cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A prospective, randomized comparison of skin adhesive and subcuticular suture for closure of pediatric hernia incisions: cost and cosmetic considerations.

Abstract Purpose In this study, we compared the skin adhesive 2-octylcyanoacrylate to subcuticular suture for closure of pediatric inguinal hernia incisions to determine if skin adhesive improves wound cosmesis, shortens skin closure time, and lowers operative costs. Methods We prospectively randomized 134 children undergoing inguinal herniorrhaphy at our institution to have skin closure with either skin adhesive (n = 64) or subcuticular closure (n = 70). Data collected included age, sex, weight, type of operation, total operative time, and skin closure time. Digital photographs of healing incisions were taken at the 6-week postoperative visit. The operating surgeon assessed cosmetic outcome of incisions using a previously validated visual analog scale, as well as an ordinate scale. A blinded assessment of cosmetic outcome was then performed by an independent surgeon comparing these photographs to the visual analog scale. Operating room time and resource use (ie, costs) relative to the skin closure were assessed. Comparisons between groups were done using Student's t tests and χ 2 tests. Results Children enrolled in the study had a mean ± SE age of 3.7 ± 0.3 years and weighed 16 ± 0.8 kg. Patients were predominantly male (82%). Patients underwent 1 of 3 types of open hernia repair as follows: unilateral herniorrhaphy without peritoneoscopy (n = 41; 31%), unilateral herniorrhaphy with peritoneoscopy (n = 55; 41%), and bilateral herniorrhaphy (n = 38; 28%). Skin closure time was significantly shorter in the skin adhesive group (adhesive = 1.4 ± 0.8 minutes vs suture=2.4 ± 1.1 minutes; P = .001). Mean wound cosmesis scores based on the visual analog scale were similar between groups (adhesive = 78 ± 21; suture=78 ± 18; P = .50). Material costs related to herniorrhaphy were higher for skin adhesive (adhesive = $22.63 vs suture=$11.70; P P Conclusions There is no difference in cosmetic outcome between skin adhesive and suture closure in pediatric inguinal herniorrhaphy. Material costs are increased because of the high cost of adhesive relative to suture. This is partially offset, however, by the cost savings from reduction in operating room time.
A Solid Acidity Scale Based on the31P MAS-NMR Shift of Chemisorbed Triethylphosphine Oxide

The change in chemical shift of a chemisorbed probe molecule is an informative tool for the characterization of solid acids. This work demonstrates that the phosphorus-31 isotropic chemical shift of the probe triethylphosphine oxide (TEPO) can be used to identify the acidity of multiple acid sites on a surface. The difference in the phosphorus-31 chemical shift of chemisorbed TEPO with respect to physisorbed TEPO, Δδ, establishes a scale of solid acidity that can be validated by comparison to enthalpies of calorimetric methods. A linear correspondence is observed for the strong solid acid (silica-gel)nSbVCl3with four acid sites and with enthalpies of −66, −46, −33, and −21 Kcal/mol for interaction of the solid acid with pyridine in a cyclohexane slurry that correlate with Δδ values of 66, 48, 36, and 22 ppm, respectively.
Microclimate and habitat heterogeneity through the oil palm lifecycle

Abstract The rapid expansion of oil palm cultivation and corresponding deforestation has invoked widespread concern for biodiversity in Southeast Asia and throughout the tropics. However, no study explicitly addresses how habitat characteristics change when (1) forest is converted to oil palm, or (2) through the dynamic 25–30-year oil palm lifecycle. These two questions are fundamental to understanding how biodiversity will be impacted by oil palm development. Our results from a chronosequence study on microclimate and vegetation structure in oil palm plantations surrounding the Pasoh Forest Reserve, Peninsular Malaysia, show dramatic habitat changes when forest is converted to oil palm. However, they also reveal substantial habitat heterogeneity throughout the plantation lifecycle. Oil palm plantations are created by clear-cutting forests and then terracing the land. This reduces the 25 m-tall forest canopy to bare ground with a harsh microclimate. Eight-year-old oil palm plantations had 4 m open-canopies; 22-year-old plantations had 13 m closed-canopies. Old plantations had significantly more buffered microclimates than young plantations. Understory vegetation was twice as tall in young plantations, but leaf litter depth and total epiphyte abundance were double in old plantations. Nonetheless, leaf litter coverage was patchy throughout the oil palm life cycle due to the stacking of all palm fronds. Overall, oil palm plantations were substantially hotter (+2.84 °C) and drier (+0.80 hPa vapor pressure deficit), than forests during diurnal hours. However, there were no nocturnal microclimate differences between forests and plantations. Finally, we describe how the variable retention of old palm trees during crop rotation can retain habitat features and maintain more stable microclimate conditions than clear-cutting senescent plantations. We discuss the implications of habitat changes for biodiversity and introduce three methods to utilize temporal habitat heterogeneity to enhance the quality of the oil palm landscape matrix.
Multidisciplinary management of advanced primary and metastatic breast cancer

Combined modality therapy has become the treatment of choice for patients with primary breast cancer, including those with locally advanced breast cancer. Primary or induction chemotherapy, followed by surgery or radiation therapy or both, and adjuvant systemic therapy is a generally accepted strategy. Most tumors respond with a more than 50% decrease in tumor size, and approximately 70% of patients experience down-staging through primary chemotherapy. Breast conservation is possible for many patients with locally advanced breast cancer, and almost all patients initially are rendered disease free. Primary chemotherapy should be the initial choice of treatment for patients with locally advanced tumors, but it is unclear what the optimal sequence of subsequent therapies should be, or whether one or two local treatment modalities are necessary. The most dramatic example of the efficacy of these regimens was demonstrated in patients with inflammatory breast cancer. Previously a universally fatal condition, the natural history of this disease has been changed dramatically by the introduction of these combined modality therapies. Five-year survival rates of 35-60% commonly are reported, and it is likely that about one third of patients with this highly aggressive form of disease will survive beyond 10 years without recurrence. Combined modality therapy that includes primary chemotherapy provides appropriate local control, the possibility of breast conservation therapy, and, probably, an increased survival rate, at least for some subsets of patients with locally advanced breast cancer. The use of similar treatment strategies for early breast cancer is currently under evaluation. Hormone therapy and combination chemotherapy represent the main treatment approaches to metastatic breast cancer. Radiotherapy is also a useful palliative tool, especially for control of painful bone metastases and central nervous system involvement. Patient and tumor characteristics help in the optimal selection of systemic therapy. Palliative therapy for symptomatic control and prolongation of life also preserves a good quality of life. Dose-intensive chemotherapy is being evaluated as a treatment to increase complete response rates and cause remission consolidation. Clinical trials on several new and effective cytotoxic agents, as well as new hormonal compounds, are being completed and are showing encouraging preliminary results.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Hyperplasia in the spinal sensory system of the frog. II. Central and peripheral connectivity patterns

Central and peripheral connectivity patterns of hyperplastic dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) in Rana pipiens are examined in order to determine the relative roles of peripheral and central contacts in the production of DRG hyperplasias. The hyperplasias are produced in the intact hindlimb DRGs after the removal in tadpoles and young postmetamorphic frogs of neighboring DRGs (Davis and Const an tine-Paton, '83). The peripheral target zones of the hyperplastic DRGs, determined by physiological recordings of sensory receptive fields, are found to undergo a significant degree of expansion relative to controls. Peripheral expansion is most pronounced in caudalmost DRG 10, and this effect occurs in experimental animals operated during larval and postmetamorphic stages. Further, anatomical labelling of peripheral sensory fibers coursing to the hindlimb reveals that the hyperplastic DRG 10 actually contains additional fibers projecting to the denervated regions. The central projection of the hyperplastic DRG 10 does not show corresponding increases in longitudinal arborization after the application of horseradish peroxidase to the appropriate dorsal roots. These observations are made on some of the same experimental animals in which peripheral fields are shown to have vastly expanded. We conclude that the peripheral processes of the hyperplastic DRGs are less rigidly specified than the central terminations, and that it is the periphery which plays the primary role in controlling the cell numbers increases. A second aim of this investigation is to identify whether sexually dimorphic connectivity patterns in normal frogs explain the production of DRG 10 hyperplasias exclusively in male experimental animals (Davis and Constantine-Paton, '83). We apply the same techniques used in our connectivity studies of hyperplastic DRGs to the investigation of connectivity patterns of DRG 10s in normal males and females. No sex-dependent differences in peripheral and central connectivity are found. Thus, since normal male and female frogs possess an equivalent amount of target space for DRG 10, the unique production of hyperplasias in male experimental animals cannot be explained solely on the basis of connectivity. We speculate on what other factors may be involved.
CONVERTING GIN AND DAIRY WASTES TO METHANE

Alternatives to gin trash and manure disposal would benefit both the cotton ginning and dairy industries. Anaerobic digestion produces both methane gas and a class A soil amendment. Gin and dairy wastes were combined in the solid phase portion of a two-phase anaerobic system to determine the combinations of temperature, rewetting interval, and mixture ratio that maximize potential methane gas production and minimize process completion time. No significant volatile fatty acid formation occurred after leachate pH approached 7.0, indicating process completion. This took approximately three weeks when temperatures were above 32°C (90°F), mixture ratios were below 5:1 (gin to dairy waste, dry mass basis), and the solid phase was wetted twice daily. Ten percent of the mass was converted to soluble chemical oxygen demand (COD), which has potential for conversion to methane in the second phase.
Vanadium bromoperoxidase from Delisea pulchra: enzyme-catalyzed formation of bromofuranone and attendant disruption of quorum sensing

Vanadium bromoperoxidase was isolated and cloned from the marine red alga Delisea pulchra. This enzyme catalyzes the bromolactonization of 4-pentynoic acid forming 5E-bromo-methylidenetetrahydro-2-furanone, a compound which is shown herein to inhibit quorum sensing in the engineered reporter strain, Agrobacterium tumefaciens NTL4.
Myeloid-derived suppressor cells adhere to physiologic STAT3-vs STAT5-dependent hematopoietic programming, establishing diverse tumor-mediated mechanisms of immunologic escape

The receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, sunitinib, is astonishingly effective in its capacity to reduce MDSCs in peripheral tissues such as blood (human) and spleen (mouse), restoring responsiveness of bystander T lymphocytes to TcR stimulation. Sunitinib blocks proliferation of undifferentiated MDSCs and decreases survival of more differentiated neutrophilic MDSC (n-MDSC) progeny. Ironically, sunitinib’s profound effects are observed even in a total absence of detectable anti-tumor therapeutic response. This is best explained by the presence of disparate MDSC-conditioning stimuli within individual body compartments, allowing sensitivity and resistance to sunitinib to coexist within the same mouse or patient. The presence or absence of GM-CSF is likely the major determinant in each compartment, given that GM-CSF’s capacity to preempt STAT3-dependent with dominant STAT5-dependent hematopoietic programming confers sunitinib resistance and redirects differentiation from the n-MDSC lineage to the more versati...
Knowledge-based Design and Simulation Environment (KBDSE): Foundational Concepts and Implementation

Research developments leading to implementation of an intelligent software environment supporting system design and simulation are presented. Knowledge-based system design and multifaceted simulation methodologies are a foundation for the system realization. The paper describes the major theoretical concepts and processes employed to develop and simulate design models. The environment implementing these concepts and methods consists of two basic components: one serves as a front end supporting the model construction processes; the other is an object-oriented, discrete-event simulator supporting evaluation of hierarchical, multi-component models. Current state of the system implementation and future work are discussed.
Tracking text in mixed-mode documents

This paper describes a method for extracting arbitrarily oriented text in documents containing both text and graphics. The technique presented is inspired by the tracking algorithms frequently found in raster to vector conversion systems. By identifying text components in the document, reducing the resolution of the image by the size of the characters, and then tracking the centers of the character components, all text strings can be removed and subsequently reoriented to the horizontal. They can then be presented for automated character recognition. A by-product of the method is that characters are automatically grouped together to form words and/or phrases. We give a detailed description of the algorithm, discuss its strengths and weaknesses, and present some sample results obtained from a typical city street map.
Effects of serum deprivation on the mechanical properties of adherent vascular smooth muscle cells.

Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) function plays a key role in regulating the development and progression of vascular lesions. Among the more significant phenomena that occur during the development of these lesions is the phenotypic switching of VSMCs from a contractile to a synthetic state. A better understanding of the concurrent changes to VSMC mechanical properties that occur with phenotypic shifts can help to elucidate the role of VSMC mechanics in the development of vascular diseases. In the current study, the mechanical properties of adherent cultured rat aortic VSMCs were assessed by atomic force microscopy. Serum starvation was used to induce a phenotypic shift in vitro. It was concluded that serum starvation led to a statistically significant increase in apparent elastic modulus after 5 days, as well as a statistically significant decrease in hysteresis after culture for 3 days. If this trend of VSMC mechanical properties changing concurrently with phenotypic shifts were to hold true in vivo, s...
Endoscopic mucosal resection with the grasp-and-snare technique through a double-channel endoscope in humans

Background EMR is being used to manage premalignant lesions of the GI tract. Lifting of the lesion is required to perform EMR. Earlier biopsy or snare may cause scarring and preclude adequate lifting. Objective We report our experience with a novel grasp-and-snare EMR technique that can be used when a good lifting is not achieved or the location of the lesion is challenging for standard EMR, such as in a fold. Design Single-center case series. Setting Tertiary referral academic gastroenterology unit. Patients Patients referred for endoscopic treatment of flat gastrointestinal polyps. Interventions Single-session EMR performed with a grasp-and-snare technique through a double-channel gastroscope or colonoscope. Main Outcome Measurements Technical success, complication rates, and recurrence rates. Results Seventeen patients with flat gastrointestinal polyps were referred: mean age 70 years, 11 (65%) male, polyp size 0.8 to 6 cm; 13 colonic, 2 duodenal, 1 gastric, and 1 esophageal EMR performed with grasp-and-snare technique in single sessions. Six polyps (35%) did not lift after injection of hydroxypropylmethylcellulose. Fourteen polyps (82%) were resected completely. Two complications occurred (12%): 1 bleeding treated medically and 1 perforation treated surgically. Residual disease at 1 year was 18%, but 8 patients (47%) had not yet had their 1-year follow-up. Limitations Single-center, uncontrolled, not randomized. Limited follow-up. Conclusions The grasp-and-snare technique can be used to perform EMR with good outcomes and low complication rates in areas where poor lifting and accessibility are problems.
Enhancing crop yields in the developing countries through restoration of the soil organic carbon pool in agricultural lands.

Food production in developing countries, estimated at 1223 million metric tons (Mg), must be increased by 778 million Mg or 2·5 per cent y−1 between 2000 and 2025 to meet the needs of an increased population and projected change in diet. Among numerous options, the one based on enhancing soil quality and agronomic productivity per unit area through improvement in soil organic carbon pool has numerous ancillary benefits. The available data show that crop yields can be increased by 20–70 kg ha−1 for wheat, 10–50 kg ha−1 for rice, and 30–300 kg ha−1 for maize with every 1 Mg ha−1 increase in soil organic carbon pool in the root zone. Adoption of recommended management practices on agricultural lands and degraded soils would enhance soil quality including the available water holding capacity, cation exchange capacity, soil aggregation, and susceptibility to crusting and erosion. Increase in soil organic carbon pool by 1 Mg ha−1 y−1 can increase food grain production by 32 million Mg y−1 in developing countries. While advancing food security, this strategy would also off-set fossil fuel emissions at the rate of 0·5 Pg C y−1 through carbons sequestration in agricultural soils of developing countries. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The RRM domain of MINT, a novel Msx2 binding protein, recognizes and regulates the rat osteocalcin promoter.

Msx2 is a homeodomain transcriptional repressor that exerts tissue-specific actions during craniofacial skeletal and neural development. To identify coregulatory molecules that participate in transcriptional repression by Msx2, we applied a Farwestern expression cloning strategy to identify transcripts encoding proteins that bind Msx2. A λgt11 expression library from mouse brain was screened with radiolabeled GST-Msx2 fusion protein encompassing the core suppressor domain of Msx2. A cDNA was isolated that encodes a novel protein fragment that binds radiolabeled Msx2. Homeoprotein binding activity was confirmed by Farwestern analysis of the T7-epitope-tagged recombinant protein fragment, and interactions in vitro require Msx2 residues necessary for transcriptional suppression in vivo. On the basis of biochemical analyses, this novel protein was named MINT, an acronym for Msx2-interacting nuclear target protein. The original clone is part of a 12.6 kb transcript expressed at high levels in testis and at low...
Striving for Control: Cognitive, Self-Care, and Faith Strategies Employed by Vulnerable Black and White Older Adults with Multiple Chronic Conditions

The average older adult reaches age 65 with at least two chronic, co-occurring illnesses, or multiple morbidities (MM). We currently lack critical information about the specific strategies older adults use to attempt to control these MM. To increase our understanding of how older adults attempt to manage these MM and retain control of their health, in-depth interviews were conducted with 41 Black and White middle aged and older men and women with MM. We were particularly interested in representing the experience of those groups more vulnerable to adverse health outcomes due to greater disease prevalence and low income. During in-depth interviews, we asked open-ended questions on life and health history and open-ended and semi-structured questions about self-care for multiple morbidities. Participants expressed a strong desire to remain in control of their health; to do so they employed a wide range of strategies including cognitive structuring techniques (being health vigilant, normalizing, resignation/relinquishing control, and social comparison), self-care activities (emphasizing diet, exercise, medication taking, modifying existing activities, going to the doctor), and faith orientations (prayer as a constructive support strategy, gaining strength from God, church as a central part of life). With the exception of faith orientations, there were no race/ethnicity differences in the strategies participants use. Future studies should expand on this knowledge by exploring the contextual, cultural, and psychological backdrop and characteristics that shape the use of these coping strategies.
Effect of valve deformity on results and mitral regurgitation after Inoue balloon commissurotomy.

BACKGROUNDThe effect of valve deformity and patient age adversely affect the results of percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy (PTMC) with conventional balloons.METHODS AND RESULTSThese factors were characterized after PTMC with the Inoue balloon. The increases in mitral valve area and mitral regurgitation after the procedure were evaluated comparing echocardiographic score of 8 or less versus more than 8, age of less than 60 versus age of 60 years or more, and age of less than 70 versus age of 70 years or more. One hundred sixty-two patients (mean age, 52 +/- 14 years) were studied. For the entire group, mitral valve area increased from 1.0 to 1.8 cm2 (p less than 0.001). Valve area increased from 1.0 +/- 0.3 to 1.8 +/- 0.6 cm2 in patients with echocardiographic score of 8 or less (n = 102) and from 1.0 +/- 0.3 to 1.7 +/- 0.5 cm2 with echocardiographic score of more than 8 (n = 44). Patients less than 60 years old (n = 104) had increases in valve area from 1.0 +/- 0.3 to 1.8 +/- 0.6 cm2 versus 1....
Sonic boon: ultrasound enhances angiogenic cell therapy.

This editorial refers to ‘Ultrasound stimulation restores impaired neovascularization-related capacities of human circulating angiogenic cells’ by Y. Toyama et a l., pp. 448–459, this issue. Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) affects ∼8 million people per year in the USA alone, and causes significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Amputation remains the definitive treatment for severe PVD, despite the numerous negative effects the loss of a limb can have for a patient with PVD.1 Recent advances in molecular and cellular therapeutics offer the possibility that therapeutic angiogenesis may improve patient outcomes and improve the standard of care for patients with PVD.1,2 Gene therapy approaches have been developed to increase neovascularization in models of critical limb ischaemia (CLI) by expressing gene(s) associated with angiogenesis. These approaches have demonstrated much promise at the preclinical level, and have led to numerous efficacy and safety studies with a variety of therapeutic genes. Clinical gene therapy studies have been challenged by the relatively short duration of gene expression in some systems, as well as by the suboptimal distribution of gene expression, and have failed to demonstrate a significant benefit of gene therapy over placebo. …
Increased tumor establishment and growth after open vs laparoscopic bowel resection in mice

Background: Surgery can suppress immune function and facilitate tumor growth. Several studies have demonstrated better preservation of immune function following laparoscopic procedures. Our laboratory has also shown that tumors are more easily established and grow larger after sham laparotomy than after pneumoperitoneum in mice. The purpose of this study was to determine if the previously reported differences in tumor establishment and growth would persist in the setting of an intraabdominal manipulation.
Axial Site Occupancy by the Least Electronegative Ligands in Trigonal Bipyramidal Tetraoxyphosphoranes(1).

Analogous to the formation of CH2[(t-Bu)2C6H2O]2P(Ph)(O2C6Cl4) (1), the new bicyclic tetraoxyphosphoranes CH2[(t-Bu)2C6H2O]2P(Et)(O2C6Cl4) (3) and CH2[ClC6H3O]2P(Ph)(O2C6Cl4) (4) were synthesized by the oxidative addition of the appropriate cyclic phosphines with o-tetrachlorobenzoquinone. For the formation of CH2[(t-Bu)2C6H2O]2P(Ph)(O2C2Ph2) (2), a similar reaction was followed with the use of benzil (PhCOCOPh) in place of o-tetrachlorobenzoquinone. X-ray analysis of 1−3 revealed trigonal bipyramidal geometries and provided evidence for the first series of complexes in the absence of ring strain in which the least electronegative group, ethyl or phenyl, is located in an axial position, in violation of the electronegativity rule. Thus, the two oxygen-containing ring systems occupied two different sets of positions in the trigonal bipyramid (TBP) with the eight-membered rings at diequatorial sites. X-ray analysis of 4 revealed a trigonal bipyramidal geometry with electron-withdrawing chlorine substituents ...
The effects of paired associative stimulation on knee extensor motor excitability of individuals post-stroke: A pilot study

Abstract Objective Paired associative stimulation (PAS) modulates bilateral distal lower limb motor pathways during walking. We assessed the effects of inhibitory PAS applied to the vastus medialis (VM) motor pathways of chronic stroke patients. Methods PAS consisted of 120 electrical stimuli applied to the femoral nerve paired with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the lower limb primary motor cortex so that the estimated arrival of the afferent volley occurred 8 ms after delivery of the magnetic stimulus. Stimulus pairs were delivered to the non-paretic VM motor system of 11 chronic stroke patients and the right limb motor system of 11 non-impaired subjects at 0.19 Hz. The effects of PAS on VM motor pathway excitability and muscle activity were assessed during pedaling. TMS-induced motor evoked potential (MEP) amplitudes and the percent of VM activity in the flexion phase of active pedaling (%FLEXVM) was examined before and after PAS. Results Inhibitory PAS reduced VM MEP amplitudes in the target limb (p Conclusions These results indicate PAS can be used to manipulate motor cortical excitability in proximal lower limb representations, however the sign of induced modulation was unpredictable and cyclic muscle activity was not modified. Significance The study has important implications for the development of therapies involving non-invasive brain stimulation to modify abnormal motor behavior following stroke.
Determination of NTA in aquatic toxicity studies: a compleximetric method using atomic absorption spectroscopy

A compleximetric-AAS method for the determination of NTA in controlled aquatic systems is proposed as an expedient in the toxicological studies of NTA. The method is based on the formation of a soluble Pb-NTA chelate equivalent to the amount of NTA present in the original sample. The amount of Pb-NTA chelate is determined by AAS measurement of Pb. Concentration of NTA is determined graphically or by digital concentration readout. Matrix effects on the formation of Pb-NTA chelate are counteracted by the use of control water in preparation of standards, or by using the “method of additions.” The proposed method is rapid and easy to perform. Pre-treatment of the sample is minimal, requiring only pH adjustment and/or dilution.
Neutrophil activation by surface bound IgG: Pertussis toxin insensitive activation

Summary Surface bound IgG induces neutrophil degranulation and production of superoxide radicals by a mechanism that is not inhibited by either pertussis toxin or cholera toxin, whereas these functions induced by soluble mediators such as FMLP and soluble aggregates of IgG are profoundly inhibited by pertussis toxin. Interaction of neutrophils with surface bound IgG triggers the loss of 32 P labeled PIP 2 and PIP and the influx of extracellular calcium. Neither of these cellular events when induced by surface bound IgG is inhibited by pertussis toxin. These observations suggest that neutrophil activation induced by surface bound IgG proceeds along a pathway which is not regulated by proteins which are inhibited by either pertussis or cholera toxins.
Hazards models for human population biology.

Population biologists are often interested in examining the effects of continuous biological variables such as measures of growth, body size, nutritional status, and exposure to environmental risk factors, on discerte vital events such as brith, onset of disease, and death. Traditional statistical analyses are unable to cope with several complexities that arise in the study of such effects, including censoring of observations and explanatory variables that change over time. In addition, most traditional methods provide at best empirical rather than etiologic models of the processes of interest. This paper is a review of statistical techniques drawn from the field of hazards analysis that appear to be particularly appropriate for the study of biodemographic events and processes. A general likelihood framework is presented which permits efficient estimation and testing of a wide range of etiologic hazards models. We also review past attempts to model the biological processes underlying age patterns of fertility and mortality. Finally, we discuss how the hazards framework can be adapted to study the quantitative genetics of vital events. ©1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Usefulness of Right Ventricular Free Wall Strain to Predict Quality of Life in “Repaired” Tetralogy of Fallot

After repair of tetralogy of Fallot, the left ventricular ejection fraction and the right ventricular ejection fraction are associated with clinical status and outcomes, but the relation of strain, a potentially earlier marker of dysfunction, to quality of life has not been evaluated. In 58 patients with tetralogy of Fallot (median age 29 years, interquartile range 20 to 41) who underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging and completed the Short Form 36, Version 2 (a validated quality-of-life assessment), left ventricular global circumferential strain, left ventricular global longitudinal strain, and right ventricular free wall longitudinal strain (RVLS FW ) were measured from cine images using feature-tracking software. Age-adjusted z score ≤−1 for the physical component summary or subscales of physical functioning, role-physical, and general health was considered a clinically significant decrease in quality of life. Patients with RVLS FW less than the median had increased odds of decreased physical functioning (odds ratio [OR] 5.4, p = 0.01) and general health (OR 3.5, p = 0.04) subscale scores, which remained significant in patients with right ventricular ejection fractions ≥45% (physical functioning: OR 9.5, p = 0.03; general health: OR 5.9, p = 0.04). Left ventricular global circumferential strain and left ventricular global longitudinal strain did not predict decreased quality of life in this population. Intraobserver and interobserver variability was acceptable for left ventricular global circumferential strain (coefficients of variation 9.5% and 10.0%, respectively) but lower for left ventricular global longitudinal strain (coefficients of variation 17.2% and 16.8%, respectively) and poor for RVLS FW (coefficients of variation 19.9% and 28.8%, respectively). In conclusion, RVLS FW appears to have discriminative ability in this population for decreased quality of life and may yield incremental prognostic value beyond global right ventricular ejection fraction assessment, but further study is needed to evaluate methods to limit variability.
Guaranteeing real-time response with limited resources

Unanticipated problems detected by patient-monitoring systems may sometimes require real-time response in order to provide high-quality care and avoid catastrophic outcomes. In this paper, we present an approach for guaranteeing a response to such events by a monitoring agent even in situations where we have limited problem-solving resources. We show that an action-based hierarchy can accomplish this goal. We also analyze the performance of this hierarchy under varying resource availability and discuss decision-theoretic approaches to enable us to best structure such a hierarchy. We also describe an implementation of these ideas, called ReAct, in the BB1 architecture. All the ideas are illustrated with examples from the surgical intensive care unit (SICU).
Keynote 1 — It's about time

Cyber-physical systems are integrations of computation, communication networks, and physical dynamics. Although time plays a central role in the physical world, all widely used software abstractions lack temporal semantics. The notion of correct execution of a program written in every widely-used programming language today does not depend on the temporal behavior of the program. But temporal behavior matters in almost all systems. Even in systems with no particular real-time requirements, timing of programs is relevant to the value delivered by programs, and in the case of concurrent programs, also affects the functionality. In cyber-physical systems, temporal behavior affects not just the value delivered by a system but also its correctness. In this talk, I will argue that time can and must become part of the semantics of programs for a large class of applications. To illustrate that this is both practical and useful, we will describe two recent efforts at Berkeley in the design and implementation of timing-centric software systems. On the implementation side, I will describe PRET machines, which redefine the instruction-set architecture (ISA) of a microprocessor to include temporal semantics. Such machines can be used in high-confidence and safety-critical systems, in energy-constrained systems, in mixed-criticality systems, and as a Real-Time Unit (RTU) that cooperates with a general-purpose processor to provide real-time services, in a manner similar to how a GPU provides graphics services. On the design side, I will briefly describe PTIDES, a programming model for distributed real-time systems.
Composite wave interactions and the collapse of vacuums in gas dynamics

Abstract We consider the p-system of isentropic gas dynamics. One of the outstanding questions in the study of one-dimensional Euler equations is the BV-existence and local structure of solutions having large data, including the vacuum state. The author has recently given a full description of pairwise wave interactions in 2 × 2 gas dynamics, which includes uniform interaction estimates up to vacuum. In this paper we consider composite interactions, which can be regarded as a degenerate superposition of pairwise interactions. We construct a class of weak solutions which demonstrate some interesting and surprising features, such as a shock of one family disappearing and a shock of the opposite family emerging. We give precise quantitative conditions which determine the outgoing waves. We also construct weak solutions of the p-system which demonstrate the collapse of a vacuum: in most cases two shocks will emerge from the vacuum, but in certain asymmetric cases a single shock and a rarefaction may emerge. We emphasize that the solutions constructed here are both explicit and exact weak solutions to the Euler equations of isentropic gas dynamics.
Bottom Line: Education Is the Great Equalizer. Or Is It?.

Brenda Marina and Nickole Holmes explore obstacles to access to higher education that mar our American myth.
Evaluation of the Etest for detection of tetracycline resistance in Mycoplasma hominis

Abstract The Etest was compared with microbroth dilution for performing in vitro susceptibility tests in 38 isolates of Mycoplasma hominis chosen to represent a wide range of MIC values. MIC 50 s were 4 μg/ml for both methods; whereas, MIC 90 s were 64 and >256 μg/ml for broth and Etest, respectively. Etest MICs determined on SP 4 agar were usually two or more dilutions greater than microbroth MICs in SP 4 broth, and values were prone to change by one to two dilutions when different inoculum densities were used. Inocula of 10 5 to 10 6 color-changing units/ml gave the most consistently readable MICs, with discrete colony formation surrounding the ellipse. Etest MICs for 5 isolates tested a second time at the same inoculum on SP 4 agar agreed with the original value within 1 dilution. For 12 isolates tested on A 8 agar simultaneously with SP 4 agar, MICs for 10/12 agreed within one dilution; whereas, in the other 2 isolates, MICs varied by two dilutions. These findings suggest that the Etest, when properly controlled, can be used to determine tetracycline MICs for M. hominis .
On maximal comma-free codes (Corresp.)

In this correspondence a binary maximal comma-free code for words of length 10 and the search technique used to construct it are described.
Morphology of Electrospun Nylon-6 Nanofibers as a Function of Molecular Weight and Processing Parameters

In the present study, the morphology and mechanical properties of nylon-6 nanofibers were investigated as a function of molecular weight (30,000, 50,000, and 63,000 g/mol) and electrospinning process conditions (solution concentration, voltage, tip-to-collector distance, and flow rate). Scanning electron micrographs (SEM) of nylon-6 nanofibers showed that the diameter of the electrospun fiber increased with increasing molecular weight and solution concentration. An increase in molecular weight increases the density of chain entanglements (in solution) at the same polymer concentration; hence, the minimum concentration to produce nanofibers was lower for the highest molecular weight nylon-6. The morphology of electrospun fibers also depended on tip-to-collector distance and applied voltage concentration of polymer solution as observed from the SEM images. Trends in fiber diameter and diameter distribution are discussed for each processing variable. Mechanical properties of electrospun nonwoven mats showed an increase in tensile strength and modulus as a function of increasing molecular weight. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Thomas Jefferson's Haitian Policy: Myths and Realities

Arthur Scherr. Thomas Jefferson's Haitian Policy: Myths and Realities. Plymouth UK: Lexington Books, 2011. Pp. x. 715.Arthur Scherr, an independent scholar who has taught history at the City Univer...
Helium, neon and argon isotopes in some iron meteorites

Abstract The cosmic ray produced He3, He4, Ne20, Ne21, Ne22, Ar36 and Ar38 have been measured in seven iron meteorites with varying helium contents. The results on isotope abundance agree well with previous results. By considering the He3/He4, He3/Ne21 and He3/Ar38 ratios it is shown that it may be possible to determine the depth at which a sample was in the original meteoroid from these ratios, rather than from the absolute amount of any particular isotope.
Bedside diagnostic minilaparoscopy in the intensive care patient.

Abstract Background. The diagnosis of acute abdominal conditions in the critically ill patient remains difficult. The goal of this study is to demonstrate the use of bedside minilaparoscopy as a diagnostic aid in the intensive care unit (ICU) in patients with possible intra-abdominal catastrophic condition. Methods. Between February 1998 and May 1999, intensive care patients with abdominal pain, unexplained acidosis or sepsis, or suspected mesenteric ischemia were eligible for bedside diagnostic minilaparoscopy (3.3-mm laparoscope and instruments). The procedure was performed at bedside in the ICU with the patient under local anesthesia and intravenous sedation. Pneumoperitoneum was established with nitrous oxide (N2O) to a pressure of 8 to 10 mm Hg. Hemodynamics and ventilatory parameters were monitored before, during, and after the procedure. Results. Nineteen patients underwent bedside diagnostic minilaparoscopy, including 1 patient who underwent 2 diagnostic laparoscopies. Total procedure time was 9 to 68 minutes (mean, 21 minutes). Three patients were found to have extensive mesenteric ischemia and did not undergo laparotomy. One patient found to have questionably viable bowel at laparoscopy underwent a nontherapeutic formal laparotomy. One patient had a gangrenous gallbladder, and another had a small ischemic segment of bowel; each underwent later open laparotomy and resection. The remaining laparoscopic examinations either showed a nonsurgical cause for the patient's condition or were normal. Nontherapeutic laparotomy was avoided in 19 of 20 patients. One gallbladder perforation occurred during laparoscopy in a patient with a necrotic gallbladder. Conclusions. Bedside minilaparoscopy can be a safe and accurate method to evaluate critically ill patients in whom the possibility of mesenteric ischemia or other intra-abdominal process is entertained. Nontherapeutic laparotomy can be avoided in many critically ill patients. Bedside diagnostic laparoscopy can be a useful replacement for diagnostic laparotomy in the operating room. It should be included in the diagnostic algorithm in the evaluation of the unstable patient in the ICU with a suspected acute intra-abdominal process. (Surgery 2002;131:491-6.)
Proactive interference in monkeys: Delay and intersample interval effects are noncomparable

Two prominent theories of proactive interference in animal memory predict that the effects of varying the interval between the interfering and to-be-remembered stimulus in a delayed-matching-to-sample paradigm ought to be comparable to the effects of manipulating the retention interval. To assess this prediction, monkeys were tested in a situation in which a sample was presented, followed by a variable intersample interval, whereupon a second sample was presented. After a delay interval, a choice test was given between the two stimuli that had served as samples. The correct choice was always the most recently presented sample stimulus, and the initial sample of a sequence provided a potential source of proactive interference. In two experiments, delay interval altered performance, whereas interstimulus interval had little or no effect. In a third experiment, using a small set of sample stimuli, intertriai interval altered proactive interference, but again interstimulus interval had no effect. One way of accounting for these data is in terms of distinct short- and long-term memory processes.
Dynamics of multisection DFB semiconductor laser: traveling wave and mode approximation models

Nonlinear dynamical effects of a multi-section DFB semiconductor laser such as self-pulsations or hysteresis can be described by the traveling wave model. The present paper demonstrates that such a model can be effectively approximated by a low dimensional system of ordinary differential equations where only few dynamically varying longitudinal modes of optical field are taken into account. A bifurcation analysis of the reduced models allow us to identify the mechanisms of switching on and switching off of the self-pulsations by tuning model parameters. An explanation of hysteresis is given as well.
Evaluation of Potassium Iodide (KI) and Ammonium Perchlorate (NH4ClO4) to Ameliorate 131I- Exposure in the Rat

Nuclear reactor accidents and the threat of nuclear terrorism have heightened the concern for adverse health risks associated with radiation poisoning. Potassium iodide (KI) is the only pharmaceutical intervention that is currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treating 131I- exposure, a common radioactive fission product. Though effective, KI administration needs to occur prior to or as soon as possible (within a few hours) after radioactive exposure to maximize the radioprotective benefits of KI. During the Chernobyl nuclear reactor accident, KI was not administered soon enough after radiation poisoning occurred to thousands of people. The delay in administration of KI resulted in an increased incidence of childhood thyroid cancer. Perchlorate (ClO4 -) was suggested as another pharmaceutical radioprotectant for 131I- poisoning because of its ability to block thyroidal uptake of iodide and discharge free iodide from the thyroid gland. The objective of this study was to compare the abil...
Microcosm Study of Effect of Different Nutrient Addition on Bioremediation of Fuel Oil No. 2 in Soil from Nova Scotia Coastal Marshes

ABSTRACT Biostimulation has been shown to be an effective tool for the treatment of oil spills in medium to low-energy marine environments. Little information is available on the bioremediation of oil spills in low-energy coastal wetlands. Most of the previous laboratory studies have been carried out under total flooding conditions. In this study, a tidal salt marsh was simulated in laboratory microcosms. The study was carried out in glass columns filled to a depth of 10 cm with sediment. Each microcosm was operated on a 24 hours square tidal cycle with a 12-hour submergence period. The entire sediment was mixed with weathered fuel oil No 2 (F02) to a concentration of 20 g/kg of wet sediment. Two biomarkers, 5α-cholestane and heptamethylnonane were added to the oil for data normalization. Nutrients were premixed with the soil in an amount equivalent to 1 gram as nitrogen and 0.2 grams as phosphorus per column. The experiment was conducted with a no fertilizer control and three types of fertilizer: a slow-...
Learning to drink: adolescents and alcohol.

Abstract Fifty hospitalized adolescents who admitted substantial use of alcohol were assessed individually with a Drinking Analysis Questionnaire to establish a functional/behavioral analysis of adolescents learning to drink. Strong support for a social learning and conditioning model of teenage alcohol use was reported here for the first time with little or no evidence of self-control or punishing consequents to limit or stop drinking. Rather, results and the model utilized point towards continued or increased alcohol consumption. Some shortcomings in this study, needs for further research, and implications for behavioral treatment of adolescent drinkers are discussed.