cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chronic gastric ulcer

Abstract Of primary importance in examining patients who give histories of peptic ulcer is to ascertain the situation of the lesion by roentgenologic examination; that is, to learn whether it is in the stomach or duodenum. This should be ascertained in every case in which the condition of the patient permits of it, before prolonged medical treatment is instituted. The necessity of this is to eliminate the possibility that the lesion may be a malignant rather than a benign gastric ulcer; not infrequently in cases of carcinoma the early history is typically that of benign gastric or duodenal ulceration. The treatment of gastric ulcer is dependent on several factors, among which are: (1) the duration and type of symptoms; (2) the healing of the lesion or its failure to heal under a medical regimen carried out in a scientific fashion; (3) the presence or absence of a crater, especially with respect to bleeding; and (4) the presence or absence of pyloric obstruction. When the symptoms have been of short duration and the ulcer is small, every attempt should be made to induce healing of the lesion by non-surgical means. When roentgenologic examination discloses that the ulcer has a demonstrable crater, especially when episodes of bleeding have occurred, when the lesion is producing pyloric obstruction, or when it is prepyloric in situation or is on the greater curvature, generally speaking surgical removal of the lesion should be undertaken without delay. A good working principle is to regard all gastric ulcers as malignant until they are proved to be otherwise. The fact that an ulcer of the stomach is reported by the roentgenologist to be probably benign does not exclude the possibility that the lesion is carcinomatous. The roentgenologist wishes such an opinion of his to be considered only as a contribution to the final diagnosis. The types of operation employed at The Mayo Clinic in the treatment of duodenal ulcer have consisted for the most part of (1) partial gastrectomy of the Billroth 1, or Polya, or Polya-Balfour type if the lesion was large and perforating, and (2) excision or destruction of the ulcer, combined with gastro-enterostomy, if the lesion was small and was proved to be benign on microscopic examination. Infrequently excision of the ulcer and sleeve resection of the stomach have been employed. The results of a properly chosen, properly performed operation for gastric ulcer are some of the best in surgery, and recurrence of the ulcer or disturbing symptoms without formation of ulcer practically never are encountered. This is especially true when the operation performed is partial gastrectomy.
Computer experiments for circuit optimisation using symmetric Latin hypercube designs

Computer experiments play an important role in a product development process. When the input-output relationship in a computer experiment is known through a transfer function equation, the experimental runs are computationally inexpensive to carry out. The objective of developing a meta-model in such situations is mainly optimisation as prediction is easily achieved using the transfer function. This is in contrast to computer experiments where experimental runs are expensive and the main objective of developing meta-models is prediction and/or optimisation. In this paper, we provide an optimisation procedure that uses meta-models developed from computer experiments using symmetric Latin hypercube designs. This approach is demonstrated using transfer function of a filter circuit.
B-cell amplification by dibutyryl cyclic AMP in mice

Abstract Mice injected with N 6 -2′- O -dibutyryl-adenosine 3′,5′ monophosphate (DBcAMP) showed increased anti-sheep erythrocyte (anti-SE) antibody plaque-forming spleen cell (PFC) responses up to 7-fold greater than control mice. The amount of increase was related to the immunizing dose of SE and to the dose of DBcAMP, and it was more pronounced in 19S PFC than in 7S PFC. Mice thymectomized (Tx) within 16 hr after birth and injected with SE and DBcAMP at 40 days showed a 2.7-fold greater anti-SE PFC response than Tx controls injected with SE alone. DBcAMP restored the PFC response of Tx mice to 75% of that seen for sham Tx, DBcAMP-treated controls. These data suggest that a T cell-B cell interaction is not stringently required in mouse anti-SE antibody responses in vivo , since a T cell-like effect may be substituted or a minimal response can be enhanced with a soluble amplifier such as dibutyryl cyclic AMP.
Behavioral effects of prenatal ethanol exposure and differential early experience in rats

Offspring of rats that were intubated with ethanol during Days 10--14 of gestation and offspring in two control groups were compared on measures of growth, viability, and performance in behavioral tasks. Influences of postnatal environment were assessed by using fostering-cross fostering procedures and by providing different postweaning housing conditions. Results were that offspring from dams treated with ethanol displayed prenatal and postnatal growth deficiency as well as increased postnatal mortality. In the open field, offspring in the Ethanol group were more active than those in the other two groups. Ethanol offspring were also more active in the Y maze and made more avoidance responses and correct discriminations. Early experience as manipulated by the fostering-cross fostering procedures and post-weaning rearing conditions had no impact on the effects of prenatal ethanol on offspring growth, viability, or behavior.
Immunomagnetic enrichment and flow cytometric characterization of mouse microglia.

Background The inflammatory response after a CNS injury is regulated by microglia/macrophages. Changes in the ratio of M1 classically activated pro-inflammatory cells versus M2 alternatively activated anti-inflammatory cells reveal the direction of the immune response. These cells are routinely identified and enumerated by morphology and cell-surface markers using immunohistochemistry.
Arm Swing Magnitude and Asymmetry During Gait in the Early Stages of Parkinson's Disease

The later stages of Parkinson's disease (PD) are characterized by altered gait patterns. Although decreased arm swing during gait is the most frequently reported motor dysfunction in individuals with PD, quantitative descriptions of gait in early PD have largely ignored upper extremity movements. This study was designed to perform a quantitative analysis of arm swing magnitude and asymmetry that might be useful in the assessment of early PD. Twelve individuals with early PD (in "off" state) and eight controls underwent gait analysis using an optically-based motion capture system. Participants were instructed to walk at normal and fast velocities, and then on heels (to minimize push-off). Arm swing was measured as the excursion of the wrist with respect to the pelvis. Arm swing magnitude for each arm, and inter-arm asymmetry, were compared between groups. Both groups had comparable gait velocities (p = 0.61), and there was no significant difference between the groups in the magnitude of arm swing in all walking conditions for the arm that swung more (p = 0.907) or less (p = 0.080). Strikingly, the PD group showed significantly greater arm swing asymmetry (asymmetry angle: 13.9 + or - 7.9%) compared to the control group (asymmetry angle: 5.1 + or - 4.0%; p = 0.003). Unlike arm swing magnitude, arm swing asymmetry unequivocally differs between people with early PD and controls. Such quantitative evaluation of arm swing, especially its asymmetry, may have utility for early and differential diagnosis, and for tracking disease progression in patients with later PD.
Distributed linear supervisory control

In this work, we propose a distributed version of the logic-based supervisory adaptive control scheme. Given a network of agents whose dynamics contain unknown parameters, the distributed supervisory control scheme is used to assist the agents to converge to a certain set-point without requiring them to have explicit knowledge of that set-point. Unlike the classical supervisory control scheme where a centralized supervisor makes switching decisions among the candidate controllers, in our scheme, each agent is equipped with a local supervisor that switches among the available controllers. The switching decisions made at a certain agent depend only on the information from its neighboring agents. We apply our framework to the distributed averaging problem in the presence of large modeling uncertainty and support our findings by simulations.
Parsimony and inference to the best mathematical explanation

Indispensability-based arguments for mathematical platonism are typically motivated by drawing an analogy between abstract mathematical objects and concrete scientific posits. In this paper, I argue that mathematics can sometimes help to reduce our concrete ontological, ideological, and structural commitments. My focus is on optimization explanations, and in particular the case study involving periodical cicadas. I argue that in this case, stronger mathematical apparatus yields explanations that have fewer concrete commitments. The nominalist cannot accept these more parsimonious explanations without embracing the stronger mathematics, and this poses a challenge for the nominalist position.
Sediment processing by gizzard shad, Dorosoma cepedianum (Lesueur), in Acton Lake, Ohio, U.S.A.

Gizzard shad are primarily detritivorous in Acton Lake, a 253-ha impoundment in southwestern Ohio, U.S.A. To determine the magnitude of sediment utilization by the gizzard shad population in Acton Lake. I used data on population density and age structure, daily ration, and feeding selectivity in estimating the mass of sediments processed by shad daily from April through November. At densities of 4595–10 645 fish ha−1(wet weight biomass = 90–121 kgha 1), gizzard shad could process 3.8–23.0 kg of dry sediments ha−1 day 1. On average throughout the growing season, gizzard shad could process a dry mass of sediments each day equivalent to 13% of shad wet weight biomass. Because of the high rate of sedimentation (> 700 kg dry sediment ha−1 day−1) in Acton Lake, gizzard shad can process < 4% of the freshly deposited sediments each day, and therefore are likely to have little effect on benthic community dynamics in the system.
Impact of family history of colon cancer on development of multiple primaries after diagnosis of colon cancer.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess risk of developing multiple primaries after a diagnosis of colon cancer and to determine the impact that having a family history of cancer has on cancer risk. METHODS: Data from the Utah Cancer Registry and the Utah Population Database were used. A cohort of 2,236 first primary colon cancers were observed for the subsequent development of additional primary cancers. RESULTS: We observed a greater than expected incidence of colon, rectal, and pancreatic cancers among the cohort. The standardized incidence ratios were 2.77 (95 percent confidence interval (CI), 2.07–3.70), 2.26 (95 percent CI, 1.34–3.81), and 2.38 (95 percent CI, 1.32–4.30), respectively. Having a family history of colon or rectal cancer did not greatly influence risk of having a multiple primary. However, there was a trend toward increased risk of pancreatic cancer (hazard rate ratios, 1.99; 95 percent CI, 0.67–5.90) and bladder cancer (hazard rate ratios, 2.35; 95 percent CI, 0.77–7.18) among patients with a family history of rectal cancer. We also observed that risk of uterine cancer in the cohort was positively associated with family history of uterine cancer, risk of breast cancer was positively associated with family history of breast cancer, and risk of prostate cancer was positively associated with family history of prostate cancer. CONCLUSIONS: People with colon cancer are at a greater risk of developing colon, rectal, and possibly pancreatic cancer. Although a family history of colon or rectal cancer did not have a large impact on developing other cancers, a family history of other primary cancers did influence risk of other cancers.
Integrating Immigrant Health Professionals into the US Health Care Workforce: A Report from the Field

Since 2001, the Welcome Back Initiative (WBI) has implemented a program model in ten US cities to help foreign trained health professionals enter the US healthcare workforce. This paper reviews how the WBI has worked toward achieving this goal through community needs assessment, the development of a comprehensive program model and ongoing program evaluation. Since 2001, the WBI has served over 10,700 immigrant health professionals. Of these participants, 66% were not previously working in the health sector. After participating in the WBI’s services, 23% of participants found work in health care for the first time, 21% passed a licensing exam, and 87 physicians were connected to a residency program. As the US is facing a major shortfall of health care providers, the WBI is uniquely positioned to help fill a gap in provider supply with qualified, culturally aware, experienced clinicians that the current medical education infrastructure is unable to meet.
Meta-analytic evaluation of gender differences and symptom measurement strategies in acute coronary syndromes

Objective The objectives of this meta-analytic review were to assess the magnitude and direction of associations among gender and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) symptom presentations, and to evaluate the potential role of the type of symptom-measurement strategy. Methods A systematic review of articles and dissertations from between 1966 and 2007 was performed. Effect sizes were calculated and meta-analyzed, using random-effects models. Results Gender differences of moderate or larger (ds = −.31 to −.68) magnitude were evident, and women were more likely than men to report back pain, palpitations, nausea/vomiting, and loss of appetite. For most symptoms, the magnitude of effects did not vary across different symptom-assessment strategies. Conclusions Our conclusions challenge those of some previous reviews in demonstrating substantive effects in the magnitude of gender differences in ACS symptoms that were consistent, irrespective of measurement approach. These data have implications for clinical practice, and suggest that gender-specific public-health campaigns targeting ACS symptoms may be warranted.
Synthesis of Ring-Expanded Xanthines and Xanthosines Containing the Imidazo[4,5-d][1,3]diazepine Ring System

Abstract Syntheses of 4, 5, 6, 8-tetrahydro-1H, 7H-imidazo[4, 5-d] [1, 3]-diazepine-5, 8-dione (9), its 3-benzyl derivative (8), and 3- and 1-ribosyl derivatives, (12) and (13), respectively, are reported. Single-crystal x-ray analyses of 8 and 9 are also presented.
PERI-PROCEDURAL USE OF NOVEL ANTICOAGULATION AGENTS DURING CARDIAC DEVICE IMPLANTATION

The safety of novel anticoagulant agents (NOACs; dabigatran and rivaroxaban) in the peri-procedural setting during cardiac device implantation is not clear. Patients who underwent device implantation on NOACs were matched by age, gender and type of procedure with patients who underwent the
Thermodynamic control of iron pyrite nanocrystal synthesis with high photoactivity and stability

Non-toxic, earth abundant nanostructured semiconductors have received extensive attention recently. One of the more highly studied materials has been iron pyrite (FeS2) due to its many different promising applications. Herein, we report the thermodynamically-controlled synthesis of FeS2 nanocrystals, dependent on the reaction temperature and chemical precursors, and a Lewis acid/base model to explain the shape-controlled synthesis. The surface facet-controlled photocatalytic activity and photostability were studied and explained. This work further advances the synthesis with pyrite structure control and surface facet-dictated applications, such as photovoltaics, photocatalysts and photoelectrochemical cells.
Biodistribution and in vivo antitumor efficacy of the systemically administered anti-human T-leukemia immunotoxins and potentiation of their efficacy by α-interferon

Abstract In this study, the systemically administered anti-human T-leukemia immunotoxins (ITs) are shown to be effective for tumor suppression in Ichikawa T-leukemia-bearing nude mice. In addition, their antitumor efficacy was markedly potentiated by recombinant human IFN-α. The combination of ITs and IFN-α effectively killed the tumor in the majority of the treated mice; 9 of the 12 treated mice survived tumor-free for as long as they were followed, i.e. for 140 days. Two different ITs, SN1-ricin A chain (RA) and SN2-RA, were used together to minimize the problem of tumor heterogeneity; monoclonal antibodies SN1 and SN2 are directed toward two different human T-leukemia associated cell surface antigens. In the biodistribution experiments, the paired label technique was used to include a reliable internal control. In an experiment, equal amounts of 125I-SN1-RA and 131I-labelled isotype-matching control IgG (IgG1-κ)-RA were mixed and administered i.v. into tumor-bearing nude mice. In a separate experiment, a mixture of equal amounts of 125I-SN2-RA and 131I-control IgG-RA was administered i.v. This technique allowed us to distinguish the immunospecific uptake from the non-immunospecific uptake of ITs into individual organs. The present results clearly show that both SN1-RA and SN2-RA are specifically localized in tumors after systemic administration. For instance, 24 h after the administration of a radiolabelled mixture, the ratio of 125 I 131 I in the tumor was 7.0 and 23.5, respectively, for the SN1-RA/control IgG-RA mixture and the SN2-RA/control IgG-RA mixture. Such high ratios of 125 I 131 I were detected in the tumors throughout the experiments between 30 min and 24 h after the administration of the paired label mixture.
Thermometric titration studies of the interaction of block polypeptides with surfactants

The interactions between surfactants and block polypeptides were investigated by titration calorimetry and CD. The polypeptides exhibited signs of an interaction only with surfactants bearing a charge opposite to the charge on the polymer. The stoichiometry of the resulting complex was determined to be approximately equal to the polymer net charge. In general, a decrease in helical content accompanied the interaction between the block polypeptides and the surfactants. Both positive and negative enthalpy changes were noted, depending on the heat of micelle formation. None of the thermal effects noted were preceded by polymer unfolding, as is characteristic of the interaction between surfactants and typical globular proteins.
Removing Heterogeneity Bias from Logit Model Estimation

This paper introduces a new estimation procedure for the logit model that is an extension of a conditional estimation procedure developed by Chamberlain Chamberlain, G. 1978. On the use of panel data. Working paper, Harvard University, 1--52; Chamberlain, G. 1980. Analysis of covariance with qualitative data. Rev. Econom. Stud.47 225--238.. The method eliminates heterogeneity bias which is present in the estimates produced by traditional estimation techniques. It improves the goodness of fit and explanatory power of these models, while incorporating purchase event feedback.
Detection of a subunit of cellular Pol II within highly purified preparations of RNA polymerase isolated from rabbit poxvirus virions.

Abstract A large (∼200 kd) subunit of cellular RNA polymerase II (Pol II) and a virus-encoded subunit of rabbit poxvirus (RPV) RNA polymerase (137 kd) react with common monoclonal antibodies. Hybridization studies with viral and cellular DNA clones confirm that the viral and cellular proteins are related. Following RPV infection, the Pol II subunit is translocated from the nucleus to the cytoplasmic virosomes, then packaged into mature virus, and is found associated with the viral RNA polymerase purified from virions. The results suggest that the cellular Pol II subunit may be directly involved in the transcription of viral genes.
Approximate hydrodynamic analysis of multi-column ocean structures

An approximate, semi-analytical technique is developed to calculate the wave-induced loads and added-mass and radiation damping coefficients for idealized ocean structures consisting of arrays of large-diameter, truncated, vertical circular cylinders. The approach involves replacing the complete wave field scattered/radiated by one cylinder in the vicinity of another cylinder by a plane wave together with a non-planar correction term and so is essentially a large-spacing approximation. Numerical results are presented which illustrate the accuracy of the approximate approach and provide estimates of the hydrodynamic characteristics of several practical array configurations.
Vibration effects on dissolution tests with USP apparatuses 1 and 2

Dissolution testing is of primary importance for drug formulation and quality control. Many sources of variability are accounted for in the apparatus' mechanical calibration process; the effect of vibration on dissolution tests is not well understood in that the test's tolerance for environmental vibration with respect to magnitude or frequency is largely unknown. In this study, USP Apparatuses 1 and 2 were used. Dissolution profiles were obtained for both disintegrating and nondisintegrating tablets. In separate experiments, a lab vacuum pump or a lab mixer, both commonly used in laboratories, was used to generate vibration during dissolution runs with vibration parameters being recorded at a location close to the dissolution vessels. Disintegrating tablets were found to be sensitive to induced vibrations with both the paddle and basket methods. Average dissolution results for nondisintegrating tablets were not sensitive to the studied vibrations; however, variability of the results increased in some cases. The dissolution profiles suggest that the vibration effects on paddle and basket method occur through different mechanisms. The importance of vibration to dissolution test results depends on the vibration source, product being tested and the apparatus type.
Discovery of Strong Vibrationally Excited Water Masers at 658 GHz toward Evolved Stars

We report the astronomical discovery of the 110→101 rotational transition within the ν2 = 1 vibrationally excited state of water vapor (H2O). Using the 10.4 m telescope of the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory, we detect strong maser emission in this line, which has a frequency near 658 GHz, toward a diverse sample of oxygen-rich red giant and supergiant stars. In circumstellar envelopes these 658 GHz H2O masers appear to be as common as SiO masers and H2O masers in other transitions, while we fail to detect 658 GHz H2O emission toward the W49 N and W51 N star-forming regions. For all of the 11 stars detected, the luminosity in the 658 GHz H2O transition is comparable to or higher than the luminosity of any other known SiO or H2O maser line.
Reply from S.E. Cates and J.L. Gittleman

Witting usefully redresses the point that allometric studies need to look more carefully at how specific ecological and evolutionary factors produce allometric relationships. However, in response to our article[1xCates, S.E and Gittleman, J.L. Trends Ecol. Evol. 1997; 12: 338–339Abstract | Full Text PDF | PubMedSee all References][1], Witting make three points that need clarification. (1) Kozlowski and Weiner[2xKozlowski, J and Weiner, J. Am. Nat. 1997; 149: 352–379Crossref | Scopus (170)See all References][2]did examine interspecific allometries by first principles. This is what motivated their study: selection operates on individuals, with intraspecific variability being the focus of evolutionary change which in turn produces interspecific patterns. (2) West et al.[3xWest, G.B, Brown, J, and Enquist, B.J. Science. 1997; 276: 122–126Crossref | PubMed | Scopus (2247)See all References][3]do not imply or even suggest that interspecific and intraspecific allometries are identical; rather, they build on the assumption that metabolic processes are optimized at various levels, even though allometric scaling would surely appear different. (3) The main thrust of the West et al. paper is that, indeed, organismal evolution reveals physiological patterns which show fundamental constraints; this is why systems as diverse as cardiovascular vessels and home range movements may have similar allometries.
Zinc and Copper Complexes of Prodigiosin: Implications for Copper-Mediated Double-Strand DNA Cleavage

[reaction: see text] Zinc(II) and copper(II) complexes of prodigiosin (1) have been characterized. All N-atoms of 1 bind Cu(II) to generate 5: the complex exhibits regiospecific oxidation of the C-pyrrole. In contrast, coordination by Zn(II) to 1 produces Zn(1)(2) (8), a 4-coordinate tetrahedral complex. The influence of these binding geometries on Cu-mediated double-strand (ds) DNA cleavage by 1 is discussed.
Entrapment of Conjunctival Goblet Cells by Desiccation-Induced Cornification

The ocular surface epithelium has an essential function in maintaining comfort and high-quality vision. The cornea and conjunctiva are covered by noncornified stratified epithelia whose apical cells produce mucins that maintain hydration and lubrication of the ocular surface. Furthermore, the conjunctiva contains goblet cells that produce and secrete Muc5AC, a mucin that is a stabilizing factor in the precorneal tear layer. In contrast, the terminally differentiated apical epidermal cells in mammalian skin are lined with a 10-nm-thick layer of proteins called the cornified cell envelope (CE), which forms inside the plasma membrane and becomes insoluble as the result of the cross-linking of constituent proteins by transglutaminase (Tg) enzymes.1 The epidermal CE is composed of several proteins, including scaffold proteins, such as involucrin, and envoplakin and reinforcement proteins, such as loricrin, cystatin A, filaggrin, cysteine-rich protein, and the small proline-rich (Sprr) proteins.2 The stratified ocular surface epithelia bear similarities to the skin epidermis in their pattern of basal-to-superficial polarity,3 but no morphologic evidence of a CE structure has been found. Nevertheless, the CE precursor involucrin has been found to be expressed in the normal corneal epithelium4,5 and the CE precursors involucrin and filaggrin have been found to be elevated in the human conjunctival epithelium in severe ocular surface diseases such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome and after alkali burns.6 It is also known that the corneal epithelium and its basement membrane show Tg cross-linking activity.7 A hallmark of dry eye is poor wettability of the ocular surface and tear film instability. This effect may be due in part to reduced production or secretion of mucins by the ocular surface epithelia, but clinical and immunohistologic evidence suggests that there may be a shift toward a cornified envelope phenotype by the ocular surface epithelia.8 Frank cornification can be observed in severe ocular surface diseases such as Stevens-Johnson6 syndrome, where there is extensive loss of conjunctival goblet cells. We hypothesize that desiccating stress promotes expression of CE precursors and transglutaminase (Tg)-1 by the ocular surface epithelia and alters conjunctival goblet cell mucin secretion. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of desiccating stress in our experimental murine dry eye model on expression of CE precursors and Tg-1 by ocular surface epithelia, particularly the goblet cell–containing regions of the conjunctiva.
A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF INDEX CRIMES IN FIVE PEER CITIES

This paper is a comparative study of the eight index crimes and three composite indexes in five peer cities (Albuquerque, Omaha, Tulsa, Wichita and Des Moines) and the nation. The Uniform Crime Rep...
How to Split a Theory: Defending Selective Realism and Convergence without Proximity

AbstractThe most influential arguments for scientific realism remain centrally concerned with an inference from scientific success to the approximate truth of successful theories. Recently, however...
Computer simulation of the kinetics of order-disorder and phase separation during precipitation of δ′ (Al3Li) in AlLi alloys

A computer simulation study has been performed of the reaction paths for the precipitation of δ′ (Al3Li) ordered particles from a disordered matrix (α) in AlLi alloys, using microscopic Langevin diffusion equations. It is found that the precipitation of δ′ occurs either by a congruent ordering process followed by decomposition, or by a non-classical nucleation mechanism which requires critical fluctuations of both composition and order parameter, except in a narrow range of compositions near the equilibrium phase boundary of the disordered phase, where classical nucleation theory seems to be applicable. Composition and order parameter profiles across a critical nucleus were obtained for different compositions in the nucleation and growth regime, and compared with those obtained from the continuum non-classical nucleation theory. Possible origins for the discrepancies in the precipitation mechanism, obtained from different theoretical and experimental studies, are suggested.
Transfusion-associated circulatory overload

Transfusion-associated circulatory overload (TACO) is cardiogenic pulmonary oedema due to infusion of rapid or large volume blood product. TACO is a frequent, serious, but under-recognized complication of haemotherapy. Presenting symptoms include dyspnoea, cyanosis, tachycardia and increased blood pressure. Pedal oedema, headache, chest tightness and dry cough are additional manifestations. Chest radiographs reveal pulmonary oedema and cardiomegaly. Vulnerable patients are the very young and persons over 60 years. While rapid infusion or massive transfusion are frequently the precipitating factors, relatively small volumes (1–2 units) are sufficient to trigger the congestive heart failure. Both haeme and non-haeme fluids account for the positive fluid balance. Fresh-frozen plasma (FFP) and autologous red blood cells have been implicated as well. Consequences include longer length of intensive care unit and hospital stay. The fatality rate has been reported to be 1–3%, but this may understate the true rate. The incidence has been reported to be 1–8% in orthopaedic surgical populations. In general hospital populations a range of 1 : 708–1 : 4075 red blood cell transfusions is associated with TACO. In the intensive care setting, an incidence of 1 : 356 components has been demonstrated. TACO is frequently confused with transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI). In some cases, TRALI and TACO may co-exist. A potentially important diagnostic tool is brain natriuretic peptide. Brain natriuretic peptide is elevated in TACO and a post-transfusion-to-pre-transfusion ratio of 1·5 is indicative of the diagnosis. The test has a sensitivity of 81% and a specificity of 89%. Treatment includes supplementary oxygen, diuretics, placing the patient in a sitting position and therapeutic phlebotomy in 250-ml increments. While rapid infusion is believed to be a contributing factor, optimal infusion rates for the non-emergency situation have not been determined. TACO has been observed with flow rates between 0·9 and 48·1 ml/min. Preventive measures include use of evidence-based transfusion and controlled-rate infusion. Measures that insure the use of standardized blood components, such as derived through apheresis, are likely to favourably impact the incidence of this complication.
Stability of muscarinic-cholinergic receptor activity in the deafferented retinotectal pathway

The high-affinity antagonist, 3-quinuclidinyl benzilidate (QNB), was used to analyze muscarinic-cholinergic receptor activity in the optic tectum of goldfish and optic lobe of developing chicks and adult pigeons after deafferentation. After deafferentation no significant loss of total or specific muscarinic receptor binding activity was observed in contrast to prior experiments where there was a marked and rapid loss of nictonic-cholinergic receptor binding activity, as measured by alphabungarotoxin binding. The relative stability of the muscarinic site as opposed to the instability of the nicotinic site in these experiments is discussed.
U txt WHEN? College students’ social contexts of text messaging

Abstract Despite an explosion in the popularity of text messaging (short message service, or SMS texting), little research has documented the prevalence of its use in various dimensions of the social landscape of young adults. We examined text messaging patterns in various social situations in a sample of college students. Unsurprisingly, participants placed a good deal of importance on texting and reported using texts frequently to stay in touch with friends and loved ones. However, a good number of participants reported texting in seemingly inopportune situations, such as while in the shower, while at work, during religious services, and while having sex. Further, most participants reported texting in situations that may be considered by some as social breaches, such as while on a date, while socializing in person with others, and to break up with and cheat on a romantic partner. Results suggest that drawbacks of this convenient, fast, and faceless mode of communication include disinhibition and inattention to one's immediate social environment.
Elementary steps for charge transport in DNA: thermal activation vs. tunneling

Abstract Using stacks of Watson–Crick base pairs as an important example of multichromophoric molecular assemblies, we studied charge migration in DNA with special emphasis on the mechanism of hole hopping between neighboring guanines (G) connected by the adenine–thymine (AT) bridge. The tight-binding model proposed for this elementary step shows that for short AT bridges, hole transfer between two G bases proceeds via quantum mechanical tunneling. By contrast, hopping over long bridges requires thermal activation. The condition for crossover between tunneling and thermal activation near room temperature is specified and applies to the analysis of experimental data. We show that thermal activation dominates, if the bridge between two G bases contains more than three AT pairs. Our theoretical findings predict that the replacement of AT base pairs by GC pairs increases the efficiency of hole transport only in the case of short base pair sequences. For long sequences, however, the opposite effect is expected.
Changing Roles of Health Sciences Librarians in the Electronic Environ ment: Providing Instructional Pro grammes, Improving Access, and Advancing Scientific Communication

La documentation electronique a change de facon significative le role des bibliothecaires dans les bibliotheques scientifiques et medicales. Cet expose explique comment les bibliothecaires etendent leur expertise aux programmes de formation, a l'amelioration des acces a l'information et aux nouvelles technologies de l'information. Les bibliothecaires peuvent realiser aussi bien des programmes pedagogiques que de formation, pour aider les usagers a comprendre et a utiliser au mieux les ressources de la documentation electronique. Trois types de documentation electronique sont abordes: le texte integral avec impression, le texte electronique, et la documentation accessible par Internet. L'acces a la documentation electronique souleve de nombreuses questions: la propriete de l'information, les accords avec les vendeurs, la question des usagers, le prix et la qualite du systeme logiciel. Les bibliothecaires ont les competences necessaires pour evaluer et organiser la documentation medicale sur Internet. Ils contribuent a l'accumulation de connaissances sur les besoins des usagers et l'evaluation des programmes. Les decisions pour les futures evolutions pourront s'appuyer sur ces connaissances.
Hospitalized elders and family caregivers: a typology of family worry.

Objective. This qualitative study explored the kinds of worry that family caregivers experience when their older relatives are hospitalized. Background. Little is known about what kinds of worries family caregivers may have in association with the hospitalizations of older relatives. An understanding of the different patterns of family worry may help health care teams intervene more effectively to meet family caregiver's needs by reducing their anxiety. Design. A qualitative descriptive design with Loftland and Loftland (1984) approach for the study of a phenomenon occurring in a social setting was used. Method. A purposeful sample of 10 participants was obtained that included six family caregivers and four nurses. Participants were recruited from two hospitals in the northwest US. Intensive interviews and participant observations were used for data collection, and Loftland and Loftland's (1984) qualitative approach was used for data analysis. Results. Family worry was defined as family caregivers’ felt difficulty in fulfilling their roles because of worry. Four categories of family worry were identified as a result of this study: (i) worry about the patient's condition; (ii) worry about the patient's care received from the health care team; (iii) worry about future care for the patient provided by the family caregiver; and (iv) worry about finances. Conclusions. The findings of this pilot study provide nurses with the initial knowledge of the typology of family worry associated with elderly relatives’ hospitalizations. Relevance to clinical practice. The findings of this study may sensitize the nurses to more precisely evaluate family caregivers’ worry about their hospitalized elders and provide more effective nursing interventions to improve outcomes of both patients and their family caregivers.
Isomer differentiation by charge inversion tandem mass spectrometry: an investigation into the structure of the ionic products from an SN(ANRORC) eeaction.

Negative ion fast atom bombardment and negative ion chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometry combined with charge inversion reactions are used to confirm that 2-chloro-5nitropyridine reacts with the hydroxide ion by an SN(ANRORC) mechanism in solution to form a ring-opened C5H3N2O 3 − anion that has the structure of the (M-H)− anion of 2-nitro-4-cyano-2-butenal. The addition of excess hydroxide ion forms the expected 2-oxy5-nitropyridine anion. In the gas phase the same reaction forms only the 2-oxy-5-nitropyridine anion. High energy charge inversion is shown to be an excellent means of differentiating between these isomeric negative ions.
Real-world affected upper limb activity in chronic stroke: an examination of potential modifying factors

AbstractBackground:Despite improvement in motor function after intervention, adults with chronic stroke experience disability in everyday activity. Factors other than motor function may influence affected upper limb (UL) activity.Objective:To characterize affected UL activity and examine potential modifying factors of affected UL activity in community-dwelling adults with chronic stroke.Methods:Forty-six adults with chronic stroke wore accelerometers on both ULs for 25 hours and provided information about potential modifying factors [time spent in sedentary activity, cognitive impairment, depressive symptomatology, number of comorbidities, motor dysfunction of the affected UL, age, activities of daily living (ADL) status, and living arrangement]. Accelerometry was used to quantify duration of affected and unaffected UL activity. The ratio of affected-to-unaffected UL activity was also calculated. Associations within and between accelerometry-derived variables and potential modifying factors were examined....
Socially distributed perception: GRACE plays social tag at AAAI 2005

This paper presents a robot search task (social tag) that uses social interaction, in the form of asking for help, as an integral component of task completion. Socially distributed perception is defined as a robot's ability to augment its limited sensory capacities through social interaction. We describe the task of social tag and its implementation on the robot GRACE for the AAAI 2005 Mobile Robot Competition & Exhibition. We then discuss our observations and analyses of GRACE's performance as a situated interaction with conference participants. Our results suggest we were successful in promoting a form of social interaction that allowed people to help the robot achieve its goal. Furthermore, we found that different social uses of the physical space had an effect on the nature of the interaction. Finally, we discuss the implications of this design approach for effective and compelling human-robot interaction, considering its relationship to concepts such as dependency, mixed initiative, and socially distributed cognition.
Rotating masses and their effect on inertial frames.

Rotating masses effect on inertial frames, analyzing stress energy tensor and Schwarzschild geometry
The effect of epigenetic sperm abnormalities on early embryo‐genesis

Sperm are a highly specialized cell type derived to deliver the paternal haploid genome to the oocyte. The epigenetic, or gene regulatory, properties and mechanisms of the sperm assist in preparation of the paternal genome to contribute to embryogenesis and the genome of the zygote. Many recent studies have addressed the issue of altered epigenetic processes in the sperm. This review evaluates the current understanding of DNA damage, chromosome aneuploidy, reduced telomere length, malformations of the centrosome, genomic imprinting errors, altered mRNA profiles, and abnormal nuclear packaging in the sperm prior to fertilization and the observed effects on embryogenesis. Attention has also been given to understanding the underlying etiology of sperm with altered epigenetic mechanisms in humans.
Pharmacokinetics of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion.

One of the reasons for the variability of blood glucose regulation in Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients is the huge variation in subcutaneous absorption of intermediate-acting insulin. We have investigated the variation in insulin absorption during continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion in eight such patients. The content of insulin in the subcutaneous tissue was measured using 125I-labelled insulin. The concentration of free serum insulin and blood glucose was followed from 1 h before and from 7 h after breakfast on two consecutive days. The amount of insulin absorbed during 24 h differed in all cases by less than 3% from the daily insulin dose given by the pumps. Mean insulin absorption rates and mean free insulin concentration showed peak values 30–90 min after meal bolus injections; this was sufficient to maintain near-normal blood glucose. Mean free serum insulin correlated strongly with disappearance of insulin from the subcutaneous tissue (r=0.98). From the insulin absorption rates and free insulin concentrations during basal constant insulin infusion, the half-time of serum insulin was calculated as 6 min. Compared with the known large variability in the absorption of intermediate-acting insulin, continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion offers a precise and reproducible way of insulin administration resulting in post-prandial serum insulin peaks sufficient to maintain near-normal blood glucose levels. The half-time of serum insulin during subcutaneous infusion corresponds to values for intravenous infusion given in the literature, indicating that local degradation of insulin in subcutaneous tissue is of minor importance.
Framework for testing multi‐threaded Java programs

Finding bugs due to race conditions in multi-threaded programs is difficult, mainly because there are many possible interleavings, any of which may contain a fault. In this work we present a methodology for testing multi-threaded programs which has minimal impact on the user and is likely to find interleaving bugs. Our method reruns existing tests in order to detect synchronization faults. We find that a single test executed a number of times in a controlled environment may be as effective in finding synchronization faults as many different tests. A great deal of resources are saved since tests are very expensive to write and maintain. We observe that simply rerunning tests, without ensuring in some way that the interleaving will change, yields almost no benefits. We implement the methodology in our test generation tool—ConTest. ConTest combines the replay algorithm, which is essential for debugging, with our interleaving test generation heuristics. ConTest also contains an instrumentation engine, a coverage analyzer, and a race detector (not finished yet) that enhance bug detection capabilities. The greatest advantage of ConTest, besides finding bugs of course, is its minimal effect on the user. When ConTest is combined into the test harness, the user may not even be aware that ConTest is being used. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
In Situ Quantification Of Oil Entering An Estuary Under Protective Booms

After an exploratory oil well (IXTOC I) blew out in the Gulf of Mexico in June 1979, three million gallons of oil were estimated to impact the Texas coast, primarily along Padre Island. Booms, either complete or staggered, were placed across the inlets to prevent oil from entering the environmentally sensitive estuaries, including the Laguna Madre. These estuaries are important nesting areas for birds and nursery areas for fish and other marine life. There was concern that subsurface oil of substantial quantities was entering the estuaries under the booms during flood tides. Diving investigations at the booms to observe and quantify the amount of subsurface oil entering the estuaries indicated that between zero and 100 kg of weathered oil was entering the Laguna Madre per day. Except for some small deposits on the shores of the inlet and flats in the estuary, the oil had no obvious impact.
SOA service reuse by design

Reuse of services in supporting new business processes, in addition to alignment of IT with business functions, is a key motivation in using Service-oriented Architecture (SOA) for developing business solutions. The three key benefits of service reuse are improving agility of solutions by quickly assembling new business processes from existing services to meet changing marketplace needs, reduction of cost by not just avoiding duplication of code for enabling similar business functions across multiple business processes, but also throughout the SOA life-cycle spanning service deployment and management, and also reducing risks by reusing well-tested code and runtime environments. However, currently there are many organizational challenges and lack of accepted SOA solution development methodologies and supporting technical capabilities in customer environments in achieving service reuse. This paper details the key challenges in achieving service reuse, and advocates taking a pro-active position in addressing these challenges by putting in place governing key aspects of service life-cycle and supporting technical capabilities.
Low-power FPGA routing switches using adaptive body biasing technique

As technology scales and the geometries of the transistors shrink, leakage current and subsequently total power consumption increase considerably. Many of the benefits brought forth by the smaller transistors will be lost if the high power consumption problem cannot be solved. The leakage power consumption problem is especially relevant to an FPGA because of the amount of unused interconnect and logic fabric in the chip during any operation. In this paper, we propose to lower the power consumption of a standard SRAM based FPGA by using half-width transistor stacks and adaptive body biasing techniques. SPICE simulation on a standard pass-transistor based switch block and a switch matrix from the Xilinx XC4000 FPGA show that the leakage power can be reduced by up to 46% for a 45nm technology node and up to 10% for a 70nm technology node when a switch-matrix is fully loaded.
Stress Measurement in Cylindrical Vessels

An analysis is presented of the birefringence patterns observed in the walls of cylindrical glass objects when viewed tangentially in a matching index fluid. The patterns to be expected from a combination of parabolic and bending stresses, resulting from asymmetric cooling, are calculated. Experimentally measured patterns are shown to illustrate the theory. A simple method is presented whereby the stresses at the outside and inside surfaces of tempered ware can be calculated from the observed pattern.