cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Otitis media prone children with cystic fibrosis: A new normal.

Abstract Objectives To determine if children with cystic fibrosis (CF) who are otitis media prone and treated with tympanostomy tube placement (TTP) follow the natural course of non-CF children regarding the incidence of tympanostomy tube otorrhea (TTO) (21–34%). Methods All CF patients seen at a large tertiary pediatric hospital were retrospectively reviewed from 2010 to 2019. A total of 483 patients were identified and seventeen met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. Data collected included demographics, CF diagnosis history including date of diagnosis and genotype, TTP notes, and otorrhea found in otolaryngology clinic and pediatrician clinic notes for up to 18 months post-TTP. Results CF was diagnosed at a median age of 13 days (0 days to 6 years). In terms of surgical frequency, 14/17 (82.4%) patients had one TTP, 2/17 (11.8%) had two TTPs, and 1/17 (5.9%) had five TTPs. The median (range) age at first TTP was 2 years (3 months to 13 years). After the first TTP, TTO occurred in 5 (29.4%) patients at 3 months, 6 (35.3%) at 6 and 9 months, and 7 (41.2%) at 12 and 18 months at median (range) = 1 (0–5) otolaryngology appointments and median (range) = 0 (0–8) pediatrician appointments. Conclusion To our knowledge this is the first study to report that CF children are more likely to be severely affected with recurrent acute otitis media (RAOM), to require TTP, and to exhibit a natural history of TTO commensurate with the non-CF population.
Design Techniques for High-Speed Wireline Transmitters

Wireline transmitters operating at tens of gigabits per second pose challenging design issues ranging from limited bandwidths to severe sensitivity to jitter. This paper presents a number of analog and digital circuit techniques that allow data rates as high as 80 Gb/s in 45-nm CMOS technology. A PAM4 prototype delivers an output swing of 630 mV $_{pp}$ with a clock jitter of 205 fs $_{rms}$ while drawing 44 mW.
Chapter 20. Mechanisms of Resistance to Antibiotics

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the occurrence and general and specific mechanisms of resistance to antibiotics. The search for new antimicrobial agents, either from natural sources or by the chemical or biochemical modification of existing compounds is predicated by the desire to obtain agents with a broad spectra of bacterial effectiveness, low toxicity, activity against naturally occurring resistant organism. There is strong genetic and biochemical evidence that the gene for tetracycline resistance is closely linked to the resistance transfer factor. It is found that when the R-factor dissociates, the gene for tetracycline resistance associates with the RTF and not the r-determinant. This implies that selection for tetracycline resistance must automatically select for the ability to transfer. Gentamicin, the aminoglycoside antibiotics used therapeutically is effective against neomycin and kanamycin-resistant strains, such as many Pseudomonads. Two forms of gentamicin inactivation have been found in gentamicin-resistant strains isolated in hospitals and clinics using the drug. Gentamicin resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa occurs as a result of acetylation of the 3-amino group of the deoxystreptamine ring, which seems to be specific to the gentamicin C antibiotics.
NIDDESC-IGES Developments -- Today's Solution

The Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (IGES) was first developed in 1980. It has evolved with continual improvements to the current Version 5.1 which was published in October 1991. Although IGES has proved to be a very valuable tool, difficulties have been encountered in using it for sophisticated transfers, such as for product models or complicated drawings. The long range solution to these difficulties is the emergence of the Standard for the Exchange of Product Model Data (STEP). The US Navy/Industry Digital Data Exchange Standards Committee (NIDDESC) has been a leading player in the development of this international standard. However, in the interim, NIDDESC is also spearheading the efforts to enhance the use of IGES by developing application protocols. Two of these application protocols, for 3D piping and engineering drawings, are the first ones to be developed by the IGES/PDES (Product Data Exchange using STEP) Organization, and will lead the way to more productive data transfer before the development of STEP. This paper focuses on the development of these two application protocols, the involvement of NIDDESC and the shipbuilding industry (as well as the participation of other industry users and vendors), and the significant benefits to be derived from the adoption of these standards.
Raman Characterization of High Temperature Materials Using an Imaging Detector

The characterization of materials by Raman spectroscopy has been advanced by recent technological developments in light detectors. Imaging photomultiplier-tube detectors are now available that impart position information in two dimensions while retaining photon-counting sensitivity, effectively greatly reducing noise. The combination of sensitivity and reduced noise allows smaller amounts of material to be analyzed. The ability to observe small amounts of material when coupled with position information makes possible Raman characterization in which many spatial elements are analyzed simultaneously. Raman spectroscopy making use of these capabilities has been used, for instance, to analyze the phases present in carbon films and fibers and to map phase-transformed zones accompanying crack propagation in toughened zirconia ceramics.
Entrepreneurship in Pre-War South Carolina: A Case of Southern Corporate Capitalism

Before the Civil War a portion of South Carolina's economy was "capitalist" in the sense that entrepreneurs and other business firms relied on capital markets to supply their external financing needs. Antebellum South Carolina was home to all the major components of corporate capitalism, including investors, banks, securities markets, and entrepreneur-borrowers, including numerous business corporations. That finding accords with those of several recent historians of antebellum Virginia and South Carolina and suggests that a form of Southern capitalism coexisted with the region's much more intensively studied slave economy.
Comparison of Growth and Toxin Production in Two Vaccine Strains of Bacillus anthracis

Two vaccine strains of Bacillus anthracis were monitored in a 10-liter fermentor to compare growth patterns and toxin production. Under identical conditions, the Sterne strain produced all three components of anthrax toxin, whereas strain V770 produced only the protective antigen.
Host-guest complexation

Abstract Treatment of 2,9-bis(chloromethyl)-1,10-phenanthroline with toluenesulfonamide and K 2 CO 3 in HCON(CH 3 ) 2 gave macro-cycle 1 (21%) composed of two phenantroline units bonded to each other through two CH 2 N(Ts)CH 2 bridges. The 18-membered inner ring system contains six nitrogens, each of which is separated by two carbons. A crystal structure of 1.2H 2 O indicated the two faces of the phenanthrolines approach each other to place their four nitrogens nearly in a plane bridged by a water dimer held in position by bifurcated hydrogen bonds. The two ArSO 2 N groups are turned outward, and the hydrogens of their attached CH 2 groups are oriented inward toward the water dimer, which serves as a guest. Complexation was indicated by addition of a variety of salts to a solution of 1 in (CD 3 ) 2 SO, which casued changes in the 1 H NMR by as much as 1.5 ppm. Complexing ions include Li + . Na + , K + , Rb + , Cs + , NH 4 + , Ag + , Cu + , Tl + , Zn 2+ , Cd 2+ , Hg 2+ and Pb 2+ noncomplexing ions are Mg 2+ , Ca 2+ , Sr 2+ , Ba 2+ , UO 2 2+ , and Ce 3+ . A correlation between the chemical shifts of the CH 3 and tolyl aryl protons of the host and the ionic radii of the guests is interpreted in terms of three different host conformations in the various complexes. Equilibrations of the guest cations between 1 and cryptaplexes of Na + , K + , Rb + , Cs + , and NH 4 + picrates in (CD 3 ) 2 SO provided the following estimates of the -ΔG° values of binding of these salts by 1: 8.4, 8.5, 6.8, -1 , respectively.
Family/Community Issues in Corrections/Correctional Psychology

Psychologists are called upon to address a myriad of problems that directly affect the adult prison populations. In addition, psychologists are relied upon to assess other correctional dilemmas regarding the intellectual, personality, and behavioral characteristics of offenders, and those who work in the institutions, as well as to interpret society's responses to particular offender groups, and general correctional practices. After examining the effects that stress has on correctional officers, it is clear that programs need to be developed to help them handle work tension before they burn out. One type of program that has received a considerable amount of attention is critical incident stress debriefing. This is a stage method whereby, individuals are taken back through the incident to explore their thoughts and feelings with one another regarding the incident. The group processing of such a fact-finding-thinking-feeling model, combined with relaxation training, as well as individual counseling aimed at reducing flashbacks of the incident, can help prevent the development of post-traumatic stress disorder or assist in reducing the intensity of the experience.
Effects of the allelochemical, α-tomatine, on the soybean looper (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

To determine the impact of the allelochemical, α-tomatine, on the soybean looper, Pseudoplusia includens (Walker), various concentrations (0.001 to 0.10% wet weight of diet [wwt]) were added to an ...
Judgments about Felony-Murder in Hindsight

The purpose of this research was to investigate the role of hindsight bias in application of the felony-murder law, a controversial rule stating that felons can be held responsible for any foreseeable deaths that occur as a result of their felony. Some versions of the rule involve notions of proximate cause requiring legal decision makers to determine foreseeability and assess case evidence. Those judgments may be biased by outcome information and the process of cognitive sense-making. Jury eligible participants read a crime vignette modeled on an actual felony-murder case manipulated with regard to outcome information and relevant case facts. They made likelihood judgments and rated felons on intent and culpability. Results indicated that outcome information biased death likelihood ratings in hindsight but did not significantly affect assessments of case evidence. Implications for further applied cognitive research regarding the felony-murder rule are discussed. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Language: en
CT and MR of temporal bone malignancies primary and secondary to parotid carcinoma.

PURPOSE To review the CT and MR characteristics of temporal bone malignancy, and to evaluate the relationship between malignancies of the temporal bone and parotid gland. METHODS A group of 15 surgical patients with diagnosis of temporal bone malignancy were retrospectively reviewed. These included 11 cases of primary temporal bone malignancy and four cases of secondary carcinoma of the temporal bone from a primary tumor of the parotid gland. Three primary temporal bone malignancies were recurrences, and two secondary tumors were parotid recurrences. RESULTS Five of the 11 patients with primary temporal bone malignancy had parotid infiltration (45%). All four patients with secondary temporal bone destruction caused by parotid carcinoma had erosion of the mastoid, two with erosion of the external auditory canal, and one of the middle ear. CONCLUSIONS It is important radiographically to recognize the close relationship between malignancies of the temporal bone and parotid gland, because either may secondarily invade the other. Suspicion of malignancy in either the temporal bone or parotid gland necessitates complete imaging of the other structure. Temporal bone or skull base erosion were best seen on CT at bone algorithm. MR with and without infusion provided excellent delineation of soft-tissue tumor margins, muscle infiltration, intracranial extension, and vascular encasement.
Performance characteristics of thin film multilayer interconnects in the 1-10 GHz frequency range

Multichip packaging approaches that provide short chip-to-chip interconnects are required to utilize fully the high-speed potential of silicon ECL (emitter-coupled logic) and GaAs ICs. To maintain signal fidelity at gigahertz clock speeds, interconnects must be designed as impedance-controlled transmission lines with proper concern for discontinuities, crosstalk, and attenuation. At present, there is very little quantitative data for frequencies greater than 1 GHz on the effect of the typical elements encountered in hybrid and multichip packaging. Initial results from a program to develop much of this data are presented. The platform chosen to quantify high-frequency multichip packaging effects is a copper/polyimide-based thin-film multilayer (TFML) technology. Measurements of return loss, insertion loss, and characteristic impedance of interconnects of various lengths were made up to 9.045 GHz. Signal attenuation and crosstalk of 1- and 2-GHz digital signals were measured and simulated. In general, the loss and crosstalk values obtained were low enough to permit the transmission of gigahertz digital signals over typical interconnect lengths encountered in a multichip module. >
Lymphatic system of canine bladder. An anatomic study.

Abstract The lymphatic vessels of the canine bladder wall have been studied using intraepithelial injections of iron-dextran (Imferon) and India ink. Lymphatics have been demonstrated in all layers of the bladder wall, and their importance in the removal of selected substances which have passed through the bladder epithelium is discussed.
Dynamically Restructurable Fault-Tolerant Processor Network Architectures

A class of novel fault-tolerant multiprocessor networks is proposed. These networks are restructurable in that they can assume different logical configurations to suit different problem environments. More importantly, this restructuriing capability is not altered even after the occurrence of faults. These networks are novel in that they uniquely combine certain desirable features, including self-routing of messages, dynamic reconfigurability, fault-tolerance, the ability to incorporate incremental extension, as well as the capacity to be partitioned with fault-tolerance. What is important about these fault-tolerant features is that they are built-in as an integral part of the design, and not as done traditionally, by means of redundancy.
Inked: Human-Horse Apprenticeship, Tattoos, and Time in the Pazyryk World

Abstract Prior interpretations of the tattoos of nonhuman animals etched upon the preserved human bodies from the Pazyryk archaeological culture of Inner Asia have focused on solely human-generated meanings. This article utilizes an ethnoarchaeological approach to reassess these tattoos, by analogizing the nature and possibilities of human-ridden horse intersubjectivities in the present with those of the past. As enlightened by people who live with horses, including the author, the process of learning to ride can be seen as an interspecies apprenticeship process, where both humans and horses pass along social knowledge as thoughtful actors with defined roles. From this perspective, the horse tattoos are presented as polysemic materializations of the bonds between particular Pazyryk horses and people, of blended identities, and of cosmological values related to time, memory, and belonging. The article concludes that exploring smaller-scale human-nonhuman animal interactions in the present allows for fresh interpretations of similar interactions in the past and provides a means for archaeology to move beyond the objectification of animals as sets of resources or symbols.
Nutrient intake and growth characteristics of male Sprague-Dawley rats fed AIN-93M purified diet or NIH-31 natural-ingredient diet in a chronic two-year study.

Background and aims: Daily nutrient intake and growth of male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats fed compositionally different diets were monitored over 114 weeks to determine whether rats fed ad libitum (AL) or diet restricted (DR) followed normal growth parameters. A second objective was to evaluate the usefulness of the American Institutes of Nutrition’s AIN-93M (maintenance formulation) diet for aging and DR studies. Methods: Rats were fed NIH-31 cereal-based diet AL, or a vitamin-fortified modification of the NIH-31 diet at 10, 25, or 40% DR. Other SD rats were fed AIN-93M diet AL or 31% DR; daily nutrient intake and growth response were reported. Results: At all intervals up to 36 weeks of age, rats fed AL the NIH-31 diet consumed significantly (p<0.001) more than rats fed AL the AIN-93M diet, and required more diet per unit of gain than AIN-93M AL rats. However, body weight (BW) gain in rats AL-fed the AIN-93M diet demonstrated that energy components were more efficiently metabolized than in those fed the NIH-31 diet. Whereas diet restriction decreased BW, the rate of maturation, i.e., the rate of reaching a mature BW, increased as intake level decreased. Growth response showed all growth curves were normal, but intake level effects on mature BW and maturation rate differed significantly (p<0.001). Curves for rats AL- and DR-fed the AIN-93M diets were similar to those of rats AL- and DR-fed NIH-31 diet formulations, suggesting that diets adequately met growth requirements and supported normal growth parameters of male SD rats when fed AL or DR. Conclusions: A modification in the AIN-93M energy components to reduce total calories and an evaluation of other nutrient profiles could improve its usefulness as a maintenance and aging diet.
The effect of sepsis on wound healing.

Background. Normal wound healing is a regulated sequence of events that successfully restore tissue integrity. Previous studies have suggested that wound healing is impaired in a septic host. The current study examines the effect of sepsis on the inflammatory and proliferative phases of wound healing at a remote site of secondary injury. Methods. Polyvinyl alcohol sponges, either inoculated with a standard dose of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (experimental) or soaked in normal saline (control), were placed subcutaneously in the anterior abdominal region of male B6D2F1 mice. Immediately following sponge placement, full thickness excisional dermal wounds were created on the dorsum. Wound healing was examined at days 3, 5, and 7 postinjury. The infiltration of neutrophils and macrophages into wounds was quantified, and the reepithelialization rate and collagen content were measured. Results. Peripheral neutrophil counts were significantly elevated in infected mice, yet neutrophil content of the remote wound of infected animals was significantly reduced (5% of control, P < 0.05). Wounds of infected mice also showed a 30% reduction in the macrophage content. Wounds of infected animals exhibited delayed reepithelialization (76 ± 3 vs 97 ± 3% at day 5, P < 0.05) and collagen synthesis (55.3 ± 9.5 vs 105 ± 13.0 μg/wound, P < 0.05). Conclusion. Systemic infection alters both the inflammatory and the proliferative processes at remote sites of injury. Multiple factors seem likely to contribute to the increased incidence of wound complications in septic patients.
Reassortment and Mutation of the Avian Influenza Virus Polymerase PA Subunit Overcome Species Barriers

The emergence of new pandemic influenza A viruses requires overcoming barriers to cross-species transmission as viruses move from animal reservoirs into humans. This complicated process is driven by both individual gene mutations and genome reassortments. The viral polymerase complex, composed of the proteins PB1, PB2, and PA, is a major factor controlling host adaptation, and reassortment events involving polymerase gene segments occurred with past pandemic viruses. Here we investigate the ability of polymerase reassortment to restore the activity of an avian influenza virus polymerase that is normally impaired in human cells. Our data show that the substitution of human-origin PA subunits into an avian influenza virus polymerase alleviates restriction in human cells and increases polymerase activity in vitro. Reassortants with 2009 pandemic H1N1 PA proteins were the most active. Mutational analyses demonstrated that the majority of the enhancing activity in human PA results from a threonine-to-serine change at residue 552. Reassortant viruses with avian polymerases and human PA subunits, or simply the T552S mutation, displayed faster replication kinetics in culture and increased pathogenicity in mice compared to those containing a wholly avian polymerase complex. Thus, the acquisition of a human PA subunit, or the signature T552S mutation, is a potential mechanism to overcome the species-specific restriction of avian polymerases and increase virus replication. Our data suggest that the human, avian, swine, and 2009 H1N1-like viruses that are currently cocirculating in pig populations set the stage for PA reassortments with the potential to generate novel viruses that could possess expanded tropism and enhanced pathogenicity.
The importance of accurate task arrival characterization in the design of processing cores

This paper studies the importance of accounting for a neglected facet of overall workload behavior, the pattern of task arrival. A stochastic characterization is formulated that defines regularity in the task arrival pattern. This characterization is used as the basis for a quantitative evaluation of the importance of accurately accounting for the task arrival behavior in the design of the processing cores of a Chip Multi-processor (CMP).
Approaching Scenario-Based Studies: Three Perceptions about the Future and Considerations for Landscape Planning:

Scenario-based investigations of possible futures have been used since the middle of the 20th century to help decisionmakers cope with alternative courses of action and elements of uncertainty. Since the early 1970s, they have been increasingly used for landscape planning. Each scenario-based study is founded on assumptions of possible change. Often these beliefs are only implicit among scenario creators and scenario users. I discuss the beliefs and perceptions about the future of scenario creators and scenario users, and argue that they should be explicitly addressed before an investigation is undertaken in order to avoid methodological biases in the creation of the scenarios and misunderstanding of the results. As part of this discussion, the basic features of a scenario-based study are reviewed, and applications to landscape and environmental planning are considered, with examples drawn from two studies that were focused on the same concerns and in the same region but which employed different kinds of ...
Dopamine agonists in Parkinson's disease.

Levodopa (LD), the immediate precursor of dopamine, is the most effective agent in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease (PD). While quite successful in treating the primary motor deficits of PD, most patients eventually develop LD-related motor fluctuation, dyskinesias and other adverse effects associated with chronic LD therapy. There is also concern that LD is neurotoxic, although this has not been demonstrated in any in vivo studies. Dopamine agonists (DAs) have been shown to be about as effective as LD in symptomatic treatment of mild-to-moderate PD. In addition, there is a lower tendency to develop motor fluctuations and dyskinesias with DA treatment than after initiation of therapy with LD. Furthermore, there is preclinical and clinical data to suggest a slowing of neurodegeneration with DAs. The adverse effects of DAs are similar to those experienced with LD, except that the ergot agents are associated with a small risk of tissue fibrosis not noted with the non-ergot DAs.
Purification and characterization of protein Z from rabbit liver cytosol

Abstract Protein Z was purified from rabbit liver cytosol by affinity chromatography on oleic acid-agarose and preparative sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. After removal of sodium dodecyl sulfate, the renatured protein was found to bind heme and bilirubin with a K d of ∼1 uM which produced large red shifts in their absorption spectra. On isoelectric focusing, rabbit protein Z exhibited two main bands with pI around 6.0.
Effect of Squealer Geometry on Tip Flow and Heat Transfer for a Turbine Blade in a Low Speed Cascade

A detailed investigation on the effect of squealer geometries on the blade tip leakage flow and associated heat transfer is presented for a scaled up high pressure turbine blade in a low-speed wind tunnel facility. The linear cascade is made of four blades with the two corner blades acting as guides. The tip profile of a first stage rotor blade is used to fabricate the two-dimensional blade. The wind tunnel accommodates an 116° turn for the blade cascade. The mainstream Reynolds number based on the axial chord length based off cascade exit velocity is 4.83×10 5 . An upstream wake effect is simulated with a spoked wheel wake generator placed upstream of the cascade. A turbulence grid placed even farther upstream generates a free-stream turbulence of 4.8%. The center blade has a tip clearance gap of 1.56% with respect to the blade span. Static pressure measurements are obtained off the blade surface and the shroud
Tertiary contacts of helix V in the lactose permease determined by site-directed chemical cross-linking in situ.

The six N-terminal transmembrane helices (N6) and the six C-terminal transmembrane helices (C6) in lactose permease, each containing a single Cys residue, were coexpressed, and cross-linking was studied. The proximity of paired Cys residues in helices V and VII, VIII, or X was studied by thiol-specific chemical cross-linking. The results demonstrate that Cys residues in the periplasmic half of helix V cross-link with Cys residues in the periplasmic half of helix VII. In contrast, no cross-linking is evident with paired Cys residues in the cytoplasmic halves of helices V and VII. Moreover, Cys residues on one entire face of helix V cross-link with Cys residues on one face of helix VIII. Finally, paired Cys residues at the cytoplasmic ends of helices V and X cross-link, but no cross-linking is observed when paired Cys residues are placed at the periplasmic ends of the two helices. Taken together, the results indicate that the periplasmic halves of helices V and VII are in close proximity and that the two he...
High-Throughput Cryopreservation of In Vivo-Derived Swine Embryos

Cryopreservation of swine embryos is inefficient. Our goal was to develop a non-invasive method for “relatively” high-throughput cryopreservation of in vivo-produced swine embryos. Since removal of the lipid droplets within early swine embryos improves cryosurvival we wanted to apply a technique of high osmolality treatment followed by centrifugation that was first developed for in vitro-produced swine embryos to in vivo-produced swine embryos. The first aim was to determine how sensitive the in vivo-produced zygote and 2-cell stage embryo was to various high osmolality conditions for a short duration. Culture for 6, 12 or 18 min at 300, 400 or 500 milliosmoles (mOsm) had no detectable affect on the resulting blastocyst stage embryos (number of inner cell mass nuclei, trophectoderm nuclei, total number of nuclei, ratio of the trophectoderm to inner cell mass nuclei or percent blastocyst). However there was an effect of gilt on each of these parameters. For the second aim we focused on 300 mOsm for 6 min, 400 mOsm for 12 min, 500 mOsm for 12 min, and 500 mOsm for 18 min. The embryos were centrifuged for the duration of high osmolality treatment, then cultured to the blastocyst stage and vitrified. After vitrification and thawing the 500 mOsm for 18 min had the highest percent re-expansion with no difference in the total number of nuclei. While requiring a different base culture medium than in vitro-produced embryos, in vivo-derived embryos also survive cryopreservation without damage to their zona pellucida.
Thrombin, a mediator of neurotoxicity and memory impairment

Abstract Thrombin has been found in neuritic plaques in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Also, traumatic brain injury, where neurons are exposed to high thrombin levels, is associated with an increased incidence of AD. Our objective was to determine the effects of thrombin administered in vivo on cognitive function and neuropathology. Rats were trained using a radial eight-arm maze and then thrombin (25 or 100 nM, 0.25 μl/h, 28 days) or vehicle was delivered via intracerebroventricular infusion. Animals that received 100 nM thrombin demonstrated cognitive impairments including deficits in reference memory and an increase in task latency. Also, significant neuropathology was detected in these animals such as enlargement of cerebral ventricles, an increased number of TUNEL-positive cells, astrogliosis, and an increase in the immunoreactivity for phosphorylated neurofilament, and apolipoprotein-E fragments. Thrombin-induced changes in cognitive function and ventricular enlargement were inhibited by hirudin. These findings demonstrate that thrombin is a mediator of neurotoxicity and cognitive deficits and suggest that inhibition of thrombin may be a treatment strategy for AD- or head trauma-associated cognitive deficits.
Impact of Bariatric Surgery on Body Image Perception and Sexuality in Morbidly Obese Patients and their Partners.

Background: This study was undertaken to determine whether surgery for morbid obesity affects sexual attitudes and performance in patients and their partners. Methods: Questionnaires concerning sexuality were sent to 94 patients who underwent gastric restriction procedures and their partners. Twenty-eight patients at least 1 year post-operatively (range of 1-11 years, mean 4.2 years ± 3.24 sd) and 16 of their partners responded. The blinded questionnaires addressed the enjoyment and frequency of sexual intercourse, orgasms, body image, number of partners, abuse, sexual problems and masturbation. Comparisons were made before and after surgery. Patient answers were compared with their partners. Results: Preoperatively, 64% of patients stated that they enjoyed sexual intercourse. Postoperatively, 50% of patients and 78% of partners stated that they enjoyed sex more. Improved orgasms were noted by 44% of patients and 40% partners after surgery. Improvement in body image was also achieved. Only 27% of patients felt they were attractive before surgery, while 80% felt they were more attractive after surgery; 94% of their partners agreed. While 48% of patients undressed in darkness in front of their partners before surgery, only 27% did so after surgery. Conclusions: Weight loss attained through bariatric surgery improves body image and sexuality. Sexual intercourse and orgasms are improved postoperatively both for patient and partner.
Effects of cadmium and copper on chemotaxis of marine and freshwater ciliates.

Recommendations of a workshop on biological screening requested the inclusion of behavior studies to reveal subtle, dysfunctional effects of pollutants on organisms and suggestions for additional research in development of behavioral tests incorporated into testing protocols were made at the ASTM Symposium on Aquatic Toxicology. The present study addresses these research needs by examining a rapid behavioral bioassay using protozoa, microfauna with important roles in microbial-based food chains, regeneration of nutrients, and regulation of bacterial populations in aquatic environments. In this study, ciliated protozoa from both marine and freshwater environments were examined with respect to their response to an attractant in the presence of a variety of concentrations of cadmium and copper.
Vaccination against colonizing bacteria with multiple serotypes

Conjugate vaccines protect vaccinated individuals against both disease from and nasopharyngeal carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae. Protection is specific to the capsular serotype(s) included in the vaccine. This specificity has raised concern that vaccination against particular (“targeted”) serotypes may cause an increase in carriage of (and diseases attributable to) nontargeted serotypes. I analyzed a mathematical model designed to predict the factors affecting, and the expected extent of, such replacement in the host population. The conditions for competitive exclusion and coexistence of serotypes under mass vaccination are derived, and the equilibrium carriage of target and nontarget serotypes is determined under various ecological and epidemiological conditions. The eradication threshold for a target serotype in the presence of competing, nontarget serotypes is always lower for serotype-specific than for bivalent vaccines. In a two-serotype model, the increase in the prevalence of any single nontargeted serotype due to vaccination will not exceed the total reduction in prevalence of a targeted serotype. However, if three or more serotypes interact epidemiologically, vaccination against one type may increase carriage of a second more than it decreases carriage of the first. Carriage of a second serotype against which the vaccine offers only partial protection may initially increase and then decrease as a function of vaccine coverage. I discuss the extent to which these theoretical results can account for existing data on serotype replacement after vaccination against H. influenzae and their implications for vaccine policy.
HEALTH NEEDS OF CHILDREN LIVING IN OUT-OF-HOME CARE

INTRODUCTION: Children in out-of-home care have high, unrecognized, and unmet health needs. The combination of exposure to abuse and neglect and a background of social disadvantage place them at significant risk for poor health, which affects their physical, developmental, and emotional health. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to screen children in out-of-home care for unidentified health problems and recommend appropriate health interventions. METHODS: A health screening clinic for children in out-of-home care was established in a tertiary children9s hospital in 2005 in collaboration with social services. Working within a multidisciplinary framework, the children had a comprehensive physical, developmental, and behavioral health screen. Recommendations were made to social services for appropriate health care. RESULTS: Of the 122 children screened, 24% had incomplete immunizations, 20% had visual problems, 30% had dental problems, and 26% had hearing loss, 45% of the children under 5 years of age had speech delay, 60% failed the developmental screen, and 54% had significant behavioral and emotional problems. CONCLUSIONS: Children in out-of-home care are a vulnerable group of the child population who experience unacceptable levels of poor health. Comprehensive health screens are important for identifying previously undetected health problems and recommending appropriate health interventions.
Operation and permanent low activity 125I brachytherapy for recurrent high-grade astrocytomas

Twenty-two adult patients with recurrent high grade astrocytomas [18 glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and 4 anaplastic astrocytoma (AA) at time of implant] underwent therapy at the University of Washington from October 1991 through March 1995, with repeat craniotomy, maximal debulking of tumor, and placement of permanent low activity 125I seeds. Median age was 41 years and median Karnofsky performance staus was 90. Median survival for the entire group was 65 weeks from the time of implant. For the subgroup of GBM patients, median survival was 64 weeks from the time of implant. One-year survival from the date of implant was 57% for the entire group and 59% for those with GBM. The site of first failure after implant was local (within a cm of the resection, within 2 cm of the resection cavity) in 70%, distant (noncontiguous, beyond 2 cm) in 18% and concurrently local and distant in 12%. There was one case of symptomatic radiation injury that resolved with steroid therapy, and no patient required repeat craniotomy for parenchymal necrosis. For patients with recurrent GBM, treatment with resection and permanent r control group treated with resection and chemotherapy (p = 0.023). Craniotomy with maximal tumor debulking and placement of low activity 125I Seeds yields encouring results with morbity in patiens with minimal morbidity in patients with recurrent high-grade astrocytomas
"Obliteration, Symbolic Adoption, and Other Finicky Challenges in Tracking Innovation Diffusion"

Although diffusion is a central topic in innovation and entrepreneurship, its measurement remains difficult – particularly in cases where a complete and coherent paper trail around an innovation ma...
Inflationary phase in Brans-Dicke cosmology with a cosmological constant

Abstract It has been shown earlier that, for a perfect fluid, a perfect gas law of state, and the Robertson-Walker metric, an exponential phase in Brans-Dicke cosmology is possible, with both positive pressure and density, but not with the violated energy condition p = − ρ . We demonstrate in this paper that the inclusion of a cosmological constant into the theory does not change that picture.
COMPLEX PROCESS NETWORKS: PASSIVITY AND OPTIMALITY

Abstract We introduce a novel modelling framework for studying dynamics, distributed control, and optimization of complex networks made up of chemical processes. We are interested in developing self-organizing structures so that stability and optimality follows as a consequence of how the networks are put together and how they are connected with boundary conditions or other networks. By considering only the topology of the system and basic conservation principles, a result analogous to Tellegen's Theorem of electrical circuit theory is produced. Using this result and passivity theory, a network is shown to converge to a stationary point when the flow relationships are positive. Also, under similar conditions, it is shown that the network is self-optimizing in that the entropy production is minimized.
Effect of carbon monoxide in causing nonuniform gasification of graphite by carbon dioxide

Existing theories on the effect of mass transport on the rate (uniformity) of chemical reaction within a porous solid assume that the reaction is of integer order. However the carbon-carbon-dioxide reaction has the kinetic rate form, rate = k1p/(1 + k2pCO + k3p). For conditions where the retarding effect of carbon monoxide is very pronounced, the buildup of small concentrations of carbon monoxide within the porous graphite can lead to appreciable nonuniformity of gasification. Thus the criteria normally used to predict uniformity of gasification break down. A numerical integration of the combined differential equation of mass transport and chemical reaction has been performed, with rate constants for the carbon-carbon dioxide reaction taken from the literature. The results indicate that extreme nonuniformity of reaction can exist even when the change in carbon dioxide concentration from the exterior of the sample to the interior is small. The results are similar to experimental determinations of non-uniformity of gasification, obtained by determining the porosity of reacted graphite samples as a function of depth from the reacting face. Experimentally nonuniformity of reaction was observed for gasification rates a hundredfold lower than the usual Thiele criteria would predict, probably because of carbon monoxide inhibition.
Formation of sugar radicals in RNA model systems and oligomers via excitation of guanine cation radical.

In previous work, we have shown that photoexcitation of guanine cation radical (G•+) in frozen aqueous solutions of DNA and its model compounds at 143 K results in the formation of neutral sugar radicals with substantial yield. In this report, we present electron spin resonance (ESR) and theoretical (DFT) evidence regarding the formation of sugar radicals after photoexcitation of guanine cation radical (G•+) in frozen aqueous solutions of one-electron-oxidized RNA model compounds (nucleosides, nucleotides and oligomers) at 143 K. Specific sugar radicals C5‘•, C3‘• and C1‘• were identified employing derivatives of Guo deuterated at specific sites in the sugar moiety, namely, C1‘−, C2‘−, C3‘− and C5‘−. These results suggest C2‘• is not formed upon photoexcitation of G•+ in one-electron-oxidized Guo and deuterated Guo derivatives. Phosphate substitution at C5‘− (i.e., in 5-GMP) hinders formation of C5‘• via photoexcitation at 143 K but not at 77 K. For the RNA-oligomers studied, we observe on photoexcitation...
Glucose-dependent Protection by Dietary Selenium against Haemolysis of Rat Erythrocytes in vitro

THE occurrence in man of drug-induced haemolysis in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficient erythrocytes1 suggested the possibility of an analogy to the haemolysis which occurs in vitamin E deficient red blood cells. Cohen and Hochstein2 have shown that haemolysis in G6PD deficient cells is associated with the inability of the cell to generate adequate reduced glutathione (GSH) through GSSG reductase because of the impaired generation of NADPH. Moreover, there is evidence that glucose protects red blood cells from haemolysis by its ability to provide NADPH through G6PD which subsequently generates GSH3. The G6PD deficient cell, however, cannot maintain an adequate concentration of GSH in the cell, even in the presence of glucose4, whereas the normal cell can maintain a normal concentration of GSH in the presence of glucose, preserving the integrity of the red blood cell. Vitamin E protects red blood cells from haemolysis whether supplied in vivo or in vitro and its effect has usually been demonstrated without glucose in the incubation medium. Although selenium prevents many of the same deficiency symptoms as vitamin E, it has not been uniformly effective in preventing the in vitro haemolysis of red blood cells. If a protective action of selenium against haemolysis were dependent on the presence of GSH, or if selenium were involved in the generation of GSH, selenium would not be expected to prevent haemolysis unless glucose was present in the incubation medium to provide a constant source of NADPH for the generation of GSH from GSSG through GSSG reductase (Fig. 1).
Conformational changes of fibrinogen after adsorption.

The adsorption behavior of fibrinogen to two biomedical polyurethanes and a perfluorinated polymer has been investigated. Changes in the secondary structure of adsorbed fibrinogen were monitored using attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy (SFG). SFG measurements were performed in the amide I range as well as in the C−H/N−H stretching range. Amide I signals from SFG demonstrate that fibrinogen has post-adsorption conformational changes that are dependent upon the polymer surface properties. For example, strong attenuation of the amide I and N−H stretching signals with increasing residence time was observed for fibrinogen adsorbed to poly(ether urethane) but not for the other two polymers. This change is not readily observed by ATR-FTIR. Differences in the observed spectral changes for fibrinogen adsorbed to each polymer are explained by different initial binding mechanisms and post-adsorption conformational changes.
Medical interface research at the HIT Lab

The Human Interface Technology Laboratory (HIT Lab) is a multi-disciplinary research and development lab whose work centers on novel approaches to human interface technology. Lab researchers represent a wide range of disciplines from across the University of Washington campus, including engineering, medicine, education, social sciences, architecture, and the design arts. We describe here a representative sampling of past and current HIT Lab research and development activities related to medicine, including virtual reality and augmented/mixed reality applications for direct patient therapy, tools for basic medical education and procedure training, novel approaches to medical image acquisition and display, and new visualization methods in medical informatics.
Assessing the Robustness of the Relationship Between Entering Adulthood in a Recession and Narcissism

The author comments on the article "Does entering adulthood in a recession affect narcissism? Robust evidence is still needed," by J. Fletcher. Fletcher's concerns focus around the problems of utilizing cross-sectional data to separate age and cohort effects. Birth year and economic conditions in early adulthood are not indistinguishable.
Severe storms during Earth history

Although severe storms are recognized as important agents in sediment transport, many questions remain to demonstrate genetic links between specific sedimentary structures and textures and proposed generative agents. A detailed, physically based consideration of climatic and geographic controls on the generation and distribution of severe storms is presented on the basis of modern observations, physical processes deduced from these observations, and climate model experiments using past geographies. The results suggest that simple latitudinal distinctions for storm type (severe winter storm or hurricane) or inference from estimates of global warmth are not adequate to consider genetic links for storm-related deposits. Climate and geography produce substantial variability in storm-generation rates and in storm distributions. For example, geography may inhibit poleward penetration of hurricanes or enhance a broad latitudinal distribution. The record of tropical-sea surface temperatures indicates that values may have been below hurricane-generation thresholds during the Eocene and glacial stages. Land-sea distribution and associated thermal contrasts strongly influence the distribution and intensity of winter storms. The results from models can be compared favorably with observations of probable-storm sedimentation.
Novel Polyanhydrides with Enhanced Thermal and Solubility Properties

A series of polyanhydrides based on o-, m-, and p-xylenes as derived from o- and p-hydroxybenzoic acids were synthesized by melt-condensation polymerization. Precursors, monomers, and polymers were characterized by NMR and IR spectroscopies, elemental and thermogravimetric analyses, and thermal transition temperatures. Polymers containing p-xylenes and p-hydroxybenzoic acids were relatively insoluble with high Tg's. In contrast, polymers containing o- and m-xylyl moieties based on o-hydroxybenzoic acids exhibit good solubilities and Tg's below 100 °C.
Active Transport of Potassium and Chloride in an Identifiable Molluscan Neuron

Direct measurements of intracellular K+ and Cl-activities before and after blockage of cellular metabolic processes indicate that K+ is actively transported inwardly and Cl-is actively transported outwardly from the giant cell of the abdominal ganglion of Aplysia. The rewarming of cells that have been cooled to 1° ± 1°C causes K+ to be taken up and Cl- to be extruded against electrochemical gradients.
Describing Damage to Stream Modification Projects in Constrained Settings

Complex relationships between stream functions and processes make evaluation of stream modification projects difficult. Informed by vague objectives and minimal monitoring data, post-construction project evaluations can often be a subjective attribution of success or failure. This article provides a simple framework to rapidly describe the degree of damage in stream modification projects performed in constrained settings. Based on widely accepted evaluations of physical habitat quality and stream stability, the damage states framework describes a continuum of damage in multiple categories that relate natural stream functions to the often desired state of static equilibrium. Given that channel form is closely related to stream function, it follows that changes to the channel form result in changes in function. The damage states focus on damage to flow hydraulics, sediment transport and channel equilibrium, hydraulic, and geomorphic parameters that describe basic stream functioning and support higher level functions in the modified channel. The damage states can be used in decision making as a systematic method to determine the need for repair and design adjustments.