cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The self-inflating bulb as an airway adjunct: is it reliable in children weighing less than 20 kilograms?

Objectives: To confirm the ability of the self-inflating bulb to indicate endotracheal tube (ETT) position in children weighing less than 20 kilograms, and to determine whether the presence of air in the stomach affects the bulb's accuracy. Methods: This single-blind, prospective, single-cohort, repeated-measures, equivalence study was conducted in the operating room of a children's hospital. Seventy patients weighing less than 20 kilograms were enrolled. All patients had an uncuffed ETT placed in both the trachea and the esophagus. Measurements were initially obtained on both tubes without the presence of air in the stomach using the on-deflate method (the bulb is compressed after attachment to the ETT). Five mL/kg of air was then insufflated into the stomach and two additional measurements were obtained on each patient. The order in which the bulb was checked was determined by a computer-generated permuted block randomization scheme. The blinded assessor told the anesthesiologist when to start and stop the clock after each intervention. Five seconds was used as the cutoff time for which the clock was stopped. If the bulb re-expanded within 5 seconds, then the tube was considered to be in the trachea; if it did not re-expand, then this was considered to be an esophageal intubation. Results: Median patient age was 2 years. The on-deflate method without air in the stomach had a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 94% for detecting tracheal intubations. With air in the stomach, the bulb had a sensitivity of 97% and a specificity of 96% (95% confidence interval [95% CI] for the difference between methods: sensitivity −3 to 10; specificity −10 to 7). The inaccuracy rate for the on-deflate method without air in the stomach was 3%, whereas the inaccuracy rate with air in the stomach was 4% (Δ−1, 95% CI =−5 to 4). There were no false positives or false negatives in the 24 patients weighing between 5 and 10 kilograms. Conclusions: The self-inflating bulb is a reliable method of detecting endotracheal tube position in children weighing less than 20 kg, even with the use of uncuffed endotracheal tubes. Furthermore, the presence of air in the stomach, simulating field conditions, does not affect bulb effectiveness in detecting endotracheal tube position.
Temperature dependent study of the kinetics of Sc(a2D32) with O2, N2O, CO2, NO and SO2

Abstract The gas phase reactivity of Sc ( a 2 D 3 2 ) with O 2 , N 2 O, CO 2 , NO and SO 2 in the temperature range 298–523 K is reported. The bimolecular rate constants are described in Arrhenius form by k (O) 2 ) = (1.7 ± 0.4) × 10 −10 exp(−7.9 ± 0.7 kJ/mol/ RT ) cm 3 s −1 , k (N 2 O) = (1.7 ± 0.3) × 10 −10 exp)−12.0 ± 0.6 kJ/mol/ RT ) cm 3 s −1 , k (CO 2 ) = (7.3 ± 1.3) × 10 −11 exp(−12.3 ± 0.6 kJ/mol/ RT ) cm 3 s −1 where the uncertainties are ±2 σ . The rate constants with NO and SO 2 were temperature insensitive with room temperature rate constants of 1.5 × 10 −11 and 2.0 × 10 −10 cm 3 s −1 , respectively. The disappearance rates for all the reactants are independent of total pressure indicating a bimolecular abstraction mechanism.
Comparing media and family predictors of alcohol use: a cohort study of US adolescents

Objective To compare media/marketing exposures and family factors in predicting adolescent alcohol use. Design Cohort study. Setting Confidential telephone survey of adolescents in their homes. Participants Representative sample of 6522 US adolescents, aged 10–14 years at baseline and surveyed four times over 2 years. Primary outcome measure Time to alcohol onset and progression to binge drinking were assessed with two survival models. Predictors were movie alcohol exposure (MAE), ownership of alcohol-branded merchandise and characteristics of the family (parental alcohol use, home availability of alcohol and parenting). Covariates included sociodemographics, peer drinking and personality factors. Results Over the study period, the prevalence of adolescent ever use and binge drinking increased from 11% to 25% and from 4% to 13%, respectively. At baseline, the median estimated MAE from a population of 532 movies was 4.5 h and 11% owned alcohol-branded merchandise at time 2. Parental alcohol use (greater than or equal to weekly) was reported by 23% and 29% of adolescents could obtain alcohol from home. Peer drinking, MAE, alcohol-branded merchandise, age and rebelliousness were associated with both alcohol onset and progression to binge drinking. The adjusted hazard ratios for alcohol onset and binge drinking transition for high versus low MAE exposure were 2.13 (95% CI 1.76 to 2.57) and 1.63 (1.20 to 2.21), respectively, and MAE accounted for 28% and 20% of these transitions, respectively. Characteristics of the family were associated with alcohol onset but not with progression. Conclusion The results suggest that family focused interventions would have a larger impact on alcohol onset while limiting media and marketing exposure could help prevent both onset and progression.
Experimental and theoretical investigation of MEH-ppv based Schottky diodes

MEH-PPV (poly[2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene]) based Schottky diodes have been fabricated and investigated through the analyses of current density-voltage and capacitance-voltage characteristics. Temperature-dependent hole mobility of MEH-PPV is extracted by the space-charge limited conduction (SCLC) model from 300 to 400 K, and the use of the SCLC model is examined in high electric field. The highest measured hole mobility is 0.013 cm2/Vs at 353 K. The thickness of MEH-PPV in the structures consisting of ITO/MEH-PPV/Al, largely affects the performance of the diodes, and the thinner film displays better device performance. According to capacitance-voltage relations, the effective carrier density and Schottky barrier height of MEH-PPV have been determined to be 2.24×1017 cm-3 and 0.64 eV, respectively.
Estimation of signal noise induced by multimode optical fibers

Optical systems involving multimode fibers generally suffer from increased noise. The noise is present whenever nonuniform optical surfaces follow the multimode fiber, unless the fiber and the conditions of the input radiation are perfectly stable. We have demonstrated fiber mode noise in an optical spectrum analyzer measurement, and developed a simple algorithm to predict the amplitude of this noise, based on the transmission properties of the nonuniform optical surfaces. The algorithm can be useful in estimating the overall signal-to-noise ratio in optical systems; it is particularly useful for designing spectroscopic sensors.
GRADED GL(1|1) BRST SYMMETRY IN COVARIANT QUANTIZATION OF SUPERSYMMETRIC CHIRAL BOSONS AND HETEROTIC STRINGS

We present a covariant path integral quantization of supersymmetric chiral bosons (leftons and rightons). An infinite set of auxiliary scalar superfields are introduced to convert the second-class chiral constraint into first-class ones. Our gauge-fixed action has an extended BRST symmetry described by the graded algebra GL(1|1). A regularization respecting this symmetry is proposed to deal with the contributions of the infinite towers of auxiliary fields and associated ghosts and is verified to lead to the desired partition function. We apply our formulation to give a covariant quantization of the heterotic-type NSR strings, and show that (super)conformal anomalies from all unphysical degrees of freedom are cancelled, even in noncritical dimensions. Our treatment does not suffer from Siegel gauge anomaly, because of the use of linear chiral constraints.
High Pressure State Simulation Studies as an Aid to Understanding Diving Problems

Some of the earliest biological system models used to guide the affairs of man were employed to avoid the ``bends'' in diving. A brief discussion of decompression sickness, as it can affect tunnel workers, airplane pilots, or divers, is given, along with an analog computer configuration to represent the situation. The configuration itself has proved helpful in aiding engineers to understand some of the mechanisms involved, and the recordings that result seem helpful in supplying to physiologists and divers a feeling for the probable effect of a change in circumstances associated with a proposed dive. The effect of changing a gas mixture or changing the time course of a dive is readily visualized, for example, as are the results of using a continuously variable gas mixture and continuous ascent for minimum decompression time.
PARTISAN STRATEGY AND SUPPORT IN STATE LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS The Case of Illinois

Using state-level data from Illinois General Assembly elections, I test the implications of a formal model of electoral competition where political parties present voters with platforms of ideological locations and levels of partisan support for their candidates. Consistent with the model, I find that candidate policy positions and parties’campaign contributions are responsive to district partisan predisposition, even when controlling for the policy preferences of the district’s median voter and other conventional determinants of candidate ideology and funding. Also consistent with the theory, uncontested elections occur more often in politically lopsided districts than in districts where there are more even levels of partisan competition, and there is an inverse relationship between candidate policy extremity and campaign contributions. These results support a theory of activist programmatic parties in the electoral arena and highlight the need for further scholarship on the role of parties in the electorate and their connections with parties in the legislature.
Relations of Caliche to Small Natural Depressions, Southern High Plains, Texas and New Mexico

Most small natural depressions on the southern High Plains were produced by deflation or depositional irregularities of Pleistocene sand sheets, thus bear no genetic relation to the underlying Pliocene “caprock” caliche. Other small depressions have probably been produced by animals. The number of small depressions which reflect sinks in the underlying caliche is unknown.
The Emblic (Phyllanthus emblica L.)

The emblic is native to tropical southeastern Asia where the fruit is esteemed both fresh and preserved. It is valued as an antiscorbutic and for treating digestive and other disorders. Since the emblic has a highly stable ascorbic acid content, it is considered effective even when dried, powdered, or prepared in the form of candies or tablets. Scientific and industrial institutions in India are developing new products and improved methods of processing this fruit; while Indian horticulturists are active in the propagation of superior varieties. Long neglected in the western hemisphere, the emblic merits further investigation.
Comparison of bistable circuits based on resonant-tunneling diodes

Using computer-aided circuit simulation, the speed of RTD-based bistable circuits has been evaluated in terms of device parameters, such as the transistor's f/sub T/ and f/sub max/, and circuit parameters, such as sizing. Two topologies studied in this work are: 1) monostable-to-bistable transition logic element (MOBILE), and 2) quantum bistable logic circuit (QBL). The transistors studied in this paper are: 1) heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs), and 2) high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs). Results indicate that, among the four configurations, the MOBILE circuit using HEMTs is the fastest. This circuit, however, is also the most likely to suffer significant performance reduction due to parasitic loads and variation of device characteristics.
Thresholds in the relationship between mortality and left ventricular hypertrophy defined by electrocardiography.

Background Electrocardiographic criteria for the diagnosis of left ventricular hypertrophy in current use were defined using autopsy results or echocardiography; criteria defined using mortality might be more clinically meaningful.
Assessing group-level participation in fluid teams: Testing a new metric

Participation is an important factor in team success. We propose a new metric of participation equality that provides an unbiased estimate across groups of different sizes and across those that change size over time. Using 11 h of transcribed utterances from informal, fluid, colocated workgroup meetings, we compared the associations of this metric with coded equality of participation and standard deviation. While coded participation and our metric had similar patterns of findings, standard deviation had a somewhat different pattern, suggesting that it might lead to incorrect assessments with fluid teams. Exploratory analyses suggest that, as compared with mixed-age/status groups, groups of younger faculty had more equal participation and that the presence of negative affect words was associated with more dominated participation. Future research can take advantage of this new metric to further theory on team processes in both face-to-face and distributed settings.
A 58-Year-Old Man With Episodically Widened Pulse Pressure

(CHEST 2007; 131:313–316) A 58-year-old man was admitted to the hospital with fevers, weakness, and dyspnea for 2 days. His medical history was significant for end-stage renal disease (dialysis three times weekly via arteriovenous [AV] graft), coronary artery disease status after myocardial infarction and stenting of a left anterior descending artery lesion 4 years prior, and ischemic cardiomyopathy with class III congestive heart failure. One year prior to this hospital admission, septic phlebitis and bacterial endocarditis related to an implanted cardioverter-defibrillator were treated with device removal, replacement of both aortic and mitral valves (St. Jude mechanical prostheses), prolonged antibiotic therapy, and long-term anticoagulation. Five days prior to hospital admission, a superficial skin abscess of the anterior chest wall was drained. He remained well until 48 h before presentation when dyspnea, weakness, and diffuse myalgias rapidly developed. He was febrile at a hemodialysis session, blood cultures were subsequently positive for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and he was admitted.
Common paediatric cardiac emergencies

A 2-year-old boy with known tetralogy of Fallot and a right modified Blalock-Taussig shunt is referred to you in the emergency room with severe cyanosis, having been ill for the past two days with a runny nose, cough and poor appetite. He is irritable but alert with deep sighing and rapid respiration. You can't hear a shunt murmur but a soft ejection murmur is present. What has happened and how will you manage him (see below)?
Understanding Normative Theories of Architecture: The Potential Role of the Behavioral Sciences

Architectural theory is generally understood to consist of the ideologies, or normative positions, of individual architects or schools of architectural thought. Most analyses of these positions remain at a descriptive level. The models provided by behavioral science research can help clarify normative theories of design by enhancing our understanding of how the attitudes of designers are formulated and become accepted.
Spermatogonial Depletion in Adult Pin1-Deficient Mice

Spermatogonia in the mouse testis arise from early postnatal gonocytes that are derived from primordial germ cells (PGCs) during embryonic development. The proliferation, self-renewal, and differentiation of spermatogonial stem cells provide the basis for the continuing integrity of spermatogenesis. We previously reported that Pin1-deficient embryos had a profoundly reduced number of PGCs and that Pin1 was critical to ensure appropriate proliferation of PGCs. The current investigation aimed to elucidate the function of Pin1 in postnatal germ cell development by analyzing spermatogenesis in adult Pin1 2/2 mice. Although Pin1 was ubiquitously expressed in the adult testis, we found it to be most highly expressed in spermatogonia and Sertoli cells. Correspondingly, we show here that Pin1 plays an essential role in maintaining spermatogonia in the adult testis. Germ cells in postnatal Pin1 2/2 testis were able to initiate and complete spermatogenesis, culminated by production of mature spermatozoa. However, there was a progressive and agedependent degeneration of the spermatogenic cells in Pin1 2/2 testis that led to complete germ cell loss by 14 mo of age. This depletion of germ cells was not due to increased cell apoptosis. Rather, detailed analysis of the seminiferous tubules using a germ cell-specific marker revealed that depletion of spermatogonia was the first step in the degenerative process and led to disruption of spermatogenesis, which resulted in eventual tubule degeneration. These results reveal that the presence of Pin1 is required to regulate proliferation and/or cell fate of undifferentiated spermatogonia in the adult mouse testis. Sertoli cells, spermatogenesis, testis
Job attitudes of part-time vs. full-time workers: A meta-analytic review.

A meta-analysis was conducted (k =38, N =51,231) to examine the size of the difference between full- and part-time employees on job attitudes. Results indicated that there was little difference between full-time (FT) and part-time (PT) employees on job satisfaction, organizational commitment, intentions to leave and facets of job satisfaction. Full-time employees were found to be more involved with their jobs than PT employees (dc=0.39). Moderating variables were examined (type of job, sex of the sample and sampling strategy used), but these variables explained little of the variability in effect sizes across the studies. An additional analysis of voluntary vs. involuntary employment status was conducted on job satisfaction, but only small differences were found. The theoretical implications are discussed.
Signal Strength Analysis for Optimal Routing in Wireless Sensor Networks

This paper explores methods with which to use wireless signal properties to calculate the distance between wireless sensor nodes, as well as how to use this information to estimate transmission power consumption and ultimately calculate an optimum information routing path for nodes in a wireless sensor network. A method for increasing the accuracy of wireless distance calculation using a so called "Environment Coefficient" is also introduced. Our results have demonstrated the feasibility that our location aware sensor nodes can automatically determine power efficient routing paths by detecting received signal strength.
A randomized trial of parental behavioral counseling and cotinine feedback for lowering environmental tobacco smoke exposure in children with asthma: results of the LET'S Manage Asthma trial.

Background: Secondhand tobacco smoke exposure impairs the control of pediatric asthma. Evidence of the effi cacy of interventions to reduce children’s exposure and improve disease outcomes has been inconclusive. Methods: Caregivers of 519 children aged 3 to 12 years with asthma and reported smoke exposure attended two baseline assessment visits, which involved a parent interview, sampling of the children’s urine (for cotinine assay), and spirometry (children 5 years). The caregivers and children (n 5 352) with signifi cant documented exposure (cotinine 10 ng/mL) attended a basic asthma education session, provided a third urine sample, and were randomized to the Lowering Environmental Tobacco Smoke: LET’S Manage Asthma (LET’S) intervention (n 5 178) or usual care (n 5 174). LET’S included three in-person, stage-of-change-based counseling sessions plus three follow-up phone calls. Cotinine feedback was given at each in-person session. Follow-up visits at 6 and 12 months postrandomization repeated the baseline data collection. Multivariate regression analyses estimated the intervention effect on the natural logarithm of the cotinine to creatinine ratio (lnCCR), use of health-care services, and other outcomes. Results: In the sample overall, the children in the LET’S intervention had lower follow-up lnCCR values compared with the children in usual care, but the group difference was not signifi cant ( b coeffi cient 5 2 0.307, P 5 .064), and there was no group difference in the odds of having . one asthma-related medical visit ( b coeffi cient 5 0.035, P 5 .78). However, children with high-risk asthma had statistically lower follow-up lnCCR values compared with children in usual care ( b coeffi cient 5 2 1.068, P 5 .006). Conclusions: The LET’S intervention was not associated with a statistically signifi cant reduction in tobacco smoke exposure or use of health-care services in the sample as a whole. However, it appeared effective in reducing exposure in children at high risk for subsequent exacerbations. Trial registry: ClinicialTrials.gov; No.: NCT00217958; URL: clinicaltrials.gov CHEST 2011; 139(3):581–590 Abbreviations: CCR 5 cotinine to creatinine ratio; LET’S 5 Lowering Environmental Tobacco Smoke: LET’S Manage Asthma; lnCCR 5 natural logarithm of the cotinine to creatinine ratio; UC 5 usual care
Mucoepidermoid odontogenic cyst

Abstract This unusual cystic lesion was previously described as a lesion that has features of both botryoid odontogenic cyst and mucoepidermoid tumor and later was named as glandular odontogenic cyst. An additional case is reported and its clinicopathologic features described. The name “mucoepidermoid odontogenic cyst” is proposed.
The Limits of Reciprocity: Tolerance Thresholds in Superpower Conflict*

Researchers have devoted little attention to the important issue of whether states monitoring incoming conflict observe clear accommodative thresholds below which they are unlikely to retaliate and might continue cooperation. Consequently, this study develops the concept of accommodation and studies its impact on the behavior of the USA and Soviet Union. Using COPDAB and WEIS data, this study tests a probit model and employs the derived parameters to calculate accommodative thresholds for the USA and Soviet Union towards their full set of interaction partners in the 1948-78 period and each other in the 1948-91 period. It concludes that both the USA and Soviet Union displayed accommodative tendencies, especially when a prior pattern of cooperation with a target was in place but that the USA was highly prone towards accommodation. The USA accommodated conflictive acts of varying intensity, from a wide range of states, under a variety of conditions, over lengthy time periods. The USA also accommodated conflict from the Soviet Union over long time periods in which the Soviets did not share the US penchant for accommodation. These findings generally support realist arguments that a preponderant position allows states to ignore low-level challenges from adversaries. They also provide some support for those who adopt foreign-policy approaches.
My indications for treatment of the adolescent varicocele (and why

What to do with the adolescent varicocele? With merging the information obtained from an extensive review of the literature with our own clinical research, I believe that we already have knowledge enough to say that the adolescent with a varicocele often is in the midst of a progressive disease process. Strong evidence already exists that well more than the majority of Tanner 5 boys with a varicocele and 20% asymmetry will already have abnormally low total motile sperm counts (TMCs) and likely abnormally low sperm concentration as well. There are now many studies in addition to common sense to support the value of % asymmetry as a marker of future abnormal sperm parameters. While we know that some boys at lower Tanner stages who present with asymmetry will have catch-up growth during adolescence, we also know that almost all boys with 15% asymmetry or greater in conjunction with a Doppler detected peak retrograde flow (PRF) of 38 cm/s or greater will end up with greater than 20% asymmetry on follow-up. There also are some boys of concern with less asymmetry but instead have small testes bilaterally, perhaps as a result of the left varicocele slowing the growth of the right testicle and/or an associated undetected or overlooked palpable right varicocele that is also negatively affecting the right testicle. Fortunately, we now have another marker available, i.e., total testicular volume (TTV), to assist in decision making for the adolescent falling into this scenario. Once markers are in place in an early Tanner stage boy with a varicocele that indicate that abnormal semen parameters will likely be present when a Tanner 5 stage of development is reached, there is no reason to wait until the child is older so that a semen analysis can be comfortably requested for the documentation. One argument in favor of waiting is that abnormal semen parameters in a Tanner 5 male usually are reversible. However, how do we know that once abnormal parameters are reversed they then will stay normal in a testicle that already has incurred damage. In other words, I feel it is best to operate once the indicators are in place. We do not want to be suddenly surprised when that individual when older has difficulty fathering a child at a time in life when surgery might be too late to resolve what has taken years to develop. Within this manuscript I will try to document my reasons for the aforementioned rationale.
Content, computation, and individuation

Dans le cadre du debat sur le role explicatif du contenu dans les conceptions computationnelles de la cognition, fondees sur la survenance des proprietes formelles des etats computationnels, l'A. critique l'interpretation non-realiste de l'attribution du contenu chez F. Egan et lui substitue une version realiste qui partage la position des commentateurs de la theorie de D. Marr concernant la base survenante des contenus et processus visuels. Soulevant le probleme de l'individuation des etats cognitifs, l'A. conclut, contrairement a T. Burge et L. Shapiro, que la theorie de Marr ne favorise pas un anti-indivdiualisme
Alienation of social control: The Chicago sociologists and the origins of urban planning

This essay explores the origins of modern urban planning in a series of exchanges between city planners and urban sociologists in the 1920s and early 1930s. It was at the 1925 meeting of the American Sociological Society on “The City”, which the pioneer urban sociologist Robert E. Park and his colleagues from the University of Chicago organized, and planners from the Russell Sage Foundation's Regional Plan of New York and Its Environs attended, that this exchange began. There the sociologists articulated a theory of urban life which helped planners unravel the social implications of physical planning. This sociological theory had both shaped and been shaped by an on‐going series of practical reforms in which Park and his students had been involved. At the core of their theory was a fascination with social control (the means by which groups regulated the behaviour of their members) and a reform strategy which is best described as the alienation of social control. Park and his students explored new forms of...
Influence of fish oil in finishing diets on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and sensory evaluation of cattle.

Inclusion of fish oil, a source of n-3 fatty acids, in ruminant diets may fortify the fatty acid composition of meats and alter consumer perceptions of taste. Therefore, a 70-d study of 16 crossbred steers (441 +/- 31.7 kg of initial BW; 4 steers/pen; 2 pens/dietary treatment) consuming a high concentrate diet was conducted. Dietary treatments consisted of 1) control (75% corn, 11% soybean meal, and 10% cottonseed hull-based diet) and 2) the control diet with 3% fish oil replacing a portion of the corn. Steers were weighed on consecutive days at d 0 and 70 (i.e., the beginning and end of the trial), and interim weights were taken on d 28 and 56. On d 63, all steers were bled by jugular venipuncture to determine plasma fatty acid profiles. Steers were stratified by treatment and slaughtered on d 71 and 72. Fish oil supplementation decreased ADFI (13.97 vs. 11.49 kg; P 0.24) the color of the LM, LM area, yield grade, dressing percent, marbling, quality grade, or fat thickness. However, after extended (15 mo) storage at -20 degrees C, a professional descriptor panel discerned steaks from steers that had been supplemented with fish oil from a commercially available product or steaks from control steers. In summary, supplementation with fish oil decreased feed intake and subsequent HCW (P = 0.06) and had varying effects on sensory traits. Nevertheless, fish oil supplementation increased the proportions of n-3 fatty acids in the plasma, which may increase acceptability of the meat to the beef consumer.
Understanding and meeting information needs for patients with posttraumatic stress disorder.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a commonly occurring mental illness. There are multiple treatments for PTSD that have similar effectiveness, but these treatments differ substantially in other ways. It is desirable to have well-informed patients involved in treatment choices. A patient decision aid (PtDA) is one method to achieve this goal. This manuscript describes the rationale and development of a patient decision aid (PtDA) designed for patients with PTSD.
Leading the Library (When You're Not in Charge)

Fundamentals of leadership, management, and psychology take center stage in the business world but are often neglected in library training. By applying basic business principles to enhance our leadership skills, we can become more purposeful, organized, innovative, impactful, and successful as librarians, even if we’re not in charge. Drawing on the work of thought leaders in business and librarianship, this article explores the importance, practical implementation, and benefit of casting vision, planning strategically, managing projects, rejecting passivity, building teams, and implementing accountability.
The Fact of Legal Fiction

This article was published in a special issue of the American Inns of Court's magazine, The Bencher, dedicated to creative writing in the law. I discuss the dispositive fact of writing legal fiction: that it must entertain, not simply inform.
Vegetation analyses of the South Atlantic Coastal Plain Limestone Forest association1

Abstract The South Atlantic Coastal Plain Limestone Forest is a globally imperiled (G2) association in the upper Coastal Plain of central Georgia. This calcareous forest, comprising several diverse plant communities, is floristically unique among Coastal Plain forests but its composition and structure have not been subjected to detailed study. Formal vegetation sampling and multivariate community analyses were conducted for seven sites in Bleckley, Houston, and Twiggs counties. The data generally support the current NatureServe definition of the South Atlantic Coastal Plain Limestone Forest but suggest replacing Chasmanthium sessiliflorum with Carex superata as a better representative species for the herbaceous stratum. Cluster and canonical correspondence analyses revealed two floristically defined domains (Bottomland and Upland/Slope), delimited mainly by moisture content and degree of inclination. These domains were each further divided into two subdomains and a total of 12 floristic entities defined b...
Relation of Olfactory Tracts to Intravenous Route of Infection in Experimental Poliomyelitis

SummarySection of the olfactory tracts of 5 monkeys prevented infection with poliomyelitis virus when administered intranasally. Later, these animals could not be infected by the intravenous route. We believe this is explicable on the basis that the virus, which has been detected in the nasopharynx by ourselves and others, did not reach the central nervous system after excretion onto the nasal mucosa, because of the break in the olfactory pathway.
The computer as a metaphor for psychological inquiry: Considerations and recommendations

My concern is with the computer as a metaphor for explaining perception and action. A representative sample of arguments for and against the paradigm are presented and evaluated. The conclusion is that the idea of computation is productive for achieving a functionalist description of how we perceive and act. This level of description can contribute to our understanding independently of description achieved at the levels of neurophysiology and phenomenology. Some of the perceived limitations in the computational method rest on the assumption that the symbolic level must be discrete and abstract. In fact, worthwhile explanations within the information processing framework utilize continuous, modality-specific processes and representations as explanatory devices. One suggestion for a movement from the discrete to the continuous mode is advised to bring computational theories in line with the psychological phenomena they describe. Various alternatives to the computational framework are considered and found to be inadequate substitutes. An example of research is used to demonstrate the value of the continuous mode and the computational level of explanation.
Correlation of Left Atrial Voltage Distribution Between Sinus Rhythm and Atrial Fibrillation: Identifying Structural Remodeling by 3-D Electroanatomic Mapping Irrespective of the Rhythm.

Introduction Left atrial (LA) electroanatomical voltage mapping (EAVM) correlates with scar on LGE-MRI and has been used to guide ablation of low voltage area (LVA) in sinus rhythm (SR). We compared EAVM in SR and AF in a cohort of AF patients, and in SR between patients with AF and without AF or structural heart disease (control). Methods and results Twenty-seven AF patients, 9 with paroxysmal AF (PAF), underwent point-by-point EAVM during SR and AF using same Carto3 geometry. Only adjacent SR-AF points (≤ 5 mm apart) were compared. In addition, 6 control patients were evaluated. There was a linear bipolar voltage correlation between SR and AF (r = 0.707, P Conclusion There was a linear voltage correlation between SR and AF, suggesting a similar extent of LA fibrotic substrate can be identified on EAVM by adjusting the voltage cutoff. Structural remodeling starts in the PV antra and may progress to other LA regions.
Book review: Computational Models of Scientific Discovery and Theory Formation Edited by Jeff Shrager & Pat Langley (Morgan Kaufmann San Mateo, CA, 1990)

This collection of fifteen talks from a 1989 symposium at Stanford comes as a welcome addition to the small literature dealing with scientific and mathematical thinking. Those interested in this subject will want to obtain this book, along with its predecessor (Langley, et al, 1987), an exposition of the topic rather than an edited collection of research reports.
Unearthing the Complexities of Clinical Pedagogy in Supervision: Identifying the Pedagogical Skills of Supervisors

ABSTRACTInstructional supervision is a highly complex endeavor as supervisors work to enhance teacher, teacher candidate, and school effectiveness. The process of learning to supervise well can be daunting and difficult. Recent research on teaching has focused on enhancing teachers’ ability to notice or observe aspects of teaching and student learning. The ability to assist teacher candidates to “notice” and observe is equally important when supervising them. This qualitative case study builds upon the research on teaching and on supervision. It illustrates that “noticing” is one of a constellation of pedagogical skills supervisors use to support the learning of others. In addition, the authors identify six other pedagogical skills including ignoring, marking, intervening, pointing, unpacking, and processing. Further defining these skills is useful for understanding the intricacies of clinical pedagogy in instructional supervision. The results of this study suggest that supervision in clinically rich cont...
Prophylactic Anticonvulsants in Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

Prophylactic anticonvulsants are routinely prescribed in the acute setting for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) patients, but some studies have reported an association with worse outcomes. We sought to characterize the prevalence and predictors of prophylactic anticonvulsant administration after ICH as well as guideline adherence. We also sought to determine whether prophylactic anticonvulsants were independently associated with poor outcome. We performed a retrospective study of primary ICH in our two academic centers. We used a propensity matching approach to make treated and non-treated groups comparable. We conducted multiple logistic regression analysis to identify independent predictors of prophylactic anticonvulsant initiation and its association with poor outcome as measured by modified Rankin score. We identified 610 patients with primary ICH, of whom 98 were started on prophylactic anticonvulsants. Levetiracetam (97%) was most commonly prescribed. Age (OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.95–0.99, p < .001), lobar location (OR 2.94, 95% CI 1.76–4.91, p < .001), higher initial National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score (OR 2.31, 95% CI 1.40–3.79, p = .001), craniotomy (OR 3.06, 95% CI 1.51–6.20, p = .002), and prior ICH (OR 2.36, 95% CI 1.10–5.07, p = .028) were independently associated with prophylactic anticonvulsant initiation. Prophylactic anticonvulsant use was not associated with worse functional outcome [modified Rankin score (mRS) 4–6] at hospital discharge or with increased case-fatality. There was no difference in prescribing patterns after 2010 guideline publication. Levetiracetam was routinely prescribed following ICH and was not associated with worse outcomes. Future investigations should examine the effect of prophylactic levetiracetam on cost and neuropsychological outcomes as well as the role of continuous EEG in identifying subclinical seizures.
Repurposing DNA repair factors to eradicate tumor cells upon radiotherapy

Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide. Almost 50% of all cancer patients undergo radiation therapy (RT) during treatment, with varying success. The main goal of RT is to kill tumor cells by damaging their DNA irreversibly while sparing the surrounding normal tissue. The outcome of RT is often determined by how tumors recognize and repair their damaged DNA. A growing body of evidence suggests that tumors often show abnormal expression of DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair genes that are absent from normal cells. Defects in a specific DNA repair pathway make tumor cells overly dependent on alternative or backup pathways to repair their damaged DNA. These tumor cell-specific abnormalities in the DNA damage response (DDR) machinery can potentially be used as biomarkers for treatment outcomes or as targets for sensitization to ionizing radiation (IR). An improved understanding of genetic or epigenetic alterations in the DNA repair pathways specific to cancer cells has paved the way for new treatments that combine pharmacological exploitation of tumor-specific molecular vulnerabilities with IR. Inhibiting DNA repair pathways has the potential to greatly enhance the therapeutic ratio of RT. In this review, we will discuss DNA repair pathways in active cells and how these pathways are deregulated in tumors. We will also describe the impact of targeting cancer-specific aberrations in the DDR as a treatment strategy to improve the efficacy of RT. Finally, we will address the current roadblocks and future prospects of these approaches.
Latino Health in the Texas Panhandle: Policy Implications

ABSTRACTThis study focused on the geospatial aspects of Latino health in the Texas Panhandle from 2011 to 2016. The underpinning question became: As more Panhandle counties became increasingly Lati...
VEGF and IGF Delivered from Alginate Hydrogels Promote Stable Perfusion Recovery in Ischemic Hind Limbs of Aged Mice and Young Rabbits

Biomaterial-based delivery of angiogenic growth factors restores perfusion more effectively than bolus delivery methods in rodent models of peripheral vascular disease, but the same success has not yet been demonstrated in clinically relevant studies of aged or large animals. These studies explore, in clinically relevant models, a therapeutic angiogenesis strategy for the treatment of peripheral vascular disease that overcomes the challenges encountered in previous clinical trials. Alginate hydrogels providing sustained release of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF) were injected into ischemic hind limbs in middle-aged and old mice, and also in young rabbits, as a test of the scalability of this local growth factor treatment. Spontaneous perfusion recovery diminished with increasing age, and only the combination of VEGF and IGF delivery from gels significantly rescued perfusion in middle-aged (13 months) and old (20 months) mice. In rabbits, the delivery of VEGF alone or in combination with IGF from alginate hydrogels, at a dose 2 orders of magnitude lower than the typical doses used in past rabbit studies, enhanced perfusion recovery when given immediately after surgery, or as a treatment for chronic ischemia. Capillary density measurements and angiographic analysis demonstrated the benefit of gel delivery. These data together suggest that alginate hydrogels providing local delivery of low doses of VEGF and IGF constitute a safe and effective treatment for hind-limb ischemia in clinically relevant animal models, thereby supporting the potential clinical translation of this concept.
Robotic Repair of Upper Abdominal Hernias

Upper abdominal wall hernias are uniquely challenging due to the anatomic limitations of the costal margin and abdominal muscular insertions to the lower ribs and xiphisternum. This can impair the capacity to close larger defects, and limits the ability to fixate mesh superiorly when placed in a sublay position. The robotic platform may be ideal for repair of these hernias. Superior three-dimensional imaging and articulating instrumentation overcome many of these obstacles by allowing complex dissection of the abdominal wall compartments to facilitate defect closure and extraperitoneal sublay placement of mesh. This chapter describes robotic techniques for repair of hernias in the upper abdomen.
Effect of Tritium-Induced Damage on Plastic Targets from High-Density DT Permeation

AbstractDirect-drive inertial fusion experiments conducted at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics implode 860-μm-diameter, 8-μm-thick glow-discharge polymer (GDP) capsules that have a solid, uniform, 60- to 80-μm-thick layer of an equimolar mixture of deuterium and tritium (DT) on their interior. The DT is permeated through the capsule’s wall up to pressures of 1000 atm in small pressure steps to prevent buckling; this occurs over many hours. The capsule is then cooled, the DT is solidified, and the uniform layer is formed using thermal gradients produced by heat deposited from beta decay of the tritium. Thermal contraction of the capsule from cooling is expected to be ~1% of the diameter. Capsules permeated with DT do not exhibit this contraction and retain their room-temperature diameter after cooling. Sources of error in the imaging system were explored, and a systematic 3 μm over measurement of the diameter was revealed and corrected. However, both GDP capsules permeated with only deuterium and polyst...
US Mayors' and Health Commissioners' Opinions About Health Disparities in Their Cities.

Objectives. To characterize US mayors’ and health commissioners’ opinions about health disparities in their cities and identify factors associated with these opinions.Methods. We conducted a multimodal survey of mayors and health commissioners in fall–winter 2016 (n = 535; response rate = 45.2%). We conducted bivariate analyses and multivariable logistic regression.Results. Forty-two percent of mayors and 61.1% of health commissioners strongly agreed that health disparities existed in their cities. Thirty percent of mayors and 8.0% of health commissioners believed that city policies could have little or no impact on disparities. Liberal respondents were more likely than were conservative respondents to strongly agree that disparities existed (mayors: odds ratio [OR] = 7.37; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.22, 16.84; health commissioners: OR = 5.09; 95% CI = 3.07, 8.46). In regression models, beliefs that disparities existed, were avoidable, and were unfair were independently associated with the belief th...
Repurposing environmental DNA samples—detecting the western pearlshell (Margaritifera falcata) as a proof of concept

Information on the distribution of multiple species in a common landscape is fundamental to effective conservation and management. However, distribution data are expensive to obtain and often limited to high-profile species in a system. A recently developed technique, environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling, has been shown to be more sensitive than traditional detection methods for many aquatic species. A second and perhaps underappreciated benefit of eDNA sampling is that a sample originally collected to determine the presence of one species can be re-analyzed to detect additional taxa without additional field effort. We developed an eDNA assay for the western pearlshell mussel (Margaritifera falcata) and evaluated its effectiveness by analyzing previously collected eDNA samples that were annotated with information including sample location and deposited in a central repository. The eDNA samples were initially collected to determine habitat occupancy by nonbenthic fish species at sites that were in the vicinity of locations recently occupied by western pearlshell. These repurposed eDNA samples produced results congruent with historical western pearlshell surveys and permitted a more precise delineation of the extent of local populations. That a sampling protocol designed to detect fish was also successful for detecting a freshwater mussel suggests that rapidly accumulating collections of eDNA samples can be repurposed to enhance the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of aquatic biodiversity monitoring.
Enoxaparin dosing errors in the emergency department.

Background The study aimed to determine the frequency of enoxaparin dosing errors for patients who had a measured emergency department (ED) weight compared to those who did not have a measured ED weight, and to determine if demographic variables (e.g., weight, height, age, English-speaking, race) impact the likelihood of receiving an inappropriate dose. Methods This is a retrospective, electronic chart review of patients who received a dose of enoxaparin in the ED between January 1, 2008 and July 1, 2013. We identified all patients >18 years who received a dose of enoxaparin while in the ED, were admitted, and had at least one inpatient weight within the first four days of hospitalization. Patients were excluded if they received enoxaparin for prophylaxis or a dose of more than 1.25 mg/kg. Results A total of 1,944 patients were included. Patients were more likely to experience an error if they did not have a measured ED weight. Over-doses of >10 mg were more likely to occur in patients without a measured ED weight. Patients with no documented ED weight or with a staff-estimated ED weight were more likely to experience a dosing error than those with a patient-stated weight. Patients were more likely to experience an error if their first inpatient weight was more than 96 kg, they were more than 175-cm tall, or were English speaking. Conclusion Dosing errors are more likely to occur when patients are not weighed in the ED. Modifications to current workflows to incorporate weighing those patients who receive weight-dosed medications may be warranted.