cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Post-Acute Care among Older Adults with Stage I to III Colorectal Cancer

BACKGROUND Little information is available on the long-term use of post-acute care among older patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), relative to individuals without cancer. This study examines the use of post-acute care among older cancer survivors (>65 y) with CRC and compares it with noncancer patients up to 5 years from surgery. DESIGN Retrospective cohort. SETTING SEER-Medicare. PARTICIPANTS Patients treated for stage I to III CRC between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2011 (n = 40 812) and noncancer Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized for noncancer treatment matching on age, sex, race, comorbidity, and Medicaid dual eligibility. MEASUREMENTS Incident post-acute care claims (skilled nursing, long-term care facility, and home health) from 0 to 100 days, 101 to 365 days, and 1 to 5 years from hospitalization. RESULTS The median age was 77 years. All patients had surgery, 34% received chemotherapy, and 27% received surgery and adjuvant therapy. The cumulative incidence of any post-acute care within 100 days of hospitalization was 45.7% for stage III, 37.9% for stage I/II, and 39% for controls (p < .001). Within the CRC cohort only, the cumulative incidence of post-acute care was 2.9% (stage I/II) and 4.2% (stage III, p < .001) from 101 to 365 days and 15.8% (stage I/II) and 16.9% (stage III, p < .001) from 1 to 5 years. Increasing age, ostomies, and neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy were associated with increased hazard of all post-acute patients within 100 days from hospitalization. From 1 to 5 years from diagnosis, adjuvant therapy was associated with greater exclusive home health care use. CONCLUSIONS Survivorship planning among older CRC patients should include discussions of post-acute care following cancer therapy, even several years after treatment. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:937-944, 2019.
Perceiving a Calling as a Predictor of Future Work Attitudes: The Moderating Role of Meaningful Work:

The goal of the current study was to examine the interactive effect of perceiving a calling and meaningful work on employee attitudes. Specifically, we explored the multiplicative effect of perceiv...
Clinical efficacy of tumor-treating fields for newly diagnosed glioblastoma.

2046Background: Recent clinical trials have shown that adding tumor treating fields (TTF) to the Stupp protocol (SP) has increased survival after glioblastoma (GBM) diagnosis. However, whether this...
D1S80 PCR with the $25 thermal cycler

This article outlines the construction of an automatic two-step thermal cycler, using a hot water heater thermostat and light bulb, and documents its utility in performing D1S80 PCR DNA fingerprinting.
An Intelligent Market Capitalization Predictive System Using Deep Learning

Business forecast is a biggest factor which generally affects the economical condition of any Financial Industry. If the forecast model is not a better one then it can cause liquidation and spoil the trust of customers in the market. Early predictions based on social media clients’ opinion plays a major role in order to reduce risk on business and keep the trust of customer. According to the survey done by Fintech’s world topic analysis is treated as one of the vital factor used for the determination of client’s trends and for forecast analysis. Here we have performed a comparative analysis upon the social media data provide by Twitter in order to get an idea about the perception and understanding of clients’ requirements across the world. For the experimentation purpose we have used Tweeter data for tweet analysis, for stock price we have yahoo finance data and for number of stocks we have used morning star data set. For the processing of Tweets given by the clients we have built an automated system using Deep Learning. Here the problem is divided in to 2 parts. In first part Text classification is done using Tensorflow and Keras, Latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA), Natural Language Toolkit (NLTK-NLP).In this part using topic analysis the past tweet history is analyzed. In second part we are predicting forecastto identify multiple key business factors using Long Short term Memory (LSTM) using python/Rto. The actual aim of the system is to discover the effect of 3 fundamental parameters like security breaches, innovation, and stock exchange which are present in tweet given by the customers. Here the analysis is done on the last ten years tweets given by the clients for prediction of upcoming seven-day as well as monthly Market Cap. The actual intention of the work done here is to uncover the major diversity among two banks and bridge up the 3 gaps data breach, innovation and stock exchange in the available models. The latest information obtained in the system offers advantages to both Bank and customers to forecast Market value for the unbeaten estimation. We have obtained a prediction accuracy of 70.74% and 54.55% for monthly prediction and for weekly prediction we have obtained accuracy of 83.44% and 76.06% for Bank A and Bank B.
The Making of Pioneer Wisconsin: Voices of Early Settlers

Review of: "The Making of Pioneer Wisconsin: Voices of Early Settlers," by Michael E. Stevens.
Health outcomes of tourism development: A longitudinal study of the impact of tourism arrivals on residents’ health

Abstract This study investigates the influence of the number of tourism arrivals on the physical health of local people in one of the most-visited destinations in the world. Although the literature traditionally describes the economic, social, and cultural impacts of tourism, there is a gap related to the effects of tourism on residents' health. The methodology involves applying the limited-information maximum likelihood instrumental variable approach. The results demonstrate that tourism arrivals negatively influence residents’ health in the short term, yet have positive impacts on long-term health outcomes. The study contributes to the theory and practice by offering a new approach to physical health outcomes of tourism, demonstrating the superiority of long-term positive impacts of tourism over short-term negative outcomes, and emphasizing the importance of evaluating the health impacts of tourism for destination marketing and management.
Leveraging Content Connectivity and Location Awareness for Adaptive Forwarding in NDN-based Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

Communication in Mobile Ad-hoc Networks (MANETs) is challenging due to their highly dynamic topology, intermittent connectivity, and low data rate. Named Data Networking (NDN) offers a data-centric approach to communication with an adaptive forwarding plane and in-network data caching, which can be leveraged to address these challenges. In this work, we propose a forwarding strategy called Content Connectivity and Location-Aware Forwarding (CCLF) for NDN-based MANETs. CCLF broadcasts NDN packets and lets each node make independent decisions on whether to forward packets based on per-prefix performance measurements and any available geo-location information. In addition, it employs a density-aware suppression mechanism to reduce unnecessary packet transmissions. Moreover, we have developed a link adaptation layer for ad-hoc links to bridge the gap between CCLF and the capabilities of the underlying link. Our evaluation shows that CCLF not only reduces packet overhead significantly compared to flooding, but also has a data fetching performance close to that achieved by flooding. It also outperforms three other forwarding strategies proposed for information-centric vehicular networks.
Transgenerational effects of developmental exposure to chlorpyrifos-oxon in zebrafish (DANIO RERIO)

Abstract The organophosphate chlorpyrifos, and its active metabolite chlorpyrifos-oxon (CPO), have been attributed to a number of neurodevelopmental disorders. It is unclear if the adverse effects associated with developmental exposure to the active CPO persist into adulthood and future generations. The goal of this study was to investigate whether CPO-associated changes in embryo-larval zebrafish (ZF) behavior at the F0 5 dpf were manifest throughout the life of the exposed F0, and are inherited by subsequent generations. For this study, embryos were exposed to chlorpyrifos-oxon at the environmentally relevant concentration of 0.01 μg/L and a high concentration of 50 μg/L starting at 4 hpf to 5 dpf, and then raised to F2. There was a significant decrease in distance traveled with 5 dpf F0 ZF exposed to the 50 μg/L CPO, with alterations in noncholinergic genes CFOS and LINGO, and alterations in global DNA methylation. CPO-related behavioral effects were ameliorated by day 21 through the F1 generation. This trend changed with hyperactive behavior, increase acetylcholine concentration in F2 zebrafish that were exposed to 50 μg/L CPO during the F0 development. There was also an increase in AChE activity and hypermethylation in F2 0.01 μg/L exposure larvae, indicating that even low dose exposures can have transgenerational effects. Results from this study demonstrate that early life stage exposures to CPO can lead to epigenetic changes in neurological activity, which may lead to alterations in response to CPO in future generations. Abstract summary This study identified a correlation between CPO exposure during F0 development and significant differences in F2 behavioral, AChE activity and neurotransmitter concentration.
The impact of mental health parity laws on birth outcomes

Prior studies have found that poor mental health during pregnancy is associated with poor birth outcomes, but little is known about the ability of mental health care access and treatment to counteract these effects. I use a difference-in-differences strategy exploiting the staggered enactment of state mental health parity laws in 25 states from 1995 to 2002 to identify the impact of mental health care access on the probability of an adverse birth outcome. These state mental health parity laws are insurance mandates requiring coverage of mental health care be equivalent to physical health care. Using birth records, I find that, among the group of mothers most likely to have private insurance, introduction of a mental health parity law in a state decreased the probability of an adverse birth outcome. Furthermore, I find that the parity laws decreased the likelihood that a pregnant woman hospitalized for delivery would receive a mental illness diagnosis.
Hospice Care Experiences Among Cancer Patients and Their Caregivers.

Little is known about the current quality of care for hospice cancer patients and how it varies across hospice programs in the USA. To examine hospice care experiences among decedents with a primary cancer diagnosis and their family caregivers, comparing quality across settings of hospice care. We analyzed data from the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Hospice Survey (32% response rate). Top-box outcomes (0-100) were calculated overall and by care setting, adjusting for survey mode and patient case mix. Two hundred seventeen thousand five hundred ninety-six caregiver respondents whose family member had a primary cancer diagnosis and died in 2017 or 2018 while receiving hospice care from 2,890 hospices nationwide. Outcomes (0–100 scale) included 8 National Quality Forum-endorsed quality measures, as well as responses to 4 survey questions assessing whether needs were met for specific symptoms (pain, dyspnea, constipation, anxiety/sadness). Quality measure scores ranged from 74.9 (Getting Hospice Care Training measure) to 89.5 (Treating Family Member with Respect measure). The overall score for Getting Help for Symptoms was 75.1 with item scores within this measure ranging from 60.6 (getting needed help for feelings of anxiety or sadness) to 84.5 (getting needed help for pain). Measure scores varied significantly across settings and differences were large in magnitude, with caregivers of decedents who received care in a nursing home (NH) or assisted living facility (ALF) setting consistently reporting poorer quality of care. Important opportunities exist to improve hospice care for symptom palliation and providing training for caregivers when their family members are at home or in an ALF setting. Efforts to improve care for cancer patients in the NH and ALF setting are especially needed.
Diverticulum: Workup and Evaluation

Esophageal diverticulum (ED) is a mucosal pouch that protrudes from the esophageal lumen. ED is classified according to its location, the layers of the esophagus that are involved, and the mechanism of formation. A large percentage of patients with ED are asymptomatic. However, commonly patients may complain of dysphagia, heartburn, chest pain, belching, pharyngeal bolus, halitosis, and cough. Treatment includes both nonsurgical and surgical approaches based on a patient’s condition, size, location, and associated diseases. The objective of this chapter is to describe the general approach to evaluation and workup of ED.
Influence of Steel Fiber Size and Shape on Quasi-Static Mechanical Properties and Dynamic Impact Properties of Ultra-High Performance Concrete

This investigation focused on identifying the impact of various steel fiber types on the mechanical response of an ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) known as Cor-Tuf (CT). CT specimens were fabricated with four steel fiber types: hooked-end 3D 55/30 BG fibers, undulated NYCON type V fibers, straight brass coated OL 10mm fibers, and straight brass coated OL 6mm fibers. Fiber shape and size had a limited impact on quasi-static properties in compression but had a significant impact on quasi-static tensile properties and dynamic penetration resistance. The use of smaller fibers resulted in up to a 100 percent increase in component/test article tensile strength compared with their larger fiber size counterparts. However, the benefits offered by the smaller fibers primarily occurred prior to reaching the ultimate load carrying capacity. Once the ultimate strength was reached, larger fibers were more effective at bridging larger cracks. Smaller fibers provided improved penetration resistance, with reduced residual projectile velocities and loss of material from cratering and/or spallation. The overall goal of the study was to identify the relationships between fiber characteristics and the multi-strain rate response of UHPCs in order to better optimize fiber reinforcement for various loading conditions.
Reconstructing the heart using iPSCs: Engineering strategies and applications

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have emerged as a key component of cardiac tissue engineering, enabling studies of cardiovascular disease mechanisms, drug responses, and developmental processes in human 3D tissue models assembled from isogenic cells. Since the very first engineered heart tissues were introduced more than two decades ago, a wide array of iPSC-derived cardiac spheroids, organoids, and heart-on-a-chip models have been developed incorporating the latest available technologies and materials. In this review, we will first outline the fundamental biological building blocks required to form a functional unit of cardiac muscle, including iPSC-derived cells differentiated by soluble factors (e.g., small molecules), extracellular matrix scaffolds, and exogenous biophysical maturation cues. We will then summarize the different fabrication approaches and strategies employed to reconstruct the heart in vitro at varying scales and geometries. Finally, we will discuss how these platforms, with continued improvements in scalability and tissue maturity, can contribute to both basic cardiovascular research and clinical applications in the future.
Automated video interview personality assessments: Reliability, validity, and generalizability investigations.

Organizations are increasingly adopting automated video interviews (AVIs) to screen job applicants despite a paucity of research on their reliability, validity, and generalizability. In this study, we address this gap by developing AVIs that use verbal, paraverbal, and nonverbal behaviors extracted from video interviews to assess Big Five personality traits. We developed and validated machine learning models within (using nested cross-validation) and across three separate samples of mock video interviews (total N = 1,073). Also, we examined their test-retest reliability in a fourth sample (N = 99). In general, we found that the AVI personality assessments exhibited stronger evidence of validity when they were trained on interviewer-reports rather than self-reports. When cross-validated in the other samples, AVI personality assessments trained on interviewer-reports had mixed evidence of reliability, exhibited consistent convergent and discriminant relations, used predictors that appear to be conceptually relevant to the focal traits, and predicted academic outcomes. On the other hand, there was little evidence of reliability or validity for the AVIs trained on self-reports. We discuss the implications for future work on AVIs and personality theory, and provide practical recommendations for the vendors marketing such approaches and organizations considering adopting them. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
An adolescent rat model of vincristine-induced peripheral neuropathy

Abstract Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a significant clinical problem that can be effectively treated with vincristine, a vinca alkaloid-based chemotherapeutic agent. However, nearly all children receiving vincristine treatment develop vincristine-induced peripheral neuropathy (VIPN). The impact of adolescent vincristine treatment across the lifespan remains poorly understood. We, consequently, developed an adolescent rodent model of VIPN which can be utilized to study possible long term consequences of vincristine treatment in the developing rat. We also evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of voluntary exercise and potential impact of obesity as a genetic risk factor in this model on the development and maintenance of VIPN. Out of all the dosing regimens we evaluated, the most potent VIPN was produced by fifteen consecutive daily intraperitoneal (i.p.) vincristine injections at 100 µg/kg/day, throughout the critical period of adolescence from postnatal day 35 to 49. With this treatment, vincristine-treated animals developed hypersensitivity to mechanical and cold stimulation of the plantar hind paw surface, which outlasted the period of vincristine treatment and resolved within two weeks following the cessation of vincristine injection. By contrast, impairment in grip strength gain was delayed by vincristine treatment, emerging shortly following the termination of vincristine dosing, and persisted into early adulthood without diminishing. Interestingly, voluntary wheel running exercise prevented the development of vincristine-induced hypersensitivities to mechanical and cold stimulation. However, Zucker fa/fa obese animals did not exhibit higher risk of developing VIPN compared to lean rats. Our studies identify sensory and motor impairments produced by vincristine in adolescent animals and support the therapeutic efficacy of voluntary exercise for suppressing VIPN in developing rats.
Critical Zeros of Zeta Functions

As we saw in Chapter 10, the complex dimensions of a generalized Cantor string form an arithmetic progression {D + inp} nZ, with 0 D 1 and p 0. In this chapter we use this fact to study arithmetic progressions of critical zeros of zeta functions.
Pituitary-adrenal response to weaning in infant squirrel monkeys

This paper examines the pituitary-adrenal response of infant squirrel monkeys during the 2 weeks following the permanent removal from their mothers at the time of weaning in the laboratory. The influence of three major factors on the pituitary-adrenal response to weaning was studied: (1) preweaning experience with maternal separations; (2) familiarity with the postweaning environment; (3) preweaning social experience. The results indicated that prior separations lead to greater cortisol elevations than those observed in infants experiencing their first maternal separation at weaning. Those infants permitted to remain in their familiar social group displayed lower cortisol than did those in the novel cage alone. This was due to the social interactions and not to familiarity with the postweaning environment, since infants reared only with their mothers did not show this reduced cortisol elevation in their home environment.
A Genetic Dichotomy between Pure Sclerosing Epithelioid Fibrosarcoma (SEF) and Hybrid SEF/Low Grade Fibromyxoid Sarcoma: A Pathologic and Molecular Study of 18 cases

Sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma (SEF) is a rare soft tissue tumor exhibiting considerable morphologic overlap with low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma (LGFMS). Moreover, both SEF and LGFMS show MUC4 expression by immunohistochemistry. While the majority of LGFMS cases are characterized by a FUS-CREB3L1 fusion, both FUS-CREB3L2 and EWSR1-CREB3L1 fusions were recently demonstrated in a small number of LGFMS and SEF/LGFMS hybrid tumors. In contrast, recent studies pointed out that SEF harbor frequent EWSR1 rearrangements, with only a minority of cases showing FUS-CREB3L2 fusions. In an effort to further characterize the molecular characteristics of pure SEF and hybrid SEF/LGFMS lesions, we undertook a clinicopathologic, immunohistochemical and genetic analysis of a series of 10 SEF and 8 hybrid SEF/LGFMS tumors. The mortality rate was similar between the two groups, 44% within the pure SEF group and 37% in the hybrid SEF/LGFMS with a mean overall follow-up of 66 months. All but one pure SEF and all hybrid SEF/LGFMS-tested cases showed MUC4 immunoreactivity. The majority (90%) of pure SEF cases showed EWSR1 gene rearrangements by fluorescence in situ hybridization with only one case exhibiting FUS rearrangement. Of the nine EWSR1 positive cases, six cases harbored CREB3L1 break-apart, two had CREB3L2 rearrangement (a previously unreported finding) and one lacked evidence of CREB3L1/2 abnormalities. In contrast, all hybrid SEF/LGFMS tumors exhibited FUS and CREB3L2 rearrangements. These results further demarcate a relative cytogenetic dichotomy between pure SEF, often characterized by EWSR1 rearrangements, and hybrid SEF/LGFMS, harboring FUS-CREB3L2 fusion; the latter group recapitulating the genotype of LGFMS.
Isolation and Fractionation of the Photosynthetic Membranous Organelles from Rhodopseudomonas spheroides

Abstract Molecular sieve chromatography and sucrose gradient centrifugation were used to prepare large quantities of purified chromatophores from Rhodopseudomonas spheroides. Electron micrographs of these chromatophores revealed that the final preparations were very homogeneous and free of non-chromatophore particulate material. As an additional check on purity, 14C-l-phenylalanine-labeled aerobic cells, devoid of chromatophores, were mixed with unlabeled photosynthetic cells. The resulting preparation contained less than 1% of the radioactivity, originally located in non-chromatophore protein. The purified chromatophores were solubilized in 2-chloroethanol and separated into two fractions. Fraction P1 contained 3 to 5% of the total chromatophore protein and could be resolved into 10 electrophoretic components. The second fraction, PII, contained five electrophoretic components. One of these components had associated with it all of the pigment and phospholipid present in PII. Preliminary immunochemical studies on these fractions are also reported.
Ethology and Primates: Some New Directions for the 1970s

Ethological Studies of Child Behaviour. N. Blurton Jones. Social Communication and Movement: Studies of Interaction and Expression in Man and Chimpanzee. Mario Von Cranach and Ian Vine. Primate Behavior and the Emergence of Human Culture. Jane Beckman Lancaster. Precultural Primate Behavior. Emit W. Menzel, Jr. Behavior of Nonhuman Primates: Modern Research Trends. Vol. IV. Allan M. Schrier and Fred Stollnitz. Ethology and Psychiatry. Norman F. White.
Cystathionine γ-Synthase STUDIES OF HYDROGEN EXCHANGE REACTIONS

Abstract Cystathionine γ-synthase is a pyridoxal phosphate enzyme which catalyzes a step in methionine biosynthesis in Salmonella, the formation of cystathionine from cysteine and O-succinylhomoserine. It is the only pyridoxal enzyme known to catalyze this type of reaction, which is called a γ replacement. In addition it can catalyze γ elimination, and β elimination and β replacement, reactions, although these have no known physiological function. The enzyme also catalyzes very rapid exchanges between tritium-labeled water and hydrogens in the α and β positions of a variety of amino acids structurally unrelated to its natural substrates. Studies of the rates of these exchange reactions have now revealed that when the amino acid has an electronegative substituent on carbon 3, exchange is much more rapid in the α than in the β position; in the absence of such a substituent, exchange is slightly more rapid in the β position. NMR studies of exchange reactions in 2H2O have confirmed that exchange is exclusively in the α and β positions, and have shown that all three β hydrogens of alanine are exchanged at the same rate. In α-aminobutyrate and homoserine one of the two sterically distinguishable β hydrogens was exchanged about 100 times faster than the other. The β hydrogens of homoserine were found to be magnetically nonequivalent, and it could be shown that the rapidly exchanging β hydrogen is the one which in solution is more strongly coupled to the α hydrogen. The results have been correlated with previously reported transient changes in the absorption spectrum of the enzyme during the various reactions described.
The Relativistic Nuclear Many-Body Problem

These lectures are based on a book “THE RELATIVISTIC NUCLEAR MANY-BODY PROBLEM” written with Brian Serot which will appear as volume 16 of the series Advances in Nuclear Physics edited by J. W. Negele and E. Vogt [R1]. I am distributing copies of the table of contents.
Monte-Carlo eigenvalue calculation

A Monte Carlo algorithm to efficiently calculate static alpha eigenvalues, N = neαt, for supercritical systems has been developed and tested. A direct Monte Carlo approach to calculating a static alpha is to simply follow the buildup in time of neutrons in a supercritical system and evaluate the logarithmic derivative of the neutron population with respect to time. This procedure is expensive, and the solution is very noisy and almost useless for a system near critical. The modified approach is to convert the time-dependent problem to a static α-eigenvalue problem and regress a on solutions of a k-eigenvalue problem. In practice, this procedure is much more efficient than the direct calcuation, and produces much more accurate results. Because the Monte Carlo codes are intrinsically three-dimensional and use elaborate continuous-energy cross sections, this technique is now used as a standard for evaluating other calculational techniques in odd geometries or with group cross sections.
Prompt Neutron Decay Constants of Far-Subcritical Hydrogeneous Media

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the attempts that have been made to analyze the ordinary pulsed neutron data insofar as the decay constant is plotted as a function of buckling. The chapter also explains the decaying State Spectrum, which exists during the decay of the fundamental mode. One of the objectives of doing far-subcritical work is to see what types of measurements might be done that are now being carried out to a great extent in critical assemblies. In order to make a comparison, there must be some idea of what the spectrum in the medium looks like during the time such fundamental mode decay measurement is being done. It appears that the pulsed neutron decay constant measurement is a useful one for a far-subcritical system. In the far-subcritical system, only the pulsed decay constant measurement can be made.
Brief announcement: flash-log - a high throughput log

Modern storage solutions, such as non-volatile solid-state devices, offer unprecedented speed of access over high-bandwidth interconnects. An array of flash memory chips attached directly to a 1-10 GB fiber switch can support up to 100K page writes per second. While no single host can drive such throughput, the combined power of a large group of clients, accessing the shared storage over a common interconnect, can utilize the system at full capacity.
The Massachusetts-Stony Brook CO survey of the galactic plane

Over the past four years the 14-meter millimeter wave telescope of the Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory has been used to survey the galactic plane in the CO emission line. These observations have revealed the extent of the molecular disk in both R and z from the galactic center out to 16 kpc, the outer edge of detectable CO emission, and have allowed a determination of the characteristics of discrete molecular clouds. The final galactic survey, a two year project to be complete by mid-1983, will provide a map of the entire first quadrant at 3 arc minute spacing, increasing our previous sample by nearly an order of magnitude and allowing an unprecedented view of individual molecular clouds throughout the disk on all size scales between a few parsecs and many kiloparsecs.
Risk of infection following posterior instrumented lumbar fusion for degenerative spine disease in 817 consecutive cases: Clinical article

Object Posterior lumbar spinal fusion for degenerative spine disease is a common procedure, and its use is increasing annually. The rate of infection, as well as the factors associated with an increased risk of infection, remains unclear for this patient population. A better understanding of these features may help guide treatment strategies aimed at minimizing infection for this relatively common procedure. The authors' goals were therefore to ascertain the incidence of postoperative spinal infections and identify factors associated with postoperative spinal infections. Methods Data obtained in adult patients who underwent instrumented posterior lumbar fusion for degenerative spine disease between 1993 and 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. Stepwise multivariate proportional hazards regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with infection. Variables with p < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results During the study period, 817 consecutive patients underwent lumbar fusion...
Upper and lower bounds on FSM switching activity

This paper obtains upper and lower bounds for the switching activity on the state lines of a finite state machine (FSM) that is driven with typical input sequences. By exploiting the symmetries between the Hamming distances of state encodings, we obtain tight bounds on the average Hamming distance, which is proportional to the average switching activity and the overall power dissipation of the system. Since these bounds are independent of the state assignment and the actual circuit implementation, they can be used at an early stage of the FSM design to indicate the largest/smallest possible power consumption. The paper also discusses how redundant state encodings can be chosen to decrease power consumption.
Effect of ischemia on responses of group III and IV afferents to contraction

Static contraction of the hindlimb muscles of cats reflexly increases cardiovascular function, an effect that is potentiated by occlusion of the arterial supply to the working muscles. Although group III and IV afferents are known to be stimulated by and to cause the reflex cardiovascular responses to static muscular contraction, little is known about the responses of these afferents to static contraction when the arterial supply to a working muscle is occluded. We therefore recorded the impulse activity of 24 group III afferents and 30 group IV afferents with endings in the triceps surae while we statically contracted this muscle group, both when the abdominal aorta was occluded and when it was patent. A chi 2 analysis revealed that ischemia increased the responses to static contractions of a significantly higher percentage of group IV afferents than group III afferents (46.7% vs. 12.5%, respectively; P less than 0.02). In addition, two patterns of responses to ischemic contraction were observed. The first pattern was displayed by afferents (n = 10) that were stimulated by nonischemic contraction but were stimulated more by ischemic contraction. The second pattern was displayed by afferents (n = 7) that were not stimulated by nonischemic contraction but were stimulated by ischemic contraction. We conclude that afferents displaying both patterns are likely to contribute to the reflex cardiovascular responses to ischemic contraction.
THE EDUCATION AND HIRING OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS LIBRARIANS: OBSERVATIONS FROM A RECENT RECRUIT

The topic of what skills and qualifications are required of special collections librarians has come up in numerous places in past months, including in an Association of Research Libraries (ARL) White Paper released in November 2004 and at the most recent (June 2005) Rare Books and Manuscripts (RBMS) Preconference in St. Louis. Not coincidentally, it also was the focus of a roundtable session at the April 2005 Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) National Meeting in Minneapolis. This article summarizes the discussion at the latter event and points out how several themes have been recurring in other contexts. Those . . .
HIGH DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CHOLESTEROL AS A PREDICTOR OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE MORTALITY IN MEN AND WOMEN: THE FOLLOW-UP STUDY OF THE LIPID RESEARCH CLINICS PREVALENCE STUDY

With data from the Lipid Research Clinics Prevalence Study used as a baseline, an average of 8.4 years of mortality follow-up has been completed for 8,825 male and female participants who were at least 30 years of age at the time of the study. The participants were examined at 10 North American sites during 1972-1976. Univariate findings for high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in the 7,569 persons initially free of coronary heart disease indicate an inverse relation with cardiovascular disease mortality for men and women. Controlling for age, low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, and smoking, multivariate analysis results indicate inverse relations between HDL cholesterol and cardiovascular disease mortality. In men, the cardiovascular disease mortality rate ratio for HDL cholesterol increments of 10 mg/dl was similar to the cardiovascular disease mortality rate ratio for LDL cholesterol increments of 30 mg/dl. In women, HDL cholesterol is more closely related to cardiovascular disease than is LDL cholesterol. HDL cholesterol is inversely related to both coronary heart disease and other cardiovascular disease mortality in both sexes, though the relation of HDL cholesterol with coronary heart disease mortality in women approached statistical significance only for the combined end point of suspect and definite cases. No relation was observed in either sex group between HDL cholesterol and noncardiovascular disease mortality. This study, only the second large prospective study evaluating the role of HDL cholesterol in women, confirms both the importance and the independence in both men and women of HDL cholesterol in the epidemiology of coronary heart disease and other cardiovascular disease mortality.
Italian all-sky imager tracks auroral red arcs over Europe

During geomagnetic storms, stable auroral red (SAR) arcs reach down from polar latitudes, their faint glow stretching equatorward of the traditional auroral oval. Invisible to the naked eye, SAR arcs are an upper atmospheric occurrence produced by the emission of light from oxygen atoms in the thermosphere. The excitation of the ionospheric oxygen that produces SAR arcs is caused, in turn, by the conduction of heat from the magnetospheric ring current. Advances in camera optics, including more sensitive sensors and highly specific filters, have allowed researchers to track the occurrence of SAR arcs, opening a window into the dynamics of the inner magnetosphere.
Pervaporation of Water/THF Mixtures Using Zeolite Membranes

Four types of hydrophilic zeolite membranes (A-type, Al−ZSM-5, mordenite, and Y-type) were used to dehydrate water/THF mixtures by pervaporation. At 303 K, the total fluxes increased with zeolite pore size, and membranes with lower Si/Al ratios had higher water/THF separation selectivities. The Y-type membrane, which was prepared using a template-free seeding technique, had the highest flux and selectivity; at 333 K, the total flux was 2.4 kg m-2 h-1 with a water/THF selectivity of 290. The total flux increased with water feed concentration, but the selectivity decreased. Separation was based on both preferential adsorption of water and differences in diffusion rates. During continuous operation, the water permeate concentrations were higher than 95 wt %. Hydrophobic silicalite-1 and Ge−ZSM-5 membranes were used to remove THF from water. The Ge−ZSM-5 membrane had a total flux of 0.3 kg m-2 h-1 and a THF/water separation selectivity of 890 at 333 K for a 5 wt % THF aqueous solution.
Polarization and magnetic moment of the Σ− Hyperon

We have measured the magnetic moment of the ..sigma../sup -/ hyperon to be ..mu..(..sigma../sup -/) = -0.89 +- 0.14 nuclear magnetons. The magnitude of the polarization of ..sigma../sup -/ produced at 7.5 mrad by 400-GeV protons in the process p+Be..--> sigma../sup -/+X averages (15.5 +- 3.6)% over the momentum range 120 to 290 GeV/c. The mean ..sigma../sup -/ transverse momentum was 1.32 GeV/c. The polarization direction at production is the same as ..sigma../sup +/ and opposite that of ..lambda.. and ..xi../sup 0/.
Onset of ordering in driven bilayer lattice gases

Abstract We investigate the phase diagram of a system with two layers of an Ising lattice gas at half filling, as a function of the inter-layer coupling J , keeping the usual intra-layer nearest-neighbor attraction constant. In equilibrium, the phase diagram is symmetric under J → − J , but exhibits different ground states. The effects of imposing a uniform external drive are studied by simulation and analytic techniques. In particular, we attempt to develop a simple intuitive picture which allows us to predict the approximate location of T c in driven lattice gases.
A population-based study of fatal and nonfatal firearm-related injuries.

Objective: To determine population-based firearm-related morbidity and mortality for Allegheny County, PA (population = 1.3 million), for the year 1994. Methods: Fatalities were identified from a review of death certificates. To identify nonfatal cases, an active surveillance was conducted at all 24 acute care EDs in the county. The ED surveillance used 2 existing sources of case identification from each hospital to minimize undercount. Results: Firearms were the leading cause of injury death to county residents, accounting for 155 deaths. The crude mortality rate from firearms was 11.7/100,000. Black males aged 15–19 years were most at risk for a firearm fatality (293/100,000). There were 514 nonfatal firearm injuries, producing a case fatality rate of 23%. The highest age-specific rate for nonfatal firearm-related injuries treated in the county EDs was observed for black males aged 15–19 years (2,245/100,000), which is 58 times higher than the firearm-related injury rate for the entire county population (38.7/100,000). Conclusion: Firearm-related injury and death are a significant public health problem in Allegheny County. Although the crude mortality rate from firearms in the county is lower than the reported national rate, the observed rate for nonfatal injuries in the black youth of this community is the highest firearm injury incidence rate ever reported. Local surveillance of firearm-related injuries, including nonfatal events, is needed to more accurately demonstrate the magnitude of this problem.
Enhanced interactive surgical guidance using both preoperative and intraoperative imaging

We have developed a technique called Interactive, Image-Guided Surgery (IIG) which tracks the position of a surgical instrument during surgery and displays that position on preoperatively-obtained tomograms. Recently we have incorporated real-time intra-operative video images: endoscopes and ultrasound into the data stream. The endoscope or ultrasound transducer's position may be tracked during surgery, allowing guidance and the correlation of intraoperatively perceived structures with preoperatively obtained tomograms.
Evaluation of analytical methods for determining pesticides in baby foods and adult duplicate-diet samples

Abstract Determination of pesticides in food is often complicated by the presence of fats and requires multiple clean-up steps before analysis. Cost-effective methods are needed for analyzing the large number of samples generated in large-scale exposure studies. We examined two extraction methods, supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), coupled with various clean-up techniques for the analysis of pesticides in baby foods and exposure samples. The SFE-gas chromatogram/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) method did not provide quantitative recoveries (
Processing changes in maxillary complete dentures

Abstract A technique that allows for comparison of undercuts palatal thickness, and double curing has been described for measurement of curing changes in acrylic resin dentures. The technique involves a precision cast and denture positioner in front of the x-ray tube and the transfer of a lead foil strip from cast to denture. Radiographs made of this strip are projected at ×20 magnification, and subsequent tracings are measured and superimposed to note shrinkage and contour changes.
Molecular biomimetics: utilizing nature's molecular ways in practical engineering

In nature, proteins are the machinery that accomplish many functions through their specific recognition and interactions in biological systems from single-celled to multicellular organisms. Biomolecule–material interaction is accomplished via molecular specificity, leading to the formation of controlled structures and functions at all scales of dimensional hierarchy. Through evolution, molecular recognition and, consequently, functions developed through successive cycles of mutation and selection. Using biology as a guide, we can now understand, engineer and control peptide–material interactions and exploit these to tailor novel materials and systems for practical applications. We adapted combinatorial biology protocols to display peptide libraries, either on the cell surface or on phages, to select short peptides specific to a variety of practical materials systems. Following the selection step, we determined the kinetics and stability of peptide binding experimentally to understand the bound peptide structure via modeling and its assembly via atomic force microscopy. The peptides were further engineered to have multiple repeats or their amino acid sequences varied to tailor their function. Both nanoparticles and flat inorganic substrates containing multimaterials patterned at the nano- and microscales were used for self-directed immobilization of molecular constructs. The molecular biomimetic approach opens up new avenues for the design and utilization of multifunctional molecular systems with wide ranging applications, from tissue engineering, drug delivery and biosensors, to nanotechnology and bioremediation. Here we give examples of protein-mediated functional materials in biology, peptide selection and engineering with affinity to inorganics, demonstrate potential utilizations in materials science, engineering and medicine, and describe future prospects.
Variations on a Systems Theme: Comprehensive Reform in Teacher Education.

This paper presents the results of the first phase of an analysis of the product of ten independent efforts to apply systematic planning procedures to the development of the specificataions of teacher education programs. Those efforts, sponsored by the United States Office of Education, conceptualized models of the teacher, training systems, and management, evaluation and redevelopment systems. This phase of the analysis compares the concxeptualizations of the teacher, the performance models created as the goals of the programs, as well as the alternative procedures employed to create the models.
Experimental Realization of Noiseless Subsystems for Quantum Information Processing

We demonstrate the protection of one bit of quantum information against all collective noise in three nuclear spins. Because no subspace of states offers this protection, the quantum bit was encoded in a proper noiseless subsystem. We therefore realize a general and efficient method for protecting quantum information. Robustness was verified for a full set of noise operators that do not distinguish the spins. Verification relied on the most complete exploration of engineered decoherence to date. The achieved fidelities show improved information storage for a large, noncommutative set of errors.
Developing a code for ethical computer use

Abstract This paper describes how a code for ethical computer use can be developed and implemented. Though the code was formulated for a medium-sized college, its objectives, the processes employed to create it, the issues to be resolved and the compromises which had to be made are typical of any organization.
Combined Immunologic and Anti-Angiogenic Therapy Reduces Hepatic Micrometastases in a Murine Ocular Melanoma Model

Purpose: To evaluate the combined effect of neoadjuvant intracameral interferon α -2b and adjuvant low-dose angiostatin in reducing the number of hepatic micrometastases in a murine model of ocular melanoma. Methods: The posterior compartments of the right eyes of C57BL6 mice were inoculated with 5 × 105 cells/2.5 μ l of cells from the Queens, B16F10, or B16LS9 melanoma cell lines. The right eyes were enucleated at 7 days, and the mice were sacrificed at 28 days postinoculation, respectively. Hepatic micrometastases were counted. There were four treatment groups (n = 15 each) for each cell line as follows: group 1, intraperitoneal injections of 20 KIU interferon α -2b for 4 days prior to enucleation; group 2, intramuscular injections of 100 μ l 0.1 μ g/μ l murine angiostatin every day for 14 days starting on day 1 after enucleation; group 3, treatment of group 1 and group 2 combined; group 4, intraperitoneal and intramuscular injections of equal volumes of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) (control group). ...
Decreasing Frequency of Asthma Education in Primary Care

Background: Provision of asthma education is associated with decreased hospitalizations and emergency department visits for patients with asthma. Our objective was to describe national trends in the provision of asthma education by primary care physicians in office settings. Methods: We used the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, a nationally representative dataset of patient visits to office-based physicians. We identified visits to primary care physicians for patients where asthma was a reason for the visit (asthma-related visits) or who had a diagnosis of asthma, but asthma was not a specific reason for the visit (asthma-unrelated visits) and estimated the percentage of visits where asthma education was provided. Data were available for asthma-related visits from 2001–2006 and from 2005–2006 only for asthma-unrelated visits. We examined time trends in asthma education and used multivariable logistic regression to identify independent patient and system-related factors that were predictors of asth...