cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Contact Tracing Evaluation for COVID-19 Transmission during the Reopening Phase in a Rural College Town

Contact tracing can play a vital role in controlling human-to-human transmission of a highly contagious disease such as COVID-19. To investigate the benefits and costs of contact tracing, we develop an individual-based contact-network model and a susceptible-exposed-infected-confirmed (SEIC) epidemic model for the stochastic simulations of COVID-19 transmission. We estimate the unknown parameters (reproductive ratio R0 and confirmed rate δ2) by using observed confirmed case data. After a two month-lockdown, states in the USA have started the reopening process. We investigate for four different reopening situations: under “stay-at-home” order or no reopening, 25 % reopening, 50 % reopening, and 75 % reopening. We model contact tracing in a two-layer network by modifying the basic SEIC epidemic model. The two-layer network is composed by the contact network in the first layer and the tracing network in the second layer. Since the full contact list of an infected individual patient can be hard to obtain, then we consider different fractions of contacts from 60% to 5%. The goal of this paper is to assess the effectiveness of contact tracing to control the COVID-19 spreading during the initial phase of the reopening process of a rural college town. In this research, we assess the benefits and cost of contact tracing as a key mitigation strategy to control the spreading of COVID-19. In terms of benefits, our simulation results show that increasing the fraction of traced contacts decreases the size of the epidemic. For example, tracing 20% of the contacts is enough for all four reopening scenarios to reduce the epidemic size by half. Considering the act of quarantining susceptible households as the contact tracing cost, we have observed an interesting phenomenon. When we increase the fraction of traced contacts from 5% to 20%, the number of quarantined susceptible people increases because each individual confirmed case is mentioning more contacts. However, when we increase the fraction of traced contacts from 20% to 60%, the number of quarantined susceptible people decreases because the increment of the mentioned contacts is balanced by a reduced number of confirmed cases. The outcomes of this research are valuable in the reopening process of the USA. Furthermore, the framework is generic enough to use any locations and for other diseases as well.
Ammonia-based chemisorption heat pumps for cold-climate heating applications: A comprehensive review

Abstract This article reviews the state of the art of chemisorption heat pumps that use ammonia as the refrigerant for cold-climate heating applications. In such a system, ammonia vapor is adsorbed by the solid salt through reversible chemisorption reactions, and the thermal effect of the reaction and ammonia phase change is used to extract heat from a cold environment and supply heat to a warm environment. With the high latent heat and low boiling point of ammonia as a low-temperature refrigerant and the high sorption capacity of ammonia-based chemisorption reactions, chemisorption heat pumps have the potential to produce high-efficiency heating, particularly for cold climates. This review first briefly introduces the basics of ammonia-based chemisorption heat pump systems. Then, the latest development of sorbent materials, including ammoniate salts and heat-conductive porous matrix materials, are summarized with the focus on low-temperature heating conditions. The design of system components, as well as cycle configurations, in the literature are summarized. This review concludes with highlights of recent developments on these topics and suggestions of areas for further research.
Some Closed-Form Expressions for Absorptive Plume Detection

For additive signals on Gaussian clutter, the optimal detector is a linear matched filter that is adapted to the known signal and the covariance of the background. This adaptive matched filter (AMF) is widely used for gas-phase plume detection, even though the effect of the plume on the background is not strictly additive. Here, a derivation of the matched filter for a strictly absorptive plume produces, even in the weak plume limit, a quadratic filter. Assuming a Gaussian background, we derive two expressions, one based on the locally most powerful (LMP) detector which corresponds to the weak plume limit, and one based on the generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT). Numerical experiments indicate that, as long as the plume is strong enough to be detected at all, both the GLRT and the linear matched filter outperform the LMP detector.
Sebaceous Carcinoma: Masquerade Syndrome

Sebaceous carcinoma is a malignant neoplasm of the sebaceous glands, which is most often found in the periocular region. Periocular sebaceous carcinoma is frequently found arising from the meibomian glands within the tarsus, especially on the upper eyelid. Other ocular sites include the caruncle, Zeiss glands, eyebrow, and conjunctiva. The most common presentation of periocular sebaceous carcinoma is a fixed, non-painful eyelid nodule. Diagnosis of sebaceous carcinoma requires biopsy and histopathological examination. Given the neoplasm’s ability to undergo subclinical pagetoid spread, conjunctival map biopsies are recommended to help guide treatment of sebaceous carcinoma. The mainstay of treatment for sebaceous carcinoma is surgical excision of the primary lesion. Both wide local excision and Mohs micrographic surgery have been successfully employed for surgical management of the ocular neoplasm. This chapter takes an in-depth look at ocular adnexal sebaceous carcinoma including its epidemiology, pathogenesis, origins, clinical presentation, differential diagnoses, histology, diagnosis, management strategies, and prognosis.
CE: Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy

ABSTRACT Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) occurs in more than 68% of patients receiving the neurotoxic chemotherapy agents commonly used to treat breast, gastrointestinal, gynecologic, and hematologic malignancies. CIPN, often experienced initially as numbness, tingling, or pain in the upper or lower extremities, may progress to the point where the resultant decline in physical function requires a reduction in the chemotherapy dose. This article provides nurses with strategies to use in assessing, managing, and educating patients who are at risk for or who are already experiencing CIPN. Currently, the American Society of Clinical Oncology endorses only one treatment for CIPN: duloxetine 60 mg/day. Discussing CIPN with patients before chemotherapy is initiated and throughout the course of treatment promotes its early identification and management, which may minimize its impact on physical function and chemotherapy dosing, reducing the patient's risk of experiencing chronic symptoms after chemotherapy ends.
Simulation and analysis of slip flow of water at hydrophobic silica surfaces of nanometer slit pores

Abstract Water flow in nanopores is controlled fundamentally by pore wettability and interfacial water features. In the research herein reported, Molecular dynamics (MD) was used to simulate water flow in nanometer slit pores of silica surfaces with variable wetting characteristics. Compared to Couette flow, the simulated slit-pores of the talc (001) and octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) monolayer surfaces exhibited water flow enhancement and a positive slip length at the interface, whereas water flow velocity at the quartz (001) and amorphous silica surfaces was zero, adhering to the no slip condition. More intensive interactions between the interfacial water and hydrophilic silica surfaces were confirmed by MD simulation and sum-frequency vibrational spectroscopy (SFVS) results. A water exclusion zone of approximately 3 A was found at the hydrophobic silica surfaces by quantitative MD interfacial water analysis and validated by SFVS. This exclusion zone dimension was similar in magnitude to the slip length (4–5 A) as determined from simulated water flow in hydrophobic silica slit pores. The simulated slip lengths at the hydrophobic surfaces (0.2–1 nm) were significantly less than the experimental slip lengths (>40 nm) reported in the literature. In the case of the experimental results, this difference appears to be due to nanobubbles expected to be present at hydrophobic surfaces.
Are Cosmopolitan Consumers Also Sustainable Apparel Consumers? A Conceptual Framework of the Impact of Consumer’s Cosmopolitan Orientation on Sustainable Apparel Consumption

This study links two major trends in society and industry, cosmopolitanism and sustainable consumer behavior. On the one hand, the rise in cosmopolitan consumers implies openness to products in different markets and more responsible consumption; and on the other hand, the society and environment need the openness of conscious consumers to adopt products that promote sustainability. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first model that utilizes the TPB to study the effect of CCO on purchase intention of sustainable apparel. Theoretically, the model predicts predisposition to consume sustainable apparel and explains cosmopolitan consumers’ attitudes, norms, and control factors regarding the consumption of sustainable apparel. In practice, firms, governments, and NGOs can use this study to identify and target consumers to foment the use of sustainable apparel. In the future, it can be used cross-nationally to compare countries, cultures, or homogenous consumer clusters.
Charcot spine

Identification of a destructive spinal process in the acute setting most commonly is related to infection or neoplasm. In the appropriate clinical setting, Charcot spine, also known as neuropathic spinal arthropathy or spinal neuroarthropathy, should be considered. We present a case of spinal destruction due to spinal neuroarthropathy in a 51-year-old man who had been paraplegic for 13 years, and review the characteristic and potentially differentiating imaging findings of this uncommon process.
Ultraclean hybrid poplar lignins via liquid–liquid fractionation using ethanol–water solutions

As recovered from the byproducts stream of a cellulosic ethanol biorefinery, the renewable biopolymer lignin is too impure and polydisperse for many proposed applications. By mixing a hybrid poplar lignin with hot ethanol–water solutions, two liquid phases, one polymer-rich and one solvent-rich, are created. This liquid–liquid equilibrium phenomenon was used to generate solvated (and thus liquefied) lignin fractions of controlled molecular weight for which the impurities analyses for sugars and ash were near or below the limits of detection. Additionally, those carbohydrates and metals impurities end up highly concentrated in a single process stream also having potential value.
Siloxane-modified epoxy resins

Epoxy resins chemically modified with functionally terminated poly (dimethyl siloxane), poly(dimethyl-co-methyltrifluoropropyl siloxane), and poly(dimethyl-co-diphenyl siloxane) oligomers are described in terms of their synthesis, morphology, solid-state properties, and friction and wear properties. The compatibility between the epoxy resin and the siloxane modifiers can be enhanced by increasing the percentage of methyltrifluoropropyl (TFP) siloxane or diphenyl (DP) siloxane relative to dimethyl siloxane. The compatibility of the siloxane modifier with the epoxy resin subsequently controls the size and make-up of the phase-separated elastomeric domains. Fracture toughness of the epoxy resin can be improved by modification with siloxanes containing 40% or higher TFP content or 20 and 40% DP content. Both fracture toughness and modulus changes are given a morphological basis. Friction and wear properties in both fatigue and abrasive wear tests have been found to be related to changes in modulus, fracture toughness, and morphology in ways dependent on the particular modifier. The properties and morphology of epoxy resin modified with amine-terminated and carboxyl-terminated butadiene acrylonitrile elastomers prepared under similar curing conditions have been determined and compared to those of the siloxane-modified resins.
Scientific Thinking Skills

Although there is no definitive list of scientific thinking skills, many authorities would agree that such skills include “reasoning and thinking skills involved in students’ scientific inquiry, such as hypothesis generation, experimental design, evidence evaluation and drawing inferences” (Zimmerman, 2007, p. 174).
The New Asian Woman: Women's Magazines and the Spread of Mass-Culture in Southeast Asia

Given the ubiquitous nature of the women's magazine in newsstands throughout the world, it is surprising how little we know about their contents and their role in non-western countries. Using examples from Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, the author argues for research that situates the mass-circulation women's magazine within the context of the rise of mass culture and clarifies its role as an arbitrator of women's image and social role. Research libraries' systematic exclusion of Southeast Asian women's magazines from their collections hampers research that might expand our understanding of women's lives in these countries. A cooperative approach to developing representative collections of women's magazines is advocated along with programs to study their history and contents.
WOMEN IN CHURCH LEADERSHIP: AN ANALYSIS OF RELIGIOUS BELIEFS

This study analyzes attitudes of clergy and the laity from eight Christian denominations. Control variables include demographic variables, religious denomination, clerical status, selected religious beliefs, and attitudes towards Mary, the mother of Jesus. The principle question and dependent variable is this: "women should be considered equal to men in all areas of church leadership.
Ion selective effects of salicylate on antral mucosa.

Abstract The effects of luminal salicylate, 5 mM, were measured on rates of ion transport by isolated antral mucosa. At neutral luminal pH, salicylate increases Na and decreases Cl permeability. Salicylate does not alter net Na transport but decreases net Cl secretion. At luminal pH 4, the effects of salicylate can be arbitrarily divided into two phases. The initial phase is associated with an increase in Na and marked decrease in Cl permeability. Subsequently, a greater increase in Na permeability and a marked increase in Cl permeability occurs. Active Na transport persists in the presence of salicylate at pH 4. Indirect evidence also suggests that Cl secretion persists under these conditions but at a reduced rate. The rate of luminal acid loss also increases in the presence of salicylate. A 4-fold increase in salicylate concentration or decrease in luminal pH from 4 to 3 did not appear to intensify the effects observed for 5 mM salicylate at pH 4. The increase in cation and decrease in anion permeability observed at pH 7 and initially at pH 4 are compatible with an influence of a negative charge of the salicylate anion. The subsequent changes observed in the presence of acid also are compatible With the concept that as the mucosa becomes overwhelmed with acid, a nonspecific increase in permeability occurs. However, the effect of salicylate on active Cl transport is largely independent of acid diffusing into the mucosa.
Hypothetical Purchase Task Questionnaires for Behavioral Economic Assessments of Value and Motivation

We tested effects of hypothetical purchase task (HPT) questionnaire price density (17, 9, or 5 prices) and purchase type (quantity purchased or probability of single purchase) on behavioral economic (BE) measures of value for six commodities. The exponential model of demand provided excellent fits for all HPTs (mean R2 = 0.98). High density HPTs were most sensitive yet most resistant to distortion. BE value measures were lower in quantity versus probability HPTs. Rank ordering of commodity values agreed regardless of HPT structural manipulations. Expenditure curves were unexpectedly bimodal, but consistent with exponential model predictions. Implications for HPT construction and BE research are discussed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Review of: "Model of Human Occupation: Theory and Application, 4th edition (2008)".

This recently published book is the fourth edition of an authoritative text, focused on the author's occupation-based model and enhanced by contributors. Published about 6 years since the third edi...
Optimum modulo schedules for minimum register requirements

Modulo scheduling is an e cient technique for exploiting instruction level parallelism in a variety of loops, resulting in high performance code but increased register requirements. We present a combined approach that schedules the loop operations for the highest steady state throughput and minimum register requirements. Our method determines optimal register requirements for machines with nite resources and for general dependence graphs. We compare the performance of this and other modulo schedulers for a benchmark of 629 loops from the Perfect Club, SPEC-89, and the Livermore Fortran Kernels. Measurements demonstrate the potential of register-sensitive modulo schedulers, which will be useful in evaluating the performance of register-sensitive modulo scheduling heuristics.
Preliminary investigation of KTN as a surface acoustic wave infrared/thermal detector

Abstract This paper presents the results of preliminary investigations of thin films of KTN (KTa 1− x Nb x O 3 ) surface acoustic wave (SAW) structures for their suitability as thermal detectors. The goal is to use the technique for infrared (IR) detection and imaging. The thin films (0.6 μm) of K(Ta 1− x Nb x )O 3 [ x = 0.5] epitaxial films were grown and polished on KTaO 3 (0 0 1) substrates approximately 1 mm thick. SAW resonators with a center frequency of approximately 480 MHz were fabricated using these substrates. To form the basis of comparison to commonly used, thermally sensitive SAW substrates, SAW devices using lithium niobate (LiNbO 3 ) as the substrate material were also fabricated. The phase response as a function of temperature for the KTN as well as the LiNbO 3 SAW devices was measured with a network analyzer. The largest phase change exhibited by the LiNbO 3 was about −4.7°/°C, whereas the largest phase change exhibited by the KTN was about twice as much (11°/°C). Assuming a worst case network analyzer phase resolution of 0.5°, this corresponds to a temperature resolution of 0.1 °C for the LiNbO 3 and 0.05 °C for the KTN. By comparison, typical sensitivity of (uncooled) microbolometers is of the order of 50 mK. We believe that with improved fabrication and signal processing, the KTN/SAW-based detection approach can achieve a temperature resolution of better than 50 mK.
Cocaine-related medical problems: consecutive series of 233 patients.

Abstract purpose: Little information describing common cocaine-related medical problems is available. This study examined the nature, frequency, treatment, incidence of complications, and emergency department deaths of patients seeking medical care for acute and chronic cocaine-associated medical problems. patients and methods: A consecutive series of 233 hospital visits by 216 cocaine-using patients over a 6-month period during 1986 and 1987 was studied. Medical records were retrospectively reviewed to determine patient characteristics, nature of complications, treatment, and outcome. results: Patients most commonly used cocaine intravenously (49%), but freebase or crack use was also common (23.3%). Concomitant abuse of other intoxicants, especially alcohol, was frequently seen (48.5%). The vast majority of complaints were cardiopulmonary (56.2%), neurologic (39.1%), and psychiatric (35.8%); multiple symptoms were often present (57.5%). The most common complaint was chest pain though rarely was it believed to represent ischemia. Altered mental status was common (27.4%) and ranged from psychosis to coma. Short-term pharmacologic intervention was necessary in only 24% of patients, and only 9.9% of patients were admitted. Acute mortality was less than 1%. conclusion: Most medical complications of cocaine are short-lived and appear to be related to cocaine's hyperadrenergic effects. Patients usually do not require short-term therapy or hospital admission. Acute morbidity and mortality rates from cocaine use in patients presenting to the hospital are very low, suggesting that a major focus in the treatment of cocaine-related emergencies should be referral for drug abuse detoxification and treatment.
Navigation and control of the Nereus hybrid underwater vehicle for global ocean science to 10,903 m depth: Preliminary results

This paper reports an overview of the navigation and control system design for the new Nereus hybrid underwater robotic vehicle (HROV). Vehicle performance during its first sea trials in November 2007 near Hawaii, and in May and June 2009 in the Challenger Deep of the Mariana Trench is reported. During the latter expedition, the vehicle successfully performed scientific observation and sampling operations at depths exceeding 10,903 m. The Nereus underwater vehicle is designed to perform scientific survey and sampling to the full depth of the ocean — significantly deeper than the depth capability of all other present-day operational vehicles. For comparison, the second deepest underwater vehicle currently operational worldwide can dive to 7,000 m maximum depth. Nereus operates in two different modes. For broad-area survey, the vehicle can operate untethered as an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) capable of exploring and mapping the sea floor with sonars and cameras. Nereus can be converted at sea to become a tethered remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to enable close-up imaging and sampling. The ROV configuration incorporates a lightweight fiber-optic tether (for high-bandwidth, real-time video and data telemetry to the surface), an electro-hydraulic manipulator arm, and sampling instruments. The Nereus vehicle is designed to render all parts of the Earth's seafloor accessible to oceanographic science.
Modelling and Analysis of Identity Threat Behaviors through Text Mining of Identity Theft Stories

Identity theft, fraud, and abuse are problems affecting all market sectors in society. Identity theft is often a "gateway" crime, as criminals use stolen or fraudulent identities to steal money, claim eligibility for services, hack into networks without authorization, and so on. The available data describing identity crimes and their aftermath is often in the form of recorded stories and reports by the news press, fraud examiners, and law enforcement. All of these sources are unstructured. Hence, in order to analyze identity theft data, this research proposes an approach which involves the collection of online news stories and reports on the topic of identity theft. Our approach preprocesses the raw text and extracts semi-structured information automatically, using text mining techniques. This paper presents statistical analysis of behavioral patterns and resources used by thieves and fraudsters to commit identity theft, including the identity attributes commonly linked to identity crimes, resources thieves employ to conduct identity crimes, and temporal patterns of criminal behavior. Analyses of these results increase empirical understanding of identity threat behaviors, offer early warning signs of identity theft, and thwart future identity theft crimes.
Determinants and outcomes of patient-centered care

Abstract Objective This paper defines an interactional analysis instrument to characterize patient-centered care and identify associated variables. Methods In this study, 509 new adult patients were randomized to care by family physicians and general internists. An adaption of the Davis Observation Code was used to measure a patient-centered practice style. The main outcome measures were visit-specific satisfaction and healthcare resource utilization. Results In initial primary care visits, patient-centered practice style was positively associated with higher patient self-reported physical health status ( p = 0.0328), higher educational level ( p = 0.0050), and non-smoking status ( p = 0.0108); it was also observed more often in the interactions of family physicians compared to internists ( p = 0.0003). Controlling for patient sociodemographic variables, self-reported health status, pain, health risk behaviors (obesity, alcohol abuse, and smoking), and clinic assignment, patient satisfaction was not related to the provision of patient-centered care. Moreover, a higher average amount of patient-centered care recorded in visits throughout the one-year study period was significantly related to lower annual medical charges ( p = 0.0003). Conclusions Patient-centered care was observed more often with family physician caring for healthier, more educated patients, and was associated with lower charges. Practice implications Reduced annual medical care charges are an important outcome of patient-centered medical visits.
Head direction is coded more strongly than movement direction in a population of entorhinal neurons

Abstract The spatial firing pattern of entorhinal grid cells may be important for navigation. Many different computational models of grid cell firing use path integration based on movement direction and the associated movement speed to drive grid cells. However, the response of neurons to movement direction has rarely been tested, in contrast to multiple studies showing responses of neurons to head direction. Here, we analyzed the difference between head direction and movement direction during rat movement and analyzed cells recorded from entorhinal cortex for their tuning to movement direction. During foraging behavior, movement direction differs significantly from head direction. The analysis of neuron responses shows that only 5 out of 758 medial entorhinal cells show significant coding for both movement direction and head direction when evaluating periods of rat behavior with speeds above 10 cm/s and ±30° angular difference between movement and head direction. None of the cells coded movement direction alone. In contrast, 21 cells in this population coded only head direction during behavioral epochs with these constraints, indicating much stronger coding of head direction in this population. This suggests that the movement direction signal required by most grid cell models may arise from other brain structures than the medial entorhinal cortex. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI: Brain and Memory.
Ghrelin in the summer flounder: immunolocalization to the gastric glands and action on plasma cortisol levels.

Abstract We searched for evidence of the hormone ghrelin in the stomach of a juvenile, marine teleost, the summer flounder. Using antiserum against the conserved core of the ghrelin peptide, immunoreactivity was observed in the simple, branching epithelium that comprises the gastric glands. The immunoreaction was especially strong in the glandular epithelium located deep in the tissue. Next, we assessed a possible connection between ghrelin and the hypothalamic–pituitary–interrenal axis through a series of three injection experiments in which acylated or non-acylated (des-acyl) ghrelin was injected into the peritoneum of summer flounder ( Paralichthys dentatus ). A significant increase in plasma cortisol relative to saline-injected controls was observed for the acylated form at a dose of 1000 ng g − 1 of body mass in one of the experiments. In another, there was a trend for des-acyl ghrelin at 1000 ng g − 1 of body mass to increase plasma cortisol. Taken together, this study provides evidence that gastric glands in the stomach of summer flounder are a site of ghrelin production and that peripherally administered ghrelin can stimulate the cortisol axis in a teleost.
Impacts of metal oxide nanoparticles on marine phytoplankton

Information on the toxicity of environmentally relevant concentrations of nanoparticles in marine ecosystems is needed for informed regulation of these emerging materials. We tested the effects of two types of metal oxide nanoparticles, TiO(2) and ZnO, on population growth rates of four species of marine phytoplankton representing three major coastal groups (diatoms, chlorophytes, and prymnesiophytes). These metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) are becoming common components in many industrial, household, and cosmetic products that are released into coastal ecosystems. Titania NPs showed no measurable effect on growth rates of any species, while ZnO NPs significantly depressed growth rate of all four species. ZnO NPs aggregated rapidly in seawater, forming particles >400 nm hydrodynamic diameter within 30 min, and dissolved quickly, reaching equilibrium concentrations within 12 h. Toxicity of ZnO NPs to phytoplankton was likely due to dissolution, release, and uptake of free zinc ions, but specific nanoparticulate effects may be difficult to disentangle from effects due to free zinc ions. A modeling approach based on a Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) framework was used to estimate sublethal effects of the two NPs on phytoplankton populations. Concentrations that were estimated to have no effect on population growth (NEC) were (one standard error in parentheses) 428 (58) μg L(-1) ZnO for the diatom Skeletonema marinoi and 223 (56) μg L(-1) for Thalassiosira pseudonana. NEC could not be estimated for the other taxa but were within the range of 500-1000 μg L(-1). Our results suggest that effects of metal oxide NPs on marine organisms is likely to vary with particle type and organism taxonomy.
Characterization of mercury-binding proteins from the gills of Marine mussels exposed to mercury

Abstract 1. A low molecular weight, mercury-binding protein was isolated from the gills of Mytilus edulis and partially characterized. 2. This protein had a minimum mol. wt of 14,400 daltons and 115 amino acid residues per protein molecule. 3. The relatively low amounts of half-cystine (7.8 mol%) in this protein and the presence of aromatic amino acids and histidine were not characteristic of metallothionein. 4. The amino acid composition was similar to a cadmium-binding protein of mussels reported by other researchers.
Nitric oxide pathways in circular muscle of the rat jejunum before and after small bowel transplantation.

Previous studies suggest that nitric oxide synthase is upregulated after small bowel transplantation which may have implications in enteric dysfunction after small bowel transplantation. The aim of this study was to determine the role of nitric oxide in nonadrenergic, noncholinergic inhibitory function after small bowel transplantation in rat jejunal circular muscle. The following four groups of rats (n =≥8 rats per group) were studied: Neurally intact control animals; 1 week after anesthesia and sham celiotomy, and either 1 week or 8 weeks after isogeneic, orthotopic small bowel transplantation. Full-thickness jejunal circular muscle strips were evaluated under isometric conditions for spontaneous contractile activity, response to electrical field stimulation, and effects of exogenous nitric oxide and nitric oxide antagonists. Spontaneous activity did not differ among groups. Electrical field stimulation inhibited activity similarly in all groups. Exogenous nitric oxide, NG-monomethyl L-arginine monoacetate salt (a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor), and methylene blue (cGMP antagonist) had no effect on spontaneous activity. Neither nitric oxide antagonist altered the inhibitory response to neural excitation by electrical field stimulation in any group. Nitric oxide, a known inhibitory neurotransmitter in other gut smooth muscle, has no apparent role in rat jejunal circular muscle before or after small bowel transplantation.
Biologic and molecular genetic characteristics of a unique MCF virus that is highly leukemogenic in ecotropic virus-negative mice

Abstract California wild mouse-derived ecotropic virus Cas-Br-M induces a spongiform encephalopathy and a wide variety of hematopoietic neoplasms on inoculation of neonatal mice. We isolated a MCF virus [NS-6(186) MCF] from a thymic T-cell lymphoma developing in a NFS mouse inoculated with Cas-Br-M virus. Biologically cloned NS-6(186) MCF virus, in contrast to previously studied MCF viruses, was found to induce thymic or nonthymic T-cell lymphomas with high efficiency in the absence of ecotropic helper virus. Comparison of the restriction endonuclease maps derived from Cas-Br-M and NS-6(186) MCF revealed differences only in the env region, between 5.8 and 7.8 kb from the 5′ end. Two biologically active molecular clones of the NS-6(186) MCF (clone 15 with two LTRs and clone 19 with 1 LTR) were studied. Although both clones exhibited similar in vitro activities, clone 15-derived virus induced only T-cell lymphomas with short latency whereas clone 19-derived virus induced a wide variety of neoplasms with a significantly longer latency. Nucleotide sequence analysis established that the U3 region of each of the two LTRs of clone 15 has a 53-bp duplication which includes “enhancer elements,” but that the single LTR of clone 19 has no such duplication.
The effects of ovarian wedge resection on circulating gonadotropin and ovarian steroid levels in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Abstract Serum gonadotropin, estrogen, and androgen levels were measured daily before and up to 35 days after surgery in 8 patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCO) undergoing ovarian wedge resection (WR). To serve as controls, similar assessments were made in 5 women having hysterectomies for non-ovarian disease during the early follicular phases of their cycles. Preoperatively, LH but not FSH, estrone (E1) but not estradiol 17β (E2), and both androstenedione (δ) and testosterone (T) levels were higher in the PCO patients than in the normal women. In the PCO patients, surgery had no discernible effect on FSH levels. In the 5 PCO patients who apparently ovulated after WR, LH levels did not fluctuate significantly until the midcycle LH peaks occurred 13–25 days after surgery. In the 3 patients who did not ovulate, there was a transient fall of LH, which reached a nadir on the sixteenth postoperative day and tlien returned to preoperative levels. In the total PCO group there was a significant fall of E1...
Multivariate bayesian spatial model of preterm birth and cardiovascular disease among georgia women: Evidence for life course social determinants of health

Abstract Background: There is epidemiologic evidence that women who experience preterm birth (PTB) are at elevated risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) later in life. Each outcome independently has noted spatial and socioeconomic gradients; we test for spatial structure in the population correlation of the two. Methods: Exploratory spatial data analysis and multivariate Bayesian spatial models were fit to describe the spatial correlation of PTB with CVD among women in Georgia counties from 2002 to 2006. Results: Global Moran’s I and local-indicators of spatial association statistics suggest significant co-occurrence of CVD and PTB. Bayesian posterior estimates for multivariate correlation of these outcomes range from r = 0.11–0.34 for CVD and PTB. Significant spatial correlation persists with control for county covariates among whites but not blacks. Conclusion: Modest evidence for spatial structure of the ecologic correlation of PTB and women’s CVD is consistent with a lifecourse perspective on socially clustered determinants of health.
Catch per unit effort standardization of the eastern Bering Sea walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) fleet

Abstract A general linear model (GLM) was used to standardize catch per unit effort (CPUE) data for Alaska walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) from the Bering Sea fleet for the years 1995–1999. Data were stratified temporally by year and season and spatially by area using either Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG and that this relationship differed between dedicated catcher vessels and offshore catcher processors. Coefficient estimates and response surfaces generally indicated increased CPUEs with the percentage of pollock in the haul and showed mixed results with vessel speed. The vessel identification number incorporated most vessel characteristics, leaving vessel speed primarily as a fitting variable with less biological meaning. The year/area/season stratification procedure was found to be necessary due to the unbalanced design, which otherwise would have factor levels with no data in a large combined model. In addition, the stratification procedure reduced the variability in CPUE substantially.
High-speed gas chromatography using an on-column thermal desorption modulator

A short, narrow-bore (50 μm) column with an on-column thermal desorp- tion modulator provides a technically simple and reliable method to generate high- speed gas chromatograms. A thermal desorption modulator prepared on the column but operated at a lower temperature functions as a sample introduction device. The modulator portion of the column extends outside of the oven and is at room temperature. A sample stream flows continuously into the modulator and through it into the column. Retained sample is released from the modulator by an electricaliy generated temperature pulse and carried into the column as a concentration pulse analogous to a sharp injecfion. Because the modulator is part of the column, no external injector is needed, and the volume of the concentration pulse is automatically appropriate for the column diameter. A series of chromatograms can be generated from a continuously flowing sample stream by applying a series of temperature pulses to the modulator. The narrow-bore column is highly efficient and generates chromatograms with total retention times as short as 1 s. Chromatographic efficiency reaches the column's the oretical limit at very high carrier gas linear velocity. Measured terminal band lengths are shorter than the length of the modulator because the thermal gradient between modulator and column focuses bands as they enter the column. Band durations are less than the modulator thermal pulse duration because sample substances are released from the modulator stationary phase and carried onto the column during a small part of the temperature ramp.
Mechanisms by which cAMP increases bile acid secretion in rat liver and canalicular membrane vesicles

Bile acid secretion induced by cAMP and taurocholate is associated with recruitment of several ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters to the canalicular membrane. Taurocholate-mediated bile acid secretion and recruitment of ABC transporters are phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) dependent and require an intact microtubular apparatus. We examined mechanisms involved in cAMP-mediated bile acid secretion. Bile acid secretion induced by perfusion of rat liver with dibutyryl cAMP was blocked by colchicine and wortmannin, a PI3K inhibitor. Canalicular membrane vesicles isolated from cAMP-treated rats manifested increased ATP-dependent transport of taurocholate and PI3K activity that were reduced by prior in vivo administration of colchicine or wortmannin. Addition of a PI3K lipid product, phosphoinositide 3,4-bisphosphate, but not its isomer, phosphoinositide 4,5-bisphosphate, restored ATP-dependent taurocholate in these vesicles. Addition of a decapeptide that activates PI3K to canalicular membrane vesicles increased ATP-dependent transport above baseline activity. In contrast to effects induced by taurocholate, cAMP-stimulated intracellular trafficking of the canalicular ABC transporters was unaffected by wortmannin, and recruitment of multidrug resistance protein 2, but not bile salt excretory protein (bsep), was partially decreased by colchicine. These studies indicate that trafficking of bsep and other canalicular ABC transporters to the canalicular membrane in response to cAMP is independent of PI3K activity. In addition, PI3K lipid products are required for activation of bsep in the canalicular membrane. These observations prompt revision of current concepts regarding the role of cAMP and PI3K in intracellular trafficking, regulation of canalicular bsep, and bile acid secretion.
Links and barriers between hospital and community

Links between hospital and community may be affected by such physical characteristics as size, location, and architecture; by policy characteristics, such as state versus local initiative and policy concerning trustees; and by the nature of hospital-based rehabilitation facilities, such as day care. Since rehabilitation has the objective of maintaining the patient in the community, and since this requires a fertile soil of community acceptance, it is important to identify and strengthen those forces which tend to link together the community and the hospital.
Harm reduction therapy: a practice-friendly review of research

Harm reduction is an umbrella term for interventions aiming to reduce the problematic effects of behaviors. Although harm reduction was originally and most frequently associated with substance use, it is increasingly being applied to a multitude of other behavioral disorders. This article reviews the state of empirical research on harm reduction practices including alcohol interventions for youth, college students, and a variety of other adult interventions. We also review nicotine replacement and opioid substitution, as well as needle exchanges and safe injection sites for intravenous drug users. Dozens of peer-reviewed controlled trial publications provide support for the effectiveness of harm reduction for a multitude of clients and disorders without indications of iatrogenic effects. Harm reduction interventions provide additional tools for clinicians working with clients who, for whatever reason, may not be ready, willing, or able to pursue full abstinence as a goal.
Asymptotics of recurrence coefficients for orthonormal polynomials on the line-Magnus's method revisited

We use Freud equations to obtain the main term in the asymptotic expansion of the recurrence coefficients associated with orthonormal polynomials pn(w2) for weights w = W exp(-Q) on the real line where Q is an even polynomial of fixed degree with nonnegative coefficients or where Q(x) -- exp(x2m), m ≥ 1. Here W(x) = |x|ρ for some real ρ > -1.
On a consistent first-order shear-deformation theory for laminated plates

Abstract This paper systematically states the consistent first-order shear-deformation theory for laminated plates recently proposed by Qi and Knight. It assumes that only in an average sense does a straight line originally normal to the midplane remain straight and rotate relative to the normal of the midplane, and in a local sense a slight displacement perturbation around the average rotated line is also permitted after deformation. Since the curved line is very shallow, the present theory still approximates linear in-plane and constant transverse displacements through the thickness just as Reissner and Mindlin's first-order shear-deformation theory does. Reissner and Mindlin's theory leads to uniform transverse shear strain distributions by employing pointwise strain displacement relationships, and satisfies the transverse shear constitutive relationships only in an average corrected form. In contrast, Qi and Knight's theory accounts for variable transverse shear strain distributions by enforcing pointwise constitutive relationships, and relates transverse shear strains to kinematic unknowns only in a weighted-average form. Through-the-thickness transverse shear strains are thus consistent with the stress counterparts and their transverse-shear-stress-weighted-average values are just the nominal-uniform transverse shear strains which correspond to the average rotations. The new theory combines the advantages of several prevailing 2D laminated plate theories while overcoming their drawbacks. Numerical results for the cylindrical bending problem of orthotropic laminated plates exhibit excellent agreement between Qi and Knight's theory and Pagano's 3D exact elasticity results.
A model for studies of mechanical interactions between the human spine and rib cage

Abstract A three-dimensional mathematical model useful for studies of the mechanics of the human skeletal thorax is described. To construct this model, rib cage elements are incorporated into a previously reported model of the thoracolumbar spine. The vertebrae and bony portions of the ribs and sternum are idealized as rigid bodies. The behavior of the discs, ligaments and costal cartilages are modelled by deformable elements. Appropriate geometric and stiffness property data are assigned to the elements of the model. In constructing the model, it was found that the mechanical response of the costo-vertebral joint is strongly influenced by articulation geometry. Although rigid bodies were used to model calcified portions of the ribs, the model predicted rib cage deformations in close agreement with those measured experimentally. These studies indicate that the rigid body motion of calcified portions of the rib makes a major contribution to the deformation of the rib cage in response to certain types of loadings. Quantitative results are also reported on the roles the rib cage plays in bending responses of the spine, the lateral stability of the spine, and the production and correction of several scoliotic deformities.
Fractures of the tarsal bones

Midfoot fractures and dislocations are relatively uncommon. They can have significant associated long-term morbidity, however. Accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment can help to decrease this morbidity. The general principles of treating midfoot fractures are identical to those for any orthopedic fracture. An adequate reduction of the midfoot as a whole should be obtained, then maintained until satisfactory healing has occurred. Displaced fractures often require surgery to reduce and fix. Stable fixation or primary arthrodesis of the smaller midfoot articulations often is required because the ligament injuries associated with midfoot fractures can be debilitating. Care should be taken to preserve motion at the talonavicular joint and the cuboid–fourth and fifth articulation. This article reviews the diagnosis and treatment of various midfoot fractures and dislocations.
Youth-centered design and usage results of the iN Touch mobile self-management program for overweight/obesity

Overweight/obesity among youth is a grave concern in the USA due to its potential impact on illness such as hypertension, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes and asthma. This paper reports on the design and usage of iN Touch, a mobile self-management application for tracking observations of daily living (ODLs) in a health coaching program for low-income, urban, minority youth 13---24 years with overweight/obesity. We applied a youth-centered, participatory design approach to design and implementation of the technology and intervention with a representative 10-member youth advisory board. The recommendations were implemented prior to launching the technology in an intervention phase. The application with food, exercise, mood and socializing trackers along with pictures and notes was delivered on an iPod Touch to 24 participants. Mixed methods were applied to evaluate technology acceptance including system-generated data, questionnaires and exit interviews. There was good engagement among participants who recorded 2,117 ODLs over 6 months. The mean rating for usefulness was 3.50/5, SD = 1.18 and for ease of use, 3.83/5, SD = 1.27. Qualitative analysis of exit interviews found that design recommendations were fulfilled and the resulting technology was compelling. Future papers will report on the health impacts of iN Touch.
Intraoperative positioning nerve injuries

Intraoperative positioning nerve injuries are regrettable complications of surgery thought to arise from stretch and/or compression of vulnerable peripheral nerves. Generally thought to be preventable, these injuries still occur in patients despite rigorous preventative measures. Sometimes injuries, initially thought to be due to malpositioning, are caused by other factors, such as retraction injury or brachial plexitis. Because of the diversity of nerves susceptible to positioning injury, the clinician must be aware of a variety of presentations and must be able to distinguish them from other postoperative complaints. Prevention remains the mainstay of the management of positioning injuries. Diagnosed and managed appropriately, these lesions typically improve completely over time.