cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparative Assessment of Left Atrial Appendage by Transesophageal and Combined Two- and Three-Dimensional Transthoracic Echocardiography‡

Objective: Our objective was to compare the utility of combined two-dimensional (2D) transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and three-dimensional (3D) TTE versus 2D transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in evaluation of the left atrium (LA) and LA appendage (LAA) for clot. Background: 2DTEE, usually performed to visualize the LAA, is semi-invasive and not without risks. With improved technology the LAA has been increasingly visualized by 2DTTE and 3DTTE in many patients. Methods: We compared combined 2DTTE and 3DTTE with 2DTEE in evaluating the LA/LAA for a thrombus. Ninety-two patients underwent 2DTTE, 3DTTE, and 2DTEE. An additional 20 patients, in whom TEE could not be performed, underwent 2DTTE and 3DTTE. Results: LA and LAA could be visualized in all patients. Of 92 patients studied, 74 had no thrombus and 7 had thrombus in the LAA by all modalities. Eleven patients, 9 with atrial fibrillation (AF), had a suspected thrombus by 2DTEE, but 3DTTE cropping clearly showed these to be prominent pectinate muscles which were seen in short axis on 2DTEE as rounded echo dense masses and therefore mimicked thrombi. These 9 patients with AF underwent successful cardioversion without any complications. Of the 20 patients in whom TEE could not be performed, 19 had no thrombus in the LA/LAA and 1 had a clot in the LAA. These 19 patients underwent successful cardioversion without complications. Conclusions: Our preliminary study suggests that combined 2DTTE and 3DTTE has comparable accuracy to TEE in evaluating the LA and LAA for thrombus. In some patients TEE, but not 3DTTE, may misdiagnose pectinate musculature as thrombus.
Methano[10]annulene revisited: extended delocalization through conjugated polymers bearing larger Hückel aromatics.

A comparative study of conjugated polymers derived from the two 10 π electron circuits of naphthalene and methano[10]annulene is presented. The annulene π topology allows for a greater degree of intrapolymer charge delocalization, a key structural parameter for enhancing the performance of organic semiconductors. Molecular design and synthesis based upon unusual aromatic cores will enable facile transport properties that would not ordinarily be realized under the 6 π electron aromatic paradigm.
The Drill-Stem Test: The Petroleum Industry's Deep-Well Pumping Testa

Drill-stem tests provide the petroleum industry information on three critical properties of subsurface formations —pressure head, permeability, and water chemistry –that the ground-water hydrologist also seeks in making pumping tests of water wells. As it is increasingly necessary to study the hydraulic and geochemical properties of deep-lying rocks in order to understand the behavior of ground water, data on drill-stem tests made by the petroleum industry become an important source of information which otherwise is unobtainable because of the high cost. Data from these tests made by methods currently in use are highly useful in water studies. An obvious conclusion is that both petroleum engineering and ground-water hydrology stand to profit substantially from an increase in the interchange of ideas and techniques.
Intracellular Levels of Cyclic Nucleotides during Cell Enlargement and Cell Division in Excised Tobacco Pith Tissues

Two lines of evidence, one of which is based on the radioimmunoassay and the other on adenosine 3′, 5′-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic AMP)-dependent histone phosphorylation, are presented to demonstrate the presence of cyclic AMP in excised tissues of higher plant species. Intracellular levels of this cyclic nucleotide appear to be determined by auxin and a positive correlation has been found to exist between cell enlargement and chromosomal DNA replication, both auxin-dependent processes, and the level of cyclic AMP in tobacco pith cells. Intracellular guanosine 3′, 5′-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic GMP) levels, while measurable, did not appear to be affected by either auxin or kinetin, or both, during the cell enlargement or cell division phases of the cell cycle in the tobacco pith system.
A task-delineated safety approach for slip, trip and fall hazards

Task-delineated safety (TDS), a behavior-based safety management scheme, was developed in order to address the significant problems of slip, trip and fall accidents. The hypothesis of this approach is that hazards can be minimized if personnel are held directly accountable with clear task delineation for keeping an area safe. Role ambiguity would be minimized and a less hazardous environment would result. Management's role in providing feedback and enforcement is paramount to the success of this and any safety management scheme. This hypothesis was analyzed by focusing on slip, trip and fall hazards at a used-clothes sorting facility, with a history of slip, trip and fall accidents costing the company approximately two million US dollars in the past 3 years. Two physically identical areas were used to compare TDS to the traditional approach. The slip, trip and fall hazard density was significantly lower using the TDS approach.
Mechanistic Determination of In Situ Toughness of Bone Using a Nanoscratch Methodology

Hierarchical structures at multiple length scales are characteristic in a class of natural (e.g., bone) and synthetic (e.g., nano-composites) materials that are quasi-brittle in nature but allow for appreciable plastic deformation (1, 2). Since the bulk mechanical properties of the materials are heavily dependent on their nano/microscopic structures, micro/nano mechanics approaches are often required to study their behaviors. However, lack of an effective means to exemplify the post-yield and failure behavior directly at micro/nanometer scales has significantly precluded understanding the constitutive relationship of these materials. A compelling example is that such paucity has significantly hindered establishment of physically sound constitutive relationships for bone tissues. Recent progresses in nanotechnology have allowed for estimation of the stiffness and hardness of bone tissues at submicron and nano length scales (3–5). However, no methods are currently available to assess the post-yield and failure behavior of bone tissues at nano/microscopic levels. Our pilot study (6) has shown that nanoscratch tests could be used in assessing the in situ energy dissipation during the post-yield deformation of bone tissues. To this end, the objective of the present study is to establish a mechanistic model for the nanoscratch methodology based on a assumption that the in situ toughness of bone tissues or the capacity to dissipate energy until failure can be estimated based on the removal energy of the tissue consumed during a nanoscratch test.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Phonon and multi-phonon excitations in rotational nuclei by exact diagonalization of the Bohr Hamiltonian

Abstract Exact numerical diagonalization of the Bohr Hamiltonian by SU ( 1 , 1 ) × SO ( 5 ) methods is used to obtain detailed quantitative predictions for single-phonon and multi-phonon excitations in well-deformed rotor nuclei. Dynamical γ deformation is found to significantly influence the predictions through its coupling to the rotational motion. Basic signatures for the onset of rigid triaxial deformation are obtained.
Physical stability and biological and physicochemical properties of twelve Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteriophages.

Abstract Twelve lytic Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteriophages have been characterized in detail. All phages were resistant to osmotic shock and stable from pH 5.0 to pH 11.0. Ultraviolet light of germicidal wavelength inactivated 80% of each strain within 75 seconds. Heating at 70° inactivated all but five “heat-resistant” strains. Studies on a representative heat-sensitive and heat-resistant strain indicated that this inactivation was not affected by the ionic environment of the heating medium. Adsorption and growth rates were studied in tryptic soy broth at 37°. Adsorption rates were low, with K values ranging from 1.2 to 33.0 × 10 −11 ml −1 . One-step growth curves showed phages to have latent periods of either 35–40 min or 65–70 min and burst sizes ranging from 10 to 200 PFU per infected bacterium. Phages contained DNA at concentrations of 1.1 to 4.6 × 10 −16 g/PFU and RNA at concentrations less than 10 −17 g/PFU. Each DNA was composed of the four major DNA bases, and purine to pyrimidine ratios indicate that each is double-stranded. The guanine-cytosine molar ratio determined by ultracentrifugation and by spectrophotometric analysis ranged from 46% to 63%, several phages having similar ratios. Serological relations were determined by two independent methods and results indicate that there are two serological subgroups plus three serologically unrelated phages.
Manganese–Chromium–Cyanide Clusters: Molecular MnCr6(CN)18 and Mn3Cr6(CN)18 Species and a Related MnCr3(CN)9 Chain Compound

Abstract As part of an ongoing effort to design new single-molecule magnets, we are exploring synthetic routes to high-nuclearity metal–cyanide clusters. Here, we report the results of solution assembly reactions between [(Me3tacn)Cr(CN)3] (Me3tacn= N,N′,N″-trimethyl-1,4,7-triazacyclononane) and selected manganese(II) salts. Reaction with the perchlorate salt in the presence of AClO4 (A=Na, K) gives A[(Me3tacn)6MnCr6(CN)18] (ClO4)3, featuring a heptanuclear cluster in which six [(Me3tacn)Cr(CN)3] units surround a central MnII ion. The Mn coordination geometry closely approaches a trigonal prism, with triangular faces twisted away from a fully eclipsed position by an angle of 12.8° and 11.3° for A=Na and K, respectively. The magnetic behavior of both compounds indicates weak antiferromagnetic coupling between neighboring MnII and CrIII centers (J=−3.0 and −3.1 cm−1, respectively) to give an S= 13 2 ; ground state. Alternatively, addition of sodium tetraphenylborate to the reaction solution yields [(Me3tacn)6(H2O)6Mn3Cr6(CN)18] (BPh4)6·12H2O, in which attachment of two MnII ions to the preceding cluster generates a new species with two trigonal bipyramids sharing a common vertex. This compound displays magnetic behavior consistent with weak antiferromagnetic coupling and an S= 3 2 ground state. Finally, a reaction employing manganese(II) triflate is found to produce the one-dimensional solid [(Me3tacn)3MnCr3(CN)9](CF3SO3)2, exhibiting a closely related chain structure, and, again, weak antiferromagnetic coupling.
Pollution budgeting: A concept whose times has come*

The paper provides a discussion of the pollution budgeting concept and the use of emissions trading as an implementation strategy. The paper is divided into three sections. Section 1 discusses the use of emissions trading to implement the pollution budget concept. Section 2 provides a discussion of the policy problems that have arisen in the implementation of emissions trading as a transitional system. Section 3 provides concluding comments.
Navigating by Nose Fresh Air, Stench Nuisance, and the Urban Environment, 1840–1880

Attitudes toward fresh air and fear of stenches guided choices that restructured and changed the urban environment and governance between 1840 and 1880. This study of olfactory-inspired reforms demonstrates the cultural significance of nuisance beyond the courtroom. City dwellers used their understanding of stench nuisance as detrimental to health to construct smellscapes or olfactory maps of New York City. Such maps identified health threats and guided movements through or out of the city. These maps proliferated before and after the creation of the Metropolitan Board of Health in 1866. Sanitarian concern about stenches echoed lay concerns, and encouraged the creation of standing health boards. These boards mapped air currents that crossed political boundaries rather than pursuing individuals’ stench complaints. Considering individuals’ smellscapes alongside the health board’s maps demonstrates that 1866 was a turning point for the creation of both institutionalized public health and the conflict between...
Assignment of rate constants to exit channels from quenching of He(23S) metastable atoms

Abstract The reactions of He(2 3 S) with N 2 and CO have been used as reference reactions for assignment of rate constants to exit channels for quenching of He(2 3 S) by reagents that gives products which subsequently emit radiation. The method involves comparison of relative emission intensities from N + 2 (BX) or CO + (BX) to the emission intensities from products generated from other reagents. This comparison method is useful for an extended wavelength range; in the present work we have observed emissions from 140–800 nm in studying O 2 , NO, a series of hydrocarbons, hexafluorobenzene and pentafluorobenzene. For O 2 and NO the rate constants for neutral atomic emission are comparable to the molecular ionic emission. For CH 4 , C 2 H 4 , C 2 H 2 , C 3 H 6 , and C 6 H 6 primary emission was observed from CH * , C * 2 , and H * ; the observed C 6 H 6 ( 1 B 2 - 1 A 1 ) molecular emission probably arises via a secondary process. The dissociative excitation channels account for ≈ 6% of the total quenching reaction with C 2 H 2 and is much less important for the other hydrocarbons. The only ionic emission observed from hydrocarbons was the very weak CH + transition from C 2 H 2 . In contrast hexa- and pentafluorobenzene gave relatively strong emission from the parent ion. Ion-electron recombination was not an important excitation pathway except for a secondary reaction that may involve N 2 + with N 2 .
URIDINE MONOPHOSPHATE KINASE (UMPK)-A NEW GENETIC MARKER FOR SUSCEPTIBILITY TO HAEMOPHILUS INFLUENZAE TYPE B (HIB) DISEASE

The highest known risk for invasive HIB disease occurs in Alaskan Eskimos (10-50 times that in the U.S. population). Using a case-control design to study potential genetic explanations for this unique susceptibility, we examined 93 Eskimo HIB cases and an equal number of healthy Eskimo controls matched for age and village (exposure). We observed that allele 3 of the UMPK locus was positively associated with HIB disease, with a relative risk of 3-33 (McNemar matched pair, p<.01). Further, all UMPK 3-3 homozygotes in this study were HIB cases. This is consistent with an earlier suggestion of increased respiratory infections in a family with a UMPK variant (Giblett, AJHG, 30: 627, 1974).
Generation and characterization of an antiserum directed against neurohypophyseal prohormones.

Abstract An antiserum to neurohypophyseal prohormones was generated by immunization of rabbits with a synthetic peptide fragment bridging the prohormone cleavage site between the vasopressin (AVP) and human AVP-neurophysin sequences of pro-pressophysin. Polyclonal antibodies directed against this peptide cross-reacted with intact human pro-pressophysin (ED(50) of 260fmol), but not with either of the final products of enzymatic processing, AVP and human AVP-neurophysin. Gel electrophoresis and Western immunoblotting of pituitary or hypothalamic extracts from multiple species including mouse, cow and man identified a protein band of molecular weight consistent with intact pro-pressophysin; in hypothalamic extracts from normally-hydrated rats no protein bands were stained, but in extracts from Brattleboro rats a faint band in the area of pro-oxyphysin was identified. Immunohistochemical studies using the antiserum demonstrated the presence of only very small amounts of immunoreactive prohormone in a few widely scattered cells in the hypothalami of normally-hydrated rats. However, after 5 days of solute loading with 2% NaCl as drinking solution, staining for intact prohormone was prominent in the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei of the hypothalamus. Combined immunoperoxidase-immunofluorescence labeling for prohormone and either AVP-neurophysin or oxytocin-neurophysin revealed prohormone staining in both types of magnocellular neurons in rat hypothalami. These studies suggest that during states of accelerated synthesis and secretion of neurohypophyseal hormones some accumulation of intact prohormone occurs in both AVP and oxytocin magnocellular neurons.
Are gonadal steroids linked with orgasm perceptions and sexual assertiveness in women and men

Past findings suggest links between orgasms and testosterone (T), as well as sexuality and estradiol (E), and we examined hormone-orgasm links in this study via two hypotheses (below). Participants were 86 women and 91 men who provided a saliva sample and completed a demographics questionnaire, the Orgasm Checklist (Mah and Binik, 2002), the Hurlbert (1991) Index of Sexual Assertiveness, and the Sexual Desire Inventory (Spector and Fremeth, 1996). Results supported the first hypothesis of correlations between T and positive orgasm experience in women, specifically with the relaxation, soothing, and peaceful items in both partnered and solitary orgasm contexts. Results also indicated correlations between E and flooding and spreading items in a solitary orgasm context. There were no associations between hormones and men's perceptions of their orgasm experiences. There was no support for the second hypothesis of associations between higher T and more sexual assertiveness. Post hoc analyses showed associations between E and women's sexual desire, and T and men's sexual desire. We discuss implications of these findings including that solitary vs. partnered orgasm experiences may differ, and suggest that T might be associated with perceptions of psychological experiences of orgasms, and E might be associated with perceptions of physical experiences of orgasms.
Electromagnetic interactions of higher-dimensional quantum Hall droplets

Abstract Using a W N -gauge theory to describe electromagnetic interactions of spinless fermions in the lowest Landau level, where the W N transformations are nonlinear realizations of U ( 1 ) gauge transformations, we construct the effective action describing electromagnetic interactions of a higher-dimensional quantum Hall droplet. We also discuss how this is related to the Abelian Seiberg–Witten map. Explicit calculations are presented for the quantum Hall effect on CP k with U ( 1 ) background magnetic field. The bulk action is a Kahler–Chern–Simons term whose anomaly is canceled by a boundary contribution so that gauge invariance is explicitly satisfied.
The microbial arsenic cycle in Mono Lake, California

Significant concentrations of dissolved inorganic arsenic can be found in the waters of a number of lakes located in the western USA and in other water bodies around the world. These lakes are often situated in arid, volcanic terrain. The highest concentrations of arsenic occur in hypersaline, closed basin soda lakes and their remnant brines. Although arsenic is a well-known toxicant to eukaryotes and prokaryotes alike, some prokaryotes have evolved biochemical mechanisms to exploit arsenic oxyanions (i.e., arsenate and arsenite); they can use them either as an electron acceptor for anaerobic respiration (arsenate), or as an electron donor (arsenite) to support chemoautotrophic fixation of CO2 into cell carbon. Unlike in freshwater or marine ecosystems, these processes may assume quantitative significance with respect to the carbon cycle in arsenic-rich soda lakes. For the past several years our research has focused on the occurrence and biogeochemical manifestations of these processes in Mono Lake, a particularly arsenic-rich environment. Herein we review some of our findings concerning the biogeochemical arsenic cycle in this lake, with the hope that it may broaden the understanding of the influence of microorganisms upon the speciation of arsenic in more common, less “extreme” environments, such as drinking water aquifers.
Clastostelium, a new ballistosporous protostelid (Mycetozoa) with flagellate cells

Clastostelium recurvatum gen. et sp. nov., a unique protostelid with ballistospores, is distinguished from other protostelids on the basis of its bipartite stalk, the upper segment of which becomes somewhat inflated and ruptures, forcibly discharging the spores. The latter typically occur in pairs and, during germination, produce one or two flagellate cells or a single amoeboid cell. The trophic stage consists of uninucleate to plurinucleate amoeboid protoplasts. The organism was found three times on dead grass inflorescences and leguminous pods on the Micronesian islands of Guam and Truk.
Mid-term results with laser atherectomy in the treatment of infrainguinal occlusive disease

Background Laser atherectomy offers a potential intervention for multivessel infrainguinal disease in patients with poor revascularization options. Despite promising early results reported in the literature, the proper patient population who might benefit from laser atherectomy has yet to be determined. Methods From July 2004 to June 2006, patients undergoing laser atherectomy were retrospectively reviewed and assessed for comorbidities, operative and follow-up variables potentially associated with the end points of nondefinitive therapy, and limb salvage. Results During the study period, 40 patients (21 women, 19 men) underwent laser atherectomy, and the average follow-up was 461 ± 49 days (range, 17 to 1050 days). Their average age was 68 ± 2 years (range, 43 to 93 years). The indication for laser atherectomy was critical limb ischemia in 26 (65%) and lower limb claudication in 11 (35%). A total of 47 lesions were treated in the following arterial segments: 34 femoropopliteal and 13 infrapopliteal. Femoropopliteal distribution by the Trans-Atlantic Society Classification (TASC) was A in 3, B in 17, C in 10, D in 4, and infrapopliteal lesions distribution was A in 1, B in 3, C in 4, and D in 5. Adjunctive angioplasty was used in 75% of cases. The overall technical success rate ( P P P P Conclusion These data demonstrate that laser atherectomy can be used with high initial technical success rate. Chronic renal failure and diabetes are risk factors for a negative outcome. Poor results in patients with diabetes and renal failure necessitate careful case selection in this subgroup, in which laser atherectomy is less likely to provide a definitive revascularization result or limb salvage.
Effect of aprotinin on activated clotting time whole blood and plasma heparin measurements

Twenty cardiac surgical patients requiring cardiopulmonary bypass were enrolled in this study designed to evaluate the effect of aprotinin on activated clotting time (kaolin and celite), whole blood, and laboratory-based plasma (anti-Xa) heparin measurements. Whole blood heparin measurements were not different ( p = 0.98) between aprotinin-treated (3.2 ± 2.8 U/mL) and control (3.2 ± 3.0 U/mL) specimens. Plasma anti-Xa heparin measurements were also not different ( p = 0.95) between aprotinin-treated (2.7 ± 2.5 U/mL) and control (2.8 ± 2.5 U/mL) specimens. The relationship between whole blood (plasma equivalent) and plasma heparin measurements was similar ( p 0 = 0.1) in the presence (slope, 1.04; r 2 =0.89) or absence (slope, 1.11; r 2 = 0.89) of aprotinin. In contrast to weak correlations between celite ( r = 0.50) or kaolin ( r = 0.53) activated clotting time values, whole blood heparin measurements correlated well ( r = 0.93) with plasma heparin measurements during cardiopulmonary bypass in the presence of aprotinin. These findings indicate that whole blood heparin measurements are unaffected by aprotinin and correlate well with plasma anti-Xa heparin measurements even in the presence of aprotinin. Therefore, the automated protamine titration assay can be used to monitor accurately heparin concentrations in patients receiving aprotinin.
FACILITATING ROLE TRANSITION FOR NEW GRADUATE RNS IN A SEMI-RURAL HEALTHCARE SETTING

This study describes and evaluates a structured program for orientation of new graduate registered nurses in a setting that has increased the number of new graduate RNs hired in recent years. It describes the elements of a supportive environment for new RNs and brings attention to the need to develop support and recognition of nurse preceptors, who are noted to be the cornerstone of support for new RNs as they make the transition from student to accomplished professional.
Interaction of humic and fulvic acids with Th(IV)

Abstract The binding of Th(IV) to three humic and two fulvic acids has been studied using a solvent extraction technique. The results are interpreted to indicate the formation of two types of thorium binding sites in the humic polymer containing one or two carboxylate groups. High complex stability is observed and thorium humate binding constants increase with increasing ionization of the humic (fulvic) acid polyelectrolyte. The results are interpreted using a modified Born equation for electrostatic interaction. Thermodynamic results indicate that the great stability of these complexes is derived from a very favorable complexation entropy.
A knowledge based system for combined just-in-time and material requirements planning

Abstract A knowledge based simulation model for combined Just-in-Time/Material Requirements Planning systems is presented. The model written in PROLOG includes two expert systems, one for Kanban logic and the other for job shop control. The model is applied to an electronics assembly plant. Factors related to demand variability, vendor lead time variability and buffer sizing are examined. Knowledge based simulation modeling is found to be an effective approach for examining such combined systems in a real world environment.
Sex similarities in occupational status attainment: Are the results due to the restriction of the sample to employed women?

Abstract Research on sex differences in occupational attainment suggests that working men and working women attain essentially the same mean level of occupational attainment and do so through quite similar processes. A possible explanation for these similarities is that the sample of working women contains an overrepresentation of successful women, since women who can afford not to work will stay out of the labor force unless they find a job commensurate with their education. This we define as a censoring problem. By extending a technique developed by Heckman, we can estimate the structural parameters for all women, regardless of current employment status. This procedure allows us to assess the impact of the censoring problem on women's occupational attainment equations.
DNA interstrand cross-linking by a mycotoxic diepoxide.

Abstract The diepoxide mycotoxin (2R, 3R, 8R, 9R)-4,6-decadiyne-2,3:8,9-diepoxy-1,10-diol (repandiol) was both isolated from the mushroom Hydnum repandum and synthesized de novo. Repandiol was found to form interstrand cross-links within a restriction fragment of DNA, linking deoxyguanosines on opposite strands primarily within the 5′-GNC and 5′-GNNC sequences preferred by diepoxyoctane. However, repandiol was a significantly less efficient cross-linker than either of the diepoxyalkanes (diepoxyoctane and diepoxybutane) to which it was compared.
Effects of feminine hygiene products on the vaginal mucosal biome

Background: Over-the-counter (OTC) feminine hygiene products come with little warning about possible side effects. This study evaluates in-vitro their effects on Lactobacillus crispatus , which is dominant in the normal vaginal microbiota and helps maintain a healthy mucosal barrier essential for normal reproductive function and prevention of sexually transmitted infections and gynecologic cancer. Methods: A feminine moisturizer (Vagisil), personal lubricant, and douche were purchased OTC. A topical spermicide (nonoxynol-9) known to alter the vaginal immune barrier was used as a control. L. crispatus was incubated with each product for 2 and 24h and then seeded on agar for colony forming units (CFU). Human vaginal epithelial cells were exposed to products in the presence or absence of L. crispatus for 24h, followed by epithelium-associated CFU enumeration. Interleukin-8 was immunoassayed and ANOVA was used for statistical evaluation. Results: Nonoxynol-9 and Vagisil suppressed Lactobacillus growth at 2h and killed all bacteria at 24h. The lubricant decreased bacterial growth insignificantly at 2h but killed all at 24h. The douche did not have a significant effect. At full strength, all products suppressed epithelial viability and all, except the douche, suppressed epithelial-associated CFU. When applied at non-toxic dose in the absence of bacteria, the douche and moisturizer induced an increase of IL-8, suggesting a potential to initiate inflammatory reaction. In the presence of L. crispatus , the proinflammatory effects of the douche and moisturizer were countered, and IL-8 production was inhibited in the presence of the other products. Conclusion: Some OTC vaginal products may be harmful to L. crispatus and alter the vaginal immune environment. Illustrated through these results, L. crispatus is essential in the preservation of the function of vaginal epithelial cells in the presence of some feminine hygiene products. More research should be invested toward these products before they are placed on the market. Keywords: Lactobacillus; L. crispatus; cytokines; Interleukin-8; Nonoxynol-9; vaginal microbiota; vaginal epithelial colonization; mucosal immunity (Published: 25 February 2013) Citation: Microbial Ecology in Health & Disease 2013, 24 : 19703 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/mehd.v24i0.19703
Team Effectiveness in Multinational Organizations: Evaluation Across Contexts

Incorporating team context into research and practice concerning team effectiveness in multinational organizations is an ongoing challenge. The authors argue that a common measure of team effectiveness with demonstrated equivalence across contexts expands current theoretical developments and addresses team implementation needs. To this end, the article describes methods, techniques, and results obtained in developing a comprehensive team effectiveness survey across six multinational organizations in four geographic regions. The authors discuss inductively deriving dimensions of effectiveness using interview data, translation procedures with innovative bilingual pilot testing, and multiple constituency validation. The study concludes with implications for future cross-cultural research on team effectiveness and beyond in other areas of international management.
Praxis and writing in a right-hander with crossed aphasia

Studies of patients with brain lesions have demonstrated that language and praxis are mediated by dissociable networks. However, language has the capacity to influence the selection of purposeful actions. The abilities to use language and to program purposeful movements are often mediated by networks that have anatomic proximity. With hemispheric injury, the diagnosis of apraxia is often confounded by the specific influence of language impairments on the ability to select and produce transitive gestures. We report a patient who illustrates this confound. This patient is a right-handed man who developed global aphasia and neglect after a right hemispheric stroke. His right hand remained deft, and when asked to produce specific transitive gestures (pantomimes), he often performed normally but did make some body part as object and perseverative errors. However, he did not demonstrate the temporal or spatial errors typical of ideomotor apraxia. He also had a perseverative agraphia. Our patient's left hemisphere praxis system appeared to be intact, and the error types demonstrated during production of transitive gestures cannot be attributed to a degradation of postural and movement (praxis) programs mediated by his left hemisphere. The praxis errors types are most consistent with a deficit in the ability to select the necessary praxis programs. Thus, our patient appeared to have dissociation between language and praxis programs that resulted in body part as object and perseverative errors.
Expression of glutathione S-transferase II in benign mucosa, Barrett's metaplasia, and adenocarcinoma of the esophagus

Background Glutathione s-transferase π (GSTπ) is an enzyme that provides cellular protection against redox-mediated damage by free radicals, which have been implicated in carcinogenesis. Methods Forty-three consecutive specimens from 19 patients were reviewed to identify samples of squamous mucosa, Barrett's metaplasia, adenocarcinoma, and peritumoral inflammation. Serial sections were stained with an anti-GSTπ polyclonal antibody, and GSTπ expression was quantified for each histologic group. Results GSTπ expression was diminished in peritumoral mononuclear inflammatory cells (p 50% of adenocarcinoma cells was associated with an increased risk (2.25×) of disease at last follow-up. Conclusions GSTπ is prominently expressed in esophageal squamous mucosa and adenocarcinoma. Mononuclear cells may be susceptible to oxidative damage secondary to weak GSTπ production. GSTπ may protect the tumor cells themselves from the cytotoxic effects of free radicals. The biochemical role of GSTπ expression in malignant transformation deserves further investigation. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 24: 575–581, 2002
Galactokinase deficiency and mental retardation.

Abstract: Mental retardation has been previously associated with galactosemia resulting from a deficiency in a different enzyme, galactose-1-phosphate uridyl transferase. Cataracts are normally symptomatic of galactosemia, and are caused by galactose toxicity. Both severely retarded patients with galactosemia had cataracts. Galactose accumulation was also etiologic in the development of mental retardation in these two cases. Early treatment with a galactose-free diet is recommended for all infants and young children diagnosed with cataracts and galactokinase deficiency, in order to avoid mental retardation.
A Novel Mobility Management Scheme for Integration of Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks and Fixed IP Networks

Integration of vehicular ad hoc network and fixed IP network is important to provide Internet connection and mobile data service for vehicles. However, the unique characteristics of vehicular networks, such as linear topology and constrained movements of vehicles, are not considered in the conventional mobility management schemes. Using conventional schemes, unnecessary management messages are generated and the connections to roadside-installed base stations are not fully utilized. As the results, bandwidth is wasted and data delivery ratio is not maximized. In this paper, we propose a novel mobility management scheme to integrate vehicular ad hoc network and fixed IP networks more efficiently. The proposed scheme manages mobility of vehicles based on street layout as well as the distance between vehicles and base stations. Utilizing the unique characteristics of vehicular networks, the proposed scheme has substantially less mobility management overhead and higher data delivery ratio. The proposed scheme is simulated by SUMO (a vehicular traffic simulator) and QualNet (a data network simulator). The simulation results show that the proposed scheme reduced the mobility management overhead up to 63% and improved the data delivery ratio up to 90%.
Breathing Exercises for the Medical Patient: The Art and the Science

The art of breathing exercises can be traced to the late 1800s. In the past 10 years, the increased demand for treatment for respiratory muscle failure of dysfunction has resulted in numerous studies evaluating methods of treatment or training. This article provides an overview of research and practice, focused on treating the medical patient experiencing dyspnea or loss of respiratory muscle strength and endurance.
Self-management of pediatric asthma: four programs being studied.

S everal programs to promote self-management skills for children with asthma have been developed (American Lung Association; Evans et al., 1987; Fireman et al., 1981; Hindi-Alexander & Gropp, 1984; Lewis et al., 1984; National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute [NHLBI], “AIR POWER,” 1984; NHLBI, “AIR WISE,” 1984; NHLBI, “Living with Asthma,” 1985; NHLBI, “Open Airways,” 1984; Parcel et al., 1980). Each attempts to promote family control over the child’s asthma. Although the approaches vary in their particular characteristics (e.g., number of sessions, group vs individualized instruction, and depth of information presented), the programs teach children and parents about precipitating factors, medications, and appropriate behaviors during acute asthma episodes. The goal is for families to work in partnership with their physicians toward improved asthma management. Some specific asthma educational programs have been studied and have shown positive outcomes for participants. Benefits have included increased knowledge about the disease, reduction in the number of emergency room visits, decreased school absences, reduction in acute asthma attacks, better compliance and management behaviors, and a decrease in estimated health care costs. (For references that reported these benefits see Table 1.) A study is currently under way to compare directly the effectiveness of four different pediatric asthma self-management programs on patients from Group Health Inc. and Aspen Medical Group in the twin
Why do narcissists take more risks? Testing the roles of perceived risks and benefits of risky behaviors.

Much prior research demonstrates that narcissists take more risks than others, but almost no research has examined what motivates this behavior. The present study tested two potential driving mechanisms of risk-taking by narcissists (i.e., heightened perceptions of benefits and diminished perceptions of risks stemming from risky behaviors) by administering survey measures of narcissism and risk-taking to a sample of 605 undergraduate college students. Contrary to what might be expected, the results suggest that narcissists appreciate the risks associated with risky behaviors just as much as do less narcissistic individuals. Their risk-taking appears to instead be fueled by heightened perceptions of benefits stemming from risky behaviors. These results are consistent with a growing body of evidence suggesting that narcissists engage in some forms of potentially problematic behaviors, such as risk-taking, because of a surplus of eagerness rather than a deficit of inhibition.
‘Big Food’: taking a critical perspective on a global public health problem

Global increase in the consumption of low-nutrition products, such as soft drinks and processed foods, is associated with global increases in obesity and its associated diseases, most prominently t...
Is the renal type III corticosteroid-binding site the collecting duct-specific isoform of 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase?

In addition to mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptors, the kidney contains a third high affinity binding site for endogenous glucocorticoids, the type III receptor. These binding sites have been localized to the collecting duct, but their biological function has not yet been identified. We have used immunodissected rabbit cortical collecting duct (CCD) cells to further characterize these binding sites. Experiments using intact cells revealed very high levels of [3H]corticosterone (CS) binding (2.99 +/- 0.38 x 10(6) sites/cell), about 100-fold higher than the number of mineralocorticoid or glucocorticoid receptors in CCD cells. Among the two cell types of the collecting duct, principal cells, the putative targets of aldosterone, contain approximately 10 times more CS-binding sites than intercalated cells. The Kd of the binding sites for CS averaged 54.3 +/- 3.48 nM at 0 C. The relative affinity of unlabeled steroids for the binding sites is CS > carbenoxolone congruent to glycyrrhetinic acid > or =...
Placer: semantic place labels from diary data

Semantic place labels are labels like "home", "work", and "school" given to geographic locations where a person spends time. Such labels are important both for giving understandable location information to people and for automatically inferring activities. Deployed products often compute semantic labels with heuristics, which are difficult to program reliably. In this paper, we develop Placer, an algorithm to infer semantic places labels. It uses data from two large, government diary studies to create a principled algorithm for labeling places based on machine learning. Our labeling reduces to a classification problem, where we classify locations into different label categories based on individual demographics, the timing of visits, and nearby businesses. Using these government studies gives us an unprecedented amount of training and test data. For instance, one of our experiments used training data from 87,600 place visits (from 10,372 distinct people) evaluated on 1,135,053 visits (from 124,517 distinct people). We show labeling accuracy for a number of experiments, including one that gives a 14 percentage point increase in accuracy when labeling is a function of nearby businesses in addition to demographic and time features. We also test on GPS data from 28 subjects.
High Na intake increases renal angiotensin II levels and reduces expression of the ACE2-AT2R-MasR axis in obese Zucker rats

High sodium intake is known to regulate the renal renin-angiotensin system (RAS) and is a risk factor for the pathogenesis of obesity-related hypertension. The complex nature of the RAS reveals tha...
Unsupervised image embedding using nonparametric statistics

Embedding images into a low dimensional space has a wide range of applications: visualization, clustering, and pre-processing for supervised learning. Traditional dimension reduction algorithms assume that the examples densely populate the manifold. Image databases tend to break this assumption, having isolated islands of similar images instead. In this work, we propose a novel approach that embeds images into a low dimensional Euclidean space, while preserving local image similarities based on their scale invariant feature transform (SIFT) vectors. We make no neighborhood assumptions in our embedding. Our algorithm can also embed the images in a discrete grid, useful for many visualization tasks. We demonstrate the algorithm on images with known categories and compare our accuracy favorably to those of competing algorithms.
Responses of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to low oxygen indicate that growth in the cystic fibrosis lung is by aerobic respiration

Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients grows to high densities in mucopurulent material that is depleted in oxygen. Some have concluded that growth in these circumstances is dependent on anaerobic nitrate respiration. Here we present data in favour of the alternative hypothesis that microaerobic respiration is the predominant mode of P. aeruginosa growth in the cystic fibrosis lung. We found that P. aeruginosa strain PAO1 and a mucoid derivative of strain PAO1 each grew at dissolved oxygen concentrations of less than 3 microM. This is lower than the concentration of oxygen that has been measured in hypoxic cystic fibrosis mucous. A transcriptome analysis comparing cells grown under aerobic conditions (185 microM dissolved oxygen) with cells grown with 20 microM or 3 microM dissolved oxygen, or anaerobically with nitrate, revealed that overlapping sets of genes are expressed depending on oxygen availability. This suggests that P. aeruginosa responds to changes in oxygen concentration along a continuum rather than having a discrete low oxygen regulon. Any one of three high affinity terminal oxidases that P. aeruginosa encodes supported microaerobic growth. A triple mutant lacking all three of these oxidases failed to grow at low oxygen and formed abnormal biofilms.
Cooperative Control of Robot Formations

We describe a framework for controlling and coordinating a group of nonholonomic mobile robots equipped with range sensors, with applications ranging from scouting and reconnaissance, to search and rescue and manipulation tasks. We derive control algorithms that allow the robots to control their position and orientation with respect to neighboring robots or obstacles in the environment. We then outline a coordination protocol that automatically switches between the control laws to maintain a specified formation. Two simple trajectory generators are derived from potential field theory. The first allows each robot to plan its reference trajectory based on the information available to it. The second scheme requires sharing of information and enables a rigid group formation. Numerical simulations illustrate the application of these ideas and demonstrate the scalability of the proposed framework for a large group of robots.
Real-time simultaneous therapy and imaging for noninvasive HIFU surgery of prostate tissue

To achieve real-time simultaneous therapy and imaging for noninvasive HIFU (High Intensity Focused Ultrasound) surgery, reflected HIFU signals received by an imaging transducer should be removed. In this paper, we demonstrate that these interference signals can be significantly reduced in the formed B-mode image by implementing coded excitation and notch filtering on reception. To show the feasibility of this technique, we also propose a design of an integrated image/HIFU phased array transducer for treatment of malignant prostate tissues. A 14.4 mm × 28 mm prototype integrated image/HIFU transducer was built which consists of three single elements as preliminary experiments. When HIFU and imaging transducers were activated simultaneously, high amplitude 4 MHz and 8 MHz signals were detected by the 6 MHz imaging transducer. After notch filtering, one scanline produced by the 13-bit Barker code excitation with 2 cycles or 3 cycles per bit displayed a sidelobe level less than −40 dB, while the conventional 2-cycle sinusoidal pulse excitation produced a maximum sidelobe level of −30 dB. These results agree with those obtained with a Field II simulation.
Mechanistic Approaches in the Study of Testicular Toxicity: Toxicants that Affect the Endocrine Regulation of the Testis

This review will expand on the themes presented by Heindel and Treinen (1988). As a prelude to describing where selected compounds act on the endocrine regulation of the testis and the theories about their mechanisms, we will briefly review some of the central pathways that underlie this control. After reviewing some’ studies that define the site of action of lead on the reproductive system, we will discuss the “signature” lesion caused by androgen deficiency, and then move on to an evaluation ofthe effects ofan antiandrogen (flutamide) on the male reproductive system. Finally, some consideration will be given to alterations in hepatic function which modify circulating levels of androgens.
Size-based scheduling to improve web performance

Is it possible to reduce the expected response time of every request at a web server, simply by changing the order in which we schedule the requests? That is the question we ask in this paper.This paper proposes a method for improving the performance of web servers servicing static HTTP requests. The idea is to give preference to requests for small files or requests with short remaining file size, in accordance with the SRPT (Shortest Remaining Processing Time) scheduling policy.The implementation is at the kernel level and involves controlling the order in which socket buffers are drained into the network. Experiments are executed both in a LAN and a WAN environment. We use the Linux operating system and the Apache and Flash web servers.Results indicate that SRPT-based scheduling of connections yields significant reductions in delay at the web server. These result in a substantial reduction in mean response time and mean slowdown for both the LAN and WAN environments. Significantly, and counter to intuition, the requests for large files are only negligibly penalized or not at all penalized as a result of SRPT-based scheduling.