cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the Efficacy and Safety of Inhaled Epoprostenol and Inhaled Nitric Oxide for Refractory Hypoxemia in Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to evaluate the efficacy and safety of inhaled epoprostenol and inhaled nitric oxide in patients with refractory hypoxemia secondary to coronavirus disease 2019 DESIGN: Retrospective single-center study SETTING: ICUs at a large academic medical center in the United States PATIENTS: Thirty-eight adult critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 and refractory hypoxemia treated with either inhaled epoprostenol or inhaled nitric oxide for at least 1 hour between March 1, 2020, and June 30, 2020 INTERVENTIONS: Electronic chart review MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Of 93 patients screened, 38 were included in the analysis, with mild (4, 10 5%), moderate (24, 63 2%), or severe (10, 26 3%), with acute respiratory distress syndrome All patients were initiated on inhaled epoprostenol as the initial pulmonary vasodilator and the median time from intubation to initiation was 137 hours (68-228 h) The median change in Pao(2)/Fio(2) was 0 (-12 8 to 31 6) immediately following administration of inhaled epoprostenol Sixteen patients were classified as responders (increase Pao(2)/Fio(2) > 10%) to inhaled epoprostenol, with a median increase in Pao(2)/Fio(2) of 34 1 (24 3-53 9) The mean change in Pao(2) and Spo(2) was -0 55 ± 41 8 and -0 6 ± 4 7, respectively Eleven patients transitioned to inhaled nitric oxide with a median change of 11 (3 6-24 8) in Pao(2)/Fio(2) A logistic regression analysis did not identify any differences in outcomes or characteristics between the responders and the nonresponders Minimal adverse events were seen in patients who received either inhaled epoprostenol or inhaled nitric oxide CONCLUSIONS: We found that the initiation of inhaled epoprostenol and inhaled nitric oxide in patients with refractory hypoxemia secondary to coronavirus disease 2019, on average, did not produce significant increases in oxygenation metrics However, a group of patients had significant improvement with inhaled epoprostenol and inhaled nitric oxide Administration of inhaled epoprostenol or inhaled nitric oxide may be considered in patients with severe respiratory failure secondary to coronavirus disease 2019
Accelerating the field of epigenetic histone modification through mass spectrometry-based approaches

Abstract Histone post-translational modifications (PTMs) are one of the main mechanisms of epigenetic regulation. Dysregulation of histone PTMs leads to many human diseases, such as cancer. Because of its high throughput, accuracy, and flexibility, mass spectrometry (MS) has emerged as a powerful tool in the epigenetic histone modification field, allowing the comprehensive and unbiased analysis of histone PTMs and chromatin-associated factors. Coupled with various techniques from molecular biology, biochemistry, chemical biology, and biophysics, MS has been used to characterize distinct aspects of histone PTMs in the epigenetic regulation of chromatin functions. In this review, we will describe advancements in the field of MS that have facilitated the analysis of histone PTMs and chromatin biology.
Understanding the dissemination of ISIS beheading videos through the diffusion of innovations (DoI) theory

This paper examines the integral role of beheading videos published by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) in its establishment of allegiances and channels of communication with affiliated...
Localized Graph Collaborative Filtering.

User-item interactions in recommendations can be naturally de-noted as a user-item bipartite graph. Given the success of graph neural networks (GNNs) in graph representation learning, GNN-based C methods have been proposed to advance recommender systems. These methods often make recommendations based on the learned user and item embeddings. However, we found that they do not perform well wit sparse user-item graphs which are quite common in real-world recommendations. Therefore, in this work, we introduce a novel perspective to build GNN-based CF methods for recommendations which leads to the proposed framework Localized Graph Collaborative Filtering (LGCF). One key advantage of LGCF is that it does not need to learn embeddings for each user and item, which is challenging in sparse scenarios. Alternatively, LGCF aims at encoding useful CF information into a localized graph and making recommendations based on such graph. Extensive experiments on various datasets validate the effectiveness of LGCF especially in sparse scenarios. Furthermore, empirical results demonstrate that LGCF provides complementary information to the embedding-based CF model which can be utilized to boost recommendation performance.
Effects of Middle School Teachers’ Praise-to-Reprimand Ratios on Students’ Classroom Behavior:

Middle school teachers frequently struggle with positively managing student behavior. However, praise-to-reprimand ratios (PRRs) have received little research attention. PRRs studied in elementary ...
Creating a Pipeline: Engineering Success of African American Female Students in STEM Using Student Support Services and Faculty Support at Community Colleges in Massachusetts

Two-year institutions became the place for many marginalized groups to develop or enhance skills, especially many subgroups not admitted to four-year institutions. African-Americans were allowed to attend schools during the twentieth century, but very few accepted them on their college campus. As the workforce demands changed, women headed to college and universities to receive education and gain skills sets, but not welcomed by their male counterparts. The open-access of community colleges allowed women to enroll in substantial numbers and becoming the lead gender to represent community colleges.
Clinical Histories Animate Muybridge and Dercum's Original Photographic Study of Neurologic Gait.

In 1885, while working at the University of Pennsylvania, Eadweard Muybridge and Francis Dercum used nascent photographic technology to perform the first ever motion picture study of neurologic patients. To date, our clinical understanding of the Muybridge-Dercum project has been limited to those clinical details included in a handful of contemporaneous publications by Dercum and colleagues. In the present study, recently rediscovered clinical notebooks from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania’s Dispensary for Nervous Diseases were reviewed and found to contain the original clinical records of nine of Muybridge and Dercum’s photographic subjects. These records add new clinical insights to our understanding of this historic photographic study and revive the zeitgeist of a foundational period in the development of neurology as a medical subspecialty in the United States.
The Woman Next to Me: Pairing Powerful and Objectifying Representations of Women

Previous research has documented negative effects of exposure to sexually objectifying media and positive effects of viewing women with more power and agency. The current study evaluates the effects of pairing these two types of representations of women on gender attitudes. Experimental stimuli were based on actual images from a student newspaper, where a statement from the new, female university president ran on the front page adjacent to a sexually objectifying ad. The experiment used a 2 (type of article) X 2 (type of ad) X 2 (gender) design to evaluate the independent and combined effects of viewing the statement from the president and the objectifying ad. Exposure to the objectifying ad was related to more attributional bias and marginally more stereotype production but was not related to hostile or benevolent sexism. Men who saw the objectifying ad alongside the president's statement rated the president as significantly less competent than other groups. Implications for the professional advancement of women are discussed, including the importance of context for media attention paid to female political figures.
Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching and its Specificity to High School Geometry Instruction

This chapter documents efforts to develop an instrument to measure mathematical knowledge for teaching high school geometry (MKT-G). We report on the process of developing and piloting questions that purported to measure various domains of MKT-G. Scores on a piloted set of items had no statistical relationship with total years of experience teaching, but all domain scores were found to have statistically significant correlations with years of experience teaching high school geometry. Other interesting relationships regarding teachers’ MKT-G scores are also reported. We use these results to propose a way of conceptualizing how instruction-specific considerations might matter in the design of MKT items. In particular, we propose that the instructional situations that are customary to a course of studies can be seen as units that organize much of the mathematical knowledge for teaching such a course.
Studies of molybdena-alumina catalysts

Abstract Catalysts containing various levels of Mo supported on gamma-alumina were activated by: (1) sulfiding at 400°C; or (2) sulfiding in steps to 400°C; or (3) sulfiding in steps to 400°C, followed by cooling to room temperature, exposing to air, and finally resulfiding at 400°C. The latter catalysts exhibited significantly lower NO chemisorption, but only slightly lower hydrodesulfurization activity as compared to the former catalysts. We propose that oxygen adsorbed during air exposure is not completely removed during resulfiding, leading to more active reaction centers but less of them. We further propose that the more active center consists of an oxygen anion adjacent to a vacancy site, instead of the regular sulfide center of a sulfide anion and a vacancy site. Step-sulfided catalysts not exposed to air also displayed higher intrinsic activities, which was attributed to incomplete sulfiding.
Mutation Preventing Capsular Polysaccharide Synthesis in Escherichia coli K-12 and Its Effect on Bacteriophage Resistance

A mutant strain of Escherichia coli K-12 was found in which spontaneous mutation to phage T7 resistance occurred at a very low frequency. T7 resistance in the parental strain from which this mutant was derived resulted from a mutation to excess capsular polysaccharide synthesis. The mutation preventing T7 resistance, non-9, inhibited capsule formation when transduced into capsulated strains. The non-9 mutation was cotransducible with his, the gene order in this region being non-9 his Su-1.
Assessment of ventilation inhomogeneity in patients with alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency - A useful tool for monitoring early lung disease

The risk of developing alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency (α1-AT deficiency) related fatal emphysema during adulthood is high in patients with a PiZZ genotype. Currently, the FEV1 is used for detecting and monitoring α1-AT deficiency related lung disease. However it is likely that the early manifestation starts in peripheral airways that are not accessible by spirometry. Multiple Breath Washout (MBW) is a sensitive test for detecting ventilation inhomogeneity (VI) within the peripheral airways that can be quantified by calculating several indices such as the Lung Clearance Index (LCI). We performed a preliminary analysis of an ongoing multi centre study assessing the clinical and prognostic value of measuring the LCI in patients with α1-AT deficiency. 19 controls (7-51years) and 20 unselected patients with α1-AT deficiency (12-72 years) performed 2-3 single MBWN2 using the EasyOne Pro LAB™ (ndd Switzerland) with 100% oxygen and subsequent spirometry. Mean (SD) LCI was 6.5 (0.64) in controls and 9.0 (1.98) in patients with a mean difference (95% ci, p-value) of -2.57 (-3.54;-1.60, <0.001) between the groups. Within-test repeatability (CV%) was 5.3% in controls and 6.0% in patients. LCI correlated significantly with age in patients. Assessment of LCI derived from MBWN2 was feasible, reproducible and well tolerated in both, patients and controls. LCI differed significantly between patients and controls. In patients, VI increased with age. We conclude from these preliminary data that the LCI reflects presence of VI in patients with α1-AT deficiency and may thus be useful for monitoring α1-AT deficiency related lung disease.
Protein engineering of the quaternary sulfiredoxin.peroxiredoxin enzyme.substrate complex reveals the molecular basis for cysteine sulfinic acid phosphorylation.

Oxidative stress can damage the active site cysteine of the antioxidant enzyme peroxiredoxin (Prx) to the sulfinic acid form, Prx-SO2−. This modification leads to inactivation. Sulfiredoxin (Srx) utilizes a unique ATP-Mg2+-dependent mechanism to repair the Prx molecule. Using selective protein engineering that involves disulfide bond formation and site-directed mutagenesis, a mimic of the enzyme·substrate complex has been trapped. Here, we present the 2.1 A crystal structure of human Srx in complex with PrxI, ATP, and Mg2+. The Cys52 sulfinic acid moiety was substituted by mutating this residue to Asp, leading to a replacement of the sulfur atom with a carbon atom. Because the Srx reaction cannot occur, the structural changes in the Prx active site that lead to the attack on ATP may be visualized. The local unfolding of the helix containing C52D resulted in the packing of Phe50 in PrxI within a hydrophobic pocket of Srx. Importantly, this structural rearrangement positioned one of the oxygen atoms of Asp52 within 4.3 A of the γ-phosphate of ATP bound to Srx. These observations support a mechanism where phosphorylation of Prx-SO2− is the first chemical step.
A model-based reasoning system for the management of respiratory weaning process

Summary form only given. The progressive withdrawal of mechanical ventilation is called weaning. A computerized decision support system (off-line or on-line) would help the medical staff to wean patients more efficiently and can potentially reduce treatment duration and mortality rates. The aim of this research is to design a model-based reasoning system to provide on-line guidance in respiratory weaning process management. In this approach, the semi-quantitative reasoning method is applied to regulate and control the weaning process by adjusting the ventilator settings. A semi-quantitative method provides a level of description that is intermediate between abstract qualitative models and precise numerical models. It combines both qualitative and quantitative knowledge within a single semi-quantitative qualitative differential equation (SQDE) representation. It is a set of qualitative constraints which are augmented with envelopes for all monotonic functions and numeric ranges for all model variables and initial conditions. The model is then simulated to compute the variables in ventilator setting. The control system is tested under different physiological conditions, using a detailed simulation model of the human respiratory system.
Error corrective mechanisms for speech recognition

In the standard MAP approach to speech recognition, the goal is to find the word sequence with the highest posterior probability given the acoustic observation. A number of alternate approaches have been proposed for directly optimizing the word error rate, the most commonly used evaluation criterion. One of them, the consensus decoding approach, converts a word lattice into a confusion network which specifies the word-level confusions at different time intervals, and outputs the word with the highest posterior probability from each word confusion set. The paper presents a method for discriminating between the correct and alternate hypotheses in a confusion set using additional knowledge sources extracted from the confusion networks. We use transformation-based learning for inducing a set of rules to guide a better decision between the top two candidates with the highest posterior probabilities in each confusion set. The choice of this learning method is motivated by the perspicuous representation of the rules induced, which can provide insight into the cause of the errors of a speech recognizer. In experiments on the Switchboard corpus, we show significant improvements over the consensus decoding approach.
Migration load and the coexistence of ecologically similar sexuals and asexuals.

Abstract: The frozen niche variation hypothesis suggests that sexuals can coexist with closely related, ecologically similar asexuals because sexuals and narrowly adapted asexual clones use different resources. However, because a collection of clones can potentially dominate the entire resource axis, such coexistence is not stable. We show that if the sexual population inhabits multiple selection regimes and asexuals are intrinsically slightly less fit than sexuals, migration load in the sexual population allows sexuals and asexuals to coexist stably at the regional level. By decreasing sexuals’ fitness, migration load allows asexuals to invade the sexual population. However, as the sexuals’ range contracts, migration load decreases, preventing asexuals from driving sexuals to extinction. This “buffering” effect of migration load is even more relevant in models that include more realistic conditions, such as demographic asymmetries or explicit spatial structure.
QUANTUM DYNAMICS OF ELECTRONS IN A FREE-ELECTRON LASER

Abstract Quantum-mechanical dynamics of electrons in a free electron laser is studied using the Wigner distribution function. It is shown that quantum corrections take the minimum value in the Bambini-Renieri frame. An exact solution to the quantum-mechanical equation of motion for the Wigner distribution function representing the time evolution of the electron beam is obtained in terms of the integral of the Mathieu functions.
Phase II study of fazarabine (NSC 281272) in patients with metastatic colon cancer

Fazarabine (Arabinofuranosyl-5-azacytosine) is a synthetic pyrimidine nucleoside which combines the arabinose sugar of cytosine arabinoside with the triazine base of 5-azacytidine. It has demonstrated activity against a variety of human solid tumor xenografts including colon, lung and breast cancers. Eighteen patients with refractory metastatic colon cancer were enrolled in a phase II trial of fazarabine. The drug was administered as a 72 hr continuous infusion every 3–4 weeks; the starting dose was 2 mg/m2/hr as established in a previous phase I study. The major toxicity was neutropenia, as predicted from the phase I study. The median time to nadir for cycle 1 was 20 days, with a median granulocyte count of 437/μl (range 36–1600/μl); recovery was within 2–4 days, with only one incidence of fever and neutropenia in 42 cycles. Especially noted for their absence were thrombocytopenia, nausea, vomiting and stomatitis. No objective clinical responses were seen; one patient had stabilization of rapidly growing liver metastases for a period of 7 months. In view of fazarabine's narrow range of toxicities, future dose intensification trials utilizing fazarabine in combination with hematopoietic growth factors are worthy of consideration.
Artificial microtopography and herbivory protection facilitates wetland tree (Thuja occidentalis L.) survival and growth in created wetlands

Northern white-cedar (Thuja occidentalis L.) wetlands are highly valuable both commercially and as wildlife habitat. However, northern white-cedar forested wetlands are declining in area from forestry activities and development, with mitigation efforts often failing to reproduce these ecosystems. For this reason, the goal of this project was to determine the feasibility of creating a northern white-cedar forested wetland as a wetland mitigation option. Microtopography has been shown to be important for northern white-cedar establishment and recruitment, so a series of hummocks and flat areas were created and planted with northern white-cedar seedlings in two created wetlands in northern Michigan, USA. We examined the influence of microtopography and exposure to deer browse on white-cedar survivorship and height growth, 2 and 5 years after establishment. Hummock microtopography increased both tree survival and height growth. Percent survival after 5 years in protected fenced areas was 75 % on hummocks, while percent survival was only 15 % in protected fenced flat areas. Height growth rates were also greater on fenced hummocks, averaging 30 cm per year, compared to an average of 8 cm per year on fenced flat areas. Protection from browsing also improved white-cedar survival and height growth. Fenced white-cedar had 15–20 % greater survival compared to unfenced white-cedar and had 25–100 % greater growth rates. Our results indicate that incorporating microtopography and protection from browsing into future restoration or regeneration projects involving northern white-cedar should be considered as a viable option where high or variable water tables are expected.
Social change, discourse and volunteer tourism

Abstract Theories of social movements were used to explore possible changes in networks and consciousness-raising among participants in volunteer tourism. Focus group research targeted three US based organizations: Mobility International, WorldPULSE, and The American Jewish World Service. Findings indicate that participation in volunteer tourism had a positive effect on both intended post-trip social movement activities and support for activism. Implications are discussed in the context of the need for coordinating organizations to provide opportunities for the establishment of network ties and/or consciousness-raising experiences both during and after the volunteer tourism experience.
Cost-Effectiveness of HIV Screening in STD Clinics, Emergency Departments, and Inpatient Units: A Model-Based Analysis

Background: Identifying and treating persons with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection early in their disease stage is considered an effective means of reducing the impact of the disease. We compared the cost-effectiveness of HIV screening in three settings, sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics serving men who have sex with men, hospital emergency departments (EDs), settings where patients are likely to be diagnosed early, and inpatient diagnosis based on clinical manifestations. Methods and Findings: We developed the Progression and Transmission of HIV/AIDS model, a health state transition model that tracks index patients and their infected partners from HIV infection to death. We used program characteristics for each setting to compare the incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year gained from early versus late diagnosis and treatment. We ran the model for 10,000 index patients for each setting, examining alternative scenarios, excluding and including transmission to partners, and assuming HAART was initiated at a CD4 count of either 350 or 500 cells/mL. Screening in STD clinics and EDs was cost-effective compared with diagnosing inpatients, even when including only the benefits to the index patients. Screening patients in STD clinics, who have less-advanced disease, was cost-effective compared with ED screening when treatment with HAART was initiated at a CD4 count of 500 cells/mL. When the benefits of reduced transmission to partners from early diagnosis were included, screening in settings with less-advanced disease stages was cost-saving compared with screening later in the course of infection. The study was limited by a small number of observations on CD4 count at diagnosis and by including transmission only to first generation partners of the index patients. Conclusions: HIV prevention efforts can be advanced by screening in settings where patients present with less-advanced stages of HIV infection and by initiating treatment with HAART earlier in the course of infection.
Developmental changes of adenosine deaminase, xanthine oxidase, and uricase in mouse tissues.

Abstract The activities of adenosine deaminase, xanthine oxidase, and uricase were followed in the liver, kidney, stomach, and intestine during pre- and postnatal development of the mouse. Results indicated that some type of coordinate control exists between the uricase and the xanthine oxidase levels in liver, stomach, intestine, and kidney. No coordinate control was seen between adenosine deaminase and xanthine oxidase in liver and kidney. The developmental changes between the intestine and stomach xanthine oxidase and adenosine deaminase were found to be related. The results obtained were consistent with the idea that intermediate metabolites in a pathway play some role in controlling the level of enzymes further down the pathway. A superificial resemblance in the timing of changes in feeding habits and changes in enzyme levels during development was found. Results of artifical change of feeding habit indicate that the control of enzyme levels was inherent rather than the result of dietary change.
Australian aboriginal tooth succession, interproximal attrition, and Begg's theory

In 1954, P.R. Begg analyzed interproximal attrition as a prehistorically universal mechanism to reduce tooth size. With modern processed diets and the virtual disappearance of constant interproximal attrition, Begg asserted, teeth remain too large for the arches and become crowded. Later investigators have questioned Begg's estimate of attritional tooth-size reduction, as well as aspects of his theory relating the succession sequence of permanent teeth to different malocclusions. The present paper examines the theory using longitudinal casts and records of modern Australian aborigines who are among the first generation lacking notable interproximal attrition thanks to a "modernized" diet. Deciduous and permanent tooth size, arch size, and occlusal relational variables were analyzed with respect to the expected occlusal outcomes in the absence of attritional tooth reduction. Permanent incisor overjet correlated with crowding status, as predicted by Begg. On the other hand, longer teeth did not relate to crowding in general nor to crowding in relevant local areas or during developmental stages. Unfavorable leeway space did not relate clearly to crowding or other malocclusions. Lowered correlations among structures and narrowness of the maxilla related more significantly to malocclusion. These results are in keeping with recent thinking that small jaws rather than large teeth underlie tooth/arch discrepancy.
Asexual reproductive adaptation to simulated cretaceous climatic variables by Norway spruce cells in vitro

Abstract Conifers rarely undergo asexual reproduction by parthenogenesis (haploid or diploid). When cells of Finnish Norway spruce genotypes are grown in a bioreactor under environmental conditions more typical of the Mesozoic (high temperatures, carbon dioxide, and humidity, abundant food supply, etc.), the barriers to asexual reproduction are removed. Gene(s) for apomixis are now expressed in cell suspensions of the rescued early embryo. A new population of diploid embryos is reconstituted from these cells by an apomeiotic and parthenogenetic process. This signifies that asexual gene expression is latent and suppressed under climatic conditions at the current seed sources. Moreover, cells are reverting to conservative ontogenetic strategies for adapting to atmosphere-biosphere variables that have seen conifers survive through “bottle-neck” selective regimes in the deep past. The control of culture parameters with bioreactors enables the experimental testing of genotypes in today's forests for their adaptive reproductive responses to critical parameters in models for atmosphere-biosphere change. Environmental preconditions for reproductive fitness and survival from one generation to the next apomictic population can now be explored under controlled conditions. This enables a new study of experimental phylogenetics as a function of changes in atmosphere-biosphere models.
M X N Communication and Parallel Interpolation in Community Climate System Model Version 3 Using the Model Coupling Toolkit

The Model Coupling Toolkit (MCT) is a software library for constructing parallel coupled models from individual parallel models. MCT was created to address the challenges of creating a parallel coupler for the Community Climate System Model (CCSM). Each of the submodels that make up CCSM is a separate parallel application with its own domain decomposition, running on its own set of processors. This application contains multiple instances of the MXN problem, the problem of transferring data between two parallel programs running on disjoint sets of processors. CCSM also requires efficient data transfer to facilitate its interpolation algorithms. MCT was created as a generalized solution to handle these and other common functions in parallel coupled models. Here we describe MCT's implementation of the data transfer infrastructure needed for a parallel coupled model. The performance of MCT scales satisfactorily as processors are added to the system. However, the types of decompositions used in the submodels can affect performance. MCT's infrastructure provides a flexible and high-performing set of tools for enabling interoperability between parallel applications.
Coordination modes in the formation of the ternary Am(III), Cm(III), and Eu(III) complexes with EDTA and NTA: TRLFS, 13C NMR, EXAFS, and thermodynamics of the complexation.

The formation and the structure of the ternary complexes of trivalent Am, Cm, and Eu with mixtures of EDTA+NTA (ethylenediamine tetraacetate and nitrilotriacetate) have been studied by time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy, {sup 13}C NMR, extended X-ray absorption fine structure, and two-phase metal ion equilibrium distribution at 6.60 m (NaClO{sub 4}) and a hydrogen ion concentration value (pcH) between 3.60 and 11.50. In the ternary complexes, EDTA binds via four carboxylates and two nitrogens, while the binding of the NTA varies with the hydrogen ion concentration, pcH, and the concentration ratios of the metal ion and the ligand. When the concentration ratios of the metal to ligand is low (1:1:1-1:1:2), two ternary complexes, M(EDTA)(NTAH){sup 3-} and M(EDTA)(NTA){sup 4-}, are formed at pcH ca. 9.00 in which NTA binds via three carboxylates, via two carboxylates and one nitrogen, or via two carboxylates and a H{sub 2}O. At higher ratios (1:1:20 and 1:10:10) and pcH's of ca. 9.00 and 11.50, one ternary complex, M(EDTA)(NTA){sup 4-}, is formed in which NTA binds via three carboxylates and not via nitrogen. The two-phase equilibrium distribution studies at tracer concentrations of Am, Cm, and Eu have also confirmed the formation of the ternary complex M(EDTA)(NTA){sup 4-} atmore » temperatures between 0 and 60 {sup o}C. The stability constants (log{beta}{sub 111}) for these metal ions increase with increasing temperature. The endothermic enthalpy and positive entropy indicated a significant effect of cation dehydration in the formation of the ternary complexes at high ionic strength.« less
Alpha2 isoform of the Na,K-adenosine triphosphatase is reduced in temporal cortex of bipolar individuals

Abstract Background: The pathophysiology of bipolar illness has been associated with changes in transmembrane ion flux and redistribution of biologically active ions. The recent identification of multiple isoforms of Na,K-adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) α and β subunits raises the possibility of altered pump isoform expression. Methods: We determined Na,K-ATPase α subunit expression in postmortem temporal cortex gray matter from individuals suffering from bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, schizophrenia, and matched normal controls. Quantification of isoform expression was accomplished via densitometric scanning of Western blots utilizing isoform-specific antibodies. Results: Bipolar individuals exhibited a significant reduction in the abundance of the α2 isoform of Na,K-ATPase compared to normal controls. Schizophrenic and schizoaffective brains were not significantly different from normal controls. Conclusion: These data suggest that previously observed abnormalities in regulation and distribution of ions in bipolar illness may be related to specific α2 dysregulation.
Regional variations in the use and awareness of the California Poison Control System.

Purpose: To investigate regional variations in public awareness and utilization of the services of Poison Control Centers (PCC) before and after an intervention. Methods: This study examines call rates of different California regions based on the final five regional PCCs prior to the consolidation of these services under a single statewide California Poison Control System (CPCS) and interventions to increase utilization. Awareness surveys were performed before and after a media campaign that was directed primarily to the Los Angeles basin and to a lesser extent other high Hispanic concentration areas. Focus groups were also utilized to better define specific areas of poison knowledge and awareness of CPCS services. Findings: Large differences in regional California call rates were seen, with the Los Angeles basin showing the lowest utilization of CPCS services compared with the rest of California. Significant seasonal variation in utilization was also found, with the highest average call rates observed in...
Calcium current and calcium‐activated inward current in the oocyte of the starfish Leptasterias hexactis.

1. Inward currents in the immature oocyte of the starfish Leptasterias hexactis were studied with a two-micro-electrode voltage clamp. Experiments investigated the role of Ca2+ in the Na+-dependent plateau of the action potential. 2. Voltage steps more positive than -55 mV produced inward currents in normal sea water that activated and then decayed to a non-zero level with a double-exponential time course. Returning the voltage to the resting potential produced an inward tail current that relaxed slowly to zero with a time course of seconds. 3. Replacing Na+ with choline abolished the slowly decaying component as well as the slow tail current which followed the end of the voltage pulse. This suggested that inward current in Na+-containing sea water consisted of a rapidly decaying component that flowed through Ca2+ channels and a more slowly decaying component carried by Na+. 4. Ca2+ current was isolated in Na+-free sea water. Activation followed a sigmoidal time course that could be described with m2 kinetics. Inactivation during a maintained depolarization followed first-order kinetics and was voltage dependent. 5. When Ba2+ was substituted for Ca2+ as the divalent ion charge carrier, inward currents in Na+-containing sea water decayed along a single-exponential time course. The absence of a slowly decaying Na+ current in Ba2+-containing sea water suggested that Na+ current depended on Ca2+ influx. 6. The effects of altering Ca2+ influx on the time course of Na+ current were investigated. Na+ current decayed more rapidly as the test pulse potential was made more positive, while raising [Ca2+]o slowed the decaying phase without altering its dependence on membrane potential. 7. Tail currents measured after rapidly stepping the membrane potential back to the resting level consisted of a fast component associated with the closing of Ca2+ channels and a slow component that was abolished by removing Na+. 8. The variation of the amplitude of the slow component of tail current with the duration of the voltage-clamp pulse indicated that Na+ current is associated with a time-dependent component of membrane conductance. 9. Possible mechanisms for the slowly decaying Na+ current are considered. The results are discussed in relation to the idea that the conductance change to Na+ follows the time course of Ca2+ accumulation and removal from the cytoplasm.
Preparative liquid column electrophoresis of T and B lymphocytes at gravity = 1

Vertical liquid columns containing low-molecular-weight dextran density gradients can be used for preparative lymphocyte electrophoresis on earth, in simulation of zero gravity conditions. Another method that has been tested at 1 g, is the electrophoresis of lymphocytes in an upward direction in vertical columns. By both methods up to 100 million lymphocytes can be separated at one time in a 30-cm glass column of 8-mm inside diameter, at 12 V/cm, in two hours. Due to convection and sedimentation problems, the separation at 1 g is less than ideal, but it is expected that at zero gravity electrophoresis will probe to be a uniquely powerful cell separation tool.
An evaluation of Benadryl, Pyribenzamine, and otherso-called antihistaminic drugs in the treatment of allergy

T HERE is more than one school of thought with respect to the genesis of hypersensitive phenomena. The toxic or anaphylatoxin theory was based on the assumption that an antigen to which an animal is sensitized, when reinjected, is split by proteolytic ferments into toxic degradation products which produce the now well-known symptoms characteristic of the hypersensitive state. This early concept was later modified by a substantial amount of evidence favoring the hypothesis that histamine is liberated from the tissues during the antigen-antibody inter-reaction, and that the symptoms of anaphylaxis and allergy are, therefore, directly attributable to the action of the released histamine. In recent years, the advocacy of this hypothesis by several staunch proponents has awakened a renewed interest in the search for chemical or biologic substances capable of abolishing or diminishing some or all of the effects of the released histamine. 1-6 Hill and Mart in / in 1932, critically reviewed 165 substances or methods that might serve to inhibit anaphylaxis nonspecifically, and they came to the conclusion that none were ideal for the purpose. In the succeeding years, considerable additional experimentation was done, but the interpretation of results in most instances is open to question according to Feinberg s who reviewed much of it in 1944. One of the first of this series was the enzyme, histaminase, which destroys histamine in vitro." I t was recommended for oral and parenteral use. Although it was received with great ~elat and was enthusiastically advocated for the relief of all forms of allergy (under the trade name of Torantil), it soon found its resting place as another of the many ineffectual remedies. 1~ 11 Fell and his co-workers 2, 18 offered still another approach to the problem by developing a substance which became known as hapamine. It is a histaminehapten combination with despeciated, normal, horse serum globulin: The underlying concept was that injections of this substance would produce antibodies against histamine and thus fort ify the individual against the allergic symptoms induced by liberated histamine. The procedure proved unsound not only because it did not produce any immunity but because it induced sensitivity to the new hapten antigen in a number of instances. We are now in the throes of experimenting with a new series of so-called antihistaminic drugs. The two drugs most widely advocated are Benadryl, a Parke, Davis product which was studied by Loew and associates, 14"~6 and Wells and associates, ~, xs and Pyribenzamine, a Ciba product reported upon by
Plasma Protein Binding of Riboflavin and Riboflavin-5′-phosphate in Man

Ultrafiltration studies with aqueous solutions of riboflavin (FR) or riboflavin-5′-phosphate (FMN) and each of the major human plasma protein fractions (in concentrations normally found in plasma) show that these flavins interact mainly with albumin. Equilibrium dialysis and ultrafiltration experiments with human plasma containing added FR or FMN, or with serum obtained after parenteral administration of FMN, show that the extent of binding of these flavins is essentially the same as in aqueous solutions containing albumin in a concentration equal to that in the plasma or serum. Both FR and FMN appear to be bound on only a single site on the albumin molecule. The FMN-albumin association constant (3.2 × 104 l./mole at 30°) is considerably larger than the FR-albumin association constant (1.3 × 103 l./mole at 30°). There is indication that the interaction between FR and albumin is nonionic, but that electrostatic forces contribute appreciably to the binding of FMN to albumin.
Acceleration techniques for a class of x-projection methods for solving systems of linear equations

Abstract The solution of linear systems of equations using a 2-dimensional x -projection method is presented. At each step of the iterative process the approximate solution vector is projected to a point in the intersection of two of the hyperplanes of the linear system. It is shown that nonsingularity of the coefficient matrix is the only requirement for convergence. An algorithm is presented to select pairs of hyperplanes to project the approximate solution vector at each step. The algorithm is quasi-optimal since the hyperplanes, which are determined by the row vectors of the coefficient matrix, are selected a priori . This is shown to significantly reduce the number of cycles required for convergence. We observe that in some cases the ratio of the change vectors of the approximate solution vectors after some number of cycles becomes a constant. Thus, when this occurs a simple geometric acceleration can be applied to calculate the solution directly. This is shown to significantly reduce the number of cycles required for convergence and improves the accuracy of the solution by orders of magnitude. The 2-dimensional x -projection method was tested against other well known iterative algorithms over a wide range of linear systems and proved superior (less C.P.U. time required) in nearly every case.
Growth, graviresponsiveness and abscisic-acid content of Zea mays seedlings treated with fluridone.

Ten-d-old seedlings of Zea mays L. cv. Tx 5855 treated with 1-methyl-3-phenyl-5-(3-[trifluoromethyl]phenyl)-4-(1H)-pyridinone (Fluridone) were analyzed for abscisic acid (ABA) content using high-performance liquid chromatography with an analysis sensitivity of 2.5 ng ABA g-1 fresh weight (FW). Seedlings were divided into three portions: leaves, detipped roots, and root tips (terminal 1.5 mm). Control plants (water treatment only; no Fluridone) were characterized by the following amounts of ABA: leaves, 0.114±0.024 (standard deviation) μg ABA g-1 FW; detipped roots, 0.260±0.039±μg ABA g-1 FW; root tips, no ABA detected. We did not detect any ABA in tissues of Fluridone-treated plants. Primary roots of treated and untreated seedlings were strongly graviresponsive, with no significant differences between the curvatures or the growth rates of primary roots of Fluridone-treated and control seedlings. These results indicate that 1) Fluridone completely inhibits ABA synthesis, and 2) ABA is not necessary for positive gravitropism by primary roots of Zea mays.
Averaged energy conditions in 4D evaporating black hole backgrounds

Using Visser's semianalytical model for the stress-energy tensor corresponding to the conformally coupled massless scalar field in the Unruh vacuum, we examine, by explicitly evaluating the relevant integrals over half-complete geodesics, the averaged weak and averaged null energy conditions along with Ford-Roman quantum inequality-type restrictions on negative energy in the context of four-dimensional evaporating black hole backgrounds. We find that in all cases where the averaged energy conditions fail, there exist quantum inequality bounds on the magnitude and duration of negative energy densities.
Approach to Peripheral Neuropathy and Neuronopathy

Neuropathic disorders encompass those that affect the neuron's cell body or neuropathies, those affecting the peripheral process, or peripheral neuropathies. The peripheral neuropathies can be broadly subdivided into the myelinopathies and axonopathies. These conditions can be hereditary or acquired. Each of these disorders has distinct clinical features that enable neurologists to recognize the various patterns of presentation. Once a particular pattern is established, further laboratory studies including electrophysiologic testing, nerve biopsy, and blood and cerebrospinal fluid examination can be performed to confirm the clinical impression. Therapy is available in some to correct the underlying disease state or at least to improve symptoms.
Diagnosis-specific management of somatoform disorders: moving beyond "vague complaints of pain".

Abstract The DSM IV category, somatoform disorders, is composed of disorders that are characterized by symptom amplification—most typically, amplification of pain. Other than this commonality, there is considerable variability among the disorders in terms of etiology, course, comorbidities, and the presence or absence of insight. The heterogeneous nature of the somatoform group has led to calls to remove or radically alter the category in the next DSM revision. Despite these concerns, teaching articles addressing somatoform disorders tend to generalize across the category when making patient treatment recommendations. In this report, the authors encourage moving beyond catch phrases such as, “the somatic patient” and “vague complaints of pain,” and toward accurate differential diagnosis between somatoform disorders. They argue that accurate diagnosis of somatoform disorders is both achievable and necessary to provide optimal care for this diverse population of patients. Diagnosis and patient-centered management is contrasted with more generalized treatment recommendations. Perspective This article highlights the appropriate diagnosis and treatment of somatoform disorders for patients with pain. In contrast to the majority of literature on the subject, the authors emphasize the importance of differential diagnosis between somatoform disorders as well as patient-specific and diagnosis-specific treatment. The authors argue that there has been an incorrect tendency to overgeneralize across disorders, an error that is magnified by the exceptional weakness of the somatoform category.
Advanced Technologies For Produced Water Treatment And Reuse

Produced Water (PW) is the highest volume liquid waste stream generated by the petroleum industry. Historically, the treatment of PW has been limited to free oil and suspended solids removal, using physical separation technologies, and injection in disposal wells. However, because of new regulations combined with geological restrictions and local water scarcity, the drive to have a greater fraction of the PW more extensively treated and ultimately reused is increasing. Moreover, the growth in the application of water intensive processes to extract unconventional oil&gas resources, in particular in shale plays and oil sands, has increased the need for cost-effective treatment and reuse of PW to reduce fresh water uptakes. Therefore, the petroleum industry is investigating new PW treatment technologies given that the physical separation technologies traditionally used in the past are, in most cases, not capable of producing water of suitable quality to replace fresh water uptakes. This paper presents the results of a laboratory investigation carried out by the ConocoPhillips Global Water Sustainability Center (GWSC), where various treatment processes (membrane processes, membrane-bioreactors (MBRs), membrane distillation (MD) and ozonation) were evaluated as treatment methods for PW from different oil&gas fields. The key conclusions of this paper are: • Membrane Processes and Thermal Evaporators are currently operating within the petroleum industry in full scale PW treatment and reuse applications. • The preliminary results of investigations performed by GWSC confirmed the potential of Membrane Filtration, MBRs and Ozonation to treat PW and produce an effluent suitable for reuse. Membrane Distillation may have potential in the longer term. Further investigation is ongoing. • If successfully implemented, the above technologies will contribute to provide the petroleum industry with a broad range of technologies to cost-effectively treat and reuse PW.