cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Correlation of intracellular organisms with quantitative endotracheal aspirate

Background: The presence of intracellular organisms (ICOs) in polymorphonuclear cells obtained from respiratory secretions is a possible method for rapid diagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia. We correlated ICOs with quantitative endotracheal aspirate (QA) in intubated patients. Methods: Consecutive intubated patients in the surgical intensive care unit had respiratory samples obtained every 2 days until extubation. Two thresholds for ICOs and quantitative culture were examined. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were calculated using QA as reference. Results: One hundred one samples were obtained from 35 patients. Colony counts ≥ 100,000 were found in 34 samples; 60 samples had colony counts ≥ 10,000. Antibiotic use did not affect the sensitivity or specificity of ICOs. Sensitivity of ICOs was 39% to 85%, and specificity was 82% to 97%. Positive predictive value was 70% to 96%, and negative predictive value was 50% to 91%. Convlusion: ICOs provide a quick method for establishing the presence of a significant bacterial load in the respiratory tract. Accuracy of ICOs in predicting a positive QA is not affected by concurrent antibiotics.
Single-Molecule Electron Transfer Reaction in Nanomaterials

Here we report the study of single molecule electron transfer dynamics by coupling fluorescence microscopy at a conventional electrochemical cell. The single-molecule fluorescence spectroelectrochemistry of cresyl violet in aqueous solution and on nanoparticle surface were studied. We observed that the single-molecule fluorescence intensity of cresyl violet is modulated synchronously with the cyclic voltammetric potential scanning. We attribute the fluorescence intensity change of single cresyl violet molecules to the electron transfer reaction driven by the electrochemical potential.
Photoacoustic imaging of single circulating melanoma cells in vivo

Melanoma, one of the most common types of skin cancer, has a high mortality rate, mainly due to a high propensity for tumor metastasis. The presence of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is a potential predictor for metastasis. Label-free imaging of single circulating melanoma cells in vivo provides rich information on tumor progress. Here we present photoacoustic microscopy of single melanoma cells in living animals. We used a fast-scanning optical-resolution photoacoustic microscope to image the microvasculature in mouse ears. The imaging system has sub-cellular spatial resolution and works in reflection mode. A fast-scanning mirror allows the system to acquire fast volumetric images over a large field of view. A 500-kHz pulsed laser was used to image blood and CTCs. Single circulating melanoma cells were imaged in both capillaries and trunk vessels in living animals. These high-resolution images may be used in early detection of CTCs with potentially high sensitivity. In addition, this technique enables in vivo study of tumor cell extravasation from a primary tumor, which addresses an urgent pre-clinical need.
Captive...a new tool

CAPTIVATE is software which implements an imaginative authoring language to produce interactive systems; it is genuinely easy to use. CAPTIVATE blends ordinary text, audio, graphics, and laserdisc video into information packets, or scenes, which are presented to users. Users respond by keyboard or touch screen, and their responses are used by the program to determine subsequent scenes. Users' responses are automatically recorded for use in later analysis.
Operational Approach to Phase-Space Measurements in Quantum Mechanics

An operational formula is derived for a positive phase-space distribution function in quantum mechanics. It is shown that this expression, which is based on a realistic detection mechanism, has many attractive features. The possibility of an application of such a probability distribution to a nonlinear wave mechanics is also briefly mentioned.
NON-STEROIDAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AGENTS INHIBIT THE SYNTHESIS OF IgM RHEUMATOID FACTOR IN VITRO

Abstract The effects of three non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents, indomethacin, carprofen, and piroxicam, on in-vitro IgM rheumatoid-factor (IgM-RF) production by peripheral-blood mononuclear cells were studied in lymphocytes isolated from the peripheral blood of rheumatoid-arthritis patients and of healthy young (age 20-40 years) and elderly (age 70-80 years) volunteers selected for their known in-vitro IgM-RF production. All three drugs in therapeutic concentrations inhibited IgM-RF production by approximately 50%. Addition of low doses of prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ) (30 nmol/l) to the cultures containing indomethacin restored the IgM-RF production to the original levels. Neither indomethacin nor PGE 2 had any effect on IgM-RF production if the T cells were irradiated before culture. Endogenous PGE 2 seems to stimulate IgM-RF production through an effect on a radiosensitive T-cell population. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents block PGE 2 production and therefore reduce IgM-RF production in vitro. These results suggest a new mechanism for the beneficial effect of prostaglandin synthetase inhibitors in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
The Association of Blood Component Use Ratios With the Survival of Massively Transfused Trauma Patients With and Without Severe Brain Injury

Abstract : Background: The effect of blood component ratios on the survival of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) has not been studied. Methods: A database of patients transfused in the first 24 hours after admission for injury from 22 Level I trauma centers over an 18-month period was queried to find patients who (1) met different definitions of massive transfusion (5 units red blood cell [RBC] in 6 hours vs. 10 units RBC in 24 hours), (2) received high or low ratios of platelets or plasma to RBC units (1:2 vs. /=1:2), and (3) had severe TBI (head abbreviated injury score /=3) (TBI+). Results: Of 2,312 total patients, 850 patients were transfused with /= 5 RBC units in 6 hours and 807 could be classified into TBi+ (n = 281) or TBI- (n = 526). Six hundred forty-three patients were transfused with /=10 RBC units in 24 hours with 622 classified into TBI+ (n = 220) and TBi- (n = 402). For both high-risk populations, a high ratio of platelets:RBCs (not plasma) was independently associated with improved 30-day survival for patients with TBI+ and a high ratio of plasma:RBCs (not platelets) was independently associated with improved 30-day survival in TBI- patients. Conclusions: High platelet ratio was associated with improved survival in TBI+ patients while a high plasma ratio was associated with improved survival in TBI- patients. Prospective studies of blood product ratios should include TBI in the analysis for determination of optimal use of ratios on outcome in injured patients.
ULTRASTRUCTURAL CHANGES OCCURRING DURING THERMOPLASTIC EXTRUSION OF SOYBEAN GRITS

Changes occurring in the ultrastructure of soybean grits during thermoplastic or cooking extrusion were studied with the scanning electron microscope. The extruded product was obtained with a Wenger X-5 laboratory extruder under one set of conditions (feel moisture content: 25%; screw speed: 800 rpm; max barrel temp: 145° C; temp at die: 120°C). At steady state, the extruder barrel was disassembled and samples taken from seven preselected areas along the screw. Comminution and mixing predominate first until cooking temperatures are reached in the last turns of the screw. In this zone, completely disrupted cells are arranged into strands that orient into thin fibrils at the die. Pressure release upon exit of the extrudate from the unit causes radial flow with the formation of new, more extended surfaces. Only the combined effect of shear, heat and pressure release is shown to be responsibte for texturization.
Polarization dependent reflectivity and optical constants of single crystal rutile RuO2 in the range 0.5 to 9.5 eV

Abstract We have measured the near-normal incidence reflectivity of single crystal RuO2 (rutile) for E ‖ c -axis and E ⊥ c -axis at room temperature in the photon energy range 0.5 – 9.5 eV. From a Kramers-Kronig analysis of the reflectivity we have obtained the spectral dependence of the real, ϵ1(ω), and imaginary, ϵ2(ω), parts of the complex dielectric constant. Comparison with recent band structure and density of states calculations and past experimental studies of related solids has enabled us to gain further insight into the nature of the oxygen p -electrons and metal d -electrons in this material.
The dime novel in children’s literature, by Vicki Anderson

Vicki Anderson writes in her book The Dime Novel in Children’s Literature published by McFarland, ‘Books do not exist in a vacuum, but are shaped by the world around them’ (p. 6). Anderson sets out...
Overland flow on a diverging surface / Ecoulement superficiel sur une surface divergente

ABSTRACT Many basins in nature diverge or possess diverging elements. This study formulates a diverging flow model utilizing kinematic wave theory. The kinematic equations are solved using a first order explicit finite difference scheme. The model is tested using data on a number of laboratory basins reported in the literature. A comparison of this model with the plane model shows that they yield different concentration times and hydrographs that differ in shape, depending upon the degree of divergence.
Rare earth element geochemistry of the Betts Cove ophiolite, Newfoundland: complexities in ophiolite formation

The Betts Cove ophiolite includes the components of typical ocean crust: pillow lavas, sheeted dikes, gabbros and ultramafics. However, the trace element geochemistry of basaltic rocks is unusual. Three geochemical units are recognized within the lava and dike members. Within the pillow lavas, the geochemical units correspond to stratigraphic units. Upper lavas have ‘normal’ (i.e., typical for ocean floor basalts) TiO2 contents (0.75 to 2.0 wt%), heavy rare earth elements (HREE) values in the range 6–20× chondrites and chondrite-normalized REE patterns with relative LREE depletion. Intermediate lavas have TiO2 contents between 0.30 and 0.50 wt%, HREE contents from 4–7× chondrites and extreme relative LREE depletion. Lower lavas have anomalously low TiO2 contents (<0.30 wt%) and unusual convex-downwards REE patterns with REE abundances around 2–5 × chondrite. These geochemical differences can be explained if the three groups were derived from different mantle sources. Independent mantle sources for the three units are consistent with their different 143Nd144Nd ratios varying at 480 m.y.B.P. from 0.51222 in a lower lava to 0.51238 in an upper lava. The upper lavas may be partial melts of a source similar in composition to that of modern MORB, the intermediate lavas may be from a very depleted oceanic mantle (second stage melt), and the lower lavas may have formed by melting an extremely depleted mantle that had been invaded by a LREE-enriched fluid. A possible tectonic environment where these different sources could be juxtaposed is a back-arc or inter-arc basin.
The joys of outlining in medical writing

Using an outline to organize your writing project can help keep you on a straight path and avoid wandering into wastelands of irrelevance. There are various formats – the classic hierarchal model, the IMRAD system used for research reports, the disease description arrangement often found in clinical reviews, and various types of lists and categories. All help you organise your data and present it in a structured, coherent manner.
Analytic Hypersonic Aerodynamics for Conceptual Design of Entry Vehicles

and stability derivatives have been developed for basic shapes, including sharp cones, spherical segments, cylindrical segments, and at plates at varying angles of attack and sideslip. Each basic shape has been generically parametrized, requiring the development of only a single set of analytic relations for each basic shape. These basic shapes can be superimposed to form common entry vehicles, such as spherecones and blunted biconics. Using Bezier curves of revolution, more general bodies of revolution are studied in which the location of the control nodes that dene the shape of the curve is also generically parametrized. Analytic relations at unshadowed total angles of attack have been developed for these congurations. Analytic aerodynamic equations are orders of magnitude faster than commonly used panel methods and were validated using the NASA-developed Conguration Based Aerodynamics tool. Consequently, rapid aerodynamic trades and shape optimization can be performed. Additionally, the relations may impact guidance design using onboard trajectory propagation, real-time ablation modeling in simulations, and simultaneous vehicle-trajectory optimization.
Predicting the effect of competition on secondary plant extinctions in plant–pollinator networks

What are the limitations of models that predict the behavior of an ecological community based on a single type of species interaction? Using plant–pollinator network models as an example, we contrast the predicted vulnerability of a community to secondary extinctions under the assumption of purely mutualistic interactions versus mutualistic and competitive interactions. We find that competition among plant species increases the risk of secondary extinctions and extinction cascades. Simulations over a number of different network structures indicate that this effect is stronger in larger networks, more strongly connected networks and networks with higher plant:pollinator ratios. We conclude that efforts to model plant–pollinator communities will systematically over-estimate community robustness to species loss if plant competition is ignored. However, because the effect of plant competition depends on network architecture, and because characterization of plant competition is work intensive, we suggest that efforts to account for plant competition in plant–pollinator network models should be focused on large, strongly connected networks with high plant:pollinator ratios.
The elastic stability of curved beams

Abstract Calculations are made of the ranges of validity of three theories used for investigating the instability of curved beams. These include linear and nonlinear (elastica) extensible theories, as well as a nonlinear inextensible one. The specific example chosen for the investigation is that of a curved beam hinged to fixed supports at its ends, and subjected to equal but opposite end moments. The values of the moments at which instability occurs are based on the classical criterion. Of the three theories investigated, the nonlinear extensible one is, of course, the most accurate. However, if the radius of gyration half-span parameter p = 0·025 (see Notation), it is found that the linear theory predicts the buckling moments accurately for beams having a rise span ratio λ 2l less than 0·13. Beyond this value of λ 2l , the nonlinear extensible and inextensible theories predict substantially the same buckling moments. For p = 0·05, the corresponding value of λ 2l is 0·19. Finally, it is observed that buckling cannot occur if p = 0·025, λ 2l and p = 0·05, λ 2l . These values can be obtained either by the linear or nonlinear extensible theories.
Electromigration in 0.25 μm wide Cu line on W

Abstract Electromigration in isolated 0.25–1. 0 μ m wide pure Cu fine lines has been investigated using both resistance and edge displacement techniques in the sample temperatures range 221–394°C. The Cu lines, sandwiched with a top and bottom Ta layer, were 200 μ m long and were connected to underlying W bars on each end of the Cu line. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the microstructures of the 1 and 0.25 μ m wide lines were polycrystalline and bamboo-like grain structures, respectively. During electromigration, voids formed at the cathode end while hillocks grew at the anode end. The failure lifetimes were correlated to the sizes of voids formed in the vicinity of the cathode end of the line, and a distribution of multiple failure modes was found. A low value of electromigration activation energy, 0.81±0.05 eV, and a linear relationship between failure lifetime and metal linewidth were found, despite the fact that these narrow lines were close to a perfect bamboo-like grained structure. These results suggest that the mass transport of Cu during electromigration primarily occurs along the sidewall surfaces of the lines.
Nebulized drug delivery in patients breathing spontaneously through an artificial airway.

During the past 25 years, incremental gains in knowledge about aerosol delivery to mechanically ventilated patients had a major impact on patient care in this setting. The complex array of factors influencing aerosol delivery during mechanical ventilation made it difficult to elucidate the
Effect of high-speed power training on muscle performance, function, and pain in older adults with knee osteoarthritis: A pilot investigation†

Objective To examine the effect of high-speed power training (HSPT) on muscle performance, mobility-based function, and pain in older adults with knee osteoarthritis. Methods Thirty-three participants (mean ± SD age 67.6 ± 6.8 years) were randomized to HSPT (n = 12), slow-speed strength training (SSST; n = 10), or control (CON; n = 11) for a 12-week intervention. HSPT performed 3 sets of 12–14 repetitions at 40% of the 1-repetition maximum (1RM) “as fast as possible,” SSST performed 3 sets of 8–10 repetitions at 80% of the 1RM slowly, and CON performed stretching and warm-up exercises. Outcome measures included leg press (LP) 1RM and LP peak power (PP) from 40–90% of the 1RM and the corresponding PP velocity (PPV) and PP force; 400-meter walk, Berg Balance Scale, and timed chair rise; and self-reported function and pain using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Analysis of variance models were used to compare changes from baseline to 12 weeks. Statistical significance was accepted at P < 0.05. Results LP PP improved in both HSPT and SSST compared to CON (P = 0.04). LP PPV improved only in HSPT (P = 0.01). There were also improvements in timed chair rise (P = 0.002), WOMAC function (P = 0.004), and WOMAC pain (P = 0.02) across all of the groups. Conclusion HSPT was effective at improving function and pain, but no more so than either SSST or CON. Because HSPT improved multiple muscle performance measures (strength, power, and speed), it is a more effective resistance training protocol than SSST and may increase safety in this population, especially when high-speed movements are required during daily tasks.
Religion, State Power, and Domestic Violence in Muslim Societies: A Framework for Comparative Analysis

This article focuses on the issue of domestic violence in Muslim societies in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. The analytical framework is comparative, emphasizing four factors and the interplay among them: shari'a (Islamic law), state power, intrafamily violence, and struggles over women's rights. The comparative approach historicizes the problem of domestic violence and impunity to consider the impact of transnational legal discourses (Islamism and human rights) on “local” struggles over rights and law. The use of shari'a creates some commonalities in gender and family relations in Muslim societies, notably the sanctioning and maintenance of male authority over female relatives. However, the most important issue for understanding domestic violence and impunity is the relationship between religion and state power. This relationship takes three forms: communalization, in which religious law is separate from the national legal regime; nationalization, in which the state incorporates religious law into the national legal regime; and theocratization, in which the national legal regime is based on religious law.
Empirical Tests of an Additive Random Number Generator

Several empirical tests were made of the apparent randomness of numbers generated by the additive process Xj = (Xj-1 + Xj-n) mod 1, where the X's are positive fractions. The results show that the numbers are uniformly distributed on the unit interval and that there is no significant serial correlation in the sequence. However, for n
The Interactive Teaching Network: Distance Learning Applications for Inservice and Preservice Teacher Preparation in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

The purpose of this article is to describe the distance learning staff development opportunities developed through an initial project on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) at the University of Georgia, the effects of the technology involved, and the opportunities that have evolved from programs created. Selection of distance learning technology and other instructional decisions are framed in light of the need to address the complex issues surrounding AD/HD and to demonstrate to teachers and parents how to manage students with AD/HD in the classroom and at home.
LXXXV. Note on the higher derivative of a function, the variable of which is a function of an independent variable

(1915). LXXXV. Note on the higher derivative of a function, the variable of which is a function of an independent variable. The London, Edinburgh, and Dublin Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science: Vol. 29, No. 174, pp. 823-831.
Endoscopic sinus surgery reduces antibiotic utilization in rhinosinusitis

Background Antibiotics are a mainstay of treatment for chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and recurrent acute rhinosinusitis (RARS). Although quality-of-life outcomes following endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) have been studied, the change in antibiotic utilization following ESS is less well known. Objective We aimed to determine the effect of ESS on antibiotic utilization in CRS and RARS. Methods A multi-institutional, prospective cohort of patients with CRS and RARS was enrolled between January 2001 and January 2009. Patients completed the medication subscale of the Chronic Sinusitis Survey (CSS), and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare differences in the overall reported time of antibiotic between preoperative and postoperative time points. Results A total of 503 patients were followed for an average 17.3 months. Overall, patients reported a 57.2% reduction in time on antibiotics following ESS. The majority of patients (60.4%) reported significantly less antibiotic utilization after ESS (p < 0.001) consisting of an 83.7% reduction in the time on antibiotics. Subgroup analysis also revealed a significant reduction in antibiotic utilization for patients with and without nasal polyposis (59.0% and 58.2%; both p < 0.001) as well as RARS (61.2%; p = 0.001). Conclusion ESS significantly reduces antibiotic utilization for CRS and RARS. This finding demonstrates potential for lower health care expenditures related to antibiotics, as well as reduced risk of both antibiotic related morbidity and development of bacterial resistance. © 2011 ARS-AAOA, LLC.
Sterility in Female Guinea Pigs Induced by Injection with Testis

Adult virgin female guinea pigs were injected with an emulsion of homologous adult testis and Freund9s adjuvant before exposure to males. The fertility of this group was only 24 percent while the fertility of the control group was 84 percent. The testis-injected guinea pigs had also a high titer of antibodies against testis.
Immigration Reform and Migrant Flows: Compositional and Spatial Changes in Mexican Migration after the Immigration Reform Act of 1986

Abstract In the United States as well as in Western Europe, a combination of recession, nativist popular attitudes, and trade liberalization since 1980 has been accompanied by increasing immigration restrictions. This paper poses a singular question: Has the stiffening of U.S. immigration policy [by the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA), and subsequent policy decisions] reduced the volume and changed the composition and origins of Mexican undocumented migrants?Studies of national data show a reduction in such migration after IRCA. Using INS data on undocumeted entrants to South Texas, this paper documents Post-IRCA increases in the proportions of migrants that are young, single, and male from metropolitan areas and from south central Mexico. These suggest that IRCA has served as a barrier inducing demographically selective migration and that changes in the Mexican economy since 1980 have favored the north versus the south–creating a “neo-employment frontier” in the northeastern border stat...
The Duty to Protect the Victim – Or the Duty to Suffer Punishment?

This paper addresses The Ends of Harm by Victor Tadros. In it, I attempted to explore some of the implications of Tadros’s theory of punishment, particularly those following from the uneasy relationship between punishment of the offender (D) and D’s duty to protect the victim (V) from future harm. Among my concerns were: the apparent underinclusiveness of Tadros’s theory of punishment; the vague and unpredictable scope of D’s liabilities; the taking away by the state of V’s right to be protected; and the lack of inherent limitations on the appropriate forms and amounts of punishment. I also questioned the true meaning of the duty incurred by D as a result of D’s wrongdoing and suggested that protection of Vs from future harm may not be as essential to Tadros’s justification of punishment as he has argued.
Mutations of the adenomatous polyposis coli gene in sporadic thyroid neoplasms.

Several epidemiological studies have demonstrated an association between familial adenomatous polyposis coli (FAP) and thyroid neoplasms. Predisposition to FAP is conferred by mutations in the APC gene, located on chromosome 5q21. Somatic mutations of APC are also observed in about 60% of sporadic colorectal adenomas and carcinomas, suggesting that disruption of this putative tumor suppressor gene may play a role in both familial as well as acquired colorectal tumorigenesis. The APC gene is expressed in normal human thyroid, thyroid adenomas, and differentiated carcinoma tissues as well as in four clonal human thyroid carcinoma cell lines, as demonstrated by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction of a 388-base APC messenger ribonucleic acid fragment spanning exons 14 and 15, followed by hybridization to an exon 15-specific complementary DNA probe. Eighty human thyroid neoplasms were examined for loss of heterozygosity of the APC locus, using primers flanking a hypervariable dinucleotide (CA) repe...
Wide baseline obstacle detection and localization

This paper studies the problem of an autonomous robot equipped with a single camera and that must locate the obstacles on a ground plane. The algorithm proposed here proceeds by first matching feature points on widely separated images of the work area using an overhead view transformation. The homography thus obtained is used to estimate the camera motion parameters. Obstacles are then located through a second matching phase.
Use of high dose X-irradiation to block back stimulation in the MLC reaction.

Paradoxical stimulation, “back stimulation” was observed in MLR (mixed lymphocyte culture reaction) in both family and population studies. This is one of the major problems in obtaining clear cut-off points for stin ulation and non-stimulation in MLR using LD (lymphocyte defined) homozygous typing cells. The ability to provoke back stimulation was found to be different among LD homozygous typing cells. The presence of nonspecific blastogenic factors in supernatant from mixed culture of LD homozygous cells and heterozygous cells, which might be responsible for back stimulation, was confirmed. It was clearly shown that irradiation of LD homozygous typing cells with 6,000 rads instead of the widely used 3,000 rads can greatly reduce or eliminate this back stimulation without introducing any false non-stimulation.
CARDIAC OUTPUT DETERMINATION IN CRITICALLY ILL CHILDREN: PULSE DOPPLER vs THERMODILUTION TECHNIQUES

To determine the usefulness of the noninvasive pulsed Doppler in critically ill children, we calculated cardiac output by using this technique and compared the results with values obtained by the thermodilution method. Ten critically ill children who required invasive hemodynamic monitoring with a flow-directed Swan Ganz catheter were selected for this study. The subclavian vein was catheterized in all patients and a #5 Swan Ganz catheter was introduced in 5 patients (ages 8 to 16 years). Fifty-two cardiac output determinations were performed with a Gould SP 1435, 115 VAC, 50-60 Hz thermodilution computer. Simultaneously, patients' ascending aortic blood flows were determined using a Cardioflo (R) pulsed Doppler cardiac output computer (105-125V, 60 Hz by Cardionics, Inc.). A pediatric 3.5 MHz transducer, 6mm diameter, with bidirectional nonfocused capabilities was utilized via a transcutaneous suprasternal approach. After determining Doppler probe position and penetration depth, maximum velocity signals were obtained and a Hewlett Packard adapted flouroscope was used to determine adequacy of ascending aortic wave forms. The diameter of the aorta was measured by m-mode echocardiography and dialed into the computer, which calculated crosssectional diameter of the aorta (A = πd2 T 4cm2). Ascending aortic blood flow (cardiac output) was then derived by using the formula, FLOW = VELOCITY × CROSS-SECTIONAL DIAMETER. Thermodilution cardiac output values were compared with aortic flow calculated from Doppler signals. Linear regression analysis of cardiac output measurements showed to correlate significantly. Linear regression = 0.98, Y intercept = 0.98105X + 0.0687, with a range of 1,620-7,610 ml/min. We conclude that pulsed Doppler determination of cardiac output is a reliable, effective and safe noninvasive method to measure cardiac output in critically ill children.
Sensory outcomes after reconstruction of lingual and inferior alveolar nerve discontinuities using processed nerve allograft--a case series.

Purpose The present study describes the results of using a processed nerve allograft, Avance Nerve Graft, as an extracellular matrix scaffold for the reconstruction of lingual nerve (LN) and inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) discontinuities. Patients and Methods A retrospective analysis of the neurosensory outcomes for 26 subjects with 28 LN and IAN discontinuities reconstructed with a processed nerve allograft was conducted to determine the treatment effectiveness and safety. Sensory assessments were conducted preoperatively and 3, 6, and 12 months after surgical reconstruction. The outcomes population, those with at least 6 months of postoperative follow-up, included 21 subjects with 23 nerve defects. The neurosensory assessments included brush stroke directional sensation, static 2-point discrimination, contact detection, pressure pain threshold, and pressure pain tolerance. Using the clinical neurosensory testing scale, sensory impairment scores were assigned preoperatively and at each follow-up appointment. Improvement was defined as a score of normal, mild, or moderate. Results The neurosensory outcomes from LNs and IANs that had been microsurgically repaired with a processed nerve allograft were promising. Of those with nerve discontinuities treated, 87% had improved neurosensory scores with no reported adverse experiences. Similar levels of improvement, 87% for the LNs and 88% for the IANs, were achieved for both nerve types. Also, 100% sensory improvement was achieved in injuries repaired within 90 days of the injury compared with 77% sensory improvement in injuries repaired after 90 days. Conclusions These results suggest that processed nerve allografts are an acceptable treatment option for reconstructing trigeminal nerve discontinuities. Additional studies will focus on reviewing the outcomes of additional cases.
BWE: a resource sharing protocol for multimedia systems with bandwidth reservation

In multimedia systems with soft real-time constraints, tasks must be guaranteed a certain system bandwidth so they can provide an acceptable performance to their users. In this paper a bandwidth exchange (BWE) protocol is proposed to manage resource sharing issues between tasks running on systems with CPU bandwidth reservation. The approach improves an earlier protocol, bandwidth inheritance (BWI), in that it provides bandwidth isolation not only between independent groups of tasks, but also between any two tasks within the same resource sharing group. BWE thus provides fairer resource allocation than BWI.
Legal Bedrock for Rebuilding America's Ocean Ecosystems

The public trust doctrine would provide a powerful framework for restructuring the way we manage U.S. oceans.
Words to Make you Laugh?: Performing the Public in Guadeloupean Comedy Sketches

Guadeloupean comedy sketches in Kreyol, live and on DVD, feature stock characters taken from the city streets, rum shops and small neighborhoods of the island. Through their depictions, actors in Kreyol comedy sketches position different Guadeloupean “types” into an imagined social landscape that spans the island, the Caribbean and the mainland, including much of the social complexity of the island. This paper considers how creole comedy constructs a particular vision of the Guadeloupean public. In this overseas department of France, artists dedicate a considerable amount of time and energy to imagining and reclaiming what it means to be Guadeloupean. I explore how comedy sketches elaborate and circulate social and linguistic stereotypes and how Kreyol comedy offers commentary and presents stances on Guadeloupean society and the issues the community faces, such as high unemployment, assimilation into France and the impacts of globalization. [publics, comedy, performance, Guadeloupe, stereotypes]
Paraplegia following aortic surgery

It has long been recognised that paraplegia may occur after various surgical procedures on the heart and the aorta. Paraplegia occurring following traumatic rupture of the aorta has not been commonly reported due to the dismal prognosis of such rupture. Over the past 3 years, we have encountered five patients who survived traumatic rupture of the aorta and developed paraplegia, and three patients who had chronic dissecting aneurysms of the aorta who also developed paraplegia. These patients continued to show neurological and functional improvement over the years. We are presenting these cases to illustrate their neurological improvement and to show that the prognosis for these patients may not be as dismal as previously reported once they survive the acute episode
The International Production of Authoritative Knowledge The Case of Drought-Stricken West Africa

As one might expect in this social science minded era, the formation of what passes as authoritative knowledge underpins all international development policy. At present, major parts of West Africa are turning into desert. This environmental circumstance is the rationale for international plans for managing West African political and economic affairs. The documents and official talk that surround this asymmetrical relationship reveal the donor view of the African situation, and what is considered `good for' West Africa, economically and politically, now and in the future. These European ideas about the way development should proceed, and the way they are inserted in the West African scene, are the subject of this article. Ethnographic observations of meetings of international donors, of life in African villages, and of the doings of African officials give substance to this picture of purported conformity and illfitting realities.
Performing Power, Composing Culture: The State Press in Ghana

This article examines how African political and discursive forms shape the seemingly universal practices of journalism at a state newspaper in Ghana. The daily work routine, relationships with sources, criteria of newsworthiness, narrative techniques - all are locally determined by Ghanaian standards of discourse and sociality. Local aesthetics of representation and discursive propriety establish a distinctive set of conventions for political speech and news writing. Through aesthetically ‘Africanized’ discursive styles and techniques, the state press constructs the authoritative social imaginary of the nation-state
Resilience A Silver Lining to Experiencing Adverse Life Events

When adverse life events occur, people often suffer negative consequences for their mental health and well-being. More adversity has been associated with worse outcomes, implying that the absence of life adversity should be optimal. However, some theory and empirical evidence suggest that the experience of facing difficulties can also promote benefits in the form of greater propensity for resilience when dealing with subsequent stressful situations. I review research that demonstrates U-shaped relationships between lifetime adversity exposure and mental health and well-being, functional impairment and health care utilization in chronic back pain, and responses to experimentally induced pain. Specifically, a history of some lifetime adversity predicts better outcomes than not only a history of high adversity but also a history of no adversity. This has important implications for understanding resilience, suggesting that adversity can have benefits.
Design of Components and Circuits Underneath Integrated Inductors

In this paper, we present a study of the eddy current effect of devices placed underneath and inside an on-chip inductor. We verified the performance of such area-saving structures through electromagnetic (EM) simulations and measurement of test structures. We used layout techniques to minimize eddy current loss and magnetic coupling between the devices and the inductor, and constructed a complete voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) inside an inductor. Measurement results show that this compact VCO has an equal performance in phase noise and output power as compared to a traditional VCO while reducing the area by about 50%. The techniques presented in this paper are general and can be implemented in most layouts without extra post-processing steps
Random Mutagenesis of Human Cytochrome P450 2A6 and Screening with Indole Oxidation Products1

Cytochrome P450 (P450) 2A6 mutants from randomized libraries generated in the substrate recognition sequence (SRS) regions were screened in Escherichia coli on the basis of indole metabolism. SRS 3 and 4 libraries yielded colonies that produced indigo at least as well as wild-type (WT) P450 2A6, and some colonies were consistently more blue upon replating. One mutant, F209T, showed indole 3-hydroxylation WT. The double mutant L240C/N297Q consistently produced very blue colonies. Five mutants yielded mixtures of pigments from indole different than WT, as judged by visible spectra and HPLC of products. When bacteria expressing the mutants were grown in the presence of each of 26 substituted indoles, a variety of patterns of formation of different dyes was seen with several of the mutants. This approach has potential value in understanding P450 2A6 function and generating new dyestuffs and other products.
Mechanical properties of composite structures fabricated with the vacuum induced preform relaxation process

A new technique called vacuum induced preform relaxation (VIPR) can be used to improve the processing of composite parts manufactured using vacuum resin infusion methods. The VIPR process is a method for manipulating and guiding the resin filling pattern during a vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) manufacturing process with a relatively small external vacuum chamber. This VIPR chamber can be sealed against the flexible molding surface of a VARTM mold and used to create vacuum above the preform. This causes the compressive forces compacting the fabric to decrease allowing the resin to flow faster in the effected region under the chamber. Thus the chamber can influence the resin flow pattern as well as avoid the formation of voids due to merging flow fronts. When the regulated vacuum in the chamber is applied it temporarily decreases the fiber volume fraction of the preform. It is important to investigate if this relaxation has a permanent adverse effect on the mechanical properties of the composite. The results of these tests strongly suggest that the use of the VIPR process does not compromise the mechanical properties of composite structures.
Late Paleozoic Glaciation: II, Africa Exclusive of the Karroo Basin

Africa, between about 4°N. and 32°S. latitude, was glaciated during the late Paleozoic as shown by glacial strata in several major basins and fault blocks—Karroo, Botswana, Orange River, Zambezi, and Congo—and in smaller areas of the Kaokoveld in South West Africa, in southern Madagascar, and in the Kafue Flats, Zambia. Age of the glaciation ranges from Late Carboniferous to Early Permian but may have begun in the Early Carboniferous. Striated floors beneath the glacial rocks indicate that extensive lobes of ice flowed radially outward from the African interior in Rhodesia and Zambia, suggesting that a continental ice sheet occupied this region. This is supported by environmentally significant facies relationships and paleocurrent flow directions. Major ice lobes occupied the Botswana fault block (flowing southwest), the subglacial valleys of the Kaokoveld region (flowing westwardly) and probably the coastal region of Tanzania, where ice flowed onto Madagascar toward the northeast prior to fragmentation of Gondwanaland. The major lobe of the Karroo basin, the Transvaal ice sheet, also flowed southward from the central African region. Smaller centers gave rise to the Namaland lobe, which flowed to the south from an elevated region on the western extremity of the Precambrian Damara belt, and to a piedmont glacier positioned at the foot of a mountainous region on the eastern side of the Congo basin. The Kaokoveld lobe overrode a mountain barrier in South West Africa, perhaps more than 1500 m high, and thence may have extended to the Brazilian shield and the Parana basin. This lobe probably was the only one to contribute to the glacial deposits of South America before the continents separated and drifted apart. Development of a continental ice sheet in southern Africa probably was enhanced by position of the continent in relatively high latitudes, as deduced from studies of rock paleomagnetism. As many as six glacial advances arc locally recorded, but many more may have occurred, in view of the abundant evidence of reworking of glacial deposits.
Issues for reactive power and voltage control pricing in a deregulated environment

Abstract Issues related to reactive power, voltage support and transmission losses as dictated from a certain class of electric loads are addressed. Specifically, the impact of predominantly induction motor loads on voltage support, reactive power requirements, and transmission losses is examined. These issues are examined with a model, which explicitly models the induction motor mechanical load. Simulation results on a simplified electric power system are presented. Based on these results, a pricing structure for voltage and reactive power support is proposed. The basic assumption of the paper is that, in a deregulated environment, the expense of the incremental requirements for voltage control should be charged to the member causing the additional requirements. The results of this work can also be used to justify long-term pricing agreements between suppliers and customers.
Carrageenan as an Anionic Polymer for Aqueous Microencapsulation

All aqueous microencapsulation involving the use of the anionic polymer alginate as its amine salt with spermine has been recently studied for the encapsulation of live viruses and isolated proteins. It was of interest to study the influence of another anionic polymer, carrageenan, on the encapsulation of a single protein. Trypsin, used as a the model protein, was encapsulated in spermine carrageenan macrocapsules. It was found that trypsin retains its structure as evidenced by SDS-PAGE analysis and its functional integrity measured as specific enzymatic activity. Thus, carrageenan can serve as anionic polymer in all aqueous charged film encapsulation systems.
Sacroiliac joint pain in the pediatric population

Object The sacroiliac (SI) joint can be a pain generator in 13%–27% of cases of back pain in adults. These numbers are largely unknown for the pediatric population. In children and especially girls, development of the pelvic girdle makes the SI joint prone to misalignment. Young athletes sustain repeated stress on their SI joints, and sometimes even minor trauma can result in lasting pain that mimics radiculopathy. The authors present a series of 48 pediatric patients who were evaluated for low-back pain and were found to have SI joint misalignment as the cause of their symptoms. They were treated with a simple maneuver described in this paper that realigned their SI joint and provided significant improvement of symptoms. Methods A retrospective review of the electronic records identified 48 patients who were referred with primary complaints of low-back pain and were determined to have SI joint misalignment during bedside examination maneuvers described here. Three patients did not have a record of their ...
Rapid resolution of an acute subdural hematoma by increasing the shunt valve pressure in a 63-year-old man with normal-pressure hydrocephalus with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt: a case report and literature review.

Introduction Symptomatic subdural hematoma development is a constant concern for patients who have undergone cerebrospinal fluid shunting procedures to relieve symptoms related to normal-pressure hydrocephalus. Acute subdural hematomas are of particular concern in these patients as even minor head trauma may result in subdural hematoma formation. The presence of a ventricular shunt facilitates further expansion of the subdural hematoma and often necessitates surgical treatment, including subdural hematoma evacuation and shunt ligation.
Use of real-time quantitative PCR to validate the results of cDNA array and differential display PCR technologies.

Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) methods that monitor product accumulation were adapted for the validation of differentially expressed genes. We describe a real-time quantitative PCR assay that uses SYBR Green I dye-based detection and product melting curve analysis to validate differentially expressed genes identified by gene expression profiling technologies. Since SYBR Green I dye is a nonspecific intercalating dye, the reaction is made specific by using "hot-start" PCR and empirically determined annealing and signal acquisition temperatures for each gene-specific primer. Relative expression levels were quantified by constructing a standard curve using cDNA dilutions of a highly expressed gene. Using this approach, real-time PCR validated 17 of 21 (71%) genes identified by DNA arrays, and all but 1 of 13 (91%) genes identified by differential display PCR (DD-PCR). Validation of differentially expressed genes detected by array analysis was related to hybridization intensity. Real-time RT-PCR results suggest that genes identified by DNA arrays with a two to fourfold difference in expression cannot be accepted as true or false without validation. Validation of differentially expressed genes detected by DD-PCR was not affected by band intensities. Regardless of the gene expression profiling technology (microarrays, DD-PCR, serial analysis of gene expression and subtraction hybridization), once the sequence of gene of interest is known, the real-time RT-PCR approach is well suited for validation of differential expression since it is quantitative and rapid and requires 1000-fold less RNA than conventional assays.