cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A metrics of advertising: Sound figures and processing responses

Sound figures are departures from language norms that use rhythm (sound intensity) and rhyme (sound identity) to establish metrical patterns. These figures are characteristic of poetry, borrowed by print and electronic advertisements to elicit consumer effects. The purpose of this article is to develop a metrics of advertising by adapting formalist literary criticism to advertising text and by generating hypotheses that link sound patterns to consumer responses. The article grounds advertising metrics in syllable‐stress theory, presents the method of metrical analysis, and demonstrates the use of the prosodic notational system by means of advertising examples. The methodological system enables hypothesis generation in consumer processing areas such as affective responses, dual entry routes, attention, short‐term memory, and long‐term memory.
On the algebra associated with a geometric lattice

Abstract Let L be a geometric lattice. Following P. Orlik and L. Solomon, Combinatorics and topology of complements of hyperplanes, Invent. math.56 (1980), 167–189, we associate with L a graded commutative algebra A(L). In this paper we introduce a new invariant ψ of the algebra A(L) which suffices to distinguish algebras for which all other known invariants coincide. This result is applied to the study of arrangements of complex hyperplanes, with L being the intersection lattice. In this case A(L) is isomorphic to the cohomology algebra of the associated hyperplane complement. The goal is to find examples of arrangements with non-isomorphic lattices but homotopy equivalent complements. The invariant introduced here effectively narrows the list of candidates. Nevertheless, we exhibit combinatorially inequivalent arrangements for which all known invariants, including ψ, coincide.
Treatment of allergic asthma

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways that causes recurrent episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing, particularly at night or in the early morning. The airway inflammation also increases bronchial hyperresponsiveness to a variety of stimuli. After evaluation that includes spirometry, patients with intermittent asthma are treated with a short-acting bronchodilator on an as-needed basis. Patients with persistent asthma should receive inhaled corticosteroids as first-line anti-inflammatory therapy and long-acting inhaled beta(2)-agonists as preferred adjunctive therapy. Leukotriene modifiers can be used as maintenance therapy in patients with mild persistent asthma, or added to the regimen of patients with moderate or severe persistent asthma. In patients with asthma and concomitant allergic rhinitis, antihistamines may be useful as adjunctive therapy.
A Last Saturation Analysis of ENSO Humidity Variability in the Subtropical Pacific

Abstract Water vapor tracers of last saturation were used in an atmospheric tracer transport model to evaluate ENSO variability in the generation of the dry air that defines the subtropical middle troposphere over the North Pacific. Fifteen Northern Hemisphere winters, including El Nino, La Nina, and ENSO-neutral seasons, were evaluated using both Northern Hemisphere and global last saturation water vapor tracer configurations. During El Nino northern winter, the free troposphere over the subtropical North Pacific is both drier and warmer than during La Nina. The probability distributions of the last saturation position for the dry air in the middle troposphere were evaluated over the subtropical North Pacific and were found to be further poleward, at a higher altitude, and more westerly in their components during the warm phase compared to the cold phase. During warm phase (cold phase) northern winter, 57% (49%) of the air at 20°N and 633 hPa over the North Pacific was last saturated poleward of 20°N and...
Rats avoid exposure to HVdc electric fields: A dose response study

Rats, given the choice, avoid exposure to alternating current (ac) 60-Hz electric fields at intensities ≫ 75 kV/m. This study investigated the generality of this behavior by studying the response of rats when exposed to high voltage direct current (HV dc) electric fields. Three hundred eighty male Long Evans rats were studied in 9 experiments with 40 rats per experiment and in one experiment with 20 rats to determine 1) if rats avoid exposure to HVdc electric fields of varying field strengths, and 2) if avoidance did occur, what role, if any, the concentration of air ions would have on the avoidance behavior. In all experiments a three-compartment glass shuttlebox was used; either the left or right compartment could be exposed to a combination of HVdc electric fields and air ions while the other compartment remained sham-exposed. The third, center compartment was a transition zone between exposure and sham-exposure. In each experiment, the rats were individually assessed in 1-h sessions where half of the rats (n = 20) had the choice to locomote between the two sides being exposed or sham-exposed, while the other half of the rats'(n = 20) were sham-exposed regardless of their location, except in one experiment where there was no sham-exposed group. The exposure levels for the first six experiments were 80, 55, 42.5, 30, −36, and −55 kV/m, respectively. The air ion concentration was constant at 1.4 × 106 ions/cc for the four positive exposure levels and −1.4 × 106 ions/cc for the two negative exposure levels. Rats having a choice between exposure and non-exposure relative to always sham-exposed control animals significantly reduced the amount of time spent on the exposed side at 80kV/m (P < .002) as they did at both 55 and −55 kV/m (P < .005). No significant differences between groups were observed at 42.5, 30, or -36 kV/m. To determine what role the air ion concentration might have had on the avoidance behavior at field strengths of 55 kV/m or greater, four additional experiments were conducted. The HVdc exposure level was held constant at either −55 kV/m (for three experiments) or -55 kV/m (for 1 experiment) while the air ion concentration was varied between experiments at 2.5 × 105 ions/cc, 1.0 × 104 for two of the experiments and was below the measurement limit (< ± 2 × 103 ions/cc) for the other two experiments at 55 and −55 kV/m. The exposed rats significantly reduced the amount of time spent on the exposed side at 55 and −55 kV/m, relative to the sham-exposed rats regardless of air ion concentration (all at P < .005). Thus, HVdc electric fields of ≫ + or −55 kV/m are sufficient to produce avoidance behavior in rats. Positive or negative air ion concentrations were not significant factors in these avoidance outcomes. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A new design of RDMA-based small message channels for InfiniBand clusters

We propose a novel design for RDMA-based small message channels that significantly improves the MVAPICH design. First, we develop a technique that eliminates persistent buffer association, a scheme used in MVAPICH that not only results in significant memory requirement, but also imposes restrictions in memory management. Building upon this technique, we propose a novel shared RDMA-based small message channel design that allows MPI processes on the same SMP node to share small message channels, which greatly reduces the number of small message channels needed for an MPI program on clusters with SMP nodes. Our techniques considerably improve the scalability and reduce memory requirement in comparison to MVAPICH, allowing RDMA-based small message channels to be used by a much larger number of MPI processes. The experimental results demonstrate that our techniques achieve the improvements without adding noticeable overheads or sacrificing the performance benefits of RDMA in practice.
Seismic Analysis of Segmental Retaining Walls. I: Model Verification

Block-faced geosynthetic reinforced soil retaining walls, referred to as “segmental” retaining walls, have been extensively used in recent years as permanent civil engineering structures. The disjointed concrete facing blocks are held together through interface friction and concrete keys or mechanical connectors. Because of the disjointed nature of the facing blocks, the design of the segmental wall must consider the available shear resistance between these blocks. Connection capacity must also be considered. Of concern also is the permanent deformation of the segmental wall face following an earthquake. This paper describes a finite-element analysis of a model segmental wall subjected to earthquakelike loading generated by a shake table. The finite-element analysis used the computer program DYNA3D. Results from DYNA3D, using a simple model—Ramberg-Osgood model—to simulate the nonlinear hysteretic behavior of soil, are consistent with observed results from laboratory shake table tests on segmental walls.
Immunological and biochemical studies in beekeepers and their family members.

Abstract To determine the immunological and biochemical consequences of chronic honeybee venom administration to humans, we studied beekeepers and their family members in two separate investigations. In the first of these studies serums were analyzed for their content of antibodies to honeybee constituents. IgE antibody levels to honeybee venom (HBV), venom sac (HBVS), and phospholipase-A (PLA) were significantly elevated in beekeepers and their family members as compared to non-beekeeper controls. However, IgE antibody levels to HBVS, HBV, and PLA did not distinguish sting-sensitive from non-sensitive beekeepers. IgE antibody levels to honeybee whole body (HBWB) were highest in beekeepers with histories suggestive of inhalant sensitivity to bee body dust. IgG antibody levels to PLA were highest in non-sensitive beekeepers stung daily or weekly; there was a significant positive correlation between IgE and IgG antibody levels to PLA in these beekeepers. In the second study the potentially harmful effects of chronic venom administration were sought, especially evidence of chronic renal disease. While a number of beekeepers and family members showed minor abnormalities in their urinalysis or blood chemistry determinations, in most instances the incidence of abnormalities was not greater among persons receiving a larger number of stings. Commercial beekeepers had a significantly greater incidence of urinary free lipids and hyaline casts, but in no case were large amounts of these substances found. The results discourage the belief that chronic honeybee venom administration is associated with any clinical disease in humans.
Considerations in female external genital aesthetic surgery techniques.

TO THE EDITOR: I read with interest the article by Dr. Yhelda de Alencar Felicio about labial surgery ( Aesthetic Surg J 2007;27:322–328) in which she discussed her 17-year experience with pubisplasty and labioplasty techniques. I commend Dr. Felicio for presenting findings and recommendations on the basis of a large volume of her own cases. I fully agree with her conclusion that plastic surgeons should recognize that there is growing interest in and validation of patient need for aesthetic surgery of the external female genitalia. However, as a plastic surgeon experienced in female external genital cosmetic surgery (I perform about 50 such procedures a year), I respectfully disagree with some of Dr. Felicio's assertions and recommendations. Although my differences with Dr. Felicio are for the most part minor, I present them to further enlighten those with little clinical experience in this area of aesthetic surgery. Dr. Felicio states that significant labia minora asymmetry is the norm and suggests that it may …
Amiloride-sensitive apical membrane sodium channels of everted Ambystoma collecting tubule.

Patch clamp methods were used to characterize sodium channels on the apical membrane of Ambystoma distal nephron. The apical membranes were exposed by everting and perfusing initial collecting tubules in vitro. In cell-attached patches, we observed channels whose mean inward unitary current averaged 0.39±0.05 pA (9 patches). The conductance of these channels was 4.3±0.2 pS. The unitary current approached zero at a pipette voltage of −92 mV. When clamped at the membrane potential the channel expressed a relatively high open probability (0.46). These characteristics, together with observation that doses of 0.5 to 2 μm amiloride reversibly inhibited the channel activity, are consistent with the presence of the high amiloride affinity, high sodium selectivity channel reported for rat cortical collecting tubule and cultured epithelial cell lines.
Maximal quality selection and discrimination in employment

Abstract Unlike a sample mean, the expected value of a sample maximum is directly related to the number of observations in the sample. Thus, if employers draw inferences about populution quality from the maximal quality black and white candidates interviewed in a job search, employers may perceive the black population to be inferior to the white population, even when racial ability distributions are identical. This paper uses experimental methods to examine the effects of maximal quality selection on decision-makers' population quality perceptions. Experimental results suggest that maximal quality selection creates a misperception of minority inferiority, particularly when decision-makers are forced to maintain a record of maximal observations from minority and majority groups, and that maximal quality selection perpetuates quality misperceptions even when the minority population is in fact of superior average quality.
Effects of Inertia and Viscosity on Single Droplet Deformation in Confined Shear Flow

Lattice Boltzmann simulations based on the Cahn-Hilliard diffuse interface approach are performed for droplet dynamics in viscous fluid under shear flow, where the degree of confinement between two parallel walls can play an important role. The effects of viscosity ratio, capillary number, Reynolds number, and confinement ratio on droplet deformation and break-up in moderately and highly confined shear flows are investigated.
ISM-induced erosion and gas-dynamical drag in the Oort Cloud

The model presently used to examine the physical interactions between the ISM and the Oort Cloud can account for sputtering, sticking, and grain-impact erosion, as well as gas drag, by envisioning the ISM as a multiphase medium with distinct atomic and molecular cloud-phase regimes and coronal and warm/ambient gas-phase regimes. Erosion, which reduces the effectiveness of the thermal and radiation-damage processes acting on cometary surfaces in the Oort cloud, is found to be the dominant ISM interaction; ISM drag effects were found to efficiently remove submicron particles from the Cloud.
Biomaterials for Craniofacial Bone Engineering

Conditions such as congenital anomalies, cancers, and trauma can all result in devastating deficits of bone in the craniofacial skeleton. This can lead to significant alteration in function and appearance that may have significant implications for patients. In addition, large bone defects in this area can pose serious clinical dilemmas, which prove difficult to remedy, even with current gold standard surgical treatments. The craniofacial skeleton is complex and serves important functional demands. The necessity to develop new approaches for craniofacial reconstruction arises from the fact that traditional therapeutic modalities, such as autologous bone grafting, present myriad limitations and carry with them the potential for significant complications. While the optimal bone construct for tissue regeneration remains to be elucidated, much progress has been made in the past decade. Advances in tissue engineering have led to innovative scaffold design, complemented by progress in the understanding of stem cell-based therapy and growth factor enhancement of the healing cascade. This review focuses on the role of biomaterials for craniofacial bone engineering, highlighting key advances in scaffold design and development.
Equilibrium ranges in surf zone wave spectra

[1] Laboratory measurements of two wave trains breaking on a plane slope demonstrate dramatic changes in spectral shape in the surf zone. The higher-frequency spectral peak is completely eliminated in the surf zone, and the resulting spectral shape is similar regardless of the peak frequency and relative energy content of the higher-frequency peak. Examination of both laboratory and field data show that surf zone wave number (k) spectra evolve to contain two equilibrium ranges. The higher-frequency range is similar to that proposed by Toba in deeper water with the form k−5/2 and is valid for approximately k > 1/depth. The second range falls between the peak wave number and k = 1/depth and has a wave number dependence of k−4/3, similar to that proposed by Zakharov on theoretical grounds. The equilibrium range coefficients, which are a function of wind speed in deep and finite water depths, are a function of the water depth in the surf zone. The laboratory and field data sets used in these analyses covered a broad range of conditions (unidirectional and multidirectional waves, plane and barred beaches, two orders of magnitude variation in wave height, and one order of magnitude variation in wave period), yet the equilibrium ranges identified were consistent and provide a robust parameterization of surf zone wave spectra.
Police Culture and Young Offenders: The Effect of Legislative Change on Definitions of Crime and Delinquency

As of April 2003, Canada has new youth justice legislation that has implications for how police do their work in the areas of informal action (extrajudicial measures or sanctions). Because of legislative change, there exists a strong potential for challenges within the police culture's typifications and recipes for action in how police officers define a youth as a delinquent and an offense as serious. Using a mixed method–mixed model design and data from 202 semistructured interviews collected during 2002, this article explores the continuity and discontinuity in definitions between the police culture and the legislation. These are compared and contrasted to assess whether the nature of official responses to juvenile crime will differ in the new legislative environment. The results suggest that for legislative change to be effective in harmonizing police behavior, it must not only be represented in policies and procedures but also incorporated into the police culture.
Drops and shells of liquid crystal

We review the state of the art concerning drops and shells of liquid crystal. We especially focus on the defect structures observed with liquid crystals with different degrees of order under different boundary conditions and on the transitions between these structures. We conclude with an overview where we emphasize those areas that are still unexplored.
Object-relational database systems (tutorial): principles, products and challenges

Object-relational database systems, a.k.a. “universal servers,” are emerging as the next major generation of commercial database system technology. Products from relational DBMS vendors including IBM, Informix, Oracle, UniSQL, and others, include object-relational features today, and all of the major vendors appear to be on course to delivering full object-relational support in their products over the next few years. In addition, the SQL3 standard is rapidly solidifying in this area. The goal of this tutorial is to explain what the key features are of object-relational database systems, review what today's products provide, and then look ahead to where these systems are heading. The presentation will be aimed at general SIGMOD audience, and should therefore be appropriate for users, practitioners, and/or researchers who want to learn about object-relational database systems.
Evaluation and Emergency Treatment of Headache

Headache is a common complaint in patients presenting to the emergency department. Most such headaches are benign, but some have a more severe organic cause. Occasionally, patients present with a chronic headache disorder with which they can no longer cope. The new International Headache Society Classification of Headache is reviewed along with the differential diagnosis of benign headache disorders. Headache diagnosis by history is examined in detail followed by a discussion of the emergency presentation of headache patients. Causes for concern are presented, along with a detailed discussion of differential diagnosis, including subarachnoid hemorrhage, meningitis, sinusitis, glaucoma, internal carotid artery dissection, and cerebro-vascular disease. Also discussed are medications used for the symptomatic treatment of headache, including analgesics, NSAIDs, narcotics, and ergotamine preparations. Approaches to the treatment of the severe, persistent headache in the emergency department are outlined and treatment options suggested. Headache medication overuse is discussed and guidelines are presented to recognize the condition and prevent its recurrence.
Multiple viral respiratory pathogens in children with bronchiolitis.

Aim: The aim of the study was to describe the frequency of viral pathogens and relative frequency of co-infections in nasal specimens obtained from young children with bronchiolitis receiving care at a children's hospital. Methods: We conducted a study of nasal wash specimens using real-time PCR and fluorescent-antibody assay results from children less than two with an ICD-9-CM code for bronchiolitis. All specimens were collected for clinical care at Children's Hospital in Seattle, WA, USA, during the respiratory season from October 2003 to April 2004. Results: Viruses were detected in 168 (93%) of the 180 children with bronchiolitis. A single virus was identified in 127 (71%) children and multiple viruses in 41 (23%). Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was the most common virus detected (77%), followed by adenovirus (15%), human metapneumovirus (11%), coronavirus (8%), parainfluenza (6%) and influenza (1%). Of the 139 samples with RSV detected, 34 (24%) were co-infected with another viral pathogen. Conclusion: Molecular diagnostic techniques identified a high frequency of viruses and viral co-infections among children evaluated for bronchiolitis. Further study of the role of viral pathogens other than RSV and co-infections with RSV in children with bronchiolitis appears warranted.
Clearance of Hepatitis B e Antigen in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B and Genotypes A, B, C, D, and F

Background & Aims: Persistence of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) in chronic hepatitis B has been associated with increased risk for development of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Five hepatitis B virus genotypes were identified in Alaska Native persons; we analyzed clearance of HBeAg by age and genotype. Methods: In this prospective cohort study, 1158 Alaska Native persons throughout Alaska were tested serially for HBeAg for a median of 20.5 years and were genotyped. Initial and final HBeAg-positive specimens, time to clearance, age at clearance, and subsequent HBeAg results were analyzed for persons initially HBeAg-positive. Subsequent HBeAg results were analyzed for persons initially negative. Results: Genotypes A, B, C, D, and F were identified. Genotype C persons initially HBeAg-positive were more likely than those with other genotypes to be positive on initial and final specimens ( P P P P Conclusions: Genotype may have a strong effect on mode of transmission and outcome. Genotype C may have been responsible for most perinatal transmission, given that seroconversion from HBeAg occurs decades later than in other genotypes.
Adrenomedullin Does Not Inhibit Human Platelet Aggregation

Background: Adrenomedullin (ADM) is a hypotensive peptide isolated from human pheo chromocytoma extracts discovered in 1993 using an assay system designed to monitor its ability to increase rat platelet adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) levels. Physio logical mediators that elevate cAMP levels, such as prostaglandin (PG)E1 and PGI2, have also been shown to inhibit platelet aggregation. Therefore, we have chosen to investigate the effect of ADM, a peptide shown to increase platelet cAMP levels, on human platelet aggregation.Methods and Results: Platelet-rich plasma prepared from blood donors was incubated with ADM (10-9-10-6 M) for 1 min at 37°C before the addition of a submaximal dose of adeno sine 5'-diphosphate (ADP). ADM did not alter the platelet aggregatory response to ADP. PGE1, a substance known to inhihit ADP-induced human platelet aggregation (10-6 M), however, inhibited ADP-induced platelet aggregation. In addition, the ADM induced a dose-dependent relation in rings of human chorionic ...
Dreamtime and Wartime

For soldiers, combat is a traumatic, surreal, and life-altering experience. Much dream literature is devoted to the PTSD-related nightmares of men and women returning from war. Yet, there is a dearth of dream literature on the actual dreaming experiences of soldiers during wartime. This article offers insights into the dreamtime of a soldier facing the life-changing ordeal of war. The case of James “Nick” Rowe, a Vietnam POW, illustrates how the challenges of war were accompanied by dreams that contributed to his efforts to survive and escape captivity. Rowe's example highlights the value of dreams as a resource for survival, inspiration, and coping during wartime conditions, and also provides the roots for integrative therapy and postwar adjustment.
Intimate Violence and Social Desirability A Meta-Analytic Review

Using meta-analytic procedures, the relationship between self-reporting of involvement in marital and courtship violence, and level of socially desirable responding was investigated. Eighteen effect-size estimates were located and, overall, displayed a low to moderate effect on reporting involvement in partner violence (mean r = -.179). No significant differences emerged with respect to the sex of the respondent; however, reports of perpetrating intimate violence were more strongly correlated with social desirability scores than were reports of being victimized. Implications of these findings are reviewed.
Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters with Distal versus Proximal Valves: Prospective Randomized Trial

PURPOSE To evaluate whether peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) with a proximal valve have any advantage compared to those with a distal valve in regard to the incidence of occlusion, infection, or malfunction. MATERIALS AND METHODS One hundred patients (mean age, 46 y) were randomized to receive either a distal-valved Bard Groshong catheter ( n = 48) or a proximal-valved Catheter Innovations Pressure Activated Safety Valve catheter ( n = 52). All catheters were 4-F, single-lumen PICCs. Catheters were placed under fluoroscopic ( n = 82) or sonographic ( n = 18) guidance. Most (91%) were placed for the administration of antibiotics. The placement procedure, maintenance, and weekly follow-up were the same for both catheters. RESULTS Percutaneous placement with the catheter tip in the central veins was successful in all patients. Mean dwell time was 36 days. There were 12 (25%) occlusive or infectious complications in the distal valve catheter group and six (11.5%) in the proximal valve group ( P = .08). There were 25 fractures in 17 distal valve catheters (35.4%) and three (5.8%) proximal valve catheter fractures ( P CONCLUSION There was a marked difference in durability between the valved catheters, in favor of the catheter with a proximal valve. There was also a trend for fewer occlusive and infectious complications with the proximal valve catheter.
Acoustic estimates of abundance and distribution of spawning lake trout on Sheboygan Reef in Lake Michigan.

ABSTRACT Efforts to restore self-sustaining lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) populations in the Laurentian Great Lakes have had widespread success in Lake Superior; but in other Great Lakes, populations of lake trout are maintained by stocking. Recruitment bottlenecks may be present at a number of stages of the reproduction process. To study eggs and fry, it is necessary to identify spawning locations, which is difficult in deep water. Acoustic sampling can be used to rapidly locate aggregations of fish (like spawning lake trout), describe their distribution, and estimate their abundance. To assess these capabilities for application to lake trout, we conducted an acoustic survey covering 22 km2 at Sheboygan Reef, a deep reef (<40 m summit) in southern Lake Michigan during fall 2005. Data collected with remotely operated vehicles (ROV) confirmed that fish were large lake trout, that lake trout were 1–2 m above bottom, and that spawning took place over specific habitat. Lake trout density exhibited a high ...
Roll of laboratory education in electrical power engineering education

Laboratory education is an important part of the engineering curricula. In the past, undergraduate electrical power engineering education used the traditional electrical machine and high voltage laboratories. The fast development of computers shifted the power engineering education towards the usage of computers instead of laboratories. The computer based virtual laboratories appeared. Additional development is the manifestation of Power Electronics, which requires different laboratories. The participants of this panel session present the status of laboratory usage in power engineering education worldwide. This paper gives a short history of laboratory usage in power engineering. The effects of emerging new trends and the changing environment, on laboratory education in power engineering are discussed. Furthermore the paper poses questions that should be answered during the panel session.
Systems biology approaches in cell signaling research

The use of methods for global and quantitative analysis of cells is providing new systems-level insights into signal transduction processes. Recent studies reveal important information about the rates of signal transmission and propagation, help establish some general regulatory characteristics of multi-tiered signaling cascades, and illuminate the combinatorial nature of signaling specificity in cell differentiation.
Lessons from method: A successful Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system implementation

This is a case study on Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system implementation by a major hospital system in the United States. From initial planning to final implementation, the whole process was illustrated in details. Important lessons from this implementation effort were being discussed.
Oligomer formation within secondary organic aerosols: equilibrium and dynamic considerations

Abstract. We present a model based on the volatility basis set to consider the potential influence of oligomer content on volatility driven secondary organic aerosol (SOA) yields. The implications for aerosol evaporation studies, including dilution, chamber thermo-equilibration, and thermodenuder studies, are also considered. A simplified description of oligomer formation reproduces essentially all of the broad classes of equilibrium and dynamical observations related to SOA formation and evaporation: significant oligomer content may be consistent with mass yields that increase with organic aerosol mass concentration; reversible oligomerization can explain the hysteresis between the rate of SOA formation and its evaporation rate upon dilution; and the model is consistent with both chamber thermo-equilibration studies and thermodenuder studies of SOA evaporation.
Thermal Inactivation of Shiga Toxin‐Producing Escherichia coli Cells within Veal Cordon Bleu

Veal cutlets were surface inoculated with ca. 6.6 cfu/g of an eight-strain rifampicin-resistant cocktail of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) (O26:H11, O45:H2, O103:H2, O104:H4, O111:H-, O121:H19, O145:NM and O157:H7). Cutlets were mechanically tenderized and cordon bleu was prepared by adding slices of ham and cheese between two cutlets prior to batter/breading and cooking. Fully assembled cordon bleu were cooked in preheated (191.5C) extra virgin olive oil (45 mL) on a griddle. Cooking for 4, 5 or 6 min per side reduced STEC levels by ca. 1.3, 2.2 or 3.4 log cfu/g, respectively, whereas cooking for 7–10 min per side resulted in reductions of ca. ≥6.2 log cfu/g. These data validated that cooking tenderized veal cordon bleu for at least 7 min per side in 45 mL of olive oil on a griddle maintained at ca. 191.5C is sufficient to achieve an internal cordon bleu temperature of 69.0 ± 3.3C and a ≥5-log reduction of STEC. Practical Applications Veal cordon bleu is a popular meal prepared by placing a slice of cheese and a slice of cured pork between two cutlets and then coating/breading the resulting turnover-type product. We evaluated time and temperature cooking regimens for lethality toward Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) inoculated onto mechanically tenderized multicomponent veal cordon bleu. Our results confirmed that a 5-log reduction of STEC was achieved by cooking veal cordon bleu to an internal temperature of 69.0 ± 3.3C for at least 7 min per side on a griddle maintained at 191.5C. Reductions of ca. 1.5–3.5 log cfu/g were also achieved following cooking for 4 to 6 min per side. These data establish guidelines for cooking veal cordon bleu, which, in turn, may decrease the potential risk of STEC illnesses associated with this product if pathogens are present and if these products are undercooked or mishandled.
Democracy and Collective Decisionmaking

Around the world, traditional barriers to judicial engagement with the structure of democratic politics have fallen remarkably as courts increasingly entertain first-order questions about the structures of governance. This article explores judicial responses to a particularly vexing problem: who should be the polity that decides first-order political issues? The most famous such judicial encounter is that of the Canadian Supreme Court in a case involving whether Quebec had a right to secede based on a referendum of its own population. The discussion places the Canadian Court's resolution of that issue in the context of how numerous courts around the world, including the United States Supreme Court, have addressed similar questions, though generally in cases not so freighted as the potential dissolution of the national federation. Concluding from a review of such cases that courts forced (or willing) to engage such issues are likely to find little mooring for their resolution in either legal doctrine or political theory, the article warns that courts should be wary of following their impulses to treat such first-order conflicts about the structure of political systems as familiar claims of individual rights, even if that is the posture in which the issues are litigated.
Influence of thyroid function on carbohydrate metabolism and a new method for assessing response to insulin.

A new method for assessing both glucose utilization and response to insulin is presented. The technique eliminates certain shortcomings of previous methods, which have yielded widely varying results in patients with abnormal thyroid function. The results of the application of the new procedure to 38 euthyroid patients, 15 patients with hyperthyroidism and 13 patients with hypothyroidism, are presented. In the euthyroid group, the mean specific rate constant for glucose utilization (K) was .0349; for the hyperthyroid patients it was .0325; and for the hypothyroid patients it was .0269. The mean K value for the hypothyroid patients was significantly less than that for the euthyroid patients, whereas the mean K value for the hyperthyroid patients was not significantly different from that for the euthyroid patients. In the euthyroid group, insulin resulted in a mean increase in K of 59 per cent. The hyperthyroid patients showed a significantly greater response (+ 104 per cent) to insulin. The hypothyroid pati...
A rare precursor of gastric tumor

Gastritis cystica profunda (GCP) is a rare tumor precursor which occurs more commonly in patients who have undergone previous gastric surgery. The non-specific symptoms and radiographic appearance of this tumor mimic those of other hyperproliferative conditions, making diagnosis difficult. This is a pre-malignant condition and may lead on to carcinoma of the stomach. Here we report a 57-year-old female with no previous gastric surgeries, who presented to us with epigastric abdominal pain. Her work-up included an upper endoscopy, which revealed fundic polyps. Her fundal biopsies were consistent with GCP.
Dake-wa: exhaustifying assertions

This paper shows that the use of the Japanese exhaustive particle dake ‘only’ in a Contrastive-marked sentence results in exhaustification over potential literal acts of assertion in the sense of [1], rather than exhaustification over propositions. Also, the data supports the idea that the exceptive meaning denoted by dake contributes to an expressive level of meaning.
Characterization of Thin Metal Films by SIMS, AUGER, and TEM

Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), Auger spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were applied to study Au, Cu, Ti, Ti-W, Cr, Al-Cu, and Al metal films deposited on both Si and ceramic substrates. SIMS analysis of as-deposited metal films was used to characterize impurity levels, both metallic and gaseous, incorporated during deposition. The results revealed that the levels varied under generally accepted deposition conditions. As-deposited and annealed films were examined with SIMS, Auger, and TEM to study interdiffusion, grain growth, and impurity segregation as a function of processing conditions. Metallic impurities were observed to modify Au/Ti interdiffusion. Large variations in residual H, C, O, and N were observed in as-deposited Al and Al-Cu films. Hydrogen, incorporated during deposition of Ti films, was observed to redistribute after thermal annealing in N2 or thermal cycling in forming gas (N2 - 10% H2). Samples thermally cycled in forming gas absorbed additional H into the Ti layer. SIMS/ion imaging was used to study the incorporation and segregation of H. Differences in H behavior were observed to be dependent upon metal structure, composition, and substrate material.
Impact of trauma system development on pediatric injury care

Trauma systems improve survival by directing severely injured patients to trauma centers. This study analyzes the impact of trauma systems on pediatric triage and injury mortality rates. Population-based data were collected on injured children less than 15 years who were admitted to any hospital in New England from 1996 to 2006. Data from three trauma system states were compared to three non-trauma system states. The percentages of injured children, severely injured children, and brain-injured children admitted to trauma centers were determined as well as injury hospitalization and death rates. Time trend analysis examined the pace of change between the groups. A total of 58,583 injured children were hospitalized during the study period. Injury hospitalization rates were initially similar between the two groups (with and without trauma systems) and decreased over time in both. Rates decreased more rapidly in trauma system states compared to those without, (P = 0.003). Injury death rates decreased over time in both groups with no difference between the groups, (P = 0.20). A higher percentage of injured children were admitted to trauma centers in non-trauma system states throughout the study period, and this percentage increased in both groups of states. A higher percentage of severely injured children and brain-injured children were admitted to trauma centers in non-trauma system states and both percentages increased over time. The increase was more rapid in trauma system states for children with severe injuries (P < 0.001) and children with brain injuries (P < 0.001). Trauma systems decreased childhood injury hospitalization rates and increased the percentage of severely injured children and brain-injured children admitted to trauma centers. Mortality and overall triage rates were unaffected.
Maintenance repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation can inhibit the return of tinnitus.

Objectives/Hypothesis: A single patient was tested to examine the safety and feasibility of using maintenance sessions of low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (1 Hz rTMS) to reduce tinnitus loudness and prevent its return over time. Study Design: Interrupted time series with multiple replications. Methods: Tinnitus loudness was assessed using a visual analogue rating (VAR) with 0 = no tinnitus, and 100 = loudest tinnitus experienced; 1,800 TMS pulses delivered at 1 Hz and 110% of motor threshold were administered over the posterior, superior lateral temporal gyrus of the subject's right hemisphere until subjective tinnitus fell to a VAR of 25. TMS was reapplied as tinnitus returned to a VAR of 25 or higher. Cerebral metabolism was measured using positron emission tomography before and after treatment. Results: In this patient, tinnitus could be reduced to a VAR of 6 or lower each time it reoccurred using one to three maintenance sessions of rTMS. Tinnitus loudness remained at or below a VAR of 25 and was reported to be unobtrusive in daily life when last assessed 4 months after the third and final round of maintenance treatment. Asymmetric increased cerebral metabolism in the right hemisphere reduced following treatment and as tinnitus improved. Maintenance treatment was well tolerated with no side effects. Conclusions: Although a case study cannot establish treatment efficacy, this study demonstrates for the first time that it is feasible to use maintenance rTMS to manage chronic tinnitus. Maintenance rTMS might impede cortical expansion of the tinnitus frequency into adjacent cortical areas, but group studies are necessary to confirm this speculation.
Regional and temporal variation in methamphetamine-related incidents: applications of spatial and temporal scan statistics.

Introduction. This investigation utilized spatial scan statistics, geographic information systems, and multiple data sources to assess spatial clustering of statewide methamphetamine-related incide...
Stigmergy at the edge

As a consequence of the stigmergic coordination that occurs among criminal and government agents, resilience has been built into the system that supplies illegal drugs to American consumers. Criminal agents create technology responses that are simple and cost-effective, and consistently defeat the actions of government agents. Those responses to stigmergic stimulus improve iteratively the resilience and sophistication of the clandestine supply chains. In what the author calls a "homeland security Chaos Monkey model" a constant but predictable governmental escalation in the war on drugs plays the role of a failure signal to build resilience in the narcotics system: Any success by governmental agents sends stigmergic signals to criminal agents. These signals communicate a failure in the supply chain that requires an adversarial innovation to defeat the updated shape of the interdiction. The result is a more resilient system. This cycle of adversarial stigmergy has encouraged the emergence of a well-coordinated system of clandestine innovation in the territory of the US-Mexico borderlands that takes advantage of the border switch to solve in an iterative form one particular problem: to identify and exploit the vulnerabilities of a complicated enforcement architecture to build resilient narcotics systems. For homeland security policies to be more effective, interdiction policies and technologies should be built with a better understanding of the stigmergic forces that shape adaptation in the war on drugs system.
Respiratory neuronal activity during apnea and other breathing patterns induced by laryngeal stimulation

Respiration cycles through three distinct phases (inspiration, postinspiration, and expiration) each having corresponding medullary cells that are excited during one phase and inhibited during the other two. Laryngeal stimulation is known to induce apnea in newborn animals, but the cellular mechanisms underlying this effect are not known. Intracellular recording of ventral respiratory group neurons was accomplished in intact anesthetized, paralyzed, and mechanically ventilated piglets. Apnea was induced by insufflation of the larynx with ammonia-saturated air, smoke, or water. Laryngeal insufflation induced phrenic nerve apnea, stimulation of postinspiratory neurons, and stable membrane potentials in inspiratory and expiratory cells consistent with postinspiratory inhibition. Usually the membrane potential of each neuronal type cycled through an expiratory level before onset of the first recovery breath. Variants of the apnea response, probably reflecting the aspiration reflex or sniffing, sneezing, coughing, and swallowing, were also observed. These latter patterns showed oscillation between inspiration and postinspiration without an apparent intervening stage II expiratory phase. However, stage II expiratory activity always preceded onset of the first ramp inspiration after such a pattern. These findings suggest that activation of postinspiratory mechanisms causes profound alterations in the respiratory pattern and that stage II expiration importantly modulates recovery of ramp inspiratory activity. The mechanism of this latter effect may be inhibition of early inspiratory neurons with consequent postinhibitory rebound.
Interactions Between Bacteria and Aspen Defense Chemicals at the Phyllosphere – Herbivore Interface

Plant- and insect-associated microorganisms encounter a diversity of allelochemicals, and require mechanisms for contending with these often deleterious and broadly-acting compounds. Trembling aspen, Populus tremuloides, contains two principal groups of defenses, phenolic glycosides (salicinoids) and condensed tannins, which differentially affect the folivorous gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar, and its gut symbionts. The bacteria genus Acinetobacter is frequently associated with both aspen foliage and gypsy moth consuming that tissue, and one isolate, Acinetobacter sp. R7-1, previously has been shown to metabolize phenolic glycosides. In this study, we aimed to characterize further interactions between this Acinetobacter isolate and aspen secondary metabolites. We assessed bacterial carbon utilization and growth in response to different concentrations of phenolic glycosides and condensed tannins. We also tested if enzyme inhibitors reduce bacterial growth and catabolism of phenolic glycosides. Acinetobacter sp. R7-1 utilized condensed tannins but not phenolic glycosides or glucose as carbon sources. Growth in nutrient-rich medium was increased by condensed tannins, but reduced by phenolic glycosides. Addition of the P450 enzyme inhibitor piperonyl butoxide increased the effects of phenolic glycosides on Acinetobacter sp. R7-1. In contrast, the esterase inhibitor S,S,S,-tributyl-phosphorotrithioate did not affect phenolic glycoside inhibition of bacterial growth. Degradation of phenolic glycosides by Acinetobacter sp. R7-1 appears to alleviate the cytotoxicity of these compounds, rather than provide an energy source. Our results further suggest this bacterium utilizes additional, complementary mechanisms to degrade antimicrobial phytochemicals. Collectively, these results provide insight into mechanisms by which microorganisms contend with their environment within the context of plant-herbivore interactions.