cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Variable Creatinine Levels in Critical Care Patients: A Concerning Knowledge Gap.

An accurate creatinine (Cr) estimate is pivotal for the assessment of renal function. Both patient- and practice-spawned factors palliate the test accuracy of serum creatinine (sCr) and can erratically represent actual kidney function. This study evaluated the caregivers’ awareness of enzymatic serum creatinine (E-sCr) assay interfering in dopamine/dobutamine (DD)-infused patient samples and the frequency of such interference in a critical care setting. We conducted an sCr awareness survey among UT Southwestern physicians, nurses, and pharmacists. We then performed a cross-sectional E-sCr comparison against the kinetic Jaffe method using the DD-infused patient samples collected from central venous catheters (CVC), peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) lines, and the peripheral vein (PV). We retrospectively compared the longitudinal E-sCr results of the CVC/PICC draws with the corresponding blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels. The survey results show a significant lack of awareness among caregivers about the negative interference of DD infusions on E-sCr. Cross-sectional E-sCr assessment relative to the Jaffe method displayed a negative interference in 12% of CVC/PICC line samples (7/57 DD-infused patients) compared to none in the PV draws. A longitudinal assessment of E-sCr, BUN, and potassium (K) levels from CVC/PICC line samples further confirmed a spurious decrease for E-sCr in about 12/50 (24%) patients who did not show a concurrent BUN or K decrease. The results suggest that a direct PV sampling accompanied by clinical laboratory-directed proactive discussion/activities can foster awareness among caregivers and eschew the false E-sCr estimates in DD-infused patients.
Lipid profiles in users of combustible and electronic cigarettes.

Electronic cigarette use has especially risen among adolescents and young adults. The aim of this study was to investigate fasting blood glucose and lipid profiles in chronic combustible cigarette ...
Making Culture a Verb: Implications for Health Equity.

Berger and Miller’s (2021) “Health Disparities, Systemic Racism, and Failures of Cultural Competence” supports the claim that “cultural competence” as endorsed by the AAMC and operationalized in me...
Modeling damage growth using the crack band model; effect of different strain measures

Abstract The crack band model of Bazant and Oh (1983), referred to as the CBBO, is frequently used in material damage and softening analysis. Care should be taken in the implementation of the CBBO using the finite element (FE) method through commercial codes, since different strain measures are used which can lead to mesh dependency. A method is proposed to enforce mesh objectivity for engineering strain, Green–Lagrange strain and logarithmic strain when the CBBO is used in solving problems using commercial FE codes. The proposed method is shown to produce mesh objective solutions for strain softening situations.
Review of: Murder, Culture and Injustice: Four Sensational Cases in American History

I trust fellow forensic scientists will agree that it is a sad state of affairs when we must rely upon a book review assignment to provide an excuse for “leisure reading” I have always loved and devoured books about crime and murder, and in fact, I still maintain that reading Gerold Frank's The Boston Strangler as a teenager is largely what propelled me into a career in forensic science After reading Professor Hixson's book, however, I can state honestly that if I were to have read his book as a teenager, I would have pursued forensic science with equal enthusiasm and vigor. I suspect that there are some budding criminologists and forensic scientists among today's youth who will derive similar inspiration from this work.
Hyperactivation to pleasant interoceptive stimuli characterizes the transition to stimulant addiction.

Aims Altered interoception, how the brain processes afferents from the body, may contribute to the urge to take drugs, and subsequently, the development of addiction. Although chronic stimulant dependent individuals exhibit attenuated brain responses to pleasant interoceptive stimuli, it is unclear whether this deficit exists early-on in the process of transition to stimulant addiction.
Boolean neural network realization for mirror symmetry cases

Boolean neural networks are a class of neural networks in which input and output are Boolean. A general algorithm for mirror symmetry cases in Boolean neural network is presented. The new algorithm provides a systematic transform method to reduce the number of compact zones (hidden units) instead of trial method for the mirror symmetry cases with IMS method previously available in literature. The properties of the algorithm are given and demonstrated by some examples. A simulation of the proposed algorithm has also been made.
The Original Law Journals

Commercially speaking, law journalism was a risky business in the early Republic. According to Frederick Hicks, of the 30 legal periodicals that went into business before 1850, 24 also went out of business before 1850. And of the six that survived into the second half of the century, five expired by 1866, leaving just one to carry on over the long term. (That one is the Legal Intelligencer of Philadelphia, which is still in operation today.) A simple recitation of Hicks's body count does not, however, reveal the full intensity of the semi-Hobbesian existence of those early journals. A few features of their experience merit a bit more attention. First, the very short lifespans. Second, the total number of failures. Third, the persistence of failure despite enthusiastic support from pillars of the bar. And fourth, the depths of obscurity into which those failed journals have tended to fall.
Use of the human patient simulator to teach veterinary medicine students

Simulators developed at Stanford University and at the University of Florida permit students and physicians to administer anesthesia in real time. The patient has breath sounds, a heartbeat, pulses, neuromuscular transmission and produces urine. The patient can be monitored with an electrocardiogram; arterial, venous and pulmonary pressures; pulse oximetry; temperature; respiratory gases and cardiac output. The instructor can instantly program the patient, anesthesia machine and monitors to react to complications such as, but not limited to, equipment failure, laryngospasm, endobronchial intubation, pulmonary edema, atelectasis, tension pneumothorax, bronchospasm, hemorrhage, shock, heart failure, malignant hyperthermia, excessive anesthetic depth, anaphylaxis, ventricular tachycardia and cardiac arrest. The student analyzes data displayed on real time monitors and examines the patient, after which he/she initiates therapy and the patient responds. Students of veterinary medicine at our institution receive a very limited time learning anesthesia (a lecture series, a two-week core clinical rotation and, for approximately one-half of the students, another two-week elective). Yet, when these students graduate, a substantial number of them will anesthetize their own patients in the clinic. It is doubtful in a two to four week rotation, that they will encounter critical events that lead to significant complications or even mortality. Therefore, we have tailored an experience with the simulator for our veterinary medicine students. Our students work in small groups of 4–6 students at a time taking care of ‘Joe the Chimp’, but for the appearance of the mannequin, could be ‘Fido the Dog’. The experience is challenging and virtually ‘real life’ so that the students talk about ‘their patient’ without sacrificing live animals. They display concern, sweat when things go wrong, jump in to help each other, and breathe a sigh of relief when their treatment is appropriate. Between 1 November 1999 and 15 June 2000, 48 students have taken the course. Each student evaluates the course in a narrative written response. They are enthusiastic, report this is an excellent way to apply book knowledge to ‘real life’ without sacrificing animals and want more such classes. We conclude that this is a valuable teaching tool and has considerable promise for the future.
Correcting acoustic Doppler current profiler discharge measurement bias from moving‐bed conditions without global positioning during the 2004 Glen Canyon Dam controlled flood on the Colorado River

Discharge measurements were made by acoustic Doppler current profiler at two locations on the Colorado River during the 2004 controlled flood from Glen Canyon Dam, Arizona. Measurement hardware and software have constantly improved from the 1980s such that discharge measurements by acoustic profiling instruments are now routinely made over a wide range of hydrologic conditions. However, measurements made with instruments deployed from moving boats require reliable boat velocity data for accurate measurements of discharge. This is normally accomplished by using special acoustic bottom track pings that sense instrument motion over bottom. While this method is suitable for most conditions, high current flows that produce downstream bed sediment movement create a condition known as moving bed that will bias velocities and discharge to lower than actual values. When this situation exists, one solution is to determine boat velocity with satellite positioning information. Another solution is to use a lower frequency instrument. Discharge measurements made during the 2004 Glen Canyon controlled flood were subject to moving-bed conditions and frequent loss of bottom track. Due to site conditions and equipment availability, the measurements were conducted without benefit of external positioning information or lower frequency instruments. This paper documents and evaluates several techniques used to correct the resulting underestimated discharge measurements. One technique produces discharge values in good agreement with estimates from numerical model and measured hydrographs during the flood.
Dielectric properties of PLZT film-on-foil capacitors☆

We have deposited Pb{sub 0.92}La{sub 0.08}Zr{sub 0.52}Ti{sub 0.48}O{sub 3} (PLZT) films on nickel foils to create film-on-foil capacitor sheets. Measurements with PLZT films on LaNiO{sub 3}-buffered Ni foils yielded the following: relative permittivity {approx} 1300 and dielectric loss (tan {delta}) {approx} 0.05, leakage current density of 6.6 x 10{sup ? }9 A/cm{sup 2} (at 25 C) and 1.4 x 10{sup -8} A/cm{sup 2} (at 150 C), and mean breakdown field strength > 2.4 MV/cm. Based on the hysteresis loop measurement, an energy storage density of {approx} 17 J/cm{sup 3} was obtained for such a capacitor at 50% of the mean breakdown field.
Approach to object classification using dispersive scattering centres

The dispersive scattering centre (DSC) model characterises high-frequency backscatter from radar objects as a finite sum of localised scattering geometries distributed in range. These geometries, along with their locations, can be conveniently used as features in a one-dimensional automatic object recognition algorithm. The DSC model's type and range parameters correspond to geometry and distance features according to the geometric theory of diffraction (GTD). To demonstrate the viability of feature extraction based on the DSC model's range and type parameters, a typical object classification experiment was performed. The experimental data contained direct range radar measurements of four model fighter aircraft of similar size and shape at 0/spl deg/ elevation and 0/spl deg/-30/spl deg/ azimuth. After implementing DSC model feature extraction on these data, a fully-connected two-layer neural net obtained over 98% classification accuracy. In addition, DSC model feature extraction gave an approximately 85% reduction in the number of required features when compared to the numerous range bin magnitudes used in template matching techniques.
Geostatistical ground water monitoring of a point source NO3(-)-N plume entering a restored riparian zone.

Abstract concentrations associated with a point-source ground water plume were monitored as the plume entered a restored riparian zone (RRZ) on the University of Idaho campus in Moscow, Idaho. Seasonal data collected for a network of piezometers installed in the RRZ were analyzed geostatistically and then modeled spatially using the conditional simulation method of sequential Gaussian simulation (SGS). SGS was utilized to predict the spatial distribution of ground water concentrations at unsampled locations in the RRZ and to quantify the uncertainty associated with the prediction. Maps prepared using SGS results illustrate the short-scale variability, or patchiness, expected of concentration distributions in a riparian zone. Manipulation of SGS output provided graphical and quantitative estimates of the likelihood of exceeding a specified concentration threshold at a given confidence level for any location within the RRZ. Geostatistical simulation tools for quantifying uncertainty also provide a potential...
Deidentification and Its Discontents: Response to the Open Peer Commentaries

My recent American Journal of Bioethics target article, “Is Deidentification Sufficient to Protect Health Privacy in Research?” (Rothstein 2010), generated 13 open peer commentaries (OPCs). Twelve ...
Effects of anticonvulsants in a novel operant learning paradigm in rats: comparison of remacemide hydrochloride and FPL 15896AR to other anticonvulsant agents.

Abstract One of the primary undesired effects of anticonvulsant medication is an impairment in cognitive function, such as new learning ability. The purpose of the present study was to compare the effects of remacemide hydrochloride [(±)-2-amino- N -(1-methyl-1,2,-diphenylethyl)acetamide monohydrochloride] and FPL 15896AR [(+)-alpha-phenyl-2-pyridine-ethanamide] to a number of anticonvulsant agents on an operant acquisition baseline. Remacemide hydrochloride is currently in clinical trials for epilepsy and FPL 15896AR is under development. In the present procedure, fasted, experimentally naive rats were placed into operant chambers in which food pellets were initially available under a Fixed-Ratio 1 (FR1) schedule of food presentation, and as lever pressing progressed, the FR value incremented. All drugs were tested in multiples of three and ten times their respective ED 50 values against maximal electroshock-induced seizure (MES) following p.o. administration. The drugs tested varied widely in their ability to disrupt acquisition of the lever-pressing task. Remacemide hydrochloride and a structurally related analog, FPL 15896AR, did not disrupt acquisition. Clonazepam, lamotrigine, MK-801, phenobarbital, felbamate, phenytoin, and carbamazepine increased the number of hours required to achieve FR3 (emit more than 100 responses) with respect to vehicle control performance. Of these, clonazepam, MK-801 and phenytoin produced robust enough disruption to result in significantly fewer reinforcers delivered over the 14-h operant session.
Prediction of serotonergic treatment efficacy using age of onset and Type A/B typologies of alcoholism.

Background: Previously, we reported that ondansetron was efficacious at treating early-onset (≤25-years old) but not late-onset (≥26-years old) alcoholics in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial (n = 321 enrolled patients, 271 of them randomized). Randomized participants underwent 11 weeks of treatment with ondansetron (1, 4, or 16 μg/kg twice daily; n = 67, 77, and 71, respectively) or identical placebo (n = 56), plus weekly standardized group cognitive behavioral therapy. Methods: For this study, we reanalyzed the original sample to determine whether the Type A/B typological classification predicts ondansetron treatment response. In this comparative analysis, k-means clustering was applied to 19 baseline measures of drinking behavior, psychopathology, and social functioning, similar to those used by Babor in the original typological derivation. A 2-factor solution described robustly 2 groups phenomenologically consistent with Type A/B classification. Subjects were subdivided into early- and late-onset alcoholics. Results: Seventy-two percent of Type B subjects had early-onset alcoholism (EOA); 67% of Type A subjects had late-onset alcoholism (LOA). The A/B typology better discriminated 2 clusters based upon baseline severity of alcoholism. There was a significant effect (p < 0.05) for Type B alcoholics to respond to ondansetron (4 μg/kg); however, Type A alcoholics receiving ondansetron showed no beneficial effect. Early-onset vs. late-onset classification predicted ondansetron response substantially better than Type A/B classification, which did not add to the prediction of treatment outcome. Further analyses showed that ondansetron was effective in the 33% of Type A alcoholics with EOA but ineffective in the 28% of Type B alcoholics with LOA. Conclusions: Type A/B classification best discriminates alcoholic subtypes based upon baseline severity. Early- vs. late-onset classification is, however, a better predictor of response to ondansetron treatment because it might be more closely related to fundamental neurobiological processes associated with the underlying pathophysiology of alcoholism.
Statistical Fusion of Continuous Labels: Identification of Cardiac Landmarks.

Image labeling is an essential task for evaluating and analyzing morphometric features in medical imaging data. Labels can be obtained by either human interaction or automated segmentation algorithms. However, both approaches for labeling suffer from inevitable error due to noise and artifact in the acquired data. The Simultaneous Truth And Performance Level Estimation (STAPLE) algorithm was developed to combine multiple rater decisions and simultaneously estimate unobserved true labels as well as each rater's level of performance (i.e., reliability). A generalization of STAPLE for the case of continuous-valued labels has also been proposed. In this paper, we first show that with the proposed Gaussian distribution assumption, this continuous STAPLE formulation yields equivalent likelihoods for the bias parameter, meaning that the bias parameter—one of the key performance indices—is actually indeterminate. We resolve this ambiguity by augmenting the STAPLE expectation maximization formulation to include a priori probabilities on the performance level parameters, which enables simultaneous, meaningful estimation of both the rater bias and variance performance measures. We evaluate and demonstrate the efficacy of this approach in simulations and also through a human rater experiment involving the identification the intersection points of the right ventricle to the left ventricle in CINE cardiac data.
Stochastic approach to optimal aerodynamic shape design

The purpose of this study was to show that stochastic methods can be applied effectively to optimal aerodynamic shape design problems, and that optimal solutions within relatively complex design spaces can be located in a reasonable amount of computation time. The design methodology presented is based on a modified simulated annealing algorithm and is global in nature, i.e., relative large complex design spaces can be automatically investigated. Current approaches that typically employ gradient-based optimization schemes tend to get caught in the numerous real and false local minima common in the design spaces of practical aerodynamics shape design problems. Within the context of the optimal shape design of a minimum drag axisymmetric forebody problem, a comparison was made between the proposed stochastic methodology and a gradient-based optimization approach. The results obtained clearly demonstrated the ability of this methodology to locate optimal designs in relatively complex design spaces where gradient-based optimization approaches experience difficulties. Further, the computation time required by the stochastic approach compared favorably to that of the gradient-based method. Nomenclature A = cross-sectional area of forebody, m2 Cd = coefficient of drag Fd - force of drag, N m = length of Markov chain n = number of cross sections P = Metropolis criterion R = random number uniformly distributed over the range [0, 1] Rp = baseline parabolic shape r, = radius at the /th cross section, ft T = control parameter Ux - freestream air velocity, m/s z = distance from the nose of the forebody measured along the z axis, ft £max = length of forebody, ft a. = nose angle, deg /3 = control parameter reduction coefficient A£ = change in objective function value p — freestream air density, kg/m3
The criteria for friendship.

(1969). The Criteria for Friendship. The Journal of Social Psychology: Vol. 78, No. 1, pp. 109-112.
The Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Stuttering (POSHA-S): Summary framework and empirical comparisons

Abstract Purpose The Public Opinion Survey of Human Attributes-Stuttering (POSHA-S) was developed to make available worldwide a standard measure of public attitudes toward stuttering that is practical, reliable, valid, and translatable. Mean data from past field studies as comparisons for interpretation of POSHA-S results are reported. Method Means for POSHA-S items (converted to −100 to +100 scales), components comprising clusters of items, subscores comprising clusters of components, and Overall Stuttering Scores comprising two subscores for stuttering were generated from 64 samples, totaling 2876 respondents who completed experimental versions of the POSHA-S. Discussion Lowest, highest, and median sample values, which vary with the addition of new sample data to the growing POSHA-S database archive, provide points of comparison for any potential sample rather than predetermined values. Conclusions The final POSHA-S, together with an ongoing and growing archive, can provide increasingly meaningful comparisons for stakeholders measuring public attitudes toward stuttering. Educational objectives: (1) Describe the subscores and components of the POSHA-S, (2) describe the Overall Stuttering Score of the POSHA-S, and (3) describe the format for interpretation of the POSHA-S.
Low-temperature synthesis of red-emitting nanostructured La2O2S2:Eu3+ phosphor

Abstract An Eu3+-doped red emitting nanostructured La2O2S2 phosphor was synthesized using a combustion process at 230 °C. The as-synthesized and heat-treated phosphors were characterized by a number of techniques, including scanning electron microscope to determine morphology and composition. The as-synthesized particles were porous with agglomerated particles of ∼100 nm. X-ray diffraction (XRD) data showed that the crystallite size was 17.5 nm and pattern matched with tetragonal La2O2S2. The lattice parameter was slightly smaller and consistent with the formation of La2−xEuxO2S2, where x reflects the concentration of Eu (0%–14.4%). The photoluminescence quantum yields of as-synthesized and heat-treated powder phosphors were found to be ∼0% and 25%, respectively (excitation wavelength of 395 nm).
Synthesis, spectroscopic studies, and AFM analysis of Ho3+ doped zirconium oxide nanoparticles

Nanometer sized crystals has attracted a lot of attention in the recent years because of the size dependent optical and electrical properties. Rare-earth ions in insulating hosts find use in a variety of applications, including phosphors for fluorescence lighting displays, monitors, lasers, fiber optic communication, biolabeling, bioimaging and solar-energy converters. Nanocrystals of trivalent holmium ion doped zirconium oxide crystals have been synthesized by using simple synthetic method. Spectroscopic studies of these nanocrystals have been conducted using visible and infrared laser excitation. Size distribution of the nanoparticles will also be discussed using atomic force microscope.
Empress Jingū: a shamaness ruler in early Japan

Many post-war Japanese historians considered Empress Jingū, the mother and regent to Emperor k jin of the early fifth century, a mythical figure and treated the accounts of her life in Kojiki , Nihon shoki and Fudoki as the product of fabrication that mirrored the lives of empresses from later centuries. Their theories, however, were not only flawed but failed to address the extraordinary emphasis given to her achievement in the chronicles. The story of Jingū can reveal important political aspects of the formative Yamato polity because its basis, i.e. her seizure of power and expedition to Korea, developed very early and were recorded by the sixth century. A careful examination of the story confirms the importance of shamaness-priestess rulers in the fourth century, a point which some historians and archaeologists have long suspected. Jingū is representative of a series of women who served as principal rulers in 'pair rule' and were known by the quasi-title Princess Oho tarashi. Her expedition to the king...
DIFFERENT TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF TGF-β1 AND TGF-β2 IN RABBIT VASCULAR TISSUE: POTENTIAL ROLE IN NORMAL VESSEL GROWTH AND MATURATION

Abstract The expression of transforming growth factor beta 1 and beta 2 (TGF-β1 and β2) in aortic and venous tissue from male New Zealand White rabbits, at selected time intervals after birth, was examined by the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Stable levels of TGF-β1 were found in all segments derived from the aortic arch and descending aorta at each time interval. However, increasing amounts of TGF-β2 transcripts were observed for the aortic arch from day 4, with peaks occurring between 1 and 6 months of age, followed by progressively decreasing levels thereafter. TGF-β2 transcripts in the descending aorta generally did not change significantly over time. TGF-β transcripts manifested a significantly lower expression in the vena cava than in aortic segments. Histological analysis of the vascular tissue showed cellular hyperplasia (2.5-fold greater prevalence of nuclei per field) in the aortic arch media at 1 month of age as compared with nuclei per field at 12 months and increasing thickness of the aortic arch media with time. No significant differences in relative collagen concentrations were observed among the aortic and vena cava segments. These results suggest that these TGF-β isoforms may participate in the physiological induction and differentiation of arterial and venous tissue during early normal vascular maturation.
Boron enrichment of plants and soils treated with coal ash

Abstract The status of boron (B) in coal, fly ash and other associated residues and its impacts on soils and plants are reviewed and discussed. Laboratory and greenhouse experiments with fly ash derived from a western U.S. coal source were conducted to examine solubility of B in the ash and its mobilization in soils and plants. Increasing dilution of the fly ash aqueous system or the soil‐fly ash mix increased B solubility. Three hours of extraction were sufficient to remove all water soluble B, while extended extraction resulted in readsorption of soluble B. Acid and calcareous soils treated with up to 8% fly ash by weight and cropped under greenhouse conditions contained up to an average of 9 μg B/ml in the extract. Accumulation of B in alfalfa, bermudagrass and white clover grown on the treated soils was found dependent upon rate of application and type of soil, with white clover showing the highest accumulation. Tissue B was positively and linearly correlated with B determined in water saturation extr...
Photoreduction of metallic co-catalysts onto novel semiconducting metal oxides

Abstract Photoreduction of ionic platinum or gold into metallic nanoparticles on the surface of a new type of porous metal oxide material was done from aqueous solutions of the metal salts. The metallization patterns were investigated in an effort to understand the photo activity and electronic properties of new semiconductor materials. In this study, KTiNbO 5 and KNb 3 O 8 were used as starting compounds, and colloids were derived via their chemical exfoliation. The colloids consist of individual lamellar particles that retain their crystallinity from the parent compounds. The colloids were agglomerated into highly porous framework solids. The synthesis provides a low temperature route to stable, porous, polycrystalline materials. Elemental analyses, scanning electron microscopy, and optical absorbance measurements were done to characterize the porous substrates and the metal deposition kinetics. Compared to the gold deposition, the platinum metal nanoparticles were deposited as smaller more widely dispersed islands on the surface of the photocatalysts. The rate of gold deposition was much faster than the platinum and the deposited gold particles were in the 50–400 nm diameter range, with most diameters near 100 nm. The diameters of the particles of platinum varied between 10 and 200 nm, but most were 50 nm or less.
Halogen exchange equilibria of chlorofluoroolefins

Abstract The thermochemical properties of the following reactions were determined using either AlF 3 or Cr 2 O 3 as catalysts: In addition, the cis - trans equilibria of both CF 3 CFCFCl and CF 3 CClCFCl were able to be derived from the reaction data. The experimental thermochemical properties for reactions (1), (2) and (3) were compared with property values calculated using a well-known approximation method. A study of the exchange equilibria of chlorofluoro-ethylenes failed to yield accurate thermochemical values due to significant side reactions. However, a brief study of the mechanism of a catalytic disproportionation of CF 2 CFCl: was carried out.
Vapor saturation and accumulation in magmas of the 1989–1990 eruption of Redoubt Volcano, Alaska

Abstract The 1989–1990 eruption of Redoubt Volcano, Alaska, provided an opportunity to compare petrologic estimates of SO 2 and Cl emissions with estimates of SO 2 emissions based on remote sensing data and estimates of Cl emissions based on plume sampling. In this study, we measure the sulfur and chlorine contents of melt inclusions and matrix glasses in the eruption products to determine petrologic estimates of SO 2 and Cl emissions. We compare the results with emission estimates based on COSPEC and TOMS data for SO 2 and data for Cl/SO 2 in plume samples. For the explosive vent clearing period (December 14–22, 1989), the petrologic estimate for SO 2 emission is 21,000 tons, or ~12% of a TOMS estimate of 175,000 tons. For the dome growth period (December 22, 1989 to mid-June 1990), the petrologic estimate for SO 2 emission is 18,000 tons, or ~3% of COSPEC-based estimates of 572,000–680,000 tons. The petrologic estimates give a total SO 2 emission of only 39,000 tons compared to an integrated TOMS/COSPEC emission estimate of ~1,000,000 tons for the whole eruption, including quiescent degassing after mid-June 1990. Petrologic estimates also appear to underestimate Cl emissions, but apparent HCl scavenging in the plume complicates Cl emission comparisons. Several potential sources of ‘excess sulfur’ often invoked to explain petrologic SO 2 deficits are concluded to be unlikely for the 1989–1990 Redoubt eruption — e.g., breakdown of sulfides, breakdown of anhydrite, release of SO 2 from a hydrothermal system, degassing of commingled infusions of basalt in the magma chamber, and syn-eruptive degassing of sulfur from melt present in non-erupted magma. Leakage and/or diffusion of sulfur from melt inclusions do not provide convincing explanations for the petrologic SO 2 deficits either. The main cause of low petrologic estimates for SO 2 is that melt inclusions do not represent the total sulfur content of the Redoubt magmas, which were vapor-saturated magmas carrying most of their sulfur in an accumulated vapor phase. Almost all the sulfur of the SO 2 emissions was present prior to emission as accumulated magmatic vapor at 6–10 km depth in the magma that supplied the eruption; whole-rock normalized concentrations of gaseous excess S in these magmas remained at ~0.2 wt.% throughout the eruption, equivalent to ~0.7 vol.% at depth. Data for CO 2 emissions during the eruption indicate that CO 2 at whole-rock concentrations of ~0.6 wt.% in the erupted magma was a key factor in creating the vapor saturation and accumulation condition making a vapor phase source of excess sulfur possible at depth. When explosive volcanism involves magma with accumulated vapor, melt inclusions do not provide a sufficient basis for predicting SO 2 emissions. Thus, petrologic estimates made for SO 2 emissions during explosive eruptions of the past may be too low and may significantly underestimate impacts on climate and the chemistry of the atmosphere.
Second malignant neoplasms following chemoreduction with carboplatin, etoposide, and vincristine in 245 patients with intraocular retinoblastoma†‡§

Background To evaluate the occurrence of second malignant neoplasms (SMN) following chemoreduction (CRD) with carboplatin, vincristine, and etoposide (CEV) as frontline therapy in patients with retinoblastoma (RB). Prodecure We conducted a two-institution retrospective chart review of 245 patients with intraocular RB treated with six cycles of vincristine, carboplatin, and etoposide for treatment of intraocular retinoblastoma. Cumulative incidence of SMN was calculated with adjustment for the competing risk of death. Results There were 187 patients with germline retinoblastoma and 58 with non-germline disease. External beam radiotherapy was subsequently utilized in 46 (24%) of germline cases and six (10%) of non-germline cases. Mean follow-up of germline and non-germline patients was 80 and 70 months, respectively. Seven subsequent cancers were found in six patients for an overall incidence of 3% at a mean of 11 years. For germline cases, following CEV alone (n = 156), SMN were found in 4% following the RB diagnosis. We found no SMN in patients with non-germline RB. One patient developed pineoblastoma. SMN included osteosarcoma (n = 3), rhabdomyosarcoma (n = 1), orbital and conjunctival melanoma (n = 1), low-grade glioma (n = 1), and acute promyeloctic leukemia (n = 1). Five of the six patients with a second malignancy survive at mean of 46 months (range 15–71 months). Conclusions At a mean of 11 years, 4% of children with germline RB treated with CEV as frontline therapy developed SMN's. No SMN was found in non-germline patients. Concerns regarding CEV-induced second cancers should not deter clinicians from using life and vision preserving therapy in patients with retinoblastoma. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2012; 59: 121–125. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The design of an integrated burner-boiler system using flue-gas recirculation

The main goal of the project was the design of a series of burner-boiler systems for domestic hot water heating, providing great compactness, high global thermal efficiency, low pollution and easy manufacture. This series has been designed on the basis of modularity of the elements, the use of a high thermal load pressurized combustion chamber (above 2.3 MW/m 3 ) with strong swirl and with external recirculation of flue gas. This system enables operation with light fuel oil or natural gas at very low excess air (below 10%) and achieves soot free combustion with significant reduction in emissions of CO, thermal NO x , unburned hydrocarbons, and combustion noise as compared to conventional burner-boiler systems. The boiler has been designed with computer models, and flow patterns were visualized and examined in a water model and also by means of Schlieren methods. The burner matched to the boiler provides a highly swirling flow (swirl number ranging from 0.6 to 1.3) of an adjustable mixture of flue gas and fresh air (mass flow rate ratio between 0 and 70%). Care has been taken to insure the stability of this system which uses a feed-back loop as a recirculation circuit. The complete series has been developed, built and tested. Examination of test results shows how this advanced concept may simultaneously fulfill low pollution and energy saving requirements.
Glial glutamate transporter GLT-1 down-regulation precedes delayed neuronal death in gerbil hippocampus following transient global cerebral ischemia.

Abstract Glial (GLT-1 and GLAST) and neuronal (EAAC1) high-affinity transporters mediate the sodium dependent glutamate reuptake in mammalian brain. Their dysfunction leads to neuronal damage by allowing glutamate to remain in the synaptic cleft for a longer duration. The purpose of the present study is to understand their contribution to the ischemic delayed neuronal death seen in gerbil hippocampus following transient global cerebral ischemia. The protein levels of these three transporters were studied by immunoblotting as a function of reperfusion time (6 h to 7 days) following a 10 min occlusion of bilateral common carotid arteries in gerbils. In the vulnerable hippocampus, there was a significant decrease in the protein levels of GLT-1 (by 36–46%, P P P
Improved interpretation of UNIX-like file names embedded in data

When the data processed by a program span several files, the common practice of including file names as data in some of the files leads to difficulties in moving or sharing that data. In systems using tree structured directories, this problem can be solved by making a syntactic distinction between absolute and relative file names.
Subcomplete generalizations of graph isomorphism

Abstract We present eight group-theoretic problems in NP one of which is a reformulation of graph isomorphism. We give technical evidence that none of the problems is NP -complete, and give polynomial time reductions among the problems. There is a good possibility that seven of these problems are harder than graph isomorphism (relative to polynomial time reduction), so that they might be examples of natural problems of intermediate difficulty, situated properly between the class of NP -complete problems and the class P of problems decidable in deterministic polynomial time. Because of strong structural similarity, two of the apparently harder problems can be interpreted as generalized isomorphism and generalized automorphism , respectively. Whether these problems ultimately prove to be harder than graph isomorphism seems to depend, in part, on the open problem whether every permutation group of degree n arises as the automorphism group of a combinatorial structure of size polynomial in n . Finally, we give an O( n 2 · k ) algorithm for constructing the centralizer of a permutation group of degree n presented by a generating set of k permutations. Note that we may assume that k is O( n · log n ), without loss of generality. This problem is a special case of one of the harder group-theoretic problems. From the method of constructing the centralizer, we recover results about the group-theoretic structure of the centralizer. Furthermore, applying our algorithm for intersecting with a normalizing permutation group, we show how to find the center of a permutation group of degree n in O( n 6 ) steps, having constructed the centralizer of the group first.
Combining the Use of Progressive Writing Techniques and Popular Movies in Introductory Psychology

We designed a paper assignment for introductory psychology that used progressive writing techniques to discuss course material as illustrated in popular movies. We provided students with a written ...
Zeeman Effect in Positronium Annihilation at Low Temperatures.

The annihilation of positronium is discussed as a means of obtaining a precise measurement of the Compton wavelength of the electron. In particular the spectral line shape of the annihilation radiation is calculated for positronium thermalized in helium gas cooled to the region of its critical point with an applied magnetic field sufficient to yield a three photon to two photon branching ratio of unity for theS0 component. Under such conditions the rapid thermalization of the positronium and the long half-life of two photon decay out of the predominantly triplet state make possible the production of rather narrow spectral distributions. An exact solution of the Zeeman effect in positronium is included. This study suggests that a wavelength determination beyond the one part per million level is attainable within the range of present technology.
Regimes of operation in the Princeton Large Torus

In the quest for optimum discharge conditions in the Princeton Large Torus (PLT), a variety of discharge regimes have been produced. These separate broadly into two main categories - those regimes with m greater than or equal to 2 oscillatory MHD instabilities and often hollow electron profiles for tungsten limiters, and those regimes for which the electron temperature is sufficiently peaked to support the internal sawtooth or near-sawtooth (m = 1) instability. The internal sawtooth regime is found to be optimum for confinement but to be more difficult to select when low-Z impurity concentrations have been reduced with low power discharge cleaning or gettering to permit extension of the high density operation limit. Gas programming is used to cool the plasma periphery, thereby reducing the high-Z impurity concentrations and causing the current channel to constrict into the sawtooth regime, and then to attain the desired plasma density. With discharges selected in this manner, gross energetic confinement times up to approx. 100 msec have been obtained at densities of approx. 10/sup 14/ cm/sup -3/, and very high ion and electron temperatures have been produced with neutral beam injection heating at lower densities with no observable deleterious effect on energy confinement.
MUC1c regulates cell survival in pancreatic cancer by preventing lysosomal permeabilization

Background MUC1 is a type I transmembrane glycoprotein aberrantly overexpressed in various cancer cells including pancreatic cancer. The cytosolic end of MUC1 (MUC1-c) is extensively involved in a number of signaling pathways. MUC1-c is reported to inhibit apoptosis in a number of cancer cells, but the mechanism of inhibition is unclear.
An approach to implementing multiplication with small tables

Table look-up is an attractive approach to implementing multiplication; however, the size of the requisite multiplication table is prohibitively large for wide operands. A novel transformation which reduces the number of table entries from 2/sup 2b/ to 2/sup b/, where b is the width of the operands, is presented. Two implementation schemes are presented. >
Effects of polychlorinated biphenyls on mourning dove reproduction and circulating progesterone levels.

PCBs acquired in sublethal doses increase activation of the liver's microsomal action and hepatic mixed function oxidase (MFO) enzymes. Physiological effects of increase in the MFO system may delay, if not eliminate, avian reproductive behavior and nesting success. No evidence is yet available to clearly link PCBs to lowered levels of circulating steroids in birds. However, data concerning the effects of PCBs on avian reproduction are abundant. Increased degradation of circulating steroids might alter essential hormone dynamics associated with nesting behavior and ovulation. Alternatively, normal feedback regulation by the pituitary-gonadal axis might lead to a full compensatory response to increased MFO such that hormone profiles remain unaltered, suggesting alternative modes of action for PCBs in reproductive disorders. Therefore, the authors investigated the effect of dietary PCBs on circulating progesterone levels prior to and during egg laying in wild-trapped mourning doves (Zenaida macroura).
Glucocorticoids and cardiovascular events in rheumatoid arthritis: A population-based cohort study

Objective To determine the relationship between glucocorticoid exposure and cardiovascular (CV) events in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods A total of 603 adult residents of Rochester, Minnesota with incident RA between 1955 and 1995 were followed up through their medical records for a median of 13 years (total of 9,066 person-years). Glucocorticoid exposure was defined 3 ways: tertiles of cumulative exposure; recent use (≤3 months) versus past use (>3 months); and average daily dosage (≤7.5 mg/day or >7.5 mg/day). CV events, including myocardial infarction, heart failure, and death from CV causes, were defined according to validated criteria. Cox regression models were adjusted for demographic features, CV risk factors, and RA characteristics. Results Rheumatoid factor (RF)–negative patients with exposure to glucocorticoids were not at increased risk of CV events, irrespective of the glucocorticoid dosage or timing of use, as compared with the reference group of RF-negative patients who had never been exposed to glucocorticoids. In contrast, RF-positive patients were at increased risk of CV events, particularly with higher cumulative exposure, higher average daily dosage, and recent use of glucocorticoids. RF-positive patients with high cumulative exposure to glucocorticoids had a 3-fold increased risk of CV events (hazard ratio 3.06 [95% confidence interval 1.81–5.18]), whereas RF-negative patients with high cumulative exposure were not at increased risk (hazard ratio 0.85 [95% confidence interval 0.39–1.87]). Conclusion RF-positive but not RF-negative patients were at increased risk of CV events following exposure to glucocorticoids. These findings suggest that glucocorticoids interact with RF status to modulate the occurrence of CV events in patients with RA. The mechanisms underlying this interaction are unknown and should be the subject of further research.
Probing Multiple Timescale Dynamics of Protein Kinase A-Inhibitor Complexes

Protein kinases regulate various important cellular signaling events by catalyzing phosphoryl transfer from ATP to the hydroxyl groups of their substrates. Aberrant protein phosphorylation is linked to fatal diseases including cancer and cardiac disease. However, due to high structural similarity between kinases, current kinase inhibitors that target the ATP-binding site are non-specific. Hence, to be able to control the activity of a kinase allosterically provides a promising alternative. An effective way to pursue this goal is by analyzing the motions of the inhibited state of a kinase. Here, we aim to characterize the dynamical behavior of the kinase prototype cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) when bound to standard potent inhibitors by NMR relaxation experiments. Preliminary results on both the amide backbone and methyl side chain conformational dynamics at multiple timescales of the complexes of PKA with inhibitors H89 and balanol will be presented. Our data showed that inhibitor binding shifted the timescales of the dynamics of the enzyme. Understanding the conformational dynamics of an inhibited enzyme may aid in the rational design of allosteric drugs that will fine-tune an enzyme's activity.
Absolute calibration of small angle neutron scattering data using strong coherent scattering

Typically, small angle neutron scattering (SANS) data is normalized to an absolute scale using secondary standards such as water, polymers, silica gels, or irradiated aluminum. Errors for this method of calibration arise when the initial detemmination or calculation of the standard's scattering cross-section is no longer valid due to degradation or wavelength-dependent multiple scattering or detector efficiency effects. Here we illustrate how strong coherent scattering can be used to experimentally measure the incident neutron beam intensity and thus serve as a primary absolute calibration. We show how easily this procedure is implemented using a ternary microemulsion as a strong scatterer and compare its accuracy with some other secondary standards commonly in use. We find that the procedure is consistent with the other standards and should he considered a viable alternative when normalizing SANS measurements