cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Image Background Inhomogeneity Correction in MRI via Intensity Standardization

Abstract An automatic, simple, and image intensity standardization-based strategy for correcting background inhomogeneity in MR images is presented in this paper. Image intensities are first transformed to a standard intensity gray scale by a standardization process. Different tissue sample regions are then obtained from the standardized image by simply thresholding based on fixed intensity intervals. For each tissue region, a polynomial is fitted to the estimated discrete background intensity variation. Finally, a combined polynomial is determined and used for correcting the intensity inhomogeneity in the whole image. The above procedure is repeated on the corrected image iteratively until the size of the extracted tissue regions does not change significantly in two successive iterations. Intensity scale standardization is effected to make sure that the corrected image is not biased by the fitting strategy. The method has been tested on a number of simulated and clinical MR images. These tests and a comparison with the method of non-parametric non-uniform intensity normalization ( N 3 ) indicate that the method is effective in background intensity inhomogeneity correction and may have a slight edge over the N 3 method.
Peripheral arterial function in infants and young children with one-ventricle physiology and hypoxemia.

Patients with 1-ventricle (1V) physiology may be at risk for peripheral arterial dysfunction at a young age. To determine whether infants and young children with 1V physiology and hypoxemia have peripheral arterial dysfunction before undergoing the Fontan operation, we measured (1) flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) in the brachial artery, (2) serum levels of vasoactive mediators endothelin-1 (ET-1) and metabolites of nitric oxide, and (3) arterial stiffness with pulse-wave velocity (PWV) in the aorta. Eighteen patients with 1V physiology before the Fontan procedure and hypoxemia and 19 patients with normoxemia and 2-ventricle (2V) physiology were studied. Measurements were collected during cardiac catheterization. FMD in the brachial artery was the diameter gain after 4.5 minutes of forearm occlusion measured with high-resolution ultrasound and edge-detection software. Nitric oxide and ET-1 levels were measured in venous blood. PWV between the left carotid and femoral arteries was measured using pulse Doppler ultrasound. FMD was lower (2.4 ± 3.7% vs 11.3 ± 6%, p
Wind Tunnel Measurements of the Power Imparted to a Model of a Vibrating Conductor

Predicting the severity of aeolian vibration of overhead conductors requires knowledge of the damping in the span and of the power that the wind can supply to it. There is considerable dispersion in the published data on wind power input. New measurements were made, using a novel test arrangement, in an effort to develop more reliable information. The tests covered a broad range of wind speeds, above and below that at which power input is greatest, to lay a basis for development of methods for dealing with the effects of turbulence in natural winds. Correlation of the new results with previous data is reviewed in depth.
Changes in Student Views of Religion and Science in a College Astronomy Course

A cautious introduction of the dialogue between science and religion into a college astronomy course provoked diverse reactions from the 340 students in the course. We studied student responses to this curricular intervention with data from the entire class and from a set of interviews of a focus group of 19 students. Approximately half of the students in the class engaged with the issue of science and religion to some extent. There were extraordinarily few negative reactions to this minor intervention. The intellectual paths taken by students who did engage the issue were very diverse; they negotiated their ways across some complex intellectual borders in their own different ways. Some of these pathways led to internal conflict in some students, but this conflict is not necessarily an obstacle to further understanding. Several students developed some rather deep understandings of the interface between science and religion. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed86:526–547, 2002; Published online in Wiley Interscience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/sce.10029
Tropical Stationary Waves in a Nonlinear Shallow-Water Model with Realistic Basic States

Abstract The nonlinear shallow-water equations are used to study the tropical stationary wave response to steady thermal forcing near the equator in earthlike zonally symmetric basic states. A thin (200 m) fluid layer is superimposed over a large (1500 m) zonally symmetric topography distribution that decreases smoothly from the Tropics to the Poles, thus providing the large meridional height gradients required to maintain realistic zonal-mean zonal winds without introducing unrealistically large tropical wave speeds. A mean meridional circulation is maintained by relaxing the fluid toward its initial, global-mean depth. Both hemispherically symmetric (equinoctial) and hemispherically asymmetric (solstitial) basic states are considered. Stationary waves are generated by adding a fixed mass source/sink distribution near the equator. The presence of westerly zonal-mean winds in the subtropics amplifies the steady eddy response to the tropical mass forcing and shifts the Rossby gyres poleward and eastward, r...
Re-producing pop The aesthetics of ambivalence in a contemporary dance music

Electroclash is an electronic dance music popular in cities like New York, Los Angeles, and London between 2001 and 2004. In this article, I use the example of electroclash to demonstrate the significance of media in structuring social reality. I argue that electroclash constitutes a set of aesthetic tactics for living through the confusions and contradictions of life in a media-saturated, increasingly globalized, late capitalist economy. It is produced by a diverse assemblage of urban youth, whose primary commonality is an ambivalent relationship towards media. Electroclash artists, I argue, engage with and respond to meanings within existing media texts. They ironically perform the cliches and representations of popular culture, re-investing them with critical, though often ambiguous new meanings. In these re-readings of media, I conclude, electroclash artists blur the distinction between celebration and critique, and ultimately complicate any clear-cut, theoretical opposition between resistance and accommodation.
Late pancreas retransplantation

Pancreas retransplantation, excluding immediate retransplantation for graft thrombosis, is a technically treacherous operation with the added challenges of adhesions from the prior transplant and difficulties identifying usable recipient vessels. The goal of this study was to review our single-center experience with late pancreas retransplantation. Charts for all pancreas transplant recipients between 01/2003 and 04/2013 were reviewed for demographics, graft and patient survival, length of stay (LOS), readmissions, and technical complications. Of 473 pancreas transplants, there were 20 late pancreas retransplants compared to 441 first transplants. There were no significant differences in donor or recipient demographics. There was no significant difference in graft or patient survival. The mean and median lengths of stay were 22 and nine d, respectively (range 5-175 d), and 11 recipients required readmission within the first three months post-transplant. Five patients were reexplored in the early postoperative period for an enteric leak at the site of the primary allograft (n = 1), complications of percutaneous gastrostomy tube placement (n = 1), hemorrhage (n = 1), and negative laparotomy for hyperglycemia (n = 2). Pancreas retransplantation is technically challenging but can be safely performed with graft and recipient survival comparable to primary transplants.
Filamentous phage assembly

Filamentous phages present a genetically well-defined system for studying the ordered membrane assembly of five different phage-encoded proteins around the circular single-stranded DNA phage genome. Assembly occurs at high efficiency in vivo, catalysed by two phage-encoded membrane proteins and at least one host protein, thioredoxin. This review presents a description of the virion and its cytoplasmic precursor and summarizes the results of genetic and biochemical experiments that are beginning to elucidate the role of the three morphogenetic proteins. The recent discovery of bacterial transport proteins with homology to a phage morphogenetic protein located in the outer membrane suggests the existence of a common mechanism for moving complex macromolecules across bacterial membranes.
Experimental study of an adaptive-laser resonator

Correction of static-resonator misalignment errors in a CO2 laser has been obtained through the use of an intracavity deformable-mirror adaptive-optical system. Correction of the near-field intensity distribution has been observed, accompanied by total-power increases of a factor of 2. Restoration of the far-field beam quality has been demonstrated, yielding far-field peak-intensity increases of a factor of 11.
Passive immunization with a human monoclonal antibody protects hu-PBL-SCID mice against challenge by primary isolates of HIV-1

How well antibodies can protect against disease due to HIV-1 infection remains a pivotal but unresolved issue with important implications for vaccine design and the use of prophylactic antibody to prevent infection after accidental exposure to the virus and to interrupt transmission of virus from mother to child. Strong doubts about the possible utility of antibodies in vivo have been raised because of the relative resistance of primary viruses to antibody neutralization in vitro. Primary viruses are likely to be close to the viruses transmitted during natural infection in humans. Vaccine studies have been of little value in assessing antibody efficacy in vivo because none of the strategies described to date have elicited significant neutralizing antibody responses to primary viruses (reviewed in ref. 1). Passive immunization studies are similarly hindered by the paucity of reagents able to neutralize primary viruses effectively2 and a single study has suggested some benefit3. Here we describe experiments to explore the ability of passive antibody to protect against primary virus challenge in hu-PBL-SCID mice. In this model, severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice are populated with human peripheral blood mononuclear celI (PBMCs) and infected with HIV-1 (ref. 4). We find that the potent neutralizing human monoclonal antibody lgG1b12 at high dose is able to completely protect even when given several hours after viral challenge. The results are encouraging for antibody-based postexposure prophylaxis and support the notion that antibody induction could contribute to an effective vaccine.
Radiofrequency spectroscopy of DCCD: Deuterium quadrupole coupling in acetylene

Abstract Molecular beam electric resonance spectroscopy has been used to observe the P (16) e and P (16) f transitions in the ν 5 - ν 4 band of dideutero acetylene. Hyperfine transitions were resolved in the P (16) e case, providing deuterium quadrupole coupling and spin rotation information. The hyperfine properties are essentially the same for ν 4 , J = 16 and ν 5 , J = 15 with eQq = 209(1) kHz and C = −0.42(2) kHz. This information is compared with other measurements of deuterium quadrupole coupling in acetylene.
INTRATESTICULAR IMPLANTATION OF THE FLEXNER-JOBLING RAT CARCINOMA

The Flexner-Jobling adenocarcinoma of the rat is easily transplantable into the testis of this animal. The resulting growths in the intact testis do not often attain the size of subcutaneous tumors. The smaller size of intratesticular nodules can not be explained solely by the pressure to which they are subjected during their growth; other factors, which cannot be determined, appear to be concerned.
Fluence Measurements Employing Iodide/Iodate Chemical Actinometry as Applied to Upper-Room Germicidal Radiation†

To measure the fluence distribution in the upper room of a facility equipped with germicidal UV lamps a method has been developed utilizing iodide/iodate chemical actinometry together with spherical (1 cm) quartz irradiation chambers. The use of spherical vessels allows radiation from essentially all directions to be measured. Such a measurement allows an estimate of the radiation flux at a given point in space, i.e. the fluence rate. When a battery of spheres located at various points in a room are simultaneously irradiated, a measure of the fluence distribution can be obtained. The use of the iodide/iodate chemical actinometer is uniquely qualified to measure germicidal UV radiation. The purpose of this report is to provide details on how this system can be used to measure fluence rates. In particular, it describes how a hand-held colorimeter can be used to measure the absorbance changes in irradiated spheres.
Organizational Structure and Product Choice in Knowledge-Intensive Firms

This paper formulates a model in which a firm simultaneously chooses its organizational structure and product position. The firm's production is knowledge intensive, requiring employees to solve problems. A vertical hierarchy, in which workers refer unsolved problems to managers facilitates the acquisition and leveraging of managers' superior knowledge. I show that a larger span of control is complementary to the provision of high-value products. Moreover, this complementarity is sustained when employees acquire sufficient knowledge and is further strengthened when the firm enhances its capability of communicating knowledge. The model yields testable implications concerning 1 the fit between a firm's product position and span of control, 2 the effect of information technology on product innovations and skill-biased organizational changes, and 3 the heterogeneity in hierarchical structure and human resource management in professional service firms. This paper was accepted by Bruno Cassiman, business strategy.
From plant communities to landscapes in conservation inventories: A look at the nature conservancy (USA)

Abstract The Nature Conservancy (TNC—USA) has developed an efficient system for inventory and evaluation of ‘elements-of-diversity’. The major components of this system are a ‘fine filter’ for species inventory and a ‘coarse filter’ for community-type inventory. As in traditional vegetation science, community sampling and classification are restricted to relatively homogeneous stands and avoid edges, ecotones, and disturbed areas. TNC employs a habitat-based system of natural communities to complement plant community classification. This system is used to identify stands that cumulatively encompass the full range of variation within each defined natural community type. Ecological relationships among community-types in real landscapes, however, are not accounted for. This paper reviews some important ecological functions of heterogeneous landscapes, which are not necessarily protected by conservation strategies that focus on separate, homogeneous community-types. Recommendations to expand TNC's coarse filter to landscapes include: (1) Disturbance regime and regeneration patterns should be evaluated for each major community-type, and for each site representing a type or group of types; (2) Functional combinations of community-types and developmental stages (landscape mosaics) should be addressed in the TNC system; (3) Landscape context (e.g., surrounding habitat types and connectivity) for a site is as important as the habitat content (e.g., the rarity or quality of community-types present). Attention to landscape-level patterns and processes will be helful for evaluating large sites that are composed of many community-types, and in setting selection and stewardship priorities for sites for any size that are surrounded by dissimilar habitat.
A Dominant Role of Cardiac Molecular Motors in the Intrinsic Regulation of Ventricular Ejection and Relaxation

Molecular motors housed in myosins of the thick filament react with thin-filament actins and promote force and shortening in the sarcomeres. However, other actions of these motors sustain sarcomeric activation by cooperative feedback mechanisms in which the actin-myosin interaction promotes thin-filament activation. Mechanical feedback also affects the actin-myosin interaction. We discuss current concepts of how these relatively under-appreciated actions of molecular motors are responsible for modulation of the ejection time and isovolumic relaxation in the beating heart.
Effects of tetrabenazine on the copulatory behavior of male rats

Abstract The copulatory behavior of 20 male rats was studied in a series of experiments using doses of tetrabenazine from 1.0 mg/kg to 16.0 mg/kg. Most of the animals attained ejaculation at all dose levels. Doses of 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 mg/kg of tetrabenazine produced little alteration of copulatory behavior. Administration of tetrabenazine, 4.0 mg/kg, produced a reduction in the number of mounts without intromission and in the number of intromissions required to attain ejaculation. Similar effects were obtained with tetrabenazine, 5.0 mg/kg, in addition to increases in mean inter-intromission intervals and post-ejaculatory intervals. An interpretation is offered according to which tetrabenazine, like reserpine, produces two independent effects on copulatory behavior. Its specific effect at intermediate doses is to reduce intromission frequency and mount frequency. At higher doses, these effects become mixed with increases in latency measures. The animals appear to be in cataleptic-like state and much behavior is inhibited. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that moderate decreases in brain monoamine levels facilitate copulatory behavior in male rats.
Applying Network Coding to Peer-to-Peer File Sharing

Network coding is a promising enhancement of routing to improve network throughput and provide high reliability. It allows a node to generate output messages by encoding its received messages. Peer-to-peer networks are a perfect place to apply network coding due to two reasons: the topology of a peer-to-peer network is constructed arbitrarily, thus it is easy to tailor the topology to facilitate network coding; the nodes in a peer-to-peer network are end hosts which can perform more complex operations such as decoding and encoding than simply storing and forwarding messages. In this paper, we propose a scheme to apply network coding to peer-to-peer file sharing which employs a peer-to-peer network to distribute files resided in a web server or a file server. The scheme exploits a special type of network topology called combination network. It was proved that combination networks can achieve unbounded network coding gain measured by the ratio of network throughput with network coding to that without network coding. Our scheme encodes a file into multiple messages and divides peers into multiple groups with each group responsible for relaying one of the messages. The encoding scheme is designed to satisfy the property that any subset of the messages can be used to decode the original file as long as the size of the subset is sufficiently large. To meet this requirement, we first define a deterministic linear network coding scheme which satisfies the desired property, then we connect peers in the same group to flood the corresponding message, and connect peers in different groups to distribute messages for decoding. Moreover, the scheme can be readily extended to support link heterogeneity and topology awareness to further improve system performance in terms of throughput, reliability and link stress. Our simulation results show that the new scheme can achieve 15%–20% higher throughput than another peer-to-peer multicast system, Narada, which does not employ network coding. In addition, it achieves good reliability and robustness to link failure or churn.
Rate-dependent extensional "dynamic ligaments" using shear thickening fluids

A novel “dynamic ligament” smart material that exhibits a strongly rate-dependent response in extension is developed and characterized. The devices, based on elastomeric polymers and shear thickening fluids, exhibit low resistance to extension at rates below 10 mm/s, but when stretched at 100 mm/s or higher resist with up to 7 × higher force. A link between the shear thickening fluid’s rheology and the dynamic ligament’s tensile performance is presented to explain the rate-dependent response. Future recommendations for improving device performance are presented, along with a host of different potential application areas including safety equipment, adaptive braces, sporting goods, and military equipment.
Behavioral Contrast in Short Term Memory: Serial Binary Memory Models or Parallel Continuous Memory Models?

This article uses the free recall paradigm to discuss several philosophical and scientific issues, and to make some predictions. First the article shows that popular computer models of free recall data imply erroneous predictions and at best paradoxical neural implementations. I have since been occasionally told that these models were never intended to be taken literally, but that provides scant comfort to their adherents. I undertook this exercise to counter the prevalent belief that a computational theory of mind can be advanced without regard to its implementation. Different realizations rule out different phenomena and imply different logical implications among the possible phenomena.
Solubility of CO2 in CO2-philic oligomers; COSMOtherm predictions and experimental results

Abstract We report the solubility of carbon dioxide in four physical solvents and compare our data to predicted phase behavior using the conductor-like screening model for real solvents (COSMO-RS) formalism. The solubility data are presented in pressure-composition (Px) diagrams as well as Henry's law coefficients on a wt% basis at 298.15 K. The oligomers presented in this study are poly ethylene glycol di-methyl ether (PEGDME), perfluoro polyether (PFPE), poly di-methyl siloxane (PDMS), and poly propylene glycol di-methyl ether (PPGDME), which is a new solvent designed for this application by our group. These oligomers had 2–5 repeat units. We assess these four oligomers for capturing CO2 from high-pressure streams. The COSMO-RS formalism is able to qualitatively and to some extent quantitatively describe solubilities of CO2 in each of the oligomers.
Credentialing for critical care in small hospitals.

Objective: To assess credentialing practices for critical care admissions and procedures in smaller hospitals within the United States. Methods: A questionnaire was sent to credentialing coordinators of 500 randomly selected American Hospital Association hospitals with fewer than 300 beds. Measurements and Main Results: Most hospitals validate qualifications for intensive care unit (ICU) admitting and procedural privileges through recommendations only. Fewer (16%) require a specified prior number of procedures to have been performed, and 9% require prospective supervision before privileges are granted. Critical care subspecialists are present in 57% of these hospitals and tend to be in the larger facilities with more critical care beds. Criteria for ICU admission and procedure privileges appear to be inclusive, because family medicine, obstetrics-gynecology, orthopedic surgery, and neurology specialists are often credentialed. The presence of a critical care subspecialist is associated with fewer hospitals credentialing family medicine specialists for ICU admission and procedures but not obstetrician-gynecologists, orthopedic surgeons, or neurologists. Conclusions: This is a brief descriptive report of hospital policies that define which physicians are permitted to care for critically illlinjured patients in small U.S. hospitals. The presence of a critical care specialist appears to influence only slightly the ICU credentialing processes for other selected specialists.
A PERSON-CENTERED AND ECOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF ACCULTURATION STRATEGIES IN HISPANIC IMMIGRANT YOUTH.

Understanding the processes of acculturation in ethnic minority populations is one of the central tasks of crosscultural research. Addressing challenges of theory, methods, and application in acculturation research requires ongoing advancements in methods and theoretical and model development. The current study was designed to explain a person-centered approach to investigating acculturation and biculturalism and to illustrate this method with a sample of 315 Hispanic youth. Pattern analyses of the Hispanicism and Americanism scores from the Bicultural Involvement Scale yielded four distinct acculturation types, including one characterized by moderate scores on both scales. Relations between acculturation types and indicators of individual, family, and peer adaptation were tested. Results indicated that bicultural youth tended to show the most adaptive pattern of functioning across multiple sociocultural domains. Assimilated youth did not show as strongly negative a pattern as has been reported elsewhere. Implications and benefits of a person-centered approach are discussed. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comm Psychol 33: 157–174, 2005.
The morphology of Spironympha, with a description of a new species from reticulitermes hesperus Banks

Spironympha is discussed as valid genus. It was described by Koidzumi ('16); later it was redescribed by the same author as Microspironympha ('21). Therefore, according to the rules of nomenclature, it is Spironympha. The genus is compared with the related genera: Spirotrichonympha, Holomastigotes, and Microjoenia. Spironympha is characterized by four flagellar bands which are spirally wound around the anterior part of the body; these bands occur only in the anterior end, whereas in Spirotrichonympha they extend almost to the posterior end. The parabasals are few in number, and they are attached to the basal granules of the flagellar bands; the anterior end is clear and almost free from cytoplasmic granules; and there are twenty to thirty anterior flagella which are attached to the base of the centroblepharoplast or to the basal granules of the flagellar bands. An axostyle is present. No centrosome occurs within the nucleus, but the centroblepharoplast has this kinetic function. Spironympha ovalis is described as a new species. It is ovoid; the average size is 38 μ to 44 μ. An axostyle is present. The host is Reticulitermes hesperus Banks.
Electron stimulated neutral and ion emission from single crystal NaNO3

Abstract Quadrupole mass spectrometry of the neutral products accompanying irradiation of single crystal NaNO3 with a pulsed beam of 1–3 keV electrons shows intense NO and O2 emissions and smaller amounts of Na and NO2. Time-of-flight and intensity measurements as a function of pulse width and temperature are consistent with NO emission via a thermally assisted, electronic emission mechanism. The activation energy for the thermally assisted process is about 0.11 eV -similar to the excitation energies for internal vibrational modes of the NO3− anion. The emission of neutral O2 involves fairly complex reactions with dissociation products and is also thermally assisted at temperatures above 380 K. Mass-selected ion emission measurements indicate copious H+ emission, where the temperature dependence of the H+ intensity is similar to that of NO. We propose that H+ emission is limited by the density of appropriate surface defect sites, and that these sites are directly related to NO3− dissociation.
Conflict of Evidence Versus Conflict of Interest

The purpose of this article is to outline an approach to managing change where conflict exists between the evidence that applies to one aspect of the change and that which applies to another. Evidence conflicts may arise between aspects of nursing care; the unit environment; the characteristics of the staff that must embrace, enact, and maintain the change; and the characteristics of the leaders who are expected to champion the change. Conflict resolution before implementation of the change project enhances the likelihood of successful and sustained change.
Outcomes of bleeding peptic ulcers: A prospective study

Background and Aim: Bleeding peptic ulcers can be due to Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), or idiopathic causes. The aim of this prospective study was to identify the clinical outcomes of bleeding peptic ulcers related to different causes. Methods: A total of 390 patients with bleeding ulcers were evaluated consecutively between June 2005 and August 2006. The diagnosis of H. pylori infection was made at index endoscopy, using histology and the rapid urease test. If both endoscopic diagnostic tests were not performed, a serological test was applied to detect the presence of H. pylori infection in a previously untreated patient. The prevalence and outcome of bleeding ulcers are related to H. pylori infection, NSAID use, and non-H. pylori idiopathic causes. The outcome between patients who were admitted for ulcer bleeding (outpatient bleeder) and those who bled while hospitalized (in-hospital bleeder) was also compared. Results: NSAID ulcers were noted in 223 patients, H. pylori ulcers in 102, and non-H. pylori idiopathic ulcers in 65. In total, 298 patients had outpatient bleeders, and 92 had in-hospital bleeders. The overall 3-day rebleeding rate was 11.8% and the mortality rate was 5.4%. Eighteen of the 21 mortality cases died of their underlying comorbid illness. Patients with non-H. pylori idiopathic ulcers had a significantly higher mortality rate than NSAID and H. pylori ulcers (12.3% vs 4.5% vs 2.9%, P = 0.02). Patients with H. pylori ulcers had significantly favorable outcomes than patients with NSAID ulcers (less blood transfusion and a shorter hospital stay) and non-H. pylori idiopathic ulcers (shorter hospital stay and a lower mortality). Patients with in-hospital bleeders had an adverse outcome as compared to outpatient bleeders, including a 3-day rebleeding rate (25.0% vs 7.7%, P < 0.0001), 30-day rebleeding rate (32.6% vs 12.1%, P < 0.0001), and higher mortality rate (16.3% vs 2.0%, P < 0.0001). Conclusion: This study emphasizes the role of non-H. pylori idiopathic ulcers and in-hospital bleeders as the determining high-risk predictors for bleeding peptic ulcers.
PMH11 Utlization Review of SSRI Therapy at A Mental Health Managed Care Organization

In an era of cost containment, psychiatric drug formularies often limit choice of first-line selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) in the treatment of depression. OBJECTIVES: Most patients in this study belong to one of three managed care systems with varying drug formularies. The purpose of this study was to describe treatment events and utilization of services by patients with depression initially prescribed one of three SSRIs in a “treatment as usal” setting. METHODS: Patients with major depression were identified in the organization database. Retrospective chart reviews determined patient demographics, frequency of adverse events, attrition rate, and utilization of services over a six-month period following initiation of therapy. RESULTS: One-hundred forty charts were reviewed. SSRIs were equally prescribed. The mean age of patients was 39.5, (sd = 14.1). Approximately 38% were Hispanic. Approximately 41% had prior SSRI therapy. Prescribes tended to follow restricted formularies but showed no preference with an open formulary. Chi-square analyses revealed that among the SSRIs, there was no difference in attribution or in reports that patients had at least one adverse effect. On average, patients received 2.3 prescriber visits during the initial six months of therapy, with no significant difference by SSRI. CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary evidence suggests no difference in the number of outpatient prescriber visits, attrition rates, or reports of at least one adverse effect among the three SSRIs. Further analysis wil examine frequency of patients who switched from initial SSRI to another antidepressant. The results of this study are limited by small sample size, non-randomization of patients, and data derived from documentation in medical records. Future research will prospectively measure symptomatology of depression, along with utilization of services and treatment events.
Scientists detect shift in Arctic Ocean system

The Arctic Ocean system has shifted to a “new normal” since 2006, and there are now a sufficient number of years of data to indicate this shift, according to a new Arctic Report Card. The report card, issued on 1 December by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) along with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, other agencies, and an international team of researchers, indicates that 2011 saw significant changes to the Arctic atmosphere, sea ice and ocean, and hydrology and terrestrial cryosphere, as well as some changes to Arctic marine and terrestrial ecosystems, and this shift has widespread environmental and social implications. The report refers to 2006 because precursors that year led to dramatic sea ice loss in 2007. “The shift is characterized by the persistent decline in the thickness and summer extent of the sea ice cover and a warmer, fresher upper ocean,” according to the report, which also indicates a repeated occurrence of 2010 Arctic winter wind patterns this year that are different from the norm, among other concerns. “The 2011 report card shows that record-setting changes are occurring throughout the Arctic environmental system. Given the projection of continued global warming, it is very likely that major Arctic changes will continue in years to come, with increasing climatic, biological, and social impacts,” the report indicates.
The use of silicone rods under split-thickness skin grafts for reconstruction of extensor tendon injuries.

Summary The purpose of this paper is to report experience in dealing with selected extensortendon injuries which have been reconstructed using flexible silicone polymer rods and subsequent tendon grafts or transfers beneath split thickness skin grafts.
Sprouting and reflex recovery after spinal nerve lesions in cats.

Abstract The contribution of L7 spinal nerve to the innervation of tibialis anterior muscle varies with the anatomic arrangement of the lumbosacral plexus. When the plexus is “prefixed”, L7 shares the innervation of tibialis anterior with L6 and S1. “Postfixation” of the plexus results in exclusion of L7 from the innervation of tibialis anterior. L5, L6, and S1 and S2 were cut unilaterally in 22 cats. Postoperatively, in cats with prefixed plexus the tendon reflex of tibialis anterior was initially weak. Methylene blue staining revealed both normal and degenerating nerves to tibialis anterior. The reflex became stronger during the first week. At that time an increased number of motor end-plates per axon was found. In operated cats with postfixed plexus, the tibialis reflex was abolished. No normal (nondegenerating) nerves or motor end-plates were seen. During the second week the abolished reflex returned. Some axons were now seen in the intramuscular nerve of tibilis anterior. They contained abnormal knot-like structures from which increased numbers of fibers extended. Some of these ended in single, normal-appearing motor end-plates. Reflex recovery can thus be associated with sprouting of peripheral nerves of two types: “homonymous” sprouting of nerves already within a partially denervated muscle occurs rapidly (first week) and may mediate increased strength of a weakened reflex; “heteronymous” sprouting of nerves outside the denervated muscle occurs more slowly (second week) and may mediate the return of a reflex initially abolished by the lesion.
Lunar Composition from Apollo Orbital Measurements

Several spectrometers carried in the Service Module of the Apollo 15 and Apollo 16 spacecraft were employed for the compositional mapping of the lunar surface. The observations involved the measurements of secondary (fluorescent) X-rays, gamma-rays and alpha particle emissions. A large scale compositional map of over 20 percent of the lunar surface was obtained for the first time. It was possible to demonstrate interesting chemical differences between the mare and the highlands, to find specific areas of high radioactivity and to learn something about the composition of the moon's hidden side.
Relationships Between Illicit Drug Use and Body Mass Index Among Adolescents

Prior research has established associations between body mass index (BMI) and use of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana. However, little research has been done investigating the relationship between other common illicit drugs and BMI trends. The present study investigated whether adolescents who reported using illicit drugs showed differences in BMI compared to peers who reported no drug use. There was a positive relationship between drug use and BMI as well as the number of drugs used and BMI. The results suggested that the positive relationship between the use of illicit drugs and BMI is largely due to smoking. Further research needs to ascertain whether smoking, illicit drug use, or both are among the first of many unhealthy behaviors that can subsequently lead to greater gains in BMI. Implications for health educators are discussed.
Superresolution of Coherent Sources in Real-Beam Data

In this work we study the unique problems associated with resolving the direction of arrival (DOA) of coherent signals separated by less than an antenna beamwidth when the data are collected in the beamspace domain with, for example, electronically or holographically scanned antennas. We also propose a technique that is able to resolve these coherent signals. The technique is based on interpolation of the data measured by an element-space virtual array. Although the data are collected in the beamspace domain, the coherence structure can be broken by interpolating multiple shifted element-space virtual arrays. The efficacy of this technique depends on a fundamental tradeoff that arises due to a nonuniform signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) profile across the elements of the virtual array. This profile is due to the structure imposed by the specific beam pattern of the antenna. In addition to describing our technique and studying the SNR profile tradeoff, we also incorporate a strategy for improving performance through a subswath technique that improves covergence of covariance estimates.
Use of aflatoxin adducts as intermediate endpoints to assess the efficacy of chemopreventive interventions in animals and man.

Clinical cancer prevention studies that use disease as an endpoint are of necessity, large, lengthy, and extremely costly. Development of the field of cancer chemoprevention is being accelerated by the application of intermediate markers to preclinical and clinical studies. Sensitive and specific analytic methods have been developed for detecting and quantifying levels of covalent adducts of aflatoxins with cellular DNA and blood proteins at ambient levels of exposure. Such biomarkers can be applied to the preselection of exposed individuals for study cohorts, thereby reducing study size requirements. Levels of these aflatoxin-DNA and albumin adducts can be modulated by chemopreventive agents such as oltipraz and chlorophyllin in experimental models. Overall, a good concordance is seen between diminution of biomarkers and reductions in tumor incidence and/or multiplicity in these settings. Thus, these markers can also be used to rapidly assess the efficacy of preventive interventions. However, the successful application of these biomarkers to clinical prevention trials will be dependent upon prior determination of the associative or causal role of the marker to the carcinogenic process, establishment of the relationship between dose and response, and appreciation of the kinetics of adduct formation and removal. The general approach that has been utilized for the development, validation and application of aflatoxin-DNA and protein adduct biomarkers to cancer chemoprevention trials is summarized.
Copper and oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.

Copper is a redox-active metal with many important biological roles. Consequently, its distribution and oxidation state are subject to stringent regulation. A large body of clinicopathological, circumstantial, and epidemiological evidence suggests that the dysregulation of copper is intimately involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. Other light transition metals such as iron and zinc may affect copper regulation by competing for copper binding sites and transporters. Therapeutic interventions targeting the regulation of copper are promising, but large gaps in our understanding of copper biochemistry, amyloidogenesis, and the nature of oxidative stress in the brain must be addressed.
Investigations of the convective planetary boundary layer using a multiple frequency sodar

Abstract A multifrequency bistatic Doppler sodar has been used to document the mixing effect associated with thermal plumes. The convergence effect has been studied. It has been shown values of convergence associated with plumes near .001 s−1 .
Specimen adequacy and false-negative diagnosis rate in fine-needle aspirates of palpable breast masses

BACKGROUND As fine-needle aspiration (FNA) has become a critical component of the investigation of palpable breast masses, false-negative diagnoses have become a major concern, prompting reevaluation of the definition of specimen adequacy. Although cytopathologists agree that a number of parameters relate to the adequacy of an FNA specimen, there is no unanimity on the role of epithelial cell quantitation in the determination of an adequate FNA. To better understand the significance of epithelial cellularity, false-negative FNA samples from palpable breast lesions were reviewed. METHODS False-negative FNA smears of palpable breast masses that had been performed and assessed immediately by cytopathologists were retrieved from the files of The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, and the number of epithelial cell clusters (ECCs) was determined. Aspirates were classified as adequate if a total of six or more ECCs (each comprised of at least five to ten well preserved cells) were present on all slides, or as inadequate if fewer than six ECCs were present. RESULTS From 4455 aspirates of palpable breast masses, 51 false-negative aspirates were identified, 41 of which were available for review. No interpretative errors were identified. Twenty-one FNAs (51.2%) were classified as adequate and 20 FNAs (48.8%) as inadequate. The adequate false-negative aspirates contained between 8 to 100 ECCs. A comparison of adequate and inadequate false-negative specimens showed no significant differences in the mean age of patients (56.4 years vs. 57.8 years), the mean number of FNA passes (3.7 passes vs. 3.0 passes), the mean palpation size of the lesions (2.8 cm vs. 2.9 cm), or the mean pathologic size of the lesions (2.1 cm vs. 2.2 cm). Cases of invasive lobular carcinoma were more common in the false-negative smears with fewer than six ECCs. CONCLUSIONS Including the number of ECCs as a parameter of adequacy could reduce the rate of false-negative FNA diagnoses of palpable breast masses by approximately 50%. However, the presence or even abundance of ECCs does not eliminate the potential for a false-negative cytologic diagnosis. Cytologic diagnoses must be correlated with clinical and imaging findings (the triple test) to reduce the rate of false-negative cases, but benign triple test results do not entirely exclude the possibility of carcinoma, and such cases require periodic follow-up. [See editorial on pages 319-23, this issue.] Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 1998;84:344-348. © 1998 American Cancer Society.
Modeling RF propagation in tunnels

As mandated by the 2006 Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response (MINER) Act, many underground coal mines have installed UHF radio systems to provide communications between personnel on the surface and underground. In an effort to better understand UHF signal propagation in tunnel environments, we made radio signal attenuation measurements in concrete tunnels at frequencies of 455 MHz, 915 MHz, 2.45 GHz, and 5.8 GHz. In this paper, a ray tracing method is used to model the channel. Although the tunnel has an arched roof, the model describes the propagation behavior very well using a rectangular tunnel with the same width. The measured data verify the ability of the ray tracing model to predict radio frequency propagation at all the four frequencies. In addition, the propagation constants for the different frequencies are investigated and shown to be consistent with the measured values.
Another Look at “Exercise is Medicine”

In June 2013 the American Medical Association took a formal stance on obesity, referring to it as a “disease” requiring both treatment and prevention. However, the idea of “Exercise is Medicine” may be detrimental for enticing people to participate in sports and physical activity and overlooks numerous other reasons why humans benefit from movement. This article describes how the possibilities of sport and physical activity — for experiencing meaning, delight, and challenge — extend far beyond merely taking our exercise as medicine.
A method to measure the degree of control per se in the oral glucose tolerance test

Abstract Using the glucose and insulin values from a 5-hr oral glucose tolerance test, nine quantitative measures have been developed to separate normal, “flat-curve,” and non-insulin-dependent diabetic (NIDD) patients. The purpose of these measures is to quantify per se the degree of control operating in glucose homeostasis. A control index which is based upon Swan's minimizing principle and uses only the glucose values was successful in assessing the degree of control operating in glucose homeostasis.
Limb brightening on Uranus: An interpretation of the λ7300 Å methane band

Measurements of limb brightening on the Uranus disk within the lambda 7300 A CH4 band are interpreted using an elementary inhomogeneous radiative transfer model to describe the atmosphere. A two layer model which consists of a finite, optically thin, region of conservatively scattering particles overlying a semi-infinite clear H2-CH4 atmosphere satisfactorily explains the observations. The maximum optical thickness of the upper layer appears to lie in the range 0.1 to 0.2. The CH4/H2 mixing ratio in the lower layer is larger than the corresponding solar value by a factor on the order of three or greater. The results are discussed briefly in terms of current models of the Uranus atmosphere.
McCune-Albright syndrome: a case report and review of the literature.

Nasal obstruction is one of the most common symptoms pediatric patients present to their physicians with. Usually this symptom is caused by allergic rhinitis or an upper respiratory infection, however, many conditions present with nasal obstruction. We present a 14-year-old patient with a rare cause of nasal obstruction, turbinate enlargement due to fibrous dysplasia, as diagnosed by CT scan and histopathologic analysis. Additionally, clinical history revealed precocious puberty, and a dermatologic exam revealed a cafe au lait macule, consistent with the McCune-Albright syndrome. This case illustrates the need to formulate a broad differential diagnosis and also consider the overall patient, not just the nasal cavity. The clinical presentation, diagnostic evaluation, long-term management plan and relevant literature are discussed.