cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lacerations involving glass : the role of routine roentgenograms

• Objective. —To determine, when evaluating a laceration caused by glass, whether seeing that the bottom of the wound is free of glass eliminates the possibility that glass is present in the wound. Research Design. —Prospective patient series. Setting. —Two pediatric emergency departments. Participants. —226 children with lacerations due to glass occurring in a period of 21 months. Selection Procedures. —Consecutive sample. Interventions. —Before obtaining a roentgenogram, the triage nurse or the managing physician visually inspected each wound and recorded whether the bottom of the wound was seen, if glass was seen in the wound, and the length and depth of the wound. Further treatment of the wound was at the discretion of the managing physician. Measurements/Main Results. —Glass was seen in the wounds of 10 children on initial inspection. Of the remaining 216 injuries, glass was contained in 12 (21.4%) of the 56 lacerations when the bottom of the wound was not visualized, and in 11(6.9%) of the 160 lacerations when the bottom of the wound was visualized. There was a significant association between the depth of the wound and an inability to see the bottom of the wound, and deeper wounds were significantly more likely to contain glass. All but one of the lacerations containing glass had a depth of at least 0.5 cm. Conclusions. —In the population studied, seeing that the bottom of the laceration was free of glass reduced, but did not eliminate, the possibility that glass was present in the wound. In addition, superficial lacerations ( ( AJDC . 1992;146:600-602)
Antireflux surgery in children under 3 months of age

Abstract Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyze the indications and results of fundoplication in 110 infants under 3 months of age. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted on the charts of all infants operated on for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) at the UCLA Medical Center from January 1980 to December 1997. There were 59 boys and 51 girls. Recurrent emesis was the indication for operation in 62 of 110 infants, and respiratory symptoms in 85 of 110, with 54 of 110 having both. Neurological impairment was present in 32%. Prematurity was present in 21%; 35% had associated anomalies. Overall, 81 of 110 infants (73.6%) had one or more associated major malformations or disorders. Reflux was confirmed by upper gastrointestinal series findings in 63 of 78, esophageal pH monitoring in 60 of 62, and endoscopy in five of seven. Results: Mean age at operation was 1.8 ± 0.1 months and mean weight was 3,686 ± 90.2 g. A Nissen fundoplication was performed on 104 children, and six underwent a Thal procedure. Thirty-one had a gastric emptying procedure for delayed gastric emptying. Complications occurred in 7 infants. Emesis was controlled in 57 of 62 patients, aspiration in 38 of 48, and apneic spells in 54 of 57. Follow-up greater than 6 months was available for 73 patients. There were nine late deaths, all related to severe associated malformations. Seven patients required a redo fundoplication for recurrent reflux. Conclusions: Nissen fundoplication can be performed safely in symptomatic infants under 3 months of age with low mortality and morbidity rates and with resolution of the presenting symptoms in 79% of infants.
Coordinating energy-aware adaptation of multimedia applications and hardware resource

This paper presents a middleware framework to coordinate adaptation of multimedia applications and their underlying hardware resource in mobile devices, so that multimedia applications are able to provide user-preferable QoS requirements under resource contention and energy constraints. The major contributions of the framework are: (1) energy-aware processor reservation for multimedia applications, (2) formal models of hardware adaptability, application adaptability, and user preference, and (3) an integrated algorithm to coordinate adaptation of multimedia applications and hardware resource.
FUNCTIONAL SIMILARITY BETWEEN ADENOVIRUS E1B 19K GENE AND BCL2 ONCOGENE - MUTANT COMPLEMENTATION AND SUPPRESSION OF CELL-DEATH INDUCED BY DNA-DAMAGING AGENTS

Adenovirus mutants defective in a 19 kD protein (19K gene) encoded by the early region E1B induce DNA fragmentation in a manner similar to the internucleosomal DNA fragmentation observed during programmed cell death (apoptosis) induced by a number of chemical, physical and biological stimuli. Zn++ ions effectively suppressed DNA fragmentation induced by a 19K mutant consistent with their inhibition of DNA fragmentation during apoptosis. Since the cellular proto-oncogene Bcl2 has been shown to suppress DNA fragmentation and the resulting programmed cell death, we have carried out a functional complementation analysis to determine whether the E1B 19 kD protein is functionally similar to the Bcl2 protein. Our results indicate that the DNA fragmentation induced by the 19K mutant can be efficiently suppressed by stable expression of human Bcl2 protein. Further, the 19 kD and Bcl2 proteins also function similarly to suppress DNA fragmentation and cell death induced by the DNA damaging agents cisplatin and UV.
It's their decision now: perspectives of chronically disabled adolescents concerning surgery.

The decision to have surgery was identified by chronically disabled adolescents as one of the events that was critical to their hospitalization experience. Twenty-four adolescents who had been randomly selected from a list of planned surgical admissions and their parents were tracked through hospitalization in a pediatric-orthopedic setting. Participant observation and intensive interviewing were employed to gather the adolescents' and the parents' perceptions of the structure and management of their experiences. The resulting field notes and interview transcripts were first examined to delineate topical themes, including the decision to have surgery and various activities and relationships in which the adolescents and their parents participated. Second, the data were coded with categories that reflected these themes. Third, data from topical categories were combined to describe conceptual themes including critical events and the strategies used to participate in them. Fourth, the data from conceptual cat...
On a dynamo driven by topographic precession

More than half a century ago, Bullard suggested that the Earth's dynamo might be driven by the motions created in the Earth's core by the luni-solar precession. The precessionally forced motion of the mantle drives core flow through viscous forces and also, because of the electrical conductivity of the deep mantle, through magnetic forces. Both these couplings are thought to be insignificant in comparison with the topographical coupling created by the oblateness of the core-mantle interface. Because of technical difficulties in studying dynamo action in non-spherical bodies of electrically conducting fluid, this is the first serious attempt to study dynamo action by topographically forced flows. It describes the novel numerical methods that were employed, the tests that were devised to validate these methods, and the successful outcome of those tests. Some preliminary results for these dynamos are presented. It is shown that, in some parameter ranges, the magnetic field produced by the dynamos enhances th...
A preclinical model for noninvasive imaging of hypoxia-induced gene expression; comparison with an exogenous marker of tumor hypoxia

Purpose Hypoxia is associated with tumor aggressiveness and is an important cause of resistance to radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Assays of tumor hypoxia could provide selection tools for hypoxia-modifying treatments. The purpose of this study was to develop and characterize a rodent tumor model with a reporter gene construct that would be transactivated by the hypoxia-inducible molecular switch, i.e., the upregulation of HIF-1.
The use of ion-pairing phenomena in the assignment of v(co) ir bands of pv(co)5-

Abstract The interaction of a sodium cation with the trans -CO oxygen of PV(CO) 5 - (P  P(OPh) 3 , PPh 3 , P(n-Bu) 3 ) had a major effect on the vibrational mode that is primarily comprised of that CO group and removed the accidental degeneracy of A 1 1 and E v (C0) frequencies.
Racial differences in activities of daily living limitation onset in older adults with arthritis: a national cohort study.

Abstract Shih VC, Song J, Chang RW, Dunlop DD. Racial differences in activities of daily living limitation onset in older adults with arthritis: a national cohort study. Objective To investigate factors that predict the onset of limitations in activities of daily living (ADLs) in adults 65 years old or older who have arthritis, in order to develop public health programs for minorities (African and Hispanic Americans) and white Americans. Design Longitudinal cohort study. Setting National probability sample. Participants Older adults with arthritis (N=3541) who participated in the 1998 and 2000 Health and Retirement Study interviews and who had no baseline ADL limitations. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measure Onset of ADL limitations was identified from reports of 1 or more ADL task limitations at 2-year follow-up. Results Onset is most frequent among African Americans (24.4%), followed by Hispanics (22.2%), and whites (16.9%). Race specific multivariate analysis showed that the strongest risk factor predicting onset of limitations across all racial and ethnic groups is physical limitations. Low household income was significant for older minorities but not for whites. Comorbid cardiovascular disease was a unique multivariate risk factor among African Americans. Conclusions Physical limitation is a strong risk factor for ADL limitation onset that is shared by all racial and ethnic groups. Early identification and treatment of physical limitations may prevent the onset of ADL limitations and thus improve quality of life. Race specific public health interventions should be considered to reduce the development of ADL limitations among older adults with arthritis.
Fractal nucleation and growth model for the hydration of tricalcium silicate

Abstract The phase transformation kinetics of the tricalcium silicate reaction for the period of peak hydration rate can be described as a four-parameter exponential nucleation and growth model. The exponent in the model can take a noninteger value that may be an irrational number. Application of a fractal impingement model based on a mean field diffusion-limited aggregation (DLA) process results in a fractal nucleation and growth model. This indicates consistency between small-angle neutron scattering (microstructural) and quasi-elastic neutron scattering (kinetics) measurements. Also, the fractal basis of the exponent in the kinetics model precludes the interpretation of conventional grain growth processes. Concerning the analysis of kinetics data, the four-parameter form of the kinetics model means that the double logarithmic least squares fit to the kinetics data is not appropriate. Instead, a nonlinear curve fitting approach is necessary.
CAM KINASE : A MODEL FOR ITS ACTIVATION AND DYNAMICS

Abstract Multifunctional calmodulin kinase (CaM kinase) is an enzyme which transduces fluctuations of intracellular calcium ion concentrations into kinase activity. The enzyme phosphorylates a variety of target proteins. Activation of CaM kinase requires the formation of a calcium—calmodulin complex and binding by the complex to one of ten identical subunits of the holoenzyme. The CaM kinase enzyme is a ring. Each subunit in the ring traverses a path between five distinct activation states. Transitions between activation states depend upon the dynamic calcium—calmodulin complex levels, binding and release of the complex to the subunits' activation sites, and the activation status of the right-hand neighboring subunit in the ring. The dynamic distribution of a given subunit's state is modeled using a conditional (conditioned upon the neighbor's status), finite state, non-homogeneous Markov process. A simulation package for enzyme activation has been developed, and initial studies with one calcium spike, low-frequency—low-amplitude sinusoids, and spike trains are presented. The capability of the CaM kinase molecule to act as an information processor, translating short-term calcium fluctuations into long-term activation (i.e. "memory") is discussed.
OBSERVATIONS ON TETANY IN DOGS : RELATION OF THE PARATHYROIDS TO THE THYROID; RELATION OF TETANY TO AGE, AMOUNT OF PARATHYROID TISSUE REMOVED, ACCESSORY PARATHYROIDS, PREGNANCY, LACTATION, RICKETS, SULPHUR, AND DIET; RELATION OF PARATHYROIDS TO SUGAR TOLERANCE; EFFECT OF CALCIUM SALTS.

Accessory parathyroid tissue unassociated with the thyroid lobes is present in 5 to 6 per cent. of dogs. For the determination of the presence of accessory parathyroid tissue there are two tests: (1) the anatomical, often entailing serial sections of the neck and upper thoracic structures, and (2) the biological, consisting of the daily use of some calcium salt for two to three weeks. The latter is more easily carried out and more accurate. In the absence of all parathyroid tissue calcium salts will not save the animal's life, while in the presence of active parathyroid tissue calcium will save it. Many factors other than the amount of parathyroid tissue removed influence the onset of tetany, among which are age, pregnancy, lactation, rachitis, the administration of sulphur, and diet. Pregnancy and lactation tetany in dogs resembles in all essentials parathyroid tetany. Our observations are in harmony with those who hold that the thyroid and parathyroid are independent structures as regards their anatomy, physiology, and pathology. The removal of the parathyroids immediately lowers alimentary sugar tolerance, but rarely to the degree of constant glycosuria. In sharp contrast with thyroid substance in myxedema, the feeding of parathyroid substance fresh or dried by mouth is of no value in the parathyroid tetanies of dogs. Calcium salts have a striking palliative effect on parathyroid tetany and preventative action in tiding over otherwise fatal cases, but are in no sense curative. The mode of action is unknown. There is some evidence that calcium salts directly influence the parathyroid gland.
Group attribution errors and the illusion of group attitude change

Abstract The group attribution error refers to people's tendency to use a group's decision to attribute correspondent attitudes to its members, even when information is available that indicates that all members do not support the decision. Three experiments were conducted to investigate the role of this phenomenon in the perception of group attitude change over time. Subjects in these studies were informed that a group had made two decisions on an issue, roughly 6 months apart, and that the proportion of members in favor of the decision was roughly the same at both times. A group decision rule in operation at the time of each decision was either the same at both times, producing identical decisions, or it differed across time, producing inconsistent decisions. Study 1 found that subjects were more likely to infer that the group's attitudes had changed over time when the two decisions differed than when they were consistent. Moreover, there was a significant relationship between the degree to which attitudes were believed to have changed and the degree to which correspondent inferences were generated at the time of each decision. Study 2 replicated this result using a different procedure and also showed that the ascription of attitudes to members at the time of each group decision was associated with the perception of reduced attitudinal variability within the group. Study 3 eliminated a possible alternate explanation of the findings.
Gradualism, punctuated equilibrium and the Origin of Species.

Darwin's views on the ‘tempo and mode’ of evolution are examined through six successive editions of the Origin of Species and through unpublished manuscript material. Although Darwin was a gradualist, there was a significant overlap between his views and those of the proponents of the current theory of punctuated equilibrium.
Bronchial anatomy in syndromes with abnormal visceral situs, abnormal spleen and congenital heart disease

Abstract The bronchial anatomy of a series of patients with congenital heart disease plus either or both abnormal visceral situs and abnormal spleen (absent, multiple, bifid or with unusually large accessory spleen or spleens) was studied by dissection and bronchographic methods. The results suggest that 5, and perhaps 6, syndromes can be delineated: (1) asplenia (Ivemark syndrome), characterized by bilateral eparterial bronchi (bilateral right or 3-lobed lung) and abnormal visceral situs; (2) polysplenia, characterized by bilateral hyparterial bronchi (bilateral left or 2-lobed lung) and abnormal visceral situs; (3) M-anisosplenia (third syndrome), characterized by bilateral eparterial bronchi and a relatively normal visceral situs; (4) F-anisosplenia (fourth syndrome), characterized by bilateral hyparterial bronchi with a visceral situs that is less abnormal than that observed in asplenia or polysplenia; (5) situs inversus, characterized by reversed bronchial pattern (eparterial bronchus on left and hyparterial on right) and reversed visceral situs; and (6) a group characterized by total anomalous pulmonary venous return, normal visceral situs, normal bronchial pattern, and 1 or more accessory spleens. Typical cardiac malformations were demonstrated in each of these syndromes. The results suggest that air or contrast bronchography can be of value in assessing patients with congenital heart disease plus abnormal visceral situs.
Mesoderm and ectoderm lineages in the crustacean Parhyale hawaiensis display intra-germ layer compensation

In Parhyale hawaiensis, the first three divisions are holoblastic and asymmetric, resulting in an embryo comprised of eight cells-four macromeres and four micromeres. Lineage studies performed at this stage demonstrate that the progeny of each cell contribute to specific portions of different germ layers. However, it is not known if this lineage pattern means a given blastomere is committed to its specific fate, indicative of mosaic development, or if regulation can occur between blastomere progeny so that the loss of a blastomere could be compensated for during development. Furthermore, if compensation occurs, what would be the source of such replacement? To investigate these possibilities, we performed ablation experiments at the eight-cell stage. We find that loss of blastomeres results in compensation. To determine the compensation pattern, we combined ablation and cell lineage tracing to reveal that progeny of mesoderm and ectoderm producing blastomeres display intra-germ layer compensation. Furthermore, by ablating lineages later in development, we identify a key interval between gastrulation and germband elongation after which compensation no longer occurs. Our results suggest that Parhyale possesses a mechanism to assess the status of mesoderm and ectoderm formation and alter development to replace the missing portions of these lineages.
Some observations on the cardiovascular examination for aircrew fitness

Abstract 1.1. Within the cardiovascular examination itself there are many perplexing problems in relation to selection and fitness for aircrew. 2.2. Normal cardiovascular function in a stable person without historical or clinical evidence of heart disease was the standard originally set for entry for aircrew training. The strain of war demands modification of the standards originally imposed. 3.3. Personal observations are made on the frequency of normal variations in heart size, shape, and action found in routine examinations on aircrew personnel. Some suggestions are made where relaxation of strict standards could make otherwise acceptable persons eligible for training, without undue hazard to themselves or to the Service. The place of electrocardiography and neurovascular instability in aircrew selection is briefly discussed.
Metals and Breast Cancer

Metalloestrogens are metals that activate the estrogen receptor in the absence of estradiol. The metalloestrogens fall into two subclasses: metal/metalloid anions and bivalent cationic metals. The metal/metalloid anions include compounds such as arsenite, nitrite, selenite, and vanadate while the bivalent cations include metals such as cadmium, calcium, cobalt, copper, nickel, chromium, lead, mercury, and tin. The best studied metalloestrogen is cadmium. It is a heavy metal and a prevalent environmental contaminant with no known physiological function. This review addresses our current understanding of the mechanism by which cadmium and the bivalent cationic metals activate estrogen receptor-α. The review also summarizes the in vitro and in vivo evidence that cadmium functions as an estrogen and the potential role of cadmium in breast cancer.
Improved Cardiovascular Hemodynamics with Atrioventricular Sequential Pacing Compared with Ventricular Demand Pacing

To determine the advantages of atrioventricular (AV) sequential pacing over ventricular demand pacing, paired cardiovascular hemodynamic studies were performed in each pacing mode at a constant heart rate. The paired studies included determination of ejection fraction (EF) by echocardiography and gated blood pool radionuclide scanning, and of cardiac output (CO) by the indicator-dilution method. There was no significant difference in EF with either pacing mode. Determined by echocardiography, EF with AV sequential pacing was 57% compared with 56% with ventricular demand pacing; by the gated blood pool method, EF with AV sequential pacing was 58% compared with 57% in the ventricular mode. Significant improvement with AV sequential pacing was seen in CO (4.75 L/min from 3.75 L/min; p less than 0.01); stroke volume (58 ml from 48 ml; p less than 0.02); arteriovenous oxygen content difference (4.9 vol% from 5.6 vol%; p less than 0.01); total peripheral resistance (1,724 dynes sec cm-5 from 2,025 dynes sec cm-5; p less than 0.01); and cardiac contractility, as reflected by mixing time (6.9 seconds from 8.0 seconds; p less than 0.02). No significant changes were noted in mean arterial or atrial pressure or in systemic oxygen consumption. In a second group of 6 patients, similar paired studies were done in AV sequential pacing modes before and after therapeutic reduction of total peripheral resistance. A significant increase in CO (43%) was observed following reduction in total peripheral resistance. We conclude that AV sequential pacing improves CO more effectively than ventricular demand pacing. Cardiac output can be further enhanced in patients with congestive heart failure by pretreatment with agents to reduce total peripheral resistance.
Sp3/Sp1 in the Parathyroid Gland: Identification of an Sp1 Deoxyribonucleic Acid Element in the Parathyroid Hormone Promoter

A highly conserved region in the PTH promoter was identified using the basic local alignment search tool (BLAST) 2 Sequences comparison. Strong specific complexes were observed with a DNA probe that contained much of the computer-derived conserved sequence in the EMSA using bovine parathyroid gland (bPTG) nuclear extracts. Ethylation interference footprinting indicated that the major complex made contacts to a sequence strikingly similar to an Sp1 binding site. Sp3 was evident in the major DNA-binding complexes, whereas the contribution by Sp1 was substantially weaker. Specific binding by additional unidentified bPTG nuclear factors was also evident. Immunocytochemical and Western blotting analyses established that Sp1 and Sp3 were positively localized in the nuclei of chief cells of the bPTG and of the expected molecular weights, with particularly robust expression of Sp3. Affinity DNA-binding experiments using the bovine PTH Sp1 element demonstrated specific recovery of intact Sp3 and Sp1 proteins, alth...
On the width x(3.55) → ψ3π

Abstract In view of a recent experiment, the width x (3.55) → ψ 3 π is investigated. If the data are confirmed there is a serious difficulty with the conventional understanding of hadronic transitions between charmonium states.
Use of antibiotics for ear, nose, and throat disorders in pregnancy and lactation.

The penicillins are probably the class of antibiotics most widely used in pregnant women. They have a wide margin of safety and are not toxic for both the pregnant woman and the fetus.’ Ampicillin is one of the most frequently used drugs in the treatment of respiratory infections during pregnancy. However, adverse effects may include nausea, epigastric distress, diarrhea, and candidal vaginitis. Before therapy, it is important to ascertain that the patient is not allergic to penicillin. Should this patient inadvertently receive penicillin, the severity of a reaction may range from a mild rash to anaphylaxis. Kosim observed one patient who had a stillborn infant, which was attributed to an anaphylactic reaction to penicillin.’ There is no evidence that penicillin or its derivatives are teratogenic. In the Collabora-
Truthful multicast routing in selfish wireless networks

In wireless networks, it is often assumed that each individual wireless terminal will faithfully follow the prescribed protocols without any deviation-- except, perhaps, for a few faulty or malicious ones. Wireless terminals, when owned by individual users, will likely do what is the most beneficial to their owners, i.e., act "selfishly". Therefore, an algorithm or protocol intended for selfish wireless networks must be designed.In this paper, we specifically study how to conduct efficient multicast routing in selfish wireless networks. We assume that each wireless terminal or communication link will incur a cost when it transits some data. Traditionally, the VCG mechanism has been the only method to design protocols so that each selfish agent will follow the protocols for its own interest to maximize its benefit. The main contributions of this paper are two-folds. First, for each of the widely used multicast structures, we show that the VCG based mechanism does not guarantee that the selfish terminals will follow the protocol. Second, we design the first multicast protocols without using VCG mechanism such that each agent maximizes its profit when it truthfully reports its cost.Extensive simulations are conducted to study the practical performances of the proposed protocols regarding the actual network cost and total payment.
In vivo mechanical and histological characteristics of HA-coated implants vary with coating vendor

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the interface attachment strength and histology of hydroxylapatite (HA) coated and uncoated titanium and cobalt–chromium alloy implants. The canine transcortical plug model was utilized. Four different hydroxylapatite coatings were evaluated. In vitro analysis confirmed that all coatings met FDA guidelines for HA coatings. An unspecified FDA parameter, porosity was found to range from 5–15%. Mechanical testing of the bone–implant interface demonstrated large variation in the performance of the coatings. However, further evaluation of two of the coatings did not demonstrate variations in mechanical characteristics. The histologic findings confirmed the mechanical testing results. The coatings which demonstrated the best mechanical characteristics had excellent bone apposition and uniformity and maintenance of the HA coating at all time periods upon histologic evaluation. Conversely, the coatings which demonstrated inferior mechanical characteristics demonstrated variable amounts of bone apposition and moderate to severe coating degradation and breakup. Cell-mediated osteolysis was observed in regions of severe coating degradation, and particle migration was noted in regions far from the interface. It was hoped that the four coatings would behave similarly as they all met current FDA guidelines. The only parameter which differed significantly among the coatings was coating porosity. Our results indicate that coatings with large porosities were associated with increased coating degradation and poor mechanical performance and osteolysis at the bone–coating interface. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Lifelong Learning: Skills and Online Resources

Objective Advances in information technology enable the practicing psychiatrist’s quest to keep up-to-date with new discoveries in psychiatry, as well as to meet recertification requirements. However, physicians’ computer skills do not always keep up with technology nor do they take advantage of online search and continuing education services. This article describes the rationale for using electronic databases and training, as well as basic computer skills computer equipment and important online resources for psychiatrists to meet their continuing education and recertification needs quickly, easily, and conveniently.
Matrix metalloprotease-9 in cerebrospinal fluid correlates with disease activity in lymphomatous meningitis.

Abstract Purpose: The detection of lymphoma cells in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) as a means to diagnose lymphomatous meningitis is problematic due to its low sensitivity. We hypothesize that matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) would be important in lymphomatous meningitis because lymphoma cells may produce MMPs for brain invasion and angiogenesis. Patients and Methods: Twentynine samples of CSF collected longitudinally from 5 patients receiving treatments for primary or metastatic CNS lymphomas were retrospectively analyzed by zymography. Cerebrospinal fluid cytology was correlated with levels of total protein, glucose, MMP-2, MMP-9, activated MMP-9, and 130 kDa MMP. Results: Increased CSF white blood cells (65 ± 32 cells/μL vs. 9 ± 8 cells/μL; P = 0.03) and MMP-9 (12.108 ± 2.675 vs. 9.359 ± 1.936; P = 0.02) had a strong correlation with abnormal CSF cytology. In addition, we observed that activated MMP-9 would appear and disappear depending on disease activity. Although there was nearly a 4-fold increase of mean activated MMP-9 in CSF samples with abnormal cytology findings when compared with negative cytology findings, the correlation did not reach statistical significance (1.382 ± 0.76 vs. 0.389 ± 0.155; P = 0.17). Conclusion: Matrix metalloprotease–9 correlated strongly with lymphomatous meningitis, but MMP-2, activated MMP-2, activated MMP-9, and 130-kDa MMP did not.
Encapsulation of paclitaxel in macromolecular nanoshells.

An electrostatic layer-by-layer self-assembly technique was used to encapsulate solid core paclitaxel nanoparticles within a polymeric nanometer-scale shell. This approach provides a new strategy for the development of polymeric vehicles that control drug release and target diseased tissues and cells specific to the ailment, such as breast cancer. Core paclitaxel nanoparticles, 153 ± 28 nm in diameter, were prepared using a modified nanoprecipitation technique. A nanoshell composed of multilayered polyelectrolytes, poly(allylamine hydrochloride) and poly(styrene-4-sulfonate) was assembled stepwise onto core charged drug nanoparticles. In vitro studies were performed to determine the anticancer activity of paclitaxel core−shell nanoparticles. Paclitaxel core−shell nanoparticles induced cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase after 24 and 48 h of incubation with a human breast carcinoma cell line, MCF-7. Changes in MCF-7 cell morphology, fragmentation of the nucleus, and loss of cell−cell contacts indicated tha...
Self-employment rates of Asian immigrant groups: an analysis of intragroup and intergroup differences.

Self-employment rates and related business activities of four groups of recent adult Asian immigrants (Koreans, Chinese, Asian Indians, and Vietnamese) are empirically examined with the 1990 census...
High current, low energy electron beams produced during the high current phase of a pseudospark

Electron beams produced by the superemissive cathode of a back-lighted thyratron (BLT) or pseudospark are reported. The cathode is highly emissive, or superemissive during conduction, producing a current density of >10/sup 4/ A/cm/sup 2/ over an area of /spl sim/1 cm/sup 2/. During conduction, electrons produced by the cathode are accelerated through the anode central hole, forming a beam that can be extracted. An electron beam of 120 A has been observed with an efficiency of 10%. The beam current increases with increasing applied voltages and decreasing gas pressure. A pulse forming network can transfer energy to an electron beam with a duration of the discharge pulse. The superemissive beam has energy of /spl sim/400 eV corresponding to the cathode sheath voltage. Beam extraction into a low pressure area ( >
A method for evaluating treatment switching criteria in multiple sclerosis

Background and Objective: We investigated a method to evaluate a treatment switching approach, namely treatment change after one multiple sclerosis (MS) relapse.Methods: Patients who experienced a ...
Retinitis pigmentosa and lymphocytic leukemia.

THE OCULAR manifestations of retinitis pigmentosa and lymphocytic leukemia are each well documented in the ophthalmic literature. 1-6 Recently, a patient with the unique combination of both disorders was hospitalized at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It is the purpose of this report to document this unusual combination of unrelated conditions. Report of a Case The patient (NIH 08-13-37), a white 53-year-old woman, was referred to the Solid Tumor Service, National Cancer Institute, in April 1969, with a four-month history of asymptomatic cervical lymph node enlargement. A node biopsy done elsewhere showed replacement of the tissue with abnormal small lymphocytes consistent with the diagnosis of well-differentiated lymphocytic lymphoma. This patient observed difficulty with night vision at age 20 years. The diagnosis of retinitis pigmentosa was first made at age 27 years. From age 20 years, the patient noticed deterioration in her ability to adapt in darkness and a constriction
Utilizing semantic caching in ubiquitous environment

Semantic caching is a dynamic caching strategy which deals with not only exact but also inexact similar queries. In this manner, each query will be carefully analyzed by the cache manager to identify the part that can be found in the cache from the part that needs to be retrieved from the server. This trimming process not only speeds up information retrieval but also saves on communication cost especially for mobile and wireless devices. Therefore, query trimming is a key problem in mobile and wireless environment, and devices in this environment have limited connection time, bandwidth, and battery power. However, the existing methods for query trimming have a number of limitations such as, inefficiency in time, space and the complexity of the algorithm used for trimming. These factors restrict the applicability of semantic caching for many applications. In this paper we investigate the shortcomings of query trimming process and propose a new solution to improve this process.
A Theory of Partisan Support and Entry Deterrence in Electoral Competition

I develop a model of electoral competition with partisan campaign support. Voters’ utilities are defined over candidate locations and the amounts of party campaign support that they receive. Parties’ utilities are defined over the location of the winning candidate and how much support they dole out for their candidates. Analytical results identify cases in which parties will successfully pull the electorally induced preferences of their members away from their median voters’ ideal points and towards the party’s most favored policies. Equilibrium results yield several testable hypotheses. First, candidate policy positions and parties’ campaign contributions should be responsive to district partisan predisposition, independent of the policy preferences of a district’s median voter. Second, uncontested elections should occur more often in politically-lopsided districts than in districts where there are more even levels of political competition. Finally, there should be an inverse relationship between candidate policy extremity and partisan campaign support.
Observed ENSO teleconnections with the South American monsoon system

This study establishes from observations that there exists a spatially coherent and seasonally persistent association of El Ni ˜ no and Southern Oscillation(ENSO) with the South American monsoon variability over a large region that includes central-east part of South America. This result is confirmed using both remote sensing data of outgoing long-wave radiation and in situ rain gauge observations independently. This slowly varying atmospheric pattern has very high daily correlation with the sea surface temperature(SST) over the tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans. The December-to-March seasonal mean of the rainfall is often determined by this ENSO-related pattern. Copyright  2010 Royal Meteorological Society
An ethnoarchaeological study of mobility, architectural investment, and food sharing among madagascar's mikea

Ethnoarchaeology is a field of study that aims to provide the information needed to draw reliable behavioral inferences from archaeological data. In this study, data from four settlement types (permanent villages, forest hamlets, seasonal hamlets, and foraging camps) of a forager–farmer population in southwestern Madagascar are examined from an archaeological perspective. Doing so shows that house size, house post diameter variability, outdoor workspace, trash disposal, and feature diversity jointly sort out settlements of different lengths of occupation. However, the relationship between mobility and material culture is not simply a product of the length of stay; it is also affected by differences in the social environments of settlements of different occupational lengths. Using the behavioral ecology of food sharing, we show that certain architectural changes that ensure privacy are expected to occur as settlements become larger and more permanent. These observations from Madagascar should be applicable to other areas.
A role for Pareto optimality in mining performance data

Improvements in performance modeling and identification of computational regimes within software libraries is a critical first step in developing software libraries that are truly agile with respect to the application as well as to the hardware. It is shown here that Pareto ranking, a concept from multi-objective optimization, can be an effective tool for mining large performance datasets. The approach is illustrated using software performance data gathered using both the public domain LAPACK library and an asynchronous communication library based on IBM LAPI active message library.
Cultural consensus theory for continuous responses: A latent appraisal model for information pooling

Abstract A Cultural Consensus Theory approach for continuous responses is developed, leading to a new model called the Continuous Response Model (CRM). It is a cognitive psychometric model that is applicable to consensus data, in which respondents (informants) have answered questions (items) regarding a shared knowledge or belief domain, and where a consensus (a latent set of ‘true’ answers applicable to the group) may exist. The model estimates the consensus answers to items, item difficulty, informant knowledge and response biases. The model can handle subcultures that have different consensuses from one another in the data, and can both detect and cluster respondents into these subcultures; it thus provides one of the first forms of model-based clustering for multicultural consensus data of the continuous response type. The model is demonstrated on both simulated and real multi-cultural data, using the hierarchical Bayesian framework for inference; two posterior predictive checks are developed to verify the central assumptions of the model; and software is provided to facilitate the application of the model by other researchers.
The end of knight-errantry in GVHD studies

In this issue of Blood, Bolanos-Meade et al reported the results of the randomized phase 3 study Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network (BMT CTN) 0802.1 It compared the addition of mycophenolate mofetil to steroids vs steroids/placebo to treat newly diagnosed acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Unfortunately, it failed to show a significant difference in outcomes.
Light-Induced Enhancement of Rectification by Monolayer of Hexadecylquinolinium Tricyanoquinodimethanide Between Al Electrodes

Photoinduced changes in electrical rectification were measured for a 5-layer Langmuir-Blodgett multilayer of hexadecylquinolinium tricyanoquinodimethanide, sandwiched between opaque and semitransparent Al electrodes, as a function of bias and wavelength. The current increases with the light intensity, but this may be simply due to heating of the sample, rather than to a photon-induced enhancement of the rectification.
Variable-temperature emission studies of solvation dynamics: Evidence for coupling of solvation to chromophore structural dynamics in the evolution of charge-transfer excited states

Variable-temperature emission data over the range 90−298 K have been collected for a series of bipyridyl complexes of RuII. Spectra obtained for [Ru(dmb)3]2+ (dmb = 4,4‘-dimethyl-2,2‘-bipyridine), [Ru(dpb)3]2+ (dpb = 4,4‘-diphenyl-2,2‘-bipyridine), [Ru(dotb)3]2+ (dotb = 4,4‘-di-o-tolyl-2,2‘-bipyridine), and [Ru(dmesb)3]2+ (dmesb = 4,4‘-dimesityl-2,2‘-bipyridine) in 4:1 EtOH/MeOH show similar trends in terms of both the red shift of the emission spectrum and the thermal breadth of the solvent response as the temperature is increased through the glass-to-fluid transition. In contrast, data collected in 2-MeTHF show a strong dependence on the identity of the chromophore, the details of the spectral evolution qualitatively correlating with changes in the steric demands of the system. The most dramatic effect is observed for [Ru(dmesb)3]2+, in which there is an apparent change in the nature of the emitting species with increasing temperature. These observations suggest a strong coupling of solvation dynamics a...
Exporting Studio: Critical Issues to Successfully Adopt the Software Studio Concept

In 1989 the professional masters of software engineering (MSE) program at Carnegie Mellon initiated a new approach to graduate level software projects: the software development studio. In 2002 the studio concept was first exported under a cooperative program to teach software engineering at an international partner university. However, CMU quickly determined that student projects, at this partner, lacked progress compared to their CMU counterparts. This paper will focus on the critical lessons that were learned from this ldquoexportrdquo that not only has helped this partnership but also others that are just starting.
Age and regional specificity of peak limb vascular conductance in men

Because of methodological variation in previous studies, age-associated changes in peak limb vascular conductance (VCpeak; a functional index of arterial structure) and its determinants remain poor...
A Dynamic Network Approach for the Study of Human Phenotypes

The use of networks to integrate different genetic, proteomic, and metabolic datasets has been proposed as a viable path toward elucidating the origins of specific diseases. Here we introduce a new phenotypic database summarizing correlations obtained from the disease history of more than 30 million patients in a Phenotypic Disease Network (PDN). We present evidence that the structure of the PDN is relevant to the understanding of illness progression by showing that (1) patients develop diseases close in the network to those they already have; (2) the progression of disease along the links of the network is different for patients of different genders and ethnicities; (3) patients diagnosed with diseases which are more highly connected in the PDN tend to die sooner than those affected by less connected diseases; and (4) diseases that tend to be preceded by others in the PDN tend to be more connected than diseases that precede other illnesses, and are associated with higher degrees of mortality. Our findings show that disease progression can be represented and studied using network methods, offering the potential to enhance our understanding of the origin and evolution of human diseases. The dataset introduced here, released concurrently with this publication, represents the largest relational phenotypic resource publicly available to the research community.
Criteria for outpatient management of proximal lower extremity deep venous thrombosis.

Study objectives To develop and to evaluate selection criteria for outpatient management of deep venous thrombosis (DVT). Design We developed outpatient treatment eligibility criteria that incorporated demographic and clinical data. We aimed to exclude patients at high risk for bleeding or recurrent clotting, as well as those with pulmonary embolism, limited cardiopulmonary reserve, or need for hospitalization due to another illness. Then, we retrospectively applied the criteria to hospitalized patients with newly diagnosed proximal lower extremity DVT to determine the fraction of patients eligible for outpatient therapy; patients were classified as eligible, possibly eligible, or ineligible for home treatment based on the selection criteria. Setting University hospital. Patients One hundred ninety-five hospitalized patients diagnosed as having proximal lower extremity DVT by duplex ultrasound over a 1-year period. Measurements Frequency of complications during initial DVT therapy, including major bleeding, symptomatic thromboembolism, and death. Results Eighteen (9%) patients were classified as eligible, and 18 (9%) were classified as possibly eligible for outpatient therapy. None of these patients developed complications. Of the 159 (82%) patients classified as ineligible, 13 (8%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4 to 12%) died or developed serious complications. Therefore, the eligibility criteria had a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI, 92 to 100%) and a negative predictive value of 100% (95% CI, 92 to 100%) for predicting serious complications. Conclusions Specific eligibility criteria may identify a subset of patients with acute DVT who can be treated safely at home.
Contact stratification and deception: blackberry messenger versus SMS use among students

The proliferation of communication technology has led to potential stratification of contacts across different media, which has important implications for interpersonal dynamics, such as deception. The present study examines how two text-based communication media, BBM and SMS, involve different kinds of social contact networks, and how these differences lead to changes in the frequency and nature of lies. The results reveal that BBM social contacts are relationally closer and include more friends but fewer family and acquaintances than SMS. More deception was also observed in BBM, which included more lies about managing social interactions. The results have important implications for the impact of design features, such as PIN exchange, in text messaging.
Use of Microstrip Transmission Line to Improve Broadband Electromagnetic Measurements

As electronic components and systems are miniaturized, electromagnetic capability measurements are complicated by the requirement of making broadband probes and energy samplers sufficiently small in order to minimize parasitic impedances and mismatch. Use of microstrip transmission lines as couplers or adaptors to connect miniature components under test to standard coaxial broadband test equipment can provide considerably better control of impedance match than other transmission line configurations resulting in improved accuracy of measurement and convenience of use. A description of microstrip characteristics and fabrication procedures pertinent to this application is given. A novel microstrip device with a provision for inserting current probes, electroexplosive devices, magnetic cores and other miniature current-sensitive components has been built and tested. It can be used as a broadband coupler for measuring impedance and transient response to current inputs or as a calibrator to supply a predetermined current to a current-sensing probe from DC to 1.1 GHz with a maximum error of 2.7 dB. Other microstrip couplers designed for measurements on electroexplosive devices are also described.