cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Propofol-Induced Bleeding Dyscrasia: A Case Report.

Propofol is one of the most commonly used anesthetic drugs, with rapid induction, maintenance and recovery times. Its relative safety has resulted in it becoming a popular choice for general anesthesia. A 56 y o woman with no prior history of bleeding underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Postoperatively she experienced bleeding to the degree that open laparotomy was required to achieve hemostasis.Two years later, she underwent open sigmoid resection under propofol anesthesia for refractory diverticulitis. Severe postoperative bleeding ensued, necessitating IV fluid resuscitation and transfusion of packed red blood cells.Template bleeding time was repeatedly greater than 20 minutes on the first postoperative day. Platelet count, coagulation studies, von Willebrand disease assays, fibrinogen level and fibrinolytic system assays were found to be normal. Platelet aggregation in response to arachidonic acid was decreased at 9% (reference 60 - 120 %). The patient received platelet transfusions; hemostasis was achieved and the template bleeding time returned to normal on the second postoperative day and remained normal on repeat testing several weeks later. A few reports have shown an increased bleeding with propofol, which is thought to be related to inhibition of thromboxane A2 synthesis and increased synthesis of leucocyte nitric oxide. Some studies show increased bleeding even without any change in the template bleeding time. In summary, we report a case of a propofol-induced life threatening bleeding dyscrasia associated with a prolonged template bleeding time and platelet aggregation studies consistent with decreased response to arachidonic acid. This rarely reported complication should always be in the differential diagnosis of postoperative bleeding given the widespread usage of propofol anesthesia in major surgeries.
The Home Health Crisis: (Un-)intended Consequences of the Application to Fair Labor Standards Act to Domestic Service

This note addresses three of the unintended consequences of the State of Illinois’s application of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to Domestic Service for Individuals with Disabilities. These individuals often have major medical needs and Illinois’s application of the FLSA to health care services threatens the health and well-being of people with disabilities. This note will discuss how the implementation of new overtime rules based on the FLSA will (1) violate the Illinois Administrative Procedures Act; (2) violate Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the United States Supreme Court’s holding in Olmstead; and (3) will explore the ways other States have implemented the FLSA overtime requirements without putting their resident’s health at risk.
THIRTY-DAY READMISSIONS AFTER ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION IN MEDICARE PATIENTS AT AN URBAN QUATERNARY CARE CENTER

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remains one of the most common cardiovascular reasons for hospital admission in the United States. Readmission after initial hospitalization is both common, estimated at 15-20%, and costly. Medicare penalizes hospitals for excessive readmissions through the Hospital
Installations- und Benutzungshinweise für die CD-ROM

Die Systemvoraussetzungen zielen auf einen hohen Verbreitungsgrad. Benotigt werden: ein HTML-Browser (Netscape Navigator/Communicator oder Microsoft Internet Explorer, jeweils ab Version 3.x), ein CD-ROM-Laufwerk.
Climate change, women's workload in smallholder agriculture, and embodied political ecologies of undernutrition in northern Ghana.

Abstract The burden of child undernutrition across Africa remains extraordinarily high. Among children under age five, chronic and acute undernutrition is responsible for more ill-health than any other cause. While climate change exacerbates the multiple burdens of undernutrition, we know very little about the embodied effects on women's workload in agriculture and implications for feeding practices, especially for infants whose nutrition depends on mothers' time. In this article, political ecologies of health, with its nested, place-based analysis, is used as a framework to address this knowledge gap. The study took place in Ghana's Upper West Region, a semi-arid and resource-poor setting with higher undernutrition rates. In-depth interviews were conducted with smallholder farmers (n = 33) whose infants have sub-optimal growth, and key informants (n = 7) with expertise in nutrition and health. Findings from the study demonstrate how climate change puts pressure on women's productive time, leading to poor child feeding practices and undernutrition. Ultimately, the article argues that there are hidden impacts of climate change on undernutrition. Global undernutrition interventions should therefore move beyond biomedical solutions to address these hidden impacts, some of which are social, gendered, and structural in nature.
Examining Daily Activities and Propaganda on Government Social Media in China:: A Case Study of Weibo Use by Beijing Police Department

This study systematically examined the Beijing Police Department (BPD) daily use of social media. We collected six-month daily posts, the corresponding interactions (likes, shares, and comments), and the most active followers’ profiles from the Weibo account of the BPD to answer these questions: what content the BPD posted on a daily basis on its Weibo account; what the daily work schedule of the BPD's Weibo account administrators was like; whether the content was customized for different groups of citizens; what media types they used to engage with followers; and the impact of fake followers on engagement rates. We found that besides dealing with crime and enforcing law, the Weibo administrators of the BPD also act as educators especially for the city's newcomers. The fake accounts do not affect the overall engagement rate significantly. This study also uncovers the dilemma faced by the BPD in trying to juggle the promotion of national ideological propaganda, efforts to experiment with engagement strategies, and building trusting relationships with citizens.
Chapter 12 Analysis of Renewing Epithelial Cell Populations

Publisher Summary Mitotic activity in many epithelial cell populations is far greater than could be accounted for on the basis of growth alone. Reappraisal of this mitotic activity led to the formulation of the concept of tissue renewal. After cessation of absolute growth in mammals, many tissues of the adult body maintain the capacity for proliferative activity while other organs exhibit little or no cell division. The mitotic activity of these tissues has been attributed to cell renewal––that is, providing a continuous supply of differentiated cells to replace those lost as a result of normal function. This chapter describes the use of labeled thymidine and autoradiography in studying the kinetics of renewing cell populations, with particular reference to gut epithelium. Renewing epithelial cell populations in the adult mammal are characterized by the constant addition of new cells that replace those presumably functionally incompetent cells lost from the population. The rate of cell production exactly balances the rate of cell loss. In this manner, the structural and functional integrity of the epithelium is maintained in a steady state. An epithelium in steady state is constantly undergoing replacement of its cells. The time taken to replace the number of cells equal to the total population is, then, the turnover time.
Proactive personality and entrepreneurial intent

Purpose – The purpose of the present study, which is part of a larger cross‐cultural study, is to examine two potential antecedents of entrepreneurial intent (EI): proactive personality (PP) and entrepreneurial self‐efficacy (ESE). Specifically, the study is interested in empirically testing the mechanism (mediation/moderation) by which ESE affected the relationship between PP/EI.Design/methodology/approach – For testing the mediation and moderation hypotheses the study used structural equation modeling and moderated regression analyses respectively.Findings – The authors found that PP has a robust relationship with the three different manifestations of EI – general, high growth, and lifestyle. Furthermore, ESE not only mediated the relationship between PP and all the three forms of EI but also moderated the relationship between PP and high growth EI as well as PP and lifestyle EI.Research limitations/implications – The authors studied intent, not behavior, with the understanding that cognitive intent is ...
An Efficient General In-Place Parallel Sorting Scheme

We present a simple and general parallel sorting scheme, ZZ-sort, which can be used to derive a class of efficient in-place sorting algorithms on realistic parallel machine models. We prove a tight bound for the worst case performance of ZZ-sort. We also demonstrate the average performance of ZZ-sort by experimental results obtained on a MasPar parallel computer. Our experiments indicate that ZZ-sort can be incorporated into a distributed memory parallel computer system as a standard routine, and this routine is useful for space critical situations. Finally, we show that ZZ-sort can be used to convert a non-adaptive parallel sorting algorithm into an in-place and adaptive one by considering the problem of sorting an arbitrarily large input on fixed-size reconfigurable meshes.
The Lung Microbiome: New Principles for Respiratory Bacteriology in Health and Disease.

The principles of respiratory microbiology are being re-evaluated and re-written, starting with the debunked myth of lung sterility. The “terrain” of the respiratory ecosystem differs—anatomically and physiologically—from that of other mucosal sites, and changes dramatically in illness, when the dynamic homeostasis between host and microbiome is disrupted. Researchers are only just beginning to understand the contribution of viruses, phages, and fungi to the lung microbiome; thus, we have restricted our discussion to the bacterial microbiota of the lungs.
The Corn Inhibitor of Blood Coagulation Factor XIIa: Crystallization and Preliminary Crystallographic Analysis

A 13.6 kDa protein from corn seeds is known to be a highly selective inhibitor of human blood coagulation Factor XIIa (or activated Hageman factor). We have crystallized this inhibitor at 23 degrees C and pH 7.5 from a solution of 30% polyethylene glycol 400, 0.2 M MgCl2, and 0.1 M Hepes. The crystals diffract to at least 2.1 A resolution. The space group is P4(2)2(1)2 with a = b = 57.15 A and c = 80.5 A. The crystals contain 51% solvent. Two heavy atom derivatives have been identified.
U(1)×U(1)⋊Z 2 Chern-Simons theory and Z 4 parafermion fractional quantum Hall states

We study $U(1)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}U(1)\ensuremath{\rtimes}{Z}_{2}$ Chern-Simons theory with integral coupling constants $(k,l)$ and its relation to certain non-Abelian fractional quantum Hall (FQH) states. For the $U(1)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}U(1)\ensuremath{\rtimes}{Z}_{2}$ Chern-Simons theory, we show how to compute the dimension of its Hilbert space on genus $g$ surfaces and how this yields the quantum dimensions of topologically distinct excitations. We find that ${Z}_{2}$ vortices in the $U(1)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}U(1)\ensuremath{\rtimes}{Z}_{2}$ Chern-Simons theory carry non-Abelian statistics and we show how to compute the dimension of the Hilbert space in the presence of $n$ pairs of ${Z}_{2}$ vortices on a sphere. These results allow us to show that $l=3$ $U(1)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}U(1)\ensuremath{\rtimes}{Z}_{2}$ Chern-Simons theory is the low-energy effective theory for the ${Z}_{4}$ parafermion (Read-Rezayi) fractional quantum Hall states, which occur at filling fraction $\ensuremath{\nu}=\frac{2}{2k\ensuremath{-}3}$. The $U(1)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}U(1)\ensuremath{\rtimes}{Z}_{2}$ theory is more useful than an alternative $SU{(2)}_{4}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}U(1)∕U(1)$ Chern-Simons theory because the fields are more closely related to physical degrees of freedom of the electron fluid and to an Abelian bilayer phase on the other side of a two-component to single-component quantum phase transition. We discuss the possibility of using this theory to understand further phase transitions in FQH systems, especially the $\ensuremath{\nu}=2∕3$ phase diagram.
Correlation Between Grain‐Boundary Segregation and Grain‐Boundary Plane Orientation in Nb‐Doped TiO2

Grain-boundary (GB) segregation has been measured in Nb-doped TiO2 (rutile) by Auger electron spectroscopy analyses of the two surfaces exposed by inter-granular fracture. In addition, the orientations of the exposed GB planes on both sides of the fracture surface have been determined. A strong anisotropy of GB composition is found. Measurements on 166 individual GB fracture surfaces show that boundary planes with low and high levels of segregation tend to be clustered along the (110)–(010) and (001)–(011) regions of the stereographic triangle, respectively. The matching halves of GB planes with either high or low segregation also tend to be terminated by planes in the same respective regions of orientation space. High and low levels of segregation occur in regions of GB plane orientation space estimated to correspond to high and low GB energy, respectively. This trend is consistent with qualitative arguments based on Gibbsian adsorption.
A flexible data structure for efficient buffer insertion

With continuous down-scaling of minimum feature sizes and increasing of chip areas, buffering has become a necessary technique to control the interconnect delays in VLSI chips. Recently, Shi and Li proposed an efficient O(n log n) time algorithm to speed up buffering. Based on balanced binary search trees, their algorithm showed superb performance with the most unbalanced sizes of merging solution lists. We propose in this paper a more flexible data structure for the same buffering operations. With parameters to adjust, our algorithm works better than Shi and Li under all cases: unbalanced, balanced, and mix sizes. Our data structure is also simpler than theirs.
Transannular [4 + 2] Cycloaddition Reactions of Cobalt-Complexed Macrocyclic Dienynes

The first transannular [4 + 2] cycloaddition reactions of macrocyclic dicobalt hexacarbonyl-dienyne complexes were demonstrated. Complexes were conveniently prepared through palladium(II)-catalyzed intramolecular oxidative cyclization of bis(vinylboronate esters) followed by complexation with dicobalt octacarbonyl. Transannular [4 + 2] cycloaddition reactions of the complexes occurred at lower temperatures and shorter times than transannular Diels-Alder reactions of metal-free dienynes. Intermolecular control reactions confirmed the effect of cobalt complexation on [4 + 2] cycloaddition reactions of unactivated alkynes and dienes.
Exploring human capital: putting ‘human’ back into strategic human resource management

The field of strategic human resource management has seemingly rediscovered human capital with increasing research focused on human capital as a mediator in the relationship between HR practices and performance. In this paper we review human capital definitions and measurement approaches within this literature. We then identify some of the issues emerging with human capital research. Finally, we propose some future directions for research on human capital in organisations.
The Ethnographic I: A Methodological Novel about Autoethnography

The Ethnographic I:. Methodological Novel about Autoethnography. Carolyn Ellis. Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press, 2004. 448 pp.
Effects of different forms of organic carbon on the partitioning and bioavailability of nonylphenol.

Oxygenated nonpolar organic contaminants (NOCs) are underrepresented in studies of the partitioning and bioavailability of NOCs, including nonylphenol. In this investigation, we evaluated the toxicity, partitioning, and bioavailability of nonylphenol as affected by different forms of organic carbon. Along with organic carbon content, the role of organic carbon polarity was assessed. Toxicity of nonylphenol to a mysid and amphipod was comparable to results reported in the literature for marine organisms with median lethal concentrations (LC50s) of 82.3 and 236 μg/L, respectively. The presence of the different forms of organic carbon in every instance altered, often statistically significantly, the toxicity and bioavailability of the nonylphenol and increased the LC50 by approximately a factor of two. Partition coefficients (KPs) for nonylphenol ranged from 21.3 for cellulose to 9,770 for humic acid; log organic carbon-normalized partition coefficients (KOCs) ranged from 1.71 for cellulose to 4.71 for sediment. An exercise to predict nonylphenol effects using our toxicity data and normalized partition coefficients indicated organic carbon content was most protective and also highlighted the need for further research to better understand nonylphenol bioavailability. These data suggested that with regard to partitioning and bioavailability, the oxygenated NOC nonylphenol behaves like conventional NOCs. The data also suggest that, with refinements, polarity may have some advantages in predicting nonylphenol bioavailability.
Perestroika in the schools: Educational computing in the Soviet Union

O During early October of last year, I had the opportunity to participate in a conference on "Computers, Education, and Children,"' sponsored jointly by the Association for the Development of Computer-Based Instructional Systems (ADCIS) and the Soviet Academy of Sciences. This conference, held about an hour's bus ride from Moscow, featured approximately 30 prominent computer educators from the United States, West Germany, Canada, and the Netherlands, and their Soviet and Bulgarian counterparts. In this article I describe what I learned about the
Pseudopheochromocytoma After Self-administered Isoproterenol

A 41-yr-old female paramedical aide had a 15-month history of attacks of nausea, anxiety, headache, vertigo, palpitations, pallor, tachycardia and hypertension suggestive of pheochromocytoma. One attack was accompanied by a cardiac arrest. The attacks responded promptly to intravenous phentolamine. Urinary catecholamines were elevated markedly immediately after an “attack.” However, variation in the ratio of epinephrine to norepinephrine excretion 8 hr after an attack was atypical for pheochromocytoma. No tumor was localized with selective angiography or measurements of plasma catecholamines in the vena cavae and the adrenal veins. Histamine, tyramine and glucagon injections did not induce attacks. Finally, after syringes, needles, and vials were found in her room, the patient admitted inducing “attacks” with subcutaneous injections of isoproterenol and lidocaine. Surreptitious subcutaneous self-administration of isoproterenol may mimic pheochromocytoma. Isoproterenol is not separable from epinephrine in ...
Triple arthrodesis using internal fixation in treatment of adult foot disorders

Forty adult patients with 44 fused feet were evaluated at an average of 4.9 years after triple arthrodesis. The average age of the patients at operation was 41 years. All operations were performed by a specific technique using rigid internal fixation with screws. Outcome was graded using the clinical criteria of Hallgrimsson as modified by Angus and Cowell. Function was evaluated according to modified Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales (AIMS). Radiographic evaluation included measurement of lateral talocalcaneal angle, lateral talometatarsal angle, and anteroposterior (AP) talometatarsal angle on standing or simulated weight-bearing radiographs. Thirty-four feet had good results, six had fair results, and there were four failures. The average patient could function painlessly on flat surfaces in nonstrenuous activities and had only occasional mild pain with more vigorous activities. In roentgenographic parameters, there was an average improvement of 17 degrees in the lateral talometatarsal angle, 11 degrees improvement in the lateral talocalcaneal angle, and an improvement of 18 degrees in the AP talometatarsal angle. There were two pseudarthroses, no recurrences, and two unsatisfactory corrections. When carefully done, triple arthrodesis can restore an adult patient with a disabling foot disorder to normal function and minimal pain.
Electromagnetic mediated pharmacokinetics in a three-layer diffusional system.

The effect of an applied electromagnetic field on drug diffusion in a one dimensional, three-layer drug-receptor model has been analyzed and expressed in terms of a normalized turnover rate parameter. The analysis reveals that an imposed harmonic time-varying electromagnetic field may enhance or retard the drug turnover rate depending on the diffusional pattern, the equivalent Michaelis constant, the maximum drug turnover rate of the intrinsic drug-receptor system, as well as the power density and frequency of the applied electromagnetic field. It is estimated that the power density in the order of magnitude of 1μW/cm2 at 100 MHz frequency range may be required to induce significant rate effects.
Body mass and the energy efficiency of locomotion: lessons from incline running.

Rates of oxygen consumption were measured for two bipedal runners (two species of quail) and two quadrupedal runners (two small species of rodents), with average body masses that ranged from 0.035 to 0.217 kg, trained to run on a treadmill set to horizontal and then to a 10° incline. Rates of oxygen consumption increased linearly with speed for all four species and the rates of increase were significantly higher (P ≤ 0.05) for all four species when the animals were run on an incline than when they were run on a horizontal. The estimated metabolic energy cost to lift 1 kg mass 1 m vertically was similar for bipeds and quadrupeds of similar body mass and inversely related to body mass for both running styles. When the data for the animals used in the present study are combined with similar data for adult animals from the literature, the results show that the metabolic energy efficiencies of locomotion, estimated from the cost of vertical work, are the same for bipedal and quadrupedal runners. In both groups, the metabolic energy efficiency of locomotion is directly related to body mass for animals smaller than 1 kg body mass.
Cyclic Codes for Error Detection

Cyclic codes are defined and described from a new viewpoint involving polynomials. The basic properties of Hamming and Fire codes are derived. The potentialities of these codes for error detection and the equipment required for implementing error detection systems using cyclic codes are described in detail.
New perspectives on the function of myelin galactolipids

A defining feature of the vertebrate nervous system is the ensheathment of axons by myelin, a multilamellar membrane containing a small group of proteins and an abundance of the galactolipid galactocerebroside (GalC) and its sulfated derivative sulfatide. Several in vitro studies have suggested that these galactolipids transduce developmental signals, facilitate protein trafficking and stabilize membranes. In addition, mice lacking the ability to synthesize GalC or sulfatide form dysfunctional and unstable myelin. These findings suggest that the galactolipids are essential components of myelin, and that functional and structural properties of myelin result from the combined contributions of galactolipids and proteins.
Allyl thiocyanate — Natural product or artifact in Crucifer extracts?

Allyl thiocyanate and isothiocyanate were synthesized and could be analysed by gas chromatography without isomerization by keeping the injector at, or below, 50°C. Synthetic allyl isothiocyanate contained none of the isomeric thiocyanate but allyl thiocyanate contained 0.5% of isothiocyanate. The NMR spectra indicated both compounds to be free of the corresponding isomer. Analysis of extracts of stinkweed, mustard and horseradish by GC using non-isomerizing conditions showed that only the stinkweed extract contained allyl thiocyanate. Mustard and horseradish extracts contained allyl, and other, isothiocyanates but no allyl thiocyanate. Allyl thiocyanate previously reported in extracts of mustard and horseradish was most likely an artifact caused by partial isomerization of allyl isothiocyanate under the conditions of isolation and/or analysis.
Catalytic ring expansion, contraction, and metathesis-polymerization of cycloalkanes.

Tandem dehydrogenation–olefin-metathesis catalyst systems, comprising a pincer-ligated iridium-based alkane dehydrogenation catalyst and a molybdenum-based olefin-metathesis catalyst, are reported to effect the metathesis-cyclooligomerization of cyclooctane and cyclodecane to give cycloalkanes with various carbon numbers, predominantly multiples of the substrate carbon number, and polymers.
Effect of sea ice rheology in numerical investigations of climate

[1] Plastic sea ice rheologies that employ teardrop and parabolic lens yield curves and allow varying biaxial tensile stresses have been developed. These rheologies, together with the previously developed ellipse and Mohr-Coulomb-ellipse rheologies, are implemented in a thickness and enthalpy distribution sea ice model to examine the rheological effect in numerical investigations of arctic climate. The teardrop, lens, and ellipse rheologies obey a normal flow rule and result in a two-peak shear stress distribution. The first peak is at the zero shear stress; the second is near 16,000 N m−1 for the ellipse and two lens rheologies and near 30,000 N m−1 for the two teardrop rheologies. The location of the second peak depends on the fatness of the yield curve and the amount of biaxial tensile stress allowed. In contrast, the Mohr-Coulomb-ellipse rheology, based on Coulombic friction failure, does not tend to create the second peak. The incorporation of biaxial tensile stress tends to increase ice thickness in most of the Arctic. A fatter yield curve tends to increase the frequency of large shear stresses. An increased frequency of large shear stresses, in conjunction with the inclusion of biaxial tensile stress, tends to reduce ice speed and ice export, to enhance ice ridging in the Arctic interior, and to reduce ice ridging in the coastal areas, which has a significant impact on arctic spatial ice mass distribution and the total ice budget. The teardrop rheologies reduce spatial bias of modeled ice draft against submarine observations more than others. By changing ice motion, deformation, and thickness the choice of plastic rheology also considerably affects the simulated surface energy exchanges, particularly in the Arctic marginal seas.
Kynurenine 3-Hydroxylase in Brain: Species Activity Differences and Effect of Gerbil Cerebral Ischemia

Abstract We have developed a rapid and highly sensitive assay for brain kynurenine 3-hydroxylase activity. The present study determined some characteristics and species differences of kynurenine 3-hydroxylase activity in brain and evaluated the response of this enzyme to cerebral ischemia. The kynurenine 3-hydroxylase assay is based on the conversion of L-kynurenine to 3-hydroxykynurenine in vitro and the quantification of 3-hydroxy-kynurenine by high-performance liquid chromatography. Kynurenine 3-hydroxylase activity was detected in human, macaque, rat, mouse, and gerbil brain. Regional gerbil brain activities ranged from 20 to 50 nmol/g/h, while kynurenine 3-hydroxylase activities in other species were one order of magnitude lower. Kynurenine 3-hydroxylase was also detected in lung, kidney, spleen, intestine, and liver of gerbils, with activities larger than in brain. Delayed increases in the activity of kynurenine 3-hydroxylase occur in several brain regions following transient ischemia in gerbils. These changes are particularly marked in regions that showed the most extensive brain damage (hippocampus and striatum). Kynurenine 3-hydroxylase may have an important role in determining the flux of kynurenine in brain.
Enhancement and inhibition of denitrification by fluid-flow and dissolved oxygen flux to stream sediments.

Microscale measurements of nitrate (NO3−) and dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations in sediments were made in a laboratory channel under turbulent fluid-flow conditions to examine the effects of DO flux on denitrification rates. DO concentrations and flux within sediments increased with increasing velocity in the surface water. Under low fluid-flow conditions (shear stress velocity, u* 0.39 cm s−1), increasing velocity inhibited NO3− loss. Sediment cores were collected and sliced to measure the depth distribution of denitrifying biomass in sediments. Quantities of nirK and nirS genes were higher within the surface layer and decreased with depth in the sediments. Microscale concentration profiles of DO and NO3− revealed that denitrification occurs within a thin region just below the oxic−anoxic interface in sediments. The interplay of mass transfer and DO flux generated threshold conditions for N...
INTERFERENCE IN THE PERCEIVED SEGREGATION OF EQUAL-LUMINANCE ELEMENT-ARRANGEMENT TEXTURE PATTERNS

Perceived segregation in element-arrangement patterns composed of squares of equal size and luminance, but of two different hues, was investigated in two experiments. Element-arrangement patterns consist of two types of elements, arranged in alternating vertical stripes in the top and bottom regions and in a checkerboard pattern in the center region. Perceived segregation of the striped and checkerboard regions decreased with increasing luminance of the interspaces between the squares, a high-luminance surround, and the increased spacing of the squares. When the luminance of the horizontal interspaces was increased, the decrease in perceived segregation was greater than that when the luminance of the vertical interspaces was increased. Two explanations of the interference of the interspace luminance are discussed. One explanation is in terms of inhibitory interactions among cortical filters tuned to spatial frequency and orientation. A second explanation is in terms of interference with preattentive grouping processes.
Craft beer: penetrating a niche market

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the underexplored niche market potential of craft beer, especially as it may relate to independent food and beverage operations, as a means of gaining competitive advantage.Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected through the distribution of a survey instrument to craft beer and home brewers, designed to assess the demographic profile, purchasing/restaurant selection, and decision behavior of this group and assess the likelihood of their future behavioral intentions toward continued participation in the craft beer segment.Findings – The paper reveals that craft beer and micro brew pub success has been driven by the home brew movement and continues to gain market share at the expense of broad line food service and macro beer producers. The demographic profile of this group shows age range, income, and educational levels sufficient to drive continued growth. The high satisfaction and likelihood to recommend scores support this assessment.Research li...
Heat resistance of fluorinated diamond-like carbon films

The heat resistance of fluorinated diamond-like carbon (F-DLC) films produced by Plasma Immersion Ion Processing (PIIP) technique was investigated by annealing F-DLC coatings in a vacuum furnace. The growth rate for the F-DLC films was approximately 0.6 μm/h. In order to see the possible change in the composition and properties of the F-DLC films, Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS), nanoindentation and contact angle measurements were performed before and after the heat treatments. The results show that the composition and properties of the F-DLC films were unchanged up to heat treatment at 300°C for up to 30 min. Blistering and film delamination occurred for samples treated at 400°C.
Interaction of planetary nebulae with the interstellar medium

Interaction of planetary nebulae (PNe) with the interstellar medium (ISM) is quite common, in accord with our understanding of the large-scale structure of the ISM. The characteristic signature of the interaction is a dipole asymmetry resulting from a distortion and compression of the nebula in the direction of stellar motion. Studies of interacting PNe provide us with information on the structure of the ISM, and on the evolution of old PNe and PN halos.
Has monitoring of the contralateral breast improved the prognosis in patients treated for primary breast cancer

Bilateral breast cancer has a cumulative incidence of about 7% in patients with primary operable breast cancer, and most of these lesions are metachronous. Most retrospective studies have shown that a majority of these patients have invasive cancer in the second breast, and varying percentages have nodal metastases, which may be of a higher stage than the first cancer. Physicians are now more aware of the importance of careful monitoring of the second breast after ipsilateral mastectomy, and improvements have been made in mammographic surveillance. A retrospective, comparative analysis of two separate breast cancer populations at risk for bilateral breast cancer was done on patients who entered into the system before effective mammographic monitoring (BEM) and after effective mammographic monitoring (AEM). The first group of patients consisted of 500 consecutive patients with primary breast cancer diagnosed during the years 1969 through 1975, of whom 37 (7.4%) had bilateral breast cancer. The second group consisted of 557 consecutive patients diagnosed during the years 1977 through 1984, of whom 36 (6.5%) had bilateral breast cancer. The staging percentages of the second breast cancer in the BEM group were Stage 0, 5.4%; Stage I, 48.6%; Stage II, 10.8%; Stage III, 21.6%; and Stage IV, 13.5%. The second group had an improvement in stage, with 33.3% being Stage 0, 22.2% Stage I, 29.6% Stage II, 3.7% Stage III, and 3.7% Stage IV (P less than 0.05). The median interval between primary lesions was 39 months in the first group and 19 months in the second group (in part, this difference may represent increased identification of synchronous cancers). The second breast cancer was undetected by mammography in 9 of 34 (26%) patients. Six were detected by contralateral biopsy (all were lobular carcinomas in situ), and three were found by clinical examination (all were invasive cancers). It was concluded that more aggressive monitoring of the second breast by frequent clinical examination, mammography, and selected contralateral biopsy appears to have increased the early detection rate of second breast cancers in patients under observation.
Statin use associated with increased risk of cataract, myopathy, liver dysfunction and acute renal failure with varying numbers needed to harm.

Commentary on: J Hippisley-Cox, C Coupland. Unintended effects of statins in men and women in England and Wales: population based cohort study using the QResearch database. BMJ2010;340:c2197.
Vernon Mountcastle: In Memoriam

Vernon Mountcastle, who discovered the columnar organization of the cerebral cortex, passed away on January 11, 2015 at home with his family. Mountcastle pioneered the use of microelectrode recording to study brain mechanisms of perception. He defined the field of somatosensory neuroscience, and he initiated the study of higher-order processing in parietal cortex. His contributions were recognized with many awards and honors, including a Lasker Award in 1983 and the National Medal of Science in 1986.
Development of inductive generalization with familiar categories

Inductive generalization is ubiquitous in human cognition. In the developmental literature, two different theoretical accounts of this important process have been proposed: a naive theory account and a similarity-based account. However, a number of recent findings cannot be explained within the existing theoretical accounts. We describe a revised version of the similarity-based account of inductive generalization with familiar categories. We tested the novel predictions of this account in two reported studies with 4-year-old children (N = 57). The reported studies include the first short-term longitudinal investigation of the development of children’s induction with familiar categories, and it is the first study to explore the role of individual differences in semantic organization, general intelligence, working memory, and inhibition in children’s induction.
The behaviour of the complex phase shifts over the 5.3 MeV anomaly in 12C(p, p)12C

Abstract The elastic scattering of protons from carbon in the neighbourhood of the 5.3 MeV anomaly has been investigated using a tandem Van de Graaff accelerator and a differentially-pumped gas scattering chamber. Absolute differential cross sections as a function of angle were measured at thirteen energies between 5.179 and 5.480 MeV. Complex phase shifts are obtained to represent the data, and it is shown that the total phase shift for the d 3 2 partial wave does not pass through 90°.
Robotic radical hysterectomy: comparison with laparoscopy and laparotomy.

Abstract Objective Comparison of perioperative results of patients undergoing radical hysterectomy by robotics, laparoscopy, and laparotomy. Study design Prospective analysis of 27 patients undergoing robotic radical hysterectomy between April 2003 and September 2006. Comparison was made with patients operated by laparoscopy and laparotomy matched by age, BMI, site and type of malignancy, FIGO staging, and type of radical hysterectomy. Results The mean operating times for patients undergoing robotic, laparoscopy and laparotomy radical hysterectomy were 189.6, 220.4, and 166.8 min, respectively; the mean blood loss was 133.1, 208.4, and 443.6 ml, respectively; the mean rate of blood loss was 0.7, 0.9, and 2.6 ml/min, respectively; the mean number of removed lymph nodes was 25.9, 25.9, and 27.7, respectively; and the mean length of hospital stay was 1.7, 2.4, and 3.6 days, respectively. There were no significant differences in intra- or postoperative complications among the three groups, no fistula formation in any patient and no conversions in the robotic or laparoscopic groups. At a mean follow up of 31.1 months, none of the patients with cervical cancer has experienced recurrence. Conclusion Laparoscopy and robotics are preferable to laparotomy for patients requiring radical hysterectomy. Operating times for robotics and laparotomy were similar, and significantly shorter as compared to laparoscopy. Blood loss, rate of blood loss and length of hospital stay were similar for laparoscopy and robotics and significantly reduced as compared to laparotomy.
Real-Time Continuous Image Registration Enabling Ultraprecise 2-D Motion Tracking

In this paper, we present a novel continuous image registration method (CIRM), which yields near-zero bias and has high computational efficiency. It can be realized for real-time position estimation to enable ultraprecise 2-D motion tracking and motion control over a large motion range. As the two variables of the method are continuous in spatial domain, pixel-level image registration is unnecessary, thus the CIRM can continuously track the moving target according to the incoming target image. When applied to a specific target object, measurement resolution of the method is predicted according to the reference image model of the object along with the variance of the camera's overall image noise. The maximum permissible target speed is proportional to the permissible frame rate, which is limited by the required computational time. The precision, measurement resolution, and computational efficiency of the method are verified through computer simulations and experiments. Specifically, the CIRM is implemented and integrated with a visual sensing system. Near-zero bias, measurement resolution of 0.1 nm (0.0008 pixels), and measurement of one nanometer stepping are demonstrated.
Small-scale cyclones on the periphery of a Gulf Stream warm-core ring

Small-scale cyclones found around Gulf Stream warm-core ring 82B are investigated by using infrared satellite images and current information obtained with an acoustic-Doppler velocimeter. Currents in these cyclones reveal speeds ranging from 20 to 80 cm/s. One small cyclone or 'ringlet' found in June 1982 was studied extensively by removing the basic rotational velocities of 82B. The azimuthal velocity field for this ringlet was used with the gradient current equation to calculate the absolute dynamic topography at 100 dbar. It was found that the ringlet was 13 dyn-cm lower than its surroundings. In addition, neglect of the centrifugal term would have changed the dynamic topography of the ringlet by 30 percent. From a comparison with CTD data the absolute reference level was determined, and a vertical profile of horizontal currents was calculated for the ringlet. Other cyclones were found throughout the slope water region around warm-core ring 82B with observable lifetimes of 1 to 2 weeks. The northeast quadrant of 82B was a favored generation site for ringlets. Two cyclones were observed to form in this region and were advected anticyclonically around 82B. Typically, at any one time, six cyclones with diameters of approximately 40 to 50 km can be detected north of the Gulf Stream by using satellite images.
Landscape planning: a method applied to a growth management example

This article is the first in a series of three. These articles were prepared to document the growth management process undertaken in Teller County, Colorado, USA. In this article, an 11-step method for landscape planning is proposed. In step 1, an issue, or set of related issues, is identified as posing a problem and/or opportunity to people and/or the environment. In step 2, a goal, or several goals, is established to address the problem or opportunity. In steps 3 and 4, inventories and analyses of biophysical and sociocultural processes are conducted, first at the regional level and then at the local level. Step 5 involves detailed studies (such as suitability analyses) that link the inventory and analysis information to the problems or opportunities and goals. Detailed studies link regional and local information to specific sites. Thus, this method involves a regional-local-specific site hierarchy. In step 6, concepts are developed that lead to a landscape plan in step 7. During step 8, the plan is explained through a systematic educational and citizen involvement effort to the affected public. In step 9, detailed designs are developed that again are explained to the specific individuals who will be impacted by the designs. It is in step 10 when the plan and designs are implemented. Step 11 involves the administration of the plan. The method is illustrated through an example of growth management planning for Teller County and the city of Woodland Park, Colorado.
Effects of Hypoxia on the Pulmonary Microvascular Permeability in Adult Rabbit Lung.

Within the last 30 years, researchers have explored what role hypoxia might play in causing permeability changes in the pulmonary microvasculature. Since the data accumulated thus far are unclear, the effects of hypoxia on microvascular transport in the isolated, Ringer's perfused adult rabbit lung was observed and the following parameters were measured or computed for both oxygenated and hypoxic perfusates: pulmonary arterial (ra) and pulmonary venous (rv) resistances, pulmonary capillary filtration coefficients (Kf), and pulmonary capillary endothelial reflection coefficients (σ) for NaCl and inulin. Separate reservoir bottles were used to create the desired oxygenated (aeration of solution with 95% O2-5% CO2) gas mixture or hypoxic (aeration of solution with 95% N2-5% CO2) gas mixture. A higher, but not significant, resistance value was found during the oxygenated state. A significant increase in the pulmonary capillary filtration coefficient during hypoxia (10.72 × 10−4±0.446 × 10−4 cm3/s cm H2O for the hypoxic perfusate and 8.80 × 10−4±0.384 × 10−4 cm3/s cm H2O for the oxygenated perfusate) was found and a significant difference between oxygenated and hypoxic pulmonary capillary reflection coefficients for inulin was computed (oxygenated solution revealed a finding of 0.120±0.003 and the hypoxic solution revealed 0.105±0.002). These findings imply a change in the microvascular permeability during hypoxia. According to the pore theory, a change in pore number, pore size, or both could have occurred. However, from the reflection coefficient data, a change in pore radius seems most likely.
Stronger than uniform convergence of multistep difference methods

This paper is concerned with the numerical integration of ordinary differential equations of the orderx. Sufficient conditions and also necessary ones are given for the s-th difference quotient of the approximate solution to approach thes-th derivative of the exact solution fors >0. This requires a more subtle examination of the multiplicities of the characteristic roots of modulus 1.
Requirement of glycolytic substrate for metabolic recovery during moderate low flow ischemia

Low flow ischemia with stable hemodynamic function can result in partial metabolic recovery characterized by an increase in phosphocreatine (PCr). Prior data suggest that glycolytic production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) may be critical for this recovery and that the ATP produced by oxidative phosphorylation alone may be insufficient. This study tested the hypotheses that, during moderate low flow ischemia, (a) metabolic recovery is dependent on glycolytic production of ATP, and, therefore, (b) a mitochondrial substrate such as pyruvate alone is inadequate to allow metabolic recovery. High energy phosphates, pH, and lactate release were measured during 2 h of moderate low flow ischemia. Hearts were perfused with either a glycolytic plus mitochondrial substrate (glucose, insulin and pyruvate) or a mitochondrial substrate alone (pyruvate). Flow reductions required to reduce PCr by approximately 8% resulted in stable and equal reductions of rate-pressure product in each group. PCr recovered fully during the ischemic period in control hearts with glycolytic substrate, associated with preservation of normal end-diastolic pressure, and increased lactate release during the first hour of ischemia. Reperfusion of these hearts restored hemodynamic function and increased PCr above baseline values. In contrast, the use of pyruvate alone as a substrate resulted in a progressive fall of PCr during ischemia, increased end-diastolic pressure, and no significant increase in lactate release. Reperfusion in these hearts restored hemodynamic function, but did not result in normalization of PCr. Both groups had significant reductions in ATP during ischemia. Recovery of PCr during ongoing moderate low flow ischemia is observed in the presence of mixed glycolytic and mitochondrial substrates (glucose, insulin and pyruvate) but is not observed with pyruvate as a sole mitochondrial substrate. These data support a critical role for glycolytic flux under these conditions, suggesting that ATP generated solely by oxidative phosphorylation is not sufficient to promote metabolic recovery or maintain diastolic function during moderate low flow ischemia.