cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immunoglobulins and Left Ventricular Structure and Function in Pediatric HIV Infection

Background Progressive left ventricular (LV) dilation is common in children infected with HIV-1 and may be a harbinger of congestive heart failure (CHF). In many HIV-infected children, dilation is associated with inadequate LV hypertrophy, elevated afterload, and reduced LV function. Because CHF has been observed empirically to improve after treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) in other conditions and because LV dysfunction in pediatric HIV may be immunologically mediated, we examined retrospectively the relation between immunoglobulins and LV structure and function in 49 HIV-infected infants and children without CHF. Methods and Results A total of 106 echocardiograms were performed in these children within 30 days of serum immunoglobulin (IgG, IgA, and IgM) measurements; this includes 12 children treated with IVIG therapy. All echocardiographic parameters, blood pressures, and immunoglobulins were adjusted for age or body surface area and subjected to repeated-measures regression. Regression ...
Femtosecond time-domain measurements of group velocity dispersion in AlGaAs diode lasers

Femtosecond optical pulses are used to determine the round-trip propagation delay in AlGaAs diode lasers. By using pulses at different wavelengths, the authors have determined the dispersion in group index to be dn/sub g//d lambda =-2.9 mu m/sup -1/ in these devices. >
A theoretical study of the gas-phase basicity of molecules containing arsenic--carbon multiple bonds

Abstract Gas-phase proton affinities are calculated using ab initio methods for the unknown unsaturated molecules H 2 CAsH and HCAs as well as for AsH 3 . The results parallel those previously found by us for the corresponding phosphorus compounds, in that the order of basicities is AsH 3 > H 2 CAsH > HCAs. For H 2 CAsH the C-site and As-site PA's are nearly equal, while for HCAs protonation is predicted to occur only at C.
Colonization of Humans by Mycoplasma canis

A patient receiving antineoplastic (and immunosuppressive) chemotherapy for metastatic carcinoma of the uterine cervix developed a respiratory illness similar to an illness in her pet dog. The patient and her three adult children all had a history of very close contact with the dog, and both dog and humans harbored Mycoplasma canis, a canine mycoplasma, in their throats. The dog and all of the humans had some serologic reaction to this organism. Colonization by M. canis of humans in close contact with a dog was documented, but disease due to infection remains to be proven.
Contributions of insect systems to the chromosome theory of inheritance and to our understanding of chromosome behavior on the spindle

Abstract Insect chromosomes were among the first chromosomes to be investigated. Since then, insects have had an important place in cytogenetics. Insect studies were instrumental in proving that genes are on chromosomes and that spindle fibers exist in living cells and are not fixation artifacts. Chromosome micromanipulation studies of insect spermatocytes have provided insight into the physical properties of spindle fibers, the initial orientation (attachment) of a bivalent to the spindle, the reorientation of mal-oriented bivalents, and the cause of orientation stability. Insect spermatocytes have been important material for observing the structure of the meiotic spindle, and for determining the location and force of the chromosome motor during anaphase. In this review, I highlight important contributions of insect systems to the Chromosome Theory of Inheritance and to our understanding of chromosome behavior on the spindle.
Regulatory mechanisms that govern nicotinic synapse formation in neurons

Individual cholinoceptive neurons express high levels of different neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subtypes, and target them to the appropriate synaptic regions for proper function. This review focuses on the intercellular and intracellular processes that regulate nAChR expression in vertebrate peripheral nervous system (PNS) and central nervous system (CNS) neurons. Specifically, we discuss the cellular and molecular mechanisms that govern the induction and maintenance of nAChR expression-innervation, target tissue interactions, soluble factors, and activity. We define the regulatory principles of interneuronal nicotinic synapse differentiation that have emerged from these studies. We also discuss the molecular players that target nAChRs to the surface membrane and the interneuronal synapse.
"Barbiturate thresholds" in the rabbit.

As a step toward exploring mechanisms determining the sedation threshold, methods were devised for measuring barbiturate thresholds in the rabbit. These utilized the behavioral indicator of head drop and the effect of thiopental on the EEG. The reliability of these thresholds was studied and attempts were made to determine whether they were altered by experimental “conflict” and premedication with chlorpromazine. amphetamine, and adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH). Results suggest that rabbit barbiturate thresholds resemble those in man. Specific effects of “conflict” were not demonstrated. Although amphetamine and ACTH produced no consistent effects, chlorpromazine caused a marked decrease in threshold.
Maternal and neonatal outcomes based on the gestational age of midtrimester preterm premature rupture of membranes.

Objectives. Determine neonatal and maternal outcomes based on the gestational age (GA) that midtrimester preterm premature rupture of membranes (mtPPROM) occurs.Study design. A retrospective chart review was conducted on pregnancies with mtPPROM between 180/7 and 236/7 weeks gestation from January 2000 to December 2007. Antenatal complications, maternal morbidity, and neonatal survival and morbidity were analysed by the specific GA of mtPPROM. Statistical analysis was performed using Chi-square, Fisher's Exact, and Kruskal–Wallis tests.Results. A total of 105 patients met inclusion criteria. There was a trend for longer latency with earlier GA of mtPPROM (p = 0.05). Neonatal survival to discharge was 26.6%, with an overall morbidity of 86%. Survival was significantly higher with mtPPROM at 22 0/7–23 6/7 weeks compared to 18 0/7–19 6/7 (p = 0.01) and 20 0/7–21 6/7 weeks (p = 0.01). There was no difference in neonatal morbidity based on the GA of mtPPROM.Conclusions. While neonatal survival improves at late...
The Latin American inner city: differences of degree or of kind?

It is often assumed that the globalization of the world economy will drive societies and societal change in a broadly similar direction, leading to convergence in the process of urbanization. The observed diversity between places is the result of the engagement of the macroeconomic process with local social and political structures. Inner-city decline in many older metropolitan centers of the USA and the United Kingdom has occurred through economic restructuring and job loss, with smaller urban centers and amenity-rich areas benefiting concomitantly. Demographic processes have accentuated this decline: most notably suburbanization, counterurbanization, inner-city renewal programs, and urban resettlement to new towns. Since the early 1980s, however, selected inner cities have been the focus of reinvestment, and a return of population through so-called ‘gentrification’. In the United Kingdom, in particular, public policy has played an important role in the reinvigoration of inner cities.The substantial lite...
Pile Sorts, A Cognitive Anthropological Model of Drug and AIDS Risks for Navajo Teenagers: Assessment of a New Evaluation Tool

SUMMARY This article presents data which support the use of a cognitive anthropology research method, “pile sorting,” to compliment and enhance the qualitative and quantitative evaluation tools used by drug prevention programs. The method was employed in the assessment of a Drug, Alcohol, and AIDS prevention program conducted by a community based organization. It produced significant information on the cognitive models of risks held by Native American teenagers, and provided a method of determining target areas for revision of the prevention and intervention program, as well as assessing the impact of the existing program. Pile sorting proved to be simple to administer, fin for respondents, and provided analytical information at a positive ratio between time-on-task compared to richness of result.
Linear pyrolysis of thermoplastics in chemically reactive environments

16 Duffy, R. E., "A static pressure measurement technique for chemical kinetic studies," Proceedings of the First International Congress on Instrumentation in Aerospace Simulation Facilities, pp. 23-1-23-18 (September 1964). 17 Yoshikawa, K. K. and Katzen, E. D., "Charts for air flow properties in equilibrium and frozen flows in hypervelocity nozzles," NASA TN-D-693 (April 1963), 18 Jorgensen, L. H. and Baum, G. M., ''Charts for equilibrium flow properties of air in hypervelocity nozzles," NASA TN-D1333 (September 1962). 19 Geiger, R., "Nonequilibrium solution for reservoir conditions of 500 psia, 4000°K, L = 4.74 cm," private communications, General Electric Missile and Space Vehicle Div., Valley Forge, Pa. (August 1963). 20 Lordi, J., "Nonequilibrium solution for reservoir conditions of 250 psia, 7000°K, L = 2.0 and 3.0 cm.," private communications, Cornell Aeronautical Labs., Buffalo, N. Y. (October 1963). 21 Lobb, R. K., "Experimental measurements of shock detachment distances on spheres fired in air at hypervelocities," Specialists' Meeting on the High Temperature Aspects of Hypersonic Flow, Brussels (April 3-6, 1962).
Self-Consistent Transmission Line Analysis Of The Gyrotron Traveling-Wave Amplifier

A self-consistent analysis of the gyrotron traveling-wave amplifier is performed using a single particle theory and an exact transmission-line field analysis to yield a nonlinear large signal theory able to describe the effects of tapered, nonideal wall waveguides and tapered dc magnetic fields. Guiding center drift is considered, as well as efficiency as a function of input power, RF detuning, de detuning, current, and beam size.© (1988) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
VEGF-C, VEGF-A and related angiogenesis factors as biomarkers of allograft vasculopathy in cardiac transplant recipients

Background Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV), the major cause of late allograft loss after cardiac transplantation, results from donor-directed cellular and humoral alloimmune responses. Graft vascular endothelial cells (EC) are primary targets of these destructive responses, suggesting that factors associated with endothelial injury and repair could serve as biomarkers of CAV. Methods Using a protein profiler array platform, we measured the levels of 55 angiogenesis-related proteins in sera from 33 adult heart transplant recipients, including 17 with angiographically documented CAV and 16 age- and gender-matched controls without CAV. All patients were >2 years after heart transplant. Results The study population was 75% male with a mean age of 62±11 years. On average, patients were 12±5 years after heart transplantation. We found that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C, VEGF-A, angiopoietin-2, artemin, urokinase-type plasminogen activator and vasohibin were strongly associated with established CAV (all p p Conclusions Serum levels of VEGF-C, VEGF-A and PF-4 demonstrate strong associations with established CAV and, together with related angiogenesis factors, may serve as a reliable, non-invasive diagnostic test for CAV in cardiac transplant recipients.
A fuzzy algorithm for priority estimation in immediate area networks

Abstract The advent of lower cost computers has accelerated the use of distributed computer networks. These systems vary in architecture from those that are tightly coupled by extensive parallel buses or shared resources, such as memory, to those that are loosely coupled and connected by long buses, which are usually serial in nature. Both of these extremes serve their particular applications well, but a middle ground exists where neither of the techniques quite satisfies the requirements. Situations exist where the processors may be in close proximity to each other but still have the requirement for high transmission speeds and the flexibility and modularity of a loosely coupled network. The proposed architecture for an Immediate Area Network (IAN), which falls into this category, is discussed in this paper. In an application of this nature, the importance or priority of the message may be a significant factor. In those cases, it is necessary that the high-priority messages be delayed as little as possible before transmission. We may also expect very heavy loads on the bus where bursts of messages far exceed the capacity of the bus for a time. During such bursts, messages may be delayed for extended periods while multiple collisions and back-off delays occur. A protocol algorithm for back-off determination is presented to minimize the delay of high-priority messages.
A Feedback-resistant Mutant of Bacillus subtilis Glutamine Synthetase with Pleiotropic Defects in Nitrogen-regulated Gene Expression *

The Bacillus subtilis TnrA transcription factor regulates gene expression during nitrogen-limited growth. When cells are grown with excess nitrogen, feedback-inhibited glutamine synthetase forms a protein-protein complex with TnrA and prevents TnrA from binding to DNA. A mutation in glutamine synthetase with a phenylalanine replacement at the Ser-186 residue (S186F) was isolated by screening for B. subtilis mutants with constitutive TnrA activity. Although S186F glutamine synthetase has kinetic properties that are similar to the wild-type protein, the S186F enzyme is resistant to feedback inhibition by glutamine and AMP. Ligand binding experiments revealed that the S186F protein had a lower affinity for glutamine and AMP than the wild-type enzyme. S186F glutamine synthetase was defective in its ability to block DNA binding by TnrA in vitro. The properties of the feedback-resistant S186F mutant support the model in which the feedback-inhibited form of glutamine synthetase regulates TnrA activity in vivo.
Outcome of surgical decompression of the second cervical root for cervicogenic headache

OBJECTIVE : There is limited information on the surgical treatment of cervicogenic headache (CH). The objective of this study is to analyze the utility of microsurgical decompression of the second cervical (C2) root and ganglion as a treatment for CH. METHODS : Thirty-nine sequential C2 root and ganglion decompressions, performed for the treatment of CH on 35 patients at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center during a 70-month period, were analyzed retrospectively. Preoperative factors and intraoperative findings were evaluated with respect to outcome. RESULTS : At a mean follow-up of 21 months, 12 patients (13 sides) were pain free, and 15 were adequately improved (18 sides). Treatment eventually failed in eight patients. No patient, however, was worse after surgical intervention. There was no major morbidity or mortality associated with the operation. The eight patients with unsatisfactory outcome were evaluated for a possible second operation, and four underwent it. One patient of the four is pain free after 28 months, and two gained adequate improvement at 3 and 12 months. The fourth patient required a third operation but has achieved adequate relief at 6 months. Thus, the overall success rate (either pain free or with adequate improvement) was 90%. No specific prognostic factors could be established, other than the accepted diagnostic criteria and successful anesthetic blockade of the C2 root and ganglion. CONCLUSION : The results suggest that microsurgical decompression of the C2 root and ganglion has some utility in treating CH. The accepted diagnostic criteria and success of anesthetic blockade of C2 should identify the subset of patients with CH predominantly caused by C2 root or ganglion effect at this level, which may favor surgical treatment.
Transport of strontium and cesium in simulated hanford tank waste leachate through quartz sand under saturated and unsaturated flow.

We investigated the effects of water saturation and formation of secondary precipitates on transport of Sr and Cs through sand columns under unsaturated water flow. A series of column experiments was run at effective water saturations ranging from 0.2 to 1.0 under steady-state flow using columns filled with quartz sand. The solution phase was either 0.1 M NaNO3 or a simulated tank waste leachate (STWL), mimicking the leaks of tank wastes at the Hanford Site, Washington, USA. In STWL, the mobility of Sr was significantly reduced as the water saturation decreased, because Sr was incorporated into or sorbed to neo-formed secondary precipitates. In contrast, the transport of Cs in STWL was similar to that of a nonreactive tracer. In 0.1 M NaNO3, Sr moved like a conservative tracer, showing no retardation, whereas Cs was retarded relative to Sr. The flow regime for the 0.1 M NaNO3 columns under all water saturations could be described with the equilibrium convection-dispersion equation (CDE). However, for STWL, the Sr and Cs breakthrough curves indicated the presence of non-equilibria under unsaturated flow conditions. Such non-equilibrium conditions, caused by physical and chemical processes can reduce the mobility of radionuclides at the Hanford vadose zone.
The Vienna wing panels by Geertgen tot Sint Jans and his drawing and painting technique

The writer discusses the drawing and painting technique of Geertgen tot Sint Jans on the basis of detailed examination of the panels that form the interior and exterior sides of the right wing of an altarpiece he painted, now in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. Geertgen's compositional layouts are characterized by a calculated handling of underdrawing materials and, in specific instances, critical design revisions that take place in phases. The Vienna panels also evince a significant amount of compositional change, an indication of the ongoing creativity of his painting process. Some changes strongly influence the emotive content of his images, whereas other procedures suggest that he was striving for more efficient painting techniques. Ultimately, this information not only results in a greater appreciation of his skills as a designer and painter, but also describes the broad outlines of the painter's workshop.
Permission-combination-based scheme for Android mobile malware detection

With the increase use of Android mobile phones, more Android malwares are being developed. Android malware detection becomes a crucial task. In this paper, we present a permission-combination-based scheme for Android malware detection. The Android malware detection scheme is based on permission combinations declared in the application manifest file. We obtain the permission combinations that are requested frequently by malwares but rarely by benign applications. We generate rule sets based on the permission combinations. Our experimental results show that the malware detection rate is up to 96%, and the benign application recognition rate is up to 88%. Our experimental results with real malwares show that the Android malware detection scheme is very efficient and effective.
Biased graphs. I. Bias, balance, and gains

Abstract A biased graph is a graph together with a class of cirles (simple closed paths), called balanced, such that no theta subgraph contains exactly two balanced circles. A gain graph is a graph in which each edge has a gain (a label from a group so that reversing the direction inverts the gain); a circle is balanced if its edge gain product is 1; this defines a biased graph. We initiate a series devoted to biased graphs and their matroids. Here we study properties of balance and also subgraphs and contractions of biased and gain graphs.
α-Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormone Stimulation of Aldosterone Secretion in Hypophysectomized Rats

Intact and hypophysectomized male rats on low and high sodium diets were treated with sc infused ACTH and alpha MSH, and the levels of aldosterone and corticosterone were determined in truncal blood. Plasma aldosterone levels were lower in hypophysectomized animals on the low sodium diet than in intact animals on the low sodium diet. Alpha MSH (8 micrograms/day) restored plasma levels of aldosterone to normal in hypophysectomized rats on the low sodium diet. ACTH (6 micrograms/day) did not cause significant changes in plasma levels of aldosterone in hypophysectomized animals. ACTH restored plasma corticosterone to normal in hypophysectomized rats, whereas alpha MSH had no effect on corticosterone. Alpha MSH did not increase plasma aldosterone levels in intact rats. These data suggest that alpha MSH may be important in the regulation of aldosterone secretion in the rat and that zona glomerulosa responsiveness to alpha MSH in vivo is increased by hypophysectomy. The mechanisms of alpha MSH action on glomerulosa cells are different from those of ACTH.
EMG of chimpanzee shoulder muscles during knuckle‐walking: problems of terrestrial locomotion in a suspensory adapted primate

By most accounts, the upper limb of the chimpanzee is primarily adapted to suspensory postures and locomotion. In order to determine how the derived morphology of the chimpanzee forelimb has affected the form of quadrupedal locomotion displayed by these animals, electromyographic activity patterns of 10 shoulder muscles during knuckle-walking in two chimpanzee subjects were analysed and compared to data on the opossum and cat taken from the literature. Telemetered electromyography coupled with simultaneous video recording was employed in order to study unfettered locomotion in the chimpanzee subjects. Chimpanzees are characterized by a quadrupedal gait in which the hind limb overstrides the ipsilateral forelimb. Forelimb position in the plane of abduction/adduction is significantly affected by whether the hind limb passes inside or outside its ipsilateral forelimb. The degree of abduction adduction of the forelimb, in turn, influences many of the muscle activity patterns. That is, some muscles would be more frequently or less frequently active, depending on whether the arm was relatively abducted or adducted during a stride. Thus, there can be no single motor programme that generates the step cycle in chimpanzees. While there are some parallels between muscle recruitment patterns for chimpanzee, opossum and cat quadrupedalism, the results of this study also indicate that many aspects of muscle use in chimpanzees have been significantly influenced by factors related to increased mobility of the upper limb. Finally, this study has revealed that moving the arm forward during swing phase of knuckle-walking is not a simple product of muscular elTort. and that other mechanisms must be involved. However, it is unclear at present exactly what these mechanisms may be.
XPS study of the electronic structure of dispersed MnO on carbon foil

Abstract XPS has been used to study the electronic structure of highly dispersed MnO on carbon foil. The valence level narrowed and the valence level and core levels shifted to higher binding energy compared to the bulk MnO on carbon foil.
Finite isospin groups and their experimental consequences

Under the assumption that the observed isospin symmetry is a manifestation of the group structures of hadrons and their interactions, it is attempted to determine the order of the symmetry group, if finite, and to clarify the physical meaning of each group element. Our scheme is based on the observations that (1) classifications of particles according to irreducible representations of both the finite and the continuous groups are possible under certain restrictions, and (2) the transformation law of particles under continuous rotations in isospin space cannot be established directly by experiments. In particular, we consider the polyhedral kaleidoscope groups. The consistent formulation by finite groups needs a selection rule to exclude unobserved exotic states, which turns out to be a requirement of charge conservation. Several experiments are suggested to test our assumptions in strong-interaction processes.
Characterization of Porosity Over Many Length Scales: Application to Colloidal Gels

Processing-microstructure relationships in a silica gel system, based on mixtures of colloidal sol and soluble potassium silicate, have been studied. Quantitative microstructural information regarding colloidal cluster sizes, size distributions, surface areas, and pore-size distribution from the nanopore range to the macropore range was determined via small-angle scattering and transmission electron microscopy. The colloid cluster size distribution varies systematically, with gels fabricated with the least colloidal fraction possessing the most polydisperse microstructure. It is shown that the porosity over the entire range can be tailored by selecting the appropriate starting chemistry; under the same pH conditions, the ratio of the two silicate ingredients controls the average size, the polydispersity of sizes, and the connectivity of the pores. A population of fine (2 nm) uniformly dispersed nanopores, which result from leaching, is responsible for large increases in surface area. The leaching process can be controlled by the surrounding macropore void size, which determines alkali transport. The product material consists of 85% large, open pores, with fine pores within the gel skeleton, making this gel an ideal candidate for controlled-porosity applications such as catalyst supports and magnetic composites.
Anomalous dispersion phase-matched second harmonic generation in poled polymer waveguides

We demonstrate anomalous dispersion phase-matched second harmonic generation in a poled polymer waveguide. Phase-matching was achieved between lowest order fundamental and harmonic modes. TMwo to TM2wo, at a fundamental wavelength of 815 nm over a propagation length of 32 micrometers . The maximum conversion efficiency was (eta) exp equals 39%/Wcm2, in good agreement with theory. Methods to further enhance the conversion efficiency using a combination of phase-matching techniques are also discussed.
Enlarged striatum in abstinent methamphetamine abusers: a possible compensatory response

Background Little is known about structural brain abnormalities associated with methamphetamine (METH) abuse; therefore, we aimed: 1) to evaluate possible morphometric changes, especially in the striatum of recently abstinent METH-dependent subjects; 2) to evaluate whether morphometric changes are related to cognitive performance; and 3) to determine whether there are sex-by-METH interactions on morphometry. Methods Structural MRI was performed in 50 METH and 50 comparison subjects with the same age range and sex proportion; quantitative morphometric analyses were performed in the subcortical gray matter, cerebellum and corpus callosum. Neuropsychological tests were also performed in 44 METH and 28 comparison subjects. Results METH users showed enlarged putamen (left: + 10.3%, p = .0007; right: + 9.6%, p = .001) and globus pallidus (left: + 9.3%, p = .002; right: + 6.6%, p = .01). Female METH subjects additionally showed larger mid-posterior corpus callosum (+ 9.7%, p = .05). Although METH users had normal cognitive function, those with smaller striatal structures had poorer cognitive performance and greater cumulative METH usage. Conclusions Since METH subjects with larger striatal structures had relatively normal cognitive performance and lesser cumulative METH usage, the enlarged putamen and globus pallidus might represent a compensatory response to maintain function. Possible mechanisms for the striatal enlargement include glial activation and inflammatory changes associated with METH-induced injury.
Within-set discriminations in a consistent mapping search task.

This study investigated subjects’ ability to make discriminations within the target and distractor sets following consistent mapping training in a visual search task. Differences in the patterns of reaction time data obtained with and without the requirements to make discriminations within target and distractor sets suggest that automatic processing entails two processing changes. One change involves treating the target set as a single equivalence class. This increases efficiency of the memory comparison process. A second change involves inhibition or filtering of distractor elements, which increases the efficiency of visual search.
Zwitterionic SAMs that Resist Nonspecific Adsorption of Protein from Aqueous Buffer

This paper describes the use of surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy and self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of alkanethiols on gold to evaluate the ability of surfaces terminating in different combinations of charged groups to resist the nonspecific adsorption of proteins from aqueous buffer. Mixed SAMs formed from a 1:1 combination of a thiol terminated in a trimethylammonium group and a thiol terminated in a sulfonate group adsorbed less than 1% of a monolayer of two proteins with different characteristics: fibrinogen and lysozyme. Single-component SAMs formed from thiols terminating in groups combining a positively charged moiety and a negatively charged moiety were also capable of resisting the adsorption of proteins. Single-component SAMs presenting single charges adsorbed nearly a full monolayer of protein. The amount of protein that adsorbed to mixed zwitterionic SAMs did not depend on the ionic strength or the pH of the buffer in which the protein was dissolved. The amount of protein that adsorbe...
Effect of polarization fields on transport properties in AlGaN/GaN heterostructures

We have calculated transport properties of unintentionally doped n-type AlGaN/GaN heterostructures. Using a thermodynamic model of defect formation, we have modeled the charge transfer process in such heterostructures, obtaining good agreement with experiment. The large polarization fields in the heterostructure dramatically lower the formation energy of the surface defects, leading to the observed extremely large two-dimensional electron gas concentrations. Calculations of the low temperature mobilities were also performed, showing that alloy disorder and, in some cases, interface roughness, are the dominant low-temperature carrier scattering mechanisms. At low temperatures a maximum intrinsic mobility of about 105 cm2/V s is predicted for these heterostructures.
Effects of atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter on the signal-averaged electrocardiogram

In conclusion, atrial flutter can create significant errors in the automated time-domain analysis of the SAECG that are only apparent when the study is repeated in sinus rhythm, thus lowering the predictive accuracy of the technique in patients with atrial flutter. Atrial fibrillation rarely creates problems with time-domain analysis of the SAECG. These findings suggest that, unless the performance of a specific signal-averaging device has been evaluated in patients with atrial flutter and found to have acceptable error rates, patients with atrial flutter should not have SAECGs performed for postinfarction risk assessment.
Efficient Bladder Ultrasonography: In Reply

In Reply .— We appreciate Dr Graf's comments. Several points raised in her letter, however, deserve some evidence-based response. Although it is true that the Sonosite 180 is a relatively sophisticated machine, it certainly does not require extensive …
THE DECAY OF LIBERAL DEMOCRACY

Liberal democracy is decaying because its values have been carried to excess or are obsolete for effectively addressing society's contemporary challenges. The loss of American military, technological, and economic hegemony—through the rise of competitors and increased interdependence—has threatened the nation's sense of ideological superiority, social coherence, and purpose. The prospects for a democratic renewal will require first, an enabling crisis that calls into question the existing social order, particularly capitalism, and the liberal values on which it is legitimated. Second, a broad-based popular movement would have to emerge that supports a redirection in the value structure, social relationships, and the public policy agenda. The essay concludes with concrete recommendations for reforming political institutions and new policies that would move us along such a path.
Numerical simulation of binary solidification in a vertical channel with thermal and solutal mixed convection

Abstract A continuum model is used to investigate the solidification of an aqueous ammonium chloride solution in the presence of an imposed forced flow. Calculations are performed to determine the effect of flow rate, chill wall temperature, and entry liquid composition on momentum, energy and species transfer within both the multiphase and bulk liquid regions. Small mass flow rates and small solidification rates are shown to enhance the free flow of chilled and water-enriched interdendritic fluids across the permeable liquidus front and hence to enhance species redistribution.
Construct Validity of Creekmore's Clothing Questionnaire

The objective of this research was to investigate construct validity of a clothing interest scale. Factor analysis of Creekmore's Importance of Clothing questionnaire, a multidi mensional measure containing nine subscales, resulted in an extraction of eight factors, interpreted to represent the basic dimensions of clothing interest as measured by the instru ment. Factor and subscale scores were compared by means of product-moment correla tions. Significant correlations indicated strong associations between the two sets of scores. Items assigned to factors and to subscales were compared by means of phi coefficients and point-biserial correlations. Highly significant correlations indicated strong associations. The null hypothesis, that there was no association between factors and subscales, was rejected. This close proximity between factor and subscale scores was interpreted as an indication of construct validity for the instrument.
Liposomal NAD+ prevents diminished O2consumption by immunostimulated Caco-2 cells

Accumulating data support the view that sepsis is associated with an acquired intrinsic derangement in the ability of cells to consume O2, a phenomenon that has been termed “cytopathic hypoxia.” We...
Phosphorylation of TGB1 by protein kinase CK2 promotes barley stripe mosaic virus movement in monocots and dicots

The barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV) triple gene block 1 (TGB1) protein is required for virus cell-to-cell movement. However, little information is available about how these activities are regulated by post-translational modifications. In this study, we showed that the BSMV Xinjiang strain TGB1 (XJTGB1) is phosphorylated in vivo and in vitro by protein kinase CK2 from barley and Nicotiana benthamiana. Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry analysis and in vitro phosphorylation assays demonstrated that Thr-401 is the major phosphorylation site of the XJTGB1 protein, and suggested that a Thr-395 kinase docking site supports Thr-401 phosphorylation. Substitution of Thr-395 with alanine (T395A) only moderately impaired virus cell-to-cell movement and systemic infection. In contrast, the Thr-401 alanine (T401A) virus mutant was unable to systemically infect N. benthamiana but had only minor effects in monocot hosts. Substitution of Thr-395 or Thr-401 with aspartic acid interfered with monocot and dicot cell-to-cell movement and the plants failed to develop systemic infections. However, virus derivatives with single glutamic acid substitutions at Thr-395 and Thr-401 developed nearly normal systemic infections in the monocot hosts but were unable to infect N. benthamiana systemically, and none of the double mutants was able to infect dicot and monocot hosts. The mutant XJTGB1T395A/T401A weakened in vitro interactions between XJTGB1 and XJTGB3 proteins but had little effect on XJTGB1 RNA-binding ability. Taken together, our results support a critical role of CK2 phosphorylation in the movement of BSMV in monocots and dicots, and provide new insights into the roles of phosphorylation in TGB protein functions.
Rural health alert: Helicobacter pylori in well water.

Purpose This exploratory research project is an epidemiological study to determine in a specified population of farmworkers in Southeast Georgia the following: (a) the prevalence rate of gastritis, (b) related cofactors contributing to gastritis with or without a positive diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori (HP), (c) relationship of contaminated drinking water to gastritis, and (d) relative risk of acquiring gastritis from HP-contaminated drinking water. Data sources Data were collected from five common water sources for 147 farmworkers in rural Southeast Georgia. Farmworkers were given a survey to identify cofactors related to HP gastritis. Water samples were taken from four common well water sources (experimental group) and one control well, analyzed for HP, and associated through nonparametric categorical data analysis to the survey items to discover possible relationships. Conclusions Analysis of data using nonparametric regression showed a weak positive relationship (p= 0.07) between symptoms of gastritis and the HP-contaminated water. Risk analysis demonstrated that farmworkers who drank water contaminated with HP were 2.6 times more likely to have symptoms of gastritis. Implications for practice This research established a positive relationship between well water contaminated with HP and signs and symptoms of gastritis. Nurse practitioners (NPs) working with populations who drink well water and have the signs and symptoms or positive diagnosis of HP should have a high degree of suspicion that the well water may be a source of HP infection. In addition to treating the patient for HP gastritis, NPs may utilize this research to plan other interventions that decrease the incidence of HP-related illnesses such as recommending well water treatment.
Contour line and geographic feature extraction from USGS color topographical paper maps

This paper presents a method for the extraction of contour lines and other geographic information from scanned color images of topographical maps. Although topographic maps are available from many suppliers, this work focuses on United States Geological Survey (USGS) maps. The extraction of contour lines, which are shown with brown color on USGS maps, is a difficult process due to aliasing and false colors induced by the scanning process and due to closely spaced and intersecting/overlapping features inherent to the map. These difficulties render simple approaches such as clustering ineffective. The proposed method overcomes these difficulties using a multistep process. First, a color key set, designed to comprehend color aliasing and false colors, is generated using an eigenvector line-fitting technique in RGB space. Next, area features, representing vegetation and bodies of water, are extracted using RGB color histogram analysis in order to simplify the next stage. Then, linear features corresponding to roads and rivers including contours, are extracted using a valley seeking algorithm operating on a transformed version of the original map. Finally, an A* search algorithm is used to link valleys together to form linear features and to close the gaps caused by intersecting features. The performance of the algorithm is tested on a number of USGS topographic map samples.
Effectiveness of rifaximin and fluoroquinolones in preventing travelers’ diarrhea (TD): a systematic review and meta-analysis

Recent developments related to a safe and effective nonabsorbable antibiotic, rifaximin, and identification of postinfectious irritable bowel syndrome as a frequent sequela call for a need to reconsider the value of primary prevention of traveler’s diarrhea (TD) with antibiotics. Randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind studies evaluating the effectiveness and safety of rifaximin or a fluoroquinolone chemoprophylaxis against TD were pooled using a random effects model and assessed for heterogeneity. The nine studies (four rifaximin and five fluoroquinolone) included resulted in pooled relative risk estimates of 0.33 (95% CI = 0.24–0.45, I 2 = 3.1%) and 0.12 (95% CI = 0.07–0.20, I 2 =0.0%), respectively. Similar rates of treatment emergent adverse events were found between antibiotic and placebo groups. This meta-analysis supports the effectiveness of antibiotics in preventing TD. However, further studies that include prevention of secondary chronic health outcomes among travelers to different geographic regions, and a formal risk-benefit analysis for antibiotic chemoprophylaxis, are needed.
Teachers' Opinions and Use of Academic Self-Control for Emotionally Handicapped Students:

Results of a survey of 84 teachers of the emotionally handicapped on their opinions about and use of academic self-control techniques are reported. No significant relationships between the respondents' professional background, school setting, or use and opinions about academic self-control were found. Self-selection of reinforcement is the most widely used self-control technique and self-evaluation is considered the most important of the academic self-control techniques. Overall, teachers reported very limited use of academic self-control techniques.
Generalized essential telangiectasia in the presence of gastrointestinal bleeding

Generalized essential telangiectasia was well defined more than 30 years ago. There have been no reported cases of associated gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. Recurrent hemorrhage in the setting of telangiectases, including GI bleeding, is more typically associated with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia. We report a unique case of a woman with generalized essential telangiectasia and GI bleeding from a watermelon stomach. We include a brief review of the literature of watermelon stomach, generalized essential telangiectasia, and hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia.
COINLink: the impacts of an EDI network on the automobile dealership and lending industries

COINLink is an independent electronic data interchange (EDI) network that can connect a large number of automobile dealers and lenders. Historically, most dealerships have remained in a captive relationship with their auto makers' finance companies. COINLink has the potential to create an electronic common market of the $280 billion installment credit industry for automobiles. To evaluate the impacts of new technologies like COINLink, the author argues that traditional efficiency criteria are not sufficient. Instead, he introduces Porter's (1980 and 1985) frameworks of a value chain and the five forces of industry competition. Using these models, he enumerates the likely impacts of COINLinks to alter the scope of competition among the dealers and lenders. Coin's success in the EDI market will depend on the industry accepting its proposal for a uniform network standard. Additionally, Coin must continue to innovate on system enhancements and exploit the asset complementarity from its strategic partnerships with major network vendors and users. >
Acute Occlusion of a Mainstem Bronchus by a Rapidly Expanding Foreign Body

We report a case of an 85-year-old woman who presented with acute respiratory failure, caused by aspirating a sucralfate tablet that totally occluded her left main-stem bronchus. Acute respiratory failure resolved after bronchoscopic removal of the markedly expanded tablet. To our knowledge, the acute obstruction of a main-stem bronchus by an aspirated foreign body has not been previously described in adults. We believe that the unusual properties of sucralfate tablets (rapid expansion and mucosal binding) were contributing factors in this patient.
Impact of high performance sockets on data intensive applications

The challenging issues in supporting data intensive applications on clusters include efficient movement of large volumes of data between processor memories and efficient coordination of data movement and processing by a runtime support to achieve high performance. Such applications have several requirements such as guarantees in performance, scalability with these guarantees and adaptability to heterogeneous environments. With the advent of user-level protocols like the Virtual Interface Architecture (VIA) and the modern InfiniBand Architecture, the latency and bandwidth experienced by applications has approached to that of the physical network on clusters. In order to enable applications written on top of TCP/IP to take advantage of the high performance of these user-level protocols, researchers have come up with a number of techniques including User Level Sockets Layers over high performance protocols. In this paper, we study the performance and limitations of such substrate, referred to here as SocketVIA, using a component framework designed to provide runtime support for data intensive applications. The experimental results show that by reorganizing certain components of an application (in our case, the partitioning of a dataset into smaller data chunks), we can make significant improvements in application performance. This leads to a higher scalability of applications with performance guarantees. It also allows fine grained load balancing, hence making applications more adaptable to heterogeneity in resource availability. The experimental results also show that the different performance characteristics of SocketVIA allow a more efficient partitioning of data at the source nodes, thus improving the performance of the application up to an order of magnitude in some cases.
Evaluating the Total Costs of Chemotherapy-Induced Febrile Neutropenia: Results from a Pilot Study with Community Oncology Cancer Patients

Purpose. While cancer chemotherapy–related febrile neutropenia affects patients’ activities and medical expenditures, few studies have reported on the total costs of this condition. Here, we evaluate the feasibility of obtaining detailed and comprehensive cost information on patientswhoexperiencefebrileneutropeniaduringcancer chemotherapy treatment. Methods. Community oncology cancer patients who experienced chemotherapy-associated febrile neutropenia recorded information about use of medical care, tests, devices, medications, and lost productivity. Direct cost estimates were derived from Medicare Physician Fee Schedules and cost-to-charge ratios. Indirect cost estimates were based on modified Labor Force, Employment, and Earnings data for employed patients and wages earned by paid caregivers. Multivariate regression models evaluated predictors of higher direct, indirect, and total costs. Results. Outpatients’ mean direct and indirect costs were $5,704 and $1,201 (lymphoma), $1,094 and $1,530 (breast cancer), and $1,329 and $1,325 (lung cancer and myeloma), respectively. The mean direct and indirect costs were three- to tenfold and 1.5- to threefold greater for inpatients, respectively. Factors associated with higher direct costs of care included diagnosis of lymphoma and inpatient care; higher indirect costs, male versus female gender; higher total costs, lymphoma diagnosis and inpatient care.
Patterns of EEG Coherence, Power, and Contingent Negative Variation Characterize the Integration of Transcendental and Waking States

Long-term meditating subjects report that transcendental experiences (TE), which first occurred during their Transcendental Meditation (TM) practice, now subjectively co-exist with waking and sleeping states. To investigate neurophysiological correlates of this integrated state, we recorded EEG in these subjects and in two comparison groups during simple and choice contingent negative variation (CNV) tasks. In individuals reporting the integration of the transcendent with waking and sleeping, CNV was higher in simple but lower in choice trials, and 6-12 Hz EEG amplitude and broadband frontal EEG coherence were higher during choice trials. Increased EEG amplitude and coherence, characteristic of TM practice, appeared to become a stable EEG trait during CNV tasks in these subjects. These significant EEG differences may underlie the inverse patterns in CNV amplitude seen between groups. An 'Integration Scale,' constructed from these cortical measures, may characterize the transformation in brain dynamics corresponding to increasing integration of the transcendent with waking and sleeping.