cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Outcomes after redo aortobifemoral bypass for aortoiliac occlusive disease

Objective Patients presenting with occluded aortobifemoral (ABF) bypass grafts are managed with a variety of techniques. Redo ABF (rABF) bypass procedures are infrequently performed because of concerns about procedural complexity and morbidity. The purpose of this analysis was to compare midterm results of rABF bypass with those of primary ABF (pABF) bypass for aortoiliac occlusive disease to determine if there are significant differences in outcomes. Methods A retrospective review was performed of all patients undergoing ABF bypass for occlusive disease between January 2002 and March 2012. A total of 19 patients underwent rABF bypass and 194 received pABF bypass during that period. Data for an indication- and comorbidity-matched case-control cohort of 19 elective pABF bypass patients were collected for comparison to the rABF bypass group. Primary end points included rate of major complications as well as 30-day and all-cause mortality. Secondary end points were amputation-free survival and freedom from major adverse limb events. Results The rABF bypass patients more frequently underwent prior extra-anatomic or lower extremity bypass operations compared with pABF bypass patients (P = .02); however, no difference was found in the incidence of prior failed endovascular iliac intervention (P = .4). By design, indications for the rABF and pABF bypass groups were the same (claudication, n = 6/6 [31.6%]; P = 1; critical limb ischemia, n = 13/13 [78.4%]; P = 1). Aortic access was more frequently by retroperitoneal exposure in the rABF bypass group (n = 13 vs n = 1; P Conclusions Patients undergoing rABF bypass have higher procedural complexity compared with pABF bypass as evidenced by greater operative time, blood loss, and need for adjunctive procedures. However, similar perioperative morbidity, mortality, and midterm survival occurred in comparison to pABF bypass patients. These results support a role for rABF bypass in selected patients.
Morbidity and mortality associated with gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

Surgery alone is often inadequate for advanced-stage gastric cancer. Surgical complications may delay adjuvant therapy. Understanding these complications is needed for multidisciplinary planning. The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) database was queried for patients who underwent gastrectomy for malignancy (ICD-9 code 151.x) from 2005 to 2010. Thirty-day mortality and morbidity were evaluated. Overall, 2,580 patients underwent gastrectomy for malignancy, divided as total gastrectomy 999 (38.7 %) and partial gastrectomy 1,581 (61.3 %). Overall, serious morbidity occurred in 23.6 %, and the 30-day mortality was 4.1 %. Patients receiving a total gastrectomy were younger and healthier than those receiving a partial gastrectomy for the following measured criteria: age, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and hypertension. Serious morbidity and mortality were significantly higher in the total gastrectomy group than the partial gastrectomy group (29.3 vs. 19.9 %, p < 0.001; and 5.4 vs. 3.4 %, p < 0.015, respectively). The inclusion of additional procedures increased the risk of mortality for the following: splenectomy (odds ratio [OR] 2.8; p < 0.001), pancreatectomy (OR 3.5; p = 0.001), colectomy (OR 3.6; p < 0.001), enterectomy (OR 2.7; p = 0.030), esophagectomy (OR 3.5; p = 0.035). Abdominal lymphadenectomy was not associated with increased morbidity (OR 1.1; p = 0.41); rather, it was associated with decreased mortality (OR 0.468; p = 0.028). Gastrectomy for cancer as currently practiced carries significant morbidity and mortality. Inclusion of additional major procedures increases these risks. The addition of lymphadenectomy was not associated with increased morbidity or mortality. Strategies are needed to optimize surgical outcomes to ensure delivery of multimodality therapy for advanced-stage disease.
SU-E-J-137: Incorporating Tumor Regression Into Robust Plan Optimization for Head and Neck Radiotherapy

Purpose: To develop a robust planning paradigm which incorporates a tumor regression model into the optimization process to ensure tumor coverage in head and neck radiotherapy. Methods: Simulation and weekly MR images were acquired for a group of head and neck patients to characterize tumor regression during radiotherapy. For each patient, the tumor and parotid glands were segmented on the MR images and the weekly changes were formulated with an affine transformation, where morphological shrinkage and positional changes are modeled by a scaling factor, and centroid shifts, respectively. The tumor and parotid contours were also transferred to the planning CT via rigid registration. To perform the robust planning, weekly predicted PTV and parotid structures were created by transforming the corresponding simulation structures according to the weekly affine transformation matrix averaged over patients other than him/herself. Next, robust PTV and parotid structures were generated as the union of the simulation and weekly prediction contours. In the subsequent robust optimization process, attainment of the clinical dose objectives was required for the robust PTV and parotids, as well as other organs at risk (OAR). The resulting robust plans were evaluated by looking at the weekly and total accumulated dose to the actual weekly PTV and parotid structures. The robust plan was compared with the original plan based on the planning CT to determine its potential clinical benefit. Results: For four patients, the average weekly change to tumor volume and position was −4% and 1.2 mm laterally-posteriorly. Due to these temporal changes, the robust plans resulted in an accumulated PTV D95 that was, on average, 2.7 Gy higher than the plan created from the planning CT. OAR doses were similar. Conclusion: Integration of a tumor regression model into target delineation and plan robust optimization is feasible and may yield improved tumor coverage. Part of this research is supported by Varian Medical System
Isotope effects in surface diffusion: Hydrogen and deuterium on Ni(100)

The diffusion of hydrogen and deuterium on Ni(100) has been studied by laser-induced thermal desorption. The temperature dependence has been measured between 211 and 263 K. Throughout this range hydrogen diffuses more rapidly than deuterium. The diffusion activation energy is less for hydrogen than deuterium (3.5 kcal mol −1 versus 4.4 kcal mol −1 ). To some extent this activation energy difference is compensated by the pre-exponential factor which is larger for deuterium, 8.5×10 −3 cm 2 s −1 , than for hydrogen, 2.5×10 −3 cm 2 s −1 . Coadsorption of D and H had no effect on the diffusion constants of the individual species as their relative concentrations were varied from 30% to 100%
Concurrent chemotherapy inhibits herpes simplex virus-1 replication and oncolysis

Herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) replication in cancer cells leads to their destruction (viral oncolysis) and has been under investigation as an experimental cancer therapy in clinical trials as single agents, and as combinations with chemotherapy. Cellular responses to chemotherapy modulate viral replication, but these interactions are poorly understood. To investigate the effect of chemotherapy on HSV-1 oncolysis, viral replication in cells exposed to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), irinotecan (CPT-11), methotrexate (MTX) or a cytokine (tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)) was examined. Exposure of colon and pancreatic cancer cells to 5-FU, CPT-11 or MTX in vitro significantly antagonizes both HSV-1 replication and lytic oncolysis. Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation is required for efficient viral replication, and experimental inhibition of this response with an IκBα dominant-negative repressor significantly antagonizes HSV-1 replication. Nonetheless, cells exposed to 5-FU, CPT-11, TNF-α or HSV-1 activate NF-κB. Cells exposed to MTX do not activate NF-κB, suggesting a possible role for NF-κB inhibition in the decreased viral replication observed following exposure to MTX. The role of eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (eIF-2α) dephosphorylation was examined; HSV-1-mediated eIF-2α dephosphorylation proceeds normally in HT29 cells exposed to 5-FU, CPT-11 or MTX. This report demonstrates that cellular responses to chemotherapeutic agents provide an unfavorable environment for HSV-1-mediated oncolysis, and these observations are relevant to the design of both preclinical and clinical studies of HSV-1 oncolysis.
Methodology for balancing design and process tradeoffs for deep-subwavelength technologies

For process development of deep-subwavelength technologies, it has become accepted practice to use model-based simulation to predict systematic and parametric failures. Increasingly, these techniques are being used by designers to ensure layout manufacturability, as an alternative to, or complement to, restrictive design rules. The benefit of model-based simulation tools in the design environment is that manufacturability problems are addressed in a design-aware way by making appropriate trade-offs, e.g., between overall chip density and manufacturing cost and yield. The paper shows how library elements and the full ASIC design flow benefit from eliminating hot spots and improving design robustness early in the design cycle. It demonstrates a path to yield optimization and first time right designs implemented in leading edge technologies. The approach described herein identifies those areas in the design that could benefit from being fixed early, leading to design updates and avoiding later design churn by careful selection of design sensitivities. This paper shows how to achieve this goal by using simulation tools incorporating various models from sparse to rigorously physical, pattern detection and pattern matching, checking and validating failure thresholds.
Improved speciation characteristics of PEGylated indocyanine green-labeled Panitumumab: revisiting the solution and spectroscopic properties of a near-infrared emitting anti-HER1 antibody for optical imaging of cancer

A water-soluble amine-reactive PEGylated analogue of near-infrared emitting dye indocyanine green (5) was synthesized and used to label the anti-HER1 antibody panitumumab (Vectibix) at various equivalents. These conjugates were compared with non-PEGylated analogue conjugate products and the solution speciation analyzed with UV-vis spectrophotometry, size exclusion HPLC, and SDS-PAGE. PEGylation of the bioconjugates was successful in preventing aggregation in solution, a phenomenon observed with the non-PEGylated bioconjugates presumably due to the hydrophobicity of indocyanine green. Competitive radioimmunoassay demonstrated that the targeting moiety of the PEGylated bioconjugates was conserved. Fluorescence microscopy also demonstrated membrane binding of the bioconjugate to HER1-expressing A431 cells. Hence, these bioconjugates are suitable candidates for the in vivo optical imaging of HER1-expressing tumors.
Effect of surface morphology on the fracture strength of silicon nanobeams

The effect of nanoscale surface morphology on the fracture strength of 190-nm-thick, doubly clamped Si beams was measured experimentally. The surface morphology was controlled through aqueous etching and characterized by atomic force microscopy. The beams fractured along the primary cleavage planes, {111}. Fracture strength was extracted using finite element simulations of the experiment. Nanobeams etched with relatively smooth morphologies (0.4nm rms) were able to sustain a tensile stress of 15.8GPa, close to theoretical strengths predicted by previous atomistic calculations. In contrast, nanobeams decorated with nanometer-high step bunches (1.5nm rms) had a 20% lower fracture strength, 12.8GPa, suggesting that careful attention to processing is necessary for maximum strength.
Intra-molecular electron transfer and electric conductance via sequential hopping: Unified theoretical description

Abstract The relation between intra-molecular electron transfer in the donor-bridge-acceptor system and zero-bias conductance of the same bridge in the metal–molecule–metal junction is analyzed for the sequential hopping regime of both processes. The electron transfer rate and molecular conductance are expressed in terms of rates characterizing each individual step of electron motion. Based on the results obtained, we derive the analytical expression that relates these two quantities in the general case of the energy landscape governing hopping transport.
Finite Element Analysis of the Implantation of a Self-Expanding Stent: Impact of Lesion Calcification

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Mechanical & Materials Engineering, Department of at DigitalCommons@University ofNebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Mechanical & Materials Engineering Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator ofDigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln.
Effects of strain and defects on the electron conductance of metallic carbon nanotubes

Strain dependence of electronic structure and transport properties of (6,0) carbon nanotubes has been thoroughly studied using first-principles calculations in conjunction with Green's function techniques. We have found that the quantum conductance is very sensitive to structural deformation and relaxation. The conductance decreases monotonically with increasing strain, for both compression and elongation. In an elongated tube, strain-induced electron localization is the dominating mechanism that controls the contribution of molecular orbitals to conductance. Transport properties are also drastically affected by the presence of defects. Our results have demonstrated that the electronic transport properties of a nanoscale device are closely related to the nature of the band structure of the metallic lead, the details of chemical bonding in the scattering region, and the interaction between Bloch states and the molecular orbitals.
Szilard-Chalmers reaction in some rhenium compounds

Abstract This work was initiated in an attempt to contribute information on the behaviour of rhenium compounds when undergoing the Szilard-Chalmers reaction. Several compounds of rhenium were prepared, and from these experiments some preparations have been more carefully elaborated than had previously been done. An interpretation of perrhenate irradiations was made on the basis of a theory of rapid recombination of recoil fragments within a solvent molecule “cage”. While an indication of dependence of retention upon degree of covalency of the ligand bonds in rhenium complex compounds was found, the dependence was not conclusively attributed to this property alone. The best method of producing high-specific-activity radioactive perrhenate solutions found in this work was by irradiation of an aqueous solution of potassium heaxchlororhenate(IV).
Structures and Magnetostructural Correlation of Two Desolvated Polymorphs of Ferrimagnetic meso-Tetrakis(4-chlorophenyl)porphinatomanganese(III) Tetracyanoethenide, [MnTClPP]+[TCNE]•−†

The structures of two polymorphs of [MnTClPP][TCNE] have been determined by Rietveld refinement of the X-ray powder diffraction method. Samples were prepared by thermolysis of the toluene and CH{sub 2}Cl{sub 2} solvates, [MnTClPP][TCNE] {center_dot} 2Sol (Sol = PhMe, CH{sub 2}Cl{sub 2}). The desolvated structures are similar to their solvates, consisting of alternating stacks of the molecular donor and acceptor. Among the four structures, the largest changes are observed for the dihedral angle between the mean Mn(N{sub 4}){sub TPP} and [TCNE]{sup {sm_bullet}-} planes, and the Mn-(N-C){sub TCNE} angle. A magnetostructural correlation between the intrachain coupling and both the dihedral angle between the mean Mn(N{sub 4}){sub TPP} and [TCNE]{sup {sm_bullet}-} planes and Mn-(N-C){sub TCNE} angles is observed. This is in accord with the intrachain coupling arising from the overlap of Mn{sup III} d{sub z{sup 2}}-like singly occupied molecular orbital (SOMO) and the z component of the [TCNE]{sup {sm_bullet}-} {pi}* ({pi}{sub z}*) SOMO, which increases with decreasing dihedral angle between the mean Mn(N{sub 4}){sub TPP} and [TCNE]{sup {sm_bullet}-} planes and Mn-(N-C){sub TCNE} angle.
Influence of peanut stripe virus on growth, yield, and quality of Florunner peanut

The influence of peanut stripe virus (PStV) on growth, yield, and grade of Florunner peanut and percent seed transmissions was determined under field conditions during 1985 and 1986. Plants were artifically inoculated with PStV and infection was confirmed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Under the conditions of these tests, PStV did not significantly influ- ence growth, yield, or grade of Florunner peanut, and seed in- fection averaged less than 2 percent.
Conversion of VPg into VPgpUpUOH before and during poliovirus negative-strand RNA synthesis.

There are two protein primers involved in picornavirus RNA replication, VPg, the viral protein of the genome, and VPgpUpUOH. A cis-acting replication element (CRE) within the open reading frame of poliovirus (PV) RNA allows the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase 3DPol to catalyze the conversion of VPg into VPgpUpUOH. In this study, we used preinitiation RNA replication complexes (PIRCs) to determine when CRE-dependent VPg uridylylation occurs relative to the sequential synthesis of negative- and positive-strand RNA. Guanidine HCl (2 mM), a reversible inhibitor of PV 2CATPase, prevented CRE-dependent VPgpUpUOH synthesis and the initiation of negative-strand RNA synthesis. VPgpUpUOH and nascent negative-strand RNA molecules were synthesized coincident in time following the removal of guanidine, consistent with PV RNA functioning simultaneously as a template for CRE-dependent VPgpUpUOH synthesis and negative-strand RNA synthesis. The amounts of [32P]UMP incorporated into VPgpUpUOH and negative-strand RNA products indicated that 100 to 400 VPgpUpUOH molecules were made coincident in time with each negative-strand RNA. 3′-dCTP inhibited the elongation of nascent negative-strand RNAs without affecting CRE-dependent VPg uridylylation. A 3′ nontranslated region mutation which inhibited negative-strand RNA synthesis did not inhibit CRE-dependent VPg uridylylation. Together, the data implicate 2CATPase in the mechanisms whereby PV RNA functions as a template for reiterative CRE-dependent VPg uridylylation before and during negative-strand RNA synthesis.
Energy end-use models for pulp, paper, and paperboard mills

This paper deals with energy end-use models for pulp, paper, and paperboard mills. The models are consistent with data published in the U.S. Department of Energy's 1991 Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey (MECS). A graphical framework for depicting these energy flows is presented. Development of these models is a key step in creating energy process-step models for pulp, paper, and paperboard production. The applicability of the modeling approach and framework to other industries is discussed.
Infrared signatures of proton transfer in guanine.cytosine and adenine.thymine base pairs: DFT study

The structures of all stable tautomers of guanine ⋅cytosine and adenine⋅thymine Watson-Crick base pairs produced by single and double proton transfers from the most stable structures are optimized using density functional theory (DFT) at the B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level. The zwitterionic tautomer of guanine⋅cyosine is stable in a high-dielectric medium (water), but not in the gas phase. Normal mode calculations show that the infrared peak positions and intensi- ties of the carbonyl, N-H, and O-H stretching modes are sensitive to the tautomer geometries.
Radionuclide Imaging of Osteomyelitis

Radionuclide procedures frequently are performed as part of the diagnostic workup of osteomyelitis. Bone scintigraphy accurately diagnoses osteomyelitis in bones not affected by underlying conditions. Degenerative joint disease, fracture, and orthopedic hardware decrease the specificity of the bone scan, making it less useful in these situations. Gallium-67 scintigraphy was often used as an adjunct to bone scintigraphy for diagnosing osteomyelitis. However, now it is used primarily for spinal infections when (18)F-FDG imaging cannot be performed. Except for the spine, in vitro-labeled leukocyte imaging is the nuclear medicine test of choice for diagnosing complicating osteomyelitis. Leukocytes accumulate in bone marrow as well as in infection. Performing complementary bone marrow imaging with (99m)Tc-sulfur colloid facilitates the differentiation between osteomyelitis and normal marrow and improves test overall accuracy. Antigranulocyte antibodies and antibody fragments, such as (99m)Tc-besilesomab and (99m)Tc-sulesomab, were developed to eliminate the disadvantages associated with in vitro-labeled leukocytes. These agents, however, have their own shortcomings and are not widely available. As biotin is used as a growth factor by certain bacteria, (111)In-biotin is useful to diagnose spinal infections. Radiolabeled synthetic fragments of ubiquicidin, a naturally occurring human antimicrobial peptide that targets bacteria, can differentiate infection from sterile inflammation and may be useful to monitor response to treatment. (18)F-FDG is extremely useful in the diagnostic workup of osteomyelitis. Sensitivity in excess of 95% and specificity ranging from 75%-99% have been reported. (18)F-FDG is the radionuclide test of choice for spinal infection. The test is sensitive, with a high negative predictive value, and reliably differentiates degenerative from infectious vertebral body end-plate abnormalities. Data on the accuracy of (18)F-FDG for diagnosing diabetic pedal osteomyelitis are contradictory, and its role for this indication remains to be determined. Initial investigations suggested that (18)F-FDG accurately diagnoses prosthetic joint infection; more recent data indicate that it cannot differentiate infection from other causes of prosthetic failure. Preliminary data on the PET agents gallium-68 and iodine-124 fialuridine indicate that these agents may have a role in diagnosing osteomyelitis.
Bound Blood: Paiela `Conception‘ Theory Interpreted

While aboriginal populations have been widely reported to entertain magico-religious beliefs concerning conception, the Paiela of the Papua New Guinea Highlands apparently do not. Semen, it is thought, must wrap around menstrual blood many times to keep it from ‘coming outside’ if the woman is to conceive. Bound blood forms the foetus. This seemingly naturalistic view is herein examined for its symbolic content. Uaiela ‘conception’ theory, it is argued, reflects not natural but social structural processes. It constitutes a complex statement, in a metaphoric mode, about the logically prior social arrangements in which conception is embedded and through which sexual reproduction becomes organized. Paiela ‘conception’ theory is revealed to be much broader in its range of competence than Western conception theory; and its relationship to Levi-Strauss' Elementary Structures of Kinship is explored at the close.
Joint bluetooth/wifi scanning framework for characterizing and leveraging people movement in university campus

This paper1 presents a novel framework called UIM2, which collects both location information and ad hoc contacts of the human movement at the University of Illinois campus using Google Android phones. Each UIM experiment phone encompasses a Bluetooth scanner and a wifi scanner capturing both Bluetooth MAC addresses and wifi access point MAC addresses in proximity of the phone. Then, Bluetooth MAC addresses are used to infer contact information and the wifi MAC addresses are used to infer physical location of the phone. Using the contact and location information, we investigate first the sensitivity analysis on contact duration and inter-contact duration. Then, we characterize the regularity of people movement, visit duration of people at locations, and the popularity of locations. Finally, we present the Hybrid Epidemic data dissemination protocol, which uses both wifi access point and ad hoc contact to expedite the data forwarding. We evaluate Hybrid Epidemic protocol with our collected ad hoc and wifi traces and find that in comparison with Epidemic data dissemination protocol, the Hybrid Epidemic protocol improves data forwarding delay considerably.
Reactive copolymerization of various monomers based on lactams and lactones in a twin-screw extruder

The synthesis of polyamide–polyester-based diblock, triblock, and random block copolymers was carried out in a modular, corotating twin-screw extruder via reactive extrusion. ω-Lauryllactam (LA), ϵ-caprolactam (CA), and ϵ-caprolactone (CL) were used as monomers for the synthesis of the copolymers in the twin-screw extruder. Generally, CL was added downstream. Sodium hydride was the initiator, and N-acetylcaprolactam was the coinitiator. The syntheses of poly(LA-b-CL), poly(LA/CA-b-CL), and poly(LA-b-CA-b-CL) were attempted. Poly(LA/CA-b-CL) was a random LA–CA copolymer with a block of CL. The simultaneous feeding of LA and CA with the initiator systems was added to the first hopper of the twin-screw extruder, and the addition of CL downstream to a second hopper (without the initiator) was used to form this block copolymer. The thermal, mechanical, rheological, and structural properties of the various copolymers were investigated and compared with those of the homopolymers. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 96:1875–1887, 2005
Minimally invasive surgery for parapharyngeal space tumors

Objectives/Hypothesis: Parapharyngeal space (PS) tumors are surrounded by critical anatomical structures. Resection is often challenging due to limited surgical exposure. Herein, we report a novel transcervical, minimally invasive, video-assisted technique that facilitates the resection of PS lesions. Study Design: Case series and review of literature. Methods: Description of surgical technique with analysis of four cases and literature review. Results: The technique combines a transcervical approach to the PS and skull base with video-assisted and image-guided dissection of tumor. Four cases of benign PS tumors resected with this technique are reported. The size of the tumor excised varied between 0.9 cm and 5 cm. Estimated blood losses were minimal. The average length of hospital stay was 1.5 days. No permanent complications were encountered. Conclusions: Excision of PS tumor abutting the skull base using a novel minimally invasive, video-assisted, image-guided, transcervical approach is feasible and safe. The short hospitalization stay and low morbidity makes it well suited for the resection of benign PS lesions.
The Curriculum Development Process for an International Emergency Medicine Rotation

Background: Completion of electives abroad is not a new phenomenon for physicians in training. Benefits to the physician and the host country's population have been sufficiently described in the literature; however, many academic residency programs lack an international health curriculum that incorporates both the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education's core and specialty-specific competencies. Description: The goal of this project was to develop a curriculum for emergency medicine residents completing International Emergency Medicine (IEM) rotations. Evaluation: A literature search was conducted to review available international rotation curricula and the curriculum development process. A committee was formed to create an IEM rotation, borrowing philosophical premises from the educational literature, particularly experientialism. Conclusions: The resulting article describes the curriculum development process and provides a curriculum template for medical specialties to utilize when sending...
Using system analysis to build a safety culture: improving the reliability of epidural analgesia.

Background: A potentially dangerous situation was revealed by an incident report describing the use of an inappropriate device to administer post-operative epidural analgesia to a patient on a surgical ward. The incident occurred in a 1200-bed university affiliated tertiary hospital (Geneva University Hospitals, HUG) and involved three clinical departments: anaesthesiology, the surgical intensive care unit and urology. Methods: A multidisciplinary system analysis was carried out to identify care-delivery problems and contributory factors. Corrective actions were devised on the basis of their ability to prevent and absorb unsafe situations. Results: The system analysis identified three care-delivery problems in relation to the management of epidural analgesia. It enabled medical and nursing managers to adopt an interdepartmental set of corrective actions: a common protocol for post-operative epidural analgesia, leading to the exclusive use of patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) pumps; greater availability of the patient-controlled pumps; the dissemination of guidelines; permanent proactive training of nurses by the acute-pain team; the clarification of medical responsibilities; and a common help-line phone number for all surgical departments. Discussion: The analysis provided a convincing exposure of various care-delivery problems and their corresponding contributory factors, as well as an opportunity to address a systemic issue in a multidisciplinary way. By thus facilitating decisions and corrective actions, the analysis was instrumental in strengthening our safety culture.
Eradication of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth reduces symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome

Eradication of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth reduces symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome
A Comparison of Soil Sulfur Extraction Methods

There are currently no field calibration data for interpretation of soil S tests in the U.S. Northeast and limited data elsewhere. Given the reduction in the S deposition rate during the past decade in the Northeast, it is important to evaluate the potential for soil testing as a tool for S management in the region. An incubation study was conducted to compare: (i) the accuracy and effectiveness of six S extraction methods to identify an increase in available S; and (ii) S detection in solution using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP–AES) at 182 nm with turbidimetric determination of S using BaCl₂×2H₂O and a spectrophotometer at 420 nm. The six extraction solutions were 1.0 mol L⁻¹ NH₄OAc, 0.016 mol L⁻¹ KH₂PO₄, 0.01 mol L⁻¹ Ca(H₂PO₄)₂, 0.01 mol L⁻¹ CaCl₂, Morgan, and the Mehlich-3 solution. Four New York soils were treated with six S rates (0, 28, 56, 84, 112, 168 kg ha⁻¹) applied as gypsum and incubated for 4 wk (in the dark, at room temperature, 75% of field capacity, four replications). Sulfur test results correlated with S fertilizer application for all extraction and detection methods; however, the 0.01 mol L⁻¹ CaCl₂ extraction with ICP–AES detection of S in solution was best correlated with S added (highest r², smallest RMSE across all four soils), the regression equation had the largest slope, and this method showed the greatest consistency between the two detection methods. We conclude 0.01 mol L⁻¹ CaCl₂ extraction with ICP–AES detection of S is most promising and should be evaluated in field trials.
Neurovirulence tests of type 3 oral poliovirus vaccine manufactured by Lederle Laboratories, 1964-1988.

Oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) is tested for safety by evaluation of neurovirulence in rhesus and cynomolgus macaques. After intraspinal or intrathalamic injection of varying doses of vaccine, monkeys are followed for 17–21 days, killed, and a histopathological evaluation is made of the severity of poliomyelitis lesions in the spinal cord and brainstem. Each production lot of vaccine is compared with a type 1 OPV reference virus tested by the same method. Records of neurovirulence tests on production lots of type 3 OPV manufactured by Lederle Laboratories, during the period 1964–1988, have recently become available, together with the corresponding tests on type 1 reference vaccine. The cumulative data were collated, using a system under which each monkey was given a single grade according to the severity and spread of neuropathological poliomyelitis lesions. These raw data were assembled into frequency distributions (‘neurovirulence profiles’), and used to compare type 3 OPV with the reference vaccine. These comparisons included monkeys injected by intraspinal injection (three vaccine dose levels) and intrathalamic injection (one vaccine dose level), and comprised independent tests conducted by the Food and Drug Administration and by the vaccine manufacturer. A total of 13 different comparisons were made, each one consisting of a pair of profiles, on type 3 OPV and reference vaccine, respectively. In total, these comparisons represented tests on more than 12 000 monkeys. Based on these neurovirulence profiles, the type 3 OPV appeared to be no more virulent than the reference vaccine. In 1213 comparisons, the type 3 OPV was statistically significantly (p < 0.002) less virulent than the reference vaccine, and in the 13th comparison, although less virulent, it did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.11). In one of the 13 comparisons the number of monkeys with severe neurovirulence scores (grades 33 and 4) was greater for the type 3 OPV (13230, 6%) than for the reference vaccine (1340, 0.3%). However, this difference was not seen in any of the other comparisons made, and it was therefore concluded that there was no consistent or statistically significant evidence that type 3 OPV exhibited greater monkey neurovirulence than did the reference vaccine. This comparison represents the first published large-scale evaluation of neurovirulence tests on OPV manufactured and tested in the United States. It is particularly significant since type 3 OPV is the virus most frequently associated with vaccine-related cases of poliomyelitis. The data indicate that the cumulative results of monkey tests meet the single most important provision for neurovirulence safety testing, as set forth in the Code of Federal Regulations for OPV manufactured in the United States.
The influences of being acquired on subsidiary innovation adoption

Received research suggests that a firm subsidiary's acquisition by a new owner has countervailing effects on the subsidiary's innovation adoption behavior. On one hand, ownership change can make a subsidiary more receptive to innovation by reducing some inertial forces and introducing new resources to overcome others. Alternatively, the costs and demands of an acquisition can draw decision makers' attention away from important innovations in the technological environment. This event history study disentangles these countervailing influences by examining the influences of radio station ownership change on stations' adoptions of HD Radio® technology. The study finds that a change in ownership control does have a positive direct influence on the likelihood of technology adoption, but that it also curtails tendency for subsidiaries to subsequently mimic others' technology adoptions. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of beam coherence on mutually pumped phase conjugators

The performance of four different mutually pumped phase conjugators in barium titanate depends on the mutual coherence of the two input beams. In three of the conjugators the use of fully mutually coherent input beams enhances the overall phase-conjugate reflectivity. We find that backscattering and transmission gratings in the photorefractive crystal both contribute to the phase-conjugate signal and that their relative strength depends on the relative coherence of the two input beams. We numerically solve coupled-wave equations that include all gratings and find reasonable agreement between our theory and our experimental data.
Migrant Women in the Oil Field: The Functions of Social Networks

In the early 1980s, Oklahoma's oil boom stimulated a vast in-migration of individuals seeking employment. In response to housing shortages common to boom areas, many families set up housekeeping in camper-trailers at recreational parks. This study focuses on the lives of women in two such oil field enclaves, Lake Chickasha and Fort Cobb Reservoir. Different camping regulations at the two parks created radically different migrant communities and provided an interesting basis for comparison.The purpose of the research is two-fold: (1) to offer a qualitative picture of informal social networks formed by women associated with migrant oil field workers, and (2) to test the efficacy of ethnographic methods in predicting social planning needs of specific communities. It was found that in cases such as this, functional analysis using ethnographic techniques can be a quick and inexpensive method of determining social needs in boomtowns. A simple change in park regulations to favor the type of semipermanent communi...
Radiation therapy in inverted papillomas of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses.

Purpose: Between December 1969 and September 1989, a total of 10 patients with advanced and/or recurrent inverted or cylindrical cell papillomas were treated with irradiation at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Materials and Methods: Nine of 10 patients had 1 or more recurrences before they received radiation therapy. Three patients were treated with irradiation alone, and 7 patients received surgery and irradiation (preoperatively in 1 patient and postoperatively in 6 patients). Eight patients had inverted papillomas (3 with concomitant squamous cell carcinoma), and 2 patients had cylindrical cell papillomas. Results: Local recurrence developed in 4 patients at 1.5, 6.5, 12, and 13 years after treatment. No evidence of recurrence was observed in 6 patients at 7, 8.5, 8.5, 9, 9, and 20.5 years after treatment. Four patients died of intercurrent disease. No patient developed a malignant transformation. Significant complications of treatment included, in 1 patient, an area of bone exposure in the orbit that necessitated debridement. Conclusion: Surgery is the primary treatment of this entity. Radiation therapy should be considered in patients with incompletely resectable lesions, multiply recurrent tumors, and tumors associated with malignancy.
A probable abnormality in intrathyroidal iodine metabolism in hyperthyroidism.

ABSTRACT Euthyroid and hyperthyroid patients were given radioiodine. Measurements were made of thyroid uptake, urinary radioiodine excretion, serum protein-bound radioiodine concentration and body radioactivity for from 5 to 15 days before and for from 7 to 15 days after Tapazole was started. Stable serum protein-bound iodine concentration and urinary iodine excretion were determined. After Tapazole administration the urinary excretion of radioiodine increased above the amount predicted from a block of the uptake of recycling extrathyroidal hormonal radioiodine in euthyroid patients but equaled the predicted increase in hyperthyroid patients. An effect of Tapazole on the peripheral metabolism of thyroxine was not demonstrated clearly, nor would it probably have accounted for the difference noted. Iodide therapy resulted in a striking diminution in urinary radioiodine excretion in one patient receiving Tapazole, with a concomitant slowing in the decrease of thyroidal radioiodine without a reciprocal effect...
Recovery from exposure to DNA-damaging chemicals in radiation-resistant insect cells

Abstract Radioresistant TN-368 lepidopteran insect cells were examined with respect to their sensitivity to the chemical agents methyl methanesulfonate (MMS), N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG), propane sultone (PS), mitomycin C (MMC), and 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4NQO). Based on survival ability, the TN-368 cells were more resistant than most mammalian cells to each of these agents. Concentrations of these agents which reduce survival to about 10% were used to assess recovery ability assayed by colony formation in liquid-holding and split-dose experiments. Liquid-holding experiments were performed by exposing cells in the plateau phase of growth for 1 h to 8 mM MMS, 50μM MNNG, 9 mM PS, 110 μM MMC, or 175 μM 4NQO, removing the drug and incubating cells in spent medium for 6 h, and plating for colony formation. Split-dose experiments were performed by exposing exponentially growing cells to the above drug concentrations for 1 h, incubating in fresh medium for 6 h, exposing the cells to the agent for an additional hour, and plating. The TN-368 cells were able to significantly recover from MMS, MNNG and PS in both types of experiment. Recovery from 4NQO was observed in liquid-holding experiments and not assessed in split-dose experiments. In all cases where recovery was observed, survival enhancement was approximately 2-fold. Recovery from MMC (a cross-linking agent) exposure was not observed in either type of experiment. In addition, recovery from 8-methoxypsoralen plus UVA light (PUVA), another cross-linking treatment, was not observed. These studies indicate that DNA-DNA and/or DNA-protein crosslinking may be important molecular lesions causing death in the lepidopteran cells and that these cells may have some difficulty in repairing such damage.
Keane PTSD Scale: MMPI and MMPI-2 Update

This paper addresses questions regarding the use and interpretation of the Keane MMPI PTSD scale. Particular focus is placed on issues to consider when using various versions of the MMPI including Form R, the group form, and the new MMPI-2.
Thoughts on the “scientific method”: part 2 – frequentist fecklessness

Purpose – The purpose of this two‐part series is to consider the role of the “scientific method” (SM) in human understanding, questioning both its consistency in actual practice and its reasonableness as a system of philosophy and action.Design/methodology/approach – Part 2 considers problems of inefficiency and inertia caused by the SM's collectivist, frequentist orientation.Findings – It is argued that problems caused by the SM's frequentist framework may be avoided by a more individualist, Bayesian approach.Originality/value – The two‐part series challenges certain aspects of the “scientific method” as employed in the practice of modern science.
Programming challenges in network processor deployment

Programming multi-processor ASIPs, such as network processors, remains an art due to the wide variety of architectures and due to little support for exploring different implementation alternatives. We present a study that implements an IP forwarding router application on two different network processors to better understand the main challenges in programming such multi-processor ASIPs. The goal of this study is to identify the elements central to a successful deployment of such systems based on a detailed profiling of the two architectures. Our results show that inefficient partitioning can impact the throughput by more than 30%; a better arbitration of resources increases the throughput by at least 10%, and localization of computation related to the memories can increase the available bandwidth on internal buses by a factor of two. The main observation of our study is that there is a critical lack of tools and methods that support an integrated approach to partitioning, scheduling and arbitration, and data transfer management for such system implementations.
Quasiparticle semiconductor band structures including spin-orbit interactions.

We present first-principles calculations of the quasiparticle band structure of the group IV materials Si and Ge and the group III–V compound semiconductors AlP, AlAs, AlSb, InP, InAs, InSb, GaP, GaAs and GaSb. Calculations are performed using the plane wave pseudopotential method and the ‘one-shot’ GW method, i.e. G0W0. Quasiparticle band structures, augmented with the effects of spin–orbit, are obtained via a Wannier interpolation of the obtained quasiparticle energies and calculated spin–orbit matrix. Our calculations explicitly treat the shallow semicore states of In and Ga, which are known to be important in the description of the electronic properties, as valence states in the quasiparticle calculation. Our calculated quasiparticle energies, combining both the ab initio evaluation of the electron self-energy and the vector part of the pseudopotential representing the spin–orbit effects, are in generally very good agreement with experimental values. These calculations illustrate the predictive power of the methodology as applied to group IV and III–V semiconductors.
A lambda-calculus model of programming languages-I. Simple constructs

A simple correspondence is presented between the elementary constructs of programming languages and the lambda-calculus. The correspondence is obtained by using intuitive, functional interpretations of programming language constructs, completely avoiding the notions of machine memory and address. In particular, the concepts of program variable and assignment are accounted for in terms of the concepts of mathematical variable and substitution, respectively. Lambda-expression representations are given of assignments, conditional and compound statements, input-output, and blocks. Algol 60 is used as the illustrative language.
Designing task visualizations to support the coordination of work in software development

Software development tools primarily focus on supporting the technical work. Yet no matter the tools employed, the process followed, or the size of the team, important aspects of development are non-technical, and largely unsupported. For example, increasing distribution of development teams highlights the issues of coordination and cooperation. This paper focuses on one area: managing change requests. Interviews with industry and open-source programmers were used to create designs for the visual inspection of change requests. This paper presents fieldwork findings and two designs. We conclude by reflecting on the issues that task visualizations that support social inferences address in software development.
Beyond “Consent”: David Mamet's Oleanna and a Hostile Environment for Souls

Here I read David Mamet's play Oleanna (1992) with the critical perspectives of Christian theologian Rowan Williams (2000) and political theorist Drucilla Cornell (1995). I argue that each reads the play to trace inadequacies in the framework of sexual dominance that frames the characters’ misbegotten responses to each other. This leads to a critique of an approach to sexual harassment that centers on boundaries or consent. Further, Williams and Cornell each propose conditions of spiritual development that are required to become a political person, which involve protected access to fantasy, desire, and public imagination. With these conditions in mind, I propose themes of reciprocity and play as alternative categories for interpreting what goes wrong in the relationship between the character John and his undergraduate student Carol.
Fast intensity-based 2D-3D image registration of clinical data using light

Registration of a preoperative CT (3D) image to one or more X-ray projection (2D) images, a special case of the pose estimation problem, has been attempted in a variety of ways with varying degrees of success. Recently, there has been a great deal of interest in intensity-based methods. One of the drawbacks to such methods is the need to create digitally reconstructed radiographs (DRRs) at each step of the optimization process. DRRs are typically generated by ray casting, an operation that requires O(n/sup 3/) time, where we assume that n is approximately the size (in voxels) of one side of the DRR as well as one side of the CT volume. We address this issue by extending light field rendering techniques from the computer graphics community to generate DRRs instead of conventional rendered images. Using light fields allows most of the computation to be performed in a preprocessing step; after this precomputation, very accurate DRRs can be generated in O(n/sup 2/) time. Another important issue for 2D-3D registration algorithms is validation. Previously reported 2D-3D registration algorithms were validated using synthetic data or phantoms but not clinical data. We present an intensity-based 2D-3D registration system that generates DRRs using light fields; we validate its performance using clinical data with a known gold standard transformation.