cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Application of Subcutaneous Talc after Axillary Dissection in a Porcine Model Safely Reduces Drain Duration and Prevents Seromas

Background Talc, the most common pleurodesis agent, has recently been shown to prevent seromas and decrease drain duration when placed subcutaneously after large subcutaneous dissection accompanying open ventral hernia repair. We hypothesized that talc would decrease drain duration and prevent seromas after axillary dissection without local or systemic side effects. Study Design Six pigs underwent full, bilateral axillary dissection (n 12 dissections). Three animals each had aerosolized small particle (SP) talc and large particle (LP) talc sprayed unilaterally (TALC) before closure, with the contralateral axillary dissection serving as the control (NOTALC). Functional status, wound complications, and drain duration were recorded. Local neurovascular structures and systemic organs were harvested at 28 days, processed with hematoxylin and eosin, and examined under normal and polarized light microscopy by blinded physicians. Results All pigs were back to baseline functional status by 72 hours. Two seromas (33%) were noted in the NOTALC dissections vs 0 in the TALC group (0%). Drain duration was significantly decreased in TALC vs NOTALC dissections (8.3 ± 2.7 vs 12.0 ± 3.2 days, p=0.03), as was total drain volume (222.5 ± 127.1 mL vs 334.2 ± 137.9 mL, p=0.02). Gross and histologic evaluation revealed neurovascular structures to be intact. Minimal splenic deposition of talc within macrophages without evidence of injury was identified in all specimens, with fewer deposits in the large particle talc group. Serum laboratory examination at time of harvest revealed all animals to have normal values. Conclusions Direct application of talc throughout the wound after axillary dissection in pigs decreased drain duration and drain volume and prevented seroma formation. Gross, histologic, and serum laboratory evaluation demonstrated no talc-related local or systemic complications. Aerosolized talc is an effective and safe pretreatment to prevent seromas and hasten drain removal after axillary dissection.
HDAC4 Regulates Muscle Fiber Type-Specific Gene Expression Programs

Fiber type-specific programs controlled by the transcription factor MEF2 dictate muscle functionality. Here, we show that HDAC4, a potent MEF2 inhibitor, is predominantly localized to the nuclei in fast/glycolytic fibers in contrast to the sarcoplasm in slow/oxidative fibers. The cytoplasmic localization is associated with HDAC4 hyper-phosphorylation in slow/oxidative-fibers. Genetic reprogramming of fast/glycolytic fibers to oxidative fibers by active CaMKII or calcineurin leads to increased HDAC4 phosphorylation, HDAC4 nuclear export, and an increase in markers associated with oxidative fibers. Indeed, HDAC4 represses the MEF2-dependent, PGC-1α-mediated oxidative metabolic gene program. Thus differential phosphorylation and localization of HDAC4 contributes to establishing fiber type-specific transcriptional programs.
Hamiltonian calculations for the Z 2 lattice gauge theory with matter fields

We study the Z/sub 2/ lattice gauge theory coupled to scalar matter fields (Ising spins) in 2+1 dimensions. Strong-coupling expansions are obtained for the masses of both ''meson'' and ''glueball'' excitations. We use the zeros of the mass gap, obtained using Pade approximants and duality transformations, to locate second-order phase transitions as a function of the gauge and matter coupling constants. The resulting phase diagram is in reasonable agreement with that obtained by other methods. These other methods (Monte Carlo and 1/N expansions) are, however, most sensitive to first-order phase transitions while our method is most sensitive to continuous phase transitions. We observe that the additional parameter of the Hamiltonian approach is essentially irrelevant.
Penile prosthesis surgery: review of ten-year experience and examination of reoperations.

Abstract Our ten-year experience from September, 1975, to December, 1985, with 417 penile prostheses in 290 patients is presented. Arteriosclerosis and diabetes mellitus were the two most common causes of impotence in our patient population. The Scott inflatable penile prosthesis accounted for the majority of all implants and all device failures. Complications leading to device failure and/or reoperation occurred in 36 percent of all prostheses. However, including repairs, 91 percent of patients were left with a functional prosthesis. Examination of reoperated patients showed an average increase in corporeal length of 1.67 cm with repeat prosthesis operations (p
The Future Role of Computation in Science and Society

The future of data deluge in particle physics and astrophysics will be unparalleled in the history of science. After considering some examples, I look at future computation in scientific theories, and examine some of the difficulties that already exist. Again, with some examples, including scientific meteorology and weather forecasting, future limitations of theories are explored.
An Electrostatic Interaction between BlpC and BlpH Dictates Pheromone Specificity in the Control of Bacteriocin Production and Immunity in Streptococcus pneumoniae

The blp locus of Streptococcus pneumoniae secretes and regulates bacteriocins, which mediate both intra- and interspecific competition in the human nasopharynx. There are four major alleles of the gene blpH, which encodes the receptor responsible for activating the blp locus when bound to one of four distinct peptide pheromones (BlpC). The allelic variation of blpH is presumably explained by a need to restrict cross talk between competing strains. The BlpH protein sequences have polymorphisms distributed throughout the sequence, making identification of the peptide binding site difficult to predict. To identify the pheromone binding sites that dictate pheromone specificity, we have characterized the four major variants and two naturally occurring chimeric versions of blpH in which recombination events appear to have joined two distinct blpH alleles together. Using these allelic variants, a series of laboratory-generated chimeric blpH alleles, and site-directed mutants of both the receptor and peptide, we have demonstrated that BlpC binding to some BlpH types involves an electrostatic interaction between the oppositely charged residues of BlpC and the first transmembrane domain of BlpH. An additional recognition site was identified in the second extracellular loop. We identified naturally occurring BlpH types that have the capacity to respond to more than one BlpC type; however, this change in specificity results in a commensurate drop in overall sensitivity. These natural recombination events were presumably selected for to balance the need to sense bacteriocin-secreting neighbors with the need to turn on bacteriocin production at a low density. IMPORTANCE Bacteria use quorum sensing to optimize gene expression to accommodate for local bacterial density and diffusion rates. To prevent interception of quorum-sensing signals by neighboring strains, the genomes of single species often encode strain-specific signal/receptor pairs. The blp locus in Streptococcus pneumoniae that drives bacteriocin secretion is controlled by quorum sensing that involves the interaction of the signal/receptor pair BlpC/BlpH. We show that the pneumococcal population can be divided into several distinct BlpC/BlpH pairs; however, there are examples of naturally occurring chimeric receptors that can bind to more than one BlpC type. The trade-off for this broadened specificity is a loss of overall receptor sensitivity. This suggests that under certain conditions, the advantage of signal interception can trump the requirements for self-induction.
Gait recognition from time-normalized joint-angle trajectories in the walking plane

This paper demonstrates gait recognition using only the trajectories of lower body joint angles projected into the walking plane. For this work, we begin with the position of 3D markers as projected into the sagittal or walking plane. We show a simple method for estimating the planar offsets between the markers and the underlying skeleton and joints; given these offsets we compute the joint angle trajectories. To compensate for systematic temporal variations from one instance to the next-predominantly distance and speed of walk-we fix the number of footsteps and time-normalize the trajectories by a variance compensated time warping. We perform recognition on two walking databases of 18 people (over 150 walk instances) using simple nearest neighbor algorithm with Euclidean distance as a measurement criteria. We also use the expected confusion metric as a means to estimate how well joint-angle signals will perform in a larger population.
Randomized distributed space-time coding for cooperative communication in self organized networks

We consider a wireless network in which a single source transmits its message with the help of multiple cooperative relays to a far away destination. In our model the source broadcasts the message and only the relays that are able to produce an inference of acceptable quality retransmit the message by using orthogonal space-time codes. The novelty of our transmission protocol is that, unlike other works on cooperative space-time coding, the code assignment is performed in a completely distributed way by having each node pick one column of the space-time code matrix at random. The interesting result of our analysis is that this simple method achieves the maximum possible diversity order for signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) below a threshold SNR/sub t/, which increases with node density. Hence depending on the SNR range of a given system, one can achieve the maximum diversity order by increasing the number of relay nodes. In addition, for any SNR, the average error probability of the scheme decreases proportional to L/sup N/, where L is the number of columns in the space-time code matrix, and N is the number of active relay nodes.
Markov image modeling

The theory of two-dimensional spectral factorization is reviewed in the context of recursive modeling. The role of the Markov random field in recursive image modeling is then presented, Since spectral factorization in two-or higher-dimensions generally results in infinite order factors, it is necessary to perform Markov modeling after spectral factorization. The above concepts are then applied to the problem of Kalman filtering of images.
Current status of the plasmodiophorids

Plasmodiophorids are a monophyletic group with uncertain systematic affinities. Features of the group include cruciform nuclear division; obligate, intracellular parasitism; biflagellated, heterocont zoospores; and environmentally resistant resting spores. Economically significant members of the group include Plasmodiophora brassicae, the causative agent of clubroot of cabbage; Spongospora subterranea, the causative agent of powdery scab of potato; and two members of the genus Polymyxa, vectors for several plant pathogenic viruses.
Simultaneous routing and buffer insertion for high performance interconnect

We present an algorithm for simultaneously finding a rectilinear Steiner tree T and buffer insertion points into T. The objective of the algorithm is to minimize a cost function (e.g., total area or power) subject to given timing constraints on the sinks of the net. An interesting side-effect of our approach is that we are able to derive an entire cost/delay tradeoff curve for added flexibility. The solutions produced by the algorithm are optimal subject to the constraint that the routing topology be induced by a permutation on the sinks of the net. We show that high quality sink permutations can be derived from a given routing structure such as the minimum spanning tree. This derivation provides an error bound on the minimum area solution induced by the permutation. The effectiveness of our algorithm is demonstrated experimentally.
An experimental test of the response of macroecological patterns to altered species interactions

Macroecological patterns such as the species–area relationship (SAR), the species-abundance distribution (SAD), and the species–time relationship (STR) exhibit regular behavior across ecosystems and taxa. However, determinants of these patterns remain poorly understood. Emerging theoretical frameworks for macroecology attempt to understand this regularity by ignoring detailed ecological interactions and focusing on the influence of a small number of community-level state variables, such as species richness and total abundance, on these patterns. We present results from a 15-year rodent removal experiment evaluating the response of three different macroecological patterns in two distinct annual plant communities (summer and winter) to two levels of manipulated seed predation. Seed predator manipulations significantly impacted species composition on all treatments in both communities, but did not significantly impact richness, community abundance, or macroecological patterns in most cases. However, winter c...
Impact of fowlpox-vectored Mycoplasma gallisepticum vaccine Vectormune FP MG on layer hen egg production and egg quality parameters.

Abstract This study was conducted to determine the impact of vaccination with Vectormune FP MG on egg production and egg quality characteristics of Single Comb White Leghorn hens. Due to questions of the efficacy of this vaccine in preventing Mycoplasma gallisepticum-mediated pathology, the ability of this vaccine to protect against postproduction-peak egg losses associated with F-strain M. gallisepticum (FMG) vaccination was also investigated. Vaccination with Vectormune FP MG did not result in any significant change in egg production or egg quality parameters compared with control (unvaccinated) hens. Subsequent revaccination with FMG at 45 wk of age (woa) yielded no impact on egg production or egg quality parameters of Vectormune FP MG vaccinated hens, unlike prior results for postproduction-peak vaccination of M. gallisepticum-clean hens with FMG, which exhibited a drop in egg production of approximately 6%. No difference in egg size distribution was observed for any of the treatment groups before or after FMG revaccination. These results suggest that hens can be safely vaccinated with Vectormune FP MG as pullets and can be revaccinated with a live M. gallisepticum vaccine such as FMG at a later date with no deleterious effects on egg production or egg or eggshell quality parameters.
Infective endocarditis due to community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in injection drug users may be associated with Panton-Valentine leukocidin-negative strains

Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) isolates that cause infective endocarditis in injection drug users (IDUs) are distinct from CA-MRSA strains that cause endocardial infection as a complication of skin and soft tissue infections. We present a case of CA-MRSA infective endocarditis, review pertinent cases previously published, and describe the molecular characteristics of strains from IDUs and patients with skin and soft tissue infections.
Data Don't Matter? Academic Research and School Choice

School choice has attracted much attention from academic policy analysts. Their data analyses, however, have become entangled in the politics surrounding debates over market-driven reform rather than serving as foundations for utilitarian policy making. High-profile research programs generate an increasing number of empirical studies, which are often valued for how well they fit ideological preferences rather than how useful they may be in offering practical guidance on workable and politically feasible strategies. In this paper I assess what supportable policy message(s) can be extracted from the large research literature on choice and vouchers.Kevin Smith is an associate professor of political science at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (ksmith1@unl.edu). His most recent book is The Ideology of Education: The Market, the Commonwealth, and America's Schools.
Construction of an Escherichia coli K-12 Mutant for Homoethanologenic Fermentation of Glucose or Xylose without Foreign Genes

Conversion of lignocellulosic feedstocks to ethanol requires microorganisms that effectively ferment both hexose and pentose sugars. Towards this goal, recombinant organisms have been developed in which heterologous genes were added to platform organisms such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Zymomonas mobilis, and Escherichia coli. Using a novel approach that relies only on native enzymes, we have developed a homoethanologenic alternative, Escherichia coli strain SE2378. This mutant ferments glucose or xylose to ethanol with a yield of 82% under anaerobic conditions. An essential mutation in this mutant was mapped within the pdh operon (pdhR aceEF lpd), which encodes components of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. Anaerobic ethanol production by this mutant is apparently the result of a novel pathway that combines the activities of pyruvate dehydrogenase (typically active during aerobic, oxidative metabolism) with the fermentative alcohol dehydrogenase.
Control of nanoparticle penetration into biofilms through surface design

Quantum dots were used as fluorescent probes to investigate nanoparticle penetration into biofilms. The particle penetration behavior was found to be controlled by surface chemical properties.
Southern Ocean sea-ice control of the glacial North Atlantic thermohaline circulation

[1] A coupled model simulates a shallower and weaker North Atlantic Deep Water circulation at the Last Glacial Maximum, compared to the modern, with an enhanced intrusion of Antarctic Bottom Water into the North Atlantic. These circulation changes are caused by the enhanced Antarctic Bottom Water formation, which is triggered by the enhanced equatorward sea-ice transport, ultimately by increased westerlies, in the Southern Ocean at the Last Glacial Maximum.
A Fast Liquid-Metal Droplet Microswitch Using EWOD-Driven Contact-Line Sliding

Liquid-metal (LM) droplet-based MEMS switches have mostly been restricted to slow applications until now due to the following reasons: (1) a relatively large switching gap (distance) needed to accommodate imprecise volumes and locations of droplets on the device and (2) lack of high-speed actuation to move the droplets quickly across the switching gap. To combat these problems, we explore switching by sliding the solid-LM-gas triple contact line rather than the entire droplet. This new approach allows us to use a microframe, which not only consistently positions the LM droplet but also makes the switching gap less sensitive to the errors in the deposited-droplet volume, allowing us to design microswitches with very small switching gaps (e.g., 10 mum for 600 mum-diameter droplets). Furthermore, a study of electrowetting-on-dielectric identifies a regime of fast contact-line sliding at the onset of droplet spreading. By moving the contact line fast across a small switching distance, we demonstrate a low-latency LM switch with 60 mus switch-on latency ( ~ 20 times better than other LM-switch technologies) and better than 5 mus signal rise/fall time, while boasting no contact bounce, as expected from an LM switch. High power-handling capability and long-term reliability are also discussed.
Considerations in Simulation of a Notional All-Electric Ship AC/DC Conversion System

In order to characterize and understand the behavior of a simulation model of the AC/DC conversion system of a notional all-electric ship system, experimental design methodology is applied in the construction of surrogate models. Confidence in the fidelity of the simulation is assessed through sensitivity and uncertainty analyses applied to the surrogate models.
DIST: direct imputation of summary statistics for unmeasured SNPs.

Motivation: Genotype imputation methods are used to enhance the resolution of genome-wide association studies, and thus increase the detection rate for genetic signals. Although most studies report all univariate summary statistics, many of them limit the access to subject-level genotypes. Because such an access is required by all genotype imputation methods, it is helpful to develop methods that impute summary statistics without going through the interim step of imputing genotypes. Even when subject-level genotypes are available, due to the substantial computational cost of the typical genotype imputation, there is a need for faster imputation methods. Results: Direct Imputation of summary STatistics (DIST) imputes the summary statistics of untyped variants without first imputing their subject-level genotypes. This is achieved by (i) using the conditional expectation formula for multivariate normal variates and (ii) using the correlation structure from a relevant reference population. When compared with genotype imputation methods, DIST (i) requires only a fraction of their computational resources, (ii) has comparable imputation accuracy for independent subjects and (iii) is readily applicable to the imputation of association statistics coming from large pedigree data. Thus, the proposed application is useful for a fast imputation of summary results for (i) studies of unrelated subjects, which (a) do not provide subject-level genotypes or (b) have a large size and (ii) family association studies. Availability and implementation: Pre-compiled executables built under commonly used operating systems are publicly available at http://code.google.com/p/dist/. Contact: ude.ucv@4eeld Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
A Methodological Review of Personality-Related Studies in Fish: Focus on the Shy-Bold Axis of Behavior

Personality research has begun to take hold in the animal kingdom as psychologists turn to animal models to investigate various aspects of personality. Similarly, behavioral ecologists and related fields have begun to explore the idea that individual variation in behavior is more than just noise around an average for a given population or group of interest. As a result, many have begun to turn to personality-related questions to explain individual differences in animal behavior. Collectively, psychologists, ecologists and related fields have created a boom in animal personality-related research. This interest has expanded to a variety of fish species, with many studies focused on an important axis of behavior in humans: the shy-bold axis. Unfortunately, there has been very little consideration for the methodology employed. We review both the experimental and statistical methodology found in a body of research on fish species, for which personality-related research has been conducted. Our aim is to shed light on many important considerations that are often overlooked in order to facilitate research concerned with the reliability and validity of the many methods used. The classic approach to behavioral and evolutionary ecology seeks answers based on averaged behavior and fails to consider unique variation between individuals and the functional importance of such variability (Mather, 1998; Slater, 1981). The importance of finer scale investigations at the level of the individual is only beginning to emerge as researchers have begun explore Darwin’s less accepted views that evolution acts on the individual and may not be limited to only physical traits (Darwin, 1998; Gosling, 2001). This burgeoning interest has given rise to research in areas of animal personality and temperament in a wide range of taxa and has led to recent recognition of the potential implications in ecological studies of animal behavior. If something similar to personality is found in animals and individual differences in behavior reflect more than just noise around an average, then traditional approaches to behavioral ecology, behavioral biology and how we approach questions about evolution may be challenged. The boom of interest in these new directions combined with the fear of anthropomorphism seems to have placed the search for “individual differences” at the forefront of investigations with little regard to ensuring adequate measures and methodology. In a complex and controversial topic such as animal personality, these considerations are vital to research in this area. This article aims to present some inconsistencies and considerations by reviewing a subset of studies focused on an important shy-bold axis, which has been a growing focus in research with many species of fish.
Gaze behavior in autism

Gaze behavior was assessed in 20 autistic individuels and in an age- and mental-age-matched mentally retarded control group. A time-sample technique was used to collect frequency of gaze directed at staff, at task, and elsewhere (at other) in familiar educational settings as subjects interacted with familiar staff and engaged in familiar educational activities. Gaze behaviors were sampled in each of three interactional conditions defined by staff-subject ratio. Significant effects of the intensity of the interactional condition were observed for both groups. Overall autistic subjects were more likely to look elsewhere than the matched control cases and looked less at staff during one-to-one interaction. Relationships to age, developmental level, and other measures are discussed.
Reducing mortality from hip fractures: a systematic quality improvement programme

Hip fracture is one of the most serious consequences of falls in the elderly, with a mortality of 10% at one month and 30% at one year. Elderly patients with hip fractures have complex medical, surgical, and rehabilitation needs, and a well-coordinated multidisciplinary team approach is essential for the best outcome. The model of best practice for hip fracture care is set out in the Orthopaedic Blue Book and is incentivised by the best practice tariff. In 2009 to 2010, only 39.6% of our patients were being operated on within 36 hours, 19% achieved best practice tariff [1], and mortality was 7.8%. We were ranked as one of the worst hospitals to achieve best practice tariff [1] and our mortality was average. The orthogeriatrics team at Ashford & St Peter's NHS Trust (SPH) was implemented in 2010. Through a system redesign, regular governance meetings, audits and quality improvement projects, we have managed to improve care for our patients and reduce mortality. Over the last three years we have successfully achieved best care for our hip fracture patients, demonstrating a steady improvement in our attainment of the best practice tariff and a reduction in mortality to 5.3% in 2013, which ranks us amongst the best trusts nationally.
Synthesis and characterization of model carboxylated latexes for studies of film formation from latex blends

Poly(n-butyl methacylate-co-n-butyl acylate) (P(BMA/BA)) soft latexes (car- boxylated and noncarboxylated) were synthesized using a semicontinuous emulsion polymerization process that was designed on the basis of a theoretical calculation to determine the suitable surfactant (i.e., sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)), monomer, and water feed rates to maintain a constant particle number throughout the polymerization (guaranteeing monodispersity in the particle size), to obtain a homogeneous copolymer composition, and to independently control the particle size and carboxyl group concen- tration. The experimental results support the theoretical calculation. The surface coverage of the carboxyl groups present on the soft latex particles ranges from 7.6 to 21.9% for a series of latexes with particle sizes around 120 nm. In another series of latexes, the particle size was varied over a range from 120 to 450 nm. Monodisperse carboxylated polystyrene hard latexes were synthesized by shot growth (batch) and semicontinuous processes. The shot growth method is somewhat inflexible in providing more choices in surfactant, particle size, and surface carboxyl coverage. A semicontinu- ous process designed using a similar method used for the synthesis of P(BMA/BA) latexes successfully eliminated the drawbacks of the shot growth process. In this way, the changes in the surface carboxyl coverage (varies from 0 to 77.2%) was independent of the particle size, which was precisely controlled by the amount of styrene fed under suitable styrene and SDS feed rates. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 77: 644 - 659, 2000
Towards understanding cyberbullying behavior in a semi-anonymous social network

Cyberbullying has emerged as an important and growing social problem, wherein people use online social networks and mobile phones to bully victims with offensive text, images, audio and video on a 24/7 basis. This paper studies negative user behavior in the Ask.fm social network, a popular new site that has led to many cases of cyberbullying, some leading to suicidal behavior. We examine the occurrence of negative words in Ask.fm's question+answer profiles along with the social network of "likes" of questions+answers. We also examine properties of users with "cutting" behavior in this social network.
A programmable cascaded low-pass filter-based flux synthesis for a stator flux-oriented vector-controlled induction motor drive

The concept of a programmable cascaded low-pass filter method of flux vector synthesis has been introduced in the literature. In this paper, the idea is expanded, analyzed, improved, and then applied to a stator flux oriented 100-kW electric vehicle drive. It was verified that the flux estimation works well at zero speed finite torque start-up mode and low- and high-speed field weakening regions, thus completely eliminating the need of a speed sensor.
A Social Psychological Approach to Enduring Rivalries

The recent scholarly work on the concept of enduring rivalries offers a promising way to examine strategic interaction among dyads of states over extended periods of time. A focus on rivalry, and on the mechanisms that provide for such interaction, may offer a way to bridge existing theories of international relations that rely exclusively on structure or process. Unfortunately, the potential for theory-building has not been fully realized because research into rivalry has tended to be inductive. This paper seeks to rectify that problem by situating the rivalry concept within a social psychological approach to international relations. The rivalry concept is appropriately located in a theoretical approach that views the international system as a social system where actors are conditioned by mechanisms of competition and socialization.
Ariadne: a system for constructing mediators for Internet sources

The Web is based on a browsing paradigm that makes it difficult to retrieve and integrate data from multiple sites. Today, the only way to achieve this integration is by building specialized applications, which are time-consuming to develop and difficult to maintain. We are addressing this problem by creating the technology and tools for rapidly constructing information mediators that extract, query, and integrate data from web sources. The resulting system, called Ariadne, makes it feasible to rapidly build information mediators that access existing web sources.
The Struggle Against Unwarranted Uniformity: The Evolution of Federal Sentencing Departures Based on Extraordinary Circumstances the Case of Low-Level Drug Offenders

The Struggle Against Unwarranted Uniformity: The Evolution of Federal Sentencing Departures Based on Extraordinary Circumstances. The Case of Low-Level Drug Offenders addresses the complex issue of sentencing offenders involved in drug crimes. The article examines the evolution of departures under the federal sentencing guidelines based on extraordinary family circumstances. Professor Gomez argues that cases identify specific factors that compel judges to depart from the sentences suggested by the guidelines.The article first reviews the evolution of the federal sentencing guidelines departure provisions highlighting several cases that expose the difficulties judges encounter addressing the most troublesome sentencing issues. Next, the article examines these departures in light of several additional factors indicative of low-level drug offenders including citizenship, race, culture, education and situations involving crimes that are single acts of aberrant behavior. Professor Gomez argues that these factors, when combined with more traditional factors urging departure from suggested sentences, make even more obvious the injustice of a sentence within the recommended guideline range.
Terrorism preparedness training for occupational health professionals.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess occupational health professionals' terrorism preparedness and perceptions of worksite readiness. METHODS: Questionnaire data were collected at the conclusion of an educational workshop on disaster response. RESULTS: Participants reported increased confidence in clinical skills and the ability to avoid exposure while providing care to victims of terrorist attacks as a result of the workshop. Fewer than one third (32%) of participants reported that their employer was prepared for a bioterrorism attack, and a large percentage (75%) reported feeling unprepared to provide mental health counseling after a terrorist attack. CONCLUSIONS: Relatively brief training in terrorism preparedness can increase the confidence of occupational health professionals in their ability to respond to terrorism. Adequate preparedness for the broad range of potential terrorist events may require much more intensive training than is currently being provided to occupational health professionals. Language: en
Operative Treatment of Pelvic Tumors

Hideaki E. Takahashi, Tetsuro Morita, Tetsuo Hotta, and Akira Ogose, editors. Tokyo: Springer-Verlag; 2003. 216 pages. $119.00. This concise textbook on the operative treatment of pelvic tumors represents the thirty-year experience of the senior editor and author, Dr. H.E. Takahashi, at the Niigata University Medical Hospital in Japan. Dr. Takahashi (who has some forty years of experience in the operative treatment of musculoskeletal tumors) and his contributors have done a very nice job of organizing a concise, readable, and generally well-illustrated surgical text. This single-volume textbook is tastefully constructed …
Carbon Fixation Driven by Molecular Hydrogen Results in Chemolithoautotrophically Enhanced Growth of Helicobacter pylori

ABSTRACT A molecular hydrogen (H2)-stimulated, chemolithoautotrophic growth mode for the gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori is reported. In a culture medium containing peptides and amino acids, H2-supplied cells consistently achieved 40 to 60% greater growth yield in 16 h and accumulated 3-fold more carbon from [14C]bicarbonate (on a per cell basis) in a 10-h period than cells without H2. Global proteomic comparisons of cells supplied with different atmospheric conditions revealed that addition of H2 led to increased amounts of hydrogenase and the biotin carboxylase subunit of acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) carboxylase (ACC), as well as other proteins involved in various cellular functions, including amino acid metabolism, heme synthesis, or protein degradation. In agreement with this result, H2-supplied cells contained 3-fold more ACC activity than cells without H2. Other possible carbon dioxide (CO2) fixation enzymes were not up-expressed under the H2-containing atmosphere. As the gastric mucus is limited in carbon and energy sources and the bacterium lacks mucinase, this new growth mode may contribute to the persistence of the pathogen in vivo. This is the first time that chemolithoautotrophic growth is described for a pathogen. IMPORTANCE Many pathogens must survive within host areas that are poorly supplied with carbon and energy sources, and the gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori resides almost exclusively in the nutritionally stringent mucus barrier of its host. Although this bacterium is already known to be highly adaptable to gastric niches, a new aspect of its metabolic flexibility, whereby molecular hydrogen use (energy) is coupled to carbon dioxide fixation (carbon acquisition) via a described carbon fixation enzyme, is shown here. This growth mode, which supplements heterotrophy, is termed chemolithoautotrophy and has not been previously reported for a pathogen.
Diagnostic yield of a novel jumbo biopsy "unroofing" technique for tissue acquisition of gastric submucosal masses.

Background and study aims: Adequate tissue acquisition for the diagnosis of gastric submucosal masses (GSMs) has been challen ging for gastroenterologists. The use of standard biopsy forceps generally recovers non-diagnostic overlying mucosa. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) with fine-needle aspiration (FNA) provides a significant improvement, but is often still inadequate for diagnosis. The aim of the current study was to assess the efficacy of a novel jumbo biopsy unroofing technique (JUT) for tissue acquisition in GSM. Patients and methods: This prospective study recruited patients who were referred for EUS for the evaluation of GSM between 2006 and 2009. All patients underwent EUS with FNA when feasible followed by JUT. The primary outcome was diagnostic yield of JUT. Results: A total of 93 patients were enrolled, 72 of whom were included in the investigation; 16 patients were excluded with no evidence of a submucosal mass or extrinsic compression, and five patients were further excluded by pathology confirming mucosal lesions. Of the 72 jumbo biopsies 66 (92%) provided diagnostic tissue without significant complications and 42 (58%) had lesions amenable to FNA. Although 34 of the 42 lesions were deemed adequate at the time of on-site cytological evaluation, only 28 (67%) provided sufficient tissue for final diagnosis. More importantly, only 37/72 (52%) of all patients had lesions that required any further intervention. Conclusions: Utilization of JUT is safe and effective for diagnosis of GSM. The data suggest that the jumbo biopsy unroofing technique should be considered as an initial diagnostic strategy for GSMs found during upper endoscopy.
Investigation of the home falls risk of elderly people living alone in Zhabei Community of Shanghai City

[Objective]Through the assessment of home falls risk of elderly people living alone in community,to provide the basis for environmental improvement against home falls risk and reducing the incidence of falls. [Methods]The retrospective survey was performed on 481 elderly residents aged above 80 years from 395 families living alone in a community of Shanghai City,reviewing the situation of falls incidence during August 1,2008 to August 1,2009 and evaluating the home falls risk. [Results]The incidence of falls was 17.05%,the incidence of occurrence was 24.32%,among which 2 falls occupied 32.93% and hospitalization due to falls accounted for 5.19%.The home falls risk included no skid bricks(38.23%),not enough indoor brightness(47.85%),no non-slip mat in bath / shower room(62.78%) and no handrails in bath / shower room(70.89%),etc. [Conclusion]The elderly people living alone is the group with high risk of falls.The home environmental risk increases the risk of falls among the elderly.It is significant to evaluate the home environmental risks.
A review of important elements in sedation study methodology.

The table demonstrates that there are few studies of behavioral indices mediated by a sedative(s) involving such sound scientific principles as blinding, reliability and validity, and control groups. Indeed, as is reflected in this report, it is not common to have measured physiological parameters along with the behavioral indices. Nonetheless, the reader should be aware that these clinical studies are difficult to conduct under the best of conditions. Extensive planning, piloting, instruments, and time are necessary to render even simple conclusions in today's studies. The need to standardize sedation protocols within and across studies is great if the profession ever hopes to develop a strong scientific basis for sedation. Only then can studies of drugs, their dosages, and their effects on children during dental procedures be compared and contrasted with any confidence. Behavioral scales need to be assessed and compared repeatedly and independently within and among studies so that an appreciation of the influence of a drug on one scale will have some meaningful translation to another scale. For instance, how does the Frankl scale compare to the Houpt scale, if at all? Should both or some facsimile of each be included in every study? What type of information is derived from the use of a given scale and does that information impact on other factors (e.g., physiological parameters or number of quadrants completed)? Should there be a priority for the use of one scale or another depending on the purpose of the study? Blinding and the establishment of reliability of behavioral measures should become as second-natured as giving local anesthesia.
Indigeneity and US Settler Colonialism

Written for the field of philosophy, Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Race: In the US context, Indigenous identity presents many difficulties, ranging from problematic understandings of blood degree to peculiar census definitions to accusations of identity fraud. I will discuss in this essay a brief outline of my view that these difficulties are oppressive dilemmas and disappearances that are built into those structures of US settler colonialism that seek to erase us in our own homelands. Looking forward, I will appeal to Kim TallBear’s work, which I will interpret in relation to my own work on environmental justice, to suggest at least one possible alternative for addressing issues associated with Indigeneity and settler erasure.
Nurses, Families, and Doulas: An Overview of Different Roles in Childbirth

Generally speaking, there are three groups of people who provide support to the laboring woman during labor and delivery: nurses, partners, and family. These groups are able to provide emotional and physical support, each in a unique way. Nurses are the primary providers of medical support. They ensure the labor is progressing and both mother and baby are enduring labor without signs of emergent physical trauma. As the nurses are tending to the medical needs of the patient, family and partners are able to provide comfort and emotional care to the woman. They are able to offer comfort measures to meet the woman’s emotional needs.
Coarse-grained models using local-density potentials optimized with the relative entropy: Application to implicit solvation

Bottom-up multiscale techniques are frequently used to develop coarse-grained (CG) models for simulations at extended length and time scales but are often limited by a compromise between computational efficiency and accuracy. The conventional approach to CG nonbonded interactions uses pair potentials which, while computationally efficient, can neglect the inherently multibody contributions of the local environment of a site to its energy, due to degrees of freedom that were coarse-grained out. This effect often causes the CG potential to depend strongly on the overall system density, composition, or other properties, which limits its transferability to states other than the one at which it was parameterized. Here, we propose to incorporate multibody effects into CG potentials through additional nonbonded terms, beyond pair interactions, that depend in a mean-field manner on local densities of different atomic species. This approach is analogous to embedded atom and bond-order models that seek to capture multibody electronic effects in metallic systems. We show that the relative entropy coarse-graining framework offers a systematic route to parameterizing such local density potentials. We then characterize this approach in the development of implicit solvation strategies for interactions between model hydrophobes in an aqueous environment.
Twelve-month recovery of medical decision-making capacity following traumatic brain injury

Objective: To investigate recovery of medical decision-making capacity (MDC) over the first year following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods: A total of 177 participants (111 persons with TBI and 66 healthy controls) were recruited from an inpatient/outpatient TBI rehabilitation unit and outpatient neurology department. Participants with TBI were classified by injury severity into subgroups: mild TBI (mTBI; n = 28), complicated mild TBI (cmTBI; n = 23), and moderate/severe TBI (msevTBI; n = 60). Control and TBI groups were compared at 1 month (t1), 6 months (t2), and 12 months (t3) postinjury using the Capacity to Consent to Treatment Instrument (CCTI), which evaluates MDC using 5 consent standards: expressing choice, reasonable choice, appreciation, reasoning, and understanding. Results: Relative to controls, no TBI group displayed impairment on CCTI expressing choice or reasonable choice at any timepoint. Those with mTBI had reduced appreciation and understanding at t1, which resolved by t2. The cmTBI and msevTBI groups were impaired on all 3 complex consent standards at t1. While patients with cmTBI improved to a level similar to controls by t3, those with msevTBI remained impaired on reasoning and understanding. Across all TBI groups, notable MDC improvement only occurred over the first 6 months postinjury. Conclusions: Over 1 year, most individuals with mTBI or cmTBI regain MDC, while many individuals with msevTBI have lingering deficits in reasoning and comprehension of treatment information. Clinical recovery of MDC occurs primarily during the first 6 months post-TBI regardless of injury severity. Clinicians can therefore identify MDC outcomes in TBI at 6 months postinjury.
Using GIS Mapping to Target Public Health Interventions: Examining Birth Outcomes Across GIS Techniques

With advances in spatial analysis techniques, there has been a trend in recent public health research to assess the contribution of area-level factors to health disparity for a number of outcomes, including births. Although it is widely accepted that health disparity is best addressed by targeted, evidence-based and data-driven community efforts, and despite national and local focus in the U.S. to reduce infant mortality and improve maternal-child health, there is little work exploring how choice of scale and specific GIS visualization technique may alter the perception of analyses focused on health disparity in birth outcomes. Retrospective cohort study. Spatial analysis of individual-level vital records data for low birthweight and preterm births born to black women from 2007 to 2012 in one mid-sized Midwest city using different geographic information systems (GIS) visualization techniques [geocoded address records were aggregated at two levels of scale and additionally mapped using kernel density estimation (KDE)]. GIS analyses in this study support our hypothesis that choice of geographic scale (neighborhood or census tract) for aggregated birth data can alter programmatic decision-making. Results indicate that the relative merits of aggregated visualization or the use of KDE technique depend on the scale of intervention. The KDE map proved useful in targeting specific areas for interventions in cities with smaller populations and larger census tracts, where they allow for greater specificity in identifying intervention areas. When public health programmers seek to inform intervention placement in highly populated areas, however, aggregated data at the census tract level may be preferred, since it requires lower investments in terms of time and cartographic skill and, unlike neighborhood, census tracts are standardized in that they become smaller as the population density of an area increases.
Engendering Hope: Women’s (Dis)engagement in Change in Afghanistan:

Afghan women’s human rights are a crucial concern for the international community and the government in Afghanistan. Framed by hope theory, this study captured Afghan women’s understandings of rece...
Dumplin’: Go Big or Go Home by Julie Murphy

Julie Murphy’s 2015 young adult (YA) novel, Dumplin’: Go Big or Go Home, stands out among YA fiction starring fat protagonists for an important reason: never, ever, not even for a moment in the cou...