cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
James M. Buchanan, Political Regionalism, and the Southern Agrarians

James M. Buchanan described, discussed, and rejected the regionalist proposals of Howard Odum and William Yandell Elliott in his 1948 dissertation, Fiscal Equity in a Federal State. His discussion of regionalism is of particular interest because Odum and Elliott's ideas were hotly debated by the Southern Agrarians in the 1930s and 1940s. Odum was a frequent critic of the Agrarians, while Elliott was a former colleague of the poets at Vanderbilt University. Some Agrarians, such as Frank Owsley, enthusiastically embraced Odum and Elliott's ideas. Others, such as Donald Davidson, opposed their proposals. In this note I show that Buchanan's rejection of Odum and Elliott bears a close resemblance to Davidson's own criticism. This case illustrates the complexities of Buchanan's relationship with the Agrarians, a problem first highlighted by Nancy MacLean in her intellectual biography of Buchanan, Democracy in Chains.
Prospective Characterization of Circulating Tumor Cell Kinetics in Patients With Oligometastatic Disease Receiving Definitive Radiation Therapy.

Purpose/Objective(s) To characterize circulating tumor cell (CTC) kinetics in response to definitive radiation therapy (RT) among patients with oligometastatic cancer and identify a profile of CTC kinetics associated with subsequent disease progression. Materials/Methods Patients with oligometastatic disease, defined as any solid malignancy with ≤ 5 sites of metastatic disease, limited to 3 anatomic organ systems undergoing definitive RT to all known metastatic sites were enrolled on a prospective study. Blood specimens were collected at baseline, during RT and at routine follow up visits up to 24 months after completion of RT. Patients received additional lines of therapy per standard of care. CTCs were captured and quantified using a nanotechnology-based assay functionalized with aEpCAM, aHER-2, and aEGFR to facilitate biomimetic cell rolling and dendrimer-mediated multivalent binding. Results A total of 43 patients were enrolled with a median follow-up of 14.3 months corresponding to 255 CTC measurements. The median number of oligometastatic lesions at the time of RT was 1 per patient (range 1-5). Thirty-four patients (79%) received stereotactic body radiation therapy, and 24 patients (56%) went on to receive systemic therapy while on study (cytotoxic chemotherapy, hormone therapy, immunotherapy or targeted kinase inhibitors). All patients with available baseline specimens had detectable CTCs prior to RT, median 28 CTCs/ml (range 0.17-1085). In the post RT setting, CTC counts declined over a 100-day period, median 15 CTCs/ml ( 15/ml at a given time point was significantly associated with clinical disease progression within the subsequent 6 months (OR 3.31, P = 0.007). An increase in CTCs to > 15/ml preceded radiographic or biochemical progression in 8 of 31 (26%) of patients who progressed. Conclusion Our data suggests CTCs may serve as a biomarker for disease control in oligometastatic disease and may predict future disease progression prior to standard of care assessments for patients receiving diverse therapies.
Newer Treatments and Glycemic Control in US Adults With Diabetes Across Risk Groups, Sex, and Ethnicity: The NIH Precision Medicine Initiative (All Of Us Study)

Abstract Objective: There are limited data on the extent of evidence-based SGLT2is and GLP1-RAs among real-world cohorts of patients with DM. We examined the use of these therapies and glycemic control among current US adults with DM by risk groups, sex, and ethnicity. Methods In adults ≥ 18 years of age with DM from the NIH Precision Medicine Initiative All of Us Study including 340 US sites, we categorized DM groups as 1) low risk with ≤ 1 DM risk factor, 2) high risk with ≥ 2 DM risk factors, and 3) DM with known ASCVD. Risk factors included age > 60 years, hypertension, LDL-C ≥ 160 mg/dL, cigarette smoking, and HDL-C 8%. We also examined the % on SGLT2-i among those with heart failure (HF) or chronic kidney disease (CKD) (eGFR Results Our 42,064 participants with DM included 27.2% non-Hispanic Black and 21.7% Hispanic or Latino; overall 29.5%, 31.2%, and 39.3% were at lower risk, higher risk, or with ASCVD, respectively. Across risk groups, sex and ethnicity, there remains underutilization of SGLT-is and GLP1-RAs, and few people with HF or CKD are on SGLT2i (Table). Conclusions Despite recent guidelines for usage of SGLT2-is or GLP1-RAs among higher risk people with DM, few are actually taking them, and use is overall lower among underserved ethnic groups.
Tissue Culture of Adult Human Liver

Adult human liver cultures were started from portions of needle aspirations obtained for biopsy. Twenty-four of 28 consecutive cultures survived for varying periods of time. The growth rate and survival of cultures from livers with alcoholic hepatitis were greater than those from normal and alcoholic fatty livers.
ON CALCIUM-DEPENDENT POTASSIUM TRANSPORT IN HUMAN RED BLOOD CELLS

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses some of the overt properties of the red cell system, which are helpful in calcium-dependent potassium analysis. One consequence of letting intracellular calcium (Cai) rise above the submicromolar range in human red blood cells is that the membranes personality to K becomes increased without any concomitant increase in its permeability to Na. Ca­- induced changes in K conductance are known to occur in excitable tissues but their relationship to the Ca-dependent changes in K transport as found in red cells are still to be determined. Some clarifications of the extent of the similarity should result when a sampling of the types of measurements that have been done on red cells are done on nerve or muscle tissue.
Background subtraction using self-identifying patterns

Separation of object foreground from background is used in 3D model creation and matting in video production. Robust background subtraction techniques that function in uncontrolled lighting environments would be useful for many applications. We introduce a method using bi-tonal self-identifying patterns as a background that can be used to recognize the foreground object despite the background intensity and colour being non-uniform across the image. Detected pattern points are used to sample the black and white colour levels in several image points. A surface is fitted to both the black and white colour levels allowing an estimated background image to be created. The background image is then subtracted from the original image to isolate the foreground objects. The method of using self-identifying patterns also provides the camera-pattern pose for use in 3D model creation. A visual hull 3D model can be created by identifying the outline of an object from several known camera poses. Examples of this method applied to both matting and 3D model creation are given. Experimental results are shown.
Visual Signals in an Optomotor Reflex: Systems and Information Theoretic Analysis

Compensatory optomotor reflexes were examined in crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) with oscillating sine wave gratings and step displacements of a single stripe. A capacitance transducer was used to measure the rotation of the eyestalk about its longitudinal axis. System studies reveal a spatial frequency response independent of velocity and stimulus amplitude and linear contrast sensitivity similar to that of neurons in the visual pathway. The reflex operates at low temporal frequencies (<0.002 Hz to 0.5 Hz) and exhibits a low-pass temporal frequency response with cut-off frequency of 0.1 Hz. Eyestalk rotation increases as a saturable function of the angular stimulus displacement. When compared to the oscillatory response, transient responses are faster, and they exhibit a lower gain for large stimulus displacements. These differences may reflect system nonlinearity and/or the presence of at least two classes of afferents in the visual pathway. Our metric for information transmission is the Kullback-Leibler (K-L) distance, which is inversely proportional to the probability of an error in distinguishing two stimuli. K-L distances are related to differences in responsiveness for variations in spatial frequency, contrast, and angular displacement. The results are interpreted in terms of the neural filters that shape the system response and the constraints that the K-L distances place on information transmission in the afferent visual pathway.
Hyperbolic surfaces with prescribed infinite symmetry groups

For any countable group G whatsoever, there is a complete hyperbolic surface whose isometry group is G.
Identification of DNA methylation markers for human breast carcinomas using the methylation-sensitive restriction fingerprinting technique.

Abstract We have developed a PCR-based method, called methylation-sensitive restriction fingerprinting (MSRF), to screen changes in DNA methylation in breast carcinomas. Two hypermethylation-containing fragments, HBC-1 (for “hypermethylation in breast cancer”) and HBC-2, were identified in the amplified breast tumor DNA relative to the amplified normal breast DNA of a patient. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed no significant matches between the sequence of HBC-1 and the known sequences in the GenBank database, whereas the sequence of HBC-2 matched the upstream region of an antisense WT1 (Wilms9 tumor suppressor gene) promoter. The methylation status in the breast tumor DNA from this patient was confirmed by Southern hybridization using HBC-1 and HBC-2 as probes, respectively. Further analysis showed that HBC-1 was methylated aberrantly in 90% (17 of 19 patients) of the primary breast carcinomas examined. This study demonstrates that MSRF provides a useful means for screening aberrant changes in DNA methylation during tumorigenesis. The commonly methylated fragments identified by MSRF could potentially supplement pathological markers currently used for cancers and additionally lead to the discovery of novel methylated tumor suppressor genes.
Steroidogenesis in Fundulus heteroclitus. I: Production of 17α-hydroxy,20β-dihydroprogesterone, testosterone, and 17β-estradiol by prematurational follicles in vitro

Abstract In order to understand better the mechanism of gonadotropin action on steroidogenesis in prematurational follicles of Fundulus heteroclitus , follicle synthesis of 17α-hydroxy, 20β-dihydroprogesterone (17α-OH,20β-DHP), testosterone (T), and 17β-estradiol (E 2 ) from a variety of precursors and the maturational response of oocytes were simultaneously followed in vitro . The addition of 25-hydroxycholesterol, pregnenolone, or progesterone to unstimulated follicles increased media 17α-OH,20β-DHP, T, and E 2 , as well as oocyte germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) in a dose-dependent manner. Inhibition of cholesterol side-chain cleavage by aminoglutethimide blocked 25-hydroxycholesterol-promoted steroid accumulation and GVBD, indicating that 25-hydroxycholesterol does not directly induce GVBD, but rather is metabolized in the follicle to an active steroid (presumably 17α-OH,20β-DHP). Likewise, trilostane, and inhibitor of Δ 5 -3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, blocked pregnenolone action. Both inhibitors also completely abolished steroid accumulation and GVBD promoted by a F. heteroclitus pituitary extract (FPE), but not GVBD induced by exogenous 17α-OH,20β-DHP. FPE also significantly depressed T but enhanced E 2 production from exogenous precursors. We have concluded from these observations that (1) cholesterol side-chain cleavage and pregnenolone conversion to progesterone are essential for gonadotropin-promoted follicle steroid production and the resulting reinitiation of meiosis by the oocyte, (2) the enzymes necessary for the conversion of cholesterol to 17α-OH,20β-DHP, T, and E 2 are present in the unstimulated, prematurational follicle, and (3) gonadotropin initiates steroidogenesis by acting at a step prior to the conversion of cholesterol to pregnenolone; it also appears to enhance aromatase activity.
Transoral robotic‐assisted laryngeal cleft repair in the pediatric patient

Objectives/Hypothesis To assess the feasibility of performing robotic-assisted laryngeal cleft repair in the pediatric population. Study Design Retrospective chart review at a tertiary academic children's hospital. Methods All patients underwent transoral robotic-assisted laryngeal cleft repair from March 2011 to June 2013. Demographics, robotic docking time, operative time, and postoperative course and swallowing function were collected and analyzed. Results Five children, three male and two female, underwent successful transoral robotic-assisted laryngeal cleft repair for closure of a type I laryngeal cleft. Mean age at time of surgery was 21.6 months (standard deviation 6.1 months; range, 15–29 months). From case 1 to case 5, robotic docking time (18–10 minutes), robotic operative time (102–36 minutes), and total operating room time (173–105 minutes) decreased. There were no complications with time until extubation (range, 2–3 days), length of intensive care unit stay (range, 3–4 days), and total hospital stay (range, 3–5 days) within acceptable range following laryngeal cleft repair. Modified barium swallow (two patients) or fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (three patients) was performed postoperatively, with all patients showing complete resolution of penetration and aspiration. In addition, all patients experienced subjective resolution of dysphagia and/or choking with feeds postoperatively. Conclusions Transoral robotic-assisted laryngeal cleft repair may offer specific advantages over a traditional endoscopic approach. In our experience, the procedure was well tolerated and associated with definitive surgical cure in all patients. The scope of robotic technology continually expands and should be considered a feasible tool at an institution-based level. Level of Evidence 4 Laryngoscope, 124:2167–2169, 2014
Visual prompts and graphical design: a framework for exploring the design space of 2-D charts and graphs

Graphical presentations can be very effective in communicating large datasets and patterns, trends and relationships in them. Charts and graphs used in reporting data usually tend to highlight certain aspects and suppress others. In fact, a recent study of several hundred annual reports found that more than 30% of charts in these reports were designed to facilitate inferences favorable to the companies while hindering others. Unfortunately, many of the techniques used to achieve these effects may not be obvious to the average user. One solution to this problem is to make design choices explicit to the user. This paper presents a data analysis interface that educates users by enabling them to explore the visualization space and modifying chart design parameters. This interface is based on an analysis of a corpus of charts and graphs and uses knowledge about a variety of techniques for emphasizing specific trends and/or values shown in 2-D charts and graphs.
On polarized normal varieties. I

In this paper, we deal with the first part of an application of our Riemann-Roch type inequalities (cf. [13], [23]) toward deformations of polarized normal varieties. In Chapter I, we discuss the problem of eliminating fixed components from complete linear systems defined by multiples of a given divisor. Let U n be a complete normal variety and Y 0 an ample Cartier divisor on U . The main result of the chapter is that there is a positive integer c 0 , predicted by the first two leading coefficients of the polynomial X ( U, O ( m Y 0 )), such that the complete linear system Λ ( rc 0 Y 0 ) has no fixed component whenever r is a positive integer (which is essentially contained in Theorem 1.1 (cf. [13], Lemma 5.2)). An easy consequence of this result is that when n = 2, we can find another positive integer c 1 predicted by the same coefficients as above, such that rc 1 c 0 Y 0 is very ample on U whenever r is a positive integer. Even though this has been generalized to n = 3 by J. Kollar (cf. [12]), we have included this in Section 3 since it is very simple.
Improving operating room and perioperative safety: background and specific recommendations.

The 1999 Institute of Medicine report To Err Is Human put a spotlight on death from preventable medical errors. Surgically related errors are second only to medication errors as the most frequent cause of error-related death. Although many hospitals have ongoing programs to improve medication safety, most hospitals are not focused in a meaningful way on operating room (OR) safety despite the import of the OR to the hospital's finances and despite clearly efficacious available technologies. The perioperative environment is a high-risk area with high velocity, high complexity, and high stakes. OR errors lead to disproportionately more harm than errors elsewhere in the hospital. Actual adverse events are relatively rare in any given OR suite, but near misses are rather common. It is possible to learn much from evaluating near misses (along with adverse events) with root-cause analyses and then instituting changes in processes and systems to assist humans from making their inevitable errors. This article outl...
The chemical effects of neutron capture in cis- and trans-dichlorobis-(ethylenediamine)-cobalt(III) nitrate☆

Abstract The kinetics of the isothermal annealing of 60Co(5·3 years) and 38Cl(37·5 min) recoil species in cis- and trans-[Co(en)2Cl2]NO3 have been investigated. After a given isomer was irradiated, neither 60Co nor 38Cl was found in any appreciable amount in the other isomeric form, nor did any appear as the other isomer upon annealing. Average energies of activation of 5 kcal/mole and 6·5 kcal/mole were found for the 60Co and the 38Cl annealing processes, respectively, which correspond to entropies of activation of −61 cal °C−1 mole−1 and −56 cal °C−1 mole−1. The increase in the retention of 60Co and 38Cl is described in terms of competitive reactions in the recoil sites. The increase in the retention due to isothermal-annealing processes occurring during the lifetime of the hot zone was estimated, and was found to be negligible.
Nephrocalcinosis in Nile Tilapia from a Recirculation Aquaculture System: A Case Report

Abstract Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus were presented to the Fish Disease Diagnostic Laboratory with the complaint of chronic low-level mortalities in a recirculation aquaculture system. Microscopic examination of kidneys revealed moderate to severe nephrocalcinosis. Salient information from the case history was the utilization of agricultural-grade lime (calcium carbonate) to maintain alkalinity in the water of the culture system for the 4 weeks immediately preceding the case submission. Management of the system was changed to include the use of sodium bicarbonate to maintain system alkalinity. Severe levels of nephrocalcinosis have not been observed since that change was instituted.
Metabolism of phospholipids in peripheral nerve from rats with chronic streptozotocin-induced diabetes: increased turnover of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate.

: The effect of chronic streptozotocin-induced diabetes on phospholipid metabolism in rat sciatic nerve in vitro was investigated. In normal nerve incubated for 2 h in Krebs-Ringer-bicarbonate buffer containing [32P]orthophosphate, radioactivity was primarily incorporated into phosphati-dylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate and phosphatidylcholine. Smaller amounts were present in phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate, phosphatidylinositol, and phosphatide acid. As compared to controls, phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate in nerves from animals made diabetic 2, 10, and 20 weeks earlier accounted for 30–46% more of the isotope, expressed as a percentage, incorporated into all phospholipids. In contrast, the proportion of radioactivity in phosphatidylcholine decreased by 10–25%. When the results were expressed as the quantity of phosphorus incorporated into phospholipid, only phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate displayed a change. The amount of isotope which entered this lipid increased 60% and 67% for 2- and 10-week diabetic animals, respectively. Increased phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate labeling was observed when epineurial-free preparations were used or when the composition of the incubation medium was varied. Sciatic and caudal nerve conduction velocities were decreased after 10 and 20 weeks but were unchanged after 2 weeks. We conclude that an increase in the turnover of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate in sciatic nerve from streptozotocin-diabetic rats appears relatively early and persists throughout the course of the disease. This metabolic alteration may be related to a primary, defect responsible for the accompanying deficient peripheral nerve function.
A study of the activity and selectivity of molybdenum crystallographic shear compounds in the oxidation of C4 hydrocarbons

Oxides which are catalysts in the selective oxidation of olefins are thought to form crystallographic shear (CS) structures. These structures can form as a result of the removal of lattice oxygen which leads to a change from corner to edge sharing of some of the metal-oxygen octahedra. Oxygen removal also results in reduction of some of the metal atoms to form a mixed valence solid. This work was undertaken with the goal of illuminating the role of these reduced molybdenum-oxygen structures in selective oxidation. In particular, several molybdenum CS compounds were studied and compared with MoO{sub 3}.
Efficient handling of data structures in definitional languages

Abstract Implementations of operations on general data structures in definitional languages often lead to excessive copying and storage requirements. To partially overcome this problem, users are given facilities to select efficient storage structures or to guide storage allocation. This contradicts the spirit of definitional languages, requiring the user to get involved with implementation details. This paper presents a method for automatically recognizing excessive copying and optimizing the storage for data structures. Based on analysis of data dependencies, the storage may be reduced from an entire structure to individual elements of the structure. The benefits are especially significant in incremental structures, where only a constant number of elements of a large data structure is modified in each operation. For incremental structures, copying of unchanged parts of the structure is avoided, and unnecessary iterations are eliminated, without involving the user in this consideration. The user is thus relieved of considering the inefficiencies inherent in specifications in definitional languages. The method is applicable to a variety of language processors and computer architectures. The proposed optimization method produces better results than those obtained by explicit storage references. The paper describes the implementation of the method in the compiler of the MODEL definitional language. First, criteria are presented for recognizing structures that may be optimized. Then, a transformation that removes iterations implied by the operations on incremental structures is described. The method is exemplified by its application to the non-recursive iteration computation of the Ackermann's function.
Chemical, electrophoretic and immunochemical studies of the seromucoid fraction of serum: A species comparison

Abstract 1. 1. The seromucoid fraction was isolated from pooled dog, monkey, beef, horse, guinea-pig, rabbit, rat and human serums by a double-precipitation procedure employing perchloric and phosphotungstic acids. 2. 2. All fractions were characterized by a relatively high percentage of polysaccharide consisting of hexose, sialic acid, hexosamine and fucose and a high content of ash due to the formation of phosphotungstic acid conjugates. 3. 3. The major components of all fractions were α-globulins. 4. 4. Both qualitative and quantitative species differences were observed. 5. 5. Immunochemical cross-reactions occurred with all fractions.
G protein control of inositol lipids in intact vascular smooth muscle.

Agonist-induced PIP2, breakdown has been demonstrated in penneabilized vascular smooth muscle and shown to depend on a G protein. Segments of rat tail artery were permeabilized with ATP and EGTA after prelabeling with [3H]inositol. Norepinephrine and GTPγS were both able to increase levels of IP, IP2, and IP3 in the segments. The effects of both norepinephrine and GTPγS on the segments was non-additive. Aluminum fluoride also increased inositol phosphates in intact segments and norepinephrine-stimulated increases in IP, IP2, and IP3 were insensitive to pertussis toxin.
"Finger-tip" cryoprobe assisted enucleation.

Purpose To report the use of a new cryotherapy probe to induce proptosis during enucleation surgery. Design Interventional case report. Methods Two patients with uveal melanoma and secondary glaucoma were treated by enucleation. A large surface area (70 mm 2 ), spatulated, end-freezing cryotherapy probe ("Finger-tip" probes, MIRA, Inc.) was used to induce proptosis during optic nerve transsection. Results This new probe offers homogeneous freezing over a relatively large surface area. This new cryoprobe was used to create a large cryo-adhesion on the cornea, for an excellent purchase of the eye during enucleation surgery. Using this adhesion, the eye was lifted, enabling transsection of the optic nerve. Conclusions This report includes photographs of the cryoprobe, the corneal cryo-adhesion, and describes its use for traction during enucleation surgery.
Interactions between benzo[a]pyrene and UVA light affecting ATP levels, cytoskeletal organization, and resistance to trypsinization

Abstract Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons affect cells in many ways, including covalent modifications of DNA, participation in redox cycling, and alterations in cellular signaling pathways. Similarly, exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light may modify DNA, generate reactive oxygen species, and alter signaling. Because environmental conditions may interact to affect cellular functions, we investigated the combined effects of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and UV light in a cell line in which BaP-induced alterations in Ca2+ homeostasis have previously been shown. Exposure of MCF-10A cells to BaP (18 h) followed by a brief (5 min) exposure to UVA resulted in resistance to trypsinization of cells grown on type I collagen (Vitrogen). This effect was not seen following treatment with BaP or UVA alone nor with benzo(e)pyrene (BeP)+UVA. BaP+UVA light also caused actin filaments to reorganize from typical stress fibers to substrate-associated aggregates of actin and caused depletion of cellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP). The effects of BaP+UVA on adhesion and actin aggregate formation were partially prevented by treatment with reduced glutathione. Depletion of cellular ATP affected resistance to trypsinization and actin organization in a similar manner. Thus, these studies suggest a redox-sensitive interaction between BaP+UVA light to deplete cellular ATP levels, resulting in resistance to trypsinization and actin filament reorganization in MCF-10A cells.
Intravascular Catheter-Related Bloodstream Infection

Intravascular catheters required for the care of many hospitalized patients can give rise to bloodstream infection, a complication of care that has occurred most frequently in intensive care unit (ICU) settings. Elucidation of the pathogenesis of catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs) has guided development of effective diagnostic, management, and prevention strategies. When CRBSIs occur in the ICU, physicians must be prepared to recognize and treat them. Prevention of these infections requires careful attention to optimal catheter selection, insertion and maintenance, and to removal of catheters when they are no longer needed. This review provides a succinct summary of the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and microbiology of CRBSIs and a review of current guidance for the diagnosis, management, and prevention of these infections.
Rheology of Mobility-Control Foams

Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) studies have consistently demonstrated the need to mitigate gas channeling in processes involving use of gas to displace crude oil. The use of foam for gas mobility control was first investigated in 1955, and an early field test by Union Oil Co. of California indicated significant merit in the concept. Work was undertaken at New Mexico State U. to provide rheological data of in-situ-generated foam in an attempt to define the mobility-lowering mechanism. A capillary viscometer was constructed to measure the rheological properties of the most promising foams made with commercially available additives. Data collected at different shear rates show that foams are pseudoplastic in nature and several orders of magnitude more viscous, 10 to 100 cp (0.01 to 0.1 Pa X s) than their gas or liquid fractions. Significantly, foam viscosities are generally an inverse function of foam density, which is very advantageous in oil-displacement processes. In areas where gas fingering is pronounced, foam viscosity would be expected to increase with gas saturation and, thereby, would tend to mitigate further gas channeling. The spontaneous generation of a viscous foam phase may also serve to reduce the flowing gas saturation and, thus, lower gas mobility becausemore » of the relative permeability effect. This technology is easily adapted to the water-alternating-gas (WAG) process involving CO/sub 2/ or rich-gas displacement of oil.« less
Valproate-associated acute pancreatitis in a child with neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis.

An 11-year-old girl with juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis developed acute pancreatitis secondary to valproic acid treatment, which resolved after discontinuation of the medication and conservative treatment. To my knowledge, this is the first reported case of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis with valproate-associated pancreatitis. Children with neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis may be susceptible to developing this complication. (J Child Neurol 1994;9:36-37).
Teacher educators' teaching methods, assessments, and grading: A comparison of higher education faculty's instructional practices

Abstract In the last two decades, there has been a shift in focus from America's teachers to teacher preparation. Current educational reforms call for teacher education faculty to model currently recommended instructional strategies in preservice programs. The use of constructivist teaching methods and performance‐based assessments is considered to be critical in the preparation of future teachers. However, there is a lack of research on the types of instructional practices implemented by teacher education faculty in higher education. This large‐scale descriptive study examined the teaching methods, assessments, and grading practices of teacher educators using a nationally representative sample of higher education faculty from the National Study of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF‐93). The results of the study indicated that teacher educators' instructional practices were significantly different than those of other higher education faculty in terms of the use of various types of traditional and constructivist...
Design, Analysis and Testing of an Inside-Out Tilting-Pad Journal Bearing With Real-Time Controllable Preload and Stiffness

It has recently been shown that high-speed grinding can be applied to the finishing of ceramics with considerable improvements in throughput and quality. This will require new high-speed high-power centerless grinding spindles (7,000 RPM, 50 HP), with high-stiffness of three hundred and fifty million Newtons/meter (2 million lb/in). To meet these requirements a novel inside-out, three-pad, pivoting-pad oil-fed hydrodynamic journal bearing has been devised, built and tested. One of the three pad’s pivot point is supported by a hydraulically-actuated radial-motion loading piston. This provides real-time controllable preload to all three bearing pads, thereby controlling bearing stiffness, providing less-stiff spindle bearings for initial rough grinding and very high stiffness spindle bearings for precision finish grinding. Extensive bearing test data compare favorably with theoretically predicted bearing performance.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Serine Protease Activity in M-1 Cortical Collecting Duct Cells

An apical serine protease, channel-activating protease 1 (CAP1), augments sodium transport in A6 cells. Prostasin, a novel serine protease originally purified from seminal fluid, has been proposed to be the mammalian ortholog of CAP1. We have recently found functional evidence for a similar protease activity in the M-1 cortical collecting duct cell line. The purposes of the present studies were to determine whether prostasin (or CAP1) is present in collecting duct cells by use of mouse M-1 cells, to sequence mouse prostasin, and to further characterize the identity of the serine protease activity and additional functional features in M-1 cells. Using mouse expressed sequence tag sequences that are highly homologous to the published human prostasin sequence as templates, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA ends) were used to sequence mouse prostasin mRNA, which shows 99% identical to published mouse CAP1 sequence. A single 1800-bp transcript was found by Northern analysis, and this was not altered by aldosterone. Equivalent short-circuit current (I(eq)), which represents sodium transport in these cells, dropped to 59+/-3% of control value within 1 hour of incubation with aprotinin, a serine protease inhibitor. Trypsin increased the I(eq) in aprotinin-treated cells to the value of the control group within 5 minutes. Application of aprotinin not only inhibited amiloride sensitive I(eq) but also reduced transepithelial resistance (R(te)) to 43+/-2%, an effect not expected with simple inhibition of sodium channels. Trypsin partially reversed the effect of aprotinin on R(te). Another serine protease inhibitor, soybean trypsin inhibitor (STI), decreased I(eq) in M-1 cells. STI inhibited I(eq) gradually over 6 hours, and the inhibition of I(eq) by 2 inhibitors was additive. STI decreased transepithelial resistance much less than did aprotinin. Neither aldosterone nor dexamethasone significantly augmented protease activity or prostasin mRNA levels, and in fact, dexamethasone decreased prostasin mRNA expression. In conclusion, although prostasin is present in M-1 cells and probably augments sodium transport in these cells, serine proteases probably have other effects (eg, resistance) in the collecting duct in addition to effects on sodium channels. Steroids do not alter these effects in M-1 cells. Additional proteases are likely also present in mouse collecting duct cells.
Bond stresses for a composite material reinforced with various arrays of fibers

Abstract The problem treated here is that of an isotropic body having a doubly periodic rectangular or triangular array of perfectly bonded circular elastic inclusions. The body is in tension or compression. This simulates a composite material wherein a relatively weak matrix is reinforced by stronger (and more rigid) fibers. Bond stresses for both rectangular and triangular arrays have been calculated using either boundary point matching or boundary point least squares techniques. Numerical results based on a plane strain analysis are given in graphical form.
Surgical Resection for Residual N2 Disease After Induction Chemotherapy

Background Induction therapy is a common treatment modality for patients with stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Although mediastinal nodal downstaging after induction therapy is generally considered a favorable prognostic feature, the benefit of resection in the presence of residual N 2 disease is controversial. In this study we analyzed our experience with resection after induction chemotherapy in patients with residual N 2 disease to more precisely define the role of surgical resection in this group of patients. Methods In this retrospective analysis, we reviewed the records of 78 patients with N 2 disease who received induction therapy with preoperative intent between 1990 and 2003. All patients had potentially resectable disease. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to evaluate multiple prognostic factors. Results There were 78 patients (39 men) with a median age of 64 years. Sixty had nonsquamous histology. Resection was performed in 52 patients (47 R 0 ). Hospital mortality was 1.9%. A complete pathologic response occurred in 2 of 52 (3.8%) patients and 19 of 52 (36%) patients had no residual N 2 disease. Overall 5-year survival for resected patients was 23%. Overall 5-year survival was 30% for N 0 -N 1 patients and 19% for those with residual N 2 disease. Multivariable analysis identified clinical response to therapy ( p = 0.0007) and histology ( p = 0.01), but not residual N 2 disease ( p = 0.65), as important prognostic variables. Conclusions Surgical resection may be a viable option for patients with residual N 2 disease after induction chemotherapy, provided an R 0 resection can be performed.
The quest for the irreducible minimum: 8 years of performance improvement in preventing central line–associated infections in a surgical intensive care unit

ISSUE: Prevention of central line–associated bacteremia (BSI) has been a priority for the surgical intensive care unit (SICU) of this university hospital, a 570-bed tertiary-care/transplant center. Over the past 8 years, a multidisciplinary team has implemented change and improved outcome in this high-risk population by implementing and monitoring multiple prevention strategies. PROJECT: Nosocomial BSI surveillance was performed by infection control professionals according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) definitions. SICU received quarterly reports of BSI rates and utilization rates. In spite of an algorithm to promote the use of lower-risk vascular devices, central venous catheter (CVL) utilization has significantly increased from 56.27% in 1997, to 100% in 2004, reflecting increased patient acuity. Instituting policy and practice changes in management of lines, based on literature and HICPAC guidelines, and monitoring compliance have been critical in improving outcomes. Education and communication plans were developed for each practice change. Chlorhexidine gluconate (Hibistat®) was used as a site prep in 1997. Total sterile barrier technique was introduced in the mid-1990s, and changes in the CVL insertion tray were made to facilitate compliance with total barrier technique in 1998-99. Initially, non-coated CVLs were used. In June 1998, antimicrobial-impregnated CVLs were introduced. The site prep was switched to Chloroprep® in 2002, which demonstrated a 15% reduction in BSI. After a hospitalwide study, Biopatch® was also added to the regime in 2003, since its use demonstrated a 16% reduction in BSIs. In 2004, the alcohol hand hygiene gel product was changed and wall-mounted dispensers at the bedside and in the hallway were available, in addition to individual bottles. A new medical director also re-emphasized compliance with policy. RESULTS: Constant improvement in patient outcome has been noted over the past 8 years. The CVL– associated BSI/1000 CVL days was 15.51 in 1997 and decreased with the introduction of the multiple new strategies to 4.16 in 2004, even with the utilization rate for CVLs nearly doubling. LESSONS LEARNED: Ongoing implementation of new strategies is important for improving patient outcomes. By making prevention a top priority and continually evaluating and implementing new technologies and recommended practices, a SICU can achieve great reductions in central line–associated infections and approach “the irreducible minimum.”
A Phase II Trial of Intraperitoneal Cisplatin and Etoposide as Consolidation Therapy in Patients with Stage II–IV Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Following Negative Surgical Assessment

Abstract Purpose. To determine the efficacy of three courses of intraperitoneal (ip) cisplatin (CDDP) and etoposide (VP-16) as consolidation therapy following pathologically negative second-look surgical reassessment for Stage IIC–IV epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Patients and Methods. Between September 1988 and April 1996, 40 patients were treated with three cycles of ip CDDP (100 mg/m 2 )/VP-16 (200 mg/m 2 ) as consolidation therapy. Survival was compared to that of a group of 46 contemporaneous patients undergoing observation only. Results. Median age of the 36 eligible patients was 52 years (range 30–70 years). Stage distribution was II (3), III (31), and IV (2); histologic grade was 1 (2), 2 (7), 3 (25), and not recorded (2); and residual disease at completion of initial surgery was none/microscopic in 13/36 (36%) patients. Median age of the 46 patients who did not receive consolidation was 52 years (range, 27–80 years); stage distribution was II (18), III (26), and IV (2); histologic grade was 1 (5), 2 (12), 3 (28), and not recorded (1). With a median follow-up of 36 months in both groups, 14/36 (39%) of the protocol group have recurred compared with 25/46 (54%) of those undergoing observation alone. Median disease-free survival (DFS) for the observed patients is 28.5 months and has not been reached in the consolidation group. Disease-free survival distribution between the two groups was compared using the log-rank test and was found to be significant ( P = 0.03). Multivariate analysis revealed that the only significant predictor of improved DFS was protocol treatment ( P Conclusion. Intraperitoneal consolidation with CDDP/VP-16 following negative second-look reassessment in patients with advanced EOC resulted in a significant increase in DFS compared to nonprotocol patients treated concurrently who underwent observation alone.
Parameter identification by continuation methods

A method is discussed for calculating a Dirichlet polynomial with positive coefficients. The method employs continuation techniques used for finding the zeros of a mapping in n-dimensional Euclidean space R^n.
An Alternative to Cohen's κ

At the level of manifest categorical variables, a large number of coefficients and models for the examination of rater agreement has been proposed and used. The most popular of these is Cohen's κ. In this article, a new coefficient, κ s , is proposed as an alternative measure of rater agreement. Both κ and κ s allow researchers to determine whether agreement in groups of two or more raters is significantly beyond chance. Stouffer's z is used to test the null hypothesis that κ s = 0. The coefficient κ s allows one, in addition to evaluating rater agreement in a fashion parallel to κ, to (1) examine subsets of cells in agreement tables, (2) examine cells that indicate disagreement, (3) consider alternative chance models, (4) take covariates into account, and (5) compare independent samples. Results from a simulation study are reported, which suggest that (a) the four measures of rater agreement, Cohen's κ, Brennan and Prediger's κ n , raw agreement, and κ s are sensitive to the same data characteristics whe...
Identification of the Reye's syndrome "serum factor".

Summary Reye's Syndrome serum stimulates O2 utilization in preparations of isolated rat liver mitochondria and causes mitochondria to swell. The substance responsible for the respiratory activity has been purified by ion exchange chromatography and isolated in one of three ways: crystallization, high voltage electrophoresis, or high pressure liquid chromatography. All three methods yielded active material with identical UV spectra. Further analysis by GC-mass spectrometry and infrared spectroscopy revealed the active substance to be uric acid. Uric acid probably does not cause mitochondrial injury, but it may deserve attention as a possible prognostic marker in Reye's Syndrome.
TouchAble: a camera-based multitouch system

Touchscreens enable users to interact directly and intuitively with computers by simply touching the display area without requiring any intermediate devices. There are various touchscreen technologies that generally utilize resistive or capacitive panels. Typical touchscreens are constrained by the fixed size and high cost panels. Many research efforts have been made towards achieving multitouch functionality using vision-based systems. However, existing approaches have limitations such as relying on pre-defined gestures [5], requiring users to wear a glove with a custom pattern [4], or using infrared light pens [2].
Plasma Prostaglandin E2 Metabolite Levels During Labor Induction With a Sustained-Release Prostaglandin E2 Vaginal Insert:

To measure prostaglandin E2 levels during labor induction with a sustained-release vaginal polymer insert (prostaglandin E2 insert) and to determine whether Bishop score change correlated with tachysystole. Twelve primiparas and 12 multiparas were treated with a 0.3 mg per hour sustained-release polymer vaginal prostaglandin E2 insert for up to 24 hours. Bishop score was assessed at start and end of therapy, and serum samples were collected at 4-hour intervals. Prostaglandin E2 metabolite (PGEM) levels were measured by specific enzyme immunoassay. Exposure averaged 13.5 ± 7.2 hours. Four patients (16.7%, three nulliparas) had tachysystole. Mean PGEM levels increased from 187 ± 42 pg/mL at baseline to 548 ± 110 pg/mL at 12 hours (P < .05) and remained relatively stable thereafter. Nulliparas with Bishop score changes of four points or more had the highest increase, with average peak levels of 985 ± 109 pg/mL, compared with 452 ± 58 pg/mL for all others (P < .001). Patients with tachysystole had higher 4-hour (P < .01) and overall (P < .04) increases in PGEM level. Removal of the insert led to an average decrease of 335 pg/mL in PGEM levels (P < .01). The decrease correlated with the PGEM level measured before removal (r = .94, P < .0001) and the maximum PGEM increase from baseline (r = .94, P < .0001). The mean mixed venous cord PGEM level was 409 ± 375 pg/mL. Administration of the prostaglandin E2 insert led to a sustained increase in circulating PGEM levels in women who had labor induction. Peak PGEM levels correlated with Bishop score improvement. Rapid increases in prostaglandin E2 levels might cause tachysystole.
Enigma of a Flare Involving Multiple-Loop Interactions: Emerging, Colliding Loops or Magnetic Breakout?

We present observations of a C9.4 flare on 2002 June 2 in EUV (TRACE), X-rays (RHESSI), and Hα (Meudon and Ondrejov) showing evidence for multiple-loop interactions as the cause of the flare. The multiwavelength data reveal some striking phenomena that can be used to test different models for solar eruptive events: (1) involvement of a quadrupolar magnetic configuration; (2) loop expansion and ribbon motion in the preimpulsive phase; (3) gradual formation of a new compact loop with a long cusp at the top during the impulsive phase of the flare; (4) appearance of a large, twisted loop above the cusp expanding outward immediately after the hard X-ray peak; (5) eruption of an S-shaped preflare filament trailing closely behind the twisted loop; and (6) X-ray emission observed only from the new compact loop and the cusp. The emerging flux model and the magnetic breakout model are both applied to interpret the observations. We find that both models are able to explain the general change of the loop morphology for the flare. The magnetic breakout model best addresses the preimpulsive features. Most >25 keV hard X-rays were emitted during the formation process of the EUV cusp, suggesting that fast reconnection occurred during the restructuring of the magnetic configuration, resulting in more efficient particle acceleration, while the reconnection slowed after the cusp was completely formed and the magnetic geometry was stabilized.