cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ethanol neurotoxicity on neuroblast-enriched cultures from three-day-old chick embryo is attenuated by the neuronotrophic action of GABA

Abstract In the present study, using neuroblast-enriched cultures derived from three-day-old chick embryos (E3WE), we examined the morphological effects of ethanol and/or GABA, as well as the developmental profile of the cholinergic and GABAergic neuronal phenotypes, as assessed by the activities of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and glutamate decarboxylase (GAD). Cultures exposed to ethanol (50 mM) exhibited smaller and fewer aggregates than controls with a neuritic network that lacked fasciculation. In cultures treated with GABA (10 − 5 M) alone or ethanol + GABA the size and number of the neuronal aggregates was increased and also neuritic arborization and fasciculation was enhanced. Thus, addition of GABA restored the normal growth pattern in the ethanol-treated cultures. As previously shown, E3WE culture treated with ethanol alone showed a decrease in both ChAT and GAD activities compared to controls. Both cholinergic and GABAergic neuronal phenotypes were enhanced in cultures treated with GABA as assessed by increases in ChAT and GAD activities, respectively, compared to controls. Moreover, in cultures treated concomitantly with ethanol and GABA both ChAT and GAD activities were higher than in ethanol-alone-treated cultures. Thus, the presence of GABA in the ethanol-treated cultures counteracted the decline in ChAT and GAD activities observed in the ethanol-alone-treated cultures. We concluded that GABA through its neuronotrophic actions can rescue neuroblasts from ethanol insult and restore neuronal phenotypes.
Cationic ring opening cyclopolymerization of bis(oxazolines). Synthesis of chiral polymers containing pendent heteromacrocycles

Novel biphenyldiylbis(oxazoline) and both racemic and optically active and binaphthyldiylbis(oxazolines) (1−4) have been cationically cyclopolymerized to give polymers that contained pendent heteromacrocyclic metal receptors. The optically active cyclopolymers showed very high specific optical rotations per repeat unit that varied between [α −248° and [α −321° depending upon the solvent. Circular dichroism spectra and optical rotation showed dependence on molecular weight. The cyclopolymers are thermally robust with decomposition temperatures >400 °C and glass transition temperatures (Tg) between 200 and 302 °C. The polymers were reduced with AlH3 to give polymers with pendent nitrogen-containing heteromacrocycles. Dichloromethane solutions of the reduced polymers were used to extract Cu(NO3)2 from aqueous solutions to give complexes whose stoichiometry varied from 3−4 Cu2+ ions per five reduced repeating units. The Cu2+-containing cyclopolymers gave higher Tg (100−180 °C) than obtained for the reduced po...
Exploring self-forgiveness

This article presents the results of a phenomenological study of the experience of self-forgiveness. On the basis of in-depth interviews with seven subjects, self-forgiveness is described not as an achievement but rather as a gift where one moves from estrangement and “brokenness” to a sense of at-homeness.
Inverse Methods to Determine the Aerodynamic Forces on a Membrane Wing

A series of experiments integrating a stereo triangulation system within a wind tunnel allows for full-field deformation measurements over a low aspect ratio membrane micro air vehicle wing. This data set is then used to estimate the aerodynamic forces over the wing through a finite element-based inverse method. The method involves making a parametric approximation to the differential pressure field over the wing, followed by a least-squares minimization of the difference between calculated and measured displacements. Data from a strain gage sting balance is used to determine the best parametric approximation at each flight condition. This method allows for accurate estimation of the aerodynamic forces, strictly through a careful analysis of the three-dimensional wing displacement field. Furthermore, the calculated pressure fields bear many of the hallmarks associated with low aspect ratio, low Reynolds number aeroelasticity.
INJURIES AND DEATH OF CHILDREN IN ROLLOVER MOTOR VEHICLE CRASHES IN THE UNITED STATES

Context: There is an increased awareness of the problem of rollover crashes, but few data on children involved in rollover crashes in the United States. Objective: To determine: (1) the rates of rollover crashes involving children and the incidence of fatal injury; (2) the characteristics of crashes involving children; (3) the risk factors for children being in a rollover compared with a non-rollover crash; and (4) whether the risk of death is greater for children involved in crashes in sport utility vehicles (SUVs) or passenger cars. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Data: 1993 through 1998 crashes involving children younger than 16 years included in the Crashworthiness Data System or reported to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System. Results: During the study period, 100.4 children per 100 000 person-years were involved in a rollover crash, accounting for 10% of all children involved in crashes. The incidence of fatal injuries in rollover crashes was 3.4 per 100 000 person-years. Sixty percent of children involved in rollovers were riding in SUVs. Among vehicles carrying children and involved in a crash, the adjusted relative risk of the crash being a rollover was 11.1 (95% confidence interval (CI) 9.3 to 13.3) for SUVs compared with passenger cars. The adjusted relative risk of death was 1.8 (95% CI 1.1 to 2.8) in a rollover crash and the relative risk of injury was 2.1 (95% CI 1.1 to 3.8) compared with non-rollover crashes. However, the relative risk of death for children in SUVs which crashed was 0.4 (95% CI 0.1 to 2.5) compared with passenger cars which crashed. Conclusions: Crashes involving children in SUVs were more likely to be rollover crashes than those involving passenger cars, and rollover crashes were associated with an increased risk of death and injury. However, the overall risk of death for children in a crash was not higher for children who crashed in an SUV compared to children who crashed in a passenger vehicle. Whether children are safer overall in SUVs compared with other cars cannot be answered with the data used.
Fewer Things, Lasting Longer: The Effects of Emotion on Quantity Judgments

Although emotion and timing interactions have been extensively examined, the effects of emotion on another important quantitative tracking process, numerical pro-cessing, have been unstudied. Temporal-processing tasks involving tracking the durations of visual stimuli have revealed that emotion information leads to a subjec -tive dilation or overestimation of duration relative to neutral information (e.g., Angrilli, Cherubini, Pavese, & Manfredini, 1997; Bar-Haim, Kerem, Lamy, & Zakay, 2010; Droit-Volet, Brunot, & Niedenthal, 2004). Yet it is entirely unknown how emotions affect numerical estimations in similar conditions. An important distinction underlying this investigation is whether, at their most fundamental levels, time and number are truly separable domains. It has been claimed that they are part of a common magni-tude-tracking system (Meck & Church, 1983; Walsh, 2003), which would suggest that numerical estimates, like temporal ones, should also be increased under the influ-ence of emotion. However, evidence against shared sys-tems (e.g., Agrillo, Ranpura, & Butterworth, 2010; Dormal, Seron, & Pesenti, 2006) suggests that temporal and numeric processing are separable at a fundamental level. Therefore, it is certainly possible that temporal and numeric processing are each affected by emotion in qual -itatively different ways.The aim of this study was to test the effects of emo-tional stimuli on temporal and numeric processing within the same individuals and, using a baseline condition without emotion stimuli, to compare processing of time and number within subjects. In doing this, the present study not only serves as the first investigation of the impact of emotional stimuli on numerical processing, but it also offers new data to consider in relation to theories of a shared common magnitude system for time and number.
An experiment on boundary mixing: mean circulation and transport rates

Etude experimentale dans laquelle une couche limite turbulente est formee le long d'une paroi inclinee d'un reservoir contenant une solution saline stratifiee
The Determinants of Campaign Spending in Mayoral Elections

We examine why levels of campaign spending vary across U.S. mayoral elections. Although there has been debate about the extent to which spending is damaging or beneficial, few analyses have sought to understand the factors that inhibit or promote campaign spending. We focus on the impact of city-level attributes, political institutions, and contest-specific factors and find that a number of the variables we consider have important effects on campaign spending, including local government form, term length, scope of local government, an experienced candidate pool, and open seat and runoff elections. We conclude by discussing the implications of our findings for local policy makers.
Identification of the Mechanical Subsystem of the NEES-UCSD Shake Table by a Least-Squares Approach

A least-squares method is used to determine the fundamental parameters of a simple mathematical model for the mechanical subsystem of the NEES-UCSD large high performance outdoor shaking table. The parameters identified include the effective horizontal mass, the effective horizontal stiffness, and the coefficient of the classical Coulomb friction and viscous damping elements representing the various dissipative forces in the system. The values obtained for these parameters are validated by comparisons with previous results based on an alternative identification method applicable only to periodic tests and by comparisons with experimental data obtained during earthquake simulation tests and harmonic steady-state tests. The proposed identification approach works well for periodic sinusoidal and triangular tests, earthquake simulation tests, and white noise tests with table root mean square above 10% of gravity.
Cardiac and skeletal myopathy associated with cardiac dysrhythmias

Abstract Electrophysiologic studies, echocardiograms, cardiac catheterizations and histologic and biochemical analyses of skeletal muscle biopsies were performed in 10 patients (aged 10 to 37 years, mean 21) who had dysrhythmias as the initial manifestation of cardiomyopathy. Presenting symptoms and signs attributable to dysrhythmias included sudden cardiac arrest in 2 patients, syncope in 3, presyncope in 3 and palpitations in 2. There was no clinical evidence of skeletal muscle weakness in any patient. Multicatheter electrophysiologic evaluation established diagnoses of ventricular tachycardia in 6 patients, primary atrial tachycardia in 2 and third degree infra-Hisian heart block in 1 patient. One patient presenting with palpitations had no inducible arrhythmia or conduction disturbance. Echocardiographic, angiographic and hemodynamic studies demonstrated previously unsuspected dilated cardiomyopathy in 7 patients and restrictive cardiomyopathy in 3. Skeletal muscle histologic characteristics were abnormal in all 10 patients; increases in lipid droplets and endomysial fibrosis were the characterstic findings. Serum free carnitine and short- and long-chain acylcarnitine were normal in 9 patients. However, skeletal muscle long-chain acylcarnitine was reduced in 9 patients. These findings support the concept that in certain patients presenting with dysrhythmias, the dysrhythmia may be a manifestation of cardiac and skeletal (that is, generalized) myopathy.
Implications of magmatic epidote-bearing plutons on crystal evolution in the accreted terranes of northwestern North America

Magmatic epidote in a plutonic rock signifies that the rock probably crystallized at pressures of at least 8 kbar (25–30 km depth). In western North America, undeformed Late Cretaceous plutons containing magmatic epidote occur within a mobile belt extending from northern California to southeastern Alaska; this belt has been interpreted as consisting of accreted terranes. Because the present crustal thickness within this belt is about 30 km, the plutons imply a crustal thickness at the time of emplacement of 55–60 km, comparable to that in the central Andes. The plutons further imply paleogeothermal gradients in the host country rock at the time of intrusion of not more than 20 °C/km and may be closer to 12 °C/km. Such cool, thick crust suggests that subduction and piling of thrust sheets were probably the principal processes of crustal accretion in western North America. The implications regarding the depth of crystallization of the plutons can be used to estimate the minimum rate of regional uplift; it is on the order of 1 mm/yr. The rapid uplift of the mobile belt by and large did not affect the craton.
Environmental residues and biomonitoring estimates of human insecticide exposure from treated residential turf

Intentional and unavoidable human exposure is a consequence of using pesticides to nurture and protect residential turf. Limited exposure studies have been conducted for assessing potential human exposure of turf residues. Exposure was measured in persons who performed a 20-minute structured activity (Jazzercise®) on chlorpyrifos (CP)-treated Kentucky bluegrass (12 ± 4 μg CP/cm2). CP exposure was measured by determining urine clearance of the 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP). Study participants wore either 100% cotton whole body dosimeters (union suit, gloves, and socks) or exercise suits (shorts and a sports top or one-piece suit with similar amounts of exposed skin). An average of 1.6 mg CP/person was extracted from whole body dosimeters worn by study participants. The measured residue transfer was well below the 35 mg CP/person estimated using the US EPA standard operating procedures. Biomonitoring based on urine clearance of TCP indicated that an average of 1.3 μg CP/kg was absorbed. Absorbed dosages (0.5 to 2 μg CP/kg) derived from transferable residue on cotton cloths pressed to the turf with a weighted roller were similar to estimates from biomonitoring. A very limited amount of CP applied to turf is available for transfer and absorption during intensive human contact.
Analysis of the conditional skip instructions of the HP precision architecture

The HP-PA instruction set allows any arithmetic instruction to conditionally skip the following instruction based on the result of the arithmetic calculation. We have isolated this architectural feature and measured its performance benefit on a set of SPEC benchmark programs. Results indicate that adding the ability to skip to arithmetic instructions yields only a marginal performance benefit (less than 0.3%) for floating point intensive programs. For integer programs, however, the average benefit is between 0.6 and 2.8%. Most of this benefit comes from using arithmetic nullification with the COMICLR and COMCLR instructions. Our results assume a scalar processor, and therefore provide a lower bound on the performance benefit for more aggressive implementations.
Reproductive and lactational performance of rats bred at different ages.

SummarySeventy-two female rats were randomly allotted to three groups and mated at average ages of 44, 63, and 82 days. One half of each age group was killed at parturition and the other one half at day 16 of lactation. Although rats in the youngest age group weighed less than those in the other two groups at each weighing, these age and weight differences did not significantly affect litter weight or number of pups per litter at birth. The oldest rats had more total mammary DNA at parturition, but no significant difference existed by the 16th day of lactation. Total RNA doubled during lactation for all three age groups, but there was no significant difference among age groups at parturition or at day 16. Average litter weight gains were not significantly affected by age at mating, indicating that rats bred as early as 40 days of age lactated and raised litters as well as rats bred after 60 days of age.
DIMENSIONLESS PARAMETERS FOR EVALUATION OF THERMAL DESIGN AND PERFORMANCE OF LARGE-SCALE DATA CENTERS

Large-scale data centers (~20,000m 2 ) will be the major energy consumers of the next generation. The trend towards deployment of computer systems in large numbers, in very dense configurations in racks in a data center, has resulted in very high power densities at room level. Due to high heat loads (~3MWs) in an interconnected environment, data center design based on simple energy balance with zones, is inadequate. Energy consumption of data centers can be severely increased by inadequate air handling systems and rack layouts that allow the hot and cold air streams to mix. In this paper, for the first time, we formulate nondimensional parameters to evaluate the thermal design and performance of large-scale data centers. The parameters, based on temperature and flow data, reflect the convective heat transfer and fluid flow inside the data center. These parameters have been formulated as indices that are scalable from rack level to data center level. To provide a proof of concept, computational fluid dynamic models of data centers are used to validate and demonstrate these indices. A first level design of experiment study is carried out to understand the effect of geometry and data center workload on the parameters. Different data center configurations are also investigated to understand the effectiveness of these parameters in specific cases. These parameters will not only provide an invaluable tool to understand convective heat transfer in large data centers but also suggest means to improve energy efficiency in data centers. Motivation
Moving library metadata toward linked data: opportunities provided by the eXtensible Catalog

To ensure that they can participate in the Semantic Web, libraries need to prepare their legacy metadata for use as linked data. eXtensible Catalog (XC) software facilitates converting legacy library data into linked data using a platform that enables risk-free experimentation and that can be used to address problems with legacy metadata using batch services. The eXtensible Catalog also provides "lessons learned" regarding the conversion of legacy data to linked data by demonstrating what MARC metadata elements can be transformed to linked data, and helping to suggest priorities for the cleanup and enrichment of legacy data. Converting legacy metadata to linked data will require a team of experts, including MARC-based catalogers, specialists in other metadata schemas, software developers, and Semantic Web experts to design and test normalization/conversion algorithms, develop new schemas, and prepare individual records for automated conversion. Library software applications that do not depend upon linked data may currently have little incentive to enable its use. However, given recent advances in registering legacy library vocabularies, converting national library catalogs to linked data, and the availability of open source software such as XC to convert legacy data to linked data, libraries may soon find it difficult to justify continuing to create metadata that is not linked data compliant. The library community can now begin to propose smart practices for using linked data, and can encourage library system developers to implement linked data. XC is demonstrating that implementing linked data, and converting legacy library data to linked data, are indeed achievable.
Cervical conization and the risk of preterm delivery

The current body of literature concerning cervical conization and its effect on subsequent pregnancy outcome is conflicting. Depending on the type of conization procedure that is examined and the quality of the control group, the results and conclusions vary widely. Because treatment for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia is commonplace among women of reproductive age, it is imperative that practitioners have an understanding of the issues surrounding the treatment. Therefore, this review will summarize the published literature that addresses excisional procedures of the uterine cervix and the risk of preterm delivery in subsequent pregnancies and provide reasonable treatment recommendations for women with cervical abnormalities and a desire for future fertility.
In situ fermentation monitoring with recombinant firefly luciferase

A novel method is described for the on-line determination of viable cell number. It has been tested in fermentations of Escherichia coli. The cells are transfected with the gene for firefly luciferase and fed low levels of luciferin in the medium. The reaction requires ATP, so the nonviable cells cannot produce light. Thus, light production is linear with viable cell density from innoculation through most of exponential growth. The light emitted by these cells is then conducted from the reaction vessel to the light detection equipment by an optical fiber. With the equipment described below, as few as a 106 cells/mL, or an OD600 of 0.004, are easily detectable and concentrations greater than 1010 cells/mL are well within range. The data are collected by a computer, so adaptation to on-line control applications is straightforward. During lag phase, this method is much more accurate then optical density measurements. At the end of exponential growth, rapid changes in light production mark carbon source depletion and the onset of cell lysis. A simple model accounts for the luciferin used during the fermentation and corrects the light detected to the proper cell density. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Investigation of protein similarity using the Kolmogrov-Smirnov test

The near completion of the sequencing of the human and other genomes has provided a wealth of information that is yet to be interpreted. Similarity studies of proteins can often provide insights into protein function, as functionally similar proteins are often similar at some level of their primary, secondary, tertiary or quaternary organization. We propose the Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistic as a metric of protein similarity and demonstrate its use by comparing functionally related and unrelated proteins.
Tips for Successful Mediation

These days, it seems that almost every civil lawsuit is mediated. The forum is either a private mediation in which the parties select and pay for a mediator or a court-mandated mediation or settlement conference held before a retired judge, a United States Magistrate Judge or another court-appointed mediator. Mediations are so common that there are now numerous private international, national and local mediation groups, bar association mediators, and individual mediators. Many judges and lawyers who "retire" from the active practice of law become mediators. More cases are settled at mediation than are resolved at trial.Accordingly, because mediation has become the dispute resolution process of choice in almost every jurisdiction, it makes sense to focus on what elements contribute to a successful mediation. For purposes of this article, a successful mediation is defined as (1) one in which the dispute is settled and (2) in which the parties are satisfied with the mediator's services. Mediators for hire should agree with this definition since one of their objectives is to get hired again and each of these criteria plays a large role in attracting repeat business.
Enumeration of structured flowcharts

An analysis of structured flowcharts is presented, where size is measured by the number, n, of decision nodes (IF-THEN-ELSE and DO-WHILE nodes). For all classes of structured flowcharts considered, the number of charts is approximately, cn-3/2gn, for large n, where c>and g are parameters that depend on the class. It is also shown that most large flowcharts consist of a short sequence of basic charts (IF-THEN-ELSE and DO-WHILE charts). The average length of such sequences is 2.5.
Interpretation of North Pacific Variability as a Short- and Long-Memory Process*

Abstract A major difficulty in investigating the nature of interdecadal variability of climatic time series is their shortness. An approach to this problem is through comparison of models. In this paper a first-order autoregressive [AR(1)] model is contrasted with a fractionally differenced (FD) model as applied to the winter-averaged sea level pressure time series for the Aleutian low [the North Pacific (NP) index] and the Sitka winter air temperature record. Both models fit the same number of parameters. The AR(1) model is a “short-memory” model in that it has a rapidly decaying autocovariance sequence, whereas an FD model exhibits “long memory” because its autocovariance sequence decays more slowly. Statistical tests cannot distinguish the superiority of one model over the other when fit with 100 NP or 146 Sitka data points. The FD model does equally well for short-term prediction and has potentially important implications for long-term behavior. In particular, the zero crossings of the FD model tend t...
An empirical model for determining the radial force–deflection characteristics of off–road bicycle tyres

To characterize tyre stiffness on uneven terrain for use in a mathematical model of an off–road bicycle, this study developed an empirical model of tyre radial load–deflection behaviour. To provide data for the tyre model, load–deflection was measured for a single tyre compressed on a variety of semicircular surfaces spanning radii 58.4 cm convex to 58.4 cm concave. A power equation which included two independent data for both concave and convex surfaces - tyre deflection and surface radius - and six coefficients was found to fit the experimental data for both surfaces. However, the coefficients were dependent on the type of surface (i.e. either convex or concave). The concave surface model predicted the force to within a maximum relative error of 4.2% for all concave surfaces tested while the maximum relative error for the convex surfaces was bounded by 13.5%. With the accuracy of the tyre model established, it can now be incorporated into a bicycle/rider system model.
Predicting renal functional outcomes after surgery for renal cortical tumors: A multifactorial retrospective analysis

e16005 Background: Nephrectomy (Nx) is the standard of care for localized renal tumors. The risk of developing chronic renal insufficiency (CRI) increases after renal surgery. This study examines t...
Fumigation of Lettuce: Efficacy and Phytotoxicity

Lettuce was fumigated in the laboratory with several commercially available fumigants at various dosages and exposure periods at 4.4 or 24°C. Fourteen days after exposure, lettuce was examined and rated for damage. Eggs, larvae, and pupae of Trichoplusia ni (Hubner) were exposed in space to fumigants which produced the least damage to lettuce to determine the lowest dosages and periods of exposure which would kill these life stages of the insect. Of the fumigants tested, acetaldehyde, phosphine, ethylene chlorobromide, and ethylene dibromide caused the least amount of damage to lettuce. Phosphine, ethylene chlorobromide, and ethylene di bromide killed the life stages of the cabbage looper at dosages and exposure periods which resulted in a minimum of damage to lettuce. Acetaldehyde did not kill all the loopers exposed to the highest dosage tested.
Gonadal Dysfunction After Testicular Torsion: Luteinizing Hormone and Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Response to Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone

Abstract We studied 14 postpubertal patients at an average of 33 months after treatment for testicular torsion. Of these patients 11 had been treated by detorsion and 3 by orchiectomy. Five normal male volunteers of the approximate age of the study group served as controls. The patients treated by detorsion were subdivided into 3 groups based on the degree of atrophy of the detorsed testicle: group 1—no testicular atrophy (5), group 2—25 per cent testicular atrophy (2) and group 3—greater than 90 per cent testicular atrophy (4). Mean duration of torsion was greatest in the orchiectomy group (161 hours) compared to 6, 16 and 29 hours for groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively. The serum luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone response to an intravenous bolus of 100 mcg. synthetic gonadotropin releasing hormone was measured in all patients. All groups had a greater mean follicle-stimulating hormone response to gonadotropin releasing hormone stimulation than controls (p less than 0.05). Patients who underwent orchiectomy had the greatest follicle-stimulating hormone response to gonadotropin releasing hormone stimulation. Mean luteinizing hormone response to gonadotropin releasing hormone stimulation was normal in patients without atrophy (group 1) but it was greater than controls in patients who had atrophy (groups 2 and 3) or who underwent orchiectomy (p less than 0.05). Several conclusions could be made from our study. All patient groups treated for torsion had evidence of testicular dysfunction. Patients who underwent orchiectomy displayed more testicular dysfunction than patients who had atrophy after detorsion. Testicular dysfunction after torsion is more likely to involve spermatogenic before Leydig cell function.
Energy Flow in Disordered Lattices (Discussion of a Film)

In the course of an investigation of the thermal conductivity of disordered harmonic and anharmonic lattices,(1) it was decided that a better understanding of the nature of the energy flow could be obtained by following the propagation of an energy pulse through a lattice graphically. This paper describes a film which provides a technique for direct observation of the lattice motion.
Conclusion: The Dragon Enters the Nets

I have proposed an alternative analytical framework to observe modernization in general and Chinese modernization in particular from a perspective emphasizing the institutions and institutional changes of a nation’s domestic organizational structure. Labor allocation patterns (LAPs) have been proposed and used as the indicators for this analytical approach. After a brief review of LAPs in the two-thousand-year history of China and an examination of the LAPs in contemporary China, I have come to the point of conclusion. Section I attempts an assessment of the analytical framework proposed and used in this book. Its explanatory power and limits will be discussed based on its application in the Chinese case. Section II briefly summarizes the main findings of this book. The institutional features and the comprehensive institutional changes of the Chinese domestic organizational structure will be briefly revisited and explained. These findings may help us to narrow the currently tremendous uncertainties in China studies. Section III revisits some of the questions posted in Chapter 4 and speculates about the future of Chinese modernization, based on the findings of this study.
Effects of Testosterone Replacement on Pain Catastrophizing and Sleep Quality in Men with Opioid-Induced Androgen Deficiency.

Objective. The objective of this investigation was to determine the effects of testosterone administration on pain catastrophizing and sleep quality in adult men with opioid-induced androgen deficiency. Design. Sixty-two men aged 18–64 years using opioid analgesics for chronic non-cancer pain with total testosterone levels < 350 ng/dl were randomized to 14 weeks of transdermal testosterone gel or placebo gel daily. Total testosterone levels were measured by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry and free testosterone was calculated using the law of mass action equation. Outcomes were assessed by administering validated instruments such as Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) at baseline and 14 weeks. Results. Baseline characteristics were similar between the two groups. Mean (SD) total testosterone concentrations increased from 223 ± 86 to 775 ± 555 ng/dl in the testosterone group, but did not meaningfully change in placebo group. Mean changes in PCS and ISI scores during intervention did not differ significantly between groups and were not related to changes in on-treatment serum testosterone concentrations. Conclusion. In this 14-week trial, testosterone administration in men with opioid-induced androgen deficiency was not associated with improvements in pain catastrophizing or sleep quality.
Gazella spekei (Speke’s gazelle)

Skin biopsies of one male (donated by Mr. Dennis Meritt, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois, USA) and of one female (donated by Dr. Boever, St. Louis Zoo, St. Louis, Missouri, USA) were used to initiate cell cultures. Karyotypes are similar to that of Dorcas gazelle except for an inversion of X. The compound X comprises 12.28% of the haploid set, that of X alone is 7.15% of the haploid genome. The X portion of the compound chromosome is late replicating in one member of the diploid female set. The distal portion of the X is homologous to an acrocentric autosome. The karyotypes shown here are prepared with the G-banding technique.
Manipulation of gravity anomaly data using fourier series

Extensive gravity anomaly coverage is required in formulating an accurate gravity perturbation vector. Stokes' and Meinesz's integral formulas are presently used in calculating the gravity vector. However, a two-dimensional Fourier series approach to data representation is presented which efficiently functionalizes the data so as to minimize the computational complexity involved in determining the gravity perturbation vector. Also discussed is the hypothesis of using a Satellite Field gravity model to reduce the raw gravity anomalies to a finer residual gravity anomaly field which has not been mathematically modeled.
Giving Calcification Its Due: Recognition of a Diverse Disease: A First Attempt to Standardize the Field.

Cardiovascular calcification is a growing burden and a leading predictor of and contributor to acute cardiovascular events. Arterial calcification associates with a 4-fold increase in cardiovascular events, and patients with aortic valve calcification have a 5-year event-free survival rate of only 26%,1,2 worse than that of many cancers. Despite massive healthcare costs and extensive research efforts, effective therapeutic strategies remain elusive. Cardiovascular calcification, often generalized as one disease, is in reality a multifaceted disorder that occurs in diverse milieus as a result of multiple, interacting pathogenic processes. Herein, we explore these variables and propose a set of guidelines for studying cardiovascular calcification. Although vascular and valvular calcification share several risk factors, only ≈25% to 50% of patients with aortic valve calcification also present with significant coronary artery disease,3 suggesting that common risk factors initiate divergent disease processes. ### Vascular Versus Valvular Calcification Differences in prevalence are not unexpected, particularly when these 2 tissues are closely examined. Unlike the collagen and elastin-rich medial layer of the vasculature, the aortic valve has a complex trilayered architecture consisting of collagen, elastin, and proteoglycans. Calcific nodules occur almost exclusively on the stiffer, collagen-rich aortic side of the valve. Calcification takes the form of either hyperphosphatemic medial mineralization or inflammatory-driven intimal calcification, and although these discrete forms may coexist, they tend to be mechanistically distinct. Only 10% to 13% of valves and vasculature exhibit mature bone formation, while the remainder is dystrophic mineralization.4 The resident cell populations responsible for maintaining these tissue structures are also dissimilar: instead of vascular smooth muscle cells, valve interstitial cells populate the aortic valve. Valve interstitial cells are normally a quiescent fibroblastic population that may undergo myofibrogenesis, osteogenesis, and chondrogenesis during disease, thereby adding complexity to valvular calcification. The valve is particularly sensitive to biomechanical stimuli—calcific nodule formation occurs in …
Position Based Single Particle Tracking (P-SPT) for High-Resolution Deformation and Motion Capture

Our recently developed Position based Single Particle Tracking (P-SPT) algorithm utilizes a novel approach to track particles at high seeding density in 2D and 3D at very fast computational speeds. Traditional kinematic measurement technique like single particle tracking (SPT) struggle at accurately reconstructing large, nonlinear material deformation fields, and high spatial frequency content as they are computationally very expensive for high particle seeding densities, especially in 3D. Despite recent advances, approaches like image correlation are also computationally expensive and are limited in the recovery of high spatial frequency information due to their intrinsic correlation nature. P-SPT tracks particles by creating unique feature identifiers for each particle using the relative geometric position of neighboring particles. This unique feature identifier, or descriptor, is used for particle linking between two successive time frames. The nature of feature descriptor along with a deformation warping function enables P-SPT to capture large, nonlinear material deformation fields. Validation of P-SPT performed on synthetically generated 3D volumetric images show that P-SPT is computationally efficient equipping it to track particles at high seeding densities far exceeding the typical bead densities used in traditional SPT methodologies thus enabling it to reconstruct high spatial frequency information. Since P-SPT only requires the particle position for tracking, it can be employed for tracking motion fields in 2D images, 3D volumetric images or multi-camera imaging system. This flexibility of P-SPT along with its computational efficiency means that it can be executed reliably on a simple personal computers in variety of biological applications that require reconstruction of high frequency and high spatial motion content, like quantifying cell deformations for 2D and 3D traction force microscopy, subcellular dynamics or particle dynamics in granular and cellular media.
Pathways of Care and Treatment Options for Patients with NTOS

Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is a rare and complex group of disorders that may cause severe and disabling symptoms, and caring for patients with these conditions provides many challenges to health care providers. An organized, systematic, approach to the diagnosis and treatment of TOS provides an opportunity for specialists to deliver patient-centered care and to achieve optimal results with treatment. This specialized type of care is best delivered through the efforts of a multi-disciplinary team that consists of various specialists, including vascular surgery, thoracic surgery, neurology/neurosurgery, orthopedics, radiology, anesthesiology, pain management, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. This chapter will focus on the care path for managing patients with a diagnosis of neurogenic TOS (NTOS), as based on our experience at Washington University/Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Evaluation and care of patients with venous and arterial forms of TOS are covered elsewhere in this textbook.
How can we accelerate dissemination of knowledge and learning?: developing an online knowledge management platform for networked improvement communities

The Networked Improvement Learning and Support (NILS) platform is an online tool designed to accelerate the initiation and development of Networked Improvement Communities in a disciplined manner. Its main goal is to promote social, organizational learning through curation and synthesis and tacit to explicit knowledge conversion to facilitate knowledge construction and ownership by the communities regarding improvement practice in education. In this proposal we will discuss the NILS platform, a few use cases, and a plan of analytics development that advances knowledge dissemination and monitors the health status of networks.
Staff Workshop Improves Child Care Center Menus in South Central Texas: A Best Food for Families, Infants, and Toddlers (Best Food FITS) Intervention

Abstract Objective To assess the efficacy of an educational workshop for child care center staff to improve menus. Methods Staff from 18 centers attended a nutrition educational workshop that included an activity that compared center menus to MyPlate standards. Four weeks of menus collected before and after the workshop were imported into SuperTracker; the Food Details report produced menu data clustered by day and center. Changes in pre-post menus were assessed using Healthy Eating Index scores and the SAS software macro, MIXCORR. Results After the workshop, there was a lower probability that fruit juice (P = .03) and starchy vegetables (P = .004) and a higher probability that non-starchy vegetables (P Conclusions and Implications Comparing 4 weeks of menus revealed menu changes. Workshop interventions show promise for improving children's health.
SIS in Research and Practice

This chapter provides an overview of how SIS research studies are done; how different SIS systems, services, and users are evaluated; and how all of the above are implemented. First, we present a brief description of common research methods for SIS studies. These methods include observations, interviews, content analysis, and mixed methods. Next, we recognize the challenge of evaluating SIS. We’ll explain some of the popular methods for evaluation in this field, which include usability testing, system-based training-testing, quantitative evaluations, and qualitative evaluations. Finally, various products and services that implement and/or facilitate SIS are introduced. They include different forms of communication tools and methods, peer-driven services, expert-driven services, and social live streaming services (SLSSs ).
Presetting ECG electrodes for earlier heart rate detection in the delivery room.

Abstract Aim To determine whether heart rate (HR) could be detected earlier than by pulse oximeter (POX), using a novel method of application of electrocardiogram (ECG) electrodes during neonatal resuscitation in the delivery room. Methods ECG electrodes were set before delivery to be applied to the back of infants’ thorax. Time to detect HR was recorded as soon as a numerical HR along with a recognizable and persistent QRS complex was observed on ECG monitor (HRECG) and a plethysmographic waveform was seen on POX monitor (HRPOX). Results Out of 334 infants, 49 were Conclusion In the delivery room, electrodes applied by the study method are more effective than pulse oximetry in providing the neonatal team with timely HR information that is necessary for proper resuscitative actions.
Delays in definitive cervical cancer treatment: An analysis of disparities and overall survival impact

Abstract Objective Delays in time to treatment initiation (TTI) with definitive radiation therapy (RT) or chemotherapy and RT (CRT) for cervical cancer could lead to poorer outcomes. This study investigates disparities in TTI and the impact of TTI on overall survival (OS). Methods Adult women with non-metastatic cervical squamous cell carcinoma diagnosed between 2004 and 2014, treated with definitive RT or CRT, and reported to the National Cancer Database were included. TTI was defined as days from diagnosis to start of RT or CRT. The impact of TTI on OS in patients treated with concurrent CRT which included brachytherapy was then assessed. Results Overall, 14,924 patients were included (84.7% CRT, 15.3% RT). TTI was significantly longer for Non-Hispanic Black (NHB) (RR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.11 to 1.18) and Hispanic women (RR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.15 to 1.24) compared to Non-Hispanic White (NHW) women. Expected TTI (eTTI) for NHW, NHB, and Hispanic women were 38.1, 45.2, and 49.4days. eTTI rose from 36.2days in 2004 to 44.3days by 2014. Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) was associated with increased eTTI of 46.5days versus 40.0days for non-IMRT. Longer TTI was not associated with inferior OS in patients treated with concurrent CRT. Conclusions Delays in starting RT/CRT for cervical cancer increased from 2004 to 2014. Delays disproportionately affect NHB and Hispanic women. However, increased TTI was not associated with increased mortality for women receiving CRT. Further study of TTI's impact on other endpoints is warranted to determine if TTI represents an important quality indicator.
Comparison of Constructive Interference in Steady-State and T1-Weighted MRI Sequence at Detecting Pituitary Adenomas in Cushing's Disease Patients.

Background T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) remains the standard pituitary imaging sequence. However, up to 50% of pituitary adenomas are missed with standard imaging in Cushing's disease (CD) patients. Utility of other imaging sequences needs be explored. Objective To compare a T2-gradient echo sequence, constructive interference in steady state (CISS), with a contrast-enhanced (CE) T1-weighted sequence, volume-interpolated breath-hold examination (VIBE), in the detection of pituitary adenomas in CD patients. Design Retrospective analysis of CD patients who underwent endoscopic transsphenoidal pituitary adenomectomy at our institution. Patients and Measurement Twelve patients were included in the study. Two neuroradiologists, who were blinded to the patients' clinical and surgical findings, independently reviewed the CE-VIBE and CISS images. Localization of pituitary adenoma from imaging was compared with intraoperative localization. Results The averaged sensitivity of detecting pituitary adenoma in CD patients was not significantly different between CE-VIBE sequence (63%) and CISS sequence (54%). The positive predictive value was 75% (Observer A) and 100% (Observer B) with CE-VIBE sequence, and 64% (Observer A) and 100% (Observer B) with CISS sequence. In two patients, pituitary adenoma was easily localized with CISS sequence but hard to detect with CE-VIBE sequence. In two other patients, the adenoma was much better delineated on CE-VIBE sequence. Conclusion In our series, the addition of CISS sequence to T1-weighted MRI imaging protocols improved the detection of pituitary adenomas in CD patients. CISS sequence may be a useful adjunct to T1-weighted pituitary MRI protocols and an appropriate alternative for patients with gadolinium contraindications.
Voodoo Priests, Noble Savages, and Ozark Gypsies: The Life of Mary Alicia Owen

Review of: "Voodoo Priests, Noble Savages, and Ozark Gypsies: The Life of Mary Alicia Owen," by Greg Olson.
Performance of cerebral palsied children under conditions of reduced auditory input.

This study investigated the task performance of cerebral palsied children under conditions of reduced auditory input and under normal auditory conditions. A nonhandicapped group was studied in a si...