cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of Multidisciplinary Care Teams in Reducing Major Amputation Rate in Adults with Diabetes: A Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis.

Abstract Aims To determine the pooled effectiveness of multidiscipinary care teams (MCTs) in reducing major amputation rates in adults with diabetes. Methods A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed, searching databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, and Clinicaltrials.gov thru October 2018. We included only before-after studies comparing amputation rates before and after the implementation of a MCT for the prevention of major amputation in adults with diabetes. Our primary outcome was relative risk of major amputation. Risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using a fixed effects model. Results Twenty studies met the inclusion criteria. Nine studies were included in the meta-analysis, and eleven were included in a qualitative analysis. Exposure to a MCT resulted in a protective effect ranging from a RR of 0.44 [p-value Conclusions Healthcare systems can expect a 39–56% amputation rate reduction after implementing an MCT amputation prevention program. These findings may justify the use of additional resources needed for program implementation by helping healthcare systems predict the anticipated benefit these teams have on “possible limbs saved”. Funding None.
Expanding Contraception Access for Women With Opioid-Use Disorder: A Qualitative Study of Opportunities and Challenges.

Purpose:As almost nine in ten pregnancies among women with opioid use disorder (OUD) are unintended, expanding access to contraception is an underutilized but potentially effective strategy in incr...
Thirteen-year trends in the prevalence of diabetes according to socioeconomic condition and cardiovascular risk factors in a Swiss population.

INTRODUCTION To estimate the prevalence of and trends in diabetes according to sociodemographic indicators and cardiovascular risk factors in a Swiss population. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Annual cross-sectional study of adults residing in the state of Geneva. We included 9886 participants (51% women; mean age (SD) of 48.9 (13.4) years). Diagnosed diabetes was self-reported; undiagnosed diabetes was defined as having fasting plasma glucose level of ≥7 mmol/L and no previous diagnosis; total diabetes as the sum of diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes. To assess trends, we grouped survey years into three time periods: 2005-2010, 2011-2014, and 2015-2017. To assess inequalities, we constructed the relative index of inequality (RII) and the slope index of inequality (SII) for education, income, and health insurance subsidy (state program based on socioeconomic disadvantage). RESULTS In total, 683 diabetes cases were identified. In 2015-2017, total diabetes prevalence was 11.8% (8.6%-14.9%) among lowest income participants, and 4.7% (3.4%-5.9%) among highest income participants (p<0.01). Similar findings were observed for education. Among participants with full health insurance subsidy, diabetes prevalence was 19.4% (12.1%-26.8%), and 6.1% (5.3%-7.0%) among those without (p<0.01). High diabetes prevalence was observed among participants who were men, older, overweight or obese, hypertensive, and hypercholesterolemic. Among participants with diabetes, 74.0% (63.5%-84.4%) in the lowest income group were diagnosed, compared with 90.2% (81.9%-98.4%) in the highest income group (p=0.04). Over the 13-year period, widening relative and absolute inequalities in total diabetes prevalence were observed for education and income. The education-RII (95% CI) increased from 1.51 (95% CI 1.01 to 2.32) in 2005-2010 to 2.54 (95% CI 1.58 to 4.07) in 2015-2017 (p=0.01), and the education-SII (95% CI) from 0.04 (95% CI 0.01 to 0.08) to 0.08 (95% CI 0.04 to 0.10; p<0.01). The income-RII increased from 2.35 (95% CI 1.44 to 3.84) to 3.91 (95% CI 2.24 to 6.85; p<0.01), and the income-SII from 0.08 (95% CI 0.04 to 0.12) to 0.011 (95% CI 0.07 to 0.14; p=0.01). Inequalities by health insurance subsidy were large (RII 3.56 (95% CI 1.90 to 6.66) and SII 0.10 (95% CI 0.05 to 0.15)) but stable across the study period. CONCLUSION Among adults living in Geneva, Switzerland, substantial differences were observed in diabetes prevalence across socioeconomic and cardiovascular risk groups over a 13-year period, and relative and absolute socioeconomic inequalities appeared to have increased.
Movements of Juvenile Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the Nearshore Waters of the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico

Satellite telemetry is a valuable tool for examining long-term, large scale movements of highly migratory species. Tracking data can be used by resource managers to protect habitat and ensure recovery of threatened and endangered species. Few tracking studies have focused on habitat use patterns of juvenile, neritic stage turtles. Satellite tracking surveys were conducted to assess juvenile green turtle movements in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico during 2006-2010. Fifteen turtles were equipped with platform terminal transmitters (PTT; 3 rehabilitated, 12 wild). Mean track duration was 129 days (range: 16-344 days). A hierarchical switching state-space model (hSSM) was applied to extrapolate population level foraging/resident versus migratory movements. All turtles displayed residency in Texas bays during summer months (March-November) while 5 individuals exhibited seasonal migrations into Mexican waters following passage of strong cold fronts in December and January. Winter (e.g. Mexico) versus summer (e.g. Texas) core areas were not significantly different. Winter 95% contours were significantly larger than summer (summer: 125.4 ± 47.5 km2, n = 15; winter: 274.4 ± 252.9 km2, n = 5). Space-time hot spot analysis provided a new and unique approach for conducting spatiotemporal cluster analysis, and was applied to migratory turtles to determine monthly changes in distribution and habitat associations. Changes in hot spots over time were detected within the lower regions of the Laguna Madre with punctuated intervals of hot spot activity. Upper regions of the Laguna Madre were identified as new hot spots in the later part of the year (e.g. Fall/Winter). Within core areas in Texas, seagrasses comprised an average density of 32.4% while 87.5% of the total available seagrass habitat occurred within the 95% KDE contour. Based on PTT and historic tide station surface water temperatures, all turtles tracked over winter migrations and residencies (n = 5) remained within waters > 15°C, suggesting a threshold temperature at which migration behavior may be initiated. Continued recovery of threatened and endangered sea turtle populations depends on a comprehensive examination of patterns in habitat use. These data suggest cooperation between the US and Mexico is needed to protect critical habitat and enhance recovery of this species.
Fulfilling the Promises of Lossy Compression for Scientific Applications

Many scientific simulations, machine/deep learning applications and instruments are in need of significant data reduction. Error-bounded lossy compression has been identified as one solution and has been tested for many use-cases: reducing streaming intensity (instruments), reducing storage and memory footprints, accelerating computation and accelerating data access and transfer. Ultimately, users’ trust in lossy compression relies on the preservation of science: same conclusions should be drawn from computations or analysis done from lossy compressed data. Experience from scientific simulations, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and instruments reveals several points: (i) there are important gaps in the understanding of the effects of lossy compressed data on computations, AI and analysis, (ii) each use-case, application and user has its own requirements in terms of compression ratio, speed and accuracy, and current generic monolithic compressors are not responding well to this need for specialization. This situation calls for more research and development on the lossy compression technologies. This paper addresses the most pressing research needs regarding the application of lossy compression in the scientific context.
Performance Characteristics of Mutational Signature Analysis in Targeted Panel Sequencing.

Context.— Mutational signatures have been described in the literature and a few centers have implemented pipelines for clinical reporting. Objective.— To describe the performance of a mutational signature caller with clinical samples sequenced on a targeted next-generation sequencing panel with a small genomic footprint. Design.— One thousand six hundred eighty-two (n = 1682) clinical samples were analyzed for the presence of mutational signatures using deconstructSigs on variant calls with at least 20 variant reads. Results.— Signature 10 (associated with POLe mutation) achieved separation of cases and controls in hypermutated samples. Signatures 4 (associated with tobacco smoking) and 7 (associated with ultraviolet radiation) as an indicator of pulmonary or cutaneous primary sites showed moderate sensitivity and high specificity at optimal cutpoints. Mutational signatures in malignancies with unknown primaries were somewhat consistent with the clinically suspected primary site, with an apparent dose-response relationship between the number of variants analyzed and the ability of mutational signature analysis to correctly suggest a primary site. Conclusions.— Mutational signatures represent an opportunity for orthogonal testing of primary site, which may be particularly useful in supporting cutaneous or pulmonary sites in poorly differentiated neoplasms. Tobacco smoking, ultraviolet radiation, and POLe mutational signatures are the most appropriate signatures for implementation. Even relatively small numbers of variants appear capable of supporting a clinically suspected primary.
A New Autoencoder Training Paradigm for Unsupervised Hyperspectral Anomaly Detection

We introduce new methods for training an autoencoder (AE) as an unsupervised hyperspectral anomaly detector. We detail a new percentile loss (PL) that reliably constructs an accurate background model while limiting the erroneous inclusion of anomalous pixels. We also improve detection performance and reliability by introducing a cumulative detection score that incorporates statistics calculated from the ensemble of AE models generated over the history of the training process. We show improved detection performance on two data sets relative to two baseline algorithms.
Shelley v. Kraemer's Fiftieth Anniversary: 'A Time for Keeping; a Time for Throwing Away'?

In 1948, the United States Supreme Court in Shelley v. Kraemer refused to evict two families from their homes by enforcing racially restrictive private covenants. The Shelley decision was long overdue in the battle against racial discrimination in this country. The Court held that enforcement of the private covenant violated the Equal Protection Clause under the Fourteenth Amendment, concluding that judicial enforcement constituted state action subject to constitutional restrictions. Shelley ended the use of private restrictive covenants to overtly exclude racial and ethnic minorities from certain neighborhoods. By finding state action based on a court's involvement in enforcing private action, however, the Court blurred the line between state action, which is subject to constitutional restrictions, and private action, which is not subject to constitutional restrictions. Although it is with great trepidation that this author recommends the dismantling of the state action theory developed in Shelley, it is time to recognize that much of the country's difficulties with private racial discrimination can now be addressed using alternatives other than the state action doctrine. Alternatives such as public policy, balancing of conflicting rights, and legislative enactments are available to achieve the same, if not a better result, without clouding the difference between state and private action. In contrast, retaining Shelley's state action theory can potentially subject other individual liberties and freedoms of private action to offensive, but constitutionally protected, private action. Extracting the Shelley principle from the state action doctrine will help ensure that in the context of competing constitutional private rights, the balancing of these rights will occur as part of the underlying substantive law analysis, rather than as a constitutional evaluation performed by state courts.
Work Flexibility and Work-Related Well-Being.

Work organization practices, including work flexibility, are changing and can affect worker well-being. Common work flexibility types include working at home, taking time off when needed, and changing one’s work schedule. Given the changes in and the importance of work flexibility, the study assesses its prevalence and association with worker well-being in the United States. We used 2002–2018 General Social Survey—Quality of Worklife (GSS-QWL) data, descriptive statistics, and regression analyses to assess the reported likelihood of job stress, job satisfaction, healthy days, and days with activity limitations among workers reporting work flexibility. The prevalence of work flexibility remained relatively stable during the period examined. Working at home increased the likelihood of job stress by 22% and job satisfaction by 65%. Taking time off decreased the likelihood of job stress by 56% and days with activity limitations by 24%, and more than doubled the likelihood of job satisfaction. Changing one’s schedule decreased the likelihood of job stress by 20% and increased the likelihood of job satisfaction by 62%. This study used all the available data from GSS-QWL and demonstrated the ongoing importance of work flexibility for well-being.
Entrepreneurial Marketing: Mexican Cultural Differences

Mexico and Canada sandwich the United States to form North America. Although they are only separated by one nation, the way business is handled can vary drastically between the two. The two countries have a good standing relation and have always been able to come to peaceful agreements. This shows that both countries are ethically, strategically, and culturally diverse. Mexico's code of ethics in the business world is a very twisted and complex one. Ever since the conquistadors stepped foot onto Mexican shores, it seems like it's been every man for themselves. Business in Mexico is conducted in a very self-centered, and cocky way. If you need something done, the best bet is to bribe. If you know someone, than knows someone, that knows someone, you can get away with just about anything. Nothing speaks louder than having friends in high places, The corruption is everywhere and it has become part of the culture. There is no integrity, and no trust anywhere. In Canada, things are a little more honorable. Although, recently there has been some light shed on wrongdoings. But these do not compare to what the people in Mexico deal with. Canada has a stricter enforcement and not easily corrupted. Hofstede's six dimensions really fluctuate with these two countries. Mexico scores high in the categories of power distance, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, and indulgence. This basically means that there is a strict scale of hierarchy, with man power dominating the workforce with not much entry to women. Also there is a sense of avoiding any type of change, there always needs to be a paved path with rules; almost a sense of safe playing. And lastly, no matter what society will always look to make life seem positive and opportunistic, with a sense of happiness and living comfortably no matter what the circumstances are. Canada displays high scores in Individualism and long term orientation. This means that there is a focus on individual success and future. Strategic customer service in both countries comes with respect. Being as serviceable as possible is a key component to success. Keeping those around you as happy as possible will bring good fortunes. In Australia, the Individualist style society tend look after themselves and their direct family only This leads to a high level of ethics and self- accountability. In the current paper we examine differences between the USA, Canada, and Mexico using data from Hofstede's 6 dimensional model.
Analysis of Modern Technologies Commonly Used in Beef Cattle Production

Conventional feeding systems use pharmaceutical products not allowed in natural or organic systems for finishing cattle. This review compares the performance effects of technologies used in feedlot cattle that are prohibited in organic and/or natural programs. The technologies evaluated were steroid implants, monensin, tylosin, endectocides and metaphylaxis. The aim of the comparison was to determine the magnitude of the effect of these technologies on ADG, FE and DMI.
The Devil is in the GAN: Defending Deep Generative Models Against Backdoor Attacks

Deep Generative Models (DGMs) allow users to synthesize data from complex, high-dimensional manifolds. Industry applications of DGMs include data augmentation to boost performance of (semi-)supervised machine learning, or to mitigate fairness or privacy concerns. Large-scale DGMs are notoriously hard to train, requiring expert skills, large amounts of data and extensive computational resources. Thus, it can be expected that many enterprises will resort to sourcing pre-trained DGMs from potentially unverified third parties, e.g.~open source model repositories. As we show in this paper, such a deployment scenario poses a new attack surface, which allows adversaries to potentially undermine the integrity of entire machine learning development pipelines in a victim organization. Specifically, we describe novel training-time attacks resulting in corrupted DGMs that synthesize regular data under normal operations and designated target outputs for inputs sampled from a trigger distribution. Depending on the control that the adversary has over the random number generation, this imposes various degrees of risk that harmful data may enter the machine learning development pipelines, potentially causing material or reputational damage to the victim organization. Our attacks are based on adversarial loss functions that combine the dual objectives of attack stealth and fidelity. We show its effectiveness for a variety of DGM architectures (Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), Variational Autoencoders (VAEs)) and data domains (images, audio). Our experiments show that - even for large-scale industry-grade DGMs - our attack can be mounted with only modest computational efforts. We also investigate the effectiveness of different defensive approaches (based on static/dynamic model and output inspections) and prescribe a practical defense strategy that paves the way for safe usage of DGMs.
Oligomerization of yeast α-factor receptor detected by fluorescent energy transfer between ligands.

Abstract G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) comprise a large superfamily of transmembrane receptors responsible for transducing responses to the binding of a wide variety of hormones, neurotransmitters, ions, and other small molecules. There is extensive evidence that GPCRs exist as homo-and hetero-oligomeric complexes; however, in many cases, the role of oligomerization and the extent to which it occurs at low physiological levels of receptor expression in cells remain unclear. We report here the use of flow cytometry to detect receptor-receptor interactions based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer between fluorescently labeled cell-impermeant ligands bound to yeast α-mating pheromone receptors that are members of the GPCR superfamily. A novel, to our knowledge, procedure was used to analyze energy transfer as a function of receptor occupancy by donor and acceptor ligands. Measurements of loss of donor fluorescence due to energy transfer in cells expressing high levels of receptors were used to calibrate measurements of enhanced acceptor emission due to energy transfer in cells expressing low levels of receptors. The procedure allows determination of energy transfer efficiencies over a 50-fold range of expression of full-length receptors at the surface of living cells without the need to create fluorescent or bioluminescent fusion proteins. Energy transfer efficiencies for fluorescently labeled derivatives of the receptor agonist α-factor do not depend on receptor expression level and are unaffected by C-terminal truncation of receptors. Fluorescently labeled derivatives of α-factor that act as receptor antagonists exhibit higher transfer efficiencies than those for labeled agonists. Although the approach cannot determine the number of receptors per oligomer, these results demonstrate that ligand-bound, native α-factor receptors exist as stable oligomers in the cell membranes of intact yeast cells at normal physiological expression levels and that the extent of oligomer formation is not dependent on the concentration of receptors in the membrane.
Photocathode quantum efficiency of ultrathin Cs 2 Te layers on Nb substrates

The quantum efficiencies (QE) of photocathodes consisting of bulk Nb substrates coated with thin films of ${\mathrm{Cs}}_{2}\mathrm{Te}$ are reported. Using the standard recipe for ${\mathrm{Cs}}_{2}\mathrm{Te}$ deposition developed for Mo substrates (220 \AA{} Te thickness), a $\mathrm{QE}\ensuremath{\sim}11%--13%$ at light wavelength of 248 nm is achieved for the Nb substrates, consistent with that found on Mo. Systematic reduction of the Te thickness for both Mo and Nb substrates reveals a surprisingly high residual $\mathrm{QE}\ensuremath{\sim}6%$ for a Te layer as thin as 15 \AA{}. A phenomenological model based on the Spicer three-step model along with a solution of the Fresnel equations for reflectance, $R$, leads to a reasonable fit of the thickness dependence of QE and suggests that layers thinner than 15 \AA{} may still have a relatively high QE. Preliminary investigation suggests an increased operational lifetime as well. Such an ultrathin, semiconducting ${\mathrm{Cs}}_{2}\mathrm{Te}$ layer may be expected to produce minimal Ohmic losses for rf frequencies $\ensuremath{\sim}1\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GHz}$. The result thus opens the door to the potential development of a Nb (or ${\mathrm{Nb}}_{3}\mathrm{Sn}$) superconducting photocathode with relatively high QE and minimal rf impedance to be used in a superconducting radiofrequency (SRF) photoinjector.
Mitt Romney: Trump a Conman, a Fake

This paper analyzes a speech given by Mitt Romney addressing the presidential candidate, Donald Trump's behavior and his being fit for the presidency. After viewing the original film, a small group of participants was surveyed on their ability to perceive Mitt Romney trustworthy. Participants were also asked to relate the speech to the concept of bullying.
Effects of light, nutrients, and food chain length on trophic efficiencies in simple stoichiometric aquatic food chain models

Abstract Ecological trophic transfer efficiencies can provide meaningful measures of ecosystem function. Light levels, nutrient availability, and food chain length impact ecological interactions and can cause elemental imbalances between trophic levels which may lead to stoichiometric constraints on food chain efficiencies. Despite the important role that the chemical composition of primary producers and food quality plays in determining consumer productivity, most food chain models used to evaluate trophic transfer efficiencies neglect stoichiometric constraints. This study presents simple stoichiometric models of two and three trophic levels and investigates the effects of light and nutrient availability on ecological transfer efficiencies. The models predict that food chain efficiency is reduced when consumers are nutrient limited. Nutrient levels such that the primary producer and consumer have similar stoichiometric compositions provide conditions for high food chain efficiency. In fixed low nutrient environments, food chain efficiency is highest in light level conditions such that the primary producer and consumer have similar stoichiometric compositions. In fixed high nutrient environments, food chain efficiency is highest for intermediately low light levels such that the phosphorus:carbon ratio of the primary producer is higher than the phosphorus:carbon ratio of the consumer. Food chain efficiency is lower in tritrophic food chains than ditrophic food chains and consumer efficiency is lower in the presence of predation constraints. It is essential for future models to consider light and nutrient availability and the consequential stoichiometric constraints when predicting how energy and elements transfer across trophic levels and up food chains.
Methods for the isolation and characterization of constituents of natural products: XVI. Quantitative microdetermination of diols as bis-esters of pyruvic acid 2,6-dinitrophenylhydrazone: Separation from monohydric alcohol derivatives and resolution of an homologous series

Abstract A quantitative colorimetric method is described for the acylation of micro- and submicromole amounts of dihydric alcohols as bis-esters of pyruvic acid 2,6-dinitrophenylhydrazone. The bis-esters which are obtained exclusively, can be cleanly and quantitatively separated from a complex mixture of monohydric alcohol derivatives on an alumina column. Separation of an homologous series of terminal diol derivatives by thin-layer partition chromatography is also described.
High Voltage Power Lines: Do They Affect Residential Property Value?

A survey administered in 1990 suggests that proximity to high voltage power lines is being capitalized into lower values for residential properties. Respondents who had appraised such property repo...
Racial Disparities in Seeking Care for Help Getting Pregnant

Background Fertility counseling and treatment can help women achieve their desired family size, however, disparities exist in the utilization of this care.
Oral Administration of the Nucleoside EFdA (4′-Ethynyl-2-Fluoro-2′-Deoxyadenosine) Provides Rapid Suppression of HIV Viremia in Humanized Mice and Favorable Pharmacokinetic Properties in Mice and the Rhesus Macaque

ABSTRACT Like normal cellular nucleosides, the nucleoside reverse transcriptase (RT) inhibitor (NRTI) 4′-ethynyl-2-fluoro-2′-deoxyadenosine (EFdA) has a 3′-hydroxyl moiety, and yet EFdA is a highly potent inhibitor of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) replication with activity against a broad range of clinically important drug-resistant HIV isolates. We evaluated the anti-HIV activity of EFdA in primary human cells and in HIV-infected humanized mice. EFdA exhibited excellent potency against HIV JR-CSF in phytohemagglutinin-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), with a 50% inhibitory concentration of 0.25 nM and a selectivity index of 184,000; similar antiviral potency was found against 12 different HIV clinical isolates from multiple clades (A, B, C, D, and CRF01_AE). EFdA was readily absorbed after oral dosing (5 mg/kg of body weight) in both mice and the rhesus macaque, with micromolar levels of the maximum concentration of drug in serum ( C max ) attained at 30 min and 90 min, respectively. Trough levels were at or above 90% inhibitory concentration (IC 90 ) levels in the macaque at 24 h, suggesting once-daily dosing. EFdA showed reasonable penetration of the blood-brain barrier in the rhesus macaque, with cerebrospinal fluid levels at approximately 25% of plasma levels 8 h after single oral dosing. Rhesus PBMCs isolated 24 h following a single oral dose of 5 mg/kg EFdA were refractory to SIV infection due to sufficiently high intracellular EFdA-triphosphate levels. The intracellular half-life of EFdA-triphosphate in PBMCs was determined to be >72 h following a single exposure to EFdA. Daily oral administration of EFdA at low dosage levels (1 to 10 mg/kg/day) was highly effective in protecting humanized mice from HIV infection, and 10 mg/kg/day oral EFdA completely suppressed HIV RNA to undetectable levels within 2 weeks of treatment.
Biotic resistance on the increase: native predators structure invasive zebra mussel populations

SUMMARY 1. Abundant native predators, parasites and pathogens that switch to consuming a hypersuccessful exotic species may be able to control the invasive population. Native predators may, however, need time to adapt to feed effectively on an exotic resource. In this case, mortality on an exotic population from native predators could increase over time even without a numerical increase in the predator population. 2. We measured mortality of zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) in the Hudson River both in controls open to predation and in exclosures that excluded large predators to estimate mortality of zebra mussels from large predators and other causes. 3. We found that predation by the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus), and perhaps other predators, causes high mortality on zebra mussels in the Hudson River estuary. This predation apparently led to increased mortality and altered population structure in the invader over time. 4. Long-term data from the Hudson River suggest that components of the invaded ecosystem, like rotifers, are recovering through predator-caused release from zebra mussel grazing. Increased mortality on hyper-successful exotic populations over time may be a common phenomenon with both ecological and management implications.
The theory of superconductivity

Abstract I. The Luttinger liquid is a parameter-free theory of the normal state which explains all anomalies in ∼10 substances. II. The T -dependent Hall effect as an example. III. The basic physics behind the Luttinger liquid. IV. The superconducting mechanism and heuristics of the superconducting state.
Visual arrestin in Limulus is phosphorylated at multiple sites in the light and in the dark

Arrestins participate in the termination of phototransduction in both vertebrates and invertebrates. However, the visual arrestins of invertebrates and vertebrates differ significantly from one another in that the invertebrate visual arrestins become phosphorylated rapidly in response to light while those in the photoreceptors of vertebrates do not. In an effort to understand the functional relevance of arrestin phosphorylation, we examined this process in the photoreceptors of the horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus. We report that Limulus visual arrestin can be phosphorylated at three sites near its C-terminus and show that arrestin molecules phosphorylated on one, two, and three sites are normally present in both light- and dark-adapted photoreceptors. Light adaptation increases the amount of arrestin phosphorylated at three sites.
Visualization of human retinal micro-capillaries with phase contrast high-speed optical coherence tomography

We present high-speed Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography (Fd-OCT) with the phase variance based motion contrast method for visualizing retinal micro-circulation in vivo. This technique allows non-invasive visualization of a two-dimensional retinal perfusion map and concurrent volumetric morphology of retinal microvasculature with high sensitivity. The high-speed acquisition rate at 125kHz A-scans enables reduction of motion artifacts with increased scanning area if compared to previously reported results. Several scanning schemes with different sampling densities and scanning areas are evaluated to find optimal parameters for in vivo imaging. In order to evaluate this technique, we compare OCT micro-capillary imaging using the phase variance technique with fundus fluorescein angiography (FA). Additionally, volumetric visualization of blood flow for a normal subject is presented.
Absence of a seasonal effect on the critical day length for photorefractoriness in turkey breeder hens

Abstract Two experiments were conducted to determine whether the critical day length (CDL) for photorefractoriness remained stable or varied by season of the year. The first experiment was done in the fall with photosensitive hens that were exposed to fixed day length treatments ranging from 12 to 16 h/d for 24 wk. At 24 wk of treatment, all hens were given 20 h light (L):4 h dark (D) and subsequent changes in egg production were used to evaluate photorefractoriness. This experimental approach was the same as that used by Siopes (1994) to estimate the CDL for photorefractoriness in winter-photostimulated hens. It was determined that the CDL for photorefractoriness in fall-photostimulated hens was 12 to 12.5 h, the same as that obtained in the earlier report for winter-photostimulated hens. A second experiment was done to further test the possibility that the CDL for photorefractoriness was static during the year. A gradually increasing photoperiod was started in winter at 12L:12D, just under the CDL for photorefractoriness but just over the CDL for egg production. Subsequent egg production and expression of photorefractoriness were compared to controls to estimate the dynamics of the CDL for photorefractoriness. Results supported a static CDL for photorefractoriness and suggest that any daily photoperiod exceeding 12 h will activate processes leading to photorefractoriness, independent of season.
Introduction and Application of Secured Principal Component Regression for Analysis of Uncalibrated Spectral Features in Optical Spectroscopy and Chemical Sensing

In this study, a novel chemometric algorithm for improved evaluation of analytical data is presented and applied to three spectroscopic data sets obtained by different analytical methods. This so-called secured principal component regression (sPCR) was developed for detecting and correcting uncalibrated spectral features newly emerging in spectra after finalizing the PCR calibration, which may result in major concentration errors. Hence, detection and correction of uncalibrated features is essential. Furthermore, detected uncalibrated features provide qualitative information for sensing and process monitoring applications indicating problems in the process flow. After conventional PCR calibration, sPCR analyzes measurement data in two steps: The first step investigates whether the obtained data set is consistent with the calibration model or not. If spectroscopic features are found that cannot be modeled by the principal components, they are extracted from the measurement spectrum. This corrected spectru...
Velocity distributions in a hydrocyclone separator

The internal three-dimensional flow field in a hydrocyclone was studied using laser velocimetry. Seven axial planes were investigated for three different inlet flow rates and three independent and different rejects rates. Results at each measurement plane showed that the measured tangential velocity profile behaves like a forced vortex at the region near the air core, and like a free vortex in the outer portion of the flow. The peak nondimensional tangential velocity decreases as the distance from the inlet region increases, however, the peak dimensional tangential velocity increases as the distance from the inlet region increases. The nondimensional peak tangential velocities are approximately equal for all of the flow rates. The magnitude of the tangential velocity increased in the inner forced vortex region as the rejects rate was increased. Backflows exist in the axial velocity profile near the inlet region, but these reversed flows disappear in the exit region. The dimensional vorticity is proportional to inlet flow rate and decreases with increasing rejects flow rates.
Electron-diffraction for surface studies : the first 30 years

Abstract This article traces the historical development of the dynamical theory of electron diffraction as it relates to surface studies. A personal account will be given of the evolution of ideas which led to the first successful comparison between calculated low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) spectra and measured spectra. The broad impact of dynamical methods developed in the 1970's for LEED on other areas of surface studies also will be discussed. Personal accounts will be given on two specific areas. In addition, new ideas on how the inversion of diffraction spectra to produce real space information will be covered.
Advanced Hemodynamic Monitoring: Principles and Practice in Neurocritical Care

Advanced hemodynamic monitoring is necessary for many patients with acute brain and/or spinal cord injury. Optimizing cerebral and systemic physiology requires multi-organ system function monitoring. Hemodynamic manipulations are cardinal among interventions to regulate cerebral perfusion pressure and cerebral blood flow. The pulmonary artery catheter is not any more the sole tool available; less invasive and potentially more accurate methodologies have been developed and employed in the operating room and among diverse critically ill populations. These include transpulmonary thermodilution, arterial pressure pulse contour, and waveform analysis and bedside critical care ultrasound. A thorough understanding of hemodynamics and of the available monitoring modalities is an essential skill for the neurointensivist.
Radiation options for early stage breast cancer.

Objective To explore the current radiation therapy options for early stage breast cancer. Data Sources Research literature and review articles. Conclusion With 20 years of clinical data supporting the efficacy of whole breast radiotherapy after lumpectomy for early stage breast cancer, the attention has shifted to an even more conservative approach, namely partial breast irradiation following lumpectomy. A number of large clinical trials in North America and Europe are currently enrolling patients for the evaluation of several different techniques, including interstitial brachytherapy, the Mammosite device, 3-dimensional conformal external radiation therapy, and intraoperative radiotherapy. Implications for Nursing Practice Radiation oncology nurses can significantly impact the coordination of services and the education of patients who enroll in these important clinical trials.
Refractory temporal seizures with crossed cerebellar diaschisis assessment with arterial spin-labeling

Abstract Crossed cerebellar diaschisis in patients with epilepsy are uncommon. This case reports a patient with refractory partial seizures who developed hemicerebellar involvement contralateral to an insular epileptogenic focus. The diaschisis was assessed with arterial spin-labeling, a recently developed non-invasive magnetic resonance perfusion sequence.
Traversing the Challenges of Conducting Research with Young, Immigrant Children: The Case of Korean Children

Based on a qualitative study on young Korean immigrant children’s interpretation of American popular culture, this paper reflects on the researchers’ role by examining the research challenges faced. Prior to discussing the research obstacles in conducting the study, we begin with briefly describing its methodology and design. Next, we discuss the various obstacles we encountered when conducting our study and howwe attempted to overcome these dilemmas by discussing two major struggles during the research process: a) the relationships between the researchers and our young participants, and b) the cultural sensitivity that was needed in initially gaining permission from and working with the parents of our informants. It then illuminates how the researchers attempted to cope with such difficulties by rethinking a researchers’s role emphasizing the importance of cultural context in research. Finally, the paper provides some discussions and implications based on our research experiences.
Addictive agents and intracranial stimulation (ICS): Daily morphine and pressing for combinations of positive and negative ICS

Ten rats were fixed with two chronically indwelling bipolar electrodes, stimulation of one producing positive intracranial stimulation (P-ICS) and stimulation of the other producing aversive, or negative, intracranial stimulation (N-ICS). Subjects pressed a lever daily for P-ICS and for combinations of P-ICS and N-ICS. Following baseline measurements, five rats received daily injections of morphine sulfate (15 mg/kg, 4 h before testing) for 20 days while the other five received placebos. Press rates of the morphine subjects for P-ICS increased about 20% from baseline rates and from rates of rats under placebo some days after injections were begun, and these increases were then maintained throughout the days of injections. For the combined P-ICS and N-ICS, press rates of rats of morphine decreased with continued injections. Because of morphine’s differential effects on pressing for P-ICS and on pressing for combinations of P-ICS and N-ICS, it is suggested that morphine’s facilitatory effect on hypothalamic self-stimulation is not related to its analgesic properties.
Trade and Poverty in the Poor Countries

now widely regarded as economically benign, in the sense that it increases the size of the pie,' the recent anti-globalization critics have suggested that it is socially malign on several dimensions, among them the question of poverty.2 Their contention is that trade accentuates, not ameliorates, and that it deepens, not diminishes, poverty in both the rich and the poor countries. The theoretical and empirical analysis of the impact of freer trade on poverty in the rich and in the poor countries is not symmetric, of course. We focus here only on the latter. In doing so, we distinguish between two different strands of argumentation: static and dynamic.
The imaging of small experimental murine tumors grown in the subrenal capsule using monoclonal antibodies

Abstract The ability of a ‘tumor-specific’, monoclonal antibody (OX7) and a subclass-matched, non-specific, control antibody (anti HRP) to localize in and image small (20–60 mg) murine lymphomas growing in the subrenal capsule of mice was tested. Due to the small tumor size, and its visceral location, the subrenal site of tumor growth represents a model of metastases which may be more clinically relevant to human cancer. The in vivo and in vitro quantitative data (as well as the gamma camera images) support the feasibility of the concept of using monoclonal antibodies for metastatic tumor detection and treatment.
A Replication and Extension of Organizational Growth Determinants

Abstract Although the management literature contains an impressive volume of studies attempting to identify factors that precipitate organizational growth, fragmented theory has developed because of the absence of replicative studies that integrate multiple levels of determinants. Previous studies have shown that exclusive use of either industry, strategy, or top management determinants can individually influence sales growth, but no existing research has empirically demonstrated the simultaneous effects of all three levels of determinants. Using a representative sample of 193 firms from 48 industries, this study replicated findings from several tangentially related studies to provide empirical support for the simultaneous influence of all three levels of determinants. Relative comparisons among the three levels of determinants showed organization strategies to be most significant, followed by top management characteristics and industry attributes. Interactions between industry/strategy determinants and strategy/top management determinants were also found to be significant.
Phorbol myristate acetate stimulation of lymphocyte guanylate cyclase.

Abstract Human lymphocyte guanylate cyclase activities are increased in a dose-dependent fashion by incubation of intact cells with phorbol myristate acetate, a tumor promoter and lymphocyte mitogen. Increased activity is detectable after 1 minute, and peak membrane-bound and soluble forms of guanylate cyclase occur after 10- and 30-minute exposure to phorbol myristate acetate, respectively. The soluble form is stimulated much more than the membrane form. Enzyme activities measured in the presence of either Ca2+, Mg2+, or Mn2+ are elevated to similar degrees. Comparisons of phorbol and a series of its diesters revealed a good correlation between the capacities for guanylate cyclase stimulation, lymphocyte mitogenesis, and tumor promotion.
The use of urinary diagnostic indices in pre-eclampsia-associated oliguria

A case is presented of severe pregnancy-induced hypertension that was complicated by oliguria and managed with the aid of a pulmonary artery catheter. This case illustrates that urinary diagnostic indices may be unreliable in predicting the etiology of oliguria. Although urinary diagnostic tests are advocated routinely as reliable in the nonobstetric literature, possible misinterpretation of these values in severe pre-eclampsia with oliguria may require confirmation with hemodynamic data obtained from a pulmonary artery catheter.
Vortex core size in submonolayer superfluid 4 He films

The superfluid transition of 4 He films adsorbed on 500 A diameter slip-cast alumina powder is measured with a torsion oscillator technique for films with transition temperatures between 50 and 700 mK. The transitions are found to be controlled by the universal Kosterlitz-Thouless critical line, but a strong increase in the broadening of the transition is observed for the thinnest films. Analysis in terms of vortex pair excitations shows that this broadening results from a vortex core size that increases rapidly as the film is thinned, scaling roughly with the interparticle spacing of the superfluid submonolayer. Third sound modes are identified in the dissipation, in addition to a broad peak from the vortex unbinding. This system provides evidence of a three-dimensional superfluid transition mediated by vortex ezcitations.
Where the rubber meets the road: a cyclist's guide to teaching professionalism.

(2004). Where the Rubber Meets the Road: A Cyclist's Guide to Teaching Professionalism. The American Journal of Bioethics: Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 22-24.
The U. S. Geological Survey carbon dioxide storage efficiency value methodology: Results and observations

Abstract In order to complete the 2013 U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) assessment of carbon dioxide (CO2) storage resources [1] , a methodology was needed to determine the CO2 storage efficiency of individual rock strata [2] . The method that was used involved a storage efficiency approximation by MacMinn et al. [3] , combined with a brine viscosity model by Mao and Duan [4] , and thermal and pressure data from petroleum fields across basins [5] . The resulting efficiencies indicated that both salinity of the pore fluid and the thermal gradient have a strong effect on the amount of CO2 that strata could store.
Evaluation of a dynamic arm support for seated and standing tasks: a laboratory study of electromyography and subjective feedback

The goal of this study was to determine whether a new dynamic arm support system reduced shoulder and arm muscle load for seated and standing hand/ arm tasks. The new system provides support for both horizontal and vertical arm motion. A total of 11 participants performed ten tasks (five seated and five standing) both with and without the arm support. Outcomes were assessed with electromyography and subjective feedback. Muscle activity was measured over the dominant side supraspinatus, triceps and forearm extensor muscles. Significant (p < 0.01) reductions in static muscle activity were observed in one of ten tasks performed with the support device for the supraspinatus muscle, in five tasks for the triceps and in one task for forearm extensor muscles. Likewise, a significant improvement in subjective measures was reported with the support device for 'ease of task' for two of ten tasks, for 'forearm comfort' for three of ten tasks and for 'shoulder effort' for six of ten tasks. The results suggest that a dynamic forearm support may improve subjective comfort and reduce static muscle loads in the upper extremity for tasks that involve horizontal movement of the arms. For rapid motions, the value of the support is limited due to internal inertia and friction.
Some remarks on fuzzy graphs

Abstract We show that a fuzzy group can be associated with a fuzzy graph in a natural way. Some properties of fuzzy graphs are considered and we introduce the notions of eccentricity and center. Our examples indicate that results from (crisp) graph theory do not always have analogs for fuzzy graphs.