cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
E-046 Procedural Efficiency of the Streamlined Launchpad Stroke Admission Paradigm – A Single Center Experience

Introduction Time remains a crucial factor in stroke progression. Rapid and complete revascularization has been well correlated with favorable clinical outcome in patients with acute ischemic stroke secondary to large vessel occlusion. To mitigate the deleterious effects due to treatment delay, an initiative has been implemented to shorten the time for patient processing, expediting LVO patients for immediate intervention. The Launchpad protocol was established to ensure admitting stroke patients are triaged quickly and accurately identified in order to reduce time from arrival to intervention, and overall to revascularization. Herein, we assess the efficacy of the Launchpad paradigm in triaging presenting stroke patients. Methods A retrospective review of the stroke database was conducted between September 2014 and January 2016, 3 months prior and 13 months post Launchpad implementation. Prior to Launchpad, patients presenting with stroke were triaged through the traditional Emergency Department (ED) pathway. Through Launchpad, incoming patients bypass the traditional ED pathway and are taken straight for a CT scan by a dedicated stroke team. A CT scan positive for LVO and penumbral tissues will permit patients to continue through the Launchpad pathway for further evaluation and subsequent intervention. Time differences during patient triage before and after Launchpad initiation are assessed to determine the efficiency of this paradigm. Results In total, 764 patients were identified in the retrospective analysis, 137 were admitted prior, and 627 were admitted post Launchpad implementation. In the pre-Launchpad cohort, the median time from admission to CT imaging was 20 minutes. Patients under the Launchpad paradigm showed a reduction in time from presentation to imaging of 5 minutes (p = 0.0004). An increase in efficiency by roughly 25% to CT was observed following Launchpad implementation. Conclusion The streamlined stroke activation Launchpad protocol demonstrated an increased speed in patient admission and significant reduction in time from presentation to CT scan. This significant improvement in processing time allowed for an increased number of patients to meet the therapeutic window for IV tPA eligibility. A prospective trial will strengthen the current finding and support the implementation of this paradigm amongst other stroke centers. Disclosures K. Sivakumar: None. S. Feuerwerker: None. D. Turkel-Parrella: None. A. Tiwari: None. J. Farkas: None. K. Arcot: None.
Lung Donation After Death Resulting From a Stanford Type A Aortic Dissection

The number of lung transplantations performed in the United States has increased at a modest pace over the past decades and reached an all-time high of 2,052 in 2015. However, the transplant wait list mortality remains unacceptably high with approximately one in five patients removed from the list because of death or being too sick for transplantation. The greatest limitation to performing lung transplantations is the relative lack of acceptable lung donors. Here we report the use of lungs from a donor who died as the result of adverse events related to a Stanford type A aortic dissection.
Elder Abuse Prevention Interventions

There are a plethora of prevention intervention strategies and services available to assist in identifying elders at risk for mistreatment, services available for those who are identified as high risk for mistreatment, and far-ranging but uncoordinated universal awareness and education activities and initiatives mostly mounted at local levels. However, we have little or no evidence of the long-term efficacy of the many different strategies and services currently employed to reduce the occurrence or the severity of elder abuse and neglect through prevention interventions. Without a valid body of outcomes-based evidence, informed by well-designed and sound methodological research, we do not know if the investment in our current programs and services has any positive payoffs in terms of improved individual or societal well-being. This chapter sets forth a framework for differentiating elder abuse prevention interventions from treatments, and reviews the current state of knowledge regarding the impacts of universal, selective, and indicated prevention interventions. The chapter answers the following questions: Are elder abuse public awareness and education effective universal prevention strategies? Are screening, continuing education and training effective selective prevention strategies? Are individualized counseling, home visits combined with case management, and multidisciplinary teams effective indicated prevention strategies? Recommendations are presented for building a body of reliable and valid prevention intervention research that emphasizes experimental design, sophisticated data analysis, and rigorous evaluation.
Defining the Problem

Prostate cancer detection and management continues to be an area of immense study, debate, and controversy. Despite the best efforts of urologists, radiation oncologists, and medical oncologists, some men will die of prostate cancer despite the currently available options for prostate cancer treatment. On the opposite end of the spectrum from that aggressive form of prostate cancer is the indolent prostate cancer that never affects the man who bears the diagnosis. Thus, this creates a primary problem in the use of prostate cancer screening: some men with aggressive prostate cancer may not be readily identified and treated despite efforts at prostate cancer screening and biopsy; however, other men who have an indolent small volume prostate cancer are unlikely to be harmed from the prostate cancer itself but are subjected to the side effects associated with treatment.
Mechanisms on the Impacts of Alkalinity, pH, and Chloride on Persulfate-Based Groundwater Remediation.

Persulfate (S2O82–)-based in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) has gained more attention in recent years due to the generation of highly reactive and selective sulfate radical (SO4•–). This study examined the effects of important groundwater chemical parameters, i.e., alkalinity, pH, and chloride on benzene degradation via heterogeneous persulfate activation by three Fe(III)- and Mn(IV)-containing aquifer minerals: ferrihydrite, goethite, and pyrolusite. A comprehensive kinetic model was established to elucidate the mechanisms of radical generation and mineral surface complexation. Results showed that an increase of alkalinity up to 10 meq/L decreased the rates of persulfate decomposition and benzene degradation, which was associated with the formation of unreactive surface carbonato complexes. An increase in pH generally accelerated persulfate decomposition due to enhanced formation of reactive surface hydroxo complexation. A change in the chloride level up to 5 mM had a negligibly effect on the reaction ki...
Assessment of Two Solid Anaerobic Digestate Soil Amendments for Effects on Soil Quality and Biosolarization Efficacy.

Anaerobic digestion is an organic waste bioconversion process that produces biofuel and digestates. Digestates have potential to be applied as soil amendment to improve properties for crop production including phytonutrient content and pest load. Our objective was to assess the impact of solid anaerobic digestates on weed seed inactivation and soil quality upon soil biosolarization (a pest control technique that combines solar heating and amendment-induced microbial activity). Two solid digestates from thermophilic (TD) and mesophilic (MD) digesters were tested. The solarized TD-amended samples presented significantly higher mortality of Brassica nigra (71%, P = 0.032) than its equivalent incubated at room temperature. However, biosolarization with digestate amendment led to decreased weed seed mortality in certain treatments. The plant-available water, total C, and extractable P and K were significantly increased (P < 0.05) in the incubated amended soils. The results confirm the potential of digestates a...
A Highly Linear Temperature Sensor Using GaN-on-SiC Heterojunction Diode for High Power Applications

Silicon carbide (SiC) power devices have been commercialized up to 1.7 kV with operating temperatures up to 573 K. The temperature limitations of SiC devices are generally derived from limitations in packaging and a lack of information on safe operating temperature regimes. Therefore, it is highly desirable to develop reliable temperature sensing techniques that can better take advantage of the SiC devices in high power applications. In this letter, ten gallium nitride (GaN)-on-SiC heterojunction diodes, aiming at high-power and high-temperature sensing applications, were fabricated using concentric ring geometry. These sensors can be monolithically integrated into GaN-on-SiC RF/Microwave power devices with fast-switching frequency and high-power density. The temperature dependent characteristics of the forward voltage drop at fixed current ( $V_{D}-{T}$ ) of these heterojunction devices and their sensitivities (mV/K) are comprehensively characterized in a temperature range from 300 to 650 K. These devices exhibit a high degree of linearity in their $V_{D}-{T}$ characteristics, which indicates the potential to be used as temperature sensors up to 650 K.
Presence of Mast Cells and Mast Cell Degranulation in Scalp Biopsies of Telogen Effluvium

Background: Telogen effluvium (TE) is a type of acquired, diffuse alopecia that occurs due to an abnormal shift of scalp hair follicles from anagen to telogen, leading to premature shedding of hair. Previous studies have suggested the existence of a neuroimmunologic “brain-hair follicle” axis, in which mast cells have been implicated as an important link between the nervous system and immunologic system. Objective: The current study sought to investigate the role of mast cell presence and mast cell degranulation in the pathogenesis of TE. Materials and Methods: Mast cells were counted using Giemsa and tryptase immunohistochemical stains in scalp biopsy specimens with the pathologic diagnosis of TE (TE, n = 10), alopecia areata (AA, n = 7), and androgenic alopecia (ANDRO, n = 9). Results: We found significant (P < 0.001) group-level differences between the mean mast cell counts per high-power fields for each type of alopecia studied. Tukey post hoc analysis showed the mean mast cell count for TE to be significantly larger than AA for both Giemsa (P = 0.002) and tryptase (P = 0.006); significantly larger than ANDRO for both Giemsa (P < 0.001) and tryptase (P < 0.001); and significantly larger when compared to normal scalp skin for both Giemsa (P < 0.001) and tryptase (P < 0.001). No significant difference of mean mast cell counts was observed for AA compared to ANDRO for Giemsa (P = 0.373) or tryptase (P = 0.598) stains. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that mast cells could play a role in mediating stress-induced hair loss seen in TE.
Late-Quaternary records of vegetation and fire in southeastern North Carolina from Jones Lake and Singletary Lake

Abstract We conducted fossil pollen, charcoal, and geochemical analyses of sediment cores from Jones Lake and Singletary Lake spanning the last ∼50,000 cal yr B.P. to examine the linkages between climate, vegetation, and fire activity on the Atlantic Coastal Plain, and particularly emphasize changes since the Last Glacial Maximum. Application of the modern analog technique (MAT) to fossil pollen data allowed for quantitative estimates of Holocene climate, but Pleistocene assemblages had no modern analogues preempting their use for quantitative reconstructions. The MAT data indicate markedly lower mean annual precipitation and temperatures during the late Pleistocene relative to the Holocene. Increased charcoal accumulation during interstadials indicates increased fire activity during these warm intervals. Geochemical data (δ13C, δ15N, C:N) and pollen concentrations indicate a sparsely-vegetated Pleistocene landscape that produced few fires followed by an increase in biomass and fire activity around the lakes during the Holocene transition. A Quercus spp. maximum in the early Holocene is associated with low charcoal abundances, while increased dominance of Pinus spp. during the middle Holocene is associated with dramatic increases in charcoal. It is unclear if the Quercus-Pinus transition was the result of changing fire regimes or if the fire regime changed in response to vegetation. The regional asynchronicity of the Quercus-Pinus transition may indicate another forcing mechanism besides climate change, such as prehistoric human activity, is responsible for the ecological change. Macroscopic charcoal and C:N ratios reach unprecedented values during the late Holocene, possibly as a result of deforestation by both prehistoric Native Americans and later immigrant populations.
Ellsworth Huntington’s Victorian Climatic Writings

In the late Victorian era, one could find Ellsworth Huntington caravanning through Eurasia, counting tree rings in northern California, or subsisting on stipends on the fringes of Yale’s geology department. Writing on demography as much as geography, Huntington described non-random change through founding effects and migration, as much as natural and sexual selection. Importantly, he distinguished between physical and community ecology, applying these concepts to human biogeography. Though not available to Huntington who wrote most prolifically in the earliest part of the twentieth century, life history evolution is indispensable to understanding the dynamics of climatically induced evolution across populations treated, for instance, in The Principles of Human Geography and The Human Habitat. Through Huntington’s writings, cross-continental variation in life histories is introduced and explained.
National Minority Business Owners Surveys: Audio of Presentation

The National Minority Business Owners Surveys' purpose is to explore minority entrepreneurship issues by examining business ownership patterns among African-American, Korean-American, and Mexican-American populations, and White populations.
Pharmacologic Stress Testing

For the vast majority of patients, exercise stress testing is the preferable mode of physiologic stress as it offers insight into functional capacity. However in conditions when a patient cannot exercise maximally or has a contraindication to exercise testing (Table 10.1), pharmacologic agents may be used in conjunction with myocardial perfusion imaging to assess patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease.
On segment-based stream modeling and its applications

The primary constraint in the effective mining of data streams is the large volume of data which must be processed in real time. In many cases, it is desirable to store a summary of the data stream segments in order to perform data mining tasks. Since density estimation provides a comprehensive overview of the probabilistic data distribution of a stream segment, it is a natural choice for this purpose. A direct use of density distributions can however turn out to be an inefficient storage and processing mechanism in practice. In this paper, we introduce the concept of cluster histograms, which provides an efficient way to estimate and summarize the most important data distribution profiles over different stream segments. These profiles can be constructed in a supervised or unsupervised way depending upon the nature of the underlying application. The profiles can also be used for change detection, anomaly detection, segmental nearest neighbor search, or supervised stream segment classification. The flexibility of the tasks which can be performed from the cluster histogram framework follows from its generality in storing the historical density profile of the data stream. As a result, this method provides a holistic framework for density based mining of data streams. We discuss and test the application of the cluster histogram framework to a variety of interesting data mining applications such as speaker recognition and intrusion detection.
From single-species to biodiversity – making the transition in fisheries management

Biodiversity protection is a key issue for fishery management, but there are large uncertainties about its implementation. Incentives for biodiversity protection are created and shaped by the institutional environment which establishes the rights, rules and responsibilities of human behavior. Making the institutional transition from an orientation of single-species to one of biodiversity is complicated by the history of fisheries management, the current state of fisheries and the structures and procedures of fishery decision making. Significant challenges to institutional design for biodiversity lie in the agencies, decision bodies, regulations, and enforcement within which management is implemented. Failure to address the institutional issues surrounding biodiversity will lead to poor implementation and continued ecological simplification. Without serious and fresh attention to innovative design, the institutional environment of fisheries is likely to be completely inadequate to the task of protecting biodiversity.
De Haas-van alphen effect and the Fermi surface of LaB6

Extremal cross-sectional areas and effective masses of the Fermi surface of LaB6 in the (100) and (110) planes have been measured using the de Haas-van Alphen (dHvA) effect. In addition, measurements of the field dependence of the magnetoresistance in the (100) plane have also been performed which show the existence of open orbits in certain directions and suggest the presence of magnetic breakdown. Much of the dHvA data are consistent with a set of nearly spherical ellipsoids located at the points X of the Brillouin zone and connected by necks which intersect the M line; magnetic breakdown across the necks must be postulated to explain the remaining data. The proposed Fermi surface is consistent with the discrete variational band-structure calculations of Walch et al. © 1976 The American Physical Society.
The LANA Project: Origin and Tactics

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the origin of and tactics in the design of the LANA project. The germinal idea of the LANA Project concerned the possibility of devising an electronic system that would enhance in several ways the efficiency and objectivity of research into the acquisition of language-type skills by ape subjects. Such a system contained the potential for automating certain aspects of training so that the subject would be in the training situation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Equally important, an automated system would allow for a more economical use of manpower, for greater objectivity in defining the training conditions and in recording responses executed by the subjects, and for a technology that might extend research efforts to various settings. A number of conferences were held to assess the feasibility of implementing the idea, where it was concluded that a computer-based system would probably be feasible and that the effort should include a linguist. Language learning and usage was to be the behavioral medium whereby ape subject would interact with its environment. Initial training would be simple, fundamental operant conditioning whereby the subject, Lana, would come to master the basic discriminations and responses necessary to address the computerized system. The results of the project have served as educational materials in institutions across the country from kindergartens to universities.
Internalized Stigma Among African Americans Living with HIV: Preliminary Scale Development Based on Qualitative Data

In 2004, the Centers for Disease Control reported that AIDS was the leading cause of death for African American women between the ages of 25 and 34 and African American men between the ages of 35 and 44 in the United States. Researchers have explained the impact of HIV/AIDS in African American communities in terms of delays in accessing care and difficulties in adhering to medication regimens. Research findings suggest that culturally appropriate interventions developed to reduce HIV/AIDS stigma could help improve treatment adherence and, in turn, improve health outcomes for African Americans living with HIV/AIDS. In order to better understand the cultural experience of HIV stigma, we conducted 20 individual cognitive interviews with African American men and women living with HIV in Chicago who were seeking treatment from an HIV clinic based at a large academic medical center. We analyzed transcriptions of these interviews using a phenomenological and content analytic framework. The data helped us to adapt a stigma scale to help us better assess the severity of stigma as it is experienced, perceived, and internalized.
Making Modern Florida: How the Spirit of Reform Shaped a New State Constitution by Mary E. Adkins (review)

Mary E. Adkins has written a well-organized and well-researched narrative history describing the challenging process in the 1960s by which Florida and Floridians developed and approved a new consti...
VCSELs and 100G

We review our recent experimental results that demonstrate a path to 1Tbps VCSEL links using wavelength division multiplexing with emphasis on the limitations of bandwidth and RIN. The impact of modal dynamics on 50Gbaud PAM- 2 and PAM-4 modulations will be explored including the influence of mode correlations and aperture size. Our recent demonstrations of 100Gbps error-free serial links at multiple wavelengths from 850nm to 1060nm will be presented.
Analysis of Lipids in Single Cells and Organelles Using Nanomanipulation-Coupled Mass Spectrometry

The ability to discriminately analyze the chemical constituents of single cells and organelles is highly sought after and necessary to establish true biomarkers. Some major challenges of individual cell analysis include requirement and expenditure of a large sample of cells as well as extensive extraction and separation techniques. Here, we describe methods to perform individual cell and organelle extractions of both tissues and cells in vitro using nanomanipulation coupled to mass spectrometry. Lipid profiles display heterogeneity from extracted adipocytes and lipid droplets, demonstrating the necessity for single cell analysis. The application of these techniques can be applied to other cell and organelle types for selective and thorough monitoring of disease progression and biomarker discovery.
Pharmacies on the Frontline: Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic

The year 2020 will infamously be known for the COVID-19 pandemic. It certainly caught most of the population completely off-guard and forever changed their lives. Unfortunately, this pandemic is expected to make a resurgence in the fall, but hopefully more will be known about SARS-CoV-2, better treatment protocols will be established, and, possibly, a safe and effective vaccine will be developed and available soon. There are numerous drug shortages due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some products are not commercially available in certain dosage forms needed by patients. Pharmacies (retail, independents, health systems) all over the U.S. are being asked to compound items such as hand sanitizers, saccharin solutions for FIT testing of N95 masks, and hydroxychloroquine suspension. The commercial lopinavir/ritonavir oral liquid is in short supply and may need to be compounded soon. We are all in this one together, from the essential workers to the children, and pharmacists are emerging as one of the first-line responders.
Monitoring and root-cause diagnostics of high-dimensional data streams

The high-dimensionality and volume of large-scale streaming data has inhibited significant research progress in developing an integrated monitoring and diagnostics (M&D) approach. Such data streams...
Reimagining the Away Rotation: A 4-Week Virtual Subinternship in Urology.

Objective To develop and evaluate the first 4-week virtual subinternship in urology. Design Following a needs assessment, we established four course objectives: to teach foundational knowledge, assess students' abilities, highlight our program culture, and evaluate students' compatibility with our program. To meet these objectives, we developed a virtual curriculum that consisted of department conferences, small group didactic sessions, clinical/surgical encounters, interactive online modules, and informal sessions. At the conclusion of the subinternship, we sent anonymous surveys to students and physicians to measure success in meeting the course objectives. Student learning was measured using the framework of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) core competencies. Setting The study was conducted at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, a tertiary care academic institution. Participants Over a 2-month span, the virtual subinternship enrolled a total of 8 fourth-year medical students from 7 different medical schools in 5 different states. All residents and attending urologists in the Columbia University Department of Urology were involved in teaching. Results Overall, 100% of students and 63% of physicians rated the elective as “very good” or “excellent.” The highest-rated components of the elective were the didactic curriculum and online modules. All course objectives were met, especially teaching foundational knowledge and highlighting program culture. Students reported high learning scores in all ACGME core competencies and urologic subspecialties, as well as increased confidence in managing a range of urologic conditions. The majority of students and physicians recommended incorporating virtual educational tools into future urology electives, particularly didactic sessions, online modules, and conferences/Grand Rounds presentations. Conclusions A virtual subinternship in urology is a novel and successful model to enable student education, assessment, demonstration of program culture, and evaluation of student-program fit. This curriculum can serve as a template and springboard for the effective integration of virtual learning into surgical education.
Bitter, sweet, and umami signaling in taste cells: it’s not as simple as we thought

The taste system uses distinct signaling pathways to detect chemicals in potential food items. Bitter, sweet and umami stimuli have complex chemical structures and activate G protein coupled receptor (GPCR) pathways while salt and sour are detected by ionotropic receptors. The current taste model states that bitter, sweet, and umami stimuli are transduced by Type II taste cells using GPCRs and a common PLCβ2/IP3R3/TRPM5 signaling pathway. However, there are several caveats to this model that suggest additional signaling mechanisms are involved. Multiple studies have reported that loss of individual signaling components reduces, but does not abolish, taste responses to these stimuli. Recent work has also identified a subset of taste cells that are separate from Type II cells and are broadly responsive to multiple taste qualities, including bitter, sweet and umami. These studies suggest that the signaling processes in taste cells are more complex than previously appreciated.
Periprosthetic joint infection is the main reason for failure in patients following periprosthetic fracture treated with revision arthroplasty

Periprosthetic fracture after primary total hip and knee arthroplasty (THA; TKA) can be challenging, requiring open reduction internal fixation (ORIF), revision, or both. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes and risk factors associated with re-revision surgery following failed revision arthroplasty for periprosthetic fracture. A total of 316 consecutive THA patients and 79 consecutive TKA patients underwent a revision for periprosthetic fracture, of which 68 THA patients (21.5%) and 15 TKA patients (18.9%) underwent re-revision surgery. The most common indication for hip and knee re-revision was periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) in 28 THA patients (46.6%) and 11 TKA patients (47.8%). The complication rates of THA and TKA revision were 24.3% and 25.3% respectively, and 35.0% and 39.1% respectively for re-revision surgery at an average follow-up of 4.5 years. Periprosthetic joint infection was the most common indication for THA and TKA re-revision (46.7%; 47.8%) and third revision surgery (15.0%; 13.0%). Factors significantly contributing to an increased risk of THA and TKA re-revision included revision with plate fixation and revision with combined ORIF. The overall complication rate of THA and TKA re-revision surgery following failed revision surgery for periprosthetic fracture was higher than of revision surgery. The most common indication for re-revision and third revision was periprosthetic joint infection. These findings may assist surgeons in the management and preoperative counseling of patients undergoing THA and TKA revision surgery for a periprosthetic fracture to optimize the outcomes for these patients. Level III, case–control retrospective analysis.
An outer–inner linearization method for non-convex and nondifferentiable composite regularization problems

We propose a new outer–inner linearization method for non-convex statistical learning problems involving non-convex structural penalties and non-convex loss. Many important statistical problems fall in this category, including the robust M-estimators, generalized linear models, and different types of structured learning problems. Our method exploits the fact that many such loss and penalty functions can be represented as compositions of smooth concave functions and nonsmooth convex functions. It linearizes the outer concave functions and solves the resulting convex, but still nonsmooth, subproblems by a special alternating linearization method. We provide proof of convergence to a stationary point of the method under mild conditions. Finally, numerical examples involving non-convex structural penalties and non-convex loss functions demonstrate the efficacy and accuracy of the method.
Non-pharmacological interventions for pain in people with dementia: A systematic review.

Abstract Context Pain commonly occurs in people living with dementia but is often undertreated. Non-pharmacological interventions are a safer first-line option for pain management, but evidence-based interventions for people living with dementia have not been established. An increasing number of studies have examined the effect of non-pharmacological interventions in pain management. However, the evidence that specifically focuses on people living with dementia has not been systematically reviewed. Objectives This review aimed to systematically synthesize current evidence on non-pharmacological interventions to manage pain in people living with dementia. Methods A comprehensive search of the literature was conducted in PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Studies were included if they were 1) peer-reviewed original quantitative research, 2) tested the effect of non-pharmacological interventions on pain in people with dementia, and 3) English language. Studies were excluded if they 1) included both pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions and did not report separate results for the non-pharmacological interventions; 2) enrolled participants with and without dementia and did not have separate results reported for individuals with dementia; 3) tested dietary supplements as the intervention; and 4) were not original research, such as reviews, editorials, commentaries, or case studies. Title, abstract, and full text were screened. Quality assessment was conducted using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool and Johns Hopkins Level of Evidence. Pain assessment tools, participant characteristics, study designs, intervention condition, and results were extracted. Results were synthesized through grouping the type of the interventions and weighting evidence based on quality and design of the studies. Results A total of 11 articles and 12 interventions were identified. A total of 486 participants were included. Interventions that have shown a positive impact on pain include ear acupressure, music therapy, reflexology, tailored pain intervention, painting and singing, personal assistive robot, cognitive-behavioral therapy, play activity, and person-centered environment program. Nevertheless, a majority of the interventions were only evaluated once. Moreover, most studies had similar sample characteristics and setting. Conclusion Overall, the quality of included studies were mostly low to mixed quality and most participants only had mild to moderate baseline pain, which limits detection of the intervention's effect. Hence, these findings need to be duplicated in studies with a greater sample size, a more diverse population (race, gender, and settings), and a more rigorous design to validate the results.
Metal–ligand cooperative transfer of protons and electrons

Realizing cooperativity between ligands and metal centers in the transfer of proton and electron equivalents has the potential to facilitate faster, selective, and novel transformations. Recent advances in the synthesis and application of ligands with these design features illustrate the value of this biomimetic strategy in synthetic chemistry.
Active-phase arrest in labor: predictors of cesarean delivery in a nulliparous population.

OBJECTIVE To identify clinical variables associated with cesarean delivery for active-phase arrest with hypotonic labor. METHODS We reviewed all deliveries at our institution from September 1975 through March 1989. Data were collected from medical records and a computerized data base. Nulliparas with active-phase arrest were identified and those with hypotonic labor (defined as less than 180 Montevideo units) were selected. The clinical characteristics of each parturient were examined. A linear logistic regression analysis was used to examine the incidence of cesarean delivery as a function of clinical variables. RESULTS The incidence of active-phase arrest was 4.9%, and hypotonic forces were diagnosed in 81% of the cases managed with an intrauterine pressure catheter. Despite the consistent use of oxytocin in hypotonic labor, the cesarean rate was 60%. Four factors correlated with cesarean delivery in this setting: estimated fetal weight, station at the time of arrest, duration of ruptured membranes, and year of delivery. CONCLUSIONS After an active-phase arrest, cesarean delivery increased when there was suspected cephalopelvic disproportion. In addition, we observed a strong correlation between cesarean delivery and the year of delivery, which suggests a change in physician behavior over time, independent of all other risk factors for cesarean.
Protein synthesis during the secondary developmental transition of the embryonic rat pancreas.

Abstract The patterns of protein synthesis during the in vitro development of the embryonic rat pancreas have been studied. Electrophoresis in discontinuous acidic and basic urea polyacrylamide gels was used to resolve the exocrine pancreatic proteins. This procedure is shown to give specific profiles of the proteins from different tissues, and may thus be of general usefulness. The pancreas-specific proteins were identified on the discontinuous gels by co-migration with the purified proteins, by enzymatic activity, and by reaction with specific antibodies against the rat exocrine proteins. The rates of synthesis of the specific pancreatic proteins were estimated from the incorporation of l-[3H]leucine into these proteins resolved on the discontinuous urea polyacrylamide gels. The specific radioactivity of the cellular leucine pool was calculated indirectly from leucine pool saturation experiments and from the rate of the protein turn-over. The calculated value was verified by several means including the prediction of the accumulation curves for total and specific proteins in embryonic rat pancreases grown in vitro. The results show that while the rate of total protein synthesis during this period only increases 25% on a cell basis, the synthetic rates for amylase and chymotrypsinogen increase at least 100-fold. The increased synthetic rates account for the observed accumulation of the specific proteins during the secondary developmental transition. Thus, the mechanism of pancreatic cytodifferentiation involves the selective regulation of the synthesis of cell-specific proteins.
Technological capacity and other determinants of economic performance in African countries: Panel data evidence

The determinants of aggregate economic performance in African countries are economic, institutional and political. To date, rarely has research included a specific conceptual measure of technological index among the core determinants. Consequently, for the first time in the economic development literature this paper employs a unique measure of the national technological capacity index (constructed for RAND and surprisingly covering most African countries) as a determinant. Panel data regression model estimates of the determinants of economic output (Gross National Income, or GNI) are obtained using data on 49 of the 53 African countries. Our novel findings confirm that the lagging technological capacities, measured relative to the most advanced economy, significantly retard national outputs; trade openness and democratic government form improve economic performance; and increasing returns to education (investments in schooling) are highly potent catalysts for the production of GNI. Policy implications are...
Crying as social behavior.

Twenty mother-infant pairs were observed once a week for 7-hour periods when the infants were 2, 3, 4, and 5 weeks old. The occurrence of crying and its relationship to patterning of maternal behaviors was studied in two social contexts: while the mother was holding the infant and while she was not holding the infant. There were significant individual differences in the amount of crying in each of these contexts. The amount of crying in the two contexts was not correlated. Six variables describing forms of maternal attention throughout the 7-hour day were selected, and profiles were formed from measures of these variables. These profiles were found to vary systematically as a function of the amount of crying while the mother was holding the infant. In this context, only physical stimulation increased linearly with increased crying, whereas other forms of attention showed a U-shaped function in relation to increased crying. No relationship was found between crying while the mother was not holding the baby and patterns of interaction. We conclude that the structuring of a mother-infant relationship is reflected in the amount of crying that occurs while mother and infant are in close physical contact. The results also provide evidence that the social context for an infant's crying must be taken into account if the full adaptive value of crying is to be understood.
Driving while Palestinian in Israel and the West Bank: The politics of disorientation and the routes of a subaltern knowledge

Israel's system of closure divides Palestinian citizens of Israel from Palestinians of the West Bank. For members of both categories, road journeys spur political analysis, explicitly stated or implicitly packed into jokes or offhand comments. If, in liberal traditions, political knowledge is idealized as disembodied, abstract, and dispassionate, Palestinian knowledge gained while driving is none of these things. Yet it can provide important insights into the operations of Israeli power less easily represented in more formal outlets. Because the road system is an everyday site at which its users come into contact with the work of the state, driving is an important practice through which to examine popular conceptions of politics. Still, these two communities of Palestinians face obstacles in communicating about shared understandings of space and politics. In examining everyday political knowledge of subaltern people, we must attend to varieties of subalterneity to examine how these differences can perpetuate marginalization. [mobility, infrastructure, Palestinians, subalterneity, the state, Israel, place]
Procedure for Detecting Atypical Serum Cholinesterase Using o-Nitrophenylbutyrate as Substrate

A method has been developed for demonstrating atypical serum cholinesterase by means of the self-indicating substrate, o-nitrophenylbutyrate and the inhibitor succinyldicholine. The procedure was tested for atypical cholinesterase with 76 individuals, including 5 otherwise proven homozygotes and their immediate families. In all cases, it was possible to distinguish clearly those individuals homozygous for the usual and atypical cholinesterase as well as heterozygotes.
Improving the Quality of Text Understanding by Delaying Ambiguity Resolution

Text Understanding systems often commit to a single best interpretation of a sentence before analyzing subsequent text. This interpretation is chosen by resolving ambiguous alternatives to the one with the highest confidence, given the context available at the time of commitment. Subsequent text, however, may contain information that changes the confidence of alternatives. This may especially be the case with multiple redundant texts on the same topic. Ideally, systems would delay choosing among ambiguous alternatives until more text has been read. One solution is to maintain multiple candidate interpretations of each sentence until the system acquires disambiguating evidence. Unfortunately, the number of alternatives explodes quickly. In this paper, we propose a packed graphical (PG) representation that can efficiently represent a large number of alternative interpretations along with dependencies among them. We also present an algorithm for combining multiple PG representations to help resolve ambiguity and prune alternatives when the time comes to commit to a single interpretation. Our controlled experiments show that by delaying ambiguity resolution until multiple texts have been read, our prototype's accuracy is higher than when committing to interpretations sentence-by-sentence.
Simplified formulas for item selection and construction

The formula for the Pearson correlation coefficient of a dichotomous variable with a multiple-categoried variable is simplified for computational purposes by effecting in the multiple-categoried variable two types of arbitrary distributions: (1) rectangular and (2) proportional to binomial expansion coefficients. The formulas which result are convenient for the selection of test items and are applicable to the objective estimation of the comparative merits of the alternatives in multiple-choice test items. It is shown that the authoritative answer should have a high positive criterion coefficient, while the omissions and several wrong-answer alternatives should each have low (algebraic) negative criterion coefficients.
Late pleistocene glacial equilibrium-line altitudes in the Colorado Front Range: A comparison of methods

Six methods for approximating late Pleistocene (Pinedale) equilibrium-line altitudes (ELAs) are compared for rapidity of data collection and error (RMSE) from first-order trend surfaces, using the Colorado Front Range. Trend surfaces computed from rapidly applied techniques, such as glaciation threshold, median altitude of small reconstructed glaciers, and altitude of lowest cirque floors have relatively high RMSEs (97–186 m) because they are subjectively derived and are based on small glaciers sensitive to microclimatic variability. Surfaces computed for accumulation-area ratios (AARs) and toe-to-headwall altitude ratios (THARs) of large reconstructed glaciers show that an AAR of 0.65 and a THAR of 0.40 have the lowest RMSEs (about 80 m) and provide the same mean ELA estimate (about 3160 m) as that of the more subjectively derived maximum altitudes of Pinedale lateral moraines (RMSE = 149 m). Second-order trend surfaces demonstrate low ELAs in the latitudinal center of the Front Range, perhaps due to higher winter accumulation there. The mountains do not presently reach the ELA for large glaciers, and small Front Range cirque glaciers are not comparable to small glaciers existing during Pinedale time. Therefore, Pleistocene ELA depression and consequent temperature depression cannot reliably be ascertained from the calculated ELA surfaces.
The Trigger Film Technique

(1972). The Trigger Film Technique. Improving College and University Teaching: Vol. 20, No. 4, pp. 286-289.
Policy analysis: past, present, and future

This article reviews three themes in the past, present and future of policy analysis—policy analysis as a paradigm for policy advice, the fragility of public policy analysis organizations, and the emergence of ideologically based policy analysis organizations. The policy sciences have evolved from the rational model and the efficiency emphasis to an increased sensitivity to political factors in policy settings and to softer forms of analysis as legitimate ways of understanding policy issues. The article traces the growth of policy analysis staff in both the legislative and executive branches of the Federal Government. The article closes with a consideration of the implications for policy analysis education of the trends described above. Commenting on the state of policy analysis is like trying to describe Southern California. Continuing claims and counter claims have been made about the area's demise. Yet, people from many backgrounds continue to flock to it and proclaim native status. Observers agree the...
Localization of the expression of complement component 3 in the human endometrium by in situ hybridization

C3 production by the human endometrium has been previously described. The objective of the current study was to localize the site of expression and regulation of the third component of complement, C3, in the endometrium. Eight secretory and eight proliferative archival endometrial samples from hysterectomy and endometrial biopsy specimens were used for in situ hybridization analysis. This analysis was performed with a radiolabeled riboprobe synthesized from a 736-bp template representing sequence 1944-2680 of the human C3 complementary DNA. Duplicate sections were hybridized with sense and antisense riboprobes. Resultant autoradiograms were analyzed qualitatively by light- and darkfield microscopy. In proliferative endometrium, minimal expression of C3 was observed and was limited to a few stromal patches and glands throughout the section. In the secretory samples, prominent C3 expression was observed in both the glands and stroma of the basalis layer. Endometrial lymphocytes did not express C3. Endometrial stromal and glandular cells express the C3 gene. Endometrial lymphocytes did not express C3, but other nondistinct lymphoid elements scattered in the stroma may be expressing C3. There was a visibly more intense expression of C3 in the basalis layer of the secretory endometrium than in proliferative endometrium. The spatial and temporal pattern of C3 expression may have implications in normal menstrual physiology and in the immunological response of the endometrium to the invading trophoblast during placentation.
Instrumental variable estimator for the nonlinear errors-in-variables model

Abstract Estimation for the nonlinear errors-in-variables model is considered. It isassumed that additional information is available in the form of observations on instrumental variables. An estimation procedure is presented for the parameters of the model. Asymptotic properties of the estimator are investigated.
Interaction of Cody, a novel Bacillus subtillis DNA‐binding protein, with the dpp promoter region

The product of the codY gene is required for nutritional repression of the Bacillus subtillis dipeptide permease operon (dpp), an operon expressed at early stationary phase in nutrient-rich medium. Though unrelated to any known DNA-binding protein, CodY was shown to bind specifically to the dpp promoter region. DNase I footprinting experiments revealed that the CodY-protected region encompasses the dpp transcription start site and overlaps with the region protected by another regulatory protein, AbrB. CodY and AbrB were found to compete, in vitro, for binding to the dpp promoter region. Binding of CodY was altered in mutants defective in nutritional regulation.