cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on otolaryngologic emergency department visits at two major NYC hospital systems.

Abstract Purpose Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, emergency departments (ED) across the country have seen a significant decrease in patient visits. We aim to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on ED visits for acute otolaryngologic complaints in New York City, one of the first epicenters of the pandemic in the US. Materials and methods We conducted a retrospective study of patients who presented to the ED with a primary diagnosis of an acute otolaryngologic complaint between March 1 and May 31 in 2019 and 2020. This was a multicenter study, including two tertiary care hospital systems encompassing Manhattan, Bronx, Queens, and Long Island. Results A total of 10,162 patients were identified. Significantly fewer patients presented to the ED for acute otolaryngologic complaints in 2020 (7332 vs 2830, p Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a reduction in the utilization of ED for acute otolaryngologic complaints, including those requiring emergent management, and an even more significant reduction in the pediatric population. Healthcare providers should encourage patients to seek appropriate care, particularly for those illnesses with significant associated morbidity and mortality.
Substance Abuse Issues Among Families in Diverse Populations

Contents * Introduction * Conditional Welfare: A Family Social Work Perspective on Mandatory Drug Testing * Kinship Care: A Cultural Resource of African American and Latino Families Coping with Parental Substance Abuse * The Role of Hawaiian Elders in Substance Abuse Treatment Among Asian/Pacific Islander Women * Perceptions of Parental Support by HIV Positive Asian and Pacific Islander American Gay Sons * Perspectives on Family Substance Abuse: The Voices of Long-Term Al-Anon Members * Effects of Family Involvement on Length of Stay and Treatment Completion Rates with Cocaine and Alcohol Abusers * Index * Reference Notes Included
Models and simulations

On-line mathematical models have been used successfully for computer controlled operation of SPEAR and PEP. The same model control concept is being implemented for the operation of the LINAC and for the Damping Ring, which will be part of the Stanford Linear Collider (SLC). The purpose of this paper is to describe the general relationships between models, simulations and the control system for any machine at SLAC. The work we have done on the development of the empirical model for the Damping Ring will be presented as an example.
Counselors' Attributions of Blame Toward Female Survivors of Battering

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a social problem that affects roughly 5.3 million women in the U.S. each year, accounts for 1,300 deaths, and often results in a number of physical and mental health consequences. Many women seek counseling as a way to find relief from the symptoms of the abuse they have endured. Previous research indicates that women seeking counseling after facing intimate partner violence victimization have reported experiencing counseling resources as inadequate or blaming. In the current study, counselors (N = 122) were surveyed regarding their gender role attitudes, ambivalent sexism, training in family violence, and attributions of blame toward women who have been battered. The regression analysis suggested that 16% of the variance in blame attributions was accounted for by gender role attitudes and ambivalent sexism. Study findings provide directions for future research and implications for practicing counselors.
Ruptured congenital sinus of Valsalva aneurysm.

Robert L. Smith, M.D.,∗ Anand Irimpen, M.D.,∗ Frederick R. Helmcke, M.D.,† and Edmund Kenneth Kerut, M.D.‡§ ∗Division of Cardiology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, †Department of Medicine, Section of Cardiology, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, ‡Departments of Pharmacology and Physiology, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, and ‡§Heart Clinic of Louisiana, Marrero, Louisiana
Barriers to self-monitoring of blood glucose among adults with diabetes in an HMO: a cross sectional study.

Recent studies suggest that patients at greatest risk for diabetes complications are least likely to self-monitor blood glucose. However, these studies rely on self-reports of monitoring, an unreliable measure of actual behavior. The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship between patient characteristics and self-monitoring in a large health maintenance organization (HMO) using test strips as objective measures of self-monitoring practice. This cross-sectional study included 4,565 continuously enrolled adult managed care patients in eastern Massachusetts with diabetes. Any self-monitoring was defined as filling at least one prescription for self-monitoring test strips during the study period (10/1/92–9/30/93). Regular SMBG among test strip users was defined as testing an average of once per day for those using insulin and every other day for those using oral sulfonylureas only. Measures of health status, demographic data, and neighborhood socioeconomic status were obtained from automated medical records and 1990 census tract data. In multivariate analyses, lower neighborhood socioeconomic status, older age, fewer HbA1c tests, and fewer physician visits were associated with lower rates of self-monitoring. Obesity and fewer comorbidities were also associated with lower rates of self-monitoring among insulin-managed patients, while black race and high glycemic level (HbA1c>10) were associated with less frequent monitoring. For patients taking oral sulfonylureas, higher dose of diabetes medications was associated with initiation of self-monitoring and HbA1c lab testing was associated with more frequent testing. Managed care organizations may face the greatest challenges in changing the self-monitoring behavior of patients at greatest risk for poor health outcomes (i.e., the elderly, minorities, and people living in low socioeconomic status neighborhoods).
Leucine Supplementation Has an Anabolic Effect on Proteins in Rabbit Skin Wound and Muscle

We investigated the effect of leucine supplementation on protein metabolism in skin wounds and muscle in anesthetized rabbits. l-[ring-(13)C(6)]phenylalanine was infused on d 7 after the ear was scalded, and the scalded ear and uninjured hindlimb were used as arteriovenous units to reflect protein kinetics in skin wounds and muscle. In comparison with a commercially available amino acid solution (10% Travasol), isonitrogenous [1638 micromol/(kg . h)] infusion of the amino acid solution with supplemental leucine to account for 35% of total nitrogen increased the net phenylalanine balance (P < 0.05) in the skin wound and muscle from -6.7 +/- 6.1 to 0.9 +/- 1.4 and from -4.4 +/- 2.4 to -1.0 +/- 0.4 micromol/(100 g . h), respectively. Infusion of leucine alone did not significantly improve the net phenylalanine balance in either skin wounds [-4.0 +/- 4.6 micromol/(100 g . h)] or muscle [-2.7 +/- 0.7 micromol/(100 g . h)]. We conclude that leucine supplementation had an anabolic effect on proteins in skin wounds and muscle, provided that adequate additional amino acids were also available.
Globalization of Bioethics Education

This collection of essays is a sequel of the Inaugural International Conference on Education in Ethics, organized by the International Association for Education in Ethics (IAEE), which took place in Pittsburgh, U.S.A. in May 2012. More than 200 scholars from 33 different countries participated in this conference. Since many of the presentations specifically highlighted the global development of bioethics education, an initiative was taken to elaborate several aspects of this development into chapters for this book.
Extension-bend-twist coupling behavior of thin-walled advanced composite beams with initial twist

An analytical model is developed for assessing the extension-bend-twist coupling behavior of nonhomogeneous anisotropic beams with initial twist. The model is formulated as a coupled two-dimensional boundary value problem, where the displacement solutions are defined with pretwist-dependent functions that represent the extension, bending, and torsion, and unknown functions that represent local in-plane deformations and out-of-plane cross-section warping. The unknown deformation functions are determined by applying the principle of minimum potential energy to a discretized representation of the cross section. Numerical results are presented that fully verify this approach and illustrate the strong extension-twist coupling behavior present in pretwisted beams with thin-wall laminated composite cross sections as a function of ply angle, initial twist level, and initial twist axis location. Cross-sections analyzed include; thin laminated rectangles with either asymmetric or symmetric ply stacking sequences and a thin-wall single cell D-section composed of a graphite/epoxy woven cloth.
How effective is the Newport/Aspen collar? A prospective radiographic evaluation in healthy adult volunteers.

Background: Cervical extrication collars are used in the evacuation of the injured to minimize secondary injury. These collars were designed for extrication and evacuation, not for longterm use, and complications have been reported when they have been used in the rehabilitation phase. The Newport/Aspen collar was designed specifically for long-term use. Methods: Using a radiographic method, the effectiveness of the collar in restricting motion was evaluated for the cervical spine as a whole and for constituent segments, occiput to C7, in 15 normal volunteers. Results: Combined flexion-extension was reduced from mean 98.8 to 31.1 degrees (31.5% of normal; p = 0.000000002), lateral bending was reduced from mean 31.1 to 15.9 degrees (51.1% of normal; p = 0,0000001), and overhead rotation was reduced from mean 64.6 to 26.8 degrees (41% of normal; p 0,000000002), The cervical spine, however, does not move as one unit; paradoxical motion, the phenomenon of "snaking," occurs. Goniometric techniques do not demonstrate this effect. Data are provided for motion by segmental level. Conclusion: Full cervical immobilization is a myth. It would seem logical to match the level-specific efficacy of the device to the level of injury. Data are provided for the Aspen collar.
Developmental psychopathology: a nine-cell map of the territory.

There are nine ways of explaining how development goes right and how it goes wrong. Which one is correct? All of them.
Percutaneous Translumbar Inferior Vena Cava Cannulation for Hemodialysis

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the percutaneous translumbar approach for long-term hemodialysis catheter access. Seventeen double-lumen hemodialysis catheters were placed percutaneously from the right flank to the inferior vena cava in 12 patients. Catheter placement was successful in all patients. Adequate flow rates were obtained. Seven episodes of thrombosis-related access failure occurred (0.33 episodes/100 days at risk). Two catheters were removed and five catheters were managed with urokinase infusion. Six episodes of infection occurred (0.28 episodes/100 days at risk). Four required catheter removal. Two catheters were removed after defects developed in the catheter. Five catheters were removed electively because catheter hemodialysis was discontinued. Four catheters remained in place. Cumulative patency was 52% at 6 months and 17% at 12 months. Translumbar inferior vena cava hemodialysis catheters represent a valuable alternative in cases in which traditional catheter sites have failed.
Design of stable biologically active recombinant lutropin analogs

Glycoprotein hormones are noncovalent heterodimers comprised of a common α subunit and a hormone-specific β subunit. Secretion and biologic action of these hormones are dependent on the formation of the heterodimer. The human LHβ subunit is unique among the other β subunits in that it assembles inefficiently with the α subunit. To bypass this rate-limiting step, we constructed the LH single chains where the carboxy terminus of β was fused to the amino terminus of α subunit through a linker. Compared to the human LH heterodimer, the extent of secretion was greater for the tethers although the rate was dependent on the nature of the linker. The LH single chains were biologically active even though there was loss of recognition by a LH-specific monoclonal antibody. This suggests that receptor binding of the single chains is not impaired by changes in the heterodimeric configuration resulting from tethering the subunits. In addition, single chains exhibited a remarkably greater in vitro stability than the heterodimer, implying that these analogs will be useful as diagnostic reagents and that their purification will be facilitated.
Charge heterogeneity in wildtype and variant glucocorticoid receptors

Two-dimensional electrophoresis was used to examine charge heterogeneity in glucocorticoid receptors (GCRs) from sublines of the thymic-derived, mouse P1798 lymphosarcoma which were sensitive (S) or resistant (R) to glucocorticoid-mediated apoptosis. Previous work had identified the 97 kDa wildtype GCR (WT-GCR) in S cells and two variant GCRs in R cells: a 45 kDa, steroid-binding truncated GCR (TR-GCR), and a 97 kDa non steroid-binding GCR (NSB-GCR). Using denaturing isoelectric focusing, we now show that S cells as well as adult mouse thymus gland also express the NSB-GCR at pI 5.6 in addition to the WT-GCR which resolves between pH 5.9-7.1. Thus, the NSB-GCR is detected in steroid-sensitive cells and is not unique to R cells. Separation of receptors by native isoelectric focusing suggested that the TR-GCR in R cells resolved at a single, high pI (8.1) relative to the WT-GCR which resolved in a broad range (pI 5.8-8.0). The high pI of the TR-GCR may alter its functional activity thereby contributing to the resistance phenotype.
Current approaches to the pharmacological management of Cushing's disease

If treatment of Cushing's disease (CD) by surgery is not successful, medical therapy is often required. Long-term use of metyrapone is limited by hirsutism and hypertension and escape because of increased ACTH levels. Although ketoconazole can normalize cortisol levels in 50%, liver toxicity limits its use. Mitotane, an adrenolytic agent, has had minimal use for benign disease. Etomidate is useful when rapid reduction in cortisol levels is needed. Cabergoline can normalize cortisol levels in CD in about one-third of patients and is well tolerated. Pasireotide can normalize cortisol levels in CD in about 25% but causes worsening of glucose tolerance in most patients. Mifepristone, a blocker of cortisol receptors, improves clinical aspects of CD in most patients but cortisol and ACTH measurements do not reflect clinical activity and adrenal insufficiency, hypokalemia, and endometrial hyperplasia can occur. Combinations of drugs can be tried in patients resistant to monotherapy.
The agency role of the physician in Ireland, Britain, and the USA

The USA and Britain have medical care delivery and financing systems which are polar opposites. The Irish system incorporates important features of both. Using original household survey data of medical care utilization in Ireland, and published data and studies of the USA and Britain, the effect of the incentive structures in the three systems on physician behavior, especially on the so-called agency role, is examined. We conclude that the incentive structure is of the utmost importance to policy makers concerned with health costs and economic rationality of medical care systems.
Phagocytosis and intracellular killing of MD-2 opsonized Gram-negative bacteria depend on TLR4 signaling

Both Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)– and MD-2–deficient mice succumb to otherwise nonfatal Gram-negative bacteria inocula, demonstrating the pivotal role played by these proteins in antibacterial defense in mammals. MD-2 is a soluble endogenous ligand for TLR4 and a receptor for lipopolysaccharide (LPS). LPS-bound MD-2 transmits an activating signal onto TLR4. In this report, we show that both recombinant and endogenous soluble MD-2 bind tightly to the surface of live Gram-negative bacteria. As a consequence, MD-2 enhances cellular activation, bacterial internalization, and intracellular killing, all in a TLR4-dependent manner. The enhanced internalization of MD-2–coated bacteria was not observed in macrophages expressing Lpsd, a signaling-incompetent mutant form of TLR4, suggesting that the enhanced phagocytosis observed is dependent on signal transduction. The data confirm the notion that soluble MD-2 is a genuine opsonin that enhances proinflammatory opsonophagocytosis by bridging live Gram-negative bacteria to the LPS transducing complex. The presented results extend our understanding of the role of the TLR4/MD-2 signaling axis in bacterial recognition by phagocytes.
Toxicity (EC50) comparisons of some animal wastes.

Toxicity of various animal wastes, after mixing with deionized water, for 1 and 24 hr, was measured using Photobacterium phosphoreum. The EC50 values determined by the ‘microtox’ toxicity test showed that the aqueous extracts of all animal wastes were toxic and the toxicity increased in the order: cattle, horse, sheep, pig and poultry. The observed toxicity was found not to be influenced by the amount of kjeldahl-N, NO3 or NH4 present in the waste-extract.
Application of NI Real-Time Hypervisor in Bellows Swing Measurement and Control System

Abstract Bellows is cylindrical thin-walled shell which has a reliable compactable structure. It is often used as a tie between engines and fuel tank.This measurement and control system can simulate the real status of the bellows in the space. The bellows which contains liquid substances can also be sway in a high frequency. The system is made by NI Real-Time Hypervisor, LabVIEW under the windows operating system. It is a real-time system whose control period is only 1ms.The hardware is simple too, one computer with dual-core processor and one signal conditioner chassis.
Transoral Flexible Endoscopic Therapy of Zenker's Diverticulum

can also be performed without the use of general anesthesia in many instances. A transoral flexible endoscopic approach successfully reduces cricopharyngeal sphincter pressure [6] . The septum can be divided with a variety of cutting instruments and accessories. It is unknown whether a transoral flexible endoscopic approach will show longterm results compared to rigid surgical therapy for long-term relief of symptoms. In one recent study in which 94% of patients underwent transoral rigid endoscopic therapy, durable relief of symptoms was noted in only ~40% of the cases (including recurrences) [7] . One limitation of the currently available flexible endoscopic data is the paucity of quality patient follow-up. In evaluation of the available studies, nearly one third demonstrate inadequate postprocedure follow-up. However, with improvements in techniques and technologies, we believe a complete myotomy can be achieved safely and effectively using a flexible transoral approach. Dear Sir, We read with interest the excellent article on surgical treatment of Zenker’s diverticulum (ZD) by Yuan et al. [1] . However, their citations on flexible endoscopic management of ZD are lacking. They cite only two articles from the initial description of flexible therapy of ZD from nearly 20 years ago. Since those two original descriptions, over 15 series involving more than 600 patients have been published [2–4] . Overall, the results of flexible therapy compare favorably to rigid endoscopic therapy. Indeed, one article retrospectively compared flexible and rigid endoscopic therapy showing similar outcomes [5] . Flexible endoscopic procedures are usually performed by gastroenterologists or surgical endoscopists in the endoscopy suite, whereas rigid endoscopic procedures are performed by surgeons in the operating room. The advantages of a flexible endoscopic approach rest in a wider visual field and flexibility and smaller endoscope diameter, which are especially useful for patients with poor neck extension and/or limited jaw retraction. It Published online: October 29, 2013
ANNA LIVIA & KIRA HALL (eds.), Queerly phrased: Language, gender, and sexuality . (Studies in sociolinguistics.) Oxford & New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. Pp. xix, 460. Pb $24.95.

This, the fourth American anthology about language and sexual minorities, is more consistently professional, more focused on written texts, less focused on explicating rhetorical effects, and considerably more focused on gender than its predecessors (Chesebro 1981, Ringer 1994, and Leap 1995). Why “sexuality” is included in the subtitle at all is a mystery. In contrast to Leap's pioneering collection, sexual practices are almost entirely invisible (inaudible?) herein. The editors claim to have “collected a series of articles that approach the study of language from the twin perspectives of gender and sexuality, conceived as separate but intricately linked categories” (p. 5); but it seems that, in utero, gender throttled sexuality (while sex, either in the sense of biological differences or in the sense of tactile contact, was never conceived).
Deconstructive politics: A critique

Both Reiner Sch?rmann and John Caputo have recently published major studies in which they articulate what they take to be capital requirements of any contemporary responsible political thought and practice. Both acknow? ledge and detail their heavy debts to Heidegger's work. But each of them makes it explicit that his conclusions concerning politics are his own. Each, with some important differences from the other, characterizes his own position as deconstructivist. In this paper, I will not discuss the use either of them makes of Heideg? ger. Rather, I will concentrate on the conclusions for politics each of them reaches. I will argue, with some help from Merleau-Ponty, that both of their positions are insufficient for responsible politics. Though neither position is without merit, both are too underdetermined to provide adequate guidance either for political thought or for political practice. Both in effect deprive themselves of a genuine "usable past." Their failures are of different sorts, and Caputo's is perhaps less severe. Nonetheless, both are left with too meager resources with which to articulate a fully defensible politics. Such a failure may well be irremovable from any deconstructive politics. But even if it is not, an analysis of these two cases indicates, without explicit argu? ment, the plight of a politics which cannot avail itself of the tutelage of history.
The effect of insulin insufficiency on plasma thyroid hormones and some metabolic constituents in Pacific hagfish, Eptatretus stouti.

Abstract The effect of guinea pig anti-human insulin serum was studied in Pacific hagfish. The metabolic indicators of insulin insufficiency, such as elevation of plasma glucose, free fatty acids, and α-amino nitrogen levels were obtained at 72 and 120 hr after anti-insulin serum injection. Plasma triiodothyronine levels declined significantly 24 hr after anti-insulin serum administration. These findings supplement earlier data with the same species and suggest that the regulatory metabolic action of insulin and thyroid hormones are related in cyclostomes.
Evaluation of public health risks at recreational beaches in Lake Michigan via detection of enteric viruses and a human-specific bacteriological marker.

Abstract Each year the National Resource Defense Council addresses the quality of US beaches by routine bacterial indicators. In the Great Lakes region the indicator used is Escherichia coli and for 2007 more beaches were closed and impacted than ever before. In this study, water quality was addressed at two Lake Michigan Beaches over the 2004 swimming season by monitoring infectious enteric viruses by cell culture and integrated PCR and for a human sewage marker based on the Enterococcal Surface Protein ( esp ). Our goals for this study were to 1) examine the occurrence and variety of human enteric viruses present during peak usage of the beaches 2) determine key variables for development of predictive models for viruses; and 3) use quantitative risk assessment to estimate the potential health impact. Our results demonstrate that for both beaches predictive models of virus pollution were best described utilizing physical parameters like wind speed, wind direction and water temperature. The esp marker was not predictive of human viruses. The daily risk of acquiring a viral infection at either of the beaches ranged from 0.2 to 2.4/1000 swimmers using a quantitative microbial risk assessment model, with three swims during a day at the beach for children and over the season, the risk was 9–15/1000 swimmers using adenovirus as the model. Conclusions : Lake Michigan recreational beaches are being adversely impacted by human fecal pollution. Monitoring for the traditional indicators of water quality does not address viral risks and models can be developed and potentially used as real-time water quality forecasting tools.
Altered intrarenal accumulation of mercury in uninephrectomized rats treated with methylmercury chloride.

Abstract We tested the hypothesis that the intrarenal accumulation of mercury in rats treated with methylmercury is altered significantly as a result of unilateral nephrectomy and compensatory renal growth. Renal accumulation of mercury was evaluated by radioisotopic techniques in both uninephrectomized (NPX) and sham-operated (SO) rats 1, 2, and 7 days after the animals received a nonnephrotoxic intravenous dose of methylmercury chloride (5 mg/kg Hg). At all times studied after the injection of the dose of methylmercury, the renal accumulation of mercury (on a per gram kidney basis) was significantly greater in the NPX rats than that in the SO rats. The increased accumulation was due to a specific increase in the accumulation of mercury in the outer stripe of the outer medulla. Renal cortical accumulation of mercury was similar in both the NPX and SO rats. The percentage of the administered dose of mercury that was present in the total renal mass of the NPX and SO rats ranged between 5 and 15, depending on the day that the renal accumulation was studied. Approximately 40–50% of the total renal burden of mercury in both the NPX and SO rats was in the inorganic form. However, only less than 1% of the mercury in blood was in the inorganic form at the three times accumulation was studied. Very little mercury was excreted in the urine by either the NPX or SO rats. Only about 2 to 3% of the administered dose of mercury was excreted in the urine in 7 days. By contrast, the cumulative fecal excretion of mercury over 7 days was substantial in the NPX and SO rats, and significantly more mercury was excreted in the feces by the NPX rats (about 19% of the dose) than by that in the SO rats (about 16% of the dose). In conclusion, our findings indicate that unilateral nephrectomy and compensatory renal growth cause a significant increase in the accumulation of mercury in the renal outer stripe of the outer medulla in rats exposed to methylmercury. In addition, the findings indicate that the fecal excretion of mercury is also significantly increased.
Outcomes of placebo therapy in inflammatory bowel disease

Placebo is important in assessing drug response, particularly in diseases characterized by spontaneous periods of acute exacerbation and quiescence. Randomized, placebo-controlled trials are the most objective means of evaluating drug efficacy, although the conduct of such clinical trials may not always be practical or ethical in all disease states. In inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), most patients experience intermittent episodes of active disease alternating with variable periods of remission. Thus, development of new medical therapies for IBD requires proof of superiority to placebo or alternative therapies. In this regard, knowledge of the outcomes of patients receiving placebo therapy and their influencing factors is important for proper study design and meaningful results. Such knowledge also is essential for interpreting results of open-label studies often necessary before randomized controlled trials can be conducted. In addition, the disease course of placebo-treated patients in clinical trials of IBD serves as an approximation of the natural history of these patients. The knowledge of placebo response in these patients provides clinicians with an important piece of information in prognosticating and making management decisions. This review presents our current knowledge of placebo therapy in IBD. Specifically, the existing literature on the outcomes and predictors of outcomes in patients receiving placebo therapy in clinical trials of IBD is reviewed.
Ultra-High Performance Concrete History and Usage by the Corps of Engineers

The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) has conducted research on ultra-high performance concretes (UHPCs) since the late 1980 s. The primary focus has been on military and civil works infrastructure applications. The research included the development of a UHPC material called Cor-Tuf Baseline, which includes several derivatives including a patented material. This paper presents the ERDC's historical experience with UHPCs, including constituent materials, laboratory-scale production, and heat treatment, typical microstructure, and pathways for scaling up production. Case studies are also presented on ongoing research focused on the use of fiber-reinforced UHPCs for repair and retrofit of armor plate systems in U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) inland navigation civil works infrastructure and ongoing long-term field durability testing at the Treat Island Natural Weathering Station near Eastport, ME.
"Passage to India": Whitman and Lucretius

Identifies an image in "Passage to India" indebted to Lucretius and describes the more general Lucretian influence on the poem, finding Whitman's attitudes toward Lucretius mixed.
A unified perspective on decision making and decision support systems

Abstract The lack of consensus on the meaning and role of decision support systems (DSSs), in the market and in academia, indicates that DSS as a field is not maturely defined and modeled. Moreover, an integrated view of the field is necessary to assess the role and value of DSS products and services. Such a view is also a prerequisite for understanding the issues of integration, as well as the potential contributions of artificial intelligence (AI) and expert systems (ES). This paper presents a unified and dynamic model showing the relationships of knowledge, information, decision, and action in the decision process. DSS modeling is viewed as a logical deduction of the utility (goal) structure. Using the framework of the model, the sequence and phases of decision making are revised. The concept of situation model is introduced. Four categories of information are addressed: instruction, historical, predicted value of alternatives, and patterns. The role of existing and potential support systems and their evolution toward utilization of ES and AI are discussed.
Role of heparin binding growth factors in nigrostriatal dopamine system development and Parkinson's disease

Abstract The developmental biology of the dopamine (DA) system may hold important clues to its reconstruction. We hypothesized that factors highly expressed during nigrostriatal development and re-expressed after injury and disease may play a role in protection and reconstruction of the nigrostriatal system. Examination of gene expression in the developing striatum suggested an important role for the heparin binding growth factor family at time points relevant to establishment of dopaminergic innervation. Midkine, pleiotrophin (PTN), and their receptors syndecan-3 and receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase β/ζ, were highly expressed in the striatum during development. Furthermore, PTN was up-regulated in the degenerating substantia nigra of Parkinson's patients. The addition of PTN to ventral mesencephalic cultures augmented DA neuron survival and neurite outgrowth. Thus, PTN was identified as a factor that plays a role in the nigrostriatal system during development and in response to disease, and may therefore be useful for neuroprotection or reconstruction of the DA system.
Estimation of Middle Distillate Fuel Properties by FT-IR

As an alternative to established laboratory protocols, partial leastsquares (PLS) regression models based on Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra were developed for the rapid and simultaneous determination of several middle distillate fuel properties. Requiring less than 2 mL of sample, the PLS models use a single wavelength range of baseline-uncorrected FT-IR spectra. Several preprocessing parameters were investigated, including mean-centering of the raw spectra and mean-centering of first- and second-difference spectra. In addition, modification to the calibration parameters included varying the number of cross-validation rotation samples from 5 to 50, applying a baseline correction to the spectra, and using restricted wavelength regions. In order to obtain an accurate estimate of the prediction error, we applied the method provided by Faber and Kowalski [Appl. Spectrosc. 51, 660 (1997)] that corrects for the measurement error in the reference values. On the basis of this work, the following middle distillate fuel properties may be confidently estimated by FT-IR: gravity, API ; density, g/mL; kinematic viscosity, cSt, 40 °C; boiling point at 50% recovery, °C; cetane index; carbon, wt %; hydrogen, wt %; carbon-to-hydrogen ratio, C/H; net heat of combustion, MJ/Kg (or BTU/lb); monocyclic aromatics, wt %; dicyclic aromatics, wt %; polycyclic aromatics, wt %; and total aromatics, wt %. Estimation of several other properties is also possible where reduced precision is acceptable.
Descriptive epidemiology of small intestinal atresia, Atlanta, Georgia

To describe the epidemiology of small intestinal atresia (SIA) in Atlanta, Georgia, from 1968 through 1989, we used the Metropolitan Atlanta Congenital Defects Program, an active, population-based surveillance system for birth defects diagnosed during the first year of life. We identified 176 infants with SIA, a prevalence of 2.8 per 10,000 livebirths. Among black infants, the prevalence was 3.7 per 10,000 livebirths, significantly higher than the prevalence of 2.4 per 10,000 among white infants [relative risk (RR)=1.6, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.1,2.1]. Nine infants were each one member of a unique pair of twins. The prevalence among twin infants was 7.3 per 10,000, significantly higher than the prevalence of 2.8 per 10,000 among singletons (RR=2.7, 95% CI=1.4,5.2)
Gene silencing of CD47 and antibody ligation of thrombospondin-1 enhance ischemic tissue survival in a porcine model: implications for human disease.

Background:Insufficient tissue perfusion underlies many acute and chronic diseases. Tissue perfusion in turn requires adequate blood flow, determined in large part by the relative state of relaxation or constriction of arterial vessels. Nitric oxide (NO) produced by vascular cells modulates blood fl
The current role of colony-stimulating factors in prevention and treatment of neonatal sepsis

Abstract Objectives: To review the role of colony-stimulating factors as adjuncts in the therapy of neonatal sepsis. Data summary: Data provided by animal experiments and in vitro experiments in human neonates demonstrate the inability of newborn infants to significantly upregulate colony-stimulating factor expression during infectious challenge. In a few clinical trials, exogenous administration of colony-stimulating factors has been associated with reduced neonatal morbidity and mortality. However, reviewing the existing data on colony-stimulating factor administration in neonates, evidence for efficacy and benefit of these adjuncts in treating neonatal sepsis still appears to be poor. Conclusion: Further randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials, particularly for the subgroups of premature infants or infants with neutropenia, are urgently warranted before routine application of these cytokines can be recommended.
Management of lead foreign body ingestion

Previous reports of lead foreign body (PbFB) ingestion by children include two cases of lead intoxication and two cases that resulted in death. It is generally accepted, however, that PbFB ingestion does not pose a risk of lead toxicity, provided that the PbFB is not retained in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Recent experience with two cases substantiates this belief. On separate occasions, two 9-year old girls ingested a PbFB. The first patient developed only mild, vague GI complaints. The highest reported blood lead level (BLL) was 15 mcg/dl. The second patient did not develop symptoms, and the highest reported BLL was 22 mcg/dl. Both patients passed the PbFB in the stool within two weeks. These cases suggest that PbFB ingestions can be treated in a manner similar to other uncomplicated foreign body ingestions.
Strategies for helping young adults with severe mental disorders.

SUMMARY Severe mental illness is defined in terms of psychosocial development and attention is given to socio-economic forces in these patients' lives. The difficulties faced by the young, severely mentally ill persons in the United States is discussed and data regarding prevalence and treatment strategies are outlined with implications for individual and family therapy modalities. Programs with a wide range of psychosocial, vocational and housing support systems together with counseling are emphasized as integral components if young, emotionally disabled persons are to be sustained in the community. The lay and professional communities must be mobilized to provide the needed resources. Available and accessible innovative programmatic concepts together with a more hopeful attitude on the part of professionals can make a difference.
State-space model of a class of switched-mode DC-DC power supply

This paper addresses state-space modeling for a class of switched-mode power supplies. The proposed state-space model is composed of multiple dynamics that switch among each other according to pulse width modulation (PWM) signals applied to each transistor and other conditions. The verification test has shown that the model output is very close to that of the actual system and the effectiveness of the proposed modeling approach has been demonstrated.
Use of Spanish moss as an atmospheric monitor for trace elements

Samples of Spanish Moss (Tillandsia usneoides L.) were analyzed by neutron activation analysis (NAA) and inductively coupled argon plasma emission spectrometry (ICP) for trace elements as atmospheric environmental monitors. The plant material was collected at a single location in east Texas, then deployed along a 6×6 matrix gridwork in the extreme northeastern corner of the state. The study area includes several possible pollution sources including fossil fuel fired power plants. Two separate study periods were conducted, one during the summer months of 1989 and the other the following winter. Concentrations of about 35 elements were determined and contour plots for each element were pepared for each study period. Concentration ranges were found to be somewhat lower than those reported in other studies using epiphytic plants as environmental indicators. Initial correlations between elements and the possible relationships to pollution sources are discussed.
Reorganization energetics for ferrocene oxidation/reduction in self-assembled monolayers on gold

Electron-transfer rates in ferrocene-containing alkanethiolate monolayers on gold electrodes were measured as a function of temperature using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry. Reorganization energies for the ferrocene oxidation half-cell reaction obtained from fits to peak potential versus log (scan rate) data are compared with activation energies obtained from Arrhenius analyses of the standard rate constants measured at different temperatures. The Arrhenius analysis yielded activation energies that were consistently lower than one-fourth of the reorganization energy obtained from analyses of individual fast-scan voltammetry data sets at a fixed temperature. This discrepancy is interpreted in terms of a non-zero entropic contribution to the activation energy. The magnitude of this entropic contribution is consistent with expectations based on the reported reaction entropy for the ferrocene half-cell reaction in water.
WE-G-BRF-05: Feasibility of Markerless Motion Tracking Using Dual Energy Cone Beam Computed Tomography (DE-CBCT) Projections

Purpose: To compare markerless template-based tracking of lung tumors using dual energy (DE) cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) projections versus single energy (SE) CBCT projections. Methods: A RANDO chest phantom with a simulated tumor in the upper right lung was used to investigate the effectiveness of tumor tracking using DE and SE CBCT projections. Planar kV projections from CBCT acquisitions were captured at 60 kVp (4 mAs) and 120 kVp (1 mAs) using the Varian TrueBeam and non-commercial iTools Capture software. Projections were taken at approximately every 0.53° while the gantry rotated. Due to limitations of the phantom, angles for which the shoulders blocked the tumor were excluded from tracking analysis. DE images were constructed using a weighted logarithmic subtraction that removed bony anatomy while preserving soft tissue structures. The tumors were tracked separately on DE and SE (120 kVp) images using a template-based tracking algorithm. The tracking results were compared to ground truth coordinates designated by a physician. Matches with a distance of greater than 3 mm from ground truth were designated as failing to track. Results: 363 frames were analyzed. The algorithm successfully tracked the tumor on 89.8% (326/363) of DE frames compared to 54.3% (197/363) of SE frames (p<0.0001). Average distance between tracking and ground truth coordinates was 1.27 +/− 0.67 mm for DE versus 1.83+/−0.74 mm for SE (p<0.0001). Conclusion: This study demonstrates the effectiveness of markerless template-based tracking using DE CBCT. DE imaging resulted in better detectability with more accurate localization on average versus SE. Supported by a grant from Varian Medical Systems
An Improvement Over Guttman Scalogram Analysis: A Computer Program for Evaluating Cumulative, Nonparametric Scales of Dichotomous Items

This article mentions some of the problems associated with the criteria of reproducibility and scalability as they are commonly used in Guttman scalogram analysis to evaluate cumulative, non-parametric scales of dichotomous items. It then describes the advantages of criteria developed by Loevinger (1948) and Mokken (1971) to evaluate such scales. A short SAS computer program is presented which analyzes response patterns elicited by dichotomous scales designed to be cumulative. The program computes Loevinger's H as index of the scalability (cumulativeness) of a set of items as well as Mokken's Hi for each item indicating the degree of scalability of each item with respect to the other items of a given scale.
An Evaluation Framework For Distributed Collaboration Tools

This paper provides an approach to evaluating collaboration tools for distributed teams. Selected tool characteristics that increase tool usefulness will be presented and this set of characteristics will be used as the evaluation framework. The value of each tool will be determined by the amount of characteristic presence. A number of tools will be evaluated with this framework.
Why members stay in or leave an R&D consortium: performance and conditions of membership as determinants of continuity

This paper jointly examines performance and conditions surrounding membership as determinants of the decision to stay or leave an R&D consortium. Hypotheses were developed for performance and, by drawing from power dependence and transaction cost theories, for conditions surrounding membership. Analysis of survey questionnaire data from 184 member organizations of U.S.-based R&D consortia indicates that performance and the conditions of knowledge-related involvement, network ties, learning, and alternatives are related to the decision to stay in or leave. These results provide limited support for power dependence but are more consistent with transaction cost theory. Subsequent analyses revealed an interaction between performance and membership conditions, suggesting performance leads to the conditions of membership, and that the continuity decision for a poorly performing consortium differs from that for one performing well. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Application of Hertz vector diffraction theory to the diffraction of focused Gaussian beams and calculations of focal parameters

Hertz vector diffraction theory is applied to a focused TEM00 Gaussian light field passing through a circular aperture. The resulting theoretical vector field model reproduces plane-wave diffractive behavior for severely clipped beams, expected Gaussian beam behavior for unperturbed focused Gaussian beams as well as unique diffracted-Gaussian behavior between the two regimes. The maximum intensity obtainable and the width of the beam in the focal plane are investigated as a function of the clipping ratio between the aperture radius and the beam width in the aperture plane.
Spatial heterogeneity and the stability of predator-prey systems: Predator-mediated coexistence

Abstract A model for two competing prey and one predator in an environment consisting of many discrete, identical patches is developed. Conditions are derived determining which species will be present as a function of the dispersal abilities of the three species. One of the major predictions of the model is that intermediate levels of predation give the greatest chance of coexistence. This, and other results, are related to studies of natural communities in the intertidal and elsewhere.
Study on the Mechanlsm of Interleukin-1 Induced Increase in Surfactant Protein A. † 237

Injection of interleukin-1α (IL- 1α) into the amniotic fluid accelerates the maturation of the surfactant system, improves the lung stability after premature birth, and upregulates the expression of surfactant protein A (SP-A) and SP-B. According to preliminary study, IL-1α increases SP-A mRNA in explants of the immature lung (Pediatr Res 37:61A, 1995). The aim of the present study was to investigate the mechanism of the IL-1 induced increase in SP-A mRNA.
Hue is an absolute code for young children

THE question of how young children see, remember, and learn represents a recurring theme in psychology. Bryant1 has argued provocatively that “young children can on the whole register and remember relative values with great ease, but have problems in situations in which they must remember absolute values along any continuum”. Bryant shows1 how this view of early cognitive functioning accounts for the results from studies of children's responses to several environmental continua of a perceptual nature (for example, orientation, size, and position). I have, however, observed that young infants respond to changes of wavelength in a manner which indicates that they code hue absolutely.
The Rites of Domination: Practice, Process, and Structure in Lower Courts

In this article I develop a model explaining how certain practices and processes that operate in and around lower courts are shaped by and support class and gender inequities in the wider society. Analyzing an Antiguan case for child support, I show that everyday activities in the courts reproduce rather than eliminate hegemony, and that they have complex and contradictory consequences for litigants. I distinguish 12 “rites of domination” to explain why reform of prevailing structures of domination is so difficult. [Caribbean, structures of domination and resistance, legal processes, class, gender].