cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rotavirus shedding in premature infants following first immunization.

Abstract Objective There is limited data regarding rotavirus vaccine shedding in premature infants. We describe the natural history of rotavirus shedding in premature infants in the 2-week period following first immunization with RotaTeq ® , the pentavalent rotavirus vaccine (RV5), and the risk for symptomatic transmission to household contacts (HHC). Patients and methods A prospective pilot study of 15 premature infants of gestational ages 26–34 weeks immunized with RV5 between 6 and 14 weeks chronological age on discharge from the NICU was conducted. Stool samples collected in the following 2 weeks and analyzed for rotavirus antigen by enzyme immunoassay (EIA), cell culture, and RT-PCR. Solicited adverse events were collected on study subjects and any symptoms of fever, vomiting and diarrhea in HHC. Results Rotavirus antigen shedding after immunization was detected, with positive rotavirus EIA results in 53.3% of premature infants and in 22.1% of 86 stool samples collected. Shedding rates by RT-PCR were higher with 86.7% of infants and 76.7% of samples being positive. Only 42% of EIA positive samples were positive by cell culture (8/86 total samples, 9.3%). None of 53 HHC reported symptoms of rotavirus infection during the 4 weeks following immunization of the infants. Conclusions The findings of this study demonstrate that premature infants have positive stools by EIA, viral culture, and RT-PCR at varying time points during 2 weeks following first-dose immunization with RV5. RT-PCR shedding rates need to be clinically evaluated in the context of virus quantification by cell culture, which was low. No symptomatic transmission to HHC was detected in this study, supporting low transmissibility of vaccine virus shed by these infants born prematurely.
Heat capacity measurements of extremely thin substrate-free liquid-crystal films

A state-of-the-art calorimetric system has been established. The system enables us to measure simultaneously heat capacity and optical reflectivity of free-standing liquid-crystal films from many hundreds down to only two molecular layers in thickness. Our experimental results on the smectic-A-hexatic-B and smectic-C-smectic-I transitions cannot be described solely in terms of the creation of bond-orientational order, indicating that additional molecular order must be present in the hexatic phases of liquid crystals.
The Moral Hazard of Humanitarian Intervention: Lessons from the Balkans

This article explores a perverse consequence of the emerging norm of humanitarian intervention, or “Responsibility to Protect,” contrary to its intent of protecting civilians from genocide and ethnic cleansing. The root of the problem is that such genocidal violence often represents state retaliation against a substate group for rebellion (such as an armed secession) by some of its members. The emerging norm, by raising expectations of diplomatic and military intervention to protect these groups, unintentionally fosters rebellion by lowering its expected cost and increasing its likelihood of success. In practice, intervention does sometimes help rebels attain their political goals, but usually it is too late or inadequate to avert retaliation against civilians. Thus, the emerging norm resembles an imperfect insurance policy against genocidal violence. It creates moral hazard that encourages the excessively risky or fraudulent behavior of rebellion by members of groups that are vulnerable to genocidal retaliation, but it cannot fully protect against the backlash. The emerging norm thereby causes some genocidal violence that otherwise would not occur. Bosnia and Kosovo illustrate that in at least two recent cases the moral-hazard hypothesis explains why members of a vulnerable group rebelled and thereby triggered genocidal retaliation. The article concludes by exploring whether potential interveners could mitigate genocidal violence by modifying their intervention policies to reduce moral hazard.
Are Students Throwing Away Nutrition

Abstract The School Breakfast Program (SBP) began in 1966 in order to provide breakfast for children in poor areas and for those who had to travel a great distance to school. Although participation in the SBP has doubled between 1987 and 1997, it is unclear whether children are consuming a well-balanced breakfast. The purpose of this study was to determine whether students in a rural Missouri elementary school were eating the complete SBP meal and thereby obtaining adequate nutrition. The subjects were grades K-2 students who received the SBP meal over three days during one week in February 2001. Researchers observed which meal items were “not taken/not eaten” and noted the information on a Meal Pattern Tally Form for each student. Overall, it seemed that the students in this study consistently did not eat approximately 10% of their milk and grain/meat main menu items, nor about 40% of their fruit/vegetable servings. Consistently, more females than males did not eat the minimum servings of all food items ...
Multifaceted Nano- and Micropatterned Surfaces for Cell Adhesion Manipulation

Surfaces displaying nano- and micropatterned cell adhesive ligands have led to numerous discoveries in cell biology. Soft lithography techniques such as microcontact printing are well suited for creating surfaces displaying micropatterns of one ligand type in a single arrangement but are difficult to implement for the creation of multifaceted surfaces that present multiple ligand types with each ligand confined to their own pattern. To better understand the influence of extracellular matrix (ECM) composition on adhesion site formation and gross cell behavior (motility, proliferation, differentiation, etc.) it would be advantageous to posses the ability to create surfaces displaying multiple patterned ligands with length scales ranging from 1 μm2 , the size of focal adhesions. Higher spatial resolution than what is easily achieved with microcontact printing is also desired. Such surfaces would allow for the simultaneous investigations of adhesion site maturation and composition and how changes in these properties can be implemented to engineer cell behavior via cell-surface interactions.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Association of Calcium and Phosphate Ions with Collagen in the Mineralization of Vertebrate Tissues

Among the vertebrate species, collagen is the most abundant protein and is associated with mineralization of their skeleton and dentition in all tissues except enamel. In such tissues, bones, calcifying tendon, dentin, and cementum are comprised principally of type I collagen, which has been proposed as a template for apatite mineral formation. Recent considerations of the interaction between type I collagen and calcium and phosphate ions as the major constituents of apatite have suggested that collagen polypeptide stereochemistry underlies binding of these ions at sites within collagen hole and overlap regions and leads to nucleation of crystals. The concept is fundamental to understanding both normal and abnormal mineralization, and it is reviewed in this article. Given this background, avenues for additional research studies in vertebrate mineralization will also be described. The latter include, for instance, how mineralization events subsequent to nucleation, that is, crystal growth and development, occur and whether they, too, are directed by collagen stereochemical parameters; whether mineralization can be expected in all spaces between collagen molecules; whether the side chains of charged amino acid residues actually point toward and into the hole and overlap collagen spaces to provide putative binding sites for calcium and phosphate ions; and what phenomena may be responsible for mineralization beyond hole and overlap zones and into extracellular tissue regions between collagen structural units. These questions will be discussed to provide a broader understanding of collagen contributions to potential mechanisms of vertebrate mineralization.
Analysis and design of negative impedance LC oscillators using bipolar transistors

This paper provides an analysis on how the application of emitter degeneration increases the oscillation frequency while improving the output phase noise and tuning range of LC oscillators designed using bipolar transistors. Design methodology, simulation results and circuit examples for LC oscillators employing this technique are given.
Plural-Component proportioners

Summary Plural-component proportioning is a unique way to meter and dispense multicomponent materials. The two basic methods of automated proportioning are convergent-stream and integration technologies. Automated proportioners control the ratio either mechanically or electronically. In either case, the materials are mixed together in a manifold or integration chamber via a static mix tube or a power mixer, and delivered as a single component for application. Plural-component materials give increased physical properties, reduced cure time, and the ability to reduce VOCs emitted to the atmosphere. It is not out of the question to see a 15–20% savings in material usage and its associated costs. Your choice of plural-component proportioner is not one to make in haste. Systems can be expensive and require technical maintenance. Capabilities in maintenance and equipment upkeep must be evaluated. Know what you want, what is required, and what you like. Know your cost of failure. Don't automatically rule out electronic systems because of cost. Their capabilities may far override the initial up-front investment. Material suppliers are developing materials near or at 100% solids that require proportioning equipment. Plural-component proportioning can save you material. It will give you better ratio control, ease of application, and use of these unique materials. It will save you wasted product and. ultimately, the VOC and disposal problems that can result from hand mixing.
Wiki: A speedy new tool to manage projects

The word “wiki-wiki” means “quick” in Hawaiian. And “wikis”—real-time, editable Web sites—are the latest tools for managing projects in our fast-paced world. The authors explain how wikis work and the pros and cons of using them. Will they change the way we handle information? © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Learning and coding of concepts in neural networks

Our environment consists of virtually an infinite number of scenarios in which we have to function. In order to respond properly to an incoming stimulus, the brain has first to analyze it, and to find out the basic familiar elements that are part of it. In other words, by using a library which contains a relatively small number of basic concepts, the brain analyzes the multitude of incoming events. Some of those basic concepts are innate, but many of them must be learned, in order to accommodate for the arbitrary environment around us. A classifying box is defined as the neural network that finds out the familiar concepts that are present in an incoming stimulus. Models for classifying boxes are introduced, and possible mechanisms by which they may establish their libraries of concepts are suggested, and then compared and evaluated by computer simulations.
The Effects Of Finite Beam Size Upon Wide-Angle Diffraction Phenomena

Diffraction gratings are known to exhibit anomalous behavior at certain critical wavelengths or incident angles. These traditional anomalies manifest themselves as abrupt variations in diffracted order efficiency or grating absorption while their angular position remains unchanged as predicted by the grating equation. Experimental observations were recently reported which indicated a diffraction grating anomaly in the angular position of certain diffracted orders that appeared to violate the grating equation. Several exotic physical mechanisms have been suggested as possible causes of this intriguing behavior. In this paper we attempt to show that this angular grating anomaly is the straightforward result of finite beam size upon wide-angle diffraction phenomena as described by simple scalar diffraction theory.
Viscosity of iodinated contrast agents: Significance for peripheral venous injection

Abstract The meglumine salt of a urographic contrast agent is significantly more viscous than the comparable sodium salt. To noninvasively deliver a bolus to some patients it is often necessary to use a 21-guage needle. The inherent resistance of a 21-guage scalp needle results in approximately a 60% increase in injection time for the meglumine salt as opposed to the sodium salt.
Si Tight-Binding Parameters from Genetic Algorithm Fitting

Quantum mechanical simulations of carrier transport in Si require an accurate model of the complicated Si bandstructure. Tight-binding models are an attractive method of choice since they bear the full electronic structure symmetry in them and they can discretize a realistic device on an atomic scale.
Atomistic Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Drosophila Orai in a Hydrated Lipid Bilayer

Orai channels are prominent (calcium) Ca2+ signal mediators in many cell types. In T lymphocytes, Orai1 and STIM1 form the Ca2+ release-activated Ca2+ (CRAC) channel. Following endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca2+ store depletion, ER membrane-resident Ca2+ sensor STIM1 physically interacts with plasma membrane-bound, pore-forming Orai1 subunits. The STIM1-Orai1 interaction results in Ca2+ influx and ultimately changes in gene expression that underlie the immune response. In 2012, the Drosophila Orai (dOrai) crystal structure was solved to 3.34 A resolution. To develop an atomistic view of Orai channel function, given the high sequence identity (73%) between dOrai and human Orai1, we constructed a complete dOrai structure by building in flexible loops missing in the crystal structure and adjusting the protonation state of several pore residues. The model was placed into a lipid bilayer with excess hydration and simulated for over 200 ns. We find shifted pKa values for several titratable residues in the pore interior, and that changing protonation states of these key residues is essential to maintain pore stability. To explore the mechanism of channel block, we also simulated the model with either Ca2+ or (gadolinium) Gd3+ in the selectivity filter. Taken together, our results help to address the stability of the closed structure in a lipid bilayer while also yielding novel atomistic insights into channel block and pH sensitivity.This work was supported by NIH grants F30CA171717 to M.L.W., P01GM86685 to D.J.T., and NS-14609 to M.D.C.1. Hou, X, et al. Science. (2012); 338; 1308-13.
The rational synthesis of chlorins via rearrangement of porphodimethenes: influence of beta-substituents on the regioselectivity and stereoselectivity of pyrroline ring formation

The porphodimethene rearrangement methodology reported in this paper provides for a rational, step-by-step synthesis of chlorins from readily available pyrrole precursors. The intermediate porphodimethenes are furnished directly via the '2 + 2' MacDonald condensation, or by the less symmetry-constrained '3 + 1' condensation of a tripyrrane and bis-formyl pyrrole. The synthetic route is short and highly convergent, especially in the case of the '3 + 1' approach, and furnishes chlorins in good to moderate yields. The synthesis is highly regioselective and appears to be based on the ability of the beta-substituent to stabilize excess electron density, with an electron-neutral hydrogen or an electron-withdrawing carbonyl beta-substituent demonstrating the greatest influence on the formation of the pyrroline ring. The synthesis is highly stereoselective when epimerization of the pyrroline ring beta-carbons is possible, furnishing only the trans-reduced sterioisomer. Finally, there is substantial evidence that a fifth, axial ligand is involved in the transposition of peripheral hydrogens during the rearrangement of the pi-system from metalloporphodimethene to metallochlorin.
Differential excitation cross section of atomic oxygen by electron impact: (³P‐¹S transition)

Results of an electron impact experiment in which a crossed-beam method was used to determine the differential excitation cross sections of atomic oxygen (3P-1D transition) are reported. The measurements cover energies of 7, 10, 15, 20, and 30 eV, with the angular range varying from 30 to 150 deg in 15-deg increments. The results are consistent, both in shape and in magnitude, with theoretical predictions, providing a direct confirmation of the theoretical total excitation cross sections of O(1D) state. Details of the experimental equipment and procedure are given.
Influence of O2-induced surface roughening on the chemistry of water on TiO2(110)

Abstract The impact of oxygen induced regrowth of TiO 2 on the reduced rutile TiO 2 (1 1 0) surface has been studied using temperature programmed desorption (TPD) of adsorbed water multilayers. Pre-exposure of UHV annealed TiO 2 (1 1 0) surfaces to O 2 at temperatures from 300 to 850 K induced changes in subsequent water TPDs that were interpreted in terms of the rougher surface morphologies resulting from the regrowth process. Water TPD from TiO 2 (1 1 0) previously oxidized at 300 K exhibited a new peak at ∼312 K due to reaction of water with O adatoms. These O adatoms were produced by dissociative adsorption of O 2 at O-vacancy sites. Additionally, oxygen reacted (slowly) with surface Ti 2 O 3 strands at RT. Water TPD from surfaces pre-oxidized at higher temperatures (⩾500 K) exhibited features reflective of desorption from rough surfaces, namely loss of peak resolution and eventual merger of the second layer and ice peaks, formation of a high temperature tail on the second layer peak, and broadening of the first layer TPD peak. The multiplicity of kinetically different adsorption sites on the roughened TiO 2 (1 1 0) surfaces contributed to the widening of the desorption features.
Enhancing an advanced community pharmacy practice experience through use of a student pharmacist manual

Abstract Objective To present a model to preceptors in a community setting for a structured and quality advanced community pharmacy practice experience (ACPPE). Design Experiential report. Setting Chain pharmacy. Participants Not applicable. Intervention Development and use of a student pharmacist manual in a structured, organized ACPPE. Main outcome measures Not applicable. Results The manual, in addition to introductory materials and competencies for the ACCPE, contains five modules that focus on dispensing, management and law, nonprescription medications, consultation, and patient care. The student pharmacist is also provided with a schedule and calendar showing how goals and objectives for the rotation are distributed throughout the modules and activities of the ACCPE. Activities and assignments during the ACCPE include topic discussions, physical assessment skills review, “living with diabetes for the weekend,” developing patient handouts, implementing a new pharmacy patient care service, patient consultations, and presentations. Evaluations conducted during the ACCPE help student pharmacists monitor their progress and identify strengths and weaknesses. Conclusion Efforts to enhance a community practice experience can be rewarding and beneficial to both the student pharmacists and the pharmacy. A structured ACPPE gives student pharmacists an opportunity to develop skills to improve patient care in the community.
Impact of a suicide‐specific intervention within inpatient psychiatric care: The Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality.

A growing body of literature indicates that suicidal patients differ from other psychiatric patients with respect to specific psychological vulnerabilities and that suicide-specific interventions may offer benefits beyond conventional care. This naturalistic controlled-comparison trial (n = 52) examined outcomes of intensive psychiatric hospital treatment (mean length of stay 58.8 days), comparing suicidal patients who received individual therapy from clinicians utilizing the Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) to patients whose individual therapists did not utilize CAMS. Propensity score matching was used to control for potential confounds, including age, sex, treatment unit, and severity of depression and suicidality. Results showed that both groups improved significantly over the course of hospitalization; however, the group receiving CAMS showed significantly greater improvement on measures specific to suicidal ideation and suicidal cognition. Results are discussed in terms of the potential advantages of treating suicide risk with a suicide-specific intervention to make inpatient psychiatric treatment more effective in reducing risk for future suicidal crises.
Internal EUS-Directed Transgastric ERCP (EDGE): Game Over

s the prevalence of obesity in the United States Aexceeds 30%, the number of bariatric procedures being performed, including Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), is steadily increasing. Therefore, gastroenterologists will inevitably be required to manage pancreaticobiliary diseases in more patients with altered anatomy. Various techniques including deep enteroscopy-assisted endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and laparoscopy-assisted ERCP have been developed to address the anatomic challenges of these patients. However, they are not without their limitations. Technical success rates of enteroscopy-assisted ERCP have been reported to be as low as 63% in multicenter trials. Alternatively, whereas laparoscopy-assisted ERCP has high technical success rates, it carries significant risk of complications and is more costly. Therefore, efforts by endoscopists have been focused on gaining endoscopic access to the excluded stomach to perform conventional antegrade ERCP. A recently published case series described using deep enteroscopy to achieve gastrostomy access. Our group has recently published a technique utilizing endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) to gain gastrostomy access, but was performed in 2 stages. The procedure was coined EUSdirected transgastric ERCP (EDGE). The ideal procedure would be one that can be performed by a single team, with a high technical success rate, in a single session, in a minimally invasive fashion. With the recent Food and Drug Administration approval of a novel, fully covered, lumen-apposing metal stent (AXIOS; XLumena, Mountain View, CA) this procedure is now possible. This case report describes the first entirely endoscopic internal EDGE procedure using a lumenapposing metal stent to create a gastrogastric fistula in a RYGB patient to perform single-session antegrade ERCP.
Tissue Composition of Lactating Guinea Pia Mammary Glands

Abstract Fourteen mammary glands from eight English shorthair guinea pigs were used to determine the fractional contributions (f) to total tissue by secretory epithelial tissue (E) and supportive tissue (S). The blood plasma (B) component was determined with an additional eight animals with 125 I-human serum albumin as the label for plasma volume. Means and standard deviations were f E = .557±.023, f S = .398±.023 and f B = .045±.010. Therefore, lactating guinea pig mammary glands (excluding milk) were 55.7% secretory epithelial tissue, 39.8% supportive tisue, and 4.5% blood plasma.
Extended abstract for Canvas Obscura

Canvas Obscura is a survival-horror game where the player must locate objects within an ever-changing environment. Canvas Obscura pushes the boundaries of the survival-horror genre by including procedurally generated levels.
A spatiotemporal model for Mexico City ozone levels

Summary. We consider hourly readings of concentrations of ozone over Mexico City and propose a model for spatial as well as temporal interpolation and prediction. The model is based on a time-varying regression of the observed readings on air temperature. Such a regression requires interpolated values of temperature at locations and times where readings are not available. These are obtained from a time-varying spatiotemporal model that is coupled to the model for the ozone readings. Two location-dependent harmonic components are added to account for the main periodicities that ozone presents during a given day and that are not explained through the covariate. The model incorporates spatial covariance structure for the observations and the parameters that define the harmonic components. Using the dynamic linear model framework, we show how to compute smoothed means and predictive values for ozone. We illustrate the methodology on data from September 1997.
Chromosomal translocations deregulating c-myc are associated with normal immune responses

Plasmacytomas induced in BALB/c mice by pristane consistently evidence chromosomal translocations involving the c-myc gene and one of the Ig loci. This observation has lead to the suggestion that c-myc deregulation is a critical event in the generation of such tumors. However, it is not clear whether c-myc translocation is related to pristane treatment or occurs in normal lymphocyte populations nor whether such translocations occur normally, and at similar frequencies, in strains genetically resistant to plasmacytoma development, such as DBA/2. In order to address these questions, a Long Distance PCR assay with single copy sensitivity was employed to assess the frequency of c-myc/IgA translocations in normal and immunized mice of both plasmacytoma resistant and susceptible lineages in the absence of pristane treatment. Our data demonstrate that spontaneous translocations occur in normal DBA/2 and BALB/c mice with no significant differences in frequency. A 3 – 5-fold increase in translocation frequency was observed in mice immunized with cholera toxin, a strong stimulator of IgA responses. We conclude that c-myc deregulation by chromosomal translocation is associated with normal physiological processes of B-cell differentiation and, as such, can not be the determining factor leading to malignancy.
Physical and genetic hybrids formed in bacterial transformation

Abstract Pneumococcus was transformed with DNA labeled with the heavy isotopes 2H and 15N. DNA was extracted from the recipient cells immediately after transformation and also after various amounts of growth following termination of the exposure to the heavy DNA. Re-extracted DNA was broken to desired ranges of molecular weights by shear, and then fractionated in cesium chloride density-gradients. We examined the distributions of transforming activity in these gradients for two markers, one carried by the heavy DNA and the other by the light recipient cells. Both markers were present at hybrid density immediately after transformation. The recipient marker largely disappeared from hybrid material during the first DNA replication after transformation. The donor marker began to appear at the light density during the second replication. We concluded from these observations that the physical hybrid observed was a genetic hybrid between donor and recipient for the two markers examined, and that either strand of the duplex could participate in the breakage and rejoining mechanism which effects transformation. From the ratios of donor to recipient activities observed at the hybrid density, we further concluded that either strand of the duplex can transform with equal probability. From experiments in which we varied the molecular weight of the DNA applied to the cesium chloride gradients, we concluded that DNA can be integrated into the recipient genome in a continuum of lengths ranging from an undetermined lower limit below 1 × 106 daltons to more than 5 × 106 daltons, in single-stranded molecular weight. From our experiments using markers for streptomycin-resistance and erythromycin-resistance, we estimated a weight-average length of integration near 2 × 106 daltons.
Effects of in Vivo Hormonal Treatment on Serine Metabolism in Isolated Rat Hepatocytes

Experiments were designed to estimate the effect of in vivo hormonal treatment of rats on serine metabolism in isolated hepatocytes. By incubating hepatocytes in the presence or absence of 3-mercaptopicolinic acid (a potent inhibitor of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase), the relative flow of [14C] serine carbon to [14C]glucose via the serine dehydratase (SDH)- initiated vs. serine amino-transferase (SAT)-initated pathways could be estimated. Streptozotocin-induced diabetes caused a tripling of the absolute rate of [14C]serine conversion to [14C] glucose, along with a shift in the relative importance of the SATmediated pathway. Hydrocortisone treatment had no significant effect on either the rate or route of serine metabolism. The SATmediated pathway was the major route of serine conversion to glucose after 4 days of chronic glucagon injections, although the absolute rate of conversion was enhanced by only 50%. This was the only treatment examined in which SDH was not the major route for serine gluconeoge...
The use of deep brain stimulation in psychiatric disorders

Abstract Despite significant advances in psychopharmacology, many patients with psychiatric disorders remain severely impaired by their conditions. Aggressive psychotherapeutic treatments also fail to improve some of these very treatment refractory patients. For these individuals, neurosurgical procedures may be an option. Anterior Cingulotomy procedures have been performed for patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Major Depression. Anterior Capsulotomy procedures have been performed in similar populations. Results suggest that approximately 50% of treatment refractory patients will respond to these procedures. Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) may present an alternative to these ablative procedures. This paper examines various aspects of the use of DBS in psychiatric disorders. This includes the rationale for this use, a summary of preliminary research done to date, and a discussion of the risks and benefits involved in considering DBS.
The recommendation for bed rest in the setting of arrested preterm labor and premature rupture of membranes.

Objective The objective of the study was to estimate practice patterns regarding bed rest in women with preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) and arrested preterm labor. Study Design This was a mail-based survey of all Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine members in the United States asking whether they would recommend bed rest in the setting of arrested preterm labor or PPROM at 26 weeks. Bed rest was defined as no more than 1-2 hours per day out of bed, with permitted activities including bathroom use, bathing, and brief ambulation inside the home/hospital. Results Seventy-one percent and 87% would recommend bed rest for women with cervical dilation and arrested preterm labor and women with PPROM, respectively, even though the majority believed bed rest was associated with minimal or no benefit. Female sex, nonacademic practice, and practice location in the South or West were independently associated with the recommendation for bed rest. Conclusion Despite the belief that bed rest is associated with minimal or no benefit, most maternal-fetal medicine specialists recommend bed rest for arrested preterm labor and PPROM. Randomized, prospective trials are needed to evaluate the efficacy of bed rest in these settings.
Knoop microhardness anisotropy and the indentation size effect on the (100) of single crystal NiAl

Abstract The Knoop microhardness anisotropy of the B2 intermetallic compound NiAl in single crystal form was investigated on the (100) plane. Indentation test loads from 25 to 500 g were applied and the indentation size effect (ISE) was analyzed by an energy balance. The Knoop microhardness profile confirmed the 〈011〉{100} primary slip system for NiAl. The load independent, orientation independent Knoop microhardness was determined to be 218.6±5.8 kg mm −2 for the NiAl (100) plane. Additional Knoop indentation experiments were completed with a lubricant applied to the specimen surface. The load independent, orientation independent Knoop microhardness for the lubricated microhardness measurements was 220.3±5.0 kg mm −2 , essentially the same. However, the extent of the ISE was significantly reduced. Based on these results, it is evident that the ISE can be attributed primarily to frictional effects between the indenter facets and the test specimen surface.
Glen W. Hartman Lecture: American Roentgen Ray Society. Radiology: a century of achievement.

The task of giving a named lecture is always made easier if one knew the person for whom the lecture was named, but at the same time it increases the responsibility of the lecturer. While we celebrate the centennial year of the discovery of the X-ray, we and dozens of our radiologic sister societies are also celebrating the life of Glen Hartman. Who was Glen Hartman and why have so many organizations chosen to honor him this year?
Semiclassical Monte Carlo Analysis of Graphene FETs

We present a 3-D semiclassical Monte Carlo simulator for modeling transport in graphene metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs). We have calibrated our material simulations by matching simulation results to experimental bulk velocity-field curves. We have included a full range of phonon-scattering mechanisms, intrinsic and oxide/extrinsic remote impurity charges, and carrier-carrier interactions from classical electrostatics. We have modeled Klein tunneling and, in device simulations, treated charged impurities as localized Coulomb centers within the self-consistent potential function rather than through a scattering rate approximation. The necessity of these latter two treatments is demonstrated through simulations of 80-nm channel-length graphene MOSFETs.
Physical control on CCl4 and CHCl3 desorption from artificially contaminated and aged sediments with supercritical carbon dioxide.

The long-term interactions of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) and chloroform (CHCl3) with sediments that are low in organic matter (OM) are not well studied and documented in the literature. In this study, CCl4 and CHCl3 were mixed with supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) and loaded onto columns packed with two sediments with low OM content and different textures, to establish contamination and achieve expedited artificial aging. The columns were subsequently leached with a simulated groundwater under hydraulically saturated conditions. Scanning electron microscopy was used to inspect the morphology of sediment single particles, determine the degree of particle association in aggregates and qualitatively estimate porosity and the length of possible diffusional pathways that might affect the overall contaminant desorption rates in sediments with low sorption capacity. Results demonstrated that most of contaminant inventories were rapidly released in the first pore volume of effluent, although a small portion of contaminants’ total mass exhibited time-dependent desorption. The calculated Kd values of CCl4 or CHCl3 partition were negligibly small. The transport behavior of both contaminants was similar and it was simulated well with a distributed (multiple)-rate (DR) statistical model, which accounted for the apparent contaminant mass transfer through diffusional pathways of different lengths, towards the advectivemore » pores. The distribution of contaminant mass between equilibrium and kinetic fractions, the distribution of the individual rate constants, and the average rate constants calculated with the parameters of the γ-distribution function (β and η) of the DR model, were sediments (texture) dependent, indicating that contaminant desorption during the late stage of leaching was driven by concentration gradients (i.e., diffusion) within sediment matrix porosity.« less
Innovation adoption and diffusion when there are competing innovations

Abstract Firms face a choice between two innovations without knowing which of the two is better. Each firm has a prior that one of the innovations is better, which is updated by Bayes rule as trials with the innovations are made. A simple decision rule indicating which innovation should be tried, given any posterior, is derived and used to define an expected diffusion curve for the better innovation. This curve has the commonly observed ogive shape, even in the absence of any external demonstration effect, when the distribution of firm priors belongs to a general class.
Injury of Müller cells increases the incidence of experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis.

Muller cells have been shown to have a dual effect in vitro on autoimmune T helper lymphocytes. In a coculture system, Muller cells have a primary inhibitory effect on the proliferation of T lymphocytes. In conditions where their inhibitory action is suppressed, Muller cells can, however, stimulate T cells. In the present study we evaluated the in vivo effect of Muller cells on actively induced experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis (EAU). Ten millimoles of L-alpha-aminoadipic acid (L-AAA), a specific gliotoxic agent, was injected into the vitreous of one eye of Wistar-Furth (WF) rats (a low EAU responder) on the day of immunization. Control rats were injected similarly with phosphate-buffered saline alone. The rats were immunized with S-antigen in CFA or in CFA alone. The results demonstrate that the incidence of EAU increases twofold in the eyes receiving an intravitreal injection of L-AAA in comparison to the contralateral eyes not receiving an injection. No such difference in EAU incidence was observed in control animals. Some rats that had been immunized with CFA alone after an intravitreal injection of L-AAA demonstrated a small amount of retinal perivascular inflammatory cell infiltrate but did not develop typical EAU lesions. The retinal vasculature was normal on examination by fluorescein angiography after injection of L-AAA. These data suggest that Muller cells can influence the course of uveoretinitis through their interaction with T cells.
Activity of spectinomycin against anaerobes.

Abstract The in vitro inhibitory activity of spectinomycin was tested against various anaerobic bacteria. Different results were obtained with different media and with different initial pH's of the media. The highest minimum inhibitory concentrations for Bacteroides fragilis ([Formula: see text] 128 μg/ml) were obtained with the use of Wilkins-Chalgren agar (pH 7.2) and Brucella blood agar (pH 7.0). Brucella blood agar at higher pH's (7.4 and 8.0) and Mueller-Hinton and Diagnostic Sensitivity Test agars produced lower minimum inhibitory concentrations (32 and 64 μg/ml). This same relationship between spectinomycin activity and pH of the medium was, in general, observed with these media and other anaerobes, including isolates of B. melaninogenicus, Fusobacterium, gram-positive cocci, Clostridium perfringens, and C. ramosum. The variable results observed in this study and in two others make it difficult to predict the clinical usefulness of spectinomycin in the treatment of anaerobic infections. It is probably most appropriate to be guided by results obtained with Wilkins-Chalgren agar and the method proposed as a reference to the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards. These results indicate that spectinomycin is not a potent inhibitor of B. fragilis or other clinically significant anaerobes.
Über einige unsymmetrische Disulfide

Es werden unsymmetrische, heterocyclisch-aromatische Disulfide durch Reaktion von aromatischen Sulfenylchloriden mit heterocyclischen Mercaptanen, Mercaptiden und Mercaptomagnesiumhalogeniden synthetisiert. Pyridyl-2-, Pyridyl-4-, 6-Methylpyridyl-2- und Thienyl-2-aryldisulfide werden beschrieben. Zur Festlegung der Konstitution von Pyridyl-2-aryldisulfiden werden die Ultrarotspektren von Pyridinthion-(2) und Pyridyl-2-phenyldisulfid miteinander verglichen. An den dargestellten Disulfiden werden Radikaldissoziation und Thermochromie beobachtet.
The high prevalence of malnutrition in elderly diabetic patients: implications for anti-diabetic drug treatments

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes usually occurs in the context of obesity and associated insulin resistance. Current treatment recommendations are based on lifestyle modifications and incremental drug therapy. However, this approach could lead to inappropriate priorities upon ageing, when diabetes may be compounded by malnutrition and reduced insulin resistance. METHODS: We prospectively evaluated glycaemic and nutritional parameters in 146 consecutive diabetic patients (age 82.5 +/- 7.3 years, mean +/- sd) admitted to our geriatric service. We also implemented nutritional support therapy and a drug therapy adjustment protocol. Oral hypoglycaemic agent withdrawal was attempted in cases of good glycaemic control (HbA(1c) < 7.5% (<47 mmol/mol) or fasting blood glucose < 7.5 mmol/l). RESULTS: Mean BMI and HbA(1c) were 29.6 +/- 7.1 kg/m(2) and 6.9 +/- 1.2% (52 +/- 9 mmol/mol), respectively. Of the patients, 51.4% were taking 1-3 oral hypoglycaemic agents, 30.8% were on insulin and 9.6% on were on insulin and oral hypoglycaemic therapy. Low Mini Nutritional Assessment scores and serum marker levels indicated a high prevalence of malnutrition and/or chronic disease, even in obese patients. Mini Nutritional Assessment scores were positively associated with HbA(1c) values. Among patients treated by oral hypoglycaemic agents, complete drug withdrawal was achieved in 65.8%, much more often than new treatments were added (P = 0.002). Glycaemic control did not worsen after approximately 30 days, despite in-hospital nutritional therapy. Successful oral hypoglycaemic therapy withdrawal was associated with lower Mini Nutritional Assessment scores. CONCLUSIONS: Malnutrition is highly prevalent in elderly diabetic inpatients and, paradoxically, contributes to 'good' glycaemic control. Malnutrition should be screened for in these patients and, when present, should prompt a revision in diet and drug therapy. In particular, the possibility of reducing unnecessary drug therapy should be considered.
Migration or Residency? : The Evolution of Movement Behavior and Information Usage in Seasonal Environments

AbstractMigration, the seasonal movement of individuals among different locations, is a behavior found throughout the animal kingdom. Although migration is widely studied at taxonomically restricted levels, cross-taxonomic syntheses of migration are less common. As a result, we lack answers to broad questions such as what ultimate factors generally drive animal migration. Here we present such a synthesis by using a spatially explicit, individual-based model in which we evolve behavior rules via simulations under a wide range of ecological conditions to answer two questions. First, under what types of ecological conditions can an individual maximize its fitness by migrating (vs. being a resident)? Second, what types of information do individuals use to guide their movement? We show that migration is selected for when resource distributions are dominated more by seasonality than by local patchiness, and residency (nonmigratory behavior) is selected for when the reverse is true. When selected for, migration ...
Specific and differential prediction of health anxiety by disgust sensitivity and propensity.

Current models of health anxiety suggest that fear resulting from false alarms to perceived threats to one's health results in the development of hypochondriasis and related disorders. Disgust has been proposed as an affective response that may function as an etiological and maintenance mechanism in health anxiety. Moreover, the way in which an individual perceives the disgust response (disgust sensitivity) may affect health anxiety, separately from their likelihood of experiencing disgust (disgust propensity). The present study utilized multiple hierarchical regression analysis to investigate the degree to which self-reported disgust sensitivity and disgust propensity differentially predict elevated health anxiety in a sample of 620 non-treatment-seeking undergraduates. Further, this effect is tested in comparison to that of anxiety sensitivity, a construct demonstrated to be strongly related to health anxiety. Analyses indicate that disgust sensitivity, rather than disgust propensity, is primarily respo...
Genomic features of Bordetella parapertussis clades with distinct host species specificity.

Background: The respiratory pathogen Bordetella parapertussis is a valuable model in which to study the complex phenotype of host specificity because of its unique two-species host range. One subset of strains, including the sequenced representative, causes whooping cough in humans, while other strains infect only sheep. The disease process in sheep is not well understood, nor are the genetic and transcriptional differences that might provide the basis for host specificity among ovine and human strains. Results: We found 40 previously unknown genomic regions in an ovine strain of B. parapertussis using subtractive hybridization, including unique lipopolysaccharide genes. A microarray survey of the gene contents of 71 human and ovine strains revealed further differences, with 47 regions of difference distinguishing the host-restricted subgroups. In addition, sheep and human strains displayed distinct whole-genome transcript abundance profiles. We developed an animal model in which sheep were inoculated with a sheep strain, human strain, or mixture of the two. We found that the ovine strain persisted in the nasal cavity for 12 to 14 days, while the human strain colonized at lower levels and was no longer detected by 7 days post-inoculation. The ovine strain induced less granulocyte infiltration of the nasal mucosa. Conclusion: Several factors may play a role in determining host range of B. parapertussis. Humanand ovine-associated strains have differences in content and sequence of genes encoding proteins that mediate host-pathogen contact, such as lipopolysaccharide and fimbriae, as well as variation in regulation of toxins, type III secretion genes, and other virulence-associated genes.
Wrist-enhanced instrumentation: moving toward totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass grafting

Abstract Background . With the introduction of the da Vinci robotic surgical system (Intuitive Surgical, Mountain View, CA) into minimally invasive cardiac operations the outlook for performing coronary artery bypass operations "closed chest" became a reality. Methods . Between May 1999 and December 1999 this new wrist-enhanced instrumentation was used in 61 patients. Six patients suffering from single-vessel coronary artery disease and one female patient with double-vessel disease underwent totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass. Thirty-seven patients with single-vessel disease underwent a minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass procedure. Seventeen patients with double-vessel disease were treated using the robotic-enhanced Dresden technique. Results . Perioperative survival was 100%. In all patients the internal mammary arteries were safely harvested endoscopically and had excellent quality. In both totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass groups all patients were operated on through three stab incisions. Conclusions . Our preliminary experience with this new surgical technique using robotic-enhanced minimally invasive methods for coronary artery disease promotes optimism regarding further development of these procedures and application in patients with coronary artery disease.
Effects of postoperative rehabilitation on limb function after cranial cruciate ligament repair in dogs.

Objective—To determine the effects of early postoperative rehabilitation on limb function in dogs after surgery for ruptured cranial cruciate ligament (RCCL). Design—Prospective clinical study. Animals—51 client-owned dogs. Procedure—Dogs weighing between 20 and 40 kg (44 to 88 lb) that had RCCL and medial meniscal injury were studied. After removal of the RCCL and complete medial meniscectomy, the stifle joint was stabilized by use of a lateral retinacular stabilization technique. Twenty-five dogs were included in a postoperative rehabilitation group, and 26 dogs were included in an exercise-restricted group. Limb function (peak vertical force [PVF] and vertical impulse [VI]) was determined before surgery and 6 months after surgery, using force platform gait analysis. Results—Prior to surgery, mean PVF and VI in affected limbs were similar between groups. Six months after surgery, PVF and VI were significantly increased in dogs of both groups. However, PVF and VI in dogs in the rehabilitation group were ...