cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exploring factors associated with pressure ulcers: a data mining approach.

Abstract Background Pressure ulcers are associated with a nearly three-fold increase in in-hospital mortality. It is essential to investigate how other factors besides the Braden scale could enhance the prediction of pressure ulcers. Data mining modeling techniques can be beneficial to conduct this type of analysis. Data mining techniques have been applied extensively in health care, but are not widely used in nursing research. Purpose To remedy this methodological gap, this paper will review, explain, and compare several data mining models to examine patient level factors associated with pressure ulcers based on a four year study from military hospitals in the United States. Methods The variables included in the analysis are easily accessible demographic information and medical measurements. Logistic regression, decision trees, random forests, and multivariate adaptive regression splines were compared based on their performance and interpretability. Results The random forests model had the highest accuracy (C-statistic) with the following variables, in order of importance, ranked highest in predicting pressure ulcers: days in the hospital, serum albumin, age, blood urea nitrogen, and total Braden score. Conclusion Data mining, particularly, random forests are useful in predictive modeling. It is important for hospitals and health care systems to use their own data over time for pressure ulcer risk prediction, to develop risk models based upon more than the total Braden score, and specific to their patient population.
Effects of c‐Jun and a negative dominant mutation of c‐Jun on differentiation and gene expression in lens epithelial cells

We have used a retroviral vector (RCAS) to overexpress wild-type chicken c-Jun or a deletion mutant of chicken c-Jun (Jun delta 7) lacking the DNA binding region to investigate the possible role of c-Jun in lens epithelial cell proliferation and differentiation. Both constructs were efficiently expressed in primary cultures of embryonic chicken lens epithelial cells. Overexpression of c-Jun increased the rate of cell proliferation and greatly delayed the appearance of "lentoid bodies," structures which contain differentiated cells expressing fiber cell markers. Excess c-Jun expression also significantly decreased the level of beta A3/A1-crystallin mRNA, without affecting alpha A-crystallin mRNA. In contrast, the mutated protein, Jun delta 7, had no effect on proliferation or differentiation but markedly increased the level of alpha A-crystallin mRNA in proliferating cell cultures. These results suggest that c-Jun or Jun-related proteins may be negative regulators of alpha A- and beta A3/A1-crystallin genes in proliferating lens cells.
Designing organic phosphine oxide host materials using heteroarmatic building blocks: inductive effects on electroluminescence

Phosphine oxide substitution of small molecules with high triplet exciton energies allows development of vacuum sublimable, electron transporting host materials for blue OLEDs. Heteroaromatic building blocks (carbazole, dibenzofuran and dibenzothiophene) with E T ~ 3 eV were incorporated into phosphine oxide (PO) structures. External quantum efficiencies (EQEs) at lighting brightness (i.e., 800 cd/m 2 ) reached as high as 9.8% at 5.2V for OLEDs using the heteroaromatic PO hosts doped with the sky blue phosphor, iridium(III)bis(4,6-(di-fluorophenyl)-pyridinato- N,C 2, ) picolinate (FIrpic). Comparing device properties at a similar current density (i.e., J = 13 mA/cm 2 ) showed the dibenzothiophene-bridged PO compound exhibits the highest EQEs and lowest operating voltages at all phosphor dopant levels. These results are explained with respect to the effects of the inductive phosphine oxide substituents on electrochemical, photophysical and electroluminescence properties of the substituted heteroaromatic building blocks.
Depolarization of membrane potential and the smooth muscle contraction by isothiocyanatobenzyl imidazoline in guinea-pig stomach circular muscle.

Isothiocyanatobenzyl imidazoline (IBI) produces characteristic slowly developing contraction of many smooth muscle preparations including the circular smooth muscle of the guinea-pig stomach. Changes in the membrane potential were recorded intracellularly, and the muscle contraction induced by IBI was investigated. IBI at 100 µmol/l slowly produced a sustained depolarization of the membrane with a maximum change of approximately 15 mV. This depolarization could not be blocked by l-hyoscyamine, 100 nmol/l. An imidazoline analogue, oxymetazoline at 1 µmol/l, did not change the resting membrane potential as observed after IBI. Significant membrane depolarization after IBI still occurred in Ca2+-free medium.
Comparative results of the use of ACTH, cortisone, and hydrocortisone in the treatment of intractable bronchial asthma and pulmonary emphysema.

Abstract A total of 163 patients with intractable asthma and pulmonary emphysema with bronchospasm were given 309 courses of ACTH, cortisone, or hydrocortisone. Complete or partial remission was observed in 82.3 per cent of the ACTH courses. Of the cortisone-treated patients, 86.2 per cent of the courses showed a similar response. Complete or partial relief of bronchospasm and dyspnea was observed in 96 per cent of the courses of hydrocortisone administered at a dosage level averaging 50 to 60 per cent of that employed with cortisone. The duration of remission induced by the short, intensive courses of either ACTH, cortisone, or hydrocortisone was generally short-lived, averaging approximately 2 to 3 weeks. No significant difference in the duration of remission induced by these hormonal agents was found. Patients with bronchial asthma generally manifested a more complete remission than those with the broncho-spastic type of pulmonary emphysema. The effects produced with hydrocortisone differed from that of cortisone in the following manner: (1) a swifter onset of therapeutic benefit, i.e., in 18 to 36 hours with hydrocortisone as compared to 4 to 5 days with cortisone, (2) a decreased dosage requirement of approximately one-half to two-thirds of the cortisone dosage for comparable effect, and (3) a significant reduction in the adverse side reactions, due in all probability to the decreased dosage employed. The best results from the use of hormonal therapy took place in the following two clinical entities: (1) patients in whom persistent bronchospasm was the result of exposure to seasonal factors such as pollen, and (2) patients in whom the asthmatic state had been previously moderately well-controlled but in whom intractable bronchospasm developed following an upper respiratory infection. Although short, intensive courses of ACTH or the steroids seemed preferable to maintenance therapy in these two groups, in 21 of the 30 patients with chronic intractable asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, and advanced pulmonary emphysema, clinical improvement was maintained for 9 to 24 months by a daily dose of 20 to 75 mg. of cortisone or hydrocortisone. The adverse side effects of administration of the corticosteroids and ACTH were generally lessened by a low-sodium diet, administration of potassium chloride, and the use of antibiotic drugs in the presence of bronchial and sinus infections. The effectiveness of hydrocortisone at approximately one-half the dosage level of cortisone was accompanied by a significant reduction in the incidence of adverse side reactions. One patient who took cortisone against advice for 3 months developed bilateral pulmonary tuberculosis. One fatality occurred in a patient with severe bronchial asthma after repeated courses of both ACTH and cortisone. Delirium accompanied by exhaustion, fever, and cardiorespiratory failure suggested an Addisonian-like crisis.
PENALTY APPROXIMATIONS TO THE STATIONARY POWER-LAW NAVIER-STOKES PROBLEM

In this work, penalty approximations to the steady state Navier-Stokes problem governed by the the power-law model for viscous incompressible non-Newtonian flows in bounded convex domains in Rd (2 ≤ d) are studied. Existence and uniqueness of solutions to the penalty approximations are proved, convergence is shown, and rates of convergence are derived.
The neural mechanism of logical thinking.

A theory of such neural circuits is developed which provide for formal logical thinking. As a by-product of this study, a neural mechanism is indicated which provides for the conception of ordinal numbers. A quantitative theory of the probability of erroneous reasoning and of the speed of reasoning in its relations to other psychological phenomena is suggested.
Tumor necrosis factor-α-induced caspase activation mediates endotoxin-related cardiac dysfunction*

Objective:Sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction is a serious clinical syndrome characterized by hypotension, decreased systemic vascular resistance, and elevated cardiac index. Although cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α have been shown to play a significant role early in this response, th
Milestones in fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry technique development

Abstract The present range and power of Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry rest on a number of prior technique developments. In this article, selected developments in neutral/ion introduction, ionization methods, excitation/detection, ion trap configuration/operating modes, ion dissociation and MS/MS, ion cooling techniques, theory and data reduction are briefly explained and chronicled. Evidence for the value of these techniques is provided by a compilation of current world records for mass resolution, mass resolving power and mass accuracy. With these capabilities, it becomes possible to resolve and identify up to thousands of components of a complex mixture, often without prior wet chemical separation, thereby potentially changing the whole approach to dealing with chemical and biological complexity.
Point Mutations in awdKpn Which Revert the Prune/Killer of Prune Lethal Interaction Affect Conserved Residues That Are Involved in Nucleoside Diphosphate Kinase Substrate Binding and Catalysis

The awd gene of Drosophila melanogaster encodes a nucleoside diphosphate kinase. Killer of prune (Kpn) is a mutation in the awd gene which substitutes Ser for Pro at position 97 and causes dominant lethality in individuals that do not have a functional prune gene. This lethality is not due to an inadequate amount of nucleoside diphosphate (NDP) kinase activity. In order to understand why the prune/Killer of prune combination is lethal, even in the presence of an adequate NDP kinase specific activity level, and to understand the biochemical basis for the conditional lethality of the awdKpn mutation, we generated second site mutations which revert this lethal interaction. All of the 12 revertants we recovered are second site mutations of the awdKpn gene. Three revertants have deletions of the awdKpn protein coding region. Two revertants have substitutions of the initiator methionine and do not accumulate KPN protein. Seven revertants have amino acid substitutions of conserved residues that are likely to affect the active site: five of these have no enzymatic activity and two have a very low level of specific activity. These data suggest that an altered NDP kinase activity is involved in the mechanism underlying the conditional lethality of the awdKpn mutation.
Application of L1-Norm Regularization to Epicardial Potential Solution of the Inverse Electrocardiography Problem

The electrocardiographic inverse problem of computing epicardial potentials from multi-electrode body-surface ECG measurements, is an ill-posed problem. Tikhonov regularization is commonly employed, which imposes penalty on the L2-norm of the potentials (zero-order) or their derivatives. Previous work has indicated superior results using L2-norm of the normal derivative of the solution (a first order regularization). However, L2-norm penalty function can cause considerable smoothing of the solution. Here, we use the L1-norm of the normal derivative of the potential as a penalty function. L1-norm solutions were compared to zero-order and first-order L2-norm Tikhonov solutions and to measured 'gold standards' in previous experiments with isolated canine hearts. Solutions with L1-norm penalty function (average relative error [RE] = 0.36) were more accurate than L2-norm (average RE = 0.62). In addition, the L1-norm method localized epicardial pacing sites with better accuracy (3.8 +/- 1.5 mm) compared to L2-norm (9.2 +/- 2.6 mm) during pacing in five pediatric patients with congenital heart disease. In a pediatric patient with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, the L1-norm method also detected and localized two distinct areas of early activation around the mitral valve annulus, indicating the presence of two left-sided pathways which were not distinguished using L2 regularization.
The biosynthesis of two new physiological substances, 5-ribosylisocytosine and 3-ribosylisocytosine

Abstract The cytoplasmic supernatant fluid which is prepared from homogenates of a strain of Penicillium brevi-compactum contains enzymes which catalyze the amination of 5-ribosyluracil to a nucleoside which is tentatively characterized as 5-ribosylisocytosine as well as enzymes which catalyze the addition of ribose phosphates to isocytosine to form nucleotides which are tentatively characterized as containing 5-ribosylisocytosine and 3-ribosylisocytosine.
Implications of increased left ventricular mass index on in-hospital outcomes in patients undergoing aortic valve surgery☆

Abstract Background: Increased left ventricular mass index has been shown to be associated with higher mortality in epidemiologic studies. However, the effect of increased left ventricular mass index on outcomes in patients undergoing aortic valve replacement is unknown. Methods: We studied 473 consecutive patients undergoing elective aortic valve replacement to assess the influence of left ventricular mass index on outcomes in patients having this procedure. Echocardiographic left ventricular dimensions were used to calculate left ventricular mass index (considered increased if >134 g/m 2 in male patients and >110 g/m 2 in female patients). Results: Left ventricular mass index was increased in 24% of patients undergoing aortic valve replacement. Postprocedural complications (respiratory failure, renal insufficiency, congestive heart failure, and atrial and ventricular arrhythmias), length of stay in the intensive care unit, and in-hospital mortality were increased in patients with increased left ventricular mass index. Multivariable analysis identified prior valve surgery (odds ratio, 4.3; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-15.7; P =.030), left ventricular ejection fraction (odds ratio, 1.07; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.14; P =.020), history of hypertension (odds ratio, 8.2; 95% confidence interval, 2.2-30.4; P =.002), history of liver disease (odds ratio, 50.4; 95% confidence interval, 4.2-609.0; P =.002), and increased left ventricular mass index (odds ratio, 38; 95% confidence interval, 9.3-154.1; P ||.001) as independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. Furthermore, low output syndrome was identified as the most common mode of death (36%) after aortic valve replacement in patients with increased left ventricular mass index. Conclusions: Increased left ventricular mass index is associated with increased adverse in-hospital clinical outcomes in patients undergoing aortic valve replacement. Although this finding warrants special modification in perioperative management, further studies are needed to address whether outcomes in asymptomatic patients with aortic valve disease could be improved by earlier aortic valve replacement before a significant increase in left ventricular mass index. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2001;122:919-28
Cervical enamel projections as an etiologic factor in furcation involvement

The relationship between cervical enamel projections and the involvement of periodontal furcation was studied. Two thousand molars in 200 East Indian skulls were examined for the incidence, location, and type of cervical enamel projections. The relationship between these projections and periodontal furcation involvements was studied. The results indicate that cervical enamel projections, severe enough to approach or enter a furcation area, may be implicated in the breakdown of periodontal support in these areas.
Gene expression changes related to endocrine function and decline in reproduction in fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) after dietary methylmercury exposure.

BackgroundMethylmercury (MeHg) is a known neurotoxic agent, but the mechanisms by which MeHg may act on reproductive pathways are relatively unknown. Several studies have indicated potential change...
On the computation of aggregate claims distributions: some new approximations

Abstract This paper proposes a new approximation to the aggregate claims distribution based on the inverse Gaussian (IG) distribution. It is compared to several other approximations in the literature. The IG approximation compares favorably to the well-known gamma approximation. We also propose an IG-gamma mixture that approximates the true distribution extremely accurately, in a large variety of situations.
Hamilton-Jacobi separable, axisymmetric, perfect-fluid solutions of Einstein's equations

In this paper we examine the Einstein equations with a perfect fluid source under the assumptions of (i) axial symmetry and time-independence, (ii) uniform rotation of the fluid about the symmetry axis, and (iii) separability of the Hamilton-Jacobi equation for the null geodesics of the space. These assumptions are made in an attempt to generalize the results of a similar investigation by Carter for the source-free case.
Prolonged Epidural Infusion Improves Functional Outcomes Following Knee Arthroscopy in Patients with Arthrofibrosis after Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Retrospective Evaluation.

A total of 20 consecutive patients with knee stiffness post total knee arthroplasty (TKA) underwent arthroscopic lysis of adhesions and manipulation plus indwelling epidural were evaluated retrospectively. Epidural catheters were placed preoperatively for an intended 6 weeks of postoperative analgesia to facilitate intensive physical therapy. The mean loss of knee extension immediately before incision was 13.5 ± 9.1 degrees (range, 0–35 degrees) and flexion was 77.65 ± 19.2 degrees (range, 45–125 degrees). At the 6-week and final (mean, 0.47 years) follow-up, the loss of extension was 1.5 ± 5.1 degrees (range, −10 to +7 degrees) and 5.4 ± 4.7 degrees (range, 0–15 degrees), respectively, and flexion was 99.7 ± 12.3 degrees (range, 75–120 degrees) and 98.5 ± 16.1 degrees (range, 75–130 degrees), respectively. Of the 20 patients, 2 missed their 6-week clinic visit. Improvements in motion immediately preoperative to 6-week and final follow-up were each significant (p
The Role of the Air Traffic Controller in Future Air Traffic Management: An Empirical Study of Active Control versus Passive Monitoring

Proposals for air traffic management such as Free Flight call for a transfer of responsibility for separation between aircraft from air traffic controllers (ATCos) to pilots. Under many proposals, the role of the ATCo will change from one of active control to passive monitoring. The present study directly compared these types of control with respect to ATCo mental workload, conflict detection, and memory. Eighteen ATCos participated in an air traffic control simulation of Free Flight procedures under moderate and high traffic load. Dependent variables included accuracy and timeliness in detecting potential conflicts, accepting and handing off aircraft, mental workload (as assessed by a secondary task, heart rate variability, and subjective ratings), and memory for aircraft location. High traffic density and passive control both degraded conflict detection performance. Actual or potential applications of this research include the recommendation that designs for future air traffic management keep authority for separation of aircraft with the controller.
Conservation in Self and Object

Evidence for another decalage in concrete operational thought was found. Under analogous transformations, first and second graders conserved the mass, weight, and volume of a clay ball before they conserved their own mass, weight, and volume.
The inhibitory effects of concanavalin A on the development of the amphibian embryo.

Concanavalin A exerts a reversible inhibition upon gastrulation and neurulation in the amphibian embryo. This inhibition depends on concentration and is attenuated when the embryonic capsules are left intact.
Blithe Heterodoxy: Reading John of Morigny's Fourteenth-century Magic through Michel Foucault and Hélène Cixous

AbstractThe writings and life of the fourteenth-century Benedictine monk John of Morigny present a tricky nut to crack for the scholar who would describe and delimit John's position within medieval Catholicism. John's more normative monastic habits of liturgical participation, study, and prayer were supplemented by a series of practices laid out in his Liber florum, a text of prayers and figures, which was eventually condemned by authorities in Paris in 1323 as sorcery. John and his work are located in the simultaneously productive and perilous regions of not-quite orthodoxy, a positioning that is highlighted here through formulations offered by Michel Foucault's concept of heterotopias and Helene Cixous's idea of productive exile. These borderlands allow thinkers like John a more creative relation to their Catholic faith, a relation that grants a higher degree of agency over what might be expected of allegedly rule-bound and liturgically governed monastics.
``Language and Computers'': Creating an Introduction for a General Undergraduate Audience

This paper describes the creation of Language and Computers, a new course at the Ohio State University designed to be a broad overview of topics in computational linguistics, focusing on applications which have the most immediate relevance to students. This course satisfies the mathematical and logical analysis requirement at Ohio State by using natural language systems to motivate students to exercise and develop a range of basic skills in formal and computational analysis. In this paper we discuss the design of the course, focusing on the success we have had in offering it, as well as some of the difficulties we have faced.
Intracellular Delivery Strategies for MicroRNAs and Potential Therapies for Human Cardiovascular Diseases

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) effectively regulate gene expression in cultured cells and human disease models, and such regulation can be blocked with antibodies against miRNAs if miRNA-associated adverse effects occur. Promising findings using miRNAs to prevent disease progression in animal studies give hope to patients with disorders caused by dysregulated gene expression, such as cardiovascular diseases. Inflammatory cell infiltration, endothelial cell dysfunction, and angiogenesis are common pathologies of cardiovascular diseases. Accumulating data suggest that miRNA-mediated inhibition of gene expression can drive these pathologies in cardiac tissue or vasculature. It is often desirable to deliver exogenously prepared miRNAs or antibodies against miRNAs to target genes or miRNAs in specific cell or tissue types. Because naked miRNAs or antibodies against miRNAs are often unstable in the circulation, investigation has focused on their packaging and efficient delivery to diseased organs.
Littoral zones as sources of biodegradable dissolved organic carbon in lakes

A survey of 12 lakes in Minnesota, USA, was conducted to examine the factors controlling variability in biodegradable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC) concentration. The principal question addressed...
A convenient homogeneous enzyme immunoassay for estradiol detection

A convenient homogeneous enzyme immunoassay for estradiol is described. Unlike heterogeneous immunoassays, which require time-consuming separation steps or expensive automated systems, homogeneous immunoassays, wherein all reagents are freely suspended in bulk solution, can be simple and fast without costly instrumentation. The key component of this assay system, an estradiol-reporter enzyme conjugate, was prepared by covalently binding β-estradiol-6-(O-carboxymethyl)oxime to glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) by an N-hydroxysuccinimide-enhanced, carbodiimide-mediated coupling reaction. The estradiol-G6PDH activity can be repressed up to 46% upon anti-estradiol antibody binding. The lower detection limit of the assay is 1 nM estradiol in aqueous solution, and the standard curve is linear on logit-log scale-up to 6.7 µM estradiol. A detection limit of 11.5 nM in estradiol-spiked human serum samples suggests the feasibility of applying this assay to monitor estradiol levels for the prediction and prevention of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.
Algorithm design for femtocell base station placement in commercial building environments

Although femtocell deployments in residential buildings have been increasingly prevalent, femtocell deployment in commercial building environments remains in its infancy. One of the main challenges lies in the femtocell base stations (FBS) placement problem, which is complicated by the buildings' size, layout, structure, and floor/wall separations. In this paper, we investigate a joint FBS placement and power control optimization problem in commercial buildings with the aim to prolong mobile handsets' battery lives. We first construct a mathematical model that takes into account the unique floor attenuation factor (FAF) and FBS installation restrictions in building environments. Based on this model, we propose a novel two-step reformulation approach to convert the original mixed-integer nonconvex problem (MINCP) into a mixed-integer linear program (MILP), which enables the design of efficient global optimization algorithms. We then devise a global optimization algorithm by utilizing the MILP in a branch-and-bound framework. This approach guarantees finding a global optimal solution. We conduct extensive numerical studies to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed algorithm. Our mathematical reformulation techniques and optimization algorithm offer useful theoretical insights and valuable tools for future commercial building femtocell deployments.
Visual COKO: a debugger for query optimizer development

Query optimization generates plans to retrieve data requested by queries. Query rewriting, which is the first step of this process, rewrites a query expression into an equivalent form to prepare it for plan generation. COKO-KOLA introduced a new approach to query rewriting that enables query rewrites to be formally verified using an automated theorem prover [1]. KOLA is a language for expressing term rewriting rules that can be "fired" on query expressions. COKO is a language for expressing query rewriting transformations that are too complex to express with simple KOLA rules [2].COKO is a programming language designed for query optimizer development. Programming languages require debuggers, and in this demonstration, we illustrate our COKO debugger: Visual COKO. Visual COKO enables a query optimization developer to visually trace the execution of a COKO transformation. At every step of the transformation, the developer can view a tree-display that illustrates how the original query expression has evolved.
ANOVA, MANOVA, My Black Hen: Comments on Repeated Measures

The article by Ekstrom et al1has two very different messages: statistical reporting needs to be improved, and a common method of analysis (repeated-measures analysis of variance [RM ANOVA]) appears to be improperly used, at the expense of a possibly more appropriate technique (multi See also p 770.variate ANOVA [MANOVA]). The reader whose eyes do not immediately light up at the thought of a bare-knuckle statistical brawl may want to know what the fuss is about. Who needs all those details, and why should I care if my statistician takes his or her ANOVA straight, without an M? WHY REPORT THE DETAILS? In textbooks and classrooms, methodologists remind future experimentalists that the design of investigations and analysis of data work like the two oars of a rowboat: neglect one and you go in circles. To design is to plan, to have an intention and a goal. When it is
The electron affinities of NO and O 2

Abstract In the 1970s, experimental values of the EA of O2 and NO clustered around two values, 0.43 and 0.9 eV for O2 and 0.025 and 0.8 eV for NO. We report new ground state adiabatic electron affinities (AEA), AEA-X: NO; 0.84±0.05 and O2; 0.9±0.05 eV . Excited state EA, AEA∗ for spin orbital coupling states of NO are 0.27 and 0.25±0.02 eV . The activation energies for thermal electron attachment to the X state are both 0.8±0.05 eV . These were obtained by a least squares analysis of electron capture detector data using a two state model incorporating other literature data and their random uncertainties, including AEA, NO, 0.8 5 ±0.08 eV and AEA∗ O2; 0.45 and 0.43±0.01 eV . Morse Potential energy curves illustrate the assignments.
The Creasometer—An Apparatus for Measuring Crease and Pleat Sharpness and Retention

This paper describes an instrument designed to measure the sharpness of a crease or pleat in a fabric specimen. Such data can be used to predict the behavior of garment creases during wear and after washing.
Resource utilization and outcome in gravely ill intensive care unit patients with predicted in-hospital mortality rates of 95% or higher by APACHE III scores: the relationship with physician and family expectations.

OBJECTIVE To assess resource utilization and outcome in gravely ill patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) and the potential association with health care workers' and family members' expectations. PATIENTS AND METHODS We retrospectively evaluated ICU patients with a predicted in-hospital mortality rate of 95% or higher (PM95) using the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation III (APACHE III) on 2 consecutive days. All patients were admitted to a single institution between September 30, 1994, and August 9, 2001. RESULTS The APACHE III database contained data from 38,165 ICU patients during the study interval. Of these, 248 (0.65% of ICU admissions) achieved PM95 status and were included in the study. Between PM95 and hospital discharge, resource utilization (eg, blood transfusion, hemodialysis, surgery, and computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging) was extensive. A total of 23% of patients survived to hospital discharge, yet all but 1 were moderately or severely disabled. One year after achieving PM95, 10% (95% confidence interval, 7%-15%) of patients were alive. For 229 patients, the medical records contained physician documentation that indicated a likely fatal outcome. Thirty-six of these medical records documented unrealistic family expectations of a good outcome. The latter finding correlated with increased resource utilization without significant improvement in 1-year survival. In contrast, absence of physician documentation of a likely fatal outcome in 19 patients correlated with an improved likelihood of hospital (74%) and 1-year (47%) survival. CONCLUSION Despite better-than-predicted survival outcomes, patient functionality and 1-year survival were poor. Unrealistic family expectations were associated with increased resource utilization without significant survival benefit, whereas absence of physician documentation of likely impending death (which correlated with improved survival) may denote the prognostication skills of experienced clinicians.
JPrivacy: A java privacy profiling framework for Big Data applications

Businesses and government agencies are continuously generating and collecting huge amounts of data and building related Big Data applications. Big Data applications involve the collaborative integration of APIs from different providers. A challenge in this domain is to guarantee the conformance of the integration to privacy terms and regulations. In this paper, we present JPrivacy, a privacy profiling framework for Big Data applications. JPrivacy proposes a model for privacy rules and provide the algorithms and related tools to check Java code against these rules. We show through experimentation that JPrivacy can effectively detect privacy violations by statically analyzing a piece of code.
Piaget's Social Theory

Current debate in education on the role of individual and social factors in development often presents Piaget as giving primacy to individual cognitive processes in contrast to Vygotsky's view of the primacy of social and cultural factors. It has even become popular to say that Piaget's child is a solitary scientist, constructing knowledge apart from the social context. This view is in error. To counter the often inaccurate assumptions, Piaget's social theory is summarized, including an account of his consideration of the relations between the individual and the social in sociomoral, affective, and intellectual development. His emphasis on the role of norms in development is discussed. Piaget's view of the identity of cognitive operations and social co-operations is explained with examples. Issues related to Piaget's social theory are raised. The co-operative context favoring operational development is discussed in terms of five general principles of teaching that apply to all levels of education
RELATION OF PARTICLE SIZE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF LIGHT REFLECTED FROM PORCELAIN ENAMEL SURFACES

Various opacifiers were added in increasing percentages to clear, regular white, very opaque white, and acid-resisting enamels. These were ground to various degrees of fineness from coarse down to a few microns or finer; they were applied to sample plates and their reflectances were measured. Increased opacity is obtained by extremely fine milling because of the excellent dispersion of the opacifiers.
Treatment of hereditary spherocytosis in Peromyscus by radiation and allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.

An inherited disease of the bone marrow identical in its pathophysiology to human hereditary spherocytosis has been described in the deer mouse, Peromyscus maniculatus . As Peromyscus are not inbred and of distinct individually-specific histocompatibility, they provide an experimental model system for the use of hemopoietic allotransplantation in the treatment of hereditary diseases of the erythron. Ninety adult mice were exposed to otherwise 100 per cent lethal doses of x-rays and then inoculated intravenously with 20 to 60 million nucleated marrow cells. Marrow was transplanted on a one-to-one donor recipient basis in four combinations of phenotypes: normal to normal; spherocytic to normal; spherocytic to spherocytic; and normal to spherocytic. Mortality and pathology were similar in all groups. Thirty per cent of the hosts died as a direct result of the irradiation within 20 days. Another 30 per cent subsequently succumbed to secondary disease presumably of graft-against-host origin, bringing the overall mortality to 60 per cent at the end of 10 weeks. At 3 months, however, the hematologic status of the survivors, nearly without exception, was of donor phenotype: Genetically spherocytic recipients of normal marrow contained normal red cells; conversely, wild type recipients of spherocytic marrow had assumed the mutant phenotype. Evidence of chronic grafthost interaction was obtained. By 7 months, six mice in the spherocytic to normal transplant group had reassumed the host hematologic phenotype, but only one animal in the normal to spherocytic group reverted to the mutant phenotype.
Quantifying Solid-State Mixtures of Crystalline Indomethacin by Raman Spectroscopy Comparison with Thermal Analysis

This paper investigates Raman spectroscopy as a quick and reliable method to quantify the alpha (α) and gamma (γ) polymorphic forms of indomethacin compared to differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Binary mixtures with different ratios of α and γ indomethacin were prepared and analyzed by Raman and DSC. The Raman method was found to be more reliable and superior compared to DSC. The partial conversion of the alpha to gamma polymorphic form during the DSC measurement was the major limitation for the use of full DSC as a quantitative method and resulted in difference between the calculated and measured enthalpy of both polymorphic forms.
Photogating of ionic currents across lipid bilayers : hydrophobic ion conductance by an ion chain mechanism

The photogating of hydrophobic ion currents across the lipid bilayer membrane allows the direct study of their kinetics by symmetrically forming charge within the membrane and across each interface, rather than across the membrane. We find that the photoinduced conductance continues to increase beyond the region where the tetraphenylboride charge density in the membrane exceeds the estimated porphyrin cation density. This photoconductance is proportional to the tetraphenylboride charge density raised to the second to third power. The risetime of the photogating effect increases with increasing concentration of tetraphenyl boride. The porphyrin cation mobility is increased when the tetraphenylboride anion is present, and low concentrations of tetraphenylphosphonium cation increase the dark conductivity while inhibiting the photoconductivity. The activation energy for both the porphyrin and phosphonium cation induced conductance is more positive than that of the tetraphenylboride conductance. From these results we conclude that in addition to some cancellation of space charge within the membrane, the mechanism of increased conductance involves the transport of these hydrophobic anions via an alternating anion-cation chain, analogous to the Grotthuss mechanism for excess proton conduction in water. This ion chain conductance can be viewed as an evolutionary prototype of an ion channel across the membrane. It also underscores the importance of the counter ion in the transport of large ions such as peptides across the lipid bilayer.
Plasmonic phenomena in metal nanoapertures and chip-scale instrumentation for biochemical sensing

Plasmonic interactions in the metallic nanoaperture array allow for rich phenomena, such as concentration and channeling of light in the subwavelength scale structures. We present high-sensitivity surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy based on a metal nanoslit array. Strong confinement of optical fields in the slit region allows sensitive transduction of surface modification into a shift of surface plasmon resonance wavelength. A metal nanoslit array is also designed to provide spectral filtering in a fashion that is highly scaleable in physical dimension and channel capacity. A spectral sensing technology is presented that can shrink a spectrometer down to a chip-scale, yet offering high sensitivity (~lambda/100) in a broad spectral range (visible to NIR). Overcoming the limitations of diffractive optics, the plasmonics technology is expected to revolutionize the biomedical instrumentation area with it's unique capability in spectroscopy, imaging, and sensing and manipulation of biochemicals.
Nucleic acids and protein in brains and cerebella of rats transplacentally exposed to ethylnitrosourea.

Female rats were injected (IP) with either 15, 60, 100, or 150 mg/kg N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) on gestation day 18. The neurochemical development of the whole brain and the cerebellum was studied in 21- and 60-day old offspring; pups from mothers subjected to 150 mg/kg were examined only at 21 days. Brain weights were significantly reduced in all ENU-exposed groups at 21 days, and the 60 mg/kg group at 60 days. Whole brain DNA and protein concentrations of most ENU groups were elevated at 21 days and RNA content and RNA/DNA ratios were subnormal. Deficits in whole brain DNA content were observed in all ENU groups on day 60. Cerebellar weight was reduced in the 60 and 150 mg/kg groups on day 21 and in the 100 mg/kg group on day 60. At 21 days, reductions in cerebellar DNA and RNA concentrations and contents were often recorded in several ENU groups. Cerebellar DNA concentration and content of the 60 and 100 mg/kg groups remained subnormal at 60 days of age. In general, a dose-response effect was evident in the number and magnitude of neurochemical alterations produced by ENU. These data suggest that transplacental exposure to ENU, a potent neurotropic carcinogen, affects the biochemical maturation of the brain.
RESIN, a FORTRAN IV program for determining the area of influence of samples or drill holes in resource target search

Abstract A FORTRAN IV program that calculates the area of influence of drill holes or samples with respect to the size and shape of elliptical or circular resource targets is presented. Program options include determination of the degree to which areas within a region have been explored and estimation of probabilities that points are centers of undiscovered deposits. Errors of recognition can be utilized in the program input.
High-temperature storage and cycling of C-LiFePO4/graphite Li-ion cells

Abstract The high-temperature storage and cycling characteristics of prismatic Li-ion cells with carbon-coated LiFePO4 cathodes, MCMB graphite anodes and a LiPF6/EC–DEC electrolyte were investigated. The cells showed a significant capacity fade when cycled at 37 and 55 °C. Li–Sn reference electrode studies indicated that the interfacial impedance of the graphite electrode increased significantly during high-temperature cycling. Carbon-coated LiFePO4 electrodes were found to release iron ions into the electrolyte when aged at these temperatures; EDAX analyses confirmed the presence of iron at the surface of the graphite electrodes. The observed impedance rise of the graphite electrodes and the consequent capacity fade of the cells were attributed to the formation of interfacial films that were produced on the graphite electrodes as a result of possible catalytic effects of the metallic iron particles. The cycling stability of the cells was improved significantly when the LiPF6 electrolyte salt was replaced with the lithium bis-oxalatoborate LiB(C2O4)2 salt.
Minimax projection method for linear evolution equations

In this paper we present a minimax projection method for linear evolution equations in Hilbert space. The method extends classical Galerkin approach: it builds a differential-algebraic equation with uncertain parameters that models dynamics of exact projection coefficients representing the projection of the evolution equation's solution onto a finite-dimensional subspace. The a priori ellipsoidal bounding set for uncertain parameters is also constructed. The output of the method is an ellipsoid enclosing exact projection coefficients. The ellipsoid can be constructed numerically: we illustrate this applying the method to 1D heat equation.
Application of SPLINDID, a Semiparametric, Model-Based Method for Pharmacogenomic Modeling of mRNA Dynamics

This study was conducted to evaluate the applicability of SPLINDID, a semiparametric, model-based approach for obtaining transcription rates from the pharmacodynamics of mRNA expression. A nonparametric exponential cubic spline function was used to obtain the transcription rate profile and the dynamics of mRNA expression was fitted using compartmental approaches. The transcription rate profile and mRNA degradation parameter was estimated using maximum likelihood method of ADAPT II software. Data sets containing noise for mRNA levels were simulated for four diverse pharmaceutically relevant conditions: receptor nonlinearity, a model in which the variant mRNAs differing in mRNA degradation constants were transcribed and for a minimal model of the cell cycle. SPLINDID was able to fit the data sets and accurately recapitulate the transcription rate profiles normalized to the mRNA degradation rate constants. The model was also challenged using experimental data containing time profiles of cell-cycle-regulated genes. The SPLINDID approach is flexible in capturing complicated/complex mRNA profiles that are encountered in many experimental data sets.
Noncryogenic FSOT column separation of sulfur‐containing gases

Fused silica open tubular (FSOT) capillary column GC separations of low molecular weight, reactive sulfur-containing gases (S-gases) are significant improvements over packed column separations in terms of resolution, detection limits, and conditioning effects. Nevertheless, some of the problems with current FSOT capillary systems include matrix Injection incompatibilities; detector dead volumes; the necessity for cryogenic initial oven temperatures to separate CO2, H2S, COS, and SO2; and relatively long analysis times to separate later, closely eluting compounds. A noncryogenic FSOT GC-FPD system that either reduces or eliminates these problems is reported. Baseline separation of seven common S-gases (H2S-DMDS) is achieved in less than 5 min with ambient initial oven temperatures via this system, which is a combination of (1) a cryogenic sample concentration/injection design that is flow compatible with a wide-bore FSOT column; (2) a combined DB-1/DB-WAX thick phase, wide-bore FSOT column for greater capacity, retention, and tuned selectivity; and (3) a reduced dead volume FPD to minimize peak width and tailing.
Fostering soil stewardship through soil quality assessment

Abstract Soil quality is not a purchased technology; instead, it is a concept that can be used in making land management decisions. Researchers have generally agreed upon the soil properties that determine soils’ capacity to function and have emphasized that soil quality must be understood in context. Soil quality research has included the following: (1) soil management research, where the effects of management on soil properties and dependent processes are assessed; (2) measurement development for soil quality assessment to be carried out by the farmers themselves, by advisors, or consultants and (3) systems assessments, that consider the physical and cultural contexts that impact soil quality decision-making. Because stewards of the land ultimately determine whether soil quality is improved, maintained, or diminished, many research projects in the US have included the active participation of farmers in efforts to develop the soil quality concept. More effort has been spent on soil management and on the development and testing of farmer oriented measurements than on system assessments. There is growing consensus that the development of soil quality assessments to be used by farmers to solve problems within individual fields will be challenging. Organic matter and organic matter-dependent properties are the most promising indicators for use in a soil quality assessment where the information will be used in management decisions. Unfortunately, the successful development of on-farm measures may not be sufficient to guarantee that soil quality is maintained because there is a mismatch in the temporal and physical scales over which soil quality and farm security are achieved. Educational materials that highlight soil contributions to farm, landscape and global functioning coupled with dialoguing between practitioners, scientists, and policy-makers can communicate the importance of soil quality to sustainability. Successful soil quality efforts will relate soil properties to soil function in a way that fosters stewardship among individuals and builds public support for polices that promote soil management to ensure agriculture, industry, and the natural environment are sustained. Strategies and priorities are expected to vary according to audience, land-use constraints and the intended scale of application.