cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Racial/ethnic differences in Medicaid expenditures on psychotropic medications among maltreated children.

Abstract This study quantifies racial/ethnic differences in Medicaid expenditures on psychotropic drugs among a national sample of children with suspected maltreatment. We linked 4,445 child participants in the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW) – consisting of children investigated for suspected abuse and neglect – to their Medicaid claims obtained from 36 states. We used propensity score matching to construct a comparison group of children without known child welfare involvement, and estimated two-part generalized linear models to examine differences in annual psychotropic drug expenditures per child between children of different races/ethnicities. When compared to a matched sample of children, African American and Latino children incur $292 and $144 less expenditures on psychotropic drugs, respectively, than white children. Among NSCAW children alone, African American children display $614 less spending on psychotropic drugs when compared to white children. Racial/ethnic differences in expenditures on psychotropic drugs occur among all children on Medicaid, but the differences are especially pronounced among African American children in contact with the child welfare system. These findings demonstrate that policymakers will need to pay special attention to the needs of children of color as Medicaid expansions proceed nationwide.
The Art of Power: Machiavelli, Nietzsche, and the Making of Aesthetic Political Theory

The Art of Power: Machiavelli, Nietzsche, and the Making of Aesthetic Political Theory. By Diego A. von Vacano. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2006. 230p. $60.00 cloth, $29.95, paper. This book is admirable for its large ambitions. Diego A. von Vacano seeks to imitate Machiavelli's own imitation of great men, designed to launch the imitator above and beyond the object of his imitation. His proximate goal is indeed identical to the one he attributes to both Machiavelli and Nietzsche: “to break the Manichean mold of morality in their respective cultures” (p. 7; cf. pp. 182–83). To do so in his own culture, he aims “to construct an aesthetic political theory that can have … applicability” beyond the thinkers (again, Machiavelli and Nietzsche) from whom it is purportedly derived (p. 5).
Rat Organic Anion Transporting Protein 1A1 (OATP1A1): Purification and Phosphopeptide Assignment†

Rat organic anion transporting protein 1a1 (oatp1a1), a hepatocyte basolateral plasma membrane protein, mediates transport of various amphipathic compounds. Our previous studies indicated that serine phosphorylation of a single tryptic peptide inhibits its transport activity without changing its cell surface content. The site of phosphorylation is unknown and was the subject of the present study. Following immunoaffinity chromatographic purification from rat liver, oatp1a1 was subjected to trypsin digestion and MALDI-TOF. Except for predicted N-glycosylated peptides, 97% of oatp1a1 tryptic peptides were observed. A single tryptic phosphopeptide was found in the C-terminus (aa 626-647), existing in unphosphorylated or singly or doubly phosphorylated forms and sensitive to alkaline phosphatase treatment. The beta-elimination reaction resulted in a mass loss of 98 or 196 Da from this peptide, and subsequent Michael addition with cysteamine increased masses by the predicated 77 and 154 Da, indicating that oatp1a1 can be singly or doubly phosphorylated at serine or threonine residues in the C-terminal sequence SSATDHT (aa 634-640). Subsequent tandem MS/MS analysis revealed that phosphorylation at S634 accounted for all singly phosphorylated peptide, while phosphorylation at S634 and S635 accounted for all doubly phosphorylated peptide. These findings identify the site of oatp1a1 phosphorylation and demonstrate that it is an ordered process, in which phosphorylation at S634 precedes that at S635. The mechanism by which phosphorylation results in loss of transport activity in hepatocytes remains to be established. Whether phosphorylation near the C-terminus inhibits C-terminal oligomerization of oatp1a1, required for normal transport function, can be speculated upon but is as yet unknown.
Side chain modified sterols as probes into insect molting hormone metabolism. I: synthesis of monofluorophytosterols

Abstract 25- and 26-monofluorophytosterols were synthesized from stigmasterol as potential arthropod-activated competitive inhibitors of side chain hydroxylations occuring in ecdysone biogenesis.
Microradiographic evaluation of bone from cows with experimental hypervitaminosis D, diet-induced hypocalcemia, and naturally occurring parturient paresis

Microradiographic and histologic evaluation of cortical and trabecular bone revealed a low turnover in cows which developed a syndrome of profound hypocalcemia and paresis near parturition. Trabecular and Haversian surfaces appeared inactive and were similar to sections from nonlactating-nonpregnant cows. The inactive surfaces were smooth and bordered by a zone of increased radiodensity. The failure of osteoclastic response was not due to the accumulation of osteoid along trabecular and Haversian surfaces. Lactation was associated with a threefold increase in resorption of trabecular bone at 7 to 10 days postpartum in control cows. Feeding a calcium-deficient diet to cows for 30 days resulted in a significant hypocalcemia and a twofold increase in bone resorption. The addition of pharmacologic doses of vitamin D (30 million units daily) from the 20th to 30th day of feeding the calcium-deficient diet further increased bone resorption (approximately fivefold), primarily along trabecular surfaces. The added vitamin D prevented hypocalcemia but did not produce a detectable hypercalcemia. Similar levels of vitamin D administered for 3 to 10 days to cows with a normal calcium and phosphorus intake resulted in hypercalcemia and numerous resorption spaces in cortical bone. Vitamin D appeared to be more effective than calcium-deficient diets in influencing calcium homeostasis by altering skeletal metabolism in adult cows.
Coefficient of genetic relationship and the probability of intragenealogical fission in Macaca mulatta

1. The average degree of relatedness (r), based on Sewall Wright's (1922) coefficient of inbreeding (F), was calculated for 68 matrilineages of rhesus monkeys involved in four group fissions. The average degree of relatedness for each entire social group before and after fission was also calculated. Matrilineages involved in group fission were found to subdivide when the average degree of relatedness between members fell below the level of first cousins. Whole social groups fissioned when the average degree of relatedness between members fell below the level of second cousins. 2. These r values, though calculated only through the maternal line, are somewhat lower but overlap with those found by Chagnon (1975) for the average degree of relatedness in fissioning villages of Yanamamo Indians calculated through both maternal and paternal lines. 3. Two matrilineally organized human groups, which undergo fission frequently, show comparable patterns of group fission. The decay of group solidarity is apparently correlated with a decay in the average degree of relatedness among group members. 4. Both in humans and in macaques, seceding groups, though often socially subordinate, have a higher average degree of relatedness, and show greater group solidarity than either the mother group before fission or the larger fission product.
Health Literacy Predicts Cardiac Knowledge Gains in Cardiac Rehabilitation Participants.

Objective:Health literacy is increasingly recognised as a potentially important patient characteristic related to patient education efforts. We evaluated whether health literacy would predict gains in knowledge after completion of patient education in cardiac rehabilitation.Method:This was a re-post observational analysis study design based on Summa Health System’s Phase-II cardiac rehabilitation programme in Akron, Ohio, USA. The Medical Term Recognition Test, the Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults, and the Newest Vital Sign were administered to 191 patients enrolled in cardiac rehabilitation between May 2010–April 2011. The Cardiac Knowledge Assessment Tool is routinely administered at the beginning and prior to discharge from cardiac rehabilitation. Consent was obtained in order to access patients’ cardiac rehabilitation medical chart for information such as age and education level.Results:Participants were 72% men with a mean of 66.4 years of age, and with an average level of education...
Infrared Spectra of OMCO (M = Cr−Ni), OMCO- (M = Cr−Cu), and MCO2- (M = Co−Cu) in Solid Argon

Laser-ablated late transition metal atoms Cr through Ni react with CO2 molecules to give the insertion products OMCO, which have been isolated in solid argon. The insertion OMCO- molecular anions (Cr through Cu) were formed by electron capture and/or reaction with CO2-, and the addition MCO2- anions (M = Co, Ni, Cu) were produced by direct reaction with CO2-. The excellent agreement between the observed frequencies and isotopic frequency ratios with those calculated by density functional theory supports these assignments.
Architecture of a distributed database information resource

In today's world, it is becoming quite clear that database management systems form a very important element in a "Distributed Information Resource" environment; however, there are other components, and the purpose of this paper is to present all of the components in a unified system.Creation of a distributed information resource implies that a number of hardware and software components are to be designed and integrated into a controlled environment. These components include one or more database management systems, a user language interface, a data/dictionary/directory catalog, a transaction controller, and a data input/output control module.The inclusion of automated office facilities: word/text processing, electronic mail/message, computer-assisted inquiry, etc., in such a distributed processing environment increases the requirements for careful planning and control.This paper describes the various system components and demonstrates the integration of them with the International Organization for Standards (ISO) communications architecture and a data storage and retrieval architecture (DSRA). The seven layers of the DSRA are defined and certain functions are assigned to each. In addition, the possible placement of the DSRA is presented in two different scenarios.
Blood type predicts live birth in the infertile population

Purpose To determine if blood type in infertile women relates to the likelihood for live birth (LB) following IVF, and to the etiology for infertility.
The dielectric response to photoexcitation of GFP: A molecular dynamics study

Abstract The dielectric response to photoexcitation of the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) chromophore and contributions to it from water and GFP are computed by molecular simulations using a force field for the chromophore parametrized by ab initio calculations of ground and excited states. The chromophore is embedded in the β-barrel where it is surrounded by about 10 waters, which are found to play a significant role in slow dielectric relaxation. Dynamics of hydrogen bonds between water and GFP is examined and found to be slower and more heterogeneous for hydrogen bonds inside the β-barrel than in the hydration layer around GFP.
Delayed presentation of complete pancreatic ductal transection in children: management of two cases without resection

Pancreatic ductal injuries in children are rare, and ductal transections presenting in a delayed or subacute fashion are seldom reported. We describe two cases of traumatic pancreatic ductal transection secondary to physical abuse, both of which presented late to medical care. Both were managed successfully without pancreatic resection. Judicious application of non-resectional management can yield favorable outcomes in this subset of pediatric patients.
Hydrography of the central Atlantic—I. The two-degree discontinuity☆

Abstract A discontinuity in the slope of the property-property relationships for the deep water in the central Atlantic is clearly confirmed by the Geochemical Ocean Sections (GEOSECS) data. The potential temperature and salinity of the discontinuity water lie within the limits 2.08 ± 0.15° C and 34.90 ± 0.01‰ from 40°N to 30°S. The horizon slopes up from a depth of 4.0 km (σθ = 27.92) at the northern to 3.2 km (σθ = 27.90) at the southern end of this region. The discontinuity water consists of 89% water of northern and 11% water of southern origin. It is proposed that this water represents the outflow from the topographically confined abyssal Atlantic. If so, the ratio of the input rate to the northern end member to that of the southern end member is about 8. The changes in abundance of the nutrient elements along the discontinuity horizon are best explained if respiration and opal dissolution take place primarily in the eastern basin. An alternate hypothesis for the origin of the discontinuity involves the active erosion of a previously more extensive mixing zone between North Atlantic Deep Water and Antarctic Bottom Water.
The Role of the Calcium-Dependent Enzymes Nitric Oxide Synthase and Calpain in Hypoxia-induced Proximal Tubule Injury

A role of cytoplasmic free calcium [Ca2+]i in hypoxia-induced proximal tubule damage has been proposed. To further investigate the role of [Ca2+]i in mediating hypoxic proximal tubular injury, a video imaging technique has been developed in which [Ca2+]i can be measured simultaneously with propidium iodide (PI) staining of nuclei as an index of hypoxia-induced membrane damage. Hypoxia in rat proximal tubules is associated with a significant rise in [Ca2+]i which precedes evidence of membrane damage as assessed by PI staining. This rise in [Ca2+]i activates calpain, a Ca2+-dependent cysteine protease, and constitutive nitric oxide synthase (NOS), the Ca2+-dependent form of NOS. Inhibition of either calpain or nitric oxide synthase provides marked cytoprotection against hypoxic proximal tubular injury. These observations are consistent with the early rise in [Ca2+]i initiating hypoxic injury by activating NOS and calpain.
In Vitro and In Vivo Characteristics of a Heme Oxygenase Inhibitor: ZnBG

The authors evaluated the in vitro and in vivo efficacy and photosensitizing effects of zinc deuteroporphyrin 2,4-bis glycol (ZnBG) as an inhibitor of adult Wistar rat tissue heme oxygenase (HO) activity and bilirubin production. Concentrations of 0.02–0.05 μM ZnBG inhibited the HO activity in postmitochondrial supernatants of liver, spleen, brain, and kidney by at least 50%. Administration of 4 μmole ZnBG/ kg body weight to adult rats significantly reduced the total body carbon monoxide (CO) excretion, an index of bilirubin formation, from 1 to 6 hours posttreatment. At 6 hours posttreatment, the HO activity in postmitochondrial supernatants of the liver and spleen, but not of the brain, was significantly lowered. ZnBG also behaved as an in vitro photooxidizer by degrading, in the presence of cool white light, the reduced form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate and histidine to CO and other nonidentified products. ZnBG also enhanced the natural photodegradation of bilirubin. Furthermore, administration of ZnBG to 1-day-old neonatal rats caused mortality within 12 hours in light-exposed animals, with a lethal dose 50 of 23 μM/ kg body weight.
Light-activated functional mesostructured silica

Mesostructured silica thin films and particles provide highly versatile supports or frameworks for functional materials where a desired function (such as energy transfer, electron transfer, or molecular machines) is induced by molecules deliberately placed in specific regions of the structure. The relatively gentle templated sol–gel synthesis methods allow a wide variety of molecules to be used, and the optical transparency of the framework is very suitable for studies of light-induced functionality. In this paper, three types of functionality are used to obtain fundamental understanding of the materials themselves and to develop active materials that can trap and release molecules from the pores upon command. Photo-induced energy transfer is used to verify that molecules can be placed in specific spatially separated regions of the framework; fluorescence resonance energy transfer is used as a molecular ruler to measure quantitatively the distance between pairs of molecules. Secondly, photo-induced electron transfer is used to obtain fundamental information about the electrical insulating properties of the framework. Finally, two types of molecular machines, a light-driven impeller and a light activated nanovalve, are described. Both machines contain moving parts attached to solid supports and do useful work. The valves trap and release molecules from the mesopores, and the impellers expel molecules from the pores. Applications of the materials to drug delivery and the release of drug molecules inside living cells is described.
Effects of bedrock landslides on cosmogenically determined erosion rates

The successful quantification of long-term erosion rates underpins our understanding of landscape. formation, the topographic evolution of mountain ranges, and the mass balance within active orogens. The measurement of in situ-produced cosmogenic radionuclides (CRNs) in fluvial and alluvial sediments is perhaps the method with the greatest ability to provide such long-term erosion rates. In active orogens, however, deep-seated bedrock landsliding is an important erosional process, the effect of which on CRN-derived erosion rates is largely unquantified. We present a numerical simulation of cosmogenic nuclide production and distribution in landslide-dominated catchments to address the effect of bedrock landsliding on cosmogenic erosion rates in actively eroding landscapes. Results of the simulation indicate that the temporal stability of erosion rates determined from CRN concentrations in sediment decreases with increased ratios of landsliding to sediment detachment rates within a given catchment area, and that larger catchment areas must be sampled with increased frequency of landsliding in order to accurately evaluate long-term erosion rates. In addition, results of this simulation suggest that sediment sampling for CRNs is the appropriate method for determining long-term erosion rates in regions dominated by mass-wasting processes, while bedrock surface sampling for CRNs is generally an ineffective means of determining long-term erosion rates. Response times of CRN concentrations to changes in erosion rate indicate that climatically driven cycles of erosion may be detected relatively quickly after such changes occur, but that complete equilibration of CRN concentrations to new erosional conditions may take tens of thousands of years. Simulation results of CRN erosion rates are compared with a new, rich dataset of CRN concentrations from the Nepalese Himalaya, supporting conclusions drawn from the simulation.
Do clinical pathways for major vascular surgery improve outcomes and reduce cost

Abstract Purpose: This study was performed to determine whether the implementation of clinical pathways for patients who undergo major vascular procedures in a community hospital would shorten the length of stay and reduce charges when compared with Medicare standards. Methods: Length of stay, hospital costs, and morbidity, mortality, and readmission rates for the four most common vascular diagnosis-related group (DRG) categories at our institution were compared with Medicare standards. The four categories were DRG 005 (extracranial vascular procedures), DRG 110 (aortic and renal procedures), DRG 478 (leg bypass with comorbidity), and DRG 479 (leg bypass without comorbidity). Between May 1, 1994, and June 30, 1996, 112 patients underwent carotid endarterectomy, 42 patients underwent aortic or renal procedures, and 130 patients underwent lower extremity bypass procedures (68% with comorbidity). Only Medicare patients were included because exact cost/reimbursement data were available. No admissions were excluded. Results: The average length of stay was 1.2 days for DRG 005, 6.9 days for DRG 110, and 3.2 and 2.1 days for DRGs 478 and 479, respectively. The average cost savings when compared with the Medicare reimbursement was $4338 for DRG 005, $7161 for DRG 110, $4108 for DRG 478, and $2313 for DRG 479. Readmission was necessary for 9% of peripheral bypass patients. Ten percent of patients in DRG 005 and 86% of patients in DRG 110 needed intensive care, whereas only 2% of patients who underwent complicated bypass procedures did. Ninety percent of carotid endarterectomy patients and 23% of leg bypass patients were discharged on the first postoperative day. There were two postoperative strokes (2%) after carotid surgery. Thirty-three percent of aortic/renal patients had complications that led to care outside the clinical pathway. Twenty-five percent of leg bypass patients required home care to treat open foot wounds. Total inpatient cost savings were $1,256,000 when compared with Medicare reimbursement. Conclusions: Clinical pathways significantly improve the length of stay and decrease inpatient charges for major vascular surgical procedures while maintaining high standards of care. Factors that favorably affected the length of stay and hospital charges were outpatient arteriography, same-day admission, early ambulation, physical therapy, home care, use of the intensive care unit on a selective basis, and early discharge. Factors that adversely affected these outcomes were emergency admission, inpatient arteriography, thrombolytic therapy, complications, and the need for dialysis or anticoagulation. (J Vasc Surg 1997 26:179-85.)
Multiphase thermomechanics with interfacial structure 2. Evolution of an isothermal interface

Paper 1 [1988 g][1] of this series began an investigation whose goal is a thermomechanics of two-phase continua based on Gibbs’s notion of a sharp phase-interface endowed with thermomechanical structure. In that paper a balance law, balance of capillary forces, was introduced and then applied in conjunction with suitable statements of the first two laws of thermodynamics; the chief results are thermodynamic restrictions on constitutive equations, exact and approximate free-boundary conditions at the interface, and a hierarchy of free-boundary problems. The simplest versions of these problems (the Mullins-Sekerka problems) are essentially the classical Stefan problem with the free-boundary condition u = 0 for the temperature replaced by the condition u = h K, where K is the curvature of the free-boundary and h > 0 is a material constant. This dependence on curvature renders the problem difficult, and apart from numerical studies involving linearization stability, there are almost no supporting theoretical results.
The interaction of genotype and exogenous neonatal androgen and estrogen: sex behavior in female mice.

Female neonates of the A, BALB/c, and C57BL/6 mouse strains were injected with androgen, estrogen, or oil and the effects upon their sex behavior studied. Genotype and treatment combined interactively on a substantial number of variables, indicating that the effects of perinatally administered sex hormones and genotype cannot be considered separately. Effects of the 2 hormones were often in different directions. The lordosis response of one genotype appeared relatively insensitive to neonatal treatment, particularly with androgen.
Effects of blade-to-blade dissimilarities on rotor-body lead-lag dynamics

Small blade-to-blade property differences are investigated to determine their effects on the behavior of a simple rotor-body system. An analytical approach is used which emphasizes the significance of these effects from the experimental point of view. It is found that the primary effect of blade-to-blade dissimilarities is the appearance of additional peaks in the frequency spectrum which are separated from the convention response modes by multiples of the rotor speed. These additional responses are potential experimental problems because when they occur near a mode of interest they act as contaminant frequencies which can make damping measurements difficult. The effects of increased rotor-body coupling and a rotor shaft degree of freedom act to improve the situation by altering the frequency separation of the modes.
Efficient production of mammalian RNA tumor viruses in serum-free culture medium allows rapid RNA subunit purification.

Abstract A wide variety of infected mammalian cell cultures were observed to produce high levels of RNA tumor virus particles in the absence of serum for at least 12 h. Virus production was measured by yields of 50–70 S viral RNAs isolated directly from serum-free culture media by chromatography on oligo(dT)-cellulose. Yields of RNAs from viruses produced in serum-free medium were comparable to yields obtained from purified viruses produced in serum-containing medium. Subunits of viral RNAs were thermally dissociated and separated by a new sedimentation system using sucrose gradients with resolving power (in the relevant size range) equivalent to that obtained with electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gels. RNA subunits isolated directly from serum-free medium appeared to be intact as judged by poly(A) content and resedimentation. The overall approach developed here represents dramatic savings in time and effort over previous ways of producing purified RNA subunits from RNA tumor viruses.
Microbial mixing zone dolomitization and karst development within Isla de Mona Dolomite, Isla de Mona, Puerto Rico

Modification of the mixing zone model to include microbial processes that promote dolomitization explains many of the petrographic, isotopic, and outcrop observations found on Isla de Mona. Large flank margin caves at the contact between the Isla de Mona Dolomite and the capping Lirio Limestone formed during prolonged, likely episodic, periods with a stable lens position. These periods would produce a stable halocline. The halocline is hypothesized to be the zone of dolomitization in the microbial mixing zone model. Collection of organics at the density interface of the halocline coupled with sulfate reduction by sulfate-reducing bacteria would establish a geochemical environment that promotes dolomitization of the precursor limestone. This microbial community and geochemical environment would overcome the kinetic and thermodynamic barriers associated with the previous mixing zone model.
The Relationship Between Parenting Styles and Creativity in a Sample of Jamaican Children

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between parenting styles and creativity among a sample of Jamaican students and their parents. A total of 54 parents and 66 students participated in the study. Results revealed that the authoritarian style of parenting is the most salient predictor of creativity in children and that this relationship was negative. In addition, parents’ level of creativity was greater than that of their children and was also predictive of children's level of creativity. The creativity level of children in the sample was lower than that of the normative sample. Because creativity is linked to critical thinking, the implications of this study is especially pertinent to the Jamaican population, which is noted for its authoritarian style of parenting.
Linoleic Acid Requirement of Turkey Poults

Abstract The dietary requirement of young turkey poults (0–3 weeks of age) for linoleic acid was investigated. The first 2 experiments determined the influence of soybean extract and level of hydrogenated coconut fat (1–3%) on the response of poults to dietary linoleic acid (3%). The results showed a highly significant growth response to linoleic acid which was independent of the extract or the coconut fat. Feed/gain and mortality were markedly reduced by linoleic acid. In a third experiment, oleic acid (0.85%) or graded levels of linoleic acid (0, 0.25, 0.51, 1.02, 1.44, 2.09 and 4.25%) were fed in a casein-glucose basal diet. Weight gains and feed conversions were improved by linoleic acid supplements up to 1.02% of diet. Additions beyond this level gave no further improvement. Oleic acid had no effect on growth or feed conversion. In addition to growth and feed conversion, lipid composition of liver and heart also indicated that the minimum requirement for linoleic acid by young growing turkeys was 1% of the diet or 3.2% of the calories.
Analysis of 3,5,6-trichloropyridinol in blood plasma.

The detection of 3,5,6-t r ichloropyr id inol (3,5,6-TCP), one of the more famil iar metabolites of chlorpyrifos (O,O-diethyl O-3,5,6-tr ichloro-2-pyridyl phosphorothioate), in urine by gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) and electron capture (EC) detection has been applied to human blood plasma. Human urine samples have been analyzed for 3,5,6-TCP by the Hawaii Epidemiologic Studies Program (HESP), Annual Report No. I0 (1977), using procedures based on a multiresidue method developed for the analysis of rat urine by SHAFIK et al. (1973) for pesticides which biodegrade to haloand nitro-phenols. This analytical method has been adapted to analyze human blood plasma for the metabolite of chlorpyrifos.
Surgical Repair of an Inguinal Herniation of the Urinary Bladder in an Intact Female Domestic Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

Abstract A 4-month-old intact female domestic rabbit ( Oryctolagus cuniculus ) was evaluated for a recent onset of lethargy, anorexia, foul-smelling red urine, diarrhea, and a soft subcutaneous swelling in the inguinal region. Physical examination confirmed the presence of a flocculent subcutaneous swelling in the ventral pelvic region. Whole body radiographs showed an approximately 5 × 3.5 × 3.5 cm structure of mineral opacity within the subcutaneous tissues ventral to the pelvic girdle. Cytology of fluid aspirated from the mass and an excretory urogram supported the diagnosis of a herniation of the urinary bladder through the right caudoventral abdominal body wall. The hernia was successfully repaired with an inguinal herniorrhaphy and replacement of the bladder within the abdominal cavity. The etiology of this herniation could not be definitively determined but was likely congenital or non-traumatically acquired in origin. This is the first published report describing the surgical repair of an inguinal herniation and incarceration of the urinary bladder in an intact female rabbit.
ICP-MS for elemental speciation studies

The use of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) coupled with separation techniques for the purpose of elemental speciation has recently gained a lot of attention. Much of this is due to ever improving separation capabilities of Chromatographic techniques, the high sensitivity of ICP-MS, and the continuing development of better interface techniques. Additionally, there is a growing awareness of the need to monitor various species of an analyte, rather than just total analyte concentrations, due to their often varying natures. For the sake of learning from different elemental speciation approaches, this review brings together some selected types of elemental speciation which have been recently seen in literature. These include separations using various forms of liquid chromatography, such as reversed phase, reversed phase ion pairing, micelle, ion exchange, and size exclusion. Elemental speciation employing gas Chromatographie separations and supercritical fluid separations are discussed as well as elemental speciation using capillary electrophoresis.
Logical data base design: A management-oriented approach

Abstract A logical data base consists of data definitions and data relationships. It is typically very large and complex even for a small organization, but it is generally designed in an ad hoc manner. However, several approaches have recently been proposed that allow for a systematic logical data base design. To make a data base more useful to the managers, it is imperative to encourage and obtain their involvement in the initial phase of the logical data base design. “Surface semantic models” are used in the logical data base design process to increase this involvement. A special type of this, called a “hierarchical external view model”, is proposed. It has been successfully used to develop a logical data base for the Department of Aging in Pennsylvania.
Effect of initial microstructure on the processing of titanium using equal channel angular pressing

Abstract Equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) is a metal processing technique that is used to produce materials with ultrafine (
Aminoborohydrides 15. The first mild and efficient method for generating 2-(dialkylamino)-pyridines from 2-fluoropyridine.

Lithium aminoborohydride (LAB) reagents promote the amination of 2-fluoropyridine under mild reaction conditions, providing 2-(dialkylamino)pyridines in excellent yield and purity. Treatment of 2-fluoropyridine with 1.1 equiv of lithium aminoborohydride at room temperature affords complete conversion after 1 h. This is the first general way by which 2-(dialkylamino)pyridines may be directly obtained from fluoropyridines under ambient reaction conditions. 2-Chloropyridine can also be converted to 2-(dialkylamino)pyridine by simply increasing the number of LAB equivalents and the reaction temperature.
Thin metal windows for gas targets

Abstract Experience with thin metal foils as windows for hydrogen gas targets that are irradiated by particle beams, indicated that molybdenum is often the metal of choice. Where a high-Z material is needed for low-background neutron production, a new alloy of 75% Pt-25% Ir appears to be useful. Experience with Havar and tantalum foils is also reported.
Multidimensional chemical sensors for chip-scale electronic packages

The study of dimethylamineborane, as the reducing agent in electroless deposition of gold, was conducted using electrochemical, elemental and spectroscopic methods. The validity of the mixed potential theory of electroless deposition of metals was used to explain the influence of fluctuating chemical concentrations in the bath. Experimental measurements showed that plating rate depends on the fluctuating concentrations of gold, hydroxide, cyanide and the reducing agents among other variables. The fluctuating chemical concentrations can be monitored using the novel automated chemical sensors discussed.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Novel nanostructured high-performance anion exchange ionomers for anion exchange membrane fuel cells

Abstract A novel block copolymer, styrene–ethylene/butylene–styrene (SEBS), was chosen as the starting material to prepare pendant quaternary ammonium-based ionomers with an ion-exchange-capacity (IEC) of 0.66, 1.30, and 1.54 mequiv. g −1 , denoted by QSEBS-L, QSEBS-M, and QSEBS-H, respectively. These QSEBS ionomers have been demonstrated to have excellent dimensional stability against hydration without significantly sacrificing the ionic conductivity as compared to the widely studied polysulfone (PSf)-based ionomers. The water uptake of the QSEBS-based ionomers depended on their functionality; a higher IEC in the ionomer resulted in more water uptake and a higher ionic conductivity. The MEAs fabricated with the QSEBS-M and QSEBS-H ionomers showed the best H 2 /O 2 fuel cell performance with peak power densities reaching 210 mW cm −2 at 50 °C, which was significantly higher than that of the PSf-based ionomers (∼30 mW cm −2 ). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis indicated that the superior fuel cell performance observed with the QSEBS-based ionomers can be attributed to: (1) the low internal cell resistance, and (2) the low charge transfer resistance in both the anode and the cathode due to the excellent dimensional stability and the balanced conductivity-hydrophobicity originated by the unique morphology of the QSEBS-based ionomers. AFM phase imaging measurements of the QSEBS-based ionomers revealed unique nanostructures containing isolated hydrophobic and continuous anion conducting hydrophilic domains. By further optimizing the chemistry and morphology of the ionomers and the membranes, the resistance of the anode and cathode of the AEMFCs will be further reduced. The performance of anion-exchange-membrane fuel cells will be further improved.
Electron transfer in the H-bronzes of MVO5 (M Nb,Ta)

Abstract It was observed that in HxNbVO5 with x − 1.4, the 51V and 93Nb high resolution solid state NMR lines (center transitions) are practically unchanged (chemical shift and line width) with respect to those observed in NbVO5. From thermodynamic data, the extent of the charge transfer from the intercalated H to the host lattice appears to be total in both HxNbVO5 and isostructural HxTaVO5. Hence, the formal oxidation state of vanadium in the bronze should be V3.5+ and the abundance of V4+ and V3+ paramagnetic centers should prevent the observation of the 51V (and 93Nb) resonances. A similar effect was reported earlier for H xV2O5. The NMR results are difficult to explain in the hypothesis, supported by the thermodynamic data of a complete charge transfer unless some electron-pairing occurs. Solving this problem raises an interesting a challenge which would undoubtedly require other techniques of investigation.
Services Computing in Daily Work: Service Engineering vs. Software Engineering

Today, more and more software are augmented with service-oriented packaging. At the same time, more and more business and government services are provided and offered in the form of software. However, there are debates on whether and how much service engineering has in common with software engineering.
Using the theory of reasoned action to explain physician intention to prescribe emergency contraception.

Although research has examined providers knowledge attitudes and prescribing behaviors with regard to emergency contraception none has used a theory-based approach to understanding the interplay of these factors. A cross-sectional survey of 96 faculty physicians from one Southern and three Midwestern universities was conducted in 2004 to assess factors associated with intention to prescribe emergency contraception. The theory of reasoned action guided the study hypotheses and survey design. Correlation and regression analyses were used to examine the data. Only 42% of respondents strongly intended to prescribe emergency contraception for teenagers but 65-77% intended to do so for all other specified groups (women who ask for the method who have had a method problem who have experienced rape or incest and who have had unprotected sex). Consistent with the theory of reasoned action high intention to prescribe emergency contraception was associated with positive attitudes toward doing so and with the perception that specific colleagues or professional groups support prescribing it; however the perception of support by colleagues or professional groups in general did not predict intention. Also consistent with the theory physicians knowledge about emergency contraception and their demographic characteristics were not significant. Interventions to encourage physicians to provide emergency contraception should take into account their attitudes toward the method and the components of those attitudes. (authors)
Leaching and persistence of herbicides for kudzu (Pueraria montana) control on pine regeneration sites

Abstract Clopyralid, picloram, triclopyr, metsulfuron, and tebuthiuron were applied to control kudzu on four loblolly pine forest regeneration sites during July 1997. Spot treatments were applied to recovering kudzu in June 1998 and June 1999. Soil leachate was monitored for these five herbicides from July 1997 to December 2000. All herbicides were detected in shallow (51–58 cm deep) and deep lysimeters (84–109 cm deep). Clopyralid was not persistent and limited leaching occurred, with residue levels of 0.4 to 2.8 μg L−1 in 12 of 102 deep lysimeter samples. Picloram was mobile and persisted at 0.6 to 2.5 μg L−1 in shallow and deep lysimeters for at least 10 mo after the initial application. Triclopyr residues were not persistent in shallow lysimeters and remained < 6 μg L−1 during the study. Metsulfuron persisted at < 0.1 μg L−1 for 182 to 353 d in shallow lysimeters and at < 0.07 μg L−1 for 182 to 300 d in the deep lysimeters in various plots. Tebuthiuron peaks in the deep lysimeters ranged from 69 to 73...
Molecular analysis of kinetochore architecture in fission yeast.

Kinetochore composition and structure are critical for understanding how kinetochores of different types perform similar functions in chromosome segregation. We used affinity purification to investigate the kinetochore composition and assembly in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. We identified a conserved DASH complex that functions to ensure precise chromosome segregation. Unlike DASH in budding yeast that is localized onto kinetochores throughout the cell cycle, SpDASH is localized onto kinetochores only in mitosis. We also identified two independent groups of kinetochore components, one of which, the Sim4 complex, contains several novel Fta proteins in addition to known kinetochore components. DASH is likely to be associated with the Sim4 complex via Dad1 protein. The other group, Ndc80–MIND–Spc7 complex, contains the conserved Ndc80 and MIND complexes and Spc7 protein. We propose that fission yeast kinetochore is comprised of at least two major structural motifs that are biochemically separable. Our results suggest a high degree of conservation between the kinetochores of budding yeast and fission yeast even though many individual protein subunits do not have a high degree of sequence similarity.
Age differences in picture memory with resemblance and discrimination tasks

Previous research on recognition memory has examined age-related effects on knowledge of the difference between lures and input items (e.g., false alarm rate), but has not examined age-related effects on knowledge of the resemblance between lures and input items. In the present experiment, subjects in two age groups (means = 19.3 years and 63.8 years) saw a list of scenic pictures, followed by a recognition test containing same-photo items, each a copy of an input picture, same-scene items, each from the same original scene as an input picture, and different-scene items. The task was to categorize each test picture as same-photo, same-scene or different-scene. There were no reliable age differences on standard recognition measures of hits and false alarms. However, younger subjects were better than older subjects at detecting the resemblance between same-scene items and input items, although this age difference was less apparent when the initial encoding provided experience with resemblance detection. The results have implications regarding age effects in picture memory and in recognition memory generally.
"Can We Seal the Deal?": An Examination of Uncertainty in the Development Process

Studies of firm location decisions suggest that an organization’s desire to reduce the uncertainty associated with operating in a new or unfamiliar location plays a role in determining where it will choose to locate. To date, however, little attention has been paid to the experience of uncertainty in the preoperational phase (i.e., during the development process). When the development process in a given municipality is rife with ambiguity or unpredictability, it may deter firms from moving there, even if the location is attractive on the basis of its long-term operating economics. This study draws on in-depth interviews to explore how real estate professionals experience uncertainty while navigating the development process. The findings reveal that real estate professionals’ conceptualizations of uncertainty reflect five related, but distinct, themes: municipal support, community opposition, process, cost, and feasibility.
North Louisiana experience with bone and soft tissue malignancies

Several major industries in rural North Louisiana are agriculture and forestry, with its associated paper mill factories. These industries utilize significant herbicides, such as dioxins. A Swedish study found a higher incidence of soft tissue sarcomas in patient populations exposed to these herbicides. The purpose of this retrospective study is to demonstrate a higher incidence of sarcomas in the rural areas of North Louisiana. Between 1988 and 1994, twelve patients with osteosarcoma were evaluated and treated. The twelve patients were from rural areas. Fourteen patients with soft tissue sarcoma were evaluated and treated between 1988 and 1994. Six patients were from the metropolitan area of Shreveport/Bossier City, and eight from the rural areas. For the osteosarcoma group, a two-fold increase in patients occurred in the rural areas. In the soft tissue sarcoma group, the overall incidence was lower for both areas, but more were seen from the rural area. This suggests that those patients from the rural areas of North Louisiana may have a higher risk of developing a sarcoma, and this trend may be related to herbicide exposure.
Hydrothermal synthesis, structure and magnetic properties of a three-dimensional cobalt(II) – aminophenyltetrazolate coordination polymer

The hydrothermal reaction of cobalt(II) acetate tetrahydrate, 4-aminophenyl tetrazole and water at 135 °C for 48 hours provided orange crystals of [Co3(OH)2(H2O)2(aptet)4] (1) (aptet = 4-aminophenyltetrazolate). The three-dimensional structure of compound 1 is constructed from chains of corner- and edge-sharing Co(II) octahedra linked into a framework through the dipodal ligand tethers. The cobalt sites of the chain are linked through tetrazolate groups in the N2,N3-bridging mode, as well as through μ3-hydroxyl groups into trinuclear Co3 substructures. The magnetic properties are consistent with a ferrimagnetic chain with the non-compensating resultant moment of one Co(II) per trinuclear Co(II) subunit. The temperature dependence of the ac magnetic susceptibility indicates glassy-like magnetic behavior.
Floristic Development Patterns in a Restored Elk River Estuarine Marsh, Grays Harbor, Washington

We describe the changes in the floral assemblage in a salt marsh after reconnection to estuarine tidal inundation. The Elk River marsh in Grays Harbor, Washington was opened to tidal flushing in 1987 after being diked for approximately 70 years. The freshwater pasture assemblage dominated by Phalarais arundinacea (reed canary grass) converted to low salt marsh vegetation within 5 years, with the major flux in species occurring between years 1 and 4. The system continued to develop through the 11-year post-breach monitoring period, although change after year 6 was slower than in previous years. The assemblage resembles a low salt marsh community dominated by Distichlis spicata (salt grass) and Salicornia virginica (pickleweed). Because of subsidence of the system during the period of breaching, the restored system remains substantially different from the Deschamsia cespitosa (tufted hairgrass)-dominated reference marsh. Use of a similarity index to compare between years and also between reference and restored marshes in the same year revealed that similarity in floral composition between year 0 and subsequent years decreased with time. However, there was a period of dramatic dissimilarity during years 1 to 3 when the system was rapidly changing from a freshwater to estuarine condition. Similarity values between the reference and restored system generally increased with time. Somewhat surprisingly the reference marsh showed considerable between-year variation in similarity, which indicated substantial year-to-year variability in species composition. Based on accretion rate data from previous studies we predict that full recovery of the system would take between 75 and 150 years.