cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Narcotic and Benzodiazepine Use After Withdrawal of Life Support: Association With Time to Death?

Objective: To determine whether the dose of narcotics and benzodiazepines is associated with length of time from mechanical ventilation withdrawal to death in the setting of withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment in the ICU. Design: Retrospective chart review. Setting: University-affiliated, level I trauma center. Patients: Consecutive critically ill patients who had mechanical ventilation withdrawn and subsequently died in the ICU during two study time periods. Results: There were 75 eligible patients with a mean age of 59 years. The primary ICU admission diagnoses included intracranial hemorrhage (37%), trauma (27%), acute respiratory failure (27%), and acute renal failure (20%). Patients died during a median of 35 min (range, 1 to 890 min) after ventilator withdrawal. On average, 16.2 mg/h opiates in morphine equivalents and 7.5 mg/h benzodiazepine in lorazepam equivalents were administered during the time period starting 1 h before ventilator withdrawal and ending at death. There was no statistically significant relationship between the average hourly narcotic and benzodiazepine use during the 1-h period prior to ventilator withdrawal until death, and the time from ventilator withdrawal to death. The restriction of medication assessment in the last 2 h of life showed an inverse association between the use of benzodiazepines and time to death. For every 1 mg/h increase in benzodiazepine use, time to death was increased by 13 min (p = 0.015). There was no relationship between narcotic dose and time to death during the last 2 h of life (p = 0.11). Conclusions: We found no evidence that the use of narcotics or benzodiazepines to treat discomfort after the withdrawal of life support hastens death in critically ill patients at our center. Clinicians should strive to control patient symptoms in this setting and should document the rationale for escalating drug doses.
Facilitating forgiveness in the treatment of infidelity: an interpersonal model

This article presents a unique clinical model of forgiveness developed specifically for use in the treatment of infidelity. The model focuses on forgiveness as a central component of the process of healing for couples who desire relationship reconciliation following an affair. Infidelity causes significant damage for couples and results in a loss of trust and relationship stability. However, couples can become reunified and trust may be restored as couples work through the process of forgiveness. Forgiveness is facilitated as therapists and clients focus on four unifying factors: empathy, humility, commitment and apology. Specific steps are outlined for therapists to help them guide clients through the process of forgiveness. The clinical application of the model is illustrated with a brief case example.
Defect states in HfO2 on deposited on Ge(1 1 1) and Ge(1 0 0) substrates

Abstract There is considerable interest in the direct bonding between Si and Ge substrates and high-K nano-crystalline transition metal elemental and complex oxides. Implicit in this is the elimination of lower-K interfacial transition regions (ITRs) in gate stacks which limit device down-scaling of advanced devices to meet roadmap targets. A novel approach is presented in this article for (i) deposition of HfO 2 onto N-passivated Ge(1 1 1) and Ge(1 0 0) substrates, a process that also prevents subcutaneous oxidation of the Ge substrate during the deposition of nano-crystalline HfO 2 and non-crystalline Hf Si oxynitride dielectrics as well, and (ii) the effective removal of Ge–N, during an 800 °C rapid thermal annealing. Removal of Ge–N bonding has been confirmed by X-ray absorption N K 1 spectra (XAS). However, even though X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies has indicated no detectable Ge–O bonding at the Ge-dielectric interfaces as-deposited, a significant amount of Ge–O bonding throughout the entire HfO 2 film is detected by XPS and XAS after the 800 °C anneal. Current–voltage measurements indicate significantly higher leakage for HfO 2 films on Ge(1 1 1) compared with Ge(1 0 0). These correlate with differences in band edge defect state densities obtained from spectroscopic measurements, and are consistent with a more columnar, bonding morphology for direct bonding of HfO 2 on Ge(1 1 1) than for Ge(1 0 0).
Sonography in renovascular hypertension.

Objective To familiarize practitioners with different sonographic manifestations of renal artery compromise and the sonographic techniques for renal artery imaging. Methods Approximately 1500 examinations evaluating for renal artery disease are performed in our vascular laboratory every year. Most of the patients have the symptoms of hypertension (possibly related to renovascular etiology) and renal insufficiency. From our cumulative experience, the optimal scanning techniques are defined for each renal artery, for extrarenal versus intrarenal vascular evaluation, and for patients with different body habitus. We have also tabulated our technical success rate. Cases with sonographic evidence of renal artery compromise are identified. The validity, sensitivity, and specificity of different parameters are examined. Results We achieve an approximately 75% to 80% success rate in obtaining technically adequate studies. We have not found the tardus-parvus waveform evaluation to be as valuable as direct interrogation of the renal artery. Conclusions Duplex/color Doppler sonography serves a vital role in the diagnosis of renal artery stenosis and occlusion; it has an excellent correlation with contrast-enhanced angiography. It is also used for intraoperative or postrevascularization surveillance to show evidence of recurring stenosis, thrombosis, and other complications.
The Experimental Induction of Vitamin A Deficiency in Humans

This is an historical account of experiments that were undertaken to determine the daily amount of vitamin A or carotene (or both) required for health of humans, by deliberately (and in one case accidentally) causing them to become vitamin A deficient. The recommended daily allowance determined by all of the experiments described arrived at roughly the same range, although large differences were reported for the time of appearance and the severity of observed signs and symptoms of the deficiency.
Molecular and biochemical characterization of Mottled-dappled, an embryonic lethal Menkes disease mouse model

Abstract Mottled-dappled ( Mo-dp ) is a mouse model of Menkes disease caused by a large, previously uncharacterized deletion in the 5′ region of Atp7a , the mouse ortholog of ATP7A . Affected mutants die in utero at embryonic day 17, and show bending and thickening of the ribs and distortion of the pectoral and pelvic girdles and limbs. To characterize this allele, we designed a custom 4x180K microarray on the mouse X chromosome and performed comparative genomic hybridization using extracted DNA from normal and carrier Mo-dp females, and identified an approximately 9kb deletion. We used PCR to fine-map the breakpoints and amplify a junction fragment of 630bp. Sequencing of the junction fragment disclosed the exact breakpoint locations and that the Mo-dp deletion is precisely 8990bp, including approximately 2kb in the promoter region of Atp7a . Western blot analysis of Mo-dp heterozygous brains showed diminished amounts of Atp7a protein, consistent with reduced expression due to the promoter region deletion on one allele. In heterozygous females, brain copper levels tended to be lower compared to wild type whereas neurochemical analyses revealed higher dihydroxyphenylacetic acid:dihydroxyphenylglycol (DOPAC:DHPG) and dopamine:norepinephrine (DA:NE) ratios compared to normal (P=0.002 and 0.029, respectively), consistent with partial deficiency of dopamine-beta-hydroxylase, a copper-dependent enzyme. Heterozygous females showed no significant differences in body weight compared to wild type females. Our results delineate the molecular details of the Mo-dp mutation for the first time and define novel biochemical findings in heterozygous female carriers of this allele.
Top management team group factors, consensus, and firm performance

The results of recent consensus-performance research have been equivocal. Substantive and methodological issues are examined to suggest reasons for this equivocality. Top management team composition, structure, and decision processes are proposed as antecedents to the consensus-performance relationship. An argument is developed for a curvilinear aggregate consensus-performance relationship, moderated by environmental dynamism. A model and associated propositions are advanced to further descriptive and normative theory.
Genetic algorithm design of reflection thin-film coatings and polarization devices

In this communication, the design of reflection thin-film coatings and polarization-devices is achieved by the use of a recently developed fast genetic algorithm (GA). The reflection thin-film coatings, and polarization-devices, are both treated as film-substrate systems. With the required polarization-characteristics of the device as an input, the GA provides any, or all, of the design parameters at which the coating, or device, behaves as prescribed at the wavelength of operation; film and substrate materials, film thickness, and angle of incidence. The GA is real fast. It is modified to provide the required design parameters within a few cycles, literally in no time. The accuracy of the GA is high, and the GA itself is robust and consistent.
Spontaneous breaking of parity in quenched lattice QCD with Wilson fermions: Monte Carlo simulation near or beyond Kc☆

Abstract By using a parity breaking external field H in the Wilson fermion action, we establish the existence of a parity breaking phase at K >Kc in the limit H → 0. We also show that this phase disappears in the deconfining phase and discuss a chiral property of Wilson fermions in the deconfining phase
Relation between Biomechanical Spinal Load Factors and Risk of Occupational Low-Back Disorders

The objective of this study was to identify individual and combinations of biomechanical parameters which are associated with the probability of risk for occupationally related low-back disorders. Ten subjects performed lifting tasks simulating warehouse order selection. During the lifting exertions dynamic trunk motion, EMG, and workplace data were collected. Risk of low-back disorder was assessed from an epidemiologic model incorporating workplace factors and trunk motion data. Comparison with biomechanical results indicated that static estimates of spinal compression poorly predicts the probability of risk. Spinal compression computed from dynamic models improve the correlation, and regression models including multi-dimensional dynamic spinal loads and load rates best predict the probability of risk. The results agree with biomechanical research demonstrating vertebral failure modes are influenced by complex biomechanical interactions. This study highlights the limitations of ergonomic assessment via s...
Estimation of Rock Face Stability

We present here the development of a texture-like measure to aid the quantification of rock face stability using two familiar transforms in a novel combination. It is shown that the Fourier and Hough transforms together can yield accurate quantitative information relating to the texture of an image. With respect to rock faces, the textural quality of the image is a direct measure of the stability index, since the orientation, distribution, and number of fissures indicate its stability. Stability of rock faces for mining operations is currently estimated manually, prior to further excavation. Manual inspection is often undesirable due to the subjective nature of, and potential hazard to, the human inspector. This provides the motivation to develop an automated system which can survey the scene via some sensors and process the resulting data to compute a preliminary stability index before further detailed inspection and subsequent excavation.
Effect of lithium on brain dopamine.

THE efficacy of lithium ion in the therapy of mania is now established1,2, and much speculation about its mode of action has involved its effects on brain catecholamine metabolism. Treatment with lithium ion increases the turnover rate of whole brain noradrenaline2–4; increases intraneuronal while decreasing extraneuronal metabolism of noradrenaline3,4; increases uptake of noradrenaline by synaptosomes5, and reduces the rate of release of 3H-noradrenaline caused by electrical stimulation of striatal slices6. The influence of lithium ion on brain dopamine, however, is less fully documented. Here we describe the effect of chronic lithium chloride treatment on dopamine synthesis in striatal brain slices.
Latticized Linear Optimization on the Unit Interval

This paper considers the latticized linear optimization (LLO) problem and its variants, which are a special class of optimization problems constrained by fuzzy relational equations or inequalities. We show that an optimal solution to such a problem can be obtained in polynomial time as long as the objective function is a max-separable function with continuous monotone components. We further show that the set of all optimal solutions is fully determined by one maximum optimal solution and a finite number of minimal optimal solutions. The maximum optimal solution can be constructed in polynomial time once the optimal objective value is known, while the detection of all minimal optimal solutions in an efficient manner remains as a challenging problem. The relation between LLO and max-separable optimization and related issues are also investigated.
Adsorption from a one-dimensional lattice gas and the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller equation

An exact treatment of adsorption from a one-dimensional lattice gas is used to eliminate and correct a well-known inconsistency in the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (B.E.T.) equation—namely, Gibbs excess adsorption is not taken into account and the Gibbs integral diverges at the transition point. However, neither model should be considered realistic for experimental adsorption systems.
Hypersonic Vehicle Telemetry Blackout Analysis

During certain hypersonic flight regimes, shock heating of air creates a plasma sheath, resulting in telemetry attenuation or blackout. The severity of the signal attenuation is dependent on vehicle configuration and orientation, flight trajectory, and transmission frequency. With the promise of airbreathing hypersonic vehicles looming on the horizon, telemetry solutions must be found to address safety considerations for flight testing (that is, flight termination and/or catastrophe analysis). This attenuation phenomena are investigated with a focus on the nonequilibrium plasma sheath properties (electron concentration, plasma frequency, collision frequency, and temperature) for a range of flight conditions and vehicle design considerations. Trajectory and transmission frequency requirements for airbreathing hypersonic vehicle design are then addressed, with comparisons made to both shuttle orbiter and Radio Attenuation Measurements C-II reentry flights. The effects of an applied magnetic field normal to ...
Increased Resistance to Oxidative Stress in Transgenic Plants by Targeting Mannitol Biosynthesis to Chloroplasts

To investigate the potential role of a polyol, mannitol, in oxidative stress protection, a bacterial mannitol-1-phosphate dehydrogenase gene was targeted to chloroplasts by the addition of an amino-terminal transit peptide. Transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) lines accumulate mannitol at concentrations ranging from 2.5 to 7 [mu]mol/g fresh weight. Line BS1-31 accumulated approximately 100 mM mannitol in chloroplasts and was identical to the wild type in phenotype and photosynthetic performance. The presence of mannitol in chloroplasts resulted in an increased resistance to methyl viologen (MV)-induced oxidative stress, documented by the increased retention of chlorophyll in transgenic leaf tissue following MV treatment. In the presence of MV, isolated mesophyll cells of BS1-31 exhibited higher CO2 fixation than the wild type. When the hydroxyl radical probe dimethyl sulfoxide was introduced into cells, the initial formation rate of methane sulfinic acid was significantly lower in cells containing mannitol in the chloroplast compartment than in wild-type cells, indicating an increased hydroxyl radical-scavenging capacity in BS1-31 tobacco. We suggest that the chloroplast location of mannitol can supplement endogenous radical-scavenging mechanisms and reduce oxidative damage of cells by hydroxyl radicals.
5′ end cDNA amplification using classic RACE

The 5' ends of transcripts provide important information about transcription initiation sites and the approximate locations of local cis-acting enhancer elements; it is therefore important to establish the 5' ends with some precision. RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA ends) PCR is useful for quickly obtaining full length cDNAs for mRNAs for which only part of the sequence is known and to identify alternative 5' or 3' ends of fully sequenced genes. The method consists of using PCR to amplify, from complex mixtures of cellular mRNA, the regions between the known parts of the sequence and non-specific tags appended to the ends of the cDNA. Whereas the poly(A) tail serves to provide such a tag at the 3' end of the mRNA, an artificial one needs to be generated at the 5' end, and various approaches have been described to address this step. The classical scheme for 5' RACE described here is simple, suffices in many instances in which RACE is needed and can be performed in 1-3 days.
α-Ketoheterocycle Inhibitors of Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase: Exploration of Conformational Constraints in the Acyl Side Chain

A series of α-ketooxazoles containing heteroatoms embedded within conformational constraints in the C2 acyl side chain of 2 (OL-135) were synthesized and evaluated as inhibitors of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH). The studies reveal that the installation of a heteroatom (O) in the conformational constraint is achievable, although the potency of these novel derivatives is reduced slightly relative to 2 and the analogous 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene series. Interestingly, both enantiomers (R and S) of the candidate inhibitors bearing a chiral center adjacent to the electrophilic carbonyl were found to effectively inhibit FAAH.
Mass spectrometry of the trimethylsilyl derivatives of medicinal barbiturates

The electron ionization mass spectra of the trimethylsilyl derivatives of a number of medicinal barbiturates have been examined. The trimethylsilyl derivatives are useful in the identification of barbiturates by gas liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (g.l.c.-m.s.). Mass spectra of these derivatives are characterized by abundant high mass ions which permit the ready distinction of one barbiturate from another. The prominent and characteristic [M - 15] ion is an effective monitor of molecular weight, while other unique fragmentations and/or varying patterns of relative abundance serve to differentiate isomers.
Anterograde Tracing Method using DiI to Label Vagal Innervation of the Embryonic and Early Postnatal Mouse Gastrointestinal Tract

The mouse is an extremely valuable model for studying vagal development in relation to strain differences, genetic variation, gene manipulations, or pharmacological manipulations. Therefore, a method using 1, 1′-dioctadecyl-3,3,3′,3′-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate (DiI) was developed for labeling vagal innervation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract in embryonic and postnatal mice. DiI labeling was adapted and optimized for this purpose by varying several facets of the method. For example, insertion and crushing of DiI crystals into the nerve led to faster DiI diffusion along vagal axons and diffusion over longer distances as compared with piercing the nerve with a micropipette tip coated with dried DiI oil. Moreover, inclusion of EDTA in the fixative reduced leakage of DiI out of nerve fibers that occurred with long incubations. Also, mounting labeled tissue in PBS was superior to glycerol with n-propyl gallate, which resulted in reduced clarity of DiI labeling that may have been due to DiI leaking out of fibers. Optical sectioning of flattened wholemounts permitted examination of individual tissue layers of the GI tract wall. This procedure aided identification of nerve ending types because in most instances each type innervates a different tissue layer. Between embryonic day 12.5 and postnatal day 8, growth of axons into the GI tract, formation and patterning of fiber bundles in the myenteric plexus and early formation of putative afferent and efferent nerve terminals were observed. Thus, the DiI tracing method developed here has opened up a window for investigation during an important phase of vagal development.
Rabies virus in the tonsils of a carrier dog

A female dog, inoculated with a rabies isolate from the saliva of an apparently healthy Ethiopian dog, developed rabies but later recovered without supportive treatment. Rabies virus was isolated from the saliva collected 42, 169 and 305 days after recovery. Sixteen months after it recovered, the dog suddenly died after giving birth to two stillborn puppies. At necropsy, viral antigen could be detected in the tonsils and the brain tissue, but viable virus was isolated from the Palatine tonsils only.
Long-latency evoked potentials and reaction time.

Tone pips separated by a constant 1 sec interval were delivered to 12 subjects. The pips were of three pitches given in a random sequence. The 400 and 1600 Hz pips each had a probability of 0.1 and the 800 Hz pips had a probability of 0.8. For each subject, either the 400 or 1600 Hz pips were designated as targets in a reaction time (RT) task. Stimulus-synchronized averages (SSAs) to infrequent tones contained two prominent waves: a P3 and a slow wave (SW). SW and P3 amplitudes were larger, and P3 latency was 15 msec shorter, to targets than to non-targets. SSAs were computed for RT quartiles (Q1–Q4) of each subject. Between Q1 and Q4, P3 amplitude decreased, while SW amplitude increased, demonstrating behavioral and dissociation of the two waves. Between Q1 and Q4, RTs increased from 366 to 540 msec, while P3 latency at Cz increased from 328 to 359 msec. Response-synchronized averages computed for each RT quartile showed no response-related deflections that could explain the effects in the SSAs.
Nonparturitional exposure to donor placenta and placentophagia after lateral hypothalamic lesions in rats

Previous research has shown that parturitionally experienced rats with lateral hypothalamic (LH) lesions that rendered them otherwise aphagic, still ate placenta when it was delivered (pregnant subjects) or presented (nonpregnant subjects). Subsequent studies have shown that some virgin rats are spontaneously attracted to donor placenta, whereas the others clearly avoid it. The present study was designed to demonstrate that the sparing of placentophagia after LH lesions observed in the earlier study was not due merely to the previous ingestion of placenta, per se, or to inadvertent selection for spontaneous placentophages. Virgin placento-phages were allowed to consume donor placenta; some were then bred. Prior to parturition or after an equivalent time interval, LH lesions were produced through indwelling electrodes. The next day, not only were the animals with properly placed lesions aphagic to a cookie/milk mash, but none ate delivered or presented placenta.
Thermal effects and erosion rates from x-ray energy deposition in icf reactor first walls

Abstract The deposition of x-ray energy resulting from the microexplosion in an inertial confinement fusion reactor and the subsequent thermal response of candidate wall coating and structural materials is examined. Evaporation losses and resulting melt layer thicknesses for these materials exposed to a variety of different x-ray energies and spectra are calculated. Softer x-ray energy spectra absorbed very near the surface are found to cause more evaporation losses but less melting than harder spectra with the same energy content. Substantial differences in the thermal response exist among potential coating materials such as beryllium (low atomic number, low melting point) and molybdenum and tantalum (high atomic numbers, high melting points). It is found that beryllium can for a wide range of x-ray energy spectra expected in fusion reactors, resist vaporization losses and resulting melt layer and consequently prolong the lifetime of first walls more than molybdenum and tantalum.
Institutional emotion norms and role satisfaction: Examination of a career wife population

Unlike other types of career wives, Assemblies of God missionary wives report very high role satisfaction and low depressive symptomatology. In order to explain this “exception,” this study examines (1) the social-structural conditions that affect satisfaction, (2) affective and behavioral responses, and (3) organizational implications. Data were collected through participant observation, interviewing, analysis of documents, and questionnaire research (n=200). Findings suggest that missionary wives often evoked satisfaction in response to institutional emotion norms in the manner suggested by the emotion management perspective. The social-psychological process of emotion work is examined, as well as the manner in which compliance facilitates organizational production and reproduction. Hypotheses for future research are suggested.
The role of MAC1 in diesel exhaust particle-induced microglial activation and loss of dopaminergic neuron function.

Increasing reports support that air pollution causes neuroinflammation and is linked to central nervous system (CNS) disease/damage. Diesel exhaust particles (DEP) are a major component of urban air pollution, which has been linked to microglial activation and Parkinson's disease-like pathology. To begin to address how DEP may exert CNS effects, microglia and neuron-glia cultures were treated with either nanometer-sized DEP (< 0.22 μM; 50 μg/mL), ultrafine carbon black (ufCB, 50 μg/mL), or DEP extracts (eDEP; from 50 μg/mL DEP), and the effect of microglial activation and dopaminergic (DA) neuron function was assessed. All three treatments showed enhanced ameboid microglia morphology, increased H2O2 production, and decreased DA uptake. Mechanistic inquiry revealed that the scavenger receptor inhibitor fucoidan blocked DEP internalization in microglia, but failed to alter DEP-induced H2O2 production in microglia. However, pre-treatment with the MAC1/CD11b inhibitor antibody blocked microglial H2O2 production in response to DEP. MAC1−/− mesencephalic neuron-glia cultures were protected from DEP-induced loss of DA neuron function, as measured by DA uptake. These findings support that DEP may activate microglia through multiple mechanisms, where scavenger receptors regulate internalization of DEP and the MAC1 receptor is mandatory for both DEP-induced microglial H2O2 production and loss of DA neuron function.
Outcomes associated with dentists’ risk assessment

– Objective: To examine retrospectively the caries-related restorative experience of at-risk individuals who received fluoride-based preventive interventions to determine if the intervention resulted in fewer caries-related procedures. Methods: Administrative data from two dental health plans were used to determine the relationship between caries risk assessment (CRA) scores, preventive treatment and caries-related treatment procedures. We identified 45 693 adults who were consecutively enrolled for at least 1 year before and 2.5 years after the CRA. Variables representing the number of teeth with any caries-related treatment procedure and receipt of preventive treatment were created. Results: The outcome variable of interest was having at least one tooth with a caries-related procedure in the 2-year follow-up period. In plan A, the recommendation for home-use fluoride was not significantly related to caries-related treatment procedures in the follow-up period for individuals at low, moderate or high risk (P > 0.300). In plan B, application of in-office fluoride was associated with having at least one tooth with a caries-related treatment procedure in the follow-up period (P < 0.001). Conclusions: We found incomplete compliance with guidelines for recommendation or administration of preventive treatment for patients at elevated risk for caries. We were also unable to identify any significant reductions in caries-related procedures for individuals receiving a fluoride intervention, compared with those who did not, when stratified by risk level.
Nonlinear Image Restoration: What We Have Learned

The first nonlinear image restoration algorithms were devised a little more than a decade ago. The subsequent development of this subject by a number of research workers has produced a rich and fascinating literature. But because much of it is located in unfamiliar journals and publications, many astronomical newcomers to the field may be unaware of this work. It has been known since the discovery of the nonlinear image restoration techniques that they have pronounced performance advantages over linear restoration techniques in astronomical applications, and many of the published examples of nonlinear restorations of imagery have involved astronomical data. The new image detector systems appearing in optical astronomy, particularly CCDs, produce images of a quality that fully justifies the employment of sophisticated algorithms for the extraction of the maximum amount of information from the data. This review of the literature has been prepared in the hope that it will encourage new astronomical workers to enter into it.
A Specific Primed Immune Response in Drosophila Is Dependent on Phagocytes

Drosophila melanogaster, like other invertebrates, relies solely on its innate immune response to fight invading microbes; by definition, innate immunity lacks adaptive characteristics. However, we show here that priming Drosophila with a sublethal dose of Streptococcus pneumoniae protects against an otherwise-lethal second challenge of S. pneumoniae. This protective effect exhibits coarse specificity for S. pneumoniae and persists for the life of the fly. Although not all microbial challenges induced this specific primed response, we find that a similar specific protection can be elicited by Beauveria bassiana, a natural fly pathogen. To characterize this primed response, we focused on S. pneumoniae–induced protection. The mechanism underlying this protective effect requires phagocytes and the Toll pathway. However, activation of the Toll pathway is not sufficient for priming-induced protection. This work contradicts the paradigm that insect immune responses cannot adapt and will promote the search for similar responses overlooked in organisms with an adaptive immune response.
Navigating circular library stacks: a case study on signage

Purpose – The intent of this paper is to outline a case study that addressed signage issues in a circulating book collection at a four‐year college library. A signage redesign project is detailed, with special attention paid to the challenges of a complex and often confusing layout.Design/methodology/approach – A consistent and comprehensive stack signage system involving the implementation of a color‐coded scheme, along with a variety of new informational and wayfinding signs, was designed. The project also supported the creation of a corresponding digital map linked to library catalog.Findings – The redesigned stack signage system contributed to a dramatic increase in the number of books checked out from the circulating collection. A pattern of positive responses observed during reference services and library instruction sessions also supports the favorable outcome of the project.Research limitations/implications – The study would benefit from a survey or related data that could quantify the impact of t...
Developments in the internal dosimetry of radiopharmaceuticals

Various radionuclides are used in nuclear medicine in different diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Recently, interest has grown in therapeutic agents for some interesting applications in nuclear medicine. Internal dose models and methods in use for many years are well established, and can give radiation doses to stylised models representing reference individuals. Kinetic analyses need to be carefully planned, and dose conversion factors that are most similar to the subject in question should be chosen, which can then be tailored somewhat to be more patient-specific. Internal dose calculations, however, are currently not relevant in patient management in internal emitter therapy, as they are not sufficiently accurate or detailed to guide clinical decision-making, and as calculated doses have historically not been well correlated with observed effects on tissues. Great strides are being made at many centres regarding the use of patient image data to construct individualised voxel-based models for more detailed and patient-specific dose calculations, and new findings are encouraging regarding improvement of internal dose models to provide better correlations of dose and effect. These recent advances make it likely that the relevance will soon change to be more similar to that of external beam treatment planning.
Analysis of CD25hiCD4+ “regulatory” T-cell subtypes in atopic dermatitis reveals a novel TH2-like population

Background It is unresolved whether circulating CD25 hi CD4 + T cells in patients with atopic dermatitis who have elevated IgE (IgE high ) are regulatory or effector in nature. Objective To analyze the properties of CD25 hi T-cell subtypes in IgE high atopic dermatitis. Methods The phenotype of circulating CD25 hi T cells was analyzed by flow cytometry using PBMCs from patients with atopic dermatitis (total IgE > 250 IU/mL). Cytokines induced in CD25 hi subtypes were analyzed after activation with anti-CD3 mAb (±IL-2) and in the presence of activated autologous effector T cells (CD25 neg CD4 + ). Reactivity to bacterial superantigen derived from the skin-colonizing organism Staphylococcus aureus was also evaluated. Results CD25 hi T cells expressing regulatory T-cell markers (Foxp3, CCR4, cutaneous lymphocyte-associated antigen) were increased in atopic dermatitis compared with IgE low controls. This phenomenon was linked to disease severity. Two subtypes of CD25 hi T cells were identified on the basis of differential expression of the chemokine receptor CCR6. Although the ratio of CCR6 + and CCR6 neg subtypes within the CD25 hi subset was unaltered in atopic dermatitis, each subtype proliferated spontaneously ex vivo , suggesting in vivo activation. Activated CCR6 neg cells secreted T H 2 cytokines, and coculture with effector T cells selectively enhanced IL-5 production. Moreover, induction of a T H 2-dominated cytokine profile on activation with bacterial superantigen was restricted to the CCR6 neg subtype. Conclusion Despite a regulatory phenotype, activated CD25 hi T cells that lack expression of CCR6 promote T H 2 responses.
Patterns of temperature adaptation in North American Atlantic coastal actinians

Although acutely measured rate processes in coelenterates show close correlation with the Van't Hoff Q10 rule and the distribution of many coelenterate groups is correlated with temperature, little is known about coelenterate temperature adaptation. Analysis of lethal temperatures shows that the southern distribution of 3 species of North Atlantic actinians is correlated with their upper lethal temperature. Oxygen consumption data from acute measurements indicate conformity to the Q10 rule. Oxygen consumption data from animals pre-exposed to various temperatures indicate that oxygen consumption is capable of acclimation to temperature. Metridium senile from Massachusetts shows positive acclimation, typical of a poikilotherm partially regulating its metabolic rate in response to temperature change. Two species from Virginia, Haliplanella luciae and Diadumene leucolena, appear to show a reverse pattern. Their response includes encystment and negative adjustment of metabolic rate, showing evasion rather than regulation in response to environmental change. Temperature has a marked effect on parameters of the activity pattern of Diadumene leucolena, but the temperature sensitivity of activity is not correlated with that of oxygen consumption.
Oestrogen receptor binding is not restricted to target nuclei.

WHEN oestrogen molecules enter a target cell they are bound by specific receptors in the cytoplasm which then enter the nucleus carrying the hormone1. In the nucleus the hormone-receptor complexes bind to acceptor sites, where they presumably initiate the sequence of events comprising the hormone response.
IT Value: From Moore's Law to a Flat World

The article discusses five perspectives expressing different facets of IT value. Each perspective has merit, with both proponents and detractors. Some deal more with the actual technology, while others focus on its artifacts. The best way to consider IT is to use multiple perspectives. A single measure such as net present value doesn't adequately explain IT's impact on an organization. Taken together, the five perspectives on IT value are robust enough to allow debate and disagreement while still allowing decision makers to achieve consensus. To secure funding for an IT project, consensus must be build among decision makers.
Good Women Bake Good Biscuits : Cookery and Identity in Antebellum American Fiction

Culinary skill figures as a measure of a woman's self-worth in mid nineteenth-century US culture. For novelists as varied as Fanny Fern, Caroline Howard Gilman, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Augustus Baldwin Longstreet, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Susan Warner, women who cook well serve as moral exemplars while women who cannot face social stigma. By popularizing this extended metaphor, these authors participate in a much larger cultural response to accelerations in industrialization and urbanization. They join the writers of conduct books, domestic manuals and cookbooks in an effort to replace support networks being destroyed by the breakdown of the extended family, modernize old workways superseded by new technology, and stress the importance of the domestic sphere in a period when “work” increasingly meant something that took place outside of the home.
Flavor release from cyclodextrin complexes: Comparison of alpha, beta, and gamma types

: Release of 6 flavor molecules from cyclodextrins (CyDs) was studied in 3.6% aqueous ethanol over the temperature range 5 to 85°C. Headspace measurements of l-menthol, ethyl butyrate, ethyl hexanoate, benzaldehyde, citral, and methyl anthranilate above individual solutions of each, containing 1% or 0.1% of α-, β-, and γ-CyD, were made relative to control systems containing no CyD. Significant interactions were observed even at elevated temperature and flavor/CyD binding often showed strong temperature dependence. Results were generally substantiated by sensory evaluation. Our data suggest that CyDs may alter the sensory profile of a food and the effect maybe temperature-dependent.
The effects of visual similarity on proofreading for misspellings

In three experiments, subjects read prose passages and circled misspellings in them. The misspelled words were created by replacing a single letter with another one. The visual similarity between the correct letter and the one that was substituted for it increased the percentage of proofreading errors. The results suggest that proofreaders search through a visual representation of the text and that a hierarchical feature test is applied to this representation, according to which subjects give first priority to resolving letter envelope and second priority to discriminating additional visual features. A sophisticated-guessing decision rule is also implicated for the misspellings that do not alter letter envelope: Subjects are tolerant of missing letter features but are intolerant of additional features.
Hybrid Energy Storage System for GSHP Black Start

This document researchs on 55kW GSHP black start based on 250kW/250kWh battery system and 50kW/10s super capacitor. The modeling methods of asynchronous motor, battery system, super capacitor and PCS are given. According to three black start conditions: direct start, star delta start and frequency conversion start, simulates and analyses the results. During black start, the max AC bus voltage drop reaches 60%, and hybrid energy storage system is able to effectively inhibit the inrush current.
Point-of-care platelet reactivity determination with VerifyNow-P2Y12 following administration of clopidogrel or prasugrel: data from a real-world, clinical care inpatient setting.

AbstractObjectives: To describe VerifyNow-P2Y12 (VN-P2Y12, Accumetrics, San Diego, CA) results from patients treated with either clopidogrel or prasugrel who were seeking care in a hospital setting. Background: VN-P2Y12 is a point-of-care device that measures platelet reactivity to adenosine diphosphate. Past assessments of thienopyridine therapy utilizing VN-P2Y12 have largely come from clinical trial settings. There are limited data from real-world settings. Methods: Electronic medical record data from Huntsville Hospital (Huntsville, AL) for those who underwent VN-P2Y12 testing for clopidogrel or prasugrel between January 1, 2009 and October 31, 2010 were analyzed. The VN-P2Y12 data included P2Y12 reaction units (PRUs) and device-reported percentage of inhibition. Descriptive analyses were conducted with t tests, and a logistic regression model was estimated to assess the association between patient characteristics and the likelihood of platelet nonresponse. Results: In total, 2882 tests (2476 with clo...
Excitation of solar p-modes

We investigate the rates at which energy is supplied to individual p-modes as a function of their frequencies v and angular degrees l. The observationally determined rates are compared with those calculated on the hypothesis that the modes are stochastically excited by turbulent convection. The observationally determined excitation rate is assumed to be equal to the product of the mode's energy E and its (radian) line width Г. We obtain E from the mode's mean square surface velocity with the aid of its velocity eigenfunction. We assume that Г measures the mode's energy decay rate, even though quasi-elastic scattering may dominate true absorption. At fixed l, EГ rises as v^7 at low v, reaches a peak at v ≈ 3.5 mHz, and then declines as v^(-4•4) at higher v. At fixed v, EГ exhibits a slow decline with increasing l. To calculate energy input rates, P_ α, we rely on the mixing-length model of turbulent convection. We find entropy fluctuations to be about an order of magnitude more effective than the Reynolds stress in exciting p-modes. The calculated P_ α mimic the v^7 dependence of EГ at low v and the v^(-4•4) dependence at high v. The break of 11.4 powers in the v-dependence of EГ across its peak is attributed to a combination of (1) the reflection of high-frequency acoustic waves just below the photosphere where the scale height drops precipitously and (2) the absence of energy-bearing eddies with short enough correlation times to excite high-frequency modes. Two parameters associated with the eddy correlation time are required to match the location and shape of the break. The appropriate values of these parameters, while not unnatural, are poorly constrained by theory. The calculated P_ α can also be made to fit the magnitude of EГ with a reasonable value for the eddy aspect ratio. Our results suggest a possible explanation for the decline of mode energy with increasing l at fixed v. Entropy fluctuations couple to changes in volume associated with the oscillation mode. These decrease with decreasing n at fixed v, becoming almost zero for the ƒ-mode.
Uplift rate of Adirondack anorthosite measured by fission-track analysis of apatite

The uplift history of the Adirondack anorthosite has been clarified by analyzing apatite using the fission-track method. Ages ranged from 86 to 147 m.y. on samples collected over an elevation difference of 11,560 m in the anorthosite massif. An uplift rate of about 0.03 mm/yr is obtained for the 61-m.y. interval from 86 to 147 m.y. ago, on the basis of the correlation between fission-track age and elevation. The calculated value for the uplift rate during the past 86 m.y. is 0.05 mm/yr. A Mesozoic “hotspot epeirogeny” is not required to explain the uplift rates based on apatite fission-track data.
Predictors of mortality in end-stage renal disease patients with mitral annulus calcification.

ABSTRACT Objective Mitral annulus calcification (MAC) is an independent predictor of cardiovascular mortality in the general population. The purpose of the current historical cohort study is to assess risk factors for long-term mortality in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients with MAC (n = 30; age, 62 ± 2 yr), as compared to ESRD patients without MAC (n = 30; age, 63 ± 2 yr). Additional analysis compared ESRD patients with MAC to non-ESRD patients with MAC (n = 32; age, 66 ± 2 yr). Methods The groups included age-matched male patients followed at a single center. Long-term survival was assessed by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Regular and stepwise Cox proportional hazards models were used to determine risk factors for mortality. Results There was a similarly high prevalence of cardiovascular complications, including hypertension, coronary artery disease, left ventricular hypertrophy, atrial fibrillation, and congestive heart failure, in all three groups. Median survival time was significantly longer in non-ESRD patients (90 months), compared with the ESRD with MAC (45 months) and ESRD without MAC (45 months) patients (log-rank test; P Conclusion The mortality rate was high in ESRD patients, approximately 15% per year. After accounting for baseline cardiovascular disease and traditional risk factors, the presence of MAC did not confer additional risk for mortality.
On the symmetric bilateral AR processes

It is shown that a bilateral AR(BAR) process can be represented by a symmetric BAR model. A sufficient condition is presented to determine the symmetric BAR model uniquely. Under the same condition a symmetric BAR process can be represented by a symmetric bilateral MA model of order ∞. Also, an easy method is presented to calculate autocorrelations of a symmetric BAR process.
Low hydrogen containing amorphous carbon films—Growth and electrochemical properties as lithium battery anodes

Abstract Amorphous carbon films were deposited successfully on Cu foils by DC magnetron sputtering technique. Electrochemical performance of the film as lithium battery anode was evaluated across Li metal at 0.2 C rate in a non-aqueous electrolyte. The discharge curves showed unusually low irreversible capacity in the first cycle with a reversible capacity of ∼810 mAh g−1, which is at least 2 times higher than that of graphitic carbon. For the first time we report here an amorphous carbon showing such a high reversibility in the first cycle, which is very much limited to the graphitic carbon. The deposited films were extensively characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and step profilometer for the structural and surface properties. The hydrogen content of the synthesized films was studied using residual gas analysis (RGA). The low hydrogen content and the low specific surface area of the synthesized amorphous carbon film are considered responsible for such a high first cycle columbic efficiency. The growth mechanism and the reasons for enhanced electrochemical performance of the carbon films are discussed.