cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of cardiac risk biomarker testing in a naturopathic medicine teaching center: Lessons on standard of care

Abstract Introduction Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality in the United States. Since atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease, it is critical for integrative practitioners to have insight into the level of cardiovascular inflammation in their patients. The purpose of this study was to describe the medical history of patients that received cardiac biomarker testing at National University of Health Sciences (NUHS) Whole Health Center and the naturopathic interventions that these patients received. Methods In this report, 40 patient records selected based on specific inclusion criteria at a naturopathic training center were reviewed and analyzed to assess their baseline values, specifically paying attention to testing their cardiac inflammatory markers. The risk factors for these patients, their baseline blood work per the standard lipid panel (LDL and non-LDL cholesterol plus triglyceride), their medication history, the panel results, the naturopathic therapies employed, and any longer-term follow-up testing were recorded. Results For this group of 40 patients, the majority had elevated risk and dyslipidemia, and of those many showed evidence of inflammation. Most of the patients in the study were not using statin therapy; more than half of patients did not receive follow-up testing to ascertain the impact of the naturopathic therapies on their inflammatory state. Conclusions Naturopathic cardiology practicerequires targeted protocols that can be evaluated clinically. More consistent follow-up and reproducible protocols that can be evaluated for their impact on inflammatory biomarkers are needed. Follow-up is strongly encouraged, especially in those not using statin (standard) therapy.
Sleep Patterns and Quality Among Inpatients Recovering From Elective Surgery: A Mixed-Method Study.

Abstract Background Sleep is necessary for recovery from physiological insults such as surgery. Although previous research has focused on sleep in the intensive care unit and medical setting, little is known about sleep quality among inpatients recovering from elective surgery. Therefore, we examined sleep quality and barriers to sleep among postsurgical inpatients. Methods We conducted an explanatory sequential mixed-method study among adult general-care surgical inpatients who underwent elective surgery. We used a quantitative survey to examine sleep quality and interruptions followed by a qualitative phone interview with a subsample of participants to examine barriers and aids to sleep in the hospital. Results were analyzed using descriptive statistics of survey data and descriptive coding of interview transcripts. Results Of 113, 102 (90%) eligible patients completed the survey. Less than half (n = 48, 47%) of patients reported sleeping well the previous night and 93% reported less sleep in the hospital compared with at home. Patients reported a median of 5 (4-7) interruptions each night. Patients with >3 sleep interruptions were more likely to report poor sleep than those with ≤3 interruptions (P Conclusions Most patients do not sleep well while recovering from elective surgery in the hospital, and most sleep disruptions are modifiable. Minimizing interruptions at night by clustering care, informing patients of scheduled interruptions, and increasing access to noise-reduction aids may improve sleep quality. Optimal efforts to improve sleep quantity and quality will ultimately require a multilevel, multicomponent strategy.
Rethinking Decimalization: The Impact of Increased Tick Sizes on Trading Activity, Volatility, and Price Clustering

In this study, we examine the trading activity and volatility of stocks influenced by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s pilot program that increases tick sizes for various samples of st...
Planetary gear train microcrack detection using vibration data and convolutional neural networks

Planetary gear trains (PGTs) are widely used in many industrial applications from wind turbines to automobile transmissions due to their high power-to-weight ratio. Since PGT can be subjected to faults and prone to failure over time, a non-intrusive method of monitoring the condition of PGT is required. Vibration-based machine learning algorithms are mostly used in fault diagnosis and classification in PGT, but due to the epicyclic motion of gears, vibration signals from one gear can get neutralized or amplified by signals from another gear. In addition, identification of smaller cracks in the sun gear can be challenging when using vibration-based fault diagnosis alone due to cancelation effects from the planet pinions. In this paper, epicyclic drivetrain of a Chevy Volt hybrid car is considered to study two scenarios: (1) detecting microcracks (0.02 mm) and (2) identifying faults in sun gear while its signal is affected by cracks at the planetary gears. Four different cases: a healthy PGT, PGT with a sun crack, PGT with a planet crack, and a PGT with a sun and a planet crack, were considered and simulated using the MSC ADAMS software. The joint forces at the exterior ring gear were extracted, and a Blackman function was applied to conversion to frequency-domain values. Each of the frequency-domain amplitude values was converted to pixel values in a grayscale image, and the generated images were fed into a convolutional neural network (CNN) to train, validate, and test the datasets. The results indicated that the proposed grayscale 2D CNN algorithm has an accuracy of 92% for the test set.
Global attractivity of delayed and nonlocal diffusive logistic models with variable coefficients

Abstract In this paper, we consider a reaction-diffusion equation with continuous delay and spatial variable coefficients which models the evolution of a single species. We establish a sharp threshold dynamic result: there exists a critical value λ ( a ) such that if λ ( a ) 0 the positive steady state solution of the equation is globally attractive, while if λ ( a ) ≥ 0 the trivial steady state is globally attractive. To this end, we analyze the ω-limit set of the equation and prove that it is a singleton. Moreover, we apply our method to obtain global attractivity of the positive steady state of a spatially nonlocal diffusive logistic model.
Light-activated photosealing with human amniotic membrane strengthens bowel anastomosis in a hypotensive, trauma-relevant swine model.

Background Gastrointestinal anastomotic leakage is a dreaded complication despite advancements in surgical technique. Photochemical tissue bonding (PTB) is a method of sealing tissue surfaces utilizing photoactive dye. We evaluated if crosslinked human amniotic membrane (xHAM) photosealed over the enteroenterostomy would augment anastomotic strength in a trauma-relevant swine hemorrhagic shock model. Methods Yorkshire swine (40-45 kg, n = 14) underwent midline laparotomy and sharp transection of the small intestine 120 cm proximal to the ileocecal fold. Immediately following intestinal transection, a controlled arterial bleed was performed to reach hemorrhagic shock. Intestinal repair was performed after 60 minutes and autotransfusion of the withdrawn blood was performed for resuscitation. Animals were randomized to small intestinal anastomosis by one of the following methods (seven per group): suture repair (SR), or SR with PTB augmentation. Animals were euthanized at postoperative Day 28 and burst pressure (BP) strength testing was performed on all excised specimens. Results Mean BP for SR, PTB, and native tissue groups were 229 ± 40, 282 ± 21, and 282 ± 47 mmHg, respectively, with the SR group statistically significantly different on analysis of variance (p = 0.02). Post-hoc Tukey all-pairs comparison demonstrated a statistically significant difference in burst pressure strength between the SR only and the PTB group (p = 0.04). All specimens in SR group ruptured at the anastomosis upon burst pressure testing, while all specimens in the PTB group ruptured at least 2.5 cm from the anastomosis. Conclusion Photosealing with xHAM significantly augments the strength of small intestinal anastomosis performed in a trauma porcine model.
DESIGNING AUTOMOTIVE FUEL SYSTEMS IN HIGH TEMPERATURE PLASTICS

The use of high temperature engineering plastics in automotive fuel systems offer significant cost savings for vehicle manufacturers. These engineering plastics, which are available in many different resin compositions, offer such important underhood properties as heat and chemical resistance, low warpage, dimensional stability, toughness and strength. They also provide processing benefits that can substantially reduce capital costs. The expensive finishing steps inherent with die-cast alloys are reduced or even eliminated with plastics. Additional economies are derived from the greater design flexibility and ease of assembly that plastics offer.
Simulation Model of Refuse Collection Politics

A computer simulation program has been developed for the purpose of evaluating the dynamic operational characteristics of refuse collection crews employed on a constant length workday basis. The constant length workday simulation program was used to evaluate the overall performance of the collection crews, the quality and unit costs of the service provided to the service area (dollars/ton, dollars/service/week, percentage on-time collection), under different operational policies. Policies related to the use of overtime, the use of a relay driver for hauling the last load of the day, the average quantity of refuse assigned per crew, and the assigned total length of workday, were evaluated for a hypothetical service area. Unit cost expressed as dollars/service/week is preferable to unit cost expressed as dollars/ton in assessing the cost of refuse collection.
School counselors' use of the combination Social Stories™ and video modeling intervention for social skills development of students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A qualitative criticism of the perceptions of multidisciplinary team members

Autism Disorder and related disorders such as Asperger’s Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified, are collectively known as Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). These disorders are currently the fastest growing diagnosed disorders among children and have been found in 110 in 10,000 individuals. Individuals with ASD are delayed in social development according to diagnostic criteria. To address the social development delays of students with ASD, two research-based interventions have been developed: Social Stories and video modeling. Social Stories uses a specific combination of sentences to describe a social situation or a social skill in story form. Video modeling is an isolation of social skill steps delivered through a video medium to model the social skill. The purpose of this study was to combine Social Stories and video modeling (combined intervention) and investigate the perceptions of educational multidisciplinary team members (school counselors, parents, teachers) regarding the combination intervention for the development of social behavior in students with ASD. School counselors participating in this study delivered the combination Social Stories and video modeling intervention to student participants with ASD. Then, the perceptions of the school-based multidisciplinary team members were collected through qualitative questionnaires. These multidisciplinary team members’ perceptions were used in analysis of the combination intervention to develop the Qualitative Criticism. This Qualitative Criticism describes, interprets, and evaluates the pragmatic use of the combination of the Social Stories and video modeling intervention with students with ASD in schools from the perspectives of the school counselors, teachers, and parents of these students. Organized by case, team members of each of the student participants reflected on the strengths and weaknesses of these interventions for that student. Across cases, comments were analyzed by role (i.e., parent, teacher, school counselor). Then, these roles were combined into a cross-case analysis of multidisciplinary team
A conserved mechanism of TOR-dependent RCK-mediated mRNA degradation regulates autophagy

Williamson and colleagues demonstrate that mRNA-decapping enzyme Dcp2 is phosphorylated by mTORC1, leading to degradation of Atg mRNA and suppression of autophagy, influencing immunity and inflammation.
Modeling glioma growth and mass effect in 3D MR images of the brain

In this article, we propose a framework for modeling glioma growth and the subsequent mechanical impact on the surrounding brain tissue (mass-effect) in a medical imaging context. Glioma growth is modeled via nonlinear reaction-advection-diffusion, with a two-way coupling with the underlying tissue elastic deformation. Tumor bulk and infiltration and subsequent mass-effects are not regarded separately, but captured by the model itself in the course of its evolution. Our formulation is fully Eulerian and naturally allows for updating the tumor diffusion coefficient following structural displacements caused by tumor growth/infiltration. We show that model parameters can be estimated via optimization based on imaging data, using efficient solution algorithms on regular grids. We test the model and the automatic optimization framework on real brain tumor data sets, achieving significant improvement in landmark prediction compared to a simplified purely mechanical approach.
Clinical experience with the amniotic fluid lecithin-sphingomyelin ratio. I. Antenatal prediction of pulmonary maturity.

Abstract Amniotic fluid lecithin/sphingomyelin (L/S ratios were measured in 425 pregnancies and restrospectively correlated with neonatal pulmonary performance. L/S ratios of 2.0 and greater, a value reached at about 34 weeks of gestation, were associated with 3.7 per cent morbidity from idiopathic respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and a 0.3 per cent mortality rate from hyaline membrane disease (HMD) among 347 newborn infants. A 63 per cent morbidity from RDS and 23 per cent mortality rate from HMD, however, were found among 48 newborn infants delivered within 72 hours of having an L/S ratio of less than 2.0. The association of an L/S ratio greater than 2.0 with a low incidence of RDS and virtual absence of HMD substantiates the value of this method as a predictor of fetal pulmonary maturity.
Concomitant interindividual variation in body temperature and metabolic rate

There is significant variation in metabolic rate in humans, independent of differences in body size, body composition, age, and gender. Although it has been generally held that the normal human "set-point" body temperature is 37 degrees C, these interindividual variations in metabolic rate also suggest possible variations in body temperature. To examine the possibility of correlations between metabolic rate and body temperature, triplicate measurements of oral temperatures were made before and after measurement of 24-h energy expenditure in a respiratory chamber in 23 Pima Indian men. Fasting oral temperatures varied more between individuals than can be attributed to methodological errors or intraindividual variation. Oral temperatures correlated with sleeping (r = 0.80, P < 0.0001), and 24-h (r = 0.48, P < 0.02) metabolic rates adjusted for differences in body size, body composition, and age. Similarly, in the 32 Caucasian men of the Minnesota Semi-Starvation Study, oral temperature correlated with adjusted metabolic rate, and the interindividual differences in body temperature were maintained throughout semistarvation and refeeding. These results suggest that a low body temperature and a low metabolic rate might be two signs of an obesity-prone syndrome in humans.
Atraumatic osteonecrosis of the knee.

Background: The purposes of this study were to define the clinical, demographic, and radiographic patterns of atraumatic osteonecrosis of the distal part of the femur and the proximal part of the tibia at presentation and to report the outcome of treatment of this condition. Methods: Two hundred and forty-eight knees in 136 patients who were younger than the age of fifty-five years were treated at our institution between July 1, 1974, and September 15, 1998, for atraumatic osteonecrosis of the distal part of the femur or the proximal part of the tibia, or both. Demographic and radiographic features were characterized. The results of nonoperative treatment, core decompression, arthroscopic debridement, and total knee arthroplasty were evaluated. Results: There were 106 female patients and thirty male patients, and their mean age was thirty-six years (range, fifteen to fifty-four years) at the time of diagnosis. One hundred and one patients (74 percent) had involvement of other large joints, with eighteen (13 percent) presenting initially with knee symptoms. One hundred and one patients (74 percent) had a disease that affected the immune system; sixty-seven of them had systemic lupus erythematosus. One hundred and twenty-three patients (90 percent) had a history of corticosteroid use. Technetium-99m bone-scanning missed lesions in sixteen (29 percent) of fifty-six knees. Eight (20 percent) of forty-one initially symptomatic knees treated nonoperatively had a successful clinical outcome (a Knee Society score of at least 80 points and no additional surgery) at a mean of eight years. The knees that remained severely symptomatic for three months were treated with either core decompression (ninety-one knees) or total knee arthroplasty (seven knees). Seventy-two (79 percent) of the ninety-one knees treated with core decompression had a good or excellent clinical outcome at a mean of seven years. Efforts to avoid total knee arthroplasty with repeat core decompression or arthroscopic debridement led to a successful outcome in fifteen (60 percent) of twenty-five knees. Thirty-four (71 percent) of forty-eight knees treated with total knee arthroplasty had a successful clinical outcome at a mean of nine years. Conclusions: Atraumatic osteonecrosis of the knee predominantly affects women, and in our study it was associated with corticosteroid use in 90 percent of the patients. Evaluation should include standard radiographic and magnetic resonance imaging of all symptomatic joints. Prognosis was negatively related to large juxta-articular lesions. Nonoperative treatment should be reserved for asymptomatic knees only. Core decompression was successful (a Knee Society score of at least 80 points and no additional surgery) in 79 percent of the knees in which the disease was in an early stage. Total knee arthroplasty was successful in only 71 percent of the knees.
Clinical Utility of Blood Cultures in Adult Patients with Community-Acquired Pneumonia Without Defined Underlying Risks

Study objective We retrospectively examined the clinical utility of obtaining routine blood cultures before the administration of antibiotics in certain nonimmunosuppressed patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) admitted to the hospital during 1991. Design Retrospective review. Setting Grady Memorial Hospital (a county hospital primarily serving inner-city Atlanta). Patients or participants Hospital discharge diagnosis listings identified 1,250 adults (≥18 years old) with pneumonia. From this group of patients, we selected patients admitted to the hospital with (1) respiratory symptoms and a lobar infiltrate on chest radiograph that were present at the time of hospital admission, (2) two or more sets of blood cultures obtained within 48 h of hospital admission, and (3) absence of defined risk factors: HIV-related illness, malignancy, recent chemotherapy, steroid therapy, sickle cell disease, nursing home residence, or hospital stays within the past 14 days. Measurements and results Five hundred seventeen patients (mean age, 52 years; age range, 18 to 103 years) qualified. Of these 517 patients, 25 patients (4.8%) had growth in blood cultures considered contaminants while 34 (6.6%) had blood cultures positive for the following pathogens: 29 Streptococcus pneumoniae ., 3 Haemophilus influenzae , and 1 Streptococcus pyogenes , 1 Escherichia coli . Antibiotic therapy was changed for 7 of the 34 patients with positive blood cultures (1.4% of study patients). Antibiotic regimens were altered in 48 additional patients based on sputum culture, poor clinical response, and allergic reactions. Conclusions: Few blood cultures were positive for likely infecting organisms in adult patients with CAP without defined underlying risk factors. Furthermore, a total of $34,122 was spent on blood cultures at $66 per patient. In this carefully defined group of patients, blood cultures may have limited clinical utility and questionable cost-effectiveness.
Another indicated phase transformation in ytterbium

Abstract The electrical resistivity of polycrystalline samples of Yb showing the f.c.c.-h.c.p. transformation has been determined in the range 300–1088°K. Three anomalous features are observed: first, a hysteretic and reversible transformation is indicated at about 560°K. Second, a sharp discontinuity in the temperature dependence of the resistivity is observed at about 660°K and, third, a discontinuous transition is observed at about 970°K. The latter is tentatively attributed to the onset of the b.c.c. phase in material of this purity, but since no high temperature X-ray investigation has been possible, no certain interpretation of any of these features can presently be given.
The calculation of cohesive energy density from the surface tension of liquids

Abstract We have shown that the constant of the Hildebrand-Scott relation between cohesive energy density and surface tension can be derived (in excellent agreement with experiment) by two different routes, one involving geometric, and the other, thermodynamic arguments. It must be admitted that neither is entirely satisfactory intellectually, since one depends on a conceptually difficult picture of the shape of a molecule and the other depends on two approximate (although essentially correct) thermodynamic relations. Nonetheless, the remarkable agreement with experiment obtained by both these routes suggests that Hildebrand's equation (in the revised form suggested by Beerbower) may safely be used for the calculation of c.e.d. and solubility parameter.
Inhibition of oestrogen receptor activity by the co-repressor HET/SAF-B is relieved by blockade of histone deacetylase activity.

The oestrogen receptor (ER) is a member of a superfamily of nuclear transcription factors. When the ER binds oestrogen it undergoes a conformational change that results in dimerisation, binding to speci®c elements of DNA, and ®nally altered gene transcription [1]. While this model of ER action has held true for the last 30 years, a more complete understanding has revealed that activation of the ER is extremely complex, with regulation by a diverse set of signals and nuclear factors. A poorly described modulator of hormone action is the nuclear matrix, which is a dynamic structure A non-statistically signi®cant dierence was seen for ®brosis-associated TGFb1-staining.
Perceived Need, Teacher Efficacy, and Teaching Strategies for the Gifted and Talented:

The study investigated relationships among perceived need, teacher efficacy, and use of ten teaching strategies recommended for the gifted. It also examined differences between expert and novice teachers of the gifted by comparing patterns of need, efficacy, and use in 318 preservice teachers, classroom teachers, and teachers of the gifted. Data were gathered using a seven point Likert-scale questionnaire. Correlations between teacher efficacy and need and between teacher efficacy and use were consistently higher than those between need and use. Preservice teachers, classroom teachers, and teachers of the gifted were successfully separated by a function of need and efficacy, with the most potent contributions made by efficacy variables. Classroom teachers and teachers of the gifted were separated by a function of need, efficacy, and use, with the most powerful contributions made by use of strategies.
Psychopathology in children of parents with recurrent depression.

We examined the prevalence of psychopathology in children of parents with recurrent major depression (n=61)and children of normal control parents (n=46).Rates of psychopathology in the children of depressed parents were consistently higher when compared either with the control children or with rates of disorder reported for nonclinically referred children from other studies. Forty-one percent of high-risk children met criteria for at least one psychiatric disorder compared with 15% of low-risk children. Significant differences between groups were found for affective disorders and attention deficit disorder, and a nonsignificant trend was noted for anxiety disorder, all of which were more prevalent in the children of depressed parents.
Dissociative States Through New Age and Electronic Trance Music

ABSTRCT Music has long been associated with altered states of consciousness. In recent years, the popularity of New Age/ambient and trance music has grown. New Age/ambient music includes quiet, contemplative music commonly used by individuals for relaxation and meditation. In contrast, trance music is repetitive, rhythmic music often played at dance parties to produce trance states among a group of dancers. Both genres of music are used to produce dissociative, trance-like states, but in different ways. This article provides an overview of these relatively new forms of music and their relationships to dissociation. Similarities and differences between these modern forms of music and more ancient forms are discussed.
Why superordinate category terms can be mass nouns

Abstract This paper offers an explanation as to why many superordinate category terms are mass nouns (e.g., furniture, jewelry, money) although they refer to diverse, discrete, countable objects. This violates the semantic basis of typical mass terms which refer to mass-like relatively homogeneous substances, such as milk or sand. On the basis of research contrasting collective and count nouns, it was argued that by using mass nouns to refer to superordinate categories, languages could help speakers learn the hierarchical relations between superordinate and lower level categories. If there is a psychological explanation for why superordinate category terms become distorted into mass nouns, then it should not be limited to English. For other languages as well, category terms at relatively high levels of a hierarchy (e.g., furniture) but not those on relatively low levels (e.g., chair) should be mass nouns. An examination of about 20 languages spanning several language families and subgroups confirmed this prediction. Moreover, if this functional explanation is correct then children should be better able to learn the identical superordinate category if it is referred to with a mass rather than a count noun. Two studies with preschool children confirmed this prediction. Children were better able to learn a new category such as “vehicle” if they heard, e.g., “A car is a piece of vehicle” rather than “A car is a vehicle”. These findings suggest a novel way in which psychological functions contribute to the evolution of linguistic structure.
Unimolecular Decomposition of 5-Aminotetrazole and its Tautomer 5-Iminotetrazole : New Insight from Isopotential Searching

Aminotetrazole compounds have become attractive ingredients in gas generating compositions, solid rocket propellants, and green pyrotechnics. Therefore, a fundamental understanding of their thermal decomposition mechanisms and thermodynamics is of great interest. In this study, the specular reflection isopotential searching method was used to investigate the unimolecular decomposition mechanisms of 5-iminotetrazole (5-ITZ), 1H-5-aminotetrazole (1H-5-ATZ), and 2H-5-aminotetrazole (2H-5-ATZ). Subsequent thermochemical analysis of the unimolecular decomposition pathways was performed at the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ//B3LYP/6-311++G(3df,3pd) level of theory. Based upon the relative reaction barriers predicted in this study, the initial gaseous products of 5-ITZ unimolecular decomposition are HN3 and NH2CN (calculated activation barrier equal to 199.5 kJ/mol). On the other hand, the initial gaseous products of 1H-5-ATZ and 2H-5-ATZ unimolecular decomposition are predicted to be N2 and metastable CH3N3 (calculated ac...
Differences in the dynamic gait stability of children with cerebral palsy and typically developing children

The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the differences in the dynamic gait stability of children with cerebral palsy (CP) and typically developing (TD) children. The participants walked on a treadmill for 2 min as a motion capture system assessed the walking kinematics. Floquet analysis was used to quantify the rate of dissipation of disturbances that were present in the walking kinematics, and the variability measures were used to assess the magnitude of the disturbances present in the step length and width. The Floquet multipliers, step width and length values were correlated with Sections D and E of the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM). The children with CP had a larger Floquet multiplier and used a wider step width than the TD children. The magnitude of the maximum Floquet multiplier was positively correlated with the step width. Furthermore, the magnitude of the maximum Floquet multiplier and the step width were negatively correlated with the score on Section E of the GMFM. Lastly, the children with CP used a more variable step length than the TD children. These results suggest that children with CP have poor dynamic gait stability because they require more strides to dissipate the disturbances that are present in their walking pattern. In effort to stabilize these disturbances, the children with CP appear to utilize a wider step width and modulate their step length. Overall the inability to effectively dissipate the gait disturbances may be correlated with the child's ability to perform a wide range of gross motor skills (e.g., step over obstacles, jump, walk up stairs).
Natural gas seepage in the Gulf of Mexico

Abstract Hydrocarbon compositions and δ13C values for methane of fourteen natural seep gases and four underwater vents in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico are reported. The C1/(C2 + C3) ratios of the seep gas samples ranged from 68 to greater than 1000, whereas δPDB13C values varied from −39.9 to −65.5‰. Compositions suggest that eleven of the natural gas seeps are produced by microbial degradation whereas the remaining three have a significant thermocatalytically produced component. Contradictions in the inferences drawn from molecular and isotopic compositions make strict interpretation of the origins of a few of the samples impossible.
369 GENTAMICIN KINETICS IN VERY LOW BIRTH WEIGHT NEONATES

Gentamicin kinetics were studied in 12 neonates of gestational ages (GA) ≤34 wks. (27-34 wks.), of birth weight (700-1500) and compared to 5 neonates of GA >34 wks. (2440-4890). Timed peak and trough levels were drawn following the first dose of Gentamicin of 2.5 mg/kg I.V. over one half hour. All determinations were done in the first week of life. We conclude that during the first week of life in the neonates 34 wks. G.A. We found no relationship between half life of Gentamicin and Serum BUN and creatinine values. This has obvious clinical implications in deciding dosage intervals.
The Potential and Perils of Multi-Level Memory

The future of memory systems is Multi-Level Memory (MLM). In a MLM system the main memory is comprised of two or more types of memory instead of a conventional DDR-DRAM-only main memory. By combining different memory technologies, an MLM system can potentially offer more usable bandwidth and more capacity for a similar cost as a conventional memory system. However, substantial software and hardware design challenges must be overcome to make this potential real. It is our position that the diversity of application access patterns precludes any simple "one size fits all" approach and that better tools and design processes will be needed to fulfill the potential of MLM. Efficient implementations of MLM will require a high degree of co-design and coordination between hardware and software. The simulation framework we have built for this study can aid tool building to solve the programming challenges.
A model of the dynamic behavior of B-trees

We present a practical and efficient model for the estimation of average performance measures of B-trees under dynamic conditions of insertions and deletions. Performance measures computed are average storage utilization, average path length, and average tree height. The model introduces a data structure, called a lineage tree, which permits a highly compact representation of B-trees while still retaining information needed to compute the above performance measures. The model then involves a Markov chain in which the states are “lineages” obtained from the lineage tree. Probabilities, based on the number of B-tree structures corresponding to each lineage, are derived for the transition from one lineage to another under certain dynamic conditions. Results are given for tree orders ranging from 5 up to 401, and for numbers of keys up to 140000. Computer requirements are shown to be small to moderate.
Comparison of artificial neochordae and native chordal transfer in the repair of a flail posterior mitral leaflet: an experimental study.

Background Surgical reconstruction of a flail posterior leaflet is a routine mitral valve repair, the techniques for which have evolved from leaflet resection to leaflet preservation. Artificial expanded polytetrafluoroethylene neochordae are frequently used to stabilize the flail leaflet and seldom, translocation of the native secondary chordae of the valve to the leaflet free edge is used. In this study, we sought to investigate the efficacy of the 2 techniques to correct posterior leaflet prolapse and reduce mitral regurgitation, and quantify the acute post repair leaflet kinematics. Methods Adult porcine mitral valves (n =7) were studied in a pulsatile left heart experimental model in which isolated P2 flail was mimicked by marginal chordal transection. Baseline conditions were established in each valve under normal conditions (control) and were followed by induction of isolated P2 flail by transecting the 2 marginal chordae on the posterior leaflet free edge (disease). The flail posterior leaflet was reconstructed using artificial neochordae (repair 1) and then native chordal translocation (repair 2). Reduction in leaflet flail, changes in mitral regurgitation fraction, leaflet coaptation length, and posterior leaflet mobility were measured using B-mode echocardiography or color Doppler. Results At baseline, all the valves were competent with no mitral regurgitation. After transection of the marginal chordae on the posterior leaflet, isolated P2 flail was evident with 13.7% ± 13% regurgitation. Reconstruction with artificial neochordae eliminated leaflet flail and reduced mitral regurgitation to 3.2% ± 2.8%, and with chordal translocation leaflet flail was corrected and mitral regurgitation was measured at 2.3% ± 2.6%. Using either repair techniques, leaflet coaptation and mobility of the repaired leaflets were adequate and comparable with the baseline measurements. Conclusions Comparable reduction leaflet flail and regurgitation, and restoration of physiologic leaflet coaptation with the 2 techniques indicate that under acute conditions, use of artificial neochordae or native chordal translocations have similar benefits.
Impact of age on renal graft survival in children after the first rejection episode

Infants are thought to be more immunoreactive and at a greater risk for developing irreversible rejection compared with older children. We investigated this by analyzing patient and graft survival rates, incidence of acute rejection, reversibility of acute rejection, development of a subsequent acute rejection, and incidence of graft loss due to rejection in 154 children (<18 years of age) after primary renal transplantation. Most patients (n = 139) were treated with quadruple immunosuppression (antibody, azathioprine, prednisone, cyclosporine). Treatment of the first acute rejection episode (ARE) consisted of antibody and increased prednisone (68%) or increased prednisone alone (30%), and was not significantly different between the age groups. Transplants were from living donors (LRD) in 80% of cases. Patients were followed for at least 1 year (mean 58±30 months); 68% (105/154) of recipients experienced 1 or more ARE. The incidence of ARE was significantly lower in patients <2 years of age (45%) compared with patients 2 – 5 (76%, P = 0.01), 6 – 12 (78%, P = 0.005), and 13 – 17 (76%, P = 0.009) years of age. There was no significant difference in the 1-, 2- and 5-year patient or graft survival rates, the development of a subsequent acute rejection, or the incidence of graft loss due to acute rejection when analyzed by age group. These data suggest that the impact of an ARE is similar for younger and older children in our population receiving predominantly LRD transplants and quadruple immunosuppression.
“Beat the buzzer” for classroom dawdling: A one-year trial

A class of normal preschoolers exhibited excessive dawdling during their morning clean-up routine. A “beat the buzzer” time limitation technique was implemented, whereby the children attempted to clean up their play areas before the buzzer rang. No consequences were provided to the children for “beating the buzzer”. With this procedure, the teacher was able to reduce tha amount of time required for clean-up from an average of 11.6 min during baseline to an average of 4.3 min during treatment phases. Not only was the effectiveness of the buzzer game quickly demonstrated, but the effect lasted the entire school year. The children's quick clean-up skills also generalized to phases where the teacher stepped out of the room during clean-up time. The buzzer game appears to be an efficient and easily implemented procedure for use with normal preschoolers.
The variables of positive change

Systematic reform of undergraduate science and mathematics education requires that faculty innovators and administrative leaders work together.
Prolactin and parental behavior in Adélie penguins: effects of absence from nest, incubation length, and nest failure.

Adelie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) males and females, nesting in Antarctica, alternate attendance at the nest with absences of many days to forage at sea. We investigated the importance of tactile input from egg and chicks on prolactin levels by observing nest attendance patterns and obtaining blood samples (1) during the first nest exchange of the incubation stage, (2) from birds whose incubation period was artificially increased or decreased by about 10 days, and (3) from birds whose nests had failed. Prolactin levels in females after 8 to 11 days of absence from the breeding colony did not differ from those in incubating males and did not change after females resumed incubation. Moving eggs between nests resulted in nests in which chicks hatched after about 26, 36 (normal), or 46 days. Duration of incubation did not affect prolactin levels in the parents measured during incubation, at the pip stage, hatch stage, or early brood stage. Adults first left their chicks unguarded on about the same calendar date, regardless of chick age. However, chicks from long incubation nests averaged 8 days younger when they were left unguarded than chicks from control or short-incubation nests. In females, there was no effect of nest failure on prolactin levels. In males, prolactin levels were slightly lower after nest failure than in males tending nests. Testosterone was significantly higher in males after nest failure than in males still tending nests. Prolactin is elevated in Adelie penguins as part of the program of cyclical hormonal changes that accompany the lengthy reproductive season and is relatively independent of tactile input. Sustained prolactin secretion is probably required for the maintenance of parental behavior in offshore feeding species that must be absent from the nest for many days at a time.
Corporate management of patents: Role of the industrial librarian

Abstract This paper is directed for the most part to the Corporate Management of Patents, from a technical information viewpoint. The librarian, who is seldom the direct user of patents, should become knowledgeable in the rich resources of patent data. Technology transfer can be accomplished by the engineer and scientist having the complete picture, which the librarian offers in response to a search request. The General Electric Company is used as an example of corporate patent management. The author prepared two surveys. Major library schools were questioned on whether courses in Patent Information are part of the curriculum requirements of a special librarian. The other survey directed itself to several dozen major industrial libraries in the United States on patent handling and management. The results of these surveys are given. Although there are over 30 patent depositories in the United States (see Appendix I), the ‘average’ research librarian does not make complete use of these depositories. In some cases, the survey indicated they were unaware of these data sources. The paper describes several key patents within the General Electric Company supported by library research, and specifically, man-made diamonds. On-line retrieval systems, where patent license data is offered by NASA and DTIC, are an example of sources available to the aerospace librarian, and the paper concludes with a forecast of how libraries and special libraries will retrieve patents and patent applications before the next century commences.
Spatially and socially segmenting private landowner motivations, properties, and management: A typology for the wildland urban interface

a b s t r a c t Throughout North America, rapid exurban development is increasing the spatial extent and population density of the wildland urban interface (WUI), exacerbating problems of wildfire risk and biodiversity loss. To address these issues, policy and planning tools need to be targeted toward different types of WUI landowners in the different types of landscape locations they occupy. We developed a typology of WUI landowners in the Willamette Valley foothills of Oregon, USA. We used market segmentation techniques on mail survey data (n = 939) to develop a typology of four types of WUI landowners in the Willamette Valley foothills of Oregon, USA. We identify differences in each type's land management strategies and property characteristics and use commonly available GIS data to project where different landowner types are likely to occur in the landscape. We conclude with a discussion of the importance of social and spatial heterogeneity in the WUI for strategically targeted policy and planning efforts intended to manage wildfire risk and promote ecological restoration.
Computing hierarchical curve-skeletons of 3D objects

A curve-skeleton of a 3D object is a stick-like figure or centerline representation of that object. It is used for diverse applications, including virtual colonoscopy and animation. In this paper, we introduce the concept of hierarchical curve-skeletons and describe a general and robust methodology that computes a family of increasingly detailed curve-skeletons. The algorithm is based upon computing a repulsive force field over a discretization of the 3D object and using topological characteristics of the resulting vector field, such as critical points and critical curves, to extract the curve-skeleton. We demonstrate this method on many different types of 3D objects (volumetric, polygonal and scattered point sets) and discuss various extensions of this approach.
Feedback Stabilization of Bilinear Control Systems

In this paper, we study the region in which a bilinear control system is feedback stabilizable. In particular, we find a necessary and sufficient condition for feedback stabilization in terms of the Lyapunov spectrum.
Abstract PL01: Screening mammography and overdiagnosis

Cancer screening involves trade-offs. Screening offers the potential benefit of avoiding advanced cancer and subsequent cancer death. It also produces the harms of false alarms, overdiagnosis and unnecessary treatment. Because different individuals value these benefits and harms differently, there is no single calculation to answer the question of what to do. The trade-off of benefits and harms is present in screening mammography. The reduction in breast cancer mortality identified in the original randomized trials has likely been diminished by subsequent – and substantial – improvements in treatment. The rate of false positives can be high – particularly in the United States. Less familiar is the harm of overdiagnosis: the detection of early cancers that are not destined to ever cause clinicaldisease. Because women given the diagnosis of “cancer” are generally treated, overdiagnosis is rarely directly observed. Instead, inferences about overdiagnosis are based on indirect evidence: long-term follow-up of randomized trials and changes in stage-specific incidence over time. There is no single “right” number to describe the magnitude of either the benefits or harms of screening mammography and there is no single “right” value to assign to the various outcomes. Consequently, screening mammography is a choice – not a public health imperative. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2013;73(24 Suppl): Abstract nr PL01.
Infantile autism associated with the fragile-X syndrome.

A 6-year-old mentally retarded child presented with a clinical picture consistent with the diagnosis of childhood autism. Chromosomal studies revealed a male karyotype with approximately 11% of the cells counted containing a fragile site on the X chromosome. The possibility of a syndrome of autism occurring in children with the Fragile-X syndrome is discussed.
Level stripping for Siegel modular forms with reducible Galois representations

Abstract In this paper we consider level stripping for genus 2 cuspidal Siegel eigenforms. In particular, we show that it is possible to strip primes from the level of Saito–Kurokawa lifts that arise as theta lifts and weak endoscopic lifts with a mild condition on the associated character. The main ingredients into our results are a level stripping result for elliptic modular forms and the explicit nature of the forms under consideration.
INSURER EXPOSURE TO EXTRACONTRACTUAL LIABILITY UNDER STATE UNFAIR CLAIMS SETTLEMENT PRACTICES ACTS: AN EMPIRICAL TEST

: Litigation against insurers for bad faith actions has increased. The authors examine how the exposure of insurers has changed with particular emphasis on the impact of Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Acts.
The Role of Healthcare Providers and Caregivers in Educating Older Adults about Foodborne Illness Prevention

Adults aged 60 or older are more likely than younger adults to experience severe complications or even death as a result of foodborne infections. This study investigated which specific groups of healthcare providers or other caregivers are most receptive to providing food safety information to older adults. Telephone-based focus groups were conducted with health care providers and caregivers to determine their knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding foodborne illness prevention for older adults. Focus groups identified a gap between older adults’ trust in healthcare providers as a credible source of food safety information and healthcare providers’ lack of training, knowledge, and willingness to provide food safety information to older adults.