cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ileostomy pathway virtually eliminates readmissions for dehydration in new ostomates.

Background New ileostomates face significant physical and psychological adaptations. Despite advanced resources, such as wound, ostomy, and continence nurses, we observed a high readmission rate for dehydration among patients with new ileostomies. Objective Our goal was to create a pathway to reduce readmission and facilitate patient education and well-being. Design The 'Ileostomy Pathway' was established by a collaborative group at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. A standardized set of patient education tools was developed to be used throughout the perioperative process. Patient's education started with the preoperative visit. All patients were directly engaged in ostomy management and trained in a stepwise progression. Patients were discharged from the hospital with flow sheets, supplies for recording intake/output, and visiting nurse services. Prospectively collected data from the first 7 months was compared with a retrospective database of the previous 4 years. Settings This study was conducted at a tertiary academic center. Patients Patients with a new permanent or temporary ileostomy were included. Interventions A new ileostomy pathway was created. Main outcome measures The primary outcome measured was readmission rates. Results One hundred sixty-one patients were assigned to prepathway implementation and 42 were assigned to postpathway implementation. One hundred three of 203 (50.7%) patients were men, and 58 of 203 (28.6%) patients had permanent ostomies. Overall readmission rate was 35.4% and 21.4% for the prepathway and postpathway groups. The readmission rate for dehydration was 15.5% (25/161) for prepathway patients, but dropped to 0% in the study group. The average length of stay after creation of the new ostomy was 7.5 days and 6.6 days for prepathway and postpathway groups. Limitations This study was limited by its small sample size and the lack of randomization. Conclusions A simple, educational program for new ileostomy patients that includes preoperative teaching, standardized teaching materials, in-hospital engagement, observed management, and postdischarge tracking of intake and output is very effective in decreasing hospital readmission. The average length of stay remained stable, despite the addition of this teaching program to our perioperative/inpatient care.
Stability considerations for a solar spectral intensity monitor (SIM)

A spaceborne spectral irradiance Monitor (SIM) is being developed at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, to measure solar spectral irradiance and its variation over a 5 year period with a precision of 0.02 percent. The SIM consists of two independent and identical prism spectrometers. Each channel is equipped with an electrical substitution radiometer and ancillary photodiodes to prove spectral coverage from 0.3 to 2.0 micrometers with (lambda) /(Delta) (lambda) > 30. To meet this irradiance specification, the entrance slit must be characterized to give the effective slit width. Additional work is being performed to characterize how the space environment changes the diffractive properties of the slit over the course of the mission. The slit edges skim off the wavefront and then the broken edges diffract, losing energy at angle wider than the prism. The net effect at the detector is to reduce the effective slit width. Calculations using the Fraunhofer approximation show that most of the percentage slit area reduction is due to diffraction from the slit width. For a sharp cut-off at the edge of the slit the effective slit width decreases as 3.242(lambda) , where (lambda) is the wavelength of the incoming radiation. An experimental apparatus was constructed to test this calculation and to study the effects of heating and annealing on etched stainless steel entrance slit edges.
Household Poverty in Rural and Metropolitan-Core Areas of the United States1

Urban poverty and rural development literatures are used to identify the determinants of poverty, resulting in the hypothesis that controlling for household and contextual-level variables would reduce metropolitan (metro) core versus rural differences in the likelihood of poverty. Modeling data from the 1985 wave of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, rural households have the highest probability of poverty followed by the metro core. Both household and contextual factors were important determinants of the chances of household poverty. However, controlling for these determinants failed to eliminate the greater likelihood of rural versus metro-core poverty. Findings indicate the need for new directions in future poverty research and a reconsideration of the importance of space in sociological theory.
Cancer in inflammatory bowel disease.

Cancer in inflammatory bowel disease is clearly increased in incidence in the intestinal tract, and probably in certain extraintestinal sites as well. The absolute number of patients developing such malignancies are low compared to overall cancer rates in the general population, but because of higher relative risks, younger ages of onset, distinctive clinicopathological features, and the difficulties of making a diagnosis, it is important that this complication of inflammatory bowel disease be widely appreciated. The prognosis today is no worse for colorectal cancer in ulcerative colitis, and only slightly poorer for Crohn’s colorectal cancer (especially for those occurring in excluded bowel) than forde novo cancers of the large bowel, but it remains exceedingly poor for small bowel cancers in Crohn’s disease. Surveillance can probably be advised for ulcerative colitis-related colorectal cancers, but there is still doubt as to whether it will be costeffective or how it will affect prognosis and survival. There is even greater doubt concerning its role in monitoring patients with Crohn’s colorectal cancer, or small bowel cancers. A cooperative study of endoscopic surveillance to diagnose dysplasia or malignant change in the mucosa of patients with Crohn’s disease has yet to be widely accepted as a worthwhile idea, much less actually designed or undertaken.
Developing Guidelines for HIV Antibody Testing among Victims of Pediatric Sexual Abuse.

The incidence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection acquired by children through sexual abuse is presently unknown. A telephone survey of 63 practitioners of pediatric sexual abuse (PSA) assessment in the five U.S. regions with highest prevalence of HIV infection was conducted to determine the present status of guidelines for HIV antibody testing of PSA victims. No formal protocol was used by any of those surveyed, and a literature review found no existing guidelines for HIV antibody testing of PSA victims. A standard set of clinical situations was presented to practitioners to assess whether a consensus exists of indications for HIV antibody testing of abused children. Seven clinical profiles with 12 criteria were presented including HIV antibody status, AIDS/ARC clinical profile, and behavioral profile of the assailant; clinical profile of the victim; pre-assault victim behavioral profile compatible with high risk of HIV infection (exclusively adolescents); parent/guardian anxiety/psychosocial profile; and profile of the assaultive act with respect to potential transmissibility of HIV. We found an 85% or greater consensus for 6 testing criteria, and based upon these propose an interim set of HIV antibody testing guidelines for PSA victims. There was no consensus about five testing criteria, but their frequent citation merits further consideration. Clinical application of interim guidelines and design of prospective studies to quantitatively evaluate them are reviewed.
Atrial form and function: lessons from human molecular genetics.

Abstract Molecular genetic analyses of human hereditary disorders that affect cardiac atrial structure and function have recently identified several genes that regulate atrial morphogenesis. Mutations of the TBX5 , NKX2.5, EVC , and PRKAR1 α genes all result in abnormalities of human atrial growth and development, and mutations in at least one gene results in familial atrial fibrillation and is as yet unidentified. Ongoing studies to find interactions between these transcription factors and intracellular signaling molecules and other as yet unknown genes are establishing critical pathways in human cardiogenesis. Human investigation and experimental animal models of heart development synergize to elucidate etiologies of common congenital heart disease.
International Guidelines and Ethical Context

Clinical practice and clinical research are subject to numerous ethical principles and guidelines, both formal and informal. Protect and promote patients’ and subjects’ clinical interests. Respect ...
Intracellular freezing in biomaterials.

Abstract The present paper reviews previous work related to the intracellular freezing of biological cells and discusses some general conclusions which can be drawn from this work. Topics considered include definition of the physiochemical conditions requisite for the formation of intracellular ice, methods of detecting the presence of ice inside of frozen cells, theories of freezing injury attributable to intracellular ice, mechanisms of cryophylactic protection, and envisioned future trends in intracellular freezing research. New experimental data are also presented which describe the frequency of intracellular ice formation in frozen human erythrocytes as a function of the cooling rate. It is demonstrated that the probability of intracellular freezing is zero at cooling rates less than −6 °C/min, 100% at cooling rates greater than −17 °C/min, and varies proportionately with the cooling rate in the intermediate range. These data are discussed in light of previous analytical and experimental work.
Utilizing College Advising Centers to Facilitate and Revitalize Academic Advising.

From the founding of Harvard in 1636 until the 1960's, academic advising was informally an integrated role of the faculty. Advising in early American higher education was singular in purpose with no need for formalized advising because enrollment was small, course offerings were limited, and academic programs were rigid . It first became formalized in 1889, as Rudolph explains in his history of American higher education:
Optimum power transmission of wireless sensors embedded in concrete

We present the feasibility and optimization of wireless powering of sensors embedded in concrete that relies on a plane wave propagation model. Transmission loss and propagation loss of RF wave penetrating into concrete at different humidity conditions are calculated for various frequencies. An optimum frequency range within 20–80 MHz is identified for the wireless power transmission and is validated through antenna coupling full-wave EM simulations. The effects of reinforced bars to the propagation of RF power are also analyzed.
DRAG AND BULK AERODYNAMIC COEFFICIENTS OVER SHALLOW WATER

From direct measurements of the vertical turbulent fluxes of momentum, heat, and water vapor over shallow water, the drag and bulk aerodynamic coefficients are computed and compared with those obtained via the profile technique. The results show thatCD=CT=CE=1.2×10−3, with variability among their mean values being ⩽ 20 %. All measurements were taken at 8 m above the water surface at Lake Hefner, Oklahoma. The measurement platform was a rectangular tower located within the lake and approximately 1 km from the nearest shore. The depth of the lake at the tower was 8 m.
Surfactant monolayers at solid–liquid interfaces: conformation and interaction

Abstract Sum-frequency vibrational spectroscopy is used to study chain conformation of self-assembled surfactant monolayers at various solid–liquid interfaces. In contrast to monolayers with fully packed alkyl chains, the chain conformation of monolayers with lower surface density is found to be extremely sensitive to different liquid environments.
Sleep-based Topology Control for Wakeup Scheduling in Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless sensor network applications require both energy-efficiency and low latency for reporting urgent but rare events. Various wakeup scheduling schemes have been proposed to save energy by employing duty cycles and to reduce end-to-end delay by synchronizing nodes' wakeup times and shortening setup latencies. Most sensor applications incur a predominant "convergecast" traffic pattern in which several close-by sensor nodes simultaneously send reports to the base station, which generates "spatially-correlated contention." This contention, specific to sensor networks, can significantly prolong delay, degrade throughput, and impair energy-efficiency. However, most wakeup scheduling and MAC protocols proposed for sensor networks did not address this contention and can be adversely affected. We propose a distributed topology control technique to schedule nodes' wakeup time slots, and design a MAC protocol to benefit from this topology control for improving energy-efficiency and delay, and efficiently handling spatially-correlated contention. Through analysis and simulations, we show that our topology control and MAC can either reduce the end- to-end delay by roughly half or extend the network lifetime by three times, when compared against the nearest competing approach, and achieves twice the throughput under spatially-correlated contention.
Calculation of the ionization energies of the sulphur hexafluoride molecule by the multiple scattering method

The multiple-scattering (or scattered-wave) model has been applied to the sulphur hexafluoride molecule, using an approximate Hartree-Fock potential of the Xα type. The calculated ionization energies are compared with the data from the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ESCA) experiments, and found to be in better agreement than either the ab initio (SCF MO LCAO) or semi-empirical (CNDO) results.
Evidence of individual odors and individual discrimination in the raccoon, Procyon lotor

Abstract Although raccoons (Procyon lotor) were originally categorized as solitary carnivores, recent evidence shows that some raccoons have overlapping home ranges, travel in groups, and share dens. Moreover, raccoons use communal latrines and scent mark, suggesting that chemical signals may be important for communication. Using a familiarization–discrimination technique we investigated whether raccoons can discriminate individual differences in the odors of conspecific urine or feces. The subjects were wild caught (n = 10 raccoons for urine experiments; n = 8 raccoons for feces experiments) and tested in a large outdoor enclosure. We demonstrated that raccoons can distinguish individual differences in the odor of unfamiliar and unrelated conspecific urine, but not in the odor of feces. Gas chromatography was also done on the urine samples to look for chemical differences. The gas chromatograms showed visible differences and qualitative as well as quantitative differences in chemical composition. This is...
Influence of arsenic on the atomic structure of the Si(112) surface

The surface science techniques of low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) have been used to characterize the clean Si(112) surface and the influence of an As monolayer on the properties and structure of the surface. In agreement with previous studies, the clean surface is found by both LEEd and atomically resolved STM images to be unstable with respect to faceting into other stable planes. Procedures for in-situ deposition of As onto clean Si surfaces were devised and XPS results show that approximately one monolayer of As can be deposited free of any contamination. The As/Si(112) surface is characterized by a sharper LEED pattern than for the clean surface and by STM images characterized by long rows along the \([\bar 110]\) direction with a regular width of 1.9 nm. This is consistent with a doubling of the periodicity in the \([11\bar 1]\) direction of the bulk-terminated unit cell. This implies that As yields a stable but reconstructed Si(112) surface.
Surgical salvage of failed radiocephalic arteriovenous fistulae: Techniques and results in 29 patients

Surgical salvage of failed radiocephalic arteriovenous fistulae: Techniques and results in 29 patients. From August 1987 through February 1995 we performed 42 surgical procedures in 29 patients with occluded or stenotic radiocephalic arteriovenous fistulae. Operations were designed to preserve native veins for cannulation (Group I) or to preserve access in the same forearm, bypassing the failed fistula (Group II). For 27 procedures in 22 Group I patients, cumulative primary patency was 70%, 57%, and 47% at 6, 12, and 18 months, respectively. A subgroup of patients was identified, however, in whom excellent results could be reliably predicted. Among 19 hemodynamically stable patients with mature fistulae amendable to more proximal arteriovenous anastomoses, cumulative primary patency was 100%, 81%, and 67% at 6, 12, and 18 months, respectively. Secondary patency for 17 such patients was 100%, 89% and 89% for these same intervals. In Group II only two of ten patients required use of other access sites (9½, 18½ months). We believe that all occluded or stenotic radiocephalic arteriovenous fistulae should be considered for surgical salvage. Excellent results can be predicted for (1) hemodynamically stable patients with (2) mature fistulae that (3) fail near the arterial anastomosis and are (4) amendable to new more proximal arteriovenous anastomoses.
The Development of a Frequency Agile RF Accelerating System for the Zero Gradient Synchrotron

A conceptual design for the rf system for the proposed ZGS modification will be presented. The system differs very little, in principle, from the present ZGS rf system. The primary engineering difference lies in the extendedpower output capacity of the amplifier. The parameters and characteristics of the accelerator are outlined and the electronic equipment in an rf system meeting those needs is described. The radiation environment of the amplifier and cavity will be discussed and methods preventing failure of the system suggested.
Application of Access Management Techniques to Reduce Wrong-Way Driving Near Interchange Areas

Past studies indicated that interchange configurations, access control, and geometric design are related to Wrong-Way Driving (WWD) and minor ramp geometric changes can be effective in reducing the number of wrong-way entries onto freeways. In this paper, access management techniques and geometric elements, which are capable of discouraging wrong-way maneuvers, are identified and discussed. Additionally, every aspect of these elements and their relationship to WWD is investigated. These geometric elements include interchange types, exit ramp terminals, frontage roads, raised medians, channelizing islands, and control radius. The aforementioned elements should be given a special consideration during the design stage of interchanges and intersections.
Bathing in new landscapes

It would be a rock climber's dream, were it accessible. But this 1600-meter cliff is more likely to be descended than ascended. It is hundreds of meters below the sea. Two hundred kilometers off the Gulf Coast of Florida, along the edge of the continental shelf, nature has built a mile-high precipice by piling up the refuse of millions of years of marine life. The carbonate-rich shells of sea creatures resist erosion, but every so often enough cool fresh water seeps from the low-lying Florida mainland to the lower face of the slope and dissolves the carbonate. As the sea floor weakens, it collapses violently, creating sheer cliffs as steep as 45°.
Reduced-dose rasburicase (recombinant xanthine oxidase) in adult cancer patients with hyperuricemia

Recombinant urate oxidase (rasburicase) lowers uric acid levels rapidly to very low levels at the labeled dose of 0.15-0.2 mg/kg daily for 5 days. Our past experience showed that a lower dose (3 mg) lowered uric acid levels sufficiently in most patients. A retrospective review was conducted to determine the effect of a fixed 3 mg dose of rasburicase in 43 adult patients with cancer undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation or receiving chemotherapy who had elevated or rising uric acid levels (6.4-16.8 mg/dl; median 9.6). Six patients received a second dose of rasburicase (3 mg in four patients and 1.5 mg in two patients) 24 h later. Patients received allopurinol, adequate hydration, as well as other supportive therapy as required. Uric acid levels declined by 6-95% (median 43%) within the first 24 h after rasburicase administration, and levels at 48 h were 9-91% (median 65%) lower than the baseline levels. Serum creatinine changed by 10% in four patients and decreased by >10% in 18 patients. No significant renal dysfunction developed in any of the patients. We conclude that rasburicase is effective in lowering uric acid levels at a fixed dose of 3 mg, which is much lower than the recommended dose.
The MFA in Arts Management

Arts administration/management (AA/M) has evolved to the point of emerging as a mature academic field, increasingly institutionalized within higher education and demanding a larger and more highly credentialed faculty. Examining Master of Fine Arts (MFA) AA/M programs in North America, this brief study asks whether the MFA can serve as the viable credential for academically trained arts managers. The analysis suggests that no consensus about which advanced degree best reflects academic expertise relevant to all components of the field has been reached and that standards remain too unclear for the MFA to serve as a viable credential across artistic disciplines.
Prokaryotic ubiquitin-like protein (Pup), proteasomes and pathogenesis

Proteasomes are ATP-dependent, multisubunit proteases that are found in all eukaryotes and archaea and some bacteria. In eukaryotes, the small protein ubiquitin is covalently attached in a post-translational manner to proteins that are targeted for proteasomal degradation. Despite the presence of proteasomes in many prokaryotes, ubiquitin or other post-translational protein modifiers were presumed to be absent from these organisms. Recently a prokaryotic ubiquitin-like protein, Pup, was found to target proteins for proteolysis by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis proteasome. The discovery of this ubiquitin-like modifier opens up the possibility that other bacteria may also have small post-translational protein tagging systems, with the ability to affect cellular processes.
Differences in Growth of Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli O157:H7 on Alfalfa Sprouts

Sprout producers have recently been faced with several Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli O157:H7 outbreaks. Many of the outbreaks have been traced to sprout seeds contaminated with low levels of human pathogens. Alfalfa seeds were inoculated with S. enterica and E. coli O157:H7 strains isolated from alfalfa seeds or other environmental sources and sprouted to examine growth of these human pathogens in association with sprouting seeds. S. enterica strains grew an average of 3.7 log(10) on sprouting seeds over 2 days, while E. coli O157:H7 strains grew significantly less, an average of 2.3 log(10). The initial S. enterica or E. coli O157:H7 inoculum dose and seed-sprouting temperature significantly affected the levels of both S. enterica and E. coli O157:H7 on the sprouts and in the irrigation water, while the frequency of irrigation water replacement affected only the levels of E. coli O157:H7. Colonization of sprouting alfalfa seeds by S. enterica serovar Newport and E. coli O157:H7 strains transformed with a plasmid encoding the green fluorescent protein was examined with fluorescence microscopy. Salmonella serovar Newport colonized both seed coats and sprout roots as aggregates, while E. coli O157:H7 colonized only sprout roots.
Forgiveness, depression, and suicidal behavior among a diverse sample of college students

Depression and suicide are significant public health concerns for college-age young adults. Meaning-based characteristics, such as forgiveness, a voluntary coping process involving offering, feeling, or seeking a change from negative to positive cognitions, behaviors, and affect toward a transgressor, may buffer such poor mental health outcomes. Utilizing mediation analyses, we examined cross-sectional associations between forgiveness, depression, and suicidal behavior in a diverse student sample reporting mild to severe depressive symptoms. The effect of self-forgiveness on suicidal behavior was fully mediated by depression; self-forgiveness was associated with depression and, in turn, with suicidal behavior. Forgiveness of others was directly associated with suicidal behavior. Prospective research is needed, yet self and other-forgiveness may be appropriate targets for promotion in suicide prevention efforts.
A distance reduction approach to design for testability

The average distance between states is proposed as a new testability measure for finite state machines (FSMs). Also proposed is the concept of center state to reduce distances in FSMs. This test function embedding technique has been shown to improve the testability of sequential circuits with minimal overhead. An overview of several design for testability (DFT) and synthesis for testability (SFT) methods for sequential circuits is also given in this paper. Experimental results have shown that DFT approach is more advantageous than SFT approach to implement our test function. The contribution of this paper is to analyze the trade-offs between several aspects of DFT and SFT techniques.
Fast propagation predictions for HF network simulations

The complexity of current HF radio networks (such as the SCOPE Command HF Global Communications System) has renewed interest in techniques for efficiently simulating long-haul HF radio networks. Because the dynamic propagation effects of skywave paths are the distinguishing characteristic of HF network simulations, we need to accurately simulate the connectivity among HF stations. Predictions of ionospheric propagation are typically very costly in either time or memory or both. There is a clear need for accurate, efficient techniques to predict the path losses between pairs of HF stations. This paper describes a suite of techniques that has been developed and applied to simulations of large networks of fixed and mobile radios. These techniques approximate the accuracy of the best propagation prediction programs while minimizing both the memory and CPU time used during a simulation. The paper discusses the accuracy of the predictions along with the memory requirements and running time of the new propagation prediction techniques.
Phospholipase C-induced monocytic differentiation in a human monocytic leukemia cell line THP-1.

Previous studies showed that the human monocytic leukemia cell line THP-1 can be induced to undergo monocytic differentiation by tumor promoting phorbol esters (TPA), suggesting that protein kinase C (PK-C), the primary binding site of TPA, may play a role in the control of monocytic differentiation. The effect of exogenous phospholipase C (PLC) on THP-1 cells was investigated. Within 24-48 hr, PLC induced over 40% of THP-1 cells to undergo monocytic differentiation as manifested by adherence, growth arrest, functional expression, morphological changes and expression of c-fms gene which encode for M-CSF receptors. Compared to TPA, however, the inducing activity of PLC was weaker, slower and not as effective. PLC treatment also induced a transient expression of c-fos proto-oncogene prior to c-fms expression. On the contrary, the level of c-myc RNA, which is constitutively expressed in THP-1 cells, was down-regulated 48 hr after PLC treatment. The PLC-induced monocytic differentiation in THP-1 cells was inh...
A New PC-Based Test for Varian's Weak Separability Conditions

This article develops a new method to evaluate revealed preference separability conditions. In contrast to previous studies, our results generally find weak separability, even when datasets have some measurement error. In addition, revealed preference and weak separability appear robust to measurement error, different price distributions, and alternative preference settings. Measurement error generally results in relatively few violations of revealed preference or weak separability.
Improving Participant Observation: The T Group as an Answer

Participant observation as a research method is frequently criticized as unsystematic and low in reliability. T Groups are criticized for their lack of applicability and effectiveness outside the laboratory. Parallels between the two suggest that the latter can provide skills that increase the validity of the former, and that the former can increase the usefulness of the latter. This paper focuses on the relatively neglected dimensions of the researcher's experience of himself and the subject's experience of the researcher. Because the research relationship is a social relationship, it is crucial to take these two factors into account. T Groups provide a program for doing so.
Biomass production in a nitrogen-fertilized, tallgrass prairie ecosystem exposed to ambient and elevated levels of CO2

Increased biomass production in terrestrial ecosystems with elevated atmospheric CO2 may be constrained by nutrient limitations as a result of increased requirement or reduced availability caused by reduced turnover rates of nutrients. To determine the short-term impact of nitrogen (N) fertilization on plant biomass production under elevated CO2, we compared the response of N-fertilized tallgrass prairie at ambient and twice-ambient CO2 levels over a 2-year period. Native tallgrass prairie plots (4.5 m diameter) were exposed continuously (24 h) to ambient and twice-ambient CO2 from 1 April to 26 October. We compared our results to an unfertilized companion experiment on the same research site. Above- and belowground biomass production and leaf area of fertilized plots were greater with elevated than ambient CO2 in both years. The increase in biomass at high CO2 occurred mainly aboveground in 1991, a dry year, and belowground in 1990, a wet year. Nitrogen concentration was lower in plants exposed to elevated CO2, but total standing crop N was greater at high CO2. Increased root biomass under elevated CO2 apparently increased N uptake. The biomass production response to elevated CO2 was much greater on N-fertilized than unfertilized prairie, particularly in the dry year. We conclude that biomass production response to elevated CO2 was suppressed by N limitation in years with below-normal precipitation. Reduced N concentration in above- and belowground biomass could slow microbial degradation of soil organic matter and surface litter, thereby exacerbating N limitation in the long term.
Dementia associated with hyperphosphatemic tumoral calcinosis

Hyperphosphatemic tumoral calcinosis (HTC) is a rare inherited metabolic disorder manifested by pararticular calcification and hyperphosphatemia, caused by an elevated renal phosphate reabsorption threshold and elevated serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D levels. The disorder usually affects African-American subjects, but has also been described in Caucasians and Hispanics. Vascular calcifications and angioid streaks have been reported to be associated with the disorder; however, dementia has not been previously reported. Our medical center has followed two African-American siblings, with HTC for over 30 years, who have developed dementia at 56 years and 67 years of age. Neither man has been hypertensive, however, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans in both cases revealed multiple periventricular infarcts, suggestive of infarcts caused by vascular calcification in the central nervous system. These two brothers with HTC suggest that periventricular infarcts with dementia may be a long term complication of this disorder.
The impact of emission and climate change on ozone in the United States under representative concentration pathways (RCPs)

Abstract. Dynamical downscaling was applied in this study to link the global climate-chemistry model Community Atmosphere Model (CAM-Chem) with the regional models Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model and Community Multi-scale Air Quality (CMAQ). Two representative concentration pathway (RCP) scenarios (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5) were used to evaluate the climate impact on ozone concentrations in the 2050s. From the CAM-Chem global simulation results, ozone concentrations in the lower to mid-troposphere (surface to ~300 hPa), from mid- to high latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere, decreases by the end of the 2050s (2057–2059) in RCP 4.5 compared to present (2001–2004), with the largest decrease of 4–10 ppbv occurring in the summer and the fall; and an increase as high as 10 ppbv in RCP 8.5 resulting from the increased methane emissions. From the regional model CMAQ simulation results, under the RCP 4.5 scenario (2057–2059), in the summer when photochemical reactions are the most active, the large ozone precursor emissions reduction leads to the greatest decrease of downscaled surface ozone concentrations compared to present (2001–2004), ranging from 6 to 10 ppbv. However, a few major cities show ozone increases of 3 to 7 ppbv due to weakened NO titration. Under the RCP 8.5 scenario, in winter, downscaled ozone concentrations increase across nearly the entire continental US in winter, ranging from 3 to 10 ppbv due to increased methane emissions. More intense heat waves are projected to occur by the end of the 2050s in RCP 8.5, leading to a 0.3 ppbv to 2.0 ppbv increase (statistically significant except in the Southeast) of the mean maximum daily 8 h daily average (MDA8) ozone in nine climate regions in the US. Moreover, the upper 95% limit of MDA8 increase reaches 0.4 ppbv to 1.5 ppbv in RCP 4.5 and 0.6 ppbv to 3.2 ppbv in RCP 8.5. The magnitude differences of increase between RCP 4.5 and 8.5 also reflect that the increase of methane emissions may favor or strengthen the effect of heat waves.
Cell Cycle Events Associated with the Termination of Proliferation by Cytotoxic and Differentiation-inducing Actions of 6-Thioguanine on HL-60 Cells

Delayed growth arrest was observed in HL-60 acute promyelocytic leukemia cells after exposure to 6-thioguanine (TG). This growth arrest occurred in both wild-type HL-60 cells exposed to 2 microM TG and an HL-60 clone lacking hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HGPRT) activity at a 500-fold higher concentration of drug. Both cell lines continued replication during an initial 4-day period of exposure to TG; however, upon removal of the purine antimetabolite and reincubation in fresh medium in the absence of drug, no further increase in cell number was observed over the next 4 days. Extensive differentiation, as measured by the reduction of nitroblue tetrazolium, occurred in TG-treated, HL-60 HGPRT-negative cells, whereas no significant increase in the number of nitroblue tetrazolium-positive cells was observed in wild-type HL-60 cells exposed to the purinethiol. Thus, termination of proliferation in wild-type cells appeared to be an expression of cytotoxicity, while in the HGPRT-negative clone, cell replication was apparently terminated by conversion of cells to end-stage forms with a mature phenotype. In support of this conclusion, differences occurred in the stage of the cell cycle arrest, determined on Day 6 after exposure to TG. Approximately 85% of parental HL-60 cells treated with TG were present in the S and G2 + M phases of the cell cycle, with the greatest proportional change from untreated controls being in the G2-M phase (i.e., a 63% increase over untreated controls). In contrast, HL-60 HGPRT-negative cells treated with TG accumulated in G1, with 68% of the population located in this phase (i.e., an 80% increase compared to controls), as might be expected for a differentiated population. Dimethyl sulfoxide, which produced differentiation in both parental HL-60 and HL-60 HGPRT-negative cells, was used as a positive control. Both cell lines responded identically to dimethyl sulfoxide, with growth arrest being due at least in part to differentiation, which corresponded to an increase in G1 cells.
Toxicity of major cations and anions (Na+, K+, Ca2+, Cl−, and SO) to a macrophyte and an alga

In many freshwater systems around the world, the concentrations of major ions (Na(+), K(+), Ca(2+), Mg(2+), Cl(-), HCO(3)(-), CO(3)(2-), and SO(4)(2-)) are exhibiting increasing trends, approaching the concentrations historically found mainly in estuaries. The objectives of the present study were to determine at what concentrations these salts are toxic to an aquatic plant and a green alga, to investigate two potential mechanisms of toxicity, and to determine the usefulness of conductivity as an indicator of salt toxicity. In a series of laboratory trials, Lemna minor and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata were exposed to a range of concentrations of five different salts. Conductivity levels that caused 10 or 50% reductions in growth-related traits (EC10 and EC50, respectively) were determined, using conductivity of the test solutions as the independent variable. The EC10 values ranged from 0.44 to 2.67 mS/cm for P. subcapitata and from 1.3 to >19 mS/cm for L. minor. The EC50 values ranged from 1.7 to 5.8 mS/cm for P. subcapitata and from 4.2 to >27 mS/cm for L. minor. For both species the EC values varied dramatically among the salts. Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata was most sensitive to KCl and NaCl, whereas L. minor was most sensitive to Na(2)SO(4). The mechanism of toxicity does not appear to be related to production of reactive oxygen species, nor to reduction in chlorophyll concentrations. Because toxicity was strongly influenced by salt composition, regulation and management of specific ions may be preferable to conductivity.
Reduced Serum Insulin-Like Growth Factor (IGF) I Is Associated with Reduced Liver IGF-I mRNA and Liver Growth Hormone Receptor mRNA in Food-Deprived Cattle

Nutritional deprivation decreases blood insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) concentrations in a variety of species. In this study, we explored the underlying mechanism by determining the effects of food deprivation on the levels of total IGF-I mRNA and total growth hormone receptor (GHR) mRNA, as well as the levels of individual IGF-I mRNA variants and GHR mRNA variants in the liver of steers. Food deprivation for nearly 3 d decreased the levels of serum IGF-I by 63% (P < 0.01), and this decrease was associated with a 75% decrease (P < 0.01) in total IGF-I mRNA in the liver. The food deprivation-induced decrease in liver total IGF-I mRNA was associated with an equivalent decrease in the levels of both class 1 and class 2 IGF-I mRNA. In addition to IGF-I mRNA, food deprivation also decreased the levels of total GHR mRNA in the liver (P < 0.05), and this decrease was associated with a decrease in the liver expression of GHR mRNA variants 1C3 (P < 0.05) and 1A (P = 0.08). Food deprivation did not affect the levels of two other major GHR mRNA variants, 1B and 1C2, in the liver. These results demonstrate that the food deprivation-induced decrease in circulating IGF-I in steers is associated with a coordinate decrease in the expression of different IGF-I mRNA variants and a specific decrease in the expression of GHR mRNA variants 1C3 and 1A in the liver.
A 2′-Deoxy-2′-Fluoro-2′-C-Methyl Uridine Cyclopentyl Carbocyclic Analog and Its Phosphoramidate Prodrug as Inhibitors of HCV NS5B Polymerase

The 2 ′-deoxy-2 ′-fluoro-2 ′-C-methyluridine nucleotide prodrug, PSI-7851 and its single diastereomer PSI-7977 have displayed potent antiviral activity against hepatitis C virus in clinical trials, and PSI-7977 is currently in Phase III studies. As part of our SAR study of the 2 ′-deoxy-2 ′-fluoro-2 ′- C-methyl class of nucleosides, we prepared the cyclopentyl carbocyclic uridine analog 11 and its phosphoramidate prodrug 15. Both 11 and 15 were shown not to inhibit HCV replication. This lack of activity might be attributed to the inability of the monophosphate to be converted to the corresponding diphosphate or triphosphate or the inactivity of triphosphate of 11 as an inhibitor of the polymerase.
Comparison of multivariate methods for inferential modeling of soil carbon using visible/near-infrared spectra

ARTICLE I NFO Soil carbon Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy Visible/near-infrared spectroscopy Multivariate calibration Pre-processing transformations In order to reduce costs and time in the analysis of soil properties, visible/near-infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (VNIRS) has been proposed. Since various pre-processing transformations and calibration techniques are in use to analyze soil spectral data, much uncertainty still exists about predictive soil modeling. We investigated the feasibility of VNIRS to determine the concentration of carbon in soils collected in the Santa Fe River Watershed, Florida. A total of 554 soil samples (400 for calibration, and 154 for validation) were collected to a depth from 0 to 180 cm. Total carbon was measured by dry combustion, after sieving (2 mm), air-drying and ball-milling, and is reported in mg kg −1 .R eflectance measurements from 350 nm to 2500 nm were collected in a controlled laboratory environment. Five multivariate techniques (stepwise multiple linear regression, principal components regression, partial least-squares regression, regression tree and committee trees) and thirty pre-processing transformations (including derivatives, normalization and non-linear transformations) of spectral data were compared with the aim of identifying the best combination to predict soil carbon. The coefficient of determination (R 2 ), the root mean square error (RMSE), and the residual prediction deviation (RPD) were used to evaluate the models. The combination of multivariate technique and pre-processing transformation that provided the highest coefficient of determination for the validation set (Rv 2 ) and RPD, and lowest root mean square error for the validation
Visualizing Traffic Causality for Analyzing Network Anomalies

Monitoring network traffic and detecting anomalies are essential tasks that are carried out routinely by security analysts. The sheer volume of network requests often makes it difficult to detect attacks and pinpoint their causes. We design and develop a tool to visually represent the causal relations for network requests. The traffic causality information enables one to reason about the legitimacy and normalcy of observed network events. Our tool with a special visual locality property supports different levels of visual-based querying and reasoning required for the sensemaking process on complex network data. Leveraging the domain knowledge, security analysts can use our tool to identify abnormal network activities and patterns due to attacks or stealthy malware. We conduct a user study that confirms our tool can enhance the readability and perceptibility of the dependency for host-based network traffic.
Orientation parameters for the specification of effective properties of heterogeneous materials

A general formulation is presented for the orientation averaging of the properties of representative volume elements of heterogeneous materials. Approximations are introduced that result in the identification of four independent orientation parameters that are required to specify a general state of three-dimensional orientation. The general relationships are reduced further for the special case of “planar” and “axial” distribution and applied to an aggregate averaging scheme for short-fiber composites.
The Partnership Of EDGAR Online And XBRL - Should Compustat Care?

Until EDGAR Online began operational, Compustat was (arguably) the only provider of financial statement information with accompanying database development capabilities. While EDGAR Online has received relatively little attention in the literature to date, we posit that the use of Edgar Online could flourish given the recent XBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language) reporting mandate of the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission). In this regard, we identify the differences between Compustat and EDGAR Online in terms of data presentation as well as database development capabilities and product pricing. Our results suggest that differences exist between data presentation, database development capabilities as well as product pricing. In turn, we believe that such differences may facilitate EDGAR Online's competitive position with respect to Compustat.
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Symptoms Predict Alcohol Expectancy Development

ABSTRACTObjective: Positive alcohol expectancies and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are independent risk factors for adolescent alcohol problems and substance use disorders. However, the association of early ADHD diagnostic status, as well as its separate dimensions of inattention and hyperactivity, with alcohol expectancies is essentially unknown. Method: At baseline (i.e., Wave 1), parents of 139 6- to 9-year-old children (71% male) with (N = 77; 55%) and without (N = 62; 45%) ADHD completed structured diagnostic interviews of child psychopathology. Approximately two years later (i.e., Wave 2), children completed a Memory Model-Based Expectancy Questionnaire (MMBEQ) to ascertain their positive and negative expectancies regarding alcohol use. All children were alcohol naive at both baseline and follow-up assessments. Results: Controlling for age, sex, IQ, as well as the number of Wave 1 oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder (CD) symptoms, the number of baseline hyperac...
Predicting adult stature without skeletal age and without paternal data

The RWT method for predicting adult stature from childhood variables uses the current recumbent length and weight of the child, the stature of each parent, and the skeletal age of the child as predictor variables. There is only a small increase in the errors of prediction if population mean values are substituted in the prediction equations when the father's stature, the skeletal age of the child, or both these variables are unknown. This modified method is more generally applicable than the original RWT method.
Development of low-Cr ODS FeCrAl alloys for accident-tolerant fuel cladding

Abstract Low-Cr oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) FeCrAl alloys were developed as accident tolerant fuel cladding because of their excellent oxidation resistance at very high temperature, high strength and improved radiation tolerance. Fe-12Cr-5Al wt.% gas atomized powder was ball milled with Y2O3+FeO, Y2O3+ZrO2 or Y2O3+TiO2, and the resulting powders were extruded at 950 °C. The resulting fine grain structure, particularly for the Ti and Zr containing alloys, led to very high strength but limited ductility. Comparison with variants of commercial PM2000 (Fe-20Cr-5Al) highlighted the significant impact of the powder consolidation step on the alloy grain size and, therefore, on the alloy mechanical properties at T