cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Factors Associated With the Rate of Sepsis After Surgery.

BACKGROUND Sepsis is a critical illness that requires early detection and intervention to prevent disability and/or death. OBJECTIVE To analyze the association between various hospital-related factors and rates of sepsis after surgery in Massachusetts hospitals. METHODS The sample consisted of 53 hospitals with intensive or critical care units and 25 hospitals with step-down units. Hospital characteristics, staffing levels, and health care-acquired conditions were examined using publicly available data. Analysis of variance and linear regression were performed to explore the relationship between nurse and physician staffing levels and sepsis rates. RESULTS Sepsis rates were significantly lower when nurses cared for fewer patients (P < .001) and when intensivist hours were greater (P = .03). Linear regression for nurse staffing revealed that higher rates of catheter-associated urinary tract infection (P = .001) and higher numbers of step-down patients cared for by nurses (P = .001) were associated with a significantly higher rate of sepsis (P < .001). Linear regression for physician staffing revealed that higher rates of catheter-associated urinary tract infection (P < .001) and wound dehiscence after surgery (P < .001), greater hospitalist hours (P = .001), and greater physician hours (P = .05) were associated with a significantly higher sepsis rate, while greater intensivist hours were associated with a lower sepsis rate (P = .002). CONCLUSION In this study, greater nurse staffing and intensivist hours were associated with significantly lower rates of sepsis, whereas greater physician staffing and hospitalist hours were associated with significantly higher rates. Further research is needed to understand the roles of the various types of providers and the reasons for their differing effects on sepsis rates.
Phone-based ambient temperature sensing using opportunistic crowdsensing and machine learning

Abstract Due to the ubiquitous nature of smartphones, opportunistic phone-based crowdsensing has emerged as an important sensing modality. Since fine-grain ambient temperature measurements are a pre-requisite for energy-efficient operation of heating and cooling (HVAC) systems in buildings, in this paper, we use mobile phone sensing in conjunction with a web-based crowdsensing system to obtain detailed ambient temperature estimates inside buildings. We present a machine learning approach based on a random forest ensemble learning model that uses the phone battery temperature sensor to infer the ambient air temperature. We also present a few-shot transfer learning method to quickly learn and deploy our model onto new phones with modest training overheads. Our crowdsensing web service enables predictions made by multiple phones to be aggregated in an opportunistic fashion, extending our approach from an individual level to a community level. We evaluate our ML-based model for a range of devices, operating scenarios, and ambient temperatures, and see mean errors of less than ± 0.5 ° F for our temperature predictions. More generally, our results show the feasibility of using an on-device ML model for ambient temperature predictions in mobile phones. This allows buildings – new and old, with and without sensing systems – to benefit from a new class of ubiquitous temperature sensors, enabling more sustainable operation.
Atrioventricular Septal Defects

Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) plays an important role in assessing various types of congenital heart defects, as highlighted throughout this textbook, but it has an even more essential role in evaluating anomalies that affect the atrioventricular junction and atrioventricular valves. It is well recognized that the benefits of this technology are quite numerous and include those related to the diagnosis of and interventions for these defects, whether surgical or catheter-based. This chapter addresses the anatomical features that characterize the most common forms of the defects that involve the atrioventricular junction and focuses on the utility of TEE for intraoperative evaluation of these malformations during corrective surgery. The reader is referred to Chap. 9, which considers atrioventricular valve anomalies, to complement this discussion.
Hypertonic Preconditioning Inhibits Macrophage Responsiveness to Endotoxin

Hypertonic saline has been shown to modulate cell shape and the response of components of the innate immune response. However, the effect of hypertonic saline on the macrophage remains unknown. We hypothesized that hypertonic preconditioning would impair subsequent inflammatory mediator signaling through a reduction in stress fiber polymerization and mitogen-activated protein kinase activity after LPS stimulation. Rabbit alveolar macrophages were stimulated with 100 ng/ml of LPS. Selected cells were preconditioned with 40-100 mM of NaCl, mannitol, or urea for 4 h and returned to isotonic medium before LPS stimulation. Cellular protein was harvested and subjected to Western blot analysis for the dually phosphorylated active forms of p38 and extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) 1/2. TNF production was determined by an L929 bioassay, and stress fiber polymerization was evaluated by confocal microscopy. Preconditioning of macrophages with NaCl or mannitol resulted in dose-dependent reduction in ERK 1/2 phosphorylation with no effect on p38 phosphorylation. Urea preconditioning had no effect on either mitogen-activated protein kinase. A dose-dependent attenuation of TNF production was seen with NaCl and mannitol preconditioning (p < 0.05), but not with urea. NaCl and mannitol preconditioning resulted in failure of LPS-induced stress fiber polymerization, whereas urea did not. Extracellular hypertonic conditions (i.e., NaCl and mannitol) have an immunomodulatory effect on macrophages, demonstrated through failure of optimal stress fiber polymerization, ERK 1/2 activity, and TNF production. Intracellular hypertonic conditions (i.e., urea) had no significant effect. Hypertonic saline or mannitol resuscitation, therefore, may help protect against multiple-organ dysfunction syndrome as a result of this reduced proinflammatory responsiveness.
Biosynthesis Meets Bioinformatics

In his Perspective, [Cane][1] discusses the increasing importance of the study of biosynthetic pathways in the discovery of biochemical reactions and pathways. Two recent papers (Rohdich et al. and Khaleeli et al. ) highlight the increasing role of molecular biology and genomics in the study of biosynthetic pathways. [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/287/5454/818
Recent test results of a flight X-band solid-state power amplifier utilizing GaAs MESFET, HFET, and PHEMT technologies

In support of the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft that The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) is currently building under NASA's Discovery Program, an onboard telecommunication system has been designed and will be assembled at JHU/APL. One of the main components of the system is an X-band solid-state power amplifier (SSPA) operating at 8.433 GHz that supports various downlink antennae including an eight-element phased array. This SSPA subsystem is comprised of over 40 hybrid devices, each of which along with internal matching circuits contains one of the following five different GaAs part types manufactured by Triquint Semiconductor, Inc.: (1) 8810 Metal-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (MESFET) Gain Block Amplifier Microwave Monolithic Integrated Circuit (MMIC), (2) 4230 Heterostructure Field Effect Transistor (HFET) Amplifier, (3) 4240 HFET Amplifier, (4) 9083 Pseudomorphic High-Electron-Mobility Transistor (pHEMT) High Power Amplifier MMIC, and (5) 6336 MESFET Phase Shifter MMIC. The hybrid package has been custom-designed at JHU/APL specifically for spaceborne applications. In this paper, we will discuss the 168-hour burn-in and 1000-hour life tests for the hybrids that have been undergoing device screening and space qualification testing. For the approximately 140 samples that were screened in the burn-in test, there were minor shifts in certain device parameters such as the 1-dB compression and power gain, although the DC drain and gate currents showed negligible changes. Such initial parameter shifts are typical of devices settling into their stable long-term useful-life behaviors. At present, the life test is in progress and interim test results will be presented. All preliminary indications point to sufficient device reliability for the MESSENGER space mission. This work demonstrates the viability of employing a blend of proven (MESFET) and recently matured (PHEMT and HFET) technologies for space hardware.
Channel Modeling and Estimation

The design of high performance communication systems often requires channel state information. For many applications, especially in wireless communications, such information must be obtained adaptively. In this article, a parametric model of the transmission of linearly modulated signals over a band-limited channel is presented. Also included is an overview of various parameter estimation techniques and performance bounds of estimators under different model assumptions. Keywords: channel models; channel estimation and equalization; blind and semiblind estimation; maximum-likelihood estimation; Cramer-Rao bound
Do you “like” my photo? Facebook use maintains eating disorder risk

Objective Social media sites, such as Facebook, merge two factors that influence risk for eating disorders: media and peers. Previous work has identified cross-sectional and temporal associations between Facebook use and disordered eating. This study sought to replicate and extend these findings using an experimental design. Method In Study 1, 960 women completed self-report surveys regarding Facebook use and disordered eating. In Study 2, 84 women were randomly assigned to use Facebook or to use an alternate internet site for 20 min. Results More frequent Facebook use was associated with greater disordered eating in a cross-sectional survey. Facebook use was associated with the maintenance of weight/shape concerns and state anxiety compared to an alternate internet activity. Discussion Facebook use may contribute to disordered eating by maintaining risk for eating pathology. As such, targeting Facebook use may be helpful in intervention and prevention programs. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2014; 47:516–523)
Impact of a research requirement in a dental school curriculum.

With reported shortages in full-time dental educators across the world, any exposure to teaching and/or research during dental school might increase a graduate’s interest in an academic career. Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) has a mandatory research experience for all students enrolled in the Doctor of Dental Medicine program. Each year, the graduating class is surveyed about characteristics and outcomes of their research experience. The aim of this study was to use the resulting data for five years of graduating classes (2008 to 2012) to assess the impact of the research requirement. The results showed that 54 percent of these students had presented their research projects at a forum outside Harvard. Thirty-six percent had had their research published in peer-reviewed journals, 38 percent had manuscripts in preparation or submitted for review, and only 26 percent had no intention to publish their work. Overall, 81.5 percent felt positive about their research experience at HSDM. Only 48 percent said they would definitely have pursued research even if it was not compulsory, and 36 percent were uncertain. However, 83 percent said they would have some involvement in research during their careers, and only 10 percent were uncertain. Implementing a compulsory research experience may lead to increased numbers of graduates pursuing research in their careers and contributing to the scientific development of the dental profession.
GARCH 101: An Introduction to the Use of ARCH/GARCH models in Applied Econometrics

ARCH and GARCH models have become important tools in the analysis of time series data, particularly in financial applications. These models are especially useful when the goal of the study is to analyze and forecastvolatility. This paper gives the motivation behind the simplest GARCH model and illustrates its usefulness in examining portfolio risk. Extensions are briefly discussed.
Sequential salvage chemotherapy for recurrent intracranial hemangiopericytoma.

OBJECTIVE Hemangiopericytoma (HPC) is an uncommon primary brain tumor with an almost invariable tendency to recur and metastasize. We undertook a retrospectively collected case series of recurrent intracranial HPCs treated with salvage chemotherapy with the primary objective of evaluating progression-free survival. METHODS Fifteen patients, ages 26 to 62 years, with recurrent HPC and who were previously treated with surgery and involved-field radiotherapy were studied. Eight (53%) of these patients had undergone re-resection before study entry. Ten patients (67%) were treated with stereotactic radiotherapy. Chemotherapy was administered to 5 patients at first relapse, 8 at second relapse, and 2 at third relapse (none of these patients were candidates for reoperation or stereotactic radiotherapy). Eight patients developed disseminated disease, all with multifocal intracranial disease (5 with cerebrospinal fluid dissemination, 4 with extraneural metastases). All patients were initially treated with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and vincristine (CAV). After disease progression despite the administration of CAV in clinically appropriate patients, alpha-interferon (alpha-IFN) (9 patients) was administered. Five patients were treated with ifosfamide, cisplatin, and etoposide after they failed to respond to alpha-IFN. Neurological and neuroradiographic evaluations were performed every 8 weeks. RESULTS All patients were evaluable. A median of 4 cycles of CAV; 8 cycles of alpha-IFN; and 2 cycles of ifosfamide, cisplatin, and etoposide were administered. Chemotherapy-related toxicity included alopecia (100%), anemia (40%), thrombocytopenia (27%), and neutropenia (40%). Best response included 6 patients (40%) with a neuroradiographic partial response (2 with CAV, 4 with alpha-IFN), 14 (93%) had stable disease (9 with CAV, 5 with alpha-IFN), and 9 (60%) had progressive disease (4 with CAV, 5 with ifosfamide, cisplatin, and etoposide). The median overall survival was 14 months (range, 2-24 mo). CONCLUSION Salvage chemotherapy demonstrated modest efficacy with acceptable toxicity in this cohort of adult patients with recurrent surgery- and radiotherapy-refractory intracranial HPC.
Negative and Positive Genetic Interventions: Is There a Moral Boundary?

Some have claimed that negative genetic interventions are morally permissible while positive ones are not, but the distinction cannot be used to draw this moral boundary. Underlying the negative/positive distinction is a distinction between treatment and enhancement. The treatment/enhancement distinction at best provides an imperfect guide to which health care services we are obliged to provide and which we are not. It offers only some "warning flags" to help us think about what is permissible or not.
Innovations that INSPIRE.

The gap that exists in healthcare organizations between research evidence production and the users of that evidence continues to promote a separation between what’s known about the organization and delivery of health services and what’s actually done in practice. Consequently, there’s growing interest in innovative knowledge translation models with emphasis on collaboration, active participation, and shared learning among nurses at all levels within the organization and their interdisciplinary stakeholders.1 Building a sustainable evidence-based practice (EBP) infrastructure, particularly during times of financial constraints, poses challenges for nurse leaders. To be successful, models must be creative and adaptive while being mindful of limited resources. This month’s column describes Innovation for Nursing-Sensitive Practice in a Research Environment (inspire)—a new decision-making model being introduced at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center to guide nurses throughout the organization as they navigate the “slippery slope” between quality improvement (QI), EBP, and nursing research.
I 2 L: Complementing Schottky TTL

In the important area of high-speed digital LSI circuits, I2L represents a higher-density complement to low-power Schottky-TTL technology. Functions requiring a circuit complexity of 500 gates or less probably could be produced economically by use of a standard low-power Schottky process. But for greater-complexity chips that operate over −55 to +125°C, I2L is needed.
Tephrochronology of marine tephra adjacent to Central America

Geochemical analyses performed on volcanic ash layers from the 3 ocean basins surrounding Central America revealed 11 distinct tephra horizons during the past 300,000 yr, and the distribution of each tephra was delineated. The Los Chocoyos Ash (84,000 yr old) and Worzel Layer-L Ash (230,000 yr old) are the 2 most widespread tephra in the region. Two tephra, Y-6 (75,000 yr old) and W-1 (136,000 yr old), are restricted to the western Gulf of Mexico. The remaining tephra—B (36,000 yr old), J 1 (135,000 yr old), G (190,000 yr old), I (212,000 yr old), K (270,000 yr old), I 2 (270,000 yr old), and I 6 (300,000 yr old)—are primarily restricted to the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean immediately adjacent to Central America. The age of each layer was determined by correlation to oxygen isotope and calcium carbonate stratigraphy in marine cores or by interpolation or extrapolation of ages from that stratigraphy. Of the marine tephra, two were correlated to terrestrial exposures of silicic volcanic rocks. The Layer-D tephra had been correlated to the Los Chocoyos Ash from the Lake Atitlan caldera in Guatemala. The Layer-I 2 tephra is correlated with the T-fall ash from Lake Amatitlan caldera in Guatemala. The age of the terrestrial volcanic units was determined by identifying the stratigraphic age of the marine tephra. The Los Chocoyos Ash and T-fall deposit are dated at 84,000 and ∼270,000 yr B.P., respectively. Geochemical correlation of the marine tephra to other terrestrial sources will facilitate dating of explosive volcanic eruptions in southern Mexico, Central America, and northern South America.
A physical description of coal mine explosions

Among the many hazards of underground coal mining, explosions of natural gas and coal dust continue to pose a threat, in spite of advances in safety practices. The U.S. Bureau of Mines has conducted research in the causes and prevention of coal mine explosions in its Experimental Mine. As a result of extensive instrumentation of this full-scale facility and systematic analysis of results, a physical description of coal mine explosions is presented, with emphasis upon unsteady fluid dynamics. In a single long entry, useful correlations are shown between flame speed, particle velocity, and static pressure rise. How this knowledge may be applied to the design and application of explosion barriers is presented and the role of coal volatiles in dust explosions is briefly discussed.
A Systematic Review of Psychosocial Interventions for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) spend the majority of their lives as adults, and psychosocial interventions show promise for improving outcomes in this population. This research conducted a systematic review of all peer-review studies evaluating psychosocial interventions for adults with ASD. A total of 1,217 studies were reviewed, only 13 met inclusion criteria. The majority of studies were single case studies or non-randomized controlled trials, and most focused on applied behavior analysis or social cognition training. Effects of psychosocial treatment in adults with ASD were largely positive ranging from d = 0.14 to 3.59, although the quantity and quality of studies is limited. These findings suggest that there is substantial need for the rigorous development and evaluation of psychosocial treatments for adults with ASD.
Optical Kalman filtering for missile guidance.

Optical systolic array processors constitute a powerful and general-purpose set of optical architectures with high computational rates. In this paper, Kalman filtering, a novel application for these architectures, is investigated. All required operations are detailed; their realization by optical and special-purpose analog electronics are specified; and the processing time of the system is quantified. The specific Kalman filter application chosen is for an air-to-air missile guidance controller. The architecture realized in this paper meets the design goal of a fully adaptive Kalman filter which processes a measurement every 1 msec. The vital issue of flow and pipelining of data and operations in a systolic array processor is addressed. The approach is sufficiently general and can be realized on an optical or digital systolic array processor.
Perspective drawings of reflective spheres

We give an analysis of the planar perpspective images of reflections of lines in a mirrored sphere, paying particular attention to the number and location of their vanishing points. We use this analysis to describe how to draw the images of boxes reflected in a mirrored sphere, providing an analogy of what, in linear perspective, would be one-point perspective drawings. We contrast this with the work of Termes. In addition, we provide an analysis of two methods for computing viewing distance between the artist and the sphere for existing drawings of spherical reflections. One method uses distances between vanishing points; the other is an estimate that requires knowing a single small measurement from the ‘real world’.
Characterization of Forces on the Sternal Midline Following Median Sternotomy in a Porcine Model

The development of more effective fixation devices for reapproximating and immobilizing the sternum after open-heart surgery is limited by current methods for evaluating these devices. In particular, precise emulation of in vivo sternal loading has not been achieved in controlled model systems. The present study is an initial effort to determine the in vivo loading parameters needed to improve current in vitro and in silico (computational) models. Towards this goal, the direction, magnitude, and distribution of loading along a midline sternotomy were characterized in a porcine model. Two instrumented plating systems were used to measure the forces across the bisected sternum in four anaesthetized Yorkshire pigs during spontaneous breathing, ventilated breathing, and coughing for four treatments: live, cadaveric, embalmed, and refrigerated. Changes in forces incurred by death and embalming were also investigated to evaluate the potential applicability of cadavers as models for testing sternal fixation devices. The magnitudes of the respiratory forces in three orthogonal directions ranged from 0.4 N to 43.8 N, many fold smaller than previously estimated. Dynamic forces were highest in the lateral direction during coughing and low in all directions during normal breathing. No significant differences in force were found between the four treatments, most likely due to the unexpectedly low magnitude of forces in all groups. These results provide the first measurements of in vivo sternal forces and indicate that small cyclic fatigue loads rather than large quasistatic loads should be applied in future model systems to best evaluate the mechanical performance of fixation devices.
Research Spotlight: Lost in a fog on Mars

[1] A pair of cameras mounted on the back of the Phoenix Mars Lander were used to capture how laser light, emitted by the lander's light detection and ranging (lidar) system, was scattered by water ice in the red planet's thin atmosphere.Moores et al. used the unique technique during four nights in 2008 to give the first detailed profile of the ice water content in the Martian near-surface atmosphere. The authors found that the icy fog is thickest around 50 meters above the surface, with a maximum concentration of 1.7 milligrams per cubic meter. They also found that the fog is not uniform but tends to decrease in thickness toward the surface. As the Martian night wears on, the surface of the planet cools below the frost point and water vapor in the atmosphere gets deposited on the ground. As the atmosphere is mixed by turbulence, more water is brought to lower altitudes, adding to the growing frost layer. Ice crystals also form in the air and precipitate to the ground from successively higher altitudes. The researchers estimate that by the time the Sun starts to rise in the morning, 2.5 micrometers of snow and frost have coated the surface of Mars in the northerly region around the Phoenix Lander. (Geophysical Research Letters, doi:10.1029/2010GL046315, 2011)
MobiScud: A Fast Moving Personal Cloud in the Mobile Network

We present MobiScud, an evolutionary mobile network architecture that integrates cloud and SDN technologies into a standard mobile network in backwards compatible fashion. MobiScud enables personalized virtual machines to seamlessly "follow" mobile network users as they move around.
Effect of Secretagogues on Components of the Secretory System in AtT-20 Cells

The mouse corticotrope tumor cell line AtT-20/D16v was used to investigate the effects of chronic treatment with various secretagogues on individual components of the secretory pathway. Secretagogues acting in part through receptors linked to guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory proteins [CRF and somatostatin (SS)] and agents by-passing membrane receptors (phorbol myristate acetate and dexamethasone) were examined. Effects on the secretory product were evaluated by measuring levels of pro-ACTH/endorphin mRNA and hormone secretion. Effects on posttranslational processing enzymes were evaluated by measuring levels of the mRNAs encoding carboxypeptidase-E and peptidyl-glycine-alpha-amidating monooxygenase (PAM); cellular levels of PAM activity were also measured. The mRNAs encoding the G-proteins in AtT-20 cells were identified, and secretagogue effects on the G-protein signal transduction system were evaluated by measuring levels of the mRNAs encoding (alpha s, alpha)i2, and beta 2. No single parameter adequately characterizes the regulatory state of the complex secretory apparatus. Although levels of pro-ACTH/endorphin (PAE) mRNA accurately reflected hormone secretion after chronic CRF or dexamethasone treatment, chronic SS treatment elevated PAE mRNA levels in the face of reduced hormone secretion. Levels of PAM mRNA generally changed in parallel with levels of PAE mRNA; in contrast, levels of carboxypeptidase-E mRNA were unaffected by any of the secretagogues tested. Secretagogues acting through distinct G-proteins (CRF and SS) as well as dexamethasone brought about a coordinate increase in the level of the mRNAs encoding the three G-protein subunits examined. Treatment with phorbol myristate acetate caused a slight decrease in the levels of the G-protein subunit mRNAs.
Water and magmas: application of the Gibbs-Duhem equation

Burnham (1975a, b) has shown that in several alumino-silicate systems Henry's law constant is independent of silicate melt composition up to XmeltH2O = 0.5. He has used this fact to conclude that such silicate melts behave ideally over a wide range of compositions based on the application of the Gibbs-Duhem relation. Unless Henry's law is valid up to XmeltH2O = 1.0, the application of the Gibbs—Duhem relation to three component systems only shows that if one component obeys Henry's law, the other two components follow the two component Gibbs-Duhem equation. There is no thermodynamic requirement of ideality.
Comment: Statistical Dependence in Stream Networks

This note is based on an invited discussion of the article, “A Moving Average Approach for Spatial Statistical Models on Stream Networks” by Jay M. Ver Hoef and Erin E. Peterson. Ver Hoef and Peterson (hereafter VHP) have extended the idea of flow-related statistical dependence in streams to one where dependence may not respect flow, such as might happen when modeling data on fish in connected streams. We congratulate VHP for their innovative paper on using moving average models in stream networks.
Design of a control system for acoustophoretic separation

This paper presents the design and implementation of an embedded digital control system for a novel acoustophoretic separation technique. Currently, there is a need for efficient separation technologies for multi-component liquid streams that eliminate waste, reduce the required energy and promote a sustainable environment. Our goal is to design, build, and test a high-frequency, high-power, and high-efficiency ultrasound driver for an acoustophoretic separator The device needs to be able to efficiently transfer electrical energy into acoustical energy with minimum losses and be able to drive the low impedance of a typical piezo-electric transducer. The proposed new platform technology provides an innovative solution that consists of a large volume flow rate acoustophoretic phase separator based on ultrasonic standing waves with the benefit of having no consumables, no generated waste, and a low cost of energy. The technology is efficient at removal of particles of greatly varying sizes, including separation of micron and sub-micron sized particles. The proposed embedded digital control system (drive system) utilizes a TMS320F28335 digital signal processor / controller chip [2] at its core.
Child abuse: parenteral insulin administration.

Patient 1. A previously healthy 13-month-old black boy had an eight-day "influenza-like" illness consisting of fever, diarrhea, cough, and runny nose. During this illness the mother spent many sleepless nights caring for'him. He was discovered listless and hypothermic by the mother, who brought him to a pediatrician. Immediate hospitalization was arranged. Physical examination disclosed a lethargic child with no evidence of needle marks; otherwise the examination was unremarkable. The blood glucose concentration on admission was 23 mg/dl. Despite aggressive oral and intravenous carbohydrate therapy, including an infusion of 20 gm dextrose/dl at a rate of 8 to 10 gm/hr, his blood glucose concentration remained below normal during the ~rst eight hours of hospitalization. After stabilization of the blood glucose concentration, dextrose at 10 gm/dl was administered and the rate gradually decreased to 4 gm/hr. Approximately 35 hours after initial hospitalization, the child again was noted to be listless and had a blood glucose concentration of 27 mg/dl. More aggressive intravenous dextrose infusion restored his blood glucose concentration to the normal range. The mother had free access to and spent time with the child during his hospital stay. Seeking clarification of this hypoglycemic episode, the child was referred to a tertiary care facility for further evaluation. At this center, physical examination was totally unremarkable and laboratory evaluation disclosed several normal blood glucose determinations. A liver biopsy was performed to determine if the child had either Reye syndrome or a glycogen storage disease, but, the liver histology was normal. Blood had been drawn for insulin determinations while the patient was hypoglycemic during the initial hospitalizationl
Myc meets its max

c-myc, the earliest discovered and perhaps most prominent nuclear oncogene, has been implicated in the control of normal cell proliferation and the transformation and differentiation of many cell lineages (reviewed in Cole, 1936; Luscher and Eisenman, 1999). c-Myc represents the paradigm for two broad classes of transcription factors that contain either the basic/helix-loop-helix (HLH; Murre et al., 1939a) or the basic/leucine repeat structure (LR; Landschulz et al., 19BB). Thus, it is’particularly ironic that the direct demonstration of a function for the c-Myc protein has only recently been achieved with two reports of the cloning of a heterodimeric partner of c-Myc, called Max, that facilitates sequence-specific DNA-binding activity. A partner was predicted because c-Myc, like c-Fos, contains a leucine repeat with many charged residues at the coiledcoil interface that seem to prevent homodimer formation (O’Shea et al., 1989). If Max is the one and true partner of c-Myc, it opens new avenues of investigation that will finally address the key issue of how c-Myc can exert such a diverse range of biological activities. Myc Functions in DNA Binding as a Heterodlmer The clear demonstration of a DNA-binding function for Myc came first from the elegant use of a potentially powerful approach to the study of protein dimers, that of direct screening of a bacterial expression library with labeled protein. Blackwood and Eisenman (1991) used a labeled fusion protein containing the C-terminus of c-Myc to isolate a clone encoding a novel protein, Max. Like Myc itself, Max contains adjacent basic, HLH, and LR domains. Max forms heterodimers with all three Myc proteins (c-, N-, and L-Myc) but does not dimerize wlth other HLH proteins, even those that also contain combined HLHlLR domains such as TFE?t (Beckmann et al., 1999) USF (Gregor et al., 1990) and AP-4 (Hu et al., 1990). The Myc-Max heterodimer binds to the sequence CACGTG, which has been shown to bind weakly to Myc homodimers that form at very high protein concentrations (Blackwell et al., 1990). An alternative PCR approach that led to the cloning of max employed primers chosen to match conserved domains of Myc (Prendergast et al., 1991). One of the amplified cDNA molecules matched the sequence of max reported by Blackwood and Eisenman (1991). Analogous experiments demonstrated heterodimer formation and sequence-specific DNA binding. However, major differences were reported in the two studies in the migration of the Myc-Max complex, and in homodimer binding activity; these discrepancies are unresolved but seem difficult to attribute to reagents or constructs. The structure of Max appears to be extremely simple; it is comprised of only 169 amino acids, 99 of which constitute the DNA-bindingldimerization domain (see figure). Minireview
Specifying textual to graphical conversion

Abstract Textual forms provide a way to specify, document, manipulate, and store formal concepts using conventional editing techniques. Graphic representations are useful for visualization and visual specification systems. This article describes the use of PROLOG to specify the automatic conversion of textual specifications into graphic form. The central example is conversion of Extended Backus-Naur Form grammars into syntax diagrams. The conversion is simplified by a relocatable intermediate code called T-code that can represent syntax diagrams as a linear sequence of simple graphics instructions. An efficient solution to this problem provides support for higher-level specifications systems requiring real-time visualization.
Contribution of magnesium in binding of factor IXa to the phospholipid surface: implications for vitamin K-dependent coagulation proteins.

rs4962153 showed an association with cryptogenic stroke(Table 1). This association is interesting in view of the fact thatprothrombotic variants have been suggested as risk factors forcryptogenicstroke[8],buttherearenostudiesonADAMTS13in this subtype. We found no signiﬁcant associations for any ofthe other IS subtypes. However, whether this is due to asubtype-speciﬁc effect of ADAMTS13 gene variation or a lackof statistical power in the smaller subgroups cannot bedetermined from these ﬁndings.In conclusion, three SNPs in the ADAMTS13 gene werefound to be associated with IS in the present population ofrelatively young patients from western Sweden. The SNPrs4962153 showed signiﬁcant associations with both overallischemicstrokeandthesubtypecryptogenicstroke.Tothebestof our knowledge, this is the ﬁrst study investigating ADAM-TS13 gene variants in a large cohort of patients with IS and indifferent subtypes of IS. Thus, further studies are needed inorder to investigate whether the present ﬁnding can bereplicated, and whether there are associations for othersubtypes apart from cryptogenic stroke.AcknowledgementsThis study was supported by the Swedish Research Council(K2008-65X-14605-06-3), the Swedish state (ALFGBG-11206), the Swedish Heart Lung Foundation (20070404), andtheRuneandUllaAmlo¨v,theJohnandBritWennerstro¨m,thePer-Olof Ahl, the Yngve Land, the Ma¨rta Lundqvist, and theMagnus Bergvall foundations.Disclosure of Conﬂict of InterestsThe authors state that they have no conﬂict of interest.References
The value of assessing weights in multi‐criteria portfolio decision analysis

Analytic efforts in support of portfolio decisions can be applied with varying levels of intensity. To gain insight about how to match the effort to the situation, we simulate a portfolio of potential projects and compare portfolio performance under a range of analytic strategies. Each project is scored with respect to several attributes in a linear additive value model. Projects are ranked in order of value per unit cost and funded until the budget is exhausted. Assuming these weights and scores are correct, and the funding decisions made this way are optimal, this process is a gold standard against which to compare other decision processes. In particular, a baseline process would fund projects essentially at random, and we may estimate the value added by various decision processes above this worst case as a percentage of the increase arising from the optimal process. We consider several stylized decision rules and combinations of them: using equal weights, picking one attribute at random, assessing weights from a single randomly selected stakeholder. Simulation results are then used to identify which conditions tend to make which types of analytic strategies valuable, and to identify useful hybrid strategies. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Possible relationship between the Farmington meteorite and a seismically detected swarm of meteoroids impacting the moon

The Farmington ordinary L5 chondrite with its uniquely short cosmic-ray exposure age of less than 25,000 years may have been a member of a large meteoroid swarm which was detected by the Apollo seismic network when it encountered the moon in June 1975. The association implies that the parent body of the Farmington meteorite was in an earth-crossing orbit at the time the swarm was formed. This supports the idea that at least some meteorites are derived from the observable population of earth-crossing asteroids.
Metabolism of diflubenzuron by soil microorganisms and mutagenicity of the metabolites

Abstract Diflubenzuron [1-(4-chlorophenyl)-3-(2,6-difluorobenzoyl)urea], a new urea-based insecticide, was found to be rapidly degraded by four eucaryotic microorganisms: Fusarium sp. Cephalosporium sp. Penicillium sp., and Rhodotorula sp. Cleavage of the urea bridge yielded 2,6-difluorobenzoic acid, 4-chlorophenylurea, 4-chloroaniline, 4-chloroacetanilide, acetanilide, and 4-chlorophenol. Analysis of the diflubenzuron metabolites, using the Salmonella mutagenicity test, revealed that 2,6-difluorobenzoic acid gave a false positive at high concentrations because of its lethal effect on the test bacterium. The metabolites 4-chloroaniline, 4-chlorophenol, and 4-chlorophenylurea were borderline mutagens.
Experiments Involving a Microwave Beam to Power and Position a Helicopter

This paper describes two different experiments involving a microwavebeam and a helicopter. The first experiment utilized a CW microwavebeam to supply a small helicopter with all of the power that it neededfor its propulsion. The second experiment utilized an unmodulated CW microwave beam for supplying a position reference to the helicopterer with respect to roll, pitch, yaw, and horizontal translation. Thesecond experiment also involved the construction of a fully articulatedhelicopter and a complete control system carried on board theli-helicopter. The paper also attempts to relate the small scale experimentsand the present state of component technology to practical, full scalemicrowave-powered helicopter systems that can operate at altitudesof up to 50 000 feet.
Comparison of Algorithms for Systematic Tracking of Patterns of Traffic Congestion on Freeways in Portland, Oregon

Systems for automatically tracking traffic congestion that are integrated into freeway management systems as applications of an intelligent transportation system (ITS) have received a high level of attention in many cities in recent years. Some cities automatically provide traveler information on travel times, congestion activation times, and locations. However, different algorithms are used by professionals and decision makers. Some popular algorithms for automatically tracking congestion include parameter threshold-based algorithms such as those that use speed thresholds and the Automatische Staudynamikanalyse [automatic tracking of moving traffic jams-forecasting of traffic objects (ASDA-FOTO)] models. The rescaled cumulative curve tool has also been used for analyzing traffic features. The advantage of this tool is that it reveals traffic features in more detail, but one disadvantage is that it is a visual tool. When used to process data systematically in an operations environment, this tool can make ...
WHEN COWORKERS AND MANAGERS QUIT: THE EFFECTS OF TURNOVER AND SHARED VALUES ON PERFORMANCE

We examined the relationship between work unit, direct management, and overall management turnover and performance improvement following an intervention in fifty work units in multiple organizations in eight countries. Direct management turnover was negatively related to performance improvement, while work unit and overall management turnover were not. We also investigated shared values as a moderator of the turnover-performance relationship and found that high shared values buffered the negative effect of overall management turnover on performance improvement. The results are noteworthy, as they point to the importance of examining turnover at different organizational levels and identifying moderators of the turnover-performance relationship.
Cost-effectiveness and diagnostic effectiveness analyses of multiple algorithms for the diagnosis of Lynch syndrome.

The optimal algorithm to identify Lynch syndrome (LS) among patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) is unclear. The definitive test for LS, germline testing, is too expensive to be applied in all cases. Initial screening with the revised Bethesda Guidelines (RBG) cannot be applied in a considerable number of cases due to missing information. We developed a model to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of 10 strategies for diagnosing LS. Three main issues are addressed: modeling estimates (20–40 %) of RBG applicability; comparing sequential or parallel use of microsatellite instability (MSI) and immunohistochemistry (IHC); and a threshold analysis of the charge value below which universal germline testing becomes the most cost-effective strategy. LS detection rates in RBG-based strategies decreased to 64.1–70.6 % with 20 % inapplicable RBG. The strategy that uses MSI alone had lower yield, but also lower cost than strategies that use MSI sequentially or in parallel with IHC. The use of MSI and IHC in parallel was less affected by variations in the sensitivity and specificity of these tests. Universal germline testing had the highest yield and the highest cost of all strategies. The model estimated that if charges for germline testing drop to $633–1,518, universal testing of all newly diagnosed CRC cases becomes the most cost-effective strategy. The low applicability of RBG makes strategies employing initial laboratory-based testing more cost-effective. Of these strategies, parallel testing with MSI and IHC offers the most robust yield. With a considerable drop in cost, universal germline testing may become the most cost-effective strategy for the diagnosis of LS.
η3-Azatrimethylenemethane complexes of platinum. Structural characterization of (PPh3)2Pt(η3-CH2C(4-NC6H4NO2)CHPh)

η3-Azatrimethylenemethane complexes of platinum, (PPh3)2Pt(η3-CH2C(NR)CHPh) (1a, b: R = 4-NO2C6H4 (a), 4-MeC6H4 (b)), are conveniently prepared by reaction of (PPh3)2Pt(C2H4) with RNH2 and PhCCCH2OTs (Ts4-MeC6H4SO2) in CH2Cl2 at 0–25°C, followed by deprotonation of the resulting η3-2-aminoallyl products (3) with LiPh. The structure of 1a was determined by X-ray crystallography. The Ph substituent on C(3) is oriented syn to the NC6H4NO2 group. Other than that, the structure of 1a closely resembles that of the analogous η3-trimethylenemethane complex (PPh3)2Pt(η3-CH2C-(C(CO2Me)2)CHPh) (V. Plantevin et al., Organometallics, 13 (1994) 3651). Complexes 1 react with TsNCO to give cyclic ureas, CH(Ph)N(Ts)C(O)N(R)CCH2 (6).
Public Outreach Materials Regarding Harmful Algal Blooms and Their Possible Effects on Human Health

The potential interactions between marine and freshwater harmful algal blooms (HABs) and humans are increasing. Humans are exposed through food, drinking water, and recreational and occupational water use to an increasing number of organisms and their toxins. Nevertheless, the amount of clinical and epidemiologic research concerning acute and chronic human health effects from the HAB organisms and their toxins is relatively sparse. At the same time, the public is increasingly aware of and interested in the potential dangers associated with exposure to HABs. Public health authorities and researchers must respond to these public health concerns. The development of appropriate educational and outreach materials based on limited scientific databases is the challenge of informing the public concerning the possible human health effects of HAB organisms and their toxins, and their prevention. Educational materials developed by a group of researchers and public health personnel for general HABs, Florida Red Tide Toxins (brevetoxins), Cyanobacteria, and Ciguatera are discussed, as well as methods for their dissemination.
Sarcomas and Myelocytomas Induced by a Retrovirus Related to Myeloblastosis-Associated Virus Type 1 in White Leghorn Egg Layer Chickens

An outbreak of subcutaneous sarcomas in commercial White Leghorn egg layers was observed in the northeastern United States during late 2004. Subcutaneous tumors were confined to three flocks distributed in two locations and belonging to the same company. The tumors were first observed grossly by farm personnel at approximately 7 wk of age and persisted throughout the economic life of the flocks. Most of the tumors observed during the growing period were present on the facial region or around the head, wings, and legs. There was no gross evidence of bursal or visceral involvement. Microscopically, most tumors were undifferentiated sarcomas and myxomas. There was no microscopic evidence of Marek's disease or lymphoid leukosis. Reticuloendotheliosis virus proviral DNA was not detected by polymerase chain reaction either in tumors or in cell cultures. Egg production and mortality rates were within normal limits in the affected flocks and many of the chickens exhibiting tumors seemed healthy otherwise, albeit approximately one-half of the daily mortality exhibited tumors. Avian myeloblastosis-associated virus type 1 (MAV-1) was isolated from tumors, plasma, and serum. Upon initial virus neutralization, the viruses isolated seemed at least partially related antigenically to avian leukosis virus (ALV) subgroups A and B but not to subgroup J (ALV-J). Sequencing of the variable and hypervariable regions of gp85 in the envelope gene revealed that the viruses involved are closely related to MAV-1. Attempts to reproduce subcutaneous sarcomas with MAV-1 isolated from White Leghorn chickens in the case herein reported produced exclusively myelocytomas indistinguishable histologically from those induced by ALV-J in meat type chickens.