cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A liquid scintillation detector for radioassay of gadolinium-loaded liquid scintillator for the LZ Outer Detector

Abstract We report on the design and performance of the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) “Screener”, a small liquid scintillator detector consisting of ≈ 23 kg of LAB-based gadolinium-loaded liquid scintillator (GdLS) to be used in the LZ Outer Detector. The Outer Detector will be filled with 17.3 tonnes of GdLS and will surround the central liquid xenon time projection chamber of LZ. Its primary function will be to tag neutron events in the liquid xenon which could mimic a WIMP dark matter signal. To meet the deadtime requirements for the Outer Detector, the radioimpurity levels in the GdLS must be kept below ≲ 0 . 07 mBq/kg. This background level corresponds to a rate of ≈ 50 Hz above an energy threshold of 100 keV. The Screener was operated in the ultra-low-background environment of the former LUX water shield in the Davis Laboratory at the Sanford Underground Research Facility for radioassay of the GdLS. Careful selection of detector materials and use of ultra-low-background PMTs allows the measurement of a variety of radioimpurities. The 14 C / 12 C ratio in the scintillator is measured to be ( 2 . 83 ± 0 . 06 (stat.) ± 0 . 01 (sys.) ) × 1 0 − 17 . Use of pulse shape discrimination allows the concentration of isotopes throughout the 238 U , 235 U , and 232 Th chains to be measured by fitting the collected spectra from α and β events. We find that equilibrium is broken in the 238 U and 232 Th chains and that a significant portion of the contamination in the GdLS results from decays in the 227 Ac subchain of the 235 U series. Predictions for the singles rate in the Outer Detector are presented. The rate from radioimpurities above 100 keV in the GdLS is estimated to be 97 . 9 ± 6 . 4 Hz , with 65 . 5 ± 1 . 9 Hz resulting from α -decays.
A Novel Method for Evaluation of Coexistence between DSRC and Wi-Fi at 5.9 GHz

Co-channel coexistence between Dedicated Short- Range Communications (DSRC) and Wi-Fi needs thorough study. The reason is that although the 5.850-5.925 GHz (5.9 GHz) band has been reserved for DSRC so far, the U.S. government is moving swiftly on opening the band to be shared with Wi- Fi. However, most prior work lacks sufficient scientific rigor by relying on performance metrics such as packet delivery rate (PDR) and packet delay that cannot accurately measure performance of a vehicular network that primarily uses broadcast in dissemination of packets. Precise analysis of such broadcast operation is essential for rigorous investigation of DSRC-Wi- Fi coexistence because most safety-critical applications of DSRC operate based on broadcast. This paper proposes a new performance metric that can more accurately characterize the performance of a broadcast-based DSRC network. Based on the new metric, it characterizes coexistence of DSRC with IEEE 802.11ac-based Wi-Fi and suggests selection of key medium access control (MAC) parameters for DSRC: inter- broadcast interval (IBI) and contention window (CW).
Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program for lumbar spine fusion

There is a paucity of literature regarding the implementation of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols for open lumbar spine fusions. We implemented an ERAS program for 1–2-level lumbar spine fusion surgery and identified areas that might benefit from perioperative interventions to improve patient satisfaction and outcomes. This institutionally approved quality improvement (QI) ERAS program for lumbar spine fusion was designed for all neurosurgical patients 18 years and older scheduled for 1 or 2 level primary lumbar fusions. The ERAS bundle contained elements such as multimodal analgesia including preoperative oral acetaminophen and gabapentin, postoperative early mobilization and physical therapy, and a prophylactic multimodal antiemetic regimen to decrease postoperative nausea and vomiting. No fluid management or hemodynamic parameters were included. Pre-ERAS and post-ERAS data were compared with regard to potential confounders, compliance with the ERAS bundle, and postoperative outcomes. A total of 230 patients were included from October 2013 to May 2017. The pre-ERAS phase consisted of 123 patients, 11 patients during the transition period, and 96 serving as post-ERAS patients. The pre-ERAS and post-ERAS groups had comparable demographics and comorbidities. Compliance with preoperative and intraoperative medication interventions was relatively good (~ 80%). Compliance with postoperative elements such as early physical therapy, early mobilization, and early removal of the urinary catheter was poor with no significant improvement in post-ERAS patients. There was no significant change in the amount of short-acting opioids used, but there was a decrease in the use of long-acting opioids in the post-ERAS phase (14.6 to 5.2%, p = 0.025). Post-ERAS patients required fewer rescue antiemetic medications in the recovery room compared to pre-ERAS patients (40 to 24%). There was no significant difference in postoperative pain scores or hospital length of stay between the two groups. Implementing an ERAS bundle for 1–2-level lumbar fusion had minimal effect in decreasing length of stay, but a significant decrease in postoperative opioid and rescue antiemetic use. This ERAS bundle showed mixed results likely secondary to poor ERAS protocol compliance. Going forward, this QI project will look to improve post-operative ERAS implementation to improve patient outcomes.
The Potential Role of Nitrite-Embedded Film Technology in Extending the Color Stability and Shelf Life of a Cured, Cooked Meat Product

ObjectivesAlternatively-cured meats often contain lower amounts of nitrate and/or nitrite in the formulation, which can lead to decreased color stability and reduced shelf life. Alternatively-cured meats rely on natural sources of nitrate and/or nitrite which are primarily derived from vegetable sources, but these natural sources can result in vegetable-like flavors; thus, processors often decrease the relative ingoing level of nitrite and/or nitrate. This reduction can potentially lead to decreased color stability and negatively affect the product’s shelf life. Furthermore, consumer perception of natural sources of nitrite has led to consideration of other nitrite alternatives. The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of nitrite-embedded film (NEF) in extending the color stability and shelf life of all-beef bologna, a cured and cooked meat product.Materials and MethodsThree different product formulations were manufactured with 5 treatments of all-beef bologna. The treatments consisted of a vacuum-packaged, conventionally-cured (sodium nitrite with sodium erythorbate) control (CON), and 2 alternatively-cured (nitrite from cultured celery juice powder with cherry powder) treatments, with 1 treatment packaged in vacuum packages (CJP) and the second treatment packaged in NEF pouches (CJP-NEF). An additional 2 alternatively-cured (Natpre T-10 EML Plus S supplied by Wenda Ingredients, Inc.) treatments included 1 treatment packaged in vacuum packages (WEN) and the second packaged in NEF pouches (WEN-NEF). After thermal processing and chilling, the bologna was sliced to 6.35 mm thick and 4 slices were packaged in either traditional vacuum packages or NEF pouches. For the duration of the study, all treatments and replications were subsequently stored at 1°C under simulated, continuous retail display conditions using fluorescent lights. Color (HunterLab L*, a*, b*) of external and internal slice surfaces were measured, as was external and internal residual nitrite and nitrate on d 1, 6, 13, 27, 41, 55, 69, 83, and 97 post-packaging. Microbial analysis was conducted on d 0, 7, 14, 30, 60, 90, and 120 for both aerobic and lactic acid bacteria populations with a detection limit of 5 CFU/g. Results were statistically analyzed using a mixed linear model. Significance was determined at a P-value of 0.05.ResultsThe results for external package color a* values (redness) indicate that WEN was significantly lesser compared to all other treatments (P 0.05). External and internal color a* value increased significantly in WEN-NEF over the first 27 d of storage (P 0.05). Bacterial growth counts indicated no difference (P > 0.05) between treatments.ConclusionTherefore, results showcase promise of using NEF technology for increasing the color stability in alternatively-cured meat products.
The utility of self-determination theory in faculty of color’s successful pursuit of tenure and promotion to the rank of associate professor

Abstract Drawing on the core components of Self-Determination Theory (SDT), this qualitative phenomenological study uncovered the lived experiences of 21 Faculty of Color (FOC) who successfully navigated tenure and promotion to achieve the rank of associate professor in departments of educational leadership and administration the United States of America. Two structural themes emerged from the data, Owning of External Locus of Control (subtheme empowerment through intrinsic motivation and collaboration) and Impact of Work on Others. Findings supported the utility of self-determination in FOC’s successful attainment of tenure and promotion. Implications for how institutional agents can use SDT to support FOC on the tenure-track are discussed.
The role of intonation as a cue to turn taking in conversation

Abstract: The sociolinguistic literature concerning turn taking in conversation is extensive, but also limited in certain respects. Most studies have focused on kinesic behaviors and semantic/pragmatic devices for maintaining the flow of conversations, while few have investigated the role of prosody, especially in non-face-to-face turn taking. Moreover, most researchers describe the production of conversational behaviors rather than their perception by conversationalists. The present study attempts to fill these gaps through a series of listening tests incorporating both face-to-face (FF)and non-face-to-face (NFF) conversational excerpts, in order to discover how intonation is used as a perceptual cue for turn taking. Utterances isolated from these conversations were used to construct two test tapes; each set was also filtered so that the utterances were unintelligible but retained some prosodic information, notably intonation. Subjects then made turn beginning and turn end judgments for each item on the four resulting tapes. The findings show a great amount of variability in listener use of intonation as a cue to both FF and NFF speaker status, with rising fundamental frequency the strongest cue (to turn ends) in both conditions. The results also illustrate the highly interactive nature of prosody and other types of cues (e.g. syntactic and contextual information).
How College Students' Achievement Goal Orientations Predict Their Expected Online Learning Outcome: The Mediation Roles of Self-Regulated Learning Strategies and Supportive Online Learning Behaviors.

The purpose of this study was to examine the underlying mechanism between goal orientations and academic expectation for online learners. We simultaneously studied the structural relationships among 2×2 achievement goal orientations, self-regulated learning strategies (SRL), supportive online learning behaviors, and expected academic outcome in various online courses with 93 respondents (70 undergraduate and 23 graduate students). Specifically, we tested the mediation effects of both self-regulated learning strategies and supportive online learning behaviors on the relation between achievement goal orientations and students’ academic expectations. The results showed that two of the achievement goal orientations – mastery-approach goals (MAP) and mastery-avoidance goals (MAV) – predicted the adoption of the self-regulated learning strategies and supportive online learning behaviors, which, in turn, predicted students’ expected academic outcome for their online course. Specifically, students with higher mastery-approach goals were more likely to adopt different types of self-regulated learning strategies and supportive online learning behaviors to facilitate their learning experience, which further enhanced their expectation for their academic outcome. By contrast, students with higher mastery-avoidance goals were less likely to adopt self-regulated learning strategies and supportive online learning behaviors, which, in turn, led to lower grade expectations.
Seasonal macrophyte growth constrains extent, but improves quality, of cold‐water habitat in a spring‐fed river

Rooted aquatic macrophytes affect abiotic conditions in low‐gradient rivers by altering channel hydraulics, consuming biologically available nutrients, controlling sediment transport and deposition, and shading the water surface. Due to seasonal macrophyte growth and senescence, the magnitude of these effects may vary temporally. Seasonal changes in aquatic macrophyte biomass, channel roughness and flow velocity, were quantified and trends were related to spatiotemporal patterns in water temperature in a low‐gradient, spring‐fed river downstream from high‐volume, constant‐temperature groundwater springs. Between spring and summer, a nearly threefold increase in macrophyte biomass was positively correlated with channel roughness and inversely related to flow velocity. On average, flow velocity declined by 34% during the study period, and channel roughness increased 63% (from 0.064 to 0.104). During the spring and fall period, the location of a minimum water temperature variability “node” migrated upstream more than 4 km, whereas daily maximum water temperature cooled by 2–3°C. Water temperature modelling shows that the longitudinal extent of cold‐water habitat was shortened due to increased channel roughness independent of seasonal surface water diversions. These results suggest that macrophyte growth mediates spatiotemporal patterns of water temperature, constraining available cold‐water habitat while simultaneously improving its quality. Understanding complex spatial and temporal dynamics between macrophyte growth and water temperature is critical to developing regulatory standards reflective of naturally occurring variability and has important implications for the management and conservation of cold‐water biota.
Plasmonic Instabilities in Two-dimensional Electron Channels of Variable Width

Understanding of fundamental physics of plasmonic instabilities is the key issue for the design of a new generation of compact terahertz electronic sources required for numerous terahertz (THz) applications. Variable width plasmonic devices have emerged as potential candidates for such an application. The analysis of the variable width plasmonic devices presented in this paper shows that these structures enable both the Dyakonov-Shur instability (when the electron drift velocity everywhere in the device remains smaller than the plasma velocity) and the ``plasmonic boom'' instability that requires drift velocity exceeding the plasma velocity in some of the device sections. For symmetrical structures, the driving current could be provided by an rf signal leading to rf to THz and THz to RF frequency conversion using the source and drain antennas and reducing losses associated with ohmic contacts. We show that narrow regions protruding from the channel (``plasmonic stubs'') could control and optimize boundary conditions at the contacts and/or at the interfaces between different device sections. These sections could be combined into plasmonic crystals yielding enhanced power and a better impedance matching. The mathematics of the problems is treated using the transmission line analogy. We show that the combination of the stubs and the variable width channels is required for the instability rise in an optimized plasmonic crystal. Our estimates show that THz plasmonic crystal oscillators could operate at room temperature.
Emergence and sudden disappearance of pink: U-47700 in southeast Michigan

Abstract A case of 23-year-old woman died due to the consumption of a drug cocktail containing fentanyl and U-47700. The United States and the European Union have witnessed an unprecedented growth in the number of designer drugs or legal highs that have become available in the illicit drug trade. Between 2014 and 2019 the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office witnessed an emergence and a sudden disappearance of a number of designer drugs. Of these, fentanyl analogs have raised significant public health concerns due to their high potency. Many times users are unaware of the presence of fentanyl and other designer opioids. Postmortem examination and toxicology results are presented and discussed. A review of the type of designer opioid cases investigated the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office has been presented.
(Cultural) Taxation Without Representation?: How Educational Developers Can Broker Discourse on Black Faculty Lives in the #BlackLivesMatter Era

Predominantly White institutions (PWIs) in creative class cities offer contradictory experiences for Black faculty, who engage in invisible additional labor in response to racial aggressions, termed cultural taxation (CT). With an understanding that equity minded faculty development is an essential space in which to respond to this reality, our study employed a phenomenological focus group design to investigate how Black faculty at a research-intensive PWI located in a creative class city buffeted by racial tensions navigated their service and community experiences. While finding their work meaningful, the participants shared experiences of the multifaceted nature of CT, their stress from teaching about race, and the burdens of providing extra support to the next generation of scholars of color. Participants viewed the campus and community as interconnected, and CT as a wage they were willing to pay. At the same time, participants regretted the lack of recognition for this work in the academy. We proffer recommendations for developers and centers for teaching and learning that endeavor to support Black faculty and faculty from other marginalized identities.
FDA Approval of Remdesivir - A Step in the Right Direction.

FDA Approval of Remdesivir On October 22, 2020, on the basis of the results of three phase 3 clinical trials, the FDA approved remdesivir for use in adults and pediatric patients (12 years of age o...
Delayed Endoscopic Assisted Percutaneous Reduction of Anterior Table Frontal Sinus Fractures

Abstract Endoscopic approaches to the management of frontal sinus fractures continue to become more commonplace. Anterior table fractures amenable to reduction by these techniques are optimally managed within the first five to ten days to avoid fibrosis of the injury. We present a case of endoscopic transnasal reduction of an anterior table frontal sinus fracture over six weeks after the injury.
Plötzlicher unerwarteter Tod bei Epilepsie (SUDEP)

Der plotzliche unerwartete Tod bei Epilepsie („sudden unexpected death in epilepsy“, SUDEP) ist eine der haufigsten epilepsiebedingten Todesursachen. Die SUDEP-Inzidenz wird auf etwa 1,2/1000 Personenjahre (PJ) geschatzt mit erheblicher Variation in Abhangigkeit von krankheitsspezifischen und demographischen Faktoren. Die geschatzte SUDEP-Inzidenz bei Kindern ist mit etwa 0,22/1000 PJ deutlich niedriger als bei Erwachsenen, jedoch weisen neuere Studien bei Kindern (>12 Jahre) auf eine ahnlich hohe SUDEP-Inzidenz wie bei Erwachsenen hin. Bei o. g. geschatzter Inzidenz waren in Deutschland rund 700 SUDEP-Falle pro Jahr zu erwarten, wobei keine zuverlassigen Daten hierzu vorliegen. Eine Reihe von Risikofaktoren bzw. Pradiktoren fur SUDEP ist untersucht worden, z. B. Alter, Anfallshaufigkeit, Anzahl der Antiepileptika, Non-Compliance, Komorbiditat, mit zum Teil widerspruchlichen Ergebnissen. Dies ist insofern verstandlich als die exakte Pathogenese des SUDEP unklar ist. Sehr wahrscheinlich ist jedoch, dass die Haufigkeit (nachtlicher) generalisierter tonisch-klonischer Anfalle den wichtigsten Risikofaktor darstellt. Ein Faktor, der wahrscheinlich das SUDEP-Risiko senkt, ist eine nachtliche Uberwachung von Anfallen (mittels Geraten) oder die nachtliche Anwesenheit einer anderen Person. Anfallskontrolle und Anfallsuberwachung sind nach gegenwartigem Kenntnisstand die wichtigsten Faktoren, um einen SUDEP zu vermeiden. In den letzten Jahren haben einige Studien dazu beigetragen, mogliche Pathomechanismen des SUDEP besser zu verstehen. Weiterhin besteht ein erheblicher Forschungsbedarf, nicht nur zur Erkennung klinischer Pradiktoren und Biomarker, sondern auch bezuglich der Pravention.
A Qualitative Examination of Collaborative Infrastructure within Sexual Assault Response Teams

Sexual assault response teams (SARTs) are multidisciplinary interventions that seek to improve the response to sexual assault in their community. SARTs bring together relevant stakeholders (e.g., sexual assault advocates, medical/forensic examiners, police, prosecutors) to coordinate the response to sexual assault and improve survivors' help-seeking experiences. SARTs may adopt various infrastructures to guide their team (e.g., case review, subcommittees), but little is known about how infrastructure influences SART effectiveness. Therefore, this qualitative study examined the helpful versus challenging aspects of SART infrastructure. Interviews from a national random sample of 169 SART leaders revealed helpful versus challenging aspects of mission statements, formal protocols, subcommittees, team roles, trainings, meetings, and case review. Participants believed infrastructures have positive influences on interdisciplinary relationships, team efficiency, and creating improvements in responding to sexual assault. However, certain infrastructures were difficult to implement for some teams. Additionally, some infrastructures can have unintended consequences, such as exacerbating team conflict. Findings suggest that SARTs may benefit from first focusing on infrastructures that build trusting interdisciplinary relationships and widespread buy-in prior to implementing accountability-focused measures (e.g., protocols, case review).
Security Threat Analyses and Attack Models for Approximate Computing Systems: From Hardware and Micro-architecture Perspectives

Approximate computing (AC) represents a paradigm shift from conventional precise processing to inexact computation but still satisfying the system requirement on accuracy. The rapid progress on the development of diverse AC techniques allows us to apply approximate computing to many computation-intensive applications. However, the utilization of AC techniques could bring in new unique security threats to computing systems. This work does a survey on existing circuit-, architecture-, and compiler-level approximate mechanisms/algorithms, with special emphasis on potential security vulnerabilities. Qualitative and quantitative analyses are performed to assess the impact of the new security threats on AC systems. Moreover, this work proposes four unique visionary attack models, which systematically cover the attacks that build covert channels, compensate approximation errors, terminate normal error resilience mechanisms, and propagate additional errors. To thwart those attacks, this work further offers the guideline of countermeasure designs. Several case studies are provided to illustrate the implementation of the suggested countermeasures.
Efficacy of Combined Rifampicin Formulations Delivered by the Pulmonary Route to Treat Tuberculosis in the Guinea Pig Model

Liposomes, as vehicles alone or in combination with rifampicin (RIF) microparticles (RMs), were evaluated as vehicles to enhance the permeation of RIF into granulomas. RIF liposomes (RLs) were extruded through a 0.1 µm polypropylene membrane. RMs were prepared by the solvent evaporation method. Four weeks after infection, guinea pigs (GPs) were assigned to groups treated with a combination of RM-RLs or RLs alone. RLs were nebulized after extrusion whereas RMs were suspended in saline and nebulized to GPs in a nose-only inhalation chamber. Necropsy was performed after the treatment; the lungs and spleen were resected for bacteriology. RLs had mean diameters of 137.1 ± 33.7 nm whereas RMs had a projected area diameter of 2.48 µm. The volume diameter of RMs was 64 ± 1 µm, indicating that RMs were aggregated. The treatment of TB-infected GPs with RLs significantly reduced their lung bacterial burden and wet spleen weight compared with those treated with blank liposomes. The treatment of TB-infected animals with RM-RLs also reduced their lung bacterial burden and wet spleen weight even though these reductions were not statistically different. Based on these results, the permeation of RIF into granulomas appears to be enhanced when encapsulated into liposomes delivered by the pulmonary route.
Metallothionein in intestinal copper metabolism.

Approximately a decade after Margoshes and Vallee (1) first identified metallothionein, Evans et al. (2) suggested that this sulfhydryl-rich protein may be involved in the metabolism of copper in both the liver and the intestine. Recently, Bremner and Young (3) demonstrated that copper is bound to metallothionein in mammalian liver. Subsequently, after obtaining some erroneous results (4), this author finally succeeded in demonstrating that copper is bound to metallothionein in rat intestine (5).
Role of Drosophila Wingless Signaling in Cell Fate Determination

Publisher Summary This chapter highlights some of the functions of wingless protein (Wg) in cell fate determination. Wg has a role in patterning a variety of embryonic tissues; however, the best studied developmental role for Wg is in embryonic segmental patterning. Drosophila segmentation is regulated by both maternal and zygotic genes that pattern the embryo in a stepwise fashion. Initially, the anterior–posterior axis is established and then the embryo is subdivided into segmental units. This occurs in the syncytial blastoderm, a unique feature of Drosophila embryos, where the first 13 nuclear divisions occur in the absence of cellular divisions. After the cells have formed, the embryo begins to gastrulate, and patterning within each segmental unit begins. At this point, the embryonic epidermis is an epithelial monolayer that must establish and maintain polarity and specific cell fates within each segmental unit, as well as the borders between them. Prior to gastrulation, patterning of the blastoderm is directed by maternally and zygotically expressed genes, most of which encode transcription factors. However, once cellularization is complete and segments have been established, cell fate is determined by intercellular communication. The two signaling pathways that determine polarity and cell fate within each segmental unit are the Wg signaling pathway, the subject of this review, and the Hedgehog signaling pathway.
Lazarsfeld in memoriam : the People´s Choice y Voting cumplen sesenta y cincuenta años

La lectura reposada de Lazarsfeld nos devuelve, una vez mas, al mundo de innovacion, improvisacion y sorpresa, en el que algunas de las teorias mas conocidas fueron descubiertas y descritas. De "los lideres de opinion" sigue sin estar claro quien fue el progenitor de la idea. Sobre The People´s Choice seguimos sin saber por que se realizo y la comunicacion "en dos etapas" continua siendo un hallazgo inesperado. La relectura de las obras escogidas, una vez mas, nos lleva al concepto de "serendipity" como el motor de la investigacion en comunicacion de masas.
Interactive Rendering of Globally Illuminated Glossy Scenes

Global illumination simulates all transfers of light in a scene. The results of the simulation are then used to generate photo-realistic images. Scenes with diffuse surfaces only can be displayed in real-time using the results of radiosity methods. Images of scenes with more general surfaces are created with methods based on ray tracing but do not achieve interactive frame rates.
Studies of the binding of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase to DNA: IV. The effect of rifampicin on binding and on RNA chain initiation

Abstract Binding of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase to T7 DNA is not prevented by complexing of the enzyme with rifampicin, nor does rifampicin increase the rate of dissociation of the highly stable RNA polymerase holoenzyme-T7 DNA complex. Both free RNA polymerase and RNA polymerase-T7 DNA complexes are attacked by rifampicin in second-order reactions although the rate constant for the latter reaction is reduced about 100-fold. Alteration of the stability of the holoenzyme-DNA complex does not appreciably change the rate of rifampicin attack, nor does removal of sigma subunit from the RNA polymerase-DNA complex. It is suggested that the relative resistance of RNA polymerase holoenzyme-T7 DNA complexes to attack by rifampicin, when the drug is added together with the nucleoside triphosphates, is due to the rapid rate of RNA chain initiation by this complex.
Obesity: physiologic changes and implications for preoperative management

The proportion of patients defined as obese continues to grow in many westernized nations, particularly the United States (USA). This trend has shifted the perioperative management of obese patients into the realm of routine care. As obese patients present for all types of procedures, it is crucial for anesthesiologists, surgeons, internists, and perioperative health care providers alike to have a firm understanding of their altered multi-organ physiology in order to safely prepare the obese patient for an operation. A careful preoperative evaluation may also serve to identify risk factors for postoperative adverse events. Subsequently, preoperative measures may be implemented to mitigate these complications. In this manuscript we address the major considerations for the preoperative evaluation of the severely obese patient.
Electrogenerated chemiluminescence: Part XLIII. Aromatic hydrocarbon/peroxydisulfate systems in acetonitrile-benzene solutions

Abstract Electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) has been observed during the reduction of peroxydisulfate (S 2 O 8 2− ) by electrogenerated radical anions of several aromatic compounds (Ar − ) in 2:1 CH 3 CN-benzene solutions. The ECL spectra that arise at the Ar reduction wave agree with the fluorescence spectra of the corresponding aromatic compound. The cyclic voltammetric Ar reduction waves in the presence of S 2 O 8 2− were generally of the catalytic type, with Ar regenerated by the following chemical reaction with peroxydisulfate. Formation of Ar ★ with the resulting ECL was primarily caused by the Ar − /Ar + reaction, with Ar + generated via oxidation of Ar by SO 4 − (a product of the reduction of S 2 O 8 2− ). The relative ECL efficiencies qualitatively depend upon the stability of the hydrocarbon radical cations, with rubrene producing the most intense ECL. A tertiary reactant system in which thianthrene fluorescence was observed during the catalyzed reduction of S 2 O 8 2− by the radical anion 2,5-diphenyl-1,3,4-oxadizole was also studied.
Delay control for CDF scheduling with deadlines

We propose two novel methods of service delay control for multiuser wireless systems that employ a scheduling scheme based on the Cumulative Density Function (CDF) of user channels in correlated fading environments. The first method allows for different hard delay deadlines for the users. The second method relaxes the deadline enforcement into “soft” deadlines in order to take better advantage of multiuser diversity. Both methods offer excellent performance while still preserving the temporal fair resource allocation property of the CDF scheduling policy.
Making Votes Count: Duverger's propositions

Students of politics have asked how electoral laws affect the formation and survival of political parties since mass elections first became common in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Henry Droop, an English advocate of proportional representation (and inventor of the Droop quota), noted as early as 1869 that plurality elections promote what later scholars have called “strategic” or “tactical” voting: As success depends upon obtaining a majority of the aggregate votes of all the electors, an election is usually reduced to a contest between the two most popular candidates.…Even if other candidates go to the poll, the electors usually find out that their votes will be thrown away, unless given in favour of one or other of the parties between whom the election really lies (quoted in Riker 1982:756). Droop was also surely aware of the plurality system's tendency to underrepresent minority parties – a topic generally discussed today under the rubric of “disproportionality,” “big-party bias,” or the “mechanical effect.” In any event, by 1881 he had enunciated a version of what is now called Duverger's Law: the only explanation which seems to me to account for [the two-party systems in the United States, United Kingdom, etc.] is that the two opposing parties into which we find politicians divided in each of these countries have been formed and are kept together by majority [what we now call plurality] voting (quoted in Riker 1982:756–7).
Significant contribution of TCR gamma gene rearrangement testing to accurate diagnosis and staging of T cell lymphomas

2721 Introduction: In majority of hematologic malignancies, morphology supplemented with immunohistochemistry (IHC) and/or flow cytometric (FCM) immunophenotyping can discriminate between a malignant and reactive lymphoproliferation. In about 10% of cases, additional ancillary studies such as T cell receptor (TCR) gamma gene rearrangement and immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) gene rearrangement are ordered to provide additional evidence that “suspicious” histological changes may represent a malignant process. T cell lymphomas in particular are often difficult to distinguish from atypical T cell proliferations. Our study focuses on the contribution of TCR gamma clonality assessment assay towards accurate diagnosis and staging of hematologic malignancies. Methods: From January to October 2006, 111 specimens were evaluated for TCR gamma clonality in the AP Molecular Pathology laboratory at Henry Ford Hospital. Histologic evaluation, IHC, and sometimes FCM evaluations were also performed on all cases. Specimen types were as follows: skin biopsy (74), lymph node biopsy (15), peripheral blood (7), bone marrow (5), and miscellaneous extranodal lymphoid proliferations (10). DNA was isolated and subjected to PCR amplification for TCR gene rearrangement (TCR Gamma Gene Rearrangement Assay, In Vivo Scribe, San Diego, CA). The amplified PCR products were analyzed by capillary electrophoresis. Gene rearrangement test results were correlated with other histologic and clinical features. Results: Of the111 specimens, 50 demonstrated clonal TCR gamma gene rearrangement (31 skin, 8 lymph node, 5 blood, 4 bone marrow, and 2 breast biopsy specimens). For 15 of these, all other histological, IHC and FCM (when available) findings were inconclusive. Positive gene rearrangement results prompted closer monitoring of these patients, and T cell malignancies were subsequently confirmed in most of these cases. TCR gamma gene rearrangement testing was negative in 52 cases of atypical lymphoid proliferation, confirming other histologic findings. Nine of the specimens (7 skin and 2 lymph node) gave what appeared to be false negative results. Four of these subsequently demonstrated T cell clonality when repeat biopsies were tested. Conclusion: As with many diseases with a spectrum of clinical and pathologic findings, demonstration of clonal T cell proliferation can confirm diagnosis, or help to raise suspicion of a T cell lymphoma. In cases of atypical lymphoid proliferation, negative results are highly suggestive of a reactive process. The results of this study demonstrate that, in addition to histologic diagnosis, ancillary gene rearrangement studies can further define difficult cases, especially difficult to diagnose dermatologic malignancies.
What’s the Chance? Dependent and Independent Trials

In many situations, people need the probability that a certain event will occur. For example, a public health inspector may need the probability that a well is polluted, a pollster may wish to find the probability that voters will favor limited terms for elected officials, or a quality-control manager may be interested in the probability that a product is defective in a continuous production process. As in most real-world situations, it is impossible to test all the wells, poll all the people, or check all the products. How can we estimate these probabilities, and how accurate can our estimates be? We will use a thumb tack as our prototype and see how we can estimate the probability that a tack lands point down.
The effects of normal dispersion on collapse events

Abstract It is shown analytically that positive or normal dispersion arrests at least the initial stage of the critical self-similar collapse events associated with the nonlinear Schrodinger equation. This is done by pertubing a wave packet that undergoes critical self similar collapse in d dimensions by adding weak positive dispersion in one additional direction. Singular perturbation analysis then yields a closed set of simple equations for the parameters of the collapsing mode from which it is clear that in the absence of normal dispersion the self similar collapse will continue while, in its presence, the collapse attractor disappears. Direct numerical integrations are in excellent agreement with the predictions of the simple reduced equations.
Comparison of Bridge Earthquake Resisting System Design in a Moderate Seismic Zone

Design of bridges for seismic effects has changed significantly since it was originally included in the AASHTO Standard Specifications for Highway Bridges (the standard specifications) as Division IA in 1991. In addition to design changes, the seismic hazard in many areas of the United States has changed significantly in the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications (the LRFD specifications) based on a change in the return period of the design earthquake and seismological research. A new option for seismic design, the AASHTO Guide Specifications for LRFD Seismic Bridge Design (the guide specifications), has been published providing an alternative, displacement-based design procedure. This paper provides a case study of three existing bridges in Alabama designed according to the standard specifications. The seismic resisting system of the existing bridges was redesigned based on the guide specifications and the LRFD specifications. The paper explores the effect of changes in design procedures and seismic hazard on detailing of bridges in a moderate seismic zone. The two specifications are compared for the worst-case hazard in Alabama; i.e., Seismic Design Category B. The results demonstrate that using the guide specifications results in larger spacing of lateral reinforcing in the plastic hinge regions of substructure components and drilled shafts resulting in more economical designs.
Can texting be used to improve romantic relationships?-The effects of sending positive text messages on relationship satisfaction

Content of first text to romantic partner was manipulated in two experiments.Participants sent a positive text to their partner everyday for two weeks.Positive texting had a positive effect on romantic satisfaction.Positive texting had to be written in one's own words to be effective.Initiating texting also had a positive effect on romantic satisfaction. Texting has become a highly popular communication tool in college students. The current studies were designed to use texting to promote positive communication between romantic partners with the hope to enhance relationship satisfaction. In two studies, the authors experimentally manipulated the content of the first messages that participants sent out to their romantic partner everyday for two weeks. Participants' satisfaction was assessed at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of the study. The partners, who were unaware of their partner's involvement in the study, were contacted at the end of the study and reported their satisfaction. The experimental conditions in Study 1 did not show statistically significant differences in their relationship happiness trajectory over the two weeks from the control condition, possibly due to the fact that participants sent out scripted texts provided by the researchers. In Study 2 the experimental groups wrote their own texts following instructions provided by the researchers. All experimental conditions showed a significantly different satisfaction trajectory compared to the control condition. However, partner satisfaction did not respond to the texting manipulation in either study.
Infertility in transgenic female mice with human growth hormone expression: evidence for luteal failure.

Introduction of the human growth hormone (hGH) gene fused with mouse metallothionein I promoter into domestic mice leads to ectopic synthesis of hGH, marked stimulation of somatic growth, and female sterility. Transgenic females (produced by mating transgenic males to normal females) mated but failed to become pregnant or pseudopregnant as evidenced by the recurrence of vaginal plugs every 5-7 days. Daily injections of 1 mg progesterone, starting on day 1 postcoitum (p.c.), maintained pregnancy, suggesting that the sterility of these animals is due to inadequate luteal function. In ovariectomized female transgenic mice, median eminence (ME) turnover of dopamine (DA) was increased, and plasma prolactin (PRL) levels were reduced, presumably because of the known lactogenic activity of hGH in rodents. From these observations we suspected that either 1) the corpora lutea of these animals are unresponsive to lactogenic hormones, or 2) hGH by stimulating tuberoinfundibular dopaminergic (TIDA) neurons interferes with the increase in PRL release that normally follows mating and this, in turn, leads to luteal failure. To distinguish between these possibilities, transgenic females were treated with PRL-secreting ectopic pituitary transplants from normal females of the same strain on day 1 p.c. Eight of ten treated females became pregnant and delivered litters. We conclude that infertility of transgenic female mice with hGH expression is due to activation of the TIDA system, suppression of endogenous PRL release, and luteal deficiency.
PRODUCT STRUCTURE COMPLEXITY AND MULTILEVEL LOT SIZING USING ALTERNATIVE COSTING POLICIES

This research evaluates the effect of product structure complexity on the performance of several lot-sizing procedures in a multilevel manufacturing environment. The experiment compares two different costing policies, full value added (FVA) and marginal value added (MVA), for calculating inventory holding cost. The major finding of the research is that product structure complexity has very little effect on the performance of various lot-sizing procedures. A second finding is that when product structures with varying components per parent and stocking points for a particular end item are present, the MVA costing policy emerges as the policy of choice because it favors slightly the Silver-Meal (SM)/least-total-cost (LTC) procedures over the Wagner-Whitin (WW)/LTC procedures.
Daily intake of nicotine during cigarette smoking.

Daily intake of nicotine in 22 subjects was estimated from metabolic clearance data obtained after intravenous infusion of nicotine and from blood and urinary nicotine concentration data obtained over 24 hr when the subjects were smoking cigarettes. Daily intake of nicotine averaged 37.6 mg (+/- 17.7, SD) but varied widely among subjects (10.5 to 78.6 mg). Men metabolized nicotine faster than did women, but daily intake of nicotine did not differ. Intake correlated strongly with cigarettes smoked per day (r = 0.59) but not with machine-determined yield. Nicotine intake per cigarette averaged 1.04 mg (+/- 0.36) but did not correlate with machine-determined yield. Correlations between several commonly used biochemical markers of tobacco smoke and nicotine intake were examined; the afternoon (4:00 P.M.) blood level of nicotine was the best marker.
Malignant pleural mesothelioma

Purpose The etiology, diagnosis, staging, and management of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) are reviewed, with an emphasis on clinical trials of newer approaches to first-line, second-line, and adjuvant chemotherapy. Summary In the past decade, more effective chemotherapy regimens have been developed for patients with MPM, a rapidly progressing disease linked to a history of asbestos exposure in about 70% of cases. Patients with MPM often require multimodal treatment with surgery, radiotherapy, and adjuvant or neoadjuvant (presurgical) chemotherapy. The current standard of first-line chemotherapy for MPM is cisplatin or carboplatin in combination with pemetrexed, an antifolate compound that has been shown to increase the cytotoxic effects of platinum-based drugs. In Phase II and III clinical trials, combination therapy with pemetrexed and either cisplatin or carboplatin yielded some of the highest rates of tumor response (21–41%) and overall survival (about 12–14 months) reported to date. Dual-agent neoadjuvant chemotherapy (cisplatin plus gemcitabine or pemetrexed) followed by radical surgery with or without radiotherapy has been reported to yield median survival of up to 23–29 months in small clinical trials, but larger randomized controlled studies are needed to better define the role of neoadjuvant therapy in MPM management. Other chemotherapeutic agents that have been used against MPM, with variable results, include gemcitabine, vinorelbine, taxanes, anthracyclines, and molecular-targeted agents. Conclusion Treatment approaches for MPM include surgery, radiation, and systemic chemotherapy. MPM carries a poor prognosis, but recent studies of pemetrexed and platinum analogue combination therapies have demonstrated improved response rates over other treatments.
Effects of conventional peritoneal dialysates on leukocyte adhesion and CD11b, CD18 and CD14 expression

Effects of conventional peritoneal dialysates on leukocyte adhesion and CD11b, CD18 and CD14 expression. Bacterial peritonitis is the most important complication of peritoneal dialysis (PD), limiting its widespread application. Conventional glucose-based peritoneal dialysates (G-PDS) depress oxygen consumption, chemiluminescence, superoxide production, phagocytosis, bacterial killing and actin polymerization in neutrophils (PMN) in vitro . Expression of adhesion receptors is critical to leukocyte activation, adhesion, migration and phagocytosis. The effects of G-PDS on basal and stimulated leukocyte adhesion molecule expression and leukocyte adhering capacity is unknown. We examined the effect of a five minutes incubation of whole blood in either HEPES-buffered saline or G-PDS containing 1.5% (83mm), 2.5% (139mm) or 4.25% (236mm) glucose, at pH=5.2, and pH=7.4. PMN intracellular pH was measured spectrofluorometrically. Leukocyte CD11b, CD18 and CD14 were measured by flow cytometry using monoclonal antibodies in otherwise unstimulated cells or 60 minutes after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. In addition, leukocyte adhering capacity to nylon wool was tested. In an attempt to dissect the effect of high glucose concentrations from that of the attendant hyperosmolality, the experiments were repeated with dialysates in which glucose was substituted by sodium chloride (NaCl-PDS) to attain identical osmolalities. G-PDS, as well as the mixtures of spent and fresh G-PDS, significantly depressed the basal PMN expression of adhesion receptors CD11b and CD18 and monocyte expression of CD14, and substantially mitigated the LPS-mediated up-regulation of CD11b and CD18. Likewise, G-PDS significantly inhibited leukocyte adhering capacity without affecting cell viability. Similar results were observed with NaCl-PDS. The observed abnormalities were primarily osmolality-dependent, and largely intra- and extracellular pH-independent. Impaired adhesion receptor expression and cell adhesion capacity shown here reveal another dimension of the G-PDS-induced leukocyte abnormalities.