cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Economics of Atypical Lactation

Abstract A dairy's economic vitality is dependent on the efficient management of variable and fixed costs associated with milk production. Management practices have evolved in response to the underlying biological life cycle of a cow to confer economic advantages to producers. Under current management practices, heifer-rearing cost is commonly reduced by lowering age at first calving, thereby reducing the fixed costs of animal replacement over the remaining lifespan of the animal. By attempting to lower the calving interval (CI), the curvilinear attributes of the lactation curve are utilized to ensure a high level of average milk/day, thereby minimizing the cow's daily fixed maintenance cost over more pounds of product. A countering economic force encouraging longer CI are the fixed costs associated with each lactation event (e.g., periparturient mortality and morbidity, breeding cost). As these costs increase, it is desirable to spread them over more units of product by lengthening the CI. New technologies (induced lactation, elimination of the dry period, changing the shape of lactation curve) continually challenge traditional dairy production practices and present new atypical production possibilities. Technologies that induce lactation have the potential to dramatically reduce heifer-rearing cost and (or) the fixed cost per lactation and, depending on the integrity of consequential production, change the herd's economic efficiency. Technologies that alter the shape of the lactation curve will minimize the disparity between early milk production and late production, thereby potentially changing the advantages of a short CI. The economic valuation of these atypical milk production practices will be dependent on the changes in return on investment, changes in risk (variability of return), and changes in flexibility of the production process.
Report of 2,087,915 Surgical Admissions in U.S. Children: Inpatient Mortality Rates by Procedure and Specialty

Mortality rates for eight surgical procedures have been endorsed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality as part of the Inpatient Quality Indicators developed to assist hospitals in identifying potential problem areas and as an indirect measure of quality for inpatient adult surgical care. Little to no broad information relating to the overall mortality relating to the surgical care of children is available. An analysis providing national data on the most common procedures performed in children and their associated mortality would be useful in beginning to create benchmarks for standards of surgical care in the pediatric patient. A total of 93 million admissions from the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) file from the years 1988–1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004–2005 and the Kids Inpatient Database (KID) from 1997, 2000, 2003 were screened to identify surgical admissions in children under the age of 18 years. Variables such as gender, race, age at admission, length of hospital stay, total hospital charges, insurance status, and inpatient mortality were analyzed. Diagnosis related group (DRG) codes were used to provide inpatient mortality rates for 147 different procedures and 15 surgical subspecialties. Over the 18-year period considered, a total of 2,087,915 surgical admissions in U.S. children were identified. Most of the patients were white (60.92%), male (54.64%), and were treated in urban, teaching hospitals (60.36%). Overall inpatient mortality was 0.85%, with a median hospital stay of 3 days. Procedures with the highest mortality were craniotomies for trauma (26.27%), liver and/or intestinal transplants (11.12%), heart transplants (10.94%), and other procedures for multiple significant trauma (10.69%). When analyzed by surgical subspecialty, gastrointestinal or general pediatric surgery saw the highest volume of patients, followed by orthopedic and ear, nose, and throat surgery (534,053 vs. 352,228 vs. 257,118 total procedures, respectively). Pediatric surgical literature has classically focused on disease-based outcomes. However, such data do not provide a comprehensive profile of pediatric surgical outcomes by procedure or subspecialty. The present study provides nationwide data relating to inpatient pediatric surgical outcomes in U.S. hospitals by procedure and pediatric subspecialty.
Childhood tuberculosis and its early diagnosis

Traditional methods for laboratory diagnosis of tuberculosis are unsatisfactory, especially for children, in whose specimens mycobacteria are usually sparse. Recent changes in tuberculosis epidemiology in developed countries, including a large increase in incidence in children from certain ethnic minorities, have prompted interest in newer diagnostic methods. Liquid-based culture detection systems offer improved sensitivity and speed of diagnosis, although the time taken for d etection of growth is still upwards of 1 week. Nucleic acid amplification techniques offer more rapid results, but perform best on smear-positive samples; sensitivities may be as low as 50% in smear-negative specimens. Although these newer techniques are widely used in some developed countries, in others, they are not perceived as offering sufficient benefit to justify their routine use. The diagnostic accuracy of mycobacteriophage and serologic methods is insufficient to justify their wide use even in developing countries. Despite recent developments, there is still no panacea for diagnosis of childhood tuberculosis.
Use of Hearing Protection and Perceptions of Noise Exposure and Hearing Loss Among Construction Workers

The purpose of this study was to describe construction workers' use of hearing protection devices (HPDs) and determine their perceptions of noise exposure and hearing loss. Operating engineers, carpenters, and plumbers/pipe fitters in the Midwest (n=400) completed a written questionnaire regarding their use of HPDs and their perceptions of noise exposure and hearing loss. Subjects were recruited through their trade union groups. Mean reported use of HPDs and mean perceived noise exposure were compared across trade groups. Bivariate and multivariate analysis techniques were used to assess relationships between use of HPDs and trade category, education, age, years of employment, noise exposure, and hearing loss. Bivariate analyses identified significant differences in mean use of HPDs by age, years of employment, and trade group. Multivariate logistic regression assessing the independent effects of these variables found significant differences only by trade group. Results indicate a need for significant imp...
MHC epitopes of KS and Dd restrict the same population of cytolytic T lymphocytes.

When A. SW (H-2s) mice are immunized with B10.S (H-2S) epidermal cells, cytolytic T lymphocytes are evoked that efficiently lyse B10.D2 (H-2d) as well as B10.S target cells. Immunogenetic analysis of this apparent H-2-unrestricted killing revealed that the most plausible explanation was a sharing of an H-2-restricting epitope by H-2KS and H-2Dd molecules.
A novel 3D scalable video compression algorithm

In this paper we propose a scalable video coding scheme that utilizes the embedded block coding with optimal truncation (EBCOT) compression algorithm. Three dimensional spatio-temporal decomposition of the video sequence succeeded by compression using the EBCOT generates a SNR and resolution scalable bit stream. The proposed video coding algorithm not only performs closer to the MPEG-4 video coding standard in compression efficiency but also provides better SNR and resolution scalability. Experimental results show that the performance of the proposed algorithm does better than the 3-D SPIHT (Set Partitioning in Hierarchial Trees) algorithm by 1.5dB.
General Atomics Linear Motor Applications: Moving Towards Deployment

This paper discusses a number of unique potential applications of linear synchronous and linear induction motors that have resulted from General Atomics' work on the Navy EMALS project for electromagnetically launching planes, and the Urban Maglev project, which uses a long-stator permanent magnet linear synchronous motor. The paper provides an overview of the linear motor technologies being used in these projects, including some of the technical challenges. Potential applications include the use of maglev technology to move cargo in and out of the ports, all-electric trucks which use the energy provided by the linear motor to charge onboard power, and retrofitting linear motors on existing rails to relieve pollution involved in moving cargo in urban settings.
The validity of the human figure drawings with disturbed and normal children

Abstract This study was an attempt to replicate the validity study by Koppitz (1966) of 30 emotional indicators in HFDs of children age five through 12. A comparison of HFDs by 72 disturbed children and 80 normal school children resulted in significant differences on nine emotional indicators. The results also supported Koppitz's notion that emotional indicators occur more often in HFDs of disturbed children. However the finding is misleading since the number of indicators cannot adequately differentiate between disturbed and normal groups. Her hypothesis that two or more items are valid emotional indicators is untenable.
Comparison of detection selectivity in ion mobility spectrometry: proton-attachment versus electron exchange ionization ☆

Abstract Two types of ionization have been compared for ion mobility spectrometry. The first uses a β-emitter to initiate proton exchange between an amine reactive gas and the analyte, whereas the second is based on electron exchange between photo-generated radical cations and the analyte. The latter method uses a 266-nm microchip laser in combination with naphthalene vapor to form naphthalene radical cations via two-photon ionization. Under ideal conditions, the laser-based method selectively ionizes analyte molecules on the basis of their ionization potential whereas the former does so on the basis of their proton affinity. Analysis of both pure and complex mixtures of compounds, including a variety of controlled substances such as cocaine, result in different response characteristics that are dependent on the given type of ionization employed. This gives rise to the possibility that a single instrument package can be equipped with two drift tubes to provide simultaneous analysis via the two types of ionization and thereby improve the overall detection selectivity.
SV40 DNA replication: From the A gene to a nanomachine

Duplication of the simian virus 40 (SV40) genome is the best understood eukaryotic DNA replication process to date. Like most prokaryotic genomes, the SV40 genome is a circular duplex DNA organized in a single replicon. This small viral genome, its association with host histones in nucleosomes, and its dependence on the host cell milieu for replication factors and precursors led to its adoption as a simple and powerful model. The steps in replication, the viral initiator, the host proteins, and their mechanisms of action were initially defined using a cell-free SV40 replication reaction. Although our understanding of the vastly more complex host replication fork is advancing, no eukaryotic replisome has yet been reconstituted and the SV40 paradigm remains a point of reference. This article reviews some of the milestones in the development of this paradigm and speculates on its potential utility to address unsolved questions in eukaryotic genome maintenance.
Quantification of the effects of generation volume, surface recombination velocity, and diffusion length on the electron-beam-induced current and its derivative Determination of diffusion lengths in the low micron and submicron ranges

A systematic and quantitative analysis is carried out to investigate the effects of the shape (point, cube, Gaussian) and size of the generation volume, the surface recombination velocity, and the diffusion length on the electron‐beam‐induced current (EBIC) and its derivative (DEBIC). Thick homogeneously doped samples exhibiting diffusion lengths in the low micron and submicron range are considered. The results are presented in computed EBIC curves as a function of scanning distance and of the ratio true diffusion length/effective diffusion length. Using these curves, we show (1) a simple and yet rigorous method for the determination of the true diffusion length, taking into consideration all of the factors cited above, (2) a method for the rapid determination of the surface recombination velocity, (3) the condition under which the source shape becomes insignificant, and (4) a new value for the lower limit of the diffusion length which can be determined by the EBIC technique.
Shape constancy and a perceptual bias towards symmetry

In attempting to judge whether a briefly presented rotated figure was symmetrical (circle or square) or asymmetrical (ellipse or rectangle), a bias towards perceiving symmetry was evident. This bias appears to be perceptual rather than judgmental in origin in that it was affected neither by variations in the probability of occurrence of symmetrical figures nor by familiarization with the stimuli. A characterization of the stimulus similarity space based on the shape-slant invariance hypothesis is presented, and a model which incorporates both the similarity space and the symmetry bias is proposed. The model can account for our paradoxical finding that the more asymmetrical some projected images, the more likely they will be perceived as symmetrical. This model can also account for Massaro’s (1973, 1975) results on shape constancy. However, Massaro’s theory was not supported in that extension in depth did not account for increased difficulty of shape judgments.
The rapid determination of water of hydration in magnesium perchlorate desiccant

Abstract The efficiency of “anhydrous” magnesium perchlorate as a desiccant, and its capacity in absorption of water vapour, ammonia gas, alcohol vapour, and other highly volatile organic vapours, is dependent upon the extent to which its water of hydration is removed in preparation for commercial distribution. American Chemical Society “Reagent Chemicals” specifications call for not more than 10% water as a maximum tolerance. The product is, by intent, not ordinarily manufactured for distribution in the completely dehydrated form and regularly contains approximately 5% unremoved water of hydration. This is the regular practice to insure a less friable granular structure than would result from complete dehydration. The method here described for the determination of its water content is rapid in application, sufficiently accurate for all practical demand, and requires very simple apparatus and manipulative details.
Predation by Solenopsis invicta and Blattella asahinai on Toxoptera citricida parasitized by Lysiphlebus testaceipes and Lipolexis oregmae on citrus in Florida

Abstract Predation by two generalist predators, the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, and the Asian cockroach, Blattella asahinai, on parasitoids of the brown citrus aphid, Toxoptera citricida, was investigated in the laboratory and in a citrus grove in Florida. Females of the parasitoids Lipolexis oregmae and Lysiphlebus testaceipes were equally efficient at avoiding ants (at distances
MATERNAL FACTORS AFFECTING DEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOME OF INFANTS OF ADOLESCENT MOTHERS

Research indicates that infants of adolescent mothers (IAM) are at risk for developmental disability. However little is known regarding the factors that place their infants at risk. This study assessed developmental outcome in infants of teenage and adult mothers to examine which maternal factors affected the individual differences observed. Forty-four (21 mothers ≤17 years of age) primiparous, caucasian low to middle class mothers and their full term healthy infants participated in the study. When the infants were 4 mos. old, the Caldwell Home Scale was scored by an unbiased observer during a two-hour home visit. When the infants were 4 & 8 mo. old, information on child care support and life stress was obtained. At 8 mo. neuro-developmental assessments were performed. Neurologic status and motor development were similar between the two groups. However, IAM had lower Mental Development Indices (MDI) (T=3.35, p<.01). Lower MDI in both groups were related to lower HOME total score (r=.41, p<.01), less optimal child care support at 4 (r=.40, p<.01) and 8 mo. (r=.38, p<.05) and a greater number of stressful life events experienced by the mother since the infants' birth (r=.36 p<.05). Thus in a medically low risk population we have documented the significant roles of home and personal factors in mediating the cognitive outcome of IAM.
THERMAL EXPANSION OF THE CLATHRATE HYDRATES OF ETHYLENE OXIDE AND TETRAHYDROFURAN

The unit cell parameters of clathrate hydrates of ethylene oxide and tetrahydrofuran have been measured from 20 to 250 K by X-ray powder diffraction. The coefficients of linear expansion for the two clathrate hydrates are of comparable magnitude and larger than that for hexagonal ice. The larger thermal expansivity in the hydrates indicates a greater anharmonicity in the crystal potential. A positive deviation of the Gruneisen parameter at low temperature was observed. The characteristic Debye temperature and the moments of the lattice vibrational density of states of the hydrate have been evaluated from quasi-harmonic theory.
The impact of diabetes mellitus on the toxicity of therapy for advanced ovarian cancer

A retrospective review was undertaken to obtain more precise information about neurotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, and the effects of dexamethasone on the frequency and severity of hyperglycemia in diabetic patients with epithelial ovarian cancer treated with paclitaxel and/or cisplatin. Thirty-three patients were identified from 1254 patients over a 10-year period. In the cisplatin-treated patients, 21 of 24 (67%) had progression of neurological symptoms, three experienced grade 3 sensory neuropathy, and two had ototoxicity. Four patients had evidence of mild nephrotoxicity and two required a 50% dose reduction. In the group of patients treated with paclitaxel, 9 of the 18 (50%) had progression of symptoms, 2 to grade 3, and 2 had ototoxicity. No discontinuation of therapy due to neuropathy was required and no patient had evidence of drug-induced autonomic nervous system dysfunction. Hyperglycemia was frequently exacerbated, and 5 patients required treatment change, but no patient was hospitalized in relation to this. Our results indicate that the paclitaxel/cisplatin combination regimen or paclitaxel alone could be safely administered in diabetic patients at standard doses, with concurrent glucose and creatinine monitoring, as well as history of neurological symptoms and physical examination.
Respiration of the teleost fish Ammodytes hexapterus in relation to its burrowing behavior

Abstract 1. 1. Oxygen consumption rates of the Pacific Sandlance ( Ammodytes hexapterus ) determined under conditions of declining oxygen tension were oxygen independent to a significantly lower tension in winter ( P c = 16 Torr) than in summer ( P c = 30 Torr). 2. 2. Under normoxic conditions at both 5 and 12°C, winter acclimatized fish showed a 17% reduction in the rate of oxygen consumption when compared to summer acclimatized fish, indicating an inverse compensatory shift in seasonal metabolic rate.
Exploring the determinants of spatial pattern in residential land markets: amenities and disamenities in Charlotte, NC, USA

In this paper I present an empirical analysis of spatial patterns in land markets in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, between 2000 and 2003. It is well known that land markets reflect a variety of spatial factors that collectively influence market value, yet it is empirically difficult to sort out the relative contribution of overall and localized, the spatial and aspatial determinants of sales prices. Some of the classical assumptions about urban form that feed into hedonic analyses of land markets are explored. Then, three analyses are presented: simple visualization of single-family residential sales prices with regard to factors likely to influence land value, univariate and bivariate measures of spatial autocorrelation, and, finally, spatial econometric hedonic modeling.
Annotation suggestion and search for personal multimedia objects on the web

The number of personal multimedia objects, such as digital photographs and videos, are exploding on the web through popular sites such as Flickr, YouTube, and FaceBook hosting billions of user-created items. Semantic annotation can be an extremely effective way to search, browse, and organize media objects, but can require extensive human involvement. In this work, we show how semantic metadata about social networks and family relationships can be used to improve semantic annotation suggestion. This includes up to 82% recall for people annotations as well as recall improvements of 20-26% in tag annotation recall when no annotation history is available. In addition, utilizing relationships among people while searching can provide at least 28% higher recall and 55% higher precision than keyword search while still being up to 12 times faster. Methods are evaluated on real personal photo collections containing up to 120k photos from Flickr as well as 41k annotated photos from our prototype system.
Innovation of Ultrafine Structured Alloy Coatings Having Superior Mechanical Properties and High Temperature Corrosion Resistance

High temperature protection requires full coating density, high adhesion, minor oxide inclusions, and preferably fine grains, which is not achievable in most thermal spray processes. High velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) thermal spray process has been applied extensively for making such coatings with the highest density and adhesion strength, but the existence of not melted or partially melted particles are usually observed in the HVOF coatings because of relatively low flame temperature and short particle resident time in the process. This work has investigated the development of an innovative HVOF process using a liquid state suspension/slurry containing small alloy powders. The advantages of using small particles in a HVOF process include uniform coating, less defective microstructure, higher cohesion and adhesion, full density, lower internal stress, and higher deposition efficiency. Process investigations have proven the benefits of making alloy coatings with full density and high bond strength attributing to increased melting of the small particles and the very high kinetic energy of particles striking on the substrate. High temperature oxidation and hot corrosion tests at 800 °C have demonstrated that the alloy coatings made by novel LS-HVOF process have superior properties to conventional counterpart coatings in terms of oxidation rates and corrosion penetration depths.
New Fast Shower Max Detector Based on MCP as an Active Element

One possibility to make a fast and radiation resistant shower maximum (SM) detector is to use a secondary emitter as an active element. We present below test beam results, obtained with different types of photo detectors based on micro channel plates (MCP) as secondary emitter. The SM time resolution – we obtained for this new type of detector is at the level of 20-30 ps. We estimate that a significant contribution to the detector response originates from secondary emission of the MCP.
Recent progress on the structure and function of the TrkH/KtrB ion channel

Members of the Superfamily of K(+) Transporters (SKT) are integral membrane proteins that mediate the uptake of ions into non-animal cells. Although these proteins are homologous to the well-characterized K(+) channel family, relatively little was known about their transport and gating mechanisms until the recent determination of crystal structures for two SKT proteins, TrkH and KtrB. These structures reveal that the SKT proteins are channels, containing a flexible loop in the middle of the permeation pathway that may act as a gate. Two different conformational changes have been observed for the associated gating rings, suggesting different mechanisms of regulation by the binding of nucleotides.
A Rapid Method of Determining Dispersibility of Nonfat Dry Milk Solids

Summary A mechanical method of determining dispersibility of nonfat dry milk using a Hobart Model 3C Kitchen Aid Mixer is described. A 5-sec. stirring time is used which gives better differentiation of grades than can be obtained by previously described procedures using longer stirring times. The mixture is screened and the amount of solids dispersed is determined by a hydrometric procedure developed for this purpose. The hydrometric procedure used was demonstrated to be as accurate as gravimetric determination of solids by oven drying. The approximate percentages of various types of nonfat dry milks dispersed using this procedure are: instant, 80%; ordinary spray-dried, 37%; and roller-dried, 0%. The differences in dispersibility observed between various brands of instant milks are large enough to be significant for grading purposes. The procedure, besides readily separating nonfat dry milk into dispersibility classes, has the feature of being very fast, the whole procedure requiring only 10min.
10 Bits of Surprise: Detecting Malicious Users with Minimum Information

Malicious users are a threat to many sites and defending against them demands innovative countermeasures. When malicious users join sites, they provide limited information about themselves. With this limited information, sites can find it difficult to distinguish between a malicious user and a normal user. In this study, we develop a methodology that identifies malicious users with limited information. As information provided by malicious users can vary, the proposed methodology utilizes minimum information to identify malicious users. It is shown that as little as 10 bits of information can help greatly in this challenging task. The experiments results verify that this methodology is effective in identifying malicious users in the realistic scenario of limited information availability.
Toward Development of a Generalized Instrument to Measure Andragogy.

Andragogy has emerged as one of the dominant frameworks for teaching adults during the past 40 years. A major and glaring gap in andragogy research is the lack of a measurement instrument that adequately measures both andragogical principles and process design elements. As a result, no definitive empirical test of the theory has been possible. The purpose of this article is to report on initial attempts to develop a survey instrument that corrects this shortcoming in the andragogy research literature. The instrument developed for this study was part of a comprehensive examination of andragogical principles and process design elements and their effect on student satisfaction and learning outcomes in a postsecondary education setting. It was administered to 404 adults enrolled in an adult-oriented postgraduate degree program. Exploratory factor analysis revealed promising scales to measure five of the six andragogical principles and six of the eight process design elements. This instrument is the most successful attempt to date to measure andragogical principles and elements. It holds promise for advancing research on andragogy, and subsequently advancing the field of [human resource development] HRD by explaining affective and cognitive responses to andragogical instructional strategies across a spectrum of learning environments. Additional implications for future research to strengthen the instrument are also discussed.
Nitric Oxide Protects Cardiac Sarcolemmal Membrane Enzyme Function and Ion Active Transport against Ischemia-induced Inactivation

Nitric oxide (NO.) generated from nitric oxide synthase (NOS) isoforms bound to cellular membranes may serve to modulate oxidative stresses in cardiac muscle and thereby regulate the function of key membrane-associated enzymes. Ischemia is known to inhibit the function of sarcolemmal enzymes, including the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase, but it is unknown whether concomitant injury to sarcolemma (SL)-associated NOS isoforms may contribute to this process by reducing the availability of locally generated NO.. Here we report that nNOS, as well as eNOS (SL NOSs), are tightly associated with cardiac SL membranes in several different species. In isolated perfused rat hearts, global ischemia caused a time-dependent irreversible injury to cardiac SL NOSs and a disruption of SL NO. generation. Pretreatment with low concentrations of the NO. donor 1-hydroxy-2-oxo-3-(N-3-methyl-aminopropyl)-3-methyl-1-triazene (NOC-7) markedly protected both SL NOS and (Na+ + K+)-ATPase functions against ischemia-induced inactivation. Moreover, ischemia impaired SL Na+/K+ binding, and NOC-7 significantly prevented ischemic injury to the ion binding sites on (Na+ + K+)-ATPase. These novel findings indicate that NO. can protect cardiac SL NOSs and (Na+ + K+)-ATPase against ischemia-induced inactivation and suggest that locally generated NO. may serve to regulate SL Na+/K+ ion active transport in the heart.
Inconsistency-Induced Learning for Perpetual Learners

One of the long-term research goals in machine learning is how to build never-ending learners. The state-of-the-practice in the field of machine learning thus far is still dominated by the one-time learner paradigm: some learning algorithm is utilized on data sets to produce certain model or target function, and then the learner is put away and the model or function is put to work. Such a learn-once-apply-next or LOAN approach may not be adequate in dealing with many real world problems and is in sharp contrast with the human's lifelong learning process. On the other hand, learning can often be brought on through overcoming some inconsistent circumstances. This paper proposes a framework for perpetual learning agents that are capable of continuously refining or augmenting their knowledge through overcoming inconsistencies encountered during their problem-solving episodes. The never-ending nature of a perpetual learning agent is embodied in the framework as the agent's continuous inconsistency-induced belief revision process. The framework hinges on the agents recognizing inconsistency in data, information, knowledge, or meta-knowledge, identifying the cause of inconsistency, revising or augmenting beliefs to explain, resolve, or accommodate inconsistency. The authors believe that inconsistency can serve as one of the important learning stimuli toward building perpetual learning agents that incrementally improve their performance over time.
In vitro activity of sisomicin, an aminoglycoside antibiotic, against clinical isolates.

Clinical effects of a newly developed aminoglycoside antibiotic lividomycin, were investigated in 13 patients suffering from respiratory infections. 1. A total of 13 patients with the following infectious diseases was treated with 1 g/day of lividomycin for 3 to 11 days (average 6.7 days): Acute pneumonia 3 cases, bronchiectasis 3 cases, acute bronchitis 5 cases, suppurative diseases of the lung 1 case, and pyothorax 1 case. As the results, the antibiotic was effective in 5 patients, moderately effective in 4 patients and ineffective in 4 patients, and thus the global effective rate was 62.9% (9/13). 2. As in the case of kanamycin, lividomycin indicated fairly good sensitivity against a total of 17 strains comprising Staphylococcus aureus (7 strains), alpha-Streptococcus (2 strains), beta-Streptococcus (3 strains), gamma-Streptococcus (1 strain), Neisseria (2 strains) and Haemophilus (2 strains) which were isolated from sputum. 3. No side effects attributable to lividomycin were observed.
Revision of an unstable hemiarthroplasty or anatomical total shoulder replacement using a reverse design prosthesis

Instability after arthroplasty of the shoulder is difficult to correct surgically. Soft-tissue procedures and revision surgery using unconstrained anatomical components are associated with a high rate of failure. The purpose of this study was to determine the results of revision of an unstable anatomical shoulder arthroplasty to a reverse design prosthesis. Between 2004 and 2007, 33 unstable anatomical shoulder arthroplasties were revised to a reverse design. The mean age of the patients was 71 years (53 to 86) and their mean follow-up was 42 months (25 to 71). The mean time to revision was 26 months (4 to 164). Pain scores improved significantly (pre-operative visual analogue scale (VAS) of 7.2 (sd 1.6); most recent VAS 2.2 (sd 1.9); p = 0.001). There was a statistically significant increase in mean active forward elevation from 40.2° (sd 27.3) to 97.0° (sd 36.2) (p = 0.001). There was no significant difference in internal (p = 0.93) or external rotation (p = 0.40). Radiological findings included notching in five shoulders (15%) and heterotopic ossification of the inferior capsular region in three (9%). At the last follow-up 31 shoulders (94%) were stable. The remaining two shoulders dislocated at 2.5 weeks and three months post-operatively, respectively. According to the Neer rating system, there were 13 excellent (40%), ten satisfactory (30%) and ten unsatisfactory results (30%). Revision of hemiarthroplasty or anatomical total shoulder replacement for instability using a reverse design prosthesis gives good short-term results. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:668–72.
Lipase in Pancreas and Intestinal Contents of Chickens Fed Heated and Raw Soybean Diets

Abstract PREVIOUS work has shown that ingestion of raw soybean (RS) diets caused greater decreases in proteases (Lepkovsky et al., 1965) and amylase (Lepkovsky et al., 1966) in the chicken pancreas than did ingestion of heated soybean (HS) diets. Those decreases were accompanied by larger amounts of amylase in the intestinal contents. The amounts of proteases in the intestinal contents in the chickens fed RS diet were masked by the complexing of trypsin with the trypsin inhibitors in the RS. In the study reported here, lipase activity was measured in: 1) pancreas and intestinal and cecal contents of intact chickens; and 2) intestinal contents, and intestinal effluent collected through ileostomies, of chickens fed HS and RS diets. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE Experiment 1. Intact chickens. Five-week-old Single Comb White Leghorn female chickens weighing 400 to 500 gm. were fed HS or RS diets*, with and without methionine supplement, for 6 weeks. At autopsy,…
The internal structure of shock waves

Abstract : The non-linear Boltzmann equation was solved for shock waves in a gas of elastic spheres. The solutions were made possible by the use of Nordsieck's Monte Carlo method of evaluation of the collision integral in the equation. Accurate solutions were obtained by the same method for the whole range of upstream Mach numbers M from 1.1 to 10 even though the corresponding degree of departure from equilibrium varies by a factor greater than 1000. Many characteristics of the internal structure of the shock waves were calculated from the solutions and compared with Navier-Stokes, Mott-Smith and Krook descriptions which, except for low Mach numbers, are not based upon the Boltzmann equation itself. (Author)
Epidemiology and possible causes of autism.

Objectives. To review the recent literature on possible causes of the increase in frequency of diagnosed autism reported from three countries, and to compare the medical diagnoses and drug therapy from a new series of autistic boys and their mothers with that of comparable nonautistic boys and their mothers. Design. Case-control evaluation. Participants. Members of over 250 general practices in the United Kingdom. Measurements and Main Results. Frequency of exposure to drugs and presence of preexisting clinical illnesses in autistic children and their mothers were compared with nonautistic children and their mothers over time. According to published studies, the incidence of boys diagnosed with autism rose dramatically in the 1990s. Numerous published studies have concluded that the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine is not responsible for the large rise in diagnosed autism. In our study, boys diagnosed with autism had medical and drug histories, such as vaccines, before diagnosis, that were closely similar to those of nonautistic boys, except that developmental and sensory disorders were far more common in autistic boys. No material differences during pregnancy were found between the mothers of autistic boys and those of nonautistic boys in relation to illness or drug therapy. In the early 1990s, boys with diagnosed developmental disorders were infrequently diagnosed with autism. In the later 1990s, such boys more often were diagnosed with autism. Conclusion. A major cause of the recent large increase in the number of boys diagnosed with autism probably is due to changing diagnostic practices.
Development of a Versatile Voltage Stability Index Algorithm

Power system experts have shown interest in the development of methods for predicting system status in the form of voltage stability indices. These indices performed well because they were primarily used for system planning as utilities then were either highly localized and regulated by the state or owned and operated by big electricity consumers. However, the situation changed drastically with the advent of unbundling, privatization/competition and power pooling in the last two decades. Consequently, incidents of power outages have become a common occurrence worldwide because of increasing load demand without proportionate increase in electrical power supply due to difficulties posed to the building of new generation centers and transmission lines by residents and environment. This paper, therefore, develops a versatile index algorithm that incorporates robust features so as to guarantee the optimal utilization of the various voltage collapse indices to adequately predict, monitor and detect the status of power system both online and off-line. It reviews existing voltage stability indices, and for the first time outlines index selection criteria to guide system operators and planners in their optimal usage to reduce outages and operational cost. The work, also, presents a new index computation scheme utilizing the complex pi-model of the medium and long transmission line. This new index will be used to effectively determine the status of power systems to prevent system overloading during power pooling and long distance wheeling of power, which has become a common phenomena among independent system operators (ISOs) and regional transmission organizations (RTOs) during peak and emergency periods. The simulation results show a favorable performance of this new index on both IEEE 14 and 30 bus systems with respect to existing indices.
Lethal human neutropenic entercolitis caused by Clostridium chauvoei in the United States: Tip of the iceberg?

The patient is a 44-year-old woman with metastatic grade 3 intra-ductal carcinoma of the breast who was started on palliative chemotherapy (docetaxel) 10 days prior to admission and presented to the emergency center complaining of diffuse abdominal pain and generalized weakness. CT abdomen showed diffuse bowel wall thickening from the cecum to the transverse colon with free fluid in the pelvis. The patient was neutropenic on admission (absolute neutrophil count of 600 cells/μl). She received antibiotics for 21 days for neutropenic enterocolitis. Blood culture isolate from admission was sent for 16s rRNA gene sequencing, which identified Clostridium chauvoei. While C. chauvoei has a long history of veterinary importance, this is the first documented case of infection caused by C. chauvoei in a human in the United States. C. chauvoei has a close phylogenetic relationship with C. septicum making the two species difficult to differentiate using conventional microbiologic methods. With increased use of more reliable detection methods the actual prevalence of C. chauvoei causing human disease may be higher than currently recognized.
Insulin dependence as an independent predictor of perioperative morbidity after ventral hernia repair: a National Surgical Quality Improvement Program analysis of 45,759 patients.

Abstract Background Although diabetes mellitus has been identified as a predictor of perioperative morbidity after ventral hernia repair (VHR), it is unclear whether insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and non–insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) confer the same degree of risk. We examined the variable effect of IDDM and NIDDM on 30-day medical and surgical complications after VHR. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of patients in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database from 2005 to 2012 undergoing VHR. After perioperative variable comparison, regression analysis was performed to determine whether IDDM and/or NIDDM independently predicted increased complications after proper risk adjustment. Results A total of 45,759 patients were identified to have undergone VHR. Of these, 38,026 patients (83.1%) were not diabetic, 5,252 (11.5%) were NIDDM patients, and 2,481 (5.4%) were IDDM patients. After controlling for other risk factors, we found that IDDM independently predicted increased rates of overall, surgical, and medical complications (odds ratio, 1.284, 1.251, 1.263, respectively) in open repair. IDDM independently predicted increased overall and medical complications (odds ratio, 1.997, 1.889, respectively) but not surgical complications in laparoscopic repair. NIDDM was not significantly associated with any complication type in either procedure type. Conclusions Our present study suggests that much of the perioperative risk associated with diabetes is attributable to IDDM. The effect of IDDM on laparoscopic and open repair is subtly different. IDDM demonstrates increased overall and medical complications in laparoscopic repair and increased overall, medical, and surgical complications in open repair. Of note, IDDM does not independently predict increased risk for surgical complications in laparoscopic repair.
Comparative kinetic analysis of glycerol 3-phosphate cytidylyltransferase from Enterococcus faecalis and Listeria monocytogenes.

Background Glycerol 3-phosphate cytidylyltransferase (GCT) is an enzyme central to the synthesis of teichoic acids, components of the cell wall in gram positive bacteria. Catalysis by GCT from Enterococcus faecalis and Listeria monocytogenes has been investigated and catalytic properties compared. Material/methods The genes encoding GCT were cloned from genomic DNA and recombinant proteins expressed in E. coli and purified. Enzyme assays were used to determine kinetic constants kcat and Km. Chemical crosslinking provided a means to assess quaternary structure of each GCT. Results Recombinant Enterococcus faecalis GCT had an apparent kcat value of 1.51 s⁻¹ and apparent Km values of 2.42 mM and 4.03 mM with respect to substrates cytidine 5'-triphosphate (CTP) and glycerol phosphate. Listeria monocytogenes GCT had an apparent kcat value of 4.15 s⁻¹ and apparent Km values of 1.52 mM and 6.56 mM with respect to CTP and glycerol phosphate. This resulted in kcat/Km values of 0.62 s⁻¹mM⁻¹ and 0.37 s⁻¹mM⁻¹ for E. faecalis GCT and 2.73 s⁻¹mM⁻¹ and 0.63 s⁻¹mM⁻¹ for L. monocytogenes GCT with respect to CTP and glycerol phosphate, respectively. Conclusions The genome of both Enterococcus faecalis and Listeria monocytogenes contain a gene that encodes a functional GCT. The genes are 67% identical at the nucleotide level and the encoded proteins exhibit a 63% amino acid identity. The purified, recombinant enzymes each appear to be dimeric and display similar kinetic characteristics. Studying the catalytic characteristics of GCT isoforms from pathogenic bacteria provides information important for the future development of potential antibacterial agents.
X-Ray and γ-RAY Lasers

The x-ray laser talks heard so far have concentrated on the problem of producing lasing action in the region 1000 A° > λ > 10 A°. Since this region is the one for which experimental demonstrations of lasing are most likely in the near future it is, of course, proper that most work on x-ray lasers concentrate on this regime. In this talk, however, I will look a little further off in the future and discuss the prospects for producing coherent radiation at wavelengths λ < 10A°. Since coherent radiation is most easily produced by producing a population inversion between discrete levels of a radiator, it is most natural to think of generating short wavelength coherent radiation by means of an x-ray laser (XRL) using innershell atomic transitions or a γ-ray laser (γRL) using transitions between discrete levels of nuclei.
Variational Bayesian image processing on stochastic factor graphs

In this paper, we present a patch-based variational Bayesian framework of image processing using the language of factor graphs (FGs). The variable and factor nodes of FGs represent image patches and their clustering relationship respectively. Unlike previous probabilistic graphical models, we model the structure of FGs by a latent variable, which gives the name "stochastic factor graphs"(SFGs). A sparsity-based prior is enforced to the local distribution functions at factor nodes, which leads to a class of variational expectation-maximization (VEM) algorithms on SFGs. VEM algorithms allow us to infer graph structure along with the target of inference from the observation data. This new framework can systematically exploit nonlocal dependency in natural images as justified by the experimental results in image denoising and inpainting applications.
CrowdCamp 2013: rapidly iterating crowd ideas

The rapidly growing field of collective intelligence - encompassing crowdsourcing, human computation, and social computing - is having a tremendous impact on the way we work, live, and play. Building on the success of a CHI 2012 CrowdCamp, this two-day event focuses on developing ideas into concrete outputs: in-depth thoughts on hard problems, paper or coded prototypes, experiment design and data mining. We will bring together researchers and industry experts to discuss future visions and make tangible headway on those visions, as well as seeding collaboration. The outputs from discussion, brainstorming, and building will persist after the workshop for attendees and the community to view.
Optimal Signal Constellation Design for Ultra-High-Speed Optical Transport in the Presence of Phase Noise

An optimal signal constellation design algorithm suitable for the phase noise channels is proposed, in which the cumulative log-likelihood-function is used as the optimization criterion. The signal constellations obtained by this algorithm significantly outperform conventional QAM.
On the Dubious Wisdom of Expecting Job Satisfaction to Correlate with Performance

The lack of consistent findings on the satisfaction performance relationship is explained as an aggregation problem. I suggest that specific attitude measures should be related to specific job behaviors, while general satisfaction measures should be related to the favorableness or unfavorableness of an individual's total set of work-related behaviors.
Discrimination Distress During Adolescence

Amidst changing patterns of accommodation and conflict among American ethnic groups, there remains a paucity of research on the nature and impact of racial and ethnic discrimination on development in multiethnic samples of youth. The Adolescent Discrimination Distress Index along with measures of caregiver racial bias preparation and self-esteem was administered to 177 adolescents drawn from 9th–12th graders self-identified as African American, Hispanic, East Asian, South Asian, and non-Hispanic white. Youth from all ethnic backgrounds reported distress associated with instances of perceived racial prejudice encountered in educational contexts. Instances of institutional discrimination in stores and by police were higher for older youth and particularly for African American and Hispanic teenagers. Encounters with peer discrimination were reported most frequently by Asian youth. Reports of racial bias preparation were associated with distress in response to institutional and educational discrimination and self-esteem scores were negatively correlated with distress caused by educational and peer discrimination. The importance of research on discrimination distress to understanding adolescent development in multiethnic ecologies is discussed here.