cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Incentive Spirometry Adherence: A National Survey of Provider Perspectives

BACKGROUND: Patient adherence is a critical factor for success of patient-administered therapies, including incentive spirometry (IS). Patient adherence with IS is not known, so we sought to evaluate providers9 perspectives on the current state of IS adherence and elucidate possible factors hindering patient adherence. METHODS: Respiratory therapists (RTs) and nurses across the United States were surveyed via social media and online newsletters. Surveys were distributed to the relevant national RT and nursing societies: the American Association for Respiratory Care, the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses, the American Society of Peri-Anesthesia Nurses, and the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. RESULTS: Responses from 1,681 (83.8% completion rate) RTs and nurses were received. The clear majority of all providers agreed that patient adherence is poor (86.0%; 1,416 of 1,647 respondents) and should be improved (95.4%; 1,551 of 1,626 respondents). Providers believe that IS adherence is hindered by various factors. The most common reasons cited were that patients forget to use their ISs (83.5%; 1,404 of 1,681 respondents), do not use them effectively (74.4%; 1,251 of 1,681 respondents), and do not use them frequently enough (70.7%; 1,188 of 1,681 respondents). CONCLUSIONS: These findings from a large national survey of health care providers highlight the need for improved IS adherence and indicate that patient forgetfulness may be a large contributor to nonadherence. Efforts aimed at improving IS adherence are warranted.
AJPH Instagram Photo Contest-National Public Health Week "Changing Our Future Together".

The article announces that a photograph taken by Amy Upham has been selected as the winner of the journal's 2018 Instagram Photo Contest, and it mentions the "Changing Our Future Together" slogan, student protesters from a Christian school in North Carolina, and the March for Our Lives event.
Sums of Two Squares

Inside any algebraic number field K is the set of numbers of K which satisfy a monic polynomial with coefficients in ℤ (not just in ℚ). The set of these numbers is called the ring of integers of K, and turns out to be a ring containing ℤ, but not a field.
Laser shock compression induced crystallization of Ce3Al metallic glass

Laser shock compression studies on Ce3Al metallic glass performed using a 3 J Nd:YAG laser indicate shock-induced crystallization, evidenced by the presence of a two-wave/stepped particle velocity profile and structural changes observed via X-ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis of recovered material. A direct shock-compression setup was designed with 25 μm thick Ni driver foil, 40 μm thick Ce3Al metallic glass ribbon, and 3 mm thick poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) backer window for use with input laser energies varying from 100 to 2000 mJ and corresponding estimated peak pressures of 1.4 to 4.1 GPa in Ce3Al. At shock pressures below ∼1.8 GPa (300 mJ laser input energy), samples were recovered showing no obvious deformation or structural changes evidenced via XRD analysis. At higher laser energies and shock pressures above the elastic limit, samples were recovered showing visible deformation and crystallization evidenced by Rietveld analysis of diffraction patterns. The corresponding velocity profiles also showed a stepped wave structure, increasing in magnitude with energy. The overall results reveal possible densification of the glass due to delocalization of 4f electrons in Ce at lower laser shock pressures and increased crystallization with preferred orientation and distortion of the nanocrystals at higher shock compression conditions.
Pilot randomized clinical trial of the Teachable Moment Brief Intervention for hospitalized suicide attempt survivors.

Abstract Objective The aim of this study was to further evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of the Teachable Moment Brief Intervention (TMBI). Method A single blind, pilot randomized controlled trial of the TMBI + care as usual (CAU) compared to CAU was conducted for patients who survived a recent suicide attempt that required medical inpatient hospitalization. The intervention was delivered on medical/surgical and inpatient psychiatry units in the medical center. Interviews were completed at baseline, 1, 3, and 12 months. Results Patients reported high ratings of satisfaction with the TMBI. Interventionists representing fields of Psychiatry, Social Work, and Counseling were able to deliver the intervention with fidelity to the treatment manual with equal adherence ratings. The TMBI patients were more likely to maintain a positive recovery trajectory on motivation and engagement in mental health services at 3 months. Conclusion The TMBI provides an option for targeted intervention to health care providers as they engage patients admitted to an acute medical setting after a serious suicide attempt. This is the second pilot study demonstrating enhanced motivation in the post-hospitalization period.
What do Students do with the Feedback They Receive

BRIEF SESSION DESCRIPTION:What do students do with the written feedback they receive on their drafts? In the Writing Center, we have set out to answer this question in our own context, asking about the kinds of written feedback tutors provide to students who use our asynchronous online service, and how students take that feedback up as they revise. While our panel focuses specifically on peer writing tutor feedback, we hope to open up a larger conversation about writersA¢â¬â¢ revisions in response to classroom peer review or even instructor feedback, and how to shape feedback to prompt better revision. AÂ Participants will be able to describe several ideas for shaping feedback to prompt better revision and gain a greater understanding of student revision in response to peer feedback.___________________________________________________________FULL ABSTRACT:What do students do with the written feedback they receive on their drafts? In the Writing Center, we have set out to answer this question in our own context, asking about the kinds of written feedback tutors provide to students who use our asynchronous online service, and how students take that feedback up as they revise. Researchers who have examined student revision in response to (third-party) feedback have found, for example, that student writers take up comments selectively, tending to avoid global revision (Beason 1993). When it does occur, however, fuller, high-quality revision is associated with non-directive written feedback rather than with directive feedback (Cho and McCarthy, 2016). Another element affecting student revision is the studentA¢â¬â¢s engagement with the feedback they receive (Zhang and Hyland, in press), raising the question of how a tutorA¢â¬â¢s feedback can better engage (or fail to engage) the writer.AÂ In our panel, we will share what weA¢â¬â¢ve learned about the kinds of written feedback tutors provide, the kinds of feedback that students choose to take up (and why), and how they do take it up in their revising. While our study focuses specifically on peer writing tutor feedback, we hope to open up a larger conversation about writersA¢â¬â¢ revisions in response to classroom peer review or even instructor feedback. We also invite conversation about this projectA¢â¬â¢s triple function as research, program evaluation, and tutor professional development.AÂ
Evolution of C-Terminal Modification Tolerance in Full-Length and Split T7 RNA Polymerase Biosensors

T7 RNA polymerase (RNAP) is a powerful protein scaffold for the construction of synthetic biology tools and biosensors. However, both T7 RNAP and its split variants are intolerant to C-terminal modifications or fusions, thus placing a key limitation on their engineering and deployment. Here, we use rapid continuous-evolution approaches to evolve both full-length and split T7 RNAP variants that tolerate modified C termini and fusions to entire other proteins. Moreover, we show that the evolved split C-terminal RNAP variants can function as small-molecule biosensors, even in the context of large C-terminal fusions. This work provides a panel of modified RNAP variants with robust activity and tolerance to C-terminal fusions, and provides insights into the biophysical requirements of the C-terminal carboxylic acid functional group of T7 RNAP.
Learning binary undirected graph in low dimensional regime

Given a random sample extracted from a Multivariate Bernoulli Variable (MBV), we consider the problem of estimating the structure of the undirected graph for which the distribution is pairwise Markov and the parameters' vector of its exponential form. We propose a simple method that provides a closed form estimator of the parameters' vector and through its support also provides an estimate of the undirected graph associated to the MBV distribution. The estimator is proved to be consistent but it is feasible only in low-dimensional regimes. Synthetic examples illustrates its performance compared with another method that represents the state of the art in literature. Finally, the proposed procedure is used for the analysis of a real data set in the pediatric allergology area showing its practical efficiency.
Fuzzy-Paradigmatic Reflections on Possibility, Probability, Information Measurements and Entropy

This chapter takes fuzzy-paradigmatic reflections on the relational structure among possibility, probability, information measurement and entropy as seen in the construct of possibility-probability sets with fuzzy indicator function relative to the exact indicator function.
Numerical Simulation of CO2 Huff and Puff Feasibility for Light Oil Reservoirs in the Appalachian Basin: Sensitivity Study and History Match of a CO2 Pilot Test

CO2 cyclic stimulation (huff and puff) is a method for increasing well productivity after primary and secondary production. In this work, we study the feasibility and estimated enhanced oil recover...
Safety and Efficacy of a Percutaneously Inserted Ventricular Support Device Purge Solution Heparin 25 U/mL.

Background:The Impella is a percutaneous ventricular assist device (pVAD) that provides temporary hemodynamic support to patients with cardiogenic shock or for protected percutaneous coronary inter...
Incidence of sepsis and associated mortality within the first year after cancer diagnosis in middle aged adults: A US population based study.

Background The incidence of sepsis has been rising overall but updated data in cancer patients are lacking. After a cancer diagnosis, incidence of sepsis and overall mortality peak within the first year. However, how much sepsis contributes to mortality remains unclear. We used a multistate model approach to analyze the incidence, risk factors and associated mortality of sepsis within 1 year of cancer diagnosis in middle aged adults. Methods Analysis of a large US health insurance claims database (Marketscan) between 2005 and 2014. Patients with a new diagnosis of cancer who received chemotherapy were included. Within a year of diagnosis, we assessed inpatient admissions for sepsis based on ICD-9 codes and survival using hospitalizations, outpatient visits and prescriptions filled. Competing risk and multistate models were used to assess the incidence of sepsis and transition probabilities between cancer, sepsis and death. Results 119,379 patients (38.9% males), aged 55 (50–60) years, were included; 2,560 developed isolated sepsis, 477 severe sepsis and 1331 septic shock within 1 year, with associated hospital mortality of 14.8%, 30% and 46% respectively. The probability of sepsis increased between 2005 and 2014; at 1 year, its cumulative incidence was 3.7% with a probability of mortality after sepsis of 35.5% (95% CI 21.6%-50.9%). Age, male gender, Charlson comorbidity index, hematological malignancies and metastases at diagnosis were associated with sepsis and mortality. Conclusions Incidence and mortality of sepsis were 3.7% and 35.5% at 1 year after cancer diagnosis and were both associated with baseline patient and cancer characteristics.
Association of objectively measured sleep with frailty and 5-year mortality in community-dwelling older adults.

Study objectives To determine whether actigraphy-measured sleep was independently associated with risk of frailty and mortality over a 5-year period among older adults. Methods We used data from Waves 2 (W2) and 3 (W3) (2010-2015) of the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project, a prospective cohort of community-dwelling older adults born between 1920 and 1947. One-third of W2 respondents were randomly selected to participate in a sleep study, of whom N = 727 consented and N = 615 were included in the analytic sample. Participants were instructed to wear a wrist actigraph for 72 h (2.93 ± 0.01 nights). Actigraphic sleep parameters were averaged across nights and included total sleep time, percent sleep, sleep fragmentation index, and wake after sleep onset. Subjective sleep was collected via questionnaire. Frailty was assessed using modified Fried Frailty Index. Vital status was ascertained at the time of the W3 interview. W3 frailty/mortality status was analyzed jointly with a four-level variable: robust, pre-frail, frail, and deceased. Associations were modeled per 10-unit increase. Results After controlling for baseline frailty (robust and pre-frail categories), age, sex, education, body mass index, and sleep time preference, a higher sleep fragmentation index was associated with frailty (OR = 1.70, 95% CI: 1.02-2.84) and mortality (OR = 2.12, 95% CI: 1.09-4.09). Greater wake after sleep onset (OR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.02-1.50) and lower percent sleep (OR = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.17-0.97) were associated with mortality. Conclusions Among community-dwelling older adults, actigraphic sleep is associated with frailty and all-cause mortality over a 5-year period. Further investigation is warranted to elucidate the physiological mechanisms underlying these associations.
An Examination of Moral Development within Public Accounting by Gender, Staff Level, and Firm*

Abstract. This study extends prior research on the average level of moral development in public accounting by examining five large accounting firms and three staff levels. The research is important because it highlights the need to include auditors from several firms in research designs, provides evidence of differences in moral development among public accounting firms, and profiles the professions' average level of moral development for three levels. The data are from 494 managers and seniors (204 females and 290 males) from five Big Six firms. Using the Defining Issues Test (Rest 1979a) to measure moral development, several results were noted. First, the results indicate a difference in the average level of moral development among firms, suggesting that use of subjects from only one firm inhibits the generalizability of findings regarding moral development. Second, female managers are at a significantly higher average level of moral development than male managers. In fact, the average scores for male managers fell between those expected for senior high school and college students. The data suggest that a greater percentage of high-moral-development males and low-moral-development females are leaving public accounting than their respective opposites. These results indicate that the profession has retained, through advancement, males who are potentially less sensitive to the ethical implications of various issues. The analysis also indicates that Kohlberg's (1969) theory of moral development is not biased towards the thought processes of males because female auditors did not score lower on the Defining Issues Test.
Global poverty estimates: Present and future

Abstract. We review the recent empirical literature on global poverty, focusing on key methodological aspects. These include the choice of welfare indicator, poverty line and purchasing power parity exchange rates, equivalence scales, data sources, and estimation methods. We also discuss the importance of the intra-household resource allocation process in determining within-household inequalities and potentially influencing poverty estimates. Based on a sensitivity analysis of global poverty estimates to different methodological approaches, we show that existing figures vary markedly with the choice of data source for mean income or consumption used to scale relative distributions; and with the statistical method used to estimate income distributions from tabulated data.
Smartphone-based surgical image guidance: future or fantasy?

Smartphones have been proposed for numerous biomedical imaging applications, many of which use fluorescence imaging techniques. While the most common applications are point-of-care testing and diagnostic imaging of external tissues, there are also recent reports on smartphone-based imaging for real-time treatment guidance (photodynamic therapy, endoscopy, and surgery). The most commonly cited reasons for incorporation of smartphones in biomedical imaging systems are cost and scalability; however, in some contexts, this may not be the paramount design constraint. As novel smartphone-based imaging systems continue to be developed for various clinical applications, it is important to establish guidelines for effective vs ineffective smartphone utilization in biomedical optics. In this presentation, we propose six guidelines for assessing smartphone utilization in biomedical imaging and apply them to emerging smartphone-based imaging systems within treatment guidance applications.
Quantitation of cerebral oxygen tension using phasor analysis and phosphorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (PLIM)

Time-domain measurements for fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) and phosphorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (PLIM) are conventionally computed by nonlinear curve fitting techniques to model the time-resolved profiles as mono- or multi-exponential decays. However, these techniques are computationally intensive and prone to fitting errors. The phasor or “polar plot” analysis method has recently gained attention as a simple method to characterize fluorescence lifetime. Here, we adapted the phasor analysis method for absolute quantitation of phosphorescence lifetimes of oxygen-sensitive phosphors and used the phasor-derived lifetime values to quantify oxygen partial pressure (pO2) in cortical microvessels of awake mice. Our results, both experimental and simulated, demonstrate that oxygen measurements obtained from computationally simpler phasor analysis agree well with traditional curve fitting calculations. To our knowledge, the current study constitutes the first application of the technique for characterizing microsecond-length, time-domain phosphorescence measurements and absolute, in vivo quantitation of a vital physiological parameter. The method shows promise for monitoring cerebral metabolism and pathological changes in preclinical rodent models.
Graduate Students’ Identification With Science: Differences by Demographics, Experiences, and Discipline:

Research examining high school and undergraduate students has demonstrated the importance of identity formation for students’ confidence, retention, and aspirations in science. While we know some o...
Beyond rhetorical questions

This book uses Conversation Analysis methodology to analyze rhetorical and other questions that are designed to convey assertions, rather than seek new information. It shows how these question sequences unfold interactionally in naturally-occurring talk in a variety of settings, e.g., friends arguing over the phone, parents disciplining children, news interviews, and second language writing conferences. The questions are used across these widely different contexts to perform a number of related social actions such as accusations, challenges to prior turns, and complaints. Those used in institution settings, such as teacher-student conferences, orient to institutional norms and roles and can help accomplish institutional goals, e.g., eliciting student error correction. Both the interactional context in which these questions are embedded and the known epistemic authority of the questioner play a role in our understanding of these questions, i.e., what social actions the question is accomplishing in a particular interaction.
Heads Up: Confronting the Selection and Access Issues of Electronic Journals

This article examines how collection development and acquisitions librarians can best adapt their policies and procedures to face the challenges of selecting and providing access to electronic journals. It emphasizes the necessary changes librarians should consider in their collection development policies, provides an overview of the benefits and disadvantages of electronic journals, and covers the extra dimensions that providing access add to selection decisions. It provides assistance to help librarians reap the most of the promise and potential of electronic journals.
Approaches to the Selection of an Antiarrhythmic Drug

There have been many advances in our understanding of the mechanism of cardiac arrhythmia, improvements in the techniques to document the occurrence of arrhythmia and new pharmacologic options for therapy. Although antiarrhythmic drugs remain the most frequently utilized approach to treat patients with arrhythmia, the selection of an effective and well tolerated agent continues to challenge the cardiologist. While the antiarrhythmic drugs may be classified (Table 1) and arrhythmias categorized based on mechanism (Table 2), this does not help in the selection of an effective and well tolerated agent for the individual patient.
Recent Advances in Prediction and Processing of Strong Ground Motions

We present an overview of our recent results on utilizing small earthquakes in the earthquake engineering practice. Site-specific ground motion time-histories of large earthquakes can be successfully simulated using recordings of small earthquakes which are often referred to as 'empirical Green's functions' in seismology. Another important practical problem is whether and how these observations can be used in seismic risk studies which are based on empirical attenuation relations for ground motion parameters. We study a possibility of extrapolating attenuation relations for small earthquakes, to larger magnitudes using the data from the Garner Valley downhole array in Southern California. Finally we introduce efficient ground motion processing techniques in frequency- and time-domains and apply them to site response estimation.
Shrinkage of Amorphous Silica Fibers

By the application of a new technique, the viscosity of amorphous silica fibers was determined in the 1100-1350 C temperature range. An equation was derived that describes the kinetics of shrinkage of the fibers in terms of their radius, viscosity, and surface tension.
Robert Loring Allen's Biography of Joseph A. Schumpeter

. This biography of Joseph A. Schumpeter is unusual since it includes a great deal of personal material. While there is some question about the usefulness of this, it conventionally reviews as well his scientific contributions.
The Chicago Marathon and Urban Renaissance

Depuis les annees 1990 le marathon de Chicago a pris une ampleur qui est emblematique des enjeux socioeconomiques, culturels et politiques de ce type de manifestation sportive dans les grandes villes, a l'instar de New York, Londres, Paris ou Berlin. En tant qu'evenement sportif, mais egalement celebration rituelle, le LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon est l'expression de la renaissance urbaine de cette metropole du rust belt. Son succes est du a la synergie de trois communautes : la communaute sportive, avec la nouvelle direction du marathon en la personne de Carey Pinkowski ; la communaute economique/entrepreneuriale, avec le mecenat de LaSalle Banks ; la communaute politique, avec le soutien du nouveau maire Richard M. Daley. Le marathon de Chicago contribue notamment a la transformation des stereotypes urbains et de l'image de la ville par l'importance de ses dimensions internationale, touristique et culturelle. Ce type de marathon est devenu un rite civique renforcant les liens communautaires. A l'ere du pluralisme culturel, le marathon offre une alternative seculiere a la contruction de l'unite urbaine, tout en preservant l'intensite de l'emotion religieuse.
Managing for results: an examination of professional group perceptions of organizational practices

Abstract The primary purpose of the study was to ascertain if organizational practices, as perceived by individuals comprising information systems (IS) professional groups (i.e., system analysts, programmer analysts, programmers, and operations personnel), are related to job satisfaction and job performance, and, if such relationships exist, to determine which perceived organizational practices (factors) are significant for each IS professional group. Job satisfaction variance is explained by people, structural, and task oriented factors. Job performance variance is explained only by people oriented factors. Significant factors vary for each IS professional group.
The Relationship between Density and Tensile Strength in Snow

“Weakest link” theories predict that the brittle fracture of snow is inherently a statistical problem. The probability of failure of snow in centrifugal tensile tests is shown to be a function of σ/σm where σ is the applied stress and σm is a characteristic strength (a maximum strength) which is a function of density ρ alone. Similar probabilities of failure are obtained for measurements at Alta, Utah, and Berthoud Pass, Colorado where the characteristic strength is obtained from the relationship .
Optimal parallel block access for range queries

Allocation schemes for range queries have been widely used in parallel storage systems to allow fast access to multidimensional data. An allocation scheme distributes data blocks among several devices (e.g. disks) so that the number of parallel block accesses needed per query is minimized. Given a system of k disks, a query that accesses m blocks needs a number of parallel block accesses that is at least OPT = [m/k]. In 2000, Atallah and Prabhakar described an allocation scheme with a guaranteed worst-case performance of OPT + O(log k) parallel block accesses for two dimensions. In this paper, we prove that the scheme of Atallah and Prabhakar has, in fact, guaranteed worst-case performance within an additive constant deviation from OPT: within OPT + 3 parallel block accesses for two dimensions. Also, we identify the type of queries for which the worst-case performance of the scheme is OPT + 1 parallel block accesses.
“Fingerprinting” tectono-magmatic provenance using trace elements in igneous zircon

Over 5300 recent SHRIMP-RG analyses of trace elements (TE) in igneous zircon have been compiled and classified based on their original tectono-magmatic setting to empirically evaluate “geochemical fingerprints” unique to those settings. Immobile element geochemical fingerprints used for lavas are applied with the same rational to zircon, including consideration of mineral competition on zircon TE ratios, and new criteria for distinguishing mid-ocean ridge (MOR), magmatic arc, and ocean island (and other plume-influenced) settings are proposed. The elemental ratios in zircon effective for fingerprinting tectono-magmatic provenance are systematically related to lava composition from equivalent settings. Existing discrimination diagrams using zircon U/Yb versus Hf or Y do not distinguish TE-enriched ocean island settings (i.e., Iceland, Hawaii) from magmatic arc settings. However, bivariate diagrams with combined cation ratios involving U–Nb–Sc–Yb–Gd–Ce provide a more complete distinction of zircon from these settings. On diagrams of U/Yb versus Nb/Yb, most MOR, ocean island, and kimberlite zircon define a broad “mantle-zircon array”; arc zircon defines a parallel array offset to higher U/Yb. Distinctly low U/Yb ratios of MOR zircon (typically 0.1, high Sc/Yb separates arc settings from low-Sc/Yb plume-influenced sources. The slope of scandium enrichment trends in zircon differ between MOR and continental arc settings, likely reflecting the involvement of amphibole during melt differentiation. Scandium is thus also critical for discriminating provenance, but its behavior in zircon probably reflects contrasting melt fractionation trends between tholeiitic and calc-alkaline systems more than compositional differences in primitive magmas sourced at each tectono-magmatic source.
Edge pedestal deterioration in tokamak high-mode discharges

A model for calculating edge gradients in density and temperature from transport and atomic physics considerations is combined with a model for calculating the enhancement of edge transport by thermal instabilities, the onset and strength of which in turn depend on edge gradients and atomic physics. A minimum threshold value of the nonradiative power flux passing through the edge that is required to suppress transport enhancing thermal instabilities is established. When the power flux through the edge is less than this minimum threshold value, the model predicts a deterioration of the edge gradients as the neutral concentration, the impurity concentration and/or the impurity radiation emissivity in the edge plasma increase, which is consistent with experimental observations. Model problem calculations are presented to illustrate the predicted pedestal deterioration for representative experimental conditions.
The Fujiwara Reaction : Some Observations on the Mechanism

WHEN certain 1 : 1 : 1-trichloro-compounds are heated in the presence of pyridine and aqueous caustic alkali, a red colour is imparted to the pyridine layer1,2. The reaction is extremely sensitive. The nature of the red material has not been fully elucidated, but the following mechanism has been proposed3:
Measuring cosmic-ray intensity using balloon-borne silicon photomultipliers

Abstract Photomultiplier tubes are commonly used to read out scintillator and Cherenkov detectors in cosmic-ray experiments, but they operate using high voltages that require complex potting schemes to prevent dielectric breakdown in the low-pressure environment encountered at balloon float altitudes. Silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) are a relatively new light detection technology that operate at considerably lower voltages and do not require encapsulation to function in low pressure. As part of a student research project, a simple cosmic-ray detector was constructed using SiPM technology and flown to an altitude of ~ 120 , 000 ft . The data gathered in flight is consistent with previous observations, demonstrating that this technology is mature enough for use in cosmic-ray ballooning applications.
Elastic and Inelastic Scattering of Fast Neutrons

Cross sections for the combined processes of absorption+inelastic scattering of fast neutrons ($Eg~4.5$ Mev and $Eg~7$ Mev) have been measured for a number of elements by the use of absorbing cylinders and aluminum or iron detectors. A smooth increase with increasing atomic number is found. For neutrons of energies \ensuremath{\ge}7 Mev the ratio of these cross sections to the cross sections for absorption+total scattering (Dunning) is nearly constant at a value of about 0.4. The existence of a scattering of fast neutrons in which little or no energy is lost has been demonstrated experimentally and approximate cross sections for the process have been obtained. Cross sections for an "effective absorption" of medium fast neutrons have also been determined. These cross sections, which are smaller than those obtained for the faster neutrons mentioned above, show a maximum at about $Z=50$ and a marked decrease for the heaviest elements. The cross sections obtained by Aoki and Lea from experiments on the yield of gammarays from the action of fast neutrons on matter are in agreement with the present results.
Effect of weekend hospital admission on gastrointestinal hemorrhage outcomes.

To determine whether outcomes for patients admitted with UGIH differ depending on weekend versus weekday admission, and whether any such differences are mediated by discrepancies in the use and timing of endoscopy. This was a cross-sectional comparison of mortality, resource use, and the utilization and timing of esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) among patients admitted with upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage (UGIH) on weekends to those admitted on a weekday. Hospitals in 31 states from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample between 1998 and 2003 were included. This resulted in 75,636 patients admitted during the week and 23,339 admitted on a weekend with UGIH. Multivariable analyses were conducted to evaluate the effect of weekend admission on UGIH outcomes. Compared to patients admitted on a weekday, for those admitted on a weekend: in-hospital mortality was higher (unadjusted mortality 3.76 vs. 3.33%; P = 0.003; adjusted HR = 1.09, 95% CI = 1.00–1.18); adjusted length of stay was 1.7% longer (P = 0.0098); and adjusted in-hospital charges were 3.3% higher (P = 0.0038). Although these patients were less likely to undergo endoscopy (adjusted OR = 0.94; P = 0.004) and waited longer for this procedure (adjusted HR = 0.87; P < 0.001), these discrepancies did not fully explain their inferior outcomes. Weekend admission for UGIH is associated with an increased risk of death, slightly longer lengths of stay, and marginally higher in-patient charges. Discrepancies in the use and timing of endoscopy do not account for these differences.
Data Base Machines are Coming, Data Base Machines are Coming!

New research efforts and recent advances in hardware technology may soon make the commercial data base machine a reality.
Great Lakes' contaminants reduce sperm production and fertilizing ability in mice

The long-term effects of Great Lakes' contaminants on male reproductive performance resulting from lactational and dietary exposure were investigated. Female C57BL/6 J mice (F-0) were mated with DBA/2 J male mice to produce B6D2-F1 offspring. Dams (F-0) were fed one of three treatment diets during lactation. The three treatment diets were: (i) diet C, containing lab chow and fish oil; (ii) diet I, containing 60% Iowa carp and 40% lab chow; and (iii) diet G, containing 60% Great Lakes' carp and 40% lab chow. Diet C served as a lab-chow control treatment, while diet I served as a fish-diet control treatment. Diet G contained 2500 µg of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and 300 µg of 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis-[p-chlorophenyl]ethylene (4,4′-DDE) per kilogram of feed. The offspring (F-1) were continued on their respective maternal treatment diets from weaning until termination. Greater neonatal mortality and lesser body weights were observed in the F-1 male mice on diet G. Lesser fecundity was observed in one-year-old F-1 male mice on diet G following pairing with non-treated female mice. The sperm concentration of F-1 male mice on diet G was less than 30% of that of mice on diets C and I. The in vitro fertilizing ability of the sperm decreased to 10% of that of mice on the two control diets. Sperm motility, velocity, linearity and amplitude of lateral head (ALH) displacement were also decreased in 15-month-old F-1 male mice on diet G.
Analysis of G418-Selected Rat2 Cells Containing Prototype, Variant, Mutant, and Chimeric JC Virus and SV40 Genomes

The human polyomavirus JC virus (JCV) is highly tumorigenic in rodents, but transforms cells in culture inefficiently. To explore the basis for JCV's restricted transforming behavior, nonpermissive Rat2 cells were contransfected with pSV2-neo (encodes G418 resistance) and viral DNAs including prototype, variant, and mutant JCV genomes and two JCV-SV40 chimeras. By selecting cells displaying G418 resistance, lines were established that contain viral DNA and exhibit a wide range of transformed phenotypes. The G418-resistant lines were tested for their ability to grow under anchorage-independent conditions, to overgrow a monolayer of untransformed cells, and to form dense colonies on plastic. Expression of the viral T and t proteins and interaction of T protein with the cellular anti-oncoprotein p53 were measured. Also determined was the number of intact viral early coding regions integrated within the cellular DNA. The results of these studies suggested that most of the G418-resistant lines failed to express JCV T protein above a minimum threshold level required for their conversion to a fully transformed phenotype. In anchorage-independent growth assays, higher levels of a 17-kDa T-related peptide in JCV transformants appeared to compensate for decreased T antigen levels. Comparison of the T to p53 ratios in the cell lysates suggested that the quaternary structure of the JCV protein differed from that of its SV40 counterpart in the T-p53 complex. The presence of multiple vs single integrated copies of the viral genome in the cells did not correlate with elevated T antigen expression or an enhanced transformation status.
Clinical Pharmacokinetics and Gastrointestinal Tolerability of a Novel Extended-Release Microsphere Formulation of Azithromycin

A novel oral, extended-release, microsphere formulation of azithromycin (AZSR) was developed to improve the gastrointestinal tolerability profile while allowing administration of an entire treatment course of azithromycin in a single dose. Several phase I clinical pharmacology studies were conducted to (i) identify a well-tolerated single-dose formulation that met a predefined exposure target; and (ii) evaluate the effect of food and antacid on the absorption of this formulation. Of these, five pivotal studies are described here. The pharmacokinetic profile of AZSR was compared with that of the commercially available immediate-release azithromycin formulation (AZM) in an open-label, crossover, single-dose study (Study A), and their gastrointestinal tolerability profiles were compared in an observer-blind, parallel group, single-dose study (Study B). The effects of food (a high-fat meal and a standard meal) and antacid (a single 20mL dose of Maalox® Regular Strength, containing magnesium hydroxide, aluminium hydroxide and simethicone) on the absorption of azithromycin from AZSR were evaluated in three separate open-label, crossover, single-dose studies (Studies C, D and E). Healthy adult subjects were enrolled in all five studies, and all subjects were evaluable for tolerability. The dose used for all azithromycin formulations was 2.0g. Serum azithromycin concentrations were determined using a validated high-performance liquid chromatography/electrochemical detection method, and pharmacokinetic parameters were analysed using noncompartmental methods. 377 subjects received a single 2.0g dose of azithromycin as AZSR and/or AZM in the five studies. Compared with AZM, AZSR had a slower absorption rate (57% decrease in the mean peak concentration [Cmax] and an approximate 2.5-hour delay in the time to reach Cmax [tmax]), with a mean relative bioavailability of 82.8%, which met the predefined exposure target (at least 80% bioavailability relative to AZM). Compared with AZM, AZSR was associated with significantly lower rates of nausea and vomiting. A high-fat meal increased the mean area under the serum concentration-time curve [AUC] from time zero to 72 hours post-dose (AUC72h) by 23% and increased the Cmax of azithromycin by 115%. A standard meal increased the mean Cmax by 119% but had no clinically significant effect on the AUC72h. AZSR appeared to be better tolerated in the fasted state than in the fed state. The AUC72h and Cmax of AZSR were not significantly affected by co-administration with a single dose of antacid. The extended-release microsphere formulation of azithromycin, AZSR, allows administration of an entire therapeutic course of azithromycin as a well-tolerated single 2.0g dose. This formulation should be administered on an empty stomach and can be co-administered with antacids.
Poisson Transition Rates from Time-Domain Measurements with a Finite Bandwidth

In time-domain measurements of a Poisson two-level system, the observed transition rates are always smaller than those of the actual system, a general consequence of a finite measurement bandwidth in an experiment. This underestimation of the rates is significant even when the measurement and detection apparatus are 10 times faster than the process under study. We derive here a quantitative form for this correction, using a straightforward state transition model that includes the detection apparatus, and provide a method for determining a system's actual transition rates from bandwidth-limited measurements. We support our results with computer simulations and experimental data from time-domain measurements of quasiparticle tunneling in a single-Cooper-pair transistor.
Evaluation of intracranial aneurysms with CT angiography: current status and future direction

Purpose: To develop a valid, reliable and accurate system of measurement of intracranial aneurysm geometry using volumetric data obtained by CT angiography. Materials and methods: A simple model of lateral saccular aneurysm was created. Three models were prepared with different size of aneurysm sac and neck. Volumetric data was acquired using a Toshiba Xpress SX helical scanner. Geometry of an aneurysm model obtained by workstation linked to the scanner applying volume rendering display and dedicated UNIX based computer applying MPR based method. These results were compared with actual caliper measurements of the model. A clinical case of lateral aneurysm arising from the supraclinoid internal carotid artery was also studied. Results: Both the volume rendered image based method and MPR based method provided accurate geometric information of an aneurysm sac and its neck. Conclusions: Volume rendering technique requires editing by a well-informed operator and subjective, while the MPR based method is more objective and better suited for quantitative analysis. Using these mutually complimentary tools, critical geometric information of an aneurysm can be extracted from volumetric data provided by CTA.
Should tumor VEGF expression influence decisions on combining low-dose chemotherapy with antiangiogenic therapy? Preclinical modeling in ovarian cancer

Because of its low toxicity, low-dose (LD) chemotherapy is ideally suited for combination with antiangiogenic drugs. We investigated the impact of tumor vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) expression on the efficacy of LD paclitaxel chemotherapy and its interactions with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor SU5416 in the ID8 and ID8-Vegf models of ovarian cancer. Functional linear models using weighted penalized least squares were utilized to identify interactions between Vegf, LD paclitaxel and antiangiogenic therapy. LD paclitaxel yielded additive effects with antiangiogenic therapy against tumors with low Vegf expression, while it exhibited antagonism to antiangiogenic therapy in tumors with high Vegf expression. This is the first preclinical study that models interactions of LD paclitaxel chemotherapy with antiangiogenic therapy and tumor VEGF expression and offers important lessons for the rational design of clinical trials.
Distribution of Extreme Winds in the Bonneville Power Administration Service Area

Abstract Annual extreme 1 min wind speeds at 78 Pacific Northwest locations were analyzed using the Fisher-Tippet type II extreme value function. From computed mean recurrence intervals, we could easily determine the wind speed likely to recur in a specified period. We plotted and analyzed these computed 1 min extreme wind speeds for return periods of two and 50 years. Adjustments were made to computed extremes if station location, exposure and frequency of observation precluded a wind speed which adequately represents extreme wind frequency over 98% of the local area. Extremely windy areas appear to be directly related to topography, and were revealed to be along the Pacific Coast, through the Columbia Gorge, across the plains of central Washington, and in south-central Idaho.
Clique guided community detection

Discovering communities to understand and model network structures has been a fundamental problem in several fields including social networks, physics, and biology. Many algorithms have been developed for finding the communities. Modularity based technique is fairly new relative to clustering, though it is very popular currently. Although some fast modularity based algorithms exist for detecting communities, the quality of these solutions is limited. At the other extreme, a clique embodies a basic community as it has the greatest possible edge density. However, the requirement that each pair of vertices be connected is too strict. Therefore, techniques to merge partitioned cliques using a hill-climbing greedy algorithm have been studied to form communities. However, the task of finding cliques is computationally expensive. In this paper, we present a new approach for fast and efficient community detection. We propose a clique guided community detection framework that consists of two phases. In the first phase, the framework finds disjoint cliques. In the second phase, the cliques from the first phase are used to guide the merging of individual vertices until a good quality solution is obtained. For the first phase, we develop an algorithm named MaCH (Maximum Clique Heuristic), which is a new approach to compute disjoint cliques using a heuristic-based branch-and-bound technique. We provide experimental results to demonstrate the efficiency of the new algorithm and compare our approach with other previously proposed algorithms.
The effect of Wag31 phosphorylation on the cells and the cell envelope fraction of wild-type and conditional mutants of Mycobacterium smegmatis studied by visible-wavelength Raman spectroscopy.

Non-surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy using a 514.5 nm wavelength laser has been used to measure the molecular difference of conditional mutants of Mycobacterium smegmatis expressing three different alleles: wild-type wag31Mtb, phosphoablative wag31T73AMtb, and phosphomimetic wag31T73EMtb. This study demonstrates that the phosphorylation of Wag31, a key cell-division protein, causes significant differences in the quantity of amino acids associated with peptidoglycan precursor proteins and lipid II which are observable in the Raman spectra of these cells. Raman spectra were also acquired from the isolated P60 cell envelope fraction of the cells expressing wag31T73AMtb and wag31T73EMtb. A significant number of the molecular vibrational differences observed in the cells were also observed in the cell envelope fraction, indicating that these differences are indeed localized in the cell envelope. Principal component analyses and discriminant function analyses were conducted on these data to demonstrate the ease of spectral classification and the reproducibility of the data.
Scattering of Shear Waves by Spherical Obstacles

The problem of the scattering of plane S waves by a perfectly rigid, infinitely dense sphere is formulated. Calculations are made for the case in which the medium outside the sphere has a Poisson’s ratio of 14. The range of sizes of obstacles used in the calculations includes radii very small compared with the wave length and radii comparable to the wave length. The scattered wave motions include a P mode and two S modes. One of the S modes has a formal correspondence to the SH mode of plane seismology; the other corresponds to the SV mode. At large distances from the obstacle the scattered P and S fields are computed together with the phase shifts in time occurring in all the components. For small obstacles, the scattered azimuthal S component is circularly symmetric; the scattered meridional S component diffraction pattern is generally elongated in the direction of propagation; the scattered P component is generally broadside to the direction of propagation.