cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A review of the use of saliva cotinine as a marker of tobacco smoke exposure

Cotinine, the major metabolite of nicotine, is a useful marker of exposure to tobacco smoke. It can be measured in plasma, urine, or saliva. However, distinguishing between active and passive smoking on the basis of a cotinine measurement may be difficult. In order to evaluate the relationship between saliva cotinine concentration and self-reported tobacco smoke exposure in both active and passive smokers, an English-language literature search using MEDLINE was conducted (1973-1989), and the bibliographies of identified articles were reviewed. Of 43 originally identified articles, only 22 met the criteria for inclusion. Specific information regarding population studied, reported tobacco smoke exposure, method of measurement, and cotinine concentrations was assessed. Passive smokers usually have cotinine concentrations in saliva below 5 ng/ml, but heavy passive exposure can result in levels greater than or equal to 10 ng/ml. Levels between 10 and 100 ng/ml may result from infrequent active smoking or regular active smoking with low nicotine intake. Levels greater than 100 ng/ml are probably the result of regular active smoking. Four categorizations of tobacco smoke exposure are suggested on the basis of saliva cotinine concentrations.
Comment on “Protecting the overall rate of Type I errors for pairwise comparisons with an omnibus test statistic”: or Fisher's two-stage strategy still does not work

H. J. Keselman et al (see record 1979-30184-001) considered ways in which the Fisher 2-stage strategy for multiple comparisons can be strengthened against heterogeneous variance or unequal sample sizes. The Fisher strategy is still unacceptable, even with these improvements, because the actual exper
Infection control: beyond the horizon

This article will consider possible future directions for innovation and research in infection prevention and control, and will make the case for the importance of including clinical and cost-effectiveness evaluation in such research. Opportunities for studies in a number of broad subject areas will be considered, including prevention and control of existing and emerging infection hazards, the challenges posed by changes in the way that medical care is being delivered, technological developments that could be harnessed for infection prevention and control, how new laboratory diagnostic technologies might benefit infection prevention and control, cleaning and decontamination, and the infection control aspects of hospital design. The need for robust economic data to support the wide and timely implementation of evidence-based practice is emphasized.
Easy extraction of enzymes from small amounts of woody tissue.

Abstract Mature woody stems are hard and sometimes dry or resinous, and contain few living cells per unit volume. The living cells of woody stems form a shallow layer between the outer bark and wood. The living layer consists of immature phloem and xylem, in addition to cambium, which originates these cells. The enzymes of woody stems are thus confined within a tenaciously protected thin zone. Enzyme extraction underlies studies of intermediary metabolism related to xylem production, wound healing, organ regeneration, disease invasion, aging, translocation, and numerous other physiological problems. The intermediary metabolism of woody stems has been cursorily explored, we feel, because there are no workable techniques by which enzymes can be reproducibly extracted from suitable experimental samples. Simplicity, yielding reproducible activity of the desired enzyme, is a major criterion for judging the workability of an extraction method. Moreover, although the experimental plant may be large, extraction capability must include small samples necessitated by limited areas of response or development. We can now report a semiquantitative technique that simply and effectively extracts active enzymes from small amounts of woody and other tissue. In essence, samples are lyophilized, and the lyophilized powders extracted in a conical glass homogenizer. Evidence will be presented which demonstrates the reliability of the technique when used with appropriate buffers, and ancillary methods, which are also described.
Nanoscale ridge aperture as near-field transducer for heat-assisted magnetic recording

Near-field transducer based on nanoscale optical antenna has been shown to generate high transmission and strongly localized optical spots well below the diffraction limit. In this paper, nanoscale ridge aperture antenna is considered as near-field transducer for heat-assisted magnetic recording. The spot size and transmission efficiency produced by ridge aperture are numerically studied. We show that the ridge apertures in a bowtie or half-bowtie shape are capable of generating small optical spots as well as elongated optical spots with desired aspect ratios for magnetic recording. The transmission efficiency can be improved by adding grooves around the apertures.
Trapped-particle evacuation: Source of magnetotail bursts and tailward flows?

Observational and theoretical evidence that the polar cap can expand rapidly enough during the growth phase of a substorm to release geomagnetically trapped particles from previously closed drift shells, enabling the particles to escape into the tail, are examined. Observations show that the moving separatrix can overtake convecting nightside plasma during intervals of polar-cap expansion. Models of this phenomenon suggest that closed nightside field lines can be evaculated of their particle populations, and it is noted that such evacuations can account for the occurrence of energetic-particle bursts in the tail.
Magnetite scavenging and the buoyancy of bubbles in magmas. Part 1: Discovery of a pre-eruptive bubble in Bishop rhyolite

Little is known about the presence, distribution and size of bubbles in rhyolitic magmas prior to eruption. Using X-ray tomography to study pumice from early-erupted Bishop rhyolite, we discovered a large vesicle with abundant magnetite crystals attached to its walls. Attachment of magnetite crystals to bubble walls under pre-eruptive conditions can explain the cluster of magnetite crystals as a result of bubbles rising and collecting magnetite crystals. Alternatively, bubbles may have nucleated on magnetite crystals and then coalesced to form one large bubble with multiple magnetite crystals attached to it. We argue that the clusters of magnetite crystals could not have formed during or after eruptive decompression, and conclude that this vesicle corresponds to a bubble present prior to eruptive decompression. The inferred presence of pre-eruptive bubbles in the Bishop magma confirms the interpretation that the magma was volatile-saturated prior to eruption. The pre-eruptive size of this bubble is estimated based on three independent approaches: (1) the current size of the vesicle, (2) the total cross-sectional area of the magnetite crystals, and (3) the bubble size required for the aggregate to be neutrally buoyant. These approaches suggest a pre-eruptive bubble 300–850 μm in diameter, with a preferred value of 600–750 μm.
Immobilized enzyme cellulose hollow fibers: I. Immobilization of heparinase

The immobilization of heparinase to tresyl-chloride-activated cellulose hollow fibers for the removal of heparin from the bloodstream was examined. Whole blood can be circulated through cellulose hollow fibers without hemolysis and the tresyl chloride chemistry provides a strong linkage which limits the release of the enzyme from the support. The tresylation and immobilization methods were modified and optimized to improve the heparinase activity retained by cellulose. Pretreatment of the hollow fibers with 0.05/V sodium hydroxide increased the degree of tresylation and the immobilization yield by a factor of five. The use of triethylamine as the organic base in the tresyl chloride activation resulted in threefold greater activity retention by the support than when pyridine was used. Together, sodium hydroxide pretreatment and triethylamine enhanced the activity retained by cellulose to 26.2 +/- 7.0% of that bound to the support. The activity retention was also a function of the technique used for immobilization. The best results were achieved when the enzyme was applied to the activated fibers once every 12 to 24 h for a total of four times. The active enzyme loading on the fibers was 0.3 mg heparin degraded/h cm(2) when 4.5 microg protein/cm(2) was bound to the fibers.
Ectopic and increased expression of fasciclin II alters motoneuron growth cone guidance

Abstract We used the enhancer detection GAL4 system in Drosophila to direct increased levels of Fasciclin II (Fas II) expression on motoneuron growth cones and axons and to direct ectopic Fas II expression on other cells they encounter. Four classes of abnormal phenotypes are, observed: "bypass" phenotypes, in which axons fail to defasciculate at the choice point where they would normally enter their muscle target region and instead extend past their target; "detour" phenotypes, in which these bypass growth cones enter their muscle target region at a different location; "stall" phenotypes, in which axons that enter their muscle target region fail to defasciculate from one another to probe their muscle targets; and "misroute" phenotypes, in which growth cones are diverted onto abnormal pathways by contact with Fas II-positive cells. These phenotypes show that changes in the pattern and level of Fas 11 expression can alter growth cone guidance, apparently in part by modulating the ability of these growth cones to respond to other guidance cues.
Localization of DNA in Coxiella burnetii by post-embedding immunoelectron microscopy.

Abstract : Coxiella burnetii, the etiological agent of Q fever, is a mildly acidophilic obligate intracellular bacterium which grows only in the phagolysosomes of eukaryotic cells. Growth of C. burnetii within the phagolysosomes leads to the formation of distinctly different morphological cell types, namely, the spore, the small cell variant (SCV), and the large cell variant(LCV). Ultrastructural studies have provided supportive evidence that C. burnetii multiplies by transverse binary fission. In addition to a typical bacterial growth cycle, C. burnetii undergoes sporogenic differentiation. An asymmetrical cellular division of the cytoplasm of the mother cell leads to the formation of the spore, which resembles the SCV after release of this cell from the mother cell. The two morphological cell types are therefore members of a developmental cycle that consists of both vegetative growth and sporogenic cellular differentiation.
Access to spine care for the poor and near poor

Abstract Background context Access to care for poor/near poor patients is a concerning and growing problem within the American system of medical care. Purpose The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between health insurance status and access to spine care among patients below 65 years of age eventually receiving treatment at our tertiary academic medical center. Study design Descriptive study based on chart review and telephone interviews. Patient sample Two groups of 64 patients each with surgical pathology of limited complexity and limited comorbidities, one with Medicaid insurance and one with private, commercial insurance. Outcome measures Reasons for referral, travel distance, travel time, frequency of visits, and proximity of fellowship-trained spinal surgeons. Methods Two groups, each with 64 consecutive spine surgical patients, were studied and compared. Group One had “Medicaid” coverage and Group Two was privately insured. All patients (both groups) were treated surgically for similar pathology of limited complexity and had limited comorbdities. They were assessed to determine the difficulties they encountered in receiving care before referral to our medical center including factors such as referral by a local provider based on insurance status alone and travel time/distance/frequency to eventually receive care at our center. The availability of local care for these patients (fellowship-trained spine surgeons in their local area) was also assessed. Results The great majority (78%) of poor/near poor patients with Medicaid coverage from counties at some distance from (and local to) our center were referred/deferred on the basis of insurance status alone given surgical problems which could have comfortably been addressed by orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, or fellowship-trained spine surgeons local to the patient. This difficulty in access to care results in a significant burden (measured in time/travel/costs) for these patients. Conclusions The poor/near poor with Medicaid insurance have less access to local spine care than those with private, commercial health insurance. The implications (from both surgeon and patient perspectives) of this dilemma are discussed.
On the structure and composition of forbidden sequences, with geometric applications

Forbidden substructure theorems have proved to be among of the most versatile tools in bounding the complexity of geometric objects and the running time of geometric algorithms. To apply them one typically transcribes an algorithm execution or geometric object as a sequence over some alphabet or a 0-1 matrix, proves that this object avoids some subsequence or submatrix σ, then uses an off the shelf bound on the maximum size of such a σ-free object. As a historical trend, expanding our library of forbidden substructure theorems has led to better bounds and simpler analyses of the complexity of geometric objects.We establish new and tight bounds on the maximum length of generalized Davenport-Schinzel sequences, which are those whose subsequences are not isomorphic to some fixed sequence σ. (The standard Davenport-Schinzel sequences restrict σ to be of the form abab...) We prove that N-shaped forbidden subsequences (of the form abc ... xyzyx ... cbabc ... xyz) have a linear extremal function. Our proof dramatically improves an earlier one of Klazar and Valtr in the leading constants and overall simplicity. This result tightens the (astronomical) leading constants in Valtr's O(n log n) bound on geometric graphs without k=O(1) mutually crossing edges. We prove tight Θ(nα(n)) bounds on sequences avoiding both ababab and all M-shaped sequences of the form ab ... yzzy ... baab ... yzzy ... ba. A consequence of this result is that the complexity of the union of n δ-fat triangles is O(n log*n α(n)), which improves, slightly, a recent bound of Ezra, Aronov, and Sharir. Here α is the inverse-Ackermann function. We give a complete characterization of 3-letter linear and nonlinear forbidden subsequences without repetitions. Specifically, a repetition-free forbidden subsequence is nonlinear (Ω(nα(n))) if and only if contains ababa, abcacbc, or its reversal; all others are linear.Many of our results are obtained by reinterpreting (forbidden) sequences as (forbidden) 0-1 matrices, which can alternatively be thought of as point sets with integer coordinates. By considering a dual sequence/matrix representation we can then apply techniques from both domains in tandem. For example, some of our results use a new composition operation on 0-1 matrices called grafting, which has no exact counterpart in the domain of sequences.
Practice patterns of sedation for colonoscopy.

Background Sedative and analgesic medications have been used routinely for decades to provide patient comfort, reduce procedure time, and improve examination quality during colonoscopy. Objective To evaluate trends of sedation during colonoscopy in the United States. Setting Endoscopic data repository of U.S. gastroenterology practices (Clinical Outcomes Research Initiative, CORI database from 2000 until 2013). Patients The study population was made up of patients undergoing a total of 1,385,436 colonoscopies. Interventions Colonoscopy without any intervention or with mucosal biopsy, polypectomy, various means of hemostasis, luminal dilation, stent placement, or ablation. Main Outcome Measurements Dose of midazolam, diazepam, fentanyl, meperidine, diphenhydramine, promethazine, and propofol used for sedation during colonoscopy. Results During the past 14 years, midazolam, fentanyl, and propofol have become the most commonly used sedatives for colonoscopy. Except for benzodiazepines, which were dosed higher in women than men, equal doses of sedation were given to female and male patients. White patients were given higher doses than other ethnic groups undergoing sedation for colonoscopy. Except for histamine-1 receptor antagonists, all sedative medications were given at lower doses to patients with increasing age. The dose of sedatives was higher in colonoscopies associated with procedural interventions or of long duration. Limitations Potential for incomplete or incorrect documentation in the database. Conclusion The findings reflect on colonoscopy practice in the United States during the last 14 years and provide an incentive for future research on how sex and ethnicity influence sedation practices.
Kinematics of faint white dwarfs

An analysis has been made for solar motion for 128 very faint white dwarfs of color class b or a. While about 40% of these stars may be high-velocity objects, it seems definitely indicated that the luminosity of all of them is considerably lower than that for the “normal” white dwarf of the same color.
The human side of merger planning

Abstract This article argues that chief executive officers and staff planners must more explicitly integrate ‘change planning’ with the other dimensions of merger planning (e.g. financial, marketing) if implementation is to be successful. Based on recent research, guidelines for gaining acceptance of merger are presented and discussed. The need to distinguish between gaining initial acceptance, on the one hand, and continuing acceptance on the other is stressed, and the guidelines carry forward that distinction. Such guidelines should be integrated into the overall strategic plan developed for merger.
Modeling and signal processing of magneto-optic images for aviation applications

Magneto-optic imaging (MOI) is a relatively new technology that produces analog images of magnetic flux leakage from surface and subsurface defects. An alternating current carrying foil serves as the excitation source and induces eddy currents in a conducting test specimen. Under normal conditions, the associated magnetic flux is tangential to specimen surface. Anomalies in the specimen result in generating a normal component of the magnetic flux density. The magneto-optic sensor produces a binary valued image of this anomalous magnetic field. The current system has two shortcomings. First, the presence of a textured background due to the domain structures in the sensor makes detection of third layer cracks and corrosion difficult. Second, the qualitative nature of the MO images does not provide a basis for making quantitative improvements to the MOI system. The availability of a theoretical model that can simulate the MOI system performance is extremely important for the optimization of the MOI sensor and hardware system. This paper presents a finite element model and its use in understanding the capabilities of the MOI system. In addition the paper also presents signal-processing methods for eliminating the background noise.
Politics in Global Cities: Los Angeles Charter Reform and the New Social Movements

In this paper I analyze the recently completed struggle to rewrite the city charter of Los Angeles. I read charter reform in the context of an emergent literature on politics in global cities. That literature emphasizes the rising importance in global city politics of new social movements among marginalized populations. It argues that the new movements are increasingly playing a central role in global city politics. In the struggle over charter reform in Los Angeles, however, such movements were conspicuously absent. This finding does not invalidate the literature on new movements in global city politics, but it does point to the need for more detailed research into just what role such movements will play in global city politics. In particular, the case suggests that both formal political structures and electoral politics remain significant features of global city politics. If the new social movements are to have a lasting and transforming impact on global city politics, part of their project will have to...
The reactions of dirhenium complexes with tris(diphenylphosphino)methane. The conversion of the dirhenium(III) complex cis-Re2(O2CCH3)2Cl4(py)2 to mononuclear trans-ReCl2[η2-HC(PPh2)3]2☆

Abstract The reaction of tris(diphenylphosphino)methane (HC(PPh2)3, abbreviated tripod) with Re2Cl4(PMe3)4 in hot ethanol leads to the formation of Re2Cl4(μ-dppm)(PMe3)2 as the major product (dppm = Ph2PCH2PPh2). The compound trans-ReCl2[η2-HC(PPh2)3]2 was obtained as a minor product from the reaction of cis-Re2(O2CCH3)2Cl4(py)2 with HC(PPh2)3. This complex, which was structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography, is an example of a small but growing class of mononuclear rhenium(II) complexes that have a trans-ReCl2P4 octahedral geometry. Crystal data at +20 °C: triclinic space group P 1 (No. 2), a = 10.867(1), b = 13.157(1), c = 13.4060(9) A , α = 109.279(6), β = 98.477(5), γ = 112.198(6)°, V = 1591.9(6) A 3 , Z = 1 . The structure was refined by full-matrix least-squares to R = 0.034 (Rw = 0.043) for 5005 data with I>3σ(I).
A colorimetric method for the determination of hydrazine and monomethylhydrazine in blood.

Abstract A simple procedure is described for measuring microgram amounts of hydrazine in the blood serum of rats. The procedure, with a minor modification, can be used for measuring microgram amounts of monomethylhydrazine. Calibration ranges of 0.5 to 5.0 μg of hydrazine and 0.5 to 10.0 μg of monomethylhydrazine per milliliter are presented. Data are presented on the dose-blood-level relationship of hydrazine and monomethylhydrazine in rats after intraperitoneal injection. Minimum detectable dose levels were 0.6 mg of hydrazine and 3.0 mg of monomethylhydrazine per kilogram.
MRI-Guided Percutaneous Cryotherapy for Soft-Tissue and Bone Metastases: Initial Experience

OBJECTIVE. We sought to determine the safety and feasibility of percutaneous MRI-guided cryotherapy in the care of patients with refractory or painful metastatic lesions of soft tissue and bone adjacent to critical structures.MATERIALS AND METHODS. Twenty-seven biopsy-proven metastatic lesions of soft tissue (n = 17) and bone (n = 10) in 22 patients (15 men, seven women; age range, 24–85 years) were managed with MRI-guided percutaneous cryotherapy. The mean lesion diameter was 5.2 cm. Each lesion was adjacent to or encasing one or more critical structures, including bowel, bladder, and major blood vessels. A 0.5-T open interventional MRI system was used for cryoprobe placement and ice-ball monitoring. Complications were assessed for all treatments. CT or MRI was used to determine local control of 21 tumors. Pain palliation was assessed clinically in 19 cases. The mean follow-up period was 19.5 weeks.RESULTS. Twenty-two (81%) of 27 tumors were managed without injury to adjacent critical structures. Two pat...
Influence of combined angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and spironolactone on serum K+, Mg 2+, and Na+ concentrations in small dogs with degenerative mitral valve disease.

Abstract Objective To determine if the administration of an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) plus spironolactone caused hyperkalemia, hypermagnesemia, or hyponatremia in elderly small dogs with degenerative mitral valve disease (MVD). Background ACEIs and spironolactone can increase serum potassium and magnesium concentrations and lower serum sodium concentrations. It has been recommended to either not combine these drugs or to do so with caution. Animals, material and methods Fifty client-owned dogs with MVD, left atrial dilation, and without congestive heart failure or azotemia were evaluated retrospectively. Baseline data sets, followed by 1–9 (mean = 2.66) data sets, comprised of serum urea nitrogen (SUN), creatinine, sodium, potassium, and magnesium concentrations, were tabulated. Each dog received an ACEI plus spironolactone for a mean of 23.8 ± 26.6 weeks (range: 2–150) and a median of 15 weeks. No cardiac drugs other than an ACEI and spironolactone were administered during the study period. Results There were no significant differences between baseline and follow-up serum sodium or potassium concentrations. Serum magnesium concentrations increased significantly ( p = 0.02) with time >20 weeks compared to baseline. Conclusions The combination of an ACEI and spironolactone results in no significant difference between baseline and follow-up serum sodium or potassium concentrations. Although serum magnesium concentrations may increase significantly with time >20 weeks compared to baseline concentrations, hypermagnesemia appears to be rare, mild, and unlikely to be of clinical importance. The combination of an ACEI and spironolactone is safe in elderly small dogs with MVD with normal SUN and creatinine concentrations.
Abstract 327: Targeting autophagy overcomes enzalutamide resistance in castrate-resistant prostate cancer cells and improves therapeutic response in a xenograft model

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Androgen deprivation or treatment with the androgen receptor signaling inhibitor (ARSI), Enzalutamide (MDV-3100, ENZA) or biclutamide induces autophagy in androgen-dependent and castration resistant CaP (CRPC) cell lines. This autophagic process is mediated by AMPK activation and the suppression of mTOR through Raptor phosphorylation (Serine 792). Using autophagy modulators such as clomipramine (CMI) or metformin in combination with ENZA drastically reduces the cell survival in the colony formation assay. Metformin in combination with ENZA causes AR degradation, which is inhibited by proteasome inhibitor MG132. Transcriptome deep sequencing of parental and ENZA resistant C4-2B cells was carried out to examine differential gene expression pattern that may be related to their ability to survive under constant high exposure to ARSI. In-vivo studies with mice orthotopically implanted with ENZA resistant cells demonstrates that the combination of ENZA and autophagy modulators, CMI or metformin significantly reduces tumor growth when compared to control groups (p<0.005). Blocking autophagy pharmacologically or genetically significantly impairs prostate cancer cell survival in- vitro and in-vivo, implying the therapeutics potential of autophagy inhibitors in the antiandrogen resistance setting.This work is supported in part by Stand Up To Cancer - Prostate Cancer Foundation–Prostate Dream Team Translational Cancer Research Grant. This research grant is made possible by the generous support of the Movember Foundation. Stand Up To Cancer is a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation administered by the American Association for Cancer Research. Citation Format: Joy C. Yang, Hao G. Nguyen, Hsing-Jien Kung, Xu-Bao Shi, Derya Tilki, Ralph W. deVere White, Allen C. Gao, Christopher P. Evans. Targeting autophagy overcomes enzalutamide resistance in castrate-resistant prostate cancer cells and improves therapeutic response in a xenograft model. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 327. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-327
The community of nursing: moral friends, moral strangers, moral family.

Abstract Unlike bioethicists who contend that there is a morality common to all, H. Tristan Engelhardt (1996) argues that, in a pluralistic secular society, any morality that does exist is loosely connected, lacks substantive moral content, is based on the principle of permission and, thus, is a morality between moral strangers. This, says Engelhardt, stands in contrast to a substance-full morality that exists between moral friends, a morality in which moral content is based on shared beliefs and values and exists in communities that tend to be closely knit and religiously based. Of what value does Engelhardt's description of ethics as moral friends and moral strangers have for nursing? In this essay, I attempt to show how Engelhardt's description serves to illustrate how the nursing community historically had been one of moral friends but has gradually become one of moral strangers and, hence, at risk of failing to protect patients in their vulnerability and of compromising the integrity of nursing. Building on Engelhardt's concepts, I suggest we might consider modern nursing like a moral family to the extent that members might at times relate to one another as moral strangers but still possess a desire and a need to reconnect with the common thread that binds us as moral friends. Nursing is a practice discipline. Given the challenges of modern bioethics, an applied ethic is needed to give moral direction to clinicians as we strive to conduct ourselves ethically in the practice of our profession. To that end, nursing should reflect upon and seek to reconnect with the content-full morality that is historically and religiously based.
Image Detection, Characterization and Classification, and the Future Role of CCDs in Wide-Field Astrometry

The extraction and characterisation of information from photographic emulsions is the subject of this review. Since the major Schmidt Telescope full sky surveys form the bulk of the photographic emulsions currently under intensive study, I will limit my remarks to them, although most would be applicable to any of the emulsions now in use. A listing of the major direct imaging surveys is given in the article by van Altena et al (1993).
Persistence of alphaviruses in vertebrate hosts

Alphaviruses are a group of arthropod-borne, positive-strand RNA viruses that cause acute encephalitis or arthritis. These viruses were previously thought to cause only acute infections in vertebrates, but recent evidence suggests that host immunological and tissue-specific factors may act together to promote the persistence of alphavirus genomes in vivo.
No Longer Disabled: The Federal Courts and the Politics of Social Security Disability

Prologue The Politics of Litigation Activity The Shaping of Social Security Disability Policy The Adjudication of Disability Claims A New Approach to Continuing Eligibility The Judiciary's Role in Continuing Eligibility Policymaking Conflict between the Executive and the Judiciary Passage of the 1984 Disability Reform Act Summing Up Bibliography Index
Smooth Contact Capacitive Pressure Sensors in Touch- and Peeling-Mode Operation

Capacitive (C) pressure sensors typically sense quadratic changes in C as a pressure difference (P) deflects a flexible conducting diaphragm near a rigid ground plane. Touch-mode capacitive pressure (C-P) sensors, where the conducting diaphragm touches a dielectric coated ground plane, often show a more linear response, but with less sensitivity, particularly at low-P. Initial contact of the diaphragm often occurs at a critical P. Until Pcrit is reached, the sensitivity is typically too low for accurate measurements. In this work, two different types of electrodes with ldquoparabolicrdquo and ldquodonutrdquo cavity-shapes have been designed, fabricated, and tested to achieve high-sensitivity at low-pressures. A flexible conducting diaphragm touches the bottom electrode smoothly, and both cavity shapes permit initial contact at a zero-pressure differential. This type of C-P sensors can have touch-mode and peeling-mode operations. The sensitivities of these sensors in two operation modes were measured, and their resolutions were smaller than 0.1 Pa at a mean pressure of 105 Pa. Both sensors in two modes have the resolution over total-pressure less than 106, which is difficult to achieve at atmospheric pressure.
A DDDAMS framework for real-time load dispatching in power networks

The economic environmental load dispatch problem in power networks aims at producing electricity at the lowest financial and environmental costs. In this paper, we propose a novel real-time dynamic data driven adaptive multi-scale simulation framework (RT-DDDAMS) for efficient real-time dispatching of electricity. The framework includes 1) a discovery procedure where the network is split into sub-networks and prospective fidelities are identified, 2) an RT-DDDAMS platform involving algorithms for state estimation, fidelity selection, and multi-objective optimization alongside with a system simulation; and 3) databases for storing sub-network topologies, fidelities, and selective measurements. The best compromise load dispatch obtained from this framework is then sent to the considered power network for deployment. The proposed framework is illustrated and validated via a modified IEEE-30 bus test system. The experiments reveal that the proposed framework significantly reduces the computational resource usages needed for the reliable power dispatch without compromising the quality of the solutions.
Determinants of microvascular flow.

The Hagen–Poiseuille's equation states that flow ( Q ) in a tube can be calculated as follows: (Δ Pπr 4)/(8 lη ), where l and r are the length and radius of the tube, respectively, η the viscosity of the fluid flowing through the tube, and Δ P the pressure gradient across the tube. By analogy with Ohms law, the total resistance R to flow is given by Δ P/Q or Q =Δ P/R . By combining the two equations, we get [(8 l )/( πr 4)] η . In large vessels viscosity plays a minor role. For most clinical cardiologists, whose view of coronary artery flow is limited to that in the epicardial coronary arteries, the term r 4 is all important. Once in a while they also argue about the term l , especially if they see segments with long stenosis or several stenoses in series on coronary angiography. This equation is valid only for laminar flow in straight tubes. At stenoses and bifurcations, resistance is higher than that predicted by this equation due to energy loss through turbulence. In the absence of stenoses, epicardial coronary arteries offer negligible resistance to flow and most of the resistance is at the microvascular level. The filled bars in Figure 1 show the distribution of resistances across the normal coronary circulation at baseline.1 The mean aortic pressure of 90 mmHg is reduced to a pre-capillary pressure of 45 mmHg because of resistance offered by coronary arterioles (150–300 µm in diameter). There is a further 30 mm drop of pressure across the capillary bed (the post-capillary pressure is 15 mmHg). The capillaries are very small in size and offer high resistance, but since they are arranged in parallel, the total capillary resistance decreases with increasing number of capillaries. There are 8 million capillaries in the heart. The … *Corresponding author. Tel: +1 503 494 8750; fax: +1 503 494 8550. E-mail address : kauls{at}ohsu.edu
Survival prolongation in HIV-associated progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy treated with alpha-interferon: an observational study.

A retrospective chart review was conducted to determine the effect of alpha-Interferon (alpha-IFN) on disease progresssion, symptom palliation, and survival in HIV-associated Progressive Multifocal...
METHOD FOR ANALYZING DIASPORE CLAY

The method of analyzing refractories recommended by the A. S. T. M. having proved unsatisfactory for diaspore clays, a change has been made whereby fusion is accomplished by adding c. p. NaOH instead of Na2CO3 to the finely ground clay and the mixture heated in a nickel crucible over a bunsen burner.
Identifying Drivers of Catalytic Activity Through Systematic Surface Modification of Cathode Materials

To systematically study the effect of surface composition on the catalytic activity for oxygen exchange, (La 0.8 Sr 0.2 ) 0.98 MnO 3±δ (LSM) powder was infiltrated with various metal nitrate solutions (La, Sr, Co, Fe) and then calcined to deposit the resultant metal oxide on the surface of the powder. The elements chosen for LSM infiltration were selected because they are the metal constituents of La 0.6 Sr 0.4 Co 0.2 Fe 0.8 O 3-δ (LSCF), which is initially a much more active cathode material. Results from LSM show a stronger effect from the addition of B site elements; thus, LSCF was correspondingly infiltrated with manganese. By comparing the different surfaces, a better understanding of the underlying drivers of catalytic activity is gained. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra of the infiltrated powders were compared to those of LSM and LSCF to detect differences in surface properties. The catalytic activity was examined using temperature-programmed isotope exchange, where labeled oxygen was used to determine the temperature at which the material begins to exchange oxygen with the gas phase. Cobalt infiltration improved the performance of LSM the most, while iron reduced the apparent activity. This behavior is attributed to the oxygen-surface bond strength of the oxides. Overall, LSCF remains the most active material studied, even though it contains more iron than cobalt on the B site. According to XPS, the iron on the surface of the infiltrated LSM and that on the surface of LSCF are electronically, different, while the cobalt on both surfaces are similar. Therefore, the surface composition cannot be the only consideration in predicting catalytic properties. Furthermore, surface modification did not change the apparent rate-limiting step for oxygen reduction in the infiltrated materials.
Role of the neutrophil in adult respiratory distress syndrome

Adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in surgical practice. Despite the continued advance of surgical technique and therapy, the mainstay of treatment of ARDS remains supportive. In the past decade cytokines have been found to be primary chemical mediators of the host response to inflammatory disease. The polymorphonuclear leucocyte has also emerged as a possible cellular mediator of the end-organ damage that characterizes these inflammatory processes. The role of the neutrophil as the primary cellular mediator of alveolar capillary membrane injury in ARDS remains controversial. This article reviews the relevant current literature and considers the implications of the prevailing evidence on future management of this syndrome.
Characterization of the Haemophilus influenzae tehB gene and its role in virulence.

The Haemophilus influenzae ORF designated HI1275 in the Rd KW20 genomic sequence encodes a putative S-adenosyl methyltransferase with significant similarity to tellurite-resistance determinants (tehB) in other species. While the H. influenzae tehB can complement an Escherichia coli tehB mutation, thus restoring tellurite resistance, its role in H. influenzae is unknown. In a previous study defining the iron and haem modulon of H. influenzae, we showed that transcription of this gene in H. influenzae Rd KW20 increases during growth in iron- and haem-restricted media. Since iron and haem uptake genes, and other known virulence factors, constitute the majority of the iron- and haem-regulated gene set, we postulated that tehB may play a role in nutrient acquisition and/or the virulence of H. influenzae. A tehB mutant was constructed in the H. influenzae type b strain 10810 and was evaluated for growth defects in various supplemented media, as well as for its ability to cause infection in rat models of infection. Deletion of tehB leads to an increase in sensitivity both to tellurite and to the oxidizing agents cumene hydroperoxide, tert-butyl hydroperoxide and hydrogen peroxide. The tehB mutant additionally showed a significantly reduced ability to utilize free haem as well as several haem-containing moieties including haem–human serum albumin, haemoglobin and haemoglobin–haptoglobin. Examination of the regulation kinetics indicated that transcription of tehB was independent of both tellurite exposure and oxidative stress. Paired comparisons of the tehB mutant and the wild-type H. influenzae strain 10810 showed that tehB is required for wild-type levels of infection in rat models of H. influenzae invasive disease. To our knowledge this is the first report of a role for tehB in virulence in any bacterial species. These data demonstrate that H. influenzae tehB plays a role in both resistance to oxidative damage and haem uptake/utilization, protects H. influenzae from tellurite exposure, and is important for virulence of this organism in an animal model of invasive disease.
TESTING OPTIMALITY WITH EXPERIMENTAL EVOLUTION: LYSIS TIME IN A BACTERIOPHAGE

Optimality models collapse the vagaries of genetics into simple trade-offs to calculate phenotypes expected to evolve by natural selection. Optimality approaches are commonly criticized for this neglect of genetic details, but resolution of this disagreement has been difficult. The importance of genetic details may be tested by experimental evolution of a trait for which an optimality model exists and in which genetic details can be studied. Here we evolved lysis time in bacteriophage T7, a virus of Escherichia coli. Lysis time is equivalent to the age of reproduction in an organism that reproduces once and then dies. Delaying lysis increases the number of offspring but slows generation time, and this trade-off renders the optimum sensitive to environmental conditions: earlier lysis is favored when bacterial hosts are dense, later lysis is favored when hosts are sparse. In experimental adaptations, T7 evolved close to the optimum in conditions favoring early lysis but not in conditions favoring late lysis. One of the late lysis adaptations exhibited no detectable phenotypic evolution despite genetic evolution; the other evolved only partly toward the expected optimum. Overall, the lysis time of the adapted phages remained closer to their starting values than predicted by the model. From the perspective of the optimality model, the experimental conditions were expected to select changes only along the postulated trade-off, but a trait outside the trade-off evolved as well. Evidence suggests that the model's failure ultimately stems from a violation of the trade-off, rather than a paucity of mutations.
Comparison of three teaching methods on 4- through 7-year-old children's understanding of the lungs in relation to a peak flow meter in the management of asthma: a pilot study.

This pilot study of 19 children compared three methods of teaching 4- through 7-year-old children about their lungs in relation to a peak flow meter. One group saw a doll with three-dimensional lungs, another group saw a puppet with inflatable lungs, and a comparison group received usual Asthma Clinic education. Knowledge of the lungs was measured pre- and post-teaching through two body knowledge assessment instruments. Four children in the Puppet Group improved their posttest scores, compared to three in the Doll Group and two in the Usual Care Group. Continued psychometric studies of the instruments and similar studies with larger sample sizes need to be conducted.
Spot Variance Regressions

We study a nonlinear vector regression model for discretely sampled high-frequency data with the latent spot variance of an asset as a covariate. We propose a two-stage inference procedure by rst nonparametrically recovering the volatility path from asset returns and then conducting inference based on the generalized method of moments (GMM). The GMM estimator is nonstandard in that the second-order asymptotics is dominated by a bias term, rendering the standard inference implausible. We propose several bias-correction methods and show that the bias-corrected estimators have the parametric rate of convergence with mixture normal asymptotic distributions. We provide estimators for the asymptotic variance, as well as Anderson-Rubin-type condence sets for the true parameter. Tests for overidentication and parameter stability
Drawing Accurate Inferences About the Differences between Cases in Time-Series Cross-Section Data

Researchers with time-series cross-section (TSCS) data should be aware that different methods to analyze TSCS data are designed to produce inferences about different aspects of the data. Many commonly used methods consider only the variation over time. Some consider only the variation across cases, and others draw inferences by averaging the two dimensions of variance. A new method, called the between effects estimation routine (BEER), is developed to maximize information from the TSCS data to model the cross-sectional effects while allowing these effects to change over time. Individual regressions are run, and the results are combined using a Bayesian averaging process that places larger weights on time points which are similar and proximate to the time point under consideration. This method is applied to reconsider the effect of income on state voting in US presidential elections. Simulations demonstrate that BEER is more accurate than the other commonly used TSCS methods when the goal of the researcher is to model cross-sectional effects that change in a smooth way over time.
CONMan: a step towards network manageability

Networks are hard to manage and in spite of all the so called holistic management packages, things are getting worse. We argue that the difficulty of network management can partly be attributed to a fundamental flaw in the existing architecture: protocols expose all their internal details and hence, the complexity of the ever-evolving data plane encumbers the management plane. Guided by this observation, in this paper we explore an alternative approach and propose Complexity Oblivious Network Management (CONMan), a network architecture in which the management interface of data-plane protocols includes minimal protocol-specific information. This restricts the operational complexity of protocols to their implementation and allows the management plane to achieve high level policies in a structured fashion. We built the CONMan interface of a few protocols and a management tool that can achieve high-level configuration goals based on this interface. Our preliminary experience with applying this tool to real world VPN configuration indicates the architecture's potential to alleviate the difficulty of configuration management.
Posterior Cramér-Rao bounds for Doppler biased multistatic range-only tracking

This paper investigates range-only tracking with range-Doppler coupling, where the range measurement of a target of interest is linearly biased by its range-rate (or Doppler). In previous treatments the situation was monostatic, and a simple Riccati analysis sufficed, but here the system is multistatic (notionally, a MIMO radar). Here, the closed form of posterior Cramer-Rao bound (PCRB) is derived for a multistatic system in the tracking of a kinematic target. As the coupling parameter λ can be zero, positive, or negative, a question arises: which kind of λ could result in a lower PCRB for a given system configuration? With the help of numerical analysis, we see that a positive λ may lead to the lowest PCRB, while a negative λ may result in the highest among these three possibilities.
“Green engineering: Defining the principles”— resdts from the sandestin conference

During the week of May 19, 2003, approximately 65 engineers and scientists convened at the Sandestin Resort in Florida for the first conference on “Green Engineering: Defining the Principles,” sponsored by Engineering Conferences international. Overfour days, a series of oral and poster presentations inspired discussion of green engineering principles. Each day attendees met during breakout sessions to discuss specific elements of green engineering principles. By the end of the conference, a set of nine collectively agreed upon principles that summarized all breakout session discussions had been compiled. These represent a majority view of green engineering principles as determined during the Sandestin deliberations, and should not be construed as individual opinions of any of the participants or sponsors. The Environmental Protection Agency, National Science Foundation, Department of Energy (Los Alamos National Laboratory), and the Green Chemistry institute, all provided funds to support the meeting.