cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Patterns of Primary, Specialty, Urgent Care, and Emergency Department Care in Children With Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.

Objectives Pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) require treatment, monitoring, and health maintenance services. We described patterns of primary, specialty, emergency department (ED) and urgent care delivery, and explored patient- and system-related variables that impact ED/urgent care utilization. Methods We conducted a cross sectional survey of parents of children with IBD at a large tertiary children's hospital. Results One hundred sixty-one parents completed the survey (75% response). Mean patient age 13.9 years (51% boys); 80% Crohn disease, 16% ulcerative colitis, 4% IBD-unspecified. Mean disease duration 4 years (standard deviation [SD] 2.7). Thirty percent had at least 1 other chronic disease, 31% had a history of IBD-related surgery. Parents were predominantly Caucasian (94%), well-educated (61% bachelor's degree/higher), part of a 2-parent household (79%) living in a suburban setting (57%). Seventy-seven percent of patients had private insurance. In the past year, most children had 1 to 2 IBD-related office visits (54%) with their gastroenterology (GI) doctor and no IBD-related hospitalizations (79%). Eighty-eight percent (N = 141) had a primary care provider (PCP), and most (70%) saw their PCP 1 to 2 times. Even so, 86% (N = 139) received medical care from places other than their PCP or GI doctor; 27% in the ED and 45% at urgent care. Children of parents with less than a bachelor's degree, families that lived further from their GI doctor, and children who saw their PCP more often were more likely to utilize ED/urgent care. Conclusions ED/urgent care utilization in pediatric patients with IBD was greater than expected, potentially contributing to fragmented, costly care and worse outcomes.
Youth Perceptions of Juul in the United States.

This mixed-methods cohort study uses responses to text-messaged, open-ended questions to examine US youths’ perceptions of Juul e-cigarettes.
Reduction in Medical Evacuations from Iraq and Syria Following Introduction of an Asynchronous Telehealth System.

INTRODUCTION While deployed, military medical personnel manage routine medical issues that fall under the category of Disease Non-Battle Injury (DNBI). The 86th Combat Support Hospital (CSH) partnered with Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) Surgeon Cell, and Special Operations Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve (SOJTF-OIR) Surgeon Cell, to introduce the Health Experts onLine Portal (HELP) telemedicine system to medical personnel in Iraq and Syria. HELP is an asynchronous (store and forward) online system that provides secure provider-to-provider teleconsultation services for routine patient care and medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) coordination. The goal was to reduce the need for MEDEVAC by providing expert consultation to medical providers in farther-forward deployed units. MATERIAL AND METHODS In June 2017, the 86th CSH launched HELP telemedicine services for Kuwait. Following the successful implementation of the telemedicine system in Kuwait, the 86th CSH leadership partnered with CJTF-OIR and SOJTF-OIR medical leadership in launching the system within Iraq and Syria as well as making the system available to all deployed locations in Central Command (CENTCOM). This was a prospective cohort study designed to determine if having convenient and secure access to remote subspecialty consultation would be associated with a reduction in routine MEDEVACs from far forward in the battle space. In August 2017, new-user training was completed and the program launched in Iraq and Syria. This study analyzes the baseline MEDEVAC rate in 3 months before the implementation of HELP telemedicine compared to 3 months following the implementation. RESULTS Iraq and Syria cases in the HELP telemedicine system accounted for 17.2% (76) of total CENTCOM telemedicine case volume over the 7-month study period. Comparing the 3-month period before and after implementation of HELP, use of asynchronous telemedicine in Iraq and Syria was associated with a reduction in total MEDEVACs from 157 to 68 (56.7% reduction, p < 0.001). DNBI represented the majority of the change, (65.0% reduction, p < 0.001). MEDEVAC for battle-related injuries decreased slightly from 13 to 6 per 3-month period (p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS This is the first prospective study to demonstrate an association between the initiation of asynchronous telemedicine capabilities in a combat zone and decreased MEDEVACs. Annualized numbers would predict a reduction of 328 MEDEVACs/year for each 10,000 personnel by utilizing asynchronous telemedicine. This represents a significant potential cost savings of $1.2 million/year through avoidance of routine medical movement of personnel and supports unit readiness by retaining service members in areas of combat operations.
P103 Employing Social Norms to Influence Healthier Food Choices

Background To build on prior laboratory studies related to injunctive food norms, the goal of this field-experiment was to explore factors that influence patrons' food choices in a university cafeteria. Objective To evaluate the influence of food messaging (ie, injunctive norms) at a designated food station in the cafeteria, with the goal of encouraging healthier food choices and exploring factors that influence patrons’ food choices. Study Design, Setting, Participants We employed an interrupted time series, quasi-experimental design. During the 10-day baseline phase, patrons were asked to complete a survey. During the intervention, 3 copies of healthy injunctive signs were placed in the cafeteria and patrons were asked about the signage. Measurable Outcome/Analysis Within each survey, we collected the patrons’ food choices, noting how many and what type of side items each purchased to compare the proportion of patrons purchasing at least 1 healthy side item using a 2-sample proportion test. During the intervention, we asked patrons if they saw the sign and what they remembered. Several items from a modified version of The Eating Motivation Survey was also asked to determine what influenced patrons’ food choices. Results The 2-sample proportion test for 200 baseline participants and 170 intervention participants (z = −1.55, P = .12) did not indicate a difference in the proportion of patrons purchasing at least 1 healthy side-item during the experimental weeks. Approximately 40% of the patrons during intervention week remembered seeing the signage and 24% recalled some detail of the signage. Conclusions This study sought to determine if employing social norms through food signage influenced patron's side-item choice. While the results did not show a significant difference in choosing healthier items, the patrons' recall of the sign shows promise for how colleges can implement and encourage healthier eating habits on their campuses.
E-Consults: an effective way to decrease clinic wait times in Rheumatology

To evaluate the effect of E-consults on wait times and resource utilization for positive antinuclear antibody (ANA) referrals in outpatient rheumatology. We conducted a pre-post study of E-consult implementation for positive ANA referrals. We retrospectively reviewed “positive ANA” referrals from 1/2015–3/2017. A statistical process control chart was created to display monthly average wait times for in-person clinic visits and to identify special cause variation. Final diagnoses, wait times and resource utilization were recorded and compared between E-consults and in-person referrals. There were 139 referrals for positive ANA with 126 occurring after E-consult implementation in August 2015. Forty-four percent (55/126) of referrals were E-consults; 76% did not have an in-person visit after initial electronic rheumatology recommendation. A control chart demonstrated special cause variation in the form of a shift from June 2016 – January 2017, suggesting a temporal association between decreased wait times and the implementation of E-consults. Eleven patients were diagnosed with ANA-associated rheumatic disease; the majority of patients (73%, 86/139) did not have a rheumatologic diagnosis. Overall E-consults utilized more labs than in-person visits, but this was not statistically significant. In-person visits utilized more imaging studies, which was statistically significant. E-consults are an effective way to address positive ANA consults without significant increase in resource utilization and were temporally associated with decreased wait times for in-person visits.
Rethinking “food security” in Africa

First paragraphs: In Food Security for Rural Africa: Feeding the Farmers First, Terry Leahy makes what he knows is an unpopular argument: that subsistence—not com­mercial—agriculture is the surest path to food security. Since the colonial era, government offi­cials—and, later, development agencies—have sought to convert African smallholder farmers into industrial producers. Today, certain proponents of a “new” Green Revolution for Africa are guided by the theory of the agricultural exit, the idea that agri­cultural consolidation is essential for economic growth, and that such consolidation requires a majority of farmers to find off-farm employment. It is in this context that Leahy intervenes and warns that a hypothetical agricultural exit would lead to a population of landless peasants. As an alternative, Leahy argues for reinvestment into subsistence agriculture, what he defines as when “food being produced is distributed without money changing hands” (2019, p. xii). This definition is purposely broad, as it allows Leahy to consider a variety of strategies to strengthen food production at the household level first and to plan for the market second. Such a model, Leahy argues, is not “a traditional relic of past practices,” as some detractors of the phrase “subsistence” often sug­gest, but rather, “a response to current problems” embedded in the current capitalist moment (2019, p. 132). . . .
Investigation of the effects of substitution levels, assay methods and length of adaptation to experimental diets on determined metabolisable energy value of maize, barley and soya bean meal.

1. Two experiments were carried out to investigate the influence of substitution levels, assay methods and adaptation length of broilers to experimental diets on metabolisable energy of corn and ba...
Does tourism matter in measuring community resilience

Abstract As damage from natural hazards is increasing, quantifying community resilience is a top priority in enhancing communities' ability to prepare for and recover from disasters. This study examines the significance of tourism in measuring community resilience by proposing a tourism community resilience measurement model. To identify key tourism industries that significantly improve community resilience, this study also explores the spatially heterogeneous associations between the validated community resilience metric and tourism industry specialization across 67 counties in Florida. The results indicate that the tourism dimension is important in measuring community resilience and that specific tourism sectors, including amusements and spectator sports, are positively associated with community resilience. These findings can help community policymakers develop localized resilience enhancement strategies by considering tourism.
Learning about Kawasaki disease from COVID-19 and the Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children.

Purpose of review Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) is a novel syndrome that has appeared in the wake of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus -2 pandemic, with features that overlap with Kawasaki disease (KD). As a result, new interest and focus have arisen in KD, and specifically mechanisms of the disease. Recent findings A major question in the literature on the nature of MIS-C is if, and how, it may be related to KD. This has been explored using component analysis type studies, as well as other unsupervised analysis, as well as direct comparisons. At present, the answer to this question remains opaque, and several studies have interpreted their findings in opposing ways. Studies seem to suggest some relationship, but that MIS-C and KD are not the same syndrome. Summary Study of MIS-C strengthens the likelihood that KD is a postinfectious immune response, and that perhaps multiple infectious agents or viruses underlie the disease. MIS-C and KD, while not the same disease, could plausibly be sibling disorders that fall under a larger syndrome of postacute autoimmune febrile responses to infection, along with Kawasaki shock syndrome.
Sex differences in anxiety and depression: circuits and mechanisms.

Epidemiological sex differences in anxiety disorders and major depression are well characterized. Yet the circuits and mechanisms that contribute to these differences are understudied, because preclinical studies have historically excluded female rodents. This oversight is beginning to be addressed, and recent studies that include male and female rodents are identifying sex differences in neurobiological processes that underlie features of these disorders, including conflict anxiety, fear processing, arousal, social avoidance, learned helplessness and anhedonia. These findings allow us to conceptualize various types of sex differences in the brain, which in turn have broader implications for considering sex as a biological variable. Importantly, comparing the sexes could aid in the discovery of novel therapeutics. Male-only studies predominate preclinical research on anxiety and depression. In this Review, Bangasser and Cuarenta discuss how, since the inclusion of female subjects, new mechanisms have been identified that underlie vulnerability to these disorders, and that reveal novel targets for treatments.
Shearing failure visualization via particle tracking in soft clay using a transparent soil

In situ undrained shear strength measurement devices such as the vane shear test, cone penetrometer, and full-flow penetrometers (e.g., T-bar and ball) have been increasingly used as a part of geotechnical site investigations for soft clay deposits. Previous attempts to visualize the shear failure surfaces on these devices included either significant disturbance of the soil sample (permeated with resin and thin-sectioning) or involved methods of shearing along a transparent surface creating boundary effects. This paper described the use of non-invasive testing procedures to determine the failure surface of several in situ shear strength measurement devices in a soft clay surrogate (LAPONITE RD, a trademark of BYK Additives and Instruments). A series of tests were performed using two sizes of rectangular miniature vanes, two types of full flow penetrometer tests (T-bar and ball), and a cone penetrometer in LAPONITE RD samples. Laser planes were used to illuminate particles in the transparent material during shearing. Particle tracking techniques were used to visualize the failure surfaces and flow mechanisms for each device. Experimental results were compared with theoretical and numerical simulations of the failure surfaces and flow characteristics by previous researchers. The present work contributed to the understanding of undrained shear strength testing devices by an in situ assessment of the evolution, geometry, and structure of the failure surfaces and full-flow mechanisms.
Low Maintenance Wastewater Treatment

It is the purpose of this paper to present the results of a nine month investigation in the UCLA Water Quality Control Laboratory. The effort was specifically addressed to verification and development of a wastewater treatment technique which would: 1) Require little or no operation attention; 2) conserve energy and other resources as compared to conventional wastewater treatment systems; 3) produce an effluent quality comparable or better than secondary effluents; and 4) require little or no engineering expertise for implementation.
The Binding and Activation of Carbon Monoxide, Carbon Dioxide, and Nitric Oxide and Their Homogeneously Catalyzed Reactions

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the binding and activation of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and nitric oxide by transition-metal complexes and examines the selected reactions of these molecules, which are catalyzed by metal complexes in solution. These three simple oxides exhibit significantly different coordination chemistries and diverse reactivity patterns when bonded to transition-metal ions. The activation of each, thus poses different problems in the field of homogeneous catalysis. By considering these three simple inorganic oxides together, the chapter compares the similarities and differences apart from examining each independently. Homogeneously catalyzed reactions can be viewed as occurring in a sequence of steps, each of which involves a change in one or more of the following properties of the catalyst metal complex: coordination number, metal-ion oxidation state, and valence-electron count. Of these properties, the metal ion oxidation state seems most susceptible to confusion, especially with ligands, such as nitrosyl, π-bonded allyl, and bridging hydride.
Estimating the Equity Risk Premium with Time-Series Forecasts of Earnings

The size of the equity risk premium remains an unanswered question in the accounting and finance literature. This study proposes a new approach to reverse-engineer the equity risk premium, distinct from prior research, in that it does not rely on analysts’ forecasts to proxy for the market’s earnings expectations. That I instead use time-series earnings forecasts allows an investigation of the equity risk premium across a broader cross-section of firms, including smaller firms that are not covered by analysts. This study finds that risk premia are significantly higher for firms not followed by analysts. This suggests that studies requiring analysts’ earnings forecasts to estimate the equity risk premium have likely underestimated its overall level. Additional validity tests on my firm- and year-specific risk premium estimates reveal that these estimates consistently and predictably relate to multiple measures of risk, particularly for firms not followed by analysts.
Theoretical analysis of wire-guided ion beam transport

Ion beam transport using a current-carrying wire to provide an azimuthal confining magnetic field has been proposed for inertial confinement fusion applications. Several aspects of this transport scheme are being investigated theoretically to determine whether or not the scheme is viable. An important issue is how much of the injected ion beam current can be successfully transported. Propagating beam ions execute betatron-like oscillations around the wire and must have sufficient angular momentum to avoid collision with the wire. The fraction of the injected ion beam with sufficient angular momentum and with small enough radial excursion to match pellet dimensions is determined by the extraction ion diode focusing geometry, the wire size, and the current carried by the wire. A second issue is the length of the standoff or ballistic drift region, between the end of the guide wire and the target. The 1/r dependence of the guide magnetic field causes ion trajectories to bend inward sharply close to the wire, indicating that the standoff could be severely limited. >
El baile de las que sobran, el contrato como estrategia de adaptación en Loco Afán

A partir de la oposicion entre los conceptos de masoquismo y sadismo , en este trabajo se realiza un analisis de cuatro textos de Loco afan: cronicas de sidario (1996) de Pedro Lemebel: “La noche de los visones”, “La Regine de Aluminios el Mono”, “Atada a un granito de arena” y “Su ronca risa loca”. A partir de las etimologias literarias de ambos conceptos, propongo que las nociones de masoquismo y sadismo describen la manera en que se establecen lazos sociales En breve, si el masoquismo implica relaciones horizontales (contractuales), el sadismo implica relaciones verticales. Sobre esta base conceptual, el objetivo general del trabajo es identificar el tipo de vinculo social (?masoquista o sadico?) que establecen las travestis presentes en las cronicas de Loco afan . Se propone que, en las cronicas de Lemebel, el lazo es masoquista y no sadico pues sus personajes protagonicos (miembros de minorias sexuales y politicas) suturan su posicion de exclusion social a traves del comercio sexual. Al saberse excluidos, estos personajes desarrollan una relacion masoquista en el trato con el otro (cliente ocasional). En suma, en las cronicas de Lemebel el caracter contractual del lazo masoquista que establecen en sus practicas de comercio sexual les permite satisfacer la fantasia de la legalidad de su condicion sexual: la forma en que se produce el contrato en las cronicas siempre involucra el cuerpo. Se concluye que es este tipo de practicas el que, paradojicamente, excluye a la travesti de la sociedad en primera instancia (por reflejar superficialmente la condicion sexual que tiene), y al mismo tiempo, es la herramienta que utiliza para poder construir su fantasia e inscribirse en el tejido social.
Overdose: How Excessive Government Regulation Stifles Pharmaceutical Innovation

This book is the first to offer a comprehensive examination of the pharmaceutical industry by following the tortuous course of a new drug as it progresses from early development to final delivery. Richard A. Epstein looks closely at the regulatory framework that surrounds all aspects of making pharmaceutical products today, and he assesses which current legal and regulatory practices make sense and which have gone awry. While critics of pharmaceutical companies call for ever more stringent controls on virtually every aspect of drug development and approval, Epstein cautions that the effect of such an approach will be to stifle pharmaceutical innovation and slow the delivery of beneficial treatments to the patients who need them. The author considers an array of challenges that confront the industry--conflicts of interest among government, academe, and the drug companies; intellectual property rights that govern patents; FDA regulation; pricing disputes; marketing practices; and liability issues, including those brought to light in the recent VIOXX case. Epstein argues that to ensure the continuing creativity, efficiency, and success of the pharmaceutical industry, the best system will feature strong property rights and clearly enforceable contracts, with minimal regulatory and judicial interference.
Current strategies for quantitative proteomics.

Publisher Summary The chapter focuses on the current strategies for quantitative proteomics. The establishment of an absolute quantitation requires the use of internal standards of known concentration, an impossible scenario considering the discovery-driven nature of proteomic studies and the complexity of the samples being analyzed. There are two primary techniques to measure the relative abundances of proteins from distinct cell populations. These techniques make use of two of the primary tools in proteomics today: two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) and mass spectrometry (MS). The use of 2D-PAGE in quantitative proteomics is relatively straightforward. Protein extracts from two distinct cell populations are separated on two different 2D-PAGE gels. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis is an important separation technique for proteomics research, whereby qualitative, as well as quantitative protein expressions can be investigated. The broad proteomic identification capabilities of these solution-based techniques combined with MS have led to the development of methods to quantitate the proteins being detected. The most popular example of these methodologies utilizes a reagent referred to as “isotope-coded affinity tags” (ICAT) that allows the global measurements of peptide relative abundances from virtually any source. The second technique relies on MS to measure relative abundances of proteins. This measurement is commonly accomplished through the use of stable isotopes to differentially label proteins from different sources. One of the most exciting aspects of more recent proteomic developments is the development of both gel-based and solution-based labeling strategies that allow relative protein abundance changes to be measured in cell systems. Gel-based technologies such as difference gel electrophoresis (DIGE) and melting profile (MP) enable thousands of protein abundances to be compared across cell systems in a precise and relatively high throughput manner.
Direct-coupling lensing by antisymmetric tensor monopoles

We discuss the effects of a direct coupling between a Lorentz-violating rank-two antisymmetric tensor field and the Maxwell field. Two possible couplings are considered, which can be distinguished by whether or not they lead to vacuum birefringence. In both cases, the magnitude of the field components and the coupling coefficient can be bounded by observational constraints. For light propagating in the presence of a topological defect solution, both couplings lead to the deflection of light rays; however, these angular deflections can be expected to be extremely small: ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}9}$ arcseconds for the nonbirefringent coupling, and no more than ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}26}$ arcseconds for the birefringent coupling. We discuss the plausibility of this phenomenon as a method for detection of these monopoles.
The Mitochondria of the Neuron

Publisher Summary Mitochondria are readily visible in a number of living cells, especially when contrast-increasing devices or vital staining procedures are used. They can be seen in well-fixed material by means of a number of characteristic staining reactions. Their widespread occurrence in both animal and plant cells of the most varied types and their peculiar activity, consisting of both active and passive motions and of frequent divisions, have attracted the attention of many cytological workers. The structural pattern of mitochondria is a complex one and it is so general in its occurrence as to be considered as probably a basic, fundamental pattern in the organization at least of the animal cell. Each mitochondrion is found to possess a limiting membrane and a system of internal ridges that protrude from the inner surface of the membrane into the interior of the organelle. In many mitochondria the cristae are perpendicular to the long axis and occur in series lying parallel to one another, at more or less regular intervals within any particular series. The interior of the mitochondrion appears to be filled with a matrix that appears structureless with the highest powers of resolution of the electron microscope. Additionally, the most favorable electron micrographs show the membrane about the mitochondrion to be double and the cristae to be folds of the inner layer of this membrane. This chapter discusses the concepts of the mitochondria in the nerve cells. The neurofibrils arise by transformation of mitochondria. Because the neurofibrils are present in the adult nerve cell, it is not unreasonable to consider that the mitochondria might be absent there.
Income inequality and household debt: a cointegration test

This article employs the Johansen and Engle–Granger methodology to determine if there is a cointegrating relationship between household debt and income inequality as measured by Atkinson, Piketty and Saez (2011). The results suggest a cointegrating relationship between the two series. A vector error correction model is estimated showing that a shock to household debt has statistically significant effects on income inequality in the United States over the time period 1919–2009.
Propofol Anesthesia for Elective Cardioversion of, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Patients with Congenital Heart Disease

Propofol is an intravenous sedative-hypnotic anesthetic agent that has been increasingly employed to facilitate elective direct current cardioversion in adult patients. Little information is available about use of propofol in pediatric intensive care unit patients with congenital heart disease undergoing elective cardioversion. We report our experience with 33 cardioversions performed in our pediatric intensive care unit using propofol anesthesia. Propofol provided good subjective conditions for cardioversion in all patients, and 97% of cardioversions successfully converted atrial flutter into a sinus rhythm. Mean induction time was 5.97 ± 3.54 minutes, and recovery time was 28.08 ± 22.88 minutes. Length of stay in the pediatric intensive care unit was 3.84 ± 1.20 hours. Transient hypotension occurred during 24% of cardioversions, whereas brief periods of respiratory depression were present during 30% of cardioversions. Propofol anesthesia can be successfully administered during elective cardioversion in ...
Electrodeposited epitaxial Fe 100-x Co x films on n-GaAs(100)

The electrodeposition of epitaxial cube-on-cube Fe{sub 100-x}Co{sub x} films onto (100)-oriented n-GaAs from ferrous ammonium sulfate solutions containing various concentrations of cobalt sulfate is described. The cobalt composition in a series of 400-nm-thick films was found to vary in proportion to the concentration of cobalt sulfate in the electrolyte and six compositions in the range from 0 to 74% were deposited. Epitaxial (100)-oriented bcc films were produced throughout this range, as suggested by symmetrical x-ray diffraction and confirmed by x-ray pole figure measurements. Rocking curve measurements yielded data that could be fitted to the sum of a Lorentzian and a Gaussian, corresponding to the (200) Fe{sub 100-x}Co{sub x} planes and to a residual contribution from GaAs (400), respectively. The full width at half maximum obtained for the film Lorentzians varied from 0.44 deg. to 0.90 deg. and was apparently uncorrelated with composition. X-ray (211) pole figure measurements revealed a high degree of twinning of the (100) bcc Fe{sub 100-x}Co{sub x} consistent with a recent study of Fe films electrodeposited on n-GaAs.
Microwave ablation of canine atrial tachycardia induced by aconitine

We tested the efficacy of microwave-frequency energy for ablating atrial tachycardia in eight open-chest dogs. Five other dogs served as controls. Atrial tachycardia was induced by direct application of aconitine crystals to the epicardial atrial surface or by injection of aconitine solution (0.15 mg/ml) into the right or left atrial myocardium. Atrial tachycardias (n = 15) developed at a cycle length of 253 +/- 64 msec or within 245 +/- 116 sec after topical application or injection of aconitine. Catheter ablation was attempted on 10 atrial tachycardias in 8 experiment dogs by using continuous, unmodulated microwave energy from a 915 MHz frequency signal generator via a 7F helical or whip antenna catheter. Successful ablation was defined as conversion of atrial tachycardia to sinus rhythm during delivery of microwave energy and maintenance of sinus rhythm for > 5 minutes after termination of energy delivery. All 10 atrial tachycardias were successfully ablated by 2.3 +/- 1.6 applications of microwave energy for each atrial tachycardia induced. Forward microwave power level was 50.5 +/- 8.1 W, and the duration of energy application was 25.0 +/- 27.6 seconds. Sinus rhythm resumed 9.5 +/- 9.2 seconds after the onset of microwave energy application. After a mean follow-up of 10.4 minutes, seven atrial tachycardias recurred, most likely the result of diffusion of aconitine beyond the perimeter of rhe ablation lesions. Atrial tachycardia did not recur in 3 of 3 dogs that had larger ablation lesion. Gross examination revealed 10 demarcated round or oval transmural lesions in the right or left atrium, ranging from 12.6 to 105.6 mm2 in area.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Prevention--a government perspective.

Musculoskeletal disorders are a leading cause of work-related injuries in the United States. For example, musculoskeletal injuries to the trunk account for 32% of all compensable injuries and 42% of the compensation costs. The largest single category of low back injuries is the ‘sprains/strains’ group. For the past three years the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has waged an aggressive two-phased campaign initially aimed at controlling occupational musculoskeletal injuries and eventually designed to preventthe initial occurrence of a musculoskeletal injury. The key words in the government perspective are ‘control’ and ‘prevent’. The ability to adequately define the musculoskeletal injury is implicit in the words ‘control’ and ‘prevent’ An adequate clinical definition of a musculoskeletal injury is the most elusive of all components in this research area. Subsequent to the adequate clinical definition, steps may be initiated to control musculoskeletal injuries. With the knowle...
Move to improve: promoting physical navigation to increase user performance with large displays

In navigating large information spaces, previous work indicates potential advantages of physical navigation (moving eyes, head, body) over virtual navigation (zooming, panning, flying). However, there is also indication of users preferring or settling into the less efficient virtual navigation. We present a study that examines these issues in the context of large, high resolution displays. The study identifies specific relationships between display size, amount of physical and virtual navigation, and user task performance. Increased physical navigation on larger displays correlates with reduced virtual navigation and improved user performance. Analyzing the differences between this study and previous results helps to identify design factors that afford and promote the use of physical navigation in the user interface.
Cat carotid body chemoreceptor responses before and after nicotine receptor blockade with α-bungarotoxin

Abstract The nature of nicotine receptors in the carotid body was studied in anesthetized, paralyzed and artificially ventilated cats. Chemoreceptor discharge in single or few-fiber preparations of the carotid sinus nerve was measured during isocapnic hypoxia, hyperoxic hypercapnia and in response to nicotine injections before and after administration of α-bungarotoxin (10 cats) and after α-bungarotoxin plus mecamylamine (7 cats) which binds to neuromuscular-type nicotine cholinergic receptors. α-Bungarotoxin caused a slight enhancement of the chemoreceptor response to hypoxia without affecting the chemoreceptor stimulation by nicotine. Mecamylamine (1–5 mg, i.v.), a ganglionic-type nicotinic receptor blocker, had no further effect on the response to hypoxia while it completely abolished the chemoreceptor stimulation by nicotine. Thus the nicotinic receptors in the cat carotid body which elicit excitation of chemosensory fibers appear to be of the ganglionic-type. Blockade of neuromuscular and ganglionic types of nicotinic receptors in the carotid body by α-bungarotoxin and mecamylamine does not attenuate the chemosensory responses to either hypoxia or hypercapnia. These nicotinic receptors therefore, do not appear to play an essential role in hypoxic or hypercapnic chemoreception in the cat carotid body.
The effects of base rate and cutoff point choice on commonly used measures of association and accuracy in recidivism research

Several measures of association and accuracy commonly used in the recidivism literature are examined for their sensitivity to variations in the proportion observed to recidivate (the base rate) and in the proportion selected for classification as recidivists (selection ratio). Logistic regression models are employed on a sample of 11,749 convicted offenders to generate predicted probabilities of four recidivism criteria varying in base rates from 0.06 to 0.48. Cutoff point selections from 0.1 to 0.9 show the effects of cutoff point changes on the following commonly used measures of association and accuracy: RIOC (relative improvement over chance), MCR (mean cost rating), Φ, γ, PRE (proportion reduction in error), and percentage correct. While all these statistics vary across base rate and cutoff points, some vary more than others: RIOC varies across cutoff points more than MCR, MCR more than Φ, and Φ more than γ. Researchers comparing such statistics across studies need be wary of the dangers of ignoring such variation.
Self-Similar Crack Expansion Method for Three-Dimensional Cracks Under Mixed-Mode Loading Conditions

Three-dimensional planar cracks under mixed-mode loading conditions are investigated by using the self-similar crack expansion method with the boundary integral equation technique, For a planar crack under general loading (tensile and shear) conditions, the normal displacement and tangential displacements on the crack surface exhibit uncoupled characteristics. However, the tangential displacements in the two directions are generally coupled. In this paper, two coupled boundary integral equations for a crack subject to shear loading are solved using the analytically numerical method, where the integrals on elements are estimated by using the explicit expression of the close form of the integrals. Combination of the self-similar crack expansion method and the analytically numerical method results in good accuracy, with errors in stress intensity factors of penny-shaped cracks and elliptical cracks less than one percent. This numerical analysis is applicable to the analysis of cracks with arbitrary geometry.
The Purpose-in-Life Test and religious denomination: Protestant and Catholic scores in an elderly population.

The Purpose-in-Life Test (PIL) was administered to a group of 118 elderly persons from three senior citizen centers. Data were obtained on religious denomination. Results suggested that whether a person was Protestant or Catholic had no significant effect on PIL scores, with mean scores almost identical. What seemed to be important was how meaningful spirituality was to the person. Those who scored high on an index of spirituality also scored high on the PIL. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Psychol 54: 49–53, 1998.
Impact of mercury emissions from historic gold and silver mining: Global modeling

Abstract We compare a global model of mercury to sediment core records to constrain mercury emissions from the 19th century North American gold and silver mining. We use information on gold and silver production, the ratio of mercury lost to precious metal produced, and the fraction of mercury lost to the atmosphere to calculate an a priory mining inventory for the 1870s, when the historical gold rush was at its highest. The resulting global mining emissions are 1630 Mg yr −1 , consistent with previously published studies. Using this a priori estimate, we find that our 1880 simulation over-predicts the mercury deposition enhancements archived in lake sediment records. Reducing the mining emissions to 820 Mg yr −1 improves agreement with observations, and leads to a 30% enhancement in global deposition in 1880 compared to the pre-industrial period. For North America, where 83% of the mining emissions are located, deposition increases by 60%. While our lower emissions of atmospheric mercury leads to a smaller impact of the North American gold rush on global mercury deposition than previously estimated, it also implies that a larger fraction of the mercury used in extracting precious metals could have been directly lost to local soils and watersheds.
A new route to iodine-labeled N-isopropyl iodoamphetamine via organoboranes

Abstract N-Isopropyl amphetamineboronic acid was prepared via a new in-situ transmetallation reaction involving sonication. The boronic acid intermediate was radioiodinated via a novel iodination procedure.
Pulse cyclophosphamide plus methylprednisolone induces myelin-antigen-specific IL-4-secreting T cells in multiple sclerosis patients.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a presumed cell-mediated Th1-type autoimmune disease. Thus therapies which decrease T cells secreting IFN-γ production or increase IL-4 production would be expected to have an ameliorating effect on MS. We have previously reported increased anti-CD3-induced IL-4 secretion by T cells in progressive MS patients treated with cyclophosphamide plus methylprednisolone (CY/MP) which was associated with eosinophilia. To investigate whether the increased IL-4 secretion was myelin antigen specific, we generated 3990 short-term T cell lines to myelin basic protein (MBP), proteolipid protein (PLP), or tetanus toxoid (TT) from 31 progressive MS patients: 11 MS patients treated with CY/MP, 10 MS patients treated with MP alone, and 10 untreated MS patients. We found increased frequencies of both MBP- and PLP-specific IL-4-secreting T cell lines in CY/MP-treated patients compared to untreated MS patients. However, no change in the frequency of TT-specific IL-4-secreting T cells was observed. MP treatment alone did not increase the frequency of antigen-specific IL-4-secreting T cell lines. These results demonstrate immune deviation favoring Th2-type responses specific to autoantigens following pulse cyclophosphamide therapy in MS patients.
Parental attitudes toward and knowledge of stuttering

Parenteral attitudes toward and knowledge of stuttering were studied in 50 parents of stutterers and 50 parents of nonstutterers following the development of the Parenteral Attitudes Toward Stuttering (PATS) Inventory and the Alabama Stuttering Knowledge (ASK) Test. Results indicated that the parents of nonstutterers displayed more desirable attitudes toward stuttering and more accurate knowledge of stuttering than did the parents of stutterers. Although the PATS Inventory and the ASK Test as presently constructed may be clinically useful particularly with respect to parental counseling, continued research appears warranted to enhance their usefulness as research and clinical instruments.
Direct Simulation of Transport in Open-Cell Metal Foams

Flows in porous media may be modeled using either a macroscopic approach, where volume-averaged semi-empirical equations are used to describe flow characteristics, or a microscopic approach, where small-scale flow details are simulated by considering the specific geometry of the porous medium. A direct simulation of the transport in an open-cell metal foam is carried out in the present study using a periodic unit cell. The foam geometry is created by assuming the pore to be spherical. The spheres are located at the vertices and at the center of the unit cell. The periodic foam geometry is obtained by subtracting the unit cell cube from the spheres. Fluid and heat flow are computed in the periodic unit cell. The objective of the present study is to obtain the effective thermal conductivity, pressure drop and local heat transfer coefficient from a consistent direct simulation of the open-cell foam structure. The computed values compare well with the existing experimental measurements and semi-empirical models. The results and the merits of the present approach are discussed.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
The Endangered Atmosphere: Preserving a Global Commons

The Endangered Atmosphere: Preserving a Global Commons describes and analyzes four cases of international response to global atmospheric policy issues. The first three—nuclear testing, transboundary air pollution, and stratospheric ozone depletion—are used to set up an analytical discussion of the fourth, climate change. The historical chapters, which are excellent and could easily stand alone independent of the analytical chapters, provide a detailed history of international decisionmaking in each case study. Undergraduate and graduate students studying any physical or social science related to atmospheric or environmental policy would learn much from these chapters.
Saddle-point excitons in solids and superlattices.

A new method has been developed to study saddle-point excitons in solids and semiconductor superlattices. Interband absorption spectra of solids within simple tight-binding models are calculated with the inclusion of the electron-hole Coulomb interaction. Absorption spectra associated with saddle-point exciton resonances in superlattices are also studied as functions of the layer thickness.
Hemodialysis does not alter in vitro hepatic CYP3A4 and CYP2D6 metabolic activity in uremic serum.

There is a paucity of studies evaluating the change in liver metabolism in subjects receiving hemodialysis. The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of uremic toxins on hepatic cytochrome P450 (CYP)3A4 and CYP2D6 metabolism before and after a 4-hour hemodialysis session. Midazolam and dextromethorphan were incubated with uremic serum collected from subjects before and after the 4-hour hemodialysis session. Analysis and quantification of the 1′-OH-midazolam and 4-OH-midazolam and dextrorphan metabolites were performed by high-pressure liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. Statistical analysis using the Student’s t-test (paired) was used to compare the amount of metabolite formed. The mean amount of 1′-OH-midazolam, 4-OH-midazolam, and dextrorphan metabolites formed before and after hemodialysis did not significantly differ. There was no significant difference in CYP3A4 and CYP2D6 metabolic activity in uremic serum before and after hemodialysis.
Oswald Nagler, HURPI, and the Formation of Urban Planning and Design in South Korea: The South Seoul Plan by HURPI and the Mok-dong Plan

As in other postcolonial settings, after its independence, Korean urban planning was still influenced by the Japanese legacy in planning culture, systems of approach, and urban form. However, there was a turning point beginning in the 1960s, led by Oswald Nagler and the Housing, Urban and Regional Planning Institute (HURPI). Nagler applied an interdisciplinary approach to the Korean urban situation and made substantial efforts to apply and localize Western planning principles in accordance with the Korean context, and educated young talented individuals. Even though the institute has been repetitively reported to have exerted a profound influence on the formation of Korean urban planning, its function and specific contribution has largely remained obscure. This study clarifies HURPI’s function and contribution by way of interviews with its members, recovering otherwise lost materials, and analyzing them with a focus on the South Seoul plan in comparison to works done by local planners at the time, as well...
Abdominal and Carcass Fat in Five Broiler Strains

Abstract Ten males and 10 females from each of five commercial broiler strains were weighed and slaughtered at 55 days of age. Over all, mean live body weight was 2112 g for males and 1702 g for females and abdominal fat was 2.9% (males) and 3.3% (females). Mean total fat in whole bird was 13.4% (males) and 15.1% (females). There were no statistically significant differences between strains at the 5% level. Correlation coefficients with percent abdominal fat were .29 for body weight (males) and .36 (females), for percent carcass fat .51 (males) and .77 (females), and for fat free carcass .26 (males) and .07 (females). Abdominal fat represented 22% of the total fat for males and females. The results obtained were similar to those found previously in this laboratory with one strain of broilers.