cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thermodynamic characteristics of solute—solvent interactions in liquid organic salt solvents, studied by gas chromatography

Abstract A number of thermodynamic constants were measured for five McReynolds selectivity probes and a series of aromatic selectivity probes on thirteen tetra- n -butylammonium salts and eleven 4-toluenesulfonate salts to elucidate the nature of intermolecular interactions of solute—liquid organic salts by gas chromatography (GC). The molar free energy of solution for a methylene group was used to determine dispersive contributions of individual cations and anions to retention. The partial molar, mole fraction, and molal free energy of solution and partial mole fraction enthalpy and entropy of solution were determined to estimate the contribution of various intermolecular forces to retention and to compare the magnitude of these interactions to those of non-ionic, polar phases. Weak dispersive interactions increasing with the size of the cation, strong orientation interactions of a relatively constant nature, and proton acceptor interactions that varied greatly and correlated with the properties of the anion were observed for the liquid organic salts. The magnitude of the orientation and proton acceptor interactions in several cases were much larger than equivalent interactions for polar, non-ionic phases. The infinite dilution activity coefficient and partial molar excess free energy of solution were determined for the five McReynolds probes on the tetra- n -butylammonium salts. With the exception of butanol the range of values observed were similar to literature values for polar, non-ionic GC phases.
A pseudo-sensitivity based discrete-variable approach to structural topology optimization with multiple materials

An algorithm has been developed which uses material as a discrete variable in multi-material topology optimization and thus provides an alternative to traditional methods using material interpolation and level-set approaches. The algorithm computes ‘pseudo-sensitivities’ of the objective and constraint functions to discrete material changes. These are used to rank elements, based on which a fraction of elements are selected for material ID modification during the optimization iteration. The algorithm is of general applicability and avoids frequent matrix factorizations so that it is applicable to large structural problems. In addition to the conventionally used evolutionary and morphogenesis approaches for iteration, a new iteration scheme of ‘resubstitution’ which combines the two approaches is presented. The application and functioning of the algorithm is demonstrated through case studies and comparisons with a few benchmark problems, showing its capability in providing mass-optimal topologies under stiffness constraints for various structural problems where multiple materials are considered.
KIR2DL4 Copy Number Variation Is Associated with CD4+ T-Cell Depletion and Function of Cytokine-Producing NK Cell Subsets in SIV-Infected Mamu-A*01-Negative Rhesus Macaques

Here, we demonstrate that KIR2DL4 copy number variation (CNV) is associated with CD4+ T-cell decline and functionality of cytokine-producing NK cells during primary simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection in Mamu-A*01− Indian-origin rhesus macaques, with higher KIR2DL4 copy numbers being associated with a better preservation of CD4+ T cells and an increased gamma interferon (IFN-γ) production from stimulated cytokine-producing NK cell subsets during acute SIVmac251 infection. These findings underscore the crucial role of activating killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) in NK cell-mediated SIV responses during early SIV infection.
What predicts skill in lecture note taking

Despite the importance of good lecture notes to test performance, very little is known about the cognitive processes that underlie effective lecture note taking. The primary purpose of the 2 studies reported (a pilot study and Study 1) was to investigate 3 processes hypothesized to be significantly related to quality of notes: transcription fluency, verbal working memory, and the ability to identify main ideas. A 2nd purpose was to replicate the findings from previous research that notes and verbal working memory were significantly related to test performance. Results indicated that transcription fluency was the only predictor of quality of notes and that quality of notes was the only significant predictor of test performance. The findings on transcription fluency extend those of the children's writing literature to indicate that transcription fluency is related to a variety of writing outcomes and suggest that interventions directed at transcription fluency may enhance lecture note taking.
Skull Wars: Kennewick Man, Archaeology, and the Battle for Native American Identity.

Skull Wars: Kennewick Man, Archaeology, and the Battle for Native American Identity. David Hurst Thomas. New York: Basic Books, 2000. xiii. 326 pp., endnotes, bibliography, index.
Phosphorylation-activity relationships of AMPK and acetyl-CoA carboxylase in muscle

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is activated during muscle contraction in response to the increase in AMP and decrease in phosphocreatine (PCr). Once activated, AMPK has been proposed to phosph...
Effect of Composition on Thermal Conductivity of Fresh and Frozen Foods

Abstract Correlations are proposed between the thermal conductivity of food materials and their water content, based on published experimentally determined conductivity values and the Maxwell-Eucken equation for calculating thermal conductivities of mixtures. The correlations predict conductivities for many food materials at above and below freezing temperatures with an accuracy of ± 10% or better, which is shown to be sufficient for most practical purposes. The need for further research to provide data in areas where information is limited is also indicated.
Production of pineapple plants in vitro

In vitro culture of pineapple (Ananas comosus) was studied to determine the efficiency of axillary bud culture for rapid propagation of several cultivars. The technique used maximizes the success rate of various steps in the production of pineapple plants. Rapid mass multiplication of plantlets started 9 months after explanting with a significant log phase. The number of plantlets obtained from the culture of a single bud by the thirteenth month ranged from 210 to 380 for ‘Perolera’; 300 to 350 for ‘PR-1-67’; and 40 to 85 for ‘Smooth Cayenne’. The method permits culture of a range of pineapple cultivars. Little morphological variation was observed in young regenerated plants.
Quantitative authentication and vouching

Abstract We propose the use of numerical levels to describe a degree of authentication rather than the traditional true or false. The mechanism is described in the context of a client—server architecture. It is possible for one person to vouch for another's authenticity. The mechanism is designed for organizations which operate large distributed systems. Identified benefits include cost, flexibility and convenience.
Detection of metastases from head and neck cancers

Before treatment for head and neck malignancies is begun, a search for distant metastases (DM) is performed. The first objective of this review was to determine the accuracy of liver function tests (LFT), alkaline phosphataae (AP) tests, and chest radiographs (CXR) in detection of DM. Second, an effort was made to identify tumor characteristics which are aasociated with a higher incidence of DM and therefore justify the use of more precise screening tools. An analysis of 97 patients with noncutaneous squamous cell carcinomas presenting to the Stanford Head and Neck Tumor Board in 1991 revealed 17 DM in 14 patients. There were 10 pulmonary metastases, 5 bone metastases, and 2 hepatic metastases. CXR had a sensitivity of 50% and a specificity of 94% for detection of pulmonary DM. AP' tests showed a sensitivity of 20% and a specificity of 98% for detection of bone DM. LFT had a sensitivity of 50% and an 81% specificity for demonstration of hepatic DM. A separate analysis of 79 patients with known DM from two hospitals showed the incidence of DM to be increased in patients who had tumors of advanced stage, advanced T status, and poor histologic differentiation and to also be increased in the presence of local-regional recurrence. There was little association of DM with N status. The sensitivity of CXR and laboratory tests, which are currently used in evaluation for DM at most cancer centers, is disappointing; these tests should be viewed as gross screening examinations. We recommend a chest computed tomography scan in the event of an abnormal CXR, a bone scan in the event of an elevated AP, and either an ultrasound or computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging scan of the liver when elevated LFT levels are present, depending on tumor stage and differentiation
Assessing inactivity in zoo gorillas using keeper ratings and behavioral data

Abstract One way to address the problem of small sample size in zoo research is to conduct a study involving multiple institutions. However, when conducting behavioral research, it can be difficult for one investigator to travel to each institution or for staff at individual institutions to find time to collect behavioral data. This study validates keeper assessments of western lowland gorilla ( Gorilla gorilla gorilla ) activity levels against behavioral data collected systematically in the zoo setting. Our purpose in validating a keeper rating of inactivity was to increase efficiency of behavioral data collection and maximize the amount of activity information for a larger study on gorilla health and behavior. A questionnaire was sent to 15 Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) institutions housing 63 gorillas (37 male, 26 female) gorillas. Behavioral data for the project were collected by staff at each institution and/or by the principal invesitgator (PI) using group scan sampling. Every data collector was reliability tested by video until they gained >90% agreement with the PI. Mean percent of time spent in a behavior was calculated from the scan data. In this case, the focus was on the time spent immobile (i.e., stationary) and time spent idle (i.e., at rest, performing no otherwise defined active behaviors). We examined the correlation between the keepers' ratings and time spent immobile and idle as calculated from the behavioral data. Behavioral data on individuals that spent more time immobile were significantly correlated with an increasingly inactive ranking by staff ( P =0.003). Time spent idle was significantly correlated with time spent immobile ( P =0.001) and time spent idle was also significantly correlated with an increasingly inactive ranking by staff ( P
Postattachment Neutralization of Papillomaviruses by Monoclonal and Polyclonal Antibodies

Abstract Postattachment neutralization of papillomaviruses (PVs) was analyzed in three PV-infectivity models: (i) the BPV-1-induced focus-forming assay using C127 cells; (ii) in vitro abortive infection of rabbit RK-13 and Sf1Ep cells with CRPV; and (iii) HPV11-induced morphological transformation of human foreskin chips in the athymic mouse xenograft system. In each assay system, aliquots of infectious virus were added to the appropriate target cells and incubated at 37°, followed at various postinfection time intervals with neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (N-MAbs) that target surface conformational epitopes. In all three model systems, the N-MAbs were able to neutralize PV infection when added as late as 8 hr after addition of infectious PV to host cells. These results imply that papillomaviruses attach to but do not penetrate inside host cells for a significant period of time and that the bound virus is thus still susceptible to neutralization by neutralizing antibodies.
The Role of Social Media in International Tourist’s Decision Making

Recent crises have highlighted the increasingly important role of social media in crisis communications. Attention has been given to residents’ use of social media during a crisis; however, there is a lack of research which focuses on factors that influence tourists’ use of social media during a crisis. Understanding these factors can have practical implications for destinations in crisis. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether internal, travel-related, and demographic factors affect the likelihood to use social media to seek information if a crisis were to occur while traveling. Linear regression revealed that the countries of origin of India, Brazil, Australia, and South Korea; the age group 31–40; past international travel experience; and perceptions of crime, natural disasters, disease, financial, equipment failure, weather, cultural barriers, and political risk were positively associated with the likelihood of using social media in the event of a crisis during travel.
Dissociation of the trimeric gp41 ectodomain at the lipid–water interface suggests an active role in HIV-1 Env-mediated membrane fusion

The envelope glycoprotein gp41 mediates the process of membrane fusion that enables entry of the HIV-1 virus into the host cell. The actual fusion process involves a switch from a homotrimeric prehairpin intermediate conformation, consisting of parallel coiled-coil helices, to a postfusion state where the ectodomains are arranged as a trimer of helical hairpins, adopting a six-helix bundle (6HB) state. Here, we show by solution NMR spectroscopy that a water-soluble 6HB gp41 ectodomain binds to zwitterionic detergents that contain phosphocholine or phosphatidylcholine head groups and phospholipid vesicles that mimic T-cell membrane composition. Binding results in the dissociation of the 6HB and the formation of a monomeric state, where its two α-helices, N-terminal heptad repeat (NHR) and C-terminal heptad repeat (CHR), become embedded in the lipid-water interface of the virus and host cell. The atomic structure of the gp41 ectodomain monomer, based on NOE distance restraints and residual dipolar couplings, shows that the NHR and CHR helices remain mostly intact, but they completely lose interhelical contacts. The high affinity of the ectodomain helices for phospholipid surfaces suggests that unzippering of the prehairpin intermediate leads to a state where the NHR and CHR helices become embedded in the host cell and viral membranes, respectively, thereby providing a physical force for bringing these membranes into close juxtaposition before actual fusion.
THE SOLUBLE SPECIFIC SUBSTANCE OF FRIEDLANDER'S BACILLUS : III. ON THE ISOLATION AND PROPERTIES OF THE SPECIFIC CARBOHYDRATES FROM TYPES A AND C FRIEDLANDER BACILLUS.

1. Methods are given for the isolation of specifically reacting nitrogen-free polysaccharides from Type A and Type C Friedlander's bacillus. 2. The properties of these specific carbohydrates have been outlined.
Interracial Marriage, Migration and Loving

The United States Supreme Court decision in the case of Loving v. Virginia in 1967, which forced 16 Southern states to strike down their anti-miscegenation laws, creates a unique opportunity to explore the impact of an exogenous change in a state’s laws regulating interracial marriages. This study investigates the relationship between anti-miscegenation laws, black/white interracial marriage and black Americans’ geographical distribution using three decades of the U.S. census data. The results suggest that the timing and voluntary/involuntary repeal of statutes banning black/white interracial marriages impacted the locational distribution of married black males. The relationship is less clear-cut for black females. However, length of exposure to anti-miscegenation laws is found to be related to the geographical sorting patterns of both black males and females. A few patterns in the data suggest that social norms and local culture may be influential in this relationship and the findings imply that unless a society is ready to change, the government cannot fully offset the negative impact of past bans and punishments.
Exploring multi-core limitations through comparison of contemporary systems

Our research aims at evaluating the performance of contemporary multi-core platforms, the quad-core AMD Barcelona and the dual-core Intel Woodcrest, for scientific applications. We used the High Performance Computing Challenge (HPCC) benchmark suite, which contains test cases for quantifying performance of the memory and communication sub-systems. Analyzing the performance of multi-core devices allows us to identify system parameters and configurations that could yield optimal performance. Since these devices are building blocks of the fastest supercomputing systems, the insights into performance behavior provide guidance for designing future high performance computing resources. Our results demonstrate that without multi-core aware optimization the achievable performance decreases as the number of cores per socket increases.
Psychological Resilience and Positive Emotional Granularity: Examining the Benefits of Positive Emotions on Coping and Health

For centuries, folk theory has promoted the idea that positive emotions are good for your health. Accumulating empirical evidence is providing support for this anecdotal wisdom. We use the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions (Fredrickson, 1998; 2001) as a framework to demonstrate that positive emotions contribute to psychological and physical well-being via more effective coping. We argue that the health benefits advanced by positive emotions may be instantiated in certain traits that are characterized by the experience of positive emotion. Towards this end, we examine individual differences in psychological resilience (the ability to bounce back from negative events by using positive emotions to cope) and positive emotional granularity (the tendency to represent experiences of positive emotion with precision and specificity). Individual differences in these traits are examined in two studies, one using psychophysiological evidence, the second using evidence from experience sampling, to demonstrate that positive emotions play a crucial role in enhancing coping resources in the face of negative events. Implications for research on coping and health are discussed.
Lignin Impact on Fiber Degradation. 3. Reversal of Inhibition of Enzymatic Hydrolysis by Chemical Modification of Lignin and by Additives

The impact of lignins of various origins on filter paper hydrolysis by fungal cellulase was evaluated. Powdered lignins were added to enzyme incubations, either as isolated or after thorough hydroxypropylation of phenolic sites. Extent of cellulose hydrolysis was reduced by 14−60% by the addition of up to 15% lignin to the substrate. Unmodified lignins were more detrimental to cellulose hydrolysis than hydroxypropylated lignins. The inhibitory effect of lignin addition was only partially overcome by a 10-fold increase in cellulase activity, suggesting inhibitory lignin interactions with both substrate and enzyme. Preincubation of cellulase with underivatized lignins resulted in reduced enzyme activity and soluble protein concentration in the supernatant, suggesting protein precipitation with lignin rather than reduced activity of a lignin−enzyme complex as the inhibitory mechanism. Two further experiments showed that the negative impact of lignin on cellulose hydrolysis can be counteracted by addition of ...
The expression of TIA-1+ cytolytic-type granules and other cytolytic lymphocyte-associated markers in CD30+ anaplastic large cell lymphomas (ALCL): Correlation with morphology, immunophenotype, ultrastructure, and clinical features

Anaplastic large cell lymphomas (ALCL) are a heterogeneous group of CD30+ large cell lymphomas; the most characteristic type have a T or null cell phenotype, often express epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) and cytolytic lymphocyte markers, and often possess a nonrandom t(2;5)(p23;q35) chromosomal translocation. We studied 22 (19 T, 1 null, 2 B cell) ALCL, including four primary cutaneous ALCL (PC-ALCL), for the expression of TIA-1, the cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) or natural killer (NK) cell-associated antigens CD4, CD8, betaF1, TCRdelta1, CD56, and CD57, the ALCL-associated antigens p80 and EMA, and the Hodgkin's disease-associated marker CD15 to better define the relationship of these markers to histological subtype, primary site, and patient clinical characteristics. TIA-1 expression was seen in 12 of 20 (60%) T or null cell ALCLs with a cytoplasmic, granular distribution. Ultrastructural studies showed cytotoxic-type granules (dense core, multivesicular, and intermediate types) with TIA-1 localized to granules on immunogold labeling. TIA-1 staining strongly correlated with young patient age (< or = 32 years, P < .05) and EMA expression (P < .05). Excluding the four PC-ALCL cases, TIA-1 staining also correlated with p80 expression (P < .05) in all of the T cell cases. Three CD15+ cases were TIA-1-. TIA-1 expression in T or null cell ALCL was seen in all morphological subtypes (2 of 2 small cell variant, 3 of 4 monomorphic variant, and 7 of 14 pleomorphic variant) and primary tumor sites (6 of 14 nodal, 2 of 4 primary cutaneous, 2 of 2 bone, and 2 of 2 soft tissue). TIA-1+ granules were seen in all subsets: 5 of 6 CD4+, 1 of 2 CD8+, 4 of 8 CD56+, and 1 of 2 CD57+ ALCL. Of note, 4 of 10 T or null cell ALCL expressed gammadelta T-cell receptors (TCR), whereas only 1 of 10 T or null cell ALCL was alphabeta TCR+; TCR were not detected in five cases. TIA-1 was expressed by 3 of 4 gammadelta TCR+ ALCL and 1 of 1 alphabeta TCR+ ALCL. These data support a cytotoxic lymphocyte phenotype in most T or null cell ALCL and suggest that some T cell ALCL are derived from cytolytic CD4+ T cells, gammadelta T cells, or NK-like (CD56+ or CD57+) T cells.
Pruritus in polycythaemia vera: prevalence, laboratory correlates and management

In a retrospective cohort, 192 (48%) out of 397 patients with polycythaemia vera had a documented history of pruritus. At diagnosis, the presence of pruritus was significantly associated with a lower mean corpuscular volume and a higher leucocyte count. Among 66 patients with documentation of treatment for pruritus, 389 'patient visits' were reviewed, revealing a significant correlation between active pruritus and low mean corpuscular volume, but not platelet, leucocyte or basophil count. Paroxetine and hydroxyzine were rated by patients to be the most effective drugs in controlling pruritus. These observations suggest a pathogenetic role for both iron deficiency and biogenic amines in polycythaemia vera-associated pruritus.
Power control for device-to-device communications as an underlay to cellular system

In this work, we consider Quality of Service (QoS) guarantee for Device to Device (D2D) users co-existing with a cellular system where the D2D communication links are sharing radio spectrum resources with macrocell users in the downlink. Despite the lofty advantages associated with D2D communications, one major concern is the resulting interference from the D2D users, which should not infringe on the service quality requirements of the User Equipments (UEs). In this work, we investigate the scenario in which D2D communications operates simultaneously with downlink transmissions from the Evolved Node B (eNB). Power control problem for the D2D users is formulated in order to optimize the energy efficiency of the eNB users as well as to ensure that QoS of D2D devices and UEs does not fall below the acceptable target. The feasible conditions of the power control problem are derived and then the centralized and the distributed solutions are obtained. We further suggest jointly designed dynamic power control and channel re-allocation algorithm that will guarantee the priority of the UEs. Effectiveness of the proposed scheme is demonstrated through extensive simulations.
A Transaction Model to Improve Data Availability in Mobile Computing

We incorporate a prewrite operation before a write operation in a mobile transaction to improve data availability. A prewrite operation does not update the state of a data object but only makes visible the future value that the data object will have after the final commit of the transaction. Once a transaction reads all the values and declares all the prewrites, it can pre-commit at mobile host (MH) (computer connected to unreliable mobile communication network). The remaining transaction's execution (writes on database) is shifted to the mobile service station (MSS) (computer connected to the reliable fixed network). Writes on database consume time and resources and are therefore shifted to MSS and delayed. This reduces wireless network traffic congestion. Since the responsibility of expensive part of the transaction's execution is shifted to the MSS, it also reduces the computing expenses at mobile host. A pre-committed transaction's prewrite values are made visible both at mobile and at fixed database servers before the final commit of the transaction. Thus, it increases data availability during frequent disconnection common in mobile computing. Since a pre-committed transaction does not abort, no undo recovery needs to be performed in our model. A mobile host needs to cache only prewrite values of the data objects which take less memory, transmission time, energy and can be transmitted over low bandwidth. We have analysed various possible schedules of running transactions concurrently both at mobile and fixed database servers. We have discussed the concurrency control algorithm for our transaction model and proved that the concurrent execution of our transaction processing model produces only serializable schedules. Our performance study shows that our model increases throughput and decreases transaction-abort-ratio in comparison to other lock based schemes. We have briefly discussed the recovery issues and implementation of our model.
Factors Affecting Measured Axial Compressor Tip Clearance Vortex Circulation

The relationship between turbomachinery blade circulation and tip clearance vortex circulation measured experimentally is examined using three-dimensional viscous flow computations. It is shown that the clearance vortex circulation one would measure is dependent on the placement of the fluid contour around which the circulation measurement is taken. Radial transport of vorticity results in the magnitude of the measured clearance vortex circulation generally being less than the blade circulation. For compressors, radial transport of vorticity shed form the blade tip in proximity to the endwall is the principal contributor to the discrepancy between the measured vortex circulation and blade circulation. Further, diffusion of vorticity shed at the blade tip toward the endwall makes it impossible in most practical case to construct a fluid contour around the vortex that encloses all, and only, the vorticity shed from the blade tip. One should thus not expect agreement between measured tip clearance vortex circulation and circulation around the blade.
Diacylglycerols and mezerein activate neutrophils by a phorbol myristate acetate-like mechanism.

rac-1-O-Myristoyl-2-O-acetylglycerol, rac-1-O-palmitoyl-2-O-acetylglycerol, and rac-1-O-oleoyl-2-O-acetylglycerol acted like phorbol myristate acetate and mezerein in stimulating human neutrophil aggregation. Responses to these agents were equally influenced by cytochalasin B, extracellular calcium and magnesium, arachidonate antimetabolites, and procedures that rendered the cells desensitized to other agonists. The compounds also inhibited the binding of [3H]-phorobol myristate acetate to its receptor on neutrophils. Thus, these agents are biologically homologous. They act by binding to a common receptor. This receptor may function physiologically as a transducer for endogenous glycerides that form in cells challenged by other stimuli.
Parading in public: patrician women and sumptuary law in Renaissance Siena

In Renaissance Italy clothing, particularly of women, was strictly regulated; individuals were regularly denounced when walking through the city. Modesty was a virtue in a republican state and dress played a major part in urban identity, reflecting social values and those of the political regime. Sumptuary laws were a major mode of control, particularly of patrician women, whose dress reflected both their own and their family's wealth and status. Despite increased availability of luxurious fabrics encouraged by urban policies, legislation was used to prohibit new forms of dress and raise money for state coffers. At the end of the fifteenth century Pandolfo Petrucci (1452–1512) took control of Siena. The inner elite of his regime, particularly its female members, were given exemptions from the strict legislation and were able to flaunt their elevated status and the new social order.
Self-Evaluation, Persistence, and Performance Following Implicit Rejection: The Role of Trait Self-Esteem

In three studies, participants were primed with words connoting interpersonal acceptance, interpersonal rejection, or other aversive outcomes. Study 1 revealed that participants low in self-esteem responded to rejection (compared to other) primes by appraising themselves less positively and more negatively, whereas those high in self-esteem showed the opposite tendency. Study 2 showed that implicit rejection caused participants low in self-esteem to give up sooner on a difficult (unsolvable) anagram task but led those high in self-esteem to persist longer. Study 3 revealed that primed rejection hampered performance among low-self-esteem participants but somewhat improved performance among high-self-esteem participants. Taken together, the findings indicated that people with low self-esteem automatically respond to interpersonal rejection with self-deprecation and withdrawal, whereas those with high self-esteem tend to react with affirmation and perseverance. People with low self-esteem appear to possess f...
Aristotle’s Natural Deduction System

In the present article we attempt to show that Aristotle’s syllogistic is an underlying logic which includes a natural deductive system and that it is not an axiomatic theory as had previously been thought. We construct a mathematical model which reflects certain structural aspects of Aristotle’s logic and we examine both the mathematical properties of the model and the relation of the model to the system of logic envisaged in certain scattered parts of Prior and Posterior Analytics.
Eye protection during mastoid surgery

A questionnaire was sent to all Full Members of the British Association of Otolaryngologists to ascertain whether and what type of eye protection surgeons and theatre nurses wear during mastoid surgery. Despite Department of Health recommendations only 58 per cent of surgeons and 19 per cent of theatre nurses routinely wear any form of eye protection.
A critical evaluation of a percutaneous diagnostic and treatment strategy for chylothorax after thoracic surgery

Objective: Because chylothorax complicating thoracic surgery is difficult to diagnose and failure of nonoperative management necessitates further surgery, we critically evaluated an evolving percutaneous strategy for diagnosing and treating chylothorax. Methods: After thoracic surgery, 37 patients with a clinical diagnosis of chylothorax were referred for lymphangiography for definitive diagnosis and percutaneous treatment. Successful localization of the cisterna chyli by lymphangiogram facilitated percutaneous cannulation of the thoracic duct and its embolization. In patients in whom cannulation was not possible, the thoracic duct was percutaneously disrupted. Results: Diagnosis: Lymphangiography was successful in 36 of the 37 patients (97%). Contrast extravasation, confirming clinical diagnosis, was present in 21 of the 36 (58%). Management: Twenty-one of 36 patients underwent 22 lymphangiographically directed percutaneous interventions: 12 embolizations and 10 disruptions. Mortality was zero, with two manageable complications. Patients without percutaneous intervention were discharged a median of 7 days (range 4-58) after first lymphangiography, 8 days (range 2-19) after percutaneous embolization, and 19 days (range 6-48) after first disruption. Eight patients had nine subsequent reoperations for chylothorax, two with negative lymphangiograms; no embolization patient required reoperation. Conclusions: There is a discrepancy between the clinical diagnosis of chylothorax after thoracic surgery and the presumed gold standard of diagnosis, contrast extravasation at lymphangiogram. Percutaneous treatment by thoracic duct embolization or disruption is safe and may obviate reoperation, but embolization of the thoracic duct is preferable to its disruption.
The Chemistry of Sulfur

The chemistry of sulfur is of immense economic importance. The industrialized world rolls on tires vulcanized with sulfur and more sulfuric acid is manufactured than any other chemical, annual worldwide production being well in excess of 108 tons. The chemistry of sulfur is also of widespread and growing environmental concern. Atmospheric sulfur and its oxides are acidifying the lakes of North America and erasing the trees, buildings and statuary of western Europe. On a less headline-catching scale, sulfur compounds erode and foul metal, an action of major economic consequence. The largest cultural source of sulfur dioxide is the burning of coal. In the 1960s, the release of sulfur from coal exceeded the world’s industrial production of sulfur. However, this is placed in context by the fact that man-made release of sulfur into the atmosphere in any one year is exceeded by a single volcanic eruption of the magnitude of Katmai (1912), Hekla (1947), or Agung, in Bali (1963).
Development of a Tool to Assess the Team Leadership Skills of Medical Residents.

Purpose: To develop a tool to assess the team leadership skills of internal medicine residents. Method: A 27-item pilot instrument developed by two authors was distributed to interns on ward and intensive care unit teams at the end of rotations from a single institution’s internal medicine res­idency program. These items were factor analyzed and reduced to a seven-item resident leadership scale (RLS). Validity of the instrument was assessed by comparing the rating on the RLS to scores on a validated measure of teaching skills provided at the same time and by the program director’s global rating of team leadership skill for each resident at the completion of data collection. Results: The three principal components from the factor analysis explained 82 percent of the vari­ance. By introspection we reduced the scale to the final 7-item RLS that had a Cronbach alpha reliability estimate of 0.95. 490 ratings on 134 individual residents were available for analysis. The RLS scores correlated highly with both the validated measure of teaching skill and the program director’s ratings. Conclusion: The RLS has robust psychometric properties. It may provide a useful tool for a broader assessment of trainee skill if validated in other settings. Keywords: graduate medical education, management, leadership, assessment
A Queued-Code Based on LDPC Block Codes

A 'queued-code' is a novel code which allows for instantaneous rate adaptation, to match the current channel state information (CSI), assumed known to the transmitter. Previously, information theoretic codes were analyzed in the regime of large delay bounds. Numerical results had demonstrated the performance gain of these codes over fixed rate codes, in a range of situations. This paper presents queued-codes which are designed using low density parity check (LDPC) block codes. Simulation results demonstrate performance gain of these codes over fixed rate LDPC block codes. The simulation results are consistent with the numerical results obtained for the information theoretic codes, which is a satisfying result. Further, this paper argues for the use of rate adaptation within a codeword, as opposed to rate adaptation across codewords, when CSI is available at the transmitter.
Omnipotence without omniscience: efficient sensor management for planning

Classical planners have traditionally made the closed world assumption — facts absent from the planner's world model are false. Incomplete-information planners make the open world assumption — the truth value of a fact absent from the planner's model is unknown, and must be sensed. The open world assumption leads to two difficulties: (1) How can the planner determine the scope of a universally quantified goal? (2) When is a sensory action redundant, yielding information already known to the planner? This paper describes the fully-implemented XII planner, which solves both problems by representing and reasoning about local closed world information (LCW). We report on experiments utilizing our UNIX softbot (software robot) which demonstrate that LCW can substantially improve the softbot's performance by eliminating redundant information gathering.
RAD7 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae: transcripts, nucleotide sequence analysis, and functional relationship between the RAD7 and RAD23 gene products.

Abstract The RAD7 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was cloned on a 4.0-kilobase (kb) DNA fragment and shown to provide full complementation of a rad7-delta mutant strain. The nucleotide sequence of a 2.2-kb DNA fragment which contains the complete RAD7 gene was determined. Transcription of the RAD7 gene initiates at multiple sites in a region spanning positions -61 to -8 of the DNA sequence. The 1.8-kb RAD7 mRNA encodes a protein of 565 amino acids with a predicted size of 63.7 kilodaltons. The hydropathy profile of the RAD7 protein indicates a highly hydrophilic amino terminus and a very hydrophobic region toward the carboxyl terminus. A RAD7 subclone deleted for the first 99 codons complements the rad7-delta mutation, but not the rad7-delta rad23-delta double mutation, indicating that the RAD23 protein can compensate for the function that is missing in the amino-terminally deleted RAD7 protein. The RAD7 and RAD23 genes in multicopy plasmids do not complement the rad23-delta and rad7-delta mutations, respectively. These observations could mean that although the two proteins might share a common functional domain, they must also perform distinct functions. Alternatively, an interaction between the RAD7 and RAD23 proteins could also account for these observations.
The Impact of ICT Expenditures on Institutionalized Democracy and Foreign Direct Investment in Developing Countries

The impacts of ICT expenditures on developing countries are examined by relying on theories of adaptive structuration, global and local adaptation, and network society. Local adaptation to globalization is addressed through an empirical analysis of both the economic and political subsystems of developing countries. Least-squares regression models are used to investigate the impact of ICT expenditures on institutionalized democracy and foreign direct investment over a five-year period following the initial expenditures. ICT expenditures are shown to have a strong positive impact on future levels of foreign direct investment, as well as on future levels of institutionalized democracy in developing countries. The level of institutionalized democracy is also shown to mediate the impact of ICT expenditures on foreign direct investment. The implications of these findings for policy-makers are presented and discussed.
Critical evaluation of the combined model approach for estimation of prehepatic insulin secretion

The combined model approach uses kinetic analysis of both plasma insulin and C-peptide dynamics to estimate prehepatic insulin secretion rates and parameters of insulin and C-peptide kinetics. The original model used single-compartment kinetics to describe both insulin and C-peptide despite knowledge that C-peptide follows two-compartment kinetics. The performance of the model under rapidly changing secretory conditions has come into question. Thus a more complex combined model is introduced, incorporating two-compartmental C-peptide disappearance. The addition of two-compartment C-peptide kinetics required a novel numerical approach to allow estimation of model parameters. This simulation study was undertaken to 1) compare the performance of the original combined model and 2) examine the numerical method used to identify parameters for the extended combined model with two-compartment C-peptide kinetics under simulated conditions of rapidly changing insulin and C-peptide. Monte Carlo simulation revealed that the original combined model does not provide accurate estimates of prehepatic insulin secretion under rapid kinetics. However, the extended combined model provides accurate reconstruction of prehepatic insulin secretory profile without separate quantification of C-peptide kinetics.
Therapy of locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma: unresectable and borderline patients

Systemic chemotherapy for advanced pancreatic cancer is commonly used in practice; however, the optimal strategy for both neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapy in this disease remains controversial. A particular challenge remains in patients who are considered to be locally advanced and either unresectable or borderline resectable. Offering optimal neoadjuvant therapy to this group of patients may give them the opportunity to have a curative surgical approach. This article will discuss the potential role of neoadjuvant therapy in borderline, potentially resectable pancreatic cancer. It will also discuss areas of interest in potential targets as the biology of pancreatic adenocarcinoma is further explored.
Impact of Mobility on Topology Control of Wireless Sensor Networks

In the mobile wireless sensor network, topology control is a challenging topic. In this paper, a mobile topology control framework is proposed. The network is sampled periodically, the stationary topology control algorithm is implemented repeatedly, and a common redundant transmission range is applied to each node guarantee a certain probability of connectivity. With extensive simulations, this paper investigates the settings of sampling time and redundant transmission range, for the given network deployment, mobility model, and topology control algorithm. The balance between three performance criteria in the mobile topology control algorithm is considered, including probability of connectivity, communication load, and energy efficiency.
Long-term tamoxifen treatment for breast cancer

The Development of Tamoxifen for Breast Cancer Therapy Clinical Pharmacology and Endocrinology of Long Term Tamoxifen Therapy Multisystem Biological and Symptomatic Toxicity of Tamoxifen in Postmenopausal Women Endocrine Therapy for the Premenopausal Woman The Nolvadex Adjuvant Trial Organisation (NATO) and the Cancer Research Campaign (CRC) Trial of Adjuvant Tamoxifen Therapy The Stockholm Adjuvant Tamoxifen Trial Maintenance Tamoxifen After Induction Postoperative Chemotherapy in Node Positive Breast Cancer Patients Prolonged Tamoxifen Treatment of Early Breast Cancer - the Experience of the Italian Cooperative Group for Chemo-hormonal Therapy in Early Breast Cancer Interactions of Tamoxifen with Cytotoxic Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer Tamoxifen Resistant Growth A New Approach to Breast Cancer Therapy - Total Oestrogen Ablation with Pure Antioestrogens Symptomatic Side Effects of Tamoxifen Therapy Treatment of Breast Cancer with Tamoxifen.
Phosphate-dependent glutaminase activity in rat renal cortical and medullary tubule segments

To determine whether local production of ammonium by medullary renal tubule segments may contribute to medullary ammonium accumulation, we measured activities of phosphate-dependent glutaminase (PDG) in microdissected tubule segments from rat medulla and cortex. PDG activities were very low in medullary loop of Henle segments but surprisingly high in inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD). In cortex, PDG levels were highest in distal convoluted tubule and cortical thick ascending limb, but substantial levels were also found in proximal segments, as reported previously. To determine effects of acid loading and alkali loading on PDG activity, 0.28 M NH4Cl (acid) or 0.28 M NaHCO3 (alkali) was added to rats' drinking water for 7 days. PDG activities in medullary segments were not affected by acid or alkali intake. Acid intake by rats increased PDG activity in S1 and S2 proximal convoluted tubules severalfold but did not affect the other cortical segments. We conclude that medullary loop of Henle segments probably contribute relatively little to medullary ammonium accumulation because of their low activities. The high PDG activity in IMCD suggests that ammonium could be produced and secreted by this segment. However, because total tubule length of IMCD is very low compared with proximal tubules, it appears unlikely that IMCD contributes substantially to overall renal ammonium production. PDG activity is regulated only in S1 and S2 proximal tubules, consistent with the view that the proximal tubule is the major site of regulation of renal ammonium production.
The pharmacologic basis of the treatment of myasthenia gravis.

The origins of the modern treatment of myasthenia gravis go back to the fundamental work of Loewi and Dale, identifying a chemical transmission at the myoneural junction related to the enzyme cycles built around acetylcholine. The normal cycle is described involving cholinesterase and choline acetylase to restore the enzyme to its normal state. Abnormal cycles including competitive block due to curare-like substances as well as equally serious depolarizing block from too much anticholinesterase compound present, and similarities and differences between curare poisoning and myasthenia are discussed. The difficulties in controlling the symptoms of myasthenia are described in detail. It is shown that many patients can be restored to only 50 or 60 per cent of normal and that the most effectual and carefully selected medication achieves 80 to 95 per cent normality in only about one fourth of the patients; in another fourth well over 50 per cent normalcy is reached. There is, however, a third group who attain only 40 to 60 per cent normalcy, and a final group of patients who eannot reach even 40 per cent of normal function on the most effective currently available medication.
ESA's Evolution: Artificial or Natural Selection?

Presidents of the Entomological Society of America often use their Presidential Addresses to philosophize on subjects of particular interest to them. Evolution was the general theme for the 1987 National Conference, and I wish to reflect on our past, give a brief status report of our current situation, and look to the future as we prepare for our centennial celebration and the following 100 years. What are the significant events in our past that have brought us to this point in our history? What changes have occurred in the past and what should be occurring today to properly shape the future of our profession and our society? In other words, how has ESA evolved? How is it evolving? How should it evolve? Have our changes been the result of “natural selection”? Or can they best be ascribed to “artificial selection”?
Recruiting Post-Doctoral Fellows into Global Health Research: Selecting NIH Fogarty International Clinical Research Fellows

From 2008 to 2012, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Fogarty International Clinical Research Fellows Program (FICRF) provided 1-year mentored research training at low- and middle-income country sites for American and international post-doctoral health professionals. We examined the FICRF applicant pool, proposed research topics, selection process, and characteristics of enrollees to assess trends in global health research interest and factors associated with applicant competitiveness. The majority (58%) of 67 US and 57 international Fellows were women, and 83% of Fellows had medical degrees. Most applicants were in clinical fellowships (41%) or residencies (24%). More applicants proposing infectious disease projects were supported (59%) than applicants proposing non-communicable disease (NCD) projects (41%), although projects that combined both topic areas were most successful (69%). The numbers of applicants proposing research on NCDs and the numbers of these applicants awarded fellowships rose dramatically over time. Funding provided to the FICRF varied significantly among NIH Institutes and Centers and was strongly associated with the research topics awarded.