cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Information needs and information-seeking behaviour analysis of primary care physicians and nurses: a literature review.

Background The increase in the adoption of electronic health records (EHR) has contributed to physicians and nurses experiencing information overload. To address the problem of information overload, an assessment of the information needs of physicians and nurses will assist in understanding what they view as useful information to make patient care more efficient. Objective To analyse studies that assessed the information needs and information-seeking behaviour of physicians and nurses in a primary care setting to develop a better understanding of what information to present to physicians when they making clinical decisions. Method A literature review of studies was conducted with a comprehensive search in PubMed, cinahl, scopus, as well as examination of references from relevant papers and hand-searched articles to identify articles applicable to this review. Results Of the papers reviewed the most common information needs found among physicians and nurses were related to diagnoses, drug(s) and treatment/therapy. Colleagues remain a preferred information source among physicians and nurses; however, a rise in Internet usage is apparent. Conclusion Physicians and nurses need access to the Internet and job-specific resources to find practitioner-oriented information. In addition, effective usage of resources is important for improving patient care.
Rho Isoform-specific Interaction with IQGAP1 Promotes Breast Cancer Cell Proliferation and Migration

We performed a proteomics screen for Rho isoform-specific binding proteins to clarify the tumor-promoting effects of RhoA and C that contrast with the tumor-suppressive effects of RhoB. We found that the IQ-motif-containing GTPase-activating protein IQGAP1 interacts directly with GTP-bound, prenylated RhoA and RhoC, but not with RhoB. Co-immunoprecipitation of IQGAP1 with endogenous RhoA/C was enhanced when RhoA/C were activated by epidermal growth factor (EGF) or transfection of a constitutively active guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF). Overexpression of IQGAP1 increased GTP-loading of RhoA/C, while siRNA-mediated depletion of IQGAP1 prevented endogenous RhoA/C activation by growth factors. IQGAP1 knockdown also reduced the amount of GTP bound to GTPase-deficient RhoA/C mutants, suggesting that IQGAP enhances Rho activation by GEF(s) or stabilizes Rho-GTP. IQGAP1 depletion in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells blocked EGF- and RhoA-induced stimulation of DNA synthesis. Infecting cells with adenovirus encoding constitutively active RhoAL63 and measuring absolute amounts of RhoA-GTP in infected cells demonstrated that the lack of RhoAL63-induced DNA synthesis in IQGAP1-depleted cells was not due to reduced GTP-bound RhoA. These data suggested that IQGAP1 functions downstream of RhoA. Overexpression of IQGAP1 in MDA-MB-231 cells increased DNA synthesis irrespective of siRNA-mediated RhoA knockdown. Breast cancer cell motility was increased by expressing a constitutively-active RhoCV14 mutant or overexpressing IQGAP1. EGF- or RhoC-induced migration required IQGAP1, but IQGAP1-stimulated migration independently of RhoC, placing IQGAP1 downstream of RhoC. We conclude that IQGAP1 acts both upstream of RhoA/C, regulating their activation state, and downstream of RhoA/C, mediating their effects on breast cancer cell proliferation and migration, respectively.
In vitro and in vivo 32P-postlabeling analysis of 4-vinyl-1-cyclohexene (butadiene dimer) diepoxide-DNA adducts

4-Vinyl-1-cyclohexene diepoxide (VCD), an industrial chemical, and its parent compound, 4-vinyl-1-cyclohexene (VCH), are potential health hazards, as they destroy oocytes in follicles in rodents. VCD is also a skin carcinogen at the site of application in both female and male mice and rats and after gavage, induces ovarian tumors in mice and forestomach tumors in rats. A 32P-postlabeling assay was developed for the detection and measurement of VCD-DNA adducts. VCD, a direct-acting carcinogen, was reacted with DNA in vitro, as well as through mouse skin painting for 3 days with different doses of VCD. 32P-Labeled adducts were separated by polyethyleneimine (PEI)-cellulose TLC and detected by screen-enhanced autoradiography. Comparable adduct profiles were obtained in vitro and in vivo. At higher doses (36–225 μmol/mouse), adduct levels in vivo showed a linear dose response, while there was no difference between 14 and 36 μmol/mouse. The limit of detection was estimated to be 1–3 adducts in 108 DNA nucleotides. The results show that VCD exposure gives rise to (presumably pre-mutagenic) DNA adducts in vivo and that 32P-postlabeling can be applied to biomonitoring of VCD exposure.
The Algase wandering scale: Initial psychometrics of a new caregiver reporting tool:

This paper reports on the Algase wandering scale (AWS), a 28-item questionnaire, based on five dimensions of wandering. With factor analysis, an eight-factor solution explained nearly 70 percent of the variance in ratings for 151 long-term care subjects and confirmed three of the structuring dimensions. Reliability of the AWS was examined for internal consistency and for inter-rater reliability. The AWS had an alpha of .86; subscale alphas ranged between .88 (persistent walking) and .57 (routinized walking). Inter-rater reliabilities, estimated through cross-rater comparisons of the AWS and subscales with a four-point judgement of wandering status, were moderately strong and no significant differences existed between two sets of raters. Validity of the AWS and its subscales was supported by examining their ability to differentiate wanderers and nonwanderers, by positive correlation with measures of cognitive impairment and with multiple parameters of observed wandering, and by negative or no correlations with nonwandering locomotion. Although the AWS may be a useful measure of wandering in long-term care settings, validation of its factor structure and evaluation in cross-cultural samples is needed.
Improved AP association management using machine learning

We propose a distributed scheme by which nodes select an appropriate access point to associate with using each individual device's channel utilization. Specifically, we define a new metric, channel utilization, which is defined as the ratio of required bandwidth to available bandwidth estimation. By incorporating channel utilization into the access point selection protocol, we effectively reduce unnecessary reassociations and improve upper layer performance in terms of throughput, packet delivery delay, etc. We further enhance our protocol by using reinforcement learning to adapt the scheduling of probing neighboring access points (APs), ultimately reducing probing overhead by learning from past experience whether the current operational scenario would suffer from undesirable overhead. When channel utilization is combined with adaptive probing, we observed a significant performance improvement compared to traditional association approaches.
Obtaining consent for organ donation: what are our options?

Abstract A severe shortage of organs limits the number of patients with end-stage organ disease who can be transplanted. Many of these people will die before a suitable organ can be found. Aggravating this tragedy is the fact that many valuable cadaveric organs are not recovered. One of the major barriers to organ procurement is the failure to obtain consent. In this article, I review the two systems currently used for obtaining permission to remove organs: opting in and opting out. I argue that both of these approaches have major problems and consider two alternatives: mandated choice and conscription. I conclude that, if respect for individual autonomy is the greatest concern, then mandated choice is preferred. If ensuring an adequate supply of organs is considered to be most important, and mandated choice is unable to achieve this goal, then conscription is the best approach. These are difficult questions that each society must answer for itself.
Probe microscopy: Scanning below the cell surface

Conventional atomic force microscopy probes only the surface of specimens. A related technique called scanning near-field ultrasonic holography can now image nanoparticles buried below the surfaces of cells, which could prove useful in nanotoxicology.
CF: An X-ray database to assess effect of aerosolized tobramycin

This paper assesses the effectiveness of aerosolized tobramycin (TOBI) on cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease, using a radiologic tool. The published tool, the age-based severity curve (ABS), is derived from Brasfield scoring of chest X-rays (CXR). This study evaluates both the usefulness of the ABS as an assessment tool and the effectiveness of TOBI. Thirty-eight patients were treated with TOBI. Twenty-four treated with dornase alfa were excluded. Fourteen patients, aged 2 months to 22 years (mean, 17 months of TOBI treatment), comprised the study group. Radiographs were obtained over a mean of 7.8 years (SD = 6.5 years; range, 9 months–18 years). Two hundred and eighty-two CXR of TOBI patients were analyzed following the ABS protocol. Rate of decline in radiologic status of the TOBI group and ABS were compared. Also, TOBI was assessed by comparing rate of decline before and after initiation of treatment. The TOBI group's radiologic assessment was compared to its rate of decline in pulmonary function studies and published population data. Rate of decline in ABS was 0.175 Brasfield points/year vs. 0.150 points/year in the TOBI group (P < 0.001). Before treatment, the TOBI group's rate of decline was 0.169 Brasfield points/year; after treatment, it was 0.150 points/year (P = 0.02). Forced vital capacity revealed a statistically significant slowing in rate of decline on TOBI. Although not statistically significant, rate of decline in forced expiratory volume at 1 sec showed a similar trend. The degree of slowing in decline is similar to that previously reported for pulmonary function studies. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2004; 38:23–30. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Sperm DNA damage in male infertility: Etiologies, assays, and outcomes

Male factor infertility is the sole cause of infertility in approximately 20% of infertile couples, with an additional 30% to 40% secondary to both male and female factors. Current means of evaluation of male factor infertility remains routine semen analysis including seminal volume, pH, sperm concentration, motility, and morphology. However, approximately 15% of patients with male factor infertility have a normal semen analysis and a definitive diagnosis of male infertility often cannot be made as a result of routine semen analysis. Attention has focused on the role of sperm nuclear DNA integrity in male factor infertility. Here we review the structure of human sperm chromatin, the etiology and mechanisms of sperm DNA damage, current tests available to assess sperm DNA integrity, and effect of sperm DNA integrity on reproductive outcomes.
Sprouting and Solid-State Bioprocessing by Rhizopus oligosporus Increase the In Vitro Antibacterial Activity of Aqueous Soybean Extracts Against Helicobacter pylori

Abstract Helicobacter pylori infection has been implicated as a major cause of gastric inflammation, peptic ulcer disease, and gastric cancer. While antibiotics have been the mainstay of current therapies for gastrointestinal disease linked to H. pylori infection, negative side-effects and antibiotic resistance issues have strengthened the need for alternative therapeutic strategies. In the search for new antimicrobial agents, much recent research has focused on the potential of dietary phenolic compounds. In this study, soybean extracts enriched for phenolic content via sprouting or solid-state bioprocessing by the dietary fungus Rhizopus oligosporus were investigated for in vitro antibacterial activity against H. pylori. Helicobacter pylori growth inhibition by soybean extracts was increased most effectively by 2 d sprouting or 2 d R. oligosporus bioprocessing. Anti-H. pylori activity was not associated with antioxidant activity, but was linked to extracts when activity of the phenolic-polymerizing enzy...
Multifunctional PMMA-Ceramic composites as structural dielectrics

We describe the influence of calcium copper titanate (CCTO), and montmorillonite (MMT) on the thermo-mechanical and dielectric properties of poly(methyl methacrylate) PMMA-based composites prepared by an in-situ, thermally activated, radical polymerization for multifunctional structural capacitor applications. MMT was used for its ability to disperse and suspend the CCTO particles through the generation of viscous monomer slurries. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements together with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis revealed that the MMT platelets were present in both intercalated and exfoliated morphologies within the polymer matrix. The filler addition was found to improve the thermal stability and the glass transition temperature of PMMA in the composites. Furthermore, the elastic stiffness and dielectric constant of the resultant composites were observed to increase monotonically with filler loading. By contrast, the dielectric breakdown strength of the composite samples was found to diminish with increasing filler loading.
Life cycle environmental implications of residential swimming pools in Phoenix, Arizona

There are more than 8 million private swimming pools in the U.S. [1][2]. Though known to be prodigious consumers of water and energy, apparently there has been no systematic analysis of their environmental impact to date. Additional impacts arise from pool chemical use and pool construction. Phoenix, Arizona, has one of the highest concentrations of pools in the country [3]. This is despite large evaporative water losses due to the hot, arid climate, and a reliance on imported water supplies [4]. Given this context a hybrid life cycle assessment of Phoenix area residential pools was undertaken to determine their water consumption, energy use and climate change impacts.
The Building of Boutique Effects Pedals—The "Where" of Improvisation

Based on 2 years of ethnographic fieldwork with builders of boutique music effects boxes, this essay explores the ways in which improvisation figures into the creation of music technology. The author argues that expanding the rubric of improvisation to encompass the processes of designing and building effects boxes pushes scholars to understand relationships between music and improvisation as existing beyond the boundaries of performance. Ultimately he posits that improvisatory behavior and exploratory engagement with material at hand is central to building pedals, and should be assessed as part of the continuum of social-aesthetic practices composing music making.
The relationship between chest compression fraction and outcome from ventricular fibrillation arrests in prolonged resuscitations

Abstract Background Guidelines direct rescuers to minimize CPR interruptions during resuscitation. There is little evidence that evaluates the relationship of increasing CPR fraction among patients with relatively high fractions or prolonged resuscitation. Methods We conducted an observational study of persons who suffered out-of-hospital ventricular fibrillation arrest and required >5min of emergency medical services (EMS) CPR for persistent pulselessness. We determined the association between hands-on CPR fraction and outcomes of spontaneous circulation, survival to hospital discharge, and neurologically favorable survival. Analyses were stratified by median hands-on CPR and were conducted for those who required 5, 10, and 20min of EMS CPR for persistent pulselessness. Results Of 414 potentially eligible patients, 323 (78%) required >5min of EMS CPR, 234 (56%) required >10min of EMS CPR, and 153 (37%) required EMS CPR for >20min. The median CPR fraction was 81%. We did not observe a significant association for the outcomes of hospital survival and neurologically favorable survival for the 5-min and 10-min groups. When restricted to patients who required >20min of EMS CPR, the half who received a higher hands-on CPR fraction were more likely to achieve spontaneous circulation (40% versus 18%, p =0.004), survival to hospital discharge (20% versus 8%, p =0.03), and neurologically favorable survival (20% versus 7%, p =0.02). Conclusion Over one-third required 20min of persistent EMS CPR. The EMS was able to achieve a high hands-on CPR fraction in the context of advanced therapies. Those who required the most prolonged EMS CPR appeared to benefit from greater hands-on CPR fraction.
Production and consumption of methyl halides in a freshwater lake

The concentrations of the methyl halides CH3Cl and CH3Br in Lake Washington and its tributary streams were measured during the period 1994‐1998. Strong seasonal variation was observed. In summer, the surface mixed layer in the middle of the lake was found to be generally undersaturated for CH3Cl but consistently supersaturated for CH3Br relative to air‐water gas equilibrium; meanwhile, the deep waters (zmax 5 65 m) of the summertime lake were found to be depleted to near zero levels for both compounds. In winter, the methyl halides were observed to be vertically well mixed throughout the water column and strongly undersaturated in both species. A simple massbalance box model indicates that the wintertime lake (T 5 88C) is a net sink for atmospheric methyl halides with estimated loss rates of ;2.6‐3.2 pM d 21 for CH3Cl (1 pM 5 10 212 mol L 21 ) and 0.09‐0.13 pM d 21 for CH3Br, probably because of unspecified microbiological processes. In summer, the mass balance model indicates that there is a net source of CH3Br in the surface mixed layer (0.17‐0.25 pM d 21 ), as required to maintain the observed strong supersaturation. However, the summer surface waters are apparently a sink for CH3Cl, (1.9‐2.9 pM d 21 ), with enhanced biological production compensated by larger combined microbial and chemical sinks terms. In summer, methyl halide concentrations in the deep waters continue to decrease exponentially at the observed wintertime rate, while both production and loss rates in the surface waters are likely much faster than in winter, resulting in much shorter turnover timescales. An order-of-magnitude extrapolation of these Lake Washington methyl halide fluxes to a global source/sink from freshwater lakes implies a negligible contribution ( ,0.05%) with respect to the currently estimated global budgets of these gases.
Endocardiosis and other heart disease in greyhounds

Gross and microscopic lesions of heart disease in 230 greyhounds were recorded. The most common lesion was endcardiosis, which occurred in 24 (10.4%) of the greyhounds. Other heart lesions included endocardial fibrosis, myocardial necrosis, ossification of the aortic fibrous ring, and abscesses of the right atrium. Although females weighed less and had lighter hearts, body weights, heart weights and heart:body weight ratios did not differ between greyhounds with or without endocardiosis.
The Projection Scheme of Van Kan

The previous chapter has been concerned with the analysis of the Chorin method. As the main result, we obtained optimal convergence statements valid for a general class of flow problems.
Vascular Permeability Factor/Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Vascular Stroma Formation in Neoplasia: Insights from In Situ Hybridization Studies

The formation of vascular stroma plays an important role in the pathophysiology of malignancy. We describe the use of in situ hybridization in our laboratory as a tool to study the role of vascular permeability factor/vascular endothelial growth factor in the angiogenesis associated with malignancy.
An Introduction to Multilevel Modeling for Research on the Psychology of Art and Creativity

This article introduces some applications of multilevel modeling for research on art and creativity. Researchers often collect nested, hierarchical data— such as multiple assessments per person—but they typically ignore the nested data structure by averaging across a level of data. Multilevel modeling, also known as hierarchical linear modeling and random coefficient modeling, enables researchers to test old hypotheses more powerfully and to ask new research questions. After describing the logic of multilevel analysis, the article illustrates three practical uses of multilevel modeling: (1) estimating within-person relationships, (2) examining between-person differences in within-person processes, and (3) comparing people’s judgments to a criterion. The breadth, flexibility, and power of multilevel modeling make it a useful analytic tool for the multilevel data that researchers have been collecting all along. Statistical methods can open new doors by enabling new kinds of hypotheses to be developed and tested. This article describes the usefulness of multilevel modeling—sometimes known as hierarchical linear modeling or random coefficient modeling—for empirical research on art and creativity (Hox, 2002; Luke, 2004). Although it sounds exotic, multilevel modeling is a straightforward extension of conventional regression analyses. Because it is more general, multilevel modeling enables researchers to test hypotheses that cannot be tested with conventional regression or ANOVA models.
Past Progress and Future Challenges in LSI Technology: From DRAM and Scaling to Ultra-Low-Power CMOS

I think I was very fortunate to get a chance to work in microelectronics in its very early days. Those were very exciting times, particularly the day I found that I could build DRAM with just a single transistor and a capacitor. I wrote an internal paper and obtained a patent, but the first chance I had to work much on my idea came about four years later when the small team I worked with was challenged to make DRAM 25 times denser by reducing the layout dimensions from 5 ?m to 1 ?m. That is when we developed the scaling principles and showed how well they worked by building some experimental MOS transistors scaled to small dimensions. The progress in DRAM and all microelectronic devices and circuits has been amazingly successful since those first scaling principles were introduced. Many challenges have been met to achieve this, but today even more challenges have to be faced if progress is to continue.
Possible gatifloxacin-induced fulminant hepatic failure.

OBJECTIVE: To report a case of fulminant hepatic failure associated with the use of gatifloxacin. CASE SUMMARY: A 76-year-old white man was found to have an approximate 1-week history of worsening jaundice on the last day of a 10-day course of gatifloxacin for treatment of impetigo while at his skilled nursing facility. Liver function tests including aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), international normalized ratio, activated partial thromboplastin time, and ammonia concentrations were found to be markedly elevated, consistent with hepatocellular necrosis commonly seen with fluoroquinolones. Screening for other causes of hepatotoxicity, including alcoholic or viral hepatitis, obstruction, or autoimmunemediated processes, were negative. Other potential medication causes were less likely. The patient’s liver function steadily declined, eventually resulting in multiple organ failure. The patient died 25 days after completing the course of gatifloxacin. DISCUSSION: This case of hepatotoxicity was associated with gatifloxacin. Other fluoroquinolones, most notably trovafloxacin, have been observed to cause variable degrees of hepatotoxicity, ranging from asymptomatic elevations of liver enzymes to fulminant hepatic failure. Fluoroquinolones are thought to cause hepatocellular necrosis, which results in elevated ALT and AST concentrations with a normal alkaline phosphatase concentration. A variable degree of hyperbilirubinemia is often seen, with the presence and degree of jaundice often correlating to a poorer prognosis. Hepatic encephalopathy and coagulopathy are also commonly present. CONCLUSIONS: Fluoroquinolones, including trovafloxacin, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, enoxacin, norfloxacin, and, in this case report, gatifloxacin, have been associated with hepatotoxicity. It is important that these medications be considered a possible cause when the patient being treated has liver disease.
From Surface Operators to Non-Abelian Volume Operators in Puff Field Theory

Puff field theory (PFT) is a low energy decoupling regime of string theory that still retains the nonlocal attributes of the parent theory—while preserving isotropy for its nonlocal degrees of freedom. It realizes an extended holographic dictionary at strong coupling and dynamical nonlocal states akin to defects or the surface operators of local gauge theories. In this work, we probe the nonlocal features of PFT using D3 branes. We find supersymmetric configurations that end on defects endowed with non-Abelian degrees of freedom. These are 2+1 dimensional defects in the 3+1 dimensional PFT that may be viewed as volume operators. We determine their R charge, vacuum expectation value, energy, and gauge group structure.
An empirical approach to retrieving monthly evapotranspiration over Amazonia

The extent of evapotranspiration (E T) over the Brazilian Amazon rainforest remains uncertain because in situ measurement sites do not cover the entire domain, and the fetch of these sites is only of the order of 103 m. In this investigation we developed an empirical method to estimate E T over the Brazilian Legal Amazon (BLA). The work was based on an improved physical understanding of what controls E T over the Amazonia rainforest resulting from analyses of recent in situ observations. Satellite data used in this study include the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the surface radiation budget from the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP). The empirical model was validated by measurements performed at four upland forest sites. The observed values and the calculated modelled values at these sites had the same mean and variance. On a seasonal scale, regional modelled E T peaks during the austral spring (September to November), as reported in the literature. In addition, the empirical model allows us to estimate the regional seasonal and interannual distributions of E T/precipitation rates.
Lipopolysaccharide Induces Formyl Peptide Receptor 1 Gene Expression in Macrophages and Neutrophils via Transcriptional and Posttranscriptional Mechanisms

Bacterial infection promotes the infiltration of inflammatory leukocytes mediated in part by receptors for formyl-methionine-terminated peptides. In this study, we show that LPS can markedly enhance the expression of the formyl peptide receptor gene (FPR1) in mouse macrophages and neutrophils by enhancing transcription and by stabilization of the mRNA. In untreated cells, FPR1 mRNA exhibits a half-life of approximately 90 min and this is markedly increased (to >6 h) following stimulation with LPS. Although FPR1 mRNA levels remained elevated over baseline for >20 h after stimulation, the half-life of the message is prolonged only transiently. LPS-induced FPR1 mRNA expression is mediated in part by the intermediate production of secreted factors. First, the response to LPS is partially blocked by the translational inhibitor cycloheximide. Second, a heat-labile but polymyxin B-insensitive factor present in supernatants from LPS-treated cells stimulates enhanced expression of FPR1 mRNA and, like LPS, promotes stabilization of FPR1 mRNA. Furthermore, supernatants from LPS-treated wild-type macrophages can stimulate FPR1 mRNA expression in LPS-insensitive macrophages from TLR4-mutant mice. Elevated FPR1 mRNA expression is also induced in response to ligands for TLR2 and TLR3. TNF-alpha but not IL-1, IL-6, IFN-beta, and IFN-gamma can mimic the effects of LPS although other factors apparently also contribute. Collectively, these findings define a distinct molecular pattern of response to TLR stimulation in inflammatory phagocytes and demonstrate that regulation of FPR1 expression is achieved through both transcriptional and posttranscriptional mechanisms.
Collaborative Care Management Effectively Promotes Self–Management: Patient Evaluation of Care Management for Depression in Primary Care

AbstractBackground: Chronic disease management in the primary care setting increasingly involves self–management support from a nurse care manager. Prior research had shown patient acceptance and willingness to work with care managers. Methods: This survey study evaluated patient–perceived satisfaction with care management and patient opinions on the effectiveness of care management in promoting self–management. Qualitative and quantitative survey responses were collected from 125 patients (79% female; average age 46; 94% Caucasian) enrolled in care management for depression. Qualitative responses were coded with methods of content analysis by 2 independent analysts. Results: Patients were satisfied with depression care management. Patients felt that care management improved their treatment above and beyond other aspects of their depression treatment (mean score, 6.7 [SD, 2]; 10 = Very much), increased their understanding of depression self–management (mean score, 7.2 [SD, 2]; 10 = Very much), and increas...
Stream-interleaved pipelined RISC processor design for SIMD and MIMD system development

Architectures exploiting time and space parallelism can be used to increase performance. Reduced instruction set computers (RISC) enhance performance of a single instruction stream through a simple load/store architecture. Data dependencies are eliminated by introducing NOP instructions in the stream. A longer pipeline increases the proportion of NOPs. These gaps may be used to interleave multiple instruction streams. A typical parallel organization based on message passing via main memory undermines the efficiency of a load/store architecture. The authors propose a method of sharing internal registers between instruction streams, forming a building block for efficient SIMD and MIMD systems.
Laboratory Automation Curriculum at Keck Graduate Institute

A novel curriculum in laboratory automation and high-throughput technologies has been developed at the Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) over the past five years as part of the professional masters deg...
X-ray Structure Analysis of a Dicopper Complex of a New Binucleating Ligand Containing a para-Xylyl Connecting Group; Large Cu…Cu Separation in [(CuCl2C18H20N3)2]·2H2O

Abstract Bimetallic coordination complexes containing two copper ions in close proximity are currently under extensive study. These structural units are known to be important in biological reactions involving molecular oxygen1 including oxygen transport,2 oxygen activation in the copper monooxygenase tyrosinase3 and the reduction of O2 in the copper oxidases.4 Examination of model systems is necessary to help elucidate the nature and mechanism of action of the copper containing active sites. In addition, model systems are of interest in studies of metal-metal interactions,5 mixed valence compounds6 and redox catalysts.6 and redox catalysts.7
Ionization matrix effects in plasma-based ambient mass spectrometry sources

Ambient desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (ADI-MS) is an emerging field that aims to eliminate sample pretreatment and separation steps by directly desorbing and ionizing analytes from a sample surface for analysis by mass spectrometry. Although numerous applications of ADI-MS have been presented, little has been done to characterize problems caused by matrix effects. In the present study, ionization-related matrix effects were investigated for three plasma-based ADI-MS sources: the flowing atmospheric-pressure afterglow (FAPA), direct analysis in real time (DART), and the low-temperature plasma (LTP) probe. Small amounts of vapor-phase matrices were mixed with a continuous stream of gaseous analyte and introduced into each ionization source. A decrease in analyte signal upon introduction of a matrix signaled an ion-suppression event. When the matrix species had a proton affinity the same as or greater than that of the analyte, all three sources suffered analyte signal suppression, even at moderate matrix-to-analyte concentration ratios. In every case, the FAPA was the least susceptible to the ion suppression process. In contrast, when the proton affinity of the matrix species was lower than that of the analyte, no matrix effect was observed with DART, although an effect persisted for both FAPA and LTP. Indeed, matrix-to-analyte mole ratios of 10 were sufficient to entirely suppress analyte ion signals in the LTP. These findings demonstrate that matrix effects in ADI-MS are important for qualitative as well as quantitative analyses.
THE DRINKS ARE ON US: RITUAL, SOCIAL STATUS, AND PRACTICE IN DAWENKOU BURIALS, NORTH CHINA

This paper investigates mortuary remains as the material component of past ritual behavior in the Neolithic Dawenkou Culture of North China. By examining the ritual function of ceramic burial goods and their spatial relationships within graves, the author argues that an ideology of competitive funerary ritual developed in Dawenkou and society during the period 5000-2500 B.C. Such an ideology may have been a contributing factor in the development of social complexity in northern coastal China.
On the Mechanism of the Palladium(II)-Catalyzed Decarboxylative Olefination of Arene Carboxylic Acids. Crystallographic Characterization of Non-Phosphine Palladium(II) Intermediates and Observation of Their Stepwise Transformation in Heck-like Processes

Mechanistic studies of a palladium-mediated decarboxylative olefination of arene carboxylic acids are presented, providing spectroscopic and, in two instances, crystallographic evidence for intermediates in a proposed stepwise process. Sequentially, the proposed pathway involves carboxyl exchange between palladium(II) bis(trifluoroacetate) and an arene carboxylic acid substrate, rate-determining decarboxylation to form an arylpalladium(II) trifluoroacetate intermediate (containing two trans-disposed S-bound dimethyl sulfoxide ligands in a crystallographically characterized form), then olefin insertion and β-hydride elimination. Because of the unique mode of generation of the arylpalladium(II) trifluoroacetate intermediate, a species believed to be substantially electron-deficient relative to phosphine-containing arylpalladium(II) complexes previously studied, it has been possible to gain new insights into those steps that are common to the Heck reaction, namely, olefin insertion and β-hydride elimination....
Comments on Potential Difference Across the Nuclear Membrane

Matzke and Matzke (1) provided important data on the electric structure of the nuclear periphery, and on interesting aspects relating to possible effects on gene transcription. These are working hypotheses likely to stimulate thinking. Yet, there is a flaw in the authors’ logic at a decisive point in their paper. It does not spoil the hypothesis as a whole, but may question some of its substantive conclusions.
Synthesis and characterization of zirconia–magnesia inert matrix fuel: Uranium homolog studies

X-ray powder diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, microscopy, X-ray absorption fine structure, and electron probe microanalysis were used to characterize ZrO2–MgO inert matrix fuel containing UO2 (as a fissile element and a Pu homolog) and Er2O3 as a burnable poison. A large composition range of MgO and ZrO2 was evaluated to determine total concentrations, local environment, phases present, phase mixing, and phase composition. It was found that most compositions of the material consist of two phases: MgO (periclase) and ZrO2 (cubic zirconia). The zirconia phase incorporates up to 5% (wt/wt) MgO and up to 20% and 10% (wt/wt) UO2 and Er2O3 respectively. This allows the fissile material and burnable poison to be incorporated into the zirconia crystal structure and defines the limits of this isomorphic substitution. The bond deformation due to the isomorphic substitution of uranium was determined by X-ray absorption fine structure. The MgO phase remains pure, which will enable design optimization of the overall thermophysical properties of the inert matrix fuel in regard to thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity. This characterization data will be used in future studies to correlate the dissolution behavior of inert matrix material containing plutonium.
Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn: Pathophysiology and Treatment

PPHN is a clinical syndrome that is associated with diverse cardio-pulmonary diseases, with pathophysiologic mechanisms including pulmonary vascular, cardiac and lung disease. Experimental work on basic mechanisms of vascular regulation of the developing lung circulation and models of perinatal pulmonary hypertension has improved our therapeutic approaches to neonates with PPHN. Inhaled NO has been shown to be an effective pulmonary vasodilator for infants with PPHN, but successful clinical strategies require meticulous care of associated lung and cardiac disease. More work is needed to expand our therapeutic repertoire in order to further improve the outcome of the sick newborn with severe hypoxemia, especially in patients with lung hypoplasia and advanced structural vascular disease.
Denoising and Signal-to-Noise Ratio Enhancement: Classical Filtering

This chapter describes different smoothing and filtering algorithms that are used for data pretreatment, focusing on those techniques that improve the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of analytical signals. Both nonrecursive (finite impulse response) and recursive (infinite impulse response) filters are described. Applications that are discussed and explained include triangular filters, boxcar averaging, moving-average filters, polynomial filters, derivative filters, Whittaker smoothers, and Kalman filters. The application of these filters is illustrated, and guidance for their proper use is given.
What are the most effective coping strategies for managing chronic pain

Chronic pain conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, low back pain and fibro myalgia affect about two of every seven Americans [1]. The responses to these conditions vary greatly between individuals, with some persons able to function relatively well and others faring more poorly. One important element determining how well a person adapts to chronic pain seems to be coping. The degree to which a person copes well with his/her pain helps determine adjustment and quality of life. The problem begins, however, with deciding what coping well means.
Single agent BMS-911543 Jak2 inhibitor has distinct inhibitory effects on STAT5 signaling in genetically engineered mice with pancreatic cancer

The Jak/STAT pathway is activated in human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and cooperates with mutant Kras to drive initiation and progression of PDAC in murine models. We hypothesized that the small-molecule Jak2 inhibitor (BMS-911543) would elicit anti-tumor activity against PDAC and decrease immune suppressive features of the disease. We used an aggressive genetically engineered PDAC model with mutant KrasG12D, tp53R270H, and Brca1 alleles (KPC-Brca1 mice). Mice with confirmed tumor burden were treated orally with vehicle or 30 mg/kg BMS-911543 daily for 14 days. Histologic analysis of pancreata from treated mice revealed fewer foci of adenocarcinoma and significantly decreased Ki67+ cells versus controls. In vivo administration of BMS-911543 significantly reduced pSTAT5 and FoxP3 positive cells within the pancreas, but did not alter STAT3 phosphorylation. Continuous dosing of KPC-Brca1 mice with BMS-911543 resulted in a median survival of 108 days, as compared to a median survival of 87 days in vehicle treated animals, a 23% increase (p = 0.055). In vitro experiments demonstrated that PDAC cell lines were poorly sensitive to BMS-911543, requiring high micromolar concentrations to achieve targeted inhibition of Jak/STAT signaling. Similarly, BMS-911543 had little in vitro effect on the viability of both murine and human PDAC-derived stellate cell lines. However, BMS-911543 potently inhibited phosphorylation of pSTAT3 and pSTAT5 at low micromolar doses in human PBMC and reduced in vitro differentiation of Foxp3+ T regulatory cells. These results indicate that single agent Jak2i deserves further study in preclinical models of PDAC and has distinct inhibitory effects on STAT5 mediated signaling.
Prophylaxis for malaria. Helping world travelers come home healthy

Malaria is largely preventable, so travelers should be taught general protective measures and given appropriate chemoprophylaxis before they leave on their trip. Chloroquine phosphate (Aralen) is still the drug of choice in locations where malaria remains chloroquine-sensitive. However, chloroquine-resistant areas infested with Plasmodium falciparum are becoming more numerous. In such areas, mefloquine hydrochloride (Lariam), doxycycline, or proguanil (Paludrine) (obtainable outside the United States) may be used. A single dose of pyrimethamine-sulfadoxine (Fansidar) may be used to treat presumptive malarial infection if medical care is not immediately available. For prevention of relapse of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium ovale infection, primaquine phosphate is recommended for the final 2 weeks of chemoprophylaxis on return from a malarious area.
Attempts and Renunciations

Sometimes individuals come very close to acting on criminal intentions only to pull back from doing so. These cases raise two questions: How far toward acting on their criminal intentions must agents have to go before incurring attempt liability? And once they have incurred it, should they be permitted to raise renunciation defenses, according to which they contend that they do not deserve punishment because they abandoned their attempts before anyone was harmed? After briefly addressing the first question, I concentrate on the second. Close attention is paid to the variety of motives that might lead individuals to abandon criminal attempts and, in particular, whether a renunciation defense requires full moral abandonment of the agent’s criminal purpose. I argue that it does not, though concede that renunciation ought to be, in most cases, a ground for mitigating punishment, not excusing individuals from it.
Abstract 606: Reconstitution Of Bone Marrow With WKY Cells Lowers Central/Peripheral Inflammation And Blood Pressure In The SHR

Introduction: Bone marrow (BM) is a crucial meeting point for the sympathetic innervation and hematopoietic/stem cells, including the inflammatory cells (ICs). However, the role of the BM in hypertension is not well defined. We recently demonstrated that a dysfunctional brain-bone marrow communication in rat models of neurogenic hypertension may be associated with impaired BM activity, characterized by elevated levels of ICs in the blood and BM when compared to the normotensive controls. Therefore, we hypothesized that BM of the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) is pro-inflammatory, and that it contributes to hypertension in this rat model. Methods: 6-week old female SHR rats underwent BM ablation via a lethal dose of gamma ray irradiation (950 Rads), followed by reconstitution with whole BM mononuclear cells (MNCs, 10E6 cells per rat), derived from the BM of either SHR or WKY male rats (naive SHR n=7; SHR-SHR n=11; SHR-WKY n=9). Following a three-month recovery period, BM reconstitution was confirmed by Y-chromosome FISH in blood MNCs. Blood pressure was measured by tail-cuff plethysmography. Blood was collected for isolation of MNCs, and quantification of T-cells (CD4/CD8+) was carried out by flow cytometry. Brains were collected and immunohistochemistry was performed using the microglial specific marker Iba1. Microglial activation was quantified by number of microglia per 40,000um2 in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus. Results: We observed no significant difference in the mean arterial pressures (MAP) between the naive SHR (MAP= 134 ± 5 mmHg) and the SHR-SHR groups (MAP = 137 ± 5 mmHg). However, the SHR-WKY group showed an approximate 10% decrease in MAP, to 119 ± 4 mmHg (p<0.05). This was accompanied by a 30% decrease in the circulating T-cell levels, and a 20% decrease in activated microglial cells in the PVN of the SHR-WKY when compared to the SHR-SHR group (p<0.05). Conclusions: These data suggest that the pro-inflammatory properties of the SHR BM contribute to hypertension by increasing both the peripheral and central inflammatory status in the SHR. These observations support the role of the BM in hypertension, especially in affecting the inflammatory status, which is a hallmark of hypertension in the SHR.
God in the Barrio?: The Determinants of Religiosity and Civic Engagement among Latinos in the United States

It is often assumed that Latinos in the United States are deeply religious, and that this religious identity plays an important role in shaping their political beliefs and behaviors. A more controversial though unexplored proposition is that Latinos may not be as religious as is commonly believed and that forces beyond their religiosity play more prominent roles in shaping their political engagement. Relying on data from the 2006 Latino National Survey, we examine secularism — measured by church attendance — and civic engagement among Latinos. Our efforts are to analyze the social forces that shape levels of religiosity and find that generational status plays a significant role. Additionally, we further find that while church attendance declines among later generations, second and third generation Latinos have higher levels of civic engagement than their first generation peers, indicating that a decline in church participation does not depress political participation among later generations of Latinos.
Similarity-based recommendation of new concepts to a terminology

Terminologies can suffer from poor concept coverage due to delays in addition of new concepts. This study tests a similarity-based approach to recommending concepts from a text corpus to a terminology. Our approach involves extraction of candidate concepts from a given text corpus, which are represented using a set of features. The model learns the important features to characterize a concept and recommends new concepts to a terminology. Further, we propose a cost-effective evaluation methodology to estimate the effectiveness of terminology enrichment methods. To test our methodology, we use the clinical trial eligibility criteria free-text as an example text corpus to recommend concepts for SNOMED CT. We computed precision at various rank intervals to measure the performance of the methods. Results indicate that our automated algorithm is an effective method for concept recommendation.
Thermocapillary migration of a droplet with insoluble surfactant

Abstract The steady thermocapillary migration of a drop, in the presence of a stagnant cap of an insoluble nondiffusing surfactant, is treated theoretically. Gravitational effects are included for completeness, and analytical solutions are obtained under conditions of negligible convective transport of momentum and energy in the bulk phases. The migration velocity of the drop is calculated, and is found to reduce to the proper asymptotes in limiting cases. Typical streamline plots as well as interfacial velocity distributions are displayed. The distribution of surfactant concentration in the cap region is obtained using an ideal film model, and the conditions for the existence of the cap are discussed.
Immediate management of the traumatized infant.

Despite a decline in frequency facilitated by new obstetric knowledge and techniques, birth trauma was the sixth leading cause of neonatal mortality in 1981. This article seeks to stimulate consideration of birth trauma in the differential diagnosis of neonatal clinical problems and offers guidelines for further evaluation and treatment of trauma to the newborn infant.