cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prevention and management of infection in trauma.

Examination of the causes of late mortality in multiple trauma patients reveals that as much as 78% of all deaths may be attributed to septic complications, suggesting the value of understanding the prevention and treatment of traumatic sepsis. In penetrating trauma, the protective features of the skin are eliminated, and systemic mechanisms of host defense are compromised. These changes in the host defense mechanism and the risk of infection influence the choice and technical features of wound closure and the use of antibiotics. Early diagnosis is imperative, but difficult.
Mysticism and psychedelics: The case of the dark night.

This study uses a model of consciousness derived from LSD-assisted psychotherapy to illumine an enigmatic set of painful experiences that occur on the mystic's path known in Western circles as the “dark night.” It argues that the dark night experiences described in John of the Cross's classic workDark Night of the Soul can be conceptualized in terms of Stanislav Grofs category of “perinatal experience.” The discussion examines the implications of this reconceptualization in three areas: (1) our understanding and evaluation of mysticism, (2) assessing LSD's potential for fostering genuine spirituality, and (3) reassessing the ancient claim that the capacity to experience transcendental states of being is innate.
Galvanic Cell Measurements with Stabilized Zirconia and Platinum Probes

A galvanic cell technique was developed to measure the ionic and electronic transference numbers of metal oxides at high temperatures. The cell uses stabilized zirconia probes in addition to the conventional metal probes. With both types of probes, measurements of the transference numbers for electronic, ionic, or mixed conductors are possible and surface polarization effects are readily detected. Measurements of yttria-doped ceria and urania demonstrate the advantages of the technique over the available methods.
Thrombolytic therapy for recurrent prosthetic tricuspid valve thrombosis

Abstract Prosthetic valve thrombosis (PVT) secondary to inadequate anti-coagulation is a well described and often life threatening complication. The traditional approach toward treatment was surgery, but thrombolysis is being increasingly used due to the low incidence of complications, especially for right sided PVT. Data on the success of thrombolysis in recurrent PVT is sparse. We present a case of successful thrombolysis of recurrent tricuspid valve thrombosis and emphasize the importance of considering this modality of treatment before surgical evaluation in patients with recurrent right sided PVT.
Groups admitting ergodic actions with generalized discrete spectrum

The class of groups admitting an effective ergodic action with generalized discrete spectrum is a natural generalization of the class of maximally almost periodic groups. H. Freudenthal has given a complete characterization of the connected maximally almost periodic groups, and here we give a complete characterization of the almost connected groups admitting an effective ergodic action with generalized discrete spectrum. Namely, we show that an almost connected group is in this class if and only if it is typeR. It is known that this is equivalent to the group being of polynomial growth, and for Lie groups is just the condition that all eigenvalues of the adjoint representation lie on the unit circle.
CLASSROOM PERFORMANCE AND VOICE CHARACTERISTICS AS MEASURED BY THE CONTOUR SOUND SPECTROGRAM: PRELIMINARY REPORT

The relationship between changes in voice characteristics and academic performance were investigated. Ss who received a final grade of A showed increases in syllabic rate, pitch, and formant rate change while those receiving a grade of D or F tended to show decreases on these measures.
Thermal stresses in the Space Shuttle Orbiter: Analysis versus test

Abstract Significant temperature differences occur between the internal structure and the outer skin of the Space Shuttle Orbiter as it returns from space. These temperature differences cause important thermal stresses. A finite element model containing thousands of degrees of freedom is used to predict these stresses. A ground test was performed to verify the prediction method. The analysis and test results compare favorably.
Compound semiconductor heterostructure bipolar transistors

This paper is primarily an overview of our work on the technology, material and electronic properties, and performance limitations of compound semiconductor heterostructure bipolar transistors. Graded-gap epitaxial n-type ohmic contacts and p-type shallow diffusion ohmic contacts are important in the fabrication of high-performance (Al,Ga)As/GaAs devices. In the device structure implemented, the presence of a wide-gap p-type (Al,Ga)As extrinsic base region at the surface suppresses surface recombination, thereby enhancing the current gain at small device dimensions. We discuss experimental and theoretical results concerning the limiting physical effects due to heterostructure design and intrinsic and extrinsic bulk phenomena of compound semiconductors, emphasizing the understanding developed and the discoveries made during the course of our efforts. As device speeds have increased with coordinated scaling, dispersive effects have become increasingly important. We show how these may be included by modifying the conventional quasi-static modeling of the bipolar transistor, in order to obtain a realistic simulation of fast switching transients. Finally, we discuss scaling of heterostructure bipolar transistors, and implications of the use of lower-bandgap materials and operation at cryogenic temperatures.
An improved method for the solubilization of stable gonadotropin receptors.

The studies presented herein describe the usefulness of glycerol in enhancing the binding activity and stability of detergent-solubilized gonadotropin (LH/hCG) receptors. The data presented show that when Leydig tumor cells (designated MA-10) are extracted with Triton X-100 in the presence of glycerol, one can quantitatively solubilize the cellular LH/hCG receptors without losing hormone-binding activity. It is also shown that in the presence of glycerol, the free soluble receptors can be maintained for at least 3 days with little or no reduction in their hormone-binding activity. These findings should prove useful for future studies on the structure and properties of gonadotropin receptors. (Endocrinology 113: 2129, 1983)
Characterization of 230-kD Bullous Pemphigoid Antigen Associated with Detergent-Insoluble Fraction of Cultured Keratinocytes

The 230-kD protein identified by antibodies from patients with bullous pemphigoid (BP) has a dual location in cultured normal human epidermal keratinocytes: part in a high-speed supernatant of homogenized cells and part in a particulate fraction, where it is resistant to extraction by non-ionic detergent or mild base. Antibodies were affinity purified from the particulate 230-kD BP antigen, which can be extracted in the presence of urea. The affinity-purified antibodies bind not only the cytosolic 230-kD protein, showing that it is related, if not identical, to the particulate form, but also produce a discontinuous granular pattern by indirect immunofluorescence in the basement membrane zone of rabbit esophagus. In stratifying epidermal cultures, expression of the 230- kD BP antigen is limited to basal cells. These data are consistent with 230-kD BP antigen involvement in keratinocyte basal cell interaction with extracellular matrix and indicate that the cultured cell may provide a useful model for analysis of 230-kD BP antigen function.
THE HUMAN ELECTRORETINOGRAM IN THE FIRST DAY OF LIFE.

The electroretinogram is readily recordable in the first day of life. Apparatus by which this may be done is briefly described. A summary of our knowledge about the neonatal ERG is presented, together with areas of possible clinical application in the newborn. The use of the ERG as an index of maturity at birth is also noted.
Anaesthetic implications of 32% Dextran-70 (Hyskon®) during hysteroscopy: hysteroscopy syndrome

This review describes the properties and side effects of Hyskon® and the implications for the patient and anaesthetist during hysteroscopy. The amount of Hyskon® absorbed is dependent on the injection pressure, the extent of tissue trauma, the seal of the hysteroscope around the cervix, and the duration of infusion. The mechanism of pulmonary oedema after absorbtion of Hyskon® is fluid overload, and not injury to pulmonary capillary endothelium. The haematological effects are primarily due to haemodilution. However, case reports suggest that Dextran 70 may cause a syndrome resembling disseminated intravascular coagulation. The allergic response to Hyskon® consists of both an anaphylactic and an anaphylactoid component. It is recommended that hysteroscopy with Hyskon® be limited to 45 min, and that all possible measures be taken to minimize tissue trauma and bleeding. The volume of Hyskon® should be limited to less than 500 ml, since pulmonary oedema and coagulopathy have been described with even lesser amounts. The cumulative volume of Hyskon® should be monitored frequently and the patient should be closely monitored for signs of impending pulmonary oedema.
Predictive Models for Fish Assemblages in Eastern U.S. Streams: Implications for Assessing Biodiversity

Abstract Management and conservation of aquatic systems require the ability to assess biological conditions and identify changes in biodiversity. Predictive models for fish assemblages were constructed to assess biological condition and changes in biodiversity for streams sampled in the eastern United States as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water Quality Assessment Program. Separate predictive models were developed for northern and southern regions. Reference sites were designated using land cover and local professional judgment. Taxonomic completeness was quantified based on the ratio of the number of observed native fish species expected to occur to the number of expected native fish species. Models for both regions accurately predicted fish species composition at reference sites with relatively high precision and low bias. In general, species that occurred less frequently than expected (decreasers) tended to prefer riffle areas and larger substrates, such as gravel and cobble, whereas i...
Fermions on bilayer graphene: Symmetry breaking for B = 0 and ν = 0

We extend previous analyses of fermions on a honeycomb bilayer lattice via weak-coupling renormalization group (RG) methods with extremely short-range and extremely long-range interactions to the case of finite-range interactions. In particular, we consider different types of interactions including screened Coulomb interactions, much like those produced by a point charge placed either above a single infinite conducting plate or exactly halfway between two parallel infinite conducting plates. Our considerations are motivated by the fact that, in some recent experiments on bilayer graphene there is a single gate while in others, there are two gates, which can function as the conducting planes and which, we argue, can lead to distinct broken symmetry phases. We map out the leading instabilities of the system as its temperature is lowered as a function of the range of the interaction. We discover that the system is unstable towards an antiferromagnetic phase for short ranges of the interaction and towards a nematic phase at long ranges, in agreement with previous studies. While the antiferromagnetic phase results in a gap in the spectrum, the nematic phase is gapless, splitting the quadratic degeneracy points into two Dirac cones each. We also consider the effects of an applied magnetic field on the system in the antiferromagnetic phase via variational mean field theory. At low fields, we find that the antiferromagnetic order parameter, $\ensuremath{\Delta}(B)\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\Delta}(0)\ensuremath{\sim}{B}^{2}$. At higher fields, when ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{c}\ensuremath{\gtrsim}2{\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{0}$, we find that $\ensuremath{\Delta}(B)\ensuremath{\approx}{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{c}/[\mathrm{ln}({\ensuremath{\omega}}_{c}/\ensuremath{\Delta}(0))+C]$, where $C\ensuremath{\approx}0.67$ and ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{c}=eB/{m}^{*}c$. We also determine the energy gap for creating electron-hole excitations in the system, and, at high fields, we find it to be $a{\ensuremath{\omega}}_{c}+2\ensuremath{\Delta}(B)$, where $a$ is a nonuniversal, interaction-dependent, constant.
Increase in Iris-Lens Contact After Laser Iridotomy for Pupillary Block Angle Closure

Purpose To quantitate changes in anterior ocular segment anatomy after laser iridotomy for pupillary block angle closure. Method We prospectively performed ultrasound biomicroscopy and A-scan biometry in 13 eyes of 13 consecutive untreated patients with relative pupillary block and appositional angle closure, without peripheral anterior synechiae on indentation gonioscopy. A radial, perpendicular image in the horizontal temporal meridian was obtained with ultrasound biomicroscopy before and one week after laser iridotomy in each eye. Results Mean age of the 13 patients was 69.3 ± 1.8 (S.E.) years, mean refractive error was + 1.37 ± 0.39 diopters, and mean axial length was 22.54 ± 0.20 mm. In 13 eyes, before and after laser iridotomy measurements of angle-opening distance (0.11 ± 0.02 vs. 0.18 ± 0.02 mm) (P = .0004; paired t test), angle aperture (8.3 ± 1.3 vs 18.6 ± 2.8 degrees) (P = .0003) and iris-lens contact distance (0.58 ± 0.06 vs 1.18 ± 0.14 mm) (P = .0003) were greater postoperatively, but anterior chamber depth was unchanged (P = .7). Conclusion Flattening of the iris after laser iridotomy for pupillary block causes an increase in iris-lens contact. The change in angle configuration after iridotomy results more from an alteration in aqueous pressure gradients across the iris rather than from posterior lens movement.
Systematic studies in sedum section ternata (Crassulaceae)

An investigation of flavonoid compounds, pollen grains, and seed coats of the four taxa of the genusSedum sectionTernata, S. nevii, S. glaucophyllum, S. pulchellum, andS. ternatum, was undertaken to resolve the taxonomic status ofS. glaucophyllum. Flavonoid compounds were tentatively identified utilizing UV spectroscopy and shift reagents. Both flavones and fla vonols, as apigenin, luteolin, quercetin, and kaempferol aglycones and glycosides, were detected. Pollen grains and seed coats were viewed and photographed with the aid of a scanning electron microscope. Pollen grains of all four taxa were uniformly tricolporate; interspecific variation was negligible. Seed coats of all four taxa differed significantly with respect to ornamentation. Phytochemical and morphological data both support the recognition ofS. glaucophyllum as a species distinct from S.nevii.
Neurophysin in Women During Oxytocin-Related Events

ABSTRACT Plasma neurophysin has been studied in women using a new radioimmunoassay to measure human neurophysin in unextracted plasma. Resting neurophysin in normal women is 0.69 ng/ml ± 0.7 SD. Neurophysin is elevated in pregnancy from the end of the first trimester, 7.2 ng/ml ± 7.6 SD. Periodic blood sampling at the end of pregnancy and through the time of parturition demonstrates that there is no rise in neurophysin which might parallel expected oxytocin secretion. Cord blood neurophysin, 9.1 ng/ml ± 8.4 SD, was greater than nonpregnant resting values and was similar to maternal neurophysin at delivery, 9.8 ng/ml ± 9.6 SD. Amniotic fluid neurophysin was greater than maternal plasma neurophysin and, similarly, did not increase with gestation. Neurophysin was not increased during milk letdown in nursing mothers nor after intercourse in normal and estrogen-primed women. Pituitary gonadotropin and growth hormone preparations may be contaminated with small amounts of neurophysin.
Mammotroph autoregulation: Uptake of secreted prolactin and inhibition of secretion

A dissociated preparation of normal adult rat pituitary cells has been used to study PRL autoregulation at the level of the mammotroph. Female rat pituitary cells previously cultured for 48 h on polylysine-coated petri dishes were washed to remove serum and accumulated PRL and then incubated in fresh medium in the absence or presence of increasing concentrations of rat PRL. Accurate balance sheets, allowing for degradation and nonspecific adsorption of PRL, showed exogenous PRL to regulate the amount of PRL released by the cells. That this regulation was partly produced by uptake of secreted PRL from the medium was demonstrated by supplementing the medium with [125I]iodo-rat PRL. Inhibition of secretion also played a role and was implied by experiments showing that ease of reversal of the inhibition was inversely proportional to the density of cell culture, which was itself proportional to the amount of PRL in the medium and the duration of autoregulation. These results indicate that normal adult rat pitu...
Arsenic Contamination: Unavoidable Natural Phenomenon or an Anthropogenic Crisis

Arsenic contamination of drinking water has transcended geographic boundaries and degenerated into a global socio-economic menace. The major countries affected are Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Chile, China, Greece, Hungary, India, Japan, Mexico, Mongolia, New Zealand, South Africa, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, USA and USSR. This commentary discusses the cause and effect of chronic arsenic poisoning along with the recent technologies involved in removal of arsenic from contaminated drinking water. For the sheer pervasiveness and abject mortality caused by the contamination in Bangladesh, we focus on it as typical of many places around the world. We hypothesize that while science has contributed commensurately to diminish arsenic contamination, government policies have often failed to deliver on those scientific advances. Thus, while a multitude of geological features play a defining role in determining the extent of arsenic levels in ground water, we seek to reinforce the history of inaction on the part of various institutions in tackling the problem which has further exacerbated the sufferings of the affected populations.
The Effect of Asymmetric Surface Potentials on the Intramembrane Electric Field Measured with Voltage-Sensitive Dyes

Ratiometric imaging of styryl potentiometric dyes can be used to measure the potential gradient inside the membrane (intramembrane potential), which is the sum of contributions from transmembrane potential, dipole potential, and the difference in the surface potentials at both sides of the membrane. Here changes in intramembrane potential of the bilayer membranes in two different preparations, lipid vesicles and individual N1E-115 neuroblastoma cells, are calculated from the fluorescence ratios of di-4-ANEPPS and di-8-ANEPPS as a function of divalent cation concentration. In lipid vesicles formed from the zwitterionic lipid phosphatidylcholine (PC) or from a mixture of the negatively charged lipid phosphatidylserine (PS) and PC, di-4-ANEPPS produces similar spectral changes in response to both divalent cation-induced changes in intramembrane potential and transmembrane potential. The changes in potential on addition of divalent cations measured by the fluorescence ratios of di-4-ANEPPS are consistent with a change in surface potential that can be modeled with the Gouy-Chapman-Stern theory. The derived intrinsic 1:1 association constants of Ba and Mg with PC are 1.0 and 0.4 M−1; the intrinsic 1:1 association constants of Ba and Mg with PS are 1.9 and 1.8 M−1. Ratiometric measurements of voltage sensitive dyes also allow monitoring of intramembrane potentials in living cells. In neuroblastoma cells, a tenfold increase of concentration of Ba, Mg, and Ca gives a decrease in intramembrane potential of 22 to 24 mV. The observed changes in potential could also be described by Gouy-Chapman theory. A surface charge density of 1 e−/115 A2 provides the best fit and the intrinsic 1:1 association constants of Ba, Mg, and Ca with acidic group in the surface are 1.7, 6.1, and 25.3 M−1.
Difference points in reactive and extractive cascades: IV—Feasible regions for multisection columns with kinetic reactions and side streams

Abstract The feasibility of three component distillation columns containing kinetically controlled chemical reactions and side streams is addressed through the use of difference points. We decompose complex columns into sections and identify feasible regions in composition space where each section operates. These regions enclose sectional profiles for the full range of operating parameters and are bounded by profiles constructed under extreme conditions. We efficiently determine the bounding profiles without computing interior compositions. We also develop a graphical feasibility test to connect sections and construct full columns using feasible regions. Finally, we present a technique to characterize the feasible regions and quantify how much reaction or side stream may be placed on any stage of a column section. The first three papers in this series [Hauan et al., 2000. Difference points in extractive and reactive cascades. I—Basic properties and analysis. Chemical Engineering Science 55 (16) 3145–3159; Lee et al., 2000 . Difference points in extractive and reactive cascades. II—Generating design alternatives by the lever rule for reacting systems. Chemical Engineering Science 55 (16) 3161–3174; Hoffmaster and Hauan, 2004. Difference points in extractive and reactive cascades. III—Properties of column section profiles with arbitrary reaction distribution. Chemical Engineering Science 59 (17) 3671–3693] derive the fundamental properties of difference points, develop a lever rule to facilitate full column design, and analyze the properties of sectional profiles in reactive cascades. This fourth paper develops the necessary feasibility analysis tools for systematic identification of reactive distillation design alternatives.
Twenty Years of Turmoil: ITT, The State Department, and Spain, 1924–1944

Among the factors that have assured the success of units of “multinational” firms like the International Telephone and Telegraph Company, according to Professor Little, is the willingness of the parent's home government to use its diplomatic strengths to assure that a host government lives up to its contractual obligations, even after radical changes in its leadership. Using diplomatic correspondence of the United States with ITT and the Spanish Republic of the 1930s, he demonstrates the vital nature of these strengths at a time when the tensions between “communism” and “fascism” were new and vigorous, and reaches a startling conclusion about the sameness under the skin of the two ideologies where the rights of foreign concessionaries are concerned.
Relationship between electrical admittivity and quantitative histopathology in human prostate

Passive bioelectrical properties have been demonstrated to provide sufficient contrast for use in differentiating benign from malignant tissue in a number of different organs including breast, prostate, cervix, bladder, and skin. The underlying microscopic anatomy responsible for these measured differences has been primarily speculative in the past. In this study we recorded electrical conductivity and permittivity spectra (100 Hz − 100 kHz) from 464 three mm diameter circular prostate samples. Each of these tissue specimens were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, processed onto microscopy slides, and digitized using optical microscopy. We used digital imaging processing tools to extract quantitative morphological features including total number of glands, average and total glandular lumen size, shape characteristics of the luminal spaces, and average and total glandular perimeter lengths. Correlative analysis was performed to assess the relationships between the tissue architectural features and the precisely co-registered electrical properties. We report on the findings from this analysis. This statistical assessment aims to provide a valuable piece of new information to help formulate a better understanding of the precise influence morphological architecture has on the flow of current through tissue.
Physical mechanisms behind the ion-cut in hydrogen implanted silicon

Hydrogen implanted silicon has been shown to cleave upon annealing, thus facilitating the transfer of thin silicon slices to other substrates, a process known as “ion-cut.” In our experiments 〈100〉 silicon wafers were implanted with 40 keV protons to a variety of ion doses ranging from 1×1016 to 1×1017 cm−2 and subsequently annealed at 600 °C. The samples were studied before and after annealing by a combination of Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy in channeling mode, elastic recoil detection analysis, atomic force microscopy, and electron microscopy. Mechanical stresses in the material, caused by proton irradiation, were determined by measuring changes in curvature of the silicon samples utilizing a laser scanning setup. For H doses of ⩾5×1016 cm−2 ion cutting in the form of “popping off” discrete blisters was obtained. Our analyses of the cleavage mechanisms had shown that the ion-cut location in silicon is largely controlled by the lattice damage that is generated by the H implantation process. At ...
The Imperatives of Context and Contour for Morphogen Dispersion

The arsenal of signals that cells use to communicate with each other is large and diverse. Some signaling molecules (e.g., nitrous oxide) are small. At the other extreme are proteins such as Drosophila Decapentaplegic (Dpp, a bone morphogenic protein (BMP) homolog), Hedgehog (Hh), Branchless/Fibroblast growth factor (FGF), and Wingless (Wg, a Wnt homolog). In various contexts in many animals, these signaling proteins signal at both short and long distances after moving from producing to recipient cells. Although we are undoubtedly ignorant of many fascinating details about the processes that generate these signals in producing cells and respond to them in recipient cells, the general outlines of production and response are firmly established and many key components have been identified. In contrast, despite much experimental and theoretical work, the question of how these proteins move between cells is controversial. This question is important for elucidating the mechanisms of pattern formation, and its resolution will have broad general implications for cell-cell signaling in many contexts during development and in disease. This essay focuses on the mechanism that distributes the Dpp morphogen across the Drosophila wing imaginal disc. Although many models have been proposed for the formation of the Dpp gradients in the wing disc, a full discussion of their particulars is beyond the scope of this essay. Instead, I focus on the proposal that Dpp diffuses freely in the extracellular space that adjoins the wing disc, and discuss why, despite its claims, a recent study titled “Free Extracellular Diffusion Creates the Dpp Morphogen Gradient of the Drosophila Wing Disc” from Zhou et al. (1) does not settle the issue. The free extracellular diffusion model posits that Dpp is released from Dpp-expressing cells, and that Dpp takes a random walk in extracellular space, eventually binding to receptors that are exposed on the outside of target cells. To study how the Dpp gradients form, Zhou et al. (1) applied sensitive visual methods to monitor the movement of an ectopically expressed fluorescent Dpp fusion protein, DppDendra2. Using classical diffusion theory and assumptions about the rates of receptor binding, the size and form of Dpp, and the nature of the extracellular environment, they report that calculations for diffusion rates of free protein conform to their experimental observations of Dpp movement. Of course, correlation is not proof of mechanism; moreover, there are several reasons for concluding that free extracellular diffusion cannot generate the distributions of signaling proteins that must exist in the wing disc. In the discussion that follows, I briefly describe several issues that should discount free extracellular diffusion as a possible mechanism, and also describe an alternative mechanism that I favor: cytoneme-mediated direct delivery.
Effect of pentoxifylline on hepatic ischemia and reperfusion injury

Abstract Background. Although pentoxifylline has been shown to improve tissue oxygenation and restore hepatocellular function after hemorrhagic shock, its effect on hepatic ischemia and reperfusion injury has not been fully clarified. The purpose of this study was to determine whether pentoxifylline exerted beneficial effects on liver histopathologic changes and enzymatic release caused by ischemia and reperfusion. Methods. Warm, reversible hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury was induced in four groups of pigs. Preoperative oral (24 mg/kg or 50 mg/kg) or intraoperative intravenous (50 mg/kg) pentoxifylline was administered. Control animals received intravenous normal saline solution. Results. Untreated control animals exhibited significant liver damage expressed by hepatic histopathologic changes and high plasma levels of aminotransferases. Decreased animal survival was seen in the untreated group. All treated animals survived. Pentoxifylline given orally did not improve histopathologic changes or enzyme release. Intravenous administration caused significant amelioration of liver tissue damage, marked reduction of aspartate aminotransferase levels, and mild attenuation of alanine aminotransferase levels, as compared with control. Conclusions. This study indicates that intraoperative, intravenous pentoxifylline reduces hepatic injury after warm ischemia and reperfusion.
Infections caused by multidrug resistant organisms are not associated with overall, all-cause mortality in the surgical intensive care unit: the 20,000 foot view.

Background Resistant pathogens are increasingly common in the ICU, with controversy regarding their relationship to outcomes. We hypothesized that an increasing number of infections with resistant pathogens in our surgical ICU would not be associated with increased overall mortality. Study Design All ICU-acquired infections were prospectively identified between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2009 in a single surgical ICU. Crude in-hospital, all-cause mortality data were obtained using a prospectively collected ICU database. Trends in rates were compared using linear regression. Results A total of 799 resistant pathogens were identified (257 gram-positive, 542 gram-negative) from a total of 3,024 isolated pathogens associated with 2,439 ICU-acquired infections. The most frequently identified resistant gram-positive and -negative pathogens (defined as resistant to at least 1 major class of antimicrobials) were methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa , respectively. Pathogens were most commonly isolated from the lung, blood, and urine. The crude mortality rate declined steadily from 2000 to 2009 (9.4% to 5.4%; equation for trend y=−0.11x + 8.26). Linear regression analysis of quarterly rates revealed a significant divergence in trends between increasing total resistant infections (equation for trend y=0.34x + 13.02) and percentage resistant infections (equation for trend y=0.36x + 18.66) when compared with a decreasing mortality (p = 0.0003, p Conclusions Despite a steady rise in the proportion of resistant bacterial infections in the ICU, crude mortality rates have decreased over time. The rates of resistant infections do not appear to be a significant factor in overall mortality in our surgical ICU patients.
INDIRECT INTERACTIONS MEDIATED BY CHANGING PLANT CHEMISTRY: BEAVER BROWSING BENEFITS BEETLES

We documented an indirect interaction between beavers (Castor canadensis) and leaf beetles (Chrysomela confluens), mediated by changing plant chemistry of their cottonwood hosts (Populus fremontii 3 P. angustifolia). Resprout growth arising from the stumps and roots of beaver-cut trees contained twice the level of defensive chemicals as normal juvenile growth. However, rather than being repelled by these defenses, leaf beetles were attracted to resprout growth, resulting in a strong positive association between beavers and beetles. Why? Cottonwoods contain phenolic glycosides, chemicals that are defensive against mammalian herbivores, but are sequestered and used by the beetles for their own defense. Experiments showed that beetles fed resprout growth were better defended against their predators than those fed nonresprout growth. There also may have been a nutritional benefit, because the conversion of the plant's defense, salicin and other phenolic glycosides, to salicylaldehyde releases glucose. Also, resprout growth contained more total nitrogen than did nonresprout growth. Transfer experiments showed that, in apparent response to these increased nutritional benefits, beetles fed resprout growth developed faster and weighed more at maturity. Although indirect interactions are much less studied than direct interactions, our work suggests that the indirect interactions resulting from beaver cutting of cottonwoods have important consequences for other organisms and could represent an important component of community structure. The habitat mosaics created by beaver herbivory increase arthropod biodiversity and may benefit other organisms such as birds and mammals. Furthermore, by stimulating the production of resprout growth, beavers may play an important role in the regeneration of a habitat type that is rapidly vanishing in the West.
Probing interactions between the U2 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein and the DEAD-box protein, Prp5.

Pre-mRNA binding to the yeast U2 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP) during prespliceosome formation requires ATP hydrolysis, the highly conserved UACUAAC box of the branch point region of the pre-mRNA, and several factors. Here we analyzed the binding of a radiolabeled 2′-O-methyl oligonucleotide complementary to U2 small nuclear RNA to study interactions between the UACUAAC box, U2 snRNP, and Prp5p, a DEAD box protein necessary for prespliceosome formation. Binding of the 2′-O-methyl oligonucleotide to the U2 snRNP in yeast cell extract was assayed by gel electrophoresis. Binding was rapid, enhanced by ATP, and dependent on the integrity and conformation of the U2 snRNP. It was also stimulated by Prp5p that was found to associate physically with U2 snRNP. In vitro heat inactivation of the temperature-sensitive prp5-1 mutant extract decreased oligonucleotide binding to U2 and the ATP enhancement of binding by 3-fold. Furthermore, the temperature-sensitive prp5-1 mutation maps to the ATP-binding motif I within the helicase-like domain. Thus the catalytic activity of Prp5p likely promotes a conformational change in the U2 snRNP.
Stochastic Cash Management with Fixed and Proportional Transaction Costs

A continuous time model of cash management is formulated with stochastic demand and allowing for positive and negative cash balances. The form of the optimal policy is assumed to be of a simple form d, D, U, u. The parameters of the optimal policy are explicitly evaluated and the properties of the system are discussed.
Benefits and costs of the 55 mph speed limit: New estimates and their implications

The national 55 mile/hour (88.5 km/hour) speed limit was in effect from 1974-1987, and over the years many analysts have attempted to measure and compare its costs (enforcement, travel time) and benefits (safety, fuel economy). In 1984, a committee of the National Research Council completed a major study of the speed limit. This article completes the NRC committee's calculations; summarizes the results in units of money, lives, and travel time; and divides these effects between rural interstates and all other roads. Over a range of plausible dollar values for extra travel time, the cost of saving a life is estimated to be much higher on rural interstates than on other affected roads--and higher than the cost of saving a life by other highway safety measures as well. Hence, proponents of higher speed limits on the rural interstates have a strong case in the debate, which continues in the state legislatures.
Multi-Path Propagation Measurements for Vehicular Networks at 5.9 GHz

Broadband sounding of the vehicle-to-vehicle channel is reported in suburban, rural, and highway environments. A direct sequence spread spectrum waveform based on zero correlation zone sequences was used with an instantaneous bandwidth of about 40 MHz. Cumulative distribution functions are presented for the maximum excess delay, RMS delay spread, and coherence bandwidth using a threshold of 15 dB below the peak. The highway environment showed the largest median RMS delay spread (about 110 ns), the largest median maximum excess delay (about 600 ns) and the smallest median 90% coherence bandwidth (about 900 kHz). In general, the distributions of these quantities for the suburban environment were narrower than those for the rural and highway environments. This is interpreted in terms of the more restricted range of distances to scattering objects in the suburban environment.
Travel Cost Analysis of a Cultural Heritage Site: The Case of Historic St. Mary's City of Maryland

Historic St. Mary's City located in rural southern Maryland, marks the 17th century British Colonial capital of the State of Maryland. As with most cultural heritage sites, Historic St. Mary's City can be classified as possessing public goods-type characteristics, and as such, welfare benefit estimates must utilize non-market valuation techniques. To date, the primary valuation methodology used for cultural heritage sites research involves stated preference methods. This study is one of the first to employ a revealed preference methodology, the zonal travel cost model, to estimate the consumer surplus welfare measures of a cultural heritage site. We analyze three years of visitor sample data to compare three functional forms of visitor demand. The average of the annual individual consumer surplus measures ranged from approximately $8.00 to $19.26, depending on the functional forms used. When aggregated to the total number of individual paid visitors, the average annual benefit estimates range from approximately $75,492 to $176,550.
Prophylactic ketoconazole shampoo for tinea capitis in a high-risk pediatric population.

OBJECTIVES Although topical agents for the treatment of tinea capitis decrease viable fungal elements and reduce shedding, their use as a prophylactic agent has not been investigated. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a prophylactic ketoconazole shampoo (Nizoral 2%) protocol to reduce the number of clinically evident tinea capitis infections in a high-risk African American, urban population. METHODS We conducted a retrospective analysis of a ketoconazole prophylaxis protocol that was implemented at an urban pediatric clinic for medically fragile children. Patients at high risk for tinea capitis received twice-weekly ketoconazole shampoo. The primary outcome of the study was a reduction in the number of documented tinea capitis infections between the 12-month preprotocol and 12-month postprotocol periods. A secondary outcome included the evaluation of predisposing risk factors for acquiring tinea infections. RESULTS Ninety-seven patients, with a mean age of 8.06 years, were included. Most patien...
Performance optimization of RZ data format in WDM systems using tunable pulse-width management at the transmitter

Tunable pulse-width management is one of the efficient methods to enhance the robustness of return-to-zero (RZ) data formats for long-haul transmission systems. We demonstrate both single channel and 4 /spl times/ 10-Gb/s wavelength-division-multiplexed performance optimization using tunable pulse-width management. Pure RZ single with tunable pulse-width is generated by changing the driving voltages on a phase modulator and the dispersion values of a tunable dispersion element simultaneously according to our simulation results. Varying the pulse width from 50 to 10 ps at the transmitter can almost double the transmission distance with 4% variation in the residual link dispersion.
A frequency dependent FDTD surface impedance for scattering from coated PEC targets

One method for reducing the radar-cross section of objects such as aircraft and missiles is the application of a lossy coating. Computing scattering from targets coated with dielectric/magnetic materials is challenging for many computational methods due to the reduced wavelengths of an incident field inside the coating. These smaller wavelengths require finer sampling of the fields and thus more memory and computation time. A technique for implementing this calculation without greatly increased memory requirements or computation times has recently been developed using a finite-difference, time-domain (FDTD) code and tested in one-, two- and three-dimensions. The method requires knowledge of the frequency behavior of the complex permittivity and permeability and the thickness of the dielectric coating. The surface impedance at the surface of the coating is computed based on the given information and then approximated using a summation of causal functions. The approximated impedance is Z-Transformed and added to the FDTD code in special update equations for the fields at the surface of the coating. No computations are required inside the coatings, so the FDTD grid can be sized based on the free space wavelength. The result obtained is valid over the entire frequency range of interest assuming that the approximated surface impedance is a good match over the entire range. Comparisons with analytical solutions in one-dimension and measurements in three-dimensions show good agreement.
Optimal Placement of Off-Stream Water Sources for Ephemeral Stream Recovery

Abstract Uneven and/or inefficient livestock distribution is often a product of an inadequate number and distribution of watering points. Placement of off-stream water practices (OSWP) in pastures is a key consideration in rangeland management plans and is critical to achieving riparian recovery by improving grazing evenness, while improving livestock performance. Effective OSWP placement also minimizes the impacts of livestock use radiating from OSWP, known as the “piosphere.” The objective of this study was to provide land managers with recommendations for the optimum placement of OSWP. Specifically, we aimed to provide minimum offset distances of OSWP to streams and assess the effective range of OSWP using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values, an indicator of live standing crop. NDVI values were determined from a time-series of Satellite Pour l'Observation de la Terre (SPOT) 20-m images of western South Dakota mixed-grass prairie. The NDVI values in ephemeral stream channels (in-channel...
Longwave indirect effect of mineral dusts on ice clouds

Abstract. In addition to microphysical changes in clouds, changes in nucleation processes of ice cloud due to aerosols would result in substantial changes in cloud top temperature as mildly supercooled clouds are glaciated through heterogenous nucleation processes. Measurements from multiple sensors on multiple observing platforms over the Atlantic Ocean show that the cloud effective temperature increases with mineral dust loading with a slope of +3.06 °C per unit aerosol optical depth. The macrophysical changes in ice cloud top distributions as a consequence of mineral dust-cloud interaction exert a strong cooling effect (up to 16 Wm−2) of thermal infrared radiation on cloud systems. Induced changes of ice particle size by mineral dusts influence cloud emissivity and play a minor role in modulating the outgoing longwave radiation for optically thin ice clouds. Such a strong cooling forcing of thermal infrared radiation would have significant impacts on cloud systems and subsequently on climate.
DPTree: A Balanced Tree Based Indexing Framework for Peer-to-Peer Systems

Peer-to-peer (P2P) systems have been widely used for exchange of voluminous information and resources among thousands or even millions of users. Since shared data are normally identified by multiple attributes, a fundamental issue in P2P systems is to efficiently support complex queries on multi-dimensional data. Prior works suffer from some fundamental limitations, such as being constrained to support certain types of queries, excessive maintenance overheads, and etc. In this study, we propose a framework, called distributed peer tree (DPTree), which efficiently supports various types of queries on multi-dimensional data in P2P systems based on balanced tree indexes. DPTree achieves the efficiency through the following designs: 1) distributing the tree structure among peers in a way preserving the nice properties of balanced tree structures yet avoiding single points of failure and performance bottlenecks; 2) organizing peers into an overlay structure that enables efficient navigation yet is easy to maintain; 3) an efficient navigation algorithm; 4) an innovative wavelet-based load balancing mechanism. Through extensive performance evaluation, we verify the superiority of DPTree over existing works.
Associations Between Industry Sponsorship and Results of Cost-effectiveness Analyses of Drugs Used in Breast Cancer Treatment

A 1999 investigation1 found that industry sponsorship of cost-effectiveness analyses (CEAs) for oncology drugs was associated with lower likelihood of reporting unfavorable conclusions relative to CEAs with other sponsorship. Over the past 15 years, the CEA literature for oncology drugs has expanded dramatically, and oncology now accounts for the largest single pharmaceutical sales area worldwide.2 We sought to determine whether the association between industry sponsorship and CEA results has persisted.
Modal analysis of the impact of the boundaries on transverse Anderson localization in a one-dimensional disordered optical lattice

Abstract Impact of the boundaries on transversely localized modes of a truncated one-dimensional disordered optical lattice is numerically studied. The results show lower modal number density near the boundaries compared with the bulk, while the average decay rate of the tail of localized modes is the same near the boundaries as in the bulk. It is suggested that the perceived suppressed localization near the boundaries is due to a lower mode density: on average, it is less probable to excite a localized mode near the boundaries; however, once it is excited, its localization is with the same exponential decay rate as any other localized mode.
Malignancies of the Vulva

Summary Twenty cases of malignancy of the vulva were studied. Five were treated by radical vulvectomy, and 4 by local excision and irradiation. The remaining 11 patients received irradiation only. Of those treated by radical operation, 3 are still well after three, four, and five years. One patient of the 4 treated by local excision and irradiation remains free from recurrence, and the other 3 died three, six and fifteen months after operation. Of the 11 patients treated by irradiation alone, the longest survival was two years and four months.
Flexure Bearing Analysis Procedures and Design Charts

Flexure bearings are used in cryocooler compressors and expanders to maintain the ingegrity of the clearance seal between the piston and cylinder. At present, three-finger spiral flexure designs are widely used, but the tangential linear flexure design patented by The Aerospace Corporation is gradually being adopted by the industry.