cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Computed tomographic perfusion in the management of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: new application of an existent technique.

OBJECTIVE: Cerebral blood flow (CBF) alterations are common after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Treatment of delayed cerebral ischemia in this setting depends on timely and accurate diagnosis. Techniques to measure cerebral blood flow are useful and important. Computed tomographic (CT) perfusion imaging is a technique for the measurement of CBF, cerebral blood volume, and time to peak. It is a fast and inexpensive brain imaging modality that offers promise in the management of patients with SAH. METHODS: CT perfusion imaging was performed in 10 patients with aneurysmal SAH when neurological changes raised suspicions of cerebral ischemia. Quantitative values for CBF, cerebral blood volume, and time to peak were obtained in each study. The case history, CT perfusion results, and an analysis of how patient management was influenced are presented for each patient. RESULTS: A total of 17 CT perfusion studies were performed. Five studies showed evidence of cerebral ischemia, leading to endovascular treatment of vasospasm. Eight studies excluded cerebral ischemia, and two studies identified cerebral hyperemia, resulting in adjustments in hyperdynamic therapy. CT perfusion was used to help predict a poor prognosis and withhold aggressive intervention in two patients with poor Hunt and Hess grades. Time-to-peak values identified regions of cerebral ischemia more readily than CBF or cerebral blood volume values. CONCLUSION: CT perfusion imaging can be used to identify patients with delayed cerebral ischemia after SAH and to guide medical and endovascular therapy. The findings can lead to alterations in patient management.
Condensed phase vibrational relaxation: calibration of approximate relaxation theories with analytical and numerically exact results

The dynamics of a small quantum system coupled to condensed phase bath is considered. Such dynamics is important in vibrational and spin relaxation of probe molecules in condensed phase media. Adapting and generalizing the condensed phase electron transfer analysis of Gayen et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 112 (2000) 4310], we show how to compute the reduced system density matrix exactly for a large class of Hamiltonians, namely those for which the system Hamiltonian and the system factor in the system-bath coupling term commute. For this class of problems, several approximate second order relaxation theory equations of motion for the reduced system density matrix also have special properties. In particular, the Markovian limit of these equations of motion forms a positive semigroup. Also, if the bath is a collection of harmonic oscillators, and the bath coupling operator is linear in these oscillator coordinates, then local second order relaxation theory is exact, even for strong system-bath coupling. The case of a degenerate two-level system coupled off-diagonally to the bath is among those that can be solved exactly. In order to treat the nondegenerate two-level analog, we show that the Hamiltonian describing population relaxation of such a system coupled linearly to a harmonic bath can be mapped to the canonical Spin-Boson Hamiltonian, albeit with nonstandard initial state conditions. Nevertheless, Path Integral methods can be utilized to compute numerically exact time-evolution of the equivalent Spin-Boson problem, from which the desired population relaxation dynamics can be extracted. Extensive comparisons to commonly utilized second order relaxation theory approximations are presented.
Conditioned saccharin aversion development following administration of hypotensive agents

Abstract Conditioned aversion was demonstrated in the rat following the pairing of 0.1% saccharin solution with intragastrically administered levo-α-methyldopa and hydralazine. Conditioned aversion was not observed following pairing of saccharin ingestion with intragastrically administered hydrochlorothiazide (maximum dose, 100 mg/kg). These data suggest that some hypotensives can condition an aversion. The data were interpreted as supporting a role for post-ingestion malaise or gastrointestinal illness in the clinically common observation of drug defaulting with hypotensive drugs.
The Chinese biopolitical: facing the twenty-first century

Today the dominant science and technology studies (STS) story about the politics “life itself” sees an epochal shift in which the classic Foucauldian biopolitics of the population has disappeared, ...
Conditionally immortalized cell line of inducible metanephric mesenchyme.

Conditionally immortalized cell line of inducible metanephric mesenchyme. Background The mesenchymal-epithelial conversion of metanephric mesenchyme (MM) in the formation of nephronic tubules has long served as a paradigm for inductive signaling in morphogenesis. However, the mechanisms underlying this differentiation have remained an enigma due to insufficient numbers of primary mesenchymal cells that must be isolated manually from animal embryos. To overcome this problem, we have established a conditionally immortalized cell line, the rat-inducible metanephric mesenchyme (RIMM-18) by transfection of primary mesenchymal cells with a vector, encoding an estradiol-dependent E1A-ER fusion protein. Methods Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), luciferase reporter assay, electrophoretic mobility shift assay, immunocytochemical, and immunohistochemical stainings were used to characterize the established cell line. Results We demonstrate that in the presence of estradiol, the RIMM-18 cell line proliferates continuously, maintaining mesenchymal characteristics for over 40 passages. These cells are vimentin-positive and cytokeratin-negative. Under inductive conditions in the absence of estradiol, they are responsive to a number of cytokines, which are established inducers of mesenchymal cells in vivo and in vitro [i.e., fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2), leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), and transforming growth factor-β2 (TGF-β2)]. We show the presence in RIMM-18 cells of specific protein markers and functionally active signaling pathways required for induction of tubule formation in MM. Furthermore, induced RIMM-18 cells change morphology, acquiring epithelial-like features, and begin to express epithelial markers (e.g., E-cadherin, cytokeratin, γ-glutamyl-transpeptidase, and secreted frizzled-related protein 2 (sFRP2). Conclusion This preliminary characterization of the RIMM-18cell line suggests that it will be useful in the study of biochemical and molecular mechanisms of nephronic development and, possibly, of some types of renal cancer such as Wilms' tumor, which caricatures the normal process of kidney development.
RRN11 Encodes the Third Subunit of the Complex Containing Rrn6p and Rrn7p That Is Essential for the Initiation of rDNA Transcription by Yeast RNA Polymerase I

A new gene, RRN11, has been defined by certain rrn mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae which are defective specifically in the transcription of 35 S rRNA gene by RNA polymerase I (pol I). We have cloned the gene and found that it encodes a protein of 507 amino acids. We have used a strain with the chromosomal RRN11 deleted and carrying HA1 epitope-tagged RRN11 on a plasmid to isolate a protein complex containing the protein encoded by RRN11. This protein complex complemented rrn6 mutant extracts, which were previously shown to be deficient in the essential pol I transcription factor called Rrn6/7 complex or core factor (CF). The CF complex was previously shown to consist of three proteins, the 102- and 60-kDa subunits encoded by RRN6 and RRN7, respectively, and the 66-kDa subunit. The results of the above complementation experiments combined with mobility of Rrn11p in SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis relative to Rrn6p and Rrn7p led to the conclusion that RRN11 encodes the 66-kDa subunit of CF. Glutathione S-transferase-Rrn11p fusion protein was found to bind strongly to 35S-labeled Rrn6p and Rrn7p but only weakly to 35S-labeled TATA-binding protein. Similarly, glutathione S-transferase-Rrn7p fusion protein bound strongly to 35S-labeled Rrn6p and Rrn11p but only weakly to 35S-labeled TATA-binding protein. These results are consistent with the fact that one can purify CF consisting of Rrn6p, Rrn7p, and Rrn11p from yeast cell extracts, but the purified complex does not contain TATA-binding protein. RRN11 was shown to be an essential gene, and [3H]uridine pulse experiments demonstrated directly that RRN11 is essential for rDNA transcription by pol I in vivo. Thus all three subunits of CF are essential for rDNA transcription. Because of the resemblance of CF to mammalian essential pol I transcription factor SL1, the amino acid sequences of Rrn11p and the other two subunits of CF were compared with those of the three TATA-binding protein-associated factors (TAFs) in the human SL1, TAFI48, TAFI63, and TAFI110. No significant similarity was detected between two sets of the proteins. Similarity as well as differences between CF and SL1 are discussed.
Acquired Tumor Cell Radiation Resistance at the Treatment Site Is Mediated Through Radiation-Orchestrated Intercellular Communication

Purpose Radiation resistance induced in cancer cells that survive after radiation therapy (RT) could be associated with increased radiation protection, limiting the therapeutic benefit of radiation. Herein we investigated the sequential mechanistic molecular orchestration involved in radiation-induced radiation protection in tumor cells. Results Radiation, both in the low-dose irradiation (LDIR) range (10, 50, or 100 cGy) or at a higher, challenge dose IR (CDIR), 4 Gy, induced dose-dependent and sustained NFκB-DNA binding activity. However, a robust and consistent increase was seen in CDIR-induced NFκB activity, decreased DNA fragmentation, apoptosis, and cytotoxicity and attenuation of CDIR-inhibited clonal expansion when the cells were primed with LDIR prior to challenge dose. Furthermore, NFκB manipulation studies with small interfering RNA (siRNA) silencing or p50/p65 overexpression unveiled the influence of LDIR-activated NFκB in regulating CDIR-induced DNA fragmentation and apoptosis. LDIR significantly increased the transactivation/translation of the radiation-responsive factors tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1α (IL-1α), cMYC, and SOD2. Coculture experiments exhibit LDIR-influenced radiation protection and increases in cellular expression, secretion, and activation of radiation-responsive molecules in bystander cells. Individual gene-silencing approach with siRNAs coupled with coculture studies showed the influence of LDIR-modulated TNF-α, IL-1α, cMYC, and SOD2 in induced radiation protection in bystander cells. NFκB inhibition/overexpression studies coupled with coculture experiments demonstrated that TNF-α, IL-1α, cMYC, and SOD2 are selectively regulated by LDIR-induced NFκB. Conclusions Together, these data strongly suggest that scattered LDIR-induced NFκB-dependent TNF-α, IL-1α, cMYC, and SOD2 mediate radiation protection to the subsequent challenge dose in tumor cells.
Self-sustained hydrodynamic oscillations in a natural-circulation boiling water loop

Abstract Measurements are given of flow and pressure oscillations over a range of steady power inputs to a natural-circulation boiling water loop for several riser and test section geometries and over a pressure range of 200–1000 psia. In some cases the inception threshold is quite sharp, but in others the oscillations grow monotonically. The effects of system parameters are discussed, and the results are compared with existing theory.
Hydrocele on the web: An evaluation of Internet-based information

Abstract Objective. To evaluate the quality of health-based information available to patients and their parents on the Internet regarding hydrocele, a common paediatric condition, an Internet search was performed and a questionnaire distributed. Material and methods. The top 100 websites from the five most accessed search engines were reviewed by entering the term “Hydrocele” into each search engine. Website authorship was determined by close examination of each website. Websites were assessed for accuracy and validity according to the Health On the Net Foundation Code (HONcode), DISCERN score and JAMA benchmark criteria, recognized scoring systems. A voluntary written questionnaire was distributed to parents of patients on two consecutive days outside a paediatric clinic. Results. After duplicate and inaccessible sites had been excluded, 37 unique websites were identified: 11 were academic, eight were produced by physicians not affiliated with an academic institution, three were commercial, four were att...
Isolation and analysis of a genomic clone encoding a pokeweed antiviral protein.

Partial cDNAs encoding a pokeweed antiviral protein were obtained by polymerase chain reaction from the poly(A)+ RNA of seeds, leaves, and roots using two specific primers based on the amino acid sequence of a pokeweed antiviral protein from the seeds (PAP-S). Using the cDNAs as a radioactive probe, 17 and 39 positive plaques were isolated from libraries containing the genomic DNA of Phytolacca americana digested with Bam HI partially and completely, respectively. The plaques were grouped into nine types by Southern hybridization. The type α genomic clone encodes a protein of 294 amino acids. Its amino acid sequence is similar but not identical to that of PAP-S. A comparison of the two amino acid sequences suggested that the deduced protein contains extrapeptides of 24 and 9 amino acids at the NH2 and the COOH terminals, respectively. The putative protein was expressed in Escherichia coli and shown to depurinate the specific adenine of wheat 25S rRNA, indicating that the protein encoded by a type α genomic clone is a functional protein exhibiting RNA N-glycosidase activity.
A New, Diminutive, Mexican Milkweed (Asclepias, Apocynaceae s.l.)

A new milkweed from the eastern and western cordilleras of Mexico is described and illustrated. Asclepias elegantula Fishbein is distinguished from other diminutive, linear-leaved species of the genus in montane Mexico by the claret-striped petals (unique in American Asclepias L.) and by the combination of very small flowers with corona segments (hoods) that are sharply deflexed from the staminal column, deeply pouched, and bear a grooved, internal appendage (horn) confluent with the dorsal margin of each hood. The species is known from only two sites with different substrates, one each in the Sierra Madre Oriental and Sierra Madre Occidental. The remarkable disjunction may be indicative of extreme rarity or the low likelihood of observing this relatively inconspicuous milkweed.
Primordial Homeostasis in a Mammal as shown by the Control of Manganese

THE hepatopancreas is the primordial homeostatic organ in a large number of species in which the kidney has not as yet developed. In the mammalian embryo, the hepatopancreatic primordium evolves earlier than the metanephric ones1. The liver and the pancreas of adult mammals and man are the successors of the ancient hepatopancreas. The question arose whether these successors maintain their primordial homeostatic adequacy even in a species which has fully developed kidneys.
Perceptions of Community Resources and Insights for Program Development from Southern, Rural Hypertensive Women

Background. Hypertension affects millions of Americans each year and is a significant contributor to the development of cardiovascular disease. African Americans, especially those living in rural locations, experience greater disparities in the incidence and prevalence rates of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Methods. This study utilizes qualitative descriptive methodology. Focus groups involving African American women reporting hypertension were conducted in a rural community in Alabama. Results. The mean age was 60.3 years of age (SD = 10.3). Most were married and half were college educated. The majority reported an overweight or obese status. Most were aware that they had hypertension for more than five years, all were nonsmokers, and the majority had a family history of heart disease, hypertension, and/or heart attack or stroke. Key themes emerging from the focus groups included strengths of the community, support for the community, support for a healthy lifestyle, and intervention development. Conclusion. Hypertension is a treatable and preventable disease that not only causes disability, but also significantly decreases the quality of life in affected individuals. Findings from this study provide insight into the unique needs and perceptions of African American women residing in rural Alabama as they relate to community resources.
Delayed laparoscopy facilitates the management of biliary peritonitis in patients with complex liver injuries.

Background Nonoperative management is now regarded as the best alternative for the treatment of patients with complex blunt liver injuries. However, some patients still require surgical treatment for complications that were formerly managed with laparotomy and a combination of image-guided studies.
Vaginal ultrasound for diagnosis of placenta previa

Transvaginal sonography was compared with transabdominal sonography in 35 women with suspected placenta previa. The transvaginal sonographic technique did not result in vaginal bleeding in any of the patients. The internal os and its relationship to the location of the placenta were visualized by transvaginal sonography in all patients, but only in 24 patients (69%) by transabdominal sonography. Transvaginal sonography ruled out placenta previa in 13 cases thought to be placenta previa by abdominal sonography. The transvaginal diagnosis in these 13 patients was confirmed at delivery. Thirty-four of the 35 women have been delivered. The diagnosis at delivery confirmed the transvaginal sonographic diagnosis in 29/34 cases and the transabdominal diagnosis in 16/34. Transvaginal sonography did not predict the delivery diagnosis in five patients who were erroneously believed to have placenta previa by both sonographic techniques.
Effects of castration on grooming in goats

In African antelope and North American cervids, breeding males during the rut engage in less oral self-grooming, and harbor a greater density of ticks, compared with conspecific females and non-breeding males. The purpose of this study was to experimentally test the proposition that down-regulation of self grooming in some male bovids occurs via the direct or indirect action of testosterone. Domestic dairy goats (Capra hircus) were used as a model. In Experiment 1, comparative observations conducted on twelve gonadally intact male goats (bucks), nine males castrated at 3 weeks of age (wethers), and twelve intact females (does) supported the prediction that the grooming rate of intact males would be depressed relative to wethers and does. Bucks oral groomed at one-third and one-fourth the rate of wethers and does, respectively, and they scratch groomed half as much as does. There was no significant difference between wethers and does in oral or scratch grooming rates. Experiment 2 involved castration of eleven bucks from Experiment 1, followed by 2 months of observation. Similar to the pattern of other testosterone-dependent behavioral changes after castration in adult males, there was a good deal of variation in the individual grooming response of males to castration, with increases in grooming taking 2 to 8 weeks to be manifested in ten of eleven goats. Overall, castrated males oral groomed about 3 x above their intact rates, supporting the prediction that castration removes testosterone-mediated suppression of grooming. This is the first example of alteration of grooming behavior in males by gonadal androgen, and the first demonstration of enhancement of any mammalian behavior by removal of gonadal androgen.
Manipulation of ultracold Rb atoms using a single linearly chirped laser pulse.

At ultracold temperatures, atoms are free from thermal motion, which makes them ideal objects of investigations aiming to advance high-precision spectroscopy, metrology, quantum computation, producing Bose condensates, etc. The quantum state of ultracold atoms may be created and manipulated by making use of quantum control methods employing low-intensity pulses. We theoretically investigate population dynamics of ultracold Rb vapor induced by nanosecond linearly chirped pulses having kW/cm2 beam intensity and show a possibility of controllable population transfer between hyperfine (HpF) levels of 52S1/2 state through Raman transitions. Satisfying the one-photon resonance condition with the lowest of the HpF states of 52P1/2 or 52P3/2 state allows us to enter the adiabatic region of population transfer at very low field intensities, such that corresponding Rabi frequencies are less than or equal to the HpF splitting. This methodology provides a robust way to create a specifically designed superposition state in Rb in the basis of HpF levels and perform state manipulation controllable on the picosecond-to-nanosecond time scale.
Concerted Conjugate Addition of Nucleophiles to Alkenoates. Part I: Mechanism of N-Alkylhydroxylamine Additions

Intermolecular conjugate additions of N-alkylhydroxylamines to α,β-unsaturated esters (alkenoates) produce β-hydroxyamino ester intermediates which cyclize to isoxazolidinones. The mechanism of the addition step was investigated by using deuterated starting materials. A five-atom-centered transition state was proposed to explain the stereoselective incorporation of deuterium atoms into the resulting isoxazolidinones. This “concerted” mechanism was further supported by the fact that hydroxylamines could add to trisubstituted alkenoates, resulting in the stereospecific synthesis of 3,4-dialkyl 5-isoxazolidinones. The use of sterically hindered alkenoates can produce conjugate addition products which are rarely obtained from the intermolecular conjugate additions of other nucleophiles. The stereochemistry of both α and β centers can be controlled to give a high level of selectivity even though simple substrates are used.
More is Less: The Effect of Single and Multiple Interleaved Interruptions on Task Resumption

People experience and handle interruptions on a daily basis. One strategy that people use to manage interruptions is to interleave an interrupting task with a primary task. Past interruptions research has mostly looked at the effects of a single interruption on primary task performance. This study sought to expand on past research by examining primary task performance during a period of interleaved interruptions. In this study, participants experienced either a single interruption or a series of interruptions that increased or decreased in duration. Task resumption in both interleaved interruption conditions was significantly faster than in the single interruption condition. The findings suggest that interleaving interruptions leads to more efficient task resumption than resuming after a single interruption. Language: en
Interactions between urban water policy, residential irrigation, and plant & bird diversity in the Fresno-Clovis Metro Area

Ecological theory has begun to incorporate humans as part of coupled socio-ecological systems. Modern urban development provides an excellent laboratory to examine the interplay among socio-ecological relationships. Urban land and water management decisions result from dynamic interactions between institutional, individual and ecological factors. Landscaping and irrigation at any particular residence, for example, is a product of geography, hydrology, soil, and other local environmental conditions, the homeowners’ cultural preferences, socioeconomic status, identity construction, neighborhood dynamics, as well as zoning laws, market conditions, city policies, and county/state/federal government regulations. Since land and water management are key determinants of habitat for other species, urban biodiversity is strongly driven by the outcome of interactions between these variables. This study addresses the significance of water as a key variable in the Fresno-Clovis Metropolitan Area (FCMA), shaping current patterns of landscape and water use, at a time when the city of Fresno is installing meters as a regulatory tool to conserve water. We combine data from a citizen science bird monitoring project, field surveys of trees, and mail surveys of residents to address interactions among key components of the urban socioecological system. We present results of multivariate analyses of bird and tree surveys to show that neighborhood income and irrigation levels interact to influence species diversity of both taxa. Data from the Fresno Bird Count found that bird species richness and functional group diversity are both strongly correlated with residential irrigation and neighborhood income levels. Tree species diversity shows a similar pattern. We examine these results to test and develop several theoretical models explaining outdoor water use behaviors, with the aim of assessing the resilience of such behaviors with the introduction of water metering in Fresno, and the resilience of urban plant and bird communities to resulting changes in water use in the landscape. We argue that socioeconomic status results from a complex interplay of cultural, economic, structural, and social-psychological factors, influencing institutional policies regarding the governance of water resources, and in turn impacts biodiversity within the urban landscape through spatial and temporal variations in water usage. This study is part of a long-term research project that examines the impacts of human water usage and water use policies on biodiversity within an urban environment.
The market mechanism and solid waste management

Solid waste management arose and persists as a social problem for two fundamental reasons. First, the absorptive media for waste solids — the air, water and land — are communal resources over which private property rights cannot, and properly ought not, be defined and enforced. Secondly, the spillover effects of private waste disposal in populated areas have the inevitable result that private decisions are socially not acceptable. Both the publicness of basic resources and the spillover effects of private behavior result in the failure of the market to achieve social efficiency and optimality.
Pyroxene-melt equilibria: an updated model

An updated model for pyroxene-melt equilibria at 1 atm has been developed and calibrated using new and existing experimental data in order to refine calculations of liquid lines of descent, which simulate the effect of igneous differentiation processes. We combine the Davidson and Lindsley (1985) model for activities of components in clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene solid solutions, aip, where i represents a quadrilateral endmember, with the Nielsen and Drake (1979) expressions for component activities in the melt, aiL(two-lattice melt model). The chemical potential differences for pyroxene-melt equilibria are expressed in the form: $$\Delta \mu _{\iota } = 0 = In \left( {{{a_i^p } \mathord{\left/{\vphantom {{a_i^p } {a_i^L }}} \right.\kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {a_i^L }}} \right) + A_i + {{B_i } \mathord{\left/{\vphantom {{B_i } T}} \right.\kern-\nulldelimiterspace} T}$$
How talk, context, and script shape contexts for learning: A cross-case comparison of journal sharing☆

Abstract In this article, activity theory and conversation analysis frame a set of comparative ethnographic studies of how access to literacy learning was differentially constructed across nine classrooms in which “the writing process” was the articulated writing pedagogy. By examining the ways in which language and context socially and culturally constituted events or activities, three distinct patterns of interaction and discourse were identified and the social relationships, normative discourse practices, knowledge exchange systems, and participants' beliefs were associated with each pattern described. Data from three of the nine classrooms in the comparative ethnography study are presented to illustrate the relationships among language, context, and literacy learning. The three classrooms selected represent differences in patterns of orientation, interpretation, and implementation of writing process pedagogy. To provide a basis for comparing pedagogical practices, the patterns of interaction were examined in an event common to all three classrooms, journal sharing. These data illustrate the ways in which different contexts for learning to write and sharing writing were dynamically and socially constructed through the normative interactional and discourse practices in each of these writing process classrooms, and how the differences in contexts led to differential access to learning.
Bayesian sample size calculations in phase II clinical trials using a mixture of informative priors

A number of researchers have discussed phase II clinical trials from a Bayesian perspective. A recent article by Mayo and Gajewski focuses on sample size calculations, which they determine by specifying an informative prior distribution and then calculating a posterior probability that the true response will exceed a prespecified target. In this article, we extend these sample size calculations to include a mixture of informative prior distributions. The mixture comes from several sources of information. For example consider information from two (or more) clinicians. The first clinician is pessimistic about the drug and the second clinician is optimistic. We tabulate the results for sample size design using the fact that the simple mixture of Betas is a conjugate family for the Beta– Binomial model. We discuss the theoretical framework for these types of Bayesian designs and show that the Bayesian designs in this paper approximate this theoretical framework. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Heat-induced mortality and expression of heat shock proteins in Colorado potato beetles treated with imidacloprid

The Colorado potato beetle is an important pest of solanaceous plants in the Northern Hemisphere. Better understanding of its physiological responses to temperature stress and their interactions with still-prevalent chemical control has important implications for the management of this insect. We measured mortality and expression of the Hsp70 heat shock proteins in the Colorado potato beetle larvae exposed to sublethal concentration of the commonly used insecticide imidacloprid, and to supraoptimal temperatures. Both turned out to be significant stress factors, although induction of Hsp70 by imidacloprid observed in the present study was low compared to its induction by the heat. The two factors also interacted with each other. At an extreme temperature of 43 °C, exposure to a sublethal dose of imidacloprid resulted in a significant rise in larval mortality, which was not observed at an optimal temperature of 25 °C. Heat-stressed larvae also failed to respond to imidacloprid by producing more Hsp70. These findings suggest that when field rates of insecticides become insufficient for killing the exposed beetles under optimal temperature conditions due to the evolution of resistance in beetle populations, they may still reduce the probability of resistant beetles surviving the heat shock created by using propane flamers as a rescue treatment.
Saving Lives in the Sky

Sudden cardiac death is responsible for ≈300 000 to 400 000 deaths yearly in the United States, depending on the definition used. When the definition is restricted to death occurring 90% incidence of an arrhythmic death.1 Sudden cardiac death is commonly the initial manifestation of coronary heart disease. It accounts for 50% of the mortality from cardiovascular disease, which remains the main cause of death in this country.2 Sudden cardiac death rates in developed countries outside the United States are similar. Approximately 75% of cardiac arrests occur at home, and about two thirds are witnessed. The chances of surviving sudden cardiac arrest are <10%, with most persons dying before reaching a hospital. Those people who do survive a cardiac arrest have a good chance of living many more years; ≈80% are alive at 1 year, and as many as 57% are alive at 5 years. Ventricular fibrillation is the initial recorded rhythm in 40% to 70% of patients who have cardiac arrest, depending on the patient population and the time to first recording.3 4 Sustained ventricular tachycardia is the first rhythm documented in fewer than 2% of sudden death victims, but it is unknown how often it precedes and precipitates ventricular fibrillation. In 157 patients who were wearing an ambulatory ECG recorder at the time of their cardiac arrest, primary ventricular fibrillation was documented in 8%, ventricular tachycardia degenerating into ventricular fibrillation in 62%, and torsades de pointes in 13% of patients.5 Electromechanical dissociation and asystole are found in 30% to 50% of cardiac arrest patients, and their occurrence usually parallels the time interval from collapse to first monitoring of the rhythm, suggesting that it is a later manifestation of cardiac arrest.3 4 Not …
A simulation engine to predict multi-agent work in complex, dynamic, heterogeneous systems

This paper documents a simulation engine developed to accurately and efficiently simulate work by multiple agents in complex dynamic systems. Agents (human or mechanical) are modeled as responding to, and changing, their environment by executing the actions that get and set the value of resources in the environment. Each action comprises the processes that need to be evaluated at the same time by the same agent, which are used to reference (get) resources, consider them according to simple or complicated processes, and then interact back on the environment by setting resources appropriately. This paper specifically addresses timing within the simulation. The simplest approach would update all actions at the smallest unit of conceivable time, an approach that is not only computationally inefficient, but also not an accurate representation of situated behavior. Instead, every action declares its next update time as required to accurately model its internal dynamics and the simulation engine executes them asynchronously. Thus, an action and the resources it “gets” from the environment are not inherently contemporary; instead, each action also specifies, for each resource value that it gets, the quality of service required in terms of its temporal currency. This reflects dynamics of the real processes being simulated: when, in actual operations, would the environment be sampled, and how accurately must its state be known? Additionally, this also reflects dynamics of environmental resources how often (or how fast) does each inherently change? Using these constructs, the list of actions to be simulated are sorted by the simulation engine according to their next update time. Each action, when its time comes, is given to their agent model to be executed, and then is sorted back into the action list according to its self-reported next update time. Thus, actions are each updated when they need to be. In situations where, for example, action Y needs to get a resource which, because action X has not set it recently, does not meet action Ys required Quality of Service. The simulation engine will invoke action X immediately before action Y, mimicking cases in the real system where one process calls on another to establish the conditions it needs. The presented simulation engine is a complete redevelopment, designed and written from scratch at the Cognitive Engineering Center at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
The impact of a daily pre-operative surgical huddle on interruptions, delays, and surgeon satisfaction in an orthopedic operating room: a prospective study.

The goal of this project was to implement a daily pre-operative huddle (briefing) for orthopedic cases and evaluate the impact of the daily huddle on surgeons’ perceptions of interruptions and operative delays. Baseline measurements on interruptions, delays, and questions were obtained. Then the daily pre-operative huddle was introduced. Surgeons completed a surgical outcomes worksheet for each day’s cases. Outcomes evaluated were primarily interruptions and delays starting cases before and following introduction of the huddle. 19 baseline observations and 19 huddle-implemented observations of surgeon’s days were assessed. Overall, surgeon satisfaction increased and fewer delays occurred after introduction of huddles. Interruptions decreased in all categories including equipment, antibiotics, planned procedure and side. Time required for a huddle was less than one minute per case. In this pilot study, a daily pre-operative huddle improved the flow of a surgeon’s day and satisfaction and indirectly provided indications of safety benefits by decreasing the number of interruptions and delays. Further studies in other surgical specialties should be conducted due to the promising results. Data was collected from three orthopedic surgeons in this phase; however, as a next step, data should be drawn from the rest of the orthopedic surgical team and other surgical subspecialties as well.
The object library for parallel simulation (OLPS)

The Object Library for Parallel Simulation (OLPS) is a set of C++ objects from which a parallel, discrete event simulation or simulation language can be built and run on multiprocessor workstations. OLPS provides a common interface to the simulation programmer for several parallel simulation algorithms, including implementations of the Chandy-Misra and Time-Warp algorithms. OLPS also provides instrumentation to compare the performance of each parallel algorithm on the same simulation problem. The system currently runs on the V distributed system on the DEC Firefly.
Recommender systems: from algorithms to user experience

Since their introduction in the early 1990's, automated recommender systems have revolutionized the marketing and delivery of commerce and content by providing personalized recommendations and predictions over a variety of large and complex product offerings. In this article, we review the key advances in collaborative filtering recommender systems, focusing on the evolution from research concentrated purely on algorithms to research concentrated on the rich set of questions around the user experience with the recommender. We show through examples that the embedding of the algorithm in the user experience dramatically affects the value to the user of the recommender. We argue that evaluating the user experience of a recommender requires a broader set of measures than have been commonly used, and suggest additional measures that have proven effective. Based on our analysis of the state of the field, we identify the most important open research problems, and outline key challenges slowing the advance of the state of the art, and in some cases limiting the relevance of research to real-world applications.
An architectural pattern for adaptable middleware infrastructure

Middleware technologies change so rapidly that designers must adapt existing software architectures to incorporate new emerging ones. This paper proposes an architectural pattern and guidelines to abstract the communication barrier whereby allowing the developer to concentrate on the application logic. We demonstrate our approach and the feasibility of easily upgrading the middleware infrastructure in the context of a sample application and three case studies using three different middlewares on the .NET framework.
Private provider participation in statewide immunization registries

Population-based registries have been promoted as an effective method to improve childhood immunization rates, yet rates of registry participation in the private sector are low. We sought to describe, through a national overview, the perspectives of childhood immunization providers in private practice regarding factors associated with participation or non-participation in immunization registries. Two mailed surveys, one for 264 private practices identified as registry non-participants and the other for 971 identified as registry participants, from 15 of the 31 states with population-based statewide immunization registries. Frequency distributions were calculated separately for non-participants and participants regarding the physician-reported factors that influenced decisions related to registry participation. Pearson chi-square tests of independence were used to assess associations among categorical variables. Overall response rate was 62% (N = 756). Among non-participants, easy access to records of vaccines provided at other sites (N = 101, 68%) and printable immunization records (N = 82, 55%) were most often cited as "very important" potential benefits of a registry, while the most commonly cited barriers to participation were too much cost/staff time (N = 36, 38%) and that the practice has its own system for recording and monitoring immunizations (N = 35, 37%). Among registry participants, most reported using the registry to input data on vaccines administered (N = 326, 87%) and to review immunization records of individual patients (N = 302, 81%). A minority reported using it to assess their practice's immunization coverage (N = 110, 29%) or generate reminder/recall notices (N = 54, 14%). Few participants reported experiencing "significant" problems with the registry; the most often cited was cost/staff time to use the registry (N = 71, 20%). Most registry participants report active participation with few problems. The problems they report are generally consistent with the barriers anticipated by non-participants, but did not impede participation. Recruitment efforts should focus on demonstrating the benefits of the registry to providers. In addition, many participants are not utilizing the full range of registry features; further study is needed to determine how best to increase use of these features.
Development of a 50-Year High-Resolution Global Dataset of Meteorological Forcings for Land Surface Modeling

Abstract Understanding the variability of the terrestrial hydrologic cycle is central to determining the potential for extreme events and susceptibility to future change. In the absence of long-term, large-scale observations of the components of the hydrologic cycle, modeling can provide consistent fields of land surface fluxes and states. This paper describes the creation of a global, 50-yr, 3-hourly, 1.0° dataset of meteorological forcings that can be used to drive models of land surface hydrology. The dataset is constructed by combining a suite of global observation-based datasets with the National Centers for Environmental Prediction–National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP–NCAR) reanalysis. Known biases in the reanalysis precipitation and near-surface meteorology have been shown to exert an erroneous effect on modeled land surface water and energy budgets and are thus corrected using observation-based datasets of precipitation, air temperature, and radiation. Corrections are also made to the ra...
A STRAIN DIFFERENCE IN RESPONSIVENESS OF CHICK THYROIDS TO THYROTROPIN AND A STEP-WISE INCREASE DURING THREE YEARS IN THYROID WEIGHTS OF CARNEAU PIGEONS1

WE HERE DESCRIBE A PROGRESSIVE step-wise change in the thyroid weight of young White Carneau pigeons studied during 5 years, and also a marked difference in the responsiveness of the thyroids of White Leghorn baby chicks which were obtained from two sources and which probably represent two hereditary strains. Since increase in the weight of the thyroid gland of various animals has become an accepted quantitative method for measurement of the thyrotropic content of anterior pituitary extracts the observations bear upon a common problem. These two types of thyroid variability indicate that quantitative assays of thyrotropin require the use of parallel tests with a standard preparation of thyrotropin.Col,lip has reviewed the earlier studies on thyrotropin (1). Smelser (2), Kabak and Liapin (3), Cope (4) and Bergman and Turner (5) have used both baby chicks andguinea pigs for thyrotropin assays.
Estimates of Heritability of Larval and Early Juvenile Growth Traits in Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus)

ABSTRACT Eighteen to 29 families of red drum were generated via spontaneous spawning of multiple sets of three dams × two sires. In 2002, offspring from spawning events were grown in separate larval ponds to a mean TL of 30.4 mm. In 2003, offspring from spawning events were individually passive integrated transponder (PIT)-tagged and grown in “common-garden” tanks from 121.9 to 166.6 mm. Offspring in both experiments were assigned to parents based on genotypes at four microsatellite loci. Heritability estimates were 0.24 ± 0.06 (larval TL) and 0.48 ± 0.16 (juvenile-specific growth rate in length) and indicate a significant genetic component for both traits.
Power of the augmented dickey-fuller test with information-based lag selection

This study examines the issue on whether lag selection using standard information criteria can help improve the power of the Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) test. Unlike previous studies, the analysis explicitly corrects for the potential sensitivity of critical values – on which measurements of test power are based – to the sample size and lag selection. Empirical power curves are estimated under different lag selection methods. Monte Carlo evidence supports that lag selection based on usual information criteria can lead to power gains for the ADF test for autoregressive processes, but not for processes with moving-average errors.
Cloning and comparative bioinformatic analysis of feline glucose-6-phosphatase catalytic subunit cDNA

Glucose-6-phosphatase is a multicomponent enzyme composed of a transporter subunit and a catalytic subunit that is involved in hepatic glucose production. The objective of the present study was to determine the complete nucleotide sequence of feline hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase catalytic subunit (G6Pc) cDNA and to perform comparative analysis of the molecular features of the feline G6Pc cDNA and protein. Feline G6Pc cDNA contains 2261 bases and encodes a 357 aa protein. The feline cDNA and protein are highly conserved with overall identity ranging from 73–86% to 86–95%, respectively, among mammalian species. Membrane topology, phosphatase consensus sequence, ER retention sequence, N-glycosylation sites and active site residues are conserved in the feline protein. Analysis of the putative feline G6Pc protein did not reveal any species-specific features to explain the unusual in vivo regulation of G6Pase activity reported in feline liver.
Sensitivity analyses of FORM-based and DRM-based performance measure approach (PMA) for reliability-based design optimization (RBDO)

In a gradient-based design optimization, it is necessary to know sensitivities of the constraint with respect to the design variables. In a reliability-based design optimization (RBDO), the constraint is evaluated at the most probable point (MPP) and called the probabilistic constraint, thus it requires the sensitivities of the probabilistic constraints at MPP. This paper presents the rigorous analytic derivation of the sensitivities of the probabilistic constraint at MPP for both First Order Reliability Method (FORM)-based Performance Measure Approach (PMA) and Dimension Reduction Method (DRM)based PMA. Numerical examples are used to demonstrate that the analytic sensitivities agree very well with the sensitivities obtained from the finite difference method (FDM). However, since the sensitivity calculation at the true DRM-based MPP requires the second-order derivatives and additional MPP search, the sensitivity derivation at the approximated DRMbased MPP, which does not require the second-order derivatives and additional MPP search to find the DRM-based MPP, is proposed in this paper. A convergence study illustrates that the sensitivity at the approximated DRM-based MPP converges to the sensitivity at the true DRM-based MPP as the design approaches the optimum design. Hence, the sensitivity at the approximated DRM-based MPP is proposed to be used for the DRM-based RBDO to enhance the efficiency of the optimization.