cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Surgical management of pediatric rectal prolapse: A survey of the American Pediatric Surgical Association (APSA)

Abstract Introduction Many management options exist for the treatment of refractory rectal prolapse (RP) in children. Our goal was to characterize current practice patterns among active members of APSA. Methods A 23-item questionnaire assessed the management of full-thickness RP for healthy children who have failed medical management. The survey was approved by our IRB and by the APSA Outcomes committee. Results 236 surgeons participated. The respondents were geographically dispersed (44 states, 5 provinces). 32% of respondents had twenty or more years of clinical experience. 71% evaluated 1–5 RP patients in the last 2 years, while 5% evaluated > 10. 71% performed 0–1 procedure (operation or local therapy [LT]) for RP over 2 years. 59% would treat a 2-year-old patient differently than a 6-year-old with the same presentation, and were more likely to offer up-front surgery to a 6-year-old (26% vs 15%, p = 0.04), less likely to continue medical management indefinitely (2% vs 7%, p = 0.01), and more likely to perform resection with rectopexy (30% vs. 15%, p = 0.01). 71% perform LT as an initial intervention: injection sclerotherapy (59%), anal encirclement (8%), and sclerotherapy + anal encirclement (5%). 70% consider LT a failure after 1–3 attempts. If LT fails, surgical management consists of transabdominal rectopexy (46%), perineal proctectomy or proctosigmoidectomy (22%), transabdominal sigmoidectomy + rectopexy (22%), and posterior sagittal rectopexy (9%). Conclusions There is wide variability in the surgical management of pediatric rectal prolapse. This suggests a need for development of processes to identify best practices and optimize outcomes for this condition.
Percutaneous thrombectomy using a novel single-session device for acute ilio-caval deep vein thrombosis

Abstract A 53-year-old man developed acute left leg pain and edema 2 weeks after lumbar interbody fusion. A computed tomography venogram demonstrated acute thrombosis extending from the deep veins of the calf all the way to and including the common iliac vein owing to external compression of common iliac vein secondary to extruded bone graft material. Endovascular intervention without the use of thrombolysis was performed using a novel percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy system (ClotTriever, Inari Medical, Irvine, Calif), allowing clot removal in single session. Clot removal and stenting were performed with resolution of symptoms and only mild swelling with prolonged standing at the 6-month follow-up.
Spectrum Analysis Using Semantic Models for Context

With the ever-increasing demand for spectrum to support wireless innovation, it is critical to understand the fine-grained characteristics of spectrum use in frequency, space and time to facilitate greater spectrum sharing. Contextual information is needed to analyze how the spectrum is being utilized and understand the drivers for spectrum use dynamics. Since human activity often drives spectrum use, understanding this activity can provide significant insight. Analysis of wideband spectrum is extremely time consuming as each band has unique characteristics, domain knowledge and usage drivers. Toward automated analysis, this paper proposes an approach to incorporate contextual information into the analysis utilizing semantic models to capture domain and human activity knowledge. This approach is illustrated through analysis of spectrum measurements of four frequencies licensed to the Chicago White Sox.
Detecting Laser-Volatilized Salts with a Miniature 100-GHz Spectrometer.

Rotational transitions are unique identifiers of molecular species, including isotopologues. This article describes the rotational detections of two laser-volatilized salts, NaCl and KCl, made with...
Saccade vigor and the subjective economic value of visual stimuli

Behavioral economics relies on subjective evaluation, an abstract quantity that cannot be measured directly but must be inferred by fitting decision models to the choice patterns. Here, we present ...
Deterministic Convex Optimization

In this chapter, we study algorithms for solving convex optimization problems. We will focus on algorithms that have been applied or have the potential to be applied for solving machine learning and other data analysis problems. More specifically, we will discuss first-order methods which have been proven effective for large-scale optimization. These methods also form the basis for other computationally efficient methods, e.g., stochastic and randomized methods to be discussed in later chapters.
Interventions for youth homelessness: A systematic review of effectiveness studies

Abstract Objective This systematic review synthesizes effectiveness evidence on interventions to prevent and address youth homelessness. It was conducted primarily for a United States policy and practice audience but involved an international synthesis of evidence. Method We conducted an international search that included eleven major academic electronic databases, 13 additional relevant institutional web-based publication databases, and a professional outreach for published and unpublished studies of the effectiveness of programs and practices to prevent or address youth homelessness, in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. We searched databases for studies published or completed between January 1, 2008 and March 19, 2019, and we also reviewed earlier studies synthesized in a similar past systematic review that ended its search in 2008. The review included experimental and quasi-experimental evaluation studies of youth ages 13–25. We included studies that only used pre-post comparisons and denote lower rigor designs clearly in the synthesis. Results The search identified 4,387 potentially relevant unique publications. After screening, 66 publications representing 53 unique studies of 54 different interventions remained and were included in this review. The vast majority (83%) of unique studies were conducted in the U.S. Of the 53 unique studies, 22 (42%) involved some type of randomized evaluation. Many studies involved low rigor designs with weak counterfactuals, small sample sizes, and short follow-up periods. Included studies evaluated a range of interventions, and we grouped these into seven broad categories. The largest evidence base on the effectiveness of interventions relates to counseling and treatment interventions to address mental health or health risk behaviors. Overall, these studies showed promising results, but few included long-term follow-up. A small number of studies demonstrated reductions in occurrence of youth homelessness and housing instability, including some intensive case management and support interventions without direct housing assistance components. The field lacks rigorous evaluative evidence of many of the program models on which communities and governments rely to address youth homelessness (for example, street outreach, transitional living programs, youth shelters, host homes, and rapid rehousing). Evaluative evidence is further lacking on how the effects of interventions vary by subpopulations disproportionately impacted by homelessness. Discussion and conclusion Policy and community interventions to prevent and end youth homelessness require a robust evidence base to inform decision-making. This systematic review presents an important starting point to inform solutions across a range of intervention areas, and it reveals significant areas in which investments in research and evaluation are urgently needed.
Rapid Characterization of Water Diffusion in Polymer Specimens Using a Droplet-Based Method.

Water diffusion testing is typically carried out by immersing specimens in a water bath and monitoring water uptake until saturation is reached. Determination of diffusivity may require several mon...
Diabetes status modifies the efficacy of home-based kidney care for Zuni Indians in a randomized controlled trial.

Abstract Background Home-Based Kidney Care (HBKC) is a pragmatic treatment approach that addresses patient preferences and cultural barriers to healthcare. We previously reported the results of a clinical trial of HBKC vs. usual care in a cohort of Zuni Indians in New Mexico. This study investigated the potential for differential efficacy of HBKC vs. usual care according to type 2 diabetes (T2DM) status. Methods We analyzed the data from all individuals who participated in a randomized clinical trial that compared HBKC to usual care among patients with CKD, and assessed whether the effect of the HBKC intervention affected the subset of patients with T2DM differently than those individuals without T2DM. We used linear regression models to estimate the effect of HBKC on improvement in Patient Activation Measure (PAM) total scores within the groups of participants defined by T2DM status, and to compare the effects between these two groups. We used generalized estimating equations (GEE) to account for household clustering. Results The original study enrolled 63 participants into the HBKC group, and 62 into the usual care. Ninety-eight of these individuals completed the 12-month intervention, 50 in the HBKC group and 48 in the usual care group. The present study compared the intervention effect in the 56 participants with T2DM (24 participants in the HBKC group and 32 in usual care) to the intervention effect in the 42 participants without T2DM (26 participants in the HBKC group and 16 in usual care). Those with T2DM who received the HBKC intervention experienced an average increase in PAM total scores of 16.0 points (95% Confidence Interval: 8.8–23.1) more than those with T2DM who were in the usual care group. For those without T2DM, the intervention had essentially no effect, with those who received the HBKC intervention having an average PAM total scores that was 1.4 points (95% C.I.: −12.4 to 9.6) lower than those who received usual care. There was a significantly different HBKC treatment effect by T2DM status (p = 0.02). Conclusion This secondary analysis suggests that the effectiveness of this HBKC intervention on increasing patient activation is most notable among those CKD patients who also have T2DM.
Extracting medication information from unstructured public health data: a demonstration on data from population-based and tertiary-based samples

Unstructured data from clinical epidemiological studies can be valuable and easy to obtain. However, it requires further extraction and processing for data analysis. Doing this manually is labor-intensive, slow and subject to error. In this study, we propose an automation framework for extracting and processing unstructured data. The proposed automation framework consisted of two natural language processing (NLP) based tools for unstructured text data for medications and reasons for medication use. We first checked spelling using a spell-check program trained on publicly available knowledge sources and then applied NLP techniques. We mapped medication names into generic names using vocabulary from publicly available knowledge sources. We used WHO’s Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification system to map generic medication names to medication classes. We processed the reasons for medication with the Lancaster stemmer method and then grouped and mapped to disease classes based on organ systems. Finally, we demonstrated this automation framework on two data sources for Mylagic Encephalomyelitis/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS): tertiary-based (n = 378) and population-based (n = 664) samples. A total of 8681 raw medication records were used for this demonstration. The 1266 distinct medication names (omitting supplements) were condensed to 89 ATC classification system categories. The 1432 distinct raw reasons for medication use were condensed to 65 categories via NLP. Compared to completion of the entire process manually, our automation process reduced the number of the terms requiring manual labor for mapping by 84.4% for medications and 59.4% for reasons for medication use. Additionally, this process improved the precision of the mapped results. Our automation framework demonstrates the usefulness of NLP strategies even when there is no established mapping database. For a less established database (e.g., reasons for medication use), the method is easily modifiable as new knowledge sources for mapping are introduced. The capability to condense large features into interpretable ones will be valuable for subsequent analytical studies involving techniques such as machine learning and data mining.
After the Juice Wars: The Post–POM Wonderful Legal Landscape and Its Implications for FDA-Regulated Industries

In POM Wonderful LLC v. Coca-Cola Co., the U.S. Supreme Court set out to tackle a question that had long been a source of judicial confusion: whether or not private actors could bring Lanham Act claims for false advertising against competitors whose products were subject to the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA). The Court unanimously concluded that the FDCA does not preclude such claims, reasoning that the statutes serve complementary purposes in ensuring effective protection against false and misleading labeling. More than five years have passed since the release of the decision, and yet few scholars have conducted close evaluations of post–POM Wonderful doctrinal developments and their implications for litigants. This paper aims to fill that gap by exploring patterns in POM Wonderful’s application and assessing the opinion’s significance for actors across various FDA-regulated industries. Though this area of the law is still evolving, the research conducted here sheds light on several key trends. First, POM Wonderful has generally been construed to establish a presumption against the preclusion of Lanham Act claims under the FDCA. Second, judges have consistently applied this presumption outside of the food and beverage context, demonstrating that POM Wonderful’s principles are relevant across all markets subject to FDA regulation. Third, judges have taken on the task of identifying circumstances that warrant a departure from POM Wonderful, and courts appear to agree that the presumption against preclusion does not apply when Lanham Act claims implicate underlying issues that require exclusive FDA expertise. Finally, notwithstanding the emergence of such limitations, POM Wonderful has been invoked repeatedly to reject or narrow the preclusion arguments of Lanham Act defendants — a sign that the opinion, at least to some extent, has restricted the ability of competitors to shield themselves from false advertising claims at the early stages of litigation. The practical implications of the Court’s opinion will become clearer as the case law develops, but on the whole, the post–POM Wonderful landscape is an environment far friendlier to prospective Lanham Act litigants across the full range of FDA-regulated markets.
A scoping review of youth and young adults' roles in natural disaster mitigation and response: considerations for youth wellbeing during a global ecological crisis.

BACKGROUND Youth and young adults, ages 15-29, have been identified as assets in mitigation and management for natural disasters around the world. This study reviews the literature on disaster mitigation, response, and recovery following natural disasters with a focus on the engagement of youth and young adults. METHODS The Arksey and O'Malley (2005) scoping review model was used to broadly summarize existing literature. A comprehensive electronic search was conducted using several databases. Keywords and index terms were searched using four concepts: (a) age (e.g., youth, young adult), (b) participation type (e.g., engagement, participation), (c) natural disaster type (e.g., hurricane, tsunami), and (d) disaster response type (e.g., planning, mitigation). RESULTS The search yielded 214 articles published between 1990 and 2021. Of these articles, 19 met inclusion criteria. Identified literature focused on youth and young adults' mitigation and recovery efforts responding to natural disasters in several different countries. Themes of young people's participation or youth-led efforts focused on community mobilization and resilience (n = 5), youth empowerment and policy advocacy (n = 2), communication technology (n = 2), education-community partnerships (n = 9), and postdisaster rescue efforts (n = 1). CONCLUSIONS With a changing climate and increased weather-related natural disasters, as well as in the context of a global health pandemic, community-based groups would benefit from learning from international efforts to engage young people in disaster mitigation and recovery efforts especially as it relates to promoting mental health and well-being.
Analysis and Suppression of Corner Electric Field in Magnetic Flux Valves

The magnetic flux valve (MFV) is a novel electromagnetic device for controlling the magnetic flux in magnetic circuits. Due to the corner effect, when a control voltage is applied on the MFV, the electric field around the corners of the MFV is much larger than that in the center of the MFV. Therefore, the corner effect of electric field should be considered in the insulation design of the MFV. To minimize the impact of the corner effect on the MFV, this paper first reviewed the MFV’s structure and working principle, analyzed the corner effect of the electric field of the MFV, and then proposed four design options to study the impact of the corner effect on the MFV. The four design options were numerically simulated with the finite element method in Ansys Maxwell. Based on the simulation results, the best design option with the minimum corner effect is determined for the MFV.
Run Length Slice Algorithm for Incremental Lines

Lines displayed on devices such as incremental plotters, raster CRT or plasma panel displays, and matrix printers must be approximated by sequences of discrete axial and diagonal unit steps in which successive incremental movements are constrained to the movement pattern of the king piece in a game of chess. Described is a Freeman/Reggiori-like algorithm for generating directly the run lengths of constant direction movement within the step sequence in contrast to generating the sequence in its basic unit step elements. The repetitive loop for generating lengths of alternating runs of solely axial and solely diagonal steps requires only integer addition/subtraction together with a sign test and will be executed at most only half the number of times as the comparable loop used to generate the single unit move sequence one step at a time. The algorithm also can be used to examine repetitive patterns and cycles which occur in rastered lines.
The Digital Anatomist Distributed Framework and Its Applications to Knowledge-based Medical Imaging

The domain of medical imaging is anatomy. Therefore, anatomic knowledge should be a rational basis for organizing and analyzing images. The goals of the Digital Anatomist Program at the University of Washington include the development of an anatomically based software framework for organizing, analyzing, visualizing and utilizing biomedical information. The framework is based on representations for both spatial and symbolic anatomic knowledge, and is being implemented in a distributed architecture in which multiple client programs on the Internet are used to update and access an expanding set of anatomical information resources. The development of this framework is driven by several practical applications, including symbolic anatomic reasoning, knowledge based image segmentation, anatomy information retrieval, and functional brain mapping. Since each of these areas involves many difficult image processing issues, our research strategy is an evolutionary one, in which applications are developed somewhat independently, and partial solutions are integrated in a piecemeal fashion, using the network as the substrate. This approach assumes that networks of interacting components can synergistically work together to solve problems larger than either could solve on its own. Each of the individual projects is described, along with evaluations that show that the individual components are solving the problems they were designed for, and are beginning to interact with each other in a synergistic manner. We argue that this synergy will increase, not only within our own group, but also among groups as the Internet matures, and that an anatomic knowledge base will be a useful means for fostering these interactions.
Prolonged financial stress predicts subsequent obesity: results from a prospective study of an Australian national sample.

Objective The aim of this research was to assess the association of prolonged financial stress (FS) with subsequent obesity. Design and Methods Data were from Waves 8 (2008), 9 (2009), and 10 (2010) of Household Income and Labor Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey. The outcome was obesity measured in 2010. Prolonged FS was defined as having experienced FS in both 2008 and 2009. FS was measured in each year using seven questionnaire items. Analyses adjusted for health, physical activity, income, education, baseline obesity, and other covariates. Results Prolonged FS was a strong predictor of subsequent obesity. The adjusted risk of being obese in 2010 were 20% higher (RR: 1.20; 95% CI: 1.10-1.30) among individuals who experienced FS in both 2008 and 2009 than those who did not experience FS in either year. The association of FS with obesity was independent of income and constant across income categories. Conclusions Obesity prevention research should pay more attention to FS as an important dimension of economic deprivation, a concept that is distinct from common indicators of socioeconomic status such as income. Future research can examine the effect of financial education and counseling programs that help individuals with such skills as money management, budgeting, and saving on a reduction in FS and obesity.
Applying the Pragmatic-Explanatory Continuum Indicator Summary Model in a Primary Care-Based Lifestyle Intervention Trial.

The majority of adults in the U.S. can be classified as overweight or obese (68%), putting them at risk for Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and other adverse health outcomes. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that providers offer or refer obese adults to intensive, multicomponent lifestyle interventions. However, there is a critical need for interventions that have been shown to be pragmatic and effective among diverse populations, scalable across different clinical settings and systems, and sustainable over time. The Pragmatic–Explanatory Continuum Indicator Summary (PRECIS) tool can be used to assess the degree to which trials of behavioral lifestyle interventions provide evidence to support this need. We used our recently completed trial, Evaluation of Lifestyle Interventions to Treat Elevated Cardiometabolic Risk in Primary Care (E-LITE), as a case study and assessed the domains of PRECIS to explore the degree to which we felt it achieved its intended pragmatic design (completed in December 2014). Overall, the systematic assessment using the PRECIS tool revealed that the E-LITE trial design was very pragmatic in nature. Its results and the subsequent adoption of the intervention into actual practice also suggest high potential for implementation of primary care interventions.
Effects of Expert System Consultation within Curriculum-Based Measurement, Using a Reading Maze Task

This study assessed the effects of expert system instructional consultation within curriculum-based measurement (CBM). Thirty-three special educators and 63 students with mild to moderate disabilities were assigned randomly to three groups: CBM with expert system instructional consultation (CBM-ES). CBM with no consultation (CBM-NES), and control (i.e., no CBM). CBM teachers implemented a CBM system for 17 weeks. Analyses indicated that students in both CBM groups achieved better than the control group on several key reading outcome measures, assessing fluency and comprehension. However, the CBM-ES teachers planned more diverse instructional programs than did the CBM-NES teachers, and their students achieved better than the CBM-NES and control students on an outcome measure requiring written recalls.
Precipitous Fall in Platelet Count with Anagrelide: Case Report and Critique of Dosing Recommendations

Thrombotic and hemorrhagic events may result from high circulating concentrations of platelets (> 1,000,000/mm3), and measures to reduce the platelet count are indicated in symptomatic or extreme thrombocytosis. The platelet count can be decreased quickly by plasmapheresis, but the effect is transient. Patients with thrombocytosis secondary to a myeloproliferative disease, such as chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), frequently require more sustained suppression of the platelet count. Hydroxyurea, busulfan, and interferon are used to maintain a lower platelet count but are occasionally ineffective or intolerable. An alternative to these therapies is anagrelide, a quinazolin derivative that was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in March 1997. Because current dosing guidelines for anagrelide are scarce, the dosing method of the Anagrelide Study Group that published the largest study to date on the drug's efficacy in thrombocytosis was followed. Two unexpected episodes of anagrelide-induced thrombocytopenia occurred despite following these dosing methods. This prompted a critical evaluation of the pharmacodynamic response and the appropriateness of anagrelide dosage recommendations. A case of thrombocytosis treated with anagrelide in a patient with CML is described.
Multicriteria Analysis for Disaster Risk Reduction in Virginia, USA: A Policy-Focused Approach to Oil and Gas Drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf

ABSTRACT Multiple Criteria Analysis (MCA) is a collection of methodologies to compare, select, or rank multiple alternatives that typically involve incommensurate attributes. MCA is well-suited for eliciting and modeling the disaster management preferences of stakeholders and for improving the coordination among emergency response agencies, organizations and affected citizens. Many Americans favour new drilling for oil and gas in the Outer Continental Shelf, and a Congressional moratorium on new offshore oil and gas drilling was lifted last year for the first time in three decades. The Facilitator Decision Support System for Multiple Criteria Analysis is used to explore whether it is in the interest of Virginia and the United States to maintain the current offshore exploration schedule. The issue is timely and important, as legislation (H.R. 1696) has been introduced in the 111th US Congress to place regions in the North Atlantic and Mid-Atlantic permanently off-limits to oil and gas leasing and development.
Optimal investment in a defaultable bond

The present paper analyzes the optimal investment strategy in a defaultable (corporate) bond and a money market account in a continuous time model. Due to jumps in the bond price our market model is incomplete. The treatment of information on the firm’s asset value is based on an approach unifying the structural model and the reduced-form model. Specifically, the asset value will be assumed to be observable only at finitely many time points before the maturity of the bond. The optimal investment process will be worked out first for a short time-horizon with a general risk-averse utility function, then a multi-period optimal strategy with logarithmic and power utility will be presented using backward induction. The optimal investment strategy is analyzed numerically for the logarithmic utility.
Children's Interview for Psychiatric Syndromes (ChIPS)

ABSTRACT Objective To describe the development and summarize the psychometric properties of the Children's Interview for Psychiatric Syndromes (ChIPS). Method ChIPS is a highly structured interview designed for use by trained lay interviewers in children aged 6-18 years. It screens for 20 Axis I disorders as well as psychosocial stressors. Questions use simple language and short sentence structure to enhance subject comprehension and cooperation. The interview is based on DSM-IV and results are presented in a concise, easy-to-interpret manner. There are both child and parent versions. The psychometric properties of each version were studied. Results A series of 5 studies has demonstrated the validity of the DSM-III, DSM-III-R, and DSM-IV versions of the ChIPS as well as the validity of the P-ChIPS (parent version). Administration time is relatively brief, averaging 49 minutes for inpatients, 30 minutes for outpatients, and 21 minutes for a community-based sample. Conclusions ChIPS can be used as a screening instrument to maximize a clinician's efficiency, as a diagnostic instrument in clinical research, and as a training instrument to help mental health professionals learn psychiatric diagnosis. It can also be used in epidemiological research.
Determination of the Jump of a Function of Generalized Bounded Variation by the Derivatives of a Trigonometric Interpolation Polynomial

We obtain formulas expressing the value of the jump of a bounded periodic function of harmonic bounded variation in a neighborhood of the point under consideration via the derivatives of odd order of the Lagrange trigonometric interpolation polynomial with equidistant nodes and via the derivatives of even order of the conjugate polynomial.
Analysis of microdamage evolution histories in composites

Abstract Evolution of microdamage in advanced composites was experimentally studied in this paper. A new method of acoustic emission (AE) analysis of histories of different damage mechanisms was formulated based on a combination of transient AE classification and multiparameter filtering. The capabilities of the method were illustrated on examples of damage evolution in several graphite/epoxy composites. Three characteristic AE waveforms with different frequency spectra were identified based on the transient analysis. Regions occupied by these waveforms in the amplitude–rise time parametric space were identified for the [0]8 and [90]16 unidirectional composites. Multiparameter filtering was applied to extract evolution histories for the characteristic waveforms. The results were compared with actual damage in the specimens and the three characteristic AE waveforms were associated with matrix cracks, fiber breaks, and ‘macrodamage’, such as delaminations or longitudinal splitting in unidirectional plies. The multiparameter filters based on the analysis of the unidirectional composites were used to extract the damage evolution histories for the cross-ply [0/90]3S and angle-ply [±45]4S composites. The results compared favourably with the observed damage in these materials. An inverse analysis of the quality of the multiparameter filtering for the laminated composites indicated that the filters developed for unidirectional composites can be applied to the analysis of laminated composites with reasonable reliability. The new method of acoustic emission analysis of damage micromechanisms is expected to be especially advantageous for fatigue damage evolution studies in composites and structures.
JUVENILE DIVERSION: THE IMPACT OF PROGRAM PHILOSOPHY ON NET WIDENING

ABSTRACT This paper examines the relationship between a juvenile diversion program's philosophy and the program's tendency to engage in net widening. The paper presents theoretical and empirical evidence that diversion programs based on a crime control philosophy (retribution or deterrence) are less likely than treatment based diversion programs to engage in net widening. The implications of these findings for juvenile diversion program design and administration are also discussed herein.
A review of analytical methods for the identification and quantification of hydrocarbons found in jet propellant 8 and related petroleum based fuels

Jet propellant 8 (JP-8) is a complex mixture of compounds that varies from batch to batch. Quantification of various compound classes of JP-8, including BTEX, PAHs and VOCs, has been accomplished. Very few papers have tackled total JP-8 quantification because of its complexity. The components in JP-8 tend to co-elute and present at low concentrations, often nondetectable. JP-8 is the major source of chemical exposure for Department of Defense personnel and a potential hazard for civilians and marine animals. Some components of JP-8 have been identified as possible human carcinogens and have been studied extensively. Development of analytical methods to analyze the components of this fuel are essential to measure the extent of exposure, as well as the short-term and long-term exposure in rodents, humans and marine life. To date, JP-8 has been examined in urine, blood, contaminated water and fish tissue. This paper reviews methods currently utilized in the literature for the analysis of JP-8 and its components. This paper also discusses extraction methods and detectors commonly used in JP-8 and hydrocarbon analysis in general. Finally, the effects of exposure and the future of JP-8 and petroleum analysis with respect to human health are discussed.
Can non-calcified coronary artery plaques be detected on non-contrast CT calcium scoring studies?

Rationale and Objectives Coronary computed tomographic (CT) angiography has been shown to detect noncalcified coronary artery plaque. Depending on tissue composition, noncalcified plaque differs in CT attenuation from blood and epicardial fat. The aim of this study was to determine whether noncalcified plaque can be visually detected on non-contrast-enhanced CT calcium scoring studies. Materials and Methods A total of 106 patients (40 women; mean age, 59 years) who underwent coronary calcium scoring, coronary CT angiography, and quantitative catheter angiography were prospectively investigated. Two blinded observers independently reviewed calcium scoring studies for positive vascular remodeling and hypoattenuation within the vessel wall, suggestive of noncalcified plaque. Findings on calcium scoring studies were compared with those on coronary CT angiography and quantitative catheter angiography. Results The mean Agatston score was 515.8 ± 826.8. Overall interobserver agreement for the identification of noncalcified lesions was substantial (κ = 0.69). Observer 1 and observer 2 identified 21 and 17 patients, respectively, with 38 and 35 lesions suggestive of noncalcified plaque. Coronary CT angiography confirmed noncalcified plaque in 33 of 38 (86.8%; observer 1) and 31 of 35 (88.6%; observer 2) lesions. Thus, the overall positive predictive value for correct identification of noncalcified plaque on calcium scoring studies was 0.88, although overall sensitivity was low at 0.39. Conclusions Noncalcified plaque can be visually detected on calcium scoring studies. Review of calcium scoring studies for features of noncalcified plaque may enhance the identification of patients with more active disease and higher cardiovascular risk.
On the Temperature of the Jovian Thermosphere

Abstract A theoretical study is made to assess the importance of the solar EUV flux in the thermal energy balance of the Jovian thermosphere. A global averaged vertical temperature contrast in the thermosphere of 15K is calculated and the mesopause is located at a particle density of 5×1013 cm−3. Thus, the upper atmosphere of Jupiter is approximately isothermal. At the mesopause IR cooling by C3H2 is an order of magnitude more important than IR cooling by CH4. Only the location of the mesopause is a sensitive function of the IR cooling agent in the upper atmosphere. The exospheric temperature depends principally on the mesopause temperature and the solar flux. Eddy heat transport plays a negligible role in the thermal energy balance of the Jovian thermosphere. For the thermospheres of Saturn and Titan the global averaged vertical temperature contrasts are estimated to be ∼10K and 90K, respectively, if their compositions are similar to Jupiter's and the same physics is applicable.
In defense of type materialism

L'A. pense que les arguments couramment employes contre le materialisme "type/type" (les types d'etats mentaux sont des types d'evenements neurophysiologiques) ne sont pas suffisants pour infirmer cette these, et presente des arguments aussi bien empiriques que conceptuels pour la defendre.
The chemistry of the reaction determines the invariant amino acids during the evolution and divergence of orotidine 5'-monophosphate decarboxylase.

Orotidine 5′-phosphate (OMP) decarboxylase has the largest rate enhancement for any known enzyme. For an average protein of 270 amino acids from more than 80 species, only 8 amino acids are invariant, and 7 of these correspond to ligand-binding residues in the crystal structures of the enzyme from four species. It appears that the chemistry required for catalysis determines the invariant residues for this enzyme structure. A motif of three invariant amino acids at the catalytic site (DXKXXD) is also found in the enzyme hexulose-phosphate synthase. Although the core of OMP decarboxylase is conserved, it has undergone a variety of changes in subunit size or fusion to other protein domains, such as orotate phosphoribosyltransferase, during evolution in different kingdoms. The phylogeny of OMP decarboxylase shows a unique subgroup distinct from the three kingdoms of life. The enzyme subunit size almost doubles from Archaea (average mass of 24.5 kDa) to certain fungi (average mass of 41.7 kDa). These observed changes in subunit size are produced by insertions at 12 sites, largely in loops and on the exterior of the core protein. The consensus for all sequences has a minimal size of
A Floristic Comparison of Seaweeds from James Bay and Three Contiguous Northeastern Canadian Arctic Sites

Abstract The seaweed flora from James Bay, Canada is compared with three contiguous northeastern Canadian Arctic areas (Hudson Bay, Hudson Strait, and the Ellesmere-Baffin Islands area extending northward to the Arctic Ocean). A conspicuous reduction pattern was evident with 131 taxa recorded for the Ellesmere-Baffin Islands area, 106 for Hudson Strait, 81 from Hudson Bay, and 44 in James Bay. The Ellesmere-Baffin Islands area has a more rocky open coastal environment and higher salinities than James Bay, which is more highly sedimented and impacted by hydroelectric development and freshwater discharge. The Ellesmere-Baffin Islands area (∼32–30.5‰) has a higher mean number of shared taxa (90.0 ± 18.4 SE) than James Bay (37.6 ± 2.7 SE), while Hudson Strait and Hudson Bay have intermediate values of 78 ± 14.1 SE and 64 ± 9.2 SE, respectively. The combined flora from the four areas consists of 164 taxa, including 49 red, 65 brown, 1 chrysophyte, and 49 green algae. Fifty of these total taxa (31%) were only f...
Fractal dimension predicts arrhythmia recurrence in patients being treated for life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias

Ambulatory electrocardiographic (Holter) recordings are widely used for arrhythmia detection, risk stratification, and to guide therapy of various arrhythmias. The most common information obtained is the frequency of single ventricular premature complexes (VPCs), couplets, and runs of ventricular tachycardia (VT). Recently, additional useful information has been acquired from Holter recordings: parameters of heart rate variability and fractal dimension (fractal D). ',2 The latter is derived from the application of signal-processing methods that use nonlinear dynamics to assess the time distribution of VPC occurrence.
A comparison of measured and simulated ozone concentrations in the rural areas of the eastern United States during summer 1995.

The recent regulatory actions toward a longer-term (i.e., 8-hr) average ozone standard have brought forth the potential for many rural areas in the eastern United States to be in noncompliance. However, since a majority of these rural areas have generally few sources of anthropogenic emissions, the measured ozone levels primarily reflect the effects of the transport of ozone and its precursor pollutants and natural emissions. While photochemical grid models have been applied to urban areas to develop ozone mitigation measures, these efforts have been limited to high ozone episode events only and do not adequately cover rural regions. In this study, we applied a photochemical modeling system, RAMS/UAM-V, to the eastern United States from June 1-August 31, 1995. The purpose of the study is to examine the predictive ability of the modeling system at rural monitoring stations that are part of the Clean Air Status Trends Network (CASTNet) and the Gaseous Pollutant Monitoring Program (GPMP). The results show that the measured daily 1-hr ozone maxima and the seasonal average of the daily 1-hr ozone maxima are in better agreement with the predictions of the modeling system than those for the daily 8-hr ozone maxima. Also, the response of the modeling system in reproducing the measured range of ozone levels over the diurnal cycle is poor, suggesting the need for improvement in the treatment of the physical and chemical processes of the modeling system during the nighttime and morning hours if it is to be used to address the 8-hr ozone standard.
On the use of multilevel modeling as an alternative to items analysis in psycholinguistic research.

The use of multilevel modeling is presented as an alternative to separate item and subject ANOVAs (F1�F 2) in psycholinguistic research. Multilevel modeling is commonly utilized to model variability arising from the nesting of lower level observations within higher level units (e.g., students within schools, repeated measures within individuals). However, multilevel models can also be used when two random factors are crossed at the same level, rather than nested. The current work illustrates the use of the multilevel model for crossed random effects within the context of a psycholinguistic experimental study, in which both subjects and items are modeled as random effects within the same analysis, thus avoiding some of the problems plaguing current approaches.
Correlation of Upper Cretaceous strata from Lima Peaks area to Madison Range, southwestern Montana and southeastern Idaho, USA

Abstract An 40 Ar/ 39 Ar age of 85.81 Ma±0.22 my was obtained on sanidine from a volcanic procellanite bed near the top of the 2135+m-thick Upper Cretaceous Frontier Formation in the Lima Peaks area of southwestern Montana. This early Santonian age, combined with previously determined age data including a palynological age of Cenomanian for the lower Frontier at Lima Peaks, and a U-Pb isotopic date of about 95 Ma for the base of the Frontier Formation in the eastern Pioneer Mountains north of the Lima Peaks area, provides an age range for the nonmarine formation. In the Madison Range, farther east in southweastern Montana, this age range corresponds to marine strata of not only the Frontier Formation, but also the overlying Cody Shale and Telegraph Creek Formation, a sequence that totals less than 760 m thick. The Upper Cretaceous marine formations of the madison Range are closely zoned by molluscan faunas that are well constrained with radiometric dates. The 40 Ar/ 39 Ar age of 85.81 Ma±0.22 my at Lima Peaks is bracketed by radiometric dates for the Scaphites depressus—Protexanites bourgeoisianus biozone and the overlying Clioscaphites saxitonianus—Inoceramus undulatopilcatus biozone of the Western Interior. Fossils of both of these biozones are present in the Cody Shale and the Telegraph Creek Formation in the Madison Range. The Telegraph Creek contains two units of volcanic ash that are approximate time equivalents of the volcanic procellanite of the Lima Peaks area. Clasts in the conglomerate of the upper part of the Frontier in the Lima Peaks area were shed during the initial stages of uplift of the Blacktail-Snowcrest Highlands which rose to the north. The dated porcellanite lies above the conglomerates and indicates that the uplift was initiated by middle or late Coniacian, 87–88 Ma.
Dynamics of skyrmion collisions in 3+1 dimensions.

We calculate classical skyrmion collisions in 3+1 dimensions. Numerical integration of Hamilton's equations for the chiral fields is based on a staggered leap-frog method. We study collisions of defensive hedgehog solitons at various impact parameters for center-of-mass energies of 157, 432, and 885 MeV. Internal excitations of the skyrmions and meson emission are observed. The time evolution of the pion field and momentum and baryon densities is shown, as are deflection functions and inelasticities. Some results for skyrmion-antiskyrmion annihilation are presented.
Transcript-based redefinition of grouped oligonucleotide probe sets using AceView: high-resolution annotation for microarrays.

Background Extracting biological information from high-density Affymetrix arrays is a multi-step process that begins with the accurate annotation of microarray probes. Shortfalls in the original Affymetrix probe annotation have been described; however, few studies have provided rigorous solutions for routine data analysis.
If we know so much about preeclampsia, why haven’t we cured the disease?

Preeclampsia has been recognized for at least 100 years. In the last 20 years, the consideration of the disorder as more than simply hypertension in pregnancy has led to an explosion in knowledge about preeclampsia pathophysiology. It is now evident that for most cases of preeclampsia, the root cause is the placenta. Relatively reduced placental perfusion leads to inflammation, oxidative stress, and endoplasmic reticulum stress, which converge to modify maternal physiology, with endothelium an important target. Although preeclampsia is characteristically diagnosed in the last third of pregnancy, it is evident that many of these pathophysiological changes can be detected long before clinically evident disease. Furthermore, it is evident that the “maternal constitution,” including genetic, behavioral, and metabolic factors, influences the maternal response to the abnormal placentation of preeclampsia. These insights would seem to provide a guide for the prediction of the disorder in early pregnancy, along with targets for intervention. However, this has not been the case. Predictive tests guided by this knowledge do not predict well and several interventions guided by the expanded understanding of pathophysiology do not prevent the disease. We propose that these failures are secondary to the fact that preeclampsia is more than one disorder. Further, we suggest that future progress toward prediction and prevention will require research guided by this concept.
Unique, Highly Proliferative Growth Phenotype Expressed by Embryonic and Neointimal Smooth Muscle Cells Is Driven by Constitutive Akt, mTOR, and p70S6K Signaling and Is Actively Repressed by PTEN

Background— At distinct times during embryonic development and after vascular injury, smooth muscle cells (SMCs) exhibit a highly proliferative, serum-independent growth phenotype. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the functional role of S6 ribosomal protein (S6RP) and upstream positive and negative regulators in the control of SMC serum-independent growth. Methods and Results— We previously reported increased expression of S6RP mRNA was associated with this unique growth phenotype. Using immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis, we report high levels of total and phospho-S6RP and increased levels of Akt and p70S6K phosphorylation, upstream positive regulators of S6RP, in rat embryonic aortas and adult balloon-injured carotid arteries compared with quiescent adult aortas and uninjured carotid arteries. Western blot analysis demonstrated that cultured embryonic and neointimal SMCs that exhibited serum-independent growth capabilities expressed high levels of S6RP and constitutively active A...