cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A study of mercury in the hair of dentists and dental-related professionals in 1985 and subcohort comparison of 1972 and 1985 mercury hair levels.

Dentists may be exposed to mercury used in dental restorations. An epidemiologic study was conducted in central New York in 1985 comparing the concentration of mercury in the hair of 85 dentists to that of 23 dental‐related health professionals (mainly orthodontists and oral surgeons) who do not use mercury. Mercury in the hair of dentists was nominally higher (2.98 ± 0.57 ppm, mean + SE) than that of the control group (1.84 ± 0.20 ppm) but not significantly so. There was a significant positive linear trend in the concentration of mercury in the dentists’ hair with the number of years they had been in practice. Those dentists who wore masks when removing old mercury containing fillings showed significantly (p = 0.03) lower mercury concentrations in hair (1.7 ± 0.26 ppm, mean ± SE) than those who did not (3.65 ± 0.85 ppm). Mercury concentration in the hair of 23 of the above dentists analyzed in 1972 was 16.77 ± 4.00 ppm (mean ± SE), significantly higher (p = 0.008) than that of the same dentists in 1985 (...
Reversible switching of high-speed air-liquid two-phase flows using electrowetting-assisted flow-pattern change.

This work is the first demonstration of electrical modulation of surface energy to reversibly switch dynamic high-speed gas−liquid two-phase microfluidic flow patterns. Manipulation of dynamic two-phase systems with continuous high-speed flows is complex and interesting due to the multiple types of forces that need to be considered. Here, distinct stable flow patterns are formed through a multipronged approach: both surface tension forces generated by surface chemistry modulation as well as viscous and inertial forces produced by fluid flows are employed. The novel fluidic actuation mechanism provides insights into better understanding microscale two-phase flow dynamics and offers new opportunities for the development of two-phase biochemical microsystems that are mechanically simple and operational at high speeds.
Schumpeterian Growth with Productive Public Spending and Distortionary Taxation

Schumpeterian growth theory eliminates the scale effect by positing a process of development of new product lines that fragments the aggregate market in submarkets whose size does not increase with population or the size of the workforce. This entails the sterilization of the growth effects of selected fiscal variables. This insight is applied to shed new light on the role of distortionary taxes on consumption, household labor and assets income, corporate income, and of productive public spending. The framework allows the identification of which of these fiscal variables have permanent (steady-state) growth effects, and which ones have only transitory effects. It also allows the transitional dynamics to be solved analytically and thus the analysis of the welfare effects of revenue-neutral changes in tax structure. It is found that replacing taxes that distort labor supply with taxes that distort saving/investment choices raises welfare, and the intuition behind this surprising result is discussed.
Tutorial 1: Integrated Biosensors

We will present the design and implementation of monolithic and hybrid sensors using integrated circuits, particularly in CMOS. We will begin by providing the definitions and performance metrics of sensors and a brief overview of various noise processes. Subsequently, we will discuss the advantages and shortcomings of sensors built in silicon-based fabrication processes and examine, in detail, their integrated circuit topologies. Next, we will provide a comprehensive study of the design and analysis of CMOS integrated image sensors, integrated biosensors, and electronic backbone of MEMS hybrid sensors. Topics include: silicon photodetectors; CCD and CMOS sensor architectures and circuits; Affinity-based detection and biochemical transduction; optical, electrochemical, and mechanical transducer design; integrated microarrays, biochips, and sensor SoCs. We will conclude with a survey of advanced research topics in the area of integrated sensors such as smart sensors, RF-IDs, and nanosensors.
Active and Passive Management of the Recreational Fishery for Pacific Halibut off the U.S. West Coast

Abstract Since the 1970s, the recreational fishery for Pacific halibut Hippoglossus stenolepis off the West Coast of the United States (Washington, Oregon, and California) has grown substantially, thereby reducing the amount of halibut available to other users. A catch sharing plan (CSP) was developed in 1988 to allocate the available yield among recreational fishers, commercial fishers, and treaty Indian tribes. The CSP defines the share of the total available catch allocated to each group and further subdivisions within the groups. The most complex allocation is that for the recreational fishery, which is managed by the agencies of the three coastal states, the federal fisheries agency, and an international commission that has overall responsibility for the preservation of the species. Management tools for the recreational fishery include seasons, bag limits, closed areas, vessel licensing and registration, minimum length limits, and various levels of catch monitoring. Although the recreational fishery ...
The CEO problem [multiterminal source coding]

We consider a new problem in multiterminal source coding motivated by the following decentralized communication/estimation task. A firm's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is interested in the data sequence {X(t)}/sub t=1//sup /spl infin// which cannot be observed directly, perhaps because it represents tactical decisions by a competing firm. The CEO deploys a team of L agents who observe independently corrupted versions of {X(t)}/sub t=1//sup /spl infin//. Because {X(t)} is only one among many pressing matters to which the CEO must attend, the combined data rate at which the agents may communicate information about their observations to the CEO is limited to, say, R bits per second. If the agents were permitted to confer and pool their data, then in the limit as L/spl rarr//spl infin/ they usually would be able to smooth out their independent observation noises entirely. Then they could use their R bits per second to provide the CEO with a representation of {X(t)} with fidelity D(R), where D(/spl middot/) is the distortion-rate function of {X(t)}. In particular, with such data pooling D can be made arbitrarily small if R exceeds the entropy rate H of {X(t)}. Suppose, however, that the agents are not permitted to convene, Agent i having to send data based solely on his own noisy observations {Y/sub i/(t)}. We show that then there does not exist a finite value of R for which even infinitely many agents can make D arbitrarily small. Furthermore, in this isolated-agents case we determine the asymptotic behavior of the minimal error frequency in the limit as L and then R tend to infinity.
Endoventricular Remodeling of Left Ventricular Aneurysm Functional, Clinical, and Electrophysiological Results

Background Recent advances in surgical techniques for the repair of left ventricular aneurysms (LVAs) include the use of an endoventricular patch to exclude the aneurysm cavity. This technique has replaced conventional linear plication of the aneurysm. The endoventricular patch technique remodels the left ventricular cavity to a more physiological geometry that improves function. Methods and Results From December 1989 through November 1993, 45 patients underwent an LVA repair with an endoventricular patch. This procedure was performed in association with coronary artery bypass grafting in 40 patients. Twenty-eight patients (62.2%) also had nonguided encircling subendocardial incisions. Operative procedures included 7 emergency operations, 3 concomitant valve procedures, and a mean of 2.2 bypass grafts per patient. Eight patients had previous cardiac operations. Hospital mortality was 15.6% (7/45) for all patients and 9.1% (3/33) for nonemergent revascularization and LVA repairs. Ejection fraction improved...
Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors, Genistein and Herbimycin A, Do Not Block Interleukin-1 β-Induced Activation of NF-κB in Rat Mesangial Cells

Abstract We have previously demonstrated that interleukin-1 β (IL-1β) rapidly induces tyrosine phosphorylation of several proteins in the renal mesangial cell. Two mechanistically distinct tyrosine kinase inhibitors, genistein and herbimycin A, block the induction of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) by IL-1β in rat mesangial cells. Since both COX-2 and iNOS promoters have a κB binding motif, we have evaluated the effects of tyrosine kinase inhibitors on IL-1β-induced nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation by electromobility shift assays. IL-1β rapidly induced the translocation of NF-κB in rat mesangial cells. However, the tyrosine kinase inhibitors, genistein and herbimycin A, failed to block the translocation of NF-κB at concentrations which abolish COX-2 and iNOS mRNA expression. These data suggest that an upstream tyrosine kinase pathway may not be required for IL-1β-induced NF-κB activation and that the tyrosine kinase pathway may converge with the NF-κB pathway down-stream of NF-κB activation in rat mesangial cells.
Science, Politics, and Religion: Humboldtian Thinking and the Transformations of Civil Society in Germany, 1830-1870

Between 1830 and 1870 the infrastructure of civil society in Germany expanded significantly. In spite of the failure of the 1848 revolution, the culture of the Burgertum, the middle classes, began to flourish through associations, educational efforts, and diverse media and institutions of public life. The study of natural history and the new natural sciences became an integral part of this seminal process. This essay examines the development of civil society through the interplay of science, religion, and politics, which is paradigmatically embodied in the biography of Emil Adolf Rossmassler. As a science teacher, free-religious activist, and democratic politician, Rossmassler became one of Germany's preeminent advocates of science as a civil practice, though one who acted outside university science and the mainstream of academia. Rossmassler and many of his peers understood the study of nature as a democratic exercise and sought to integrate the natural sciences into the German concept of education (Bild...
Mouse strain differences in glutathione S-transferase activity and aflatoxin B1 biotransformation.

Abstract Previous studies have suggested that mice are resistant to the carcinogenic effects of aflatoxin B1 (afb1) and that this resistance is largely the result of expression of an isoenzyme of glutathione S-transferase (GST) with high activity toward AFB1-8,9-epoxide. Significant interstrain differences in cytosolic GST activities toward a variety of substrates have been reported in mice. If such differences exist for the conjugation of AFB1-8,9-epoxide, then there may be significant mouse strain differences in susceptibility to afb1-induced hepatocarcinogenicity. The hepatic microsomal and cytosolic biotransfonnation of afb1 was studied in 8 different strains of mice fed a purified diet. GST-mediated conjugation of AFB1-8,9-epoxide with glutathione and GST activity toward l-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB), l,2-dichloro-4-nitrobenzene (DCNB), ethacrynic acid (ECA) and cumene hydroperoxide (CHP) were determined with cytosolic fractions from 8–10 pooled livers. Specific activities of cytochrome-P-450-mediated oxidation of AFB1 to aflatoxin Q1 (AFQ1), aflatoxin m1 (AFM1), and aflatoxin p1 (AFP1), as well as the reactive intermediate AFB1-8,9-epoxide, were determined with hepatic microsomal fractions from each mouse strain. No striking differences in specific activity between mouse strains were observed for any of the P-450- or GST-mediated enzymatic pathways measured, although some statistically significant differences were found. GST specific activities toward AFB1-8,9-epoxide, CDNB, DCNB, ECA and CHP ranged from 1.5–2.1, 2,830–5,370, 81–144, 38–69 and 32–73 nmol/mg protein/min, respectively. The rate of formation of AFB1-8,9-epoxide ranged from 208 to 465 pmol/mg protein/min. The specific activities of AFQ1,AFM1, and AFP1 formation by microsomes ranged from 36–70, 161–326, and 252–426 pmol/mg protein/min, respectively. Mice fed a standard rodent chow diet showed evidence of microsomal and cytosolic enzyme induction when compared to mice fed a purified diet. The lack of substantial differences in enzyme specific activities between mouse strains suggests that interstrain variations in the hepatocarcinogenic effects of AFB1 in mice should not be large.
Captopril Reduces Aortic and Microvascular Growth in Hypertensive and Normotensive Rats

This experiment was designed to investigate the effect of converting enzyme inhibition on functional and structural vascular alterations in one-kidney, one clip hypertensive rats and in normotensive rats. Starting 1 day before surgery, 100 mg/kg/day captopril was given chronically to half of the hypertensive and normotensive groups in their drinking water. With use of intravital microscopy in the cremaster muscle, arteriolar dimensions were measured 4 weeks later, both before and after topical application of 10(-3) M adenosine. Mean blood pressure was 124 +/- 4 mm Hg in control rats and 103 +/- 5 mm Hg in captopril-treated control rats (p less than 0.05). Mean blood pressure was significantly elevated to 183 +/- 5 mm Hg in captopril-treated one-kidney, one clip hypertensive rats and 193 +/- 5 mm Hg in one-kidney, one clip hypertensive rats. With use of histological techniques, a marked reduction of medial-intimal area of the abdominal aorta was found in captopril-treated control rats (24%), and hypertrophy of the aortic wall in one-kidney, one clip hypertensive rats was decreased 26% by captopril. Structural diameter reductions occurred in large arterioles of the captopril-treated control and hypertensive groups and the nontreated hypertensive group. In spite of a significant increase in wall-to-lumen ratio of first-order arterioles in all captopril-treated rats, captopril decreased cross-sectional wall area of these vessels 37% in hypertensive and 20% in control rats, respectively. Measured by stereological techniques, small arteriolar density decreased 30% in captopril-treated hypertensive rats and 17% in captopril-treated control rats. Therefore, smaller arteriolar lumens, decreased aortic and arteriolar cross-sectional wall area, and arteriolar rarefaction after converting enzyme inhibition, in spite of rising or falling blood pressure, are evidence that vascular growth was inhibited in vivo.
Frequency and type of electrocardiographic abnormalities in cocaine abusers (electrocardiogram in cocaine abuse).

Abstract Electrocardiographic abnormalities of 200 asymptomatic, chronic cocaine abusers (aged ≤45 years, 69% Mack) admitted for rehabilitation (group 1) were compared with 38 cocaine abusers treated in the emergency room (group 2), 21 cocaine abusers who died suddenly (group 3), and 425 control subjects from the general population. In group 1, 39% of electrocardiograms were abnormal: Increased QRS voltage was noted in 27%, ST elevation in 22%, ST-T changes in 17%, and prior myocardial infarction in 3%. Increased QRS voltage (35% vs 10%, p = 0.00007) and ST elevation (26% vs 13%, p = 0.0278) were more prevalent in blacks than in whites. With use of Minnesota coding, electrocardiograms in group 1 were compared with those of 141 Mack and 284 white men (aged 440 ms (26% vs 4%, p = 0.00003); mean QTc was also greater among group 2 subjects (427 ± 38 vs 404 ± 19 ms, p 440 ms in 6 of 8 subjects (75%) with 12-lead electrocardiograms. Mean QTc was greater in group 3 (457 ± 29 ms) than in group 1 (404 ± 19 ms, p
Oxidative Stress and Asthma: Proteome Analysis of Chitinase-like Proteins and FIZZ1 in Lung Tissue and Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid

Oxidative stress plays an important role in the development of airway inflammation and hyperreactivity in asthma. The identification of oxidative stress markers in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung tissue from ovalbumin (OVA) sensitized mice could provide new insight into disease pathogenesis and possible use of antioxidants to alleviate disease severity. We used two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to determine the impact of the thiol antioxidant, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), on protein expression in a murine OVA model. At least six proteins or protein families were found to be significantly increased in BALF from OVA-challenged mice compared to a control group: Chitinase 3-like protein 3 (Yml), Chitinase 3-like protein 4 (Ym2), acidic mammalian Chitinase (AMCase), pulmonary surfactant-associated protein D (SP-D), resistin-like molecule alpha (RELMalpha) or "found in inflammatory 1" (FIZZ1), and haptoglobin alpha-subunit. A total of nine proteins were significantly increased in lung tissue from the murine asthma model, including Yml, Ym2, FIZZ1, and other lung remodeling-related proteins. Western blotting confirmed increased Yml/Ym2, SP-D, and FIZZ1 expression measured from BAL fluid and lung tissue from OVA-challenged mice. Intraperitoneal NAC administration prior to the final OVA challenge inhibited Yml/Ym2, SP-D, and FIZZ1 expression in BALF and lung tissue. The oxidative stress proteins, Ym1/Ym2, FIZZ1, and SP-D, could play an important role in the pathogenesis of asthma and may be useful oxidative stress markers.
Radiative transfer modeling of near-infrared spectra of lunar mare soils : Theory and measurement

[1] We examine the ability of a radiative transfer model based on the theory of Hapke (1981, 1993, 2001) to reproduce reflectance spectra of known composition, as well as extract compositional information from reflectance spectra. We test this model using spectra of two-component mineral mixtures, spectra of lunar mare soils studied by the Lunar Soil Characterization Consortium (LSCC), and a telescopic spectrum of the Apollo 11 landing site. The model is able to accurately reproduce spectra of two-component mineral mixtures and can be used to accurately predict mineral abundances, mineral chemistry, and particle size. Reflectance spectra of the lunar mare soils are modeled using the mineral abundances and chemistries reported for each soil. We collect our own mineral and chemical information for one of these samples, 12001, in order to examine the effects of several simplifying assumptions employed by the LSCC and conclude that the classification of glass (volcanic/impact versus agglutinitic) can have large consequences on the predicted spectra. Model spectra can generally mimic the lunar mare sample spectra, though with consistent errors in contrast and continuum slope, and absorption bands offset to shorter wavelengths. The Apollo 11 telescopic spectrum is successfully modeled with mineralogy and chemistry from sample 10084, though the fit is improved with slight variations in mineralogy or mineral chemistry. We find that varying pyroxene chemistry can have as large an effect on spectral shape as varying mineral abundance.
A compendium of transformation formulas useful in GPS work

In order properly to apply transformations when using data derived from different GPS solutions, the effects of plate motion on the coordinates should be accurately taken into consideration. Only then can a rigorous comparison be established between results observed at different epochs. Equations are given to relate GPS-derived Cartesian coordinates and velocities affected by changes of their reference frames and epochs.
Math Bio or Biomath? Flipping the mathematical biology classroom

Mathematical and computational methods are vital to many areas of contemporary biological research, such as genomics, molecular modeling, structural biology, ecology, evolutionary biology, neurobiology, and systems biology. As such, the contemporary life science student needs to be exposed to, if not well-versed in, many areas of mathematics to keep pace. However, traditional ways of teaching mathematics may not be able to provide life science majors the skills and experiences necessary to effectively use mathematics in their careers as practitioners and/or researchers, as these skills and experiences (for example, mathematical modeling and interdisciplinary collaboration) are difficult to teach using lecture-style approaches. In this paper the authors describe the implementation and assessment of a flipped-classroom approach to teaching a sophomore-level mathematical biology course for life science majors.
Investigation of the β-lactamase activity of Prototheca zopfii

A total of 52 strains of Prototheca zopfii were studied with a series of beta-lactam compounds in order to test possible existence of beta-lactamase capable of inactivating these compounds. The method used was based on the iodimetric technique. Results showed the existence of beta-lactamase which worked in different degrees depending on the beta-lactam compounds.
Associations of Subclinical Cardiovascular Disease With Frailty

Methods. Frailty status was defined in participants of the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS), a cohort of 5,201 community-dwelling older adults, based on the presence of three out of five clinical criteria. The five criteria included selfreported weight loss, low grip strength, low energy, slow gait speed, and low physical activity. We examined the spectrum of clinical and subclinical cardiovascular disease in those who were frail (3/5 criteria) or of intermediate frailty status (1or 2/5 criteria), compared to those who were not frail (0/5). We hypothesized that the severity of frailty would be related to a higher prevalence of reported cardiovascular disease (CVD), as well as to a greater extent of CVD, measured by noninvasive testing. Results. Of 4,735 eligible participants, 2,289 (48%) were not frail, 299 (6%) were frail, and 2,147 (45%) were of intermediate frailty status. Those who were frail were older (77.2 yrs) compared to those who were not frail (71.5 yrs) or intermediate (73.4 yrs) ( p , .001). Frailty status was associated with clinical CVD and most strongly with congestive heart failure (odds ratio [OR] 5 7.51 (95% confidence interval [CI] 5 4.66‐12.12). In those without a history of a CVD event ( n 5 1,259), frailty was associated with many noninvasive measures of CVD. Those with carotid stenosis . 75% (adjusted OR 5 3.41), ankle-arm index , 0.8 (adjusted OR 5 3.17) or 0.8‐0.9 (adjusted OR 5 2.01), major electrocardiography (ECG) abnormalities (adjusted OR 5 1.58), greater left ventricular (LV) mass by echocardiography (adjusted OR 5 1.16), and higher degree of infarct-like lesions in the brain (adjusted OR 5 1.71), were more likely to be frail compared to those who were not frail. The overall associations of each of these noninvasive measures of CVD with frailty level were significant (all p , .05). Conclusions. Cardiovascular disease was associated with an increased likelihood of frail health. In those with no history of CVD, the extent of underlying cardiovascular disease measured by carotid ultrasound and ankle‐arm index, LV hypertrophy by ECG and echocardiography, was related to frailty. Infarct-like lesions in the brain on magnet resonance imaging were related to frailty as well.
Evaluation of the cell-penetrating peptide TAT as a trans-blood-brain barrier delivery vehicle

Therapeutic delivery into the brain parenchyma is difficult due to the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). One potential solution is to use cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs). CPPs are short peptides made up of primarily positively charged amino acids that have the ability to transduce cell membranes and deliver cargoes to cells. It is unclear, however, whether CPPs can penetrate cell barriers, such as the BBB, and deliver cargoes into cells on the other side. In this study, we examined the ability of the CPP TAT to deliver a green fluorescent protein (GFP) cargo across an endothelial monolayer. GFP-TAT had only minimal permeability across the monolayer, and the rate was no different from GFP alone or other similarly sized dextrans. Furthermore, this permeability was too small to detect transduction of GFP-TAT into astrocytes on the other side of the monolayer. We conclude that TAT does not have the ability to deliver cargoes across an intact BBB, and therefore may not be a suitable vehicle for therapeutic delivery to the brain.
Interagency monitoring action plan (I-MAP) for quagga mussels in Lake Mead, Nevada-Arizona, USA

Following the discovery of quagga mussels in Lake Mead, Nevada-Arizona, USA, a variety of federal, state and regional agencies set up monitoring programs to evaluate and gain information to help minimize the impacts, or potential impacts, of quagga mussels to their facilities and lake ecology. While the agencies have worked closely and shared monitoring data and findings from the beginning of the infestation, there has been no documented comprehensive monitoring program to describe and record the various quagga mussel-related monitoring needs. Ad hoc interagency quagga mussel meeting representatives established an Interagency Monitoring Action Plan (I-MAP), which outlines agency objectives related to quagga mussel monitoring and provides approaches to realize these objectives. I-MAP team members and their respective agencies provide technical, logistical, and financial support in monitoring quagga mussels and their environmental impacts to Lake Mead. The goal of this effort is to develop a long-term, cost-effective, and consistent monitoring plan for quagga mussels in Lake Mead to inform various agencies and to gain efficiencies from shared operations and information. The plan attempts to build upon current monitoring activities and capabilities, identifies the next steps that can occur within existing capabilities and, finally, outlines gaps and areas of future need.
On the secure degrees of freedom in the K-user Gaussian interference channel

This paper studies the K-user Gaussian interference channel with secrecy constraints. Two distinct network models, namely the interference channel with confidential messages and the one with an external eavesdropper, are analyzed. Using interference alignment along with secrecy pre-coding at each transmitter, it is shown that each user in the network can achieve non-zero secure degrees of freedoms (DoFs) in both scenarios. In particular, the proposed coding scheme achieves K-2/2K-2 secure DoFs for each user in the interference channel with confidential messages model, and K-2/2K secure DoFs in the case of an external eavesdropper. The fundamental difference between the two scenarios stems from the lack of channel state information (CSI) about the external eavesdropper. Remarkably, the results establish the positive impact of interference on the secrecy capacity of wireless networks.
An Information-Theoretic Framework for Understanding Saccadic Eye Movements

In this paper, we propose that information maximization can provide a unified framework for understanding saccadic eye movements. In this framework, the mutual information among the cortical representations of the retinal image, the priors constructed from our long term visual experience, and a dynamic short-term internal representation constructed from recent saccades provides a map for guiding eye navigation. By directing the eyes to locations of maximum complexity in neuronal ensemble responses at each step, the automatic saccadic eye movement system greedily collects information about the external world, while modifying the neural representations in the process. This framework attempts to connect several psychological phenomena, such as pop-out and inhibition of return, to long term visual experience and short term working memory. It also provides an interesting perspective on contextual computation and formation of neural representation in the visual system.
Do Migrants and their Households Talk Finance

Abstract Background: Our research investigates the impact of the sudden profusion of internet media and other forms of global communications on family values in Qatar. The majority of mass communications and sociological research has focused on examining the media content and the audience of the media in the United States and Europe. However, documentation on the societal consequences of the dissemination of internet media and other forms of mass communication on Arab, and in particular Gulf countries such as Qatar, remains scarce. The particular placement of Qatar at the heart of the cross-currents of globalization affords a unique opportunity to examine this phenomenon. Objective: This paper attempts to gauge to what degree global communications are driving individualism a modern sense of citizenship and national identity, and to what degree the weakening of family solidarities may have adverse consequences for communal identities and the fabric of households and the nation as a whole. Methodology: The ...
BACTERIAL CONTAMINATION OF THE JEJUNUM AND VITAMIN B12 ABSORPTION.

Macrocytic anemia due to stasis of the contents of the small intestine is a well known clinical entity. It has been reported in association with improperly drained intestinal segments at all levels of the small bowel, including partially obstructed afferent loops after gastrectomy,1 multiple jejunal diverticula,1–3 and with poorly draining ileal segments.4, 5 There is now strong evidence that bacterial overgrowth in such intestinal segments plays a major role in the etiology of the hematologic syndrome.2, 4–7 At present, however, the exact mechanism by which this bacterial proliferation leads to a malabsorption or malutilization of vitamin B12 is still not clear. In an effort to throw further light on this matter, segments of jejunum were interposed into the colon. We hoped by this technique to provide some information on two separate but related aspects the relationship of bacterial proliferation to malabsorption. First, because the segment of small intestine subjected to continuous fecal contamination would be out of the upper alimentary stream, any defect in absorption of vitamin B12 could then be considered to occur as a result of a circulating substance such as a toxin. Second, it could be observed whether prolonged bacterial contamination of the mucosa of the upper intestinal tract could cause recognizable histologic changes suggestive of a malabsorptive defect.
Data provenance tracking for concurrent programs

We propose Last Writer Slicing (LWS), a mechanism for tracking data provenance information in multithreaded code in a production setting. Last writer slices dynamically track provenance of values by recording the thread and operation that last wrote each variable. We show that this information complements core dumps and greatly improves debugability. We also propose communication traps (CTraps), an extensible framework that uses LWS to interpose on operations that lead to inter-thread communication. We show how to use CTraps to implement multiple dynamic analysis tools for mulithreaded programs. Our evaluation on server programs and PARSEC benchmarks shows that LWS has low run time overheads (0--15%) for many applications, including memcached, LevelDB, MySQL, and Apache. Our debugging case studies of real, buggy programs shows that LWS are indeed useful for debugging.
Influenza-like illness in a community surrounding a school-based outbreak of 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus-Chicago, Illinois, 2009

In April 2009, following the first school closure due to 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) (pH1N1) in Chicago, Illinois, area hospitals were inundated with patients presenting with influenza-like illness (ILI). The extent of disease spread into the surrounding community was unclear. We performed a household survey to estimate the ILI attack rate among community residents and compared reported ILI with confirmed pH1N1 cases and ILI surveillance data (ie, hospital ILI visits, influenza testing, and school absenteeism). The estimated ILI attack rate was 4.6% (95% confidence interval, 2.8%-7.4%), with cases distributed throughout the 5-week study period. In contrast, 36 (84%) of 43 confirmed pH1N1 cases were identified the week of the school closure. Trends in surveillance data peaked during the same week and rapidly decreased to near baseline. Public awareness and health care practices impact standard ILI surveillance data. Community-based surveys are a valuable tool to help assess the burden of ILI in a community.
An automatic system to study sperm motility and energetics

An integrated robotic laser and microscope system has been developed to automatically analyze individual sperm motility and energetics. The custom-designed optical system directs near-infrared laser light into an inverted microscope to create a single-point 3-D gradient laser trap at the focal spot of the microscope objective. A two-level computer structure is described that quantifies the sperm motility (in terms of swimming speed and swimming force) and energetics (measuring mid-piece membrane potential) using real-time tracking (done by the upper-level system) and fluorescent ratio imaging (done by the lower-level system). The communication between these two systems is achieved by a gigabit network. The custom-built image processing algorithm identifies the sperm swimming trajectory in real-time using phase contrast images, and then subsequently traps the sperm by automatically moving the microscope stage to relocate the sperm to the laser trap focal plane. Once the sperm is stably trapped (determined by the algorithm), the algorithm can also gradually reduce the laser power by rotating the polarizer in the laser path to measure the trapping power at which the sperm is capable of escaping the trap. To monitor the membrane potential of the mitochondria located in a sperm's mid-piece, the sperm is treated with a ratiometrically-encoded fluorescent probe. The proposed algorithm can relocate the sperm to the center of the ratio imaging camera and the average ratio value can be measured in real-time. The three parameters, sperm escape power, sperm swimming speed and ratio values of the mid-piece membrane potential of individual sperm can be compared with respect to time. This two-level automatic system to study individual sperm motility and energetics has not only increased experimental throughput by an order of magnitude but also has allowed us to monitor sperm energetics prior to and after exposure to the laser trap. This system should have application in both the human fertility clinic and in animal husbandry.
Technical note: Calculation by microdosimetric methods of the formation by a single high-energy photon or electron of two lesions in the same DNA molecule

The formation by a single high-energy photon or electron of two lesions (such as double-strand breaks) in the same DNA molecule is calculated by microdosimetric methods. The result is similar to a previous calculation using a target theory approach. Thus, it is reasonably certain that, for 1 Gy of sparsely ionizing radiation acting on a DNA molecule of 106 base pairs, 3% of two-hit events such as deletions are from a single radiation event.
LIGHT-EMITTING ELECTROCHEMICAL PROCESSES

▪ Abstract Electrochemical processes leading to light emission are reviewed, with emphasis on aspects of this subject relevant to the understanding and optimization of electrogenerated luminescence (EL) in organic thin-film materials. The basic energetic requirements of light emission from electrochemically initiated solution redox reactions [electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL)] are reviewed first. This review is followed by a discussion of light-emitting electrochemical processes that have been observed in hybrids of ionically conducting polymers and electronically conducting polymers. Finally, the features of EL in insulating polymers and molecular thin films are reviewed, along with recent electrochemical and ECL studies of the small-molecule components of certain organic light-emitting diodes. These studies provide a conceptual framework for understanding and optimizing these materials and the EL process.
Long-Term Graft Survival with Neoral and Tacrolimus: A Paired Kidney Analysis

Calcineurin inhibitors (CNI) are an important component of most immunosuppressive protocols utilized in renal transplantation. Both CNI available (cyclosporine and tacrolimus) have been used for many years. Studies comparing the efficacy of these two agents in terms of long-term graft or patient survival have thus far failed to show an advantage for either agent. This failure to show a difference could possibly be due to underpowering of clinical trials. The authors used the SRTR database to analyze 5-yr graft survival of the microemulsion formulation of cyclosporine (Neoral) as compared with tacrolimus. To minimize the donor variability and bias, a paired kidney analysis was used. Deceased donors from the years 1995-2002 were analyzed from the SRTR database. All paired kidneys during this period, where one kidney was allocated to a patient receiving initial Neoral therapy and its mate allocated to a patient receiving initial tacrolimus therapy were evaluated. Multivariate and univariate analysis were performed. Univariate analysis demonstrated equivalent graft survival for Neoral compared with tacrolimus (66.9% versus 65.9%, respectively). Multivariate analysis could not demonstrate a difference in risk for 5-yr patient survival or graft loss. Renal function was superior for tacrolimus at all time points, whereas the slope of 1/Cr over time did not differ for the two agents. In this paired kidney analysis, no difference in 5-yr renal allograft survival could be found between the two agents. Renal function was superior in the patients receiving initial tacrolimus therapy; however, slope of 1/Cr did not differ between the agents.
Beyond chalk and talk: a feminist-Austrian dialogue

Despite its limited efficacy, 'chalk and talk' remains the default pedagogy in undergraduate economics. Chalk and talk's persistence is partially a rhetorical problem, a failure to persuade economics educators that expert-centred pedagogies are philosophically inconsistent with assumptions and theories they hold dear as economists. In this article, I examine and contrast two counterexamples drawn from the literature of feminist pedagogy and the emerging discourse of Austrian pedagogy. Extending the de facto feminist-Austrian dialogue to the broader conversation of economics education, I argue that critical masses of mainstream and heterodox economists are already committed to (or could be persuaded to adopt) the ends and means of liberal education. The discovery of pedagogical confluences between ostensibly discordant schools of economic thought (feminist and Austrian, heterodox and mainstream) suggests that reflexive pedagogy - rendering explicit the theoretical precepts embedded in educational practices - may offer an effective way to foster pedagogical innovation.
Banking System Crises in Japan, Sweden and the U.S.A in Comparative Perspective

The intensification of competition in financial markets increases the likelihood of failure and fragility in the banking systems. These failures create serious concerns because of the consequent asset market contractions, insolvency of major institutions and government bailouts mounting up to substantial portions of GDP. Developing the ability to manage the increased risks in the financial system, and overcome their adverse implications on the banking sector require effective implementation of regulatory and supervisory framework, which can promptly detect the sources of fragility, and a mechanism to facilitate the resolution of problems with the least cost to the economy. Japan, the United States and Sweden were among the countries that experienced banking failures in the 1990s. This study attempts to analyze the origins of the banking crises and the resolution processes in these countries in a comparative perspective. The findings of the research showed that the competitive pressures after the deregulation and internationalization of financial systems were responsible for the excessive risk-taking behavior, which was not adequately monitored by the supervisory bodies. Unlike the United States and Sweden, the delayed resolution of banking crisis and the lack of institutionalization of transparent regulatory regime resulted in a mounting bad debt problem in Japan. In addition, the deterioration of the macroeconomic conditions further aggravated the problems in the Japanese banking system.
Creating safety culture on nursing units: Human performance and organizational system factors that make a difference

Objective:To report evidence of relationships among selected human performance factors and perceptions of safety culture on medical/surgical nursing units in relation to nurses' productivity, frequency of error reporting, and reported medication administration errors.Background:Creating safety cultu
Location capability of various seismic networks

Capabilities of various continental-wide and worldwide short-period seismic networks are described. It is stressed that the proper approach to design of a worldwide network is the use of a limited number of high-quality stations rather than the use of many inferior stations. Such a result is expected because of the variation of P amplitude with epicentral distance.
Buddhism and Science in the Mirror of Language

From the very beginning of the European encounter with Buddhism, both Asian and western commentators have argued that Buddhism is compatible with Science, at the risk of producing a naturalistic interpretation of the teaching of the Buddha. If the dialogue between Buddhism and science is to be substantial, then it is critical to understand Buddhism better than many presently do. Better understanding means assessing the conflict between religion and science from a Buddhist perspective, rather than reducing Buddhism to the mere object of scientific validation or refutation. Buddhist assumptions are different from western ones and its major teachings—such as karma—are best not shoehorned into foreign philosophical frameworks like Cartesian mind/body dualism. In this paper, the author focuses on one salient example. The arc of Buddhist tradition probes and questions the belief that human language is able to articulate timeless and universal truths. If this skepticism about the capacity of language is justifie...
Experimental Investigation of Turbulent Boundary Layers Under Favorable Pressure Gradient

The goal of this research is to study the effect of favorable pressure gradient (FPG) on the near wall structures of a turbulent boundary layer on a smooth wall. 2D-PIV measurements have been performed in a sink flow, initially at a coarse resolution, to characterize the development of the mean flow and (under resolved) Reynolds stresses. Lack of self-similarity of mean velocity profiles shows that the boundary layer does not attain the sink flow equilibrium. In the initial phase of acceleration, the acceleration parameter, K = v/U2 dU/dx, increases from zero to 0.575×10−6 , skin friction coefficient decreases and mean velocity profiles show a log region, but lack universality. Further downstream, K remains constant, skin friction coefficient increases and the mean velocity profiles show a second log region away from the wall. In the initial part of the FPG region, all the Reynolds stress components decrease over the entire boundary layer. In the latter phase, they continue to decrease in the middle of the boundary layer, and increase significantly close to the wall (below y∼0.15δ), where they collapse when normalized with the local freestream velocity. Turbulence production and wallnormal transport, scaled with outer units, show self-similar profiles close to the wall in the constant K region. Spanwise-streamwise plane data shows evidence of low speed streaks in the log layer, with widths scaling with the boundary layer thickness.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Risk factors for i.v. compounding errors when using an automated workflow management system.

Purpose Results of a study to determine the frequency of and risk factors for errors in automated compounding of i.v. medication doses at a pediatric hospital are presented. Methods Data compiled by the hospital’s automated i.v. compounding workflow management system over a 12-month period were analyzed. A descriptive analysis was conducted to characterize intercepted errors by frequency and type. Multivariate regression analysis via a backward stepwise procedure was performed to identify notable risk factors for i.v. compounding errors. Results Among the 421,730 i.v. doses evaluated, there were 3,101 documented errors (an overall error rate of 0.74%). The automated system intercepted 72.27% of the errors, mainly those containing an incorrect drug or diluent. The remaining 27.73% of i.v. compounding errors, primarily dose preparation in the wrong volume (21.51%) or damage to the final product (0.93%), were identified during final inspection by a pharmacist. The logistic regression model showed that four factors were significantly ( p < 0.05) associated with an increased risk of compounding errors: dose preparation during the morning shift (relative risk [RR], 1.84; 95% CI, 1.68–2.02) or on a Sunday (RR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.11–1.47), preparation of doses for use in critical care units (RR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.07–1.28), and technician versus pharmacist compounding (RR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.04–1.32). Conclusion Analysis of error reports generated by an i.v. compounding workflow management system at a large pediatric hospital over one year found an overall rate of detected errors of 0.74%. Four factors were identified as significant predictors of increased error risk.
Previous arthroscopic repair of femoro-acetabular impingement does not affect outcomes of total hip arthroplasty.

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is commonly elected following failed arthroscopic treatment of femoro-acetabular impingement (FAI). The purpose of this study was to evaluate post-operative outcomes of primary THA in patients who had previously undergone arthroscopic treatment for FAI. A retrospective, matched case–control study was conducted. The case group included 39 patients who underwent THA after previous hip arthroscopy for FAI. Thirty-nine patients who had a primary THA without previous hip arthroscopy served as a control group and were matched for age, sex and body mass index. Surgical outcomes were assessed based on inpatient hospital metrics and outpatient complication measures. Statistical analyses were performed to identify the significance of outcome variables between case and control groups. No statistically significant differences were observed between groups in terms of operative time, haemoglobin drop, intra-operative estimated blood loss, transfusion requirements, amounts of opioids provided, functional mobility assessments on post-operative days one and two, length of hospitalization, discharge location, emergency department visits, post-operative superficial or deep periprosthetic infection, revision rates for dislocation or formation of heterotopic bone (p-values = 0.1–0.8). A statistically significant difference was found between the walking scores on the third post-operative day (p = 0.015). These findings, while underpowered, are consistent with other previously published reports. Previous hip arthroscopy for FAI does not appear to impact post-operative outcomes of a subsequent THA. Larger datasets from different surgeons and centers are needed to further assess these conclusions. Case–control level-III.