cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vaccinating Healthcare Workers for Pertussis: A Shared North American Experience

ISSUE: Healthcare workers (HCW's) with Bordetella pertussis pose a serious threat to susceptible patients and HCW's. When Tetanus Toxoid and Reduced Diphtheria Toxoid and Acellular Pertussis vaccines (Tdap) were approved in the US for adolescents and adults in 2005, our hospital was one of the first to target HCW's for immediate vaccination and establish a process to routinely offer Tdap to all HCW's. PROJECT: Guidance for vaccinating adults with Tdap in the US had not been published when the vaccine was initially available. 2 HCW's from our neonatal intensive care (NICU) and birthing center had exposed 32 staff and 25 patients, including 11 newborns. Because staff in obstetrics, NICU, pediatrics, urgent care and emergency department provides most of the care for patients at high risk of pertussis, our hospital recommended immediate vaccination of those HCW's. Our decision was based on vaccine manufacturer's data, CDC expertise, and experiences described by a Montreal pediatric center, which began pertussis immunizations for HCW's in 2005 following recommendations issued in Quebec in 2004. All HCW's are now offered Tdap during annual employee health assessments with eligibility for Tdap based on the interval since the last Tetanus Diphtheria (Td) booster. At our hospital, staff are vaccinated if ≥5 years since last Td; counseled and likely vaccinated if ≥3 but RESULTS: 70 HCW's have been vaccinated at our hospital and 90 HCW's from the Montreal pediatric center. Intervals between a Td and Tdap were ≥4.5 years at our hospital and at Montreal pediatric center, no time was required, thus not reported. At our hospital, 2 (2.9%) HCW's reported high fever and malaise within 48 hours. However, the 2 persons with fever were among a group of HCW's that received influenza vaccine concurrently. Causal factors for the reactions have not been assessed. No adverse reactions were reported by HCW's at the Montreal pediatric center. LESSONS LEARNED: HCW's are receptive to vaccination with Tdap. Networking with experts can provide information and confidence when implementing a new infection control process. Vaccination with Tdap is a patient safety initiative that may reduce B. pertussis in HCW's and patients.
Gold Nanoparticles on Polarizable Surfaces as Raman Scattering Antennas

Surface plasmons supported by metal nanoparticles are perturbed by coupling to a surface that is polarizable. Coupling results in enhancement of near fields and may increase the scattering efficiency of radiative modes. In this study, we investigate the Rayleigh and Raman scattering properties of gold nanoparticles functionalized with cyanine deposited on silicon and quartz wafers and on gold thin films. Dark-field scattering images display red shifting of the gold nanoparticle plasmon resonance and doughnut-shaped scattering patterns when particles are deposited on silicon or on a gold film. The imaged radiation patterns and individual particle spectra reveal that the polarizable substrates control both the orientation and brightness of the radiative modes. Comparison with simulation indicates that, in a particle−surface system with a fixed junction width, plasmon band shifts are controlled quantitatively by the permittivity of the wafer or the film. Surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) sp...
Gender differences in pain modulation by diffuse noxious inhibitory controls: A systematic review

Over the last decade, extensive research has demonstrated sex differences in pain perception and modulation. Several factors have been proposed to account for the differences observed between men and women, including pain modulation through diffuse noxious inhibitory controls (DNIC). Studies investigating sex differences in DNIC have shown mixed results, with some reporting decreased DNIC effect in women compared with men, while others found no difference in DNIC between the sexes. Additional studies have investigated DNIC in both sexes without focusing on sex differences. This systematic review aimed to answer the following question: "In humans of reproductive age without chronic pain, are women more likely than men to have decreased Diffuse Noxious Inhibitory Controls?" Relevant studies were identified by computerized searches of Pubmed/Medline, Embase, Biosis, Web of Science, PsycInfo and Cochrane (from January 1980 through February 2009). The search was limited to human studies with no language restriction. The initial search identified 718 titles and abstracts. Seventeen studies were included in the final stage and data regarding age and gender of participants, methodology and outcome measurements were extracted and analyzed. The majority of studies using pain report as the outcome found significantly more efficient DNIC in males than females (mean female/male ratio=0.54). Studies evaluating pain thresholds and nociceptive flexion reflex indicated the opposite when simply averaged across studies; however, weighted analyses of threshold found more efficient DNIC in males. Gender differences in DNIC effect depend on both the experimental methodology and the modes of measurement of the effect.
Premorbid History of Major Depression and the Depressive Syndrome of Alzheimer's Disease

To test the hypothesis that primary degenerative dementia of the Alzheimer type (PDD-AT) may increase the likelihood of expression of a lifetime vulnerability to the development of depression, the authors compared the premorbid rates of major depression in psychiatric inpatients with dementia, with or without a concurrent syndrome of depression. A premorbid history of major depression was four times more common in patients with the depressive syndrome of PDD-AT than in PDD-AT patients without depression. The authors discuss the significance of these findings for pathophysiologic models and estimates of comorbidity of depression in PDD-AT.
Dependence of activation parameters for phenylchlorocarbene- alkene additions on alkane solvent chain length

Activation energies, enthalpies, and entropies for the addition of phenylchlorocarbene to tetramethylethylene significantly decrease as the reaction solvent lengthens from n-pentane to n-octane to n-decane; additional decreases are minimal in n-pentadecane and n-heptadecane. Electronic structure calculations, employing a continuum solvent model, fail to reproduce the observations; instead, a qualitative model invoking solvent cage effects is proposed.
Modeling of Fixed -Exit Porous Bleed Systems

A model has been developed to simulate a fixed-exit porous bleed system for supersonic inlets. The fixed-exit model allows the amount of bleed flow to vary according to local flow conditions and fixed-exit characteristics of the bleed system. This variation is important for the control of shock-wave/boundary-layer interactions within the inlet. The model computes the bleed plenum static pressure rather than requiring its specification. The model was implemented in the Wind-US computational fluid dynamics code. The model was then verified and validated against experimental data for bleed on a flat plate with and without an impinging oblique shock and for bleed in a Mach 3.0 axisymmetric, mixed-compression inlet. The model was able to accurately correlate the plenum pressures with bleed rates and simulate the effect of the bleed on the downstream boundary layer. Further, the model provided a realistic simulation of the initiation of inlet unstart. The results provide the most in-depth examination to date of bleed models for use in the simulation of supersonic inlets. The results also highlight the limitations of the models and aspects that require further research.
Reductive C–N bond cleavage of the NCCCN β-diketiminate backbone: A direct approach to azabutadienyl and alkylidene-anilide scaffolds

Abstract Tetrahydrofuran/toluene solutions of (nacnac)TiCl2 (nacnac− = [ArNC(tBu)]2CH, Ar = 2,6-iPr2C6H3) react readily with KC8 to afford the titanium imide (ArN(tBu)CCHC(tBu))Ti NAr(THF)Cl (1) in 67% isolated yield. Complex 1 forms from the two-electron reductive C–N bond cleavage of the β-diketiminate ligand. Likewise, reduction of (nacnac)TiCl(NHAr) (2), prepared in 85% yield from (nacnac)TiCl2 and LiNHAr, with KC8 results in formation of the imide-anilide analogue (ArN(tBu)CCHC(tBu))Ti NAr(NHAr) (3) in 88% yield. Another reductant such as LitBu (3 equiv.) reacts cleanly with the precursor (nacnac)TiCl2 to afford the alkylidene-ate complex [Li(Et2O)][(ArN(tBu)CCHC(tBu))Ti NAr(Et2O)] (4), in 81% yield. Complexes 1–4 have been characterized by 1H and 13C NMR spectra as well as single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Plausible mechanisms to formation of compounds 1, 3 and 4 are also presented and discussed.
Confirmatory factor analysis of early childhood ability measures within a model of personal competence

Abstract The present study tested Greenpan's model of personal competence with data obtained from the Early Screening Profiles, a nationally standardized preschool screening battery designed to measure the general functioning level of children 2–7 years of age. Of the five models tested (three a priori and two a posteriori), three models produced results indicative of a good fit. These findings support the use of Greenspan's model of personal competence as a framework for understanding the nature of developing abilities in young children as well as for the improvement of classification and diagnosis of children with special needs.
Associate Membership Programs: Innovation and Diversification in National Unions

This article examines the establishment of associate membership programs by national private sector unions. We used theories of innovation and diversification to develop hypotheses relating organiz...
The Divided Welfare State: The Battle over Public and Private Social Benefits in the United States

Part I. The American Welfare Regime: 1. The politics of public and private social benefits Part II. The Politics of Public and Private Pensions: 2. Connected at birth: public and private pensions before 1945 3. Sibling rivalry: public and private pensions after 1945 Part III. The Politics of Public and Private Health Insurance: 4. Seeds of exceptionalism: public and private health insurance before 1945 5. The elusive cure: public and private health insurance after 1945 Part IV. The Formation and Future of the American Welfare Regime: 6. The formation of the American welfare regime 7. The future of the American welfare regime.
Less Extrahepatic Induction of Fatty Acid β-Oxidation Enzymes by PPARα

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR alpha) is a nuclear receptor that transcriptionally regulates mitochondrial and peroxisomal fatty acid beta-oxidation enzymes in the liver. Ligands include synthetic peroxisome proliferators and some fatty acids. PPARalpha activation leads to predictable pleiotropic responses in liver including peroxisome proliferation, increased fatty acid oxidation, and hepatocellular carcinoma. In the current study, the response to PPAR alpha-activation was compared in the heart, kidney, and liver since the role of PPAR alpha in extrahepatic fatty acid-oxidizing organs has not been fully explored. Basal expression of mitochondrial beta-oxidation enzymes was comparable in the three tissues, but peroxisomal beta-oxidation enzymes were most abundant in the liver and less so in the kidney and especially in the heart. After PPAR alpha activation with ciprofibrate, both mitochondrial and peroxisomal beta-oxidation enzymes were induced, with the strongest response seen in the liver, a moderate response in the kidney, and no significant response in the heart. PPAR alpha mRNA analysis suggested that the differential response may be related to PPAR alpha expression.
Excitonic enhancement of the Fermi-edge singularity in a dense two-dimensional electron gas.

We have investigated the interband recombination of dense two-dimensional (2D) electron gases in one-sided modulation-doped ${\mathrm{In}}_{\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Ga}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$As and GaAs asymmetric single quantum wells, under a near-resonance condition between an exciton level from a higher electronic subband and the Fermi level. Under such conditions, the excitonic resonant enhancement of the Fermi-edge singularity is clearly identified in both systems. The optical oscillator strength of the electrons at the Fermi level recombining with photoholes is enhanced by over two orders of magnitude through the resonant coupling with the exciton state. The strength and character of the interaction of the exciton with the 2D electron gas (\ensuremath{\sim}0.6 meV) is determined by photoluminescence spectroscopy, including its dependence on temperature and an in-plane magnetic field. In a perpendicular magnetic field, the periodic modulation in the formation of such coupled many-electron excitons leads to very large ${\mathit{B}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$-periodic intensity oscillations in the photoluminescence.
Use of alternative therapies by rehabilitation outpatients

Abstract Objective: To document the prevalence and patterns of use of alternative medical therapies as well as their perceived effectiveness by patients in a rehabilitation medicine outpatient practice. Design: Cross-sectional survey by written questionnaire. Setting: An urban rehabilitation medicine outpatient referral office. Patients: A random sample of 103 patients referred for rehabilitation outpatient care, while waiting for their appointment, were given a questionnaire addressing their use of alternative therapies. Main Outcome Measures: Use of alternative therapies and their perceived effectiveness. Results: One or more alternative medical therapies had been used by 29.1% of subjects in the past 12 months for their presenting problem. The most common therapies were massage, chiropractic, vitamin and mineral supplementation, and acupuncture. Musculoskeletal pain syndromes involving the spine and extremities were the most common problems for which patients sought both physiatric and alternative care. Of the patients who used alternative treatments 53% reported some degree of efficacy. Conclusions: A significant proportion of rehabilitation medicine patients use and frequently perceive a benefit from alternative therapies, particularly massage, chiropractic, vitamin and mineral supplementation, and acupuncture. Incorporating alternative therapies into physiatric practice is a desirable future direction for the specialty.
The enactment of language: Decades of interactions between linguistic and motor processes

Many long-standing predominant theories of cognition have viewed higher levels of processing, such as language and cognition, as free from the influence of lower levels of processing, such as action and perception. However, many recent experiments have found evidence that the delineation between traditional modules is not so clean or precise, with motor output and language comprehension interacting much more fluidly than traditional theories predict. Evidence for this account includes findings of systematic activation of motor cortex while processing action words, as well as functional consequences of language on action and of action on language. It is worth noting that this recent spate of interest in the embodiment of cognition is not without historical precedence. Here, we will review such evidence coming from previous decades of research on the interaction between language and action, in addition to exploring the empirical results of these more recent experiments and methodologies. It seems to be the case, as evidenced from research in cognitive neuroscience and modeling, that motor representations and actions can influence language processing in predictable ways. Not only is there continuous competition between simultaneously active representations in language processing, with multiple sources of information interacting immediately, this competition is apparent in the motor output produced as a response to language.
Executive compensation and agency costs in Germany

Abstract With the growth of international mergers like DaimlerChrysler, interest in executive compensation practices abroad, particularly in Germany, has increased. Using unique data sources for Germany, we find that similar to US firms, German firms also have agency problems caused by the separation of ownership from control, with ownership dispersion leading to higher compensation. In addition, there is evidence that bank influence has a negative impact on compensation.
Estrogen replacement therapy and outcome of coronary balloon angioplasty in postmenopausal women

Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) in women after menopause is associated with prevention of clinical coronary artery disease. However, few studies have investigated possible benefits from ERT in postmenopausal women undergoing treatment for established coronary disease. We therefore retrospectively reviewed the clinical outcomes of 428 postmenopausal women undergoing percutaneous transluminal coronary balloon angioplasty (PTCA) to test the hypothesis that ERT has a beneficial effect in this setting. The women were divided into 2 groups based on ERT status at the time of the procedure. Estrogen users were younger (60 +/- 10 vs 68 +/- 9 years, p <0.001), more commonly had family histories of coronary heart disease (54% vs 41%, p = 0.04), had less incidence of hypertension (63% vs 76%, p = 0.02), and had slightly fewer diseased vessels per patient (1.3 +/- 0.5 vs 1.5 +/- 0.7, p = 0.03) compared with nonusers. No in-hospital deaths occurred in estrogen users compared with 5% hospital mortality in nonusers (p = 0.01). The combined outcome of death or myocardial infarction (MI) also was lower in estrogen users (4% vs 12%, p = 0.04). Of 348 women discharged after successful PTCA, 336 (97%) were able to be contacted at an average follow-up interval of 22 +/- 17 months (range 5 to 82). Estrogen users had superior event-free survival both for death as well as for death or nonfatal MI. Repeat revascularizations were similar in both groups (32% vs 24%, p = 0.15). In a Cox proportional-hazards model, nonusers had 4 times the likelihood of death after angioplasty compared with estrogen users (OR = 4.025, 95% CI = 1.3 to 13.4, p = 0.02). We conclude that estrogen replacement may offer protection against clinical coronary events in postmenopausal women who already have established coronary disease and are undergoing balloon angioplasty. The benefit was independent of age, smoking, presence of diabetes mellitus, or the number of diseased coronary vessels. However, it did not include a reduction in repeat revascularization procedures, suggesting no reduction in restenosis.
Liquid chromatography and electrochemical detection of alditols and acidic sugars at a cobalt phthalocyanine-containing chemically modified electrode

Chemically modified carbon paste electrodes containing incorporated cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPC) were shown to exhibit an electrocatalytic response for the oxidation of carbohydrate derivatives from the alditol and aldonic, uronic, and aldaric acid families. The electrocatalysis, which is similar to that previously seen for simple carbohydrates, resulted in the electrolysis of these compounds between +0.4 and +0.6 V vs. Ag/AgCl where Co(II)PC is oxidized to Co(III)PC. The response was greatest for the alditols and decreased from the aldonic to the aldaric acids. When used to quantify these compounds following anion exchange chromatography, detection limits at +0.42 V ranged from 10 pmol for the alditols to the nanomole level for some of the aldaric acids.
Microeconomic Indicators of the Farm Sector and Policy Implications

. . Accounts for the food and fibre system . .. should cover sufficient scope of sector activity to provide a perspective within which a large number of issues may be examined. ... Perhaps we can also agree that it is important to provide flexibility in the monitoring system. This means that we should, if the appropriate data are acquired for the proper units of observation, be able to present the aggregates broken out by any desired industry structural characteristic such as size of firm, size of establishment, ownership of assets, sub-type of establishment, or geographic region. (Weeks, Schluter, and Southard, p. 977.)
VARIATION IN THE USE OF RED BLOOD CELL TRANSFUSIONS : A STUDY OF FOUR COMMON MEDICAL AND SURGICAL CONDITIONS

This study assessed variation in red cell transfusion practice among adult patients hospitalized with ulcer disease (ULCER), and those undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), hip surgery (HIP), or total knee replacement (KNEE). The study design was a retrospective analysis of the 1989 MedisGroups Hospital Comparative Database, and the participants were adult patients presenting for their first admission with ULCER (N = 4,664), CABG (N = 6,812), HIP (N = 4,131) or KNEE (N = 3,042) in the MedisGroups Hospital Comparative Database. Outcome measures were whether a patient was transfused, and the number of units transfused. Logistic regression was used to analyze the decision to transfuse, and linear regression to analyze the number of units transfused. In these analyses, patient characteristics, hospital characteristics, and unique hospital identity were used as independent variables. The percentage of patients transfused was ULCER 50%, CABG 81%, HIP 69%, and KNEE 51%. The range among hospitals in the percentage of patients transfused was ULCER 11% to 76%, CABG 51% to 100%, HIP 36% to 95%, and KNEE 9% to 97%. When only patient characteristics were entered in the linear regression analyses, the R2 values were ULCER 0.33, CABG 0.11, HIP 0.11, and KNEE 0.07. When hospital was added, the R2 increased to ULCER 0.38, CABG 0.29, HIP 0.19, and KNEE 0.20 (P < 0.0001 for the change for all analyses). The results of the logistic regression analyses of the probability of transfusion were similar. There is substantial interhospital variation in the proportion of patients transfused and number of units transfused in the four conditions studied. Patient demographic and clinical characteristics explain a substantial proportion of the variation in transfusion practices for ulcer patients, but little of the variation in the three surgical conditions.
The UN at the Peacemaking-Peacebuilding Nexus

The UN Security Council (UNSC) confronts at least three challenges in translating its actions during armed conflict into more durable peace after conflict. First, heavy-handed interventions such as military deployments and sanctions can impede the ability of the disputants to identify and reach a self-sustaining settlement when there is insufficient follow-through. Second, coordination problems can arise in handing off peacemaking activities from actors in the Secretariat to the UNSC when post-conflict security guarantees and continuous engagement are needed. Third, explicit attempts by the UNSC to produce peace and stability make it susceptible to the problem of cheap talk when it proclaims its concerns. After characterizing these problems in theory and generating observable implications, the paper uses original data on UNSC resolutions to test the hypotheses. The results indicate that the UN can succeed as a short-term peacemaker, particularly when it relies on diplomatic engagement and sanctions. Howev...
Real-time Calibration for High-speed Swept-Source OCT

We demonstrated a real-time calibration method for high-speed SS-OCT. An external clock was generated to trigger the high-speed data acquisition system point by point and enable uniform data sampling in frequency domain (K-space).
Rotational diffusion of tribromobenzene in solution

The polarized and depolarized Raman linewidths of v 3(A′1) of 1,3,5-tribromobenzene (TBB) were measured in several solvents. The Raman and I.R. widths of v 1 1(E′) were also measured in solution. Derived values of the rotational diffusion constants, D ⊥ and D ‖, are compared to theoretical predictions. In contrast to earlier theories, the Hynes-Kapral-Weinberg model provides estimates that are in agreement with the experimental results. Rotational correlation times, τc(C-H), calculated from the experimental diffusion constants are compared to the results obtained from 13C N.M.R. relaxation and to the predictions of the various models.
Structured Task versus Free Play: The Influence of Social Context on Parenting Quality, Toddlers' Engagement with Parents and Play Behaviors, and Parent-Toddler Language Use.

Background Little empirical research examines relations among the quality of both mothers’ and fathers’ social emotional and linguistic support of toddlers across multiple parent–child interaction contexts.
A unified variational principle for the information theoretic analysis of data and its scatter

Abstract A single variational principle can be used to determine the maximal entropy distribution, as well as to provide a bound on the uncertainty of the Lagrange multipliers due to scatter in the data. Both the distribution and the Lagrange multipliers are considered as variational parameters.
Why shouldn't merit be paid for?

These two statements summarise the debate about merit pay, insofar as there is one; unfortunately, to my mind the debate is so muted that the case for merit pay is going by default. It has become the conventional wisdom in the civil service, the nationalised industries, local government and academic life, and in most manual and many clerical jobs, that all on the same grade should be paid the same regardless of ability, effort, or potential. There is the possible variant that fixed increments may take the employee on a more‐or‐less unconditional progression from the minimum to the maximum of his own grade.
Sensitivity of glochidial stages of freshwater mussels (Bivalvia : Unionidae) to copper

The sensitivity of glochidial stages of unionid mussels was evaluated in a series of exposures to aqueous copper. Glochidia held within marsupia of gravid Villosa iris exhibited no observable effect following a 30-d copper exposure at levels up to 19.1 {micro}g Cu/L. Similarly, transformation of encapsulated glochidia of Actinonaias pectoroso, Pyganodon grandis (Say, 1829), and V. iris to the juvenile stage was unaffected by 12- to 20-d copper exposures of largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides (Lacepede), at levels up to 200 {micro}g Cu/L. In contrast, released glochidia of all species were sensitive to copper at comparatively low concentrations. The median lethal concentrations (24-h) for Lampsilis fasciola (Rafinesque, 1820) ranged from 26 to 48 {micro}g Cu/L, from 36 to 89 {micro}g Cu/L for V. iris, from 37 to 81 {micro}g Cu/L for Medionidus conradicus, from 42 to 132 {micro}g Cu/L for A. pectorosa, and from 46 to 347 {micro}g Cu/L for P. grandis. Copper sensitivity varied with changes in test conditions, including length of exposure, water temperature, and water hardness. Although sensitivity of released glochidia to copper was comparable to previously reported values for juvenile mussels, the juveniles may be at greater risk given their residency in benthic sediments where toxicants suchmore » as metals may be sequestered at high levels. An evaluation of this risk is an urgent priority for further research.« less
On the calculation of binding free energies using continuum methods: Application to MHC class I protein-peptide interactions

This paper describes a methodology to calculate the binding free energy (delta G) of a protein-ligand complex using a continuum model of the solvent. A formal thermodynamic cycle is used to decompose the binding free energy into electrostatic and non-electrostatic contributions. In this cycle, the reactants are discharged in water, associated as purely nonpolar entities, and the final complex is then recharged. The total electrostatic free energies of the protein, the ligand, and the complex in water are calculated with the finite difference Poisson-Boltzmann (FDPB) method. The nonpolar (hydrophobic) binding free energy is calculated using a free energy-surface area relationship, with a single alkane/water surface tension coefficient (gamma aw). The loss in backbone and side-chain configurational entropy upon binding is estimated and added to the electrostatic and the nonpolar components of delta G. The methodology is applied to the binding of the murine MHC class I protein H-2Kb with three distinct peptides, and to the human MHC class I protein HLA-A2 in complex with five different peptides. Despite significant differences in the amino acid sequences of the different peptides, the experimental binding free energy differences (delta delta Gexp) are quite small (< 0.3 and < 2.7 kcal/mol for the H-2Kb and HLA-A2 complexes, respectively). For each protein, the calculations are successful in reproducing a fairly small range of values for delta delta Gcalc (< 4.4 and < 5.2 kcal/mol, respectively) although the relative peptide binding affinities of H-2Kb and HLA-A2 are not reproduced. For all protein-peptide complexes that were treated, it was found that electrostatic interactions oppose binding whereas nonpolar interactions drive complex formation. The two types of interactions appear to be correlated in that larger nonpolar contributions to binding are generally opposed by increased electrostatic contributions favoring dissociation. The factors that drive the binding of peptides to MHC proteins are discussed in light of our results.
THERMAL ENHANCEMENT OF THE RADIOSENSITIVITY USING CULTURED NORMAL AND NEOPLASTIC CELLS

Cultures of normal tissue are relatively insensitive to heat, while malignant cells in culture are highly sensitive to thermal treatment.This differential thermal sensitivity is most pronounced when the cells of normal and neoplastic tissues are exposed to heat in their exponential growth phase.Dose survival curves of HeLa and 3T3 cells with and without postirradiation thermal treatment showed that the neoplastic HeLa line exhibited significant enhancement of radiosensitivity when the irradiated cells were exposed to elevated temperatures (42°C. for 3 hours). Similar heat treatment of irradiated 3T3 fibroblasts did not appreciably enhance the radiation response.The potential significance of these findings for clinical radiotherapy is discussed.
Visualization of fast energy flow and solvent caging in unimolecular dynamics

Energy flow in solution between physically or chemically evolving solute molecules and the surrounding solvent significantly affects the nature of chemical dynamics in liquids. It determines the extent to which the statistical theory of reaction rates is valid; the transfer of energy between solute and solvent influences the ease with which the transition state evolves into the products--the process central to transition-state theory. But analysing the energy flow in liquid-phase dynamics is difficult because these systems are so complex, and the degrees of freedom are consequently so numerous. Here we present a way to address this challenge. We introduce an approach for visualizing the energy flow directly, and apply it to the isomerization of cyclohexane (between boat and chair conformations) in liquid carbon disulphide, a process for which detailed information about the molecular motions is available from molecular dynamics simulations. Our method reveals in pictorial form the formation and relaxation of a solvent cage, and shows that the relaxation has a strong effect on energy flow to and from the transition state on sub-picosecond timescales. We anticipate that this visualization approach will be generally useful for elucidating dynamical molecular processes in solution.
Testicular pain following laparoscopic renal surgery.

Purpose: We have observed that a significant number of patients experience testicular pain following laparoscopic renal surgery. Since January 2006 all men scheduled for laparoscopic renal or adrenal surgery were followed prospectively to determine the incidence and characteristics of this pain.Materials and Methods: All patients had a history and physical examination before surgery, during postoperative hospitalization and 4 weeks after surgery. Pain and tenderness were scored on a standard 10 point scale. Preoperative and postoperative data were collected prospectively.Results: A total of 64 male patients (68 sides) met the criteria for evaluation. Ipsilateral testicular pain developed in 14 patients (21%). All patients describing pain underwent donor or radical nephrectomy. Of the 20 patients who underwent donor nephrectomy 11 (55%) experienced pain and of the 15 treated with radical nephrectomy 3 (20%) experienced pain. The gonadal vein was preserved in 29 patients and of those patients 1 had testicul...
Spanish-for-native-speaker Matters: Narrowing the Latino Achievement Gap through Spanish Language Instruction

This paper argues that Spanish-for-native-speakers (SNS) instruction at the secondary level can play a key role in narrowing the Latino achievement gap. To this end, SNS curricula and practices should be configured to: 1) support Spanish-English biliteracy, 2) support and facilitate learning across the curriculum, 3) socialize Latino students and parents to the American system of education, and 4) marshal the resources of students’ home cultures to advance the educational and social needs of Latino youth. In addition, this paper argues that SNS teachers should become stewards for Latino educational progress within their schools. In this capacity, they must seek out collaborations with their colleagues in other disciplines, particularly ESL teachers, as well as key members of the administration, to bring about a supportive and caring school environment for Latino students and their parents.
Stress distribution in an edge-stiffened semi-infinite elastic plate containing a circular hole

An edge-stiffened semi-infinite elastic plate containing a circular hole under tension at infinity has been studied using a conformal mapping technique. Melan's stiffener condition in Cartesian coordinates has been newly formulated as a resultant shear stress condition in bipolar coordinates. The solution is sought in series form, and by truncating the system of equations, it is numerically solved. Pertinent stress distributions are examined to illustrate the roll of the stiffener under the presence of a circular hole near the straight edge. It has been concluded that the stiffener contributes to indirectly suppressing the stress concentration around the hole. 9 refs.
Health and safety risk assessment methodology to calculate reverse airflow tolerance in a biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) or airborne infection isolation room (AII) environment

A novel methodology is proposed to calculate how much air displacement and contaminant leakage might occur during a power outage that may result in a momentary positive pressure reversal in a BSL-3 facility. Note that the ultimate goal in design and operation of a BSL-3 facility is to achieve sustained directional airflow such that under failure conditions the airflow will not be reversed. The proposed methodology should be applied when and only when all other measures to achieve zero tolerance have been ruled out. Only after determining that zero tolerance cannot be achieved for the BSL-3 facility in question should the model be employed to perform a health and safety risk assessment to determine the reverse airflow tolerance. The methodology is applicable to other room types, such as airborne infection isolation rooms, that use sustained differential air pressure as one means to prevent particle migration across a boundary.
Identifying ideal brow vector position: empirical analysis of three brow archetypes.

Background Surgical browlifts counteract the effects of aging, correct ptosis, and optimize forehead aesthetics. While surgeons have control over brow shape, the metrics defining ideal brow shape are subjective. Objectives This study aims to empirically determine whether three expert brow design strategies are aesthetically equivalent by using expert focus group analysis and relating these findings to brow surgery. Methods Comprehensive literature search identified three dominant brow design methods (Westmore, Lamas and Anastasia) that are heavily cited, referenced or internationally recognized in either medical literature or by the lay media. Using their respective guidelines, brow shape was modified for 10 synthetic female faces, yielding 30 images. A focus group of 50 professional makeup artists ranked the three images for each of the 10 faces to generate ordinal attractiveness scores. Results The contemporary methods employed by Anastasia and Lamas produce a brow arch more lateral than Westmore's classic method. Although the more laterally located brow arch is considered the current trend in facial aesthetics, this style was not empirically supported. No single method was consistently rated most or least attractive by the focus group, and no significant difference in attractiveness score for the different methods was observed (p = 0.2454). Conclusion Although each method of brow placement has been promoted as the “best” approach, no single brow design method achieved statistical significance in optimizing attractiveness. Each can be used effectively as a guide in designing eyebrow shape during browlift procedures, making it possible to use the three methods interchangeably.
The oncoprotein H-RasV12 increases mitochondrial metabolism

Neoplastic cells increase glycolysis in order to produce anabolic precursors and energy within the hypoxic environment of a tumor. Ras signaling is activated in several cancers and has been found to regulate metabolism by enhancing glycolytic flux to lactate. We examined the effects of sequential immortalization and H-RasV12-transformation of human bronchial epithelial cells on the anabolic fate of fully-labeled 13C-glucose-derived carbons using two-dimensional total correlated spectroscopic analysis-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (2D TOCSY-NMR). We found that the introduction of activated H-RasV12 into immortalized human bronchial epithelial cells unexpectedly increased tricarboxylic acid cycle activity as measured by the direct conversion of 13C-glucose carbons into the anabolic substrates glutamate/glutamine, aspartate and uridine. We then observed that immortalization and H-RasV12-transformation of bronchial epithelial cells caused a stepwise increase in oxygen consumption, a global measure of electron transport chain activity. Importantly, ectopic expression of H-RasV12 sensitized immortalized cells to the ATP-depleting and cytotoxic effects of electron transport perturbation using the complex I inhibitor rotenone. Taken together, these data indicate that the oncoprotein H-RasV12 increases mitochondrial metabolism and provide new rationale for the targeting of the tricarboxylic acid cycle and electron transport chain as anti-neoplastic strategies.
Coverage-aware proxy placement for dynamic content management over the Internet

In an effort to differentiate service quality, service providers have resorted to employing Content Distribution Networks (CDNs) over the Internet CDNs deploy geographically distributed proxy servers which manage content on behalf of the service provider's servers for better performance and enhanced availability. In this paper we explore the proxy placement problem for content distribution over the Internet. Its goal is to strategically place a number of proxies in the network to optimize certain criteria which improve performance of proxies. We motivate the various necessary factors and constraints that need to be taken into account for a good placement of proxies over the Internet which reflect real world scenario more accurately and which we claim hitherto has not been completely addressed. We introduce a novel concept of host coverage characterizing every Autonomous Systems (AS) and use this stable, coarse grained measure as a long-term estimate of the load being serviced by the proxy system. We then pose an optimal formulation of the proxy placement problem taking into consideration all the relevant factors. We propose a couple of proxy placement algorithms that solve the above problem and analyze their behavior. Finally we present the performance of those algorithms against the optimal solution and other schemes proposed in literature. We also study the stability of the proposed algorithms through a variety of experiments.
Operational Performance of the Spallation Neutron Source High Voltage Converter Modulator and System Enhancements

The first-generation high-frequency switching megawatt-class High Voltage Converter Modulators (HVCM) developed by Los Alamos National Laboratory for the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have been installed and are now operational. Each unit is capable of delivering pulses up to 11 MW peak, 1 MW average power at voltages up to 140 kV to drive klystron(s) rated up to 5 MW. To date, three variations of the basic design have been installed, each optimized to deliver power to a specific klystron load configuration, for a total of fifteen (15) units installed and operational at the SNS. The units have been operated 24/7 to support successful commissioning of the SNS accelerator. Design improvements, with the primary intention of improving system reliability and availability, have been under development since the initial installation of the HVCM units. This paper will examine HVCM reliability operational data of well over 50,000 operational hours, failure modes, and modifications and improvements performed and planned to increase the overall system availability. We will focus on enhancements designed to allow for increased average power operation, as well as discuss development programs underway to provide active component protection.
Gravitational Waves from Rotating Neutron Stars and Evaluation of fast Chirp Transform Techniques

X-ray observations suggest that neutron stars in low mass X-ray binaries (LMXB) are rotating with frequencies from 300 - 600 Hz. These spin rates are significantly less than the break-up rates for essentially all realistic neutron star equations of state, suggesting that some process may limit the spin frequencies of accreting neutron stars to this range. If the accretion induced spin up torque is in equilibrium with gravitational radiation losses, these objects could be interesting sources of gravitational waves. I present a brief summary of current measurements of neutron star spins in LMXBs based on the observations of high-Q oscillations during thermonuclear bursts (so called 'burst oscillations'). Further measurements of neutron star spins will be important in exploring the gravitational radiation hypothesis in more detail. To this end I also present a study of fast chirp transform (FCT) techniques as described by Jenet and Prince in the context of searching for the chirping signals observed during X-ray bursts.
A performance enhanced PSI-BLAST based on hybrid alignment

Motivation: Sequence alignment is one of the most popular tools of modern biology. NCBI's PSI-BLAST utilizes iterative model building in order to better detect distant homologs with greater sensitivity than non-iterative BLAST. However, PSI-BLAST's performance is limited by the fact that it relies on deterministic alignments. Using a semi-probabilistic alignment scheme such as Hybrid alignment should allow for better informed model building and improved identification of homologous sequences, particularly remote homologs. Results: We have built a new version of the tool in which the Smith-Waterman alignment algorithm core is replaced by the hybrid alignment algorithm. The favorable statistical properties of the hybrid algorithm allow the introduction of position-specific gap penalties in Hybrid PSI-BLAST. This improves the position-specific modeling of protein families and results in an overall improvement of performance. Availability: Source code is freely available for download at http://bioserv.mps.ohio-state.edu/HybridPSI, implemented in C and supported on linux. Contact: bundschuh@mps.ohio-state.edu Supplementary information:Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Triviality of totally conservative solutions of a stochastic partial differential equation with power-law nonlinearities

We obtain conditions under which a totally conservative solution of the Cauchy problem for a stochastic partial differential equation of parabolic type with nonlinearities of power-law type can only be the identically zero solution.
Variation in Soil Temperature, Moisture, and Plant Growth with the Addition of Downed Woody Material on Lakeshore Restoration Sites

Downed woody material (DWM) is an important ecosystem component that performs many critical functions including influencing soil temperature and moisture, which affects plant growth and survival. Residential development along lakeshores has increased dramatically in recent decades in the northern Great Lakes region. Such development often leads to reductions in terrestrial and aquatic woody material. Although lakeshore restoration projects have occurred in the past few years in the region, there has been little effort to evaluate success. In 2007, a collaborative lakeshore restoration research project began on two lakes in Vilas County, Wisconsin. We investigated the benefits of the addition of DWM as part of these restoration projects. We randomly assigned three coverage treatments (0, 25, and 50%) of DWM on 3 × 3–m experimental plots (n = 10 per treatment) and monitored soil temperature and volumetric soil water content at a depth of 10 cm. All plots were planted with two native shrub species and five native understory herbaceous species. Mean maximum soil temperature, mean difference in daily high and low soil temperature, and percent change in soil moisture content were significantly lower in the 25 and 50% DWM plots. Plant canopy volume growth for snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) and Barren strawberry (Waldstenia fragaroides) was significantly greater in the 25 and 50% DWM plots. We conclude that the addition of DWM had a significant positive effect on regulating soil temperature extremes, soil moisture, and plant volume growth for two species of native plants used for restoration projects.
Energy-aware error control coding for Flash memories

The use of Flash memories in portable embedded systems is ever increasing. This is because of the multi-level storage capability that makes them excellent candidates for high density memory devices. However, cost of writing or programming Flash memories is an order of magnitude higher than traditional memories. In this paper, we design an algorithm to reduce both average write energy and latency in Flash memories. We achieve this by reducing the number of expensive ‘01’ and ‘10’ bit-patterns during error control coding. We show that the algorithm does not change the error correction capability and moreover improves endurance. Simulations results on representative bit-stream traces show that the use of the proposed algorithm saves, on average, 33% of write energy and 31% of latency of Intel MLC NOR Flash memory, and improves the endurance by 24%.
Extraction of Defect Density and Size Distributions from Wafer Sort Test Results

Defect density and defect size distributions (DDSDs) are key parameters used in IC yield loss predictions. Traditionally, memories and specialized test structures have been used to estimate these distributions. In this paper, we propose a strategy to accurately estimate DDSDs for shorts in metal layers using production IC test results.