cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Does age limit the effectiveness of clinical pathways after coronary artery bypass graft surgery

Background-Clinical pathways have been shown to be effective in reducing the length of hospital stay after isolated CABG. Few studies, however, have focused specifically on the outcomes of the pathways in regard to the elderly population. Methods and Results-We reviewed our experience with 445 consecutive patients (299 <70 years old [mean age. 58.2±0.5 years] and 146 ≥70 years old [mean age. 75.6±0.3 years]) who underwent isolated CABG with the expectation of progressing through the same 5-day postoperative pathway. Preoperatively, the elderly had a smaller body surface area (1.87±0.02 versus 2.00±0.01; P<0.001) and a higher incidence of female gender (45.9% versus 26.8%; P=0.001), cerebrovascular disease (13.7% versus 7.0%; P=0.022), congestive heart failure (22.6% versus 13.4%; P=0.013), and 3-vessel coronary artery disease (76.7% versus 65.9%; P=0.024). Postoperatively, the elderly had a higher incidence of red blood cell transfusion (28.8% versus 9.0%; P=0.001), atrial fibrillation (37.6% versus 11.7%; P=0.001), and overall rate of complications (46.6% versus 23.4%; P=0.001). Mortality rate and length of stay were 5.5% and 7.9±0.4 days for the elderly versus 1.0% and 6.4±0.4 days for those <70 years old (P=0.004 and P=0.008), respectively. Of those ≥70 years old, 34% were discharged in ≤5 days, 64% in ≤7 days, and 82% in ≤10 days versus 64%, 85%, and 93%, respectively, for younger patients (P=0.001 for all). Multivariate analysis of preoperative variables identified age (P<0.001), female gender (P<0.001), hypertension (P=0.017), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (P=0.002), preoperative intra-aortic balloon pumping (P=0.002), and body surface area (P=0.003) as significantly related to length of stay. However, when the postoperative variables found to be different by univariate analysis are added to the model, age is only marginally significant (P=0.079), and red blood cell transfusion and atrial fibrillation are the strongest predictors of increased length of stay, along with intra-aortic balloon pumping and pneumonia (P<0.001 for all). Conclusions-These data suggest that extraordinary modifications of clinical pathways are not needed for success with elderly patients. The increased length of stay is largely attributable to the increased incidence of atrial fibrillation.
Buenas Diaz – status quo or pivot!

Synopsis The family matriarch dies without a written succession plan, leaving her children to determine how to cope with the continuity of the family’s expanding food empire. This becomes increasingly difficult when one of the siblings wants to incur expensive, yet required, renovations to the family’s original restaurant. The situation is further complicated by the fact that the two older siblings are focused on corporate expansion efforts, while the youngest is trying to demonstrate her competence in running the family’s historical restaurant. A central focus of the case is to understand and identify effective strategies that should guide the firm-related choices each sibling makes. Research methodology This case, which was developed from field interviews and personal experience, highlights the array of competing financial and personal objectives and tensions involved in a family business. An interactive tool allows users to conduct multiple scenario analyses to determine if the company’s manufacturing expansion goals can be achieved while simultaneously honoring the family’s restaurant roots. Relevant courses and levels This case was designed specifically for the undergraduate junior or senior business or economics student who has already taken basic finance, economics, strategy, entrepreneurship, or psychology courses. Typically, by the third or fourth year of study in a traditional undergraduate program, virtually all of the core themes, concepts, theses, and theories associated with the case have been addressed in previous business or economics coursework. Theoretical bases The case provides an intentional opportunity for students to demonstrate their emerging financial analysis competencies, while concurrently synthesizing the so-called “soft” skills associated with rational decision making, organizational behavior analysis, business strategy, entrepreneurship, and negotiations.
Abstract 119: Magnitude of Benefit of Prehospital Mobile Stroke Unit vs Conventional ED Thrombolysis: Preliminary Estimate Based on PHANTOM-S Observational Registry Study

Background: Prehospital thrombolysis in a mobile stroke unit (MSU, CT ambulance) reduces onset to treatment times compared with conventional ED delivery of IV tPA. Studies to determine if MSU thrombolysis improves final functional outcome have been underpowered, but can provide preliminary estimates of benefit magnitude. Methods: We analyzed group outcome data from the PHANTOM-S Observational Registry Study (Kunz et al, 2016). For all possible dichotomizations of the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) of global disability (mRS), net benefit per thousand (BPT) treated patients were derived by multiplying absolute risk differences by 1000 and number needed to treat (NNT) by taking the inverse of absolute risk difference. For benefit in shifting patients to any lower disability level across all 6 functional transitions on the mRS, BPT and NNT were derived using the algorithmic joint outcome table method. Results: Group data were available for 305 patients treated with IV tPA in an MSU and 353 patients treated conventionally in the ED. Of the 6 cutpoints on the mRS, 5 showed more favorable outcomes with MSU care and 1 more favorable outcome with conventional care. The Table shows resulting Benefit per Thousand and NNT values. For the 6 possible dichotomizations of the mRS, the benefit per thousand patients ranged from -21 to 93, with the greatest benefit seen at 0-3, and a BPT of 58 for the study primary outcome of freedom from disability (mRS 0-1). For benefit of improving by 1 or more mRS levels across all 6 transitions of the mRS, the BPT was 182 and NNT 5.5. Conclusions: This preliminary estimate indicates that, out of every 1000 patients treated with prehospital, MSU thrombolysis rather than conventional ED thrombolysis, care, 182 will have a less disabled final outcome, including 58 more who would be free from disability. If confirmed in larger controlled clinical trials, these findings suggest that MSU-based thrombolysis would have a substantial clinical benefit.
Detection of incipient thermal damage in carbon fiber-bismaleimide composites using hand-held FTIR

Abstract Bismaleimide (BMI) resins are gaining popularity as matrix materials in carbon fiber composites, especially in high temperature applications, due to their very high glass transition temperatures. Extended elevated temperature exposure can cause a decrease in the matrix dominated properties of BMI-matrix composites due to thermal damage mechanisms that can be chemical (crosslinking, oxidation) or physical (microcracking, delamination) in nature. The chemical damage begins at lower thermal exposures than the physical damage; however standard ultrasonic testing (UT) techniques detect only the physical damage, which is not apparent until a significant loss in matrix dominated properties, such as shear strength, have already occurred. In this study, a thermal damage detection method using a handheld Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer to detect chemical changes caused by thermal exposure of Solvay 5250-4/IM7 BMI composite laminates was investigated. Infrared spectra were collected from samples with varying levels of thermal exposure. The spectra were analyzed using multivariate analysis techniques. The FTIR measurements were combined with mechanical property changes measured using short beam strength testing (ASTM D2344-16 ) to develop a model which identified the onset and extent of damage by predicting the change in interlaminar shear strength based on IR spectral changes. We compare our model's performance to ultrasonic inspection as a method for identifying the onset of thermal damage. The FTIR based method detected statistically significant decreases in interlaminar shear strength at thermal exposures well below those causing UT-detectable damage.
Nuclear Masses and Nucleosynthesis

The manuscript for this paper was not available at the time of publication of the proceedings.
Livestock management, beaver, and climate influences on riparian vegetation in a semi-arid landscape.

Riparian and aquatic habitats support biodiversity and key environmental processes in semi-arid and arid landscapes, but stressors such as conventional livestock grazing, wildfire, and drought can degrade their condition. To enhance habitat for fish and wildlife and increase resiliency in these critical areas, land managers in the interior western United States increasingly use alternative grazing strategies, beaver management, or beaver dam surrogates as low-effort, low-expense restoration approaches. In this study we used historical archives of satellite and aerial imagery spanning three decades to characterize riparian vegetation productivity and document beaver dam occurrences, then evaluated vegetation productivity relative to land management associated with livestock grazing and beaver dam densities while accounting for climate and wildfire. After controlling for stream characteristics such as stream size, elevation, and stream slope, we demonstrate a positive response of riparian area vegetation to conservation-oriented grazing approaches and livestock exclosures, extensive beaver dam development, increased precipitation, and lack of wildfire. We show that livestock management which emphasizes riparian recovery objectives can be an important precursor to beaver activity and describe 11–39% increases in floodplain vegetation productivity where conservation-oriented grazing approaches or livestock exclosures and high beaver activity occur together on low-gradient sites. Land management decisions can therefore potentially confer resiliency to riparian areas under changing and variable climate conditions–the increased vegetation productivity resulting from conservation-oriented grazing or exclosures and high amounts of beaver activity at our sites is the equivalent to moving conventionally-grazed, low-gradient sites without beaver up at least 250 m in elevation or increasing water year precipitation by at least 250 mm.
Hypermethylation of Proopiomelanocortin and Period 2 Genes in Blood Are Associated with Greater Subjective and Behavioral Motivation for Alcohol in Humans.

BACKGROUND Epigenetic modifications of a gene have been shown to play a role in maintaining a long-lasting change in gene expression. We hypothesize that alcohol's modulating effect on DNA methylation on certain genes in blood is evident in binge and heavy alcohol drinkers and is associated with alcohol motivation. METHODS Methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays were used to measure changes in gene methylation of period 2 (PER2) and proopiomelanocortin (POMC) genes in peripheral blood samples collected from nonsmoking moderate, nonbinging, binge, and heavy social drinkers who participated in a 3-day behavioral alcohol motivation experiment of imagery exposure to either stress, neutral, or alcohol-related cues, 1 per day, presented on consecutive days in counterbalanced order. Following imagery exposure on each day, subjects were exposed to discrete alcoholic beer cues followed by an alcohol taste test (ATT) to assess behavioral motivation. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to measure gene expression of PER2 and POMC gene levels in blood samples across samples. RESULTS In the sample of moderate, binge, and heavy drinkers, we found increased methylation of the PER2 and POMC DNA, reduced expression of these genes in the blood samples of the binge and heavy drinkers relative to the moderate, nonbinge drinkers. Increased PER2 and POMC DNA methylation was also significantly predictive of both increased levels of subjective alcohol craving immediately following imagery (p < 0.0001), and with presentation of the alcohol (2 beers) (p < 0.0001) prior to the ATT, as well as with alcohol amount consumed during the ATT (p < 0.003). CONCLUSIONS These data establish significant association between binge or heavy levels of alcohol drinking and elevated levels of methylation and reduced levels of expression of POMC and PER2 genes. Furthermore, elevated methylation of POMC and PER2 genes is associated with greater subjective and behavioral motivation for alcohol.
Diabetes Is Associated with Increased Central Neurotoxicity in Parkinson Disease: A Case-Control Study (P06.098)

OBJECTIVE: To investigate effects of comorbid diabetes mellitus (DM) on cognition and cerebral atrophy in Parkinson disease (PD). BACKGROUND: There is an increasing interest in studying the interaction between metabolic syndromes and neurodegeneration. Diabetes is thought to contribute to cognitive impairment in the elderly but its effect in PD has not been well studied. DESIGN/METHODS: We performed a case-control study involving 12 subjects with PD and DM (age 66.9±6.3; duration of disease 6.1yrs±4.5) compared to 24 age, gender and duration-of-disease-matched subjects with PD but without DM. All subjects underwent volumetric MRI, dopaminergic (DTBZ), cholinergic (PMP) PET imaging and neuropsychological assessment. Freesurfer software (http://surfer.nmr.mgh.harvard.edu) was used to define cortical and subcortical MR gray and supratentorial white matter volumes. RESULTS: ANCOVA comparing global cognitive Z-scores between the two PD groups showed a significant effect for DM (F=4.91, P=0.035) with lower scores in the PD with DM compared to the non-diabetic group while controlling for covariate effects of age, education, striatal dopaminergic and cortical cholinergic activity. Analysis of the MRI data showed significant lower cortical (-7.3%, P=0.035), subcortical gray (-8.2%, P=0.0086) and supratentorial white matter (-15.8%, P=0.0001) volumes in the PD diabetic compared to the non-diabetic group. CONCLUSIONS: Comorbid presence of diabetes is associated with increased central neurotoxicity manifested by more severe cognitive deficits and cerebral atrophy in PD. More aggressive management of diabetes may ameliorate aggravated cognitive morbidity in PD diabetics. Supported by: NIH grants PO1 NS015655, RO1 NS070856, Department of Veterans Affairs and the Michael J. Fox Foundation. Disclosure: Dr. Bohnen has nothing to disclose. Dr. Petrou has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kotagal has received research support from National Institutes of Health T32 training grant (NS007222) and the American Academy of Neurology Clinical Research Training Fellowship. Dr. Muller has nothing to disclose. Dr. Koeppe has nothing to disclose. Dr. Frey has received personal compensation for activities with Bayer-Schering Pharmaceuticals, Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, MIMVista, Inc, and GE Healthcare as a consultant. Dr. Frey holds stock and/or stock options in General Electric, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck, and Novo Nordisk. Dr. Albin has received personal compensation for activities with Garan, Lucow, Miller PC as expert witness consulting in medical malpractice litigation. Dr. Albin has received research support from CHDI Foundation and National Institutes of Health.
Evaluating the Criminal Justice Approach to Human Trafficking in Taiwan

Despite being the dominant global framework driving intervention efforts, there is little evidence that a criminal justice approach decreases rates of human trafficking to any appreciable degree. A...
Food, blood, nutrients: on eating placenta & the limits of edibility

This article examines the recent influx of post-partum placenta encapsulation, especially in a US context. I analyze placental reuse, and its biomedical risk narratives, through an interwoven explo...
Body size, organ size, and sex ratios in adult and yearling Belding ground squirrels

A five - year study of Belding ground squirrels was conducted at high altitude in the Sierra Nevada. Body weight and body length varied seasonally depending upon the fat depletion - deposition cycle, age, and sex. Adult males tended to be heavier and longer than adult females, particularly in the last half of the active season. A similar pattern was present in yearlings. Yearling squirrels were often distinguishable from adults on the basis of body size. Mean body weights were greater in adults throughout the season, and mean body lengths were greater in adults through the first half of the season. Adults also had larger internal organs than yearlings at the beginning of the season. In liver and heart this difference was sustained. Sex ratios in adults and in yearlings were 1:1 but there was considerable spatial and temporal asymmetry in distribution of the sexes. Males tended to live in areas peripheral to lush meadows occupied by females and young.
Educating citizens in an age of globalization, migration, and transnationalism: A study in four European democracies

This study explores how globalization, migration, and citizenship education intersect in four northwest European democracies. In this study of secondary schools serving students from immigrant back...
Private and Hot-Pluggable Distributed Averaging

Some distributed optimization applications require privacy, meaning that the values of certain parameters local to a node should not be revealed to other nodes in the network during the joint optimization process. A special case is the problem of private distributed averaging, in which a network of nodes computes the global average of individual node reference values in a distributed manner while preserving the privacy of each reference. We present simple iterative methods that guarantee accuracy (i.e., the exact asymptotic computation of the global average) and privacy (i.e., no node can estimate another node’s reference value). To achieve this, we require that the digraph modeling the communication between nodes satisfy certain topological conditions. Our method is hot-pluggable (meaning no reinitialization of the averaging process is required when the network changes or a node enters or leaves, when there is a communication or computation fault, or when a node’s reference value changes); it does not require an initial scrambling phase; it does not inject noise or other masking signals into the distributed computation; it does not require random switching of edge weights; and it does not rely on homomorphic encryption.
Teaching Statistical Concepts and Modern Data Analysis With a Computing-Integrated Learning Environment

Revisiting the seminal 2010 Nolan and Temple Lang article on the role of computing in the statistics curricula, we discuss several trends that have emerged over the last ten years. The rise of data...
Wearable Technology for Automatizing Science-based Study Strategies: Reinforcing Learning Through Intermittent Smartwatch Prompting

This study explored smartwatches’ potential for implementing and automatizing the use of retrieval as a study tool outside of classroom contexts. Across five experiments, review prompts delivered via a smartwatch after reading scientific passages enhanced retention of factual information from the passages and reduced forgetting after a two-day delay. The delivery format—delivery in the form of testing versus in the form of restudying— mattered to the level of learning benefit shown. Consistent with the testing effect, delivering the information as a test question followed a minute later by its answer was generally more beneficial than delivering it as a mere factual statement for restudy. Whether participants were reading magazines, watching Netflix episodes, or engaging with their own smartphones while receiving the smartwatch prompts made no difference to the beneficial effect of the smartwatch prompting on retention. Thus, smartwatch prompts can be applied strategically to automatize outside-of-the-classroom learning reinforcement.
Health Misinformation about Toxic-Site Harm: The Case for Independent-Party Testing to Confirm Safety

Health misinformation can cause harm if regulators or private remediators falsely claim that a hazardous facility is safe. This misinformation especially threatens the health of children, minorities, and poor people, disproportionate numbers of whom live near toxic facilities. Yet, perhaps because of financial incentives, private remediators may use safety misinformation to justify reduced cleanup. Such incentives exist in nations like the United States, where most toxic-site testing/remediation is semi-privatized or voluntary, conducted by private parties, commercial redevelopers, who can increase profits by underestimating health harm, thus decreasing required testing/remediation. Our objective is to begin to determine whether or not interested parties misrepresent health harm (at hazardous facilities that they test/remediate/redevelop) when they use traditional and social media to claim that these sites are safe. Our hypothesis is that, contrary to the safety claims of the world’s largest commercial developer, Coldwell Banker Real Estate/Trammell Crow (CBRE/TCC), the authors’ screening assessment, especially its lab-certified, toxic-site, indoor-air tests, show violations of all three prominent government, cancer-safety benchmarks. If so, these facilities require additional testing/remediation, likely put site renters at risk, and may reveal problems with privatized hazardous cleanup. To our knowledge, we provide the first independent tests of privatized, toxic-site assessments before cancer reports occur. Our screening assessment of this hypothesis tests indoor air in rental units on a prominent former weapons-testing site (the US Naval Ordnance Testing Station, Pasadena, California (NOTSPA) that is subject to carcinogenic vapor intrusion by volatile organic compounds, VOCs), then compares test results to the redeveloper’s site-safety claims, made to government officials and citizens through traditional and social media. Although NOTSPA toxic soil-gas concentrations are up to nearly a million times above allowed levels, and indoor air was never tested until now, both the regulator and the remediator (CBRE/TCC) have repeatedly claimed on social media that “the site is safe at this time.” We used mainly Method TO-17 and two-week sampling with passive, sorbent tubes to assess indoor-air VOCs. Our results show that VOC levels at every location sampled—all in occupied site-rental units—violate all three government-mandated safety benchmarks: environmental screening levels (ESLs), No Significant Risk Levels (NSRLs), and inhalation risks based on the Inhalation Unit Risk (IUR); some violations are two orders of magnitude above multiple safety benchmarks. These results support our hypothesis and suggest a need for independent assessment of privatized cleanups and media-enhanced safety claims about them. If our results can be replicated at other sites, then preventing health misinformation and toxic-facility safety threats may require new strategies, one of which we outline.
Blood group O convalescent plasma donations have significantly lower levels of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies compared to blood group A donations.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) is plasma collected from individuals who have recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infection. The FDA Emergency Use Authorization restricts use of CCP to high-titer units only. The purpose of this study was to determine if donor ABO blood group was associated with SARS-CoV-2 antibody response, and subsequent qualification as high-titer CCP. METHODS: All CCP donations collected from April 21, 2020 to September 1, 2020 were included. The Abbott ARCHITECT semi-quantitative chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay was used to assess IgG antibodies to the nucleocapsid protein of SARS-CoV-2. Units with a S/C value ≥4.5 were considered high titer. RESULTS: A total of 232 CCP donations were evaluated. There were no significant differences in the distribution of sex, age, and interval from symptom resolution to donation by ABO blood group. The mean SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody S/C value was significantly lower in blood group O donations (3.6), compared to blood group A (5.0) donations (p < .001). There was no difference in antibody response between the other blood group pairings. Blood group O donations resulted in a lower percentage of high-titer units (35%), compared to blood group A (60%), B (58%), and AB (65%) donations. CONCLUSION: Blood group O donations were found to have significantly lower levels of SARS-CoV-2 IgG nucleocapsid antibodies compared to blood group A donations and were less likely to produce CCP units that qualified as high titer. These findings may aid donor recruitment to promote availability of high-titer CCP to meet patient needs.
Determination of the SmO+ bond energy by threshold photodissociation of the cryogenically cooled ion.

The SmO+ bond energy has been measured by monitoring the threshold for photodissociation of the cryogenically cooled ion. The action spectrum features a very sharp onset, indicating a bond energy of 5.596 ± 0.004 eV. This value, when combined with the literature value of the samarium ionization energy, indicates that the chemi-ionization reaction of atomic Sm with atomic oxygen is endothermic by 0.048 ± 0.004 eV, which has important implications on the reactivity of Sm atoms released into the upper atmosphere. The SmO+ ion was prepared by electrospray ionization followed by collisional breakup of two different precursors and characterized by the vibrational spectrum of the He-tagged ion. The UV photodissociation threshold is similar for the 10 K bare ion and the He tagged ion, which rules out the possible role of metastable electronically excited states. Reanalysis and remeasurement of previous reaction kinetics experiments that are dependent on D0(SmO+) are included, bringing all experimental results in accord.
An 8-GHz continuous-time /spl Sigma/-/spl Delta/ analog-digital converter in an InP-based HBT technology

We report an 8-GHz clock-rate, second-order continuous-time /spl Sigma/-/spl Delta/ analog-digital converter (ADC) that achieves 57.4-, 51.7-, and 40.2-dB SNR at signal sampling rates of 125, 250, and 500 Ms/s, respectively. The integrated circuit occupied 1.45-mm/sup 2/ die area, contains 76 transistors, is fabricated in an InP-based HBT technology, and dissipates /spl sim/1.8 W. We also study the effect of excess delay on modulator performance, and show that excess delay does not affect performance as long as the centroid-in-time of the digital-analog converter pulse remains stationary.
Activation of AMP-activated protein kinase attenuates arterial stiffening and hypertension in klotho-deficient mice (867.1)

Background: Arterial stiffening is a progressive aging-related disorder. Klotho is an anti-aging protein but its role in regulation of arterial stiffening is unknown. Methods and Results: Heterozyg...
Diagnosis and results of therapy of ovarian tunica fibrosa with cystic changes

Abstract Follow-up results are presented on a series of 20 patients who had essentially normal pelvic findings and normal thyroid and adrenal function, but who were anovulatory with problems of infertility. These patients all showed a persistent failure of response to three or more attempts at induction of ovulation with 20 mg. of intravenous estrogen, equine, given 14 or more days after the preceding catamenia. It was this persistent failure of ovulation which prompted recommendations for ovarian wedge resection in all of these otherwise clinically normal, married, but infertile women. The preoperative diagnosis of tunica fibrosa of the ovaries with cystic changes has been confirmed grossly and by microscopic sections of the resected tissue in 18 of the 19 operated cases. In the seventeenth case, the ovarian surgical pathology was primarily that of subacute, marked pelvic inflammatory disease although there were also areas suggestive of a thickened fibrotic ovarian capsule. Only 2 of the other 18 patients who have had operations and who have been followed for a sufficient length of time have failed to ovulate postoperatively, and both of these cases were unusual in that the patient showed marked hypoplasia of the internal genitals, as contrasted with the other 16 cases where ovaries, uterus, and Fallopian tubes were normal in size. It is suggested that this condition accompanied by internal genital hypoplasia may represent a variant which bears a poor prognosis for eventual fertility. There has been as yet no satisfactory technique for preoperative differentiation of the two types of ovarian tunica fibrosa.
Noninvasive Pulsed Radio Frequency Energy in the Treatment of Occipital Neuralgia with Chronic, Debilitating Headache: A Report of Four Cases

Objective To examine the effects of noninvasive pulsed radio frequency energy (PRFE) on recurrent migraine headache associated with occipital neuralgia. Methods Four patients who were receiving long-term treatment with repeated greater and lesser occipital nerve blocks (GLONBs) to control recurrent migraine resistant to other treatment underwent treatment with noninvasive PRFE at home as a substitute for GLONB treatment. PRFE was administered by the patient at home for 30 minutes twice daily through an applicator pad placed directly over the occiput and upper cervical spine. Results Three of four patients reported a decrease in frequency, severity, or both of nonprostrating and prostrating migraines compared with their baseline symptoms; one reported no change from baseline. Comparing PRFE results with those obtained after nerve blocks, three of four patients reported decreases in nonprostrating migraines, while two reported a decrease in prostrating migraines. One patient reported an increase in prostrating migraine frequency. Variable degrees of increased productivity, decreased opioid and nonopioid analgesic use, and decreased visits to urgent care clinics were noted. In two patients who had combined PRFE and GLONB, marked improvement was noted in all symptoms. Conclusions Improvement in frequency of headaches was noted, especially when PRFE was combined with GLONB. Further study is warranted.
Domestic oil by rail distribution analysis

The United States has seen a massive increase in oil production over the last ten years due to new fracking technologies that can extract previously unreachable oil. These new fields are not as well connected with traditional mid-stream infrastructure, such as pipelines, and as a result have started to be transported by train car. This paper focuses on analyzing how new and expanding oil refineries and terminals affect the current domestic oil system with a specific focus on those facilities that are using the oil by rail system. Two models were created utilizing crude oil volume flows and netback data for refineries receiving Bakken oil by rail, one that can use given data to mimic the current system, and a second that is able to predict the oil flow when there are changes in the current system. The results will then be analyzed to show the carbon impact that proposed terminals and refineries create and the associated environmental risk. This information will then be used by RFF to help guide their funding decisions to climate advocates and organizations who are working on preventing such projects from occurring throughout the United States.
Maintaining Competition in Copying: Narrowing the Scope of Gene Patents

In supporting gene patents, the patent office, the courts and other supporters have assumed that gene discoveries are identical to traditional inventions and therefore the patent system should treat them as identical. In other words, they have assumed that the relatively broad claims that are used for traditional inventions are also appropriate for encouraging gene discovery. This article examines this assumption and finds that gene discoveries are critically different from traditional inventions and concludes that the patent system cannot treat them as identical. As a doctrinal matter, this article applies the generally overlooked constitutional requirements of inventorship and originality and concludes that broad claims to gene discoveries cannot be supported because gene discoveries are essentially copied from nature and thus relatively unoriginal. As a policy matter, the article finds that broad gene patents are also a demonstrably worse bargain for society. Broad gene patents run contrary to patent law's own drive to encourage desirable forms of competition. Having addressed the policy and doctrinal problems with broad gene patents, the article proposes not invalidating gene patents per se but rather narrowing their claim scope. The article proposes a narrower model claim to realign gene patenting with patent law's doctrinal and policy foundations. Following copyright's treatment of low authorship works like maps and charts, the model claim narrows claims in low inventorship works like gene discovery. The model claim protects the initial gene discovery against outright piracy but it is narrow enough to allow for independent creation, and thus competition, from later arriving discoverers.
Coagulation and Flocculation

Coagulants and flocculants are commonly used in the destabilization and aggregation of suspended solids during water and wastewater treatment. Both inorganic salts and organic polymers may be used as coagulants, and various synthetic and natural organic polymers are applied as flocculants. Organic matter is quite well removed during coagulation, although it often requires a higher coagulant dosage. Other factors that influence the effectiveness of coagulants and flocculants are pH, temperature, mixing conditions and other ions present in the water. In order to maximize efficiency of contaminant removal while minimizing residuals, careful coagulant or flocculant dose selection and control are essential. Keywords: coagulants; flocculants; water treatment; wastewater treatment; colloids; suspended solids; organic matter removal
Deoxyribonucleic Acid Distribution in Bacillus subtilis Independent of Cell Elongation

Abstract A temperature-sensitive DNA− mutant of Bacillus subtilis has been studied during the resumption of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis following a 45 to 30 C temperature shift. For several hours after return to 30 C, DNA synthesis proceeds although the cells fail to elongate appreciably. Autoradiographs of cell populations synthesizing DNA during the recovery period demonstrate that DNA can become distributed to previously unoccupied regions along the cell length. By varying the labeling regime, newly synthesized DNA as well as DNA present at the time of transfer from 45 to 30 C were followed independently. Measurements of the percent of cell length covered by grains (3H-thymine in DNA) demonstrate the progressive refilling of DNA-vacant cell regions by both newly synthesized and original DNA. These data indicate that cell surface growth is not an absolute requirement for segregation of bacterial DNA.
Educa Trânsito – Um jogo de apoio à educação no trânsito

Esse artigo apresenta o Educa Trânsito, um jogo educativo cujo objetivo e contribuir para a educacao no trânsito, permitindo que o jogador exercite habitos e atitudes de respeito ao proximo, normas sociais e leis de trânsito, colocando-se hora no lugar de um motorista, hora no de um pedestre. O jogo e uma ferramenta livre, cujo publico alvo sao pessoas alfabetizadas maiores de 10 anos. E apresentado como uma ferramenta de apoio ao processo educacional na formacao de cidadaos mais responsaveis e conscientes dos beneficios de se cultivar um trânsito mais seguro. Foi construido segundo a metodologia XisOA e, posteriormente, avaliado por uma especialista, que apontou aspectos positivos no jogo e pontos de melhoria.
Mechanisms of acute left atrial thrombosis after mitral valve replacement. Pathologic findings indicating obstruction to left atrial emptying.

Abstract Left atrial thrombi which occluded the orifice of the prosthetic valve occurred postoperatively in 8 of 130 patients in whom the Starr-Edwards valve was utilized for mitral valve replacement. In each patient, manifestations of a progressively reduced cardiac output were evident before death. In 7 of these patients thrombosis occurred as the result of obstruction to left atrial emptying, and at necropsy the muscular ventricular septum protruded into the cage of the prosthetic valve, preventing full descent of the ball during ventricular diastole. Six of the patients were operated upon for pure or predominant mitral stenosis, and in them the normal or near-normal sized left ventricular cavity could not accommodate a 2-M or 3-M prosthesis; the seventh patient had a moderately enlarged left ventricle, but a large (4-M) valve was inserted. Valves with restricted ball motion were found at autopsy in 5 additional patients in whom thrombosis had not developed. In 10 of the 12 patients with abnormal function of the Starr-Edwards valve resulting from the mechanism described, mitral stenosis was the predominant malformation, and the left ventricular cavity was not enlarged. It is concluded, therefore, that when mitral valve replacement is necessary in such a patient, a Starr-Edwards valve of unusually small size, or a valve of different configuration, must be utilized.
Control of Gluconeogenesis in Liver: II. EFFECTS OF GLUCAGON, CATECHOLAMINES, AND ADENOSINE 3′,5′-MONOPHOSPHATE ON GLUCONEOGENESIS IN THE PERFUSED RAT LIVER

Glucagon, epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cyclic AMP stimulated gluconeogenesis from lactate in perfused livers from fasted and fed rats. The stimulation was most marked when these agents were added to livers from fasted rats in which gluconeogenesis had become partially inactive during a preliminary perfusion without substrate. It is suggested that inactivation is consequent to the degradation of endogenous glucagon and catecholamines. Inactivation could be prevented by high levels of lactate. On a molar basis, glucagon was about 100-fold more effective in stimulating gluconeogenesis than the catecholamines, and 100,000 times more effective than exogenous cyclic AMP. Gluconeogenesis was as sensitive as glycogenolysis to stimulation by any of the agents and was as rapidly activated. It is proposed that cyclic AMP mediates the action of glucagon and catecholamines on gluconeogenesis. Glucagon stimulated gluconeogenesis from lactate and pyruvate but not from dihydroxyacetone or fructose, suggesting a point of action in the gluconeogenic pathway between pyruvate and triose phosphate. The maximum rate of gluconeogenesis from oxalacetate was about the same as that from pyruvate. Because lactate production from oxalacetate was substantial and the same tissue level of malate was found with pyruvate or oxalacetate, it appeared that oxalacetate was not metabolized as such by the liver but only after breakdown to pyruvate. Ethanol stimulated gluconeogenesis and lactate formation from pyruvate. The effects of ethanol and glucagon were additive indicating that glucagon does not act by increasing NADH supply. The gluconeogenic effect of glucagon was observed with concentrations of lactate in the physiological range. It is proposed that glucagon plays a physiological role in the maintenance of the blood glucose through control of gluconeogenesis as well as glycogenolysis in the liver. Sympathetic nervous activity, leading to the intrahepatic release of catecholamine, may also play an important role in increasing glucose output and lactate uptake by the liver, particularly during exercise or hypoglycemia.
Rapid Immunochromatographic Assay for Diagnosis of Tuberculosis

The development of simple, rapid, and inexpensive diagnostic tools for tuberculosis (TB) is an important goal, particularly in view of the global increase in cases of active TB primarily affecting the developing world ([2][1], [4][2]). Recently, an immunochromatographic assay (AMRAD/ICT Diagnostics
Lexical Choice and Syntactic Generation in a Transfer System: Transformations in the New LMT English-German System

This paper argues that, contrary to received wisdom in the MT research community, a transfer system such as LMT is well suited to deal with most of the problems that MT faces. It may in fact be superior to other approaches in that it can handle target surface-structure constraints, variation of syntactic patterns, discourse-structure constraints, and stylistic preference. The paper describes the linguistic issues involved in LMT's English ⇒ German transformational component, its interaction with the lexical transfer component, and types of transformations. It identifies context-dependent and context-independent transformations and among the context-dependent ones, it differentiates between those that are triggered by instructions in the lexicon, by semantic category, by syntactic context, and by setting of stylistic preference. The paper concludes with some examples of divergence between English and German and shows how LMT handles them.
PLANNING TREATMENT WITH HEAVY CHARGED PARTICLES

Abstract While heavy charged particles differ substantially in their physical and biological characteristics, they share a number of features in common that affect the manner in which treatments are planned. In this review, we emphasize those features of the planning process which are common to proton, heavy ion and pi-meson beams.
MEASUREMENT OF WATER CONTENT IN PORTLAND CEMENT CONCRETE

Warping of portland cement concrete (PCC) pavements is the result of temperature and/or moisture gradients in the pavement structure. So far, the focus has been on studying and modeling temperature gradients caused by the relative ease of measuring temperature gradients in PCC as compared with the measurement of moisture gradients. This paper provides the methodology for determining the moisture content in nonreinforced PCC pavements by relating the moisture content to the dielectric constant. This relationship is a second-order polynomial equation with a 95% confidence band for a range of water contents from 4 to 11%.
Optimally connected communication networks with maximum diameters

A communication network is optimally connected if its graph is regular and is as invulnerable to disconnection by vertex removal as by line removal. It is shown how to construct optimally connected networks of arbitrary order and prescribed connectivity, with the novel feature that they are of maximum diameter.
Expectation Gaps between Stakeholders and Web-Based Corporate Public Relations Efforts: Focusing on Fortune 500 Corporate Web Sites

Abstract This study investigates how Fortune 500 corporations use corporate-focused web site public relations efforts to prioritize different stakeholders while trying to meet the expectations of each stakeholder. The study found that shareholder needs are most often addressed by the corporations followed by consumers, community members, government agencies, and activists. The results of the study suggest there are expectation gaps between stakeholders and web-based corporate public relations efforts. The study also found differences in the way various industries target stakeholders with the exception of shareholders.
Note on an Isomeric State of Po 212

A shell-model calculation for ${\mathrm{Po}}^{212}$ involving the four nucleons outside the ${\mathrm{Pb}}^{208}$ core was performed to show how the shell model can account for a recently discovered high-spin isomer of ${\mathrm{Po}}^{212}$.
New species of Orientatractis (Nematoda: Atractidae), new species of Rondonia (Nematoda: Atractidae) and other helminths in Austrochaperina basipalmata (Anura: Microhylidae) from Papua New Guinea.

Two new nematode species, Orientatractis hamabatrachos sp. nov. and Rondonia batrachogena sp. nov. (Nematoda: Atractidae), from the gastrointestinal tract of Austrochaperina basipalmata (Anura: Microhylidae) collected in Papua New Guinea are described. Orientatractis hamabatrachos sp. nov. is characterized by the presence of the cephalic end armed with 4 wellsclerotized structures, consisting of 2 “horns” extending outward and downward and immediately below a single well-sclerotized spine. It differs from 5 congeners in spicule lengths and caudal papillae arrangements. Rondonia batrachogena sp. nov. is characterized by the presence of a female cloaca. It differs from 2 congeners primarily in body size. Orientatractis hamabatrachos sp. nov. and Rondonia batrachogena sp. nov. represent the first species assigned to either genus found to infect anurans or to occur in the Australo-Papuan region.
Role of lipoxin in the modulation of immune response during infection

Pro-inflammatory mediators such as IL-12, IFN-γ and TNF are essential in controlling parasite growth during Toxoplasma gondii infection. However, it is clear that the exacerbate production of these cytokines results in the host tissue damage. Investigation into the immune response modulation during infectious disease, has revealed that lipoxin (LXA), an anti-inflammatory eicosanoids, plays an important role in regulation of immune response to different pathogens, including T. gondii and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Here, we review the pro-resolution pathways triggered by LXA that are responsible for control of pro-inflammatory response during chronic disease.
Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Among Ethnically Diverse High- and Average-Risk Individuals

Abstract Telephone interviews with 67 ethnically diverse first-degree relatives of colorectal cancer cases indicated that only 19% believed they were at elevated risk. Nonwhites were much more likely to underestimate their risk compared with whites. The most common barrier to screening was fear of finding cancer. Pain associated with sigmoid-oscopy was cited much more often by nonwhites (82%) compared with whites (45%), as were feeling “violated,” not knowing where to obtain screening, and difficulties in obtaining an appointment for screening. Focus group data on 56 mixed-risk participants revealed that among Hispanic men, the shame of being seen as sick or weak was a major disincentive to be screened. African American men cited a general mistrust of physicians and a lack of physicians' sensitivity as barriers. Chinese participants expressed a preference for exhausting all Eastern forms of treatment before seeking care from Western physicians. These findings can help to guide development of interventions...
The determination of complex carbohydrate structure by using carbonyl carbon resonances of peracetylated derivatives

Oligosaccharides constitute the most abundant and diverse group of compounds present in living systems. Their functions range from that of antigenic determinants, such as the ABO blood-group determinants of man, to the purported regulation of gene expression in plants (Watkins, 1972; Darvill and Albersheim, 1984). Their physiological roles appear to be influenced by their tertiary and, ultimately, their primary structure (Brisson and Carver, 1983; Homans et al., 1986; Carver, 1984; Montreuil, 1980). Their structural complexity arises from the large number of structurally unique residues present and from the variety of ring configurations and of glycosidic linkages that can be made to and from neighboring residues.
Family history of psychiatric disorder and low self-confidence: predictors of depressive symptoms at 12-month follow-up.

Abstract We examined effects of two risk factors for depression, family psychiatric history and Low Self-Confidence, on (1) baseline characteristics of major depression and (2) depressive symptoms one year later. Subjects (N = 104) in the midst of a depressive episode were assigned to one of three family history subtypes identified in earlier research: Pure Depressive Disease (PDD) Depressive Spectrum Disease (DSI), Sporadic Depressive Disease (SDD). Results indicate that effects of Self-Confidence on depressive symptoms at follow-up varied by family subtype. In multivariate analyses with controls for demographic and illness characteristics, the mean follow-up depressive score was below the depressive threshold for PDD subjects and above it for SDD subjects regardless of the level of Self-Confidence. In contrast, DSD subjects with High Self-Confidence reported significantly more symptoms than those with Low Self-Confidence.