cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A comparison of light acclimatization methods for reduction of interior leaf drop in Ficus spp

Two acclimatization methods at 5 light intensities were investigated for indoor maintenance of Ficus benjamina and F. stricta. Plants were either grown at 5 production shade levels of full-sun (1685 μEm−2s−1) to 80% shade (340 μEm−2s−1) for 8 wks then placed directly into a simulated interior environment for 12 wks, or were grown in full-sun for 8 wks then acclimatized for 6 wks at 5 post-production shade levels prior to placement indoors. Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) in the interior was set at 10.5 μEm−2s−1 (78 ft-c). For F. benjamina, the full-sun treatment caused the highest degree of defoliation and as production or post-production shade level increased, defoliation decreased. F. stricta showed similar effects under post-production shade, but under production shade levels there was a poor correlation between percent shade and leaf drop. There appeared to be two or three periods of leaf drop after placement indoors as opposed to a constant rate of defoliation.
Some Critical Issues in the Analysis of Partial Oxidation Reactions in Monolith Reactors

Abstract In the catalytic oxidation of ethane on platinum-containing monoliths, the high rates of the surface reactions coupled with their high exothermicities lead to a very large axial temperature gradient over a distance comprising only a minor fraction of the reactor length. The temperature reaches a level such that homogeneous gas-phase reactions occur rapidly enough to make a large contribution to the overall conversion occurring in the remainder of the reactor. The gas temperatures generated by the surface reactions are high enough so that ignition delay times for the gas-phase reactions are small compared to total residence times in the reactor. For a quantitative assessment of the extent to which homogeneous gas-phase reactions contribute to the overall conversion, the most important considerations are having a reliable estimate of the temperature gradient generated by the surface catalyzed reactions at the front of the reactor and being careful to utilize a kinetic scheme for the gas-phase reactions that is appropriate for the reaction conditions.
THE CHARACTERIZATION OF HEMOGLOBIN SHIMONOSEKI.

Hemoglobin Shimonoseki, discovered in western Japan in 1960, has been further characterized as a mutant with abnormal α-polypeptide chains on the basis of: (1) The presence of a minor hemoglobin component migrating cathodally at pH 8.6 to Hb A2, presumably α2Shσ2A2. (2) Hybridization studies. (3) Fingerprinting of isolated α-polypeptide chains. Hemoglobin Sh is characterized by the substitution of arginine for glutamine at residue 54 and can therefore be designated as α254 Argβ2A.
Effect of young age on prostate cancer survival: a population-based assessment (United States).

Objective: To assess whether men diagnosed with prostate cancer at younger ages have a poorer prognosis. The influence of select factors (race, marital status, stage, histological grade, histology, presence of comorbid cancer, and time of diagnosis) on the relation between age at diagnosis and survival was considered. Methods: Analyses were based on 289,809 men diagnosed with malignant prostate cancer, ages 40 years and older in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program between 1973 and 1997, actively followed for vital status through 31 December 1998. Cases diagnosed through autopsy or death certificate were excluded. Five-year relative survival and Cox proportional hazards were used for assessment. Results: Five-year relative survival increased, leveled off, and then decreased over the age span. This pattern was most pronounced in men with advanced stage and poor grade tumors. Conditional death hazards that showed significantly higher hazard ratios in younger age groups (i.e. 40–44 and 45–49) represented local/regional stage and poorly differentiated/undifferentiated tumors, distant stage and moderately differentiated, poorly differentiated/undifferentiated, or unknown grade; and unknown stage and unknown grade. The influence of young age on prostate cancer prognosis for advanced stage and poorly differentiated/undifferentiated cases was not significantly influenced by year of diagnosis or race. Conclusions: Younger age is a prognostic factor for prostate cancer survival. The relationship between young age at diagnosis and survival is significantly influenced by stage and histological grade at diagnosis.
Polyploidy in Legumes

Legumes are the third largest family of flowering plants, with over 700 genera and more than 19,000 species. Genomic evidence has shown that a whole-genome duplication (WGD) occurred shortly after the origin of the family, in an ancestor that gave rise to the papilionoids, the clade that comprises 65 % of the genera and 71 % of the species, including nearly all of the economically important crop legumes. This polyploidy event may have been associated with the origin of nitrogen-fixing symbiosis (nodulation) in the papilionoids. Nodulation most likely evolved independently in other legumes outside the papilionoids, hence there appears to be no requirement for polyploidy in the evolution of this important symbiosis. More recent polyploidy, as inferred from chromosome counts, occurs in approximately a quarter of all legume genera for which data are available. In most cases, polyploidy is confined to individual genera, species within genera, or cytotypes within species. An exception is the core clade of the genistoid legumes, a major papilionoid group that includes lupines (Lupinus). This group is probably fundamentally polyploid and also has a propensity for further polyploidy and aneuploidy in many of its genera. The frequency of polyploidy varies considerably among clades of the family, being most common (outside the genistoids) in the largely temperate, herbaceous Hologalegina (including pea and clover), and low in woody tropical groups such as the caesalpinioids.
The vulnerability of New Orleans’ black and foreign-born populations in the 1878 yellow fever outbreak: a reassessment

Since the nineteenth century, medical researchers and social scientists have debated whether persons of African descent have comparative immunity to yellow fever. Studies have mainly used social science methodologies, notably the career-long but still-controversial research of Sheldon Watts and Kenneth Kiple. This case study, in contrast, applied epidemiological methodology to new data about the 1878 New Orleans’ yellow fever outbreak and, using a retrospective cohort study, concluded that Blacks did indeed have a much lower mortality rate than several other non-African groups. Foreign-born residents, Africans, and African-Americans were examined as exposed groups in the outbreak. The 1880 Census was used to measure the yellow fever risk for people born in Europe and for the entire Black population. Yellow fever deaths data came primarily from the records of the New Orleans Board of Health report but was here augmented by records from the Charity Hospital, Cemetery Burial, Coroner’s Office, obituaries, and prisons, creating a more accurate death figure of 4775. Results show that the relative risk (RR) of dying from yellow fever among the foreign-born population exposed to the disease is higher compared to Blacks. The figures are RR 6.28 (Italy), RR 2.55 (France), RR 1.47 (Great Britain), and RR 1.26 (German Empire), and Blacks (RR 0.25). Besides presenting a case in which Blacks were clearly shown as less vulnerable to the disease, the study also showed that contemporary epidemiological statistics and methods could achieve meaningful results regarding vulnerability to yellow fever even using incomplete data from the distant past.
Supplier dependence and R&D intensity: The moderating role of network centrality and interconnectedness

Abstract This study examines whether financial dependence upon a few customers is negatively related to the allocation of innovation resources of supplier firms. Furthermore, this study investigates whether these negative effects of supplier dependence on research and development (R&D) intensity are reduced when the supplier leverages social capital conceptualized in terms of eigenvector centrality and interconnectedness. Using panel data, we find that a supplier firm's dependence upon major customers has a negative relationship with the supplier firm's R&D intensity. Our results, however, reveal that a dependent supplier having high eigenvector centrality or working with other companies that are densely connected to each other mitigates the negative effects of supplier dependence on R&D intensity. These findings highlight the importance of external information or resources being available in supply networks when suppliers that are dependent upon major customers explore and exploit opportunities for new product development.
What is the most durable construct for a forefoot amputation, traditional transmetatarsal amputation or a medial ray sparing procedure?

This discussion is prompted by a recent paper from Suh and colleagues from Seoul, South Korea that evaluates clinical outcomes from a retrospective cohort of 59 patients with either a traditional transmetatarsal amputation (TMA) (n=27) or first or first and second ray sparing amputation (n=32) that all required follow-up free flap coverage (1). Evaluating the function of different amputation constructs in the diabetic foot is an important issue because recurrent events are very common in patients with diabetes and a history of diabetic foot ulcer or amputation.
Counseling Families About Recurrence Risks of Psychiatric Disease

Abstract Members of families affected with psychiatric conditions seek genetic counseling to understand the risks to themselves and/or their offspring. Often their risk perceptions exceed absolute risk estimates as fears may be based on assumptions of Mendelian risks rather than common complex disease risks. Yet, regardless of the often reassuring empiric risk information, the challenges to this work include: advocating for improved family communication where secrets may prevail to learn diagnoses, assessing risks/benefits of remaining on medications during pregnancy, and identifying families where genetic testing for copy number variants may be appropriate. This presentation will provide an overview of the state of psychiatric genetic counseling, its assets and potential pitfalls, with a hopeful view toward the future of personalized medicine and enhanced risk assessment.
Properties of Convectively Induced Turbulence over Developing Oceanic Convection

AbstractConvectively induced turbulence (CIT) is an aviation hazard that continues to be a forecasting challenge as operational forecast models are too coarse to resolve turbulence affecting aircra...
Sex-specific estrogen regulation of hypothalamic astrocyte estrogen receptor expression and glycogen metabolism in rats.

Abstract Brain astrocytes are implicated in estrogenic neuroprotection against bio-energetic insults, which may involve their glycogen energy reserve. Forebrain estrogen receptors (ER)-alpha (ERα) and -beta (ERβ) exert differential control of glycogen metabolic enzyme [glycogen synthase (GS); phosphorylase (GP)] expression in hypoglycemic male versus female rats. Studies were conducted using a rat hypothalamic astrocyte primary culture model along with selective ER agonists to investigate the premise that estradiol (E2) exerts sex-dimorphic control over astrocyte glycogen mass and metabolism. Female astrocyte GS and GP profiles are more sensitive to E2 stimulation than the male. E2 did not regulate expression of phospho-GS (inactive enzyme form) in either sex. Data also show that transmembrane G protein-coupled ER-1 (GPER) signaling is implicated in E2 control of GS profiles in each sex and alongside ERα, GP expression in females. E2 increases total 5′-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) protein in female astrocytes, but stimulated pAMPK (active form) expression with equivalent potency via GPER in females and ERα in males. In female astrocytes, ERα protein was up-regulated at a lower E2 concentration and over a broader dosage range compared to males, whereas ERβ was increased after exposure to 1–10 nM versus 100 pM E2 levels in females and males, respectively. GPER profiles were stimulated by E2 in female, but not male astrocytes. E2 increased astrocyte glycogen content in female, but not male astrocytes; selective ERβ or ERα stimulation elevated glycogen levels in the female and male, respectively. Outcomes imply that dimorphic astrocyte ER and glycogen metabolic responses to E2 may reflect, in part, differential steroid induction of ER variant expression and/or regulation of post-receptor signaling in each sex.
Actively Doing Less: Deimplementation of Unnecessary Interventions in Bronchiolitis Care Across Urgent Care, Emergency Department, and Inpatient Settings.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Quality improvement (QI) initiatives have increased provider adherence to individual components of a bronchiolitis clinical practice guideline (CPG). Few have evaluated complete adherence to a guideline in multiple types of care settings. Our aim with this study was to increase complete adherence to our institutional bronchiolitis CPG in urgent care center, emergency department, and inpatient settings. METHODS: We conducted a QI study at a single pediatric institution with multiple care settings. Encounters for patients with bronchiolitis ages >60 days to RESULTS: Analysis included 13 063 patient encounters. Hospital-wide complete adherence to the CPG increased (P CONCLUSIONS: We created a strict definition of CPG adherence and used QI methodology to deimplement multiple overused tests and medications across the continuum of patient care.
KEAP1/NFE2L2 mutations to predict local recurrence after radiotherapy but not surgery in localized non-small cell lung cancer.

9012Background: Tumor genotyping in localized non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is not broadly performed due to lack of actionable associations of mutations with treatment or outcome. We sought to...
Solution of the mixed formulation for generalized Forchheimer flows of isentropic gases

This paper focuses on the generalized Forchheimer flows of isentropic gas in a porous medium, described by a system of two nonlinear degenerate partial differential equations of first order. We prove the existence and uniqueness of the Dirichlet problem for the stationary problem. The technique of semi-discretization in time is used to prove the existence for the time-dependent problem.
A Multi-Criteria Logistics Analysis of Photovoltaic Modules for Remote Applications

Reliable electrical power grids are frequently unavailable or inaccessible in remote locations, including developing nation communities, humanitarian relief camps, isolated construction sites, and military contingency bases. This often requires sites to rely on costly generators and continuous fuel supply. Renewable energy systems (RES) in the form of photovoltaic (PV) arrays and energy storage present a rapidly improving alternative to power these remote locations. Previous RES literature and PV optimization models focused on economics, reliability, and environmental concerns, neglecting the importance of logistics factors in remote installations. This paper proposes additional optimization variables applicable to remote PV systems and compares PV module technologies. Logistics requirements such as system weight and volume are vital for shipment to remote applications. Furthermore, PV module efficiency and area power density are important factors because available land area can be limited in constrained sites. These factors should be considered, in addition to conventional economic and performance variables, to optimize an RES for remote locations. The present study evaluates 29 PV modules utilizing manufacturer datasheets and supplier pricing. For each module, cost, efficiency, panel weight, and volume were collected to calculate the proposed logistics variables: area power density, weight power density, and volume power density. These variables were compared against module costs per watt, demonstrating cost-performance tradeoffs and enabling planners to select the best PV module for their application. Monocrystalline modules appear to provide the best balance of these factors, but developing technologies may challenge crystalline cells as they continue to mature. The best monocrystalline panels had efficiencies of approximately 20%, costs of $0.60/W, and power densities of 17 W/kg, 200 W/m2, and 5,500 W/m3. By comparing the logistics variables of PV modules as presented here, RES planners can develop more efficient designs better suited to the logistics of installing and operating at remote sites.
The World Health Organization Risk Drinking Levels Measure of Alcohol Consumption: Prevalence and Health Correlates in Nationally Representative Surveys of U.S. Adults, 2001-2002 and 2012-2013.

Objective: Little is known about change over time in the prevalence of World Health Organization (WHO) risk drinking levels (very high, high, moderate, low) and their association with health condit...
Assessing the use of heated high flow nasal cannula in COVID-19

Background: Previous studies have suggested that the use of heated high-flow nasal canula (HHFNC) may reduce intubation rates in severely hypoxemic patients (PaO2/FiO2 <200). Early in the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, HHFNC was underutilized due to concern for viral aerosolization. Studies have since shown that HHFNC has a similar aerosolization risk as a standard oxygen mask prompting increased usage of HHFNC in patients with SARS-CoV-2. We sought to determine if the usage of HHFNC reduced the odds of intubation or the number of ventilator days for patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure due to SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia (COVID-19). Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study utilizing electronic health record data from the University of Colorado Health System. We included all adult patients admitted to intensive care units between February 1st, 2020 and May 3rd, 2020 with a diagnosis of acute hypoxemic respiratory failure and COVID-19. We divided patients into two groups: patients who received HHFNC and patients who did not receive HHFNC. Patient demographics, clinical characteristics and clinical outcomes were compared. Results: A total of 193 patients were included, of which 41 (21.2%) received HHFNC support. Age, sex, ethnicity, BMI, and comorbidities were similar between both groups. CRP was slightly higher and creatinine lower in the HHFNC group. We found that patients who used HHFNC were 76.5% less likely to receive mechanical ventilation (p<0.001). Patients who were supported with HHFNC spent an average of 5.1 more days on mechanical ventilation (p=0.025). The odds of death were estimated to be 39.4% lower for those who used HHFNC after adjusting for confounders (age, sex, BMI, ethnicity, smoking, alcohol use, prone positioning, corticosteroid use and Remdesivir use) however this effect estimate was not statistically significant. Conclusions: We found that patients with COVID-19 who received HHFNC were less likely to be intubated, which is consistent with previously published data. Those who did require intubation remained on mechanical ventilation for a longer duration. Our study did not detect any differences in mortality between the HHFNC group and the non-HHFNC group. These findings suggest HHFNC may be a useful modality for treatment of acute hypoxemic respiratory failure due to SARS-CoV-2 that may reduce the need for mechanical ventilators during local shortages.
CmP signaling network unveils novel biomarkers for triple negative breast cancer in African American women

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide and remains the second leading cause of cancer death. While breast cancer mortality has steadily declined over the past decades through medical advances, an alarming disparity in breast cancer mortality has emerged between African American women (AAW) and Caucasian American women (CAW); and new evidence suggests more aggressive behavior of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) in AAW may contribute to racial differences in tumor biology and mortality. Progesterone (PRG) is capable of exerting its cellular effects through either its classic, non-classic or combined responses through binding to either classic nuclear PRG receptors (nPRs) or non-classic membrane PRG receptors (mPRs), warranting both pathways an equally important status in PRG-mediated signaling. In our previous report, we demonstrated that the CCM signaling complex (CSC) consisting of CCM1, CCM2, and CCM3 proteins can couple both nPRs and mPRs signaling cascades to form a CSC-mPRs-PRG-nPRs (CmPn) signaling network in nPR positive(+) breast cancer cells. In this report, we furthered our research by establishing the CSC-mPRs-PRG (CmP) signaling network in nPR(-) breast cancer cells, demonstrating that a common core mechanism exists, regardless of nPR(+/-) cell type. This is the first report stating that inducible expression patterns exist between CCMs and major mPRs in TNBC cells. Furthermore, we firstly show mPRs in TNBC cells are localized in the nucleus and participate in nucleocytoplasmic shuttling in a coordinately synchronized fashion with CCM proteins under steroid actions, following the same cellular distribution as other well-defined steroid hormone receptors. Finally, for the first time, we deconvoluted the CmP signalosome by using multi-omics approaches, which helped us understand key factors within the CmP network, and identify 21 specific biomarkers with potential clinical applications associated with AAW-TNBC tumorigenesis. These novel biomarkers could have immediate clinical implications to dramatically improve health disparities among AAW-TNBCs.
Generation of Naïve Blastoderm Explants from Zebrafish Embryos.

Due to their optical clarity and rapid development, zebrafish embryos are an excellent system for examining cell behaviors and developmental processes. However, because of the complexity and redundancy of embryonic signals, it can be challenging to discern the complete role of any single signal during early embryogenesis. By explanting the animal region of the zebrafish blastoderm, relatively naive clusters of embryonic cells are generated that can be easily cultured and manipulated ex vivo. By introducing a gene of interest by RNA injection before explantation, one can assess the effect of this molecule on gene expression, cell behaviors, and other developmental processes in relative isolation. Furthermore, cells from embryos of different genotypes or conditions can be combined in a single chimeric explant to examine cell/tissue interactions and tissue-specific gene functions. This article provides instructions for generating zebrafish blastoderm explants and demonstrates that a single signaling molecule - a Nodal ligand - is sufficient to induce germ layer formation and extension morphogenesis in otherwise naive embryonic tissues. Due to their ability to recapitulate embryonic cell behaviors, morphogen gradients, and gene expression patterns in a simplified ex vivo system, these explants are anticipated to be of great utility to many zebrafish researchers.
Dialectical Method and the Critical Political Economy of Culture

This article argues that the quality that defines critical political economy is its critical method. Definitions of the critical political economy of culture are considered and shown to focus on specific theoretical concerns while not fully addressing the fundamental issue of method. Method is here discussed in terms of the way human reason is used to produce knowledge. A critical method for Marx is a historical materialist dialectical method, thus this paper argues for a deeper consideration of the Marxist dialectical method in relation to critical political-economic theorizing. Sources for methodological consideration from Marx to 20th-century Western Marxists are outlined. The potential contribution of the Marxist dialectical method in the continued development of the critical political economy of culture is demonstrated by showing the possibility of developing a complementary critical political economy of consciousness. Smythe’s theorizing of audiences as workers is considered as a useful starting point, and its potential development through incorporation of the work of other critical scholars of media and culture is outlined.
Overview of asymptotics for methane flames

In the past five years remarkable advances have been made in defining asymptotic structures of methane flames. The structure derived for two-step chemistry, although inaccurate numerically, greatly improves our understanding of what can be expected from these flames. The basis therefore now exists for employing reduced mechanisms, including the rather accurate four-step mechanisms, for deriving asymptotic structures of methane flames. The following chapters in Part II report some recent progress in this direction.
Monitoring Regional Status and Trends in Forest Health with Lichen Communities: The United States Forest Service Approach

To use lichen communities as biomonitors of change in foreset cosystems, relating to changes in air quality, climate and/or forest management across large regions and over relatively long time periods, with relatively low cost [[xc1 To relate condition of lichen communities to condition of vascular plants as part of the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) programme of the United States Forest Service.
Asynchronous circuit design for VLSI signal processing

Introduction T.H. Meng, S. Malik. Self-Timed Logic using Current-Sensing Completion Detection (CSCD) M.E. Dean, D.L. Dill, M. Horowitz. Performance of Iterative Computation in Self-Timed Rings T.E. Williams. High Level Optimizations in Compiling Process Descriptions to Asynchronous Circuits G. Gapalakrishnan, V. Akella. Designing Self-Timed Systems using Concurrent Programs E. Brunvand. Synthesis of Hazard-Free Control Circuits from Asynchronous Finite State Machines Specifications Tam-Anh Chu. Specification, Synthesis and Verification of Hazard-Free Asynchronous Circuits C.W. Moon, P.R. Stephan, R.K. Brayton. A Generalized State Assignment Theory for Transformations on Signal Transition Graphs P. Vanbekbergen, B. Lin, G. Goossens, H. De Man. Specification and Analysis of Self-Timed Circuits M.A. Kishinevsky, A.Yu. Kondratyev, A.R. Taubin. Linear Programming for Hazard Elimination in Asynchronous Circuits L. Lavagno, N. Shenoy, A. Sangiovanni-Vincentelli. Verification of Asynchronous Interface Circuits with Bounded Wire Delays S. Devadas, K. Keutzer, S. Malik, A. Wang. Subject Index.
Unicity in piecewise polynomial L 1 -approximation via an algorithm

Our main result shows that certain generalized convex functions on a real interval possess a unique best L 1 approximation from the family of piecewise polynomial functions of fixed degree with varying knots. This result was anticipated by Kioustelidis in [11]; however the proof given there is nonconstructive and uses topological degree as the primary tool, in a fashion similar to the proof the comparable result for the L 2 case in [5]. By contrast, the proof given here proceeds by demonstrating the global convergence of an algorithm to calculate a best approximation over the domain of all possible knot vectors. The proof uses the contraction mapping theorem to simultaneously establish convergence and uniqueness. This algorithm was suggested by Kioustelidis [10]. In addition, an asymptotic uniqueness result and a nonuniqueness result are indicated, which analogize known results in the L 2 case.
The Liver and its diseases

Summary Among the many areas in which there has been recent progress, we selected the following for emphasis: the recognition of the importance of ultrastructure in liver disease; the appreciation of the diseases in which jaundice is the main symptom; autoimmune diseases; dye excretion; the attempt to develop hepatic tests based on serum activity of enzymes specific for hepatic tissue and found in the serum in hepatic cytolysis; and broadening the indications for shunt surgery.
Minimal (≤0.1 cm) Invasive Carcinoma in Breast Core Needle Biopsies

Abstract Context.—Although minimally invasive (microinvasive) carcinoma (≤0.1 cm) of the breast is a well-known and well-characterized entity in excision specimens, the significance of small foci of invasion in breast core needle biopsies has not been well described. Objective.—To define the significance of minimally invasive carcinoma in breast core needle biopsies. Design.—Review of a large series of core needle biopsies for invasive carcinomas measuring 0.1 cm or less and correlation of the results with those of subsequent excision. Setting.—Large community hospital. Results.—From approximately 8500 biopsies, a total of 18 cases of minimally invasive carcinoma from 16 women aged 42 to 80 years were identified. All were present on only 1 of 8 slides made from the block. Overall, the incidence was approximately 0.1% of all biopsies and 1% of all invasive carcinomas. Six cases were invasive lobular carcinomas, 1 was tubulolobular carcinoma, 3 were tubular carcinomas, and the remaining 8 were ductal carcin...
Nadir Oxygen Delivery on Bypass and Hypotension Increase Acute Kidney Injury Risk After Cardiac Operations.

Background Acute kidney injury (AKI) continues to complicate cardiac operations. We sought to determine whether nadir oxygen delivery (DO 2 ) on cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) was a risk factor for AKI while also accounting for other postoperative factors. Methods Using propensity scoring, we matched 85 patients who developed AKI after cardiac operations on CPB with 85 control patients who did not. We analyzed the following variables through midnight on postoperative day 1 (POD1): DO 2 , antibiotics, blood products and vasopressors (intraoperatively and postoperatively), and hemodynamic variables. Results Univariable analysis revealed AKI patients had lower nadir DO 2 on CPB (208 vs 230 mL O 2 /min/m 2 body surface area, p = 0.03), lower intensive care unit admission blood pressure gradient across the kidney (mean arterial pressure minus central venous pressure; 60 vs 68 mm Hg; p p p = 0.02), and greater total vasopressor use through the end of POD1 (5.2 vs 2.3 mg, p = 0.002). On multivariable analysis, predictors of AKI were a DO 2 on CPB of less than 225 mL O 2 /min/m 2 (odds ratio, 2.46; 95% confidence interval, 1.21 to 5.03; p = 0.01) and postoperative mean arterial pressure of less than 60 mm Hg for more than 15 minutes (odds ratio, 3.96; 95% confidence interval, 1.92 to 8.20; p p = 0.07). Conclusions Postoperative hypotension on POD0 or POD1 and low DO 2 on CPB both independently increase the AKI risk in cardiac surgical patients.
Computer-assisted image analysis of silver staining in normal and leukemic bone marrow

Computer-assisted image analysis was used to quantitate the amount of silver staining in interphase nuclei of bone marrow cells from acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) patients. When we compared the data obtained for the interphase nuclei with that obtained for the metaphase spreads, we found a strong correlation between the fraction of bone-marrow metaphases stained positively with silver, the average number of silver-positive nucleolus organizer regions per metaphase, and the amount of silver staining in the interphase nuclei. Computer-assisted image analysis of interphase nuclei can be used, therefore, to differentiate normal from ALL bone-marrow samples.
Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide delays human polymorphonuclear leukocyte apoptosis in vitro.

Apoptosis (programmed cell death) is a mechanism by which superfluous or damaged cells undergo changes that lead to selective removal from organ systems by phagocytic cells. Certain bacterial products delay apoptosis in neutrophils (PMNs). In this study, PMNs were incubated for up to 8 h with varying concentrations of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), lipid A or capsular polysaccharide isolated from 3 strains of Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) (strains HG-184, A7A1-28 and 381). Assay runs included controls containing cells and medium but no bacterial products. Fluorescence microscopy was used to evaluate apoptotic changes. PMNs exhibited a time-dependent increase in the number of apoptotic cells. When cells were cultured in the presence of LPS from any of the 3 Pg strains, apoptosis was delayed in a dose-dependent fashion (p 0.05). Thus, LPS and lipid A from P. gingivalis appear to modulate the functional lifespan of PMNs. This could potentiate the inflammatory and destructive components of periodontal diseases.
Osmotically Driven Water Vapor Transport in Unsaturated Soils

Knowledge of the transport processes of bulk fertilizers and other solutes in soils and porous media is vital to understanding the environmental and economic impacts of many agricultural and waste disposal practices. Previous experimental research shows that significant water movement can occur towards regions of high salt concentrations in unsaturated porous media. It is hypothesized that in unsaturated media, large gradients in aqueous osmotic potentials cause significant water-vapor fluxes towards regions of high solute concentrations. A physically based model to describe this process is developed by combining existing theories of liquid-water and water-vapor transport with aqueous electrolyte theory. A simplified solution, demonstrating these water-vapor transport processes, is compared with experimental results from discontinuous soil column experiments previously published by Wheeting (1925). The results confirm that large osmotic potentials created in the presence of high solute concentrations in unsaturated porous media, can account for the quantities of water vapor movement observed. This redistribution of pure water vapor complicates modeling of ion diffusion in these systems and is an important process to include in solute transport models when high solute concentrations exist in unsaturated soils.
The use of stress-density functions for lifetime predictions of brittle structures

Abstract The tools necessary to perform a lifetime analysis for a brittle structure are presented. The paper explains methods for measuring the relevant material properties, such as Weibull modulus m , normalization strength σ 0 , and subcritical crack growth parameter n , and for combining them with suitable statistics, stress analysis, and linear-elastic fracture mechanics, in order to arrive at strength-probability-time (SPT) diagrams for a particular structure. Moreover, it will be shown, how mathematical difficulties arising during the statistical analysis can be overcome by making use of the so-called stress-density functions, which were recently introduced by Nadler [1].
Modeling potential climate change impacts on the trees of the northeastern United States

We evaluated 134 tree species from the eastern United States for potential response to several scenarios of climate change, and summarized those responses for nine northeastern United States. We modeled and mapped each species individually and show current and potential future distributions for two emission scenarios (A1fi [higher emission] and B1 [lower emission]) and three climate models: the Parallel Climate, the Hadley CM3, and the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory model. Climate change could have large impacts on suitable habitat for tree species in this region, especially under a high emissions trajectory. Results indicate that while species with potentially increasing areas of suitable habitat in the Northeastern US substantially outnumber those with decreasing areas of habitat, there are key species that show diminishing habitat area: balsam fir (Abies balsamea), paper birch (Betula papyrifera), red spruce (Picea rubens), bigtooth and quaking aspen (Populus grandidentata and P. tremuloides), and black cherry (Prunus serotina). From these results we identified the top 10 losers and gainers for each US state in the region by scenario and emissions trajectory. By combining individual species importance maps and developing assembly rules for various classes, we created maps of potential forest types for the Northeast showing a general loss of the spruce–fir zone with advancing oak–hickory type. Further data, maps, and analysis can be found at http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/atlas.
Is the Band a Good Procedure Choice, and for Whom Should We Still Consider It?

Bariatric surgery remains the only durable weight loss treatment in the morbidly obese patient. Since 1993, laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding has been a popular choice owing to low perioperative morbidity and relative ease of placement. LAGB functions by limiting food intake via placement of an inflatable silicone band around the stomach. Although LAGB may provide significant reductions in weight and comorbidity resolution, it is not the most effective surgical procedure. In addition, the rate of reoperation due to late complications and failure has become a growing concern. These issues have caused some surgeons to question the role of banding altogether.
The absorption of hydrogen halides by tris(hydroxyquinolinato)chromium (III)

Abstract Tris(8-hydroxyquinolinato)chromium (III) has been found to absorb relatively large amounts of hydrochloric, hydrobromic, and hydrofluoric acids. This absorption process is reversible. Since each mole of the complex takes up considerably more than a mole of hydrohalic acid, three possible explanations for this phenomenon are clathrate formation, of a solid solution, or a purely chemical process. The observed changes in the colours, infra-red spectra, X-ray diffraction patterns, and the enthalpy changes which accompany the absorption process all favour a chemical process. The heats of vaporization of the hydrohalic acids from the solid adducts are comparable in magnitude to the enthalpies of vaporization of the pure hydrohalic acids and are consistent with a process involving the rupture of hydrogen bonds. Similar processes are also found to occur with tris(8-hydroxyquinolinato)iron (III) and related complexes.
Oxygen uptake activity by Nitrobacter spp. in the presence of metal ions and sulfooxyanions

Several metal ions inhibited the oxygen uptake activity of Nitrobacter agilis, but their effects on the kinetic parameters of nitrite oxidation were mixed. Growth of Nitrobacter winogradskyi was inhibited by persulfate (> 0.1 mM), tetrathionate (> 0.5 mM), and trithionate (> 5 mM). Oxygen uptake activity was, however, relatively insensitive to persulfate and tetrathionate ions.
Discussion of J.M. Murphy: “Anthropology and psychiatric epidemiology”

The author addresses professor Murphy's questioning of the dependency of various dichotomies in the field. This refers to a) the definition of disciplines, b) definition of explanatory variables, c) theoretical debates in the literature on the determinants of mental disoder, and d) debates on how to explain variations in rates of mental disorder among different status or class groups. Attention is drawn to how we might function differently if we did away with some of these dichotomies, and dealt with continuous variables and interactive models.
Hydrogenated amorphous silicon sulfur alloy deposited with hydrogen dilution

Device quality hydrogenated amorphous silicon sulfur alloy films were prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition with hydrogen dilution. The optical absorption, elemental composition, photoresponse and density of defect states of the alloy films were investigated. The alloy exhibited a wider optical bandgap with increasing sulfur concentration in the films. The photo-conductivity of the alloy film was about 10 −4 S/cm, and of the same order of magnitude as for amorphous silicon. The light to dark conductivity ratio of the sulfur alloy film deposited with hydrogen dilution is approximately 10 4 , higher than that of film prepared without hydrogen dilution. The presence of hydrogen in the rf discharge plasma may sputter off the weakly bonded clusters on the growing surface, lead to a dense network, and consequently improve the film quality.
Influence of bony resorption on endodontic treatment

Abstract This article discusses the influence of bony resorption as it relates to endodontic success. Little attention has been given the significance of this factor on prognosis. The use of calcium hydroxide as a means of obtaining a more favorable periapical environment is proposed.
In vitro and in vivo studies reveal that hamster oocyte meiotic arrest is maintained only transiently by follicular fluid, but persistently by membrana/cumulus granulosa cell contact.

Abstract Studies were carried out with the golden Syrian hamster to investigate the capacity of follicular fluid to maintain oocyte meiotic arrest and to determine the importance of cumulus-membrana granulosa cell contact in the regulation of meiotic status. The follicular fluid studies were conducted by cytological assessment of meiotic stage up to 6 hr after transferring cumulus-free oocytes into antra of explanted “host” follicles in vitro or into follicles of anesthetized animals prior to the gonadotropin surge at proestrus in vivo . The cumulus-membrana granulosa contact studies were undertaken with explanted follicles in which the oocyte-cumulus complex was dislodged from the underlying membrana granulosa, released into the antrum, and subsequently allowed to reestablish contact during 6 hr of incubation within the follicle. The extent of recontact of the dislodged complex with the underlying membrana granulosa was assessed visually at the end of incubation and was classified as close, moderate, or none. These various degrees of contact typically involved the following number of cumulus cells, as determined by serial sectioning of a representative sample of follicles after dislodgement and subsequent incubation: close, 32.7 ± 1.78; moderate, 9.0 ± 2.1; and no contact, 0. After 6 hr of incubation either in vitro or in vivo , few transferred oocytes remained at the germinal vesicle (GV) stage (18.8 ± 8.7 and 17.3 ± 4.0 % GV, respectively). However, time course experiments revealed that meiotic resumption was significantly delayed in transferred oocytes compared with either liberated oocytes, spontaneously maturing oocytes, or follicle-enclosed oocytes induced to mature by luteinizing hormone in vitro (after 4 hr, transferred, 31.3 ± 6.0% GV; liberated, 0% GV; follicle-enclosed, 0% GV; after 6 hr, 0% transferred oocytes exhibited a GV). In the dislodgement studies, after 6 hr of incubation, 26% of complexes reestablished close contact with the underlying membrana granulosa, 67% showed moderate contact, while 7% revealed no contact. There was a significant increase in the percentage GV stage oocytes as the extent of recontact increased (no contact, 21.9 ± 3.6 % GV; moderate contact, 56.6 ± 6.8 % GV; close contact, 87.5 ± 14.4 % GV). These data argue in favor of a stringent control of hamster oocyte meiotic status by the follicle cell/oocyte syncytium and against the possibility that follicular fluid is independently responsible for maintaining meiotic arrest. However, since follicular fluid transiently delays meiotic resumption in this species, these findings do not preclude the possibility that one or more components in this extracellular fluid may also play a role in maintaining meiotic arrest in vivo .
Crystal growth of ZrW2O8 and its optical and mechanical characterization

Abstract ZrW 2 O 8 is known for its isotropic negative thermal expansion over a wide of range of temperature from −272 to 777 °C. However, ZrW 2 O 8 melts incongruently at 1257 °C and is stable only over a short temperature interval between 1105 and 1257 °C. This makes the growth of single crystals a formidable challenge. In order to study the intrinsic properties of this compound, a repeatable, viable single crystal growth strategy is required. Here we report a simple, self-seeding, self-fluxing single crystal growth process which resulted in single crystals of ZrW 2 O 8 up to about 4 mm in size. Grown crystals were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Mechanical properties of the crystals were studied using nanoindentation.
One-year outcomes of community-acquired and healthcare-associated pneumonia in the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System.

Summary Background While studies have demonstrated higher medium-term mortality for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), mortality and costs have not been characterized for healthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP) over a 1-year period. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study to evaluate mortality rates and health system costs for patients with CAP or HCAP during initial hospitalization and for 1 year after hospital discharge. We selected 50 758 patients admitted to the Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system between October 2003 and May 2007. Main outcome measures included hospital, post-discharge, and cumulative mortality rates and cost during initial hospitalization and at 12 months following discharge. Results Hospital and 1-year HCAP mortality were nearly twice that of CAP. HCAP was an independent predictor for hospital mortality (odds ratio (OR) 1.62, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.49–1.76) and 1-year mortality (OR 1.99, 95% CI 1.87–2.11) when controlling for demographics, comorbidities, pneumonia severity, and factors associated with multidrug-resistant infection, including immune suppression, previous antibiotic treatment, and aspiration pneumonia. HCAP patients consistently had higher mortality in each stratum of the Charlson–Deyo–Quan comorbidity index. HCAP patients incurred significantly greater cost during the initial hospital stay and in the following 12 months. Demographics and comorbid conditions, particularly aspiration pneumonia, accounted for 19–33% of this difference. Conclusion HCAP represents a distinct category of pneumonia with particularly poor survival up to 1 year after hospital discharge. While comorbidities, pneumonia severity, and risk factors for multidrug-resistant infection may interact to produce even higher mortality compared to CAP, they alone do not explain the observed differences.
Determining the Feasibility of Early Seeding Canola in the Northern Great Plains

Canola (Brassica napus L.) yield is often limited by heat and water stress. Early seeding may avoid the heat and water stress at critical growth stages but will encounter low soil temperatures and frequent frosts. Three experiments were performed at two locations in Montana from 2002 to 2004 to determine (i) early spring seeding effect on seed yield and oil content and optimum seeding rates for early seeding, (ii) base temperature (T h ) for germination and heat requirement for emergence, and (iii) suitable cultivars for early spring seeding. Late-March-seeded canola yielded 0 to 5% greater than mid-April seeding. Delaying seeding from mid-April to mid-May resulted in 43 to 63% yield reduction. Oil content was 12 to 22 g kg -1 greater for mid-May seeding than mid-April seeding in 3 out of 5 site-year combinations. A seeding rate of 32 to 65 seeds m -2 was found sufficient to produce optimum yields. Oil content tended to decrease 10 to 20 g kg -1 when seeding rate increased from 11 to 97 seeds m 2. The T h for germination was less than 4°C, and the growing degree days for 50% emergence (GDD 50 ) were 42 to 81. Yield was negatively correlated (r = -0.46 to -0.65) to the days to 50% flowering, and biomass measured at 60 d after planting was negatively correlated to the chlorophyll fluorescence ratio (F/F m ) after cold stress (r = -0.58). The optimal seeding period for the region is between late March and mid-April. Several genotypes were found to have favorable characteristics for early seeding.