cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Perception of risk in massive transfusion as it relates to fetal outcomes: A survey of surgeons and nurses at one American trauma center.

BACKGROUND: The use of blood products early in the resuscitation of bleeding trauma patients is widely accepted, but made difficult by limited supplies of D- red blood cell (RBC)-containing products. Use of D+ RBC-containing products would alleviate this issue, but could lead to alloimmunization. Risk associated with transfusing D+ RBC in emergency bleeding situations is being reconsidered. The level of concern surrounding emergency transfusion as it relates to future fetal harm was surveyed among surgeons and nurses. METHODS: Faculty and staff in the Departments of Surgery and Nursing were surveyed on the risks of receiving an emergency RBC transfusion and the subsequent potential for fetal harm. Answers were grouped as likely to accept (likely/very likely) or refuse transfusion (unlikely/very unlikely). Participants were compared by sex, and women by child-bearing age, ([15-50 years] vs. [>50 years]). RESULTS: Ninety surveys were initiated with 76 fully completed. Male (n = 39) and female (n = 37) respondents were comparable. Most female respondents (30/37, 81%) were of childbearing age. Overall, both males (38/39, 95%) and females (33/37, 89%; p = .19) were likely to accept a transfusion in an emergency. There was no difference in transfusion acceptance if the risk of fetal harm was presented as 1% (p = .73) or 0.1% (p = .51). Most females (34/37, 92%) were not opposed to transfusion even if there was an unspecified risk of future fetal harm. CONCLUSION: Most of the surgeons and nurses who responded would accept a transfusion in an emergency situation even if it might lead to harming a future fetus.
A Latent Approach to Understanding Pain in Nursing Home Residents Who are Unable to Self-Report Pain.

Context Pain assessment in people with cognitive impairment is challenging. Objective The study sought to 1) identify pain subgroups based on staff-assessed pain, agitated and reactive behavior, functional status, and symptoms of depression; and 2) understand if cognitive impairment was associated with transitions between pain subgroups at nursing home admission, 3 months, and 6 months. Methods Using national Minimum Data Set 3.0 data (2011-2016), we included 26,816 newly admitted residents with staff-assessed pain at admission, 3 months, and 6 months. Pain subgroups were identified by latent class analysis at each time point. Transitions between pain subgroups were described using latent transition analysis. Results Five latent statuses of pain were identified at admission: "Behavioral and Severe Depression" (prevalence stable, severe or worsening cognitive impairment: 11%, mild/moderate or improved cognitive impairment: 10%), "Functional" (21%; 25%), "Physical" (22%; 23%), "Behavioral" (23%, 19%), and "Low" (23%; 24%). Regardless of change in cognitive status, most residents remained in the same pain latent class. Among residents with stable, severe or worsening cognitive impairment, 11% in the "Behavioral" class transitioned to the "Behavioral and Severe Depression" class by 3 months. Fewer residents transitioned between latent classes in the 3- to 6-month period (>80% remained in their 3-month class). Conclusion For nursing home residents unable to self-report pain, consideration of additional indicators including functioning, depressive symptoms, and agitation may be useful in identifying pain subgroups. Longitudinal changes in the pain subgroups over 6 months post-admission highlight that residents with severe cognitive impairment may be at risk for worsening pain.
Focusing hospitalist roles on either admitting or rounding facilitates unit-based assignment and is associated with improved discharge efficiency.

BACKGROUND Unit-based teams may improve care delivery for hospitalized patients but can be challenging to implement broadly across all acute care units in a hospital. OBJECTIVE To determine the effect of a Lean-guided transition to hospital-wide unit-based assignment on care delivery outcomes. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS The study was a retrospective time-series with primary outcomes of discharge efficiency, 30-day readmissions, and length of stay, performed at a 336-bed tertiary academic referral hospital in the Pacific Northwest with approximately 17,000 admissions annually. INTERVENTION Implementation of a Lean-guided quality improvement intervention included division of hospitalist duties into 'admitters' and 'rounders,' with simulated patient flow exercises to determine the optimal staffing model. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Discharge efficiency (number of patients discharged by hospitalists divided by the number of hospitalist patient encounter days per month) and 30-day readmissions were compared using the t-test or chi-square, and length of stay was analyzed in a multivariate time-series regression model. RESULTS The intervention was associated with a significant improvement in discharge efficiency, by 0.014 (from 0.168 to 0.181) discharges/encounter (95% CI = 0.024, 0.004), p = 0.009. Mean length of stay decreased by 0.98 days (95% CI 0.50, 1.47) after adjustment for patient age, patient type (medical versus surgical), critical care admissions, and discharge disposition, without a corresponding change in 30-day readmission rate (12.2% (1948/15,902) pre-intervention to 11.7% (397/3379) post-intervention (p = 0.42)). CONCLUSIONS Dividing hospitalist roles into admitters and rounders enabled implementation of unit-based teams across the hospital, with corresponding improvements in discharge efficiency and length of stay.
Egalitarian Steiner triple systems for data popularity

For an ordering of the blocks of a design, the point sum of an element is the sum of the indices of blocks containing that element. Block labelling for popularity asks for the point sums to be as equal as possible. For Steiner systems of order v and strength t in general, the average point sum is $$O(v^{2t-1})$$ ; under various restrictions on block partitions of the Steiner system, the difference between the largest and smallest point sums is shown to be $$O(v^{(t+1)/2}\log v)$$ . Indeed for Steiner triple systems, direct and recursive constructions are given to establish that systems exist with all point sums equal for more than two thirds of the admissible orders.
Evaluation of small form factor, filter-based PM2.5 samplers for temporary non-regulatory monitoring during wildland fire smoke events

Abstract Wildland fire activity and associated emission of particulate matter air pollution is increasing in the United States over the last two decades due primarily to a combination of increased temperature, drought, and historically high forest fuel loading. The regulatory monitoring networks in the Unites States are mostly concentrated in larger population centers where anthropogenic air pollution sources are concentrated. Smaller population centers in areas more likely to be impacted by wildland fire smoke in many instances lack adequate observational air quality data. Several commercially available small form factor filter-based PM2.5 samplers (SFFFS) were evaluated under typical ambient and simulated near-to mid-field wildland fire smoke conditions to evaluate their accuracy for use in temporary deployments during prescribed and wildfire events. The performance of all the SFFFS tested versus the designated federal reference methods (FRM) was acceptable in determining PM2.5 concentration in both ambient (2.7–14.0 μg m−3) and chamber smoke environments (24.6–3044.6 μg m−3) with accuracies ranging from ∼92 to 98%. However, only the ARA Instruments model N-FRM Sampler was found to provide PM2.5 mass measurement accuracies that meet FRM guideline performance specifications under both typical ambient (97.3 ± 1.9%) and simulated wildland fire conditions (98.2 ± 1.4%).
Plastic surgery and specialty creep: an analysis of publication trends.

Background Many surgical specialties have had pioneering influences from plastic surgeons. However, many of these areas of practice have evolved to include surgeons from diverse training backgrounds. This raises the question as to whether the prominence of other specialties in clinical practice translates to greater research productivity in these areas. The objective of this paper is to investigate the publication volumes of plastic surgeons in selected areas of practice compared to surgeons from other disciplines. Methods PubMed was used to examine publication trends in areas associated with plastic surgery. Searches for the following topics were performed: head and neck reconstruction, hand surgery, breast reconstruction, ventral hernia repair, abdominal component separation, brachial plexus injury, craniofacial surgery, and aesthetic surgery. Affiliation tags were used to examine contributions from nine specialties. Web of Science was used to identify the top cited articles for the last 10 years in each area. Results Articles by non-plastic surgeons comprise the majority of the literature for all areas of practice studied except for breast reconstruction and aesthetic surgery. Despite this, plastic surgeons contributed the greatest number of top cited articles over the last 10 years for five of the areas of practice. Conclusions While plastic surgeons do not contribute the greatest proportion of articles published each year in several of the selected areas of practice, they do publish a larger number of articles that are the most cited. Plastic surgeons remain the dominant academic force in terms of volume and citations for both breast and aesthetic surgery.
Managing power heterogeneity

A particularly important emergent technology is heterogeneous processors (or cores), which many computer architects believe will be the dominant architectural design in the future. The main advantage of a heterogeneous architecture, relative to an architecture of identical processors, is that it allows for the inclusion of processors whose design is specialized for particular types of jobs, and for jobs to be assigned to a processor best suited for that job. Most notably, it is envisioned that these heterogeneous architectures will consist of a small number of high-power high-performance processors for critical jobs, and a larger number of lower-power lower-performance processors for less critical jobs. Naturally, the lower-power processors would be more energy efficient in terms of the computation performed per unit of energy expended, and would generate less heat per unit of computation. For a given area and power budget, heterogeneous designs can give significantly better performance for standard workloads. Moreover, even processors that were designed to be homogeneous, are increasingly likely to be heterogeneous at run time: the dominant underlying cause is the increasing variability in the fabrication process as the feature size is scaled down (although run time faults will also play a role). Since manufacturing yields would be unacceptably low if every processor/core was required to be perfect, and since there would be significant performance loss from derating the entire chip to the functioning of the least functional processor (which is what would be required in order to attain processor homogeneity), some processor heterogeneity seems inevitable in chips with many processors/cores.
Durability of the effects of testosterone and growth hormone supplementation in older community-dwelling men: the HORMA Trial.

Summary Objectives To determine the durability of anabolic effects and adverse events (AEs) after stopping testosterone and growth hormone supplementation in older men. Design Secondary analysis of a double-masked, randomized controlled trial of testosterone gel (5 or 10 g/daily) plus rhGH (0, 3 or 5 μg/kg/day) with follow-up of outcomes 3 months later. Participants A total of 108 community-dwelling 65- to 90-year-old men. Measurements Testosterone and IGF-1 levels, body composition (DEXA), 1-repetition maximum (1-RM) strength, stair-climbing power, quality-of-life (QOL) and activity questionnaires, AEs. Results Despite improvements in body composition during treatment, residual benefits 3 months later (week 28) were variable. For participants with improvements exceeding their week-17 median changes, benefits were sustained at week 28 for lean body mass (1·45 ± 1·63 kg, 45% of week-17 values, P < 0·0001 vs baseline), appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASMM, 0·71 ± 1·01 kg, 42%, P < 0·0001), total fat (−1·06 ± 2·18 kg, 40%, P < 0·0001) and trunk fat (−0·89 ± 1·42 kg, 50%, P < 0·0001); retention of ASMM was associated with greater week-16 protein intake (P = 0·01). For 1-RM strength, 39%–43% of week-17 improvements (P ≤ 0·05) were retained and associated with better week-17 strength (P < 0·0001), change in testosterone from week 17-to 28 (P = 0·004) and baseline PASE (P = 0·04). Framingham 10-year cardiovascular risks were low (∼14%), did not worsen and improved by week 28 (P = 0·0002). The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis recovered completely. Conclusions Durable improvements in muscle mass, strength and fat mass were retained 3 months after discontinuing hormone supplementation in participants with greater than median body composition changes during treatment, but not in others with smaller gains. AEs largely resolved after intervention discontinuation. Additional strategies may be needed to sustain or augment muscle mass and strength gains achieved during short-term hormone therapy.
Autonomous Target Acquisition Techniques

Target acquisition is often needed in a deep space mission where the detector on board the space vehicle must be able to perform the decision making process in acquiring the target. That is, the system for target acquisition must be autonomous. This paper presents several autonomous target acquisition techniques, applicable to deep space mission, for detecting stationary and moving targets. These techniques are useful for sensors such as radar, star tracker and television since the target must be found before it can be tracked. A minimum signal-to-noise ratio can be specified for successful acquisition of target.
Butterfly Conservation Genetics

Conservation programs are challenged with preventing biodiversity loss; losses that have typically been managed as preservation of individual species and groups. An increasing focus on different levels of biodiversity has promoted methods evaluating the genetic diversity in these species as a tool in preventing species loss. Therefore, most conservation practitioners today realize the need to evaluate, preserve, and manage population-level and range-wide genetic diversity as an essential component in the preservation of species. Recent methodological (e.g. non-lethal tissue sampling) and technological advances (e.g. high-throughput sequencing) have greatly increased our ability to evaluate genetic diversity in endangered and threatened butterflies. In this chapter, we provide a framework and guide for conducting genetic research and for including it in the management plans of endangered Lepidoptera. We discuss the variety of molecular markers and tools available to researchers as well as guidance in implementing them. We provide a step-by-step guide for conducting tissue sampling, evaluating statistical concerns, and provide advice and troubleshooting tips. We review several case studies that have successfully used molecular data and incorporated the results into management plans. The chapter concludes with a summary of techniques, future directions, and lessons learned from conservation genetics study of Lepidoptera of conservation concern.
The Egalitarian Face of Islamic Orthodoxy: Support for Islamic Law and Economic Justice in Seven Muslim-Majority Nations

The role that Islam plays in the economic circumstances and development of Muslim nations has been the subject of intense debate among Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Western critics of Islam or “Islamic civilization,” such as Bernard Lewis (1990) and Samuel Huntington (1993), have decried its economic irrationality, incompatibility with democracy, and failure to separate religion and state, while scholars, such as Edward Said (2001: 11), have denounced such thinking as Orientalist essentialism that ignores “the internal dynamics and plurality” of Muslim nations. The debate is not just academic. Today, there are over 1.3 billion Muslims in the world and more than 50 predominantly Muslim nations. Some of the governments of these nations are meeting their citizens’ economic needs, while many others are unable or unwilling to address these needs.
A Comparison of the Direction-of-Perception Technique with the Likert Method in the Measurement of Attitudes

(1965). A Comparison of the Direction-of-Perception Technique with the Likert Method in the Measurement of Attitudes. The Journal of Social Psychology: Vol. 67, No. 2, pp. 189-196.
When the Red Sox shocked the Yankees: Comparing negative and positive memories

The present study examined whether positive or negative valence affects the amount of detail remembered about a public event, and whether positive or negative valence alters other memory characteristics (consistency, vividness, and confidence). Memory for the final game of the Boston Red Sox-New York Yankees 2004 American League playoff series was assessed in individuals who found the event highly positive, highly negative, or neutral (i.e., Red Sox fans, Yankees fans, and fans of neither team). Valence did not affect the number of personal details recalled, but it did affect memory consistency (greatest for the negative-event group) and memory overconfidence (apparent only in the positive-event group). These results indicate that positive events can be remembered with the same types of distortions that have been shown previously for negative events. Moreover, it appears that, in comparison with negative valence, positive valence sometimes can be associated with decreased memory consistency and increased memory overconfidence.
Control of Etching of LiNbO3, by Implant Damage Profile Tailoring

Damage-profile tailoring using multi-energy ion implants can produce smooth side walls and deeper etched features with ion-bombardment-enhanced wet etching of LiNb03 than is possible with a single-energy implant. High ion fluences can produce buried microcracks which may contribute to propagation losses commonly observed in ion-implanted waveguides.
Evidence for Improved Cerebral Function After Minimally lnvasive Bypass Surgery

Background: Neurological impairment is a major cause of morbidity after cardiac surgery and may be associated with occurrence of cerebral microemboli generated during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). This study evaluates cerebral dysfunction following coronary artery surgery on-pump and off-pump. Methods: Neurological outcome was evaluated in 322 patients with a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). Conventional CPB was used (on-pump) in 305 patients and in 17 patients no CPB was used (off-pump). Intraoperatively, a pulsed-wave transcranial Doppler with a 2-MHZ probe measured high-intensity transient signals (HITS) by ultrasonic insonnation of the middle cerebral artery indicating the presence of emboli within the vessel lumen. Transcranial near-infrared spectroscopy measured cerebral venous oxygen saturation for adequate perfusion. Postoperatively, all patients were subjected to the antisaccadic eye movement (ASEM) test, a sensitive indicator of neurocognitive deficits secondary to frontal lobe dysfunction. Results: While there was no significant difference in O2 saturation, the number of microemboli HITS generated was significantly higher in the on-pump group than the off-pump group. In the off-pump group, 16 (94%) of 17 patients had perfect scores on the ASEM test, while only 108 (35.4%) of 305 patients achieved a perfect score in the on-pump group (p < 0.01). Furthermore, while all patients in the off-pump group achieved at least 90%, 28% (86/305) in the on-pump group scored “zero” on the ASEM test. Conclusion: Cerebral dysfunction as evidenced by ASEM errors is common following coronary bypass on-pump, but rare with off-pump bypass surgery. Cerebral microemboli generated during CPB may account for this difference. (J Card Surg 1998;13:27–31
Ecosystem services as substitute inputs: Basic results and important implications for conservation policy

Abstract In recent decades conservation advocates have often emphasized the contributions of ecosystem services to the production of other products. A demonstration of the value of ecosystems as inputs into production would motivate their conservation. Such arguments often offer the observation that ecosystem services can substitute for purchased inputs, and thus reduce costs. If this is true, however, it has another important implication: a producer who is preserving local ecosystems so as to maximize her own profit will produce less output if she further increases her reliance on ecosystem services. This may induce “leakage,” by which one producer's greater reliance on ecosystem services indirectly motivates others to preserve fewer natural ecosystems. I demonstrate this result in a simple but canonical model, and calibrate my findings to a celebrated example to show they could be quantitatively significant. My results suggest another reason that appeals to ecosystem services as a motivation for conservation should be made with care. At the most basic level, they emphasize the importance of being clear about what we mean by conservation: do we want to save some diversity in many places, or nearly all indigenous diversity in a few places?
Improving corporate governance: the role of audit committee disclosures

An increasing number of earnings restatements along with many allegations of financial statement fraud committed by high profile companies (e.g. Enron, WorldCom, Global Crossing, Adelphia) has eroded the public confidence in corporate governance, the financial reporting process, and audit functions. The Sarbanes‐Oxley Act of 2002 was an attempt to regain confidence and trust in corporate America and the accounting profession. The Act addresses corporate scandals and the perceived crisis in the auditing profession. Some of its provisions relate to the audit committee oversight function over corporate governance, financial reporting, internal control structure, internal audit functions, and external audit services. This study examines three types of audit committee disclosures: the annual report of the audit committee; reporting of the audit committee charter in the proxy statement at least once every three years; and disclosure in the proxy statement of whether the audit committee had fulfilled its responsibilities as specified in the charter. This study conducts a content analysis on audit committee disclosures of Fortune 100 companies.
Separation of alkadien-1-ol acetate geometric isomers by capillary gas-liquid chromatography

Gas-liquid chromatographic data have been presented for the analyses of alkadien-1-ol acetates; these compounds have importance in the field of insect sex attractants. The use of a support-coated open tubular column prepared with diethylene glycol succinate liquid phase for these analyses has been of great utility in monitoring geometric purity. The geometric purity of such compounds must be determined to assure accurate evaluation as insect sex attractants since contamination with small amounts of another isomer may result in complete inactivation.
Reciprocal relationship of synovial fluid volume and Oxygen tension

To investigate the impact of synovial fluid volume on oxygen tension (PO2) and other metabolic correlates, 24 specimens of synovial fluid from the knees of 22 patients were analyzed for volume, number of leukocytes (WBC), pH, PO2, PCO2, glucose, protein, and complement (CH50) levels. Concurrent arterial blood samples were obtained in 21 instances. Synovial fluid PO2 values varied inversely with volumes of synovial fluid (r = -0.54, P less than 0.01), but when patients with rheumatoid arthritis were excluded, the correlation was more significant (r = -0.76, P less than 0.001). When synovial fluid PO2 dropped below 45 mm Hg, intraarticular acidosis resulted. The decrease in pH (r = 0.93, P less than 0.001), the lowering of glucose values (r = 0.89, P less than 0.001), and the rise in PCO2 (r = -0.79, P less than 0.01) can be explained by a shift toward anaerobic metabolism coupled with the impaired elimination of its products. Systemic acidosis and hypoxia were not found. Intraarticular hypoxia most likely represents circulatory imbalance at the level of the synovial membrane, although an inverse relationship of synovial fluid PO2 and WBC was also noted. Complement and protein levels had no correlation with volume, pH, or respiratory gas tensions of synovial fluids. Our data support the importance of the effective blood flow to the joint in maintaining homeostasis. The volume of synovial effusion and the compliance of the joint capsule appear to be important determinants of the articular blood supply.
A Small Contribution to Catalan′s Equation

Abstract Using recent results on linear forms in logarithms of algebraic numbers, we prove that any solution of the equation x p − y q = ϵ, where ϵ = ± 1, p and q are odd primes, and p > q satisfies p 28 and q 19 . We also combine our work with some results of Altonen and Inkeri to determine the six cases with q ≤ 37 for which this equation may have solutions.
A Longitudinal Field Investigation of Auditor Risk Assessments and Sample Size Decisions

This study examines changes in auditor risk assessments and sample size decisions based on information gathered from three large accounting firms for audits during 1994 and 1999. The five‐year inte...
Activity of the natural algicide, cyanobacterin, on eukaryotic microorganisms

Abstract The natural product cyanobacterin has been shown to be toxic to most cyanobacteria at a concentration of approx. 5 μM. We demonstrate here that cyanobacterin will also inhibit the growth of most eukaryotic algae at a similar concentration. Some algae, such asEuglena gracilis, are resistant because they are able to maintain themselves by heterotrophic nutrition. Others, such asChlamydomonas reinhardtii, can apparently induce a detoxification mechanism to maintain photosynthesis in the presence of low concentrations of the inhibitor. Non-photosynthetic microorganisms are not affected by cyanobacterin.
Anaphylaxis following administration of intravenous methylprednisolone sodium succinate

Abstract A 27-year-old man developed respiratory arrest following intravenous administration of methylprednisolone sodium succinate. Skin tests were positive to methylprednisolone sodium succinate but not to methylprednisolone acetate. Severe anaphylactic reactions to intraveneous corticosteroid medications can occur and can require epinephrine administration or endotracheal intubation. Skin tests and drug challenge should be done to establish the safety of a particular corticosteroid drug.
Clinical practice. Acute uncomplicated urinary tract infection in women.

A 28-year-old woman telephones her physician to report dysuria and urinary urgency during the preceding three days. She has had several previous urinary tract infections, including three during the past year. She is otherwise healthy, takes no medications, and is sexually active, using spermicide-coated condoms for contraception. She does not have fever, chills, vaginal discharge, or flank pain. How should she be evaluated and treated?
Placental Mitochondria as a Source of Oxidative Stress in Pre-eclampsia

Pre-eclampsia is a hypertensive disorder of human pregnancy that is a leading cause of premature delivery and fetal growth retardation. It is characterized by hypertension, reduced uteroplacental blood flow, proteinuria and oedema. Pre-eclampsia is associated with increased lipid peroxidation in the maternal circulation and in the placenta. Mitochondria are sources of oxygen radicals and are enriched with polyunsaturated fatty acids that are susceptible to peroxidation. Therefore, the mitochondria could be an important source of oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation. To study this, the level of lipid peroxidation in the mitochondrial fraction of placentae obtained from normally pregnant women (n=8) and women with pre-eclampsia (n=8) was examined. Placental tissues were homogenized and the mitochondrial fraction was isolated by ultracentrifugation. Mitochondrial lipid peroxides were estimated by malondialdehyde (MDA). NADPH and Fe++ were used to stimulate lipid peroxidation. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) was used to inhibit superoxide radicals and mannitol to inhibit hydroxyl radicals. The following results were found: (1) MDA levels were significantly greater in the mitochondrial fraction isolated from pre-eclamptic placentae than from normal placentae (27.4+/-3.0 versus 17.0+/-1.8 nmol/g tissue, mean+/-s.e., P<0.05); (2) the oxidative potential of the pre-eclamptic mitochondrial fraction was also higher than normal as evidenced by the significantly greater stimulation of lipid peroxidation by NADPH and Fe+ + (248+/-25 versus 164+/-35 nmol/g, P<0.05); (3) superoxide dismutase, but not mannitol, attenuated the lipid peroxidation induced by NADPH and Fe+ + demonstrating that superoxide is the radical responsible for mitochondrial lipid peroxidation in this system; and (4) the amount of mitochondrial protein was 47 per cent greater and the activity of the mitochondrial enzyme, citrate synthase, was 56 per cent greater in the pre-eclamptic placentae indicating an increase in the amount of mitochondria in the pre-eclamptic placentae. It is concluded that: (1) mitochondrial lipid peroxidation is increased in pre-eclampsia; (2) the amount of placental mitochondria is increased in pre-eclampsia; (3) placental mitochondria contribute to the abnormal increase in lipid peroxidation that occurs in pre-eclamptic placentae by both an increase in their amount and an increase in their susceptibility to oxidation; and (4) mitochondrial generation of superoxide could be an important source of oxidative stress in pre-eclampsia.
Comparisons of ribosomal RNA sequences from amitochondrial protozoa: implications for processing, mRNA binding and paromomycin susceptibility

Abstract The amitochondrial (a-mt) protozoa include four groups of organisms that are of interest as important human parasites and as probable descendents of the earliest branches of eukaryotic evolution. These organisms have not been directly compared in terms of structure and function of a specific molecule. We sequenced portions of their rRNA-encoding genes coding for the internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and 2) and adjoining small subunit (SS), 5.8S and large subunit (LS) rRNAs. Included are sites for RNA processing, mRNA interaction and aminoglycoside binding, as well as potential protein-encoding genes. The ITS of all a-mt protozoa examined are relatively short, but otherwise diverse. They include one or two predominant nucleotides (A in Entamoeba and Trichomonas, T in Encephalitozoon and C in Giardia) and have minimal potential secondary structure, which may form the basis for the preferential processing of ITS sequences. The mechanism employed by a-mt protozoa to bind mRNA may be unique, since Giardia, Trichomonas and Entamoeba mRNAs have unusually short 5′ non-coding regions. In bacteria, the 3′ terminus of the SS rRNA is involved in mRNA binding; analysis of Entamoeba and Trichomonas mRNA 5′ non-coding sequences suggests an analogous mechanism involving potential base pairing to the loop of the terminal SS rRNA hairpin. Giardia sensitivity to paromomycin was previously correlated with the presence of a C:G by near the decoding region of SS rRNA. This bp is also present in Entamoeba and Trichomonas, consistent with their susceptibility. Its absence in Encephalitozoon and other microsporidia predicts paromomycin resistance, and suggests a distinct evolutionary origin for this group.
Biomechanical evaluation of potential damage to hernia repair materials due to fixation with helical titanium tacks

Background This study aimed to determine whether the strength and extensibility of hernia repair materials are negatively influenced by the application of helical titanium tacks.
The Effect of Growth Hormone, Thyroxine, and Testosterone on the Ontogeny of Bilirubin UDPglucuronyltransferase in Mouse Liver

Abstract The activity of bilirubin UDPglucuronyltransferase is low in the livers of newborn mice. Within a week after birth the activity of the enzyme rises to the adult level in mice which are dwarfs because of a deficiency of growth hormone and a partial deficiency of thyroid stimulating hormone, but surpasses the adult value by about 60% in normal mice. Neither growth hormone nor thyroxine is effective in elevating enzyme activity in the dwarfs. Within two weeks after birth the activity of the enzyme in normal mice declines to that in the dwarfs. At maturity a marked decrease in bilirubin UDPglucuronyltransferase activity occurs in normal males. Testosterone appears to be responsible for this decrease.
Compliance of bacterial flagella measured with optical tweezers.

THE development of the gradient force optical particle trap ('optical tweezers') has made it possible to manipulate biological materials using a single beam of laser light1. Optical traps can produce forces in the microdyne range on intact cells without causing overt damage: such forces are sufficient to arrest actively swimming bacteria2 and can overcome torque generated by the flagellar motor of a bacterium tethered to a glass surface by a flagellar filament. By calibrating the trapping force against Stokes' drag and measuring the twist that is sustained by this force, we determined the torsional compliance of flagella in tethered Escherichia coli and a motile Streptococcus. Flagella behaved as linear torsion springs for roughly half a revolution, but became much more rigid when turned beyond this point in either direction.
Editorial: What caused all these troubles, anyway? Epstein-Barr virus in Sjögren's syndrome reevaluated.

The inflammatory autoimmune and autoinflammatory rheumatic diseases share the persistent, pernicious, and currently depressing feature that they are largely idiopathic. Their true environmental origins remain unknown - or at least there is no general convincing and agreed upon consensus that explains their causation – and this is despite the extraordinary efforts made to date and the awesome capabilities of modern science. Of course, there are exceptions to such a gross generalization. Knowing that the host response to Streptococci is responsible for rheumatic fever, for example, seems to have contributed to our therapeutic success with this disease and its demise as a public health scourge, despite the many important details that remain unexplained about the relationship of this bacterium to the host response and the vagaries of disease expression.
‘Decline or Renewal’: France and the Hoffmann Paradigm

Students of French politics often puzzle over why a country that has experienced deep economic and social change over the past quarter-century should find it so difficult to enact political reforms. Some find the explanation in the fact that globalization and Europeanization have reduced the power of national government in ways that are especially important in countries where statist traditions once supported large-scale economic and social interventions. But the gap between a dynamic society and a stalemate politics is hardly a new one for France. Fifty years ago, at the end of the Fourth Republic, the French also despaired of their government and of their chances of reforming it. The advent to power of General de Gaulle opened a period of transformation in which changes that had long been in the works in the economy and society could break through. Today again, even with leadership of a less heroic stripe, change at the top might have a similarly liberating effect.
A mental health clinician's view of cultural competence training.

Let me first congratulate the authors on excellent contributions to a relatively unsettled and unsettling area. Most clinicians and faculty members accept that we should be practicing and teaching cultural competence, but how should it be done? These papers add considerable substance to a field dominated by platitudes. While illuminating many of the consternating dilemmas, the authors are remarkably forthright about the mixed results of sincere efforts to teach cultural competence. Should we focus on specific cultures, on unique individuals, on the clinician’s biases, or on the system? As the U.S. speeds toward diversity and multiculturalism, these issues require extensive exploration. We are fortunate to have the current authors as intrepid guides. For this commentary, I have been asked to consider some of my own experiences as a practicing psychologist, psychiatrist, and services researcher over the past four decades. Tolstoy described his life as one of obsessional devotion to work and duty interrupted by rare emotional epiphanies, such as the birth of a child, which profoundly changed his understanding of people, relationships, and meaning. So it has been with my understanding of cultural competence and mental health. In the following, I describe some of the moments of awareness. As a young person growing up in rural Florida, I never encountered African Americans in the segregated schools I attended but worked with them during the summers on farms. I was often shocked to hear about their lives, dominated as they were by poverty, lack of opportunity, and general resignation to American Apartheid. Later at college in the Northeast, I encountered race riots that left the inner cities all around our small college in flames. My African-American classmates shunned those of us who were white. In addition to these shock waves, the feminist movement, the anti-war protests of the 60 s, and the entitlement of Ivy League elitism—all surrounding me daily—were equally foreign. None of these quite
Lamin B Phosphorylation by Protein Kinase Cα and Proteolysis during Apoptosis in Human Leukemia HL60 Cells

Protein phosphorylation plays an important role in signal transduction, but its involvement in apoptosis still remains unclear. In this report, the p53-null human leukemia HL60 cells were used to investigate phosphorylation and degradation of lamin B during apoptosis. We found that lamin B was phosphorylated within 1 h after addition of the DNA topoisomerase I inhibitor, camptothecin, and that lamin B phosphorylation preceded lamin B degradation and DNA fragmentation. Using a cell-free system we also found that cytosol from camptothecin-treated cells induced lamin B phosphorylation and degradation in isolated nuclei from untreated HL60 cells. Lamin B phosphorylation was prevented by the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor 7-hydroxystaurosporine (UCN-01) but not by the Cdc2 inhibitor, flavopiridol. Phosphorylation of lamin B was inhibited by immunodepletion of PKCα from activated cytosol and was restored by addition of purified PKCα. PKCα activity also increased rapidly as lamin B was phosphorylated after initiation of the apoptotic response in HL60 cells. These data suggest that lamin B is phosphorylated by PKCα and proteolyzed before DNA fragmentation in HL60 cells undergoing apoptosis.
Long-term outcome of vocal cord dysfunction.

Background Vocal cord dysfunction (VCD) is an involuntary functional disorder commonly misdiagnosed as asthma. Previous reports describe the disorder and treatment but not the long-term outcome. Objective To determine the long-term outcome of VCD. Methods A retrospective medical record review identified 49 patients, ages 8 to 25 years, diagnosed as having VCD from 1989 to 2002. Telephone contact was attempted in all. Results Of the 49 patients, 41 had previously been treated for asthma; that diagnosis was confirmed by us as a comorbidity in only 12 patients. Two distinct phenotypes of VCD were observed. Symptoms were limited to exercise-induced VCD (EIVCD) in 29 and spontaneously occurring VCD (SVCD) in 20, only 4 of whom additionally had EIVCD. Twenty-eight of the 49 were successfully contacted by telephone. Eight of the 11 contacted patients with SVCD followed the recommendation to see our speech therapist, all of whom learned to control symptoms. However, 2 who also had EIVCD continued with that problem. Pretreatment with an anticholinergic inhaler prevented EIVCD in 6 patients in whom this was tried. Complete absence of symptoms, at times ranging from 1 week to 5 years (median, 5 months), was reported in 26 of the 28 contacted patients. Conclusions VCD continues to be frequently misdiagnosed as asthma. Two phenotypes of VCD are apparent: EIVCD and SVCD. Speech therapy provides relief of symptoms for SVCD. Prevention of EIVCD with an anticholinergic inhaler in 6 patients suggests that a controlled clinical trial is warranted. Regardless of treatment, eventual spontaneous resolution was common.
Electronic rearrangements during chemical reactions. II. Planar dissociation of ethylene

The direct dissociation of ethylene into two methylenes is studied along the least motion reaction path by means of an ab initio multiconfiguration self-consistent-field (MCSCF) calculation. All eight configurations arising from those valence orbitals that form the CC bonds, seven of them singlet coupled and one triplet coupled, are taken into account. The HCH bond angle is optimized along the entire reaction path. Separate MCSCF optimizations are carried through for the lowest two states of /sup 1/A/sub g/ symmetry. The (/sup 1/A/sub g/sigma/sup 2/..pi../sup 2/) ethylene ground state dissociates into two (/sup 3/B/sub 1/sigma..pi..) ground-state methylenes. The (/sup 1/A/sub g/sigma/sup 2/..pi..*/sup 2/) excited state of ethylene dissociates into two (/sup 1/A/sub 1/sigma/sup 2/) excited methylenes. It is established that both these dissociations proceed without any barrier in the energy curve. In the ground state, where orbital symmetry is conserved, the ..pi..-bond breaks before the sigma-bond, and the calculated heat of reaction agrees within 6 kcal/mol with the experimental value. In the excited state, where orbital symmetry is not conserved, the nonbonded repulsion between methylene sigma/sup 2/ lone pairs is found to blend into the antibonding character of the excited ethylene, yielding an energy curve that is everywhere repulsive. However, themore » variation of the HCH angle during the dissociation process is not simple, initially it expands and subsequently it contracts. Quantitative analytical approaches are developed which furnish conceptual interpretations of the orbital changes and configurational changes along the reaction path.« less
A study of the strontium and barium halides as column packings in gas—solid chromatography

Abstract The halide salts (chloride, bromide, iodide) of strontium and barium have been investigated as column packings in gas—solid chromatography. Various groups of organic compounds have been studied, their heats of adsorption calculated and models presented to explain their behavior on these columns. Sample size required to produce overloading generally increased with increasing anion size in the packing. Retention volumes generally followed boiling points; two compounds having the same boiling point a greater adjusted retention volume was noted for the more polar compound. Chain branching reduced retention volume. Adjusted retention volume increased as size of anion in packing increased.
Optimizing Touchscreen Keyboards for Gesture Typing

Despite its growing popularity, gesture typing suffers from a major problem not present in touch typing: gesture ambiguity on the Qwerty keyboard. By applying rigorous mathematical optimization methods, this paper systematically investigates the optimization space related to the accuracy, speed, and Qwerty similarity of a gesture typing keyboard. Our investigation shows that optimizing the layout for gesture clarity (a metric measuring how unique word gestures are on a keyboard) drastically improves the accuracy of gesture typing. Moreover, if we also accommodate gesture speed, or both gesture speed and Qwerty similarity, we can still reduce error rates by 52% and 37% over Qwerty, respectively. In addition to investigating the optimization space, this work contributes a set of optimized layouts such as GK-D and GK-T that can immediately benefit mobile device users.
Piezoelectric Characterization of PVDF-TrFE Thin Films Enhanced With ZnO Nanoparticles

The objective of this letter is the fabrication and piezoelectric characterization of poly(vinylidene fluoride)-trifluoroethylene (PVDF-TrFE) thin films enhanced with zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles. The incorporation of piezoelectric ZnO nanoparticles will enhance bulk film piezoelectricity while preserving the mechanical flexibility of PVDF-TrFE. The nanocomposites are fabricated by spin coating. Piezoelectric properties are measured by applying electric fields while measuring their response using a Sawyer-Tower circuit.
Using iPSCs and genomics to catch CNVs in the act

Large copy number variants (CNVs) are strongly associated with morphogenetic processes and common neurodevelopmental disorders. A new study uses the example of Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS) and Williams-Beuren region duplication syndrome to illustrate how induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and next-generation genomics can lead to a better understanding of complex genetics.
A Method to Evaluate Residual Phase Error for Polar Formatted Synthetic Aperture Radar Systems.

Synthetic aperture radar systems that use the polar format algorithm are subject to a focused scene size limit inherent to the polar format algorithm. The classic focused scene size limit is determined from the dominant residual range phase error term. Given the many sources of phase error in a synthetic aperture radar, a system designer is interested in how much phase error results from the assumptions made with the polar format algorithm. Autofocus algorithms have limits to the amount and type of phase error that can be corrected. Current methods correct only one or a few terms of the residual phase error. A system designer needs to be able to evaluate the contribution of the residual or uncorrected phase error terms to determine the new focused scene size limit. This paper describes a method to estimate the complete residual phase error, not just one or a few of the dominant residual terms. This method is demonstrated with polar format image formation, but is equally applicable to other image formation algorithms. A benefit for the system designer is that additional correction terms can be added or deleted from the analysis as necessary to evaluate the resulting effect upon image quality.
External reproductive organs of the common grass spider, agelena naevia walckenaer

One of the most perfect “lock and key” adaptations known, the external reproductive organs in spiders are subject to considerable variations. Two extreme types of female reproductive organs are described in detail, and these in turn compared with the European species of the same genus. Thus it is shown that the reproductive system in the same genus of spiders may exhibit great differences in structure while all other characters remain more or less the same, the natural conclusion being that caution should be exercised in creating new or splitting up old genera on the basis of characters of the external reproductive system. The same applies to the male. Two extreme types of palpi are described and then compared with the palpi of the European species. In the case of the male, however, the differences seem to be of a less profound nature.