cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Large-Scale Sparse Regression for Multiple Responses with Applications to UK Biobank

Abstract In high-dimensional regression problems, often a relatively small subset of the features are relevant for predicting the outcome, and methods that impose sparsity on the solution are popular. When multiple correlated outcomes are available (multitask), reduced rank regression is an effective way to borrow strength and capture latent structures that underlie the data. Our proposal is motivated by the UK Biobank population-based cohort study, where we are faced with large-scale, ultrahigh-dimensional features, and have access to a large number of outcomes (phenotypes): lifestyle measures, biomarkers, and disease outcomes. We are hence led to fit sparse reduced-rank regression models, using computational strategies that allow us to scale to problems of this size. We use an iterative algorithm that alternates between solving the sparse regression problem and solving the reduced rank decomposition. For the sparse regression component, we propose a scalable iterative algorithm based on adaptive screening that leverages the sparsity assumption and enables us to focus on solving much smaller sub-problems. The full solution is reconstructed and tested via an optimality condition to make sure it is a valid solution for the original problem. We further extend the method to cope with practical issues such as the inclusion of confounding variables and imputation of missing values among the phenotypes. Experiments on both synthetic data and the UK Biobank data demonstrate the effectiveness of the method and the algorithm. We present multiSnpnet package, available at http://github.com/junyangq/multiSnpnet that works on top of PLINK2 files, which we anticipate to be a valuable tool for generating polygenic risk scores from human genetic studies.
Outpatient Palliative Care in Heart Failure: An Integrative Review

Background: Early integration of palliative care (PC) for patients with heart failure (HF) improves patient outcomes and decreases health care utilization. PC provided outside of an acute hospitali...
Comparison of the Trueness of Fits of the Biphasic Transverse Isotropic and Kelvin Models to the Tensile Behavior of Temporomandibular Joint Disc.

This technical brief explores the validity and trueness of fit for using the transverse isotropic biphasic and Kelvin models (first and second order generalized) for characterization of the viscoelastic tensile properties of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) discs from pigs and goats at a strain rate of 10 mm/min. We performed incremental stress-relaxation tests from 0 to 12% strain, in 4% strain steps on pig TMJ disc samples. In addition, to compare the outcomes of these models between species, we also performed a single-step stress-relaxation test of 10% strain. The transverse isotropic biphasic model yielded reliable fits in reference to the least root mean squared error method only at low strain, while the Kelvin models yielded good fits at both low and high strain, with the second order generalized Kelvin model yielding the best fit. When comparing pig to goat TMJ disc in 10% strain stress-relaxation test, unlike the other two Kelvin models, the transverse isotropic model did not fit well for this larger step. In conclusion, the second order Kelvin model showed the best fits to the experimental data of both species. The transverse isotropic biphasic model did not fit well with the experimental data, although better at low strain, suggesting that the assumption of water flow only applies while uncrimping the collagen fibers. Thus, it is likely that the permeability from the biphasic model is not truly representative, and other biphasic models, such as the poroviscoelastic model, would likely yield more meaningful outputs and should be explored in future works.
Interpreting Adjuncts: Processing English As-Clauses:

Four experiments probed the interpretation of sentence-final as-clauses (e.g., Close the book as a librarian would/would do) ambiguous between a manner interpretation and a “propositional” interpre...
Structural Racism and Immigrant Health in the United States.

Immigration has been historically and contemporarily racialized in the United States. Although each immigrant group has unique histories, current patterns, and specific experiences, racialized immi...
Millhands, farmers, and the legacy of southern populism. [Review of: R. E. Botsch. Organizing the breathless: cotton dust, southern politics and the Brown Lung Association. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1993; T. Campbell. The politics of despair: power and resistance in the tobacco wars. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1993].

It is a paradox of our history that the South-a region historically identified with political exclusion-has given birth to some of America's most remarkable democratic movements. These two volumes from the University Press of Kentucky remind us again of this seemingly contradictory reality. Tracy Campbell and Robert E. Botsch each rescue social movements from historical obscurity, showing in the process how the populist legacy continues to provide what C. Vann Woodward once called a "periodic therapy" for America.1 Campbell offers us an economical, thoroughly researched, and imaginatively written account of an attempt by Kentucky and Tennessee tobacco farmers to organize against the tobacco trust, an effort that culminated in the "Tobacco Wars" of 1904-1908. Botsch, meanwhile, advances an informative analysis of the attempts by 1970s Carolina textile workers and neopopulist organizers to build a movement among the victims of byssinosis, commonly known as "brown lung" disease. Much can be learned from looking at these volumes in tandem, for these movements shared much in common. Both were generated by the victims of economic sectors on the verge of decline or reorganization and led by activists who tapped the contradictory legacy of southern populism. Both grappled with the problem of organizing blacks and whites together in a region in which race was the primary social boundary-the tobacco farmers during the era of the rise of Jim Crow, the textile workers during its decline. And both movements struggled against the limits of reform when national political trends stymied their efforts. Tracy Campbell's account of the Tobacco Wars, "one of the final defenses in
Characterization of altered myocardial fatty acid metabolism in patients with inherited cardiomyopathy.

Inherited defects in myocardial long-chain fatty acid metabolism are increasingly recognized as a cause of cardiomyopathy and sudden death in children. To evaluate whether the phenotypic expression of these genetic diseases could be delineated using positron emission tomography (PET), 11 patients with inherited defects in fatty acid metabolism were evaluated and results were compared with those of 6 nonaffected siblings. Myocardial perfusion, myocardial oxygen consumption (MVO2), and long-chain fatty acid metabolism were determined noninvasively with PET using quantitative mathematical models. There were no differences in haemodynamics, perfusion, MVO2 or plasma substrate levels between groups. Patients with defects in enzymes of fatty acid β-oxidation (acyl-CoA dehydrogenase and 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiencies) n = 5 had diminished myocardial palmitate oxidation compared with healthy siblings (3.2 ± 3.0 vs 13.0 ± 5.6 nmol/g per min, p 0.04). In these patients, extracted palmitate was shunted into a slow-turnover compartment (predominantly reflecting esterification to triglycerides) with expansion of palmitate in that pool (185 ± 246 compared with 27 ± 67 nmol/g in healthy siblings, p < 0.02). In contrast, myocardium of patients with carnitine deficiency (n = 6 (all on oral carnitine therapy) had normal palmitate extraction but expansion of the interstitial/cytosolic fatty acid pool (617 ± 399 vs 261 ± 73 nmol/g in healthy siblings, p < 0.04), suggesting different mechanisms for handling upstream fatty acyl intermediates. Thus, PET can be used to noninvasively assess abnormal myocardial handling of fatty acids in patients with inherited defects of metabolism. This approach should be useful in the assessment of altered myocardial fatty acid metabolism associated with cardiomyopathy as well as for evaluating the efficacy of therapeutic interventions in affected patients.
Model-based motion compensated compression for synthetic animations

Advances in rendering hardware and software over the last decade have led to a steady increase in the popularity of computer-generated animations. This is especially apparent in the entertainment industry as synthetic animations are being used in films, CD-ROMs and video games. The scientific community also makes heavy use of synthetic animations in visualizing data sets. A problem with synthetic animations is that, like video sequences, they contain a large amount of data. In order to store long sequences or send them across a network, the data must be compressed. One approach to performing motion-compensated compression on synthetic animations is to treat them as video sequences and use standard image-based compression algorithms such as MPEG. Alternatively, we can take advantage of information used in rendering the animation to guide the motion estimation algorithm and hence perform better compression. Such information includes the 3D world space movements of the objects in the scene and the projection transformations from world space into screen space. We examine how to use this motion information to perform fast, accurate block-based motion-estimation and design a closed loop compression system like MPEG.
Connected Contention: Social Resources and Petitioning the State in Rural China

This paper explores the effects of social resources on strategies of complaining in rural China. Repertoires of contention are, to an important degree, produced by contextually specific institutions that give value to different kinds of social resources. In the Chinese context, political connections and elderly women are two social resources that increase the probability of making direct appeals to higher authorities in the event of a grievance. In an institutional context in which the legal system is fused to the government bureaucracy, political officeholders serve as gatekeepers to the courts. In an institutional environment that demands politically non-threatening forms of contention, older female family members are strategically mobilized to escalate claims to higher levels of authority. The findings presented in this paper underscore the need to bring social resources into survey research on disputing, the mobilization of law, and access to justice.
Response to selection at two temperatures for fast and slow growth from five to nine weeks of age in poultry.

Cornell Control White Leghorn chicks were grown in a common environment to five weeks of age and selected for fast and slow gain in body weight from five to nine weeks of age at two temperatures, 21.1° (cold) and 32.2° (hot), during which time a constant 50% relative humidity was maintained. All lines were tested each generation in both temperature environments. Selection continued for four generations, with a second replicate started six weeks after the first replicate in each generation. In the hot environment, a 20% reduction (104 g) in five-to-nine-week weight gain was found. The responses to selection for fast and slow growth were symmetrical except in the first generation, when an outbreak of bronchitis confounded selection for body weight with selection for disease resistance and allowed little gain in the slow lines. No genotype-by-environment interactions were found, indicating that selection in either direction in either selection temperature produced equal responses in either test temperature. This suggests that any interactions observed between the growth of strains in tropical vs. temperate climates must be due to some difference between these environments other than the temperature differences studied.
CarCoach: a polite and effective driving coach

This paper describes the design and evaluation on the road of a context aware driving advisor designed to promote better driving behavior. CarCOACH takes the information gathered from various sensors in the car and identifies common driving mistakes to appropriately commenting on driving behavior. The system presents scheduled feedback controlled in terms of quantity of total feedback and feedback with regards to a specific stimulus, and driver current state. Its goal is to reduce driver's stress while maximizing the effectiveness of the feedback presented.
Testosterone manipulation protects motoneurons from dendritic atrophy after contralateral motoneuron depletion

Dendritic morphology is reactive to many kinds of injuries, including axotomy and deafferentation. In this study, we examined the response of motoneurons in the spinal nucleus of the bulbocavernosus (SNB), an androgen-dependent population of motoneurons in the lumbar spinal cord of the rat, to partial motoneuron depletion. We depleted SNB motoneurons on one side only of the spinal cord by unilateral intramuscular injection of a retrogradely transported form of saporin, and examined the morphology of contralateral SNB motoneurons. Motoneuron morphology was assessed in normal control males, gonadally intact saporin-treated males, and saporin-treated males who had been castrated 6 weeks previously and given testosterone replacement beginning at the time of saporin injection. Untreated castrated males served as an additional control group. Four weeks after saporin treatment, SNB motoneurons contralateral to the saporin injection were retrogradely labeled with horseradish peroxidase conjugated to the cholera toxin B subunit and reconstructed in three dimensions. In gonadally intact males, unilateral motoneuron depletion caused regressive changes in contralateral SNB motoneurons: Soma size and dendritic length were both decreased. However, testosterone manipulation (i.e., castration followed by testosterone replacement) completely prevented the dendritic retraction. These data suggest a therapeutic role for testosterone in preventing, or accelerating recovery from, dendritic atrophy induced by motoneuron injury. J. Comp. Neurol. 469:96–106, 2004. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A Method for Wet Digestion of Fish Tissue for Heavy Metal Analyses

Abstract A procedure for wet digestion of fish tissue that utilizes nitric, sulfuric, and perchloric acids can digest 1 g of fish tissue in approximately 45 minutes. This procedure allows for the preparation of large numbers of samples and is suitable for the analysis of Cd, Cu, Mn, Zn, and probably other heavy metals by atomic absorption spectroscopy. The method eliminates the problem of clogging of the aspirator tube of the atomic absorption unit.
The papillary process: A pseudotumor on coronal and sagittal MRI

The papillary process of the caudate lobe can extend posteriorly to lie between the inferior vena cava (IVC) and aorta. Occasionally, the papillary process can wrap around the IVC such that its tip lies posterior to the inferior vena cava. These positions of the papillary process create the potential for its misdiagnosis as a lymph node or mass on coronal and sagittal MRI. To evaluate the frequency that this variant occurs, we retrospectively evaluated contrast axial CT scans in 113 adult patients. Ninety-seven percent had a portion of their papillary process extending posterior to the anterior margin of the IVC. In 66% of the patients, the papillary process overlapped more than 50% of the IVC. In these patients, the papillary process would likely appear as a separate soft tissue structure between the IVC and aorta on coronal MRI. In 12 patients, the papillary process not only extended posterior to lie between the IVC and aorta, but actually extended behind a portion of the inferior vena cava as well. This position of the papillary process could appear as a separate soft tissue structure between the IVC and the diaphragmatic crus on sagittal MRI. The posterior extent of the papillary process between the inferior vena cava and aorta, and occasionally, behind the inferior vena cava, are common anatomical variants, knowledge of which may prevent misdiagnosis on coronal and sagittal MRI.
Characteristics and attitudes regarding sex roles of violent and non-violent female offenders

The differences in male and female criminal activity and trends have been noted over the last 100 years through official records that have not been the subject of much research. Many theorists in psychology and criminology felt that the differences were due to biology, while others cited environmental factors. This study was a descriptive and comparative investigation addressing traditional masculinity/femininity on the Attitude Toward Women Scale and the Bem Inventory. Patterns in the data were compared for the violent offenders and the non-violent offenders on the two test scales. Statistically significant similarities and differences within group and between groups were analyzed by way of the Pearson's chi-square, a one-way analysis of variance, and Tukey's test of significant difference. The more educated women were less likely to commit crimes, use illegal drugs or drink alcohol excessively. Those women who were victimized, either as adults or as children were more traditionally feminine in their belief systems. Although both the AWS and the BI ostensibly measure the same or similar things, they do not correlate with each other. Both the AWS and the BI are useful in determining a woman's world view of her place in society. These tests tend to confirm the researcher's expectation that the more traditional the female offender's belief system, the more likely that the criminal behavior may be violent in nature.
ON A CLASS OF MINIMAX STOCHASTIC PROGRAMS

For a particular class of minimax stochastic programming models, we show that the problem can be equivalently reformulated into a standard stochastic programming problem. This permits the direct use of standard decomposition and sampling methods developed for stochastic programming. We also show that this class of minimax stochastic programs is closely related to a large family of mean-risk stochastic programs where risk is measured in terms of deviations from a quantile.
How Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting Standards Address Stakeholder Needs in the Americas

The current stage of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reporting is defined by multi-stakeholder initiatives. An increasing number of stakeholder groups is putting pressure on corporations to act responsibly. More CSR reporting standards are being developed to address these needs. As the level of CSR reporting increases, it is important to consider if and how these CSR reporting standards are adequately addressing stakeholders’ needs. To accomplish this goal, the first step was to identify stakeholders’ needs. Interviews with trade representatives from the thirty-five countries in North and South America were used to compile a list of stakeholders’ needs in the region. Trade representatives were used because of their position in dealing with a variety of stakeholder groups that have various social and environmental agenda. Once stakeholders’ needs were identified, then three of the most widely used CSR reporting standards were evaluated to determine the adequacy of coverage they provided. The analysis in this article details how the different reporting standards met the stakeholder needs in the different regions of the Americas. The results of this article provided additional evidence that the Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) G3 standards result in the most thorough coverage. However, even these standards failed to adequately report on some of the most controversial stakeholder needs in the region, such as job creation, competition, and employment. Therefore, some stakeholder needs are not being satisfied by the information in CSR reports as key issues are still not being adequately reported if companies are following these standards.
The new mysterianism and the thesis of cognitive closure

The paper discusses Colin McGinn’s mysterianist approach to the phenomenon of consciousness. According to McGinn, consciousness is, in and of itself, a fully natural phenomenon, but we humans are just cognitively closed to it, meaning that we cannot in principle understand its nature. I argue that, on a proper conception of the relation between an intellectual problem and its solution, we may well not know what the solution is to a problem we understand, or we may not understand exactly what the problem is, but it is incoherent to suppose that we cannot understand what would count as a solution to a problem we can and do understand. The argument appeals to certain accepted assumption in the logic of questions, developed in the early sixties, mainly by Stahl. I close with a general characterization of mysterianism as such, and formulate a form of mysterianism which is in some sense more optimistic and in another more pessimistic than McGinn’s.
THYROID FUNCTION IN RATS AND CHICKENS. EQUILIBRATION OF INJECTED IODIDE WITH EXISTING THYROIDAL IODINE IN LONG-EVANS RATS AND WHITE LEGHORN CHICKENS.

Some aspects of thyroidal metabolism of iodine (I127 and I131) were compared in Long-Evans rats on low iodine or on iodide supplemented diet, as well as in White Leghorn chickens on iodide supplemented diet. Supplementation of a low iodine diet caused a large increase in circulating iodide127 in both rats and chickens; it produced a significant increase in circulating PBI127 of rats but only an insignificant increase in circulating PBI127 of chickens. Thyroid content of iodine127 in all animals was increased 3- to 4-fold by the iodide supplement. Rates of trapping of iodide127 calculated from specific activities of serum iodide and thyroidal I131 uptake at early times after injection of radioiodide were essentially the same in thyroids of rats on the 2 kinds of diet; in thyroids of chickens on iodide supplemented diet the rate was 5-fold higher than in the rats. Iodide supplementation of the diet caused a striking change in the relative proportions of iodoamino acids in thyroidal iodoprotein, but the dist...
Robotic tile placement: Tools, techniques and feasibility

The project develops an integrated digital workflow [1] for robotic tile placement that allows off-site use of industrial robotics for on-site tiled surfaces, and tests feasibility in the context of the tile industry. The proposed approach overcomes limitations of existing methods that focus on efficiency [2,3] by enabling unique and complex tile patterns. A design experiment is used during the development of computational and robotic technologies. Integration and industry implementation were studied through interviews with experts, field studies, and literature research that included a review of U.S. tile installation standards [4]. A Rhinoceros™ based digital workflow was developed that includes complex pattern generation, integrated robotic programming and simulation, and cost/time estimation. The paper describes strategies for pre-tiled panels, recommends specific material combinations, and includes basic cost estimation in the context of construction. Robotic tile placement ultimately adds value by moving installation of tile patterns to the place of tile production.
Metabolic analysis reveals changes in the mevalonate and juvenile hormone synthesis pathways linked to the mosquito reproductive physiology

Juvenile hormone (JH) regulates reproductive maturation in insects; therefore interruption of JH biosynthesis has been considered as a strategy for the development of target-specific insecticides. The corpora allata (CA) from mosquitoes is highly specialized to supply variable levels of JH, which are linked to ovarian developmental stages and influenced by nutritional signals. However, very little is known about how changes in JH synthesis relate to reproductive physiology and how JH synthesis regulation is translated into changes in the CA machinery. With the advent of new methods that facilitate the analysis of transcripts, enzymes and metabolites in the minuscule CA, we were able to provide comprehensive descriptions of the mevalonic (MVA) and JH synthesis pathways by integrating information on changes in the basic components of those pathways. Our results revealed remarkable dynamic changes in JH synthesis and exposed part of a complex mechanism that regulates CA activity. Principal component (PC) analyses validated that both pathways (MVAP and JH-branch) are transcriptionally co-regulated as a single unit, and catalytic activities for the enzymes of the MVAP and JH-branch also changed in a coordinate fashion. Metabolite studies showed that global fluctuations in the intermediate pool sizes in the MVAP and JH-branch were often inversely related. PC analyses suggest that in female mosquitoes, there are at least 4 developmental switches that alter JH synthesis by modulating the flux at distinctive points in both pathways.
Some parameters of sucrose and saline ingestion

Abstract Need-free rats prefer sucrose solutions (0.3125, 0.625, 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, 20, 40 and 50 per cent) and saline (0.125, 0.25, 0.5 and 1 per cent) when each solution is paired with water. When two sucrose solutions are paired, the higher concentration is generally preferred. When two salines are paired, preference is a complex function of concentration within each pair.
Simultaneous Raman scattering and laser-induced fluorescence for multispecies imaging in turbulent flames

A multispecies imaging technique for single-shot, simultaneous measurement of the OH, CH, and CH4 concentrations in turbulent nonpremixed flames is described. A unique aspect of the system is the use of a two-wavelength multipass cell to form both a visible and a UV laser sheet. The UV beam is used to excite fluorescence in the OH molecule, while Raman scattering from CH4 molecules and fluorescence induced in CH is achieved by using the visible beam. The visible and UV lasers are operated simultaneously, and the resulting signals are recorded by two vidicon cameras. The sheet intensity provided by the multipass cell is sufficient to saturate the OH transition, which makes single-shot, laser-saturated fluorescence imaging measurements possible.
A Generalized “Max-Min” Sample for Reliability Assessment With Dependent Variables

This paper introduces a novel approach for reliability assessment with dependent variables. In this work, the boundary of the failure domain, for a computational problem with expensive function evaluations, is approximated using a Support Vector Machine and an adaptive sampling scheme. The approximation is sequentially refined using a new adaptive sampling scheme referred to as generalized “max-min”. This technique efficiently targets high probability density regions of the random space. This is achieved by modifying an adaptive sampling scheme originally tailored for deterministic spaces (Explicit Space Design Decomposition). In particular, the approach can handle any joint probability density function, even if the variables are dependent. In the latter case, the joint distribution might be obtained from copula. In addition, uncertainty on the probability of failure estimate are estimated using bootstrapping. A bootstrapped coefficient of variation of the probability of failure is used as an estimate of the true error to determine convergence. The proposed method is then applied to analytical examples and a beam bending reliability assessment using copulas.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
A framework for intelligent design of manufacturing cells

One of the major thrusts of ‘agile/lean/responsive’ manufacturing strategies of the twentyfirst century is to introduce advanced information technology into manufacturing. This paper presents a framework for robust manufacturing system design with the integration of simulation, neural networks and knowledge-based expert system tools. An operation/ cost-driven cell design methodology was applied to concurrently consider cell physical design and the complexity of cell control functions. Simulation was exercised to estimate performance measures based on input parameters and given cell configurations. A rulebased expert system was employed to store the acquired expert knowledge regarding the relation between cell control complexities, cost of cell controls, performance measures and cell configuration. Neural networks were applied to predict the cell design configuration and corresponding complexities of cell control functions. Training of neural networks was performed with both forward and backward methods by using the same pair of data sets. Hence, trained neural networks will be able to predict either input or output parameters. This innovative new design methodology was illustrated via a successful implementation exercise resulting in actually acquiring an automated cell at industrial settings. The experience learned from this exercise indicates that the proposed design methodology works well as an effective decision support system for cell designers and the management in determining appropriate cell configuration and cell control functions at the design stage.
Globalizing children's literature in academic libraries using automatic acquisition

Purpose – This paper sets out to examine the use of an automatic acquisition plan to acquire international children's award book winners in academic libraries and to offer suggestions for promoting these resources.Design/methodology/approach – The paper examined the vendor's website, vendor‐created spreadsheets detailing award‐winning children's books from 2007‐2009, and book award websites.Findings – The findings show that acquiring international children's award book winners using an automatic acquisition plan is an excellent starting‐point for developing international children's award collections. Featured awards favor works in English. Award books from all continents and regions are not available, but award winners chosen by ethnic and international organizations can be selected to broaden the ethnic and cultural diversity of the resources.Originality/value – This paper details a beginning point for acquiring and promoting international children's award book winners for academic libraries in order to ...
The NRC camera calibrator

Abstract Equipment and techniques for the calibration of aerial survey cameras have been developed progressively at the National Research Council of Canada with the goals of providing a high level of real accuracy, versatility to accomodate a variety of camera, filters, and emulsions, and an economy of operation which permits recalibration at yearly intervals. Present apparatus and methods are described, and reasons for their construction and choice are explained. Results of three calibrations, made at different times, of two test cameras are given. They illustrate the degree to which cameras change with time and use.
Nakagin Capsule Tower: Revisiting the Future of the Recent Past

Abstract The debates surrounding the proposed demolition of Kisho Kurokawa's Nakagin Capsule Tower provide a unique opportunity to re-examine Metabolism's historic role in postwar modernism and its influence on contemporary architecture. Although one can argue that contradictions between urban development and architectural conservation are a commonplace characteristic of the contemporary metropolis, the intense conflict between redevelopment and conservation in Japan is emblematic of an enduring cultural attitude toward urban change that relies upon a paradoxical relationship between transformation and continuity. This distinctly Japanese cultural attitude underlies Metabolist urban theory and informs the design of the Nakagin Capsule Tower. The building was an experimental project meant to support a new postwar lifestyle and facilitate change and renewal in an increasingly dynamic urban fabric. In many ways, the ideas and values that created the Nagakin Capsule Tower are the same ideas and values that ar...
Rate of anterior chamber aqueous formation, trabecular outflow facility, and intraocular compliance during desflurane or halothane anesthesia in dogs.

The present study examined the effects of desflurane on intraocular pressure (IOP), the rate of anterior chamber aqueous formation, trabecular outflow facility, and intraocular compliance. The effects of desflurane were compared to those of halothane because the effects of halothane on intraocular fluid dynamics are well known. Twenty-two dogs were anesthetized for surgical preparation. Pancuronium was given intravenously to produce neuromuscular blockade, and the lungs were mechanically ventilated through a tracheal tube. After surgical preparation, anesthesia was maintained in Group 1 (n = 12) with halothane (0.8% expired) and in Group 2 (n = 10) with desflurane (7.0% expired). In both groups a series of intraocular infusions was made via a 30-gauge needle in the anterior chamber and IOP, aqueous formation, outflow facility, and intraocular compliance were determined. In Group 1 (halothane) IOP was 9.4 +/- 2.8 mm Hg (mean +/- SD), aqueous formation was 1.45 +/- 0.45 microL/min, outflow facility was 0.091 +/- 0.054 microL.min-1.mm Hg-1, and compliance was 377 +/- 282 nL/mm Hg. In Group 2 (desflurane) IOP was 11.3 +/- 3.8 mm Hg, aqueous formation was 1.61 +/- 0.56 microL/min, outflow facility was 0.097 +/- 0.062 microL.min-1.mm Hg-1, and compliance was 432 +/- 238 nL/mm Hg. These values did not differ between groups. It is concluded that in dogs aqueous humor dynamics during desflurane anesthesia are similar to those during halothane anesthesia.
Line shape calculation for nuclear scattering from gaseous targets

Abstract A line shape calculation combining geometric and straggling effects for the energy spectrum of nuclear scattering from a gas target is described. The calculated full widths at half maximum are in agreement with values extracted from scattering data to within about 1%. The nearly Gaussian calculated line shape is shown to accurately describe a measured spectral line shape over an energy range of ±2 σ of a fitted Gaussian. The effect of large angle double scattering originating outside the geometric target volume, which is the principle contribution near three standard deviations from the centroid, has not been included.
The Role of Imaging in Musculoskeletal Emergencies

Open Fractures Open fractures are potentially devastating injuries. Even with optimal orthopedic management, contamination of the fracture site and devitalized soft tissues result in increased risk of infection, nonunion, and wound complications that can threaten limb salvage and cause long-term morbidity. The Gustilo classification for open fractures, initially published in 1976 and modified in 1984 to its current form, is the most commonly used system for characterizing these injuries, communicating injury severity among the trauma team, and predicting outcomes based on fracture type (Table 1). Immediate treatment goals for an open fracture involve determining the type and extent of injury so that urgent antibiotic therapy, irrigation, debridement, and fracture fixation can be performed. In general, the higher the Gustilo grade, the higher the risk of subsequent infection and adverse outcome. Although ultimate Gustilo grading occurs in the operating room, radiology plays an important role in the initial evaluation of patients with open fractures and planning for surgical intervention. One of the most important branch points in the open fracture treatment algorithm is determining whether an arterial injury is present (Gustilo grade IIIC). If present, and depending on the type of injury, an immediate decision must be made
Narrow band 1.2–2.2 μm light via cw Nd: YAG/dye laser difference frequency generation: application to the overtone absorption spectrum of ArHF

Abstract The generation of continuously tunable, cw 1.2–2.2 μm light by the difference mixing of a cw Nd: YAG lase from a cw ring laser in temperature phase matched LiNbO3 is described. The system produces on the order of 20μW of difference frequency light with ≈250 mW of dye power and ≈300 mW of Nd: YAG laser power. The spectroscopic utility of this laser system is demostrated by recording the rotationally resolved HF stretch overtone spectrum [(20°0)←(00°0)] of the van der Waals complex ArHF in a slit jet.
1965–70 Interstate migration in the united states: An extension of the multiterminal method to multiple sources and sinks

Abstract The multiterminal network flow method of examining structure in internal migration and other transaction flow tables is extended here to include source and sink nodes comprised of contiguous areas. Few or no nodal regions may be revealed if only the minimum cuts between all pairs of distinct units are computed. By aggregating units, cuts of larger value than total in- or out-migration associated with individual nodes (areas, states, provinces, etc.) may be found. An application to an interstate migration table shows several complex patterns of movement. These include migration from the Northeast to the Southeast, back and forth between western and mountain states, and from the West to Alaska and Hawaii and the West South Central states.
Cannabinoids and metabolites in expectorated oral fluid following controlled smoked cannabis.

Abstract Background ∆9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in oral fluid (OF) implies cannabis intake, but eliminating passive exposure and improving interpretation of test results requires additional research. Methods Ten adult cannabis users smoked ad libitum one 6.8% THC cigarette. Expectorated OF was collected for up to 22 h, and analyzed within 24 h of collection. THC, 11-nor-9-carboxy-THC (THCCOOH), cannabidiol, and cannabinol were quantified by 2-dimensional-GCMS. Results Eighty specimens were analyzed; 6 could not be collected due to dry mouth. THC was quantifiable in 95.2%, cannabidiol in 69.3%, cannabinol in 62.3%, and THCCOOH in 94.7% of specimens. Highest THC, cannabidiol, and cannabinol concentrations were 22370, 1000, and 1964 μg/l, respectively, 0.25 h after the start of smoking; THCCOOH peaked within 2 h (up to 560 ng/l). Concentrations 6 h after smoking were THC (0.9–90.4 μg/l) and THCCOOH (17.0–151 ng/l) (8 of 9 positive for both); only 4 were positive for cannabidiol (0.5–2.4 μg/l) and cannabinol (1.0–3.0 μg/l). By 22 h, there were 4 THC (0.4–10.3 μg/l), 5 THCCOOH (6.0–24.0 ng/l), 1 cannabidiol (0.3 μg/l), and no cannabinol positive specimens. Conclusions THCCOOH in OF suggests no passive contamination, and CBD and CBN suggest recent cannabis smoking. Seventeen alternative cutoffs were evaluated to meet the needs of different drug testing programs.
Like minds, like sympathies: comments on the interview with Howard Gardner

Analyse critique du livre de Howard Gardner sur les «intelligences multiples». L'auteur, cognitiviste, prefere parler de «talents multiples» ou d'aptitudes cognitives, et reproche a Gardner d'avoir neglige les aptitudes (voire «l'intelligence») mnemonique
Emerging urinary biomarkers in the diagnosis of acute kidney injury

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) represents a common and devastating problem in clinical medicine. The lack of early biomarkers for AKI has led to a delay in initiating potentially effective therapies. OBJECTIVE: Identification of novel urinary biomarkers for AKI that have progressed to the clinical phase of the biomarker discovery process. METHODS: A literature review (PubMed, MedLine) from 2000 to the present. RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS;: The most promising AKI biomarkers include neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, IL-18, kidney injury molecule-1 and liver-type fatty acid binding protein. Studies to validate the sensitivity and specificity of these biomarkers in clinical samples from large cohorts and from multiple clinical situations are in progress, facilitated by the development of commercial tools for their measurement.
Effect of withdrawal from chronic naltrexone on regional cerebral oxygen consumption in the cat.

Abstract This investigation determined the effects of withdrawal from chronic naltrexone administration on average and regional cerebral blood flow, oxygen extraction and oxygen consumption. The relationship between the effects of withdrawal from chronic administration of this opiate receptor antagonist, which may increase the numbers of postsynaptic opiate receptors, and these parameters was investigated. Fourteen adult mongrel cats were administered subcutaneous injections of 1 mg/kg naltrexone HCl or 1 ml 0.9% saline twice daily for 21 days. Two days later, regional cerebral blood flow was monitored using radioactively tagged microspheres. The animals were sacrificed and prepared for microspectrophotometric analysis of regional cerebral venous and arterial oxygen saturation. Regional cerebral oxygen consumption was calculated as the product of cerebral blood flow and oxygen extraction for each area examined. After 2 days of withdrawal from chronic naltrexone treatment, the blood pressure, heart rate and blood gas parameters did not change significantly when compared to saline-treated animals. Average cerebral blood flow was significantly increased from 47.9 ± 3.4ml/min/100 g (mean ± S.E.M.) in the control group to 80.3 ± 6.5 (ml/min/100 g) in the chronic naltrexone-treated group. Flow was significantly increased in the cortex, lenticulate nuclei, thalamus and pons. Neither average cerebral oxygen consumption, which increased slightly, nor cerebral oxygen extraction, which decreased slightly, were significantly altered by treatment. The distribution of flow among the examined regions was, however, significantly altered in the animals 2 days after receiving chronic naltrexone injections. These changes were not restricted to brain regions dense in neuronal opiate receptors. There was no relationship between the increased number of opiate receptors, which have been reported to occur during and immediately after treatment with naltrexone, and cerebral oxygen consumption. Withdrawal from chronic naltrexone administration may have a direct effect on the cerebral vasculature.
In support of HRT.

Several lines of reasoning lend support for the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in young women with anorexia nervosa. First there are a few studies that suggest that HRT exerts a positive effect on bone mineralization in young women with anorexia nervosa. Maugars et al in a longitudinal study of women with anorexia nervosa reported that estrogen treatment increased bone mineral density at the lumbar spine by 1.4% (± 2.3% SEM) over six months when compared to negative changes in lumbar bone mineral density observed in an untreated amenorrheic group. Seeman et al also found in a retrospective study that patients with anorexia nervosa who had taken oral contraceptives had significantly higher bone mineral density of the lumbar spine than those patients who had not taken them. (excerpt)
Technology challenges for aerial infrared imaging for wide area persistent surveillance

There is an exponentially increasing need for airborne surveillance using wide field-of-view sensors providing persistent imagery of conflicted areas. This presentation will discuss technology challenges in the areas of infrared arrays, wide field-of-view optics, lightweight pointing and stabilization, and exploitation capabilities for advanced day/night systems for wide area persistent surveillance. Article not available.
Preparative chromatography in biotechnology

The field of preparative chromatography has experienced several important advances recently in both the structure of chromatographic materials and modes of chromatographic operation. This review presents recent applications of preparative chromatography in biotechnology, as well as novel stationary phase materials and engineering approaches to preparative chromatographic bioseparations.
Rapid diagnosis of group A strep pharyngitis in the emergency department.

Two ten-minute rapid tests for diagnosing Group A streptococcal pharyngitis in 147 emergency department patients with a complaint of sore throat were evaluated using positive throat cultures as the marker for disease. Treatment was initiated solely on the basis of clinical judgment. Sensitivity and specificity were 78% and 93%, respectively, for the rapid test and 69% and 56%, respectively, for clinical judgment. The rapid test was significantly better than clinical judgment alone in determining the presence of disease ( P
Third branchial cleft fistula infected with Actinomyces

Summary A 16-year-old male with a 10-year history of recurrent left lateral neck swelling and an associated draining fistula was taken to surgery for excision of the fistula. Histologic examination of the surgical specimen demonstrated findings consistent with Actinomyces species. We suspect that this patient had a third branchial cleft fistula that was infected with Actinomyces .
Purity assessment of single-wall carbon nanotubes, using optical absorption spectroscopy.

A demand currently exists for a method of assessing the purity of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), which will allow for meaningful material comparisons. An established metric and protocol will enable accurate and reproducible purity claims to be substantiated. In the present work, the ability to accurately quantify the mass fraction of SWNTs in the carbonaceous portion of a given sample is demonstrated, using optical absorption spectroscopy on both laser and arc discharge-generated SWNT-N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA) dispersions. Verification of purity assessment protocols is based upon constructed sample sets comprising designed mass fractions of purified SWNTs and representative carbonaceous synthesis byproducts. Application of a previously reported method (Itkis et al. Nano Lett. 2003, 3, 309) based on a ratio of the areal absorbance from linear subtractions of the second interband electronic transitions of semiconducting SWNTs (SE22) has shown a severe overestimation of SWNT purity (average error >2...
Studies on inhomogeneous transparent optical coatings on transparent substrates by spectroscopic ellipsometry

By incorporating an achromatic three-reflection quarter-wave retarder in a spectroscopic ellipsometer and applying appropriate calibration and error correction procedures it has been possible to characterize fully real fluoride and oxide optical coatings which are truly inhomogeneous. The refractive index and its dispersion with wavelength as well as the depth profile of voids in the films have been determined for AlF 3 , CeF 3 , HfF 4 , LaF 3 , ScF 3 , YF 3 , Al 2 O 3 , HfO 2 , Sc 2 O 3 , ThO 2 , Y 2 O 3 , and ZrO 2 films on vitreous silica substrates