cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rapid decline in lung function in coal miners: evidence of disease in small airways.

Background: Coal mine dust exposure can cause both pneumoconiosis and chronic airflow limitation. The contributions of various pathophysiologic mechanisms to dustrelated lung function decrements remain unclear. Methods: Clinical and physiological findings were assessed for 15 underground coal miners who had demonstrated accelerated FEV1 losses (decliners) over 6–18 years. Decliners’ findings were evaluated in comparison to a group of 11 miners who had shown relatively stable lung function (referents) during the same period. Results: At follow-up examination, the decliners showed significantly greater mean airway resistance (10.47 vs. 6.78 cmH2O/L/s; P ¼ 0.05) and more air trapping (RV/ TLC ¼ 37.5vs. 29.1%;P < 0.01)compared to the referents.Declinersalso demonstrated more evidence of small airways dysfunction and tended to have more bronchospasm than the referent group. Total lung capacity, lung compliance, diffusing capacity, and chest radiography did not differ significantly between the two groups. After cessation of mine dust exposures, the decliners’ mean rate of FEV1 loss normalized. Conclusion: In a series of working coal miners, accelerated lung function declines were associated with air trapping and evidence of small airways dysfunction. A preventive benefit from controlling dust exposures was suggested. Am. J. Ind. Med. 56:1107–1112, 2013. 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Turnover of Microsomal Protein in the Livers of Phenobarbital-treated Mice

Abstract Mice were treated twice daily for 4 days with injections of sodium phenobarbital, 75 mg per kg. There was a 25% increase in liver weight, a 50% increase in the amount of microsomal protein, and a 20% increase in the amount of soluble protein. When tritiated l-leucine was injected 24 hours before the start of treatment, the half-time for loss in vivo of radioactivity from microsomal protein was 3.5 days in control and 7 days in phenobarbital-treated mice. There was little change in specific activity of microsomal protein. The 90-min incorporation of l-leucine-3H into the microsomal protein of mice that had been pretreated for 2 or 3 days with sodium phenobarbital was increased about 20%. The accumulation of liver protein in animals treated with barbiturates seems to result from both a decreased rate of breakdown and an increased rate of synthesis.
Optimal Platform Design.

An auction house cannot generally provide the optimal auction technology to every client. Instead it provides one or several auction technologies, and clients select the most appropriate one. For example, eBay provides ascending auctions and "buy-it-now" pricing. For each client the offered technology may not be optimal, but it would be too costly for clients to create their own. We call these mechanisms, which emphasize generality rather than optimality, platform mechanisms. A platform mechanism will be adopted by a client if its performance exceeds that of the client's outside option, e.g., hiring (at a cost) a consultant to design the optimal mechanism. We ask two related questions. First, for what costs of the outside option will the platform be universally adopted? Second, what is the structure of good platform mechanisms? We answer these questions using a novel prior-free analysis framework in which we seek mechanisms that are approximately optimal for every prior.
Utility discounting explains informational website traffic patterns before a hurricane

We demonstrate that psychological models of utility discounting can explain the pattern of increased hits to weather websites in the days preceding a predicted weather disaster. We parsed the HTTP request lines issued by the web proxy for a mid-sized enterprise leading up to a hurricane, filtering for visits to weather-oriented websites. We fit four discounting models to the observed activity and found that our data matched hyperboloid models extending hyperbolic discounting.
Low-grade serous ovarian cancer: a unique disease

Low-grade serous carcinomas represent approximately 10% of all serous ovarian carcinomas. A growing body of research has demonstrated several important differences between the clinical and molecular characteristics of these tumors and those of high-grade serous ovarian carcinomas. Patients with low-grade serous ovarian tumors are diagnosed at a younger age, have a longer overall survival, and have lower response rates to conventional chemotherapy. In addition, low-grade serous ovarian carcinomas have pathologic and molecular characteristics distinct from high-grade serous carcinomas, yet similar to serous tumors of low malignant potential. This suggests a common pathogenesis and a continuum of disease from serous tumors of low malignant potential to low-grade serous carcinomas. Further study, focusing specifically on low-grade serous carcinomas, is needed to determine the role of other chemotherapeutic agents, hormonal therapy, or targeted biologic agents in the treatment of this disease.
Chapter 25:Zeolite Modelling: Active Sites in Different Framework Structures and in Different Crystallographic Positions

Zeolites are not only an important class of industrially used catalysts, they are also a perfect example of the active site concept (“The tortuous tale of the catalytically active site”).1 The large variety of zeolite structures2 for which three-letter codes (e.g. FAU, MFI) are used can be described...
Whole body vibration exposure and seat effective amplitude transmissibility of air suspension seat in different bus designs

A number of studies have shown that whole body vibration (WBV) exposures contribute to low back pain in vehicle operators. Bus design may be an important factor in determining the WBV exposures tha...
Evidence that ultraviolet B radiation transiently inhibits emigration of Langerhans cells from exposed epidermis, thwarting contact hypersensitivity induction

Langerhans cells (LC) play a critical role in the induction of contact hypersensitivity (CH), and ultraviolet B radiation (UVR) impairs CH induction in UVB-susceptible (UVB-S) mice via a TNF-α-dependent mechanism. A possible explanation of this effect is that UVR impairs CH in UVB-S mice by immobilizing LC transiently in the epidermis and upper dermis, thereby preventing their timelymigration to draining lymph nodes. To test this hypothesis we examined in vitro and in vivo the effects of in vivo UVR on migration of Ia+ cells from skin of UVB-S and UVB-resistant (UVB-R) mice. Dorsal surfaces of ears of mice were irradiated with 400 J/cm2 UVB and either explanted in vitro or transplanted orthotopically to the thoracic wall of syngeneic recipients. After 24, 48, and 72 h the epidermis was recovered from these explants/grafts and the number of Ia+ cells determined by immunohistochemistry. Culture medium obtained after explants were removed was also evaluated for content of Ia+ cells. The density of Ia+-bearing cells in the epidermis of cultured untreated skin explants and of grafted skin fell progressively for both UVB-S and UVB-R skin during the observation period. The rate of decline in Ia+ cells density during this interval was greatly impaired if the skin was exposed to UVR prior to excision; this effect was seen equally in UVB-S and UVB-R skin. Recovery of Ia+ cells in the medium after removal of cultured untreated skin explants was maximum after 24 h andcomparable in UVB-S and UVB-R skin. However, the number of Ia+ cells recovered in the medium from UVB-exposed skin was significantly reduced only if the skin donor was UVB-S. We conclude that the ability of UVR to impede LC migration from epidermis is significantly greater for UVB-S mice, accounting in part for the failure of these mice after UVR to acquire CH.
Conjunctival Melanoma: Outcomes Based on Tumor Origin in 382 Consecutive Cases

Purpose To evaluate prognostic factors based on origin of conjunctival melanoma. Design Interventional case series. Participants Three hundred eighty-two consecutive patients. Methods Retrospective chart review. Main Outcome Measures Melanoma-related metastasis and death. Results The melanoma arose from primary acquired melanosis (PAM; n=284; 74%), from pre-existing nevus (n = 26; 7%), and de novo (n = 72; 19%). The mean tumor base was 11 mm for melanoma arising from PAM, 6 mm for melanoma arising from nevus, and 10 mm for those arising de novo. At 5 years (10 years), melanoma metastasis occurred in 19% (25%) in melanoma arising from PAM ( P = 0.003), 10% (26%) in melanoma from nevus ( P = 0.193), and 35% (49%) in those de novo. Factors predictive of metastasis by multivariable analysis included tumor origin de novo ( P = 0.001), palpebral location ( P P = 0.005), and orbital invasion ( P = 0.022). At 5 years (10 years), melanoma-related death occurred in 5% (9%) in melanoma arising from PAM ( P P P P = 0.04), and nodular tumor ( P = 0.001). Conclusions Melanoma arising de novo carries a higher risk of melanoma-related metastasis and death compared with those cases arising from PAM or nevus. Financial Disclosure(s) The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.
Beneficial effects of mood stabilizers lithium, valproate and lamotrigine in experimental stroke models

The mood stabilizers lithium, valproate and lamotrigine are traditionally used to treat bipolar disorder. However, accumulating evidence suggests that these drugs have broad neuroprotective properties and may therefore be promising therapeutic agents for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, including stroke. Lithium, valproate and lamotrigine exert protective effects in diverse experimental stroke models by acting on their respective primary targets, ie, glycogen synthase kinase-3, histone deacetylases and voltage-gated sodium channels, respectively. This article reviews the most recent findings regarding the underlying mechanisms of these phenomena, which will pave the way for clinical investigations that use mood stabilizers to treat stroke. We also propose several future research avenues that may extend our understanding of the benefits of lithium, valproate and lamotrigine in improving stroke outcomes.
The optimality of tariff quotas under uncertainty

Abstract A tariff quota is a schedule of tariffs in which the tariff rate steps upward as imports exceed some critical quantity or value. This has desirable properties in the face of uncertainty about domestic demand and supply and about foreign supply. We show that a specific (ad valorem) tariff quota is the policy maximizing domestic expected surplus subject to constraints on average imports (import expenditure) and on the average amount by which imports (import expenditure) exceed some critical value.
Fracture mechanics modeling using images of fracture surfaces

Abstract The fracture surface is important evidence of the behavior of cement-based materials. Deflection, microcracking, and bridging are mechanisms that occur at the crack tip and absorb energy during the fracture process. Two optical microscopy techniques are used in this study to characterize surface geometry. The confocal laser microscope and a video density technique that uses video microscopy provide elevation data for the mesoscale of mortar and concrete. Recently, surface maps have been used to establish a link between surface roughness and fracture. In this paper, the tortuosity of the fracture surface is used in a micromechanical model to predict the increase in toughness due to aggregate. This analysis is performed for two sets of mortar specimens to investigate the influence of the aggregate size and gradation. The influence of crack deflection and aggregate fracture is compared to tested fracture parameters.
Total mastectomy under local anesthesia: the tumescent technique.

Abstract: The management of breast cancer in elderly women is controversial. Breast cancer in this age group tends to be biologically less aggressive and is highly responsive to hormonal intervention. The risk of dying of other causes often exceeds the risk of cancer recurrence. For these reasons, older patients tend to be treated less aggressively. One large study of elderly women with breast cancer found that half of the patients were undertreated. Four patients (mean age 72 years, range 61–95 years) underwent a unilateral total mastectomy for cancer under local anesthesia using the tumescent technique of infiltrating dilute lidocaine with epinephrine (25 ml of 1% lidocaine [250 mg] and 1 ml of 1:1000 epinephrine [1 mg] to 1 L of Ringers lactate) via an infusion pump. Three of the patients had estrogen receptor (ER)-negative tumors and one patient had tumor progression despite switching from tamoxifen to anastrozole. All four patients were class IV as defined by the American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA). There was no morbidity related to the surgery in the form of hematoma, wound infection, or skin flap necrosis. The patients were discharged 1–4 days after surgery. The anesthesia was adequate in all four cases and there was no deviation from the described technique. The mean operative time was 35 minutes (range 24–46 minutes). The tumescent technique is a safe, effective method for performing a total mastectomy in patients who would not be considered candidates for general anesthesia.
When faith divides family: religious discord and adolescent reports of parent-child relations.

What happens to family relations when an adolescent and her parent do not share the same religious convictions or practices? Whereas previous work on religion and intergenerational relations looks at relationships between parents and their adult children, we shift the focus to younger families, assessing how parent–child religious discord affects adolescents’ evaluation of their relationship with their parents. Exploring data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, we find several interesting patterns of association between religious discord and parent–child relations. Overall, religious discord predicts lower quality intergenerational relations. When parents value religion more than their teens do, adolescents tend to report poorer relations with parents. Relationship quality is not lower, however, when it is the adolescent who values religion more highly. We also find that religious discord is more aggravating in families where parent and child share religious affiliation and in families where the parent is an evangelical Protestant.
Exact treatment of Poisson's equation in solids with space-filling cells.

We present a new, rigorous treatment of Poisson's equation in solids with no shape approximation to the potential. In contrast to existing techniques, this method allows the unified treatment of periodic solids, as well as materials containing imperfections such as substitutional or interstitial impurities and disordered alloys. Explicit expressions for the potential and the Coulomb part of the energy are given. The validity and utility of this approach is demonstrated by numerical calculations.
The number of cut vertices in graphs with given minimum degree

Abstract The maximum number of cutvertices in a connected graph of order n having minimum degree at least δ is determined for δ ⩾5.
A comparison of lumboperitoneal and ventriculoperitoneal shunting for idiopathic intracranial hypertension: an analysis of economic impact and complications using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample.

Object. Complications following lumboperitoneal (LP) shunting have been reported in 18% to 85% of cases. The need for multiple revision surgeries, development of iatrogenic Chiari malformation, and frequent wound complications have prompted many to abandon this procedure altogether for the treatment of idiopathic benign intracranial hypertension (pseudotumor cerebri), in favor of ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunting. A direct comparison of the complication rates and health care charges between first-choice LP versus VP shunting is presented. Methods. The Nationwide Inpatient Sample database was queried for all patients with the diagnosis of benign intracranial hypertension (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, code 348.2) from 2005 to 2009. These data were stratified by operative intervention, with demographic and hospitalization charge data generated for each. Results. A weighted sample of 4480 patients was identified as having the diagnosis of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), with 2505 undergoing first-time VP shunt placement and 1754 undergoing initial LP shunt place ment. Revision surgery occurred in 3.9% of admissions (n = 98) for VP shunts and in 7.0% of admissions (n = 123) for LP shunts (p < 0.0001). Ventriculoperitoneal shunts were placed at teaching institutions in 83.8% of cases, compared with only 77.3% of first-time LP shunts (p < 0.0001). Mean hospital length of stay (LOS) significantly differed between primary VP (3 days) and primary LP shunt procedures (4 days, p < 0.0001). The summed charges for the revisions of 92 VP shunts ($3,453,956) and those of the 6 VP shunt removals ($272,484) totaled $3,726,352 over 5 years for the study population. The summed charges for revision of 70 LP shunts ($2,229,430) and those of the 53 LP shunt removals ($3,125,569) totaled $5,408,679 over 5 years for the study population. Conclusions. The presented results appear to call into question the selection of LP shunt placement as primary treatment for IIH, as this procedure is associated with a significantly greater likelihood of need for shunt revision, increased LOS, and greater overall charges to the health care system.
Characterization of a cDNA for human glutathione-insulin transhydrogenase (protein-disulfide isomerase/oxidoreductase).

Abstract A human liver cDNA expression library in λ-phage gt11 was screened with monoclonal antibodies to rat liver protein-disulfide isomerase / oxidoreductase (EC 5.3.4.1 / 1.8.4.2), also known as glutathione-insulin transhydrogenase (GIT). The nucleotide sequence of the largest cDNA insert (hgit-1) was determined. It contained approx. 1500 basepairs, representing an estimated 65% of the glutathione-insulin transhydrogenase message. The amino-acid sequence deduced from this cDNA insert contains a 7-amino-acid long polypeptide determined by sequencing the active-site fragment isolated from the rat GIT protein. A comparison of the nucleotide sequence of hgit-1 and a previously reported nucleotide sequence of rat glutathione-insulin transhydrogenase cDNA shows that the human hgit-1 clone corresponds to the middle of the transhydrogenase message at amino-acid residue number 275 of the rat protein, and codes for 206 amino-acid residues, including one of the two active-site regions of glutathione-insulin transhydrogenase, a stop codon (TAA), a long 3′-noncoding region of over 800 bases, a polyadenylation signal (AATAA), and a 29 base poly(A) tail. There exists high homology between the human and rat enzymes (94% in the overall amino-acid sequence, with 100% in the active site region and 81% in the nucleotide sequence within the coding portion of hgit-1). As with the rat enzyme, the human enzyme shows some identity with another dithiol-disulfide-exchange protein, Escherichia coli thioredoxin. Like rat cDNA, the human hgit-1 cDNA hybridized to rat mRNA of 2500 bases on a Northern blot. The relative quantitative abundance of GIT mRNA in nine rat tissues studied using hgit-1 as a hybridization probe was found to be in the same order as previously found with the rat cDNA. Thus, the above studies indicate that glutathione-insulin transhydrogenase is a highly conserved protein and that the human hgit-1 cDNA is suitable for use as a probe for further studies on gene regulation of this enzyme.
Anti-estrogen‑resistant breast cancer cells are sensitive to cisplatin plus TRAIL treatment

Breast cancer patients who are positive for estrogen receptor (ER) are usually treated with anti-estrogen drugs, such as tamoxifen (Tam). However, a great majority of such patients eventually develop resistance to Tam. In this study, MCF-7 cells (with de novo and/or acquired resistance to Tam) as well as T47D cells (acquired resistance to Tam) models were used to investigate the effect of treatment with cisplatin plus tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL). The results in the two cell types treated with cisplatin plus TRAIL showed significantly increased cell death compared to that in the untreated control cells. A similar treatment had a minimal effect on normal breast cells, the increased cell death appeared to be caused by the activation of caspases and, inhibition of the activity of caspases (using relatively specific inhibitors) reduced the cell death caused by cisplatin plus TRAIL treatment. Taken together, the results suggested that cisplatin plus TRAIL treatment has the potential to provide a novel treatment strategy to improve the treatment outcome in anti-estrogen‑resistant breast cancer patients.
Distribution of Ventilation; Clinical Evaluation by Rapid CO2 Analysis

The ΔCO2 test, measuring the Pco2 difference at the end-tidal and maximum expiration levels, gives significantly different results in normal subjects and patients with moderate pulmonary emphysema. It correlates well with the single-breath N2 test. When both tests are performed simultaneously, each test clearly separates the normals from the emphysematous subjects. Attempts have been made by several authors to incorporate a test of distribution in the study of respiration of individual patients or in field surveys. These efforts appear worthwhile and in order to determine what help the clinician or epidemiologist may receive from the evaluation of distribution, the ΔCO2 test seems to offer certain advantages over other tests. The physiologic and clinical significance of the ΔCO2 test has been discussed.
Adaptive Continuously Variable Compression Braking Control for Heavy-Duty Vehicles

Modern heavy-duty vehicles are equipped with compression braking mechanisms that augment their braking capability and reduce wear of the conventional friction brakes. In this paper we consider a heavy-duty vehicle equipped with a continuously variable compression braking mechanism. The variability of the compression braking torque is achieved through controlling a secondary opening of the exhaust valve of the vehicle's turbocharged diesel engine using a variable valve timing actuator A model reference adaptive controller is designed to ensure good vehicle speed tracking performance in brake-by-wire driving scenarios in presence of large payload and road grade variations. The adaptive controller is integrated with backstepping procedure to account for compression braking actuator dynamics, with observers for various unmeasured quantities and with compensation schemes for actuator saturation. In addition to speed tracking, the vehicle mass and road grade are simultaneously estimated if persistence of excitation-type conditions hold. The final version of the controller is successfully evaluated on a high order crank angle model of a vehicle with a six-cylinder engine.
Hydrology of small watersheds under winter conditions of snow‐cover and frozen soil

This is a progress-report dealing for the most part with the hydrology of farm lands under winter conditions of snow-cover and of frozen soil. The observations upon which this progress-report is based were made on two cultivated watersheds and one wooded watershed near East Lansing, Michigan, by the Soil Conservation Service in cooperation with the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station.
Cytological Studies on Pelomyxa carolinensis with Special Reference to the Mitochondria

SUMMARY. The mitochondria of living, unstained Pelomyxa carolinensis are homogeneous, nonrefractile bodies and occur as spheres, short rods, dumbbell forms or elongated rods. All forms are distributed uniformly throughout the cytoplasm, except for characteristic accumulations around the contractile vacuoles and small food vacuoles. Mitochondria were never observed within food vacuoles, nor in intimate contact with large food vacuoles containing recently ingested paramecia. Aqueous solutions (1:200,000) of Janus green B, Janus blue, and Janus red stained the mitochondria. After 12 hours in Janus green B and Janus blue or 24 hours in Janus red, the mitochondrion appears as a differentiated structure with the stain localized in eccentric granules or crescentic areas. Aqueous solutions of Janus black (1:200,000), amethyst violet (1:200,000) and Rhodamine B (1:50,000) stained only food vacuoles within the organisms. Dumbbell forms and elongated rods, often interpreted as division stages, were continuously observed in the living organism. These observations failed to reveal any division process. Sectioned material was prepared from animals fixed in Champy's, Regaud's, Altmann's and Helly's fluids, as well as in a fixative composed of equal parts of 1% (w/v) chromic acid and 2% (w/v) osmium tetroxide. Excellent results were obtained with Champy and chrom-osmic fixation, while the other fixatives proved to be of little value.
Perioperative Preparation of the Adolescent Surgical Patient

The perioperative preparation of adolescents for surgery provides a challenge to nurses and other health care providers because of the wide diversity in adolescents' age, physical maturation, and cognitive and psychosocial development. Perioperative issues, informed consent, and assent differ considerably depending on the age and developmental level of each adolescent. This article provides information about adolescent growth and development and approaches to managing adolescent surgical patients.
Differential response of Staphylococci and osteoblasts to varying titanium surface roughness

The surface roughness of metallic orthopaedic implants has typically been used to influence osseointegration and spatially control load transfer to the surrounding bone. Because of the increasing recognition of biomaterials-associated infection as a leading implant failure mode, we are interested to know the relative importance of roughness not only on surface–osteoblast interactions but also on surface–bacteria interactions. This in vitro study thus compares the effects of surface topography on Staphylococcus epidermidis and human osteoblast behavior using four clinically relevant titanium surface finishes: polished, satin, grit-blasted and plasma-sprayed. Important differences between these surfaces are manifested not only by their vertical roughness parameters but also by the lateral length scales over which topographic fluctuations occur. We find that S. epidermidis adhesion and growth is substantially higher on the satin and grit-blasted surfaces than on the polished or plasma-sprayed surfaces. The former are both substantially rougher at length scales comparable to that of bacteria. In contrast, based on imaging and biochemical assays of proliferation, differentiation and matrix formation, we find that desirable osteoblast–surface interactions are maximized on plasma-sprayed surfaces and minimized on satin-finished surfaces. We attribute these differences to the fact that the plasma-sprayed surface is relatively smooth compared to the size of an individual osteoblast, while the satin surface is rough at this length scale. These findings indicate that both the vertical and lateral character of surface roughness can be modified to not only optimize implant–bone interactions but to simultaneously minimize implant–bacteria interactions.
Alcohol consumption and physical fitness among young adults

The relationship between alcohol consumption and physical fitness was analyzed using data from the baseline examination of the Coronary Artery Disease Risk Development In Young Adults study (CARDIA), a longitudinal study of the evolution of risk factors for cardiovascular disease in Black and White men and women aged 18-30 years. Two parameters of submaximal exercise treadmill testing were evaluated : time to heart rate 130 and duration of the treadmill test. In men and women qualified for treadmill testing, time to reach heart rate 130 was positively associated with ethanol intake. The relationship between fitness and ethanol intake persisted in sex-specific analysis after adjustment for age, ethnicity, systolic blood pressure, sum of subscapular and triceps skinfolds, and physical activity level. The magnitude and strength of the relationship were greater in women than in men. A negative interaction between ethanol intake and smoking status was evident. Linear regression coefficients in men were 0.29 sec to heart rate 130/ml ethanol/day in nonsmokers and -0.06 sec to heart rate 130/ml ethanol/day in smokers. Linear regression coefficients in women were 1.07 sec to heart rate 130/ml ethanol/day in nonsmokers and 0.23 sec to heart rate 130/ml ethanol/day in smokers. Men and women who smoked showed 31 sec longer time to heart rate 130, regardless of ethanol intake. Mean daily ethanol intake was positively associated with duration of treadmill testing in women, but weakly associated with duration in men. These results show increased physical fitness as ethanol intake increased in women and nonsmoking men and mildly decreased physical fitness as ethanol consumption increases among men who smoke. The positive association of physical activity with ethanol intake among nonsmokers combined with downregulation of β-adrenergic receptors in smokers may partially explain these results. Physical activity levels increase as ethanol consumption increases in nonsmokers, whereas smokers have a constant physical activity level. This alcohol-fitness relationship may change as physical activity levels decline with age or as the association of ethanol with physical activity changes.
Speech intelligibility in deaf children after long-term cochlear implant use.

Purpose This study investigated long-term speech intelligibility outcomes in 63 prelingually deaf children, adolescents, and young adults who received cochlear implants (CIs) before age 7 (M = 2;11 [years;months], range = 0;8–6;3) and used their implants for at least 7 years (M = 12;1, range = 7;0–22;5). Method Speech intelligibility was assessed using playback methods with naive, normal-hearing listeners. Results Mean intelligibility scores were lower than scores obtained from an age- and nonverbal IQ–matched, normal-hearing control sample, although the majority of CI users scored within the range of the control sample. Our sample allowed us to investigate the contribution of several demographic and cognitive factors to speech intelligibility. CI users who used their implant for longer periods of time exhibited poorer speech intelligibility scores. Crucially, results from a hierarchical regression model suggested that this difference was due to more conservative candidacy criteria in CI users with more y...
Supportive Work Environments for Nursing Faculty

Whereas most of the concern about increasingly stressful work environments has focused on acute-care hospitals, the academic healthcare environment is not immune. Faculty, staff, and students in schools of nursing report similar stressors. Pressures from managed care, personnel shortages, and unceasing change are affecting the academic environment and yielding stressful, dysfunctional, and occasionally abusive settings here as well. This article describes the role of the dean in creating a healthy work environment in which students can learn and faculty can teach and do research. Future nurses are introduced to critical care as students, and the learning environment significantly influences them. Graduate students in critical care can experience encounters that range from supportive to obstructive. Knowing what is reasonable to expect from a dean and faculty should help students in critical care sort out the issues if they are experiencing an abusive situation, and what options they might pursue.
Functional silica nanoparticle‐mediated neuronal membrane sealing following traumatic spinal cord injury

The mechanical damage to neurons and their processes induced by spinal cord injury (SCI) causes a progressive cascade of pathophysiological events beginning with the derangement of ionic equilibrium and collapse of membrane permeability. This leads to a cumulative deterioration of neurons, axons, and the tissue architecture of the cord. We have previously shown that the application of the hydrophilic polymer polyethylene glycol (PEG) following spinal cord or brain injury can rapidly restore membrane integrity, reduce oxidative stress, restore impaired axonal conductivity, and mediate functional recovery in rats, guinea pigs, and dogs. However there are limits to both the concentration and the molecular weight of the application that do not permit the broadest recovery across an injured animal population. In this study, PEG-decorated silica nanoparticles (PSiNPs) sealed cells, as shown by the significantly reduced leakage of lactate dehydrogenase from damaged cells compared with uncoated particles or PEG alone. Further in vivo tests showed that PSiNPs also significantly reduced the formation of reactive oxygen species and the process of lipid peroxidation of the membrane. Fabrication of PSiNPs containing embedded dyes also revealed targeting of the particles to damaged, but not undamaged, spinal cord tissues. In an in vivo crush/contusion model of guinea pig SCI, every animal but one injected with PSiNPs recovered conduction through the cord lesion, whereas none of the control animals did. These findings suggest that the use of multifunctional nanoparticles may offer a novel treatment approach for spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, and possibly neurodegenerative disorders.
Effects of prenatal 5-methoxytryptamine and parachlorophenylalanine on serotonergic uptake and behavior in the neonatal rat

Parachlorophenylalanine (pCPA) or 5-methoxytryptamine (5MT) was administered to pregnant Sprague Dawley rats from day 8 (D8) of gestation till D17 and from D12 until birth respectively. Birth weights of both drug groups of neonates were approximately 20% less than the saline-injected controls. 5MT neonates showed a significant reduction of high affinity 3H-5HT uptake in the brainstem at all three time points: D1, D15, D30, and a slight reduction in the forebrain reaching significance only on D30. The pCPA animals showed a significant reduction in the brainstem and forebrain on D1 and D30, but only a small nonsignificant reduction in both areas on D15. Behaviors measured on day 15 revealed that in general activity, spontaneous alternaton, and passive avoidance both drug groups of neonates showed deficits: less activity, less alternation and less avoidance.
Target estimation from interferometric tracking telescopes

Joint target triangulation and estimation from spatio-spectral tracking using a rotational shear interferometer on a telescope is described. The system is based on an array of three eight-inch off-axis parabolic reflector telescopes with CCD cameras used for imaging.
THE KINETICS OF IgG AND IgM ANTIBODY‐FORMING CELLS IN ACI AND F 344 RATS IMMUNIZED WITH POLY (Glu52Lys33Tyr15)

SUMMARY The cellular kinetics of antibody production in high and low responder rats immunized with poly(Glu52Lys33Tyr15) or with poly(Glu52Lys33Tyr15)/MeBSA were characterized: serum antibody and IgG and IgM antibody-forming cells in the spleen and in selected lymph nodes were assayed in male and female rats following immunization by several routes. Aggregation of the antigen with MeBSA enabled the poorly responding F344 rats to produce antibody, which was almost exclusively IgG. High responder ACI rats, under the same conditions, produced antibody of both IgG and IgM classes. These data suggest that in low responders one defect, possibly at the T-cell level, can be overcome by aggregation but that a second defect, involving the regulation of IgM production, still exists.
Recruitment and selection of workers in Israel: The question of disparate impact

Abstract Like employers elsewhere, Israeli firms rely on an extensive variety of mechanisms to recruit and select job applicants. Some of these recruitment sources such as word‐of‐mouth referrals, reliance on local employment exchanges, and newspaper advertisements limit information on job openings to Jewish workers, and/or discourage Arab workers who are citizens of Israel from applying. Where Israeli Arab workers do succeed in identifying and applying for job vacancies, their chances of employment are disproportionately impaired by intensive employer use of such selection factors as the personal interview, experience, residency, and army service requirements. Currently the Israeli legal system permits employers to use recruitment and selection criteria which, although neutral on their face, have a discriminatory effect on Arab workers. To provide equal employment opportunity for Israeli Arab workers, Israeli policy should challenge recruitment policies and techniques which reach only a limited segment o...
On the expected number of zeros of a random harmonic polynomial

We study the distribution of complex zeros of Gaussian harmonic polynomials with independent complex coecients. The expected number of zeros is evaluated by applying a formula of independent interest for the expected absolute value of quadratic forms of Gaussian random variables.
Risk factors for sleep disturbances in older adults: Evidence from prospective studies

No systematic review of epidemiological evidence has examined risk factors for sleep disturbances among older adults. We searched the PubMed database combining search terms targeting the following domains 1) prospective, 2) sleep, and 3) aging, and identified 21 relevant population-based studies with prospective sleep outcome data. Only two studies utilized objective measures of sleep disturbance, while six used the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) and thirteen used insomnia symptoms or other sleep complaints as the outcome measure. Female gender, depressed mood, and physical illness were most consistently identified as risks for future sleep disturbances. Less robust evidence implicated the following as potentially relevant predictors: lower physical activity levels, African-American race, lower economic status, previous manual occupation, widowhood, marital quality, loneliness and perceived stress, preclinical dementia, long-term benzodiazepine and sedative use, low testosterone levels, and inflammatory markers. Chronological age was not identified as a consistent, independent predictor of future sleep disturbances. In conclusion, prospective studies have identified female gender, depressed mood, and physical illness as general risk factors for future sleep disturbances in later life, although specific physiological pathways have not yet been established. Research is needed to determine the precise mechanisms through which these factors influence sleep over time.
Characteristics of Hypertension in the Black Population

The renin-angiotensin system was examined in 146 black patients with essential hypertension. Classification into three categories was made according to plasma renin activity as measured by the radioimmunoassay of Angiotensin I and the accompanying sodium excretion. Differences among patients in the three renin groups (low, normal, and high) were not observed with respect to the incidence of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular events. No other discriminating variables could be identified by multivariate discriminant analysis. Low renin patients were distinguished in having a reduced sodium excretion compared to normal and high renin patients. Although total exchangeable sodium was not measured in this group of patients, other investigators have reported a higher exchangeable sodium in low renin patients than in those with normal or high values. This possibility, together with recent evidence in experimental models of low renin hypertension, that the affinity of angiotensin for its vascular receptors may be ...
Scientific Python for Both Expert and Novice Programmers

This column provides a review of an introductory book on the use of Python for scientific programming.
Transatrial Repair of Double-Chambered Right Ventricle

Double-chambered right ventricles (DCRVCs) traditionally have been repaired via a right ventriculotomy. We describe the cases of 8 children (aged 7 months to 6 years; weight, 6.3 to 21.5 kg), who underwent repair of DCRV via a right atriotomy. Six patients had ventricular septal defects. Peak systolic gradients in the right ventricular outflow tract were 26 to 135 mm Hg. The QP/QS were 1.1 to 2.5. Cardiopulmonary bypass times were 52 to 89 min (mean, 65.5 min) with aortic cross-clamp times of 20 to 56 min (mean, 39 min). Mean intraoperative gradients following repair were 5.8 mm Hg. Three patients had transient postoperative atrioventricular block requiring temporary pacing. Two patients required minimal inotropic support (dopamine, 2.5 to 5 micrograms/kg/min). The children have all been asymptomatic after hospitalization with follow-up times of 5 months to 4.5 years. No patient requires cardiac medications or has significant, persistent dysrhythmias; however, 1 patient required reoperation. Transatrial repair of DCRV allows excellent operative anatomical visualization and should be considered as an alternative to the transventricular approach in patients with this congenital heart defect.
Role of extra-esophageal reflux in chronic otitis media with effusion.

Objectives/Hypothesis: Otitis media with effusion (OME) is the most common cause of childhood hearing loss. Despite its prevalence, the enormous health care expenditures resulting from its treatment, and the increasing therapeutic challenges imposed by antimicrobial resistance, very little is known regarding the cellular and molecular immunologic and inflammatory events in this disease process. Extra-esophageal reflux (EER) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic OME. The objective of this study was to confirm that children with OME have EER into the middle ear as measured by the presence of pepsin in middle ear effusions (MEE) removed during tympanostomy tube (TT) placement. Study Design: Prospective, translational, cell biological research study. Methods: MEE were obtained from children undergoing TT placement for OME. The fluid was lysed in a urea buffer and the presence of pepsin quantitatively determined by Western blot analysis using a specific antipepsin antibody. The pH of the samples was recorded before lysis. Results: Pepsin protein was detected in 18 of 32 (56%) samples analyzed, with 12 of 20 (60%) patients having at least one positive sample for pepsin. Pepsin levels ranged from 80 to 1,000 ng/mL. The pH of the samples ranged from 6.0 to 7.6, with a mean pH of 6.8. Conclusions: Pepsin was detected in 60% of patients with OME, confirming that EER into the middle ear occurs in these children. The pepsin present would have little or no activity at pH 6.0 to 7.6; however, pepsin is stable below pH 8.0 and thus could be reactivated after a decrease in pH.
Computational and experimental study of electrical conductivity of graphene/poly(methyl methacrylate) nanocomposite using Monte Carlo method and percolation theory

Abstract Graphene/insulator nanocomposite has potential applications in electric/magnetic shielding and printing circuit. It is necessary to develop fundamental knowledge of the transport mechanism of graphene/insulator nanocomposite and find the significant factors that control the electrical conductivity. A numerical model based on Monte Carlo method and percolation theory was developed for graphene/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanocomposite in this study. The contact resistance between graphene sheets was discussed, and the tunneling resistance played the determinant role in the overall resistivity. The effect of graphene size was studied using this model, results suggested that smaller the size of graphene sheet is, more conductive the composite is. Preliminary experimental results were compared with the simulation results, and they are in agreement, proving the accuracy of this numerical model.
Habitat selection by sympatric tonguefishes (Symphurus: Cynoglossidae) in coastal Louisiana, USA: unravelling seasonal, spatial, and size-specific patterns in resource utilisation

Abstract We examined patterns of resource utilisation between young-of-the-year blackcheek tonguefish ( Symphurus plagiusa ) and offshore tonguefish ( S. civitatium ), in Barataria Bay, Louisiana, USA. A stratified monthly sampling approach was implemented to facilitate sampling of the broad saline to brackish estuary along environmental gradients. At each site several environmental variables were determined: salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, bottom type, median depth and distance from shore. In 594 independent beam-trawl samples, 2897 offshore tonguefish and 631 blackcheek tonguefish were collected. The distributions of both species overlapped broadly on a seasonal basis (Schoener's index of overlap=0.78). Both species were found in the study area in all seasons, with highest abundances during fall and winter months. On a spatial basis, the species did not overlap as much (index of overlap=0.35). Approximately 83% of blackcheek tonguefish were collected in the uppermost or landward three strata, whereas 64% of offshore tonguefish were collected in the lowermost or seaward stratum. When spatial and seasonal distributions were considered together, overlap was reduced to 0.30, and when size-class distributions were added, the overlap of comparably sized individuals was reduced to approximately 0.23. In a multivariate analysis of variance comparison of microhabitat use between species, several significant differences were detected (P
Dental caries prediction to target high-risk individuals in community-based preventive programs is problematic.

Article Title and Bibliographic Information Life course dental caries determinants and predictors in children aged 12 years: a population-based birth cohort. Peres MA, Barros AJ, et al. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2009;37:123-33. Reviewer John P. Brown, BDS, MS, PhD Purpose/Question To define selected life course social, biological, and behavioral exposures as determinants and predictors of dental caries in children at 12 years of age. Source of Funding Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development CNPq Grant No. 403362/2004-0. Type of Study/Design Cohort study Level of Evidence Level 2: limited-quality patient-oriented evidence Strength of Recommendation Grade Not applicable
Generic properties of continuous piecewise-linear vector fields in R/sup 2/

To model a nonlinear vector field by the use of a computer introduces a number of errors intrinsic to computer modeling. The authors consider one such source of computer generated error and its interpretation from the viewpoint of the user who wishes to understand the original vector field. The predominant types of vector fields studied are continuous piecewise-linear vector fields satisfying certain permutation properties. The approach taken to investigate the pragmatic results of the computer modeling in consideration of the properties of the underlying nonlinear vector field is essentially topological. Generic properties, as well as properties of denseness and openness, are interpreted from their effects on computer modeling. As a byproduct the class of continuous piecewise-linear vector fields is shown to be very amenable to theoretical analysis. >
A note on a tectal neuron projecting via the tectobulbar tract in teleosts

Catfish and goldfish received small, unilateral tectal injections of horseradish peroxidase. In these fish a population of large diameter tectal efferent axons could be seen travelling to the hindbrain. Each of these axons gave up to 19 collateral branches. These branches arborized in or near the dendritic fields of the ipsilateral nucleus lobobulbaris and oculomotor nucleus, and the contralateral trigeminal nucleus, oculomotor nucleus, abducens nucleus, nucleus lateralis valvulae and medial reticular formation. The results suggest that these axons are involved in triggering eye movements.
The detection of glycerol in overwintering purple martin fleas, Ceratophyllus idius

1. 1. Adult Ceratophyllus idius from eastern North Dakota produced glycerol in the late autumn which may act as a cryoprotective agent enabling some of the fleas to survive the winter. 2. 2. The glycerol was apparently synthesized at the expense of glycogen and glucose, and the reverse reactions occurred with the onset of spring and rising temperatures.