cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Does chronic warfarin cause increased blood loss and transfusion during lumbar spinal surgery

Abstract Background context The use of oral anticoagulation therapy such as warfarin is projected to increase significantly as the population ages and the prevalence of cardiovascular disease increases. Current recommendations state that warfarin be discontinued before surgery and the international normalized ratio (INR) normalized. Purpose To determine if stopping warfarin 7 days before surgery and correcting INR had any effect on intraoperative blood loss or the requirements for blood product transfusion. Study design/setting This was a retrospective cohort study in a high-volume tertiary care center. Patient sample Sample comprised 263 consecutive patients who underwent elective lumbar spinal surgery. Outcome measure The outcome measures were intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative blood transfusion, postoperative blood transfusion, and the number of blood products transfused. Methods The records of patients undergoing elective spinal surgery were analyzed for patient demographic data, comorbidities, coagulation panel laboratory findings, operative characteristics, blood loss, and blood transfusion requirements. These included patients undergoing full laminectomies with or without posterolateral fusion and instrumentation. Patients on warfarin were analyzed for the mean dosage of warfarin and underlying pathology that required anticoagulation. All patients on warfarin had their anticoagulation therapy stopped 7 days before surgery and their INR checked preoperatively to confirm normalization. Both univariate and multiple linear regression analyses were performed. Results The patients on warfarin had a mean intraoperative blood loss of 839 mL compared with 441 mL for patients not on warfarin (p 2 =0.37). Patients on warfarin also had increased postoperative blood transfusions (23.1% compared with 7.4%, p=.04). There was no significant difference between groups in terms of intraoperative blood transfusion or number of units transfused. Conclusions Patients on chronic anticoagulation therapy with warfarin who have their therapy stopped 7 days before surgery and have their INR normalized still demonstrated increased intraoperative blood loss and requirement for postoperative transfusion. Surgeons should be aware of the increased propensity of these patients to bleed despite adherence to protocols and should attempt to mitigate this risk.
A simple isomeric separation of D5h and Ih Sc3N@C80 by selective chemical oxidation.

Two electrochemical oxidation waves assigned to the D5h isomer of Sc3N@C80 have been identified, and a 270-mV difference in the first electrochemical oxidation potentials of the Ih and D5h isomers has been measured. On the basis of this oxidative potential difference, a strategy for isomeric purification involving a selective chemical oxidation of the D5h isomer is reported. Variable scan cyclic voltammetry of the resultingly pure Sc3N@C80 Ih isomer shows evidence of a rapid endohedral chemical reaction following the first reduction process.
W2Cl4(NHR)2(PR‘3)2 Molecules. 3. Bidentate Phosphine Complexes of Bis(tert-butylamido)tetrachloroditungsten. Preparation and Structural Characterization of cis,cis-W2Cl4(NHCMe3)2(L-L) (L-L = dmpm, dmpe, dppm, dppe)

Four new triply-bonded ditungsten complexes of the formula cis,cis-W2Cl4(NHCMe3)2(L-L) (L-L = dmpm (1), dmpe (2), dppm (3), dppe (4)) have been prepared by reaction of W2Cl4(NHCMe3)2(NH2CMe3)2 with the appropriate bidentate phosphines (L-L) in hydrocarbon solvents. These complexes are the first triply-bonded complexes of the form W2Cl4(NHR)2(L-L) where L-L groups are bidentate phosphines. The molecular structures have been investigated by X-ray crystallography. Crystal data are as follows: for 1, monoclinic space group P21/n, a = 13.807(1) A, b = 11.835(2) A, c = 15.348(1) A, β = 109.19(2)°, Z = 4; for 2, P21/n, a = 14.144(2) A, b = 11.991(1) A, c = 15.662(2) A, β = 109.50(1)°, Z = 4; for 3·CH2Cl2, P21/c, a = 18.777(6) A, b = 10.273(2) A, c = 21.082(3) A, β = 94.11(6)°, Z = 4; for 4, P21/n, a = 11.938(1) A, b = 18.583(3) A, c = 17.606(2) A, β = 106.54(6)°, Z = 4. The W−W bond lengths for 1, 2, 3·CH2Cl2, and 4 are 2.3247(4), 2.3274(5), 2.328(1), and 2.3452(5) A, respectively, which are consistent with a f...
Higher regularity for free boundary and tangential derivative problems and global solutions to regular reflections for the unsteady transonic small disturbance (UTSD) equations

Abstract We establish C 2 , α -estimates for solutions of a class of quasilinear elliptic equations with free boundary and tangential derivative boundary problems. Using this regularity result we show the existence of global solutions to regular shock reflections for the unsteady transonic small disturbance (UTSD) equation. We also present Lipschitz estimates near the degenerate Dirichlet boundary (the sonic boundary) for the UTSD equation.
Ease of wound closure as an endpoint of treatment efficacy

New treatments for chronic wounds require carefully performed clinical trials with significant endpoints. Total wound closure is the only endpoint currently accepted by the Food and Drug Administration. This study describes a scale that measures ease of wound closure and applies it to a four-arm prospectively randomized, blinded pressure ulcer trial of recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor-BB. Following validation of interrater reliability, 83 evaluable subjects' photographs were given a weekly ease of closure score by four raters blinded to treatment. The change of ease of closure score was correlated with the change of wound area and volume. Each ease of closure score was given a procedural cost. Results showed ease of closure did not directly correlate with either wound area or volume, suggesting that it was measuring additional information. The mean change in ease of closure score was 6 for subjects treated with 100 microg recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor-BB daily; 5 for those treated with 300 microg growth factor daily or 100 microg recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor-BB bid; and 4 for those treated with placebo. The cost savings ranged from $7200 for the group receiving 100 microg recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor-BB daily to $6300 for the controls. Outcomes in all 4 groups were significantly improved from their starting evaluation (p < 0.001). Based on this study, ease of closure is a verifiable endpoint that can be related to cost efficiency and may be a measure of efficacy.
A2E: Adaptively aggressive energy efficient DVFS scheduling for data intensive applications

Featured by high portability and programmability, Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling (DVFS) has been widely employed to achieve energy efficiency for high performance applications on distributed-memory architectures nowadays through various scheduling algorithms. Generally, different forms of slack from load imbalance, network latency, communication delay, memory and disk access stalls, etc. are exploited as energy saving opportunities where peak CPU performance is not necessary, with little or limited performance loss. The deployment of DVFS for communication intensive applications is straightforward due to the explicit boundary between Energy Saving Blocks (ESBs) at source code level, while for data (e.g., memory and disk access) intensive applications it is difficult for applying DVFS since ESB boundary is implicit due to mixed types of workloads. We propose an adaptively aggressive DVFS scheduling strategy to achieve energy efficiency for data intensive applications, and further save energy via speculation to mitigate DVFS overhead for imbalanced branches. We implemented and evaluated our approach using five memory and disk access intensive benchmarks with imbalanced branches against another two energy saving approaches. The experimental results indicate an average of 32.6% energy savings were achieved with 6.2% average performance loss compared to the original executions on a power-aware 64-core cluster.
Cytotoxicity of isoquinoline alkaloids and their N-oxides

A series of 53 isoquinoline alkaloids and their N-oxides have been tested for their cytotoxicity against A-549, HCT-8, KB, P-388, and L-1210 cells. These alkaloids include two tetrahydroprotoberberines, two protoberberines, six aporphines, one morphinandienone, five oxoaporphines, seven phenanthrenes, one spirobenzylisoquinoline N-oxide, nine aporphine N-oxides, seven benzyltetrahydroisoquinoline N-oxides, one benzylisoquinoline N-oxide, one protopine N-oxide, three tetrahydroprotoberberine N-oxides, four pavine N-oxides, and four phenanthrene N-oxides. The results are discussed on the basis of structure-activity relationships.
EFFECT OF ADRENAL CORTICAL EXTRACT AND CERTAINSTEROID HORMONES ON THE RESPONSE OFADRENALECTOMIZED RATS TO INTRAPERITONEALINJECTIONS OF AN ISOTONIC GLUCOSE SOLUTION

THE INTRAPERITONEAL injection of a large volume of isotonic glucose solution was I used by Schecter and coworkers (1) and Darrow and Yannet (2) in a study ofJ L the distribution of electrolytes in the various body fluid compartments. Thisdilution of the ascitic fluid leads to a rapid transfer of electrolytes contained in theextracellular fluid into the peritoneal cavity, followed by a transfer of water into theintracellular compartment to restore osmotic equilibrium between it and the extra cellular compartment. Since the rate at which this electrolyte is shifted is greaterthan that at which glucose is absorbed from the peritoneal cavity, there is a tempcrary but severe concentration of the extracellular fluid volume. The plasma must actas the intermediary in this transfer, yielding electrolyte and water from itself to theascitic fluid, replacing it in turn from the various parts of the interstitial fluid, so thatthere is always a tendency for a disproportionate decline in plasma volume.
Case study: maternal residual attention deficit disorder associated with failure to thrive in a two-month-old infant.

ABSTRACT A male infant was admitted twice during his second month of life for failure to thrive. An extensive organic workup was unremarkable. During the second admission, the pediatric inpatient psychiatry team was consulted. Evaluation led to the diagnosis of residual attention deficit disorder in the mother. Inattention and impulsivity hampered mother's ability to feed the child. Successful treatment of mother's residual attention deficit disorder with methylphenidate led to significant improvement in the infant's feeding, subsequent weight gain, and observed maternal-child interaction.
Ethanol-mediated increase in cytochrome p-450 in cultured hepatocytes

Abstract Cellular levels of cytochrome P-450 were increased on exposure of cultured chick embryo hepatocytes to ethanol. This increase correlated with increases in the enzymatic activities of both benzphetamine demethylase [associated with the species of P-450 induced by propylisoproplyacetamide (PIA) or phenobarbital] and ethoxyresorufin deethylase [associated with the P-448 species induced by β-naphthoflavone (β-NF)]. The increased enzymatic activity relative to P-450 more closely resembled that caused by PIA than by β-NF. Glucuronidation of phenol red was also increased by ethanol; the dose response resembled that for increases in cytochrome P-450. PIA induced the glucuronidation of phenol red, whereas β-NF did not. Therefore, ethanol exposure was found to increase cytochrome P-450 and glucuronyltransferase in these cells in a pattern similar to increases observed with PIA.
Fungal Infections in the Era of Biologic Therapies

The number of patients receiving immunosuppressive agents has increased over the past decade and is expected to increase substantially in the near future. Biologic therapeutic antibodies, also referred to as “biologics,” have become an important class of immunosuppressive drugs and are used widely in the fields of inflammation, cancer, autoimmunity, cardiovascular diseases, organ transplantation, infection, and ophthalmology. These drugs have had a substantial impact in the treatment of many diseases; however, there has also been a concern of increased risk of infection caused by bacterial, mycobacterial, fungal, and viral pathogens. This review will summarize available data on epidemiology of invasive fungal infections in patients receiving select biologic therapies.
Blood groups of Old World monkeys, evolutionary and taxonomic implications

Abstract For practical purposes two classes of blood groups of Old World monkeys can be distinguished: human-type and simian-type, depending on the kind of reagents used for testing. Of the human-type blood groups, only the A-B-O groups, defined by saliva inhibition and serum tests, are polymorphic in some, but not all, monkey species. The distributions of those groups show wide differences not only among monkey species but also among troops of one and the same species. The tests for other human-type antigens give with the monkey red cells either uniformly positive or uniformly negative results. Thus, the human-type blood groups seem to be of limited use as taxonomic tools in the systematics of the Old World monkeys. On the other hand, the simian-type blood groups, defined by isoor crossimmune monkey sera, display highly polymorphic patterns in most species of Old World monkeys, and the capability of the antisera to react with combining groups on the red cells of monkeys of closely related species seems to reflect the taxonomic closeness of two or more species. The fact that some of the simian-type specificities, notably those belonging to the rhesus Drh graded blood group system, are shared by many species of Old World monkeys, indicates that they were introduced into genotypes during early stages of evolution of the Cercopithecidae.
Effects of organic acids on stria vascularis ultrastructure and function in the chinchilla.

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of several organic acids (probenecid, sodium salicylate and penicillin G) on the endocochlear potential (EP) and the ultrastructure of the stria vascularis of the chinchilla with the effects of furosemide on these parameters. chinchillas received 50 mg/kg i.v. doses of probenecid, sodium salicylate or penicillin G, or 25 mg/kg i.v. furosemide. The EP was monitored continuously before and for 60 min afterwards. The stria vascularis was removed at 10-min intervals from animals and from 10 to 60 min after the injection of these agents. Specimens were then processed for transmission electron microscopy. Only furosemide had an effect on the EP, causing a reversible reduction. The reduction of the EP was accompanied by the appearance of edema in the intercellular spaces of the stria vascularis. No significant edema was found after probenecid, sodium salicylate or penicillin G. This was consistent with the finding that none of these latter three agents affected the endocochlear potential.
Algorithmic randomness and physical entropy.

Algorithmic randomness provides a rigorous, entropylike measure of disorder of an individual, microscopic, definite state of a physical system. It is defined by the size (in binary digits) of the shortest message specifying the microstate uniquely up to the assumed resolution. Equivalently, algorithmic randomness can be expressed as the number of bits in the smallest program for a universal computer that can reproduce the state in question (for instance, by plotting it with the assumed accuracy). In contrast to the traditional definitions of entropy, algorithmic randomness can be used to measure disorder without any recourse to probabilities. Algorithmic randomness is typically very difficult to calculate exactly but relatively easy to estimate. In large systems, probabilistic ensemble definitions of entropy (e.g., coarse-grained entropy of Gibbs and Boltzmann's entropy H=lnW, as well as Shannon's information-theoretic entropy) provide accurate estimates of the algorithmic entropy of an individual system or its average value for an ensemble. One is thus able to rederive much of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics in a setting very different from the usual. Physical entropy, I suggest, is a sum of (i) the missing information measured by Shannon's formula and (ii) of the algorithmic information content---algorithmic randomness---present in the available data about the system. This definition of entropy is essential in describing the operation of thermodynamic engines from the viewpoint of information gathering and using systems. These Maxwell demon-type entities are capable of acquiring and processing information and therefore can ``decide'' on the basis of the results of their measurements and computations the best strategy for extracting energy from their surroundings. From their internal point of view the outcome of each measurement is definite. The limits on the thermodynamic efficiency arise not from the ensemble considerations, but rather reflect basic laws of computation. Thus inclusion of algorithmic randomness in the definition of physical entropy allows one to formulate thermodynamics from the Maxwell demon's point of view.
SMARTH: Enabling Multi-pipeline Data Transfer in HDFS

Hadoop is a popular open-source implementation of the MapReduce programming model to handle large data sets, and HDFS is one of Hadoop's most commonly used distributed file systems. Surprisingly, we found that HDFS is inefficient when handling upload of data files from client local file system, especially when the storage cluster is configured to use replicas. The root cause is HDFS's synchronous pipeline design. In this paper, we introduce an improved HDFS design called SMARTH. It utilizes asynchronous multi-pipeline data transfers instead of a single pipeline stop-and-wait mechanism. SMARTH records the actual transfer speed of data blocks and sends this information to the namenode along with periodic heartbeat messages. The namenode sorts datanodes according to their past performance and tracks this information continuously. When a client initiates an upload request, the namenode will send it a list of "high performance" datanodes that it thinks will yield the highest throughput for the client. By choosing higher performance datanodes relative to each client and by taking advantage of the multi-pipeline design, our experiments show that SMARTH significantly improves the performance of data write operations compared to HDFS. Specifically, SMARTH is able to improve the throughput of data transfer by 27-245% in a heterogeneous virtual cluster on Amazon EC2.
Intraocular pressure and glycosaminoglycan distribution in the rabbit eye: effect of age and dexamethasone.

Abstract The effect of dexamethasone on intraocular pressure was studied in young and old rabbits and was related to the concentration and distribution of the glycosaminoglycans obtained from the proteoglycan in the anterior segment of the eye (central cornea, peripheral cornea, sclera and iris). Topical application of dexamethasone resulted in an increase of intraocular pressure of young rabbits but had no effect on the intraocular pressure of old rabbits. The changes in the relative distribution of the glycosaminoglycans components were observed as a function of age and/or dexamethasone treatment. The ratio of non-uronic acid containing glycosaminoglycans (keratan sulfate) to the uronic acid containing glycosaminoglycans decreased with age and was reversed by dexamethasone treatment of the aged animal. Thus, the distribution of the glycosaminoglycans induced by dexamethasone treatment may modulate intraocular pressure.
1-FLG complexes are tame in 3-manifolds

Abstract The condition 1-FLG has been used to tame finite graphs. We extend this condition so that it applies to all topological complexes in a 3-manifold. We show that a topological complex which is a closed subset of a 3-manifold is tame if and only if its complement has 1-FLG at each point of K .
Book Review: Glutamate on Demand: Astrocytes as a Ready Source

The past decade of studies has changed our view of the integrative capacities and roles of glia. A picture is emerging in which neurons and astrocytes, a subtype of glial cell, are in a continuous regulatory dialogue. Initial studies demonstrated that chemical transmitters, which are released from neurons, induce elevations of astrocytic calcium. Furthermore, stimulation of neuronal afferents at modest frequencies induces a calcium response in astrocytes that is graded with stimulation frequency. The consequence of this astrocytic calcium response is now beginning to be appreciated in that changes in calcium level can induce the release of the chemical transmitter glutamate from this nonneuronal cell. During the past few years, it has been shown that by releasing glutamate, astrocytes can regulate synaptic transmission and contribute to certain forms of synaptic plasticity. The roles played in information processing by this glial feedback loop remain to be determined. However, it is likely that the result...
Two-phase flow models for thermal behavior interpretation in horizontal wellbores

The interpretation of Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) real-time temperature data from downhole is essential to understand wellbore production and production operations management. This paper presents a multi-phase wellbore thermal behavior prediction model for the interpretation of wellbore fluid thermal responses. Based on our previous simulation results on single-phase flow in horizontal wellbores, a two-phase flow model (η s-driven model) is developed for steady-state conditions in the form of homogeneous and drift-flux models applied to both openhole and perforated completion types. Case studies include the examination of water entry thermal effect and gas mixing thermal effect comparing between the two modeling approaches. Results show that the phenomena of water breakthrough and gas blended in oil can be detected from fluids temperature profiles.
Differences in cardiac stress testing by sex and race among Medicare beneficiaries

Background Although there is a wide literature demonstrating sex and race differences in the receipt of invasive cardiac tests and treatments, much less is known about the influence of such characteristics on receipt of a stress test, the first event in the diagnostic/treatment cascade for many patients. We explored the influence of patient characteristics on receipt of a stress test, with special attention to sex and race. Methods We performed a nested case-control study of Medicare beneficiaries who were aged 66 years and older during 1999-2001 and were free of cardiac diagnoses and procedures for at least 1 year. Cases were recipients of a stress test. Results Cases were younger, less likely to be female or black, but more likely to live in high-income, highly educated, and urban areas than controls. Nonblack men were more likely to receive a stress test than women and black men, controlling for age, area characteristics, and clinical characteristics (odds ratio for nonblack men compared with black women 1.71). These results were not explained by physician visit frequency. Conclusions Efforts at minimizing disparities in cardiac care must attend to what is, for many patients, the entry into the cardiac care system: the stress test. Our findings suggest that simple "access," as measured by physician visit frequency, is not a rate-limiting factor.
Accuracy of vocal emotional communications among children and adults and the power of negative emotions

Abstract Two tapes of six emotions (anger, fear, sadness, contentment, happiness, love) recorded by child and adult speakers were played to child and adult listeners to determine whether (a) each group of listeners responds more accurately to positive or negative emotions; (b) each group of speakers communicates positive or negative emotions more accurately; (c–g) there were specific ways in which children and adults differ in accuracy of perceiving and communicating the six emotions studied. Two hundred and ten white, male, middle-class S s were used. It was found that (a) all listener groups perceived negative emotions more accurately; (b) all speaker groups communicated negative emotions more accurately; (c) there was a developmental trend in the ability to accurately perceive vocal communication; (d) children and adults did not differ significantly in the ability to express emotions; (e) adults perceived fear more accurately; (f) children communicated fear more accurately; (g) adults communicated sadness more accurately than children.
The Bricks, Mortar, and Architecture of the MBA Program Dealing With the Issue of Leadership

To many, the MBA program has failed to live up to its expectation. In part, this is because expectations have changed, and are different now than when the MBA curriculum was established.The problem in responding to these new demands is that schools have tried to build the curriculum with course work alone. A typical response to the problem of inadequate training has been to add another course to the curriculum. This is analogous to trying to build a house out of bricks or concrete blocks by placing one on top of another without regard for the design or the stability of the house. Just as a house needs an architect to plan the design, and mortar to support the structure, so does building the curriculum need all three components -- bricks, mortar and architecture. This paper deals with these components as they apply to the MBA program.
The changing epidemiology of human immunodeficiency virus infection in older persons.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the epidemiology of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection diagnosed in persons aged 60 years and older at a large urban county hospital. DESIGN: Retrospective chart review of patients, aged 60 years and older, diagnosed with HIV infection, among 6,493 patients identified with positive EIA-HIV tests performed at Grady Memorial Hospital between January 1, 1985 and July 1, 1992. RESULTS: A total of 32 HIV-infected elderly patients, including 27 men and five women, with a mean age of 64.8 years (range, 60–83 years) were identified. Among the 27 men, HIV risk factors included: homosexual/bisexual (10 patients); injection drug users (IDU) (5); transfusion-associated (2); heterosexual (2); eight patients had no HIV risk factor identified. Among the five women, only one had an identified risk factor (blood transfusion). HIV testing of 47% (15/32) elderly patients was performed after a diagnosis of an AIDS-defining opportunistic infection. Among 24 elderly patients who presented to a physician with signs or symptoms of HIV infection, testing for HIV was often delayed (median 3.1 months, range: 1–10 months). Eleven patients underwent work-ups to rule out a malignancy, and three patients were initially diagnosed with organic brain syndrome. Ten of the 32 patients (31%) had a history of syphilis, and 90% (19/21) of patients tested were found to be immune to hepatitis B. CONCLUSION: The majority of HIV-infected patients 60 years or older acquired their infection through sexual intercourse or IDU. The diagnosis of HIV infection in the elderly was usually not considered by clinicians until late in the course of infection, despite a high prevalence of prior sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Our data indicate that clinicians who take care of elderly patients should do a complete sexual history and offer sexual education. HIV testing and counseling should be considered for all individuals with a history of recent STDs or reporting behaviors putting them at risk for HIV infection.
Catastrophe and Social Order

This paper presents three propositions. First, the author suggests that there is a growing potential for technologically induced catastophes. Second, our capacity to analyze technological risk is inhibited in part because: (1) we tend to confuse low-probability/low-consequence events with low-probability/high-consequence risks; (2) we seldom adopt a holistic approach to the analysis of risk; and (3) we tend to underestimate the effects of catastrophic events. The author further argues that existing control systems, including federal regulatory bodies, are inadequate. In the conclusion the author discusses difficulties likely to accompany the design and creation of risk control systems.
Pulmonary Hypertension in Patients With Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Study objectives To determine the impact on survival and clinical correlates of pulmonary hypertension (PH) occurring in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Design Retrospective study. Setting Tertiary care, referral medical center. Patients Among 487 consecutive patients with IPF, we identified 136 patients who underwent transthoracic echocardiography within 3 months of their initial evaluation at our institution. Patients with left ventricular dysfunction, valvular heart disease, incomplete follow-up, and those in whom pulmonary artery pressures could not be assessed were excluded; the remaining 88 patients were included in this study. Correlations were performed between echocardiographic measures of PH and clinical variables including survival. Measurements and results The mean (± SD) estimated systolic pulmonary artery pressure (SPAP) for the 88 patients was 48 ± 16 mm Hg (range, 28 to 116 mm Hg). Among pulmonary function parameters, SPAP correlated best with diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (Dlco), to which it was inversely related. For survival analysis, patients were stratified into three groups: ≤ 35 mm Hg (14 patients), 36 to 50 mm Hg (47 patients), and > 50 mm Hg (27 patients). Using the Kaplan-Meier method, the median survival rates for these three groups were 4.8 years, 4.1 years, and 0.7 years, respectively. Those patients with SPAP > 50 mm Hg had significantly worse survival compared to other subgroups (p = 0.009). Conclusion In patients with IPF, PH correlates inversely with Dlco and has a significant adverse impact on survival, particularly when SPAP is > 50 mm Hg.
Synthesis of Pt(dpk)Cl4 and the Reversible Hydration to Pt(dpk-O-OH)Cl3·H-phenCl: X-ray, Spectroscopic, and Electrochemical Characterization

We report on the synthesis of a platinum(IV) compound containing a di-2-pyridyl ketone (dpk) ligand that is stable both in its anhydrous form [Pt(dpk)Cl4] (1) and in its hydrated form [Pt(dpk-O-OH)Cl3]·H-phenCl (2). The crystal structure of the hydrated form shows that one of the hydroxide groups from the resulting gem-diol has undergone a cyclometalation/condensation reaction resulting in an oxygen atom directly coordinated to the Pt(IV) center and the formation of H-phenCl. We correlate our physical data with predictions made by molecular modeling, and we propose an explanation for the unusual activity found for this dpk ketone. Spectroscopic and solubility studies are presented here, as well. Electrochemical studies of 1 indicate that it undergoes a highly irreversible reduction at a potential of about −0.45 V vs Ag+/Ag in CH3CN and that the irreversibility is likely due to an EC mechanism, the nature of which is currently under further investigation. Another distinct redox pair, apparently reversible,...
Cardiac Troponin T Isoform Expression Correlates With Pathophysiological Descriptors in Patients Who Underwent Corrective Surgery for Congenital Heart Disease

Background This study examined cardiac troponin T (cTnT) isoform expression in patients who had undergone surgery at Duke University Medical Center (Durham, NC) between December 1, 1993, and January 31, 1995, to correct congenital heart defects. The human heart expresses four cTnT isoforms (cTnT1 through cTnT4) whose sequence differences result from combinatorial alternative splicing of two exons. We have previously shown that cTnT4 is expressed at higher levels in severely failing hearts from transplant patients. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that congenital heart defects that have a more negative effect on myocardial function increase cTnT4 expression. We used the presence or absence of drug treatment for heart failure or congested circulation before surgery and the duration of inotropic support after corrective surgery as indicators of the pathophysiological state of the heart just before surgery. Methods and Results Right atrial appendage tissue was collected from 34 patients, 6 days to 35 years old (median age, 3.4 months). The amounts of the cTnT1 through cTnT4 isoforms, measured as a percentage of total cTnT, were determined from Western blots probed with MAb13-11, a cTnT-specific monoclonal antibody. We found that cTnT4 expression correlated positively with the duration of inotropic support and was higher in patients who received drug treatment before surgery than in those who did not. Furthermore, we found that the percent of cTnT4 was significantly higher in hearts with congenital defects that caused congestive failure than in hearts with tetralogy of Fallot. Conclusions These findings suggest that in patients with congenital cardiac defects, cTnT4 expression is modulated by heart failure and is increased in hearts that are more hemodynamically stressed.
Fundamentals of performance improvement: Optimizing results through people, process, and organizations, third edition

The third edition of Fundamentals of Performance Improvement includes substantial changes that reflect the movement toward evidence-based practice within the field of performance improvement. This comprehensive book has something to offer every type of reader, including students, novice practitioners, and experts in need of a refresher course on any aspect of the field. Fundamentals of Performance Improvement: Optimizing Results Through People, Process, and Organizations, third edition (2012, 664 pages) is published by Pfeiffer/Wiley/ISPI.
Separation of fine and coarse aerosol modes in MFRSR data sets

[1] A new MFRSR data analysis algorithm is presented. Our earlier algorithm assumed a monomodal aerosol size distribution, while the new algorithm allows us to partition the aerosol optical thickness into fine and coarse aerosol modes. In addition, we retrieve the fine mode effective radius and Angstrom exponent. A bimodal gamma distribution is used to describe the aerosol particle size distribution. The algorithm has been tested using a multi-year data set from the local MFRSR network at the DOE Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program site in Southern Great Plains (SGP). Our retrieved aerosol optical thicknesses (total, fine, and coarse) are compared with the corresponding AERONET almucantar retrieval results derived from a CIMEL sunphotometer co-located with the MFRSR at the SGP Central Facility. A constrained variant of the algorithm (zero NO2 column values) has been used to define the range of physically justified values of the fine mode effective radius, and for comparison with AERONET particle size retrievals. We use the multiple MFRSR measurements obtained during the year 2000 at the SGP Extended Facilities to examine geographical and seasonal variability of aerosol properties. A correspondence has been found between the geographical variation in the fine mode particle size and aerosol composition (nitrates versus sulfates) as measured by National Atmospheric Deposition Program. We similarly find good correspondence between our retrieved aerosol sizes and the PM2.5 to PM10 ratios obtained from EPA AirData monitoring. Examination of the data from the SGP Central Facility obtained for the period 1993–1997 reveals a decreasing trend in coarse mode aerosol optical thickness during the 1993–1995 period, consistent with the decay of the stratospheric aerosol following the 1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo. In contrast, fine mode optical thickness exhibits only seasonal variability with summer maxima during this period.
Use of the Core Food Model to Estimate Mineral Intakes Part 1. Selection of U.S. Core Foods

Abstract The core food dietary intake model may be used to assess the average daily consumption of nutrients and other food components by a population and by population subgroups. The core food model identifies the most commonly consumed foods for a population and uses these foods to represent the entire food supply. For this project, 306 core foods of the U.S. diet were selected using food consumption data from the 1994–1996 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals (CSFII). The USDA CSFII included about 15 000 participants, who provided a 24-h diet recall and a 1-day food record. The core foods were identified by aggregating the 5703 foods consumed by survey participants into groups based on food type, food use, and similarity of composition. The foods within each grouping were ranked in terms of frequency of use and gram intake, and one food item within each group was selected to become a core food and represent its group. Each core food assumed the full dietary intake (gram weight) for all the foods in its group. The 306 core foods are listed within 42 subgroups organized by food type and common use. The list of 306 core foods may be shortened by further aggregation to match the needs of different investigators. For example, limited data on food composition may warrant the use of a shorter core food list.
Are 1 or 2 dangerous? Clozapine and olanzapine exposure in toddlers

Abstract Clozapine (Clozaril ® ) and olanzapine (Zyprexa ® ) are two relatively new atypical antipsychotics that are structurally and pharmacologically related. There are currently no therapeutic indications for these pharmaceuticals in infants and toddlers.Presumably, as the usage of these medications in adults increases, the frequency of unintentional pediatric ingestions will increase. In 2001 the annual report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers Toxic Exposure Surveillance System included a separate subcategory for atypical antipsychotics under the heading of sedatives/hypnotics/antipsychotics. The toxidrome resulting from these drugs is predominately central nervous system depression and anticholinergic effects. Although the desirable lack of extrapyramidal symptoms in adults results in their greatest clinical utility, several reports of toxic ingestions in small children are noteworthy for having extrapyramidal manifestations. We review here the available reported clinical experience with toxic doses of these medications that in small children may amount to as little as a single tablet. Although such doses may be lethal, supportive care and gastrointestinal decontamination in this population will generally lead to a good outcome.
Synthesis, Dehydration, and Rehydration of Calcium Sulfate (Gypsum, Plaster of Paris)

Engaging students who are not chemistry majors is a significant challenge. Plaster of Paris is a substance well-known to undergraduate students from early life arts-and-crafts endeavors. Within, a lab is described that connects the synthesis and use of plaster of Paris with a number of chemical principles including stoichiometry, acid–base titration, hydration, and reaction yield.
A Nonlinear State-Space Model of a Resonating Single Fiber Scanner for Tracking Control: Theory and Experiment

A nonlinear state-space dynamic model of a resonating single fiber scanner is developed to understand scan distortion-jump, whirl, amplitude dependent amplitude and phase shifts-and as the basis for controllers to remove those distortions. The non-planar nonlinear continuum dynamics of a resonating base excited cantilever are reduced to a set of state-space coupled Duffing equations with centripetal acceleration. Methods for experimentally determining the model parameters are developed. The analytic frequency responses for raster, spiral and propeller scans are derived, and match experimental frequency responses for all three scan patterns, for various amplitudes, and using the same model parameters.
Theory of electrical instabilities of mixed electronic and thermal origin

Switching phenomenon in amorphous semiconductors is analyzed in an electrothermal model. Current-voltage characteristics are obtained from very general mathematical considerations concerning existence, uniquencess, local and global stability, and bifurcation of solutions of the nonlinear equations for temperatures and field. Similar considerations show that in this model switching occurs by the nucleation and growth of a hot spot in the device interior. Detailed results are presented for two specific model systems.
Infection of pigs by aerosols of Aujeszky's disease virus and their shedding of the virus

Abstract On three consecutive days, six pigs were exposed for 15 minutes to aerosols of Aujeszky's disease virus. The total estimated dose was 4·5 log 10 tcid 50. Within each isolation room, a sentinel pig was placed on a deck two feet away from the infected pig. The breath of the pigs that had inhaled the aerosols was collected on days 3, 7 and 13. The respiratory and other clinical signs of the infected pigs resembled those in field cases of Aujeszky's disease. All the pigs infected with Aujeszky's disease virus seroconverted within seven to 10 days after infection. Among the sentinel pigs, clinical signs were minimal and only three seroconverted.
A framework for safely publishing communication traces

A communication trace is a detailed record of the communication between two entities. Communication traces are vital for research in computer networks and study of network protocols in various domains, but their release is severely constrained by privacy and security concerns. In this paper, we propose a framework in which a trace owner can match an anonymizing transformation with the requirements of analysts. The trace owner can release multiple transformed traces, each customized to an analyst's needs, or a single transformation satisfying all requirements. The framework enables formal reasoning about anonymization policies, for example to verify that a given trace has utility for the analyst, or to obtain the most secure anonymization for the desired level of utility. Because communication traces are typically very large, we also provide techniques that allow efficient application of transformations using relational database systems.
Development of ultra-low-power consumption MOX sensors with ppb-level VOC detection capabilities for emerging applications

Abstract This paper deals with the development of state-of-the-art metal oxide semiconductor (MOX) gas sensors based on ultra-low-power (ULP) consumption micro-machined hotplates and targeted to VOC detection at ppb-level. A very simple, single metal, front-side silicon bulk micromachining fabrication technology was conceived and proposed. Several types of ULP devices, differing in shape and size, have been designed and fabricated to assess both the most efficient layout geometry and optimal fabrication process parameters. The ULP hotplates functional behavior was thoroughly investigated, and typical results on measurements of the hotplate temperature vs. applied power are reported. A very satisfactory value of 8.9 mW at 400 °C can be highlighted, for a device featuring an innovative self-insulated layout between heater and sensing layer. Transient temperature responses and evaluation of the hotplate thermal time constant were also carried out. On the center of the suspended hotplate structures a thin film of tin oxide has been deposited by means of modified rheotaxial growth and thermal oxidation (M-RGTO) process. A very controlled amount of gold nanoparticles is finally sputtered onto the sensing layer to enhance its response to VOC by catalytic effect. As expected and confirmed by morphological characterization the tin oxide film is structured in nanoclusters very uniform in size. Results of functional characterizations towards different gases under different working conditions are reported and prove the capability of detecting volatile organic compounds (VOC) down to few parts a per billion (ppb).
Statistical inference in a two-compartment model for hematopoiesis.

Summary. We present a method for parameter estimation in a two-compartment hidden Markov model of the first two stages of hematopoiesis. Hematopoiesis is the specialization of stem cells into mature blood cells. As stem cells are not distinguishable in bone marrow, little is known about their behavior, although it is known that they have the ability to self-renew or to differentiate to more specialized (progenitor) cells. We observe progenitor cells in samples of bone marrow taken from hybrid cats whose cells contain a natural binary marker. With data consisting of the changing proportions of this binary marker over time from several cats, estimates for stem cell self-renewal and differentiation parameters are obtained using an estimating equations approach.
Single-strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) mapping of the mouse genome: Integration of the SSCP, microsatellite, and gene maps of mouse chromosome 1

Interspersed repetitive sequence (IRS) PCR and repetitive element-to-bubble (IRS-bubble) PCR have been utilized to rapidly generate large numbers of mouse-specific, chromosome 1-enriched STSs from mouse-hamster somatic cell hybrids. Single-strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) has been used to localize 39 new repetitive element-linked STSs to the mouse map: 22 to Chr 1, 10 to Chr. 15,2 each to Chrs 12 and 14, and three to Chr 7. In addition, we have integrated the SSCP, single-strand length polymorphism, and restriction fragment length polymorphism maps of mouse Chr. 1, resulting in a high-density map of the chromosome, containing over 100 loci, all typed on a single interspecific backcross.
Alcohol advertising and youth.

Objective: The question addressed in this review is whether aggregate alcohol advertising increases alcohol consumption among college students. Both the level of alcohol-related problems on college campuses and the level of alcohol advertising are high. Some researchers have concluded that the cultural myths and symbols used in alcohol advertisements have powerful meanings for college students and affect intentions to drink. There is, however, very little empirical evidence that alcohol advertising has any effect on actual alcohol consumption. Methods: The methods used in this review include a theoretical framework for evaluating the effects of advertising. This theory suggests that the marginal effect of advertising diminishes at high levels of advertising. Many prior empirical studies measured the effect of advertising at high levels of advertising and found no effect. Those studies that measure advertising at lower, more disaggregated levels have found an effect on consumption. Results: The results of ...
Design Criteria for Bolted Connection Elements in Aluminum Alloy 6061

Plates frequently find use as connecting elements in structures builtfrom aluminum alloys. Many structural elements employ mechanical fasteners. Design of connections necessitates that due consideration be given to: (a) bolt or rivet failure, (b) progressive bearing distress of material adjacent to the fastener(s), (c) net-section tensile failure, and (d) tear out of the fastener group(s). Current design provisions for block shear failures of bolted and riveted joints in aluminum-based alloys make use of models initially developed for structural steels or, alternatively, fail to address an estimation of joint capacity. Shear failure of aluminum connecting elements is the focus of this paper. An experimental and analytical program was undertaken with the objective of studying block shear failure of aluminum connecting elements. Twenty aluminum alloy 6061-T6 gusset plates, representing four different bolt patterns, were mechanically deformed. Models to estimate the capacity of the joints are examined and compared with experimental results. Strain distribution around the periphery of the connections were measured and compared to finite element predictions. The correlations between the design models and experimental observations are highlighted.
Sulphydryl groups as a new molecular probe at the alpha1 beta1 interface in haemoglobin using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.

THE haemoglobin molecule consists of a pair of subunits, each of which is made up of two different haem-bearing polypeptide chains, α and β. The contacts betwen the two αβ subunit pairs are not covalent and constitute the α1β2, (and α2β1) interface. Symmetrical dissociation1 of the haemoglobin molecule occurs relatively easily at this interface. Large changes in the α1β2 contacts occur2 as the molecule switches from the T to the R conformation during ligand binding3.