cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Variability in out-of-hospital trauma care: so what?

There are many truisms about out-of-hospital emergency medical services (EMS). Among them are the truths that EMS systems and the out-of-hospital care they provide vary. There are countless EMS system models whose structures and processes inherently affect the care provided by them. Further, the existing service delivery model in any one community is more likely to be the result of an evolution in politics and available resources than a result of analyses of clinical quality. In many cases, there is considerable uncertainty about what constitutes quality out-of-hospital care. Such uncertainty is a manifestation of our insufficient knowledge of what is and what is not so important in terms of affecting patients’ outcomes. All of this can be further complicated by our expectations and the infinite possibilities of when, where, for whom, and by whom care is provided. In this issue of Annals of Emergency Medicine, the work by Bulger et al illustrates these truths by revealing the extent to which out-of-hospital care of trauma patients varies. As journal editors and peer reviewers contemplate the merits of an article submitted for possible publication, they often find themselves asking, so what? For an article to be appropriate for publication, it should pass the so-what test. The implication is that journal articles should convey knowledge or information that is novel, important to disseminate, or of interest to the journal’s readership. So, what about the work by Bulger et al fulfills these criteria? We already have a general appreciation for widespread differences in EMS systems and the care they provide. We have known for some time, for example, that rates of survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests differ among communities and, therefore, EMS systems. We also know that the resources or tools available to EMS providers differ, sometimes dramatically. For example, the medications available to EMS providers differ among states and often among EMS systems within a state. Some skills, such as needle thoracentesis, central venous cannulation, and surgical airway, are authorized to be performed in a fraction of EMS systems. We can often appreciate differences even among the various EMS agencies that transport patients to our own emergency departments (EDs). And, if we are to be honest with ourselves, we have to acknowledge that
Radiation‐induced AC conductivity, thermostimulated AC response, and luminescence in powdered ZnS type phosphors

The ac conductivity induced during X-ray excitation and thermostimulation after excitation, as well as the fluorescent emission and thermoluminescence (glow) were investigated for different phosphors of the ZnS type over various temperature ranges. Very little correspondence between the conductivity and fluorescence was found at different temperatures during excitation; however a strong correlation was observed between the ac conductivity during excitation, the thermostimulated conductivity, and the glow. At temperatures where the thermostimulated response was low, the ac response during excitation was also low. This is explained by a strong contribution to the ac response by electrons evaporating from traps into the conductivity band during the “field on” period and being swept to the grain surfaces. Thus the ac response under excitation depends not only on the density of free electrons but also on the probability with which charges evaporate from traps. Since this depends on temperature, the ac response during excitation displays a strong temperature dependence. The observation that the dissipation factor maximum generally fails below the theoretical value is attributed to diffusion effects. Es wurde die Wechselstromleitfahigkeit fur verschiedene ZnS-Phosphore bei verschiedenen Temperaturen sowohl unter Rontgenbestrahlung als auch wahrend thermischer Stimulation untersucht und mit der Fluoreszenz und der thermisch stimuliertion Lumineszenz verglichen. Leitfahigkeit und Fluoreszenz zeigen wahrend der Bestrahlung vollig verschiedene Temperaturabhangigkeiten. Dagegen besteht eine starke Korrelation zwischen Leitfahigkeit wahrend Bestrahlung und thermisch stimulierter Leitfahigkeit und Lumineszenz. Bei Temperaturen, bei denen die thermisch stimulierte Leitfahigkeit erheblich, bzw. gering war, war auch die Leitfahigkeit wahrend Bestrahlung stark bzw. sehr schwach. Dies wird dadurch erklart, das auch wahrend der Bestrahlung Elektronen, die von Haftstellen an das Leitfahigkeitsband abgegeben werden, zur Leitfahigkeit dadurch beitragen, das sie, wahrend das Feld anliegt, gegen die Korngrenzen verschoben werden. Die Wechselstromleit-fahigket wahrend Bestrahlung hangt also nicht nur von der Dichte der im Gleichgewichtszustand vorhandenen freien Elektronen ab, sondern auch von der Wahrscheinlichkeit, mit der Elektronen aus Haftstellen befreit werden. Da diese stark Temperaturabhangig ist, weist auch die Leitfahigkeit unter Bestrahlung eine starke Temperaturabhangigkeit auf. Das das Maximum des Dissipationsfaktors im allgemeinen unterhalb des theoretisch erwarteten Wertes liegt, wird auf Diffusionseffekte zuruckgefuhrt.
Roadside dusts and soils contamination in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.

Roadside dusts and soils were collected from various nonindustrial districts in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, and analyzed for lead and copper contents. Results showed that the recent lead phase-down action has reduced the level of lead, but the concentrations of both metals are still higher than the background levels for normal soil. Elevated concentrations of copper in heavily traveled highways were noted, suggesting that much of the copper pollutants is probably of automotive origin. The concentration of lead was found to vary with housing age, and higher levels of contamination in the older neighborhoods were observed. This result is probably ascribable to the accumulation of residues from leaded gasoline and lead-based paint in the past and the use of coal fire for space heating in older houses.
Is there a link between cervical inlet patch and Barrett's esophagus?

Abstract Background: Heterotopic gastric-type mucosa occurs as a flat island or islands of red mucosa in the proximal third of the esophagus where it gives rise to the "cervical inlet patch" (CIP). The aim of the present study was to delineate the clinical epidemiology of the CIP, especially its possible relationship to Barrett's esophagus. Methods: A case-control study compared 53 case subjects with CIP and 4882 control subjects without CIP. In a multivariate logistic regression, the presence of CIP was chosen as the outcome variable, whereas demographic characteristics, social habits, and presence of other endoscopic diagnoses served as predictor variables. Results: The prevalence of CIP was 1.1%. Its presence was associated with hiatal hernia (odds ratio 2.26: 95% CI [1.12, 4.56]) gastric ulcer (2.93: 95% CI [1.34, 6.40]) and Barrett's esophagus (4.41: 95% CI [2.31, 8.41]). Conclusions: The coincidence of the cervical inlet patch and Barrett's esophagus could suggest a shared embryonic etiology. (Gastrointest Endosc 2001;53:717-21.)
A eutectic hydroxide etch for β-SiC

Abstract The NaOH-KOH eutectic etch, used at 623 K, reveals antiphase boundaries, stacking faults and dislocations in β-SiC grown on (100) Si substrates. The etch also demonstrates the dramatic reduction in number of antiphase boundaries in β-SiC grown on off-axis (100) Si substrates.
Inorganic antireflective coating process for deep-UV lithography

Antireflective coatings (ARCs) have been used to enhance IC lithography for years, however, many conventional bottom ARCs can no longer maintain acceptable linewidth control, cannot meet stringent deep-UV (DUV) photoresist processing requirements, and increase the etch complexity. In this paper, we report the development of an inorganic ARC for DUV lithography in sub-0.25 micrometer advanced device applications. Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) is employed to deposit a dielectric film silicon oxynitride (SixOyNz) with specific optical properties. The three optical parameters of the SixOyNz film: refractive index n, extinction coefficient k, and thickness d are specifically designed to ensure that the reflection light that passes through the ARC/substrate is equal in amplitude and opposite in phase to the reflected light from the resist/ARC interface. The reflection light is canceled by destructive interference and therefore photoresist receives the minimum substrate reflection wave. Using this technique, we have successfully patterned features at 0.25 micrometer and below. The dielectric film can not only function as an ARC layer, but also serve as a hardmask for the pattern transfer etch process. With an aggressive etch bias process, linewidths down to 0.60 micrometer poly-Si gate are achieved with good linewidth control (3(sigma) less than 12 nm) and a near perfect linearity. For the marginal metal etch resistance of DUV photoresist, the designed SixOyNz is effective in imparting more etch resistance and suppressing metal substrate reflection. Excellent optical uniformity of the n, k and thickness d of the SixOyNz ARC is obtained with a manufacturable PECVD deposition process.
Factors affecting L-alanine induced germination of Bacillus spores

Abstract The effect of temperature, pH, cations, and caramelized sugars on L-alanine-induced germination of Bacillus licheniformis and B. cereus -7 spores was investigated. The germination of B. licheniformis spores was optimal at higher temperatures, with more than 99% germination at 37 and 55C, but none at 21C. B. cereus -7 spores germinated optimally at 37C, slowly at 21C, and much more slowly at 55C. The optimal pH for L-alanine induced spore germination in both Bacillus species was pH 7.0. Germination for B. cereus -7 spores was more sensitive to pH than B. licheniformis . With regard to the effect of ionic-inducement, for B. licheniformis potassium did not affect germination, but the divalent cations calcium and magnesium inhibited germination, especially at 100mM concentrations. Ferric ion inhibited germination at the lower concentrations but as the concentrations increased, this inhibitory property was lost. For B. cereus -7 spores, potassium, calcium, and magnesium were inhibitory to germination. Ferric ion was also inhibitory at the lower concentrations but was stimulatory at 50mM and higher. None of the caramels from four sugars (glucose, fructose, galactose, and lactose) affected L-alanine-induced germination of spores of B. licheniformis or B. cereus -7.
Semiconducting polymer nanoparticles as photoacoustic molecular imaging probes in living mice

Photoacoustic imaging holds great promise for the visualization of physiology and pathology at the molecular level with deep tissue penetration and fine spatial resolution. To fully utilize this potential, photoacoustic molecular imaging probes have to be developed. Here, we introduce near-infrared light absorbing semiconducting polymer nanoparticles as a new class of contrast agents for photoacoustic molecular imaging. These nanoparticles can produce a stronger signal than the commonly used single-walled carbon nanotubes and gold nanorods on a per mass basis, permitting whole-body lymph-node photoacoustic mapping in living mice at a low systemic injection mass. Furthermore, the semiconducting polymer nanoparticles possess high structural flexibility, narrow photoacoustic spectral profiles and strong resistance to photodegradation and oxidation, enabling the development of the first near-infrared ratiometric photoacoustic probe for in vivo real-time imaging of reactive oxygen species--vital chemical mediators of many diseases. These results demonstrate semiconducting polymer nanoparticles to be an ideal nanoplatform for developing photoacoustic molecular probes.
Whose Flesh? What Temptation? (Galatians 4.13-14)

This article investigates the phrases 'weakness of the flesh' and 'temptation in my flesh' in Gal. 4.13-14. After evaluating the prevailing illness and persecution inter pretations, this article concludes that these phrases refer neither to illness nor to persecution. Instead, 'weakness of the flesh' refers to the Galatians' pre-gospel con dition. This condition and not illness or persecution caused Paul to evangelize them. When he came to them with his gospel, Paul's circumcised flesh provided a tempta tion for them to reject and despise him, as well as his message about Jesus Christ. However, they ignored his circumcision and received the gospel Paul announced. Paul summons them to return to their original attitude toward circumcision since circumcision is of no consequence for the gospel. If they ignore circumcision, there is no reason the Galatians should continue in their apostasy to paganism but should rather return to their original commitment to Paul and his gospel.
Trail corridors as habitat and conduits for movement of plant species in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA

Ground-layer vegetation was sampled along selected trail corridors to determine whether corridors provide habitat for certain species and act as conduits for species movement. Patterns of plant species composition were analyzed in relation to distance from trail edge, level of trail use, and distance from trailheads, junctions, and campgrounds. Species composition was significantly affected by distance from trail edge and level of trail use, as species were favored or inhibited by the corridor, depending upon their growth habits. Species composition was also affected by distance from trailheads. These findings, along with the presence of exotic species, indicate that trail corridors in Rocky Mountain National Park function as habitat and conduits for movement of plant species.
Multivariate Spatial Modeling for Geostatistical Data Using Convolved Covariance Functions

Soil pollution data collection typically studies multivariate measurements at sampling locations, e.g., lead, zinc, copper or cadmium levels. With increased collection of such multivariate geostatistical spatial data, there arises the need for flexible explanatory stochastic models. Here, we propose a general constructive approach for building suitable models based upon convolution of covariance functions. We begin with a general theorem which asserts that, under weak conditions, cross convolution of covariance functions provides a valid cross covariance function. We also obtain a result on dependence induced by such convolution. Since, in general, convolution does not provide closed-form integration, we discuss efficient computation. We then suggest introducing such specification through a Gaussian process to model multivariate spatial random effects within a hierarchical model. We note that modeling spatial random effects in this way is parsimonious relative to say, the linear model of coregionalization. Through a limited simulation, we informally demonstrate that performance for these two specifications appears to be indistinguishable, encouraging the parsimonious choice. Finally, we use the convolved covariance model to analyze a trivariate pollution dataset from California.
OVERVIEW OF EPIDEMIOLOGIC RESEARCH ON ELECTRIC AND MAGNETIC FIELDS AND CANCER

This overview of epidemiologic research addresses the potential role of 60 Hertz electric and magnetic fields (EMF) in the etiology of cancer. The key findings are summarized with notation of the methodological challenges with which investigators must content. Although exposure is ubiquitous, long-term average EMF is influenced primarily by the background levels in homes, use of selected electric appliances such as electric blankets, and workplace exposures to energized equipment. Studies of residential exposure have focused on childhood cancer, starting with the report of an excess of wire configurations associated with elevated magnetic fields near the homes of children who developed cancer compared to healthy children. Several subsequent studies have tended to confirm that association, although the evidence falls short of demonstrating a causal association between magnetic fields and cancer. Exposures from electric appliances have been less extensively pursued, with some suggestions of an association with childhood cancer. A more extensive literature has evaluated the association between workplace exposure to EMF, based on job titles of "electrical workers" and cancer. Across many different study designs and settings, certain groups of electrical workers show elevated occurrence of leukemia and brain cancer. The consistency of findings is notable, but the key question is whether the association with job title is due to EMF or some other agent in the workplace. Future research would benefit from specification of testable challenges to a causal association between EMF exposure in the home or workplace and cancer, along with continued efforts to improve our understanding and measurement of EMF exposure.
Recruiting adolescents into qualitative tobacco research studies: experiences and lessons learned.

ABSTRACT: An increasing barrier to the development and implementation of effective youth smoking prevention and cessation programs involves recruiting adolescents into research studies. Even for non-intervention studies, issues of consent, confidentiality, and motivation to participate are important considerations. In 1996, 11 Prevention Research Center sites across the country conducted qualitative research using focus groups to explore ethnic differences in smoking among adolescents. The diversity in strategies used to interest, motivate, and retain potential focus group subjects provided a rich data set for information about effective strategies and challenges to recruitment. This article presents an overview of recruitment methods used in a multi-site qualitative study on adolescent tobacco use, reports on successful and less successful strategies, and provides recommendations for future recruitment efforts.
Non-localized receptivity of boundary layers

A perturbation scheme is developed to analyse the disturbance field produced by acoustic forcing over a flat plate with non-localized surface irregularities. Both the amplitude of the forcing and the height of the irregularity are assumed to be small. At first order, two modes are calculated: a Stokes mode resulting from the acoustic forcing, and a wall mode resulting from the surface irregularity. These modes interact at second order to produce a forced travelling wave with the frequency of the acoustic wave and a wavenumber associated with the surface irregularity. Streamwise variations in the mean flow mediate a distiibuted energy transfer between the forced mode and the eigenmode. Sufficiently far downstream, the forced-mode amplitude becomes small and the total disturbance is dominated by the resulting eigenmode. Receptivity amplitudes, expressed in terms of effective branch I values, are O (10) for a broad range of surface wavenumbers.
A method for the sequential measurement of yttrium‐90 and thorium‐234 and their application to the study of rapid particle dynamics in aquatic systems

234Th/238U activity ratios have been used for decades in marine and freshwater systems as a tracer for particle flux—where disequilibrium between particle-reactive 234Th (half-life: 24.1 d) and its conservative parent 238U measures particle removal rates on a time scale of days to weeks. A new tracer that we have developed utilizes 90Y/90Sr activity ratios—where disequilibrium between particle-reactive 90Y (half-life: 64 h) and its conservative parent 90Sr measures particle removal rates on a time scale of hours to days. When both tracers (90Y/90Sr and 234Th/238U) are used in tandem, net particle removal rates on both time scales are measured. Here, we present a detailed set of instructions for the sequential measurement of 90Y and 234Th in a water sample and demonstrate how the use of these two chronometers can be applied to deconstruct sediment resuspension in Lake Michigan.
NO Inhibits Hyperoxia-Induced NF-κB Activation in Neonatal Pulmonary Microvascular Endothelial Cells

Inhaled NO (iNO) may be protective against hyperoxic injury in the premature lung, but the mechanism is unknown. We hypothesized that NO would prevent hyperoxia-induced nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activation in neonatal pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells [human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cell (HPMEC)] and prevent the up-regulation of target genes. After hyperoxic exposure (O2 >95%), nuclear NF-κB consensus sequence binding increased and was associated with IκBα degradation. Both of these findings were prevented by exposure to NO. Furthermore, intracellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 mRNA and protein levels increased in cells exposed to hyperoxia, an effect abrogated by NO. To evaluate the potentially toxic effect of NO plus hyperoxia, cell viability and proliferation were assessed. Cells exposed to NO plus hyperoxia demonstrated improved survival as measured by trypan blue exclusion when compared with cells exposed to hyperoxia alone. These differences in cell death could not be attributed to apoptosis measured by caspase-3 activity. Finally, cellular proliferation inhibited by hyperoxia was rescued by concurrent exposure to NO. These data demonstrate that NO prevents hyperoxia-induced NF-κB activation in HPMEC and results in decreased expression of adhesion molecules and decreased cellular toxicity. This may help to explain the protective effects of NO on hyperoxic injury in the developing lung vasculature.
Discrete symmetries and statistics of solitons in the presence of topological actions

Abstract We show that the intrinsic charge conjugation or parity of a soliton-antisoliton pair in the chiral soliton model equals minus one if the solitons are fermions, and plus one if they are bosons. The result is intimately connected to the sign for rotating a soliton through 2π, or for interchanging two identical solitons, and holds in any theory where a topological term contributes to the statistics of solitons.
Inference deficits in right brain-damaged patients

The inferential reasoning ability of right hemisphere-damaged (RHD) patients was tested by presenting pairs of sentences which were to be treated as single, integrated units. The two sentences treated together made one interpretation likely (a correct inference); one of the sentences in isolation encouraged a different interpretation (an incorrect inference). The position of the misleading sentence was systematically varied. Results showed that, in contrast to normal controls, RHD patients have more trouble answering inference questions, especially those concerning incorrect inferences, than answering questions about the factual content of the passages. Also, RHD patients made significantly more errors when the misleading information was contained in the first rather than in the second sentence; this finding indicates that these patients have difficulty revising previously acquired knowledge in light of new information. These results suggest the impairment of several components of normal discourse processing subsequent to right hemisphere brain damage.
CSMA-Based Distributed Scheduling in Multi-hop MIMO Networks under SINR Model

We study the problem of distributed scheduling in multi-hop MIMO networks. We first develop a ``MIMO-pipe" model that provides the upper layers a set of rates and SINR requirements, which capture the rate-reliability tradeoff in MIMO communications. The main thrust of this study is then dedicated to developing CSMA-based MIMO-pipe scheduling under the SINR model. We choose the SINR model over the extensively studied matching or protocol-based interference models because it more naturally captures the impact of interference in wireless networks. The coupling among the links caused by the interference makes the problem of devising distributed scheduling algorithms particularly challenging. To that end, we explore CSMA-based MIMO-pipe scheduling, from two perspectives. First, we consider an idealized continuous time CSMA network. We propose a dual-band approach in which control messages are exchanged instantaneously over a channel separate from the data channel, and show that CSMA-based scheduling can achieve throughput optimality under the SINR model. Next, we consider a discrete time CSMA network. To tackle the challenge due to the coupling caused by interference, we propose a ``conservative" scheduling algorithm in which more stringent SINR constraints are imposed based on the MIMO-pipe model. We show that this suboptimal distributed scheduling can achieve an efficiency ratio bounded from below.
On the solvability of polynomial systems arising in control

We consider a compactification of a general system of polynomial equations in weighted projective space, and give some sufficient conditions about the solvability of a polynomial system over C and R. We also prove that for generic linear subspaces, the inverse eigenvalue problem with perturbations in the linear subspace always has n! solutions.
Immunity to Mycobacteria

Recent progress in the field of immunity to mycobacteria has centered on T cell subset responses and the cytokines these cells secrete. In addition, there has been steady progress in identifying and characterizing several classes of major mycobacterial proteins; included amongst these are the secreted/export proteins of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which several laboratories now believe may represent the key protective immunity-inducing antigens of the bacillus.
Nedd4-2 Induces Endocytosis and Degradation of Proteolytically Cleaved Epithelial Na+ Channels

As a pathway for Na+ reabsorption, the epithelial Na+ channel ENaC is critical for Na+ homeostasis and blood pressure control. Na+ transport is regulated by Nedd4-2, an E3 ubiquitin ligase that decreases ENaC expression at the cell surface. To investigate the underlying mechanisms, we proteolytically cleaved/activated ENaC at the cell surface and then quantitated the rate of disappearance of cleaved channels using electrophysiological and biochemical assays. We found that cleaved ENaC channels were rapidly removed from the cell surface. Deletion or mutation of the Nedd4-2 binding motifs in α, β, and γENaC dramatically reduced endocytosis, whereas a mutation that disrupts a YXXO endocytosis motif had no effect. ENaC endocytosis was also decreased by silencing of Nedd4-2 and by expression of a dominant negative Nedd4-2 construct. Conversely, Nedd4-2 overexpression increased ENaC endocytosis in human embryonic kidney 293 cells but had no effect in Fischer rat thyroid epithelia. In addition to its effect on endocytosis, Nedd4-2 also increased the rate of degradation of the cell surface pool of cleaved αENaC. Together the data indicate that Nedd4-2 reduces ENaC surface expression by altering its trafficking at two distinct sites in the endocytic pathway, inducing endocytosis of cleaved channels and targeting them for degradation.
A Comparison of Procedures to Assess Written Language Skills at Grades 4, 7, and 10.

Language Arts is a major area of instruction in the nation's schools. This area focuses on the structure and use of the English language, and serves as a foundation for writing skills. Whether or not schools are succeeding in training students to write adequately is currently a matter of great controversy and concern. The assessment of written language skills at all levels of educational achievement, which is related to this concern, has recently received much attention. Procedures to assess written language skills are typically divided into two dichotomous categories: direct procedures and indirect procedures. Direct assessments require a sample of writing from an examinee and a response from a human evaluator; they are generally thought of as "essay tests." Indirect assessments typically involve a series of multiple-choice, machine-scorable items, and are generally called objective tests. The standard line of inquiry into writing assessment procedures compares the performance of student writers on essay tests and objective tests. Moderate correlations between these two assessment procedures have been repeatedly found with college-level or near-college-level students. For example, Breland, Conlon, and Rogosa (1976) found a correlation of .42 for a group of 96 college freshmen between scores on the College Board Test of Standard Written English (TSWE), a 50-item multiple-choice test, and a 20-minute essay scored on a four-point scale with two independent ratings. A second study by Breland and Gaynor (1979) reported correlations for college freshmen of .63 (n = 819), .63 (n = 895) and .58 (n = 517) between TSWE scores and essays scored on a six-point scale by two raters. The correlation involving the sum of the three essay scores with the sum of the three TSWE scores was .76. A similar study conducted by Huntley, Schmeiser, and Stiggins (1979) compared scores obtained from 3 samples of approximately 50 college students on the American College Testing Program's English Usage Test (a 75-item, multiple-choice test), and the sum of three essays, each of which was scored by two raters. The correlations obtained were .43, .50, and .67. In a now classic study of the performance of 646 junior and senior high school students, Godshalk, Swineford, and Coffman (1966) reported correlations of from .46 to .71 between the sum of 5 essay scores, each score produced by 5 independent ratings and various subtests of the College Board English Composition Test (ECT). They also found correlations ranging from .72 to .75 between the composite essay score and a score produced by various groupings of three ECT subtests. A recent study by Hogan and Mishler (1980) extended this inquiry to the elementary school level. Hogan and Mishler gave the Metropolitan Achievement Test-Language Instructional Tests (MAT-LIT) and 20-minute essay tests to approximately 140 children in Grade 3 and 160 children in Grade 8. Approximately 60 students at each grade level
Valve Excrescences: Prevalence, Evolution and Risk for Cardioembolism

Abstract Objectives. We sought to determine prospectively the prevalence, evolution and embolic risk of valve excrescences in normal subjects and patients with and without suspected cardioembolism. Background. Valve excrescences detected by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) have been considered a cardioembolic substrate in selected patients. Methods. Ninety healthy volunteers (Group I) and 88 patients without suspected cardioembolism and a normal TEE (Group II) were studied and followed up clinically for 58 ± 21 and 48 ± 20 months, respectively. To assess the evolution of valve excrescences, 45 of these subjects underwent repeat TEE at 31 ± 13 months. The findings in Groups I and II were compared with those of Group III—49 patients referred for TEE for suspected cardioembolism. Results. Valve excrescences were detected in 34 subjects (38%) in Group I and in 41 patients (47%) in Group II. In Group III, 20 patients (41%) had excrescences, but 85% of them had other potential cardiac or vascular sources of embolism. In all groups, mitral valve excrescences were predominant (68% to 76%), followed by aortic (38% to 50%) and right-sided valves ( Conclusions. Valve excrescences are common on the left-sided heart valves of normal subjects and patients regardless of gender and age; they persist unchanged over time and do not appear to be a primary source of cardioembolism.
Testing, optimization, and games

We discuss algorithmic problems arising in the testing of reactive systems, i.e. systems that interact with their environment. The goal is to design test sequences so that we can deduce desired information about the given system under test, such as whether it conforms to a given specification model, or whether it satisfies given requirement properties. Test generation can be approached from different points of view - as an optimization problem of minimizing cost and maximizing the effectiveness of the tests; as a game between tester and system under test; or as a learning problem. We touch on some of these aspects and related algorithmic questions.
Training-induced alterations in rump fat thickness and plasma leptin concentration in young mature and old Standardbred mares

The objective of this experiment was to test the hypothesis that ageing and training alter plasma concentrations of the peptide hormone leptin. The rationale for the study is based on prior investigations performed at Rutgers University, where published reports documented that ageing disrupts the immune and endocrine responses to acute exercise. The training period for mature young (7.3 ± 0.6 years; n = 6) and old (22 ± 0.7 years; n = 6) (mean ± SE) Standardbred mares was the duration of the summer of 2009 at the Rutgers University Equine Exercise Physiology Laboratory. Mares exercise trained in groups of six in a free-stall motorized circular equine exercise machine for 30 min, three times per week. Each mare performed a graded exercise test before beginning the training, after 8 weeks and after 16 weeks of training. There was no difference in body mass due to age (P>0.10). Training caused an increased body mass in both old and young mares (P < 0.10). There was no effect of training on rump fat thickness; therefore, the increase in body mass was primarily due to an increase in fat-free mass (muscle mass). Old mares had significantly lower plasma leptin at all sample points. As a result of training, plasma leptin was reduced in both old and young mares (P < 0.10). In conclusion, age and training appear to alter the relationship between body composition and leptin.
A theoretical study of cavitation generated by an extracorporeal shock wave lithotripter.

The intense acoustic wave generated at the focus of an extracorporeal shock wave lithotripter is modeled as the impulse response of a parallel RLC circuit. The shock wave consists of a zero rise time positive spike that falls to 0 at 1 μs followed by a negative pressure component 6 μs long with amplitudes scaled to +1000 and −160 bars, P+ and P−, respectively. This pressure wave drives the Gilmore–Akulichev formulation for bubble dynamics; the zero‐order effect of gas diffusion on bubble response is included. The negative pressure component of a 1000‐bar shock wave will cause a preexisting bubble in the 1‐ to 10‐μm range to expand to over 100 times its initial size, R0, for 250 μs, with a peak radius of ∼1400 μm, then collapse very violently, emitting far UV or soft x‐ray photons (black body). Gas diffusion does not appreciably mitigate the amplitude of the pressure wave radiated at the primary collapse, but does significantly reduce the collapse temperature. Diffusion also increases the bubble radius fro...
Interlibrary Loan Interoperability Experiment: A Nontechnical View

ABSTRACT Accessing interlibrary loan requests from various resource-sharing software systems through a single interface has long been a promise of vendors—a promise not often implemented. Our region of New York State chose VDX for its hundreds of libraries, while the State University of New York at New Paltz, the major lender, is a participant in OCLC via ILLiad. Our staff required training and updates for both systems. This article describes our successful efforts to implement interoperability and the steps and missteps encountered to achieve compatibility between VDX and ILLiad.
Microbial Communities of the Upper Respiratory Tract and Otitis Media in Children

ABSTRACT Streptococcus pneumoniae asymptomatically colonizes the upper respiratory tract of children and is a frequent cause of otitis media. Patterns of microbial colonization likely influence S. pneumoniae colonization and otitis media susceptibility. This study compared microbial communities in children with and without otitis media. Nasal swabs and clinical and demographic data were collected in a cross-sectional study of Philadelphia, PA, children (6 to 78 months) (n = 108) during the 2008-2009 winter respiratory virus season. Swabs were cultured for S. pneumoniae. DNA was extracted from the swabs; 16S rRNA gene hypervariable regions (V1 and V2) were PCR amplified and sequenced by Roche/454 Life Sciences pyrosequencing. Microbial communities were described using the Shannon diversity and evenness indices. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to group microbial community taxa into four factors representing correlated taxa. Of 108 children, 47 (44%) were colonized by S. pneumoniae, and 25 (23%) were diagnosed with otitis media. Microbial communities with S. pneumoniae were significantly less diverse and less even. Two PCA factors were associated with a decreased risk of pneumococcal colonization and otitis media, as follows: one factor included potentially protective flora (Corynebacterium and Dolosigranulum), and the other factor included Propionibacterium, Lactococcus, and Staphylococcus. The remaining two PCA factors were associated with an increased risk of otitis media. One factor included Haemophilus, and the final factor included Actinomyces, Rothia, Neisseria, and Veillonella. Generally, these taxa are not considered otitis media pathogens but may be important in the causal pathway. Increased understanding of upper respiratory tract microbial communities will contribute to the development of otitis media treatment and prevention strategies. IMPORTANCE Otitis media (middle ear infection) is the most common reason for pediatric sick visits in the United States. Streptococcus pneumoniae is a leading otitis media pathogen. S. pneumoniae must colonize the upper respiratory tract and compete with a complex community of nonpathogenic bacteria before infecting the middle ear. We compared microbial communities in the upper respiratory tract of children who had otitis media and those who did not. Members of the normal flora, i.e., Corynebacterium and Dolosigranulum, were protective for S. pneumoniae colonization and otitis media. As expected, the genera Haemophilus was associated with otitis media. Surprisingly, Actinomyces, Rothia, Neisseria, and Veillonella were associated with an increased risk of otitis media. These bacteria are not otitis media pathogens but may be associated with antibiotic use or involved in the causal pathway to disease. Increased understanding of upper respiratory tract microbial communities will lead to new ways to prevent middle ear infections, including probiotics.
Interaction between Internal Waves and Mesoscale Flow

Abstract Interaction with mesoscale currents is found to provide an effective mechanism for transporting internal wave energy in the f0–2f0 band (f0 is the inertial frequency) to high vertical wavenumbers. This mechanism complements the transport mechanisms proposed by McComas, Bretherton, and Muller, which are operative at higher frequencies. The mesoscale interaction is expressed as a diffusion process in internal-wave wavenumber space. This assumes a separation of space scales, weak interaction theory, and an ensemble average over specific realizations. Following the model of McComas et al., phenomenological energy input is assumed at low vertical wavenumbers and dissipation at high vertical wavenumbers. A quasi-steady state internal-wave spectrum is calculated. This is similar to that proposed by Garrett and Munk. Energy input to the internal wave field from mesoscale currents is predicted to be ≈4×10−3 m2 s−1 for an rms current of 10 cm s−1. Horizontal and vertical eddy viscosities are predicted to b...
Oxygen interactions with the Pt(111) surface

Abstract Oxygen interaction with the Pt(111) surface has been studied by low energy electron loss (EELS), ultraviolet photoemission (UPS) and thermal desorption (TDS) spectroscopies over the temperature range 100 to 1400 K. Three states of oxygen have been characterized; molecular adsorption predominates below 120 K, adsorbed atomic oxygen predominates in the 150 to 500 K temperature range, while subsurface “oxide” formation may occur in the 1000 to 1200 K temperature range. (Oxide decomposition begins near 1250 K.) The adsorbed molecular state is bound by about 37 kJ/mol to the surface. This weakly adsorbed species has a primary vibrational frequency characteristic of a peroxo species (O2−2) indicating an oxygen-oxygen single bond in the adsorbed state. This bonding configuration is also supported by the observed positive change in work function of +0.8 eV and the UPS spectra which indicate that the orbitals derived from the πg∗ orbitals of molecular oxygen are filled in the adsorbed dioxygen complex. Adsorbed atomic oxygen forms a single adsorbed species on the Pt(111) surface as indicated by the single vibrational frequency observed at 490 cm−1 along with the ordered (2 × 2) LEED pattern. The desorption of atomic oxygen is more complex since the heat of desorption [ d ln(desorption rate) d ( 1 RT ) ] decreases from about 500 to 300 kJ/mol with increasing coverages in the low coverage range. In this same coverage region the UPS spectra suggest that non-local electronic effects may be important in determining oxygenplatinum chemistry. Subsurface “oxide” has a single vibrational frequency near 760 cm−1 indicating the formation of a single type of oxide. Thermal decomposition spectra of the oxide also suggest the formation of a simple chemical system since the oxide decomposition curves are smooth above their 1250 K origin.
Expression, processing, and glycosaminoglycan binding activity of the recombinant human 315-kDa hyaluronic acid receptor for endocytosis (HARE).

Abstract The hyaluronic acid (HA) receptor for endocytosis (HARE; also designated stabilin-2 and FEEL-2) mediates systemic clearance of glycosaminoglycans from the circulatory and lymphatic systems via coated pit-mediated uptake. HARE is primarily found as two isoforms (315- and 190-kDa) in sinusoidal endothelial cells of the liver, lymph node, and spleen. Here we characterize the ligand specificity and function of the large stably expressed 315-HARE isoform in Flp-In 293 cell lines. Like human spleen sinusoidal endothelial cells, Flp-In 293 cell lines transfected with a single cDNA encoding the full-length 315-HARE express both the 315-kDa and the proteolytically truncated 190-kDa isoforms in a ratio of ∼3–4:1. The 190-kDa HARE isoform generated from the 315-kDa HARE and the 315-kDa HARE specifically bound 125I-HA. Like the 190-kDa HARE expressed alone (Harris, E. N., Weigel, J. A., and Weigel, P. H. (2004) J. Biol. Chem. 279, 36201–36209), the 190- and 315-kDa HARE isoforms expressed in 315-HARE cell lines were recognized by anti-HARE monoclonal antibodies 30, 154, and 159. All 315-HARE cell lines could endocytose and degrade 125I-HA. Competition studies with live cells indicate that 190-HARE and 315-HARE bind HA with higher apparent affinity (Kd ∼10–20 nm) than chondroitin sulfate (CS) types A, C, D, or E. Only slight competition of HA endocytosis was observed with CS-B (dermatan sulfate) and chondroitin. Direct binding assays with the 315-HARE ectodomain revealed high affinity HA binding, and lower binding affinities for CS-C, CS-D, and CS-E. A majority of each HARE isoform was intracellular, within the endocytic system, suggesting transient surface residency typical of an active endocytic recycling receptor.
Does Neutrophil-Mediated Oxidative Stress Play Any Significant Role in Producing Hepatocellular Dysfunction During Early Sepsis?

Abstract Background.Although previous studies have indicated that hepatocellular dysfunction during early sepsis can be prevented by prior neutrophil depletion, it remains unknown whether the changes in hepatic oxidative stress induced by activated neutrophils are responsible for the salutary effect of neutropenia on hepatocellular function. Materials and methods.Neutropenia was induced in the rat by intravenous injection of immunoglobulins directly against rat neutrophils (anti-neutrophil Ig) at 16 and 2 h prior to the initiation of cecal ligation and puncture (CLP, i.e., an animal model of polymicrobial sepsis) or sham operation. Neutropenia was confirmed by peripheral blood smears. Neutrophil-competent control animals were given nonimmunized Ig prior to the onset of sepsis. Sham animals received anti-neutrophil Ig or control Ig. The levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) in the liver were determined at 5 h after CLP (i.e., the early, hyperdynamic stage of sepsis) or sham operation by high performance liquid chromatography. Results.Although the levels of hepatic GSH and GSSG decreased significantly at 5 h after CLP, irrespective of neutropenia, the ratio of GSSG/GSH was not significantly altered under such conditions. The decrease in hepatic glutathione concentrations in septic animals may represent the decreased synthesis or increased efflux into the bile or circulation. Conclusion.Since neutrophil depletion did not significantly affect hepatic levels of GSH and GSSG as well as the GSSG/GSH ratio but prevented the occurrence of hepatocellular dysfunction, factors other than oxidative stress are likely to be the mechanism responsible for depressing hepatocellular function during the early, hyperdynamic stage of sepsis.
Same as It Ever Was: Recognizing Stability in the BusinessWeek Rankings

Since their arrival in 1988, the BusinessWeek rankings of full-time MBA programs have had an increasingly greater influence on business school education. Implicit in attempts to improve in the rank...
Quantum interference in electro-optic polymeric materials

The performance of polymer-based electro-optic modulator is very dependent on the wavelength of operation of the device. Surprisingly, most of our intuitive understanding of the molecular performance in such devised are based on studies performed in the off-resonance regime, where the nonlinear optical response of the molecule is by assumption not dependent on the wavelength of operation; or/and two-level model extrapolation, where the response is assumed to be dominated by the contribution of only one excited state. In either case, the effects of quantum interference (cancellation and enhancement of the response due to interactions between multiple excited states) are ignored. In this paper we show how in complex molecules with more than one excited state, quantum interference effects plays an important role in determining the on-resonant response, and hence should not be ignored when studying the response of organic-based electro-optic materials. We use this principle to interpret previous experimental results on the performance of electro-optic modulations under enhanced radiation environments.
Shock-capturing method for the equations of gasdynamics in physical variables

An upwind shock-capturing scheme is proposed for the equations of gasdynamics in nonconservative form. The new method is constructed so that stationary discontinuities aligned with the computational mesh are resolved perfectly.
The effects of desire for control in situations with chance-determined outcomes: Gambling behavior in lotto and bingo players

Abstract Two experiments were conducted to examine in field settings how individual differences in desire for control affect behavior in situations with chance-determined outcomes. Experiment 1 found that people high in desire for control were more likely than lows to select their own numbers, rather than rely on a machine-selection option, when playing the California Lotto game. Experiment 2 found that low desire for control people playing legalized bingo were more likely than highs to rely on superstitious behavior and to believe that such behavior affected the game's outcome. Although a low desire for control was associated with more gambling in the lotto game, more frequent bingo playing was associated with a higher desire for control.