cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Agitation in Alzheimer's Disease: The Agitated Behavior in Dementia Scale

OBJECTIVES: To develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of a new measure of agitation, the Agitated Behavior in Dementia scale (ABID). The ABID consists of 16 items designed specifically to evaluate frequency of and caregiver reaction to common agitated behaviors in community-residing dementia patients. DESIGN: The ABID was administered at the baseline assessment of a multi-site controlled treatment study to reduce agitation in Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Reliability was assessed by evaluating internal consistency and test-retest correlations. Validity was assessed by examining correlations with other constructs, including demographics, cognitive status, and overall behavioral disturbance. SETTING: Twenty-one sites across the US, comprising the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study, contributed subjects to the investigation. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 148 community-residing AD patients, living with a spouse or adult relative who acted as an informant. Mean age was 75 years, and mean Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) score was 13. MEASUREMENTS: Cognitive status was assessed using the MMSE. Behavioral disturbance was assessed using the Behavior Rating Scale for Dementia of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease, the Revised Memory and Behavior Problems Checklist, and the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory. RESULTS: Reliability of the ABID was excellent, with internal consistency of 0.70 and test-retest reliability of 0.60 to 0.73. Validity was confirmed by correlations with related measures and lack of correlation with unrelated constructs. CONCLUSIONS: The ABID is brief, easy to administer, and provides objectively anchored observations of problems. It is a promising measure for studies of community-residing AD patients. J Am Geriatr Soc 47:1354–1358,1999.
Relationships between plasma-free fatty acid concentration, endogenous glucose production, and fasting hyperglycemia in normal and non-insulin-dependent diabetic individuals.

Measurements of fasting and postprandial plasma glucose, insulin, and free fatty acid (FFA) concentrations were made in 32 individuals—16 with normal glucose tolerance and 16 with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM)—further subdivided into two equal groups on the basis of body weight. In addition, endogenous glucose production was estimated in 32 subjects. Both fasting plasma glucose (251 ± 14 v 86 ± 1 mg/dL) and FFA (672 ± 35 v 434 ± 45 μEq/L) concentrations were significantly higher in patients with NIDDM (P < .001), and the differences between normal and diabetic existed in both weight groups. Rates of endogenous glucose production were also significantly elevated (P < .001) in diabetic (120 ± 6 mg/m2 × min) as compared to normal subjects (73 ± 6 mg/m2 × min), and these differences were also independent of degree of obesity. However, there were no significant differences between normal subjects and patients with NIDDM in either fasting or postprandial insulin concentrations. The similarity in insulin values for normal and diabetic subjects was true of both obesity groups, although insulin concentrations were somewhat higher in normal obese individuals as compared to their normal nonobese counterparts. Significant relationships were seen between values for fasting plasma glucose and endogenous glucose production (r = .89), fasting plasma glucose and fasting FFA (r = .64), and FFA levels and endogenous glucose production (r = .58) when all nonobese subjects were considered together. Essentially identical relationships, both qualitatively and quantitatively, were seen within the obese group. Thus, endogenous glucose production and plasma FFA concentrations are higher than normal in patients with NIDDM, and statistically significant relationships exist between plasma FFA concentration and both fasting plasma glucose concentration and endogenous glucose production.
Phencyclidine and dizocilpine modulate dopamine release from rat nucleus accumbens via σ receptors

Phencyclidine (PCP) binds to many sites in brain, including PCP receptors located within the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-operated cation channel and sigma (sigma) receptors. In this study, we compare mechanisms by which PCP, dizocilpine (MK-801), the prototypical sigma receptor agonist (+)-pentazocine, and the proposed endogenous sigma receptor ligand neuropeptide Y regulate potassium (K(+))-stimulated [3H]dopamine release from slices of rat nucleus accumbens. (+)-Pentazocine inhibits K(+)-stimulated [3H]dopamine release, and neuropeptide Y enhances it. Both effects are blocked by sigma(1) and neuropeptide Y receptor antagonists, suggesting possible inverse agonism at a subpopulation of sigma/neuropeptide Y receptors. In contrast, PCP and MK-801 both enhance K(+)-stimulated [3H]dopamine release via sigma(1) and sigma(2) receptor subtypes, as demonstrated by antagonist sensitivity. Regulation of release by both (+)-pentazocine and neuropeptide Y persists in the presence of tetrodotoxin suggests that the sigma/neuropeptide Y receptors mediating the modulation are located presynaptically on dopaminergic nerve terminals, but tetrodotoxin eliminates regulation by PCP and MK-801, suggesting that receptors mediating their effects are located upstream from dopaminergic nerve terminals.
Role of premeiotic replication in gene conversion.

CURRENT molecular models of meiotic recombination have attempted to explain both classical reciprocal recombination (crossing over) and non-reciprocal intragenic recombination (gene conversion), with a single unified mechanism1,2. An important assumption inherent in such models is that both types of recombination occur during the prophase following premeiotic chromosome replication. To date, however, only crossing over (chiasma) has been convincingly shown to occur during meiotic prophase3. Gene conversion, which has been most extensively studied in the ascomycete fungi4, has, for a number of cogent reasons5, also been assumed to occur during prophase, yet direct evidence supporting this critical point is lacking. In fact, in an important paper6, concerning recombination in yeast, evidence was presented indicating that intragenic recombination and premeiotic replication coincided, a finding which argues against much current speculation. To clarify this situation we simultaneously measured premeiotic replication and gene conversion in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and examined the genetic consequences of inhibiting DNA synthesis with hydroxyurea (HU). We show that during the premeiotic S phase cells acquire a ‘potential’ for completing gene conversion, but that the actual formation of stable intragenic recombinants occurs after replication and depends on a period of postreplicative DNA synthesis.
Another look at the role of emotion in the organizational change: A process model

Abstract The paper proposes a cognitive–emotional model of organizational change. It is argued that employees' emotions go through four sequential but distinguishable stages in the organizational change process. In the first stage, primary appraisal induces emotions that are high in arousal, mixed in hedonic tones, and are anticipatory. In the second stage, the mixed emotional experiences give way to either positive or negative emotions as a result of the secondary appraisal. The emotional experience then affects employees' coping behaviors in the third stage. In the forth stage, discrete emotions that are evaluative and have distinct action tendencies are induced. Given this changing nature of employees' emotional experiences during the organizational change process, and considering emotions' influence on individuals' attitudes and behaviors, it is suggested that change agents adjust the timing and content of the information communicated in order to promote employee acceptance to change. Implications of this conceptualization are discussed, as are directions for future research.
Conversational Argumentation in Decision Making: Chinese and U.S. Participants in Face-to-Face and Instant-Messaging Interactions

This study investigates cultural and communication medium effects on conversational argumentation in a decision-making context. Chinese and U.S. participants worked in pairs on two decision-making tasks via face-to-face (FtF) and instant messaging (IM). The analyses showed that Chinese participants tended to engage in potentially more complex argumentation, whereas U.S. participants tended to utilize proportionally more statements of claims and statements of convergence (agreements, acknowledgments, and concessions). Argumentation in IM tended to be more direct than in FtF interactions. There were no interaction effects between culture and communication medium on argumentation behavior. In addition, statements of convergence were found to be negatively related to measures of persuasion, indicating that such statements do not necessarily indicate true agreements or shifts in opinion. The results are discussed in terms of structuration theory and the socioegocentric model of communication.
A bulk input queueing system with batch gated service and multiple vacation policy

This paper generalizes a popular class of a single-server bulk-input-batch-service queues, with multiple vacations, (N, r)-hysteretic control, and ''gated service''. The latter applies to a two-stage service policy, which lets customers choose to join the service batch during the first stage, not in excess of server capacity (R), and it locks up the gate during the second stage of service unconditionally. (N, r)-hysteresis refers to the combination of r-quorum and N-policy, i.e., if the server stops processing customers when the queue drops below r @? R and leaves the system for a multiple vacation sequence; service is resumed upon one of the servers' returns, if the queue accumulates to at least N customers. The discrete and continuous time parameter queueing processes are analyzed by means of semiregenerative techniques, along with the recently established results on functionals of a marked Poisson process observed by a renewal process. The steady-state distribution is obtained in a closed analytical form. Other results and special cases include conservation equation and busy period distribution.
Adjustment of riparian vegetation to river regulation in the Great Plains, USA

The Missouri River and the Platte River provide opposite examples of the way riparian vegetation responds and adjusts to regulation by dams and diversions.Populus-Salix woodland has expanded rapidly into Platte River channels, while it has failed to regenerate in gaps between reservoirs along the upper Missouri River. This divergent response is the result of different geomorphologies and water-use patterns. The Platte River is a braided-type stream with a significant portion of its flow diverted for cropland irrigation. The Missouri is a meandering-type stream with low irrigation usage. I developed a graphical model that characterizes the different ways that riparian vegetation has adjusted to regulation. The model identifies two time periods: pre-regulation and post-regulation adjustment, with the latter divided into phase 1 and phase 2 subperiods. In the pre-regulation period, woodland composition shifts according to weather extremes and climate change. During phase 1, braided rivers adjust by channel-narrowing and expansion of pioneer woodland (Populus-Salix), while meandering rivers cease meandering. During phase 2, after major geomorphic adjustments are complete, both types of rivers, show sharp declines in pioneer woodland Replacement communities in the new equilibrium (post-adjustment period) will be dominated by later successional woodland or grassland species. Geomorphic factors of importance to vegetation establishment adjust relatively quickly (decades), but the subsequent adjustment of vegetation through succession is relatively slow (century or more).
A gamma-ray constraint on the nature of dark matter

If even a small component of the Galactic spheroid consists of the weakly interacting majorana fermions that are cold-dark-matter candidate particles for the Galactic halo, there should be a substantial flux of annihilation gamma rays from a source of about 1-deg extent at the Galactic center. COS B observations already constrain the halo cold-dark-matter (CDM) content entrained in the inner spheroid to be less than about 10 percent. A somewhat weaker constraint applies to the CDM believed to be present in the Galactic disk, but still only about 15 percent can be in such particles. Monochromatic line photons of energy 3-10 GeV are also predicted, and future experiments may be capable of improving these limits. Since both theoretical models of galaxy formation in a CDM-dominated universe and mass models for the rotation curve in the inner Galaxy suggest that a substantial fraction of the spheroid component should be nonluminous and incorporate entrained halo CDM, the hypothesis that the halo CDM consists predominantly of weakly interacting fermions such as photinos or heavy majorana mass neutrinos or higgsinos may already be subject to observational test.
As ‘a kind of freeman’?: Slaves' market‐related activities in the South Carolina upcountry, 1800–1860

The emergence of independent cotton production also reduced the liberating quality of slave's market-oriented work. As cotton growers slaves no longer enjoyed the sense of freedom that Charles Ball associated with participation in the Sunday labour market, simply because their work occurred on their masters plantation. But in order to reduce the subversive impact of slave's market-related activities, these planters exerted greater control over the entire range of slave's independent production, selling and buying activities. As a result, the social, psychological and other non-economic rewards of slave's market-oriented activities narrowed considerably in the late antebellum period. The cumulative experience of slaves living in the cotton regions of the South Carolina upcountry supports this view in part. Participation in the market economy enabled upcountry slaves to better themselves materially, possess and assert greater control and independence in their lives, create and strengthen social relationships among themselves as well as with non-slaveholding white people, and challenge the interests and power of slaveholders.
Examining Sport Management Programs in the United States

Analysis of sport management programs is important for potential students as well as for the future development of sport management as an academic discipline. The historical evolution of sport management programs in the United States moved from the physical education model to a more business-oriented curriculum. Given this historical development, debate exists among sport management professionals regarding administrative housing of current and future sport management programs. The purposes of this study were to: (1) Provide an overview of the development of U.S. sport management programs, (2) Provide a snapshot of sport management programs including admissions requirements and faculty profiles, and (3) Analyse critical issues facing the field of sport management. A random sample of 137 institutions offering undergraduate sport management programs in the United States were invited to participate in the study; 50 usable surveys were returned. Results indicate a lack of diversity (racial and gender) among sport management faculty, and a large proportion of part-time faculty without a terminal degree in the field.
Time-temperature behavior for creep of dental amalgam

From 0 to 24 hours at an initial static stress of 34.5 MPa and in the temperature range of 0 to 60 degrees C, the creep behavior of four different one-week-old dental amalgams was monitored in a recently developed mini-specimen creep apparatus. In most instances the behavior could not be described by a linear relationship. Therefore, the usefulness of calculating creep rate based upon only two times, i.e., 1 and 4 hours, must be questioned. On the other hand, the observed creep kinetics were found to follow accepted nonlinear models of dislocation/obstacles interactions which may be thermally activated.
Radiographic classification of the femoral intercondylar notch posterolateral rim.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether posterolateral rim morphology can be delineated on plain radiographic images. Methods: We obtained 20 femora from the Cleveland Museum of Natural History (10 each with distinct and indistinct posterolateral rims). Four blinded reviewers evaluated radiographic posterolateral rim morphology on lateral radiographs. The reviewers included a musculoskeletal radiologist, a fellowship-trained sports medicine surgeon, a pediatric orthopaedic surgeon, and a junior orthopaedic resident. Interobserver and intraobserver reliability was determined. Results: Radiographically, posterolateral rim morphology was classified into 2 types. Type 1 rims have a defined transition from Blumensaat's line to the posterior femoral cortex. Type 2 rims have an indistinct transition. Interobserver reliability showed substantial agreement during the first (κ = 0.65) and second (κ = 0.70) sessions. Intraobserver reliability was nearly perfect, with κ values ranging from 0.8 to 1.0. Conclusions: It has been shown anatomically that the posterolateral rim has variable morphology. We have shown that posterolateral rim morphology can be delineated on lateral plain film images. Radiographic type 1 rims correlate with distinct posterolateral rim morphology. Radiographic type 2 rims correlate with indistinct posterolateral rim morphology. Clinical Relevance: For surgeons who reference the posterolateral rim for femoral tunnel placement during anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, indistinct posterolateral rim morphology may result in errant tunnel placement. Improved awareness of posterolateral rim morphology preoperatively may help avoid technical errors with placement of the femoral tunnel.
Leptin Acts in the Periphery to Protect Thymocytes from Glucocorticoid-Mediated Apoptosis in the Absence of Weight Loss

Leptin is a member of the IL-6 cytokine family and is primarily produced by adipose tissue. At high enough concentration, leptin engages leptin receptors expressed in the hypothalamus that regulate a variety of functions, including induction of weight loss. Mice deficient in leptin (ob/ob) or leptin receptor (db/db) function exhibit thymic atrophy associated with a reduction in double-positive (DP) thymocytes. However, the mediator of such thymic atrophy remains to be identified, and the extent to which leptin acts in the periphery vs. the hypothalamus to promote thymocyte cellularity is unknown. In the present study, we first demonstrate that thymic cellularity and composition is fully restored in ob/ob mice subjected to adrenalectomy. Second, we observe that ob/ob mice treated with low-dose leptin peripherally but not centrally exhibit increased thymocyte cellularity in the absence of any weight loss or significant reduction in systemic corticosterone levels. Third, we demonstrate that reconstitution of db/db mice with wild-type bone marrow augments thymocyte cellularity and restores DP cell frequency despite elevated corticosterone levels. These and additional data support a mode of action whereby leptin acts in the periphery to reduce the sensitivity of DP thymocytes to glucocorticoid-mediated apoptosis in vivo. Strikingly, our data reveal that leptin's actions on thymic cellularity in the periphery can be uncoupled from its anorectic actions in the hypothalamus.
Fcγ Receptors: Structure, Function and Role as Genetic Risk Factors in SLE

Over 30 years ago, receptors for the Fc region of IgG (FcgammaR) were implicated in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Since those pioneering studies, our knowledge of the structure and function of these FcgammaRs has increased dramatically. We now know that FcgammaR contributes to the regulation of acquired immunity and to the regulation of innate immune responses where FcgammaRs act as specific receptors for innate opsonins (CRP and SAP). Our understanding of the genomic architecture of the genes encoding the FcgammaR has also witnessed remarkable advances. Numerous functionally relevant single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variants and copy number (CN) variants have been characterized in the FcgammaR genes. Many of these variants have also been shown to associate with risk to development of SLE and some have been associated with disease progression. This review will provide an overview of the FcgammaR in relation to SLE, including consideration of the role of genetic variants in FcgammaR in SLE pathogenesis. The difficulties in assessing genetic variation in these genes will be discussed. To enhance our understanding of the functional roles of these receptors in SLE, future research will need to integrate our knowledge of SNP variants, CN variants and the functional diversity of these receptors.
Co-existing with Robots

One of the major developments in robotics in recent years has been their increasing closeness to humans. In this talk we will review three aspects of this trend: Robots in and on our bodies, robots in the home, and robots in society. In the latter part of the talk we will discuss some of the emerging psychological, sociological and ethical issues which may arise as a result of this coexistence.
Evaluating Market Segmentation Studies: The Properties of R2

Virtually all of the empirical studies on market segmentation can be characterized as unsuccessful in terms of R2. That is, the set of independent variables used have not explained much of the variance in purchasing behavior. R2's of 0.01 and 0,02 are not uncommon. In this article we show that R2 is an inappropriate statistic to use in evaluating most of these studies. We show that good models with good sets of variables can yield low and even zero! R2's. In this context “good” variables are ones that explain the average purchasing behavior of a family. The previous studies on market segmentation should be re-evaluated in light of the results presented here.
Lepadids From the Caroline Islands (Cirripedia Thoracica) 1)

[Vier Lepadiden-Arten von den Karolinen werden kurz beschrieben. Die das Cyprus-Stadium folgenden Stadien zweier Arten sind abgebildet, wobei sich zeigt wie die zwei Arten in den jungen Stadien starker verschieden sind als im erwachsenen Zustand., Vier Lepadiden-Arten von den Karolinen werden kurz beschrieben. Die das Cyprus-Stadium folgenden Stadien zweier Arten sind abgebildet, wobei sich zeigt wie die zwei Arten in den jungen Stadien starker verschieden sind als im erwachsenen Zustand.]
Regioselective ring-opening polymerizations and hydrosilations catalyzed by transition metals

Organometallic rhodium complexes were found to be catalysts for the ring-opening polymerization of epoxides and other heterocyclic compounds. A cocatalyst, consisting of a compound or polymer containing silicon-hydrogen bonds is also required. These same catalyst-cocatalyst mixtures are also highly active for hydrosilation reactions. Rhodium phosphine complexes have been discovered which, while active for hydrosilation, are not catalysts for epoxide polymerizations. These rhodium phosphine complexes permit the synthesis of epoxy-functional silanes and siloxanes in high yields without competing ring-opening polymerization.
Exosomes: an overview of biogenesis, composition and role in ovarian cancer

Exosomes are tiny membrane-bound vesicles that are over produced by most proliferating cell types during normal and pathological states. Their levels are up-regulated during pregnancy and disease states such as cancer. Exosomes contain a wide variety of proteins, lipids, RNAs, non-transcribed RNAs, microRNAs and small RNAs that are representative to their cellular origin and shuttle from a donor cell to a recipient cell. From intercellular communication to tumor proliferation, exosomes carry out a diverse range of functions, both helpful and harmful. Useful as biomarkers, exosomes may be applicable in diagnostic assessments as well as cell-free anti-tumor vaccines. Exosomes of ovarian cancer contain different set of proteins and miRNAs compared to exosomes of normal, cancer-free individuals. These molecules may be used as multiple “barcode” for the development of a diagnostic tool for early detection of ovarian cancer.
Reactivity of LiBH4: In Situ Synchrotron Radiation Powder X-ray Diffraction Study

Lithium tetrahydridoboranate (LiBH4) may be a potentially interesting material for hydrogen storage, but in order to absorb and desorb hydrogen routinely and reversibly, the kinetics and thermodynamics need to be improved significantly. A priori, this material has one of the highest theoretical gravimetric hydrogen contents, 18.5 wt %, but unfortunately for practical applications, hydrogen release occurs at too high temperature in a non-reversible way. By means of in situ synchrotron radiation powder X-ray diffraction (SR-PXD), the interaction between LiBH4 and different additives-SiO2, TiCl3, LiCl, and Au-is investigated. It is found that silicon dioxide reacts with molten LiBH4 and forms Li2SiO3 or Li4SiO4 at relatively low amounts of SiO2, e.g., with 5.0 and 9.9 mol % SiO2 in LiBH4, whereas, for higher amounts of SiO2 (e.g., 25.5 mol %), only the Li2SiO3 phase is observed. Furthermore, we demonstrate that a solid-state reaction occurs between LiBH4 and TiCl3 to form LiCl at room temperature. At elevated temperatures, more LiCl is formed simultaneously with a decrease in the diffracted intensity from TiCl3. Lithium chloride shows some solubility in solid LiBH 4 at T > 100°C. This is the first report of substituents that accommodate the structure of LiBH4 by a solid/solid dissolution reaction. Gold is found to react with molten LiBH4 forming a Li-Au alloy with CuAu3-type structure. These studies demonstrate that molten LiBH4 has a high reactivity, and finding a catalyst for this H-rich system may be a challenge. © 2008 American Chemical Society.
A universal battery charging algorithm for Ni-Cd, Ni-MH, SLA, and Li-Ion for wide range voltage in portable applications

This paper presents a wide voltage range universal battery charging algorithm to meet the specification laid down for the 2007 Future Energy Challenge Competition sponsored by IEEE Power Electronics Society and Power Sources Manufacturers Association. A thorough study of the battery chemistries is carried out. A suitable universal battery charging algorithm is proposed based on the battery characteristics analysis. The proposed system is capable of charging Ni-Cd, Ni-MH, SLA, and Li-Ion from 2 V to 18 V of batteries. Ni-MH, SLA, and Li-Ionpsilas charging profiles were obtained through DAQ and utilized it to build a simple algorithm, which is to detect the inflection point, threshold point, and termination point. The Atmega 88 8-bit RISC microcontroller is chosen to implement the battery charging algorithm, and the experimental results will be shown for to verify the proposed algorithm.
Homopolar- and Heteropolar Bond Dissociation Energies and Heats of Formation of Radicals and Ions in the Gas Phase. I. Data on organic molecules

The literature data on heteropolar and homopolar 2-center bond dissociation energies in organic molecules in the gas phase and the corresponding heats of formation of radicals and ions have been critically evaluated. Data for more than 500 bonds are represented in tabular form together with the pertinent literature references. Selected electron affinities and π-bond dissociation energies have also been incorporated. The follow-up paper will discuss some empirical general aspects of these data particularly regarding the effect of structure on the bond dissociation energies.
Kremlin: rethinking and rebooting gprof for the multicore age

Many recent parallelization tools lower the barrier for parallelizing a program, but overlook one of the first questions that a programmer needs to answer: which parts of the program should I spend time parallelizing?This paper examines Kremlin, an automatic tool that, given a serial version of a program, will make recommendations to the user as to what regions (e.g. loops or functions) of the program to attack first. Kremlin introduces a novel hierarchical critical path analysis and develops a new metric for estimating the potential of parallelizing a region: self-parallelism. We further introduce the concept of a parallelism planner, which provides a ranked order of specific regions to the programmer that are likely to have the largest performance impact when parallelized. Kremlin supports multiple planner personalities, which allow the planner to more effectively target a particular programming environment or class of machine.We demonstrate the effectiveness of one such personality, an OpenMP planner, by comparing versions of programs that are parallelized according to Kremlin's plan against third-party manually parallelized versions. The results show that Kremlin's OpenMP planner is highly effective, producing plans whose performance is typically comparable to, and sometimes much better than, manual parallelization. At the same time, these plans would require that the user parallelize significantly fewer regions of the program.
USE OF WHOLE‐BODY PERFUSION IN THE STUDY OF MUSCLE GLYCOLYSIS

SUMMARY The muscles of stress-susceptible animals exhibit an extremely rapid rate of glycolysis when subjected to either excision or exsanguination anoxia. The adaptation of the whole-body perfusion technique to the intact animal makes it possible to study the influence of a wide variety of reagents while maintaining the structural integrity of the musculature. This paper outlines the perfusion technique as applied in this laboratory to adult pigs, and in addition describes a biopsy procedure which permits the use of one longissimus muscle as an untreated control for the other, thereby overcoming the problem of wide inter-animal variability. Results are presented of experiments designed to validate the perfusion and biopsy routines, and an account is given of preliminary investigations of the effects of added calcium and magnesium ions.
Physician practice patterns and variation in the delivery of preventive services.

Strategies to improve preventive services delivery (PSD) have yielded modest effects. A multidimensional approach that examines distinctive configurations of physician attributes, practice processes, and contextual factors may be informative in understanding delivery of this important form of care. We identified naturally occurring configurations of physician practice characteristics (PPCs) and assessed their association with PSD, including variation within configurations. Cross-sectional study. One hundred thirty-eight family physicians in 84 community practices and 4,046 outpatient visits. Physician knowledge, attitudes, use of tools and staff, and practice patterns were assessed by ethnographic and survey methods. PSD was assessed using direct observation of the visit and medical record review. Cluster analysis identified unique configurations of PPCs. A priori hypotheses of the configurations likely to perform the best on PSD were tested using a multilevel random effects model. Six distinct PPC configurations were identified. Although PSD significantly differed across configurations, mean differences between configurations with the lowest and highest PSD were small (i.e., 3.4, 7.7, and 10.8 points for health behavior counseling, screening, and immunizations, respectively, on a 100-point scale). Hypotheses were not confirmed. Considerable variation of PSD rates within configurations was observed. Similar rates of PSD can be attained through diverse physician practice configurations. Significant within-configuration variation may reflect dynamic interactions between PPCs as well as between these characteristics and the contexts in which physicians function. Striving for a single ideal configuration may be less valuable for improving PSD than understanding and leveraging existing characteristics within primary care practices.
Flow lookup and biological motion perception

Optical flow in monocular video can serve as a key for recognizing and tracking the three-dimensional pose of human subjects. In comparison with prior work using silhouettes as a key for pose lookup, flow data contains richer information and in experiments can successfully track more difficult sequences. Furthermore, flow recognition is powerful enough to model human abilities in perceiving biological motion from sparse input. The experiments described herein show that a tracker using flow moment lookup can reconstruct a common biological motion (walking) from images containing only point light sources attached to the joints of the moving subject.
Hydrogen Bonding Structure and Dynamics of Water at the Dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine Lipid Bilayer Surface from a Molecular Dynamics Simulation

An analysis of the structural and dynamical hydrogen bonding interactions at the lipid water interface from a 10 ns molecular dynamics simulation of a hydrated dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) lipid bilayer is presented. We find that the average number of hydrogen bonds per lipid oxygen atom varies depending on its position within the lipid. Radial distribution functions are reported for water interacting with lipid oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus atoms, as well as for lipid-lipid interactions. The extent of inter- and intramolecular lipid-water-lipid hydrogen bond bridges is explored along with charge pair associations among headgroups of different lipid molecules. We also examine the hydrogen bonding dynamics of water at the lipid surface. A picture emerges of a sticky interface where water that is hydrogen bonded to lipid oxygen atoms diffuses slowly. Hydrogen bonds between water and the double bonded lipid oxygen atoms are longer lived than those to single bonded lipid oxygen atoms, and hydrogen bonds between water and the tail lipid oxygen atoms are longer lived than those to headgroup oxygen atoms. The implications of these results for lateral proton transfer at the interface are also discussed.
Neuromuscular Mechanisms of Insect Flight

The stringent requirements for successful flapping flight have resulted in remarkable adaptions of the skeleton, muscles and nervous system of animals capable of this means of locomotion. The wings have a large surface area but are lightweight to reduce the inertial costs of flapping. The flight muscles can contract and relax repeatedly and rapidly. Their high metabolic rate is adequately supported by sufficient fuel and oxygen that in many species flights lasting for hours are possible. The central nervous system produces the motor output that coordinates the contractions of the flight muscles and integrates information from a variety of receptors to adjust the motor pattern as required by environmental stimuli and the behavior of the insect. Some of these aspects of insect flight are discussed in other chapters of this volume. In this chapter we consider three topics: (1) flight muscles and their innervation, (2) motor patterns and their possible usefulness as an indicator of metabolic costs, and (3) putative roles of octopamine in flight.
Safety and effectiveness of bivalirudin in routine care of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention

Aims To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of bivalirudin as used in routine care. Bivalirudin has been studied as an alternative to heparin plus glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor (GPI) during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Trials have indicated that bivalirudin is non-inferior to heparin with respect to death and repeat revascularization and may decrease the risk of major bleeds. The use of bivalirudin in routine care has not been evaluated. Methods and results Using a representative database, we identified 127 185 individuals who underwent inpatient PCI between June 2003 and December 2006 and were administered either bivalirudin plus provisional GPI or the comparator, heparin plus GPI. We estimated relative risks of blood transfusion, repeated PCI, and in-hospital death. The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for blood transfusion was 0.67 (0.61–0.73); instrumental variable analysis showed an HR of 0.72 (0.12–4.47). We observed a risk of in-hospital death of 0.80% in the bivalirudin group and 2.1% in the heparin group; the adjusted HR was 0.51 (0.44–0.60). Conclusion In our non-randomized study of routine care, we observed a reduction in blood transfusions and in short-term mortality for patients treated with bivalirudin compared with heparin plus GPI. The mortality benefit was more pronounced in our study than in randomized trials.
Thrombocytopenia in HIV-infected drug users in the HAART era

The present case-control study compared 26 HIV+ drug users having persistent thrombocytopenia (TCP<150 000/mm 3 ) with 54 available age, gender and HIV CDC classification matched controls with norm...
Dynamics of a biological fixed film for phenol degradation in a fluidized‐bed bioreactor

Experimental and modeling studies were conducted to analyze the dynamic response behavior of a phenol-oxidizing fixed film using a differential, fluidized-bed bioreactor in a recycle loop with a well-mixed reservoir. With the bioreactor at steady state, a pulse of phenol was added to perturb the system, and the phenol concentration was monitored continuously until steady state was again achieved. The experimental dynamics were compared with a dynamic mathematical model based on diffusion and reaction within the biofilm, liquid mixing, and biofilm growth. Constant-pH experiments could be adequately described using an unstructured, double-Monod kinetic expression with substrate inhibition by phenol. However, in dynamic experiments without pH control, the pH of the liquid phase dropped, and damped oscillations were observed in the phenol concentration and reaction rate trajectories. Oscillatory solutions could not be induced in the model, even when product inhibition was included, and a linear stability analysis did not reveal tendencies toward instability. The cause of the experimental oscillations remains unknown.
The chromatic reduction problem

The chromatic reduction problem is to find the minimum number of vertices that have to be eliminated from a graph so that the resultant subgraph has a chromatic number of k. When k = 1, the chromatic reduction problem reduces to finding the maximum internally stable set of a graph. An algorithm is developed for the chromatic reduction problem and computational experience is given.
Spectral Energy Balance of Breaking Waves within the Surf Zone

Abstract The spectral energy balance of ocean surface waves breaking on a natural beach is examined with field observations from a cross-shore array of pressure sensors deployed between the shoreline and the outer edge of the surf zone near Duck, North Carolina. Cross-shore gradients in wave energy flux were estimated from spectral changes observed between closely spaced sensors. Direct, empirical estimates of nonlinear energy exchanges between different frequency components of the wave spectrum were obtained from observed bispectra using Boussinesq theory for near-resonant triad wave–wave interactions. The large decrease in energy flux observed across the surf zone in the energetic part of the wave spectrum is balanced closely by the estimated nonlinear energy transfers from the spectral peak to higher frequencies. In the high-frequency tail of the spectrum, observed energy flux gradients are small and do not balance the nonlinear energy transfers. This analysis indicates that the observed decay of wave ...
TOP: a framework for enabling algorithmic optimizations for distance-related problems

Computing distances among data points is an essential part of many important algorithms in data analytics, graph analysis, and other domains. In each of these domains, developers have spent significant manual effort optimizing algorithms, often through novel applications of the triangle equality, in order to minimize the number of distance computations in the algorithms. In this work, we observe that many algorithms across these domains can be generalized as an instance of a generic distance-related abstraction. Based on this abstraction, we derive seven principles for correctly applying the triangular inequality to optimize distance-related algorithms. Guided by the findings, we develop Triangular OPtimizer (TOP), the first software framework that is able to automatically produce optimized algorithms that either matches or outperforms manually designed algorithms for solving distance-related problems. TOP achieves up to 237x speedups and 2.5X on average.
OSSE—a SELECT Medical Student Competency Assessment

In 2011, a new medical student curriculum entitled SELECT was designed with the ultimate goal of developing a cohort of new physicians into early leaders capable of transforming healthcare in the USA. We will describe the development of an Observed Structured SELECT Examination (OSSE) to assess the core competencies of leadership, health systems and patient safety, and values-based patient-centered care of the SELECT program in second year medical students and report on the importance of faculty development in achieving reliable results with this new assessment tool.
Trauma Hand-Offs: Moving Patients Through Multiple Phases and Locations of Care

Hand-off reports in hospitals have recently gained attention as a potential safety issue regarding overall patient care. This has been a particular concern in the acutely injured patient. There is a paucity of research regarding patient care hand-offs in a trauma center environment and as a result, little has been done to change this global problem. Hand-offs of trauma patients begin in the emergency department between pre-hospital providers and trauma center staff, and continue to the operating room, ICU, as well as other locations. As a result, patient assessment and critical information get lost along the way. After reviewing the literature, we have identified some important references and recommendations to improve trauma patient hand-offs.
Electronic Crossmatch: Transfusion Service’s New Frontier

Radical changes in serologic testing requirements were announced in the 15th edition of the American Association of Blood Banks’ Standards for Blood Banks and Transfusion Services, published May 1993. The publication provided specific guidelines for the replacement of serologic testing with a system for the retrieval of electronic files and comparison of records. The requirements have remained the same in the 16th edition. Electronic crossmatch is purported to be equally or more effective than serologic testing in detecting ABO incompatibility. The algorithmbased compatibility test is safer, should increase productivity, and will enhance blood inventory management. This is the third article in a four-part continuing education series on blood banking. Other articles focus on quality in intraoperative blood salvage, use of blood substitutes, and decision-making in transfusion medicine.
pELAFINT3D: A Unified Approach for Modeling Prosthetic Heart Valves

Cutting edge computational tools are an important component of the future of tasks such as surgical planning of mitral valve repair and the design and evaluation of prosthetic valves. For example, despite half a century of use, mechanical heart valves still require further research to reduce the non-physiologic nature of the flow field, which is the source of potential medical complications, of which the most serious complication is thrombus formation [1]. In fact, there is still a lack of consensus in the literature about which flow pathologies are the most damaging to blood elements [2, 3]. Much computational work has been performed examining the flow around mechanical heart valve devices [4, 5], but because the emphasis has been on correct valve motion and not fine structure detail, only the largest features have been adequately resolved and the forward flow structures are allowed to dissipate on stretched meshes such that the features may not lead to the correct fine structure state as directionality of blood flow changes during the cardiac cycle.© 2013 ASME
Children Prefer Diverse Samples for Inductive Reasoning in the Social Domain.

Not all samples of evidence are equally conclusive: Diverse evidence is more representative than narrow evidence. Prior research showed that children did not use sample diversity in evidence selection tasks, indiscriminately choosing diverse or narrow sets (tiger-mouse; tiger-lion) to learn about animals. This failure is not due to a general deficit of inductive reasoning, but reflects children's belief about the category and property at test. Five- to 7 year-olds' inductive reasoning (n = 65) was tested in two categories (animal, people) and properties (toy preference, biological property). As stated earlier, children ignored diverse evidence when learning about animals' biological properties. When learning about people's toy preferences, however, children selected the diverse samples, providing the most compelling evidence to date of spontaneous selection of diverse evidence.
Are Home- and Community-Based Services Cost-Effective?

In this issue of Medical Care, the authors compare the Medicare and Medicaid costs of care for dually eligible beneficiaries receiving long-term services and supports in nursing homes versus through home- and community-based services (HCBS). They find that HCBS is cheaper, mainly because of lower spending on long-term services and supports. The analysis is careful and includes a number of important robustness checks, which generally support the direction of the main findings. It is an intriguing contribution to the field, ...
FTIR Microspectroscopy of Polymeric Systems

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is a mature analytical technique employed to examine polymeric materials. With the coupling of an infrared interferometer to a microscope equipped with specialized detectors, FTIR spectroscopy has been employed widely to examine microscopic areas in polymers for the last twenty years. Following the emergence of instrumentation techniques that employ focal plane array (FPA) detectors, FTIR microspectroscopy has experienced a recent renaissance in terms of the capability of instru- mentation and visualization afforded for examining multicomponent polymer systems. We present an overview of the principles of instrumental configurations used to achieve spatially resolved spectral information, their relative advantages and limitations. Illustrative examples are presented that demonstrate the capabilities of FTIR microspectroscopy and the insight this technique provides into the composition, formation, and behavior of polymeric materials. Fi- nally, some emerging techniques that may permit microspectroscopic analyses on a different spatial scale are reviewed.
Estimating professional manpower needs for hospital dietary departments.

Dietetic personnel needs in hospitals over the next five and ten years have been estimated. In view of projected growth and replacement needs, and assuming that utilization of dietitians continues as at present, 11, 900 more will be needed in hospitals in 1972 and 17, 922 by 1977—or 915 annually until 1972 and 1200 from 1972 to 1977. The profession is currently gaining new members at a rate of approximately 700 a year. Thus the chronic need for dietitians is expected to continue for the next ten years.