cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
DIFFERENTIATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL FROM DISEASE RELATED FEVER IN THE NEONATE

Often it is difficult to differentiate environmental from disease related fever in the newborn. Other investigators have suggested that the foot of the overheated infant feels relatively warm, whereas it feels cool in the infant with disease related fever. This study was undertaken to establish the relationship between rectal temperature (RT) and peripheral skin temperature in the normal and overheated infant and to compare it with that relationship in the infant with a fever which is disease related. A Spectrotherm 2000 thermographic unit was used to measure the skin temperature of the anterior and posterior mid-lower leg. Eighty-seven anterior and posterior paired readings were obtained in 25 normal 2-day old infants whose temperatures were in the normal range (36.44-37.56°C). Three additional paired readings were obtained in 3 infants who were inadvertantly overheated. Plotting average mid-lower leg skin temperature (LT) against RT yielded a correlation coefficient of +0.73. A lower limit confidence band (99th%lle) was then constructed around the linear regression line derived from the data. Six infants who were known to have disease related fevers were similarly studied. When plotted against the regression line, each infant's LT was found to be abnormally cool (p<0.01). These findings confirm the observation that in the face of fever, the presence of a low LT suggests a disease related etiology.
Exclusion and confirmation: a phenomenology of patients' experiences with caregivers.

Where there is an imbalance of authority and power, as in the patient-caregiver relationship, the person who is dependent is vulnerable to the emotional message of the other. This phenomenologic exploration of patients' experience with caregivers examined depersonalizing and confirming interactions. Thirty-five hospitalized adults were interviewed. Results produced (a) a composite of caregiver behaviors derived from the subjects' descriptions of depersonalizing and confirming experiences, (b) explication of the interactional process from which the experiences of exclusion and confirmation arose, and (c) observations of the subjects' styles of emotional self-management during interaction with others. The results suggest the need for (a) increased awareness of caregivers for the impact on patients of their voice inflections, facial expression, posture, movement, mood and general comportment, (b) social support networks for both patients and caregivers, and (c) further research on the subjective experience of patients and caregivers including the efficacy of interventions for exclusion and investigation of potential effects of exclusion and confirmation on recovery from illness.
The fossil record and phylogeny of the auklets (Pan-Alcidae, Aethiini)

The auklets Aethia and Ptychoramphus comprise the smallest known Alcidae (Aves, Charadriiformes) and have a fossil record that extends into the Miocene. The evolution of auklets is poorly understood because systematic hypotheses of relationships among extant auklets are largely incongruent, the morphology of auklet fossils has not been evaluated in detail, and extinct species of auklets have not been previously included in a phylogenetic analysis. Previously described auklet fossil remains are reviewed and two new species of auklet, Aethia barnesi sp. nov. and Aethia storeri sp. nov., are described from the Miocene and Pliocene of southern California, USA. Previously described auklet fossil remains, the two newly described extinct species of auklet, and extant species of auklets and other alcids are included in combined phylogenetic analyses of morphological and molecular sequence data. Based on the results of the phylogenetic analyses, the taxonomy of fossils referred to Aethiini is revised and the evolu...
Curcumin prevents leptin-induced tight junction dysfunction in intestinal Caco-2 BBe cells

Abstract Maintaining tight junction (TJ) integrity in the intestine is critical for nutrient absorption, host defense, and host immunity. While leptin secreted from adipose tissue is associated with obesity and obesity-related intestinal inflammation, the role of luminal leptin in intestinal TJ function is elusive. Here, we examined the role of leptin in intestinal TJ function in Caco-2 BBe cells and further explored the function of curcumin (CCM) in leptin-induced TJ dysfunction. Apical leptin, but not basolateral leptin, treatment at a concentration of 100 ng/ml deteriorated TJ function in Caco-2 BBe cells. Leptin-impaired TJ alteration was resulted from induction of leptin receptor-dependent JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway and its-related PI3K/Akt/ERK1/2 signaling pathways. Apical leptin also lowered the expression levels of genes encoding TJ-associated proteins such as zonula occludens-3 , claudin-5 , and occludin , and elevated expression of pro-inflammatory genes such as IL-6 and TNF-α . Leptin-impaired TJ junction in Caco-2 BBe cells was blunted by a 30-min CCM pretreatment through inhibition of leptin receptor-dependent signaling pathway, and its-associated induction of expression of genes encoding TJ-associated proteins and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Our results elucidate a novel function of luminal leptin in intestinal TJ dysfunction, and further identify CCM as an effective dietary compound that prevents leptin-impaired TJ function in intestinal cells.
SU‐E‐T‐136: Novel Secondary Quality Assurance Procedure for the INTRABEAM System Ion Chamber Using Commercial OSLDs

Purpose: In recent events, our clinic has experienced a soft x‐ray ion chamber calibration drift of 8%. For the INTRABEAMTM system which relies on an ion chamber measurement to deduce a dose rate correction factor for treatment, such an ion chamber change results in a large deviation between the planned patient dose and the treatment dose. We present a cross calibration method between an ion chamber and commercially available optically stimulated luminescent dosimeters (OSLDs) to monitor the consistency of the soft x‐ray ion chamber. Methods: Our method uses the INTRABEAM™ system dose rate determined by a PTW soft x‐ray ion chamber (model 23342) under normal quality assurance procedures to produce the counts per dose rate for irradiated nanoDot™ OSLDs. The procedure replaces the ion chamber with an OSLD at the same position which is obtained with a fabricated stage of the same dimension as the ion chamber stage. Upon replacement of the ion chamber, the QA procedure is repeated irradiating a nanoDot™ OSLD for approximately two minutes with low energy kV x‐rays of energy 20 keV with 0.64 mm Al HVL. The QA procedure is repeated three times with a new OSLD for each irradiation. A ten minute waiting period is invoked prior to reading each nanoDot™ OSLD a total of three times. Results: This method produces an average counts per dose rate for all nanoDot™ OSLDs with a 1‐sigma standard deviation of 1.7%. The low standard deviation gives this method the ability to detect an ion chamber measurement change in dose rate greater than 3.5% incorporating the positional uncertainty and sensitivity change. Conclusion: In the advent of complete equipment failure, a system can degrade and report erroneous measurements. Our quick secondary check for equipment drift provides a necessary tool to ensure patient safety.
Being Opportunistic or Being Concurrent -- On Designing Channel Assignment Algorithms in Multi-Radio, Multi-Channel Wireless Mesh Networks

In this abstract, we have studied the problem of channel assignment in multi-radio, multi-channel wireless mesh networks, considering the support of opportunistic routing technique. First, we have formally modeled the channel assignment problem. Second, we have presented our multichannel opportunistic routing protocol. Third, we have shown the infeasibility of traditional channel assignment schemes, in the context of opportunistic routing. Finally, we have proposed a workload-aware channel assignment and routing algorithm, which can take advantages from both opportunistic throughput gain and multi-channel throughput gain.
Structuring computer-mediated communication systems to avoid information overload

Unless computer-mediated communication systems are structured, users will be overloaded with information. But structure should be imposed by individuals and user groups according to their needs and abilities, rather than through general software features.
Thermal and magnetic properties of two-dimensional electrons☆

Abstract A depletion of the quantum region of a 2D electron fluid in density—temperature space occurs due to Coulomb interaction. This depletion causes the energy to decrease when rs increases. The ground state energy obtained by a noniterative method stays positive and makes it necessary to reexamine the energy evaluated by an iterative method when the latter becomes negative. A 2D characteristic appears in the field dependent Fermi momentum. The effective g factor determined from the paramagnetic susceptibility increases with decreasing density, in agreement with experiment. The effective mass obtained from the finite temperature energy and from the diamagnetic susceptibility shows nonlinear dependences on density and other parameters. In the nonlinear dependences due to the exchange interaction, a remarkable relationship between the thermal and magnetic responses of the electron system is found.
The U.S. and the International Children's Rights Crusade: Leader or Laggard?

This article examines the global impact of the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and questions why the US has not been a signatory. The ambivalent history of children's rights in the United States is reviewed with special attention to the unique situation of child slavery and other legal forms of child servitude for the first two hundred years. The recent legal controversies over children's participatory rights and privacy are also examined within the context of the Convention.
High multiplicity in the proton magnetic resonance spectra of certain ethylene diamides

Abstract As many as four sets of proton magnetic resonance signals were observed for certain N,N′-ethylene diamides, . This high multiplicity is rationalized in terms of isomerism due to slow rotation around the carbonyl-to-nitrogen bond and interaction between the halves of the molecule.
Physiology of Flowering in Peas

The garden pea, Pisum sativum L., has been used rather extensively in studies of flowering (1, 2, 10, 11, 14, 17, 21, 22, 25). The early varieties commonly flower at the ninth or tenth node and are insensitive to vernalization and photoperiod (1). The late varieties, which commonly do not flower below the 15th node, usually behave as quantitative long-day plants and are vernalizable (1, 26). Many workers who have studied the process of flowering have believed in the concept of a specific flowering hormone which controls floral initiation in a positive and promotive manner (e.g. 8,12,18, 19). However, there is no unanimity of opinion that floral initiation is mediated by a flower-promoting hormone in all angiosperms or in all varieties of Pisum. Highkin (10) reported on the preparation and flowerpromoting activity of pea seed diffusates, and he suggested that the active principle might be a flowering hormone or hormone precursor. Barber and his associates have studied flowering in several varieties of peas (1,2, 22, 25). Barber (1) developed in full his concept that flowering in late varieties of Pisum is mediated by the destruction of a flower-inhibiting hormonal substance or "colysanthin," which is destroyed preferentially by low temperatures and long days. Early varieties of Pisum were believed not to produce colysanthin. Thus the current information regarding the hormonal regulation of flowering in peas is marked by conflicting interpretations. In view of this situation a series of experiments has been conducted to investigate the flowering of the late pea variety Dwarf Telephone. The techniques used most extensively were vernalization and devernalization, treatments with aqueous pea seed extracts and treatments with glutathione and 2-thiouracil.
The Effects of Caffeine on Sleep in Drosophila Require PKA Activity, But Not the Adenosine Receptor

Caffeine is one of the most widely consumed stimulants in the world and has been proposed to promote wakefulness by antagonizing function of the adenosine A2A receptor. Here, we show that chronic administration of caffeine reduces and fragments sleep in Drosophila and also lengthens circadian period. To identify the mechanisms underlying these effects of caffeine, we first generated mutants of the only known adenosine receptor in flies (dAdoR), which by sequence is most similar to the mammalian A2A receptor. Mutants lacking dAdoR have normal amounts of baseline sleep, as well as normal homeostatic responses to sleep deprivation. Surprisingly, these mutants respond normally to caffeine. On the other hand, the effects of caffeine on sleep and circadian rhythms are mimicked by a potent phosphodiesterase inhibitor, IBMX (3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine). Using in vivo fluorescence resonance energy transfer imaging, we find that caffeine induces widespread increase in cAMP levels throughout the brain. Finally, the effects of caffeine on sleep are blocked in flies that have reduced neuronal PKA activity. We suggest that chronic administration of caffeine promotes wakefulness in Drosophila, at least in part, by inhibiting cAMP phosphodiesterase activity.
Electro-mechanical permeabilization of lipid vesicles. Role of membrane tension and compressibility.

A simple micropipet technique was used to determine the critical electric field strength for membrane breakdown as a function of the applied membrane tension for three different reconstituted membranes: stearoyloleoylphosphatidylcholine (SOPC), red blood cell (RBC) lipid extract, and SOPC cholesterol (CHOL), 1:1. For these membranes the elastic area expansivity modulus increases from approximately 200 to 600 dyn/cm, and the tension at lysis increases from 5.7 to 13.2 dyn/cm, i.e., the membranes become more cohesive with increasing cholesterol content. The critical membrane voltage, Vc, required for breakdown was also found to increase with increasing cholesterol from 1.1 to 1.8 V at zero membrane tension. We have modeled the behavior in terms of the bilayer expansivity. Membrane area can be increased by either tensile or electrocompressive stresses. Both can store elastic energy in the membrane and eventually cause breakdown at a critical area dilation or critical energy. The model predicts a relation between tension and voltage at breakdown and this relation is verified experimentally for the three reconstituted membrane systems studied here.
Calibration and alignmenttechniques for automated inspection of printed circuit patterns

Abstract A system calibration and part alignment approach for inspection of printed circuitpatterns is presented. We describe procedures for optical and X-Y stage calibration, for axis of rotation estimation, and for correction of nonuniformity in pixel sensitivity. Features are detected with fast and robust techniques that reduce the likelihood of spurious detection. In addition, calibration feature detection is conducted at two different image regions to verify authenticity. This relaxes constraints for a completely contamination-free calibration part. The axis of rotation is calculated by rotating clockwise and counterclockwise and measuring corresponding calibration features. Measurement of rotation during this step and in the alignment procedure is obtained by mapping a quadrilateral in 2-D measurement space onto a rectangle to compensate for minor global variations in part height. This also makes the alignment procedure independent of knowledge of the physical coordinates of the features that define the rectangle's vertices. Analytical solutions for the measurement of rotation and the axis of the rotation are presented. Good results have been obtained in a prototype inspection define the rectangle's vertices. Analytical solutions for the measurement of rotation and the system.
The major problems facing engineering education

Engineering education has been much studied during the past fifty years. One of the first major studies, known as the Wickenden Report in its trial version recommended that engineering education be at the graduate level. However, this was later amended to say that engineering education should be an undergraduate study, but should be followed by an internship in which one's further education would be guided by the engineering colleges, industry, and the engineering societies working together. The dilemma of engineering education has been that we have tried to combine a broad general education with some engineering in a sort of liberal science education, instead of offering professional education with a very strong technological stem. Since we have chosen the former path, we find ourselves confronted by other unresolved questions. Should we teach science or engineering practice? How much emphasis should there be on design and how much on theory and analysis? How broad should the curriculum be and how much of the humanities should it contain? How much should we depend on graduate work to train an engineer? Now in addition to these dilemmas we find ourselves confronted with the problem of finding sufficient time to cover the material considered necessary. It is obvious that many of our constraints, schedules, credits, fifty-minute periods, lectures, laboratories, and lock-step methods must be replaced by new methods and systems designed to teach more efficiently. This offers an opportunity for cooperation among industry, the colleges, and the professional societies.
Density-Functional Theory for Fractional Particle Number: Derivative Discontinuities of the Energy

The Hohenberg-Kohn theorem is extended to fractional electron number $N$, for an isolated open system described by a statistical mixture. The curve of lowest average energy ${E}_{N}$ versus $N$ is found to be a series of straight line segments with slope discontinuities at integral $N$. As $N$ increases through an integer $M$, the chemical potential and the highest occupied Kohn-Sham orbital energy both jump from ${E}_{M}\ensuremath{-}{E}_{M\ensuremath{-}1}$ to ${E}_{M+1}\ensuremath{-}{E}_{M}$. The exchange-correlation potential $\frac{\ensuremath{\delta}{E}_{\mathrm{xc}}}{\ensuremath{\delta}n(\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{r}})}$ jumps by the same constant, and $\frac{{\mathrm{lim}}_{r\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}}\ensuremath{\delta}{E}_{\mathrm{xc}}}{\ensuremath{\delta}n(\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{r}})}g~0$.
Targeted Lung Delivery of Nasally Administered Aerosols.

Using the nasal route to deliver pharmaceutical aerosols to the lungs has a number of advantages, including coadministration during noninvasive ventilation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the growth and deposition characteristics of nasally administered aerosol throughout the conducting airways based on delivery with streamlined interfaces implementing two forms of controlled condensational growth technology. Characteristic conducting airways were considered including a nose-mouth-throat (NMT) geometry, complete upper tracheobronchial (TB) model through the third bifurcation (B3), and stochastic individual path (SIP) model to the terminal bronchioles (B15). Previously developed streamlined nasal cannula interfaces were used for the delivery of submicrometer particles using either enhanced condensational growth (ECG) or excipient enhanced growth (EEG) techniques. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations predicted aerosol transport, growth, and deposition for a control (4.7 μm) and three ...
Economic restructuring, gender and the allocation of time

Abstract A significant aspect of economic life takes place in an area of production largely ignored in standard macroeconomic analysis, namely, the household production of nonmarketed goods and services. These household-produced goods and services are vital for social reproduction and human development. Moreover, there is a dynamic interaction between their production and that of the market economy as household members, especially women, must allocate their time between the two sets of economic activities. Section 2 provides some stylized facts about the nature and scope of nonmarket activities taking place within the household unit and how they relate to the market economy. Methodological issues concerning the measurement of the production of nonmarketed goods and services and of time-use patterns are discussed in section 3. Sections 4 and 5 examine the empirical evidence regarding the intensity of time devoted to nonmarket and market work by women, and the resulting consequences on their well-being as well as on the development of children. There are longterm serious economic and welfare consequences of these responses that make such a topic an urgent one for both academics and policy makers alike. A summary of the major points raised concludes the paper.
Irs1 Serine 307 Promotes Insulin Sensitivity in Mice

Summary Phosphorylation of the insulin receptor substrates (Irs) on serine residues—typified by Ser307 of rodent Irs1—is thought to mediate insulin resistance. To determine whether Ser307 negatively regulates Irs1 in vivo, we generated knockin mice in which Ser307 (human Ser312) was replaced with alanine (A/A). Unexpectedly, A/A mice that were fed a high-fat diet developed more severe insulin resistance than control mice, accompanied by enhanced pancreatic compensation and impaired muscle insulin signaling. Chow-fed mice whose livers lacked Irs2 but retained a single knockin allele (A/lox::LKO2) were profoundly insulin resistant (versus +/lox::LKO2 mice), and their hepatocytes showed impaired insulin signaling ex vivo. Similarly, mutant A307 Irs1 adenovirus only partially restored the response to injected insulin in mice lacking hepatic Irs1 and Irs2. Thus, contrary to the results of cell-based experiments, Ser307 in mice is a positive regulatory site that moderates the severity of insulin resistance by maintaining proximal insulin signaling.
The World According to Bing

The world as we know it has collapsed into custom-sized computer screens with Mercator-projected maps, satellite images, aerial photos, and graphics showing us where everything is, what every location looks like, and why we would want to go there. Raster map images are the staple of every location platform, but researchers are creating new types of visualizations to satiate the appetites of users who want more. A good example of this cutting edge of location technology is Bing Maps. Bing Maps consists of 2 Pbytes of information stored across Microsoft's cloud and multiple interfaces into the data. Onto this platform, Microsoft is adding layers of data in both 2D and 3D perspectives. The original version of Bing Maps is based on Ajax. To complement that version, Bing Maps launched Silverlight. Silverlight provides a rich, immersive, 3D-like experience while using a widely accepted browser plug-in similar to Adobe's Flash.
MPICorrelator: A parallel code for performing time correlations

Abstract The MPICorrelator application is a parallel application for processing multi-speckle X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy data via a data-parallelized implementation of the multi-tau algorithm. MPICorrelator spreads the analysis across a number of computing nodes in a cluster. Leveraging a number of computing nodes in this manner has led to a 30 times decrease in the amount of time required to analyze a multi-speckle time series. The system has recently gone operational at the 8 ID I beamline and has demonstrated the ability to keep up with acquisition rates of megapixel frames acquired at 60 Hz. Future improvements will increase the analysis rate to allow for real-time operation and feedback on live acquired data.
Carrier dynamics study of Cd x Zn 1-x Se/ZnSe (x = 0.2) multiple quantum wells

In this paper, nonlinear optical properties of CdxZn1-xSe/ZnSe (x = 0.2) multiple quantum wells were studied by low temperature steady-state and transient photoluminescence at high excitation densities. The biexciton transition was observed on the low energy side of the exciton transition. Based on the characteristics of stimulated emission observed in similar structures, we suggest the biexciton transition as the mechanism for stimulated emission. Optical degradation was also studied by room temperature photoluminescence using femtosecond laser pulses as the excitation source. The results confirm the formation of nonradiative recombination centers with a saturating degradation effect after about 10 min of exposure.
“Global warming” or “climate change”? Whether the planet is warming depends on question wording

In public discourse and survey research, global climate change is sometimes referred to as ''global warming'' and sometimes as ''climate change.'' An analysis of web sites of conservative and liberal think tanks suggests that conservatives prefer to use the term ''global warming'' whereas liberals prefer ''climate change.'' A question wording experiment (N ¼ 2267) illustrates the power of these frames: Republi- cans were less likely to endorse that the phenomenon is real when it was referred to as ''global warming'' (44.0%) rather than ''climate change'' (60.2%), whereas Democrats were unaffected by question wording (86.9% vs. 86.4%). As a result, the partisan divide on the issue dropped from 42.9 percentage points under a ''global warming'' frame to 26.2 percentage points under a ''climate change'' frame. Theoretical and meth- odological implications are discussed.
arithmetic as a tool for investigating relations between culture and cognition

After working out the details of four arithmetic systems among traditional tribal tailors in West Africa, we present an analysis of arithmetic errors that makes possible predictions about the varied educational experiences of the tailors and about individual problem-solving characteristics. It is argued that arithmetic is a powerful domain for exploring the impact of education on cognitive skills because of the systematic properties of the domain and because coexisting arithmetic systems lead to contrasting problem-solving strategies within most cultures.
Oral Sustained-Release Bioadhesive Tablet Formulation of Didanosine

The objective of this study was to formulate a hydrogel-forming bioadhesive drug delivery system for oral administration of didanosine (ddI). The aim of this tablet dosage form is to improve the oral absorption of ddI by delivering it in small doses over an extended period and localizing it in the intestine by bioadhesion. Compressed tablets of ddI using Polyox WSRN-303, Carbopol 974P-NF, and Methocel K4M as the bioadhesive release rate-controlling polymers were prepared. The effect of polymer concentration on the release profile and in vitro bioadhesion of the matrix tablets was studied. Tablet formulations with Polyox WSRN-303 (10%) and Methocel K4M (30%) showed 93 and 90% drug release, respectively, after 12 h. The drug release was found to be linear when fitted in the Higuchi equation (square-root time equation), suggesting zero-order release. Carbopol 974-P-NF was found to inhibit the complete release of ddI because of drug-polymer interaction; hence, is not suitable for formulation of ddI. Drug diffusion and swelling of the polymer (anomalous Fickian release) was found dominant in ddI release. In general, in vitro bioadhesion increased with an increase in polymer concentration. Tablets containing a single polymer can be designed to form hydrogels serving the dual purpose of bioadhesion and sustained release.
Voices of Hope

Using the self-efficacy literature as a theoretical framework, this article discusses the reality of academic achievement and academic performance among selected African American middle school girl...
Immunotherapy in preneoplastic disease: targeting early procarcinogenic inflammatory changes that lead to immune suppression and tumor tolerance.

Recent advances in immunotherapy have demonstrated that single agent vaccines can be effective when given as primary prevention before exposure to the causative agent, and partially effective in some patients with existing cancer. However, as tumors develop and progress, tumor-induced immune suppression and tolerance present the greatest barrier to therapeutic success. Preneoplastic disease represents an important opportunity to intervene with tumor antigen–targeted vaccines before these mechanisms of immune evasion outpace efforts by the immune system to destroy precancerous cells. However, as we discuss in this review, emerging evidence suggests that procarcinogenic inflammatory changes occur early in cancer development, in both patients and mouse models of cancer progression. Defining early inhibitory signals within tumor microenvironments will yield insights that can eventually be used in the clinic to target these events and deliver treatments that can be used in addition to cancer vaccines to prevent premalignant and early invasive cancers.
Clindamycin Versus Unasyn in the Treatment of Facial Cellulitis of Odontogenic Origin in Children

The study was undertaken to characterize the microbiology of dental abscesses in children and to compare clindamycin and ampicillin/sulbactam in the treatment of facial cellulitis of odontogenic origin. Sixty children with acute facial cellulitis of dental origin underwent surgery (extraction or root canal procedure) within 24 hours of presentation. Pus samples were cultured aerobically and anaerobically. Patients were randomized (1:1) to receive intravenous ampicillin/sulbactam or clindamycin for 48 hours followed by oral amoxicillin/clavulanate or clindamycin for 7 days. A total of 211 bacterial isolates were recovered from 54 samples. The most common aerobic and facultative organisms were viridans streptococci, Neisseria, and Eikenella species. Among anaerobes, Prevotella and Peptostreptococcus species were the most frequent. No treatment failure occurred in either group. Dental abscesses in children are polymicrobial aerobic/anaerobic infections. Treatment of complicated dental infections with ampicillin plus a beta-lactamase inhibitor or clindamycin in combination with surgical drainage is very effective.
The Effect of Sibship Size on Educational Attainment in China: Period Variations

In industrialized nations sibship size generally depresses educational attainment—the larger the number of siblings, the lower the educational attainment, presumably because of the reduction of family resources (both material and intellectual) available to each child. However, this association is much less consistent in developing nations, and there is some evidence of substantial change over time. In this paper, we study the effect of number of siblings on educational attainment in China, a nation that has experienced sharp vacillations between policies designed to promote equality (between urban and rural residents and between men and women) and policies designed to promote economic development. The implementation of these policies in the educational arena has alternately reduced and increased competition for educational resources and, we show, has correspondingly reduced and increased the effect of the number of children in a family on their educational attainment.
Unintended coil migration into the right ventricle during the right ovarian vein coil embolization.

Purpose: The aim of this article is to report a rare case of unintended coil migration into the right (Rt) ventricle. Materials and Methods: A 36-year-old Brazilian female was referred to us for the evaluation of pelvic pain. Venous duplex ultrasound findings were consistent with incompetent venous systems of right lower extremity (RLE). The diagnosis of grade III pelvic varices was confirmed with ovarian venography, and bilateral ovarian vein coil embolization was performed. The procedure was complicated with unintended migration of a small coil into the Rt ventricle. Discussion: In cases where coil or foreign body migration into the Rt heart or pulmonary circulation has occurred, endovascular retrieval or a thoracotomy has been performed. In our case, the migrated coil was left in situ without any hemodynamic disturbances in the follow-up. Conclusions: Coil migration to the Rt ventricle can be conservatively managed depending upon the location and coil profile.
Scalable multi-view registration for multi-projector displays on vertically extruded surfaces

Recent work have shown that it is possible to register multiple projectors on non-planar surfaces using a single uncalibrated camera instead of a calibrated stereo pair when dealing with a special class of non-planar surfaces, vertically extruded surfaces. However, this requires the camera view to contain the entire display surface. This is often an impossible scenario for large displays, especially common in visualization, edutainment, training and simulation applications. In this paper we present a new method that can achieve an accurate geometric registration even when the field-of-view of the uncalibrated camera can cover only a part of the vertically extruded display at a time. We pan and tilt the camera from a single point and employ a multi-view approach to register the projectors on the display. This allows the method to scale easily both in terms of camera resolution and display size. To the best of our knowledge, our method is the first to achieve a scalable multi-view geometric registration of large vertically extruded displays with a single uncalibrated camera. This method can also handle a different situation of having multiple similarly oriented cameras in different locations, if the camera focal length is known.
Frequency Based Measures Of Atrial Fibrillation In Man

Atrial electric; synchrony during erratic heart rhythms such as atrial fibrillation (AF) and flutter (AFL) are difficult to characterize quantitatively from the surface electrocardiogram (ECG). In this investigation, we developed a non-invasive technique to quantitatively characterize sub-types of AF and AFL commonly observed in man based on independent measures of atrial rate, regularity, and coarseness. Fast Fourier Transforms of multiple ECG fibrillation segments were signal averaged and atrial rate (frequency at peak power), regularity (bandwidth of spectral peak), and coarseness (total power) were analyzed in 10 patients. Peak bandwidth was independent of other spectal parameters and was corraborated as a potentially useful metric of atrial synchrony based on traditional ECG classifications.
Evaluation of four methods to establish asymptomatic carriers of Aeromonas salmonicida in juvenile spring chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Walbaum)

. This study evaluated four methods to establish asymptomatic carriers of Aeromonas salmonicida. Exposure of chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Walbaum), to A. salmonicida by gastric intubation resulted in a carrier prevalence of 65%. This prevalence was significantly higher than prevalences of 40, 20 and 10% after exposure respectively to broth culture bath, ingestion of broth coated feed, and exposure to intraperitoneally infected fish.
Cognitive Training Gain as a Predictor of Mental Status

We examined the association of proximal and distal training gain to subsequent mental status ratings in 302 participants (M = 76.62 years) trained on inductive reasoning or spatial orientation in the Seattle Longitudinal Study. Only training effects on reasoning ability were predictive of mental status group membership. Participants subsequently rated as probably demented did not significantly differ from nondemented participants in magnitude of reasoning training gain 14 years prior to assessment, but they did 7 years prior to status ratings. Proximal training gain 1 year prior to assessment was 0.40 SD for nondemented participants, compared with 0.25 and 0.10 SD for at-risk and probably demented participants, respectively. The combination of reasoning ability training and increased proximal training gain on reasoning ability was associated with a decreased likelihood of being rated as probably demented.
Gadara nets: Modeling and analyzing lock allocation for deadlock avoidance in multithreaded software

Deadlock avoidance in shared-memory multithreaded programs is receiving increased attention as multicore architectures and parallel programming are becoming more prevalent. In our on-going project, called Gadara, the objective is to control the execution of multithreaded programs in order to avoid deadlocks by using techniques from discrete-event control theory. In this project, Petri nets are employed to model parallel programs. This paper formally defines the class of Petri nets that emerges from modeling multithreaded programs, called Gadara nets. Gadara nets are related to, but different from, other classes of nets that have been characterized in deadlock analysis of manufacturing systems. The contributions of this paper include: (i) formal definition of Gadara nets and of controlled Gadara nets; (ii) a behavioral analysis of Gadara nets for liveness and reversibility using siphons; and (iii) identification of a convexity-type property for the set of live markings.
Virulence markers of mesophilic aeromonads: association of the autoagglutination phenomenon with mouse pathogenicity and the presence of a peripheral cell-associated layer.

Autoagglutination (AA phenotype) of mesophilic aeromonads in broth was found to be a virulence-associated marker. There were two kinds of AA+ strains: those that spontaneously pelleted (SP+), and those that pelleted only after boiling (PAB+). Of 79 strains tested, 24 (30%) were AA+, and 18 of these were recovered from clinical specimens. Most of the AA+ strains (n = 21) were identified as either Aeromonas sobria or Aeromonas hydrophila. Of the well-documented clinical isolates of A. sobria and A. hydrophila available, 5 (46%) of 11 from invasive disease and 4 (14%) of 29 from noninvasive disease were SP- PAB+. The SP- PAB+ phenotype was significantly associated with invasive infections (e.g., bacteremia and peritonitis [chi 2, P less than 0.05]). All seven of the SP- PAB+ A. sobria and A. hydrophila strains tested killed mice within 48 h after intraperitoneal infection with 1 x 10(7) to 3 x 10(7) CFU, whereas only two of four SP+ PAB+ strains tested were lethal. All of the SP- PAB+ A. sobria and A. hydrophila isolates examined shared common O somatic antigens and possessed an external layer peripheral to the cell wall as determined by thin-section electron micrography. The LL1 strain of A. hydrophila used by Dooley et al. (J. S. G. Dooley, R. Lallier, and T. J. Trust, Vet. Immunol. Immunopathol. 12:339-344, 1986) to demonstrate an S membrane protein component in aeromonads virulent for fish also was SP- PAB+ and possessed the peripheral membrane, suggesting an association between these two components. Seven AA- and three SP+ strains tested lacked this layer; furthermore, 22 (71%) of 31 such isolates did not kill mice. The AA phenotype was a stable characteristic upon long-term passage of isolates in vitro. Study of SP+ and PAB+ aeromonads by surface charge and hydrophobicity analyses indicated that neither property correlated with either virulence or the presence of an external layer.
Changing Patterns of Native American Trade in the Middle Atlantic Region and Chesapeake Watershed: A World Systems Perspective

Types of trade and trends in the movement of material goods within the Middle Atlantic Region and with adjacent regions is summarized beginning ca 2500 BC. The timing of cycles of trade and the social and cultural developments that may be linked to them are compared with developments in adjacent regions. While it is clear that native peoples of the Middle Atlantic and Chesapeake areas are interacting with their contemporaries in other geographic areas, trends in trade and socio-cultural developments are not synchronous. The world systems of the Chesapeake and Middle Atlantic Region after 2500 BC are relatively small and somewhat insular, at least in comparison with those of the Midwest and Southeast. Although there is evidence of interaction with cultures and societies in adjacent regions, this interaction is not systemic, especially as regards trade. No core-periphery differentiation appears to exist. There is no clear archaeological evidence of more economically and socially developed cultures dominating or exploiting less developed ones intra-regionally or inter-regionally prior to the time of Native-European contact.
Transurethral Collagen Injection for Treatment of Postprostatectomy Urinary Incontinence in Men

Abstract Objectives. Transurethral injection of glutaraldehyde cross-linked bovine collagen has recently been advocated as a potentially useful treatment modality for management of urinary incontinence. The reported clinical experience with urethral collagen injection in adult males has been limited. Methods. This study summarizes the current literature and reviews the clinical results of collagen injection in a group of 25 men with incontinence after either transurethral or radical prostatectomy. Results. The overall results in this series were disappointing. Only 2 patients (8%) achieved significant improvement with this treatment. Eight patients (32%) experienced minimal improvement in symptoms, and 15 (60%) remained incontinent with no improvement in symptoms after collagen injection. The number of injection procedures and volume of collagen material implanted did not correlate with clinical outcome. Five patients (20%) have subsequently required placement of an artificial urinary sphincter to control their incontinence. Conclusions. We conclude that transurethral injection of glutaraldehyde cross-linked bovine collagen has a limited role in the management of urinary incontinence in adult men after prostatectomy.
Understanding Depressive Symptoms Among Individuals With Spinal Cord Injuries A Biopsychosocial Perspective

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between various biopsychosocial factors and depressive symptoms in individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCIs). Survey data were colle...
Electrochemical and second harmonic generation investigation of nickel corrosion in 0.1 M NaOH

The study of metallic corrosion has been hampered in the past by the lack of reliable in situ surface-sensitive techniques. The application of second harmonic generation (SHG) to the investigation of such problems was demonstrated in earlier work on Fe corrosion. The present study further illustrates the general utility of SHG as a surface probe by extending its use in conjunction with standard electrochemical methods to the study of the Ni electrode in 0.1 M NaOH. The initial Ni oxidation product is shown to be different from that comprising the passive film, which in turn is shown to change over the region in which the electrode exhibits passive behavior. The use of two different laser frequencies for the production of SHG helps one to discriminate between charging and compositional effects in the interpretation of changes in the SHG signal.
Sign of Leser-Tre´lat

The sign of Leser-Trelat is rare. It is defined as the sudden eruption of multiple seborrheic keratoses caused by a malignancy. Because both seborrheic keratoses and cancer are common in the elderly, it is not always easy to tell from the literature or in any given patient if this sign is present. In fact, its validity has been questioned. Its association with malignant acanthosis nigricans is one of several of its features that support its legitimacy as a true paraneoplastic disorder.
Atherosclerosis: Should We Stop TWEAKing It?

Atherosclerosis is a very complex pathology. Over the past two decades we have come to appreciate that a major component of this pathological process is chronic inflammation. This inflammatory state is not only characterized by infiltration of lipid laden macrophages, the hallmark cell of this disease, into the vascular wall, but also is characterized by the infiltration of a host of other inflammatory cells. The complex interaction of inflammatory cells with the normal residents of the vascular wall (ie, endothelial and smooth muscle cells) directs the progression of the disease. Inflammatory cells secrete a variety of chemokines and cytokines which have a profound effect on the development and progression of the plaque. Moreover, many of these cytokines can mediate both pro- and antiatherogenic processes depending on the cellular milieu. The tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and TNF receptor (TNFR) superfamilies encompass numerous cytokines and receptors suggested to play a pivotal role in atherogenesis. Although many members of these families such as TNF-α and CD40 ligand and their putative receptors are considered to be proatherogenic,1–4 studies have also demonstrated an antiatherogenic role for others, including the p55 TNFR.5 TNF-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) and its putative receptor, fibroblast growth factor-inducible 14 (Fn14), are also members of the TNF and TNFR superfamilies, respectively. Both TWEAK and Fn14 have been detected in human atherosclerotic plaques, suggesting that these molecules may also play a role in the atherogenic process. Clinical …
Relaying a fountain code across multiple nodes

Fountain codes are designed for erasure channels, and are particularly well suited for broadcast applications from a single source to its one hop receivers. In this context, the problem of designing a rateless code in the network case for on-the-fly recoding is very important, as relaying the data over multiple nodes is fundamentally useful in a network. Clearly, fountain codes are unsuited for on-line recoding (and simply forwarding over subsequent hops is provably suboptimal). Random linear codes are throughput optimal, but they do not enjoy the low complexity that is a prime feature of fountain codes. Can we get the low complexity of say, LT codes, while maintaining on-the-fly recoding and being throughput optimal? This paper proposes a novel solution to the above question. We consider packet level coding on a line network of discrete memoryless erasure channels (with potentially unlimited nodes), and exhibhit a coding scheme with (1) tatelessness (2) logarithmic per-symbol coding complexity (3) throughput optimality (achieves rates equal the min cut capacity) and (4) avoids the delay of having to decode and then re-encode entire block lengths at intermediate nodes.
Protein structure protection commits gene expression patterns

Background Gene co-expressions often determine module-defining spatial and temporal concurrences of proteins. Yet, little effort has been devoted to tracing coordinating signals for expression correlations to the three-dimensional structures of gene products.
Validation of the Otolith Increment Aging Technique for Striped Bass, Morone Saxatilis, Larvae Reared Under Suboptimal Feeding Conditions

2 ABSTRACT Striped bass, MOTOIl£ suxatili.s, larvae were reared in the laboratory for 97 days to validate the otolith increment aging technique for this species. Otolith-increment deposition rates were determined under optimal laboratory conditions for growth and under three conditions of restricted feeding and using both light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Under optimal laboratory conditions. increments were deposited daily from the fourth day after hatching through the first 2 months of life and were discernible with the light microscope. For larvae reared under restricted feeding regimes and readings done with the light microscope, counts did not reflect true age. Counts obtained from these same otoliths using SEM, however, more closely reflected true daily age. Results indicate that the use of light microscopy alone can result in inaccurate estimation of age for larvae that have experienced starvation episodes.
Consumer Protection in Cloud Computing Services: Recommendations for Best Practices from a Consumer Federation of America Retreat on Cloud Computing

This report makes recommendations for best practices for business‐to‐consumer cloud computing services. These recommendations emerged from a two‐day retreat convened by the nonprofit organization Consumer Federation of America focusing on cloud computing challenges in June 2010. The participants in the retreat included persons from consumer and privacy organizations, academia, government, and business, from both the US and Europe.