cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predicting early recovery of consciousness after cardiac arrest supported by quantitative electroencephalography.

Abstract Objective To determine the ability of quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) to improve the accuracy of predicting recovery of consciousness by post-cardiac arrest day 10. Methods Unconscious survivors of cardiac arrest undergoing daily clinical and EEG assessments through post-cardiac arrest day 10 were studied in a prospective observational cohort study. Power spectral density, local coherence, and permutation entropy were calculated from daily EEG clips following a painful stimulus. Recovery of consciousness was defined as following at least simple commands by day 10. We determined the impact of EEG metrics to predict recovery when analyzed with established predictors of recovery using partial least squares regression models. Explained variance analysis identified which features contributed most to the predictive model. Results 367 EEG epochs from 98 subjects were analyzed in conjunction with clinical measures. Highest prediction accuracy was achieved when adding QEEG features from post-arrest days 4–6 to established predictors (area under the receiver operating curve improved from 0.81 ± 0.04 to 0.86 ± 0.05). Prediction accuracy decreased from 0.84 ± 0.04 to 0.79 ± 0.04 when adding QEEG features from post-arrest days 1–3. Patients with recovery of command-following by day 10 showed higher coherence across the frequency spectrum and higher centro-occipital delta-frequency spectral power by days 4–6, and globally-higher theta range permutation entropy by days 7–10. Conclusions Adding quantitative EEG metrics to established predictors of recovery allows modest improvement of prediction accuracy for recovery of consciousness, when obtained within a week of cardiac arrest. Further research is needed to determine the best strategy for integration of QEEG data into prognostic models in this patient population.
Social media as a tool for engaging medical students interested in orthopaedic surgery.

Objective Instagram and Twitter are two of the most popular social media platforms today. Beyond social communication, these platforms also have the potential to enhance medical education by providing early exposure and mentorship to students and residents in training. The purpose of this study was 1) to investigate orthopaedic surgery related content posted on Instagram and Twitter 2) to analyze who posts orthopaedic surgery related content and 3) to better understand how social media may be used to supplement medical education and exposure for students interested in orthopaedics. Design Three hashtags, #Orthopedics, #OrthopedicSurgery, and #OrthopedicSurgeon were searched on Instagram and Twitter from March 8 to March 18, 2020. Posts on both platforms were analyzed for the hashtag used, number of likes, source type (e.g. physician, company promoting a product), and type of post (e.g. advertisement, educational). Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the results. Setting This study was performed at the Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, by medical students, with guidance and supervision from faculty in the Tulane University Department of Orthopaedics. Results Data was collected from 212 (47.2%) Instagram and 237 (52.8%) Twitter posts over a 10-day period. Significantly more Instagram posts used the hashtags #Orthopedicsurgeon and #Orthopedicsurgery (P<.001), while more Twitter posts used the hashtag #Orthopedics (72.0% P<.001). Companies using these hashtags posted more frequently on Twitter than Instagram (P<.001), while a higher number of physicians, orthopaedic practices, and personal accounts utilized Instagram (P<.001). There was significantly more advertising content on Twitter (P<.001), while Instagram included more personal anecdotes, medical imaging and procedures (P<.001). Conclusion This study demonstrated that content related to orthopaedic surgery is regularly posted on both Instagram and Twitter. Instagram is a visually driven platform that more frequently posted educational and personal content from medical professionals and individuals, while Twitter predominantly published advertisements from companies and orthopaedic practices. The current use of Instagram may make it better suited for providing information and early exposure to medical students interested in the field. Levels of Evidence III.
Tobacco and marijuana co-use in a cohort of young adults: Patterns, correlates and reasons for co-use.

Abstract Background As marijuana is legalized in more states, modes of administration that facilitate co-use with tobacco are growing in popularity among young adults. This study examines the prevalence, patterns, correlates, and reasons for co-use so that targeted interventions can be developed to prevent negative consequences associated with tobacco use and co-use. Methods In Fall 2019, 1887 young adults, originally recruited in 2010 from 11 colleges in North Carolina and Virginia to participate in a cohort study, completed an online survey. Co-use was defined as self-reported use of marijuana and tobacco in the past month. Tobacco-only, marijuana-only and co-users were compared using regression modeling. Results Overall, 9.3% of the sample were co-users, 7.1% tobacco-only, and 15.8% marijuana-only users. Tobacco use was associated with an increased likelihood of marijuana use and vice-versa. Co-users were more likely to use e-cigarettes and blunts to administer marijuana and less likely to use smokeless tobacco products. They were more likely to use cocaine, have less anxiety, and be heavier marijuana users than marijuana-only users. Co-users of e-cigarettes and marijuana were less likely to be daily e-cigarette users and make quit attempts than e-cigarette users that did not use marijuana. Experimentation was the primary reason for co-use of tobacco and marijuana. Conclusions Co-users were more likely to use modes of administration that facilitate use of both substances and have patterns of use that may impact cessation efforts. These findings highlight the importance of surveillance of co-use and the development of interventions targeting experimentation with these substances by young adults.
The Precambrian paleogeography of Laurentia

Abstract Laurentia is the craton that forms the Precambrian core of North America and was a major continent throughout the majority of the Proterozoic following its amalgamation 1.8 billion years ago. The paleogeographic position of Laurentia is key to the development of reconstructions of Proterozoic paleogeography including the Paleoproterozoic to Mesoproterozoic supercontinent Nuna and latest Mesoproterozoic to Neoproterozoic supercontinent Rodinia. There is a rich record of Precambrian paleomagnetic poles from Laurentia, as well as an extensive and well-documented geologic history of tectonism. These geologic and paleomagnetic records are increasingly better constrained geochronologically and are both key to evaluating and developing paleogeographic models. These data from Laurentia provide strong support for mobile lid plate tectonic processes operating continuously over the past 2.2 billion years.
Complexes of 2,4,4,5,5-pentamethyl-1-pyrroline and 2,4,4,5,5-pentamethyl-1-pyrroline 1-oxide: Preparation and properties of tetrahedral Co(II) complexes

Abstract A new series of tetrahedral and pseudotetrahedral complexes of the types [CoL4](ClO4)2 and CoL2X2, where L = 2,4,4,5,5-pentamethyl-1-pyrroline 1-oxide (pyrO) and 2,4,4,5,5-pentamethyl-1-pyrroline (pyr) and X = Cl−, Br− and I−, have been prepared and characterized by conductance, magnetic and spectral studies. Ligand field calculations employing the average environment rule gave Dq values for pyrO and pyr of ∼ 500 and ∼ 570 cm−1, respectively. Also the ligand exchange reaction of CoCl2(pyrO)2 with pyrO has been studied in acetone solution. The reciprocal of the mean ligand lifetime in the coordination sphere was found to have the form 1/τM = k1 + k2 [pyrO] where k1 (25°C) = 3·7 ± 0·9 x 104 sec−1; k2 (25°C) = 5·1 ± 0·2 × 104 M−1 sec−1; ΔH≠ (k1) = 5·0 ± 3.5 kcal/mole; ΔH≠ (k2) = 5·7 ± 0·5 kcal/mole; and δS≠ (k2) = −18 ± 5 e.u.
Short‐Term Performance of U.S.‐Bound Chinese IPOs

Firms from emerging markets, including China, increasingly seek to raise capital outside of their home markets. We examine the short-term performance of U.S.-bound Chinese initial public offerings (IPOs) and find that these IPOs have significantly lower underpricing than a matched sample of U.S. counterparts. We also find that the magnitude of IPO underpricing for U.S.-bound Chinese firms is positively related to revisions in offer price.
The plateau phase of growth of the L-M strain mouse cell in a protein-free medium: III. The effect of added glucose on protein and nucleic acid synthesis and on carborhydrate utilization

Abstract The addition of radioactive glucose to suspension cultures of L-M strain mouse cells during the plateau phase has been shown to extend the duration of this period from the normal 48–72 hr to 144–240 hr. Supplemental carbohydrate serves both as an energy source, as detected by the production of radioactive lactic acid and carbon dioxide, and as a precursor for nucleic acid and protein synthesis during this period. On the basis of the specific activities of the nucleic acids and proteins recovered from both the cells and the medium, possibilities of synthesis of multiple proteins and of extracellular RNA are discussed. The addition of radioactive homologous nucleic acidprotein fractions to culture in logarithmic growth is shown to reduce the mean generation time by 50 per cent. The recovery of 12 to 13 per cent of the radioactivity in these same fractions isolated from the cells at the end of logarithmic growth suggests that cells have the potential for re-utilization of cellular material release into the medium from other cells in the population.
Maternal serum 17 β-estradiol levels in normal and complicated pregnancies: A comparison with other estrogen indices of fetal health☆☆☆

Abstract Maternal serum 17β-estradiol (SE 2 ) levels are dependent to a significant extent on fetoplacental interaction, suggesting that SE 2 levels could be used as an index of fetoplacental well-being. A comparative study of SE 2 levels with our previously reported serum estriol (SE 3 ), 24 hour urinary estrogens (UE), and urinary estrogen/creatinine (E/C) ratio determinations in normal and complicated pregnancies was undertaken. The normal SE 2 range for the last 10 weeks of pregnancy was established with the use of serial samples from 20 uncomplicated pregnancies. Significant correlations (p 2 and UE (r = 0.29), SE 2 and E/C (r = 0.32), but not between SE 2 and SE 3 (r = 0.06). SE 2 levels in serial samples from 31 complicated pregnancies (e.g., diabetes, toxemia, postmaturity, anencephaly) were determined. SE 2 patterns paralleled other estrogen parameters in 7 of 8 patients when SE 3 , E/C, and UE were low and were compatible with our assessment of fetoplacentai status in 9 of 10 patients where SE 3 and E/C conflicted. However, SE 2 was low in 7 of 13 patients whose SE 3 , E/C, and UE were normal and who were delivered of normal infants (5) or infants (2) whose compromise was not predictable by assay of estrogen levels. It is concluded that the high incidence (26 per cent) of misleading low SE 2 patterns in complicated pregnancies with normal fetal outcome limits the value of this index. Serial UE, E/C, total creatinine excretion, and 24 hour urine volume currently provide the most reliable data to monitor estrogen metabolism as one parameter of fetoplacental well-being.
Peter French, Corporate Ethics and The Wizard of Oz

For more than two decades, Peter French has been arguing in books, articles and symposia that corporations are genuine actors in the moral universe. Like adult human beings, they can and should take moral responsibility for their actions and be held accountable by the other actors in this universe. I have always argued with my students that the position is both metaphysically incorrect and practically harmful. Now (1995) French has redeveloped his position through 380 pages in Corporate Ethics, probably the most challenging and original Business Ethics textbook yet to appear. It is a work of intellectual sophistication with real world applications. Using the metaphor invaders throughout the book, French argues not only that corporations are moral agents, but also that their moral agency has made the business world of the late twentieth century and of the coming century different from anything of preceding epochs. It is, in his argument, an agency of great potential danger and of great potential benefit, one in terms od which we can address every ethical problem of business. In the essay , I explore Corporate Ethics both on the metaphysical and the practical level.
Impulse response generation from S-parameters for power delivery network simulation

Accurate analysis of power delivery network is indispensable to assess VLSI package and interconnection network. Given the S-parameters that characterize the linear packaging system, we derive the transient response of power delivery networks. We utilize the compressed sensing technique to generate the impulse response that fits the S-parameters with sparsity. Our method shows accurate, concise, and stable results.
Coping with dynamic membership, selfishness, and incomplete information: applications of probabilistic analysis and game theory

The emergence of large scale distributed computing networks has given increased prominence to a number of algorithmic concerns, including the need to handle dynamic membership, selfishness, and incomplete information. In this document, we outline our explorations into these algorithmic issues. We first present our results on the analysis of a graph-based coupon collector process related to load balancing for networks with dynamic membership. In addition to extending the study of the coupon collector process, our results imply load balancing properties of certain distributed hash tables. Second, we detail our results on worst case payoffs when playing buyer-supplier games, against many selfish, collaborating opponents. We study optimization over the set of core vectors. We show both positive and negative results on optimizing over the cores of such games. Furthermore, we introduce and study the concept of focus point price, which answers the question: If we are constrained to play in equilibrium, how much can we lose by playing the wrong equilibrium? Finally, we present our analysis of a revenue management problem with incomplete information, the online weighted transversal matroid matching problem. In specific, we present an algorithm that delivers expected revenue within a constant of optimal in the online setting. Our results use a novel algorithm to generalize several results known for special cases of transversal matroids.
Pseudomonas infection of the biliary system resulting from use of a contaminated endoscope

Pseudomonas aeruginosa was present in bile cultures from 10 patients who had undergone previous endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in 1984. After environmental cultures and review of instrument disinfection, we traced the infections to a single endoscope contaminated with P. aeruginosa, serotype 10. Although the instrument had been cleaned repeatedly with an automatic endoscope cleaning machine, P. aeruginosa survived on residual moisture left in the channels of the endoscope. Contamination ended only after we began to manually suction alcohol through the endoscope before air drying. In 5 of 10 patients, P. aeruginosa caused clinical infections including gangrenous cholecystitis, abscesses, and death. We could identify no factor that distinguished symptomatic from asymptomatic patients. In asymptomatic patients, P. aeruginosa was recovered from gallbladder bile up to 2 mo after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. As this P. aeruginosa epidemic was discovered retrospectively because we monitor bile cultures, we advocate this practice as part of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography procedures.
Prenatal diagnosis of Caudal Regression Syndrome : a case report

Background Caudal regression is a rare syndrome which has a spectrum of congenital malformations ranging from simple anal atresia to absence of sacral, lumbar and possibly lower thoracic vertebrae, to the most severe form which is known as sirenomelia. Maternal diabetes, genetic predisposition and vascular hypoperfusion have been suggested as possible causative factors.
The infrared and Raman spectrum and thermodynamic functions of cyclopropyl cyanide

Abstract Cyclopropane is the only molecule containing the cyclopropane ring which has been thoroughly investigated from a spectroscopic viewpoint. The infrared spectrum of cyclopropyl cyanide in the liquid and vapor phase has been measured from 2 to 25 microns using lithium fluoride, sodium chloride, and cesium bromide prisms. The Raman spectrum of the liquid and qualitative polarization data have been obtained. A normal coordinate analysis was done on the skeletal molecule assuming a Cs point group. Using the calculated values and data on related molecules a complete vibrational assignment of the experimentally determined frequencies has been made. The moments of inertia and the thermodynamic functions have been calculated.
The effects of feeding sericea lespedeza hay on growth rate of goats naturally infected with gastrointestinal nematodes

Goat production is increasing in the United States due to high ethnic demand, but infection with gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) parasites is a major constraint to the industry. Increasing GIN resistance to chemical anthelmintics worldwide has led to the development of alternative control strategies, including use of forages containing condensed tannins (CT). An experiment was designed using infected and dewormed male kids (Kiko x Spanish, 6 mo old, 18.9 +/- 3.25 kg) fed diets containing 25% concentrate and either 75% sericea lespedeza [SL; Lespedeza cuneata (Dum-Cours.) G. Don], a high CT forage (87 to 181 g of CT/kg), or 75% bermudagrass [BG; Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] hay (n = 10/treatment). The kids were weighed every 14 d, and fecal and blood samples were taken weekly for fecal egg counts and packed cell volume determination, respectively. Fecal cultures were processed every 14 d to determine CT effect on larval development. At slaughter, adult GIN were collected from the abomasum and small intestines for counting and speciation. Blood samples were also analyzed for plasma urea-N, and ruminal VFA and pH were determined. The infected SL-fed kids had consistently lower (P < 0.05) fecal egg counts than the infected BG goats throughout the trial and greater (P < 0.05) packed cell volume beginning by d 77. Average daily gain was greater (P < 0.001) in kids fed SL- than BG-based diets, regardless of infection status (104.3 +/- 5.0 and 75.5 +/- 4.8 g/d, respectively). Total VFA and acetate concentrations were greater (P < 0.001) in the BG- than in SL-fed goats, whereas propionate levels were unaffected by diet. Acetate:propionate ratio (P = 0.01) and plasma urea-N (P = 0.03) levels were greater in BG-fed goats, whereas rumen pH was greater (P < 0.001) in the SL-fed goats. Feeding SL hay can reduce GIN infection levels and increase performance of goats compared with BG hay.
Comparing Quantitative Model Predictions to Experimental Data in Multiple-UAV Flight Control

Thirty-six licensed pilots from the University of Illinois Aviation Institute performed simulated military surveillance missions with one and/or two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). Pilots were resp...
The reverse laser drilling of transparent materials

Within a limited range of incident laser‐beam intensities, laser drilling of a sapphire wafer initiates on the surface of the wafer where the laser beam exits and proceeds upstream in the laser beam to the surface where the laser beam enters the wafer. This reverse laser drilling is the result of the constructive interference between the laser beam and its reflected component on the exit face of the wafer. Constructive interference occurs only at the exit face of the sapphire wafer because the internally reflected laser beam suffers no phase change there. A model describing reverse laser drilling predicts the ranges of incident laser‐beam intensity where no drilling, reverse laser drilling, and forward laser drilling can be expected in various materials. The application of reverse laser drilling in fabricating feed‐through conductors in silicon‐on‐sapphire wafers for a massively parallel processor is described.
Chronic fluoxetine exposure alters movement and burrowing in adult freshwater mussels.

Abstract The antidepressant fluoxetine is commonly found in aquatic fauna living near or downstream from point-sources of municipal waste effluent. Continuous release of fluoxetine results in increased effective exposure duration in surface waters, resulting in a chronic exposure for animals downstream, particularly in effluent dominated ecosystems. Fluoxetine is known to cause disruptions in reproductive behavior of freshwater mussels (order Unionoida), including stimulating release of gametes, parturition of glochidia (larvae), and changes in lure display and foot protrusion. However, the ecological relevance of these effects at environmental concentrations is unknown. We conducted a 67-d exposure of adult Lampsilis fasciola to fluoxetine concentrations of 0, 0.5, 2.5, and 22.3 μg/L and assessed impacts on behavior (lateral movement, burrowing, and filtering) and metabolism (glycogen storage and respiration). Mussels treated with 2.5 and 22.3 μg/L fluoxetine displayed mantle lures significantly ( p
Clinical comparison of two stylet angles for orotracheal intubation with the GlideScope video laryngoscope.

Abstract Study Objective To compare the success of orotracheal intubation in 62 seconds or less using the GlideScope video laryngoscope (GVL) and a 60° or 90° angled stylet with reverse loading of the endotracheal tube (ETT). Design Prospective, randomized study. Setting Operating room of a university hospital. Patients 120 ASA physical status I, II, and III adult patients undergoing elective surgery requiring general anesthesia with orotracheal intubation. Interventions Patients were randomly allocated to two groups (n = 60 each); both groups received general anesthesia and neuromuscular relaxation. A conventional ETT was styleted and then bent from its straight configuration just above the cuff, either at 60° or 90° against its concave natural curve (reverse loading). Four attending anesthesiologists, who were blinded as to stylet assignment (the 60° or 90° group), intubated the tracheas of all patients with the GVL using either the primary or secondary stylet. Measurements The primary outcome was success of orotracheal intubation in 62 seconds or less. The secondary outcome was actual time to intubation (TTI). Main Results The odds ratio (OR) for intubation success was higher in the 90° group than the 60° group (OR = 10.41; P Conclusions The 90° angled malleable stylet with reverse loading of the ETT provided more reliable ETT delivery to the glottic opening and had a higher success rate than the 60° stylet.
Evaluating Information Prescriptions in Unstructured Environments

Information exchange in the Emergency Department between patients and providers is critical for safe, effective patient care. The episodic nature of ED interactions between patients and doctors who are essentially unknown to each other makes this communication even more tenuous. The use of Information Prescriptions (InfoRx) is an attempt to provide patients with the opportunity to access evidence-based information via the internet. Our concept is to examine the impact of InfoRx in two common conditions, low back pain in adults and pediatric fever and attempt to measure patient preferences for site of delivery, content presentation and subsequent access of InfoRx from the ED. The results of this study may impact the type of information and method of delivery of healthcare information in the Emergency Department.
The relationship of ornithine decarboxylase activity to proliferation and differentiation of L6 muscle cells.

Four different approaches were used to test a postulated relationship between ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity and L6 muscle cell proliferation. In the first approach, the level of ODC activity in myoblasts was compared to that of myotubes. The fusion of proliferating myoblasts to form postmitotic myotubes is a unique property of skeletal muscle differentiation which offers special advantages for this study. If ODC activity reflects proliferation, it should be reduced in myotubes. Four hours after the addition of 10% horse serum (HS), ODC activity in myoblasts was 140 times that in myotubes. The small amount of ODC activity measured in myotube cultures could be attributed to remaining myoblasts. In the second approach, cell density was varied to alter the rate of cell division. Density-dependent inhibition of myoblast proliferation was closely correlated with a decrease of ODC activity. In the third approach, HS concentration was varied to alter the rate of cell division. Through a tenfold change of HS concentration, ODC activity paralleled cell proliferation. In the fourth approach, 1mM putrescine or spermidine was added with 10% HS to myoblasts. Although these treatments prevented the increase in ODC in response to HS, cell division was unimpaired; it seems likely that the polyamines entered the cell and substituted for endogenous polyamines. Mixing experiments indicated the presence of an inhibitor, tentatively identified as ODC antizyme, in homogenates of polyamine-treated cells. We conclude that ODC activity closely reflects proliferation in muscle cells, although the presence of extracellular polyamines may disrupt this association.
Infection of Monocytes during Measles

Immune suppression has long been recognized to be a consequence of measles and a likely contributor to the secondary complications of this infection. Since measles virus can be isolated from peripheral blood leukocytes during the early phases of infection, it has been widely assumed that measles virus suppresses the immune system by replicating in and damaging T lymphocytes. A reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay able to detect wild-type strains of measles virus was applied to the study of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) during natural measles virus infection. Measles virus RNA was detected by RT-PCR in monocyte-enriched adherent cells up to 6 days after the appearance of the rash. No viral RNA was detected in the lymphocyte-enriched nonadherent cell fraction. The numbers of virus-infected PBMC detected by in situ hybridization ranged from 1 in 125 to 1 in 2500. Dual staining identified infected cells as monocytes. It is concluded that the primary leukocytes infected during measles are monocytes, not lymphocytes. This cellular tropism has implications for understanding the immune suppression associated with measles.
Neuroprotective adeno-associated virus Bcl-xL gene transfer in models of motor neuron disease

Recent work implicates excitotoxicity-induced apoptosis as the mechanism triggering motor neuron death in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Our laboratory has previously utilized glutamate excitotoxicity in vitro to study this process. The present experiment tests whether overexpression of the gene for Bcl-XL can inhibit excitotoxicity in this model system. To track Bcl-XL expression, the gene for green fluorescent protein (GFP) was inserted in-frame, upstream of the Bcl-XL gene. The GFP-Bcl-XL gene was then cloned into an adeno-associated viral (AAV2) vector. GFP expression in both SH-SY5Y and embryonic day 15 (E15) motor neurons (MNs) peaked 48 hours after infection. Bcl-XL expression in SH-SY5Y cells significantly reduced terminal deoxy-UTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL)–positive cells and maintained cell density after glutamate exposure. Similarly, Bcl-XL expression inhibited the development of TUNEL staining in E15 MNs and supported cell density after glutamate exposure. These findings suggest that AAV-mediated expression of genes for antiapoptotic proteins may provide a means for ALS gene therapy. Muscle Nerve, 2005
An FEM Simulation for Guided Elastic Wave Generation and Reflection in Hollow Cylinders With Corrosion Defects

The generation and reflection of guided elastic waves in hollow cylinders with corrosion defects have been investigated numerically for the purpose of nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of tubular structures. A new guided wave transducer model, time-delay periodic ring arrays (TDPRAs), has been used to generate the axisymmetric guided wave modes in hollow cylinders, and this is simulated by a finite element calculation. Unidirectional guided wave emission can be achieved by arranging a TDPRA 's parameters according to the principle of constructive and destructive interference. The guided wave reflections by axisymetric and nonaxisymmetric corrosion defects are analyzed using a 2-D and a 3-D FE simulation, respectively. The reflection features as well as mode conversion under the L(0,1) and L(0,2) mode incidences are discussed in association with the corrosion depth, the axial and circumferential extents in hollow cylinders.
Optical Coatings Prepared by the Sol-Gel Process.

The sol-gel process is a versatile procedure used for the preparation of a large variety of oxide products, including optical coatings. Investigations into coatings for laser systems have been ongoing for nearly 30 years. Earlier work suffered from inconsistant damage threshold levels and expensive processing costs. Recent improvements, however, have resulted in the process being particularly successful in the preparation of quarterwave porous silica antireflection (AR) coatings for use in high power fusion laser systems. The laser damage thresholds are two to three times higher than coatings prepared by other methods. More recently, investigations into quarterwave, high-low index, multilayer, high-reflective (HR) coatings have resulted in products which, while not as superior as their AR equivalents, have compared favorably with competitive materials.The process is particularly suitable for large substrates and has the potential of economically producing the large number of optical coatings required for the next generation of fusion lasers.
Combined staged procedures for the treatment of thoracoabdominal aneurysms.

Purpose:To examine the efficacy of a staged approach for the treatment of thoracoabdominal aneurysms, with open visceral revascularization followed by aortic endografting, in selected patients not considered candidates for conventional surgical repair.Methods:A retrospective review was conducted of 13 consecutive patients (8 women; mean age 64 years, range 33–77) who underwent visceral bypass followed by endovascular thoracoabdominal stent-graft implantation since 1999. Three patients presented with symptomatic aneurysms and 2 with rupture. Two patients had connective tissue disorders. All patients were deemed unfit for conventional thoracoabdominal repair due to comorbid conditions. The procedures were tailored to the pathology and specific patient anatomical situation: 5 aortic dissections with aneurysmal degeneration and 8 aneurysms (5 Crawford type II, 2 type III, and 1 type IV).Results:The patients underwent retrograde visceral bypass (11 iliovisceral and 2 infrarenal aortic to visceral artery) follo...
Knowledge and Attitudes of Schoolteachers Toward Oral Health Programs and Preventive Dentistry

What can be done by dentists and dental hygienists who are asked to help plan or participate in school oral health programs?
Perfect hash table algorithm for image databases using negative associated values

Abstract A 2D string data structure allows for efficient spatial reasoning on an image database for query and retrieval. A 2D string can be converted to a set of triples leading to an elegant O (1) solution for image retrieval with simple queries using a perfect hash table. For complex queries, the retrieval complexity is linear in this approach and depends on the number of possible pairings of picture objects in the query. The perfect hash table computation for this problem is mapped directly to a permutation problem. In an earlier paper [S. K. Bhatia and C. L. Sabharwal, Pattern Recognition 27 , 365–376 (1974)], we presented a set of heuristics that result in a fast computation of associated values, for picture objects, used in the calculation of hash addresses. In this paper, we present an additional heuristic leading to a 90% reduction in search space over our earlier algorithm. The new heuristic promises to generate a minimal perfect hash function for each experimental data set, which was not possible with the earlier algorithms. Mathematical analysis of complexity of the algorithms is presented and is supported by experimental results.
The effect of combined treatment with potassium dichromate and maleic acid on renal function in the rat.

Subthreshold doses of potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7) have been shown to enhance or potentiate the nephrotoxic effects of mercuric chloride and citrinin. The mechanism of this effect is unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine the phenomenon further by investigating the interaction of K2Cr2O7 with maleic acid, a nephrotoxicant with an action though to be different from those above. Male rats were housed in stainless steel metabolism cages and received a single intraperitoneal injection of maleic acid (300 mg/kg). K2Cr2O7 (10 mg/kg s.c.) or the combination of maleic acid plus K2Cr2O7. While treatment with either agent alone produced only minimal alterations in renal function, the combination of agents produced marked changes in 24 h urine volume, glucose excretion and osmolality. Water consumption was unaffected by the combined treatment. A marked decline in the capacity of renal slices to accumulate both organic anions (p-aminohippurate) and cations (tetraethylammonium) was observed after treatment with both substances. Modifications in renal and hepatic non-protein sulfhydryl content also were observed. These results suggest that K2Cr2O7, as was observed with both mercury and citrinin, enhanced or potentiated the nephrotoxic effects of maleic acid, probably in the proximal tubule, the principal site of glucose reabsorption and organic ion secretion.
Aortitis Presenting as Buerger's Disease

Buerger's disease is frequently diagnosed in young smokers, based on clinical presentation rather than histologic criteria. This report describes a young male with idiopathic aortitis who had been managed for 10 years as Buerger's disease solely on the basis of clinical manifestations. This case emphasizes the need for establishing histopathologic, and perhaps biochemical, criteria to identify the underlying arteriopathy.
A note on optimal pricing for finite capacity queueing systems with multiple customer classes

This article investigates optimal static prices for a finite capacity queueing system serving customers from different classes. We first show that the original multi-class formulation in which the price for each class is a decision variable can be reformulated as a single dimensional problem with the total load as the decision variable. Using this alternative formulation, we prove an upper bound for the optimal arrival rates for a fairly large class of queueing systems and provide sufficient conditions that ensure the existence of a unique optimal arrival rate vector. We show that these conditions hold for M/M/1/m and M/G/s/s systems and prove structural results on the relationships between the optimal arrival rates and system capacity. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2008
A Case Study of Ethics and Mutual Funds Mismanagement at Putnam

This case study examines the failure of top management at Putnam to exercise ethical behavior in the face of their clear knowledge of corruption in the company. Market timing by employees was expressly forbidden by Putnam. Six employees, including two portfolio managers, repeatedly engaged in market timing activities from 1998 to 2003, garnering over a million dollars in personal profit. The CEO and key senior executives had factual knowledge of the abuses. Management failed to stop the abuses or to discipline those involved until faced with charges from government regulators. By failing to do so, top management breached ethical duties to its shareholders and inflicted serious damage on the organization. The end results of top management's failure to address ethical violations were significant outflow of assets from Putnam's funds, payment of penalties, and loss of trust among investors. This case raises awareness about ethical issues surrounding mutual fund trading practices and the impact that top manag...
Probing palladium-cobalt/NaY catalysts by neopentane conversion

Neopentane conversion in hydrogen was used as a catalytic probe for zeolite encaged PdCo particles. Activity and selectivity strongly depend on the pretreatment conditions. PdCo/NaY catalysts exhibit higher isomerization selectivity than Pd/NaY in conformity with previous results on SiO2 supported Pd and PdCo. This is remarkable, because reduced Co/SiO2 displays 100% selectivity for hydrogenolysis. The isomerization selectivity thus appears to be a useful measure for the extent of alloying between Pd and Co.
Pressure ionization in laser-fusion target simulation

Abstract Accurate simulation of high density target implosion requires material properties (ionization, pressure, energy, opacity and transport coefficients) at densities where bound electrons are significantly perturbed by neighboring atoms. In modern laser-fusion simulation codes, this data is supplied by tables and/or calculated from a Stromgren model for ionization equilibrium. Improvements have been made in the Stromgren average-atom model which aim at assuring thermodynamic consistency and obtaining better agreement with more elaborate calculations. Arbitrary degeneracy is allowed for the free electrons. Consistent Coulomb contributions to pressure and continuum lowering are obtained. A new pressure ionization scheme merges bound electrons into the continuum as a smooth function of density and the corresponding contribution to pressure is calculated. Results are shown for aluminum.
Cross-facial nerve graft: past and present

Facial paralysis is a relatively common disorder from which most people recover without complications. However, some are left with significant functional impairment and disfigurement, the treatment of which has challenged physicians for centuries. Within the spectrum of surgical procedures to reanimate the face is cross-facial nerve grafting. This article chronicles the history of cross-facial nerve grafting, including its past and present use, and describes various factors associated with its use. A brief discussion of aetiology and morbidity of facial paralysis and some fundamental surgical options will be presented. A complete review of these topics is beyond the scope of this manuscript.
Biosynthesis of prostaglandin D2 1. Formation of prostaglandin D2 by human platelets

Abstract Formation of prostaglandin D 2 (PGD 2 ) during the aggregation of platelets was determined, employing a specific bioassay. PGD 2 was synthesized in human platelet rich plasma (PRP) in response to thrombin, collagen and epinephrine. Indomethacin pretreatment abolished the biosynthesis of PGD 2 . When thrombin treated PRP was incubated for different periods of time and denatured in the presence of SnCl 2 to prevent the formation of PGD 2 from endoperoxides during the extraction procedure, PGD 2 formation was noted within the first minute of incubation and reached a peak level after 4 minutes. PGD 2 from thrombin stimulated PRP was conclusively identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The formation of PGD 2 during platelet aggregation could represent a mechanism of feedback inhibition of aggregation.
Coxeter groups are almost convex

In [C] Cannon introduced the notion of ‘almost convexity’ for the Cayley graph of a finitely generated group. In this paper, we observe that standard facts about Coxeter groups imply that the Cayley graph associated to any Coxeter system is almost convex.
Mineral complexes and vascular calcification

To the Editor: Matsui et al.1 have nicely demonstrated a fetuin-containing mineral complex in adenine-treated rats with renal failure that is prevented by alendronate treatment. However, the conclusion that this is related to, or is a marker of vascular calcification is premature. The presence of this complex is not surprising considering the extremely high circulating phosphate levels that occur in this model. In addition, the failure to control pH during the preparation of the serum almost certainly increased these complexes because of the reduced solubility in alkaline solution. We routinely dilute our plasma samples immediately after they are obtained in order to prevent precipitation of calcium and phosphate. The absence of the complexes in alendronate-treated rats can easily be explained by the significantly lower calcium concentration, which, as was shown by the authors, has a major impact on complex formation. The inhibition of vascular calcification is probably due to a direct inhibition as we have shown for bisphosphonates in cultured aortas.2 The formation of the mineral complexes is probably just a physicochemical phenomenon related to ambient phosphate and calcium levels. Their correlation with vascular calcification can be explained by the fact that calcium and phosphate levels also affect vascular calcification, rather than by a direct pathophysiological link.
Nafion® perfluorinated membranes in fuel cells

Increasing global energy requirements, localized power issues and the need for less environmental impact are now providing even more incentive to make fuel cells a reality. A number of technologies have been demonstrated to be feasible for generation of power from fuel cells over the last several years. Proton exchange membranes (PEM) have emerged as an essential factor in the technology race. DuPont has supplied Nafion® perfluorinated membranes in fuel cells for space travel for more than 35 years and they have played an integral part in the success of recent work in portable, stationary and transportation applications. The basis for PEM fuel cell emergence and DuPont technology utilization will be discussed.
Assay of digoxin in plasma by gas chromatography.

Abstract A method is described for the determination of digoxin in human plasma by gas chromatography with electron capture detection. The procedure involves addition of a labeled internal standard, [3H]digoxin, extraction with methylene chloride and preliminary purification on a florisil column followed by thin-layer chromatography on silica gel. After formation of the h eptafluorobuyrate derivative, the extract is rechromatographed on silica gel followed by gas—liquid chromatography. The method has been applied to the determination of known amounts of digoxin ranging from 5–100 ng per 10 ml plasma.
The lowest triplet state of CrO2Cl2. Emission and excitation spectra

Abstract The emission and excitation spectra at 1.4 K of solid neat CrO2Cl2, CrO2Cl2 in CCl4 and CrO2Cl2 in SnCl4 are reported and analyzed. The emission in the three systems is assigned as phosphorescence from the CrO2Cl2 moiety based on the vibronic analyses, measured lifetimes and ODMR activity.
Ultrastructural observations on the enzymatic activity of keratinosomes.

Cytochemical studies on the presence of three hydrolytic enzymes in keratinosomes (lamellar granules of the epidermis) have been done at the ultrastructural level. Results of these studies demonstrate acid phosphatase, aryl sulfatase, and nonspecific esterase activity in the Golgi apparatus, lysosomes, keratinosomes, and the secreted extracellular lamellar remnants of keratinosomes. Not all keratinosomes reacted positively for each enzyme tested, thus suggesting that enzyme heterogeneity could exist among these organelles. The findings indicate that keratinosomes are highly organized, specialized organelles that are actively involved in the metabolic process of enzyme secretion into the extracellular spaces of the uppermost epidermis. The suggestion that keratinosomes could be considered as a specialized type of epidermal lysosome is supported by the observations presented here.
Lisinopril lowers cardiac adrenergic drive and increases beta-receptor density in the failing human heart.

BACKGROUNDIn subjects with heart failure, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors exhibit mild systemic antiadrenergic effects, as deduced from treatment-related lowering of systemic venous norepinephrine levels. The effects of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors on cardiac adrenergic drive in subjects with heart failure has not previously been investigated.METHODS AND RESULTSIn a placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover study of 14 patients, we measured cardiac and systemic adrenergic drive, myocardial and lymphocyte beta-adrenergic receptors, and hemodynamic changes at baseline and after 12 weeks of therapy. Relative to placebo, lisinopril therapy was associated with only minimal, statistically insignificant changes in hemodynamics, a significant increase in myocardial beta-receptor density, no significant (P < .05) changes in cardiac or systemic adrenergic drive, and no detectable change in lymphocyte beta-receptor density. When subjects were rank ordered into groups with the highest and lowest...
Cytological morphology of a virus-containing mouse testicular interstitial cell tumor

The parenchymal elements of a murine testicular interstitial cell tumor which arose in a BALB/c × A mouse as a result of diethylstilbestrol has been examined with the electron microscope. It was found that the parenchyma consisted of four distinct cell types, only one of which contained viral particles. The type A intracytoplasmic viral particles were present in large aggregations. Information indicating that bundles of helical fibrils located in the cytoplasm may represent “viral coat material” is presented. Other characteristics of the virus-containing cell are: a very large, irregular nucleus; diffuse collapsed endoplasmic reticulum (ER); prominent Golgi (closely related to the viral particles); mitochondria that tend to be round; and several dense bodies. The cytoplasm of the second cell type is filled with a dilated ER containing an electron dense material. The third cell type possesses an extensive dilated ER filled with a very flocculent substance. The fourth cell type is small; the cytoplasm is relatively free of formed structures. The sparse mitochondria and ER are usually located close to the nucleus.
Nonrealitivistic chiral expansion and nonleptonic decays of octet and decuplet baryons

Abstract We discuss the chiral lagrangian for J P = 1 2 + octet and J P = 3 2 + decuplet baryons in the language of the heavy particle effective theory. We show that the effective theory qualitatively reproduces the Pauli amplitudes for the nonleptonic hyperon decays, calculated recently by Trofimenkoff. We discuss the relation of our results to nonrelativistic SU(6). We argue that we can consistently classify the meson-baryon interaction terms in lowest order in the momentum expansion according to their transformation properties under nonrelativistic SU(6). Nevertheless, the theory as a whole remains explicitly Lorentz invariant. We explain why this does not run afoul of the theorems concerning interacting relativistic SU(6) theories. We use this SU(6) classification to discuss the relation between the nonleptonic Ω − decays and the nonleptonic decays of the octet baryons. We find that the Ω − decays cannot be explained by any interaction term transforming simply under SU(6) because the nonleptonic Ω − decays do not display the pronounced ΔI = 1 2 enhancement seen in the octet hyperon decays. Any explanation of the Ω − decays requires a fine tuning of the parameters in the effective theory. We speculate that this problem may point to a flow in the basic assumption that ΔI = 1 2 four-quark operators, universally enhanced by QCD, are the dominant mechanism behind the ΔS = 1 nonleptonic decays.