cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of air pollution control policies on cardiorespiratory emergency department visits, Atlanta, GA, 1999-2013

Abstract Background Air pollution control policies resulting from the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments were aimed at reducing pollutant emissions, ambient concentrations, and ultimately adverse health outcomes. Objectives As part of a comprehensive air pollution accountability study, we used a counterfactual study design to estimate the impact of mobile source and electricity generation control policies on health outcomes in the Atlanta, GA, metropolitan area from 1999 to 2013. Methods We identified nine sets of pollution control policies, estimated changes in emissions in the absence of these policies, and employed those changes to estimate counterfactual daily ambient pollutant concentrations at a central monitoring location. Using a multipollutant Poisson time-series model, we estimated associations between observed pollutant levels and daily counts of cardiorespiratory emergency department (ED) visits at Atlanta hospitals. These associations were then used to estimate the number of ED visits prevented due to control policies, comparing observed to counterfactual daily concentrations. Results Pollution control policies were estimated to substantially reduce ambient concentrations of the nine pollutants examined for the period 1999–2013. We estimated that pollutant concentration reductions resulting from the control policies led to the avoidance of over 55,000 cardiorespiratory disease ED visits in the five-county metropolitan Atlanta area, with greater proportions of visits prevented in later years as effects of policies became more fully realized. During the final two years of the study period, 2012–2013, the policies were estimated to prevent 16.5% of ED visits due to asthma (95% interval estimate: 7.5%, 25.1%), 5.9% (95% interval estimate: −0.4%, 12.3%) of respiratory ED visits, and 2.3% (95% interval estimate: −1.8%, 6.2%) of cardiovascular disease ED visits. Discussion Pollution control policies resulting from the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments led to substantial estimated reductions in ambient pollutant concentrations and cardiorespiratory ED visits in the Atlanta area.
Towards Keeping the Hippocratic Oath (Six Sigma)

Introduction and Objective Stone disease has a fascinating history and a bright future. Based upon our current understanding of this rather complex disease, the knowledge that is currently being generated in the basic science of stone disease offers the promise of minimizing patient suffering. But the technology and information are expanding at incomprehensible rates.
Accurate forest projections require long‐term wood decay experiments because plant trait effects change through time

Whether global change will drive changing forests from net carbon (C) sinks to sources relates to how quickly deadwood decomposes. Because complete wood mineralization takes years, most experiments focus on how traits, environments and decomposer communities interact as wood decay begins. Few experiments last long enough to test whether drivers change with decay rates through time, with unknown consequences for scaling short-term results up to long-term forest ecosystem projections. Using a 7 year experiment that captured complete mineralization among 21 temperate tree species, we demonstrate that trait effects fade with advancing decay. However, wood density and vessel diameter, which may influence permeability, control how decay rates change through time. Denser wood loses mass more slowly at first but more quickly with advancing decay, which resolves ambiguity about the after-life consequences of this key plant functional trait by demonstrating that its effect on decay depends on experiment duration and sampling frequency. Only long-term data and a time-varying model yielded accurate predictions of both mass loss in a concurrent experiment and naturally recruited deadwood structure in a 32-year-old forest plot. Given the importance of forests in the carbon cycle, and the pivotal role for wood decay, accurate ecosystem projections are critical and they require experiments that go beyond enumerating potential mechanisms by identifying the temporal scale for their effects.
Longitudinal Propensity Score Matching: A Demonstration of Counterfactual Conditions Adjusted for Longitudinal Clustering

Given the challenges of conducting experimental studies in criminology and criminal justice, propensity score matching (PSM) represents one of the most commonly used techniques for evaluating the efficacy of treatment conditions on future behavior. Nevertheless, current iterations of PSM fail to adjust for the effects of longitudinal clustering on participant exposure to treatment conditions. The current study presents and evaluates longitudinal PSM (LPSM) as an alternative method for assessing the effects of a treatment condition on future behavior. LPSM adjusts for the effects of longitudinal clustering (i.e., clustered error) by assuming that the association between a cross-sectional predictor and a treatment condition varies depending upon the time at which the treatment was administered. Two general steps were taken to evaluate the validity of LPSM. First, we conducted a series of simulation analyses to illustrate the LPSM method. Second, we further demonstrate the method using data from 63,899 inmates incarcerated in Ohio prisons by assessing the effects of prison programming on recidivism over a three-year post-release period. Disparities in treatment effects were compared between cross-sectional PSM and LPSM. The simulation and demonstration analyses produced evidence of disparities in results between LPSM and cross-sectional PSM. LPSM appeared to provide the superior adjustment for longitudinal clustering relative to cross-sectional PSM. LPSM provides a useful alternative to cross-sectional PSM when the probability of exposure to a treatment condition varies by the time at which the treatment was administered.
Correction to: Studies on de-icing and anti-icing of carbon fiber-reinforced composites for aircraft surfaces using commercial multifunctional permanent superhydrophobic coatings

The accumulation of ice on structures can restrict the performance of equipment and cause other concerns in many industries such as aviation, automotive transportation, telecommunication, and defense. The removal of ice requires the use of some chemicals and various other techniques, which are expensive, time-consuming, and unsafe. Superhydrophobic (SH) coatings have been involved in many commercial applications because they have the crucial attribute of high water repellency, which can be critical for the removal of formed ice. This study experimentally proved how a carbon fiber-reinforced (CFR) composite surface can be prepared so that ice that forms on the surface can be easily removed without applying any other techniques. A simple spraying method was implemented to prepare a robust SH coating containing micro- and nanoparticles on unidirectional pre-impregnated (pre-preg) CFR composites that were prepared in a vacuum oven. The bottom (base) coat and top coat (superhydrophobic) were subsequently introduced to the surfaces of CFR composites, followed by heat treatment under a vacuum. The SH-coated CFR composites were analyzed through water contact angle (WCA) measurements. These measurements were also repeated after each tape adhesion test, vibration test, and blowing air test. The SH-coated CFR composites were exposed to a freezing time test and super-cooled water test, and then examined through an optical microscope. The SH-coated CFR composite had a maximum WCA of 163°. The coating tests on the SH-coated CFR composites showed that the WCA of the SH-coated CFR composite was steady and long-lasting after each test, which was considered as a permanent superhydrophobic surface. Thus, the de-icing and anti-icing properties of the SH-coated CFR composite were achieved, which is an important factor for a longer service time of composites used in aerospace, wind turbines, and other industries.
The Role of Religion in Physician Outlook on Death, Dying, and End of Life Care.

One of the many roles a physician provides to their patients is compassion and comfort, which includes tending to any psychological, spiritual, and religious needs the patient has. The goal of this pilot study was to explore whether religious or spiritual values of physicians at an urban academic hospital affect how physicians care for and communicate with their patients, especially when dealing with death, dying, and end-of-life matters. After surveying 111 inpatient physicians at an academic hospital, we found that 92% of physicians are extremely or somewhat comfortable having end-of-life discussions. We also found that physician religiosity and spirituality are not necessarily required for discussing death and dying and that the religious and spiritual values of the physician do not correlate with their ability to have end-of-life conversations with the patient. We found no difference between years in practice and comfort discussing religion and spirituality, though we did find that, of the physicians who believe they are comfortable talking to patients about religion or belief systems, most of them had more than five end-of-life patients in the past 12 months. Lastly, referrals to Palliative Care or pastoral services were not impacted by the physician’s religious or spiritual beliefs. Future studies can explore how religious beliefs may more subtly influence physicians’ interactions with patients, patient satisfaction, and physician well-being and resilience.
A 6-GHz MU-MIMO Eight-Element Direct Digital Beamforming TX Utilizing FIR H-Bridge DAC

Targeting the next generation of Wi-Fi (WiFi-6E), this work extends the bandwidth and frequency range of digital-phase-shifting direct-digital-to-RF TX, paving the way for use in high-speed multiuser, multiple-input–multiple-output (MU-MIMO) wireless systems. Careful frequency planning and a mostly digital upconversion scheme facilitate digital automation. Digital delta–sigma modulation enables an inherently linear 1b RF DAC. Low-loss digital filtering suppresses delta–sigma DAC noise and mitigates the challenges of filtering a 6-GHz RF frequency. An H-bridge combines current-DAC, finite-impulse response (FIR) filtering, and RF upconversion. A 28-nm CMOS eight-element 6-GHz beamforming TX prototype has a per-element area of 0.01 mm2 and a per-element power consumption of 47.5 mW.
A Philosophy of Contract Law for Artificial Intelligence: Shared Intentionality

This is a chapter for the forthcoming book, Contracting and Contract Law in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, edited by Martin Ebers, Cristina Poncibo, and Mimi Zou, to be published by Hart Publishing. The aim of this chapter is to offer a general theory of contract law to account for the inclusion of artificial intelligence in contract practices. Artificial intelligence brings out that what makes contract law a distinctive form of legal obligation is shared intentionality. I refer to this insight as the shared intentionality thesis. Shared intentionality is the psychological capacity of one agent to share and pursue a joint goal with another agent. It is an attribute of human thought empowering human planning and the ability to share agency with others. Shared intentionality leads to a focus on objective intent to enter contractual relations in Anglo-American contract law as the primary concept in understanding what is distinctive about contractual obligation. The doctrine of objective intent in contract law operates as a Turing test for determining whether a contract has been formed. The chapter explains that it does not matter which “mind” is thought to produce this intent – human or artificial. The issue is attribution of the right sort of mental states by one contract party to another. Daniel Dennett’s notion of the intentional stance, as well as philosophical work on mindreading, can assist in developing this argument. The chapter focuses on understanding how folk psychology can lead humans to the sort of recognition that is needed to engage with increasing levels of artificial intelligence in contracting. What gives artificial intelligence intent is not some internal workings of its programming but us – the ascription of intentionality to artificial intelligence by humans. But the intentional stance on its own does not offer an adequate explanation of a special kind of intent that is needed for contract formation. It does not inform us about the sort of “we” intentionality or the ability to engage in future directed intentions as elements of stable plans of action in the form of contracts. Shared intentionality, a concept developed by philosopher Michael Bratman, evolutionary anthropologist Michael Tomasello and others, is the core of contractual obligation. It does not matter whether this shared intentionality is the result of human or artificial agency. Of course, artificial intelligence on its own does not yet have the sort of agency required for shared intentionality but it likely will in the non-too-distant future.
Determination of aqueous aluminum with the fluorescent chelating ligand, 2-hydroxy-1-carbazole carboxylate: Part II. Application of ratio fluorescence spectroscopy

Abstract A ratio fluorescence (RF) technique is developed for the measurement of low aqueous concentrations of free aluminium ion ([Al(H 2 O) 3+ 6 ]) with little perturbation to the analyte solution. A small amount of the fluorescent aluminum-binding chelating agent 2-hydroxy-1-carbazole carboxylate (HCC − ) is added to an analyte solution and the solution fluorescence is measured at two different wavelength settings. The ratio of these two fluorescence intensities is used in conjunction with the solution pH and ionic strength to determine the aluminum concentration. The lower limit of measuring [Al(H 2 O) 3+ 6 ] by this technique is 0.7 μM at pH 4 and 0.06 μM at pH 5. Effects of potential interferences present in natural water solutions are characterized, and the RF method is compared with a standard chemical extraction method of aluminum speciation in aged aluminum hydroxide solutions.
Preparation of glycopeptides.

Generation of glycopeptides from glycoproteins is frequently useful when analyzing a protein's oligosaccharide side chains. Freed from the bulk of the polypeptide backbone by proteolysis, glycopeptides can be characterized by a variety of techniques. Extensive proteolysis with pronase or proteinase K results in oligosaccharides with one or a few amino acid residues attached. This technique, detailed in this unit, is often employed as a first step in characterizing oligosaccharides on very large glycoproteins such as proteoglycans and mucins. Limited proteolysis with a specific endoproteinase (e.g., trypsin, alpha-chymotrypsin, and V8 protease) is also described, and leaves a larger peptide attached to the oligosaccharide. The resulting glycopeptides are generally suitable substrates for Peptide:N-glycosidase F, an enzyme useful in defining oligosaccharide-peptide linkages. Additionally, they can be separated by reversed-phase chromatography, resulting in a glycopeptide map that is analogous to a peptide map, and used for detection of glycosylation sites.
Measurement of the specific heat anomaly at the superconducting transition of YBa2Cu3O7- delta.

The specific heat of the ceramic superconductor YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-//sub delta/ has been measured in the vicinity of the transition temperature T/sub c/ = 90 K, using a combination of ac and heat-pulse calorimetry. A step change ..delta..C/sub p/ = 6.2 mJ/g K is observed at T/sub c/ which, when divided by the electronic contribution to the heat capacity estimated from susceptibility data, gives a value close to that expected from Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) theory. These results confirm that the material is a bulk superconductor with BCS-like behavior. The lattice contribution can be fitted to a Debye specific heat with FTHETA/sub D/approx. =440 K.
A DSP-based direct torque control of five-phase synchronous reluctance motor drive

This paper develops the direct torque control (DTC) technique for five-phase synchronous reluctance motor (SynRel) using a digital signal processor (DSP). The mathematical model of the proposed five-phase SynRel motor is first given. The well-known winding function method is used to derive winding inductances in order to develop the dynamic equations of SynRel in natural frame of reference (a-b-c-d-e). The five-phase transformation from the stationary (a-b-c-d-e) reference system to a rotating (q-d-Q-D-n) reference system is used to remove the angular dependency of the inductances to obtain voltage equations for the five-phase SynRel motor in the synchronous rotating reference frame. The torque in terms of currents is then obtained using the magnetic co-energy method. Direct torque control is thus developed for the five-phase SynRel motor followed by simulation results in the Matlab/Simulink environment. The control block diagram of the proposed direct torque control is also given in the paper. The switching pattern is developed in order to maintain a sinusoidal flux waveform in the air gap. A five-phase SynRel motor plus the five phase current regulated IGBT based inverter were designed and fabricated in the laboratory. The control method is implemented on a TMS320C32 digital signal processor board.
Adverse health in parents of children with disabilities and chronic health conditions: a meta-analysis using the Parenting Stress Index's Health Sub-domain

Background Compared with parents of same-aged children without disabilities, parents of children with disabilities and with chronic health conditions (CHC) show higher levels of stress and depression. Fewer studies, however, examine the physical health of these parents, and studies report mixed findings. Many studies, however, report mother's self-reported health using the Health Sub-domain of Abidin's Parenting Stress Index (PSI). We therefore conducted a meta-analysis comparing the physical health of parents of children with developmental disabilities (DD) and CHC vs. parents of children without DD/CHC in studies utilising this measure. Methods Eligible studies used the long form of the PSI and reported results from the 5-item Health sub-domain. Group comparison effect sizes were synthesised in a meta-analysis, and we also examined the potential relations of child, parent, and study characteristics. Our search yielded 19 eligible studies. Results Compared with parents of children without DD/CHC, parents of children with DD/CHC reported higher PSI health problem scores, with a weighted mean effect size of 0.39 (95% CI = 0.23–0.55). Effect sizes ranged from −0.13 to 1.46 and there was evidence of heterogeneity in the effect sizes (τ2 = 0.07; Q18 = 48.64, P < 0.01; I2 = 63.0%). Studies with higher numbers of reporting quality indicators generally reported larger effects and more recent studies showed smaller effects. Although several child and parent characteristics were moderately associated with effect sizes, none reached statistical significance. Conclusions Practitioners should be alerted to the need for health prevention and treatment in this at-risk parent group.
Voltage clamp analysis of sodium channels in normal and scorpion toxin- resistant neuroblastoma cells

Sodium currents mediated by voltage-sensitive sodium channels in normal and scorpion toxin-resistant neuroblastoma cells were measured using a giga-ohm seal recording method in the whole cell patch configuration. The voltage and time dependence of sodium currents were similar in normal and mutant cell lines. Half-maximal activation occurred for test depolarizations in the range of -7 to -11 mV. Half-maximal inactivation occurred for pre-pulses in the range of -62 to -69 mV. Scorpion toxin from Leiurus quinquestriatus (100 to 200 nM) increased the time constant for sodium channel inactivation 6- to 9-fold, increased the peak sodium current 2.0 +/- 0.5-fold, shifted the voltage dependence of sodium channel activation 7 to 11 mV to more negative potentials, and made the voltage dependence of inactivation less steep. These effects were observed for both normal and scorpion toxin-resistant neuroblastoma cells. However, the effect of Leiurus toxin on the rate of inactivation was half-maximal at 1.7 nM for the parental cell line N18, in contrast to 5.4 or 39 nM for the scorpion toxin-resistant clone LV30 and 24 or 51 nM for LV10. These results show that scorpion toxin resistance results from a specific change in channel properties that does not impair normal function but causes an increase in the apparent KD for Leiurus toxin action on sodium channels.
Progesterone receptor directly inhibits β-casein gene transcription in mammary epithelial cells through promoting promoter and enhancer repressive chromatin modifications.

Differentiated HC-11 cells ectopically expressing progesterone receptor (PR) were used to explore the molecular mechanisms by which progesterone suppresses β-casein gene transcription induced by prolactin (PRL) and glucocorticoids in the mammary gland. As detected by chromatin immunoprecipitation assays, treatment of cells with the progestin agonist R5020 induced a rapid recruitment (5 min) of PR to the proximal promoter (−235 bp) and distal enhancer (−6 kb upstream of transcription start site) of β-casein. PR remained bound for 4 h and was dissociated by 24 h after treatment. Despite efficient binding, the hormone agonist-occupied PR did not stimulate transcription of the β-casein gene. Recruitment of signal transducer and activator of transcription 5a, glucocorticoid receptor, and the CCAAT enhancer binding protein β to the enhancer and proximal promoter of β-casein induced by PRL and glucocorticoids was blocked by progestin cotreatment, whereas PR binding was induced under these conditions. PRL/glucocorticoid-induced histone acetylation and the recruitment of the coactivator p300 and RNA polymerase II required for gene activation were also inhibited by progestin. In addition, progestin prevented dissociation of the corepressors Yin and Yang 1 and histone deacetylase 3 from the promoter, and demethylation of lysine 9 of histone 3 induced by PRL and glucocorticoids. These studies are consistent with the conclusion that progesterone interferes with PRL/glucocorticoid induction of β-casein transcription by a physical interaction of PR with the promoter and enhancer that blocks assembly of a transcriptional activation complex and dissociation of corepressors and promotes repressive chromatin modifications. These studies define a novel mechanism of steroid receptor-mediated transcriptional repression of a physiologically important gene in mammary gland development and differentiation.
Decoding circulating nucleic acids in human serum using microfluidic single molecule spectroscopy.

Circulating nucleic acid (CNA) has been the focus of recent research as a noninvasive source of biomarker candidates. Among these markers, DNA fragment size has shown promise for discerning the source of CNA molecules in cancer and prenatal diagnostics. We have developed a 1-step assay for analyzing circulating DNA size and quantity directly in human serum. Microfluidic cylindrical illumination confocal spectroscopy and fluorescence burst size analysis are used to individually count and size fluorescently-labeled CNA molecules as they are driven through a microfluidic constriction. First, single molecule sizing was performed on λ Hind III digest DNA to obtain a size calibration curve. A linear relation between DNA length and burst size was seen from 564 bp – 27.5 kbp. Subsequently, the single molecule assay parameters were optimized. Finally, DNA sizing analysis was performed on serum samples from both early and late stage lung cancer patients. This assay was performed directly in patient serum using only a single reagent, a simple DNA intercalating dye, and without the need for DNA isolation or enzymatic amplification steps. This demonstrates that microfluidic single molecule spectroscopy can be a rapid, facile, and inexpensive alternative to the established PCR-based methods that have been used near exclusively for CNA analysis.
Dissecting the Image of the Absolute Conic

In this paper, we revisit the role of the image of the absolute conic (IAC) in recovering the camera geometry. We derive new constraints on IAC that advance our understanding of its underlying building blocks. The new constraints are shown to be intrinsic to IAC, rather than exploiting the scene geometry or the prior knowledge on the camera. We provide geometric interpretations for these new intrinsic constraints, and show their relations to the invariant properties of the IAC. This in turn provides a better insight into the role that IAC plays in determining the camera internal geometry. Since the new constraints are invariant properties of the IAC, they can be used to reparameterize its elements. We show that such reparameterization would allow to recover a more general camera geometry from a single view, compared to existing methods. We apply the new constraints to single view calibration using vanishing points, investigate the error resilience, and compare our results to Liebowitz-Zisserman (1999).
Effect of structural arrest on Poisson's ratio in nanoreinforced elastomers.

We evaluate the strain amplitude $(\ensuremath{\gamma})$ dependence of the dynamic storage and loss moduli for polybutadiene elastomers containing carbon black particles of varied size at a constant volume fraction of 0.18. Measurements of the low-strain hysteretic softening (Payne effect or unjamming transition) in both shear and uniaxial extension modes allow the $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ dependence of Poisson's ratio $(\ensuremath{\nu})$ to be determined. For elastomers with a fully agglomerated filler network, the breakup of the jammed state with increasing strain induces a transition from $\ensuremath{\nu}\ensuremath{\sim}0.35$ to the limiting value for an incompressible material, $\ensuremath{\nu}=0.5$. This transition is more marked for samples containing smaller filler particles. The effect is similar to the change caused by temperature in the glass transition zone of amorphous polymers, reflecting the parallel between deformation in jammed systems and temperature (and the volume changes associated with it) in glasses; thus, the Payne effect resembles the glass transition in polymers and molecular liquids. We also show herein that the alleviation of structural arrest in filled rubber occurs at a constant value of strain energy, independent of the size of the reinforcing particles or the nature of the strain (shear vs tension). Contrary to the results for shear or tensile deformation, under hydrostatic pressure (volumetric strain) a value of $\ensuremath{\nu}=0.5$ is maintained for all magnitudes of strain. Along with the absence of hysteresis in cyclic pressure-volume measurements, this demonstrates the distinct behavior of the filler network for hydrostatic compression, in which there is no relative displacement of polymer and filler.
Occipital lobe developmental malformations and epilepsy: clinical spectrum, treatment, and outcome.

Summary: Purpose: Cortical developmental malformations (CDM) are increasingly recognized in association with epilepsy. We describe 10 patients (age range 14–35 years) with symptomatic occipital lobe epilepsy and CDM. Methods: Neurologic, neuroophthalmologic and electro-physiologic studies were performed. Patients had MRI, SPECT, and in some cases intracranial EEG investigators. Results: Mean age of seizure onset was 8 years. We noted strong correlations between the presence of visual auras, the scalp EEG pattern, and the subtype of underlying pathology. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed CDM in all patients, with polymicrogyria and focal dysplasia being the most frequent malformations. Despite the presence of occipital lobe structural malformations in all patients, visual field deficits were present in only 2. Those who underwent cortical resections were seizure–free or showed major improvement at a mean follow–up of 3.5 years. Conclusions: Intracranial stimulation studies and the low frequency of pre- and postoperative deficits suggest that some degree of cortical visual reorganization may occur in patients with occipital lobe malformations. Occipital lobe CDM should be sought as a cause of symptomatic occipital lobe epilepsy even though they may become symptomatic after childhood.
Malpractice in otology.

Objective(1) Analyze otologic procedural malpractice litigation in the United States of America. (2) Discuss ways to prevent future malpractice litigation.Study Design and SettingCase series with record review.MethodsThe study is a case series with review of court records pertaining to otologic procedures using the Westlaw legal database. The phrase medical malpractice was searched with terms related to otology and neurotology obtained from the AAO-HNS website.ResultsOf the 47 claims that met inclusion criteria, 63.8% were decided in the physician’s favor, 25.5% were decided in the plaintiff’s favor (average payment $446,697), and 10.6% were settled out of court (average payment $372,607). Cerumen removal was the most common procedure leading to complaint (21.3%) and the most likely procedure to lead to payment (50.0%). Hearing loss was the most common injury claimed among all cases (53.2%) and resulted in a high proportion of cases that led to payment (40.0%). Other common alleged injuries were facial ne...
Catheter Duration and Risk of CLA-BSI in Neonates With PICCs

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the risk of central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLA-BSIs) remained constant over the duration of peripherally inserted central venous catheters (PICCs) in high-risk neonates. PATIENT AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study of NICU patients who had a PICC inserted between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2008. A Poisson regression model with linear spline terms to model time since PICC insertion was used to evaluate potential changes in the risk of CLA-BSI while adjusting for other variables. RESULTS: Six hundred eighty-three neonates were eligible for analysis. There were 21 CLA-BSIs within a follow-up period of 10 470 catheter-days. The incidence of PICC-associated CLA-BSI was 2.01 per 1 000 catheter-days (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.24–3.06). The incidence rate of CLA-BSIs increased by 14% per day during the first 18 days after PICC insertion (incidence rate ratio [IRR]: 1.14 [95% CI: 1.04–1.25]). From days 19 through 35 after PICC insertion, the trend reversed (IRR: 0.8 [95% CI: 0.66–0.96]). From days 36 through 60 after PICC insertion, the incidence rate of CLA-BSI again increased by 33% per day (IRR: 1.33 [95% CI: 1.12–1.57]). There was no statistically significant association between the risk of CLA-BSI and gestational age groups, birth weight groups, or chronological age groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that catheter duration is an important risk factor for PICC-associated CLA-BSI in the NICU. A significant daily increase in the risk of CLA-BSI after 35 days may warrant PICC replacement if intravascular access is necessary beyond that period.
Neutralization sites of type 01 foot-and-mouth disease virus defined by monoclonal antibodies and neutralization-escape virus variants

Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were derived from mice infected with foot-and-mouth disease virus type O1 Brugge (FMDV 01B) or immunized with inactivated virions (140 S) or viral subunits (12 S). A total of 19 neutralizing MAbs were characterized of which 17 recognized conformationally determined epitopes and two recognized amino acid sequences on isolated VP1. Neutralizing MAbs were used to select antigenic variants of FMDV O1B. Based on cross-neutralization and binding assays with MAbs the variants were divided into discrete groups demonstrating the presence of three unique neutralization sites on FMDV O1B. One site was present only on intact 140 S virions, a second was present on both 140 S virions and 12 S subunits, and the third was present on 140 S virions, 12 S subunits, and isolated VP1. Comparison of the deduced nucleic acid sequence of parental FMDV O1B with those of the O1B variants demonstrated that the epitope recognized by the VP1-reactive, neutralizing MAbs included amino acid residues 138, 144, and 148. Cross-neutralization assays demonstrated that these neutralization sites of FMDV O1B function on other type O1 strains of FMDV.
The continuing challenge of retroperitoneal sarcomas

Treatment of 158 patients with retroperitoneal sarcomas (1951--1977) resulted in a mean five-year survival of 40% (range 37--45%) after complete excision. Only 22% (range 19--25%) of the patients were free of disease. Survival for five years after incomplete excision was 3%. Operative mortality after complete excision declined from 21 to 2% during this period. Anatomical barriers to wide resection, high-grade histology, and local recurrence were the most important factors determining survival. The need for adjuvant therapy is emphasized by a 77% recurrence rate among patients with apparent complete excision. Brachytherapy (125Iodine, 192Iridium) afterloading techniques and supplemental external radiation are recommended to improve local control and chemotherapy is indicated to diminish the potential for metastatic spread. The contribution of adjuvant therapy after complete excision in this series was difficult to assess because of the number of uncontrolled variables, different histologic types, and limited number of patients treated by multimodality therapy. Although radiation and chemotherapy may be beneficial after incomplete resection, prolonged survival was only seen in patients with liposarcoma and low-grade fibrosarcoma.
HANDEDNESS OF HANDEDNESS RESEARCHERS

This study tested the hypothesis that laterality and handedness researchers are more likely than other researchers to be left-handed. A questionnaire assessing hand preference was sent to authors of articles which either dealt with handedness (N = 50) or other aspects of laterality (N = 100) or did not concern laterality (N = 50). The proportion of left-handers was highest in the handedness group (12.9%) and lowest in the non-laterality group (5.0%), but this difference did not reach significance.
The noradrenergic innervation of the spinal cord: differences between two substrains of Sprague-Dawley rats determined using retrograde tracers combined with immunocytochemistry

We have recently described the spinal cord terminations of noradrenergic neurons located in the A5, A6 and A7 cell groups. However, recent reports from another laboratory, using similar experimental methods, have described results that are profoundly different. The present experiments were designed to determine whether these discrepant results are due to fundamental differences between the substrains of rats used in the conflicting experiments. To this end, retrograde tract tracing experiments were done using Sprague-Dawley rats from either Sasco, Inc. or Harlan Sprague-Dawley, Inc. The results indicate that noradrenergic neurons in the pontine catecholamine cell groups exhibit remarkably different spinal cord projections in these two substrains of Sprague-Dawley derived rats.
XLIV. On the emission of electrons by metals under the influence of alpha rays

(1911). LXXXVII. On the emission of electrons by metals under the influence of alpha rays. The London, Edinburgh, and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science: Vol. 22, No. 132, pp. 907-922.
Effect of Reticulo-Endothelial Blockade on Blood Chemistry

SummaryThe continuous intravenous injection of India ink into dogs over a certain period of time results in a series of changes in the blood and tissues characterized by 3 stages of reaction: (1) an initial period of reticulo-endothelial stimulation and increased splanchnic activity. (2) an attempted re-establishment of equilibrium. (3) reticulo-endothelial exhaustion, the premortal phase.
Critical Heat Flux Experiments and Correlation in a Long, Sodium-Heated Tube

Critical heat flux (CHF) experiments were performed in the Steam Generator Test Facility (SGTF) at Argonne National Laboratory for application to liquid metal fast breeder reactor steam generators. The test section consisted of a single, straight, vertical, fullscale LMFBR steam generator tube with force-circulated water boiling upwards inside the tube heated by sodium flowing countercurrent in a surrounding annulus. The test section tube parameters were as follows: 10.1 mm i.d., 15.9 mm o.d., material = 2 1/4 Cr-1 Mo of 7.0 to steel, and 13.1 m heated length. Experiments were performed in the water pressure range of 7.0 to 15.3 MPa and the water mass flux range of 720 to 3200 kg/m/sup 2/xs. The data exhibited two trends: heat flux independent and heat flux dependent. Empirical correlation equations were developed from over 400 CHF tests performed in the SGTF. The data and correlation equations were compared to the results of other CHF investigations.
Long Life Operation Of CO2 Mini-Tea Lasers

We have operated CO2 mini-TEA lasers sealed off and obtained lifetimes in excess of 107 pulses. In addition, it should be possible to fabricate these lasers to obtain shelf lives of ten years.© (1980) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The first‐row hydrides and influences of orbital scaling on formally charged valence bond structures

A new technique has been used to make valence-bond calculations of the ground states of the hydrides of the first-row elements in their equilibrium geometries. A minimal atomic orbital basis set was used and the calculation was done with the orbitals scaled to their best atom value and also optimally scaled in the molecule. It was found that the amount of polar character contained in the calculated wave function varies strongly with the scaling. The direction of variance depends on the molecule in question. A set of restricted calculations with the configurations selected by an automatic method have also been done. The polarity of these wave functions is also calculated for comparison with the full valence-shell VB calculations.
Inhomogeneous broadening and gated hole burning in MgS : Eu and CaS : Eu in polymethylmethacralate (PMMA)

Abstract Previously, we have reported on high-density photon-gated spectral hole burning in europium-doped alkaline earth sulfides. Enhanced inhomogeneous broadening of the zero phonon line (ZPL) has been achieved by embedding MgS : Eu 2+ and CaS : Eu 2+ in PMMA and by compacting the sample by other means. We investigate the inhomogeneous broadening as a function of the molecular weight and the concentration of PMMA. Changes in both the line shapes and the line widths of the ZPL were observed. With the enhanced broadening a much larger number of persistent power-gated holes have been burned in the ZPL.
Bone Density and Tissue Lead Accretion in Growing Rats Fed Low High Calcium With or Without Supplemental Clinoptilolite

The toxicity of lead in animals and humans is well documented. The naturally occurring zeolite, clinoptilolite, is known to offer protection against ammonium ion toxicity in rats and sheep and to counteract cadmium-induced iron deficiency anemia in rats and swine. The cation-exchange and adsorption properties of clinoptilolite suggest is possible role in reducing tissue uptake of ingested lead by animals. Evidence supporting this role was reported in growing pigs whose liver and kidney concentrations of lead were significantly reduced by the addition of 1.0% clinoptilolite to diets containing 500 or 1000ppm of lead. The basal diet was a highly fortified milk-replacer containing about 1% calcium supplied by milk constituents. High dietary calcium is known to reduce tissue uptake of lead and protect the pig from the tissue pathology associated with lead ingestion. The objective of this experiment was to test the hypothesis that dietary clinoptilolite and calcium levels affect the growth, tissue uptake and bone morphology of growing rats fed diets containing toxic levels of lead. 20 refs., 3 tabs.
Spurious states in bag models

Abstract Certain matrix elements involving the spatially totally symmetric, L = 1 [56] state of spurious center-of-mass excitation should vanish if the spurious motion of the center of mass has been treated correctly. When these matrix elements are calculated with the Fiebig-Schwesinger two-body matrix elements in their bag model of P-wave excited baryonic states, they are found to be surprisingly large. Such large violations point to difficulties in the treatment of the motion of the center of mass used. Possible sources of these difficulties are listed.
Preliminary outcomes of a model program for increasing treatment access for African American women who use crack cocaine and are at risk for contracting HIV

In the United States, the threat of HIV/AIDS to African American women's health has become the focus of much concern. This paper describes a federally funded community-based program that provides services to African American women at risk for HIV/AIDS in Nashville, Tennessee. The program provides a culturally relevant set of interventions specific to crack cocaine users aimed at reducing substance use and HIV/AIDS risk behaviors. The model is important for the continued development of culturally relevant interventions aimed at reducing the disproportionate rates of HIV/AIDS within the African American community by ensuring treatment access to all populations.
Selective Inhibition of Juxtanuclear Translocation of Protein Kinase C βII by a Negative Feedback Mechanism Involving Ceramide Formed from the Salvage Pathway

In a previous study, we showed that protein kinase C betaII (PKC betaII) translocated to a novel juxtanuclear compartment as observed in several cell types (Becker, K. P., and Hannun, Y. A. (2003) J. Biol. Chem. 278, 52747-52754). In this study, we noted the absence of this translocation in MCF-7 breast cancer cells, and we examined the mechanisms underlying this selectivity of response. We show that sustained stimulation of PKC betaII with 4beta-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) resulted in accumulation of ceramide in MCF-7 cells but not in those cells that showed juxtanuclear translocation of PKC betaII. Addition of exogenous ceramides or formation of endogenous ceramide by the action of bacterial sphingomyelinase prevented PMA-induced translocation of PKC betaII in HEK 293 cells. On the other hand, inhibition of ceramide accumulation with fumonisin B1 restored the ability of PMA to induce translocation of PKC betaII in MCF-7 cells. Taken together, the results showed that endogenous ceramide is both necessary and sufficient for preventing juxtanuclear translocation of PKC betaII in response to PMA. Investigation of the mechanisms of ceramide generation in response to PMA revealed that PMA activated the salvage pathway of ceramide formation and not the de novo pathway. This conclusion was based on the following: 1) the ability of fumonisin B1 but not myriocin to inhibit ceramide formation, 2) the ability of PMA to induce increases in palmitate-labeled ceramide only under chase labeling but not acute pulse labeling, 3) the induction of the levels of sphingosine but not dihydrosphingosine in response to PMA, and 4) induction of sphingomyelin hydrolysis in response to PMA. Together, these results define a novel pathway of regulated formation of ceramide, the salvage pathway, and they define a role for this pathway in regulating juxtanuclear translocation of PKC betaII.
Tunability of crossover phases in MX-compounds

MX materials offer the unique opportunity to study a whole variety of phases from CDW phases over long-range mixed phases to SDW phases by changing the chemical composition, or by applying external pressure. Especially in the regime of the mixed, long wavelength phases, where the free energy differences are small, a magnetic field can be used to select a specific phase characterized by certain charge and spin correlations. We discuss the characteristics of those phases and their relevant parameters regimes and experimental signatures. Since the free energy differences between various phases are small we also discuss the influence of non-adiabaticity and disorder on their relative stability.
Beyond tradition: Synergizing intellectual and material capital to forge the new academic-service partnership

Abstract Academic-service partnerships are being touted as a solution to workforce problems. “Traditional” approaches to these partnerships have been directed primarily at academic and hospital institutions for mutual benefit. An expanded model of partnership possibilities is presented through three detailed exemplars that include population health (with descriptors from an Institute of Medicine study addressing the public’s health in the 21st century), public-private ventures (public institution with faith-based and community agencies), and nursing-corporate opportunities (academia and a proprietary information technology corporate supplier). The benefits of these expanded partnerships and the criteria for selecting a partnership sensitive to the scholarship of practice and the mission/purpose/goals of each partnering organization is highlighted.
A Logical Approach to Real Options Identification With Application to UAV Systems

Complex systems are subject to uncertainties that may lead to suboptimal performance or even catastrophic failure if unmanaged. Uncertainties may be managed through real options that provide a decision maker with the right, but not the obligation, to exercise actions in the future. While real options analysis has traditionally been used to quantify the value of such flexibility, this paper is motivated by the need for a structured approach to identify where real options are or can be embedded for uncertainty management. We introduce a logical model-based approach to identification of real option mechanisms and types, where the mechanism is the enabler of the option, while the type refers to the flexibility provided by the option. First, we extend the classical design structure matrix and the more general multiple-domain matrix (MDM), commonly used in modeling and analyzing interdependencies in complex socio-technical systems, to the more expressive Logical-MDM that supports the representation of flexibility. Second, we show that, in addition to flexibility, two new properties, namely, optionability and realizability, are relevant to the identification of real options. We use the Logical-MDM to estimate flexibility, optionability, and realizability metrics. Finally, we introduce the Real Options Identification (ROI) method based on these metrics, where the identified options are valued using standard real options valuation methods to support decision making under uncertainty. The expressivity of the logic combined with the structure of the dependency model allows the effective representation and identification of mechanisms and types of real options across multiple domains and lifecycle phases of a system. We demonstrate this approach through a series of unmanned air vehicle scenarios.
Adenosine AMD Guanosine 3′,5′ Cyclic Monophosphate Phosphodiesterase Activities in Rat Small and Large Bowel Following Single and Multiple Exposures to 1,2-Dimethylhydrazine

ABSTRACTThe hydrolytic activities of adenosine 3′,5′-cyclic mono-phosphate (cAMP) and guanosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) phosphodiesterases (PDE) in rat large and small bowel tissue were determined after exposure to the colon carcinogen 1,2-dimethyl-hydrazine (DMH). Immediate increases in the cAMP-PDE activities were found in the tissues after a single exposure to the chemical which returned towards normal while chronic exposure resulted in no visible changes. The increased cAMP-PDE activities may be the factor responsible for the diminished intracellular cAMP concentrations found after exposure to the carcinogen. In contrast, the cGMP-PDE activities changed little in the colon and increased in the small bowel, suggesting that the determinant for the increases in the concentration cGMP was the activation of guany late cyclase enzymes following exposure to DMH. Ratios of cAMP to cGMP and cAMP-PDE to cGMP-PDE in the colon showed major changes after carcinogenic insult by the DMH, suggesting that su...