cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Is the named nurse a reality in accident and emergency

Previous articles have looked at particular aspects of the named nurse concept, but few have addressed the perceived difficulties in the speciality of Accident and Emergency (A & E) nursing. This paper seeks to promote discussion with other specialist areas/departments/units.
Design and integrated operation of an innovative thermodynamic vent system concept

A unique zero-g thermodynamic vent system (TVS) is being developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and Rockwell International to meet cryogenic propellant management requirements for future space missions. The design is highly innovative in that it integrates the functions of a spray-bar tank mixer and a TVS. This concept not only satisfies the requirement for efficient tank mixing and zero-g venting but also accommodates thermal conditioning requirements for other components (e.g., engine feed lines, turbopumps, and liquid acquisition devices). In addition, operations can be extended to accomplish tank chill-down, no-vent fill, and emergency venting during zero-g propellant transfer. This paper describes the system performance characterization and future test activities that are part of MSFC's Multipurpose Hydrogen Test Bed (MHTB) program. The testing will demonstrate the feasibility and merit of the design, and serve as a proof-of-concept development activity.
STATUS OF STUDIES ON FOSSIL MARINE MAMMALS

A 30-year renaissance in research on fossil marine mammals has brought advances on several fronts and suggests potential directions for future study. Gingerich and Russell have described Pakicetus, the most primitive archaeocete cetacean. Mchedlidze has described a diverse assemblage of late Oligocene/early Miocene cetaceans from the Caucasus and Georgia, S.S.R. Barnes and Fordyce, respectively, have outlined sequences of fossil cetacean assemblages in the northeast and southwest Pacific. Much remains to be done on origin and definition of cetacean suborders, diversification and systematics of families, and relationships among infra-familial taxa. New material has been recovered of the most primitive desmostylians, and other new specimens, especially ones from Japan studied by Inuzuka and others, give a relatively complete picture of their anatomy. Material now exists for phylogenetic analysis. Domning has proposed a phyletic lineage of the sirenian subfamily Hydro-damalinae and has outlined patterns of Late Cenozoic manatee evolution. With Morgan and Ray he reviewed Eocene sirenians in the northwest Atlantic. Numerous new specimens are being actively studied in attempts to reassess relationships within the Sirenia. Mitchell and Tedford described the most primitive otariid, Enaliarctos. Repenning and Tedford reviewed the otarioids. The primitive taxa and their origin near or in the amphicynodontine ursids have been identified. The zoogeography of true seals, the phocids, has been analyzed recently by Repenning, Ray and Grigorescu, and by de Muizon. Most taxa are based on a few fragmentary specimens, and much work needs to be done on basic descriptions, interspecific comparisons and phyletic analysis. However, major progress has been made in the southern hemisphere through description of extensive new materials from Peru and South Africa. Many important phylogenetic gaps in the fossil record of marine mammals have been filled recently, and further advances continue at a rapid rate. Studies of zoogeography, functional anatomy and paleoecology, in addition to phylogeny, are coming into their own and promise an exciting series of discoveries in the coming years.
New Optical Transforms For Statistical Image Recognition

New optical transforms for statistical image recognitionSing H. LeeElectrical Engineering and Computer Sciences DepartmentUniversity of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093In optical implementation of statistical image recognition, new optical transforms onlarge images for real -time recognition are of special interest. Several important lineartransformations frequently used in statistical pattern recognition have now been opticallyimplemented, including the Karhunen -Loeve transform (KLT), the Fukunaga- Koontz transform(FKT) and the least- squares linear mapping technique (LSLMT).1 -3 The KLT performs principlecomponents analysis on one class of patterns for feature extraction. The FKT performs fea-ture extraction for separating two classes of patterns. The LSLMT separates multipleclasses of patterns by maximizing the interclass differences and minimizing the intraclassvariations.Given a training set of images for each class, we use a television camera and video digi-tizer to input these image data to a microcomputer. Using these image data and a computeralgorithm unique to the transformation, we calculate the basis (or discriminant) functions.These basis functions are multiplexed onto a computer generated spatial filter (CGSF),which is then used in a coherent optical processor. Illuminated by a spatially randomphase function, the coherent optical processor yields the transform coefficients in parallel
An introduction to the Special Issue: An overview, history and context for the consideration of risk in the built environment

Especially since the terrorist attacks in the USA in 2001, the public has become much more enlightened regarding the trade-off of risk and security among choices of investment in communities. This introductory paper suggests that this is an important time to share the broader, comparative issues of structural safety with respect to risk assessment and management in the built environment, i.e. the civil constructions that constitute the physical structures and infrastructure of communities. The particular aim is to share with the larger risk community the significant context of current risk views that are the culmination of research that began about 50 years ago on the safety of individual structures and infrastructure systems.
Single-Institution Experience with Pemetrexedand Bevacizumab as Salvage Therapy in AdvancedNon–Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Abstract Background Second-line cytotoxic therapy for patients with advanced non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) includes single-agent pemetrexed or docetaxel. The addition of bevacizumab to carboplatin/paclitaxel in the first-line setting was shown to improve survival and response. We assessed pemetrexed and bevacizumab compared with pemetrexed alone in the salvage setting. Patients and Methods Patients with advanced NSCLC, in whom at least first-line therapy failed and who received pemetrexed alone or pemetrexed/bevacizumab, were analyzed. Results From March 2005 through March 2006, we identified 25 patients treated with pemetrexed or pemetrexed/bevacizumab in the salvage setting. There were no significant differences in clinical features. All 25 were evaluable for overall survival, 21 for time to progression, and 19 for objective response evaluation. After a median follow-up of 9.3 months, there were no differences between the cohorts for median overall survival, time to progression, or objective disease control rate (partial response and stable disease). The 6-month survival rate was 56.3% for the pemetrexed group and 66.7% for the pemetrexed/bevacizumab group. There were no grade 3–5 hemorrhagic events. Conclusion This retrospective single institution analysis showed that pemetrexed/bevacizumab was safely administered in the salvage setting of advanced NSCLC. Whether bevacizumab enhances the efficacy of pemetrexed remains to be determined and is the subject of an ongoing randomized clinical trial. Until those results are reported, off-label use of pemetrexed and bevacizumab is not recommended.
On the coherency of dynamic load estimates for vehicles on flexible structures

This paper develops a novel form of a well-known signal processing technique, so as to be applicable to the interaction between a heavy truck and a supporting bridge structure. Motivated by the problem of structural health monitoring of bridges, a new modal coherency function is defined. This relates the input action of moving wheel loads to the dynamic response of the bridge, including the effects of unevenness of the road surface and the vertical dynamics of the truck suspension. The analysis here is specifically aimed at future experimental testing – the validation of axle load estimators obtained from sensors on the truck. It is applicable even when no independent ‘ground truth’ for the dynamic loads is available. The approach can be more widely used in the analysis of dynamic interactions involving suspended moving loads on deformable structures, e.g. for structural vibrations due to high-speed trains.
Effects of substrate surface preparation on chemical vapor deposition growth of 4H-SiC epitaxial layers

The effects of chemical mechanical polish (CMP) and pre-growth oxidation and etching of vicinal 4H−SiC substrates on the quality of epitaxial films have been investigated. Samples with and without a collodial silica CMP and oxidation/etch treatment were studied with optical microscopy, cross section transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) before and after chemical vapor deposition. Evidence of polishing damage was evident prior to growth in all samples without CMP treatment. Oxidation and etching appeared to generate defects by preferential etching of bulk defects such as dislocations and low angle grain boundaries. Evidence of the polishing damage remained after chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth on the samples without CMP and the defect density was worse for the oxidized samples compared to the unoxidized ones. The unoxidized CMP wafer had the lowest defect density and rms roughness of the samples studied.
Plasma Membrane Ca2+ Pump Isoform 3f Is Weakly Stimulated by Calmodulin

Abstract Isoform 3f of the plasma membrane Ca2+ pump is a major isoform of this pump in rat skeletal muscle. It has an unusual structure, with a short carboxyl-terminal regulatory region of only 33 residues when compared with the 77 to 124 residues found in the other isoforms. Also, whereas the regulatory regions of the other isoforms, downstream of the alternative splice, consist of two homologous groups, the sequence of 3f is not related to either group. A synthetic peptide representing the calmodulin binding domain of isoform 3f had a much lower calmodulin affinity (with a K d of 15 nm) than the corresponding peptide of isoform 2b (K d value was 0.2 nm). The characteristics of this domain were further studied by making chimeras of the 3f regulatory region with the catalytic core of isoform 4 and by making the full-length isoform 3f. Both constructs bound to calmodulin-Sepharose. The chimera was fully active without calmodulin, showing no stimulation of activity when calmodulin was added. The full-length isoform 3f was slightly activated by calmodulin. These data show that the regulatory region of isoform 3f is only a weak autoinhibitor of the enzyme, in contrast to the properties of all the other isoforms studied so far. Rather, this isoform is a special-purpose, constitutively active form of the enzyme, expressed primarily in skeletal muscle and as a minor isoform in brain.
Brain gene expression patterns differentiate mild cognitive impairment from normal aged and Alzheimer's disease

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) represents a cognitive state intermediate between normal aging and early Alzheimer's disease (AD). To investigate if the molecular signature of MCI parallels the clinical picture, we use microarrays to extensively profile gene expression in 4 cortical brain regions (entorhinal cortex, hippocampus, superior frontal gyrus, post-central gyrus) using the postmortem tissue from cognitively normal aged controls, MCI, and AD cases. Our data reveal that gene expression patterns in MCI are not an extension of aging, and for the most part, are not intermediate between aged controls and AD. Functional enrichment analysis of significant genes revealed prominent upregulation in MCI brains of genes associated with anabolic and biosynthetic pathways (notably transcription, protein biosynthesis, protein trafficking, and turnover) as well as mitochondrial energy generation. In addition, many synaptic genes showed altered expression in MCI, predominantly upregulation, including genes for central components of the vesicle fusion machinery at the synapse, synaptic vesicle trafficking, neurotransmitter receptors, and synaptic structure and stabilization. These data suggest that there is a rebalancing of synaptic transmission in the MCI brain. To investigate if synaptic gene expression levels in MCI were related to cognitive function, Pearson correlation coefficient between the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and region-specific messenger RNA expression were computed for MCI cases. A number of synaptic genes showed strong significant correlations (r > 0.8, p < 0.01) most notably in the entorhinal cortex, with fewer in the hippocampus, and very few in neocortical regions. The synaptic genes with highly significant correlations were predominantly related to synaptic transmission and plasticity, and myelin composition. Unexpectedly, we found that gene expression changes that facilitate synaptic excitability and plasticity were overwhelmingly associated with poorer MMSE, and conversely that gene expression changes that inhibit plasticity were positively associated with MMSE. These data suggest that there are excessive excitability and apparent plasticity in limbic brain regions in MCI, that is associated with impaired synaptic and cognitive function. Such changes would be predicted to contribute to increased excitability, in turn leading to greater metabolic demand and ultimately progressive degeneration and AD, if not controlled.
Importance of molecular details in predicting bacterial adhesion to hydrophobic surfaces.

Electrostatic and hydrophobic forces are generally recognized as important in bacterial adhesion. Current continuum models for these forces often wrongly predict measurements of bacterial adhesion forces. The hypothesis tested here is that even qualitative guides to bacterial adhesion often require more than continuum information about hydrophobic forces; they require knowledge about molecular details of the bacteria and substrate surface. In this study, four different strains of bacteria were adsorbed to silica surfaces hydrophobized with alkylsilanes. The thickness of the lipopolysaccharide layers varied on the different bacteria, and the lengths of the alkylsilane molecules were varied from experiment to experiment. Bacterial adhesion was assessed using column experiments and atomic force microscopy (AFM) experiments. Results show that hydrophobized surfaces have higher bacterial sticking coefficients and stronger adhesion forces than bare silica surfaces, as expected. However, adhesion decreased as th...
A pharmacological study of some acetylenic carbinols

A series of sixteen acetylenic carbinols has been investigated for pharmacological activity. In contrast to the hypnotic activity generally found in this series, 3‐octyne‐2‐ol and 3‐nonyne‐2‐ol produced severe stimulation. The activity of certain of these compounds on various structures is presented.
Acute myocardial and vascular responses to specific angiotensin II antagonism in the spontaneously hypertensive rat

As the AT 1 receptor is the primary angiotensin II receptor in the myocardium and vasculature, we assessed the acute myocardial and vascular response to the AT 1 angiotensin II antagonist losartan in the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) to determine the contribution of angiotensin II in this genetic form of hypertension. In a preliminary dose response study, which evaluated losartan at 1.0, 3.0, and 10 mg/kg, 10 mg/ kg uniformly lowered blood pressure. In a second group of experiments, 10 mg/kg also completely attenuated the pressor effects of angiotensin II administration. In nine adult SHR, intravenous losartan, 10 mg/kg, was given, with hemodynamics measured immediately and at steady-state intervals to delineate the hemodynamic response to angiotensin II antagonism. Losartan significantly lowered systolic, diastolic, and mean blood pressures, yet heart rate was unchanged. Cardiac function, as assessed by cardiac output and blood flow acceleration, demonstrated only transient increases which were not sustained during steady-state blood pressure reduction. Significant increases of peak blood flow and pulse pressure were sustained throughout the blood pressure response. At immediate and steady-state determinations, system vascular resistance and characteristic aortic impedance were significantly reduced with losartan (both P P These changes demonstrate that the AT 1 angiotensin II receptor contributes to both central and peripheral vasoconstriction in the spontaneously hypertensive rat. Absence of sustained increase of cardiac output and blood flow acceleration are consistent with inhibition of the previously reported positive inotropic effect of angiotensin II.
Influence of knowledge of results on performance in a monitoring task.

Vigilance performance was tested in six independent groups with a modified version of the Mackworth Clock Test. The groups constituted a 3 × 2 design with (a) no knowledge of results, observer-presented knowledge of results, and machine-presented knowledge of results as one dimension, and (b) physical presence or absence of an observer in the test cubicle as the other variable. All groups were retested without knowledge of results one and seven days after the initial test. On the initial test day, groups with no knowledge of results and machine-presented knowledge of results showed the typical decrement function throughout the session. In contrast, Ss receiving verbal knowledge of results from the experimenter showed less decrement and a significantly higher over-all performance. The superiority of the groups receiving the verbal report persisted on the two subsequent test days despite the fact that all extrinsic knowledge of results was withdrawn on these tests. Observer-presented knowledge facilitated p...
Autonomous volcanic plume detection on planetary bodies

Abstract Explosive eruptive events and outgassing have been observed at several outer solar system bodies. These events indicate a range of geophysical activity and ensure that the bodies remain targets of interest for future observations. Characterizing the events demands an inordinate fraction of spacecraft's limited resources. We have developed algorithms for onboard characterization of geophysical signatures such as eruptive events and surface features in order to facilitate rapid detection and conserve data volume. We applied supervised classification (K Nearest Neighbor) on SIFT (Scale Invariant Feature Transform) features extracted from spacecraft images where such transient events are known to exist. This method evidenced successful performance on images of Io 2 from the Voyager. 3 Galileo, 4 and New Horizons 5 missions, and images of Enceladus 6 from the Cassini 7 missions. It is able to detect plumes of different shapes, sizes and orientations. We show a positive detection rate of 68–96% of known plumes on Io, Enceladus. Additionally, we show that a similar technique is applicable to differentiating geologic features which exhibit similar appearances.
The average 130Ba(n,γ) cross section and the origin of 131Xe on the moon

Abstract The average 130 Ba(n,γ) cross section has been measured for a neutron spectrum similar to the one at the lunar surface. The large cross section obtained probably explains the anomalously high concentration of 131 Xe found in the lunar rocks.
PHOSPHOINOSITIDE 3-KINASE ACTIVITY IS NECESSARY FOR INSULIN-DEPENDENT INHIBITION OF APOLIPOPROTEIN B SECRETION BY RAT HEPATOCYTES AND LOCALIZES TO THE ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM

Insulin inhibits apolipoprotein B (apoB) secretion by primary rat hepatocytes through activation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI 3-K). Current studies demonstrate that the PI 3-K inhibitor wortmannin inhibits both basal and insulin-stimulated PI 3-K activities. Wortmannin and LY 294002, two structurally distinct PI 3-K inhibitors, prevent insulin-dependent inhibition of apoB secretion in a dose-dependent manner. To link PI 3-K activation to insulin action on apoB, we investigated whether insulin induced localization of activated PI 3-K to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), where apoB biogenesis is initiated. Insulin action results in a significant redistribution of PI 3-K to a low density microsome (LDM) fraction containing apoB protein and apoB mRNA. Insulin stimulates a significant increase in PI 3-K activity associated with insulin receptor substrate-1 as well as an increase in insulin receptor substrate-1/PI 3-K mass in LDM. Subfractionation of LDM on sucrose density gradients shows that insulin significantly increases the amount of PI 3-K present in an ER fraction containing apoB. Insulin stimulates PI 3-K activity in smooth and rough microsomes isolated from rat hepatocytes, the latter of which contain rough ER as demonstrated by electron microscopy. Studies indicate that 1) PI 3-K activity is necessary for insulin-dependent inhibition of apoB secretion by rat hepatocytes; 2) insulin action leads to the activation and localization of PI 3-K in an ER fraction containing apoB; and 3) insulin stimulates PI 3-K activity in the rough ER.
Low-Frequency Thermoacoustic Instability Mitigation Using Adaptive-Passive Acoustic Radiators

A commonly used technique for mitigating thermoacoustic instability in an enclosed combustion environment is removing more acoustic energy from the combustor, at the frequency corresponding to the acoustic mode(s) of the combustor which are sympathetic to such instability. This approach is based on adding tuned acoustic damping to the combustion environment. By incorporating in-situ adjustability into acoustic damping devices, they can change their mechanical attributes, e.g., mass and/or stiffness, and adapt themselves in a semi-active manner to the varying instability frequency. Adaptive-passive thermoacoustic mitigation solutions have less weight penalty than the alternative active solutions mainly because the adaptation is done in a semi-active way, at slow pace, with a small and less power-hungry actuation mechanisms. Moreover, the flexibility they offer make them highly desirable for land and marine instability mitigation applications. In this work, semi-active adjustment of a novel tuned acoustic damper, namely an acoustic radiator, is explored. The paper describes the inner working of a semi-active (adaptive-passive) acoustic radiator and the relevant control schemes to adapt them to the instability frequency on hand. The damping effectiveness of the proposed damper, is demonstrated experimentally. It should be mentioned that the semi-active control strategies developed for acoustic radiators can also be used, with minor modifications, for semi-active control of other acoustic damping mechanisms such as Helmholtz resonators and quarter-wave tubes.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
EFFECTS OF PRERIGOR CONDITIONING TREATMENTS ON LAMB MUSCLE SHORTENING, pH AND ATP

Effects of prerigor conditioning treatments on processing time, quality characteristics and muscle properties were determined using three muscles from each of 84 lamb carcasses. Carcasses (n = 72) were subjected, beginning 1 hr post-exsanguination, to one of six conditioning treatments and compared to normally chilled lambs (n = 12). Treatments differed in conditioning period, conditioning chamber environment (temperature, relative humidity, air velocity) and in use of electrical stimulation. All carcasses were maintained at 0°C after the 2-8 hr conditioning period until fabrication at 72 hr postmortem. Panel ratings (SPR), shear force (SF), water-holding capacity (WHC) and sarcomere length (SL) were determined for longissimus dorsi (LD), biceps femoris (BF) and semimembranosus (SM) muscles. Lambs in treatments +49 and +32 had the slowest rate of temperature decline, high rates of pH and ATP decline, low WHC, the most pronounced sarcomere shortening and the toughest LD and BF. Carcasses in the +16 treatment reached temperatures critical to cold shortening (9-11°C) 8-9 hr later than carcasses in the -16 treatment, had longer sarcomeres, had more tender BF (SF) and SM (SPR and SF) muscles but had much lower WHC. Among carcasses conditioned at -32°C, those which were electrically stimulated (ES) had lower carcass temperatures at 3 and 4 hr postmortem, had faster rates of pH (LD and BF) and ATP (LD) decline and lower WHC but did not differ in tenderness from those which were not ES. Production of tender lamb, with minimal energy expenditure and no increase in cooler shrinkage, was best accomplished by chilling lambs for 8 hr at +16°C (65% relative humidity and 9m/min air velocity).
Neuroendocrine identification of depressed patients.

SynopsisRecent studies of hypothalamo—pituitary—adrenal (HPA) suppression in depressed patients indicate that these subjects often show abnormal early escape of plasma cortisol levels following an initial suppression. Non-depressed psychiatric inpatients usually show normal sustained HPA suppression. The responses of 49 depressed and 30 non-depressed patients have been analysed to develop criteria which can make the dexamethasone suppression test suitable for outpatient studies. The cortisol levels measured in a 24-hour urine collection and a single blood sample post-dexamethasone were sufficient to enable 61% of the depressed patients to be identified correctly at a confidence level of 90%, on the basis of at least one abnormal cortisol value. When both cortisol values were abnormal 35% of the depressed patients were identified correctly at a confidence level of 100%. Patients with “endogenous” depressive profiles had the most abnormal results. A normal response to this test will not necessarily exclude ...
Detention, Democracy, and Inequality in a Divided Society

I have been asked to react to three articles presented in this volume—one by Benjamin Justice and Tracey L. Meares (which examines the civic curriculum implicit in the work of juries, judges, and the police); one by Aliya Saperstein, Andrew M. Penner, and Jessica M. Kizer (which uses Adolescent Health Longitudinal Survey [Add Health] data to explore how perceptions of race are affected by contact with the criminal justice system); and one by Jason Schnittker (which identifies how psychological correlates of imprisonment impact former inmates’ mental health during reentry). In what follows, I offer a few thoughts, which were stimulated by these articles.
Early milk feeding influences taste acceptance and liking during infancy

Background: We identified a model system that exploits the inherent taste variation in early feedings to investigate food preference development. Objective: The objective was to determine whether exposure to differing concentrations of taste compounds in milk and formulas modifies acceptance of exemplars of the 5 basic taste qualities in a familiar food matrix. Specifically, we examined the effects of consuming hydrolyzed casein formulas (HCFs), which have pronounced bitter, sour, and savory tastes compared with breast milk (BM) and bovine milk–based formulas (MFs), in which these taste qualities are weaker. Design: Subgroups of BM-, MF- and HCF-fed infants, some of whom were fed table foods, were studied on 6 occasions to measure acceptance of sweet, salty, bitter, savory, sour, and plain cereals. Results: In infants not yet eating table foods, the HCF group ate significantly more savory-, bitter-, and sour-tasting and plain cereals than did the BM or MF groups. HCF infants displayed fewer facial expressions of distaste while eating the bitter and savory cereals, and they and BM infants were more likely to smile while they were eating the savory cereal. In formula-fed infants eating table foods, preferences for the basic tastes reflected the types of foods they were being fed. In general, those infants who ate more food displayed fewer faces of distaste. Conclusions: The type of formula fed to infants has an effect on their response to taste compounds in cereal before solid food introduction. This model system of research investigation sheds light on sources of individual differences in taste and perhaps cultural food preferences.
Seeing Cosmology Grow

The modest science of cosmology I encountered a half century ago has grown into big science. I comment on steps in this development I think I understand because I was there or, in some cases, wish I had been. Wonderful insights—or lucky guesses—and elegant deductions from measurements were accompanied by the usual mix of unlucky guesses and disregard of unwelcome evidence. I say “usual” because I suspect the course of development of any other natural science is similarly erratic. An example in cosmology is Einstein's homogeneous Universe, which was largely accepted as a working hypothesis when there was scant evidence and seriously challenged after we had a reasonable case for homogeneity. Similar mixes of insight and inattention led to the eventual identification of the 3K microwave background, the demonstration that large-scale structure grew by the gravitational instability of the expanding Universe, and the completion of a tight network of cosmological tests. A half century ago, we had little idea wha...
Effect of Prophylactic Amiodarone on Clinical and Economic Outcomes After Cardiothoracic Surgery: A Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND:Two previous meta-analyses of amiodarone for prevention of postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) after cardiothoracic surgery did not evaluate total hospital cost, concluded that data on stroke are incomplete, and did not evaluate the effect of clinical heterogeneity between trials.OBJECTIVE:To conduct a meta-analysis examining amiodarone's prophylactic impact on cardiothoracic surgery POAF, length of stay (LOS), stroke, and total costs.METHODS:Three reviewers conducted a systematic literature search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library (1966–September 2004%). Studies were included if they met the following criteria: (1%) randomized controlled trial versus placebo/routine treatment, (2%) coronary artery bypass graft and/or valvular surgery, (3%) Jadad score ≥3, (4%) reported data on incidence of POAF or stroke, LOS, or total costs, (5%) used electrocardiographic/Holter monitoring, and (6%) monitored subjects for ≥2 days. A random-effects model was utilized. Subgroup and sensi...
A Broadband mm-Wave and Terahertz Traveling-Wave Frequency Multiplier on CMOS

A wideband frequency multiplier that effectively generates and combines the even harmonics from multiple transistors is proposed. It takes advantage of standing-wave formation and loss cancellation in a distributed structure to generate high amplitude signals resulting in high harmonic power. Wide bandwidth operation and odd harmonic cancellation around the center frequency are the inherent properties of this frequency multiplier. Using this methodology, we implemented a frequency doubler that operates from 220 GHz to 275 GHz in a standard 65 nm CMOS process. Output power of 6.6 dBm (0.22 mW) and conversion loss of 11.4 dB are measured at 244 GHz.
An analysis in support of sediment quality thresholds for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to protect estuarine fish

1. Under the US Endangered Species Act and the Essential Fish Habitat provisions of the Sustainable Fisheries Act, it is the responsibility of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to safeguard the health of fish in estuarine and coastal waters. 2. This includes assessment of the impacts of exposure to toxic chemicals on fish and their critical habitat. 3. This analysis was conducted to assist NMFS resource managers in determining when fish are exposed to potentially harmful concentrations of one of the most common environmental contaminants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). 4. Effects thresholds were estimated primarily through segmented regression of site-specific sediment PAH concentrations and associated disease prevalences in a resident fish species, English sole, Pleuronectes vetulus. 5. The analyses and supporting data encompass several endpoints, including DNA damage, liver lesions, and impacts on growth and reproduction. 6. In general, liver lesion prevalences, DNA adduct levels, and impacts on growth and reproduction were minimal at sediment PAH concentrations at or below 1000 ppb. Above 1000 ppb, there appears to be a substantial increase in the risk of contaminant-related injury to English sole. Published in 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Trichotillomania: Conceptualization, measurement, and treatment

Trichotillomania (TCM), a condition characterized by chronic hair pulling, has received increased attention in the behavioral literature of late. Because TCM has typically been conceptualized as a psychiatric, rather than a behavioral, psychological, or pediatric concern, behavior therapists may have little background information about the disorder and its treatments. This paper presents a review of the nature of TCM and the current conceptualizations of the disorder. We review recent research on the measurement and treatment of TCM. Limitations of the current research, suggestions for further study, and implications for treatment of TCM are discussed.
How We Complain: The Effect Of Personality On Consumer Complaint Channels

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of personality types on consumer complaint channels. Respondents completed a survey that depicted four service failure scenarios, each with 11 possible courses of action. The three personality factors measured against the complaint behavior were locus of control, the California Psychological Inventory measure of sociability and Cattell’s 16 personality factors of relaxed versus tense. Factor analysis revealed three complaint channel dimensions: active, passive, and delayed. Sociability produced more active and less passive complaint behavior. Locus of control interacted with relaxed versus tense on the use of passive and delayed complaints. The findings have implications for recognizing and resolving customer complaints for different personality types.
Clinical review 5: Recombinant DNA strategies for determining the molecular basis of endocrine disorders.

Advances in recombinant DNA technology have revolutionized experimental approaches for understanding the molecular basis for diseases. In endocrinology, a field that is solidly based upon the foundations of cell biology and physiology, there is now great potential for describing disease processes at both a molecular and a clinical level. The goal of this review is to describe some of the recombinant DNA strategies that have been used to define the molecular basis for endocrine disorders
Simultaneity in the millisecond range as a requirement for effective shape recognition

Neurons of the visual system are capable of firing with millisecond precision, and synchrony of firing may provide a mechanism for "binding" stimulus elements in the image for purposes of recognition. While the neurophysiology is suggestive, there has been relatively little behavioral work to support the proposition that synchrony contributes to object recognition. The present experiments examined this issue by briefly flashing dots that were positioned at the outer boundary of namable objects, similar to silhouettes. Display of a given dot lasted only 0.1 ms, and temporal proximity of dot pairs, and among dot pairs, was varied as subjects were asked to name each object. In Exp 1, where the display of dots pairs was essentially simultaneous (0.2 ms to show both), there was a linear decline in recognition of the shapes as the interval between pairs increased from 0 ms to 6 ms. Compared with performance at 0 ms of delay, even the 2 ms interval between pairs produced a significant decrease in recognition. In Exp 2 the interval between pairs was constant at 3 ms, and the interval between pair members was varied. Here also a linear decline was observed as the interval between pair members increased from 0 ms to 1.5 ms, with the difference between 0 ms and 0.5 ms being significant. Thus minimal transient discrete cues can be integrated for purposes of shape recognition to the extent that they are synchronously displayed, and coincidence in the millisecond and even submillisecond range is needed for effective encoding of image data.
Using Agent Based Simulation and Game Theory Analysis to Study Information Sharing in Organizations The InfoScape

Information sharing in organizations, especially the impact of sharing freely versus not sharing, was studied using game theory and agent based simulation. A game theoretic analysis was performed, and Netlogo simulations were carried out wherein some agents hoarded information while others shared information. As expected, sharing was found to greatly increase the overall amount of information within the organization. Unexpectedly, agents who share acquire more information than hoarders. This is due to the synergy that develops between groups of agents who are sharing with each other. The density of the agents is important-as the density increases, the probability increases that an agent with a large amount of information to share is located nearby. The implications are that organizations should actively encourage information sharing; and agent based simulation was shown to be a useful tool for studying organizational phenomena.
A medium for the recognition and enumeration of Streptococcus mutans.

Abstract A solid medium is described, whereon colonies of Streptococcus mutans can be recognized and enumerated in samples of dental plaque that have a high count of that organism. On the same medium, an estimate of “total bacteria” can be obtained to serve as a convenient base line. Colony counts of Strep. mutans from plaque samples averaged 50 per cent higher on this medium than on mitis-salivarius agar; the counts of “total bacteria” were comparable to those on blood-heart infusion agar.
HR image from multiframes by Delaunay triangulation: a synopsis

An algorithm, based on spatial tessellation and approximation of each triangle patch in the Delaunay triangulation (with smoothness constraints) by a bivariate polynomial, is advanced to construct a high resolution (HR) high quality image from a set of low resolution (LR) frames. This algorithm, followed by post filtering, is suitable for real-time image sequence processing because of the fast expected (average) time construction of Delaunay triangulation and the local update feature.
Turbulent boundary layers subjected to multiple strains

Turbomachinery flows can be extremely difficult to predict, due to a multitude of effects, including interacting strain rates, compressibility, and rotation. The primary objective of this investigation was to study the influence of multiple strain rates (favorable streamwise pressure gradient combined with radial pressure gradient due to convex curvature) on the structure of the turbulent boundary layer. The emphasis was on the initial region of curvature, which is relevant to the leading edge of a stator vane, for example. In order to gain better insight into the dynamics of complex turbulent boundary layers, detailed velocity measurements were made in a low-speed water tunnel using a two-component laser Doppler velocimeter. The mean and fluctuating velocity profiles showed that the influence of the strong favorable pressure augmented the stabilizing effects of convex curvature. The trends exhibited by the primary Reynolds shear stress followed those of the mean turbulent bursting frequency, i.e., a decrease in the bursting frequency coincided with a reduction of the peak Reynolds shear stress. It was found that the effects of these two strain rates were not superposable, or additive in any simple manner. Thus, the dynamics of the large energy-containing eddies and their interaction with the turbulence production mechanisms must be considered for modeling turbulent flows with multiple strain rates.
An Incremental Approach to Presidential Nomination Reform

n a book published four years ago, Andrew Busch and I divided proposals to reform the presidential nomina tion process into two categories, which we called com prehensive and incremental (see Mayer and Busch 2004, chapter 5). Like any attempt to classify a com plex reality, this distinction blurs a bit at the edges, but the basic idea should be clear. Comprehensive proposals call for major, far-reaching changes in the basic operations of the pres idential nomination process; incremental proposals make more limited, marginal changes in the rules, while retaining the fun damental structure of the existing system. As its title indicates, this article deliberately tries to offer an incremental approach to reform. I have chosen this path for two reasons. First, of all the major comprehensive propos als that have been put forward over the last several decades, I am not very impressed with any of them. A national primary would restrict presidential nomination races to candidates who were already well known or exceptionally well financed. Depending on the specific rules governing a national pri mary, it might also lead to the nomination of factional can didates who were highly popular among a narrow subgroup, but unacceptable to large segments of the party electorate. Regional primaries would give a huge advantage to candi dates who happened to be popular in whatever region went first, and might also pose insurmountable barriers for lesser known candidates. The Delaware or "small states first" plan would always give the decisive first crack at the candidates to a set of states that are more rural and less racially diverse than the rest of the country, while consigning the largest states to regular irrelevance. A national preprimary conven tion would simply take all the problems and disadvantages of the current system and transfer them to whatever process is used for selecting delegates to the preprimary convention.1 Second, if there is one thing we should have learned from the last major attempt to rewrite the rules of the presidential nomination process, it is that large-scale changes often pro duce unintended consequences. The people who wrote the McGovern-Fraser guidelines in 1969 and 197o did not want to lengthen the presidential nomination campaign, increase the number of primaries, create a highly frontloaded primary and caucus calendar, or turn national conventions into meaning less formalities put on largely for the benefit of television but there is little doubt that the Democrats' new delegate selection rules did, in fact, bring all these effects in their wake.2 Though virtually all students of the presidential nomination process recognize these untoward consequences, it is striking that very few appear to take them into account when plan ning the next round of reforms. A long list of political scien tists have prop sed quite sweeping changes in the nomination rules, without any acknowledgment that the full effects of reform can, at best, be imperfectly predicted.
Humans will Want to Become Super-Intelligent Machines

It would be interesting to take a poll to find out what percentage of contemporary people would want to migrate into super-intelligent brains. Based on conversations with a few people, I suspect that most would prefer not to.
Design and simulation of a hybrid silicon/electro-optic polymer modulator

The design and simulation of a novel resonant cavity optical modulator is presented in this work. The device incorporates a hybrid silicon/electro-optic polymer waveguide in the cavity region with a distributed Bragg reflector in a single mode silicon waveguide on each side of the cavity to create a modulator with a large modulation depth, short device length and a low drive voltage for use in future high speed integrated optics applications. Full 3D simulations of this device structure are very computationally expensive; therefore the periodicity of the device has been exploited to allow for a cascade matrix approach to be employed to reduce the time/computational resources necessary for accurate simulation of light propagation during the optimization phase of the device design.
Beak trimming egg-laying strains of chickens

Bird behaviour, production, physiological measurements of stress, and pain as indicated by neural transmission in, and anatomy of the trimmed beak have been used as criteria to determine if beak trimming compromises bird well being. In addition, the welfare of those hens that are pecked by beak-intact hens has been evaluated. The welfare of a flock is assessed by mortality, incidence of cannibalism, feathering, and flock behaviour such as fearfulness or nervousness. Disadvantages of beak trimming include short-term and perhaps long-term pain, and short-term stress following beak trimming. Because feeding behaviour must adapt to a new beak form, a bird's ability to consume feed is impaired following beak trimming. Welfare advantages include reduced pecking, feather pulling, and cannibalism; better feather condition; less fearfulness and nervousness; less chronic stress; and decreased mortality. It appears that the welfare disadvantages are applicable to individual birds whose beaks are trimmed, while the welfare advantages are more applicable to the interactive flock. Behavioural evidence suggests that primary breeders of egg laying strains can select for more docile birds and minimize the need to beak trim. Therefore, using genetic stocks that require little or no beak trimming is the most desirable approach. However, under certain management systems (e.g., exposure to high intensity natural lighting) and with some genetic stocks, beak trimming is needed to prevent feather pecking and cannibalism. When employed, beak trimming should be conducted at 10 days of age or younger by trained personnel.
SysML-based Simulation Framework for Semiconductor Manufacturing

The speed of change, high complexity and risk in the semiconductor industry increases the importance of decision making in manufacturing. In particular, a growing need for faster and better decisions on factory design and operation demands more complexity and higher fidelity in factory simulation models. Two requirements to realize such models economically are: (1) reuse of existing simulation model information and (2) integrating a wide range of factory, product, and process information from numerous data sources to create specific instance simulation models. In this paper, we describe how a new systems modeling language, SysML, can support creating complex semiconductor factory simulation models that satisfy these two requirements. In particular, we show how to deal with very large complex instance models in terms of information integration across a range of information and engineering tools. As a demonstration, we show how the factory layout, or geometric model, created in a CAD package, can be integrated with a SysML instance model, created using a SysML modeling tool, to achieve bidirectional data exchange between the two, and thus provide key support to the simulation process.
Culture, Forgiveness, and Health

The overwhelming amount of forgiveness research has been conducted within the US, with cultural assumptions embedded but rarely examined. The same applies to our understanding of the intersection of forgiveness and health issues. Without an understanding of the role of culture on forgiveness we run the risk of falling into a myopic perspective that assumes consistency across other cultures. A way to examine forgiveness from a cultural perspective is to scan the international literature. This chapter will review the international literature devoted to forgiveness in four areas, namely lay conceptualizations of forgiveness, forgivingness, interpersonal forgiveness, and intergroup forgiveness. These types of forgiveness will be set against a backdrop of national values in order to assist the reader with national contexts, and their relationships to health issues will be highlighted when possible.