cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Repair of coarctation of the aorta in adults: The fate of systolic hypertension

Background. The benefit of coarctation repair in adults has been questioned by suggesting that hypertension may not be relieved by the operation and that surgical intervention may have no impact on the natural history of the disease. Methods. To delineate the impact of surgical intervention on systolic hypertension, we conducted a retrospective review of 26 adults with a mean age of 32 ± 10 years who underwent coarctation repair between 1987 and 1993. All patients were hypertensive (mean systolic blood pressure, 174 ± 21 mm Hg; range, 140 to 220 mm Hg), and 18 patients (69%) were on a regimen of at least one hypertensive medication at the time of surgical admission. All patients underwent catheterization, and the mean peak systolic gradient across the coarctation was 61 ± 25 mm Hg (range, 25 to 120 mm Hg). Operation included resection and end-to-end anastomosis (3 patients), resection with an interposition tube graft (6 patients), a bypass graft (11 patients), and patch angioplasty (6 patients). There was no hospital mortality or late morbidity. Results. Intermediate follow-up was available at a mean of 2.3 ± 2 years (range, 1 to 7 years). At last follow-up, the peak systolic gradient between the upper and lower body was trivial (≤10 mm Hg) in 23 patients (88%) and mild (11 to 20 mm Hg) in 3 (12%). All patients had significant improvement in systolic blood pressure ( p p = 0.06) toward older patients requiring medication. Conclusions. Surgical repair of coarctation in adults is an effective, low-risk procedure, which results in a significant improvement in systolic hypertension and a decreased requirement of antihypertensive medications.
Lymphotoxin-β-deficient mice show defective antiviral immunity

Abstract Lymphotoxin β (LTβ), a member of the tumor necrosis factor family, plays an important role in lymphoid organogenesis. In order to determine whether LTβ is involved in cellular immunity, we investigated the antiviral immune response of LTβ-deficient (LTβ −/−) mice to lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV). Cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses to LCMV were severely diminished, leading to viral persistence in brain and kidney. However, major functions of LTβ-deficient T lymphocytes and dendritic cells were intact. Reconstitution of irradiated LTβ +/+ mice with LTβ −/− bone marrow induced a disorganized splenic structure, accompanied by impairment of the LCMV-specific CTL response. These data indicate that the absence of LTβ does not affect the intrinsic function of T lymphocytes or of dendritic cells but that the structural integrity of the spleen is strongly associated with generation of antiviral immunity.
Curve fitting approach for measurement of cellular osmotic properties by the electrical sensing zone method. I. Osmotically inactive volume

We have investigated the confounding effects of dynamic range limitations on measurement of the osmotically inactive volume using electrical sensing zone instruments (e.g., Coulter counters), and propose an improved approach to parameter estimation. The conventional approach for analysis of cell size distributions measured by such particle sizing instruments requires data truncation: the mean cell volume is computed after exclusion of data below a specified lower bound (typically chosen to remove artifacts due to small-volume noise) and above an upper bound (typically governed by instrument limitations). The osmotically inactive volume is then estimated from a Boyle-van't Hoff plot of the averaged volume data obtained after exposure to various solution osmolalities. We demonstrate that systematic exclusion of data in the conventional approach introduces bias that results in erroneously high estimates of the osmotically inactive volume fraction. To minimize this source of error, we have devised a new algorithm based on fitting a bimodal distribution model to the non-truncated volume data. In experiments with mouse insulinoma (MIN6) cells, the osmotically inactive volume fraction was estimated to be 0.15+/-0.01 using the new method, which was significantly smaller than the estimate of 0.37+/-0.02 obtained using the conventional method (p<0.05). In silico experiments indicated that the parameter estimate obtained by the new method was accurate within 5%, whereas the error associated with the conventional approach was approximately 150%. Parametric analysis was used to elucidate the sensitivity of errors to variations in instrument dynamic range and cell volume distribution width.
A Biophysical Model Of Interactions Between Transcription Factors And Chromatin

Binding of transcription factors (TFs) to DNA is critical for triggering a cascade of events that lead to gene expression. The role of chromatin in this process is not considered by traditional biochemical models of protein-DNA interaction, or is limited to the passive DNA sequestration by the nucleosomes. Taking into account dynamic structure of chromatin is important for understanding transcription regulation in eukaryotes.Here we present a biophysical model of interactions between TFs and chromatinized DNA. The model takes into account dynamics of nucleosomes as well as other important features of eukaryotic regulatory regions such as the clustering TF binding sites, nucleosome-positioning DNA signals etc. Our model demonstrates that a wide range of biological phenomena can be explained by interactions between TFs and chromatin, and provides a quantitative description of the following processes:•cooperative binding and synergistic action of non-interacting TFs;•access of TFs to chromatinized DNA;•displacement of nucleosomes from regulatory regions;•rapid evolutionary changes in arrangement and membership of TF-binding sites in eukaryotic regulatory regions.Strikingly, we found that cooperative binding of TFs to chromatinized DNA is identical to the Monod-Wyman-Changeux model of allosteric cooperativity in hemoglobin, pointing at a general mechanism of cooperativity employed in a range of biological systems. This parallel allowed us to use classical results in biochemistry to gain deep insights into the mechanisms of gene regulation.
Deciphering the native GABAA receptor: is there hope?

The bewildering number of GABAA receptor subunits, their regionally dependent expression in the brain, and their supernumerary expression in single cells present major challenges in studying the function of native GABAA receptors. Which subunit combinations actually exist in native neurons? In this mini-review, GABAA receptor subunit diversity is considered in light of using the wealth of “structure-function” information gained from studying recombinant receptor to predict the subunit composition and functional properties of native GABAA receptors. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Forgotten Years of the World Nuclear Disarmament Movement, 1975-78

The great upsurge of anti-nuclear activism during the early 1980s is usually traced to either the dangerous Soviet-US nuclear confrontation of that era, or to NATO's December 1979 decision to deploy cruise and Pershing II missiles in Western Europe. In reality, however, the nuclear disarmament campaign began in the preceding years. Despite two earlier waves of anti-nuclear agitation, the once-vigorous citizens' movement for nuclear disarmament was dormant by the early 1970s. But, from 1975 to 1978, a variety of factors converged to awaken disarmament activists from their torpor, and to spark their return to anti-nuclear agitation. These included: the end of the Vietnam War, which enabled peace activists to turn their attention elsewhere; the rise of environmental concerns, especially the growing fear of nuclear power; the 1978 UN Special Session on Disarmament, which focused movement and popular attention upon the nuclear arms race; and the erosion of Soviet-US detente. Significantly, this blend of factor...
Nerve Growth Factor Stimulates the Production of Inositol 1,3,4-and 1,4,5-Trisphosphate and Inositol 1,3,4,5-Tetrakisphosphate in PC 12 Cells

In PC12 cells, preincubated with [3H]inositol, nerve growth factor (NGF) stimulated an approximately 100% increase in the levels of [3H]inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate ([3H]-Ins(1,3,4)P3], [3H]inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate ([3H]Ins(1,4,5)P3], and [3H]inositol 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate ([3H]Ins(1,3,4,5)P4] as early as 5-15 s after addition of NGF. This NGF-mediated response was apparent only when the cells had been cultured in the absence of fetal bovine serum (FBS). PC12 cells cultured in FBS-containing medium did not display NGF-mediated increases in [3H]Ins(1,3,4)P3, [3H]Ins(1,4,5)P3, and [3H]Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 levels. Using cells cultured in the absence of FBS, epidermal growth factor (EGF) and fibroblast growth factor also stimulated production of [3H]Ins(1,3,4)P3, [3H]Ins(1,4,5)P3, and [3H]Ins(1,3,4,5)P4. Lavendustin A, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, inhibited both the EGF- and NGF-stimulated increases in the levels of these tritiated inositol phosphates. These results suggest that NGF stimulates the production of Ins(1,3,4)P3, Ins(1,4,5)P3, and Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 and that this response is dependent on tyrosine kinase activity. Furthermore, although the production of Ins(1,3,4)P3, Ins(1,4,5)P3, and Ins(1,3,4,5)P4 may be a common response to factors stimulating neuronal differentiation, it is not sufficient for stimulation of neuronal differentiation.
Severe Giardiasis in the United States

Giardia lamblia is a common gastrointestinal pathogen but is not generally appreciated as a cause of severe illness. To describe the epidemiology of severe giardiasis, we reviewed data on hospital discharges from the United States and the state of Michigan and compared results for giardiasis with those for shigellosis. From 1979 to 1988, an estimated 4,600 persons were hospitalized for giardiasis annually in the United States; the incidence of giardiasis was 2.0 hospitalizations per 100,000 persons, compared with 2.4 hospitalizations per 100,000 persons for shigellosis. Rates of giardiasis were highest among children younger than 5 years old and women of childbearing age; the median length of hospital stay was 4 days (annual total, 23,238 days). Among residents of Michigan from 1983 to 1987, the average annual incidence of hospitalization was 1.4 per 100,000 persons for giardiasis, compared with 1.0 per 100,000 persons for shigellosis. Volume depletion was the most frequently listed codiagnosis (33.2%); 18.7% of children younger than 5 years old who had severe giardiasis had failure to thrive. Physicians should consider the diagnosis of giardiasis for persons with severe gastrointestinal illness.
Association of helper activity for B-lymphocyte differentiation with lymphocytes having both SRBC and complement receptors in a patient with lymphoproliferative disease.

Abstract Approximately 96% of the lymphocytes of a patient with lymphocytic leukemia were found to possess surface membrane complement receptors, showed T-lymphocyte antigen, and formed spontaneous rosettes with sheep erythrocytes (SRBC). These cells showed the morphology of small- to medium-size lymphocytes and lymphoblasts. A lymphocyte transformation study showed that these T lymphocytes with complement receptors gave no response to phytohemagglutinin-P or concanavalin A and a low response to pokeweed mitogen (PWM) stimulation. No production of anti-SRBC antibody was detected with these lymphocytes as determined by a plaque assay after the lymphocytes had been stimulated by PWM. Using this plaque assay, these lymphocytes were cocultured with normal lymphocytes to test for their influence on normal antibody production. It was shown that the T lymphocytes with complement receptors were capable of providing helper activity for B-lymphocyte differentiation.
Achievement in predominantly low SES/Hispanic dual language schools

The purpose of this study is to examine how 659 Hispanic students in dual language programs in segregated or predominantly Hispanic/low socio-economic status (SES) schools are performing on standardized tests compared to school and statewide comparison groups. Test results are presented from two separate studies of English language learner and native English-speaking Hispanic students in four schools. Data are consistent in showing that Hispanic students participating in dual language programs in predominantly Hispanic/low SES schools achieve at similar or higher levels compared to their mainstream peers in tests of English. In addition, students achieve above grade level in assessments in Spanish. This study affirms the versatility of the dual language program for this increasingly common educational context.
The motivation to control and the origin of mind: Exploring the life–mind joint point in the Tree of Knowledge System

The evolved function of brain, cognitive, affective, conscious-psychological, and behavioral systems is to enable animals to attempt to gain control of the social (e.g., mates), biological (e.g., prey), and physical (e.g., nesting spots) resources that have tended to covary with survival and reproductive outcomes during the species' evolutionary history. These resources generate information patterns that range from invariant to variant. Invariant information is consistent across generations and within lifetimes (e.g., the prototypical shape of a human face) and is associated with modular brain and cognitive systems that coalesce around the domains of folk psychology, folk biology, and folk physics. The processing of information in these domains is implicit and results in automatic bottom-up behavioral responses. Variant information varies across generations and within lifetimes (e.g., as in social dynamics) and is associated with plastic brain and cognitive systems and explicit, consciously driven top-down behavioral responses. The fundamentals of this motivation-to-control model are outlined and links are made to Henriques' (2004) Tree of Knowledge System and Behavioral Investment Theory. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol.
Comparing means of correlated variates with missing data

The theory of the general linear hypothesis is used to define and study test statistics for the problem of comparing means of bivariate normal data when observations are missing from some of the pairs at random. Under the assumption of homoscedastic error terms with known correlation ρ the expected squared length of confidence intervals for the mean difference is used to evalu¬ate the losses that result from ignoring the unmatched observations and/or the knowledge of the value of ρ.
Molecular basis of the am8H1 lesion in bacteriophage M13.

Abstract The nucleotide sequence of the mutant region of am8H1, the only conditional lethal mutant in gene VIII of the filamentous phages, has been determined and compared to the wild-type sequence. The amber mutation lies adjacent to the codons specifying the cleavage site for the procaryotic signal peptidase (1). The precoat protein of this mutant appears to be processed normally in the amber-suppressing strain K37, which inserts a serine residue in place of a glutamic acid residue present in the wild-type precoat protein. The amino acid compositions of wild-type and mutant phage are in agreement with the sequence data.
The relationship between muscle discrimination ability and response to relaxation training in three kinds of headaches.

Accurate discrimination of changes in physiological response has been noted as an important element in learning to control that response. Using a magnitude production procedure involving forearm isometric contractions, it was found that the ability to discriminate muscle tension varied across headache groups, with the no-headache control group (r = .76) being most accurate, followed by the tension group (r = .68), the mixed tension and migraine group (r = .60), and finally the migraine group (r = .51). The most important result, however, was that muscle discrimination ability significantly predicted clinical outcome from treatment by relaxation training for tension headache subjects (r = .50) but did not predict outcome for migraine or mixed headache subjects.
Nonlinear response in thin film high temperature superconducting magnetometer sense loops

Measurements of nonlinear response in Tl/sub 2/CaBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 2/O/sub 8+y/ and YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-x/ thin-film magnetometer sense loops were performed at 4.2 K. The thallium-based films were deposited by laser ablation onto lanthanum aluminate substrates and the yttrium-based films were prepared by sputtering onto strontium titanate substrates. Both types of superconducting films were patterned using photolithography into sense loops, each consisting of a magnetometer input loop connected to a magnetometer output loop by a pair of closely spaced parallel strip lines. The thin-film output loop of a given sample was coupled inductively to a sensitive measurement system using a superconducting quantum interference device to measure magnetic flux. A uniform DC magnetic field applied to the sample input loop was slowly ramped to plus and minus a predetermined value and then ramped back to zero. The sample output was monitored to determine the value of applied field corresponding to the threshold of nonlinear response of the film loop. Film loops having various thicknesses and line widths were studied to correlate aspect ratio to nonlinear effects. Possible mechanisms for the observed nonlinear behavior are discussed. >
An inexpensive restraint for small animals

Abstract An animal restraint is described that can be built in the laboratory from a piece of Plexiglas and a few inches of Velcro.
Self-consistent surface calculation of electron-hole drops in gallium phosphide

Abstract Self-consistent Kohn-Sham method is used to investigate the surface structure of electron-hole drops (EHD) in GaP. If the conduction bands are located on the X -point and have a degeneracy of 3, the surface tension is found to be 85 × 10 −4 erg cm −2 . In the presence of a “camel's-back” structure and a conduction band degeneracy of 6, the surface tension is calculated to be 130 × 10 −4 erg cm −2 . The surface charge on the EHD is found to be negative irrespective of whether the conduction band degeneracy is 3 or 6.
Young women and social media against sexual harassment in North Africa

This article discusses anti-sexual harassment initiatives launched in North Africa within the broader context of the Arab Spring. Although women's rights groups have mobilised against gender-based violence for the past few decades, recent initiatives signal interesting shifts in how the young generation of women and men behind these initiatives conceptualise the linkages between sexual harassment, citizenship and the gendering of democracy. I use the Egyptian Harassmap and the Moroccan Women-Shoufouch as examples of how young activists combine on-the-ground mobilisation with cyber activism that maximises the potential of new communication technologies (Internet and cell phone) and social networks (Facebook, Twitter and YouTube). I argue that it is through this combination of online and offline activism that they have succeeded in exposing the complicity of political and patriarchal forces in (re)producing and condoning sexual harassment before and since the Arab Spring. Drawing on various sources, includi...
The Architecture of Empire: “Oriental” Gothic and the Problem of British Identity in Ruskin's Venice

On january 13, 1858 — a few months after the eruption of the Indian Mutiny — John Ruskin addressed an audience at the South Kensington Museum in London with a lecture entitled “The Deteriorative Power of Conventional Art over Nations” (published the following year as Lecture I of The Two Paths). Commenting on the dearth of artistic talent to be found in Scotland as opposed to the artistic abundance of India, Ruskin decrees that Indians are a “race rejoicing in art, and eminently and universally endowed with the gift of it,” whereas with Scots one is faced with “a people careless of art and apparently incapable of it” (16: 262).
MR imaging of capitellar ossification: a study in children of different ages

The capitellar ossification center is used routinely to evaluate elbow alignment on radiography. However, whether capitellar ossification is central and concentric to support this practice is unknown. To define the pattern of capitellar ossification at different ages of childhood. This HIPAA-compliant study was IRB approved. MR imaging examinations from 81 children (ages 1–13 years, at least 3 boys and 3 girls in each age group) were included. We determined the center points of the ossified capitellum and the cartilaginous capitellum on the sagittal and coronal sequences that best showed differentiation between cartilage and bone. Percentage offset of the center of the ossified capitellum from the center of the cartilaginous capitellum was calculated in anterior–posterior, proximal–distal and medial–lateral dimensions, and compared across age groups and between genders. Linear regressions were used to ascertain the effect of age on percentage offset for all patients and for each gender. Capitellar ossification begins eccentrically with sagittal anterior proximal offset and coronal medial offset. With age, ossification proceeds posteriorly, distally and laterally. Percentage offset gradually diminishes with age. The ossified capitellum centralizes in the sagittal plane by 12–13 years. In the coronal plane, the capitellum ossifies medially beyond the proximal radioulnar joint and remains eccentric at 12–13 years. Centralization in boys lags in the anterior–posterior dimension. Capitellar ossification is an eccentric process, with lag in anterior–posterior centralization in boys. Medial offset persists at 12–13 years. Recognition of this eccentric ossification may allow for more accurate assessment of elbow alignment on radiographs, especially in younger children.
A technical description of an integrated electronic aerospace computer

The Aerospace Computer described is a general-purpose, ruggedized machine designed for use where high reliability and high environmental tolerance are required and where very small size, weight, and power consumption are premium considerations. The computer utilizes an advanced method of construction combining integrated semiconductor circuits and magnetic thin-film memory elements to form a very compact unit. The original design was oriented toward the requirements of an advanced missile system; however, because of its general-purpose characteristics the Computer can be adapted to a wide variety of control applications. This publication describes a specific configuration of the Computer designed for use in the investigation of advanced concepts in the guidance of ballistic missile systems.
Site‐specific opening of the blood‐brain barrier

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) poses a significant impediment for the delivery of therapeutic drugs into the brain. This is particularly problematic for the treatment of malignant gliomas which are characterized by diffuse infiltration of tumor cells into normal brain where they are protected by a patent BBB. Selective disruption of the BBB, followed by administration of anti-cancer agents, represents a promising approach for the elimination of infiltrating glioma cells. A summary of the techniques (focused ultrasound, photodynamic therapy and photochemical internalization) for site-specific opening of the BBB will be discussed in this review. Each approach is capable of causing localized and transient opening of the BBB with minimal damage to surrounding normal brain as evidenced from magnetic resonance images and histology.
Effect of pigment on photomediated production of thymine dimers in cultured melanoma cells

It was the aim of these studies to determine whether the presence of intracellular melanin quantitatively alters the rate of production of thymine dimers in DNA of irradiated cells in culture. Pigmented and nonpigmented Cloudman mouse melanoma cells were selected assuming that the two cell lines differ primarily in their content of melanin pigment. Cells were cultivated in tritiated thymine in order to label their DNA and were then exposed to ultraviolet (UV) irradiation (260 nm, 500–2000 ergs/mm2). Neither cell line survived these doses of irradiation. DNA was extracted immediately following irradiation and was subjected to acid hydrolysis. The presence of thymine dimers was determined by two-dimensional paper chromatography. The percent of labeled thymine recovered as thymine dimer was calculated and was found to be a linear function of UV dose for both cell lines. The rate of formation of dimers in the nonpigmented cells was nearly twice that in the pigmented cells. These data demonstrate the photoprotective property of intracellular melanin in shielding isolated cells from one type of photomediated injury to DNA.
Comparison of the Endotracheal Tube and Laryngeal Mask in Airway Management by Paramedical Personnel

An evaluation of the laryngeal mask airway (LMA) as a means of airway support when used by paramedical personnel was performed. Forty medical and paramedical students attempted to intubate the tracheas of 40 healthy anesthetized adults with the LMA and a cuffed endotracheal tube (ETT). The number of
Contemporary Surgical Approaches and Outcomes in Adults With Kommerell Diverticulum

Background Surgery in patients with Kommerell diverticulum (KD) is controversial. Although the presence of symptoms is an accepted indication, the KD itself may be a risk factor for dissection and rupture, although size criteria for operation are undefined. Methods A retrospective review of 19 adult patients who underwent surgical treatment of KD between March 2004 and June 2013 was performed. Mean age was 48 years (range, 32 to 68 years). Fifteen patients were female, 15 were symptomatic, and 13 had a right aortic arch. Sixteen patients with aberrant subclavian artery underwent a two-stage procedure involving subclavian–common carotid artery transposition or bypass followed by aortic resection, including origin of the KD, with interposition graft reconstruction. Aortic resection was performed with left heart bypass (n = 10) or deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (n = 9). Results There were no deaths or strokes. Complications after aberrant subclavian artery revascularization were transient ptosis (n = 3), graft occlusion (n = 1), recurrent laryngeal nerve injury (n = 1),phrenic nerve injury (n = 1), and reintubation (n = 1). Complications after aortic resection were intraoperative type A dissection (n = 1), phrenic nerve injury (n = 1), chylothorax (n = 1), and transient neurologic dysfunction (n = 1). Mean hospital stay after aberrant subclavian artery revascularization was 2 ± 2 days and after aortic resection, 6.4 ± 2.4 days. Of 18 available pathology specimens, all 18 showed medial degeneration. Mean follow-up was 3.3 years. Conclusions This is the largest reported single-center experience with the surgical management of KD in adults, verifying its safety and efficacy. The high percentage of KD with medial degeneration suggests asymptomatic patients with an enlarged KD also may benefit from resection.
Characterization of potential indoor sources of ozone

Ozone emission factors were developed for domestic electrostatic air cleaners and photocopying machines. The air cleaners had emission rates from 0-546 µg/min. These rates will ordinarily not produce air concentrations which are >60 µg/m3 (0.030 ppm) above background. The emission rate for photocopying machines varied from 48-158 µg/copy. In small, poorly ventilated rooms these emission rates were sufficient to produce incremental steady state ozone concentrations up to 396 µg/m3 (0.202 ppm). Recent copying machine maintenance was found to reduce ozone production to less than the detectable level, 4 µg/m3 (0.002 ppm).
Microbiological safety of drinking water: United States and global perspectives.

Waterborne disease statistics only begin to estimate the global burden of infectious diseases from contaminated drinking water. Diarrheal disease is dramatically underreported and etiologies seldom diagnosed. This review examines available data on waterborne disease incidence both in the United States and globally together with its limitations. The waterborne route of transmission is examined for bacterial, protozoal, and viral pathogens that either are frequently associated with drinking water (e.g., Shigella spp.), or for which there is strong evidence implicating the waterborne route of transmission (e.g., Leptospira spp.). In addition, crucial areas of research are discussed, including risks from selection of treatment-resistant pathogens, importance of environmental reservoirs, and new methodologies for pathogen-specific monitoring. To accurately assess risks from waterborne disease, it is necessary to understand pathogen distribution and survival strategies within water distribution systems and to apply methodologies that can detect not only the presence, but also the viability and infectivity of the pathogen.
Infection Control and the Prevention of Nosocomial Infections in the Intensive Care Unit

Nosocomial infections continue to be significant causes of morbidity, mortality, and added costs in the health care setting. Half of all life-threatening nosocomial bloodstream infections and pneumonias occur in intensive care units (ICUs), despite ICUs representing only 15 to 20% of all hospital beds. Thus an efficient focus for prevention and control of life-threatening health care-associated infections should be in ICUs. Further, growing antibiotic resistance complicates the therapy of serious infections. Meticulous infection control practice with continued attention to hand hygiene is of paramount importance. Strict adherence to evidence-based catheter insertion and maintenance policies reduces nosocomial bloodstream infections. Evidence-based prevention strategies for ventilator-associated pneumonia, including management of respiratory equipment according to published guidelines and maintaining backrest elevation at 30 to 45 degrees, are effective. For greatest risk reduction, multifaceted programs ensuring maximal adherence with evidence-based infection control guidelines are needed.
Biochemical and histologic correlates of ventricular end-diastolic pressure☆

The associations of elevated left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) end-diastolic pressure (EDP) were evaluated in 28 patients with non-ischemic congestive cardiomyopathy. Right-sided endomyocardial biopsies from each patient were evaluated for ATP content, percent fibrosis and myocardial fiber diameter. The resting RVEDP and LVEDP and the post-angiographic LVEDP were correlated with the results from the biopsies. There was a correlation of the LVEDP with the RVEDP (r=0.67, P<0.001) by a linear plot. There was no correlation of any EDP measurement with the percent fibrosis. There was, however, a rough correlation of the myocardial fiber diameter with RVEDP (r=0.40, P<0.05). Myocardial ATP content correlated with the RVEDP (r=−0.53, P<0.005), the LVEDP (r=−0.65, P<0.001) and the post-angiographic LVEDP (r=−0.72, P<0.001). These data demonstrate than an elevated ventricular EDP correlates most closely with depressed levels of myocardial ATP. The myocardial cell diameter correlated less well and there was no correlation of EDP with fibrosis. Metabolic factors may be more important than histologic parameters in the elevated ventricular EDP of non-ischemic congestive cardiomyopathy.
No Evidence for Contamination of Borrelia Blood Cultures: a Review of Facts

Fact checking of the recent report of Johnson et al. of the CDC ([1][1]) discloses errors of fact and misrepresentations in their critique of the work of Sapi et al. ([2][2]). The CDC authors have produced three 603-base nucleotide haplotypes (partial sequences for PyrG open reading frame gene
Exploiting host immunity: the Salmonella paradigm

Pathogens have evolved clever strategies to evade and in some cases exploit the attacks of an activated immune system. Salmonella enterica is one such pathogen, exploiting multiple aspects of host defense to promote its replication in the host. Here we review recent findings on the mechanisms by which Salmonella establishes systemic and chronic infection, including strategies involving manipulation of innate immune signaling and inflammatory forms of cell death, as well as immune evasion by establishing residency in M2 macrophages. We also examine recent evidence showing that the oxidative environment and the high levels of antimicrobial proteins produced in response to localized Salmonella gastrointestinal infection enable the pathogen to successfully outcompete the resident gut microbiota.
Magnetohydrodynamic lubrication flow between parallel rotating disks

The motion of an electrically conducting, incompressible, viscous fluid in the presence of a magnetic field is analyzed for flow between two parallel disks, one of which rotates at a constant angular velocity. The specific application to liquid metal lubrication in thrust bearings is considered. The two field configurations discussed are: an axial magnetic field with a radial current and a radial magnetic field with an axial current. It is shown that the load capacity of the bearing is dependent on the MHD interactions in the fluid and that the frictional torque on the rotor can be made zero for both field configurations by supplying electrical energy through the electrodes to the fluid.
Ice condensation on sulfuric acid tetrahydrate: Implications for polar stratospheric ice clouds

Abstract. The mechanism of ice nucleation to form Type 2 PSCs is important for controlling the ice particle size and hence the possible dehydration in the polar winter stratosphere. This paper probes heterogeneous ice nucleation on sulfuric acid tetrahydrate (SAT). Laboratory experiments were performed using a thin-film, high-vacuum apparatus in which the condensed phase is monitored via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and water pressure is monitored with the combination of an MKS baratron and an ionization gauge. Results show that SAT is an efficient ice nucleus with a critical ice saturation ratio of S* ice = 1.3 to 1.02 over the temperature range 169.8-194.5 K. This corresponds to a necessary supercooling of 0.1-1.3 K below the ice frost point. The laboratory data is used as input for a microphysical/photochemical model to probe the effect that this heterogeneous nucleation mechanism could have on Type 2 PSC formation and stratospheric dehydration. In the model simulations, even a very small number of SAT particles (e.g., 10 -3 cm -3 ) result in ice nucleation on SAT as the dominant mechanism for Type 2 PSC formation. As a result, Type 2 PSC formation is more widespread, leading to larger-scale dehydration. The characteristics of the clouds are controlled by the assumed number of SAT particles present, demonstrating that a proper treatment of SAT is critical for correctly modeling Type 2 PSC formation and stratospheric dehydration.
Public Concerns – Private Longings: Adolph Menzel’s Studio Wall (1872)

While this paper focuses on The Studio Wall (1872), one of the most intriguing paintings by Adolph Menzel, the critical analysis of this one image serves as a window onto central issues of modernity: the disjunction – even rupture – between the public and private spheres in an artist’s life and work, the fragmentation of, and ambiguity concerning, traditional aesthetic paradigms, and the reciprocal relation of nationalism to the ever-shifting critical reception of art. Rather than insist on one fixed reading, I shall concentrate on the dynamic processes at work which have alternatively concealed or exposed specific layers of meaning.
Magnetic Flux Emergence into the Solar Corona. II. Global Magnetic Fields with Current Sheets

Hydromagnetic structural and stability properties of global magnetic fields with current sheets are discussed in this paper. These fields describe solar coronal magnetic structures that form when a fresh magnetic field of opposite polarity has emerged into the corona containing a preexisting magnetic field. Three classes of axisymmetric fields are treated. The first is characterized by a continuous normal field distribution at the boundary and an infinitesimally thin current sheet in the field. As ideal hydromagnetic equilibria, these fields are globally stable, but they are resistively unstable within the current sheet. Magnetic reconnection is unavoidable no matter how large the electrical conductivity is. The other two classes of fields may be stable without this kind of resistive nonequilibrium. Of particular interest among them are equilibrium fields with finite-thickness current sheets in force balance with pressure gradients and gravity. These fields are shown to have enough free magnetic energy to let some parts of its field to become open during magnetic reconnection, an effect important for the dynamics of coronal mass ejections.
Optimal Design for Symbiotic Wearable Wireless Sensors

Sensors aesthetically embedded in accessoriessuch as jewelry, piercings or contact lenses arebeing proposed recently. These symbiotic wearable wirelesssensors are envisioned to operate on scarce harvestedenergy resources from the human body. In addition tothe hardware and software constraints arising from theform-factor and low energy operations, there are safetyrequirements such as avoidance of physical injury. Thedesign implications of these requirements are non-intuitiveand may involve estimation of human physiological dynamics. The physical impact of a sensor operation canbe controlled by appropriate design of multiple sensorcomponents such as processor, radio, and optimization ofdata algorithm. For example, the risk of thermal injury totissue can be reduced by limiting the sensing frequency, the computation power, and the radio duty cycle of bodyworn sensor. Hence, it is a challenging task to trace backa cause of a physical impact to hardware and softwaredesign decisions in a sensor. This paper proposes a novelnon-linear optimization framework to consider safety andsustainability requirements that depend on the humanphysiology and derive system level design parameters of asensor. We demonstrate our methodology using three casestudies: a) continuously monitoring ECG sensor sustainedby body heat, b) thermally safe network of implantedsensors, and c) infusion pump control algorithm to avoidhypo-glycemia.
AN EMPIRICAL EXAMINATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CORPORATE SOCIAL PERFORMANCE AND FIRMS' DIVERSIFICATION

This paper extends research on corporate social performance by examining the relationship between extent of product diversification and corporate social performance. Findings indicate that firms wh...
H-Net Book Reviews: Enhancing Scholarly Communication with Technology

This article traces the development of the book reviews on H-Net and focuses on features such as length, content, style, timeliness, and format, as well as the aims and expectations of H-Net book review editors. A study was conducted comparing reviews appearing in a print journal with similar reviews published by an H-Net network. The study also examines the academic status of the authors of electronic reviews and compares this to the authors of print reviews. Drawing on findings from the study, as well as interactions with faculty and scholars using the H-Net resource, it is concluded that there are some significant differences between print reviews and e-reviews.
Diversity in Microbial Carbon Metabolism of the Oil Shale at the Western Open Group in Fushun Basin

The oil shale in the Western Fushun Basin as research object was investigated by Biolog-ECO to explore the functional diversity in microbial carbon metabolism of the oil shale. The process of Biolog-ECO was that, first determining the microbial community level physiological patterns during the 7 consecutive days by ECO microplate, then analyzing the differences in microbial metabolism of different types of carbon. The results showed that there were significant differences of the rate and extent in different types of carbon metabolism. The metabolism of carbohydrates, amino acids and amines carbon were significantly better than other carbon sources in all microbial communities, while the metabolism of acid metabolite was poor. Through continuous multi-point measuring the diversity index of Shannon-wiener, Simpson and McIntosh, overall, the microbial diversity was good, but with the time passing, the functional diversity of the carbon metabolism decreased.
Patient Safety Strategies Targeted at Diagnostic Errors: A Systematic Review

Missed, delayed, or incorrect diagnosis can lead to inappropriate patient care, poor patient outcomes, and increased cost. This systematic review analyzed evaluations of interventions to prevent diagnostic errors. Searches used MEDLINE (1966 to October 2012), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Patient Safety Network, bibliographies, and prior systematic reviews. Studies that evaluated any intervention to decrease diagnostic errors in any clinical setting and with any study design were eligible, provided that they addressed a patient-related outcome. Two independent reviewers extracted study data and rated study quality. There were 109 studies that addressed 1 or more intervention categories: personnel changes (n = 6), educational interventions (n = 11), technique (n = 23), structured process changes (n = 27), technology-based systems interventions (n = 32), and review methods (n = 38). Of 14 randomized trials, which were rated as having mostly low to moderate risk of bias, 11 reported interventions that reduced diagnostic errors. Evidence seemed strongest for technology-based systems (for example, text message alerting) and specific techniques (for example, testing equipment adaptations). Studies provided no information on harms, cost, or contextual application of interventions. Overall, the review showed a growing field of diagnostic error research and categorized and identified promising interventions that warrant evaluation in large studies across diverse settings.
Role of metalloproteinases in epithelial repair

Abstract Different members of the matrix metalloproteinases family facilitate re-epithelialization by acting on specific substrates. In skin, collagenase-1 (MMP-1) is induced in migrating keratinocytes by ligation of the α 2 β 1 integrin with dermal type I collagen. Once cleaved by MMP-1, the collagen helix relaxes, and α 2 β 1 dislodges and establishes new contacts with intact collagen in the open wound bed. Thus, the activity of MMP-1 facilitates wound closure by altering the affinity of integrin–collagen interactions. In mucosal tissues, wound-edge epithelial cells express matrilysin (MMP-7)—which is not produced in skin. Wounds in the lung and gut of matrilysin-deficient animals show markedly impaired re-epithelialization. Ultrastructural and biochemical observations indicate that in the absence of matrilysin, adherens junctions are not remodel and E-cadherin is not shed, thereby impairing migration by hindering the rear-release of cells at the migrating edge. Our findings demonstrate that MMP-1 and MMP-7 mediate essential processes of re-epithelialization in different tissues.
Management of infectious wildlife diseases: bridging conventional and bioeconomic approaches

The primary goal of disease ecology is to understand disease systems and then use this information to inform management. The purpose of this paper is to show that conventional disease ecology models are limited in their ability to inform management of systems that are already infected, and to show how such models can be integrated with economic decision models to improve upon management recommendations. Management strategies based solely on disease ecology entail managing infected host populations or reservoir populations below a threshold value based on R0, the basic reproductive ratio of the pathogen, or a multiple-host version of this metric. These metrics measure a pathogen's ability to invade uninfected systems and do not account for postinfection dynamics. Once a pathogen has invaded a population, alternative management criteria are needed. Bioeconomic modeling offers a useful alternative approach to developing management criteria and facilitates the consideration of ecological-economic trade-offs so that diseases are managed in a cost-effective manner. The threshold concept takes on a more profound role under a bioeconomic paradigm: rather than unilaterally determining disease control choices, thresholds inform control choices and are influenced by them.
Interdiffusion of Earth's core materials to 65 GPa and 2200 K

Abstract Diffusion of iron and nickel in an Fe 64 Ni 36 alloy was measured via the use of focused-ion-beam (FIB) milling and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) to 65 GPa and ∼2200 K. The experiments were performed using a combination of micro-fabricated samples in the laser-heated diamond-anvil cell (DAC), increasing the pressure range for experimentally determined interdiffusion coefficients in FeNi alloys by >40 GPa. Diffusivity in the iron–nickel system follows a homologous temperature relationship D = D 0 exp(−19.3(2.7) T m / T ) where D 0 is 4.6(7)×10 −4 m 2 s −1 , with zero-pressure activation energy, 301(40) kJ mol −1 , consistent with measurements at lower pressures. At inner core conditions, this predicts an inner core solid-state diffusivity of 1×10 −14 m 2 s −1 ( T m / T =0.95), with an inner core viscosity of 10 20 –10 22 Pa s assuming power-law creep ( n =3) with a deviatoric stress of 10 3 –10 4 Pa.
Buoyant flow calculations with non-orthogonal curvilinear co-ordinates for vertical and horizontal parallelepiped enclosures

A control-volume-based finite-difference formulation is developed for heat transfer and fluid flow in arbitrary three-dimensional parallelepiped enclosures. The governing equations in Cartesian co-ordinates are first transformed to those in non-orthogonal curvilinear co-ordinates by tensor transformations. After introducing the properties of the parallelepiped geometry, equations are obtained in the primitive variables for which all vectors and tensors are based on the curvilinear co-ordinates. With proper treatment of the heat flux and stress tensor terms, the finite-difference equations, analogous to those in the Cartesian coordinates, are formed. Examples are utilized to show the validity of the methodology and the results are found to compare well with existing experimental data. The differences in heat transfer and fluid flow inside parallelepiped enclosures and rectangular enclosures are delineated and discussed from a physical point of view.
Examining the Efficacy of a Basic Functional Behavioral Assessment Training Package for School Personnel.

This study evaluated the effects of manualized training in “Basic” functional behavioral assessment (FBA) for typical school professionals on the ability of these professionals to complete technica...
Minimization of sound radiation from plates using adaptive tuned vibration absorbers

Abstract Vibration absorbers have widely been used to minimize the vibration of structures, either globally for rigid structures or locally for flexible structures. This paper presents novel experimental work by applying the use of vibration absorbers to minimize sound radiated by a simply supported plate. Experimental results are presented comparing the effectiveness of sound attenuation by an adaptive tuned vibration absorber (ATVA) using two different tuning algorithms. The first algorithm “tunes” the ATVA to the excitation frequency of the plate. The second control algorithm adapts the ATVA tuning frequency to minimize the radiated sound field. Results indicate that “tuning” the ATVA to the excitation frequency can guarantee reduction of the vibration level near the base of the ATVA, but cannot guarantee reduction of the radiated sound field. In fact, it is shown that “tuning” the ATVA can actually increase the sound levels. Using an acoustic cost function to optimize the resonant frequency of the ATVA is a more effective procedure to guarantee a reduction of the radiated sound field. As a result of using this cost function, the ATVA was “detuned”, i.e., the resonant frequency of the ATVA was not equal to the excitation frequency.
Confidence intervals for queueing simulations of computer systems

Simulation models of computer systems may be formulated as queueing networks. Several methods for confidence interval estimation for queueing simulations are dicussed. Empirical studies of these methods are presented.