cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Consequences of melt transport for uranium series disequilibrium in young lavas

Radioactive disequilibrium of238U nuclides is commonly observed in young lavas and has often been used to infer the rates of melting and melt migration. However, previous calculations do not actually include melt transport. Here we explore the behaviour of short-lived radionuclides in a new calculation that includes the fluid dynamics of melt segregation. We emphasize that series disequilibrium results from the differences in residence time of parent and daughter nuclides. Unlike previous models, contrasts in residence times are controlled by differences in transport velocities caused by melt separation and continued melt-solid interaction throughout the melting column. This “chromatographic” effect can produce larger excesses of both230Th and226Ra within the same physical regime compared to previous calculations which do not include melt transport. Using this effect to account for U-series excesses leads to radically different inferences about the rates of melt migration. Where previous models require rapid melt extraction, our calculation can produce larger excesses with slow melt extraction. Nevertheless, reproducing the large (226Ra/230Th) activity ratios observed in fresh mid-ocean ridge glasses is still problematic if the residence times are controlled solely by bulk equilibrium partitioning. While it still remains to be shown conclusively that the large226Ra excesses are produced during melting, our calculation only requires differences in transport velocities to produce secular disequilibrium. Thus we speculate that other processes, such as crystal surface interaction, may also contribute to the production of the observed excesses.
Did throwing stones shape hominid brain evolution

Abstract Early hominid evolution may have involved an interaction between lateralization to left brain of rapid motor sequencing (e.g., right handedness) and its selection via one-handed throwing of stones at small prey. Since a more redundant sequencer should permit faster orchestration of muscles, faster (and hence longer range) throws could have selected for encephalization. Secondary uses of the enlarged sequencer may have included tool-sharpening and manual gestures. Because an oral-facial sequencing area just below motor strip forms the core of modern language cortex, there may have been a common origin of handedness and language in redundant sequencing circuits selected by throwing success.
Atopic asthmatic patients have reduced airway inflammatory cell recruitment after inhaled endotoxin challenge compared with healthy volunteers

Background Atopic asthmatic patients are reported to be more sensitive to the effects of environmental endotoxin (LPS) than healthy volunteers (HVs). It is unknown whether this sensitivity is due to dysregulated inflammatory responses after LPS exposure in atopic asthmatic patients. Objective We sought to test the hypothesis that atopic asthmatic patients respond differentially to inhaled LPS challenge compared with HVs. Methods Thirteen allergic asthmatic (AA) patients and 18 nonallergic nonasthmatic subjects (healthy volunteers [HVs]) underwent an inhalation challenge to 20,000 endotoxin units of Clinical Center Reference Endotoxin (LPS). Induced sputum and peripheral blood were obtained at baseline and 6 hours after inhaled LPS challenge. Sputum and blood samples were assayed for changes in inflammatory cell numbers and cytokine and cell-surface marker levels on monocytes and macrophages. Results The percentage of neutrophils in sputum (%PMN) in induced sputum similarly and significantly increased in both HVs and AA patients after inhaled LPS challenge. However, the absolute numbers of leukocytes and PMNs recruited to the airways were significantly lower in AA patients compared with those seen in HVs with inhaled LPS challenge. Sputum levels of IL-6 and TNF-α were significantly increased in both cohorts, but levels of IL-1β and IL-18 were only significantly increased in the HV group. Cell-surface expression of Toll-like receptors 4 and 2 were significantly enhanced only in the HV group. Conclusions The airway inflammatory response to inhaled LPS challenge is blunted in AA patients compared with that seen in HVs and accompanied by reductions in airway neutrophilia and inflammasome-dependent cytokine production. These factors might contribute to increased susceptibility to airway microbial infection or colonization in AA patients.
The evolution of institutional effectiveness in the community college

The origins of institutional effectiveness are traced, its evolution within community colleges is described, the use of the term institutional effectiveness is analyzed, and a practical, operational definition of the term is presented.
Diarrhea A to Z: America to Zimbabwe

Purpose: To review international statistics on the morbidity and mortality of diarrhea, pathophysiology, global incidence, and implications for the clinical practice of nurse practitioners (NPs). Data sources: Selective review of literature. Conclusions: Because of ever-increasing international travel, immigration, and rising awareness of global health issues, NPs must be current on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diarrhea. Implications for Practice: Increased awareness of diarrhea as a significant international health issue mandates that NPs counsel clients who travel to high-risk areas about preventive measures to avoid exposure or manage symptoms while traveling. Guidelines for evidence-based treatments of diarrheal illness are widely available and should be followed.
Uniform exponential energy decay of wave equations in a bounded region with L2(0, ∞; L2 (Γ))-feedback control in the Dirichlet boundary conditions

Etant donne un ouvert borne Ω⊂R n , n≥2, on considere l'equation d'onde: W tt =ΔW dans (O,∞)×Ω, avec des conditions initiales W(o,x)=w o (x)∈L 2 (Ω), w 1 (o,x)=w 1 (x)∈H −1 (Ω), et des conditions aux limites non homogenes de type Dirichlet w(t,σ)≡u(t,σ) sur (o,∞)×Γ, Γ etant la frontiere de Ω
Flavonol glycosides from Cephalocereus senilis.

Abstract A new flavonol tetraglycoside, together with two known flavonol glycosides, kaempferol 7-rhamnoside and kaempferol 3-rhamnosyl(1→6) galactoside-7-rhamnoside, were isolated from fresh plant material of Cephalocereus senilis . The structure of the new compound was established as kaempferol 3- O -β- d -glucopyranosyl(1→2)- O -[α- l -rhamnopyranosyl(1→6)]-β- d -galactopyranoside-7- O -a- l -rhamnopyranoside based on spectroscopic data. The whole plant flavonoid chemistry was strikingly different from that found previously in chitin-treated cell suspension cultures of the same plant.
Cataracts and hernias: aspects of surgical practice in the fourteenth century.

Let me begin by paraphrasing a daughter's letter to her father, of June 1326: I haven't wanted to upset you, but I am suffering from an illness of the head that will totally deprive me of sight, though I may be able to tell light from dark. Can you please find someone there who can help me better than the doctors here? They are calling this illness “cataract”, and apparently it can be cured if mine is the right kind, though no one here says it is. The frightened daughter is the 25-year-old Princess Isabel, wife of Frederick of Austria, writing from Graz to her father James II of Aragon. Her anxious father wrote back immediately, asking her what her doctors said her symptoms were and what they thought had caused the illness, so that he could summon his own medical experts to see if they knew how she could be treated. Unfortunately, as it happened, James himself died the next year, before he could do anything further.
Selective solvents for the extraction of hydrocarbons

Because of their high boiling temperatures they are readily regenerated. Diethyleneglycol, which is widely used in industry, is much less suitable than these solvents from the standpoint of the properties that were studied.
The Unique Nature of Metal Cluster Oxidation

Oven based entrainment flow and supersonic expansion techniques are used to form small metal and metalloid molecules and to study their unusual oxidation behavior. These metal and metalloid molecules oxidize to form not only a distinct class of metal atom grouped cluster oxides and halides under kinetically as opposed to thermodynamically controlled conditions but also unusual (unexpected) excited electronic state product distributions. We exemplify this behavior with a focus on copper cluster oxidation, contrasting the emission spectra generated for the asymmetric and symmetric isomers of Cu2O and comparing these with theory. A subset of the oxidation studies touches on the sodium trimer - halogen atom reactions, (Na3 — X(C1,Br,I), which create a continuous electronic population inversion based on the chemical pumping of Na2 with laser amplifiers throughout the visible and the extension of these studies to copper and magnesium trimer halogenation.
Positional asphyxia in rollover vehicular incidents

Positional asphyxia occurs when a person is trapped in a position that does not allow for adequate ventilation. In many situations, including the case presented, this type of asphyxia is caused by a seatbelt holding a victim in a head-down position when their car is inverted. Due to strict protocols for routine spinal immobilization in blunt trauma patients, as well as the fact that major vehicular damage frequently accompanies rollover incidents, extrication of victims trapped in an inverted position is often significantly delayed. A previous study comparing routine out-of-hospital spinal immobilization in situations where spinal immobilization is not routinely performed on trauma victims suggests a slightly lower rate of neurologic impairment in patients without spinal immobilization. Given the precarious situation when a patient is trapped in an inverted and life-threatening position, we suggest that it may be more important to quickly remove the victim from the life-threatening position than to spend valuable time attending to spinal immobilization techniques. Depending on the circumstances, it may even be advisable to carefully attempt to turn the vehicle back over with the entrapped patient still inside. We present a case of death due to positional asphyxia in a rollover vehicular incident in which there was absence of lethal anatomically demonstrable traumatic injuries at autopsy. In retrospect, it is probable that the victim would have survived had he been immediately extricated or had the involved vehicle been carefully rolled upright so that the victim was no longer in an inverted position.
Cell-to-cell transmission of pathogenic proteins in neurodegenerative diseases

A common feature of many neurodegenerative diseases is the deposition of β-sheet-rich amyloid aggregates formed by proteins specific to these diseases. These protein aggregates are thought to cause neuronal dysfunction, directly or indirectly. Recent studies have strongly implicated cell-to-cell transmission of misfolded proteins as a common mechanism for the onset and progression of various neurodegenerative disorders. Emerging evidence also suggests the presence of conformationally diverse 'strains' of each type of disease protein, which may be another shared feature of amyloid aggregates, accounting for the tremendous heterogeneity within each type of neurodegenerative disease. Although there are many more questions to be answered, these studies have opened up new avenues for therapeutic interventions in neurodegenerative disorders.
Prosthetic valve endocarditis leading to valve replacement: a case study.

Abstract Infective endocarditis (IE) is a pathologic condition of native or prosthetic heart valves or endocardium, which may result in valve destruction and congestive heart failure. It occurs more frequently in men than in women, and there is an increased trend in the elderly. The following conditions predispose patients to IE: congenital and rheumatic heart disease, calcification or stenosis of a valve, prosthetic valve surgery, a previous episode of endocarditis, poor dentition, parenteral drug abuse, and placement of intravascular lines or devices. Effective treatment frequently involves a combination of intense antibiotic therapy and surgical repair. Risk of death from IE is related to age over 60, diagnosis of staphylococcal infection, involvement of an aortic or prosthetic valve, and the presence of any of the following sequelae of endocarditis: congestive heart failure, embolic phenomenon, and neurologic deficit. Clinicians should suspect endocarditis in patients presenting with fever of unknown origin and who are at risk for endocarditis. Timely evaluation with transthoracic or transesophageal echocardiography may identify patients in the early stages of endocarditis and direct the patient to definitive therapy. Early treatment of native and prosthetic valve endocarditis may decrease its overall morbidity and mortality. This case study illustrates some of the challenges in effectively managing prosthetic valve endocarditis.
Customer Engagement: Exploring Customer Relationships Beyond Purchase

Using qualitative studies involving executives and customers, this study explores the nature and scope of customer engagement (CE), which is a vital component of relationship marketing. We define CE as the intensity of an individual's participation in and connection with an organization's offerings and/or organizational activities, which either the customer or the organization initiate. We argue that it is composed of cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and social elements. Finally, we offer a model of CE, in which the participation and involvement of current or potential customers serve as antecedents of CE, while value, trust, affective commitment, word of mouth, loyalty, and brand community involvement are potential consequences.
Torsade de pointes complicating acute myocardial infarction: tHe importance of autonomic dysfunction as assessed by heart rate variability

Torsade de pointes is a polymorphic ventricular tachycardia associated with QT-interval prolongation rarely reported to occur in the setting of an acute myocardial infarction. Autonomic dysfunction has been implicated as a major stimulus for the development of this dysrhythmia. We describe the case of an 80-year-old woman who presented with an acute myocardial infarction and progressive QT-interval lengthening. An 89-beat run of torsade de pointes occurred during the time of the peak creatine phosphokinase (CPK) without electrolyte abnormalities or antiarrhythmic therapy. Assessment of autonomic tone using power spectral analysis of two consecutive 24-h Holter recordings was performed indicating that a transient decrease in heart rate variability and increase in sympathetic tone preceded the tachyarrhythmia. This case shows the potential usefulness of heart rate variability analysis as a marker for autonomic dysfunction and arrhythmogenesis, particularly during myocardial ischemia.
Big bang nucleosynthesis

Abstract The precision of measurements in modern cosmology has made huge strides in recent years, with measurements of the cosmic microwave background and the determination of the Hubble constant now rivaling the level of precision of the predictions of big bang nucleosynthesis. However, these results are not necessarily consistent with the predictions of the Standard Model of big bang nucleosynthesis. Reconciling these discrepancies may require extensions of the basic tenets of the model, and possibly of the reaction rates that determine the big bang abundances.
The interaction of collagen with the hydrophobic fluorescent probe-2-p-toluidinylnaphthalene-6-sulfonate.

Three kinds of fluorescence enhancement result from the interaction of 2-p-toluidinylnaphthalene-6-sulfonate and calf-skin collagen. They are negatively cooperative, independent, and highly cooperative fluorescence enhancement. In the independent region at pH 3.7, the binding number is about 36 moles of 2-p-toluidinylnaphthalene-6-sulfonate per mole of tropocollagen with a binding constant of 2.0 × 104M−1; with ΔG = −5.7 kcal/mole, ΔH = −4.0 kcal/mole, and ΔS = 6 e.u. The pH dependence of fluorescence of native collagen shows that the deprotonated forms of the β and γ carboxyl groups of aspartic and glutamic acid decrease the intensity, possibly by charge repulsion of the negatively charged sulfonate group of 2-p-toluidinylnaphthalene-6-sulfonate. The positive charge of lysine is found to be unimportant in the interaction of 2-p-toluidinylnaphthalene-6-sulfonate with collagen. Fluorescence enhancement is caused mainly by the hydrophobic interactions of 2-p-toluidinylnaphthalene-6-sulfonate and collagen. Salt bridge formation between basic and acidic side chains in very low salt concentration may be detectable by 2-p-toluidinylnaphthalene-6-sulfonate fluorescence.
Correction of Intensity-Dependent Beam Loss in the NAL Booster Synchrotron

At beam currents above 1.5 × 1011 protons/ pulse in the 8-GeV booster synchrotron, part of the beam is lost during a time interval of 2 to 4 msec just before transition. Particles are lost from several of the 84 rf beam bunches while the number of particles in the other bunches does not change. Electromagnetic coupling between the betatron motion and the magnet laminations which are not shielded from the beam by a vacuum chamber may induce the head-to-tail effect and cause the loss. This effect is sensitive to the chromaticity, ? = (??/?)/(?p/p). Changing the chromaticity with dc sextupole magnets at three locations in the ring has eliminated the loss for beam currents as high as 4.5 × 1011 protons/pulse.
Increased Lysosomal Enzymes in Lungs of Ozone-Exposed Rats

Groups of rats were exposed continuously for five days at 0.7 ± 0.15 ppm ozone or for seven days at 0.79 ± 0.14 ppm ozone. The specific activities of the lysosomal hydrolases, acid phosphatase; β-N-acetylgIucosaminidase; cathepsins A, B, C, and D; and benzoylarginine-β-naphthyIamide (BANA) amidohydrolase, were measured In whole lung homogenates, cell-free particulates or light mitochondrial fractions, and in the supernatant fractions. Statistically significant increases in the specific activities of these hydrolases from the lungs of ozone-exposed rats were observed over those from control animals. The cause of the increases can be attributed to the infiltration of the lung by phagocytic cells In the inflammatory response induced by ozone. The increase in specific activities of the proteases and peptidases in the lungs is of significance when related to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cases of genetic deficiency of α1-antitrypsin factor.
Raf-1 Kinase Is Required for Cardiac Hypertrophy and Cardiomyocyte Survival in Response to Pressure Overload

Background— Cardiac hypertrophy is a common response to pressure overload and is associated with increased mortality. Mechanical stress in the heart results in the activation of the small GTPase ras and the Raf-1/MEK/ERK signaling cascade in addition to other signaling pathways. Methods and Results— In an attempt to determine the requirement for the serine/threonine kinase Raf-1 in the pathogenesis of cardiac hypertrophy, we generated transgenic mice with cardiac-specific expression of a dominant negative form of Raf-1 (DN-Raf). DN-Raf mice appeared normal at birth, were fertile, and had normal cardiac structure and function in the absence of provocative stimulation. In response to pressure overload, cardiac extracellular signal–regulated kinase (ERK) activation was inhibited, but c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activation and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation were normal. DN-Raf mice were sensitized to pressure overload and the development of cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and >35% of animal...
Effect of Temperature on Residual Toxicity of Cyfluthrin Wettable Powder

Red flour beetles, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), were exposed for 0.5, 1, and 2 h at 20, 25, 30, and 35°C on concrete treated with 100 mg/m2 20% (AI) cyfluthrin wettable powder (WP) at biweekly intervals for 8 wk. Knockdown typically averaged 80–100% at all exposure intervals and temperatures until week 8, with no significant differences among temperatures. Although the overall F -test indicated a significant difference in survival among the 3 exposure intervals, the only significant difference detected was at week 4. After week 0, beetles exposed at 25, 30, and 35°C began to recover from knockdown, and by week 6 survival was at least 90%, with 1 exception. Survival of beetles exposed at 20°C was 0.0 and 7.5% for weeks 0 and 2, and <30% for weeks 4, 6, and 8. Beetles were able to tolerate exposure to cyfluthrin WP at successively lower temperatures as residues aged on the concrete.
Heterogeneity of human lymphocyte Fc receptors: Studies using heat-aggregated and antigen-complexed IgG from human, rabbit, guinea pig, horse and goat

We have studied the ability of human peripheral blood lymphocytes (HuPBL)4 to interact with IgG from several animal species. Three functions or activities that are reported to depend on an interaction between complexed IgG and HuPBL receptors (R) for the Fc piece of IgG (Fc gamma R) were compared: (1) antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC); (2) binding of heat-aggregated IgG (aggG); and (3) rosette formation with IgG-sensitized erythrocytes [RBC-A(gamma)]. IgG (and IgM) antibodies to chicken erythrocytes (CRBC) were purified from the sera of the following species after injection with CRBC stroma: (1) horse (Ho); (2) goat (Go); (3) rabbit (Ra); and (4) guinea pig (Gp). Good IgG-agglutinating antibody titers were obtained from each injected species. Using 51Cr-labeled CRBC targets and HuPBL effector cells, only Ra anti-CRBC IgG gave good ADCC at high dilutions. Ho and Go anti-CRBC (IgG) failed to give ADCC, and Gp anti-CRBC (IgG) gave approx. 30% of the level of kill as Ra. Ra Fab2 fragments of IgG antibody failed to produce ADCC. Treatment of HuPBL with Ra anti-lymphocyte serum (ALS) almost totally ablated ADCC, whereas HoALS failed to alter ADCC. Pretreatment of HuPBL with aggG showed that Ra or Hu aggG gave essentially equal inhibition of ADCC, Gp gave approx. 30% of the degree of inhibition as Hu and Ra, and Ho or Go aggG had essentially no effect of ADCC. These results confirmed the following order of ability of IgG to interact with HuPBL ADCC killer (K) cells: (Hu greater than or equal to)Ra greater than Gp much greater than Ho, Go. The data suggest that Gp IgG interacts with only a subpopulation (approximately 30%) of HuPBL K cells. The binding of aggG to total HuPBL failed to strictly correlate with the ADCC results or with the results of rosette formation between total HuPBL and CRBC-A(gamma). The observations suggest that there is a heterogeneity of Fc gamma R between K and non-K cell subpopulations of HuPBL both in terms of the type of complexed IgG they are able to bind, and in terms of species of origin of the IgG. The data also support contentions that Fc gamma R that bind RBC-A (gamma) complexes differ from those that bind aggG.
Human capital formation in professional sports: Evidence from the PGA tour

This paper examines human capital formation by professional golfers using a three step procedure. First, production functions relating golfers' earnings to their skills indicate that putting and driving distance are the most important skills, both in terms of magnitude and statistical significance. Between the two, putting is by far the more important.
Prostacyclin is an autocrine regulator in the contraction of oviductal smooth muscle

Background It was recently discovered that prostacyclin constituted 40-50% of prostaglandins (PG) produced by minced human oviduct. It is well established that prostacyclin relaxes vascular smooth muscle, but whether oviductal smooth muscle synthesizes prostacyclin and whether its contraction is affected by prostacyclin remain unclear. Methods Smooth muscle microdissected from human oviducts was used for the study. The expression of prostacyclin synthase (PGIS) and prostacyclin receptor (IP) was confirmed by Western blot analysis. Metabolites of [(3)H]PGH(2) were analysed for prostacyclin. Functional coupling of IP to adenyl cyclase was assessed by the accumulation of intracellular cAMP upon prostacyclin challenge. The presence of saturable, specific binding sites for prostacyclin was confirmed by binding assay. The identity of IP was further confirmed by RT-PCR and nucleotide sequence analysis. Finally, the effects of prostacyclin on muscle contraction were studied. Results Human oviductal smooth muscle expresses functionally active PGIS and IP. The IP expressed is the same as that cloned from human lung tissue. The ED(50) of prostacyclin to increase intracellular cAMP was 16 nmol/l. Prostacyclin dose-dependently decreased the amplitude of muscle contraction. Conclusions Human oviductal smooth muscle produces prostacyclin, which, in turn, decreases its contractility. Prostacyclin may regulate embryo transport.
Empirical models of the thermosphere and requirements for improvements.

Abstract The different types of variation in the thermosphere are briefly examined and the solar-activity effect is singled out for special attention. To this day, empirical models have made use of the decimetric solar flux F 10.7 as an index of the variable XUV radiation from the sun. To account for the change in the relative intensity of the different types of emissions in the course of the solar cycle, F 10.7 is made to perform double duty: The daily values are used to represent the day-to-day and “27-day” variations, while its averages over several solar rotations are used to represent the variations with the 11-year cycle. The availability of direct solar XUV data should eventually eliminate the need for such a make-shift procedure. Accuracy and continuity requirements of XUV intensity measurements are discussed and a strategy is outlined for sorting out the relevant features from the observational material and putting them to practical use in thermospheric modeling. It is suggested that future models of the diurnal and the geomagnetic variation use as a guide theoretical models which have achieved considerable success in qualitatively representing the observed phenomena.
The ovaries, ring gland, and neurosecretion during the second gonotrophic cycle in the housefly, Musca domestica.

Abstract Houseflies ( Musca domestica ) at 12 to 32 hr postoviposition showed a 19% decrease in the amount of stainable material in the median neurosecretory cells (MNC), but insects ovariectomized after oviposition had a 48% decrease in stained material by 2 hr postoviposition, which persisted. This decrease in neurosecretory material (NSM) from the neurosecretory cells after oviposition and ovariectomy was followed by a 45% increase in the synthesis of NSM. Implanting ovaries into flies after oviposition and ovariectomy lessened the decrease in the amount of stained NSM from the MNC by 20 to 40%. Insects that had their ring glands removed (-RG) during the late vitellogenic phase in the first gonotrophic cycle developed mature eggs in the first cycle, but when these eggs were oviposited, the second cycle of eggs was not activated and did not develop past stage 4 or 5, and the amount of stained material in the MNC decreased 45%. However, the -RG flies allowed to retain mature eggs in the first cycle did not show a decrease in stained NSM. Thus, storage and release of NSM is independent of the ring gland but dependent upon activated ovaries. The data suggest that the oostatic hormone is produced by NSM-activated ovaries which prevent the further release of NSM. Thus, when oviposition removes the source of oostatic hormone, NSM is released, which activates the next gonotrophic cycle to develop and to produce oostatic hormone. This interaction of NSM release with oostatic hormone production maintains the cyclicity of egg development in houseflies.
Cosolvent Effects of Modified Supercritical Carbon Dioxide on Cross-Linked Poly(dimethylsiloxane)

Supercritical fluid chromatography is a powerful technique for analysis, and it also provides a useful tool for the measurement of thermodynamic properties. For any application, the method involves equilibration between the mobile supercritical fluid phase and the polymeric stationary phase. The mobile-phase properties are often modified substantially with the addition of polar or protic cosolvents, but these adducts also cause changes in the stationary phases. In situ FTIR spectroscopy and the swelling of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) are combined to quantify these changes due to partitioning of the cosolvent into and the swelling of the polymeric stationary phase as a function of fluid pressure. These results are used to evaluate the magnitude of the corrections for the changes in retention time of analytes, which affects both analytical methods and thermophysical property measurement.
End-of-Life Decision-Making in the Hospital: Current Practice and Future Prospects

Abstract Chart review of patients who died in the hospital was used to describe the pattern of end-of-life decision-making and care for hospitalized dying patients and to propose a structured process of assessing the suitability of patients for palliative care. The setting was a large urban academic medical center, and the sample comprised 200 of 205 consecutive adult deaths during the first 4 months of 1996. The main outcome measures were identification of the patient as dying, do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders, and comfort care plans. Charts of 72% of the patients had evidence that they were considered dying. DNR orders were in place for 77% of all the patients, and 46% had comfort care plans. Presence of a health care proxy was significantly associated with DNR orders and comfort care plans ( P These findings suggest opportunities and challenges for improving practice patterns for hospitalized dying patients. We recommend several measurable objectives for evaluating end-of-life decision-making and care and propose the development of a goals of care assessment tool to guide appropriate transitions from life-sustaining treatment to comfort care and plan palliative services.
Interfacial behavior of adenine and its nucleosides and nucleotides

Abstract The adsorption of adenine, adenosine and AMP has been studied by surface electrochemical methods at pH 8.0. All compounds exhibit an initial or dilute adsorption region where they are probably adsorbed with the base flat on the electrode surface. It is proposed that adenosine and AMP adopt the syn conformation so that the sugar or sugar phosphate moiety, respectively, is largely rotated out of the plane of the electrode and the base residues can pack together almost as closely as the free bases. At potentials centered at −0.5 V and bulk solution concentrations≥ ca. 3 mM adenine appears to undergo a surface reorientation and adopts a perpendicular stance. In this new orientation it is proposed that adenine is bound to the electrode through its amino group hydrogen atoms forming a Download : Download full-size image |-electrode hydrogen bond. Adenosine appears to form two types of perpendicular layers. At small positive electrode charges it is suggested that it adopts an anti conformation and is adsorbed with the negative end of its permanent dipole directed towards the electrode. At more negative potentials it is proposed that adenosine retains the anti conformation but is adsorbed with the positive end of its dipole directed towards the electrode
The Gale transform and multi-graded determinantal schemes

Eisenbud and Popescu showed that certain finite determinantal subschemes of projective spaces defined by maximal minors of adjoint matrices of homogeneous linear forms are related by Veronese embeddings and a Gale transform. We extend this result to adjoint matrices of multihomogeneous multilinear forms. The subschemes now lie in products of projective spaces and the Veronese embeddings are replaced with Segre embeddings.
Size Distribution and Nutrient Excretion of Melanoides tuberculata in a Southern Nevada Spring Ecosystem

Abstract. To better understand the impact of Melanoides tuberculata on ecosystem processes via nutrient recycling, we quantified the body size distribution, density, and ammonia-nitrogen (NH4-N) and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) excretion of M. tuberculata in Rogers Spring, which is located in southern Nevada. We examined how nutrient recycling rates were related to body size and body nutrient content. We found that small individuals dominated the size structure, density, and NH4-N and SRP excretion rates and that nutrient recycling was determined by biomass rather than by high per capita excretion rates. The NH4-N excretion rates of M. tuberculata are between 2 and 27 times higher than the SRP excretion rates in Rogers Spring. These results indicate that M. tuberculata in Rogers Spring may be P limited and rather conservative in P recycling. In contrast to stoichiometric predictions, body nutrient content was a poor predictor of excretion rates. However, there was a close correlation between the meas...
Computed tomography severity index is a predictor of outcomes for severe pancreatitis.

Abstract Background: In a small group of patients with acute pancreatitis, Balthazar and Ranson demonstrated the applicability of computed tomography (CT) criteria to predict mortality. Building upon their work with a larger group of patients with acute pancreatitis, we set out not only to demonstrate that the CT severity index can predict death, but also length of hospital stay and need for necrosectomy. Methods: We reviewed all patients admitted to our hospital in the years 1992 to 1997 with a primary diagnosis of acute pancreatitis. Entrance criteria required that a CT scan had been performed during the hospitalization. The index CT scan was used to determine a CT severity index (the CTSI of Balthazar and Ranson). Outcomes measured were death, length of stay (LOS), and need for necrosectomy (NEC). Statistical analysis was performed using Fisher's exact and chi-square tests where appropriate. Results: Between the years 1992 to 1997, 886 patients had 1,774 admissions for acute pancreatitis, of which 268 had a CT scan performed and were entered into our study. These 268 patients had a mean age of 57 years, a mean LOS of 16 days (1 to 118), and a mean CTSI of 3.9 (0 to 10). Overall mortality was 4% (n = 11). A CTSI >5 significantly correlated with death ( P = 0.0005), prolonged hospital stay ( P P 5 were 8 times more likely to die, 17 times more likely to have a prolonged hospital course, and 10 times more likely to undergo necrosectomy than their counterparts with CT scores Conclusions: These data show that the CTSI is an applicable and comparable predictor of outcomes in severe pancreatitis.
Far-infrared absorption of large electron-hole drops in stressed Ge

Abstract The far-infrared attenuation spectrum due to a large electron-hole drop in inhomogeneously stressed Ge has been measured and compared to the attenuation by small drops in unstressed Ge. The spectrum is analyzed using the full Mie theory for the absorption due to a large sphere; the experimental results are interpreted as bulk plasma absorption in a drop with pair density considerably lowered by the strain.
Endothelin-stimulated Ca2+ mobilization by 3T3-L1 adipocytes is suppressed by tumor necrosis factor-alpha

The cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha) contributes to metabolic changes in disease states such as insulin resistance. However, the mechanism by which TNFalpha alters cellular function in these conditions is poorly understood. Because changes in intracellular calcium concentration plays a critical role in hormone action we investigated the effect of TNFalpha on calcium homeostasis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. In these studies we show that TNFalpha causes a concentration- and time-dependent decrease in Na+/myo-inositol cotransporter (SMIT) mRNA levels and myo-inositol accumulation as well as a decrease in myo-inositol incorporation into phosphoinositides. These changes coincided with a decrease in endothelin-1-induced phosphatidylinositol (PI) cycle activity in 3T3-L1 adipocytes chronically exposed to TNFalpha. Endothelin-1-induced mobilization of calcium from intracellular stores was also diminished by TNFalpha. The effect of TNFalpha on endothelin-1-induced PI cycle activity and calcium mobilization was not due to a decrease in endothelin receptors. However, TNFalpha did cause a moderate decrease in phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2)-specific phospholipase C (PLC) activity in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Combined, a decrease in phosphoinositide production and PIP2-specific PLC activity could be responsible for altering PI cycle activity and the generation of the second messenger myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate, thereby reducing calcium mobilization. Such changes in intracellular signaling may contribute to the pathophysiology of insulin resistance associated with TNFalpha.
Co‐innovation: convergenomics, collaboration, and co‐creation for organizational values

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to present a macro view of the evolution of innovation for value creation, from the closed to collaborative, open, and now co‐innovation. It reviews several mega trends that have dramatically changed the dynamic nature of the global market place and also several new forces that have made innovation imperative for organizational value creation.Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides a conceptual overview of co‐innovation through some of its basic elements such as convergence revolution, collaboration, and co‐creation with stakeholders.Findings – Co‐innovation is a new innovation paradigm where new ideas and approaches from various internal and external sources are integrated in a platform to generate new organizational and shared values. The core of co‐innovation includes engagement, co‐creation, and compelling experience for value creation. Thus, the practices of co‐innovative organizations are difficult to imitate by competition.Practical implications – Innovat...
The Hyperglycemic and Antidiuretic Activity of a Phthalimidine Analogue: 1-Oxo-3-(4′-chlorophenyl)-3-hydroxyisoindoline (C3/76)∗:

SummaryAn analogue of chlorthalidone (C3/76) has been studied in an attempt to obtain a long acting hyperglycemic agent. In rats C3/76 (administered i.p.) caused a dose-related hyperglycemia which lasted longer than that of diazoxide and was reversed by insulin. The drug was effective in both fed and fasted animals and the hyperglycemia was accompanied by a reduced urine output. In the dog, i.v. administration of C3/76 caused hyperglycemia, a fall in blood pressure, an inhibition of insulin secretion, a rise in serum free fatty acid levels, and no significant change in serum catecholamine levels. In in vitro studies with isolated rabbit pancreas, C3/76 reduced insulin secretion, while chlorthalidone had no effect. It can therefore be concluded, that C3/76 produces hyperglycemia by inhibition of insulin secretion similar to one of the reported modes of action of diazoxide. It has similar side effects, hypotension and antidiuresis, even though its chemical structure is quite dissimilar to that of diazoxide.
Interactions of atropine with heterologously expressed and native α3 subunit-containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

Atropine, a classical muscarinic antagonist, has been reported previously to inhibit neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). In the present study, the action of atropine has been examined on α3β4 receptors expressed heterologously in Xenopus oocytes and native nAChRs in medial habenula neurons. At concentrations of atropine often used to inhibit muscarinic receptors (1 μM), responses induced by near-maximal nicotine concentrations (100 μM) at negative holding potentials (−65 mV) are inhibited (14–30%) in a reversible manner in both α4 and α3 subunit-containing heteromeric nAChRs. Half-maximal effective concentrations (IC50 values) for atropine inhibition are similar for the four classes of heteromeric receptors studied (4–13 μM). For α3β4 nAChRs in oocytes, inhibition by atropine (10 μM) is not overcome at higher concentrations of agonist, and is increased with membrane hyperpolarization. These results are consistent with non-competitive antagonism – possibly ion channel block. At low concentrations of both nicotine (10 μM) and atropine (<10 μM), potentiation (∼25%) of α3β4 nAChR responses in oocytes is observed. The relative balance between potentiation and inhibition is dependent upon membrane potential. In rat medial habenula (MHb) neurons, atropine (0.3–3.0 μM) inhibited nicotine-induced responses in both a concentration and membrane potential-dependent manner (at −40 mV, IC50=4 μM), similar to the effects on α3β4–nAChRs in oocytes. However, unlike heterologously expressed receptors, potentiation was barely detectable at depolarized membrane potentials using low concentrations of nicotine (3–10 μM). Conversely, the weak agonist, choline (1–3 mM) was observed to augment responses of MHb nAChRs. British Journal of Pharmacology (2003) 138, 801–810. doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0705124
Marginality or Neglect

Abstract While the number of females imprisoned in America is significantly smaller than that of their male counterparts, the growth rate of incarcerated women over the last two decades has outpaced that of men. This increase can largely be attributed to stringent crime control policies, particularly regarding drug-related offenses. Within the same period of time the number of aging inmates has also increased. An exploratory telephone census of all state Department of Corrections and the Federal of Bureau of Prison reveal a pattern of malign neglect toward aging female inmates. Despite the growth in the female inmate population, federal and state policies and programs neglect the unique living environment, health care and programming needs of aging female inmates. After reviewing the growth patterns and projections for female inmates, state and federal policies will be examined to determine which, if any, are arguably gender-specific.
A method of block adjustment for heights with results obtained in the international test

Abstract This paper describes a method of block adjustment for heights, programmed at the National Research Council. The method consists in polynomial transformation of strips and includes corrections for height curvature and for torsion. For the computation of the transformation formulas, a direct solution of the system of normal equations is employed. The program is used in combination with a program for three-dimensional strip adjustment and a program for planimetric block adjustment which utilize conformal transformations. The program has been used in the height adjustment for the International Test on Block Adjustment. For each of the three sets of measurements made at the N.R.C., several adjustments have been performed with various degrees of the polynomials. The results are listed in tables and analyzed. For the 1 : 80,000 photography, the mean square values of the residuals at ground-control points range from 3.8 to 7.2 m.
Exchange Taboos From an Interpretive Perspective

The relational framing perspective on taboo exchanges addresses a number of issues that have also been the subjects of considerable interpretive research and theorizing. This commentary highlights interpretive work on gift giving, love, sacredness, purity, and boundaries as it pertains to exchange taboos. It suggests that there is a ritual and moral substrate that underlies exchange behaviors. It concludes that the interpretive perspective may deepen relational framing by revealing an ideal moral template that guides behavior and leads to polite ruses in order to reframe behaviors that violate these norms. It further suggests that there is much to be gained by integrating insights from consumer psychology with those of consumer sociology and consumer anthropology.
Reducible and toroidal 3-manifolds obtained by Dehn fillings

Abstract Let M be a compact, connected, orientable, irreducible 3-manifold whose boundary is a torus. We announce that if two Dehn fillings create reducible manifold and toroidal manifold, then the maximal distance is three.
Investigation of the Radical Product Channel of the CH3OCH2O2 + HO2 Reaction in the Gas Phase

The reaction of CH(3)OCH(2)O(2) with HO(2) has been investigated at 296 K and 700 Torr using long path FTIR spectroscopy, during photolysis of Cl(2)/CH(3)OCH(3)/CH(3)OH/air mixtures. The branching ratio for the reaction channel forming CH(3)OCH(2)O, OH, and O(2) has been determined from experiments in which OH radicals were scavenged by addition of benzene to the system, with subsequent formation of phenol used as the primary diagnostic for OH radical formation. The dependence of the phenol yield on the initial peroxy radical precursor reagent concentration ratio, [CH(3)OH](0)/[CH(3)OCH(3)](0), is consistent with prompt OH formation resulting mainly from the reaction of CH(3)OCH(2)O(2) with HO(2), such that the inferred prompt yield of OH is well-correlated with that of CH(3)OCH(2)OOH, a well-established product of the CH(3)OCH(2)O(2) + HO(2) reaction. The system was fully characterized by simulation, using a detailed chemical mechanism which included other established sources of OH in the system. This allowed a branching ratio of k(2c)/k(2) = 0.19 +/- 0.08 to be determined. The results therefore provide strong indirect evidence for the participation of the radical-forming channel of the title reaction.
Angiomatous lymphoid hamartoma or pseudolymphoma of pelvic retroperitoneum: clinical significance and evaluation of pelvic ureter.

Abstract Angiomatous lymphoid hamartomas or pseudolymphomas have been reported most commonly within the chest and usually are mistaken for thymic tumors of lymphomatous tissue. Pelvic retroperitoneal location, to our knowledge, has been described only on three occasions. Only a high index of suspicion can make one recognize this rare lesion and save unnecessary radical surgery and/or radiation therapy. Removal of the mass led to disappearance of associated systemic manifestations in many of the patients.
Quantity and structure of word knowledge across adulthood.

Abstract Cross-sectional and longitudinal data from moderately large samples of healthy adults confirmed prior findings of age-related declines in measures of the quantity of word knowledge beginning around age 65. Additional analyses were carried out to investigate the interrelations of different types of vocabulary knowledge at various periods in adulthood. Although the organizational structures were similar in adults of different ages, scores on tests with different formats had weaker relations to a higher-order vocabulary construct beginning when adults were in their 60s. The within-person dispersion among different vocabulary test scores was also greater after about 65 years of age. The discovery of quantitative decreases in amount of knowledge occurring at about the same age as qualitative shifts in the structure of knowledge raises the possibility that the two types of changes may be causally linked.
STRUCTURAL SOURCES OF VARIATION IN RACE-AGE-SPECIFIC RATES OF OFFENDING ACROSS MAJOR U.S. CITIES*

Recently, much attention has been focused on the structural determinants of variations in crime rates across U.S. cities. Virtually all research in this area has utilized aggregate reported offense rates as the dependent variable. While it provides a good indicator of the total volume of crime, the aggregate crime rate suffers two major disadvantages-it obscures individual- and aggregate-level effects, and it does not allow testing of criminological theory which specifies differential effects of economic variables (for example, poverty, inequality) on offending rates for various population subgroups (for example, black adults, white adults). The present study addresses these issues by examining the economic determinants of age, race, and crime-specific offending rates for a sample of the nation's largest cities. The overall results suggest that income inequality has a direct positive effect on black offending rates for serious crime, whereas black poverty has no effect. In contrast, white poverty has positive effects on white violence, while inequality significantly increases white robbery and burglary. The implications of findings for recent theoretical developments of conflict and relative deprivation theory are assessed.