cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PTU-240 Comparison of outcomes of abdominal and colorectal surgery in patients with left ventricular assist devices versus heart transplants

Introduction As survival of patients with left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) and cardiac transplantation improves, surgeons must increasingly decide whether and when to operate on them. Method We conducted a retrospective review of abdominal and colorectal operations performed on patients with heart transplants or LVADs at a tertiary care hospital in Boston, MA between 2003–2013. Data were collected on comorbidities, anticoagulation and immunosuppression status, intra-and post-operative complications, need for blood product transfusion, type of surgery performed, 24-hr and thirty day mortality, and time post-transplant or LVAD insertion. Statistical testing for significance was done using the two-sided Fisher’s exact test. Results Over the 11-year period, 13 patients with LVADs and 32 patients with heart transplants underwent a total of 67 colorectal (22%) and other abdominal (78%) operations. The median time between LVAD insertion or heart transplant and abdominal surgery was 175 days and 765 days respectively. There was a tendency towards a higher proportion of elective (vs emergency) cases in heart transplant (74%) vs LVAD patients (53%) (p = 0.13). LVAD patients were more likely to be anticoagulated, and had an 18% incidence of postoperative bleeding, with a significantly greater proportion of patients requiring blood transfusion within the first postoperative week (47%) compared to transplant patients (8%) (p = 0.001). Venous thromboembolic (VTE) events were also significantly more common in the LVAD group (21%) vs transplant group (0%) (p = 0.01). Subgroup analysis revealed the incidence of VTE was significantly decreased in the LVAD group bridged for surgery (p = 0.0008). Despite all transplant patients being on immunosuppression medication, and 46% on steroids, there was no statistically significant difference in surgical site infections between the transplant (6%) and LVAD (12%) groups (p = 0.59). Mortality within 24 h tended to be higher in the LVAD group (13%) vs transplant group (0%), with borderline significance (p = 0.06). 30-day mortality was significantly higher in the LVAD group (21%) vs transplant group (0%) (p = 0.01). Conclusion Surgical outcomes were better in patients who had undergone heart transplantation compared to those with LVADs, especially with respect to the need for postoperative transfusion, the incidence of VTE, and 24-hr and 30-day mortality. The observed tendency to perform fewer elective cases in LVAD patients compared to transplant patients may be a reflection of clinical intuition of this finding. Surgeons should assess these higher-risk patients on a case-by-case basis. Surgeons should also bridge anticoagulation for LVAD patients whenever possible to reduce the risk of VTE. Disclosure of interest None Declared.
The role of the activated clotting time in heparin administration and neutralization for cardiopulmonary bypass

Precise guidelines for heparin administration and neutralization during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) are not established. To a large extent, the uncertainty originates from a disparity between the heparin dosage, the plasma heparin concentration, and the clinical heparin effect. We investigated these relationships in 44 consecutive patients at New York University Medical Center. Following serial loading doses of heparin (2 and 4 mg/kg) there was a wide variation in both the measured clinical heparin effect (activated clotting time—ACT) and the plasma heparin concentration. When the ACT was compared to the heparin concentration, there was no linear relationship noted after heparin doses commonly employed for CPB. The calculated heparin sensitivity varied over a fourfold range and was not related to the baseline antithrombin III activity. At the completion of CPB, heparin was neutralized with a 2 mg/kg protamine dose regardless of the total heparin dose. Heparin levels fell from 4.17 ± 1.29 to 0.19 ± 0.20 units/ml. Additional protamine was given to 49% of the patients as the ACT had not returned to pre-heparin levels. The total protamine dose rarely exceeded 3 mg/kg. This technique resulted in the administration of 30% to 50% less protamine than predicted by other commonly used protocols. In the subsequent 4 hours after protamine administration, heparin levels remained insignificant. Mild heparin rebound was found in two patients (4.5%) but was not associated with excessive bleeding. Following bypass a comparison of heparin levels and ACTs demonstrated the ACT to be a poor indicator of residual circulating heparin. These data show: (1) that neither the heparin dosage nor the plasma heparin concentration can accurately predict the magnitude of the clinical heparin effect in patients undergoing CPB and emphasize the importance of the ACT as the best available measurement of safe anticoagulation, (2) heparin “rebound” was not clinically significant, and (3) heparin was neutralized with 2 to 3 mg/kg protamine in virtually all patients, regardless of the total heparin dose.
Coronary Revascularization in Women

Women who undergo revascularization with CABG or PTCA may experience more negative acute outcomes compared with men. These gender differences in acute outcome are partly explained by the size of coronary arteries, baseline differences in clinical risk factors, and the unfavorable cardiovascular profiles seen in women. However, once women have survived the revascularization procedure, long-term outcomes are generally similar to those of men. Risk factor identification and modification is an important approach to enhance our ability to reduce long-term restenosis and progression of atherosclerosis following revascularization in women as well as men. After these interventions, only one in three patients benefits from comprehensive risk factor intervention. Nurses are in key positions to approach patients and their families at the time of these major interventions when they are likely to be more receptive to the idea of risk factor modification.
The Global Imperative for Teacher Education: Opportunities for Comparative and International Education

In the context of globalization, teacher education has to respond to the global imperative by helping pre-service teachers develop global consciousness and awareness (Apple, 2011; Zhao, 2010). This paper addresses this imperative by first identifying the spaces for global competencies in teacher education standards at the national, regional, state, and institutional levels. Next, we analyze two universities’ attempts to internationalize teacher education programs and demonstrate how the lack of specificity in teacher education standards emerge as gaps in the curriculum and in pre-service teacher learning. We argue that re-fashioned comparative and international education courses could address these gaps by developing students’ conceptual understandings of global processes and their impact on education. The ultimate purpose of such courses will be to challenge pre-service teachers’ ethnocentric assumptions about education and to foster a planetary relational view necessary for the development of a more just modernity on the global scale. The full text of the article can be found at 10.18275/fire201603011066
Covert channels-here to stay?

We discuss the difficulties of satisfying high-assurance system requirements without sacrificing system capabilities. To alleviate this problem, we show how trade-offs can be made to reduce the threat of covert channels. We also clarify certain concepts in the theory of covert channels. Traditionally, a covert channel's vulnerability was measured by the capacity. We show why a capacity analysis alone is not sufficient to evaluate the vulnerability and introduce a new metric referred to as the "small message criterion". >
Chapter 12 – From Primal Thinking to Potential Computing

Chapter Summary In this chapter, we investigate the generic representations of human functions and machine operations in the same framework for execution on the current computers, i.e., how a machine would execute human functions and conversely how a human would execute machine functions. This approach would facilitate the encoding of the (common) human functions as precisely as the machine language instructions for a computer. Conversely, the approach would facilitate the transfer of the lower-level intelligence of a human being into the adaptation of the HW, SW, and FW modules of an intelligent machine. Though not entirely feasible, the approach digs deep inroads in how human intelligent-machines can be and conversely, how robotic mundane-human beings can be. The later situation occurs in prisoner-, slave-, military-camps. The methodology is practical since machines have already started to imitate human behavior and some of the human tasks are routine and programmable into the robots. The challenge lies when some of the higher levels functions (such as conceptualize, hypothesize, optimize, generalize, axiomize, etc.) of human beings need to be programed into intelligent machines, even though middle level functions (such as summarize, generalize, rationalize, etc.) can be forced by appropriate knowledge-ware (KW) into intelligent machines. These middle level functions are encoded into the KW by searching for embedded knowledge centric objects (KCOs) in human beings, cultures, societies, and other contributing objects. Related and pertinent knowledge is found by exploring the local and the Internet knowledge bases (KBs) and selecting the attributes of these objects and or related objects. The Chapter outlines and elaborates the proposed approach.
Hierarchical Robot Multi-Sensor Data Fusion System

The objective of this paper is to develop a knowledge-based hierarchical paradigm for the effective fusion of multiple sensors into the operation of an intelligent system.
A new X-ray crystal structure (100 K) of Yb[N(SiMe3)2]2[Me2PCH2CH2PMe2] ☆

Abstract The new (100 K) X-ray crystal structure of Yb[N(SiMe3)2]2[Me2PCH2CH2PMe2] strengthens the original deductions, based on a 293 K data set, that the short Yb⋯Cγ contact distance is best described as a Yb⋯SiβCγ agostic interaction rather than as a Yb⋯HCγ agostic interaction.
Studies of signal estimation bias in grating-based x-ray multicontrast imaging.

PURPOSE In grating-based x-ray multi-contrast imaging, signals of three contrast mechanisms-absorption contrast, differential phase contrast (DPC), and dark-field contrast-can be estimated from the same set of acquired data. The estimated signals, N0 (related to absorption), N1 (related to dark-field), and φ (related to DPC) may be intrinsically biased. However, it is yet unclear how large these biases are and how the data acquisition parameters affect the biases in the extracted signals. The purpose of this paper was to address these questions. METHODS The biases of the extracted signals (i.e., N0 , N1 and φ) were theoretically studied for a well-known signal estimation method. Experimental data acquired from a grating-based x-ray multi-contrast benchtop imaging system with a photon counting detector were used to validate the theoretical results for the signal biases of the three contrast mechanisms. RESULTS Both theoretical and experimental studies showed the following results: (1) The bias of signal estimation for the absorption contrast signal is zero; (2) The bias of signal estimation for N1 is inversely proportional to the number of phase steps and to the average fringe visibility of the grating interferometer, but the ratio between the bias and the signal level (i.e., the relative bias) is independent of the number of phase steps; (3) The bias of signal estimation for φ depends on the mean DPC signal level, the total exposure level of the multi-contrast data acquisition, and the mean fringe visibility of the interferometer. CONCLUSIONS In grating-based x-ray multi-contrast imaging, the estimated absorption contrast signal is unbiased; the estimated dark-field contrast signal is biased, but the relative bias is only dependent on the mean fringe visibility of the interferometer and the exposure level. The estimated DPC signal may be biased, and the bias level depends on the mean signal level, the exposure level, and the interferometer performance.
Neighborhood disorder, peer network health, and substance use among young urban adolescents.

Abstract Background The current study investigated the moderating effect of peer networks on neighborhood disorder’s association with substance use in a sample of primarily African American urban adolescents. Methods A convenience sample of 248 adolescents was recruited from urban health care settings and followed for two years, assessing psychological, social, and geographic risk and protective characteristics. A subset of 106 substance using participants were used for the analyses. A moderation model was tested to determine if the influence of neighborhood disorder (percent vacant housing, assault index, percent single parent headed households, percent home owner occupied, percent below poverty line) on substance use was moderated by peer network health (sum of peer risk and protective behaviors). Results Evidence for hypothesized peer network moderation was supported. A latent growth model found that peer network health is most strongly associated with lower baseline substance use for young adolescents residing in more disordered neighborhoods. Over the course of two years (ages approximately 14–16) this protective effect declines, and the decline is stronger for more disordered neighborhoods. Conclusions Understanding the longitudinal moderating effects of peer networks within high-risk urban settings is important to the development and testing of contextually sensitive peer-based interventions. Results suggest that targeting the potential protective qualities of peer networks may be a promising approach for interventions seeking to reduce substance use, particularly among younger urban adolescents living in high-risk neighborhoods.
Effects of bifenthrin exposure on the estrogenic and dopaminergic pathways in zebrafish embryos and juveniles

Bifenthrin is a pyrethroid insecticide used in urban and agricultural applications. Previous studies have shown that environmentally relevant (ng/L) concentrations of bifenthrin increased plasma concentrations of 17β-estradiol (E2) and altered the expression of dopaminergic pathway components. The dopaminergic neurons can indirectly regulate E2 biosynthesis, suggesting that bifenthrin may disrupt the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. Because embryos do not have a complete HPG axis, the hypothesis that bifenthrin impairs dopamine regulation was tested in embryonic and 1-mo-old juvenile zebrafish (Danio rerio) with exposure to measured concentrations of 0.34 and 3.1 µg/L bifenthrin for 96 h. Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was used to investigate transcripts of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), dopamine receptor 1 (DR1) and 2A (DR2A), dopamine active transporter (DAT), estrogen receptor α (ERα), ERβ1, ERβ2, luteinizing hormone β (LHβ), follicle-stimulating hormone β (FSHβ), vitellogenin (VTG), cytochrome P450 cyp19a1a, and cyp19a1b. Levels of E2 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Dopamine and its metabolites 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanillic acid (HVA) concentrations were measured by liquid chromatrography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Significant decreases in TH and DR1 transcripts and HVA levels, as well as ratios of HVA/dopamine and HVA+DOPAC/dopamine, in zebrafish embryos were observed after bifenthrin treatment. In juveniles, a significant increase in the expression of ERβ1 and the DOPAC to dopamine ratio was noted. These results show a possible antiestrogenic effect of bifenthrin in embryos, and estrogenicity in juveniles, indicating life-stage-dependent toxicity in developing fish. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:236-246. © 2017 SETAC.
Switching frequency characterization of hysteresis control in a pump back test configuration

The pump back test is widely adopted in the industry for characterizing and qualifying the high-power converters. One popular pump back test mode is to tie the DC link of two converters together and circulate the current through the inductor connected between the AC terminals. In this mode, one of converter operates in voltage mode to generate the virtual grid and another converter regulates the circulating current. Hysteresis control could be applied to this test mode. However, the switching characteristic of the hysteresis control is unique due to the PWM type voltage being the virtual grid. This paper contributes to analyzing the switching frequency characteristics of the hysteresis control in a pump back test configuration. The switching frequency tracking phenomenon is for the first time revealed and reported in this paper. Theoretical analysis, simulation validation, and experimental demonstration are provided to support the major conclusions.
Perspectives: parity--prelude to a fifth cycle of reform.

BACKGROUND Based on 2000 Carl Taube Lecture at the NIMH Mental Health Economics Meeting. AIMS OF THE STUDY This perspective article examines the relationship between a policy of parity in financing mental health services and the future of reform in service delivery. METHODS Applying theories of static and dynamic efficiency to an understanding of parity and the evolution of mental health services, drawing upon Burton Weisbrod s concept of the health care quadrilemma . RESULTS Each of four cycles of reform in mental health services have contended with issues of static and dynamic efficiency. Each cycle was associated with static efficiency in the management and financing of services, and each was associated with a set of new treatment technologies intended to improve dynamic efficiency. Each reform proved ultimately unsuccessful primarily because of the failure of the treatment technologies to prevent future patient chronicity or to achieve sustained recovery. Recent advances in treatment technology and management of care can permit an unprecedented level of efficiency consistent with a policy of improved access to mainstream health and social welfare resources, including insurance coverage. This policy of so-called financing parity can improve current mental health service delivery, but it may also portend a future fifth cycle of reform. If new technologies continue to advance as full technologies - simple to deliver and producing true recovery - and mainstream resources are made available, then the specialty mental health services may contract dramatically in favor of effective care and treatment of mental illness in primary care and other mainstream settings. DISCUSSION Predicting the future of health care is speculative, but it may be easier using the Weisbrod formulation to understand the process of mental health reform. Over-reliance on administrative techniques for building static efficiency and false optimism about dynamic efficiency from new technology have stymied previous reforms. All the same, a fifth cycle of reform could succeed, if the right conditions are met and mainstream resources are available.
Bile Acids and Colorectal Cancer in Humans

The relation between diet and the causation of large bowel cancer is widely accepted, although there is still little agreement regarding the component of the diet that is of most importance (Table I). In an attempt to provide a mechanism for this link with diet, Aries et al. (1969) postulated that diet provided substrates for metabolism by bacteria to yield products that either cause or promote colorectal cancer. The original substrate postulated was the bile acids, and there have been many studies relating the fecal bile acid (FBA) concentrations in populations to the risk of large bowel cancer (LBC) in those populations (Table II); this correlation must now be accepted as established.
Enhancing treatment for school-age children who stutter II. Reducing bullying through role-playing and self-disclosure.

Abstract This paper describes several treatment strategies that clinicians can use to help children who stutter who are experiencing bullying and other negative reactions from their peers. Specific strategies include problem-solving activities designed to help the child develop appropriate responses to bullying and a classroom presentation designed to educate peers about stuttering. To facilitate clinicians’ application of these techniques, the strategies are presented in the context of a case study involving a 9-year-old boy who participated in a comprehensive treatment program for stuttering. Following treatment, the child exhibited an increased ability to respond to bullying experiences in a constructive fashion. In addition, negative comments by the child's peers diminished following the classroom presentation. Findings suggest that clinicians can help children overcome bullying and other negative reactions associated with stuttering through a number of well-supported treatment strategies that can be applied in a variety of clinical settings. Educational objectives: After reading this article, participants will be able to: (1) define bullying and teasing and explain the difference between the two experiences; (2) describe two strategies for helping children who stutter successfully manage bullying experiences at school and in other settings; and (3) explain two strategies for educating children about stuttering and about bullying.
Introduction: Scope of the Problem—Rising Costs and Demand for Environmental Safety for Weed Control

Many organic and conventional producers rank weed control as their number one production cost. For organic producers particularly, weed control has become increasingly important as organic production has increased its market share. In conventional systems, herbicide resistance, off-target movement, and increased regulations have left many growers with few alternatives. Added to this is an increasing demand from the public for a safer and more sustainable supply of food. This chapter addresses the problems of mechanized agricultural systems to set the stage for the introduction and adoption of more advanced technology to meet the needs of growers and satisfy the desires of consumers.
Therapeutic Neuroradiology; Intra-Arterial Thrombolysis

Endovascular treatment for patients with acute ischemic stroke is rapidly evolving. Early efforts relied on direct infusion of fibrinolytic agents at the surface of the thrombus. More recently, mechanical devices for suction aspiration or clot retrieval have been introduced with very high technical success rates for recanalization. Randomized trial data proving clinical efficacy is lacking but several trials are underway. The optimal methods for patient selection (imaging and clinical criteria) remain to be determined. Endovascular intervention almost certainly will benefit a subset of patients presenting with acute ischemic stroke.
Prospective Detection of Germline Mutation of Fumarate Hydratase in Women With Uterine Smooth Muscle Tumors Using Pathology-based Screening to Trigger Genetic Counseling for Hereditary Leiomyomatosis Renal Cell Carcinoma Syndrome: A 5-Year Single Institutional Experience.

Pathology-based screening of uterine smooth muscle tumors (uSMT) for morphology suggestive of fumarate hydratase deficiency (FH-d morphology) has been proposed as a method to identify women at increased risk for hereditary leiomyomatosis renal cell carcinoma (HLRCC) syndrome. For 5 years our clinica
Market integration of selected cotton markets in Haryana

The present study aimed to paper the co-integration among the selected cotton markets in Haryana. The monthly data on prices of cotton were collected for the period from 2005-06 to 2016-17. The advanced econometric tools like ADF test, Johansen co-integration test and Granger Causality test were used to study market integration. The price series of commodity namely cotton in selected markets showed the consequences of unit root and were stationary at first difference. The long run equilibrium relationship among the selected markets indicated that these were integrated with each other. This implies that prices in domestic markets of Haryana move together in response to changes in the demand and supply and cost of a product. Granger Causality test resulted Dabwali market as lead cotton market because it influenced the prices of most of selected cotton markets.
Inventory Management of Platelets along Blood Supply Chain to Minimize Wastage and Shortage

Abstract The demand uncertainty of blood platelet combined with its very short shelf life has led to a significant wastage of the total platelets collected from donors. On the other hand, there is a severe shortage of platelets along the blood supply chain due to the very limited donor pool. Therefore, it is necessary to develop proper inventory models for each member of the blood supply chain to minimize wastage and shortage of platelets. To achieve this objective, in this paper, a stochastic integer programming model under demand uncertainty is developed to determine ordering policies along the blood supply chain. The proposed mathematical model becomes computationally complex with the increase in the number of members of the supply chain and hence, a variant of the genetic algorithm, called Modified Stochastic Genetic Algorithm (MSGA), is proposed for large-sized problems. The performance of the MSGA is compared against the optimal solution from the mathematical model using a case study. Sensitivity analysis is conducted by changing the coefficient of demand variation, cost parameters and network size to analyze the ordering policies. Based on the results, hospitals and blood centers can choose the best ordering policy for their particular demand and cost setting.
Planetesimals to terrestrial planets: Collisional evolution amidst a dissipating gas disk

Abstract We present numerical simulations of terrestrial planet formation that examine the growth continuously from planetesimals to planets in the inner Solar System. Previous studies show that the growth will be inside-out, but it is still common practice to assume that the entire inner disk will eventually reach a bi-modal distribution of embryos and planetesimals. For the combinations of disk mass, initial planetesimal radius and gas disk lifetime explored in this work the entire disk never reaches a simple bi-modal mass distribution. We find that the inside-out growth is amplified by the combined effects of collisional evolution of solid bodies and interactions with a dissipating gas disk. This leads to oligarchic growth never being achieved in different places of the disk at the same time, where in some cases the disk can simultaneously support chaotic growth and giant impacts inside 1 au and runaway growth beyond 2 au. The planetesimal population is efficiently depleted in the inner disk where embryo growth primarily advances in the presence of a significant gas disk. Further out in the disk growth is slower relative to the gas disk dissipation, resulting in more excited planetesimals at the same stage of growth and less efficient accretion. This same effect drives mass loss due to collisional grinding strongly altering the surface density of the accreted planets relative to the initial mass distribution. This effect decreases the Mars-to-Earth mass ratios compared to previous works with no collisional grinding. Similar to some previous findings utilizing vastly different growth scenarios these simulations produce a first generation of planetary embryos that are stable for 10–20 Myr, or 5–10 e-folding times of the gas dissipation timescale, before having an instability and entering the chaotic growth stage.
Changes in genetic diversity and differentiation in Red-cockaded woodpeckers (Dryobates borealis) over the past century.

Villum Fonden [VKR023371]; Strategic Environmental Research and Defense Program [RC-2708]; U.S. Geological SurveyUnited States Geological Survey
Expansin gene loss is a common occurrence during adaptation to an aquatic environment

Expansins comprise a superfamily of plant cell wall loosening proteins that can be divided into four individual families (EXPA, EXPB, EXLA and EXLB). Aside from inferred roles in a variety of plant growth and developmental traits, little is known regarding the function of specific expansin clades, for which there are at least 16 in flowering plants (angiosperms); however, there is evidence to suggest that some expansins have cell-specific functions, in root hair and pollen tube development, for example. Recently, two duckweed genomes have been sequenced (Spirodela polyrhiza strains 7498 and 9509), revealing significantly reduced superfamily sizes. We hypothesized that there would be a correlation between expansin loss and morphological reductions seen among highly adapted aquatic species. In order to provide an answer to this question, we characterized the expansin superfamilies of the greater duckweed Spirodela, the marine eelgrass Zostera marina and the bladderwort Utricularia gibba. We discovered rampant expansin gene and clade loss among the three, including a complete absence of the EXLB family and EXPA-VII. The most convincing correlation between morphological reduction and expansin loss was seen for Utricularia and Spirodela, which both lack root hairs and the root hair expansin clade EXPA-X. Contrary to the pattern observed in other species, four Utricularia expansins failed to branch within any clade, suggesting that they may be the result of neofunctionalization. Last, an expansin clade previously discovered only in eudicots was identified in Spirodela, allowing us to conclude that the last common ancestor of monocots and eudicots contained a minimum of 17 expansins.
Extending tourism competitiveness to human development

Abstract This study presents the Tourism Competitiveness Theory Hypothesis, anchored on a dynamic framework, and unifying the competitiveness theory with human development. The hypothesis rests on the recursive nature between tourism competitiveness and human development. The relationship was tested through a mixed-effect regression model in ten South American countries. The results suggest mutual reinforcement links mediated by the human development dimensions, especially health. The study also designed a typology model identifying four groups of countries that revealed distinct, non-linear behavioral patterns. Theoretical and managerial implications centered on the relevance of resource use, public allocation choices toward human development sectors, and the required sequencing to promote the mutual reinforcement nature embedded in the Tourism Competitiveness Theory Hypothesis.
Morbidity after traumatic spinal injury in pediatric and adolescent sports-related trauma

OBJECTIVE Sports injuries present a considerable risk of debilitating spinal injury. Here, the authors sought to profile the epidemiology and clinical risk of traumatic spinal injuries (TSIs) in pediatric sports injuries. METHODS The authors conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of pediatric patients who had experienced a sports-related TSI, including spinal fractures and spinal cord injuries, encoded in the National Trauma Data Bank in the period from 2011 to 2014. RESULTS Included in the analysis were 1723 cases of pediatric sports-related TSI, which represented 3.7% of all pediatric sports-related trauma. The majority of patients with TSI were male (81%), and the median age was 15 years (IQR 13-16 years). TSIs arose most often from cycling accidents (47%) and contact sports (28%). The most frequently fractured regions were the thoracic (30%) and cervical (27%) spine. Among patients with spinal cord involvement (SCI), the cervical spine was involved in 60% of cases.The average length of stay for TSIs was 2 days (IQR 1-5 days), and 32% of the patients required ICU-level care. Relative to other sports-related trauma, TSIs without SCI were associated with an increased adjusted mean length of stay by 1.8 days (95% CI 1.6-2.0 days), as well as the need for ICU-level care (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.6, 95% CI 1.3-1.9). Also relative to other sports-related trauma, TSIs with SCI had an increased length of stay by 2.1 days (95% CI 1.8-2.6 days) and the need for ICU-level care (aOR 3.6, 95% CI 2.6-4.8).TSIs without SCI were associated with discharge to or with rehabilitative services (aOR 1.7, 95% CI 1.5-2.0), as were TSIs with SCI (aOR 4.0, 95% CI 3.2-4.9), both relative to other sports-related trauma. Among the patients with TSIs, predictors of the need for rehabilitation at discharge were having a laminectomy or fusion, concomitant lower-extremity injury, head injury, and thoracic injury. Although TSIs affected 4% of the study cohort, these injuries were present in 8% of patients discharged to or with rehabilitation services and in 17% of those who died in the hospital. CONCLUSIONS Traumatic sports-related spinal injuries cause significant morbidity in the pediatric population, especially if the spinal cord is involved. The majority of TSI cases arose from cycling and contact sports accidents, underscoring the need for improving education and safety in these activities.
Lunate and Perilunate Dislocations: Tips and Tricks for Problem Fractures

Perilunate injuries represent a spectrum of insult to the carpus leading to progressive carpal instability. These injuries are most frequently associated with high-energy mechanisms and their diagnoses can be missed. Lunate and perilunate injuries may be purely ligamentous or involve fractures and dislocations of the carpal bones, most commonly the scaphoid (trans-scaphoid perilunate injury). This can be attributed to the complex interplay of the ligamentous and bony architecture of the wrist and resultant biomechanics. Accurate diagnosis relies on a thorough history and physical exam as well as scrutiny of adequate and quality radiographs.
Regional aspirations with a global perspective: developments in East Asian labour studies

Workers in East Asia have shown over the past 50 years that they are capable of challenging capital, despite facing vehement opposition by corporations, oftentimes joined by governments and their m...
Reconstruction of neutral-triggered charged recoil jets in √s = 200 GeV p+p collisions at the STAR experiment

Jets — collimated sprays of hadrons — are produced by hard-scattered partons during the early stages of heavy ion collisions. Hence, they provide a valuable probe of the complex multi-particle dynamics within the hot, dense medium produced in such collisions. In particular, the study of jets recoiling from direct photons (γdir +jet) and those recoiling from energetic π0 (π0 +jet) may shed light on the path-length and initial flavor (quark vs. gluon) dependence of the energy-loss experienced by a parton as it traverses the medium. We present here measurements of the yields of charged recoil jets tagged by γdir and π0 in p+p collisions at √S = 200 GeV. These measurements will serve as a vacuum fragmentation reference for an upcoming measurement in Au + Au collisions.
Autoradiographic Patterns of Brain Interstitial Fluid Flow After Collagenase-induced Haemorrhage in Rat

Cerebral oedema accompanies intracerebral haemorrhage. We induced intracranial bleeding by the intracerebral injection of bacterial collagenase. There was oedema observed both at the haematoma site in the caudate/putamen and bilaterally in the hippocampal regions. To determine the role of vasogenic oedema spread from the site of injury, we studied by autoradiography the distribution of extracellular markers injected along with the collagenase. Both 14 Cdextran (m.w. 70,000) and 14 C-sucrose (m.w. 341) spread away from the injection site into both hippocampal regions in a similar pattern, suggesting bulk flow. Vasogenic oedema secondary to a haemorrhagic lesion in the caudate/putamen is an important cause of the oedema observed in both hippocampal regions in our model.
Adjuvant chemoradiation associated with improved outcomes in patients with microsatellite instability-high advanced endometrial carcinoma

### HIGHLIGHTS Evidence suggests that patients with microsatellite instability (MSI)-high endometrial carcinoma derive greater benefit from radiation therapy than their microsatellite-stable counterparts. We sought to evaluate the outcomes of patients with MSI-high advanced endometrial cancer
Did Community Rating Induce an Adverse Selection Death Spiral? Evidence from New York, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut

Using data from the 1987 to 1996 March Current Population Surveys we find no evidence for the dire predictions of some that the imposition of pure community rating leads to a market–wide reduction in insurance coverage by setting off an “adverse selection death spiral.” Specifically, the percentage of individuals in small groups covered by health insurance did not fall in New York(which enacted community rating legislation in 1993) relative to either Pennsylvania (which enacted no insurance reform) or Connecticut (which enacted moderate insurance reforms without imposing community rating). Consistent with the predictions of the simple Rothschild and Stiglitz (1976) framework, however, we find that the New Yorkreforms appear to have had a significant impact on the structure of the New Yorkinsurance mark et. Specifically, New Yorkexperienced a dramatic shift away from indemnity insurance toward HMOs. While this shift tookplace during a period of nationwide increases in the percentage with managed care, the increase in HMO penetration in New York’s small group and individual markets was significantly greater than in Pennsylvania or Connecticut.
Examining the impact of psychological capital on workplace outcomes of ethnic minority foodservice employees

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the impacts of psychological capital on workplace outcomes of ethnic minority employees in the foodservice industry. Guided by the social exchange theory and the equity theory, this study developed and tested a survey instrument and collected 407 valid responses through an online survey. Results of the structural equation model analysis confirmed the positive impact of psychological capital on work engagement and workplace happiness, and their further impacts on job satisfaction and commitment. The results of multi-group comparisons showed differences between salaried and hourly employees. For individuals holding salaried positions, it was work engagement, rather than psychological capital, that affected their workplace happiness. For hourly employees, although psychological capital influenced their work engagement and workplace happiness, their work engagement and work happiness remain unrelated. Based on the findings, this study offered practical implications on how to enhance psychological capital for ethnic minority employees.
Investigation of MOCVD grown crack-free 4 μm thick aluminum nitride using nitrogen as a carrier gas

We report the growth of crack-free 4 μm thick Aluminum Nitride (AlN) layers in a custom build vertical cold wall metal–organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) reactor using N2 carrier gas on 0.2° offcut sapphire substrate without any additional substrate preprocessing steps. The growth process includes a low-temperature pulsed rough buffer layer followed by a high-temperature layer with continuous growth without any interlayer. The structural properties of the AlN were analyzed using atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy. The AFM image of the 4 µm AlN layer shows an atomically smooth 2-dimensional surface with terrace-like steps. The dislocation density of 1 × 109 cm−2 was calculated using Williamson and Hall process for a 4 µm AlN sample. Additionally, strain calculation from XRD and stress calculation from Raman spectroscopy of AlN grown with N2 carrier gas are discussed.
Who discovers melanoma? Patterns from a population-based survey.

Background: Melanoma is external and potentially detectable by many persons but little is known about who first discovers these lesions. An understanding of discovery patterns can shape future public and professional education programs. Objective: Our purpose was to assess patterns of melanoma discovery and to determine the patients' role in finding their own lesions. Methods: With a written, mailed questionnaire, we conducted a population-based statewide survey of 216 incident cases of melanoma in Massachusetts. Results: Approximately half (53%) of melanomas were self-discovered, whereas the remainder were detected by medical providers (26%), family members (17%), and others (3%). Nearly one third of persons said they could not see their own lesions easily. Compared with men, women were more likely to discover their own lesions (66% vs 42%, p = 0.001) and those on their spouses (23% vs 2%, p Conclusion: Improving early detection and reducing mortality of melanoma will require both public and professional education programs, with particular emphasis on targeting men at highest risk of this disease.
Chronic adenosine A1 receptor agonist and antagonist: effect on receptor density and N-methyl-D-aspartate induced seizures in mice

The effect of chronic administration of the adenosine A1 receptor agonist N6-cyclopentyladenosine (CPA) and the adenosine A1 antagonist 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine (CPX) on N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-evoked seizures was studied in C57BL/6 mice (20/group). Animals were injected i.p. for 9 days with either 1.0 mg/kg CPA or 1.0 mg/kg CPX followed by 2 injection-free days (the washout period) and subsequent administration of a single dose of 60 mg/kg NMDA. As in our previous study, this dose of NMDA caused clonic/tonic seizures resulting in high (60%) mortality within 3 h after injection of the drug. Despite insignificant changes in seizure latency, chronic pretreatment with CPA increased the incidence of clonic/tonic episodes and end-point mortality. Conversely; chronic exposure to CPX completely eliminated clonic/tonic episodes, significantly increased average survival time, and reduced end-point mortality (P < 0.05). The results indicate that chronic treatment with adenosine A1 receptor antagonist may protect against NMDA-evoked seizures to the same degree as previously observed following a single, acute exposure to CPA. Since the density of adenosine receptor binding sites was unchanged after chronic treatment with either CPX or CPA, it is likely that the mechanism behind the observed protection may rest at the level of second messenger systems coupled to adenosine A1 receptors.
Role of dimerization and palmitoylation on the function of HTLV-1 p12 and p8

HTLV-1 p12 is an endoplasmic reticulum resident protein that is cleaved to generate p8, which traffics to the cell surface. p12 promotes T-cell activation by increasing NFAT activity while p8 induces T-cell anergy and enhances virus transmission. We have previously demonstrated that p12 and p8 coimmunoprecipitate. Though the dimerization domain of p12 and p8 is unknown, these proteins contain a single cysteine residue which may form intermolecular disulfide bonds. We have also determined that p8 localizes to membrane lipid rafts. Of importance, palmitoylation increases the hydrophobicity of proteins to target them to lipid rafts. As palmitoylation occurs on cysteine residues, we hypothesize that this post-translational modification regulates p12 and p8 localization, dimerization, and function. In this study, we have demonstrated that wildtype p12 and p8 formed hetero- and homodimers while a mutation at the cysteine residue (C39A) inhibited dimer formation and that monomeric wildtype p12 and p8, but not the C39A mutant, are pamitoylated. Immunofluorescence analysis showed that wildtype p8 localized at the cell surface while C39A p8 did not. This result suggests that p8 homodimerization or palmitoylation regulates p8 localization. We also analyzed ex vivo DNA samples from HTLV-1-infected individuals and found DNA polymorphisms at position 39. These naturally occurring polymorphisms affected dimerization and localization of p8. Currently, we are investigating whether mutation at C39 affects NFAT activation, virus transmission, or proviral load. Determining the mechanism by which p12 and p8 localization, dimerization, and functions are regulated will add to our understanding of HTLV-1 pathogenesis.
Electrostatic wave propagation and trapping near the magnetic equator

Results of a two-dimensional ray tracing computer code, based on Snell's law, for electrostatic wave propagation in a dipole magnetic field are discussed. A survey of possible ray paths varying a wide range of parameters is conducted for low-harmonic Bernstein modes in a high-density plasma. It is shown that the ray paths exhibit similarity with radial distance and that there exists the possibility of two classes of wave statistics of the equator: a broad emission region extending to about + or - 4 deg and a class of events restricted to the smaller region of 1-2 deg about the magnetic equator. The regulating parameter between these two types of events is the transition energy from the isotropic background electrons to the unstable distribution of superthermals. Ray paths for propagation in the magnetic equatorial plane are considered and an explanation is given for ray focusing in the equatorial plane based on electron gyroradius considerations.
Self-monitoring of spontaneous physical activity and sedentary behavior to prevent weight regain in older adults.

Objective The objective was to determine whether adding a self-regulatory intervention (SRI) focused on self-monitoring of spontaneous physical activity (SPA) and sedentary behavior to a standard weight loss intervention improved maintenance of lost weight. Methods Older (65-79 years), obese (BMI = 30-40 kg/m2) adults (n = 48) were randomized to a 5-month weight loss intervention involving a hypocaloric diet (DIET) and aerobic exercise (EX) with or without the SRI to promote SPA and decrease sedentary behavior (SRI + DIET + EX compared with DIET + EX). Following the weight loss phase, both groups transitioned to self-selected diet and exercise behavior during a 5-month follow-up. Throughout the 10-months, the SRI + DIET + EX group utilized real-time accelerometer feedback for self-monitoring. Results There was an overall group by time effect of the SRI (P < 0.01); DIET + EX lost less weight and regained more weight than SRI + DIET + EX. The average weight regain during follow-up was 1.3 kg less in the SRI + DIET + EX group. Individuals in this group maintained approximately 10% lower weight than baseline compared with those in the DIET + EX group whom maintained approximately 5% lower weight than baseline. Conclusions Addition of a SRI, designed to increase SPA and decrease sedentary behavior, to a standard weight loss intervention enhanced successful maintenance of lost weight.
Attendance Feedback In An Academic Setting: Preliminary Results

In the fall of 2005, the attendance behavior of 118 business students at Northern State University (NSU) was monitored in 4 classes. After 10 weeks of classes Absenteeism Feedback was given to these students. Examination of the data indicated a strong correlation between attendance and subsequent course grade.
Turning WAT into BAT gets rid of fat.

Several knockout mouse models of leanness and obesity resistance have been reported over the past several years and have advanced our understanding of the pathogenesis and treatment of obesity. A new lean mouse model has been generated by inactivating the gene for an inhibitor of mRNA translation. (pages 1128–1131 )