cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Wound Closure in Nonidiopathic Scoliosis: Does Closure Matter?

BACKGROUND Postoperative wound complications after posterior spinal fusion are difficult to manage. The incidence in the nonidiopathic patient population is significantly higher than the adolescent idiopathic population. A comparison of wound complications after posterior spinal fusion for nonidiopathic scoliosis between the utilization of the orthopaedic surgical team at the time of closure performing a nonstandardized wound closure versus a plastic surgeon with a plastic multilayered closure technique and rotational flap coverage when needed had not previously been evaluated. The purpose of this study was to compare the complication rate between nonstandardized and plastic multilayered closure of the surgical incision in patients undergoing posterior spinal fusion for nonidiopathic scoliosis. METHODS The charts of 76 patients with a primary diagnosis of scoliosis associated with a syndrome or neuromuscular disease and who underwent a posterior spinal fusion were reviewed. Forty-two patients had their incisions closed using the nonstandardized technique and 34 using the plastic multilayered technique. These 2 groups were compared for age, sex, primary diagnosis, number of levels fused, estimated blood loss, number of units transfused, operating room time, wound complication, and return to operating room. RESULTS The wound complication rate in the nonstandardized closure group was 19% (8/42) compared with 0% (0/34) in the plastic multilayered closure group (P=0.007). The unanticipated return to the operating room rate was 11.9% (5/42) for the nonstandardized closure patients versus 0% (0/34) for the plastic multilayered closure patients (P=0.061). CONCLUSIONS The use of the plastic multilayered closure technique in this patient population is important in an effort to decrease postoperative wound complications. The ability of the surgical team to decrease the infection rate of nonidiopathic scoliosis cannot be overstated. The method of wound closure plays a major role in lowering this incidence. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level III-therapeutic.
Authentication of Tape Recordings

As you are aware, tape recordings are now part of almost everyone’s life, especially here in these United States. They are so common that the magnitude of their use actually is difficult to comprehend. Indeed, this already extensive utilization of both audio and videotape recordings is spreading at an accelerating rate. Witness the recent DeLorean case where federal agents attempted to demonstrate that the defendant had violated the laws involving controlled substances by the use of surreptitious video recordings. That DeLorean was not convicted is beside the point; what is relevant is that this technique is becoming an important one for gathering evidence. It is also useful in crime counter-measures, intelligence work and the courts.
Monotone Quantifiers and Admissible Sets

Publisher Summary The study of generalized quatifiers, quantifiers other than “for all” and “there exist” has been taken up in the recent years by two branches of logic: model theory and recursion theory. It would seem that the admissible set theory would be one area where the two approaches could work together and it is the topic taken up here. In model theory, it has been traditional to study quatifiers based on cardinality considerations. It was in recursion theory, that the importance of just plain monotonicity emerged, and we are concerned with these quantifiers. Everything was inspired by the results from the folklore of the model theory of generalized quantifiers. One can think of most of the precise mathematical quantifiers as attempts to make one of these quatifiers precise. It is interesting to speculate whether any of these are precise enough to already list some of the commonly accepted axioms about them.
Alcohol Use Among Latino Males

SUMMARY This paper examines the factors surrounding the use of alcohol among Latino males. Prevention and treatment strategies for the provision of culturally competent treatment services are proposed, based on an analysis of the literature.
Invisible Clues to New World Plant Domestication

For decades, most archaeological studies pointed to New World plant domestication originating in the upland regions of Mexico and South America. But as [Bryant][1] explains in his Perspective, these studies focused on the visible remains of plants, such as seeds, fruits, and corn kernels and cobs, neglecting microscopic remains such as plant crystals or phytoliths. On the basis of phytolith evidence, [Piperno and Stothert][2] report that domesticated species of Cucurbita (squash and gourds) were grown in coastal Ecuador between 9000 and 10,000 years ago, earlier than at any other known site. [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/299/5609/1029 [2]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/299/5609/1054
Friendly Skepticism about Evidence Based Library and Information Practice

On July 12, 2008 I blogged up a “screed” about evidence based librarianship, and realised almost immediately that I should have more accurately discussed “evidence based library and information practice,” or EBLIP (Banks). By July 13 two leaders in the EBLIP community, Pam Ryan and Denise Koufogiannakis, had responded eloquently to this post. The next day former JMLA editor T. Scott Plutchak pointed me to the video of a “friendly debate” he participated in with Andrew Booth about EBLIP last year (Booth and Plutchak). Finally, on July 15 Sarah McCord contextualised the conversation by pointing to a recent JAMA paper about varieties of valid evidence (Berwick), to which Ryan responded by noting examples of discussion in the EBLIP community about similar issues (Given; Ryan). I offer this excessively detailed chronology as anecdotal evidence for the power of blogs to rapidly generate thoughtful discussion. While the reaction to many blog posts can dwindle down to flame wars and insults, to me this experience demonstrates the potential of blogs to be a positive professional communication vehicle. I’m willing to stake a good deal on this slight evidence, even though it is undeniably flimsy by the standards of EBLIP. I have similar fuzzy feelings for wikis; for example, I find the “evidence based librarianship” wiki managed by Dean Giustini to be an excellent source of key information about this topic (Giustini). My personal experience with this wiki is my only evidence for such a sweeping endorsement.
Endothelial dysfunction. An important mediator in the pathophysiology of hypertension during pre-eclampsia

Pre-eclampsia is defined as new onset hypertension with proteinuria during pregnancy. It affects approximately 5% of pregnancies in the US with a subset of those progressing into more severe forms of the disease, known as HELLP or eclampsia. Pre-eclampsia is associated with intrauterine growth restriction, chronic immune activation and multi-organ endothelial dysfunction thus contributing to the clinically visible elevation in maternal blood pressure. The end result is increased infant and maternal morbidity and mortality thereby contributing to the gross health care expenditure nationwide. Although the underlying cause of this disease is still unknown, the most well accepted hypothesis is that placental ischemia/hypoxia results from inadequate uteroplacental vascular remodeling, which leads to a decrease in placental blood flow. The ischemic placenta releases factors such as the soluble VEGF receptor-1 (sFlt-1), the angiotensin II type-1 receptor autoantibody (AT1-AA), and cytokines such as TNF-α and Interleukin 6 which cause maternal endothelial dysfunction characterized by elevated circulating endothelin (ET-1), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and enhanced vascular sensitivity to angiotensinII. These factors act in concert to decrease renal function and cause hypertension during pregnancy. Understanding the link between placental ischemia, endothelial dysfunction and hypertension during pregnancy will lend to better prediction, prevention and treatment strategies for women and children stricken by this devastating disease.
Development of the science data system for the international space station Cold Atom Lab

Cold Atom Laboratory (CAL) is a facility that will enable scientists to study ultra-cold quantum gases in a microgravity environment on the International Space Station (ISS) beginning in 2016. The primary science data for each experiment consists of two images taken in quick succession. The first image is of the trapped cold atoms and the second image is of the background. The two images are subtracted to obtain optical density. These raw Level 0 atom and background images are processed into the Level 1 optical density data product, and then into the Level 2 data products: atom number, Magneto-Optical Trap (MOT) lifetime, magnetic chip-trap atom lifetime, and condensate fraction. These products can also be used as diagnostics of the instrument health. With experiments being conducted for 8 hours every day, the amount of data being generated poses many technical challenges, such as downlinking and managing the required data volume. A parallel processing design is described, implemented, and benchmarked. In addition to optimizing the data pipeline, accuracy and speed in producing the Level 1 and 2 data products is key. Algorithms for feature recognition are explored, facilitating image cropping and accurate atom number calculations.
Optimal Design of Small Reservoir Systems

Tanks, small reservoirs to catch rain during monsoon seasons, are traditional water harvesting methods in India. Though major investment is being planned for more tank construction, no one has investigated the optimal tank design, size, and placement. This paper combines the tools of systems analysis with tank methodology to design optimal systems thereby saving considerable construction costs and improving water use efficiency. Problems of semi-arid tropics are examined. Traditional tank construction is also covered. The optimization problems in designing a tank system and covered in this paper are volume, location, and tank dimensions.
Aeroelasticity analysis of aircraft wings in flutter-onset or post-flutter regime

Because the flutter phenomenon is usually associated with large deformations/deflections, the structural solution based on linear theory gives inaccurate or totally unphysical solution because the equilibrium of the structure is referred to the initial state of the structure. Therefore, the changing geometry of the structure has to be taken into account in order to accurately describe the fluid/structure interactions at the onset of flutter, or in the post-flutter regime. To date, to the best knowledge of the authors, nonlinear analyses, even if developed, have not yet been applied to flutter analysis with Euler/Navier-Stokes equations. Therefore, the objective of the present study is to develop the structural analysis using the second Poila-Kirchhoff stress and Green-Lagrange strain, a pair of energetically conjugated tensors which can accommodate arbitrary large deformations, to study the flutter phenomenon. Since both of these tensors are objective tensors, i.e., the rigid-body motion has no contribution to their components, the movement of the body, including maneuvers and deformation, can be included.
Workplace mistreatment and sickness absenteeism from work: results from the 2010 National Health Interview survey.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the association between workplace mistreatment and occurrence, duration, and costs of sickness absenteeism. METHODS: We used the 2010 National Health Interview Survey and considered 13,807 employed adult respondents. We used a zero-inflated negative binomial (zinb) model to examine the association between exposure to workplace mistreatment and the occurrence and number of workdays missed due to illness/injury in the preceding 12 months. RESULTS: In 2010, 7.6% of US workers employed at the time of the survey reported having been mistreated at their workplace. Both occurrence and duration of sickness absence were higher for mistreated than for non-mistreated workers. The zinb results showed that being mistreated was associated with a 42% increase in the number of missed workdays, controlling for covariates. The marginal effect analysis showed that lost workdays differed by 2.45 days between mistreated and non-mistreated workers. This implies that workplace mistreatment was associated with $4.1 billion, or 5.5%, of sickness absenteeism costs in 2010. CONCLUSIONS: Workplace mistreatment is associated with sickness absence in the United States. While a causal relationship could not be established due to the cross-sectional design of the study, this study reveals the economic importance of developing workplace mistreatment prevention strategies. Am. J. Ind. Med. Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. Language: en
Laboratory measurements of limiting freak waves on currents

[1] The results of laboratory measurements on limiting freak waves in the presence of currents are reported. Both dispersive spatial-temporal focusing and wave-current interaction are used to generate freak waves in a partial random wave field in the presence of currents. Wave group structure, for example, spectral slope and frequency bandwidth, is found to be critical to the formation and the geometric properties of freak waves. A nondimensional spectral bandwidth is shown to well represent wave group structure and proves to be a good indicator in determining limiting freak wave characteristics. The role of a co-existing current in the freak wave formation is recognized. Experimental results confirm that a random wave field does not prevent freak wave formation due to dispersive focusing. Strong opposing currents inducing partial wave blocking significantly elevate the limiting steepness and asymmetry of freak waves. At the location where a freak wave occurs, the Fourier spectrum exhibits local energy transfer to high-frequency waves. The Hilbert-Huang spectrum, a time-frequency-amplitude spectrum, depicts both the temporal and spectral evolution of freak waves. A strong correlation between the magnitude of interwave instantaneous frequency modulation and the freak wave nonlinearity (steepness) is observed. The experimental results provide an explanation to address the occurrence and characteristic of freak waves in consideration of the onset of wave breaking.
Inorganic topochemistry. Vapor-induced solid state transformations of luminescent, three-coordinate gold(I) complexes

The solid state interconversions of four different crystalline compounds containing the Au2(dppe)2I2 unit (dppe is bis-(diphenylphosphino)ethane) have been observed and characterized through X-ray diffraction and emission spectroscopy. Treatment of AuI in acetone with solid dppe yields the crystalline polymorphs: α-Au2(μ-dppe)2I2·2OCMe2 (1) with orange emission and β-Au2(μ-dppe)2I2·2OCMe2 (2) with green emission. Both polymorphs contain dimeric molecules with three-coordinate gold(I) centers that are further apart in the orange emitting (1) (Au⋯Au distance, 3.6720(2) A) than in the green emitting (2) (Au⋯Au distance, 3.3955(2) A). The acetone molecules do not bond to the gold centers in either polymorph. Crystals of α-Au2(μ-dppe)2I2·2OCMe2 (1) and β-Au2(μ-dppe)2I2·2OCMe2 (2) undergo reversible, single-crystal to single-crystal transformations. Exposure of (2) to acetone vapor converts it into (1), while (1) is converted into (2) by exposure to air for a short time. Upon loss of acetone, α-Au2(μ-dppe)2I2·2OCMe2 (1) and β-Au2(μ-dppe)2I2·2OCMe2 (2) are converted into a microcrystalline powder (3) with a green emission. Remarkably, exposure of (3) to acetone vapor converts it into acetone-free Au2(μ-dppe)2(μ-I)2 (4), which displays orange emission. The X-ray crystal structure of Au2(μ-dppe)2(μ-I)2 (4) shows that each gold is in a highly distorted tetrahedral environment with bonds to two phosphorus and two iodine atoms. The transformations between these four types of crystals are notable because of the unusual role of vapors in promoting structural changes within solids that do not necessarily change composition. Thus, the reversible interconversion of α-Au2(μ-dppe)2I2·2OCMe2 (1) and β-Au2(μ-dppe)2I2·2OCMe2 (2) occurs as vapor-stimulated single-crystal-to-single-crystal transformation between polymorphs. Likewise, the irreversible transformation of microcrystalline (3) into Au2(μ-dppe)2(μ-I)2 (4) appears to be another case of a transformation of one polymorph into another.
Nocardial Endocarditis following Mitral Valve Replacement

A 34-year-old woman died four months following mitral valve replacement because of nocardial endocarditis. This represents the first clinical report of nocardial endocarditis after cardiac surgery. Intermittent fever, progressively increasing symptoms and signs of congestive heart failure and skin abscesses were the presenting manifestations. The patient died 25 hours following her hospital admission before starting chemotherapy with sulfadiazine, which is believed to be the drug of choice for Nocardia asteroides.
A Combined Experimental and Theoretical Study of Ion Solvation in Liquid N-Methylacetamide

Most current biomolecular simulations are based on potential energy functions that treat the electrostatic energy as a sum of pairwise Coulombic interactions between effective fixed atomic charges. This approximation, in which many-body induced polarization effects are included in an average way, is expected to be satisfactory for a wide range of systems, but less accurate for processes involving the transfer and partition of ions among heterogeneous environments. The limitations of these potential energy functions are perhaps most obvious in studies of ion permeation through membrane channels. In many cases, the pore is so narrow that the permeating ion must shed most of its surrounding water molecules and the large energetic loss due to dehydration must be compensated by coordination with protein atoms. Interactions of cations with protein backbone carbonyl oxygens, in particular, play a critical role in several important biological channels. As a first step toward meeting the challenge of developing an accurate explicit accounting for induced polarization effects, the present work combines experiments and computation to characterize the interactions of alkali and halide ions with N-methylacetamide chosen to represent the peptide bond. From solubility measurements, we extract the solvation free energies of KCl and NaCl in liquid N-methylacetamide. Polarizable models based on the Drude oscillator are then developed and compared with available experimental and ab initio data. The good agreement for a range of structural and thermodynamic properties in the gas and condensed phases suggests that the polarizable models provide an accurate representation of ion-amide interactions in biological systems.
Colony size and parasitoid load in two species of colonial Metepeira spiders from Mexico (Araneae: Araneidae)

While a number of advantages may result from group living, it may also lead to increased levels of attack by parasites because groups may be easier to find. This leads to the prediction that levels of parasitism should increase with colony size. We test this prediction by comparing colony size and parasitoid load for two species of colonial orb-weaving spiders from Mexico, Metepeira (undesc. sp., tentatively named atascadero) and Metepeira incrassata, which exhibit contrasting levels of social organization and utilize different habitats. For M. atascadero, which occurs solitarily or in small groups in desert/mesquite grassland habitat, rates of egg-sac parasitism fluctuate widely from year to year, and are closely tied to spider egg output. There is no relationship between colony size and rate of parasitism. For colonial M. incrassata, which occur in tropical rain forest/agricultural habitat, rates of parasitism are relatively constant from year to year. However, there is a positive relationship between colony size and rate of parasitism in this species. These differences are discussed with regard to the stability of the two habitats, prey availability, and the foraging behavior of the respective parasitoids.
Evaluation of Chlordimeform for Cotton Yield Enhancement

Greenhouse and field studies were conducted to evaluate the effects of multiple applications of chlordimeform on the growth and development of cotton, Gossypium hirsutum. L., plants, and on early season insect populations. Plants were sprayed six times with chlordimeform either alone or in combination with fenvalerate at 5- to 7-d intervals, beginning at the six-leaf stage of plant development. In the absence of early season insects and when insect populations were maintained at a relatively low level, no increases in lint yield occurred on the chlordimeform-treated plants. However, yield increases did occur and insect populations became lower in these treated plots when early season insect populations in the test area were relatively high. None of the treatments influenced the boll components boll Size, seed index, lint index, and lint percentage, or the fiber properties length, strength, and micronaire.
High-latency, low-bandwidth windowing in the Jupiter collaboration system

Jupiter is a multi-user, multimedia virtual world intended to support long-term remote collaboration. In particular, it supports shared documents, shared tools, and, optionally, live audio/video communication. Users who program can, with only moderate effort, create new kinds of shared tools using a high-level windowing toolkit; the toolkit provides transparent support for fully-shared widgets by default. This paper describes the low-level communications facilities used by the implementation of the toolkit to enable that support. The state of the Jupiter virtual world, including application code written by users, is stored and (for code) executed in a central server shared by all of the users. This architecture, along with our desire to support multiple client platforms and high-latency networks, led us to a design in which the server and clients communicate in terms of high-level widgets and user events. As in other groupware toolkits, we need a concurrency-control algorithm to maintain common values for all instances of the shared widgets. Our algorithm is derived from a fully distributed, optimistic algorithm developed by Ellis and Gibbs [12]. Jupiter’s centralized architecture allows us to substantially simplify their algorithm. This combination of a centralized architecture and optimistic concurrency control gives us both easy serializability of concurrent update streams and fast response to user actions. The algorithm relies on operation transformations to fix up conflicting messages. The best transformations are not always obvious, though, and several conflicting concerns are involved in choosing them. We present our experience with choosing transformations for our widget set, which includes a text editor, a graphical drawing widget, and a number of simpler widgets such as buttons and sliders.
Relationship between receptive vocabulary and the neural substrates for story processing in preschoolers

A left-lateralized fronto-temporo-parietal language network has been well-characterized in adults; however, the neural basis of this fundamental network has hardly been explored in the preschool years, despite this being a time for rapid language development and vocabulary growth. We examined the functional imaging correlates associated with vocabulary ability and narrative comprehension in 30 preschool children ages 3 to 5. Bilateral auditory cortex and superior temporal activation as well as left angular and supramarginal gyrus activation were observed during a passive listening-to-stories task. Boys showed greater activation than girls in the right anterior cingulate and right superior frontal gyrus (SFG). Finally, children with higher vocabulary scores showed increased grey matter left-lateralization and greater activation in bilateral thalamus, hippocampus, and left angular gyrus. This study is novel in its approach to relate left-hemisphere language regions and vocabulary scores in preschool-aged children using fMRI.
Synthesis of 4-methoxy-3,5-dinitrobenzaldehyde: a correction to supposed tele nucleophilic aromatic substitution

1,3-Dinitro-5-trichloromethylbenzene (2) was reacted with sodium methoxide in an attempt to prepare 4-methoxy-3,5-dinitrobenzaldehyde (7) via a reported tele nucleophilic aromatic substitution. The product from this reaction was methyl 3,5-dinitrobenzoate (5) and not the methoxy aldehyde as had been reported. The desired product was prepared by conventional nitration methodology from 4-methoxy-3-nitrobenzaldehyde.
Ethylene Hydrogenation on Pt(111) Monitored in Situ at High Pressures Using Sum Frequency Generation

Infrared−visible sum frequency generation (SFG) has been used to monitor the surface vibrational spectrum in situ during ethylene hydrogenation on Pt(111). Measurements were made near 1 atm of total pressure of ethylene and hydrogen and at 295 K. Kinetic information was obtained simultaneously with the surface vibrational spectroscopy by monitoring the reaction rate with gas chromatography. The macroscopic turnover rate and surface adsorbate concentration could then be correlated. During the reaction ethylidyne, di-σ-bonded ethylene, ethyl, and π-bonded ethylene were observed on the surface in various amounts depending on conditions. Ethylidyne, a spectator species during hydrogenation, competed directly for sites with di-σ-bonded ethylene and its surface concentration could be shown to be completely uncorrelated with the rate of hydrogenation. In contrast, π-bonded ethylene did not compete for sites with the ethylidyne overlayer and was observed on the surface regardless of the surface concentration of e...
On the relationship between aggression and social dominance

It is frequently assumed that variation in dominance status is in large part a function of differences in levels of aggressiveness. This assumption and the reasoning underlying it are examined in this paper. It is argued that the large role ascribed to aggression with respect to dominance success results from a conceptual error, in particular, the temptation to conflate the two constructs. There may be an association between aggression and social dominance, not because levels of aggression determine dominance success, but because aggression is a manifestation of dominance. It is further argued that the analysis of dominance relationships exclusively in terms of individual attributes such as aggression is flawed. Social dominance is a relational quality, which could be profitably studied from a sociological perspective.
The border model in one dimension

The magnetic susceptibility is studied by the methods of series analysis for the one-dimensional border model (a special case of the continuous-spin Ising model). The structure of this model is analyzed and two conjugate pairs of singularities are found near the real (physical) temperature axis. All the numerical results are consistent with the previously known rigorous results, but do not add to the knowledge of the critical properties.
Regulation of Substantia Nigra Pars Reticulata GABAergic Neuron Activity by H2O2 via Flufenamic Acid-Sensitive Channels and KATP Channels

Substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) GABAergic neurons are key output neurons of the basal ganglia. Given the role of these neurons in motor control, it is important to understand factors that regulate their firing rate and pattern. One potential regulator is hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), a reactive oxygen species that is increasingly recognized as a neuromodulator. We used whole-cell current clamp recordings of SNr GABAergic neurons in guinea-pig midbrain slices to determine how H2O2 affects the activity of these neurons and to explore the classes of ion channels underlying those effects. Elevation of H2O2 levels caused an increase in the spontaneous firing rate of SNr GABAergic neurons, whether by application of exogenous H2O2 or amplification of endogenous H2O2 through inhibition of glutathione peroxidase with mercaptosuccinate. This effect was reversed by flufenamic acid, implicating transient receptor potential (TRP) channels. Conversely, depletion of endogenous H2O2 by catalase, a peroxidase enzyme, decreased spontaneous firing rate and firing precision of SNr neurons, demonstrating tonic control of firing rate by H2O2. Elevation of H2O2 in the presence of flufenamic acid revealed an inhibition of tonic firing that was prevented by blockade of ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channels with glibenclamide. In contrast to guinea-pig SNr neurons, the dominant effect of H2O2 elevation in mouse SNr GABAergic neurons was hyperpolarization, indicating a species difference in H2O2-dependent regulation. Thus, H2O2 is an endogenous modulator of SNr GABAergic neurons, acting primarily through presumed TRP channels in guinea pig, with additional modulation via KATP channels to regulate SNr output.
Acid production from sulfide minerals using hydrogen peroxide weathering

Abstract Sulfide mineral weathering is a major source of acid generation in mining environments. Oxidation and hydrolysis reactions in soil and geologic material under earth surface conditions causes weathering of reduced sulfide minerals resulting in liberation of weathering products including acid. Pyrite and marcasite are minerals common in mine environments that cause acid generation. Many other sulfide minerals are present in mining environments which may or may not form acid upon weathering. Characterization of complex mineral assemblages containing S compounds is therefore critically important to pre-mine planning and postmine waste characterization. Despite the importance of mineral weathering behavior, little is known about the acid generation characteristics of common sulfide and sulfate minerals. To assess the response of common sulfide and sulfate minerals to oxidizing conditions, 13 minerals were subjected to treatment with 10% H2O2. The resulting leachate was analyzed for pH, electrical conductivity, S and titratable acidity. The sulfide minerals arsenopyrite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite, marcasite and sphalerite demonstrated significantly elevated levels of titratable acidity and are acid generating in contrast to galena, chalcocite and all the sulfates. The sulfate minerals barite, anhydrite, gypsum, anglesite and jarosite were included in experimentation and were found not to form acid under strongly oxidizing conditions. Remediation strategies for disturbed lands containing reduced S minerals must therefore consider not only the total quantity of sulfide minerals present, but the specific mineralogy of the S compounds.
Comparison of percent body fat estimates using air displacement plethysmography and hydrodensitometry in adults and children.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to compare estimates of body density and percentage body fat from air displacement plethysmography (ADP) to those from hydrodensitometry (HD) in adults and children and to provide a review of similar recent studies. METHODS: Body density and percentage body fat (% BF) were assessed by ADP and HD on the same day in 87 adults aged 18–69 y (41 males and 46 females) and 39 children aged 8–17 y (19 males and 20 females). Differences between measured and predicted thoracic gas volumes determined during the ADP procedure and the resultant effects of those differences on body composition estimates were also compared. In a subset of 50 individuals (31 adults and 19 children), reliability of ADP was measured and the relative ease or difficulty of ADP and HD were probed with a questionnaire. RESULTS: The coefficient of reliability between %BF on day 1 and day 2 was 96.4 in adults and 90.1 in children, and the technical error of measurement of 1.6% in adults and 1.8% in children. Using a predicted rather than a measured thoracic gas volume did not significantly affect percentage body fat estimates in adults, but resulted in overestimates of percentage body fat in children. Mean percentage body fat from ADP was higher than percentage body fat from HD, although this was statistically significant only in adults (29.3 vs 27.7%, P<0.05). The 95% confidence interval of the between-method differences for all subjects was −7 to +9% body fat, and the root mean square error (r.m.s.e.) was approximately 4% body fat. In the subset of individuals who were asked to compare the two methods, 46 out of 50 (92%) indicated that they preferred the ADP to HD. CONCLUSION: ADP is a reliable method of measuring body composition that subjects found preferable to underwater weighing. However, as shown here and in most other studies, there are differences in percentage body fat estimates assessed by the two methods, perhaps related to body size, age or other factors, that are sufficient to preclude ADP from being used interchangeably with underwater weighing on an individual basis.
Lymphocystis in Red Drum

Abstract This report documents natural infection and experimental transmission of lymphocystis in red drum Sciaenops ocellatus. Lymphocystis was a chronic problem in a commercial red drum production facility in Texas during 1993–1994. Electron microscopy of lesions and infected cell cultures revealed an icosohedral virus 220–230 nm in diameter. The virus was experimentally transmitted by intramuscular injection and oral administration, with the development of lesions restricted to fins and adjacent tissues. Cell culture of the virus yielded large numbers of incomplete particles, which might account for variations in experimental transmission of lymphocystis.
MDR-1 expression in metastatic malignant melanoma.

Abstract Metastatic malignant melanoma (MMM) carries an ominous prognosis. This poor prognosis is due in part to the remarkable resistance of MMM to a wide variety of antineoplastic agents. One common mechanism of resistance to chemotherapy is that of multidrug resistance (MDR) which is mediated by the MDR-1 gene. Previous efforts to determine MDR-1 expression in MMM have all failed to show expression using relatively insensitive immunohistochemical techniques. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the incidence of MDR-1 expression in MMM using a highly sensitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assay. Twenty-two clinical snap-frozen MMM specimens were analyzed. Total cellular RNA was extracted and quantitated from which cDNA was synthesized. Sequences of MDR-1 and β2-microglobulin (internal control) cDNA were coamplified using PCR. The relative yield of the MDR-1-specific PCR product was quantitated relative to that of a standard series of cell lines with known MDR-1 expression. Analysis revealed that 45% of MMM expressed MDR-1 at low levels. None of the tumors expressed high levels of MDR-1. Overall survival, disease-free survival, thickness of primary lesion, histology, and sex were not found to correlate with MDR-1 expression. We conclude that MDR-1 is frequently expressed at low levels in MMM. However, this incidence of MDR-1 expression suggests that non-MDR mechanisms of drug resistance are dominant in MMM. Further studies will be required to determine if MDR-1 expression is of clinical significance in MMM.
Evaluation of morphine analgesia and motor coordination in mice following cortex-specific knockout of the N-methyl-D-aspartate NR1-subunit.

Abstract Studies have shown that N-methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) receptors play a critical role in morphine analgesia and motoric processes at different levels of the central nervous system. In this study, we used cortex-specific NR1 knockout (KO) mice (C57BL/6 strain) to elucidate the role of cortical NMDA receptors in morphine analgesia and motor coordination. On post-natal day 20, mice (CTL and KO) received vehicle (saline) or morphine (10 mg/kg) and paw withdrawal latency (PWL) to a noxious thermal stimulus was measured. On post-natal day 21, motor coordination was measured using the rotating pole test. No differences in KO mice were found with respect to PWL following administration of saline or morphine (p > 0.05). However, sex-dependent differences were found in motor coordination, with male KO mice showing a greater motor impairment in the rotating pole test than female KO mice (p
Effects of Peripheral Architecture on the Properties of Aryl Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxanes

Abstract : The effects of the peripheral architecture on the macroscopic properties of eight symmetric and asymmetric aryl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) molecules are described. These POSS materials were synthesized in our laboratory and characterized by single-crystal and powder Xray diffraction techniques, as well as differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, mass spectrometry, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The peripheral aryl architecture, although similar in most cases, was found to significantly influence observed thermally induced phase transitions, mass loss during decomposition, and heat capacity. These properties are correlated to POSS assembly, molecular interactions, and the specific attributes of peripheral structure and connectivity to the inorganic core.
Optimal timing of retinal scanning during dark adaptation, in the presence of fixation on a target: the role of pupil size dynamics

While validating our newly developed vision screener based on a double-pass retinal scanning sys- tem, we noticed that in all patients the signals from the retina were significantly higher when measurements were performed within a certain time interval referenced to the initial moment when the lights were dimmed and the test subject was asked to fixate on a target. This appeared to be most likely attributable to pupil size dynamics and triggered the present study, whose aim was to assess the pupillary "lights-off" response while fixating on a target in the presence of an accommodative effort. We found that pupil size increases in the first 60 to 70 s after turning off the room lights, and then it decreases toward the baseline in an exponential decay. Our results suggest that there is an optimal time window during which pupil size is expected to be maximal, that is during the second minute after dimming the room lights. During this time, window retinal diagnostic instruments based on double- pass measurement technology should deliver an optimal signal-to-noise ratio. We also propose a mathematical model that can be used to approximate the behavior of the normalized pupil size.©TheAuthors.PublishedbySPIE undera
“Visionary” Sociology: Diversions of Public Sociology and Audiovisual Solutions

“Public sociology” has flourished as an idea with limited success in practice. We argue that movement towards the consensual goal of public engagement is more likely using audiovisual than text-based communication. We briefly review the history of the idea with a focus on the post-Burawoy era and its central debates. We argue that such disputes over politics, activism, disciplinary identity, and theoretical coherence are diversionary, with little hope of resolution and even less of providing the engagement sought by public sociology. Sadly and wrongly, they assume that only educated and literate audiences possess interest or capacity to engage scholarly knowledge of the social world. Advances in audiovisual technologies, familiarization, and routinization during the past decade suggest a solution that does not involve significant structural or cultural changes to the discipline. In this essay we offer two illustrations of audiovisual practices in sociology and provide an overview of video ethnography as an option in graduate methods training. This proposed course is a reasonable, low cost, and implementable solution to the problem of public sociology.
Radioactivity of Samarium

SEVERAL workers have investigated the radioactivity of samarium, and it is established that this element emits short-range-particles. Mader1 has also reported the existence of a group of particles of range 1.37 cm., which he believes to be protons. To obtain fuller information about these particles, I have introduced samarium sulphate into the emulsion of an Ilford R plate, and examined the tracks which are produced. The technique of this method has been previously described2.
Systematic Chemical Mutagenesis Identifies a Potent Novel Apratoxin A/E Hybrid with Improved in Vivo Antitumor Activity

Apratoxins are cytotoxic marine natural products that prevent cotranslational translocation early in the secretory pathway. We showed that apratoxins downregulate receptors and growth factor ligands, giving a one–two punch to cancer cells, particularly those that rely on autocrine loops. Through total synthesis, we tested the effects of amino acid substitutions, including alanine scanning, on the downregulation of receptor tyrosine kinases and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) and probed the stereospecificity of target engagement by epimerization of selected chiral centers. Differential effects on two types of secretory molecules suggest that the apratoxins' substrate selectivity with respect to inhibition of secretion may be tuned through structural modifications to provide tailored therapy. Our structure–activity relationship studies and medicinal chemistry efforts led to a potent inhibitor with in vivo efficacy in a colorectal tumor xenograft model without irreversible toxicity exerted by a...
Electron Scattering in Methane, Acetylene and Ethylene

The scattering coefficients for elastic collisions between electrons and molecules of methane, acetylene and ethylene have been measured over the following ranges: for C${\mathrm{H}}_{4}$, 10 to 625 volts, 10 to 150 deg., and for 800 volts, 10 to 50 deg.: for ${\mathrm{C}}_{2}$${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$, 10 to 100 volts, 10 to 150 deg.; for ${\mathrm{C}}_{2}$${\mathrm{H}}_{4}$, 10 to 225 volts, 10 to 150 deg. Total absorption coefficients due to elastic scattering were computed by integration. For 100 volts and above, the scattering coefficients of electrons by the molecules with two C atoms were far smaller than the coefficient for C${\mathrm{H}}_{4}$ with one C atom, but for 10 volt electrons the scattering was much less in C${\mathrm{H}}_{4}$ than in the other two gases.Evidence for interference effects between the electron waves scattered by individual atoms was indicated by the presence of maxima in the curves for the ratios of the scattering coefficients for ${\mathrm{C}}_{2}$${\mathrm{H}}_{4}$ and C${\mathrm{H}}_{4}$ (also for the pair ${\mathrm{C}}_{2}$${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ and C${\mathrm{H}}_{4}$) expressed as functions of scattering angles. The ratios were also computed by the well-known formula for the intensity of the resultant waves emitted by a molecule, viz., ${\ensuremath{\Psi}}^{2}=\ensuremath{\Sigma}\stackrel{n}{1}i\ensuremath{\Sigma}\stackrel{n}{1}j{\ensuremath{\psi}}_{i}{\ensuremath{\psi}}_{j}sin\frac{{x}_{\mathrm{ij}}}{{x}_{\mathrm{ij}}},$ where ${\ensuremath{\psi}}_{i}$ and ${\ensuremath{\psi}}_{j}$ are the electron wave amplitudes due to the atoms $i$ and $j$, and ${x}_{\mathrm{ij}}$ is a parameter involving the distance apart of these atoms. Fairly satisfactory agreement between experiment and calculations was obtained for the ratio for ${\mathrm{C}}_{2}$${\mathrm{H}}_{4}$ and C${\mathrm{H}}_{4}$, provided that we assume that the scattering is done by the H atoms alone. Presumably the slow electrons do not penetrate enough to come under the influence of the C atom. To get satisfactory agreement in the case of ${\mathrm{C}}_{2}$${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$, however, it was necessary to assume that the C atoms exerted their full effect.
Computers and School Nurses in a Financially Stressed School System: The Case of St. Louis.

This article describes the incorporation of computer technology into the professional lives of school nurses. St. Louis, Missouri, a major urban school system, is the site is the study. The research describes several major impacts computer technology has on the professional responsibilities of school nurses. Computer technology not only affects the professional responsibilities of school nurses but also has numerous influences on the administrative operations of the school system itself.
Heritage Brook Trout in Northeastern USA: Genetic Variability within and among Populations

Abstract Brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis from 21 unstocked waters, 3 naturalized lakes, and 4 hatcheries in New York and Pennsylvania were analyzed electrophoretically for allozyme expression. Thirty-two of the 68 loci examined were polymorphic. Average heterozygosity of samples from populations classified as wild–unstocked was 0.050 (range, 0.026–0.076). Differences (P < 0.05) occurred among the 21 wild–unstocked samples at 25 of 31 possible locus comparisons. All wild–unstocked samples were significantly different from each other and from hatchery samples (P < 0.01). A high fixation index (F ST = 0.375) indicated that the wild–unstocked samples represented highly differentiated populations. A considerable portion of the gene diversity was found among major river basins (22.5%); the remainder was due to differences among minor river drainages within basins (10.0%) and among samples within minor drainages (5.0%). Cluster analysis of genetic distances organized samples into three main groups that were al...
Biochemical characteristics of Bacteroides melaninogenicus: A study of thirty-one strains

Abstract Thirty-one strains of Bacteroides melaninogenicus were studied. All strains were actively proteolytic, attacking reconstituted neutral salt-extracted collagen and gelatin, and producing H 2 S. Most strains produced indol. The strains all required or were stimulated by haemin. None reduced nitrates and none formed catalase. Colony form was usually smooth, but rough variants were found: all strains produced black colonies, given an excess of haemin. Some strains were nonfermentative; some fermented only glucose, lactose and galactose; some fermented several carbohydrates other than lactose and galactose and hydrolysed starch. Some strains have an absolute requirement for menadione or related naphthoquinones.
A 3-level Model for Schumann-Runge O2 Laser-Induced Fluorescence

A three level model has been developed for the analysis of Schumann-Runge band (B-X) laser-induced fluorescence of molecular oxygen, O2. Such a model is required due to the severe lower state depletion which can occur when transitions having relatively large absorption cross-sections are excited. Such transitions are often utilized via ArF* or KrF* excimer or dye-laser excitation in high temperature environments. The rapid predissociation of the upper state prevents substantial repopulation of the lower state by collisional processes, and the lower state may be largely depleted, even at laser fluences as low as 10-100 mJ/cm2. The resulting LIF signal in such cases no longer varies linearly with laser pulse energy, and the extent of the sublinear behavior varies with the particular rovibrational transition of interest. Relating the measured signal to the lower state population, then, necessitates the use of exceedingly low laser fluences. These low fluences in turn lead to the need to compromise spatial resolution in order to generate sufficient signal.
Microneurography of human median nerve.

Purpose To examine the possibility of performing high-resolution MRI (microneurography) on peripheral nerves. Materials and Methods A specific radio frequency (RF) coil was developed to probe the human median nerve at a magnetic field strength of 9.4 T and tested on three excised samples by acquiring microneurograms. Results The microneurograms revealed neuronal tissue constituents at subfascicular level. The contrast features on proton-density and T1- and T2-weighted images were described and compared. The microscopic water movement was quantified using diffusion weighting parallel and orthogonal to the neuronal fiber orientation. The characteristics of anisotropic diffusion in the median nerve were comparable to those reported from other biological tissues (white matter and kidney). Conclusion The results overall suggest that microneurography might provide new noninvasive insights into microscopic gross anatomy of the peripheral nerve, injury evaluation, and efficacy of repair, although the feasibility at current clinically relevant field strengths is yet to be determined. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2005;21:826–830. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.