cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lyophilization of Brucella melitensis.

The preservation of Brucella melitensis was of initerest because Elberg and Faunce (1957) had shown that a nondependent mutant derived from a streptomycindepenident strain of B. melitensis was immunogeniic wheni administered as a living vaccine. Huttoni et al. (1951) and, more recenitly, Alexander and van Drimmelen (1956), showed that lyophilization was practical for preserving the viability of the Brutcella abortus (straini 19) vaccinie. Although lyophilizationi is a geinerally accepted method for maintaining viability of bacterial cultures (Harris, 1954), the conditions for the optimal preservation of bacteria by lyophilization are not identical for all species or strains of given species. This report describes the results of limited studies on the lyophilization and storage of a live vaccine strain of B. melitensis.
Effects of stroboscopic rearing on the response properties and laminar distribution of single units in the rabbit superior colliculus.

Abstract Single neurons were recorded from the superior colliculus of rabbits reared in a stroboscopically illuminated environment, and data were compared with recordings made from the superior colliculus of normally reared rabbits. Some of the consequences of strobe rearing were observed in all laminae of the superior colliculus: direction selectivity was abolished, receptive field size was increased and there was an increase in the proportion of cells responding more strongly to the offset than to the onset of light. Other consequences of strobe-rearing were observed selectively in specific laminae of the superior colliculus. Among cells influenced by a stroboscopic stimulus, cells in SGSu were more often responsive to the strobe stimulus, whereas cells in SGS1 were more often strobe inhibited. In layers deep to SO, equal numbers of cells showed strobe responsivity and strobe inhibition. Inhibitory surround organization was more strongly affected by strobe rearing in the deep layers, and external inhibition was abolished in layers deep to SO. The results indicate that strobe rearing has significant effects on responsivity to stroboscopic illumination, and on several other receptive field characteristics including direction selectivity, receptive field size, surround inhibition and responsivity to light offset. The data are discussed with reference to the role of the cortico-collicular projection.
Lung Cancer Induced in Hamsters by Low Doses of Alpha Radiation from Polonium-210

Lung cancers have been induced in 9 to 53 percent of hamsters given multiple intratracheal instillations of polonium-210 in amounts yielding lifetime exposures of 15 to 300 rads to the lungs. Cigarette smokers have previously been estimated to receive 20 rads to areas of the bronchial epithelium from deposited polonium-210. This finding thus supports the hypothesis that alpha radiation resulting from the polonium-210 or lead-210 present in cigarette smoke may be a significant causative factor in human lung cancer.
The differential impact of two significant court decisions concerning banking consolidation

Abstract Two 1981 court rulings effectively removed the possibility that federal regulatory agencies could apply the theory of probable future competition to block future bank mergers and takeovers. Results show that the impact of this regulatory change, which occured without any contemporaneous public press coverage, led to a significant decline in the wealth of shareholders of banks that had been active acquirers. These findings are consistent with Mueller's size maximization and Roll's hubris hypothese.
In vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy of human brain: the biophysical basis of dementia

Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in low and medium magnetic fields yields well-resolved natural abundance proton and decoupled phosphorus spectra from small (1-10 cc) volumes of brain in vivo in minutes. With this tool, neurochemical research has advanced through identification and non-invasive assay of specific neuronal--(N-acetylaspartate), glial (myo-inositol)--markers, energetics and osmolytes, and neurotransmitters (glutamate, GABA). From these simple measurements, several dozen disease states are recognized, including birth injury, and white matter and Alzheimer disease. Addition of stable isotopes of carbon (in man) or nitrogen (in experimental animals) has provided in vivo assays of enzyme flux through glucose transport, glycolysis, TCA-cycle, and the glutamine-glutamate-GABA system. Finally, a number of xenobiotics are recognized with heteronuclear NMR techniques. Together, these tools are having a major impact on neuroscience and clinical medicine. Through diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring, a new generation of in vivo metabolite imaging is expected with the advent of conforming RF coils and higher field NMR systems.
Gene transfer of heat shock protein 70 protects lung grafts from ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Abstract Background . We recently demonstrated that heat stress induction of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) in donor animals before harvest decreases posttransplant ischemia-reperfusion injury in preserved rat lung isografts. The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of HSP70 gene transfection into rat lung isografts using an adenoviral vector, and to study the effects of gene expression on subsequent ischemia-reperfusion injury. Methods . In preliminary studies to determine the optimal titer, animals were injected with various titers of adenovirus-HSP70 (saline, 5 × 10 9 , 1 × 10 10 , and 2 × 10 10 plaque forming units [pfu]) and sacrificed 5 days after injection. To determine the optimal exposure time, animals were sacrificed at different times (0, 6, 24, and 72 hours) after intravenous injection of adenovirus-HSP70. In a subsequent series of transplant experiments, donors were allocated to three groups according to transfection strategy. Group 1 (n = 8) donors received 5 × 10 9 pfu adenovirus-HSP70 intravenously, group 2 (n = 7) donors received 5 × 10 9 pfu adenovirus-β-galactosidase (as a virus control), and group 3 (n = 7) donors received saline and served as a negative control. Twenty-four hours after treatment all grafts were harvested and stored for 18 hours before orthotopic left lung transplantation. Twenty-four hours after implantation animals were sacrificed for assessment. The expression of HSP70 was assessed by Western blot analysis. Results . In preliminary studies, HSP70 was detectable even at low titers (5 × 10 9 pfu) of adenovirus-HSP70, and was detectable at low levels as early as 6 hours after intravenous administration. Heat shock protein 70 expression was maximal at 24 hours. In transplant experiments, Western blot analysis showed that overexpression of HSP70 occurred in the HSP70-transfected lungs. The mean arterial oxygenation 24 hours after reperfusion in group 1 was superior in comparison with other groups ( p p p Conclusions . This study demonstrates that in vivo, donor adenovirus-mediated gene transfer of HSP70 decreases subsequent ischemia-reperfusion injury in rat lung isografts.
Design innovations of the IBM 3830 and 2835 storage control units

The IBM 2305 Fixed Head Storage and IBM 3330 Disk Storage provide significant performance improvements over previously available disk facilities. Many of the improvements were made possible by the design of the control units, which are complex systems that integrate analog and digital interfaces. Definition of control unit requirements and characteristics permitted a large degree of commonality to be achieved between the two control units. The available design alternatives and implementations are discussed.
When Changing from Merit Pay to Variable/Bonus Pay: What Do Employees Want?

This study examines potential responses to a change in an employee reward system from permanent merit pay increases to one-time bonus payments. Removing long term risks associated with escalating pay is an increasingly common compensation strategy. Often overlooked, however, are employee perceptions of reward fairness under such conditions of change. Receiving lump sum payments in lieu of permanent merit pay increase may de-motivate employees. There has been little or no research conducted on this topic. In this study, using samples of practicing HR managers and university students, an equity questionnaire gathered data on the perceived equivalence between a permanent merit pay increase and what might be demanded by employees as a single payment in its replacement. An analysis of the data collected indicate an approximate 1:2 ratio is needed, such that a proposed lump-sum payment of $2400 would be perceived as a fair replacement for a permanent merit pay allocation of $1200 per year. Our research indicates that this 1:2 ratio holds for both high and low job satisfaction levels.
A loop for the transfer of thin tissue sections.

SUMMARY The construction and use of a simple wire loop for the transfer of thin tissue sections are described. The loop picks up, carries, and releases a drop of liquid containing the sections. The loop is opened and closed by manipulation of the forceps to which it is attached. This controls the attraction of the loop for the water drop and ensures reliable pickup and release of the sections.
Influence of disorders of visual perception in word-to-picture matching tasks in patients with Alzheimer's disease

Abstract Patients affected by early Alzheimer's disease were given word-to-picture matching tasks in which the foils shared lexical–semantic, phonological, or visual–perceptual features with the target. The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of the visual perceptual deficit in lexical comprehension tasks based on pictorial material. The results demonstrated that perceptual deficits are common in Alzheimer's disease. This finding is in agreement with the hypothesis that multiple modular deficits in Alzheimer's disease contribute to impaired comprehension.
Isomer differentiation in fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry

Abstract The differentiation of isomers by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry is greatly aided by using two stages of analysis (viz. mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry). The elimination of matrix- or contaminant-related ions and the enhancement of fragmentation by collisional activation of secondary ions of the analyte affords a distinctive and reproducible spectrum. Since distinguishing features of isomers are often differences in relative daughter ion intensities, the reproducibility of FAB MS/MS spectra affords an assignment often not apparent from the mass spectrum alone.
Respirable dust and gin machinery

Abstract The influence of processing machinery at cotton gins on the respirable dust that is emitted into the gin environment and the respirable dust that remains in ginned lint was investigated during a 3-year study. Dust levels in the air near positions occupied by human operators ranged from 94 to 1251 μg/m 3 . The extractor-feeder/gin stand produced the highest dust levels. Dust levels remaining in the ginned lint ranged from 18·2 to 27·7 mg/20 g lint as a result of different processing machines. Lint cleaners were more effective in reducing dust levels in ginned lint than were other processing machines.
Measurement and analysis of the 4.71 MeV d52 analogue resonance in the 90Zr(p, po)90Zr reaction

Abstract The analogue of the ground state of 91 Zr has been studied via the 90 Zr(p, po) 90 Zr reaction. Excitation functions were measured for elastically scattered protons at laboratory angles of 115°, 125°, 135°, and 160° with respect to the beam direction for incident proton energies between 4.61 and 4.83 MeV. It is shown that the compound elastic contribution to the cross section is significant, and must be evaluated in order to determine the resonance parameters. The proton width ( Γ p = 4 keV) for this state implies a neutron spectroscopic factor in agreement with analysis of the 90 Zr(d, p) 91 Zr measurements.
The Clinical Spectrum and Prediction of Outcome in Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy

After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. List the signs related to problems in labor and immediately following birth used to diagnose hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). 2. Compare and contrast the grade of HIE and Apgar score for predicting outcome. 3. Describe the role of likelihood ratios in altering diagnostic and prognostic probabilities. 4. Compare and contrast the electroencephalogram and newer technologies in assessing outcome early in the course of HIE. The major problem that confronts those caring for infants who have hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is how to provide families with reliable information about outcome. These infants present few diagnostic problems, and treatments are mostly supportive. The difficulty lies in how long to pursue treatment in infants who may have a very poor prognosis. This review presents a scheme for predicting outcome based on information gathered over the past three decades using a combination of clinical assessment and routine neonatal electroencephalography (EEG). This approach is contrasted with more recent methods of assessing prognosis using evoked potentials, near-infrared spectroscopy, and imaging (see NeoReviews, January 2001), including manipulations of magnetic resonance imaging. After determining whether the newer technologies simply complement or actually improve outcome prediction based on the simpler investigations, the use of higher-tech, and less available, tests can be assessed for specific clinical situations. Birth asphyxia, defined as an Apgar score of less than 7 at 5 minutes, with exclusion of congenital infection, malformation, or opioid-induced respiratory depression, occurred in 5.4 per 1,000 liveborn infants born between 1985 and 1991 in Goteborg, Sweden. Of these “asphyxiated” infants, HIE occurred in one third for an incidence of 1.8 per 1,000. HIE occurred at a rate of 6 per 1,000 in a 4-year English study published in 1985. Thus, the compromised infant who has a significant encephalopathy is seen regularly in active obstetric services. There …
A Comparison between SISO and MIMO Modal Analysis Techniques on a Membrane Mirror Satellite

The future of space satellite technology lies in the development of ultra-large, ultra-lightweight space structures, orders of magnitude greater in size than the current satellites. Such large crafts will increase communication and imaging capabilities from orbits. Many such proposed ultra-flexible satellites are inflated structures. To get these ultra-large structures in space, they will have to be stored within the Space Shuttle cargo bay and then inflated on-orbit. However, the highly flexible and pressurized nature of these ultra-large spacecraft poses several daunting vibration and control problems. Disturbances (i.e., on-orbit maneuvering, guidance and attitude control, and the harsh environment of space) wreck havoc with the on-orbit stability, pointing accuracy, and surface resolution capability of the inflated satellite. Fortunately, recent advances in integrated smart material systems promise to provide solutions to these problems.Recent research into the use of Macro-Fiber Composite (MFC®) devi...
Masking schemes for image manifolds

We consider the problem of selecting an optimal mask for an image manifold, i.e., choosing a subset of the dimensions of the image space that preserves the manifold structure present in the original data. Such masking implements a form of compressed sensing that reduces power consumption in emerging imaging sensor platforms. Our goal is for the manifold learned from masked images to resemble the manifold learned from full images as closely as possible. We show that the process of finding the optimal masking pattern can be cast as a binary integer program, which is computationally expensive but can be approximated by a fast greedy algorithm. Numerical experiments show that the manifolds learned from masked images resemble those learned from full images for modest mask sizes. Furthermore, our greedy algorithm performs similarly to the exhaustive search from integer programming at a fraction of the computational cost.
No mouse PMN leukocyte depression after inoculation with brain tissue from multiple sclerosis or spongiform encephalopathies.

RECENT experiments by Carp et al.1,2 and Licursi et al.3 have excited hopes among investigators of multiple sclerosis (MS) and slow virus infections of the central nervous system that an experimental marker for these diseases has finally been found. Tissues from humans with MS or from scrapie mice were inoculated into normal mice, which showed a polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) depression beginning within 1 to 3 d of the inoculation and persisting many months thereafter.
iTrack: Correlating user activity with system data

Human error has been identified one of the major factors behind system outages and network downtime in a number of previous research papers and surveys. Gartner statistics show that almost 40% of unplanned application downtime is caused due to operator errors such as unintentional changes to network configuration resulting in a network outage, patch installations, service restart, etc. Yet, system admin activities on production IT systems are rarely properly logged and monitored. Existing tools to track user activities either produce too much information without any hints of a potential outage scenario or too little information to be useful in a meaningful way. In this paper, we describe the design and implementation of iTrack — a framework for monitoring user activities and correlating them with system data. iTrack makes use of commonly available native monitoring and diagnostic utilities on operating systems to monitor systems events as well as system admin activity, correlates these two sets of information and categorizes the activity as potentially abnormal or harmful based on its impact on the system in terms of file system, network and process activities. We demonstrate the usefulness of iTrack through several use cases and real world examples such as detecting and diagnosing system outages in real time, conducting post mortem analysis of outages, and maintaining audit logs. Our experimental evaluation of iTrack confirms that its monitoring overhead in terms of CPU time, activity completion time and data generated is within the tolerance range of most production systems. In cases, where the overhead was found to be unacceptable, we detect the underlying cause and provide solutions. These solutions improve performance by up to 20% to 90%, in terms of managed server and iTrack server CPU utilization, respectively and by up to 2 times in terms of completion time of certain system admin activities on the managed server.
Errors in Freestream Reynolds Number of Helium Wind Tunnels

Correction factor for free stream Reynolds number errors resulting from low temperature viscosity in He wind tunnels
Lyapunov exponents and control sets near singular points

Abstract We consider control affine systems of the form x =f 0 (x)+ ∑ i=1 m u i (t)f i (x),u∈ U ={u : R →U : loc. integrable } on R d with compact control range U and a singular point x ∗ ∈ R d , i.e. f i (x ∗ )=0, i=0,…,m . Control sets are maximal subsets of R d with nonvoid interior where the system is approximately controllable. We suppose that there is a periodic control functions u h such that linearized the system has positive and negative Lyapunov exponents for u h and a periodic control function u s such that the linearized system has only negative Lyapunov exponents for u s . Under an inner pair condition we show the existence of control sets near the singular point, by using local stable and unstable manifolds of the system corresponding to u h and its asymptotic phase.
Non-equilibrium electrokinetic nanofluidic mixers

We propose a new type of micro/nano fluidic mixer based on non-equilibrium electrokinetics and demonstrate its mixing capacity. We fabricate the device with two-step reactive ion etching, one for a nanochannel and one for a microchannel. Mixing is achieved by strong vortex structures formed near the micro/nano channel interface. We expect the proposed device to be beneficial in the development of micro total analysis systems, since it is simple in its design yet with minimal fabrication complications.
Mechanisms of action of interferons and glatiramer acetate in multiple sclerosis

MS is an immunologically mediated disease, as determined by observation of the response to immunotherapy and the existence of an animal model, experimental autoimmune encephalitis. Interferon (IFN) beta-1b, IFN beta-1a, and glatiramer acetate, the therapies used for relapsing or remitting MS, have mechanisms of action that address the immunologic pathophysiology of MS. The IFNs bind to cell surface-specific receptors, initiating a cascade of signaling pathways that end with the secretion of antiviral, antiproliferative, and immunomodulatory gene products. Glatiramer acetate, a synthetic molecule, inhibits the activation of myelin basic protein-reactive T cells and induces a T-cell repertoire characterized by anti-inflammatory effects. Although the two classes of drugs have some overlapping mechanisms of action, the IFNs rapidly block blood-brain barrier leakage and gadolinium (Gd) enhancement within 2 weeks, whereas glatiramer acetate produces less rapid resolution of Gd-enhanced MRI activity. IFN beta has no direct effects in the CNS, but glatiramer acetate-specific T cells are believed to have access to the CNS, where they can exert anti-inflammatory and possibly neuroprotective effects.
Broadening the View of What Constitutes “Evidence”

To make industrial–organizational (I–O) psychology more evidence based than it is, Briner and Rousseau (2011) focus on improving the knowledge ‘‘product’’ that will serve as evidence. Make this product more usable (i.e., understandable) and useful (i.e., relevant to real-world issues) to the practitioner, and they will consume more of it. To this end, academics are asked to do what amounts to ‘‘user-centered design’’—spend more time engaged with practitioners and their world to know what the customer wants and to help them choose wisely. Underlying this solution is the idea that academics and practitioners need to be more similar, also advocated in various ways by other authors (see the 2007 special issue of Academy of Management Journal). This perspective sees practitioners as buyers in a market where academics are sellers, and we think this is simplistic. The market perspective treats the evidence-based practice as a simple product, like a hammer. We will argue that it needs to be treated as a complex one, like an assembly line robot—for it to work well it needs to have quality components, be well manufactured, be appropriate for the specific task, and should fit with the rest of the line. Building and integrating such a complex product requires specialization and coordination among those who play
RF phasing of the Duke linac

The injector of Duke storage ring is a 295 MeV S-band linear accelerator (linac) which consists of 3 klystrons and 11 accelerator sections. The phase adjustment between klystrons is achieved by means of 2 commercial coaxial phase shifters in the klystron drive line. The phase between accelerator sections is balanced on the low power level after the waveguide installation. A mechanical high power waveguide phase changer has been developed and installed for each accelerator section. During the high power operation, the waveguide phase can be changed remotely by driving gearmotor to deform the waveguide cross section. The test results and high power performance are reported.
Pax5 activates immunoglobulin heavy chain V to DJ rearrangement in transgenic thymocytes.

Mice deficient for the B cell‐restricted transcription factor Pax5 show a defect in the V H to DJ H rearrangement step of immunoglobulin heavy chain gene assembly even though the expression of the V(D)J recombinase is not diminished in Pax5 � / � pro‐B cells. To investigate whether Pax5 is limiting for V H to DJ H rearrangement, we generated transgenic mice which express Pax5 in developing thymocytes. We show that enforced expression of Pax5 in thymocytes results in a partial block in T cell development due to defective pre-TCR signaling in � -selection. Moreover, our results demonstrate that expression of Pax5 in early thymocytes is sufficient to induce V H to DJ H rearrangements in CD4 � CD8 � T cells and lead us to suggest that Pax5 may play a direct role in the lineage-specific regulation of immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangement.
Porter-Thomas distribution in unstable many-body systems

We use the continuum shell model approach to explore the resonance width distribution in unstable many-body systems. The single-particle nature of a decay, the few-body character of the interaction Hamiltonian, and the collectivity that emerges in nonstationary systems due to the coupling to the continuum of reaction states are discussed. Correlations between the structures of the parent and daughter nuclear systems in the common Fock space are found to result in deviations of decay width statistics from the Porter-Thomas distribution.
Precise Manipulation and Patterning of Protein Crystals for Macromolecular Crystallography Using Surface Acoustic Waves

Advances in modern X-ray sources and detector technology have made it possible for crystallographers to collect usable data on crystals of only a few micrometers or less in size. Despite these developments, sample handling techniques have significantly lagged behind and often prevent the full realization of current beamline capabilities. In order to address this shortcoming we have developed a surface acoustic wave-based method for manipulating and patterning crystals. This method, which does not damage the fragile protein crystals, can precisely manipulate and pattern micrometer and sub-micrometer sized crystals for data collection and screening. The technique is robust, inexpensive, and easy to implement. This method not only promises to significantly increase efficiency and throughput of both conventional and serial crystallography experiments, but also will make it possible to collect data on samples that were previously intractable.
Organizational transition to enterprise resource planning systems: theoretical choices for process research

The number of organizations implementing enterprise resource planning (ERP) software solutions is rapidly increasing. Transition to ERP systems is often combined with a business process reengineering effort and intended to produce radical organizational change. Prior to conducting research on ERP transition, researchers need to become aware of the theoretical choices available to guide their studies. In this paper, three dimensions of process theories used to explain organizational change are identified: form, motor, and theoretical content. Whereas form deals mainly with the amount and frequency of change, motor refers to the mechanisms explaining how and why change unfolds, and theoretical content consists of specific constructs and their interactions that produce change. In order to make complete theoretical choices, researchers should consider all three dimensions of change in the design of their research. The three dimensions are combined in a framework that can guide research on ERP-related organizational transition.
Salvage Radiotherapy for Recurrent Prostate Cancer After Radical Prostatectomy

Context Salvage radiotherapy may potentially cure patients with disease recurrence after radical prostatectomy, but previous evidence has suggested that it is ineffective in patients at the highest risk of metastatic disease progression. Objective To delineate patients who may benefit from salvage radiotherapy for prostate cancer recurrence by identifying variables associated with a durable response. Design, Setting, and Patients Retrospective review of a cohort of 501 patients at 5 US academic tertiary referral centers who received salvage radiotherapy between June 1987 and November 2002 for detectable and increasing prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels after radical prostatectomy.
Tailoring the oxygen distribution in 300 mm Czochralski crystal of pure silicon using cusp magnetic field

Oxygen content in the pure Silicon crystal is inevitable because of the significant rate of corrosion of the crucible walls at high temperature. Precise control of oxygen is possible only by manipulating underlying flow. A global model was developed to investigate the effect of crystal and crucible rotations in absence and presence of the Electromagnetic Fields (EMs) on melt flow. The simulation results show that strong buoyancy driven flow interaction generates non-uniformity in oxygen concentration near the edge of the crystal in the absence of magnetic field. Application of external field facilitates more pumping of melt underneath the crystal that prevents stratification of oxygen near the edge.
STABILITY OF TESTIS HORMONE

TOF THE NUMEROUS artificial and natural androgens known, one of the most active is testosterone which was isolated from the testes by Laqueur (1) and his associates. With the exception of the reported isolation of androstanedione by Ogata and Hirano (2) no other hormone has been prepared from testicular tissue but there are indications that testosterone is not the only internal secretion of significance produced by the testes. The question of the duality or possibly the plurality of testes hormones has been studied in this laboratory for some time. The experiments concerning the relative stability of testosterone and testicular extracts which are re-ported in this paper throw additional light on this subject. The effect of boiling testosterone with acid. Three hundred micrograms of testosterone were dissolved in 750 cc. of ethyl alcohol which was mixed with 150 cc. of concentrated sulphuric acid and sufficient water to make the final volume 31.
Clinic teaching made easy: A prospective study of the American Academy of Dermatology core curriculum in primary care learners

Background Dermatology instruction for primary care learners is limited, and the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) has developed a new core curriculum for dermatology. Objective This study sought to prospectively evaluate short-term knowledge acquisition and long-term knowledge retention after using the AAD core curriculum during a clinical dermatology clerkship. Methods Resident physicians and physician assistant students performing clerkships at military dermatology clinics were given access to the AAD core curriculum teaching modules before their public availability. Knowledge acquisition was measured with pretests and posttests, and a follow-up quiz was given up to a year after the dermatology rotation to assess knowledge retention. Results In all, 82 primary care learners met inclusion criteria. Knowledge improved significantly from pretest to posttest (60.1 vs 77.4, P P = .003). Long-term follow-up scores available from 38 participants were only slightly lower than their posttest scores (70.5 vs 78.9, P Limitations The nonrandomized study was voluntary, so individual performance may be influenced by selection bias. Conclusion The more learners used the online curriculum, the better they scored on the posttest. This demonstrates the efficacy of the AAD core curriculum in teaching its goals and objectives for primary care learners performing a dermatology clerkship.
Evidence for trans-cuticular uptake of HNO3 vapor by foliage of Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.)

Abstract Forest declines in Europe and the northeastern United States are widely believed to be associated with deposition of air pollutants, perhaps including nitric acid vapor. The experiments presented here, which were conducted in indoor chambers, involved measurement of steady-state rates of nitric acid deposition on foliage of seedlings of eastern white pine. Nitric acid concentrations ranged from 37 to 1260 ppb, but were mostly in the 130–180 ppb range. Between 130 and 180 ppb, much of the deposited nitric acid could be removed by washing leaf surfaces with water. Amounts of nitrate removed by washing increased with exposure duration to a maximum of 7·6 nmol cm −2 after about 8h. Although nitrate concentrations in the washings remained constant after 8h, nitric acid deposition nonetheless continued at a steady-state rate. We have termed this steady-state deposition ‘trans-cuticular’ on the assumption that the nitric acid diffuses through the cuticle. Resistance to trans-cuticular uptake (69m 2 s mol −1 ) far exceeded resistance to diffusion across the unstirred layer at the surface of the leaf (5 m 2 s mol −1 ). High concentrations used in these experiments preclude quantitative extrapolation to ambient conditions; however, we have demonstrated that the white pine cuticle is both a major storage pool and a major barrier to uptake of deposited nitric acid.
IDE dataflow analysis in the presence of large object-oriented libraries

A key scalability challenge for interprocedural dataflow analysis comes from large libraries. Our work addresses this challenge for the general category of interprocedural distributive environment (IDE) dataflow problems. Using pre-computed library summary information, the proposed approach reduces significantly the cost of whole-program IDE analyses without any loss of precision. We define an approach for library summary generation by using a graph representation of dataflow summary functions, and by abstracting away redundant dataflow facts that are internal to the library. Our approach also handles object-oriented features, by employing an IDE type analysis as well as special handling of polymorphic library call sites whose target methods depend on the future (unknown) client code. Experimental results show that dramatic cost savings can be achieved with the help of these techniques.
Descriptive Analysis of Patient Readmissions within 60 Days Due to Medication-Related Events:

BackgroundHospital readmissions have become a marker for quality health care. Readmissions secondary to failures of the medication use process are poorly documented and underrecognized. Objective: To identify the incidence of readmissions related to the medication use process and identify associated patient- and therapy-related risk factors.MethodsA prospective observational cohort study including patients discharged from an acute care medicine unit and readmitted within 60 days. The primary outcome was percentage of readmissions related to drug-related problems (DRPs) as defined by Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe (PCNE). Secondary outcomes included classification of problems using PCNE criteria, type and extent of pharmacist involvement in patient care, and identification of variables associated with a readmission related to a DRP.ResultsOne hundred patients provided informed consent and were included for analysis. A DRP associated with readmission was identified in 64 patients. Sixty-one percent were...
A mixed methods investigation of flow experience in the middle school instrumental music classroom

Although flow theory is one way of measuring the quality of a student’s experience in a music ensemble, the majority of flow research utilizes samples of high school or collegiate level musicians t...
MY APPROACH to the practical management of anticoagulation in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) should be used for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and prosthetic heart valves, mitral stenosis, severe valvular disease, and severe renal dysfunction. In other patients (those with non-valvular AF), anticoagulation is considered based on risk factors. The CHA2DS2-VASc score assigns 1 point for cardiac failure, hypertension, diabetes, age between 65 and 74 years, vascular disease, and female gender; 2 points are assigned for age 75 years and older and stroke. Patients with a CHA2DS2-VASc score of 0 do not require anticoagulation. Those with a score of at least 2 should receive anticoagulation. Whether anticoagulation benefits patients with a CHA2DS2-VASc score of 1 is debatable, and therapy should be individualized. VKAs are difficult to use. High quality of anticoagulation, measured by the time in therapeutic range (TTR), is not achieved in a large number of patients. A low TTR makes patients more vulnerable to major bleeding and stroke. In addition, VKAs inhibit the synthesis of clotting factors so the onset of action is delayed. When VKAs are discontinued, a persistent anticoagulant effect lasts for several days, delaying many surgical procedures. Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), including the thrombin inhibitor dabigatran and factor Xa inhibitors rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban, offer advantages over VKAs. They directly inhibit coagulation factors so that an anticoagulant effect is achieved within hours. Clinical trials have
Hybrid Sulfonic Acid Catalysts Based on Silica-Supported Poly(Styrene Sulfonic Acid) Brush Materials and Their Application in Ester Hydrolysis

Catalytic conversions involving water as a reactant, product, or solvent are of high importance in biomass conversion into fuels and chemicals. In this context, water-tolerant solid acids are highly valued. Polymer-oxide hybrid materials based on nonporous silica-supported sulfonic acid-containing polymer brush materials are proposed here as a new class of potentially water-tolerant solid acid catalyst. Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), using both (i) an established and (ii) a new ATRP initiator that is designed to improve the hydrolytic stability of the catalyst, leads to creation of poly(styrene) brushes on the surface of fumed silica. These brushes are sulfonated to produce an acid catalyst akin to an acidic Merrifield resin, but with enhanced accessibility of the active sites. The catalysts are evaluated in the hydrolysis of ethyl lactate, with the polymer brush materials having the same activity as a homogeneous catalyst, p-toluenesulfonic acid, and being substantially more active than an ...
Experimental Evaluation of Resistance Management for Twospotted Spider Mite (Acari: Tetranychidae) on Southern Oregon Pear: 1987–1993

Resistance in twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, was measured for 7 yr in the following 5 treatments of organotin (cyhexatin—1987, fenbutatin oxide—1988 to 1993) and hexythiazox: (1) consecutive organotin use, (2) consecutive hexythiazox use, (3) alternation of both within year, (4) between year rotations of both organotins and hexythiazox, and (5) a combination at half rates of both types of compound. In replicated field plots, acaricides were applied twice per season. We detected significant increases in LC50s to the organotins in the consecutive organotin treatments after the 5th application; we also noted field failure after the 6th application (year 3). LC50s in the consecutive hexythiazox program increased after the 5th use (year 3), but field failure occurred only after the 11th application (year 6). In the within season alternation test, we detected a changed LC50 of organotin after the 10th application (5th organotin application); for hexythiazox the change occurred after the 11th (6th hexythiazox spray). Field failure of hexythiazox occurred in year 7. In the annual rotation, LC50s for organotins did not increase until after the 12th application (6th organotin application); for hexythiazox, LC50s did not increase until after the 11th (6th hexythiazox spray); field failure of hexythiazox occurred after the 12th application (year 6). In the combination half rate program, LC50s for both compounds increased after the 11th application (=5.5 full rate treatments of each); field failure occurred after the 13th application (year 7). Overall, use in the field was not extended by rotations or half rate combinations compared with consecutive uses, but benefits from these programs may occur because of slow registration of new acaricides. Alternate, consecutive uses may give 8 years of control (if hexythiazox is used first) compared with 5-6 years of control for other programs. Resistance to organotins conferred cross-resistance to hexythiazox. The fitness and persistence of both resistances and implications of the study to pest management are discussed.
Hybrid sampling algorithm based on probability distribution estimation

In the class imbalanced data distribution, both the between-class and within-class imbalance issues are critical factors to decrease the performance. To improve the performance of classifier algorithm on the imbalanced data, a hybrid sampling algorithm based on probability distribution estimation is proposed. The approach re-samples the data of subclass to balance the distribution in each class based on probability distribution estimation. Moreover, it expands the decision region of minority class and removes the redundant information of majority class, so as to solve the imbalance issues from both global and local perspectives simultaneously. Experimental results show that the proposed method improves the classification performance for imbalanced data.
Comparative Study on Braking Performance for New Drum Brakes

In order to simulating accurately the braking process of leading-trailing brake system with an opening device by a cam,and discuss which is better in the braking performance between the two new drum brakes,the author establishes the finite element models of two new floating-shoe brakes by ANSYS finite element software in this paper,then a comparative analysis was carried out between them.The results indicates that: The drum brake which the extended line of the floating cotter way is get through the center point of the drum brake is little better than another in the braking efficiency.
Nonparametric Methods: The History, the Reality, and the Future (with Special Reference to Statistical Selection Problems)

After giving definition(s) of “nonparametric” methods, we note that some problems are “naturally” nonparametric, and that for parametric problems there are strong reasons for desiring nonparametric solutions. “Nonparametric” and “robust” methods are contrasted, and relationships with “rank-based,” “bootstrap,” and “simulation and Monte Carlo” nonparametric procedures are noted. Work on nonparametric selection is reviewed: the needs for it, the early hopes for easy solution (and the Rizvi-Woodworth counterexample to Lehmann’s work), Sobel’s procedure (and the invalidity of more intuitive procedures), dual problems, tables, computer science applications, and robust two-stage solutions. Possible directions of new research are noted.
Effects of Hydrogen Peroxide as a Core Sample Processing Solvent on Invertebrate Biomass

Abstract Scientists estimate biomass of invertebrates to evaluate wetland management practices, estimate energetic carrying capacity for wildlife, assess habitat condition and disturbance, and quantify ecosystem services. For waterfowl and other waterbirds in North America, carrying capacity in migratory and wintering regions is estimated using food density, of which invertebrates can be a significant component. However, we are not aware of previous literature that has described the effects of reagents used during core sample processing on invertebrate biomass and abundance. We tested the effects of hydrogen peroxide on aquatic invertebrates to determine whether a reagent used to disassociate soils during core sample processing biased estimates of biomass and abundance. Wet masses of chironomid larvae were less (x = 23.5% loss) in samples exposed to hydrogen peroxide than those exposed only to tap water and biomass decreased approximately 2.9% with each minute of exposure time. Dry mass of larvae was les...
Pancreatic Cancer Chemoprevention Translational Workshop: Meeting Report

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer related deaths in the United States with a 5-year survival rate of less than 10%. The Division of Cancer Prevention of the National Cancer Institute sponsored the Pancreatic Cancer Chemoprevention Translational Workshop on September 10 to 11, 2015. The goal of the workshop was to obtain information regarding the current state of the science and future scientific areas that should be prioritized for pancreatic cancer prevention research, including early detection and intervention for high-risk precancerous lesions. The workshop addressed the molecular/genetic landscape of pancreatic cancer and precursor lesions, high-risk populations and criteria to identify a high-risk population for potential chemoprevention trials, identification of chemopreventative/immunopreventative agents, and use of potential biomarkers and imaging for assessing short-term efficacy of a preventative agent. The field of chemoprevention for pancreatic cancer is emerging, and this workshop was organized to begin to address these important issues and promote multi-institutional efforts in this area. The meeting participants recommended the development of an National Cancer Institute working group to coordinate efforts, provide a framework, and identify opportunities for chemoprevention of pancreatic cancer.
Dietary flavonoid intake and incident coronary heart disease: The REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study

Background Flavonoids are dietary polyphenolic compounds with a variety of proposed beneficial cardiovascular effects, but rigorous prospective studies that examine the association between flavonoid intake and incident coronary heart disease (CHD) in geographically and racially diverse US samples are limited. Objective With the use of the new, expanded USDA flavonoid database, we assessed the association between total flavonoid and flavonoid subclass intakes with incident CHD in a biracial and geographically diverse cohort, as well as effect modification by age, sex, race, and region of residence. Design Participants were 16,678 black and white men and women enrolled in the REGARDS (REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke) study, a national prospective cohort study. All participants were without CHD at baseline, and all completed a Block98 food-frequency questionnaire. Flavonoid intakes were estimated from USDA flavonoid databases, which were recently improved to address missing values for cooked foods and to adjust for flavonoid losses due to processing. Incident CHD events were participant reported and adjudicated by experts. Quintiles of flavonoid intake were examined as predictors of incident CHD by using Cox proportional hazards regression to obtain HRs. Tests for trend used the quintile medians. Results Over a mean ± SD follow-up of 6.0 ± 1.9 y, 589 CHD events occurred. High flavonoid intake was associated with self-identified white race, exercise, not smoking, more education, and higher income. In models that adjusted for sociodemographic, health behavior, and dietary factors, there was an inverse association between anthocyanidin and proanthocyanidin intakes and incident CHD (HRs for quintile 5 compared with quintile 1-anthocyanidins: 0.71; 95% CI: 0.52, 0.98; P-trend = 0.04; proanthocyanidins: 0.63; 95% CI: 0.47, 0.84; P-trend = 0.02). There was no association between total flavonoid or other flavonoid subclass intakes and incident CHD. Conclusions Reported anthocyanidin and proanthocyanidin intakes were inversely associated with incident CHD. There was no significant effect modification by age, sex, race, or region of residence.