cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intra-articular pressures during arthroscopic knee surgery

Arthroscopic surgery of the knee requires effective joint distention. No reports exist in the literature relating to optimal fluid pressure and dynamics of joint distention during arthroscopic knee surgery. Static and dynamic laboratory studies were performed on a knee model to establish an accurate method of measuring pressures from the arthroscopic cannula. A prospective study of 107 subjects who underwent arthroscopic surgery by one surgeon (J.W.E.) was then performed using saline distention from a saline bag wrapped with a pneumatic cuff. Intra-articular pressures ranged from 0 to 750 mm Hg, but usually fell into the zone from 70 to 120 mm Hg. A minimum pressure of 30 mm Hg was required for visualization. Variations in pressure magnitudes as well as flow rates during the procedures were studied. Technical suggestions based upon these data include maintenance of pressure between 70 and 100 mm Hg; avoidance of abrupt changes in position of the distended knee; and maintenance of lower pressure levels (35-50 mm Hg) if the synovium has been violated as in the performance of a lateral release procedure.
Mutagenicity of melanin from human red hair

TheSalmonella typhimurium histidine reversion test of Ames et al. was used to demonstrate that pheomelanin, the red-brown polymeric pigment produced in human skin and hair, becomes mutagenic after exposure to long wave-length UV-light; a finding consistent with the UV-induced somatic mutation hypothesis for the origin of freckles and the high susceptibility of redheads and blonds to sunlight-induced skin cancers.
Buoyancy in Marine Fishes: Direct and Indirect Role of Lipids'

SYNOPSIS. The major lipids that have a direct role in buoyancy of marine fish are wax esters, squalene, and alkyldiacylglycerols. Wax esters are stored extracellularly in certain fishes, such as the orange roughy ( Hoplostethus atlanticus ), and therefore buoyancy appears to be their sole function. Some myctophid fishes have wax-invested swimbladders, where the non-compressible wax esters may aid in diurnal vertical migration, by replacing compressible swimbladder gases. Squalene is metabolically inert in the livers of certain sharks, and therefore probably has buoyancy as its only function. Alkyldiacylglycerols (DAGE) are abundant components of liver oil of certain deep sea sharks and holocephalans, where they may have an important role in buoyancy. Triacylglycerols and cholesterol are lipids that have an indirect role in buoyancy of marine fish. Many fishes in the ocean have oil-filled bones (mostly triacylglycerols). Although this oil aids buoyancy, its major function is as an energy storage lipid which can be utilized during starvation. Cholesterol, which is found in high amounts in the lipid-rich membranes of the swimbladder of deep sea fishes, may aid buoyancy by combining with oxygen gas in the swimbladder membranes to facilitate gas secretion in fish at great depths in the ocean. Further research is needed to understand the physical state of lipids, such as wax esters at deep sea temperatures and pressures, and more evidence is needed to clarify the role of cholesterol-rich membranes in swimbladders of deep sea fishes.
Glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors for aldosterone

Abstract Specific binding of aldosterone and dexamethasone by rat kidney and hepatoma tissue culture (HTC) cell cytosol has been studied. In cytosol of HTC cells, aldosterone and dexamethasone bind to a single class of sites with affinities that correspond with their potencies as inducers of tyrosine aminotransferase. Kidney cytosol, however, contains two classes of specific aldosterone binding sites. The higher affinity sites bind aldosterone with an affinity (equilibrium, dissociation, constant) which is similar to the plasma concentration of aldosterone required for antinatriuresis. The lower affinity aldosterone-binding sites are present at a higher concentration than the higher affinity sites and also bind dexamethasone with a high affinity. We have tentatively identified these two classes of binding sites in renal cytosol as “mineraloeonicoid” and “glucocorticoid” receptors, respectively.
Data Assessment of The ARFTG Microwave Vector Network Analyzer Measurement Comparison Program

The purpose of the Automatic Radio Frequency Techniques Group (ARFTG) Measurement Comparison Program (MCP) is to allow participating laboratories to compare their measurements on the ARFTG standards kits to measurements obtained from other laboratories. The MCP is designed to permit the intercomparison of a large number of automatic vector network analyzers (VNA) and of different connector types. The MCP should give the participants more confidence in their measurement capabiity and assist them in identifying measurement deficiencies. A vast set of data has been collected from the Measurement Comparison Program. This paper presents a brief description of measurement requirements and then an assessment of the interlaboratory measurement data of each kit. Conclusions will be presented regarding the repeatability and reproducibility of each kit.
Lithium and affective disorder in the elderly

Abstract Affective disorder and suicide are major health problems in the elderly. Effective pharmacologic treatment in this age group can be complicated by diagnostic difficulties, the altered physiology of normal aging, the presence of multiple major diseases, and the use of multiple medications. Nonetheless, lithium has a well-defined role in the treatment of geriatric affective disorder and if appropriate guidelines are followed its use can be both safe and beneficial.
Orienting polygonal parts without sensors

In manufacturing it is often necessary to orient parts prior to packing or assembly. We say that a planar part ispolygonal if its convex hull is a polygon. We consider the following problem: given a list ofn vertices describing a polygonal part whose initial orientation is unknown, find the shortest sequence of mechanical gripper actions that is guaranteed to orient the part up to symmetry in its convex hull. We show that such a sequence exists for any polygonal part by giving anO[n 2 logn) algorithm for finding the sequence. Since the gripper actions do not require feedback, this result implies that any polygonal part can be orientedwithout sensors.
The differential effects of surgical harm in elderly populations does the adage, “They tolerate the operation, but not the complications” hold true?

BACKGROUND: Elderly patients are thought to tolerate surgical complications poorly because of low physiologic reserve. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the differential effects of surgical harm in patients over 80 years old. METHODS: Three years of data from a harm-reduction campaign were used to identify inpatient surgeries performed on patients older than 50. The rates of harm, death, cost, and length of stay (LOS) were analyzed using SPSS 21 (IBM, New York, NY). RESULTS: A total of 22,710 patients were identified. Rates of harm and mortality increased with increasing age. Harmed patients over age 80 had increased mortality (9.5% vs 7%), but lower cost, intensive care unit days, and LOS versus those aged 50 to 80. Linear regression showed increased cost with harm ($24,000) and decreased cost with age above 80 (2$7,000). CONCLUSIONS: In the elderly surgical population, there is more harm and harm events are associated with higher mortality rates, but less additional cost and LOS. Differing goals or aggressiveness of care may explain cost avoidance in the elderly.
Functional significance of the "signature cysteine" in helix 8 of the Escherichia coli 4-aminobutyrate transporter from the amine-polyamine-choline superfamily. Restoration of Cys-300 to the Cys-less Gabp.

Abstract gab permease (GabP) is the exclusive mediator of 4-aminobutyrate (GABA) transport across theEscherichia coli plasma membrane. Helix 8 and a portion of the adjoining cytoplasmic region (loop 8–9) constitute the GabP “consensus amphipathic region” (CAR), a potential channel-forming domain that is found to be evolutionarily conserved within the APC (amine-polyamine-choline) transporter superfamily. Upon the polar surface of the CAR, all known gab permeases display a “signature cysteine” not found in other members of the APC superfamily, suggesting that discrete features within the CAR might play a role in imparting specificity (k cat/K m) to the translocation reaction. Here we show that among the five cysteine residues in the E. coli GabP, only Cys-300, the signature cysteine, can restore wild type properties to the Cys-less GabP mutant. We conclude (i) from partial reaction studies (equilibrium exchange, counterflow) that rapid translocation of the GABA binding site from one side of the membrane to the other is greatly facilitated by Cys-300 and (ii) from pharmacological studies that loss of Cys-300 has little effect on the affinity that GabP exhibits for a structurally diverse array (kojic amine, 5-aminovaleric acid, GABA, nipecotic acid, andcis-4-aminocrotonic acid) of competitive ligands. These results raise the possibility that other GABA transporters might rely analogously upon conserved cysteine residues positioned within the amphipathic helix 8 and loop 8–9 regions.
Career Development in Schizophrenia: A Heuristic Framework

Adults with schizophrenia continue to have poor rates of competitive employment. We have learned how to support individuals in the workplace with supported employment (SE); but have paid limited attention to early vocational identity development, work antecedents, illness characteristics, and career preferences. Vocational identity development is an important and natural condition of human growth for all persons and is well-researched in career counseling. For young adults with schizophrenia, the predictor of positive work outcome with the most evidence has been that working competitively prior to illness leads to better chances for work post-diagnosis. A heuristic framework is proposed to conceptualize how pre-illness vocational development (paid and unpaid) plus life cycle supports can provide direction to the individual in their work recovery.
Management of toxicities associated with the administration of taxanes.

The taxanes (paclitaxel and docetaxel) are highly active cytotoxic antineoplastic agents. Common toxicities of the drugs include total alopecia, hypersensitivity reactions, bone marrow suppression (principally neutropenia), arthralgia, myalgias, and peripheral neuropathy. When administered as a 3-h infusion, paclitaxel appears to be associated with a lower risk of neutropenia and a greater risk of peripheral neuropathy, compared to either 24-h infusion paclitaxel or docetaxel (1-h infusion). Neither paclitaxel nor docetaxel is associated with a high risk for significant emesis. High cumulative doses of docetaxel have been shown to produce fluid retention (e.g., oedema, ascites, pleural effusions), while paclitaxel, when combined with doxorubicin, increases the risk of anthracycline-induced heart failure. Both paclitaxel and docetaxel have been administered at lower dose levels, on a weekly schedule, with acceptable toxicity profiles. In general, the side effects of the taxanes are manageable, and few pati...
Doing public relations by the numbers: Little Mac or Big Mac?

Abstract To appease the ruling number crunchers, so quick to decide the fates of operations, employees, and whole departments, practitioners are touting quantification as the great power hope. But if they cave to such dictates, adding no strategic value to their counsel, they invite liposuction on both departments and prestige. Follow the quantifiers’ lead exclusively and practitioners will still be whining 20 years from now like corporate Rodney Dangerfields who “don’t get no [sic] respect.” The questions are very simple, but complex: • Do practitioners consign themselves to being mere tacticians and project managers? • Or do practitioners aspire to develop ideas and strategies that create public images across cultures, heeding the turbulence of global tribalism and a technology-driven world that adds great value and respect to communications counsel? To say this in the vernacular, do we want to emulate Little Macs, such as Union General George C. McClellan and Robert McNamara, who immobilized themselves by crunching numbers. More recently, former Coca-Cola CEO Douglas Ivester and former Monsanto CEO Robert Shapiro managed only by numbers, not by listening. Or do we want to be Big Macs, such as the McDonald Corporation in Belgrade during the North Atlantic Treaty Organization bombings, and the best and the brightest counselors who saw or created profitable opportunities and developed the avant-garde ideas public relations is still coasting on today. No public relations officer makes herself or himself popular by bearing dire tidings. Nor do they enhance their power by having to rely on projections, hunches, or soft reasoning. Tough-minded quantifiers and operations executives do not want production mucked up by some fuzzy might-bes. Practitioners must rest their counsel on experience and on a good track record, They must be multidimensional thinkers with the courage not to ape their executive peers, but be willing to tactfully ask the tough questions that others may be too political, polite, or uninformed to ask. Determinate to success are acute awareness of cross currents of public opinion, overriding issues, and dangers of pragmatic, public strategies that can make or break the company. Dr. Marion K. Pinsdorf, formerly vice president at Hill and Knowlton, Textron, and INA (now Cigna), is senior fellow in communications at Fordham’s Graduate School of Business and author of Communicating When Your Company Is Under Siege.
Photoaffinity labeling of mutant neurokinin-1 receptors reveals additional structural features of the substance P/NK-1 receptor complex.

Photoaffinity labeling, receptor site-directed mutagenesis, and high-resolution NMR spectroscopy have been combined to further define the molecular details of the binding of substance P (SP) to the rat neurokinin-1 (NK-1) receptor. Mutant NK-1 receptors were constructed by substituting Ala for Met174 and/or Met181: residues previously identified as the sites of covalent attachment of radioiodinated, photoreactive derivatives of SP containing p-benzoyl-l-phenylalanine (Bpa) in positions 4 and 8, respectively. Photoaffinity labeling of the M181A mutant using radioiodinated Bpa8-SP resulted in a marked reduction in photoincorporation efficiency compared to the wild-type receptor. In contrast, photoaffinity labeling of the M174A mutant using radioiodinated Bpa4-SP gave the unexpected result of an increase in the efficiency of photoincorporation compared to the wild-type receptor. Enzymatic and chemical fragmentation analysis of the photolabeled receptor mutants established that the sites of covalent attachme...
A Numerical Approach to American Currency Option Valuation

Option theory has produced models of increasing richness that are capable of incorporating many sources of randomness (“stochastic state variables,” as theorists would say). For interest rate dependent instruments, the highly flexible Heath-Jarrow-Morton (HJM) family provides some of the most widely used models. However, implementation of HJM models typically runs into serious computational problems as the number of state variables increases. Pricing a currency option, for example, requires at least three state variables, one for each country9s interest rate and one for the exchange rate. American exercise makes the problem harder still. In this article, Choi and Marcozzi describe a numerical technique based on approximating the option value with radial basis functions that offers considerable efficiency improvement. They illustrate its use on HJM-style currency options. One large advantage of this approach is that the approximating functions are analytic, so that the Greek letter risk exposures can be obtained directly using calculus rather than requiring multiple runs through a pricing lattice to approximate them.
Studies on the overproduction of indole-containing metabolites by a methanol-utilizing yeast : Hansenula polymorpha.

Production of indole-containing metabolites (“indoles”) from methanol has been studied using a mutant ofHansenula polymorpha resistant to 5-fluorotryptophan. Whereas the wild-type culture produces only a small amount of indoles, the mutant is partially deregulated and overproduces indoles. Indoles production was studied in batch and continuous culture and in a washed-cell system. When the pH was above 4.0, indoles production was growth-associated, in both minimal and complex media, and batch or continuous culture. When the pH was below or equal to 4.0, a low phosphate concentration was found to improve production. In a phosphate-deficient washed-cell suspension system, the addition of an amino acid such as methionine at 5 mM increased specific productivity by more than 60%. Addition of cycloheximide at 50 mg/L decreased residual growth and increased maximum productivity of indoles by more than 60%. When the antibiotic was added at 1000 mg/L, growth was completely inhibited and indoles production continued for about 35 h.
Events in lambda injection between phage adsorption and DNA entry

Injection kinetics indicate that, in the time period from irreversible adsorption through stable uptake of λ DNA, several reactions must occur in or between the phage and the bacterium. The events are grouped in three steps: lag, triggering, and uptake. The results further suggest that an exchange of information occurs between the distal and the proximal ends of the phage tail. The triggering of DNA injection from λ preadsorbed to Escherichia coli is essentially immediate at 37° but occurs only after a lag of 6 min at 25° or 10 min at 23°. At 15°, injection does not occur. When phage-cell complexes are incubated at 37° in 10 mM putrescine-10−5 M Mg2+, the lag functions are completed but injection is blocked. After resuspension in normal buffer (10 mM Mg2+, 10 mM phosphate, pH 7.1), DNA injection is triggered without a lag, even at 12.5°. It still does not occur at 4°. Events during the lag involve more than a simple interaction between the tail tip and the outer membrane of the bacterial cell wall. When tails alone are attached to cells, incubated at 37 or at 4°, and then joined with heads in vitro at 4°, the resulting phage particles inject at 25° with the same kinetics, including a lag, regardless of whether the tail-bacterial complexes initially were incubated at 37 or at 4°. When phage-cell complexes in which the λ DNA is 3H-labeled are treated with CHCl3 and then incubated at 37°, 90% of the labeled DNA is ejected from the phage but it is found in the medium rather than inside the host cell. If cells are exposed to chloroform prior to phage attachment of after the phage-cell complex has completed the lag reaction, the pattern of triggering and of uptake is very different. This reflects, in another way, the existence of several different possible states during injection.
Effects of beaver on the thermal biology of an amphibian

It is often assumed that ecological interactions happen at rapid rates relative to evolutionary change. In this study we examined the development and physiology of an amphibian (Rana sylvatica) from populations found in forested wetlands, and from wetlands that had been cleared by reinvading beaver (Castor canadensis). Embryos from beaver wetlands hatched at lower rates when raised in a shaded, common garden setting compared with embryos from forested wetlands. Larvae from beaver wetlands had higher critical thermal maxima compared with conspecifics from forested wetlands. These patterns suggest that R. sylvatica populations may have diverged rapidly (in less than 36 years) in response to changes in their environment induced by another species. Other agents of thermal change, such as anthropogenic landscape conversion or alteration of global climate, could have analogous impacts on wetland dependent species such as amphibians.
Optical functions of transparent thin films of SrTiO(3), BaTiO(3), and SiO(x) determined by spectroscopic ellipsometry.

A procedure is presented for accurately determining the thickness, optical functions, and surface-roughness characteristics of thin-film insulators from two-channel spectroscopic polarization-modulation ellipsometry data. For films with minimal surface roughness, the optical functions can be determined over the entire measured spectrum; for rougher films, the analysis of the spectroscopic ellipsometry data yields meaningful values of the optical functions only in the transparent region. In general, the films must be transparent in a given range of wavelengths sampled by the ellipsometer so that at least two interference oscillations can be observed. The use of the procedure is illustrated with the determination of the optical functions of SrTiO3 and BaTiO3 thin films grown on MgO, and of SiOx films grown on Si. For SrTiO3 and BaTiO3, the thin-film results are compared with the measured optical functions of the respective bulk materials.
Lucky morning glory, Calystegia felix (Convolvulaceae): a new species from Southern California, with notes on the historical ecology of the Chino ciénega belt.

A new morning glory, Calystegia felixProvance & A.C. Sanders sp. nov. (Convolvulaceae), is described from the Los Angeles, San Gabriel, and Santa Ana River basins. Historical collections of the species, which prior to 2011 had not been seen alive in 94 years, have been misidentified as Calystegia sepium (L.) R. Br. subsp. binghamiae (Greene) Brummitt. The undescribed species was rediscovered in the City of Chino in April of 2011, a few miles north of the location where the most recent previous collection had been made by I. M. Johnston in 1917. The plants were found just prior to their likely destruction by grading and trenching for an underground power line. Intensive searches have resulted in the discovery of five additional occurrences, all of them in the City of Chino. Calystegia felix is at high risk of soon becoming extinct in the wild. All of the known extant occurrences are associated with well-watered landscaping on recently completed industrial, commercial, and residential developments. Every known living occurrence is within the limits of a cienega belt, which is now mostly historical. Otherwise, the new species is only known only from collections made around the turn of the 20th century in what are now heavily urbanized areas, including one from South Los Angeles and another from Pico Rivera in Los Angeles County. Calystegia felix lacks the large bracts that immediately subtend, and enclose the calyx, which are always present in members of the Calystegia sepium complex. Affinities to Calystegia felix are found among other western US species with graduated sepals and small, often somewhat remote bracts. We discuss the enduring confusion between Calystegia felix and Calystegia sepium subsp. binghamiae, and differentiate the new species from some of its more likely relatives. The taxonomic treatment is supplemented by photos of herbarium specimens and living plants. We also discuss the ecological setting of Chino’s cienega belt, which was a mosaic of palustrine wetlands.
Physiological responses of two soybean [glycine max (L.) Merr] cultivars to short-term flooding

Abstract Flooding of soybean plants [ Glycine max (L.) Merr] significantly reduces crop growth and yield, but the underlying physiological responses are poorly documented. The short-term physiological effects of flooding on soybean were studied in the field on a relatively impermeable soil classified as Typic Albaqualf. Flooding treatments were imposed on two soybean cultivars, Essex and Forrest, at a vegetative (V4) and a reproductive (R2) growth stage. Diurnal measurements of net photosynthesis ( P n ), stomatal conductance ( g s ), and components of leaf water potential were recorded on 4 consecutive days following flood application, and again at 14 days after the flood was removed. Photosynthesis of Essex was reduced significantly within 48 h of flooding by 33 and 32% for the V4 and R2 growth stages, respectively, while reductions of 16 and 22% in P n of Forrest were evident. Reductions in g s of 46 and 24% occurred within 48 h for Essex and Forrest in the V4 stage, although in the R2 growth stage, both cultivars experienced an approximate 48% reduction in g s . However, the decline in P n with flooding was only partially explained by changes in g s . Photosynthesis was correlated with stomatal closure at low g s ( −2 sec −1 ), but a higher values of g s an approximate 20% reduction in P n was observed presumably due to non-stomatal limitations. Flooding did not affect components of leaf water potential indicating that the decreases in P n and g s were not associated with plant water-deficit stress. Flooding of Essex and Forrest at either the V4 or R2 growth stage significantly reduced the dry matter accumulation during the flooding treatment and the subsequent growth. Final seed yields were reduced significantly by a mean of 52 and 40% for Essex and Forrest, respectively. Overall, Forrest appeared more tolerant to excess water than Essex.
Quantitative Fundus Autofluorescence in Mice. Correlation with HPLC Quantitation of RPE Lipofuscin and Measurement of Retina Outer Nuclear Layer Thickness

Purpose. Our study was conducted to establish procedures and protocols for quantitative autofluorescence (qAF) measurements in mice, and to report changes in qAF, A2E bisretinoid concentration, and outer nuclear layer (ONL) thickness in mice of different genotypes and age.
Comparison of Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production from Glycerol and Crude Glycerol Obtained from Biodiesel Processing

Photocatalytic hydrogen generation from aqueous solutions of glycerol and crude glycerol (byproduct of biodiesel manufacturing) were compared using Pt/TiO2 and CuOx/TiO2 catalysts. Glycerol solutions generated more H2 than crude glycerol solutions, with the H2 generation rate approximately 2.5 times higher for Pt/TiO2 and approximately 4 times higher for CuOx/TiO2. Pt/TiO2 produced more H2 than CuOx/TiO2, with a ratio nearly 2.5 times higher for glycerol and nearly 3.5 times higher for crude glycerol. Ion exchange of crude glycerol solutions to replace Na+ with Li+ or K+ had little impact on reactions with CuOx/TiO2 whereas ion exchange with Li+ moderately reduced reaction rates with Pt/TiO2. An anti-foam agent reduced foaming problems associated with higher concentrations of crude glycerol but itself degraded. The addition of 0.4 mM NaH2PO4 reduced the H2 generation rate by nearly 60 % whereas the presence of 0.4 mM NaCl, 0.4 mM NaNO3 or 0.2 mM Na2SO4 reduced the H2 generation rate by only 10–20 % over the course of the reaction.
Programmed heuristics and the concept of par in business games

In this report on computer simulation of commercial decision-making, a computer program did almost as well as a team of human players competing against it.
Dynamical corrections for non-RRKM behavior

Abstract Dynamical correction factors to classical RRKM theory are derived using reactive island (RI) theory. These factors are seen to have a simple form with well-defined dynamical implications. The resulting formula is compared with the RRKM as well as the exact RI theoretic calculation of the rate for model systems exhibiting substantial non-RRKM behavior. The data of Khundkar, Marcus and Zewail are used in conjunction with the formula to extract dynamical information about the isomerization of electronically excited t-stilbene. We also discuss the relationship of the work in this paper to previous theoretical studies.
A note on the edge reconstruction conjecture

Let G toe a graph with vertex degree sequence i p for 1 2 p t. p—1.+1 some i , then G is uniquely reconstructable from it s collectio n of maximal (edge deleted) subgraphs. This generalizes considerably a resul t of Lovasz. As a corollary, it is shown tha t Chvatal's existence condition for hamiltonian cycles implies edge reconstructabili ty as well. In thi s paper, we consider only finite , undirected graphs without loops or multiple edges. We wil l denote the set of vertices and edges of a graph G toy V(G) and E(G) , respectively.
Catalytic subunit isoforms of mammalian lens Na,K-ATPase.

To identify the Na,K-ATPase isoforms present in the mammalian lens, seven antisera were prepared to selected peptide sequences of the catalytic (alpha) subunit. Three antisera were prepared to peptide sequences at the N-terminus of the three sequenced rat alpha isoforms. There is 94% homologous. The results from stains of Western blots of SDS-PAGE separations of lens membranes are presented. Alpha 1 is the predominant isoform of the epithelium. It is not found in cells of the central epithelium but is present in cells located more toward the equator. Alpha 3 is the catalytic subunit of the central 43% of the epithelium. The lens fiber cell membranes have a catalytic subunit that is related to the alpha 2 isoform. In the fiber cell a 98-100 kDa band stains with the antiserum to the alpha 2 N-terminus and the antiserum to the alpha 2 ouabain site. The antiserum to the alpha 2 C-terminus does not stain the 98-100 kDa band. (Preliminary reports of these results were presented at the 1992 and 1993 meetings of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology).
Mechanical prophylaxis of venous thrombosis in patients undergoing craniotomy: A randomized trial

A randomized, prospective clinical trial of 70 patients undergoing craniotomy was performed to compare and evaluate two forms of mechanical prophylaxis of deep vein thrombosis. Thirty-eight patients received antiembolism stockings, whereas 32 patients received external pneumatic compression. Prophylaxis was begun preoperatively and continued intraoperatively and post-operatively until the patients were ambulatory. Impedance plethysmography was used to detect deep vein thrombosis both preoperatively and postoperatively. Two patients, one from each group, developed thromboembolic complications postoperatively. Impedance plethysmography showed false-positive findings in two additional patients. There were no deaths. The data suggest that either form of mechanical prophylaxis is effective against the development of deep vein thrombosis in this high-risk patient population.
Functional assessment of the strength of solid acid catalysts

Abstract We describe here a rigorous method to estimate the deprotonation energy (DPE) and acid strength for solid Bronsted acids with uncertain structure using rate constants for reactions involving cationic transition states. The approach exploits relations between turnover rates for dehydration and isomerization reactions and DPE values on Keggin polyoxometalates and H-BEA solids with known structures. These relations are used to estimate the strength of acid sites in SO 4 –ZrO 2 (SZr), WO x –ZrO 2 (WZr), and perfluorosulfonic resins (SAR) from their alkanol dehydration and alkane isomerization rate constants. Alkanol dehydration and alkane isomerization proceed via pathways independent of acid identity and are limited by steps involving late transition states. Turnover rates (per accessible acid sites measured by titration during catalysis) are related to the relevant rate constants and are used to estimate DPE values for SZr, WZr, and SAR. Isomerization data estimate DPE values of 1110 kJ mol −1 and 1120 kJ mol −1 for SZr and WZr, respectively, while dehydration rate data lead to slightly higher values (1165 kJ mol −1 and 1185 kJ mol −1 ). The DPE value for SAR was 1154 kJ mol −1 from dehydration reactions, but diffusional constraints during reactions of non-polar alkanes precluded isomerization rate measurements. SZr and SAR contain stronger acid sites than zeolites (1185 kJ mol −1 ), but weaker than those in H 3 PW 12 O 40 and H 4 SiW 12 O 40 (1087 kJ mol −1 and 1105 kJ mol −1 ). Acid sites present in WZr during alkane isomerization are stronger than those present in zeolites, but these become similar in strength in the polar environment prevalent during dehydration catalysis. These effects of reaction media (and treatment protocols) reflect differences in the extent of dehydroxylation of catalytic surfaces. OH groups remaining after dehydroxylation are stronger acid sites because of a concomitant decrease in electron density in the conjugate anion and the formation of Bronsted–Lewis acid conjugate pairs. The method proposed and used here probes acid strength (as DPE) on sites of uncertain structure and within solvating media inherent in their use as catalysts. It can be used for any Bronsted acid or reaction, but requires reactivity-DPE relations for acids of known structure, the mechanistic interpretations of rates, and the measurement of accessible protons during catalysis. The resulting DPE values provide a rigorous benchmark for the structural fidelity of sites proposed for acids with uncertain structure, a method to assess the consequences of the dynamic nature of active sites in acid catalysis, and a connection between theory and experiment previously unavailable.
Myofilament Calcium Sensitivity of Normotensive and Hypertensive Resistance Arteries

Abstract We measured intracellular Ca 2+ and isometric force simultaneously in endothelium-denuded mesenteric resistance arteries of 12- to 15-week-old male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats, and Wistar rats. Basal Ca 2+ did not differ among vessels of these strains (SHR, 86.6±4.5 nmol/L; WKY, 78.5±4.7 nmol/L; Wistar, 83.1±3.9 nmol/L). Myofilament Ca 2+ sensitivity was determined by measuring the intracellular Ca 2+ and force responses to cumulative addition of extracellular Ca 2+ (0.025 to 2.5 mmol/L) in the presence of 100 mmol/L K + or 10 μmol/L norepinephrine after depletion of releasable intracellular Ca 2+ stores. With 100 mmol/L K + , no between-strain differences in active stress, intracellular Ca 2+ , or myofilament Ca 2+ sensitivity were observed. With 10 μmol/L norepinephrine, the active stress response of SHR vessels to 0.025 and 0.05 mmol/L Ca 2+ was increased compared with both normotensive strains. The intracellular Ca 2+ response was not different in vessels of SHR and WKY rats but was depressed in Wistar vessels. Myofilament Ca 2+ sensitivity of SHR was elevated compared with both WKY and Wistar rats ( P 25 for SHR, 74.4±5.1 nmol/L; WKY, 89.8±5.5 nmol/L; Wistar, 86.9±3.4 nmol/L). No strain differences in intracellular Ca 2+ or active stress responses of SHR and WKY vessels were detected during cumulative addition of norepinephrine with constant extracellular Ca 2+ (1.5 mmol/L). These results indicate that no hypertension-associated defect in vascular Ca 2+ handling exists in mesenteric arteries of the SHR. Moreover, although resistance arteries of SHR exhibit enhanced myofilament Ca 2+ sensitivity compared with two normotensive strains after depletion of intracellular Ca 2+ and activation with 10 μmol/L norepinephrine, this difference is not observed under the more physiological manipulation of cumulative addition of norepinephrine in the presence of constant Ca 2+ . We conclude that enhanced myofilament Ca 2+ sensitivity is unlikely to contribute to the hypertension of SHR.
STAR: An automatic data path allocator

The STAR package consists of three phases-preprocessing, data path construction (DPC), and data path refinement (DPR). The data structures are created and the lower limit of each area-dominant resource is determined in the preprocessing phase. In the DPC phase, the allocation is vertically divided into three subtasks: data transfer binding, operation assignment, and variable binding. Data transfers, operations and variables are grouped into clusters of manageable size, and a branch-and-bound search is performed in each cluster for each subtask. In the DPR phase, the data path is refined globally by evaluating the binding quality of each object. The contributions include: (1) a novel technique to evaluate the binding quality of an object on the basis of a sharing of hardware resources in which the object uses; (2) a method to judge the potential for upgrading a data path; and (3) an iterative improvement technique based on the idea of a relation network and state transition. >
Electronic 'neural' net algorithm for maximum entropy solutions of ill-posed problems

An ill-posed problem does not provide sufficient information to obtain a unique solution. In such cases, a predetermined strategy must be used to choose a particular solution. A powerful and widely used technique is to select the solution with the maximum informational entropy. Here an algorithm suitable for solving ill-posed problems using the entropy of the solution as a regularizer is described. The algorithm has been simulated on a microcomputer as if implemented in a 'neural', i.e. multiply connected, net-type electronic circuit. Two types of problem are considered. First, where the constraints on the solution are hard, as in the loaded-dice problem, the maximum-entropy solution is shown to be achieved in the high gain limit of the net. Second, where the constraints are soft, as in the deconvolution of data corrupted by noise, a maximum-entropy solution is obtained directly. Prior knowledge of the solution is not required but can be introduced to the net so that the cross entropy is used as the regularizer. Finally, issues pertinent to the building of an actual circuit are discussed. >
Interactive Visualization to Advance Earthquake Simulation

The geological seiences are challenged to manage and interpret increasing volumes of data as observations and simulations increase in size and complexity. For example, simulations of earthquake-related processes typically generate complex, time-varying data sets in two or more dimensions. To facilitate interpretation and analysis of these data sets, evaluate the underlying models, and to drive future calculations, we have developed methods of interactive visualization with a special focus on using immersive virtual reality (VR) environments to interact with models of Earth’s surface and interior. Virtual mapping tools allow virtual “field studies” in inaccessible regions. Interactive tools allow us to manipulate shapes in order to construct models of geological features for geodynamic models, while feature extraction tools support quantitative measurement of structures that emerge from numerical simulation or field observations, thereby enabling us to improve our interpretation of the dynamical processes that drive earthquakes. VR has traditionally been used primarily as a presentation tool, albeit with active navigation through data. Reaping the full intellectual benefits of immersive VR as a tool for scientific analysis requires building on the method’s strengths, that is, using both 3D perception and interaction with observed or simulated data. This approach also takes advantage of the specialized skills of geological scientists who are trained to interpret, the often limited, geological and geophysical data available from field observations.
PERFORMANCE-PARAMETERIZED REUSABLE SOFTWARE COMPONENTS

Current programming languages support construction of parameterized reusable components that can be adapted and composed to create new functionality. For widespread reuse, software components must also have readily adaptable performance. This paper introduces language mechanisms for creating such performance-parameterized reusable software components and for controlling their performance by "plugging in" appropriate constituent components. A key element of the proposed approach is that it provides inexpensive performance tuning. It permits performance of a tunable component to be changed without modifications to the functionality of the component or its clients; in principle, without the need for re-compilation or re-validation of functionality.
Piezoelectric Ceramics with Compositions at the Morphotropic Phase Boundary in the BiFeO3–PbZrO3–PbTiO3 Ternary System

Since ceramics in the PbZrO3–PbTiO3 binary system display excellent piezoelectric properties and those in BiFeO3–PbTiO3 exhibit high Curie temperatures, morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) compositions in the BiFeO3–PbZrO3–PbTiO3 ternary solid solution system are investigated for the development of piezoelectric ceramics for high temperature applications. It is found that the MPB compositions in the ternary system deviate away from the mixture of two binary MPB compositions 0.70BiFeO3–0.30PbTiO3 and 0.52PbZrO3–0.48PbTiO3. With decreasing amount of BiFeO3 in the MPB compositions in the ternary system, the Curie temperature TC is observed to decrease while the piezoelectric coefficient d33 is found to increase. Accompanied with this trend are the decrease in the c/a ratio of the tetragonal phase, the increase in the dielectric constant and the decrease in the loss tangent of the ceramics at room temperature. It is further noticed that the compositions in the rhombohedral-rich side of MPB exhibit slightly better piezoelectric properties. An example of such compositions is 0.511BiFeO3–0.326PbZrO3–0.163PbTiO3, with TC of 431°C, d33 of 101 pC/N, and the electromechanical coupling factor kp of 0.50.
An Optimal Transmission Strategy for IEEE 802.11 Wireless LANs: Stochastic Control Approach

The family of IEEE 802.11 Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) standards supports multiple transmission rates in the physical layer (PHY). This multi-rate capability offers a viable means of coping with dynamically-fluctuating wireless channel conditions. We propose a cross-layer approach for the optimal PHY mode control to maximize the system goodput. Our key idea is to exploit the underlying channel fading characteristics and the history of PHY mode control and observations to infer the current channel condition, so that the optimal PHY mode may be selected. Assuming Rayleigh fading, we describe the receiver-side signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) fluctuations as a finite-state Markov channel (FSMC) model. Since the channel condition (i.e., fading level) is not directly observable by the transmitter, we formulate the PHY rate adaptation problem as a partially-observable Markov decision process (POMDP) to find the optimal transmission policy. We use the belief state vector to represent the channel state probabilistically. The belief state is updated solely based on the channel state-transition matrix and acknowledgement (ACK) information. Our evaluation results show that the POMDP-based rate adaptation outperforms two most well-known rate adaptation schemes, Auto Rate Fallback (ARF) and Adaptive ARF (AARF), in terms of average goodput under various fading conditions, and achieves up to 92% of the ideal performance.
Effects of a standardized Bacopa monnieri extract on cognitive performance, anxiety, and depression in the elderly: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Abstract Objectives: Study aims were to evaluate effects of Bacopa monnieri whole plant standardized dry extract on cognitive function and affect and its safety and tolerability in healthy elderly study participants. Design: The study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial with a placebo run-in of 6 weeks and a treatment period of 12 weeks. Setting/location: Volunteers were recruited from the community to a clinic in Portland, Oregon by public notification. Subjects: Fifty-four (54) participants, 65 or older (mean 73.5 years), without clinical signs of dementia, were recruited and randomized to Bacopa or placebo. Forty-eight (48) completed the study with 24 in each group. Interventions: Standardized B. monnieri extract 300 mg/day or a similar placebo tablet orally for 12 weeks. Outcome measures: The primary outcome variable was the delayed recall score from the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT). Other cognitive measures were the Stroop Task assessing the ability to ignore...
Justification and Forgetting

This article sets forth a view about how epistemic justification figures in the ongoing justification of memory belief, a view that I call moderate justificational preservationism (MJP). MJP presupposes a nontraditional notion of memorial justification according to which what makes one's present belief that p prima facie justified is that which provided one with prima facie justification to believe that p originally (or some portion thereof). The article offers support for MJP by examining a series of cases that involve forgetting, and in doing so, criticizes views of Jennifer Lackey, David Owens, Michael Huemer, and George Pappas.
Evaluation and treatment of the patient with ectropion.

Abstract The evaluation of the factors that cause ectropion or may be present with it have not been described systematically. This paper discusses the significance of and examinations for horizontal tarsal laxity, medial canthal tendon laxity, punctal malposition, vertical inadequacy of the skin, orbicularis oculi paresis, and inferior lid retractor defects, and recommends surgical techniques for correcting each defect.
A Study of Interstellar Reddening at High Galactic Latitudes

A series of finding lists of A stars in regions at high galactic latitudes has been published in the last few years. Stromgren four-color and Hβ measures have been made of stars in five of the regions, allowing the interstellar absorption in each to be calculated. The two most important regions are the North Galactic Pole and the South Galactic Pole where color excesses of E B−V =0.00 and E B−V =0.02 were found respectively. An area in front of the Large Magellanic Cloud has a color excess of E B−V =0.04.
The effect of glycaemic control and glycaemic variability on mortality in patients hospitalized with congestive heart failure.

Background Diabetes and CHF are common comorbidities in hospitalized patients but the relationship between glycaemic control, glycaemic variability, and mortality in patients with both conditions is unclear. Methods We used administrative data to retrospectively identify patients with a diagnosis of CHF who underwent frequent glucose assessments. TWMG was compared with other measures of glycaemic control and a time-weighted measure of glycaemic variability, the glycaemic lability index. The outcome was hospital mortality. Results A total of 748 patients were included in the final analysis. Time-weighted mean glucose was higher than unadjusted mean glucose (137 + /− 44.7 mg/dL versus 167 + /− 54.9, p < 0.001), due in part to shorter sampling intervals at higher glucose levels. Hypoglycaemia, defined as a glucose level < 70 mg/dL, occurred during 6.3% of patient-days in survivors and 8.4% of patient-days among nonsurvivors (p = 0.05). Time-weighted mean glucose was similar (128 + /− 33.1 mg/dL versus 138 + /− 45.1 mg/dL) in nonsurvivors versus survivors, p = 0.19). However, relatively few patients had were significantly elevated readings. Median GLI was higher in nonsurvivors compared with that in survivors (18.1 versus 6.82, p = 0.0003). Increasing glycaemic lability index (odds ratio 1.32, 95% confidence interval 1.05–1.65), and hypoglycaemia (odds ratio 2.21, 95% confidence interval 1.07–4.65), were independently associated with higher mortality in logistic regression analysis. Respiratory failure was associated with mortality, but not standard deviation of glucose. Conclusions Future studies analysing glycaemic control should control for variable sampling intervals. In this analysis, glycaemic lability index was independently associated with increased mortality, independent of hypoglycaemia. Prospective studies are needed to evaluate these findings. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.