cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Left atrial volume and dominant frequency of atrial fibrillation in patients undergoing catheter ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation

Prior studies have suggested that left atrial (LA) volume and frequency of atrial fibrillation (AF) are associated with suboptimal outcomes in patients undergoing catheter ablation of AF. However, the interaction of these factors and their relative impact on outcome are not clear. Seventy-nine consecutive patients underwent catheter ablation of persistent AF. LA volume was determined by echocardiography. Electrograms from the LA appendage (LAA), coronary sinus (CS), and lead V1 were obtained before ablation, and the dominant frequency (DF) was determined by fast Fourier transformation. The ablation strategy consisted of pulmonary vein isolation, electrogram-guided, and linear ablation. The mean LA volume indexed, LA voltage, and DF in the LAA were 48 ± 16 mL/m2, 0.58 ± 0.20 mV, and 6.3 ± 0.8 Hz, respectively. There was a significant inverse correlation between LA volume and DF in the CS (P < 0.0001, R = −0.51). The mean LA amplitude also correlated with DF in the LAA (P = 0.0008, R = 0.37). In 38 patients (48%), AF terminated during catheter ablation. Sixty-six of the 79 patients (84%) are arrhythmia-free without antiarrhythmic drugs at a mean follow-up of 14±7 months after the last procedure. Advancing age was associated with recurrence (odds ratio (OR), 1.2; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.02 to 1.42; P = 0.02), and duration of radiofrequency energy delivery was associated with a favorable outcome (OR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.86 to 0.99; P = 0.04). Atrial enlargement is associated with a lower AF frequency. Age and RF duration seem to be better predictors of outcome than LA volume or AF frequency.
The role of anti‐sigma factors in gene regulation

Despite the isolation of an anti-sigma factor over 20 years ago, it is only recently that the concept of an anti-sigma factor emerged as a general mechanism of transcriptional regulation in prokaryotic systems. Anti-sigma factors bind to sigma factors and inhibit their transcriptional activity. Studies on the mechanism of action of anti-sigma factors has shed new light on the regulation of gene expression in bacteria, as the anti-sigma factors add another layer to transcriptional control via negative regulation. Their cellular roles are as diverse as FIgM of Salmonella typhimurium, which can be exported to sense the structural state of the flagellar organelle, to SpoIIAB of Bacillus subtilis participating in the switch from one cell type to another during the process of sporulation. Additionally, the bacteriophage T4 uses an anti-sigma factor to sabotage the Escherichia coli E.sigma 70 RNA polymerase in order to direct exclusive transcription of its own genes. Cross-linking, co-immunoprecipitations, and co-purification indicate that the anti-sigma factors directly interact with their corresponding sigma factor to negatively regulate transcription. In B. subtilis, anti anti-sigma factors regulate anti-sigma factors by preventing an anti-sigma factor from interacting with its cognate sigma factors, thereby allowing transcription to occur.
On a theory for the vortex-excited oscillations of flexible cylindrical structures

The periodic shedding of vortices that accompanies the cross-flow past a bluff cylindrical body can excite the body into resonant transverse oscillations when the vortex shedding frequency and a body natural frequency are sufficiently close to one another. In this paper, a mathematical model that enables one to predict the vortex-excited resonant response of bluff elastic cylinders is developed. Based on some previous work by the authors, a modified van der Pol equation is employed as the governing equation for the fluctuating lift on the cylinder and is coupled to the equation of motion of the cylinder. With previously developed relations between the empirical parameters in the model and the physical mass and damping parameters that appear in the equation of motion of the elastic cylinder, the model is used to predict the resonant response of taut strings and circular cylindrical beams with differing end conditions. These predictions are compared with available experimental results for taut strings, pivoted rods and flexible, cantilevered cylinders. Quite good agreement is obtained.
Optimality of myopic policies in disposing excess inventory

In a recent article, the author presented results for the optimum levels of inventory to dispose and keep in an excess inventory situation. This note shows that these levels do not change when additional disposal opportunities are presented in the future. In this sense, the optimal policy is myopic in that the decision can be made without any examination of future decisions.
A direct boundary integral equation method for the acoustic scattering problem

Abstract This paper presents a direct boundary integral equation method for solving the exterior Neumann problem of the Helmholtz equation which is a mathematical formulation of the acoustic scattering problem at a perfectly hard body. It is proved that the integral equation obtained from the Helmholtz representation is equivalent to the original boundary value problem and it has a unique solution in a suitable Sobolev space in the framework of pseuo-differential operators. Moreover, the numerical treatment and error estimate are given by using a Galerkin approximation.
Psychopathy and identification of facial expressions of emotion

The authors examined the association between psychopathy and identification of facial expressions of emotion. Previous research in this area is scant and has produced contradictory findings (Blair et. al., 2001, 2004; Glass & Newman, 2006; Kosson et al., 2002). One hundred and forty-five male jail inmates, rated using the Hare Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version participated in a facial affect recognition task. Participants were shown faces containing one of five emotions (happiness, sadness, fear, anger, or shame) displayed at one of two different levels of intensity of expression (100% or 60%). The authors predicted that psychopathy would be associated with decreased affect recognition, particularly for sad and fearful emotional expressions, and decreased recognition of less intense displays of facial affect. Results were largely consistent with expectations in that psychopathy was negatively correlated with overall facial recognition of affect, sad facial affect, and recognition of less intense displays of affect. An unexpected negative correlation with recognition of happy facial affect was also found. These results suggest that psychopathy may be associated with a general deficit in affect recognition.
Glucose and lactate interrelations during moderate-intensity exercise in humans

Abstract To evaluate circulating lactate and glucose kinetics during moderate-intensity exercise, we studied ten healthy endurance-trained men (aged 25 ± 6 years) during 30 to 50 minutes of supine cycle ergometer exercise at 43% ± 5% of maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max) using isotopic tracer techniques. Seven subjects received [U-13C]-lactate and [6-14C]-glucose, and three received [1-14C]-lactate and [U-13C]-glucose. Arterial glucose and lactate concentrations were 94.0 ± 4.1 and 5.66 ± 0.87 mg/dL at rest, and 95.7 ± 3.4 and 8.38 ± 3.87 mg/dL, respectively, after 25 minutes of exercise. The rate of glucose disappearance (RdG) increased from 2.41 ± 0.40 at rest to 3.38 ± 0.77 mg × kg−1 × min−1 during exercise, compared with the much larger rise in the rate of lactate appearance (RaL), which increased from 1.25 ± 0.20 to 3.47 ± 0.79 mg × kg−1 × min−1. During exercise RaL was 103% of RdG, compared with only 52% at rest. The rate at which the blood was cleared of lactate increased from 22.7 ± 2.2 at rest to 44.2 ± 11.2 ml × kg−1 × min−1 after 25 minutes of exercise. From secondary labeling of lactate with glucose carbons, the rate of glucose conversion to lactate was estimated to be 0.65 ± 0.16 mg × kg−1 × min−1 during exercise. Twenty percent of the glucose utilization went to lactate formation during exercise, and 20% of the blood lactate appearance came from blood glucose, with the balance presumably coming from muscle glycogen. These results demonstrate that approximately one fifth of the carbohydrate oxidized during moderate-intensity exercise enters the circulating lactate pool before it is completely oxidized.
Sustainability of collaborative care interventions in primary care settings

• Summary: We assessed patient and provider barriers and facilitators to sustainability of a collaborative depression care model for depression treatment in predominantly Hispanic diabetes patients in safety net care clinics.• Findings: Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with patients and providers at two community clinics participating in a randomized controlled effectiveness trial of the Multi-faceted Depression and Diabetes Program (MDDP), a socioculturally adapted collaborative care model. Analysis identified eight themes grouped into three categories: barriers, facilitators, and recommendations for program sustainability. Barriers included patient concerns about use of medication and provider concerns about use of psychotherapy, increased workload for clinic staff, delay in receiving outcomes data, and lack of resources to sustain the program. Facilitators included patient benefits such as improved clinical outcomes, quality of care received, access, and satisfaction; provider...
Laparoscopic removal of a large adnexal mass.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic removal of adnexal masses has been facilitated by the use of commercially available retrieval bags. Masses up to 18 cm can be removed using zipper storage bags. Masses with greater diameters have required laparotomy or techniques that do not isolate the mass from the peritoneal cavity. By using larger bags available in the operative suite, even the very large adnexal mass can be isolated from the peritoneal cavity and extracted via laparoscopy. CASE: A 46-year-old nulligravida presented with a 20.9-cm adnexal mass. She underwent laparoscopy and extraction of a dermoid with an improvised retrieval bag without intraperitoneal spillage. CONCLUSION: Very large adnexal masses can be removed laparoscopically without intraperitoneal spillage despite the lack of commercially available bags for this purpose.
13-NMR Analysis of Branched Polyethyleneimine

Abstract A commercial, branched polyethyleneimine was analyzed by 13C-NMR. The chemical shift assignments for the eight principal peaks were compared to the calculated chemical shifts using an additivity relationship developed for low molecular weight acyclic aliphatic amines. The change in carbon chemical shift induced by H/D exchange at nearby nitrogens was examined for this polymer and low molecular weight model compounds. The direction and magnitude of the shift are determined by the number and proximity of exchangeable NH' and are described by a simple formula. The spin lattice relaxation times for the various methylenes indicate the usual decreasing mobility for units at chain ends, internal units, and units close to branch points in that order. The integrated spectrum, under equilibrium conditions, is not consistent with the reorted amine distribution, 1°:2°:3° = 1:2:1. Our results indicate 38k l°, 36% 2°, and 26% 3°.
Conversation-based mail

A new message communication paradigm based on conversations that provides an alternative to memo- and conference-based mail is described. A conversation-based message system groups messages into conversations, and orders messages within a conversation according to the context in which they were written. The message context relation leads to an efficient implementation of conversations in a distributed environment and supports a natural ordering of messages when viewed by the user. Experience with a prototype demonstrates the workability of conversation-based mail and suggests that conversations provide a powerful tool for message communication.
AIRBORNE GLASS FIBER CONCENTRATIONS DURING MANUFACTURING OPERATIONS INVOLVING GLASS WOOL INSULATION

In order to better characterize airborne fiber concentrations arising in manufacturing operations that use glass wool insulation, and to determine the proportion of these fibers that are glass fibers, airborne fiber concentrations were measured in a number of different operations involving Owens-Corning Fiberglas insulation products. The operations sampled included those that fabricate or assemble metal building insulation, manufactured housing, pipe insulation, kitchen ranges, air-handling ducts, and water heaters. Some operations in which pipe insulation and ceiling boards were removed and discarded were also measured. Sample collection and fiber-counting procedures followed National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Method 7400 procedures (phase contrast light microscopy), with some modifications to allow identification of the fiber type. The arithmetic mean concentration of total airborne fibers during 11 different manufacturing operations ranged from 0.02–0.2 fibers/cm3, of which typically...
Field ionization of strongly magnetized rydberg positronium: A new physical mechanism for positron accumulation

Magnetized Rydberg positronium forms when an energetic positron ( ${e}^{+}$) slows within a tungsten crystal and picks up an electron ( ${e}^{\ensuremath{-}}$) as it emerges in a strong magnetic field. The signature is equal numbers of ${e}^{+}$ and ${e}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ when a weak electric field is applied, either of which can be accumulated and counted. The new ${e}^{+}$ accumulation technique is simple, robust, and much more efficient than any other demonstrated to be compatible with a cryogenic vacuum. Possible applications include the study of cold single component plasmas of ${e}^{+}$ and the formation of cold antihydrogen.
Characterization of an enhancer-like structure in the promoter region of the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) gene.

The steady-state mRNA levels of the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) gene depend on the length of its promoter. A promoter extending from the HpaII restriction site at −210 from the cap site to the cap site itself is very active, while a −45 promoter (AatII restriction site) is very weak. We now show that the sequences between −73 and −45 of the human PCNA promoter contain an enhancer-like sequence that markedly increases the levels of PCNA mRNA. This sequence has characteristics of an enhancer, having an enhancing function also when placed away from the native position in the 5′ flanking sequence. The increase in mRNA levels that occurs after serum stimulation, however, is independent of the enhancer. Synthetic promoters were also constructed containing mutations in the −73 to −45 sequence and these mutants completely lost their ability to drive the transcription of a heterologous cDNA. Nuclear proteins were shown to bind to this sequence, both by gel shift and by methylation interference analysis. We conclude that the levels of PCNA mRNA are controlled, in part, by a structure located in the 5′ flanking sequence of the gene, but that this enhancer-like structure does not play a role in the serum regulation of the mRNA levels.
Species differences in the pharmacokinetics of recainam, a new anti‐arrhythmic drug

The pharmacokinetics of recainam, an anti-arrhythmic drug, were compared in mice, rats, rabbits, dogs, rhesus monkeys, and man. Bioavailability was virtually complete in monkeys and dogs, 67 per cent in man and 51 per cent in rats. Non-linear kinetics between the oral and i.v. dose in rabbits precluded estimation of bioavailability. Linear plasma dose proportionality occurred in dogs between 6 and 60 mg kg-1 oral doses and rhesus monkeys between 1 and 15 mg kg-1 i.v. doses. A greater than proportional increase in the plasma AUC of recainam occurred between oral doses ranging from 54-208 mg kg-1 in mice, 25-110 mg kg-1 in rats, and 50-100 mg kg-1 in rabbits. In human subjects, the AUC/unit dose was linear between 400 and 800 mg. The terminal elimination t1/2 of recainam ranged from 1-5h in laboratory animals and man. The plasma Cmax and AUC of recainam were virtually identical after single or multiple (21 day) oral doses in dogs. After an i.v. dose, plasma clearance of recainam (l kg-1 .h) was 4.9-5.2 in rats and rabbits and 0.4-1.9 in dogs, rhesus monkeys, and man. The steady state volume of distribution was 2-5 times larger than the total body water of laboratory animals and man. Recainam was very poorly bound (10-45 per cent) to the serum proteins of rodents, rabbits, dogs, rhesus monkeys and man. In rhesus monkeys and man, recainam accounted for 10 per cent and 70 per cent, respectively, of the plasma radioactivity at 6 h post-dose. The pharmacokinetic profile of recainam in dogs most closely resembled that of man.
Development of Stationary Crossflow Vortices on a Swept Wing

Stability experiments are conducted in the ASU Unsteady Wind Tunnel on a 45° swept airfoil. The surface of the is polished to 0.25 μm rms. Under these conditions, natural stationary crossflow vortices are not measurable. This state is used to measure roughness-induced stationary crossflow. Spanwise arrays of 70–150 μm roughness elements are introduced near the attachment line. Detailed hot-wire measurements are taken to document the growth of these vortices. The data clearly show that linear stability theory does not accurately predict the growth rates of stationary crossflow waves under these conditions.
Polymerization and Denaturation of Lysozyme Exposed to Peroxidizing Lipids

Proteins in contact with peroxidizing lipids undergo various degradative reactions, including polymerization. Reaction of lysozyme with peroxidizing methyl linoleate at a water activity of 0.75 causes polymerization and partial denaturation of the protein. Polymerization occurs by addition of monomers, both native and denatured. The partial denaturation is probably due to the opening of a disulfide bond and occurs independently of polymerization. This denatured fraction as well as dimer and trimer fractions was isolated and characterized with respect to enzymatic activity, tryptophan content, molecular weight, hydrodynamic volume, and circular dichroism.
Covering tori with squares

Abstract We find that an n × n toroidal checkerboard can be covered with ⌈ n k ⌈ n k ⌉⌉ k × k squares, and no fewer. To prove this result we also need to prove that the unit Euclidean torus can be covered with ⌈α−1⌈α−1⌉⌉ squares of side α, and no fewer.
A FLUORESCENCE LIFETIME ASSAY OF A MEMBRANE-BOUND FLAVIN FROM CORN COLEOPTILES

Abstract— The fluorescence lifetime of a partially-purified membrane fraction containing flavin and b-type cytochrome, presumably on the same protein, has been described. Possible implications of the blue light photoreactivity of the flavin as an assay, on the basis of its short fluorescence lifetime (about 1.37 ns), has been discussed.
Localization and partial characterization of acyltransferases present during rapid membrane formation in the Drosophila melanogaster embryo

Abstract Rapid membrane assembly occurs in the early, syncytial Drosophila embryo when 3500 cells are separated within a period of 90 min by the formation of plasma membranes. Acyltransferases catalyzing two of the early steps in phospholipid synthesis were studied during the course of this membrane formation. The enzymes appeared to be similar to mammalian acyltransferases in pH and substrate optima. The activity was inhibited by sulfhydryl-binding reagents and stimulated by low concentrations of magnesium, calcium, and managnese. The enzymes incorporated α- l -glycerophosphate and palmityl coenzyme A into both phospholipids and neutral lipids. The acyltransferases were also localized cytochemically under conditions shown to preserve a substantial proportion of the enzyme activity. Early in embryo development, the activity was localized in the rough endoplasmic reticulum and nuclear envelope. Reaction products were particularly frequent around mitotic nuclei. During the first phase of plasma membrane formation, the activity was localized at the furrow regions of the plasma membrane and in the apical nuclear envelope. During the second (fast) phase, the reaction products appeared mainly in the basal nuclear envelope and rough endoplasmic reticulum internal to the nuclear layer. The data were consistent with the hypothesis that phospholipids for membrane assembly can be formed in situ in several subcellular compartments.
AN INTERACTION MODEL FOR ELASTIC WAVE PROPAGATION IN TWO-PHASE MEDIA*

The effect of interactions among spherical inclusions on the effective propagation of long wavelength elastic waves in a two-phase medium is investigated theoretically. Interactions are taken into account in an average sense via a generalized self-consistent scheme. Bounds on the effective elastic moduli are obtained by overestimating and neglecting contributions of neighbouring inclusions. An intermediate model is proposed, which introduces the effect of interactions into the effective properties without requiring more information about the geometry of the medium than the relative volumes of the constituents.
Computer simulation of a cold fluidized bed

Abstract The theory of two-phase flow provides a set of partial differential equations describing the dynamics of a fluidized bed. A code, developed by Systems, Science, and Software,1 to solve this system of equations is used to simulate a facility at Alexandria, Virginia.3 Calculated values of pressure drop are compared with experiment.
Losartan, nonpeptide angiotensin II-type 1 (AT1) receptor antagonist, attenuates pressor and sympathoexcitatory responses evoked by angiotensin II and L-glutamate in rostral ventrolateral medulla

We investigated the effect of losartan, a nonpeptide angiotensin II (Ang II)-type 1 (AT1) receptor antagonist, on the responses evoked by Ang II and L-glutamate (L-Glu) in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM). Adult spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats were anesthetized with halothane and artificially ventilated. Responses of mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR) and splanchnic sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) to microinjection of Ang II (100 pmol) or L-Glu (2 nmol) into the RVLM were examined following microinjection of losartan (10 pmol-10 nmol). Ang II increased MAP (16 +/- 1 mmHg in SHR and 16 +/- 1 mmHg in WKY) and SNA (9 +/- 1% and 10 +/- 1%, respectively), which were significantly (P < 0.01) attenuated by pretreatment with losartan (100 pmol-10 nmol) in both strains. In addition, the pressor and sympathoexcitatory responses evoked by L-Glu were attenuated by losartan in a dose-dependent manner. The increases of MAP evoked by L-Glu (53 +/- 6 mmHg in SHR and 39 +/- 3 mmHg in WKY) were suppressed to 5 +/- 3 mmHg (P < 0.01) and 4 +/- 2 mmHg (P < 0.01), respectively, in the presence of 10 nmol of losartan. The increase of SNA was also markedly inhibited by higher doses of losartan.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Expansion of Glass by Heat

THE reproduction in your “Physical Notes” (NATURE, vol. xxii. p. 157) of Mr. R. H. Ridout's neat experiment for illustrating the “Expansion of Glass by Heat” (Phil. Mag. for June, 1880), recalls to mind an equally striking method of exhibiting this property of glass to a class of students in physics. Select a straight glass tube 50 or 60 centimetres in length and 1 or 2 centimetres in diameter. Place it transversely in front of a fire, in a horizontal position, properly supported near its two ends on two horizontally-adjusted rods of hard smooth wood of about the same diameter as the tube; the glass tube will gradually roll towards the fire. Now let the supporting rods be transferred to either side of the centre of the tube, so as to support it near its middle; the tube will now gradually roll from the fire.
Layer-depopulation- and magnetic-field-induced resistance oscillations in a triple-layer electron system

The resistance R of a coupled, triple-layer electron system exhibits two distinct types of oscillations as a function of front-gate bias ${\mathit{V}}_{\mathrm{FG}}$ or in-plane magnetic field ${\mathit{B}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\parallel}}}$. We observe up to three oscillations in R as a function of ${\mathit{B}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\parallel}}}$; these correspond to the passage of the Fermi level through the partial energy gaps arising from the level anticrossings at the intersections of the dispersion curves of the three electron layers. By fixing ${\mathit{B}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\parallel}}}$ and decreasing ${\mathit{V}}_{\mathrm{FG}}$, we observe additional oscillations in R as the system makes triple-to-double and double-to-single layer transitions.
Evolving Strategies for Overcoming Resistance to HER2-Directed Therapy: Targeting the PI3K/Akt/mTOR Pathway

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–positive (HER2+) breast cancers, which account for 25%-30% of breast cancers, are characterized by an aggressive course and a high propensity for recurrence in the 4 years following diagnosis. The use of trastuzumab-based chemotherapy in the adjuvant setting has markedly improved the outcome for patients with early stage HER2+ breast cancer. Likewise the use of trastuzumab in combination with chemotherapy in patients with metastatic HER2+ breast cancers has prolonged survival, with current expected median survival of about 3 years. Despite these major improvements in outcome, approximately 10% of patients develop a distant recurrence following adjuvant trastuzumab-based chemotherapy, and all patients with metastatic disease eventually develop disease progression. Known mechanisms of resistance to trastuzumab include increased signaling through upstream growth factors, phosphatase and tensin (PTEN) deficiency and alterations of the HER2 receptor. Many of these mechanisms are being targeted in the clinic in an attempt to improve outcome for patients with HER2+ breast cancers. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway plays a key role in trastuzumab-resistance, through these and other mechanisms, and represents a logical target for drug development for trastuzumab-resistant breast cancers. The use of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibition has been demonstrated to potentially reverse resistance to trastuzumab in patients with HER2+, metastatic breast cancers. Phase I and II trials have produced encouraging results when the mTOR inhibitor, everolimus, was combined with trastuzumab with or without chemotherapy, in patients with trastuzumab-resistant HER2+ metastatic breast cancer. These results are being confirmed in ongoing phase III trials in the first-line and trastuzumab-resistant settings. The mechanism of how mTOR inhibitors reverse resistance to trastuzumab remains largely unexplained. Other agents targeting the PI3K pathway in trastuzumab-resistant breast cancers are in early phase clinical trials.
Formal validation of a knowledge-based system using a variation of the Turing test

Abstract The proliferation of computer-based information systems makes an organization's operations exceedingly vulnerable to several types of risks, including loss of data, unauthorized use of data, errors in recording data, and loss of assets or property. Exposure to such risks is typically mitigated through the institution of internal controls. Since systems designers are often not cognizant of control design strategies, the participation of an auditor has been recommended. To avoid potential auditor independence problems caused by the same set of auditors participating both in the design and evaluation of control strategies, a knowledge-based system for control design has been developed. Ten practicing internal auditors participated in the validation of the knowledge-based system using a variation of the Turing test. This paper reports on the validation procedures: results indicate that the knowledge-based support system can perform at a level comparable to that of internal auditors for the purchasing cycle in business organizations, thereby helping alleviate the auditor independence problem.
Lidocaine toxicity after subcutaneous infiltration in children undergoing cardiac catheterization

Abstract The administration of subcutaneous lidocaine as a local anesthetic is readily observed in dental, orthopedic, and minor surgical procedures as well as for the insertion of monitoring catheters. The use of any local anesthetic presents significant risk to the patient, and extreme caution should be exercised in its administration1. Significant complications resulting from lidocaine toxicity have been reported.2–5 However, it is not well recognized that an elevated serum lidocaine level may result from the subcutaneous infiltration of lidocaine. Although the guidelines for the subcutaneous infiltration of lidocaine are established for children, these recommendations are often exceeded. In our study of 10 sequential patients, we describe 2 cases of lidocaine toxicity that occurred in children undergoing cardiac catheterization. This study was designed to determine if elevated serum lidocaine levels could occur after subcutaneous infiltration in children.
Quantitative structure-activity relationship studies of threo-methylphenidate analogs.

Abstract Complementary two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) Quantitative Structure–Activity Relationship (QSAR) techniques were used to derive a preliminary model for the dopamine transporter (DAT) binding affinity of 80 racemic threo-methylphenidate (MP) analogs. A novel approach based on using the atom-level E-state indices of the 14 common scaffold atoms in a sphere exclusion protocol was used to identify a test set for 2D- and 3D-QSAR model validation. Comparative Molecular Field Analysis (CoMFA) contour maps based on the structure–activity data of the training set indicate that the 2′ position of the phenyl ring cannot tolerate much steric bulk and that addition of electron-withdrawing groups to the 3′ or 4′ positions of the phenyl ring leads to improved DAT binding affinity. In particular, the optimal substituents were found to be those whose bulk is mainly in the plane of the phenyl ring. Substituents with significant bulk above or below the plane of the ring led to decreased binding affinity. Suggested alterations to be explored in the design of new compounds are the placement at the 3′ and 4′ position of the phenyl ring of electron-withdrawing groups that lie chiefly in the plane of the ring, for example, halogen substituents on the 3′,4′-benzo analog, 79. A complementary 2D-QSAR approach—partial least squares analysis using a reduced set of Molconn-Z descriptors—supports the CoMFA structure–activity interpretation that phenyl ring substitution is a major determinant of DAT binding affinity. The potential usefulness of the CoMFA models was demonstrated by the prediction of the binding affinity of methyl 2-(naphthalen-1-yl)-2-(piperidin-2-yl)acetate, an analog not in the original data set, to be in good agreement with the experimental value.
Reflection and refraction by interfaces of uniaxial crystals

Abstract We present a simple and complete approach to determining the directions and amplitudes of rays propagating through arbitrary systems of homogeneous and/or uniaxial materials. In the process we extend the work of Gu and Yen to full generality.
TriViews: A general framework to use 3D depth data effectively for action recognition

Abstract We present an effective framework to utilize 3D depth data for action recognition, called TriViews. It projects the 3D depth maps into three views, i.e., front, side, and top views. Under this framework, features can be extracted from each view, separately. Then the three views are combined to derive a complete description of the 3D data. To study the effectiveness and usefulness of the TriViews framework, we extract five different features, i.e., spatiotemporal interest points (STIP), dense trajectory shape (DT-Shape), dense trajectory motion boundary histograms (DT-MBH), skeleton trajectory shape (ST-Shape), and skeleton trajectory motion boundary histograms (ST-MBH). The first three features are representative for actions in intensity data but adapted to depth sequences. The last two are proposed by us, termed as skeleton-based features unique for 3D depth data. The RGB-D sensors, e.g., the Kinect, provide 3D positions of 20 skeleton joints and the evolution of each skeleton joint over time corresponds to one skeleton trajectory. Features aligned with the skeleton trajectory include shape descriptor (ST-Shape) and motion boundary histograms (ST-MBH), extracted to characterize the actions with sparse trajectories. The five features characterize action patterns from different aspects, among which the top three best features are selected and fused based on a probabilistic fusion approach (PFA). We evaluate the proposed framework on three challenging depth action datasets. The experimental results show that the proposed TriViews framework achieves the most accurate results for depth-based action recognition, better than the state-of-the-art methods on all three databases.
Annual spring barley growth, yield, and root rot in high- and low-residue tillage systems

Spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) grown annually in a high-residue management system has been favorably viewed as a means of reducing soil erosion without compromising income from traditional winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)/fallow rotations in the northwestern USA. Rhizoctonia root rot (R. solani Kuhn), however, is more severe on barley than on wheat, especially in nontilled soil. Constraints of this disease to spring barley production without tillage are not known. The objective of this study was to determine effects of tillage history on diseases, growth, and yield of spring barley in semi-arid eastern Oregon. Spring barley was produced at two locations under a moldboard plow-based system, a no-till system, or various sequences of tillage alternated with no-till [...]
The role of epinephrine and the effect of amine oxidase inhibitor (Marsilid) in anaphylaxis in the guinea pig.

Abstract 1.1. Epinephrine protects guinea pigs in anaphylactic shock when administered in optimal doses. 2.2. Protective doses of epinephrine administered by continuous infusion seem to be less dangerous and more efficacious than when given in single injections. 3.3. 1-isonicotinyl-2-isopropyl hydrazine (Marsilid) is without any protective effect on anaphylactic shock or asthma from an aerosolized antigen in guinea pigs.
Transferable total-energy parametrizations for metals: Applications to elastic-constant determination.

In this work we present a method of fitting augmented-plane-wave energy bands and total-energy results for the fcc and bcc structures to a nonorthogonal tight-binding Hamiltonian from which the sum of the eigenvalues is derived, and to a simple pair potential that is designed to account for all the other terms of the total-energy expression. We have applied this method to calculate the elastic constants of the metals Rh, Pd, Ta, Ir, and Au, avoiding the expensive first-principles calculations of the distorted structures. We obtained very good agreement with both first-principles local-density-functional-theory calculations and experiment.
Low-coherence interferometry of particles distributed in a dielectric medium

Low-coherence interferometry is used to measure changes in signal intensity that are dependent on the phase of the light backscattered from particles distributed in dielectric matrices. The measurements provide the unique opportunity to follow the dynamics of the small fraction of scattered light, to 10-10 of the initial intensity, that retains phase characteristics of the incident wave packet. The wave phase effects are manifested in the observed reshaping of backscattered wave packets, the optical-length-dependent degree of phase randomization, and the fluctuation patterns. The experimental results indicate the presence of photon trapping effects. The corresponding data analysis not only allows for an estimation of particle concentration but also provides information on Brownian motion of particles in a liquid and characteristics of particle distribution in size and space.
Siderosis of lymph nodes in patients with Hodgkin's disease

Lymph nodes removed from 28 untreated patients with Hodgkin's disease all contained markedly increased amounts of hemosiderine, whether or not they were histologically involved in the disease. This finding was particularly striking in patients with the nodular sclerosis type of disease. Abnormal deposits of iron were also noted frequently in lymph nodes containing metastatic carcinoma, lymphoma of non-Hodgkin's type, and reactive hyperplasia, but in each case, with the exception of metastatic squamous cell carcinoma, the amount was significantly less than seen in Hodgkin's disease. The findings suggest that in patients with Hodgkin's disease and perhaps in those with other disorders in which abnormal tissue retention of iron underlies sideropenic anemia, lymph nodes are an important site of iron retention.
Skeletal Morphology of Anterior Encephaloceles Defined through the Use of Three-Dimensional Reconstruction of Computed Tomography

We have used three-dimensional reconstruction of computed tomography to study the morphology of anterior encephaloceles. The findings based on living patients rather than cadaver specimens confirm pre
Predicting One-Day, Three-Day, and Seven-Day Heat of Hydration of Portland Cement

AbstractThis paper aims to develop empirical equations predicting one-day, three-day, and seven-day heat of hydration of portland cement at 23°C and water to cement ratio of 0.5. Isothermal conduction calorimetry was implemented to measure the heat of hydration of portland cements for up to seven days. X-ray diffraction was used to study the mineralogy and also for quantification of phase composition of portland cements. Particle size distribution of cements was measured using a laser scattering particle size analyzer. Blaine fineness of cements was measured using a Blaine permeability apparatus in accordance with the standard test methods for the fineness of hydraulic cement by air-permeability apparatus procedure. The results indicate that the one-day, three-day, and seven-day heat of hydration of a specific portland cement ground to different finenesses is changing linearly with the cement mean particle size. This research shows that the mean particle size is a suitable measure of cement fineness to co...
Homogeneous oxidation kinetics of aqueous ferrous iron at circumneutral pH

Oxidation of aqueous Fe(II) was investigated at circumneutral pH and 23°C in the absence of ligands (other than H2O, OH−, and Cl−) and catalysts (e.g., microbes or solids surfaces). Enzymes (superoxide dismutase and catalase) were used as specific catalytic probes to determine whether superoxide and hydrogen peroxide are intermediates in oxygen reduction by Fe(II). The kinetic evidence suggests that Fe(II) and D.O. react in a termolecular transition state complex, the reaction produces hydrogen peroxide (probably without intermediation by superoxide), and Fe(II) and H2O2 react in a termolecular reaction or in a two-step sequence of bimolecular reactions. The rate data permit modeling the overall Fe(II) oxidation reaction at pH≤7.0 with a rate law that has non-integer orders with respect to [Fe(II)] and [OH−].
Online Games as a Component of School Textbooks: A Test Predicting the Diffusion of Interactive Online Games Designed for the Textbook Reformation in South Korea

Currently, the South Korean government is in the process of transforming school textbooks from a paper-based platform to a computer-based digital platform. Along with this effort, interactive online educational games (edu-games) have been examined as a potential component of the digital textbooks. Based on the theory of diffusion of innovations, this study examined how 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students perceive an interactive online edu-game and whether or not their communication attributes predict their willingness to diffuse the game. A hierarchical regression analysis revealed that four perceptions of the innovation â€“ relevant advantage, complexity, compatibility, and observability â€“ were statistically significant predictors of studentsâ€™ willingness to diffuse an online edu-game as indicated by the theory of diffusion of innovations, while only trialability was not. Based on these results, this study provides some implications for the diffusion of interactive online educational games as a potential component of the digital textbook.
Extracting semantic concepts from images: a decisive feature pattern mining approach

One major challenge in the content-based image retrieval (CBIR) and computer vision research is to bridge the so-called "semantic gap" between low-level visual features and high-level semantic concepts, that is, extracting semantic concepts from a large database of images effectively. In this paper, we tackle the problem by mining the decisive feature patterns (DFPs). Intuitively, a decisive feature pattern is a combination of low-level feature values that are unique and significant for describing a semantic concept. Interesting algorithms are developed to mine the decisive feature patterns and construct a rule base to automatically recognize semantic concepts in images. A systematic performance study on large image databases containing many semantic concepts shows that our method is more effective than some previously proposed methods. Importantly, our method can be generally applied to any domain of semantic concepts and low-level features.
HETEROSKEDASTIC SAMPLE SELECTION AND DEVELOPING-COUNTRY WAGE EQUATIONS

Many researchers have dealt with potential selectivity bias in developing country wage equations by employing Heckman's (1979) two-step method or related techniques, despite the potential for such methods to produce misleading results if the assumptions on which they are based are incorrect. This paper argues that the results produced even by parametric, easy-to-implement selectivity bias-correction methods can inspire more confidence than the typical applications to date when model selection testing is used to select (from a specified, diverse set) assumptions for which there is support in the data, and when sensitivity analysis is used to identify parameters whose estimates are robust across a wide range of assumptions. In particular, it highlights the importance of allowing for (the nonlinearities implied by) selection rule heteroskedasticity. There is economic reason to suspect heteroskedasticity and econometric reason to believe that the nonlinearities it introduces into the first stage will improve ...
Effects of heavy ions on rabbit tissues: induction of DNA strand breaks in retinal photoreceptor cells by high doses of radiation.

Excised retinas from New Zealand white (NZW) rabbits were irradiated at 0° C with 9–260 Gy (depending on the type of radiation) of 300 kVp X-rays, or the first 5 cm (range: ∼ 14 cm in water) of 365 MeV/u Ne ions or 530 MeV/u Ar ions (LET∞'s : ∼ 1, 35 ± 3 and 90 ± 5 keV/µm, respectively). Other positions (LET∞'s) in the Ne-ion beam (Bragg curve) were employed in more limited experiments. The retinas were frozen and stored in liquid nitrogen until analysis. Total strand breakage in the DNA of retinal photoreceptor (sensory) cells was determined from sedimentation profiles obtained by velocity sedimentation through reoriented alkaline sucrose gradients under conditions free from anomalies related to rotor speed. For the radiation doses employed: the reciprocal of the number average molecular weight,M n , was related linearly to dose for each radiation quality and extrapolation to zero dose in each case gave positive intercepts for which the mean unitradiated molecular weight,M 0, was 6.1 ± 1.0 × 108 daltons; the efficiencies of total strand breakage for the different radiations were 50 ± 3, 110 ± 2 and 240±6 eV/strand break, respectively. For the heavy ions, accurate analogous calculations for other positions in the Bragg curves were precluded by beam degeneration due to fragmentation of the primary particles, etc. Overall, the experimental results support the concept that ionizing radiations damage cellular DNA by two general processes. One process causes localized damage, which under our experimental conditions is revealed as strand breaks and/or alkali-labile bonds in regions between molecules of sizecirca 109 daltons (subunits); the other causes essentially random damage. Base damage caused by either process would not have been delineated in our experiments.
The recognition and assessment of multiple dependencies among prospective clients at selected chemical dependency treatment programs

Thirty-five licensed chemical dependency inpatient treatment programs were surveyed to determine (1) if these institutions recognize multiple dependencies and (2) how they assess multiple dependencies. While over 90% of the facilities recognized the existence of multiple dependencies, only 54.5% actually assessed clients for multiple dependencies. Of those institutions that attempted to assess for multiple dependencies, a total of 20 different instruments were utilized. This study indicated a widespread acceptance of multiple dependencies as a related chemical dependency problem as well as considerable uncertainty as to how to properly asses for multiple dependencies.
Coverage with Connectivity in Wireless Sensor Networks

In this paper, we study coverage with connectivity properties in large wireless sensor networks. We consider three classes: full coverage with connectivity, partial coverage with connectivity, and constrained coverage with connectivity. We outline two simple network topologies to satisfy the constrained coverage with connectivity criterion. We compare the surveillance performance and deployment cost for networks with different coverage with connectivity criteria. Together, they cover a whole spectrum of surveillance quality in wireless sensor networks at different cost. We outline potential research topics in the area.
Antigenic relationships between the fungus causing subcutaneous phycomycosis and saprophytic isolates of Basidiobolus meristosporus and B. ranarum.

The antigenic relationships between strains of Basidiobolus isolated from human disease and saprophytic isolates of B. meristosporus and B. ranarum were investigated using reciprocal hemagglutination inhibition and hemagglutinin absorption techniques. The results showed that saprophytic isolates of B. meristosporus are antigenically similar to the pathogen in that the hemagglutinating activity of B. meristosporus antisera could be removed by substances derived from the human pathogenic isolates. In contrast, B. ranarum and the pathogen had distinct antigenic differences as shown by the inability of material from any of the pathogenic isolates to inhibit the homologous antigen-antibody reactions of the saprophyte, B. ranarum. It is concluded that the fungus thus far isolated from human subcutaneous phycomycosis should be identified as B. meristosporus.
Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy as a Complication of Hemodialysis

Hypotension is a common and sometimes difficult to manage occurrence during hemodialysis. The consequences of dialysis-induced hypotension are unpredictable. Anterior ischemic optic neuropathy is an entity associated with many systemic processes, including shock. Anterior ischemic optic neuropathy presents as sudden painless loss of vision. This is the first report of anterior ischemic optic neuropathy as a result of hemodialysis-associated hypotension.
In vitro generation of C3a anaphylatoxin by an extracorporeal circuit

The generation of C3a anaphylatoxin was studied during the equilibration of fresh whole blood in an extracorporeal circuit with oxygenator before institution of cardiopulmonary bypass. Twenty-seven units of whole blood were each recirculated through an extracorporeal circuit for periods up to 17 minutes Following an equilibration period of 7 ± 3.5 min, the C3a concentration increased from 563.1 ± 48.4 to 802.1 ± 73.7 ng/ml, corrected for haematocrit (p < 0.01). The increase in C3a was, however, not related to duration of equilibration time. In vivo studies by others reported higher peak levels of C3a and a correlation with duration of cardiopulmonary bypass. Our data confirm that the extracorporeal circuit is an important site of complement activation, but suggest that during cardiopulmonary bypass, other sites or mechanisms may also generate C3a.