cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Moderate-to-Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

Managing patients with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), particularly those with combat-related blast injury, is exceptionally challenging. Optimal care requires the coordinated efforts of numerous providers, contributing to an interdisciplinary team. Given the complexities of TBI and the variety of physiologic, physical, cognitive, behavioral, and emotional manifestations of the injury, a holistic approach to patient care is needed throughout the entire continuum of care. In this article, the authors provide an overview of how interdisciplinary care is provided from the acute to the chronic settings, and illustrate the important role that rehabilitation plays throughout the continuum of care in facilitating maximizing recovery, functional independence, and quality of life. Common conditions associated with TBI are illustrated through a case presentation of an individual with blast-related polytrauma and help to frame a more detailed discussion of subtopics including neurointensive care, posttraumatic seizures, venous thromboembolic disease prevention, spasticity management, vestibular disorders, endocrine dysfunction, and psychological trauma.
One‐ and two‐dimensional nmr spectral analysis of the consequences of single amino acid replacements in proteins

The traditional approach of using homologous sequences to elucidate the role of specific amino acid residues in protein structure and function becomes more meaningful as the number of differences is minimized, with the limit being alteration of a single residue. For small proteins in solution, NMR spectroscopy offers a means of obtaining detailed information about each residue and its response to a given change in the protein sequence. Extraction of this information has been aided by recent progress in spectrometer technology (higher magnetic fields, more sensitive signal detection, more sophisticated computers) and experimental strategies (new NMR pulse sequences including multiple-quantum and two-dimensional NMR methods). The set of avian ovomucoid third domains, which consists of the third domain proper plus a short leader (connecting peptide) and has a maximum of 56 amino acid residues, offers an attractive system for developing experimental methods for investigating sequence-structure and structure-function relationships in proteins. Our NMR results provide examples of sequence effects on pKa' values, average conformation, and internal motion of amino acid side chains.
Controlling vibrational excitation with shaped mid-IR pulses.

We report selective population of the excited vibrational levels of the ${T}_{1u}$ CO-stretching mode in $\mathrm{W}(\mathrm{CO}{)}_{6}$ using phase-tailored, femtosecond mid-IR ($5.2\text{ }\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$, $1923\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$) pulses. An evolutionary algorithm was used to optimize specific vibrational populations. Stimulated emission peaks, indicative of population inversion, could be induced. Systematic truncation of each optimized pulse allowed for increased understanding of the excitation mechanism. The pulses and techniques developed herein will have broad applications in controlling ground state chemistry and enhancing vibrational spectroscopies.
Alternative S2 Hinge Regions of the Myosin Rod Affect Myofibrillar Structure and Myosin Kinetics

The subfragment 2/light meromyosin “hinge” region has been proposed to significantly contribute to muscle contraction force and/or speed. Transgenic replacement of the endogenous fast muscle isovariant hinge A (exon 15a) in Drosophila melanogaster indirect flight muscle with the slow muscle hinge B (exon 15b) allows examination of the structural and functional changes when only this region of the myosin molecule is different. Hinge B was previously shown to increase myosin rod length, increase A-band and sarcomere length, and decrease flight performance compared to hinge A. We applied additional measures to these transgenic lines to further evaluate the consequences of modifying this hinge region. Structurally, the longer A-band and sarcomere lengths found in the hinge B myofibrils appear to be due to the longitudinal addition of myosin heads. Functionally, hinge B, although a significant distance from the myosin catalytic domain, alters myosin kinetics in a manner consistent with this region increasing myosin rod length. These structural and functional changes combine to decrease whole fly wing-beat frequency and flight performance. Our results indicate that this hinge region plays an important role in determining myosin kinetics and in regulating thick and thin filament lengths as well as sarcomere length.
Fuel-cost minimisation for both real-and reactive-power dispatches

The fuel cost formula is developed for optimal real-and reactive-power dispatch for the economic operation of power systems. The problem is decomposed into a P-optimisation and a Q-optimisation module, where both modules use the same fuel cost objective function resulting in the optimal load flow. The control variables are generator real-power outputs for the real-power module; and generator reactive-power outputs, shunt capacitors/reactors and transformer tap settings for the reactive-power module. The constraints are the operating limits of the control variables, power-line flows and busbar voltages. The optimisation problem is solved using the gradient projection method (GPM) for the quadratic objective function and linear constraints. The GPM allows the use of functional constraints without the need of penalty functions or Lagrange multipliers among other advantages. Mathematical models are developed to represent the sensitivity relationships between dependent and control variables for both real- and reactive-power optimisation modules; and thus eliminate the use of B-coefficients. Results of two test systems are presented and compared with conventional methods.
Temperature-Dependent Effects of Road Deicing Salt on Chironomid Larvae

Abstract Road salt, a common pollutant in regions with snowy winters, enters roadside wetlands when temperatures are low and organisms are physiologically inactive and remains until flushed by snowmelt or rainfall. Flushing might not occur until spring temperatures rise and organisms are physiologically active. Thus, effects of road salt on aquatic organisms must be studied within the context of temperature. We monitored temperature and conductivity at the sediment–water interface from January to May 2004–2006 in two constructed wetlands in Erie, Pennsylvania. Runoff caused peaks in conductivity (up to ∼30 mS/cm) followed by exponential declines. Conductivity remained >4 mS/cm during winter and returned to 10°C). Overspray caused lower peaks (<∼6 mS/cm), and values reached baseline early in spring. Winter/spring chironomid abundance was significantly lower in wetlands that received salt than in other wetlands. We used a factorial-design laboratory study to test whethe...
High-speed label-free functional photoacoustic microscopy of mouse brain in action

We present fast functional photoacoustic microscopy (PAM) for three-dimensional high-resolution, high-speed imaging of the mouse brain, complementary to other imaging modalities. We implemented a single-wavelength pulse-width-based method with a one-dimensional imaging rate of 100 kHz to image blood oxygenation with capillary-level resolution. We applied PAM to image the vascular morphology, blood oxygenation, blood flow and oxygen metabolism in both resting and stimulated states in the mouse brain.
Physical Modeling and Template Design for UWB Channels with Per-Path Distortion

Recent experimental and physical modeling studies demonstrate that, as opposed to systems with smaller bandwidth, the Ultra-Wideband (UWB) channel exhibits frequency-dependent distortion of individual multipath components. This per-path distortion is particularly significant in outdoor UWB applications, where line-of-sight (LOS) or non-distorted reflected signals might not be available at the receiver (for example, in a canyon-like street). In these cases, the dominant propagation mechanisms involve shadowing (diffraction) and reflection by small objects (e.g. signs or a lamp-posts). In this paper, a physical model is developed to investigate the position-dependent distortion of the UWB pulse. The results indicate that both the shadowed pulse and the reflected pulse (by small objects with dimensions bounded by the wavelengths present in the signal) are distorted. Design of optimal and suboptimal templates for the correlation receiver are investigated. The UWB pulses that accommodate robust template choice given by the transmit pulse shape for all propagation conditions and satisfy the FCC spectral mask for outdoor channels are identified. Finally, we analyze the frequency-dependent propagation gain of the UWB channels in various outdoor conditions. This knowledge quantifies the potential benefits of adapting the transmitted signal to the dominant propagation mechanism.
Thrombin and Interleukin-1β Regulate HOXA10 Expression in Human Term Decidual Cells: Implications for Preterm Labor

Context: Preterm delivery is commonly caused by intraamniotic infection with expression of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β) or by abruption resulting in generation of decidual thrombin. Although human parturition is not preceded by overt progesterone withdrawal, progesterone resistance likely leads to labor. The uteri of Hoxa10(−/−) mice demonstrate progesterone resistance; several genes, including prostaglandin receptors, are inappropriately regulated in response to progesterone. Objective: We hypothesized that IL-1β or thrombin would decrease HOXA10 expression, contributing to the progestin-resistant environment. We analyzed expression of HOX genes and their regulation by IL-1β or thrombin in decidual cells. Design and Setting: We conducted an in vitro experiment at an academic medical center. Intervention: Term decidual cells were treated with estradiol (E2) or E2 plus medroxyprogesterone acetate followed by addition of thrombin or IL-1β. Main Outcome Measure: HOX mRNA was evaluated by microarray and ...
Do CK-MB results affect chest pain decision making in the emergency department?

Study objective: To analyze the effect of creatine kinase isoenzyme (CKMB) results on decision making in the evaluation of emergency department patients with chest pain. Design: Prospective, controlled observational study of clinical decision making. Setting: EDs of two teaching hospitals, a Veterans Affairs medical center, and a medical school university hospital. Type of participants: Patients more than 30 years old complaining of chest discomfort warranting an ECG. Excluded were hemodynamically unstable patients and patients with ECG evidence of an acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Interventions: After the initial assessment including ECG but not CKMB data, physicians answered questions regarding estimated probability of AMI and disposition plans. CK-MB levels were drawn every hour for as long as three hours (from one to four CK-MBs) with results readily available. Physicians could admit their patients into the hospital at any time. At disposition after reviewing a second ECG and all available CK-MB data, the physicians answered the same questions and rank ordered the contribution to disposition of the following six factors: initial and serial clinical evaluations, initial and serial ECGs, and initial and serial CK-MB enzymes, respectively. The absolute log likelihood ratio test measured the contribution of CK-MB to decision certainty. Measurements and main results: Three hundred seventy-six patients were studied: 29 (7.7%) with AMI and 347 without AMI (nonAMI). Physicians indicated that CK-MB levels were useful for more than one third of study patients. When considered useful, CK-MB results strengthened the impression of AMI in AMI patients and decreased the impression of AMI for nonAMI patients; CK-MB also correlated with the perceived need for cardiac care unit admission in AMI patients and with a reduced need to admit nonAMI patients. The use of CK-MB results did not significantly increase ED release rates. Conclusion: The rapid availability of serial CK-MB results appears to affect decision making in one third of ED patients with chest pain and nondiagnostic ECGs. CK-MB levels appear to complement clinical evaluation of the ED chest pain patient in a manner analogous to the ECG.
Pulmonary hypertension and β‐thalassemia major: Report of a case, its treatment, and a review of the literature

Pulmonary hypertension is a common complication of b-thalassemia major. We report a case of successful treatment of pulmonary hypertension in a patient with b-thalassemia major and review the literature on pulmonary hypertension and b-thalassemia major. A 28year-old man with b-thalassemia major, splenectomy, hepatitis C, and hemosiderosis who presented with increasing dyspnea on exertion was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension. After receiving continuous epoprostenol infusion and desferoxamine, his functional capacity and hemodynamic status improved. To our knowledge, this is the first case of pulmonary hypertension associated with b-thalassemia treated with continuous epoprostenol infusion and desferoxamine. Epoprostenol, beneficial in the treatment of other types of pulmonary hypertension, may ameliorate the morbidity and mortality of pulmonary hypertension associated with thalassemia. Am. J. Hematol. 81:443–447, 2006. V C 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A molecular dynamics study of the relaxation of an excited molecule in crystalline nitromethane

Abstract Classical molecular dynamics simulations were used to study the relaxation of an excited nitromethane molecule in perfect crystalline nitromethane at 250 K and 1 atm pressure. The molecule was instantaneously excited by statistically distributing energy E∗ between 25.0 kcal/mol and 125.0 kcal/mol among the 21 degrees of freedom of the molecule. The relaxation occurs exponentially with time constants between 11.58 ps and 13.57 ps. Energy transfer from the excited molecule to surrounding quasi-spherical shells of molecules occurs concurrently to both the nearest and next-nearest neighbor shells, but with more energy per molecule transferred more rapidly to the first shell.
The Relativistic Two Nucleon Problem in Nuclear Matter

Abstract A new covariant formalism is developed for studying two-baryon correlations in infinite nuclear matter. The formalism is based on renormalizable, relativistic quantum field theories of mesons and baryons (quantum hadrodynamics) and involves a self-consistent summation of the relativistic ladder diagrams using a quasipotential approximation. Self-consistency modifies both the singleparticle spectrum and wave functions and introduces important density dependence into matrix elements of the one-boson-exchange (ladder) interaction. Results are obtained for the Walecka model, which describes the nucleon-nucleon interaction through neutral scalar and vector meson exchange. The mean-field theory (MFT) values of the large scalar and vector components of the baryon self-energy (“single-particle potential”) are modified only slightly by correlations, yielding a baryon effective mass M ∗ that decreases rapidly with increasing density. Moreover, correlations have a small effect on the high-density nuclear equation of state, which is quite stiff due to the small value of M ∗ and is given accurately by the MFT. In contrast, due to cancellations near equilibrium density, correlations produce significant corrections to the MFT binding energy. Calculated saturation properties are sensitive to the choice of quasipotential and the introduction of meson-baryon form factors. Finally, modifications from the shifted baryon mass in negative-energy states are included in a mean-field approximation. These corrections are significant in calculations of the binding energy.
731 PRENATAL DIAGNOSIS OF β-THALASSEMIA BY AMNIO-CENTESIS

We have conducted prenatal diagnosis for β-thalassemia (thal) by analysis of fetal DNA of amniotic fluid cells from 9 women at risk for affected children (4 Italian, 2 Greek, 2 Asiatic Indian, 1 Chinese). DNA of parents and their previous affected child was examined at 4 polymorphic restriction endonuclease sites near the thal mutation. Studies of an affected child allow us to determine which sites are “marking” the thal genes. One can then use linkage analysis to diagnose the thal status of the fetus. In 4 of the 9 fetuses studied, normal, thal trait, and affected genotypes could be differentiated. Diagnoses were: 1 normal, 1 affected, and 1 thal trait fetus; the latter 2 were confirmed by fetoscopy. Tests on the fourth fetus are pending. In the remaining 5 fetuses, thal major could be excluded in 3, but not in 2, both of which underwent fetoscopy. Screening of 20 additional couples at risk has shown that in 75% of their future pregnancies either exact fetal thal status can be determined or thal major can be ruled out. These results suggest that amniocentesis, with its low fetal risk and wide availability, can be the primary approach to prenatal diagnosis of β-thalassemia.
Family History of Children with Developmental Language Disorders

The present study shows the increased incidence of language-related disorders among family members of children with language disorders. The family histories of 74 children with developmental language disorders and 36 normal children were compared. The children with language disorders had significantly more family members who reported speech, stuttering, reading, and language disorders than the normal control group.
Self-calibration of cluster dark energy studies: Counts in cells

Cluster number counts can constrain the properties of dark energy if and only if the evolution in the relationship between observable quantities and the cluster mass can be calibrated. Next generation surveys with $\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{4}$ clusters will have sufficient statistics to enable some degree of self-calibration. The excess variance of counts due to the clustering of clusters provides such an opportunity and can be measured from the survey without additional observational cost. It can minimize the degradation in dark energy constraints due to an unknown power-law evolution in the mass-observable relation improving constraints on the dark energy equation of state by a factor of 2 or more to $\ensuremath{\sigma}(w)=0.06$ for a deep $4000{\mathrm{deg}}^{2}$ survey.
Oil spill dispersants cause bradycardia in a marine fish

Abstract The symptoms of detergent poisoning have been observed to be similar to those of asphyxic hypoxia (Marchetti, 1965). If hypoxia is in any way involved in the toxicity of detergents the sublethal physiological effects of the detergents in oil dispersants would be expected to be similar to the effect of hypoxia alone. When subjected to hypoxia fish decrease their heart rate and increase the ventilation volume (Holeton & Randall, 1967; Butler & Taylor, 1975; Randall, 1966). Heart rate in fish is precisely controlled and compensated (Kiceniuk, 1975; Kiceniuk & Jones, in press). This study was undertaken to determine (a) whether heart rate of a marine fish is affected by oil dispersants and if so, (b) what components of oil dispersants are effective in producing the response, and (c) at what relative concentrations?
The linear interpolation problem for totally positive matrices

Abstract It is shown that for two real vectors x , y there is a totally positive matrix A such that Ax = y if and only if a certain refinement of a classical (sign) variation diminishing relationship between x and y is satisfied.
What’s not to trust? Rubrics of political party trustworthiness in Chile and Argentina:

No political institutions enjoy less public trust than political parties. Understanding the implications of this phenomenon for representative democracy requires theoretically informed conceptualizations of party trust and distrust and theories about their underlying cognitive processes. In this vein, the present study conceptualizes party trust and distrust as perceived party trustworthiness, it models citizens' subjective standards as rubrics of party trustworthiness, and it derives rubric-based measures of party trust/distrust. The analyses identify rubrics that: (1) prize integrity and competence, (2) stress internal politics and competence, and (3) give priority to responsiveness and integrity. The rubric-based measures of party trust/distrust converge with a classic measure of party trust and, thus, bolster the conceptual validity and theoretical utility of this research. The results suggest new ways by which to measure party trust and distrust on public opinion surveys.
Automatic spatio-temporal analysis of construction site equipment operations using GPS data

Abstract A literature review revealed several major shortcomings in the analysis of construction equipment operations data, for example, the lack of using realistic or real-time positioning data that can feed into an equipment operations analysis or simulation model. This paper presents technology and algorithms that have the potential in aiding the automated assessment of construction site equipment operations. Utilizing commercially available low-cost global positioning system (GPS) devices enables the continuous data logging of equipment location in addition to simultaneously recording timestamps. However, before any such spatio-temporal equipment data can be reliably collected on construction sites, the error rate of the GPS devices had to be evaluated. Data analysis methods and rules for monitoring construction site equipment operations and activity were then defined. A detailed software interface was finally created that allows a user to set, analyze, and visualize several important equipment parameters towards achieving the goal of creating more realistic equipment operation analysis and potential for inclusion in simulation models. Results from field experiments show that the developed technology is able to identify and track equipment activity- and safety-related information automatically for job site performance and layout decision making, respectively. The presented work will aid construction project managers in making better decisions to plan, manage, and control equipment-related work tasks on construction sites.
Signal-induced fluorescence in photomultipliers in differential absorption lidar systems

Signal-induced bias (SIB) superimposed on the tail of lidar signals detected by photomultiplier tubes (PMT’s) has long been recognized as significant interference in lidar data retrieval. Analysis of the data from a lidar transmitting in the horizontal direction revealed that SIB is a well-shaped pulse and is thus called a signal-induced pulse (SIP). The SIP starts near the end of the signal and has an exponentially decaying tail. The decay time constant is negatively correlated with the pulse rise time. The origins of afterpulses discussed in the literature could not explain the cause of the SIP. This research leads to the hypothesis that the SIP is the fluorescence emitted from the PMT wall that is impinged by ions in the PMT. A model was developed, and the results show good agreement with the data. This model is applied to remove SIP’s during processing of data from an ozone-profiling lidar.
Wild tribes and ancient Semites: Israelite-Indian identification and the American West

Rabbi Henry Cohen of Galveston, Texas, carefully preserved a 1916 pamphlet that claimed a common history for ‘Wild Tribes’ of Indians and Jews of antiquity. Why would a Jewish author tie the customs of ‘uncivilised’ tribes to his own religion, and why might it capture Cohen's attention? This article suggests that the ‘Indian-Israelite’ identification appealed to acculturated Jews like Cohen as part of a wider embrace of a vision of manhood that at once held ties to Jewishness and American identity. That is, identification with the American West and frontier emphasised the harmony between Jewishness, a particular type of enlightened Judaism, and Americanisation. A brief survey of three movements – the relatively small-scale Galveston Movement, Jewish agricultural communities and the larger, more diverse Zionist movement – then demonstrates how the gendered and nationalist ideologies of Henry Cohen and other acculturated Jews like him aligned with their imagined constructions of Indians.
Early Vowel Contraction in Slavic: 1. i-Verbs. 2. The Imperfect. 3. The vòlja/súša Nouns

AbstractThree closely related studies show how three Common Slavic suffixes were changed in an early wave of glide loss and vowel contraction that occurred between the Late Common Slavic quantity-to-quality vowel shift and the earliest texts. The studies examine the Present suffix, Common Slavic -eje-, of iterative, causative, and denominative i-verbs; the Imperfect suffix, Common Slavic -ējā-, -ājā-; and the suffix of lexicalized relative adjectives -ej-(ā). Each study presupposes a detailed understanding of vowel contraction and due attention to the functional relations between the given elements and similar or contrasting stem-forming suffixes.
The Effect of Dissonance and Arousal on Assignment Performance as they Relate to Student Expectancy and Teacher Support Characteristics

AbstractA field experiment was conducted with 230 fifth and sixth grade male Ss to examine the relationship of two sets of variables as they affect performance on an arithmetic assignment. The first set of variables was the Ss’ expectancy (positive or negative). The second set was the dissonant or consonant expectancy of the experimenter regarding the Ss’ performance. The effect of the coupled independent variables was determined by a pretest- posttest design. A one-way analysis of variance for the comparison of mean gain scores was performed. The dissonant experimental groups did not significantly improve. Comparison of independent proportions was significant (p > .05) indicating relationship of student level of arousal to task complexity in affecting achievement.
Racial differences in long-term adherence to oral antidiabetic drug therapy: a longitudinal cohort study

Adherence to oral antidiabetic medications is often suboptimal. Adherence differences may contribute to health disparities for black diabetes patients, including higher microvascular event rates, greater complication-related disability, and earlier mortality. In this longitudinal retrospective cohort study, we used 10 years of patient-level claims and electronic medical record data (1/1/1992–12/31/2001) to assess differences in short- and long-term adherence to oral antidiabetic medication among 1906 newly diagnosed adults with diabetes (26% black, 74% white) in a managed care setting in which all members have prescription drug coverage. Four main outcome measures included: (1) time from diabetes diagnosis until first prescription of oral antidiabetic medication; (2) primary adherence (time from first prescription to prescription fill); (3) time until discontinuation of oral antidiabetic medication from first prescription; and (4) long-term adherence (amount dispensed versus amount prescribed) over a 24-month follow-up from first oral antidiabetic medication prescription. Black patients were as likely as whites to initiate oral therapy and fill their first prescription, but experienced higher rates of medication discontinuation (HR: 1.8, 95% CI: 1.2, 2.7) and were less adherent over time. These black-white differences increased over the first six months of therapy but stabilized thereafter for patients who initiated on sulfonylureas. Significant black-white differences in adherence levels were constant throughout follow-up for patients initiated on metformin therapy. Racial differences in adherence to oral antidiabetic drug therapy persist even with equal access to medication. Early and continued emphasis on adherence from initiation of therapy may reduce persistent racial differences in medication use and clinical outcomes.
Effect of Cycocel and its Analogues on Growth and Soluble Protein Content of Young Barley Seedlings

CYCOCEL, (2-chloroethyl)trimethylammoniumchloride, and its analogues have a profound effect on plant growth1–3. The same cycocel analogues which retard stem growth1,2,4 also inhibit gibberellin biosynthesis in Fusarium moniliforme4, reverse auxin5,6 and coumarin5,7 inhibition of lettuce seed germination and root growth and accelerate abscission of petiole in cotton8. This communication describes an attempt to find a metabolic basis to explain the action of this class of compounds.
FROM IRON AGE MYTH TO IDEALIZED NATIONAL LANDSCAPE: HUMAN-NATURE RELATIONSHIPS AND ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM IN FRITZ LANG'S DIE NIBELUNGEN

From the Iron Age to the modern period, authors have repeatedly restructured the ecomythology of the Siegfried saga. Fritz Lang's Weimar film production (released in 1924-1925) of Die Nibelungen presents an ascendant humanist Siegfried, who dominates over nature in his dragon slaying. Lang removes the strong family relationships typical of earlier versions, and portrays Siegfried as a son of the German landscape rather than of an aristocratic, human lineage. Unlike The Saga of the Volsungs , which casts the dwarf Andvari as a shape-shifting fish, and thereby indistinguishable from productive, living nature, both Richard Wagner and Lang create dwarves who live in subterranean or inorganic habitats, and use environmental ideals to convey anti-Semitic images, including negative contrasts between Jewish stereotypes and healthy or organic nature. Lang's Siegfried is a technocrat, who, rather than receiving a magic sword from mystic sources, begins the film by fashioning his own. Admired by Adolf Hitler, Die Nibelungen idealizes the material and the organic in a way that allows the modern ''hero'' to romanticize himself and, without the aid of deities, to become superhuman.
A Generalized Spectral-Domain Green's Function for Multilayer Dielectric Substrates with Application to Multilayer Transmission Lines

A generalized full-wave Green's function completely defining the field inside a multilayer dielectric structure due to a current element arbitrarily placed between any two layers is derived in two-dimensional spectral-domain form. It is derived by solving a "standard" form containing the current element with two substrates on either side of it, and using an iterative algorithm to take care of additional layers. Another iterative algorithm is then used to find the field in any layer in terms of the field expressions in the two layers of the "standard" form. The locations of the poles of the Green's function are predicted, and an asymptotic form is derived along with the asymptotic limit, by use of which the multilayer Green's function can be used in numerical methods as efficiently as the single-layer grounded-dielectric-substrate Green's function. This Green's function is then applied to a few multilayer transmission lines for which data are not found in the literature to date.
Effect of porphyrinogenic agents on protein synthesis and bilirubin formation by the isolated perfused rat liver.

Abstract We established an isolated rat liver perfusion system for the study of heme catabolism. The liver of rats fasted for 48 h is perfused with an erythrocyte-free medium. Ultrastructural analysis shows integrity of all subcellular organelles with the exception of minor alterations in the rough endoplasmic reticulum. The perfused liver synthesis serum proteins at a constant rate for 5 h. Albumin is secreted at a mean rate of 17 ± 2 mg/h per 100 g liver, hemopexin at 5.0 ± 0.7. haptoglobin at 3.2 ± 0.6 and transferrin at 5.1 ± 0.8 mg/h per 100 g liver. The mean ratio of ATP : ADP is 3.5 ± 0.1 , and that of lactate : pyruvate 27 ± 6. The rate of conversion of heme into bilirubin is comparable to that reported for in vivo studies. A minimal effect on protein synthesi is observed after administration of the porphyrinogenic agents, allylisopropylacetamide (AIA) and 3,5-diethoxycabonyl-1,4 dihydrocollidine (DDC). Pretreatment of the rats with the iron chelator, Desferal, causes a 3–4-fold increase in hemopoxin but not in albumin and transferrin synthesi. A striking 2–3-fold enhancement of bile bilirubin production follows treatment with DDC and Desferal, but not with AIA. The amount of bilirubin formed from heme added to the perfusate is reduced by AIA and DDC and enhanced by Desferal treatment. It is proposed that unavailability of iron in a certain hepatic tissue pool causes protoporphyrin IX accumulation which may serve as an alternate source for bilirubin production.
Case studies in hardware XPath acceleration

The high increase in usage of XML in electronic data exchange introduces new challenges for efficient processing of XML data. Applications that heavily use XML need to be able to quickly extract the relevant parts of the XML data, often using the XPath language for addressing XML document parts. High speed execution of XPath requests and queries is therefore becoming a critical requirement in many application domains, including XML databases and event processing. This work explores the potential for accelerating XPath processing in these domains using specialized hardware. This in turn poses the challenges of integrating specialized hardware with general-purpose application code. We present the design decisions behind building an integration layer to bridge between applications and the hardware, and describe our implementation. We discuss the factors that affect the acceleration potential, and show that despite the transmission overheads associated with off-loading XPath processing to the specialized co-processor, significant speedups can be obtained, ranging from modest 11% improvements in the event-processing domain, to over 6x speedup factor in the healthcare domain.
A Holomorphic Version of Borel–Weil–Bott Theorem

Abstract A new geometric realization is obtained for finite dimensional representations of a complex reductive group. The representations are realized as holomorphic objects on a homogeneous Stein manifold. Fundamental to the construction is a holomorphic version of a Hodge decomposition. In certain important cases, the key underlying geometric structure in this decomposition is a certain kind of generalized conformal structure, which generalizes the twistor structures on Gr(2, 4).
Epinephrine treatment is infrequent and biphasic reactions are rare in food-induced reactions during oral food challenges in children.

Background Data about epinephrine use and biphasic reactions in childhood food-induced anaphylaxis during oral food challenges are scarce. Objective To determine the prevalence and risk factors of reactions requiring epinephrine and the rate of biphasic reactions during oral food challenges (OFCs) in children. Methods Reaction details of positive OFCs in children between 1999 and 2007 were collected by using a computerized database. Selection of patients for OFCs was generally predicated on ≤50% likelihood of a positive challenge and a low likelihood of a severe reaction on the basis of the clinical history, specific IgE levels, and skin prick tests. Results A total of 436 of 1273 OFCs resulted in a reaction (34%). Epinephrine was administered in 50 challenges (11% of positive challenges, 3.9% overall) for egg (n = 15, 16% of positive OFCs to egg), milk (n = 14, 12%), peanut (n = 10, 26%), tree nuts (n = 4, 33%), soy (n = 3, 7%), wheat (n = 3, 9%), and fish (n = 1, 9%). Reactions requiring epinephrine occurred in older children (median, 7.9 vs 5.8 years; P P = .006) compared with reactions not treated with epinephrine. There was no difference in the sex, prevalence of asthma, history of anaphylaxis, specific IgE level, skin prick tests, or amount of food administered. Two doses of epinephrine were required in 3 of 50 patients (6%) reacting to wheat, cow's milk, and pistachio. There was 1 (2%) biphasic reaction. No reaction resulted in life-threatening respiratory or cardiovascular compromise. Conclusion Older age and reactions to peanuts were risk factors for anaphylaxis during oral food challenges. Reactions requiring multiple doses of epinephrine and biphasic reactions were infrequent.
Alendronate for the treatment of hypercalcaemia due to neonatal subcutaneous fat necrosis.

Dear Editor, We read with great interest the article by Mitra et al. [3] who described subcutaneous fat necrosis (SCFN) in a preterm infant after severe perinatal hypoxic injury complicated by hypercalcaemia. Mitra et al. [3] state that significant SCFN can develop in both preterm and term infants and preterm infants also develop significant complications including hypercalcaemia. Most patients can be treated successfully by hyperhydration, furosemide, corticosteroids, and also by citrate, calcitonin, and bisphosphonates [4, 5]. Among the bisphosphonates, both etidronate [4] and pamidronate [2] have been used in the treatment of hypercalcaemia due to SCFN of the newborn. However, the use of alendronate for this purpose has not been reported yet, as far as we know. Alendronate as a bisphosphonate is a potent inhibitor of osteoclast-mediated bone resorption. Previously, it has been used safely in patients with hypercalcaemia associated with vitamin D intoxication [1]. Recently, we successfully treated with alendronate sodium a patient with hypercalcaemia associated with SCFN after a severe perinatal asphyxic event. In our patient, the indurated erythematous plaques and nodules appeared on the back, upper arm and gluteal areas by postnatal day 7 (Fig. 1). When the lesions had almost disappeared on postnatal day 30, serum calcium level still reached a peak of 11.5 mg/dL with a urine calcium/urine creatinine ratio of 0.74 mg/mg. Laboratory testing showed serum parathyroid hormone level of 7.5 pg/mL (normal range, 15–65 pg/mL) and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level of 38.5 ng/mL (normal range, 10–40 ng/mL). Because of the clear clinical findings, a histopathological examination was not required. Renal ultrasonography showed bilaterally punctiform renal medullary hyperechogenicities. Despite adequate hydration, the patient’s serum calcium level remained high. Because the degree of hypercalcaemia was mild and there was nephrocalcinosis, furosemide treatment was not chosen in our patient. Moreover, corticosteroids were not considered because of their potential side effects. Hence, the bisphosphonate treatment was intended and then, because availability of oral preparation, the patient was given oral alendronate at a dosage of 5 mg/day. Oral alendronate treatment was discontinued on postnatal day 50 when the serum calcium level and urinary calcium/ creatinine ratio had returned to normal. During the alendronate therapy, no side effects were observed. In conclusion, patients with SCFN should be closely monitored for developing metabolic problems like hypercalcaemia. Moreover, alendronate can be used safely and effectively in the treatment of hypercalcaemia associated with SCFN. N. Hakan :M. Aydin (*) :A. Zenciroglu :N. Demirel : N. Okumus :M. S. Ipek Department of Neonatology, Dr. Sami Ulus Maternity and Children’s Hospital, Babur Street, no: 44 (06080) Altindag, Ankara, Turkey e-mail: dr1mustafa@hotmail.com
A Classical Field Theory of Gravity and Electromagnetism

A classical field theory of gravity and electromagnetism is developed. The starting point of the theory is the Maxwell equations which are directly tied to the Riemann-Christoffel curvature tensor. This is done through the derivatives of the Maxwell tensor which are equated to a vector field contracted with the curvature tensor, i.e., . The electromagnetic portion of the theory is shown to be equivalent to the classical Maxwell equations with the addition of a hidden variable. Because the proposed equations describing electromagnetism and gravity differ from the classical Maxwell-Einstein equations, their ability to describe classical physics is shown for several situations by direct calculation. The inclusion of antimatter and its behavior in a gravitational field, and the possibility of particle-like solutions exhibiting quantized charge, mass and angular momentum are discussed.
Emittance of Boehmite and Alumina Films on 6061 Aluminum Alloy Between 295 and 773 K

The total hemispherical emittance of an oxide film that formed on 6061-T6 aluminum alloy parts in the Tower Shielding Reactor-II at Oak Ridge National Laboratory was measured from 295 to 773 K using an emissometer and/or a calorimeter. The emittance of this film was critically needed for heat transfer calculations in a simulated loss-of-coolant accident of the reactor. X-ray diffraction analysis identified the film as boehmite (Al2 O3 ·H2 O), which dehydrated to alumina (Al2 O3 ) upon heating above 473 K. The measured emittances for the alumina film are in excellent agreement with published values for anodized aluminum films and for bulk alumina. Published values of the emittance of boehmite could not be found for comparison, but evidence is presented that some anodization processes for aluminum yield boehmite and not alumina films.
An additional class II intron with homology to reverse transcriptase in rapidly senescing Podospora anserina.

Senescence in Podospora anserina is maternally inherited and the parameters of senescence are race specific. We have compared the restriction enyzme fragment maps of race A, the most rapidly senescing race, with race s and have found three inserts in race A which are not present in race s mitochondrial DNA. Fragment A was mapped and found to be located downstream of the so-called α senDNA, a class II intron, near the 5′ end of the COI gene, separated from a senDNA by two class I introns. DNA sequence analysis showed that fragment A is also a class 11 intron, but with only 10% DNA sequence homology to a senDNA. Like α senDNA, intron A contains significant amino acid homology with known reverse transcriptases. The importance of this additional class II intron in the mitochondrial genome with the relative rate of senescence in race A is discussed.
Transmission coefficients for resonant tunneling in multi-barrier graded quantum well semiconductor heterostructures

Abstract Resonant tunneling of electrons is studied in a new class of multi-barrier semiconductor heterostructures which contain graded quantum wells , whose slopes can be changed by varying the alloy composition of the constituent material. Such systems, in the presence of an externally applied bias, can exhibit resonant tunneling behavior that is quite different from previously studied multi-barrier materials, because of the unique coupling of the quasi-bound states between the graded quantum wells. In this paper, we explicitly compute the electron transmission coefficient T ( E ) for such systems as a function of the multi-barrier geometry and internal slopes of the quantum wells to obtain novel transmission coefficient spectra and discuss their implications.
Importancia de la presión arterial diastólica en relación con la edad

La presion arterial diastolica (PAD) braquial, en relacion con la presion arterial sistolica (PAS) braquial, es un util marcador de la presion arterial (PA) central, ya que no esta distorsionada por la amplificacion de la presion. Por el contrario, una PAD baja puede ser un marcador temprano del aumento del gasto cardiaco/ volumen sistolico y/o rigidez arterial en los adultos jovenes y un marcador tardio de rigidez ventricular y arterial en los ancianos. Ademas, una PAD elevada es, a cualquier edad, un marcador del aumento de resistencia vascular periferica (tipico de la hipertension arterial idiopatica en adolescentes y adultos jovenes) y cuando esta gravemente elevada sugiere causas secundarias de hipertension y urgencia/crisis hipertensiva, especialmente en ancianos. La hipertension diastolica muy grave debe considerarse una senal de alarma, tanto para realizar un diagnostico rapido como para aplicar un tratamiento antihipertensivo agresivo y eficaz. Brachial diastolic blood pressure (DBP), in relation to brachial systolic blood pressure (SBP), is a useful marker of central blood pressure (BP) because it is not distorted by pressure amplification. Discordantly low DBP may be an early marker of increased cardiac output/stroke volume and/or arterial stiffness in young adults and a late marker of ventricular-arterial stiffness in the elderly. Discordantly elevated DBP at any age is a marker of increased peripheral vascular resistance -typical of essential hypertension in adolescents and young adults- and when severely elevated suggestive of urgent/emergent and secondary causes of hypertension, especially in the elderly. Very severe diastolic hypertension should raise a "red flag", both for prompt diagnosis and for aggressive and effective antihypertensive therapy.
Fischer–Tropsch synthesis: Overview of reactor development and future potentialities

An overview of the reactors utilized for the Fischer–Tropsch synthesis is considered during three time periods: discovery to 1945, 1945–1970, and 1970 to date. A brief outline of the scientific and engineering developments related to chemical reactor design for the same three periods is also presented. In general, the reactor developments outpaced the ability to utilize the scientific and engineering advances on the academic level. However, today it appears that the academic and industrial developments closely match each other in content and interests. Even so, the availability of reliable data from large-scale pilot plants and/or commercial operations remain available only to the organization developing the data.
High-performance PVK-based photorefractive polymers

Photorefractive materials have many potential photonic applications, including dynamic holographic storage and image processing. Recently, the new class of photorefractive polymers has emerged, offering wide structural flexibility, easy processability, and low cost. Progress in this field has led to nearly 100% diffraction efficiency for the readout of a hologram stored in the material and to extremely large net gain coefficients of more than 200 cm-1. These excellent properties result from refractive index modulations as large as (Delta) n approximately equals 10-2 which could be generated in these materials with low- power lasers, such as HeNe laser or laser diodes.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.