cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A real-time mobile web-based module promotes bidirectional feedback and improves evaluations of the surgery clerkship

BACKGROUND: We implemented a real-time mobile web-based reporting module for students in our surgery clerkship and evaluated its effect on student satisfaction and perceived abuse. METHODS: Third-year medical students in the surgery clerkship received surveys regarding intimidation, perceived abuse, satisfaction with clerkship resources, and interest in a surgical career. Survey data were analyzed to assess differences after implementing the mobile reporting system and to identify independent predictors of perceived abuse. RESULTS: With the reporting module, students perceived less intimidation by residents (P ,.001) and by faculty (P 5 .008), greater satisfaction reporting feedback (P , .001), and greater interest in surgical careers (P 5 .003). Perceived abuse decreased without reaching statistical significance (P 5 .331). High ratings of intimidation by faculty independently predicted perceived abuse (odds ratio 5 1.3), and satisfaction with anonymous reporting was a negative predictor (odds ratio 5 .2). CONCLUSIONS: A mobile web-based system for real-time reporting fosters open communication and bidirectional feedback and promotes greater satisfaction with the surgery clerkship and interest in a surgical career.
Herpes simplex virus type 2 among mobile pastoralists in northwestern Namibia

AbstractBackground: Although herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) epidemiology has been described for many western and/or urban populations, disease burden has not been characterized for remote, non-western, under treated populations, where patterns of risk and vulnerability may be very different.Aims: To understand demographic, behavioural and geographic influences on risk for HSV-2 in a population of mobile, rural pastoralists in northwestern Namibia.Subjects and methods: The authors conducted a cross-sectional survey of reproductively aged adults (n = 445) across 28 villages in Kaokoveld, Namibia. All participants completed a questionnaire of demographic data, ecological interactions and sexual behaviour, and a rapid test specific for HSV-2.Results: HSV-2 status was significantly associated with being female (OR = 3.1, 95% CI = 2.00, 4.71), increasing age (men: OR = 7.5, 95% CI = 2.67, 20.85; women: OR = 6.2, 95% CI = 2.48, 15.50) and with higher wealth among men (OR = 5.1, 95% CI = 1.98, 13.09).Conclus...
Numerical Modeling of Data Center Clusters: Impact of Model Complexity

Data centers are facilities that house large numbers of computer servers that dissipate high power. With the rapid increase in the heat flux of such systems, their thermal management has become a challenge that needs to be addressed. Computational analyses using a CFD code is a very useful technique that helps the engineer to understand and solve the data center cooling problem. In this paper the state of the art of numerical modeling of data center is discussed. Representative systems are modeled using the two most prominent approaches. Variation in results with the addition of modeling details is presented. The effect of under floor parameters such as the conditioned chilled air supply flow rate, the under floor plenum depth, and the tile opening flow resistance, is discussed. Total flow rate delivered by the Computer Room Air Conditioning (CRAC) unit depends on blower and system characteristic curves, as specified by the vendor. Impact of plenum depth and tile resistance on total CRAC flow rate is discussed. Under floor blockages such as cables, pipes, and random materials, impede the flow of the cold air stream and yield unpredictable air flow patterns. Currently, models with idealized plenums are used for simulation of data centers. The effect of including blockages in CFD analyses is discussed. A novel approach that defines safe and critical paths under plenum for routing the blockages is presented.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Colour Change of Prodigiosin

OBSERVATIONS of the colour of Serratia marcescens colonies and of chromatographic behaviour of Serratia pigments recently led Allen1 to suggest that “pH is not the only factor involved in the colour change of prodigiosin from red to orange”.
The effect of selective lesions on vestibular nuclear complex choline acetyltransferase activity in the rat.

Abstract Biochemical, physiological and behavioral evidence suggests that acetylcholine (ACh) may play a neurotransmitter role in central vestibular function. However, the anatomic basis for a possible cholinergic influence on the vestibular nuclear complex (VNC) is unknown. To investigate vestibular cholinergic anatomy, we have made selective lesions of neurons intrinsic to the VNC, and of most known afferents to the VNC, and we have measured the activity of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), a specific marker for cholinergic neurons, following such lesions. We found that a kainic acid lesion of the VNC, and lesions of vestibular afferents, including the VIIIth cranial nerve, cerebellum, spinal cord, vestibular commissure and the interstitial nucleus of Cajal, did not affect VNC ChAT activity. We conclude that there are no cholinergic neurons intrinsic to the VNC, and that these lesioned afferents are not cholinergic. It is likely, therefore, that a cholinergic projection to the VNC arises from a region other than those lesioned; possibilities include the nuclei of the reticular formation, the upper cervical cord and local pontomedullary nuclei.
Understanding the Cultural Self in Promoting Culturally Competent Care in the Community

The purpose of this article is to assist nurses and other health care professionals in understanding their own culture and their perceptions of racism and prejudice as the beginning step in delivering and promoting culturally congruent nursing care. Through the process of understanding the cultural self, nurses and other health care professionals can begin to understand the cultural other. Through this process, nurses and other health care professionals can promote the cultural health and well-being of those they serve through health care.
The paradox of the pouch: prompt emptying predicts improved weight loss after laparoscopic Roux-Y gastric bypass

Introduction The utility of routine upper gastrointestinal (UGI) evaluations after laparoscopic Roux-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) has yet to be determined, primarily being used to rule out a gastrojejunal leak. Additional information can be assessed with these studies, including the rate of contrast emptying from the pouch; some patients show no or very slow emptying while others show a faster rate of emptying. No or slow emptying is likely due to anastomotic edema and/or a small initial stomal diameter. The aim of this study is to ascertain whether initial pouch emptying (or lack thereof) predicts postoperative weight loss.
Nitric oxide (NO) production by human bronchial epithelial cells (BEC) – modulation by anti-IgE

Abstract Rationale NO production has been reported from antigen-stimulated mononuclear cells from both allergic rhinitis, asthmatic patients; as well as from antigen stimulated BEC and nasal epithelial cells (Frieri M, Allergy Asthma Proc 19:349-51, 1998; JACI 107:329a;592a 2001;2003). NO can also effect the permeability of nasal epithelial cells with allergen from asthmatics (Baker G et al. J Clin Invest 100(5) 1322, 1997). Anti-IgE can attenuate the late phase response, which includes IL-4 downregulation of FcϵRI on inflammatory cells. Methods BEC were stimulated in duplicate with 100U/ml of IL-1β, 10 ug/ml of ragweed (RA), 1000 AU of dust mite (DM), 40 ng/ml of EGF with 10−7 M Budesonide or 0.1 ug/ml of anti-IgE with 4% DM atopic sera for either 6 or 24 hrs in 5% CO2 at 37°C. NO production was measured in duplicate by a highly sensitive ELISA. Results NO production at 6 hrs was significantly inhibited by anti-IgE with IL-1β, RA, DM alone and EGF (p Conclusions Anti-IgE inhibited antigen and cytokine stimulated NO and IL-4 production within first 6hrs. The initial decrease of IL-4 suggests a role of anti-IgE as an anti-inflammatory agent. NO production was increased at 24hrs in presence of anti-IgE. Therefore, this agent can modulate NO effects by suppressing or stimulating its release from antigen or growth factor stimulated human bronchial epithelial cells.
Displacement chromatography of biomolecules with large particle diameter systems

Abstract Displacement chromatography was employed for the preparative-scale separation of peptides and proteins using large particle diameter chromatographic systems. Peptide displacements were successfully scaled-up with respect to particle and column diameter with no adverse effects on product recovery. Protein displacements on 30- and 90-μm agarose-based adsorbent systems resulted in well separated displacement zones of pure material. The present work extends the scope of biopolymer displacement chromatography to large particle diameter systems and is expected to further increase the distinct economic advantages associated with preparative-scale displacement chromatography.
Rotation, translation, charge transfer, and electronic structure of C 60 on Cu(111) surface

The energetics and electronic structure of a ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ monolayer on Cu(111) surfaces have been investigated thoroughly via large-scale first-principles density functional theory. The calculated adsorption site and orientation of the molecule, and the work function are in excellent agreement with experimental observations. We find that the translational motion of ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ across Cu-Cu bonds can be barrierless, while a $360\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{},$ on-site rotational motion is subject to a barrier of 0.3 eV. A close to ${0.8e}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ charge transfer per molecule from the surface to the ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ monolayer is determined, which provides important insights into a number of experimental measurements. Our analysis also indicates that the transferred electrons are localized in a plane between the molecule and surface, and that the bands near the Fermi level are highly hybrid between the surface and the molecule, reflecting a strong metal-fullerene coupling. Furthermore, an analysis of the dipole moment clarifies the puzzling phenomenon regarding the work function.
Parent-child agreement in the assessment of obsessive-compulsive disorder

The purpose of the current study was to extend research regarding parent–child agreement in the assessment of anxiety disorders to include youth with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Ninety-three children and adolescents with OCD (50 female, 43 male), ages 6 to 17 years, and their parents were administered the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for Children. Data were obtained from a review of records of children and their parents seeking services from a university-based research and treatment clinic. Consistent with previous research on the assessment of anxiety disorders in youth, results indicated that parent–child agreement in the assessment of OCD is relatively poor at both the diagnostic and symptom levels. Our findings highlight the importance of multiple informant diagnostic systems in assessing childhood OCD.
Strong ocean tidal flow and heating on moons of the outer planets

Data from recent space missions have added strong support for the idea that there are liquid oceans on several moons of the outer planets, with Jupiter's moon Europa having received the most attention. But given the extremely cold surface temperatures and meagre radiogenic heat sources of these moons, it is still unclear how these oceans remain liquid. The prevailing conjecture is that these oceans are heated by tidal forces that flex the solid moon (rock plus ice) during its eccentric orbit, and that this heat entering the ocean does not rapidly escape because of the insulating layer of ice over the ocean surface. Here, however, I describe strong tidal dissipation (and heating) in the liquid oceans; I show that a subdominant and previously unconsidered tidal force due to obliquity (axial tilt of the moon with respect to its orbital plane) has the right form and frequency to resonantly excite large-amplitude Rossby waves in these oceans. In the specific case of Europa, the minimum kinetic energy of the flow associated with this resonance (7.3 x 10(18) J) is two thousand times larger than that of the flow excited by the dominant tidal forces, and dissipation of this energy seems large enough to be a primary ocean heat source.
Responses to weight loss treatment among obese individuals with and without BED: a matched-study meta-analysis.

The moderating influence of binge eating status on obese individuals’ responses to weight loss treatment was evaluated with a meta-analysis of 36 tests of weight loss treatment (n=792) that were matched to control key background variables. After controlling for pre-treatment weight, treatment produced more weight loss in samples of obese non-BED compared with obese BED participants. Weight loss treatment produced large posttreatment reductions in depression in both obese BED and non-BED samples. The results indicate that BED status moderated post-treatment weight loss among people in weight treatment programs. Obese BED (average weight loss= 1.3 kg) samples lost negligible weight compared to obese non-BED (average weight loss= 10.5 kg) samples. BED status did not moderate psychological responses to treatment: both BED and non-BED samples experienced large post-treatment reductions in depression. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
Laser chemistry at liquid interfaces

The scientific and technological importance of liquid interfaces in chemistry, physics, biology, and engineering disciplines is due to the unique molecular properties of interfaces; properties that are a result of the interplay between the chemical composition, structure, and, in general, the reduced dimensionality and asymmetry of forces at interfaces. We expect the effects of the special microenvironment of an interface to lead to different equilibrium and dynamic properties, such as chemical equilibria, pH, molecular motions, dynamics of chemical reactions, and physical relaxation processes. By using the intrinsic sensitivity of second harmonic generation we can selectively probe the interfacial region. Some results obtained, mostly at the air/water interface, on the orientational structure of molecules there, the energetics of absorption, the electrical potential and pH at a charged molecular interface, chemical equilibria and hydrophobic forces, picosecond dynamics of isomerization and energy transfer, diffusion of long chain molecules, and the diffusion of molecules to the surface of a liquid jet are discussed.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Comparing indigenous and introduced populations of Melaleuca quinquenervia (Cav.) Blake: response of seedlings to water and pH levels

Melaleuca quinquenervia is a wetland tree species indigenous to eastern Australia. It was separately introduced to east and west Florida as an ornamental, but has since become invasive, dominating several habitat types. We tested the predictions that (1) Australian populations would exhibit more genetic variation than Florida populations, due to founder effect, and (2) high phenotypic plasticity would be found in all populations, due to the wide range of habitats occupied. We compared the phenotypic plasticity and familial variation among three Australian populations, two east Florida, and two west Florida populations in a greenhouse experiment. We grew seedlings collected from different maternal trees in each population under two water levels and three pH levels, reflecting the natural range of water levels and soil pH in Florida and Australian Melaleuca stands. We measured leaf size and shape, growth rate and above-ground biomass of seedlings and determined the components of phenotypic variance (familial, environmental, and their interaction) using univariate and multivariate analysis of variance. All traits showed significant among-population and among-family variation, as well as significant phenotypic plasticity, in response to both water level and pH level changes. Sensitivity to pH was particularly high, presumably because plants were grown under pHs ranging from 4.7 to 7.4, and because pH can influence nutrient availability. Familial variation contains genetic variation, but it may also be confounded with maternal environmental effects. Comparing Australian to Floridian Melaleuca, amounts of familial variation and phenotypic plasticity varied by trait. Overall, Australian Melaleuca had more among-population variation than Floridian Melaleuca, presumably reflecting the wider latitudinal range and longer time for evolutionary change in Australia, but had similar amounts of among-family variation, within any one population. If maternal effects are strong, among-population differences may merely reflect greater environmental differences among Australian sites than Florida sites. Australian Melaleuca had less phenotypic plasticity, possibly due to founder effects in Florida or to subsequent adaptive evolution of phenotypic plasticity in Floridian populations. Floridian Melaleuca shows little loss of familial variation, compared to indigenous Australian populations, and that, in combination with its high phenotypic plasticity, should allow it to continue to colonize new areas successfully.
Cranes, Structures under Construction, and Temporary Facilities: Are We Doing Enough to Ensure They Are Safe?

As of the date of preparation of this editorial in mid-November, the National Transportation Safety Board NTSB had just released their report on the collapse of the I-35W Bridge in Minneapolis. The report indicated that the most probable cause of the collapse was inadequate load capacity due to a design error that resulted in the undersizing of as many as 24 of the bridge’s gusset plates. The NTSB notes that failure of the U10 plates was in part due to substantial weight increases on the bridge from previous modifications and concentrated construction loads from equipment and materials stored on the bridge, along with traffic on the bridge on the day of the collapse. Similar to many modern day structural failures, the lack of prevention of this collapse can be traced back to procedural flaws, but the fact remains that in this case, as with many other facilities under construction, the structure received its worst historical load case during the construction process. As a result of these findings, we are reminded once again that structures under construction are often more susceptible to collapse than at any other time during their lifespan.
Curving Analysis of Modified Designs of Passenger Railway Vehicle Trucks

In this paper, modified truck designs were studied with an objective to achieving better compatibility between high speed stability and curving behaviour compared to the conventional truck. The analysis has shown that USD truck can be designed to achieve better over all performance compared to other truck designs. The results of steady state curving program were validated using the commercial software package NUCARS. The comparison of steady state curving behaviour of different truck designs using NUCARS also showed that USD truck has the potential to achieve superior performance compared to other truck designs. The research reported in this paper has dealt with steady state curving behaviour. To look into the safety implications of the new designs, transient behaviour in curves must be studied. The response of the railway cars in entry and exit spirals should be evaluated. The effects of track irregularities on the response of these modified designs need to be analyzed.
A Wire-Frame Shelter for Collecting Resting Mosquitoes

Abstract Collecting resting mosquitoes is important for studies of the bloodfeeding patterns of medically important mosquitoes. We developed a novel resting shelter, called a wire-frame resting shelter, for collecting resting mosquitoes and evaluated its efficacy at sites in Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. The shelter is made of a 1 × 2-m section of galvanized metal-wire field fencing rolled into a cylinder and placed inside a heavy-duty black plastic bag. In the field evaluation, the wire-frame shelters were comparable to other artificial resting shelters (trash cans) in the number of Culex (Melanoconion) females collected. While a number of other resting shelter designs are available, the wire-frame shelter has a number of beneficial attributes, including being easily assembled in the field, lightweight, inexpensive, and easily modified.
SIPP ACCESS, an information system for complex data: a case study in creating a collaboratory for the social sciences

The “collaboratory” concept has recently entered the vernacular of the scientific community to reflect new modes of scientific communication, cooperation and collaboration made possible by information technology. The collaboratory represents a scientific research center “without walls” for accessing and sharing data, information, instrumentation and computational resources. The principal applications of the collaboratory concept have been in the physical and biological sciences, including space physics, oceanography and molecular biology. Discusses the attributes of the collaboratory, and applies the concept developed by computer and physical scientists to the design and operation of the SIPPACCESS prototype information system for complex data to be used through the Internet by sociologists, demographers and economists. Examines obstacles to collaboratory development for the social sciences. Concludes that four major obstacles will inhibit the development of collaboratories in the social sciences.
EFFECTS OF FINITE RANGE AND EXCHANGE INTERACTION IN (p,n) AND (n,p) KNOCKOUT REACTIONS.

Abstract Angular distributions based on the distorted-wave Born approximation taking into account the effects of finite range and exchange interaction have been calculated for four (p, n) and one (n, p) knockout reaction for target nuclei with atomic mass numbers between 13 and 91, for bombarding energies from 5.3 to 20 MeV and for a wide range of bound state orbital angular momenta. Finite range is treated both exactly and approximately, using various approximations and the results are compared with each other. An admixture of Wigner, Majorana, Bartlett and Heisenberg interactions with a Yukawa potential form factor is assumed for the neutron-proton interaction. The Woods-Saxon potential is used to evaluate the bound state wave functions. Experimental comparisons have been made for the 13C(p, n)13N and 28Si(n, p) 28Al ground state reactions. Neither the zero-range approximation, nor any of the other approximations considered yield results which quantitatively are consistently reliable. Many of the cross sections exhibit a great sensitivity to exchange mixtures at certain angles, as well as to the bound state wave functions and it may be possible in future investigations to take advantage of this property to determine nuclear parameters.
Understanding Student Retention through a Look at Student Goals, Intentions, and Behavior.

Historically, retention, persistence, and graduation rates have been used as indicators of a college's success. While these measures may shed light on what is happening among an institution's stude...
From conventional to computer-adaptive testing of ESL reading comprehension

Abstract In this paper we describe the development of a computer-adaptive test of ESL reading comprehension. The computer-adaptive test was based on items from a battery of four conventional fixed-form tests and was constructed using an adaptive test development system for the Macintosh HyperCAT. The application of computer-adaptive testing (CAT) to the assessment of reading comprehension and other abilities in a second language serves as an illustration in this paper. We discuss the constraints that apply to CAT and the substantial advantages that CAT has over conventional testing modalities. The constraints on CAT include: the unidimensionality of the test, the homogeneity of the test population, and a neutral test method effect.
Heat capacities of the wüstites Fe0.9379O and Fe0.9254O at temperatures T from 5 K to 350 K. Thermodynamics of the reactions: xFe(s) + (1/4)Fe3O4(s) = Fe0.7500+xO(s) = Fe1-yO(s) at T ≈ 850 K, and properties of Fe1-yO(s) to T = 1000 K. Thermodynamics of formation of wüstite

Thermodynamic properties of wustites prepared from iron and iron(III) oxide, have been studied by adiabatic calorimetry. Heat-capacity measurements of metastable Fe0.9379O and Fe0.9254O from T = 5 K to 350 K yielded the following integrated values at T = 298.15 K: [[formula]] The wustites were decomposed to iron and iron(II, III) oxide at T ≈ 800 K and then recombined in the calorimeter. The enthalpy absorption started at T ≈ 850 K. It needed increased temperature and several days for completion: up to T = 932 K and 7.1 d total for Fe0.9254O, up to T = 898.4 K and 2.1 d for Fe0.9379O, and up to T = 948 K and 3.0 d for Fe0.9254O. By averaging the results for the two last determinations, the molar enthalpy of the eutectoid formation reaction:0.1817Fe+(1/4)Fe3O4 = Fe0.9317O, is ΔrHom = (9.04±0.25) kJ·mol-1. The observed eutectoid formation temperature on heating was 854 K on the iron side and 844 K on the magnetite side. In order to delineate the composition range of wustite at T < 1270 K, thermodynamic functions for FeO and Fe0.90O were estimated and combined with available standard Gibbs free energies of formation for wustite and the neighboring magnetite phase at T = 1270 K. The resulting eutectoid composition is Fe0.932±0.004O and the calculated eutectoid temperature is (847±7) K.
A test of the generality of schedule-induced polydipsia to wild-caught Norway rats

Abstract Four of 5 food-deprived wild-caught Norway rats failed to develop schedule-induced polydipsia when placed on a fixed-time 1-min food schedule of 45 mg pellets for 30 1-hr sessions. The one wild-caught rat that displayed schedule-induced polydipsia was retarded in the development and only reached session intake level approximately one half that of a control group of domestic laboratory-reared Norway rats. All 5 domestic rats readily acquired schedule-induced polydipsia. The wild-caught and domestic Norway rats differed in their probability of initiating a bout of drinking but not in their lick pattern, bout size or lick efficiency. These data appear to challenge the generality of schedule-induced polydipsia.
Morphogenetic movements during budding in Hydra.

Abstract Grafts were made between green and white individuals of the species Hydra viridis. Our objects were to determine whether buds are moved by movement of the parent's body wall, the sources of cells taking part in bud formation, and the influence of budding on the movement of parental cells. Buds move down the length of the parent's budding region faster than gastrodermal cells. Therefore, buds move independently of movement of the parent's body wall as a whole. Parental gastrodermal cells can move out onto a bud at any stage of its development and from any level of the parent's budding region that the bud juxtaposes. Buds are produced at least in part from their distal to their proximal ends by the addition of parental cells from the distal to the proximal borders of the budding region. Parental cells move into the budding region during budding. Parental cells produced outside of the budding region seem to take part in bud formation. Parental gastrodermal cells in starved nonbudding animals do not move downward in the gastric region as they do in starved or well fed budding animals.
U-Pb zircon geochronology of rocks in the Salinas Valley region of California: A reevaluation of the crustal structure and origin of the Salinian block

The Salinian block in the Salinas Valley region of central California consists of arc granitic and metasedimentary rocks (schist of Sierra de Salinas) sandwiched between coeval high-pressure, low-temperature melange belts. U-Pb zircon ages of three granitic plutons from this region range from 88 to 82 Ma, and coexisting biotite yielded 4 0 Ar/ 3 9 Ar cooling ages of 76-75 Ma. The U-Pb ages from detrital zircons indicate derivation of the protolith of the schist from a 117-81 Ma igneous provenance. Muscovite and biotite 4 0 Ar/ 3 9 Ar cooling ages of 72-68 Ma from the nearby schist are distinctly younger than those from the granitic plutons. These data indicate that deposition and metamorphism of the schist occurred after emplacement of adjacent granitic rocks, contradicting the prevailing view that the schist comprises the local framework for the Salinian arc. We propose that the schist of Sierra de Salinas was thrust beneath the Salinian magmatic arc along a Campanian thrust fault that has not been recognized. This hypothesis implies that the Salinian arc originated as a klippe of basement rocks derived from the vicinity of the western Mojave Desert. Thrusting initiated southeastward-migrating Laramide tectonism of a style similar to that which formed the Vincent thrust and the latest Cretaceous and Paleocene Pelona and Orocopia Schists of southern California and southwestern Arizona.
Effect of different drying methods on drying characteristics, colour, total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of sliced green table olives

This study analysed the effects of convective (50 and 75 °C), microwave (90 and 160 W) and combined microwave-convective (90 W-50 °C, 90 W-75 °C, 160 W-50 °C and 160 W-75 °C) drying methods on the drying characteristics, colour, total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of sliced green table olives. The shortest drying time was found with the combined microwave-convective 160 W-75 °C method, and it was found that the combined microwave-convective method provided the greatest time savings in comparison to other methods tested. According to the test results, the drying rate of samples increased with increasing convective temperature and microwave power. Based on the statistical tests used for evaluation, the Midilli et al. model was found to be the best model to explain test data for sliced green olives samples under all drying conditions. While the colour values L*, b*, and chroma and hue angle decreased, the colour value a* increased in dried sliced green olive samples. It was found that the 160 W m...
Serial studies of the cephalin flocculation and thymol turbidity tests in pregnant patients.

Abstract This report does not imply that the liver may not be concerned in preeclampsia-eclampsia, because it undoubtedly is. It does indicate that the cephalin flocculation and thymol turbidity tests were within the normal range for the majority of patients who showed clinical evidence of pre-eclampsia with only two exceptions in which cases both tests were abnormal.
Effect of kaolinite clay on the feeding activity of the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin)

Abstract Estuarine bivalve molluscs live and grow in the presence of substantial concentrations of suspended inorganic material. These organisms have adapted to tolerate and even benefit their turbid environment. We carried out several experiments to determine if suspended kaolinite clay particles affect the amount of food cleared, rejected in pseudofeces, and/or ingested by a common estuarine bivalve, the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin). Juvenile oysters were fed a diet consisting of 14 C-labelled algae ( Isochrysis galbana Parke) and 3 H-labelled rice starch, with or without kaolinite. Starch was selectively rejected in oyster pseudofeces, compared with algae. Oysters were able to sort algal cells from starch particles more efficiently with no kaolinite in the water than when kaolinite was added to the chambers. This disruption of selection by kaolinite caused oysters to ingest more starch under certain conditions. Kaolinite did not significantly affect the amount of algae cleared or rejected. Kaolinite particles adsorbed a small but statistically significant amount of dissolved organic material from the food.
Technique of closed chest coronary artery surgery on the beating heart

Objective: The application of an endoscopic stabilizer (Intuitive Surgical, Mountain View, CA, USA) enables closed chest off-pump coronary artery bypass via a four-point stab incision avoiding sternotomy and minithoracotomy. Methods: Between May 1999 and January 2001 we operated upon a total of 37 patients (five female, 32 male, median age 62 ^ 9 years) suffering from coronary artery disease using totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass (TECAB), whereas an initial series of eight TECAB patients was operated upon using an endovascular bypass system (Heartport). The da Vinci surgical system was used in order to perform left internal mammary artery (LIMA) or right internal mammary artery (RIMA) harvesting and anastomoses on a beating heart in 29 patients (four female, 25 male, median age 64 ^ 9.8 years). Altogether 26 patients suffering from single-vessel coronary artery disease (SVCAD) were revascularized applying LIMA to the left anterior descending artery (LAD) and three patients with two diseased coronary vessels received bilateral internal mammary artery grafting (BIMA), respectively. Results: In this series we had a 100% survival rate. Conversion rate to a median sternotomy was 3.4%. Patients were operated upon via four 1-cm chest incisions using the da Vinci robot for LIMA or BIMA harvesting and for performance of anastomoses on the beating heart. In the overall series of 56 patients intended to be treated by TECAB, 19 (33.9%) were converted to a minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass procedure. Conclusion: This new robotic-enhanced surgical technique promotes an optimistic way of thinking about the further development of this procedure and its application in patients suffering from singlevessel CAD. q 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Interactive voice response technology for symptom monitoring and as an adjunct to the treatment of chronic pain

Chronic pain is a medical condition that severely decreases the quality of life for those who struggle to cope with it. Interactive voice response (IVR) technology has the ability to track symptoms and disease progression, to investigate the relationships between symptom patterns and clinical outcomes, to assess the efficacy of ongoing treatments, and to directly serve as an adjunct to therapeutic treatment for chronic pain. While many approaches exist toward the management of chronic pain, all have their pitfalls and none work universally. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one approach that has been shown to be fairly effective, and therapeutic interactive voice response technology provides a convenient and easy-to-use means of extending the therapeutic gains of CBT long after patients have discontinued clinical visitations. This review summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of IVR technology, provides evidence for the efficacy of the method in monitoring and managing chronic pain, and addresses potential future directions that the technology may take as a therapeutic intervention in its own right.
Crashes on and Near College Campuses: A Comparative Analysis of Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety

Problem, research strategy, and findings: College campuses are multimodal settings with very high levels of walking and biking in conjunction with high levels of vehicular traffic, which increases risks for bicyclists and pedestrians. In this study, we examine crash data (both police reported and self-reported) and urban form data from three U.S. campuses to understand the spatial and temporal distribution of crashes on the campuses and their immediate periphery. To account for underreporting of pedestrian and bicycle crashes, we developed and circulated an online survey, which helped identify collision hotspots across the three campuses. We then studied these locations to determine their characteristics, generate a typology of campus danger zones, and recommend design and policy changes that could improve pedestrian and cycling safety. We find a significant underreporting of crashes, and unequal spatial and temporal distributions of campus crashes. We identify three particular types of danger zones for p...
A case study on the selection of performance index for design optimization of new controllers

A method of measurement is needed to define quantitatively the performance index for optimum design. Typically, designs are judged subjectively rather than by analytical techniques in which the engineer is trained. To alleviate this problem, the concept of the merit index is introduced to quantize the way in which novel designs are measured. This analytical technique is used as a method in selecting the optimal design. The merit index is a function of the design adequacy, producibility, compatibility, reliability, and cost effectiveness. The design objectives are expressed as probabilities and assigned individual weights to represent the relative importance in the performance index. A design methodology is provided to simplify the design process by utilizing analytical, rather than subjective approaches to optimize product development. The development of a variable-reluctance servo-motor controller is used as a case study to illustrate the technique. >
People With Dark Personalities Tend to Create a Physically Attractive Veneer

Which personality traits are associated with physical attractiveness? Recent findings suggest that people high in some dark personality traits, such as narcissism and psychopathy, can be physically...
Synthesis of ASICs with Hercules and Hebe

Computer-aided synthesis of digital circuits from behavioral specifications offers an effective means of dealing with the increasing complexity of digital hardware design. The benefits of such a methodology include shortened design time to reduce design cost, ease of modification of the hardware specifications to enhance design reusability, and the ability to more effectively and completely explore the different design tradeoffs between area of the resulting hardware and its processing time.
Reliability of store and forward teledermatology for skin neoplasms

Background Teledermatology may be less optimal for skin neoplasms than for rashes. Objectives We sought to determine agreement for skin neoplasms. Methods This was a repeated measures study. Each lesion was examined by a clinic dermatologist and a teledermatologist; both generated a primary diagnosis, up to 2 differential diagnoses, and management. Macro images and polarized light dermoscopy images were obtained; for pigmented lesions only, contact immersion dermoscopy image was obtained. Results There were 3021 lesions in 2152 patients. Of 1685 biopsied lesions, there were 410 basal cell carcinomas (24%), 240 squamous cell carcinomas (14%), and 41 melanomas (2.4%). Agreement was fair to substantial for primary diagnosis (45.7%-80.1%; kappa 0.32-0.62), substantial to almost perfect for aggregated diagnoses (primary plus differential; 78.6%-93.9%; kappa 0.77-0.90), and fair for management (66.7%-86.1%; kappa 0.28-0.41). Diagnostic agreement rates were higher for pigmented lesions (52.8%-93.9%; kappa 0.44-0.90) than nonpigmented lesions (47.7%-87.3%; kappa 0.32-0.86), whereas the reverse was found for management agreement (pigmented: 66.7%-79.8%, kappa 0.19-0.35 vs nonpigmented: 72.0%-86.1%, kappa 0.38-0.41). Agreement rates using macro images were similar to polarized light dermoscopy; contact immersion dermoscopy, however, significantly improved rates for pigmented lesions. Limitations We studied a homogeneous population. Conclusions Diagnostic agreement was moderate to almost perfect whereas management agreement was fair. Polarized light dermoscopy increased rates modestly whereas contact immersion dermoscopy significantly increased rates for pigmented lesions.
High efficiency CdSe quantum-dot sensitized solar cells

High quality CdSe quantum-dot (QD) sensitized solar cells have been successfully fabricated by in-situ deposition of QDs into TiO2 nanoporous electron conductor (EC) films using a near room-temperature solution-based chemical bath deposition (CBD) method. An energy conversion efficiency of 4.44% under AM1.5G illumination is achieved on a device fabricated using CdSe QDs as a light absorber, TiO2 nanoparticles as an electron-conducting film, and a Polysulfide Na2S/S based electrolyte as a hole-conductor. Results also show that incident photo conversion efficiency (IPCE) of above 70% was obtained within a majority of the CdSe QD absorption spectrum range, and a peak value of 83% between 500–550nm. The light harvesting efficiency of the QD in the device is evaluated to between 75–85% in the same spectral range, indicating an internal quantum efficiency of greater than 95% was achieved. These results are among the best reported to date of the QD-based solar cells. We present data from prototype devices of various EC film thicknesses, morphologies, material composites, as well as QD deposition conditions and hole conductor variations and show how they impact key device metrics.
HIV Infection and the Central Nervous System: A Primer

The purpose of this brief review is to prepare readers who may be unfamiliar with Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) and the rapidly accumulating changes in the epidemic by providing an introduction to HIV disease and its treatment. The general concepts presented here will facilitate understanding of the papers in this issue on HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). Toward that end, we briefly review the biology of HIV and how it causes disease in its human host, its epidemiology, and how antiretroviral treatments are targeted to interfere with the molecular biology that allows the virus to reproduce. Finally, we describe what is known about how HIV injures the nervous system, leading to HAND, and discuss potential strategies for preventing or treating the effects of HIV on the nervous system.
Phage Therapy of Local and Systemic Disease Caused by Vibrio vulnificus in Iron-Dextran-Treated Mice

Vibrio vulnificus is a gram-negative bacterium that contaminates filter-feeding shellfish such as oysters. After ingestion of contaminated oysters, predisposed people may experience highly lethal septicemia. Contamination of wounds with the bacteria can result in devastating necrotizing fasciitis, which can progress to septicemia. The extremely rapid progression of these diseases can render antibiotic treatment ineffective, and death is a frequent outcome. In this study, we examined the potential use of bacteriophages as therapeutic agents against V. vulnificus in an iron-dextran-treated mouse model of V. vulnificus infection. Mice were injected subcutaneously with 10 times the lethal dose of V. vulnificus and injected intravenously, either simultaneously or at various times after infection, with phages. Treatment of mice with phages could prevent death; systemic disease, as measured by CFU per gram of liver and body temperature; and local disease, as measured by CFU per gram of lesion material and histopathologic analysis. Two different phages were effective against three different V. vulnificus strains with various degrees of virulence, while a third phage that required the presence of seawater to lyse bacteria in vitro was ineffective at treating mice. Optimum protection required that the phages be administered within 3 h of bacterial inoculation at doses as high as 10(8) PFU. One of the protective phages had a half-life in blood of over 2 h. These results demonstrate that bacteriophages have therapeutic potential for both localized and systemic infections caused by V. vulnificus in animals. This model should be useful in answering basic questions regarding phage therapy.
Interactions Between Carbon Nanotubes and Liquid Crystals in Binary Nematic Electro-Optic Cells

We studied the effects of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on the Freedericksz transition of a liquid crystal (LC) and calibrated the altitudinal angle of CNTs as a function of the electric field. In addition, we directed the azimuthal angle which gave us complete control of the 3D orientation of the CNTs. We constructed anti-parallel electro-optic cells using a nanocomposite at a concentration of 0.01% CNTs with 4-Cyano-4’-pentylbiphenyl (5CB) liquid crystal. This low concentration was necessary to achieve maximum transmission of electromagnetic radiation through the cell and to minimize the Van der Waals attraction between the CNTs responsible for their aggregation. We chose two dimensional microscopic transmission ellipsometry (2D-MTE) to measure the phaseshift of the polarized electromagnetic radiation through the cell and to derive from it the altitudinal angle of the CNTs. Our results show that in the presence of CNTs the Freedericksz transition occurs at 55% of the transitional electric field as compared to the control electro-optic cell without CNTs. The width of the Freedericksz transition narrows by a similar factor. The switching time of the cell decreased in the presence CNTs by 18.5%.
Overview of the synthesis of nucleoside phosphates and polyphosphates.

This overview summarizes methodology used for the synthesis of nucleoside mono-, di-, and triphosphates. Selected techniques such as the Mitsunobu reaction, displacement reactions involving nucleoside 5′-tosylates, “anion-exchange” techniques, and phosphoramidite and phosphoramidate methodologies are highlighted. The chemistry of phosphorylation is detailed with respect to advantages and limitations under various conditions. Applicability of the methods toward the synthesis of analogs such as imidophosphates, phosphorothioates, and radiolabeled nucleotides is also addressed. Keywords: nucleoside monophosphate; nucleoside diphosphate; nucleoside triphosphate; nucleotide synthesis; phosphorothioate; imidophosphate; nucleotide review
Retrospective review of vancomycin-induced nephrotoxicity in patients with leukemia

BackgroundThe occurrence of nephrotoxicity with vancomycin is approximately 17%, but can increase to 35% when combined with other nephrotoxic agents. Patients with hematologic malignancies may be a...