cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Creating Value In Health By Understanding And Overcoming Resistance To De-Innovation

As hard as it may be for clinicians to adopt new practices, it is often harder for them to “de-innovate,” or give up old practices, even when new evidence reveals that those practices offer little value. In this article we explore recent controversies over screening for breast and prostate cancer and testing for sleep disorders. We show that these controversies are not caused solely by a lack of clinical data on the harms and benefits of these tests but are also influenced by several psychological biases that make it difficult for clinicians to de-innovate. De-innovation could be fostered by making sure that advisory panels and guideline committees include experts who have competing biases; emphasizing evidence over clinical judgment; resisting “indication creep,” or the premature extension of innovations into unproven areas; and encouraging clinicians to explicitly consider how their experiences bias their interpretations of clinical evidence.
A comparison of the ultraviolet-light inactivation of infectious ribonucleic acid preparations from tobacco mosaic virus with those of the native and reconstituted virus.

Abstract The quantum yield for the inactivation of infectious ribonucleic acid preparations (RNA) from tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) by ultraviolet light (UV) at 230, 248, 254, 265, and 280 mμ was found to be independent of wavelength. A dependence of quantum yield on concentration was observed, however. Photoreactivation of irradiated RNA was constant at all wavelengths. Therefore the absorption and action spectra of this RNA, with and without photoreactivation, coincide. The presence of small amounts of protein essential for RNA infectivity has not been excluded by this approach. The rate constants for the UV inactivation of TMV were not constant, but highest at 230 mμ and lowest at 280 mμ. Native and reconstituted TMV were equally sensitive to UV at all wavelengths tested.
A Two-Region Model of the Turbulent Boundary Layer, With Emphasis on Interfacial Conditions

Presented herein is a turbulent boundary-layer analysis which is based on a two-region characterization for eddy viscosity. The eddy viscosity for the inner region is described with the usual wall law whereas the outer region, which is characterized by large eddy scales, is treated through an application of Prandtl’s eddy viscosity model for free shear flows. A similarity solution for the outer region is obtained for a linearized motion equation and suitably joined to the inner solution by requiring continuity of shear stress and eddy viscosity. The present matching criteria for the two regions result in the preservation of the velocity profile shape in the defect plane while simultaneously yielding the correct longitudinal development of all layer parameters. It is shown that interfacial conditions are, collectively, the particular feature of incompressible flow which can serve as the point of reference for variable density transformations. A simple, parametric density scaling of the eddy viscosity is employed to demonstrate that the inner layer is much less sensitive to the density variation than the outer region. An improved compressibility transformation, based on ρe = ρe, is advanced.
Dynamic changes in inhibin messenger RNAs in rat ovarian follicles during the reproductive cycle

The alterations in morphology and function of the ovarian follicle as it matures, ovulates, and becomes a corpus luteum are dramatic. A variety of steroid and polypeptide hormones influence these processes, and the ovary in turn produces specific hormonal signals for endocrine regulation. One such signal is inhibin, a heterodimeric protein that suppresses the secretion of follicle-stimulating hormone from pituitary gonadotrophs. Rat inhibin complementary DNA probes have been used to examine the levels and distribution of inhibin alpha-and beta A-subunit messenger RNAs in the ovaries of cycling animals. Striking, dynamic changes have been found in inhibin messenger RNA accumulation during the developmental maturation of the ovarian follicle.
Status of an Introgressed Guadalupe Bass Population in a Central Texas Stream

Abstract Introductions of nonnative smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu into central Texas streams resulted in introgressive hybridization with an endemic allopatric congener, the Guadalupe bass M. treculii. The objectives of this study were to use the variation at 14 microsatellite DNA loci to examine the frequencies of Guadalupe bass, smallmouth bass, and their hybrids 10 years after supplemental stockings of Guadalupe bass in the Blanco River. Genetic analysis identified 40% of individuals as smallmouth bass, 51% as smallmouth bass × Guadalupe bass hybrids, and 9% as other Micropterus hybrids. Pure Guadalupe bass were not collected. Despite supplemental stocking, the frequency of pure Guadalupe bass appears to have declined in the Blanco River in the past 10 years. These results emphasize the need for a current survey of the genetic status of the species throughout its native range.
Effectiveness of authenticating users with randomly constructed fingerprint templates

In recent years, using fingerprints to authenticate users in physical and logical access control has been gaining popularity. Thus protecting fingerprint data becomes an important issue. One of the ideas proposed in literature to safeguard fingerprint data is to construct secure fingerprint template from fingerprint image(s). One requirement for this proposal is that the template can be utilized to authenticate its owner but an impostor cannot use it to reconstruct the original fingerprints. How to satisfy this requirement is still an ongoing research problem. Partial fingerprints are more readily available than full fingerprints. Application of 3D finger scanner renders fast capturing of multiple partial fingerprints without any distortion. Recognition based on partial fingerprints from different fingers can significantly increase the number of available fingerprint templates. A secret-key based randomized selection of multiple partial fingerprints from multiple fingers can protect the privacy of fingerprint data. In this paper we propose a novel approach to constructing fingerprint templates from multiple partial fingerprint images. The randomized construction process makes reverse engineering more resource consuming. Our testing results show that individual partial fingerprints from different parts of a finger do not match with each other. By enrolling a combined template from multiple partial fingerprints, authentication can be done successfully. The matching score exponentially increase with the number of minutiae in a fingerprint. The randomly constructed template from multiple original templates does not cause an increase in false recognition rate (FRR), compared with the matching results of the original template.
Structural damage detection using constrained eigenstructure assignment

System health monitoring of aerospace vehicles is important not only for conducting safe operation but also for maintaining system performance. Structural health along with sensor and actuator malfunction must be monitored to perform the system health monitoring. As a step toward developing a system health monitoring scheme, this paper investigates structural damage detection using a constrained eigenstructure assignment. The eigenstructure assignment is selected for the investigation since it may be used not only to perform structural damage detection but also to monitor the sensor and actuator performance in a unified manner. To employ the eigenstructure assignment in the framework of structural modeling and modal testing, a concept of constrained eigenstructure assignment is developed. The constrained eigenstructure assignment makes it possible that the computed feedback gains correspond directly to the structural parameter changes. To demonstrate the capability of the approach, a 20-bay planar truss structure is employed. Modal tests are performed using 11 accelerometers for the undamaged structure and several missing member damage cases. Then the test modes are used to locate the missing member. In spite of incomplete mode shapes and test inaccuracies, accurate damage detection is conducted.
Alcohol acceptance, preference, and sensitivity in mice. II. Quantitative trait loci mapping analysis using BXD recombinant inbred strains

Quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping of complex phenotypes has emerged as an important feature of the recombinant inbred (Rl) strain methodology. In this second study of our series on alcohol-related behaviors in mice, we examine alcohol acceptance, preference, and hypnotic dose sensitivity (HDS) to a standard dose of alcohol measured in BXD RI strains to identify candidate QTL regions responsible for their heritability. We detected highly significant marker associations for acceptance on chromosome 12 (Eif4e), for preference on chromosome 1 (D1Rti2) and chromosome 7 (D7Mit7), and for HDS on chromosome 7 (Mpmv1). These are the strongest QTL associations that we detected, but several other candidate QTL regions are reported. Given the limited number of BXD RI strains available, the large number of markers used herein, and the consequent chance of identifying false marker associations, these RI QTL mapping results must be seen as tentative, but an important first step toward identifying QTL for alcohol-related behaviors.
FLUID-MECHANICAL DAMAGE OF FREELY-SUSPENDED ANIMAL CELLS IN AGITATED BIOREACTORS: EFFECTS OF DEXTRAN, DERIVATIZED CELLULOSES AND POLYVINYL ALCOHOL

Abstract Different media additives were used to analyze cell damage and “shear protection” characteristics of freely suspended animal cells (CRL-8018) cultured in stirred tank bioreactors. The additives used included dextran, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and methylcellulose, which are viscosity enhancers, surface active agents or combinations of these, respectively. We used these additives to study the effects of bulk viscosity and interfacial properties on cell damage or protection under conditions whereby bubble-induced cell damage becomes inhibitory to cell growth if the medium is not supplemented with a protective additive. Dextran (229 kDa, 1–3% w/v) was used to analyze the effects of increased bulk viscosity on cell damage or protection. It was found that the presence of dextran increased cell death under intense agitation. Several grades and types of derivatized methylcelluloses including Methocel A15LV (15 kDa, 0.1–0.5 w/v%), Methocel E50LV (50 kDa, 0.1% w/v), and Methocel H100LV (100 kDa, 0.25% w/v),...
Predicting drinking problems among black and white men: results from a national survey.

This study describes the prevalence of alcohol-related problems and develops predictive models to explain racial differences in subsamples of 494 black and 568 white men from a national probability survey of drinking patterns and problems. The results showed that although black men exhibited higher mean scores on many types of alcohol-related problems, they did not report significantly higher rates of heavier drinking and drunkenness, nor did they score higher on a scale of permissiveness of drinking norms. A hierarchical regression analysis indicated that race independently predicts problem scores even when controlling for other social and demographic factors. Moreover, an interactive model showed that race interacts significantly with the frequency of heavier drinking and some sociodemographic characteristics. As the frequency of heavier drinking increases, rates of drinking problems rise faster among black men than white men. Religion and unemployment also had different effects on rates of alcohol-rela...
Families Who Have A Child Diagnosed with Cancer: What the Medical Caregiver Can Do to Help Them and Themselves

Having a child diagnosed with cancer is a devastating experience that elicits many emotions. There is no way to remove the initial fear and pain experienced by family members. Only a parent who has been in that situation can understand how shocking such news is (1).
Perceptions of Control in Vulnerable Populations

A lack of control is a critical social issue when it is experienced by individuals who already have little opportunity to exercise control; thus, this journal issue brings together research on a number of vulnerable populations: children, medical patients, lower level employees, and the elderly. Because of the diverse populations to which this concept has been applied, the perceived control literature is diffuse and fragmented. This article covers the positive outcomes associated with a sense of control—emotional well-being, successful coping with stress, good health, desired behavior changes, and improved performance. It also identifies common themes that cut across work in this area—the conceptualization and measurement of control, threats to control, conditions that determine the effects of control, and interventions to enhance control. Finally, it suggests how this work may be applied to enhance the well-being of other vulnerable segments of our society.
Bipolar intra-articular radiofrequency thermocoagulation of the thoracic facet joints: a case report of a new technique

Background: This study tests the hypothesis that of bipolar radiofrequency thermocoagulation of the thoracic facet joint capsule may provide a safe and effect method of pain control from thoracic facet origin. Methods: Among patients suffering from localized mid back pain, nine patients with thoracic facet disease confirmed by magnetic resonance image and diagnostic thoracic facet block were enrolled. Bipolar radiofrequency ablation in the inferior aspect of the thoracic facet joint was done. Visual Analog Scale (VAS) was measured pre-intervention and 1 month post-intervention. Any complications and changes in amount of pain medication were recorded. Results: Significant 47.6% reduction in VAS was noted at 1 month. There were no serious complications. Conclusions: Intra-articular bipolarradiofrequency thermocoagulation of the thoracic facet joint may be a technically easier and valid method of treating mid back pain of thoracic facet origin. (Korean J Pain 2014; 27: 43-48)
Exploring the Options: Teaching Economic Decision-Making with Poetry

High-stakes standardized tests in reading and limited instructional time are two powerful disincentives for teaching economics in the elementary classroom. In this article, integrating instruction in poetry and economic decision-making is presented as one way to maximize the use of scarce instructional time. Following a brief introduction to the role of economics in children's lives and a rationale for using poetry to teach significant economic concepts, summaries of four appropriate poetry collections and a description of a recent experience teaching economics with poetry in a fifth-grade classroom are presented.
CRITICAL PROBLEMS WITH EXTRACTION OF ATP FOR BIOLUMINESCENCE ASSAY OF PLANKTON BIOMASS

Recovery of ATP by boiling tris extraction was 90–95 percent greater in 1 liter grab samples than in concentrated net samples. ATP losses were attributed to insulating effects promoted by accumulation of detritus on filters. A series of extractions over a concentration range of whole or size-segregated plankters and cultured algae was made to determine volume of water to be filtered for optimum extraction efficiency. Accuracy of ATP assays was optimized by: (i) using large diameter (i.e. 47 mm) acetate filters; (2) limiting sample volume filtered to 50 ml when particulate organic carbon (POC) exceeded 0.4 mg l−1; and (3) performing extractions in boiling tris maintained initially on a laboratory hot plate at 400°C as opposed to hot water bath at 100°C.
Mortality in hypereosinophilic syndrome: 19 years of experience at Mayo Clinic with a review of the literature

Abstract Background Information in the literature regarding causes of mortality in patients with hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) is limited. Methods This was a retrospective review of the morbidities and causes of death in HES patients at Mayo Clinic. Results Overall, out of the 247 diagnosed HES patients, 23 died during the 19 years that this review encompassed. The cause of death was identified in 15 patients (65%): cardiac dysfunction in 5 (33%), infection in 3 (20%), unrelated malignancy in 3 (20%), thromboembolic phenomena in 2 (13%), and vascular disease in 2 (13%). Conclusion Targeted monitoring of the at-risk end organs, combined with early treatment, may have the ability to improve survival and reduce morbidity in HES patients.
Imagination as Joint Activity: The Case of Architectural Interaction

This article draws from the insights offered by discourse analysis and the study of gesture to examine imagination as a product of, and resource for, social action. Using data collected during ethnographic fieldwork at an architecture firm, the article explores how imagining can emerge from a group of interactants who use many semiotic media, including talk, gestures, and drawings, to imagine something together. Following the groundwork laid by Benedict Spinoza, this perspective moves the "object" of imagination out of the brain, away from mental imagery and into the space in which shared activities take place. Such a move has implications for rethinking imagination in terms of communicative interaction and social activity.
Social Influence and Technology Acceptance: The Use of Personal Social Media as a Career Enhancement Tool Among College Students

While a growing number of hiring managers use personal social media (PSM) websites to screen job candidates, many students primarily use PSM websites to connect with friends and family. Little research has been conducted into how students use PSM as a career enhancement tool (CET). The purpose of this study was to examine the differences between college students who attended a workshop about the use of PSM as a CET and those who did not attend the workshop. This research study incorporated social influence theory and technology acceptance to examine behavioral intentions to use PSM as a CET. The results of this study revealed that students who attended the instructional workshop had higher levels of social influence and behavioral intentions to use PSM as a CET than students who did not receive this workshop.
Multiple calcified thrombi (Rocks) in the right ventricle

Large, organized right ventricular thrombi are rare. This report describes a 51 year old man with a history of recurrent pulmonary emboli treated with inferior vena cava ligation who subsequently developed multiple mobile calcified thrombi in the right ventricle. He was treated successfully by surgical resection. Unusual clinical presentation on admission consisted of a two component friction rub secondary to calcified masses rubbing against each other in systole and diastole. Cardiac catheterization showed a constrictive-restrictive pattern that persisted after surgery. The role of noninvasive studies in the diagnosis and long-term follow-up of the patient is emphasized.
Simultaneous quantitation of etoposide and its catechol metabolite in human plasma using high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection

Etoposide, a highly active and widely used antineoplastic agent, is O-demethylated to its active catechol metabolite. A high-performance liquid chromatographic assay method for the simultaneous quantitation of etoposide and etoposide catechol in human plasma was established. Etoposide and etoposide catechol were extracted from plasma using chloroform and methanol followed by phase separation, evaporation of the organic phase, and reconstitution of the residue. Chromatography was accomplished using a reversed-phase phenyl analytical column (390 mm x 3.9 mm I.D.) with a mobile phase of 76.6% 25 mM citric acid-50 mM sodium phosphate (pH 2.4)-23.4% acetonitrile pumped isocratically at 1 ml/min with electrochemical detection. The limit of detection for etoposide was 1.2 nM and for etoposide catechol was 0.2 nM. The precision (CV) for etoposide ranged from 0.7 to 3% and for the catechol metabolite from 1 to 6%; accuracy of predicted values ranged from 97 to 106% and 94 to 103%, respectively. The assay was linear from 0.1 to 10 microM for etoposide and from 0.005 to 0.5 microM for etoposide catechol in plasma. Recovery of etoposide and etoposide catechol ranged from 93 to 95% and 90 to 98%, respectively. Stability of etoposide and etoposide catechol in human plasma containing ascorbic acid stored at -70 degrees C for one year was demonstrated. This assay procedure is suitable for evaluation of etoposide and etoposide catechol pharmacokinetics in plasma following etoposide administration.
Design of AMASING: a new aperture masking instrument for high-resolution imaging at optical wavelengths

We describe the science goals, optical and mechanical design, software control, data reduction and current status of a new aperture masking instrument for meter class telescopes. AMASING (Aperture Masking And Speckle ImagiNG) was designed to be a flexible Nasmyth mounted platform for high resolution astronomy at optical wavelengths. The instrument is self guiding and includes cameras for target acquisition and guiding, masked pupil viewing and high frame rate data collection.
Thermal Sterilization of Spacecraft Structures

Thermal sterilization environment as significant design condition for planetary lander entry-shield bond-structure combination
Age and Clinical Depression: Today's Youth in the Twenty-first Century

Clinical depression is on the increase in adolescence and young adulthood. Since World War II, psychiatrists are seeing depressed patients who are younger, less severly ill, and more commonly neurotic than psychotic. These patients are most often seen in outpatient and ambulatory settings rather than inpatient hospital facilities. Several reasons have been postulated for this increase; (1) the baby boom following World War II increased the number of people in this age group and (2) the sheer number of people created stresses with which conventional social institutions cannot cope. A shrinking economy and other forces blocking economic gain counteract rising expectations of all young adults, and a situation is created that gives rise to loss of self-esteem, frustation, and perhaps a rising incidence of depression. However, this is just one factor of many which interact which might cause depression. A serious question is whether the reactive depressions of youth will pave the way for endogenous depression in adulthood and old age. Research is needed to determine whether youth will be predisposed to further depressive episodes and, if so, will we be entering a new age of melancholy?
Ammonia measurements at Niwot Ridge, Colorado and point arena, California using the tungsten oxide denuder tube technique

The applicability of the tungsten oxide denuder tube technique for the measurement of ammonia in the rural troposphere was investigated. The technique is based on selective chemisorption of NH3 from a gas stream, thermal desorption, conversion to NO, and analysis by NO−O3 chemiluminescence. Nitric acid, which is also collected and desorbed as NO, was distinguished from NH3 by differences in desorption temperature. Substituted amines were also collected, but desorbed at a slightly lower temperature than NH3 in dry air. At high relative humidities, alkylamines may be hydrolyzed to NH3 on the denuder surface and hence detected as NH3. Overheating of the denuder tube during the temperature-programmed desorption was found to cause significant irreversible degradation of system performance.
Spontaneous thoracic spinal cord herniation : Three cases with long-term follow-up

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: Spontaneous thoracic spinal cord herniation (STSCH) is an uncommon cause of thoracic myelopathy. Fewer than 40 cases have been reported in the English language literature with a mean follow-up of less than 6 months. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: We have encountered three patients diagnosed with STSCH in the last 6 years at our institution. These patients presented with symptoms and signs localizing to the thoracic spinal cord. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed ventral thoracic spinal cord displacement in each. INTERVENTION: One patient was treated surgically, two managed expectantly. Two patients have been followed for greater than 5 years, whereas a third has been followed for 15 months. CONCLUSION: Our experience suggests that patients with neurological symptoms and signs attributable to STSCH may not progress and therefore may be followed with clinical and magnetic resonance imaging surveillance. When surgery is indicated for progressive STSCH, late retethering may occur.
Enhanced thermoelectric properties of Bi2Te3 doping Zn4Sb3 by combinatorial approach

Abstract Materials derived from Bi2Te3 compounds are known to have advantageous thermoelectric properties at room temperatures, with the potential to be used in either cooling or power generating applications. In this paper, the effect of doping Bi2Te3 thin films with Zn4Sb3 is studied using a combinatorial approach. Findings from this study demonstrate the structural and thermoelectric properties of Bi2Te3/(Zn4Sb3)x thin films grown with varying Zn4Sb3 concentrations ranging from x = 1 at.% to 16.5 at.%. The crystalline phase and variations in the composition of the thin films were determined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). When doping Bi2Te3 with Zn4Sb3 concentrations of 5.1 at.%, a dramatic change in electrical resistivity was observed. It was found that the electrical resistivity decreased from 6.68 mΩ-cm to 1.63 mΩ-cm when compared with undoped Bi2Te3, at room temperature. The power factor of Bi2Te3/(Zn4Sb3)x (x = 5.1 at.%) is 2.4 μW/K2 cm, which is higher than as-grown Bi2Te3 (1.4 μW/K2 cm), even though the Seebeck coefficient (− 65.8 μV/K) is slightly less than Bi2Te3 (− 96.6 μV/K). The observed effects on the thermoelectric properties of these materials are extremely important for understanding the fundamental characteristics of Zn4Sb3/Bi2Te3 embedded thermoelectric composites.
A Conversation with John “Jack” Wadsworth, Jr., Honorary Chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia

A Conversation with John “Jack” Wadsworth, Jr., Honorary Chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia. Wadsworth talks about Morgan Stanley’s experiences in doing business in Asia, both historically and currently, and talks about the different approaches in different regions of Asia.
Mixed-mode crack opening in fatigue

Abstract The crack-opening displacements at distances in the range 1–30 μm behind the crack tip were measured in mode I (parallel to the loading axis) and in mode II for the ingot aluminum alloy 7075 in the T651 condition and the similar powder metallurgy aluminum alloy MA-87 using the stereo-imaging technique. A substantial mode II opening was found for both alloys, but for MA-87 the mode II opening exceeded the mode I opening at the crack tip. The crack openings were found to be greater in a very dry environment than in moist air.
Reducing computation in an i-vector speaker recognition system using a tree-structured universal background model

Reduced computation in an i-vector PLDA based speaker recognition system.Employ a tree-structured universal background model.Hash GMM is formed by using Gaussian reduction post SR system development.Computational reductions of >40X are demonstrated with 2.21% degradation in EER.Achieve 15X computational reduction with negligible degradation in equal error rate. The majority of state-of-the-art speaker recognition systems (SR) utilize speaker models that are derived from an adapted universal background model (UBM) in the form of a Gaussian mixture model (GMM). This is true for GMM supervector systems, joint factor analysis systems, and most recently i-vector systems. In all of these systems, the posterior probabilities and sufficient statistics calculations represent a computational bottleneck in both enrollment and testing. We propose a multi-layered hash system, employing a tree-structured GMM-UBM which uses Runnalls' Gaussian mixture reduction technique, in order to reduce the number of these calculations. With this tree-structured hash, we can trade-off reduction in computation with a corresponding degradation of equal error rate (EER). As an example, we reduce this computation by a factor of 15i? while incurring less than 10% relative degradation of EER (or 0.3% absolute EER) when evaluated with NIST 2010 speaker recognition evaluation (SRE) telephone data.
Seasonal variability of prey in the stomachs of Astropecten americanus (Echinodermata: Asteroidea) from off southern New England, U.S.A.

The diet of Astropecten americanus from a location off Nantucket Shoals, Massachusetts, was determined by analysis of stomach contents in May and November. Molluscs, followed by crustaceans, dominated stomach contents. The proportion of molluscan species in the diet differed significantly from the benthos, Juvenile Arctica islandica dominated stomachs in May, but declined sharply in November, probably due in part to predation by Astropecten . Other molluscs, not prevalent in the benthos, were important in stomach contents. Frequency distributions of counts of prey species in a sample of seastar stomachs indicate that some seastars ingest unusually large numbers of certain prey species. A. americanus generally ingests small prey individuals ( A. americanus which are consistent with general predictions of optimum diet models.
Correlating data from different sensors to increase the positive predictive value of alarms: an empiric assessment.

Objectives: Alarm fatigue from high false alarm rate is a well described phenomenon in the intensive care unit (ICU). Progress to further reduce false alarms must employ a new strategy. Highly sensitive alarms invariably have a very high false alarm rate. Clinically useful alarms have a high Positive-Predictive Value. Our goal is to demonstrate one approach to suppressing false alarms using an algorithm that correlates information across sensors and replicates the ways that human evaluators discriminate artifact from real signal. Methods: After obtaining IRB approval and waiver of informed consent, a set of definitions, (hypovolemia, left ventricular shock, tamponade, hemodynamically significant ventricular tachycardia, and hemodynamically significant supraventricular tachycardia), were installed in the monitors in a 10 bed cardiothoracic ICU and evaluated over an 85 day study period. The logic of the algorithms was intended to replicate the logic of practitioners, and correlated information across sensors in a way similar to that used by practitioners. The performance of the alarms was evaluated via a daily interview with the ICU attending and review of the tracings recorded over the previous 24 hours in the monitor. True alarms and false alarms were identified by an expert clinician, and the performance of the algorithms evaluated using the standard definitions of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value. Results: Between 1 and 221 instances of defined events occurred over the duration of the study, and the positive predictive value of the definitions varied between 4.1% and 84%. Conclusions: Correlation of information across alarms can suppress artifact, increase the positive predictive value of alarms, and can employ more sophisticated definitions of alarm events than present single-sensor based systems.
Plan to procedure: combining 3D templating with rapid prototyping to enhance pedicle screw placement

Spinal fusion procedures involving the implantation of pedicle screws have steadily increased over the past decade because of demonstrated improvement in biomechanical stability of the spine. However, current methods of spinal fusion carries a risk of serious vascular, visceral, and neurological injury caused by inaccurate placement or inappropriately sized instrumentation, which may lead to patient paralysis or even fatality. 3D spine templating software developed by the Biomedical Imaging Resource (BIR) at Mayo Clinic allows the surgeon to virtually place pedicle screws using pre-operative 3D CT image data. With the template plan incorporated, a patient-specific 3D anatomic model is produced using a commercial rapid prototyping system. The pre-surgical plan and the patient-specific model then are used in the procedure room to provide real-time visualization and quantitative guidance for accurate placement of each pedicle screw, significantly reducing risk of injury. A pilot study was conducted at Mayo Clinic by the Department of Radiology, the Department of Orthopedics, and the BIR, involving seven complicated pediatric spine cases. In each case, pre-operative 3D templating was carried out and patient specific models were generated. The plans and the models were used intra-operatively, providing precise pedicle screw starting points and trajectories. Postoperative assessment by the surgeon confirmed all seven operations were successful. Results from the study suggest that patient-specific, 3D anatomic models successfully acquired from 3D templating tools are valuable for planning and conducting pedicle screw insertion procedures.
Über Organo-Phosphore mit anorganischem Grundmaterial. V. Arsentrioxyd-Phosphore

Gewohnliche Arsentrioxydpraparate zeigen in einigen Fallen Luminescenz, in anderen nicht. Es konnte festgestellt werden, das hochgereinigtes Arsentrioxyd keine Phosphorescenzeffekte gibt, das aber eine Aktivierung durch Spuren gewisser organischer Stoffe erfolgen kann.
Gene therapy effectiveness differs for neuronal survival and behavioral performance

If neuronal gene therapy is to be clinically useful, it is necessary to demonstrate neuroproteclion when the gene is introduced after insult. We now report equivalent neuronal protection if calbindin D 28K gene transfer via herpes simplex virus amplicon vector occurs immediately, 30 min, or 1 h after an excitotoxic insult, but not after a 4 h delay. Behavioral performance was evaluated for immediate and 1 h delay groups using a hippocampal-dependent task. Despite equivalent magnitude and pattern of sparing of neurons with the immediate and 1 h delay approaches, the delay animals took a significantly longer time after insult to return to normal performance.
Left Ventricular Ejection Time in Valvular Aortic Stenosis

Hemodynamic data obtained at cardiac catheterization from 40 patients with valvular aortic stenosis demonstrated that, although left ventricular ejection time was prolonged, the usual linear inverse relationship between heart rate and ejection time was preserved at a longer than normal mean ejection time. In contrast to this, the direct linear relationship between ejection time and stroke volume which exists in normal human subjects was totally obliterated in patients with aortic stenosis so that ejection time appeared to be totally unrelated to stroke volume. However, the degree of prolongation of left ventricular ejection time above that predicted from stroke volume (ΔLVET) was closely correlated with aortic valve area (AVA), so that aortic valve area could be predicted as AVA = 0.91 – 3.6 ΔLVET within 95% confidence limits of ± 0.16 cm2. Alternatively, if ejection time was not abnormally prolonged, it was possible to predict with 95% confidence that the aortic valve area was greater than 0.75 cm2 in cr...
Polymerized Hemoglobin Therapy in a Foal with Neonatal Isoerythrolysis

Objective: To present the successful management of a foal with severe neonatal isoerythrolysis (NI) given polymerized (bovine) hemoglobin while awaiting appropriate red blood cells for transfusion. Case Summary: A foal with peracute neonatal isoerythrolysis, anemia and low venous oxygen tension was stabilized with intravenous polymerized hemoglobin. Polymerized hemoglobin treatment maintained the foal's oxygen requirement for up to 18 hours permitting adequate time for preparation of the donor's washed red blood cells for transfusion. The clinical findings and venous oxygen tension improved following the hemoglobin administration. No adverse effects were noted from the polymerized hemoglobin administration. Unique information provided: This paper presents a foal with an uncommon cause of NI due to anti-Pa antibodies and the short term management of NI using polymerized hemoglobin while awaiting a washed and packed RBC transfusion. Clinical and laboratory findings (trigger factors), which can be used to determine the need for a blood transfusion, are discussed. These “trigger factors” include weakness, tachypnea and tachycardia, increased anion gap and decrease in hematocrit, hemoglobin concentration and mixed venous (pulmonary artery) oxygen tension (approximated using jugular venous samples). (J Vet Emerg Crit Care 2001; 11(2): 141–146)
Potential for carbon adsorption on concrete: surface XPS analyses.

The concrete industry is a contributor to the global carbon cycle particularly with respect to the contribution of carbon dioxide in the manufacturing of cement (calcination). The reverse reaction of carbonation is known to occur in concrete, but is usually limited to exterior surfaces exposed to carbon dioxide and humidity in the air. As alternate concrete uses expand which have more surface area, such as crushed concrete for recycling, it is important to understand surface adsorption of carbon dioxide and the positive impacts it might have on the carbon cycle. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is used in this study to evaluate carbon species on hydrated cement mortar surfaces. Initial estimates for carbon absorption in concrete using other techniques predict the potential for carbonate species to be a fraction of the calcination stoichiometric equivalent. The XPS results indicate that there is a rapid and substantial uptake of carbon dioxide on the surfaces of these mortars, sometimes exceeding the...
Influence of the main histocompatibility complex on ageing in mice

CONSIDERATION of the facts of mammalian cell ‘transformation’ by viruses led us to the proposition that only a few genes or gene systems need necessarily be involved in the ageing process1,2. These views accord in principle with conclusions derived from more recent analyses of the genetic basis for the increase in lifespan of hominid species in the last several hundred thousand years, namely that mutations at no more than about 0.6% of the total genome could be responsible for the increase3,4. We describe here a study of ultimate lifespans (as reflected by tenth deciles of survivorship) in congenic mice which suggests that the main histocompatibility complex (MHC) is one of the gene systems involved in the control of ageing.
Open-Heart Surgery in the First Week of Life

The high mortality of open-heart operations in infants with congenital heart disease has traditionally led to deferral of definitive operation and to use of medical therapy or palliative procedures. The technique of deep hypothermia with circulatory arrest and advances in intensive care have made early repair possible. Since 1973, we have repaired life-threatening but correctable lesions in 11 infants in the first week of life. There are 7 survivors. Four patients had total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage, 2 had truncus arteriosus (1 with aortic arch interruption), and 1 each had pulmonary atresia and intact ventricular septum, critical pulmonary stenosis and intact ventricular septum, D-transposition of the great vessels, tetralogy of Fallot, and left ventricular-aortic tunnel. Postoperative hypoglycemia (less than 50 mg per 100 ml) developed in 4 patients and hypocalcemia (less than 7 mg per 100 ml), in 5. These problems responded appropriately to replacement therapy. Three of the survivors experienced renal failure, a complication subsequently prevented by use of mild hemodilution perfusion. Two patients had major bleeding, which now is prevented by finer suturing and administration of vitamin K and platelets. One infant, moribund with pH of 6.8 when brought to operation, sustained a cardiac arrest with subsequent brain damage. We conclude that newborns with life-threatening malformations can undergo successful repair. Attention must be paid to their unique metabolic demands, and surgical technique must be meticulous. Early operation before clinical deterioration is essential.
Synthesis and Properties of 1-Substituted 1-Boratanaphthalenes

1,4-Dihydro-1,1-dimethyl-1-stannanaphthalene (10) has been prepared by a multistep synthesis starting from α,2-dibromotoluene (6). The reaction of 10 with MeBBr2 followed by LDA afforded lithium 1-methyl-1-boratanaphthalene (2a). The reaction of 10 with BCl3, followed by diisopropylamine and subsequent treatment with LDA, gave lithium N,N-diisopropyl-1-amino-1-boratanaphthalene (2c). The boratanaphthalenes have been characterized using 1H NMR, 11B NMR, and 13C NMR spectroscopy. The pKa of the conjugate acid of 2c is close to that of indene. 2a reacts with [Cp*RuCl]4 to form Ru sandwich compound 4a, in which the boratanaphthalene is η6 bound to Ru. 2c reacts with Cp*ZrCl3 to form a Cp*ZrCl2 adduct 5c, in which the boratanaphthalene unit is unsymmetrically bound to Zr.
Neurotrophic and neurotoxic effects of amyloid beta protein: reversal by tachykinin neuropeptides

The amyloid beta protein is deposited in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease but its pathogenic role is unknown. In culture, the amyloid beta protein was neurotrophic to undifferentiated hippocampal neurons at low concentrations and neurotoxic to mature neurons at higher concentrations. In differentiated neurons, amyloid beta protein caused dendritic and axonal retraction followed by neuronal death. A portion of the amyloid beta protein (amino acids 25 to 35) mediated both the trophic and toxic effects and was homologous to the tachykinin neuropeptide family. The effects of the amyloid beta protein were mimicked by tachykinin antagonists and completely reversed by specific tachykinin agonists. Thus, the amyloid beta protein could function as a neurotrophic factor for differentiating neurons, but at high concentrations in mature neurons, as in Alzheimer's disease, could cause neuronal degeneration.
Simulating the binomial distribution with a software quincunx

The software quincunx is a graphics-based simulation of the binomial distribution designed as a teaching aid for statistics and probability instruction. The user can define the binomial probability, number of trials, and number of repetitions. The program graphically simulates the action of a mechanical quincunx and provides a summary of observed and expected data.
The proton-pump inhibitors: similarities and differences.

Abstract Objective This paper examines the clinical pharmacology of the proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) and briefly reviews some comparative studies of these agents. Background PPIs have emerged as the treatment of choice for acidrelated diseases, including gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and peptic ulcer disease. Although these drugs—omeprazole, lansoprazole, pantoprazole, and rabeprazole—share a common structure (all are substituted benzimidazoles) and mode of action (inhibition of H + ,K + -adenosine triphosphatase [ATPase]), each differs somewhat in its clinical pharmacology. Results In comparative clinical trials found in MEDLINE ® , PPIs administered once daily produced endoscopic evidence of healing in >90% of patients with duodenal ulcer after 4 weeks of treatment, in >90% of those with gastric ulcer after 6 weeks of treatment, and in >90% of those with ulcerative or erosive GERD after 8 weeks of treatment. Maintenance therapy with daily doses of a PPI has been shown to be an effective means of preventing GERD relapse. PPIs also inhibit the growth of Helicobacter pylori , now recognized as an important factor in peptic ulcer disease, and, when administered in combination with antibiotics, provide the best treatment for eradication of the bacterium. Rabeprazole has a more rapid onset of H + ,K + -ATPase inhibition than the other PPIs and, compared with omeprazole, a greater effect on intragastric pH after the first dose. Omeprazole and lansoprazole have a greater potential for drugdrug interactions than do pantoprazole and rabeprazole. Conclusion Although the individual PPIs have similar efficacy in many cases, differences between them should be considered when choosing a treatment regimen.
Usefulness of recanalization to luminal diameter of 0.6 millimeter or more with intracoronary streptokinase during acute myocardial infarction in predicting “normal” perfusion status, continued arterial patency and survival at one year

Abstract To determine whether arteriographic dimensions of the acutely recanalized coronary lumen provide information about regional perfusion or clinical outcome, quantitative arteriography was used to measure minimum luminal diameter achieved with intracoronary streptokinase administration in 44 patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Degree of coronary reperfusion was independently assessed visually using the criteria applied in the multicenter Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction study. Minimum diameter and qualitative reperfusion grade were both assessed from 172 coronary injections during thrombolysis. Partial perfusion (grade 1 or 2) was seen in 95 of 135 injections (70%) in which the minimum diameter was less than 0.6 mm and complete perfusion (grade 3) was seen in 35 of 37 injections (95%) in which it was 0.6 mm or more (p
Aerosol processing of YBaCuO superconductors in a flame reactor

Submicron YBa2Cu3O7−δ particles have been produced in an aerosol flame reactor by a spray pyrolysis method in which an aerosol composed of an aqueous solution of Y, Ba, and Cu nitrate salts was introduced into a flame. It was observed that the configuration of the flame is particularly important for the successful application of the method. A premixed flame gave particles with an x-ray diffraction pattern resembling the XRD spectra of materials exposed to high concentrations of water vapor. An over-ventilated diffusion flame configuration produced the desired result: submicron unagglomerated, solid crystalline particles with Tc = 92 K.
Assessing the effects of relaxation training

Training in progressive muscle relaxation is frequently employed in behavior therapy. A fundamental question is how a clinician knows that his or her client is relaxed. The present article reviews recent research involving relaxation training to determine what criterion measures have been used to assess the effects of relaxation training procedures. Articles from four major journals which regularly publish research concerned with relaxation training were surveyed as to their report of four categories of dependent measures: self-report, physiological reading, behavior rating, or no report. Results were that in 70% of the articles reviewed no indication was made of how the effects of relaxation were assessed.
Physicians And Ambulatory Electronic Health Records

Few U.S. physicians use outpatient electronic health records (EHRs), although it appears that most would like to begin. The main barriers are not technical, because adoption rates in other countries are high. The biggest barrier is reimbursement, because physicians must pay for EHRs, but most of the benefits accrue to payers and purchasers. The lack of interoperability is also pivotal. Others include capital and risk tolerance; physicians’ resistance related to time concerns, fears about privacy, system maintenance, the number of vendors in the marketplace, and the transience of vendors. The key initial policy changes will be those addressing financial incentives and interoperability.
I.R.-Stimulated catalysis (a potential spectral tool).

Catalytic rate is proposed as an infrared spectrographic index. Initial investigations of catalytic activity, on β-galactosidase show a 1–2-fold increase in rate for a mutant enzyme when exposed to 10.6 μm irradiation at 2°. No increase was obtained for the wild-type enzyme.