cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High-resolution stratigraphy in late pleistocene/holocene sediments of the Vema Channel

Abstract Twenty-five giant gravity cores (GGC) were obtained from the southwest flank of the Rio Grande Rise in the summer of 1980 and were analyzed for time-slice interpretations of the late Pleistocene paleoceanography of the southwestern Atlantic. The cores span a depth interval of 1430–4148 m, encompassing each of the principal deep-water masses. The suite of cores contains a continuous depositional record of the past 150,000–200,000 years. From calcium carbonate, oxygen isotope, carbon-14, and biostratigraphic analyses, it is possible to determine the precision in core-to-core correlation which is obtainable within this region of relatively low accumulation rates (0.5-2.0 cm 10−3 yrs). Calcium carbonate analyses were performed on each of the 25 cores at 1 cm sampling intervals, using a technique that yields an analytical precision of ±0.25%. The carbonate curves show glacial/interglacial amplitudes of typically 10–30% CaCO3. Higher-frequency amplitudes of 2–5% are also present. Both the glacial/interglacial and the higher-frequency carbonate signals can be correlated from core to core over the entire depth interval of the transect and are essentially synchronous based on independent stratigraphic control provided in selected cores by δ18O, 14C, and biostratigraphic analyses. Despite the low sedimentation rates within this particular region, we obtain a precision in core-to-core correlation of ±1000–2000 yrs over the late Pleistocene/Holocene ( These high-resolution studies from the Vema Channel have important implications for interpreting the effects of bioturbation on a given stratigraphic sequence. Modeling the effects of bioturbation on the abundance and isotopic records of the benthonic foraminifera Planulina wuellerstorfi suggests that, for the region of the Vema Channel/Rio Grande Rise, invalid stratigraphic and paleoceanographic interpretations may result if abundance variations in this species are ignored. The results of these analyses show that it is possible to generate detailed stratigraphies in regions that have not previously been selected for high-resolution studies solely because of relatively low accumulation rates of sediments. Our results indicate that carbonate analyses in some regions may provide a distinct advantage over δ18O analyses because of the ease of analysis and high precision for identifying low-amplitude, high-frequency fluctuations which can be correlated from core to core. At the same time, independent stratigraphic control (via δ18O or 14C) is essential to verify whether this technique of carbonate curve-matching is valid.
Suggesting related topics in web search

Suggesting topics that are related to user's goal or interest is very important in web search. However, search engines today focus on suggesting mainly reformulations and lexical variants of the query mined from query logs. In this demonstration, we show a system that can suggest related topics for a query based on the top search results for the query. It can help users in exploring the topics related to their information need. The topic suggestion system can be integrated with any search engine or it can be easily installed on the client machine as a browser plugin.
A new method for differential staining of bacteria

stain from some pathogenic bacteria in it. Further tests by Gram and others showed that the procedure could be used to divide the family of bacteria into two great groups: those that retained the stain and those that were decolorized when treated with alcohol. The method proposed by him has been closely followed in theory ever since and has gained universal application in bacteriology on account of the diagnostic value of the data obtained from it. The changes in method that have been suggested from time to time have been confined, for the most part, to various ways of preparing the violet solution in order to obtain one of better keeping quality. Recently Burke 2 has described a method for the Gram stain in which-he has recommended the use of acetone or acetone and ether for the decolorizer.
Coupling between Large-Scale Atmospheric Processes and Mesoscale Land–Atmosphere Interactions in the U.S. Southern Great Plains during Summer. Part II: Mean Impacts of the Mesoscale

Abstract This is Part II of a two-part study of mesoscale land–atmosphere interactions in the summertime U.S. Southern Great Plains. Part I focused on case studies drawn from monthlong (July 1995–97), high-resolution Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) simulations carried out to investigate these interactions. These case studies were chosen to highlight key features of the lower-tropospheric mesoscale circulations that frequently arise in this region and season due to mesoscale heterogeneity in the surface fluxes. In this paper, Part II, the RAMS-simulated mesoscale dynamical processes described in the Part I case studies are examined from a domain-averaged perspective to assess their importance in the overall regional hydrometeorology. The spatial statistics of key simulated mesoscale variables—for example, vertical velocity and the vertical flux of water vapor—are quantified here. Composite averages of the mesoscale and large-scale-mean variables over different meteorological or dynamical regime...
The neurotransmitter N-acetylaspartylglutamate in models of pain, ALS, diabetic neuropathy, CNS injury and schizophrenia

N-Acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG) is the most abundant and widely distributed peptide transmitter in the mammalian nervous system. NAAG activates the metabotropic glutamate mGlu3 receptor at presynaptic sites, inhibiting the release of neurotransmitters, including glutamate, and activates mGlu3 receptors on glial cells, stimulating the release of neuroprotective growth factors from these cells. Elevated levels of glutamate released from neurons are associated with the pathology of stroke, traumatic nervous system injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, inflammatory and neuropathic pain, diabetic neuropathy and the schizophrenia-like symptoms elicited by phencyclidine. NAAG is inactivated by specific peptidases following its synaptic release. Novel compounds that inhibit these enzymes prolong the activity of synaptically released NAAG and have significant therapeutic efficacy in animal models of these diverse clinical conditions. In this review, we summarize recent studies in these animal models and discuss the mechanisms by which NAAG peptidase inhibitors achieve these effects.
Mechanical fatigue of polysilicon: Effects of mean stress and stress amplitude

Abstract Polycrystalline silicon (polysilicon) fatigue specimens with micrometer-sized dimensions were fabricated and subjected to cyclic loading using an integrated electrostatic actuator. The fatigue effects were determined by comparing the single edge-notched beam monotonic bend strength measured after cyclic loading to the monotonic strength of “virgin” specimens that had received no cycling. Both strengthening and weakening were observed, depending on the levels of mean stress and fatigue stress amplitude during the cyclic loading. Monotonic loading with similar sub-critical stress levels had no effect. The physical mechanisms responsible for this behavior are discussed, and a model based on grain boundary plasticity is presented for the strengthening behavior.
Hydrogen storage system based on hydride materials incorporating a helical-coil heat exchanger

Abstract Metal hydrides offer the potential to store hydrogen at modest pressures and temperatures with high volumetric efficiencies. The process of charging hydrogen into a metal powder to form the hydride is exothermic. The heat released by the reaction must be removed quickly in order to maintain a rapid charging rate. An effective method for heat removal is to embed a heat exchanger within the metal hydride bed. Here, we investigate the effectiveness of a helical coil heat exchanger tube to remove the heat generated during the absorption process. This paper presents a three-dimensional mathematical model formulated in Ansys Fluent 12.1 to evaluate the transient heat and mass transfer in a cylindrical metal hydride tank embedded with a helical-coil cooling tube. We present results from a parametric study of hydrogen storage efficiency as a function of helical coil pitch and convective heat transfer coefficient (h) within the cooling tube. We also explore the effect of adding aluminum foam to enhance the thermal conductivity of the metal hydride. The parametric study reveals that the mass of stored hydrogen is less sensitive to the coil pitch when aluminum foam is added. It is also found that the absorption rate increases with h as expected, although the rate of improvement diminishes at high values of h. Results were examined at filling times of 3 and 6 min to draw conclusions about the overall effectiveness of this hydrogen storage system. At 3 min, it is found that the addition of 5% Al foam is optimal, and h = 1000 W/m2-K is sufficient to bring the metal hydride to saturation; under these conditions a non-dimensional pitch of 0.5 maximizes the hydrogen absorption. Adding Al foam beyond 5% does not improve volumetric efficiency as the Al foam begins to displace the active hydrogen-absorbing material.
Robot assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy: initial experience.

Purpose: Advances in laparoscopy have made laparoscopic partial nephrectomy a technically feasible procedure but it remains challenging to even experienced laparoscopists. We hypothesized that robotic assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy may make this procedure more efficacious than the standard laparoscopic approach.Materials and Methods: Ten patients with a mean age of 58 years and mean tumor size of 2.0 cm underwent robotic assisted laparoscopic partial nephrectomy and another 10 with a mean age of 61 years and mean tumor size of 2.18 cm underwent laparoscopic partial nephrectomy, as performed by a team of 2 surgeons (MS and ST) between May 2002 and January 2004. Demographic data, intraoperative parameters and postoperative data were compared between the 2 groups.Results: There were no significant differences in patient demographics between the 2 groups. Intraoperative data and postoperative outcomes were statistically similar. In the 10 patients who underwent robotic assisted laparoscopic partial...
Elemental analysis of airborne particulate matter and cooling water in west Texas residences

Abstract Ten residences in El Paso, TX were monitored in the summer of 2001 for concurrent indoor and outdoor PM2.5 and PM10 10-min mass concentrations in an attempt to establish the indoor–outdoor PM correlation for typical west Texas residences equipped with evaporative coolers. Simultaneously, the modified tapered element oscillating microbalance instruments were used to collect 48-h PM2.5 and PM10 samples, both indoor and outdoor, for elemental analysis. Water samples were also taken at each home for chemical and PM correlation analysis. The air and water samples were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry, with 30 elements identifiable above detection limits in the outdoor PM10 samples and fewer elements in the PM2.5 and indoor PM10. Indoor elemental concentrations in PM10 were found to be approximately 50–70% lower than outdoor concentrations in nine of ten homes, consistent with the PM10 indoor/outdoor (I/O) mass concentrations previously reported. PM2.5 I/O ratio correlations were not as strong as for PM10; however, reduced correlations could be attributed to a pattern of recurring outlier data pairs, consisting of the same three or four elements in all ten homes. Comparison of the elemental concentrations of the evaporative cooler supply water and indoor PM demonstrated little or no correlation, yielding a conclusion that the evaporative cooler was not introducing dissolved solids from the supply water into indoor air. Overall, evaporative cooling appears to provide a cleansing of indoor air.
Catalytic chemistry of chloro- and chlorofluorocarbon dehalogenation: from macroscopic observations to molecular level understanding

Abstract The macroscopic performance of monometallic Group VIII metal catalysts and bimetallic Group VIII metal-containing catalysts for dehalogenation reactions and the mechanistic aspects of the reactions are reviewed. Of primary importance is the dechlorination of multiply chlorinated C 2 –C 3 hydrocarbons containing Cl atoms attached to adjacent carbons. The chemistry of geminal chloro- and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) dehalogenation catalyzed by supported noble metal-containing catalysts in the presence of H 2 is also reviewed. The hydrodehalogenative oligomerization of C 1 chloro and chlorofluorocarbons is considered with the greatest detailed; however, the hydrodechlorination chemistry is also addressed.
Identification and purification of a human lymphoid-specific octamer-binding protein (OTF-2) that activates transcription of an immunoglobulin promoter in vitro.

Abstract The octamer sequence 5′-ATGCAAAT, in either orientation, serves as an upstream element in a variety of promoters and also occurs as a modular enhancer element. It is of particular interest in immunoglobulin genes since it is found in the upstream regions of all heavy and light chain promoters and in the heavy chain enhancer, both of which are known to be necessary for cell-specific expression. We report here the chromatographic separation of ubiquitous and B cell-specific octamer-binding proteins. The B cell factor was purified to homogenelty using affinity chromatography and consists of three peptides of 62, 61, and 58.5 +/− 1.5 kd. Each of the polypeptides was renatured after SDS-PAGE and shown to bind to the octamer sequence. The specific DNA binding activity of the pure B cell-specific factor was indistinguishable from that of the affinity-purified ubiquitous factor. This B cell-specific octamer-binding factor, in pure form, activated transcription from a κ light chain promoter in vitro, thus demonstrating that it is indeed a B cell-specific transcription factor for this gene. In addition to the ubiquitous and B cell-specific octamer-binding factors, we identified several additional proteins, one of which is B cell-specific, that interact with the κ promoter.
A Provenance Based Mechanism to Identify Malicious Packet Dropping Adversaries in Sensor Networks

Malicious packet dropping attack is a major security threat to the data traffic in the sensor network, since it reduces the legal network throughput and may hinder the propagation of sensitive data. Dealing with this attack is challenging since the unreliable wireless communication feature and resource constraints of the sensor network may cause communication failure and mislead to the incorrect decision about the presence of such attack. In this paper, we propose a data provenance based mechanism to detect the attack and identify the source of attack i.e. the malicious node. For this purpose, we utilize the characteristics of the watermarking based secure provenance transmission mechanism that we proposed earlier and rely on the inter-packet timing characteristics after the provenance embedding. The scheme consists of three phases (i) Packet Loss Detection (ii) Identification of Attack Presence (iii) Localizing the Malicious Node/Link. The packet loss is detected based on the distribution of the inter-packet delays. The presence of the attack is determined by comparing the empricial average packet loss rate with the natural packet loss rate of the data flow path. To isolate the malicious link, we transmit more provenance information along with the sensor data. We present the experimental results to show the high detection accuracy and energy efficiency of the proposed scheme.
Income sources and declared charitable tax deductions

Within the framework of traditional economic theory a charitable contribution is considered a consumption good. As such, the demand for giving is affected by changes in the price of giving and current income. Moreover, changes in wealth, expected future income, and ‘habits’ may affect giving. Previous empirical studies of giving have not considered the possibility of the impact that donor's wealth might have on giving. One way of accounting for such possible effect is to include various sources of donor's income in the demand function. Using the Internal Revenue Service Individual Tax Model Files and a dynamic econometric model of charitable giving, we estimate demand for giving for various income groups and examine impacts of various income sources on giving. The findings indicate that the higher the share of wages and dividends in disposable income, the higher the amount of giving. The amount of giving is lower when the share of interest, capital gain, or pension income is higher.
Verification of Eta–RSM Short-Range Ensemble Forecasts

Motivated by the success of ensemble forecasting at the medium range, the performance of a prototype shortrange ensemble forecast system is examined. The ensemble dataset consists of 15 case days from September 1995 through January 1996. There are 15 members of the ensemble, 10 from an 80-km version of the eta model and five from the regional spectral model. Initial conditions include various in-house analyses available at the National Centers for Environmental Prediction as well as bred initial conditions interpolated from the mediumrange forecast ensemble. Forecasts from the 29-km mesoeta model were archived as well for comparison. The performance of the ensemble is first evaluated by the criterion of ‘‘uniformity of verification rank.’’ Assuming a perfect forecast model, equally plausible initial conditions, and the verification is a plausible member of the ensemble, these imply the verification when pooled with the 15 ensemble forecasts and sorted is equally likely to occur in each of the 16 ranks. Hence, over many independent samples, a histogram of the rank distribution should be nearly uniform. Using data from the ensemble forecasts, rank distributions were populated and found to be nonuniform. This was determined to be largely a result of model and initial condition deficiencies and not problems with the verification data. The uniformity of rank distributions varied with atmospheric baroclinicity for midtropospheric forecast variables but not for precipitation forecasts. Examination of the error characteristics of individual ensemble members showed that the assumption of identical errors for each member is not met with this particular ensemble configuration, primarily because of the use of both bred and nonbred initial conditions in this test. Further, there were both differences in the accuracy of eta and regional spectral model bred member forecasts. The performance of various summary forecasts from the ensemble such as its mean showed that the ensemble can generate forecasts that have similar or lower error than forecasts from the 29-km mesoeta, which was approximately equivalent in computational expense. Also, by combining the ensemble forecasts with rank information from other cases, reliable ensemble precipitation forecasts could be created, indicating the potential for useful probabilistic forecasts of quantitative precipitation from the ensemble.
Gray and white matter brain chemistry in young children with autism.

Context The brain pathophysiological abnormalities underlying autism remain unclear. Neuroimaging and histological studies suggest cellular abnormalities early in the course of the disease. Objective To measure the in vivo chemical profile of gray and white matter tissues in autism. Design Cross-sectional spectroscopic imaging study comparing 3- to 4-year-old children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with age-matched comparison groups of children with delayed development (DD) and typical development (TD). Setting The University of Washington Diagnostic Imaging Sciences Center, Seattle. Participants Forty-five 3- to 4-year-old children with ASD, 12 age-matched children with DD, and 10 age-matched children with TD. Main Outcome Measures Estimates of gray and white matter concentrations for choline-containing compounds (Cho), creatine plus phosphocreatine, N -acetylaspartate (NAA), and myo -inositol (mI). Transverse relaxation times for Cho, creatine plus phosphocreatine, and NAA expressed relative to control subjects with TD were examined to evaluate tissue compactness. Results The children with ASD demonstrated decreased gray matter concentrations of Cho ( P P = .02), NAA ( P = .02), and mI ( P = .008) compared with children with TD. Gray matter Cho transverse relaxation was also prolonged for the ASD sample compared with the TD group ( P = .01). The children with ASD demonstrated significantly decreased levels of Cho ( P = .04) and mI ( P = .008) and trend-level NAA ( P = .09) in gray matter compared with the DD group. For white matter, both children with ASD and children with DD showed a similar pattern of NAA and mI level decreases (for children with ASD vs children with TD: NAA, P = .03; mI, P = .04; for children with DD vs children with TD, NAA, P = .03; mI, P = .07). In several analyses, cerebral volume contributed significantly as a covariate. Conclusions Reduced gray matter chemical concentrations and altered Cho transverse relaxation, in a pattern distinct from that in children with DD, suggest decreased cellularity, or density, at this early time point in ASD. Possibly reflecting shared developmental features, white matter results were common to ASD and DD groups. The relationship between cerebral volume and neurochemistry at this early time point may indicate processes related to unit scaling.
Ioffe's normal cone and the foundations of welfare economics

Abstract We announce an example of an economy with an infinite dimensional commodity space for which the extension of the second fundamental theorem of welfare economics is valid if marginal rates of substitution are formalized in terms of either the Clarke normal cone or the Ioffe normal cone but in which the former is strictly contained in the latter. This is in direct contradiction to the finite dimensional situation.
Degrees of Freedom of Wireless Networks With Relays, Feedback, Cooperation, and Full Duplex Operation

We find the degrees of freedom of a network with S source nodes, R relay nodes, and D destination nodes, with random time-varying/frequency-selective channel coefficients and global channel knowledge at all nodes. We allow full-duplex operation at all nodes, as well as causal noise-free feedback of all received signals to all source and relay nodes. An outer bound to the capacity region of this network is obtained. Combining the outer bound with previous interference alignment based achievability results, we conclude that the techniques of relays, feedback, full-duplex operation and noisy cooperation do not increase the degrees of freedom of interference and X networks. As a second contribution, we show that for a network with K full-duplex nodes and K(K-1) independent messages with one message from every node to each of the other K-1 nodes, the total degrees of freedom are bounded above and below by [( K(K-1))/( (2K-2))] and [( K(K-1))/( (2K-3))], respectively.
The effects of a commercially available botanical supplement on strength, body composition, power output, and hormonal profiles in resistance-trained males

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) is a leguminous, annual plant originating in India and North Africa. In recent years Fenugreek has been touted as an ergogenic aid. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of Fenugreek supplementation on strength and body composition. 49 Resistance trained men were matched according to body weight and randomly assigned to ingest in a double blind manner capsules containing 500 mg of a placebo (N = 23, 20 ± 1.9 years, 178 ± 6.3 cm, 85 ± 12.7 kg, 17 ± 5.6 %BF) or Fenugreek (N = 26, 21 ± 2.8 years, 178 ± 6 cm, 90 ± 18.2 kg, 19.3 ± 8.4 %BF). Subjects participated in a supervised 4-day per week periodized resistance-training program split into two upper and two lower extremity workouts per week for a total of 8-weeks. At 0, 4, and 8-weeks, subjects underwent hydrodensiometery body composition, 1-RM strength, muscle endurance, and anaerobic capacity testing. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA and are presented as mean ± SD changes from baseline after 60-days. No significant differences (p > 0.05) between groups were noted for training volume. Significant group × time interaction effects were observed among groups in changes in body fat (FEN: -2.3 ± 1.4%BF; PL: -0.39 ± 1.6 %BF, p 0.05). It is concluded that 500 mg of this proprietary Fenugreek extraction had a significant impact on both upper- and lower-body strength and body composition in comparison to placebo in a double blind controlled trial. These changes were obtained with no clinical side effects.
Advances in the modeling of laminated plates

The present evaluation of extant 2D theories and computational models of laminated composite plates gives attention to the classical, as well as to various shear-deformation, plate theories. A generalization of advanced theories is proposed, and computational aspects of the displacement finite-element models of these advanced theories are discussed. The 4MREDNC-R element appears to be ideally suited to use as a flat, four-noded shell element for applications in which the bending and membrane couplings are not significant.
Amplifying Matrix Design for Distributed Noncooperative SIMO Wireless Relay Networks under Jamming Environment

The main contribution of this paper is the derivation of an optimal diagonal amplifying relay matrix. This matrix is for a non cooperative distributed wireless relay network in a jamming environment. Minimum mean square error (MMSE) criterion was used in this study. Jamming location was also studied in this paper. Results show that diversity of a system can be degraded or even get lost depending on jamming location. A single-input multiple-output (SIMO) system strategy was implemented, using one-source, M-destination and N-relay nodes. System performance for the new derived matrix was evaluated using bit error rate (BER). Also, performance comparisons with/without jamming were a focus in our study.
Mixtures of Polya trees for flexible spatial frailty survival modelling

Mixtures of Polya trees offer a very flexible nonparametric approach for modelling time-to-event data. Many such settings also feature spatial association that requires further sophistication, either at the point level or at the lattice level. In this paper, we combine these two aspects within three competing survival models, obtaining a data analytic approach that remains computationally feasible in a fully hierarchical Bayesian framework using Markov chain Monte Carlo methods. We illustrate our proposed methods with an analysis of spatially oriented breast cancer survival data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results program of the National Cancer Institute. Our results indicate appreciable advantages for our approach over competing methods that impose unrealistic parametric assumptions, ignore spatial association or both.
A New Noninvasive Test to Detect Mitochondrial Dysfunction of Skeletal Muscles in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy

We present usage of technetium-99m methoxyisobutyl isonitrile ( 9 9 m Tc-sestamibi) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) as a novel noninvasive method to evaluate muscular mitochondrial function in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). 9 9 m Tc-sestamibi SPECT revealed a statistically significant decrease in radionucleotide uptake in the quadriceps in PSP patients as compared with other neurodegenerative parkinsonism (P < 0.05) or control group (P < 0.05). This study demonstrates a remarkable deficit of skeletal muscle bioenergetics in patients with PSP. Our findings suggest a distinctive role of mitochondrial dysfunction in the pathogenesis of PSP. Furthermore, 9 9 m Tc-sestamibi SPECT provides a relatively simple, inexpensive, and noninvasive modality in further assessment of mitochondrial function and bioenergetic features in various muscular disorders.
Orphans in the Human Cytochrome P450 Superfamily: Approaches to Discovering Functions and Relevance in Pharmacology

As a result of technical advances in recombinant DNA technology and nucleotide sequencing, entire genome sequences have become available in the past decade and offer potential in understanding diseases. However, a central problem in the biochemical sciences is that the functions of only a fraction of the genes/proteins are known, and this is also an issue in pharmacology. This review is focused on issues related to the functions of cytochrome P450 (P450) enzymes. P450 functions can be categorized in several groups: 1) Some P450s have critical roles in the metabolism of endogenous substrates (e.g., sterols and fat-soluble vitamins). 2) Some P450s are not generally critical to normal physiology but function in relatively nonselective protection from the many xenobiotic chemicals to which mammals (including humans) are exposed in their diets [as well as more anthropomorphic chemicals (e.g., drugs, pesticides)]. 3) Some P450s have not been extensively studied and are termed “orphans” here. With regard to elucidation of any physiological functions of the orphan P450s, the major subject of this review, it is clear that simple trial-and-error approaches with individual substrate candidates will not be very productive in addressing questions about function. A series of liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry/informatics approaches are discussed, along with some successes with both human and bacterial P450s. Current information on what are still considered “orphan” P450s is presented. The potential for application of some of these approaches to other enzyme systems is also discussed.
Cholesterol and all-cause mortality in elderly people from the Honolulu Heart Program: a cohort study

Summary Background A generally held belief is that cholesterol concentrations should be kept low to lessen the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, studies of the relation between serum cholesterol and all-cause mortality in elderly people have shown contrasting results. To investigate these discrepancies, we did a longitudinal assessment of changes in both lipid and serum cholesterol concentrations over 20 years, and compared them with mortality. Methods Lipid and serum cholesterol concentrations were measured in 3572 Japanese/American men (aged 71–93 years) as part of the Honolulu Heart Program. We compared changes in these concentrations over 20 years with all-cause mortality using three different Cox proportional hazards models. Findings Mean cholesterol fell significantly with increasing age. Age-adjusted mortality rates were 68·3, 48·9, 41·1, and 43·3 for the first to fourth quartiles of cholesterol concentrations, respectively. Relative risks for mortality were 0·72 (95% CI 0·60–0·87), 0·60 (0·49–0·74), and 0·65 (0·53–0·80), in the second, third, and fourth quartiles, respectively, with quartile 1 as reference. A Cox proportional hazard model assessed changes in cholesterol concentrations between examinations three and four. Only the group with low cholesterol concentration at both examinations had a significant association with mortality (risk ratio 1·64, 95% CI 1·13–2·36). Interpretation We have been unable to explain our results. These data cast doubt on the scientific justification for lowering cholesterol to very low concentrations (
Influence of larval period on responses of overwintering green frog (Rana clamitans) larvae exposed to contaminated sediments

Pond-breeding amphibians exhibit large intra- and interspecific differences in the duration of the aquatic larval phase. In contaminated aquatic environments, a prolonged larval phase means prolonged exposure to pollutants and, potentially, more severe toxic effects. In the laboratory, we tested this hypothesis by exposing green frog larvae (Rana clamitans) to commercial clean sand (control), sediment from an abandoned surface mine (mine), or sediment contaminated with coal combustion waste (CCW). By collecting eggs late in the breeding season, we obligated larvae to overwinter and spend a protracted amount of time exposed to contaminated sediments. The experiment was continued until all larvae either successfully completed metamorphosis or died (301 d). Larvae exposed to mine sediments accumulated significant levels of Pb and Zn, whereas larvae exposed to CCW-contaminated sediment accumulated significant levels of As, Se, Sr, and V. Larvae exposed to mine sediments suffered sublethal effects in the form of reduced growth and size at metamorphosis, but the proportion of larvae successfully completing metamorphosis (93%) was the same for both control and mine treatments. In contrast, larvae exposed to CCW-contaminated sediment suffered greatly reduced survival (13%) compared to both control and mine treatments. Moreover, among larvae in the CCW treatment, the majority of mortality occurred during the latter part the overwintering period (after day 205), corresponding to the onset of metamorphosis in the controls. Our results suggest that the length of the larval period may be one of many life-history or ecological characteristics that influence the sensitivity of aquatic breeding amphibians to environmental pollutants.
Controlled release of metronidazole from composite poly-ε-caprolactone/alginate (PCL/alginate) rings for dental implants.

Abstract Objective Dental implants provide support for dental crowns and bridges by serving as abutments for the replacement of missing teeth. To prevent bacterial accumulation and growth at the site of implantation, solutions such as systemic antibiotics and localized delivery of bactericidal agents are often employed. The objective of this study was to demonstrate a novel method of controlled localized delivery of antibacterial agents to an implant site using a biodegradable custom fabricated ring. Methods The study involved incorporating a model antibacterial agent (metronidazole) into custom designed poly-e-caprolactone/alginate (PCL/alginate) composite rings to produce the intended controlled release profile. The rings can be designed to fit around the body of any root form dental implants of various diameters, shapes and sizes. Results In vitro release studies indicate that pure (100%) alginate rings exhibited an expected burst release of metronidazole in the first few hours, whereas Alginate/PCL composite rings produced a medium burst release followed by a sustained release for a period greater than 4 weeks. By varying the PCL/alginate weight ratios, we have shown that we can control the amount of antibacterial agents released to provide the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) needed for adequate protection. The fabricated composite rings have achieved a 50% antibacterial agent release profile over the first 48 h and the remaining amount slowly released over the remainder of the study period. The PCL/alginate agent release characteristic fits the Ritger–Peppas model indicating a diffusion-based mechanism during the 30-day study period. Significance The developed system demonstrates a controllable drug release profile and the potential for the ring to inhibit bacterial biofilm growth for the prevention of diseases such as peri-implantitis resulting from bacterial infection at the implant site.
OSTEOSARCOMA IN THE MIDDIAPHYSIS OF THE RADIUS IN THE DOG

This case report describes the radiographic/clinical progression of a lesion in the middiaphysis of the radius in a dog. The lesion initially looked benign but progressed and eventually was diagnosed as an anaplastic osteosarcoma.
Mode stability of lasers and periodic optical systems

The concept of mode stability is considered in detail and a procedure is developed for determining the stability of laser resonators and optical waveguides containing arbitrary lens elements. It is found that under some conditions the addition of a laser medium with a gain profile makes oscillation or propagation impossible in an otherwise stable system. A new formalism is described for the propagation of off-axis modes.
Evaluation of a new recommendation for improved cuffed tracheal tube size selection in infants and small children.

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate a new recommendation for tracheal tube size selection using second-generation Microcuff paediatric endotracheal tubes (PETs) with optimized outer diameter (OD) of the distal tube. Methods: With Ethics Committee approval, patients aged from birth to 5 years, requiring general anaesthesia with orotracheal intubation, were included. Tracheal tube sizes were selected as follows: internal diameter (ID) 3.0 mm, birth (if ≥3 kg) to <6 months; ID 3.5 mm, 6 to <18 months; ID 4.0 mm, 18 months to <3 years; ID 4.5 mm, 3 to <5 years. Tracheal tubes with the cuff not inflated were classified as too large if no air leak was obtained at an airway pressure of ≤20 cmH2O. Post-intubation stridor requiring therapy was noted. Results: Three hundred and fifty children were studied. Nine tracheal tubes (2.6%) were too large and had to be exchanged: in patients requiring tracheal tubes of ID 3.0 mm and 3.5 mm, three and four tracheal tubes, respectively, and, in patients requiring tracheal tubes of ID 4.0 mm and 4.5 mm, one tracheal tube in each group. In three patients (0.9%), post-intubation stridor occurred which required therapy. Conclusion: The new recommendation presented for the use of second-generation Microcuff PETs with improved OD to ID ratio allows the selection of cuffed tracheal tubes with larger IDs than previously recommended for small children without increased need for tracheal tube exchange or increased incidence of post-intubation stridor in these age groups.
Missing Documentation of Weight and Height at Preventive Visits for Children

Despite the importance of measuring weight and height at well-child visits, there are limited data on frequency of anthropometric documentation. The authors aimed to identify characteristics associated with missing weight and height documentation at preventive visits for children. Among preventive visits for children from birth to 18 years old, recorded in the National Ambulatory Medical Care and National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys for 2005-2009, the authors found that 20.8% had missing weight and/or height (n = 19,033) documentation. Compared with infants younger than 2 years, school-age children (odds ratio [OR] = 1.30; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.03-1.64), and adolescents (OR = 1.61; 95% CI = 1.26-2.04) were more likely to lack documentation. Missing documentation was also more likely for visits with nonphysicians (OR = 4.53; 95% CI = 3.17-6.48) and nonpediatricians (OR = 2.63; 95% CI = 2.02-3.41) compared with pediatricians. Efforts to improve weight and height surveillance should be directed to clinics in which midlevel providers and nonpediatric physicians are caring for school-age children and adolescents.
Optimal monitoring and offset prices in voluntary emissions markets

Abstract Carbon offset markets are modeled as an uninformed regulator who wishes to use a voluntary price instrument to reduce harmful emissions under varying degrees of private information. Regulators offer agricultural producers payments to reduce their emissions for some price per ton relative to the social price of carbon. Abstracting from distributional concerns or costly transfers, we derive optimal contracts for offsets contracts, minimizing welfare losses from adverse selection. The model shows how the level of monitoring and the prices offered should vary depending on the regulator's information. Although existing and proposed policies discount the price that offset producers receive relative to the social cost of carbon to account for the adverse selection, our model argues that optimal offset prices may be above the social cost of carbon for sufficiently high levels of monitoring. Our model also identifies and quantifies the types of firms that produce additional offsets for a given contract, offering guidance on how regulators might better target offset contracts.
EUS-guided portal pressure measurement using a digital pressure wire with real-time remote display: a novel, minimally invasive technique for direct measurement in an animal model.

Background and Aims Hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) currently serves as a surrogate for portal pressure measurement but has many limitations. We developed a novel technique for rapid and direct portal pressure measurements using a digital pressure wire delivered through an EUS-guided 22-gauge FNA needle. Our aims were to evaluate (1) the short-term safety and technical feasibility, (2) procedural duration and subjective workload assessment, and (3) accuracy compared with a transjugular criterion standard approach. Methods The subjects were Yorkshire pigs, weighing 40 to 55 kg. The portal vein was identified by using a linear array echoendoscope and accessed with a commercially available 22-gauge FNA needle preloaded with a digital pressure wire. Access was confirmed by portal venography. Mean digital pressure measurements were recorded over 30 to 60 seconds, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index was scored. The control measurements were conventional transjugular catheterization with a balloon occlusion catheter to obtain free and wedged hepatic pressures, with subsequent HVPG calculation. Results The total time required for EUS identification and needle access of the portal vein, venography, and digital pressure measurement was less than 5 minutes in 5 of 5 pigs. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index scores revealed a low subjective workload. Baseline portal pressure measurements via EUS ranged from 5 mm Hg to 10 mm Hg (mean, 6.4 mm Hg). HVPG measurements were consistently ±1 mm Hg of portal pressure. Conclusions This study is the first report of direct EUS-guided portal pressure measurements by using a digital pressure wire. This method is routinely performed in minutes and provides real-time pressure tracings via wireless transmission. This novel approach for direct portal pressure measurement has the potential to replace traditional indirect HVPG measurements.
The effect of the nude gene on plasmacytoma development in BALB/cAn mice.

The role of the T-lymphocyte in the development of plasma cell tumors may be investigated by attempting to induce these tumors in mice that lack a mature T-cell population. The nude mutation in mice is a recessive gene and homozygous mice (nu/nu) lack both a thymus (Pantelouris, 1968) and a hair coat (Flanagan, 1966). The absence of functional thymus glands in nu/nu mice results in a severe deficiency of mature T-lymphocytes throughout life (Scheid, et al. 1975; Chen et al. 1984). Consequently, these mice have defective immune responses which involve T-lymphocytes and have commonly been used to demonstrate the role of T-lymphocytes in a variety of immune responses (Eckels, et al., 1979; Jacobson, et al., 1974; Kindred, 1978). A congenic strain with the nu gene on the BALB/cAn background, the BALB/cAn•nu/nu, was utilized to determine whether nude mice would develop plasmacytomas (PCTs) and if so, at what incidence. In addition, we determined whether the BALB/cAn • nu/nu was genetically identical (with the possible exception of genes flanking the nude mutation on chromosome 11) to the BALB/cAnPt subline which is commonly used in PCT induction experiments.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for neonatal respiratory failure. A report of 50 cases.

From February 1985 through June 1987, 50 newborn infants in whom maximal ventilator therapy failed (80% predicted mortality) were treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) according to the following inclusion criteria: arterial oxygen tension less than 50 torr (alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient greater than 630 torr) for 2 hours or arterial oxygen tension less than 60 torr (alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient greater than 620 torr) for 8 hours. Criteria for exclusion from ECMO therapy included birth weight less than 2000 gm, gestational age less than 35 weeks, presence of intracranial hemorrhage, presence of other major congenital anomalies including cyanotic heart disease, and high levels of ventilatory support for more than 7 days. Mean birth weight was 3.28 ± 0.56 kg, mean gestational age was 39.6 ± 1.7 weeks, and mean age at the start of ECMO was 48.6 ± 36.9 hours. Meconium aspiration, usually associated with persistent pulmonary hypertension, was the most common cause of pulmonary failure (62%). Mean pre-ECMO arterial oxygen tension during maximal ventilatory and pharmacologic support was 34.5 ± 14.5 torr. Mean ventilatory support immediately before the institution of ECMO was as follows: peak inspiratory pressure 46.8 ± 9.9 cm H2O, positive end-expiratory pressure 4.6 ± 1.6 cm H2O, and intermittent mandatory ventilation rate 101.0 ± 22.7 breaths/min with all patients receiving an inspired oxygen fraction of 1.0. Lung management to prevent pulmonary atelectasis during ECMO consisted of moderate levels of positive end-expiratory pressure (mean 10.3 ± 2.6 cm H2O, range 8 to 14 in 94% of patients. Other mean ventilator parameters during ECMO were as follows: peak inspiratory pressure 22.8 ± 1.6 cm H2O, intermittent mandatory ventilation rate 11.8 ± 2.9, and inspired oxygen fraction 0.21. The overall long-term patient survival rate was 90%. Mean values for arterial blood gases and ventilator settings immediately after the discontinuation of ECMO were as follows: oxygen tension 78.4 ± 22.1 torr, pH 7.39 ± 0.10, carbon dioxide tension 37.4 ± 10.7 torr, peak inspiratory pressure 25.2 ± 3.9 cm H2O, positive end-expiratory pressure 5.6 ± 1.2 cm H2O, and intermittent mandatory ventilation rate 41.3 ± 12.6 with an inspired oxygen fraction of 0.42 ± 0.17. Despite slightly higher levels of ventilator support (peak inspiratory pressure 46.8 versus 45.0 cm H2O, not significant) mean pre-ECMO oxygen tension was significantly lower than that reported from the National ECMO Registry (34.5 versus 42.0 torr, p
Development of an attitude scale to measure attitudes toward humans' use of nonhuman animals.

The objectives of this investigation were to develop a scale to measure attitudes towards animal use, decide upon the number of dimensions or scales needed, and test the reliability and validity of the dimension(s) obtained. Analysis showed the final scale to be unidimensional with evidence of reliability (Cronbach alpha = .99) and criterion validity via measurement of known groups. The known groups were derived from a random sample of members of the Animal Rights Information and Education Service (representing those opposed to humans' use of animals) and members of National Animal Damage Control Association (representing those supporting animal use). The final scale contained 48 items and was readable at Grade 6 which facilitates administration across a broad range of educational backgrounds and has utility for a variety of animal-use issues.