cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Video intervention increases participation of black breast cancer patients in therapeutic trials.

There is a striking racial and ethnic disparity in incidence and mortality of cancer yet minorities remain markedly underrepresented in clinical trials. This pilot study set out to determine the impact of a 15-min culturally tailored educational video on three outcomes relating to clinical trials: likely participation, attitudes (assessed based on six barriers), and actual enrollment. Breast cancer patients with Stage I-III, if diagnosed within previous 6 months, or metastatic disease who self-identified as black or African American were invited to participate. The primary outcome measure was the decision to participate in a therapeutic clinical trial after the intervention. Patients’ intention to enroll on a therapeutic clinical trial and the change in attitudes toward clinical trials were measured by the previously developed Attitudes and Intention to Enroll in Therapeutic Clinical Trials (AIET) questionnaire. Of the 200 patients that participated, 39 (19.5%) patients signed consent to participate in a therapeutic clinical trial; 27 (13.5%) patients enrolled, resulting in a 7.5% increase from our baseline comparison of 6% clinical trial enrollment rate in black cancer patients (p < .001). Pre-test versus post-test assessment demonstrated the proportion of patients expressing likelihood to enroll in a therapeutic trial following the intervention increased by 14% (p < .001). Among 31 AIET items, 25 (81%) showed statistically significant and positive change post-intervention. The findings suggest the promising utility of a culturally tailored video intervention for improving black patients’ attitudes regarding clinical trial participation and resultant enrollment. Future efforts should continue to target facilitators of population-specific recruitment, enrollment, and retention in therapeutic and non-therapeutic clinical trials. A culturally tailored educational video can boost participation among black patients in clinical trials of new breast cancer treatments. A US team led by Sandra Swain from Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, DC, created a 15-min video designed to address six of the concerns commonly cited by blacks about human subjects research. The researchers showed the video to 200 black patients, and saw a large bump in the number of women willing to sign up for a therapeutic trial. On average, only 6% of black cancer patients typically enroll in clinical trials. But in the video intervention study, 19.5% agreed to participate and then 13.5% went ahead with a trial. Video watchers also reported a positive change in their attitude toward clinical research. The study points to the need for population-specific recruitment efforts.
Modeling End-of-Online-Session From Streaming Data

Engagement of consumers has become increasingly important for online marketers. When a potential consumer arrives on its online platform and interacts with it, two important and interrelated questions arise. One whether the consumer is engaged in the session or has completed the session. Two, upon completion of a session whether the consumer will return to the site. Real time answers to both these questions benefit the marketer directly by facilitating more effective retargeting, determination of which is a significant problem in online commerce. We address this problem of retargeting by using automated predictive models. Our model allows a marketer to decide in a real time manner whether a click is the last click of the session. Then the model identifies real time the consumer's propensity to return when the session actually ends. This propensity is used to decide whether and whom to retarget with a message. Tests of our model on real data from internet e-commerce sites perform well. The proposed approach is a considerable improvement over the current approach of having to wait for a pre-specified amount of time after a click, in order to identify the end of the session.
Health-related quality of life among older patients following an emergency department visit and emergency department-to-home coaching intervention: A randomized controlled trial:

IntroductionMany older patients experience repeated emergency department visits and hospitalizations and inadequate links to primary care. This fragmented care can result in anxiety, uncertainty, a...
Stress, the Immune System, and Cancer

A casual linkage between stress and susceptibility to infectious disease and cancer has been suggested for some time. It has further been proposed that such a relationship, if it is a meaningful one, probably involves the influence of stress on immune system function.
Environmentally-driven community entrepreneurship : Mapping the link between natural environment, local community and entrepreneurship

Abstract Local initiatives that address environmental issues are determined by the shared territory, history and culture of community members, which can lead to common values and goals. This paper focuses on the role of community-based entrepreneurship in protecting and managing the natural environment that impacts directly life quality of local residents, as social and natural systems manifest and evolve in a dynamic interdependence. We apply a case study methodology to capture the richness of community-based entrepreneurship and evidence the diversity of these initiatives. By presenting and analyzing three case studies on different types of environmentally-driven initiatives – considering the natural environment as an object, context or resource of entrepreneurial activities, we identify the main elements of community entrepreneurship and the factors influencing its manifestations. These elements are integrated into a synthetic model, which maps the relationships between various components and success factors of environmentally-driven community initiatives. Our findings provide a better understanding of community-based entrepreneurship and of the hidden mechanisms of collective initiative and action.
Educational Policy Research: Progress, Puzzles, and Challenges

This article addresses three topics. The first concerns the reasons that American education, which served the United States so well for the first three-quarters of the twentieth century, is not adequate today, and is especially not successful in providing disadvantaged children with the skills they need to escape poverty. The second concerns lessons from policy analyses about the efficacy of alternative approaches to improving American education, especially the education of its most disadvantaged children. I will make the case that research provides encouraging evidence on several policy approaches. At the same time, the research reveals puzzles that I believe we need to take seriously in thinking about future research to inform the design of the next round of policies. Finally, I suggest some directions for policy research that come from taking seriously puzzles in the evidence.
Relationships between Human Brain Structural Connectomes and Traits

Advanced brain imaging techniques make it possible to measure individuals9 structural connectomes in large cohort studies non-invasively. However, due to limitations in image resolution and pre-processing, questions remain about whether reconstructed connectomes are measured accurately enough to detect relationships with human traits and behaviors. Using a state-of-the-art structural connectome processing pipeline and a novel dimensionality reduction technique applied to data from the Human Connectome Project (HCP), we show strong relationships between connectome structure and various human traits. Our dimensionality reduction approach uses a tensor characterization of the connectomes and relies on a generalization of principal components analysis. We analyze over 1100 scans for 1076 subjects from the HCP and the Sherbrooke test-retest data set as well as 175 human traits that measure domains including cognition, substance use, motor, sensory and emotion. We find that brain connectomes are associated with many traits. Specifically, fluid intelligence, language comprehension, and motor skills are associated with increased cortical-cortical brain connectivity, while the use of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana are associated with decreased cortical-cortical connectivity.
Everyday Racism in Integrated Spaces: Mapping the Experiences of Students of Color at a Diversifying Predominantly White Institution

Many college campuses promote themselves as integrated multicultural spaces where students from diverse backgrounds live, study, and play together in unity. Drawing from eleven focus groups and an ...
Risk factors for nonroutine discharge in adult spinal deformity surgery.

Abstract BACKGROUND CONTEXT Surgery for adult spinal deformity (ASD) is increasingly common. Although outcomes of ASD surgery have been studied extensively, to our knowledge, no data exist regarding factors predicting nonroutine discharge in this population. Nonroutine discharge is defined as discharge to a health care facility after surgery rather than to home. PURPOSE To determine which patient and surgical factors predict nonroutine discharge after ASD surgery. DESIGN This is a retrospective study. PATIENTS SAMPLE We conducted a retrospective single-center study of 303 patients who underwent arthrodesis of five or more spinal levels to treat ASD between 2009 and 2014. OUTCOME MEASURES Patients were stratified into two groups according to discharge disposition: home or nonroutine. METHODS Objective preoperative characteristics, intraoperative course, and postoperative recovery were analyzed to identify pre- and perioperative factors associated with nonroutine discharge. Univariate analysis was performed first. All factors with P values RESULTS On univariate analysis, objective measures that differed significantly (P 8 days), and blood transfusion. Given the above logistic regression inclusion criteria, we controlled for the performance, and type, of osteotomy (P = .055). On multivariate analysis, older age, osteoporosis, prolonged hospital stay, blood transfusion, and 3-column osteotomy were independently associated with nonroutine discharge. Subjective patient-reported outcome measures, including Oswestry Disability Index and Scoliosis Research Society-22r physical function and pain domain scores, were significantly worse in the nonroutine discharge cohort (P CONCLUSION To our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate pre- and perioperative factors associated with nonroutine discharge after ASD surgery. Elderly patients who undergo complex surgery and receive blood transfusions are at particularly high risk of nonroutine discharge. Surgeons should consider these factors during surgical planning and preoperative patient counseling.
Rich Representations for Analyzing Learning Trajectories: Systematic Review on Sequential Data Analytics in Game-Based Learning Research

This chapter focuses on sequential data analytics (SDA), which is one of the prominent behavior analysis frameworks in game-based learning (GBL) research. Although researchers have used a variety of SDA approaches in GBL, they have provided limited information that demonstrates the way they have employed those SDA approaches in different learning contexts. This study used a systematic literature review to demonstrate findings that synthesize SDA’s empirical uses in various GBL contexts. In this chapter, we recapitulate the characteristics of several SDA techniques that salient GBL studies have used first. Then, we address the underlying theoretical foundations that explain the proper uses of SDA in GBL research. Lastly, the chapter concludes with brief guidelines that illustrate the way to use SDA, as well as reveal major issues in implementing SDA.
The clinical characteristics of lower extremity lymphedema in 440 patients.

Abstract Background Lower extremity lymphedema is frequently encountered in the vascular clinic. Established dogma purports that cancer is the most common cause of lower extremity lymphedema in Western countries, whereas chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is often overlooked as a potential cause. Moreover, lymphedema is typically ascribed to a single cause, yet multiple causes can coexist. Methods A 3-year retrospective analysis was conducted of demographic and clinical characteristics of 440 eligible patients with lower extremity lymphedema who presented for lymphatic physiotherapy to a university medical center's cancer-based physical therapy department. Results The four most common causes of lower extremity lymphedema were CVI (phlebolymphedema; 41.8%), cancer-related lymphedema (33.9%), primary lymphedema (12.5%), and lipedema with secondary lymphedema (11.8%). The collective cohort was more likely to be female (71.1%; P Conclusions In a large cohort of patients treated in a cancer-affiliated physical therapy department, CVI (phlebolymphedema), not cancer, was the predominant cause of lower extremity lymphedema. One in four patients had more than one cause of lymphedema. Notable clinical characteristics included a proclivity for female patients, bilateral distribution, left limb, cellulitis, and nearly universal morbid obesity.
Enabling Secure Grid Information Sharing through Hash Calendar-based Blockchain Infrastructures

The power grid is becoming increasingly interconnected, as information from grid operations must be accessible to an array of engineers, grid regulators, and market operators. However, there remain challenges ensuring the appropriate integrity and authenticity of the grid information. While traditional cryptographic protocols, like public key infrastructure, provide security for in-transit communication, they come with key exchanges and cost to get public key certificates from a centralized authority. To address these challenges, this paper demonstrates how a hash calendar-based blockchain can be used to provide improved security for communication with the use of distributed ledgers. It demonstrates the security requirements and threats to this communication, and then provides a theoretic definition of the process. Furthermore, it introduces a use-case of the proposed process within the WSU Smart City Testbed DMS where the historian data is hashed and signed using hash calendars.
What it means to be Korean: national identity in North and South Korean elementary textbooks, 1960–2019

This study explores what it means to be Korean as seen in North and South Korean elementary school textbooks. Mass schooling transforms students into national citizens belonging to specific nation-...
OUTCOME OF CHILDHOOD EPISTAXIS WITH TREATMENT OF ALLERGIC RHINITIS: A RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL

Objective There has been no previous studies on the effect of treatment of underlying allergic rhinitis (AR) on outcome of epistaxis. Aim To study outcome of childhood epistaxis in a local paediatric population with treatment of underlying AR and determine if combined treatment with anti-histamine (clarityne) and nasal steroid spray (nasonex) was better than monotherapy (clarityne or nasonex). Hypothesis Treatment of underlying AR would improve outcome of epistaxis in children. Primary outcome was frequency of epistaxis after treatment. Methods From August 2005 to September 2006, 60 children (⩽18 years), with underlying AR, presenting to our Otolaryngology clinic with first presentation of epistaxis were enrolled into this single-blinded trial. Patients were randomized to 3 different treatments. Treatment 1: antihistamine (clarityne); treatment 2: nasal steroid spray (nasonex); treatment 3: clarityne and nasonex. Follow up reviews were conducted at 1 and 3 months using a standard questionnaire. Frequency of epistaxis was standardized to number of episodes of epistaxis in a 6-month-period (adjusted frequency). Data were analysed using SPSS v13.0 software. Results Prior to treatment, the median adjusted frequency of epistaxis in treatment groups 1, 2 and 3 were 12 (SD 22), 21 (SD 66) and 9 (SD 85) episodes in 6 months, respectively. Post-treatment, the mean number of episodes of epistaxis on follow-up at 1 month were 3.7 (range 0–30), 1.3 (range 0–8) and 0.5 (range 0–3) respectively for treatment groups 1, 2 and 3. Conclusions There was significant improvement in frequency of epistaxis after treatment of AR. It appeared that treatments 2 and 3 were superior to treatment 1. Steroid spray may be important.
Mexican-origin youth's ethnic-racial identity development: The role of siblings.

Ethnic-racial identity (ERI) formation is an important developmental task. Although families are a primary context for ERI socialization, little is known about siblings' role. Accordingly, we applied the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model to longitudinal data from 2 siblings to examine the links between siblings' ERI exploration, resolution, and affirmation. Participants were Mexican-origin mothers, fathers, and 2 siblings (older siblings Mage = 20.65 years; younger siblings Mage = 17.72 years) from 246 families in Arizona who were interviewed on 2 occasions across 2 years. Siblings' ERI exploration in late adolescence positively predicted young adult ERI, accounting for mothers' and fathers' ERIs. For resolution, the sibling (i.e., partner) effect was moderated by sibling gender constellation, such that the sibling effect emerged only for same-sex dyads. For affirmation, the sibling effect emerged for older but not younger siblings. These findings highlight the need to understand siblings' role in ERI and to expand research on family socialization of ERI beyond parents. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Developing Cyclic Peptomers as Broad-Spectrum Type III Secretion System Inhibitors in Gram-Negative Bacteria.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are an emerging global health threat. New antimicrobials are urgently needed. The injectisome type III secretion system (T3SS), required by dozens of Gram-negative bacteria for virulence but largely absent from nonpathogenic bacteria, is an attractive antimicrobial target. We previously identified synthetic cyclic peptomers, inspired by the natural product phepropeptin D, that inhibit protein secretion through the Yersinia Ysc and Pseudomonas aeruginosa Psc T3SSs but do not inhibit bacterial growth. Here, we describe the identification of an isomer, 4EpDN, that is 2-fold more potent (50% inhibitory concentration [IC50] of 4 μM) than its parental compound. Furthermore, 4EpDN inhibited the Yersinia Ysa and the Salmonella SPI-1 T3SSs, suggesting that this cyclic peptomer has broad efficacy against evolutionarily distant injectisome T3SSs. Indeed, 4EpDN strongly inhibited intracellular growth of Chlamydia trachomatis in HeLa cells, which requires the T3SS. 4EpDN did not inhibit the unrelated twin arginine translocation (Tat) system, nor did it impact T3SS gene transcription. Moreover, although the injectisome and flagellar T3SSs are evolutionarily and structurally related, the 4EpDN cyclic peptomer did not inhibit secretion of substrates through the Salmonella flagellar T3SS, indicating that cyclic peptomers broadly but specifically target the injectisome T3SS. 4EpDN reduced the number of T3SS needles detected on the surface of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis as detected by microscopy. Collectively, these data suggest that cyclic peptomers specifically inhibit the injectisome T3SS from a variety of Gram-negative bacteria, possibly by preventing complete T3SS assembly.
Low light intensity delays vegetative phase change

Plants that develop under low light (LL) intensity often display a phenotype known as the "shade tolerance syndrome (STS)". This syndrome is similar to the phenotype of plants in the juvenile phase of shoot development, but the basis for this similarity is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that the STS is regulated by the same mechanism that regulates the juvenile vegetative phase by examining the effect of LL on rosette development in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). We found that LL prolonged the juvenile vegetative phase and that this was associated with an increase in the expression of the master regulators of vegetative phase change, miR156 and miR157, and a decrease in the expression of their SQUAMOSA PROMOTER-BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE (SPL) targets. Exogenous sucrose partially corrected the effect of LL on seedling development and miR156 expression. Our results suggest that the response of Arabidopsis to LL is mediated by an increase in miR156/miR157 expression and by factors that repress SPL gene expression independently of miR156/miR157, and is caused in part by a decrease in carbohydrate production. The effect of LL on vegetative phase change does not require the photoreceptors and transcription factors responsible for the shade avoidance syndrome, implying that light intensity and light quality regulate rosette development through different pathways.
Galaxy Formation and Cluster Formation

A primary motivation for studying globular clusters is that, as the oldest known galactic fossils, they trace the earliest stages of galactic evolution; indeed, they may hold the key to understanding galaxy formation. Thus it is clearly of great importance to learn how to read the fossil record. To do this, we need to understand something about how the globular clusters themselves formed. Were they the first bound objects to form, or did they form in larger pre-existing systems of which they are just small surviving fragments? If the latter, what were the prehistoric cluster-forming systems like? And how did they manage to produce objects like globular clusters?
In‐cloud turbulence structure of marine stratocumulus

[1] This study quantifies the level of turbulence inside the marine stratocumulus cloud deck over Pt. Reyes, CA, during the Marine Stratus Radiation, Aerosol, and Drizzle Experiment (MASRAD) in July 2005, and identifies the dominant sources of turbulent kinetic energy. We used vertical velocity data from a 3 mm wavelength (94‐GHz) vertically pointing Doppler radar in combination with collocated radiosonde data. The results show that the stratocumulus observed at Pt. Reyes behaves differently from that expected on the basis of previous studies due to the modified marine environment that exists there. In particular, we found a decrease of turbulence levels with height within the cloud both during day and during night. The analysis highlights that for the conditions of our study longwave radiative cooling at cloud top was compensated by a number of mechanisms, resulting in the observed profiles. The production of turbulent kinetic energyisdominantlydrivenbywindshear.Citation: Ching,J., N.Riemer,M.Dunn,andM.Miller(2010),In‐cloudturbulencestructure of marine stratocumulus, Geophys. Res. Lett., 37, L21808, doi:10.1029/2010GL045033.
The electronic transport properties of ternary Cd(1-x)Zn(x)S nanowire networks.

We present the electronic transport characteristics of ternary alloy Cd1−xZnxS nanowire networks in the dark and under white light illumination. Compared to the negligible dark current, we observed a photocurrent enhancement of up to four orders of magnitude at an intensity of 460 mW cm−2. The time constant of the dynamic photoresponse is ~5 s. The current–voltage characteristics at different intensities show Ohmic behavior at low bias and space charge limited conduction (SCLC) at higher bias voltages. The SCLC behavior and slow time response indicate that the charge transport is dominated by tunneling at the percolating inter-nanowire junctions.
Parisians: An Adventure History of Paris – By Graham Robb

This author has written not the histoire, the history of Paris, but a series of histoires, stories set in Paris, with the goal of creating a “mini‐Human Comedy.” Like Honore de Balzac, Graham Robb ...
Zero Prep: Ready-to-Go Activities for the Language Classroom

* Knowing that one of the worst enemies of learning is boredom, many teachers spend hours racking their brains for new and better approaches to infuse energy into the classroom. However, to learn, students do not need their teachers to spend all of their time on preparation. In fact, too much preparation can create an overly controlled classroom. Pollard and Hess believe that true learning is exploratory learning, and with this philosophy in mind they have generated nearly 100 activities that draw on students' various intelligences but require no preparation on the part of the teacher.
Immunogenicity of Ly5 (CD45)-antigens hampers long-term engraftment following minimal conditioning in a murine bone marrow transplantation model.

Various techniques are available for distinguishing donor from host cells evaluating the efficacy of conditioning regimen for experimental bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Techniques include the use of extracellular immunological markers, such as Ly5 (CD45), and intracellular biochemical markers, such as glucose-phosphate-isomerase (Gpi). Because Ly5 is an extracellular protein, the disparity between donor (Ly5.1) and host (Ly5.2) antigens may induce a weak immune response whereas with Gpi, no immune response is expected. This difference may be of particular concern in experimental transplantation approaches that use minimal conditioning such as low-dose total body irradiation (TBI). Such mild conditioning may not induce the immunosuppression required to overcome host rejection of Ly5 disparate cells. To compare the relative engraftment of Ly5.1 and Gpi-1a donor marrow, B6 (Gpi-1b/Ly5.2) mice were irradiated with low-level TBI (0-6 Gy) and transplanted with several bone marrow (BM) doses (2 × 106-5 × 107 cells). At 8, 26, and 52 weeks post-BMT, the level of donor engraftment was measured using flow cytometry (Ly5) or Gpi-electrophoresis. Lower engraftment levels were found in mice transplanted with Ly5 congenic BM in groups given low-dose TBI (≤4 Gy) and/or low doses of BM cells (BMC) (2 × 106). However, when higher TBI or BMC doses were used, similar engraftment levels were found, suggesting sufficient immune suppression to allow equal engraftment of both sources of BM. These data suggest that even a minor phenotypic disparity between donor and host, such as Ly5, may necessitate high-dose TBI to prevent rejection. The combination of low-dose TBI or other nonmyeloablative conditioning strategies with small numbers of BMC may lead to reduced engraftment when extracellular immunological markers such as Ly5 are used for transplantation studies. Therefore, small immunological differences must be considered when using the Ly5 marker for engraftment.
Predictors of Outpatient Mental Health Service Use—The Role of Foster Care Placement Change

This study examined the relationship between placement change and outpatient mental health service use. It is based on (1) conceptual propositions about the impact of the foster care living context on mental health service use, and (2) empirical knowledge about the adverse consequences of placement change. Results of the study, which were based on a cohort of 570 children in foster care in San Diego County, suggest an association between placement changes in child welfare and use of outpatient mental health services. Specifically, an increase in the number of placement changes predicted a greater rate of outpatient mental health visits. The study further found that children who experienced behavior-related placement changes received more outpatient mental health visits than children who experienced placement changes for other reasons. Follow-up analyses of the 144 children who experienced any behavior-related placement changes further indicated that the rate of outpatient mental health service use almost doubled in the 90 days following the first behavior-related placement change. Findings from this study have implications for the practice, policy and research fields in child welfare as well as mental health.
Recurrent orbital varices after surgical excision with and without prior embolization with n-butyl cyanoacrylate.

Purpose To report a series of 4 recurrent orbital varices after resection, 2 of which were embolized with cyanoacrylate glue before surgery. Design Retrospective case series. Methods Charts of all patients seen by a single orbital surgeon from January 1986 through June 2013 with presumed or histologically confirmed orbital varix were reviewed retrospectively. Four patients were identified with recurrence of symptoms after resection of the varix, 2 after embolization with n-butyl cyanoacrylate and 2 via a right frontal craniotomy. Each had initial complete resolution of their symptoms followed by recurrence to a lesser degree. Characteristics and common features in each case were reviewed. Results After initial resection, these 4 patients had recurrence of their symptoms within 8 months to 12 years. A common feature among them included an active lifestyle involving significant heavy lifting. Conclusions Orbital varices may be recurrent, even after n-butyl cyanoacrylate embolization, with repeated Valsalva-type maneuvers.
Coronary Angioplasty Is the Treatment of Choice for Multivessel Coronary Artery Disease

It is an honor and pleasure for me to be here today. This lectureship is an opportunity that exists because of Dr. Andreas Gruentzig, whose genious and dedication led to the development of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. I consider his gift to contemporary cardiology to be the single greatest contribution to the understanding and management of patients with coronary artery disease occurring within the last decade.
The Simulation Study on 3D Gas Flow Field and Structure Improvement with Tower Continuous Vacuum Dryer

The 3D gas flow field, including the gas pressure and gas velocity was studied by computer fluid dynamics simulation (CFD). The tower continuous vacuum dryer’s structure was improved and the pumping gas sketch was also optimized. The model was resoled by standard turbulence model. The porous medium zone was adopted to the material zone. The Darcy law, Ergun equation and porous medium interface jump boundary condition was applied. The effect of the drying intensity, vacuum pumping pipes setting and vacuum degree of gas outlet was analyzed. The result shows that the pressure of gas outlet should be maintained lower at 8000 Pa, and the pressure of grain inlet and outlet should be maintained at 9000 Pa. The vacuum pumping pipes should be set at the bottom of last drying stage of the drying room in order to improve the gas flowing direction, and to improve vacuum performance. The pressure and velocity of gas along height of dryer is not the main effect factor of drying quality. On the top of each drying stage of the vacuum dryer, two horny pumping pipelines were set. It has good velocity uniformity, but more simple compared with three horny pumping pipelines.
Anesthetic considerations for patients undergoing minimally invasive coronary artery bypass surgery: Mini-sternotomy and mini-thoracotomy approaches

T HE LAPAROSCOPIC approach to intra-abdominal operations has ultimately led to its use in the thoracic cavity 1-3 Although the thorascopic approach has been used in operations involving the lung, trachea, and esophagus, minimally mvasive surgical techniques for coronary bypass grafting (CABG) have not been advanced until recently. Successful grafting of the internal mammary artery (IMA) to the coronary arteries has been a surgical practice since 1967. 4 To retain the benefits of IMA grafting and to offset the mvaslveness of the conventional CABG, Robinson et al have recently described a minimally lnvaslve approach to CABG using a mini-anterior mediastinotomy approach. 5 Atom et al have also described a partial sternotomy approach, 6 whereas Subramanian et al have described a minimally invaslve access using a mini-lateral thoracotomy. 7 All these approaches can be performed under direct vision, hence the term MIDCAB (minimally invasive direct vision coronary artery bypass). This article reviews these Individual surgical techniques and examines the anesthetic concerns for patients undergoing mimmally lnvasive CABG with both the mlni-sternotomy and mmi-thoracotomy approaches.
The development and psychometric evaluation of the Ethical Issues Scale.

Purpose: To describe the Ethical Issues Scale (EIS), its conceptual development and psychometric evaluation, and its uses in determining how frequently nurses experience ethical issues in practice. Design: The EIS was validated with a sample (N=2,090) of New England registered nurses (RNs) currently in practice. The sample was randomly split into two approximately equal samples. The calibration sample was used to derive the underlying components; the validation sample was used to confirm the component structure. Methods: Psychometric analysis of the 35-item EIS included: (a) item analysis, (b) confirmatory principal components analysis (PCA), and (c) internal consistency reliability using Cronbach's alpha. Results: Three components (end-of-life-treatment issues, patient care issues, and human rights issues) were demonstrated, confirming the original conceptually-derived structure. The calibration sample accounted for 42.4% of initially extracted common variance; the validation sample accounted for 41.5% of initially extracted common variance. Conclusions: The three EIS subscales had satisfactory internal consistency reliability and factorial validity for use as independent scales in future studies.
Specialized probation programs for people with mental illnesses: a review of practices and research

Changes in the availability and delivery of mental health care services have contributed to the disproportionate involvement of people with serious mental illnesses (PSMI) in the criminal justice system. Community corrections professionals have sought to address the issue by creating dedicated caseloads and programs for PSMI on probation. Specialized probation units (SPUs) for PSMI, commonly referred to as ‘mental health probation,’ have been implemented since the late 1980s. This article examines the operations and outcomes of specialized probation supervision for PSMI. To date, studies of SPUs for PSMI have generated little definitive evidence about the nature, implementation protocols, or effectiveness of such interventions. Although initial research on the effects of SPUs for PSMI appears to be favorable, most of the studies reported in the literature are sorely limited in terms of sample sizes, research designs, and outcome measures.
A pharmacokinetic model for the disposition of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in channel catfish

Abstract Channels catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, acclimated to 18°C, with mean body weight of 0.36 kg, were fitted with a cannula in the dorsal aorta. An intraaortic bolus injection of 50 μg/kg 14C polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) (42% w/w chlorine) was administered to five fish. Blood samples were withdrawn up to 96 h. The blood concentration-time course showed a triexponential decline with a rapid initial distributive phase and a slow terminal elimination phase. A three compartment model comprising of a central, shallow peripheral, and a deep peripheral compartment, adequately described the kinetics of PCBs in catfish. The whole body clearance (Clb) was estimated to be 19.6 ml/h/kg and the volume of distribution at steady state (Vss) was 1196.8 ml/kg. The terminal elimination half-life ( t 1 2 ) of PCBs in catfish was found to be 55.9 h. Computer simulations based on the developed model indicated that the majority of PCBs in the fish are associated with tissues of the deep peripheral compartment (i.e. adipose tissue).
Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1α Signaling in Aquaporin Upregulation After Traumatic Brain Injury

Previous studies have demonstrated that traumatic brain injury (TBI) causes brain edema via aquaporins (AQPs), the water-transporting proteins. In the present study, we determined the role of hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha), which is a transcription factor in response to physiological hypoxia, in regulating expression of AQP4 and AQP9. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats (400-425g) received a closed head injury using the Marmarou weight drop model with a 450g weight and survived for 1, 4, 24 and 48h. Some animals were administered 30min after injury with 2-methoxyestradiol (2ME2), a naturally occurring metabolite of estradiol which is known to post-transcriptionally down-regulate HIF-1alpha expression, and sacrificed 4h after injury. Real-time PCR and Western blot were used, respectively, to detect gene and protein expressions of manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD, showing hypoxic stress), HIF-1alpha, AQP4, and AQP9. ANOVA analysis demonstrated a significant (p<0.05) increase in gene expression of MnSOD, HIF-1alpha, AQP4, and AQP9, starting at 1h after injury through 48h. Western blot analysis further indicated a significant (p<0.05) increase in protein expression of these molecules at the same time points. Pharmacological inhibition of HIF-1alpha by 2ME2 reduced the up-regulated levels of AQP4 and AQP9 after TBI. The present study suggests that hypoxic conditions determined by MnSOD expression after closed head injury contribute to HIF-1alpha expression. HIF-1alpha, in turn, up-regulates expression of AQP4 and AQP9. These results characterize the pathophysiological mechanisms, and suggest possible therapeutic targets for TBI patients.
Nutritional Evaluation of Breadfruit-containing Composite Flour Products

Composite flours containing wheat, breadfruit flour and soy protein, whey or peanut meal were formulated and incorporated into western style bread and biscuits. Bread containing 10% breadfruit flour and 5% whey, and biscuits containing 10% breadfruit flour and 5% soy protein were judged most acceptable in flavor, color, and texture. Breadfruit flour contained 4.4% protein and was lower in sulfur containing amino acids and higher in lysine than wheat flour. Breadfruit containing bread and biscuits had low amino acid scores. The protein efficiency ratio (PER) of the biscuit product, however, was similar to that of the casein control while the PER of bread was significantly lower. Results suggest that acceptable products can be made with composite flours containing 10% breadfruit flour.
Nuclear magnetic resonance determination of bacteriostats.

A rapid high-resolution NMR method has been developed for the determination of soap and detergent bacteriostats. The method can be used to identify six common commercial bacteriostats (3,4,4′-trichlorocarbanilide; 3-trifluoromethyl-4,4′-dichlorocarbanilide; 4′,5-dibromosalicylanildie; 3,5-dibromosalicylanilide; 3,4′,5-tribromosalicylanilide; and ehxachlorophene) and all two-component mixtures prepared from them. This method can also be used to determine the relative concentrations of these bacteriostats in all two-component mixtures. The precision and accuracy of the method are estimated to be within 3% absolute.
Vacuum Ebert Grating Spectrometer

A new scanning spectrometer is described herein which is based almost exclusively on very recent technological advances and which, over the ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared region to 6 microns is capable of resolution and wavelength measuring accuracy comparable, on a wave-number basis, with the best that has been accomplished with spectrographs limited to the photographic region. The instrument is of the Ebert type and employs gratings as large as 5×7 inches, has a focal length of 72 inches, uses circularly curved slits 2 inches long, and can be triple passed. Specifications and performance are outlined.
Investigation of the defect structure of GaN heavily doped with oxygen

Abstract The defect structure of oxygen-doped GaN grown by MOVPE was investigated. At high oxygen pressures, a super-linear increase of electron concentration as a function of partial pressure was observed. Electron concentrations as high as 7×1019 cm−3 were measured. Formation of micropits was observed by scanning electron microscopy in heavily doped samples. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy studies indicated the presence of epitaxial precipitates located on the cavity surface. The precipitates are believed to be related to gallium oxide. Using spatially resolved photoluminescence (PL), a broad PL band at 3.56 eV was observed near the micropit regions. The band was attributed to free-electron recombination from the highly degenerate areas associated with oxygen.
USING THE WEB FOR SOFTWARE ANNOTATIONS

The purpose of software redocumention is to recover comprehension of software and to record it for future use. This paper describes Partitioned Annotations of Software (PAS), where comprehension is recorded in hypertext and browsed by web browsers. The annotations for each code component are partitioned in order to keep different explanations separate, leverage the advantages of hypertext, and better support the processes of program comprehension. The paper describes a tool that parses code and generates PAS skeletons. The paper also describes a process of incremental redocumentation where comprehension of software is recorded incrementally during normal maintenance. The experience with PAS in an industrial project is summarized.
Stoichiometry of consumer‐driven nutrient recycling across nutrient regimes in streams

Stoichiometric constraints within ecological interactions and their ecosystem consequences may depend on characteristics of the abiotic environment such as background nutrient levels. We assessed whether consumer identity, via differing body stoichiometry, could regulate periphyton stoichiometry across nutrient regimes in open systems. In 60 flow-through artificial streams, we factorially crossed dissolved inorganic nitrogen levels (elevated = 294 micog L(-1), ambient = 26 microg L(-1)) with dissolved inorganic phosphorus levels (DIP: elevated = 15 microg L(-1), ambient = 3 microg L(-1)) and consumer type [crayfish (body N : P = 18), snails (body N : P = 28) or a control]. At ambient DIP, periphyton in the crayfish treatment had a lower %P and a lower C : P than periphyton in the snail treatment suggesting that consumer identity, probably mediated by differing P-excretion, regulated periphyton P content. At high DIP, consumer identity no longer affected periphyton elemental composition. Therefore, the stoichiometry of consumer-driven nutrient recycling and consumer identity may be less important to ecosystem functioning in environments with elevated nutrient levels.
Low irradiance background limited type-II superlattice MWIR M-barrier imager

We report a type-II superlattice mid-wave infrared 320×256 imager at 81 K with the M-barrier design that achieved background limited performance (BLIP) and ∼99% operability. The 280 K blackbody's photon irradiance was limited by an aperture and a band-pass filter from 3.6 μm to 3.8 μm resulting in a total flux of ∼5×10(12) ph.cm(-2).s(-1). Under these low-light conditions, and consequently the use of a 13.5 ms integration time, the imager was observed to be BLIP thanks to a ∼5 pA dark current from the 27 μm wide pixels. The total noise was dominated by the photon flux and read-out circuit which gave the imager a noise equivalent input of ∼5×10(10) ph.cm(-2).s(-1) and temperature sensitivity of 9 mK with F/2.3 optics. Excellent imagery obtained using a 1-point correction alludes to the array's uniform responsivity.
Forms of soil phosphorus in selected hydrologic units of the Florida Everglades

The Florida Everglades wetland ecosystem is subject to changes in hydroperiod and nutrient loading, resulting in soil P enrichment and changes in vegetation communities. The objectives of this study were to: (i) quantify the forms of inorganic and organic P in soils from four hydrologic units of the Everglades, and (ii) develop empirical relationships among various soil P forms. Soil samples from selected hydrologic units, including the Water Conservation Areas (WCAs) and the Holey Land Wildlife Management Area (HWMA), were obtained at various locations along transects perpendicular to each nutrient input source, while selected field sites were sampled in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA). Spatial distribution of total P in the surface 0- to 10-cm soil depth showed distinct gradients in the WCAs and HWMA soils, with high total P in soils closer to sources (canals and inflow structures) than in interior, unimpacted areas. Soil ash content and bulk density were also altered as a result of soil subsidence (for EAA soils), hydrology, and nutrient loading (for the WCAs and the HWMA soils). Influence of P loading was primarily confined to the top 30-cm soil depth, with about one-third of the P stored in the inorganic pool (primarily as Ca- and Mg-bound P), and the remainder present as organic P. Inorganic P content was higher in surface soils and decreased with depth. Soil P enrichment indicated that for approximately 5 km from the inflow structures or canals, soils have been impacted by nutrient loading. Empirical relationships developed in this study should be useful for estimating soil P forms at the landscape level, using total P data available for a large number of sites throughout the Everglades region.
Effects of 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate and epidermal growth factor on the proliferation of human mutant fibroblasts in vitro

Abstract Cultures of skin fibroblasts (SF) from individuals with hereditary adenomatosis of the colon and rectum (ACR) and from normal individuals were exposed to 12- O -tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) (0.5–100 ng/ml), and epidermal growth factor (EGF) (0.01–10.0 ng/ml) at both low and high cell densities. Cell proliferation of low density cultures (4.75 × 10 3 cells/cm 2 ) was inhibited by TPA, while cell proliferation of high density cultures (6 × 10 4 cells/cm 2 ) was stimulated by TPA. EGF was mitogenic at both cell densities of normal and ACR-SF cultures. TPA and EGF each produced characteristic changes in the morphology of ACR-SF colonies. The results suggest that EGF and TPA may share only 1 class of receptors, and that TPA may be used to monitor cancer progression.
Deactivation due to sulfur poisoning and carbon deposition on Rh-Ni/Al2O3 catalyst during steam reforming of sulfur-doped n-hexadecane

Abstract Deactivation by sulfur poisoning and carbon deposition of steam reforming catalyst used for hydrogen production from diesel or jet fuel creates a significant barrier to commercialization of fuel cell technologies. Steam reforming of n-hexadecane on a rhodium/nickel catalyst supported on γ-alumina, a formulation previously proposed for steam reforming of logistic fuel, was used to study the deactivation mechanisms. The steam reforming activity was measured in terms of H 2 yields and showed that the catalysts were stable in the absence of sulfur but deactivated over a period of 10 h when sulfur was present at high loading. Stability and activity were higher with higher amounts of Rh content when Ni was kept constant. TEM-EDS of used catalysts revealed preferential adsorption of sulfur on the surface of Ni crystallites; EDS and XRD analysis showed no bulk sulfide formation. Excessive carbon deposition was observed during steam reforming of sulfur-containing fuel. Blocking of reactant species on the surface of the catalyst due to the formation of aromatic/polymeric carbon on the support was also seen, although higher Rh content inhibited this phenomenon.
Sensitivity changes during metacontrast

Abstract Sensitivity of the visual system to a small brief probe stimulus during metacontrast was measured. Sensitivity was measured by placing the probe at one of two spatial positions (either on the center or edge of the test stimulus) and by presenting the probe either before, during, or after the onset of the test stimulus. Three test-mast SOA's were used ( SOA = 0, 70, 175msec ). The effect of maximal metacontrast is to lower the threshold of a probe that occurs just prior to the test and to raise the threshold of a probe that follows the test. The spatial position of the probe did not affect the sensitivity changes. Implications are discussed.