cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nurses' Perceptions and Practices Toward Clinical Alarms in a Transplant Cardiac Intensive Care Unit: Exploring Key Issues Leading to Alarm Fatigue

Background: Intensive care units (ICUs) are complex work environments where false alarms occur more frequently than on non-critical care units. The Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goal .06.01.01 targeted improving the safety of clinical alarm systems and required health care facilities to establish alarm systems safety as a hospital priority by July 2014. An important initial step toward this requirement is identifying ICU nurses’ perceptions and common clinical practices toward clinical alarms, where little information is available. Objective: Our aim was to determine perceptions and practices of transplant/cardiac ICU (TCICU) nurses toward clinical alarms and benchmark the results against the 2011 Healthcare Technology Foundation’s (HTF) Clinical Alarms Committee Survey. Methods: A quality improvement project was conducted on a 20-bed TCICU with 39 full- and part-time nurses. Nurses were surveyed about their perceptions and attitudes toward and practices on clinical alarms using an adapted HTF clinical alarms survey. Results were compared to the 2011 HTF data. Correlations among variables were examined. Results: All TCICU nurses provided usable responses (N=39, 100%). Almost all nurses (95%-98%) believed that false alarms are frequent, disrupt care, and reduce trust in alarm systems, causing nurses to inappropriately disable them. Unlike the 2011 HTF clinical alarms survey results, a significantly higher percentage of our TCICU nurses believed that existing devices are complex, questioned the ability and adequacy of the new monitoring systems to solve alarm management issues, pointed to the lack of prompt response to alarms, and indicated the lack of clinical policy on alarm management ( P <.01). Major themes in the narrative data focused on nurses’ frustration related to the excessive number of alarms and poor usability of the cardiac monitors. A lack of standardized approaches exists in changing patients’ electrodes and individualizing parameters. Around 60% of nurses indicated they received insufficient training on bedside and central cardiac monitors. A correlation also showed the need for training on cardiac monitors, specifically for older nurses ( P =.01). Conclusions: False and non-actionable alarms continue to desensitize TCICU nurses, perhaps resulting in missing fatal alarms. Nurses’ attitudes and practices related to clinical alarms are key elements for designing contextually sensitive quality initiatives to fight alarm fatigue. Alarm management in ICUs is a multidimensional complex process involving usability of monitoring devices, and unit, clinicians, training, and policy-related factors. This indicates the need for a multi-method approach to decrease alarm fatigue and improve alarm systems safety. [JMIR Hum Factors 2015;2(1):e3]
The visual perception of velocity.

In this section it is concluded that velocity is perceived directly and is dynamically conditioned by the structure and general properties of the visual field in which the movement occurs. The visual perception of velocity follows dynamic laws that are not immediately deducible from the velocity of the stimulus as physically defined. No physiological theory is offered but it is pointed out that the theory of physiological Gestalten is essentially correct in its basic assumptions concerning the perception of movement. The investigation has bearing on the problems of movement thresholds, movement after-images and the perception of time.
Glucocorticoid-Induced Differentiation of Fetal Rat Calvarial Osteoblasts Is Mediated by Bone Morphogenetic Protein-6

Glucocorticoids (GCs) at physiological concentrations promote osteoblast differentiation from fetal calvarial cells, calvarial organ cultures, and bone marrow stromal cells; however, the cellular pathways involved are not known. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are recognized as important mediators of osteoblast differentiation. Specific roles for individual BMPs during postembryonic membranous bone formation have yet to be determined. We recently reported that GC potentiated the osteoblast differentiation effects of BMP-2 and BMP-4, but not of BMP-6, which, by itself, was the most potent of the three. In the present study, we used fetal rat secondary calvarial cultures to study the role of BMP-6 during early osteoblast differentiation. Treatment with the GC triamcinolone (10−9 m) resulted in a 5- to 8-fold increase in BMP-6 steady-state messenger RNA levels, peaking at 12 h. In contrast, BMPs -2, -4, -5, -7, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 messenger RNA levels increased by less than 2-fold, aft...
Mechanism of SH2 Reactions of Disulfides: Frontside vs Backside, Stepwise vs Concerted

Density functional theory calculations indicate that the SH2 reactions of disulfides with alkyl or aryl radicals take place via concerted backside displacement. The activation energies for reactions of Me• with RSSR (R = Me, Et, iPr, tBu) increase with the size of R, since larger R groups prevent the formation of an ideal geometry for SOMO−LUMO overlap. Frontside transition states can also be located, but these lie at least 11 kcal mol−1 above the corresponding backside transition states.
Gas exchange in gas gills of diving insects

Abstract A gas gill is a gas volume bounded by a liquid-gas interface which mediates the exchange of O 2 and CO 2 between a submerged, air-breathing animal and water. Two basic types of gas gill are recognized, one compressible and the other incompressible. A model for compressible gas gill behavior is described in terms of equations for the diffusion of O 2 , N 2 , and CO 2 across the gill surface. A compressible gill has a limited life because diffusion of N 2 gas into the water will eventually cause the gas volume to collapse. A gas gill just below the surface extends the underwater time of an air-breather by more than eight-fold. At depth, gill lifetimes are greatly reduced. With the exception of Ne, all naturally-occurring inert gases when substituted for N 2 decrease gill lifetime. However, SF 6 substitution increases gill lifetime about four-fold. In incompressible gas gills, such as those of the plastron breathers, total pressure is essentially independent of depth. Such gills are in N 2 equilibrium with water, and are therefore permanent. The behavior of both compressible and incompressible gills is discussed in terms of an O 2 -N 2 diagram, which emphasizes the importance of N 2 to gas gill function.
Segment transfer: a consequence of a dynamic system

This article presents the foundations of the Feature Competition Model (FCM) of segment transfer. The FCM is a proposal to explain how L2 sounds are mapped on to L1 phonological categories. Like previous analyses on segment transfer, the FCM assumes that not all features are of the same prominence in a given phonemic inventory and that feature prominence can be determined through underspecification. Unlike previous analyses, the FCM adopts a dynamic approach to phonology, one which assumes that fea tures do not have discrete values, rather ones which are continuous, of greater or lesser prominence in an inventory. A specific metric for calculat ing prominence is given, and hypotheses for three L1-L2 contexts are gener ated and tested. The results of an experiment suggest that the metric has predictive power, but that certain refinements of the formula are necessary. Finally, implications the FCM has for our understanding of developing L2 speech patterns are discussed.
Study of the venous reflux progression.

Background Patients with chronic venous disease (CVD) often ask whether elective vein surgery could be delayed without consequences. Because the natural history of CVD is not well known, this study was designed to determine its progression in such patients. Methods One hundred and sixteen limbs in 90 patients who had at least 2 exams with duplex ultrasound (DU) scanning prior to vein surgery at a university medical center were studied. These were patients who were offered an operation but for various reasons were treated at a later stage. Patients were classified by the CEAP system. Results The mean age of the patients was 49 years (range, 23 to 81 years). A second DU scan was performed 1 to 43 months after the initial exam (median, 19 months). Eighty-five limbs (73.3%) were unchanged. Thirteen limbs (11.2%) had progression of clinical stage, and seven had progression on DU scanning as well. Seven limbs progressed from C2 to C3, four limbs from C3 to C4, and two limbs from C4 to C6. Thirty-four limbs had a documented change on repeat DU scanning. In 3 of these limbs, reflux was missed on the initial exam; therefore, 31 limbs had progression of disease. The great saphenous vein and tributaries were the most often anatomic sites affected by a change, followed by perforators. Seventeen limbs (14.7%) had extension of pre-existing reflux, and 14 (12.1%) had reflux in a new segment. In 11 of these limbs, a change in the initial plan for treatment was required. Symptomatic or DU changes were noted 6 months or later in 95% of limbs and 74.2% of limbs with disease progression were diagnosed at 12 months or later. All but one of the 13 symptomatic limbs developed symptoms at least a year later. Conclusion Nearly one third of patients with venous reflux had progression. Anatomic extension is frequent with disease progression but not a pre-requisite. Progression was found in most limbs 6 months after the initial study. Patients undergoing treatment for their veins may need another DU exam if this time interval is exceeded.
Housing Supply under Rapid Economic Growth and Varying Regulatory Stringency: An International Comparison

Abstract We present results of an empirical investigation and comparison of housing supply in three rapidly growing countries: Malaysia, Thailand, and Korea. These countries offer three contrasting examples of different approaches to development control. Korea has relatively strict control of housing supply. Thailand has little effective regulation of development. Malaysia offers an intermediate case, having adopted in the mid-1970s development control legislation patterned on the British Town and Country Planning Act. The consequences of this regulatory shift for aggregate housing supply appear to have been substantial.
Existence of solutions for a system of equations of nonlinear elastic materials

Abstract The question of the existence of solutions for the system of nonlinear partial differential equations governing the arbitrarily heated and prestressed nonhomogeneous shell is considered. We give the sufficient conditions for the existence of at least one solution by way of a fixed point theorem in an appropriate function space.
Role of p38 MAP kinase in the development of acute lung injury

Acute lung injury (ALI) is characterized by an intense pulmonary inflammatory response, in which neutrophils play a central role. The p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway is involved in the regulation of stress-induced cellular functions and appears to be important in modulating neutrophil activation, particularly in response to endotoxin. Although p38 has potent effects on neutrophil functions under in vitro conditions, there is relatively little information concerning the role of p38 in affecting neutrophil-driven inflammatory responses in vivo. To examine this issue, we treated mice with the p38 inhibitor SB203580 and then examined parameters of neutrophil activation and acute lung injury after hemorrhage or endotoxemia. Although p38 was activated in lung neutrophils after hemorrhage or endotoxemia, inhibition of p38 did not decrease neutrophil accumulation in the lungs or the development of lung edema under these conditions. Similarly, the increased production of proinflammatory cytokines and activation of NF-κB in lung neutrophils induced by hemorrhage or endotoxemia was not diminished by p38 inhibition. These results indicate that p38 does not have a central role in the development of ALI after either hemorrhage or endotoxemia.
Transitions in Fe-, Co-, Cu-, and Zn-like ions of W and Re

The spectra of highly ionized W and Re were observed by using laser-produced plasmas and a 3-m grazing-incidence spectrograph. Transitions in Fe- through Zn-like ions were identified. Wavelengths in the range 7-75 A were measured with an uncertainty of + or - 0.015 A, and energy levels were derived from the measured wavelengths. The ionization limits of Cu-like W and Re were determined.
A Simulation-Based Evaluation of In-Season Management Tactics for Anadromous Fisheries: Accounting for Risk in the Yukon River Fall Chum Salmon Fishery

AbstractSalmon fisheries are managed under uncertainties in abundance, population dynamics, and fishery implementation. These uncertainties create risk, which can be accounted for using probabilistic harvest control rules. Probabilistic control rules ensure management actions are consistent with the level of acceptable risk. Within a fishing season, managers seek to meet escapement objectives by using preseason forecasts and in-season data to set fishery openings and catch targets. We used a stochastic simulation model of the Yukon River fall Chum Salmon Oncorhynchus keta fishery to evaluate the effects on fishery performance of (1) the degree of in-season risk tolerance and (2) two methods for estimating daily abundance projections. We defined risk in terms of the probability of failing to meet escapement objectives, which is consistent with the emphasis on meeting escapement objectives in Alaska's Sustainable Salmon Fisheries Policy. The analysis revealed expected trade-offs between harvest and escapeme...
Physical assessment experience in a problem-based learning course.

Objective. To evaluate the impact of a physical-assessment learning experience implemented in the problem-based learning (PBL) format of the third year of a doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) program. Design. Students enrolled in a PBL course completed survey instruments to measure knowledge and confidence before and after participating in the learning experience. A simulation stethoscope was used to teach students abnormal pulmonary and cardiovascular sounds in 1-hour sessions for each of 12 PBL groups. Assessment. The 92 students enrolled in the PBL course completed pre- and post-experience survey instruments. Students’ scores on knowledge questions increased significantly (p < 0.0001) from 40.4% ± 11.4% at baseline to 62.5% ± 13.7% and 63.1 ± 11.6%, respectively, on the 2 sets of post-experience questions. Students scored a median of 3 or 4 on a 5-point Likert scale after a learning experience on questions measuring confidence. Conclusion. Use of a simulation stethoscope in a physical-assessment learning experience increased pharmacy students’ knowledge in performing pulmonary and cardiovascular assessment techniques.
Learning to become a machine operator: The dialogical relationship between context, self, and content

As work organizations restructure to remain competitive, problem solving is being pushed down to frontline workers, and emphasis is increasingly placed on workplace learning. In this exploratory, qualitative study, we focus on workers' experiences of problems within the context of their work and how these contexts foster their learning and development. To that end, we examined the informal learning processes associated with problem-solving contexts among twenty manufacturing workers from three organizations. The findings suggest that operators perceive learning to be integral to problem solving, relational and dialogical in nature, and intimately bound up with an evolving machine operator identity. This research also holds implications for problem-solving training within the workplace, the role of managers and supervisors in relation to the development of expertise, the role of the human resource professional as adult educator, and the role of adult educators in general.
Case series: MRI features in cerebral malaria.

Malaria is an important tropical disease. Cerebral involvement is the most important complication in Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) infection, with a mortality rate of up to 50%.[1] Imaging findings underestimate the extent of cerebral involvement in malaria, a normal CT brain being seen in many patients with cerebral involvement. We would like to report the MRI findings in two patients with cerebral malaria. One patient had a hemorrhagic venous infarct in the left frontoparietal region and the other patient had signal intensity changes in the left parietal and insular cortex, similar to that seen in encephalitis.
Continuous EEG Monitoring in the Intensive Care Unit

In the past 15 years, the increased availability and use of continuous electroencephalography (cEEG) in critically ill patients has substantially changed our understanding of the injured brain. We have become increasingly aware that electrographic seizures in this population may have only subtle or no clinical signs and that cEEG greatly increases the likelihood of detecting these seizures. This review highlights the rationale behind using cEEG rather than routine EEG for detection of nonconvulsive seizures and nonconvulsive status epilepticus in critically ill patients and defines which patients are at greatest risk. It also describes other applications of cEEG in the intensive care unit and how it may play an important role in monitoring brain function.
Transcription factor TEAD2 is involved in neural tube closure.

Summary TEAD2, one of the first transcription factors expressed at the beginning of mammalian development, appears to be required during neural development. For example, Tead2 expression is greatest in the dorsal neural crest where it appears to regulate expression of Pax3, a gene essential for brain development. Consistent with this hypothesis, we found that inactivation of the Tead2 gene in mice significantly increased the risk of exencephaly (a defect in neural tube closure). However, none of the embryos exhibited spina bifida, the major phenotype of Pax3 nullizygous embryos, and expression of Pax3 in E11.5 Tead2 nullizygous embryos was normal. Thus, Tead2 plays a role in neural tube closure that is independent of its putative role in Pax3 regulation. In addition, the risk of exencephaly was greatest with Tead2 nullizygous females, and could be suppressed either by folic acid or pifithrin-α. These results reveal a maternal genetic contribution to neural tube closure, and suggest that Tead2-deficient mice provide a model for anencephaly, a common human birth defect that can be prevented by folic acid. genesis 45:577–587, 2007.
A Phenomenon Observed during the Freezing of a Non-homogeneous Aqueous Solution

IN the course of experiments which revealed previously unreported electrical phenomena accompanying the freezing of water1, another striking, if somewhat unrelated, phenomenon was observed.
The pricing of risky corporate debt to be issued at par value

Abstract This paper extends the pricing of risky corporate debt in order to determine the promised payment and the promised yield to maturity that would permit the firm to issue a risky discount bond at par. We use iteration. The sequence of successive approximations for the quasi debt-to-asset value is convergent, and the resulting sequence of approximations for the market value of a risky discount bond approaches par value. The rate of return required to issue the risky discount bond at par is calculated. The results are consistent with Merton (1974) and differ only in the method of successive approximations to determine the promised payment on a risky discount bond to be issued at par.
Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) Spectroscopy and Improved Principal Component Regression (PCR) for Quantification of Solid Analytes in Microalgae and Bacteria

In bioanalytical chemistry, a detailed chemical understanding of biomaterials is often difficult to obtain due to the sheer number of analytes contained in a sample along with the samples' generally low reproducibility. This study presents a Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopic technique in conjunction with innovations in sample preparation and chemometric data preprocessing to overcome these limitations. These methodologies were applied to quantitative analyses of 31 representative compounds commonly found in biomaterial, which have been incorporated into a spectroscopic calibration database, that is, albumin (protein); D-alanine, glycine, histidine, valine, arginine, cysteine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, methionine, L-glutamine, and glutamic acid, (amino acids); glucose, fructose, galactose, mannose, sucrose, lactose, glycogen, agarose, and starch (carbohydrates); DNA (salmon sperm), sulphonoquinovosyl diglyceride ( sulpho-lipid ), and 1,2-diacyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-L-serine ( phospho-lipid ); succinic acid and malic acid ( carboxylic acids ); glycolic acid (a -hydroxy acid), sodium pyruvate, b -carotene, frustules (microalgae silica-shells), and ammonium formate. Two proof-of-principle applications were based on calibration models incorporating these solids, i.e., characterization of E. coli and microalgae. The former aims for detection of bacterial contamination and the latter to enable investigations of changes in chemical composition of microalgae cells in response to shifting environmental conditions. Chemometric preprocessing steps have been developed for handling sample-to-sample fluctuations of absorption path lengths and baselines; the former incorporated mass normalization while the latter utilized a novel baseline correction method that requires no a priori information. Data preprocessing, chemometric calibration, and evaluation algorithms have been combined, together with an extensive spectral database of the aforementioned compounds (∼1500 samples), for quantitative calibration purposes through the remotely accessible Virtual Chemometrics Lab , which can be utilized for a multitude of applications through a graphical user interface.
A New Kind of English: Cultural Variance, Citizenship and DiY Politics amongst the Exodus Collective in England

This article addresses the construction of citizenship in contemporary England as a boundary between 'proper' and 'improper' English behavior. Through an ethnographic study of the Exodus Collective, a Rastafarian-anarchist community that was located north of London, I show that constructing citizenship also constructs criminality by indicating inclusion or exclusion in England. The Exodus Collective's alternative lifestyle and radical politics transgressed on mainstream British values, and their cultural variance marked the group as outsiders in English society. I argue that the classic model of English citizenship proposed by T.H. Marshall is too linear and static, and fails to capture the reality of a present-day English citizenship that is neither fixed nor secure. I propose that the cultural features of citizenship have become increasingly important to the social construction of deviance.
The neoplastic appendix: a practical approach

Abstract Neoplastic processes in the appendix are histologically similar to their colonic counterparts, and recognition of these neoplasms is relatively straightforward. However, reporting and tumour staging of the neoplastic appendix can be complex, given numerous proposed classification systems, the uncertainty surrounding extra-appendiceal spread, and the frequently low-grade histology. Prognostication and clinical decisions regarding treatment rely heavily upon the completeness of the pathology report. This review discusses the clinicopathologic features of the epithelial neoplasms of the appendix, including colonic-type (non-mucinous) adenomas and adenocarcinomas, mucinous neoplasms, classical carcinoid tumours (well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumours), and goblet cell carcinoids with a focus on prognosis, terminology and pertinent points to include in the pathology report.
Concurrency control and integrity preservation for the `RIM' DBMS

The Relational Information Management System (RIM, specifically, RIM-5) is a relational DBMS [RIM82] which has a syntax that is similar to SOL/DS [AST76, DAT81], but not as powerful, i.e., nested SELECT commands are not supported. However, it and its microcomputer counterpart, MicroRIM, are still powerful DBMS's. The one area in which the RIM system falls short is in concurrency control. In order to maintain integrity, the current version locks out the entire database during update operations. This paper presents a solution to maintaining integrity in the RIM system at a much more local level.
Time-dependent behavior of a placed bed of cohesive sediment subjected to erosion and deposition cycles

This study aims to explore the behavior of a cohesive sediment bed that undergoes cycles of erosion and deposition under diluted conditions. A bed of bentonite (montmorillonite) sediment was placed in two annular flumes and subjected to daily erosion tests for a period of 80 days, mimicking intermittent moderate-energy disturbances like tidal currents and wind waves. After each erosion test, the suspended sediment was allowed to settle back in the flumes. The amount of suspended sediment measured at the top of the water column at the end of each erosion test decreased in the first 5 days, concurrently with an increase in the bulk-settling velocity near the bed. This pattern is explained by turbulence-induced flocculation of clay particles and consequent formation of a surface floc layer. After about 20 days, the amount of suspended sediment measured at the top of the water column at the end of each erosion test increased and the settling velocity decreased, whereas the suspended sediment concentration measured near the bed remained nearly constant. We explain such trend by the cumulative release of slow-settling particles from the bed. This experiment suggests that the superficial layer of a placed bed that is periodically eroded and redeposited experiences competing processes: the sediment that is resuspended at every cycle becomes less erodible, but prolonged exposure to shear stress increases the pool of eroded sediment over time. The total amount of resuspended sediment seems to become constant after several tens of cycle, suggesting that the release of particles from the bed by cumulative erosion is balanced by the binding of such particles to the bed.
Developing a language to describe world conflicts

This paper describes the development of a language to describe international conflicts. This is part of a larger effort to generate sequences of events describing wars. In the paper, we discuss work on this project to date, which has focused on developing a set of terms and relations to denote the objects, agents, actions, and relationships found in war chronologies. We show how these terms are used to model war chronologies such as those found in Army War College Case Studies. We discuss the methodology employed, the source material used, the difficulties and limitations encountered, the current status of project as a whole, and future directions.
Theory of Ferromagnetic Resonance Line Shape outside the Spin-Wave Manifold

In the usual ferromagnetic resonance experiment the uniform precession lies within the magnon manifold, that is, there are long-wavelength magnons degenerate with the uniform precession. Several recent experiments have been performed with the uniform precession driven outside the magnon manifold. In this paper we calculate the line shape ${\ensuremath{\chi}}^{\ensuremath{'}\ensuremath{'}}$ as a function of applied field) for these experiments. Specifically, the relaxation frequency $\ensuremath{\eta}$ of the uniform precession and the line shift $\ensuremath{\delta}H$ (deviation of the uniform precession frequency from the Kittel frequency) are calculated. For relatively large $\ensuremath{\eta}$ ($\ensuremath{\eta}\ensuremath{\ll}\ensuremath{\gamma}4\ensuremath{\pi}M$ not satisfied) the line shift $\ensuremath{\delta}H$ is at least as important as $\ensuremath{\eta}$ in determining the line shape. Explanations are given for the three interesting observations of Liu and Shaw that: (1) The relaxation frequency has the large value of the order of 150 Oe when the uniform precession is driven below the bottom of the spin-wave manifold; (2) The relaxation frequency drops sharply as the uniform precession passes below the bottom of the spin-wave manifold; and (3) The relaxation frequency within the spin-wave manifold is relatively independent of applied field. Examination of several possible sources of the 150-Oe relaxation frequency (1) indicates that the 150 Oe arises from the magnon manifold being modified by nonmagnetic voids in the sample in such a way as to allow two-magnon scattering below the magnon manifold of a perfectly dense sample. The field independence of relaxation frequency within the manifold (2) is in apparent agreement with the two-magnon scattering theory of Sparks, Loudon, and Kittel; Seiden; and Seiden and Sparks.
Parvovirus B19 DNA in Factor VIII concentrates : effects of manufacturing procedures and B19 screening by nucleic acid testing

BACKGROUND: Parvovirus B19 (B19) is a common contaminant, especially in coagulation factors. Because of B19 transmission by pooled plasma, solvent/detergent treated in 1999, some fractionators initiated minipool nucleic acid testing (NAT) to limit the B19 load in manufacturing pools. In this study, the extent of B19 DNA contamination in commercial Factor VIII concentrates, that is, antihemophilic factor (human) (AHF), manufactured before and after B19 NAT screening was implemented, was determined. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 284 lots representing six AHF products made during 1993 to 1998 and 2001 to 2004 were assayed for B19 DNA by an in-house NAT procedure. Anti-B19 immunoglobulin G (IgG) was also measured. RESULTS: Most lots made during 1993 to 1998 had detectable B19 DNA. The prevalence ranged from 56 to 100 percent and appeared to differ between manufacturers. The highest level of B19 DNA found was 106 genome equivalents (geq or international units [IU]) per mL. Forty percent of the lots tested contained 103 geq (IU) per mL. In comparison, both prevalence and levels in source plasma–derived AHF products made in 2001 to 2004 were lower. Both, however, remained unchanged in the recovered plasma-derived product because B19 NAT screening had not been implemented. Only an intermediate-purity AHF product was positive for the presence of anti-B19 IgG. CONCLUSION: The prevalence and levels of B19 DNA in AHF prepared from B19 NAT unscreened plasma were high but varied among products with different manufacturing procedures. B19 NAT screening of plasma effectively lowered the B19 DNA level in the final products and in the majority of cases rendered it undetectable and hence potentially reduced the risk of B19 transmission.
A calcium antagonist drug binding site in skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum: evidence for a calcium channel.

The sarcoplasmic reticulum (S.R.) of rabbit skeletal muscle has been found to contain a single, high affinity binding site for the Ca antagonist drug [3H]-nitrendipine. Two subfractions of the reticulum were studied, the heavy (HSR) and light (LSR) preparations, which exhibited similar nitrendipine equilibrium dissociation constants (KD) of 1nM. Crude cardiac and brain membranes assayed under the same conditions exhibited KD values of 0.2-0.3nM. The concentration of binding sites per mg. protein (Bmax) in HSR was found to be very high, namely 6.7 picomoles/mg, some four times greater than that of LSR. [3H]-nitrendipine binding to HSR was reversible and inhibited by the Ca antagonists flunarizine and verapamil, and by the intracellular Ca release antagonist TMB-8 (8-diethylamino-octyl 3,4,5-trimethylbenzoate hydrochloride). However, unlabelled nitrendipine at 2 X 10(-5)M had no effect on contraction of isolated electrically stimulated rabbit lumbrical or rat diaphragm muscles, nor did it affect the neuromuscular junction as studied in rat phrenic nerve-diaphragm preparations. Also, little effect of 2 X 10(-5)M nitrendipine was seen on net 45Ca uptake by HSR. These results suggest that [3H]-nitrendipine binding to skeletal muscle S.R. resembles that of brain membranes, which also contain a high affinity binding site for [3H]-nitrendipine and which similarly are pharmacologically insensitive to this dihydropyridine type of Ca channel blocking agent. Since HSR is also enriched in calsequestrin and terminal cysternae from which Ca is released in vivo, it seems likely that the [3H]-nitrendipine binding sites in S.R. are associated with Ca channels in the S.R.
Decitabine induces cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase via p21WAF1 and the G2/M phase via the p38 MAP kinase pathway

Methylation of the p16 (INK4a) tumor suppressor gene is observed frequently in multiple myeloma and various forms of lymphoma and mediates silencing of p16 gene expression. In this investigation, we have determined the effect of the DNA demethylating drug decitabine (DAC; 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine) on the growth, cell cycle kinetics, RB phosphorylation, and expression of p16 (INK4a) and p21(WAF1) in EBV- human myeloma and EBV+ lymphoblastic cell lines possessing silenced, methylated p16 (INK4a) genes to: (1). evaluate its potential as a therapeutic agent and (2). investigate its mechanism of action. Demethylation of the p16 (INK4a) gene and expression of the p16 (INK4a) protein were observed using higher doses (10(-6)-10(-7)M) of drug while growth inhibition at lower doses (IC(50)=2 x 10(-8)-4 x 10(-8)M) was associated with RB dephosphorylation and increased expression of p21 (WAF1), but not with induction of p16 (INK4a), or apoptosis. Kinetic experiments demonstrated that RB dephosphorylation and the increase of p21 (WAF1) preceded the induction of p16 (INK4a). The drug induced cell cycle arrest at the G1 and G2/M phases. Antisense experiments demonstrated that the G1 arrest was mediated by transcriptional induction of p21(WAF1). In addition to these observed effects on cell cycle regulatory proteins, decitabine also increased phosphorylation of p38 MAP kinase. The G2/M arrest was inhibited by the p38 MAP kinase inhibitor SB203580, indicating that activation of p38 MAP kinase pathway was required for G2/M arrest. Thus, decitabine inhibited growth by inducing cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase mediated by p21(WAF1) and the G2/M phase through activation of the p38 MAP kinase pathway.
Polycentricity and transit service

This paper focuses on the two related issues of employment distribution and access to transit services. Using the 2001 census tract level economic activities and transit routes within the county, a number of analyses were performed to determine the location of major employment centers in Los Angeles County and how these localities may be understood within the context of a transit service operation in a polycentric metropolitan area. The identified economic subcenters contain one-third of the county employment and its firms, collectively. While these economic nodes are networked by the existing bus routes, the connection between employees and their place of work appears to be inadequate. This has created a less than optimal condition in many sections of the metropolitan area. This paper suggests methodologies for encountering this shortcoming.
Computer Modeling of Relaxation Peaks Involving a Gaussian Distribution of Activation Energies

To extend previous work in the frequency domain, as a function of temperature, the forms of anelastic or dielectric loss peaks are computed directly involving a Gaussian distribution of activation energies. The calculations provide the height, width, asymmetry, and frequency-shift behavior of the loss peak as a function of a dimensionless parameter defining the width of the distribution. The calculations are used to determine how well the input distribution can be recovered or deconvoluted from a set of peaks, obtained for several different frequencies, by a simple empirical procedure termed a cross-cut analysis. The procedure is found to work well for peaks whose width is more than twice the Debye width. In Fortsetzung fruherer Analysen im Frequenzbereich wird die Form anelastischer oder dielektrischer Relaxationsmaxima als Funktion der Temperatur numerisch fur den Fall, das eine Gaussverteilung von Aktivierungsenergien vorliegt, berechnet. Die Rechnungen ergeben die Hohe, Breite, Asymmetrie und Frequenzverschiebung des Verlustmaximums als Funktion eines dimensionslosen Parameters, der die Breite der Gaussverteilung charakterisiert. Es wird untersucht, wie gut eine vorgegebene Verteilung aus einem simulierten Satz von Relaxationsmaxima bei verschiedenen Frequenzen durch ein spezielles Schnittverfahren wiedergewonnen werden kann. Das Verfahren erweist sich als brauchbar, wenn die Breite eines Maximums groser als die doppelte Debye-Breite ist.
Community decline and mortality.

This study of the relation of social problems to mortality in the context of growth and decline in 50 New York counties is guided by an ecological framework that sees communities depending on their many agencies and services for maintaining and improving the well-being of residents despite external problems/threats. Two all-purpose measures of threats are community growth and decline, especially the latter. If the specialized agencies typical of more urbanized places are weak, threats generate internal social problems like crime and unemployment and these lower population health. Findings: when urbanization is held constant, growth is negatively associated with poverty-related problems while decline predicts deviance. Both poverty and deviance problems, in turn, predict mortality. The applied implications of this model are discussed.
Induction and Ecological Significance of Gigantism in the Rotifer Asplanchna sieboldi.

Dietary α-tocopherol and cannibalism together induce the giant, campanulate morphotype. Campanulates, unlike the two smaller female morphotypes, do not respond to α-tocopherol by forming male-producing offspring. Campanulate production probably is very significant ecologically, allowing a rapid, adaptive response to increased prey size and a rapid reproductive rate uninter-rupted by sexuality and consequent dormancy.
531 nm Green Lasing of InGaN Based Laser Diodes on Semi-Polar {202̄1} Free-Standing GaN Substrates

Lasing in pure green region around 520 nm of InGaN based laser diodes (LDs) on semi-polar {2021} free-standing GaN substrates was demonstrated under pulsed operation at room temperature. The longest lasing wavelength reached to 531 nm and typical threshold current density was 8.2 kA/cm2 for 520 nm LDs. Utilization of a novel {2021} plane enabled a fabrication of homogeneous InGaN quantum wells (QWs) even at high In composition, which is exhibited with narrower spectral widths of spontaneous emission from LDs than those on other planes. The high quality InGaN QWs on the {2021} plane advanced the realization of the green LDs.
Asbestos fiber deposition in a human tracheobronchial cast. I: Experimental

AbstractHollow replicate casts of a human tracheobronchial (TB) tree were used to evaluate the conditions and mechanisms affecting fiber deposition. These casts were exposed to an aerodynamically classified crocidolite asbestos aerosol at cyclic inspiratory flow rates of 15 and 60 l/min. The deposited fibers were washed from the interior surfaces, and their dimensions were measured by scanning electron microscopy. Deposition efficiency was found to increase with fiber length and flow rate, and deposition densities were greater at the bifurcations than along the airway walls. Deposition densities were also high at two tracheal “hot spots”: the upper dorsal section and the lower ventral section.
Matsushiro, Japan, Earthquake Swarm: Confirmation of the Dilatancy-Fluid Diffusion Model

The uncertainties in seismic velocities derived from earthquake data, the ambiguities of interpretation, and the lack of substantial evidence from explosion travel-time data leave the question of the reality of the dilatancy-diffusion model unresolved. To resolve this question, the more direct phenomena of crustal surface deformation and transient fluid flow induced by dilatant deformation has been theoretically analyzed. The results show excellent agreement with the main in situ features observed during the Matsushiro, Japan, earthquake swarm: (1) symmetrical upheaval and subsequent subsidence, (2) antisymmetrical horizontal deformation, (3) extensive outflow of water, and (4) initial decrease and later increase of gravity. This agreement between theoretical predictions and the directly observed in situ physical processes at a single site provides the strongest evidence to date in support of the dilatancy-fluid diffusion model.
On the response of rubbers at high strain rates.

In this report, we examine the propagation of tensile waves of finite deformation in rubbers through experiments and analysis. Attention is focused on the propagation of one-dimensional dispersive and shock waves in strips of latex and nitrile rubber. Tensile wave propagation experiments were conducted at high strain-rates by holding one end fixed and displacing the other end at a constant velocity. A high-speed video camera was used to monitor the motion and to determine the evolution of strain and particle velocity in the rubber strips. Analysis of the response through the theory of finite waves and quantitative matching between the experimental observations and analytical predictions was used to determine an appropriate instantaneous elastic response for the rubbers. This analysis also yields the tensile shock adiabat for rubber. Dispersive waves as well as shock waves are also observed in free-retraction experiments; these are used to quantify hysteretic effects in rubber.
Application of soft-decision Reed-Solomon decoding to magnetic recording channels

We report on the application of algebraic soft-decision decoding of Reed-Solomon codes to magnetic recording channels. We present efficient algorithm implementations of the Koetter-Vardy algorithm and introduce a soft version of the Chase algorithm, which expands the decoding list without substantial increase in complexity. Our evaluation of these algorithms, based on realistic simulations on magnetic recording channels, shows that improved performance can be achieved with a small increase in hardware complexity.
Galactic Cosmic Radiation Leads to Cognitive Impairment and Increased Aβ Plaque Accumulation in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease

Galactic Cosmic Radiation consisting of high-energy, high-charged (HZE) particles poses a significant threat to future astronauts in deep space. Aside from cancer, concerns have been raised about late degenerative risks, including effects on the brain. In this study we examined the effects of (56)Fe particle irradiation in an APP/PS1 mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We demonstrated 6 months after exposure to 10 and 100 cGy (56)Fe radiation at 1 GeV/µ, that APP/PS1 mice show decreased cognitive abilities measured by contextual fear conditioning and novel object recognition tests. Furthermore, in male mice we saw acceleration of Aβ plaque pathology using Congo red and 6E10 staining, which was further confirmed by ELISA measures of Aβ isoforms. Increases were not due to higher levels of amyloid precursor protein (APP) or increased cleavage as measured by levels of the β C-terminal fragment of APP. Additionally, we saw no change in microglial activation levels judging by CD68 and Iba-1 immunoreactivities in and around Aβ plaques or insulin degrading enzyme, which has been shown to degrade Aβ. However, immunohistochemical analysis of ICAM-1 showed evidence of endothelial activation after 100 cGy irradiation in male mice, suggesting possible alterations in Aβ trafficking through the blood brain barrier as a possible cause of plaque increase. Overall, our results show for the first time that HZE particle radiation can increase Aβ plaque pathology in an APP/PS1 mouse model of AD.
Third-molar extraction as a risk factor for temporomandibular disorder

ABSTRACT Background Although third-molar extraction is common in the U.S., there are few reports on the relationship between third-molar extraction and temporomandibular disorder (TMD). The aim of this study was to investigate this potential association. Methods The authors enrolled study subjects on their 15th birthdays and followed them continuously for a minimum of five years. The authors ascertained exposure (third-molar extraction) and outcome (TMD) via electronic dental insurance records. A survival analysis design estimated the relative risk of experiencing TMD after third-molar extraction. They considered sex, dental care utilization and other potentially confounding variables in the analyses. Results A total of 34,491 subjects met the inclusion criterion. Fifty percent of all subjects had third molars removed by the age of 20 years, and 391 subjects had claims indicating TMD. The adjusted relative risk of experiencing TMD after third-molar extraction was 1.6 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.3 to 2.0). Calculation of the population risk indicated that 23 percent of all TMD cases in this age group might be due to third-molar extraction. Conclusions Third-molar extraction appears to be a risk factor for TMD. Clinical Implications Dental providers should be aware of the risk of experiencing TMD related to third-molar extraction and take measures to minimize trauma to the joint during extraction.
Progress toward commissioning and plasma operation in NSTX-U

The National Spherical Torus Experiment-Upgrade (NSTX-U) is the most powerful spherical torus facility at PPPL, Princeton USA. The major mission of NSTX-U is to develop the physics basis for an ST-based Fusion Nuclear Science Facility (FNSF). The ST-based FNSF has the promise of achieving the high neutron fluence needed for reactor component testing with relatively modest tritium consumption. At the same time, the unique operating regimes of NSTX-U can contribute to several important issues in the physics of burning plasmas to optimize the performance of ITER. NSTX-U further aims to determine the attractiveness of the compact ST for addressing key research needs on the path toward a fusion demonstration power plant (DEMO). The upgrade will nearly double the toroidal magnetic field BT to 1 T at a major radius of R0 = 0.93 m, plasma current Ip to 2 MA and neutral beam injection (NBI) heating power to 14 MW. The anticipated plasma performance enhancement is a quadrupling of the plasma stored energy and near doubling of the plasma confinement time, which would result in a 5–10 fold increase in the fusion performance parameter nτ T. A much more tangential 2nd NBI system, with 2–3 times higher current drive efficiency compared to the 1st NBI system, is installed to attain the 100% non-inductive operation needed for a compact FNSF design. With higher fields and heating powers, the NSTX-U plasma collisionality will be reduced by a factor of 3–6 to help explore the favourable trend in transport towards the low collisionality FNSF regime. The NSTX-U first plasma is planned for the Summer of 2015, at which time the transition to plasma operations will occur.
High frequency inverse scattering and the Luneberg-Kline asymptotic expansion

The problem of estimating the relative distance to individual scatterers within a complicated multiscatter target from radar backscattered signals is addressed. The scattered signal amplitudes produced by these scatterers are estimated. Such information can be useful for detection and identification of targets. An extension is described of the linear prediction algorithm for estimating these quantities applied to a signal model given by the Luneberg-Kline asymptotic expansion for electromagnetic scattering. This model includes the geometrical optics signal model as a special case. >