cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Computer Generated Diagnosis

A search for more reliable psychiatric diagnosis has been largely responsible for the development of an increasing number of symptom checklists, clinical rating scales, structured or semistructured diagnostic interviews, and computer algorithms to process such information as diagnostic aids. The specific body of literature in the 1950s and 60s which suggested that many clinical judgments could be made with information about relatively few variables, combined in relatively simple ways (see, e.g., Goldberg, 1968), and that actuarial (or “mechanical”) prediction models could virtually replicate many clinical judgments (see, e.g., Meehl, 1954; Sawyer, 1966; Sines, 1970), was also clearly influential in promoting computer diagnosis research.
Densification and Fracture Toughness Enhancement of Pressureless Sintered Aluminum Oxide-titanium Diboride Composites

The use of pressureless sintering is found to impart a comparable toughening effect on Al2O3-TiB2 composites. Furthermore, various toughening effects relating to particle shape and size, as well as inclusion content, are observed. 22 refs.
Toxicities Associated with Parenteral Nutrition

Parenteral nutrition is a life-sustaining therapy for patients with structural or functional intestinal diseases who are unable to tolerate sufficient enteral intake or absorb sufficient calories to support energy requirements. Despite its unquestionable value under these circumstances, prolonged dependence on parenteral nutrition is fraught with potentially life-threatening complications related to the presence of unintended chemical and microbial contaminants of parenteral nutrition solutions, and insufficient knowledge of the optimal dosing of various parenteral nutrition additives thought to be essential to human nutrition. Infants and children with congenital or acquired gastrointestinal tract diseases who are dependent on parenteral nutrition to supply essential nutrients and calories for growth and development are particularly vulnerable. This chapter will review the potential toxicities associated with both unintended contaminants in parenteral nutrition, including microbes, phthalates, bisphenol-A, particulates, lipid peroxidation products and aluminium, as well as intentional supplementation with potentially toxic substances, including trace metals, amino-acid mixtures and lipid emulsions, when provided in excessive amounts or suboptimal ratios, or when normal metabolism or excretion are altered by an underlying medical condition. Practical applications and areas in need of further laboratory and human research are highlighted. Keywords: parenteral nutrition; microbial contamination; precipitates; phthalates; bisphenol-A; aluminium; essential trace-metal toxicity; amino acids; lipid emulsions; neonate; infant
Ba core-level shift in x-ray photoemission spectroscopy on single-phase Y1-xPrxBa2Cu3O7 and YBa2Cu3O7-y compounds.

We have measured x-ray photoemission spectra of single-phase ${\mathrm{Y}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Pr}}_{\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Ba}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7}$ (x=0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8) and of ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{y}}$ (y=0.0, 0.15, 0.40) compounds, in which superconductivity is suppressed by increasing x and y. Ba 3d and Ba 4d core-level spectra were observed to shift significantly towards higher binding energy as x and y increase, while Y 3d, Cu 3p, O 1s spectra were not. The shift of Ba core-level spectra is interpreted as resulting from a distinct initial-state Ba 5d--Od 2p covalency common to 1:2:3 structures, as opposed to final-state effects. This energy shift may constitute a sensitive fingerprint of the degree of hole localization at Ba sites, which is related to the quenching of superconductivity in these compounds.
A Farewell to Air Gaps, Part 1

One of the most fundamentally misguided ways to protect a networked infrastructure is to introduce an air gap. The US has been mastering the art of crossing them for more than 30 years.
Evaluation of a rapid colorimetric assay for detection of bacterial contamination in apheresis and pooled random-donor platelet units

Background Despite existing strategies, bacterial contamination of platelets (PLTs) remains a problem, and reliable testing near the time of use is needed. We evaluated the BacTx assay (Immunetics, Inc.), a rapid colorimetric assay for detection of bacterial peptidoglycan, for this purpose. Study design and methods Apheresis- and whole blood-derived PLT units, the latter tested in 6-unit pools, inoculated with 10 representative bacterial species (eight aerobic, two anaerobic), were tested with the BacTx assay at two sites to determine analytic sensitivity and time to detection. Specificity on sterile PLTs and reproducibility across different PLT units and assay kit lots was also determined. Results Analytical sensitivity for the 10 bacterial species ranged from 6.3 × 10(2) to 7.6 × 10(4) colony-forming units (CFUs)/mL. In time-to-detection studies after inoculation of PLTs with 0.7 to 5.3 CFUs/mL, 10 replicates of all eight aerobic species were positive when bacterial titers were above the analytic sensitivity detection limit, which occurred at 48 hours for 60 PLT units and at 72 hours for the remaining 4 units, as well as at 7 days for all units. Specificity was 99.8% and reproducibility was 100%. Conclusions The BacTx assay had an analytical sensitivity below the 10(5) CFUs/mL threshold of clinical significance, detected all eight aerobic bacterial species 48 to 72 hours after inoculation as well as at 7 days, and had high specificity and reproducibility. These findings suggest that the BacTx assay will be a valuable test for detection of clinically relevant levels of bacterial contaminants in PLT units and pools near time of use.
On optimization with competing performance criteria

In control system design one typically optimizes a performance function over the space of frequency response functions of all designable controllers. In H/sup /spl infin// control one typically optimizes a sup norm type of performance function and it has been known for many years that at optimum this performance function is frequency independent (flat). In this paper the authors study simultaneous (Pareto) optimization of several competing performances /spl Gamma//sub 1/,.../spl Gamma//sub l/. The authors find that under strong assumptions on the performance functions that if there are N designable subsystems (f/sub 1/,...,f/sub N/) and l performance measures with l/spl les/N, then at a nondegenerate Pareto optimum (f/sub 1/*,...,f/sub N/*) every performance is flat. It is common in control to have many designable subsystems so it is natural to look for ways to use the substantial freedom this gives profitably. The implication here is that if one wants many performance functions to be flat then there are circumstances where this might be achievable. Besides flatness there are other "gradient alignment" conditions which must hold at an optimum, The article presents these and thus gives the precise "first derivative" test for a natural class of H/sup /spl infin// Pareto optima. In current jargon the gradient alignment would be called a primal-dual type optimality condition. Such optimality conditions are valuable for assessing how iterations in a computer run are progressing. Also in the traditional case the optimality conditions have been the base of highly successful computer algorithms.
The proinflammatory peptide substance P promotes blood–brain barrier breaching by breast cancer cells through changes in microvascular endothelial cell tight junctions

Neuropeptide substance P (SP) has been implicated in inflammation, pain, depression and breast cancer cell (BCC) growth. Here, we examined the role of SP in trafficking of BCCs (human MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-231BrM2 cells) across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) using in vitro and in vivo models. SP was secreted from BCCs and mediated adhesion and transmigration of BCCs across human BMECs (HBMECs) in vitro. SP induced activation of HBMECs, leading to secretion of Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TNF-α) and angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) from HBMECs, resulting in changes in localization and distribution of tight junction (TJ) ZO-1 (tight junction protein zonula occludins-1) and claudin-5 structures as well as increased permeability of HBMECs. Using spontaneous breast cancer metastasis mouse model (syngeneic) of GFP-4T1-BrM5 mammary tumor cells administered into mammary fat pads of Balb/c mice, SP inhibitor spantide III inhibited in vivo changes in permeability of the BBB and BMEC-TJs ZO-1 and claudin-5 structures as well as decreased tumor cell colonization in brain. Thus, SP secreted from BCCs induces transmigration of BCCs across the BBB, leading to activation of BMECs and secretion of TNF-α and Ang-2, resulting in BBB impairment and colonization of tumor cells in brain. Therefore, therapies based on SP inhibition in combination with other therapies may prevent breaching of the BBB by BCCs and their colonization in brain.
Fetal and Neonatal Effects of N-Acetylcysteine When Used for Neuroprotection in Maternal Chorioamnionitis

Objective To evaluate the clinical safety of antenatal and postnatal N-acetylcysteine (NAC) as a neuroprotective agent in maternal chorioamnionitis in a randomized, controlled, double-blinded trial. Study design Twenty-two mothers >24 weeks gestation presenting within 4 hours of diagnosis of clinical chorioamnionitis were randomized with their 24 infants to NAC or saline treatment. Antenatal NAC (100 mg/kg/dose) or saline was given intravenously every 6 hours until delivery. Postnatally, NAC (12.5-25 mg/kg/dose, n = 12) or saline (n = 12) was given every 12 hours for 5 doses. Doppler studies of fetal umbilical and fetal and infant cerebral blood flow, cranial ultrasounds, echocardiograms, cerebral oxygenation, electroencephalograms, and serum cytokines were evaluated before and after treatment, and 12, 24, and 48 hours after birth. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy and diffusion imaging were performed at term age equivalent. Development was followed for cerebral palsy or autism to 4 years of age. Results Cardiovascular measures, cerebral blood flow velocity and vascular resistance, and cerebral oxygenation did not differ between treatment groups. Cerebrovascular coupling was disrupted in infants with chorioamnionitis treated with saline but preserved in infants treated with NAC, suggesting improved vascular regulation in the presence of neuroinflammation. Infants treated with NAC had higher serum anti-inflammatory interleukin-1 receptor antagonist and lower proinflammatory vascular endothelial growth factor over time vs controls. No adverse events related to NAC administration were noted. Conclusions In this cohort of newborns exposed to chorioamnionitis, antenatal and postnatal NAC was safe, preserved cerebrovascular regulation, and increased an anti-inflammatory neuroprotective protein. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov : NCT00724594 .
On the Design of Hierarchical Production Planning Systems.

Abstract : To provide effective managerial support to the decisions related to the production planning and scheduling processes, it is useful to partition this set of decisions in a hierarchical framework. In the resulting system higher level decisions impose constraints to lower level actions, and lower level decisions provide the necessary feedback to reevaluate higher level actions. The purpose of this paper is to suggest optimum procedures to deal with the resulting subproblems, and to analyze the interaction mechanisms among the different hierarchical levels. Computational results are given. (Author)
Preventing alcohol abuse and alcohol-related problems through community interventions: A review of evaluation studies

Abstract In recent years community-based initiatives have emerged as the most widely heralded and promoted alcohol and drug abuse prevention strategy in the USA. In this paper we critically review those studies (n = 8) that have presented data designed to assess the effectiveness of community-based alcohol abuse prevention programs. The majority of these studies report minimal program effects, even over the immediate post-intervention period. Their principal limitations appear to be (1) a failure to generate community involvement in the design and implementation of program activities and (2) an inability to impact upon community-level processes. Three studies recently initiated in the USA are then discussed. These address more directly than previous efforts the issue of whether change in systems-level influences can be achieved through community-based interventions, while also attempting to broaden the target audience of intervention programs and encouraged greater community participation. Among the numer...
Thermal Transport in Nanotube Composites for Large-Area Macroelectronics

Thermal transport in a new class of nanocomposites composed of isotropic 2D ensembles of nanotubes or nanowires in a substrate is considered for use as the channel region of thin film transistors. The random ensemble is generated numerically and simulated using a finite volume scheme. The effective thermal conductivity of a nanotube network embedded in a thin substrate is computed. Percolating conduction in the composite is studied as a function of wire/tube densities and channel lengths. The conductance exponents are validated against available experimental data for long channels devices. The effect of tube-tube contact conductance, tube-substrate contact conductance and substrate-tube conductivity ratio is analyzed for various channel lengths. It is found that beyond a certain limiting value, contact parameters do not result in any significant change in the effective thermal conductivity of the composite. It is also observed that the effective thermal conductivity of the composite saturates beyond a limiting channel-length/tube length ratio for the range of contact parameters under consideration.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Gravity‐inferred crustal attributes of visible and buried impact basins on Mars

[1] The impact basins of Mars reveal important insights on Martian tectonic evolution. They involve strongly disrupted, depressed regions of crust with likely enhanced porosity and permeability that may locally concentrate water and other crustal fluids. Hence the crustal properties of impact basins can also be important in the hunt for water and related clues for life on Mars. We assess the crustal details of impact basins by separating the Mars Global Surveyor free-air anomalies into terrain-correlated and terrain-decorrelated components. The separation is based on the correlation spectrum between the free-air anomalies and the gravity effects evaluated from the topography mapped by the Mars Orbital Laser Altimeter (MOLA). For topographically visible multiring basins like Isidis, striking circular patterns of alternating terrain-correlated free-air maxima and minima mark the uncompensated components of the central mantle plug and surrounding rings. The first vertical derivatives of these anomalies effectively estimate the basin ring locations and a transient cavity depth-to-diameter ratio of 0.09 that is consistent with the ratio observed for lunar nearside multiring basins. For the Isidis Basin we obtain an excavation depth of roughly 66 km that reflects considerably disrupted crust for concentrating local fluids since the Noachian impact. Furthermore, the related crustal terrain-decorrelated free-air anomalies suggest up to 2 km of high-density basin fill may cap the central basin. Subtle quasi-circular depressions in the relatively featureless MOLA terrain of the northern hemisphere have identified potentially buried impact basins [Frey et al., 2002]. An altimetry depression in Acidalia Planitia and another in Utopia are also associated with ringed patterns of terrain-decorrelated free-air anomalies that may mark the uncompensated mass effects of buried impact basins. The gravity-derived transient excavation depths for these inferred basins are roughly 41 and 20 km, respectively, while the related ring diameters (D) follow the ubiquitous D rule of planetary impact basins. The crust of these buried basins is likely to contain water at higher levels than the crust of the equatorial basins that was substantially dewatered with the development of the great northern basin. Hence analyzing surface fractures, faults, and other crustal discontinuities that can tap the more saturated crust of these inferred buried basins may facilitate the hunt for water on Mars.
CXXXV. Ambipolar thermodiffusion of electrons and holes in semiconductors

Summary The purpose of this paper is to bring to notice, and discuss the consequences of, the phenomenon of ambipolar diffusion of electrons and holes down a temperature gradient in a semiconductor. A formula for the magnitude of the ambipolar flux is derived, and is applied to the electronic contribution to the thermal conductivity and to the Nernst Effect. The anomalous thermal conductivity of indium antimonide, reported by Busch and Schneider, cannot be accounted for in terms of the energy transported by this ambipolar flow.
Analysis and feed design of a sparse aperture parabolic reflector

Summary form only given. Large reflector antennas are useful in remote sensing and communications due to their high gain. However, a major tradeoff in designing and building large reflector antennas is their ability to deploy. Typically, these antennas are permanently set up in a single location, meaning they cannot be easily moved to another location. This paper presents a particular sparse aperture concept as a solution to the limited ability to deploy problem of large reflector antennas. The aim is to determine the feasibility of a sparse aperture parabolic reflector, and compare its performance to a filled aperture parabolic reflector. The sparse reflector contains the same surface area as the filled aperture, but poses a new technical challenge in computational electromagnetics due to its unconventional cross-sectional shape. Because the frequency of interest is L-band (λ = 14.99...29.97 cm), the antenna dimensions are on the order of 100 meters. This is an electrically large problem, posing a challenge in simulating the antenna performance in the Far Field. Therefore, the use of Integral Equation and Asymptotic solvers is the primary means of simulation. Plane wave analysis using an Integral Equation solver on a surface mesh is performed as a starting point for the design. The reciprocity theorem is the basis for this starting point. In further analyses, a feeding structure is designed for the sparse reflector based on plane wave analysis. The design of a feeding structure for the sparse reflector is non-trivial, and requires several design iterations, each one based on the previous analysis.
The anorectic effect of fenfluramine is increased by estradiol treatment in ovariectomized rats

Abstract The emergence of sex- and estrous cycle-related differences in the anorectic effect of fenfluramine, a serotonin (5-HT) agonist, prompted us to investigate whether these behavioral changes are mediated by estradiol. Rats were ovariectomized and housed in cages that permitted the analysis of feeding and locomotor activity via an automated, computerized system. Using a within-subjects design, we investigated the effects of 1 mg/kg d-fenfluramine and saline vehicle on food intake and wheel running in ovariectomized rats following estradiol benzoate (EB) and oil vehicle treatment. A cyclic regimen of EB treatment was used to mimic the changes in endogenous estradiol secretion over the rat’s 4-day estrous cycle. The decrease in food intake following fenfluramine treatment was greater in EB-treated rats, relative to oil-treated rats. Fenfluramine also produced a small but significant decrease in wheel running in ovariectomized rats that was not modulated by EB treatment. Thus, EB’s ability to increase the anorectic effect of this dose of fenfluramine appears behaviorally specific. Although the inhibition of food intake by fenfluramine is largely attributed to its ability to increase synaptic levels of 5-HT, additional research involving selective 5-HT receptor agonists and antagonists is necessary to determine whether estradiol interacts with the endogenous 5-HT system to control food intake in the female rat.
Challenges for the public in negotiating the health system in the 21st century

This paper addresses the challenges and opportunities that face the public in negotiating the health care system (both medicine and public health) in the 21st century. It addresses three issues: how consumers exercise choice, with special attention to the choice of health care coverage; how patients and communities interact with clinicians and public health professionals; and whether and how the public's “voice” is heard as health policy decisions, at the societal and institutional levels, are made. With respect to each of these issues, the paper describes the current status of public influence and articulates a vision for the future. These three related visions are (1) that empowered, informed, supported consumers make decisions about health plans, clinicians, treatments, and their own behavior; (2) that clinicians and public health professionals, working as partners with patients and communities, are in a position to “standardize the customization of care” so that all aspects of care are tailored to the needs of the individual, family, or community in question and social, economic, and cultural factors are taken into account in the day-to-day practice of medicine and public health; and (3) that the ability and willingness of the public to negotiate and shape the health care environment is supported by an independent infrastructure that permits enhanced public involvement in health policy making and governance. The paper identifies key elements of this vision, discusses challenges to pursuing and achieving each vision, and identifies opportunities that may support the pursuit of the vision.
Timing and Selection for Renal Revascularization in an Era of Negative Trials: What to Do?

Management of atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis has become more complex with advances in both medical therapy and endovascular procedures. Results from recent trials fail to demonstrate major benefits of endovascular stenting in addition to optimal medical therapy. The general applicability of these results to many patients is limited by short-term follow-up and selection biases in recruitment. Many patients at highest risk were excluded from these studies and some were included with trivial lesions. Identification of patients with hemodynamically significant lesions remains a challenge and has led to more stringent criteria for Doppler ultrasound, measurement of translesional gradients and quantitative angiography. Although many patients can now be managed with medical therapy, it should be recognized that long-term reduction in antihypertensive drug requirements and recovery of kidney function are limited to those undergoing renal revascularization. As with any major vascular lesion, follow-up for disease stability and/or progression is essential. The ambiguity of present trial data may lead some to overlook selected subgroups that would benefit from restoring renal blood supply through revascularization. Further studies to more precisely identify kidneys that can recover function and/or are beyond meaningful recovery are essential. Considering the comorbid risks for the atherosclerotic population, it will remain imperative for clinicians to consider the hazards, costs and benefits carefully for each patient to determine the role and timing for both medical therapy and revascularization.
The Effect of the Dye Aquashade® on Water Quality, Phytoplankton, Zooplankton, and Sunshine Bass, Morone chrysops×M. saxatilis, Fingerling Production in Fertilized Culture Ponds

Rooted macrophytes make harvesting fingerling fish difficult because they can smother fish or tangle in the seines during harvest. Aquashade®, a dye, is used to reduce macrophyte growth. Fingerling culturists are reluctant to use it because it may reduce phytoplankton concentrations and zooplankton food supplies of larval fish. Aquashade was applied at 4 mg/L (twice the recommended rate) to three ponds when filled and to three ponds when fry were started on prepared feed. Three ponds served as a control. All ponds were stocked with sunshine bass larvae at 15,000/0.04 ha. Water quality and plankton were monitored daily until harvest. Few differences were found among treatment ponds for water quality, chlorophyll a, primary productivity, phytoplankton and zooplankton concentrations, or weight of rooted macrophytes. Unionized ammonia and pH increased to potentially harmful levels in ponds that did not receive the dye. No differences were found in the number, total weight or percent survival of fingerlings harvested. No differences in average individual total length, total weight, or coefficient of condition were found either. At the concentration of dye used, the dye was not effective for rooted macrophyte control but may offer fish some protection from high pH or unionized ammonia concentrations.
Postoperative Coagulopathy in a Pediatric Patient After Exposure to Bovine Topical Thrombin

Severe postoperative coagulopathy developed in a child with congenital heart disease due to a factor V inhibitor from repetitive exposure to bovine topical thrombin. This case report alerts pediatric providers to consider these inhibitors when postoperative coagulopathy occurs. Potential treatment options are reviewed.
Yolk sac endoderm: Exclusive site of serum protein synthesis in the early chick embryo

Abstract In order to determine which cell type or types synthesized serum proteins, yolk sacs from 4-day chick embryos were manually separated into ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm and incubated in the presence of radioactive valine. Analysis of the incubation media by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis as well as by immunoprecipitation showed that all serum proteins were synthesized exclusively by the cells of the endoderm. These included transferrin and three embryo-specific serum proteins: α-globulin a, α-globulin b, and prealbumin.
Milk components inhibit Acanthamoeba-induced cytopathic effect.

Purpose Acanthamoebae provoke a vision-threatening corneal infection known as Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK). It is thought that Acanthamoeba-specific IgA antibodies present in mucosal secretions such as human tears, milk, and saliva provide protection against infection by inhibiting the adhesion of parasites to host cells. The goal of the present study was to determine whether human mucosal secretions have the potential to provide protection against the Acanthamoeba-induced cytopathic effect (CPE) by an additional mechanism that is independent of IgA. Methods Breast milk was used as a model of human mucosal secretions. In vitro CPE assays were used to examine the CPE inhibitory effect of IgA-depleted milk and various milk fractions obtained by gel filtration. The activity of amebic proteinases was examined by zymography. Results IgA-depleted milk inhibited the Acanthamoeba-induced CPE in a concentration-dependent manner. Milk proteins were separated into four major fractions (F1-F4) by gel filtration. Of these four fractions, CPE inhibitory activity was detected largely in fraction F3. In contrast, fractions F1, F2, and F4 lacked CPE inhibitory activity. Moreover, fraction F3, but not F1, F2, or F4, inhibited amebic proteinases. Conclusions These data, in conjunction with published findings showing that amebic proteinases are responsible for the induction of Acanthamoeba CPE, led us to propose that human mucosal secretions have the potential to provide protection against Acanthamoeba-induced CPE by an additional mechanism that is independent of IgA and that involves the inhibition of cytotoxic proteinases of amebae.
Ursa minor: versatile cluster-based storage

No single encoding scheme or fault model is optimal for all data. A versatile storage system allows them to be matched to access patterns, reliability requirements, and cost goals on a per-data item basis. Ursa Minor is a cluster-based storage system that allows data-specific selection of, and on-line changes to, encoding schemes and fault models. Thus, different data types can share a scalable storage infrastructure and still enjoy specialized choices, rather than suffering from "one size fits all." Experiments with Ursa Minor show performance benefits of 2-3× when using specialized choices as opposed to a single, more general, configuration. Experiments also show that a single cluster supporting multiple workloads simultaneously is much more efficient when the choices are specialized for each distribution rather than forced to use a "one size fits all" configuration. When using the specialized distributions, aggregate cluster throughput nearly doubled.
Grid Transformation and Adaption Techniques Applied in the Analysis of Cavitated Journal Bearings

An existing cavitation algorithm (a numerical procedure that automatically predicts film rupture and reformation in bearings) is modified in this paper. Second order upwinding is used to difference the shear induced flow terms in the cavitated region. A grid transformation procedure using a body fitted coordinate system and grid adaption techniques are applied to the algorithm. Four statically loaded finite journal bearing cases are analyzed. The results are compared with the results obtained using a conventional grid
Exposure-based prioritization of chemicals for risk assessment

Manufactured chemicals are used extensively to produce a wide variety of consumer goods and are required by important industrial sectors. Presently, information is insufficient to estimate risks posed to human health and the environment from the over ten thousand chemical substances currently in use and the hundreds more that are introduced each year. The vast majority of chemicals in products with wide commercial use are not measured in the environment, and potential for human exposure is not quantified. Regulatory agencies in North America and Europe have increased calls to address exposure to these chemicals. New, more reliable approaches are needed to characterize thousands of environmental chemicals on the basis of both hazard and exposure in a rapid and efficient manner, and to prioritize chemicals based on potential risk. Various approaches for prioritization based on exposure potential are summarized and compared. Knowledge gaps and research needed to facilitate rapid exposure-based prioritization for chemical evaluation are highlighted.
The thymus gland and thymic symptoms

T HE thymus gland and its relationship to a certain more or less definite symptom-complex in the newborn and babies in early infancy presents a number of problems for consideration and study. This question has been discussed from various angles by many observers in different countries, particularly in the United States. Opinions are quite divergent. One cause for this difference of thought is the confusion that has arisen because of attempts to link so-called simple hypertrophy of the thymus itself with the constitutional diathesis, status thymieolymphaticus. Furthermore, the causation of tile Occasional sudden death that occurs in infancy and early childhood for which no clinical or anatomical basis can be found is traditionally associated with the thymus and termed "thymie death." Marine, 1 ill reviewing the status ]ymphatieus problem, says that he: accepts the views expressed by Friedleben, Paltauf, Wiesel, Hart, Ohlmaeher, Thomas and others, that there is no known disease entity in which the thymus occupies the central or causal rSle. He says that the terms, "thymic death," "thymie asthma," "s ta tus thymicus," and "s ta tus thymieolymphaticus," are misleading. Other writers correlate "thymie death" with status thymicolymphaticus. We feel that the thymus syndrome which occurs in newborn infants, and with which we are concerned in this present investigation, bears no relationship to the status thymicolymphatieus syndrome; the latter is a systemic disease affecting not only the thymus gland but also the spleen, intestinal follicles, lymph nodes, tonsils, Waldeyer's ring, Peyer's patches, and bone marrow; and it is associated with hypoplasia of tile cardiovascular system and probably of the chromaffin system and gonadal glands (suprarenal eortex, interstitial cells of the testes and ovaries). When such an individual
Treatment of von Willebrand's Disease

Early recognition that plasma infusions could correct the prolonged bleeding time and factor VIII deficiency in von Willebrand's disease (vWD) prompted major research efforts. Identification of the factor VIII molecule, its components, and its functions has provided critical information about replacement requirements to prevent or control bleeding. Plasma and cryoprecipitate have been the mainstay of therapy. Until recently, lyophilized coagulation factor concentrates had little usefulness in treating vWD. Current factor VIII concentrates prepared by monoclonal or recombinant technology (or both) are devoid of von Willebrand factor. Desmopressin has been a revolutionary synthetic agent useful in numerous patients with mild or moderately severe vWD. In many patients, however, desmopressin is ineffective. Only a few currently available factor VIII concentrates contain biologically active von Willebrand factor and can be used to prepare patients for surgical procedures or to stop hemorrhage. Inhibitors of von Willebrand factor arise de novo or in patients with vWD. Management with activated prothrombin complex concentrates or removal of antibody with protein A columns has been successful. Despite current technologic advances, not all patients with vWD can be successfully treated. Many problems with vWD continue to be unresolved.
COMPLEXITY IN THE CHICK-A-DEE CALL OF CAROLINA CHICKADEES (POECILE CAROLINENSIS): ASSOCIATIONS OF CONTEXT AND SIGNALER BEHAVIOR TO CALL STRUCTURE

Abstract Chick-a-dee calls are common vocal signals in chickadees (Poecile spp.) that function in social organization. Earlier work indicated that the call is a structurally complex vocal system, in that it is open-ended and, theoretically, could convey a large amount of information. However, little quantitative empirical work has addressed whether signalers actually produce distinct chick-a-dee calls in different environmental or behavioral contexts. I tested this question in an eastern population of Carolina Chickadees (Poecile carolinensis). Calls were recorded from free-living birds, and contextual variables were noted at the time of call production. The structure of the chick-a-dee call—the average number of note types used in calls and the different categories of note composition used commonly by birds—was associated with a diverse set of variables, including the proximity of the signaler to the ground, the signaler's flight behavior and local population, and the presence of an avian predator. These...
An empirical examination of alliances in the Australian technology industry

This paper attempts to reduce the research gap in the alliance learning literature by reporting the results of a study based on a conceptual model on the Australian ICT industry, which is tested through Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The conceptual model includes six constructs (alliance performance, learning orientation, market orientation, relational norms, trust and knowledge intensity). Suggestions for practitioners involved in alliances and directions for future research are espoused.
What's Formal about Formal Indication? Heidegger's Method in Sein und Zeit 1

Abstract Against the background of a recent exchange between Cristina Lafont and Hubert Dreyfus, I argue that Heidegger's method of “formal indication” is at the heart of his attempt in Sein und Zeit to answer “the ontological question of the being of the ‘sum’” (SZ, p. 46). This method works reflexively, by picking out certain essential features of one's first-person singular being at the outset of its investigation that are implicit in the question “what is it to be the entity I am?” On the basis of these features, various further a priori, ontological structures (care and temporality) that constitute one as a first-person singular entity then become accessible. Formal indication is thus formal in two senses: it officially designates or signals certain first-person singular phenomena as the topic of investigation, and it picks out features which define the ontological form of the entity in question. It is thereby the method by which a legitimately transcendental account of our being may be begun to be g...
Prosthetic valve endocarditis caused by Mycoplasma hominis

I nfective endocarditis accounts for 0.1 to 0.5 percent of hospital admissions. In the majority of cases, a pathogenic organism can be identified from blood cultures; however, in 3 to 30 percent of cases, an organism cannot be identified from the blood [l]. In these cases, special procedures such as culturing the blood for a longer period of time or with special medium or culturing the cardiac valve may reveal fastidious organisms. These include nutritionally deficient streptococci, slow-growing gram-negative bacilli, brucella, anaerobes, corynebacteria, mycobacteria, fungi, and yeast. Serology may be required for a diagnosis of Q fever or chlamydia endocarditis. Finally, in some cases, an organism cannot be identified despite multiple attempts using culture and serology. We recently cared for a patient with infective endocarditis involving prosthetic valves. Numerous blood cultures were negative and at thoracotomy microabscesses were seen on the aortic annulus. Two cultures from the mitral annulus grew Mycoplasma hominis. Since mycoplasmas have not previously been isolated from patients with endocarditis, we present this case and suggest that the organism be considered in the differential diagnosis of culture-negative endocarditis.
Comprehensive Prospective Comparative Analysis of Outcomes Between Open and Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy Conducted in 2003 to 2005

Purpose: In a nonrandomized prospective fashion we compared the oncological, functional and morbidity outcomes after laparoscopic and retropubic radical prostatectomy.Materials and Methods: Between January 2003 and December 2005 a total of 1,430 consecutive men with clinically localized prostate cancer underwent radical prostatectomy, laparoscopic in 612 and retropubic in 818. The surgical approach was selected by the patient. Preoperative staging, respective surgical techniques, pathological examination and followup were uniform. Functional outcome was measured by patient completed health related quality of life questionnaire.Results: Positive surgical margin rates (11%) and freedom from progression (median followup 18 months) were comparable between laparoscopic and retropubic radical prostatectomy (HR 0.99 for laparoscopic vs retropubic radical prostatectomy, p = 0.9). We found no significant association between operation type and time to postoperative potency (HR 1.04 for laparoscopic vs retropubic ra...
Physiologic resistance to the action of aldosterone

The collecting duct is one of the major targets for aldosterone's action. Experiments conducted several years ago suggested that the major site of action on Na+ and K+ transport was the cortical portion, the cortical collecting duct (CCD). Subsequent studies have shown that the entire collecting duct is capable of responding to aldosterone, but does so differently according to the region. The inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD), while exhibiting a relatively low rate of Na+ transport in isolated, perfused tubules, can develop substantial rates of Na+ transport when put in primary culture. The IMCD, in contrast to the CCD, usually secretes little K+. Investigations into the mechanisms for the lower rates of Na+ transport have revealed that transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), which is endogenously produced in the inner medulla, can markedly reduce the natriferric action of aldosterone. This action of TGF-beta is not apparent within the first few hours of exposure, but its effects, even after removal, last for over 48 hours. The mechanism of this antagonism appears to involve pathways that are parallel and independent of the major transcriptional effects of aldosterone.
Inequalities for the curvature of curves and surfaces

In this paper, we bound the difference between the total mean curvatures of two closed surfaces in R3 in terms of their total absolute curvatures and the Frechet distance between the volumes they enclose. The proof relies on a combination of methods from algebraic topology and integral geometry. We also bound the difference between the lengths of two curves using the same methods.
Reactive Biomaterial for the Treatment of Herbicide Contaminated Drinking Water: Atrazine Dechlorination

The herbicide atrazine is used for control of broadleaf weeds, principally in corn, sorghum, and sugarcane [1]. Atrazine is currently used in 70 countries at an estimated annual rate of 111,000 tons [2, 3]. Atrazine is typically applied early in the planting season. However, Heavy rainfall events, shortly after application may lead to detectable atrazine concentrations in waterways and in drinking-water supplies. The United States Environmental Protection Agency established a 3 ppb limit of atrazine in drinking water. In some instances, municipal water treatment plants use chemicals and other treatment processes, such as activated carbon, to reduce atrazine to below the 3 ppb legal limit for drinking water.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Devices for overcoming biological barriers: The use of physical forces to disrupt the barriers

Overcoming biological barriers including skin, mucosal membranes, blood brain barrier as well as cell and nuclear membrane constitutes a key hurdle in the field of drug delivery. While these barriers serve the natural protective function in the body, they limit delivery of drugs into the body. A variety of methods have been developed to overcome these barriers including formulations, targeting peptides and device-based technologies. This review focuses on the use of physical methods including acoustic devices, electric devices, high-pressure devices, microneedles and optical devices for disrupting various barriers in the body including skin and other membranes. A summary of the working principles of these devices and their ability to enhance drug delivery is presented.
Closest Matrices in the Space of Generalized Doubly Stochastic Matrices

Abstract LetΩ n denote the set of generalized doubly stochastic n × n real matrices; that is matrices whose row and column sums are 1. The research in this paper concerns finding the closest matrix B * inΩ n to a given matrix A in M n , the space of n × n real matrices. Let J n be the n × n matrix whose entries are all equal to 1/ n and let I n be the n × n identity matrix in M n . We prove that B * = WAW + J n , where W = I n − J n .
TransCom: transforming stream communication for load balance and efficiency in networks-on-chip

Recent work has examined using application-specific knowledge of streaming communication to optimize network routing (for throughput/performance) and/or design (for simpler hardware). Previous techniques have assumed that the communication streams are directly mapped to networks-on-chip. In contrast, this paper explores the use of communication transformations (TransCom) to achieve higher throughput via better network load balance and more efficient network utilization while retaining the communication semantics of the original streaming application. Specifically, we propose two transformations: stream fission and stream fusion. (While fission and fusion transformations have been applied to computation in streaming programs, we are the first to propose these transformations for stream communication.) Fission splits communication streams in to multiple streams that may be routed over independent network paths to achieve better network load balance. Fusion targets multicast communication and fuses multiple streams to effectively capture the well-known benefits of tree-based multicast, which include more efficient link utilization. Both techniques can be integrated in an integer linear program formulation that is solved at compile time. Evaluations with a suite of StreamIT benchmarks show that TransCom achieves significant performance improvement (nearly 60% on average) over prior application-specific (non-transformed) routing techniques.
An extension of the Aumann-shapley value concept to functions on arbitrary banach spaces

LetX denote a linear space of real valued functions defined on a subset of a Banach space such thatX containsE′ the dual space ofE as a subspace. Given a distinguished vectorx0 inE anx0-value (onX) is defined to be a projectionP fromX ontoE′ which satisfies the following two hypotheses: (VA) (PF)(x0)=Fx0 for allF inX; (VB) IfT is a continuous isomorphism fromE intoE such thatTx0=x0 thenP(F⋄T) = (PF) ⋄ T for allF inX. The existence and uniqueness of a value is established for two choices ofX, one of which is the space of polynomials in functional onE. The existence and partial uniqueness of a value is established on a third choice forX.
The Ubiquitous Mineralocorticoid Receptor: Clinical Implications

Mineralocorticoid receptors (MR) exist in many tissues, in which they mediate diverse functions crucial to normal physiology, including tissue repair and electrolyte and fluid homeostasis. However, inappropriate activation of MR within these tissues, and especially in the brain, causes hypertension and pathological vascular, cardiac, and renal remodeling. MR binds aldosterone, cortisol and corticosterone with equal affinity. In aldosterone-target cells, co-expression with the 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 2 (HSD2) allows aldosterone specifically to activate MR. Aldosterone levels are excessive in primary aldosteronism, but in conditions with increased oxidative stress, like CHF, obesity and diabetes, MR may also be inappropriately activated by glucocorticoids. Unlike thiazide diuretics, MR antagonists are diuretics that do not cause insulin resistance. Addition of MR antagonists to standard treatment for hypertension and cardiac or renal disease decreases end-organ pathology and sympathetic nerve activation (SNA), and increases quality of life indices.
A cell-based screen for inhibitors of flagella-driven motility in Chlamydomonas reveals a novel modulator of ciliary length and retrograde actin flow†

Cilia are motile and sensory organelles with critical roles in physiology. Ciliary defects can cause numerous human disease symptoms including polycystic kidneys, hydrocephalus, and retinal degeneration. Despite the importance of these organelles, their assembly and function is not fully understood. The unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii has many advantages as a model system for studies of ciliary assembly and function. Here we describe our initial efforts to build a chemical-biology toolkit to augment the genetic tools available for studying cilia in this organism, with the goal of being able to reversibly perturb ciliary function on a rapid time-scale compared to that available with traditional genetic methods. We screened a set of 5520 compounds from which we identified four candidate compounds with reproducible effects on flagella at nontoxic doses. Three of these compounds resulted in flagellar paralysis and one induced flagellar shortening in a reversible and dose-dependent fashion, accompanied by a reduction in the speed of intraflagellar transport. This latter compound also reduced the length of cilia in mammalian cells, hence we named the compound “ciliabrevin” due to its ability to shorten cilia. This compound also robustly and reversibly inhibited microtubule movement and retrograde actin flow in Drosophila S2 cells. Ciliabrevin may prove especially useful for the study of retrograde actin flow at the leading edge of cells, as it slows the retrograde flow in a tunable dose-dependent fashion until flow completely stops at high concentrations, and these effects are quickly reversed upon washout of the drug. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.