cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Imaging the Antarctic mantle using adaptively parameterized P-wave tomography: Evidence for heterogeneous structure beneath West Antarctica

Abstract Previously developed continental-scale surface wave models for Antarctica provide only broad interpretations of the mantle structure, and the best resolved features in recent regional-scale seismic models are restricted above ∼300–400 km depth. We have developed the first continental-scale P-wave velocity model beneath Antarctica using an adaptively parameterized tomography approach that includes data from many new seismic networks. Our model shows considerable, previously unrecognized mantle heterogeneity, especially beneath West Antarctica. A pronounced slow velocity anomaly extends between Ross Island and Victoria Land, further grid south than previous studies indicate. However, at least for mantle depths ≥∼200 km, this anomaly does not extend grid north along the Transantarctic Mountains (TAMs) and beneath the West Antarctic Rift System. The boundary between these slow velocities and fast velocities underlying East Antarctica is ∼100–150 km beneath the front of the TAMs, consistent with flexural uplift models. The lateral extent of the low velocity anomaly is best explained by focused, rift-related decompression melting. In West Antarctica, Marie Byrd Land is underlain by a deep (∼800 km) low velocity anomaly. Synthetic tests illustrate that the low velocities also extend laterally below the transition zone, consistent with a mantle plume ponded below the 660 km discontinuity. The slow anomalies beneath Ross Island and Marie Byrd Land are separate features, highlighting the heterogeneous upper mantle of West Antarctica.
The veil and veracity of passion in Chinese poetics

The ideal poetry is speech that capitalizes on indirection, avers the literary critic Yang Tsai (1271–1323): “Sorrow and grief are held in reserve and no pain is expressed; praise and attack are indirect and not obvious.” To spell out this vision of the Confucian poetics, a reformulation of the IND-COL (Individualism-Collectivism) hypothesis is proposed to anchor cross-cultural differences in terms of Novelty-focus versus Authenticity-focus, with the former being privileged in individualistic cultures, and the latter, collectivistic cultures. The Authenticity-focus hypothesis sheds light on two major functions of indirect expression of emotions: (a) As anti-exploitation device, with the sender’s skills consisting primarily of suppression of emotions; and the receiver’s skills, mind-reading and attunement. (b) As means to achieve inter- and intra-personal harmony, with poetry in particular functioning as a “ritual dance with words” to shape and mold emotions. Data that support the “Authenticity-focus” hypothesis challenge the conventional dichotomy of expression versus inhibition in emotion research, by showing that indirect expression of emotion functions like a veil that reveals and conceals at once the truth of the emoter.
Bladder mass “collagenoma”

Large bladder masses are typically found to be malignant in nature. We present a case of a large bladder neck mass as a result of previous imprecise collagen injection for urethral bulking. The patient was successfully treated as an outpatient with transurethral excision of the collagen mass combined with post-operative anticholinergic therapy.
Image Scanning According To Lines On Finite Fields

In this paper the radial digital image scan is considered. The main result of the paper is the number of radial digital lines needed to cover the image composed of pR x pR pixels, which is pR Application of such scan to detect defects on a silicon wafer is presented.
Seasonal Migration of Smallmouth Bass in the Embarrass and Wolf Rivers, Wisconsin

Abstract Migration of smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieui between summer and winter habitats was investigated from 1985 to 1987 in the Embarrass and Wolf rivers of Wisconsin. Smallmouth bass of age 2 and older (> 200 mm, total length) migrated from the Embarrass River downstream 69–87 km to the Wolf River when the water temperature fell below 16°C in autumn. Smallmouth bass returned to the Embarrass River in April and May, and most individuals returned to the same 5-km reach of river. Adults (age 4 and older, > 280 mm) migrated sooner than subadult fish.
Evaluation and Management of the Persistent/Recurrent Varicocele

Objective To review outcomes in adolescent patients following redo varicocelectomy surgery. Methods The composite varicocele registry of a single surgeon was queried to identify patients who had undergone redo varicocelectomy. Variables of testicular asymmetry, testicular volume, presence and degree of retrograde venous flow, and incidence of postoperative hydrocele were evaluated. Results Nineteen boys were identified as having had a redo varicocelectomy (16 open, 1 laparoscopic, 2 radiographic embolization) with a minimum postoperative follow-up of 6 months (mean: 23.4; range: 6-53 months). No varicocele was palpable postoperatively among the 17 surgical redoes; one patient's testicle was significantly smaller after surgery, and 3 developed a hydrocele requiring repair. One of two boys who underwent radiographic embolization had a persistent varicocele. Eight of the nine boys who had asymmetry of 10% or greater before redo demonstrated catch-up growth after repair. The consistent intraoperative finding in all redo patients was the presence of large veins within the cord, just proximal to the junction with the vas and in continuity with the dilated veins distal to the internal ring. Post-redo retrograde venous flow was not identifiable in 16 and minimal in three. Conclusions Redo varicocelectomy can be accomplished successfully and has a similar chance of achieving catch-up growth as does an initial repair. Postoperatively, there exists a small risk of testicular volume compromise and a significant risk of hydrocele development. Distal collateral veins may have a smaller role in varicocele formation and recurrence than previously thought.
Effects of anonymity and arousal on aggression.

Summary A 2 × 2 factorial experiment employing 32 male undergraduates investigated the aggression-instigating effects of anonymity and general emotional arousal in a small group context. According to Zimbardo, a general state of anonymity reduces the risk of detection and censure from others for behaving aggressively. As predicted, general emotional arousal enhanced aggression only if the students felt anonymous to the E, the victim, and the other group members. This finding was interpreted in terms of models that assume arousal energizes behavior and situational cues direct behavior.
Economies of scale in Canadian Manufacturing

(1975). Economies of scale in Canadian Manufacturing. Applied Economics: Vol. 7, No. 4, pp. 275-285.
Using image-based modeling for exporting 3D content from Second Life

There is a rapidly growing community of users of online virtual environments like Second Life [SL], Opensim [Os] and so on. These environments allow users to create content in the form of 3D graphical models which can be used to build up spaces in the virtual environment. Some of these virtual worlds, e.g. Second Life, do not allow users to export self-created content out of the environment. This is a grievance with many users who may have spent a lot of time and effort in creating a model and would like to reuse their content. In this paper, we present a method to recreate graphical 3D models in virtual environments from their images using multi-view reconstruction techniques. We employ a point-based approach which necessitates complete control over the model to obtain the information required for reconstruction. This precludes the use of our technique for piracy of 3D models. Further, we argue that image-based modeling techniques should perform well in this scenario since the inputs can be controlled and are virtually noise-free. The reconstructed model can then be written in a standard 3D format and reused as desired. We show the results of some initial experiments towards this goal.
B. F. Skinner and psychotechnology: The case of the heir conditioner.

To relieve some of the work of caring for an infant and to create a better environment for the infant, B. F. Skinner invented the baby tender, or aircrib, in 1944. The public first learned of this ...
Respiratory-associated rhythmic firing of midbrain neurons is modulated by vagal input

We recorded phrenic nerve activities and single unit firings of mesencephalic neurons in 19 decerebrate, paralyzed and ventilated cats, in which the spinal cord had been transected at C7-T1 and carotid sinus nerves cut but vagus nerves left intact. After we had found neurons with respiratory-associated rhythmic activity, we tested the effect of changing pulmonary vagal input by (1) stopping and restarting the ventilator; (2) changing the ventilator's tidal volume; (3) progressively cooling the vagus nerves to 6–7°C; and (4) vagal section. All methods of testing yielded results that showed that vagal input, probably from pulmonary stretch receptors, tonically inhibits the respiratory-associated firing of the mesencephalic neurons by a direct mechanism that is independent of a vagal effect on medullary respiratory drive. We have suggested that these neurons are involved in the mechanism that conveys information about respiration to the cortex where it may be interpreted as the sensation of dyspnea. If so, movement and increased expansion of the lungs can be expected to lessen the sensation.
Enthalpies of mixing of liquid nickel(II) chloride-alkali chloride mixtures at 810°C

Abstract The enthalpies of mixing ( ΔH M ) of nickel(II) chloride-alkali chloride mixtures have been measured at 810°C for liquid compositions up to 50 ,ole per cent NiCl 2 . The measurements consist of solid-liquid mixing data and of dilution measurements in which liquid mixtures containing 50 mole percent NiCl 2 were diluted with pure liquid alkali chloride. The behavior of the enthalpy interaction parameters is discussed in terms of the probable formation of tetrahedral NiCl 4 staggered| 2− configurations for mixtures containing KCl, RbCl and CsCl. A comparison with the corresponding MgCl 2 -systems suggests that the Ni 2+ ion is probably tetrahedrally coordinated also in pure, liquid undercooled NiCl 2 at 810°C.
Elastin-like polypeptides: The influence of its molecular weight on local hyperthermia-induced tumor accumulation

Elastin-like polypeptides (ELP) are thermally responsive polypeptides that are soluble in solutions at 37°C, but which aggregate above 42°C. ELP can be used as effective carrier systems of anticancer molecules, because they can be targeted to tumor sites through the application of local hyperthermia. Since molecular size largely influences how successfully therapeutic agents can cross the vasculatures of tumors, it was crucial to determine an optimal molecular size. In this study, we designed and evaluated three ELP macromolecules with varying molecular weights (43, 63, and 122 kDa), with the goal of determining which would optimize the ELP drug delivery system. The N-terminus of the ELP macromolecule was modified with the cell penetrating peptide Bac to enhance intratumoral and intracellular uptake, and it was also confirmed that each polypeptide had the target transition temperature of 37-42°C and the results of the studies, using tumor-bearing mice, showed that the tumor accumulations increased in the case of all three peptides when local hyperthermia was applied, but that the elimination patterns from these tumors varied according to peptide size. Local hyperthermia was found to produce prolonged retention of all ELP conjugates in tumors except Bac-ELP43. In addition, the pharmacokinetic analysis showed that two larger polypeptides with 63 and 122 kDa have increased AUC in comparison with the 43 kDa polypeptide. These results suggest that, when combined with local hyperthermia, the larger ELP conjugates (63 and 122 kDa) have advantages over the smaller Bac-ELP43 polypeptide in terms of enhanced permeability and higher retention effects.
Metabolism of tributyltin by marine animals and possible linkages to effects

This paper summarizes recent work on the metabolism of tributyltin (TBT) by marine animals and how this metabolism may relate to some of the observed effects. Fish and crustaceans have an active cytochrome P-450 dependent mono-oxygenase system which oxidizes TBT to a series of hydroxylated derivatives. These hydroxylated derivatives are conjugated to sulfate or carbohydrate by phase 2 enzyme systems which facilitates the rapid elimination of TBT from the animal. Mollusks have low cytochrome P-450 content and mixed function oxygenase activity which results in TBT accumulation because of the low TBT metabolism rate. Some of the TBT effects observed for mollusks include imposex in stenoglossan gastropods, oyster shell thickening, reduced growth rates in mussels and breakdown of sexual differentiation, oogenesis and egg production in Ostrea edulis. We suggest that these effects are related to the binding of TBT metabolites to cellular proteins and inhibition of detoxifying enzyme systems, e.g., cytochrome P-450 systems and glutathione S-transferases, by TBT. All of the effects are hormonally regulated and TBT and hormones share common metabolic pathways.
Invasive plant ecosystem engineer facilitates community and trophic level alteration for brackish marsh invertebrates

Wetland habitats are becoming increasingly scarce worldwide while experiencing exceptionally high levels of plant invasion. Invasive plant species affect ecosystems through numerous avenues, including acting as ecosystem engineers, contributing unique plant functional traits, and altering trophic dynamics. We examined the impacts of the invasive weed Lepidium latifolium on soil-dwelling and canopy-dwelling invertebrate communities in a brackish marsh of northern California. Invertebrate abundance, species richness, diversity, and community composition were measured in both invaded and non-invaded areas of the marsh in four time periods that correspond with different L. latifolium phenologic phases. We observed these different stages of L. latifolium, and we recorded alterations in the habitat structure provided by L. latifolium as the plant entered senescence. L. latifolium had differential impacts on the two invertebrate communities studied. The presence of L. latifolium increased abundance of soil-dwell...
How much would you give to save a dying bird? Patient advocacy and biomedical research.

The psychological disconnect between the impassioned impulse to save a life in danger and the dispassion required when scientific data must be quantified helps clarify the evolving relationship between patient advocacy and biomedical research.
Human isolates of Bartonella tamiae induce pathology in experimentally inoculated immunocompetent mice

Bartonella tamiae, a newly described bacterial species, was isolated from the blood of three hospitalized patients in Thailand. These patients presented with headache, myalgia, anemia, and mild liver function abnormalities. Since B. tamiae was presumed to be the cause of their illness, these isolates were inoculated into immunocompetent mice to determine their relative pathogenicity in inducing manifestations of disease and pathology similar to that observed in humans. Three groups of four Swiss Webster female mice aged 15-18 months were each inoculated with 106-7 colony forming units of one of three B. tamiae isolates [Th239, Th307, and Th339]. A mouse from each experimental group was sampled at 3, 4, 5 and 6 weeks post-inoculation. Two saline inoculated age-matched controls were included in the study. Samples collected at necropsy were evaluated for the presence of B. tamiae DNA, and tissues were formalin-fixed, stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and examined for histopathology. Following inoculation with B. tamiae, mice developed ulcerative skin lesions and subcutaneous masses on the lateral thorax, as well as axillary and inguinal lymphadenopathy. B. tamiae DNA was found in subcutaneous masses, lymph node, and liver of inoculated mice. Histopathological changes were observed in tissues of inoculated mice, and severity of lesions correlated with the isolate inoculated, with the most severe pathology induced by B. tamiae Th239. Mice inoculated with Th239 and Th339 demonstrated myocarditis, lymphadenitis with associated vascular necrosis, and granulomatous hepatitis and nephritis with associated hepatocellular and renal necrosis. Mice inoculated with Th307 developed a deep dermatitis and granulomas within the kidneys. The three isolates of B. tamiae evaluated in this study induce disease in immunocompetent Swiss Webster mice up to 6 weeks after inoculation. The human patients from whom these isolates were obtained had clinical presentations consistent with the multi-organ pathology observed in mice in this study. This mouse model for B. tamiae induced disease not only strengthens the causal link between this pathogen and clinical illness in humans, but provides a model to further study the pathological processes induced by these bacteria.
Competitive adsorption of plasma proteins onto polymer surfaces.

Abstract Competitive adsorption of plasma proteins onto polymer surfaces has been investigated by using I-125 radiolabelled proteins to determine the rate and adsorbed concentration of each protein from a mixture of albumin, γ-globulin and fibrinogen in a phosphate buffered saline solution. Fibrinogen adsorbed the fastest on all the polymers studied but each protein adsorbed with a rate and concentration dependent upon both the polymer and the protein. The results allow some predictions concerning events occurring when blood contacts polymer surfaces.
Subcellular mechanisms of area postrema activation.

SUMMARY 1. The present paper reviews some of the recent studies regarding the cellular mechanims regulating area postrema (AP) neuronal activity. 2. The calcium currents involved in activation and regulation of AP neuronal activity most likely belong to the Q- and R-family of calcium channels. 3. Angiotensin II increases AP activity by facilitating inward calcium currents and inhibiting calcium-activated potassium currents. 4. The heterogeneity observed regarding responsiveness to glutamate and 5-hydroxytryptamine and peptides may reflect multiple populations of AP neurons, each with specific roles in the integration of afferent and peptidergic neurotransmission.
Haecceities and Nonexistent Possible Individuals

I have argued that there are nonqualitative haecceities,1 and that if this is the case, then there is a full range of qualitative and nonqualitative properties and propositions.2 I conclude that there exists a full range of qualitative and nonqualitative properties and propositions. It seems that if there are abstracta of these kinds, then metaphysical possibility can be understood in terms of them. Therefore, it appears that metaphysical possibility can be understood in terms of qualitative and nonqualitative properties and propositions. In particular, it is highly plausible that a possibility or possible world is identifiable with an abstractum,that is, a proposition or property, or conjunction of them.3 Using a term coined by Alvin Plantinga, the view which endorses such an identification will be called Modal Realism.4 I shall argue that the postulation of unexemplified nonqualitative haecceities is justified because Modal Realism requires the existence of such properties.
Experimental and modeling studies of the stream-wise filter vibration effect on the filtration efficiency

The stream-wise vibration effect of a fibrous filter is studied experimentally and numerically for the purpose of evaluating filtration efficiency. The particle sizes range from 0.02 to 10 μ m and the face velocity ranges from 3 to 10 cm/s. The vibrational peak velocity also varied from 0 to 50 cm/s. The filtration efficiency for this wide size range is obtained by combining the individual test results for fine particles (0.02 to 0.5 μ m) and large particles (0.5 to 10.0 μ m). For the fine particle experiment, Arizona Road Dust (ARD) test particles are generated by an atomizer after an ultrasonic process and measured by a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS). For the large particle experiment, the test particles are generated by a fluidized bed and measured by an Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (APS). When the particles are generated by the atomizer after ultrasonicating, the majority of the particles are in nano scale without the agglomerates on the large particle surface, while particles generated by the ...
Native kidney function following liver transplantation using calcineurin inhibitors: single-center analysis with 20 years of follow-up.

Introduction The incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in liver transplant recipients has been estimated to be from 18% to 28% at 10 yr after transplantation. As outcomes from liver transplantation continue to improve, long-term native kidney function in these recipients becomes more critical to patient survival. Methods We analyzed 1151 adult, deceased-donor, single-organ primary liver transplantations performed at our center between 7/17/84 and 12/31/07. Analysis of renal function was performed on 972 patients with liver allograft survival >1 yr. Results Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed that 3%, 7%, and 18% of liver transplant recipients with allograft survival >1 yr developed end-stage renal disease (ESRD) at five, 10, and 20 yr, respectively. Significant independent risk factors for ESRD included dialysis during the transplant hospitalization, the stage of CKD at one yr, hypercholesterolemia, non-Caucasian race, and hepatitis C as the primary indication for liver transplantation. The initial immunosuppression of essentially all recipients was a calcineurin inhibitor-based regimen. Conclusion Close, long-term follow-up of liver transplant recipients permits optimal management of liver allograft and native renal function and can lead to excellent long-term outcomes despite a calcineurin inhibitor-based immunosuppressive regimen.
InSight: recognizing humans without face recognition

Wearable cameras and displays, such as the Google Glass, are around the corner. This paper explores techniques that jointly leverage camera-enabled glasses and smartphones to recognize individuals in the visual surrounding. While face recognition would be one approach to this problem, we believe that it may not be always possible to see a person's face. Our technique is complementary to face recognition, and exploits the intuition that colors of clothes, decorations, and even human motion patterns, can together make up a "fingerprint". When leveraged systematically, it may be feasible to recognize individuals with reasonable consistency. This paper reports on our attempts, with early results from a prototype built on Android Galaxy phones and PivotHead's camera-enabled glasses. We call our system InSight.
1,3‐Dithienium Tetrafluoroborate

[39915-66-7] C4H7BF4S2 (MW 206.03) InChI = 1S/C4H7S2.BF4/c1-2-5-4-6-3-1;2-1(3,4)5/h4H,1-3H2;/q+1;-1 InChIKey = ALMBDVYVZBPKAH-UHFFFAOYSA-N (reagent used for introduction of the dithiane function by electrophilic substitution; formyl equivalent by hydrolysis or methyl equivalent by reductive desulfurization for one-carbon homologation) Alternate Name: 4H-1,3-dithiin-1-ium, 5,6-dihydro-, tetrafluoroborate (1–). Physical Data: yellow solid; mp 188–190 °C.1 Solubility: soluble in CH2Cl2–CH3NO2 mixtures and CH3CN. Analysis of Reagent Purity: 1H NMR (CD3NO2) δ 11.10 (s, 1H), 3.6–3.8 (m, 4H), 2.4–2.8 (m, 2H).1 Preparative Methods: can be prepared by reaction of 1,3-dithiane with trityl tetrafluoroborate in dry CH2Cl2 at reflux (30 min), followed by solvent evaporation, trituration of the residue with cold Et2O, collection of the solid by filtration, and drying in vacuo (92%). Handling, Storage, and Precautions: store at −20 °C under moisture-free conditions (where it is stable for several months).1 Use in a fume hood.
THE COURAGE TO LEAD

This article explores the relationship between courage and leadership as it applies to Catholic educators. Scripture, literature, contemporary leadership theory, and modern culture are used in the development of an approach to leadership that is both theologically sound and culturally relevant. The author criticizes popular views of leadership, especially the work of Stephen Covey, in articulating a Catholic worldview and a functional leadership theory for Catholic educators.
Nonspecific binding to microsomes : impact on scale-up of in vitro intrinsic clearance to hepatic clearance as assessed through examination of warfarin, imipramine, and propranolol

The nonspecific, noncovalent binding of three drugs, imipramine, warfarin, and propranolol, to pooled human and animal liver microsomes has been determined using equilibrium dialysis in conditions where no cofactor (NADPH) was included in the incubation. The binding of warfarin was dependent upon both protein and drug concentration, whereas the binding of propranolol and imipramine was also dependent upon protein concentration but generally independent of drug concentration. At a microsomal protein concentration of 1.0 mg/ml and a warfarin concentration of 10 microM, the free fraction (fu(mic)) was 0.85. The corresponding values for propranolol and imipramine were 0.41 and 0.16, respectively. Thus, although all three drugs exhibit high binding in plasma (fu<0.1) the acidic drug warfarin differs from the basic drugs propranolol and imipramine in the extent to which each binds to microsomal protein. The binding of all three drugs to liver microsomes obtained from commonly studied animal species (rat, dog, and monkey) was almost identical to that observed in human. Additionally, the binding of warfarin and propranolol to microsomes obtained from insect cells used in baculovirus cytochrome P450 expression systems was similar to that exhibited in liver microsomes, when equal protein concentrations were compared. The enzyme kinetics of propranolol, imipramine, and warfarin oxidative metabolism were determined in pooled human liver microsomes, and the intrinsic clearance values obtained were used in scaling up to project human in vivo clearance. The values obtained by incorporating microsomal binding were compared with those in which this factor is ignored. The findings suggest that the parameter fu(mic) is important to obtain when attempting to relate in vitro intrinsic clearance to in vivo clearance. Also, this value is important to consider when comparing substrates with respect to enzyme specificity, since measured apparent KM values should be converted to true "free KM" values by correcting for the free fraction in the in vitro incubation. Furthermore, the extent of nonspecific binding to microsomes is likely an important parameter to consider when attempting to relate Ki values measured in vitro to observations of drug-drug interactions (or the lack thereof) in vivo.
Class, perceptions of ‘disordered’ behaviour, and suggestions for therapy: a tri‐cultural comparison

This paper presents findings from a tri-cultural study in which we argue that class differences pertain not only to rates of mental illness but also to recognition of symptoms of mental illness and to recommendations concerning what should be done by those exhibiting 'disordered behaviour'. It is hypothesized that regardless of respondent's cultural background, the extent to which a deviant behaviour will be defined as a mental health problem, and professional therapy will be suggested as a source of help for that problem, will be positively related to class. Findings from a sample selected from two small West Texas communities, and samples selected from Durango, Mexico, and Juiz de Fora, Brazil, indicate strong support for the first prediction only among the West Texas sample, whereas the second hypothesis concerning therapy suggestions is strongly supported among respondents in all three cultural settings. We conclude that these class differences in perceptions and suggestions concerning five examples of 'disordered' behaviours read to respondents relate to conditions of lower-class life in general. Particularly, structural support found for our hypothesis leads us to suggest a need for informal, nonbureaucratic mental health care systems created to serve lower-class populations residing in class-oriented societies, regardless of cultural differences which may exist among these societies.
A response spectrum method for random vibration analysis of mdf systems

A response spectrum method for stationary random vibration analysis of linear, multi-degree-of-freedom systems is developed. The method is based on the assumption that the input excitation is a wide-band, stationary Gaussian process and the response is stationary. However, it can also be used as a good approximation for the response to a transient stationary Gaussian input with a duration several times longer than the fundamental period of the system. Various response quantities, including the mean-squares of the response and its time derivative, the response mean frequency, and the cumulative distribution and the mean and variance of the peak response are obtained in terms of the ordinates of the mean response spectrum of the input excitation and the modal properties of the system. The formulation includes the cross-correlation between modal responses, which is shown to be significant for modes with closely spaced natural frequencies. The proposed procedure is demonstrated for an example structure that is subjected to an ensemble of earthquake-induced base excitations. Computed results based on the response spectrum method are in close agreement with simulation results obtained from time-history dynamic analysis. The significance of closely spaced modes and the error associated with a conventional method that neglects the modal correlations are also demonstrated.
Status Asthmaticus in Children: A Review

About 10% of American children have asthma, and its prevalence, morbidity, and mortality have been increasing. Asthma is an inflammatory disease with edema, bronchial constriction, and mucous plugging. Status asthmaticus in children requires aggressive treatment with β-agonists, anticholinergics, and corticosteroids. Intubation and mechanical ventilation should be avoided if at all possible, as the underlying dynamic hyperinflation will worsen with positive-pressure ventilation. If mechanical ventilation becomes necessary, controlled hypoventilation with low tidal volume and long expiratory time may lessen the risk of barotrauma and hypotension. Unusual and nonestablished therapies for severe asthma are discussed.
Simpler proofs for concurrent reading and writing

Simplified proofs are given for Lamport’s protocols to coordinate concurrent reading and writing.
Comparison of Different Definitions of Pediatric Metabolic Syndrome: Relation to Abdominal Adiposity, Insulin Resistance, Adiponectin, and Inflammatory Biomarkers

Objectives To examine the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome using different pediatric definitions reported in the literature and its relationship to abdominal adipose tissue (AT), in vivo insulin resistance, and inflammatory biomarkers in children and adolescents, as well as the utility of fasting insulin and adiponectin as predictors of the metabolic syndrome. Study design Cross-sectional measurements were obtained from 122 African Americans and 129 Caucasians age 8 to 19 years. Insulin sensitivity (IS) was measured by a 3-h hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp. Blood pressure, fasting lipids, adiponectin, interleukin (IL)-6, adhesion molecules (intercellular adhesion molecule [ICAM]-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule [VCAM]-1, and E-selectin), and abdominal AT were measured. Results Regardless of the metabolic syndrome criteria used, the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome was higher in overweight (24%∼51%) compared with non-overweight youths (1%∼3%) in both African Americans and Caucasians ( P P Conclusions The prevalence of metabolic syndrome varies depending on the definition used in the literature. Thus, there is a need for a unified definition of this syndrome in children and adolescents to streamline the research in this area. Independent of race, visceral obesity, insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, and hypoadiponectinemia are the common characteristics of youths with the metabolic syndrome. In Caucasians but not in African Americans, the metabolic syndrome is associated with increased inflammatory markers; however, the translation of such findings remains to be determined based on long-term longitudinal outcome studies in different racial groups.
Reevaluation of the Role of the Sympathetic Nervous System in Cutaneous Vasodilation during Dorsal Spinal Cord Stimulation: Are Multiple Mechanisms Active?

Objective. In addition to treatment of refractory chronic pain in patients with peripheral vascular disease, dorsal spinal cord stimulation (DCS) increases cutaneous blood flow to the extremities and may have a limb-saving effect. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of the sympathetic nervous system in the cutaneous vasodilation due to DCS. Methods. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were anesthetized with pentobarbital (60 mg/kg, i.p.). A unipolar ball electrode was placed on the left side of the exposed spinal cord at approximately the L1-L2 level. Blood flow was concurrently recorded from both hindpaw foot pads with laser Doppler flowmeters. Blood flow responses were assessed during 1 min of DCS (0.6 mA at 50 Hz, 0.2 msec pulse duration) at 10 min intervals. To determine the contribution of the sympathetic nervous system in the blood flow response to DCS, the role of ganglionic transmission, alpha-adrenergic receptors, beta-adrenergic receptors, and adrenal catecholamine secretion were investigated using adrenergic receptor antagonists. Results. Hexamethonium (10 mg/kg, i.v.), an autonomic ganglionic receptor antagonist, did not attenuate the cutaneous vasodilation during DCS. Phentolamine (3 mg/kg, i.v.), a nonselective alpha-adrenergic receptor antagonist, also did not attenuate the DCS-induced increase in peripheral cutaneous blood flow. On the other hand, prazosin (0.1 mg/kg, i.v.), a selective alpha-1-adrenergic receptor antagonist, attenuated the DCS response but this may, at least, be partly due to a vehicle effect. Propranolol (5 mg/kg, i.v.), a nonselective beta-adrenergic receptor antagonist, attenuated the DCS response while adrenal demedullation did not. Conclusion. Overall, our results show that DCS-induced vasodilation can occur through mechanisms that are independent of sympathetic outflow.
Hormone Replacement Therapy Is Associated With Decreased Survival in Women With Lung Cancer

Purpose Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in women. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is frequently prescribed to postmenopausal women, but there is little data on its effect on lung cancer. Hence, we conducted a retrospective study to examine the impact of HRT on the natural history of lung cancer. Methods We conducted a retrospective chart review of women diagnosed with lung cancer between January 1994 and December 1999. Data collected included age, stage, past history of cancer, smoking history, family history of cancer, HRT use, treatment, and overall survival. The effects of various clinical features on survival were examined using Cox proportional hazards regression models. Results Four hundred ninety-eight women (median age, 67 years; range, 31 to 93 years) with lung cancer were included. A history of smoking was present in 429 women (86%), whereas 86 women (17%) had taken HRT. Women with lung cancer who received HRT were younger than women with lung cancer who never received...
Responsive partisanship: public support for the clinton and obama health care plans.

We examine the contours of support for the Clinton and Obama health care plans during the 1990s and 2000s based on our own compilation of 120,000 individual- level survey responses from throughout the debates. Despite the rise of the Tea Party, and the racialization of health care politics, opinion dynamics are remarkably similar in both periods. Party ID is the single most powerful predictor of support for reform and the president's handling of it. Contrary to prominent claims, after controlling for par- tisanship, demographic characteristics are at best weak predictors of support for reform. We also show that Clinton and Obama did not ''lose'' blacks, seniors, or wealthy voters over the course of the debate. The small and often nonexistent relationship between these characteristics and support for the plan are constant over time. Instead, the modest fluctuations in support for reform appear to follow the ebb and flow of elite rhetoric. Both mean levels of support and its volatility over time covary with elite partisan discourse. These findings suggest that presidents courting public opinion should seek consensus among their own party's elites before appealing to other narrower interests. The passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in March 2010 was the culmination of a political battle that has helped define Ameri- can domestic politics since President Harry Truman's 1945 proposal to create national health insurance. For over fifty years, partisan actors, busi- nesses large and small, labor unions, and a myriad of interest groups waged battle in the court of public opinion over plans for comprehensive health reform. This article examines the determinants of public support for com- prehensive health care reform and how public opinion changed over time in the context of this vigorous policy debate.
Three new percid fishes (Percidae: Percina) from the Mobile Basin drainage of Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee

Three new species of Percina are described from upland drainages of the Mobile Basin. Two of the three species are narrowly distributed: P. kusha, the Bridled Darter, is currently known only from the Conasauga River drainage in Georgia and Tennessee and Etowah River drainage in Georgia, both tributaries of the Coosa River, and P. sipsi, the Bankhead Darter, which is restricted to tributaries of Sipsey Fork of the Black Warrior River in northwestern Alabama. The third species, P. smithvanizi, the Muscadine Darter, occurs above the Fall Line in the Tallapoosa River drainage in eastern Alabama and western Georgia. In a molecular analysis using mitochondrial cytochrome b sequence data, P. kusha and P. smithvanizi were recovered as sister species, while Percina sipsi was recovered in a clade consisting of P. aurolineata (P. sciera + P. sipsi). Two of the three species, P. kusha and P. sipsi, are considered to be imperiled species and are in need of conservation actions to prevent their extinction. Description of these three darters increases the number of described species of Percina to 44. Sixteen are known to occur in the Mobile Basin, including nine that are endemic.
Symptoms Versus Neurocognitive Test Performance as Predictors of Psychosocial Status in Schizophrenia: A 1- and 4-Year Prospective Study

In recent years, a growing body of literature has highlighted the significance of neurocognitive deficits as markers for subsequent psychosocial deficits in patients with schizophrenia. Relatively few studies, however, have directly compared symptoms and neurocognitive test performance as predictors of psychosocial status in a prospective design. In two studies with schizophrenia patients, we investigated the relationship between symptom dimensions (psychomotor poverty, disorganization, reality distortion) and neurocognitive measures (problem solving, attention, verbal learning and memory) obtained at study entry, and psychosocial status measured at a 1- and 4-year followup. Results from the 1-year followup (n = 70) revealed that psychomotor poverty, symptoms of disorganization, and performance on measures of card-sorting and visual vigilance were related to psychosocial status. Results from the 4-year followup (n = 26) revealed a similar pattern of findings with the exception of verbal learning, which emerged as a predictor of psychosocial status only at the 4-year followup. Stepwise regression revealed that performance on measures of visual vigilance and psychomotor poverty symptoms explained the largest amount of variance in psychosocial status at both followup intervals. The significance of these findings for the development and assessment of novel treatment interventions for schizophrenia is discussed.
In Defence of the 'Democratic Deficit': Reassessing Legitimacy in the European Union*

Concern about the EU’s ‘democratic deficit’ is misplaced. Judged against existing advanced industrial democracies, rather than an ideal plebiscitary or parliamentary democracy, the EU is legitimate. Its institutions are tightly constrained by constitutional checks and balances: narrow mandates, fiscal limits, super-majoritarian and concurrent voting requirements and separation of powers. The EU's appearance of exceptional insulation reflects the subset of functions it performs ‐ central banking, constitutional adjudication, civil prosecution, economic diplomacy and technical administration. These are matters of low electoral salience commonly delegated in national systems, for normatively justifiable reasons. On balance, the EU redresses rather than creates biases in political representation, deliberation and output.
Giving and receiving emotional support online: Communication competence as a moderator of psychosocial benefits for women with breast cancer

This study examines the moderating role of emotional communication competence in the relationship between Computer-Mediated Social Support (CMSS) group participation, specifically giving and receiving emotional support, and psychological health outcomes. Data were collected as part of randomized clinical trials for women diagnosed with breast cancer within the last twomonths. Expression and reception of emotional support was assessed by tracking and coding the 18,064 messages that 236 patients posted and read in CMSS groups. The final data used in the analysis was created by merging (a) computer-aided content analysis of discussion posts, (b) action log data analysis of system usage, and (c) baseline and 6-month surveys collected to assess change. Results of this study demonstrate that emotional communication competence moderates the effects of expression and reception of emotional support on psychological quality of life and breast cancer-related concerns in both desired and undesired ways. Giving and receiving emotional support in CMSS groups has positive effects on emotional well-being for breast cancer patients with higher emotional communication, while the same exchanges have detrimental impacts on emotional well-being for those with lower emotional communication competence. The theoretical and practical implications for future research are discussed.
Explanation-Augmented SVM: an approach to incorporating domain knowledge into SVM learning

We introduce a novel approach to incorporating domain knowledge into Support Vector Machines to improve their example efficiency. Domain knowledge is used in an Explanation Based Learning fashion to build justifications or explanations for why the training examples are assigned their given class labels. Explanations bias the large margin classifier through the interaction of training examples and domain knowledge. We develop a new learning algorithm for this Explanation-Augmented SVM (EA-SVM). It naturally extends to imperfect knowledge, a stumbling block to conventional EBL. Experimental results confirm desirable properties predicted by the analysis and demonstrate the approach on three domains.
In vivo morphological characterisation of skin by MRI micro-imaging methods.

Background/purpose: Quantitative assessments in skin layers using images obtained with standard magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences are limited, since the stratum corneum and dermis, the layers of most clinical interest, have low signal due to their short spin–spin relaxation, T2. Methods: In the present work, different methods of MRI contrast, such as magnetisation transfer contrast (MTC), T1-weighting (where T1 is spin–lattice relaxation time), T2*-weighting (where T2* is the combination of T2 and magnetic field in-homogeneity effect) and chemical shift, were used. These techniques were combined with high-resolution MRI. Results: We found that skin is a very MT active tissue, and MTC provides data enabling the evaluation of how the tissue in skin layers interacts with the interstitial fluids. Details obtained from high-resolution high-quality in vivo skin images with different contrast allowed for differentiation of skin layers, sub-layers and excellent correlation of MR data with known histological features and water constituent of skin layers. Conclusion: Combining MT and other MRI data employing other contrast mechanisms provides a superior non-invasive in vivo technique for visualisation and also quantitative assessment of the constituents of the stratum corneum, epidermis, papillary dermis, reticular dermis and hypodermis as major structural layers of the skin. This type of study can be extended to cutaneous disease states or skin ageing, where defects in water mobility, concentration and/or macromolecular structural changes are expected.
Genetic diversity in California sea otters: Theoretical considerations and management implications

Abstract The California sea otter population was reduced to a small number of animals by fur hunters in the 18th and 19th centuries. The population has partially recovered but is still threatened, largely because of its vulnerability in the event of a major oil spill. The translocation of enough animals to establish a second colony outside the present range has been suggested as a means of reducing the vulnerability of the population. Any population that has been reduced to a small number and then allowed to increase may have lost some of its original genetic diversity. The loss of genetic diversity often results in deleterious effects, such as increased juvenile mortality and reduced fertility. It is therefore of interest to determine the degree of genetic diversity which the California sea otter population should have theoretically lost during its population ‘bottleneck’ and the number of otters which should be translocated in order to avoid substantial loss of genetic diversity in the new colony. Application of some of the concepts of population genetics to the California sea otter indicates that the current population should theoretically retain a large proportion (77%) of whatever genetic diversity existed in the original population and that a new colony resulting from the successful translocation of 50 breeding otters would retain much of the present genetic diversity after 40 years.
Functional and molecular identification of a novel chloride conductance in canine colonic smooth muscle

Swelling-activated or volume-sensitive Cl− currents are found in numerous cell types and play a variety of roles in their function; however, molecular characterization of the channels is generally ...
Enhanced ORB-based Active Networking

Future requirements for supporting QoS of distributed object applications by active network, are discussed. A middleware approach for active networking is presented. A CORBA-based distributed processing environment (DPE) is described a, an interoperable service platform in an active network to enable end-to-end QoS for distributed object communication. Two key platform services are presented, i.e., QoS binding and resource control. A binding framework is enhanced to achieve transparent QoS provision for object communications; a resource control framework adaptively manages active router resources through generic abstraction interface to support various IP services. In short, the paper presents a distributed computing model for active networks so that active services can be dynamically deployed as downloadable objects to apply different QoS architectures on demand.