cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Amino acid excretion in the alligator.

Abstract 1. 1. The clearance rates of endogenous amino acids in control alligators were compared with those of animals injected with each of 18 amino acids. 2. 2. At high plasma levels the clearances of aspartic and glutamic acids, lysine and arginine approached the glomerular filtration rate. 3. 3. The rest of the amino acids were almost completely reabsorbed by the renal tubules irrespective of the filtered loads. 4. 4. Mutual inhibitions in tubular reabsorption for a number of basic amino acids occurred. 5. 5. The relative excretion rates of the various amino acids in the alligator resembled those reported for the mammal. 6. 6. Increased rate of excretion of one amino acid after the injection of another could not be used as an indication of amino acid interconversion.
Molecular bone morphometry.

Quantitative histomorphometric assessment of bone biopsies represents a powerful and informative method for the study of metabolic bone diseases. It is the gold standard against which the noninvasive ”diagnostic” markers of bone metabolism as well as newly available therapeutic modalities are tested. With the rapid progress in technology of molecular biology, identification of systemic and local biomolecules known to regulate bone metabolism can now be achieved. The study of localization, levels of expression, and synthesis of these factors in bone and its microenvironment is possible through applications of in situ hybridization histochemistry (ISHH) and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Application of ISHH allows study of specific mRNA expression. IHC determines the presence and distribution of target protein in cells. These two methodologies provide the link between the cellular processes of mRNA transcription and translation to the working protein. Combining the established bone histomorphometric techniques with ISHH and IHC elevates the study of bone to new heights, i.e., cellular and molecular mechanistic issues can now be studied.
Design and control of coupled reactor/column systems-Part 2. More complex coupled reactor/column systems

Abstract This paper is the second in a series of papers that explore the challenging problems associated with the design and control of coupled reactor/column systems. The steadystate designs and dynamics of three kinds of coupled systems, a binary reactor/stripper system, a multicomponent reactor/rectifier system, and a multicomponent reactor/rectifier/stripper system are studied in this paper. We concentrated on confirming that the results from the simply binary reactor/rectifier system, considered in Part 1, can be applied to other configurations and more complex systems. A design procedure and an optimum steadystate design for each system are presented, and the effects of physical parameters on optimum design are described. Viable control structures for various types of coupled systems are proposed. The control structure that worked well in a binary system was found to require only minor modification to provide effective control of more complex systems.
Dynamic modeling and payload-adaptive control of a flexible manipulator

The modeling and control of a lightweight flexible manipulator with end-point sensing/feedback are studied. Using the FEM (finite-element method) scheme in modeling a flexible manipulator, a lower-order compensator can be accomplished. The performance of this near-optimal compensator has been investigated through simulations. The simulation results have shown that the implementation of a payload-adaptation synthesizer, which synthesizes a payload identified and a nominal regulator/estimator interpolator to obtain a near-optimal compensator, has been successful in identifying the payload which is applied on the tip. The synthesizer provides a near-optimal damping for this noncolocated control system with torque constraint on the actuator. >
Multifocal cutaneous histiocytic sarcoma in a young dog and review of histiocytic cell immunophenotyping

A 9-month-old male Great Dane had progressive generalized nodular dermatopathy for several months. There were > 100 raised, alopecic, firm, painful nodules throughout the skin. Aspirates from several lesions yielded moderate numbers of irregularly round or polygonal to spindle-shaped cells with mild to moderate anisocytosis and few inflammatory cells, and the cytologic interpretation was proliferation of mesenchymal or histiocytic cells. On histopathologic examination, nodules were composed of densely packed sheets of round to spindle-shaped cells with mild anisokaryosis and low mitotic activity. Multifocal histiocytic sarcoma with a spindle-cell pattern was diagnosed based on morphologic features and intense expression of CD18. Additional immunophenotypic analysis on frozen sections of tissue confirmed the diagnosis of histiocytic sarcoma; expression of CD18, CD45, CD1a, CD11b, and CD11c, limited expression of Thy-1 (CD90) and CD80, and lack of expression of CD4, CD11d, and CD86 indicated that the cells were likely interstitial dendritic cells; a review of reactive and neoplastic dendritic cells is provided. Based on staging, internal organs were not affected. Sequential treatment with lomustine and doxorubicin failed to prevent progression of the cutaneous lesions, and the dog died 3 months after initial diagnosis. At necropsy, a focus of neoplastic cells was present in one lymph node, but except for skin other organs were not involved. The clinical presentation of histiocytic sarcoma may be unusual, and neoplastic cells may lack overt features of malignancy on cytologic and histopathologic examination. In some instances, immunophenotyping is required to differentiate histiocytic sarcoma from other histiocytic disorders.
Self organization trends in cathode boundary layer discharge (CBLD) devices for various cathode materials

Summary form only given. Self organization in cathode boundary layer discharge (CBLD) devices in xenon is described for several different cathode materials (Cu, Ag, Ti, W, Mo, et al). A theory for the origin of self organization is developed based on materials properties (especially electrical conductivity and magnetic susceptibility). Most of the results and discussion are based on results at a pressure of 100 Torr. Some excimer emission characteristics are also discussed and related to the self organization. Characterization of the devices is based on tabulated values for materials properties, VUV emission at 172 nm (Xe excimer), optical microscopy images, and SEM energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) of cathode surfaces before and after operation, respectively.
A combined FEM/MoM approach to analyze the plane wave diffraction by arbitrary gratings

The diffraction of TE- and TM-polarized plane waves by planar gratings is numerically analyzed using a combined finite-element-method/method-of-moments (FEM/MoM) algorithm based on the generalized network formulation. The interior region, treated using the FEM, is truncated to a single unit cell with the introduction of an exact periodic boundary condition, which is enforced as a natural boundary condition. Using the FEM to compute the fields within the periodic structure allows gratings of arbitrary cross section and material composition to be efficiently modeled. >
On the use of CDMA for mobile satellite communication

Summary form only given, as follows. The performance of a satellite mobile system employing direct sequence (DS) CDMA is presented. One cannot expect CDMA performance on satellite links comparable to what one can achieve using CDMA on terrestrial links. It is shown that because of the length of the round trip propagation delay on a satellite channel, closed-loop power control is not effective. Because most of the proposed systems operate in a frequency division duplex (FDD) mode, open loop power control cannot track out variations due to multipath fading (although it can track variations in received power due to both distance/shadowing attenuation). The situation is exacerbated by the fact that the coherence bandwidth of many satellite links is on the order of 10 MHz. This implies that in order for a DS system to allow performance enhancement by virtue of RAKE reception, the spread bandwidth must exceed 10 MHz. Any signal using a smaller spread bandwidth will experience flat fading. This combination of flat fading and the lack of effectiveness of closed-loop power control causes a satellite-based CDMA system to perform significantly worse than a terrestrial one. The results emphasize the effects of power control error on the performance of the system. These results also include the use of dual satellite diversity to help alleviate the flat fading degradation referred to above. System capacity is examined from the perspectives of both average probability of error and outage probability. Further, capacity considerations are examined when multiple satellite systems attempt to share common spectrum.
Dangerous mindsets: How beliefs about intelligence predict motivational change

article i nfo Article history: The present study examined how beliefs about intelligence, as mediated by ability-validation goals, predicted whether students lost or maintained levels of intrinsic motivation over the course of a single academic year. 978 third- through eighth-grade students were surveyed in the fall about their theories concerning the mal- leability of intelligence, need to validate their academic ability through schoolwork, and intrinsic motivation. At the end of the school year, they were surveyed again about their intrinsic motivation and subsequently characterized as either decliners (those who lost intrinsic motivation over the year) or maintainers (those who maintained or gained intrinsic motivation over the year). As predicted, decliners were more likely to en- dorse an entity theory of intelligence than maintainers and this relationship was fully mediated by the adop- tion of ability-validation goals. Implications for intervention efforts and future research are discussed.
Validation Study for Impaired Personal Boundaries, Proposed Nursing Diagnosis

The authors propose a new nursing diagnosis of impaired personal boundaries based on their experience in psychiatric nursing, a concept analysis of the literature and diagnostic content validation by a panel of experts. Impaired personal boundaries are common in a number of mental disorders including, schizophrenia, borderline personality, substance abuse and enabling. Recognition of this patient problem has implications for further research and nursing interventions.
Maximum force/ampere control of linear induction motor drives in field weakening region

Linear induction motor (LIM) drives have been investigated vastly for the past several decades. Attractive features, such as simple structure and easy maintenance, have made this family of machines utilized broadly in military, transportation, and aerospace, to name a few. Vector control is a dominant control strategy for LIM based on the assumption that this family of machines portray inherent similarities with their rotary counterparts. However, due to existence of end effects and magnetic asymmetry effects, vector control can not provide its expected functionality for LIM. In addition, end effects are more significant in high speed range including field weakening range. However, field weakening operation of LIM is still challenging in the relevant applications. Recently, a high grade control scheme, maximum force/ampere control, has been introduced. Compared with vector control, maximum force/ampere control has better transient performance, and steady state speed regulation. In this paper, operation of maximum force/ampere control is expanded to the entire speed range. Both simulation study and experiment results are provided for verification of control performance.
Formation sensing and control technologies for a separated spacecraft interferometer

Describes spacecraft formation control and sensing research with application to a separated spacecraft interferometer. A multi-layer control design that achieves very accurate alignment between spacecraft is described. Sensing for this control architecture is based on a global real-time relative position and orientation estimator that uses carrier differential-phase GPS measurements. A local optical sensor is used as well. The experiments are performed on a fully functional indoor GPS environment using three prototype spacecraft on a granite table. Work continues on extending the control to a formation of three active vehicles and on extending the sensing system to a self-constellation.
An Integrated Approach to Parametric and Discrete Fault Diagnosis in Hybrid Systems

Fault diagnosis is crucial for ensuring the safe operation of complex engineering systems. Faults and degradations need to be quickly identified so that corrective actions can avoid catastrophic situations. Most real-world, embedded systems are hybrid in nature. In such systems, hybrid models have to be employed for correct tracking and diagnosis. The majority of hybrid systems diagnosis work, however, has focused on either discrete or parametric fault diagnosis. In contrast, we present an integrated model-based approach to diagnosing both parametric and discrete faults in hybrid systems. This extends our previous work in diagnosis of parametric faults in hybrid systems [1,2] by including discrete faults, resulting in a unified hybrid diagnosis methodology. We demonstrate our approach using experimental results performed on a complex electrical power system.
The association between maternal body mass index and severity of neonatal illness in very low birth weight infants

Objective. To determine the effect of maternal body mass index (BMI) and pregnancy weight gain on neonatal illness severity in very low birth weight infants.Methods. Cohort study of infants with birth weight less than 1500 g at a level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit from July 2003 to July 2005, n = 301. The main outcome included neonatal illness severity, as measured by the Score for Neonatal Acute Physiology (SNAP). SNAP was investigated in relationship to maternal BMI and pregnancy weight gain. Statistical analysis included Pearson correlation, ANOVA and multivariable linear regression.Results. At delivery and pre-pregnancy, 49 and 54% of mothers were overweight, respectively. Black mothers were more likely to be overweight with less pregnancy weight gain compared with white mothers. After controlling for confounding variables, maternal pre-pregnancy BMI, pregnancy BMI and weight gain were not associated with neonatal illness.Conclusions. In our population of very low birth weight infants, maternal BMI ...
Clostridial gas gangrene. I. Cellular and molecular mechanisms of microvascular dysfunction induced by exotoxins of Clostridium perfringens

Mechanisms responsible for the rapid tissue destruction in gas gangrene are not well understood. To examine the early effects of Clostridium perfringens exotoxins on tissue perfusion, a rat model of muscle blood flow was developed. Intramuscular injection of a clostridial toxin preparation containing both phospholipase C (PLC) and theta-toxin caused a rapid (1-2 min) and irreversible decrease in blood flow that paralleled formation of activated platelet aggregates in venules and arterioles. Later (20-40 min), aggregates contained fibrin and leukocytes, and neutrophils accumulated along vascular walls. Flow cytometry confirmed that these clostridial toxins or recombinant PLC induced formation of P-selectin-positive platelet aggregates. Neutralization of PLC activity in the clostridial toxin preparation completely abrogated human platelet responses and reduced perfusion deficits. It is concluded that tissue destruction in gas gangrene is related to profound attenuation of blood flow initiated by activation of platelet responses by PLC.
Response of Eriophorum vaginatum to CO2 enrichment at different soil temperatures: effects on growth, root respiration and PO43− uptake kinetics

summary In a phytotron experiment, we examined responses of a tussock sedge, Eriophorum vaginatum L., to changes in atmospheric CO2, concentration and soil temperature. We were particularly interested in phosphorus (P) acquisition and below ground plant characteristics that regulated its uptake in response to CO2, enrichment. Plants were grown at two CO2, partial pressures, 35 and 70 Pa, three soil temperature regimes, 5, 15 and 25 °C and a constant ambient air temperature of 15 °C. Elevated CO2, increased total plant biomass production, but decreased tissue P concentration. Although high CO2, enhanced root carbohydrate concentration, it inhibited root respiration with no significant effect on root PO43− absorption capacity or root:shoot ratio. Surprisingly, there were no significant interactions between CO2, and soil temperature. The inability of Eriophorum to exhibit root–level compensatory adjustments, e.g. increased root: shoot ratio or PO43− absorption capacity, was largely responsible for the observed decline in tissue P concentration under elevated CO2, conditions. This could ultimately limit long–term growth responses of Eriophorum to CO2 enrichment in the field where P availability is limiting. We found that uptake of PO43− in response to elevated CO2 was independent of changes in root respiration, but changes in root respiration could have important implications for ecosystem carbon budget under elevated CO2 levels. Our data indicated that although root respiration on a per unit biomass basis declined in response to CO2 enrichment, this effect was counterbalanced by increased root biomass, so that high CO2 stimulated root respiration on a whole-plant basis by 30%. This might help to explain why long-term exposure to high CO2 increases CO2 efflux from Eriophorum-dominated ecosystems.
Habitat conversion, extinction thresholds, and pollination services in agroecosystems

Parallel declines of wild pollinators and pollinator-dependent plants have raised alarms over the loss of pollination services in agroecosystems. A spatially explicit approach is needed to develop specific recommendations regarding the design of agricultural landscapes to sustain wild pollinator communities and the services they provide. I modeled pollination services in agroecosystems using a pair of models: a stochastic individual-based simulation model of wild pollinators, pollinator-dependent plants, and crop pollination; and a set of coupled difference equations designed to capture the nonspatial component of the simulation model. Five spatially explicit models of habitat conversion to crops were simulated, and results for pollination services were compared. Mean-field behavior of the simulation model was in good agreement with analysis of the difference equations. A major feature of the models was the presence of a cusp leading to loss of stability and extinction of pollinators and pollinator-dependent plants beyond a critical amount of habitat loss. The addition of pollen obtained from crop visitation caused a breakdown of the cusp preventing extinction of pollinators, but not of wild pollinator-dependent plants. Spatially restricted foraging and dispersal also altered model outcomes relative to mean-field predictions, in some cases causing extinction under parameter settings that would otherwise lead to persistence. Different patterns of habitat conversion to crops resulted in different levels of pollination services. Most interesting was the finding that optimal pollination services occurred when the size of remnant habitat patches was equal to half the mean foraging and dispersal distance of pollinators and the spacing between remnant patches was equal to the mean foraging and dispersal distance. Conservation of wild pollinators and pollinator-dependent plants in agroecosystems requires careful attention to thresholds in habitat conversion and spatial pattern and scale of remnant habitats. Maximization of pollination services was generally incompatible with conservation of wild pollinator-dependent plants. My prediction is that pollination services will be maximized by providing islands of nesting habitat where interisland distance matches mean foraging distances of wild pollinators.
Imaging Voltage in Neurons

In the last decades, imaging membrane potential has become a fruitful approach to study neural circuits, especially in invertebrate preparations with large, resilient neurons. At the same time, particularly in mammalian preparations, voltage imaging methods suffer from poor signal to noise and secondary side effects, and they fall short of providing single-cell resolution when imaging of the activity of neuronal populations. As an introduction to these techniques, we briefly review different voltage imaging methods (including organic fluorophores, SHG chromophores, genetic indicators, hybrid, nanoparticles, and intrinsic approaches) and illustrate some of their applications to neuronal biophysics and mammalian circuit analysis. We discuss their mechanisms of voltage sensitivity, from reorientation, electrochromic, or electro-optical phenomena to interaction among chromophores or membrane scattering, and highlight their advantages and shortcomings, commenting on the outlook for development of novel voltage imaging methods.
Multidecadal Trends in Instrumental SST and Coral Proxy Sr/Ca Records

Abstract Historical ship observations of sea surface temperature (SST) from 1850 to present were used to compute linear 40-yr trends for all 5° latitude by 5° longitude grid cells with sufficient data. Trends from throughout the twentieth century were centered about a 7 mK yr−1 warming trend with standard deviation 14 mK yr−1. Although different with high statistical significance from a distribution with zero mean, the warming trends were not unusual in amplitude compared to the available nineteenth-century trends. Trends at the same grid points from the latter half of the nineteenth century were distributed about near-zero mean with standard deviation 17 mK yr−1. The shift in mean is robust to accounting for the biases arising from differing observational methods prior to 1942. The 40-yr trends from the latter half of the twentieth century were centered about 10 ± 4 mK yr−1 and more clearly distinct from earlier trends. Linear 40-yr trends were computed at different locations and times from all publicly ...
Low-Grade Gliomas in Adults

Low-grade gliomas are a heterogeneous group of neoplasms usually encountered in younger patient populations. These tumors represent a unique challenge because most patients will survive a decade or more and may be at a higher risk for treatment-related complications. Clinical observations over the years have identified a subset of low-grade gliomas that tends to manifest more aggressive clinical behavior and require earlier, more aggressive intervention. Clinical and molecular parameters may allow better assessment of prognosis and application of risk-adjusted management strategies that may include resection, radiation, or chemotherapy. Improved methods of long-term cognitive and functional assessment are desperately needed in this patient population.
A new measure of association

This paper presents a new measure of association. It is applicable to polytomies of either categorical or numerical type. It has the desirable property of being 0 if and only if the polytomies are independent. Its properties are studied and compared to those of existing measures. An interpretation of it is given. One situation where it is particularly useful is in measuring the ability to predict one polytomy given knowledge of the other. An example is given where the proposed measure is more relevant in describing the degree of association between two polytomies than are any of the existing measures. The corresponding sample quantity is presented and its asymptotic properties are studied. A discussion of its use in inference is given. The test for independence based on this measure is contrasted with the chi-square test.
Performance-enhanced mesenchymal stem cells via intracellular delivery of steroids

Inadequate immunomodulatory potency of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) may limit their therapeutic efficacy. We report glucocorticoid steroids augment MSC expression and activity of indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), a primary mediator of MSC immunomodulatory function. This effect depends on signaling through the glucocorticoid receptor and is mediated through up-regulation of FOXO3. Treatment of MSCs with glucocorticoids, budesonide or dexamethasone, enhanced IDO expression following IFN-γ stimulation in multiple donors and was able to restore IDO expression in over-passaged MSCs. As IDO enhancement was most notable when cells were continuously exposed to budesonide, we engineered MSC with budesonide loaded PLGA microparticles. MSC efficiently internalized budesonide microparticles and exhibited 4-fold enhanced IDO activity compared to budesonide preconditioned and naive MSC, resulting in a 2-fold improvement in suppression of stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells in an IDO-dependent manner. Thus, the augmentation of MSC immune modulation may abrogate challenges associated with inadequate potency and enhance their therapeutic efficacy.
Oxygen diffusion in titanite: Lattice diffusion and fast-path diffusion in single crystals

Abstract Oxygen diffusion in natural and synthetic single-crystal titanite was characterized under both dry and water-present conditions. For the dry experiments, pre-polished titanite samples were packed in 18O-enriched quartz powder inside Ag–Pd capsules, along with a fayalite–magnetite–quartz (FMQ) buffer assemblage maintained physically separate by Ag–Pd strips. The sealed Ag–Pd capsules were themselves sealed inside evacuated silica glass tubes and run at 700–1050 °C and atmospheric pressure for durations ranging from 1 h to several weeks. The hydrothermal experiments were conducted by encapsulating polished titanite crystals with 18O enriched water and running at 700–900 °C and 10–160 MPa in standard cold-seal pressure vessels for durations of 1 day to several weeks. Diffusive uptake profiles of 18O were measured in all cases by nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) using the 18O (p,α) 15N reaction. For the experiments on natural crystals, under both dry and hydrothermal conditions, two mechanisms could be recognized as responsible for oxygen diffusion. The diffusion profiles showed two segments: a steep one close to the initial surface attributed to self diffusion in the titanite lattice; and a “tail” reaching deep into the sample attributable to diffusion in a “fast path” such as planar defects or pipes. For the experiments on synthetic crystals, lattice diffusion only is apparent in crystals with euhedral morphology, while both mechanisms operate in crystals lacking euhedral morphology. For the dry experiments, the following Arrhenius relation was obtained: Ddry lattice = 3.03 × 10− 8 exp (− 276 ± 16 kJmol− 1/RT) m2/s Under wet conditions at PH2O = 100 MPa, Oxygen diffusion conforms to the following Arrehenius relation: Dwet lattice = 2.05 × 10− 12exp (− 180 ± 39 kJmol− 1/RT) m2/s Diffusive anisotropy was explored only at hydrothermal conditions, with little evidence of diffusive anisotropy observed. Oxygen diffusivity shows no dependence on water pressure 800 °C (PH2O = 10–160 MPa) or 880 °C (PH2O = 10–100 MPa). However, like many other silicates, titanite shows a lower activation energy for oxygen diffusion in the presence of H2O than under dry conditions; therefore the difference between the “dry” and “wet” diffusivities increases as temperature decreases below the range of this study. For example, at 500 °C, dry diffusion is almost 2.5 orders of magnitude slower than wet diffusion. Accordingly, the retentivity of oxygen isotope signatures will be quite different between dry and wet systems at geologically interesting conditions. For most cases, wet diffusion results may be the appropriate choice for modeling natural systems.
Value of Examining Multiple Sputum Specimens in the Diagnosis of Pulmonary Tuberculosis

To objectively assess the value of examining multiple sputum specimens in maximizing the sensitivity of detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, we retrospectively reviewed the acid-fast bacillus smear and culture results of patients diagnosed with culture-proven pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) at Hennepin County Medical Center between 1986 and 1996. Two hundred and forty six persons were diagnosed with pulmonary TB in the time period analyzed. In 93% of these cases (229 of 246) the laboratory diagnosis was made by detection of M. tuberculosis in sputum specimens; however, only 52% (120 of 229) of these patients had at least three sputum specimens submitted to the laboratory at the time of diagnosis. Of the patients from whom at least three specimens were collected, 47% (56 of 120) had at least one smear-positive specimen; the third or later specimen submitted was the first smear-positive specimen for 13% (7 of 56) of these persons but was the first culture-positive specimen for only 7% (4 of 56). Of the 64 patients with smear-negative specimens, for only 5% (3 of 64) was the third or subsequent specimen submitted the first from which M. tuberculosis was recovered. This data indicates that, in our institution, the overwhelming majority of culture-proven pulmonary TB cases are diagnosed from the first or second sputum specimen submitted to the laboratory and that only rarely is a third specimen of diagnostic value.
Adherence to National Burn Care Review referral criteria in a paediatric Emergency Department

Abstract Introduction The National Burn Care Review (NBCR) gives guidance on the recognition of potentially complex burns requiring assessment and management in a burn unit. This guidance provides a referral framework for those initiating assessment and management of burns. The effect of close adherence to NBCR guidance on workload is at present unknown. Objectives To audit referral patterns of burns in our paediatric Emergency Department (ED) in comparison to NBCR referral criteria. To identify the type of injuries not referred despite meeting criteria, and their outcomes, to assess whether these patients come to any harm short-term. To estimate the effect that closer adherence would have on workload and how our unit proposes to work with the ED to improve its distribution and our patients care. Methods A retrospective case-note audit of patients presenting to a paediatric ED with a triage diagnosis of “burn/scald” over a 6-month period between 1st April and 29th September 2008. Results 190 patients presented with burns during this period, of which 126 (66%) had potentially complex burns. Of these, 93 (74%) were not referred to the burns unit i.e. were “under-referred”. In this group burns to specialized areas in patients under 5 years of age were particularly prevalent. 78 (84%) were reviewed in the ED and received no specialist input. Seven patients suffered minor complications. Only three of these patients (3.2%) required subsequent referral to the burns unit for opinion. None required any further specialist intervention. Conclusion Strict adherence to NBCR referral criteria could result in a significant increase in workload for regional burn units with as yet unquantifiable benefit in patient outcomes. Many minor injuries appear to be safely managed in the ED with little adverse outcome. Even small improvements in practice could result in a considerable workload increase for a burns unit. Further prospective research is required, particularly looking at longer-term outcomes. We are hoping to improve educational and clinical links between our EDs and burn unit to improve patient care and distribution of clinical workload. Further national guidance maybe necessary.
Within-field soil heterogeneity effects on herbicide-mediated crop injury and weed biomass

Abstract Soil organic carbon (OC), clay content, water content, and pH often influence the bioactivity of soil-applied herbicides, and these soil properties can vary greatly within fields. The purpose of this work was to determine the influence of within-field soil heterogeneity on the efficacy of RPA-201772 where corn, shattercane, and velvetleaf were seeded as bioassays. An experimental approach was developed to quantify RPA-201772 dose–response across a range of soil conditions in an agricultural field. Based on a logistic model, crop injury was quantified with the I20 parameter, the dose eliciting 20% greenness reduction, using a series of photographic standards. Weed biomass was quantified with the I80 parameter, the dose eliciting 80% biomass reduction, relative to the untreated control. Crop and weed responses varied by two orders of magnitude. Significant correlation, as high as 0.76, was observed between measures of plant response and soil properties, namely particle size and OC. Furthermore, nat...
Studying Absences of Knowledge: Difficult Subfield or Basic Sensibility?

This paper comments on a special issue of Social Epistemology, vol. 28, no. 1 (2014) on absences of knowledge. The articles in this special issue make a strong case that studying absences of knowledge is important for the field of Science and Technology Studies (STS). As single works and through the literature that they cite, they also illustrate how STS is increasingly framing absences of knowledge as an understudied and especially difficult topic (Rappert and Bauchspies 2014). I fully support paying more attention to absences of knowledge, and have long argued for doing so (e.g., Hilgartner 2001). However, I am unconvinced that the study of absences should be framed as a specialized “topic” or “area” or that radically new methods are needed to pursue it. Absences are too fundamental to the social aspects of knowledge to be imagined as a mere subfield. Instead, a broad sensibility attuned to the significance of absences should (and in many ways already does) inflect a wide range of STS research.
Kinetic Attraction During Bimanual Coordination

Two experiments examined the effects of independent variations in kinetic and kinematic requirements on interlimb coupling during a bimanual task. The goal of the investigation was to provide preliminary evidence regarding one general class of physical variables that constrains discrete bimanual movements. Subjects attempted to execute a smooth unidirectional movement with the left arm, along with a three-segment reversal movement with the right arm. The first experiment manipulated the torque required to produce the reversal action, while movement duration and average angular velocity were held constant for both limbs. Several indications of increased interlimb coupling, due to the kinetic variation, were evident. The converse manipulation was used in the second experiment, with movement time and kinematics (velocity, acceleration) changed independently of joint torque requirements for the reversal limb. No clear effect of kinematics on coupling strength was noted. The results suggest that one variable i...
Abstract B22: Factors associated with community members' participation in a research registry

Introduction: It is important to provide community members ‐ especially those from traditionally underserved groups ‐ with equitable opportunities to participate in research. Volunteer registries have been employed to generate pools of potential participants. However, we know little about factors associated with participation in such registries. Procedures: Bilingual research staff approached persons aged 18 and over attending the VIVA Dallas! Hispanic Exposition August 8–9, 2009, asking if they would complete a one‐page health topics survey and receive, in return, a water bottle with our cancer center9s logo. The survey, available in Spanish and English, measured age, sex, marital and parental status, race/ethnicity, country of birth, acculturation (Marin and Marin9s 4‐item scale), insurance coverage, access to and place of usual health care, and health topics of concern. One item asked, “May we contact you in the future for research studies?” and provided space for contact information for those who checked “yes”. Data: The 1,183 survey completers were 64% female, 77% Hispanic, and 68% married or living as married. Most were parents (69%), ≤ 50 years old (68%), and were born outside the US (57%). Scores on the 4‐item acculturation scale classified 45% with lower acculturation and 36% with higher acculturation; scores could not be calculated for the 19% with missing data. Some type of insurance coverage was reported by 40% (with 19% missing) and 43% reported access to usual health care (with 17% missing). Most frequently cited health topics of concern were diabetes (53%), healthy eating (32%) and managing stress (31%). Cancer was mentioned by 20%, with breast being the most‐cited cancer type. Overall, 63% indicated agreement to be contacted for future studies. Agreement was significantly associated (all p Conclusions: Among attendees at Dallas9 largest Hispanic community event, interest in completing the survey was high. The majority of survey completers (63%) agreed to be contacted for future studies. People most likely to agree to future contact represented groups often not included in studies ‐ those born outside the US, with lower acculturation scores, and no health insurance or source of regular health care. Use of registries generated through community events such as VIVA Dallas! may help to address disparities in access to and participation in cancer control research. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2010;3(1 Suppl):B22.
Defining and Communicating Rural

Developing an operational definition of rural is a crucial component of rural education research. Although researchers have discussed the challenges of defining rural (e.g., Coladarci in J Res Rural Educ 22(3), 2007; Cromartie and Bucholtz in Amber Waves 6:28–34, 2008; Hart et al. in Am J Public Health 95:1149–1155, 2005; Howley et al. in J Res Rural Educ 20(18), 2005; Isserman in Int Reg Sci Rev 28:465–499, 2005), these discussions have generally been presented at a theoretical level or do not consider issues that occur once a definition has been chosen. Examples of existing definitions and suggested guidelines are needed to ensure researchers understand the importance of aligning their operational definition of rural with the context and goals of their study, as this alignment influences the generalizability of their findings. The purpose of this chapter is threefold. First, we aim to inform rural researchers of the variety of definitions used within policy and research by providing a description of the most common definitions available to education policy makers and researchers. Next, we provide empirical examples of the impact of the choice of rural definition on statistical results and substantive inferences. Finally, we discuss practices advocated by Koziol et al. (J Res Rural Educ 30(4), 2015) that outline how to identify a suitable definition of rural, and communicate the findings given the chosen definition. We conclude by providing recommendations for future research.
Influence of a negative sestamibi scan on the decision for parathyroid operation by the endocrinologist and surgeon.

Background It has been observed that negative sestamibi scans may impact practice patterns in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. However, there are no published data on the issue. The objective was to elucidate the influence of negative sestamibi scans on referrals by endocrinologists for parathyroidectomy and surgeon decision-making. Methods All patients with primary hyperparathyroidism were identified within a region-wide health care system over a 2-year period. Data, including age, calcium, parathyroid hormone, renal function, bone density, and sestamibi scan results, were collected from the electronic medical record of all patients. The electronic referral system was used to track consultations with endocrinologists and surgeons. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was done to model factors involved in endocrinologist recommendations (referral or no referral to operation) and surgeon recommendations (parathyroidectomy or no parathyroidectomy). Results A total of 539 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism were identified, and 452 were seen by endocrinologists. Of these, 260 patients had sestamibi scans done (120 negative and 140 positive), and 201 (77%) patients were referred to surgeons. Compared with positive sestamibi scans, negative sestamibi scans were independently associated with no referral to surgeons, after adjusting for presence of classic symptoms, age, fitness for operation, calcium, parathyroid hormone, glomerular filtration rate, and bone density (odds ratio = 0.36; 95% confidence interval 0.18–0.73). Surgeons saw an additional 54 patients referred from nonendocrinologists or primary care physicians and sestamibi scans were completed. Surgeons recommended parathyroidectomy in 236 of the 255 patients. Negative sestamibi scans were independently associated with no recommendation for operation (odds ratio = 0.32; 95% confidence interval 0.11–0.91). Surgeons initially scheduled and completed parathyroidectomies in 211/255 patients. Cure rate after operation was 98%, and this was not influenced by the sestamibi scan result. Conclusion Negative sestamibi scans influence decision making in the management of patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. Endocrinologists commonly order sestamibi scans, and if negative, they are less likely to refer patients to surgeons. Surgeons are also influenced by sestamibi scans, and if negative, they are less likely to recommend parathyroidectomy. Cure rate in sestamibi-negative patients is excellent after operation.
Internet search query analysis can be used to demonstrate the rapidly increasing public awareness of palliative care in the USA.

Background A lack of public awareness of palliative care (PC) has been identified as one of the main barriers to appropriate PC access. Internet search query analysis is a novel methodology, which has been effectively used in surveillance of infectious diseases, and can be used to monitor public awareness of health-related topics. Objectives We aimed to demonstrate the utility of internet search query analysis to evaluate changes in public awareness of PC in the USA between 2005 and 2015. Methods Google Trends provides a referenced score for the popularity of a search term, for defined regions over defined time periods. The popularity of the search term ‘palliative care’ was measured monthly between 1/1/2005 and 31/12/2015 in the USA and in the UK. Results Results were analysed using independent t-tests and joinpoint analysis. The mean monthly popularity of the search term increased between 2008–2009 (p Discussion Although internet search query surveillance is a novel methodology, it is freely accessible and has significant potential to monitor health-seeking behaviour among the public. PC is rapidly growing in the USA, and the rapidly increasing public awareness of PC as demonstrated in this study, in comparison with the UK, where PC is relatively well established is encouraging in increasingly ensuring appropriate PC access for all.
It's a small, interconnected world after all... : processing

World dairy markets (and product prices) in 2015 have been a topic of often tense discussion for dairy producers from around the globe. By mid-2015, world dairy prices were hovering around the lowest they had been in six years. Furthermore, market sentiments were weak and much of the international press focused on markets rebalancing and producers in various markets around the globe bracing against low prices.
How to turn the Weather Channel, Dilbert, and Jurassic World into computing course assignments: conference tutorial

The reality for many students getting computing degrees is a job in the business sector, where they must apply their skills to real-world scenarios. In order to fulfill my school's motto of "Real Learning for Real Life" in creating assignments for my CIS and MIS classes (many of which are online and require written discussion prompts) I take inspiration from real-world events and corporate horror stories...but also from fiction with AI run amok and movies about dinosaur theme parks - because there is no reason you can't have fun while pondering technology-related tasks. This tutorial will be a hands-on exploration into crafting engaging, relevant, and memorable assignments - and includes bonus material on encouraging Devil's Advocate thinking!
Measuring Perceived Mistreatment: Potential Problems in Asking About “Discrimination”

Many studies have used survey data on perceived everyday mistreatment to assess the extent and health impact of racial discrimination and of discrimination based on weight, sexual orientation, and other reasons. Some surveys use the word “discrimination” in the initial question put to respondents, while other surveys do not use this word. This research note argues that including “discrimination” in the initial question may depress reports of perceived mistreatment, particularly among whites. It tests this possibility with data from the 1995–1996 National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States, which used “discrimination” in the initial question, and the 2001–2003 National Survey of American Life, which did not use this word. Findings suggest that using “discrimination” in the initial question considerably depresses whites’ reports of everyday mistreatment.
Abstract 794: Potential role of DLL4 in uveal melanoma vascular mimicry

Uveal melanoma is the most common malignancy of the eye. Thanks to gene array analysis it is possible to classify uveal melanoma in Class 1 (low metastasis risk) and Class 2 (high metastasis risk) tumor. This classification will ultimately determine the tumor treatment, risk of metastasis and patient surveillance. Progression to metastasis remains by far the greatest problem in uveal melanoma and is associated with loss of BAP1 tumor suppressor. Bioinformatic analyses of RNA-Seq indicated that pro-angiogenic genes such as DLL4, VEGFA, VEGFC and HIF1a are overexpressed in Class 2 compared to Class 1 uveal melanoma while angiogenic inhibitors such as ZFP36L1, HIF1AN, VEGFB, VHL and HIF3A are downregulated. Further, we found that DLL4 is among the 5 most highly overexpressed genes associated with BAP1 loss in clinical specimens and in uveal melanoma cell lines induced to deplete BAP1. DLL4 is a Notch ligand known to regulate endothelial cells, bone marrow endothelial cell progenitors and angiogenesis. We hypothesize that DLL4 contributes to vascular mimicry in uveal melanoma. To test this hypothesis, we will test uveal melanoma cell lines induced to deplete BAP1 using shRNA in cell culture-based and in vivo models. The results of this research have the potential to elucidate the mechanism by which vascular mimicry occurs in uveal melanoma. Citation Format: Julia Escandon, Matthew G. Field, Stefan Kurtenbach, Jeffim Kuznetzov, Christina L. Decatur, J William Harbour. Potential role of DLL4 in uveal melanoma vascular mimicry [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 794. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-794
Immune-Mediated Autonomic Neuropathies following Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Background/Aims. Autonomic dysfunction (AD) after allogeneic stem cell transplant (SCT) is a rare occurrence and likely immune-mediated in etiology. There is limited literature on this topic and hence, we wish to briefly describe management of two cases at our institution and their outcomes. Methods. We retrospectively identified two patients with immune-mediated AD after SCT from our database. Immune-mediated AD was defined as AD secondary to an immune-mediated etiology without an alternative cause and responding to immunosuppression. Results. The first case is of a 32-year-old man with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who underwent double umbilical cord allogeneic SCT. The second patient was a 51-year-old woman with secondary AML who underwent matched-related donor allogeneic SCT. Both underwent an extensive work-up for an underlying etiology prior to treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). Conclusions. AD after SCT is a rare yet significant clinical entity. A work-up of underlying etiology should be performed. IVIG is a treatment option for these patients.