cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
California SARA Title III Section 313 data for reporting years 1987 and 1988

Abstract The Office of Hazardous Materials Data Management of the California Environmental Affairs Agency processes the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) forms sent to the State. These forms contain quantitative information on hazardous materials releases to air, water, and land, and are submitted annually to both state and federal governments. The forms are edited and the data entered into a data base resident on a microcomputer. Data from the reporting years of 1987 and 1988 has been processed. After excluding sodium sulfate from the 1987 data, due to the delisting of this chemical for 1988 reporting, the number of pounds reported for 1988 is reduced, compared to 1987, from 234 million pounds to 212 million pounds. Approximately the same number of companies filed in each reporting year—1,768 in 1987 and 1,681 in 1988. Much of the total of the chemical releases can be attributed to a small number of chemicals, industry types, or specific companies. While some reconciliation problems remain, such as from year to year and federal versus state, this information represents an important milestone towards the goal of obtaining comprehensive quantitative information on the release of hazardous materials into the environment.
Achromatic parvocellular contrast gain in normal and color defective observers: Implications for the evolution of color vision

The PC pathway conveys both chromatic and achromatic information, with PC neurons being more responsive to chromatic (L-M) than to achromatic (L+M) stimuli. In considering the evolution of color vision, it has been suggested that the dynamic range of chromatic PC-pathway processing is tuned to the chromatic content of the natural environment. Anomalous trichromats, with reduced separation of their L- and M-cone spectral sensitivities, have diminished chromatic input to PC-pathway cells. Dichromats, with absent L or M cones, should have no chromatic input to PC-pathway cells. Therefore, the PC-pathway dynamic range of color defectives should be released from any constraint imposed by the chromatic environment. Here we ask whether this results in compensatory enhancement of achromatic PC-pathway processing in color defectives. This study employed a psychophysical method designed to isolate PC-pathway processing using achromatic stimuli. In a pulsed-pedestal condition, a four-square stimulus array appeared within a uniform surround. During a trial, one of the test squares differed from the other three, and the observer's task was to choose the square that was different. A four-alternative, forced-choice method was used to determine thresholds as a function of the contrast of the four-square array to the surround. Seven color defective and four normal observers participated. Results showed no systematic differences between normals and color defectives. There was no enhancement of achromatic processing as compensation for reduced chromatic processing in the PC-pathway system in color defectives. From physiological recordings, PC-pathway achromatic contrast gains of dichromatic and trichromatic New World primates and trichromatic Old World macaques have also been shown to be similar to each other. Our study and the animal studies imply that PC-pathway contrast gain parameters were regulated by factors other than the environmental chromaticity gamut, and may have arisen in a nontrichromatic common ancestor to both Old and New World primates.
Renal Perfusion Is Preserved During Cardioselective β-Blockade With Metoprolol in Hypertension

Treatment of hypertension with β-adrenergic blockers may impair renal perfusion, perhaps because of β 2 -blockade in the renal vascular bed. We evaluated the effects of the cardioselective (β 1 , selective) β-blocker metoprolol upon renal hemodynamics, intravascular volume, and renal electrolyte handling in nine essential hypertensive men. Metoprolol normalized systemic BP without significant acute or chronic changes in glomerular filtration rate, renal plasma flow, or renal blood flow. Overall renal sodium excretion and fractional sodium excretion increased on chronic metoprolol, without changes in intravascular volume or renal excretion of other electrolytes. Thus, cardioselective β-blockade with metoprolol normalizes BP without renal hemodynamic impairment.
Probabilistic modeling of wind pressure on low-rise buildings

Abstract A third order Hermite polynomial PDF model is adapted from the literature and investigated as a robust model to represent fluctuating pressures over the surface of low-rise buildings. The relationship between skewness, kurtosis and the Hermite model shape parameters is numerically inverted and an approximate solution is developed to improve the accuracy and simplify the application of the Hermite model to measured data. The effective region with respect to skewness and kurtosis is established for the Hermite model. It is shown that wind pressure data from full scale and wind tunnel model low rise buildings fall within or very close to this effective region. Common PDF models utilized in wind engineering literature are compared with the Hermite PDF model for mildly and strongly non-Gaussian wind tunnel and full scale pressure datasets. The superior performance of the proposed Hermite PDF model is demonstrated.
Shape Recovery Model of a Curved Beam Using Piezoelectric Actuation

A thin composite curved beam under external loading is used to simulate different structures such as pressurized pipes, O-Rings etc. These products can undergo dynamic shape change and warping. A piezoelectric actuator is to be used to design for thin curved structures. Simple thin quarter circular beam geometry is analyzed with external loading at the free end. The orientation and placement of the piezoelectric material on a composite curved beam directly affects the deflection and stress applied to that beam. The optimal placement for an actuator for shape recovery was estimated.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Copper-zirconium tungstate composites exhibiting low and negative thermal expansion influenced by reinforcement phase transformations

A fully-dense Cu-75 vol pct ZrW2O8 metal matrix composite was fabricated by hot isostatic pressing of Cu-coated ZrW2O8 particles. A small amount of the high-pressure γ-ZrW2O8 phase was created during the cooldown and depressurization following densification; near complete transformation to γ-ZrW2O8 was achieved by subsequent cold isostatic pressing. The thermal expansion behavior of the composite between 25°C and 325°C was altered by the cold isostatic pressing treatment, and also depended on the length of time that had passed between thermal cycles. The measured thermal expansion coefficients within specific temperature ranges varied from −6·10−6 K−1 to far above the thermal expansion coefficient of the copper matrix. The complex temperature-dependent expansion/contraction behavior could be justified by considering the evolution of phase transformations taking place in the ZrW2O8 phase, which were observed by in-situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction measurements.
Retroperitoneal minilaparoscopic nephrectomy in the rat model.

Objectives. Development of small animal models for laparoscopic surgery is important for basic pathophysiologic and oncologic studies, instrument development, and surgical training. Although transperitoneal laparoscopy has been described in the rat, the technical feasibility of the retroperitoneoscopic approach for major renal surgery has not been reported previously. Herein, we describe the development of a rat model for retroperitoneal minilaparoscopic nephrectomy. Methods. Sixteen male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent a three-port bilateral retroperitoneoscopic nephrectomy using 2 and 3-mm instruments and optics exclusively. After developing the technique in 10 animals, the study was conducted in 6 animals. Following retroperitoneal balloon dilation and CO2 pneumoretroperitoneum (mean 4.5 mm Hg), nephrectomy was accomplished by intracorporeal en bloc ligation of the renal pedicle. To prevent peritoneal entry, the anterior surface of the kidney was mobilized subcapsularly. Volume of the created retroperitoneal space and peritoneal integrity were confirmed by a contrast x-ray study. Intraperitoneal pressure was monitored constantly during the procedure. Results. Mean surgical time was 74.5 minutes (range 60 to 95) and estimated blood loss was less than 1 mL. Mean volume of the retroperitoneal space was 8.4 mL after initial balloon dilation, and 11.5 mL after nephrectomy. Mean weight of the excised kidneys was 1.4 g. Inadvertent peritoneotomy occurred during 3 of 12 study nephrectomies. Complications included renal artery hemorrhage leading to death in 1 animal and renal vein injury in 1 animal. Conclusions. Laparoscopic retroperitoneal nephrectomy in the rat model is technically feasible. This novel small animal model can be used for further studies of the retroperitoneal laparoscopic approach.
SiON high-refractive-index waveguide and planar lightwave circuits

The rapidly growing optical communication market requires photonic components with ever-increasing functionality and complexity that can be fabricated reliably at low cost. Of the various approaches used to fabricate photonic components, those based on planar waveguides have achieved high performance and represent a promising path toward compact integration of optical functions. We present an overview of an approach used to produce an optical single-mode waveguide. Through its strong mode confinement, the approach makes it possible to integrate optical filter functions with higher functionality, as required for high-data-rate communication networks. The waveguide is based on the use of a silicon oxynitride (SiON) core and silicon oxide cladding layers, and can be fabricated using conventional chip fabrication techniques. Using the new approach, conventional passive optical components such as arrayed waveguide gratings for wavelength-division-multiplexed transmission systems can be fabricated in a more compact way than using standard silica-on-silicon waveguide methods. Moreover, the realization of more enhanced, adaptive optical functions such as finite- impulse-response as well as infinite-impulse-response filters is possible. Reconfiguration is achieved through the thermo-optic effect. A reconfigurable gain-flattening filter and an adaptive dispersion compensator are presented as examples.
Paleoceanographic and paleoclimatic context of Early Triassic time

Abstract The Early Triassic interval is dominated by unusual oceanic and climatic conditions that are perhaps unique to the Phanerozoic. Early Triassic oceans were likely anoxic and possibly alkaline while climate during the period was dominated by the expansion of deserts and the migration of warm, moist conditions to high Southern Hemisphere latitudes. Atmospheric O 2 levels apparently decreased during the period while CO 2 levels increased. The unusual and severe nature of many aspects of Early Triassic oceans and climate likely played a role in determining the timing and shape of the biotic recovery from the Permian–Triassic mass extinction. To cite this article: A.D. Woods, C. R. Palevol 4 (2005) .
Measurement of the Anatomic Position of the Corrugator Supercilii

Objective. To standardize the location of the corrugator supercilii by using known facial landmarks. Methods. The corrugator supercilii points of origin, insertion, and maximal muscle thickness were measured relative to the nasion and supraorbital notch in 21 cadavers. Comparisons of measurements between male and female cadavers were performed using a two-tailed t-test. Results. The location of the corrugator supercilii was variable but was not significantly different between males and females. From the nasion, the mean point of origin was 4 mm lateral and 6 mm superior, the mean point of insertion was 33 mm lateral and 16 mm superior, and the mean maximal muscle thickness was 16 mm lateral and 10 mm superior. At their point of greatest thickness, most corrugators were found to lie below the upper border of the superciliary arch. Conclusions. There is variability in the location of the corrugator supercilii that is not gender dependent. When injecting botulinum toxin into the corrugator supercilii, it might be advantageous if the lower forehead skin of the brow is elevated, thus allowing for more precise injection. This may achieve weakness of the targeted muscle with lower doses of botulinum toxin, thus lessening the risk of eyelid and brow ptosis.
CONCENTRATION QUENCHING OF FLUORESCENCE FROM CHLOROPHYLL‐a, PHEOPHYTIN‐a, PYROPHEOPHYTIN‐a AND THEIR COVALENTLY‐LINKED PAIRS*

— We have systematically investigated the quenching of pigment fluorescence in pyridine solutions of Chlorophyll-a, Pheophytin-a, Pyropheophytin-a, and their covalently-linked pairs. In all cases, the fluorescence decay curves could be fit within experimental error to a single exponential. Intermolecular quenching constants were computed by fitting the measured decay rate constant vs concentration curves to a power series in the concentration of the various species. Analysis of the shapes of these quenching curves provided information about the operant quenching mechanisms. For Chlorophyll-a and Pheophytin-a, the observed decay kinetics are consistent with a quenching mechanism in which singlet excitation is transferred from fluorescent monomers to relatively non-fluorescent dimers. For Pyropheophytin-a, on the other hand, the decay kinetics are consistent with a mechanism involving the collision between an excited monomer and a ground state monomer. For all three covalently-linked pairs, the decay kinetics are consistent with a mechanism in which singlet excitation is transferred from fluorescent ‘open’ forms to relatively non-fluorescent ‘closed’ forms. Difference absorption spectroscopy was used to obtain direct evidence for the formation of ground state dimers at higher pigment concentrations. Equilibrium constants for dimer formation computed from the kinetic data and difference spectral data were in good agreement, 3.2 M-1 and 1.4 M-1, respectively.
The Microstructure of Portland Cement-Based Materials: Computer Simulation and Percolation Theory

Portland cement-based materials are usually composites, where the matrix consists of portland cement paste. Cement paste is a material formed from the hydration reaction of portland cement, usually a calcium silicate material, with water. The microstructure of cement paste changes drastically over a time period of about one week, with slower changes occurring over subsequent weeks to months. The effect of this hydration process on the changing microstructure can be represented using computer simulation techniques applied to three dimensional digital image-based models. Percolation theory can be used to understand the evolving microstructure in terms of the three percolation thresholds that are of importance in the cement paste microstructure: the set point, capillary porosity percolation, and the percolation of the C-S-H phase.
Blood Pressure Measurement: Clinic, Home, Ambulatory, and Beyond

Blood pressure traditionally has been measured in the clinic setting using the auscultatory method and a mercury sphygmomanometer. Technologic advances have led to improvements in measuring clinic blood pressure and allowed for measuring blood pressures outside the clinic. This review outlines various methods for evaluating blood pressure and the clinical utility of each type of measurement. Home blood pressures and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressures have improved our ability to evaluate the risk of target-organ damage and hypertension-related morbidity and mortality. Measuring home blood pressures may lead to more active participation in health care by patients and has the potential to improve blood pressure control. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring enables measuring nighttime blood pressures and diurnal changes, which may be the most accurate predictors of risk associated with elevated blood pressure. Additionally, reducing nighttime blood pressure is feasible and may be an important component of effective antihypertensive therapy. Finally, estimating central aortic pressures and pulse wave velocity are 2 of the newer methods for assessing blood pressure and hypertension-related target-organ damage.
Status differences in cross-functional teams: Effects on individual member participation, job satisfaction, and intent to quit

Cross-functional teams (CFTs) play an increasingly important role in health care. However, despite their potential, CFTs often fail to function effectively. This paper contributes to the literature in medical sociology by examining how the steep and well-defined hierarchy characteristic of the health occupations proves to be dysfunctional in the CFT setting. Previous research has shown that status differences among members of work teams negatively affect their functioning. Yet the specific mechanisms that connect variations in status to poor team functioning remain unclear. We hypothesize that it is the suppression of participation among low status team members that leads to poor CFT functioning. Our theoretical model integrates status characteristics theory and the value attainment theory of job satisfaction to link team members' statuses to participation in team decision-making and, ultimately, to their attitudes about the job. We use causal modeling to test our hypotheses. Our results indicate that relationships between health professionals defined in broader social contexts affect status, roles, and functions within CFTs, and these, in turn, affect the team's interpersonal processes. We suggest changes in organizational structure and in team leadership styles that might make CFTs more effective.
Preaching matters: Replication and extension

Statistical evidence in a recent excellent paper by Lipford, McCormick, and Tollison shows a negative relationship between church membership and social misbehavior. This paper replicates that relationship using more comprehensive data by U.S. county. We provide theoretical support for the statistical evidence by showing that churches encourage appropriate behavior (thus providing property rights enforcement) because doing so benefits churches and their members. Aa church membership increases, property rights enforcement increases, although at a diminishing rate.
Process and Content in School Psychoeducational Groups

Concepts of process and content as they apply to psychoeducational group work in schools are explored in this study. Eight scholars in the field of group work defined and identified instances of process and content in psychoeducational groups. Content analysis and descriptive statistics were used to analyze these data. The culmination of this study suggests that these scholars could not easily identify instances of process or content on examination of a group transcript, nor were they unified in their definitions of these terms in the context of psychoeducational group work. Ultimately, this study raises important questions about the operationalized definitions of process and content and what these concepts are actually intended to describe.
Pleural mesothelioma in a cat.

Abstract A brief review of the literature on mesotheliomas is given along with the gross and histologic description of a pleural mesothelioma in a 3-year-old cat, believed to be the first record in this species.
An Exploratory Analysis of Critical Incidents of Closeness in the Mother/Son Relationship

The purpose of the current project was to investigate critical moments affecting closeness within the historically understudied mother/son relationship. A significant amount of research on the interpersonal qualities of the parent-child relationship has been conducted. A gap in knowledge regarding opposite-sex parent-child relationships, however, continues to exist. The purpose of this project was to identify significant life events that either increased or decreased closeness within the mother/son relationship, thereby altering the relational quality of the dyad. Using a critical incident methodology, 138 sons and 57 mothers (not related) participated in the study. Sons reported 130 critical incidents affecting closeness with his mother, resulting in six major categories of events. Mothers reported 72 critical incidents affecting closeness with her son, resulting in seven major categories of events. Both mothers and sons found considerable agreement concerning the moments affecting their perceptions of c...
Activity-dependent CREB phosphorylation: Convergence of a fast, sensitive calmodulin kinase pathway and a slow, less sensitive mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway

The cAMP-responsive element binding protein (CREB), a key regulator of gene expression, is activated by phosphorylation on Ser-133. Several different protein kinases possess the capability of driving this phosphorylation, making it a point of potential convergence for multiple intracellular signaling cascades. Previous work in neurons has indicated that physiologic synaptic stimulation recruits a fast calmodulin kinase IV (CaMKIV)-dependent pathway that dominates early signaling to CREB. Here we show in hippocampal neurons that the fast, CaMK-dependent pathway can be followed by a slower pathway that depends on Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), along with CaMK. This pathway was blocked by dominant-negative Ras and was specifically recruited by depolarizations that produced strong intracellular Ca2+ transients. When both pathways were recruited, phosphorylated CREB (pCREB) formation was overwhelmingly dominated by the CaMK pathway between 0 and 10 min, and by the MAPK pathway at 60 min, whereas the two pathways acted in concert at 30 min. The Ca2+ signals that produced only rapid CaMK signaling to pCREB or both rapid CaMK and slow MAPK signaling deviated significantly for only ≈1 min, yet their differential impact on pCREB extended over a much longer period, between 20 and 60 min and beyond, which is of likely significance for gene expression. The CaMK-dependent MAPK pathway may inform the nucleus about stimulus amplitude. In contrast, the CaMKIV pathway may be well suited to conveying information on the precise timing of localized synaptic stimuli, befitting its greater speed and sensitivity, whereas the previously described calcineurin pathway may carry information about stimulus duration.
Crystal Structure and Antiferromagnetic Ordering of Quasi-2D [Cu(HF2)(pyz)2]TaF6 (pyz=pyrazine)

The crystal structure of the title compound was determined by X-ray diffraction at 90 and 295 K. Copper(II) ions are coordinated to four bridging pyz ligands to form square layers in the ab-plane. Bridging \(\mathrm{HF}_{2}^{-}\) ligands join the layers together along the c-axis to afford a tetragonal, three-dimensional (3D) framework that contains \(\mathrm{TaF}_{6}^{-}\) anions in every cavity. At 295 K, the pyz rings lie exactly perpendicular to the layers and cooling to 90 K induces a canting of those rings. Magnetically, the compound exhibits 2D antiferromagnetic correlations within the 2D layers with an exchange interaction of −13.1(1) K. Weak interlayer interactions, as mediated by Cu-F-H-F-Cu, leads to long-range magnetic order below 4.2 K. Pulsed-field magnetization data at 0.5 K show a concave curvature with increasing B and reveal a saturation magnetization at 35.4 T.
The Politics of Dress in Somali Culture (Akou)

This work is a book review considering the title The Politics of Dress in Somali Culture by Heather Marie Akou.
Noninvasive measurement of total serum bilirubin in a multiracial predischarge newborn population to assess the risk of severe hyperbilirubinemia.

Background. Jaundice in near-term and term newborns is a frequent diagnosis that may prompt hospital readmission in the first postnatal week. Hyper- bilirubinemia, when excessive, can lead to potentially irreversible bilirubin-induced neurotoxicity. Predis- charge risk assessment (at 24 -72 hours of age) for subse- quent excessive hyperbilirubinemia is feasible by a lab- oratory-based assay of total serum bilirubin (TSB). Hypothesis. Noninvasive, transcutaneous, point-of- care measurement of transcutaneous bilirubin (TcB) pre- discharge by multiwavelength spectral analysis, using a portable BiliCheck device (SpectRx Inc, Norcross, GA), is clinically equivalent to measurement of TSB in a diverse, multiracial term and near-term newborn population and
Double Cationization with Alkali Ions in Liquid Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry

Abstract A unique double cat ionization process produces a singly charged ion (M+2Met)+in the LSIMS mass spectra of nitro-group containing organic molecules. In contrast to the usual replacement of a hydrogen by the second metal atom to form (M+2Met-H)+, there is no loss of hydrogen in the doubly cationized species. Since two positively charged metal ions are added to the neutral sample molecule, a one-electron reduction step must also be invoked. Product ion MS/MS spectra suggest that both metal cations are associated directly with the nitro group. For the nitro-group containing compounds studied, the double cat ionization production is preferentially formed with cesium and any other group I metal ion.
Measurement of the Gouy phase shift for surface plasmon polaritons

We measure the Gouy phase-shift of converging surface-plasmons as they evolve through the focus using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy. We perform numerical simulations to determine the surface field distribution and associate it with the Gouy phase-shift.
Antimicrobial Peptides, Innate Immunity, and the Normally Sterile Urinary Tract

Considering the anatomical location of the urethral meatus, it is surprising that urine is normally sterile. The defensive properties of uroepithelia help maintain this sterility as strategically necessary for long-term survival. Epithelia lining the urinary tract prevent adhesion of bacteria by release of Tamm-Horsfall protein, lactoferrin, lipocalin, and constitutive and inducible bactericidal antimicrobial peptides such as alpha- and beta-defensins and cathelicidin. Microbes that overwhelm these early defenses contact uroepithelia and activate an innate immune response through Toll-like receptor 4. With persistence of increasing numbers of microbes, chemokines (IL-8) and cytokines (IL-1 and TNFalpha) attract and activate large numbers of neutrophils and macrophages that damage tubulointerstitial parenchyma. The risk of serious infection in humans seems quite variable. Cathelicidin, for example, is a vitamin D-dependent gene, and vitamin D stores may influence susceptibility to urinary tract infection in selected individuals. As more knowledge accrues, vitamin D supplementation may someday be useful as adjuvant therapy in this setting.
A super low-noise 0.1 mu m T-gate InAlAs-InGaAs-InP HEMT

It is reported that 0.1- mu m T-gate InAlAs-InGaAs-InP HEMTs have exhibited state-of-the-art noise and gain performance well up to 100 GHz. Minimum noise figures of 0.8 and 1.2 dB with gains of 8.9 and 7.2 dB have been measured at 60 and 94 GHz, respectively. A high-performance W-band three-stage amplifier has been built using these devices with noise figures between 3.2-3.5 dB and a gain of 17.5+or-0.4 dB from 91 to 96 GHz. A 6-dB improvement in the 1-dB compression characteristic of the amplifier had been achieved with a GaAs pseudomorphic HEMT in the third stage. >
The Relative Earnings of Contingent Faculty in Higher Education

Part-time and full-time non-tenure-track faculty currently represent almost half of all faculty in U.S. higher education, yet little is known about their earnings relative to traditional tenure-track faculty. I find that full-time non-tenure-track faculty earn approximately 26% less per hour from their academic institution and 18% less in total earnings from all sources per hour than comparable tenure-track assistant professors. Part-time non-tenure-track faculty earn 64% less per hour from their institution, but only 1% less in total earnings per hour, than tenure-track assistant professors.
A Randomized, Prospective, Comparison Study of Polyethylene Glycol 3350 Without Electrolytes and Milk of Magnesia for Children With Constipation and Fecal Incontinence

OBJECTIVE. Our aim was to compare 2 laxatives, namely, polyethylene glycol 3350 without electrolytes and milk of magnesia, evaluating the efficacy, safety, acceptance, and 1-year outcomes. METHODS. Seventy-nine children with chronic constipation and fecal incontinence were assigned randomly to receive polyethylene glycol or milk of magnesia and were treated for 12 months in tertiary care pediatric clinics. Children were counted as improved or recovered depending on resolution of constipation, fecal incontinence, and abdominal pain after 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. An intent-to-treat analysis was used. Safety was assessed with evaluation of clinical adverse effects and blood tests. RESULTS. Thirty-nine children were assigned randomly to receive polyethylene glycol and 40 to receive milk of magnesia. At each follow-up visit, significant improvement was seen in both groups, with significant increases in the frequency of bowel movements, decreases in the frequency of incontinence episodes, and resolution of abdominal pain. Compliance rates were 95% for polyethylene glycol and 65% for milk of magnesia. After 12 months, 62% of polyethylene glycol-treated children and 43% of milk of magnesia-treated children exhibited improvement, and 33% of polyethylene glycol-treated children and 23% of milk of magnesia-treated children had recovered. Polyethylene glycol and milk of magnesia did not cause clinically significant side effects or blood abnormalities, except that 1 child was allergic to polyethylene glycol. CONCLUSIONS. In this randomized study, polyethylene glycol and milk of magnesia were equally effective in the long-term treatment of children with constipation and fecal incontinence. Polyethylene glycol was safe for the long-term treatment of these children and was better accepted by the children than milk of magnesia.
Cognitive Style, Personality Traits, and Treatment Attrition Among Alcoholics

The relationships among cognitive style, personality characteristics, and treatment attrition were examined. The Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT), Clinical Analysis Questionnaire (CAQ), and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) were administered to 78 inpatient alcoholic male veterans. Multiple linear regression analyses indicated that the GEFT and CAQ shared 24% common variance; second-order CAQ factors of Depression, Independence, and Extraversion contributed significantly. The GEFT and MMPI shared 16% common variance. Field-independent alcoholics demonstrate less psychopathol-ogy, more independence, and tend to be more introverted than field-dependent alcoholics. Cognitive style did not differ among four treatment attrition groups. Implications for treatment are discussed.
Initial ventilator settings for critically ill patients.

The lung-protective mechanical ventilation strategy has been standard practice for management of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) for more than a decade. Observational data, small randomized studies and two recent systematic reviews suggest that lung protective ventilation is both safe and potentially beneficial in patients who do not have ARDS at the onset of mechanical ventilation. Principles of lung-protective ventilation include: a) prevention of volutrauma (tidal volume 4 to 8 ml/kg predicted body weight with plateau pressure <30 cmH2O); b) prevention of atelectasis (positive end-expiratory pressure ≥5 cmH2O, as needed recruitment maneuvers); c) adequate ventilation (respiratory rate 20 to 35 breaths per minute); and d) prevention of hyperoxia (titrate inspired oxygen concentration to peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) levels of 88 to 95%). Most patients tolerate lung protective mechanical ventilation well without the need for excessive sedation. Patients with a stiff chest wall may tolerate higher plateau pressure targets (approximately 35 cmH2O) while those with severe ARDS and ventilator asynchrony may require a short-term neuromuscular blockade. Given the difficulty in timely identification of patients with or at risk of ARDS and both the safety and potential benefit in patients without ARDS, lung-protective mechanical ventilation is recommended as an initial approach to mechanical ventilation in both perioperative and critical care settings.
SDRE flight control for X-Cell and R-Max autonomous helicopters

This paper presents a state-dependent Riccati equation (SDRE) flight control approach and its application to autonomous helicopters. For our experiments, we used two different vehicles: an X-Cell-90 small hobby helicopter and a larger vehicle based on the Yamaha R-Max. The control design uses a 6-DOF nonlinear dynamic model that is manipulated into a pseudolinear form where system matrices are given explicitly as a function of the current state. A standard Riccati equation is then solved numerically at each step of a 50 Hz control loop to design the nonlinear state feedback control law online. In addition, a static nonlinear compensator is designed to address issues with the mismatch between the original nonlinear dynamics and its pseudolinear transformation.
Description of the NMC Global Data Assimilation and Forecast System

Abstract The National Meteorological Center's (NMC) Global Data Assimilation and Forecast System is described in some detail. The system consists of 1) preprocessing of the initial guess, 2) optimum interpolation objective analysis, 3) update of the initial guess, 4) initialization, 5) forecast, and 6) postprocessing of the forecast. The assimilation and forecast system are continually evolving; the version described here was implemented on 30 November 1988.
Recent performance of and plasma outage studies with the SNS H− source

Spallation Neutron Source ramps to higher power levels that can be sustained with high availability. The goal is 1.4 MW despite a compromised radio frequency quadrupole (RFQ), which requires higher radio frequency power than design levels to approach the nominal beam transmission. Unfortunately at higher power the RFQ often loses its thermal stability, a problem apparently enhanced by beam losses and high influxes of hydrogen. Delivering as much H(-) beam as possible with the least amount of hydrogen led to plasma outages. The root cause is the dense 1-ms long ∼55-kW 2-MHz plasma pulses reflecting ∼90% of the continuous ∼300 W, 13-MHz power, which was mitigated with a 4-ms filter for the reflected power signal and an outage resistant, slightly detuned 13-MHz match. Lowering the H2 gas also increased the H(-) beam current to ∼55 mA and increased the RFQ transmission by ∼7% (relative).
Histamine-2 receptor antagonists versus proton pump inhibitors for stress ulcer prophylaxis in the ICU

An evaluation of a recent study by MacLaren R, Reynolds PM, Allen RR et al : Histamine-2 receptor antagonists vs proton pump inhibitors on gastrointestinal tract hemorrhage and infectious complications in the intensive care unit. JAMA Intern Med 2014, 174: 564-574.
Impact of percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage on the outcome of laparoscopic cholecystectomy

AIM: The recommended treatment for acute cholecystitis is early laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) within 72 hours after onset of symptoms. However, palliative treatment using percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage (PTGBD) is often chosen for clinical and logistical reasons, including difficulty performing early surgery due to manpower constraints. The goal of this study was to investigate the clinical significance of PTGBD on the outcome of patients with cholecystitis in our hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Relationships between preoperative drainage status (treatment with or without PTGBD) and clinicopathologic factors were examined in 190 patients with cholecystitis who underwent LC. The short-term impact of preoperative drainage on prognosis was evaluated by univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Preoperative PTGBD was performed in 24 patients (12.6%). The average period between PTGBD and LC was 21.0 days. Preoperative PTGBD had a significant correlation with operation time and length of stay (LOS) after surgery (p<0.0001). In patients aged ≥65, preoperative PTGBD was found to be a significant short-term prognostic factor in univariate analysis (LOS: 10.43 vs. 5.39 days, p<0.0001) and multivariate analysis (p=0.0488). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative PTGBD is correlated with an extended hospital stay after surgery and is an independent short-term prognostic factor in cholecystitis patients aged ≥65 years old.
Recruitment, Follow-Up and Characteristics of HIV Infected Adults who Use Illicit Drugs in Southern Africa

Background: With one of the worst HIV prevalence rates in the world, Botswana has made great strides in addressing AIDS. Nevertheless, to fully contain the epidemic, outreach to marginalized groups, including illicit drug users, is critical. Objective: To conduct targeted outreach within an intervention trial to recruit HIV infected drug users and assess HIV disease and nutritional status. Method: Recruitment strategies included safeguarding confidentiality, involving ocal health-care professionals, advertising, and participation incentives. Urine toxicology, CD4 cell count, HIV viral load, blood chemistry, plasma micronutrients, dietary history, drug use and morbidity were assessed for two years. Results: Targeted outreach identified 138 HIV-infected persons who used marijuana; 18.1% had CD4 cell counts ≤ 350 cells/μL and 39.9% had low BMI. Eligible marijuana users (N=52) had significantly lower BMI (21.8 3.7 vs. 24.3 ± 5.3 kg/m2, P=0.001), higher HIV viral load (4.36 ± 0.89 vs. 4.09 ± 0.89 log10, P=0.018), and higher kilocalorie intake (1924 ± 1055 vs. 1620 ± 926 Kcalories, P=0.025) than those who did not use marijuana (N=748) with similar CD4 cell count. Marijuana users ≥ 40 years old had more opportunistic diseases (P=0.020) than non-users of the same age. Benzodiazepine use was detected among 57 participants and they had higher BMI than marijuana users (24.4 ± 6.8 vs. 21.8 ± 3.7 kg/m2, P= 0.017). Conclusion: A population stigmatized by illicit drug use and HIV-infection can be brought into a clinical research setting in Africa. HIV-infected marijuana users were at a risk for higher HIV viral load, lower BMI and more comorbidities than nonusers. Outreach to this marginalized group is important for containing the HIV epidemic.
Basal and stress-activated hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis function in postmenopausal women with overactive bladder

Introduction and hypothesis The aim of this study was to measure physiologic and psychologic stress reactivity in women with overactive bladder (OAB). There is growing evidence in preclinical models that central nervous system dysregulation, particularly in response to psychological stress, may contribute to lower urinary tract symptoms in women with OAB.
Postnatal development of rat vocal folds.

Objectives: In this study we aimed to determine the feasibility of using a rat model for the study of postnatal vocal fold (VF) development. Methods: Eighteen male rats that were 3 days old, 3 weeks old, or 8 months old were analyzed histologically with Alcian blue stain used for detecting hyaluronic acid, elastin-van Gieson stain for elastin, Oil Red O and gold chloride stains for vitamin A-containing lipid droplets, and immunohistochemistry for vimentin (general fibroblast marker) and collagen types I and III. Results: The macula flava (MF) was observed as a mass of cells that expressed vimentin intensively in the cytoplasm. The MF showed denser hyaluronic acid and collagen type I than did the midmembranous portion of the VF lamina propria. Clear developmental changes were evident in the MF and other regions. The vimentin-positive cells of the 3-day-old MF were mainly oval-shaped and had less cytoplasm, whereas those of the 8-month-old MF were spindle- and stellate-shaped and had more cytoplasm, similar to that reported in humans. Vitamin A-containing lipid droplets were limited to the 3-week-old and 8-month-old MFs and were not present in the 3-day-old VF. Conclusions: These results suggest that a rat model is useful in studying VF development and that vitamin A is related to the maturity of the VF.
Using Google Analytics to Understand Online Learning: A Case Study of a Graduate-Level Online Course

This study seeks to explore the potentials and limitations of using Google Analytics to analyze and visually display learning analytics in the context of advanced degree online programs. Using a graduate-level, open-access online course as a case, this study has reported key statistics regarding learners' demographics, online learning behaviors, and technology use over a period of three and half years. The findings are expected to demonstrate useful features of Google Analytics and its visualization tools, extend our understanding of learners' online learning behaviors at the individual course level, and inform the design and development of online educational resources and websites for collegiate contexts.
Number-Theoretic Analysis and Extensions of “the Most Complicated and Fantastic Card Trick Ever Invented”

(1984). Number-Theoretic Analysis and Extensions of “the Most Complicated and Fantastic Card Trick Ever Invented”. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 91, No. 5, pp. 284-289.
When is the personal professional in public child welfare practice?: The influence of intimate partner and child abuse histories on workers in domestic violence cases

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this article is to examine children's services workers' (CSWs') personal histories of abuse and their influence on professional responses to allegations of domestic violence. METHOD: Using an anonymous questionnaire, data were collected from CSWs in two large urban counties in Southern California who participated in a domestic violence training program (n=303). It was hypothesized that CSWs' responses to domestic violence cases would be affected by personal histories of abuse and the degree to which the CSWs identified with battered women. RESULTS: Approximately one-half of the respondents reported experiencing physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner. One-third of respondents reported physical abuse, and 22%, sexual abuse during childhood. The experience of childhood sexual abuse, especially for female CSWs, was associated with increased support for removal of children whose mother is being abused. Those CSWs with a history of partner violence who identified with battered women were less likely to approve of removing children from the battered mother than were CSWs without partner abuse history or identification with battered women. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide support for expanded training efforts that recognize the ongoing impact of victimization on CSWs' professional functioning. Language: en
Mississippi Communities for Healthy Living Results of a 6-Month Nutrition Education Comparative Effectiveness Trial

Background. Improving the diet of communities experiencing health inequities can be challenging given that multiple dietary components are low in quality. Mississippi Communities for Healthy Living was designed to test the comparative effectiveness of nutrition education using a single- versus multiple-message approach to improve the diet of adult residents in the Lower Mississippi Delta. Method. The single-message approach targeted discretionary calories while the multiple-message approach also targeted vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean protein. Delta food frequency questionnaires were used to measure participants’ diet, while the Healthy Eating Index–2005 (HEI-2005) was used to generate diet quality scores. Generalized linear mixed model regression was used to test for significant time, treatment, and time × treatment interaction effects in HEI-2005 component and total score changes. Results. The majority of participants in the single- and multiple-message arms (n = 114 and 127, respectively) w...
The Oral, Direct Factor Xa Inhibitor BAY 59-7939 Does Not Cross-React with Anti-Heparin/PF4 (Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia) Antibodies.

BAY 59-7939 is an orally bioavailable, small-molecule, direct Factor Xa (FXa) inhibitor in advanced clinical trials for the prevention and treatment of thromboembolic disorders. Unfractionated heparin and the low molecular weight heparins (LMWHs) are the current standards of care for patients requiring anticoagulation. However, their use can be restricted by heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), which may be associated with severe thrombotic complications. It has been reported previously that fondaparinux, a heparin-derived pentasaccharide that indirectly inhibits FXa, does not cross-react with anti-heparin/PF4 (HIT) antibodies. However, we have shown that increased sulfation of fondaparinux does result in strong cross-reactivity with HIT antibodies, leading to platelet activation/aggregation. Previous studies have shown that direct thrombin inhibitors (DTIs), such as argatroban and lepirudin, do not cross-react with HIT antibodies. Current guidelines for patients who have HIT recommend use of a DTI to prevent or treat associated thrombosis. This study was performed to evaluate whether BAY 59-7939 cross-reacts with HIT antibodies, in order to examine its potential as an alternative anticoagulant for the management of patients with HIT. The effect of BAY 59-7939 on platelet activation mediated by HIT antibodies was examined in sera collected from 63 patients diagnosed with HIT (HIT sera), using platelet aggregation assays, the [ 14 C]serotonin release assay, and flow cytometry for the detection of platelet P-selectin expression and platelet microparticle formation. Heparin, the LMWH enoxaparin, fondaparinux, and the DTI melagatran were included for comparison. BAY 59-7939 did not activate platelets or cause aggregation with any of the HIT sera tested, establishing that there is no interaction between BAY 59-7939 and HIT antibodies. As expected, heparin strongly activated platelets and caused their aggregation, and gave a positive response with 100% of the HIT sera tested. Enoxaparin showed positive responses with 73% of the sera. Of all the HIT sera tested, one exhibited a weak positive response with fondaparinux. As has been observed with other DTIs, melagatran did not cause any platelet activation or aggregation responses with the HIT sera. This study clearly demonstrates that BAY 59-7939, a novel, orally active, direct FXa inhibitor, does not interact with preformed HIT antibodies. Therefore, BAY 59-7939 has potential as a new option for the prevention and treatment of thrombosis in patients with HIT.
Molecular Modeling of an Electrophilic Addition Reaction with "Unexpected" Regiochemistry.

The electrophilic addition of a hydrohalic acid (HX) to an alkene is often one of the first reactions learned in second-year undergraduate organic chemistry classes. During the ensuing discussion of the mechanism, it is shown that this reaction follows Markovnikov’s rule, which states that the hydrogen atom will attach to the carbon with fewer substituents while the halogen atom will attach to the carbon with more substituents. However, in the preparation of tropic acid, the reaction of HCl with atropic acid (2-phenylpropenoic acid) does not follow this rule because it is a conjugated system. Molecular modeling of the possible carbocation intermediates suggests that the reaction follows a conjugate addition mechanism involving a 1,4-addition of HCl across the conjugated alkene and carboxyl group rather than addition across the alkene as students often first propose. PM3 semiempirical calculations are used to determine the energies of three possible carbocation intermediates. The energies obtained from the...