cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparative effects of oral acebutolol and propranolol at rest and during exercise in ischemic heart disease: Double-blind placebo crossover study utilizing radionuclide ventriculography

Abstract Acebutolol is a new investigational β-antagonist which has intrinsic sympathomimetic and cardioselective properties. In this study its effects on the ischemic consequences following supine bicycle exercise were compared to those of propranolol in 16 patients with chronic stable coronary artery disease (CAD) using a double-blind placebo crossover protocol and equilibrium radionuclide ventriculography. In eight patients (group I), the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) at peak exercise fell under control conditions. During chronic acebutolol therapy (400 mg thrice daily), the exercise-induced LVEF (means ± 1 SD) was significantly higher (37.1 ± 15.5% versus 42.2 ± 14.3%; p p = 0.07). In eight patients (group II) in whom supine bicycle exercise produced increases in LVEF, both acebutolol (58.8 ± 5.4% versus 53.8 ± 4.4%) and propranolol (57.8 ± 5.7% versus 54.1 ± 4.9%) attenuated the increases. In neither group was the resting LVEF reduced by acebutolol or propranolol. The data show that acebutolol and propranolol are approximately equipotent in minimizing the radionuclide left ventriculographic manifestations of myocardial ischemia induced by supine bicycle exercise.
An evaluation of the sensitivity of the intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) method of blood flow measurement to changes in cerebral blood flow

To evaluate the sensitivity of the intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) technique to changes in cerebral blood flow, we made measurements of IVIM parameters in rat brain under conditions of altered arterial pCO2. The arterial pCO2 was varied over a range which would be expected to change cerebral blood flow from roughly 50 to 500 ml/(100 g.min). The IVIM measurements were made with suppression of extravascular water signal. The parameters f' (the apparent fraction of spins which have "fast" pseudodiffusion), D1* (the "fast-pseudodiffusion") coefficient), and D2* (the "slow-pseudodiffusion" coefficient) all showed statistically significant positive linear correlations with arterial pCO2. These results suggest that the IVIM method, when used with suppression of extravascular water signal, is sensitive to changes in blood flow.
Ultrastructure of bovine fetal thymocytes forming non-immune spontaneous erythrocyte rosettes.

Abstract The ultrastructural appearance of bovine fetal thymocytes forming non-immune spontaneous erythrocyte rosettes was studied. The thymocytes-forming rosettes were found to be small, intermitotic lymphocytes. The attachment between the thymocytes and the erythrocytes were usually observed as small contact points.
The Ratio of Oleic-to-Stearic Acid in the Prostate Predicts Biochemical Failure After Radical Prostatectomy for Localized Prostate Cancer

Purpose: To identify lifestyle related factors that may influence the prognosis of clinically localized prostate cancer we evaluated the relative impact of obesity and prostatic fatty acid concentrations at diagnosis on the risk of biochemical failure following radical prostatectomy.Materials and Methods: Height and weight were measured in 195 men scheduled for radical prostatectomy for clinically localized prostate cancer. Fatty acids were measured in nonmalignant prostate tissue collected at surgery. Biochemical failure was defined as detectable serum prostate specific antigen (0.1 ng/ml or greater). Cox proportional hazards models and logistic regression, respectively, were used to analyze the association of obesity (body mass index 30 kg/m2 or greater) and prostatic fatty acid concentrations with time to biochemical failure and the relative odds of biochemical failure at different time points after accounting for prostate specific antigen at diagnosis, surgical margin status, pathological stage, Gleas...
Competitive Ligand-binding Radioassays for Serum Proteins

Abstract This review is concerned with those competitive radioimmunoassays that are utilized for determination of the concentration of human serum proteins. Radioimmunoassays that measure the levels of the immunoglbulins, complement component C3, plasminogen, fibrinogen, hemopexin, haptoglobin, thyroxine-binding globulin, retinol-binding protein, albumin, and histocompatibility antigens are discussed. In these radioimmunoassays, which employ indirect or competitive binding, the amount of unlabeled antigen is directly proportional to the degree of inhibition it exerts on the reaction between antibody and isotope-labeled antigen. To perform the radioassay, one needs an extensively purified antigen, high affinity antibodies, and an effective means of separating the free from the bound antigen. The assays have proven to be sensitive, efficient, and economical. They are invaluable in detecting minute quantities of proteins in serum and other body fluids and are useful in evaluating structural similarities between proteins.
Odor-based recognition of nectar in cursorial spiders

Carnivorous arthropods are known to rely on non-prey foods, such as honeydew, pollen, and nectar. Consumption of plant-based nutrients by spiders also appears to be widespread, especially in cursorial species. This is not surprising, as studies have shown that these spiders’ activity levels, survivorship, and reproduction are increased when their diet includes plant-based nutrients, especially under conditions of prey scarcity. However, the sensory and behavioral means by which they recognize and locate non-prey food is unknown. Here we show that immatures of a nectarivorous spider [ Hibana futilis Banks (Araneae: Anyphaenidae)] can recognize and remember particular chemical stimuli associated with nectar. Following ingestion of minute amounts of sugar, these spiders exhibited counterturning and other local searching behaviors that increased their chances of finding more nectar. When placed on test arenas, spiders that were naive with respect to nectar aroma located artificial nectaries composed of diluted honey significantly faster than unscented nectaries composed of 1  sucrose solution. These results indicate that H. futilis is neurophysiologically and behaviorally adapted for recognizing olfactory stimuli. Interestingly, only spiders that ingested sugar and were engaged in local search responded to nectar aroma, suggesting that stimulation into local search is necessary to prime olfactory responses. We found that H. futilis could be conditioned to associate the presence of nectar with a novel aroma, in this case vanilla, and remember this aroma over the course of several hours. In arenas with vanilla-scented nectaries, spiders that had previous experience feeding on vanillascented sucrose droplets located the nectaries significantly faster than did vanilla-naive spiders. The capacity to remember specific aromas could enhance the spiders’ ability to find nectar, either when moving between different parts of the same plant or among different plant species. The results here indicate that nectarivorous spiders possess the sensory capabilities and programed behaviors necessary for efficient detection, recognition, and location of nectar sources.
A mixture model for distributions of correlation coefficients

An old problem in personnel psychology is to characterize distributions of test validity correlation coefficients. The proposed model views histograms of correlation coefficients as observations from a mixture distribution which, for a fixed sample sizen, is a conditional mixture distributionh(r|n) = Σ j λ j h(r; ρ j ,n), whereR is the correlation coefficient, ρ j are population correlation coefficients and λ j are the mixing weights. The associated marginal distribution ofR is regarded as the parent distribution underlying histograms of empirical correlation coefficients. Maximum likelihood estimates of the parameters ρ j and λ j can be obtained with an EM algorithm solution and tests for the number of componentst are achieved after the (one-component) density ofR is replaced with a tractable modeling densityh(r; ρ j ,n). Two illustrative examples are provided.
92 CARDIOPULMONARY EFFECTS OF A PATENT DUCTUS ARTERIOSUS

The premature newborn's response to increasing degrees of Lt→Rt PDA shunt is unknown. In 14 fetal lambs at 128d gestation (term 147d), we infiltrated the ductus with formalin and placed a mechanical occluder about it so that its patency could be regulated. 3d later the lamb was delivered, given sheep surfactant, paralyzed and mechanically ventilated. Microsphere measurements of left ventricular output (LVO) and its distribution were made prior to and 1.25 h after a change in ductus patency. Twenty four changes from open→closed or closed→open were assigned randomly from 3 to 7 h after delivery. Lambs with ductus shunts 50% LVO (65%) had a significant increase in LVO (164 vs. 300 ml/kg/min), there was a significant decrease in effective systemic blood flow and BP. There were significant decreases in flow to the kidneys, GI tract, brain and carcass. Coronary flow was unchanged but there was a decrease in subendocardial flow. There was no change in HR or pulmonary compliance at either degree of shunt. Preterm lambs are capable of compensating for moderate degrees of PDA shunt by increasing preload and increasing stroke volume; highe degrees of shunt significantly decrease organ blood flow.
Defective Natural Killer Cell Function in Patients with Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis and in First Degree Relatives

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), also referred to as familial erythrophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, is a rare disorder of infancy associated with proliferation of activated histiocytes and T cells, anemia, thrombocytopenia, and fevers. This disorder appears to be due to the uncontrolled activation of T cells producing IL-2, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interferon-gamma. Untreated, the disorder is universally fatal. Various deficits in immune function have been described during acute disease activity including impaired T cell function, impaired monocyte-mediated antibody-dependent cytotoxicity, impaired natural killer cell function, and impaired IL-1 production. We examined natural killer cell function in familial HLH patients to determine whether this finding was consistently associated with the disease. We also examined natural killer cell function in asymptomatic parents and siblings of patients. Impaired natural killer cell function was identified in all patients and in some family members, including obligate carrier parents. This implies that one potential genetic defect in HLH may result in depressed natural killer function, but that this may not be sufficient to reliably predict eventual progression to disease.
Prophylactic use of filgrastim with ABVD and BEACOPP chemotherapy regimens for Hodgkin lymphoma.

ABVD (doxorubicin/bleomycin/vinblastine/dacarbazine) and BEACOPP (bleomycin/etoposide/doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide/vincristine/ procarbazine/prednisone) are the most widely used regimens for the treatment of patients with advanced stage Hodgkin lymphoma. Both regimens are associated with significant neutropenia. Maintaining the planned dose intensity is considered an important goal to achieve when using curative therapy. Therefore, prophylactic use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is widely used to support these regimens and is mandatory to support BEACOPP-escalated and BEACOPP-14 to reduce toxicity and treatment delays. Recent retrospective studies are discussed which have reported using ABVD without G-CSF support. However, randomized studies are needed to clarify the role of primary prophylaxis with ABVD and BEACOPP-baseline regimens. Secondary prophylaxis should be considered in all patients, especially those who develop neutropenic fever.
Breaking-twist angle and crosslinking in wool fibers under alkaline conditions as a function of temperature.

Natural and modified wool fibers were subjected to breaking-twist-angle measurements in selected alkaline media and temperatures. The results are in accord with the crosslinking at temperatures characteristic of lanthionine and of lysinoalanine formation and with generalized degradation at highest pH conditions. Modifications of wool that inhibit crosslinkage formation are also discussed. This paper demonstrates the potential ability of breaking-twist-angle measure ments for characterizing crosslinking behavior in protein networks.
"Thinking about not-thinking": neural correlates of conceptual processing during Zen meditation.

Recent neuroimaging studies have identified a set of brain regions that are metabolically active during wakeful rest and consistently deactivate in a variety the performance of demanding tasks. This ‘‘default network’’ has been functionally linked to the stream of thoughts occurring automatically in the absence of goal-directed activity and which constitutes an aspect of mental behavior specifically addressed by many meditative practices. Zen meditation, in particular, is traditionally associated with a mental state of full awareness but reduced conceptual content, to be attained via a disciplined regulation of attention and bodily posture. Using fMRI and a simplified meditative condition interspersed with a lexical decision task, we investigated the neural correlates of conceptual processing during meditation in regular Zen practitioners and matched control subjects. While behavioral performance did not differ between groups, Zen practitioners displayed a reduced duration of the neural response linked to conceptual processing in regions of the default network, suggesting that meditative training may foster the ability to control the automatic cascade of semantic associations triggered by a stimulus and, by extension, to voluntarily regulate the flow of spontaneous mentation.
Alcohol abuse in the critically ill patient

Alcohol abuse and dependence disorders are common in the 10% of hospitalised patients who need admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), but these disorders are often undiagnosed. The systemic effects from the excessive use of alcohol increase susceptibility to, or directly cause various important disorders in the critically ill. Early recognition of alcohol abuse and dependence is necessary and should prompt consideration of several alcohol-specific diagnoses that have important prognostic and therapeutic implications for these patients. We discuss the use of screening tests to improve the identification of alcohol abuse and dependence disorders, the epidemiology and pathogenesis of important alcohol-related disorders, differences in the presentation of several common alcohol-related diagnoses in the ICU, and important alcohol-specific therapies.
Clear-Cell Carcinoma: An Ultrastructural Study of 57 Tumors from Various Sites

Clear-cell carcinoma is a convenient and frequently used descriptive term for a malignant epithelial neoplasm that is entirely or largely composed of cells with optically clear cytoplasm in hematoxylin-eosin-stained sections. Transmission electron microscopy was performed on 57 tumors from various sites to investigate the fine structural basis for the clarity of the cytoplasm. The clear appearance resulted from the presence of one or several of the following features, as the sole or predominant cause or in combination: glycogen, lipid droplets, mucin vacuoles or diffuse mucosubstances, dilated cisternae, swollen or unusually large mitochondria, large solitary membrane-limited vacuoles or numerous smaller vacuoles, intracytoplasmic lumens, expanded intercellular spaces, cytoplasmic pseudoinclusions, and a paucity of organelles. Degenerative changes contributed to the clear appearance by inducing swelling of mitochondria and creating lucent cytosol. The factors responsible for the clear cytoplasm were not a...
Avoiding Interference: Adult Attachment and Emotional Processing Biases

The present study investigated attachment-related differences in emotional processing biases. Consistent with the proposal that avoidant individuals limit attention to potentially distressing information, attachment avoidance was associated with reductions in emotional Stroop (ES) interference for attachment-related words (e.g., intimate, loss). These biases were strongest among individuals who were currently in a romantic relationship, suggesting that being in a close relationship may activate avoidant defensive strategies. In addition, avoidant attentional biases were attenuated under cognitive load, suggesting that inhibiting attention to attachment-related information requires cognitive effort. Finally, avoidance was unrelated to ES performance for emotional, nonattachment-related words, demonstrating the specificity of these attentional biases. The present findings suggest that avoidant individuals can inhibit attention to potentially threatening information, that this ability requires cognitive effo...
Production of Cytokines by Vascular Wall Cells: An Update and Implications for Atherogenesis

The cytokines are protein mediators of inflammation and immunity. Within the last decade, numerous cytokine activities originally defined by a variety of biological assays have become increasingly well defined; thanks to laborious protein purification and ultimately the application of recombinant DNA technology. The availability of well defined proteins expressed using molecular biologic techniques has provided material for precise definition of the activities and targets for these various mediators. Several general findings have emerged from this effort. One principle is that a single molecule or family of related molecules may exhibit multiple activities previously considered unrelated. A corollary is that cytokines tend to occur in families of closely related isoforms or structurally or functionally related proteins. Despite these simplifying generalizations, the list of recognized cytokines continues to expand. There are now some nine different interleukins (IL), many different colony stimulating factors (CSFs) and several distinct interferon classes. There is also an intriguing degree of overlap between the structure and function of molecules generally considered cytokines and certain peptide growth factors. For example IL1-s has regions of amino acid sequence similarity with members of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) superfamilyl.
Simulation-based approach to the warehouse location problem for a large-scale real instance

We simulated a large-scale Uncapacitated Warehouse (Facility) Location Problems (UFLP) in the real world on a digital map, and found an approximate solution. The problem was to find a near-optimal solution for the number and locations of warehouses that minimize the sum of the transportation cost and fixed cost, and meet the needs of 6,800 customers. The network data of the digital map were efficiently used to obtain candidate warehouse locations, to simulate the transportation cost, to simulate the warehouse fixed cost, and to find a near-optimal solution for the number and locations of warehouses. In this paper, we propose a simulation-based approach to the large-scale UFLP, including a new heuristic algorithm named “Balloon Search,” and give the results of our experiments.
Rapid pairing and resegregation of distant homologous loci enables double-strand break repair in bacteria

Double-strand breaks (DSBs) can lead to the loss of genetic information and cell death. Although DSB repair via homologous recombination has been well characterized, the spatial organization of this process inside cells remains poorly understood, and the mechanisms used for chromosome resegregation after repair are unclear. In this paper, we introduced site-specific DSBs in Caulobacter crescentus and then used time-lapse microscopy to visualize the ensuing chromosome dynamics. Damaged loci rapidly mobilized after a DSB, pairing with their homologous partner to enable repair, before being resegregated to their original cellular locations, independent of DNA replication. Origin-proximal regions were resegregated by the ParABS system with the ParA structure needed for resegregation assembling dynamically in response to the DSB-induced movement of an origin-associated ParB away from one cell pole. Origin-distal regions were resegregated in a ParABS-independent manner and instead likely rely on a physical, spring-like force to segregate repaired loci. Collectively, our results provide a mechanistic basis for the resegregation of chromosomes after a DSB.
Error-resilient low-power Viterbi decoders

Two low-power Viterbi decoder (VD) architectures are presented in this paper. In the first, limited decision errors are introduced in the add-compare-select units (ACSUs) of a VD to reduce their critical path delays so that they can be operated at lower supply voltages in absence of timing errors. In the second one, we allow data-dependent timing errors which occur whenever a critical path in the ACSU is excited. Algorithmic noise-tolerance (ANT) is then applied at the level of the ACSU to correct for these errors. Power reduction in this design is achieved by either overscaling the supply voltage (voltage overscaling (VOS)) or designing at the nominal process corner and supply voltage (average-case design). Power savings in the first and second design are 58% and 40% at a coding loss of 0:15 dB and 1:1 dB respectively in a IBM 130 nm CMOS process.
Milkweed loss in agricultural fields because of herbicide use: effect on the monarch butterfly population

The size of the Mexican overwintering population of monarch butter- flies has decreased over the last decade. Approximately half of these butterflies come from the U.S. Midwest where larvae feed on common milkweed. There has been a large decline in milkweed in agricultural fields in the Midwest over the last decade. This loss is coincident with the increased use of glyphosate herbicide in conjunction with increased planting of genetically modified (GM) glyphosate-tolerant corn (maize) and soybeans (soya). 2. We investigate whether the decline in the size of the overwintering population can be attributed to a decline in monarch production owing to a loss of milkweeds in agricultural fields in the Midwest. We estimate Midwest annual monarch production using data on the number of monarch eggs per milkweed plant for milkweeds in dif- ferent habitats, the density of milkweeds in different habitats, and the area occupied by those habitats on the landscape. 3. We estimate that there has been a 58% decline in milkweeds on the Midwest landscape and an 81% decline in monarch production in the Midwest from 1999 to 2010. Monarch production in the Midwest each year was positively correlated with the size of the subsequent overwintering population in Mexico. Taken together, these results strongly suggest that a loss of agricultural milkweeds is a major contributor to the decline in the monarch population. 4. The smaller monarch population size that has become the norm will make the species more vulnerable to other conservation threats.
Simulation of a vehicle traffic control network using a fuzzy classifier system

A Complex Adaptive System (CAS) is a network of communicating, intelligent agents where each agent adapts its behavior in order to collaborate with other agents to achieve overall system goals. Further, the overall system often exhibits emergent behavior that cannot be achieved by any proper subset of agents alone. A graphical simulation library called Operational Evaluation Modeling for Context-Sensitive Systems (OpEMCSS) has been developed to simulate complex systems, including CAS. This simulation library includes a Classifier Event Action block that is a forward chaining, expert system controller. The Classifier Event Action block can implement both crisp and fuzzy rules. A network of traffic light controller agents, one at each intersection, is simulated for a city traffic grid. Each traffic controller agent uses a fuzzy classifier block to make decisions about traffic light timing in order to minimize local vehicle wait time. Out of the co-evolutionary interaction of these agents, emerges the global minimization of vehicle wait time in the network.
Multimedia file serving with the OS/390 LAN server

The rapidly increasing storage and transmission capacities of computers and the progress in compression algorithms make it possible to build multimedia applications that include audio and video. Such applications range from educational and training videos, delivered to desktops in schools and enterprises, to entertainment services at home. Applications developed for stand-alone personal computers can be deployed in distributed systems without change by using the client/server model and file servers that allow the sharing of applications among many users. The OS/390™ LAN Server has been enhanced to support multimedia data delivery. Resource management and admission control, wide disk striping to provide high data bandwidths, and multimedia-specific performance enhancements have been added. The resulting server benefits from the robustness, scalability, and flexibility of the S/390® system environment, which allows it to move into new multimedia applications. Multimedia support on a robust, widely installed platform with little or no additional hardware requirements gives customers the opportunity to enhance their existing applications with multimedia features and then expand their capacity as the demands of the applications increase. This multimedia server platform is in use with several interesting applications.
Reduction and Restoration of Mitochondrial DNA Content After Focal Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion

Background and Purpose— Oxidative damage of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) in the ischemic brain is expected after ischemia/reperfusion injury. A recent study demonstrated limited patterns of mtDNA deletion in the brain after ischemia/reperfusion. We studied the ischemia/reperfusion-induced global changes of mtDNA integrity and its restoration in a rat model of transient focal ischemia in vivo. Methods— Changes in mtDNA content in the ischemic brain were assessed with the use of a rat stroke model featuring transient severe ischemia confined to the cerebral cortex of the right middle cerebral artery territory for 30 or 90 minutes. A new long polymerase chain reaction method, using mouse DNA as an internal standard, was applied to measure the relative content of intact rat mtDNA. Southern hybridization following alkaline gel electrophoresis was conducted in a parallel study to confirm long polymerase chain reaction results. Results— A reduction in mtDNA content was found after ischemia for 30 and 90 minutes. Th...
Improving System Reliability Against Rational Attacks Under Given Resources

System reliability has always been a challenging issue for many systems. In order to achieve high reliability, redundancy and voting schemes are often used to tolerate unintentional component failures. For unintentional failures caused by, for instance, normal wear-outs, hardware failures, or software bugs, etc., adding more redundancies often improves a system's reliability. However, when attack-caused failures exist, the number of redundant components and the number of participating voting entities may not be positively proportional to system reliability. In this paper, we study system reliability and system defense strategies when the system is under rational attacks. In particular, we analyze how defense and attack strategies may impact system reliability when both the defender and attacker are given a fixed amount of resources that can only be used for adding camouflaging components or enhancing existing components' cyber protection by defenders, or selecting a subset of components to attack by attackers, respectively. We also present an algorithm to decide the optimal defense strategy in fighting against rational attacks.
The Delayed Postburn Blister: A Commonplace but Commonly Overlooked Phenomenon

Acute burn blisters have excited much interest among clinical investigators and have been the subject of intensive study. Their pathogenesis has long been understood as the straightforward consequence of thermal tissue injury but their pathobiology has been shown to be complex. Analyses of blister fluid have demonstrated a panoply of biologically active substances, including enzymes, 1,2 enzyme inhibitors, 3,4 inflammatory mediators, 5-7 cytokines, 8 factors that suppress both granulocyte and lymphocyte function, 9-12 and factors that promote fibroblast growth and function, 13 all of which could contribute to the physiologic consequences of burn injury. Thus, their clinical importance has been emphasized, and their treatment has been the subject of lively debate. 14 In sharp contrast with acute burn blisters, delayed postburn blisters have been largely ignored. They are rarely reported or studied, and their pathogenesis remains undefined. As the term implies, delayed blistering is a phenomenon that occurs after initial
Rapid reduction of central line infections in hospitalized pediatric oncology patients through simple quality improvement methods

Background Pediatric hematology–oncology (PHO) patients are at significant risk for developing central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLA-BSIs) due to their prolonged dependence on such catheters. Effective strategies to eliminate these preventable infections are urgently needed. In this study, we investigated the implementation of bundled central line maintenance practices and their effect on hospital-acquired CLA-BSIs. Materials and Methods CLA-BSI rates were analyzed within a single-institution's PHO unit between January 2005 and June 2011. In May 2008, a multidisciplinary quality improvement team developed techniques to improve the PHO unit's safety culture and implemented the use of catheter maintenance practices tailored to PHO patients. Data analysis was performed using time-series methods to evaluate the pre- and post-intervention effect of the practice changes. Results The pre-intervention CLA-BSI incidence was 2.92 per 1,000-patient days (PD) and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus was the most prevalent pathogen (29%). In the post-intervention period, the CLA-BSI rate decreased substantially (45%) to 1.61 per 1,000-PD (P < 0.004). Early on, blood and marrow transplant (BMT) patients had a threefold higher CLA-BSI rate compared to non-BMT patients (P < 0.033). With additional infection control countermeasures added to the bundled practices, BMT patients experienced a larger CLA-BSI rate reduction such that BMT and non-BMT CLA-BSI rates were not significantly different post-intervention. Conclusions By adopting and effectively implementing uniform maintenance catheter care practices, learning multidisciplinary teamwork, and promoting a culture of patient safety, the CLA-BSI incidence in our study population was significantly reduced and maintained. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2013;60:262–269. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Discussion of Crabbe: Restoring Balance to Hawaii: “Kūpa'a i Ke Kāhua o Hawai'i”:

Dr Crabbe presents a broad overview of the sociohistory of Hawaii following western contact and its colonisation by the United States (US). He describes the constant political, societal, and psychological struggles of Kanaka Maoli (native Hawaiians) against the never-ending tides of foreign influences to the shores of Hawaii. Within his sociohistorical overview, three significant issues for Kanaka Maoli are emphasised. One issue is that of 'Aina land. (The word 'Aina is capitalised throughout because, in the Native Hawaiian worldview, 'Aina is a living entity who gives and sustains life; it is an ancestor of the Hawaiian people, and it is important to the existence of Kanaka Maoli.) The second issue has to do with Kanaka Maoli is identity, which has been impacted by various foreign contacts and US colonisation that has negatively impacted traditional Hawaiian practices, customs, beliefs, language, and society. The constant struggle of Kanaka Maoli in regaining sovereignty, or self-determination, is a third issue of significance in Dr Crabbe's article. This article will briefly discuss the interplay among, and significance of, these three issues: 'Aina, Kanaka Maoli, and sovereignty, focusing on the importance and relevance of the first for the second and third.
The equation of state of forsterite to 17.2 GPa and effects of pressure media

ABSTRACf Pressure-volume X-ray diffraction data were collected at eight pressures to 17.2 GPa for synthetic single-crystalforsterite, Mg2Si04.Birch-Murnaghanequation-of-state parameters were determined to be Ko = 125(2) GPa and K~ = 4.0(4). To ensure hydrostatic conditions, we monitored the diffraction-peak shapes while the sample was in different pressure media: 4:1 methanol-ethanol, He, and Ar. The diffraction peaks for forsterite in 4:I methanol-ethanol at 12.2 GPa were broadened to such an extent that we believe that any data collected at similar pressures and in this medium may be suspect and should be examined critically. The diffraction-peak profiles for the sample in He were sharp and well-formed, suggestingHe provides an excellent medium at pressures ~ 17.2 GPa. However, upon decompression, the diffraction peaks of the sample in He also showed significant broadening. This broadening suggeststhat with increasing pressure He diffused into the crystal, but with the release of pressure the He was unable to diffuse out quickly. The diffraction peaks regained their sharpness after several months.
Polymer functional group mobility. 2—Partition of ion pairs between hydrophobic and hydrophilic phases of plasma oxidized polyethylene

Plasma modification of polyethylene is modeled most simply as a process generating a two phase polymer system: a thin hydrophilic surface phase and a relatively unperturbed hydrophobic bulk phase. The oxidized surface of polyethylene exposed to a N (PEN) or to an Ar (PEAr) glow discharge plasma contains functional groups of N (i.e., amines) and of O (i.e., alcohols, carbonyls and carboxylic acids) and constitutes an interesting, chemically unique phase of the polymer. Lipophillic protonated alkyl ammonium nitrates, perchlorates and iodides are more soluble in the internal, hydrocarbon phase of the modified polymer and consequently show negligible electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis intensities. On the other hand, the hydrophilic protonated alkyl ammonium phosphates, sulfates and chlorides concentrate in the more polar surface phase and are readily detected by electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis. Electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis of protonated alkyl ammonium chlorides and iodides is complicated by the evolution of HCl and HI, respectively, into the vacuum. Complete protonation of the N functional groups of PEN with H2SO4 is prevented by prior intra polymer reactions of amines with carbonyl and carboxylic acid groups to form less basic imines and amides, respectively. Sodium carboxylate salts are more soluble in the surface hydrophilic phase, whereas tetrabutylammonium carboxylate salts readily partition into the internal hydrophobic phase. The partition of functional groups between the hydrophilic surface phase and the hydrophobic bulk phase will exert a profound influence on their availability for reaction at the polymer surface.
Osteopathic Manual Treatment and Ultrasound Therapy for Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Purpose We studied the efficacy of osteopathic manual treatment (OMT) and ultrasound therapy (UST) for chronic low back pain. Methods A randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled, 2 × 2 factorial design was used to study OMT and UST for short-term relief of nonspecific chronic low back pain. The 455 patients were randomized to OMT (n = 230) or sham OMT (n = 225) main effects groups, and to UST (n = 233) or sham UST (n = 222) main effects groups. Six treatment sessions were provided over 8 weeks. Intention-to-treat analysis was performed to measure moderate and substantial improvements in low back pain at week 12 (30% or greater and 50% or greater pain reductions from baseline, respectively). Five secondary outcomes, safety, and treatment adherence were also assessed. Results There was no statistical interaction between OMT and UST. Patients receiving OMT were more likely than patients receiving sham OMT to achieve moderate (response ratio [RR] = 1.38; 95% CI, 1.16-1.64; P Conclusions The OMT regimen met or exceeded the Cochrane Back Review Group criterion for a medium effect size in relieving chronic low back pain. It was safe, parsimonious, and well accepted by patients.
Index Calculations for the Fermion-Vortex System

A method is developed for calculating the index of first-order operators involving as background fields the scalar and vector fields of the two-dimensional Abelian Higgs model. The method is applied to the Dirac operator and shown to relate the number of fermion zero modes to the topology of the Higgs field.
Effect of growth hormone administration and treadmill exercise on serum and skeletal IGF-I in rats

Growth factors may be mediators of local and systemic factors that enhance bone formation. This study examined the effect of treadmill exercise and ovine growth hormone administration on levels of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) in serum (ng/ml), long bone, and vertebrae and on bone formation rate. Forty female rats were divided into four groups: control; exercise (17 m/min, 1 h/day); growth hormone (0.05 mg.100 g-1.day-1); growth hormone plus exercise. After 9 wk of study, the serum levels of IGF-I were higher in the intervention groups than in the control group; however, the IGF-I concentration and the periosteal bone formation rate in the long bone were significantly higher only in the exercised rats. The IGF-I concentration and the cancellous bone formation rate in the vertebrae did not differ among the experimental groups. The vertebral and long bone formation rate were correlated with bone concentrations of IGF-I. Serum levels of IGF-I were also correlated with serum osteocalcin and the long bone formation but not with the vertebral bone formation. The association of bone formation with serum and bone IGF-I supports the suggestion that IGF-I is one of the growth factors that regulate bone formation, in particular as a mediator of the response of bone to exercise.
The Future of Fourth Amendment Seizure Analysis after Hodari D. And Bostick

The Supreme Court has recently redefined what constitutes a seizure of a person within the meaning of the fourth amendment. A person is now seized only when the police actions would be an arrest at common law, that is, when the person submits to a show of authority by the police or when the police apply physical force. This new, restrictive definition, announced in California v. Hodari D., will significantly expand the way police permissibly operate and correlatively will restrict the privacy interests of individuals. As illustrated by the facts of Hodari D., the new definition removes the applicability of the fourth amendment to the countless daily occurrences where the suspect flees in response to a police show of authority. In Florida v. Bostick, the Supreme Court clarified the reasonable person test, which is utilized to determine when a seizure develops as a result of a police accosting when the suspect complies with the directions of the police. These two decisions also intimate that the Court will significantly restrict what will be considered the fruit of an unlawful seizure. Underpinning these decisions is a historic shift in judicial interpretation of the fourth amendment from favoring individual interests to promoting governmental interests. This article examines these developments and discusses their impact on the future of seizure analysis.
The Requirements of a Basic Physical Theory

I would like to talk to you about just one idea. It is a very important idea. But there are many physicists who do not understand its importance, or at any rate do not appreciate its importance. The idea is that the Heisenberg dynamics is a very good dynamics. It is extremely good and we have to keep to it, at all costs.
Autonomous Modal Parameter Estimation: Statisical Considerations

Autonomous modal parameter estimations may involve sorting a large number of possible solutions to develop one consistent estimate of the modal parameters (frequency, damping, mode shape, and modal scaling). Once the final, consistent estimate of modal parameters is established, this estimate can be compared to related solutions from the larger set of solutions to develop statistical attributes for the final, consistent set of modal parameters. These attributes will include sample size, standard deviation and other familiar variance estimates. New variance estimates are introduced to categorize the modal vector solution. These modal vector statistics are based upon the residual contributions in a set of correlated modal vectors that are used to estimate a single modal vector. Examples of this statistical information is included for a number of realistic data cases.
Stability Of Forward And Reverse Wet Combustion Fronts In Porous Media

A linear stability analysis shows that reverse wet combustion is unstable for nearly all physically realizable operating conditions for the special case of coincident steam and combustion fronts. Expansion effects due to gas generation from combustion and vaporization are found to have a stabilizing influence on reverse wet combustion. Forward wet combustion also is found to be conditionally stable. Significant expansion effects at the combustion front can overwhelm the stabilizing influence of a favorable mobility ratio and effect destabilization with respect to oscillatory long wavelength modes.
The ORNL Modulating Heat Pump Design Tool -- Mark IV User's Guide

The ORNL Modulating Heat Pump Design Tool consists of a Modulating HPDM (Heat Pump Design Model) and a parametric-analysis (contour-data generating) front-end. Collectively the program is also referred to as MODCON which is in reference to the modulating and the contour data generating capabilities. The program was developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the Department of Energy to provide a publicly-available system design tool for variable- and single-speed heat pumps.
TH-AB-207A-12: CT Lung Cancer Screening and the Effects of Further Dose Reduction On CAD Performance

Purpose: CT lung screening is already performed at low doses. In this study, we investigated the effects of further dose reduction on a lung-nodule CAD detection algorithm. Methods: The original raw CT data and images from 348 patients were obtained from our local database of National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) cases. 61 patients (17.5%) had at least one nodule reported on the NLST reader forms. All scans were acquired with fixed mAs (25 for standard-sized patients, 40 for large patients) on a 64-slice scanner (Sensation 64, Siemens Healthcare). All images were reconstructed with 1-mm slice thickness, B50 kernel. Based on a previously-published technique, we added noise to the raw data to simulate reduced-dose versions of each case at 50% and 25% of the original NLST dose (i.e. approximately 1.0 and 0.5 mGy CTDIvol). For each case at each dose level, a CAD detection algorithm was run and nodules greater than 4 mm in diameter were reported. These CAD results were compared to “truth”, defined as the approximate nodule centroids from the NLST forms. Sensitivities and false-positive rates (FPR) were calculated for each dose level, with a sub-analysis by nodule LungRADS category. Results: For larger category 4 nodules, median sensitivities were 100% at all three dose levels, and mean sensitivity decreased with dose. For the more challenging category 2 and 3 nodules, the dose dependence was less obvious. Overall, mean subject-level sensitivity varied from 38.5% at 100% dose to 40.4% at 50% dose, a difference of only 1.9%. However, median FPR quadrupled from 1 per case at 100% dose to 4 per case at 25% dose. Conclusions: Dose reduction affected nodule detectability differently depending on the LungRADS category, and FPR was very sensitive at sub-screening levels. Care should be taken to adapt CAD for the very challenging noise characteristics of screening. Funding support: NIH U01 CA181156; Disclosures (McNitt-Gray): Institutional research agreement, Siemens Healthcare; Past recipient, research grant support, Siemens Healthcare; Consultant, Toshiba America Medical Systems; Consultant, Samsung Electronics.
Millimeter reflectometry as an effective diagnosis tool for skin burn injuries

Accurate skin degree-of-burn assessment is critically important and can assist burn technicians and physicians to make appropriate treatment decisions. Millimeter wave imaging is a potential diagnosis tool capable of distinguishing between healthy and burned skin as the dielectric properties of the latter is significantly different from that of the former. In this paper, the layered model of human skin is used along with numerical electromagnetic simulations, at V-band (50–75 GHz), to demonstrate the potential for such diagnosis. In addition, an image of a burned pig skin is produced at V-band showing the potential of this methodology at millimeter wave frequencies.
Environmental and Occupational Exposures and Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common solid organ malignancy in men, but little is known about its etiology. This chapter reviews the current potential links between environmental and occupational exposures and prostate cancer. Topics covered in this chapter include: Agent Orange, pesticides and farming, endocrine disruptors, vitamin D and sunlight, metals, rubber manufacturing, and whole body vibration.
Conclusion: Spectres of ShaXXXspeare: Loser Criticism, Part Duh

This book has been concerned with reading American Shakespeares in the 1980s and 1990s as symptoms, some of them rather queer, of an American national and academic unconscious. In examining the figures of the fan, the porn star, the transvestite, and the loser in terms of the castrated subject position produced by what I have called kiddie culture, I have also sought to rethink the extent to which cultural politics can underwrite a new model of the academic intellectual as fan, one founded on the liberatory and transgressive advancement of a heterogeneous, progressive political agenda. This intellectual “gets down” with popular culture, unlike the older intellectual, who was a hectoring, authoritarian reformer of popular culture from above. In analyzing queer, posthermeneutic replays of Shakespeare in the context of American kiddie culture, my larger aim has been to rethink the intellectual not as the one who is into technoculture but as the loser. What are we to make, then, of the loser academic intellectual? Is the loser the one who can’t lose, or is the loser a figure of the loss of loss, of a nostalgia for mourning?
The Influence of Methylsulfonylmethane on Inflammation-Associated Cytokine Release before and following Strenuous Exercise

Background. Inflammation is associated with strenuous exercise and methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties. Methods. Physically active men were supplemented with either placebo or MSM (3 grams per day) for 28 days before performing 100 repetitions of eccentric knee extension exercise. Ex vivo and in vitro testing consisted of evaluating cytokine production in blood (whole blood and isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs)) exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), before and through 72 hours after exercise, while in vivo testing included the evaluation of cytokines before and through 72 hours after exercise. Results. LPS stimulation of whole blood after MSM supplementation resulted in decreased induction of IL-1β, with no effect on IL-6, TNF-α, or IL-8. After exercise, there was a reduced response to LPS in the placebo, but MSM resulted in robust release of IL-6 and TNF-α. A small decrease in resting levels of proinflammatory cytokines was noted with MSM, while an acute postexercise increase in IL-10 was observed with MSM. Conclusion. Strenuous exercise causes a robust inflammatory reaction that precludes the cells from efficiently responding to additional stimuli. MSM appears to dampen the release of inflammatory molecules in response to exercise, resulting in a less incendiary environment, allowing cells to still have the capacity to mount an appropriate response to an additional stimulus after exercise.