cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ontogeny of Early Life Immunity

The human immune system comprises cellular and molecular components designed to coordinately prevent infection while avoiding potentially harmful inflammation and autoimmunity. Immunity varies with age, reflecting unique age-dependent challenges including fetal gestation, the neonatal phase, and infancy. Here, we review novel mechanistic insights into early life immunity, with an emphasis on emerging models of human immune ontogeny, which may inform age-specific translational development of novel anti-infectives, immunomodulators, and vaccines.
Recognition and Treatment of Depression and Anxiety in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction

The objective of this study was to determine the ability of providers (medical residents and nurse practitioners) on inpatient cardiac units to recognize and appropriately treat patients with clinically significant depression and anxiety among a cohort admitted with acute myocardial infarction. Patients within 72 hours of acute myocardial infarction underwent screening with the Standardized Clinical Instrument for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition module for major depressive disorder (MDD), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). In addition, the study psychiatrist and a treatment team clinician independently assessed whether they believed that patients had clinically significant depression or anxiety. Prescription of antidepressants and benzodiazepines during hospitalization was recorded by chart review. Assessments were completed for 74 patients. Providers identified or = 10; 11% of patients with current MDD had appropriate treatment with antidepressants. There was no significant correlation of providers' assessment of depression with current MDD, BDI scores, or psychiatrists' clinical assessment of depression. In contrast, providers identified 31% of patients with a BAI score > or = 10 and 50% of patients who were assessed by psychiatrists as anxious; > 80% of patients with high anxiety received benzodiazepines. Providers' assessments of anxiety were significantly correlated with BAI scores and with psychiatrists' clinical assessments. In conclusion, medical residents and nurse practitioners routinely under-recognize and undertreat depression among patients with acute myocardial infarction on inpatient cardiac units. Recognition and treatment of anxiety is substantially better, up to 50% of patients who are found to be anxious by psychiatrists after acute myocardial infarction remain unrecognized.
The aging correlation (RH + t): relative humidity (%) + temperature (°C)

An aging correlation between corrosion lifetime, and relative humidity RH (%) and temperature t (C) has been reported in the literature. This aging correlation is a semi-log plot of corrosion lifetime on the log scale versus the interesting summation term RH(%) + t(C) on the linear scale. This empirical correlation was derived from observation of experimental data trends and has been referred to as an experimental law. Using electrical resistivity data of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) measured as a function of relative humidity and temperature, it was found that the electrical resistivity could be expressed as a function of the term RH(%) t(C). Thus, if corrosion is related to leakage current through an organic insulator, which, in turn, is a function of RH and t, then some partial theoretical validity for the correlation is indicated. This article describes the derivation of the term RH(%) t(C) from PVB electrical resistivity data.
Computer simulation of molecular fluid mixtures: Results and two new one‐fluid models

Monte Carlo simulation results for binary mixtures of diatomic molecules with spheres, diatomic molecules of different bond lengths, and triatomic molecules with spheres, all interacting with the site-site Lennard-Jones potential, were obtained at three different volume ratios and a range of densities and compositions. We report the configurational internal energy of the mixture and of the 1-1, 1-2 and 2-2 pairs, and the compressibility factors at 195 state points. The site-site correlation functions also computed are available from the authors. Equations of state derived previously (Sowers and Sandler, 1991, 1992) for pure site-site Lennard-Jones fluids from a combination of perturbation theory and a three-parameter corresponding states principle are extended to mixtures using simple one-fluid mixing rules. These simple mixing rules allow us to make satisfactory predictions of the compressibilities computed from simulation without the use of binary interaction parameters. We also show that the effect of composition on the perturbation free energy βAp/N not accounted for by one-fluid mixing rules is quite small, and therefore a more complicated mixing rule is not necessary in our equations of state for the mixtures studied.
Gamma ray astronomy: The particle physics connection

A plethora of unexpected phenomena has been revealed by pp coliiders at center-of-mass energies of order 1 TeV. They are associated with jet production and could not have been anticipated from low energy data which exhibit approximate scaling behavior. We investigate whether the same underlying physics can be responsible for some puzzling features of γ-initiated air showers, most notably their seemingly large hadron (muon) content. We conclude that the average properties of high energy photon shower could be significantly modified, but we argue that individual γ-ray showers are not expected to impersonate hadron showers. The latter can therefore be discriminated against in a search for point sources and diffuse γ-rays, e.g., those produced by interaction of cosmic rays on the interstellar medium or on 3°K microwave photons. If, on the contrary, photons are indeed muon-rich, we argue that new physics has to be invoked and that underground experiments such as Dumand and Grande will be γ-ray as well as neutrino telescopes, competitive with the largest air shower arrays.
Exposures to beryllium in a beryllium alloying plant.

Abstract Continuous monitoring of the air at seven representative work locations in a beryllium alloying plant during a five-day period in 1960 showed that concentrations of beryllium in the air at all locations greatly exceeded the TLV of 2 micrograms per cubic meter of air. A similar survey during 1966 also yielded concentrations which exceeded the TLV for the greater portion of the time. Studies of the range of sizes of particles present in the air indicated that the particles were principally below 2 microns in size and that the particles in the so-called “respirable” range of sizes contained approximately 30% of the total beryllium present in the air. Concentrations of beryllium fluctuated widely from hour to hour at each location. Average concentrations observed during the two surveys are considered representative of concentrations which have existed in this plant during the last 13 years of operation. No cases of chronic berylliosis disease have been reported among workmen who have been under close...
Influence of different medical images on the application accuracy during image-guided surgery

Application accuracy is a crucial factor for stereotactic surgical localization systems. The different qualities of medical images can produce different influences on the application accuracy. However there are a lot of factors that can have an effect on the application accuracy. In this study, we compared the influences of different section thickness of MRI and CT images on the application accuracy during image-guided surgery. An implantable frameless marker system was used. CT scans were taken using 2 kinds of thickness, 1 and 2 mm, and with 2 resolution 256 X 256, 512 X 512. T1 weighted MRI images were used with 3 kinds of thickness, 1 and 3 and 10mm. The IR tracking systems and the Neurosurgery Planning System software were used to do image registration and intraoperative digitization. The differences among the mechanical measurements, image digitization from the computer and the measurement through the tracking systems were compared. The mechanical measurement was used as the most accurate measurement. A statistical study was used to analyze the results. In the CT group, there was a significant difference between 1mm and 2mm sections. There was also a difference found between the 256 X 256 and 512 X 512 image quality groups. In the MRI group, there was a significant difference between 10mm and 1mm or 3mm sections, but no difference between 1mm and 3mm sections. When compares CT and MRI with 1mm thickness, there was no significant difference. For the evaluation of the application accuracy during image-guided surgery, the quality of the medical image is an important factor to be dealt with. The thickness of section is usually used factor to analyze the influence. It is commonly accepted that the thinner the thickness, the better the application accuracy. However there is a limitation. Our results showed that for CT images the thickness when reduced from 2mm to 1mm can still significantly improve the application accuracy. But in MRI image when the thickness were reduced from 3mm to 1mm, the application accuracy remained the same. These results may reflect the difference of machines producing these medical images. The quality of medical images do have influences on the application accuracy during image guided surgery.
Effects of delta9-THC, LSD-25 and scopolamine on continuous, spontaneous alternation in the Y-maze.

The effects of δ 9-THC, LSD-25 and scopolamine on continuous, spontaneous alternation of the hooded rat in the Y-maze were determined. LSD and scopolamine decreased the number of arm entries (responsivity) while concomitantly reducing percent alternation. THC however, reduced responsivity and percent alternation more at the lower dose (1 mg/kg) when compared to control than at the higher dose (3 mg/kg). Only scopolamine induced a significant increase in stimulus perseveration. The results are discussed in relation to the advantages afforded by the continuous spontaneous alternation procedure.
Effect of noise on shock-elicited aggression in rats

ONLY a limited number of experiments have been designed to evaluate the effects of noise on aggression. As animal models of aggression are amenable to pharmacological and physiological analysis we have investigated the effect of noise on aggression in rats and have found an interesting non-monotonic relationship, with an increase in aggression at moderate noise levels but a decrease at high levels. The aggressive behaviour chosen for the present experiments was shock-elicited aggression in the rat. Two rats were paired in a small enclosure and subjected to a series of footshocks which elicit fighting, depending on the intensity, frequency and duration of electric shock1,2. This is a well documented and highly reliable form of aggressive behaviour that is usually considered a form of irritable aggression3.
Integration of PACS image display with an electronic medical record

The ability to display medical images on electronic medical record (EMR) workstations appears to be an important step for both widespread implementation of the EMR and of picture archival and communications systems. We describe a system which we have implemented for achieving image display on EMR workstations, which is integrated with the EMR. Some of the important questions we hope to answer at the end of this pilot project are also outlined.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Trends in intraoperative neural monitoring for thyroid and parathyroid surgery amongst otolaryngologists and general surgeons

The role of intraoperative neural monitoring (IONM) in thyroid and parathyroid surgery remains a controversial subject for surgeons regardless of surgical training and background. This study aims to compare usage patterns and motivations behind IONM among otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeons (OTO-HNS) and general surgeons (GS) performing thyroid and parathyroid surgery. The study is a multi-institution survey of 103 otolaryngology and affiliated 103 GS programs in the US. 206 surveys were sent to OTO-HNS and GS academic program directors with a response rate of 44.7 %. Of those who performed thyroid surgery, 80.6 % of OTO-HNS and 48.0 % of GS surgeons reported using IONM. 44.3 % of OTO-HNS and 30.8 % of GS respondents used IONM in all thyroid cases. For thyroid surgery, as surgical volume increased, surgeons were more likely to use IONM more frequently. Fourteen percent (14 %) of the OTO-HNS and 41.7 % of the GS respondents used IONM primarily to locate the RLN. Forty percent (40 %) of the OTO-HNS and 8.3 % of the GS used IONM for medicolegal reasons. The majority of OTO-HNS programs use IONM for thyroid and parathyroid surgery, whereas less than half of GS programs regularly use IONM for these surgeries. Thyroid surgeons, with larger thyroid surgery volume, regardless of discipline, tend to use IONM more. The motivations for using IONM differ significantly between OTO-HNS and general surgeons in that more GS use it for locating the RLN, and more OTO-HNS use it for continuous monitoring of the nerve during resection and for medicolegal purposes.
Community Response Patterns: Evaluating Benthic Invertebrate Composition In Metal‐Polluted Streams

Human activities are modifying the condition and character of ecosystems at a rapid rate. Because of these rapid changes, questions concerning how ecosystems and their assemblages respond to anthropogenic stressors have been of general interest. Accurate prediction of assemblage composition in ecosystems with anthropogenic degradation requires that we assess both how assemblages respond to stressors and the generality of the responses. We ask whether assemblage composition among stream sites becomes more similar after exposure to a common stressor. Using data from biological monitoring programs in the southern Rocky Mountain ecoregion of Colorado and in West Virginia, we compare benthic invertebrate similarity and assemblage composition among sites having different levels (background, low, medium, and high) of heavy-metal pollution. Invertebrate assemblages were most similar within the background metal category, and similarity was progressively lower in low, medium, and high metal categories. An analysis of the frequency of occurrence of genera within metal categories reveals taxonomic shifts that conform to expectations based on metal tolerance of benthic invertebrates. However, different metal-tolerant genera were found at different metal-impacted sites, suggesting that local abiotic and biotic processes may influence the identity of the metal-tolerant genera that become established in polluted sites. Low community similarity in the medium and high-metal categories suggests that accurate prediction of assemblage composition at impacted sites may be challenging.
Two- or three-stage least squares

Two elements enter the choice between 2 and 3SLS for full-system estimation: statistical efficiency and computational cost. 2SLS always has the computational edge, but 3SLS can be more efficient, a relative advantage that increases with the strength of the interrelations among the error terms. A measure of these interrelations is thus helpful in making the choice, and, when there are only two equations, this has suggested using a high pairwise error correlation as an indicator of when to use 3SLS. In larger systems of equations, however, these pairwise correlations can remain small even though more general interrelations give 3SLS the relative advantage. More general indicators are therefore needed, and this paper suggests three such and demonstrates their efficacy.
The suppression of prion propagation using poly-L-lysine by targeting plasminogen that stimulates prion protein conversion

Abstract Poly- l -lysine (PLL), a homopolymer of amino acid l -lysine (LL), has been frequently used for drug delivery. Here, we report that PLL is an effective agent to inhibit propagation of prions that cause fatal and incurable neurologic disorders in humans and animals, termed prion diseases. In our recent investigation on prion propagation facilitated by conversion of the cellular prion protein (PrP) to the misfolded, disease-associated PrP (PrPSc), we demonstrated that plasminogen stimulates PrP conversion as a cellular cofactor. In the current study, we targeted plasminogen using PLL and assessed its anti-prion efficacy. The results showed that PLL strongly inhibited PrPSc propagation in the cell-free, cell culture, and mouse models of prion disease. These results confirm the role of plasminogen in PrPSc propagation, validates plasminogen as a therapeutic target to combat prion disease, and suggests PLL as a potential anti-prion agent. Therefore, our study represents a proof-of-concept that targeting plasminogen, a cofactor for PrP conversion, using PLL results in suppression of prion propagation, which represents a successful translation of our understanding on details of prion propagation into a potential therapeutic strategy for prion diseases.
The effect of diluent composition on homogeneous charge compression ignition auto-ignition and combustion duration

Abstract In this work, the effect of diluent composition is studied on the ignition timing and combustion duration of homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) combustion. Full-cycle 3-D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were performed using two different dilution schemes, one which employs air dilution and the other which employs external exhaust gas recirculation (eEGR) dilution. Both cases used a fixed breathing strategy, and had the same fueling rate and engine speed typical of automotive applications. A premixed fuel–air mixture was used in the intake charge to avoid the fuel stratification effects associated with direct injection, while the valve events were selected to minimize the internal residual and its associated thermal and compositional stratification. With ignition timing held constant near top dead center (TDC) for both methods, there is a 10% increase in the combustion duration going from air to eEGR dilution. While the thermal stratification prior to ignition is similar for both methods, the eEGR-dilute case has an overall higher temperature throughout the charge. A reactivity stratification analysis, based on the distribution of ignition delays within the charge prior to ignition, showed nearly identical initial reactivity for the two methods, with the higher temperatures of the eEGR case compensating for this method’s lower oxygen content. A quasi-dimensional multi-zone model was subsequently used to decouple the chemical kinetic and thermodynamic effects of eEGR on the combustion process. This analysis showed that the primary factor contributing to the longer combustion duration for the eEGR-dilute case is the lower ratio of specific heats (γ) in the unburned charge post-ignition which is thought to lower the rate of compression-induced heating of the unburned charge by the ignited and burning regions, leading to slower sequential auto-ignition.
The effects of chamber size on benthic oxygen uptake measurements: A simulation study

Abstract A freely available simulation routine for estimating the inaccuracy of Total O2 Uptake rates (FTOU) measured by incubation chambers is presented. The software allows replicate incubations of any given chamber size at an user defined macrofauna inhabited sediment to be performed. The software is used to assess the number of replicate measurements required to obtain FTOU with a given accuracy for typical coastal environments. Results quantitatively demonstrate that large benthic chambers are to be preferred and that extrapolation form single or few incubations, especially with small chambers should be done with caution.
The metyrapone test in affective disorders and schizophrenia

The metyrapone test was applied to patients suffering from major depressive illness with melancholia, from mania, and from schizophrenia. Hypoactivity of the HPA axis as assessed by the test appears to occur infrequently in affective disorders and schizophrenia. High normal or exaggerated responses to metyrapone, as observed in Cushing's disease, appear to be correlated to DST non-suppression in melancholia.
Variation in egg quality in blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus, from North Carolina: does female size matter?

Understanding the reproductive biology of commercially important species is important to ensure the continued health and sustainability of marine ecosystems. North Carolina’s blue crab fishery is the fifth largest crab fishery in the United States, and the current stock status is “of concern” due to recent low harvest totals. Thus, knowledge of factors contributing to future recruitment in this fishery is clearly needed. There are few data on the variation and consequences of blue crab female size on egg quality; this study aimed to evaluate whether female size has any bearing on egg quality or larval size. Eggs of 110 ovigerous females were sampled in June through July of 2010 and 2011, and the eggs’ energy content, lipid content, and fatty acid profiles were measured. Eighteen ovigerous females were maintained until hatch, at which point zoea sizes were measured. Female size did not strongly correlate with any measurement of egg quality or zoea size. Energy content and fatty acid profiles significantly differed between 2010 and 2011. Eggs extruded later in the season had higher dry weight energy content in 2011, while overall zoea size declined in later hatch dates. Our results indicate that lipid content in blue crab eggs does not drive overall energy content, and female size does not correlate with our measures of reproductive success. Instead, we propose that environmental or genetic factors are responsible for this variation. Management plans for protecting blue crab broodstock should reflect annual variation present in egg quality rather than emphasizing the influence of female size on egg quality.
Bcl-2 on the endoplasmic reticulum regulates Bax activity by binding to BH3-only proteins.

Bcl-2 family members have been shown to be key mediators of apoptosis as either pro- or anti-apoptotic factors. It is thought that both classes of Bcl-2 family members act at the level of the mitochondria to regulate apoptosis, although the founding anti-apoptotic family member, Bcl-2 is localized to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), mitochondrial, and nuclear membranes. In order to better understand the effect of Bcl-2 localization on its activity, we have utilized a Bcl-2 mutant that localizes only to the ER membrane, designated Bcl-2Cb5. Bcl-2Cb5 was expressed in MDA-MB-468 cells, which protected against apoptosis induced by the kinase inhibitor, staurosporine. Data presented here show that Bcl-2Cb5 inhibits this process by blocking Bax activation and cytochromec release. Furthermore, we show that Bcl-2Cb5 can inhibit the activation of a constitutively mitochondrial mutant of Bax, indicating that an intermediate between Bcl-2 on the ER and Bax on the mitochondria must exist. We demonstrate that this intermediate is likely a BH3-only subfamily member. Data presented here show that Bcl-2Cb5 can sequester a constitutively active form of Bad (Bad3A) from the mitochondria and prevent it from activating Bax. These data suggest that Bcl-2 indirectly protects mitochondrial membranes from Bax, via BH3-only proteins.
Decision analysis in clinical cardiology : when is coronary angiography required in aortic stenosis ?

Decision analysis offers a reproducible, explicit approach to complex clinical decisions. It consists of developing a model, typically a decision tree, that separates choices from chances and that specifies and assigns relative values to outcomes. Sensitivity analysis allows exploration of alternative assumptions. Cost-effectiveness analysis shows the relation between dollars spent and improved health outcomes achieved. In a tutorial format, this approach is applied to the decision whether to perform coronary angiography in a patient who requires aortic valve replacement for critical aortic stenosis.
WATERLESS COOKING – INFLUENCE ON ENERGY CONSUMPTION AND NUTRIENT RETENTION

The purpose of this study was to measure the energy requirements of cooking vegetables in a minimal amount of water (‘waterless’) versus the conventional method of cooking vegetables and to determine the retention of certain vitamins and minerals. The vegetables used were potatoes (tubers), peas (legumes), carrots (roots), and cabbage (leaves). Nutrients analysed were ascorbic acid, thiamin, riboflavin, iron, zinc, and magnesium.
What can patients expect from cataract surgery

Cataract surgery has evolved into an outpatient procedure that requires minimal anesthesia and significantly improves visual function for about 90% of patients. With the help of their primary care physician and ophthalmologist, patients can decide when cataract surgery is appropriate for them. In addition, patients may have a choice about the type of synthetic lens implant that fits their visual needs.
The influence of certain steroids on the oxidation of alpha-keto acids.

RECENT observations in this laboratory (DuBois, Cochran and Doull, 1951; DuBois, Cochran and Zerwic, 1951) suggested that some of the sex hormones and adrenal cortical hormones exert a regulatory action on citric acid synthesis in the liver in vitro. By the use of the sequential blocking technique of Potter (1951) in which the oxi dative disposal of citric acid is inhibited (Buffa and Peters, 1949, 1950; Liebecq and Peters, 1949; Elliott and Kalnitsky, 1950; Potter and Busch, 1950) by the administration of fluoroacetate it was found (DuBois, Cochran and Doull, 1951) that the livers of female rats accumulated large quantities of citric acid whereas male rats are unable to accumulate citric acid in the liver following fluoroacetate treatment (Potter and Busch, 1950; Potter, Busch and Bothwell, 1950). Evidence implicating steroid hormones in the sex difference to fluoroacetate was obtained from the observations (DuBois, Cochran, and Zerwic, 1951)
Generic ILP versus specialized 0-1 ILP: an update

Optimized solvers for the Boolean Satisfiability (SAT) problem have many applications in areas such as hardware and software verification, FPGA routing, planning, etc. Further uses are complicated by the need to express "counting constraints" in conjunctive normal form (CNF). Expressing such constraints by pure CNF leads to more complex SAT instances. Alternatively, those constraints can be handled by Integer Linear Programming (ILP), but generic ILP solvers may ignore the Boolean nature of 0--1 variables. Therefore specialized 0--1 ILP solvers extend SAT solvers to handle these so-called "pseudo-Boolean" constraints.This work provides an update on the on-going competition between generic ILP techniques and specialized 0--1 ILP techniques. To make a fair comparison, we generalize recent ideas for fast SAT-solving to more general 0--1 ILP problems that may include counting constraints and optimization. Another aspect of our comparison is evaluation on 0--1 ILP benchmarks that originate in Electronic Design Automation (EDA), but that cannot be directly solved by a SAT solver. Specifically, we solve instances of the Max-SAT and Max-ONEs optimization problems which seek to maximize the number of satisfied clauses and the "true" values over all satisfying assignments, respectively. Those problems have straightforward applications to SAT-based routing and are additionally important due to reductions from Max-Cut, Max-Clique, and Min Vertex Cover. Our experimental results show that specialized 0--1 techniques tend to outperform generic ILP techniques on Boolean optimization problems as well as on general EDA SAT problems.
Rate region of the quadratic Gaussian CEO problem

In the so-called CEO problem, a hidden source random process is of interest to a central unit or the "CEO". But this process cannot be observed directly. L sensors or agents observe independently corrupted versions of the source. They encode their observations without cooperating with one another and send through rate constrained noiseless channels to the CEO. The problem was first studied by T. Berger et al. (1996) in the context of discrete memoryless sources. The quadratic Gaussian version of the problem was studied. The best result known to date is the characterization of the sum-rate when all the agents have the same quality of observations. Here we characterize the rate region for any number of agents without assuming that their quality of observations is the same. This is one of the few examples of multiterminal lossy source coding problems in which the rate region can be characterized completely.
Fan-beam reconstruction methods

In a previous paper a technique was developed for finding reconstruction algorithms for arbitrary ray-sampling schemes. The resulting algorithms use a general linear operator, the kernel of which depends on the details of the scanning geometry. Here this method is applied to the problem of reconstructing density distributions from arbitrary fan-beam data. The general fan-beam method is then specialized to a number of scanning geometries of practical importance. Included are two cases where the kernel of the general linear operator can be factored and rewritten as a function of the difference of coordinates only and the superposition integral consequently simplifies into a convolution integral. Algorithms for these special cases of the fan-beam problem have been developed previously by others. In the general case, however, Fourier transforms and convolutions do not apply, and linear space-variant operators must be used. As a demonstration, details of a fan-beam method for data obtained with uniform ray-sampling density are developed.
Veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation with interatrial shunting: A novel approach to lung transplantation for patients in right ventricular failure

Objective This study evaluated the effectiveness of an atrial septostomy with veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in alleviating high afterload right ventricular dysfunction while providing respiratory support. This technique could be applied as a bridge to lung transplantation. Methods Sheep (56 ± 3 kg) underwent a clamshell thoracotomy and hemodynamic instrumentation, including right ventricular pressure and cardiac output. Sheep with and without tricuspid insufficiency (n = 5 each) were examined. While sheep were on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, right ventricular failure was established by banding the pulmonary artery until cardiac output was 40% to 60% of baseline. An extracardiac atrial shunt was created with modified vascular grafts to examine the effect of shunt flow on hemodynamics. Hemodynamic data were thus collected at baseline, during right ventricular failure, and for 1 hour at 100% (fully open), 70%, 50%, and 30% of baseline shunt flow. Results Cardiac output was returned to baseline values (tricuspid insufficiency: 5.2 ± 0.2 L/min, without tricuspid insufficiency: 5.3 ± 1.2 L/min) with 100% shunt flow (tricuspid insufficiency: 4.8 ± 1.1 L/min, without tricuspid insufficiency: 4.8 ± 1.0 L/min; P = .15) but remained significantly lower than baseline at 70% to 30% shunt flow. At 100% shunt flow, tricuspid insufficiency shunt flow was 1.4 ± 0.8 L/min and without tricuspid insufficiency shunt flow was 1.7 ± 0.2 L/min. Right ventricular pressure was significantly elevated over baseline values at all shunt flows ( P 001). In the group without tricuspid insufficiency, all sheep died beginning at the 70% shunt condition, whereas all animals with tricuspid insufficiency survived the entire experiment. Normal arterial blood gases were maintained under all conditions. Conclusions An atrial septostomy accompanied by veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is capable of eliminating right ventricular failure while maintaining normal arterial blood gases if sufficient shunt flows are achieved. The presence of tricuspid insufficiency improves the efficacy of the shunt.
Long-term Exposure to Ambient Particulate Matter and Prevalence of Subclinical Atherosclerosis in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Exposure to airborne particulate matter has been linked to cardiovascular events. Whether this finding reflects an effect of particulate matter exposure on the triggering of events or development of atherosclerosis remains unknown. Using data from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis collected at baseline (2000-2002), the authors investigated associations of 20-year exposures to particulate matter with measures of subclinical disease (coronary calcium, common carotid intimal-medial thickness, and ankle-brachial index) in 5,172 US adults without clinical cardiovascular disease. Particulate matter exposures for the 20 years prior to assessment of subclinical disease were obtained from a space-time model of Environmental Protection Agency monitor data linked to residential history data for each participant. Intimal-medial thickness was weakly, positively associated with exposures to particulate matter <10 microm in aerodynamic diameter and <2.5 microm in aerodynamic diameter after controlling for age, sex, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic factors, diet, smoking, physical activity, blood lipids, diabetes, hypertension, and body mass index (1-4% increase per 21-microg/m(3) increase in particulate matter <10 microm in aerodynamic diameter or a 12.5-microg/m(3) increase in particulate matter <2.5 microm in aerodynamic diameter). No consistent associations with other measures of atherosclerosis were observed. There was no evidence of effect modification by sociodemographic factors, lipid status, smoking, diabetes, body mass index, or site. Results are compatible with some effect of particulate matter exposures on development of carotid atherosclerosis.
Robust stabilization and disturbance rejection for systems with structured uncertainty

A method based on the algebraic Riccati equation is presented for designing state- and output-feedback control laws for plants with structured uncertainty. The designs provide both robust stability and disturbance rejection with robust H/sub infinity /-norm bounds. The design method consists of incorporating information on the plant uncertainty into the algebraic Riccati equations used for nominal H/sub infinity / disturbance-rejection designs. >
Defragmentation of low grade day 3 embryos resulted in sustained reduction in fragmentation, but did not improve compaction or blastulation rates

In a prospective randomized fashion, this study evaluated embryo development in vitro after defragmentation versus assisted hatching alone of low grade day 3 embryos. Although a sustained decrease in day 5 fragmentation was observed in the defragmented group versus the assisted hatching only group, no difference in compaction rates or blastula formation rates were appreciated.
Bioactive interleukin-1α is cytolytically released from Candida albicans-infected oral epithelial cells

Oral epithelial cells are primary targets of Candida albicans in the oropharynx and may regulate the inflammatory host response to this pathogen. This investigation studied the mechanisms underlying interleukin-1alpha (IL-1alpha) release by oral epithelial cells and the role of IL-1alpha in regulating the mucosal inflammatory response to C. albicans. Infected oral epithelial cells released processed IL-1alpha protein in culture supernatants. The IL-1alpha generated was stored intracellularly and was released upon cell lysis. This was further supported by the fact that different C. albicans strains induced variable IL-1alpha release, depending on their cytolytic activity. IL-1alpha from C. albicans-infected oral epithelial cells upregulated proinflammatory cytokine secretion (IL-8 and GM-CSF) in uninfected oral epithelial or stromal cells. Our studies suggest that production of IL-1alpha, IL-8 and GM-CSF may take place in the oral mucosa in response to lytic infection of epithelial cells with C. albicans. This process can act as an early innate immune surveillance system and may contribute to the clinicopathologic signs of infection in the oral mucosa.
An overview of current and future treatment options for patients with cytomegalovirus retinitis

Introduction: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis is an important cause of morbidity in patients with HIV/AIDS and iatrogenic or local (ocular) immunosuppression. No new drugs have been approved for the treatment of CMV retinitis since 2001, and several have been taken off the market. This paper reviews currently available anti-CMV drugs, their side effects, and investigational drugs that may be useful in patients with intolerance or resistance to approved therapy. Areas covered: In this review, the epidemiology, clinical features, and treatment of CMV retinitis is summarized. Limitations of current therapy as a result of drug toxicity and resistance are reviewed, with an emphasis on the lack of new drug development in this field. The limitations of current anti-CMV therapy in patients who are iatrogenically immunosuppressed are highlighted. Investigational drugs with potential to treat CMV retinitis are discussed. Expert opinion: Currently therapy for the treatment of CMV retinitis is limited by drug toxicit...
Role Theory and the Supreme Court

A MAJOR PROBLEM FACING those who analyze the Supreme Court I involves the question of whether the decision processes are those of the Court as an institution or of individuals on it. How far does the Court form the Justice's conception of his role, and how far is that conception formed by his previous experience and opinions? To what degree are his opinions the product of the institutional setting and to what degree are they the product of prior interests? In attempting to answer, analysis of the Supreme Court has passed through three phases: traditionalism, realism, and behavioralism. Each has had its pitfalls as well as merits. Their differences might be summarized through an analogy to the tale of the Emperor's new clothes. The traditionalist firmly maintains that the Emperor is majestically apparelled. The realist indignantly asserts that he is stark naked, and hints at infantile dependence problems for those who require him clothed. The behavioralist wishes to ascertain why he is not clothed, and construct indices by which one may determine on any given occasion, the degree of his exposure. (Little of the inquiry is ever appreciated by the Emperor.) Despite an increasing degree of sophistication, the analytical techniques and conceptual tools applied to date leave unanswered questions concerning -the ways in which personal attitudes influence legal interpretation and action, and what conditions their effect. Specifically, they do not provide an adequate way of describing and identifying institutional factors in judicial attitudes. Obviously a tool of analysis is needed which will set the balance between structural and behavioral factors in a manner which makes more clear how and under what conditions personal attitudes may influence judicial decisions.
Quantifying Cognitive Processes in Virtual Learning Simulations

Virtual learning simulations have received increasing attention due various proposed educational, instructional, and institutional advantages; with literature focusing largely on perceptions of this technology and empirical comparisons to other instructional methods. Compared to traditional learning environments, virtual learning environments may present methodological advantages in studying learning processes through applying behavioral tracing techniques. This paper will discuss behavioral indicators of cognitive learning processes used in virtual decision scenarios designed for third year engineering and engineering technology students. Behavioral measures to quantitatively analyze the learning process will be presented. Implications for assessing student learning, instructional strategy selection, and improving higher education quality will be shared from holistic perspective.
Analysis of high-quality modes in open chaotic microcavities

We present a numerical study of the high-quality modes in two-dimensional dielectric stadium microcavities. Although the classical ray mechanics is fully chaotic in a stadium billiard, all of the high-quality modes show a ‘‘strong scar’’ around unstable periodic orbits. When the deformation ratio of the length of the straight segments over the diameter of the half circles is small, the high-quality modes correspond to whisperinggallery-type trajectories and their quality factors decrease monotonically with increasing deformation. At large deformation, each high-quality mode is associated with multiple unstable periodic orbits. Its quality factor changes nonmonotonically with the deformation, and there exists an optimal deformation for each mode at which its quality factor reaches a local maximum. This unusual behavior is attributed to the interference of waves propagating along different constituent orbits that could minimize light leakage out of the cavity.
Feedforward-plus-proportional-integral-derivative controller for an off-road vehicle electrohydraulic steering system:

AbstractThis paper presents the use of a feedforward-plus-proportional-integral-derivative (FPID) controller for improving the control performance of the electrohydraulic steering system on an offroad vehicle. The FPID controller used an inverse valve transform in the feedforward loop to compensate for an electrohydraulic steering system deadband and used a conventional PID feedback loop to minimize the tracking error in steering control. On-simulator evaluation tests verified that the FPID resulted in a superior steering rate tracking performance over both a feedforward controller and a PID controller. On-vehicle evaluation tests verified that this FPID controller could achieve prompt and accurate steering angle tracking for agricultural vehicle automated guidance applications.
Last glacial maximum equilibrium-line altitude and paleo-temperature reconstructions for the Cordillera de Mérida, Venezuelan Andes

Abstract The pattern and magnitude of glacier equilibrium-line altitude (ELA) lowerings in the tropics during the last glacial maximum (LGM) are topics of current debate. In the northern tropics, paleo-ELA data are particularly limited, inhibiting the ability to make regional and large-scale paleoclimatic inferences. To improve these records, nine paleo-glaciers in the Venezuelan Andes were reconstructed based on field observations, aerial photographs, satellite imagery and high-resolution digital topographic data. Paleo-glacier equilibrium-line altitudes (ELAs) were estimated using the accumulation-area ratio (AAR) and the area-altitude balance ratio (AABR) methods. During the local LGM in Venezuela (∼ 22,750 to 19,960 cal yr BP), ELAs were ∼ 850 to 1420 m lower than present. Local LGM temperatures were are at least 8.8 ± 2°C cooler than today based on a combined energy and mass-balance equation to account for an ELA lowering. This is greater than estimates using an atmospheric lapse rate calculation, which yields a value of 6.4 ± 1°C cooler. The paleo-glacial data from the Venezuelan Andes support other published records that indicate the northern tropics experienced a greater ELA lowering and possibly a greater cooling than the Southern Hemisphere tropics during the LGM.
Parallel performance visualization: from practice to theory

The visualization of performance data can offer helpful insights into the behavior of parallel systems. However, the visualization of parallel performance data presents challenges that have hindered its widespread application. In this article, we show how these challenges have motivated researchers to develop new tools and techniques. This development has in turn enabled the formulation of a coherent theory-i.e. a combination of an abstract model and of concepts and principles for parallel performance visualization. This theory gives a solid framework for the development of visualization technology. To overcome the problems of parallel performance visualization, tools must integrate performance evaluation models with performance displays. Also, users must be involved in the design and evaluation of these tools. >
The role of deforestation risk and calibrated compensation in designing payments for environmental services

This paper discusses the gain in efficiency from including deforestation risk as a targeting criterion in payments for environmental services (PES) programs. We contrast two payment schemes that we simulate using data from Mexican common property forests: a flat payment scheme with a cap on allowable hectares per enrollee, similar to the program implemented in many countries, and a payment that takes deforestation risk and heterogeneity in land productivity into account. We simulate the latter strategy both with and without a budget constraint. Using observed past deforestation, we find that while risk-targeted payments are far more efficient, capped flat payments are more egalitarian. We also consider the characteristics of communities receiving payments from both programs. We find that the risk-weighted scheme results in more payments to poor communities, and that these payments are more efficient than those made to non-poor ejidos. Finally, we show that the risk of deforestation can be predicted quite precisely with indicators that are easily observable and that cannot be manipulated by the community.
Implications of Low Dividend Yields for Investor

The authors document the extent of the dividend decline in the major indexes and consider its significance in the context of historical stock returns. The dividend component of total returns has been a major part of the average total return of approximately 11% on the S&P 500 index that investors have enjoyed in the past. With dividend yields now averaging slightly above 1%, investors need to reexamine their expectations about the level of future market return consistent with that. The authors demonstrate that the probability of achieving average historical rates or return is low, given the entire history of S&P returns since 1971. The role of dividends in returns from value versus growth strategies is also considered, and it is suggested that investors may need to revise their expectations in this regard also.
Comparison of Hydrogen Bonds in FH—CO and FH—OC Weakly Bound Dimer Complexes

Weakly bound dimer complexes FH-CO and FH-OC were investigated using various ab initio and density function theory (DFT) methods. This study compares the strengths of the H-C H-bond in FH-CO and the H-O H-bond in FH-OC. The energy difference between dimers, the H-bond energy, the inter-monomer distance, the inter-monomer vibration frequencies, the red shift of the HF stretching frequency, and the elongation of HF bond, all demonstrate that the H-C H-bond is stronger than the related H-O H-bond, according to all methods. The calculated Gibbs energies of the formation of the two dimers show that the weakly bound complexes are unstable at room temperature (T = 298 K) and ordinary pressure (P = 1 atm). However, decreasing T or increasing P monotonically decreases AG and increases the related equilibrium constant, K, of their dimer formation.