cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of regional and global left ventricular function by serial echocardiograms after reperfusion in acute myocardial infarction.

Fifty patients undergoing successful reperfusion therapy (percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty 20, thrombolysis 10, combined 20) for acute myocardial infarction were evaluated with serial two-dimensional echocardiograms performed early ( 3 days, mean 6 days) after presentation. Treatment occurred within 12 hours of the onset of symptoms with most patients achieving reperfusion in less than 6 hours (mean 4.7 hours) from the onset of pain. Reperfusion was demonstrated short-term by angiography in 42 of 50 patients (84%). Four patients had clinical signs of reperfusion and subsequent angiographic confirmation. An additional four patients with "stuttering" infarct courses were treated late by percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. Echocardiograms were analyzed for global performance by calculation of fractional area change at the papillary muscle level and ejection fraction (biplane Simpson's rule) in 18 patients in whom this analysis could be performed. Measurements of regional function included fractional shortening at the base (n = 37), regional wall motion index (n = 50) and percent of normal functioning myocardium (n = 50). Overall there was a significant improvement in regional wall scores and percent of functioning myocardium (regional wall motion index 1.73 to 1.43, p p p p p
Normalization invariance in quantum field theories

Starting with a lattice formulation of the Feynman-Kac functional integrals defining a quantum field theory, we show that the lack of dependence of the integrals on the ''normalization'' of the bosonic fields leads to a whole class of different functional formulas for the Schwinger functions. These new formulas are all equivalent to the standard ones, but have several advantages that are elucidated. The method is applied to (phi/sup 4/)/sub d/ theories, d = 1, 2, 3, 4, and scalar QED. In addition to the general definition of ''normalization invariance,'' the results in this paper include (i) a functional definition of the Borel transform in the bare coupling, (ii) manifest cut-plane analyticity of the Borel variable, as is the onset of the cut, and (iii) cut-plane analyticity of lattice g/sub 0/(phi/sup 4/)/sub d/ theory in g/sub 0/.
Irritability and impulsiveness: relationship to self-reported impulsive aggression

Impulsive aggressive behavior was assessed in a group of 214 college students through self-report. All subjects completed the Anger Attack Questionnaire, Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory (BDHI) and the Barratt Impulsiveness Questionnaire (BIS-11). Fifty-one subjects (24%) were classified as impulsive aggressive. Analysis of the BDHI and BIS-11 found that impulsive aggressive subjects scored significantly higher than nonaggressives on impulsiveness (BIS-11) and all subscales of the BDHI with the exception of Negativism and Suspicion. Correlation analysis demonstrated that impulsiveness and BDHI Irritability were significantly correlated with number of impulsive aggressive episodes in the previous month, while BDHI Assault was not. Impulsiveness was also found to be significantly related to BDHI Irritability but not to BDHI Assault. Irritability assesses an explosive, uncontrolled type of hostility; assault on the other hand assesses more of a provoked or retaliatory type of hostility which is not likely to be related to impulse control or impulsive aggression. The results of this study clearly demonstrate the usefulness of self-report data in the assessment of impulsive aggressive behavior. BDHI Irritability and BIS-11 impulsiveness both appear to be measuring similar aspects of behavioral control. It is suggested that the BDHI Irritability and BIS-11 scales may be useful in the identification of impulsive aggressive individuals early in their contact with the criminal justice and/or mental health systems.
Individualizing the Lipid Content of Own Mothers' Milk: Effect on Weight Gain for Extremely Low Birth Weight (ELBW) Infants ♦ 1583

Individualizing the Lipid Content of Own Mothers' Milk: Effect on Weight Gain for Extremely Low Birth Weight (ELBW) Infants ♦ 1583
State-of-the-art of SAR automatic target recognition

MIT Lincoln Laboratory is responsible for developing the ATR (automatic target recognition) system for the DARPA-sponsored SAIP program; the baseline ATR system recognizes 10 GOB (ground order of battle) targets; the enhanced version of SAIP requires the ATR system to recognize 20 GOB targets. This paper presents ATR performance results for 10- and 20-target MSE classifiers using high-resolution SAR (synthetic aperture radar) imagery.
Effect of Horn Fly Control on Cows as Expressed by Increased Weaning Weights of Calves

The economic effects of Haematobia irritans (L.) on beef cattle as demonstrated by calf weaning weights were determined on Nebraska sandhill range cattle. Horn fly control ( 97% ) was achieved by forced use of dust bags (June 1 to Oct. 30). The average steer calf weaning weight from cows using dust bags was 386.66 lb as opposed to 373.74 lb for calves from the cows with no fly control. The 12.92 lb difference was significant at the 0.05 level of probability (T test).
Professional nursing support for culturally diverse Family members of critically ill adults

Family members' perceptions of professional support expected of critical care nurses were examined for differences related to cultural affiliation using the “Professional Support Questionnaire for Critical Care Nurses Working with Family Members” (PSQ). The PSQ was administered face-to-face to family members waiting to visit a critically ill relative admitted to the intensive care unit. ANOVA and post hoc tests were computed to compare 90 family members' expectations for professional nursing support during a relative's critical illness across three cultural groups—African American, Hispanic, and White. There were significant differences in family members' responses on certain PSQ items across cultural groups. Despite these differences, family members' expectations of professional support from critical care nurses were generally universal—suggesting equitable care, dignity, and respect should be universal values. There is a need for critical care nurses to develop interventions that respect some cultural uniqueness as well as address the universal needs of family members coping with the ICU admission of a critically ill family member. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Res Nurs Health 22:107–117, 1999
MIMO antenna subset selection with space-time coding

This paper treats multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna subset selection employing space-time coding. We consider two cases differentiated based on the type of channel knowledge used in the selection process. We address both the selection algorithms and the performance analysis. We first consider the case when the antenna subsets are selected based on exact channel knowledge (ECK). Our results assume the transmission of orthogonal space-time block codes (with emphasis on the Alamouti (see IEEE J. Select. Areas Commun., vol.16, p.1451-68, Oct. 1998) code). Next, we treat the case of antenna subset selection when statistical channel knowledge (SCK) is employed by the selection algorithm. This analysis is applicable to general space-time coding schemes. When ECK is available, we show that the selection algorithm chooses the antenna set that maximizes the channel Frobenius norm leading to both coding and diversity gain. When SCK is available, the selection algorithm chooses the antenna set that maximizes the determinant of the covariance of the vectorized channel leading mostly to a coding gain. In case of ECK-based selection, we provide analytical expressions for average SNR and outage probability improvement. For the case when SCK-based selection is used, we derive expressions for coding gain. We also present extensive simulation studies, validating our results.
Building Programme Evaluation into the Design of Public Research‐Support Programmes

An earlier version of this paper was presented at TECHNOLOGICAL POLICY AND INNOVATION: Economic and Historical Perspectives, Paris, November 2000. The research underlying this paper was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation. Lori Snyder provided valuable research assistance. The views expressed are those of the author.
How IRBs View and Make Decisions about Consent Forms

IRBs have been criticized for long and complicated consent forms, but how IRBs make decisions about these issues hasn’t been examined. I contacted leaders of 60 IRBs, and interviewed IRB leaders from 34 (response rate = 55%), and 13 members and administrators. IRBs confront challenges and dilemmas regarding these documents: what and how much these forms should include (e.g., how “perfect” forms should be). While IRBs generally seek to decrease the length and complexity, institutions and industry funders often want these forms to be legal documents. IRBs may also “nitpick” these documents without realizing the costs. This study, the first to explore how IRBs view and make decisions about consent forms, suggests underlying tensions, ambiguities, and subjectivities that have important implications for future policy, practice, education, and research.
Visual and lidar observations of noctilucent clouds above Logan, Utah, at 41.7°N

[1] Noctilucent clouds (NLCs) were observed from a midlatitude site (Logan, Utah) on the evenings of 22 and 23 June 1999 mountain daylight time. On both nights the clouds were seen for approximately an hour by experienced observers, and they were photographed. The NLC was also observed on the second evening for approximately an hour in the zenith with the Rayleigh-scatter lidar at the Atmospheric Lidar Observatory, which is operated by the Center for Atmospheric and Space Sciences on the campus of Utah State University. These observations enabled several of the properties of the cloud to be determined. They were within the range of those observed at higher latitudes, but notably the NLC was very weak and thin. These combined visual and lidar observations unequivocally support the identification of the cloud as a noctilucent cloud. The midlatitude location (41.74°N, 111.81°W) is ∼10° equatorward of previous observations. This equatorward penetration is significant because of potential implications about global change or the global circulation.
Predicted radar/optical feature fusion gains for target identification

Airborne tracking and identification (ID) of high value ground targets is a difficult task impacted by sensor, target, and environmental conditions. Layered sensing, using a combination of standoff and short-range sensors, maintains target track and identification in cluttered environments such as cities or densely vegetated areas through sensor diversity. Data, feature, decision, or information fusion is necessary for high confidence target classification to be achieved using multiple sensors and sensor modalities. Target identification performance is improved by exploiting the extra information gained from independent sensing modalities through information fusion for automatic target recognition (ATR). Increased target ID has been demonstrated using spatial-temporal multi-look sensor fusion and decision level fusion. To further enhance target ID performance and increase decision confidence, feature level fusion techniques are being investigated. A fusion performance model for feature level fusion was applied to a combination of sensor types and features to provide estimates of a fusion gain. This paper presents a fusion performance gain for Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), electro-optical (EO), and infrared (IR) video stationary target identification.
Hemorrhagic Bullous Lesions in Henoch-Schönlein Purpura

This report describes two children with Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP) associated with hemorrhagic bullous lesions. This unusual cutaneous manifestation of HSP may be a source of diagnostic confusion, but it does not appear to have prognostic implications.
Risk of retinopathy in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus before 2 years of age.

Purpose To assess the risk of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) diagnosed at a very early age. Design Observational case series. Methods The records of 51 patients were identified through the diabetes database of the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism at Washington University School of Medicine. The patients were diagnosed with T1DM before 2 years of age and were monitored for at least 5 years after diagnosis. The results of ophthalmic screening examinations were reviewed. Results Fifty-one patients were identified, 33 of whom were monitored for >8 years. None of the patients developed DR. Conclusions Children have a negligible risk of developing DR during the first 10 years of life, even if they are diagnosed before age 2. These results indicate that screening for DR is not necessary before age 10.
Adsorption of free fatty acids on cells of certain microorganisms.

Abstract Information on the inhibitory effect of free fatty acids was sought by growing lactic streptococci in the presence of labeled fatty acids and collecting the cells on membrane filters. The distribution of the radioactivity indicated adsorption by the bacteria. As the number of cells in the growth medium increased, accumulation of radioactivity with the cells on the filter increased. The cells accumulated less than one-tenth as much radioactivity from sodium butyrate as from lauric acid. Washing the cells on the filter with water decreased radioactivity. More complete elution of the radioactivity was obtained by filtering the mixture after it was made alkaline. Though this implies that the association of fatty acid and cells is pH-dependent, adsorption was always evident in the pH range of normal growth. Gas-liquid chromatographic analysis indicated the fatty acids were not metabolized. All results indicate weak adsorption at the bacteria: menstruum interface. The parallels of adsorption and inhibition indicate adsorption is associated with the inhibitory process.
Optimization of thermoelectric cooling for microelectronics

The electronics industry has traditionally cooled critical components using a simple fan/heat sink assembly. Each advance in IC fabrication technology has resulted in the need for a higher performance thermal solution, stressing the limits of conventional fan/heat sink technology. A possible solution to relieve the pressure being placed on future fan/heat sink technology is to incorporate thermoelectric (TE) cooling into the configuration. It has been established that when using TE technology in electronic applications the entire system needs to be optimized simultaneously. This study is an expansion of previous work as it provides an analytic expression for the TE element geometry that minimizes the junction temperature in an electronic application. Further, it is shown that a minimum junction temperature and a maximum COP can be simultaneously achieved by optimizing both the applied current and the TE geometry. Experimental measurements on commercial TE modules are presented that validate the 1-dimensional thermal-electric models. The measurements precisely match predictions if temperature dependent material properties are used in the models. A model based case study suggests that up to /spl sim/100 W can be dissipated using a 0.4 K/W heat sink and an optimized bismuth-telluride TE module while maintaining a 85 /spl deg/C junction temperature.
Newspaper archives reveal major gaps in digital age

In-depth interviews about the archiving practices at nine legacy newspapers and one born-digital publication reveal that legacy newspapers maintain archives of their print editions in paper, microfilm and PDF versions. Archiving of Web-only content and multimedia elements, however, is spotty or nonexistent. The public has limited or no access to digital photo and graphic archives at most newspapers.
Avoidance of serious medical errors in refractive surgery using a custom preoperative checklist.

Purpose To implement and measure the effect of a surgical safety checklist on the prevention of serious medical errors (never-events). Setting Boston Eye Group, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Design Retrospective cohort study. Methods A safety checklist incorporating 28 sources of error was designed and implemented in December 2011 at the Boston Eye Group's refractive surgical center. Consecutive patients who had primary or enhancement laser vision correction (LVC) between July 2009 and February 2014 were included in this study. Before that date, a general checklist fashioned around the World Health Organization time-out procedure was used. The latter subjects were recruited as controls. The perioperative characteristics of both groups were retrospectively compared. Results The study comprised 2951 consecutive patients who had primary or enhancement LVC between July 2009 and February 2014; of these, 1417 patients (2744 eyes) had LVC after the implementation of a presurgical safety checklist. The general checklist fashioned around the World Health Organization time-out procedure was used for 1534 patients (2969 eyes). Both groups were comparable in patient age. The most common surgical procedures were laser in situ keratomileusis (78%) and laser-assisted subepithelial keratectomy with mitomycin-C (16%). Although there were 2 (0.07%) serious errors in the prechecklist cohort, none occurred following implementation of the safety checklist protocol ( P = .23). The medical errors involved wrong refractive aim in 1 patient and wrong person–wrong procedure–wrong aim in another. Conclusions Multiple potential sources of error exist in refractive surgery. The broad-scale implementation of a detailed presurgical safety checklist was helpful in minimizing and preventing serious errors (never-events) during LVC. Financial Disclosure Drs. Shapiro and Urman are members of the Institute for Safety in Office-Based Surgery, a nonprofit organization whose aims are to implement safety checklists for office-based surgery. No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
DOES ABA PLAY A ROLE IN SEED GERMINATION

The possible role of ABA in induction and maintenance of dormancy, and in seed maturation and germination is discussed. The physiological activities of ABA metabolites are also assessed. It is not clear at present whether ABA plays a role in the induction of dormancy. Reduction in ABA content is not sufficient to break dormancy and it has not yet been demonstrated that a reduction is even necessary. There is considerable evidence that ABA levels rise and then fall during maturation of non-dormant seeds. It has been suggested that ABA prevents precocious germination, but more evidence is necessary to support this hypothesis and to determine the mechanism by which ABA might effect this. Although most of the known ABA metabolites have reduced ABA physiological activities, phaseic acid has been found active in several bioassays.
Compliments and Compliment Responses: Grammatical structure and sequential organization

This book analyzes compliments and compliment responses in naturally occurring talk-in-interaction in German. Using Conversation Analytic methodology, it views complimenting and responding to compliments as social actions which are co-produced and negotiated among interactants. This study is the first to analyze the entire complimenting sequence within the larger interactional context, thereby demonstrating the interconnectedness of sequence organization, turn-design, and (varying) function(s) of a turn. In this regard, the present study makes a novel contribution to the study of talk-in-interaction beyond German. The book adds to existing work on interaction and grammar by closely analyzing the functions of linguistic resources used to design compliment turns and compliment responses. Here, the study extends previous Conversation Analytic work on person reference by including an analysis of inanimate object reference. Lastly, the book discusses the use and function of various particles and demonstrates how speaker alignments and misalignments are accomplished through various grammatical forms.
Longevity of Erythrocyte and Reticulocyte in Normal and Splenectomized Guinea Pigs

Summary1. The red cell longevity in normal guinea pigs ranges from 22-28 days. 2. This value increases after splenectomy, reaching a maximum of 32-38 days approximately a month following the operation, and then falls off, becoming normal in about 2 1/2 months. 3. The longevity of the circulating reticulocyte ranges from 4 to 6 days in both normal and splenectomized animals.
Carotid body denervation effect on cytochrome oxidase activity in pre-Botzinger complex of developing rats.

Previously, we found that the rat pre-Botzinger complex (PBC) exhibited reduced cytochrome oxidase (CO) activity on postnatal days (P) 3–4 and especially on P12, with a concomitant decrease in glut...
Fiber stress profiles in the left ventricle of the heart during diastole: effects of distension and hypertrophy.

Pressure-volume and volume-dimensions relationships, obtained from excised dog left ventricles were used for calculating the stresses acting along the longitudinal axis of the individual myocardial fibers. The calculations were based on a set of empirical and theoretical equations. The pressure-volume relationship as well as the volume-dimensions relationships for the excised left ventricle were expressed in the form of empirical equations; the fiber orientation was written as a function of the fiber location within the left ventricular wall; finally, the fiber stress was determined by means of theoretically derived formulas. Simultaneous solutions for the fibers of a meridian cut through the left ventricular myocardial shell were obtained by means of a digital computer and presented in the form of diagrams. The results showed that at low degrees of distension of the left ventricle there are two zones of higher stresses at the equatorial area, one near the epicardium and one near the endocardium. As the distension proceeds under the effect of progressively increasing intraventricular pressure, these two zones become less well defined, whereas a new zone of higher stresses appears near the apex. At high degrees of distension, the ventricle assumes a more spherical shape and the equatorial zones of higher stresses are replaced by zones of lower stresses. Increase in the myocardial mass results in appearance of the equatorial lower stress zones at lower degrees of distension.
How effective in your training of volunteers

This work addresses one of the basic concepts of volunteer management, a three-level program for training volunteers. The author addresses the need for an appropriate amount of training, the important categories of training for volunteers and the use of volunteers as trainers of other volunteers. She presents a perspective of training of volunteers which is applicable to many types of organizations utilizing volunteers and to a diversity of volunteer services. The author's direct and simple approach to this aspect of volunteer management serves as a reminder of the important part training plays in the volunteer experience.
A 72-year-old man with prostate cancer

The patient, L.E., is a 72-year-old white male who has been under our care for 10 years. He initially presented to our clinic in 1992, with a diagnosis of localized prostate cancer.
The Perceived Effect of Stressors on Marital Satisfaction among Civilian Wives of Enlisted Soldiers Deployed to Somalia for Operation Restore Hope

Nearly 400 spouses of enlisted soldiers who had deployed to Somalia as part of Operation Restore Hope in late 1992 and early 1993 were surveyed in July/August 1993. Their reported post-deployment and retrospective pre-deployment marital satisfaction was predicted as a function of four potentially stressful events or conditions: experiencing a pregnancy during deployment, experiencing loneliness, experiencing the death of a close friend or relative, and/or having problems communicating with one's spouse. Pre-deployment marital stability was used as a control variable. Results from multivariate analyses of variance suggest that the effects of various difficulties during a brief deployment are less stressful, at least in terms of their impact on marital satisfaction, than is often assumed, even for marriages that might be considered "at risk" in terms of low marital stability.
Mechanistic examination of aerobic Pt oxidation: insertion of molecular oxygen into Pt–H bonds through a radical chain mechanism

DFT calculations were performed in an effort to evaluate the mechanism of O2 insertion into the Pt–H bond of TpMe2PtIVMe2H catalyzed by AIBN or light. Results are consistent with a radical chain mechanism involving H˙ loss to form a PtIII˙ species followed by addition of O2 to form PtIIIOO˙. Subsequent radical propagation involving this PtIIIOO˙ species and an additional equivalent of the PtIV starting material result in the formation of the observed PtIVOOH and regeneration of the PtIII˙. In addition examination of the reaction between AIBN and the PtIV hydroperoxo product demonstrates that radical initiation reactions involving the product occur with a lower barrier than with the initial starting material supporting the idea of autoacceleration in this reaction. Other possible mechanisms were examined in an effort to understand the limited reactivity reported in the absence of light or radical initiators. TDDFT calculations were performed in an effort to understand the reported parallel photo-induced reaction. These calculations found the reactant to be transparent in the relevant light range. An experimental UV-Vis spectrum was obtained and is in agreement with the calculations.
Changes in Calculated Process Times and Drained Weight based on Soaking and Blanching of Kidney and Navy Beans.

Kidney and navy beans were given different soaking/blanching treatments and canned in 300 × 407 and 603 × 700 cans with each container receiving equal amounts of dry weight of that bean. The process time (Bb) for kidney beans decreased as the amount of moisture in the beans increased. For both kidney and navy beans soaked for 2 h, the process time decreased when the fill weight was increased by 12 and 8%, respectively. For 0 and 2 h soaked kidney beans, the drained weights after processing were statistically the same even though the kidney beans soaked for 2 h had a moisture level 3.3-fold greater. Comparing 2 h soaked beans with fully soaked, blanched beans, the process time increased significantly for fully soaked, blanched beans by 9 and 46% for beans in 300 × 407 can and 603 × 700 can, respectively. The operation of blanching tended to lower the process time and drained weight of navy beans.
Transport and retention of TiO 2 and polystyrene nanoparticles during drainage from tall heterogeneous layered columns

Recent developments in nanotechnology have seen an increase in the use of manufactured nanomaterials. Although their unique physicochemical properties are desirable for many products and applications, concern continues to exist about their environmental fate and potential to cause risk to human and ecological health. The purpose of this work was to examine one aspect of nanomaterial environmental fate: transport and retention in the unsaturated zone during drainage. The work made use of tall segmented columns packed with layers of two different porous media, one medium sand and one fine sand. The use of tall columns allowed drainage experiments to be conducted where the water table remained within the height of the column, permitting control of final saturation profiles without the need for capillary barrier membranes which can potentially complicate analyses. Experiments were conducted with titanium dioxide (TiO2) and polystyrene nanomaterials. For the strongly negatively-charged polystyrene nanomaterials, little retention was observed under the conditions studied. For the TiO2 nanomaterials, results of the work suggest that while saturated fine sand layers may retain more nanomaterials than saturated coarse sand layers, significantly greater retention is possible in unsaturated media. Furthermore, unsaturated medium sand layers exhibited significantly greater retention than adjacent saturated fine sand layers when present at low saturations high above the water table. Retention by unsaturated media were found to correlate strongly with elevation. Free drainage experiments including both primary and secondary drainages in homogeneous columns showed evidence of redistribution during imbibition and secondary drainage, but still showed substantial unsaturated retention of TiO2 nanoparticles high in the column, despite re-saturation with- and drainage of nanoparticle-free water.
Monitoring a Silent Phase Transition in CH3NH3PbI3 Solar Cells via Operando X-ray Diffraction

The relatively modest temperature of the tetragonal-to-cubic phase transition in CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite is likely to occur during real world operation of CH3NH3PbI3 solar cells. In this work, we simultaneously monitor the structural phase transition of the active layer along with solar cell performance as a function of the device operating temperature. The tetragonal to cubic phase transition is observed in the working device to occur reversibly at temperatures between 60.5 and 65.4 °C. In these operando measurements, no discontinuity in the device performance is observed, indicating electronic behavior that is insensitive to the structural phase transition. This decoupling of device performance from the change in long-range order across the phase transition suggests that the optoelectronic properties are primarily determined by the local structure in CH3NH3PbI3. That is, while the average crystal structure as probed by X-ray diffraction shows a transition from tetragonal to cubic, the local structure gene...
A permanent plot study of vegetation and vegetation-site factors fifty-three years following disturbance in centralNew England, U.S.A.

Permanent plots, established at the Harvard Forest, Petersham, Massachusetts, U.S.A. in 1940 following the 1938 New England Hurricane, were resampled in order to examine the response of forest unde...
What Is the More Effective Antibiotic Stewardship Intervention: Preprescription Authorization or Postprescription Review With Feedback?

Background The optimal approach to conducting antibiotic stewardship interventions has not been defined. We compared days of antibiotic therapy (DOT) using preprescription authorization (PPA) vs postprescription review with feedback (PPRF) strategies. Methods A quasi-experimental, crossover trial comparing PPA and PPRF for adult inpatients prescribed any antibiotic was conducted. For the first 4 months, 2 medicine teams were assigned to the PPA arm and the other 2 teams to the PPRF arm. The teams were then assigned to the alternate arm for an additional 4 months. Appropriateness of antibiotic use was adjudicated by at least 2 infectious diseases-trained clinicians and according to institutional guidelines. Results There were 2686 and 2693 patients admitted to the PPA and PPRF groups, with 29% and 27% of patients prescribed antibiotics, respectively. Initially, antibiotic DOTs remained relatively unchanged in the PPA arm. When changed to the PPRF arm, antibiotic use decreased (-2.45 DOT per 1000 patient-days [PD]). In the initial PPRF arm, antibiotic use decreased (slope of -5.73 DOT per 1000 PD) but remained constant when changed to the PPA arm. Median patient DOTs in the PPA and PPRF arms were 8 and 6 DOT per 1000 PD, respectively (P = .03). Antibiotic therapy was guideline-noncompliant in 34% and 41% of patients on days 1 and 3 in the PPA group (P < .01) and in 57% and 36% of patients on days 1 and 3 in the PPRF group (P = .03). Conclusions PPRF may have more of an impact on decreasing antibiotic DOTs compared with PPA. This information may be useful for institutions without sufficient resources to incorporate both stewardship approaches.
Future of testicular germ cell tumor incidence in the United States: Forecast through 2026

BACKGROUND Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs) are rare tumors in the general population but are the most commonly occurring malignancy among males between ages 15 and 44 years in the United States (US). Although non-Hispanic whites (NHWs) have the highest incidence in the US, rates among Hispanics have increased the most in recent years. To forecast what these incidence rates may be in the future, an analysis of TGCT incidence in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program and the National Program of Cancer Registries was conducted. METHODS TGCT incidence data among males ages 15 to 59 years for the years 1999 to 2012 were obtained from 39 US cancer registries. Incidence rates through 2026 were forecast using age-period-cohort models stratified by race/ethnicity, histology (seminoma, nonseminoma), and age. RESULTS Between 1999 and 2012, TGCT incidence rates, both overall and by histology, were highest among NHWs, followed by Hispanics, Asian/Pacific Islanders, and non-Hispanic blacks. Between 2013 and 2026, rates among Hispanics were forecast to increase annually by 3.96% (95% confidence interval, 3.88%-4.03%), resulting in the highest rate of increase of any racial/ethnic group. By 2026, the highest TGCT rates in the US will be among Hispanics because of increases in both seminomas and nonseminomas. Rates among NHWs will slightly increase, whereas rates among other groups will slightly decrease. CONCLUSIONS By 2026, Hispanics will have the highest rate of TGCT of any racial/ethnic group in the US because of the rising incidence among recent birth cohorts. Reasons for the increase in younger Hispanics merit further exploration. Cancer 2017. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
PMP22 exon 4 deletion causes ER retention of PMP22 and a gain-of-function allele in CMT1E.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether predicted fork stalling and template switching (FoSTeS) during mitosis deletes exon 4 in peripheral myelin protein 22 KD (PMP22) and causes gain-of-function mutation associated with peripheral neuropathy in a family with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1E. METHODS Two siblings previously reported to have genomic rearrangements predicted to involve exon 4 of PMP22 were evaluated clinically and by electrophysiology. Skin biopsies from the proband were studied by RT-PCR to determine the effects of the exon 4 rearrangements on exon 4 mRNA expression in myelinating Schwann cells. Transient transfection studies with wild-type and mutant PMP22 were performed in Cos7 and RT4 cells to determine the fate of the resultant mutant protein. RESULTS Both affected siblings had a sensorimotor dysmyelinating neuropathy with severely slow nerve conduction velocities (<10 m/sec). RT-PCR studies of Schwann cell RNA from one of the siblings demonstrated a complete in-frame deletion of PMP22 exon 4 (PMP22Δ4). Transfection studies demonstrated that PMP22Δ4 protein is retained within the endoplasmic reticulum and not transported to the plasma membrane. CONCLUSIONS Our results confirm that that FoSTeS-mediated genomic rearrangement produced a deletion of exon 4 of PMP22, resulting in expression of both PMP22 mRNA and protein lacking this sequence. In addition, we provide experimental evidence for endoplasmic reticulum retention of the mutant protein suggesting a gain-of-function mutational mechanism consistent with the observed CMT1E in this family. PMP22Δ4 is another example of a mutated myelin protein that is misfolded and contributes to the pathogenesis of the neuropathy.
A Qualitative Analysis of Adolescent and Caregiver Acceptability of Universally Offered Gonorrhea and Chlamydia Screening in the Pediatric Emergency Department

Study objective We qualitatively explore adolescent and parent or guardian attitudes about benefits and barriers to universally offered gonorrhea and chlamydia screening and modalities for assessing interest in screening in the pediatric emergency department (ED). Methods A convenience sample of forty 14- to 21-year-olds and parents or guardians of adolescents presenting to an urban and community pediatric ED with any chief complaint participated in individual, semistructured, confidential interviews. Topics included support of universally offered gonorrhea and chlamydia screening, barriers and benefits to screening, and modalities for assessing interest in screening. Data were analyzed with framework analysis. Results Almost all adolescents (37/40; 93%) and parents (39/40; 98%) support offering ED gonorrhea or chlamydia screening. Benefits included earlier diagnosis and treatment, convenience and transmission prevention (cited by both groups), and improved education and long-term health (cited by parents/guardians). Barriers included concerns about confidentiality and cost (cited by both groups), embarrassment (cited by adolescents), and nondisclosure to parents or guardians (cited by parents/guardians). Adolescents preferred that the request for gonorrhea or chlamydia screening be presented in a private room, using tablet technology. Both groups noted that the advantages to tablets included confidentiality and adolescents' familiarity with technology. Adolescents noted that tablet use would address concerns about bringing up gonorrhea or chlamydia screening with clinicians, whereas parents or guardians noted that tablets might increase screening incidence but expressed concern about the lack of personal interaction. Conclusion Universally offered gonorrhea and chlamydia screening in a pediatric ED was acceptable to the adolescents and parents or guardians in this study. Offering a tablet-based method to assess interest in screening may increase participation.
Fidelity of a simple Liberty leaf-painting assay to validate transgenic maize plants expressing the selectable marker gene, bar

ABSTRACTScreening of gene manipulation events (transgenic, mutation/genome editing, etc.) is a cost/labor-intensive and time-consuming process in plant science research. While polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the most commonly used method for screening, the process still requires efficient DNA extraction and subsequent confirmation. However, PCR cannot predict gene expression. To screen a larger number of transgenic plants, it would be ideal to develop a quick and reliable screening procedure. We have applied a Liberty® leaf-painting method (against bar gene under 4x35S promoter) to screen transgenic maize (Zea mays L.) plants and validated the results through PCR and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Liberty leaf painting at 500 mg L−1a.i. was > 95% accurate in identifying transgenic events that agreed with the PCR results. Further investigation of bar gene expression in sensitive lines that were PCR positive shows very low expression of the bar gene. We have provided a simple, and rapid assay to d...
Medical nanobot for cell and tissue repair

Nano robots are very tiny machines too negligible to see through naked eye designed to perform a specific task whose components are at or close to the scale of a nanometer Medical nanobots are in the range of nanometer scale and the main element used will be carbon nanotubes because of strength and chemical inertness This paper discloses one of the major application of a nanobot that can be used for human cell tissue and even organ repair Since nanobot performs more than one task for repairing a tissue hence there is a need of programming and usage of more than one nanobots Cell tissue repair nanobot is more advanced and sophisticated than nanobot that is used in the cancer treatment
General Issues Regarding Psychiatric Testimony

In resolving some types of legal conflicts the court may seek information as to the mental status of one or more of the litigants. Often this information will have a critical influence on the court’s decision. The legal system uses the testimony and observations of ordinary persons in determining certain aspects of a litigant’s mental status such as his motivation. However, the presence of most forms of mental impairment is usually determined with the assistance of experts. The psychiatrist is commonly asked to evaluate litigants and testify as to their mental status. He can provide facts (such as the existence of abnormal laboratory tests) that would not otherwise be available to the court. He can also provide professional opinions as to the litigant’s emotional status. These will be respected by the court and will be given more weight than the testimony of ordinary persons.
Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Complicated by Central Neuronal Hyperventilation (P4.318)

Objective: NA Background: Few Cases have reported central neuronal hyperventilation (CNH) secondary to infiltrative malignancy or autoimmune disease. The lesion is usually located at the pontine tegmentum and interrupts the fibers between the respiratory centers in the pons and those in the medulla. Design/Methods: We report a case of 57 year-old female with multiple comorbidities who was admitted to the neurocritical care unit after intra-operative rupture of a 4mm distal basilar aneurysm while being electively coiled. An external ventricular drain (EVD) was placed due to early signs of ventriculomegaly. The postoperative exam showed progressive encephalopathy, left more than right hemiplegia, progressive tachypnea (rate and depth) despite being on assisted mode ventilation leading to severe hypocapnia (12.8 mmhg) and compensatory renal acidosis (Bicarbonate = 8.5 mmol/L) to maintain normal PH. Attempt to sedate the patient led to severe metabolic acidosis. Intraventricular nicardipine was started and the patient ventilator settings were changed to bi-level pressure control. Transcranial Doppler (TCD) showed markedly improved vasospasms. The patient respiratory rate and to a lesser extent, the tidal volumes improved after several days. Sedation was weaned off successfully. EVD was successfully weaned off and removed. Results: TCD and CT angiogram showed sever basilar artery vasopspasm while MRI done later showed bilateral tegmental midbrain ischemia. Conclusions: One case has reported acute central neuronal hyperventilation following left thalamic bleed while another reported chronic neuronal hyperventilation that was attributed to old bilateral lacunar thalamic strokes by exclusion. Our case is the first to report central neuronal hyperventilation following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage that complicated by bilateral tegmental midbrain strokes. While respiratory centers are known to exist in the medulla and pons, more recent articles have described networks that regulate breathing extending to the midbrain peri-acquiductal grey and possibly the thalami. Our unique case supports this hypothesis. Study Supported by: NA Disclosure: Dr. Abd Elazim has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hussein has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hamed has nothing to disclose. Dr. Sawalha has nothing to disclose. Dr. Torbey has nothing to disclose. Dr. Greene-Chandos has nothing to disclose.
Who are the “Illegals”? The Social Construction of Illegality in the United States:

Immigration scholars have increasingly questioned the idea that “illegality” is a fixed, inherent condition. Instead, the new consensus is that immigration laws produce “illegality.” But can “illeg...
Flyover-Noise Reduction of Commercial Aircraft via Reduced Slat Deflections and Modified Flight Procedures

Current regulation and operation of commercial aircraft result in flyover noise that generates public protest from residents well outside the recognized noise footprint of modern airports. This noise issue was recently exacerbated by the implementation of NextGen air-traffic control which uses GPS-navigation for predictable flight paths and improved efficiency. A side-effect of the narrow flight corridors is a perceived increase in noise level and annoyance experienced by the residents directly under the flight paths. As a possible solution to the community noise issue, the feasibility of a lower slat deflections and modified flight procedures were explored. To document the maximum potential noise reduction, field measurements were conducted on the ground at locations before and after slat deployment. For safety considerations, the stall margin of a lower slat deflection was computed for a realistic geometry based on a modern commercial aircraft. The logistics of setting lower slat angles on current aircraft were also investigated through discussions with the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and aircraft manufacturers. The results suggest that community flyover noise could be reduced via lower slat deflections during early approach, but that modifying current aircraft would be difficult due to existing control systems and hurdles in certification. Alternatively, modifications to existing flight procedures could reduce the perceived noise of the NextGen flight patterns. For next generation commercial aircraft, reduced slat deflections could be considered if mandated by FAA noise requirements during early approach.
Electron Diffraction in the Picosecond Domain Steven Williamson and Gerard Mourou and Synchronous Amplification of 70 fsec Pulses Using a Frequency-Doubled Nd: YAG Pumping Source

With the exception of picosecond photoelectron switching recently demonstrated, streak camera tubes have been used exclusively as a fast optical and x-ray diagnostic tool. However, some of the most beautiful features of the image converter device used in the streak camera have been only partially exploited with this application. The image converter device produces a temporal and spatial monoenergetic photoelectron replica of the incident optical pulse. This replica is ultimately limited by the temporal and spatial resolution of the particular streak tube employed. Temporal and spatial resolution can be as good as subpicosecond and 100 μm respectively. It is also worth noting that this replica is accurately synchronized with the incident optical pulse. We have used this electron burst to generate an electron diffraction pattern, inferring that picosecond snap shots of laser induced structural changes in laser annealing or in the field of surface physics, can now be taken not only with a picosecond exposure, but also in picosecond synchronization with the laser induced kinetics. In the experiment (Fig.1) a demountable photochron II streak camera tube is used. The Al specimen of 150 Angstroms thickness is located in the drift space 1 cm behind the anode. The diffraction pattern is captured on a phosphor sreen and photographed using an image intensifier with a gain of 3×104 lens coupled to the film.
Development of an anatomically correct testbed (ACT) hand

We have built an Anatomically Correct Testbed (ACT) hand with the purpose of understanding the intrinsic biomechanical and control features of the human hands that are critical for achieving robust, versatile, and dexterous movements as well as object and world exploration. By mimicking the underlying mechanics and controls of the human hand in a hardware platform, our goal is to achieve previously unmatched grasping and manipulation capabilities. In this chapter we present distinguishing design philosophy and features of the ACT Hand compared to the existing robotic hands, and the details of the design and assembly of the finger bones, joints, tendons and actuators. We derive and analyze the unique muscle-to-joint relationships, called the moment arms, in the ACT Hand index finger, and present a software architecture for the control of the hand movement and forces by controlling the numerous muscle actuators. We also illustrate the grasping and manipulation abilities of the ACT Hand. The fully functional ACT Hand platform allows us to experiment with novel control algorithms to develop a deeper understanding of human dexterity.