cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A study of fatigue crack growth of 7075-T651 aluminum alloy

Abstract Both standard and non-standard compact specimens were employed to experimentally study the crack growth behavior of 7075-T651 aluminum alloy in ambient air. The effects of the stress ratio ( R ), overloading, underloading, and high–low sequence loading on fatigue crack growth rate were investigated. Significant R -ratio effect was identified. At the same R -ratio, the influence of specimen geometry on the relationship between crack growth rate and stress intensity factor range was insignificant. A single overload retarded the crack growth rate significantly. A slight acceleration of crack growth rate was identified after a single underload. The crack growth rate resumed after the crack propagated out of the influencing plastic zone created by the overload or underload. A parameter combining the stress intensity factor range and the maximum stress intensity factor can correlate the crack growth at different stress ratios well when the R -ratio ranged from −2 to 0.5. The parameter multiplied by a correction factor can be used to predict the crack growth with the influence of the R -ratio, overloading, underloading, and high–low sequence loading. Wheeler’s model cannot describe the variation of fatigue crack growth with the crack length being in the overload influencing zone. A modified Wheeler’s model based on the evolution of the remaining affected plastic zone was found to predict well the influence of the overload and sequence loading on the crack growth.
Rent extraction, principal–agent relationships, and pricing strategies: vendor licensing during the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta

Two-part pricing, price-discrimination, rent creation and extraction, principal–agent theory, and public choice perspectives on public bureaucracies are used to interpret a vendor-license marketing arrangement and controversy arising out of the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, GA. Containing features predicted by principal–agency theory, Atlanta's arrangement with its marketing agent was a response to the behavior of public bureaucracies and a low cost method of converting visitors' consumer surplus to rent, which could be extracted by the marketing agent and then by Atlanta. Atlanta's incentive to enforce vendor property rights was influenced by the nature of the game between Atlanta and prospective vendors. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
SU-E-T-212: Clinical Deployment of an Automatic Planning Interface for Overlap Volume Histogram Based Treatment Planning

Purpose: To develop and deploy an interface to support automatic treatment planning which predicts achievable dose levels for organs at risk (OARs) from patients with similar or more complicated anatomies queried from a database. This interface will provide an easy to use method of selecting the best known achievable dose values for a given patient, and use them to automate the planning process. Methods: An overlap volume histogram (OVH) describes the distance a target structure can be expanded with the volume of the compared overlap structure. An OVH is generated for each target/critical structure pair and stored in a database with dose‐volume histograms (DVHs) for each patient. For all patients, structures are consistently named by mapping ROI names to a set of common names. For a new patient, the patient database is queried for the lowest achievable dose for each OAR from patients in the database with the same or lower overlap distance. The plan parameters and generated objectives are then automatically loaded into treatment planning system for optimization. The final clinical plan from each patient is added to the database to improve the results of future queries. Results: The system has been accepted by the dosimetrists for clinical use. Automatically generated plans required less dosimetrist interaction to achieve similar coverage to manually generated plans while OAR doses were reduced or no worse than the manually generated plans. Conclusion: Automatic planning tools can aid dosimetrists in quickly generating plans which maintain target coverage and produce comparable or reduced dose to OARs. Our interface has simplified the process enabling the broader use of the system across our dosimetry staff. Philips stock ownership Philips Sponsored Research Elekta Sponsored Research Elekta Patent License Accuray (Tomotherapy) Patent License
Floodplain Wetland Suitability, Access, and Potential Use by Juvenile Razorback Suckers in the Middle Green River, Utah

Abstract In the upper Colorado River basin, razorback suckers Xyrauchen texanus primarily occur as adults in low-gradient reaches of rivers or as juveniles or subadults in adjoining floodplain depressions. During the high-water years of 1995 and 1996, a number of habitat variables—zooplankton density, water temperature, quality, and depth, and vegetative cover—in a Green River floodplain depression were favorable to age-0 razorback suckers and other fishes. Conversely, main-channel habitats were not suitable as rearing sites due to lower temperatures, less food, and ineffective cover. During the spring runoff in 1995 and 1996, larval razorback suckers were found in the river after floodplains were isolated from the Green River. Although favorable nursery sites are located off-channel, the connectivity of the river and floodplain did not last long enough for all razorback sucker larvae to access these areas. Maintaining the connectivity of the floodplain to the river via levee removal and adequate flood du...
Introduction: State Constitiutionalism and State Constitutional Law

The bicentennial of the United States Constitution has prompted renewed attention to the nation's constitutional heritage. However, no reexamination of this heritage is complete without an appreciation of the contributions that state constitutions and state constitutional law have made-and continue to make-to American constitutionalism. The initial state constitutions antedated the federal Constitution, and the delegates meeting in Philadelphia in 1787 found in those charters both features to emulate and elements to reject. When the First Congress framed the U.S. Bill of Rights, it too looked to the state constitutions for guidance. Since this early period, state constitutional developments have continued to influence federal constitutional law, just as federal developments have affected the course of state constitutionalism. Even more important, the existence of a federal system has ensured that important governmental decisions remain in the hands of the states, and state constitutions have profoundly influenced both the processes by which those decisions are made and the substance of those decisions. The past two decades have witnessed important developments in state constitutionalism and state constitutional law, such as the rediscovery of state bills of rights as independent protections for individual rights (the so-called new judicial federalism), the rise and fall of the legislative veto in several states, and the increased use of the initiative to amend state constitutions. The essays in this special issue of Publius explore these and other recent developments in state constitutional law in relation to both the operation of state politics and the dynamics of American federalism. In addition, the essays, taken together, reveal the important theoretical and practical issues posed by a system of dual constitutionalism. However, to understand both recent developments in state constitutional law and the broader issues they
Fine structure of local and axion strings.

We examine the nature of the internal structure of strings arising from field theories when a global or local symmetry is spontaneously broken. The classical dynamics of these strings is represented by effective Lagrangians in which the standard Nambu-Goto term is supplemented by additional terms that are geometric in nature. In the simplest case of the local string, the new term is just the extrinsic curvature of the world sheet. For the axion string, terms of the same order as the extrinsic curvature must be added involving the coupling of the axion to the curvature itself.
Software architecture for hard real-time applications: cyclic executives vs. fixed priority executives

We contrast the software architecture of a hard real-time application using a fixed priority task structure against the software architecture of the same system using a cyclic executive structure to satisfy hard real-time deadlines in response to a set of embedded system requirements. We identify the perceived and actual advantages and disadvantages of both approaches, consider the types of applications which can take advantage of these approaches, and make recommendations related to the attributes of such applications that might be needed with both approaches. We conclude that the fixed priority approach, when priorities are assigned using rate monotonic priorities, generally dominates the cyclic executive approach for hard real-time systems.
An Assessment of Climate Feedbacks in Coupled Ocean–Atmosphere Models

Abstract The climate feedbacks in coupled ocean–atmosphere models are compared using a coordinated set of twenty-first-century climate change experiments. Water vapor is found to provide the largest positive feedback in all models and its strength is consistent with that expected from constant relative humidity changes in the water vapor mixing ratio. The feedbacks from clouds and surface albedo are also found to be positive in all models, while the only stabilizing (negative) feedback comes from the temperature response. Large intermodel differences in the lapse rate feedback are observed and shown to be associated with differing regional patterns of surface warming. Consistent with previous studies, it is found that the vertical changes in temperature and water vapor are tightly coupled in all models and, importantly, demonstrate that intermodel differences in the sum of lapse rate and water vapor feedbacks are small. In contrast, intermodel differences in cloud feedback are found to provide the largest...
Somatostatinoma of the Ampulla of vater in celiac sprue

The increased incidence of gastrointestinal lymphoma and adenocarcinoma in patients with celiac sprue is well recognized, with 10% to 15% developing a gastrointestinal malignancy. Somatostatinomas are rare neuroendocrine tumors that occur most commonly within the pancreatic head or duodenum. Although fewer than 100 cases have been reported, somatostatinomas are often associated with multiple endocrine neoplasia-1 syndrome and von Recklinghausen's disease. The unusual case of a 43-year-old woman with celiac sprue in which a somatostatinoma involving the ampulla of Vater was identified and resected is presented. To our knowledge, somatostatinomas have not been previously reported in patients with celiac sprue.
Growth and weight gain of prepubertal children after cardiac transplantation.

This study evaluated changes in growth parameters after pediatric heart transplantation and identified factors associated with the changes after pediatric heart transplantation (OHT). We retrospectively evaluated the somatic growth of 46 children 2. Multivariate analysis showed length of steroid treatment as a predictor for negative height Z score change, and age at transplant as a predictor for positive height Z score change. Post-OHT, weight significantly increases without proportional increases in height, resulting in a significant proportion of these children becoming obese. Length of steroid therapy is negatively related to the "catch-up" linear growth following OHT.
Evaluation of dolutegravir safety for the treatment of HIV-1

Introduction: Dolutegravir (DGV) is the newest integrase inhibitor approved for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in both treatment-naive and experienced adults and adolescents. This article reviews the safety of DGV for the treatment of HIV-1 infection.Areas covered: The PubMed database was searched using the keywords ‘DGV’ and ‘HIV’. In addition, conference proceedings from Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, International AIDS Society and European AIDS Clinical Society meetings were searched for presentations on DGV clinical studies.Expert opinion: DGV has demonstrated a favorable safety profile and is well tolerated for the treatment of HIV-1 infection. Unlike raltegravir, DGV can be given once daily, and unlike elvitegravir, it does not require pharmacologic boosting to achieve consistent blood levels.
Death receptor-associated pro-apoptotic signaling in aged skeletal muscle

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) is elevated in the serum as a result of aging and it promotes pro-apoptotic signaling upon binding to the type I TNF receptor. It is not known if activation of this apoptotic pathway contributes to the well-documented age-associated decline in muscle mass (i.e. sarcopenia). We tested the hypothesis that skeletal muscles from aged rodents would exhibit elevations in markers involved in the extrinsic apoptotic pathway when compared to muscles from young adult rodents, thereby contributing to an increased incidence of nuclear apoptosis in these muscles. The plantaris (fast) and soleus (slow) muscles were studied in young adult (5–7 mo, n=8) and aged (33 mo, n=8) Fischer344 × Brown Norway rats. Muscles from aged rats were significantly smaller while exhibiting a greater incidence of apoptosis. Furthermore, muscles from aged rats had higher type I TNF receptor and Fas associated death domain protein (FADD) mRNA, protein contents for FADD, BCL-2 Interacting Domain (Bid), FLICE-inhibitory protein (FLIP), and enzymatic activities of caspase-8 and caspase-3 than muscles from young adult rats. Significant correlations were observed in the plantaris muscle between caspase activity and muscle weight and the apoptotic index, while similar relationships were not found in the soleus. These data demonstrate that pro-apoptotic signaling downstream of the TNF receptor is active in aged muscles. Furthermore, our data extend the previous demonstration that type II fibers are preferentially affected by aging and support the hypothesis that type II fiber containing skeletal muscles may be more susceptible to muscle mass loses via the extrinsic apoptotic pathway.
Light microscopic detection of sugar residues in glycoconjugates of salivary glands and the pancreas with lectin-horseradish peroxidase conjugates. I. Mouse.

Salivary glands and pancreases from male rats were stained with a battery of ten different lectin-horseradish peroxidase conjugates. Qualitative and quantitative differences were observed in the content of terminal sugar residues in stored secretory glycoproteins in parenchymal cells of glands having a similar histological structure. Heterogeneity in the content of secretory glycoconjugates was also found between cells in the same exocrine glands, which were previously thought to be identical on the basis of classical morphological and histochemical staining studies. Similar differences were observed in the structure of glycoconjugates associated with the apical surface of epithelial cells lining glandular excretory ducts. Intercalated ducts presented a gland specific staining pattern different from that of the glandular secretory cell population, whereas striated duct and interlobular duct epithelial cells stained similarly in all major rat exocrine glands. A comparison of lectin binding patterns in identical histological sites in the mouse, reported in a companion paper, is provided, and the similarities and differences between these two rodent species are discussed. In addition to providing valuable information concerning the localization and structure of tissue complex carbohydrates, a comparison of staining in the same tissue sites with labelled lectins reported biochemically to have similar binding specificity has revealed interesting differences in the binding specificity of these macromolecules.
Sampling practices in powder blending

Abstract Blending and sampling of granular materials are discussed in the context of pharmaceutical operations. Several experiments are used to compare the state of the art with regulatory expectations, especially those highlighted in a recent court ruling generally known as the `Barr Decision'. It is shown that samples obtained using thief probes can exhibit considerable errors, possibly leading to misleading results. The effects of sample size and number of samples are examined using an alternative characterization technique in which a powder mixture is solidified through infiltration with a polymer solution, sliced, and examined using image analysis. It is shown that number of samples is the most important parameter controlling the accuracy of the characterization. While a homogeneous mixture can be accurately characterized using just 30 samples, poorly mixed systems require hundreds of samples. It is also shown that an accurate characterization of a mixture inside a blender may not be indicative of the final state of the mixture after additional processing steps.
A typology of students' use of the community college

This chapter describes a typology of first-time community college students based on students' course-taking and enrollment behavior. The utility of the typology is demonstrated through an application that involves interpreting data concerning students' participation in remedial mathematics.
Diagnosis of gastrointestinal stromal tumor by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy–a potential pitfall

Abstract Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy (EUS-FNA) is considered to be a reliable and accurate method for the evaluation of submucosal lesions in the gastrointestinal tract. Herein, we report our experience with the diagnosis of 10 cases of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) using EUS-FNA. The materials obtained from the EUS-FNA were stained with the rapid Romanowsky or the Papanicolaou method for cytologic examination. The subsequent surgical resection specimens were submitted for histopathologic examination. Immunoperoxidase stains were performed on the cell blocks and/or representative histologic sections of the tumor using commercially available antibodies against c-kit (CD117), CD34, S-100, and smooth muscle actin. Of the 10 cases studied, there were five men and five women with an average age of 62 years (range, 38 to 87 years). Five tumors were located in the stomach, and five in the duodenum. Tumor size ranged from 3.5 to 16.2 cm. Immediate on-site evaluation and cytologic diagnoses were given in eight cases (80%) with an average of three passes. The diagnoses were confirmed by strong and diffuse tumor cell c-kit immunoreactivity in the cell blocks. However, the final diagnoses of two other cases (20%) were not established until surgical resections were obtained. Retrospectively, reviews of cytologic smears of both cases demonstrated rare cohesive sheets or clusters of spindle cells with cigar-shaped nuclei. These observations were initially misinterpreted as benign fibrous tissue and/or fragments of smooth muscle of the gastrointestinal wall such as one might encounter in a routine transgastric or transduodenal EUS-FNA. The current study showed that when combining cytologic and immunocytochemical studies, EUS-FNA is accurate and efficient in the diagnosis of GIST. It exemplified the importance of considering GIST in the differential diagnosis of gastrointestinal lesions and also demonstrated the potential pitfalls of EUS-FNA evaluation of submucosal lesions in the gastrointestinal tract. Ann Diagn Pathol 6:294-301, 2002.
Targeting of Androgen Receptor Expression by Andro-miRs as Novel Adjunctive Therapeutics in Prostate Cancer.

Prostate cancer begins as an androgen-responsive disease. However, subsequent accumulation of multiple sequential genetic and epigenetic alterations transforms the disease into an aggressive, castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). The monoallelic Androgen Receptor (AR) is associated with the onset, growth and development of Prostate cancer. The AR is a ligand-dependent transcription factor, and the targeting of androgen- and AR-signaling axis remains the primary therapeutic option for Prostate cancer (PCa) treatment. A durable and functional disruption of AR signaling pathways combining both traditional and novel therapeutics is likely to provide better treatment options for CRPC. Recent work has indicated that expression of AR is modulated at the posttranscriptional level by regulatory miRNAs. Due to a relatively long 3’ untranslated region (UTR) of AR mRNA, the posttranscription expression is likely to be regulated by hundreds of miRNAs in normal as well as in disease state. The main objective of the article is to offer a thought-provoking concept of “andro-miRs” and their potential application in AR gene expression targeting. This new paradigm for targeting constitutively active AR and its tumor specific splicing isoforms using andro-miRs may pave the way for a novel adjunctive therapy and improved treatment of CRPC.
Quantitative analysis of plasma galactose and glucose by gas-liquid chromatography.

Abstract A rapid, specific, and reproducible method is described for the determination of galactose and glucose in plasma or blood by means of gas-liquid chromatography. The use of trimethylsilyl ethers facilitates the separation and identification of the respective anomers of galactose and glucose on a Carbowax 20 M column. Several experiments are presented describing the effect of diet and injections of galactose on the blood levels of galactose and glucose in the adult female rat.
Lens FPD and LH effect on CD control of lithography process

As device geometries are shrinking towards sub-micron and below generations, the critical dimension (CD) control becomes more and more important in lithography process. The CD variations are contributed from some factors, including lens performance, resist thickness uniformity and mask dimension error etc. Two important parts of the available CD budget are caused by lens FPD and LH effect. In this paper we had investigated the relation among CD control, FPD and LH effect by LH monitor system, and compared with the results of ASMLs lens qualification. The experimental results are showed the across field CD variation could meet the conventional ASMLs lens qualification. The variation in critical dimension as a function of exposure field position is an important error component in CD control, which depends on the distribution of best focus within field location. The lens heating CD monitor system was evaluated extensively to determinate the lens heating correction parameters and optimize the focus compensated function. In addition, the lens performance was examined effectively and efficiently during cooling/heating process, including focal plane deviation, field curvature and image tilt etc.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Glycogen synthase sensitivity to glucose-6-P is important for controlling glycogen accumulation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Glycogen is a storage form of glucose utilized as an energy reserve by many organisms. Glycogen synthase, which is essential for synthesizing this glucose polymer, is regulated by both covalent phosphorylation and the concentration of glucose-6-P. With the yeast glycogen synthase Gsy2p, we recently identified two mutants, R579A/R581A/R582A and R586A/R588A/R591A, in which multiple arginine residues were mutated to alanine that were completely insensitive to activation by glucose-6-P in vitro (Pederson, B. A., Cheng, C., Wilson, W. A., and Roach, P. J. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 27753–27761). We report here the expression of these mutants in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and, as expected from our findings in vitro, they were not activated by glucose-6-P. The R579A/R581A/R582A mutant, which is also resistant to inhibition by phosphorylation, caused hyperaccumulation of glycogen. In contrast, the mutant R586A/R588A/R591A, which retains the ability to be inactivated by phosphorylation, resulted in lower glycogen accumulation when compared with wild-type cells. When intracellular glucose-6-P levels were increased by mutating the PFK2 gene, glycogen storage due to the wild-type enzyme was increased, whereas that associated with R579A/R581A/R582A was not greatly changed. This is the first direct demonstration that activation of glycogen synthase by glucose-6-P in vivo is necessary for normal glycogen accumulation.
Ultraviolet brightenings in active regions as observed from OSO-8

Repeated raster images of solar active regions taken at the line centers of the Si iv and C iv resonance lines using the University of Colorado (CU) ultraviolet spectrometer aboard OSO-8 reveal dramatic transient brightenings of up to factors of 10. These brightenings last several minutes and frequently show a repetitive character. Inspection of simultaneous Hα flare patrol records show that these transition zone events are often associated with subflare-like brightenings in the chromosphere. These observations indicate that direct excitation or heating of material already at transition zone temperatures caused by non-thermal particle streams is inadequate to explain the degree of brightening of these lines. The measurements suggest that some process that enhances density of material at ∼105 K is occurring during these events.
Effect of complex formation on drug absorption IX: Determination of the intestinal transfer rate constant of the salicylamide-caffeine complex

A model describing the overall transfer of a drug across biologic membranes in the presence of a complexing agent is presented. This model has been applied to the transfer of salicylamide across the cannulated everted intestine of the rat in the presence of caffeine. Assuming that (a) salicylamide and the salicylamide-caffeine complex are transferred at a rate proportional to their respective concentration gradient, and (b) the complex is not dissociated at the surface of the absorbing membrane, it is shown that Kapp./Ksam. = Kcmoplex/Ksam. + Ff (1 — Kcomplex/Ksam.), where Kapp., Ksam., and Kcomplex are intestinal transfer rate constants for salicylamide in the presence of caffeine, for salicylamide alone, and for the salicylamide-caffeine complex, respectively, and Ff is the fraction of total salicylamide which is not complexed. Since Ff is determined on the basis of an independently obtained stability constant (Ks) of the complex, an adequate fit of the intestinal transfer rate data to the model can be obtained only if the Ks at the transfer rate-limiting barrier of the intestine does not differ appreciably from that determined in the bulk solution. A plot of Kapp./ Ksam.versus Ff was linear, consistent with the model and the assumptions upon which it is based. The intestinal transfer rate constant of the salicylamide-caffeine complex was found to be considerably lower than that of salicylamide, but essentially the same as that of caffeine.
Prenatal Risk Factors Among Foreign‐Born Central American Women: A Comparative Study

The purpose of this study was to compare the incidence of empirically established prenatal risk factors for low birthweight (LBW) outcomes among two groups of low-income mothers: foreign-born Central American women and nonimmigrant, non-Hispanic women. Two hundred ninety-six women who were part of a larger study of maternal role sufficiency were included in the present study: 127 Central American women and 169 nonimmigrant, non-Hispanic women who identified themselves as Black (n = 59) or White (n = 110). Data were collected by public health nurses (PHNs) during home visits and by research nurses in prenatal health department clinics. Comparisons were made between the two groups in areas of demographic characteristics, prenatal health behaviors, and prenatal stressful life-events. Foreign-born Central American mothers were found to be less educated, more likely to be living with their partners, less likely to engage in prenatal health risk behaviors, and less likely to identify stressors in their lives. The initiation of prenatal PHN services by the target group was similar to the comparison group. Their rate of LBW deliveries did not reflect the protective effect often attributed to foreign-born Hispanic mothers. Findings are discussed in light of the paradox of LBW and Hispanic heritage. Recommendations for practice, clinical research, and public policy are also addressed.
SBArt4 for an automatic evolutionary art

Owing to recent innovations in computer hardware, it has become possible to implement automated evolution to produce interesting abstract images based on computational aesthetic measures for fitness criteria within a feasible time using a personal computer. The present paper proposes extensions of aesthetic measures for the domain of evolutionary art, for both images and animations. Using two small computers connected via Ethernet, we realized an installation of automatic video art that continuously displays a series of new interesting animations on the screen by selecting individuals of higher fitness from an evolving population in real time. The art project also includes automated creation of animations that are accessible over the Internet. The project involves the automatic production of ten 20-second movies everyday and posting the digest movie to a popular web site for movie sharing.
Murine tracheal and nasal septal epithelium for air-liquid interface cultures: a comparative study.

BackgroundAir–liquid interface cultures using murine tracheal respiratory epithelium have revolutionized the in vitro study of airway diseases. However, these cultures often are impractical because...
Molecular mechanism of sequence-specific termination of lentiviral replication

The central termination sequence (CTS) terminates (+) strand DNA synthesis in certain lentiviruses. The molecular mechanism underlying this event, catalyzed by equine infectious anemia virus reverse transcriptase (EIAV RT), was evaluated by pre-steady-state kinetic techniques. Time courses in nucleotide incorporation using several DNA substrates were biphasic, consistent with release of enzyme from extended DNA being the rate-limiting step for turnover. While the burst amplitude reflecting the amount of functional RT-DNA complex was sequence-dependent, rate constants for initial product formation were not. Filter binding assays indicate the K(d) for CTS-containing substrate is only 2-fold higher than a random DNA and cannot account entirely for the large diminution in burst amplitudes. Measurements of processive DNA replication on a millisecond time scale indicate that the rate of polymerization is unaffected by the T(6)-tract within the CTS. However, termination products accumulate due to a substantial increase in the rate of nonproductive enzyme-nucleic acid complex formation after incorporation of four to five adenosines of a T(6)-tract within the CTS. During strand displacement synthesis through the CTS, products accumulate after incorporation of three to four adenosines. The rate of polymerization during strand displacement synthesis decreases 2-fold while the rate of nonproductive enzyme-nucleic acid complex formation is identical in the absence or presence of the displacement strand. These results have allowed us to develop a model for CTS-induced termination of (+) strand synthesis.
Ethnicity Matters in the Assessment and Treatment of Children's Pain

One of the most challenging treatment dilemmas facing a practicing pediatrician is the management of a child with chronic pain, because it is well established that pain is a highly complex phenomenon that involves biological, psychological, and social variables such as culture, race, and ethnicity.1,2 Understanding the role of culture in the experience of pain is of particular importance when one considers that nearly 25% of children under the age of 5 in the United States are Latino and 17% of children in this age group are black.3 Consequently, it is important for pediatricians to consider the impact of race and ethnicity on the management of pain in children. In adults, there is substantial literature focused on the role of ethnicity and race in the experience of pain.4–16 Although there have been some contradictory findings, as a whole this literature suggests ethnic differences in perception, assessment, and treatment across settings and types of pain,11 differences that persist even after controlling for potential confounding variables such as socioeconomic status, gender, age, education, marital status, and psychological variables such as emotional state.4,7–10 Survey research suggests that Hispanic individuals may be less likely than white and black individuals to seek treatment by a physician for pain and black individuals may be more likely than white and Hispanic adults to use prescription medication for the treatment of pain.13 … Address correspondence to Michelle A. Fortier, PhD, Children's Hospital of Orange County, 505 S Main St, Suite 940, Orange, CA 92868. E-mail: mfortier{at}choc.org
Coordination Chemistry of Verdazyl Radicals

The past 17 years have seen the growth of the coordination chemistry of verdazyls—stable free radicals first reported in 1963. Though verdazyls are weakly basic ligands, the ability to synthesize derivatives with chelating substituents, along with the steric similarity of verdazyls to aromatic azine ligands, has resulted in a variety of coordination compounds. Coordination compounds have been reported with Mn2+, Co2+, Ni2+, Cu+, Cu2+, Zn2+, Ru2+, Ag+, Cd2+, Tb3+, Dy3+, Gd3+ and Hg2+. These studies have resulted in observations of strong ferromagnetic exchange (up to 400 cm−1), ligand-based redox processes, and non-innocent behavior. On the whole, verdazyls are weakly basic ligands in which the half-filled pi orbital can act as either an electron acceptor or an electron donor. The richness of the metal-verdazyl interaction, along with the structural diversity of verdazyls, provides many further opportunities for novel chemistry, as well as fertile ground for the introduction of undergraduates to research.
Is one-day hospitalization after open pyeloplasty possible and safe?

Abstract Objectives A critical pathway was developed to determine whether open pyeloplasty could be performed in preadolescent and adolescent children with ureteropelvic junction (UPJ) obstruction with patients safely discharged after a 1-day hospitalization. Methods Twenty-six consecutive children who underwent open dismembered pyeloplasty for the treatment of UPJ obstruction and followed a critical pathway for preoperative education, operative management, and postoperative care were evaluated. The patients received a caudal anesthetic for preventive analgesia unless not technically possible and postoperative ketorolac (Toradol) unless contraindicated. A child was required to fulfill five strict criteria to be discharged from the hospital. Results The 26 patients with UPJ obstruction consisted of 18 boys and 8 girls (age range 2.4 months to 16.7 years). Of the 26 patients, 24 (92%) were discharged on the first postoperative day, with a mean length of hospitalization of 1.1 days (range 1 to 3). All patients younger than 6 years of age (19 patients) were discharged on the first postoperative day. Of the 25 patients who received a caudal block, 24 (96%) were discharged on the first postoperative day. All patients tolerated the procedure well without major complications. Conclusions This is the first study, to our knowledge, to describe a detailed critical pathway for open pyeloplasty to treat UPJ obstruction. This enabled all children younger than 6 years of age and more than 90% of all patients to be discharged uniformly on the first postoperative day.
Sex roles and political ambition

This article explores the relationship between political ambition and sex among local officeholders. Based on interviews with men and women municipal legislators, the study examines subjects' background characteristics and behavior in office in relation to political ambition. A discriminant function analysis identifies two underlying dimensions on which the male and female ambitious and non-ambitious groups cluster. The first function, based on characteristics the person brings to office, distinguishes (a) moderately ambitious groups and retiring women from (b) highly ambitious groups and retiring men. The second function which distinguishes (a) ambitious men from (b) ambitious women and retiring men has to do with “behavior in office” characteristics. The contrast between ambitious women and ambitious men suggests different ways of viewing benefits of political office which have implications for change in the political system.
Reference dosimetry calculations for neutron capture therapy with comparison of analytical and voxel models.

As clinical trials of Neutron Capture Therapy (NCT) are initiated in the U.S. and other countries, new treatment planning codes are being developed to calculate detailed dose distributions in patient-specific models. The thorough evaluation and comparison of treatment planning codes is a critical step toward the eventual standardization of dosimetry, which, in turn, is an essential element for the rational comparison of clinical results from different institutions. In this paper we report development of a reference suite of computational test problems for NCT dosimetry and discuss common issues encountered in these calculations to facilitate quantitative evaluations and comparisons of NCT treatment planning codes. Specifically, detailed depth-kerma rate curves were calculated using the Monte Carlo radiation transport code MCNP4B for four different representations of the modified Snyder head phantom, an analytic, multishell, ellipsoidal model, and voxel representations of this model with cubic voxel sizes of 16, 8, and 4 mm. Monoenergetic and monodirectional beams of 0.0253 eV, 1, 2, 10, 100, and 1000 keV neutrons, and 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2, 5, and 10 MeV photons were individually simulated to calculate kerma rates to a statistical uncertainty of <1% (1 std. dev.) in the center of the head model. In addition, a "generic" epithermal neutron beam with a broad neutron spectrum, similar to epithermal beams currently used or proposed for NCT clinical trials, was computed for all models. The thermal neutron, fast neutron, and photon kerma rates calculated with the 4 and 8 mm voxel models were within 2% and 4%, respectively, of those calculated for the analytical model. The 16 mm voxel model produced unacceptably large discrepancies for all dose components. The effects from different kerma data sets and tissue compositions were evaluated. Updating the kerma data from ICRU 46 to ICRU 63 data produced less than 2% difference in kerma rate profiles. The depth-dose profile data, Monte Carlo code input, kerma factors, and model construction files are available electronically to aid in verifying new and existing NCT treatment planning codes.
Reasons and religious belief

This paper purports a limited study of the concept of reason. It analyzes the claim of religious belief to be reasonable. The context for this analysis is an examination of some evidential (criteriological) connections between reasonable belief and ‘(good) reasons’ for such belief. Consideration of the typical sort of evidential connection shows, not surprisingly, that religious belief cannot claim to be reasonable. But it is argued that there is (at least) one other sort of connection, and that it is philosophically plausible to regard this connection as definitive of a quite distinctive sense of ‘reasonable’, with its own kind and style of criteria, according to which religious belief can be thought reasonable.
Resonating-group study of the N + 40Ca system

Abstract The scattering of nucleons by 40 Ca is studied with the resonating-group method. The 40 Ca wave function used is a translationally invariant antisymmetrized product of single-particle wave functions of (1s) 4 (1p) 12 (1d) 20 (2s) 4 configuration in a harmonic-oscillator well having an appropriately chosen width parameter. The nonlocal interaction between the nucleon and the 40 Ca cluster is computed with the help of a generator-coordinate technique. Calculated results are compared with experimental data on bound states in 41 Ca, as well as n + 40 Ca and p + 40 Ca differential cross-section and polarization data at various energies. In each of these comparisons, it is found that our results are generally quite satisfactory; in fact, the fits to experimental data on cross sections and polarizations are of similar quality as those obtained by conventional optical-model analyses which employ a large number of adjustable parameters. The importance of the Pauli principle is also examined in detail. Here we find that, at relatively high energies, the knockout exchange term is quite significant, but the heavy-particle pickup exchange term has a rather minor contribution.
Drug abuse and depression: possible models for geriatric anorexia.

The central biochemical pathology of anorexia and the natural aging of the brain is similar. Biochemical models for drug withdrawal and depression may also assist in understanding geriatric anorexia. Norepinephrine, corticotropin releasing factor and β-endorphin may key neurotransmitters in all of these conditions.
Object-Oriented Scientific Programming with Fortran 90

Fortran 90 is a modern language that introduces many important new features beneficial for scientific programming. While the array-syntax notation has received the most attention, we have found that many modern software development techniques can be supported by this language, including object-oriented concepts.
The Classification of White Blood Cells

The simulation of a system to perform an automated leukocyte differential has been achieved through the measurement of certain features or parameters on the cell image. Using photomicrographs on Kodachrome II-A film of Wright's stained leukocytes, the following four features have successfully separated five normal cell types (neutrophil, eosinophil, basophil, lymphocyte, and monocyte): 1) nucleus size; 2) nucleus color; 3) cytoplasm size; 4) cytoplasm color.
CMIP5 simulated climate conditions of the Greater Horn of Africa (GHA). Part 1: contemporary climate

The present study is a preliminary interrogation of the ability of ten Earth System Models (ESMs) from the fifth phase of coupled model intercomparison project to characterize seasonal and annual mean precipitation cycle over the Greater Horn of Africa region. Each ESM had at least 2 ensemble members. In spite of distributional anomalies of observations, ESM ensemble means were examined on the basis of gridded precipitation data. Majority of the ten ESMs analyzed correctly reproduce the mean seasonal and annual cycle of precipitation for the period 1979-2008 as compared to gridded satellite-derived observations. At the same time our analysis shows signif- icant biases in individual models depending on region and season. Specifically, a modest number of models were able to capture correctly the peaks of bimodal (MAM and OND) and JJAS rainfall while a few either dragged the onset to subsequent months or displaced the locations of seasonal rainfall further north. Nearly all models were in agreement with their representation of the zonal orientation of spatial pattern of the leading EOF rainfall modes; more so, enhanced precipitation over the Indian Ocean and a dipole mode of precipitation pattern are captured in the first and second mode respectively. Further, the corresponding EOF time series of the ESMs rainfall modes were all in phase with observations. However, all models output were posi- tively biased against observations, with large medians and varied range of anomalies. Therefore, caution needs to be taken when choosing models for applications over the region, especially when ensemble means have to be considered.
1960 PGEC Membership Report

The third biennial PGEC Membership Survey was completed in the Fall of 1960. The response to the questionnaire was excellent (58 per cent), and the data extracted are reported herein. Factors regarding the nature of work, geographic location, salary, education, and fringe benefits are reported. Bar graphs, curves, and commentary are included to aid in assessing the Professional Group's character and growth.
Strange occurrence of lip indentation.

From m Fund Conf no Corre D 80 J Am 0190 a 20 doi:1 A 24-year-old white man presented for a vascular malformation of the right forearm that had been present since birth. He had bilateral symmetrical lip indentations (Fig 1). The lip indentations were asymptomatic other than the rare drainage of clear fluid. A careful examination of his mucous membranes, head, and neck was otherwise normal. The rest of his cutaneous examination revealed the vascular anomaly of his forearm and was otherwise normal.
Elevated carbon dioxide increases contents of antioxidant compounds in field-grown strawberries

The effects of elevated CO2 concentrations on the antioxidant capacity and flavonoid content in strawberry fruit (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) were studied under field conditions. Increased CO(2) (300 and 600 micromol mol(-1) above ambient) concentrations resulted in increases in ascorbic acid (AsA), glutathione (GSH), and ratios of AsA to dehydroascorbic acid (DHAsA) and GSH to oxidized glutathione (GSSG), and a decrease in DHAsA in strawberry fruit. High anthocyanin and phenolic content were also found in fruit of CO(2) treated plants. Growing strawberry plants under CO(2) enrichment conditions significantly enhanced fruit p-coumaroylglucose, dihydroflavonol, quercetin 3-glucoside, quercetin 3-glucuronide, and kaempferol 3-glucoside contents, as well as cyanidin 3-glucoside, pelargonidin 3-glucoside, and pelargonidin 3-glucoside-succinate content. Fruit of strawberry plants grown in the CO(2) enrichment conditions also had high oxygen radical absorbance activity against ROO(*), O(2)(*-), H(2)O(2), OH(*), and (1)O(2) radicals.
Quantum efficiency and emission spectra of single-photon sources in the cavity-QED strong-coupling regime

We derive analytical formulas for the quantum efficiency and emission spectra of single-photon sources in the cavity-QED strong-coupling regime. We investigate the effects of pure dephasing, treated in the phase-diffusion model, on these results.
The influence of partial timber harvesting in riparian buffers on macroinvertebrate and fish communities in small streams in Minnesota, USA

Abstract Relatively few evaluations of aquatic macroinvertebrate and fish communities have been published in peer-reviewed literature detailing the effect of varying residual basal area (RBA) after timber harvesting in riparian buffers. Our analysis investigated the effects of partial harvesting within riparian buffers on aquatic macroinvertebrate and fish communities in small streams from two experiments in northern Minnesota northern hardwood-aspen forests. Each experiment evaluated partial harvesting within riparian buffers. In both experiments, benthic macroinvertebrates and fish were collected 1 year prior to harvest and in each of 3 years after harvest. We observed interannual variation for the macroinvertebrate abundance, diversity and taxon richness in the single-basin study and abundance and diversity in the multiple-basin study, but few effects related to harvest treatments in either study. However, interannual variation was not evident in the fish communities and we detected no significant changes in the stream fish communities associated with partially harvested riparian buffers in either study. This would suggest that timber harvesting in riparian management zones along reaches ≤200 m in length on both sides of the stream that retains RBA ≥ 12.4 ± 1.3 m 2 ha −1 or on a single side of the stream that retains RBA ≥ 8.7 ± 1.6 m 2 ha −1 may be adequate to protect macroinvertebrate and fish communities in our Minnesota study systems given these specific timber harvesting techniques.