cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Open-hole tension capacity of pultruded GFRP having staggered hole arrangement

Abstract The technique of using staggered bolt holes for connections is common practice in steel design since the method allows for greater design strengths from more compact connections. Steel however is a ductile isotropic material. Pultruded glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP), on the other hand, is a relatively brittle, often highly anisotropic material requiring different design formulations to assess its open-hole tension capacity. This study considers the development of open-hole capacity provisions and experimentally investigates the net section rupture limit state of GFRP plates having both a single gage line and staggered-hole arrangements in order to assess the open-hole capacity of pultruded GFRP plates. Tension testing of GFRP plates, having varying thickness, number of holes and hole-spacing arrangements (both staggered and non-staggered) were conducted. A significant strength reduction (beyond the net cross section area) results from the presence of a circular hole in the material, although additional holes do not compound this effect. The test results demonstrate that, unlike in isotropic materials, there is no capacity benefit from using staggered hole arrangements in GFRP plates.
Application of operant conditioning procedures to the behaviour problems of an autistic child

Abstract An account is given of the treatment of a pre-school child who had serious behavioural and physical handicaps. In a sense this is a study involving both psychotherapy and rehabilitation. The treatment consisted of applying laboratory-developed techniques through the attendants and the parents over a seven-month period.
Ultrasound imaging of the mouse pancreatic duct using lipid microbubbles

Research requiring the murine pancreatic duct to be imaged is often challenging due to the difficulty in selectively cannulating the pancreatic duct. We have successfully catheterized the pancreatic duct through the common bile duct in severe combined immune deficient (SCID) mice and imaged the pancreatic duct with gas filled lipid microbubbles that increase ultrasound imaging sensitivity due to exquisite scattering at the gas/liquid interface. A SCID mouse was euthanized by CO 2 , a midline abdominal incision made, the common bile duct cut at its midpoint, a 2 cm, 32 gauge tip catheter was inserted about 1 mm into the duct and tied with suture. The duodenum and pancreas were excised, removed in toto, embedded in agar and an infusion pump was used to instill normal saline or lipid-coated microbubbles (10 million / ml) into the duct. B-mode images before and after infusion of the duct with microbubbles imaged the entire pancreatic duct (~ 1 cm) with high contrast. The microbubbles were cavitated by high mechanical index (HMI) ultrasound for imaging to be repeated. Our technique of catheterization and using lipid microbubbles as a contrast agent may provide an effective, affordable technique of imaging the murine pancreatic duct; cavitation with HMI ultrasound would enable repeated imaging to be performed and clustering of targeted microbubbles to receptors on ductal cells would allow pathology to be localized accurately. This research was supported by the Experimental Mouse Shared Service of the AZ Cancer Center (Grant Number P30CA023074, NIH/NCI and the GI SPORE (NIH/NCI P50 CA95060).
Military Deployment and the Spouse Left Behind

Recently, the impact of deployment, especially war-zone experiences on the well-being of military personnel and veterans, has received much attention. Findings show that combat exposure may be link...
Laparoscopic port site implantation with ovarian cancer

Abstract We report the cases of 3 patients in whom tumor implantation developed at the port site at which ovarian cancer was removed laparoscopically. The 3 patients, who were aged 30, 32, and 40 years, all had an ovary that did not appear cancerous removed by laparoscopy through a port site. All 3 patients underwent re-exploration within 3 weeks and were found to have tumoral spread and port site implantation of tumor. When ovarian cancer is removed laparoscopically, the potential exists for intra-abdominal tumoral spread. When surgical staging is undertaken after laparoscopic removal of ovarian cancer, the port site should be excised in a full-thickness fashion. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2000;182:735-6.)
The Product Life Cycle Theory: Empirical Evidence

This paper presents 3 empirical tests of the product life cycle theory based on U.S. trade data and on a relatively new data series providing information about a larger number of products and at a lower level of aggregation than the data used previously. The results of the tests strongly support the hypothesis that industrial product groups behave in the manner predicted by the product life cycle theory on world markets. In the case of individual products, however, the results provide less support for the theory. The policy implication is that development strategies should rely on industrial sectors rather than on individual commodities.
Consistency and change in functional status among older adults over time.

Consistency and change between 1984 and the last reinterview (either two, four, or six years later) on 22 individual functional status markers and the five summary scales that they form are examined among the 5,986 members of the Longitudinal Study on Aging who were reinterviewed at least once. At baseline, at least three-fifths of the respondents are without limitations on any individual marker. At the last reinterview, at least 43.4% of the respondents are without such limitations. Among those who had limitations at baseline, at least one-fifth get better. For those without limitations at baseline, one-seventeenth to two-fifths get worse. Difficulties in walking and doing heavy housework were the most common, most likely to develop, and least likely to resolve of any of the ADL or IADL items, and lower body limitations were more common, more likely to develop, and less likely to resolve than upper body limitations. Linear panel analysis of the five summary scales indicates that the top predictors of inc...
Non-aerated cultivation of Halobacterium cutirubrum and its effect on cellular squalenes.

Halobacterium cutirubrum was successfully cultivated under aerobic and microaerobic conditions. The early stationary phase of growth was obtained at 2.2 days and 45–55 days for aerated and non-aerated cultures, respectively. The dry cell yields were 0.7–1.2 gm/l in all preparations grown to early stationary growth phase. The cellular ratio of squalene to dihydro- and tetra-hydrosqualene decreased proportionately with decreased aeration rates.
An object-oriented approach for harmonization of multimedia markup languages

An object-oriented methodology is proposed to harmonize several different markup languages in this research. First, we adopt the Unified Modelling Language (UML) as the data model to formalize the concept and the process of the harmonization process between the eXtensible Markup Language (XML) applications. Then, we design the Harmonization eXtensible Markup Language (HXML) based on the data model and formalize the transformation between the Document Type Definitions (DTDs) of the original XML applications and HXML. The transformation between instances is also discussed. We use the harmonization of SMIL and X3D as an example to demonstrate the proposed methodology. This methodology can be generalized to various application domains.
Phosphatidylcholine composition of emulsions influences triacylglycerol lipolysis and clearance from plasma.

Abstract Sonicated emulsions containing triolein, a specific phosphatidylcholine and cholesterol were prepared. Bolus doses were injected intravenously into rats and plasma clearance kinetics and organ uptakes were determined. Emulsion triacylglycerol lipolysis by rat heart lipoprotein lipase was measured in vitro. Phosphatidylcholine molecular species influenced emulsion metabolism in vivo and in vitro. Emulsions containing saturated phosphatidylcholines at temperatures below their melting points were poor substrates for lipoprotein lipase, compared with those stabilized by mixed chain phosphatidylcholines. Distearoylphosphatidylcholine stimulated hepatic uptake compared with emulsions made with egg yolk phosphatidylcholine, which modeled chylomicrons closely. Emulsion populations with the same surface compositions but with mean diameters of 700–800 A and 1100–1300 A were metabolized similarly, suggesting that, within the normal chylomicron size range, size alone does not determine the disposition of triacylglycerol-rich emulsions or lipoproteins.
Ground reaction force comparison of canine cemented and cementless total hip replacement

Ground reaction forces were studied in the hindlimbs of ten dogs after cemented and cementless total hip replacement. The femoral components in five dogs were surgically press fitted into the medullary canal for porous ingrowth fixation (cementless) while the remaining five dogs had their femoral component cemented in place. Gait analysis was performed monthly for four postoperative months. Reductions in vertical ground reaction forces were observed in both cemented and cementless implanted hindlimbs one and two months after surgery. By three months postoperative, both groups had effectively returned to their preoperative vertical ground reaction force levels on the implanted hindlimb. At three and four months post implantation, the cemented group demonstrated equal load distribution between the operated and unoperated hindlimbs, whereas the cementless group showed a disparity in load distribution between the operated and unoperated hindlimbs which persisted for the four-month test period. We believe that the paired comparisons between operated and unoperated limbs are more descriptive of antalgic gait than comparisons with preoperative control values.
Angiogenesis inhibition as a therapeutic approach for inflammatory synovitis

Numerous antiangiogenesis drugs have been developed for the treatment of patients with malignancies. These agents, which include vascular-endothelial-growth-factor inhibitors, microtubule disrupters and fumagillin analogues, might also represent new therapeutic options for patients with proliferative synovitis, as is discussed in this Review. Angiogenesis inhibition, long studied in the treatment of malignancies, has begun to emerge as a potential therapeutic approach in managing inflammatory arthritis, particularly rheumatoid arthritis. The growth of new vessels is required for the development of the rheumatoid pannus, which then leads to extensive synovial inflammation and joint destruction. Vascular endothelial growth factor is the best studied mediator of angiogenesis, and several therapies have been developed that specifically target this molecule. Several other angiogenesis mediators, such as the angiopoietin−TIE system, hypoxia inducible factor and integrin αVβ3, as well as naturally occurring inhibitors of angiogenesis, are also being investigated as potential therapeutic targets. Additionally, there are a number of drugs, including paclitaxel, 2-methoxyestradiol and fumagillin analogs, that might have a role in inhibiting angiogenesis and, thus, in treating proliferative synovitis.
Analysis of adaptive foraging in an intraguild predation system

Abstract. An intraguild predation (IGP) system with adaptive foraging behavior was analyzed using a simple mathematical model. The main aim was to explore how the adaptive behavior affects species interactions as well as how such interactions derived from adaptive behavior affect community stability. The focal system contained top predators, intermediate predators, and basal prey. Intermediate predators exhibit antipredator behavior and balance costs (e.g. perceived predation risk) and benefits (e.g. resource intake) to determine their foraging effort. Density-dependent foraging behavior with the unique connectance of the IGP food web created unusual species interactions. Notably, increased prey density can transmit negative indirect effects to top predators while increased top predator density transmits positive indirect effects to prey population. The nature of these interactions is density-dependent. The results suggest that both IGP (as opposed to linear food chain) and adaptive foraging behaviors may strongly influence community dynamics due to emergent interactions among direct effects and indirect effects. Furthermore, the adaptive foraging of intermediate predators may stabilize the community as a whole.
The development of social roles: A sequence of social‐cognitive development

Preschool children progress through a multistep developmental sequence in understanding and using social roles.
Predicting malnutrition in nursing home residents using the minimum data set

This article describes the prevalence of protein/calorie malnutrition among newly admitted elderly nursing home residents and identifies the most significant predictors using Minimum Data Set (MDS) variables. This random selection, cross-sectional study included 266 residents, 65 and older, from three nursing homes. Malnutrition risk factors, indicators, and prevalence variables in the MDS were measured for each resident on admission to the nursing home. MDS data provide an opportunity for early identification of residents at risk for malnutrition and accompanying morbidity. Treating residents who are malnourished or at high risk for weight loss on admission could dramatically improve their quality of life. (Geriatr Nurs 2002;23:224-6)
Efficient and effective metasearch for a large number of text databases

Metasearch engines can be used to facilitate ordinary users for retrieving information from multiple local sources (text databases). In a metasearch engine, the contents of each local database is represented by a representative. Each user query is evaluated against the set of representatives of all databases in order to determine the appropriate databases to search. When the number of databases is very large, say in the order of tens of thousands or more, then a traditional metasearch engine may become inefficient as each query needs to be evaluated against too many database representatives. Furthermore, the storage requirement on the site containing the metasearch engine can be very large. In this paper, we propose to use a hierarchy of database representatives to improve the efficiency. We provide an algorithm to search the hierarchy. We show that the retrieval effectiveness of our algorithm is the same as that of evaluating the user query against all database representatives. We also show that our algorithm is efficient. In addition, we propose an alternative way of allocating representatives to sites so that the storage burden on the site containing the metasearch engine is much reduced.
Sequence of three copies of the gene for the major Drosophila heat shock induced protein and their flanking regions.

Abstract The primary sequence of the major heat shock gene of D. melanogaster, that for the 70,000 protein, has been determined. One of the reading frames is devoid of stop codons for over 2000 bp. The region between the first ATG and the first stop codon encodes a protein of molecular weight 70,270. The 5′ end of the messenger RNA was localized in the DNA sequence by two independent methods. The 5′ flanking sequences of three distinct 70K genes were also determined. Extensive homology in the primary sequences extends about 500 bp upsteam from the ATG, which is the presumptive initiation of protein synthesis. Each 70K gene has the putative promoter sequence TATAAATA about 325 bp upstream from this ATG. A heptanucleotide sequence identified as the capping site for other messengers is found 24–30 bp downstream from the ends of the A-T-rich sequence. A 12 bp sequence with dyad symmetry begins 23 bp upstream from the beginning of the above A-T-rich sequence.
Analysis of GARP data requirements

Global atmospheric research program data requirements analysis based on two level numerical model
CYP2C19 Polymorphisms and Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Voriconazole: Are We Ready for Clinical Implementation of Pharmacogenomics?

Since its approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2002, voriconazole has become a key component in the successful treatment of many invasive fungal infections including the most common, aspergillosis and candidiasis. Despite voriconazole's widespread use, optimizing its treatment in an individual can be challenging due to significant interpatient variability in plasma concentrations of the drug. Variability is due to nonlinear pharmacokinetics and the influence of patient characteristics such as age, sex, weight, liver disease, and genetic polymorphisms in the cytochrome P450 2C19 gene (CYP2C19) encoding for the CYP2C19 enzyme, the primary enzyme responsible for metabolism of voriconazole. CYP2C19 polymorphisms account for the largest portion of variability in voriconazole exposure, posing significant difficulty to clinicians in targeting therapeutic concentrations. In this review, we discuss the role of CYP2C19 polymorphisms and their influence on voriconazole's pharmacokinetics, adverse effects, and clinical efficacy. Given the association between CYP2C19 genotype and voriconazole concentrations, as well as the association between voriconazole concentrations and clinical outcomes, particularly efficacy, it seems reasonable to suggest a potential role for CYP2C19 genotype to guide initial voriconazole dose selection followed by therapeutic drug monitoring to increase the probability of achieving efficacy while avoiding toxicity.
Alignment of particles by an electric field

Particles in a photopolymerizable liquid were aligned by an electric field. Polymerization of the liquid allowed the composite to be sectioned or fractured on various planes and the aligned structures and their sequence of formation to be studied. Three populations of glass spheres (narrow size distribution, 25 μm average diameter; broad size distribution, 11 μm average diameter; and broad size distribution, 18 μm average diameter) and one population of barium titanate particles (0.2 μm average diameter that typically formed 1.2 μm average diameter aggregates) were used. For each of the systems studied (containing either 10 vol % glass spheres or 4 vol % barium titanate), the structure formed in three distinct stages. String formation occurred first, by the longitudinal attraction of particles, ribbon formation followed, by the lateral attraction of neighboring strings, and column formation (coarsening) occurred at long times under the field, by the collapse of the ribbons. The growth of the aligned particle strings was measured, and the result was adequately described by a simple model. The measured flocculation times, for pairs of particles to coalesce, were shorter than predicted, probably because of the slight conductivity of the fluid.
A low-cost, durable, combined ultrasound and fluoroscopic phantom for cervical transforaminal injections.

Background This technical report describes a durable, low-cost, anatomically accurate, and easy-to-prepare combined ultrasound (US) and fluoroscopic phantom of the cervical spine. This phantom is meant to augment training in US- and fluoroscopic-guided pain medicine procedures. Methods The combined US and fluoroscopic phantom (CUF-P) is prepared from commercially available liquid plastic that is ordinarily used to prepare synthetic fishing lures. The liquid plastic is heated and then poured into a metal canister that houses an anatomical cervical spine model. Drops of dark purple dye are added to make the phantom opaque. After cooling, tubing is attached to the CUF-P to simulate blood vessels. Results The CUF-P accurately simulates human tissue by imitating both the tactile texture of skin and the haptic resistance of human tissue as the needle is advanced. This phantom contains simulated fluid-filled vertebral arteries that exhibit pulsed flow under color Doppler US. Under fluoroscopic examination, the CUF-P–simulated vertebral arteries also exhibit uptake of contrast dye if mistakenly injected. Conclusions The creation of a training phantom allows the pain physician to practice needle positioning technique while simultaneously visualizing both targeted and avoidable vascular structures under US and fluoroscopic guidance. This low-cost CUF-P is easy to prepare and is reusable, making it an attractive alternative to current homemade and commercially available phantom simulators.
The Role of Transforming Growth Factor-β in the Regulation of Estrogen Receptor Expression in the MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cell Line

The role of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGFβ1) in the regulation of estrogen receptor (ER) expression in MCF-7 cells was investigated. After treatment of the cells with 100 pm TGFβ1, ER protein declined by about 30% at 6 h from a concentration of 413.5 fmol/mg protein in control cells to 289.5 fmol/mg protein in treated cells. The concentration of receptor remained suppressed for 24 h. Scatchard analysis demonstrated that the decrease in ER protein corresponded to a decrease in estradiol-binding sites, with no effect on the binding affinity of the ER. The dissociation constant of the estradiol-ER complex was 0.117 nm in TGFβ1-treated cells compared to 0.155 nm in control cells. Treatment with TGFβ1 did not influence the half-life of the ER. In TGFβ1-treated cells, as well as in control cells, the half-life of the receptor was approximately 4 h. In contrast to the effect on ER concentration, TGFβ1 treatment resulted in a greater decrease in the steady state level of ER messenger RNA (∼75%) at 6 h. By 24...
Intertexts, Contexts and the Clarinian Canon:: The place of 'El cura de Vericueto'

‘El cura de Vericueto’ by Leopoldo Alas, ‘Clarin’, appeared first in Madrid Comico between 14 April and 22 December 1894. Two years later it became the lead and longest narrative by far published in the author's fourth volume of shorter fiction, Cuentos morales. Yet despite that place of prominence by position and length, ‘El cura de Vericueto’ has attracted very little interest from subsequent critics and editors of Clarin's shorter narratives. This is remarkable for three reasons: (i) while other stories in other volumes which occupy that lead position—'Pipa’, ‘Dona Berta’, ‘El Senor’, ‘El gallo de Socrates’ and ‘Doctor Sutilis’1—have all become anthology pieces, ‘El cura de Vericueto’ has not; (ii) other stories from Cuentos morales are heavily anthologized;2 (iii) whereas the anthology-piece stories mentioned here were simultaneously the title-narratives in eponymously-named collections of Clarin's shorter fiction, ‘El cura de Vericueto’ appeared in a collection named for its contents as a whole and n...
Backward Design: An Integrated Approach to a Systems Curriculum

This paper summarizes our experiences restructuring a core portion of our required courses for majors. Internal and external reviews of our program highlighted areas of concern in our "systems core," including inconsistent student outcomes, missing required material, and inadequate opportunities for programmatic assessment. To fix these problems, we initiated a curricular review to redesign these courses. Our novel approach employed a process known as backward course design that starts with desired student outcomes and works backward toward defining content coverage. By extending this design approach to our curriculum as a whole, we have defined a new systems core structure that has tightly integrated curriculum assessment opportunities. The result is a new systems core that changes almost 1/3 of the required courses for the major. This new structure provides increased student control over their learning goals while defining a consistent foundation of systems fundamentals; it also has tightly integrated program objectives and assessments. Applying the backward design philosophy to the curriculum, rather than to a single, pre-defined course, is both a rewarding and challenging experience. In this paper, we describe this approach, summarize the results of the process, and map the outcomes to the ACM 2013 curriculum. We also provide advice and lessons learned for others who may consider such an undertaking.
Communication patterns for a classroom public digital backchannel

Digital backchannels have become an increasingly important field of study for researchers investigating educational technologies. We designed and deployed one such backchannel integrated with a public display -- ClassCommons -- in a 15-week field study that took place in a university classroom. We extracted and analyzed the communication patterns that emerged in the use of ClassCommons. In this paper, we use these data to address the following research questions: how do students appropriate public digital backchannels in classrooms, what communication patterns are typical in classroom digital public backchannels, how if at all do students' participation in the digital public backchannels evolve over an extended period of time and what are the characteristics of the messages that get more responses from other students?
Natural Mode Series Representation of the Transient Field Reflected From an N-Layer Lossy Medium

The conditions under which the plane-wave transient field reflected from a layered medium can be represented as a natural mode series are determined. It is shown that if each of the layers has frequency constant permittivity, permeability, and conductivity, then the late-time reflected field has a pure natural mode representation if the backing region is either lossless or a perfect electric conductor. This result, along with a decomposition of the temporal response into subregion responses, is used to determine periods of the early-time response which are also composed of pure natural mode series. Examples for structures with two and three layers are used to demonstrate the validity of the representation. The natural mode representation allows the use of existing techniques, such as the E-pulse method, to diagnose changes in the properties of the various material layers under the established conditions.
The Assets Are Virtual but the Behavior Is Real: An Analysis of Fraud in Virtual Worlds and Its Implications for the Real World

ABSTRACT: Virtual worlds are computer-generated, immersive environments where participants interact with others while engaging in social, entertainment, and economic endeavors. To illustrate how virtual worlds can be used to study fraud, we examine documented virtual world fraud cases using the “fraud diamond” model (Wolfe and Hermanson 2004). Our findings have real-world implications regarding the causes and prevention of fraud. They include: (1) perpetrator motivations often include non-monetary achievement and manipulation, as well as financial gain, (2) fraud victims tend to have misplaced trust and overestimate the capability of fraud prevention governance mechanisms, (3) participant-designed record-keeping systems may protect corporate assets from theft, and (4) virtual worlds may serve as a laboratory for evaluating risk management strategies. We also identify future research questions related to these issues. This research illustrates how parallels between fraudulent behaviors in virtual and real ...
Use of disease risk scores in pharmacoepidemiologic studies

Automated databases are increasingly used in pharmacoepidemiologic studies. These databases include records of prescribed medications and encounters with medical care providers from which one can construct very detailed surrogate measures for both drug exposure and covariates that are potential confounders. Often it is possible to track day-by-day changes in these variables. However, while this information is often critical for study success, its volume can pose challenges for statistical analysis. One common approach is the use of propensity scores. An alternative approach is to construct a disease risk score. This is analogous to the propensity score in that it calculates a summary measure from the covariates. However, the disease risk score estimates the probability or rate of disease occurrence conditional on being unexposed. The association between exposure and disease is then estimated adjusting for the disease risk score in place of the individual covariates. This review describes the use of disease risk scores in pharmacoepidemiologic studies, and includes a brief discussion of their history, a more detailed description of their construction and use, a summary of simulation studies comparing their performance vis-a-vis traditional models, a comparison of their utility with that of propensity scores, and some further topics for future research.
Age-dependent poliomyelitis in mice is associated with respiratory failure and viral replication in the central nervous system and lung

Age-dependent poliomyelitis (ADPM) is a virally induced neuroparalytic disease of mice and a model for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ADPM is triggered in genetically susceptible mice by immunosuppression and infection with lactate dehydrogenase-elevating virus (LDV). Both ADPM and ALS are characterized by progressive degeneration of anterior horn motor neurons, and death in ALS is usually associated with respiratory failure. To assess respiratory function in ADPM, we investigated ventilation in conscious control and LDV-infected C58/J mice breathing air and then 6.5% CO2 in O2. Three days after LDV infection, ventilation in response to CO2 was half of that compared to the uninfected state, but become normalized by 10 days. Administration of cyclophosphamide alone (200 mg/kg, ip), an immunosuppressant, had no effect on ventilation. Induction of ADPM by concomitant administration of LDV to cyclophosphamide-treated mice resulted in altered gait, hindlimb paralysis, wasting, decreased metabolism, and decreased body temperature by 4°C relative to controls. Compared to baseline values, mice with ADPM had decreased tidal volume and ventilation while breathing air, and while exposed to the CO2 challenge they were unable to increase tidal volume, frequency of breathing, or ventilation. Using in situ hybridization, LDV replication was noted within the spinal cord, brain, and lung, but not in the diaphragm. Thus, respiratory failure is a contributory mechanism leading to death in ADPM and is associated with LDV replication in the CNS and lung. This animal model may be useful to investigate physiological and molecular mechanisms associated with the development of respiratory failure in neurodegenerative diseases.
Efficient Operation of Optional-Priority Queuing Systems

This paper studies an M/G/1 queuing system with two classes of customers. The cost per unit time of holding a customer differs for the two classes. The server has the option of serving the first customer in line at no extra charge or paving a fee to earn the right to serve any higher-class customer further back in the queue. The paper finds an optimal policy for the simple case where this fee is independent of the position in the queue of the promoted customer. For the case where the server is restricted to serving either the first customer or the first higher-class customer further back in the queue, an appealing conjectured form of an optimal policy is shown to be invalid.
Haloperidol-Induced Torsade De Pointes

OBJECTIVE:To report a case of torsade de pointes related to the administration of high-dose intravenous haloperidol for the treatment of severe agitation.CASE SUMMARY:Reports in the literature of intravenous haloperidol-induced torsade de pointes are rare. We describe the case of a 41-year-old white woman with no predisposing factors who developed torsade de pointes 55 minutes after a dose of intravenous haloperidol 80 mg (total dosage 915 mg over 7 d). The results of the electrocardiogram were consistent with torsade de pointes and showed a prolonged QTc interval of 610 milliseconds. Intravenous magnesium sulfate 2 g/100 mL NaCl 0.9% was administered, which controlled the arrhythmia. The patient received one additional 80-mg haloperidol dose six hours after the arrhythmia-triggering dose, without reoccurrence of torsade de pointes. Haloperidol was then discontinued, and the patient had no further arrhythmias.CONCLUSIONS:Our case report and others from the literature suggest that intravenous haloperidol a...
COMNET III: object-oriented network performance prediction

COMNET III predicts the performance of communication networks using object-oriented simulation analysis. No programming is required to use the standard, off-the-shelf model and libraries. For situations where a model developer wishes to customize or fine-tune some aspect of the standard model, a MODSIM-based object-oriented program development environment is provided for overriding the behavior of COMNET III objects. Model builders can add parameterized objects or their own customized objects to object libraries. COMNET III provides an integrated, graphical environment for model creation, execution, and analysis that permits interaction with the model while it executes. In addition to modelling the operation of a network and its protocols in satisfying demands for data transport, COMNET III also models the scheduling of applications on end systems and the use of processing, storage, and transport resources during application execution. A COMNET III model may consist of hierarchically-defined subnetworks.
Fate of Dispersants Associated with the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Response actions to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill included the injection of ∼771,000 gallons (2,900,000 L) of chemical dispersant into the flow of oil near the seafloor. Prior to this incident, no deepwater applications of dispersant had been conducted, and thus no data exist on the environmental fate of dispersants in deepwater. We used ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) to identify and quantify one key ingredient of the dispersant, the anionic surfactant DOSS (dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate), in the Gulf of Mexico deepwater during active flow and again after flow had ceased. Here we show that DOSS was sequestered in deepwater hydrocarbon plumes at 1000−1200 m water depth and did not intermingle with surface dispersant applications. Further, its concentration distribution was consistent with conservative transport and dilution at depth and it persisted up to 300 km from the well, 64 days after deepwater dispersant applications ceased...
Diagnosis and early detection of CNS-SLE in MRL/lpr mice using peptide microarrays

An accurate method that can diagnose and predict lupus and its neuropsychiatric manifestations is essential since currently there are no reliable methods. Autoantibodies to a varied panel of antigens in the body are characteristic of lupus. In this study we investigated whether serum autoantibody binding patterns on random-sequence peptide microarrays (immunosignaturing) can be used for diagnosing and predicting the onset of lupus and its central nervous system (CNS) manifestations. We also tested the techniques for identifying potentially pathogenic autoantibodies in CNS-Lupus. We used the well-characterized MRL/lpr lupus animal model in two studies as a first step to develop and evaluate future studies in humans. In study one we identified possible diagnostic peptides for both lupus and altered behavior in the forced swim test. When comparing the results of study one to that of study two (carried out in a similar manner), we further identified potential peptides that may be diagnostic and predictive of both lupus and altered behavior in the forced swim test. We also characterized five potentially pathogenic brain-reactive autoantibodies, as well as suggested possible brain targets. These results indicate that immunosignaturing could predict and diagnose lupus and its CNS manifestations. It can also be used to characterize pathogenic autoantibodies, which may help to better understand the underlying mechanisms of CNS-Lupus.
Mems as Temperature Sensors During High Temperature Processing

In high temperature processing of microelectronics such as rapid thermal processing (RTP), an accurate measurement of temperature is critical in fabricating defect-free devices. Currently, temperatures during such processes are measured using thermocouples or pyrometers. However, accurate measurements with thermocouples are troublesome due to the difficulties in holding the thermocouples in place and maintaining good thermal contact. A further drawback for thermocouples is that they are highly intrusive. For pyrometers, optical interference effects and partial transparency limit their applicability and the local temperature of wafers near the electronic devices are difficult to measure using pyrometer due to relatively large spot size. Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology is being used in developing innovative temperature sensor (T-MEMS), which allow an ex-situ examination of the maximum temperature reached during a thermal process by creating a permanent change in structure at high temperatures. The performance of the device relies on the thermophysical properties of the materials; specifically, the Young’s modulus, thermal expansion coefficient, and the ultimate strength must be considered for silicon, and silicon nitride. Through careful experimental design and accurate modeling of their structural behavior, the high-temperature material properties can be determined using the T-MEMS and calibrated furnaces.
Efficacy of Rifaximin, a Nonabsorbed Oral Antibiotic, in the Treatment of Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth

ABSTRACT Introduction Rifamixin is an orally administrated, nonabsorbed antibiotic whose utility in eradication of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is currently being evaluated. Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate efficacy and safety of rifaximin in relieving symptoms and normalizing the glucose breath test (GBT) in patients with SIBO. Methods Symptom score assessment, consisting of frequency and severity of bloating, gas, abdominal pain, and bowel movements and the GBT were performed before and after treatment with rifaximin 800 mg/d for 4 weeks. Subjects Twenty consecutive symptomatic patients (16 women and 4 men; mean age, 47.8 years; range, 19 to 85 years) who had a positive GBT were prospectively studied in an open-labeled fashion. Fourteen patients (70.0%) presented with diarrhea, 3 (15.0%) with bloating and gas, and 3 (15.0%) with constipation as the dominant symptom. Results Eleven patients were hydrogen producers, 8 exclusively methane, and 1 patient produced both gases by the GBT. Among patients with diarrhea, 12 of 14 (85.7%) reported improvement in symptom scores of more than 50%; 1 between 25% and 50%, 1 had no response after 4 weeks of rifamixin. Among patients with bloating and gas or constipation as the main symptom: 2 of 6 (33.3%) had improvement between 50% and 75%; 3 (50%) had 25% to 50% improvement, and 1 (16.7%) had no response. Repeat GBT at the end of the 4 weeks showed that 54.5% of hydrogen formers and 50.0% of methane producers were eradicated, and there was a significant reduction ( P Conclusions Rifaximin in a dose of 800 mg per day for 4 weeks: 1) was safe and effective treatment in reducing symptoms in patients with SIBO of multiple etiologies, especially when diarrhea was the dominant symptom; and 2) normalized the GBT in approximately 50% of patients. Data support a future therapeutic role for rifaximin in SIBO.
Pro-angiogenic cellular and genomic expression patterns within glioblastoma influences dynamic susceptibility weighted perfusion MRI

Aim To investigate whether quantitative dynamic susceptibility-weighted contrast-enhanced (DSC) perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) metrics are influenced by cellular and genomic expression patterns of glioblastoma angiogenesis. Materials and methods Twenty-five stereotactic neurosurgical tissue samples were prospectively obtained from enhancing and non-enhancing tumour regions from 10 patients with treatment-naive glioblastoma. Using monoclonal antibodies, histopathological features of angiogenesis were examined: total microvascular density, vascular morphology, and hypoxia. Angiogenic expression patterns of tissue samples were investigated using RNA microarrays. DSC perfusion MRI metrics were measured from the tissue sampling sites. MRI and histopathological variables were compared using Pearson's correlations. Microarray analysis was performed using false discovery rate (FDR) statistics. Results Thirteen enhancing and 12 non-enhancing MR image-guided tissue specimens were prospectively obtained. Enhancing tumour regions demonstrated a significant difference in DSC perfusion and histopathological metrics of angiogenesis when compared to non-enhancing regions. Four angiogenic pathways (vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF], hypoxia inducible factor [HIF], platelet-derived growth factor [PDGF], fibroblast growth factor [FGF]; 25 individual genes) were significantly up-regulated within enhancing regions when compared to non-enhancing regions (adjusted p Conclusion Pro-angiogenic genomic and cellular expression patterns of treatment-naive primary glioblastoma significantly influences morphological and physiological DSC perfusion metrics suggesting that expression levels of therapeutically relevant genetic signatures can be quantified using MRI.
Scalar and Tensor Holographic Artificial Impedance Surfaces

We have developed a method for controlling electromagnetic surface wave propagation and radiation from complex metallic shapes. The object is covered with an artificial impedance surface that is implemented as an array of sub-wavelength metallic patches on a grounded dielectric substrate. We pattern the effective impedance over the surface by varying the size of the metallic patches. Using a holographic technique, we design the surface to scatter a known input wave into a desired output wave. Furthermore, by varying the shape of the patches we can create anisotropic surfaces with tensor impedance properties that provide control over polarization. As an example, we demonstrate a tensor impedance surface that produces circularly polarized radiation from a linearly polarized source.
Population Synthesis for Microsimulating Travel Behavior

For the forecasting of activity-based travel demand, the representativeness of the base-year synthetic population is critical to the accuracy of subsequent simulation outcomes. To date, the conventional approach to synthesizing the base-year population has been based on the iterative proportional fitting procedure. Two issues associated with this conventional approach are discussed: the first is often termed as the zero-cell-value problem, and the second is related to the inability to control for statistical distributions of both household- and individual-level attributes. Then, a new population synthesis procedure is presented that addresses the limitations of the conventional approach. The new procedure is implemented into an operational software system and used to generate synthetic populations for the Dallas–Fort Worth area in Texas. Validation results indicate that the new procedure can produce a synthetic population that more closely represents the true population than the conventional approach can.
Haptic and sound correlations: pitch, loudness and texture

People process information through multiple modalities and many studies have been done that show interaction among the auditory, haptic and visual modes. This paper reports on a correlation between the haptic property of roughness and each of the audio properties of pitch and loudness. There were four experiments: given a roughness, match a loudness level to it and vice versa and given a roughness, match a pitch to it and vice versa. Subjects showed a strong correlation in the first two experiments, associating louder sounds with rougher textures and softer sounds with smoother textures. They also showed, although not always in the same direction, a strong correlation between pitch (high/low) and roughness. Applications of this study are to multimodal user interfaces and to music cognition.
Modernization and the onset of overweight and obesity in bougainville and solomon islands children: Cross-sectional and longitudinal comparisons between 1966 and 1986

This set of cross-sectional and longitudinal data from children and young adults in certain Bougainville and Solomon Islands populations undergoing rapid modernization during the period 1966–1986 reveals very different responses to essentially the same stimuli—the introduction and widespread availability of western dietary items and reductions in habitual activity. Our analyses of over 2,000 children and young adults first measured in 1966–1972, with follow-up surveys in 1968–1970 and 1985–1986, show changes in overweight/obesity in these communities have their onset around puberty, and are not related to differences in childhood growth stunting. The prevalence of overweight and obesity increased substantially during the period of this study among young adults, particularly women, and in groups with more Polynesian affinities, where the frequency of overweight (BMI ≥ 25) tripled over this 20-year interval. However, the BMI of the more Papuan groups on Bougainville remained remarkably stable, even though they were close to the epicenter of modernization during this period, the Bougainville Copper Mine. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Doubly Robust Learning for Estimating Individualized Treatment with Censored Data

Individualized treatment rules recommend treatments based on individual patient characteristics in order to maximize clinical benefit. When the clinical outcome of interest is survival time, estimation is often complicated by censoring. We develop nonparametric methods for estimating an optimal individualized treatment rule in the presence of censored data. To adjust for censoring, we propose a doubly robust estimator which requires correct specification of either the censoring model or survival model, but not both; the method is shown to be Fisher consistent when either model is correct. Furthermore, we establish the convergence rate of the expected survival under the estimated optimal individualized treatment rule to the expected survival under the optimal individualized treatment rule. We illustrate the proposed methods using simulation study and data from a Phase III clinical trial on non-small cell lung cancer.
ACHOO syndrome. Prevalence and inheritance.

In a questionnaire, four of 20 (20%) neurologists indicated they had a photic sneeze reflex. Two kindreds are presented that demonstrate the reflex is inherited in an autosomal dominant mode, but with variable expressivity manifested by sneezing after eyebrow plucking and/or hair pulling. The reflex may result from stimulation of the trigeminal nerve.
Structured Overset Meshing Framework for Fixed-Wing Aircraft Congurations

A process is developed to automate external aerodynamic investigations of xed-wing aircraft con gurations using structured overset meshing and analysis technology. Since it has been established by many researchers that mesh generation is often a bottleneck that may prevent the generation of timely results, e ort is devoted to identifying characteristic topologies that occur on xed-wing aircraft that readily lend themselves to e cient automation. A script-based mesh generation process is presented for xed-wing aircraft, and applied to a series of aero-optical use cases designed to predict total aerodynamic performance as a result of a design change, and model potentially relevant interactions between aircraft components. It is demonstrated that improvements in automation e ciency can be achieved with existing tools. However, certain topologies exist that are resistant to automation e orts, requiring sustained expert user intervention to achieve a suitable mesh using established best practices. The current maturity level of this capability for xedwing aircraft is a semi-automated process that is easily transitioned to a broader range of xed-wing aircraft analyses, where many mesh generation tasks may be completed without intervention by the user. Veri cation of domain connectivity using available tools remains an activity that requires manual intervention by an expert user.