cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nurse practitioners can effectively deliver pain coping skills training to osteoarthritis patients with chronic pain: A randomized, controlled trial

A multisite, randomized, controlled clinical effectiveness trial was conducted for osteoarthritis patients with chronic pain of the knee or hip. Adult health nurse practitioners provided a 10-session intervention, pain coping skills training (PCST), in patients’ doctors’ offices (N = 129 patients); the control group received usual care (N = 127 patients). Primary outcomes assessed at baseline, posttreatment, 6-month follow-up, and 12-month follow-up were: pain intensity, physical functioning, psychological distress, self-efficacy, catastrophizing, use of coping strategies, and quality of life. Secondary measures included fatigue, social functioning, health satisfaction, and use of pain medication. Methods favoring external validity, consistent with pragmatic, effectiveness research, were utilized. Primary ITT and secondary per-protocol analyses were conducted. Attrition was within the expected range: 11% at posttreatment and 29% at 12-month follow-up; rates did not differ between groups. Omnibus ITT analyses across all assessment points indicated significant improvement for the PCST group compared with the control group for pain intensity, physical functioning, psychological distress, use of pain coping strategies, and self-efficacy, as well as fatigue, satisfaction with health, and reduced use of pain medication. Treatment effects were robust to covariates (demographics and clinical sites). Trends in the outcomes across the assessments were examined. All outcomes, except for self-efficacy, were maintained through the 12-month follow-up; effects for self-efficacy degraded over time. Per-protocol analyses did not yield greater effect sizes. Comparisons of PCST patients who were more vs less treatment adherent suggested greater effectiveness for patients with high adherence. Results support the effectiveness of nurse practitioner delivery of PCST for chronic osteoarthritis pain.
Bilateral extreme microphthalmos.

A case of bilateral extreme microphthalmos is reported. Autopsy of a one-day-old full-term female revealed multiple congenital anomalies which included occipital encephalocele, cleft palate, hips which could not be abducted, long fingers and toes, and cardiovascular malformations. Chromosomal analysis showed a normal 46 XX karyotype. Ocular findings in this case included clinical anophthalmos with bilateral fused eyelids, optic nerve aplasia, absent cornea and lens, and retinal dysplasia.The distinctions between anophthalmos and varying degrees of microphthalmos are discussed. The insult causing abnormal development in this case appears to have occurred during the first trimester of pregnancy. There were no prenatal or delivery complications. A genetic abnormality was considered since two older siblings have birth defects. Also discussed is the possibility of a combined genetic and environmental etiology.
Rapid small-scale isolation of herpes simplex virus DNA

Abstract A method has been developed for the rapid isolation of herpes simplex virus DNA analogous to miniprep methods for bacterial plasmid isolation. Infected Vero cells are lysed with three freeze-thaw cycles, and the nuclei are removed by centrifugation. DNA is released from the virions in the supernatant by proteinase K digestion. Then the DNA is extracted with phenol/ chloroform and precipitated with ethanol. This method requires only small amounts of infected cells as a source of viral DNA, does not use radioactivity, and routinely produces DNA of sufficient purity to be used for restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis on ethidium-stained gels.
Influence of the charge density of cationic polyelectrolytes on sludge conditioning

Abstract Commercial polyelectrolytes, generally used for sludge conditioning, are poorly characterized as far as the charge density is concerned. Five cationic polyelectrolytes at different strength, having similar molecular weight (1–5 million), were selected. Their charge densities were measured by a conductometric method and found to be between 1.5 and 3.7 mequiv g −1 . These polymers were used for conditioning five different sludges produced in full-scale wastewater treatment plants and the optimal doses were correlated to the sludge concentration taking into account the values of the charge density. The quite good correlation found, according to the theory of charge neutralization of colloids of opposite sign, seems to be a useful criterion for predicting the optimum polyelectrolyte dose for sludge conditioning.
Photon and graviton masses in string theories.

We show that string theories allow interactions potentially leading to photon and graviton-mass terms when one or more scalar fields acquire vacuum expectation values. A general analysis is presented for the case when one of these scalars is the electroweak Higgs-boson doublet. The results provide a new constraint on model building for string theories.
Generalized finite differences and Bayesian conditioning of Choquet capacities

Rota's calculus of finite differences for a locally finite poset employs a difference operator based on the Mobius function. We investigate the behavior of this operator on products and quotients and employ the lattice-of-subsets case of our results to show that r-monotonicity is preserved under Bayesian conditioning of Choquet Capacities.
A Promising Approach to the Development of a Group Piagetian Measure

Summary.-The development and initial evaluation of an alternative ap proach to group Piagetian testing for adolescents and adults is described. In a study comparing scores obtained on the group measure to scores obtained on individual Piagetian stage assessment, a correlation of .78 was achieved for assigning individuals to one of four developmental levels and an 88% rate of agreement was achieved for assigning individuals to a concrete or formal "logical capability" score. Although further evaluation and development of the measure is required, the current version does have certain applied uses. Further, the results obtained thus far suggest that the alternative testing approach used in the measure holds substantial promise. The availability of a sufficiently reliable and valid group Piagetian measure would facilitate the investigation and application of Piagetian constructs. Most attempts to develop such a measure have employed a paper-and-pencil presentation of items that, theoretically, require different levels of Piagetian development to solve. These approaches, however, have yet to achieve satisfactory results; for a review, see Sigel and Hooper (1975). Given the problems that have been encountered with a paper-and-pencil presentation of items, an attempt was made to develop and evaluate a group Piagetian measure that employs an alternative testing approach. Following pilot work demonstrating adequate interrater and test-retest reliability, initial assessment of the measure's validity was performed by examining the relationship between scores obtained on the group measure and on individual Piagetian stage assessment.
Olivine dissolution and carbonation under conditions relevant for in situ carbon storage

Abstract In order to evaluate the chemistry and kinetics of mineral carbonation reactions under conditions relevant to subsurface injection and storage of CO2, olivine alteration was studied at 60 °C and 100 bar CO2 pressure, including olivine dissolution and the formation of carbonate minerals. Batch experiments were performed with olivine (Fo92), water, CO2, and NaCl inside gold cells contained within rocking autoclaves. Two reproducible experiments yielded an initial (1 h) dissolution rate of 9.50 ± 0.10 × 10− 11 and a long-term (10–70 days) rate of 1.69 ± 0.23 × 10− 12 mol cm− 2 s− 1. The long-term rate is consistent with previously published rate laws at 4.5
The relation among critical ratios, critical bands, and intensity difference limens in the parakeet (Melopsittacus undulatus

Intensity difference limens obtained for the parakeet using amplitude modulated pure tones indicate a Weber fraction (ΔI/I) of about.23 to.43 over a range of five test frequencies. These values are lower than previous measures of intensity resolving power in this species and are in perfect agreement with previously published critical ratio and critical band data for the parakeet.
Sexual orientation and college choice: Considering campus climate

What do gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or queer (GLBTQ) students look for when choosing a college? The results of Doug Burleson's research on this question provide insight about how to reach out to these potential students.
Comparative Analysis of Mutant Tyrosine Kinase Chemical Rescue

Protein tyrosine kinases are critical cell signaling enzymes. These enzymes have a highly conserved Arg residue in their catalytic loop which is present two residues or four residues downstream fro...
Generalized valence bond wavefunctions for the low lying states of methylene

Abstract Generalized valence bond (GVB) calculations are reported for the 3 B 1 , 1 A 1 , and 1 B 1 states of the CH 2 molecule. The GVB method is discussed and compared with other multi-configuration and separated pair methods. The lowest singlet state ( 1 A 1 ) is found to lie 0.50 eV about the lowest triplet state ( 3 B 1 ) and the 1 B 1 - 1 A 1 separation is found to be 1.40 eV.
Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual (GLB) Children: Implications for Early Childhood Development Professionals.

This paper focuses on the issues of gay, lesbian, and bisexual children from the perspective of early child development professionals. Early child development professionals' response to children's sexual curiosity conveys to them important messages — either positive or negative — about themselves as sexual beings. Positive responses lay the foundation for sexual health by helping children feel good about being male or female, gay, lesbian, or bisexual, and good about adults in their lives who help them understand their confusion. Background information about homosexuality and bisexu‐ality in American society, needs of gay, lesbian and bisexual children, and strategies and challenges in personnel, curriculum, policies, and parental involvement will be included.
Toxicity of the Dispersant Corexit 9500 to Early Life Stages of Blue Crab, Callinectes sapidus

The Deepwater Horizon well released 4.4 million barrels of light crude oil offshore of Louisiana into one of the world's largest and most productive blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) fisheries. The objectives of this paper were to determine the toxicity of the dispersant Corexit(®) 9500A used in the 2010 oil spill on juvenile and larval blue crabs, and the long-term effects of sublethal acute exposure. Only the highest treatment levels of dispersant significantly increased mortality in larval and juvenile blue crabs (100 mg/L and 1,000 mg/L, respectively). This correlated to concentrations well above levels found in the Gulf of Mexico following the spill. Smaller and younger crabs showed higher mortality than older and larger crabs. This research indicates direct application of dispersants on crab larvae could cause acute mortality, but dilution through diffusion and natural weathering processes would minimize long-term effects.
Systems for systems implementors: some experiences from Bliss

The programming language Bliss was developed at Carnegie-Mellon University expressly for the purpose of writing software systems and has been in use for over three years. A considerable number of systems have been written using it: compilers, interpreters, i/o systems, simulators, operating systems, etc. The language was designed and implemented in the conventional sense of an isolated language system, and relies on the file system, editors, debuggers, etc., provided by the manufacturer and/or other users. In this paper we shall not describe Bliss, that has been done elsewhere; nor shall we attempt to justify the language design, that has also been done. Rather, we shall attempt to analyze and evaluate the particular decision to implement Bliss as an isolated language rather than as a piece of a more comprehensive system. Some comments are made on the implications of this analysis/evaluation on the shape that such a system might have.
Reply to "ranking filter methods for concentrating pathogens in lake water".

Accurately comparing filtration methods is indeed difficult. Our method ([1][1]) and the method described by [Borchardt et al.][2] for determining recoveries are both acceptable approaches; however, each is designed to achieve a different research goal. Our study was designed to compare recoveries
Modeling the role of rainfall patterns in seasonal malaria transmission

Seasonal total precipitation is well known to affect malaria transmission because Anopheles mosquitoes depend on standing water for breeding habitat. However, the within-season temporal pattern of the rainfall influences persistence of standing water and thus rainfall patterns can also affect mosquito population dynamics in water-limited environments. Here, using a numerical simulation, I show that intraseasonal rainfall pattern accounts for 39% of the variance in simulated mosquito abundance in a Niger Sahel village where malaria is endemic but highly seasonal. I apply a field validated coupled hydrology and entomology model. Using synthetic rainfall time series generated using a stationary first-order Markov Chain model, I hold all variables except hourly rainfall constant, thus isolating the contribution of rainfall pattern to variance in mosquito abundance. I further show the utility of hydrology modeling using topography to assess precipitation effects by analyzing collected water. Time-integrated surface area of pools explains 70% of the variance in simulated mosquito abundance from a mechanistic model, and time-integrated surface area of pools persisting longer than 7 days explains 82% of the variance. Correlations using the hydrology model output explain more variance in mosquito abundance than the 60% from rainfall totals. I extend this analysis to investigate the impacts of this effect on malaria vector mosquito populations under climate shift scenarios, holding all climate variables except precipitation constant. In these scenarios, rainfall mean and variance change with climatic change, and the modeling approach evaluates the impact of non-stationarity in rainfall and the associated rainfall patterns on expected mosquito activity.
EEG CORRELATES OF VERBAL LEARNING AND OVERLEARNING.

Variations in EEG activity were investigated during the learning and overlearning of verbal material. Seventeen college students learned twelve nonsense syllables presented orally by the serial anticipation method, followed by an additional 20 trials of overlearning. Simultaneous parieto-occipital tracings were recorded with eyes closed, and evaluated by means of a modified Burch Period Analyser. The number of waves per unit of time was determined for three frequency bands: beta (> 12.5 c/sec), alpha (8.5–12.5 c/sec), and slow (< 8.5 c/sec). Wave counts of the differentiated pattern (first derivative) gave an index of superimposed, low voltage fast activity. Significant EEG changes were obtained during verbal learning as opposed to nonlearning control conditions. Whereas alpha activity decreased during learning, beta and superimposed activity increased. These changes were maximal at a critical time in the learning process; i.e., when syllables were first being anticipated correctly. Overlearning resulted in a slight return of the tracing toward control levels, but this trend was not significant. The findings suggest that EEG desynchronization occurs during the active phase of learning. They are consistent with a previous experiment on verbal learning and are in general agreement with the literature on conditioning. The results were discussed in the light of recent theories concerning the functional significance of the reticular activating system.
Effects of Transesophageal Echocardiography Simulator Training on Learning and Performance in Cardiovascular Medicine Fellows

Background The role of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) simulation in cardiology fellows' learning is unknown. Standard TEE training at the authors' institution occurs during the second of 3 clinical years. Fellows spend 2 months in the TEE laboratory learning through hands-on experience. The addition of TEE simulation to this experience may improve proficiency, speed learning, and increase fellows' comfort with TEE. This study was designed to compare methods of TEE simulator training with standard training. Methods Group A ( n = 8) consisted of fellows who had completed standard TEE training. Fellows starting their second clinical year were randomly assigned to group B ( n = 10), simulator training during month 1, or group C ( n = 9), simulator training during month 2. All groups completed 2 months of standard TEE training. All groups underwent assessment of TEE performance and a self-assessment of ability and comfort level with TEE. Results Groups B and C had higher total assessment scores than group A. Groups B and C had higher numbers of views achieved without assistance ( P = .01). After month 1, group B had higher total scores and number of views achieved without assistance compared with group C ( P = .02 and P = .02, respectively). The length of time of the examination tended to be lower for group B, and fellows in group B had greater comfort with TEE than those in group C ( P = .01). Conclusions These data suggest that TEE simulator training improves proficiency and helps speed learning and comfort with TEE.
Application of transonic small disturbance theory to the active flexible wing model

The CAP-TSD code, developed at the NASA Langley Research Center, is applied to the active flexible wing windtunnel model for prediction of transonic aeroelastic behavior. A semispan computational model is used for evaluation of symmetric motions, and a full-span model is used for evaluation of antisymmetric motions. Static aeroelastic solutions using the computational aeroelasticity program-transonic small disturbance, are computed. Dynamic (flutter) analyses are then performed as perturbations about the static aeroelastic deformations and presented as flutter boundaries in terms of Mach number and dynamic pressure. Flutter boundaries that take into account modal refinements, vorticity and entropy corrections, antisymmetric motions, and sensitivity to the modeling of the wingtip ballast stores are also presented and compared with experimental flutter results.
Convectively Driven Mesoscale Weather Systems Aloft. Part I: Observations

Abstract Examination of NMC upper tropospheric analyses (300, 200 and 150 mb charts) indicates that significant perturbations are present in the wind fields in the vicinity of intense meso-α scale (250–2500 km) thunder-storm complexes (identified utilizing enhanced IR satellite imagery). This effect is investigated for each of 10 mesoscale convective complexes. Since the LFM convective adjustment procedure cannot infuse large amounts of mass, momentum and moisture into the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere, the 12 h LFM predicted winds are used as an indication of the unperturbed environmental flow. An estimate of the convective perturbation is obtained by subtracting the LFM predicted 200 mb winds from the observed winds. A large anticyclonic flow perturbation is present in each of the 10 events. Wind speed perturbations at individual sounding locations are commonly 10–20 m s−1 with maximum values as great as 38 m s−1. Detailed case analyses for two events are presented to illustrate these effects...
Household Food Security Varies Within Month and is Related to Childhood Anemia

We measured food security (FS) and evaluated the impact of varying household FS on anemia in 24-month-old to 60-month-old children via hemoglobin measurement, chart review, home visits 3 times per month, and the Household Food Security Scale (HFSS). Over one third (38%) of families were food insecure in the prior year, and 37% of children recently anemic. Children in food insecure families were more likely to be anemic (odds ratio = 6.14, [95% CI = 2.09–18.05], p < .01). Children in families with worsening food insecurity (1–2 points) were more likely to be anemic (odds ratio = 32.6, [95% CI = 4.56–232.94], p < .01). This links variability in food insecurity to anemia and negative health outcomes.
{[Ga(en)3]2(Ge2Te15)}n: A Polymeric Semiconducting Polytelluride with Boat-Shaped Te84- Rings and Cross-Shaped Te56- Units

The reaction of the Zintl compound K{sub 4}Ge{sub 9} with Te and Ga{sub 2}Te{sub 3} in ethylenediamine (en) at 190 C gave the germanium polytelluride {l_brace}[Ga(en){sub 3}]{sub 2}[(GeTe){sub 2}(Te{sub 5}){sup 6-}(Te{sub 8}){sup 4-}]{r_brace}n (1). The single-crystal structure analysis revealed that 1 has two different polytelluride fragments: cross-shaped 36-e- TeTe{sub 4}{sup 6-} anions and boat-shaped 52-e- Te{sup 8}{sup 4-} rings. The new material is a p-type semiconductor at room temperature and switches to n-type at 380 K.
A Novel Polymorph of 5-Chloro-8-Hydroxyquinoline with Improved Water Solubility and Faster Dissolution Rate

The active pharmaceutical ingredient 5-chloro-8-hydroxyquinoline, which has shown potential antituberculosis activities, crystallizes in two different polymorphic forms, denoted Form I (Banerjee et al. Acta Crystallogr, Sect C: Cryst Struct Commun C42:1408–11, 1986) and Form II. In this present work, we have succeeded in crystallization of Form II. The cell dimensions of the monoclinic P2(1)/c Form II are a = 13.132(3) A, b = 3.7632(8) A, c = 15.459(3) A and β = 99.69(3)°. Characterizations for Form II have been conducted in details. Finally the solubilities and dissolution kinetics of both polymorphs have been measured in various media at different temperature. The measurement results highlight the fact that Form II has higher water solubility and faster dissolution rate than Form I. 5-chloro-8-hydroxyquinoline has been well known for its antifungal, antibacterial and antiamebic activities for decades. Recently, 5-chloro-8-hydroxyquinoline was reported to exhibit good antituberculosis activity even for multidrug-resistant isolates as well. The first crystalline form (Form I) of 5-chloro-8-hydroxyquinoline was reported in 1986 by Banerjee and Saha. Then there has been no new crystalline form of 5-chloro-8-hydroxyquinoline discovered from then on. In this work, we primarily reported the crystal structure of a novel polymorph (Form II) of 5-chloro-8-hydroxyquinoline. Solubility and dissolution kinetic measurements of both polymorphs were performed as well.
Investigation of a quantitative photoacoustic tomography fitting procedure on multiple targets in reflection geometry with diffuse optical measurement assistance

Traditional Photoacoustic tomography provides the distribution of absorbed optical energy densities which are the products of the optical absorption coefficients and fluences. However, the absorption coefficient is the only functional parameter that is related to disease diagnosis, such as cancer. In this paper, we report the experimental investigation of an improved fitting procedure which can quantitatively characterize optical absorption coefficients of multiple targets. The original fitting procedure was proposed by us and used for a single target. The fitting procedure included a complete photoacoustic forward model, which incorporated an analytical model of light transport and a model of acoustic propagation. Using the target information from the PAT images and the background information from diffuse optical measurements (DOM), the fitting method minimizes the photoacoustic measurements and forward model data and recovers the target absorption coefficient quantitatively. The fitting errors in the absorption coefficients can reach 20% to 100% if the original fitting procedure is directly used on multiple targets. In our improved fitting method, the ratio between the photoacoustic intensities is introduced and served as extra input to the fitting procedure. As a result, the total number of unknown parameters is reduced and fitting accuracy is improved. The hybrid system used in the experiment combines a 64-channel photoacoustic system with a frequency-domain diffused optical system. The experiment was performed in the reflection geometry suitable for breast imaging. Phantom experiments include the combination of high contrast and low contrast targets with absorption coefficients ranging from 0.07 to 0.28 cm -1 and with different spatial separations. The phantoms were inserted into a chicken breast tissue. The fitting errors of multiple targets were reduced to less than 20% for both high and low contrast targets. These results illustrate the potential application of this quantitative DOM-assisted photoacoustic fitting procedure to image and diagnose breast cancer having multiple and complex tumor distribution.
Misoprostol is more efficacious for labor induction than prostaglandin E2, but is it associated with more risk?

Abstract Objective: Our purpose was to compare the efficacy and safety of misoprostol with dinoprostone (Prepidil) for labor induction. Study Design: In a randomized, controlled trial of labor induction, patients were randomly assigned to receive either 50 μg of intravaginal misoprostol every 4 hours or 0.5 mg of intracervical prostaglandin E 2 every 6 hours. Eligibility criteria included gestation of ≥31 weeks, Bishop score Results: One hundred fifty-nine women were randomly assigned to receive misoprostol (n = 81) or Prepidil (n = 78). There were no differences in the indication for induction, preinduction Bishop score, epidural use, or cesarean section rate. Mean time to delivery was significantly shorter in the misoprostol group (19 hours 50 minutes) than in the Prepidil group (28 hours 52 minutes) ( P = .005). Only 58% of women in the misoprostol group required oxytocin augmentation, in comparison with 88% of women receiving Prepidil ( P = .00002). However, 41% of women receiving misoprostol and 17% receiving Prepidil had late decelerations or bradycardias ( P = .001), and 20% of the misoprostol group and 5% of the Prepidil group had deliveries for fetal distress ( P = .05). Conclusions: Misoprostol is more efficacious than Prepidil for labor induction. However, the significantly increased incidence of abnormal fetal heart rate tracings and the trend in increased deliveries for fetal distress with misoprostol dosing of 50 μg every 4 hours are of concern. These data suggest that either a lower dose of misoprostol or less frequent dosing of misoprostol should be considered. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 1999;180:1543-50.)
Impacts of chromophoric dissolved organic material on surface ocean heating in the Chukchi Sea

[1] Recent observations show visible light attenuation in the Arctic Ocean to be greater than previously assumed. High attenuation observed during the period prior to ice melt and increased phytoplankton production, was attributed primarily to the high levels of absorption by chromophoric dissolved organic material (CDOM) present in these waters. Preliminary evidence suggests this material is produced by ice algae in the early spring. Optical data from the Chukchi shelf system collected in the spring and summer of 2002, were used to model energy absorption in the mixed layer by both dissolved and particulate material. In the spring, absorption by CDOM was responsible for increasing the energy absorbed in the mixed layer by 40% over pure seawater. Thus CDOM absorption represents a significant factor in the heating budget of Arctic surface waters. The energy absorbed by CDOM has the potential to account for 48% of the springtime ice melt driven by water column heating. With continued warming, negative feedback due to loss of ice algae habitat could slow down heating effects in the spring. However, terrestrial input of CDOM to the Arctic is postulated to increase due to the release of organic carbon from thawing permafrost. Coupled with the loss of the highly reflective sea ice cover during the spring and summer, CDOM absorption may become increasingly influential in the heating budget of Arctic surface waters.
Stress analysis of stamping dies

Experimental and computational procedures for studying deflections, tilt, and alignment characteristics of a sequence of stamping dies, housed in a transfer press, are presented. Die loads are actually measured at all the 12 die stations using new load monitors and used as input to the computational procedure. A typical stamping die is analyzed using a computational code, MSC/NASTRAN, based on finite element method. The analysis is then extended to the other dies, especially the ones where the loads are high. Stresses and deflections are evaluated in the dies for the symmetric and asymmetric loading conditions. Based on our independent die analysis, stresses and deflections are found to be reasonably well within the tolerable limits. However, this situation could change when the stamping dies are eventually integrated with the press as a total system which is the ultimate goal of this broad research program.
A Note on Positively Spanning Sets

We make free use of the standard results covered in a first course on linear programming; excellent references for this material are the introductory text by Chv'atal [1] and the more advanced text by Schrijver [2]. While the ideas presented here are not new, the importance of this problem dictates that its solution be better known. The problem as stated is seldom addressed in textbooks or courses, and the author has encountered practitioners handling this task by unnecessarily complicated means.
Pharmacodynamics of intermittent and continuous infusion piperacillin/tazobactam and cefepime against extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing organisms

Abstract The pharmacodynamics of piperacillin/tazobactam and cefepime were evaluated against extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing organisms. Ten thousand patients were simulated based on ESBL minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) from our laboratory ( N = 39) and on pharmacokinetic data from peer-reviewed literature. The desired proportion of the dosing interval that the concentration remains above the MIC (% T > MIC) for the intermittent bolus regimens was ≥40% for piperacillin/tazobactam and ≥60% for cefepime. The desired C ss /MIC ratio (where C ss is the concentration at steady state) was ≥2 for all continuous infusion (CI) regimens. MIC 50 , MIC 90 and % S were, respectively, 64/4 μg/mL, 1024/4 μg/mL and 33% for piperacillin/tazobactam and 8 μg/mL, 16 μg/mL and 0% for cefepime. For piperacillin/tazobactam, 3.375 g every 4 h (q4h) achieved the highest probability of target attainment (43%), followed by 13.5 g CI (31%), 3.375 g q6h (27%), 4.5 g q8h (17%) and 6.75 g CI (10%). However, for cefepime, 4 g CI had the highest probability of target attainment (77%), followed by 1 g q8h (65%), 2 g q12h (58%), 3 g CI (46%) and 1 g q12h (27%). Although the probabilities of target attainment for cefepime were higher than for piperacillin/tazobactam, neither agent achieved a high probability of target attainment and should not be used routinely for the treatment of ESBL infections.
A Software Architecture for Cross-Layer Wireless Network Adaptations

Conventional data networks are based on layered architectures. The introduction of wireless networks has created a need to violate this layering discipline to create cross- layer designs or adaptations. Ad-hoc implementations of such cross-layer adaptations reduce the level of modularity and abstraction in the network's implementation, giving rise to a significant increase in complexity. We present a taxonomy of possible cross-layer adaptations that is then used to derive an architecture for their implementation that significantly preserves the networks structure. We present implementation results that validate this architecture in the context of a real wireless network implementation.
Physics-based detection of targets in SAR imagery using support vector machines

Radar scattering from an illuminated object is often highly dependent on the target-sensor orientation. In conjunction with physics based feature extraction, the exploitation of aspect-dependent information has led to successful improvements in the detection of tactical targets in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery. While prior work has attempted to design detectors by matching them to images from a training set, the generalization capability of these detectors beyond the training database can be significantly improved by using the principle of structural risk minimization. In this paper, we propose a detector based on support vector machines that explicitly incorporates this principle in its design, yielding improved detection performance. We also introduce a probabilistic feature-parsing scheme that improves the robustness of detection using features obtained from a two-dimensional matching-pursuits feature extractor. Performance is assessed by considering the detection of tactical targets concealed in foliage, using measured foliage-penetrating SAR data.
Analyzing NASPInet data flows

One of the missions of the North American SynchroPhasor Initiative (NASPI) is to create a robust, widely available and secure synchronized data measurement infrastructure, dubbed NASPInet, that will improve reliability of the power grid. Phasor Measurement Unit (PMU), a GPS clock synchronized measurement device capable of measuring the current and voltage phasors in the power grid, is the main measurement device that NASPInet envisions to support. While the dataflow, latency and to some extent security requirements for individual PMU applications that depend on the measurement infrastructure have been characterized, this work undertakes the challenge of characterizing the collective dataflow, latency and security requirements of the measurement infrastructure when using different network architectures and when multiple PMU applications simultaneously utilize NASPInet. For our analysis we focus on a case study where we model a scalable scenario in NASPInet for a part of the North American Power Grid, the western interconnect, using Network Simulator v2 (NS-2).
Civil-Military Integration: The Politics of Outsourcing National Security:

The post 9/11 environment has been characterized by domestic policy actors being incorporated into a globalizing defense industrial sector through the concept of civil-military integration. From administration to administration, the push for increased civil-military integration has spread beyond its original boundaries and has reached the frontlines of the American military. This begs the question, can the market-driven logic of the commercial sector be integrated into the objectives and values of the noncivilian, military sector? More precisely, is civil-military integration the appropriate solution to the post 9/11 strategic shift? The purpose of this study is not to address the detailed merits or limitations of the increased reliance on private contractors. Rather, this study’s primary focus is to examine the policies that set into motion and continue to promote the cornerstone of civil-military integration: strategic outsourcing. This study argues that in today’s threat environment, the extent of civil-military integration poses unique challenges for U.S. strategic policy. With contactors on the battlefield, basic doctrinal issues emerge. The most basic of these is the notion that in a war zone military members are asked to risk their lives for their country. But, while people are willing to risk their lives for their country, they may not be willing to risk their lives for their company.
Biography and the French Revolution

Scholars of the French Revolution have published very few biographies in recent years. Both the Annales school, with its emphasis on long term trends and histoire totale, and Marxist historians, more attentive to social factors than individuals, have enjoyed great currency among academics in this field. Consequently, interest in "great men" has waned. Ironically, the thoroughness of biographers in other specialties, who now focus on private as well as public life, may also have discouraged comparable studies of French Revolutionaries. The famous and infamous in the French Revolution usually held the limelight only briefly. Some were also careful to commit nothing to paper, the letters and financial records of others were not systematically conserved, and the fabled French sense of privacy has often denied access to what does exist. Thus, the documents generally do not permit students of the French Revolution to produce biographies that account for personal develop ment as well as public contributions. Despite all these handicaps, it is not particularly surprising that two biographies by first-rate scholars have appeared this academic year. They are Norman Hampson's Danton and R. B. Rose's Gracchus Babeuf: The First Revolutionary Communist. 1 Some prominent historians have recently argued that attempts to discover social and economic bases of action in this period turn out to be contradictory and inconclusive. Leading this school is Richard Cobb, who rejects almost all generalizations regarding class behavior. His numerous books blend together all social groups in their revolutionary and counterrevolutionary activities. Some of those who challenge the link between environment and political decision explicitly dispute Marxist theory and research. Others would suggest less provocatively that the intensity of revolu tionary turbulence disturbed the normal connections between class and politics. In either case, for these scholars class analysis is inadequate, and biography, institutional history, and prosopography are more appealing. Of course, Norman Hampson and R. B. Rose did not necessarily choose to write biographies because they had lost enthusiasm for social interpretations. Many other factors may have encouraged them. However, because biographies may be returning in popularity, it seems reasonable to consider these particular books together for what they reveal about the French Revolution. Moreover fairness, as well as the high quality of both studies, requires that each be assessed according to its own goals.
The Organizational Ombudsman as Change Agent

Though the organizational ombudsman's role may sometimes be regardedas only a facilitator of individual problem solving, in fact the ombudspersonis ideally situated within the organization to make recommendationsfor systemic change, based on patterns of complaint brought to the office.Indeed, the ombuds is obligated to take steps to prevent future recurrence ofa problem, as well as to resolve the problem at hand. Furthermore, becauseof the ombuds' broad understanding of the organizational culture, theneeds of its leaders and other stakeholders, the ombuds office - in additionto being a vital component of the organization's conflict managementsystem - may also participate in designing, evaluating and improving theentire dispute resolution system for the organization.
Interpreting prograde-growth histories of Al2SiO5 triple-point rocks using oxygen-isotope thermometry: an example from the Truchas Mountains, USA

Oxygen-isotope compositions of kyanite, andalusite, prismatic sillimanite and fibrolite from the Proterozoic terrane in the Truchas Mountains, New Mexico differ from one another, suggesting that these minerals did not grow in equilibrium at the Al2SiO5 (AS) polymorph-invariant point as previously suggested. Instead, oxygen-isotope temperature estimates indicate that growth of kyanite, andalusite and prismatic sillimanite occurred at c. 575, 615 and 640 � C respectively. Temperature estimates reported in this paper are interpreted as those of growth for the different AS polymorphs, which are not necessarily the same as peak metamorphic temperatures for this terrane. Two distinct temperature estimates of c. 580 � C and c. 700 � C are calculated for most fibrolite samples, with two samples yielding clear evidence of quartz-fibrolite oxygen-isotope disequilibrium. These data indicate that locally, and potentially regionally, oxygen-isotope disequilibrium between quartz and fibrolite may have resulted from rapid fibrolite nucleation. Pressures of mineral growth that were extrapolated from oxygen-isotope thermometry results and calculated using petrological constraints suggest that kyanite and one generation of fibrolite grew during M1 at 5 kbar, and that andalusite, prismatic sillimanite and a second generation of fibrolite grew during M2 at 3.5 kbar. M1 and M2 therefore represent two distinct metamorphic events that occurred at different crustal levels. The ability of the AS polymorphs to retain d 18 O values of crystallization make these minerals ideal to model prograde-growth histories of mineral assemblages in metamorphic terranes and to understand more clearly the pressure-temperature histories of multiple metamorphic events.
Scientific investigation of the Shroud of Turin.

This article introduces three research papers discussing various scientific tests run on the Shroud of Turin—an ancient piece of linen that appears to bear faint images of a man's body. It also briefly reviews the chemical, photographic, and x-ray tests not dealt with in the three research papers, which are concerned with optical and IR spectroscopy and thermography.
Dystrophic muscle improvement in zebrafish via increased heme oxygenase signaling

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is caused by a lack of the dystrophin protein and has no effective treatment at present. Zebrafish provide a powerful in vivo tool for high-throughput therapeutic drug screening for the improvement of muscle phenotypes caused by dystrophin deficiency. Using the dystrophin-deficient zebrafish, sapje, we have screened a total of 2640 compounds with known modes of action from three drug libraries to identify modulators of the disease progression. Six compounds that target heme oxygenase signaling were found to rescue the abnormal muscle phenotype in sapje and sapje-like, while upregulating the inducible heme oxygenase 1 (Hmox1) at the protein level. Direct Hmox1 overexpression by injection of zebrafish Hmox1 mRNA into fertilized eggs was found to be sufficient for a dystrophin-independent restoration of normal muscle via an upregulation of cGMP levels. In addition, treatment of mdx5cv mice with the PDE5 inhibitor, sildenafil, which was one of the six drugs impacting the Hmox1 pathway in zebrafish, significantly increased the expression of Hmox1 protein, thus making Hmox1 a novel target for the improvement of dystrophic symptoms. These results demonstrate the translational relevance of our zebrafish model to mammalian models and support the use of zebrafish to screen for new drugs to treat human DMD. The discovery of a small molecule and a specific therapeutic pathway that might mitigate DMD disease progression could lead to significant clinical implications.
The Emotional Dynamics of a Group during a Challenge Course Experience.

The purpose of this study was to explore a new framework for understanding group dynamics during a challenge course experience. Traditional views of group dynamics emphasize sequential stages of development, but these frameworks tend to neglect the emotional aspect of group dynamics. The group process usually includes an emotional experience, and assessing the emotional dynamics may provide researchers with another variable to assess what is happening within the group context. Challenge course experiences are structured to induce specific group emotions by the choice and sequence of initiatives to enhance development and cohesiveness. Utilizing a Bales-type of interaction analysis, the emotional behaviours of a group during a complete challenge course experience were assessed. Of the seven emotional categories investigated, avoidant or evasive verbal behaviors (flight) were the most common category followed by verbal behaviors that expressed reliance or desire for leadership (dependency), and also verbal ...
Relative Neurotropism of a Recombinant Rhabdovirus Expressing a Green Fluorescent Envelope Glycoprotein

A new recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV) that expresses green fluorescent protein (GFP) on the cytoplasmic domain of the VSV glycoprotein (G protein) was used in the mouse as a model for studying brain infections by a member of the Mononegavirales order that can cause permanent changes in behavior. After nasal administration, virus moved down the olfactory nerve, first to periglomerular cells, then past the mitral cell layer to granule cells, and finally to the subventricular zone. Eight days postinoculation, rVSV was eliminated from the olfactory bulb. Little sign of infection could be found outside the olfactory system, suggesting that anterograde or retrograde axonal transport of rVSV was an unlikely mechanism for movement of rVSV out of the bulb. When administered intracerebrally by microinjection, rVSV spread rapidly within the brain, with strong infection at the site of injection and at some specific periventricular regions of the brain, including the dorsal raphe, locus coeruleus, and midline thalamus; the ventricular system may play a key role in rapid rVSV dispersion within the brain. Thus, the lack of VSV movement out of the olfactory system was not due to the absence of potential for infections in other brain regions. In cultures of both mouse and human central nervous system (CNS) cells, rVSV inoculations resulted in productive infection, expression of the G-GFP fusion protein in the dendritic and somatic plasma membrane, and death of all neurons and glia, as detected by ethidium homodimer nuclear staining. Although considered a neurotropic virus, rVSV also infected heart, skin, and kidney cells in dispersed cultures. rVSV showed a preference for immature neurons in vitro, as shown by enhanced viral infection in developing hippocampal cultures and in the outer granule cell layer in slices of developing cerebellum. Together, these data suggest a relative affinity of rVSV for some neuronal types in the CNS, adding to our understanding of the long-lasting changes in rodent behavior found after transient VSV infection.
Comprehensive Benefits of Green Roofs

Green infrastructure uses vegetation, soils, and natural processes to manage water and create healthier urban environments, providing alternative stormwater management technologies (EPA 2014). Green roofs are a major component among green infrastructure technologies, and, while providing traditional roof services, also contribute to stormwater management. Research conducted assesses specific stormwater benefits of green roofs, providing information on nutrient leaching from media. Research was also undertaken to analyze potential energy benefits through side-by-side comparisons of full-scale white, traditional black rubber, and green roofs. Results revealed a 56.2 cm/yr average runoff reduction for the growing media alone, and a 61.6 cm/yr average runoff reduction for vegetated green roofs in the mid-continent Missouri climate. Roofing media selection greatly impacted leaching of phosphorus, nitrogen, suspended solids, and organic carbon from the tested green roof media. Thermal properties were investigated at the building level, as were benefits related to urban heat island effect. In a unique research endeavor, water and energy models are combined to illustrate impacts of evapotranspiration (ET) on green roof temperatures and urban heat dissipation. As ET is dependent on a variety of climate parameters including temperature, humidity, wind speed, and solar radiation, the potential to dissipate energy from a roof surface by means of water vaporization was modeled and latent heat fluxes were projected. Models using climate data may be used as predictive tools on impacts of green roof design and can be applied in stormwater management, allowing green roofs to reach maximum benefits of minimized nutrient loading, runoff reduction, peak flow attenuation, reduction of urban heat island effects, and economic savings. Findings presented raise societal questions as many ancillary benefits such as aesthetics and urban energy dissipation are society-level benefits, yet capital costs as well as operation and maintenance costs are generally incurred by the building owner.