cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Viral-Induced Wheeze and Asthma Development

Recurrent wheezing illnesses in infancy are often the first sign of asthma. Most episodes are initiated by viral infections, and airway bacteria also contribute. Viral respiratory infections are universal during infancy, but only a subset of infants develop illnesses with wheezing. Risk factors for wheezing illnesses include small lung size, prematurity, and exposure to tobacco smoke. Most children with recurrent wheezing improve with time, but approximately one-third of infants with recurrent wheeze go on to develop asthma. There is great interest in identifying which infants are at risk for asthma, so that efforts at prevention can be directed toward those who might benefit the most. Factors related to the progression from recurrent wheezing to asthma include those related to the host, pathogen, and environment or lifestyle. Early onset of atopy is an important host factor, and children who become sensitized to multiple allergens in early life are at greatest risk. Children who wheeze with rhinoviruses are also likely to develop asthma, and this is especially true for atopic children. These associations are well established, but whether viral illnesses cause asthma is controversial. Clinical studies have identified predisposing factors such as low lung function and atopy that promote virus-induced wheezing illnesses. In addition, there is evidence from intervention studies that virus-induced damage to the airways can cause recurrent wheezing in some children. These relationships are not mutually exclusive, and it is likely that both apply to the relationship between virus-induced wheezing illnesses and asthma. The implications are that antiviral strategies as well as those targeting atopy and promoting lung development may be useful to prevent childhood asthma.
Input Coupling for Photonic Bandgap Fiber Accelerators

Dielectric hollow-core optical fibers have been proposed as a means of confining a traveling wave mode in order to produce a micron-scale laser-driven particle accelerator. A calculation of the power coupling to the confined accelerator mode for this type of structure is complicated by the presence of unconfined or leaky modes. We propose a computational method for resolving this issue, and evaluate the coupling efficiency of laser light into several proposed structure geometries using the frequency-domain code HFSS.
Modelling of oxygen diffusion through a model permeable package and simultaneous degradation of vitamin C in apple juice

The objective of this study was to apply the finite element method (FEM) to modelling the simultaneous oxygen diffusion and chemical reaction in a packaged liquid food. Cylindrical high-density polyethylene (HDPE) packages, top and bottom insulated, were designed to contain apple juice or water containing vitamin C. Oxygen consumption was monitored by a micro-oxygen electrode. A first-order chemical reaction and its reaction rate constant 7.3 ± 10-3/min (in terms of O2 consumption) was determined in apple juice with added vitamin C. The simultaneous permeation-diffusion reaction process was modelled by finite element block types developed by Swanson Analysis Systems. Inc. Houston, PA (Engineering Analysis Systems User's and Theoretical Manuals). Results indicate that the model generates acceptable predictions for a cylindrical, permeable package and a semi-infinite system (oxygen-saturated liquid surface).
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and scholastic achievement: A model of dual developmental pathways.

A conceptual model has recently been hypothesized in which parallel but correlated developmental pathways exist for attention deficit behaviors and conduct problems. An important component of this model suggests that attention deficit behaviors are related to later scholastic underachievement, whereas conduct problems are unrelated to scholastic underachievement except by their common correlation with attention deficit and intelligence. The present study replicated the general model using a cross-sectional sample of 325 children, and examined whether hypothesized dual pathways (behavioral and cognitive) better account for the relationship between attention deficit, intelligence, and later scholastic achievement. Results of the structural equation modeling analysis were consistent with the hypothesized dual pathway model and suggest that school behavior and select cognitive abilities serve as important mediators between attention deficit, intelligence, and later scholastic achievement. Implications of these results for understanding the developmental trajectory of children with attention deficit and general theoretical models of ADHD are discussed.
Relationship between physical and biological variables during the upwelling period in Monterey Bay, CA

Abstract Data from moorings deployed in central California waters were used to examine physical variables (wind, photosynthetically available radiation, and temperature) and a biological variable (fluorescence) during coastal upwelling. Modifications of the multivariate techniques of principal component analysis and canonical correlation were used to extract the major modes of variability and to examine relationships among the variables. Data from 1993 and 1994 indicate a consistent pattern of relationships among the physical variables, with NW winds and sunnier than average days leading lower than average temperatures at the mooring by 2–3 days. Higher than average fluorescence was found to lag lower than average temperatures, higher than average PAR and wind from the NW by 4, 6 and 7 days, respectively. Several days of colder than average temperatures, followed by a trend to warmer temperatures, was correlated with higher than average fluorescence. Higher than average fluorescence in 1993 showed maximal correlation with wind after several days of NW winds, followed by lighter winds from the SE. Relationships among physical variables and fluorescence are not as strong in 1994 as in 1993, and we hypothesize these differences to be related to differences in the strength and duration of upwelling in the two years.
Numerical Hurricane Prediction Using Assimilation of Remotely-Sensed Rainfall Rates

Abstract Rainfall rates determined from airborne radar and infrared satellite images are combined to construct a space- and time-dependent heating function for Hurricane Anita (1977). The heating is assimilated into a three-dimensional primitive equation prediction during a 12 h pre-forecast integration, after which the heating rate is computed internally by the model. The specified heating forces initial wind and mass fields toward their observed values, and produces improved 12 and 24 h forecasts of both track and intensity compared to a control integration, for which the heating is computed internally for the entire period. Calculations indicate that model adjustment during the period of heating can be viewed as a slow response of the vorticity field to continuous forcing of the divergence by the heating. The location and pattern of the heating relative to the center appear to be of greater importance than the magnitude of the heating. This may be of significance because remotely-sensed rainfall estima...
Valence-band x-ray photoelectron spectroscopic studies of manganese and its oxides interpreted by cluster and band structure calculations

Valence-band and core-level x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) of manganese and its oxides is reported and the valence-band spectra are interpreted by various calculation models. The focus of this paper is on the valence band, which shows significant differences between the oxides of manganese in the formal oxidation states II, II/III, III, IV, VI and VII. The study reports the valence band for the metal and the following oxidized forms of the metal: MnO, Mn3O4, Mn2O3, MnO2, K2MnO4 and KMnO4. The difference seen in the valence-band region makes this region appropriate for the surface analysis of manganese compounds and complements the core region, which is often complicated by broad peaks with satellite features. The valence-band region is interpreted by band structure and cluster calculations. It is shown that the differences between the observed spectra and band structure calculations for Mn3O4, Mn2O3 and MnO2 may be a result of the calculation method and not of the highly intense satellites. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mechanics of end-to-end artery-to-PTFE graft anastomoses.

On some occasions vascular surgeons are called upon to construct an end-to-end anastomosis using prosthetic graft material. If a spatulated anastomosis is not fashioned, three important variables that are under the surgeon’s control could affect anastomotic dimensions: (1) selection of graft material, (2) graft size relative to the native vessel, and (3) suture technique. Accordingly, studies were performed on 36 nonspatulated, end-to-end artery-to-polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) grafts to evaluate the effects of graft size and suture technique on anastomotic dimensions. Size-matched (3 mm) and slightly oversized (4 mm) grafts were anastomosed end-to-end to 3 mm pig carotid arteries using (1) running polypropylene (Surgilene) sutures, (2) running polybutester (Novafil) sutures, or (3) interrupted sutures. After 30 min the vessels were excised, filled with contrast material, and radiographs were obtained to measure anastomotic dimensions. Results showed that, at every comparable pressure, 4 mm grafts produced larger anastomoses than did 3 mm grafts. In addition 4 mm grafts produced smoother anastomoses without a constricted or “pinched” appearance at the graft-artery junction. Marked compliance mismatch was observed with both sized grafts. There was no significant difference in the dimensions of the anastomoses or compliance mismatch with the three different suture techniques. These studies indicate that, when using PTFE grafts for end-to-end anastomoses, a graft that is slightly larger than the artery is preferable to provide the largest and smoothest anastomosis, and that any of the three suture techniques may be used.
Localization of Gamma-Glutamyl Transpeptidase in Hamster Buccal Pouch Epithelium Treated With 7,12-Dimethylbenz[a]anthracene

The utility of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) was explored as a histochemical marker for chemical carcinogenesis in hamster buccal pouch mucosa. One or both buccal pouches of 18 noninbred male Syrian golden hamsters were treated topically with 0.5% 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA) in mineral oil over 16 weeks to produce numerous epithelial lesions at various stages of neoplastic development. Both buccal pouches of 4 control animals were similarly treated with mineral oil alone. GGT activity was not detectable in untreated pouches or pouches treated with mineral oil alone. With this technique, multiple discrete GGT-stained areas were visible in wholemounts prepared at 1 and 6 weeks after the final application of DMBA. The experimental results were consistent with the hypothesis that the early GGT-stained cell populations are preneoplastic in nature.
Garbage collection in the next C++ standard

C++ has traditionally relied on manual memory management. Sometimes this has been augmented by limited reference counting, implemented in libraries, and requiring use of separate pointer types. In spite of the fact that conservative garbage collectors have been used with C for decades, and with C++ for almost as long, they have not been well-supported by language standards. This in turn has limited their use.We have led an effort to change this by supporting optional "transparent" garbage collection in the next C++ standard. This is designed to either garbage collect or detect leaks in code using normal unadorned C++ pointers. We initially describe an ambitious effort that would have allowed programmers to explicitly request garbage collection. It faced a number of challenges, primarily in correct interaction with existing libraries relying on explicit destructor invocation. This effort was eventually postponed to the next round of standardization. This initial effort was then temporarily replaced by minimal support in the language that officially allows garbage collected implementations. Such minimal support is included in the current committee draft for the next C++ standard. It imposes an additional language restriction that makes it safe to garbage collect C++ programs. Stating this restriction proved subtle.We also provide narrow interfaces that make it easy to both correct code violating this new restriction, and to supply hints to a conservative garbage collector to improve its performance. These provide interesting implementation challenges. We discuss partial solutions.
The effect of thymosin on patients with disseminated malignancies. A phase I study.

A Phase I clinical trial of thymosin administered in doses of 10 to 250 mg/M2 intramuscularly for seven days was undertaken in ten patients with disseminated malignancies and evidence of immunoincompetence. Toxicity was minimal; one patient experienced a mild urticaria1 rash which cleared spontaneously, two patients developed low grade fever and one patient experienced pain at the injection site. There was no evidence of systemic toxicity or parenchymal organ dysfunction. Thymosin administration was associated with an increase in the E-Rosette forming capacity of the patient's lymphocytes and the development of new skin test reactivity to recall antigens in some of these patients. One objective tumor response was noted. These findings are preliminary but are encouraging for further utilization of thymosin as an immunostimulant in cancer patients with immunoincompetence. CUWW 40~14-19, 1977.
Critically Theorizing the Global

Globalization has unleashed profound changes in education. These include positivistic international school comparisons, a singular focus on schools as drivers of economic development, and the adoption of neoliberal market principles in school. These changes, however, generally go unexamined within the field and literature of global education. Global education too often focuses on aspects of the far-away life of others while not attending to how global forces manifest in the most local of institutions, the school. This article examines the interrelationships of these phenomena in a period of hyper-globalization and considers the potential for rethinking global education as a counter-practice.
Polynomial splines and eigenvalue approximations on quantum graphs

A notion of splines is introduced on a quantum graph Γ. It is shown that eigen values of a Hamiltonian on a finite graph Γ can be determined as limits of eigenvalues of certain finite-dimensional operators in spaces of polynomial splines on Γ. In particular, a bounded set of eigenvalues can be determined using a space of such polynomial splines with a fixed set of singularities. It is also shown that corresponding eigenfunctions can be reconstructed as uniform limits of the same polynomial splines with appropriate fixed set of singularities.
PEDIATRICIANS' AWARENESS OF HOSPITAL COSTS

Health care costs are a focus of increasing discussion and debate in medical and lay circles. There have been few efforts to assess physician awareness of such costs. We have evaluated awareness of actual hospitalization charges (HC) by 27 pediatric house officers (PL), 29 pediatricians in practice (PP) and 14 full time pediatric faculty (FAC). Case histories reflecting all HC and physician charges were prepared from 4 representative pediatric admissions (croup, meningitis, dehydration, premature neonate). PL, PP, and FAC were asked to estimate HC in various categories: total bill, room charge, laboratory studies, medications, IV fluids and physicians fees. Results indicate: 1) FAC most accurately estimated total HC. 2) More than half of each group was within ± 30% of the actual total bills for 3 of 4 cases. 3) All 3 groups markedly underestimated room charges and total HC for the premature neonate; PP underestimates exceeded PL or FAC. 4) All groups attributed an amount of HC to medications and IV fluids in excess of actual amounts. 5) All groups estimated laboratory test fees with equivalent accuracy; large underestimates were common. 6) Although most physicians expressed interest in seeing copies of their patients hospital bills, few, if any, now do so. Our results indicate wide variation in awareness of various aspects of HC by physicians. Efforts to increase such awareness should be encouraged.
Evaluating Socio-Technical Coordination in Open-Source Communities: A Cluster-Based Approach

In complex product development, coordination is the act of managing dependencies between artifacts. Sociotechnical coordination is the achievement of coordination through the alignment of organizational structures and product structures. Socio-technical coordination is achieved in hierarchical product development organizations by aligning the organizational structure with the system architecture. However, within virtual community-based product development such as open source development, the organizational structure is not designed by a central authority. In contrast, the community evolves as a result of participation of individuals and their communication with other individuals working on the project. Hence, understanding and quantifying socio-technical coordination is particularly important in open-source communities. Existing approaches to measuring socio-technical coordination are based on the congruence between ideal communication and the actual communication structures within communities. The primary limitation of existing approaches is that they only account for explicit communication between individuals. Existing measures do not account for the indirect communication between individuals and the shared knowledge that individuals working on a joint project possess. Due to these limitations, the socio-technical coordination values have been observed to be very low in the existing literature. We propose two alternate approaches to measuring socio-technical coordination based on clustering techniques. We illustrate the approaches using a case study from an open source software development community. The proposed approaches present a broader and more encompassing view of coordination within open source communities.
Exploring the rogue wave phenomenon in 3D power distribution networks

This paper discusses the electrical characteristics of power distribution networks (PDNs) in 3DICs on both system and chip level. In the system-level analysis the global resonance effects in 3D PDNs are highlighted. For chip-level analysis, detailed metal-layer-based power grid model is proposed for the first time for 3D PDNs. With the detailed power grid model, local resonance effects that are unique to 3D PDNs are revealed. The spatial and temporal impacts of distributed current sources on the time-domain noise of 3D PDNs are also explored based on the multi-source worst-case noise calculation algorithm. Simulation results demonstrate the “Rogue Wave” phenomenon in 3D PDNs.
The role of drift kelp in the population ecology of a Diopatra ornata Moore (Polychaeta: Onuphidae) ecotone

Abstract Field experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis that drift kelp availability determines the size and density distribution of Diopatra ornata Moore, a tubicolous onuphid polychaete which is a dominant member of ecotone communities between kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera (L.) C. Agardh) forests and sand bottoms off the California coast. Drift kelp constitutes a primary food item for the worms. More drift kelp was available to the worms in the summer, and when supplied with equal amounts of drift kelp year-round, more was consumed by D. ornata in the summer. However, D. ornata growth was the same regardless of season, when abundant kelp was supplied to the worms. Experimental manipulation of food availability and accessibility indicated that D. ornata size was food limited on a time scale of
Miscommunication between healthcare providers and patients may result in unplanned pregnancies

Our objective was to examine the impact of prior healthcare provider counseling on previous use of contraception and knowledge of emergency contraception in women seeking surgical abortion. We performed a retrospective analysis of 342 patient charts from women seeking an office abortion in a private practice setting from January 1999 to June 2001. Data extracted included demographic information, primary method of contraception over the preceding few months, compliance with that method, contraceptive history, knowledge of emergency contraception and postabortion contraception. Patients were primarily white (69%) and unmarried (63%) and had private insurance that covered abortion services (72%). Only 19% of women were using a birth control method with no recognized potential failure. Twenty-two percent of women were using their birth control method correctly but experienced an event that put them at risk for pregnancy, 32% were using their birth control method incorrectly and 27% were using no birth control method at all. Miscommunication between patients and their healthcare provider(s) negatively affected use of a primary contraceptive method in 14% of patients. Of the 77% of women who did not know about emergency contraception, nearly two thirds had an identifiable event for which emergency contraception could have been used. Healthcare providers may contribute to the occurrence of unintended pregnancy if they provide poor medical advice or miscommunicate with patients.
Cautionary Tales: Lessons Learned About Unanticipated Behaviors in OC Systems

Organic computing (OC) recognizes that the behaviors of deployed systems can be much more interesting than those predicted by simulation. By exploiting self-X properties such as self-organization, self-optimization, self-protection, and context-awareness, OC researchers are developing methods for creating robust, trustworthy systems. This paper presents two examples of unanticipated behaviors that we have observed in our OC test bed of robotic toy cars, an unmodeled phenomenon with surprisingly large effects and an agent behavior that was believed (incorrectly) to be so rare that it could be ignored. We discuss the use of computational reflection as a tool for identifying such situations, consider the challenges posed by the large variety of such situations faced by real systems, and list lessons learned about the importance of test beds for advancing OC research.
On uniqueness of Kuhn-Tucker multipliers in nonlinear programming

Recently Fujiwara, Han and Mangasarian introduced a new constraint qualification which is a slight tightening of the well-known Mangasarian—Fromovitz constraint qualification. We show that this new qualification is a necessary and sufficient condition for the uniqueness of Kuhn—Tucker multipliers. We also show that it implies the satisfaction of second order necessary optimality conditions at a local minimum.
Temporary improvement in shuttle-box performance of rats after repeated electroconvulsive shock treatment

Abstract Studies were conducted to determine the effect of repeated electroconvulsive shock (ECS) treatment on avoidance responding of rats which were poor performers in a two-way shuttle-box. Following 14–20 training sessions, ECS was administered twice daily for 5–8 days. After completion of the ECS treatments, the animals underwent further behavioral testing. The results may be summarized as follows: (1) repeated ECS treatment, without simultaneous training, produced a significant improvement in avoidance responding; (2) the improved performance could not be explained on the basis of spontaneous crossings in the shuttle-box; (3) the improved performance subsided by 72–96 hr after the last ECS; (4) the return to poor performance occurred spontaneously with the passage of time and was not dependent on relearning; (5) α-methyltyrosine pretreatment (50 or 100 mg/kg 2 hr before trials) did not alter the ECS-induced improvement of performance. At least two CNS pathways may be involved in shuttle-box performance, an adrenergic facilitatory system and a cholinergic inhibitory system. An appropriate change in activity (or excitability) of either or both systems could result in an improvement of shuttle-box performance. Although α-methyltyrosine failed to alter the ECS effect, these experiments do not justify elimination of an adrenergic mechanism. This temporary effect of ECS on shuttle-box performance does not involve memory consolidation.
PP2A Targets SAS-5 in Centriole Assembly

In this issue of Developmental Cell, Kitagawa et al. (2011a) and Song et al. (2011) show that the protein phosphatase PP2A regulates SAS-5 to control centriole duplication. Two paradigms are presented to explain how PP2A regulates SAS-5.
Potential for metabolic engineering of resveratrol biosynthesis

Resveratrol, an interesting plant phenolic compound, is found in red wine but is not widely distributed in other common food sources. Health benefits of resveratrol include prevention of cardiovascular diseases and cancers, and--as discovered more recently--promotion of longevity in several animal systems. The pathway and enzymes for resveratrol biosynthesis are well characterized. Furthermore, metabolic engineering of this compound has been achieved in plants, microbes and animals. This review attempts to summarize current understanding of resveratrol pathway-engineering in various systems, to outline the challenges in commercial applications and to identify future opportunities for resveratrol bioengineering.
Observation of modulated Hanle resonances in phase-diffusing optical fields.

We report an experiment on the observation of Hanle resonances in weakly sinusoidally amplitude modulated, nonsaturating, phase-diffusing optical fields. The $^{1}$${\mathit{S}}_{0}$ to $^{1}$${\mathit{P}}_{1}$ transition (J=0 to 1) in an atomic beam of $^{138}\mathrm{Ba}$ was probed with a frequency stabilized dye laser, whose bandwidth and band shape were precisely controlled with an extra-cavity noise modulation system. Phase-sensitive detection of the Hanle fluorescence signal at the amplitude modulation frequency revealed resonances in the in-phase and in-quadrature parts, whose position, shape, and strength were sensitive to the laser bandwidth. These resonances, which were Lorentzian or dispersion shaped or a combination of the two, occurred when the Zeeman splitting (\ensuremath{\Delta}E) of the excited ${\mathit{m}}_{\mathit{j}}$=\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1 sublevels equaled the modulation frequency (\ensuremath{\Omega}) for monochromatic light, and at a \ensuremath{\Delta}E of \ensuremath{\Omega}/2 for broadband light. The results are in good agreement with the theoretical predictions of Saxena and Agarwal [Phys. Rev. A 25, 2123 (1982)].
Unsteady State Heat Transfer to Variously Shaped Objects

This paper presents six new charts describing the heat and temperature histories of variously shaped objects. These charts use, as a characteristic length, the volume-to-surface area ratio of the object. With this definition it is possible to condense the cooling history of the various objects onto a single chart. All charts were drawn by computer and some small errors were found in previously used charts On Other length measurements; these have been corrected in thts paper.
Analysis of simple algorithms for dynamic load balancing

The principle of load balancing is examined for dynamic resource allocation subject to certain constraints. The emphasis is on the performance of simple allocation strategies which can be implemented on-line. Either finite capacity constraints on resources or migration of load can be incorporated into the setup. The load balancing problem is formulated as a stochastic optimal control problem. Variants of a “Least Load Routing” policy are shown to lead to a fluid type limit and to be asymptotically optimal.
Multiscale approach to the control of smart structures

The development of control technology specifically for smart structures and materials has lagged substantially behind that of the base materials, transducers, and embedding techniques. Still, development of smart structures with ever-greater numbers of embedded elements continues, spurred by potential uses that require large arrays of sensors and actuators. For example, rather than implementing a control design that is sensitive to the particular device layout, a densely sampled array allows the controller to optimize the use of sensor information and actuator authority. No control technology suitable for such large arrays exists, however, and this presents a barrier to future applications. In this paper we report on recent progress in developing and demonstrating technology capable of controlling hundreds or thousands of sensors and actuators embedded in the base material. We have dubbed this the `KIKO control problem' (Kilo-Input/Kilo-Output) for smart materials. This paper focuses on a new multiscale/multirate theory of hierarchical design based on the wavelet transform. In the context of this theory, we develop efficient and highly scalable implementations of control systems using multiprocessor architectures. The paper describes our multiscale control approach and presents simulation results on a flexible plate.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Holmium: yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser puncture of ureteroceles in neonatal period

Abstract Objectives The use of the holmium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (YAG) laser to incise a ureterocele in children has been reported. However, its use to puncture ureteroceles in neonates has not. Therefore, we evaluated the effectiveness and safety of ureterocele puncture using a holmium-YAG laser in neonatal patients. Methods We reviewed our experience of all neonates (ie, children younger than 28 days old) who underwent transurethral puncture of a ureterocele. The preoperative data collected included age at presentation, mode of presentation, ureterocele location, and weight and age at the procedure. A holmium:YAG laser was used to incise the ureterocele, and a 200, 365, or 550-μm laser fiber was passed through a 6F or 7.5F cystoscope. Results A total of 4 neonates (2 boys and 2 girls) underwent transurethral holmium laser puncture of five ureteroceles. All patients were initially diagnosed with prenatal ultrasound findings confirmed after birth with additional imaging. The mean age at the initial puncture was 13.8 days, with a mean patient weight of 3.9 kg. The mean follow-up was 2.8 years (range 1.7 to 3.4). Four (80%) of five ureteroceles were adequately decompressed after one attempt. One patient required a second puncture of the ureterocele at 46 days of age because of incomplete decompression. None of the patients experienced an intraoperative or postoperative complication, including new vesicoureteral reflux after laser puncture. Conclusions Holmium:YAG laser puncture of ureterocele is a safe, efficacious, and viable option for children in the neonatal period. However, this technique in these young children requires additional evaluation.
Effect of Self-Association on Rate of Penicillin G Degradation in Concentrated Aqueous Solutions

The apparent rate of degradation of penicillin G potassium micellar solutions of 500,000 units/ml, a concentration commonly encountered in vials reconstituted for storage in the refrigerator, was investigated and compared to that of nonmicellar solutions of 8000 units/ml at 25°, ionic strength of 1.1 M, and pH range from 5.0 to 9.5. In the micellar solutions the apparent rate of the H+-catalyzed degradation was increased twofold but that of water- and OH−catalyzed hydrolysis was decreased two- to threefold. Consequently, the pH-rate profile of the micellar solutions was shifted to higher pH values and the pH of minimum degradation was found to be at 7.0 compared to 6.5 for the nonmicellar solution of the same ionic strength. Compared at their respective pH-rate profile minima, micellar penicillin G is 2.5 times as stable as the nonmicellar solution under the conditions of constant pH and ionic strength.
Biological Value of Proteins Determined With Tetrahymena geleii H.

SummaryA method for the determination of biological values of proteins with Tetrahymena geleii H has been described. The values found for casein, lactalbumin, a commercial protein hydrolyzate and gelatin have been compared with each other and with those reported in the literature.
SANLab-CM – The Stochastic Activity Network Laboratory for Cognitive Modeling

SANLab-CM is an activity network tool for the stochastic modeling of routine interactive behavior. Within the cognitive engineering community the best-known examples of activity networking modeling are the CPM-GOMS models of Project Ernestine (Gray, John, & Atwood, 1993). Project Ernestine showed that modeling the parallel use of cognitive, perceptual, and motor resources within an activity network formalism produces reliable and accurate predictions of expert performance times across alternative designs for the same task. SANLab-CM provides time predictions, but its essence is the prediction of procedural variability amidst strategic constancy: when expert human performers follow the same task strategy from trial to trial variability in the processing time of cognitive, perceptual, and motor resources is such as to produce different critical paths of performance and significantly different execution times. The stochastic component of SANLab-CM goes beyond current techniques to create a new means of asses...
Increased risk of death with cervical spine immobilisation in penetrating cervical trauma.

The purpose of this study was to determine if cervical spine immobilisation was related to patient mortality in penetrating cervical trauma. One hundred and ninety-nine patient charts from the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans (Charity Hospital, New Orleans) were examined. Charts were identified by searching the Charity Hospital Trauma Registry from 01/01/1994 to 04/17/ 2003 for all cases of penetrating cervical trauma. Thirty-five patient deaths were identified. Cervical spine immobilisation was associated with an increased risk of death (p < 0.02, odds ratio 2.77, 95% CI
Nanoscale brass/steel multilayer composites produced by cold rolling

Metallic multilayer composites are of interest due to their attractive combination of strength and fracture resistance, tq These composites have been produced by a number of techniques including coextrusion and wire drawing,t2] vapor deposition,t3] and electrodepositionJ 4] On the other hand, cold rolling is a potential method for continuous mass production of microlaminate sheets, since the technology to cold roll strips of various metals already exists. In spite of this potential, application of cold rolling to produce nanoscale multilayer composites is yet to be performed. The primary objective of the present study was to explore the feasibility of fabricating nanolaminate composites, having different layer thicknesses, by cold rolling. The brass/steel system was selected, due to the limited mutual solid solubility, ease of deformability, and material availability at low cost. The deformation behavior during rolling and the evolution of microstructure and texture were studied. It is to be noted that this is the first attempt toward the fabrication of nanoscale multilayer composites by cold rolling. The starting materials for the fabrication of laminate composites were 25.4-/xm-thick sheets of AISI 1010 steel and CDA 260 cartridge brass (70 pct Cu-30 pct Zn). These sheets were degreased with acetone, sliced into 40 x 40mm pieces, and stacked alternately to form a multilayer composite. To reduce the friction as well as to prevent the bonding between the stack and the platen, top and bottom surfaces of the stack were sprayed with graphite lubricating powder. Diffusion bonding of the stack was done at 510 ~ for 4 hours with a pressure of 16 MPa, followed by air cooling to room temperature. Typically, there was a reduction of 30 to 35 pct in the thickness during the diffusion bonding process. The bonded composites were sliced into blanks of size 40 x 20 mm and polished by SiC abrasive papers. They were then cold rolled in a two-high rolling mill, with a roll diameter of 150 mm. The specimens were given an intermediate annealing treatment at 400 ~ for 15 minutes, after a level of reduction ranging from 30 to 60 pct. Specimens were cut at different rolling stages to obtain specimens with different percentage reductions and, hence, different layer thicknesses. The rolled specimens were sectioned and metallographically polished. The steel layers were preferentially etched with a 2 pct nital solution to enhance the contrast between layers for observation in the light microscope. Microstructural examinations and chemical analyses were performed
What we have learned from 5 cases of permanent capsule retention.

Background Capsule endoscopy allows the direct visualization of the entire small bowel. There is limited data on the clinical significance of permanent capsule retention. Objective Our purpose was to document the frequency, findings, risk factors, management, and outcomes of permanent capsule retention. Design Retrospective, case series. Setting Single tertiary referral center, outpatient. Results Permanent capsule retention occured in 2% of our cases (5/245). The following pathologies caused insufficient capsule passage: adenocarcinoma in a patient with hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (1), idiopathic stenosis (1), stricturing Crohn's disease (2), and adhesions (1). Capsule retention lead to a symptomatic small-bowel obstruction in only 1 of these cases (0.4%). As a consequence, 2 cases had successful endoscopic retrieval; 3 cases required surgical intervention. Four of 5 patients had a clear clinical benefit resulting from the capsule findings or the secondary procedure. Conclusions Permanent capsule retention is rare. Even though this event may lead to the necessity of an endoscopic or surgical intervention, a clear benefit for the patient in respect to the underlying disease resulted in 4 of 5 patients.
Evaluating spatiotemporal interest point features for depth-based action recognition

Human action recognition has lots of real-world applications, such as natural user interface, virtual reality, intelligent surveillance, and gaming. However, it is still a very challenging problem. In action recognition using the visible light videos, the spatiotemporal interest point (STIP) based features are widely used with good performance. Recently, with the advance of depth imaging technology, a new modality has appeared for human action recognition. It is important to assess the performance and usefulness of the STIP features for action analysis on the new modality of 3D depth map. In this paper, we evaluate the spatiotemporal interest point (STIP) based features for depth-based action recognition. Different interest point detectors and descriptors are combined to form various STIP features. The bag-of-words representation and the SVM classifiers are used for action learning. Our comprehensive evaluation is conducted on four challenging 3D depth databases. Further, we use two schemes to refine the STIP features, one is to detect the interest points in RGB videos and apply to the aligned depth sequences, and the other is to use the human skeleton to remove irrelevant interest points. These refinements can help us have a deeper understanding of the STIP features on 3D depth data. Finally, we investigate a fusion of the best STIP features with the prevalent skeleton features, to present a complementary use of the STIP features for action recognition on 3D data. The fusion approach gives significantly higher accuracies than many state-of-the-art results.
Is the absence of an ipsilateral fibular fracture predictive of increased radiographic tibial pilon fracture severity

Objective:Despite their frequent occurrence, there is little clinical or biomechanical data associating the status of the fibula with any injury pattern of the tibial plafond. Similarly, the integrity of the fibula is not assessed in the commonly used tibial pilon fracture classification schemes. Th
An unequal burden: Poor patient–provider communication and sickle cell disease

Objective To assess disparities in the quality of healthcare provider communication experienced by African-American adults with and without sickle cell disease (SCD) in the U.S.
Computational Prediction of α/β Selectivities in the Pyrolysis of Oxygen-Substituted Phenethyl Phenyl Ethers

Phenethyl phenyl ether (PPE; PhCH2CH2OPh) is the simplest model for the most common β-O-4 linkage in lignin. Previously, we developed a computational scheme to calculate the α/β product selectivity in the pyrolysis of PPE by systematically exploiting error cancellation in the computation of relative rate constants. The α/β selectivity is defined as the selectivity between the competitive hydrogen abstraction reaction paths on the α- and β-carbons of PPE. We use density functional theory and employ transition state theory where we include diagonal anharmonic correction in the vibrational partition functions for low frequency modes for which a semiclassical expression is used. In this work we investigate the effect of oxygen substituents (hydroxy, methoxy) in the para position on the phenethyl ring of PPE on the α/β selectivities. The total α/β selectivity increases when substituents are introduced and is larger for the methoxy than the hydroxy substituent. The strongest effect of the substituents is observ...
Wide band cumulative absorption coefficient distribution model for overlapping absorption in H2O and CO2 mixtures

Abstract An accurate wide band cumulative absorption coefficient distribution, g(k), model for thermal radiative transfer in gaseous media containing H2O and CO2 is presented. Assuming that the convoluted g(k) function for gas mixture retains the same functional form as the individual gases, the model treats overlapping bands as a “single”, complex band with scaled parameters. Corresponding scaling algorithms are proposed for specific overlapping regions. Predictions of the mixture g(k) function and the band absorptance are in good agreement with the line-by-line calculation over a wide range of temperatures from 500 to 2500 K, and pressures up to 10.0 atm. The g(k) model is generally more accurate than the exponential wide band model, and provides comparable accuracy to the statistical narrow-band model in predicting the total emissivity along an isothermal and homogeneous gas column under typical combustion conditions. In addition, this approach significantly enhances the computational efficiency.
High Prevalence of Low Skeletal Muscle Mass Associated with Male Gender in Midlife and Older HIV-Infected Persons Despite CD4 Cell Reconstitution and Viral Suppression

Therapeutic goals for HIV-infected patients receiving antiretroviral therapy include minimizing risk of future physical disability. Presarcopenia and sarcopenia precede age-associated physical disability. We investigated their prevalence and the predictive value of patient mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) for them. Eighty community-dwelling patients ≥45 years old demonstrating durable viral suppression were evaluated. Sarcopenia was defined as low skeletal muscle index (SMI, skeletal muscle kg/height m(2)) and either low strength or poor performance by handgrip dynamometry and gait speed, respectively. Presarcopenia was defined as low SMI only. MUAC was interpreted according to National Health Statistics percentile. Prevalence of sarcopenia and presarcopenia was 5.0% and 20.0%, respectively. Male gender (odds ratio [OR] 10.72; P < .026), recreational psychoactive substance use (OR 5.13; P < .037), and intravenous drug use transmission category (OR 6.94; P <.0327) were associated with presarcopenia. Higher body mass index (OR 0.80; P < .0007), MUAC (OR 0.83; P < .024), and large skeletal frame (OR 0.09; P < .003) were negatively associated with presarcopenia. Finding that a participant did not have a MUAC <25th percentile on physical examination had a 90.4% negative predictive value for presarcopenia. Although sarcopenia was uncommon, presarcopenia was highly prevalent in midlife and older HIV-infected males. Determination of MUAC percentile may identify those least likely to demonstrate skeletal muscle deficit and improve patient selection for mass and function testing.
Clinical experience with the single-plate Molteno implant in complicated glaucomas

Ninety patients with medically uncontrollable glaucomas and poor surgical prognoses received single-plate Molteno implants (Optomat Supplies, Dunedin, New Zealand) without postoperative adjunctive systemic antifibrosis therapy. Eleven patients had insufficient follow-up for assessment of intraocular pressure (IOP) or visual acuity outcome. The initial Molteno implant procedures in the remaining 79 patients were successful (IOP less than or equal to 21 mmHg with at least 6 months' follow-up) in 26 (63%) of the 41 patients older than 12 years of age with non-neovascular glaucomas in aphakia/pseudophakia; 7 (70%) of the 10 patients older than 12 years of age with non-neovascular glaucomas in phakic eyes after failed filtering surgery; 7 (47%) of the 15 patients with neovascular glaucomas; and 7 (54%) of the 13 patients younger than 13 years of age with non-neovascular glaucomas. The visual acuities remained within one line of their preoperative levels or improved in 31 (76%) of the 41 aphakic or pseudophakic eyes with non-neovascular glaucomas; 3 (30%) of the 10 phakic eyes with non-neovascular glaucomas after failed filtering surgery; 10 (67%) of the 15 eyes with neovascular glaucomas; and 9 (100%) of the 9 eyes with non-neovascular glaucomas in patients younger than 13 years of age on whom Snellen acuity was available.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Establishing Spatial Pattern Correlations Between Water Saturation Time-Lapse and Seismic Amplitude Time-Lapse

The extensive spatial coverage of seismic data provides a unique source of information widely used for surface and facies modelling, faults detection, and more generally, static heterogeneities modelling. The advent of time-lapse (4D) seismic surveys opens a new dimension-the possibility of monitoring fluid flow, and hence, production. Discounting the favourable cases in which fluid displacement can be seen directly from time-lapse seismic data, the preliminary challenge is to establish a correlation between saturation changes and seismic data changes. Because of the low resolution of seismic data, one should not expect any useful point-to-point correlation. Instead, in general one might expect correlations between spatial patterns of seismic time differences and corresponding spatial patterns of saturation changes. Spatial patterns involve multiple locations within a fixed template window and are summarized by the principal/canonical components (PC/CC) of the within-template variability of each variable. This preliminary study aims at developing a general methodology to establish such pattern correlations, thereby preparing the way for a systematic utilization of time-lapse seismic surveys beyond trivial visual observation. The very well-known synthetic Stanford V 3D clastic reservoir, for which both flow simulation results and repeated synthetic seismic surveys are available, is used to explore such correlations. It is found that the first few PCs or CCs of the 4D seismic and water saturation variables do capture the spatial patterns, and they account for most of the total variance. Through the principal/canonical analysis, significant correlation is found between multiple-point spatial patterns of the 4D seismic variable and spatial patterns of the water saturation time-lapse variable. The 4D seismic patterns are then put to use to predict changes in saturation.