cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Social Influence and Cognitive Dissonance on Travel Purchase Decisions

Theories of social influence (Crano 2000) and cognitive dissonance (Festinger 1957) have clear applicability to travel purchases, but have rarely been investigated in hospitality research. An experimental study of students’ travel decisions for a spring break vacation was conducted. Subjects chose between a green and nongreen resort in a 2 × 3 experimental design that manipulated social influence (majority, minority, none) and pro-environmental attitudes (high or low). Social influence was in the form of traveler reviews that were either favorable or unfavorable. Postdecision dissonance and dissonance reduction tactics were measured. Subjects were less likely to choose a green resort when a minority of reviews favored that resort. Subjects with strong pro-environmental attitudes experienced dissonance when making a nongreen choice in this situation. Consistent with dissonance theory predictions, people evaluated the chosen resort more favorably than the alternative. They sought out more favorable informat...
Quantifying mRNA Synthesis and Decay Rates Using Small RNAs

Regulation of mRNA decay is a critical component of global cellular adaptation to changing environments. The corresponding changes in mRNA lifetimes can be coordinated with changes in mRNA transcription rates to fine-tune gene expression. Current approaches for measuring mRNA lifetimes can give rise to secondary effects due to transcription inhibition and require separate experiments to estimate changes in mRNA transcription rates. Here, we propose an approach for simultaneous determination of changes in mRNA transcription rate and lifetime using regulatory small RNAs (sRNAs) to control mRNA decay. We analyze a stochastic model for coupled degradation of mRNAs and sRNAs and derive exact results connecting RNA lifetimes and transcription rates to mean abundances. The results obtained are then generalized to include nonstoichiometric coupled degradation of sRNAs. Our analysis suggests experimental protocols for determining parameters controlling the efficiency of stoichiometric regulation by small RNAs and for analyzing factors and processes regulating changes in mRNA transcription and decay.
Socioeconomic Status Correlates with the Prevalence of Advanced Coronary Artery Disease in the United States

Background Increasingly studies have identified socioeconomic factors adversely affecting healthcare outcomes for a multitude of diseases. To date, however, there has not been a study correlating socioeconomic details from nationwide databases on the prevalence of advanced coronary artery disease. We seek to identify whether socioeconomic factors contribute to advanced coronary artery disease prevalence in the United States.
Interleukin-8 is induced in skin equivalents and is highest in those derived from psoriatic fibroblasts.

Interleukin-8 (IL-8) may be important in psoriasis as it is expressed in the stratum granulosum, attracts polymorphonuclear cells, and stimulates angiogenesis and keratinocyte mitogenesis. To study intrinsic cutaneous factors in psoriasis, we constructed skin equivalents from psoriatic or adult control fibroblasts with normal foreskin keratinocytes. IL-8 levels were measured in supernatants by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and in skin equivalents by immuno-histochemistry and in situ hybridization, JL-8 was highly induced in skin equivalents compared to cells grown alone. Epidermal stratification varied among fibroblast lines and was correlated with IL-8 levels, but lesional and nonlesional psoriatic skin equivalents from the same donor were similar. Six fibroblast lines (two psoriasis lesion and four normal) supported only monolayers, while 12 lines (seven psoriasis lesion and five normal) produced stratification. Mean IL-8 levels were significantly lower in dermal equivalents of the first group than the second (0.78 ± 0.40 vs 3.93 ± 2.83ng per ml, mean ± SD, p=0.01, analysis of variance). Significantly more IL-S was secreted by psoriatic than normal fibroblast skin equivalents over 14 d (p = 0.015) with greatest differences at 1 and 4 d. Psoriatic IL-8 levels peaked first and remained increased, IL-8 protein and mRNA were initially strongest in dermal fibroblasts, and at the dermal-epidermal interface. Diffuse epidermal expression was replaced by accentuation in the stratum granulosum. Psoriatic skin equivalents were thicker, had more intense IL-8 staining, and developed invagination. We hypothesize that an IL-8 paracrine loop between fibroblasts and keratinocytes may play a key role in epidermal regeneration in the skin equivalent, in normal wound healing, and in the determination of an intrinsic psoriatic wound-healing phenotype.
Motility is critical for effective distribution and accumulation of bacteria in tumor tissue

Motile bacteria can overcome the penetration limitations of cancer chemotherapeutics because they can actively migrate into solid tumors. Although several genera of bacteria have been shown to accumulate preferentially in tumors, the spatiotemporal dynamics of bacterial tumor colonization and their dependence on bacterial motility are not clear. For effective tumor regression, bacteria must penetrate and distribute uniformly throughout tumors. To measure these dynamics, we used an in vitro model of continuously perfused tumor tissue to mimic the delivery and systemic clearance of Salmonella typhimurium strains SL1344 and VNP20009, and Escherichia coli strains K12 and DH5α. Tissues were treated for 1 hour with 105 or 107CFU ml−1 suspensions of each strain and the location and extent of bacterial accumulation were observed for 30 hours. Salmonella had 14.5 times greater average swimming speed than E. coli and colonized tissues at 100 times lower doses than E. coli. Bacterial motility strongly correlated (R2 = 99.3%) with the extent of tissue accumulation. When inoculated at 105CFU ml−1, motile Salmonella formed colonies denser than 1010CFU/(g-tissue) and less motile E. coli showed no detectable colonization. Based on spatiotemporal profiles and a mathematical model of motility and growth, bacterial dispersion was found to be necessary for deep penetration into tissue. Bacterial colonization caused apoptosis in tumors and apoptosis levels correlated (R2 = 98.6%) with colonization density. These results show that motility is critical for effective distribution of bacteria in tumors and is essential for designing cancer therapies that can overcome the barrier of limited tumor penetration.
The immunology of psoriasis and biologic immunotherapy

Abstract In this review, we will discuss the immunological basis for psoriasis with special emphasis on the role of effector T cells. With the understanding of this immunologic process, we will present a model for the development of targeted immune response modifiers, termed biologic immunotherapies, and their potential role for the benefit of patients with psoriasis.
Research Note: A Modified Most Probable Number Technique to Enumerate Total Aerobes, Enterobacteriaceae, and Salmonella on Poultry Carcasses After the Whole Carcass Rinse Procedure

Abstract A modified most probable number (MPN) technique utilizing a single 10-fold dilution series was tested to enumerate the microbiological population from the whole carcass rinse procedure for poultry. Diluent for the MPN series was a general nutrient broth. Resuscitation of damaged cells and pre-enrichment of low numbers of microorganisms was accomplished by the MPN media. The MPN dilution tubes positive for growth were used to calculate the total aerobic bacterial population. Subculturing with tetrathionate enrichment broth and subsequent plating to differential media were used to identify and enumerate Salmonella. Enterobacteriaceae were enumerated by subculture of the MPN positive tubes in brilliant green (BG) bile 2% broth supplemented with 1% dextrose that were then observed for gas production. The aerobic bacterial counts obtained by the modified MPN were similar, yet significantly higher than those obtained with the conventional plate count techniques (P
Spaced education faculty development may not improve faculty teaching performance ratings in a surgery department.

Objectives To determine the effectiveness of spaced education as a faculty development tool designed to improve teaching skills in a surgery department. Design Faculty members were randomized to receive either weekly spaced education e-mails with content designed to improve teaching skills (group A) or no e-mails (group B). Using qualitative and quantitative surveys, we assessed both medical students' perception of faculty members' teaching effectiveness and faculty members' perception of the usefulness of the spaced education e-mails. Setting Academic medical center. Participants Twenty-nine surgery faculty members with teaching responsibility for medical students in their Core Surgery Clerkship. Results All 41 medical students who rotated through the Core Surgery Clerkship rated the quality of teaching for each faculty members; 172 online rating surveys were completed. Overall, faculty members received high ratings on the teaching skills included on the surveys. Additionally, no significant differences were found between the perceived skill level of the faculty members who received the weekly e-mails and those who did not. Specifically, 53.8% and 54% (p = 0.47) of the faculty were felt to deliver feedback more than three times per week; 87.1% and 89.9% (p = 0.15) of faculty were felt to deliver useful feedback; 89.2% and 90.8% (p = 0.71) of faculty were perceived to encourage student autonomy; and 78.1% and 81.9% (p = 0.89) of faculty were felt to set clear learning expectations for students. Postprogram comments from faculty revealed they did not find the e-mails useful as a faculty development tool. Conclusions Students perceived high levels of teaching skills among the clinical faculty. Faculty members who received e-mail-based spaced education-based faculty development were not rated to be more effective teachers on the student surveys. Electronically based faculty development does not satisfy faculty expectations.
Dynamic radiation dose visualization in discrete-event nuclear facility simulation models

To improve its process modeling capabilities, Los Alamos has worked toward integrating dose modeling tools with advanced discrete-event simulation tools. To date, dose information for a model was preprocessed and then incorporated into a process model. In this paper, we describe a quantum improvement in our capabilities by linking a dose calculation kernel to the discrete-event modeling environment through the customizable routine capabilities provided by the Flexsim/spl trade/ code. The Flexsim/spl trade/ model uses ray-tracing routines to calculate the source and detector locations and determines the materials, thickness, and order of any shields between the source and detector. With this information, the dose calculation kernel is then able to calculate, in a post processing setting, the associated dose. Thus, we are able to determine the time-varying and integrated exposure of workers to ionizing radiation, which will be integral to planning for future nuclear facilities in the DOE complex.
3I-4 A Monolithic Spiral Coil Acoustic Transduction Sensor

A monolithic spiral coil acoustic transduction (MSCAT) sensor that combines and improves upon the positive features of other acoustic wave sensors has been developed. The MSCAT sensor consists of an AT-cut quartz substrate that has a bare sensing surface and a photolithographically deposited multi-turn gold spiral coil on the opposite surface. The spiral coil acts as an antenna that radiates a time varying electric field that penetrates into the AT-quartz wafer. As a result of the piezoelectric effect, the time varying electric field sets up a time varying stress in the wafer. The MSCAT sensor can operate at high frequencies by efficiently exciting high harmonics with the application of a high frequency RF signal to the spiral coil. It is shown that resonant acoustic waves up to the 63rd order harmonic can be efficiently excited. The MSCAT sensor was used to measure the viscosity of corn syrup. When compared to the performance of the standard quartz crystal monitor (QCM), the MSCAT sensor was found to be over three times more sensitive to viscosity changes. Finally, the MSCAT sensor was shown to be capable of detecting conductivity changes in liquids
Alteration of the Granulomatous Response in Murine Schistosomiasis by the Chronic Administration of Captopril, an Inhibitor of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme

Captopril (SQ 14225) is an inhibitor of angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE). Mice with schistosomiasis form granulomas in the liver and intestines that have high ACE activity. We determined whether chronic oral captopril administration would alter the granulomatous response. Infected mice treated with captopril had a dose-dependent decrease in liver granuloma size. Chronic peroral administration of drug induced a sustained decrease in granuloma ACE activity and size which was reversible upon drug withdrawal. The drug was most effective during the acute phase of infection. Granuloma size in the colon, ileum, and ileal Peyer's patches was also decreased by treatment. Ileal granulomas were affected the least. Liver, colon, ileum, and ileal Peyer's patches demonstrated natural differences in size of response to schistosome eggs. Synchronous hypersensitivity granulomas, containing no ACE activity, were generated by the pulmonary embolization of methylated bovine serum albumin-coated, Sepharose beads into sensitized mice. Captopril treatment did not affect the size of these lesions. Sustained improvements in portal pressure, body and liver weight, and water consumption were seen in treated mice. We conclude that captopril induces sustained suppression of the granulomatous response in schistosome-infected mice, which results in decreased morbidity. Circumstantial evidence suggests that captopril influences inflammation through the competitive inhibition of ACE.
Asynchronous implementation of synchronous discrete event control

Discrete event control is typically designed under the synchronous hypothesis that sensing and actuation incur zero delays, i.e., there exists zero delay between an event execution at a plant site and its observation at a controller site, and also between a control computation at a controller site and its enforcement at a plant site. An actual implementation, however, is asynchronous, introducing delays in sensing as well as actuation. A natural question that arises is what additional property must a given specification satisfy so that it remains implementable in spite of the delays introduced by an underlying asynchronous implementation platform. We formulate the problem of asynchronous implementation of synchronous control when both the sensing and actuation delays are bounded. We introduce the notion of bounded-delay asynchronous composition to characterize the behavior of a controlled plant when the sensing and actuation delays are bounded. We introduce the notion of bounded-delay implementability and show that this together with the existence conditions of the synchronous setting (namely controllability, closure, and nonemptiness) serves as a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of a controller so that the controlled behavior under the asynchronous implementation remains the same as that under the synchronous implementation. We present an algorithm for checking the property of bounded-delay implementability, whose complexity is linear (resp., quadratic) in the size of the plant (resp., specification), and exponential in the delay bounds. We also examine the lattice structure of a set of bounded-delay implementable languages, and show its non-closure under union whereas closure under union over an increasing chain and intersection.
Resolution of Pleural Effusions

P ulmonologists, internists, surgeons, and other medical specialists frequently encounter patients with pleural effusions. A plethora of articles have been written about the pathophysiology and pleural fluid (PF) characteristics that assist the physician in establishing a diagnosis and therapeutic plan for pleural diseases associated with effusions. In contrast, there is a paucity of information regarding the resolution time of a pleural effusion. The purpose of this review is to present the available published data regarding the time course of resolution for nonmalignant pleural effusions in the most commonly encountered pleural diseases (empyema, pus in the pleural space, was excluded). A MEDLINE search from 1966 to 1999 of the English-language literature was instituted, matching pleural effusion with each of the specific diseases most commonly associated with pleural effusions. The search included case reports and retrospective and prospective case series of pleural effusions that resolved spontaneously or with medical management, excluding pleural space manipulation. Of the 393 articles retrieved, only 110 specified a time course of resolution. With the available information, an estimated time course of resolution was determined for the specific pleural process (Table 1). This review should provide the physician with clinically useful information that should narrow the differential diagnosis and focus the diagnostic evaluation. Parapneumonic Pleural Effusions
Evaluating the Nuclear Peace Hypothesis A Quantitative Approach

Do nuclear weapons reduce the probability of war? This article quantitatively evaluates the nuclear peace hypothesis. The results indicate that the impact of nuclear weapons is more complicated than is conventionally appreciated. Both proliferation optimists and pessimists find confirmation of some of their key claims. When a nuclear asymmetry exists between two states, there is a greater chance of militarized disputes and war. In contrast, when there is symmetry and both states possess nuclear weapons, then the odds of war precipitously drop. When combined, these findings provide support for the existence of the stability—instability paradox. Evidence suggests that while nuclear weapons promote strategic stability, they simultaneously allow for more risk-taking in lower intensity disputes.
The value and limitation of iloprost infusion in decreasing skeletal muscle necrosis.

Abstract Iloprost has been shown to minimize skeletal muscle necrosis when administered before the onset of ischemia in animal experiments, possibly by preventing neutrophil activation. Since patients with acute limb ischemia are seen after the process has begun, we investigated whether iloprost can be protective when given only during reperfusion. After anesthesia, 18 adult mongrel dogs underwent a standard isolated gracilis muscle preparation. In six control animals (group I) the gracilis muscle was subjected to 6 hours of ischemia followed by 48 hours of reperfusion. Group II animals (n = 6) received intravenous infusion of iloprost at a dose of 0.45 μg/kg/hr beginning 1 hour before the onset of muscle ischemia and throughout the experiment (6 hours of ischemia and 1 hour of reperfusion). In addition to the continuous infusion, they received 0.45 μg/kg intravenous boluses of iloprost 10 minutes before the induction of ischemia and 10 minutes before reperfusion. Group III animals (n = 6) had a similar ischemic interval, but were given a bolus of iloprost of 0.45 μg/kg at end ischemia followed by continuous infusion of 0.45 μg/kg/hr for 48 hours during reperfusion. Muscle biopsies were obtained at baseline and after 1 hour of reperfusion in all groups. Additional biopsies were obtained at 48 hours of reperfusion in groups I and III. Myeloperoxidase activity, a marker of neutrophil activation, was measured in all muscle biopsies. At the end of reperfusion, the gracilis muscle was harvested in all animals and weighed. Muscle necrosis was estimated by serial transection, nitroblue tetrazolium histochemical staining followed by computerized planimetry. Iloprost decreased the percentage of muscle necrosis from 58% ± 7% in control animals to 34% ± 3% in group II animals (p
‘Should I Tell Him?’ How Women Decide to Include or Exclude Their Partners in Emergency Contraception Decisions

ABSTRACT This qualitative exploratory research project was conducted to determine how women involve their sexual partners in decisions to obtain emergency contraception (EC) after unprotected sex or contraceptive failure. Using a grounded theory framework, I found that the most important determinant of partner inclusion in this decision was relationship status. More specifically, if the respondent was in a longer-term dating relationship at the time of the incident, she was more likely to involve her partner in the decision-making process compared with those respondents in casual relationships. The reason for being at risk for pregnancy (e.g., a broken condom vs. a missed birth control pill) also influenced partner inclusion. And finally, I found that often it was the men who initiated the conversation about obtaining EC originally. Overall, this research demonstrates that men do indeed have a part to play in EC decision making and need to be included in future research.
Red1p, a MEK1-dependent Phosphoprotein That Physically Interacts with Hop1p during Meiosis in Yeast

The synaptonemal complex (SC) is a proteinaceous structure formed between pairs of homologous chromosomes during prophase I of meiosis. The proper assembly of axial elements (AEs), lateral components of the SC, during meiosis in the yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is essential for wild-type levels of recombination and for the accurate segregation of chromosomes at the first meiotic division. Genetic experiments have indicated that the stoichiometry between two meiosis-specific components of AEs in S. cerevisiae, HOP1 and RED1, is critical for proper assembly and function of the SC. A third meiosis-specific gene, MEK1, which encodes a putative serine/threonine protein kinase, is also important for proper AE function, suggesting that AE formation is regulated by phosphorylation. In this paper, we demonstrate that Mek1p is a functional kinase in vitro and that catalytic activity is an essential part of the meiotic function of Mek1 in vivo. Immunoblot analysis revealed that Red1p is a MEK1-dependent phosphoprotein. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated that the interaction between Hop1p and Red1p is enhanced by the presence of MEK1. Thus, MEK1-dependent phosphorylation of Red1p facilitates the formation of Hop1p/Red1p hetero-oligomers, thereby enabling the formation of functional AEs.
Intermediate end point cardiovascular clinical trials: an excellent idea based on an obsolete paradigm.

Intermediate end points are widely used in cardiovascular clinical trials mainly to forecast/foreshadow actual clinical cardiovascular outcomes. This approach is based on the historical atherosclerosis paradigm which states in part that the effects of traditional cardiovascular risk factors on clinical cardiovascular disease (CVD) events are solely mediated through subclinical cardiovascular disease/atherosclerosis. The utility of intermediate end point CVD clinical trials using either historical subclinical CVD markers such as quantitative angiography or current sophisticated markers such as coronary artery calcium, carotid intima–media thickness or brachial flow mediated dilation has been variable. Discoveries of other pathways pertinent to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis calls for a new conceptual model or paradigm and helps explain the discordance in results from prior and ongoing intermediate end point–clinical CVD event trial pairs.
Burn-associated hyperreflexia: case series and discussion.

There are many potential causes for altered reflexes in patients with burns. Hyporeflexia can occur with a variety of common burn-associated peripheral nerve injuries including mononeuritis multiplex, entrapment neuropathies, burn associated peripheral neuropathy, critical illness polyneuropathy, and altered skin innervation [1–5]. Conversely, descriptions of hyperreflexia in burn patients are rare and limited to cases of probable central nervous system injury, as can occur with electrical burns [6]. This report presents a previously undescribed hyperreflexia related to burn – three cases of ankle clonus in our acute burn population in the absence of known central nervous system injury. All of the cases involved young adults with severe injuries involving the lower extremities with hyperreflexia developing over the first week of the intensive care unit (ICU) course during periods of heavy sedation. Following the description of the three cases is a discussion of the probable cause – a phenomenon known as central sensitization, as well as the implications for care and possible treatment strategies for future patients.
Modeling of majority and minority carrier triggered external latchup

Circuit models are presented that allow one to identify the worst-case testing condition for external latchup and to simulate the value of the latchup trigger current. The models are valid under both moderate and high-level injection. A good fit between the model and the measurements is observed. The roles of substrate majority and minority carriers are elucidated.
Thermal and Electromigration Strain Distributions in 10 μm-Wide Aluminum Conductor Lines Measured by X-Ray Microdiffraction

X-ray microdiffraction was applied to study the thermal and electromigration strains in 10 µm-wide Al conductor lines with 10 µm spatial resolution. X-rays were collimated either by pinholes or by tapered glass capillaries to form x-ray microbeams. Measurements were made in a symmetric-reflection geometry so that the strains normal to the sample surface could be examined at different positions along the conductor lines. Results of thermal strain measurements show that the SiO2 passivation plays an important role in limiting relaxation of in-plane compressive thermal stresses in the Al lines, but that the passivation is not effective in confining the overall thermal expansion of the Al line along the film normal. Electromigration strain measurements show that a linear stress gradient developed within the first hour of electromigration. The magnitude of the stress gradient changed little until fast stress relaxations occurred near the anode end of the line. Possible mechanisms are discussed in light of these observations.
Hierarchical Indexing for Out-of-Core Access to Multi-Resolution Data

Increases in the number and size of volumetric meshes have popularized the use of hierarchical multi-resolution representations for visualization. A key component of these schemes has become the adaptive traversal of hierarchical data-structures to build, in real time, approximate representations of the input geometry for rendering. For very large datasets this process must be performed out-of-core. This paper introduces a new global indexing scheme that accelerates adaptive traversal of geometric data represented as binary trees by improving the locality of hierarchical/spatial data access. Such improvements play a critical role in the enabling of effective out-of-core processing.
Longitudinal diffusion MRI for treatment response assessment: Preliminary experience using an MRI-guided tri-cobalt 60 radiotherapy system

Purpose: To demonstrate the preliminary feasibility of a longitudinal diffusionmagnetic resonance imaging(MRI) strategy for assessing patient response to radiotherapy at 0.35 T using an MRI-guided radiotherapy system (ViewRay). Methods: Six patients (three head and neck cancer, three sarcoma) who underwent fractionated radiotherapy were enrolled in this study. A 2D multislice spin echo single-shot echo planar imaging diffusion pulse sequence was implemented on the ViewRay system and tested in phantom studies. The same pulse sequence was used to acquire longitudinal diffusion data (every 2–5 fractions) on the six patients throughout the entire course of radiotherapy. The reproducibility of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements was assessed using reference regions and the temporal variations of the tumor ADC values were evaluated. Results: In diffusion phantom studies, the ADC values measured on the ViewRay system matched well with reference ADC values with <5% error for a range of ground truth diffusion coefficients of 0.4–1.1 × 10−3 mm2/s. The remote reference regions (i.e., brainstem in head and neck patients) had consistent ADC values throughout the therapy for all three head and neck patients, indicating acceptable reproducibility of the diffusion imaging sequence. The tumor ADC values changed throughout therapy, with the change differing between patients, ranging from a 40% drop in ADC within the first week of therapy to gradually increasing throughout therapy. For larger tumors, intratumoral heterogeneity was observed. For one sarcoma patient, postradiotherapy biopsy showed less than 10% necrosis score, which correlated with the observed 40% decrease in ADC from the fifth fraction to the eighth treatment fraction. Conclusions: This pilot study demonstrated that longitudinal diffusionMRI is feasible using the 0.35 T ViewRay MRI. Larger patient cohort studies are warranted to correlate the longitudinal diffusion measurements to patient outcomes. Such an approach may enable response-guided adaptive radiotherapy.
Ultrafiltration of Type I Antipneumococcal Sera

Elford, Grabar and Fischer1 have reported that the “antibody activity” of antipneumococcal horse-serum is associated with the “larger complex protein in the serum.” Thus it was estimated by the method of optimal proportions that 75% of the antibody passed a 140mμ membrane, rather less than one percent passed an 80mμ membrane, while the filtrate from a 54mμ membrane showed no trace of antibody-activity.The membranes used in the present experiments were prepared by the method of Elford2 with certain modifications described by Bauer and Hughes.3 For filtration, Type I antipneumococcal horse-and rabbit-sera were diluted 1:5 in broth. Concentrated antipneumococcal horse-serum was diluted 1:10 in the same reagent. For evaluating the amount of antibody in the filtrate the quantitative precipitation method of Heidelberger, Sia, and Kendall4 was used. Because of the difficulties in securing large amounts of filtrates complete analyses over a wide range of amounts of polysaccharide were impossible. Therefore an arb...
Effects of Cardiac and Noncardiac Surgery on Peripheral Blood Cell Counts and Morphology

We studied a total of 76 patients, including 46 cardiac patients and 30 noncardiac patients, to determine the effects of surgical procedures on peripheral bloodformed cellular elements. Changes in platelets, leukocytes, and red blood cells were studied. The cardiac patients showed various degrees of anisopoikilocytosis and increased red blood cell distribution width (RDW). In addition, the cardiac patients demonstrated the presence of immature leukocyte precursors and rare nucleated red blood cells in the peripheral blood. These findings were not observed in the group of noncardiac patients. The platelets in the cardiac patients demonstrated a decrease in size and number. It seems clear that patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass surgery sustain both quantitative and qualitative abnormalities of the formed cellular elements of the blood. It is important to be aware of such changes and not to misinterpret such findings as pathologic of other disease states in these patients.
Design of IP-based VOD Client System with QoS

This paper analyzes the structure of coded MPEG-4 stream , and introduces a model of stream synchronization and a method of buffer management. It also designs a VOD client system with high quality.
Transmittance properties of flurandrenolide tape for psoriasis: helpful adjunct to phototherapy.

Antecedents : Le ruban adhesif de flurandrenolide apporte une precieuse contribution au traitement de la nevrodermite circonscrite chronique et du psoriasis. Il s'agit d'un corticosteroide qui reduit efficacement les symptomes et l'induration propres a la nevrodermite circonscrite chronique. L'occlusion de la lesion avec le ruban empeche par ailleurs le patient de frotter ou gratter la zone atteinte. Objectifs : Determiner dans quelle mesure le ruban de fluandrenolide peut bloquer les rayons ultraviolets (UV) et nuire a la phototherapie dans les cas de psoriasis. Methodes : Application de rubans de fluandrenolide a des cuvettes de spectroscopie au quartz et determination du spectre d'absorption a l'aide d'un spectrophotometre Beckman DU-600. Aussi, evaluation de l'effet du ruban sur la transmission des rayons UV a l'aide de l'unite de phototherapie UVA et UVB de notre bureau. Resultats : Le ruban de flurandrenolide absorbe une quantite considerable de rayons UVC et une certaine quantite - inferieure - dans les plages UVB et UVA. La transmission est superieure (absorption moindre) pour les longueurs d'onde superieures. L'absorption dans la gamme UVB est superieure a l'absorption dans la gamme UVA. Conclusion : Bien que le ruban de flurandrenolide puisse etre laisse en place pendant une PUVA therapie, il semble preferable d'ajuster la dose d'UV ou d'enlever le ruban au cours d'une phototherapie avec UVB.
Coupled Two-Dimensional Surface Flow and Three-Dimensional Subsurface Flow Modeling for Drainage of Permeable Road Pavement

AbstractPermeable road pavement has been used widely as a sustainable alternative to the traditional impervious pavement and has become an increasingly important component of the hydrological cycle. The benefits of permeable pavement depend on its hydraulic performance and drainage efficiency, for which there have been very few rigorously tested numerical models. In this paper, a new computational model is presented to simulate fluid motion above and within the porous road pavement. This model solves the coupled equation system for surface and subsurface flows using a finite-volume method. The surface flow and the subsurface flow are modeled by the two-dimensional diffusive wave equation and the three-dimensional Richards equation, respectively. A modified Dirichlet-Neumann partitioning method is used as the coupling algorithm to ensure the continuity of pressure head and the conservation of mass. The diffusive wave model for the surface flow is solved with a flux correction transport (FCT) scheme that co...
Contextual organismality: Beyond pattern to process in the emergence of organisms

Biologists have taken the concept of organism largely for granted. However, advances in the study of chimerism, symbiosis, bacterial-eukaryote associations, and microbial behavior have prompted a redefinition of organisms as biological entities exhibiting low conflict and high cooperation among their parts. This expanded view identifies organisms in evolutionary time. However, the ecological processes, mechanisms, and traits that drive the formation of organisms remain poorly understood. Recognizing that organismality can be context dependent, we advocate elucidating the ecological contexts under which entities do or do not act as organisms. Here we develop a "contextual organismality" framework and provide examples of entities, such as honey bee colonies, tumors, and bacterial swarms, that can act as organisms under specific life history, resource, or other ecological circumstances. We suggest that context dependence may be a stepping stone to the development of increased organismal unification, as the most integrated biological entities generally show little context dependence. Recognizing that organismality is contextual can identify common patterns and testable hypotheses across different entities. The contextual organismality framework can illuminate timeless as well as pressing issues in biology, including topics as disparate as cancer emergence, genomic conflict, evolution of symbiosis, and the role of the microbiota in impacting host phenotype.
Small cell carcinoma of the head and neck: An analysis of the National Cancer Database

Abstract Purpose/objective(s) To evaluate treatment trends and overall survival of patients with small cell carcinoma of the head and neck region. Materials/methods Patients from 2004 to 2012 were identified from the National Cancer Database. Patient demographics and overall survival were analyzed. Multivariable analysis was used to identify predictors of survival. Results Among 347,252 head and neck patients a total of 1042 (0.3%) patients with small cell carcinoma were identified. 17% of patients were diagnosed as stage I/II, 61% as stage III/IVA/IVB and 22% as stage IVC disease. The distribution by anatomic site was 9% oral cavity, 12% oropharynx, 35% larynx, 4% hypopharynx, 10% nasopharynx and 30% nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses. The median overall survival by anatomical site was 20.8 months for oral cavity, 23.7 months for oropharynx, 17.9 months for larynx/hypopharynx, 15.1 months for nasopharynx and 36.4 months for nasal cavity primary tumors. On multivariable analysis across stage, patients with nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses tumors had the best survival and patients with nasopharynx primaries had the worst survival. In stage I/II patients, type of treatment delivered resulted in no overall survival difference (p = 0.78). In patients with locally advanced disease, there was no difference in survival between those treated with combined surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy compared to those treated only with radiotherapy and chemotherapy (p = 0.46). The addition of radiotherapy to chemotherapy in the metastatic setting did not result in improved survival (p = 0.14). Conclusions Small cell carcinoma of the head and neck is a rare malignancy with a poor prognosis. The addition of surgery to radiotherapy and chemotherapy did not improve survival in patients with locally advanced disease.
Leading from Unexpected Places through Collaboration: Undergraduate Libraries in the Research University

The undergraduate library at major research universities, an historic product of the 1960s and 70s, now provides opportunities for leadership on numerous levels, particularly as universities deepen their commitment to the holistic experience of undergraduate students. Instead of focusing heavily on disciplinary research help or building research-level collections, the undergraduate library’s focus on teaching, learning spaces, and community fosters a crossroads of interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation that inspires change across campus. Featuring examples drawn from Odegaard Undergraduate Library of the University of Washington, this article explores the value of leading from unexpected places to collaborate and build services and programs with lasting and catalyzing impacts.
Implementation and Evaluation of Shared Medical Appointments in Veterans With Diabetes: A Quality Improvement Study.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to implement and evaluate shared medical appointments (SMA) in veterans with diabetes. BACKGROUND Health systems are challenged to meet the complex care needs of veterans with diabetes. Use of SMA has resulted in significant improvements in A1c, blood pressure, and self-management skills in this population. METHODS Shared medical appointments were implemented in a Veterans Administration Health System. A1c, blood pressure, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, triglycerides, weight, and height were collected at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months; hospitalization anytime; and veteran satisfaction at baseline and 6 months. RESULTS From October 15, 2015, to March 15, 2016, 30 male veterans with diabetes participated in monthly SMA. Outcome measures except for high-density lipoprotein improved significantly (P < .02) from baseline to 6 months. No veterans were hospitalized. Veteran satisfaction increased significantly (P < .001). CONCLUSION Shared medical appointment can be a highly effective intervention for veterans with diabetes. Nursing leaders need to be at the forefront of implementing SMA for populations with chronic conditions.
Checkpoint inhibitors assessment in oropharynx carcinoma (CIAO).

TPS118Background: Oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is classified by HPV status. Patients with HPV negative OPSCC have worse prognosis when compared to HPV positive. The epidemic of HPV associated OPSCC emphasizes the need to improve outcomes and reduce treatment related toxicities in this patient population. Taken together, there is an unmet need for novel treatment approaches to improve survival and/or quality of life in patients with OPSCC. Checkpoint inhibitors, particularly anti-PD-1/PD-L1, have shown encouraging activity in metastatic head and neck SCC. Targeting both PD-1 and CTLA-4 pathways may have additive or synergistic activity. Durvalumab and tremelimumab are immune checkpoint inhibitors that target, respectively, PD-L1 and CTLA-4. The optimal integration of novel therapeutics into clinical practice requires a thorough understanding of the molecular effects of treatment that is best evaluated by longitudinal tumor sampling. Minimally invasive transoral robotic surgery (TORS) provi...
State Health Insurance Regulation and Self-Employment Rates After the Great Recession: The Role of Guaranteed Issue Mandates:

Individual-level research has found self-employment positively linked to regulations that facilitate health insurance access outside the large group market. Since self-employment can aid regional e...
Integration of network topological features and graph Fourier transform for fMRI data analysis

Motivated by the recent progress in both graph signal processing and brain imaging, we integrate both techniques for complex brain network analysis. In particular, we address the challenge of evaluating the difference of functional connectivity networks between different age groups from resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI) observations. We proposed an approach to combine commonly used topological features from complex network analysis with the Graph Fourier Transform (GFT). Since GFT contributes to find the significant subspace of the original signal while topological features reveal the morphological structure of the brain network, they provide complementary information for characterizing brain networks. The method was validated on resting-state fMRI imaging data from Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort (PNC) dataset, comprised of normally developing adolescents from 8 to 22. The result shows that the model works well in distinguishing different age groups with an accuracy of 86.64% for 389 subjects.
Outline of the Implications of the Cooperative Nature of the Firm

The basic implications of the general equilibrium model of the firm developed by the author are briefly reviewed. The model embodies both the neoclassical market mechanism for allocation of non-human resources and the cooperative game for allocation of human resources. Special emphasis is given on the nature of the formal model, the equilibrium existence theorem, and the welfare implications. The equilibrium existence theorem includes as special cases: Arrow and Debreu’s competitive equilibrium existence theorem, Scarf’s theorem for nonemptiness of the core of a balanced non-side-payment game, and the author’s strong equilibrium existence theorem. The point of the welfare message is that for a better performance of the socialistic economy, investment in firms plays a helpful role, be it in the form of loans or in the form of stockholding.
Recovery of diaphragmatic function in awake sheep after two approaches to thoracic surgery.

Imanaka, Hideaki, William R. Kimball, John C. Wain, Masaji Nishimura, Kenichi Okubo, Dean Hess, and Robert M. Kacmarek.Recovery of diaphragmatic function in awake sheep after two approaches to thor...
Getting Inside the House: The Effectiveness of a Rape Prevention Program for College Fraternity Men

To investigate the effectiveness of a socialization-focused rape prevention program designed specifically for college fraternity men, 90 greek male participants (mean age 19.6; 95.6% Caucasian) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: 2 treatment groups and 1 control group. Results suggest that a socialization approach to rape education was as effective as a more traditional prevention program with regard to attitudes and knowledge. Participants in the rape prevention programs, for example, held fewer rape myths and had a clearer understanding of consent than the control group. Although attitudes rebounded to previous levels at the 6-week follow-up, a relationship between gender-role conflict and rape myth acceptance was discovered.
The left midfusiform gyrus interacts with early visual cortex and the anterior temporal lobe to support word individuation.

The left mid-fusiform gyrus (lmFG) is thought to play a key role in reading. Previous studies have shown that the representation of real words in the lmFG is initially coarse but evolves through time, eventually allowing for individuation of even orthographically similar words. Whether this individuation of orthographic representations is unique to real words, which have learned phonological and semantic associations in addition to their visual form, and the degree to which it is supported through interactions with other nodes of the language network, is unknown. The current study probed these questions by showing participants orthographically similar real words, pseudowords, consonant strings, and false fonts while monitoring lmFG activity with either intracranial electroencephalography or magnetoencephalography (MEG). Neural decoding analyses in each modality replicated the previous findings regarding the dynamics of dissimilar and similar real word decoding. In contrast, while dissimilar pseudowords, consonant strings, and false-fonts could be decoded, no individuation of these stimuli was seen in lmFG activity; that is, similar pseudowords, consonant strings, and false-fonts could not be decoded either earlier or later in time. MEG functional connectivity analysis demonstrated significantly higher connectivity between the lmFG and both early visual cortex and the left anterior temporal lobe during the individuation of real word representations in the lmFG. These results suggest that the individuation of word representations in the lmFG is catalyzed by stored knowledge about word forms that emerges from network-level interactions with anterior regions of the temporal lobe.
Maternal Lifetime Trauma and Birthweight: Effect Modification by In Utero Cortisol and Child Sex.

Objectives To evaluate associations between maternal lifetime traumatic stress and offspring birthweight and examine modifying effects of third trimester cortisol and fetal sex. Study design Analyses included 314 mother–infant dyads from an ethnically mixed pregnancy cohort. Maternal lifetime trauma was reported via the Life Stressor Checklist-Revised. Fenton birthweight for gestational age z-scores (BWGA-z) were calculated. A 3-cm scalp-nearest maternal hair segment collected at birth was assayed to reflect cumulative third trimester cortisol secretion. Multivariable regression was used to investigate associations between maternal lifetime trauma and BWGA-z and examine 2- and 3-way interactions with cortisol and fetal sex. Because subjects with low or high cortisol levels could represent susceptible populations, varying coefficient models that relax the linearity assumption on cortisol level were used to assess the modification of maternal lifetime trauma associations with BWGA-z as a function of cortisol. Results Women were primarily minorities (41% Hispanic, 26% black) with ≤12 years education (63%); 63% reported ≥1 traumatic event. Prenatal cortisol modified the association between maternal lifetime trauma and birthweight. Women with higher lifetime trauma and increased cortisol had significantly lower birthweight infants in males; among males exposed to the 90th percentile of cortisol, a 1-unit increase in trauma score was associated with a 0.19-unit decrease in BWGA-z (95% CI, −0.34 to −0.04). Associations among females were nonsignificant, regardless of cortisol level. Conclusions These findings underscore the need to consider complex interactions among maternal trauma, disrupted in utero cortisol production, and fetal sex to fully elucidate intergenerational effects of maternal lifetime trauma.