cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Long pathlength ultraviolet absorbance detection for gas chromatography with concurrent fluorescence measurement

Abstract Multimode gas-phase spectrometric measurements of gas chromatography (GC) eluates are made concurrently in a long pathlength cell. The 167-mm cell resulted in up to ten-fold improvements in limits of detection of GC eluates by UV absorbance relative to previous detectors. The concurrent measurement of UV fluorescence in the same cell provides highly selective detection for multi-ring polynuclear aromatics in addition to the selectivity of the absorbance measurement. Limits of detection for aromatic compounds range to low nanogram levels for the multimode detector.
Optical coherence tomography of cavernous nerves: a step toward real-time intraoperative imaging during nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy.

Objectives To demonstrate the use of optical coherence tomography (OCT) for imaging of the cavernous nerve (CN) and periprostatic tissues. The rates of nerve preservation and postoperative potency after radical prostatectomy might improve with better identification of the CN using emerging intraoperative imaging modalities. OCT is an imaging modality that allows for real-time, high-resolution, cross-sectional imaging of tissues. Methods Seven male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent surgery using a midline celiotomy to expose the bladder, prostate, and seminal vesicles. The CNs and major pelvic ganglion were identified. Visual identification of the CN was further confirmed by electrical stimulation with simultaneous intracorporeal pressure measurements. OCT images of the CN, major pelvic ganglion, bladder, prostate, and seminal vesicles were acquired and correlated directly with the histologic findings. Once a baseline technique for the scanning and interpretation of the acquired images was established using the rat model, OCT was used to image ex vivo human prostatectomy specimens. Results OCT provided unique imaging characteristics, differentiating the CN from the bladder, prostate, seminal vesicles, and periprostatic fat. OCT images of the CN and prostate correlated well with the histologic findings. OCT of ex vivo human prostatectomy specimens revealed findings similar to those with the rat experiments, with, however, less dramatic architecture visualized in part because of the thicker capsule and more dense stroma of human prostates. Conclusions The results of our study have shown that OCT provides real-time, high-resolution imaging of the CN in the rat model with excellent correlation to the histologic findings. This study provides a basis for the intraoperative use of this emerging technology during nerve-sparing prostatectomy.
The Mobile Generation: Youth and Adolescent Ownership and Use of New Media

The relatively recent invention of mobile tablets has changed the way children and adolescents use media technologies. Given that children and adolescents differ developmentally, we use Uses and Gratifications theory to explore ownership of mobile devices by young people and how children and adolescents use newer media technologies, including the Internet and mobile devices. Results from a national study of 909 children and adolescents, 8 to 17 years old, demonstrate that even younger children are avid users of new mobile devices, although ownership and use of mobile phones and tablets increases with age. Further, Internet use varies as a function of age, suggesting that children and adolescents may have different interests in and motivations to use new media technology, which play a role in their media use behavior.
Foreign policy in the Muslim world: A dialogue between state and society

Abstract In the wake of the demise of communism and the advent of the 1990–1991 Gulf War, there is concern among some Western elites about a possible Islamic challenge to the prevailing international order. This paper explores the validity of that concern by looking at patterns of interaction and the notion of foreign‐policy change in four countries in the Muslim world—Iran, Egypt, Algeria, and Indonesia, as well as some developments in the larger Muslim world. Juxtaposing social change on foreign policy, the article postulates that economic realism is the definitive force in the international relations of these states; “militant Islam” is more a tool of radical diplomacy than a manifestation of transnationalism; and ties between states in the Muslim world display a regional regime‐style orientation. Domestic Islamization is found to be a force, which, overall, is contributing to accountability and, therefore, rationalization in the foreign‐policy realm.
Fundamental flame-speed measurements in combustion gases containing CF3Br

We have been using an acoustically tuned flame tube to measure fundamental flame speed and flammability envelopes of premixed propane/air and methane/air that contain minute amounts of CF3Br. The flat propagation boundaries produced by this tube allow one to measure fundamental flame speed directly without having to make complicated velocity adjustments because of irregular flame shape. Measurement data show that flame speed decreases exponentially with the concentration of CF3Br regardless of the equivalence ratio, and more CF3Br is needed to make fuel-rich mixtures inert than to make fuel-lean mixtures inert. Consequently, one can attain significantly lower flame speed on the fuel-rich side of the flammability envelope. The implications of these data for gross extinguishment mechanisms indicate that CF3Br combines with free hydrogen radicals in competition with oxygen to interfere with chain-branching propagation.
Orientation Correlation during α→β Up-Transformation Induced by Electric Current Pulses in a Cu-Zn Alloy

In this work, the orientation of the β variants within a single parent α grain on the α→β up-transformation induced by electric current pulses in a Cu-Zn alloy was investigated. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) was used to determine the relationship between the α phase and the β variants. By EBSD analysis, it was found that crystallographic variant selection was observed not only across those prior α/α grain boundaries, but also within the α grain interior. Results revealed that the orientation relationship between the α phase and the β associated with nucleation from α phase was close to the Kurdjumov-Sachs (K-S) orientation relationship, which better described the orientation relationship for α nucleation within β grains.
The visualization of quadratures in the mystery of corollary 3 to proposition 41 of Newton's Principia

When Newton gave his general solution to the inverse problem of central forces in Proposition 41 of Book I of his Principia he offered only one concrete example, the orbits for an inverse cube force with the initial velocity perpendicular to the line to the force center. This example is contained in Corollary 3 to Proposition 41. As it stands in the Principia, Corollary 3 is essentially inaccessible. An explanation of the corollary in a manuscript written by Newton seven years after the publication of the Principia made the corollary accessible to persons with a knowledge of Latin and with significant training in mathematics and physics. This explanation was “evidently written” at the request of the mathematician David Gregory, so Gregory qualifies as one person for whom the corollary became accessible. But the corollary remained inaccessible to most people interested in the history of science. An English translation and notes written by Turnbull in modern times made Corollary 3 much more accessible, but even this further explanation did not go into sufficient detail. The heart of the mystery of Corollary 3 concerns what we call “the visualization of quadratures.” In this paper we go beyond Turnbull's notes and provide a detailed analysis which makes minimal requirements on the technical background of readers. It is our hope that in this way this single important example of Newton's pathbreaking work on the inverse problem will be rendered accessible to the majority of historians of science.
Measuring Ureagenesis In Vivo with Stable Isotopes Provides a Tool to Assess Efficacy of Gene Therapy for Ornithine Transcarbamylase Deficiency ♦ 727

Measuring Ureagenesis In Vivo with Stable Isotopes Provides a Tool to Assess Efficacy of Gene Therapy for Ornithine Transcarbamylase Deficiency ♦ 727
Reduced rapakivi-type granites: The tholeiite connection

Reduced rapakivi-type granites are the most iron enriched and reduced (i.e., least oxidized) of the “anorogenic” granite association. The low oxygen fugacity and chemical composition of these granites severely limit their sources. In this paper we argue that reduced rapakivi-type granites and their eruptive equivalents, high-potassium fayalite rhyolites, are derived from mafic sources, because tholeiitic magmas and their derivatives have the required low oxygen fugacity. Reduced, rapakivi-type granites are produced either by extreme differentiation of basaltic melts or by partial melting of underplated basalts and their differentiated equivalents. They form in extensional environments where the asthenosphere is present at shallow depths. We envision three stages in the origin of these rocks: (1) tholeiitic melts are emplaced at the base of the crust, (2) continued introduction of heat partially remelts these tholeiitic rocks, and (3) the hot, dry melts so produced migrate into the middle crust to produce rapakivi batholiths or erupt as rhyolites. Partial melting of felsic continental crust may accompany the intrusion of rapakivi-type magmas, thereby producing the other metaluminous and peraluminous granite compositions of the anorogenic suite.
Methodology for studying particle-particle triboelectrification in granular materials

A critical challenge for experimental studies of triboelectric charging is to generate reproducible and unambiguous data that can be linked to theoretical concepts. We have developed a methodology to investigate the triboelectric charging of granular materials due solely to particle–particle interactions (i.e. no particle–wall interactions). The methodology is based on a particle flow apparatus that generates a fountain-like flow in which the particles contact only other particles, but no equipment surfaces. Non-contact methods of measuring charge and separating particles by charge are employed so that probe-particle charging does not occur.
Analysis of tellurides of lead and tin by automatic titrations

Abstract An analytical method based on automatic potentiometric EDTA and redox titrations was developed for the analysis of tellurides of lead and tin.First, the sum of lead and tin is titrated at pH 4.5 by adding a known excess of EDTA and back-titrating with a standard lead solution. After addition of ammonium fluoride to mask the tin, the EDTA released from the Sn-EDTA complex is titrated with standard lead solution. Alternatively, after the determination of total lead and tin, lead may be determined by back-titration with standard lead on a separate sample aliquot using tartaric acid to mask the tin. Tellurium is separated as tellurous acid, which is then dissolved in a dilute sulfuric acid solution and oxidized by permanganate at room temperature; the excess permanganate is back-titrated with iron(II) solution automatically. This titration may also be used to determine tellurium in the presence of lead and tin after treatment with perchloric acid. Accuracies of 0.1-0.2% can be obtained.
Obstetric sphincter injury interacts with diarrhea and urgency to increase the risk of fecal incontinence in women with irritable bowel syndrome.

OBJECTIVES This study aimed to confirm that fecal urgency and diarrhea are independent risk factors for fecal incontinence (FI), to identify obstetrical risk factors associated with FI in women with irritable bowel syndrome, and to determine whether obstetric anal sphincter injuries interact with diarrhea or urgency to explain the occurrence of FI. METHODS The study is a supplement to a diary study of bowel symptoms in 164 female patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Subjects completed daily bowel symptom diaries for 90 consecutive days and rated each bowel movement for stool consistency and presence of urgency, pain, and FI. All female participants from the parent study were invited to complete a telephone-administered 33-item bowel symptom and obstetric history questionnaire, which included the fecal incontinence severity index. RESULTS Of the 164 women in the parent study, 115 (70.1%) completed the interview. Seventy-four (45.1%) reported FI on their diary including 34 (29.6%) who reported at least 1 episode per month, 112 (97.4%) reported episodes of urgency, and 106 (92.2%) reported episodes of diarrhea. The mean fecal incontinence severity index score was 13.9 (9.7). On multivariable analysis, FI was significantly associated with parity (P = 0.007), operative abdominal delivery (P = 0.049), obstetrical sphincter lacerations (P = 0.007), fecal urgency (P = 0.005), diarrhea (P = 0.008), and hysterectomy (P = 0.004), but was not associated with episiotomy, pelvic organ prolapse, or urinary incontinence. The synergistic interactions of obstetric anal sphincter laceration with urgency (P = 0.002) and diarrhea (P = 0.004) were significant risk factors for FI. CONCLUSIONS Fecal urgency and diarrhea are independent risk factors for FI, and they interact with obstetric anal sphincter laceration to amplify the risk of FI.
Infrared Radiative Properties Of the Maritime Antarctic Atmosphere

Abstract The longwave radiation environment of the Antarctic Peninsula and Southern Ocean has been investigated using radiometric Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) measurements of atmospheric emission in conjunction with detailed radiative transfer theory. The California Space Institute FTIR Spectroradiometer was deployed at Palmer Station, Antarctica (64°46′S, 64°04′W), where it made zenith sky emission measurements several times daily between 25 August 1991 and 17 November 1991. Emission spectra covered the entire middle infrared (5–20 µm) with one inverse centimeter spectral resolution. For FTIR data obtained under cloudy skies, a least-squares algorithm is used to match the emission spectra with discrete-ordinate radiative transfer calculations that are based on marine cloud microphysics. This algorithm provides a determination of cloud emissivity, and useful estimates of cloud optical depth and equivalent radius of the droplet size distribution. Temperatures in the lower troposphere between 259 K and...
Mechanical versus bioprosthetic mitral valve replacement in patients <65 years old.

Objective Because of its durability, the mechanical valve is typically chosen for young patients undergoing mitral valve replacement (MVR). However, a bioprosthetic valve might have the benefit of valve-in-valve transcatheter valve replacement when valve failure occurs. We examined the outcomes in patients who had undergone mechanical valve MVR (MVRm) versus bioprosthetic valve MVR (MVRb) in patients aged Methods A total of 768 consecutive patients aged Results Of 768 consecutive patients, 627 were in the MVRm and 141 in the MVRb group. Propensity score matching yielded a cohort of 125 MVRb (89%) and 125 control MVRm patients with similar etiology mixes. The groups were similar in age (MVRm, 53.2 ± 9.0 years; MVRb, 53.8 ± 10.6 years; P = .617) and other preoperative characteristics. The postoperative outcomes were also similar between the 2 groups, including reoperation for bleeding, stroke, deep sternal infection, sepsis, and length of hospital stay. The operative mortality was also similar (MVRm, 5.6%; MVRb, 8.0%; P = .617). However, Kaplan-Meier analysis showed the MVRb group had a greater reoperation rate ( P = .001) and shorter estimated survival (11.3 vs 13.5 years, P = .004). The incidence of bleeding and stroke or embolic events between the 2 groups was similar. Conclusions In the present report, MVRb for patients
A high-temperature comparator with rail-to-rail input voltage range

A high-temperature comparator with rail-to-rail input voltage range is presented. The design uses a 0.5-μm silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology. The rail-to-rail operation is achieved using two folded-cascode differential amplifiers operating in parallel as an input stage. The output of the appropriate amplifier is connected to the comparator output through a logic-controlled analog multiplexer. The simulations show that the comparator remains operational over the full rail-to-rail common-mode input voltage range, with somewhat degraded input offset voltage for input voltages close to either supply voltage.
Electrochemical characterization of lithiated transition metal oxide cathode particles in the absence of carbon, binders and other additives

Abstract A novel method is herein described for the electrochemical characterization of lithiated transition metal oxides in powder form as cathode materials for lithium ion batteries. The procedure involves application of sufficiently high pressures to a layer of oxide powder evenly dispersed on the surface of a Au foil so as to embed the particles into the soft metal substrate, thereby avoiding the use of carbon, binders and other additives. Implementation of this methodology for battery-grade LiMn2O4, LiCoO2 and LiCo0.15Ni0.85O2 particles supplied by various commercial sources yielded electrodes of excellent mechanical integrity displaying close to ideal cyclic voltammetric behavior in electrolytes of relevance to battery applications. The charge capacity of each of these compounds could be estimated quantitatively by dissolving the array of oxide particles in acid, once the electrochemical experiments were completed and then determining the amount of metal in the solutions by ICP-MS analysis. An analysis of voltammetric measurements as a function of scan rate yielded values of mean diffusion coefficients for Li in LiMn2O4 on the order of 5×10−10 cm2 s−1.
A NEW BASAL LINEAGE OF EARLY CRETACEOUS BIRDS FROM CHINA AND ITS IMPLICATIONS ON THE EVOLUTION OF THE AVIAN TAIL

Abstract: We report on a new Early Cretaceous bird from China that sheds significant light on the evolutionary transition between primitive birds with a long bony tail and those with a short tail ending in a pygostyle. A cladistic analysis of basal birds supports the placement of the new fossil as the sister-taxon of all pygostylians. Possessing a unique hand morphology with a phalangeal formula of 2-3-3-x-x and a reduced number of caudal vertebrae lacking a pygostyle, the new specimen reveals anatomical information previously unknown and increases the taxonomic diversity of primitive, non-pygostylian birds. We infer from the specimen that during the evolution of the avian tail, a decrease in relative caudal length and number of vertebrae preceded the distal fusion of caudals into a pygostyle.
On Truth and Multiple Denotation

If we think of denotation in a broad sense, we may say not only that, e.g., ‘Marni’ denotes the actual dog Marni but also that ‘dog’ denotes severally the dogs Marni, Fido, etc. What are ordinarily called class names thus come to denote severally the members of the class but not the class itself. This kind of a multiple denotation relation is a very simple as well as a very powerful semantical relation. In fact it can be taken as the fundamental relation of formal (extensional) semantics. Conceptually this denotation relation is akin to the relation of satisfaction studied by Tarski, although the two must be carefully distinguished. Satisfaction (in its simplest form) is a relation between objects and sentential functions of one variable. Denotation is taken as a relation holding, on the one hand, between what is ordinarily called a proper name and the object which it names, and, on the other, between what may be called a virtual class denotator and the objects which are members of the virtual class in question. (This relation will be characterized more precisely below.) Clearly the two relations, satisfaction in its simplest form and multiple denotation, are interdefinable in an appropriate formalism.
Distinct Mechanisms of Modulation of Angiotensin II Type I Receptor Gene Expression in Heart and Aorta

Abstract The purpose of the present study was to test the hypothesis that hypertension induced by reduced renal mass (RRM) upregulates gene expression of the type 1 angiotensin II (Ang II) receptor (AT1) in the thoracic aorta and heart through an Ang II–dependent mechanism. Three groups of rats were given 1% NaCl water and subjected to RRM, RRM plus captopril (RRM+Cap, 30 mg/kg per day), or sham surgery. Tail-cuff systolic blood pressure was significantly elevated in RRM and RRM+Cap rats compared with sham-operated rats. The ratios of the medial wall area of the thoracic aorta and heart weight to body weight were significantly elevated in RRM and RRM+Cap rats compared with sham-operated rats. Northern blot analysis indicated that the ratio of AT1 to GAPDH mRNA in the aorta was significantly higher in RRM (1.85±0.52) compared with sham-operated (0.21±0.04) and RRM+Cap (0.55±0.20) rats. In contrast, the ratio of AT1 to GAPDH mRNA in the heart was significantly increased in both RRM (1.09±0.23) and RRM+Cap (1.00±0.09) compared with sham-operated (0.34±0.06) rats. Thus, RRM hypertension upregulates AT1 mRNA expression in both the hypertrophied aorta and heart. Captopril treatment without altering blood pressure in RRM rats prevents the increase in AT1 mRNA in the aorta but not the heart. These results suggest that different tissue-specific mechanisms of AT1 gene regulation exist; ie, in aorta, an Ang II– or kinin-dependent mechanism is operant, whereas in heart, RRM-induced upregulation of AT1 mRNA may be pressure dependent.
The influence of the presence of adenovirus 5 E1a and E1b sequences on the pathology of rat embryonic fibroblasts transfected with activated c-Ha-ras and v-ras.

We compared the pathology of two groups of tumors following implantation of cells enmeshed in alginate beads into the syngeneic rat. The first group of tumors was generated by implanting alginate beads containing cloned embryonic fibroblasts (CREF) that were transfected with activated c-Ha-ras (T24) and v-ras (pH1) (CREF tumors). The second group was created by implantation of CREF cells that were transfected with E1a and E1b of wild type adenovirus type 5 prior to transfection with T24 and pH1 (Wt tumors). Alginate beads were implanted at three different sites in the rat, i.e. subcutaneous in the flank, subcutaneous in the tail and under the renal capsule. Tumorigenicity, invasiveness and metastatic capacity of the transfectant cell lines were determined. The tumor latency period (TLP), the doubling time of the tumors and the metastatic capacity of the cell lines depended on the site of implantation. Invasion was not influenced by site-dependency. Wt tumors were invasive and generally had longer TLP than the CREF tumors. Wt tumors did not metastasize to the lungs as opposed to CREF tumors. We concluded that the genetic background of Wt cells modulated the effect ofras transfection by stretching the TLP and by limiting the metastatic potential to the draining lymph nodes. Malignancyper se was not repressed since no differences in invasive capacity were noticed.
Participatory design for sustainable campus living

Participatory design methods have the potential to produce ethical and useful persuasive technologies, particularly in support of environmental sustainability. I present the use and results of ethnographically-inspired methods, Cultural Probes, and the Inspiration Card Workshop to generate concepts for new persuasive technologies for use by a college EcoHouse.
Cylindrically symmetric Green's function approach for modeling the crystal growth morphology of ice.

We describe a front-tracking Green’s function approach to modeling cylindrically symmetric crystal growth. This method is simple to implement, and with little computer power can adequately model a wide range of physical situations. We apply the method to modeling the hexagonal prism growth of ice crystals, which is governed primarily by diffusion along with anisotropic surface kinetic processes. From ice crystal growth observations in air, we derive measurements of the kinetic growth coefficients for the basal and prism faces as a function of temperature, for supersaturations near the water saturation level. These measurements are interpreted in the context of a model for the nucleation and growth of ice, in which the growth dynamics are dominated by the structure of a disordered layer on the ice surfaces.
Degradation of Continuous Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polyetherimide Composites During Induction Heating

Induction heating of carbon-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic-matrix composites has numerous advantages over conventional methods. Volumetric heating and high heating rates offer a significant reduction in cycle times for processing high-quality thick-section composites. However, the influence of high-frequency electromagnetic fields on the composite is not well understood. Two mechanisms of degradation during electromagnetic induction heating of AS4 carbon-fiber polyetherimide (PEI) were studied—thermal degradation and dielectric breakdown. Crosslinking and chain scission reactions are two major thermal degradation mechanisms that occur during melt processing of PEI. Changes in the molecular weight and glass transition temperature of the polymer were quantified over a wide range of process temperatures and times. The rheological properties of the composite system are also monitored to investigate viscosity changes due to molecular weight changes during the process. Dielectric breakdown during the induction ...
Tropical forest harvesting and taxation: a dynamic model of harvesting behavior under selective extraction systems

A dynamic model of selective harvesting in multi-species, multi-age tropical forests is developed. Forests are predicted to exhibit different optimal harvesting profiles depending on the nature of their joint cost functions and own or cross-species stock effects. The model is applied to the controversy about incentives produced by various taxes. The impacts of specific taxes are shown to depend on the composition of the forest stocks, growth rates, and joint cost effects. Therefore, specific taxes may create different incentives and impacts in Indonesia than in Brazil or Malaysia, for example, suggesting that no single uniform forest tax policy will be appropriate for all countries or all forests.
Use of Cold On-Column Injection for the Analysis of Putrescine and Cadaverine by Gas Chromatography

Putrescine and cadaverine are biogenic diamines that are produced during fermentation or spoilage of different food products. Therefore, they are used as indicators to determine food quality. Unfortunately, their chemical analysis is not an easy task. The use of "cold on-column" gas chromatographic (GC) injection together with a new base-deactivated fused silica capillary column is evaluated for the direct GC analysis of putrescine and cadaverine. Multiple injections of standard mixtures containing putrescine, cadaverine, and heptylamine are made in order to determine reproducibility. Standard mixtures at concentrations from 20 to 400 ppm are also injected to determine the linearity of response with both the column and the flame ionization detector. Excellent resolution of the three amines is achieved as well as symmetrical peaks. Multiple injections produce reproducibilities of 1 % for peak areas and 0.03% for retention times. A good linear response is obtained between concentrations of 20 to 400 ppm.
Influence of Pili on the Virulence of Proteus mirabilis in Experimental Hematogenous Pyelonephritis

The ability of heavily and lightly piliated Proteus mirabilis to infect the renal parenchyma was compared in a model of hematogenous pyelonephritis. Cortical abscesses occurred in 13 of 24 rats injected with lightly piliated P. mirabilis but in none of 24 rats challenged with heavily piliated organisms (P less than 0.001). Lightly and heavily piliated organisms were cleared from the vasculature equally rapidly and were also delivered to the kidney in equal numbers. During the first 24 hr, however, titers of the lightly piliated organisms in the kidney increased by 4 logs, whereas the heavily piliated P. mirabilis were virtually all eliminated. Pili are believed to mediate attachment to cell surfaces, and heavy piliation has been correlated with enhanced virulence when P. mirabilis invades the kidney across the pelvic mucosa. The results in this study suggest, however, that pili may adversely affect bacterial survival within the renal parenchyma.
Focus on Middle School: Honoring My Students' Names! Using Web 2.0 Tools to Create Culturally Responsive Literacy Classrooms

When I go off to Sacred Heart School, they are going to call me Luke because my I n quipa name is too hard. Nobody has to tell me this, I already know. I already know because when teachers try to s...
Prevalence of moderate–severe pain in hospitalized children

Summary Background: Acute pain management in children is often inadequate. The prevalence of pain in hospitalized children in the US is unknown. Methods: We reviewed clinical characteristics of all pediatric patients admitted to Mayo Eugenio Litta Children’s hospital during July 2009. Patients with moderate–severe pain were identified. For patients identified as having moderate–severe pain risk factors, analgesia regimens, and pain outcomes were reviewed. Results: The prevalence of moderate–severe in-hospital pain was 27% (95% C.I. 23% to 32%). Teenagers and infants experienced higher prevalence rates of moderate–severe pain (38% and 32% respectively) than children (17%, P < 0.001). In addition, patients admitted to medical services had much lower rates of moderate–severe pain (13%) than those admitted to surgical services (44%, P < 0.001). Regional anesthesia was used in eleven (7.2%) of the patients on surgical services. Acetaminophen was administered to 75% of patients with moderate–severe pain. Only 21% of these patients had nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) available. Opioids were given scheduled to 36% of patients with moderate–severe pain and as needed to another 40%. Fifty-five percent of patients still had one or more episode of moderate–severe pain on the day following an initial diagnosis; however, this number decreased steadily over subsequent days. Eleven patients (13% of those diagnosed with moderate–severe pain) still had one or more episodes of daily moderate–severe pain by day four. Conclusions: The prevalence of moderate–severe pain in hospitalized children remains high. Analgesia regimens may not be optimal. Underutilization of regional anesthesia techniques may have contributed to increased pain scores. A large proportion of children diagnosed with moderate–severe pain may have persistent clinically significant pain in subsequent days.
CD36 Induction on Human Monocytes upon Adhesion to Tumor Necrosis Factor-activated Endothelial Cells

Cell adhesion between circulating monocytes and the endothelium is a critical component of vascular thromboregulation and atherogenesis. The biochemical and genetic consequences of adhesion are poorly understood. We have found that monocyte surface expression of CD36, an integral membrane receptor for thrombospondin, collagen, and oxidized low density lipoprotein, increased dramatically upon adhesion to tumor necrosis factor-activated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Expression was assessed by indirect immunofluorescence microscopy and immunoblotting using monoclonal antibodies to CD36. Steady-state CD36 mRNA levels, detected by RNase protection assay, also showed a similar pattern of up-regulation. To verify the adhesion dependence of the observed phenomenon, monocytes were co-cultured with tumor necrosis factor-activated HUVEC in a transwell apparatus that physically separated monocytes from the endothelial cells. Under these conditions, no increase in CD36 expression was detected, demonstrating that the enhanced monocyte CD36 expression observed is not due to soluble factors released by HUVEC. To characterize the specific adhesion molecules involved in the process, co-culture assays were performed on murine L cells transfected with either human E-selectin or intercellular adhesion molecule-1 cDNAs. A dramatic increase in CD36 mRNA was seen upon monocyte adhesion to E-selectin-transfected L cells compared with adhesion to intercellular adhesion molecule-1 or control transfectants. Furthermore, monoclonal antibodies to E-selectin inhibited the adhesion-dependent up-regulation of CD36 mRNA induced by transfected L cells or cytokine-activated endothelial cells. These findings demonstrate adhesion-dependent gene regulation of monocyte CD36 and suggest the possible involvement of E-selectin in initiating this process.
Lobbyists before the U.S. Supreme Court Investigating the Influence of Amicus Curiae Briefs

Despite the fact that amicus curiae participation is the most common method of interest group activity in the judicial arena, there is little consensus as to whether this means of participation influences the decision making of the U.S. Supreme Court. To redress this state of affairs, this research investigates the affect of amicus briefs on the ideological direction of the Court's decisions, with particular attention given to theoretical and methodological issues that have gone unexplored in previous studies. Analyzing group influence during the 1946 to 1995 terms, the results provide particularly robust evidence that pressure groups are effective in shaping the Court's policy outputs. These findings therefore indicate that elite decision makers can be influenced by persuasive argumentation presented by organized interests.
Bulk Density of a Sandy Loam: Traffic, Tillage, and Irrigation-Method Effects

Modern crop production creates a cycle between soil compaction caused by traffic and alleviation of this condition by tillage or natural processes such as freezing and thawing. The objective of this study was to evaluate important management practices as they relate to changes in bulk density of a tilled sandy loam soil. Practices evaluated were irrigation method, time between tillage and traffic, tire pressure and wheel load of applied traffic, and controlled traffic. Relationships among bulk density, penetration resistance, and infiltration rate were determined. Experiments were conducted in the San Joaquin Valley of California, on a sandy loam soil (Entisol) with an organic-matter content of <1%. After tillage, settling and trafficking of a soil resulted in rapid changes in its bulk density until a new equilibrium was reached. Tire pressure of 408 kPa and wheel weight of 2724 kg applied at moisture contents near field capacity resulted in a bulk density of 1.92 Mg m- 3, compared with a value of 1.67 for no traffic. The time interval between tillage and traffic did not affect final bulk density. Drip irrigation, which did not saturate the soil, resulted in a bulk density of =0.1 Mg m-3 lower than flood irrigation, which saturated the soil surface. Wheel traffic in the furrow resulted in only small changes in the bulk density within the row. When tillage did not occur between cropping seasons, traffic caused high bulk densities in the furrow but only small changes in the row. An increase in bulk density from 1.7 to 1.89 Mg m- 3 decreased the infiltration rate by four times and increased resistance to penetration at the end of the season by three times. Knowledge of how management practices affect bulk density can aid growers in reducing recompaction following tillage.
Beneficence Re-examined: Protective Intervention in Mental Health

Social workers have long reacted negatively to the idea of limiting client freedoms, seeing such activity as directly contrary to such central social work values as autonomy and self-determination. Nevertheless, practitioners often find themselves required to actively intervene in a protective manner when clients are unable to fend for themselves. Such interventions are increasingly a part of everyday practice as social workers respond to new mandates to provide services to disabled and vulnerable individuals. Because of these changing circumstances, the concept of beneficence and the process of protective treatment are currently being re-examined, especially in mental health. This article develops a conceptual model of protective intervention that can be used by clinical decision makers in a variety of situations. Case examples drawn from work with chronically mentally ill patients are used to illustrate the discussion.
Random amplified polymorphic DNA for strain delineation within Candida tropicalis

Candida tropicalis DNA was used as a template in a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) utilizing a 10-mer primer to generate random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). RAPD patterns associated with 25 primers were obtained for six epidemiologically-unrelated isolates, then a subset of six primers were selected to screen a panel of 18 isolates of C. tropicalis and six isolates of Candida paratropicalis, a species that resembles C. tropicalis but has a sucrose-negative phenotype. The panel, which included nine epidemiologically-related isolates from an outbreak of sternal wound infections, was typed without knowledge of each isolate's origin. The RAPD profiles of the epidemiologically-related isolates were identical to very similar; in contrast, the profiles of most unrelated isolates showed more dissimilarity. While RAPD profiles of C. albicans and Candida parapsilosis differed substantially from those of C. tropicalis, the profiles obtained for C. paratropicalis were consistent with it being a variant of C. tro...
Whose Body? Whose Soul? Medical Decision-Making on Behalf of Children and the Free Exercise Clause Before and After Employment Division v. Smith

Within constitutional law, children’s rights have suffered from severe neglect. The issue of parents’ constitutional rights to deny children medical treatment based on religious belief is one area in desperate need of attention. Although the Supreme Court’s 1990 decision in Employment Division v. Smith seemingly set forth a relatively clear rule regarding the availability of exemptions from generally applicable laws - such as those requiring parents to ensure that their children receive appropriate medical care - Smith has changed little in this realm, and if anything, it has only confused matters, highlighting the intractable nature of the issue. While Smith emphasized the police power of the state over the individual’s religious motivations and revived the belief/conduct distinction, it also introduced the needlessly confusing concept of “hybrid rights,” which may encompass parental rights to control their children. This brief Essay argues that the Free Exercise Clause is in fact irrelevant to the issue of parents’ rights to make medical decisions for their children and that courts should begin to recognize this irrelevance. The cases involving such claims revolve almost entirely around issues that are largely unrelated to the parents’ religious exercise; in addition, it is unclear that they involve the sort of governmental coercion that is required in order to state a free exercise claim. This Essay concludes by exploring the possible implications of recognizing the irrelevance of parental free exercise in medical decision-making cases.
Technical Note-Sharper Bounds on Nonconvex Programs

Recently it was pointed out that the generalized Lagrange-multiplier method provides a sharper bound on a nonconvex program than does the solution of the program formed by taking convex envelopes of all functions involved in the original problem. This note points out that the bounds are the same if the original problem has only linear constraints, or if the problem is separable with certain properties, and give an example in which the bounds differ. The better bound is currently being used in locating global solutions of nonconvex, separable, piecewise-linear problems.
An investigation into the impact of photon scatter in the detection of /sup 67/Ga tumours using Channelized Hotelling and human observers

In /sup 67/Ga citrate SPECT imaging, significant downscatter may occur from higher energy photons into lower energy acquisition windows. As a result, it is possible that reconstructed image quality will be adversely affected. With these additional scattered photons, the effect of using more complex reconstruction strategies such as 3D detector response compensation (DRC) and attenuation correction (AC) is unclear. Through a combination of numerical Channelized Hotelling Observers (CHO) and human localization receiver operating characteristics (LROC) studies, an assessment is made of the degree to which tumour detection is affected in iterative SPECT reconstructions when scattered photons are included in the projection data. Decreased tumour detectability was observed when scattered photons are present in /sup 67/Ga projection data compared to primary photon only reconstructions. This decrease has been found to be statistically significant at the p < 10/sup -6/ level for both the human LROC and numerical observer studies. Furthermore, using numerical observer measurements, the addition of either AC or 3D DRC into the image reconstruction procedure is seen to improve lesion detectability compared to no compensation, but maximum lesion detectability occurs when both 3D DRC and AC are included.
Computational models of information scent-following in a very large browsable text collection

An ecological-cognitive fimnework of analysis and a modeltracing amhitecture are presented and used in the analysis cf data recorded flom users browsing a large document collection. The usem interacted with the Scatter/Gather browser, which clusters documents into groups of similar content and presents users with summaries of cluster content. Predictions made by a computational model d navigation and information foraging are matched against the observed activity.
Statistical parameters of the travel time for signals reflected or refracted at a rough surface

The travel time of signals reflected or refracted by a rough surface is investigated in the geometrical optics approximation. It is shown that surface roughness typically decreases the mean travel time in the case of large-scale roughness when only one specularly reflecting point moves randomly around its unperturbed position, resulting in a negative travel-time bias (toward early echoes). In the opposite limiting case of multipath propagation, when many specular points exist on a random surface, the travel-time bias is always positive.
The Genetics of Age-Related Health Outcomes

Journal of Gerontology: MEDICAL SCIENCES © The Author 2012. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America.Cite journal as: J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2012 May;67A(5):467–469 All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
The chronic disease data bank model: a conceptual framework for the computer-based medical record

Abstract The principles underlying the chronic disease data bank model are straight-forward; (1) the purpose of medical care is to improve patient outcomes; (2) patient outcomes in contemporary developed societies are overwhelmingly linked to chronic illnesses and degenerative processes and will become increasingly so; (3) such outcomes have multiple determinants including the psychological and social, as well as the biologic; (4) outcome antecedents (risk factors) may precede clinical illness by years or decades; and (5) these complex characteristics require for their study (a) computer aid and (b) longitudinal data. The chronic disease data bank provides an important resource, available to many investigators, for examination of the complex set of clinical and policy questions arising with long-term illness and addressing the questions of lifetime health. The chronic disease data bank consecutively enrolls eligible subjects, follows them for life, and amasses time-oriented, multidisciplinary data including clinical findings, medical history, demographics, treatments, resource utilization and disease outcomes, and assessing both the quality of life and its duration. Analyses are longitudinal and time-series in type, examining changes in trends and tempo of the disease, and are focused upon long-term outcomes. Outcomes are regularly and carefully assessed, and include the outcome dimensions of death, disability, discomfort, iatrogenic toxicity, and dollar cost. Specific studies address the description of the disease from biologic, demographic, economic, and social viewpoints, identify the factors associated with good and bad outcomes, and assess the effects of treatment, both good and ill. The clinical and policy goals are focused upon delaying transitions from more benign disease states to more serious ones, thus improving both longevity and the quality of life. The time is appropriate to consider generalization of the chronic disease data bank model to the usual clinical care situation, with large rewards in improvement of the quality of care. The traditional medical record lacks systematic documentation of end results and of important covariates related to health risks. As such, it cannot readily be used to assess the ultimate quality of care and to establish a feedback loop to change behaviors and there by improve outcomes. It is weak where the chronic disease data bank is strong. The technology is transferable.
Enflurane requirement for blocking adrenergic responses to incision in infants and children.

Background Enflurane is one of the most commonly used inhaled anesthetics in China, but its requirement to block adrenergic responses after skin incision in pediatric patients is still unknown. This study was to determine the minimum alveolar anesthetic concentration (MAC) of potent inhaled anesthetics required to blunt the adrenergic response to skin incision of enflurane (MACBAR) in infants and children.
Wave propagation in functionally graded materials by modified smoothed particle hydrodynamics (MSPH) method

We use the modified smoothed particle hydrodynamics (MSPH) method to study the propagation of elastic waves in functionally graded materials. An artificial viscosity is added to the hydrostatic pressure to control oscillations in the shock wave. Computed results agree well with the analytical solution of the problem. It is shown that, for the same placement of particles/nodes the MSPH method gives better results than the finite element method when the initial smoothing length in the MSPH method is 1.1times the distance between two adjacent particles. Effects of the artificial viscosity are also examined, and the optimum value of the linear artificial viscosity that minimizes the relative error in computed stresses is found.
Overcoming the Small Sample Size Problem in Hyperspectral Classification and Detection Tasks

Hyperspectral signatures provide a dense recording of reflectance values over a wide region of the spectrum. This potentially increases the class separation capacity of the data as compared to gray scale imagery (where most of the class specific information is extracted from spatial relations between pixels) or multi-spectral imagery (where reflectance values at a few spectral bands are recorded). Availability of this rich spectral information has made it possible to design classification systems that can perform ground cover classification and target recognition very accurately. However, this advantage of hyperspectral data is typically accompanied by the burden of requiring large training sets. Another ramification of having a high dimensional feature space is over-fitting of decision boundaries by classifiers, and consequently, poor generalization capacity. In this paper, we will analyze and quantify the classification performance (as represented by overall and target recognition accuracies and false alarm rates) using various popular dimensionality reduction techniques. In particular, we will study the efficacy of PCA, Regularized LDA and Stepwise LDA in a single-classifier framework, and the efficacy of LDA in a multi-classifier, decision fusion framework.