cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mössbauer effect emission spectroscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy study of the (111) Ni surface

Abstract Mossbauer effect emission spectroscopy (MEES) and Auger electron spectroscopy were combined in an ultrahigh vacuum system to study the ferromagnetic (111) Ni surface. Preliminary data on a strained and roughened surface with nearly a monolayer of contamination are presented. The MEES spectra show broad resonances arising from a distribution of hyperfine fields. With an oxygen coverage of 0.15 monolayer (ML), surface sites with magnetic hyperfine fields larger than that for bulk nickel account for 30% of the total resonant absorption area. Fields larger than 130 kG can account for 70% of the absorption area despite 0.4 ML of carbon coverage. With 0.5 ML oxygen coverage the average hyperfine field is greatly increased.
HealthSouth's Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities: How Does Their Performance Compare With Other For-Profit and Nonprofit Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities?

Abstract McCue MJ, Thompson JM. HealthSouth's inpatient rehabilitation facilities: how does their performance compare with other for-profit and nonprofit inpatient rehabilitation facilities? Objectives To assess the financial and operational differences in freestanding inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) that are operated by HealthSouth Corporation relative to other for-profit and nonprofit system-affiliated ownership groups. Since 2003, when it faced fraud charges and financial penalties, HealthSouth has experienced new management and refocused its business strategy. Because HealthSouth is the largest provider of freestanding IRF services, it is important to understand how their performance may differ relative to other ownership groups. Design We used the Mann-Whitney U test to assess differences in median values for financial and operational variables of HealthSouth-owned IRFs compared with other for-profit system IRFs and nonprofit system IRFs. Setting System-affiliated freestanding IRFs in the United States. Participants Sixty-four HealthSouth IRFs, 18 nonprofit system-affiliated IRFs, and 18 for-profit system-affiliated IRFs. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Net patient revenue per adjusted discharge, operating expense per adjusted discharge, salary expense per full-time equivalent, and cash flow margin. Results HealthSouth IRFs had significantly lower net patient revenue per adjusted discharge and operating expense per adjusted discharge; however, its cash flow margin was significantly higher than other comparison groups. HealthSouth IRFs treated a higher case mix of patients relative to these comparison groups. Conclusions The financial and operating performance of HealthSouth IRFs is stronger than other ownership groups. Strong cash flow will enable HealthSouth to pay down long-term debt.
ULTRASTRUCTURE OF BREAD DOUGH WITH YEAST SINGLE CELL PROTEIN AND/OR EMULSIFIER

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to determine the influence of sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate (SSL) and/or 6% Single Cell Protein (SCP) supplement on dough structure. Dough samples were mixed to optimum development according to farinograph peak times and absorptions before examination by SEM. Supplementation with SCP thickened gluten sheets; contours of starch granules were masked and rupture of gluten increased. Addition of SSL to dough improved gluten sheeting and adding SSL to the SCP dough at least partially counteracted the adverse effects of SCP on the gluten layer.
Superconducting components for infrared and millimeter-wave receivers

The superconducting components developed for infrared and millimeter-wave receivers are reviewed. A brief description is given of the scientific principles on which each device is based, followed by a discussion of the performance that has been achieved in terms of the appropriate figures of merit. Comments are made about the possibility that useful device performance can be achieved by using the new high-T/sub c/ oxide superconductors. The authors emphasize photon-assisted quasi-particle tunneling and the superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) quasi-particle mixer, which is the only superconducting component to find substantial applications at infrared or millimeter wavelengths. Descriptions are given of the SIS quasi-particle direct detector, the Josephson effect oscillator, the Josephson effect parametric amplifier, and the various superconducting bolometers, for which practical applications appear possible. The less promising Josephson-effect detector and mixer and the various ideas for superconducting photon detectors are described because of the current interest in possible high-T/sub c/ versions of these devices. >
Torque ripple reduction for mutually coupled switched reluctance motor by bipolar excitations

This paper proposes a bipolar excitation scheme for a 6-slot and 8-pole (6/8) mutually coupled switched reluctance motor (MCSRM) to reduce torque ripple. Under the proposed excitation scheme, the 6/8 MCSRM is operated as a 6-phase machine. The excitation scheme proposed includes two excitation modes. A shift angle between coenergy profiles of the MCSRM under two excitation modes is studied based on finite element analysis (FEA). The bipolar excitation proposed in this paper reduces torque ripple with considering the shift angle, which is verified by finite element method (FEM)-based simulation results. The comparison of the torques produced by the MCSRM under one traditional single-phase, unipolar excitation scheme, one two-phase, bipolar excitation scheme, and the bipolar excitation scheme proposed is provided. The simulation results show that the method proposed effectively reduces torque ripple without sacrificing average torque produced by the MCSRM at the same current density.
Rapid mitogen-activated protein kinase activation by transforming growth factor α in wounded rat intestinal epithelial cells

Abstract Background & Aims: To define signaling events initiating healing after intestinal epithelial injury, activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways was assessed after wounding using an in vitro model. Methods: Proteins isolated from wounded monolayers of nontransformed intestinal epithelial cells (IEC-6) were analyzed for tyrosine phosphorylation and MAPK expression by Western blot. Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1, ERK2, and Raf-1 activities were assessed by immune complex kinase assays. Results: Tyrosine phosphorylation of several proteins including ERK1 was substantially increased 5 minutes after injury. Another MAPK, c-Jun-N-terminal protein kinase (JNK), was also activated after wounding. Conditioned medium from wounded but not intact IEC-6 monolayers resulted in increased activity of ERK1, ERK2, and Raf-1 kinase. Wound-conditioned medium stimulated proliferation of subconfluent IEC-6 cells compared with conditioned medium from intact IEC-6 cultures and contained higher amounts of transforming growth factor (TGF)-α than supernatants of confluent IEC-6 cultures. Activation of ERK1 and ERK2 was partially inhibited by neutralizing anti–TGF-α. Conclusions: Wounding of intestinal epithelial cells results in activation of Raf-1, ERK1, ERK2, and JNK1 MAPKs and subsequent cell proliferation in vitro. Activation of ERK1 and ERK2 is mediated in part by TGF-α. GASTROENTEROLOGY 1998;114:697-705
The role of serial bone mineral density testing for osteoporosis.

As a whole, groups of women who gain more bone mineral density (BMD) on antiresorptive medications experience greater fracture protection, although the relationship is not clear on the individual level. A literature search (Medline 1966 to present) for randomized, controlled trials was performed with keywords serial bone density, osteoporosis, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, fracture, alendronate, risedronate, calcitonin, estrogen replacement therapy, and raloxifene. Also, reference lists and tables of contents from journals were searched manually for additional relevant randomized controlled trials. Trials were 2–3 years in duration, and the number of subjects ranged from 670 to 3954. Medications analyzed include alendronate, either 5 mg/day or 5 mg/day, followed by 10 mg/day; raloxifene, 60 or 120 mg/day; and combination hormone replacement therapy (HRT) of four different regimen types. There have been no controlled studies showing that change in treatment based on serial bone density measurement resu...
Predictors of re-excision among women undergoing breast-conserving surgery for cancer.

Up to 60% of breast cancer patients who undergo breast-conserving surgery (BCS) require re-excision to obtain clear margins, causing delays in adjuvant treatment and poor aesthetic results. However, patient and treatment-related factors associated with re-excision are not well defined. We surveyed all women undergoing breast conserving surgery between January 2002 and May 2006 regarding their breast disease (n = 714, response rate = 79.5%). The medical record was reviewed to determine the receipt of re-excision lumpectomy following BCS, and obtain tumor stage, histology, and biopsy method (surgical versus needle biopsy). Patient age, breast size, tumor location in the breast, and receipt of chemotherapy were self-reported. Logistic regression was used to determine significant predictors of re-excision lumpectomy. In this sample, 51.4% of women required only one breast excision, 41.9% required two breast excisions, and 6.6% required three breast excisions. Overall, 10.8% of women required a mastectomy following initial attempt at BCS. Factors significantly correlated with re-excision lumpectomy included smaller breast size (A cup: OR = 2.7; 95%CI: 1.32–5.52; B cup: 1.63; 95%CI: 1.02–2.62), lobular histology (OR = 1.93; 95%CI: 1.15–3.25), and receipt of surgical biopsy (OR = 3.35; 95%CI: 2.24–5.02). Women who received adjuvant chemotherapy (OR = 2.49; 95%CI: 1.19–5.22) were more likely to require re-excision compared with women who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Re-excision lumpectomy is common, and is significantly correlated with smaller breast size, lobular histology, surgical biopsy, and chemotherapy timing. Attention to these risk factors can improve the quality of care delivered to BCS patients by decreasing the cost and morbidity associated with multiple re-excision procedures.
Identification of severe weather outbreaks using kernel principal component analysis

A new adaptive approach to severe weather outbreak compositing and discrimination is described for datasets of known non-tornadic and tornado outbreaks. Kernel principal component analysis (KPCA) is used to reduce the dimensionality of the dataset and provide input for cluster analysis (CA) of the outbreaks to discern meteorological characteristics unique to each outbreak type. Results are compared to traditional principal component analysis (PCA). The KPCA methodology and CA assigned outbreaks to different composite (maps that have a close correspondence) sets than did PCA and CA. The clusters associated with each method were used as training for a support vector machine classification scheme. An independent subset of the outbreak dataset was retained for cross-validation classification of outbreak type. Significant differences in the two composite methods are observed, and a support vector machine classification scheme demonstrates compelling effectiveness in distinguishing outbreak types based on the resulting composites.
Screening Methods for Detection of Preclinical Visual Loss in Children: Implementing Programs—The Political Will

Pediatric ophthalmologists, orthoptists, and others interested in the eye health of children, have long desired for vision screening to become a “hot” topic. Due to attempts by some in the optical ...
The minimum-entropy set cover problem

We consider the minimum entropy principle for learning data generated by a random source and observed with random noise.In our setting we have a sequence of observations of objects drawn uniformly at random from a population. Each object in the population belongs to one class. We perform an observation for each object which determines that it belongs to one of a given set of classes. Given these observations, we are interested in assigning the most likely class to each of the objects.This scenario is a very natural one that appears in many real life situations. We show that under reasonable assumptions finding the most likely assignment is equivalent to the following variant of the set cover problem. Given a universe U and a collection I = (S1, ..., St) of subsets of U, we wish to find an assignment f : U → I such that u ∈ f(u) and the entropy of the distribution defined by the values |f-1 (Si)| is minimized.We show that this problem is NP-hard and that the greedy algorithm for set cover s with an additive constant error with respect to the optimal cover. This sheds a new light on the behavior of the greedy set cover algorithm. We further enhance the greedy algorithm and show that the problem admits a polynomial time approximation scheme (PTAS).Finally, we demonstrate how this model and the greedy algorithm can be useful in real life scenarios, and in particular, in problems arising naturally in computational biology.
Language Mediation Hypothesis: Implications of Verbal/Performance Discrepancy and Reading Ability.

This study examined hypotheses regarding the role of verbal mediation in language processing by children with low verbal/high performance WISC profiles. Of specific interest was whether the verbal disability identified by the depressed Verbal IQ was related to either a specific verbal expression deficit or a more general symbolic mediation problem. Children in third through fifth grades (ages 8—12) with low verbal/high performance WISC profiles were evaluated using cognitive tasks which require verbal mediation strategies without requiring vocal responses. When the results of the nonvocal verbally mediated tasks closely approximated the lower Verbal IQ, children were placed in a General Language Disability group, and when results closely approximated the higher Performance IQ, they were considered to have a Specific Verbal Disability. The latter obtained reading scores significantly higher than the former children. The results support the contention that verbal mediation may be a viable construct for diff...
Skyhook Control of a Mixed Mode Magnetorheological Fluid Mount

Magnetorheological (MR) fluid mounts have their own advantages over the hydraulic mounts because they can provide extra damping and stiffness due to the MR effect. Many papers contribute to the control of MR fluid dampers, while very few papers focus on the control of MR mounts. This paper investigated skyhook control for a mixed mode MR fluid mount. The MR fluid mount can operate in two working modes: flow mode and squeeze mode. The skyhook control algorithms were developed and studied for the flow mode and squeeze mode separately and simultaneously. Simulation results show that the skyhook control can significantly reduce the resonance peak and achieve the lowest transmissibility in the whole working frequency range of the mount. When flow mode and squeeze mode are activated and controlled at the same time, the effect of squeeze mode is more obvious than that of the flow mode.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
140. Victimization and Perpetration of Violence Among Homeless Teenagers

Purpose: Several studies have demonstrated that homeless teenagers and young adults are at high risk for experiencing violence—both as victims and as perpetrators. It is well known that experiencing violence increases the risk for depression, anxiety, poor school performance, conduct disorders, increased aggession and low self esteem. The purpose of this study was to assess the types of violence that homeless teenagers and young adults have experienced. Methods: During a four-month period in the spring and summer of 2004, we administered a written survey to homeless teenagers and young adults. Seventy items of this survey addressed victimization and perpetration of violence. These items were derived from standardized and widely used scales, including the Conflict Tactics Scale (Strauss), and the Brief Severity of Violence Against Women/Men Scale (Marshall). This survey was conducted both at a mobile clinic that provided medical care to homeless teens, and at a shelter. The surveywas confidential and anonymous; IRB approval was obtained. Results: Of the 73 respondents, 49% were white, 32% black, 10% Hispanic. 47% female; mean age 20.6 years (range 16-28). 63% reported that they had been kicked, bit or punched by a parent or caregiver; 22% reported a parent/caregiver had used a gun or knife on them. 29%hadbeen touched in a sexualwayby a familymember; 22% had been forced to have sex by a family member. 45% had experienced intimate partner violence and 17% indicated that they had threatened one of their partners in the past. 15% reported that a previous partner used a gun or a knife on them; 15% also had been forced to have sex by a previous partner. 8% indicated they themselves had used a gun or a knife on a previous partner. Only one person reported forcing a former partner to have sex. Conclusions: Reported violence was higher among this group of homeless teenagers and young adults compared to national trends among adolescents. These experiences of violence make these youth particularly vulnerable to co-morbid conditions and continued homelessness. Our data suggest that programsdesigned for homeless youth should include counseling on issues of personal violence, as well as support for related psychological disorders. Sources of Support:University of Texas School of Medicine, Houston, TX.
Desertification: The next dust bowl

Drought is the most pressing problem caused by climate change. It receives too little attention, says Joseph Romm.
Surgeon bias in the medical record

The medical chart is presumed to be an impartial record of a patient's history, examination, and treatment. This study was designed to determine if hand surgeons introduce selective bias into the medical record. Fifty consecutive new patients were referred to a hand surgery practice for presumed carpal tunnel syndrome. Forty-four patients were diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome and were eligible for study inclusion. Prior to evaluation, all patients wrote in free-response fashion and diagrammed their symptom quality and location. Surgeon dictations from these visits were then evaluated against the patients' self-reported symptomatology. Statistical analysis was performed to determine if specific symptom types and locations were preferentially omitted from medical records. The surgeons' records most closely replicated patients' self-reported diminished sensibility in the thumb, index, and middle fingers (100% inclusion rate). When patients described presenting with pain, it was recorded significantly less frequently (P<.001) in the surgeon's note (16 of 27; 59%). Surgeon documentation of patient symptoms in the median nerve distribution (98% inclusion) was more likely than documentation of symptoms in the small finger (50% inclusion; P<.001), forearm (45% inclusion; P<.001), and arm (50% inclusion; P<.001). Because symptoms less readily attributed to median nerve compression at the wrist were more likely to be omitted, it is possible that surgeons introduce bias into the medical record. Although the cause of this discrepancy is likely multifactorial, the medical records often failed to document patients' pain as well as symptoms outside of the median nerve distribution.
Idiopathic edema is associated with obstructive sleep apnea in women.

Abstract Background and purpose This study was undertaken to clarify whether idiopathic edema is a marker for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), independent of level of obesity, in patients with normal left ventricular function. Patients and methods Seventy-eight ambulatory, obese, adults, 44 with bilateral, pitting pre-tibial edema, and 34 without edema, from an inner city family practice and a suburban family practice enrolled from July 1995 until March 2003. Edematous subjects, but not non-edematous subjects, underwent echocardiography, urinalysis, and blood test evaluations to ensure that cardiac, renal, hepatic, and thyroid functions were normal. All subjects underwent spirometry, pulse oximetry on room air, and polysomnography evaluations. Results Compared to the non-edematous subjects, the edematous subjects were more obese (body mass index=47.0±9.3 versus 36.5±4.6 kg/m 2 , P =0.002), had more severe OSA (apnea–hypopnea index (AHI)=34.1±27.7 versus 17.0±19.4, P =0.002), and had lower oxygen saturations (96.2±2.0 versus 97.1±1.5%, P =0.05). Using an AHI ≥15 as the criteria for diagnosing OSA, there was an association between edema and OSA in women ( P =0.02) but not men. Conclusions In subjects with normal left ventricular function, idiopathic edema is associated with OSA in women.
Numerical evaluation of the validity of experimental proofs in biology

This paper suggests a method to calculate a degree of validity for the proof of a statement which is derived from empirical statements by means of logic conclusions. The empirical statements are assumed not to be completely valid or their validity to be doubtful. The suggested rules are consistent with two-valued logic, yield decreasing validities with increasing number of applications of modus ponens and obey the law of the excluded middle. The actual calculation of validity values, the relation of the suggested method to some truth tables of multi-valued logic and to fuzzy logic are discussed.
First Record of Erigone autumnalis from New Caledonia, with a Redescription of E. neocaledonica (Araneae: Linyphiidae)

Summary The erigonine linyphiid Erigone autumnalis Emerton, 1882 is reported from New Caledonia for the first time, based on a male specimen found in the collection of the American Museum of Natural History. Additionally, E. neocaledonica Kritscher, 1966 is redescribed based on the only known specimen, the holotype female. Brief descriptions and illustrations of the genitalia are included for both species.
Recovery from opioid addiction in DATOS.

Patient attributions for their own long-term recovery were obtained in a 5-year followup of 432 admissions to 18 outpatient methadone treatment programs. Subjects were classified into two groups - recovering and non-recovering-strictly defined and based on both biological and self-report measures of no opioid or cocaine use, less than daily use of alcohol, and no arrests or illegal activity during the year prior to interview. The 28% who were in recovery at Year 5 reported that they had relied primarily upon personal motivation, treatment experiences, religion/spirituality, family, and their job/career. Particular value was placed on the support from family and close friends, indicating the importance of stronger efforts to develop social networks for support of drug-free functioning, especially among patients who lack these resources or need them strengthened. More information is available on the Internet at www.ibr.tcu.edu.
Development of a surface roughness model in end milling of nHAP using PCD insert

Abstract Similar physical properties with human bone make hydroxyapatite (HAP) a suitable bioceramic material for hard tissue replacement in the fields of orthopedics and dentistry. Before being used in the human body, HAP needs to be machined to the required shape and dimensions with minimal surface roughness. This study investigates the machinability of fully dense nano-crystalline hydroxyapatite (nHAP) bioceramic in milling operations using polycrystalline diamond insert (PCD). The focus is on the effects of various machining conditions on surface roughness. The first order and second order surface roughness models for the end milling of nHAP is developed using response surface methodology (RSM), relating surface roughness to the cutting parameters: cutting speed, feed, and depth of cut. Based on the experimental results, it is found that cutting parameters have significant effect on surface roughness. For the ranges used in this study, a low feed (0.002 mm/rev) results in a smooth surface, and the middle depth of cut (0.5 mm) should be avoided. The final results show that the combination of cutting speed v =92 m/min, feed f =0.002 mm/rev, and depth of cut a p =1.6 mm gives a minimum surface roughness of 0.64 μm. In addition, it is proven that milling of nHAP is feasible for the fabrication of implants.
Momentum transfer between the Io plasma wake and Jupiter's ionosphere

[1] The interaction between Io and Jupiter is dramatically illustrated by recent ultraviolet and infrared imaging of Jupiter's ionosphere. Bright auroral emissions are observed at the base of Io's flux tube with emissions at the footprint of Io's wake extending large distances downstream (roughly 100° around Jupiter). We propose as a possible explanation for the persisting wake emissions a subcorotating torus flux tube downstream from Io that results in high-latitude parallel electric fields. The transfer of momentum to the subcorotating Iogenic plasma from first the corotating torus and eventually the Jovian ionosphere via the Alfvenic interaction result in intense field-aligned currents which can lead to the formation of parallel electric fields. By comparing the field-aligned current density of the initial Alfvenic disturbance generated by the stagnated flow in Io's wake to the required current density for steady state acceleration of the flux tube we infer a current limitation, or momentum decoupling, caused by a high-latitude field-aligned potential drop. As a result, the subcorotating flux tube is partially decoupled from the Jovian ionosphere and auroral emissions persist for large distances downstream of the initial Io-disturbed flux tube. Model results suggest that the extended wake emissions are initially driven by a ∼70 kV cross-wake potential, which is consistent with observed auroral emissions caused by electron precipitation with energy on the order of tens of keV.
Would earlier microbe identification alter antibiotic therapy in bacteremic emergency department patients

Abstract Background Although debate exists about the treatment of sepsis, few disagree about the benefits of early, appropriately targeted antibiotic administration. Study Objectives To determine the appropriateness of empiric antimicrobial therapy and the extent to which therapy would be altered if the causative organism for sepsis was known at the time of administration. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study, conducted in an academic Emergency Department (ED), on consecutive positive blood cultures between November 1, 2008 and February 1, 2009. Blood cultures and the appropriateness of administered antimicrobial therapy were evaluated. Therapy choices were categorized based on whether or not a physician, complying with antimicrobial guidelines, would have made changes to empiric antibiotic therapy had the causative organism initially been known. Results There were 90 positive blood cultures obtained from 84 patients. Of these, 21.1% (n=19) were considered contaminants. The final categorization of empiric antibiotics given in the ED for the remaining blood culture results were: 1) therapy would be changed to narrower-spectrum antibiotics (n=34, 55.7%); 2) therapy would be changed because the organism was not covered (n=13, 21.3%); and 3) therapy would remain the same (n=14, 23.0%). There was 90.2% inter-rater agreement for these classifications ( p p Conclusion This study confirms the need for more rapid and accurate laboratory methods for bloodstream pathogen identification.
A coupled-cluster study of the HOSO and HSO2 radicals

Abstract CCSD(T) calculations with triple-zeta valence plus polarization basis sets have been performed on HOSO and HSO2 to determine structures, vibrational frequencies, and infrared intensities for the first time with coupled-cluster methods. It is found that the planarity of HOSO is very sensitive to basis set. The calculated frequencies and intensities offer further support for the identification of HOSO and HSO2 in rare gas matrices.
Insulin-like growth factors, IGF-1, IGF-2 and somatomedin C trigger cell proliferation in mammalian epithelial cells cultured in a serum-free medium

Abstract A single insulin-like growth factor which constitutes part of a defined serum-free medium is sufficient to stimulate DNA synthesis and mitosis in mammalian lens epithelial cells. Rabbit lenses were cultured in KEI-4, a medium which mimics rabbit aqueous humor, or in KEI-4 containing insulin growth factor I (IGF I), insulin growth factor II (IGF II) or somatomedin C. The magnitude of DNA synthesis and mitosis was evaluated on whole mount preparations of the epithelium at various times of culture. IGF I and II, the most highly purified of the insulin-like growth factors, and somatomedin C were equipotent lens mitogens, were active at the ng level, were more mitogenic toward lens epithelial cells than insulin, and initiated cell proliferation throughout the normally amitotic central region of the lens epithelium. The time course of the mitotic response elicited by the insulin-like growth factors was identical to that noted in lenses cultured in medium supplemented with serum or insulin. The present results, coupled with those of other investigators, suggest that insulin-like factors may regulate cell division in the mammalian lens in vivo.
Creep rupture of polypropylene sutures as a function of diameter, radiation dose and temperature.

Abstract The failure of polypropylene (PP) sutures was studied via creep rupture tests. Linear relationships were generated from plots of log time to break ( t B ) versus stress (σ). At a constant σ the results showed that t b was inversely proportional to the suture diameter (7-0,6-0,5-0 and 4-0) and to the radiation dose (0,15, 20, 25 and 50 Mrad). Moreover, for the 6-0 suture size at a 15 Mrad dose, ( t B ) decreased with increasing temperature (26, 37, 44, 50 and 60°C). For this creep rupture process the activation energy equalled 91.2 kJ/mol (21.8 kcal/mol). A mechanism for failure was presented which assumes that these sutures are bundles of oriented, semicrystalline microfibrils.
Interleukin 4-inducible Phosphorylation of HMG-I(Y) Is Inhibited by Rapamycin (∗)

The non-histone chromosomal protein HMG-I(Y) participates in repression of transcription directed by a promoter which confers interleukin 4 (IL-4)-inducible activation in transfected B cell lines. Metabolic labeling, phosphoamino acid analyses, and in vitro phosphorylation studies demonstrate that IL-4 induces serine phosphorylation of HMG-I(Y) in B lymphocytes. Phosphopeptide mapping shows that the predominant site of phosphorylation contains a casein kinase II consensus motif. The immunosuppressive agent rapamycin has been shown preferentially to inhibit IgE production by IL-4-treated human B cells. It is shown here that rapamycin inhibits both activation of the human germ line ɛ promoter by IL-4 and IL-4-inducible phosphorylation of HMG-I(Y). These findings demonstrate a rapamycin-sensitive pathway that transduces signals from the IL-4 receptor to nuclear factors that regulate inducible transcription. The affinity of normal nuclear HMG-I(Y) for DNA is increased by dephosphorylation in vitro, whereas in vitro kinase reactions using casein kinase II decrease recombinant HMG-I(Y) binding to DNA. These data further suggest a novel mechanism in which phosphorylation triggered by IL-4 or other cytokines could regulate the effects of HMG-I(Y) on gene transcription.
Application of texture simulation to understanding mechanical behavior of Mg and solid solution alloys containing Li or Y

Abstract The viscoplastic self-consistent model was used to interpret differences in the mechanical behavior of hexagonal close packed magnesium alloys. There are only subtle differences in the compression textures of magnesium and its solid solution alloys containing lithium or yttrium. However, the plane strain compression textures of the alloys showed an increasing tendency for the basal poles to rotate away from the “normal direction” towards the “rolling direction”. Texture simulations enabled these distinctions to be attributed to the increased activity of the non-basal 〈 c + a 〉 slip mode. The alloys had improved compressive ductilities compared to pure magnesium, and the increased c + a slip mode activity provides a satisfying explanation for this improvement, since it can accommodate c-axis compression within individual grains. Accounting for individual deformation mode hardening enabled the flow curves to be simulated and the anisotropic plastic response of textured wrought alloys to be mechanistically understood and predicted.
Reflex human papilloma virus infection testing detects the same proportion of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2–3 in young versus elderly women

BACKGROUND The American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology recently recommended triage of women with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) through reflex human papilloma virus (HPV) infection testing. Because age is an important determinant of the incidence of both ASCUS and HPV infection, the current study was conducted to determine the impact of age on reflex HPV infection test performance. METHODS The authors reviewed all liquid-based Papanicolaou tests submitted for reflex HPV infection testing to the University of Alabama Medical Center during the period from January 2002 to January 2004. To assess the impact of age on reflex HPV infection testing, women were divided into 6 age groups ( 64 years). Trend of different diagnostic categories with age was assessed using the chi-square test for linear trend. As a measure of test performance, the proportions of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) lesions confirmed by biopsy through reflex testing (of the total CIN lesions detected in the study population) were then compared among different age groups. RESULTS During the study period, 25,164 ThinPrep tests were performed during the study period, with 2672 (11%) cases of ASCUS and 1371 (5%) cases of squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs). A total of 2309 (86%) ASCUS cases were tested for HPV infection, of which 789 (34%) were positive. Biopsy specimens were obtained from 831 patients with SILs and from 316 patients with HPV+ASCUS. Of 246 patients with CIN Grade 2–3 (CIN2–3) detected on biopsy, 36 (15%) were triaged through reflex HPV infection testing and the rest were triaged through cytologic diagnosis of SILs. Despite the trend in the prevalence of HPV+ASCUS and SILs with increasing age (P < 0.05), there was no significant difference in the proportion (range, 9–23%) of CIN2–3 detected through reflex HPV infection testing in different age groups. CONCLUSIONS Reflex HPV infection testing performed similarly for women in different age groups, including perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society.
Trimodal assessment in agoraphobia research: Further observations on heart rate and synchrony/ desynchrony

This paper reports new observations on heart rate and synchrony/desynchrony in the context of 22 chronic agoraphobic patients' trimodal assessment pre and post exposure treatment. The results corroborated previous reports showing weak and/or inconsistent improvement in heart rate, in contrast to significant improvement in behavioral and subjective response systems. Moreover, the results did not support recent suggestions that heartrate reactivity at pretreatment or global categories of synchrony/dysynchrony at posttreatment have important implications for treatment outcome. However, subtypes of dysynchrony based on the direction of divergence between variables had different implications for the clinical response, indicating that simply dichotomizing patients into synchronizers/desynchronizers may be misleading in addition to being uninformative.
Potential Role of Selenoenzymes and Antioxidant Metabolism in Relation to Autism Etiology and Pathology

Autism and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are behaviorally defined, but the biochemical pathogenesis of the underlying disease process remains uncharacterized. Studies indicate that antioxidant status is diminished in autistic subjects, suggesting its pathology is associated with augmented production of oxidative species and/or compromised antioxidant metabolism. This suggests ASD may result from defects in the metabolism of cellular antioxidants which maintain intracellular redox status by quenching reactive oxygen species (ROS). Selenium-dependent enzymes (selenoenzymes) are important in maintaining intercellular reducing conditions, particularly in the brain. Selenoenzymes are a family of ~25 genetically unique proteins, several of which have roles in preventing and reversing oxidative damage in brain and endocrine tissues. Since the brain's high rate of oxygen consumption is accompanied by high ROS production, selenoenzyme activities are particularly important in this tissue. Because selenoenzymes can be irreversibly inhibited by many electrophiles, exposure to these organic and inorganic agents can diminish selenoenzyme-dependent antioxidant functions. This can impair brain development, particularly via the adverse influence of oxidative stress on epigenetic regulation. Here we review the physiological roles of selenoproteins in relation to potential biochemical mechanisms of ASD etiology and pathology.
Unexpected diversity and complexity of the Guerrero Negro hypersaline microbial mat.

We applied nucleic acid-based molecular methods, combined with estimates of biomass (ATP), pigments, and microelectrode measurements of chemical gradients, to map microbial diversity vertically on a millimeter scale in a hypersaline microbial mat from Guerrero Negro, Baja California Sur, Mexico. To identify the constituents of the mat, small-subunit rRNA genes were amplified by PCR from community genomic DNA extracted from layers, cloned, and sequenced. Bacteria dominated the mat and displayed unexpected and unprecedented diversity. The majority (1,336) of the 1,586 bacterial 16S rRNA sequences generated were unique, representing 752 species (≥97% rRNA sequence identity) in 42 of the main bacterial phyla, including 15 novel candidate phyla. The diversity of the mat samples differentiated according to the chemical milieu defined by concentrations of O2 and H2S. Bacteria of the phylum Chloroflexi formed the majority of the biomass by percentage of bulk rRNA and of clones in rRNA gene libraries. This result contradicts the general belief that cyanobacteria dominate these communities. Although cyanobacteria constituted a large fraction of the biomass in the upper few millimeters (>80% of the total rRNA and photosynthetic pigments), Chloroflexi sequences were conspicuous throughout the mat. Filamentous Chloroflexi bacteria were identified by fluorescence in situ hybridization within the polysaccharide sheaths of the prominent cyanobacterium Microcoleus chthonoplastes, in addition to free living in the mat. The biological complexity of the mat far exceeds that observed in other polysaccharide-rich microbial ecosystems, such as the human and mouse distal guts, and suggests that positive feedbacks exist between chemical complexity and biological diversity.
Allergic contact dermatitis from topical doxepin: Food and Drug Administration's postmarketing surveillance experience

A total of 26 postmarketing cases of allergic contact dermatitis to doxepin 5% cream were reported to the Food and Drug Administration. Our findings suggest that allergic contact dermatitis was more common when treatment duration exceeded the recommended 8 days. Allergic contact dermatitis to doxepin cream should be considered in patients whose condition fails to improve or worsens with doxepin use.
Cladistic analysis of distributions and endemism (CADE): using raw distributions of birds to unravel the biogeography of the South American aridlands

Aim To use published distributional and taxonomic information on Neotropical birds in a cladistic analysis of distributions and endemism (CADE) to generate a testable hypothesis of area-relationships for the arid areas of endemism, particularly those of Central South America (the ‘arid diagonal’), and to clarify the different methodologies commonly associated with parsimony analysis of endemicity (PAE). Location South America. Methods Cladistic analysis of distributions and endemism. Results We obtain a tree where the relationships of most areas are resolved, and we find support for an exclusive clade of Central South American areas, with the Caatinga as sister to both the Chaco and Cerrado. Main conclusions There is a substantial amount of historical signal in avian distributions, when large numbers of taxa and multiple taxonomic levels are considered. Ecological noise and historical information are more easily distinguished in CADE analyses than they would be in PAE analyses. Based on our results we predict that among aridland birds, the Cerrado and Chaco species will be more closely related to each other than to Caatinga species.
Statistical Significance and Replicability Response to Chow's and Falk's Commentary

Commentators agree with me that statistical significance does not betoken replicability, but not for the reasons I give. Chow (1998) defends the use of significance tests by arguing that they are u...
Minimally invasive versus open oesophagectomy for oesophageal cancer

We commend Surya Biere and colleagues (May 19, p 1887) on their randomised, multicentre trial comparing minimally invasive with open oesophagectomy. We have several concerns, however. Although the primary endpoint was signifi cantly in favour of minimally invasive oesophagectomy, the inhospital pneumonia rate in the open oesophagectomy group was unacceptably high (34%) compared with current standards. Several randomised trials reported much lower pneumonia rates in patients who underwent open oesophagectomy. In the study by Burmeister and colleagues, the rate of all pulmonary complications, including atelectasis, pulmonary embolus, and pneumonia, was 23% (61 of 256 patients), and in that by Tepper and colleagues, eight of 48 patients (17%) had pneumonia requiring antibiotics. The reason for the high pneumonia rate in the open oesophagectomy group of Biere and colleagues’ study (34%) is not clear. It might be due to the preference to do three-fi eld resections and the remarkably high rate of vocal-cord paralysis (14%) and need for reoperations (11%). This vocal-cord injury rate is especially high when compared with Tepper and colleagues’ trial, in which only one (2%) of 48 patients had a vocal-cord injury. Over the same period as Biere and colleagues’ trial, we did 130 open oesophagectomies: 98 patients (76%) received preoperative chemo radiation and only 15 (11·5%) had pneumonia. This result is equivalent to that of the minimally invasive group in Biere and colleagues’ trial (12%), as we believe it should be. The vocal-cord paralysis rate was 0% and the reoperation rate was 5·4% (seven of 130 patients). Additionally, all oesophagectomies at our institution are also on a fast-track protocol with immediate extubation in the operating room and direct transfer to a thoracic focused telemetry unit (not intensive-care unit) where early ambulation and pulmonary toilet are emphasised.
A Flexible Framework for Architecting XML Access Control Enforcement Mechanisms

Due to the growing interest in XML security, various access control schemes have been proposed recently. However, little effort has been put forth to facilitate a uniform analysis and comparison of these schemes under the same framework. This paper presents a first attempt toward a flexible framework that can capture the design principles and operations of existing XML access control mechanisms. Under this framework, we observe that most existing XML access control mechanisms share the same design principle with slightly different orderings of underlying building blocks (i.e., data, query, and access control rule). Furthermore, according to the framework, we identify four plausible approaches to implement XML access controls, namely built-in, view-based, pre-processing and post-processing. Finally, we compare the actual performance of different approaches.
A recursive cost-based approach to fracturing

In microlithography, mask patterns are first fractured into trapezoids and then written with a variable shaped beam machine. The efficiency and quality of the writing process is determined by the trapezoid count and external slivers. Slivers are trapezoids with width less than a threshold determined by the mask-writing tool. External slivers are slivers whose length is along the boundary of the polygon. External slivers have a large impact on critical dimension (CD) variability and should be avoided. The shrinking CD, increasing polygon density, and increasing use of resolution enhancement techniques create new challenges to control the trapezoid count and external sliver length. In this paper, we propose a recursive cost-based algorithm for fracturing which takes into account external sliver length as well as trapezoid count. We start by defining the notion of Cartesian convexity for rectilinear polygons. We then generate a grid-based sampling as a representation for fracturing. From these two ideas we develop two recursive algorithms, the first one utilizing a natural recurrence and the second one a more complex recurrence. Under Cartesian convexity conditions, the second algorithm is shown to be optimal, but with a significantly longer runtime than the first one. Our simulations demonstrate the natural recurrence algorithm to result in up to 60% lower external sliver length than a commercially available fracturing tool without increasing the polygon count.
Current cardiology problems in sports medicine

The cardiologist involved in the evaluation of the competitive athlete requires knowledge of the normal variations seen on clinical examination and laboratory studies. There is limited information in the literature, currently, that provides guidelines for decision making in the face of cardiac abnormalities. This paper outlines our experience with athletes and cardiac disease. Recommendations are given as guidelines for specific activity allowances.
Improving the Quality of Hotel Banquet Staff Performance

The banquet staff at a north Texas hotel were responsible for setting up 11 different functions for conferences and meetings. The functions were often set up late and items were often omitted. An analysis suggested that performance problems were Ihe result of weak antecedents, inefficient work procedures, inadequate training, and weak performance contingencies. A treatment package consisting of task checklists, feedback, goal setting, monetary bonuses for quality performance, training and job aids was designed to enhance the accuracy and timeliness of function setups. Performance increased from an average of 68.8% on a quality measure (accuracy plus timeliness of setups) in baseline to 99.7% during the treatment phase. Performance decreased to 82.3% during a second baseline phase in which the intervention was discontinued by hotel management. Performance increased to 99.3% with the reintroduction of the treatment package. Customer satisfaction ratings of banquet setups and service were high during the int...