cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Treatment of Chronic Ventricular Dysrhythmias in the Young

The decision to treat chronic ventricular dysrhythmias in o young patient is based upon the potential for eJectrophysioIogic or hemodynamic instability. We have treated 51 young patients (mean age 13.4 years; range 1 week to 30 years) with chronic ventricular dysrhythmias according to the following guidelines: multiform premature ventricular contractions (PVCs), couplets and ventricular tachycardia were treated in all patients; frequent uniform PVCs were treated in patients with an abnormal heart. All patients were admitted to the hospital and continuous 24-hour electrocardiograms (ECGs) were performed. Drug serum concentrations were measured every six hours. A drug was considered “effective” if there were less than 10 uniform PVCs per hour. Drug dosages were increased until clinical signs of mild toxicity developed or the serum concentration was above the therapeutic range. Drug treatment was begun in each patient with phenytoin: 32 received an oral loading dose and 19 an intravenous loading dose. If this was ineffective, other drugs were added or substituted: propranolol, quinidine sulfate and disopyra-mide. Patients were divided into three groups according to their hemodynamics. The ages and types of ventricular dysrhythmias were similar for the three groups. Group I had 25 patients with severely abnormal hemodynamics; drugs were effective in 92%. Group II had 22 patients with moderately abnormal hemodynamics; drugs were effective in 68%. Group III had four patients with normal hemodynamics; drugs were effective in 50%. Phenytoin was the most effective drug in 39/51 (76%) followed by propranolol in 3/7 (43%) and quinidine in 1/7 (14%). We conclude: (1) chronic ventricular dysrhythmias can be controlled in 76% of children with standard drug regimens. (2) The response to drugs was significantly related to hemodynamic status: the most effective control was in patients with severely abnormal hemodynamics and the least effective was in patients with a normal heart. (3) Phenytoin is the drug of choice for children with ventricular dysrhythmias, especially those with abnormal hemodynamics. (PACE, Vol. 4, November-December, 1981)
Socialization of Inpatriate Managers to the Headquarters of Global Organizations: A Social Learning Perspective

Understanding the intricacies of managing the life cycle of international personnel is a conundrum that continues to perplex HR managers in the global business arena. Although the notion of adjusting to a socioeconomically and culturally distant environment has been explored extensively from the expatriate perspective, the critical issue to discern is the attention inpatriates need to facilitate successful, long-term integration into a novel setting. With regard to the relatively new staffing option of "inpatriation," the current literature seeks to acquire an understanding of the contextual implications vital for an adjustment process that allows for the successful and lasting incorporation of such individuals in the headquarters of global organizations. As a result of this gap, this article examines the relationship between institutional and individualized socialization tactics and sociocultural and psychological adjustments in conjunction with a proposed moderator effect of cultural distance that inpatriates may undergo. Overall, the article argues that the successful socializing of such individuals will in part depend on their set of psychological reference points during the acculturation stages. © 2010 SAGE Publications.
Dislocation roughening in quantum crystals

We address generic behavior of quantum dislocations in almost ideal crystals. It is proven that the combination of arbitrary small Peierls potential and Coulomb-type elastic interaction between dislocation kinks prevents quantum roughening of dislocations. Thermally created kinks induce classical roughening which leads to softening of crystal shear modulus at temperatures comparable to the kink energy. This effect is discussed in the context of the shear modulus softening observed by Day & Beamish in solid 4He.
An approximate height formula for tropospheric ray tracing

A simple approximate formula for the height above the earth'S surface of a radio ray propagating through a spherically stratified smoothly varying atmosphere is derived. For the purpose of illustration an exponential model atmosphere is numerically evaluated, and examples show the significant improvement that resuits compared with the usual "effective earth's radius" approximations, especially for large surface gradients. Key words in this communication are ray tracing, troposphere, and approximate height.
New Issues in Drug Advertising and Labeling: The Five Advertising End-Runs

Five marketing practices which are often at variance with FDA drug advertising regulations are discussed: 1. Use of industry-sponsored scientific and educational activities, 2. Activities lacking in scientific legitimacy, 3. Use of public relations, 4. Direct-to-consumer promotion of prescription drug products, and 5. Industry activities related to promotional materials subject to Food and Drug Administration preapproval. Areas of FDA concern, industry trends, and regulatory responses are discussed for each of these practices
A framework for refining the diagnostic categorization of substance abusers.

Abstract The current research literature and clinical trends in the field of substance abuse suggest that the existing dichotomous typology fails to consider a wealth of potentially useful information about substance abusers. The need for revisions more reflective of actual patterns of abuse are strongly indicated by our present knowledge. A classificatory model is described which distinguishes between five subgroups of substance abusers on the basis of the psychophysiological effect and the number of drugs used. This model is currently being tested. If the proposed differentiation of substance abusers is upheld, the findings would have direct and significant implications for both the treatment and understanding of substance abuse.
On a Risk-Adjusted Basis, Do Firms Featured on Business Magazine Covers Make Good Contrarian Investments?

Firms featured in cover stories collected from Business Week, Fortune , and Forbes over a 20-year period (1983–2002) are examined to determine whether risk-adjusted contrarian performance in the stock price occurs after the publication of the story. Positive cover stories lead to abnormally low performance in stock price on a risk-adjusted basis, although the returns are still positive. Negative cover stories lead to positive returns on the stock,but the returns are still not superior on a risk-adjusted basis.
High-performance liquid chromatography method for determination of N-glucuronidation of 4-aminobiphenyl by mouse, rat, and human liver microsomes.

Abstract A simple and sensitive method for determination of the N-glucuronidation activity of mouse, rat, and human liver microsomes toward the carcinogenic arylamine 4-aminobiphenyl (4-ABP) using high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection has been developed. The method uses chemically synthesized 4-ABP- N -glucuronide (4-ABP-G) as a standard for method validation. Validation was done with respect to specificity, linearity, precision, accuracy, and lower limits of detection. The method was specific since there were no interference peaks from the reaction matrix. The calibration curve for 4-ABP-G was linear from 50 to 5000 pmol/200 μl with R 2 = 0.999. The newly developed method has good precision and accuracy. The intra- and interday precisions were less than 5 and 10%, respectively, and the highest values for intra- and interday accuracies were −4.6 and −12%, respectively. The lower limit of detection was 10 pmol/200 μl. The developed method was used to determine the glucuronidation activity of mouse, rat, and human liver microsomes. Human liver microsomes were the most active in 4-ABP glucuronidation (344.1 pmol/min/mg) followed by rats (30.6 pmol/min/mg) and then mice (12.3 pmol/min/mg). Human UGT1A4 supersomes were much more active than UGT1A9 (184.4 mol/min/mg versus 25.2 mol/min/mg). These results are consistent with those of earlier studies that used the radioactive [C 14 ]UDPGA.
Thermoresponsive Terpolymeric Films Applicable for Osteoblastic Cell Growth and Noninvasive Cell Sheet Harvesting

A novel multifunctional linear block copolymer, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid)-bpoly( L-lactic acid) (NAL), was synthesized to expand the concept of cell sheet engineering by using its thermoresponsive property and processibility. The chemical structure of synthesized NAL was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and its molar mass (103,500 g·mol–1) and molar mass distribution were determined by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectroscopy. NAL copolymer was fabricated into thin films by spin-casting. Spin-cast NAL films displayed thermoresponsive properties as demonstrated by surface wettability and topology changes from relatively more hydrophobic (contact angle of 56°) and rougher at 37°C to relatively more hydrophilic (contact angle of 40°) and smoother at 22°C, as assessed by contact angle measurement and atomic force microscopy, respectively. Murine osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells displayed comparable adhesion but slower proliferation on NAL f...
Minimum ten-year follow-up of acetabular fracture fixation from the Irish tertiary referral centre.

Abstract Background Successful outcome from acetabular fracture fixation is multi-factorial. Long-term results are not frequently reported. Pooling such data from high output centres will help progress acetabular fixation. This paper presents the first ten-year data from the Irish tertiary referral centre. Aim To audit the radiographic and clinical outcome of all patients who had acetabular fracture fixation in the unit a minimum of ten years previously. Methods Patients were identified from the unit database. Each patient was contacted and invited to attend the hospital for clinical and radiographic review. Clinical review consisted of examination and three separate scoring systems using both subjective and objective parameters. Radiographic review consisted of a standard AP pelvis and Judet views. Results Forty-four patients were identified. Follow up of 68% was achieved. Total hip arthroplasty rate was 13.8%. Twenty percent of the remaining native hips had radiographic evidence of established arthritis. Sixty-three percent of functional outcome scores were classified as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’. Radiographic and functional data did not strongly correlate. The strongest correlating factor with poor functional outcome was concurrent injuries, particularly sciatic nerve injury. Conclusions These data support the role of operative intervention for acetabular fractures in a tertiary referral centre and allow better counselling of patients on prognosis.
Percutaneous transhepatic portography with intravascular ultrasonography for evaluation of venous involvement of hepatobiliary and pancreatic tumors.

PURPOSE To determine the safety and utility of percutaneous transhepatic portography (PTP) with intravascular ultrasonography (IVUS) for preoperative evaluation of major spleno-mesenteric-portal venous invasion by tumors of the pancreas, porta hepatis, or liver. MATERIALS AND METHODS This is a 2-year prospective observational study including 15 consecutive patients (five men, 10 women; mean age, 63.3 y=10.2) with tumors of the pancreas ( n = 8), liver ( n = 3), or porta hepatis ( n = 4) who underwent PTP/IVUS after computed tomography indicated possible tumor invasion into a major portal radical. Transhepatic portal access was created under fluoroscopic guidance with an 8-F vascular sheath and IVUS was performed with an 8-F, 10-MHz system. When appropriate, operative exploration was performed (nine of 15) and findings were correlated with imaging data from PTP/IVUS. RESULTS PTP/IVUS was performed successfully in all patients and good visualization of the major portal radicals was achieved. There were no complications from PTP/IVUS, which was performed as an outpatient procedure in most ( n = 14) patients. PTP/IVUS provided precise anatomic data regarding the longitudinal and circumferential extent of major portal venous invasion by these tumors. There was excellent correlation between PTP/IVUS and operative findings. CONCLUSIONS PTP/IVUS can be performed safely in a preoperative outpatient setting and accurately defines the extent of major portal venous invasion by tumors of the pancreas, porta hepatis, and liver.
Fetal and infant death, twinning and cardiac malformations in families of 2,000 children with and 500 without cardiac defects

Abstract Analysis of family data on 2,000 children with a congenital cardiac malformation of unknown origin and 500 with an innocent murmur showed the incidence of twinning in probands, siblings and parents to be the same as in the general population. The mothers in the two groups of probands had the same incidence of spontaneous abortions and stillbirths. There was a small increase in infant mortality in siblings of probands with a cardiac malformation, but this could be accounted for by the increased incidence of cardiac malformations. The latter occurred in 1.4 percent of all siblings and in 1.7 percent of later born siblings. Complete concordance for malformation type occurred in 31 percent of affected siblings and 46 percent of affected parents, and partial concordance occurred in an additional 21 and 8 percent, respectively. Combined direct and indirect observations and calculations indicate that the risk of recurrent cardiac malformation is 1.4 to 3 percent in families in which one child was born with a cardiac malformation of unknown origin; no significant difference was evident for the various cardiac malformations.
The Broca-Sulzer effect under scotopic viewing conditions.

Abstract The Broca-Sulzer effect was investigated under scotopic viewing conditions. Brightness matches were made between a test flash of varying duration and a standard flash of fixed duration. A Broca-Sulzer effect was obtained when the standard flash was set at 1 or 1.5 log units above its 99% increment threshold for each of two background levels employed. The scotopic effect reached a maximum between 200 and 400 msec which represents a shift toward longer durations as compared with the results obtained by other investigators under photopic viewing conditions. In addition, it was found that a change of 1 log unit in background level did not produce a measurable change in the effect. The important factor was the difference (in log units) between the standard flash's increment threshold and its supra-threshold level during brightness matching. These results indicate that the Broca-Sulzer effect is similar to other brightness phenomena in that it is dependent upon contrast.
Bachelor of Science: Engineering Technology Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Education Program Concentration — I

The Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology education project has addressed DOE goals by supplying readily available, objective, technical, and accurate information that is available to students, industry and the public. In addition, the program has supplied educated trainers and training opportunities for the next generation workforce needed for research, development, and demonstration activities in government, industry, and academia. The project has successfully developed courses and associated laboratories, taught the new courses and labs and integrated the HFCT option into the accredited engineering technology and mechanical engineering programs at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC). The project has also established ongoing collaborations with the UNCC energy related centers of the Energy Production & Infrastructure Center (EPIC), the NC Motorsports and Automotive Research Center (NCMARC) and the Infrastructure, Design, Environment and Sustainability Center (IDEAS). The results of the project activities are presented as two major areas – (1) course and laboratory development, offerings and delivery, and (2) program recruitment, promotions and collaborations. Over the project period, the primary activity has been the development and offering of 11 HFCT courses and accompanying laboratories. This process has taken three years with the courses first being developed and then offered each year overmore » the timeframe.« less
The anti-tumor agent, taxol, attenuates contractile activity in rat aortic smooth muscle.

Abstract Using 16–20 week old female spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs), the effects of the antitumor agent, taxol, on vascular reactivity were examined. Taxol significantly inhibited contraction induced by phenylephrine, angiotensin II, phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate and increasing concentrations of calcium. The data suggest that taxol does not augment hypersensitivity of the vascular, but instead attenuates contractile activity and may have important implications with respect to treatment of women with both cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Bacterial Endocarditis Following Rubber Band Ligation in a Patient with a Ventricular Septal Defect: Report of a Case and Guideline Analysis

Rubber band ligation is a common option used to treat symptomatic internal hemorrhoids. Severe complications such as pelvic sepsis are a rare occurrence. We report a case of endocarditis leading to septic pulmonary and renal emboli following single-quadrant rubber band ligation. The patient had a known ventricular septal defect and developed low back pain and fever after ligation of a right anterior internal hemorrhoid. He was found to have septic pulmonary emboli, a renal wedge septic infarct, and a large vegetation on his membranous ventricular septal defect requiring operative intervention. Before this report, rubber band ligation has not been associated with endocarditis. According to several guidelines, this patient did not require antibiotic prophylaxis. It is unclear whether prophylaxis could have prevented this complication. Surgeons utilizing rubber band ligation need to be familiar with all potential complications.
Emotion Regulation in Low-income Preschoolers

The present study was concerned with identifying the causes of low-income preschoolers’ negative emotions and their most common regulation responses. The relations of family socialization practices and temperament to the children’s emotion regulation skills were also examined. Ninety predominantly minority low-income preschoolers (46 boys) and their mothers participated. During visits to the children’s preschools, observers watched for expressions of anger and sadness, and recorded the causes of the displays and the children’s reactions. Mothers reported on their emotion socialization and discipline practices and their children’s temperament. Although the children expressed more anger than sadness, they used more constructive reactions in response to sadness and more non-constructive reactions in response to anger. Maternal reports of appropriate family emotion were associated with low levels of non-constructive regulation responses to anger and sadness whereas reports of inconsistent parental discipline were generally associated with non-constructive regulation responses. All in all, the findings of this study are in accord with findings on middle-income children and indicate that low- and middle-income children are more alike than different with regard to the regulation of negative emotion in the peer environment.
Constraints on using the dual-task methodology to specify the degree of central executive involvement in cognitive tasks.

The dual-task paradigm has been used to examine the role of the central executive in various cognitive tasks. In these studies, performance decrements in primary cognitive tasks performed concurrently with secondary executive tasks have been interpreted as evidence for the involvement of the central executive in those primary tasks. In the present study, we examined the effects of different secondary tasks on performance of three psychometric visuospatial tasks. The decrement in performance of these tasks when they were paired with secondary executive tasks was smallest for the psychometric task considered to most heavily involve the central executive and largest for the task considered least demanding of executive mechanisms. We propose that, when applied to the assessment of central executive involvement, the prevalent simple dual-task logic does not always apply. Special conditions that limit the application of the dual-task methodology include two inherently related factors—a response selection bottleneck and a strategic tradeoff between primary and secondary tasks.
THE DIAMETERS OF THE CEREBRAL ARTERIES OF THE HUMAN FETUS.

Ninety-eight fetal specimens of the circulus arteriosus cerebri and adjacent arteries were injected with a mixture of latex and barium sulphate and dissected after fixation in formalin. Measurements of the intracranial part of the internal carotid artery were carried out and the measured diameters were compared to those of the other arteries at the base of the fetal brain. The diameters of the internal carotid artery were symmetrical and increased approximately linearly with fetal size from 0.7 mm for a fetus of 15.5 cm crown rump length to 2 mm in a specimen with 37.2 cm crown rump length. In one specimen, the intracranial part of the right internal carotid artery was smaller than the left. This was associated with an anomaly of the arterial circle. Twenty-one circles were symmetrical and complete. The most significant differences between adult and fetal diameters were in the posterior part of the circle, the circular part of the posterior cerebral artery showing a relatively smaller average diameter (0.34 of the diameter of the internal carotid artery) than that described for adult specimens (0.47) while the posterior communicating arteries were of similar diameter (approximately 0.27) in both adults and fetuses. In three cases one posterior communicating artery was absent. No berry aneurysms were found upon inspection with a hand lens.
On the existence of molecular hydrogen along lines of sight with low reddening

The existence of molecular hydrogen along lines of sight with low reddening (B-V color excesses not exceeding 0.03) is discussed for the stars HD 28497, Mu Col, Alpha Vir, Beta Cen, and Lambda Sco. The main observations are of the R(1) features, which for effective rotational temperatures above 200 K are the dominant source of H2 transitions. If the formation process for molecular hydrogen is similar to that for regions of greater reddening, the observations indicate that the neutral gas outside standard clouds may be partially in small clouds, though a more diffuse component seems to exist in some cases. Extremely high rotational temperatures are inferred for the H2 toward HD 28497. The possibility of formation of H2 through the reaction H(-) + H yields H2 + e(-) is briefly discussed. In any case, only small regions seem to contribute to the observed H2 column density.
Initial anode optimization for a compact sealed tube vircator

During the development and optimization of a compact sealed tube virtual cathode oscillator (vircator) at Texas Tech University, it has become apparent that processes at the anode have a significant impact on tube performance. The impact of the high energy, high current density (100–200 A/cm2 or higher) beam on the anode will cause outgassing, plasma production, and anode melting and material ejection. The emitted material expands, eventually impacting the anode transparency and (combined with the plasma formed at the cathode) shorting out the anode-cathode gap. This expansion limits the maximum radiated pulse width, and can also limit the peak output power. The residual evolved gas also negatively impacts the maximum repetition rate of the tube. An effort is underway to study the thermal behavior, gases evolved, and transparency versus time for different vircator anode materials and material treatments. Several different anode materials are under investigation, including stainless steel, copper tungsten, tantalum, nickel, and molybdenum. The effect of different treatments on the anodes before tube assembly is also being studied. The gases that are evolved during operation have been characterized utilizing pressure and residual gas analyzer measurements. The pre-shot background pressure in the tube is in the ultra-high vacuum range (10−8 to 10−9 Torr), and the vircator is not pumped on during firing. The data collected for the different materials is presented.
A squall-like narrow cold-frontal rainband diagnosed by combined thermodynamic and cloud microphysical retrieval

Abstract Doppler radar, airborne, and sounding data are used to describe the structure of an exceptionally vigorous narrow cold-frontal rainband (NCFR). A combined thermodynamic and cloud microphysical retrieval technique is used to derive the pressure perturbations and buoyancy in balance with the flow field in the vicinity of the NCFR. The NCFR was triggered by a well-defined cold front that penetrated beneath a deep layer of conditionally unstable prefrontal air. The rainband, which persisted for ∼ 6 h, was located over the Gulf Stream, just off the mid-Atlantic Coast of the U.S.A. It consisted of a series of short-lived cells with updraft maxima between 5 and 15 m s −1 and tops around 12 km. The updraft associated with the NCFR was driven primarily by buoyancy in the middle troposphere, which explains its convective nature. Trailing behind the NCFR was a broad region of stratiform precipitation. Pressure perturbations in the NCFR and the trailing stratiform region were produced mainly by a combination of frontal convergence and buoyancy opposition. The pressure perturbations surrounding the cells within the rainband were due primarily to strong updrafts in the presence of wind shear parallel to the rainband. The same dynamic and cloud microphysical processes that operate in stratiform regions behind some squall lines were present in this NCFR. However, in contrast to a squall line with a trailing stratiform region, the low-level cold pool that penetrated beneath the NCFR was maintained primarily by strong cold advection, rather than by evaporational cooling in a shallow rear-to-front flow. The preponderance of advective over diabatic cooling can be used as a criterion to diagnostically differentiate between NCFRs and squall lines.
Technology Planning for Electric Power Supply in Critical Events Considering a Bulk Grid, Backup Power Plants, and Micro-Grids

This paper discusses a risk assessment approach to infrastructure technology planning aimed at improving power supply resiliency to natural disasters or other critical events. Cost as well as power supply availability are both fundamental decision factors considered in the study. The proposed planning process spans three phases during which the critical loads under study are subject to the effects of the extreme event: during the event, the immediate aftermath until potential infrastructure damage is repaired, and the long term aftermath until the load has recovered the same level existing before the critical event. The combined risk of these three phases is calculated considering likelihood of the critical event to occur, expected impact, and system vulnerability. This risk is then added to the system capital and normal operational costs to yield a lifetime cost that is used to compare technological options. Micro-grids are identified as a relevant technology with potential to achieve enhanced power supply during critical events. The analysis provides indications on how to better configure micro-grids in order to achieve high availability through diverse local distributed generation sources.
Preventing Summer Reading Declines in Children Who Are Disadvantaged

During summer vacation, children who are disadvantaged often experience declines in reading achievement, while children from middle- and high-income backgrounds improve. In this study, an experimen...
The alcohol policy environment, enforcement and consumption in the United States.

Introduction and Aims Many studies of alcohol policies examine the presence or absence of a single policy without considering policy strength or enforcement. We developed measures for the strength of 18 policies (from Alcohol Policy Information System) and levels of enforcement of those policies for the 50 US states, and examined their associations with alcohol consumption. Design and Methods We grouped policies into four domains (underage alcohol use, provision of alcohol to underage, alcohol serving, general availability) and used latent class analysis to assign states to one of four classes based on the configuration of policies—weak except serving policies (6 states), average (29 states), strong for underage use (11 states) and strong policies overall (4 states). We surveyed 1082 local enforcement agencies regarding alcohol enforcement across five domains. We used multilevel latent class analysis to assign states to classes in each domain and assigned each state to an overall low (15 states), moderate (19 states) or high (16 states) enforcement group. Consumption outcomes (past month, binge and heavy) came from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Results Regression models show inverse associations between alcohol consumption and policy class, with past month alcohol consumption at 54% in the weakest policy class and 34% in the strongest. In adjusted models, the strong underage use policy class was consistently associated with lower consumption. Enforcement group did not affect the policy class and consumption associations. Discussion and Conclusions Results suggest strong alcohol policies, particularly underage use policies, may help to reduce alcohol consumption and related consequences. [Erickson DJ, Lenk KM, Toomey TL, Nelson TF, Jones-Webb R. The alcohol policy environment, enforcement, and consumption in the United States. Drug Alcohol Rev 2015;●●:●●–●●]
Sports and Environmental Justice “Games” of Race, Place, Nostalgia, and Power in Neoliberal New York City

This article examines a contemporary and unfolding conflict in downtown Brooklyn in New York City where the siting of a professional sport stadium intersects with the politics of race, class, and the built environment. The Atlantic Yards project is a $4.2-billion project to bring housing, retail, open space, and most significantly (for the developers in their public relations campaign), a professional basketball franchise, the Brooklyn Nets. The author uses an analytic frame drawing from environmental justice studies through which to analyze the cultural and representational politics of the controversy. In doing so, this case complicates and further illuminates environmental justice and the sports and siting literature in the context of the geography of neoliberalism.
Nitrogen and carbon dynamics in C3 and C4 estuarine marsh plants grown under elevated CO2 in situ.

Carbon dioxide concentrations were elevated in three estuarine communities for an entire growing season. Open top chambers were used to raise CO2 concentrations ca. 336 ppm above ambient in monospecific communities of Scirpus olneyi (C3) and Spartina patens (C4), and a mixed community of S. olneyi, S. patens and Distichlis spicata (C4). Nitrogen and carbon concentration (% wt) of aboveground tissue was followed throughout growth and senescence. Green shoot %N was reduced and %C was unchanged under elevated CO2 in S. olneyi. This resulted in a 20%–40% increase in tissue C/N ratio. There was no effect of CO2 on either C4 species. Maximum aboveground N (g/m2) was unchanged in S. olneyi, indicating that increased productivity under elevated CO2 was dependent on reallocation of stored N. There was no change in the N recovery efficiency of S. olneyi in pure stand and a decrease in the mixed community. Litter C/N ratio was not affected by elevated CO2 suggesting that decomposition and N mineralization rates will also remain unchanged. Continued growth responses to elevated CO2 could, however, be limited by the ability of S. olneyi to increase the total aboveground N pool.
Measuring and Treating Serum Lipids in Patients in a Chest Pain Observation Unit

We evaluated opportunities to initiate statin therapy in 574 consecutive subjects admitted to a chest pain observation unit (CPOU). Ten-year Framingham risk scores were retrospectively calculated for all patients according to the National Cholesterol Education Program and Adult Treatment Panel III 2001 recommendations. Subjects were then stratified according to (1) recommendations for initiation of a lipid-lowering medication and (2) whether they received lipid-lowering drug therapy at discharge. Of 574 subjects, we excluded 50 with previously established coronary heart disease or who were already taking a statin medication on presentation, 23 with missing data, and 80 who did not have a low-density lipoprotein (LDL) measurement at admission. Of the remaining 421 subjects, the mean age was 47 years, 40% were men, 57% were white, 31% had hypertension, 27% were current smokers, and 6% had diabetes. Ten-year risk calculation classified 47% (n = 199) at low risk ( 20% risk). Of the entire cohort, 23% of subjects (n = 96) had hypercholesterolemia, of which 52% (n = 50) met indications for initiation of lipid-lowering medication. Only 6% of patients with an indication for treatment (n = 3) were prescribed a lipid-lowering medication on discharge, leaving 94% (n = 47) untreated for their hypercholesterolemia. In conclusion, patients admitted to a CPOU have a high prevalence of hypercholesterolemia, and therefore, an increased long-term risk for cardiovascular events. In addition to their primary role, CPOUs should focus on primary prevention and reduction of long-term risk.
Quantitative aspects of fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry

Aspects of quantitative analysis using fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry were investigated for several compounds of biological interest. Internal standards of two types were employed; the structural analog dansyl-asparagine for the quantitation of dansyl-glutamine and stable isotopically labeled 4-amino-(2,2-2H2)butyric acid for the quantitation of 4-aminobutyric acid. Widely varying concentration ranges, from 0.5 to 250 nmol μl−1, were measured to establish the dynamic range of the measurements. The results showed that at analyte concentrations below 10–20 nmol μl−1, the abundance of the analyte's quasi-molecular ion is proportional to concentration while the abundance of that of the internal standard is relatively constant. At higher concentrations of analyte, the abundance of the [M + H]+ of the internal standard decreases while that for the analyte increases, with both of these effects diminishing as the surface of the sample becomes saturated with analyte. Nevertheless, the standard curve produced from plotting the abundance of the [M + H]+ of the analyte (relative to that of the internal standard) versus the amount of analyte gives a straight line.
Differential Effects of Short- and Long-Term Potentiation on Cell Firing in the CA1 Region of the Hippocampus

Long-term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampus enhances the ability of a stimulus to produce cell firing, not only by increasing the strength of the EPSPs, but also by increasing the efficiency of the input/output (I/O) function of pyramidal neurons. This means that EPSPs of a given size more easily elicit spikes after LTP, a process known as EPSP-spike (E-S) potentiation. In contrast to LTP, it is not known whether the synaptic strengthening produced by paired-pulse facilitation (PPF) also results in changes in the I/O function. We have addressed this question by examining E-S curves from rat hippocampal area CA1 in response to both PPF and LTP. We describe a novel form of I/O modulation in which PPF produces E-S depression; that is, the E-S curve is shifted to the right, indicating a decreased ability of EPSPs to elicit action potentials. Consistent with the notion that E-S potentiation observed with LTP is caused by long-term increases in the excitatory-inhibitory ratio, we show that PPF-induced E-S depression relies on short-term decreases in this ratio. These results indicate that different forms of synaptic plasticity that produce the same degree of EPSP potentiation can result in dramatically different effects on cell firing, because of the dynamic changes in the excitatory-inhibitory balance within local circuits.
Evidence for validity of a survey to measure the learning environment for professionalism.

Background: With the emphasis on professionalism in academic health settings, including recently added accreditation requirements for US medical schools, there is a need for a valid and feasible method to assess the learning environment for professionalism.Aim: This article describes the development and investigation of the validity of a brief measure, the learning environment for professionalism (LEP) survey, designed to assess medical student perceptions of professionalism among residents and faculty during clinical rotations.Method: Two successive cohorts of third-year medical students completed the 22-item LEP survey at the conclusion of clerkship rotations, providing a total of 902 responses for scale reliability and principal components factor analysis, as well as assessment of changes in scores over time and correlations with a related clerkship evaluation item.Results: The internal structure of the LEP survey was consistent with intended goals to assess both positive and negative professionalism b...
Transformative Autoethnography: An Examination of Cultural Identity and its Implications for Learners.

The cultural experiences of minority learners are often omitted from the formal curriculum leading to exclusion and a sense of cultural loss. In this study, the researcher’s lived experience serves...
Locally Conformal Dirac Structures and Infinitesimal Automorphisms

We study the main properties of locally conformal Dirac bundles, which include Dirac structures on a manifold and locally conformal symplectic manifolds. It is proven that certain locally conformal Dirac bundles induce Jacobi structures on quotient manifolds. Furthermore we show that, given a locally conformal Dirac bundle over a smooth manifold M, there is a Lie homomorphism between a subalgebra of the Lie algebra of infinitesimal automorphisms and the Lie algebra of admissible functions. We also show that Dirac manifolds can be obtained from locally conformal Dirac bundles by using an appropriate covering map. Finally, we extend locally conformal Dirac bundles to the context of Lie algebroids.
Detached Eddy Simulation Of Turbine Blade Cooling

Implementation of direct numerical simulation or large eddy simulation for turbomachinery applications is very expensive with present day computational power. Present work explores the possibility of detached eddy simulation (DES) for the film cooled flat plate. A geometry of single row of 35 degree round holes on a flat plate is used for the blowing ratio of 1.0 and density ratio of 0.5. Use of symmetry boundary condition is avoided to capture threedimensional, unsteady, turbulent nature of the flow. Present simulation uses unstructured grid and parallel algorithm to perform DES. Implicit time -stepping is used for the CFL number upto one million. Presence of asymmetry in the DES solution is documented by plotting the temperature and velocity profiles at various streamwise locations. Numerical calculation of effectiveness is validated with reported experimental results.
Boundary element methods for optimization of distributed parameter systems

A numerical method of solution is proposed for optimization problems of distributed parameter systems. Two model problems from continuum mechanics are investigated by means of constructing the problems as the steady-state optimal control problems governed by elliptic partial differential equations. The basis of the suggested method of solution lies in the space discretization of the necessary conditions for optimality by the boundary element method, and the minimization of the performance indices by the conjugate gradient method of optimization.
SafeRoadMaps: communication of location and density of traffic fatalities through spatial visualization and heat map analysis

Road traffic injuries are the number one, non-disease-related, cause of death in the world; more than 1.2 million people die each year on the roads, and between 20 and 50 million sustain non-fatal injuries. In 2008, in the United States, there were 37261 motor vehicle fatalities - the result of 34017 motor vehicle crashes. Clearly, there is an urgent need for governmental agencies, and other key institutions, to increase and sustain action to prevent motor vehicle injuries. This article reports on the iterative development of SafeRoadMaps, a publicly accessible system for' presenting accident frequencies and characteristics based on geographic location (www.saferoadmaps.org). The system was developed to visually communicate and allow analysis of public health issues related to rural and urban road transportation safety. One of the distinctive features of this online system is the use of" heat maps' as a visual means for communicating the spatial density of traffic fatalities. The article begins with a review of the action research design approach utilized for the analysis, design and implementation of this system, continues with an overview of the system and its visualization methods to communicate safety information to travelers and other stakeholders, and concludes with a summary of findings from end-user feedback, including the system's potential to raise user awareness and affect driving behavior.
Response of turkey hens to dietary linoleic acid fed as corn oil.

Abstract STUDIES with linoleic acid in laying diets for chickens have been of interest to a number of researchers. Marion and Edwards (1964) reported greater egg production and hatchability when linoleic acid was fed to hens. Egg size increased after 6 weeks. Shutze et al. (1962) obtained increased egg weight in young pullets fed practical diets supplemented with corn oil. Shutze and Jensen (1963) significantly improved egg weights with linoleic acid. Menge et al. (1963) obtained increased egg production, egg size, fertility and hatchability when linoleic acid was fed to pullets which had been depleted. Fisher and Levielle (1957) reported an increase in linoleic and linolenic acids in the content of egg fat when hens were fed linseed oil. Safflower and soybean oils increased only the linoleic acid content despite the fact that soybean oil contains linolenic acid. Calvert and Menge (1967) expressed doubt that a practical diet incorporating small grains, . . .
The value of statistical or bioinformatics annotation for rare variant association with quantitative trait.

In the past few years, a plethora of methods for rare variant association with phenotype have been proposed. These methods aggregate information from multiple rare variants across genomic region(s), but there is little consensus as to which method is most effective. The weighting scheme adopted when aggregating information across variants is one of the primary determinants of effectiveness. Here we present a systematic evaluation of multiple weighting schemes through a series of simulations intended to mimic large sequencing studies of a quantitative trait. We evaluate existing phenotype-independent and -dependent methods, as well as weights estimated by penalized regression approaches including Lasso, Elastic Net and SCAD. We find that the difference in power between phenotype-dependent schemes is negligible when high quality functional annotations are available. When functional annotations are unavailable or incomplete, all methods suffer from power loss; however, the variable selection methods outperform the others at the cost of increased computational time. Therefore, in the absence of good annotation, we recommend variable selection methods (which can be viewed as “statistical annotation”) on top regions implicated by a phenotype independent weighting scheme. Further, once a region is implicated, variable selection can help to identify potential causal SNPs for biological validation. These findings are supported by an analysis of a high coverage targeted sequencing study of 1898 individuals.
A Cyclone Phase Space Derived from Thermal Wind and Thermal Asymmetry

Abstract An objectively defined three-dimensional cyclone phase space is proposed and explored. Cyclone phase is described using the parameters of storm-motion-relative thickness asymmetry (symmetric/nonfrontal versus asymmetric/frontal) and vertical derivative of horizontal height gradient (cold- versus warm-core structure via the thermal wind relationship). A cyclone's life cycle can be analyzed within this phase space, providing substantial insight into the cyclone structural evolution. An objective classification of cyclone phase is possible, unifying the basic structural description of tropical, extratropical, and hybrid cyclones into a continuum. Stereotypical symmetric warm-core (tropical cyclone) and asymmetric cold-core (extratropical cyclone) life cycles are illustrated using 1° Navy Operational Global Atmospheric Prediction System (NOGAPS) operational analyses and 2.5° NCEP–NCAR reanalyses. The transitions between cyclone phases are clearly illustrated within the phase space, including extratro...
Gender and Reactions to Psychological Problems: An Examination of Social Tolerance and Perceived Dangerousness

Using the Mental Health Module of the 1996 General Social Survey (N = 1,302), I examine the influence of gender on public reactions to characters portrayed with psychological problems, focusing on self-perceptions of social tolerance and, relatedly, ratings of dangerousness. I find that respondents claim greater willingness to interact socially with female characters than with male characters portrayed with the same problems. Female characters are also rated as less dangerous to others, this partially accounts for the effect of gender on self-perceptions of social tolerance. This effect does not vary significantly across the different types of problems portrayed. Furthermore, women and men do not differ in their perceived willingness to interact with or ratings of dangerousness of characters portrayed with psychological problems. Finally, gender-symmetry (i.e., when the respondent and the character are of the same gender) influences self-perceptions of social tolerance. In closing, I discuss implications for current theoretical perspectives on reactions to psychological problems.
A technic for separation of the cells of the gastric mucosa.

SummaryA technic that provides a suspension of living parietal cells is described. Gastric mucosa is minced, extracted with collagenase and the cells separated by differential centrifugation. Identification of cell types is achieved by histological and histochemical technics. Difficulties encountered in purification are discussed. The suspension is suitable for metabolic studies of the parietal cell.