cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cross-informant consistency in externalizing and internalizing problems in early adolescence

The concept of cross-informant consistency has long been a topic of interest for those involved in assessment of behavior problems in adolescence. The purpose of the present study was to replicate and expand the existing literature by including four informants (mother, father, teacher, and adolescent self-report) and examining correlations among them as well as differences between reporters on an absolute level of both internalizing and externalizing problems. Fifty-two young adolescents (ranging in age from 11 to 15 years) and their mothers, fathers, and social studies teachers participated in the study. The Conduct Disorder subscale, Socialized Aggression subscale, and Anxiety/Withdrawal subscale of the Revised Behavior Problem Checklist were used. Results indicated that teachers showed little agreement with other informants on conduct problems (teachers reporting fewer problems), while parents and adolescents showed significant agreement. Informants showed no agreement on the measure of covert problems (socialized aggression), and all reports showed agreement on internalizing problems (although teachers continued to report fewer problems). Implications for assessment of young adolescents are discussed.
Array velocimeter imaging laser speckle pattern

A noncontact velocity measurement system utilising a solid-state array imaging a moving laser speckle pattern was developed for measuring the velocity of a moving vehicle relative to the terrain it traverses. The electronics and the online minicomputer program together with the laboratory system test results are described.
Confusions in the equipoise concept and the alternative of fully informed overlapping rational decisions

Despite its several variations, the central position of equipoise is that subjects in clinical experiments should not be randomized to conditions when others believe that better alternatives exist. This position has been challenged over issues of which group in the medical or research community is authorized to make that determination, and it has been argued that informed consent provides sufficient ethical protection for participants independent of equipoise. In this paper I frame ethical participation in clinical research as a two-party decision process involving offering and accepting participation under informed consent. Nine conditions are identified in which it is possible that potential participants and researchers or care professionals can rationally choose divergent actions based on identical understandings of the situation. Under such circumstances, researchers or care professionals cannot ethically substitute their understanding of equipoise in the situation for the patients’ choices, or vice versa.
Hemoglobin multiple emulsion as an oxygen delivery system.

Abstract Multiple emulsion technology provides a mechanism for the encapsulation and in vivo delivery of drugs, proteins, and other materials which would otherwise be degradedm cleared rapidly, or toxic to the host. These feasibility studies were performed to evaluate a prototype Hb multiple emulsion as a stable oxygen delivery system. A concentrated solution of hemoglobin (Hb) was encapsulated in the form of a Hb-in-oil-in-water (Hb/O/W) multiple emulsion. Studies using mineral oil demonstrated that Hb multiple emulsions have several important characteristics that are compatible with utility as a blood substitute. These include: satisfactory rheological properties and good hydrodynamic stability compared to whole blood, hgih encapsulation concentration of Hb and high encapsulation efficiency with little met-hemoglobin generation, and satisfactory oxygen affinity and cooperativity compared to whole blood. Isovolemic exchange transfusions of Hb/O/W multiple emulsion can support life in rats whose hematocrit has been reduced to levels (5% or lower) that are incompatible with survival, and induces no acute toxicity. These results are consistent with the utility of Hb/O/W as an oxygen-carrying red blood cell substitute or organ perfusion media.
Short-term nitrogen-15 recovery vs. long-term total soil N gains in conventional and alternative cropping systems

Abstract Cropping systems receiving organic N additions may sequester more N than conventional systems receiving inorganic N inputs. A short-term study using 15N-labeled vetch (Vicia spp.) and 15N urea was conducted to determine whether 9 years of organic N inputs to a cropping system led to lower short-term 15N losses than a cropping system under conventional management. The three cropping systems were: a conventional, receiving 15N urea, a low-input receiving 15N urea or 15N-labeled vetch residue, and an organic receiving 15N-labeled vetch residue with unlabeled poultry manure. Nitrogen recovery was calculated as the amount of 15N recovered in maize (Zea mays L.) and in the soil. Total N recovery from 15N sources in the three cropping systems were similar after one growing season and unaffected by the form of 15N application, whether organic or inorganic. Similar results were reported from other studies conducted at Rodale (USA), Rothamsted (UK) and Cadriano (Italy) where short-term N recoveries from organic or inorganic 15N sources were similar in conventional and legume or manure based cropping systems. Therefore, short-term 15N recoveries appear to be unaffected by the form of 15N application and whether organic or inorganic N-based systems are evaluated. However, results from the short-term 15N tracer experiments did not reflect known long-term trends of increased total soil N in the organic N-based cropping systems. The apparent discrepancy between short-term 15N recoveries and long-term gains in total soil N may be due to differences in total N inputs between the various cropping systems or the inability of short-term 15N studies to accurately reflect the long-term N retention of various cropping systems.
Kinetic Isotope Effects for RNA Cleavage by 2′-O- Transphosphorylation: Nucleophilic Activation by Specific Base

To better understand the interactions between catalysts and transition states during RNA strand cleavage, primary 18O kinetic isotope effects (KIEs) and solvent D2O isotope effects were measured to probe the mechanism of base-catalyzed 2′-O-transphosphorylation of the RNA dinucleotide 5′-UpG-3′. The observed 18O KIEs for the nucleophilic 2′-O and in the 5′-O leaving group at pH 14 are both large relative to reactions of phosphodiesters with good leaving groups, indicating that the reaction catalyzed by hydroxide has a transition state (TS) with advanced phosphorus−oxygen bond fission to the leaving group (18kLG = 1.034 ± 0.004) and phosphorus−nucleophile bond formation (18kNUC = 0.984 ± 0.004). A breakpoint in the pH dependence of the 2′-O-transphosphorylation rate to a pH independent phase above pH 13 has been attributed to the pKa of the 2′−OH nucleophile. A smaller nucleophile KIE is observed at pH 12 (18kNUC = 0.995 ± 0.004) that is interpreted as the combined effect of the equilibrium isotope effect ...
Sleep problems in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

Study Objectives:Sleep problems in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are reportedly common but not well characterized. Objectives were to: (1) assess sleep concerns in children ...
Outpatient repair of superior semicircular canal dehiscence via the transmastoid approach.

Objectives/Hypothesis: Superior semicircular canal dehiscence (SSCD) syndrome has been a topic of much interest since its first description a decade ago. The symptoms of vertigo, autophony, and Tullio phenomenon have been well described as has the utility of surgical repair. The standard approach described for surgical repair of this problem has been to perform a middle fossa craniotomy followed by plugging of the superior semicircular canal. Recently, a transmastoid approach has been described as another surgical option in cases of SSCD, an alternative that could avoid the known risks of a middle fossa craniotomy. Herein we present further data for validation of the transmastoid SSCD repair technique. Additional factors leading to the successful treatment of these patients in the outpatient setting, an approach not previously described, are detailed. Study Design: Retrospective study of three separate operative procedures in two patients (one patient with bilateral SSCD) in an academic medical center is presented along with postoperative course and hearing status. Methods: Three ears with radiographic evidence of SSCD confirmed with vestibular evoked myogenic potentials after symptomatic presentation were studied. Each ear had preoperative and postoperative audiometry and outpatient surgery. SSCD was repaired in each patient using a transmastoid approach with specific anesthetic and surgical precautions taken to minimize nausea and vertigo. Results: Each patient was discharged from the outpatient unit with two cases returning home the day of surgery and one case after 23-hour observation. All had resolution of their SSCD symptoms and postoperative hearing testing revealed no evidence of sensorineural hearing loss and resolution of related conductive components. Conclusions: The advantages noted by others with regards to the transmastoid repair of SSCD related symptomatology appear genuine and reproducible. In addition, this approach appears to offer potential freedom from a prolonged hospital admission with the potential for outpatient surgery in some circumstances without compromised clinical outcomes. Laryngoscope, 2009
(+/-)-3-(3-oxocyclohexyl)propionic acid: dual conformational selection and hydrogen bonding in an epsilon-keto acid.

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C9H14O3, consists of two mol­ecules having conformations that differ by a rotation of 111.7 (5)° about the equatorial substituent bond, so that the side chains of the two species extend away from the ring in different directions. Each conformer forms centrosymmetric hydrogen-bonded acid-to-acid dimers with its own enantiomer [O⋯O = 2.681 (3) and 2.698 (4) A]. There is an intermolecular C—H⋯O close contact involving the ketone group of one of the conformers.
The Application of 1H HR-MAS NMR Spectroscopy for the Study of Structures and Associations of Organic Components at the Solid−Aqueous Interface of a Whole Soil

High resolution-magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (HR-MAS NMR) allows the application of solution-state NMR experiments to samples that are not fully soluble and contain solids. Only the species in contact with the solvent system employed become NMR observable. In this study utilizing D2O as the solvent system we show it is possible to examine the structures at the solid−aqueous interface of a whole soil. Combining one- and two-dimensional HR-MAS NMR allowed, for the first time, the identification of fatty acids, aliphatic esters, and ethers/alcohols as prominent species at the solid−aqueous interface of the soil with signals from sugars and amino acids also apparent. Few, if any signals from aromatic protons were observed when the soil was swollen in aqueous media, although these signals are observed in extracts from the same soil and when the soil is swollen with a more penetrating solvent (DMSO-d6) which is known to disassociate hydrogen bonds. These findings indicate that the soil aromat...
Intestinal absorption of glucose, and blood glucose and hematocrit in pregnant and nonpregnant hamsters

Glucose intestinal absorption, blood glucose and hematocrit in hamsters, relating physiologic modifications to pregnancy
Prediction of risk of anterior myocardial infarction by lesion severity and measurement method of stenoses in the left anterior descending coronary distribution: A CASS registry study

Abstract To assess the 3 year risk of anterior myocardial infarction in patients with left anterior descending coronary artery territory disease (30 to 100% stenosis), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Coronary Artery Surgery Study (CASS) registry patients were identified who were 1) medically treated, and 2) had evidence of viable anterior myocardium at the time of baseline angiography. Prospectively, 118 patients having an anterior infarction within 3 years of baseline angiography were identified from annual follow-up of 4,535 medically treated patients who had left anterior descending coronary artery disease and viable anterior myocardium. From the large residual pool of patients without infarction, 141 were randomly selected from a stratified matrix to represent the entire group. The maximal percent stenosis was estimated by the CASS multiple angiographers, by a current single observer rereading and by contemporary computer measurement techniques. Absolute lumen dimension was assessed by computer measurement. The 3 year risk of anterior infarction was 2% for patients with their most severe left anterior descending stenosis
Phonons in TiO2SiO2 glasses

We report the infrared and Raman studies of titanium doped vitreous silica glasses for a number of titanium concentrations. The vibrational modes associated with the randomly oriented chains of SiO4 tetrahedra show broadenings and shifts. The LO-TO splitting of some Raman active modes decreases with increasing titanium concentration. This is attributed to the decrease in long-range coulomb fields associated with the chains of SiO4 tetrahedra which are broken by the titanium atoms. The results are discussed in the context of random network models. An increase in the average intertetrahedral angle of the SiO4 network is calculated from the data. This explains the anomalous decrease in the density of TiO2SiO2 glasses with increasing titanium content. We identify two new modes associated with the distorted titanium tetrahedra. A polarized Raman mode at 1115 cm−1 which is infrared inactive and an unpolarized Raman mode at 945 cm−1 which is infrared active are observed.
Voyager measurement of the rotation period of Saturn's magnetic field

Saturn's radio rotation period was determined using measurements made by the planetary radio astronomy experiment onboard the Voyager spacecraft. The sidereal period deduced, 10 hr 39 min 24 sec ? 7 sec, is within the 10 hr to 11 hr range of optical periods derived from a century of atmospheric spot and Doppler spectroscopy observations. The radio rotation period is presumably that of the planet's magnetic field. A provisional Saturn longitude convention is proposed and equations are provided to compute a longitude ephemeris and to transform between the proposed system and the (10 hr 14 min) system used for the Pioneer 11/Saturn encounter. The degree of longitude smearing which could result over the long term from the merging of data sets organized in this system is evaluated. No evidence of control of the radio emission by any of Saturn's satellites was found.
The UPR and the Anti-oxidant Response: Relevance to Sleep and Sleep Loss

Oxidative stress has been linked to various physiological and pathological processes such as aging and neurological disorders. Recent evidence has now implicated a role for oxidative stress in sleep and sleep loss. Studies suggest that wakefulness results in an oxidative burden and sleep provides a protective mechanism against these harmful effects. Prolonged wakefulness/sleep deprivation activates an adaptive stress pathway termed the unfolded protein response (UPR), which temporarily guards against the deleterious consequences of reactive oxygen species. The UPR affects the function of the endoplasmic reticulum, which is the site for integral and secretory membrane processing and folding. Several downstream effectors of the UPR operate in an antioxidant capacity to reduce the load of these toxic species; a process that may be important in delaying the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. This review will highlight the molecular components of the UPR that ameliorate the accumulation of oxidative stress and may therefore provide potential therapeutic targets.
On the applicability of the Taylor—Aris axial diffusion model to tubular reactor calculations

The relationship between the one dimensional Taylor—Aris model and the more detailed diffusion model for the steady state behavior of a tubular reactor is studied for the case of laminar flow and a first order reaction. It is shown that: (1) the Taylor—Aris model is valid provided that ka2/3·82D < 1; (2) the mean concentration computed using the Taylor—Aris model should be identified as the mean in the plane, Cm, and the net flux across any plane perpendicular to the axis of the reactor is Cm −[(a2U2/48D) + D] (∂Cm/∂z); for large Npe the inlet condition. Cm(0) = 1−(ka2/D)(1/48+1/N2Pe), seems to yield better results than the Wehner—Wilhelm boundary condition; and the zero gradient boundary condition is not the proper one to use at the outlet end of the reactor. It seems to be more appropriate to simply truncate a semi-infinite solution.
Platelet serotonin, a possible marker for familial autism

Serotonin (5HT) levels in platelet-rich plasma were measured in 5 autistic subjects who had siblings with either autism or pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), 23 autistic subjects without affected siblings, and 10 normal controls. The 5HT levels of autistic subjects with affected siblings were significantly higher than probands without affected siblings, and autistic subjects without affected siblings had 5HT levels significantly higher than controls. Differences in 5HT levels remained significant after adjustment for sex, age, and IQ. These results suggest that 5HT level in autistic subjects may be associated with genetic liability to autism.
Costs of reducing carbon emissions: US building sector scenarios

This paper summarizes a detailed assessment of the achievable cost-effective potential for reducing carbon emissions in 2010 in the US residential and commercial buildings sectors. Our analysis shows that substantial reductions in future greenhouse gas emissions can be realized through the use of more energy-efficient technologies that save money and reduce pollution at the same time. These carbon reductions can therefore be achieved at negative net cost to society.
NIS02-4: A Secure Quality of Service Routing Protocol for Wireless Ad Hoc Networks

Due to the high flexibility, mobility and low cost features, wireless ad hoc networks are widely used. A particularly challenging problem is how to feasibly detect and defend the major attacks against routing protocols of such networks that have susceptible links and dynamic topology. Most of the existing secure routing protocols for ad hoc networks either avoid the most challenging internal attacks such as Byzantine behaviors, or have often produced inefficient security mechanisms. In this paper, we develop a new efficient distributed key management scheme and a novel algorithm that can detect the most difficult internal attacks, such as Byzantine attacks. We also present a novel secure quality of service routing (SQSR) protocol, which provides both secure and QoS routing. The simulation results have demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed routing protocol.
Stability of hop-by-hop congestion control

A hop-by-hop congestion control method is developed. Unlike other hop-by-hop schemes, this method does not require the router to keep track of per-virtual circuit information. Hence, this method puts little computational burden on the router. The method is hop-by-hop based, hence, it allows the flows to quickly adjust to changes in the available bandwidth. The network is modeled as a linear parametrically varying (LPV) system. However, standard LPV techniques prove too conservative and alternative methods are applied. It is shown that for certain feedback gains, the system is exponentially stable.
GERONTOLOGY EDUCATION FOR RECREATION SERVICE MAJORS: MEETING THE DEMANDS OF THE 21ST CENTURY

Due to an overwhelming increase in the population of older Americans in the next 30 years, many professions are preparing to meet the demands of an increasingly older clientele. This research was conducted to assess whether recreation professionals' level of education in gerontology is adequate to meet the demands of older adults in the future. It was found that opportunities for education in gerontology are abundant in many recreation and leisure studies programs. Most recreation curricula have gerontology classes and opportunities for minors in gerontology. Those that were lacking in this area were at least found to cover the topics in courses on lifespan development. However, it remains somewhat unclear how many students are taking advantage of these opportunities.
A logical extension of the ASTM standard E96 to determine the dependence of water vapour transmission on relative humidity

It is well known that the water vapour transmission properties of hygroscopic building materials depend on the local relative humidities(rh). Traditionally, the ASTM Standard E96 specifies only two conditions of rh. The dry cup method in the standard corresponds to a mean rh of 25 % and the wet cup to 75 %. This information is not enough to describe the behaviour of the material through the entire range of rh. European standards have already proposed an extension of the existing standard to address this issue. ASTM standard should follow this change. A logical extension of the E96 standard to include the effect of rh on water vapour transmission properties has been proposed and is being discussed by one of the C16 Committee Task Groups. This paper presents the application of the proposed extension to several common building materials. The details include the operating principles of a constant temperature-rh chamber and the effects on the test results, of the vapour resistance offered by still air inside the cup, the surface resistances and buoyancy. The experimental data were used to critically assess the above effects. The data as well as the analyses of the data are expected to provide guidance to refine the existing ASTM Standard.
Phospholipase D and phosphatidic acid-mediated generation of superoxide in Arabidopsis

Phospholipase D (PLD), which hydrolyzes phospholipids into free head groups and phosphatidic acid (PA), may regulate cellular processes through the production of lipid and lipid-derived messengers. We have genetically abrogated PLDα, the most prevalent isoform of PLD in plants, and the depletion of PLDα in Arabidopsis decreased the levels of PA and superoxide production in Arabidopsis leaf extracts. Addition of PA promoted the synthesis of superoxide in the PLDα-depleted plants, as measured by chemiluminescence and superoxide dismutase-inhibitable, NADPH-dependent reduction of cytochrome c and nitroblue tetrazolium. The PA-enhanced generation of superoxide was associated mainly with microsomal membranes. Among various lipids tested, PA was the most effective stimulator with the optimal concentrations between 100 and 200 μm. The PA-promoted production of superoxide was observed also in leaves directly infiltrated with PA. The added PA was more effective in stimulating superoxide generation in the PLDα-depleted leaves than in the PLDα-containing, wild-type leaves, suggesting that PA produced in the cell was more effective than added PA in promoting superoxide production. These data indicate that PLD plays a role in mediating superoxide production in plants through the generation of PA as a lipid messenger.
Identifying Optimal Jobs to Work On: The Role of Attitude in Job Selection

In this paper, the meaning of attitude and its role in an agent's job selection behavior is discussed. When agents build teams, a critical step in improving performance is choosing which jobs to work on in the context of both changing environmental conditions and other agents' uncertain behaviors. This research introduces a decision theoretic model and the concept of attitude, and provides methods to incorporate different possible attitudes in constructing an expected utility function to guide agents in ranking potential jobs. In this way, attitudes define how an agent prioritizes different possible job choices. Three types of attitudes are defined: attitudes toward proactive behavior, potential risk, and reward. The paper shows that agents using the presented model are able to increase their payoff by identifying optimal jobs under different environmental conditions with varied parameters.
Tradeoffs in designing networks with end-to-end statistical QoS guarantees

Recent research on statistical multiplexing has provided many new insights into the achievable multiplexing gain in QoS networks, however, generally only in terms of the gain experienced at a single switch. Evaluating the statistical multiplexing gain in a general network remains a difficult challenge. In this paper we describe two distinct network designs for statistical end-to-end delay guarantees, referred to as class-level aggregation and path-level aggregation, and compare the achievable statistical multiplexing gain. Each of the designs presents a particular trade-off between the attainable statistical multiplexing gain and the ability to support delay guarantees. The key characteristic of both designs is that they do not require, and instead, intentionally avoid, consideration of the correlation between flows at multiplexing points inside the network. Numerical examples are presented for a comparison of the two designs. The presented class-level aggregation design is shown to yield very high achievable link utilizations while simultaneously achieving the desired statistical guarantees on delay.
Protective effects of estrogen on gender-specific development of diet-induced hypertension.

Dietary and humoral factors are thought to be involved in the development of hypertension. This study investigated the interaction between diet and gonadal hormone status in the development and rev...
A Transport Protocol for Dedicated End-to-End Circuits

Connection-oriented networks that offer guaranteed-rate circuits are being proposed as a solution to meet the high-end networking needs of distributed scientific research. This paper describes a transport protocol for data transfer across dedicated end-to-end circuits. We call this protocol Circuit-TCP (C-TCP). The key feature of C-TCP is to maintain a fixed sending rate, as closely matched to the circuit rate as possible, with the aim of achieving high circuit utilization. C-TCP is implemented by modifying TCP code in Linux. Experiments on a wide-area experimental circuit-switched testbed show that C-TCP is able to fully utilize circuit bandwidth and sustain a high circuit utilization. The challenge in this work lay in matching the variability inherent in general-purpose end hosts with the monotonic nature of circuits.
Analyzing power MOSFET breakdown voltage using simulators

A comprehensive analysis of the performance of the power MOSFET using process and device simulators is described. The power MOSFET process is simulated using TSUPREM and the simulated profile is used as an input to MEDICI to simulate the device performance. The dependence of the breakdown voltage on the device parameters, epi-layer thickness and doping concentration, and the parameter variations are used to establish the values of design parameters for the target breakdown voltage and desired yield.
Homocysteine: "expensive creatinine" or important modifiable risk factor for arteriosclerotic outcomes in renal transplant recipients?

Arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the most common cause of death after renal transplantation ([1][1],[2][2],[3][3]), as well as a major source of morbidity ([2][2],[3][3]). Renal transplant recipients (RTR) experience at least twofold increases in arteriosclerotic CVD mortality ([1][1
Hypovolemic shock promotes neutrophil sequestration in lungs by a xanthine oxidase-related mechanism

Our results suggest that xanthine oxidase (XO) contributes to lung neutrophil sequestration in hypovolemic shock. Catheterized rats subjected to shock by phlebotomy (approximately 30% blood loss) had decreased mean arterial blood pressures (P less than 0.05) and increased (P less than 0.05) lung myeloperoxidase (MPO) activities (indicative of lung neutrophil accumulation) compared with sham-treated normotensive rats. In contrast, rats depleted of lung and plasma XO activity by tungsten diet before phlebotomy had decreased (P less than 0.05) lung MPO activities compared with phlebotomized rats fed regular diets.
We are Imazighen: the development of Algerian Berber identity in twentieth-century literature and culture

In We Are Imazighen, Fazia Aitel has significantly added to our understanding of contemporary cultural politics in Algeria. Her book broadens the study of North African francophone literature not o...
Sexual Differentiation in Litter-Bearing Mammals: Influence of Sex of Adjacent Fetuses in Utero

In rodents and swine, individual differences in a broad range of characteristics correlate with intrauterine position during fetal life. By identifying the intrauterine position of mice at cesarean delivery, we can predict reliably postnatal reproductive traits such as genital morphology, timing of puberty, length of estrous cycles, timing of reproductive senescence, sexual attractiveness, sexual behavior, aggressiveness, daily activity level, body weight and tissue enzyme activity in females; in males we can predict genital and brain morphology, sexual behavior, aggressiveness, daily activity level, body weight, and tissue enzyme activity. In mice, as in all mammals, male fetuses have greater concentrations of testosterone than do females. In addition, female mouse fetuses have greater circulating concentrations of estradiol than do male fetuses, a condition not found in all mammals. A mouse fetus positioned between males has greater concentrations of testosterone than does a fetus of the same sex positioned between females, and a fetus positioned between females has greater concentrations of estradiol than does a fetus of the same sex positioned between males. Gonadal steroids regulate differentiation of secondary sexual characteristics. Studies in which the effects of intrauterine position have been eliminated by exposing fetuses to steroid receptor blockers reveal the critical role of steroids in mediating this phenomenon. The intrauterine position phenomenon provides the only mammalian model for relating postnatal traits to concentrations of endogenous hormones to which individuals are exposed during fetal life. Results from studies using this naturally occurring experimental system in litter-bearing species have given insights concerning the consequences of individual differences in steroid concentrations during sexual differentiation that likely apply to all mammals. One specific hypothesis is that circulating estradiol may interact with testosterone in mediating some aspects of sexual differentiation in rodents and, thus, possibly in other mammals.
Cimetidine and hematologic suppression: things are not always as they appear.

A 67-year-old man with a bleeding ulcer developed fever, thrombocytopenia, and neutropenia with eosinophilia coincidental to receiving 3600 mg of cimetidine. Failure to reduplicate the hematologic suppression after cimetidine rechallenge suggests the drug was not responsible for the change in circulating cells. Our patient is similar to the earlier reported cases of cimetidine-associated hematologic suppression. The role of cimetidine in these cases is impossible to determine because of the multifactorial possibilities for bone-marrow suppression. Recently, a fatal case of agranulocytosis associated with cimetidine has been reported. The possible mechanisms of granulocytopenia are reviewed, and it is suggested cimetidine may cause bone-marrow suppression by an idiosyncratic reaction. We believe the possibility of fatal aplastic anemia secondary to cimetidine is very rare and does not preclude a drug rechallenge when the benefit-risk ratio warrants.
Ventricular Arrhythmias and Sudden Cardiac Death: An Insight from Recent Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trials

While post-myocardial infarct patients with frequent ventricular premature contractions or nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT) are at an increased risk of sudden arrhythmic death, the empirical use of antiarrhythmic agents for such patients is no longer justified after the results of the Cardiac Arrhythmia Suppression Trial. A series of major breakthroughs in the design and clinical application of the implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) have taken place over the past two decades since its invention by M Mirowski. Although there is a general consensus for the effectiveness of the ICD therapy in aborting sudden arrhythmic death, it is unknown whether the use of the ICD therapy results in prolonged survival. Three randomized clinical trials directed to the survivors of cardiac arrest due to ventricular tachycardia (VT) or ventricular fibrillation (VF) are currently in progress, comparing the ICD therapy with drug therapy (amiodarone, beta blockers, and sotalol). Already over seventeen hundred patients have been randomized and followed in these three clinical trials. All three trials continue currently indicating no emergence of statistically significant differences in total mortality between the two therapy groups. Prophylactic application of the ICD has been studied in the MADIT (Multicenter Automatic Defibrillator Implantation Trial)--the first randomized clinical trial dealing with implantable defibrillators. This study enrolled post-transmural infarct patients having documented NSVT, left ventricular dysfunction (ejection fraction 35% or lower) and inducible and nonsuppressible NSVT. The study was recently terminated because of an emergence of a highly significant lower mortality with the ICD therapy than with conventional drug therapy. The future for patients at an increased risk of sudden cardiac death is much brighter with future refinement of the ICD system and antiarrhythmic drug therapy, and with further improvement in the therapy directed at the underlying structural heart disease.
Most Americans Do Not Believe That There Is An Association Between Health Care Prices And Quality Of Care

Many organizations are developing health care price information tools for consumers. However, consumers may avoid low-price care if they perceive price to be associated with quality. We conducted a nationally representative survey to examine whether consumers perceive that price and quality are associated and whether the way in which questions are framed affects consumers’ responses. Most Americans (58–71 percent, depending on question framing) did not think that price and quality are associated, but a substantial minority did perceive an association (21–24 percent) or were unsure whether there was one (8–16 percent). Responses to questions framed in terms of high price and high quality differed from responses to questions framed in terms of low price and low quality. People who had compared prices were more likely than those who had not compared prices to perceive that price and quality were associated. We explore implications of these findings, including how behavioral economics can inform approaches to...
Design of low energy bunch compressors with space charge effects

In this paper, we explore a method to manipulate low energy electron bunches in a space charge dominated regime, and we use this method to design low energy linac bunch compressors to compress electron bunches in a space charge dominated regime. In the method, we use the space charge effects instead of avoiding them; i.e., we use the space charge forces to generate the required energy chirp instead of the ordinary method which uses the rf accelerating system to generate the chirp. We redefine the concepts of the dispersion function and beta functions in a space charge dominated regime to guide the optimization. Using this method, we study the low energy (5--22 MeV) linac bunch compressor design to produce short ($\ensuremath{\sim}150\text{ }\mathrm{fs}$) and small size ($\ensuremath{\sim}30\text{ }\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$) bunches for the electron beam slicing project. The low energy linac bunch compressors work in a space charge dominated regime, and the bunches at the downstream of the gun have a negative energy chirp due to the space charge effects. To provide compression for the negative energy chirped bunch, we design a positive ${R}_{56}$ dispersive section using a four-dipole chicane with several quadrupole magnets. We have designed low energy linac bunch compressors with different photocathode rf guns. For example, one linac bunch compressor with the BNL photocathode electron rf gun has achieved a low energy bunch with the 166 fs rms bunch length, 28 and $31\text{ }\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$ rms beam size in the vertical and horizontal directions, respectively, at 5 MeV with 50 pC charge. Another example with LBNL's very-high frequency gun has achieved a low energy bunch with the 128 fs rms bunch length, 42 and $25\text{ }\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$ rms beam size in the vertical and horizontal directions, respectively, at 22 MeV with 200 pC charge.
Device therapies: New indications and future directions

Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICDs), cardiac resynchronization (CRT) and combination (CRT-D) therapy have become an integral part of the management of patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). ICDs treat ventricular arrhythmia and CRTs improve left ventricular systolic function by resynchronizing ventricular contraction. Device therapies (ICD, CRT-D), have been shown to reduce all-cause mortality, including sudden cardiac death. Hospitalizations are reduced with CRT and CRT-D therapy. Major device related complications include device infection, inappropriate shocks, lead malfunction and complications related to extraction of devices. Improvements in device design and implantation have included progressive miniaturization and increasing battery life of the device, optimization of response to CRT, and minimizing inappropriate device therapy. Additionally, better definition of the population with the greatest benefit is an area of active research.
On the Hui Peoples' Art of Keeping Morality

By comparing Immanuel Kant's concept that "the lofty morals from the heart" with Mao Zedong's thought that "man needs a bit of morals" and that "the three states" as said in Koran,the paper intends to make,from historic point of view,comments to the Huis' morality,both honour and disgrace,that have experienced for various vicissitudes of life.Thus,it reveals the true beauty and magnificence of the Hui people's morality.At the same time,the paper delineates the Huis' features of enduring humiliation,being self-respect and making unremitting efforts in constant improvement of themselves.As a conclusion,the paper displays the Hui people's features of "enduring disgrace before becoming stronger",which from the author's perspective not only has enriched the spiritual and morality life,but also has an ability to enlighten the cohesive power of the Chinese nation.
An investigational analysis of report quality of notifiable disease in Anqing city in 2011

Objective To analyze the report quality of notifiable disease in Anqing city in 2011. Methods Based on stratified sampling,49 medical institution were selected to carry out the management quality supervision of notifiable diseases. Results Totally 14 kinds of notifiable disease,793 cases were collected during January to November in 2011. The total missing report rate of notifiable diseases was 5. 80%. The 3 diseases with the highest missing report rate were other notifiable diarrhea( 52. 17%),viral hepatitis( 13. 04%),hand- foot and mouth disease( 10. 87%). Notifiable disease report quality in different levels of medical institutions had statistically significant difference. Conclusion The report quality of notifiable disease was good in Anqing. Measures should be taken to improve the management of notifiable disease report further.
Barriers to Knowledge Translation Regarding the Use of Probiotics as a Risk-Reduction Strategy for Necrotizing Enterocolitis.

Background Increasingly, evidence supports enteral probiotics are an important risk-reduction strategy for necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) among very low birth-weight and extremely low birth-weight preterm infants. Yet, the majority of providers remain reluctant to implement practice changes. Purpose The aim of this study was to better understand the discrepancy between the available evidence and clinical practice regarding the use of probiotics and other NEC prevention strategies in New Jersey. Methods Using an exploratory descriptive design, a multimodal interprofessional survey was developed and executed to elicit intensive care nursery provider knowledge, views, and current practice. Results Although the sample size was small (N = 29), approximately one-half of respondents familiar with the literature rated the quality of the evidence regarding probiotics as "above average" to "excellent." These respondents were "very likely" to "extremely likely" to recommend probiotics as an NEC prevention strategy; however, none actually prescribed this intervention. The most important reason respondents did not prescribe probiotics was the focus on providing exclusive maternal and donor breast milk feedings. Other confounding factors included provision of oral colostrum care, standardized feeding protocols, and withholding feedings during blood transfusion. Implications for practice Study results suggested that some providers (primarily nurses) were not familiar with probiotic literature, which may contribute to deficits in knowledge translation to practice. Implications for research Areas for future study include identifying improved mechanisms for knowledge dissemination, recognizing and addressing barriers and facilitators to knowledge translation, and understanding how probiotics fit and/or contrast with other NEC risk-reduction strategies in the research and clinical settings.
Nonoperative Management of Non-displaced Acute Scaphoid Fracture

The patient is a 15-year-old male with a history of left wrist pain following a football-related injury. He described the initial injury as hyperextension of his left wrist during football practice. He was seen at an urgent care center and initially diagnosed with a left wrist sprain. At that time, he was given a cock-up wrist splint. The patient continued to play football and “re-aggravated” his wrist 1 month later. He presented to a primary care sports medicine physician with left wrist pain. He reported that the pain had never resolved from a month earlier. New X-rays were obtained at that visit, an MRI was ordered, and the patient was removed from sports. The MRI was obtained about 1 week later, and the patient was placed in a long arm cast and was referred to a hand surgeon for definitive care. He had no prior medical or surgical history, and he had no previous history of trauma to the left wrist. He denied tobacco use.
The Effects of Post-War Inflation on Business Cycles and Economic Growth

During the post-war period and until the end of the Korean boom, the economic life of Europe and America was largely dominated by wars and their consequences. Indeed, the whole period from 1939 to 1953 could without much exaggeration be characterized as one of continuous full employment, since the two recessions, one ending in the U.S.A. in 1949 and one in 1954, were slight. In the U.K. also there was an absence of large oscillations. In Western Europe industrial production and employment were even more stable over these years than in the U.S.A.1 It was not until 1953 in Europe, and 1954 in the U.S.A., that something conforming very much to the classical pattern of the prosperity phase of business cycles began. Some features of this expansion, lasting until 1957, were, indeed, common to the whole period of post-war growth — increasing total demand, concentration of expenditure on capital goods, increasing debt, and rising wages. But the 1954-57 boom was a matter of civilian demand, of rising interest rates and of budgetary surpluses, comparable with the earlier prototype of a revival period.2 Thus, while the whole post-war period up to 1953 was also characterized by inflation, the focus of the present inquiry upon inflation and business cycles implies a concentration upon events since 1953 or 1954. This will, of course, not preclude references to developments in the preceding years whenever significant similarities or contrasts exist.
Modeling wave-structure interactions by an immersed boundary method in a σ-coordinate model

Abstract This paper studies wave-structure interactions using an immersed boundary (IB) method in a σ coordinate non-hydrostatic wave model. In contrast to a fixed grid, the σ grid follows the movement of the free surface, which may introduce numerical errors when applying the IB method. When the grid cells located inside the structure at the previous time step move into the flow domain at the current time step, a reconstruction of velocities at the cell center is conducted to accurately estimate the fluxes at the cell faces by enforcing the no-slip boundary condition at the structure boundaries. The model is validated against experimental data in three different problems, including solitary wave interactions with rectangular obstacles, periodic wave interaction with a submerged bar and non-breaking solitary wave interactions with multiple cylinders. These test cases deal with bottom-mounted, floating as well as emergent structures with different shapes. The agreements between simulations and measurements are generally good in terms of free surface elevation, flow velocity, dynamic pressure and wave runup. It is shown that the IB method is a promising tool to simulate wave processes around structures and to predict wave/surge loads on near-coast structures.
Magnetic Seizure Therapy: an Evolution of Convulsive Therapy

Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) affects a significant subset of depressed patients. It is estimated that about 30 % of patients with major depressive disorder do not respond to standard treatments. For these patients, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) remains the most effective treatment despite being limited by its side effects. Modifications to ECT parameters have suggested that it may be possible to separate the therapeutic effects of convulsive therapy from the production of side effects. Magnetic seizure therapy (MST), which uses electromagnetic induction to induce a seizure, is an alternative, experimental convulsive treatment for major depression. Seizures induced by MST are more focal than those produced by ECT, thereby offering greater control over the induced electric field. Most importantly, it offers the potential to provide antidepressant effect without cognitive side effects. Recent findings have further shown the effectiveness of MST and compared cognitive and metabolic side effects to ECT. This article reviews the current literature for clinical studies on MST. While initial results are promising, future work is needed to compare MST efficacy with other antidepressant treatments.
Recent Approaches to Estimate Associations Between Source-Specific Air Pollution and Health

Estimating health effects associated with source-specific exposure is important for better understanding how pollution impacts health and for developing policies to better protect public health. Although epidemiologic studies of sources can be informative, these studies are challenging to conduct because source-specific exposures (e.g., particulate matter from vehicles) often are not directly observed and must be estimated. We reviewed recent studies that estimated associations between pollution sources and health to identify methodological developments designed to address important challenges. Notable advances in epidemiologic studies of sources include approaches for (1) propagating uncertainty in source estimation into health effect estimates, (2) assessing regional and seasonal variability in emissions sources and source-specific health effects, and (3) addressing potential confounding in estimated health effects. Novel methodological approaches to address challenges in studies of pollution sources, particularly evaluation of source-specific health effects, are important for determining how source-specific exposure impacts health.