cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Software architecture and system validation of an open, unified model for accelerated multicore computing

For systems that use hardware accelerators to combine multicore and multiprocess technology with libraries and computational kernels, the drawbacks are the complexity of the programming model and the corresponding verification of the software and validation of the system performance capabilities. In this paper, we describe a software approach to utilizing the compute power of the Cell Broadband Engine® processor and a cluster composed of x86-64 and IBM PowerXCell™ 8i processors integrated within a single hybrid compute node. We review past approaches to provide motivation for our development of the Data Communication and Synchronization (DaCS) library and Accelerated Library Framework (ALF), which enable developers to create new applications and adapt existing applications to exploit hybrid computing platforms. We follow with examples of porting existing x86-64 processor-based applications to the hybrid cluster platform in order to demonstrate the capabilities of ALF and DaCS and discuss how one application was extended to become a stress and performance test for various system components. Finally, we present the applicability of this programming model, accelerator design, and test architecture to other system architectures, applications, and workload segments.
Targeted gene repair directed by the chimeric RNA/DNA oligonucleotide in a mammalian cell-free extract

Chimeric oligonucleotides consisting of RNA and DNA residues have been shown to catalyze site-directed genetic alteration in mammalian cells both in vitro and in vivo. Since the frequency of these events appears to be logs higher than the rates of gene targeting, a process involving homologous recombination, we developed a system to study the mechanisms of chimera-directed gene conversion. Using a mammalian cell-free extract and a genetic readout in Escherichia coli, we find that point mutations and single base deletions can be corrected at frequencies of approximately 0.1% and 0.005%, respectively. The reaction depends on an accurately designed chimera and the presence of functional hMSH2 protein. The results of genetic and biochemical studies reported herein suggest that the process of mismatch repair functions in site-directed gene correction.
Computer simulation of a wave packet tunneling through a square barrier

It is shown that, for energies E<or=V/sub 0/, the barrier height, the typical tunneling time is on the order of 10/sup -15/ s. The traversal time as a function of kinetic energy is locally symmetric near E=V/sub 0/. The tunneling time depends on the shape of the wave packet. The tunneling time is linearly dependent on barrier thickness for a wave packet with finite width. These conclusions are compared with the results obtained from other methods for estimating tunneling times.
Comparison of the electrocardiographic and hemodynamic responses to ionic and nonionic radiocontrast media during left ventriculography: A randomized double-blind study

The ECG and hemodynamic responses to a standard ionic radiographic contrast agent (diatrizoate) were measured and compared to those induced by iopamidol, a newly developed nonionic agent, during left ventriculography. Studies were performed using randomized double-blind techniques in 46 patients with suspected coronary artery disease who were scheduled for cardiac catheterization. A nuclear probe was used to measure left ventricular ejection fraction and relative ventricular volume before and immediately after left ventriculography. Bolus injections of diatrizoate and iopamidol induced similar significant decreases in left ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic volume and similar significant increases in both left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (p < 0.05) and systolic ejection fraction (p < 0.01 vs baseline). Both agents induced modest increases in heart rate, but only the increase induced by diatrizoate was significant (p < 0.01). The maximal rate of left ventricular pressure rise was not significantly altered by either agent. Iopamidol induced a slight increase in QRS duration (p < 0.05); neither agent effected a significant change in QT duration. We conclude that the hemodynamic effects during left ventriculography using diatrizoate and iopamidol are similar. These findings do not justify the large-scale substitution of more expensive nonionic radiographic contrast agents for standard ionic agents such as diatrizoate in left ventriculography.
Evaluation of immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) for isolation and recovery of strong copper-complexing ligands from marine waters

Abstract The speciation of dissolved copper in surface seawater is dominated by complexes with at least two classes of organic ligands, L1 (the stronger) and L2 (the weaker). However, because these ligands have never been isolated, recovered, and characterized, their nature and identities are unknown. We have taken a combined approach utilizing immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) for isolation, and copper titration monitored by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV) at a thin mercury film, rotating glassy carbon disk electrode for detection of these ligands in marine waters and in chromatographic fractions. We have found that, using the IMAC protocol reported by A.S. Gordon (Isolation of compounds with affinity for copper from seawater using immobilized copper ion affinity chromatography, Mar. Chem. 38 (1992) 1–12), we can remove the majority of L1 and L2 from Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic coastal water samples. Once isolated, ~ 67% of the L1-class ligands bound to the IMAC column could be recovered by elution with 5 m M glycine buffer, as monitored by DPASV copper titration of the column eluent. This recovery accounted for ~ 47% of the original amount of L1 in the sample and resulted in a 5.4-fold concentration factor (from 7 to 38 n M) of the ligands from the seawater sample into glycine eluent. Although this IMAC protocol traps the weaker, L2 class ligands as well as L1 class ligands, confirmation of L2's recovery by elution of the IMAC column is hindered by the presence of glycine in the eluent. We are currently devising procedures to optimize the isolation and improve recovery efficiency of IMAC for these ligands, in order to obtain sufficient quantities for further characterization.
Low yield of ED magnetic resonance imaging for suspected epidural abscess.

Abstract Purpose The aim of this study was to estimate the yield of emergency department (ED) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in detecting spinal epidural abscess (SEA) and to identify clinical factors predicting positive MRI results. Basic Procedure We examined a cohort of patients who underwent MRI to rule out SEA, followed by a nested case-control comparison of those with positive results and a sample with negative results. A positive result was defined as osteomyelitis, discitis, or SEA. Predictor variables included temperature, presenting complaint, drug abuse status, history of SEA or back surgery, midline back tenderness, neurologic deficit, MRI level, mean white blood cell count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein level. Main Findings Fourteen of the 120 available MRIs were excluded; 7 (6.6%) of the remaining 106 were positive. Temperature was 1.1°C higher in cases than controls (95% CI, 0.6-1.7). Conclusion Emergency department MRI for suspected SEA has a low yield. Clinical guidelines are needed to improve efficiency.
A Controlled Evaluation of Comprehensive Social Services Provided to Teenage Mothers Receiving AFDC

This article reports the evaluation of a community-based program designed to assist teenage mothers receiving Aid to Families With Dependent Children to become self-sufficient. The program began wi...
Nickel ion bombardment of type 304 stainless steel: Comparison with fast reactor swelling data

Abstract Annealed Type 304 stainless steel containing 15 atomic ppm of helium has been bombarded with 5 MeV nickel ions at 525°C to 700°C. A pronounced swelling peak occurs at 625°C, compared to a swelling peak temperature of about 475°C in reactor. TEM measurements of void swelling at 625°C as a function of ion dose show a swelling of almost 40% at 124 dpa without evidence of saturation. Measurements of gross swelling of the ion-bombarded material by a new step-height method provide information that is in good agreement with TEM data, and can be extended to larger swellings. The step-height results indicate a swelling of over 90% at 290 dpa at 625°C. The ion-produced swelling agrees well with in-reactor data when the two are compared at the respective peak swelling temperatures, and the void concentrations and average void diameters are comparable for the two cases. The high ion dose results are used to guide extrapolation of reactor data to higher fluences, leading to the following predictions for swellings at the peak swelling temperature in reactor: 18% swelling at 1× 10 23 n/cm 2 (fast), 50% at 2 × 10 23 , and 80% at 3 × 10 23 .
Appearance of spontaneous ferromagnetism in non-stoichiometric ZrCo2☆

Abstract The cubic Laves phase compound ZrCo2 can accommodate excess cobalt up to the composition ZrCo3.ZrCox for 2 ⩽ x ⩽ 2.5 is an exchange-enhanced Pauli paramagnet. Ferromagnetism is observed in the system for 2.8 ⩽ x ⩽ 3.0 with Curie temperatures ranging up to 160 K. Ferromagnetism appears to develop by the Stoner-Edwards-Wohlfarth mechanism involving the itinerant Co 3d electrons associated with the ZrCo2 matrix. The excess Co, thought to reside on the Zr sites, appears to carry a local moment and to experience antiferromagnetic exchange as evidenced by its negative Weiss constant. The observed magnetic moment of the ferromagnetic ZrCox systems is the sum of two, roughly equal, contributions, one from the local moments associated with the excess cobalt and the other from the itinerant d electrons.
Evolving countystate relations: From servant to partner?

The relationship between counties and states is central to county wellbeing. This article examines contemporary countystate relations within a framework of institutions and processes where the most critical interactions occur: state associations of counties, state legislatures, governors, state agencies and state high courts. Countystate relations are further described through perceptual data gathered in interviews with county association directors during the Summer of 1991. County officials favorably view their relations with state legislatures but perceive their treatment to be more like that of special interest group rather than valued partner. Even so, the vast majority of state legislatures is granting new powers to counties, expanding old ones, or extending some kind of relief in fiscal matters. Gubernatorial relations are also viewed favorably, but perceptions of state agency relations vary according to type of agency and personnel. A majority of counties also indicates that state high courts have ...
The Mixing Length in Convective Stellar Envelopes is Proportional to Distance from the Convective Boundary

A calibration of two different stellar convection theories is made by theoretically reproducing with stellar models the effective temperatures of very luminous red supergiants. This calibration is then compared with previous calibrations using less luminous objects. The corresponding range of stellar masses is 1-20 M☉. For consistency with previous work, the calibrating parameter is taken to be the convective mixing length l. If l is assumed to be proportional to the local pressure scale height Hp, the constant of proportionality αP must vary significantly with stellar mass. If, however, l is assumed to be proportional to the distance z below the outer boundary of the convection zone, the constant of proportionality αz emerges as a universal constant, within the uncertainties due to possible errors of the observed effective temperatures and of the theoretically calculated low-temperature opacities. In particular, standard mixing-length theory yields a constant αz = 2, whereas the new full-spectrum-of-turbulence theory of Canuto & Mazzitelli yields a constant αz = 1. Physical constraints, laboratory experiments, and observations of turbulent convection in the Earth's atmosphere indicate αz ≤ 1. This basic consistency of results over such an enormous range of physical dimensions suggests a very great degree of generality.
Relationship between Organic Matter Content of Soil and the Sequestration of Phenanthrene

A study was conducted to determine the relationship between organic matter content of soil and the availability of aged phenanthrene. Phenanthrene was aged for 200 days in sterile samples of dissimilar soils, soils treated with H{sub 2}O{sub 2} to reduce the content of organic matter, and sand. Sequestration as measured by the extent of mineralization of phenanthrene by an added bacterium was appreciable in samples with >2.0% organic C, and the bioavailability of the hydrocarbon declined with time of aging. Sequestration was not evident in soils or sand with 2.0% organic C, but a small effect on rate was evident in soil and sand with 2.0% organic C and the least in sand. Aging as measured by a decline in extractability of 1-butanol was evident in all soils, although the rate was fastest in soil with >2.0% organic C. The volume occupied by pores of <10-{micro}m diameter was highermore » in soils containing more organic matter and was negligible in sand. The authors suggest that the organic matter content of soil is a major determinant of sequestration.« less
The secretary problem: optimal selection with interview cost from two groups of candidates

Here we consider a new version of the secretary problem with loss equal to rank plus interview cost. The optimal rule is derived and is illustrated for certain cost functions and a few chosen values of n (n denotes the total number of candidates). The approximating differential equations are obtained. An explicit solution to the problem with zero interview cost is obtained. For certain cost functions, explicit asymptotic solutions of the different equations are derived.
Surface-initiated living anionic polymerization of isoprene using a 1,1-diphenylethylene derivative and functionalization with ethylene oxide

Living anionic polymerization of isoprene on a silicon wafer was initiated by treatment of a 1,1-diphenylethylene surface-bound monolayer with n-butyllithium (growth from). The corresponding 1,1 diphenylhexyllithium derivative was used to initiate isoprene polymerization. The poly(isoprenyl)lithium chain ends were functionalized by addition of ethylene oxide to give a hydroxy-terminated polyisoprene brush. The thickness of the polymer brush was 9.5 ± 1.2 nm by ellipsometry. Grafting living chain ends to the 1,1-diphenylethylene monolayer and surface grafting of telechelic polymers were used for comparison (growth to). The polymer brushes were characterized by XPS, contact angle measurements, ATR-IR, and AFM.
Low overhead multiprocessor allocation strategies exploiting system spare capacity for fault detection and location

Several schemes for detecting faults at the processor level in a multiprocessor system have been discussed in the past. One such scheme (A. Dahbura et al., 1989) works by running secondary versions of jobs on the unused or spare processors of the system and uses the comparison approach (J. Maeng and M. Malek, 1981) to detect faults. We build upon this scheme and propose three new multiprocessor allocation strategies that run a variable number of versions per job. These schemes permit online detection and, in many cases, location of faulty processors in a system with nominal degradation in its delay/throughput performance; these delays are limited chiefly to the delays associated with job preemptions. Two new metrics, the fault detection capability (FDC) and the fault location capability (FLC), are introduced to evaluate these schemes. Extensive simulation results are performed to obtain performance figures for the various schemes. Stochastic Petri net models are also developed to obtain approximate performance results. The results show that these schemes utilize spare capacity more efficiently, thereby improving upon the fault detection and location capabilities of the system. >
JACKFRUIT, ARTOCARPUS HETEROPHYLUS, IS NOT A HOST OF DIAPHORINA CITRI (HOMOPTERA: PSYLLIDAE) IN FLORIDA

lished in the state (Halbert & Manjunath 2005). It is considered one of the most serious pests of citrus when the pathogens that cause citrus greening, which can vector, are also present (Halbert & Manjunath 2005). Diaphorina citri is an oligophagous species with a host range within genera in the family Rutaceae, e.g.,Aegle, Aeglopsis, Afraegle, Atalantia, Balsamocitrus, Citropsis, Citrus, Clausena, Murraya, Fortunella, Linonia, Merrillia, Microcitrus, Pamburus, Poncirus, Severinia, and Swinglea (Viraktamath & Bhumannavar 2002; Tirtawidjaja 1981; Koizumi et al.1996; Chavan & Summanwar 1993; Aubert 1990a,b; Lim et al. 1990; Garnier & Bove 1993; Halbert & Manjunath 2005). In addition to these host plant associations, Shivankar et al. (2000) reported D. citri on jackfruit, Artocarpus heterophylus Lamarek, which is in the family Moraceae (Crane et al. 2002). Because there have been no other reports of D. citri infestating A. heterophylus in Florida, nor anywhere D. citri has been observed, we investigated A. heterophylus as a host plant ofD. citri. Field surveys were initiated in the fall of 2005. On Sep 30, 2005 samples of A. heterophylus and orange jasmine, Murraya paniculata, a known host of D. citri, were collected in Miami-Dade County. Ten 10-cm shoots were collected from each of two jackfruit trees located approximately 28 m from a hedge of orange jasmine. Twenty 10cm shoots also were collected from the orange jasmine hedge. Shoots were placed in individual bags and examined under a microscope to determine the numbers of eggs, nymphs, and adults per sample. The mean numbers of D. citri collected from
Homosexuality and Pro-Gay Ideology as Pathogens? Implications of a Disease-Spread Lay Model for Understanding Anti-Gay Behaviors

Negative behaviors targeting gay men and lesbians range from violent physical assault to casting a vote against gay marriage, with very different implications for those targeted. Existing accounts of such actions, however, are unable to differentially predict specific anti-gay behaviors, leaving a large theoretical hole in the literature and hindering the design of effective interventions. We propose (a) that many sexually prejudiced laypersons conceptualize homosexuality and pro-gay ideology as "contaminants" analogous to infectious pathogens and (b) that anti-gay behaviors can thus be viewed as strategic attempts to prevent, contain, treat, or eradicate the "pathogens" of homosexuality and pro-gay ideology. By considering analogues to disease-spread processes (e.g., susceptibility of specific subpopulations, inoculation procedures, prevalence in the local environment, interconnections among community members), we derive novel predictions regarding the incidence and nature of anti-gay behaviors and provide leverage for creating more tailored interventions to reduce such discrimination.
Ultrafast Dynamics of the Itinerant Antiferromagnet UNiGa5

Time-resolved photoinduced reflectivity data for the itinerant antiferromagnet UNiGa5 showed a divergence of the relaxation time near T N due to the opening of a spin gap, and at the lowest temperatures indicative of spin-fluctuation scattering.
Duty cycling influences current generation in multi-anode environmental microbial fuel cells.

Improving microbial fuel cell (MFC) performance continues to be the subject of research, yet the role of operating conditions, specifically duty cycling, on MFC performance has been modestly addressed. We present a series of studies in which we use a 15-anode environmental MFC to explore how duty cycling (variations in the time an anode is connected) influences cumulative charge, current, and microbial composition. The data reveal particular switching intervals that result in the greatest time-normalized current. When disconnection times are sufficiently short, there is a striking decrease in current due to an increase in the overall electrode reaction resistance. This was observed over a number of whole cell potentials. Based on these results, we posit that replenishment of depleted electron donors within the biofilm and surrounding diffusion layer is necessary for maximum charge transfer, and that proton flux may be not limiting in the highly buffered aqueous phases that are common among environmental M...
Markov incremental constructions

A classic result asserts that many geometric structures can be constructed optimally by successively inserting their constituent parts in random order. These randomized incremental constructions (RICs) still work with imperfect randomness: the dynamic operations need only be "locally" random. Much attention has been given recently to inputs generated by Markov sources. These are particularly interesting to study in the framework of RICs, because Markov chains provide highly nonlocal randomness, which incapacitates virtually all known RIC technology.We generalize Mulmuley's theory of Θ-series and prove that Markov incremental constructions with bounded spectral gap are optimal within polylog factors for trapezoidal maps, segment intersections,and convex hulls in any fixed dimension. The main contribution of this work is threefold: (i)extending the theory of abstract configuration spaces to the Markov setting; (ii)proving Clarkson-Shor type bounds for this new model; (iii)applying the results to classical geometric problems. We hope that this work will pioneer a new approach to average-case analysis in computational geometry.
Native plants are the bee’s knees: local and landscape predictors of bee richness and abundance in backyard gardens

Urban gardens may support bees by providing resources in otherwise resource-poor environments. However, it is unclear whether urban, backyard gardens with native plants will support more bees than gardens without native plants. We examined backyard gardens in northwestern Ohio to ask: 1) Does bee diversity, abundance, and community composition differ in backyard gardens with and without native plants? 2) What characteristics of backyard gardens and land cover in the surrounding landscape correlate with changes in the bee community? 3) Do bees in backyard gardens respond more strongly to local or landscape factors? We sampled bees with pan trapping, netting, and direct observation. We examined vegetation characteristics and land cover in 500 m, 1 km, and 2 km buffers surrounding each garden. Abundance of all bees, native bees, and cavity-nesting bees (but not ground-nesting bees) was greater in native plant gardens but only richness of cavity-nesting bees differed in gardens with and without native plants. Bee community composition differed in gardens with and without native plants. Overall, bee richness and abundance were positively correlated with local characteristics of backyard gardens, such as increased floral abundance, taller vegetation, more cover by woody plants, less cover by grass, and larger vegetable gardens. Differences in the amount of forest, open space, and wetlands surrounding gardens influenced abundance of cavity- and ground-nesting bees, but at different spatial scales. Thus, presence of native plants, and local and landscape characteristics might play important roles in maintaining bee diversity within urban areas.
Optimal strategy synthesis in stochastic Müller games

The theory of graph games with ω-regular winning conditions is the foundation for modeling and synthesizing reactive processes. In the case of stochastic reactive processes, the corresponding stochastic graph games have three players, two of them (System and Environment) behaving adversarially, and the third (Uncertainty) behaving probabilistically. We consider two problems for stochastic graph games: the qualitative problem asks for the set of states from which a player can win with probability 1 (almost-sure winning); and the quantitative problem asks for the maximal probability of winning (optimal winning) from each state. We consider ω-regular winning conditions formalized as Muller winning conditions. We present optimal memory bounds for pure almost-sure winning and optimal winning strategies in stochastic graph games with Muller winning conditions. We also present improved memory bounds for randomized almost-sure winning and optimal strategies.
Fe–N2/CO complexes that model a possible role for the interstitial C atom of FeMo-cofactor (FeMoco)

We report here a series of four- and five-coordinate Fe model complexes that feature an axial tri(silyl)methyl ligand positioned trans to a substrate-binding site. This arrangement is used to crudely model a single-belt Fe site of the FeMo-cofactor that might bind N2 at a position trans to the interstitial C atom. Reduction of a trigonal pyramidal Fe(I) complex leads to uptake of N2 and subsequent functionalization furnishes an open-shell Fe–diazenido complex. A related series of five-coordinate Fe–CO complexes stable across three redox states is also described. Spectroscopic, crystallographic, and Density Functional Theory (DFT) studies of these complexes suggest that a decrease in the covalency of the Fe–Calkyl interaction occurs upon reduction and substrate binding. This leads to unusually long Fe–Calkyl bond distances that reflect an ionic Fe–C bond. The data presented are contextualized in support of a hypothesis wherein modulation of a belt Fe–C interaction in the FeMo-cofactor facilitates substrate binding and reduction.
Effect of gamma-aminobutyric acid modulation on neuronal ischemia in rabbits.

Antagonists of excitatory neurotransmitters are effective in limiting ischemic damage to the brain and spinal cord, but use in clinical stroke may be limited by side effects. Agonists of inhibitory neurotransmitters, such as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), may provide similar neuroprotection with less severe side effects. This study examines the effect of an agonist and antagonist of the GABA-A receptor on neuronal ischemic damage.Either muscimol (a GABA-A agonist) or bicuculline (a GABA-A antagonist) was administered intravenously to groups of rabbits exposed to reversible spinal cord ischemia induced by temporary occlusion of the infrarenal aorta. The duration of occlusion for individual animals was varied, providing a range of ischemia for each experimental group. The group P50 represents the duration (in minutes) associated with 50% probability of resultant permanent paraplegia. Neuroprotection was demonstrated if a drug prolonged the P50 compared with the control group.The P50 of the control group wa...
Why lightning strikes twice: postpartum resumption of sexual activity during adolescence.

Abstract Purpose To describe the circumstances surrounding the postpartum resumption of sexual activity in a cohort of teenage mothers. The goal was to shed new light on the reasons why teenagers who have just given birth put themselves at risk for conception. Methods A racially and ethnically diverse group of 267 poor, predominantly unmarried, primiparous, 13–21 year olds was enrolled consecutively at delivery and followed through the third postpartum month. The primary outcome measure was weeks postpartum at resumption of sexual activity, further categorized as protected or unprotected. The analysis controlled for factors thought to influence the postpartum resumption of sexual activity among adult couples and the use of contraception during adolescence. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the time to end point and Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis to compute relevant relative risks (RR). Results By the end of the third postpartum month, 58% of the teenagers had had sexual intercourse and the majority (80%) used contraception when they did so. The median time to first coitus, 10.7 weeks, was unrelated to contraceptive use but was significantly shorter among teenagers who lived with their boyfriends (RR: 2.4; 95%CI: 1.7–3.4) and those who delivered prior to term (RR: 2.1; 95%CI: 1.3–3.6). The analysis revealed that the teenagers who did not use contraception at first postpartum sexual intercourse exhibited more theorized risk factors for conception than those who did and those who remained sexually abstinent. Conclusions This new empirical evidence that coital activity resumes soon after delivery should dispel the normative belief that contraception is unnecessary during the puerperium. Early contraceptive vigilence may also decrease the frequency and rapidity with which teen mothers conceive, as the differences in the prevalence of teen pregnancy risk factors we uncovered suggest that decisions about using contraception (not sexual intercourse) determine the risk of rapid repeat conception. Teens with live-in boyfriends and premature babies are especially apt to benefit from the new information in this report as they resume sexual activity sooner than their peers and are less apt to use contraception when they do so.
Trauma deaths in the first hour: are they all unsalvageable injuries?

Abstract Background With the advent of trauma systems, time to definitive care has been decreased. We hypothesized that a subset of patients who are in extremis from the time of prehospital transport to arrival at the trauma center, and who ultimately die early after arrival, may in fact have a potentially salvageable single-organ injury. Methods We reviewed all deaths that occurred in the first hour after hospital admission. Trauma registry, medical records, and autopsy reports for 556 patients were evaluated. Results The median time to arrival was 39 minutes, and the median Injury Severity Score was 29. Blunt injuries (53%) were most commonly auto-accident injuries (134 of 285 patients; 47%). Penetrating wounds (42%) were mostly gunshot wounds to the chest (73 of 233 patients; 31%). For patients with initial vital signs, the most common cause of death was isolated brain injury (26 patients; 28%). Possibly survivable injuries (single organ or vessel) occurred in 35 (38%) patients, of which 4 were isolated spleen injuries (4%). Conclusions Some patients with potentially survivable single organ injuries did not have associated head injuries. An aggressive approach is warranted on patients with detectable vital signs on at least one occasion in the field but who arrive at the trauma center in extremis.
Vertebrate range sizes indicate that mountains may be 'higher' in the tropics.

In 1967, Daniel Janzen proposed the influential, but largely untested hypothesis, that tropical mountain passes are physiologically higher than temperate mountains. I test his key prediction, the one upon which all the others rely: namely, that elevational range sizes of organisms get larger on mountains at increasing latitudes. My analyses use 170 montane gradients spanning 36.5� S to 48.2� N latitude compiled from over 80 years of research and 16 500 species of rodents, bats, birds, lizards, snakes, salamanders, and frogs. In support of Janzens prediction, I find that elevational range size increases with increasing latitude for all vertebrate groups except rodents. I document additional lines of evidence for temperature variability as a plausible mechanism for trends in vertebrate range size, including strong effects of thermoregulation and daily temperature variability, and a weak effect of precipitation.
Common Medications Used in Rehabilitation Medicine

**This chapter covers some of the commonly used medications in rehabilitation medicine. Although we have dosing recommendations below, all doses should be verified and adjusted according to your patient’s co-morbidities and needs.**
Abstract B41: Restoring sensitivity to anti-EGFR-based therapy in lung adenocarcinoma by downstream modulation of the FOXO1/KLF6 transcriptional network

Anti-EGFR-based strategies have shown clinical efficacy in the treatment of metastatic lung adenocarcinoma. Nevertheless, treatment resistance invariably develops through either de novo activation of downstream RAS/AKT signaling or acquired mutations in the Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). A more thorough molecular characterization of the downstream mediators of EGFR signaling may lead to the development of newer classes of targeted molecular therapies to treat resistant disease. Here we identify a transcriptional network involving the KLF6 and FOXO1 tumor suppressor genes that regulate response to anti-EGFR-based therapies in both cell culture and in vivo models of the disease. Specifically, inhibition of AKT signaling promotes FOXO1 stabilization resulting in transactivation of the KLF6 tumor suppressor gene and induction of apoptosis in lung adenocarcinoma cell lines. Furthermore, the use of FDA-approved drug trifluoperazine hydrochloride, a FOXO1 nuclear export inhibitor restores sensitivity to erlotinib-resistant cell lines through modulation of the KLF6/FOXO1 signaling cascade in both cell culture and xenograft lung adenocarcinoma models. In addition, quantitative real-time PCR-based analysis and Western blotting confirm a significant correlation between activated oncognic EGFR signaling and downregulation of the FOXO1 and KLF6 tumor suppressor gene network in both primary human lung adenocarcinoma patient samples and a transgenic mouse model of the disease. Combined, these studies define a novel transcriptional network regulating oncogenic EGFR signaling and identify targeted molecular agents to restore chemosensitivity to anti-EGFR-based therapy in culture and in vivo. Citation Information: Clin Cancer Res 2010;16(14 Suppl):B41.
The respiratory microbiome: an underappreciated player in the human response to inhaled pollutants?

Abstract Purpose Microbial communities in or on the body (i.e., the microbiome) are highly physiologically active and influence human health. Although environmental scientists are increasingly aware of the gut microbiome, the respiratory microbiome's role in the human response to inhaled pollutants is largely unknown. Methods We reviewed the literature and present mechanisms by which the microbiome might mediate or modify human responses to inhaled pollutants. Results The respiratory microbiome has been shown to influence chronic lung disease exacerbations, and increasing evidence indicates a role in disease development. Research also suggests that the respiratory microbiome could plausibly metabolize inhaled pollutants or modulate host inflammatory responses to exposure. Because these responses depend on the microbes present, defining the composition of the resident microbiome and how microbial communities shift with exposure may help to explain variations in susceptibility to inhaled pollutants. Although more research is needed, significant measurement challenges remain for large epidemiologic studies of the respiratory microbiome. Conclusions The respiratory microbiome is likely an underexplored intermediate and potential cause of individual susceptibility to inhaled irritants/toxicants. Characterizing the microbiome's role in the human response to inhaled exposures could improve our understanding of the casual agents of exposure and suggest novel public health interventions.
Design and Application of a Hive-Mounted Device That Uses Honey Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) To Disseminate Heliothis Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus

The honey bee, Apis mellifera L., is a highly efficient forager on numerous flowering plants that host phytophagous insect pests. Because of these associations, honey bees theoretically provide an economical and nonintrusive means of conveying biorational mortality agents against pest species. This hypothesis was tested during April 1989 by employing a specially designed plexiglass and sheet metal applicator that causes honey bees to disseminate a talc formulation of Heliothis nuclear polyhedrosis virus (HNPV) into fields of crimson clover, Trifolium incarnatum L. The device when integrated into a specifically designed substructure of a conventional beehive provided separate entry and departure pathways for honey bees, which allowed bees to be surface-contaminated with the HNPV formulation as they exited the hive. The mean percentage of HNPV-induced mortality was significantly higher among Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) larvae that fed on clover heads from fields foraged by HNPV-contaminated A. mellifera and among Heliothis or Helicoverpa spp. larvae collected from those fields than among similarly exposed control larvae. HNPV in honey collected from treatment hives and stored at 26 ± 1°C in total darkness remained active for at least 170 d. The extent to which the technology for using A. mellifera to disseminate insect pathogens is applicable for pest control will depend on an improved understanding of the interrelationships among A. mellifera , flowering plants on which they forage, targeted phytophages which reside on the plants, and the availability of pathogens which attack the phytophages.
A Framework for Professional Action in Government: A Facts and Values Perspective

Government agencies depend on professionals to initiate action, but traditional applied theories of public administration are rather discouraging. Unproductive-and unnecessary-false dichotomies, especially involving facts and values, make it difficult for agency insiders to relate to the need to become proactive. To help professionals determine when and how to be proactive, the authors propose a framework composed of three planes-policy, operations, and evaluation-that defines a scope of action. Four pairs of widely debated claims are examined using this framework. Key findings are that (a) public agencies face broader scopes of action than occur in commercial enterprises, reducing the utility of the business paradigm to public administrators; (b) public agencies are unlike commercial entities, where smaller scopes of action are more likely to form a coherent and inclusive focus that can concentrate professional action more methodically; (c) proactive public agency professionals extend their allegiances b...
How we treat rosacea.

The basic cause of rosacea is not known. General, topical, systemic and dietary factors must be considered in the successful management of this often recalcitrant and recurrent disorder. While principally of cosmetic importance, rosacea may cause serious ocular changes or it may develop into rhinophyma, which requires surgical treatment.
Wind environment research on the bridge section induced by high speed train under the bridge

The pressure and velocity fields will change greatly when the high- speed train is running through the bridge,and the intense ambient aerodynamic effects will be produced in areas around,thereby affecting the anti- wind safety of around buildings and structures. Due to the fact that there exist insurmountable technical problems in using wind tunnel test,in this proposed project,the Fluent in CFD software was firstly used as the simulation platform with 'dynamic mesh' technology. Secondly,the UDF trains route procedures were programmed to monitor the speed and the pressure distribution through monitoring the bridge sections. Thirdly,the process when the high- speed trains cross through the bridge in different speeds was simulated under the situations of no crosswind wind,small crosswind and the bridge design crosswind. Finally,the impact loads generated under three kinds of wind to the main section of the bridge were calculated in different crosswind speed. This paper studied the aerodynamic effects in various conditions of wind on the train to the bridge main sections,which provides a valuable reference and recommendation for bridge designers in the bridge design institution.
Representations of Politicians in Contemporary Ghanaian Hiplife Music

In his article "Representations of Politicians in Contemporary Ghanaian Hiplife Music" Mark Nartey argues that in Asare Obeng's music politicians in Ghana are depicted as self-seeking, self-serving, and self-centered. Further, he argues that since its emergence on the Ghanaian music scene in the early 1990s, hiplife music now transcends its original purpose of providing an entertainment outlet for its audience, predominantly the youth, offering them a pleasurable and therapeutic means of escaping from the harsh realities and pressures of life. Importantly, Nartey demonstrates that this musical genre has taken on a new and, perhaps, more important role: a legitimate avenue for Ghanaian musicians to express their views and opinions freely on virtually every subject within the country. Nartey concludes that music can be a powerful tool for societal change and reform.
Cognitive and adaptive correlates of an ADOS-derived joint attention composite

Joint attention skills have been shown to predict language outcomes in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Less is known about the relationship between joint attention (JA) abilities in children with ASD and cognitive and adaptive abilities. In the current study, a subset of items from the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), designed to quantify JA abilities, were used to investigate social attention among an unusually large cross-sectional sample of children with ASD (n = 1061). An examination of the association between JA and a range of functional correlates (cognitive and adaptive) revealed JA was significantly related to verbal (VIQ) and non-verbal (NVIQ) cognitive ability as well as all domains of adaptive functioning (socialization, communication, and daily living skills). Additional analyses examined the degree to which the relation between adaptive abilities (socialization, communication, and daily living skills) and JA was maintained after taking into account the potentially mediating role of verbal and nonverbal cognitive ability. Results revealed that VIQ fully mediated the relation between JA and adaptive functioning, whereas the relation between these adaptive variables and JA was only partially mediated by NVIQ. Moderation analyses were also conducted to examine how verbal and non-verbal cognitive ability and gender impacted the relation between JA and adaptive functioning. In line with research showing a relation between language and JA, this indicates that while JA is significantly related to functional outcomes, this appears to be mediated specifically through a verbal cognitive pathway.
A Proof of the Duality of the DINA Model and the DINO Model

The Deterministic Input Noisy Output "AND" gate (DINA) model and the Deterministic Input Noisy Output "OR" gate (DINO) model are two popular cognitive diagnosis models (CDMs) for educational assessment. They represent different views on how the mastery of cognitive skills and the probability of a correct item response are related. Recently, however, Liu, Xu, and Ying demonstrated that the DINO model and the DINA model share a "dual" relation. This means that one model can be expressed in terms of the other, and which of the two models is fitted to a given data set is essentially irrelevant because the results are identical. In this article, a proof of the duality of the DINA model and the DINO model is presented that is tailored to the form and parameterization of general CDMs that have become the new theoretical standard in cognitively diagnostic modeling.
Electrophysiological Analysis of Ion Channel Function

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on techniques for studying ion-selective channels, with particular emphasis on voltage-sensitive channels. The electrical activity and metabolism of neurons is regulated by voltage-sensitive mechanisms and ligand-sensitive mechanisms. Voltage-sensitive mechanisms involve ion-selective channels in the plasma membrane whose permeability is regulated by the transmembrane potential. The familiar voltage-sensitive sodium, calcium, and potassium channels, each of which exists in several molecular forms, are the most thoroughly studied of these channels from the perspectives of basic structure and function and of neurotoxicity. Many plasma membrane receptors are associated with or are an integral part of transmembrane ion channels. This chapter begins with a brief overview of voltage-sensitive and ligand-regulated ion channels as targets for neurotoxicant action and the methodologies appropriate to their study in individual neurons. The chapter focuses on descriptions of voltage and patch clamping, including some of the advantages and disadvantages of the various configurations and potential disparities in the resulting data. The chapter concludes with a description of more recent techniques, including combinations of electrophysiology and molecular biology that promise to provide new insights into molecular mechanisms of neurotoxicity.
Use of a lumen-apposing metal stent to treat GI strictures (with videos).

Background and Aims Benign GI strictures occur typically in the esophagus and pyloric channel but can occur anywhere in the GI tract and at anastomotic sites. Such strictures can be treated with dilation, incisional therapy, steroid injection, and stents. Our aim was to describe the use of a lumen-apposing metal stent (LAMS) to treat short, benign GI strictures. Patients and Methods Consecutive patients who underwent LAMS placement for various benign strictures at 2 tertiary care centers from August 2014 to November 2015 were reviewed retrospectively. The main outcome measures were technical success, clinical success, stent migration, and adverse events. Results Twenty-five patients (7 males, 18 females) with a median age of 54 years (33-85 years) underwent 28 LAMS placements to treat various benign strictures. The location of the strictures included esophagogastric anastomoses (n=4), gastrojejunal anastomoses (n=13), pylorus (n=6), vertical banded gastroplasty (n=1), and ileocolonic anastomosis (n=1). Twenty patients had been previously treated with dilation alone (9 patients with ≥3 dilations), 11 patients with dilation and steroid injection, 2 patients with additional needle-knife therapy, and 1 patient with placement of a traditional fully covered self-expandable metal stent. A 15-mm internal diameter LAMS was placed in all patients; 3 patients had been treated previously with a 10-mm LAMS. Technical success was achieved in all patients, whereas clinical success was achieved in 15 of 25 patients (60%) who completed a minimum of 6 months of follow-up after placement. Median stent dwell time was 92 days (range, 3-273 days). Stent migration was seen in 2 of 28 stent placements (7%). Four of 25 patients (16%) developed 5 moderate adverse events (pain requiring removal, 2; new stricture formation, 2; bleeding, 1). Median follow-up was 301 days after stent placement. Study limitations include the small, select group of patients, the retrospective study design, and short follow-up. Conclusions LAMS placement for benign GI strictures is technically easy and safe with low migration rates and may be an option to treat selected patients with short-length strictures.
Dielectric Properties of Organic Solvents in an Electric Field

The effect of an external electric field (E) on the dielectric constant (e) of several pure solvents [propylene carbonate (PC), ethylene carbonate (EC), acetonitrile (MeCN), and dimethyl carbonate (DMC)] and for several EC/DMC mixtures is explored using classical molecular dynamics simulation. Force fields were chosen that accurately predict the density and zero-field dielectric constant with respect to experiment. The simulation results for e(E) for field strengths up to 0.4 V/A are calculated and fit to the Booth model, which is a standard functional form for the dependence of the dielectric constant on electric field. For PC and DMC, the Booth model gives an excellent representation of the data at all electric fields studied. For EC and MeCN, the Booth model works well at lower field strengths (up to 0.15 and 0.2 V/A, respectively), but at the higher electric fields, these systems are observed to crystallize, a phenomenon referred to as electrofreezing. This work will provide useful input data for the ...