cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simulation in Obstetrics

According to the WHO website, “[m]aternal mortality is unacceptably high” (http://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/maternal-mortality, accessed 8/31/18), and simulation plays a critical role in enabling obstetric teams to practice together to improve safety and care of mothers and their newborns. One of the unique aspects of obstetric anesthesiology is the anesthesiology clinician’s central involvement in an interprofessional team. The increasingly complex needs of pregnant patients require an equally sophisticated team to meet the demands of this patient population. Adapted from the aviation industry, healthcare crew resource management CRM training aims to develop the skills of a team as they pertain to interprofessional relationships (Palaganas et al., J Interprof Care 28(2): 110–115. doi: https://doi.org/10.3109/13561820.2013.869198, 2014). The goal of interprofessional healthcare simulation is to allow members of different role groups to learn about, from, and with each other to improve competencies and create a synergistic approach to improved patient care (Navedo et al., Int Anesth Clin 53(4): 115–133. doi: https://doi.org/10.1097/AIA.0000000000000077, 2015). This chapter covers not only application of individual-level simulation training for obstetric anesthesiology but also a broader strategy of team-based simulation training that reflects the team-based nature of optimal obstetric care.
Effect of Graded Hypoxia on High-Affinity Ca2+-ATPase Activity in Cortical Neuronal Nuclei of Newborn Piglets

Previous studies have shown that nuclear calcium signals control a variety of nuclear functions including gene transcription, DNA synthesis, DNA repair and nuclear envelope breakdown. The present study tested the hypothesis that the activity of the neuronal nuclear high affinity Ca2+-ATPase increases as a function of decreased energy metabolism in the cerebral cortex. Studies were performed in 11 ventilated newborn piglets, age 3-5 days, divided into normoxic (Nx, n = 4) and hypoxic (Hx, n = 7) groups. The animals were exposed to a single FiO2 in the range from 0.21 to 0.05 for one hr. Cerebral tissue hypoxia was confirmed biochemically by determining brain tissue ATP and phosphocreatine levels. Neuronal nuclei were isolated and the high-affinity Ca2+-ATPase activity determined. During graded hypoxia, cerebral tissue ATP decreased from 4.80 +/- 0.58 (normoxic) to 1.03 +/- 0.38 (ranging from 0.61-1.63) micromol/g brain (p < 0.05) and PCr decreased from 3.94 +/- 0.75 (normoxic) to 0.99 +/- 0.27 (ranging from 0.50 to 1.31) micromol/g brain (p < 0.05). The total high affinity Ca2+-ATPase activity in the hypoxic nuclei increased and ranged from 541 to 662 nmol/mg protein/hr, compared to activity in normoxic group of 327 to 446 nmol/mg protein/hr. During graded hypoxia, the level of nuclear high affinity Ca2+-ATPase activity correlated inversely with ATP (r = 0.91) and PCr levels (r = 0.82), with activity increasing as tissue high energy phosphates decreased. The results demonstrate that the decrease in cerebral energy metabolism during hypoxia is linearly correlated with an increase in activity of high affinity Ca2+-ATPase in cerebral cortical nuclei from immature brain. We propose that increased nuclear membrane high affinity Ca2+-ATPase activity, leading to increased nuclear Ca2+, will result in altered expression of apoptotic genes that could initiate programmed neuronal death.
Salvage of autogenous dialysis access with balloon-assisted thrombin injection.

Abstract Arteriovenous fistulas are known to be one of the most enduring and safe hemodialysis access modalities. However, access preservation can be challenging in the setting of degeneration, including the development of complex pseudoaneurysms. Prolonged compression or thrombin injection can risk thrombosis of the fistula, and covered stent use can predispose the access to infection and other stent complications. We present a case in which endovascular balloon occlusion was used to facilitate the use of ultrasound-guided thrombin injection to resolve a dialysis access pseudoaneurysm by transiently reducing flow and preventing thromboembolism. This method is a safe, effective, and minimally invasive technique that should be considered for salvage of autogenous access compromised by pseudoaneurysm development.
Crowding Out Bank Loans: Liquidity-Driven Bond Issuance

Using corporate balance sheets data following the COVID-19 shock, we provide evidence that the bond market is central to firms' access to liquidity. Contrary to good times, bond issuers increased holdings of liquid assets rather than real investment. Moreover, even though the crisis did not originate in the banking sector, bonds were revealed-preferred to bank loans: many issuers left their bank credit lines untouched, while others used bond proceeds to repay existing bank loans. This liquidity-driven bond issuance implies that while the Federal Reserve intervention revitalized markets, its net effect on firms and the real sector was likely smaller than initially thought.
Knowledge needs for implementing HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis among primary care providers in a safety-net health system

Abstract Safety-net health systems are a primary source of care for socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals who may be eligible for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and are priority groups under the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative. Nevertheless, little evidence is available about barriers to PrEP implementation in safety-net settings. We aimed to assess the association between PrEP knowledge and prescribing practices, and to ascertain unmet knowledge needs to implement PrEP. In 2019, we surveyed primary care providers (PCPs) in a safety-net health system that serves an EHE priority jurisdiction located in North Texas. Our questionnaire ascertained self-reported prescribing practices, knowledge, and training needs related to PrEP. We used penalized logistic regression to estimate odds ratio (OR) and 95% posterior limits (PL) for the association between provider self-rated knowledge of PrEP and PrEP prescribing. Our study population comprised 62 primary care providers, of whom 61% were female, 60% were non-Hispanic White, 76% were physicians (76%), 57% had ≥ 10 years of practice experience, 45% reported low self-rated PrEP knowledge, and 35% prescribed PrEP in the past year. Providers with low PrEP knowledge had 69% lower odds of prescribing PrEP within the past year (OR = 0.31, 95% PL: 0.12, 0.82). Eligibility for PrEP, side effects and adherence concerns were key unmet knowledge needs. Our findings suggest that low provider PrEP knowledge may be a barrier to PrEP prescribing among safety-net PCPs. Our results provide insight about specific educational needs of PCPs in a safety-net health system, which are amenable to educational intervention.
Person-centered analysis of self-regulated learner profiles in MOOCs: a cultural perspective

Learning in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) requires learners to self-regulate their learning process or receive effective self-regulated learning (SRL) interventions to accomplish personal goals. Much attention has thus been paid to how SRL influences learner performance in MOOCs, but research has overlooked a person-centered analysis of how online learners perform SRL in this setting. Without understanding this individual difference, educators are unlikely to provide effective SRL interventions tailored to each type of self-regulated learner. In addition, it remains uncertain how culture shapes the differences in SRL traces, especially given that most of the existing understandings of SRL are rooted in Western cultures. To fill the gaps, this research applied learning analytics to explore learner profiles in terms of how they performed SRL in MOOCs. Using K-means clustering analysis, this research revealed four different self-regulated learner profiles: all-around SRL learners, disillusioned SRL learners, control-oriented SRL learners, and control-dominated SRL learners. In addition, all-around SRL learners outperformed the other three clusters in course grades. This research also identified cultural differences between those clusters. Practical implications on how to design effective SRL interventions are provided.
Co-Designed Quasi-Circulator and Bandpass Filter

This paper focuses on RF co-designed front-end components that simultaneously exhibit the function of a quasi-circulator (QC) and a bandpass filter (BPF). They are based on transistor-based non-reciprocal stages that are effectively combined with a Wilkinson divider and/or passive resonators. RF front-end miniaturization is achieved through: i) a magnetic-free design method that exploits the inherent non-reciprocal properties of transistors and ii) the realization of an RF component with co-located signal processing actions. For proof-of-concept validation purposes, two QC/BPF prototypes were designed, manufactured and measured at 2.4 GHz. The first prototype exhibited a single-pole BPF response with minimum in-band insertion loss (IL) of 0.9 dB, 3-dB FBW of 18.9% and maximum isolation (IS) of 21 dB, 16.9 dB and 46 dB for respectively RF signal transmission between ports 1 and 2, 1 and 3 and 2 and 3. The second prototype exhibited a two-pole BPF response with minimum in-band IL of 0.5 dB, 3-dB FBW of 14.6%, and maximum IS of 21.3 dB, 20.3, and 47.4 dB for respectively RF signal transmission between ports 1 and 2, 1 and 3 and 2 and 3.
Hemodynamics in the Echo Lab

Evaluating cardiac hemodynamics is an important part of interpreting echocardiograms. This chapter will review the principles underlying the non-invasive hemodynamic assessment. We will provide a step by step approach for completing an “echocardiographic Swan-Ganz catheterization” which serves as the building blocks for interrogating complex hemodynamic challenges.
Automated formalization of structured natural language requirements

Abstract The use of structured natural languages to capture requirements provides a reasonable trade-off between ambiguous natural language and unintuitive formal notations. There are two major challenges in making structured natural language amenable to formal analysis: (1) formalizing requirements as formulas that can be processed by analysis tools and (2) ensuring that the formulas conform to the semantics of the structured natural language. fretish is a structured natural language that incorporates features from existing research and from NASA applications. Even though fretish is quite expressive, its underlying semantics is determined by the types of four fields: scope, condition, timing, and response. Each combination of field types defines a template with Real-Time Graphical Interval Logic (RTGIL) semantics. We have developed a framework that constructs temporal logic formulas for each template compositionally, from its fields. The compositional nature of our algorithms facilitates maintenance and extensibility. Our goal is to be inclusive not only in terms of language expressivity, but also in terms of requirements analysis tools that we can interface with. For this reason we generate metric-temporal logic formulas with (1) exclusively future-time operators, over both finite and infinite traces, and (2) exclusively past-time operators. To establish trust in the produced formalizations for each template, our framework: (1) extensively tests the generated formulas against the template semantics and (2) proves equivalence between its past-time and future-time formulas. Our approach is available through the open-source tool fret and has been used to capture and analyze requirements for a Lockheed Martin Cyber–Physical System challenge.
Police Officers’ Qualified Immunity in Excessive Force Claims, Warrant Execution, and Warrantless Searches and Arrests: Tracing the Evolution of, and Stagnation in, U.S. Supreme Court Precedents

We analyzed all U.S. Supreme Court cases as of June 6, 2020 where private complainants filed either a §1983 action or Bivens action against police officers who claimed the defense of qualified immunity (N = 29). Empirical analysis of qualified immunity claims involving excessive force, unlawful warrant executions, and unlawful warrantless searches and arrests reveal the Court’s growing trend of ruling in favor of police officers. In 10 out of 13 cases involving excessive force claims, three out of five unlawful warrant execution claims, and nine out of 10 unlawful warrantless searches and arrests claims, the Court granted police officers’ qualified immunity. The requirement for private complainants to identify a case where the Court ruled against the officer in similar circumstances makes it extremely difficult to defeat the defense of qualified immunity. The Court should reconsider its standard of proving “clearly established rights,” an element of qualified immunity.
Assistant Principals’ Perceptions of the Principalship

Education research has established a significant relationship between school leadership and students’ achievement. This study considered the leadership self-efficacy and practice of public school assistant principals (AP) in the domains of facilitating a supportive collaborative learning environment, instructional leadership, school improvement, management, and family and community relations, as perceived by APs' self-report. Findings of this study suggest that,Â in addition to the strengths in the domain of facilitating a collaborative learning environment and efficacy around family and community engagement, there were explicit gaps in the instructional leadership and school improvement practices of APs that need to be addressed. The study also confirmed that there continues to be a proliferation of duties and a lack of consistent set of practices.
Liquid–Liquid Demonstrations: Critical Opalescence

In the vicinity of a critical point, the impact of a substance’s chemical identity is superseded by universal critical behavior for a number of physical properties, such as visible light scattering. In this classroom demonstration, students observe a single-phase critical mixture of partially miscible isobutyric acid + water (IAW) as the liquid–liquid sample cools down to its critical temperature. Students see the sample change from colorless and transparent, to pale blue, to white and turbid. This optical behavior is called critical opalescence. No pressure control is necessary for the demonstration since the system is a condensed phase, so the sample can be large (100 mL here) and suitable for classroom visualization. The experiment is easy to set up and highly repeatable because the critical temperature of the IAW system is just above room temperature. The demonstration can be used to show the difference in angular dependence for light scattering from a single-phase sample versus a two-phase sample containing a suspension of droplets, and also to segue to a conversation on why the sky is blue. Furthermore, the critical IAW sample may be incorporated into a quantitative classroom demonstration or laboratory project in which laser light scattering measured at 90° of incidence is used to calculate the correlation length amplitude ξ0 of the IAW system and the universal critical exponent ν.
Homogeneous optical linewidths in hybrid Ruddlesden-Popper metal halides can be only measured using nonlinear spectroscopy

The homogeneous photoluminescence spectral linewidth in semiconductors carries a wealth of information on the coupling of primary photoexcitations with their dynamic environment as well as between multi-particles. In the limit in which inhomogeneous broadening dominates the total optical linewidths, the inhomogeneous and homogeneous contributions can be rigorously separated by temperature-dependent %linear spectral measurements such as steady-state photoluminescence spectroscopy. This is possible because the only temperature-dependent phenomenon is optical dephasing, which defines the homogeneous linewidth, since this process is mediated by scattering with phonons. However, if the homogeneous and inhomogeneous linewidths are comparable, as is the case in hybrid Ruddlesden-Popper metal halides, the temperature dependence of linear spectral measurement \emph{cannot} separate rigorously the homogeneous and inhomogeneous contributions to the total linewidth because the lineshape does \emph{not} contain purely Lorentzian components that can be isolated by varying the temperature. Furthermore, the inhomogeneous contribution to the steady-state photoluminescence lineshape is not necessarily temperature independent if driven by diffusion-limited processes, particularly if measured by photoluminescence. Nonlinear coherent optical spectroscopies, on the other hand, do permit separation of homogeneous and inhomogeneous line broadening contributions in all regimes of inhomogeneity. Consequently, these offer insights into the nature of many-body interactions that are entirely inaccessible to temperature-dependent linear spectroscopies. When applied to Ruddlesden-Popper metal halides, these techniques have indeed enabled us to quantitatively assess the exciton-phonon and exciton-exciton scattering mechanisms.
Baby Shark to Barracuda: Analyzing Children’s Music Listening Behavior

Music is an important part of childhood development, with online music listening platforms being a significant channel by which children consume music. Children’s offline music listening behavior has been heavily researched, yet relatively few studies explore how their behavior manifests online. In this paper, we use data from LastFM 1 Billion and the Spotify API to explore online music listening behavior of children, ages 6–17, using education levels as lenses for our analysis. Understanding the music listening behavior of children can be used to inform the future design of recommender systems.
Incremental Class Dictionary Learning and Optimization

We have previously shown how the discovery of classes from objects can be automated, and how the resulting class organization can be efficiently optimized in the case where the optimum is a single inheritance class hierarchy. This paper extends our previous work by showing how an optimal class dictionary can be learned incrementally. The ability to expand a class organization incrementally as new object examples are presented is an important consideration in software engineering.
Endoscopic transpapillary therapy for disrupted pancreatic duct and peripancreatic fluid collections

Eighteen patients with active pancreatic ductal disruptions, including 14 with definable fluid collections, were treated with transpapillary pancreatic duct drains or stents. Twelve of these patients had undergone a previous percutaneous or surgical pancreatic drainage procedure or both, and 8 had long-term drainage tubes in chronic fistulous tracts. Transpapillary catheters could be placed across the ductal disruption or directly into the fluid collection in each case, and 16 of 18 patients had resolution of the disrupted pancreatic duct. Twelve of 14 fluid collections resolved. Complications were limited to mild exacerbation of pancreatitis symptoms in 2 patients and 2 patients who developed subsequent stent occlusion leading to recurrent pancreatitis (1 patient) or recurrent duct blowout with pseudocyst (1 patient). Nine patients had variably significant ductal changes attributable to pancreatic duct stents. At a median follow-up of 16 months, 7 patients ultimately required surgery for ongoing pancreatic pain or residual/recurrent fluid collection. The transpapillary treatment of ongoing pancreatic ductal disruption with or without fluid collection has the potential to obviate surgery in some patients, change an urgent surgical procedure into an elective one, or even assist the surgeon in the performance of intraoperative pancreatography. Further study of this technique appears warranted and must be placed into the perspective of current therapies.
A high IIP3 X-band BiCMOS mixer for radar applications

This paper presents a high IIP3 9.9 GHz down-conversion mixer design with bandwidth of 1.2 GHz for radar systems. It is a Gilbert-cell mixer integrated in an IBM SiGe BiCMOS 7HP process. MOS transistors are used for RF stage to improve the linearity of the mixer. Bipolar transistors are used as the LO stage for their good switching performance. Both input and output are matched to a 50 /spl Omega/. The LO frequency is at 6 GHz. AT IF output, two LC matching stages are cascaded for a wide band output impedance matching. A simulation-based synthesis tool is used for optimization of this mixer. The designed mixer requires a 2.5 V supply voltage and consumes 35 mW DC power. At the frequency range of 9.3 - 10.5 GHz, this mixer has single-sideband noise figure (SSB NF) less than 10.8 dB, with input and output return loss less than -12.5 dB and -11.5 dB respectively, third-order input intercept point (IIP3) of 17.8 dBm, and conversion gain above 0 dB.
Effect of rotation and velocity shear on tearing layer stability in tokamak plasmas

Using a resistive generalization of the Frieman-Rotenberg formalism, the leading-order effects of velocity shear and rotation on linear tearing layer stability are studied for tokamak equilibria. The layer equations for resistive interchange modes are derived for arbitrary equilibrium rotation and velocity shear. The resulting layer equations do not conserve parity and are not simplified by Fourier transform. Thus, many standard numerical techniques cannot be implemented in a straightforward manner. Layer equations are also derived in the constant- Ψ limit. The constant- Ψ dispersion relation is obtained and is used to study the leading-order effects of rotation and velocity shear on the critical value of Δ′ required for tearing instability. It is found that rotation and velocity shear can couple with the parallel current and the current gradient in the layer to reduce Δ′crit. If parallel currents are sufficiently weak to compete with second-order effects, velocity shear can be stabilizing, while rotation...
Development of MapReduce and MPI Programs for Motif Search

As one of the important problems in molecular biology, motif search is computationally expensive, especially when the size of DNA sequences is large. Extended from a graduate course project in parallel and distributed computing (PDC), this paper investigates two different programming frameworks, namely MapReduce and MPI on motif finding. We implemented a serial algorithm, a MapReduce based algorithm, and a MPI program to calculate the best motif in given DNA sequences. The experimental results demonstrate that our MPI program outperformed both the MapReduce-based algorithm and the serial program with superior efficiency.
The thermal energetics of an incubated chicken egg

Abstract I incubated chicken eggs using an artificial brood patch, which enabled me to measure the energy required to keep chicken eggs, 16–19 days old, warmer than the ambient air. To keep brood patch temperature (i.e. at the egg surface-brood patch interface) 9.4°C warmer than the ambient air, living chicken eggs require on average 541 mW, of which 403 mW is supplied by the parent, the remainder being supplied by the embryo. Killing the embryo reduces the power required to only 322 mW for the same elevation of the brood patch temperature, all of it supplied by the brood patch. Killing the embryo causes central egg temperature to decline by about 2.0°C. Contrary to widely held opinion, it is embryonic circulation, not embryonic metabolism that is the most important cause of elevated temperature of incubated eggs. The implications of this for incubation energetics are discussed.
Cholinergic Innervation of the Canine and Human Ventricular Conducting System Anatomic and Electrophysiologic Correlations

Augmentation of vagal tone increases ventricular fibrillation threshold (VFT) under nonischemic and ischemic conditions and protects against spontaneous ventricular fibrillation during experimental myocardial infarction. The purpose of this study was to identify the anatomic pathways responsible for this cholinergically-mediated enhanced electrical stability and to determine whether or not these pathways are present in human hearts. Rich cholinergic innervation of the sinoatrial node, atrioventricular node, and atrial myocardium was confirmed in both canine and human hearts. Although sparse cholinergic innervation was present in ventricular myocardium, numerous cholinergic nerve fibers were present in ventricular conduction tissue of both canine and human hearts. To determine whether these cholinergic fibers mediate the protective effects of vagal stimulation, cholinergic fibers to the ventricular conducting system were ablated in dogs. The ablation procedures used resulted in histologic absence of cholin...
Zero dynamics of regularly perturbed systems may be singularly

Abstract In this paper we present new results on the structure of the zeros of linear and nonlinear systems under perturbation. In particular, we show that when state space descriptions of linear or nonlinear single-input single-output systems with relative degree ≥ 2 are regularly perturbed, then their zero dynamics may be singularly perturbed and show a separation of time scales. In the SISO case, we give asymptotic formulas for the new high frequency zero dynamics arising from the regular perturbation.
Embryo Abortion in Three Meadowfoam Genotypes

Embryo abortion is believed to limit meadowfoam (Limnanthes alba Hartw. ex Benth. subsp. alba cv. Merrmaid) seed yield and yield stability. The objective was to compare abortion rates in three genotypes-Mermaid, and two half-sib lines: high-yielding ORL85-765 (765), and low-yielding ORL85-729 (729). Embryos per flower (EPF) and aborted embryos per flower (AEPF) were measured on individual flowers that were tagged at two times near peak bloom. Seeds per flower was then calculated and weight per seed (1000-seed basis) was measured from the harvested bulk seed
Development of multifield three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy of lung cancer using a total lung dose/volume histogram

A measurable improvement in the efficacy of the three-dimensional radiotherapy (RT) of primary lung cancer patients with unresectable disease will require the development of a technique that increases the therapeutic ratio of dose delivered to the tumor volume relative to functional lung. A full course of definitive RT dose was delivered to six consecutive primary lung cancer patients using multiple fields with treatment portals tightly conformed to the tumor shape in beams-eye-view, using multileaf collimation. For each patient, a treatment planning dose/volume histogram (DVH) was constructed considering the most anatomically normal tissues in both the ipsilateral and contralateral lungs. When compared to a standard anteroposterior-posteroanterior (AP-PA) treatment plan followed by parallel-opposed oblique fields with conventional blocks, the five-field conformal technique yielded a significantly lower integral lung dose as determined by cumulative DVH data. We compared the data for total lung capacity in cubic centimeters from the treatment planning DVH with that obtained by pulmonary function tests and found good concordance. The present RT technique and patient evaluation program should provide a valuable approach toward improving the quality of life in irradiated lung cancer patients, and may also guide efforts by which to escalate the dose to a tumor volume in the chest. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Efficacy of Collaborative Learning Groups in an Undergraduate Statistics Course.

Abstract. Assessment of the efficacy of collaborative learning group techniques is frequently subjectively based and often relies on casual comments from students or faculty. Despite this shortcoming, instructors searching for new and effective ways of teaching quantitative courses continue to experiment with collaborative pedagogy. This study examined the relationship between student performance on collaborative learning group assignments and students' examination scores in statistics. The results both challenge and support the efficacy of collaborative learning groups and suggest that faculty modify such techniques when evidence of student achievement cannot be empirically linked to the collaborative experience.
Swordtail Fry Attend to Chemical and Visual Cues in Detecting Predators and Conspecifics

Predation pressure and energy requirements present particularly salient opposing selective pressures on young fish. Thus, fry are expected to possess sophisticated means of detecting predators and resources. Here we tested the hypotheses that fry of the swordtail fish Xiphophorus birchmanni use chemical and visual cues in detection of predators and conspecifics. To test these hypotheses we presented young (<7 day-old) fry with combinations of visual and chemical stimuli from adult conspecifics and predators. We found that exposure to predator odors resulted in shoal tightening similar to that observed when fry were presented with visual cues alone. In trials with conspecific stimuli, fry were particularly attracted to adult conspecifics when presented simultaneous visual and chemical stimuli compared to the visual stimulus alone. These results show that fry attend to the odors of adult conspecifics, whose presence in a particular area may signal the location of resources as well as an absence of predators. This is one of the first studies to show that such young fish use chemical and visual cues in predator detection and in interactions with conspecifics. Previous research in X. birchmanni has shown that anthropogenic alteration of the chemical environment disrupts intraspecific chemical communication among adults; we suggest that because fry use the same chemosensory pathways to detect predators and conspecifics, alteration of the chemical environment may critically disrupt predator and resource detection.
Racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in urban green space accessibility: Where to intervene?

Abstract Access to green spaces is important to physical activities and public health, yet one concern remains as to whether the disparities in green space access exist. This study aimed to (1) introduce an approach to quantify potential spatial accessibility to green spaces in a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) environment; and (2) evaluate the racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in green space access. Urban green spaces ( n = 890) in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia were collected from the Atlanta Regional Commission. A Gaussian-based two-step floating catchment area method was adapted to assess the spatial accessibility to green spaces at the census tract level. The Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) model and the spatial lag model were used to evaluate the racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities. Results suggest that the spatial accessibility to green spaces in Atlanta was not evenly distributed. Both models show that neighborhoods with a higher concentration of African Americans had significantly poorer access to green spaces ( P
Simultaneous determination of zirconium and hafnium in standard rocks by neutron activation analysis

A sensitive analytical technique has been developed to determine zirconium and hafnium at the 1 ppm and 0.01 ppm levels, respectively, in natural silicate matrices. The technique is based on the use of a Ge(Li) detector for high-resolution γ-ray spectrometry following irradiation with thermal neutrons. Simultaneous separation of both elements is achieved by addition of only zirconium carrier and use of a strongly basic anion-exchange resin. Hafnium was shown to follow zirconium throughout the chemical procedures. The chemical yield of the separation procedure was determined for each sample by use of an automated fast-neutron activation analysis system, which obviated the need to convert the separated zirconium to a conventional gravimetric weighing form. The method has been applied to the analysis of a variety of standard rocks and related natural materials.
Hot corrosion of B-1900 superalloy by simulated fluidized bed coal combustor deposits

Calcium sulfate deposits in fluidized bed coal combustors are thought to contribute to heat transfer tube hot corrosion observed in test beds. Although Na2SO4 caused catastrophic hot corrosion of B-1900 superalloy at 900°C in air, the corrosion due to CaSO4/Na2SO4 mixtures resembled that of simple oxidation, both in scale appearance and kinetics. High scale calcium content suggested a solid state reaction with CaSO4 that did not compromise the protective scale. Although trace vanadium pentoxide added to a high percentage CaSO4 mixture was shown to be innocuous, trace lead oxide caused catastrophic hot corrosion. However, the mechanism is unknown. This suggests that the latter coal impurity warrants attention as a possible severe corrosive threat, although CaSO4 itself appears innocuous in an oxidizing environment.
Phase evolution of Li2ND, LiD and LiND2 in hydriding/dehydriding of Li3N

Abstract Neutron and synchrotron studies have been performed on in situ hydriding of Li 3 N. Commercial Li 3 N is composed of α phase (∼70 wt.%) and β phase (∼30 wt.%). We have performed experiments to convert β → α, and studied in situ deuteration using neutron diffraction experiments. We found concurrent phase evolution of Li 2 ND, LiD, and LiND 2 . Mass percentages of the phases evolved as a function of time and temperature have been quantified using General Structure Analysis System (GSAS) refinement of the neutron diffraction data. The problem of formation of the stable LiD is discussed in light of decreasing of the amount of LiD phase when the temperature is increased from 200 to 320 °C during dehydriding, and in addition the concentration of Li 2 ND phase increased at this temperature. Lattice parameters, volume changes, phase evolutions in wt.% as a function of temperature and time are presented.
The Effect of a Massive Dose at Birth of Vitamins A and D upon Blood Plasma Levels and Liver Storage in Holstein Calves

Summary The effect of a massive dose of vitamins A and D fed to Holstein calves at birth has been studied. The following results were obtained: 1.A significant depression in the levels of carotene in the blood plasma occurred in those calves which received the vitamin supplement as compared to those in the control group. This depression was apparent 2 weeks after the administration of the massive dose of vitamins and continued until the end of the experimental period at 6 weeks of age. The levels of both vitamin A and vitamin D in the blood plasma of the vitamin-supplemented calves were significantly higher than those levels for the control calves. 2.The storage of vitamins A and D in the livers of the vitamin-supplemented calves was ten times higher than that found in the control calves. No appreciable differences in liver carotene storage were observed.
Educational Needs of Primary Care Physicians Regarding Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing

To assess the educational needs of North Carolina primary care physicians (PCPs) about direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing, surveys were mailed to 2,402 family and internal medicine providers in North Carolina. Out of 382 respondents, 323 (85%) felt unprepared to answer patient questions and 282 (74%) reported wanting to learn about DTC genetic testing. A total of 148 (39%) were aware of DTC genetic testing. Among these, 63 (43%) thought DTC genetic testing was clinically useful. PCPs who felt either unprepared to answer patient questions (OR = 0.354, p = 0.01) or that DTC genetic testing was clinically useful (OR = 5.783, p = 0.00) were more likely to want to learn about DTC genetic testing. PCPs are interested in learning about DTC genetic testing, but are mostly unaware of DTC testing and feel unprepared to help patients with DTC testing results. Familiar and trusted channels that provide the information and tools PCPs need to help answer patient’s questions and manage their care should be used when creating educational programs.
MASOULINIZATION OF THE FEMALE FETUS ASSOCIATED WITH ADMINISTRATION OF ORAL AND INTRAMUSCULAR PROGESTINS DURING GESTATION: NON-ADRENAL FEMALE PSEUDOHERMAPHRODISM

There are relatively few reports of female pseudohermaphrodism not associated with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. The writers report 21 cases of females born with partial masculinization of the external gcnitalia, consisting of an enlarged phallus, with or without varying degrees of fusion of the labioscrotal folds. The diagnosis was established by finding female chromatin patterns, low excretion of urinary 17-kctosteroids and absence of progressive virilization. Exploratory laparotomy revealed normal ovaries and a normal female genital tract, although in some cases the vagina and urethra opened into a common urogenital sinus. In 15 of the cases, the mother had been treated because of threatened or habitual abortion with an oral progestin, 17-cthinyltestosterone (anhydrohydroxyprogesterone or ethisterone), marketed undersuch trade names as Pranone, Progestoral and Lutocjlol. In 2 cases the mother had received intramuscular injections of progesterone. In 1 case both intramuscular progesterone and oral met...
Selective yolk deposition and mannose phosphorylation of lysosomal glycosidases in zebrafish

The regulation and function of lysosomal hydrolases during yolk consumption and embryogenesis in zebrafish are poorly understood. In an effort to better define the lysosomal biochemistry of this organism, we analyzed the developmental expression, biochemical properties, and function of several glycosidases in zebrafish eggs, embryos, and adult tissues. Our results demonstrated that the specific activity of most enzymes increases during embryogenesis, likely reflecting a greater need for turnover within the embryo as yolk-derived nutrients are depleted. Analysis of glycosidase activity in zebrafish and medaka eggs revealed selective deposition of enzymes required for the degradation of N-linked glycans, including an abundance of acidic mannosidases. Treatment of zebrafish embryos with the α-mannosidase inhibitor swainsonine resulted in the accumulation of glycosylated vitellogenin fragments and demonstrated a function for maternally deposited acid α-mannosidase in yolk consumption. Surprisingly, we also found that, unlike mammals, acid α-glucosidase from zebrafish and medaka does not appear to be modified with mannose 6-phosphate residues. We further showed these residues were not acquired on human acid α-glucosidase when expressed in zebrafish embryos, suggesting unique differences in the ability of the human and zebrafish N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphotransferase to recognize and modify certain lysosomal glycosidases. Together, these results provide novel insight into the role of acidic glycosidases during yolk utilization and the evolution of the mannose 6-phosphate targeting system in vertebrates.
Substance Abuse Treatment for Older Adults in Private Centers

By 2020, an estimated 4.4 million older adults will require substance abuse treatment compared to 1.7 million in 2000-01. This study examined the availability of special services for older adults, adoption of recommended treatment approaches, and organizational characteristics of centers that offer special services. Data were collected via face-to-face interviews with administrators and/or clinical directors from a nationally representative sample of 346 private treatment centers participating in the 2006-07 National Treatment Center Study. Results indicated that only 18% provided special services for older adults; age-specific recommendations were generally adopted; more older adult-specialty centers offered prescription drug addiction treatment, primary medical care, and housing assistance. The proportion of patients with Medicare payment predicted availability of special services. As more older adults will seek help with a myriad of substance use disorders (SUDs) over the next decade, treatment centers need to get ready for a plethora of challenges as well as unique opportunities for growth.
Diagnosis of acute appendicitis in children using a clinical practice guideline

Abstract Purpose In October 2000, our institution implemented a clinical practice guideline (CPG) utilizing selective computed tomography (CT) and ultrasound scan (US) for the evaluation of children with suspected appendicitis. The authors sought to determine surgical outcomes and diagnostic accuracy in the CPG period. Methods The authors retrospectively analyzed the medical records of patients evaluated under the CPG at their institution between January 1 and December 31, 2001. Depending on a patient's clinical presentation, the CPG recommends immediate surgery or further evaluation with CT or US. CPG patients were identified if they received an appendectomy or a CT or US for suspected appendicitis. Negative appendectomy and perforation rates, as well as admissions for inpatient observation were compared with control patients treated for suspected appendicitis at our hospital in 1997, before frequent utilization of imaging studies. Results In the CPG period, 571 patients were evaluated for acute appendicitis, with 272 undergoing an appendectomy. Whereas 513 patients (90%) received a CT or US, only 34 patients (6%) were admitted to the surgical service for serial examinations. Patients with a histologically normal appendix decreased from 27 of 255 (10.6%) in 1997 to 15 of 272 (5.5%) in 2001 ( P = .03). Fifty-seven patients (22.2%) in 2001 had a perforated appendix compared with 65 (28.5%) in 1997 ( P = .11). The CPG, incorporating clinical judgment and selected imaging, had a sensitivity of 98.8%, a specificity of 95.2%, and positive and negative predictive values of 94.4% and 99.0%, respectively. Conclusions A clinical practice guideline selectively utilizing CT and US is highly accurate in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis, minimizing the need for inpatient admission for serial examinations.
When men become “women”: Gender antagonism and the changing sexual geography of work in Newfoundland

In the traditional Newfoundland maritime division of labor, men worked at sea on boats and women worked on the land in their households. Patterns of gender identity, work, and gender relations were characterized by an ethos of complementarity. Present declines in the fishery make it impossible to earn a living at sea and men have become landbound. The resulting infringement by unemployed men into the spaces and prerogatives traditionally allotted to women has come to generate a gender antagonism that permeates, if not dominates, contemporary gender relations in a southwest coast Newfoundland fishing community. Ethnographic analysis incorporates data collected during two periods of anthropological fieldwork: 1977–1978 and 1989–1990. Comparative assessment of economic, psychological, and cultural constructionist theories of gender relations inform the qualitative analysis of ethnographic data.
Improvement of respiratory symptoms following Heller myotomy for achalasia.

Although patients with achalasia complain mainly of dysphagia, we have observed that they also have a high rate of respiratory problems. We hypothesized that the latter may be due to poor esophageal clearance leading to aspiration. This study examines the effect of Heller myotomy on these symptoms. We studied the course of 111 patients with achalasia who underwent Heller myotomy between 1994 and 2008 and who agreed to participate in this study. All patients completed a questionnaire postoperatively assessing the preoperative and postoperative prevalence and severity of symptoms using visual analog scales. Patients were divided into two groups: one that included all those with respiratory symptoms (dyspnea, hoarseness, cough, wheezing, sore throat, and/or a history of asthma or pneumonia) prior to myotomy and one that included those without those symptoms. All patients presented with dysphagia as their primary complaint, and 63 (57%) reported respiratory symptoms or disease prior to surgery. There were no significant differences in preoperative characteristics between those with and without respiratory manifestations. After a median follow-up of 71 months (range 9–186 months), 55 (87%) patients reported durable improvement of dysphagia. The frequency and severity of all respiratory symptoms decreased significantly. Twenty-four of the 29 patients (82%) who reported a history of pneumonia prior to surgery did not experience recurrent episodes after Heller myotomy. A Heller myotomy is effective in improving esophageal emptying in patients with achalasia. This results in sustained improvement of dysphagia and associated respiratory symptoms/diseases. This suggests that respiratory symptoms/diseases in these patients are likely caused by esophageal retention of food and secretions, and then aspiration.
A long-duration study of user-trained 802.11 localization

We present an indoor wireless localization system that is capable of room-level localization based solely on 802.11 network signal strengths and user-supplied training data. Our system naturally gathers dense data in places that users frequent while ignoring unvisited areas. By utilizing users, we create a comprehensive localization system that requires little off-line operation and no access to private locations to train. We have operated the system for over a year with more than 200 users working on a variety of laptops. To encourage use, we have implemented a live map that shows user locations in real-time, allowing for quick and easy friend-finding and lost-laptop recovery abilities. Through the system's life we have collected over 8,700 training points and performed over 1,000,000 localizations. We find that the system can localize to within 10 meters in 94% of cases.
Decoupling of the Lu-Hf and Sm-Nd isotope systems during the evolution of granulitic lower crust beneath southern Africa

The Lu-Hf and Sm-Nd isotope systems in kimberlite-borne, Archean to Proterozoic lower-crustal granulite xenoliths from southern Africa display significant parent-daughter fractionations and corresponding isotopic anomalies resulting in the decoupling of these generally well correlated systems. Systematic compositional and mineralogical controls on decoupling have also been identified. Opposite senses of divergent evolution from the terrestrial Hf-Nd isotope array are demonstrated in mafic granulite samples versus felsic and metasedimentary granulite samples. The former have superchondritic Lu/Hf and 176Hf/177Hf ratios at subchondritic Sm/Nd and 143Nd/144Nd ratios, whereas the latter have subchondritic Lu/Hf and 176Hf/177Hf ratios at a wide range of subchondritic to superchondritic Sm/Nd and 143Nd/144Nd ratios. This decoupling is shown to be related to the mineralogical sensitivity of crustal protolith Lu/Hf ratios to fractionation upon anatexis in the presence not only of residual garnet and accessory zircon, but also the residual oxide minerals (rutile versus iron-titanium oxides). The isotope diversity observed in these deep-crustal melt residues supports suggestions that the Hf-Nd systematics of complementary crustal melts may be useful fingerprints for deciphering the mineral assemblage and geochemical character of granitoid magma sources, and that together these systematics can yield insights into the origin and differentiation of continental crust.