cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improving advanced pharmacy practice experiences with an intention/reflection practice.

Abstract Background and purpose Experiential learning in pharmacy has the potential to offer transformative experiences for students. Advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) can be improved if students are encouraged and able to (1) identify and track individual learning gains and interests, and (2) develop self-awareness and intrinsic motivation. Educational activity and setting The intention/reflection (I/R) practice was developed to address these educational concepts and help facilitate meaningful experiences during APPEs. The I/R tool is a simple, nontechnical, resource-light activity consisting of a set of three to five questions at the beginning, midpoint, and end of an APPE. The questions were designed to help students identify how they can attain meaningful gains from each APPE. Preceptors across three universities designed, implemented, and evaluated the impact of an I/R practice within the context of a variety of APPEs. The APPEs varied between 4, 5, 6, and 10 weeks and were focused on patient care and academia. Findings Three of the I/R questions were selected for thematic analysis, one at each point of the rotation. These questions were strategically selected because they demonstrate the value resulting from the progressive nature of the I/R tool. The answers to the three questions were descriptively coded to capture the main thought(s) of each student's response. A quarter of students indicated I/R helped them achieve their goals. Summary A retrospective pre-post survey demonstrated statistically significant improvements in all survey items, including (1) ability to identify learning outcomes, (2) focus and motivation, and (3) self-awareness and metacognition.
A combination of intra- and peritumoral features on baseline CT scans is associated with overall survival in non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors: a multi-agent multi-site study

Immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting the programmed cell death (PD)1/ L1 axis have been approved for treatment of chemotherapy refractory advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) for a few years. While higher PD-L1 expression is associated with better outcomes after monotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors, it is not a perfect predictive biomarker for clinical benefit from immunotherapy, because some patients with low PD-L1 expression have sustained responses. In clinical practice, using radiological tools like Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST), tends to underestimate the benefit of therapy. For instance, some patients treated with immunotherapy suffer from pseudoprogression while actually having a favorable response, RECIST in this setting is inadequate to capture the response. In this study we sought to explore whether radiomic texture features extracted from both inside and outside of the tumor from baseline CT scans were associated with overall patient survival (OS) in 139 NSCLC patients being treated with IO from two separate sites. Patients were divided into a discovery (D1 = 50; nivolumab from Cleveland Clinic) and two validation sets (D2 = 62 from Cleveland Clinic, D3 = 27 from University of Pennsylvania Health System. Patients in the validation sets had been treated with different types of checkpoint inhibitor drugs including nivolumab, pembrolizumab, and atezolizumab. 454 radiomic texture features from within (intra-tumoral) and outside the tumor (peri-tumoral) were extracted from baseline contrast CT images. Following feature selection on the discovery set, a radiomic risk-score signature was generated by using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator. Using a Cox regression model, the association of the radiomic signature with overall survival (OS) was evaluated in the discovery and two validation sets. In addition, 95% confidence intervals (CI) and relative hazard ratios (HR) were calculated. Our results revealed that the radiomics signature was significantly associated with OS, both in the discovery set (HR = 5.06, 95%CI = 3, 8.55; p-value < 0.0001) and the two validation data sets (D2: HR = 5.88, 95% CI = 2.19, 21.63, p-value = 0.0009; D3: HR = 5.37, 95% CI = 1.74, 16.57, p-value = 0.0034). Our initial results appear to suggest that our radiomic signature could serve as a non-invasive way of predicting and monitoring response to checkpoint inhibitors for patients with non-small cell lung cancer.
Clinical Implications of Donor Warm and Cold Ischemia Time in Donor After Circulatory Death Liver Transplantation.

The use of donation after circulatory death (DCD) liver allografts has been constrained by limitations in the duration of donor warm ischemia time (DWIT), donor agonal time (DAT), and cold ischemia time (CIT). The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of longer DWIT, DAT, and CIT on graft survival and other outcomes in DCD liver transplants. The Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients was queried for adult liver transplants from DCD donors between 2009 and 2015. Donor, recipient, and center variables were included in the analysis. During the study period, 2107 patients underwent liver transplant with DCD allografts. In most patients, DWIT and DAT were 40 minutes in 37. There was no difference in graft survival, duration of posttransplant hospital length of stay, and readmission rate between DCD liver transplants from donors with DWIT 4 hours was associated with increased risk for graft loss. Longer CIT was also associated with a longer posttransplant hospital stay, higher rate of primary nonfunction, and hyperbilirubinemia. In conclusion, slightly longer DAT and DWIT (up to 40 minutes) were not associated with graft loss, longer posttransplant hospitalization, or hospital readmissions, whereas longer CIT was associated with worse outcomes after DCD liver transplants.
Not all hip arthroplasties are created equal: increased complications and re-admissions after total hip arthroplasty for femoral neck fractures compared with osteoarthritis.

Aims Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is gaining popularity as a treatment for displaced femoral neck fractures (FNFs), especially in physiologically younger patients. While THA for osteoarthritis (OA)...
Differential compensatory growth in swine following control of feed intake by a high-alfalfa diet fed ad libitum or by limited feed

Seventy-two castrated male four-way composite (Chester White x Landrace x Large White x Yorkshire) weanling pigs (17 kg initial BW) were used to determine the compensatory response of specific organs and whole body following a 3-wk period of restricted energy intake imposed by ad libitum-feeding an 80% alfalfa meal diet or pair-feeding an adequate corn-soybean meal diet to attain equal weight loss. Six pigs were killed at d 0 to provide baseline data. Six pigs from each diet group (control, C; alfalfa, A, restricted, R) were killed at d 21, after which all remaining pigs were fed C ad libitum to 35 d, 105 d or 126 d. Six pigs per group were killed at 35 and 105 d and four per group were killed at 126 d. Organ weight and carcass data were recorded for all pigs at all time intervals. Regression of organ and trimmed lean tissue weights on time was tested for linearity (d 1 to 126 for C and d 21 to 126 for A and R except d 35 to 126 for gastrointestinal tract traits for A and R); differences in organ weights between C, A and R at d 21 and d 35 were tested by a two-way analysis of variance. There was no evidence of a compensatory growth response to dietary energy restriction for 21 d except for rate of change in weights of liver and kidneys and backfat depth from 21 to 126 d and of gastrointestinal tract components from 21 to 35 d. Specific organs may exhibit compensatory growth over different time spans in young pigs in the absence of observable weight compensation at the whole-animal level.
Is San Francisco Bay resistant to Pseudo-nitzschia and domoic acid?

Abstract San Francisco Bay (SFB), California, USA is the largest estuary in the western United States and is home to more than 7 million people in nine counties and 101 cities. It is highly nutrient enriched and is directly connected to the Gulf of the Farallones and coastal Pacific ocean through the Golden Gate strait. The Gulf of the Farallones is one of several “hotspots” for the neurotoxin domoic acid, produced by members of the genus Pseudo-nitzschia. Despite the close proximity, SFB has few reports of harmful algal blooms and low concentrations of domoic acid, suggesting that SFB is somehow resistant to toxic blooms. Here we evaluate the potential growth and toxicity of the dominant toxigenic species in California coastal waters, P. australis and P. multiseries, to directly test the hypothesis that SFB waters confer resistance to blooms. We specifically evaluate the effect of varying temperature, salinity, and to a lesser extent, nutrients on growth and toxin production. Results show equivalent growth in SFB water (maximum growth rates of 0.71 and 1.35 d−1 for P. multiseries and P. australis) compared to open-coast water, and comparable or greater toxicity (0 to >100 pg DA cell−1). The historical resistance to blooms in SFB is hypothesized to be caused by a combination of insufficient acclimation time for advected Pseudo-nitzschia populations to become established and suppression of toxin production in warm waters.
Functional Family Therapy : A Mature Clinical Model for Working with At-Risk Adolescents and Their Families

The integrative and systematic nature of the Functional Family Therapy (FFT) clinical model, along with its repeated demonstrations of successful outcomes with at-risk adolescents and their families, has led to widespread community-based application in many settings with a wide range of clients. FFT can’t be adequately described by any single theoretical label. The emphasis on understanding, defining, describing, and researching the process of intervention began early in the FFT evolution. FFT has also held a core belief in the value and necessity of rigorous evaluation and clinical accountability. FFT views clinical problems multisystemically, both within the systems of the family relational units and between the family and its environmental and social context. A central element in FFT is the well-articulated, theoretically integrated, and multi-systemic principles that guide our understanding of the “presenting clinical problems” of families.
Anesthesia for TORS for Oropharyngeal Carcinoma: Factors Associated with Prolonged Phase I Postanesthesia Recovery:

ObjectivesClinical variables affecting anesthetic recovery following transoral robotic surgery (TORS) to resect oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma have not been described. We aimed to explore ri...
Beyond Finality: How Making Criminal Judgments Less Final Can Further the 'Interests of Finality'

Courts and scholars commonly assume that granting convicted defendants more liberal rights to challenge their judgments would harm society’s interests in “finality.” According to conventional wisdom, finality in criminal judgments is necessary to conserve resources, encourage efficient behavior by defense counsel, and deter crime. Thus, under the common analysis, the extent to which convicted defendants should be allowed to challenge their judgments depends on how much society is willing to sacrifice to validate defendants’ rights. This Article argues that expanding defendants’ rights on post-conviction review does not always harm these interests. Rather, more liberal review can often conserve state resources, will rarely affect the behavior of defense counsel, and can help reduce crime. First, the assumption that defendants’ post-conviction rights burden state resources ignores the costs of wrongful incarceration. Although appeals consume judicial resources, they help save money that would otherwise be wasted incarcerating wrongfully convicted defendants. This Article demonstrates that the incarceration savings produced by state direct appeals may actually exceed the costs of providing appeals and new trials. In other words, protecting the rights of defendants on appeal can often save states money. The Article then identifies specific restrictions, such as those on relief from plain errors in sentencing, that impose net financial costs on states. Second, although increasing opportunities for post-conviction relief may reduce defense counsel’s incentives to prevent errors at trial, those reductions are unlikely to affect the actual behavior of counsel. Harmless error rules largely eliminate ex ante incentives for attorneys to intentionally sandbag or engage in other strategic behavior. Greater restrictions on post-conviction rights are unlikely to reduce inadvertent errors because resource constraints on public defenders, rather than inattentiveness, are the principal cause of such errors. Finally, this Article reveals that the traditional deterrence arguments are based on empirical assumptions that are demonstrably false. Moreover, recent social psychological research shows that the willingness of people to obey the law is influenced heavily by their perceptions of procedural fairness and system legitimacy. Restrictions that appear subjectively “unfair” to defendants may, therefore, increase recidivism by undermining legitimacy. Conversely, reforming such restrictions may encourage defendants to comply with the law.
China's Evolving Exchange Rate Regime

China's exchange rate regime has undergone gradual reform since the move away from a fixed exchange rate in 2005. The renminbi has become more flexible over time but is still carefully managed, and depth and liquidity in the onshore FX market is relatively low compared to other countries with de jure floating currencies. Allowing a greater role for market forces within the existing regime, and greater two-way flexibility of the exchange rate, are important steps to build on the progress already made. This should be complemented by further steps to develop the FX market, improve FX risk management, and modernize the monetary policy framework.
Examining the meaning of the language used to communicate the nursing hand-off.

The miscommunication and inconsistent recall of patient information due to cognitive lapses that occur during the hand-off between healthcare providers account for 80% of sentinel events in acute care. Cognitive lapses are a consequence of the nurse experiencing cognitive overload, which impedes the nurse's ability to recall relevant information during and after the hand-off communication. The primary cognitive and human factor contributing to cognitive overload in the hand-off is language. The purpose of this study was to examine the meaning of the language used to communicate the nurse-to-nurse change of shift hand-off occurring at bedside and nonbedside on a medical-surgical unit in an urban medical center. A qualitative descriptive design was used. The sample was 10 audio-recorded hand-offs (five bedside and five nonbedside), with a total of 19 nurses participating. A natural language process program was used to analyze the data. The hand-off is a narrative story centered on communicating patient information delivered with a high degree of confidence. The hand-off is focused on past and current events with minimal focus on future or anticipated events. The drive to communicate is minimally based on concern, fear, or danger. There is a difference in the language used to communicate the nursing hand-off message at bedside as compared to the nonbedside hand-off.
An Interview with Dr. Wade Luquet

Abstract Dr. Lia Nower interviews Dr. Wade Luquet regarding his techniques he uses with Imago Therapy for Couples, and including worksheets developed by the originator of Imago Therapy, Harville Hendrix (see Appendix). Dr. Luquet discusses the techniques of Imago Therapy with couples. Imago Therapy uses imagery and dialogue techniques to help couples work through marital conflicts. Five underlying patterns that lead to troubled marriages are highlighted by Dr. Luquet, as are clinical suggestions for successful couples therapy.
A Review of the Toxicologic Implications of Obesity

The increasing prevalence of obesity in developed nations has far-reaching implications for medical toxicology. The management of obese patients is complicated by comorbid illnesses, changes in cardiovascular and respiratory physiology, alterations in pharmacokinetics, and a lack of studies to identify appropriate dosing for current therapeutics and antidotes. In this review article, we examine obesity-associated physiologic and pharmacokinetic changes that may increase the vulnerability of obese patients to overdose. Further research is needed to characterize the relationship between drug toxicity and obesity.
Soluble paramagnetic Ru 2 6+ paddlewheels with alkyl-substituted bicyclic guanidinates

Abstract Syntheses are reported for two diruthenium compounds having the formula Ru2(TRhpp)4Cl2, where R = Me (1) and Et (2) and TRhpp is the anion of a tetraalkyl-substituted bicyclic guanidinate. The Ru26+ core of 1 is enclosed by four tetramethyl-substituted bicyclic guanidinates and two chlorine atoms positioned along the Ru–Ru axis. Each compound possesses two unpaired electrons at ambient temperature consistent with a formal bond order of three and a σ2π4δ2π∗2 (Q8π∗2) electronic configuration. The compounds are EPR-silent as determined by examination of frozen dichloromethane solutions at 77 K using an X-band spectrometer. There is a short Ru–Ru distance of 2.2896(15) A.
CPD: Pregnancy Prevention in Adolescents.

Although the pregnancy rate in adolescents has declined steadily in the past 10 years, it remains a major public health problem with lasting repercussions for the teenage mothers, their infants and families, and society as a whole. Successful strategies to prevent adolescent pregnancy include community programs to improve social development, responsible sexual behaviour education, and improved contraceptive counselling and delivery. Many of these strategies are implemented at the family and community level. The family physician plays a key role by engaging adolescent patients in confidential, open, and non-threatening discussions of reproductive health, responsible sexual behaviour (including condom use to prevent sexually transmitted diseases), and contraceptive use (including the use of emergency contraception). This dialogue should begin before initial sexual activity and continue throughout the adolescent years. (SA Fam Pract 2005;47(3): 24-28) (Reprinted from: Am Fam Physician 2004;70:1517-24. Copyright© 2004 American Academy of Family Physicians.) Permission from the AAFP was granted to publish this article in the hardcopy only. Kindly refer to www.aafp.org or subscribe to the hardcopy of South African Family Practice.
Statistical Model Calculations for (n,γ) Reactions

Hauser-Feshbach (HF) cross sections are of enormous importance for a wide range of applications, from waste transmutation and nuclear technologies, to medical applications, and nuclear astrophysics. It is a well-observed result that different nuclear input models sensitively affect HF cross section calculations. Less well known however are the effects on calculations originating from model-specific implementation details (such as level density parameter, matching energy, back-shift and giant dipole parameters), as well as effects from non-model aspects, such as experimental data truncation and transmission function energy binning. To investigate the effects or these various aspects, Maxwellian-averaged neutron capture cross sections have been calculated for approximately 340 nuclei. The relative effects of these model details will be discussed.
AIDS as a global emergency.

WHO’s new Director-General has just declared AIDS to be a global health emergency. This move is not unprecedented but does signal a welcome departure from business as usual. Can declarations change the world? They can if they lead to action commensurate with the problem. (excerpt)
Argon Ions Injected Parallel and Perpendicular to the Magnetic Field

Preliminary results are reported of measurements obtained with the 0-10-kHz electric-field plasma-wave receivers and single-particle ion detectors of the ARCS-3 sounding-rocket payload over the auroral oval on February 10, 1985, after downward/field-parallel or transverse-spiral injection of Ar ions from the accelerator subpayload (separating itself at 2.3 m/s). The data are presented graphically and briefly characterized. The waves induced by the parallel injections are found to be much weaker than those induced by the perpendicular injections. In addition to the expected response to the Ar beam, an ion flux at pitch angle 90 deg was detected during the second parallel injection.
Pyridinyl and ketyl radicals of pyridoxal-5′-phosphate on micellar and liposomal surfaces

Abstract This study demonstrates that aqueous solutions of pyridoxal-5′ -phosphate, the cofactor form of vitamin B6 and a visible/UVA chromophore, will form a highly reactive ketyl radical and a fairly unreactive 1-hydropyridinyl radical with near-UV radiation. These radicals result from hydrogen abstraction from suitable donors by two different triplet states of the molecule. An n,π * triplet state occurs in the aldehyde form of the cofactor from which the ketyl forms and a π,π * triplet state occurs in the hydrate from which the pyridinyl forms. Quenching of the ketyl radical, which is easily observed by its transient absorption at 440 nm, is used to rank the effectiveness of water-soluble antioxidants in the presence of both positive and negative micelles and liposomes. Second-order quenching rate constants from 10 6 to 10 10 M −1 s −1 have been determined by directly observing the ketyl radical decay in the presence of the antioxidants. Quenching rate constants for selected antioxidants increase in the following order: ascorbate, melatonin, eugenol, (+)-catechin, NADH, coenzyme Q 0 , and Trolox, a water-soluble form of vitamin E. Positive micelles increase the reaction rate constants while negative micelles decrease them.
A theoretical framework of regional cone-beam tomography

Intuitively, if only part of an object is to be reconstructed, the information required to perform the reconstruction should be less than that required to perform global reconstruction (global reconstruction is assumed by every published reconstruction formula with closed format). The reduction of input information could lead to the simplification of data collection and the reduction of implementation cost. The author has explored three basic issues of regional cone-beam tomography: (1) a completeness condition for regional reconstruction, (2) an estimation formula, and (3) a convergence condition. The analysis of the first issue yields requirements for artifact-free reconstruction and a convenient criterion for source curve design. The closed format of the estimation formula developed permits efficient analysis. The discussion of the third issue facilitates guidelines for selecting an appropriate interpolation technique for discrete input data. >
Missile Defense after the ABM Treaty

As of mid‐June, the U.S. is free to develop, test, and deploy missile defenses in any fashion it sees fit. Yet, the administration has been short on details about the kind of defense it would build. What system is Washington likely to deploy? What should it?
Quantifying and mapping multiple ecosystem services change in West Africa

Although ecosystem services have been identified to be declining over the previous decades, there is no clear methodology of evaluating the impacts of land use change on ecosystem services. This paper presents a methodology for quantifying and assessing changes in multiple ecosystems services as a result of land use change using the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model. The model was used to map and quantify biodiversity and four ecosystem services for Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire for 2000, 2005 and 2009 land use conditions: water yield, carbon storage, nutrient retention, and sediment retention. The study developed a suite of indices to analyze land use change impacts on the status, change and spatial patterns of multiple ecosystem services. On a national scale, the results show a mix of increases in service (water yield, N retention and P retention in Ghana, and, N and P retention in Cote d’Ivoire), little change in services (sediment retention in Ghana and sediment retention and water yield in Cote d’Ivoire) and decreases in services (biodiversity and carbon storage in both countries) from 2000 to 2009. The assessment illustrates a methodology that can be employed by land managers in exploring multiple management scenarios and their implications for multiple ecosystem services change.
Studies of dual and tandem rigid wheel performance in sand

Abstract : Tests were conducted with five pair of wheels, three of which were geometrically similar. Four loads and three spacings were tested for each wheel pair. A dimensional analysis approach was utilized to develop general functional relationships for sinkage and motion resistance (tow force). Test data was analyzed and specific equations were developed for prediction of sinkage and resistance to motion for wheels in dual and tandem configuration. The resulting equations were compared with equations developed or discussed by Bekker. Single wheel tests were conducted and comparisons made between single wheel performance and dual or tandem wheel performance.
Nonlinear photonic crystals: III. Cubic nonlinearity

Abstract Weakly nonlinear interactions between wavepackets in a lossless periodic dielectric medium are studied based on the classical Maxwell equations with a cubic nonlinearity. We consider nonlinear processes such that: (i) the amplitude of the wave component due to the nonlinearity does not exceed the amplitude of its linear component; (ii) the spatial range of a probing wavepacket is much smaller than the dimension of the medium sample, and it is not too small compared with the dimension of the primitive cell. These nonlinear processes are naturally described in terms of the cubic interaction phase function based on the dispersion relations of the underlying linear periodic medium. It turns out that only a few quadruplets of modes have significant nonlinear interactions. They are singled out by a system of selection rules including the group velocity, frequency and phase matching conditions. It turns out that the intrinsic symmetries of the cubic interaction phase stemming from assumed inversion symm...
A SINGULAR PERTURBATION PROBLEM IN FRACTURED MEDIA WITH PARALLEL DIFFUSION

We study differential equations that model contaminant flow in a semi-infinite, fractured, porous medium consisting of a single fracture channel bounded by a porous matrix. Models in the literature usually do not incorporate diffusion in the porous matrix in the direction parallel to the fracture, and therefore they must omit a no-flux boundary condition at the edge, which, in some problems, may be unphysical. Herein we show that the problem usually treated in the literature is the outer problem for a correctly posed singular perturbation problem which includes diffusion in both directions as well as the no-flux boundary condition.
A one-step etching method to produce gold nanoparticle coated silicon microwells and microchannels

Gold (Au) nanoparticles (NPs) have large surface areas and novel optical properties and can be readily functionalized using thiol-based chemistry; hence, they are useful in bioanalytical chemistry. Here, we describe a one-step, plasma-etching process that results in the spontaneous formation of Au NP coated recessed microstructures in silicon (Si). Mechanistically, the plasma etch rate of Si was enhanced in the vicinity of 10–100 nm thick Au patterns resulting in the formation of microwells or microchannels uniformly coated with 20–30 nm sized Au NPs. The methodology provides versatility in the types of microstructures that can be formed by varying the shape and dimensions of the Au patterns and the etch time. We also describe selective binding of antibodies to Au NP coated Si microwells using thiol-based surface modification.
Fluid-structure interaction and its effect on the performance of composite structures under air-blast loading

Three material systems: E-glass Vinyl-Ester (EVE) composites, sandwich composites with EVE facesheet and monolithic foam core (2 different core thicknesses), and monolithic aluminum alloy plates, were subjected to shock wave loading to study their blast response and fluid-structure interaction behaviors. High-speed photography systems were utilized to obtain the real-time side-view and back face deformation images. A 3-D Digital Image Correlation (DIC) technique was used to analyze the real-time back face displacement fields and subsequently obtain the characteristic fluid-structure interaction time. The reflected pressure profiles and the deflection of the back face center point reveal that the areal density plays an important role in the fluid-structure interaction. The predictions from Taylor's model (classical solution, does not consider the compressibility) and model by Wang et al. (considers the compressibility) were compared with the experimental results. These results indicated that the model by Wang et al. can predict the experimental results accurately, especially during the characteristic fluid-structure interaction time. Further study revealed that the fluid-structure interaction between the fluid and the sandwich composites cannot be simplified as the fluid-structure interaction between the fluid and the facesheet. Also, it was observed that the core thickness affects the fluid-structure interaction behavior of sandwich composites.
On design and development issues for the FRC and related alternate confinement concepts

Abstract Two prior D-3He field-reversed configuration (FRC) reactor designs, ARTEMIS and SAFFIRE are reviewed to identify key physics, technology, and design issues for FRC development. It is concluded that the D-3He FRC can potentially offer a cost competitive and environmentally compatible power plant if the technology issues can be suitably resolved. The D-3He FRC also appears to be particularly attractive for non-electrical application such as 3He breeding or hydrogen production. An important developmental issue becomes whether or not a D-T version should be employed as the first-generation unit. If so, emphasis must be placed on methods to handle high neutron and heat first-wall loadings, e.g. by use of a liquid first wall. Also, the development of improved thermal energy conversion cycles such as the use of liquid metal MHD becomes an important goal.
New simulation results for the calibration and inverse median estimation problems

This paper gives the results of a new simulation study for the familiar calibration problem and the less familiar inverse median estimation problem. The latter arises when one wishes to estimate from a linear regression analysis the value of the independent variable corresponding to a specified value of the median of the dependent variable. For example, from the results of a regression analysis between stress and time to failure, one might wish to estimate the stress at which the median time to failure is 10,000 hours. In the study, the mean square error, Pitman closeness, and probability of overestimation are compared for both the calibration problem and the inverse median estimation problem for (1) the classical estimator, (2) the inverse estimator, and (3) a modified version of an estimator proposed by Naszodi (1978) for both a small sample and a moderately large sample situation.
Recurrent pleomorphic adenoma of the palate in a child.

A rare case of recurrent pleomorphic adenoma of the palate in a 9-year-old boy is presented. Pleomorphic adenoma is relatively rare in children compared with its incidence in adults. However, it is the most common benign epithelial tumour of the salivary glands. The majority of pleomorphic adenomata in children occur in the major salivary glands, mainly the parotid gland. Pleomorphic adenomata of the minor salivary glands are rare in children and mainly occur in the palatal glands. Of the few cases of pleomorphic adenoma of the palate reported in children, only one case showed recurrence of the tumour after primary excision. We present the second case of recurrent pleomorphic adenoma of the palate in a child.
Visible images of the catalytic combustion of methanol in a micro-channel reactor

Abstract The supply of heat to endothermic reactions through combustion reactions is the most direct and effective strategy for facilitating such reactions. The catalytic combustion of methanol at room temperature can provide broader applications of technologies that involve heat demand for chemical reactions. Hydrogen production from methanol steam reforming is a practical example. In recent years, the miniaturization of designs has become an inevitable trend due to advances in micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMSs) technology. The micro-channel reactors prepared using MEMS technology may be a good choice for practical applications. The integration of exothermic and endothermic reactions may provide an advantage in micro-channel bed reactors. However, the progress of catalytic reactions in micro-channel reactors is not easily investigated. In this study, we designed a micro-channel reactor with a monitoring window that allowed images of fog and flames generated during the catalytic combustion of methanol. These images may advance the study of catalytic combustion on micro-channel plates. The results revealed that the configuration of the micro-channel plates affects the flow field of reactants. The catalytic activity of the catalysts also affects the gas flow field. The poor design of micro-channel configurations, which may result in a decrease in the utilization of the reaction bed area or instability of the flow field, should be avoided. The developed method provides a simple method for monitoring the practical flow field of combustion reactions in micro-channel reactors.
Survey of radiographic requirements and techniques in United States dental assisting programs, 1982

Abstract A survey of dental assisting programs revealed little standardization of student requirements for dental radiography in the United states. Areas for concern were (1) the high proportion of programs in which classmates exposed one another to ionizing radiation for training purposes and (2) the continued use of closed cones in some cases. Preclinical laboratories in radiography were, on average, of considreably longer duration than those previously reported for dental students. Conversely, clinical requirements in intraoral techniques were less for dental assisting students than is the case for dental students. Available methods of reducing patient exposure to ionizing radiation are not being fully implemented.
Use of restorative procedures by allied dental health professionals in Minnesota.

ABSTRACT Background In 2003, the Minnesota legislature revised the Dental Practice Act to include restorative procedures in the scope of practice for registered dental assistants (RDAs) and registered dental hygienists (RDHs). The authors examined these practitioners' characteristics and made comparisons on the basis of their use of restorative function (RF) training and their practices' locations. They also examined practice type, models of implementation and perceived outcomes. Methods The authors mailed a survey to all RF-certified RDAs and RDHs in Minnesota (N = 387). They used descriptive statistics to summarize the data and t tests and Fisher exact tests ( P Results The authors received 243 surveys (63 percent). Less than one-half (38 percent) of the RF-certified practitioners performed RFs. Of these, 29 percent were RDHs and 71 percent were RDAs. These practitioners performed RFs most often by working with a dentist or when time allowed. They perceived increased access to dental care and an increase in the number of patients treated to be outcomes of performing RFs. Conclusions The results of this survey indicated use of restorative procedures varied greatly by practitioner type. The perceptions of those who performed RFs indicated they had a positive effect on dental practice. Practical Implications The addition of RF-certified personnel to the dental team has the potential to increase the number of patients seen in practice and the job satisfaction of team members.
Measurement of the residual mechanical properties of crazed polycarbonate. I: Qualitative analysis

A new technique to quantify the bulk craze density of transparent plates was used to characterize the craze growth behavior of polycarbonate at various stress levels. The craze growth rates were found to exponentially increase with an increase in stress, obeying the Eyring equation for thermally activated processes in the presence of an applied stress. The residual mechanical properties of crazed polycarbonate were then correlated to the crazing stress, relative craze density and strain rate. The results show that increasing the bulk craze density does not affect the yield stress but decreases both the failure stress and ductility of polycarbonate. Also, a crazing stress of 40 MPa was found to cause a much larger degree of degradation of failure properties than a crazing stress of 45 MPa. Correlating the crazing stress to the craze microstructure revealed that fewer, larger crazes form at the lower crazing stress. Therefore, flaw size has a greater effect on the failure properties of polycarbonate than flaw quantity.
Differential diagnosis of regular, narrow-QRS tachycardias

We present an update on clinical and electrophysiological criteria used for the differential diagnosis of regular supraventricular tachycardias. Although several electrocardiographic clues may assist in the differential diagnosis, this is usually accomplished at electrophysiology study, and most often, the differential diagnosis is between atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia, atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia due to a concealed accessory pathway, and atrial tachycardia. Atrial and ventricular pacing maneuvers during sinus rhythm or tachycardia have been used with various success rates. In clinical practice, these techniques cannot be applied to all cases, and multiple criteria must be used for the differential diagnosis of narrow-complex tachycardias with atypical characteristics.
Administration of Nω-nitro-l-arginine ameliorates portal-systemic shunting in portal-hypertensive rats

Abstract Background: Nitric oxide, a vasodilator synthesized from l-arglnine by vascular endothelial cells, may play a role in the development of portal-systemic collaterals. This study investigated the effect of long-term inhibition of NO secretion on portal systemic shunting. Methods: Systemic and splanchnic hemodynamics and the degree of portal-systemic shunting were evaluated in partial portal vein-ligated rats after administration of placebo (0.9% saline) or N ω -nitro-l-arginine (NNA) (~2 μg · kg −1 · min −1 ) intravenously for 6 days. Results: NNA treatment induced increases in splanchnic arterial resistance ( P P P P 2 O · mL −1 · min −1 ; P Conclusions: The results show that in portal hypertensive rats, NNA reduces portal-systemic shunting without reducing portal pressure, suggesting that NO plays a role in the collaterallzation of the portal system. In addition, high flow through the portal-collateral bed is probably an important driving force that is independent of portal hypertension for the development of portal-systemic shunting in portal-hypertensive rats.
Triton X-114 phase fractionation of membrane proteins of the cyanobacterium Anacystis nidulans R2☆

The thylakoid polypeptides of the cyanobacterium Anacystis nidulans R2 were analyzed by Triton X-114 phase fractionation [C. Bordier (1981) J. Biol. Chem. 256, 1604-1607, as adapted for photosynthetic membranes by T.M. Bricker and L.A. Sherman (1982) FEBS Lett. 149, 197-202]. In this procedure, polypeptides with extensive hydrophobic regions (i.e., intrinsic proteins) form mixed micelles with Triton X-114, and are separated from extrinsic proteins by temperature-mediated precipitation of the mixed Triton X-114-intrinsic protein micelles. The polypeptide pattern after phase fractionation was highly complementary, with 62 of the observed 110 polypeptide components partitioning into the Triton X-114-enriched fraction. Identified polypeptides fractionating into the Triton X-114 phase included the apoproteins for Photosystems I and II, cytochromes f and b6, and the herbicide-binding protein. Identified polypeptides fractioning into the Triton X-114-depleted (aqueous) phase included the large and small subunits of RuBp carboxylase, cytochromes c550 and c554, and ferredoxin. Enzymatic radioiodination of the photosynthetic membranes followed by Triton X-114 phase fractionation allowed direct identification of intrinsic polypeptide components which possess surface-exposed regions susceptible to radioiodination. The most prominent of these polypeptides was a 34-kDa component which was associated with photosystem II. This phase partitioning procedure has been particularly helpful in the clarification of the identity of the membrane-associated cytochromes, and of photosystem II components. When coupled with surface-probing techniques, this procedure is very useful in identifying intrinsic proteins which possess surface-exposed domains. Phase fractionation, in conjunction with the isolation of specific membrane components and complexes, has allowed the identification of many of the important intrinsic thylakoid membrane proteins of A. nidulans R2.
Effect of high-pressure freezing on plant microfilament bundles

SUMMARY Cell structures, particularly cytoskeletal elements, of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. Var. Maryland Mammoth) leaf tissues were studied after high-pressure freezing and freeze substitution. In general, the freezing quality was superb and all organelles including microtubules, single microfilaments and microtubule-associated microfilaments were well preserved. However, when compared with those frozen with a propane jet freezer, the microfilament bundles in high-pressure frozen cells often had a frayed or loosened appearance. We suggest that such an appearance is an artefact, presumably caused by the high pressure developed prior to freezing.
1572 CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM LACTATE PRODUCTION AND CLEARANCE IN NEWBORN PUPPIES FOLLOWING 15 AND 30 MINUTES OF ASPHYXIA

Recent studies have suggested that CSF lactate may be useful in assessing perinatal asphyxia. We studied lactate metabolism in spontaneously breathing newborn beagle puppies lightly anesthetized with ≤ 0.5% halothane and nitrous oxide. Lactate was measured in plasma, brain tissue and CSF following 15 and 30 minutes of asphyxia (FiO2 2-5%; FiCO2 7-8%) and 1 hour recovery. Experimental groups were compared to appropriate controls.
New Approaches to Coronary Intervention (NACI) Registry: History and Methods

The New Approaches to Coronary Intervention (NACI) registry was funded in 1990 by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to evaluate the safety and efficacy of new coronary interventional devices. The registry collected data from 39 clinical centers on 8 new devices: 3 atherectomy devices, 2 stents, 2 laser devices and the laser balloon. The original funding called for a total of 500 patients to be recruited for each device. One device (the laser balloon) was removed from use early in the recruitment period. Subsequent funding was obtained for an additional 500 patients treated with directional atherectomy, and 500 additional female patients who were recruited when the main recruitment had finished. When all recruitment was finished in March 1994, a total of 4,429 patients had been recruited. Consecutive patients treated with a new device at each clinical site were recruited regardless of underlying clinical condition or result. Patients were followed for 1 year by telephone contact at 6 weeks, 6 months and 1 year. Overall 1-year follow-up compliance was excellent at 96% of patients. The NACI database was designed to allow analysis of the complex relationships between patient, lesion and device. In particular, the mode of use of each device, the treatment order, and the outcome after each device attempt were recorded. All in-hospital clinical events were recorded as well as an assessment of the success of the procedure by the operator. The results of each telephone follow-up included any interim cardiac events, anginal status, and results of any subsequent angiograms or exercise test. Any repeat percutaneous procedures or bypass surgery on an NACI patient were recorded in the same detail as the original procedure. All data collected were subjected to extensive editing at the coordinating center to ensure both internal and external consistency. An angiographic core laboratory was also funded for NACI in 1992 to provide uniform analyses of procedural angiograms. Measurements were made at each step of the procedure, that is preprocedure, after each device use, and postprocedure. Both quantitative and qualitative measurements were made at each step using standardized definitions, enabling a complete description of the procedure to be analyzed. Angiograms were made available to the core laboratory for 89% of all initial procedures.
Patterns of autonomic responsivity in identical schizophrenic twins.

Autonomic functions (blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate, skin conductance, finger temperature, and face temperature) were studied in a set of identical schizophrenic twins who showed marked behavioral differences. The resting data confirmed previous reports that Ss who are more anxious and behaviorally disorganized have greater sympathetic activity. Stimulation data showed subject-specific response patterns (i.e., individual response specificity). Inasmuch as there is evidence that autonomic functioning in identical twins is quite similar, i.e., genetically controlled, it would appear that these pattern differences are related to behavioral differences.
Non-surgical management of the auto-amputated adnexa in the neonate: a report on two cases.

Abstract Background Prenatal ovarian torsion is a rare but significant gynecologic abnormality. Current literature has yet to establish standard management in the case of auto-amputated adnexa secondary to ovarian torsion in the neonate. Cases We report 2 cases of abdominal masses that were diagnosed in the antenatal period and were clinically consistent with auto-amputated adnexa followed with serial ultrasonography until resolution. Summary and Conclusion To our knowledge this is the first report in the literature to document resolution of 2 pelvic masses due to auto-amputated adnexa with expectant management. This suggests expectant management is an appropriate alternative to surgical management in carefully selected cases.
Amino acids in the haemolymph of diseased Popillia japonica (Newman) larvae

Abstract Free amino acid constituents in the haemolymph from diseased Popillia japonica (Newman) larvae were determined by ion-exchange chromatography, paper chromatography, enzymatic analysis, and amperometric titration. Haemolymph from larvae infected with Bacillus popilliae, compared with that from healthy larvae, contained higher concentrations of glutamic acid, β-alanine, aspartic acid, phenylalanine, threonine, serine, and lysine and lower concentrations of glycine, tyrosine, and histidine. Differences in the amino acid composition depend on the infective organism. The only amino acid to increase during infection with B. lentimorbus was glutamic acid. Amounts of histidine, proline, glycine, alanine, valine, isoleucine, tyrosine, and arginine decreased. The level of protein material in the haemolymph as well as the composition did not change markedly during infection with either B. popilliae or B. lentimorbus. Haemolymph contains little peptide of low molecular weight. Several additional amino acids were determined in haemolymph from healthy and diseased larvae. Milky disease apparently has no effect on the concentration of tryptophan, cystine, cysteine, glutamine, asparagine, and lanthionine.