work. Knowledge scores were significantly correlated with interest in aging issues, perceived importance of training, perceived competence, and perceived effectiveness in treating older adults. Research and clinical implications are discussed.
Views of the process and content of ethical reviews of HIV vaccine trials among members of US institutional review boards and South African research ethics committees.

Given the ethical controversies concerning HIV vaccine trials (HVTs), we aimed to understand through an exploratory study how members of institutional review boards (IRBs) in the United States (US) and research ethics committees (RECs) in South Africa (SA) view issues concerning the process and content of reviews of these studies. We mailed packets of 20 questionnaires to 12 US IRB chairs and administrators and seven REC chairs to distribute to their members. We received 113 questionnaires (76 from the US and 37 from SA). In both countries, members tended to be white males with advanced academic degrees. Compared to the US, SA members called for ‘major changes’ in HVT protocols more frequently (p = 0.004), and were less likely to think that HVT participants understood risks and benefits (p = 0.033) or informed consent forms (p = 0.000). In both countries, members were divided on several critical issues (e.g. the minimum standard for treatment for HVT participants who became infected during the HVT), but agreed that they needed more training. Of the SA respondents, 40% reported that they were ‘self-taught’ in ethics. This study, the first we know of to offer quantitative data comparing US vs. non-US IRBs/RECs, thus suggests key similarities and differences (e.g. compared to SA respondents, US respondents appeared to overestimate participants’ understanding of informed consent), along with needs for education. These initial exploratory data in this area have important implications for IRBs, RECs, policy-makers and scholars concerning future practice, training, policy, and investigations in research ethics, and prevention and treatment of HIV and other diseases in the developing world and elsewhere.
Inactivating BK Channels in Rat Chromaffin Cells May Arise from Heteromultimeric Assembly of Distinct Inactivation-Competent and Noninactivating Subunits

Abstract Inactivating and noninactivating variants of large-conductance, Ca 2+ -dependent, voltage-dependent BK-type channels are found in rat chromaffin cells and are largely segregated into different cells. Here we test the hypothesis that, within the population of cells that express inactivating BK current (BK i current), the BK i channels are largely heteromultimers composed of inactivation-competent subunits ( bk i ) and noninactivating subunits ( bk s ). Several independent types of evidence support this view. The gradual removal of inactivation by trypsin is consistent with the idea that in most cells and patches there are, on average, about two to three inactivation domains per channel. In addition, several aspects of blockade of BK i current by charybdotoxin (CTX) are consistent with the idea that BK i channels contain differing numbers (one to four) of relatively CTX-resistant bk i subunits. Finally, the frequency of occurrence of noninactivating BK s channels in patches with predominantly inactivating BK i channels is consistent with the binomial expectations of random, independent assembly of two distinct subunits, if most cells have, on average, about two to three bk i subunits per channel. These results suggest that the phenotypic properties of BK i currents and the resulting cellular electrical excitability may exhibit a continuum of behavior that arises simply from the differential expression of two distinct subunits.
Specific Protein-Membrane Contacts Are Required for Prepore and Pore Assembly by a Cholesterol-dependent Cytolysin

Three short hydrophobic loops and a conserved undecapeptide at the tip of domain 4 (D4) of the cholesterol-dependent cytolysins (CDCs) mediate the binding of the CDC monomers to cholesterol-rich cell membranes. But intermedilysin (ILY), from Streptococcus intermedius, does not bind to cholesterol-rich membranes unless they contain the human protein CD59. This observation suggested that the D4 loops, which include loops L1-L3 and the undecapeptide, of ILY were no longer required for its cell binding. However, we show here that membrane insertion of the D4 loops is required for the cytolysis by ILY. Receptor binding triggers changes in the structure of ILY that are necessary for oligomerization, but membrane insertion of the D4 loops is critical for oligomer assembly and pore formation. Defects that prevent membrane insertion of the undecapeptide also block assembly of the prepore oligomer, while defects in the membrane insertion of the L1-L3 loops prevent the conversion of the prepore oligomer to the pore complex. These studies reveal that pore formation by ILY, and probably other CDCs, is affected by an intricate and coupled sequence of interactions between domain 4 and the membrane.
In vivo activation of methyl-coenzyme M reductase by carbon monoxide.

Methyl-coenzyme M reductase (MCR) from methanogenic archaea catalyzes the rate-limiting and final step in methane biosynthesis. Using coenzyme B (CoBSH) as the two-electron donor, MCR reduces methyl-coenzyme M (CH3-SCoM) to methane and the mixed disulfide, CoBS-SCoM. MCR contains an essential redox-active nickel tetrahydro¬corphinoid cofactor, Coenzyme F430, at its active site. The active form of the enzyme (MCRred1) contains Ni(I)-F430. Rapid and efficient conversion of MCR to MCRred1 is important for elucidating the enzymatic mechanism, yet this reduction is difficult because the Ni(I) state is subject to oxidative inactivation. Furthermore, no in vitro methods have yet been described to convert Ni(II) forms into MCRred1. Since 1991, it has been known that MCRred1 from Methanothermobacter marburgensis can be generated in vivo when cells are purged with 100% H2. Here we show that purging cells or cell extracts with CO can also activate MCR. The rate of in vivo activation by CO is about 15 times faster than by H2 (130 min-1 and 8 min-1, respectively) and CO leads to two-fold higher MCRred1 than H2. Unlike H2-dependent activation, which exhibits a 10-h lag time, there is no lag for CO-dependent activation. Based on cyanide inhibition experiments, CODH is required for the CO-dependent activation. Formate, which also is a strong reductant, cannot activate MCR in M. marburgensis in vivo.
Web content and design trends of Alabama academic libraries

– This paper aims to evaluate the website content of Alabama academic libraries to examine their services, content and compliance with design and accessibility standards. , – A content analysis was conducted on 24 academic library websites discovered through Jeanne Burke’s Higher Education Directory and the Alabama Colleges directory website. All data were collected within a month. , – Study data revealed that while academic libraries are offering more online services, many continue to lack certain services or fail to implement basic web design and accessibility standards. , – Inclusion into the study was limited to the independent library websites of Alabama institutions offering four-year degree courses and content data discoverable within three clicks of the home page. Future studies might identify why certain libraries lack reference chat services, social media accounts and/or certain accessibility accommodations. Additional research might evaluate multilingual websites and their methods for providing language options. , – The results of this study should assist in the evaluation of library websites and increase awareness of design and accessibility standards, enabling designers and policy makers to improve upon future website designs. , – This study presents a depth of evaluation and currency unseen in most web content analyses. The extent of this study should provide librarians, web designers, and library policy makers with a suitable comparison for website projects and evaluations.
Teaching Notes---BlueSky Airlines: Single-Leg Revenue Management A--C

Case Teaching Note: Interested Instructors please see the Instructor Materials page for access to the restricted materials. To maintain the integrity and usefulness of cases published in ITE, unapproved distribution of the case teaching notes and other restricted materials to any other party is prohibited.
Interfacing with the Real Space and its Performance

This paper presents an immersive gesture-recognition-based system to visualize the indoor thermal environment using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). To enable efficient visualization of CFD in actual space, an Augmented Reality system was integrated with a CFD simulation engine. To facilitate efficient data manipulation of the simulated postprocessed CFD data and to increase user control of the immersive environment, an intuitive method of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) has been incorporated using gesture and speech recognition. While gesture recognition aids in transforming hand postures into command functions through forward kinematics and computation of hand segment positions and their joint angles, speech recognition allows better control of the data manipulation. This enabled real-time interactions between the users and simulated CFD results in actual space.
Real-time one-pass distortion correction

We investigated a new concept for phase conjugate one-pass distortion correction. The distorted input is imaged into a BaTiO3 crystal. A phase conjugate is produced through a self-pumped phase conjugation technique. The nonlinear material acts as a time averaging filter. Furthermore for a time-varying distorter the self pumped phase conjugator removes distortion in real time. This technique requires only one pass through the distorting medium. 1.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Proposed mandate for instructions and labeling regarding the use of eye drops.

The potential clinical benefits of nasolacrimal occlusion (NLO) and eyelid closure (ELC) for 5 minutes have been recognized for many years. 1.9 Following the ocular instillation of drugs prepared in solutions, suspensions, and ointments, the pharmacologically active chemicals within these vehicles are pumped from the periocular area by the eyelids down the nasolacrimal outflow paths to the nasal mucosa. 10 This results in less intraocular drug absorption. In addition, the vascular nasal mucosa can readily absorb the drugs delivered in these vehicles, resulting in measurable systemic blood levels, which can be associated with significant systemic toxicity. 11 Therefore, the rapid passage of eye drops into the nasolacrimal outflow system effectively minimizes therapeutic effect and maximizes systemic toxicity of topically applied medications. 1 .
Bistatic imaging lidar technique for upper atmospheric studies.

The bistatic imaging lidar technique is fundamentally different from traditional monostatic lidar techniques. The vertical density of an atmospheric layer, such as the mesospheric sodium layer, is measured by imagingan illuminated spot within the layer. The spot is illuminated with a laser and imaged with a telescope in a bistatic configuration. Profiles through the image contain information about the vertical structure of the layer as well as the laser beam cross section. These profiles can be interpreted as the output of a linear filter having the density profile of the layer as input and an impulse response which is related to the laser beam cross section and imaging geometry. The theoretical vertical resolution can be quantified in terms of laser beamwidth and separation distance between the laser and telescope. Theoretical analysis of the technique and experimental data verifying the feasibility and basic performance of the technique are presented.
Asymmetric bioreduction of alkenes using ene-reductases YersER and KYE1 and effects of organic solvents.

Asymmetric trans-bioreduction of activated alkenes by KYE1 from Kluyveromyces lactis and Yers-ER from Yersinia bercovieri, two ene–reductases from the Old Yellow Enzyme family, showed a broad substrate spectrum with a moderate to excellent degree of stereoselectivity. Both substrate- and enzyme-based stereocontrols were observed to furnish opposite stereoisomeric products. The effects of organic solvents on enzyme activity and stereoselectivity were outlined in this study, where two-phase systems hexane and toluene are shown to sustain bioreduction efficiency even at high organic solvent content.
Influence of shadow removal on image classification in riverine environments

Shadows in remote-sensor images can yield marked errors in classification of riverine environments. We propose use of a modified shadow-removal algorithm as a preprocessing step for remote-sensing image classification of riverine landscapes. To accommodate characterization of spatially complex river features in the image, we investigate an illumination suppression-based shadow-removal algorithm, modified to include a user-defined tiling approach. We quantitatively evaluate the influence of shadow removal from aerial photography on classification accuracy as such studies are currently lacking. Experimental results demonstrate that this modified shadow-removal method significantly increases classification accuracy and improves detection of small river channels partially obscured by shadow.
Laser-assisted ultracold lithium-hydride molecule formation: stimulated versus spontaneous emission

We investigate the feasibility of forming ultracold LiH from a mixture of the ultracold atomic gases, by using B1Π as an intermediate state in the photoassociation process. Using accurate molecular potential energy curves and dipole transition moments, we calculate and compare two possible schemes to populate vibrational levels of the ground electronic state, X1Σ+: (1) two-photon stimulated radiative association and (2) excitation to bound levels of the B1Π state, followed by spontaneous emission to the X1Σ+ state. With laser intensities and atomic densities that are easily attainable experimentally, we find that significant quantities of molecules can be formed in various v, J levels of the electronic ground state. We examine the spontaneous emission cascade which takes place from the upper vibrational levels on a time scale of milliseconds. We discuss the issue of back-stimulation for the two-photon process and ways to mitigate it. Because photon emission in the cascade process does not contribute to trap loss, a sizable population of molecules in v = 0 can be achieved.
Recipient-to-donor atrioatrial conduction after orthotopic heart transplantation: surface electrocardiographic features and estimated prevalence

Recipient-to-donor atrioatrial conduction across a suture line has been rarely reported after orthotopic heart transplantation. The relation of such conduction to symptomatic arrhythmias and its prevalence are not known. Recipient-to-donor atrioatrial conduction was demonstrated in a 28-year-old woman with paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia 7 years after orthotopic heart transplantation. Atrial tachycardia in the recipient atria conducted 2:1 to the donor atria and was eliminated by radiofrequency catheter ablation of a left-sided atrioatrial electrical connection. The electrocardiogram at rest and during exercise, recorded before ablation of the recipient-to-donor connection, showed frequent atrial premature complexes, with variable coupling to the preceding sinus beats, and a change in P-wave morphology during exercise, which reverted to normal during the recovery period. These findings were eliminated by ablation of the recipient-to-donor connection. To determine the prevalence of recipient-to-donor atrioatrial conduction late after transplantation, we evaluated the exercise electrocardiograms of 50 subjects > 5 years after heart transplantation for these features of recipient-to-donor conduction. At least 1 feature was present in 5 subjects, and both were present in 1 subject. Electrical conduction can occur across surgical suture lines in the atria. Recipient-to-donor atrioatrial conduction may occur in < or = 10% of patients late after heart transplantation. It is a potential cause of arrhythmias that can be effectively treated with radiofrequency catheter ablation.
Damage Control for Intra-Abdominal Sepsis

With the success of damage-control surgery for the treatment of exsanguinating truncal trauma, it has been adapted to other surgical diseases associated with shock states, such as severe secondary peritonitis. The structured approach of damage control is easily adapted to and can incorporate the fundamental elements of the Surviving Sepsis Campaign. It is not meant to replace tried and true surgical principles, such as source control, but is a usable framework in managing the complicated circumstances seen with these patients.
Embodied [by] Dance: Adolescent de/constructions of body, sex and gender in physical education

Using developmental, sociological, feminist, and dance studies perspectives on the social construction of body, sex, and gender, the author discusses the functions of agency and performativity in the physical education curriculum with specific attention to the embodied performance of culture through dance and movement. Classroom examples of critical and feminist approaches to dance pedagogy are provided to deconstruct body/sex/gender through dance education. A dialectical approach to critical self-reflection is proposed that limits reproduction of the mind/body split, thus reinscribing the body as subject.
Marjolin ulcer arising within hidradenitis: A case report and literature review

Abstract: This is a report of a patient with squamous cell carcinoma discovered in a bed of longstanding (>20 years) hidradenitis suppurativa. A literature search demonstrates this to be an entity with potentially devastating sequelae if not expediently diagnosed and treated. In light of the possibility of malignant transformation, the hidradenitis specimen and any suspicious lesions in proximity should be sent to pathology for thorough assessment.
Comparison of sodium and urea as indicators of pulmonary vascular permeability

The objective of this work was to compare the blood-tissue transport properties of 14C-urea and 24Na in the lung circulation. The extraction of both substances was measured relative to intravascular reference tracers (125I-albumin for Na, 51Cr red cells and 125I-albumin for 14C-urea) in single-pass transpulmonary multiple indicator curves measured in awake sheep. Sheep were studied in baseline condition, after infusion of histamine solution (4 μglkg-min for 4 hr), and after microvascular pressure was elevated. Permeability—surface area was computed for both sodium (PSn) and urea (PSu) by the Crone extraction model and by a mathematical model. In spite of the fact that the free diffusion coefficients of sodium and urea are approximately equal, the mean ratio of Crone PSn/PSu for baseline studies was 0.76. PSu was significantly increased by histamine infusion but PSn was not. The variation in PSn with histamine and increased pressure was marked. Thus, neither manipulation altered the ratio PSn/PSu in a cons...
Conservation paleobiology needs phylogenetic methods

We address several central concerns of conservation paleobiology, namely, the inference of geographic ranges of ancestral and ancient species, the changes in geographic range under climate change, and the associated question of inferring the environmental preferences of ancestral lineages and how they have evolved over geological time. We will show why these questions might be crucial for making better projections of geographic range under future climate change scenarios, and for assessing such scenarios, as well as assessing comparisons between predicted and observed geographic ranges of ancient taxa. We review two major bodies of literature and modelling techniques, namely phylogenetic biogeography – the historical biogeography of lineage presence and absence in large, discrete regions, inferred on phylogenetic trees – and phylogenetic ancestral niche estimation, which utilizes phylogenetic comparative methods to understand temporal changes in species environmental niches and the resulting change in their geographic distributions due to niche evolution, geologic changes, and climatic changes. We suggest that many of the limitations in each of the currently available methods could be ameliorated by combining them, such that coarse-scale biogeographic history, evolution of environmental niche preferences on a phylogenetic tree, the evolutionary model for these changes, and modern species' environmental niche models are all co-estimated in formal joint inference framework. We acknowledge that this goal is extremely ambitious, but it is likely to have large payoffs, not just for conservation paleobiology but even for purely neobiological niche modelling studies that typically leave out information about phylogenetic relationship and historical biogeography, and thus, may often conflate several non-environmental factors with the estimation of species' environmental niches.
Are all abstracts created equal

Abstract The preparation of a strong, convincing abstract is a necessary professional skill and prized art form for nurse scientists and clinical scholars. The power and the role of an abstract are often overlooked. Abstracts are used in a variety of scholarly forums including articles submitted for publication, research proposals, and responses to "calls for abstracts" for presentations at scientific conferences. The purpose of this article is to emphasize the highlights of the "art" rather than the "cookbook" details associated with preparing an abstract. Each of the critical stages of abstract development is explored—planning, drafting, reviewing, peer reviewing, editing, and packaging. Likewise, a few, hopefully helpful, hints on developing the six key elements—background, purpose, sample, methods, results, and implications—of the scientific abstract are given. Polishing, the essential skill of preparing an abstract, takes time and persistence and will pay off in the long run. The well-crafted abstract is an initial step in the process of getting research and scholarly pursuits noticed and accepted.
A variational model of ionomeric polymer actuators and sensors

Ionomeric polymers are a promising class of intelligent material which exhibit electromechanical coupling similar to that of piezoelectric bimorphs. Ionomeric polymers are much more compliant than piezoelectric ceramics or polymers and have been shown to produce actuation strain on the order of 2% at operating voltages between 1 V and 3 V. Their high compliance is also advantageous in low force sensing configurations because ionic polymers have a very little impact on the dynamics of the measured system. This paper presents a variational approach to the dynamic modeling of ionic polymer actuators and sensors. The approach requires a priori knowledge of three empirically determined material properties: elastic modulus, dielectric permittivity, and effective strain coefficient. Previous work by Newbury and Leo has demonstrated that these three parameters are strongly frequency dependent in the range between less than 1 Hz to frequencies greater than 1 kHz. A model of a cantilever beam incorporating this frequency dependence has been developed. The variational method produces a second-order matrix representation of the structure. The frequency dependence of the material parameters is incorporated using a complex-property approach similar to the techniques for modeling viscoelastic materials. A transducer was manufactured and the method of material characterization is outlined. Additional experiments are performed on this transducer and both the material and structural model are validated. The modeling method is then used to simulate the performance of actuators and sensors in a cantilever configuration.
Differential lipemic and proteinemic response to oral ethinyl estradiol and parenteral estradiol cypionate.

Oral synthetic estrogen administration to normal women has been shown to result in both a lipemic and a proteinemic response. To determine whether parenteral estrogen administration would have similar results, the effects of intramuscular depo-estradiol cypionate on serum lipids and ceruloplasmin were examined. The oral and parenteral estrogens chosen for this study are frequently used therapeutically and varying doses in the range of those commonly employed clinically were given to the experimental subjects. Following oral ethinyl estradiol (20, 50, and 100 μg every 12 hr) comparable and significant increases in triglyceride (73 ± 6 to 128 ± 10 mg/dl, p < .001), ceruloplasmin (87 ± 4 to 188 ± 11 mg/dl, p < .001), and HDL-cholesterol (60 ± 2 to 74 ± 3 mg/dl, p < .001) were observed. In contrast, despite substantial increases in serum estrogens, parenteral estrogen administration (depo-estradiol cypionate, 5 and 10 mg) failed to result in alterations in any of the measured parameters. Thus, the route and/or type of estrogen administered may determine the proteinemic and lipemic effects of estrogen in man.
ANNUAL STUDENT REPORT TO THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF NURSE‐MIDWIVES

This article profiles current areas of concern identified by the student membership at the 38th annual American College of Nurse-Midwives convention in June. Communication, financial aid, education, and practice are identified as topics affecting past, present, and future students, as well as the current membership of certified nurse-midwives. Recommendations are offered and the College is petitioned to address these substantial issues that directly impact the membership.
333 CONTINUOUS INFUSION OF AQUEOUS PITRESSIN FOR ACUTE TREATMENT OF DIABETES INSIPIDUS (DI)

The management of DI in a patient who requires prolonged parenteral fluid therapy poses a great challenge to the clinician. Erratic absorption of pitressin in oil and the short action of aqueous pitressin make these preparations unsuitable for the purpose. We have used continuous infusion of aqueous pitressin in 2 patients (2 and 12 years of age) who developed DI immediately following resection of craniopharyngioma. Both patients required prolonged parenteral therapy. An I.V. priming dose (0.05 U) of aqueous pitressin was followed by continuous infusion of pitressin at the initial dose of 3 uU/kg/min. Both patients were kept on maintenance I.V. fluids and the rate of infused pitressin was adjusted until the optimum dose of pitressin was achieved. This was determined by monitoring serum and urinary sodium, urine volume and specific gravity and daily weights. The optimum dose of pitressin appeared to be 50 uU/kg/hr. No untoward side effects were observed. The short half life of I.V. aqueous pitressin renders the minute to minute adjustment of the dose a practical feasibility.
Shallow Applications of Geophysical Diffraction Tomography

Diffraction tomography is the generalization of conventional (X-ray) tomography to applications employing diffracting wave fields such as ultrasound, seismic, and low-frequency electromagnetic waves. One approach to diffraction tomography is the filtered back-back-propagation algorithm that has been suggested as a means for subsurface exploration in the oil industry. In this paper we investigate the influence of a number of factors on the quality of tomographic reconstructions obtained via the filtered backpropagation algorithm. These include the presence of strong scatterers, the approximate generation of plane waves, the attenuation of high-frequency components, the density of receivers, and the quality of the received signal. The objective of this study is the acquisition of information to serve as a basis for the design of field instrumentation and implementation of geophysical diffraction tomography. It is found that the density of receivers limits the size of the smallest features that can be imaged, while the loss of high-frequency components limits the image sharpness. The filtered backpropagation algorithm can yield adequate images with at least moderate noise added to the signal. Errors that can occur as a result of the approximate generation of plane waves can be overcome by an appropriate slant stack procedure. Isolated strong scatterers will be difficult to distinguish from weak scatterers in the reconstruction, and the presence of a strong scatterer could obscure nearby features.
The Relationship of Drug and Human Trafficking: A Global Perspective

Citation: Shelley, Louise. 2012. “The Relationship of Drug and Human Trafficking: A Global Perspective.” European Journal on Criminal Policy & Research 18 (3): 241–53. doi:10.1007/s10610-012-9175-1. Author: Louise Shelley Abstract:
Structure-activity analysis of thiourea analogs as inhibitors of UT-A and UT-B urea transporters.

Abstract Small-molecule inhibitors of urea transporter (UT) proteins in kidney have potential application as novel salt-sparing diuretics. The urea analog dimethylthiourea (DMTU) was recently found to inhibit the UT isoforms UT-A1 (expressed in kidney tubule epithelium) and UT-B (expressed in kidney vasa recta endothelium) with IC 50 of 2-3 mM, and was shown to have diuretic action when administered to rats. Here, we measured UT-A1 and UT-B inhibition activity of 36 thiourea analogs, with the goal of identifying more potent and isoform-selective inhibitors, and establishing structure-activity relationships. The analog set systematically explored modifications of substituents on the thiourea including alkyl, heterocycles and phenyl rings, with different steric and electronic features. The analogs had a wide range of inhibition activities and selectivities. The most potent inhibitor, 3-nitrophenyl-thiourea, had an IC 50 of ~ 0.2 mM for inhibition of both UT-A1 and UT-B. Some analogs such as 4-nitrophenyl-thiourea were relatively UT-A1 selective (IC 50 1.3 vs. 10 mM), and others such as thioisonicotinamide were UT-B selective (IC 50 > 15 vs. 2.8 mM).
Fire Insurance Rates and State Regulation

I. Introductory; peculiarities as regards fire insurance rates in the United States, 447. — How the price of indemnity differs from ordinary prices, 448. — II. The theory of these rates, 450. — Classification no sure way of measuring hazard, 452. — Analysis of hazard into component parts, 453. — Influence of geographical area, 455. — III. Conflagrations a disturbing factor in the United States, 457. — IV. State regulation of three kinds: (1) Valued policy laws, 458. — (2) Anti-coinsurance laws, 460. — (3) Anti-trust laws, 462. — Conclusion, 464.
Parametric Amplification of Ultrasound in Strong Magnetic Fields

When ultrasound propagates in a piezoelectric semiconductor, the acoustoelectric interaction between the acoustic flux and the conduction electrons leads to parametric amplification of acoustic waves offrequencies different from that of the initial ultrasonic wave. The acousto-electric interaction between the electrons and the ultrasound can be modified by applying a strong magnetic field transverse to the direction of propagation of the ultrasound. The application of the magnetic field is shown to lead to the enhancement of the parametric-amplification process for waves whose frequency lies in the vicinity or below the frequency of maximum linear gain (or loss) in high-mobility semiconductors such as InSb or GaAs. However, the threshold strain necessary to have the parametric amplification exceed the linear loss also increases with magnetic field owing to the large enhancement of the linear electronic losses with magnetic field.
Generation of cell type-specific monoclonal antibodies for the planarian and optimization of sample processing for immunolabeling

Efforts to elucidate the cellular and molecular mechanisms of regeneration have required the application of methods to detect specific cell types and tissues in a growing cohort of experimental animal models. For example, in the planarian Schmidtea mediterranea, substantial improvements to nucleic acid hybridization and electron microscopy protocols have facilitated the visualization of regenerative events at the cellular level. By contrast, immunological resources have been slower to emerge. Specifically, the repertoire of antibodies recognizing planarian antigens remains limited, and a more systematic approach is needed to evaluate the effects of processing steps required during sample preparation for immunolabeling. To address these issues and to facilitate studies of planarian digestive system regeneration, we conducted a monoclonal antibody (mAb) screen using phagocytic intestinal cells purified from the digestive tracts of living planarians as immunogens. This approach yielded ten antibodies that recognized intestinal epitopes, as well as markers for the central nervous system, musculature, secretory cells, and epidermis. In order to improve signal intensity and reduce non-specific background for a subset of mAbs, we evaluated the effects of fixation and other steps during sample processing. We found that fixative choice, treatments to remove mucus and bleach pigment, as well as methods for tissue permeabilization and antigen retrieval profoundly influenced labeling by individual antibodies. These experiments led to the development of a step-by-step workflow for determining optimal specimen preparation for labeling whole planarians as well as unbleached histological sections. We generated a collection of monoclonal antibodies recognizing the planarian intestine and other tissues; these antibodies will facilitate studies of planarian tissue morphogenesis. We also developed a protocol for optimizing specimen processing that will accelerate future efforts to generate planarian-specific antibodies, and to extend functional genetic studies of regeneration to post-transcriptional aspects of gene expression, such as protein localization or modification. Our efforts demonstrate the importance of systematically testing multiple approaches to species-specific idiosyncracies, such as mucus removal and pigment bleaching, and may serve as a template for the development of immunological resources in other emerging model organisms.
A comparative dynamic analysis of a growth model under alternate policy regimes

Abstract Comparative dynamic analysis is conducted on a growth model with variable price levels and wage rates. A perturbation technique is used to compare the economy's time paths near a balanced growth path in response to alternate policy regimes. Various dynamic policy multipliers are calculated in response to some of the alternate policy regimes such as the balanced-budget fiscal regime, the constant price regime, the full-employment regime, etc., to examine their dynamic implications on the economy's behavior. Temporary deviations in the fiscal variables are found to leave no permanent effects under all but one of the regimes examined.
Sediment and vegetation as reservoirs of Vibrio vulnificus in the Tampa Bay Estuary and Gulf of Mexico

The opportunistic pathogen Vibrio vulnificus occurs naturally in estuarine habitats and is readily cultured from water and oysters under warm conditions but infrequently at ambient conditions of <15°C. The presence of V. vulnificus in other habitats, such as sediments and aquatic vegetation, has been explored much less frequently. This study investigated the ecology of V. vulnificus in water by culture and quantitative PCR (qPCR) and in sediment, oysters, and aquatic vegetation by culture. V. vulnificus samples were taken from five sites around Tampa Bay, FL. Levels determined by qPCR and culture were significantly correlated (P = 0.0006; r = 0.352); however, V. vulnificus was detected significantly more frequently by qPCR (85% of all samples) compared to culture (43%). Culturable V. vulnificus bacteria were recovered most frequently from oyster samples (70%), followed by vegetation and sediment (∼50%) and water (43%). Water temperature, which ranged from 18.5 to 33.4°C, was positively correlated with V. vulnificus concentrations in all matrices but sediments. Salinity, which ranged from 1 to 35 ppt, was negatively correlated with V. vulnificus levels in water and sediments but not in other matrices. Significant interaction effects between matrix and temperature support the hypothesis that temperature affects V. vulnificus concentrations differently in different matrices and that sediment habitats may serve as seasonal reservoirs for V. vulnificus. V. vulnificus levels in vegetation have not been previously measured and reveal an additional habitat for this autochthonous estuarine bacterium.
Impact du Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act sur l'imagerie vasculaire

La mise en œuvre de la legislation Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act influencera la chirurgie vasculaire de plusieurs manieres. Comme l'imagerie explique 23% des revenus Medicare de Chirurgie Vasculaire Partie B, des chirurgiens vasculaires seront negativement affectes par des schemas et des methodologies de remboursement proposes par diverses agences. La Commission Consultative de Paiement de Medicare est une agence chargee par le Congres de revoir les politiques de paiement et les recommandations de changements. Bien que les recommandations actuelles soient orientees vers des services « avances » et plus couteux d'imagerie, les chirurgiens vasculaires et la communaute echographique sont consultes pour examiner de l'exterieur pour toutes les recommandations qui peuvent defavorablement effectuer l'acces et la satisfaction des patients.
High-Reliability FPGA-Based Systems: Space, High-Energy Physics, and Beyond

Field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) have been shown to provide high computational density and efficiency for many computing applications by allowing circuits to be customized to any application of interest. FPGAs also support programmability by allowing the circuit to be changed at a later time through reconfiguration. There is great interest in exploiting these benefits in space and other radiation environments. FPGAs, however, are very sensitive to radiation and great care must be taken to properly address the effects of radiation in FPGA-based systems. This paper will highlight the effects of radiation on FPGA-based systems and summarize the challenges in deploying FPGAs in such environments. Several well-known mitigation methods will be described and the unique ability of FPGAs to customize the system for improved reliability will be discussed. Finally, two case studies summarizing successful deployment of FPGAs in radiation environments will be presented.
Inferior Vena Caval Thrombosis Associated with Acute Pancreatitis: An Unusual Vascular Complication—Its Presentation and Management:

Vascular thrombosis and systemic hypercoagulable states are known complications of acute pancreatitis. They are thought to be secondary to the release of proteolytic enzymes of the pancreas. Inferior vena caval thrombosis is an extremely rare complication of chronic pancreatitis and has, to the authors' knowledge, never been reported in acute pancreatitis.The clinical presentation and radiographic findings are reviewed to illustrate the disease spectrum. Early treatment with intravenous heparin appears to be an effective therapy. Familiarity with this complication will aid physicians in its early diagnosis. However, a high degree of suspicion for this complication is necessary to make a diagnosis.
Scheduling policies for an on-demand video server with batching

In an on-demand video server environment, clients make requests for movies to a centralized video server. Due to the stringent response time requirements, continuous delivery of a video stream to the client has to be guaranteed by reserving sufficient resources required to deliver a stream. Hence there is a hard limit on the number of streams that can be simultaneously delivered by a server. The server can satisfy multiple requests for the same movie using a single disk I/O stream by sending the same data pages to multiple clients (using the multicast facility if present in the system). This can be achieved by batching requests for the same movie that arrive within a short duration of time. In this paper, we consider various policies for selecting the movie to be multicast. The choice of a policy depends very much on the customer waiting time tolerance before reneging. We show that an FCFS policy that schedules the movie with the longest outstanding request can perform better than the MQL policy that chooses the movie with the maximum number of outstanding requests. Additionally, if the user behavior can be influenced by guaranteeing maximum waiting time then it may be beneficial to pre-allocate a fixed number of streams for popular movies. Finally, we demonstrate using empirical distribution for movie requests, that a substantial reduction (of the order of 60%) in required server capacity can be achieved by batching.
Accelerating configuration interaction calculations for nuclear structure

One of the emerging computational approaches in nuclear physics is the configuration interaction (CI) method for solving the many-body nuclear Hamiltonian in a sufficiently large single-particle basis space to obtain exact answers - either directly or by extrapolation. The lowest eigenvalues and corresponding eigenvectors for very large, sparse and unstructured nuclear Hamiltonian matrices are obtained and used to evaluate additional experimental quantities. These matrices pose a significant challenge to the design and implementation of efficient and scalable algorithms for obtaining solutions on massively parallel computer systems. In this paper, we describe the computational strategies employed in a state-of-the-art CI code MFDn (Many Fermion Dynamics - nuclear) as well as techniques we recently developed to enhance the computational efficiency of MFDn. We will demonstrate the current capability of MFDn and report the latest performance improvement we have achieved. We will also outline our future research directions.