cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
INSTRUMENTAL ACTIVATION ANALYSIS OF METEORITES USING GAMMA--GAMMA COINCIDENCE SPECTROMETRY.

Abstract A non-destructive procedure for the determination of iridium, sodium, nickel, cobalt, and scandium in a single meteorite sample is presented. The method utilizes neutron activation followed by gamma-gamma coincidence spectrometry. Iridium abundances are given for several meteorites and compared to values obtained by radiochemical separation methods. The non-destructive results differ significantly from previously published values for certain classes of meteorites, in particular the enstatite chondrites.
Equestrian injuries in children.

Abstract Purpose Equestrian activities are regarded by some as high-risk sports, and our recent experience suggested this to be true. We undertook this study to review our experience with pediatric equestrian injuries. Methods After institutional review board approval, we reviewed emergency department and hospital admissions for children 0 to 18 years, with equestrian trauma, over an 11-year period. Results There were 164 encounters with 135 girls and 29 boys. Most injuries (82%) occurred after falling or being thrown from the animal, and only 12% occurred during jumping or rodeo competitions. The remaining injuries were secondary to being trampled, kicked, or trapped under the animal. Eighty-seven children required hospital admission. Lacerations and contusions (58%) or orthopedic injuries (31%) were most common in the emergency department cohort. In the admission cohort, injury sites included orthopedic (34%), head (23%), abdomen (21%), and chest (11%). Multiple injuries occurred in 13%. A significant number of children required surgical interventions, including 19 orthopedic procedures, 4 laparotomies, 3 facial reconstructions, and 2 craniotomies. The average length of stay was nearly 4 days, with 60% of the children requiring intensive care admission. There were no deaths. One child was discharged to rehab, the rest were sent home. Conclusions In our experience, more than one third of the children admitted after sustaining injuries in horse-related sports required surgical interventions. Children participating in equestrian activities are at risk for substantial injury, and pediatric care providers must maintain a high index of suspicion when evaluating these children.
p75NTR: A Receptor After All

One of the first growth factor receptors to be cloned, p75NTR was supplanted by newer molecules that bind nerve growth factor (NGF). Now in a number of recent papers, including one in this issue of Science , p75NTR proves to be a receptor for NGF after all, with a specialized function in Schwann's cells. In his Perspective, Bothwell points out that signal transduction by p75NTR is in many ways similar to transduction by the tumor necrosis factor receptors, CD40, and Fas, which couple to both apoptotic cell death and the transcription factor NF-kappaB.
Creating and evaluating a video vocabulary for communicating verbs for different age groups

Icons and digital images used in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) are not as effective in illustrating verbs, especially for people with cognitive degeneration or impairment. Realistic videos have possible advantages for conveying verbs, as verified in our studies with young and old adults comparing single image, multiple images, animations, and video clips. Videos are especially more effective for verbs that show concrete movements or actions. Based on our studies, we propose rules for filming video verb representations, exploring possible visual cues and other factors that may affect people's perception and interpretation.
Acute coronary syndromes: Acute MI in women—the fountain of youth has run dry

Women—especially younger women—have greater morbidity and mortality from myocardial infarction than men. The VIRGO study involving young patients (aged 18–55 years) suggests that delay in arrival to hospital and suboptimal management occurs more commonly in young women than men. Female sex was an independent predictor of delay.
Health-related quality of life and patient reports about care outcomes in a multidisciplinary hospital intervention

Background: Patient perceptions of care and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) are important outcomes for hospitalized patients.Purpose: This study examined patient experiences with hospital care and HRQOL in individuals hospitalized at a west coast teaching hospital.Methods:We assessed patient experiences with care and HRQOL using interviews with 1,207 hospitalized, general medicine patients participating in a multidisciplinary provider team intervention at a large academic medical center. Patient outcome variables included the Picker dimensions of hospital care (Continuity and Transition, Coordination of Care, Emotional Support, Information and Education, Involvement of Family and Friends, Physical Comfort, Respect for Patient Preferences, Overall Impression), the Health Utilities Index Mark 3 (HUI-3), and the SF-12 physical (PCS-12) and mental health (MCS-12) summary scores.Results: Patients randomized to a multidisciplinary intervention reported higher emotional support (b = 3.32), t(903) = 2.01, p =.044, and physical comfort (b = 3.49), t(863) = 2.25, p = .025, from health care providers than did the control group, but these effects became nonsignificant after adjusting for multiple comparisons. The HUI-3, PCS-12, and MCS-12 summary scores improved significantly from baseline to the 30-day, ts(943, 919, 860) = 4.94, 2.20, and 5.31, ps < .0001, = .03, and < .0001, respectively, and the 4-month follow-ups, ts(871, 919, 943) = 7.25, 8.68, and 8.08, ps < .001, < .001, and < .0001, respectively, but change on these measures did not differ between intervention and control patients. Baseline health was significantly associated with patient evaluations of hospital care, but patient evaluations did not predict future health.Conclusions: There were no differences in reports and ratings of hospital care or HRQOL between the control and the intervention groups. Hence, the behavioral changes in hospital staff in the intervention group had no effect on patient-reported outcomes. Mental health at baseline was predictive of patient evaluations of the hospitalization, but evaluations of care were not associated with subsequent HRQOL. Thus, it may be important to adjust patient evaluations of hospital care for case-mix differences in health.
Phase II trial of weekly paclitaxel and gemcitabine for previously untreated, stage IIIB-IV nonsmall cell lung cancer†

BACKGROUND. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerance of the noncisplatin-based combination of paclitaxel and gemcitabine administered weekly for patients with untreated metastatic nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS. Patients with Stage IIIB/IV or recurrent NSCLC, a performance status of 0–2, and no prior chemotherapy exposure were eligible. Patients received gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 and paclitaxel 85 mg/m2 on Days 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 36 of an 8-week cycle until progression. RESULTS. Thirty-nine eligible patients were enrolled. The median age was 66 years and 14 patients were ≥70 years old. Performance status was 2 in 13 (33%) and 29 patients (75%) had Stage IV. Five patients (12.8%) developed interstitial pneumonitis and 2 of these were responsive to steroid therapy. The overall response rate was 23.1%, with no complete responses. The median survival was 32 weeks and the 1-year survival was 32%. CONCLUSIONS. This regimen of weekly paclitaxel and gemcitabine has modest activity in advanced NSCLC. Cancer 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society.
Volatiles from Oranges. 1. Hydrocarbons. Identified by Infrared, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, and Mass Spectra

SUMMARY Investigation of the lower-boiling fraction of orange volatiles showed the following hydrocarbons: limonene, myrcene, alpha-pinene, alpha-thujene, camphene, alpha- and gamma-terpinene, alpha-phellandrene, p-cymene, and p-isopropenyltoluene. Four sesquiterpenes were isolated from the higher-boiling fraction. The major sesquiterpene found has not been related to any known compound. Of those present in less amounts, one has been identified as farnesene, and another as ylangene.
Mechanism of procainamide-induced prevention of spontaneous wave break during ventricular fibrillation. Insight into the maintenance of fibrillation wave fronts.

Background—Ventricular fibrillation (VF) is maintained by 2 mechanisms: first by reentry formation and second by spontaneous wave break or wave splitting. We hypothesized that spontaneous wave break results from a critical shortening of the action potential duration (APD) during VF and that its prevention by procainamide eliminates spontaneous wave break. Methods and Results—The endocardial surfaces of 7 isolated, perfused swine right ventricles were mapped with a 3.2×3.8 cm plaque with 477 bipolar electrodes. Activation pattern during VF was visualized dynamically while simultaneously recording epicardial action potentials with a glass microelectrode. APD restitution curves were constructed during VF (dynamic) and during S1S2 protocols. At baseline, VF was maintained by 5.3±1 wavelets. Procainamide (PA) at 10 μg/mL decreased the number of wavelets to 3.5±1 (P<0.05). At baseline VF was maintained by spontaneous wave break and by new reentrant wave front formation. PA eliminated spontaneous wave break duri...
Conditional survival in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: results from the SEER dataset 1973-1998.

BACKGROUND. Survival statistics for patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) are commonly calculated from the time of diagnosis. The less commonly employed conditional survival (CS) analyzes survival for patients who have survived a period of time after diagnosis. Useful prognostic information for cancer survivors is provided by CS analysis. Estimated baseline CS parameters for HNSCC were sought using large-scale cancer registry data. METHODS. HNSCC cases identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program were accessed to identify those diagnosed between 1973 and 1998. Five-year observed, relative, and cumulative CS calculations were performed, with secondary stratification by site, extent of disease, and age. RESULTS. The overall 5-year observed survival for all sites increased from 47.8% for 76,181 included patients from the time of diagnosis to 64.4% for those 43,985 patients alive at 3 years, and thereafter plateaus. The greatest increase in CS was for oropharyngeal cancers, which more than doubled over the first decade of surveillance (26.5%–60%). Distant disease showed a 10-year increase in CS (17.4%–60.4%), whereas localized disease CS was essentially static, ranging from 66.1% to 68.5%; for those over 65 at diagnosis it ranged from 39.9–52.9%, whereas patients <65 years at diagnosis ranged from 53.8–73.5%. CONCLUSIONS. Benchmark CS estimates for domestic HNSCC cohorts were developed from the SEER database. CS is a useful tool to assist clinicians in predicting the probability of demise from HNSCC for patients surviving 1 or more year after diagnosis. Cancer 2007. © 2007 American Cancer Society.
Liposomal modular complexes for simultaneous targeted delivery of bioactive gases and therapeutics

Abstract Intrinsically echogenic liposomes (ELIP) can be adapted to encapsulate nitric oxide to facilitate ultrasound-enhanced delivery of therapeutic agents to atherosclerotic plaques. However, the NO loading of targeted ELIP caused a 93% decrease of antibody (Ab) immunoreactivity. The following hypothesis was tested: biotin/avidin-mediated coupling of NO-ELIP and Ab-conjugated ELIP will enable co-delivery of bioactive gases and ELIP that can encapsulate other agents without loss of targeting efficiency. Complex formation was initiated by addition of excess streptavidin to equal proportions of biotinylated Ab-ELIP and NO-ELIP. Fluorescence deconvolution microscopy, Coulter Multisizer 3 analysis and flow cytometry demonstrated that the ELIP coupling procedure formed mixed aggregates of ≥ 10 liposomes within 1 min. Intravascular ultrasound imaging and ELISA showed that echogenicity and targeting efficiency were completely and 69–99% retained, respectively. When complexed to NO-ELIP, ELIP bifunctionally targeted to both CD34 and ICAM-1 (BF-ELIP) increased human mononuclear cell migration through human coronary artery endothelial cell monolayers in transwell plates 4-fold relative to a nonspecific IgG-ELIP control and 2-fold relative to BF-ELIP alone. It was concluded that this novel multi-functional conjugation methodology provides a platform technology for site-specific co-delivery of bioactive gases and other agents.
Purified human fibroblast interferon in vivo: Skin reactions and effect on bone marrow precursor cells

Human interferon from normal diploid fibroblasts, purified by sequential chromatography on concanavalin A-agarose and phenyl-sepharose, was administered parenterally in 4 subjects. Fever, marked skin hypersensitivity reactions and suppression of marrow stem cells (estimated by the count of myeloid colony-forming cells), side-effects common for less purified fibroblast and leukocyte interferons, were absent. Purified fibroblast interferon retained antiviral and immunomodulatory activity, evidenced by reduction of the blastogenic response of peripheral lymphocytes and decrease of hepatitis B virus markers in a patient with chronic hepatitis B infection treated with this substance.
Cytotoxicity of paclitaxel in breast cancer is due to chromosome missegregation on multipolar spindles

The blockbuster chemotherapy drug paclitaxel is widely presumed to cause cell death in tumors as a consequence of mitotic arrest, as it does at concentrations routinely used in cell culture. However, we determine here that paclitaxel levels in primary breast tumors are well below those required to elicit sustained mitotic arrest. Instead, cells in these lower concentrations of drug proceed through mitosis without substantial delay and divide their chromosomes on multipolar spindles, resulting in chromosome missegregation and cell death. Consistent with these cell culture data, most mitotic cells in primary human breast cancers contain multipolar spindles after paclitaxel treatment. Contrary to the previous hypothesis, we find that mitotic arrest is dispensable for tumor regression in patients. These results demonstrate that mitotic arrest is not responsible for the efficacy of paclitaxel, which occurs because of chromosome missegregation on highly abnormal, multipolar spindles. This mechanistic insight may be used to improve selection of future antimitotic drugs and to identify a biomarker with which to select patients likely to benefit from paclitaxel.
Effects of vibrational, averaging on structures and order parameters of difluorobenzenes in various oriented media

Abstract The previously reported structures of the difluorobenzenes obtained from partially oriented NMR spectra have been corrected for harmonic vibrational motions. Possible effects arising from pseudo-dipolar couplings have also been investigated. The vibrationally corrected structures are frequently outside of the experimental errors of the uncorrected structures. The vibrational corrections are found to decrease the range in the distance ratios resulting from the use of various solvent systems.
Preparation of cross sections of thermal spray coatings for TEM investigation

A technique for the preparation of cross sections for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of thermal spray coatings has been developed. The procedure is designed to minimize specimen damage during mechanical thinning and to reduce the effect of differential thinning during ion milling. Specimens were made by two different coating systems— WC- Co coating produced by the FARE Gun process on a mild steel substrate and Tribaloy T- 800 sprayed by the HVOF process on a nickel- base superalloy. These specimens have large areas that are electron transparent on either side of the interface, and the results have shown the atomic scale microstructure of the interface between the thermal spray coating and the substrate.
Rhythmicity and preperformance ritual: stabilizing a flexible system.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine: (a) if preperformance behaviors display a consistent rhythm across disparate activities; and (b) the relationship of periodicity for such preperformance routines to successful performance. Seven male volunteers were subjects for this study. Each subject had an established ritual for golf putt, basketball free throw, and tennis serve. Data were collected with a motion-analysis system and video camera while the subjects performed each activity. Dependent measures were types of preperformance behaviors, absolute timing of behaviors, relative timing of behaviors, differences in relative times across activities, and successful performance, and mechanical variables related to performance. Analysis of variance (Subject x Activity) indicated significant main effects and interactions for absolute and relative timing of behaviors. Significant correlations were determined to exist between relative time and success, and differences were found between relative times...
Biotechnology: A new frontier for molecular thermodynamics

Abstract Thanks to growing scientific knowledge at the molecular level and to the awesome growing power of computers, it may now be possible to apply molecular thermodynamics toward the development and production of biochemicals. To illustrate that possibility, a few examples are presented; these include extraction for isolating solutes from dilute aqueous solution; extraction using organic solvents containing reverse micelles; phase separation in liquid solutions of large molecules using shear; entropy-driven adsorption of enzymes and finally, molecular-simulation calculations to determine the catalytic properties of a mutant enzyme. While novel future applications will require much dedicated research, it is necessary to start now to build the necessary foundations. Emphasis must be directed toward establishing a representative data base and toward increasing familiarity with new experimental methods and new theoretical concepts. To apply molecular thermodynamics to biotechnology, it is particularly important for chemical-engineering thermodynamicists to give attention to the properties of aqueous systems containing salts and large, charged molecules.
Uncorrelated genetic drift of gene frequencies and linkage disequilibrium in some models of linked overdominant polymorphisms.

For large population sizes, gene frequencies p and q at two linked over-dominant loci and the linkage disequilibrium parameter D will remain close to their equilibrium values. We can treat selection and recombination as approximately linear forces on p, q and D , and we can treat genetic drift as a multivariate normal perturbation with constant variance-covariance matrix. For the additive-multiplicative family of two-locus models, p, q and D are shown to be (approximately) uncorrelated. Expressions for their variances are obtained. When selection coefficients are small the variances of p and q are those previously given by Robertson for a single locus. For small recombination fractions the variance of D is that obtained for neutral loci by Ohta & Kimura. For larger recombination fractions the result differs from theirs, so that for unlinked loci r 2 ≃ 2/(3 N ) instead of 1/(2 N ). For the Lewontin-Kojima and Bodmer symmetric viability models, and for a model symmetric at only one of the loci, a more exact argument is possible. In the asymptotic conditional distribution in these cases, various of p, q and D are uncorrelated, depending on the type of symmetiy in the model.
Analysis of multispectral and hyperspectral data

Analysis methods for multispectral data have been under study for at least three decades. In spite of that fact, the state of the technology is still far from satisfactory for conventional multispectral data, and the advent of hyperspectral sensor systems raises the challenge substantially. Thus a focused effort was begun a few years ago to advance the technology of multispectral analysis to a more effective level, and especially to prepare suitable methods to yield full information extraction capabilities from the new hyperspectral data. This paper outlines some of what has been learned about this problem from the research effort.
Structure and OH-stretch spectroscopy of low- and high-density amorphous ices.

We use the E3B water simulation model (which explicitly includes three-body interactions) and molecular dynamics simulations to study the structure of low- and high-density amorphous ices. We find that the “interstitial” molecule in high-density amorphous ice, which is responsible for the higher density, is not hydrogen bonded to the central molecule or its nearest neighbors. This molecule enforces a wider range of local environments as demonstrated by the tetrahedral order parameter, whereas the local structure of low-density amorphous ice is more ordered. We also present theoretical vibrational spectra (infrared, Raman, and two-dimensional infrared) for the amorphous phases, for both HOD/D2O and H2O. The results are in qualitative agreement with experiment and reflect the fact that low-density amorphous ice is more ordered, with stronger hydrogen bonds, compared to high-density amorphous ice. For both the structural analysis and spectral calculations, we compare the results for the amorphous ices with those for crystalline ice Ih and supercooled water.
Vertically fused tracheal cartilage. An underrecognized anomaly.

• Anterior vertical fusion of the tracheal cartilages with normal pars membranacea is a rarely described tracheal anomaly. We report four cases of this anomaly, three associated with craniosynostosis syndromes and one with Goldenhar's syndrome. The anomaly was documented at postmortem examination in one case, both endoscopically and at tracheotomy in two cases, and endoscopically in one case. Documentation from gross postmortem photographs, photomicrographs, and intraoperative endoscopic photographs is presented so that the anatomical aspects of this anomaly can be thoroughly understood and recognized. All four newborn patients developed recurrent lower respiratory tract infections, reactive airway disease, and chronically retained secretions attributable to this anomaly. Neither tracheal stenosis nor stridor was encountered. In the three surviving patients, the infections grew less frequent and less severe in later childhood. These observations suggest that this tracheobronchial anomaly may be associated with a variety of craniofacial syndromes and may alter airflow dynamics in a way that predisposes to retained secretions and chronic pulmonary disease. ( Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1992;118:436-438)
Low Proliferative Rate of Invasive Node-Negative Breast Cancer Predicts for a Favorable Outcome: A Prospective Evaluation of 669 Patients

This study was designed to compare outcome in terms of disease-free survival (DFS) in women with histologically negative axillary lymph nodes and documented low proliferative rate cancer to other well-defined prognostic factors including type of adjuvant treatment. Between 1988 and 1998, we studied 669 patients with invasive node-negative breast cancer up to 5 cm in size and low proliferative rate measured by flow cytometry to determine S-phase fraction (SPF) or by histochemistry (Ki67/MIB1). At a median follow-up of 53 months, 5-year DFS for the entire group was 94% and did not differ significantly by type of systemic adjuvant treatment: none (133 patients, 95% DFS), tamoxifen (441 patients, 94% DFS), or chemotherapy with doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (95 patients, 92% DFS). In a multivariate prognostic factor analysis, only tumor size was significant; 5-year DFS was 96% for T1N0 cancer versus 89% for T2N0 cancer (P = 0.01). We have prospectively confirmed that a low rate of proliferation as measured by SPF or MIB1 determination confers an excellent prognosis in invasive node-negative breast cancer up to 5 cm in size, regardless of adjuvant treatment.
Missing value estimation methods for DNA microarrays.

Motivation: Gene expression microarray experiments can generate data sets with multiple missing expression values. Unfortunately, many algorithms for gene expression analysis require a complete matrix of gene array values as input. For example, methods such as hierarchical clustering and K-means clustering are not robust to missing data, and may lose effectiveness even with a few missing values. Methods for imputing missing data are needed, therefore, to minimize the effect of incomplete data sets on analyses, and to increase the range of data sets to which these algorithms can be applied. In this report, we investigate automated methods for estimating missing data. Results: We present a comparative study of several methods for the estimation of missing values in gene microarray data. We implemented and evaluated three methods: a Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) based method (SVDimpute), weighted K-nearest neighbors (KNNimpute), and row average. We evaluated the methods using a variety of parameter settings and over different real data sets, and assessed the robustness of the imputation methods to the amount of missing data over the range of 1–20% missing values. We show that KNNimpute appears to provide a more robust and sensitive method for missing value estimation than SVDimpute, and both SVDimpute and KNNimpute surpass the commonly used row average method (as well as filling missing values with zeros). We report results of the comparative experiments and provide recommendations and tools for accurate estimation of missing microarray data under a variety of conditions. Availability: The software is available at http://smi-web.
Student Error Patterns as a Function of Curriculum Design Teaching Fractions to Remedial High School Students and High School Students with Learning Disabilities

This study evaluated the relative effectiveness of a curriculum that incorporated three empirically derived principles of curriculum design with a basal approach in teaching basic fractions concepts to students with learning disabilities and other low performing students in high school remedial math classes. The components of effective mathematics instruction articulated by Good and Grouws (1979) were implemented in both conditions. Thus, the curriculum design variables were isolated by keeping all other aspects of instruction constant. Results indicated that, although both programs were reasonably successful in teaching the material, the curriculum program utilizing sophisticated principles of curriculum design was significantly more effective. Mean scores on a curriculum-referenced test were 96.5% for that group and 82.3% for the basal group. Secondary analyses of item clusters revealed that areas of weakness in the performance of the basal group could be directly linked to hypothesized flaws in its cur...
Fiber Bragg Grating Vibrating Sensors and its Signal Processing System

Compares with other sense techniques, fiber Bragg grating sense has its special advantage. In this paper, the theoretical model for measuring the vibration parameters through measuring strain with fiber Bragg grating are explored, and the composition of signal processing system are presented. The vibration testing have been done, two vibration measurement methods of fiber Bragg grating and acceleration transducer are experimentally contrasted. The experiment results indicate that the test data of FBG and accelerometer are anastomotic and are practical for vibration testing of low-frequency vibrational structure.
The use of various soil and site variables for estimating growth response of Douglas-fir to multiple applications of urea and determining potential long-term effects on soil properties

Estimating the growth response of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) stands after nitrogen (N) fertilization is difficult because of the high site variability present in the Pacific Northwest. Our objective was to determine how site and soil variables relate to stand response to repeat applications of 224 kg Nha -1 as urea once every 4 years. The unstandardized residuals of two dependent variables (total cumulative volume and 4-year periodic annual increment, or PAI) were regressed against site and soil variables using stepwise regression. Data were stratified by three different stand density treatments: unaltered stand density (SD), one-half SD (SD/2), and one-quarter SD (SD/4). Both total cumulative volume and 4-year PAI after the second application of urea was significantly higher in the fertilized plots (p = 0.008; 0.009), whereas only total cumulative volume was significant after the third fertilizer application (p = 0.021). Thinning ef- fects were highly significant (p < 0.001) for all three fertilizer applications. The strongest related stand, site, or soil varia- ble to fertilization response existed between percent N at the 30-50 cm depth and total cumulative volume (R 2 = 0.833) for the SD/2 stand density management regime. Regression analysis showed that C, N, NH4 + , and NO3 - concentration data explained the most variation, while stand and site variables contributing the least. The results demonstrate that multiple ap- plications of urea provide significant increases in total volume, but effects of successive applications diminish over time. Resume´ : Il est difficile d'evaluer la reaction en croissance de peuplements de douglas de Menzies (Pseudotsuga menziesii
Cost-effectiveness analysis of linezolid, daptomycin, and vancomycin in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: complicated skin and skin structure infection using Bayesian methods for evidence synthesis.

Abstract Background Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) complicated skin and skin structure infection (cSSSI) is a prominent infection encountered in hospital and outpatient settings that is associated with high resource use for the health-care system. Objective A decision analytic (DA) model was developed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) of linezolid, daptomycin, and vancomycin in MRSA cSSSI. Methods Bayesian methods for evidence synthesis were used to generate efficacy and safety parameters for a DA model using published clinical trials. CEA was done from the US health-care perspective. Efficacy was defined as a successfully treated patient at the test of cure without any adverse reaction. Primary outcome was the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio between linezolid and vancomycin, daptomycin and vancomycin, and linezolid and daptomycin in MRSA cSSSI. Univariate and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed to test the robustness of the model. Results The total direct costs of linezolid, daptomycin, and vancomycin were $18,057, $20,698, and $23,671, respectively. The cost-effectiveness ratios for linezolid, daptomycin, and vancomycin were $37,604, $44,086, and $52,663 per successfully treated patient, respectively. Linezolid and daptomycin were dominant strategies compared to vancomycin. However, linezolid was dominant when compared to daptomycin. The model was sensitive to the duration of daptomycin and linezolid treatment. Conclusion Linezolid and daptomycin are potentially cost-effective based on the assumptions of the DA model; however, linezolid appears to be more cost-effective compared to daptomycin and vancomycin for MRSA cSSSIs.
Shop floor production community design: artificial agents based approach

We model automated shop floor production as a multi-agent community. An artificial agent based approach has been developed to improve the design and control of such a community. The resulting community has two types of agents. The first is a cost simulation agent, and the second is an optimization agent whose leaving mechanism is based on generic algorithms. The output from the cost simulation agent is used as input for the optimization agent. We compare the performance of this agent-based approach with infinitesimal perturbation analysis, and find out that the results using the former approach are promising. Finally, we discuss the convergence behavior of the optimization agent. The results shed light on modeling an enterprise as a community of agents.
In Situ Diffusion and Miscibility Studies of Thermoplastic PDLC Systems by FT-IR Microspectroscopy

Infrared microspectroscopy was used to study the interaction of liquid crystal (E7) with poly( n -butyl methacrylate) (PBMA). A novel experimental technique is introduced to conduct in situ diffusion and miscibility studies of polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) systems. The amount of liquid crystal dissolved in the polymer matrix is determined by using the IR microspectroscope, which is a powerful tool for characterizing domains on the order of tens of micrometers. Quantitative phase diagrams are constructed for the PBMA and E7 mixture. It is observed that the diffusion of E7 into PBMA follows Fick's second law of diffusion with a diffusion coefficient of (1.3 ± 0.2) X 10 -7 cm2/s at 61 °C. The intensities of the peaks in the IR spectrum were used as a measure of the concentration of the components. The combination of IR microspectroscopy with the contact method is proven to be a powerful technique for the quantitative elucidation of phase diagrams.
The study on failure mechanisms of bond pad metal peeling: Part B––Numerical analysis

Abstract According to the results of Part A of this paper [Microelectron. Reliab., this issue], the vertical tension loading transferred from the capillary is clarified as the direct driving force for bond pad metal peeling. Furthermore, the crack on the bonding pad is identified as the direct cause of the pad peeling. However, the major driving force for the crack that is correlated to the four main loadings described in the part A of this paper is not clarified. In order to find the driving force for the crack, whole ball bonding process of ultrasonic wire bonding is simulated by finite element method. The results of this study indicate that the horizontal vibration of the capillary controlled by ultrasonic power of the bonding machine has the most serious effect on the crack on the bonding pad as well as its propagation into the oxide layers in SDRAM chip. Thus it can be the major driving force for the crack.
Sr isotopes as tracers of anthropogenic influences on stream water in the Austin, Texas, area

article i nfo The impact of urbanization on streams is multifold and affects both stream flow and stream-water quality. These impacts can lead to either 1) a decrease in stream base flow via increased runoff to streams and reduced diffuse recharge caused by the burial of soil by impervious cover, or 2) an increase in stream base-flow via addition of anthropogenic water sources. Identifying the sources of inputs to urbanized streams is essential to addressing this issue. In the Austin, Texas area, we find a strong contrast in Sr isotope composition between municipal water and stream water in relatively undeveloped watersheds. Dissolved Sr in stream water from eight watersheds in Austin has a wide range of Sr isotope compositions, from 87 Sr/ 86 Sr=0.70778 to 0.70918.
The Evolutionary Roots of Our Environmental Problems: Toward a Darwinian Ecology

ABSTRACT It is widely acknowledged that we need to stabilize population growth and reduce our environmental impact; however, there is little consensus about how we might achieve these changes. Here I show how evolutionary analyses of human behavior provide important, though generally ignored, insights into our environmental problems. First, I review increasing evidence that Homo sapiens has a long history of causing ecological problems. This means that, contrary to popular belief, our species’ capacity for ecological destruction is not simply due to “Western” culture. Second, I provide an overview of how evolutionary research can help to understand why humans are ecologically destructive, including the reasons why people often overpopulate, overconsume, exhaust common‐pool resources, discount the future, and respond maladaptively to modern environmental hazards. Evolutionary approaches not only explain our darker sides, they also provide insights into why people cherish plants and animals and often suppor...
Positioning adjacent pair-rule stripes in the posterior Drosophila embryo

We present a genetic and molecular analysis of two hairy (h) pair-rule stripes in order to determine how gradients of gap proteins position adjacent stripes of gene expression in the posterior of Drosophila embryos. We have delimited regulatory sequences critical for the expression of h stripes 5 and 6 to 302 bp and 526 bp fragments, respectively, and assayed the expression of stripe-specific reporter constructs in several gap mutant backgrounds. We demonstrate that posterior stripe boundaries are established by gap protein repressors unique to each stripe: h stripe 5 is repressed by the giant (gt) protein on its posterior border and h stripe 6 is repressed by the hunchback (hb) protein on its posterior border. Interestingly, Kruppel (Kr) limits the anterior expression limits of both stripes and is the only gap gene to do so, indicating that stripes 5 and 6 may be coordinately positioned by the Kr repressor. In contrast to these very similar cases of spatial repression, stripes 5 and 6 appear to be activated by different mechanisms. Stripe 6 is critically dependent upon knirps (kni) for activation, while stripe 5 likely requires a combination of activating proteins (gap and non-gap). To begin a mechanistic understanding of stripe formation, we locate binding sites for the Kr protein in both stripe enhancers. The stripe 6 enhancer contains higher affinity Kr-binding sites than the stripe 5 enhancer, which may allow for the two stripes to be repressed at different Kr protein concentration thresholds. We also demonstrate that the kni activator binds to the stripe 6 enhancer and present evidence for a competitive mechanism of Kr repression of stripe 6.
Efficient parallel circuit simulation using bounded-chaotic relaxation

WRV256, an experimental waveform-relaxation-based parallel circuit simulator for the Victor V256 distributed-memory parallel machine, was used to study performance trade-offs between Gauss-Seidel and bounded-chaotic relaxation algorithms. Several subcircuit scheduling alternatives within the bounded-chaotic framework were also investigated. The simulator has been exercised on a suite of circuits ranging from 16000 to over 93000 FETs. Several of the circuits were extracted directly from a 16-Mb DRAM (dynamic random-access memory) memory design. It is concluded that the bounded-chaotic algorithm offers a reasonable compromise for a relaxation algorithm used for parallel machines. It offers one way to attain both the numerical efficiency of Gauss-Seidel for larger jobs and the Gauss-Jacobi parallelism for smaller ones. >
Constant positive airway pressure reduces hypoventilation induced by inhalation anesthesia

Abstract Study Objective To discover if reducing respiratory system impedance would increase tidal volume and improve ventilation during inhalation anesthesia. Design Prospective, randomized cross-over study. Subjects Nine ASA physical status I and II adult female oncology patients undergoing breast operations with or without lymph node dissection and general anesthesia while breathing spontaneously. Interventions and Measurements Patients underwent alternating trials of constant positive airway pressure, with or without pressure support. Constant positive airway pressure and pressure support were titrated to maximize respiratory system compliance and equal inspiratory pressure gradient across tracheal tube, respectively. Variables reflecting cardiovascular function, pulmonary mechanics and lung gas exchange, and respired gases and isoflurane concentrations were measured. Main Results End-tidal concentration of isoflurane (1.3 ± 0.2%), Fio 2 (0.43 ± 0.09 ), and CO 2 elimination (209 ± 42 mL min −1 ) was unchanged throughout study in patients aged 63 ± 12 years, weighing 72 ± 12 kg. Constant positive airway pressure (12 ± 2 cm H 2 O) increased respiratory system compliance from 52 ± 8 to 80 ± 9 mL cm H 2 O −1 ( P P −1 ( P −1 ( P 2 decreased from 54 ± 8 to 44 ± 6 mm Hg ( P 2 increased from 137 ± 37 to 160 ± 64 mm Hg ( P 2 O) did not alter ventilation or gas exchange. Conclusion We conclude that constant positive airway pressure titrated to optimal respiratory system compliance will increase efficiency of inspiratory muscles and improve ventilation. Constant positive airway pressure facilitates a pattern of breathing that minimizes some of the adverse pulmonary effects of inhalation anesthesia.
Poster: a path-cutting approach to blocking XSS worms in social web networks

Worms exploiting JavaScript XSS vulnerabilities rampantly infect millions of webpages, while drawing the ire of helpless users. To date, users across all of the popular social networks, including FaceBook, MySpace, Orkut and Twitters, have been vulnerable to XSS worms. We propose PathCutter as a new approach to severing the self-propagation path of JavaScript worms. PathCutter works by blocking two critical steps in the propagation path of an XSS worm: (i) DOM access to different views at the client-side and (ii) unauthorized HTTP request to the server. As a result, although an XSS vulnerability is successfully exercised at the client, the XSS worm is prevented from successfully propagating to the would be victim's own social network page. PathCutter is effective against all of the current forms of XSS worms, including those that exploit traditional XSS, DOM-based XSS, and content sniffing XSS vulnerabilities. We demonstrate PathCutter using WordPress and perform a preliminary evaluation on a proof-of-concept JavaScript Worm.
Ultrasonic quantification of the tissue microstructure of spontaneous mammary tumors in rats

The quantification of tissue microstructure using ultrasound can aid in the detection and classification of disease. Eight retired breeder were acquired that had developed spontaneous mammary tumors. Two-dimensional B-mode images of the rat tumors were constructed from backscattered echoes. After scanning, tumors were dissected free from each rat, trimmed in the plane of ultrasound exposure, fixed in 10 % neutral-buffered formalin, embedded in paraffin, sectioned at 5 /spl mu/m, and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Tumors were diagnosed microscopically as mammary gland fibroadenomas. Regions-of-interest (ROIs) were selected in the tumors and surrounding tissues and scatterer properties (average scatterer size and acoustic concentration) were estimated from the backscattered RF signal. Scatterer estimates were made by using least squares to fit a line to the measured form factor that was calculated from the backscattered power spectrum. Noise reduces the ability to make estimates of scatterer properties. A weighting scheme was used to reduce the effects of noise and increase the ability to make accurate estimates. Comparison of scatterer estimates made between normal tissues and tissues inside the tumors were made. On average, the estimated scatterer diameters inside the tumors were 30 % larger at 107 micrometers than estimates of scatterer diameters outside the tumors averaging 82 micrometers. Similarly, the average acoustic concentration estimated inside the tumor was 3.16/spl times/10/sup -2/ mm/sup -3/ as opposed to 0.746 mm/sup -3/ for outside the tumor. In all but one of the rats, there was a statistically significant difference (P<0.05) between estimates of scatterer properties made inside the tumors and in surrounding healthy tissues. Enhanced B-mode images were constructed by superimposing colored pixels that corresponding to the estimated scatterer properties on the gray-scale B-mode images. The enhanced B-mode images also showed differences between tissues inside and outside the tumors.
Clifford Geertz and the Strong Program: The Human Sciences and Cultural Sociology

What did Clifford Geertz mean? What was his significance? What did he signify, crystallize, and make possible? These are contentious questions, have been, and will continue to be. There have been decades already of fighting about “Geertz.” Such interpretive disputes are the lot of every exemplary figure. Interpreting is a way of positioning, of saying who we are, in relationship to an intellectual icon, placing ourselves alongside him, against him, or somewhere in between. Lack of agreement, not only about propositions but also about presuppositions, is the reality of intellectual life in the human sciences.
Medical and psychological comorbidity predicts poor pain outcomes after total knee arthroplasty

Objective. To study comorbidity correlates of moderate to severe pain after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Methods. We analysed prospectively collected Total Joint Registry data to examine whether medical (heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, renal disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes and CTD) and psychological (anxiety and depression) comorbidity is associated with moderate to severe pain after primary or revision TKA. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression simultaneously adjusted for all comorbidities, age, sex, BMI, underlying diagnosis, American Society of Anesthesiologist (ASA) class, distance from medical centre and implant fixation (only for primary TKA) was used to analyse primary and revision TKA separately. Results. The primary TKA cohort consisted of 7139 and 4234 TKAs (response rates 65% and 57%) and the revision TKA cohort consisted of 1533 and 881 TKAs at 2 and 5 years (response rates 57% and 48%), respectively. In the primary TKA cohort, anxiety was associated with 1.4 higher odds (95% CI 1.0, 2.0) of moderate to severe index knee pain at 2 years; at 5 years, heart disease (OR 1.7; 95% CI 1.1, 2.6), depression (OR 1.7; 95% CI 1.1, 2.5) and anxiety (OR 1.9; 95% CI 1.2, 3.1) were significantly associated with moderate to severe pain. For revision TKA, CTD (OR 0.5; 95% CI 0.2, 0.9) and depression (OR 1.8; 95% CI 1.1, 3.1) were significantly associated with moderate to severe pain.