cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Heart rate and skin conductance responses to signal and nonsignal stimuli

Heart rate and skin conductance were recorded from human Ss while they listened to a mixed series of two tone stimuli. Ss were required either to count or to give a motor response to one stimulus (the signal stimulus) and to ignore the other stimulus. Skin conductance responses were larger for signal stimuli than for ignore stimuli, and the motor response Ss gave larger responses than the counting Ss, for both types of stimuli. The accelerative component of the heart rate response was greater for signal stimuli, and this finding, together with those findings from reaction time studies, is discussed in relation to the conceptual distinction between imperative and warning stimuli.
Land Tenure and Family Organization in an Italian Village

In a recent paper in this journal Moss and Thomson discussed some functional attributes of the South Italian family.1 The following remarks are concerned rather with change in structural features of families in a South Central Italian community. Of interest to the applied anthropologist is the influence upon forms of social organization of planned change in the areas of property and productivity. Our specific focus here is on the relationship between familial structure and land ownership.
FACTORS AFFECTING THE FOSTER CARE PLACEMENT DECISION: An Analysis of National Survey Data

With more than 350,000 children in foster care in the United States, this paper explores why some children are removed from their biological parents while others, with similar problems, receive services in the home. A discriminant analysis of children who were placed in foster care and those who were provided supportive services at home suggests that, for children in all age groups, parents' income level is the best predictor of a child's removal from the home.
Fluid analysis of an input control problem

A two-station network with controllable inputs and sequencing control, proposed by Wein (Oper. Res. 38:1065---1078, 1990), is analyzed. A control is sought to minimize holding cost subject to a throughput constraint. In a Lagrangian formulation, input vanishes in the fluid limit. Several alternative fluid models, including workload formulations, are analyzed to develop a heuristic policy for the stochastic network. Both the fluid heuristic and Wein's diffusion solution are compared with the optimal policy by solving the dynamic program. Examples with up to six customer classes, using Poisson arrival and service processes, are presented. The fluid heuristic does well at sequencing control but the diffusion gives additional, and better, information on input control. The fluid analysis, in particular whether the fluid priorities are greedy, aids in determining whether the fluid heuristic contains useful information.
Analysis of driver injury severity levels at multiple locations using ordered probit models

Abstract Problem : The occurrence and outcome of traffic crashes have long been recognized as complex events involving interactions between many factors, including the roadway, driver, traffic characteristics, and the environment. This study is concerned with the outcome of the crash. Method : Driver injury severity levels are analyzed using the ordered probit modeling methodology. Models were developed for roadway sections, signalized intersections, and toll plazas in Central Florida. All models showed the significance of driver's age, gender, seat belt use, point of impact, speed, and vehicle type on the injury severity level. Other variables were found significant only in specific cases. Results : A driver's violation was significant in the case of signalized intersections. Alcohol, lighting conditions, and the existence of a horizontal curve affected the likelihood of injuries in the roadway sections' model. A variable specific to toll plazas, vehicles equipped with Electronic Toll Collection (ETC), had a positive effect on the probability of higher injury severity at toll plazas. Other variables that entered into some of the models were weather condition, area type, and some interaction factors. This study illustrates the similarities and the differences in the factors that affect injury severity between different locations.
Representation of Particulate Matter COD in Rainfall Runoff from Paved Urban Watersheds

For a half century, total suspended solids (TSS) has been the most commonly utilized particulate matter (PM) gravimetric index for wastewater. While TSS has been extended to urban runoff, runoff phenomena are unique. Runoff is unsteady and transports heterodisperse inorganic granulometry, giving rise to the PM index, suspended sediment concentration (SSC). With respect to PM-associated chemical oxygen demand (CODp) in runoff, it is hypothesized that, while the TSS method can represent effluent CODp, the SSC method is required to represent influent CODp. CODp and PM indices (TSS and SSC) for runoff events with mass balances and manual sampling are analyzed to investigate this hypothesis. This study examined a series of rainfall-runoff events captured from an instrumented fully paved urban catchment subject to traffic loadings in Baton Rouge, LA. Results indicate TSS generated substantial event-based mass balance errors for CODp and Δm p (mg/g) across a hydrodynamic separator (HS) as compared to SSC. TSS underestimates sediment-bound COD (>75 µm), a significant portion (maximum of 63% and median of 50%) of influent load. Negative bias by the TSS method for influent CODp load increases as the heterodisperse particle size distribution becomes coarser. Above a PM of 250 mg/L, underestimation of CODp by the TSS method is statistically significant. Utilizing the SSC method, CODp reduction by a HS upstream of a batch clarifier (BC) indicates that a HS does not provide CODp reduction, compared to a BC with 60 min of residence time. Representative PM and CODP assessment suggests frequent BMP and drainage system maintenance to ensure proper operation and reduce pollutant elution.
Compilation and analysis of Bacillus subtilis sigma A-dependent promoter sequences: evidence for extended contact between RNA polymerase and upstream promoter DNA.

Sequence analysis of 236 promoters recognized by the Bacillus subtilis cARNA polymerase reveals an extended promoter structure. The most highly conserved bases include the -35 and -10 hexanucleotide core elements and a TG dlnucleotide at position -15,-14. In addition, several weakly conserved A and T residues are present upstream of the -35 region. Analysis of dinucleotide composition reveals Ar and T2-rich sequences in the upstream promoter region (-36 to -70) which are phased with the DNA helix: A,, tracts are common near -43, -54 and -65; Tn tracts predominate at the intervening positions. When compared with larger regions of the genome, upstream promoter regions have an excess of A,, and Tn sequences for n > 4. These data indicate that an RNA polymerase binding site affects DNA sequence as far upstream as -70. This sequence conservation is discussed in light of recent evidence that the a subunits of the polymerase core bind DNA and that the promoter may wrap around RNA polymerase.
The preparation and catalytic properties of recombinant human prostate-specific antigen (rPSA).

Abstract The serine proteinase prostate-specific antigen (PSA), and its complex with the serine proteinase inhibitor α 1 -antichymotrypsin (ACT), have been used as markers for the diagnosis of prostate cancer. PSA prepared from seminal fluid is typically contaminated with the trypsin-like glandular kallikrein (hK2). Here we describe a convenient and reproducible preparation of catalytically active recombinant PSA (rPSA) and demonstrate an overall similarity in the properties of cloned and refolded rPSA to PSA purified from seminal fluid. We also present results that are relevant for increasing the sensitivity of assays of PSA activity in biological fluids, for the putative role of PSA activity in physiologically important processes, including prostate cancer metastasis, and for the design of PSA inhibitors. Specifically, we find that added salts, in particular NaCl, give rise to dramatic increases in rPSA catalytic activity, as does added glycerol. On the other hand, Zn 2+ , spermine, and spermidine, each a major component of seminal and prostatic fluid, strongly inhibit rPSA activity, with Zn 2+ being a non-competitive inhibitor while spermine is a competitive inhibitor. Citrate, also a major component of seminal and prostatic fluid, spermine, and spermidine each protect rPSA from Zn 2+ inhibition, presumably via Zn 2+ sequestration. Finally, rPSA efficiently proteolyzes several protein substrates.
Managing tumor lysis syndrome in 2010

In this issue of Leukemia and Lymphoma, Darmon et al. report that patients with renal injury manifest by an acute rise in serum creatinine or the development of oliguria without a rise in the serum...
ION PAIRING AND REACTIVITY OF β-KETOENOLATES

Relationships between structure and reactivity for alkali salts of the following symmetrical β-diketones in dimethyl sulfoxide solution are considered: dibenzoylmethane; dipivaloylmethane; 3-methylpentane-2,4-dione; 2-methyldimedone; dimethyl methylmalonate and isopropylidene methylmalonate (methyl Meldrum's Acid). Lithium, sodium, potassium, cesium and tetrabutylammonium salts were compared in several cases. The stabilities and structures of the ion-pairs were studied by conductance, nmr, far infrared and by the rates and heats of reaction with methyl iodide. The results, for the most part, are consistent with a simple two-state equilibrium and imply that the cyclic enolate anions are more stable than their acylic analogues both in terms of dissociation from the ion pair and also in terms of their reactivities to proton transfer and alkylation.
Improving surgical residents' performance on written assessments of cultural competency.

Context The pressure to implement cultural-competency training at the level of GME is high. The rapidly diversifying American population and the ACGME demand it, and cultural competency is recognized as a core competency under “Professionalism.” Objectives The objectives for this study were (1) to assess residents' baseline levels of cultural competence, (2) define barriers to skill-acquisition, and (3) examine efficacy of educational programs in improving cultural competence. Setting & Participants In all, 43 residents from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine participated in a prospective, Institutional Review Board (IRB)–approved study. Design During Step 1 (pretest), baseline performance was recorded using 3 assessments: (1) Healthcare Cultural Competency Test (HCCT), (2) Cultural skills acquisition (CSA), and (3) Clinical Scenarios Test (CSE). During Step 2 (Educational Intervention), a 2-part lecture that focused on principles of cultural competency and continued self-learning was presented. Last, for Step 3 (posttest), the post-program evaluation was administered as in Step 1. Main Outcome Measures Answers for Step 1 (pretest) and Step 3 (posttest) were compared using a paired t-test for HCCT and CSE and the chi-square test for CSA. Results Thirty-five replies were evaluated. Every resident performed better on the posttest than the pretest. Specifically, participants showed 88% improvement in their scores on the HCCT (pretest: 360, posttest: 696; p Conclusions Surgery residents tested for 3 aspects of cultural competence prior to and after teaching sessions showed marked improvement on all 3 assessment measures after this brief intervention.
Ion Implantation Technique For Simultaneous Formation of A Shallow Silicon p-n Junction and a Shallow Silicide-Silicon Ohmic Contact

Electron beam evaporation is used to coat a p-type silicon substrate with a thin layer of tungsten and then with alternating layers of silicon and tungsten. Bombardment of the coated substrate with As + ions causes intermixing of the metal and silicon layers, dispersion of contaminant atoms at the interface between the first metal layer and the substrate, and implantation of arsenic atoms in the substrate. Subsequent thermal annealing produces a shallow silicide–silicon ohmic contact and simultaneously activates the implanted arsenic donors to form a shallow p–n + junction. This technique has been used for the fabrication of mesa diodes with good junction characteristics. A simplified version, in which only a single tungsten layer is deposited on the substrate, has been used as a self–aligned process in the fabrication of metal/oxide/semiconductor field effect transistors with a polycide gate. In the transistors the silicide contacts to the source and drain regions can be made very close to the gate, reducing both the series resistance of these regions and the overall device size.
On the distribution of the product of independent beta random variables

In this paper, exact distribution of the product of independent beta random variables has been derived and its structural form is given together with recurrence relations for the coefficients of this representation. These recurrence relations yield a direct computational algorithm for computing the percentage points of many test criteria in multivariate statistical analysis.
Treatment in an obstetric intensive care unitWilliam C. Mabie, MD, and Baha M. Sibai, MD

A three-bed intensive care unit was opened in the labor and delivery area of a city-county hospital having approximately 7500 deliveries annually. The utilization rate of 0.9% and the severity of illness were sufficient to justify such a unit. Main indications for admission were hypertensive disorders (46%), massive hemorrhage (10%), and medical problems of pregnancy (44%). Identifiable benefits of the unit were as follows: (1) Intensive observation and organization allowed for prevention or early recognition and treatment of complications; (2) familiarity with invasive monitoring permitted personnel to exert prompt, rational treatment of hemodynamically unstable patients; (3) continuity of care was improved before and after delivery; (4) residents and fellows learned a great deal about intensive care and the management of rare medical complications of pregnancy. We conclude not only that critically ill pregnant women can be managed successfully in an obstetric intensive care unit but also that critical care is a bona fide part of obstetric practice and has been incorporated into our training program. (Ann J OBSTET GYNECOL 1990;162:1-4.)
Evaluation and Treatment of Biking and Running Injuries

Exercise is universally recognized as a key feature for maintaining good health. Likewise, lack of physical activity is a major risk factor for chronic disease and disability, an especially important fact considering our rapidly aging population. Biking and running are frequently recommended as forms of exercise. As more individuals participate in running-related and cycling-related activities, physicians must be increasingly aware of the common injuries encountered in these pursuits. This review focuses on the evaluation and management of common running-related and cycling-related injuries.
Airway Management in the Pediatric Trauma Patient

The most immediate concern in the management of any pediatric emergency, including trauma, is airway assessment with assisted or controlled ventilation as needed. In the trauma setting, several factors may increase the risks associated with airway management including cardiorespiratory instability, associated maxillofacial injuries, cervical spine injuries, and the risk of acid aspiration. The author reviews the techniques used to manage the airway in the pediatric trauma patient including the evaluation of the cemcal spine and techniques to protect the cenical spine during endotracheal intubation. Airway management techniques including standard oral endotracheal intubation with sedation and neuromuscular blockade, the approach to the recognized difficult airway, and the techniques used in the “cannot intubate/cannot ventilation” scenario are discussed.
Morphological changes in aging cell lines of Paramecium aurelia. II. Macronuclear alterations

Electron microscopic examination of aging P. aurelia showed that the macronucleus undergoes characteristic structural changes. The surface of the aging macronucleus was highly invaginated. Compared with young macronuclei, the chromatin bodies appeared to be smaller and condensed, and were fewer per unit area of the aging macronucleus. The nucleolar bodies also showed morphological alterations. In many aging macronuclei the nucleolar bodies appeared to be aggregated. Large ring-shaped or coiled loops of nucleoli were also observed. These changes in the ultrastructure of macronucleus in the aging paramecia suggest that the macronucleus in the aging cells is less active in the synthesis of macromolecules and transport of material to the cytoplasm.
Simulating Secularization A Pedagogical Strategy for the Sociology of Religion

Instructing students in sociological theory is a foundational part of the discipline, but it can also be a challenge. Readers of Teaching Sociology can find a number of activities designed to there are fewer activities designed to improve student learning in more substantive coursework like the sociology of religion. The purpose of this note is to describe and evaluate an activity student learning is based on multiple forms of assessment including a pretest-posttest design, -ended reflections about their experience during the simulation. Implications for the sociology of religion and the broader discipline are discussed.
Activity restriction, impaired capillary function, and the development of insulin resistance in lean primates.

Insulin produces capillary recruitment in skeletal muscle through a nitric oxide (NO)-dependent mechanism. Capillary recruitment is blunted in obese and diabetic subjects and contributes to impaire...
Exploration for Mississippi-Valley type stratabound Zn ores with stream suspensates and stream sediments, Virginia, U.S.A.

Abstract Suspended and equivalent active sediments were collected from streams at 84 sites at the eastern and western sides of a ridge with stratabound Zn mineralization, Rockingham County, Virginia (USA). The purpose was to evaluate the relative effectiveness of suspended and bottom sediment in the geochemical exploration for Mississippi-Valley type Zn ores. The orebody is composed of sphalerite and minor amounts of galena with some chalcopyrite, strikes parallel to the enclosing dolomite beds at N34°E, and cuts vertically across the 30°SE dip. Oxidation of the ore extends to about 100 m in depth. Zinc was effective in detecting the mineralized zone. Zinc in the suspensates provided a denser anomaly system (7 strong and 2 moderate samples) than Zn in the The major anomaly systems are along the eastern side of the ridge with comparatively few anomalies present in the drainage along the western side. The concentration of anomalies in the eastern drainage and anomaly disposition with respect to known mineralization result from structural control on the hydromorphic dispersion of metals from the orebody.
Science in the cloud: lessons from three years of research projects on microsoft azure

Microsoft Research is now in its fourth year of awarding Windows Azure cloud resources to the academic community. As of April 2014, over 200 research projects have started. In this paper we review the results of this effort to date. We also characterize the computational paradigms that work well in public cloud environments and those that are usually disappointing. We also discuss many of the barriers to successfully using commercial cloud platforms in research and ways these problems can be overcome.
Vacuum-Rabi-splitting-induced transparency

The vacuum Rabi splitting may be observed with population-trapping techniques. The trapped population has a lifetime much greater than the natural lifetime of the atomic transition; as a result, vacuum Rabi splittings that are much smaller than the natural lifetime may be observed. A condition for lasing without inversion in this system without any externally injected coherent field or coherence is stated.
Reductive nitrosylation and S-nitrosation of hemoglobin in inhomogeneous nitric oxide solutions.

Abstract Elucidating the reaction of nitric oxide (NO) with oxyhemoglobin [HbFe(II)O 2 ] is critical to understanding the metabolic fate of NO in the vasculature. At low concentrations of NO, methemoglobin [HbFe(III)] is the only detectable product from this reaction; however, locally high concentrations of NO have been demonstrated to result in some iron-nitrosylhemoglobin [HbFe(II)NO] and S -nitrosohemoglobin (SNO-Hb) formation. Reductive nitrosylation through a HbFe(III) intermediate was proposed as a viable pathway under such conditions. Here, we explore another potential mechanism based on mixed valenced Hb tetramers. The oxidation of one or two heme Fe(II) in the R-state HbFe(II)O 2 has been observed to lower the oxygen affinity of the remaining heme groups, thus creating the possibility of oxygen release and NO binding at the heme Fe(II) sites. This mixed valenced hypothesis requires an allosteric transition of the Hb tetramer. Hence, this hypothesis can account for HbFe(II)NO formation, but not SNO-Hb formation. Here, we demonstrate that cyanide attenuated the formation of SNO-Hb by 30–40% when a saturated NO bolus was added to 0.1–1.0 mM HbFe(II)O 2 solutions. In addition, HbFe(II)NO formation under such inhomogeneous conditions does not require allostericity. Therefore, we concluded that the mixed valenced theory does not play a major role under these conditions, and reductive nitrosylation accounts for a significant fraction of the HbFe(II)NO formed and approximately 30–40% of SNO-Hb. The remaining SNO-Hb is likely formed from NO oxidation products.
Physiologic studies of autonomic-nervous-system dysfunction accompanying diabetes mellitus.

Three patients with visceral neuropathy accompanying diabetes mellitus were presented. The manifestations included gastric retention, nausea and vomiting, nocturnal diarrhea, malabsorption, impotence, urinary retention, syncope, and postural hypotension.
Placental peroxidase--further purification of the enzyme and oxidation of thiobenzamide.

Summary Human term placental peroxidase [donor: hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) oxidoreductase] from non-smoking women was purified by extraction of the membrane fraction with 0.5 m Ca 2+ followed by affinity chromatography on concanavalin A, hydrophobic chromatography on phenyl sepharose CL-4B and gel filtration chromatography on sephacryl S-200 columns. The final enzyme preparation was 110-fold pure when compared to the Ca 2+ extract and the overall recovery of the procedure was 55 per cent. SDS-PAGE of the final product showed the presence of four protein staining bands of molecular weights 30, 32.5, 35 and 55 KDa. The purified peroxidase eluted as a single peak from the sephacryl S-200 column suggesting apparent homogeneity of the protein. The purified placental peroxidase oxidized thiobenzamide to its sulfoxide. The highest rate of TB S-oxidation under optimum conditions was 18±2.15 μmoles/min/mg protein. The H 2 O 2 -dependent thiobenzamide S-oxidation catalysed by the placental peroxidase was inhibited by KCN and NaN 3 with IC 50 values of 16.9 and 34 μm respectively.
Anisotropic potential energy functions for carbon atoms in graphite

Abstract Recent experimental studies of the scattering of He atomic beams by graphite have shown that the electronic anisotropy of the C atoms must be taken into account in calculating the interaction between a graphite lattice and an external He atom. The empirical compressibility of graphite is used to determine an appropriate value for the polarizability of graphite C atoms parallel to the graphite c axis, a parameter needed to calculate He-graphite interaction potentials.
Causal relationships among world wheat prices

An empirical study of the causal patterns among world wheat markets suggests that weak lead-lag relationships do exist between various wheat markets. Ten monthly time series for the period January 1972 to February 1981 and four weekly time series for the period July 1977 to June 1980 were analyzed using extensions of time series modeling procedures of Box and Jenkins. Differences between the empirical results and price leadership models in the economic literature are noted. Strong evidence of instantaneous movement among world wheat markets was found, but due to limitations in the data, there is only weak evidence that some markets act as price leaders. There is consistent evidence that the United States has been a price leader in the cash market over the years 1972 to 1981.
Hearing is prelude to senate showdown on climate change

Two U.S. senators who are sponsoring legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have indicated that they will loosen the reduction requirements in an effort to attract additional support for the bill. Senators John McCain (R-Arizona) and Joseph Lieberman (D-Connecticut) indicated they will offer the amended version in preparation for a Senate showdown on climate change expected later this fall. The Climate Stewardship Act of 2003 (S.139), originally introduced in January 2003, still would promote climate research, establish a mandatory carbon dioxide reduction program, and require affected industry sectors to reduce greenhouse emissions to year 2000 levels by the year 2010. However, McCain said the bill no longer would require further reductions, by the year 2016, to levels that existed in 1990. The bill also would be far less rigorous than the Kyoto Protocol.
THE REGIONALIZATION OF RADICAL CYSTECTOMY TO SPECIFIC MEDICAL CENTERS

ABSTRACTPurpose: Regionalization of high risk surgical procedures to larger teaching hospitals has been suggested as a means to improve the quality of care. We established a novel framework for characterizing regionalization, implemented it to determine the extent to which regionalization of radical cystectomy has occurred and delineated whether specific patient characteristics are associated with this phenomenon.Materials and Methods: We used the Nationwide Inpatient Sample to identify 22,088 patients who underwent radical cystectomy for bladder cancer from 1988 to 2000. Regionalization was assessed using 5 structural hospital measures, including teaching status, urban location, discharge volume, cystectomy volume and bed capacity. Adjusted models were developed to identify the significance of temporal trends and assess the association of demographic factors with structural qualities.Results: Compared with 1988 to 1990 subjects were more likely to undergo cystectomy at teaching hospitals (OR 1.8), high c...
Clouds of venus: evidence for their nature.

Polarization of sunlight multiply scattered by atmosphere and cloud particles of Venus from UV to IR
ON USING THE COHERENT FAR IR RADIATION PRODUCED BY A CHARGED-PARTICLE BUNCH TO DETERMINE ITS SHAPE : I ANALYSIS

Abstract Because a short bunch of relativistic charged particles produces characteristic far infrared radiation when appropriately perturbed, the resulting spectrum can be related to the bunch form factor to provide information on the longitudinal shape. An important question which we address here regards the accuracy of the shape determined from such a spectroscopic measurement. Once the frequency dependence of the intensity of the emitted radiation has been obtained, there are two analysis methods which have been used to produce the longitudinal shape. Both make use of extrapolation into frequency regions where data is not available. One approach relies on the assumption that the bunch is symmetric so that a cosine Fourier transform can be used to find the shape. In the second approach, which we have proposed, a Kramers-Kronig relation is applied to the spectral form-factor data to find the minimal phase and then the asymmetric bunch shape is determined from the complete Fourier transform. By studying a variety of possible symmetric bunch shapes and extrapolations we have been able to identify the source of possible errors inherent in this phase determination process. For all reasonable shaped bunches and extrapolations we find that the actual phase is well represented by the minimal phase obtained from the Kramers-Kronig analysis. A straightforward extension illustrates how spectral measurements at different angles with respect to the beam trajectory may be used to define the 3-D bunch shape.
Facultative adjustment of pre‐fledging mass recession by nestling chimney swifts Chaetura pelagica

In species susceptible to mass-dependent flight costs, mass recession prior to fledging may ensure that fledglings have appropriate wing loading. Our objectives were to determine if mass recession by chimney swift Chaetura pelagica nestlings is intrinsically controlled or facultatively adjusted by nestlings, and if mass recession is driven by changes in parental (i.e. reduced provisioning rates) or nestling (i.e. reduced begging) behavior. Nestling swifts (n = 50 in 17 broods) were divided into three treatment groups: controls, half-weighted, or weighted. Half-weighted and weighted nestlings had 0.6–0.7 or 1.2–1.3-g lead weights, respectively, glued to body feathers on their backs during the period from 16 to 26 d post-hatching. Weighted nestlings lost more mass than control and half-weighted nestlings. After accounting for the added weights, control nestlings also had a higher wing loading than weighted nestlings. Video recordings revealed that provisioning rates of adult swifts did not vary throughout the nestling period, but the percent time nestlings spent begging increased slightly with age. Differences in mass recession among nestlings in different treatment groups resulted in convergence toward similar wing loading values likely optimal for flight efficiency. Mechanism(s) involved in this process remain unclear because provisioning rates were similar (from day 12 to 26 post-hatching) whereas percent begging time by nestlings tended to increase with nestling age. However, weighted nestlings may have lost more mass than control nestlings by soliciting less food from adults than siblings, being more active, losing more water due to tissue maturation, or through some combination of two or more of these factors.
Refractory and Super-Refractory Status Epilepticus—an Update

Status epilepticus is a medical emergency with a high mortality. Early recognition and initiation of treatment leads to a better response and may improve outcomes. Refractory status epilepticus is defined as recurrent seizure activity despite two appropriately selected and dosed antiepileptic drugs including a benzodiazepine. The term “super-refractory status epilepticus” was introduced during the London–Innsbruck Colloquium on status epilepticus in 2011 and refers to status epilepticus that continues or recurs 24 h or more after the initiation of treatment with anesthetic antiepileptic drugs. This includes cases in which seizure control is attained after induction of anesthesia but recurs on weaning the patient off the anesthetic agent. This article reviews the approach to refractory status epilepticus and super-refractory status epilepticus, including management as well as common pathophysiological causes of these entities.
Self-Reported Psychiatric Symptoms among Black, Hispanic, and White Outpatients.

Examined ethnic differences among black, Hispanic, and white applicants for outpatient psychotherapy, using symptoms self-reported on the Symptom Checklist 90-Revised (SCL 90-R). The relationship between self-reported severity of symptoms and therapist-reported severity of psychiatric diagnoses also was examined in order to assess the utility of SCL 90-R as a predictor of diagnostic severity for these ethnic groups. One hundred sixty-five patients completed the SCL 90-R. The patients were predominantly in the low-income social classes. A significant ethnic effect was found on several symptom dimensions, with black patients less likely to report symptoms than Hispanic or white patients. Hispanic patients were found to report the highest symptom levels on 8 of 11 measures. While, overall, therapist diagnostic severity was related significantly to self-reported symptomatology, the relationship was strongest for white patients, significant but less strong for Hispanic patients, and not significant for black patients.
Oxidation of 2-keto-4-thiomethylbutyric acid (KTBA) by iron-binding compounds produced by the wood-decaying fungus Gloeophyllum trabeum

The ability of iron-binding compounds isolated from the brown-rot fungus Gloeophyllum trabeum to carry out one-electron oxidation reactions was established using a model substrate, 2-keto-4-thiomethylbutyric acid (KTBA). The oxidation reaction was monitored by measuring the amount of ethylene produced from the substrate by gas chromatography. The extent of the reaction was found to be influenced by the concentration of the chelators, and by iron and manganese.
TOLERANCE TO MORPHINE-INDUCED CALCIUM DEPLETION IN REGIONAL BRAIN AREAS: CHARACTERIZATION WITH RESERPINE AND PROTEIN SYNTHESIS INHIBITORS

Abstract 1 Administration of a single dose of morphine sulphate (25 mg/kg) induces tolerance to calcium depletion lasting seven days. 2 There are no apparent changes in calcium content in any of eight discrete brain regions throughout this seven day period. 3 Pretreatment with reserpine (5 mg/kg) did not alter the ability of morphine to induce tolerance. Reserpine alone produced no tolerance to its own calcium depleting action. 4 Cycloheximide (500 mug/kg) but not chloramphenicol (200 mg/kg) effectively prevented development of tolerance. 5 It is concluded that the induction of tolerance to calcium depletion seen after morphine may involve changes in various proteins in membranes of synaptic origin.
The First Arab Expedition against Amorium

AbstractThe chronology of Byzantine history in the middle of the seventh century is obscure and confused. Among the unsettled problems is the date of the early Arab raids into Asia Minor after the Arabs completed their conquest of Palestine and Syria in 640. The scanty Greek and Oriental Christian sources need supplementation from the Arabic ones. Although Charles C. Torrey published his edition of the Futū Mir or History of the Conquest of Egypt, North Africa and Spain by Ibn ‘Abd al-akam more than fifty years ago, Byzantinists do not appear to have consulted the important section on Egypt which has not been fully translated into a western language. Yet Ibn ‘Abd al-akam, who was born c. 798–9 and who died in 871, is a significant and early historical authority. He provides a short reference to an Arab expedition against Amorium in the year A.H. 23 (A.D. 644): ‘ … according to Layth b. Sa‘d [and] he said 'Wahb b. ‘Umayr was commander of the forces of Egypt in the Amorium expedition [fī ghazwati ‘Ammūriyat...
Oscillator brackets for Hartree-Fock calculations

Abstract Some explicit formulae are derived for the oscillator brackets occuring in the calculation of nuclear two-body matrix elements. These formulae are especially adapted to the calculation of brackets with low relative angular momentum l. There are no restrictions on the radial quantum numbers, which makes this method particularly useful for Hartree-Fock calculations. Estimates are given for the computing time.
Magnetic resonance imaging of acute “wiiitis” of the upper extremity

We present the first reported case of acute “wiiitis”, documented clinically and by imaging, of the upper extremity, caused by prolonged participation in a physically interactive virtual video-game. Unenhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated marked T2-weighted signal abnormality within several muscles of the shoulder and upper arm, without evidence of macroscopic partial- or full-thickness tearing of the muscle or of intramuscular hematoma.
The Job Embeddedness instrument: An evaluation of validity and reliability

A cross sectional correlational mailed survey was used to assess the validity and reliability of the Job Embeddedness (JE) instrument for predicting nurse retention. A regression model using the variables of JE and age were predictive of nurse retention in a sample of Registered Nurses (RNs) working in long term care (LTC) settings. This study supports the multi-dimensionality, validity and reliability of the underlying JE construct. However a different factor structure was suggested that better fit the data. Long term care organizations (LTC) may benefit from a strategy of increasing the embeddedness of their existing employees in order to increase nurse retention. Job embbededness could be used as a foundation to provide effective nurse retention strategies in LTC settings.
Zero on the NIHSS Does Not Equal the Absence of Stroke

Study objective The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) measures deficits caused by a stroke, but not all stroke signs are captured on the NIHSS. We determine the symptoms and stroke localization of patients with brain infarction and an NIHSS score of 0. Methods We studied all patients who presented with acute neurologic symptoms to our stroke center from 2004 to 2008 and had persistent symptoms at the evaluation in the emergency department, an NIHSS score of 0, and an infarct on diffusion-weighted imaging. We characterized the symptoms, signs, lesion location, demographics, and stroke causes. Results Twenty patients met inclusion criteria. Symptoms frequently experienced were headache, vertigo, and nausea. The posterior circulation was commonly infarcted in this group. Truncal ataxia was the most common neurologic sign. Conclusion Ischemic stroke may cause symptoms that are associated with no deficits on the NIHSS score.
Improvement of Gaze Control After Balance and Eye Movement Training in Patients With Progressive Supranuclear Palsy: A Quasi-Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract Zampieri C, Di Fabio RP. Improvement of gaze control after balance and eye movement training in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy: a quasi-randomized controlled trial. Objective One of the main oculomotor findings in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is the inability to saccade downward. In addition, people with PSP have difficulty suppressing fixation, which may contribute to vertical gaze palsy. The objective was to investigate the effectiveness of a rehabilitation intervention tailored to enhance suppression of fixation and gaze shift in participants with PSP. Design Controlled trial with a quasi-randomized design. Measures occurred at week 1 and 5. Researchers assessing participants were blind to the group assignments. Setting Movement disorders assessment laboratory. Participants Nineteen adults with possible or probable PSP who were ambulatory for short distances and had far visual acuity of 20/80 and a Folstein Mini-Mental State score of more than 23. Interventions Balance training complemented with eye movement and visual awareness exercises was compared with balance training alone. Main Outcome Measures Gaze control was assessed using a vertical Gaze Fixation Score and a Gaze Error Index. Results Gaze control after the balance plus eye exercise significantly improved, whereas no significant improvement was observed for the group that received balance training alone. Conclusions These preliminary findings support the use of balance and eye movement exercises to improve gaze control in PSP.
RCS rat retinal rod outer segment membranes exhibit different cholesterol distributions than those of normal rats.

Abstract Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rats exhibit an hereditary defect in phagocytosis of the tips of the photoreceptor cell rod outer segments (ROS) which leads to degeneration of the retinal visual cells. The lipid composition of outer segment membranes of these rats was analysed and compared to those of normal rats to determine whether there are differences between the normal and mutant rat ROS. The cholesterol distribution in ROS disk membranes from normal and RCS rats was investigated using a digitonin induced change in membrane density. Normal rat ROS disks varied in cholesterol to phospholipid mole ratio from 0·36 to 0·03. The disk membranes from RCS rats, however, do not exhibit the same marked cholesterol heterogeneity. The mean molar ratio of cholesterol to phospholipid in the disk membranes of normal rats is 0·11 while that found in the RCS rats is 0·14. The ROS plasma membrane of dystrophic rats also has a lower cholesterol to phospholipid ratio (0·20) than is found in the normal rat (0·40). The phospholipid headgroup composition of RCS disks and plasma membrane were determined, RCS disks were shown to differ from those of normal animals. The cholesterol content of ROS disks may be governed by the phospholipid composition.
Acoustic Measurements of the Boiling Stability Tests on THORS Sodium Loop

Acoustic data of boiling stability tests on the THORS (hermal-Hydraulic Out-of-Reactor Safety) facility were obtained using three sodium-immersible high temperature microphones. The data was analyzed in both the time and frequency domains and provides the following information: (1) the acoustic signal due to sodium boiling was clearly observed; (2) the signal level and the repetition rate of boiling pulses are directly proportional to the applied heat flux; (3) a typical boiling pulse consists of a high frequency signal due mainly to the bubble collapses and a low frequency void oscillation; (4) the frequency spectra of the boiling and background pulses can be mostly assigned to various acoustic resonance frequencies of the THORS loop. The characterization of these data is pertinent to the design of sodium boiling detection systems.
The Regulatory Power of Glycans and their Binding Partners in Immunity

Glycans and glycan-binding proteins are central to a properly functioning immune system. Perhaps the best known example of this is the selectin family of surface proteins that are primarily found on leukocytes, and which bind to endothelial glycans near sites of infection or inflammation and enable extravasation into tissues. In the past decade, however, several other immune pathways that are dependent on or sensitive to changes in glycan-mediated mechanisms have been revealed. These include antibody function, apoptosis, T helper (Th)1 versus Th2 skewing, T cell receptor signaling, and MHC class II antigen presentation. Here, we highlight how regulated changes in protein glycosylation both at the cell surface and on secreted glycoproteins can positively and negatively modulate the immune response.
ELECTRONIC INFORMATION: Storage, Communication, and Access

A user of information has three strategies for capturing, storing, and accessing information in electronic form: a personal collection, a local library, or a remote service. Each strategy embodies a different mix of storage cost, communication cost, and user effort. Rapid and radical technical changes in storage, communication, and access methods may be causing changes in the relative costs of the three strategies. As a consequence, libraries face the challenge of devising a collection policy for electronic documents in an evolving environment.
Polypeptide chains containing D-gamma-hydroxyvaline.

Life has an unexplained and distinct l-homochirality. Proteins typically incorporate only l-amino acids into their sequences. In the present study, d-Val and d-γ-hydroxyvaline (d-Hyv; V*) have been found within ribosomally expressed polypeptide chains. Four conopeptides were initially isolated, gld-V*/gld-V*‘ from the venom of Conus gladiator and mus-V*/mus-V*‘ from the venom of Conus mus. Their complete sequences (gld-V*/gld-V*‘ = Ala-Hyp-Ala-Asn-Ser-d-Hyv-Trp-Ser and mus-V*/mus-V*‘ = Ser-Hyp-Ala-Asn-Ser-d-Hyv-Trp-Ser) were determined by a combination of nano/pico-NMR and MS/MS methods. The amino acid triad that contains the γ-hydroxylated residue, Ser-d-Hyv-Trp, is a novel structural motif that is stabilized by specific interactions between the d-amino acid and its neighboring l-counterparts. These interactions inhibit lactonization, a peptide backbone scission process that would normally be initiated by γ-hydroxylated residues. Conopeptides possessing the Ser-d-Hyv-Trp motif have been termed γ-hydroxyc...
Favorable Effects of Acebutolol on Exercise Performance and Angina in Men with Coronary Artery Disease

Acebutolol, a relatively cardioselective β-adrenergic blocking drug, was administered to 20 men with coronary artery disease and angina. A three month double-blind cross-over (placebo and acebutolol) design was used following a 12-week placebo phase and a six-week dose-titration phase. During the cross-over phase, acebutolol (400 mg in 19 men and 300 mg in one, orally three times per day) increased the duration of treadmill exercise (placebo, 6.8 ± 0.5 min [average ± SEM]; acebutolol, 8.1 ± 0.6 min; P −2 ) was decreased both at rest (placebo, 105.0 ± 4.0; acebutolol, 84.0 ± 3.0; P
Preperitoneal insertion of the HeartMate 1000 IP implantable left ventricular assist device.

Abstract During a 16-month period, 12 consecutive patients underwent insertion of a HeartMate 1000 IP left ventricular assist device in a preperitoneal pocket that separated the device from the abdomen. All patients were in cardiogenic shock awaiting heart transplantation. Preoperatively, the mean cardiac index was 1.6 L · min −1 · m −2 , with 11 patients on intraaortic balloon pump support and 2 cn extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The pocket was formed below the rectus abdominis and internal oblique muscles and above the posterior rectus sheath. The pump fit easily in all patients. One patient died of progressive multiorgan failure. Four patients are still on support. Seven patients underwent successful transplantation after a mean duration of 55 days of support (mean pump index was 3.1 L · min −1 · m −2 during support). One patient had driveline revision because of an exit site infection but had successful transplantation. the pump was explanted without difficulty at each transplant operation. All patients having transplantation are alive and well. Preperitoneal insertion of the HeartMate left ventricular assist device can be safely performed and may avoid problems posed by intraabdominal left ventricular assist device insertion.
A mevalonate kinase assay.

Abstract A suitable assay has been developed for accurate measurements of mevalonate kinase in a crude enzyme preparation. The assay is particularly useful where comparative, tissue-specific, or developmental studies are to be made on mevalonate kinase. We have found this method of assay of mevalonate kinase to be particularly suitable for our own studies of kinase activity in crude homogenates of germinated pea seeds. In the present study, the specific activity of the kinase was calculated to be 0.4 mμmole r -MVA min−1 mg−1. This represents a lower limit for the activity due to the first-order conditions used for the assay. As a general assay for the kinase, the procedure seems promising in terms of accuracy, simplicity, and labor.
The impact of controlled solvent exposure on the morphology, structure and function of bulk heterojunction solar cells

Films of poly(3-hexyl thiophene) (P3HT):[6,6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) were controllably exposed to CS2 vapor in a column with a linear solvent vapor pressure gradient. Changes in the morphology of the P3HT:PCBM thin film were monitored and correlated to the ability of this thin film to act as the active layer in an organic solar cell. The results show that the crystallinity and crystal size of the P3HT increase initially with solvent vapor pressure and annealing time, but longer exposure to solvent decreases P3HT crystallinity and photovoltaic efficiency. Neutron reflectivity indicates that the PCBM segregates to the Si substrate in the as-cast thin film, but distributes throughout the film with solvent annealing. The changes in crystallinity and the depth profile of the P3HT:PCBM mixture differ from those induced by thermal annealing. The structural variation with solvent exposure is correlated to photovoltaic function, demonstrating that the solvent annealing provides a window of optimum efficiency, which depends on solvent exposure. Moreover, the control of depth profile and structure should be generally applicable to a broad range of polymer-nanoparticle mixtures and thus these results provide fundamental information that can be used to control the depth profile, morphology and function of thin film nanocomposites.