cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PS1-45: Prevalence of Statin Intolerance in a High Risk Cohort and Management Strategies in Contemporary Cardiology

Background/AimsStatins are the mainstay of lipid-lowering therapy in contemporary medicine because of their well-established efficacy for reducing cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality in various at-risk populations. However, as many as 20% of individuals with a clinical indication for statin therapy are unable to take a daily statin due to some degree of intolerance. It is unknown what the most appropriate treatment is for these patients. We analyzed how this cohort of patients at high risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality is managed in contemporary cardiology.MethodsUsing our electronic health record (EHR) database, EPIC software, we identified patients who were older than 18 years with a high-risk indication for statin therapy; known coronary artery disease, known atherosclerotic disease, or diabetes. We identified those patients as statin intolerant if they had no recent history of statin use and were documented to have been prescribed at least one statin in the past.ResultsA total of 63,624 high-risk patients met the eligibility criteria, with over 85% (54,536 patients) receiving a statin, although 5.1% (2,794 patients) were taking a ubiquinol supplement. Of the 9,088 (14.3%) statin intolerant patients, ~1/3 had tried 2 or more statins. Only 21% (1879 patients) were identified as having a statin allergy and 48 (0.5%) had a history of rhabdomyolysis with statin use. We found that 4448 patients (48.9%) were on alternative lipid-lowering medications with omega 3 supplements being most common (28.3%, 1257 patients) followed by ezetimibe (17.2%, 764 patients), fibrates (10.8%, 482 patients), and niacin (5.2%, 229 patients).ConclusionsManagement of statin intolerance in a high-risk contemporary cohort of patients is challenging for modern-day health care providers. No strategies have been studied to assess long-term outcomes leading to marked variability in management. A clinical trial is warranted to assess the best treatment approach for this subset of the population who are at high risk for adverse cardiac events.
Using Children's Literature and Drama to Explore Children's Lives in the Context of Global Conflicts

This article examines children's literature that depicts people undergoing political conflict and war in a post-WWII era. These books portray political conflicts, refugees' relocation, and settlement in different countries. Using these books with drama inspired activities can help students gain awareness and empathetic attitudes toward those in a global community.
Aversiveness of traditional psychiatric patient restriction

This article is a literature review of traditional psychiatric patient restriction and the consequential harm that the patient experiences. Though the obtainment of theoretical objectives and short-term overt behavioral results appear to be gained through psychiatric constraint measures, injurious effects to the patient have been recorded with resultant impediment to the restoration of psychological health. This article asserts the necessity for the use of alternative measures, which have been shown to be successful in restoring control while maintaining and promoting the dignity and psychological health of the patient.
Two-stage regression model of thermal comfort in office buildings

Models of the predicted mean vote (PMV) play an important role in evaluation of thermal comfort and control design of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. In this article, we present a novel two-stage regression representation of the ASHRAE empirical PMV model that incorporates architectural parameters and control variables as predictors. Extensive measurements from an office building are used to develop and validate the regression model. The resulting model can predict the PMV in different rooms accurately in both short-term and long-term. Over a period of four weeks, for example, the predictions of the PMV have a root mean squared error less than 0.04 with a coefficient of determination larger than 0.96.
Glucose, Nitrogen, and Phosphate Repletion in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Common Transcriptional Responses to Different Nutrient Signals

Saccharomyces cerevisiae are able to control growth in response to changes in nutrient availability. The limitation for single macronutrients, including nitrogen (N) and phosphate (P), produces stable arrest in G1/G0. Restoration of the limiting nutrient quickly restores growth. It has been shown that glucose (G) depletion/repletion very rapidly alters the levels of more than 2000 transcripts by at least 2-fold, a large portion of which are involved with either protein production in growth or stress responses in starvation. Although the signals generated by G, N, and P are thought to be quite distinct, we tested the hypothesis that depletion and repletion of any of these three nutrients would affect a common core set of genes as part of a generalized response to conditions that promote growth and quiescence. We found that the response to depletion of G, N, or P produced similar quiescent states with largely similar transcriptomes. As we predicted, repletion of each of the nutrients G, N, or P induced a large (501) common core set of genes and repressed a large (616) common gene set. Each nutrient also produced nutrient-specific transcript changes. The transcriptional responses to each of the three nutrients depended on cAMP and, to a lesser extent, the TOR pathway. All three nutrients stimulated cAMP production within minutes of repletion, and artificially increasing cAMP levels was sufficient to replicate much of the core transcriptional response. The recently identified transceptors Gap1, Mep1, Mep2, and Mep3, as well as Pho84, all played some role in the core transcriptional responses to N or P. As expected, we found some evidence of cross talk between nutrient signals, yet each nutrient sends distinct signals.
892 OUTCOMES OF PATIENTS WITH PATHOLOGIC LYMPH NODE METASTASES TREATED WITH RADICAL PROSTATECTOMY; THE PROGNOSTIC VALUE OF PREOPERATIVE RADIOGRAPHIC LYMPHADENOPATHY

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Management of patients (pts) with CRPC remains a challenge in clinical practice. METHODS: A survey was performed from Dec 2009 to May 2010 among urologists and oncologists in France (FR), Germany (DE), Italy (IT), Spain (ES), and the UK concerning the management of prostate cancer (PC) pts. We report on characteristics of the CRPC population and their current treatment regime. Pt characteristics were derived from a pt record form completed by physicians. RESULTS: A total of 191 urologists (52% academic institutions) and 157 medical/clinical oncologists completed the survey. 40% (n 1405) of pts had CRPC and of these 35% (n 487) had metastatic CRPC. CRPC pts had a mean age of 71 years, 35% were current or ex-smokers and 10% had a family history of PC. The majority of CRPC pts had 2 co-morbidities, primarily hypertension (64%) and diabetes (33%). Bone metastases were most common (77%), followed by liver (35%) and lung (26%). The majority of physicians believed that pts would stop responding to initial hormone therapy between 19–24 months. 58% and 49% of CRPC pts terminated the 1 and 2 treatment regimen due to disease progression. 85% of physicians considered PSA the most important method to assess disease progression. After failure of initial luteinizing hormone releasing hormone agonist (LHRHa) defined by elevated PSA, 49% of all European physicians opted to change to LHRHa antiandrogen (AA) or to another LHRHa (20%) (Figure). A switch from one LHRHa to another LHRHa is common in DE (29%), FR (26%) and IT (24%). In all countries, CRPC pts who required chemotherapy, would initially receive this without LHRHa (Figure). CONCLUSIONS: From this EU survey, 40% of all PC pts seen in daily practice have CRPC, which develops approximately after 19–24 months on LHRHa. When CRPC pts fail initial LHRHa, most European physicians add AA or switch to another LHRHa, and if CRPC pts undergo chemotherapy, this is usually given without LHRHa. Based upon the literature, LHRHa treatment should be maintained during chemotherapy [Manni et al. J Clin Oncol 1988; 6(9):1456–66; Taylor CD et al. J Clin Oncol 1993;11:2167–72; Heidenreich et al. Guidelines on prostate cancer. EAU; April 2010] Source of Funding: Astellas Pharma Europe
How Effective are Strong Interactions

Effective interactions and transition operators have a long history in nuclear physics. From the early works of Brueckner and Bethe to the present time, microscopic approaches based on realistic nucleon–nucleon interactions, fit to phase shifts, have produced many useful results and insights. Recently, an ab initio approach has been developed that successfully weds a no-core finite basis state treatment, conserving center of mass motion, with an Hermitian effective Hamiltonian derived from realistic two-nucleon and tri-nucleon interactions. We present this approach with a sample of recent results.
Effect of Flow Diversions on Contaminant Transport Modeling in the Niagara River

A numerical model is formulated to simulate one-dimensional transport of a conservative tracer through the Niagara River, from Fort Erie to Niagara-on-the-Lake. The model accounts for flow splits at Grand and Navy islands and, more significantly, incorporates the operations of the New York Power Authority and Ontario Hydropower. These involve large-scale diversions and temporary storage of water for power production, resulting in a dispersion-like effect on the breakthrough curves for the tracer at Niagara-on-the-Lake. In comparison with straight through-flow calculations, the model results indicate an increase in mean residence times by up to 25% and decreases in peak concentrations by up to 50%, depending on the time of day the contaminant release occurs. In addition, the model shows the distribution of tracer mass remaining in the system after a typical sampling program, as currently followed in the Niagara River Toxics Management Plan. This allows a determination of optimal timing for sampling in order to maximize mass recovery. The model provides a tool to help understand transport in this complex hydraulic system.
On the modification and predictive validity of covariance structure models

The relationship between model modification and predictive validity in covariance structure models is studied. It is shown that a function of the modification index (MI) (Joreskog and Sorbom, 1986; Sorbom, 1989) is asymptotically equivalent to changes in the predictive validity of the model as measured by Akaike's (1973; 1987) information criterion (AIC). Given this equivalency, it is argued that competing models should be modified independently in substantively plausible directions. The choice among the modified competing models should be made via the AIC. However, given the unreliable nature of the modification index as a specification error search tool, it is argued that a combination of the MI and expected parameter change methodology advocated by Saris, Satorra, and Sorbom (1987) and Kaplan (1990a, 1990b) may be more useful for guiding specification error searches. Implications for modeling practice are discussed.
Atomic force and opticalmicroscopy characterization of the deformation of individual carbon nanotubes and nanofibers

A popular technique for characterizing the mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes is to apply a one-dimension axial compression and measure its response to the compressive force. At some critical compression, a dramatic decrease in the force is observed. This has previously been attributed to Euler buckling, allowing the elastic modulus to be calculated from the Euler buckling force. We have attached individual plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) grown carbon nanofibers (CNFs) and thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) grown carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to the apex of an atomic force microscope (AFM) cantilever to examine this mechanical response. By combining the force measurements and simultaneous video microscopy, we are able to observe the mechanical deformation and correlate points in the force curve with phenomena such as slipping and bending. Analysis of the mechanical response must therefore be interpreted in terms of bending and/or slipping of a tube compressed by an off-normal force.
Syntheses of β-hydroxyselenides and selenides from 1,2,3-selenadiazoles: Selenophilic reaction of phenylmagnesium bromide on α-selenoketones

α-Selenoketones were prepared starting from 1,2,3-selenadiazoles and α-haloketones and were reduced to corresponding β-hydroxyselenides. The action of phenylmagnesium bromide on α-selenoketones was studied. Selenium was the site of nucleophilic attack by Grignard reagent.
Attitudes toward westbound refugees in the East German press

Churchill is supposed to have characterized Russia as an enigma inside a riddle wrapped in a mystery. This description seems to apply-mutatis mutandis-to all totalitarian systems; we know too little about them. What is relatively accessible, however, are their newspapers. Admittedly, the press is not the most reliable source of information in any social system but, with other avenues of research often closed, it is especially intriguing to study newspapers, trying to make them yield information and even predictions. This study is an attempt to do just that by considering the reaction of the East German Communist party press to the refugee problem in the months before the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961.1 It is a post-factum analysis, and the predictive power of the conclusions drawn from the results is, of course, limited to a narrow range of similar situations. The hypotheses of this study rest on the assumption that the German Democratic Republic is a modern industrialized state and that the foremost aim of every state is its own survival as a functioning social system (Marschak, 1959). Janowitz (1957) characterizes the state as a "territorially based social system which monopolizes the use of the instruments of violence for both internal and external objectives" (p. 9). We assume
Psychiatry in community mental health centers: Everyone can win

The purpose of this paper is to describe the psychiatrist's role in community mental health programs, beginning with the evolution of psychiatric involvement in community mental health centers (CMHCs). There is a discussion of the current state of psychiatry in community mental health programs with descriptions of the types of roles psychiatrists occupy and their thoughts about those roles. The concluding sections focus on the ways psychiatrists can be utilized in community mental health programs so that both the psychiatrist and the agency benefit and are satisfied.
A Short Polypeptide from the Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 ICP10 Gene Can Induce Antigen Aggregation and Autophagosomal Degradation for Enhanced Immune Presentation

It has been reported that certain polypeptides derived from aggregation-prone cellular proteins can turn soluble green fluorescent protein (GFP) into aggregates. Here we report our finding that a short peptide derived from a viral gene, ICP10 of herpes simplex virus (HSV)-2, also possesses such a property. A sequence as short as 13 amino acids from the middle region of the gene can convert GFP into an aggregation-prone toxic protein once it is fused to the C terminus. Moreover, this short peptide can direct a surrogate tumor antigen into the autophagosome/lysosome degradation pathway, drastically increasing both MHC class I and class II antigen presentation. The simultaneous induction of both arms of the T cell immune response to the tumor antigen effectively protects the immunized animals from tumor challenge. Designated VIPA (i.e., viral inducer of protein aggregation), this unique viral sequence may represent an attractive candidate as a molecular adjuvant for cancer immunotherapy and for other immunologically preventable diseases.
It’s All in the Family: Family Counseling for Depressed Children:

This article illustrates how to treat children and their families from an integrative family systems approach. First, the authors provide a brief overview of family systems perspective and how various systems approaches have been found to be effective for children and adolescents with depression. The authors then stress the importance of applying systems perspective in a holistic sense whereby all of the various social domains that have an affect on the children and their depression are addressed. Such application includes consultation with the schools and broader social contexts.
Fat fractions and spectral T2 values in vertebral bone marrow in HIV- and non-HIV-infected men: a 1H spectroscopic imaging study.

Fat fractions and spectral T2 values of fat and water within the vertebral marrow of non-HIV- and HIV-infected men were measured with the use of a Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) line scan spectroscopic imaging sequence. The fat fraction for the HIV-infected men (0.29 ± 0.08) was significantly lower (P < 0.05, Student's unpaired t-test) than the fat fraction found in non-HIV-infected men (0.40 ± 0.12). The mean water and fat T2 values did not differ between the two groups, and did not show any systematic dependence on fat fraction over the wide range of fat fractions encountered in this study. The marrow water and fat T2 values measured with the CPMG approach were markedly longer than the spectral T2 values reported by other groups using the more common point-resolved spectroscopy (PRESS) and stimulated-echo acquisition mode (STEAM) acquisitions. Proton spectroscopic studies of vertebral marrow revealed differences between non-HIV- and HIV-infected men that may prove useful for studying the effects of this disease and/or antiretroviral agents on body composition. Magn Reson Med 52:552–558, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
THE ORBITS OF THE URANIAN SATELLITES AND RINGS, THE GRAVITY FIELD OF THE URANIAN SYSTEM, AND THE ORIENTATION OF THE POLE OF URANUS*

French et al. determined the orbits of the Uranian rings, the orientation of the pole of Uranus, and the gravity harmonics of Uranus from Earth-based and Voyager ring occultations. Jacobson et al. determined the orbits of the Uranian satellites and the masses of Uranus and its satellites from Earth-based astrometry and observations acquired with the Voyager 2 spacecraft; they used the gravity harmonics and pole from French et al. Jacobson & Rush reconstructed the Voyager 2 trajectory and redetermined the Uranian system gravity parameters, satellite orbits, and ring orbits in a combined analysis of the data used previously augmented with additional Earth-based astrometry. Here we report on an extension of that work that incorporates additional astrometry and ring occultations together with improved data processing techniques.
Patterns in the Expansion of U.S. Banks' Foreign Operations

Combining foreign direct investment theory with data on 32 countries from the Federal Reserve Board, we examined U.S. banks' patterns of foreign operations, including their levels of banking services and choice of organizational forms in host countries. Results generally supported predictions, but only in developed countries. The lack of support in rapidly growing markets of Asia and Latin America raises serious theoretical concerns, and presents fresh research opportunities into the global banking industry.
Pituitary-adrenocortical activity and avoidance-of-attack in mice ☆

Abstract Two experiments were conducted to determine the relationship between levels of the pituitary-adrenocortical hormones and avoidance responding in an agonistic situation. Mice with either very low or very high levels of these hormones exhibited an increased tendency to avoid attack compared to mice with intermediate hormone levels. This relationship is different from the relationship determined in other studies between the levels of these hormones and avoidance responding in shock-mediated situations and is opposite to that between the levels of these hormones and aggressiveness. It was suggested that the level of the pituitary-adrenocortical hormones contributes to the determination of the form and intensity of agonistic responses.
Using time-series intervention analysis to understand U.S. Medicaid expenditures on antidepressant agents.

Abstract Background Medicaid programs' spending on antidepressants increased from $159 million in 1991 to $2 billion in 2005. The National Institute for Health Care Management attributed this expenditure growth to increases in drug utilization, entry of newer higher-priced antidepressants, and greater prescription drug insurance coverage. Rising enrollment in Medicaid has also contributed to this expenditure growth. Objectives This research examines the impact of specific events, including branded-drug and generic entry, a black box warning, direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA), and new indication approval, on Medicaid spending on antidepressants. Methods Using quarterly expenditure data for 1991-2005 from the national Medicaid pharmacy claims database maintained by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a time-series autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) intervention analysis was performed on 6 specific antidepressant drugs and on overall antidepressant spending. Twenty-nine potentially relevant interventions and their dates of occurrence were identified from the literature. Each was tested for an impact on the time series. Forecasts from the models were compared with a holdout sample of actual expenditure data. Results Interventions with significant impacts on Medicaid expenditures included the patent expiration of Prozac ® ( P P =0.04), which reduced expenditures on Prozac ® and Paxil ® , respectively, and the 1997 increase in DTCA ( P =0.05), which increased spending on Wellbutrin ® . Except for Paxil ® , the ARIMA models had low prediction errors. Conclusions Generic entry at the aggregate level did not lead to a reduction in overall expenditures ( P >0.05), implying that the expanding market for antidepressants overwhelmed the effect of generic competition.
Spatial scan statistics with overdispersion

The spatial scan statistic has been widely used in spatial disease surveillance and spatial cluster detection for more than a decade. However, overdispersion often presents in real-world data, causing not only violation of the Poisson assumption but also excessive type I errors or false alarms. In order to account for overdispersion, we extend the Poisson-based spatial scan test to a quasi-Poisson-based test. The simulation shows that the proposed method can substantially reduce type I error probabilities in the presence of overdispersion. In a case study of infant mortality in Jiangxi, China, both tests detect a cluster; however, a secondary cluster is identified by only the Poisson-based test. It is recommended that a cluster detected by the Poisson-based scan test should be interpreted with caution when it is not confirmed by the quasi-Poisson-based test. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Coherence effects from visible light to X-rays

Abstract The development of the concept of coherence of light and its application for experiments in the XUV range are reviewed. Coherence was originally defined by the visibility of interference fringes, and the main effort of early work was to produce coherency from non-coherent, chaotic or thermal sources. With the invention of the laser, fully coherent light became available, leading to further clarification of the coherence concept. The laser offered the first possibility to observe easily interference effects between different, independent light sources. By providing many photons in a single mode, non-linear effects, such as the generation of higher harmonics or sum and difference frequencies became possible. The generation of non-classical fields, i.e. fields which are only allowed by quantum theory but have no analogue in classical physics, is a more recent development. Synchrotron sources in the XUV region are now reaching the brightness which visible light had at the beginning of the sixties and the first soft X-ray lasers are available. Brightness is now sufficient to prepare spatially coherent X-ray beam with sufficient intensity for holography or the observation of coherency effects in the fluctuations of the light intensity. Non-linear effects might become observable by mixing synchrotron radiation with laser light.
Electrode Potential-Dependent Anion Chemisorption and Surface Bond Polarization As Assessed by Density Functional Theory

The electrostatic field-dependent energetics of low-coverage halogen chemisorption on (111) planes of platinum, gold, silver, and mercury are examined by means of Density Functional Theory (DFT) using finite metal clusters, with the primary aim of describing such behavior in relation to potential-dependent halide adsorption at electrochemical interfaces. The general relationship between the field-dependent and electrode potential-dependent adsorption energies of such neutral and ionic species is clarified in terms of the static surface−adsorbate dipole moment, μS. The sensitivity of the DFT-based μS values to the metal cluster size and geometry is examined. Better agreement with experimental low-coverage μS estimates, obtained from work function−coverage data at metal−vacuum interfaces, requires metal clusters extending to at least second-nearest-neighbor atoms in the surface plane. The μS DFT values for metal−halogen bonding are also compared with experimental estimates extracted from electrochemical the...
Changing profiles of failed coronary angioplasty patients: Impact on surgical results

Abstract As more high-risk patients undergo percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), the changing profiles of PTCA patients who may require emergent coronary artery bypass grafting may alter operative morbidity and mortality. This study compared profiles of recent patients undergoing emergent coronary artery bypass grafting after a failed PTCA with earlier patients to determine their impact on operative results. From 1980 to 1988, 53 patients underwent emergent coronary artery bypass grafting after a failed PTCA at the Boston University Medical Center. These patients were divided into two groups based on the year of the PTCA: group I, 1980 to 1985 (n = 18); and group II, 1986 to 1988 (n = 35). Group II patients tended to be older (age ≥65 years, 47% group II versus 11% group I), were more likely to have unstable angina before PTCA (74% versus 33%), and had lower ejection fractions (0.53 ± 0.02 versus 0.63 ± 0.05) and more vessels with 50% or greater stenosis (2.1 ± 0.2 versus 1.6 ± 0.2). Nevertheless, there was no significant difference in the incidence of perioperative myocardial infarcts using enzyme and electrocardiographic criteria (37% in group II versus 39% in group I), 30-day operative mortality (11% in group II versus 11% in group I), or major postoperative complications (14% in group II versus 22% in group I). We conclude that despite the changing profiles of patients undergoing PTCA, which include older patients with more extensive coronary artery disease and lower ejection fractions, operative results after emergent coronary artery bypass grafting for failed PTCAs remain unchanged.
Safe Distance between Large-Diameter Rock Pipe Bursting and Nearby Buildings and Buried Structures

Owners of nearby utilities and structures often voice concerns about potential damage to their facilities—particularly during bursting and upsizing of large-diameter pipes in hard rock formations. This paper summarizes analytical and field studies of ground movements and vibrations associated with large-diameter pipe bursting when the pipe trench is in a rock formation. This research involved seven pipe-bursting field experiments in trenches in hard limestone located in Bowling Green, Ohio. Each experiment involved different parameters including trench width, bedding material, bursting system, pipe diameter, and upsize percentage. Ground vibrations and surface and subsurface vertical soil displacements were measured at pre-assigned locations from the pipe centerline. The heave above the pipe centerline turned to settlement as the perpendicular distance increased. The magnitudes of vertical subsurface and surface movements in narrower trenches were higher than were those of wider trenches. The analysis of the ground vibrations indicated that 3.35 m was a safe distance for residential buildings and 2.45 m for nearby buried structures.
The Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris and its role in the beginnings of modern rheumatology.

In the early hours of the morning of August 31, 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales, was a passenger in a Mercedes-Benz being driven at high speed through the fashionable 8th Arrondissement of Paris. Passing through a tunnel along the Seine River, the vehicle ran into a wall. An ambulance took her to the decidedly unfashionable 13th Arrondissement, where she was pronounced dead about 2 hours later at La Salpetriere Hospital. La Salpetriere, or saltpeter works (intriguing name for a hospital!), the largest hospital in Paris, has a fascinating history. About 400 years ago, an arsenal for the manufacture of munitions was relocated to the present Salpetriere site from across the river. Since gunpowder is largely a mixture of sulfur and saltpeter (KNO3), the site was referred to as the saltpeter works. This appellation has been applied to the successive institutions that have stood on this site, and persists to this day. Under Louis XIV, who reigned from 1643 to 1715, a large proportion — estimated as high as 10% — of the Paris population of 400,000 were homeless beggars. They were not just underprivileged, they had nothing: no money, no honest way to earn money, nothing to eat, nowhere to live. They were dressed in rags. Of course they had some alternatives: crime, begging, prostitution, and suicide. All these alternatives were employed. Clearly, this situation had the potential for major social disorder. At the same time, the middle of the 17th century saw the rise of concern for the poor, spearheaded by the efforts of St. Vincent de Paul. His influence, combined with the perceived need for greater social stability, prompted the King in 1656 to remove undesirable members of society from the streets by sheltering them in grand settings1. His motivation: “to put an end to …
Polymer-layered silicate nanocomposites: an overview

An overview of polymer–clay hybrid nanocomposites is provided with emphasis placed on the use of alkylammonium exchanged smectite clays as the reinforcement phase in selected polymer matrices. A few weight percent loading of organoclay in nylon 6 boosts the heat distortion temperature by 80°C, making possible structural applications under conditions where the pristine polymer would normally fail. A similar loading of clay nanolayers in elastomeric epoxy and polyurethane matrices dramatically improves both the toughness and the tensile properties of these thermoset systems. Glassy epoxy nanocomposites exhibit substantial improvement in yield strength and modulus under compressive stress–strain conditions. The latest development in polypropylene hybrids have yielded nanocomposites with improved storage moduli. Polyimide hybrids in thin-film form display a 10-fold decrease in permeability toward water vapor at 2 wt.% clay loading. In situ and melt intercalation processing methods are effective in producing reinforced polystyrene hybrids. Nitrile rubber hybrids show improved storage moduli and reduced permeabilities even toward gases as small as hydrogen. Poly(e-caprolactone)–clay nanocomposites prepared by in situ polymerization of e-caprolactone in organoclay galleries show a substantial reduction in water adsorption. Polysiloxane nanocomposites produced from poly(dimethylsiloxane) and organoclay mixtures have improved in tensile properties, thermal stability and resistance to swelling solvents. Organoclay-poly(l-lactide) composite film was obtained by solvent casting technique. Clay nanolayers dispersed in liquid crystals act as structure directors and form hybrids composites that can be switched from being highly opaque to highly transparent by applying an electric field of short duration.
Scaling up: the next challenge in environmental microbiology

Summary Great strides have recently been made in identifying and characterizing the staggering diversity of microorganisms conducting primary and secondary production, nutrient transformation and mineralization processes that underlie ecosystem and regional biogeochemical, trophodynamic and ecological change. We are now faced with the challenge of assigning and coupling function to structure in highly complex and interactive microbial communities mediating such change. Previous and ongoing ecophysiological work has shown that microbial processes controlled by environmental variables and limiting resources are highly specific in terms of what, when, where and why they are active, not to mention how they impact ecosystem dynamics. As such, it is imperative that we assess the activities and roles of key microbial ‘players’ along the appropriate environmental scales and gradients catalysing ecological change. Here, we discuss conceptual and technical challenges for some key microbially mediated environmental processes, problems and extremes that require synthesizing our growing knowledge of microbial community structure with emerging knowledge of function in aquatic ecosystems. We emphasize the importance of assessing ecological change over a range of relevant time scales that vary from minutes to millennia and spatial scales that range from microscale aggregates to ocean basins.
Tensile strength of Iβ crystalline cellulose predicted by molecular dynamics simulation

The mechanical properties of Iβ crystalline cellulose are studied using molecular dynamics simulation. A model Iβ crystal is deformed in the three orthogonal directions at three different strain rates. The stress–strain behaviors for each case are analyzed and then used to calculate mechanical properties. The results show that the elastic modulus, Poisson’s ratio, yield stress and strain, and ultimate stress and strain are highly anisotropic. In addition, while the properties that describe the elastic behavior of the material are independent of strain rate, the yield and ultimate properties increase with increasing strain rate. The deformation and failure modes associated with these properties and the relationships between the material’s response to tension and the evolution of the crystal structure are analyzed.
Depletion of the protein kinase VRK1 disrupts nuclear envelope morphology and leads to BAF retention on mitotic chromosomes.

Barrier to autointegration factor (BAF), which is encoded by the BANF1 gene, binds with high-affinity to double-stranded DNA and LEM domain–containing proteins at the nuclear periphery. A BANF1 mutation has recently been associated with a novel human progeria syndrome, and cells from these patients have aberrant nuclear envelopes. The interactions of BAF with its DNA- and protein-binding partners are known to be regulated by phosphorylation, and previously we validated BAF as a highly efficient substrate for the VRK1 protein kinase. Here we show that depletion of VRK1 in MCF10a and MDA-MB-231 cells results in aberrant nuclear architecture. The immobile fraction of green fluorescent protein (GFP)–BAF at the nuclear envelope (NE) is elevated, suggesting that prolonged interactions of BAF with its binding partners is likely responsible for the aberrant NE architecture. Because detachment of BAF from its binding partners is associated with NE disassembly, we performed live-imaging analysis of control and VRK1-depleted cells to visualize GFP-BAF dynamics during mitosis. In the absence of VRK1, BAF does not disperse but instead remains chromosome bound from the onset of mitosis. VRK1 depletion also increases the number of anaphase bridges and multipolar spindles. Thus phosphorylation of BAF by VRK1 is essential both for normal NE architecture and proper dynamics of BAF–chromosome interactions during mitosis. These results are consistent with previous studies of the VRK/BAF signaling axis in Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster and validate VRK1 as a key regulator of NE architecture and mitotic chromosome dynamics in mammalian cells.
Deoxycytidine methylation does not affect DNA-RNA hybrid formation or B-A transitions of (dG)n.(dC)n sequences

Abstract Optical thermal denaturation and circular dichroism (CD) experiments were performed with the following non-selfcomplementary duplex DNA, RNA and DNA.RNA hybrids: (I) dGAG3C3G3CTC.dGAGC3G3C3TC, (II) dGAG3m5C3G3m5CTC.dGAGm5C3G3m5C3TC, (III) rGAG3C3G3CUC.rGAGC3G3C3UC, (IV) dGAG3C3G3CTC.rGAGC3G3C3UC, (V) rGAG3C3G3CUC.dGAGC3G3C3TC, (VI) dGAG3m5C3G3m5CTC.rGAGC3G3C3UC, (VII) rGAG3C3G3CUC.dGAGm5C3G3m5C3TC. Duplex stabilities (delta G degrees at 60 degrees C) increase in the order: I less than IV less than II = V = VI less than VII less than III. Large enthalpic stabilization is associated with intrastrand stacking of guanosine (rG) residues. CD spectroscopy indicates B-form conformations for the unmethylated and methylated DNA (I,II), A-form geometry for the RNA (III), and DNA.RNA hybrid (IV - VII) conformations resembling but not identical to A-RNA. C5-methyldeoxycytidine does not significantly influence DNA conformation, DNA.RNA hybrid formation, or the ability of DNA to adopt an A-type conformation in trifluoroethanol solutions.
Learning to Lead: Strengthening the Practice of Community Leadership

This article presents a schema for education in community leadership, with an explication of three essential elements for learning to lead in communities. First, community leadership is presented as the authoritative action of citizens on behalf of the public good. Second, the distinctive dynamics of community interaction provide the settings demanding leadership and therefore set the patterns for learning to lead. Third, because leadership is rooted in the authority and power of followers, leadership development must focus less on the qualities of individual leaders and more on the social settings, processes, and needs that require and facilitate authoritative action: access to power, legitimation through support and accountability, effective community practices, and public work in public spaces. The article concludes with a description of practical wisdom as the core quality required of community leaders.
Mixed metal cyanide complexes derived from the CpCo(CN)3− anion

Abstract Reaction of the salt KCpCo(CN)3 (1) with zinc iodide leads to the formation of a highly insoluble Co(III)/Zn(II) polymeric chain. However, pyridine was found to disrupt the aggregate that is formed to yield a crystalline trimetallic complex consisting of two CpCo(CN)3 anions bridging a Zn(py)4 dication through the cyanide ligands, [CpCo(CN)2(μ-CN)]2Zn(py)4 (2). Along these same lines, reaction of CpCo(CN)2PPh3 (3) with AlCl3 or CoCl2 leads to the formation of a highly crystalline Co(II)/Co(III) diamond, [CpCo(PPh3)(μ-CN)2CoCl2]2 (4). Molecular structures of 1, 2, 3 and 4 were determined by single-crystal X-ray crystallography.
Managing wetland plant populations: Lessons learned in Europe may apply to North American fens

Despite a strong interest in fen management across temperate regions worldwide, fen plant population dynamics have not been examined in relation to succession and disturbance in North America. However, a number of rare perennials in North American fens are commonly believed to decline as these wetlands transition from open to closed canopy habitats. We investigated the applicability of existing European fen studies to North American fens by focusing on the population dynamics of one of these rare perennials, Trollius laxus (Ranunculaceae). We used projection matrix modeling to examine the subpopulation dynamics of T. laxus in created experimental canopy gaps, paired controls, and naturally occurring gaps in a forested fen; and compared the population dynamics of T. laxus to those of European perennial herbs that occupy traditionally managed fens and wet grasslands. On average, T. laxus subpopulations responded to experimental canopy gaps with first increasing, then declining stem and flower production and overall demographic success (i.e., population growth rate, λ). Competition from surrounding understory vegetation and litter accumulation were likely the major factors causing the declines. Life table response experiments revealed the importance of growth and stasis to differences in λ among T. laxus subpopulations. The demography of T. laxus was similar in several key ways to the demography of European species from fens and wet grasslands, suggesting that active management may be needed in many North American fens in order to conserve the rare and uncommon plants that are characteristic of these habitats. This active management might include establishing mowing, grazing, or selective logging practices that mimic traditional agricultural activities, while also reducing fertilizer runoff.
Biliary Atresia: A Transplant Perspective

Biliary atresia is the most common single pediatric liver disease leading to liver transplantation (LT) during childhood. Between 1995 and 2002, 42% of children undergoing their first liver transplant while enrolled in the Studies of Pediatric Liver Transplantation (SPLIT) did so for a primary diagnosis of biliary atresia. There have been a number of recent reviews and advances related to the detection, diagnosis, and pathogenesis of biliary atresia. The purpose of this review is to focus on aspects of biliary atresia that are directly relevant to LT as a modality for its treatment. In particular, this review will concentrate on (1) specific indications for LT in the setting of biliary atresia, (2) management issues in children awaiting LT, (3) special surgical approaches in transplantation for biliary atresia, and (4) outcomes after LT. Biliary atresia is a unique disease with a relatively well-characterized clinical course. Careful analysis of the clinical course permits identification of indications for and timing of LT (Table 1). Transplantation decisions should take into consideration therapeutic approaches to the specific indications and complications that have developed. Thus, the following sections will examine both indications for transplantation and the management of those clinical problems.
Tuition: $5,000. Textbooks: $600. Having Your Federal Student Aid Applied to December's Rent in August: Priceless

It has long been a maxim of the common law that rent does not accrue as a debt until the tenant has enjoyed the use of the land for the period for which it is payable. Thus, the general rule is that, unless bilaterally agreed otherwise, landlords cannot compel lessees to prepay rental expenses before they mature. But what happens when a federal regulation apparently allows, but does not require, institutions of higher education to disregard this longstanding principle when students living on campus have access to federal financial aid in excess of their tuition and fees? What if state consumer protection laws effectively prohibit this unilateral discretion? Finally, what if Congress's intent to preempt state laws involving the matter is not clear? Part II of this Comment sets this discussion's background by outlining 34 C.F.R. § 668.164(d), a United States Department of Education (USDE) financial aid disbursement regulation frequently interpreted as allowing institutions of higher education to require students living on campus to prepay an entire semester's rental expenses. This segment compiles the procedures currently in place at colleges and universities throughout Idaho and neighboring states, and examines schools' perceived rationale in taking advantage of this favorable regulation. Part III argues that common law norms and the Idaho Consumer Protection Act (ICPA) prohibit this aspect of section 668.164(d) from being implemented within the State of Idaho. Part IV briefly analyzes why the University of Idaho in particular is not exempt, as a constitutional corporation, from the application of Idaho law. Part V contends that Congress (acting through the USDE) did not explicitly or implicitly intend to preempt Idaho law, and that since Idaho law does not conflict with federal law, it must remain in force. Part VI bolsters the policy behind Idaho's landlord-tenant and consumer protection laws by illustrating the practical effect of procedural irregularities involving federal student aid. It concludes that since Idaho law is not preempted, colleges and universities do not have the discretion to oblige students to prepay these housing expenditures.
The Benefits of Demonstrating Military Power: Explaining British Post-Cold War Military Interventions

When and why do secure states use their military capabilities? I develop a theory that identifies a causal pathway between security and declining power and the initiation of conflict. States facing conditions of security and declining power are likely to find what Hans Morgenthau termed “a policy of prestige” attractive. States pursuing the policy of prestige seek to demonstrate military capabilities to arrest perceptions of decline and thus retain influence in world politics, but also seek to minimize the costs and risks of doing so. I use this theory to explain variation in British behavior in the post-Cold War era – a period over which Britain has regularly used military force but also shown substantial empirical variation in how it has responded to opportunities to use force. The theory explains the observed variation better than existing explanations, and has implications for international relations theory, as well as for our understanding of the foreign policy and force structure of secure states.
International Product Life Cycle: Introduction to Rapid Succession Theory

This paper introduces a new version of international product life cycle. It identifies six critical factors in international industrial development area which necessitate the articulation of a new theory of international product life cycle. The rapid succession theory is emerged from this need. It has four components: successive cycles, accelerating cycle speed, self feeding, and the ladder. Further development of this theory will make a major contribution to international marketing theory and practice.
Biochemistry, function, and hemostatic effectiveness of frozen human platelets.

SummaryBiochemistry, function, and hemostatic effectiveness of human platelets preserved by freezing with 5% DMSO (1, 2) were studied. Determination of platelet glycogen, β-glucuronidase (a lysosomal enzyme), and purine nucleoside phosphorylase (a cytoplasmic enzyme) showed that freezing and thawing caused a complex cell lesion. Hemostatic effectiveness of the frozen platelets was measured from the shortening of the bleeding time (template method) upon infusion of the platelets in patients with severe and stable thrombocytopenia due to bone marrow depression. The frozen platelets produced shortening of the bleeding time to a degree almost similar to that obtained with fresh platelets; however, the bleeding time was shorter 3 hr after infusion than soon after it, while increments in platelet count were greatest immediately after infusion. This finding indicates that frozen platelets carry a functional lesion from which they can rapidly recover in the circulation.In fact, this research demonstrates that fro...