cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Post-partum hemolytic uremic syndrome: treatment with plasma exchange.

Four patients with post-partum hemolytie uremic syndrome were treated with plasma exchange using fresh frozen plasma as replacement. Each patient had microangiopathic hemolysis, thrombocytopenia, and progressive renal and hepatic failure. Disseminated intravascular coagulation was a major feature in each case. The microangiopathy and thrombocytopenia resolved in each patient following plasma exchange. Normalization of renal and hepatic function occurred in three patients, including one patient who died as a result of coronary artery dissection. One patient died as a result of an intracerebral bleed. Plasma exchange with fresh frozen plasma replacement appears to be of benefit if used early in the course of post-partum hemolytic uremic syndrome.
Localization of neuropeptides in efferent terminals of the eye in the marine snail, Bulla gouldiana

Like several other opisthobranch molluscs, the marine snailBulla gouldiana possesses two circadian pacemakers, one in each eye. The two ocular pacemakers are mutually coupled such that: (1) the circadian rhythms of spontaneous electrical activity recorded from the optic nerve are normally synchronous and; (2) if experimentally desynchronized the rhythms will return to the synchronized state. This coupling of the pacemakers is mediated by efferent fibers in the optic nerve, terminating in neuropil adjacent to the basal retinal neurons (BRNs), the putative circadian pacemaker cells. Attempts to identify neurotransmitters in efferent terminals that may be involved in the coupling process have failed. In the present study we demonstrate axons in the optic nerve and axon terminals adjacent to the BRNs that exhibit FMRF-amide- (molluscan cardioexcitatory peptide) and NPY-like (neuropeptide-Y) immunoreactivity. The pattern of immunoreactivity to both antisera is identical. Blocking studies indicate that both antisera are recognizing the same site, most likely the arginine-phenylalanine-amide terminus of FMRF, or an FMRF-like molecule. We conclude that FMRF is a candidate for the chemical mediator involved in the interaction between the two ocular pacemakers inBulla gouldiana.
Binding of holes in the Hubbard model with next-nearest-neighbor hopping.

We study the two-dimensional Hubbard model with next-nearest-neighbor hoppings and its related strong-coupling effective Hamiltonian by exact diagonalization. We found that the binding energy of holes tends to be smaller than with nearest neighbors only. However, the tendency towards phase separation is reduced by increasing the next-nearest-neighbor hopping. By studying pairing correlations, we found that the mode is strongly enhanced when the second-neighbor interactions are turned on.
Direct observation of discommensurate walls in Bi-Ca-Sr-Cu-O superconductors

The dislocations and twins in superconducting Bi-Ca-Sr-Cu-O samples are examined by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The results indicate that these defects are inherent to the materials. The grains are large in size (1\char21{}10 \ensuremath{\mu}m), but they are frequently divided into subgrains by low-angle grain boundaries. Furthermore, evidence is found for discommensurate walls associated with incommensuration along the b axis.
Measurements of street-crossing decision-making in pedestrians with low vision.

Purpose Crossing the street is an important but risky activity of daily living. If a pedestrian makes a poor street-crossing decision, the consequence could be serious injury or death. In order to advance our understanding of how visual and auditory information is sampled and processed to make street-crossing decisions, an accurate, reliable, and sensitive psychophysical and/or psychometric method of measurement of the street-crossing decision variable must first be developed and validated. The aim of this paper is to develop and validate a new metric for this variable.
Induction of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase and epoxide hydrolase in rat liver, kidney, testis, prostate glands, and stomach by a potent nematocide, 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane

Abstract Because of environmental contamination with 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP), a potent nematocide, it has become necessary to assess its adverse biological effects. The present data describe the ability of DBCP to induce aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) and epoxide hydrolase (EH) activities in the liver, kidney, testis, prostate glands, and stomach of the male rat. DBCP induced AHH in all organs studied except the liver and prostate glands. Maximum induction of AHH appeared 8, 8, and 16 hr following treatment for stomach, kidney, and testis, respectively. At the maximum induction, AHH activity in testis, kidney, and stomach was 2.1, 3.8, and 4.7 times that of controls, respectively. EH activity was also induced at varying times following DBCP treatment in the liver, kidney, testis, and prostate glands. The maximum induction occurred at 48 hr in kidney and testis, and at 74 hr in liver and prostate glands. At the maximally induced state, EH activity in prostate, testis, kidney, and liver was 2.3, 1.4, 1.9, and 2.6 times that of controls, respectively. Thus, EH induction was slightly less than that of AHH in respective organs. Furthermore, DBCP induction of AHH and EH activity was inhibited by either actinomycin D or cycloheximide, suggesting that this enzyme induction is due to de novo synthesis of new hemoproteins.
Material habits, identity, semeiotic

Complementing recent archaeological work on identities, in this article I describe the semeiotic of Charles Sanders Peirce - his general ‘theory of signs’ - and discuss its uses for interpreting human identity through material culture and the artefactual record. Often classified as ‘symbolic anthropology/archaeology’, previous researches have presented a more restricted sense of semeiotic, while fewer scholars have been working through Peirce’s theories directly. Here, I articulate some aspects of Peirce’s semeiotic realism and his pragmatism with his theories regarding semeiosic matter and semeiosic identity. Specifically, Peirce regarded matter as ‘mind hidebound with habits’, and his semeiotic is particularly well-suited for analyzing the obdurate or habitual character of material culture. Based primarily on my ethnographic and archaeological fieldwork in an Irish-speaking region in western Ireland, I explore and apply some of Peirce’s theories to an interpretation of human social identities manifest t...
Geochemistry, mining and the environment

This paper reviews literature on the sources of lead-zinc mining pollution, and specifically deals with the water and air pollution aspects of these operations. Problems associated with mining and the environment are also discussed. The problems are geochemical in nature but also economic, social, political and legal. Individuals doing research in these boundary conditions are poorly publicised and rarely recognised outside of their own narrow industry.
Cholinesterase and paraoxonase (PON1) enzyme activities in Mexican-American mothers and children from an agricultural community.

Exposure to organophosphate and carbamate pesticides can lead to neurotoxic effects through inhibition of cholinesterase enzymes. The paraoxonase (PON1) enzyme can detoxify oxon derivatives of some organophosphates. Lower PON1, acetylcholinesterase, and butyrylcholinesterase activities have been reported in newborns relative to adults, suggesting increased susceptibility to organophosphate exposure in young children. We determined PON1, acetylcholinesterase, and butyrylcholinesterase activities in Mexican–American mothers and their 9-year-old children (n=202 pairs) living in an agricultural community. We used Wilcoxon signed-rank tests to compare enzymatic activities among mothers and their children, and analysis of variance to identify factors associated with enzyme activities. Substrate-specific PON1 activities were slightly lower in children than their mothers; however, these differences were only statistically significant for the paraoxon substrate. We observed significantly lower acetylcholinesterase but higher butyrylcholinesterase levels in children compared with their mothers. Mean butyrylcholinesterase levels were strongly associated with child obesity status (body mass index Z scores >95%). We observed highly significant correlations among mother-child pairs for each of the enzymatic activities analyzed; however, PON1 activities did not correlate with acetylcholinesterase or butyrylcholinesterase activities. Our findings suggest that by age 9 years, PON1 activities approach adult levels, and host factors including sex and obesity may affect key enzymes involved in pesticide metabolism.
ADDITION OF PULP MILL ASH RAISES PH, MODIFIES PHYSICAL PROPERTIES, AND ALTERS YOUNG TOMATO PLANT GROWTH AND MINERAL NUTRITION IN A PEAT-BASED SUBSTRATE

Pulp and paper mills often burn wood waste to fuel their boilers. The ash from a Mississippi pulp mill boiler was evaluated for potential use as an amendment to peat moss-based greenhouse substrates for production of young tomato plants. Between 0 and 50% ash was added to a custom-blended peat moss-based substrate, and these were compared to a commercially available substrate without ash. Addition of ash increased substrate pH, conductivity (EC), bulk density and water holding capacity, while reducing airspace and average particle size. In general, tomato plants grown in 0–40% ash had similar growth indexes as plants grown in commercial substrate. Increasing amounts of ash decreased tomato shoot nitrogen (N), potassium (K), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu) concentration, and increased concentrations of phosphorus (P), calcium (Ca), sulfur (S), and boron (B). These results indicate that pulp mill ash has the potential to be used as a substrate component for greenhouse container product...
Laparoscopic partial nephrectomy versus laparoscopic cryoablation for multiple ipsilateral renal tumors.

Abstract Background Management of multiple ipsilateral renal tumors is a dilemma in clinical practice. The effects of minimally invasive nephron-sparing procedures in this group of patients have not been assessed. Objective To evaluate the technical feasibility and outcomes of laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN) and laparoscopic cryoablation (LCA) for multiple ipsilateral renal tumors. Design, Setting, and Participants Between September 1999 and December 2006, 27 patients were treated with minimally invasive nephron sparing surgery (LPN or LCA) for synchronous multiple ipsilateral renal tumors in a single operating session at our institution. Fourteen patients with 28 tumors underwent LPN, and 13 patients with 31 tumors underwent LCA as the sole treatment modality. Intervention Medical records were retrospectively reviewed and data were collected. Measurements Demographic, intraoperative, postoperative, and intermediate-term follow-up data were compared between the two groups. Results and Limitations Patients in the LPN group had fewer tumors (2 vs. 2.4, p =0.04) and larger dominant tumor size (3.6 vs. 2.5cm, p =0.005) in the affected kidney and lower preoperative serum creatinine levels (1 vs. 1.4mg/dl, p =0.02). Compared to the LCA group, patients in the LPN group had greater estimated blood loss (200 vs. 125ml, p =0.02) and longer hospital stays (90 vs. 52.3h , p =0.02). There were no open conversions, and no kidneys were lost. Complication rate, renal functional outcomes, and intermediate-term cancer-specific survival rates were similar between the two groups. Conclusions Both LPN and LCA are viable options for patients with multiple ipsilateral renal tumors in select patients. Renal functional outcomes, complication rates, and intermediate-term survival rates are comparable between the two groups in this small series.
Charge Ordering in θ-(BEDT-TTF)2X Materials

We theoretically investigate charge ordered states on the anisotropic triangular lattice characteristic of the θ-(BEDT-TTF) 2 X materials. Using exact diagonalization studies, we establish that the charge order (CO) pattern corresponds to a “horizontal” stripe structure, with \(\dots\)1100\(\dots\) CO along the two directions with larger electron hopping ( p -directions), and \(\dots\)1010\(\dots\) CO along the third direction ( c -direction). The CO is accompanied by co-operative bond dimerizations along all three directions in the highest spin state. In the lowest spin state bonds along the p -directions are tetramerized. Our theory explains the occurrence of a charge-induced high temperature transition as well as a spin gap transition at lower temperature.
Emergence of colloidal quantum-dot light-emitting technologies

This Review article summarizes the key advantages of using quantum dots (QDs) as luminophores in light-emitting devices (LEDs) and outlines the operating mechanisms of four types of QD-LED. The key scientific and technological challenges facing QD-LED commercialization are identified, together with on-going strategies to overcome these challenges.
The feasibility of measuring phosphocreatine recovery kinetics in muscle using a single-shot (31)P RARE MRI sequence.

Rationale and Objectives Heterogeneity of skeletal muscle structure, composition, and perfusion results in spatial differences in oxidative function between muscles and muscle regions. The simultaneous measurement of the postexercise phosphocreatine (PCr) recovery rate across all muscles of a human limb cross-section may provide new insights into normal physiology and disease states. The objective of this work was to assess the feasibility of acquiring PCr rapid acquisition with relaxation enhancement (RARE) images with sufficient temporal and spatial resolution to accurately measure PCr recovery kinetics in a cross-section of a human limb. Materials and Methods One normal subject performed a finger exercise until fatigued. At cessation of exercise surface coil localized pulse-and-acquire phosphorus-31 MR spectra (31P- magnetic resonance spectroscopy [MRS]) of the forearm were acquired at 6 S intervals for 4 minutes. The exercise protocol was repeated 7 days later and axial PCr RARE images of the forearm were acquired following exercise with 5.6 cm3 voxels at 6-second intervals for 4 minutes. Results The PCr recovery time constants for the PCr RARE and 31P-MRS measurements were 91.0 and 91.1 seconds, respectively, based on a monoexponential fit. A Pearson correlation test showed that the PCr recovery data that resulted from the RARE PCr imaging were highly correlated with the data resulting from the 31P-MRS (r = 0.91, P Discussion Data from selected regions of RARE PCr images acquired at 6-second intervals compare well to those acquired using surface coil 31P MR spectroscopy and can provide an accurate assessment of PCr recovery kinetics.
SU-GG-I-15: Sensitivity Analysis of Geometric Calibration Method Using Projection Matrices for Tomographic Imaging Systems with Flat Panel Detectors

Purpose: To evaluate the sensitivity of geometric calibration method using projection matrices for tomographic imagingsystems with flat‐panel detectors.Method and Materials: A generic geometric calibration method for tomographic imagingsystems has been presented in our previous work. The method involved a scan of a calibration phantom with multiple markers. The markers' locations in projection images were detected, and were associated with their 3D coordinates to compute 3×4 projection matrices, which could be used in subsequent image reconstruction. This work analyzed sensitivity of the calibration method by changing marker numbers and corrupting marker locations with Gaussian noises. A 6cm CIRS breast research phantom and a prototype breast tomosynthesis system were utilized for experiments. A high contrast ring object and two small speck groups were reconstructed in various testing cases for comparison. In order to achieve quantitative assessment, a 15×15 point detection mask was adopted for detecting signals and for computing degradations of testing cases from standard systemcalibration in terms of signal percentages. Results: When marker locations were accurate, all tested cases of marker numbers resulted in similar accurate reconstructions of the ring object and speck groups. Inaccurate marker information caused image distortion. Signal might be enhanced or decreased depending on specific errors occurred in geometric calibration. Speck groups were more affected than the ring. Errors in projected marker locations could result in drastic image degradation. With larger marker numbers, effect of errors in 3D marker positions might not be reduced, but impact of errors in 2D marker locations could be greatly reduced. Conclusion: 28 or more markers are desired for practical geometric calibration phantom design. Their detections in projection images are crucial for accurate image reconstruction using the computed projection matrices.
A psychometric evaluation of the digital logic concept inventory

Concept inventories hold tremendous promise for promoting the rigorous evaluation of teaching methods that might remedy common student misconceptions and promote deep learning. The measurements from concept inventories can be trusted only if the concept inventories are evaluated both by expert feedback and statistical scrutiny (psychometric evaluation). Classical Test Theory and Item Response Theory provide two psychometric frameworks for evaluating the quality of assessment tools. We discuss how these theories can be applied to assessment tools generally and then apply them to the Digital Logic Concept Inventory (DLCI). We demonstrate that the DLCI is sufficiently reliable for research purposes when used in its entirety and as a post-course assessment of students’ conceptual understanding of digital logic. The DLCI can also discriminate between students across a wide range of ability levels, providing the most information about weaker students’ ability levels.
High-Power Potassium-Titanyl-Phosphate or Lithium Triboride Laser Photoselective Vaporization Prostatectomy for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: A Systematic Approach

Background and Purpose: We describe a safe and reproducible technique for potassium-titanyl-phosphate (KTP) and lithium triboride (LBO) laser photoselective vaporization prostatectomy (PVP). Techni...
Cortisol reactivity, maternal sensitivity, and learning in 3-month-old infants

This study investigated the effects of adrenocortical functioning on infant learning during an emotionally challenging event (brief separation from mother). We also explored possible relationships between maternal sensitivity and both infant and maternal cortisol reactivity during the learning/maternal separation episode. Sixty-three 3-month-olds and their mothers were videotaped for a 10 min normal interaction period, and mother-infant behavioral synchrony was measured using Isabella and Belsky's [Isabella, R. A., & Belsky, J. (1991). Interactional synchrony and the origins of infant-mother attachment: A replication study. Child Development, 62, 373-384] coding scheme. The percentage of synchronous behaviors served as a measure of maternal sensitivity. Learning and short-term memory involved relating the infant's mother's voice with a moving colored block in a preferential looking paradigm. Infants whose cortisol increased during the session showed no learning or memory, infants whose cortisol declined appeared to learn and remember the association, while infants whose cortisol did not change evidenced learning, but not memory for the voice/object correspondence. Sensitivity and cortisol reactivity were correlated for mothers, but not for infants. Infant and maternal cortisol values for the first sampling period were highly correlated, but their cortisol reactivity values were uncorrelated, supporting the notion that infants and mothers have coordinated adrenocortical functioning systems when physically together, but become uncoordinated during a separation/learning event.
Unramified Abelian Extensions of Number Fields

Abstract Let K be an unramified abelian extension of a number field F with Galois group G. We consider the group of ideal classes of F which become trivial in K. In particular, we study when this group is divisible by |G|, a generalization of Hilbert's Theorem 94.
Earthquake Statistics in New England

New England has the longest recorded history of earthquake activity in the United States. Because of the high population density and because the historical data are likely to be more complete in the Southern New England, we have examined the statistics of the earthquake data and then constructed recurrence relations in an attempt to estimate the mean return period as a function of earthquake size.
Economic Growth, Investment, and Exchange Rate Changes in a Poor‐Capital Economy

The discussion of the appropriate means to attain external balance arose as a result of the recurring problem of acute shortages of foreign exchange for many small, open, developing economies. Thus, as Findlay (1973) and Diamond (1978) contend, it is now widely held that the critical bottleneck restricting the rate of economic growth in developing countries is the shortage of foreign exchange. The Latin American structuralist school and the Indian strategy of development has long maintained that the limited capacity to import in relation to high and inelastic capital imports requirements has been one of the main factors responsible for the chronic inflation and stagnation in those countries.
An alternate interpretation of secondary emission noise

Abstract The secondary emission noise observed by Murray and others is interpreted as a bunching effect caused by the fact that more than one secondary electron is produced in a single collision process. The effect can explain some, but probably not all, of the observations.
The long-term results of a pilot study of three times a day radiotherapy and escalating doses of daily cisplatin for locally advanced non–small-cell lung cancer

Purpose: This analysis was performed to determine the long-term results of a Phase I trial that included 3-times-a-day radiotherapy (TIDRT) and concurrent daily cisplatin (CDDP) for Stage III non–small-cell lung cancer. Methods and Materials: Twenty patients with Stage III non–small-cell lung cancer were treated with TIDRT delivered over 12 weekdays that included 57.6 Gy administered in 1.5 Gy fractions at 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., and 1.8 Gy fractions at noon. AP-PA fields were used at 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Opposed oblique off cord fields were used at noon. The first 5 patients were given no CDDP, the second 5 patients received 5 mg/m 2 of CDDP, and the remaining 10 patients received 7.5 mg/m 2 of CDDP. All survivors were followed for greater than 5 years. Results: The maximum tolerated dose of daily CDDP during this program of radiation therapy was 7.5 mg/m 2 . None of the patients died as a result of toxicity. The median survival was 19.2 months, and the 5-year survival rate was 25%. Tumor response and patterns of failure were also evaluated. Conclusions: This study was performed to determine the maximum tolerated dose of CDDP when administered daily during an aggressive program of TIDRT. The survival results were promising, suggesting that the combination of TIDRT and systemic therapy deserves further study.
CD8 T cell memory: it takes all kinds

Understanding the mechanisms that regulate the differentiation and maintenance of CD8+ memory T cells is fundamental to the development of effective T cell based vaccines. Memory cell differentiation is influenced by the cytokines that accompany T cell priming, the history of previous antigen encounters, and the tissue sites into which memory cells migrate. These cues combine to influence the developing CD8+ memory pool, and recent work has revealed the importance of multiple transcription factors, metabolic molecules, and surface receptors in revealing the type of memory cell that is generated. Paired with increasingly meticulous subsetting and sorting of memory populations, we now know the CD8+ memory pool to be phenotypically and functionally heterogeneous in nature. This includes both recirculating and tissue resident memory populations, and cells with varying degrees of inherent longevity and protective function. These data point to the importance of tailored vaccine design. Here we discuss how the diversity of the memory CD8+ T cell pool challenges the notion that ‘one size fits all’ for pathogen control, and how distinct memory subsets may be suited for distinct aspects of protective immunity.
Prolactin in the cat: II. Diurnal patterns and photoperiod effects.

Photoperiod effects on prolactin (PrI) secretory patterns were investigated in the domestic cat. Circadian patterns of Pr! release were studied in the cat in blood samples obtained every 4 h. Plasma concentrations were significantly elevated during the dark period (X=31.7 ng/ml) compared to the light period (X=5.5 ng/ml) when blood samples were obtained under red light during the dark period. If however, a short period of exposure to white light occurred during the dark sampling time, significant differences were not observed. In a long-term study of the effect of photoperiod, animals subjected to a decreasing photoperiod (4 discrete changes from 14 h to 7 h light per day occurring over an 8-week period) showed no
Variations in Dietary Iron Alter Behavior in Developing Rats

Iron deficiency in children is associated with retardation in growth and cognitive development, and the effects on cognition may be irreversible, even with treatment. Excessive iron has also been associated with neurological disease, especially in reference to the increased iron content in the brains of Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease patients. This study evaluated the effects of dietary iron deficiency and excess iron on physical activity in rats. The animal model used is developmentally sensitive and permits control of the timing as well as the duration of the nutritional insult. Hence, to study the effects of early, late and long-term iron deficiency or excess iron (supplementation), rats were either made iron deficient or supplemented on postnatal day (PND) 10-21, PND 21-35 and PND 10-35. Some iron-deficient rats were iron repleted between PND 21-35. Different measures of motor activity were taken at PND 14, 17, 20, 27 and 34. Iron-deficient and iron-supplemented rats showed decreased activity and stereotypic behavior; this was apparent for any onset and duration of the nutritional insult. Recovery from iron deficiency did not normalize these functional variables, showing that the deleterious effects of early iron deficiency persist despite subsequent adequate treatment. This study demonstrates that iron deficiency in early life leads to irreversible behavioral changes. The biological bases for these behavioral alterations are not readily apparent, because iron therapy rapidly reverses the iron losses in all brain regions.
An educational measure to significantly increase critical knowledge regarding interfacility patient transfers.

Background Patient transfers among medical facilities are high-risk situations. Despite this, there is very little training of physicians regarding the medical and legal aspects of transport medicine. Objectives To examine the effects of a one hour, educational intervention on Emergency Medicine (EM) residents’ and Critical Care (CC) fellows’ knowledge regarding the medical and legal aspects of interfacility patient transfers. Methods Prior to the intervention, physician knowledge regarding 12 key concepts in patient transfer was assessed using a pre-test instrument. A one hour, interactive, educational session followed immediately thereafter. Following the intervention, a post-intervention test was given between two and four weeks after delivery. Participants were also asked to describe any prior transportation-medicine-related education, their opinions as they relate to the relevance of the topic, and their comfort levels with patient transfers before and after the intervention. Results Only a minority of participants had received any formal training in patient transfers prior to the intervention, despite dealing with patient transfers on a frequent, often daily, basis. Both groups improved in several categories on the post-intervention test. They reported improved comfort levels with the medicolegal aspects of interfacility patient transfers after the intervention and felt well-prepared to manage transfers in their daily practice. Conclusion A one hour, educational intervention objectively increased EM and CC physician trainees’ understanding of some of the medicolegal aspects of interfacility patient transfers. The study demonstrated a lack of previous training on this important topic and improved levels of comfort with transfers after study participation. Becker TK , Skiba JF , Sozener CB . An Educational Measure to Significantly Increase Critical Knowledge Regarding Interfacility Patient Transfers. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2015;30(3):1-5
Inverse takotsubo syndrome resulting from a fall, malleolar fracture, anesthesia, surgery, or complicating pulmonary embolism?

To the Editor: The interesting case report of Lee et al.1) published in the December 2013 issue of the Journal, of a 43-year-old woman who suffered inverted takotsubo syndrome (TTS) (left ventricular apical hyperkinesis with midventricular and basal hypokinesis/akinesis) in the setting of complicating pulmonary embolism (PE), following surgery for a malleolar fracture, managed surgically under spinal anesthesia, spurs one to delve in the real cause of TTS in this patient; accordingly one wonders whether the emotional upheaval (with consequent adrenerergic sympathetic surge) from falling from a ladder, physical stress of pain from suffering a malleolar fracture, spinal anesthesia, surgical management of the fracture, or PE, all, or one or more of the above, in any combination, was the actual trigger of TTS in this otherwise healthy woman. More and more cases of TTS following PE are being reported in the literature, but TTS is also common in association with accidents, pain, fractures, anesthesia, various invasive procedures, and surgery, as can be shown by browsing the large research output on TTS.2) The present case reminds one about the ambivalence in attributing a case of TTS to a urological instrumentation, or the resultant sepsis, in a recently published report.3) The electrocardiogram (ECG) included in this case report is not of much help to ascertain the onset of TTS (ST-segment elevation and attenuation of the voltage of the QRS complexes, early in the illness,4),5) with deep T-wave inversions with QTc prolongation in subsequent evolution. Indeed the prevalence of the T-wave inversions have been found to be lower in patients with the inverse TTS, as compared with the typical apical TTS variant.6) Careful scrutiny of history, with timing of the suspected triggers, and frequent assessment of biomarkers, recording of ECGs, and performing echocardiograms, will improve our abilities in detecting the real trigger of TTS in reported cases.
Extraction of geological information from acoustic well-logging waveforms using time-frequency wavelets

Recently developed classification and regression methods are applied to extract geological information from acoustic well‐logging waveforms. First, acoustic waveforms are classified into the ones propagated through sandstones and the ones propagated through shale using the local discriminant basis (LDB) method. Next, the volume fractions of minerals are estimated (e.g., quartz and gas) at each depth using the local regression basis (LRB) method. These methods first analyze the waveforms by decomposing them into a redundant set of time‐frequency wavelets, i.e., the orthogonal wiggle traces localized in both time and frequency. Then, they automatically extract the local waveform features useful for such classification and estimation or regression. Finally, these features are fed into conventional classifiers or predictors. Because these extracted features are localized in time and frequency, they allow intuitive interpretation. Using the field data set, we found that it was possible to classify the waveform...
Designing effective web sites: How academic research influences practice

A consumer has different expectations or goals when visiting different Web sites at different times. Indeed, consumers visit sites not only to search for and purchase products/services, but also to have rich, entertaining experiences. These goals or objectives determine what type of tasks the consumer performs at a site; different tasks and goals require a different human-computer interactive experience. This program of research has demonstrated that rich behavioral theories can provide clear guidance to system designers. Consequently, it is fundamental that system designers understand why a person is at a website and the theoretical factors that drive improved interaction experiences and stronger customer relationships [10].
Broadband microstrip to dielectric image line transitions

Novel broadband microstrip to dielectric image line (DIL) transitions have been developed. A conducting strip is flared linearly from the microstrip line to the DIL. The DIL and microstrip substrate are on the same side of their common ground plane. Theoretical simulation results, obtained by using the finite-difference time-domain method, agree well with experimental results. The transitions should have applications in the integration of the dielectric image line with microwave integrated circuits (MICs) and monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs).
Regional Distribution of Myocardial Blood Flow in the Dog as Determined by Rb86

The distribution of Rb86Cl in the canine myocardium was determined at 20 seconds, 10 minutes, and 19 hours after administration of isotope. The uptake of Rb86 20 seconds after injection is related to blood flow, and the myocardial distribution of isotope probably closely reflects the apportionment of coronary blood flow. The isotope was uniformly divided between the various regions of the left ventricle and averaged 6.4 per cent of the injected dose per 100 Gm. of tissue. This value exceeded the fractional uptake of 4.3 per cent for the right ventricle and 3.7 per cent for the atria. After 19 hours, the Rb86 content serves virtually as a tracer for potassium. After this interval, the myocardial distribution of Rb86 closely followed previously published reports of the relative potassium contents of the various myocardial regions.
Frenetic: a high-level language for OpenFlow networks

Most interfaces for programming network devices are defined at the low level of abstraction supported by the underlying hardware, which leads to complicated programs that are prone to errors. This paper proposes a high-level programming language for OpenFlow networks based on ideas originally developed in the functional programming community. Our language, called Frenetic, includes a rich pattern algebra for classifying packets, a "program like you see every packet" abstraction, and a run-time system that automatically generates the low-level packet-processing rules. We describe the design and implementation of Frenetic, and show how to use it to implement common management tasks.
Antiarrhythmic drugs: from mechanisms to clinical practice

All drugs currently marketed for the treatment of arrhythmias were developed in the absence of knowledge of the specific molecules the drugs target to achieve their therapeutic and adverse effects. Nevertheless, combining the characterisation of drug effects in vitro and in whole animal models with medicinal chemistry approaches to modify existing molecules has led to new compounds with related pharmacologic actions derived from older drugs (for example, procainamide begat flecainide). It has thus been natural to group drugs with common mechanisms of action. This approach can be useful for the clinician to the extent it allows prediction of a patient's response to a given drug. One widely used scheme is that popularised by Vaughan Williams in which drugs are subdivided into four broad “classes”.1 The Vaughan Williams classification has been criticised because many drugs fall into multiple classes (table1): quinidine both blocks sodium channels and prolongs action potentials (class I + III), while amiodarone blocks sodium channels, exerts antiadrenergic actions, prolongs action potentials and QT intervals by blocking potassium channels, and blocks calcium channels (classes I + II + III + IV, respectively).2 3 Moreover, both compounds exert other important pharmacologic actions, such as inhibition of specific pathways of drug elimination (both), α blockade with vasodilation (quinidine), and interaction with nuclear thyroid hormone receptors (amiodarone). These actions probably contribute to some of the effects observed during treatment with these compounds. View this table: Table 1 Antiarrhythmic drugs exert a multiplicity of electrophysiologic actions A virtue of the Vaughan Williams' approach to classification is that drugs of a common “class” frequently exhibit similar toxicities, notably proarrhythmia. This likely reflects the fact, discussed below and elsewhere in this series, that while the mechanisms whereby drugs suppress arrhythmias are incompletely defined and likely highly variable from patient to patient, the mechanisms underlying proarrhythmia are better …
Transgenic Arabidopsis Plants Expressing the Type 1 Inositol 5-Phosphatase Exhibit Increased Drought Tolerance and Altered Abscisic Acid Signaling

The phosphoinositide pathway and inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) are implicated in plant responses to stress. To determine the downstream consequences of altered InsP3-mediated signaling, we generated transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants expressing the mammalian type I inositol polyphosphate 5-phosphatase (InsP 5-ptase), which specifically hydrolyzes soluble inositol phosphates and terminates the signal. Rapid transient Ca2+ responses to a cold or salt stimulus were reduced by ∼30% in these transgenic plants. Drought stress studies revealed, surprisingly, that the InsP 5-ptase plants lost less water and exhibited increased drought tolerance. The onset of the drought stress was delayed in the transgenic plants, and abscisic acid (ABA) levels increased less than in the wild-type plants. Stomatal bioassays showed that transgenic guard cells were less responsive to the inhibition of opening by ABA but showed an increased sensitivity to ABA-induced closure. Transcript profiling revealed that the drought-inducible ABA-independent transcription factor DREB2A and a subset of DREB2A-regulated genes were basally upregulated in the InsP 5-ptase plants, suggesting that InsP3 is a negative regulator of these DREB2A-regulated genes. These results indicate that the drought tolerance of the InsP 5-ptase plants is mediated in part via a DREB2A-dependent pathway and that constitutive dampening of the InsP3 signal reveals unanticipated interconnections between signaling pathways.
Public Pensions: Gender and Civic Service in the States, 1850–1937

Public Pensions: Gender and Civic Service in the States, 1850–1937. By Susan Sterett. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2003. 240p. $39.95. Susan Sterett's book is a useful, although flawed, history of litigation in the states over municipal and state pensions for civil service employees. In particular, Sterett examines the nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century history of state-level efforts to expand the scope of permissible state and local pensions, from firefighters and police officers to other civil service employees and finally to such groups as mothers and the elderly. Generally, state courts interpreted their constitutions to permit pensions for employees but not for the broader public, despite scattered efforts to argue that all labor should count as “service” to the public, meriting reward by state governments.
Defects in garnets suitable for magnetic bubble domain devices

A review of some of the defects that influence magnetic bubble domain motion is presented. The defects are catalogued and their origin and control are briefly discussed. A technique for staining defects by magnetic bubbles is described. The advantages of this technique over the stripe domain approach are listed. Examples of defects stained by the bubble raft technique are presented. The use of garnets for magnetic bubbles has stimulated a considerable amount of effort in understanding and eliminating magnetically active defects. Currently, the level of defects in films produced in this laboratory and elsewhere [1] range from a few to 102defects per square centimeter. In this brief note we review and catalog the nature of defects and the status of our understanding of the origin of defects in garnet substrates and films. We shall also consider the magnetic domain techniques used for staining defects in these materials. This review is limited to defects generated during and up to steps leading to film fabrication that are common to a variety of film growth techniques. It does not include details of defects which are uniquely characteristic of a particular technique. It also does not consider defects introduced during device fabrication such as the metallurgy of the overlay or improper design of the drive pattern.
Improving Equity in Health: A Research Agenda

Equity in health and health care have become important priorities for the world. If efforts at achieving equity are to have any basis in evidence concerning which strategies are likely to work, a research agenda is necessary. An adequate research agenda requires a knowledge of what the problem is, an understanding of the genesis and correlates of the problem, methods to measure these correlates, and rigorous testing of alternative explanations and interventions. This article presents a working definition of equity in health and health services, a conceptual framework in which to view the various types of influence on health and distribution of health in populations, a summary of evidence on the effects of some of these categories, and a research agenda for guiding efforts to improve knowledge on which to base interventions that enhance the attainment of equity. Because of their relative neglect in the existing literature on equity in health, the special roles of political forces and of primary care as a particularly key element of health services are stressed.
Kalman filtering with inequality constraints for turbofan engine health estimation

Kalman filters are often used to estimate the state variables of a dynamic system. However, in the application of Kalman filters some known signal information is often either ignored or dealt with heuristically. For instance, state-variable constraints (which may be based on physical considerations) are often neglected because they do not fit easily into the structure of the Kalman filter. Thus, two analytical methods to incorporate state-variable inequality constraints into the Kalman filter are now derived. The first method is a general technique that uses hard constraints to enforce inequalities on the state-variable estimates. The resultant filter is a combination of a standard Kalman filter and a quadratic programming problem. The second method uses soft constraints to estimate those state variables that are known to vary slowly with time. (Soft constraints are constraints that are required to be approximately satisfied rather than exactly satisfied.) The incorporation of state-variable constraints increases the computational effort of the filter but significantly improves its estimation accuracy. The improvement is proven theoretically and simulations are used to show that the proposed algorithms can provide an improved performance over unconstrained Kalman filtering.
A study of the on-chip interconnection network for the IBM Cyclops64 multi-core architecture

The designs of high-performance processor architectures are moving toward the integration of a large number of multiple processing cores on a single chip. The IBM Cyclops-64 (C64) is a petaflop supercomputer built on multi-core system-on-a-chip technology. Each C64 chip employs a multistage pipelined crossbar switch as its on-chip interconnection network to provide high bandwidth and low latency communication between the 160 thread processing cores, the on-chip SRAM memory banks, and other components. In this paper, we present a study of the architecture and performance of the C64 on-chip interconnection network through simulation. Our experimental results provide observations on the network behavior: (1) Dedicated channels can be created between any output port to input port of the C64 crossbar with latency as low as 7 cycles. The C64 crossbar has the potential reach the full hardware bandwidth, and exhibit a non-blocking behavior; (2) The C64 crossbar is a stable network; (3) The network logic design appears to provide a reasonable opportunity for sharing the channel bandwidth between traffic in either direction; (4) A simple circular neighbor arbitration scheme can achieve competitive performance level comparing to the complex segmented LRU (least recently used) matrix arbitration scheme without losing the fairness. (5) Application-driven benchmarks provide comparable results to synthetic workloads.
Factor VLeiden and Thrombophilia

Blood coagulation is initiated after injury to the vasculature and exposure of TF. TF is an integral single-chain glycoprotein that, when exposed to the circulating blood, binds to circulating factor VIIa and initiates the process of blood coagulation. Although the majority of factor VII molecules circulate in plasma as a single-chain, inactive zymogen, ≈2% of them possess a Ser protease active site but have poor catalytic activity.1 2 After binding to TF, the catalytic efficiency of the factor VIIa/TF complex increases by four orders of magnitude, and the enzymatic complex initiates a series of enzymatic reactions that lead to the generation of α-thrombin.2 3 The prothrombin-activating enzyme prothrombinase is composed of the Ser protease factor Xa and cofactor factor Va, associated on the cell membrane.4 Factor Va is required for prothrombinase activity because it serves the dual function as a factor Xa receptor and a factor Xa catalytic effector on the cell surface. Both enzyme and cofactor are derived from plasma precursors by regulatory proteolytic events that involve α-thrombin. These events include activation of factor VIII to factor VIIIa and of factor V to factor Va. α-Thrombin, the major procoagulant enzyme of the blood coagulation cascade, is also paradoxically a major anticoagulant. Once formed, α-thrombin binds to the endothelial cell receptor thrombomodulin and initiates the protein C pathway that leads to the formation of APC. The protein C pathway is composed of the zymogen protein C, thrombomodulin, and the accessory protein, protein S.5 APC downregulates α-thrombin generation by inactivating factors Va and VIIIa and eliminating their participation in the prothrombinase and tenase complexes, respectively. Under physiological conditions, inactivation of factor VIIIa occurs in the absence of APC by dissociation of the A2 domain.6 7 8 Hence, APC is not essential for factor VIIIa inactivation.8 …