cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predicting outcome in critical care: the current status of the APACHE prognostic scoring system

The APACHE (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation) prognostic scoring system was developed in 1981 at the George Washington University Medical Center as a way to measure disease severity. APACHE II, introduced in 1985, was a simplified modification of the original APACHE. The APACHE II score consisted of three parts: 12 acute physiological variables, age and chronic health status. Probability of death can be derived by using the disease category and the APACHE II score. The uses of APACHE II include risk stratification to account for case mix in clinical studies, comparison of the quality of care among ICUs, and assessment of group and individual prognoses. APACHE III, a refinement of APACHE II, will be introduced in late 1990. The APACHE III data base includes 17,457 patients from a representative sample of 40 American hospitals. Additional potential uses of APACHE III include the identification of factors in the ICU which contribute to outcome and assistance in individual patient decision-making. This article reviews the development, current uses and potential applications of the APACHE system.
Geography Still Dictates Rx Coverage for Many Near-Poor Seniors and Disabled Persons

Abstract State-to-state differences in generosity of assistance programs targeted toward poor seniors and people with disabilities have always been the “price of federalism.” Typically, these differences are vitiated when federal law enters a field. Not so with the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003. States' choices of how much of the uncovered burden of prescription drug costs is left to near-poor elderly and disabled residents continues to vary widely even though Medicare began to provide pharmaceutical coverage beginning January 2006. The purpose of this article is to address the role that state policies play in promoting continued variation in access to prescription drugs.
Variability in RNA interference in neuroendocrine PC12 cell lines stably transfected with an shRNA plasmid

RNA interference (RNAi) has quickly become a very powerful technique for specifically suppressing or knocking down the expression of any desired gene. Many fields of research, including neuroscience, have benefitted from RNAi methods. It has been well documented that different small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and small hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) vary greatly in terms of their effectiveness, and much attention has been focused on guidelines and algorithms for the selection of effective siRNAs. However, it has not been widely appreciated that a single shRNA-expressing plasmid can also produce widely varying levels of knockdown in different stably transfected cell lines derived from the same transfection. Here we report that knockdown of three distinct target proteins varies from minimal to almost complete in independent, stably transfected PC12 cell lines. This variability in knockdown among cell lines emphasizes the importance of characterizing a number of cell lines when attempting to establish stable knockdown cell lines, but also offers the possibility of studying the effects of graded levels of protein expression.
Propensity scores: Methods, considerations, and applications in the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery

Abstract Objective To review the published literature using propensity scoring, describe shortcomings in the use of this technique, and provide conceptual background for understanding and correctly implementing studies that use propensity matching. Methods We survey the published statistical literature and make recommendations for a set of standard criteria for studies that use propensity matching. We evaluated adherence to these criteria in recent publications in the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery and determined how well the standards were applied. Results We found that studies that use propensity matching are rarely documented well enough to be convincing in their results. When documentation is available, statistical shortcomings are common. Conclusions Improved statistical practice is needed when using propensity scoring. This article suggests standard criteria for using this method in Journal publications.
Trends in the Share of Skilled Occupations in Total Employment

The change in the share of skilled occupations in total employment is broken down into changes in the skill intensities of industries weighted by their shares in employment, changes in the shares of industries in employment weighted by their skill intensities, and an interaction term. Claims about the three terms – associated with the product life cycle and degradation of labour hypotheses – are assessed theoretically and empirically. A two‐sector general equilibrium model is used to show from what assumptions the claims might be deduced. The claims are compared with US data for the 1970s and projections for the 1990s.
Text mining a decade of progress in hospitality human resource management research: identifying emerging thematic development.

Abstract The authors identified the emerging research streams based on the published research literature in human resource management (HRM) from 1994 to 2003 in the International Journal of Hospitality Management. Textual data were collected and content-analyzed by a text-mining program aided by human judgments. The results from the content analysis of both the computer-aided and human judgmental methods were then integrated and conceptually graphed to map meaningful findings that were logically precise, humanly readable, and computationally tractable. Through this unique approach, nine major HRM research themes emerged and each thematic development based on time and country was interpreted and discussed.
Reduced RhoA activity mediates acute alcohol intoxication-induced inhibition of lymphatic myogenic constriction despite increased cytosolic [Ca2+]

Objectives We previously showed that AAI reduces lymphatic myogenic constriction in response to step increases in luminal pressure. Because of the known role of Ca2+ in smooth muscle contractile responses, we investigated how alcohol impacts cyclic Ca2+ and whether changes in RhoA/ROCK-mediated Ca2+ sensitivity underlie the alcohol-induced reduction of myogenic responsiveness. Methods AAI was produced by intragastric administration of 30% alcohol in rats. Mesenteric lymphatics were cannulated and loaded with Fura-2 AM to [Ca2+]i for 30 minutes after AAI. Active GTP-bound RhoA levels were determined by ELISA. To determine ROCK's ability to restore myogenic responsiveness following AAI, isolated lymphatics were transfected with constitutively active ca-ROCK protein. Results Lymphatics from alcohol-treated rats displayed significantly larger Ca2+ transients. Also, step increases in luminal pressure caused a gradual rise in the basal [Ca2+]i between transients that was greater in lymphatics submitted to AAI, compared to vehicle control. RhoA-GTP was significantly reduced in lymphatics from the AAI group, compared to vehicle control. Transfection with ca-ROCK protein restored the myogenic response of lymphatic vessels isolated from AAI animals. Conclusions The data strongly suggest that the alcohol-induced inhibition of mesenteric lymphatic myogenic constriction is mediated by reduced RhoA/ROCK-mediated Ca2+ sensitivity.
Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone-Induced Intracellular Calcium Responses in Individual Rat Lactotrophs and Thyrotrophs*

Calcium responses to TRH were recorded for individual cells cultured from rat anterior pituitary tissue loaded with fura-2, and cell type was subsequently identified by immunocytochemistry. At 100 nM and 1 microM, TRH stimulated a single transient spike of intracellular free calcium ([Ca2+]i) in 95-100% of lactotrophs. At a concentration of 10 nM or less, the proportion of TRH-responsive cells decreased, and the [Ca2+]i responses became more heterogeneous, consisting of a biphasic response in which an initial [Ca2+]i spike was followed by a sustained elevation of [Ca2+]i or [Ca2+]i oscillations. Initiation of TRH-induced oscillations required the release of intracellular Ca2+ from thapsigargin-sensitive stores, whereas maintenance of the oscillations required influx of extracellular Ca2+ through nimodipine-sensitive Ca2+ channels. The amplitude of the initial [Ca2+]i rise increased from 0.1-10 nM TRH and was not significantly reduced by removal of extracellular Ca2+. The duration of the initial [Ca2+]i tr...
Marital Characteristics and Retirement Decisions

This study assesses the effect of spouse and marital relationship characteristics on labor force withdrawal. The authors further explore differences between husbands’ and wives’ retirement. The analyses are based on two waves of the National Survey of Families and Households. Marital characteristics influence retirement decisions in several ways and contribute significantly to model fit. Husbands adjust their retirement in terms of wives’ benefit eligibility, whereas wives’ retirement is contingent on the couple’s income. Husbands also tend to leave the labor force when their wives are ill. In addition, retirement decisions seem to reflect considerations about postretirement marital quality and husband’s status in the marriage. Gender differences prevail with regard to the impact of work and marital history on retirement decisions.
23.6 A 43V 400mW-to-21W global-search-based photovoltaic energy harvester with 350μs transient time, 99.9% MPPT efficiency, and 94% power efficiency

Standalone systems such as outdoor lighting and remote monitoring stations can be self-powered by solar panels (SPs) having output powers of tens of watts. When the size of the SP is large, part of it can be shaded by birds, trees and other objects resulting in partial shading conditions (PSCs). Multiple local maxima in the power-versus-voltage (P-V) curve of the SP are generated during PSCs. Based on a 10W SP measurement, ~30% of the available power of the SP can be lost if an energy harvester only operates at the lower local maximum power point during PSC. This issue was previously addressed by using the approach of module-integrated converters (MIC), which are tied to smaller modules of the SP. Since none of the previously reported integrated maximum power point tracking (MPPT) techniques in MIC can track the global maximum power point (GMPP) of the P-V curve, the number of MICs would have to increase significantly in a large-size tens-of-watt SP. This increases the volume, weight, and cost of the photovoltaic system. In addition, previous harvester ICs have adopted the constant-frequency pulse-width-modulation control scheme, which has significant switching power loss under low solar irradiance.
Measurement of the energy resolution of a scintillating fiber detector

The energy resolution is measured for a plastic scintillating fiber detector coupled to position sensitive photomultiplier tubes. A point source (Mn-54) is placed at a distance in front of an xy plastic scintillating fiber stack which is coupled to two Hamamatsu R2486 position sensitive photomultiplier tubes. At some distance behind this detector another plastic scintillating detector coupled to another position sensitive photomultiplier is placed. Gamma rays interacting in the first detector are scattered, and interact with the second detector. By the knowledge of the source location, the Compton interaction location in the first detector, and the interaction location of the scattered gamma in detector two, the scattering angle of the Compton interaction in detector one can be determined. From this scattering angle and the known primary gamma energy the Compton electron energy can be calculated. The energy resolution of the scintillating fiber stack-photomultiplier unit of detector one for different Compton electron energies is determined by plotting the experimentally measured electron energies obtained from the light output of the photomultiplier tubes of detector one, comparing them with the electron energy calculated above, and expressed in terms of the FWHM.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Predictors of prenatal and postpartum care adequacy in a medicaid managed care population.

Abstract Purpose To examine factors affecting prenatal and postpartum care for an insured, but vulnerable, population. Methods Individual-level data on three measures of care adequacy were obtained for Massachusetts Medicaid Managed Care women who met the National Committee on Quality Assurance’s Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set denominator criteria for the prenatal and postpartum care measures in 2007 (n = 1,882). We modeled individual compliance with each measure separately as a binomial logistic function with individual and neighborhood characteristics, provider type, and health plan as explanatory variables. Findings In our sample, 85% of women initiated care in the first trimester, but only 62% met the goal of receiving more than 80% of the recommended number of prenatal visits. Just 60% had a timely postpartum care visit. Having a diagnosis of substance abuse or dependence reduced the odds of meeting all measures. Women with disabilities were less likely to attain two of the three measures of adequate care, as were women with other children in the household. Women who enrolled in Medicaid in the first trimester were more likely to receive the recommended number of prenatal visits than those who were enrolled before pregnancy. Conclusion Given the importance of prenatal and postpartum care for maternal and child health and the recent national declining trend in timely care, initiatives to improve rates of timely and adequate care are crucial and must include components tailored toward particularly vulnerable subpopulations.
Re-examination of a Simplified Model for Positronium-Helium Scattering

Using a local effective potential to account for electron exchange, Drachman and Houston (1970 J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Phys. 3 1657) analysed the zero-energy scattering of ortho-positronium by helium atoms in 1970. The idea was to use the existing static-exchange results to fit the parameters of the local potential and then to use the potential in a variational target-elastic calculation. The results were remarkably good, both for the scattering length and the annihilation parameter. Recently, however, a rigorous target-elastic calculation by Blackwood et al (1999 Phys. Rev. A 60 4454) disagreed so strongly with these old results that we have undertaken a re-examination. We find that the assumption made in the earlier work, that the direct potential is negligible compared with the exchange potential, is not quantitatively correct.
The PREP system of nursing interventions: A pilot test with families caring for older members

The PREP system of nursing interventions, designed to increase preparedness (PR), enrichment (E), and predictability (P) in families providing care to older people, was pilot tested for acceptability and preliminary effectiveness. Eleven family units were assigned to the PREP group and 11 to a standard home health control group. The PREP group scored approximately one SD higher than the control group (p <.05) on the Care Effectiveness Scale, indicating greater preparedness, enrichment, and predictability. Further, on a rating of overall usefulness, the PREP group rated their assistance from PREP nurses (M = 9.75) as significantly higher (p <.01) than the control group rated assistance from the home health nurse or physical therapist (M = 6.57). Although not statistically significant, mean hospital costs for the PREP group ($2,775) were lower than for the control group ($6,929). Results provided support for a full intervention trial. ©1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Sources and Information: Creating Effective Collaboration Between High Schools and Community Colleges

This annotated bibliography presents exemplary concurrent enrollment programs, discusses controversies about student outcomes, and recommends steps for establishing partnerships with local schools.
Simultaneous radar frequency/electro-optical tracking and characterisation of dismounts

This study discusses the fusion of radar frequency (RF) data and electro-optical (EO) data for tracking and characterisation of dismounts (i.e. humans). Each of these sensor modalities provides unique information about the location, structure and movement of a dismount. The person's location is tracked on the 2D ground plane using RF data for range measurements and EO data for angle measurements. Using this information, measurements are made on the structure and dynamic motion (gait) of the person. An imaging approach is used to create spatio-temporal activity maps along with a three-dimensional reconstruction of the dismount.
Effect of intravenous administration of paritol-C on serum lipids of hypercholesterolemic rabbits.

SummaryThe intravenous injection of Paritol-C into hypercholesterolemic rabbits has been shown to cause a marked drop in the “readily extractable” cholesterol fraction, as well as in total cholesterol.
The hibernating myocardium

The hibernating myocardium refers to resting LV dysfunction due to reduced coronary blood flow that can be partially or completely reversed by myocardial revascularization and/or by reducing myocardial oxygen demand. It is different from the stunned myocardium. Methods for its detection are not yet perfect. Hibernating myocardium has been demonstrated to be present in several clinical subgroups of patients; however, currently its full clinical presence and impact are not adequately defined.
Efficient verifiable encryption (and fair exchange) of digital signatures

A fair exchange protocol allows two users to exchange items so that either each user gets the other's item or neither user does. In [2], verifiable encryption is introduced as a primitive that can be used to build extremely efficient fair exchange protocols where the items exchanged represent digital signatures. Such protocols may be used to digitally sign contracts.This paper presents new simple schemes for verifiable encryption of digital signatures. We make use of a trusted third party (TTP) but in an optimistic sense, i.e., the TTP takes part in the protocol only if one user cheats or simply crashes. The performance of our schemes significantly surpasses that of prior art.
Inhibition of tumor necrosis factor by curcumin, a phytochemical

Curcumin, contained in the rhizome of the plant Curcuma longa Linn, is a naturally occurring phytochemical that has been used widely in India and Indonesia for the treatment of inflammation. The pleiotropic cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) induces the production of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1), and, together, they play significant roles in many acute and chronic inflammatory diseases. They have been implicated in the pathogenesis of intracellular parasitic infections, atherosclerosis, AIDS and autoimmune disorders. This report shows that, in vitro, curcumin, at 5 microM, inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced production of TNF and IL-1 by a human monocytic macrophage cell line, Mono Mac 6. In addition, it demonstrates that curcumin, at the corresponding concentration, inhibited LPS-induced activation of nuclear factor kappa B and reduced the biological activity of TNF in L929 fibroblast lytic assay.
People With Disabilities: An Update

An update of information presented in the original article (Fagan & Wallace, 1979), this article provides more recent figures on handicapping conditions in school-age and adult populations. The title and language usage have been changed to reflect current understanding of the connection between descriptive language and attitudes toward people with disabilities. Changes in federal legislation, interpretations, and their impact are presented. To complement the original article, the update focuses more heavily on adult handicapping conditions and rehabilitation services.
Communicating about Alcohol Consumption to Nonharmful Drinkers with Hepatitis C: Patient and Provider Perspectives

Background Abstaining from alcohol consumption is generally recommended for patients with Hepatitis C (HCV). However, mixed research findings coupled with a lack of consistent guidelines on alcohol consumption and HCV may influence what healthcare providers tell their HCV patients about drinking. This may be more problematic when advising nonharmful drinkers with HCV, a population for whom consumption would not be a problem in the absence of their HCV diagnosis.
Comment on “Influence of the doping element on the electron mobility in n silicon” [J. Appl. Phys. 83, 3096 (1998)]

Kaiblinger-Grujin, Kosina, and Selberherr [J. Appl. Phys. 83, 3096 (1998)] have proposed an explanation for the dependence of the electron mobility in n-type silicon on the doping element. We point out that their model presents some questionable aspects: The macroscopic dielectric constant is used even inside the impurity core, screening by valence electrons is double counted, and the distribution of the valence electrons around the impurity is assumed to be isotropic. We modify the model and find that the dependence on the doping element becomes too weak to explain the experimental results.
Impaired Hepatic Elimination of Paranitrophenol and Its Metabolites in the Rat following Chronic Ethanol Pretreatment

Chronic ethanol feeding has been shown to enhance hepatic microsomal drug oxidation in humans and in laboratory animals. However, the effects of chronic ethanol administration on drug conjugation are less conclusive. We have studied the effects of chronic ethanol feeding on (a) the conjugation and elimination of p-nitrophenol (PNP) by the isolated perfused rat liver, (b) the formation of PNP glucuronide by hepatic microsomal PNP-glucuronyltransferase in vitro and (c) the hepatic content of UDP-glucuronic acid (UDPGA). PNP elimination from the isolated perfused rat liver was best described as a combination of parallel saturable and first-order processes. Ethanol pretreatment did not influence the former but resulted in a 48% reduction in the rate of elimination by the latter. This was associated with a significant reduction in recovery of PNP-glucuronide from bile, but no change in concentrations of PNP glucuronide or sulfate in perfusate. Michaelis constants and Vmax for PNP-glucuronyltransferase in native and solubilized microsomes and UDPGA concentrations in liver were not influenced by ethanol pretreatment. These results suggest that chronic ethanol treatment reduces PNP elimination in the intact liver primarily via a reduction in the biliary excretion of PNP glucuronide without altering glucuronidation per se.
A fast RLS transversal filter for adaptive linear phase filtering

A fast transversal filter algorithm is presented for the adaptive recursive least-squares design of filters with linear phase. Connections with a popular method of spectrum estimation are explored. The algorithm is derived in a new framework, for the prewindowed given data case. Exact and soft-constraint initialization are discussed and an improved rescue procedure is proposed. Data sequence weighting is introduced to allow for arbitrarily time-varying weighting strategies, facilitating the tracking of arbitrarily non-stationary phenomena.
A US perspective on the implementation of inquiry-based learning in mathematics

This paper discusses issues related to the potential adoption of inquiry-based learning (IBL) projects in mathematics in the United States. To explain the chal- lenges faced in making a place for IBL in the mathematics curriculum, we describe the historical demands of working with a diverse, highly distributed educational system (that is, a system that does not have a central educational deci- sion-making agency with the authority to mandate nation- wide changes), the impact of high-stakes tests to either open or limit the potential for curricular changes, and the changing context in the United States owing to the emer- gence of the Common Core State Standards in Mathe- matics (CCSS-M) and nationwide high-stakes assessments designed to be consistent with the CCSS-M. We identify a number of dimensions along which there would be chal- lenges for the implementation of IBL in US school math- ematics, including: perceived societal needs; schooling traditions; the specific framing of CCSS-M goals pertaining to problem solving, communicating and reasoning, and modeling and data analysis; and the readiness of the US teaching force to implement IBL. We then consider the issue of scaling up interventions such as IBL, and the politics involved therein.
Ray, Mode and Hybrid Options For Time-Dependent Source-Excited Propagation In an Elastic Layer

Summary. The authors have recently developed a hybrid theory for sourceexcited propagation in multiwave multilayer media, whereby ray fields and normal mode fields (with a smoothing remainder) are combined in selfconsistent proportions so as to take advantage of the favourable features of each of these descriptions. To avoid proliferation of multiple reflected ray fields, caused by wave coupling at boundaries, a new spectral object called ‘eigenray’ has been introduced, which has dispersive characteristics similar to those of a normal mode but undergoes reverberations like a single ray field in a single wave medium. For time-harmonic excitation by a line forcing function, these new formulations have already been tested numerically on the simple but non-trivial example of P-SV propagation in a single elastic plate. The validity of the hybrid algorithm has been confirmed, and parameter regimes have been found wherein the hybrid approach offers a competitive alternative to other options. In the present investigation, the test calculation is extended to excitation by a high-frequency Gaussian pulse transient source. The results reveal the complicated multiple arrival structure, well resolved at early times but tending toward modal behaviour at later times. These features, which pertain especially to long observation intervals and wave constituents with high-frequency spectral content, are explained well, and are computed efficiently, by the ‘optimal’ hybrid format. It is suggestive, but remains to be confirmed, that these favourable attributes will remain intact when the formulation is applied to the general multilayer case.
The effect of organosolv pretreatment on the enzymatic hydrolysis of poplar

The use of alcohol/water/catalyst mixtures to delignify wood allows the lignin to be recovered in a usable form while leaving the carbohydrate fraction relatively intact. The effects of temperature, reaction time, and the type of solvent and catalyst on the delignification of milled poplar wood were investigated. The lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose composition of the pretreated material was measured for each treatment condition. In addition, the pretreated samples were subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis using the cellulases produced by the thermophilic bacterium Thermomonospora sp. YX. The extent of enzymatic hydrolysis was characterized using an empirical model, and the results were used to examine the effectiveness of the pretreatment.
Surfactant Protein-A–Deficient Mice Display an Exaggerated Early Inflammatory Response to a β -Resistant Strain of Influenza A Virus

Surfactant protein (SP)-A is a member of the collectin family of proteins. In vitro, SP-A binds influenza A virus (IAV), neutralizes infectivity, and enhances uptake by macrophages. SP-D also binds and neutralizes certain strains of IAV. To determine if SP-A has a role in protecting the intact animal against IAV infection, we inoculated gene-targeted SP-A–deficient mice ( − / − ) and littermate controls ( + / + ) with either saline or increasing doses of an IAV strain that binds SP-A but not SP-D. IAV was more virulent in SP-A − / − compared with + / + mice, with a significantly lower mean lethal dose (LD50) and significantly greater weight loss during infection. SP-A − / − mice also had increased airway epithelial injury and more alveolar cellular infiltrates than + / + mice. On Day 2, SP-A − / − mice had more neutrophils and higher MIP-2 levels in the lung than + / + mice. We conclude the altered host response and increased susceptibility to X-79 Δ 167 infection in SP-A − / − mice reflects a protective ...
Effect of a Program to Facilitate Parent-Child Communication About Sex

U.S. teens have high rates of premarital sexual activity resulting in alarming rates of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease. One possible way to combat the problem of teenage sexual activity is to promote sexuality education within the family. The purpose of this study was to increase parent-child communication about sex through an educational program for parents. The effect of the educational program was evaluated by a nonrandomized, controlled trial. Volunteer parents were recruited from three middle schools (grade six through eight) located in middle to upper-middle socioeconomic class neighborhoods. The parents participated in four 2-hour sessions which included factual information about sexuality and exercises to improve communication skills. The experimental group (N=47) were requested to fill out questionnaires immediately before and one month after the program. The control group (N=17) were requested to fill out questionnaires one month before and again immediately before the progra...
The role of redundancy in the object-line effect

Subjects’ identification of briefly presented target fines can sometimes be facilitated by including noninformative lines of context in the display (the object-fine effect). Previous explanations for this effect have claimed that stimulus properties such as three-dimensionality, connectedness, structural relevance, fine-masking, or fixation-point detail, allow fine-in-context stimuli to be processed more efficiently than single-fine stimuli. Instead of postulating special processing consequences for these stimulus properties, we propose two general preconditions for the object-fine effect. Three experiments demonstrate that the effect occurs when lines-incontext have perceptual attributes that are correlated with the target lines and when the lines-in-context are perceptually more dissimilar from one another than the single target fines.
Stop the top

Abstract The UA1 Collaboration has seen striking monojet events, and events consistent with a W → tb interpretation. We investigate whether supersymmetric scenarios invented to explain the monojet events can also explain the top candidate events. This is found to occur only for the squark pair production scenario. In a minimal N = 1 supergravity model, both events occur only if parameters of the theory are chosen to be in certain ranges. Further implications and predictions are made.
Brain state-dependent abnormal LFP activity in the auditory cortex of a schizophrenia mouse model

In schizophrenia, evoked 40-Hz auditory steady-state responses (ASSRs) are impaired, which reflects the sensory deficits in this disorder, and baseline spontaneous oscillatory activity also appears to be abnormal. It has been debated whether the evoked ASSR impairments are due to the possible increase in baseline power. GABAergic interneuron-specific NMDA receptor (NMDAR) hypofunction mutant mice mimic some behavioral and pathophysiological aspects of schizophrenia. To determine the presence and extent of sensory deficits in these mutant mice, we recorded spontaneous local field potential (LFP) activity and its click-train evoked ASSRs from primary auditory cortex of awake, head-restrained mice. Baseline spontaneous LFP power in the pre-stimulus period before application of the first click trains was augmented at a wide range of frequencies. However, when repetitive ASSR stimuli were presented every 20 s, averaged spontaneous LFP power amplitudes during the inter-ASSR stimulus intervals in the mutant mice became indistinguishable from the levels of control mice. Nonetheless, the evoked 40-Hz ASSR power and their phase locking to click trains were robustly impaired in the mutants, although the evoked 20-Hz ASSRs were also somewhat diminished. These results suggested that NMDAR hypofunction in cortical GABAergic neurons confers two brain state-dependent LFP abnormalities in the auditory cortex; (1) a broadband increase in spontaneous LFP power in the absence of external inputs, and (2) a robust deficit in the evoked ASSR power and its phase-locking despite of normal baseline LFP power magnitude during the repetitive auditory stimuli. The "paradoxically" high spontaneous LFP activity of the primary auditory cortex in the absence of external stimuli may possibly contribute to the emergence of schizophrenia-related aberrant auditory perception.
Research to industry: four years of observations in classrooms using a network of handheld devices

This paper illustrates six areas of impact on education by a classroom network of handheld devices. The author draws from four years of observations of classes using two early network prototypes. Two areas of impact for students are anonymity of data submission to the group and the ability to see their data displayed in the group space. For teachers, the two areas are the ability to instantly assess how all students are doing at any time during a lesson and the case with which the system shares data. Finally, two implications are highlighted. The networks' ability to facilitate exploratory data activities may make these types of activities more accessible to all teachers, and the ability of the network to let all students answer all questions may have an impact upon student engagement in the classroom.
Children with a TV in their bedroom at higher risk for being overweight

We examined having a TV in the bedroom as a risk factor for child overweight. Cross-sectional study. School- and telephone-based surveys in New Hampshire and Vermont between 2002 and 2004. Two thousand three hundred and forty-three children enrolled in public schools, aged 9–12 years, and one of their parents. The child having a TV in the bedroom. Age- and gender-standardized child body mass index (zBMI). Overweight was defined as equal to or above the 95th percentile for zBMI. Overall, 22.3% (N=523) of the children were overweight, and almost half of all children (48.2%, N=1130) had a TV in their bedroom. Children with a TV in their bedroom had a higher zBMI and were significantly more likely to be overweight compared to those without a TV in their bedroom (27.3 versus 17.7%, respectively; P<0.05). After controlling for sociodemographics, physical activity, frequency of TV or movie watching and internet use, children with a TV in their bedroom who watched at least one session of TV or movies per day were more likely to be overweight compared to those without a TV in their bedroom (odds ratio=1.32, 95% confidence interval: 1.03, 1.70). Having a TV in the bedroom is a risk factor for child overweight, independent of reported physical activity, participation in team sports, TV or movie watching time and internet use at home. Further study is needed to fully understand the mechanism by which having a TV in the bedroom increases children's risk for overweight.
Be still my beating brain--reduction of brain micromotion during in vivo two-photon imaging.

In light of the incredible complexity of the brain, the study of neural physiology in health and disease presents many challenges. However, with the advancement of powerful imaging tools, such as two-photon excitation fluorescence microscopy (2PEFM), we now have the opportunity to glimpse into the inner workings of the brain with high spatial and temporal resolution (Denk et al. 1990). This advanced imaging technique allows for examination of dynamic interactions and activity of cellular sub-types (e.g. microglia, astrocytes, neurons) and the surrounding brain microvasculature (Helmchen & Denk, 2005). While the advantages are many, a major challenge in capturing undistorted high-resolution images is the inherent rapid micromotion caused by respiration and heartbeat. In a recent issue of The Journal of Physiology, Paukert & Bergles (2012) present a novel methodology to overcome this confounding movement and enhance the 2PEFM imaging resolution of cellular structures.
Epithelial transport in polycystic kidney disease.

Sullivan, Lawrence P., Darren P. Wallace, and Jared J. Grantham. Epithelial Transport in Polycystic Kidney Disease. Physiol. Rev. 78: 1165–1191, 1998. — In autosomal dominant polycystic kidney dise...
Upper extremity impairments in women with or without lymphedema following breast cancer treatment

Introduction Breast-cancer-related lymphedema affects ∼25% of breast cancer (BC) survivors and may impact use of the upper limb during activity. The purpose of this study is to compare upper extremity (UE) impairment and activity between women with and without lymphedema after BC treatment.
Stability of token passing rings

A sufficient stability condition for the standard token passing ring has been “known” since the seminal paper by Kuehn in 1979. However, this condition was derived without formal proof, and the proof seems to be of considerable interest to the research community. In fact, Watson observed that in the performance evaluation of token passing rings, “it is convenient to derive stability conditions ... (without proof)”. Our intention is to fill this gap, and to provide a formal proof of thesufficient and necessary stability condition for the token passing ring. In this paper, we present the case when the arrival process to each queue is Poisson but service times and switchover times are generally distributed. We consider in depth a gatedl-limited (l≤ ∞) service discipline for each station. We also indicate that the basic steps of our technique can be used to study the stability of some other multiqueue systems.
Hybrid-integrated germanium photodetector and CMOS receiver operating at 15 Gb/s

A waveguide-integrated metal-semiconductor-metal photodetector is integrated with an analog 90-nm CMOS receiver. Error-free 15-Gb/s operation is achieved with an efficiency of 4.7 pJ/bit and a sensitivity of −8 dBm average power.
Rapid identification of bacteria by direct matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometric analysis of whole cells.

Several characteristic ions were observed during the direct analysis of a variety of both gram-negative and gram-positive intact bacterial cells by the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) technique. The entire process, involving absolutely no sample processing, could be completed in less than ten minutes. A number of specific biomarkers, generated reproducibly for each type of cell from the corresponding mass spectrum, permitted the identification, as well as the distinction, of pathogenic bacteria from their non-pathogenic counterparts. In addition, individual strains of a specific organism could also be differentiated easily. Some of these biomarkers correspond to those observed earlier during the MALDI-MS analysis of protein extracts of the same bacteria. This approach, which can yield valuable data for rapid classification and detection of microorganisms, represents a substantial breakthrough for rapid screening of environmental as well as biological samples
Reoperations Following Endovascular Aortic Repair

Endovascular repair has become the preferred treatment option for descending thoracic aortic disease because of the reduced morbidity associated with this approach compared with the open operation [1]. Since they became commercially available in 2005, the use of endovascular devices has expanded rapidly. However, the current generation of thoracic stent grafts cannot be used in all patients due to the anatomic requirements for a durable repair. Specifically, secure fixation of a stent graft within the aorta requires 2 cm of normal-caliber, parallel aorta at both the proximal and distal seal zones. The aorta should be a healthy substrate without severe calcification or thrombus to tolerate the radial forces applied by the devices. In long-segment disease, the endovascular devices should be placed with maximum overlap to compensate for later aortic remodeling. The delivery system needs to accommodate the tortuosity of the aorta and the caliber of the iliofemoral system during the manipulation required to gain access and deploy the stent grafts.
The Effect of Noise Distraction on Emergency Medicine Resident Performance During Intubation of a Patient Simulator

Abstract Background The environment in the Emergency Department (ED) is chaotic, and physicians are expected to perform procedures amongst distractions. Objectives Our aim was to prospectively determine the effects of various levels of noise distraction on the success and time to successful intubation of a simulator. Methods Forty-five Emergency Medicine, Emergency Medicine/Internal Medicine, and Emergency Medicine/Family Medicine Residents were studied in background noise environments of 70 decibels (noise level 3). Residents attempted three intubations on a simulator in succession, with three randomized noise levels. Time, in seconds, to intubation was measured in each of the successful intubations. Generalized linear models were employed to examine associations between noise level and time to intubation by attempt. Results Time to intubation decreased with each attempt (median = 25.9, 17.9, 14.4 for attempt numbers 1, 2, and 3, respectively). Decibel noise level was not associated with time to intubation ( p > 0.6) or success rate ( p > 0.1). Attempt number did not modify the association between noise and time to intubation ( p -for-interaction = 0.16). Conclusion Noise level did not have an effect on time to intubation or intubation success rate, suggesting that noise levels in the ED do not affect provider ability to perform procedures. However, knowing that increased noise levels increase stress and impair the ability to communicate with team members, further study needs to be done to definitively conclude that noise does not affect provider performance in the ED setting.
Protein kinase D1 mediates class IIa histone deacetylase phosphorylation and nuclear extrusion in intestinal epithelial cells: role in mitogenic signaling.

We examined whether class IIa histone deacetylases (HDACs) play a role in mitogenic signaling mediated by protein kinase D1 (PKD1) in IEC-18 intestinal epithelial cells. Our results show that class...
Sensitivity of organic contaminant transport and persistence models to Henry's Law constants: Case of polychlorinated biphenyls

Volatilization can be an important process influencing the transport and persistence of trace organic compounds in the environment. Henry's Law constants (H) describe the equilibrium distribution between vapor and aqueous phases, and thus are important for prediction of biogeochemical dynamics of organic chemicals subject to significant volatilization. Variability in reported H values can be appreciable, particularly for compounds such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) which possess low vapor pressures and solubilities. Recently reported Henry's constants for a number of PCB congeners were compiled to assess the magnitude of this variability. Coefficients of variation were generally 30 to 70% and tended to increase with increasing chlorine substitution and decreasing magnitude of Henry's constant. The influence of this variability on predicted transport and persistence of PCBs in soil and aquatic systems was evaluated using the behavior assessment and two-layer models, respectively. The 2,4′, 2,2′, 5,5′, and 2,2′,4,4′,5,5′ congeners were selected for this analysis on the basis of their high content in Arochlor fluids and range in hydrophobicity, solubility, and reported H values. Results from the two-layer model indicate that both the liquid and gas boundary layers contribute to the overall resistance to mass transfer. Selection of H had a moderate influence on predicted transport and persistence for the idealized lotic aquatic system modeled. Decreasing H and increasing relative contributions of gas phase resistance to overall resistance to mass transport resulted in longer predicted congener persistence. Selection of H also influenced predicted volatilization rates from soil. The volatilization flux rate was found to be controlled by impedance in the soil body for all but very short times, where boundary layer effects tended to limit volatilization. Evaporation, previously demonstrated to enhance volatilization for some chemicals, did not have a significant effect on predicted PCB vapor losses from soil.
Effects of Nitrogen Regulation on Panicle Traits,Lodging Resistance and Yield of Hybrid Rice Seeding-throwing Culture

Effects of nitrogen application models on panicle traits,lodging resistance and yield of hybrid rice seeding-throwing culture were studied under the total nitrogen fertilizer(600 kg/hm2).The results showed that effective panicle number increased along with the ratio of basal fertilizer decreasing and tillering fertilizer increasing.Panicle length,primary branches and secondary branches increased,however,lodging resistance decreased along with the ratio of basal fertilizer and tillering fertilizer decreasing.Low ratio of basal and tillering fertilizer to spikelet fertilizer resulted in yield dropped.The treatment of basal,tillering,booting and spikelet fertilizer as 3:2:1:0 had the highest yield reached 11526 kg/hm2,and 20.43% higher than the control.Therefore,the appropriate nitrogen fertilizer ratio of basal,tillering,booting and spikelet fertilizer were 3:2:1:0 for hybrid rice seeding broadcasting
Trends of Hemoglobin Oximetry: Do They Help Predict Blood Transfusion During Trauma Patient Resuscitation?

BACKGROUND:A noninvasive decision support tool for emergency transfusion would benefit triage and resuscitation. We tested whether 15 minutes of continuous pulse oximetry–derived hemoglobin measurements (SpHb) predict emergency blood transfusion better than conventional oximetry, vital signs, and in
Une Definition Globale des Operateurs Pseudo-Differentiels sur une Variete Differentiable

Nous introduisons dans ce qui suit une definition globale des operateurs pseudo-differentiels sur une variete differentiate et un calcul symbolique qui permet d'etablir une correspondance lineaire bijective entre les operateurs pseudo-differentiels modulo les operateurs regularisants d'une part et une classe de symboles modulo les symboles qui sont a decroissance rapide sur les fibres de l'espace cotangent d'autre part.