cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Distortion of the microwave background by a hot intergalactic medium

The distortion of the cosmic microwave background by a hot, optically thin intergalactic medium (IGM) is calculated using the full frequency redistribution function. Even if the IGM produces all of the cosmic X-ray background, the distortion of the microwave background is not detectable in the present observational data.
A review of the efficacy of smoking-cessation pharmacotherapies in nonwhite populations

BACKGROUND: Cigarette smoking continues to be the leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality in the United States. Research suggests that behavioral support strategies and pharmacotherapy can improve abstinence rates. However, both approaches, especially pharmacotherapy, have been understudied in nonwhite US populations. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this review was to evaluate the efficacy of smoking-cessation pharmacotherapy in nonwhite US populations. METHODS: Using search terms smoking cessation, nicotine replacement therapy, bupropion SR, varenicline, minority, ethnicity, African American, black, Hispanic, American Indian, and Alaska Native, a literature search was conducted to identify English-language studies that evaluated the use of smoking-cessation pharmacotherapies in nonwhite patients in MEDLINE (1966\2-December 2007), International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1980\2-January 2008), Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness (1990\2-December 2007), and EMBASE Drugs & Pharmacology (1991\2-third quarter 2007). RESULTS: Nine studies were identified and assessed. Six studies looked at smoking-cessation pharmacotherapy in black smokers, 1 in Hispanic smokers, 1 in Native American smokers, and 1 in white and nonwhite smokers. In black smokers (N = 410; mean cigarettes per day [cpd], 20.4) who received the nicotine patch versus placebo, the 30-day self-reported abstinence rates were 21.5% versus 13.7% (P = 0.03) at 10 weeks and 17.1% versus 11.7% (P = NS) at 6 months. In black smokers (N = 600; mean [SD] cpd, 16.1 [7.5]) who received sustained-release (SR) bupropion 150 mg BID versus placebo for 7 weeks, the 7-day biochemically verified abstinence rates at weeks 6 and 26 were 36.0% versus 19.0% (Delta, 17%; 95% CI, 9.7\2-24.4; P or=7 consecutive days (odds ratio, 0.20; 95% CI, 0.05-0.77; P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Data from the studies in this review support the use of smoking-cessation pharmacotherapy (nicotine patch and bupropion SR) in nonwhite patients. Black patients, who smoked within 30 minutes of awakening, smoked mentholated cigarettes, and had high salivary cotinine levels may have difficulty quitting regardless of the number of cigarettes smoked per day; therefore, determining the type of cigarettes smoked (mentholated vs nonmentholated) and salivary cotinine levels may be helpful in assessing the severity of smoking addiction and guide pharmacotherapy (eg, starting at higher doses of nicotine-replacement therapy in a light smoker). Other than smoking-cessation behavioral studies, there is a lack of congruent smoking-cessation pharmacotherapy studies in American Indian/Alaska Native, Hispanic, and other ethnic populations.
Power Distribution and Oil in the Sudan: Will the Comprehensive Peace Agreement Turn the Oil Curse into a Blessing?

Insights from A.F.K. Organski's work on parity and war provide robust and rich explanatory power in understanding international conflict. Several recent applications of this theoretical structure t...
Quantitative determination of resorcinol in presence of phenol.

Abstract A simple and accurate method for the quantitative determination of resorcinol in the presence of phenol is reported. The method is based on the formation of indophenol by reacting resorcinol with 2, 6‐dibromoquinone‐4‐chlorimide. The concentration of indophenol can be measured spectrophotometrically. This method is recommended for the determination of resorcinol in resorcinol‐phenol‐boric acid solution and carbol‐fuchsin solution. The decomposition products of resorcinol and phenol, e.g. , colored quinones, do not interfere with the assay procedure.
Purification, redox sensitivity, and RNA binding properties of SECIS-binding protein 2, a protein involved in selenoprotein biosynthesis.

In mammalian selenoprotein mRNAs, the highly structured 3′ UTR contains selenocysteine insertion sequence (SECIS) elements that are required for the recognition of UGA as the selenocysteine codon. Our previous work demonstrated a tight correlation between codon-specific translational read-through and the activity of a 120-kDa RNA-binding protein that interacted specifically with the SECIS element in the phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase mRNA. This study reports the RNA binding and biochemical properties of this protein, SECIS-binding protein 2 (SBP2). We detected SBP2 binding activity in liver, hepatoma cell, and testis extracts from which SBP2 has been purified by anion exchange and RNA affinity chromatography. This scheme has allowed us to identify a 120-kDa polypeptide that co-elutes with SBP2 binding activity from wild-type but not mutant RNA affinity columns. A characterization of SBP2 biochemical properties reveals that SBP2 binding is sensitive to oxidation and the presence of heparin, rRNA, and poly(G). SBP2 activity elutes with a molecular mass of ∼500 kDa during gel filtration chromatography, suggesting the existence of a large functional complex. Direct cross-linking and competition experiments demonstrate that the minimal phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase 3′ UTR binding site is between 82 and 102 nucleotides, which correlates with the minimal sequence necessary for translational read-through. SBP2 also interacts specifically with the minimally functional 3′ UTR of another selenoprotein mRNA, deiodinase 1.
Current use of inferior vena cava filters

Abstract To study possible changes in the clinical use of inferior vena cava (IVC) filters caused by the introduction of percutaneous delivery systems, we reviewed all patients who underwent placement of IVC filters at our institution from 1988 to 1991. Eighty-four patients (52 men and 32 women) ranging in age from 18 to 90 years (mean 67 years) were identified. Filters were required because of contraindications to anticoagulation in 64%, anticoagulation failure in 25%, and preoperative prophylaxis in 11% of patients. The underlying disease was lower extremity deep vein thrombosis in 50% and pulmonary embolism in 45% of patients. Five percent of patients received prophylactic filters without documented thromboembolism. All filters were placed percutaneously by interventional radiologists, 77 through the common femoral vein and 7 through the internal jugular vein. Three types of filters were used. One procedure-related death occurred because of acute IVC occlusion. Fatal pulmonary embolism within 48 hours after filter placement was documented in one patient and suspected in one late death. No other clinically apparent pulmonary embolism or leg swelling occurred after filter placement. Minor complications related to filter placement occurred in 13 patients, but none required operative intervention. Analysis of complication rates of the three filter types was precluded by the small sample size. After a mean follow-up of 11 months, 42 patients (50%) had died of malignancy ( n = 25), multisystem organ failure (MSOF; n = 7), cardiovascular events ( n = 4), recurrent pulmonary embolism ( n = 2), cerebrovascular events ( n = 4), or an unknown cause ( n = 1). Twenty-three patients (27%) died before hospital discharge. Of these patients, 16 died as a direct result of disseminated cancer or MSOF. Among the subgroup of 48 patients with a history of advanced cancer or MSOF, 20 (43%) died before hospital discharge and an additional 12 died within 6 months of filter placement. Percutaneous placement of IVC filters has not changed the indications for filter placement, nor has this new technique significantly reduced the charge for percutaneous placement ($5300) compared with operative placement ($5800). Filter placement in patients with advanced malignancy or MSOF was associated with such poor survival that the benefit of IVC filtration in these patients was questionable. Careful patient selection is required to avoid nonbeneficial filter placement in as many as 25% of patients in whom IVC filter placement initially appears indicated. (J Vasc Surg 1992;16:701–6.)
Gender as a Moderator of the Relationship between Child Exposure to the World Trade Centre Disaster and Behavioural Outcomes

Objectives: This study examined the moderating effect of gender on the relationship of child exposure to the World Trade Centre (WTC) disaster and child behavioural difficulties among a sample of very young children who resided in New York City on September 11, 2001. Methods: The authors interviewed 180 parents of children who were age five or younger on September 11th, 2001. Parents were asked to provide information concerning family demographic characteristics, their own and their children’s mental health, their children’s behavioural difficulties in the aftermath of the WTC disaster, the number of WTC disaster experiences their children were exposed to, and the number of stressful life events their children experienced prior to the disaster. Results: Gender moderated the relationship between child exposure to the WTC disaster and several behavioural outcomes. Specifically, among children who were highly exposed boys evidenced significantly higher scores on parent report measures of internalising and total behavioural difficulties relative to girls. Conclusions: Findings are contrary to other research on children and trauma, in which gender differences are more often reported with higher rates of internalising behaviour among girls. Future research is needed that examines how and whether younger children’s vulnerabilities in the face of trauma may differ by gender.
In vivo induction of the effector system for luteinizing hormone in white adipocytes of the rat

Abstract White adipocytes isolated from epididymal fat pads of mice are sensitive to the lipolytic activity of rat or ovine luteinizing hormone (LH). In the rato neither ovine nor rat LH has any significant effect. Administration of different steroids (oestradiol, progesterone, dexamethasone) to intact or hypophysectomized rats induced sensitivity to the lipolytic activity of rat or ovine LH in the white adipocytes isolated from epididymal fat pads. Progesterone and dexamethasone were the two most potent steroids and the level of sensitivity induced was comparable to or greater than the level of sensitivity observed with mice white adipocytes. Our data are interpreted to indicate that those steroids are involved in the control of the biosynthesis of one of the components of the effector system system for LH.
Children's judgments of body size and distortion

Abstract Body size estimates of 69 children aged 5–13 years were obtained using a TV video methodology. Tasks included an adjustment procedure where children manipulated the width of their body image on a TV, and a discrete task, where they judged the accuracy of their TV image which was presented as either normal or distorted, that is, too wide or too thin. On the continuous task, judgments were more accurate on ascending trials where children had to increase the width of the image. On the discrete task, a signal detection analysis revealed older children were better in detecting size distortion in their images and that the differences were due to differences in the biological sensory system and not due to a bias to report that they were too fat or too thin. However, there were response bias differences between genders. Females were more likely to report size distortion with increasing age while males were less likely.
Constructive steering control functions for linear systems and abstract rank conditions

For a linear system $$\dot x = Ax + Bu$$ with bounded operatorsA andB, exact reachability tox T or null controllability fromx 0 can be characterized by an abstract rank condition, which extends the familiar finite dimensional Kalman criterion. We provide a novel elementary proof of the more demanding sufficient part, which is based on a new device and which casts new insight even in the finite-dimensional case. Such proof provides, explicitly and constructively, an infinite class of simple, steering control functions, of preassigned smoothness, including polynomial controls. WhenA is unbounded, one cannot expect at the outset that a rank condition will play a major, in-depth description of the steering problem. Yet, our proof admits appropriate extensions to this case also. Explicit examples point out, however, the limitations of the rank conditions, as well as the new pathologies that occur.
Nonperturbative dynamical-group approach to the charmonium potential

Abstract The generalized scaling variational method, formulated in terms of the SO(2,1) dynamical group, is used to find the energy eigenvalues of the hamiltonian H = p2/2μ − Z/r + λr which models the quark-antiquark interaction of charmonium.
Blockade of Lymphocyte Chemotaxis in Visceral Graft-versus-Host Disease

Background Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a major barrier to successful allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT). The chemokine receptor CCR5 appears to play a role in alloreactivity. We tested whether CCR5 blockade would be safe and limit GVHD in humans. Methods We tested the in vitro effect of the CCR5 antagonist maraviroc on lymphocyte function and chemotaxis. We then enrolled 38 high-risk patients in a single-group phase 1 and 2 study of reduced-intensity allogeneic HSCT that combined maraviroc with standard GVHD prophylaxis. Results Maraviroc inhibited CCR5 internalization and lymphocyte chemotaxis in vitro without impairing T-cell function or formation of hematopoietic-cell colonies. In 35 patients who could be evaluated, the cumulative incidence rate (±SE) of grade II to IV acute GVHD was low at 14.7±6.2% on day 100 and 23.6±7.4% on day 180. Acute liver and gut GVHD were not observed before day 100 and remained uncommon before day 180, resulting in a low cumulative incidence o...
A systematic review of smoking cessation interventions in the emergency setting

Abstract Study objective Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, and tobacco use rates are known to be higher among emergency department (ED) patients than in the general population. Despite recommendations from the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine and the American College of Emergency Physicians, many emergency clinicians remain uncertain about the benefits of providing ED-based smoking cessation interventions. To address this gap in knowledge, we performed a systematic review of cessation interventions initiated in the adult or pediatric ED setting. Methods We conducted an electronic search of the MEDLINE and CINAHL databases through February 2014 and hand searched references from potentially relevant articles. We identified eligible studies, evaluated bias and validity, and extracted data and synthesized findings. Results Seventeen studies underwent critical appraisal, with 13 included in qualitative synthesis. The majority (11/13, 85%) of investigations did not report significant differences in tobacco abstinence between cessation intervention groups. The 2 studies reporting significant differences in cessation both used motivational interviewing-based interventions. Two studies evaluated patient satisfaction with ED-based tobacco cessation interventions, and both reported greater than 90% satisfaction. Conclusions Findings indicate that ED visits in combination with ED-initiated tobacco cessation interventions are correlated with higher cessation rates than those reported in the National Health Interview Survey. Clear data supporting the superiority of one intervention type were not identified. Lack of a standardized control group prevented quantitative evaluation of pooled data, and future research is indicated to definitively evaluate intervention efficacy.
C-Reactive Protein: Eighty Years from Discovery to Emergence as a Major Risk Marker for Cardiovascular Disease

C-reactive protein (CRP)1 was discovered in 1930 by William Tillett and Thomas Francis from the Rockefeller University. They described a third serologic fraction, or “fraction C,” that could be isolated from patients infected with pneumococcus that was distinct from previously known capsular polysaccharide and nucleoprotein fractions detectable by specific antibody response (1). A decade later, Oswald Avery and Maclyn McCarty—the research team who originally described the “transforming principle” and the concept that genes are made of DNA—also described CRP as an “acute-phase reactant” that was increased in serum of patients suffering from a spectrum of inflammatory stimuli, including myocarditis and the inflammation associated with rheumatic fever(2)(3)(4). Early clues that this inflammatory biomarker might be linked to atherothrombosis are evident in 2 case reports presented by Gunnar Lofstrom from the State Bacteriologic Laboratory in Stockholm in 1943, in which increases in CRP following acute myocardial infarction are described(5). In the mid 1950s, case series presented by Irving Kroop and others indicated that CRP concentrations consistently increase after coronary ischemia and myocardial necrosis, data that was clinically important, as diagnostic tools for acute coronary syndrome did not yet include creatinine kinase or troponin(6). By the mid 1980s, the work of John Volanakis, Mark Pepys, Irving Kushner, and others had identified CRP as a hepatically derived, nonglycosylated, circulating pentraxin composed of 5 identical subunits arranged with pentameric symmetry that had characteristic calcium-dependent binding to specific ligands, including binding to LDL cholesterol(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13). They and other investigators further demonstrated that the bulk of circulating CRP is produced by hepatocytes largely under regulatory control of inflammatory cytokines including interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α; that the plasma half-life of CRP is approximately 19 h under …
Conserved Role of the Linker α-Helix of the Bacterial Disulfide Isomerase DsbC in the Avoidance of Misoxidation by DsbB

In the bacterial periplasm the co-existence of a catalyst of disulfide bond formation (DsbA) that is maintained in an oxidized state and of a reduced enzyme that catalyzes the rearrangement of mispaired cysteine residues (DsbC) is important for the folding of proteins containing multiple disulfide bonds. The kinetic partitioning of the DsbA/DsbB and DsbC/DsbD pathways partly depends on the ability of DsbB to oxidize DsbA at rates >1000 times greater than DsbC. We show that the resistance of DsbC to oxidation by DsbB is abolished by deletions of one or more amino acids within the α-helix that connects the N-terminal dimerization domain with the C-terminal thioredoxin domain. As a result, mutant DsbC carrying α-helix deletions could catalyze disulfide bond formation and complemented the phenotypes of dsbA cells. Examination of DsbC homologues from Haemophilus influenzae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Erwinia chrysanthemi, Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, Vibrio cholerae (30-70% sequence identity with the Escherichia coli enzyme) revealed that the mechanism responsible for avoiding oxidation by DsbB is a general property of DsbC family enzymes. In addition we found that deletions in the linker region reduced, but did not abolish, the ability of DsbC to assist the formation of active vtPA and phytase in vivo, in a DsbD-dependent manner, revealing that interactions between DsbD and DsbC are also conserved.
Effects of in-plane electric fields on the optical properties of cholesteric liquid crystals

A considerable body of knowledge has been developed on the general behavior of cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) materials in electric fields. One approach that has been reported to achieve tunability in optical filters based on CLCs with a positive dielectric anisotropy and in the planar homogeneous state involves the application of electric fields perpendicular to the axis of the CLC helix. The field leads to a progressive unwinding of the helix and a corresponding red-shift in the position of the reflection band of the CLC. In this work, a microspectrophotometer was employed to probe the spatial heterogeneity of the optical spectra of the CLC in cells with interdigitated electrodes. We will show that a complex behavior of the Bragg reflection band is obtained in the gap between electrodes for certain parameters of cells with interdigitated electrodes as a function of the applied field. This is ascribed to variations in the field magnitude and direction in the cell, which lead to a spatial variation of helix unwinding.
Numerical Simulation of Solid-State Sintering: I, Sintering of Three Particles

A kinetic, Monte Carlo model, capable of simulating microstructural evolution sintering in a two-dimensional system of three particles, has been presented. The model can simulate several mechanisms simultaneously. It can simulate curvature-driven grain growth, pore migration and coarsening by surface diffusion, and densification by diffusion of vacancies to grain boundaries and annihilation of these vacancies. Morphologic changes and densification kinetics are used to verify the model.
Electrodiagnosis of deep palmar ulnar neuropathy at the pisohamate hiatus

We present the clinical and electrophysiological findings of four patients with distal ulnar nerve lesions affecting, selectively, the deep palmar branch at the pisohamate hiatus. All presented with hand weakness and wasting, sparing the hypothenar muscles, without sensory manifestations. Two had palm pain. Three had possible precipitating trauma to the hand. All improved: three following decompression of constricting bands at the pisohamate hiatus and one spontaneously. At diagnosis, the ulnar motor amplitudes recording first dorsal interosseus (1st DI) were absent or very low. Recording the abductor digiti minimi (ADM), the amplitudes were normal or borderline. Needle EMG showed fibrillations and loss of motor unit potentials in all ulnar-innervated muscles in the hand, except the ADM. Follow-up ulnar conduction studies showed significant improvement of amplitudes recording 1st DI. Based on our cases and analysis of the literature, we conclude that lesions of the deep palmar branch of the ulnar nerve, distal to the branch to the ADM, are frequently caused by compression at the pisohamate hiatus, second only to compression by a ganglion. When treated surgically, this disorder carries good prognosis.
Influencing the College Attendance Rates of Hispanics in Texas

A number of policymakers have shifted their attention from the participation rates of Hispanics in postsecondary education to the percentage of this population that completes a baccalaureate degree. Several reports stress that while participation rates have increased, there are continued disparities in outcomes between Hispanic and White college students (President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans, 2003; Council of Economic Advisers, 2000; Fry, 2002; Vernez & Mizell, 2001). Although many states have experienced increases in Hispanic postsecondary attendance, such is not the case in Texas—a state with one of the largest Hispanic populations in the country. Figures for 2003 show that 3.9% of Hispanics in Texas were enrolled in some type of postsecondary institution compared to 5.2% of African Americans and 5.6% of Caucasians (Haurwitz, 2005).
The effect of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor blockade on acetylcholine efflux in the dorsomedial striatum during response reversal learning.

Abstract Separate experiments found that activation of N -methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) receptors or increased acetylcholine (ACh) efflux in the rat dorsomedial striatum is critical for learning when conditions require a shift in strategies. Increasing evidence indicates that NMDA receptor activity affects cholinergic efflux in the basal ganglia. The present studies determined whether NMDA receptor blockade in the dorsomedial striatum with dl -2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid (AP-5) affects dorsomedial striatal ACh output in a resting condition, as well as during response reversal learning. Experiment 1 investigated the effects of AP-5 (12.5, 25 or 50 μM) infused into the dorsomedial striatum on ACh output in a resting condition. AP-5 infusion at 25 and 50 μM led to a 20% and 40% decrease in dorsomedial striatal ACh output, respectively. AP-5 (12.5 μM) infusion did not change dorsomedial striatal ACh output from basal levels. Experiment 2 determined whether dorsomedial striatal ACh efflux increases during response reversal learning and whether AP-5, at a dose that does not affect basal levels, modifies response reversal learning and ACh efflux. Following acquisition of a response discrimination, rats had microdialysis probes bilaterally inserted into the dorsomedial striatum prior to the reversal learning test. After baseline samples, rats received a response reversal learning test for 30 min. Control rats rapidly improved in the reversal learning session while simultaneously exhibiting an approximately 40% increase in ACh output compared with baseline levels. AP-5 (12.5 μM) treatment during testing significantly impaired response reversal learning while concomitantly blocking an increase in ACh output. These findings suggest that NMDA receptor activation in the dorsomedial striatum may facilitate a shift in response patterns, in part, by increasing ACh efflux.
Management of postdural puncture headache

Abstract Postdural puncture headache (PDPH), a complication of regional anesthesia, is not infrequently seen in parturients because of their inherent risk from young age and female gender. With spinal anesthesia, the risk of PDPH is mainly dependent on the size and type of needle and can be reduced with the use of small-gauge, pencilpoint spinal needles. For unintentional dural puncture with epidural needles, a prophylactic epidural blood patch can reduce the risk of PDPH. Other potentially efficacious maneuvers include insertion of an intrathecal catheter and avoidance of second- stage pushing. Treatment of PDPH includes the use of caffeine or an epidural blood patch. Other pharmacologic interventions (eg, theophylline, sumatriptan, adrenocorticotropic hormone) and epidural administration of saline or dextran 40 await further investigation. The evidence for these interventions is discussed in this review. Copyright © 2001 by W.B. Saunders Company
A POSSIBLE ROLE FOR PROPRANOLOL IN THE TREATMENT OF RENAL OSTEODYSTROPHY

The effect of propranolol upon parathyroid hormone (P.T.H) concentrations was investigated in patients undergoing chronic haemodialysis. 9 patients receiving propranolol for the treatment of hypertension or angina pectoris were compared with 25 similar patients not taking the drug. P.T.H. and alkaline phosphatase concentrations were lower in patients receiving propranolol and there was less radiological evidence of renal osteodystrophy in these patients. Prospective studies are needed to determine whether propranolol may be helpful as an adjunct to other therapy in reversing or preventing renal osteodystrophy.
Specializing social networking services for young adults with autism

Independence is key to a successful transition to adulthood for all young people. However, attaining a satisfying independent life is challenge for those with autism because of qualitative differences in restricted behaviors as well as social interaction. My dissertation examines the way social computing systems may play a role in supporting independence of adolescents and adults living on the autism spectrum. I focus on utilizing social networking services to facilitate the process of collective information or advice seeking. This work demonstrates some limitations of current architecture of social networking services and provides insight into how social computing systems might be better designed to support the everyday lives of these individuals.
Tribological behavior of polyetheretherketone, a thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer and in situ composites based on their blends under dry sliding conditions at elevated temperatures

Abstract The elevated temperature dry sliding friction and wear behavior of injection molded polyetherketone (PEEK), a thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer (TLCP), and in situ composites based on PEEK-TLCP blends were investigated. Results from sliding tests conducted on a pin-on-disk tribometer at selected temperatures within the range from 20 to 250°C are reported. Friction and wear mechanisms are related to the microstructure and phase behavior of the material systems investigated. TLCP concentration and thermally activated molecular relaxation processes are related to the mechanical properties and tribological performance of the PEEK-HX1000 blends. The potential of TLCP in situ reinforcement as a route towards the development of performance thermoplastic-based tribomaterials for high temperature use is discussed.
Patient safety in plastic surgery: identifying areas for quality improvement efforts

Improving quality of health care is a global priority. Before quality benchmarks are established, we first must understand rates of adverse events (AEs). This project assessed risk-adjusted rates of inpatient AEs for soft tissue reconstructive procedures.Patients receiving soft tissue reconstructive procedures from 2005 to 2010 were extracted from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Inpatient AEs were identified using patient safety indicators (PSIs), established measures developed by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.We identified 409,991 patients with soft tissue reconstruction and 16,635 (4.06%) had a PSI during their hospital stay. Patient safety indicators were associated with increased risk-adjusted mortality, longer length of stay, and decreased routine disposition (P < 0.01). Patient characteristics associated with a higher risk-adjusted rate per 1000 patients at risk included older age, men, nonwhite, and public payer (P < 0.05). Overall, plastic surgery patients had significantly lower risk-adjusted rate compared to other surgical inpatients for all events evaluated except for failure to rescue and postoperative hemorrhage or hematoma, which were not statistically different. Risk-adjusted rates of hematoma hemorrhage were significantly higher in patients receiving size-reduction surgery, and these rates were further accentuated when broken down by sex and payer. In general, plastic surgery patients had lower rates of in-hospital AEs than other surgical disciplines, but PSIs were not uncommon. With the establishment of national basal PSI rates in plastic surgery patients, benchmarks can be devised and target areas for quality improvement efforts identified. Further prospective studies should be designed to elucidate the drivers of AEs identified in this population.
Effects of caudate nuclei or frontal cortical ablations in kittens: Bar pressing performance

Abstract The bar pressing tasks which were used to test adult-operated cats were applied to juvenile and adult animals with bilateral caudate or frontal cortical lesions inflicted during the first month of life. Intact and sham-operated littermates served as controls. All three operated groups showed significantly slower rates of acquisition. Significantly fewer acaudate cats acquired the initial response, and only two each of the acaudates and afrontals reached the single alternation criterion. The acaudate cats, furthermore, showed significantly slower rates of transfer, overall responding, and alternation, but did not exhibit the postural adjustments seen in adult-operated animals and could bar press and drink simultaneously. There was a direct relationship between the magnitude of the deficit and the size of the caudate removal. The afrontals showed unsustained, erratic performances and were unmotivated and distractable. The data suggest that although there may be some savings in the more subtle nuances of behavior, the overall effects on bar pressing performance in the neonatally operated subjects can be just as great as when the lesions occurred later in life.
An Afforestation System for Restoring Bottomland Hardwood Forests: Biomass Accumulation of Nuttall Oak Seedlings Interplanted Beneath Eastern Cottonwood

Bottomland hardwood forests of the southeastern United States have declined in extent since European settlement. Forest restoration activities over the past decade, however, have driven recent changes in land use through an intensified afforestation effort on former agricultural land. This intense afforestation effort, particularly in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley, has generated a demand for alternative afforestation systems that accommodate various landowner objectives through restoration of sustainable forests. We are currently studying an afforestation system that involves initial establishment of the rapidly growing native species eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides Bartr. ex Marsh.), followed by enrichment of the plantation understory with Nuttall oak (Quercus nuttallii Palm.). In this article, we examine the growth and biomass accumulation by Nuttall oak seedlings to determine whether this species can be established and whether it will develop beneath the cottonwood overstory. After 3 years of growth beneath cottonwood canopies, Nuttall oak seedlings were similar in height (126 cm), but were 20% smaller in root-collar diameter than seedlings established in open fields. Seedlings established in the open accumulated more than twice the biomass of seedlings growing beneath a cottonwood canopy. However, the relative distribution of accumulated biomass in seedlings did not differ in the two environments. Ten percent of total seedling biomass was maintained in leaf tissue, 42% was maintained in stem tissue, and 48% was maintained in root tissue on open-grown seedlings and seedlings established in the understory of cottonwood plantations. Though establishment in the more shaded understory environment reduced Nuttall oak growth, seedling function was not limited enough to induce changes in plant morphology. Our results suggest that an afforestation system involving rapid establishment of forest cover with a quick-growing plantation species, followed by understory enrichment with species of later succession, may provide an alternative method of forest restoration on bottomland hardwood sites and perhaps other sites degraded by agriculture throughout temperate regions.
The Influence of Pravastatin and Atorvastatin on Markers of Oxidative Stress in Hypercholesterolemic Humans

Objectives The aim of this study was to determine the effects of pravastatin and atorvastatin on markers of oxidative stress in plasma. Background Hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and cardiovascular risk, but their effects on circulating biomarkers of oxidative stress are not well-defined. Methods Hypercholesterolemic subjects (n = 120, ages 21 to 80 years with LDL-C 130 to 220 mg/dl) were randomized in a double-blind, parallel design to pravastatin 40 mg/day (prava40), atorvastatin 10 mg/day (atorva10), atorvastatin 80 mg/day (atorva80), or placebo. At baseline and 16 weeks, urinary isoprostanes (8, 12-iso-iPF2α-VI isoform), plasma lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2), Mercodia oxidized LDL (OxLDL) with antibody 4E6, oxidized phospholipids/apolipoprotein B-100 particle (OxPL/apoB) with antibody E06, immunoglobulin (Ig)G/IgM autoantibodies to malondialdehyde (MDA)-LDL, and apolipoprotein B (apoB)-immune complexes (IC) were measured. Results After 16 weeks, there were no significant changes in urinary 8, 12-iso-iPF2α-VI. The Lp-PLA2 and OxLDL were reduced in statin-treated groups, but after adjusting for apoB, only prava40 led to a reduction in Lp-PLA2 (−15%, p = 0.008) and atorva10 to a decrease in OxLDL (−12.9%, p = 0.01). The OxPL/apoB increased 25.8% (p Conclusions This study suggests that statin therapy results in variable effects on oxidative stress markers in hypercholesterolemic subjects. Future outcome studies should collectively assess various oxidative markers to define clinical utility.
An enzyme logic bioprotonic transducer

Translating ionic currents into measureable electronic signals is essential for the integration of bioelectronic devices with biological systems. We demonstrate the use of a Pd/PdHx electrode as a bioprotonic transducer that connects H+ currents in solution into an electronic signal. This transducer exploits the reversible formation of PdHx in solution according to PdH↔Pd + H+ + e−, and the dependence of this formation on solution pH and applied potential. We integrate the protonic transducer with glucose dehydrogenase as an enzymatic and gate for glucose and NAD+. PdHx formation and associated electronic current monitors the output drop in pH, thus transducing a biological function into a measurable electronic output.
Immersive multiplayer tennis with microsoft kinect and body sensor networks

We present an immersive gaming demonstration using the minimum amount of wearable sensors. The game demonstrated is two-player tennis. We combine a virtual environment with real 3D representations of physical objects like the players and the tennis racquet (if available). The main objective of the game is to provide as real an experience of tennis as possible, while also being as less intrusive as possible. The game is played across a network, and this opens the possibility of two remote players playing a game together on a single virtual tennis pitch. The Microsoft Kinect sensors are used to obtain a 3D point cloud and a skeletal map representation of the player. This 3D point cloud is mapped on to the virtual tennis pitch. We also use a wireless wearable Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS) mote, which is strapped onto the wrist of the players. This mote gives us precise information about the movement (swing, rotation etc.) of the playing arm. This information along with the skeletal map is used to implement the physics of the game. Using this game we demonstrate our solutions for simultaneous data acquisition, 3D point-cloud mapping in a virtual space, use of the Kinect and AHRS sensors to calibrate real and virtual objects and for interaction of virtual objects with a 3D point cloud.
Synthesis, structure, properties, volatility, and thermal stability of molybdenum(II) and tungsten(II) complexes containing allyl, carbonyl, and pyrazolate or amidinate ligands

Abstract Treatment of M(allyl)(Cl)(CO)2(py)2 (M = Mo, W) with 1 equiv. of potassium pyrazolates in tetrahydrofuran at −78 °C afforded M(allyl)(R2pz)(CO)2(py)n (R2pz = 3,5-disubstituted pyrazolate; n = 1, 2) in 68–81% yields. X-ray crystal structure analyses of Mo(allyl)((CF3)2pz)(CO)2(py)2 and W(allyl)(tBu2pz)(CO)2(py) revealed η1- and η2-coordination of the (CF3)2pz and tBu2pz ligands, respectively. Analogous treatment of Mo(allyl)(Cl)(CO)2(NCCH3)2 with 1 equiv. of tBu2pzK in tetrahydrofuran at −78 °C afforded [Mo(allyl)(tBu2pz)(CO)2]2 in 79% yield. An X-ray crystal structure analysis of [Mo(allyl)(tBu2pz)(CO)2]2 showed a dimeric structure bridged by two μ-η2:η1-tBu2pz ligands. Treatment of M(allyl)(Cl)(CO)2(py)2 with 1 equiv. of lithium 1,3-diisopropylacetamidinate or lithium 1,3-di-tert-butylacetamidinate in diethyl ether at −78 °C afforded M(allyl)(iPrNC(Me)NiPr)(CO)2(py) and M(allyl)(tBuNC(Me)NtBu)(CO)2(py), respectively, in 68–78% yields. The new complexes were characterized by spectral and analytical methods and by X-ray crystal structure determinations. M(allyl)(iPrNC(Me)NiPr)(CO)2(py) adopt pseudo-octahedral geometry about the metal centers, with the 1,3-diisopropylacetamidate ligand nitrogen atoms spanning one axial site and one equatorial site of the octahedron. By contrast, M(allyl)(tBuNC(Me)NtBu)(CO)2(py) adopt pseudo-octahedral structures in which the two 1,3-di-tert-butylacetamidinate ligand nitrogen atoms span two equatorial coordination sites. Sublimation of M(allyl)(tBuNC(Me)NtBu)-(CO)2(py) at 105 °C/0.03 Torr afforded ⩽7% yields of M(allyl)(tBuNC(Me)NtBu)(CO)2, along with sublimed M(allyl)(tBuNC(Me)NtBu)(CO)2(py). W(allyl)(tBuNC(Me)NtBu)(CO)2 exists in the solid state as a 16-electron complex with distorted square pyramidal geometry. Many of the new complexes undergo dynamic ligand site exchange in solution, and these processes were probed by variable temperature 1H NMR spectroscopy. The volatilities and thermal stabilities were evaluated to determine the potential of the new complexes for use as precursors in thin film growth experiments.
Shear-Alfvén dynamics of toroidally confined plasmas

Abstract Recent developments in the stability theory of toroidally confined plasmas are reviewed, with the intention of providing a picture comprehensible to non-specialists. The review considers a class of low-frequency, electromagnetic disturbances that seem especially pertinent to modern high-temperature confinement experiments. It is shown that such disturbances are best unified and understood through consideration of a single, exact fluid moment: the shear-Alfven law. Appropriate versions of this law and its corresponding closure relations are derived, essentially from first principles, and applied in a variety of mostly, but not exclusively, linear contexts. Among the specific topics considered are: flux coordinates (including Hamada coordinates), the Newcomb solubility condition, Shafranov geometry, magnetic island evolution, reduced MHD and its generalizations, drift-kinetic electron response, classical tearing, twisting, and kink instabilities, pressure-modified tearing instability (Δ-critical), collisionless and semi-collisional tearing modes, the ballooning representation in general geometry, ideal ballooning instability. Mercier criterion, near-axis expansions, the second stability region, and resistive and kinetic ballooning modes. The fundamental importance of toroidal topology and curvature is stressed.
Influence of age on the inotropic response to acute ethanol exposure in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Acute ethanol exposure depresses cardiac electromechanical function, whereas chronic ethanol consumption leads to the development of a specific myopathic state. Chronic hypertension and aging have similar effects in the impairment of myocardial function. However, little is known about the effects of ethanol on cardiac mechanical function in hypertension. We studied the effect of age on baseline mechanical properties and the inotropic response to clinically relevant concentrations of ethanol (18 to 71 mmol/L) using papillary muscles from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) at 10 and 25 weeks of age. Mechanical parameters measured were peak tension developed, time to peak tension, time to 90% relaxation, and maximal velocities of tension development and tension decline. SHR exhibited elevated systolic pressure and body weight as well as cardiomegaly and hepatomegaly at 10 and 25 weeks of age. Baseline mechanical properties were similar in SHR and WKY muscles at 10 weeks, whereas at 25 weeks, SHR muscles developed less tension, and both maximal velocities of tension development and tension decline were markedly depressed. Ethanol exposure produced concentration-dependent negative inotropic effects in both groups at both ages. Ethanol (>18 mmol/L) decreased peak tension developed in both groups at 10 weeks, although higher concentrations were required at 25 weeks. The negative inotropic effect of ethanol resulted in the shortening of time to 90% relaxation in both groups at 10 weeks and was associated with a slowing of maximal velocities of both tension development and tension decline. The results suggest that aging depresses baseline mechanical properties when coupled with hypertension. In addition, the magnitude of the negative inotropic effect of ethanol was attenuated in both groups at 25 weeks of age.
School Board Membership: Gender Issues and Women's Perspectives.

Gender and its related variables affect school board and superintendent interrelationships.
Radiation physics and modelling for off-nadir satellite sensing of non-Lambertian surfaces

The primary objective of this paper is to provide a deeper understanding of the physics of satellite remote-sensing when off-nadir observations are considered. Emphasis is placed on the analysis and modeling of atmospheric effects and the radiative transfer of non-Lambertian surface reflectance characteristics from ground-level to satellite locations. The relative importance of spectral, spatial, angular, and temporal reflectance characteristics for satellite-sensed identification of vegetation types in the visible and near-infrared wavelength regions is evaluated. The highest identification value is attributed to angular reflectance signatures. Using radiative transfer calculations to evaluate the atmospheric effects on angular reflectance distributions of vegetation surfaces, atmosphere-invariant angular reflectance features such as the 'hot spot' and the 'persistent valley' are identified. A new atmospheric correction formalism for complete angular reflectance distributions is described. A sample calculation demonstrates that a highly non-Lambertian measured surface reflectance distribution can be retrieved from simulated satellite data in the visible and near infrared to within about 20 percent accuracy for almost all view directions up to 60 deg off-nadir. Thus the high value of angular surface reflectance characteristics (the 'angular signature') for satellite-sensed feature identification is confirmed, which provides a scientific basis for future off-nadir satellite observations.
Mammalian tyrosinase; effect of ions on enzyme action.

Abstract 1. 1. The univalent cations Li + , Na + , K + , and NH 4 + have no effect on tyrosinase action. 2. 2. The anions, fluoride, chloride, acetate, and oxalate, consistently inhibit the tyrosine-tyrosinase and dopa-tyrosinase reactions. Iodate, persulfate, and nitrite also inhibit these reactions. Relatively large amounts of these anions are required to produce inhibition. 3. 3. Of 24 metal ions tested, only mercury, silver, and gold can produce an inactive enzyme preparation. The ions compete with copper ions for active centers on apotyrosinase. These competitive inhibition reactions are only slowly reversible. 4. 4. No cations or anions accelerate tyrosinase action. 5. 5. Copper ions are not bound to tyrosinase by a mercaptide linkage.
Dissociation of macrophage cytolysis and ability to transfer anti-listeria resistance by Concanavalin A-stimulated spleen cells

Abstract In this study, we determined whether spleen cells from Listeria monocytogenes -immunized mice were cytolytic for Listeria -infected macrophages. Spleen cells freshly obtained from immunized donors were unable to lyse Listeria -infected macrophages unless they were first stimulated in vitro for 2–3 days with Concanavalin A (ConA) or L. monocytogenes . Spleen cells from non-immunized mice developed cytolytic activity after incubation with ConA, but not with L. monocytogenes . Cytolytic spleen cells demonstrated an equivalent ability to lyse uninfected and Listeria -infected thioglycollate elicited peritoneal macrophages. Maximal cytolysis required co-incubation of effector and target cells for 18–20 h. Spleen cell culture supernatants did not lyse macrophages, suggesting that cytolysis required direct contact. Preincubation of immune spleen cells with ConA decreased their ability to transfer anti-listeria resistance in the spleens, but not the livers of recipient mice. Depletion of CD4 + or CD8 + cells did not significantly reduce the ability of ConA-incubated Listeria -immune spleen cells to transfer resistance. Despite being cytolytic for Listeria -immune infected macrophages, ConA-stimulated non-immune spleen cells did not transfer anti-listeria resistance. These results indicate that cytolytic cells can be generated by short-term incubation of spleen cells with antigen or mitogen. The dissociation between in vitro cytolytic activity and ability to transfer protection, however, suggests that the two biological activities are not inextricably linked.