cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Economic Trends of Racial Disparities in Pediatric Postappendectomy Complications.

BACKGROUND Despite unparalleled advances in perioperative medicine, surgical outcomes remain poor for racial minority patients relative to their white counterparts. Little is known about the excess costs to the health care system related to these disparities. METHODS We performed a retrospective analysis of data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample between 2001 and 2018. We included children younger than 18 years admitted with appendicitis who underwent an appendectomy during their hospital stay. We examined the inflation-adjusted hospital costs attributable to the racial disparities in surgical complications and perforation status, focusing on differences between non-Hispanic white patients and non-Hispanic Black patients. RESULTS We included 100 639 children who underwent appendectomy, of whom 89.9% were non-Hispanic white and 10.1% were non-Hispanic Black. Irrespective of perforation status at presentation, surgical complications were consistently higher for Black compared with white children, with no evidence of narrowing of the racial disparity gap over time. Black children consistently incurred higher hospital costs (median difference: $629 [95% confidence interval: $500–$758; P CONCLUSIONS Although all patients had a progressive decline in post appendectomy complications, Black children consistently had higher rates of complications and perforation, imposing a significant economic burden. We provide an empirical economic argument for sustained efforts to reduce racial disparities in pediatric surgical outcomes, notwithstanding that eliminating these disparities is simply the right thing to do.
Patient Recovery and Satisfaction with Perioperative Care After Rhinoplasty.

Background: Recovery after rhinoplasty is not well characterized in the literature. Objective: To quantify key aspects of patient recovery after rhinoplasty and characterize factors that may impact recovery and overall satisfaction with perioperative care. Methods: Prospective cohort study of rhinoplasty patients undergoing surgery at a tertiary referral center between January 2018 and January 2020, and completed a patient experience questionnaire at first postoperative visit. Results: Fifty-one patients underwent functional septorhinoplasty. Mean age was 37.8 years (standard error [SE] 2.4) with median 36.0 years (range 16-79). Fifty-three percent were female (n = 27). Patients resumed most daily activities within 4.1 days. Overall satisfaction with perioperative care was high (mean 9.6, SE 0.1), although 29% of patients (n = 15) wished they had more information regarding surgical care. Patients who did not desire additional information reported higher satisfaction and faster time to activity recovery compared with those who desired additional information. Conclusions: Rhinoplasty patients are able to resume most routine activities within 4.1 days after surgery, although patients desiring additional information about care demonstrate lower satisfaction with perioperative care and slower recovery compared to those who felt well informed.
Community Capitalism in China: The State, the Market, and Collectivism

Preface 1. The curse revisited: the dynamics of social change in China 2. Circle on the outside, square on the inside 3. Socialism with Huaxi characteristics 4. Capitalism reborn or collectivism rediscovered 5. Back to the future: community capitalism and the search for alternatives.
Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Very Young Children

There is an increasing awareness that very young children can present with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD); however, there is limited evidence for the efficacy of treatment in this age group. Early intervention may have the potential to alter the negative trajectory associated with pediatric OCD and may avoid longstanding dysfunction and impairment resulting in academic, social, and family functioning. Pharmacotherapy generally has poor acceptability among parents of young children, and there is evidence of increased risk of adverse side effect in very young children. There is emerging support for family-based cognitive behavioral therapy and exposure and response prevention as a first-line treatment for preschool OCD. In this chapter, we review the phenomenology, assessment, and treatment of OCD in very young children, as well as the complexities involved with differential diagnosis and developmentally sensitive treatment in this age group. The assessment, case conceptualization, and treatment of a 4-year-old boy are presented to illustrate the complexities of working with preschoolers and their families.
Fear of the Stranger: A Critical Examination

Publisher Summary This chapter challenges the generally accepted idea that during the second half year of life the human infant fears a stranger, and that such fear is a criterion of normal development. To document the challenge, it presents contrary evidence from the laboratory as well as a critical examination of the empirical literature. The support provided to the concept by current theoretical explanations is also questioned. Such questioning raises doubts about the appropriateness of the terms fear and stranger. In conclusion, the chapter shows the need for a fuller study of the child's behavior to capture the richness and sensitivity with which he or she responds to unfamiliar persons.
Evaporative Air Conditioning In a Manufacturing Facility

A case study evaluates the economics of installing a staged evaporative cooling system in a factory in the southeastern USA. The effective temperature at the plant floor is predicted for each working hour from typical meteorological year data. The analysis accounts for internal loads and moisture evaporated by the manufacturing process. Worker productivity is estimated from the effective temperature. Several building loads and evaporative cooling system designs are considered. The results show that evaporative air conditioning can improve worker productivity and profit margins in manufacturing facilities that have high internal loads, high ventilation requirements, or other plant-specific conditions that would make conventional air conditioning uneconomical.
Gifted Asian American Women.

This article presents an analysis of personal, socialization, and structural factors affecting the life-span achievement of 15 Asian American women identified as gifted through a national retrospective study of highly achieving women from African American, Asian American, Latina, and White backgrounds. Interpreted within a cultural-ecological framework, findings support earlier research suggesting that Asian American parents' experiences of discrimination in this country encourage an intense focus on educational achievement and hard work as a way to ensure success. Teachers and schools, which similarly value hard work, reinforce this behavior. However, parents' and teachers' support of these women's academic achievement alone does not fully prepare them for the workplace, where they will need to consider career options, think critically about social issues, and respond effectively to institutional barriers. As adults in the workplace, gifted Asian American women find that hard work alone does not ensure a...
Ethyl-enediammonium dichloride.

The title ionic compound, C2H10N22+·2Cl−, crystallizes with a center of symmetry within the cation. Each of the positively charged ammonium ends of the mol­ecule is trigonally hydrogen bonded to three different chloride counter-ions, while each of the chloride ions is trigonally hydrogen bonded to three different ethyl­enediammonium cations. The hydrogen-bonding network leads to stabilization of the structure.
Recovering shape from contour for constant cross section generalized cylinders

The authors analyze the properties of constant cross section generalized cylinders (CGCs), and derive the types of symmetries that the limb boundaries and cross sections of these objects produce on the image plane. The constraints on the 3-D shape of the objects are formulated based on the symmetries and from the geometry of the projection models. The methods that recover the 3-D shape from the image of their contours are discussed and recovered surfaces are shown for sample objects. >
Chemical Weathering of Biotite-Plagioclase Gneiss

The weathering of biotite-plagioclase gneiss was studied in a warm humid climate under good drainage conditions, in De Kalb County, Georgia. A series of samples ranging from completely weathered to fresh rock were studied. The degree of weathering was determined by bulk specific gravity and abrasion pH of samples in various stages of decomposition. Quantitative determination of clay minerals was done by DTA. Results show that the stable products of andesine weathering are kaolinite and endellite, and that biotite weathers to a mixture of amesite and kaolinite. There is no volume change in the gneiss as it weathers from fresh rock with a bulk specific gravity of 2.78 to a completely friable saprolite with a bulk specific gravity of 1.4. The weathering is accompanied by an increase in kaolin minerals from zero to about 35 per cent. The process involves the solution of plagioclase and biotite with approximately simultaneous crystallization of clay minerals and hydrated oxides of aluminum and iron.
Fourier transform NMR spectroscopy. Nitrogen-15 studies of amino sugars

The synthesis and nuclear magnetic resonance (n.m.r.) spectroscopy of 15 N-labeled derivatives of 6-amino-6-deoxy- D -glucose, 6-amino-6-deoxy- D -galactose, and 5-amino-5-deoxy- D -ribose are reviewed. The use of these derivatives in the measurement of 15 N coupling constants, 15 N nuclear Overhauser effects, and 1 5 N spin-lattice relaxation times is described. Integration of the natural abundance 1.5 N n.m.r. spectra of aqueous solutions of the common 2-amino sugar hydrochlorides and their N-acetyl derivatives has given ratios of α and s anomers for the equilibrated solutions that are in good agreement with published data from proton n.m.r., with the exception of 2-amino-2-deoxy- D -galactose hydrochloride, for which a discrepancy was noted. The equilibria of this amino sugar in aqueous solution have been reinvestigated by proton n.m.r. spectroscopy at 60 and 220 MHz, and by 1.3 C n.m.r., and the a-pyranose anomer found to be predominant. Correlations of the 1 5 N chemical shifts with molecular structure and stereochemistry have been made.
1H NMR Spectral Simplification with Achiral and Chiral Lanthanide Shift Reagents. IV. Metaxalone, 5-(3,5-Dimethylphenoxymethyl)-2-oxazolidinone; Evidence for Multidentate Chelation

Abstract The 60 MHz 1H NMR spectra of racemic metaxalone, 1, have been studied in CDC13 solution at 28° with the achiral shift reagent tris(6, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8, 8-heptafluoro-2, 2-dimethyl-3, 5-octanedionato)europium(III), 2, and the chiral reagents tris[3-(trifluoromethylhydroxymethylene)-d-cam-phorato]europium(III), 3, and tris[3-(heptafluoropropylhydroxymethylene)-d-camphorato]europium(III), 4. Reagent 3 produced modest observable enantiomeric shift differences, ΔΔδ, for the CH20, aryl methyl, aryl H2,6 and the NH siqnals. Although reaquent 4 produced small or no observable ΔΔδ for the CH20, aryl methyls or aryl protons. strikingly qreater valuesof lanthanide induced shift, Δδ, as well as ΔΔδ, were found for the NH signal using 4 relative to 3. Analytical feasibility for direct optical purity determinations of 1 with 0 using this NH siqnal sclould allow detection of 74% of the minor enantiomer or less. Results are discussed ir terms of potential bidentate or tridentate chelation of 3 by 1 makinrl a greate...
Structural changes in the femur with the transition to agriculture on the Georgia coast

Structural characteristics of the femur are compared in preagricultural (2200 B.C.-A.D. 1150) and agricultural (A.D. 1150-1550) subsistence strategy groups from the Georgia coast. Using an automated technique, cross-sectional geometric properties used in structural analyses (areas, second moments of area) were determined at midshaft and distal to the lesser trochanter in 20 adults from each group. A significant decline in magnitude of almost every geometric property occurs in the agricultural group. The differences between groups are reduced but still significant for many properties after standardizing for bone length differences. In addition, a remodeling of the femoral cortex to one of relatively smaller medullary and subperiosteal diameter, as well as a more circular cross-sectional shape, is characteristic of agricultural femora. Thus, while the relative cross-sectional area of bone remains the same, the spatial distribution of bone area is different in the two groups. The results strongly suggest a relative reduction in mechanical loadings of the femur in the agricultural group, implying different levels and possibly types of activity involving the lower limb in the two groups. The data are also compared with similar data available for the Pecos Pueblo (agricultural) sample. The comparison indicates that types of activity may have been more similar in the two agricultural samples, but that general levels of activity were more similar in the Pecos Pueblo and Georgia coast preagricultural samples.
The new UK White Paper on International Development: an NGO perspective

NGOs have, by and large, given a warm welcome to the new UK White Paper on International Development. But, after 20 years of political marginalization, is the development community too easily satisfied? This article argues that the White Paper does mark a welcome break from the previous Conservative approach with a number of commendable policy ideas. The document overall, however, still contains important flaws, particularly in areas where the Treasury will have inevitably played a critical role. If DFID and the new Secretary of State can take credit for the best of the White Paper's contents then her Cabinet colleagues are the obvious culprits for the worst. This article argues that NGOs can play a constructive role by recognizing the weaknesses of the Paper and undertaking to help in building the public constituency for further, and more fundamental, change. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Preparation of peroxide concentrates from autoxidied fatty acid esters

Details of a countercurrent extraction procedure for the quantitative separation of the oxidized and unoxidized fractions of autoxidized fatty acid esters is described.
Potential vorticity sources and sinks in a quasi-geostrophic Ocean : beyond western boundary currents

Abstract Potential vorticity dynamics for a quasi-geostrophic eddy-resolving general circulation model (EGCM) are studied in order to determine the effects of mesoscale variability on the potential vorticity distribution of a wind-driven ocean. The study employs both Eulerian and Lagrangian analyses in the effort to describe the potential vorticity gain/loss cycle along the path of a particle. While the mean wind stress curl is the dominant potential vorticity source for the interior of the upper layer, a redistribution of eddy potential vorticity creates sources of potential vorticity for the multiple gyres in the lower layers. This redistribution is a result of the local generation of eddies via baroclinic instabilities. These eddies are advected by the western boundary current into the midlatitude jet where they are responsible for a cross-gyre potential vorticity exchange. This exchange is concentrated at the entrance to the eastward jets where northward and southward boundary currents converge. From ...
Focusing and depth of field in photography: application in dermatology practice.

Background Conventional photography obtains a sharp image of objects within a given ‘depth of field’; objects not within the depth of field are out of focus. In recent years, digital photography revolutionized the way pictures are taken, edited, and stored. However, digital photography does not result in a deeper depth of field or better focusing. Methods In this article, we briefly review the concept of depth of field and focus in photography as well as new technologies in this area. Results A deep depth of field is used to have more objects in focus; a shallow depth of field can emphasize a subject by blurring the foreground and background objects. The depth of field can be manipulated by adjusting the aperture size of the camera, with smaller apertures increasing the depth of field at the cost of lower levels of light capture. Light-field cameras are a new generation of digital cameras that offer several new features, including the ability to change the focus on any object in the image after taking the photograph. Conclusion Understanding depth of field and camera technology helps dermatologists to capture their subjects in focus more efficiently.
OPTIMIZATION OF LACTIC ACID FERMENTATION OF FROZEN VEGETABLE PROCESS WASTES: MODEL SYSTEMS FOR PRODUCING ANIMAL FEEDS

Optimum conditions for controlled lactic acid fermentation of frozen food processing wastes to produce a stable ensiled feed are described. Parameters used to determine success of fermentation treatments were rapid pH reduction to < 4.55 and rapid acid production. Treatments investigated included: inoculum; Lactobacillus plantarum culture 15A, or 2B, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus faecalis subsp. liquefaceins, and waste fermented. Black-eye peas, potato, green beans, corn and turnip greens represented wastes of different carbon and nitrogen levels. Other treatments included time (0, 1, 2, 5, 12 days); and moisture content (90, 70, 50 and 30%). Moisture level adjustments were made by drying or adding peanut hulls, wheat straw, or cardboard. Optimum conditions were culture 15A, 70% moisture obtained by drying or adding peanut hulls (˜23%) (v/w), and carbon nitrogen ratio of 20–25:1 (10–1.5% protein). A pH < 4.55 was obtained after 5–12 days with sufficient acidity present to control stability.
Universality of the Epstein–Wang type structure

Abstract We prove that the type structure constructed in [Epstein, L., Wang, T., 1996. ‘Belief about belief’ without probabilities. Econometrica 64, 1343–1373] is a universal/terminal type structure into which every suitably regular type structure can be embedded. Moreover, it is unique up to a homeomorphism and every belief-complete type space can be mapped onto the universal one. We also show how our results help understand connections among several existing constructions.
Improvement of Electrochemical Machining Accuracy by Using Orbital Electrode Movement

Abstract The improvement of machining accuracy of electrochemical machining (ECM) continues to be a major challenge for user industries. This study focuses on the development of a precision ECM process by using an eccentric orbital anode movement with traditional ECM. The feasibility of the proposed process has been experimentally verified. Theoretical and experimental analyses indicate that orbital ECM distributes the electrolyte flow more uniformly and hence leads to a significant reduction in the flow field disrupting phenomena that adversely affect machining accuracy. The proposed method has been found to offer substantial gains in the accuracy and the uniformity of machined components.
Effect of metals on the hyaluronidase inhibitor of human serum.

Summary o 1. The influence of a number of cations on the serum inhibitor of hyaluronidase has been investigated. Both Mg ++ and Co ++ strongly activate, and Zn ++ , Ni ++ and Mn ++ inactivate the inhibitor. Ca ++ , Sr ++ and Ba ++ have no effect. The complex ion [Co(NH 3 ) 5 Cl] ++ is an activator of the inhibitor, [Co(NH 3 ) 5 H 2 O] +++ , [Co(NH 3 ) 6 ] +++ and vitamin B 12 are without effect. Be ++ and Li + activate the inhibitor to a small extent. 2. It is suggested that interionic forces extending beyond the coordination sphere of the cation are concerned in the process of activation of the inhibitor.
ETC-1002 regulates immune response, leukocyte homing, and adipose tissue inflammation via LKB1-dependent activation of macrophage AMPK

ETC-1002 is an investigational drug currently in Phase 2 development for treatment of dyslipidemia and other cardiometabolic risk factors. In dyslipidemic subjects, ETC-1002 not only reduces plasma LDL cholesterol but also significantly attenuates levels of hsCRP, a clinical biomarker of inflammation. Anti-inflammatory properties of ETC-1002 were further investigated in primary human monocyte-derived macrophages and in in vivo models of inflammation. In cells treated with ETC-1002, increased levels of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation coincided with reduced activity of MAP kinases and decreased production of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines. AMPK phosphorylation and inhibitory effects of ETC-1002 on soluble mediators of inflammation were significantly abrogated by siRNA-mediated silencing of macrophage liver kinase B1 (LKB1), indicating that ETC-1002 activates AMPK and exerts its anti-inflammatory effects via an LKB1-dependent mechanism. In vivo, ETC-1002 suppressed thioglycollate-induced homing of leukocytes into mouse peritoneal cavity. Similarly, in a mouse model of diet-induced obesity, ETC-1002 restored adipose AMPK activity, reduced JNK phosphorylation, and diminished expression of macrophage-specific marker 4F/80. These data were consistent with decreased epididymal fat-pad mass and interleukin (IL)-6 release by inflamed adipose tissue. Thus, ETC-1002 may provide further clinical benefits for patients with cardiometabolic risk factors by reducing systemic inflammation linked to insulin resistance and vascular complications of metabolic syndrome.
Reversible patterning and actuation of hydrogels by electrically assisted ionoprinting

The ability to pattern, structure, re-shape and actuate hydrogels is important for biomimetics, soft robotics, cell scaffolding and biomaterials. Here we introduce an 'ionoprinting' technique with the capability to topographically structure and actuate hydrated gels in two and three dimensions by locally patterning ions via their directed injection and complexation, assisted by electric fields. The ionic binding changes the local mechanical properties of the gel to induce relief patterns and, in some cases, evokes localized stress large enough to cause rapid folding. These ionoprinted patterns are stable for months, yet the ionoprinting process is fully reversible by immersing the gel in a chelator. The mechanically patterned hydrogels exhibit programmable temporal and spatial shape transitions, and serve as a basis for a new class of soft actuators that can gently manipulate objects both in air and in liquid solutions.
Randomized trial of the platelet-activating factor antagonist lexipafant in HIV–associated cognitive impairment

Objective: To assess the safety and tolerability of lexipafant in HIV-associated cognitive impairment. Background: Cognitive impairment is the most common neurologic complication of advanced HIV-1 infection. There is evidence that a variety of inflammatory mediators, including platelet-activating factor (PAF), may contribute to neuronal injury. We hypothesized that lexipafant, a PAF antagonist, might improve cognitive dysfunction in HIV-infected people. Methods: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial to assess the safety and tolerability of lexipafant 500 mg/day. The primary outcome measure for tolerability was the ability to complete the study on the originally assigned dosage of medication. Thirty patients with cognitive impairment were enrolled. Results: Lexipafant was safe and well tolerated. Ninety-three percent in the placebo group and 88% in the lexipafant group completed the study at the originally assigned dosage. Trends toward improvement were seen in neuropsychological performance, especially verbal memory, in the lexipafant treatment group. Conclusions: This study shows that lexipafant, the first PAF antagonist used in HIV-associated cognitive impairment, is a safe and well tolerated compound. The observed trends toward improvement in neuropsychological test scores warrant the pursuit of a larger and longer efficacy trial to assess the impact of lexipafant on cognitive performance.
The solid electrolyte system (Cs1−yRby)Cu4Cl3I2

Abstract There are four solid state phases in the system when y≤0.36, above 295 K. The α phase is isostructural with RbAg 4 I 5 and the α' phase most likely belongs to a subgroup P2 1 3, of the α phase. The β phase exists in only narrow temperature ranges when y≤0.36, is rhombohedral, and transforms to the α' phase. The γ phase is orthorhombic and transforms to β when y≤0.36 and directly to α, when y>0.36. There is a triple point at y=0.36, T=399 K. The true solid electrolytes are the α' phases; they attain relatively high conductivities, ≥0.73 Ω −1 cm −1 at 419 K, and the enthalpies of activation of motion of the Cu+ ions are relatively low, 0.11 eV.
Exploiting the social style of patrons to improve their satisfaction with the reference interview

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discover whether the social styles of patrons affects their perception (and librarians’ perception) of the quality of the reference interview. Also, whether learning to assess social styles of patrons improves perception of the quality of the reference interview.Design/methodology/approach – The researcher observed 24 reference interviews, assessed the social style of each patron using a checklist of behavioral characteristics; both patrons and librarians confidentially filled out a survey to assess the outcome of the reference interview.Findings – It appears that the social style of patrons has some effect on how both librarians and patrons perceive the outcome of the reference interview. There also appears to be a correlation between the librarians’ awareness of the social styles of people and the outcome of the reference interview.Practical implications – Literature has not provided any data on how social style theory on the four social styles (analytical, expr...
Clinical and histopathological considerations for the diagnosis and treatment of verrucous carcinoma of the larynx

Verrucous carcinoma of the larynx is quite distinct from well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma and has a characteristic morphology and specific clinical behavior. It accounts for approximately l%–2% of all laryngeal carcinomas. However, difficulties are encountered clinically in separating verrucous carcinomas from keratoses, verruca vulgaris and squamous cell carcinomas with a verrucous appearance. Between 1962 and 1982, 1504 patients with squamous cell carcinomas of the larynx were diagnosed and treated by staff physicians in the Department of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis. Fifteen of these patients (1%) had verrucous carcinomas. These cases were studied in order to clarify any diagnostic problems, trace the biologic behavior of the tumors and report the results of the treatment used. Of these 15 patients, we were able to follow up 8. The latter had been treated only with surgery and none of them had received radiotherapy. One death occurred, but the patient died of other causes and remained free of cancer. Reports in the literature describe a high rate of recurrence of verrucous carcinomas following radiotherapy with occasional anaplastic transformation of tumors. No patients in our series developed a metastasis in the neck, indicating that neck dissection is not justified for patients with these neoplasms even though clinically enlarged neck nodes may be present.
Effect of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin on benzo(a)pyrene hydroxylase activity in embryos of the Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes).

When Japanese medaka embryos were exposed to 12 ng/l 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) beginning on the day of fertilization (day 0), benzo(a)pyrene hydroxylase (B(a)PH) activity was induced in the whole embryo 105000g fraction by day 5 of development, which coincided with liver development. The induction of B(a)PH activity also coincided with the appearance of 2,3,7,8-TCDD induced hemorrhagic and edematous lesions. B(A)PH induction only occurred in embryos exposed to toxic concentrations (greater than 10 ng/l) of 2,3,7,8-TCDD. B(a)PH induction also occurred in embryos after exposure to 10 ng/l 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran (TCDF) and 50 μg/l 1,2,7,8-TCDD. Both 2,3,7,8-TCDF and 1,2,7,8-TCDD are toxic to Japanese medaka embryos at concentrations that resulted in the induction of B(a)PH activity. B(a)PH activity was not induced by the non-toxic congener 1,3,6,8-TCDD at concentrations as high as 50 μg/l. The structure activity relationship for B(a)PH induction in Japanese medaka embryos was similar to that which is observed in other species and biological systems, suggesting that the biological activities of these compounds may also be mediated through the putativeAh receptor in these fish embryos. At 50 μg/l, β-naphthoflavone (BNF) induced B(a)PH activity in Japanese medaka embryos to similar levels as 2,3,7,8-TCDD did at toxic concentrations. However, at 50 μg/l, BNF was not toxic to Japanese medaka embryos. Therefore, the induction of B(a)PH activity probably did not directly result in the toxicity observed in these fish embryos after exposure to 2,3,7,8-TCDD.
Injection order effects on efficacy of calcium chloride and sodium tripolyphosphate in controlling the pink color defect in uncured, intact turkey breast.

Abstract An experiment was conducted to test sequential injection of sodium tripolyphosphate (STP; 0.5% meat weight basis, mwb) followed by injection with or without addition of calcium chloride (CaCl 2 , 500 ppm mwb), and to test the effect of post-injection delay prior to cooking. A second experiment evaluated the impact of injection order and delay time between independent addition of CaCl 2 (500 ppm mwb) and STP (0.5% mwb). Turkey was formulated without an added pink generating ligand (NONE), with nicotinamide (NIC; 0.1% mwb), or with sodium nitrite (NIT; 10 ppm mwb). A white colloid was observed in the extracellular space of treatments containing both STP and CaCl 2. Addition of CaCl 2 decreased nitrosylhemochrome but did not reduce levels of nicotinamide hemochrome or CIE a ∗ values. Injection order or delay between injections did not contribute to controlling the pink defect in cooked, intact turkey breast.
Chemotherapy for paranasal sinus carcinoma. A 10‐year experience at Wayne state university

The role of chemotherapy in the management of patients with cancer of the paranasal sinus has not been defined. An analysis of 24 evaluable patients treated with chemotherapy as part of their overall therapy was performed. There were 16 male patients and eight female patients. Sixteen patients were previously untreated and eight had recurrent disease after surgery and/or radiotherapy. Six of the previously untreated patients had metastatic disease on presentation (four central nervous system (CNS) and two lung), and four recurrent patients had CNS involvement. The majority of patients (78%) had squamous cell carcinoma. The chemotherapy regimens included cisplatin (CDDP), vincristine (VCR), and bleomycin (COB), 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) infusion and CDDP, or 5-FU/CDDP and methotrexate (MTX). All patients had computed tomography (CT) measurable disease. Previously untreated patients underwent surgery and/or radiotherapy postchemotherapy. The overall response rate to chemotherapy for previously untreated patients was 82% (complete response [CR] 44%, partial response [PR] 38%) and for recurrent patients 88% (CR 38%, PR 50%). Predominant toxicities were nausea, vomiting, myelosup pression, mucositis, and renal impairment. The median survival of the previously untreated patients, based on response to chemotherapy, was as follows: CR 21+ months (range, 10+ to 81 months), PR 13.5 months (range, 2 to 21 months), and no response (NR) 3 months (range, 1 to 7 months). The median survival of patients with recurrent disease was as follows: CR 16 months, PR 13.5 months, and NR 5 months. We conclude that patients with paranasal cancers are responsive to CDDP-containing combinations. The role of adjuvant chemotherapy in previously untreated, locally advanced patients needs to be demonstrated by future randomized trials.
Psychology and my gallbladder: an insider's account.

The subjective experience of the psychologist-author when addressing and undergoing a surgical procedure is described, including—consistent with his own theoretical and technical orientation-—the use of various brief therapy and hypnotherapy methods. A narrative of events is presented with interspersed comments about internal processes and reflections. A discussion of “Lessons Learned and Offered,” including various comments about personal therapy (therapist as patient), then completes the article. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol: In Session 67:1–10, 2011.
The Fusion Promotion Activity of the NDV HN Protein Does Not Correlate with Neuraminidase Activity

Three activities, attachment, neuraminidase, and fusion promotion, have been associated with the hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) protein encoded by paramyxoviruses such as Newcastle disease virus. The fusion promotion activity of the HN protein can be separated from its attachment activity by mutation (Sergel et al., 1993, Virology 193, 717-726). To determine if neuraminidase activity of the HN protein has any role in fusion promotion, two sets of mutants were characterized. First, a change of amino acid 193 from a serine to a proline and a change of amino acid 175 from isoleucine to a methionine diminished neuraminidase activity as previously reported. However, these mutant proteins retained fusion promotion activity. In addition, mutation of amino acid 200 from a histidine to a proline resulted in nearly twice the neuraminidase activity of wild-type as previously reported. This mutant also had wild-type levels of fusion promotion activity. Second, substitution of three leucine residues at amino acids 94, 96, and 97 with three alanines resulted in a mutant protein with full neuraminidase as well as full attachment activity but no fusion promotion activity. Thus, two sets of HN protein mutants demonstrate that the fusion promotion activity does not correlate with the level of neuraminidase activity.
THE POLICY PROCESS AND ORGANIZATIONAL FORM

In this paper the transactions cost approach (TCA) is used to define organizations and to predict their forms under certain conditions. Next, Aaron Wildavsky's approach is used to define the policy process and to predict its form in particular organizations. Two assertions follow: namely, that the most efficient organizational form may be predicted from knowledge of underlying transactions costs, and that the form of the policy process in an organization can be predicted from knowledge of the organization's form (regardless of whether it is the most efficient form). Recent natural gas policy in the U.S.A. is used to illustrate these propositions, and several conclusions are offered about 1) the potential applicability of the TCA to the public sector and to the policy process and 2) about the potential applicability of Wildavsky's version of the policy process to differing organizational forms.
Intravoxel incoherent motion imaging of tumor microenvironment in locally advanced breast cancer.

Diffusion-weighted imaging plays important roles in cancer diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment. Although most applications measure restricted diffusion by tumor cellularity, diffusion-weighted imaging is also sensitive to vascularity through the intravoxel incoherent motion effect. Hypervascularity can confound apparent diffusion coefficient measurements in breast cancer. We acquired multiple b-value diffusion-weighted imaging at 3 T in a cohort of breast cancer patients and performed biexponential intravoxel incoherent motion analysis to extract tissue diffusivity (Dt), perfusion fraction (fp), and pseudodiffusivity (Dp). Results indicated significant differences between normal fibroglandular tissue and malignant lesions in apparent diffusion coefficient mean (±standard deviation) values (2.44 ± 0.30 vs. 1.34 ± 0.39 μm2/msec, P < 0.01) and Dt (2.36 ± 0.38 vs. 1.15 ± 0.35 μm2/msec, P < 0.01). Lesion diffusion-weighted imaging signals demonstrated biexponential character in comparison to monoexponential normal tissue. There is some differentiation of lesion subtypes (invasive ductal carcinoma vs. other malignant lesions) with fp (10.5 ± 5.0% vs. 6.9 ± 2.9%, P = 0.06), but less so with Dt (1.14 ± 0.32 μm2/msec vs. 1.18 ± 0.52 μm2/msec, P = 0.88) and Dp (14.9 ± 11.4 μm2/msec vs. 16.1 ± 5.7 μm2/msec, P = 0.75). Comparison of intravoxel incoherent motion biomarkers with contrast enhancement suggests moderate correlations. These results suggest the potential of intravoxel incoherent motion vascular and cellular biomarkers for initial grading, progression monitoring, or treatment assessment of breast tumors. Magn Reson Med, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
{sup 4}He very near T{sub {lambda}} heated from above

The authors discuss the feasibility and likely results of measurements of the thermal conductivity {lambda}(Q,t) of {sup 4}He very near T{sub {lambda}} {equivalent_to} T{sub {lambda}}(Q=0) as a function of the heat current Q and the reduced temperature t {equivalent_to} [T - T{sub {lambda}}]/T{sub {lambda}} by heating of a sample from above and cooling it from below. Although the expansion coefficient is negative, the experiment should be possible without inducing convection in the He I layer provided the sample length does not significantly exceed one cm. For t {approx_lt} 10{sup {minus}7} (Q {approx_gt} 0.2 erg/s cm{sup 2}), a state of self-organized criticality can be attained. For these conditions, the thermal gradient cancels the gradient in T{sub {lambda}} induced by gravity, thus permitting measurements extremely close to the transition even in an Earthbound laboratory. However, the data will be only for a unique path in the Q - t plane. For 0.2 {approx_lt} Q {approx_lt} 0.5 erg/s cm{sup 2} (10{sup {minus}7} {approx_lt} t {approx_lt} 10{sup {minus}8}) they will be in the range of linear response and give {lambda}(0,t); for Q between about 0.5 and 10 erg/s cm{sup 2} and over a temperature range of about 20 nK, the experimental path samples themore » regime where the conductivity is expected to be influenced by nonlinear finite-current effects. The small currents and narrow temperature range of the experiment imply that ultra-high resolution thermometry as well as very careful control of stray heat currents will be required. For Q {approx_lt} 10 ergs/s cm{sup 2} and up to very large Q, the method can be used to determine the onset temperature T{sub c}(Q) of thermal resistance.« less
Gravity Lagrangian with ghost-free curvature-squared terms

We construct a gravity theory using a set of Yang-Mills type gauge fields rather than the usual 10 metric fields ${g}_{\ensuremath{\mu}\ensuremath{\nu}}$. This formalism, first proposed by Utiyama and Kibble, allows us to construct a gravity Lagrangian containing six invariants bilinear in the curvature tensor (as well as the usual invariant linear in $R$). The new terms are of interest since they may absorb some of the divergences which result when gravity is renormalized in the presence of matter. We study the graviton propagator in this theory. Usually, when curvature-squared terms are added to the Lagrangian, ghosts appear in the graviton propagator, and/or its high-energy behavior worsens. In the present case, we find we must drop four of the six invariants in order to avoid such difficulties. One of the surviving invariants predicts the existence of an extremely massive pseudoscalar particle. Neither surviving invariant is of the proper form to absorb renormalization divergences. The present investigation does not fully test the potentialities of the Kibble-Utiyama formalism, since the torsion tensor is nonzero in their framework, and our Lagrangian included no terms constructed from this tensor.
Cardiovascular Actions of Endomorphin-2 in the Nucleus Tractus Solitarius

Cardiovascular effects of microinjections of endomorphin-2 into the medial subnucleus of the nucleus tractus solitarius (mNTS) were studied in adult, male, urethane-anesthetized, Wistar rats. Microinjections of endomorphin-2 into the mNTS elicited depressor and bradycardic responses via mu-opioid receptors. Similar microinjections of endomorphin-2 attenuated the carotid sinus and aortic baroreflex responses. Endomorphin-2 inhibits GABAergic mNTS neurons via mu-opioid receptors, causing disinhibition which results in excitation of secondary mNTS neurons. This effect causes depressor and bradycardic responses. Endomorphin-2 also inhibits glutamate release from baroreceptor terminals via mu-opioid receptors located on these terminals and attenuates baroreflex responses.
Broadside 6-element series-fed slot-coupled microstrip antenna array

A C-band, six-element slot-coupled microstrip antenna array is presented. The array architecture employs a dual series feeding mechanism, where opposite ends of the array are fed with equal but anti-phase signals in order to maintain a broadside pattern over frequency. This approach facilitates the use of the 6-element panel in high gain, omni-directional arrays for airborne applications that require frequency-hopping capability. The elevation pattern stability is shown from 4.5 GHz to 5.5 GHz and the measured gain of the array is 12.6 dB.
Extensional flow of wormlike micellar solutions

Abstract We consider the inhomogeneous extensional response of a new constitutive model, the VCM model [Vasquez, et al., 2007. A network scission model for wormlike micellar solutions I: model formulation and homogeneous flow predictions. J. Non-Newt. Fluid Mech. 144, 122–139] that has been developed to describe concentrated solutions of wormlike micelles. The time dependent numerical analysis is carried out in a simplified slender filament formulation appropriate for transient elongational flows of complex fluids. The simulations show that, beyond a critical extension rate, elongating filaments of a micellar fluid described by the VCM model exhibit a dramatic and sudden rupture event as a result of the scission of the entangled wormlike chains. The computations capture many of the features of the high-speed rupture process observed experimentally [Bhardwaj, et al., 2007. Filament stretching and capillary breakup extensional rheometry measurements of viscoelastic wormlike micelle solutions. J. Rheol. 51, 693–719] in filament stretching experiments with wormlike micelle solutions. The highly localized rupture predicted by the VCM model and the corresponding evolution in the tensile force within the filament is contrasted with the familiar and more gradual necking responses predicted by the upper convected Maxwell and Giesekus models under equivalent kinematic boundary conditions.
Eosinophilic gastroenteritis in a Columbian female

Purpose: Introduction: Eosinophilic gastroenteritis is a disease entity characterized by infiltration of the gastrointestinal tract with eosinophils. Its etiology is unclear although there are reports of possible food hypersensitivity or other allergic phenomena.
Interaction of Magnetic Fields and Ferromagnetic Shields

An analytic procedure is developed for the purpose of determining the effectiveness of ferromagnetic shields in shielding against magnetic fields. The basic approach is to separate the magnetization relation of a ferromagnetic material into regions in which each region is characterized by a constant permeability. Maxwell's equations are then solved in each time-varying geometric region (which correspond to the regions of the magnetization relation) and the solutions are matched at interfaces. This procedure permits solutions for nonlinear shielding problems to be readily obtained using linear techniques.
Quadratic dynamical decoupling with nonuniform error suppression

We analyze numerically the performance of the near-optimal quadratic dynamical decoupling (QDD) singlequbit decoherence errors suppression method [J. West et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 130501 (2010)]. The QDD sequence is formed by nesting two optimal Uhrig dynamical decoupling sequences for two orthogonal axes, comprising N1 and N2 pulses, respectively. Varying these numbers, we study the decoherence suppression properties of QDD directly by isolating the errors associated with each system basis operator present in the system-bath interaction Hamiltonian. Each individual error scales with the lowest order of the Dyson series, therefore immediately yielding the order of decoherence suppression. We show that the error suppression properties of QDD are dependent upon the parities of N1 and N2, and near-optimal performance is achieved for general single-qubit interactions whenN1 = N2. PACS numbers: 03.67.Pp, 03.65.Yz, 82.56.Jn, 76.60.Lz
Extracellular Formation of Body and Tunic Spicules in the New Zealand Solitary Ascidian Pyura pachydermatina (Urochordata, Ascidiacea)

The New Zealand ascidian Pyura pachydermatina has a 7–10 cm long body at the end of a stalk up to 1 m long and 1–2 cm in diameter. Two different spicule types are present: dumbbell-shaped spicules of calcite in the fibrous tunic that covers the body and stalk, and antler-shaped spicules of amorphous calcium carbonate in the soft body tissues. Both types form extracellularly within a closed compartment surrounded by an epithelium of sclerocytes. In adults the tunic spicules form in 2–3 weeks in the lumen of the tunic blood vessels, as determined by calcein uptake studies. They add mineral only while surrounded by the sclerocyte epithelium, which is anchored to the vessel wall. Ultimately the sclerocytes rupture at one or more leading points on the spicule. The blood vessel epithelium also becomes very thin at these points and either ruptures or the cells separate. allowing the spicules to migrate out into the tunic. The sclerocytes degenerate and the blood vessel closes behind the migrating spicule, thus maintaining the vessel's integrity. Tunic spicules accumulate in the subcuticular region of the stalk, but the outermost layer of tunic covering the body is periodically sloughed off along with some spicules. This gives the “neck” between body and stalk a flexibility that allows it to orient to currents, and prevents an accumulation of epizoic organisms on the body. The antler spicules form within blood sinuses of the body tissues. The mineral and organic material are arranged in concentric layers. In the branchial sac, oral tentacles, gut and endostyle, where antler spicules occur most densely, the branches interlock, providing support to the soft tissues. They are of many sizes and apparently remain where they form, increasing in number and size throughout the animal's lifespan.
Imaging and Raman Spectroscopy of Individual Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes on a Large Substrate

A beam-scanning confocal Raman microscope system capable of large-area imaging is developed for characterizing single-wall carbon nanotubes at the single tube level. Individual ultralong nanotubes grown on a large silicon substrate are systematically imaged by both confocal Raman microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Raman spectra for more than 200 nanotubes, consisting of both semiconducting and metallic nanotubes, are obtained. A large variation in the nanotube radial breathing mode (RBM) Raman intensity is observed for different tubes and can be understood in terms of resonance enhancement and nanotube structure-dependent electron−phonon coupling strength. Nanotube diameters determined from RBM frequencies reveal a broad distribution from 0.8 to ∼2 nm for nanotubes grown by chemical vapor deposition. The tangential mode (G band) Raman spectra of individual metallic nanotubes are found to exhibit a variety of different line shapes, with the Breit−Wigner−Fano feature diminished for most of the obs...
Sterile inflammatory responses mediated by the NLRP3 inflammasome

Through pattern recognition receptors the innate immune system detects disruption of the normal function of the organism and initiates responses directed at correcting these derangements. Cellular damage from microbial or non-microbial insults causes the activation of nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat containing receptors in multiprotein complexes called inflammasomes. Here we discuss the role of the NLRP3 inflammasome in the recognition of cellular damage and the initiation of sterile inflammatory responses.