cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The check box: determining pregnancy status to improve maternal mortality surveillance.

Abstract Objective: More than half of pregnancy-related deaths are not identified through routine surveillance methods. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the pregnancy check box on death certificates in ascertaining pregnancy-related deaths. Methods: Data derived from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s ongoing Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System were used to identify states that included a check box on the death certificate in 1991 and 1992. Death certificates from those states were evaluated to determine the number and proportion of pregnancy-related deaths identified by a marked check box. Characteristics of death were also examined. Results: Sixteen states and New York City included a check box or question specifically asking about pregnancy of the decedent. Of the 425 pregnancy-related deaths identified in the 17 reporting areas, 124 (29%) were determined to be pregnancy-related deaths only because of the pregnancy status information provided in the check box. The proportion of deaths identified only by a marked check box ranged from less than 5% for four states to 40% or more for seven states. Conclusions: The availability of pregnancy status information on death certificates is a simple and effective aid in ascertaining a pregnancy-related death, when no other indicators of pregnancy appear on the death certificate. Routine use of the pregnancy check box for all states would lead to substantially increased classification of maternal deaths and more accurate classification of the causes of and risk factors for maternal deaths.
Where do we go next? Behavioral and social change for child survival.

The articles in this special issue of the Journal of Health Communication offer a comprehensive and nuanced survey of the extensive literature on behavior change linked to the improvement of global...
Market Definition - Still Needed after All These Years

The 2010 Merger Guidelines appear to elevate game theoretic models of competitive concerns to the primary concern of merger policy, while reducing the importance of market definition. Although situations in which this change makes some sense exist, we observe that, as a practical matter, market definition is still required. Some basic understanding of the market’s contours is necessary to aid the decision maker in the choice among the relevant competitive effects models. Simply assuming that a specific theoretical analysis is correct is not scientific. Proponents of the view that markets are unnecessary rely on game-theoretic models that implicitly presume a particular competitive algorithm to create a viable alternative. Yet to displace the standard model of competitive analysis, a game theoretic model of competition requires both parameterization (estimation of the relevant coefficients) and testing (analysis of the implications of the model). Once a game theoretic model is tested, it becomes just one more Chicago-based analysis of the likely effects of a merger. Thus, theoretical considerations alone cannot eliminate the desirability of defining an antitrust market. Our review of the empirical data from Federal Trade Commission (FTC) merger investigations substantiates the potential for different market modeling structures to be applied to evaluate competition. Support for three different modeling structures (homogeneous product, static differentiation, and dynamic differentiation) is found in both a review of the court records and the FTC case studies. Choice among these modeling structures requires case-by-case analysis.
Photoconductivity and negatively correlated defects

The effects of negatively correlated defects on the transient photoconductivity are analyzed using a first-order kinetic approach. The predicted behavior explains the Staebler-Wronski effect observed in $a\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{S}\mathrm{i}$:$\mathrm{H}$ without the assumption of optically induced changes in the defect density. In addition, the analysis predicts a maximum in the photoresponse to a light step and an anomalous dependence of photocurrent on chopping frequency, both of which have recently been observed in chalcogenide glasses.
S-Ketoprofen Inhibits Tenotomy-Induced Bone Loss and Dynamics in Weanling Rats

The objects of this study were to determine whether S-ketoprofen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), can prevent immobilization (tenotomy)-induced bone loss in weanling rats. Forty five 4 week-old Sprague-Dawley female rats were either sham-operated or subjected to knee tenotomy and treated simultaneously with 0, 0.02, 0.1, 0.5 or 2.5 mg of S-ketoprofen/kg per day for 21 days. We then studied double-fluorescent labeled proximal tibial longitudinal sections and tibial shaft cross sections using static and dynamic histomorphometry. Less cancellous bone mass in proximal tibial metaphyses was found in tenotomized controls than in basal (36%) and sham-operated (54%) controls. This was due to the inhibition of age-related bone gain and induced bone loss due to increased bone resorption and decreased bone formation. S-ketoprofen prevented both the inhibition of age-related bone gain and the stimulation of bone loss at the 2.5 mg/kg per day dose level, while it only prevented bone loss at the 0.5 mg/kg dose levels. In cancellous bone, dynamic histomorphometry showed that S-ketoprofen prevented the tenotomy induced decrease in bone formation and increase in bone resorption. In the tibial shaft, tenotomy inhibited the enlargement of total tissue area by depressing periosteal bone formation, and thus inhibited age-related cortical bone gain. S-ketoprofen treatment did not prevent this change at all dose levels, but reduced marrow cavity area to increase cortical bone area at the 0.1, 0.5 and 2.5 mg/kg per dose levels compared to tenotomy controls. However, the cortical bone area in the 0.1 and 0.5 mg dose-treated treated tenotomy rats was still lower than in the age-related controls. S-ketoprofen also prevented the increase in endocortical eroded perimeter induced by tenotomy. In summary, tenotomy inhibited age-related bone gain and stimulated bone loss in cancellous bone sites, and only inhibited age-related bone gain in cortical bone sites. S-ketoprofen treatment at the highest dose levels prevented the changes in cancellous bone, and reduced marrow area to increase cortical bone in the tibial shafts.
Complete Genome Sequence of Rahnella sp. Strain Y9602, a Gammaproteobacterium Isolate from Metal- and Radionuclide-Contaminated Soil

Rahnella sp. strain Y9602 is a gammaproteobacterium isolated from contaminated subsurface soils that is capable of promoting uranium phosphate mineralization as a result of constitutive phosphatase activity. Here we report the first complete genome sequence of an isolate belonging to the genus Rahnella.
Dimensions of innovation

Within a conceptual framework of three dimensions, this paper examines parallels between the process of innovation in ship-building and in nursing care. Major conclusions are: 1. A given innovation must include not only technological change but also embedding activities to ensure its fit into the adopting organization. 2. To ensure continuation of the innovating process, it is necessary to build innovative capacity, with leadership vested in some person or group. 3. System-wide innovation requires both an effective diffusion process and diffusion capacity, to disseminate knowledge about specific innovations and also about ways to build innovative capacity. 4. Building both innovative capacity and diffusion capacity must be seen as responsibilities of the entire organization or system.
Modeling a multi-robot system with fractional-order differential equations.

This paper shows that a fractional-order differ- ential equation may be used to accurately model the dynamic relationship between the first and last generations in a fleet of coordinating robots, even when the individual robots and interconnections have the usual integer-order dynamics. Such a fractional-order model offers the possibility of general ap- plicability, particularly in the case of heterogeneous fleets of robots. Such systems tend to be very high order, and therefore model reduction is useful in modeling, simulation and control. Results are presented for the system considered illustrating that the fractional-order model achieves significant computational savings compared to simulating the full system. I. INTRODUCTION This paper investigates fractional-order modeling for multi-robot coordinated control problems. We study a spe- cific system with a topological structure for the interactions illustrated in Figure 1, which is motivated by a viscoelastic model from the literature (1), (2). We show that even with linear springs and dampers as interconnection models and robots as dynamic double integrators (all integer-order dynamics), fractional-order effects are present, and hence is a consequence of the interconnection topology. While it is the subject of continued investigation, we believe that fractional- order dynamics may be very common in formation control of systems of mobile robots and other complex and cyber- physical systems.
Embryonic origin of the caudal mesenteric artery in the mouse.

It is commonly held that the caudal mesenteric artery (CaMA, or inferior mesenteric artery in humans) arises in the same manner as the celiac and cranial mesenteric artery (CrMA, or superior mesenteric artery in humans), i.e., from the remodeling of the vitelline system of arteries that surrounds and supports the yolk sac. Conflicting evidence about the precise manner in which the CaMA arises was presented in studies of the luxate syndrome (Carter: J. Genet. 1954;52:1-35) and sirenomelia (Schreiner and Hoornbeek: J. Morphol. 1973;141:345-358) in the mouse. These studies suggested that the CaMA arises from the remodeling of the medial umbilical arterial roots. Later studies of blood vessel development in the hindlimb of the Dominant hemimelic mouse (Gest: Anat. Rec. 1984;208:296; Anat. Rec. 1987;218:49A; Gest and Roden: Anat. Rec. 1988;220:37-38A) also supported the results of the previous studies. The present investigation tests the hypothesis that the CaMA arises as a result of the regression and remodeling of the medial umbilical arterial roots. Vascular corrosion casts of 9.5-13.5-day-old mouse embryos were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results of the present investigation agree with the aforementioned studies. The medial umbilical roots initially conduct the blood to the placenta. On days 10-12 the medial umbilical roots regress and remodel into the CaMA, while the lateral umbilical roots take over the blood supply to the placenta. On the basis of our results, we conclude that the CaMA arises from the medial umbilical roots and not from the remodeling of the vitelline system of arteries, as previously assumed.
The origin of enhanced magnetization in strained gadolinium

Abstract From combined spin-resolved photoemission and spin-polarized inverse photoemission, the experimental spin-resolved band structure of gadolinium on Mo(112) has been constructed. The occupied spin dependent electronic structure near the Fermi level is dominated by shallow dispersion of a spin minority band with considerable surface weight. There is an occupied spin majority bulk band straddling the Fermi level whose spin minority counterpart remains largely on the unoccupied side of the Fermi level. This results in large spin majority weight in the occupied band structure relative to spin minority.
A systematic series of 'model' PTMO based segmented polyurethanes reinvestigated using atomic force microscopy

Abstract Approximately 30 years after their preparation, the nanoscale morphology of a series of ‘model’ segmented polyurethane elastomers has been further elucidated using the technique of tapping mode AFM. The materials investigated are based on 1,4-butanediol extended piperazine based hard segments and employ poly(tetramethylene oxide) soft segments. The chemistry of these polyurethanes was specifically controlled in a manner which yielded monodisperse hard segments precisely containing either one, two, three, or four repeating units. Phase images obtained via AFM, for the first time, enable visual representation of the microphase separated morphology of these materials. AFM images also confirmed the presence of a spherulitic morphology, as shown several years ago using SALS and SEM. In addition, applying AFM to films of freshly prepared solution cast samples, the observed lath-like hard domains are suggested to preferentially orient with their long axis along the radial direction of the spherulites, while the respective crystalline hard segments comprising the hard domains are, in turn, preferentially oriented perpendicular to the spherulitic radius. The hard domain connectivity was found to increase with increasing percentage hard segment content of the polymers.
Do stereotype threats affect peer providers

Mental health organizations are increasingly employing peers, but not without set-backs. This brief commentary explores the possible adverse impact of stereotype threats on the performance of peer providers. A review of social psychology literature would suggest that at least some of these set-backs emerge from the peer’s apprehension about fulfilling some of the negative stereotypes that exist about people with mental illnesses. Additional training and supervision are indicated for both peer and non-peer staff members in order to reduce the salience of negative stereotypes in the workplace.
Edible blue-green algae reduce the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines by inhibiting NF-κB pathway in macrophages and splenocytes.

Abstract Background Chronic inflammation contributes to the development of pathological disorders including insulin resistance and atherosclerosis. Identification of anti-inflammatory natural products can prevent the inflammatory diseases. Methods Anti-inflammatory effects of blue-green algae (BGA), i.e., Nostoc commune var. sphaeroides Kutzing (NO) and Spirulina platensis (SP), were compared in RAW 264.7 and mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMM) as well as splenocytes from apolipoprotein E knockout (apoE−/−) mice fed BGA. Results When macrophages pretreated with 100 μg/ml NO lipid extract (NOE) or SP lipid extract (SPE) were activated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), expression and secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), interleukin 1β (IL-1β), and IL-6, were significantly repressed. NOE and SPE also significantly repressed the expression of TNFα and IL-1β in BMM. LPS-induced secretion of IL-6 was lower in splenocytes from apoE−/− fed an atherogenic diet containing 5% NO or SP for 12 weeks. In RAW 264.7 macrophages, NOE and SPE markedly decreased nuclear translocation of NF-κB. The degree of repression of pro-inflammatory gene expression by algal extracts was much stronger than that of SN50, an inhibitor of NF-κB nuclear translocation. Trichostatin A, a pan histone deacetylase inhibitor, increased basal expression of IL-1β and attenuated the repression of the gene expression by SPE. SPE significantly down-regulated mRNA abundance of 11 HDAC isoforms, consequently increasing acetylated histone 3 levels. Conclusion NOE and SPE repress pro-inflammatory cytokine expression and secretion in macrophages and splenocytes via inhibition of NF-κB pathway. Histone acetylation state is likely involved in the inhibition. General significance This study underscores natural products can exert anti-inflammatory effects by epigenetic modifications such as histone acetylation.
Arbuscular mycorrhizal associations in Lycopodiaceae.

This study characterizes the molecular and phylogenetic identity of fungi involved in arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) associations in extant Huperzia and Lycopodium (Lycopodiaceae). Huperzia and Lycopodium are characterized by a life cycle with long-lived autotrophic sporophytes and long-lived mycoheterotrophic (obtain all organic carbon from fungal symbionts) gametophytes. 18S ribosomal DNA was isolated and sequenced from Glomus symbionts in autotrophic sporophytes of seven species of Huperzia and Lycopodium and mycoheterotrophic Huperzia gametophytes collected from the Paramos of Ecuador. Phylogenetic analyses recovered four Glomus A phylotypes in a single clade (MH3) that form AM associations with Huperzia and Lycopodium. In addition, phylogenetic analyses of Glomus symbionts from other nonphotosynthetic plants demonstrate that most AM fungi that form mycoheterotrophic associations belong to at least four specific clades of Glomus A. These results suggest that most mycoheterotrophic plants that form AM associations do so with restricted clades of Glomus A. Moreover, the correspondence of identity of AM symbionts in Huperzia sporophytes and gametophytes raises the possibility that photosynthetic sporophytes are a source of carbon to conspecific mycoheterotrophic gametophytes via shared fungal networks.
Subchronic nandrolone administration reduces cocaine-induced dopamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine outflow in the rat nucleus accumbens.

Rationale The abuse of anabolic androgenic steroids (AASs) is not only a problem in the world of sports but is associated with the polydrug use of nonathletes. Investigations of the neurochemical effects of AAS have focused in part on the monoaminergic systems, involving, among other things, the development of dependence. We have previously shown that pretreatment with nandrolone decanoate attenuates dose-dependently the increase in extracellular dopamine (DA) concentration evoked by amphetamine and 3,4-methylenedioyxymethamphetamine in the nucleus accumbens (NAc).
Neither Wild nor Planted: Essential Role of Giesta (Cytisus, Fabaceae) in Traditional Agriculture of Beira Alta, Portugal

ABSTRACT Giesta (Cytisus) is the dominant or only woody plant on about one-quarter of the land area of the high granite mesas of interior Beira Alta, Portugal, where for at least the past 800 years the main cereal crop has been rye. During this time, a substantial fraction of this crop has been sold and taken to cities to feed the urban population, carrying with it nitrogen in the proteins of the grain. These farms have remained sustainable for nitrogen in the face of this outflow because farmers have allowed and even encouraged giesta, which is a nitrogen fixer, to occupy a substantial fraction of the land area, from which it is harvested and buried in the cultivated soil to restore its fertility. Stable N15 analysis and ecological techniques estimate quantitatively the importance of this practice.
Lipid peroxidation and phospholipase A2 activity in liposomes composed of unsaturated phospholipids: a structural basis for enzyme activation.

Abstract The effect of lipid peroxidation on membrane structure and phospholipase A2 activity was studied using liposomes composed of bovine liver phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE). The phospholipids were mixed at set ratios and sonicated to yield small unilamellar vesicles. The liposome preparations were subjected to lipid peroxidation as induced by cumene hydroperoxide and hematin. Under these conditions, a sharp increase in lipid peroxidation was noted over a 30 min incubation period and was accompanied by loss of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Liposomes enriched in PE were most extensively peroxidized with a preferred oxidation of this phospholipid. The extent of PC oxidation was also greater in liposomes containing the largest proportions of PE. Analysis of liposome anisotropy, via steady-state fluorescence polarization of diphenylhexatriene indicated that progressive increases in either PE content or the level of lipid peroxidation increased the apparent microviscosity of the vesicles. Moreover, lipid peroxidation increased anisotropy more effectively than variations in the ratios of PE vs. PC. Thus, peroxidation of 5–10% of the phospholipids produced the same anisotropy increase as a 20% increase in the ratio of PE vs. PC. Analysis of vesicle turbidity suggested that fusion was also more readily achieved through lipid peroxidation. When liposomes were incubated with 0.4 U/ml of snake venom phospholipase A2, a direct correlation was found between the degree of lipid peroxidation and the extent of phospholipid hydrolysis. The more unsaturated phospholipid, PE, was most extensively hydrolyzed following peroxidation. Increasing the proportion of PE also resulted in more extensive phospholipid hydrolysis. These findings indicate that lipid peroxidation produces a general increase in membrane viscosity which is associated with vesicle instability and enhanced phospholipase A2 attack. A structural basis for membrane phospholipase A2 activation as a consequence of lipid peroxidation is discussed in light of these findings.
A trucker's dilemma: Managerial behavior under an operating‐ratio standard

A model of an individually regulated trucking firm is extended to reflect collective regulation by the operating-ratio method as conducted for many years by the ICC. The game-theoretic extension predicts that managers will not respond to a required operating ratio, in cartel-like manner, by increasing expenses in pursuit of higher profit. This result undermines the Commission's stated belief that an operating-ratio standard, even when applied collectively, imparted such an incentive. An empirical test supports the conclusion that tighter regulation, measured by higher achieved operating ratios, did not invite increased employment of the variable factors. On the contrary, tighter regulation is found inversely related to the employment of all factors and, implicitly, to industry output. Deregulation of entry and rates was thus a more likely source of improved managerial efficiency than merely switching from an operating ratio to a return-on-equity standard, as tbe Commission did in 1978.
Vitamin D Suppresses Th17 Cytokine Production by Inducing C/EBP Homologous Protein (CHOP) Expression *

Vitamin D has been shown to have immunomodulatory function, but the molecular basis for it has not been well understood. In this study, we found that vitamin D receptor expression was induced in a CD4+ effector T cell lineage, Th17 cells, which required the transcription factors, RORα, RORγt, and STAT3. Treatment of mice with an active ligand of vitamin D receptor (VDR), 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25D3), ameliorated experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, accompanied with reduced IL-17 and IL-17F expression. In vitro, treatment of CD4+ T cells with the physiological doses of 1,25D3 preferentially inhibited cytokine production by Th17 cells, in a VDR-dependent manner, without affecting the expression of transcription factors or surface molecules. Moreover, at these concentrations, cytokine expression was suppressed only at protein but not at mRNA levels. Stimulation of Th17 cells with 1,25D3, in a concentration-dependent manner, induced the expression of C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), a molecule involved in endoplasmic reticulum stress and translational inhibition. In addition, overexpression of CHOP in developing Th17 cells suppressed their cytokine production. Our results suggest a novel, post-transcriptional mechanism whereby Th17 cytokines are inhibited by VDR, which may underscore future therapeutic usage of vitamin D in treatment of autoimmune diseases.
Determinants of cross-country consumption differences other than the real income difference

Abstract The variance of the equivalent income changes measures the degree to which real income fails to account for observed consumption changes. Such variances are applied and discussed in a cross-country context, together with their substitution and residual components, for data on 15 countries.
Assessing Anti-fungal Activity of Isolated Alveolar Macrophages by Confocal Microscopy

The lung is an interface where host cells are routinely exposed to microbes and microbial products. Alveolar macrophages are the first-line phagocytic cells that encounter inhaled fungi and other microbes. Macrophages and other immune cells recognize Aspergillus motifs by pathogen recognition receptors and initiate downstream inflammatory responses. The phagocyte NADPH oxidase generates reactive oxygen intermediates (ROIs) and is critical for host defense. Although NADPH oxidase is critical for neutrophil-mediated host defense1-3, the importance of NADPH oxidase in macrophages is not well defined. The goal of this study was to delineate the specific role of NADPH oxidase in macrophages in mediating host defense against A. fumigatus. We found that NADPH oxidase in alveolar macrophages controls the growth of phagocytosed A. fumigatus spores4. Here, we describe a method for assessing the ability of mouse alveolar macrophages (AMs) to control the growth of phagocytosed Aspergillus spores (conidia). Alveolar macrophages are stained in vivo and ten days later isolated from mice by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). Macrophages are plated onto glass coverslips, then seeded with green fluorescent protein (GFP)-expressing A. fumigatus spores. At specified times, cells are fixed and the number of intact macrophages with phagocytosed spores is assessed by confocal microscopy.
The effects of rate-of-return regulation on the intensity of use and durability of capital

Abstract It has been suggested that rate-of-return regulation reduces the incentives for technically efficient management, because regulation eliminates much of the gain firms might normally expect to realize from such efficiency. Rather than relying upon notions of managerial slack or X - inefficiency, this paper demonstrates that under-utilization of existing capital and a sub-optimal choice of the capital stock's durability can be explained as rational profit-maximizing responses to the regulatory incentives.
Method of biopsy and incidence of positive margins in primary melanoma.

The staging of patients with primary melanoma is dependent on adequate sampling of the tumor thickness. Initial biopsies with a positive deep margin suggest inadequate sampling, potentially limiting accurate staging and affecting treatment decisions. To determine the efficacy of shave biopsy to adequately sample the tumor, we retrospectively reviewed our pathology database for original pathology reports of primary melanomas accessioned between 01/01/04 and 6/30/05. The biopsies were evaluated by technique, the presence of tumor at the margins of the specimen, and specimen thickness. We identified 240 cases of primary melanoma; 223/240 were analyzable. The specimens were divided by biopsy technique (excisional, n = 51; punch, n = 44; and shave, n = 128). Shave and punch specimens had a significantly higher percentage of positive margins than excisional specimens (50, 68, and 16%, respectively; P < 0.0001). Shave specimens had a significantly higher percentage of positive deep margins than punch or excisional specimens (22, 7, and 2%, respectively; P = 0.0009). For melanomas ≤1 mm, shave specimens had a significantly higher percentage of positive deep margins than punch or excisional specimens (17, 0, and 0%, respectively; P = 0.0014). There was a significant difference in specimen thickness (P = 0.0005), with shave specimens being the thinnest. The presence of tumor at the lateral margin of punch biopsies is an expected result, since this method is often used to diagnose lesions with a large diameter. The presence of positive deep margins in 22% of shave biopsy specimens compromises the ability of this technique to properly stage patients.
Countercurrent distribution of RNA from rat liver: effect of growth hormone, thyroxine, and hydrocortisone on distribution patterns.

Abstract 1. 1. The fractionation of rat liver RNA by countercurrent distribution was examined as a possible method for determining the effects of hormones on the species of RNA synthesized. Distribution profiles of 4-S, 18-S, and 28-S RNA, as well as DNA, were determined to further characterize the system. 2. 2. Species of 4-S, 18-S, and 28-S RNA had similar distribution patterns and were not differentiated by this technique with the solvent system used. Rapidly labeled RNA, however, had a different distribution profile. 3. 3. Rapidly labeled RNA, synthesized by hypophysectomized rats after administration of bovine growth hormone, thyroxine, and hydrocortisone, was fractionated by countercurrent distribution. To eliminate differences in RNA preparations due to isolation and fractionation procedures, RNA's of control and hormone-treated animals were labeled with different isotopes (3H and 14C) and isolated and fractionated concurrently after pooling the livers. Using this “double-labeling” technique, no change in the species of RNA synthesized following administration of growth hormone, thyroxine, or hydrocortisone was detected by countercurrent distribution analysis.
The advantage of balanced-allocation routing for ATM networks

We compare the long-term, steady-state performance of a variant of the standard dynamic alternative routing (DAR) technique commonly used in telephone and ATM networks, to the performance of a path-selection algorithm based on the "balanced-allocation" principle; we refer to this new algorithm as the balanced dynamic alternative routing (BDAR) algorithm. We show that, at the expense of a minor increase in routing overhead, the BDAR algorithm gives a substantial improvement in network performance, in terms both of network congestion and of bandwidth requirement.
Fluvial transport and surface enrichment of arsenic in semi-arid mining regions: examples from the Mojave Desert, California

As a result of extensive gold and silver mining in the Mojave Desert, southern California, mine wastes and tailings containing highly elevated arsenic (As) concentrations remain exposed at a number of former mining sites. Decades of weathering and erosion have contributed to the mobilization of As-enriched tailings, which now contaminate surrounding communities. Fluvial transport plays an intermittent yet important and relatively undocumented role in the migration and dispersal of As-contaminated mine wastes in semi-arid climates. Assessing the contribution of fluvial systems to tailings mobilization is critical in order to assess the distribution and long-term exposure potential of tailings in a mining-impacted environment. Extensive sampling, chemical analysis, and geospatial mapping of dry streambed (wash) sediments, tailings piles, alluvial fans, and rainwater runoff at multiple mine sites have aided the development of a conceptual model to explain the fluvial migration of mine wastes in semi-arid climates. Intense and episodic precipitation events mobilize mine wastes downstream and downslope as a series of discrete pulses, causing dispersion both down and lateral to washes with exponential decay behavior as distance from the source increases. Accordingly a quantitative model of arsenic concentrations in wash sediments, represented as a series of overlapping exponential power-law decay curves, results in the acceptable reproducibility of observed arsenic concentration patterns. Such a model can be transferable to other abandoned mine lands as a predictive tool for monitoring the fate and transport of arsenic and related contaminants in similar settings. Effective remediation of contaminated mine wastes in a semi-arid environment requires addressing concurrent changes in the amounts of potential tailings released through fluvial processes and the transport capacity of a wash.
Inhibition of spontaneous uterine contractions during the last trimester in pregnant baboons by an oxytocin antagonist

Abstract The effect of a potent oxytocin antagonist, produced in our laboratories, on spontaneous uterine contractions in the pregnant baboon was examined. Three types of uterine contractions were studied: immediately after operation, during the nocturnal period, and near or at labor. Bolus intravenous injections of oxytocin antagonist were given and uterine activity was examined ± 1 hour after the injection. The oxytocin antagonist caused a precipitate decrease (approximately 70%) in contractile force (mean amplitude x frequency) in the first 15 minutes after injection (p
Evaluation of a non-invasive respiratory monitoring system for sleeping subjects.

In a previous paper we introduced a non-invasive respiratory monitoring system (NIRMS) for monitoring respiratory movements during sleep. Unlike standard sleep laboratory methods, the NIRMS can be used in frail older adults to describe breathing patterns during sleep that will mark individuals with declining neurological function. The present study evaluates the use of the NIRMS as a respiratory monitor and identifies variables that can reliably detect changes in breathing patterns and the presence of other body movements. Data were obtained from eleven healthy adults (six women, five men) whose body mass indices ranged from 20 to , and whose baseline respiratory rates ranged from 4 to 19 breaths per minute. We evaluated three variables derived from frequency and amplitude measurements of the NIRMS: (1) the interval between breathing cycles (the interbreath interval or IBI); (2) the period between breathing cycles (the interbreath frequency or IBF); and (3) the amplitude of breath cycles (AMP). The frequency of NIRMS waveform deflections correlated highly with the frequency of visually observed chest movements ( r = 0.99). Compared with a subject's baseline, a standard deviation of IBI > 3.0 s consistently identified time segments with three or more apnoeic events. The IBF and AMP differentiated respiratory from other body movements. An IBF > 20 cycles/s or an AMP > 0.4 V identified experimentally introduced body movements much more accurately than wrist accelerometry (NIRMS detected 99% of events, ; WA detected 50%, ). These findings support the use of the NIRMS in monitoring changes in breathing patterns during sleep, especially in frail and cognitively impaired subjects. Keywords: breathing, movements, non-invasive monitoring device, sleep, older adults
The Artificial Heart: History and Current Status

Twenty-years ago groups from California to Massachusetts were actively involved in the development of an artificial heart. From biomaterials development to biomedical power sources, the supporting industry and spin-off benefit was broad indeed. Young people were careers in biomedical engineering and science. The National Institutes of Health was supporting artificial heart research at $10 to $12 million dollar levels. Groups at Andros, Inc. (now Baxter Novacor) and Stanford, Thoractec, Penn State and the Hershey Medical Center, Cleveland Clinic and the Division of Artificial Organs, the University of Utah, The Texas Heart Institute and the Baylor College of Medecine, Thermal Electron Corporation, and many more were the source of research and breakthrough development of pumps and systems for artificial hearts
Diurnal variations of individual organic compound constituents of ultrafine and accumulation mode particulate matter in the Los Angeles Basin.

Individual organic compounds can be used as tracers for primary sources of ambient particulate matter (PM) in chemical mass balance receptor models. Previous work has examined PM2.5 only and usually over long sampling periods encompassing entire days or longer. In this study, a high-flow-rate, low-pressure-drop ultrafine particle separator was deployed to collect sufficient mass for organic speciation of ultrafine and accumulation mode aerosol on a diurnal basis. Particles between 0.18 and 2.5 μm in diameter were collected on a quartz-fiber impaction substrate, and ultrafine particles below 0.18 μm were collected downstream on a high-volume filter. Four daily time period samples (morning, midday, evening, and overnight) were sampled over five weekdays to form a weekly average composite for each diurnal period. Sampling was conducted at two sites over two seasons; summer (August) and winter (January) samples were collected at both an urban site near downtown Los Angeles (University of Southern California) ...
Regional wall stress predicts ventricular remodeling after anteroseptal myocardial infarction in the Healing and Early Afterload Reducing Trial (HEART): an echocardiography-based structural analysis.

Abstract Background Increased left ventricular (LV) wall stress after myocardial infarction (MI) has been implicated in LV remodeling. However, the relationship between LV wall stress and LV remodeling is incompletely defined. Method We prospectively studied the relationship between regional wall stress and LV remodeling by application of the finite element method to end-systolic LV models from patients enrolled in the Healing and Early Afterload Reducing Therapy (HEART) Trial. Individual LV models were constructed from orthogonal apical echocardiographic views obtained at day 14 after anteroseptal MI in 64 patients. Of these, 31 patients received low-dose (0.625 mg) ramipril and 33 patients received full-dose (10 mg) ramipril. LV wall stress was calculated by the finite element method and correlated with change in LV volume from day 14 to day 90 after MI. Results Among all patients, increases in apical regional wall stress were associated with LV volume changes ( P -trend =.015). The relationship between apical regional wall stress and change in LV volume was strongest in the low-dose ramipril group ( r = 0.53, P =.002) and remained significant after adjustment for end-diastolic volume, infarct size, ejection fraction, and systolic blood pressure yet was attenuated in the full-dose ramipril group. Conclusions Apical regional wall stress is an independent predictor of subsequent LV remodeling after MI. The relationship between increased apical wall stress and LV dilatation appears to be attenuated by full-dose angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition. (Am Heart J 2001;141:234-42.)
Can RF Help CMOS Processors? [Topics in Circuits for Communications]

Digital circuits implemented in CMOS technology have been the workhorses of high performance computer processors for more than a decade, following Moore's law with exponentially increasing integration and performance. Driven by lower cost, increasing performance, and mixed-signal benefits, CMOS technology also has found increasing use in analog, and more recently, RF applications. Now, with transistor performance still improving, wires are becoming the limiting factor for speed and performance by imposing limits on communication bandwidth and latency between processing cores and memories, both off- and on-chip. Communication and circuit techniques, developed mainly for narrow band-wireless RF communication can help increase the wired communication speed in digital systems. This approach, dubbed RF Interconnect (RF-I), picks up speed for on-board and on-chip applications, changing the communication paradigm from the old parallel unidirectional time-shared bus to new transmission lines enabling reconfigurable communication using both frequency and code division multiple access techniques.
Rapid endodontic management of type II dens invaginatus using an MTA plug: a case report

Dens invaginatus is an anomaly characterized by an infolding of enamel and dentin that can lead to caries and pulpal death while the tooth is still immature, and present difficulties with diagnosis and treatment. Generally such open apices are managed by long term apexifaction procedures. This article demonstrated rapid management of a maxillary lateral incisor having a type 2 dens invaginatus, necrotic pulp, open apex and very large periradicular lesion using calcium hydroxide for one week prior to placement of a mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) plug. After setting of the MTA, the remaining canal space was obturated using a warm vertical gutta percha technique. At 6 months follow-up the patient was asymptomatic, the lesion had almost entirely resolved, and, the root was already completely surrounded by bone.
Treatment of “permanent” muscle weakness in familial hypokalemic periodic paralysis

Three patients with Hypokalemic Periodic Paralysis (HOPP)-associated progressive interattack muscle weakness, who became unresponsive or worsened by acetazolamide, responded favorably to dichlorophenamide, a more potent carbonic anhydrase inhibitor. Dichlorophenamide in single-blind placebo-controlled trials, considerably improved functional strength in two of the patients and had a moderate but definite effect in the third. Muscle groups graded 4/5 (MRC scale)returned to normal; very weak (0-3/5) atrophic muscles, improved to a minor degree. In one patient with acetazolamide-resistant paralytic attacks, dichlorophenamide also diminished the frequency and severity of the acute attacks. Dichlorophenamide had, in the present study, less effect than acetazolamide in reducing serum HCO3(-) and elevating Cl-. Its effectiveness may be related to the degree of sensitivity of certain HOPP patients to alterations of Cl- and/or HCO3(-) serum levels or to a different action of the drug unrelated to carbonic anhydrase inhibition or acidosis. Dichlorophenamide should be considered as an alternate to acetazolamide in the treatment of patients with HOPP-associated interattack muscle weakness who have become unresponsive or worsened by acetazolamide.
Client clustering for traffic and location estimation

Resource management mechanisms for large-scale, globally distributed network services need to assign groups of clients to servers according to network location and expected load generated by these clients. Current proposals address network location and traffic modeling separately. We develop a novel clustering technique that addresses both network proximity and traffic modeling. Our approach combines techniques from network-aware clustering, location inference, and spatial analysis. We conduct a large, measurement-based study to identify and evaluate Web traffic clusters. Our study links millions of Web transactions collected from two world-wide sporting event Websites, with millions of network delay measurements to thousands of Internet address clusters. Because our techniques are equally applicable to other traffic types, they are useful in a variety of wide-area distributed computing optimizations, and Internet modeling and simulation scenarios.
Exfoliated graphite and ozonated single-wall carbon nanotubes for encapsulation of the single-molecule magnet Mn12

Abstract We outline experiments on single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT) and exfoliated graphite (EG), as templates for producing nanostructures of the nanomagnetic manganese acetate cluster (Mn 12 [(CH 3 COO) 16 (H 2 O) 4 O 12 ] · 2CH 3 COOH · 4H 2 O),Mn 12 . Mn 12 grown in EG and SWNT exhibit downward shifts in its blocking temperature, ac susceptibility response and magnetic hysteresis loops. Temperature dependence of the magnetization reversal dynamics shows that encapsulation in EG or ozonated SWNT shortens the Arrhenius relaxation time for magnetization reversal, τ o , from 7.8 × 10 −8 to 1.4 × 10 −8 s, with a marginal lowering of the activation barrier from 68 ± 5 to 60 ± 5 K. The role of Mn–O modes in the magnetization dynamics together with these data indicate the potential for controlling Mn 12 properties via encapsulation.
Mining Wikipedia Revision Histories for Improving Sentence Compression

A well-recognized limitation of research on supervised sentence compression is the dearth of available training data. We propose a new and bountiful resource for such training data, which we obtain by mining the revision history of Wikipedia for sentence compressions and expansions. Using only a fraction of the available Wikipedia data, we have collected a training corpus of over 380,000 sentence pairs, two orders of magnitude larger than the standardly used Ziff-Davis corpus. Using this new-found data, we propose a novel lexicalized noisy channel model for sentence compression, achieving improved results in grammaticality and compression rate criteria with a slight decrease in importance.
PERIOPERATIVE ANESTHETIC MANAGEMENT OF THORACIC TRAUMA

Perioperative anesthetic and critical care management of patients with thoracic trauma is challenging. Victims may have multiple life-threatening injuries and may be unstable. Time for evaluation and resuscitation before surgery is often inadequate. Orthopedic, abdominal, or neurologic injuries often demand attention more urgently than do thoracic injuries. The thorax is a semirigid shell protecting the thoracic organs. This shell may complicate diagnosis and treatment of injuries and contribute to physiologic instability. Although thoracic injuries can result in fatal hemorrhage, air or blood in the pleural or pericardial spaces can cause cardiovascular collapse in the absence of life-threatening hemorrhage. Although penetrating thoracic trauma may be the only injury present, it is rare that significant blunt thoracic trauma presents without other injuries. 4 Blunt and penetrating mechanisms lead to the common pathway of inadequate tissue oxygen delivery leading to metabolic failure. Massive lung or cardiac injury leading to rapid death is both uncommon and untreatable. Less severe injury hinders function but allows diagnosis and treatment because of the functional reserve of these organs. Other factors, such as pneumothorax or cardiac tamponade, compound the effects of direct cardiac or pulmonary injury, further reducing their function. Hemorrhage, volume depletion from fluid loss into damaged tissues, or spinal shock from spinal cord injury may also contribute to inadequate tissue oxygen delivery. Pneumothorax not only affects gas exchange but also may compromise venous return. Tamponade reduces venous return in addition to depressing cardiac function. Direct injury of the thoracic cage or diaphragm and pain impair both respiratory mechanics and gas exchange. Perioperative management requires anticipation, early detection, temporary support, and surgical or medical care of thoracic injuries.
An Annotated List of the Pyramica (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Dacetini) of Mississippi

Abstract Distributions of 20 species of Pyramica (Formicidae: Myrmicinae: Dacetini) in Mississippi are reported. This list includes six new state records including Pyramica bimarginata (Wesson & Wesson), P. metazytes Bolton, P. ohioensis (Kennedy & Schramm), P. reflexa (Wesson & Wesson), P. talpa (Weber), and one introduced species, Pyramica hexamera (Brown), previously reported from Florida and Louisiana. In addition, records are provided for three rarely collected species, P. angulata (M. R. Smith), P. hyalina Bolton, and P. rohweri (M. R. Smith).