cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Isolation of Beta-Lactamase from a Penicillin-Susceptible Strain of Staphylococcus aureus

It is generally accepted that strains of Staphylococcus aureus which are susceptible to penicillin G do not produce β-lactamase. However, we have found that such a strain susceptible to 0.06 μg of penicillin per ml and 0.56 μg of methicillin per ml produces β-lactamase(s) which hydrolyzes penicillin G, methicillin, 6-aminopenicillanic acid, and probably cephaloridine. The enzyme which is found only during very early log phase of the growth cycle is not inducible either by penicillin or methicillin and is cell bound and liberated only by disruption of the cell. The rate of enzymatic hydrolysis of methicillin was 60% that of benzylpenicillin. This finding suggests that the elaboration per se of β-lactamase does not necessarily afford resistance to penicillin in this gram-positive-producing cell.
A mobile human activity recognition system

Context-aware applications have been the focus of extensive research, yet their implementation in mobile devices usually becomes challenging due to restrictions of processing and energy. In this work, we present, demonstrate, and evaluate a mobile platform for real-time human activity recognition. The evaluation results indicate that the system can be implemented in real scenarios meeting accuracy, response time, and energy consumption requirements.
Adaptive clinical trial designs with pre-specified rules for modifying the sample size: understanding efficient types of adaptation

Adaptive clinical trial design has been proposed as a promising new approach that may improve the drug discovery process. Proponents of adaptive sample size re-estimation promote its ability to avoid 'up-front' commitment of resources, better address the complicated decisions faced by data monitoring committees, and minimize accrual to studies having delayed ascertainment of outcomes. We investigate aspects of adaptation rules, such as timing of the adaptation analysis and magnitude of sample size adjustment, that lead to greater or lesser statistical efficiency. Owing in part to the recent Food and Drug Administration guidance that promotes the use of pre-specified sampling plans, we evaluate alternative approaches in the context of well-defined, pre-specified adaptation. We quantify the relative costs and benefits of fixed sample, group sequential, and pre-specified adaptive designs with respect to standard operating characteristics such as type I error, maximal sample size, power, and expected sample size under a range of alternatives. Our results build on others' prior research by demonstrating in realistic settings that simple and easily implemented pre-specified adaptive designs provide only very small efficiency gains over group sequential designs with the same number of analyses. In addition, we describe optimal rules for modifying the sample size, providing efficient adaptation boundaries on a variety of scales for the interim test statistic for adaptation analyses occurring at several different stages of the trial. We thus provide insight into what are good and bad choices of adaptive sampling plans when the added flexibility of adaptive designs is desired.
Regression Factors for Predicting a Succeeding Complete Lactation Milk Record from Part Lactation Records

Summary The age- and season-corrected monthly D.H.I.A. milk records of 9,036 cows in 374 New York herds, and the succeeding record of 2,358 of these cows in 226 herds, are used to develop regression factors for predicting a succeeding complete lactation milk yield from part lactation records. A single test-day record from the fourth, fifth, or sixth month of a lactation has a correlation of 0.50 with the succeeding complete lactation. This correlation is nearly as large as the correlation between two successive complete lactation yields, which is 0.55. A linear function of the first five monthly test records predicts a complete second record as accurately as the total yield of the first lactation. Linear functions for the first seven monthly records are even more accurate. Prediction equations utilizing bimonthly test records are more highly correlated (0.57) with second complete records than complete first records, and are nearly as accurate as linear functions of ten monthly test-day records.
Attitudes and perceptions of nursing students toward preparation for interdisciplinary health care teams

Using a modification of the Snyder's Health Care Team Questionnaire, the author conducted a study pertaining to attitudes of undergraduate nursing students toward health care teams, and perception of curriculum content on health care teams. The study design involved a random sample of 126 associate degree programmes and 122 baccalaureate degree programmes representing 14 southern states; 588 senior nursing students responded to the questionnaire. Analysis of the data collected suggested differences in attitudes of students. In addition, the data indicated that differences did exist between programmes on specific health care team concepts taught and settings chosen for clinical experiences. Differences were also detected between programmes in perception of readiness of the students to participate as health care team members, and the number of courses taught on health care teams. Data from an Interdisciplinary Health Care Team Questionnaire were analysed using univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) with the total scale representing attitude as the dependent variable. The statistical design was a mixed model ANOVA with the type of nursing programme as the fixed factor with two levels: 'Associate Degree' and 'Baccalaureate Degree'. The School of Nursing was the random factor nested within programme type.
Developing a transcultural patient care Web site.

The development of a transcultural Web site created by a multidiscplinary committee in a large medical center is described. The purpose of this Web site is to give direct patient caregivers immedia...
Colorimetric sensor arrays for volatile organic compounds.

The development of a low-cost, sensitive colorimetric sensor array for the detection and identification of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is reported. Using an array composed of chemoresponsive dyes, enormous discriminatory power is possible in a simple device that can be imaged easily with an ordinary flatbed scanner. Excellent differentiation of closely related organic compounds can be achieved, and a library of 100 VOCs is presented. The array discriminates among VOCs by probing a wide range of intermolecular interactions, including Lewis acid/base, Bronsted acid/base, metal ion coordination, hydrogen bonding, and dipolar interactions. Importantly, by proper choice of dyes and substrate, the array is essentially nonresponsive to changes in humidity.
RxIP: Monitoring the health of home wireless networks

Deploying home access points (AP) is hard. Untrained users typically purchase, install, and configure a home AP with very little awareness of wireless signal coverage and complex interference conditions. We envision a future of autonomous wireless network management that uses the Internet as an enabling technology. By leveraging a P2P architecture over wired Internet connections, nearby APs can coordinate to manage their shared wireless spectrum, especially in the face of network-crippling faults. As a specific instance of this architecture, we build RxIP, a network diagnostic and recovery tool, initially targeted towards hidden terminal mitigation. Our stable, in-kernel implementation demonstrates that APs in real home settings can detect hidden interferers, and agree on a mutually beneficial channel access strategy. Consistent throughput and fairness gains with TCP traffic and in-home micro-mobility confirm the viability of the system. We believe that using RxIP to address other network deficiencies opens a rich area for further research, helping to ensure that smarter homes of the future embed smarter networks. In the near term, with the wireless and entertainment industries poised for home-centric wireless gadgets, RxIP-type home management systems will become increasingly relevant.
Computing Statistical Characteristics When We Know Probabilities with Interval or Fuzzy Uncertainty: Computational Complexity

In traditional statistics, we usually assume that we know the exact probability distributions. In practice, we often only know the probabilities with interval uncertainty. The main emphasis on taking this uncertainty into account has been on situations in which we know a cumulative distribution function (cdf) with interval uncertainty. However, in some cases, we know the probability density function (pdf) with interval uncertainty. We show that in this situations, the exact range of some statistical characteristics can be efficiently computed. Surprisingly, for some other characteristics, similar statistical problems which are efficiently solvable for interval-valued cdf become computationally difficult (NP-hard) for interval-valued pdf.
SET‐LRP of methyl acrylate catalyzed with activated Cu(0) wire in methanol in the presence of air

Single electron transfer-living radical polymerization (SET-LRP) of methyl acrylate (MA) in methanol, catalyzed with nonactivated and activated Cu(0) wires, was performed in the presence of nondeoxygenated reagents and was investigated under a simple blanket of nitrogen. The addition of a small amount of hydrazine hydrate mediates the deoxygenation of the reaction mixture by the consumption of oxygen through its use to oxidize Cu(0) to CuO, followed by the reduction of CuO with hydrazine back to the active Cu(0) catalyst. SET-LRP of MA in methanol in the presence of air requires a smaller dimension of Cu(0) wire, compared to the nonactivated Cu(0) wire counterpart. Activation of Cu(0) wire allowed the polymerization in air to proceed with no induction period, linear first-order kinetics, linear correlation between the molecular weight evolution with conversion, and narrow molecular weight distribution. The retention of chain-end functionality of α,γ-di(bromo) poly(methyl acrylate) (PMA) prepared by SET-LRP was demonstrated by a combination of experiments including H NMR spectroscopy and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry after thioetherification of α,γ-di(bromo) PMA with thiophenol. In SET-LRP of MA in the presence of limited air, bimolecular termination is observed only above 85% conversion. However, for bifunctional initiators, the small amount of bimolecular termination observed at high conversion maintains a perfectly bifunctional polymer.
GENETIC HETEROZYGOSITY IN UNREPLICATED BACTERIOPHAGE Λ RECOMBINANTS

Bacteriophage crosses using density-labeled parents have been carried out under conditions restricting DNA synthesis. The parental material and genetic contributions to progeny manifesting recombination within a genetic interval sufficiently short to exhibit high negative interference have been examined. The unreplicated products of recombination isolated as phage particles appear to contain long continuous heteroduplex regions which are heterozygous for the closely linked markers. Recombination between closely linked markers seems to be the consequence of the removal of base-pair mismatches that are present within the heteroduplex regions. This localized reduction of heterozygosity within the heteroduplex regions that join the parental components of recombinant DNA molecules can account for high negative interference.
Post-Surgical Anatomy and ERCP

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in patients with altered anatomy following upper gastrointestinal tract surgery (eg, Billroth II gastrectomy/Whipples anatomy, and the even more challenging patients with long-limb Roux-en-Y gastrojejunostomy) is often necessary to avoid more complex surgical approaches. There is little published information to accurately guide the endoscopist in the performance of these technically challenging procedures. With the advent of noninvasive diagnostic imaging including EUS, MRCP, and thin-sliced CT scanning, ERCP is often relegated to a therapeutic situation. Before performing the ERCP, it is important for the endoscopist to have a thorough understanding of the postsurgical anatomy to adequately prepare for the ERCP. Improved cooperation between the surgeon and endoscopist (especially in patients with benign disease), and the development of more specialized endoscopes may improve the success of ERCP in these patients. This chapter reviews the most commonly encountered postsurgical anatomy and the endoscopic techniques and accessories utilized to maximize successful completion of the procedures.
Pulmonary Vascular Response Patterns During Exercise in Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction Predict Exercise Capacity and Outcomes

Background—Elevated resting pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) in patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) purports a poor prognosis. However, PAP response patterns to exercise in LVSD and their relationship to functional capacity and outcomes have not been characterized. Methods and Results—Sixty consecutive patients with LVSD (age 60±12 years, left ventricular ejection fraction 0.31±0.07, mean±SD) and 19 controls underwent maximum incremental cardiopulmonary exercise testing with simultaneous hemodynamic monitoring. During low-level exercise (30 W), LVSD subjects, compared with controls, had greater augmentation in mean PAPs (15±1 versus 5±1 mm Hg), transpulmonary gradients (5±1 versus 1±1 mm Hg), and effective pulmonary artery elastance (0.05±0.02 versus −0.03±0.01 mm Hg/mL, P<0.0001 for all). A linear increment in PAP relative to work (0.28±0.12 mm Hg/W) was observed in 65% of LVSD patients, which exceeded that observed in controls (0.07±0.02 mm Hg/W, P<0.0001). Exercise capacity and ...
Evaluating hip labral tears using magnetic resonance arthrography: a prospective study comparing hip arthroscopy and magnetic resonance arthrography diagnosis.

Purpose: To evaluate the sensitivity and accuracy of magnetic resonance arthrography (MRA) with true sagittal scout image mapped radial reformation in localizing hip labral tears. Type of Study: Case series. Methods: Thirty patients were examined with hip MRA because of suspected labral tears. Every patient underwent normal hip arthrography and MR examinations using a 1.5-T scanner with a 3D-FLASH pulse sequence. Multiplanar reformation using double oblique technique produced radial reformatted rotation images with 10° increment on the acetabular rim. Labral tears were annotated as anterior-superior (AS), anterior-inferior (AI), posterior-superior (PS), and posterior-inferior (PI) quadrant based on the cranial-caudal axis in true sagittal reformatted scout localizing image. Patients with positive MRA findings were counseled to have the arthroscopic hip procedure. Results: Five patients showed no MRA indication of labral tear. Of 25 patients who had MRA evidence of labral tear, 17 underwent arthroscopic hip surgery. One patient had only synovial process in the hip joint near the suspected MRA area. The remaining 16 operated patients had labral tears with a total of 21 quadrant lesions on arthroscopy (distributed as AS, 14; AI, 3; PS, 2; and PI, 2). Radial reformatted images revealed accurate mapping with arthroscopic findings in 21 of the 22 quadrant lesions. The sensitivity and accuracy of MRA for the diagnosis of hip labral tear were 100% and 94%, respectively, and the sensitivity and accuracy of radial reformatted MRA for mapping the tear location were 100% and 96%, respectively. Conclusions: MRA using radial reformatted images with a true sagittal localizer may achieve superior success rates in diagnosing hip labral lesions and in guiding the arthroscopist in portal selection, thus rendering location of hip labral tears simpler in surgery. It supplied detailed preoperative information to the surgeon, avoiding unnecessary surgery for patients if the diagnosis was unconfirmed. Level of Evidence: Level III.
No-Reflow Phenomenon Maintaining Vascular Integrity

The no-reflow phenomenon relates to the inability to reperfuse regions of the myocardium after ischemia, despite removal of the large epicardial coronary artery occlusion. The mechanism involves microvascular obstruction. In experimental studies, using markers for flow (thioflavin S, carbon black, microspheres), perfusion defects associated with no-reflow demonstrated ultrastructural evidence of localized endothelial swelling and blebs that appeared to obstruct flow. In humans no-reflow is more complicated due to the microemboli of atherosclerotic debris and thrombi generated by percutaneous coronary intervention. The no-reflow zone expands during the first few hours of reperfusion suggesting an element of reperfusion injury. In animal models, extensive no-reflow was associated with worse infarct expansion. The phenomenon of no-reflow following reperfusion therapy for myocardial infarction in humans has been demonstrated by magnetic resonance imaging, echo contrast agents, thallium, technecium-99m-labeled albumin microspheres, Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) scores, and myocardial blush grade. Patients exhibiting no-reflow following reperfusion therapy for myocardial infarction have greater left ventricular dilation and remodeling, more congestive heart failure, shock, and reduced survival. Certain vasodilators (adenosine, nitroprusside, nicorandil, and calcium blockers) are used acutely in the catheterization laboratory and appear to improve no-reflow, but systematic studies on therapy for no-reflow are needed. There is now clinical evidence that no-reflow is a strong predictor of long-term mortality that is independent of and beyond that provided by infarct size. Identifying and treating no-reflow may have important benefits including enhancing delivery of nutrients and cells required for healing and reducing infarct expansion and ventricular remodeling, which ultimately may reduce congestive heart failure and mortality.
P2Y5 is a Gαi, Gα12/13 G protein-coupled receptor activated by lysophosphatidic acid that reduces intestinal cell adhesion

P2Y5 is a G protein-coupled receptor that binds and is activated by lysophosphatidic acid (LPA). We determined that P2Y5 transcript is expressed along the intestinal mucosa and investigated the intracellular pathways induced by P2Y5 activation, which could contribute to LPA effects on intestinal cell adhesion. P2Y5 heterologously expressed in CHO and small intestinal hBRIE 380i cells was activated by LPA resulting in an increase in intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) when the cells concurrently expressed GαΔ6qi5myr. P2Y5 activation also increased the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 that was sensitive to pertussis toxin. Together these indicate that P2Y5 activation by LPA induces an increase in [Ca2+]i and ERK1/2 phosphorylation through Gαi. We discovered that P2Y5 was activated by farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) without a detectable change in [Ca2+]i. The activation of P2Y5 by LPA or FPP induced the activity of a serum response element (SRE)-linked luciferase reporter that was inhibited by the RGS domain of p115RhoGEF, C3 exotoxin, and Y-27632, suggesting the involvement of Gα12/13, Rho GTPase, and ROCK, respectively. However, only LPA-mediated induction of SRE reporter activity was sensitive to inhibitors targeting p38 MAPK, PI3K, PLC, and PKC. In addition, only LPA transactivated the epidermal growth factor receptor, leading to an induction of ERK1/2 phosphorylation. These observations correlate with our subsequent finding that P2Y5 activation by LPA, and not FPP, reduced intestinal cell adhesion. This study elucidates a mechanism whereby LPA can act as a luminal and/or serosal cue to alter mucosal integrity.
Career Development Issues in the Former USSR: Implications of Political Changes for Personal Career Development

This article addresses the distinctive aspects of career development of people from the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). The ecological model of career development is applied to understanding how political changes can influence the career trajectories of individuals within a culture. The role of the political, social, familial, and educational influences on the world of work is examined for the USSR and post-Soviet times. Special focus is given to immigrants from the former USSR, and suggestions for practitioners who are working with individuals and families are provided.
Evidence of Cryptic Species Within the Pest Copitarsia decolora (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Copitarsia decolora (Guenee) is a widely distributed, highly polyphagous pest found throughout Central and South America. We examined multiple populations of C. decolora with the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase I (COI). We also investigated morphological variation in adult males sampled from these populations. COI evidence suggests that C. decolora is comprised of two cryptic lineages and is paraphyletic with respect to the Chilean C. naenoides (Butler). These two lineages, which are not completely geographically isolated, display high divergence in COI sequences compared with other members of Copitarsia and other insect pest species in general. Furthermore, these lineages also possess slight morphological differences in male genitalia; however, supporting information is necessary before the taxonomy of this species is revised.
Adaptive Local Linear Regression With Application to Printer Color Management

Local learning methods, such as local linear regression and nearest neighbor classifiers, base estimates on nearby training samples, neighbors. Usually, the number of neighbors used in estimation is fixed to be a global ldquooptimalrdquo value, chosen by cross validation. This paper proposes adapting the number of neighbors used for estimation to the local geometry of the data, without need for cross validation. The term enclosing neighborhood is introduced to describe a set of neighbors whose convex hull contains the test point when possible. It is proven that enclosing neighborhoods yield bounded estimation variance under some assumptions. Three such enclosing neighborhood definitions are presented: natural neighbors, natural neighbors inclusive, and enclosing k-NN. The effectiveness of these neighborhood definitions with local linear regression is tested for estimating lookup tables for color management. Significant improvements in error metrics are shown, indicating that enclosing neighborhoods may be a promising adaptive neighborhood definition for other local learning tasks as well, depending on the density of training samples.
The Molecular Perspective: l-Asparaginase

The Oncologist 2005;10:238–239 www.TheOncologist.com Correspondence: David S. Goodsell, Ph.D., Associate Professor, The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Molecular Biology, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA. Telephone: 858-784-2839; Fax: 858-784-2860; e-mail: goodsell@scripps.edu Website: http://www.scripps.edu/pub/goodsell Received January 5, 2005; accepted for publication January 5, 2005. ©AlphaMed Press 1083-7159/2005/$12.00/0 With chemotherapy, we search for weaknesses in cancer cells and attack them where they are most vulnerable. Since cancer cells are dividing at an abnormally fast rate, many drugs target the processes of cell division. Cancer cells often communicate (or do not communicate) in odd ways, which provides other sensitive spots for treatment. The best drugs are those that attack features that are unique to cancer cells. We rarely reach this ideal, but with L-asparaginase, we get close. Our cells require a steady supply of the amino acid asparagine to build proteins. Most cells use the enzyme asparagine synthetase (Fig. 1, top) to make their own asparagine. The enzyme takes aspartate and adds an amine, forming the characteristic amide group of asparagine. Thus, most cells can make their own supplies of asparagine and do not need to obtain it in their diet. Some blood cells, however, rely instead on the blood for their supply of asparagine, Fundamentals of Cancer Medicine The Oncologist
Silicon Nitride Synthesis by Laser Pyrolysis of an Aerosol-Dispersed Precursor

Surface layers of ultrafine Si3N4 particles (30–100 nm. diameter) have been synthesized by laser-pyrolysis of a liquid precursor, dispersed as an aerosol. This aerosol was formed in a nitrogen environment (at near ambient pressure) using an ultrasonically activated nozzle. The organosilazane precursor, which was specially designed for CO2 laser pyrolysis, was of the type (CH3SiHNH)x, with x = 3 or 4. In the current experiments deposition was performed on Ni substrates using a (i) 7 cm/s. substrate translational velocity, and (ii) ~2.8 × 102 w/cm2 power density.
Inflammation and Cardiovascular Disease in Patients With Diabetes Lessons From the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with diabetes; in type 1 diabetes, CVD typically is related to diabetic nephropathy.1 In both type 1 (DCCT, the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial) and type 2 diabetes (UKPDS, the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study), intensive glucose control affects macrovascular disease less than microvascular disease.2,3 The pathophysiology of CVD in patients with diabetes is complex. Insulin-resistance syndrome risk factors rather than hyperglycemia per se seem to affect the risk of CVD in patients with both type 14 and type 2 diabetes.5 See p 2446 Elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) have been related to CVD risk mainly in nondiabetic populations6; data in diabetic populations are scarce. Much less is known about the relationship of adhesion molecules to insulin resistance, diabetes, and CVD, respectively. This commentary, therefore, focuses on CRP as a marker of chronic, subclinical inflammation related to CVD. CRP levels are elevated in nondiabetic individuals with increased insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome,7 in patients with type 2 diabetes,8 and less consistently so in patients with type 1 diabetes.9 Components of the insulin-resistance syndrome, including obesity, rather than hyperglycemia contribute significantly to elevated CRP levels.7,8 A proinflammatory state prevails also in prediabetic individuals 5 years before the actual onset of (type 2) diabetes.10 In prediabetic individuals, increased insulin resistance rather than impaired insulin secretion defines the proatherogenic state, as exemplified by elevated blood pressure and dyslipidemia,11 as well as inflammation.12 Given the strong correlation of inflammation with …
Fatigue Fracture Mechanisms of Particle and Fiber Filled PTFE Composites

The effect of filler type on the fatigue fracture mechanisms of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) composites was studied. The two composites were a silica particle filled PTFE (Garlock 3502‘) and a glass fiber filled PTFE (Garlock 8573‘). Tension-tension fatigue crack propagation tests were conducted on both materials at room temperature at a frequency of 3 Hz. The maximum stress was 6 MPa and the ratio of minimum load to maximum load was 0.1. It was found that the fatigue lifetime of the particle filled PTFE is approximately four times higher than that of the fiber filled PTFE. The fatigue data also revealed that the crack speed of the particle filled composite is always lower than that of the short fiber filled composite. Microscopic analysis on representative fracture surface of each material was performed to identify different fracture surface features. The three fracture regions, crack initiation, stable crack growth and unstable crack growth were examined. In the first region, both composites displayed...
Artificial life: a constructive lower bound for artificial intelligence

Artificial life refers to computational investigations of questions involving the nature of life and its evolution; it is considered as a lower bound on artificial intelligence, as embodied in the statement that 'the dumbest smart thing you can do is stay alive'. The centrality of evolution to artificial life and the algorithmic approach to evolutionary modeling are examined. Approaches to modeling the environment are discussed and the relationship between artificial life and computation is explored. >
The response of isotropic brittle materials to abrasive processes

An overview is presented of the response of brittle material to abrasion. A three-region model is proposed for both two-body and three-body wear, two regions being where removal rate is nearly independent of abrasive size for otherwise identical conditions, and a transition region where rate is proportional to abrasive size. The mechanics is explored through these three regions in two-body and three-body wear and some comparisons are made to the wear of nonbrittle materials. This work is restricted to isotropic materials, since variations in bond strength and lattice structure introduce orientation effects. >
Improving Learner Performance with Data Sampling and Boosting

Learning from imbalanced datasets is a well known problem in the data mining community. Many techniques have been proposed to alleviate the problems associated with class imbalance, including data sampling and boosting. While data sampling has received the bulk of the attention from the research community, our results show that boosting often results in better classification performance than even the best data sampling techniques. In this work, we compare the performance of data sampling and boosting on ten datasets from various application domains using two commonly used learners. In addition, we propose the use of both data sampling and boosting in an attempt to combine the strengths of these techniques and achieve even better classification performance.
Traumatic neuroma of the tympanic (Jacobson's) nerve as a possible cause of otalgia.

Objective To show that traumatic neuroma of the tympanic (Jacobson's) nerve may be a cause of recurrent intractable otalgia in patients following radical mastoidectomies. Study Design Histologic evaluation of four temporal bones from three patients with a history of recurrent otalgia following radical mastoidectomy. Subjects and Methods The medical records of three patients with multiple middle ear surgeries in four ears because of recurrent otalgia were reviewed. Histopathologic studies of the four temporal bones were performed. Results All four of the temporal bones that underwent multiple surgeries were found to have traumatic neuromas of the tympanic (Jacobson's) nerve. Conclusion Recurrent otalgia in patients after radical middle ear surgery may be caused by a traumatic neuroma of the tympanic (Jacobson's) nerve.
Microwave Site Selection in Undeveloped Country

This article discusses a method by which microwave systems are laid out in rugged undeveloped country, where maps alone cannot be used to indicate path clearance. The first step is to gather all available information and, by careful study of the topography, to lay out several possible microwave routes. The next step is to conduct a methodical low level aerial survey by means of inexpensive light aircraft, making descriptive notes of the proposed relay sites and measuring the height of all hills on or close to the propagation line. If the first plan fails the height data obtained contribute to a more enlightened second plan and the process is repeated until an attractive system develops. A third step is necessary in order to establish tower heights and assure that sites picked out from the air are practical from an installation viewpoint. Field parties carrying simple equipment visit the sites and conduct additional tests, on the basis of which tower heights are computed and construction parties are able to move in.
Membrane oxygenation is superior to parabiotic support in blood-reperfused isolated hearts.

Background Isolated heart preparations are often used for myocardial research, but can become complex and difficult when blood is used as the perfusate. We compared the utility and effectiveness of a parabiotic isolated heart system perfused from a support animal to an equivalent system supported by a pediatric membrane oxygenator. Materials and methods Whole blood reperfused rabbit hearts were supported on a standard Langendorff column by either a parabiotic support animal (n = 10), or an in-line pediatric membrane oxygenator (n = 12). Support animals were mechanically ventilated, and hemodynamically monitored. Perfusate acid-base balance, oxygen, carbon dioxide, bicarbonate, and lactate levels were serially monitored during 120 min of perfusion. Results One-hundred percent of experiments supported with an oxygenator completed the evaluation period without instability, while 40% of parabiotic-supported experiments were terminated early because of donor animal hemodynamic instability (P Conclusions Small animal isolated heart experiments perfused with blood are more successful, more efficient, and more cost effective when supported with a membrane oxygenator rather than a support animal. Membrane oxygenators reduce complexity, variability, and animal wastage in isolated heart experiments.
Gender differences in adolescent dating abuse prevalence, types and injuries

Studies of adults report inconsistent findings as to whether males or females are more likely to use violent behaviors toward their partner. Although partner violence frequently begins during adolescence, few dating violence studies involve adolescents and even fewer report findings by gender. This study examines gender differences in adolescent dating violence. Data are from self-administered questionnaires completed by 81% of the adolescents in the eighth and ninth grades in a primarily rural school district in North Carolina. The significant findings are that (1) females perpetrate more mild, moderate and severe violence than males towards partners even when controlling for violence perpetrated in self-defense; (2) females perpetrate more violence than males out of self-defense; (3) males perpetrate more sexual dating violence than females; (4) males and females sustain equal amounts of mild, moderate and severe dating violence; (5) females sustain more sexual dating violence than males; (6) females sustain more psychological abuse than males from their partners; and (7) females receive more injuries than males from dating violence. These findings suggest that adolescent dating violence prevention programs are warranted and that unlike most dating violence prevention programs, both males and females should be exposed to activities related to victimization and perpetration. Language: en
Modifying Field Observation Methods on the Fly: Creative Metanarrative and Disgust in an Environmental MUVE

Automated detection of constructs associated with student engage- ment, disengagement, and meta-cognition plays an increasingly prominent part of personalized online education. Often these detectors are trained with ground truth labels obtained from field observations, a method that balances collection speed with label quality. Some behaviors and affective states (e.g., boredom) are regularly modeled across learning environments, but other constructs (e.g., gaming the system) manifest in fewer systems. New environments create the possibility of entirely unexpected constructs. In this paper, we describe how a field observation protocol (already proven effective for affect and behavior de- tection in several systems) was adapted to provide the flexibility needed to document previously unidentified or rare constructs. Specifically, we describe the in-field modification of the Baker Rodrigo Ocumpaugh Monitoring Protocol (BROMP) to accommodate categories not previously established (e.g., creative metanarrative) during observations of an educational multi-user virtual envi- ronment (MUVE). We also discuss the importance of developing methods that allow researchers to conduct such explorations while still capturing standard data constructs.
Analysis of hydrogen in materials with and without high hydrogen mobility

Hydrogen is a very important element but analysis of hydrogen in solids can be difficult and is not available for many analytical techniques. This paper provides an overview of the capabilities of SIMS and NRA to measure hydrogen concentrations and distributions. Bulk analysis methods provide an overall result, but depth profiles are often needed. SIMS can produce useful and quantifiable depth profiles for hydrogen and the isotopes deuterium and tritium. Hydrogen analysis at the surface and imaging with good lateral resolution can also be achieved with SIMS. However, hydrogen can have high mobility in a variety of materials and this will affect SIMS analysis. For those cases, other surface analysis methods such as hydrogen forward scattering and nuclear reaction analysis are preferred. Hydrogen analysis examples in silicon and in niobium are used for materials without and with high hydrogen mobility respectively. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Real-Time Prediction of Blood Alcohol Content Using Smartwatch Sensor Data

This paper proposes an application that collects sensor data from a smartwatch in order to predict drunkenness in real-time, discreetly, and non-invasively via a machine learning approach. This system could prevent drunk driving or other dangers related to the consumption of alcohol by giving users a way to determine personal intoxication level without the use of intrusive breathalyzers or guess work. Using smartwatch data collected from several volunteers, we trained a machine learning model that may work with a smartphone application to predict the user's intoxication level in real-time.
If You Build It, Will They Come? Barriers to International e-Marketing

Although Internet technology makes it possible for consumers world-wide to shop on-line, many companies are starting to realize that (1) simply building a web site does not automatically generate i...
Case Report: Isoimmune Inhibition of Erythropoiesis Following ABO-Incompatible Bone Marrow Transplantation

A 26-year-old ABO-O positive patient with aplastic anemia received a bone marrow transplant from his genotypically HLA identical, but ABO-A positive, brother. Engraftment of myeloid and megakaryocytic lineages occurred within 4 weeks but pure red cell aplasia and transfusion dependent anemia persisted for 160 days. The authors postulated that the failure of erythropoiesis was due to a high titer of anti-A isohemagglutinins. They tested this hypothesis with clonal cell cultures and flow cytometric analysis of ABO antigen expression by colony forming cells in vitro. During the period of prolonged red cell aplasia, the patient had normal numbers (85 +/- 12 per 10(6) cells) of circulating donor derived, burst forming units-erythroid (BFU-E). Immunophenotypic analysis of erythroid burst colonies derived from culture of the patient's bone marrow cells showed that 91 +/- 5% of 274 nucleated red cells were A-antigen positive, confirming full donor engraftment. Autologous plasma and complement added on day 1 of culture did not affect the colony growth (82.5 +/- 15 per 10(6) cells). However, when the addition of complement was delayed until day 7 of culture, there was 90% inhibition of BFU-E (7.5 +/- 5 per 10(6) cells) compared to controls (p less than 0.0004). Based on this, the authors propose a model for expression of ABO antigens during erythropoiesis, in which BFU-E do not express ABO antigens but their progeny do. The data support the hypothesis that the mechanism of prolonged pure red cell aplasia after ABO-incompatible bone marrow transplantation is complement mediated immune destruction of erythroid progenitors past the stage of BFU-E in differentiation.
Synthesis, characterization, and platinum-catalyzed cross-linking of 1,4-bis(1-methyl-1-silacyclobutyl) benzene, co-oligo(1-silacyclobut-1-ylidene-1,4-phenylene), and co-oligo(1-silacyclobut-1-ylidene-4,4′-diphenylene)

1,4-bis(1-Methyl-1-silacyclobutyl)benzene (I) has been prepared by the reaction of 1-chloro-1-methyl-1-silacyclobutane with the di-Grignard reagent prepared fromp-dibromobenzene. In a similar manner, co-oligo(1-silacyclobut-1-ylidene-1,4-phenylene) (II) and co-oligo(1-silacyclobut-1-ylidene-4,4′-biphenylene) (III) have been prepared by condensation oligomerization between 1,1-dichloro-1-silacyclobutane and the di-Grignard reagents prepared fromp-dibromobenzene and 4,4′-dibromobiphenyl, respectively. These have been characterized by1H,13C, and29Si NMR as well as FT-IR and UV spectroscopy. The molecular weight distributions of these co-oligomers have been determined by GPC. Their thermal stabilities have been evaluated by TGA. Thermal degradation of these co-oligomers in nitrogen gives high (60%) char yields. The stability of these chars in air has been determined. TheTg's of these co-oligomers have been measured by DSC. Platinum-catalyzed ring opening of the silacyclobutane rings ofI,II, andIII cross-links these to thermoset materials. The bending moduli (logE′), tan δ, andTg's of these materials have been determined by DMTA. The dielectric constant and dissipation factor of cross-linkedII are reported.
A hot L1 retrotransposon evades somatic repression and initiates human colorectal cancer

Although human LINE-1 (L1) elements are actively mobilized in many cancers, a role for somatic L1 retrotransposition in tumor initiation has not been conclusively demonstrated. Here, we identify a novel somatic L1 insertion in the APC tumor suppressor gene that provided us with a unique opportunity to determine whether such insertions can actually initiate colorectal cancer (CRC), and if so, how this might occur. Our data support a model whereby a hot L1 source element on Chromosome 17 of the patient's genome evaded somatic repression in normal colon tissues and thereby initiated CRC by mutating the APC gene. This insertion worked together with a point mutation in the second APC allele to initiate tumorigenesis through the classic two-hit CRC pathway. We also show that L1 source profiles vary considerably depending on the ancestry of an individual, and that population-specific hot L1 elements represent a novel form of cancer risk.
Determination of puerarin in Waiganfenghan Granules by HPLC

Objective To determine the content of puerarin in Waiganfenghan Granules by RP-HPLC.Methods The determination was carried out by Kromasil C18 column.The mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile-water-menthol(8:86:6).The flow rate was 1 mL·min-1 and the detection wavelength was 250 nm.Results The linear range of puerarin was 50～100 μg·mL-1(r=0.999 6) and the average recovery was 97.3%,with the RSD was 1.13%(n=6).Conclution The method was simple,sensitive,accurate and can be used for the determination of puerarin in Waiganfenghan Granules.
Trends in the Management of Patients With Left Ventricular Assist Devices Presenting for Noncardiac Surgery: A 10-Year Institutional Experience

In our institution, the vast majority of patients presenting for noncardiac surgery (NCS) while supported by a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) are now cared for by noncardiac-trained anesthesiologists as the result of a decade of educational intervention to effect this transition. This represents a significant departure from the published experiences of other institutions. With institutional review board approval, we queried the database of our anesthesia record keeping system (CompuRecord) to determine various aspects of the perioperative management of these patients from July 1, 2003, through June 30, 2013, during which time 271 NCS procedures were performed on adult patients supported by LVADs. Over the entire study period (2003-2013), anesthetic care was provided by a cardiac anesthesiologist 47% of the time and by a noncardiac anesthesiologist 53% of the time. However, by the time period 2012-2013, 88% of the NCS procedures were staffed by a noncardiac anesthesiologist. Despite the prevalence of continuous flow devices in this series, the use of invasive blood pressure monitoring decreased dramatically by the later years of the study. Vasoactive and inotropic medications were rarely required intraoperatively. No intraoperative cardiac arrests, thromboembolic complications, or device malfunctions occurred. Our conclusion is that NCS procedures on LVAD-supported patients can be safely managed by educated noncardiac anesthesiologists.
Maintenance model of integrated psychosocial treatment in pediatric bipolar disorder : A pilot feasibility study

ABSTRACT Objective The chronic and refractory course of pediatric bipolar disorder merits the study of adjunctive psychosocial interventions designed to facilitate long-term improvements. The objective of this study is to conduct a pilot study of a maintenance model of the child- and family-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy program (CFF-CBT), which comprises psychosocial booster sessions and optimized pharmacotherapy, and to assess whether positive effects seen after the acute phase of treatment could be sustained over time with the use of this model. Method The study design was an open trial with the goal of assessing feasibility of such a maintenance model over time. Thirty-four patients 5 to 17 years of age who underwent CFF-CBT were delivered the maintenance model of treatment over a 3-year period and assessed for symptom changes (Children's Global Impressions Scale-Bipolar) and global functioning (Children's Global Assessment Scale). Results Results indicated that participation in the maintenance model of CFF-CBT treatment was associated with positive effects in symptoms and functioning over the 3-year follow-up period. There were no statistically significant differences in postacute-phase treatment scores and scores at years 1, 2, or 3 on any study measures, indicating the maintenance of clinically significant improvements. Conclusions These findings suggest that maintenance treatment models are feasible and may help facilitate the long-term management of symptoms. Controlled clinical trials that build on this model will help advance treatments for pediatric bipolar disorder toward addressing the low recovery and high relapse rates associated with the disorder.
Fast diffusion tensor registration with exact reorientation and regularization

Diffusion tensor imaging is widely used in brain connectivity study. As more and more group studies recruit a large number of subjects, it is important to design registration methods that are not only theoretically rigorous, but also computationally efficient, for processing large data sets. However, the requirement of reorienting diffusion tensors complicates and slows down the registration, especially for those methods whose scalar-image versions have linear complexity, for example, the Demons algorithm. In this paper, we propose an extension of the Demons algorithm that incorporates exact reorientation and regularization into the calculation of deforming velocity, yet preserving its linear complexity. This method restores the computational efficiency of the Demons algorithm to diffusion images, but does not sacrifice registration goodness. In our experiments, the new algorithm achieved state-of-art performance at a ten-fold decrease of computational time.
Fractional-N Frequency Synthesizer- A Novel Approach

A charge pump free, divider less fractional-N frequency synthesizer is proposed. The goal of this study is to design a wideband PLL by utilizing front-end analog signal processing to extract phase information from sinusoidal references. Compared to conventional charge pump PLLs, the phase information is updated at a faster rate, thus a wider bandwidth (BW) can be achieved. The synthesizer is intended for wireless communication applications. Matlab simulations are used to illustrate how the new PLL architecture works, and where the design challenges reside.
Spin Correlations in Nearly Ferromagnetic Eu x Sr 1 − x S

High-resolution neutron-diffraction measurements have been performed on a single crystal of Eu/sub x/Sr/sub 1-x/S for x = 0.52, an insulating spin system with competing exchange interactions. No detectable long-range magnetic order is observed at any temperature. However, intense magnetic diffuse scattering, well described by a Lorentzian, is present. As the temperature is reduced from 6 to 0.4 K, the magnetic correlation length xi increases to a resolution-limited maximum (>400 A) at 2.5 K, and subsequently decreases.