cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recent advances in immunosuppression

T THE PRESENT time, cyclosporin A (CsA) and FK506 (tacrolimus; Prograf, Fujisawa USA, Deerfield, IL) are both used as immunosuppressive agents in the transplant setting. The introduction of CsA to the clinical arena in the late 1970s heralded an increased success not only in solid organ transplantation, but also in bone marrow transplantation. However, chronic administration of CsA is not without potential and at times serious side effects including hypertension, neurologic toxicity, and nephrotoxicity. Isolated in 1984, FK506 is 10- to 100-fold more potent than CsA in inhibiting T cell function in vitro. However, its use is still accompanied by serious side effects including decreased renal function, glucose intolerance, and infectious and neurologic complications. Thus, efforts to develop new agents with less toxicity, but equal or improved immunosuppressive efficacy are ongoing. Rapamycin is a novel immunosuppressant whose use in clinical transplantation is beginning to be explored. Although structurally similar to FK506, rapamycin has a distinct mechanism of action. This article focuses on the mechanisms by which these drugs exert their biological effects. An understanding of the mechanisms involved in immunosuppression is helpful'in anticipating the clinical course of patients maintained on these
On the dynamics of a slender rod

Abstract The moment equation for the space rotation of a slender rod about a fixed point on its axis is developed with the aid of a visual vector approach and is shown to have the same form as the moment equation for the plane rotation of a slender rod. Also, an analogy between the general rotation of the rod and the plane motion of a point expressed in polar coordinates is presented as an aid to the more complete physical understanding of the motion.
The role of hormones in glucose repression in rat liver.

Abstract Previous studies from this laboratory have demonstrated that the admin istration of amino acid mixtures to rats previously fed a 0% protein diet will markedly induce the synthesis of several hepatic enzymes. In particular, serine dehydratase is markedly induced under these conditions. The induc tion is characterized by an initial period of RNA synthesis, but thereafter appears to continue independent of RNA synthesis. That the increases seen are the result of actual changes in the rate of synthesis of the enzyme has been demonstrated by immunochemical methods. Relatively low doses of glucose (150 mg) effectively repress enzyme synthesis under these conditions. Glucagon also induces serine dehydratase, this induction being repressed by glucose. Insulin given to animals partially repressed with glucose has no further effect. However, rats made diabetic with alloxan show marked increases in the level of serine dehydratase, this high level being unaffected by glucose, fructose, or insulin administration. Similar findings may be seen with the mitochondrial enzyme, ornithine transaminase. The enzymes of carbohyd rate metabolism, glucokinase, citrate cleavage enzyme and glucose 6-phos phate dehydrogenase, may be induced by protein and glucose in the intact animal, but appear to require glucose and insulin in the diabetic animal. Animals fed a high protein diet show marked increases in serine dehydratase and ornithine transaminase which is not affected by the chronic administra tion of insulin. These studies demonstrate that glucose repression is a complex phenomenon, probably requiring the interaction of hormones and substrates. The data seen in this paper, however, do not in any way support a primary role for insulin in the mechanism of glucose repression in rat liver.
Reevaluating the relationship between transferable property rights and command-and-control regulation

Economists generally assume that systems of transferable property rights are preferable to non-market systems. This paper suggests that the design of a market-based policy that dominates a command-andcontrol regime is more subtle than is commonly believed, even in theory. The subtlety arises because identical approaches to monitoring and enforcement will not generally yield the same results in different regulatory environments. The paper identifies conditions under which a kind of market dominance result obtains. The theory is then applied to the problem of trading rights to emit pollutants from motor vehicles.
On Formulation of a Non-Steady Lubrication Problem for a Non-Conformal Contact©

A formulation of a non-steady problem for elastohydrodynamically lubricated (EHL) non-conformal contact is considered. It takes into account elasticity of contact bodies, lubricant viscosity and changing in time location of the inlet boundary, velocities of the contact surfaces and applied load. The main goal of this paper is to propose a “modified” formulation of the problem free of certain defects. A “traditional” and “modified” formulations of the problem, leading to discontinuous and smooth solutions in cases of abrupt changes in external load applied to a contact and linear velocities of its surfaces, are considered. For the case of purely squeezed lubrication film, an analytical and numerical analysis of the dynamic response of a lubricated contact to abrupt changes in external load is performed. It is shown that in the case of purely squeezed rigid surfaces it takes infinite time to bring the surfaces in direct contact, i.e. theoretically, the film thickness never reaches zero. Presented as a Socie...
Causes and Prevalence of Unplanned Readmissions After Colorectal Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the current literature was conducted to compare the overall and cause-specific readmission rates after colorectal surgery of older adults with those of younger individuals. Potential predictors of unplanned readmission were also identified. Estimated pooled readmission rates were calculated and reported as pooled proportions with associated 95% confidence intervals (CI) in 60,131 total readmissions; 11.0% (95% CI = 10.0-12.0) of all admissions after colorectal surgery resulted in unplanned readmission at 30 days. Older adults had a lower rate of readmission than younger individuals. Bowel obstruction was the most common cause of unplanned readmission, accounting for 33.4% of all unplanned readmissions, followed by surgical site infection (15.7%) and intraabdominal abscess (12.6%). Several age-related predictors of unplanned readmission were identified, such as poor functional capacity, multiple comorbidities, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and discharge to a nonhome destination. The findings of this review will help guide the development of future interventions to reduce preventable readmissions after colorectal surgery in older adults.
Effects of previous storage history, hybrid, and drying method on the storability of maize grain (corn)☆

Maize grain (corn) from three harvest years (1986, 1991, and 1992) was harvested, dried, and stored in small bins. Samples taken at harvest and samples taken after various periods of bin storage (up to 77 months) were subjected to accelerated storage tests for measurement of carbon dioxide (CO2) evolution. The initial (t < 72 h) slopes (SLOPE72) of CO2 evolution rate curves were related to storability (r = 0.82), as measured by cumulative CO2 evolution at 200 h. SLOPE72 (a faster test method than cumulative evolution) was subsequently used to evaluate the effects of the following factors on storability: (1) hybrid, (2) drying method, and (3) previous storage history. Differences in storability, attributable to hybrid, were significant both at harvest and after periods of bin storage. One extremely unusual growing year (severe drought stress) affected the otherwise consistent storability ranking among hybrids. Maize grain dried by high-temperature (95 °C) batch crossflow drying had significantly lower storability (i.e. greater SLOPE72) than did the same hybrids dried by low-temperature (ambient air) drying. Previous storage history (moisture content and duration) affected subsequent storability. Storage for longer periods, given the same moisture content, resulted in lower subsequent storability, and storage at higher moisture content, given the same time period, also resulted in lower subsequent storability.
Foster Youth and Dating Violence

This study surveyed 106 adolescents in foster or group care to attempt to understand how experiences in dating violence might be distinct from those reported in studies of adolescents in the general population. The participants were asked about their experiences as victims and perpetrators of abuse, their witnessing violence in the family of origin, their continued participation in an abusive dating relationship, and their desire for prevention and intervention services. Youth in foster and group care were not found to have higher levels of self-reported involvement in dating violence than youth in the general population but did have a greater tendency to remain in abusive relationships. There was a weak but positive association between witnessing past violence in the family and dating violence. Potential implications for service delivery and future research are discussed.
Code team hazards.

Hospitalised resuscitation code) team members face unique risks: physical, chemical, environmental, psychosocial/ psychosocial and/or infectious hazards. The everyday health and safety dangers code teams encounter are discussed.
Superconductor-to-insulator transition in the Bi2Sr3−xYxCu2O8+y system

Abstract The compositions Bi2Sr3−xYxCu2O8 have been prepared with the structure of superconducting Bi2 Sr3−xCaxCu2O8. The range of x in Bi2Sr3−xYxCu2O8 is roughly 0.2 to 1.0 and chemical analysis shows that the CuIII concentration increases with decreasing x. The compositions are superconducting (Tc ∼ 65–72 K) for x = ∼0.2 to 0.4. Insulating behavior is observed in the region from x = 0.5 to 1.0. This insulating region would not be expected if the Bi 6p band overlapped the Fermi level, as indicated by recent band structure calculations for Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8.
Attenuation Of Multimode Fused Silica Optical Fibers Cooled To Liquid Helium Temperature

The feasibility of bringing an optical signal through an optical fiber to a detection and processing system at liquid helium temperature was examined. The attenuation of three multimode optical fibers, from two different manufacturers with different buffer coatings, was measured under different cooling conditions. It was found that the attenuation depends on the cooling condition and has hysteresis effects. Independent of the λ tested (0.4 - 1.65 μm) the attenuation stayed below 0.1 dB/m under controlled slow cooling and under 0,5 dB/m with very fast cooling. Therefore, optical fibers can be used to bring optical signals into a liquid helium cooled Dewar for detection and processing.
Preparation of a functionalized naphthalene monomer, 5-bromo-6-methoxy-2-vinylnaphthalene

Abstract A new polyfunctionalized naphthalene monomer, 5-bromo-6-methoxy-2-vinylnaphthalene, was prepared in high yield from the commercially available 6-bromo-2-naphthol.
An Autobiographical Fragment

In this article, I attempt to locate some of the personal and professional roots of my identity as a psychoanalyst. Theoretically and clinically, I have arrived at what I think of as a “radical middle-of-the-road perspective” that includes both what I see as the most important and enduring sensibilities of mainstream Freudian thinking and what I see as the most interesting contributions of the interpersonal/relational tradition. Institutionally, I advocate a kind of cacophony that encourages respectful but most likely irresolvable debate among adherents of different points of view. My training, as a psychologist interested in psychoanalysis during the 1970s, was steeped in pluralism and conceptual heterodoxy. However, I believe that my personal history prepared me to seek out and to embrace this psychoanalytic world, which was at the time and to some extent remains slightly outside the mainstream.
Amorphous W40Re40B20 diffusion barriers for /Al and /Cu metallizations

The performance of W40Re40B20 metallic amorphous thin film alloys as diffusion barriers between monocrystalline silicon substrates ( ) and aluminum or copper overlayers is reported. The films are deposited using d.c. and r.f. magnetron co-sputtering. Their crystallization temperature and resistivity are about 900°C and 200 μohmscm, respectively. The /W40Re40B20/Al and /W40Re40B20/Cu metallizations were vacuum-annealed at different temperatures for 30 min and characterized by 4He backscattering spectrometry, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy in combination with energy-dispersive analysis of X-rays, and electrical measurements on shallow junction diodes. The /W40Re40B20/Al structure was stable up to 500 °C and failed at 550 °C due to chemical reactions between the barrier and aluminum. A formation of cracks in the bilayer /W40Re40B20/Cu structure is responsible for its failure at 600 °C. The results demonstrate that it is fruitless to raise the crystallization temperature of an amorphous metallic film if its ability to react with the adjacent materials is not suppressed as well.
Intersubunit Complementation of Sugar Signal Transduction in VirA Heterodimers and Posttranslational Regulation of VirA Activity in Agrobacterium tumefaciens

The VirA/VirG two-component regulatory system of Agrobacterium tumefaciens regulates expression of the virulence (vir) genes that control the infection process leading to crown gall tumor disease on susceptible plants. VirA, a membrane-bound homodimer, initiates vir gene induction by communicating the presence of molecular signals found at the site of a plant wound through phosphorylation of VirG. Inducing signals include phenols, monosaccharides, and acidic pH. While sugars are not essential for gene induction, their presence greatly increases vir gene expression when levels of the essential phenolic signal are low. Reception of the sugar signal depends on a direct interaction between ChvE, a sugar-binding protein, and VirA. Here we show that the sugar signal received in the periplasmic region of one subunit within a VirA heterodimer can enhance the kinase function of the second subunit. However, sugar enhancement of vir gene expression was vector dependent. virA alleles expressed from pSa-derived vectors inhibited signal transduction by endogenous VirA. Inhibition was conditional, depending on the induction medium and the virA allele tested. Moreover, constitutive expression of virG overcame the inhibitory effect of some but not all virA alleles, suggesting that there may be more than one inhibitory mechanism.
Keynote Address - exploring, modeling, and using the web graph

The Web graph, meaning the graph induced by Web pages as nodes and their hyperlinks as directed edges, has become a fascinating object of study for many people: physicists, sociologists, mathematicians, computer scientists, and information retrieval specialists.Recent results range from theoretical (e.g.: models for the graph, semi-external algorithms), to experimental (e.g.: new insights regarding the rate of change of pages, new data on the distribution of degrees), to practical (e.g.: improvements in crawling technology).Recent results range from theoretical (e.g.: models for the graph, semi-external algorithms), to experimental (e.g.: new insights regarding the rate of change of pages, new data on the distribution of degrees), to practical (e.g.: improvements in crawling technology).The goal of this talk is to convey an introduction to the state of the art in this area and to sketch the current issues in collecting, representing, analyzing, and modeling this graph. Although graph analytic methods are essential tools in the Web IR arsenal, they are well known to the SIGIR community and will not be discussed here in any detail; instead, we will explore some challenges and opportunities for using IR methods and techniques in the exploration of the Web graph, in particular in dealing with legitimate and "spam" perturbations of the "natural" process of birth and death of nodes and links, and conversely, the challenges and opportunities of using graph methods in support of IR on the Web and in the enterprise.
Access control for online social networks third party applications

With the development of Web 2.0 technologies, online social networks are able to provide open platforms to enable the seamless sharing of profile data to enable public developers to interface and extend the social network services as applications. At the same time, these open interfaces pose serious privacy concerns as third party applications are usually given access to the user profiles. Current related research has focused on mainly user-to-user interactions in social networks, and seems to ignore the third party applications. In this paper, we present an access control framework to manage third party applications. Our framework is based on enabling the user to specify the data attributes to be shared with the application and at the same time be able to specify the degree of specificity of the shared attributes. We model applications as finite state machines, and use the required user profile attributes as conditions governing the application execution. We formulate the minimal attribute generalization problem and we propose a solution that maps the problem to the shortest path problem to find the minimum set of attribute generalization required to access the application services. We assess the feasibility of our approach by developing a proof-of-concept implementation and by conducting user studies on a widely-used social network platform.
Black hole attractors and the topological string

A simple relationship of the form ZBH = |Ztop|2 is conjectured, where ZBH is a supersymmetric partition function for a four-dimensional BPS black hole in a Calabi-Yau compactification of Type II superstring theory and Ztop is a second-quantized topological string partition function evaluated at the attractor point in moduli space associated to the black hole charges. Evidence for the conjecture in a perturbation expansion about large graviphoton charge is given. The microcanonical ensemble of BPS black holes can be viewed as the Wigner function associated to the wave function defined by the topological string partition function.
Peripheral Retinal Neovascularization in Rheumatic Fever

• During a two-year period, a 15-year-old boy had three major manifestations of rheumatic fever, ie, chorea, rash, and carditis. Following the acute carditis, peripheral retinal neovascularization appeared in the left eye. Associated transient hemiparesis suggests that emboli may account for the retinal vascular occlusion. Rheumatic fever should be considered in the medical survey of patients who have retinal new vessels of obscure origin.
Stabilizing Function for Myristoyl Group Revealed by the Crystal Structure of a Neuronal Calcium Sensor, Guanylate Cyclase-Activating Protein 1

Summary Guanylate cyclase-activating proteins (GCAPs) are Ca 2+ -binding proteins myristoylated at the N terminus that regulate guanylate cyclases in photoreceptor cells and belong to the family of neuronal calcium sensors (NCS). Many NCS proteins display a recoverin-like "calcium-myristoyl switch" whereby the myristoyl group, buried inside the protein in the Ca 2+ -free state, becomes fully exposed upon Ca 2+ binding. Here we present a 2.0 A resolution crystal structure of myristoylated GCAP1 with Ca 2+ bound. The acyl group is buried inside Ca 2+ -bound GCAP1. This is in sharp contrast to Ca 2+ -bound recoverin, where the myristoyl group is solvent exposed. Furthermore, we provide direct evidence that the acyl group in GCAP1 remains buried in the Ca 2+ -free state and does not undergo switching. A pronounced kink in the C-terminal helix and the presence of the myristoyl group allow clustering of sequence elements crucial for GCAP1 activity.
Reduction of metastatic rate by immunotherapy: A comparison of the immunogenic properties of metastasizing tumor cells versus tumor cells in the primary mass

The vasculature of a poorly immunogenic, highly metastatic transplantable fibrosarcoma (T-241) maintained in the femoral muscle of C57BL/6J mice was perfused. This permitted collection of tumor cells which had invaded into the tumor vascular channels (ie, metastasizing tumor cells). Also collected as a separate population were tumor cells from the primary tumor mass. Immunization was carried out with these cell populations in conjunction with BCG and the effect on the growth of primary tumor and metastatic rate was evaluated following rechallenge with unfractionated tumor cells. The rate of tumor growth at the primary site was not affected by any of the immunization schedules. However, immunization with venous effluent cells (metastasizing tumor cells) and BCG was two times more effective in reducing the number of pulmonary metastases than immunization using tumor cells isolated from the primary tumor mass. Passively transferred spleen cells from donors immunized with the cell populations listed above had exactly the same effect, that is, no effect on the growth of the primary tumor, but a dramatic reduction in the metastatic rate when effluent tumor cells were used to immunize cell donors. The data point to an antigenic heterogeneity with this particular transplantable tumor.
Prospective comparison between hand-assisted laparoscopic and open surgical nephroureterectomy for urothelial cell carcinoma.

Abstract Objectives. To prospectively compare open surgical and the new hand-assisted approach to laparoscopic nephroureterectomy for urothelial cell carcinoma. Previous retrospective studies have suggested that standard laparoscopic nephroureterectomy provides a briefer convalescence than open surgical nephroureterectomy. Methods. Between March 1997 and September 1999, 16 hand-assisted laparoscopic and 11 open surgical nephroureterectomies were performed, without randomization. Validated questionnaires were prospectively administered preoperatively and 2 and 6 weeks postoperatively. Results. The operative time was longer with the laparoscopic approach (320 versus 199 minutes, P P = 0.03). Patient recovery favored the laparoscopic group with regard to time to drive (17.1 versus 37.7 days), time to normal, nonstrenuous activity (18.2 versus 38.1 days), and the mental component score of the SF-12 survey at 6 weeks (57.1 versus 43.0) ( P P >0.1 for both). Cancer control was similar between both groups. The mean operating room cost was 56% more for the laparoscopic group ( P P >0.3). Conclusions. Hand-assisted laparoscopic nephroureterectomy is a safe and effective alternative to an open surgical approach. Indexes of patient recovery suggest that patient convalescence is less than after an open surgical nephroureterectomy. Increased operative costs may be offset by a shorter hospital stay and fewer complications, resulting in similar overall hospital costs.
A general theory of set-point regulation for MIMO linear dynamical systems; the case of output set-point regulation ["pointing control"] part 1: precise formulation as a subspace-stabilization problem

This paper is a continuation of an earlier paper in which a general, multivariable output set-point regulation problem for a broad class of MIMO linear dynamic systems was formulated as a novel "subspace-stabilization control" problem. In this paper that formulation of the problem is used to develop a rather general linear-algebraic theory of, and an effective control-design algorithm for, multivariable output set-point regulation problems.
Flank Sequences of miR‐145/143 and Their Aberrant Expression in Vascular Disease: Mechanism and Therapeutic Application

Background Many microRNAs (miRNAs) are downregulated in proliferative vascular disease. Thus, upregulation of these miRNAs has become a major focus of research activity. However, there is a critical barrier in gene therapy to upregulate some miRNAs such as miR-145 and miR-143 because of their significant downregulation by the unclear endogenous mechanisms under disease conditions. The purpose of this study was to determine the molecular mechanisms responsible for their downregulation and to overcome the therapeutic barrier. Methods and Results In cultured proliferative rat vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in vitro and in diseased rat and mouse arteries in vivo, we have identified that the impairment of pri-miR-145 into pre-miR-145 is the critical step related to the downregulation of miR-145, in which the PI3-kinase/Akt/p53 pathway is involved. We further identified that the flank sequences of pri-miR-145 are the critical structural components responsible for the aberrant miR-145 expression. Switching of the flank sequence of downregulated miR-145 and miR-143 to the flank sequence of miR-31 confers resistance to their downregulation. The genetically engineered miR-145 (smart miR-145) restored the downregulated miR-145 in proliferative rat VSMCs and in rat carotid arteries with balloon injury and mouse atherosclerotic aortas and demonstrated much better therapeutic effects on the abnormal growth of VSMCs, expression of its target gene, KLF5 expression, VSMC marker gene expression, and vascular neointimal growth. Conclusions The flank sequences of miR-145 and miR-143 play a critical role in their aberrant expression in VSMCs and vascular walls. The genetically engineered “smart” miRNAs based on their flank sequences may have broadly therapeutic applications for many vascular diseases.
Using state polls to forecast presidential election outcomes in the American states

Abstract This paper presents a simple forecasting model for state-level presidential outcomes, based on statewide preference polls and a lagged vote variable. The analysis illustrates two important points. First, the candidate who is leading in a state in September usually goes on to win that state in the November election. Second, the combination of pre-election preference polls and a lagged dependent variable generates highly accurate estimates of presidential election outcomes in the states. The limits of using statewide preference polls are also discussed.
Postnatal development of connectional specificity of corticospinal terminals in the cat

The purpose of this study was to examine postnatal development of connectional specificity of corticospinal terminals. We labeled a small population of primary motor cortex neurons with the anterograde tracer biotinylated dextran amine. We reconstructed individual corticospinal segmental axon terminals in the spinal gray matter in cats of varying postnatal ages and adults. We found that at days 25 and 35 the segmental termination field of reconstructed axons was large, estimated to cover more than half of the contralateral gray matter. Branches and varicosities were sparse and had a relatively uniform distribution. When we examined the terminal fields of multiple axons, reconstructed over the same set of spinal sections (120 ‐200 m), we found that there was extensive overlap. By day 55, the morphology and termination fields had changed remarkably. There were many short branches, organized into discrete clusters, and varicosities were preferentially located within these clusters. The termination field of individual axons was substantially reduced compared with that of younger animals, and there was minimal overlap between the terminals of neighboring corticospinal neurons. In adults, a further reduction was seen in the spatial extent of terminals, branching, and varicosity density. Termination overlap was not substantially different from that in PD 55 animals. Development of spatially restricted clusters of short terminal branches and dense axonal varicosities occurred just prior to development of the motor map in primary motor cortex and may be necessary for ensuring that the corticospinal system can exert a dominant influence on skilled limb movement control in maturity. J. Comp. Neurol. 447:57‐71, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Autologous transplantation for newly diagnosed follicular lymphoma: cure at last or not yet?

Comment on Lenz et al, page [2667][1] In this multicenter, randomized prospective study of patients with advanced follicular lymphoma, autologous stem cell transplantation resulted in a doubling of progression-free survival at 5 years. Further follow-up is needed to establish a survival advantage
Preferential attachment of cock spermatozoa to the perivitelline layer directly over the germinal disc of the hen's ovum.

In vitro incubation of cock spermatozoa with perivitelline layer (PL) from recently ovulated ova of the hen resulted in binding of spermatozoa to the PL and activation of the acrosome reaction. A simple quantitative technique was developed for assessing these events. Following incubation of the PL (0.5 cm2 sections) with spermatozoa, the PL section was rinsed and stained with Schiff’s reagent. Microscopic examination revealed holes in the PL that were assumed to be sites of spermatozoa penetration. Utilizing this technique, a correlation was demonstrated between sperm concentration and the number of spermatozoa attaching to the PL and undergoing an acrosome reaction. Pre-treatment of spermatozoa with solubilized PL inhibited spermatozoa binding to pieces of intact PL The PL overlying the germinal disc and a similarly sized section of PL from another area of the ovum were removed and
Repeated recharge, assimilation, and hybridization in magmas erupted from El Chichón as recorded by plagioclase and amphibole phenocrysts

Abstract Compositional and isotopic zoning patterns in plagioclase and amphibole phenocrysts from El Chichon record multiple cycles of country rock assimilation, magma injection, hybridization, and mixing. Laser ablation ICP-MS and electron microprobe analyses of plagioclase crystals from 7 eruptions spanning 3100 years reveal four types of zoning. These compositional and isotopic zones are often associated with textural changes observed in the crystals in thin section (e.g. sieved or patchy regions). Amphiboles are frequently zoned in Al and Si, and, in two magmas, may have clinopyroxene rims. Interestingly, most plagioclase show multiple and repeated zoning patterns. Moreover, all magmas contain all zoning patterns and textures, and crystals with substantially different sequences of zones occur within mm of one another. The most reasonable explanation for the origin of these textures is a frequently recharged chamber. Plagioclase zones with increasing anorthite contents (An) and decreasing 87Sr/86Sr ratios record injection by a hotter, possibly wetter, and more primitive magma (lower 87Sr/86Sr ratio). Zones with decreasing An and increasing 87Sr/86Sr ratios record assimilation of country rock and/or hybridization of the host and injected magmas; injection of hot magma may provide the heat for country rock assimilation. Changes in An without corresponding changes in 87Sr/86Sr ratio likely record slight variations in pressure or temperature during crystallization, or the far-field thermal effects of magma injection. Variations in 87Sr/86Sr ratio unaccompanied by Anzoning record assimilation of country rock. Amphibole zoning patterns also record periodic heating events; amphibole with clinopyroxene rims record episodes where the magma was heated beyond the amphibole stability field. Bulk compositional homogeneity and the juxtaposition of many crystals with disparate zoning patterns in single pumice require the magmatic system to be well mixed. Strontium diffusion rates indicate that the plagioclase zoning patterns cannot have persisted at magmatic pressures and temperatures for more than ~ 500 years, thus cycles of injection and assimilation occur on timescales equal to or shorter than the eruption recurrence interval. Long-term compositional and isotopic homogeneity indicate that there is a balance between recharge, assimilation, and crystallization.
A Visit to Hungarian Mathematics

Our investigation focused on historical, pedagogical, and social-political aspects of Hungarian mathematical life. We did not attempt to survey Hungarian mathematical research of the present. Even so, our time proved too short for our ambitions. The important Hungarian mathematicians whom we missed are certainly more numerous than those we interviewed. We spoke in depth to a dozen people, and carried out formal interviews with eight: in Hungary, Belaszokefalvi-Nagy, Pal Erdos, Tibor Gallai (recently deceased), Istvan Vincze, and Lajos Posa; in the United States, Agnes Berger, John Horvath, and Peter Lax. (While we were in Budapest, two of the leading newspapers carried major articles honoring Szokefalvi - Nagy's 75th birthday.) We asked all our interviewees the question “What is so special about Hungarian mathematics? What made possible the production of so many famous mathematicians in such a small, poor country, in the period between the two Wars?” In our interviews, and also in our reading, we got two quite distinct kinds of answers. Type 1 was internal. It related to institutions and practices within the world of mathematics. The other kind, type 2, was external. It related to trends and conditions in Hungarian history and social life at large. Perhaps one contribution of this article is to point out the importance of both types of answer. One could conjecture that favorable conditions of both types---within mathematical life and within socio-politico-economic life at large--- are necessary to produce a brilliant result such as the Hungarian mathematics of the 1920s and 1930s. In the terminology used by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and Rick Robinson [5] in their study of creativity, perhaps conditions have to be right both in the "domain"---the area of creative work and in the "field"---the ambient culture.
Preparedness for Natural Disasters Among Older US Adults: A Nationwide Survey

Objectives. We sought to determine natural disaster preparedness levels among older US adults and assess factors that may adversely affect health and safety during such incidents.Methods. We sampled adults aged 50 years or older (n = 1304) from the 2010 interview survey of the Health and Retirement Study. The survey gathered data on general demographic characteristics, disability status or functional limitations, and preparedness-related factors and behaviors. We calculated a general disaster preparedness score by using individual indicators to assess overall preparedness.Results. Participant (n = 1304) mean age was 70 years (SD = 9.3). Only 34.3% reported participating in an educational program or reading materials about disaster preparation. Nearly 15% reported using electrically powered medical devices that might be at risk in a power outage. The preparedness score indicated that increasing age, physical disability, and lower educational attainment and income were independently and significantly associ...
Strong bonding in a doubly excited valence state of a van der Waals molecule

Abstract The results of ab initio calculations, using extended Gaussian basis sets and including correlation energy through a variety of means, provide strong support for the Mg (3 p π,3 p π 3 P J ) · Ar ( 3 Σ − ) electronic-state assignment made by Massick and Breckenridge to spectral features in the resonant two-photon photoionization spectrum of vibrationally cold Mg (3 s ,3 p π 3 P J ) · Ar ( 3 Π) van der Waals complexes. The doubly excited Mg (3 p π,3 p π 3 P J ) · Ar ( 3 Σ − ) state is found to be much more strongly bound than the singly excited Mg (3 s ,3 p π 3 P J ) · Ar ( 3 Π) state, which, in turn, is much more bound than the Mg (3 s 2 1 S O ) · Ar ( 3 Σ + ) ground state.
Combined Cataract and Trabeculectomy Surgery

When the decision has been made to perform cataract surgery in a glaucoma patient, the options of cataract surgery alone or combined with glaucoma surgery (glaucoma triple procedure) are available to the surgeon. Trabeculectomy is the glaucoma procedure that has been most frequently and for the longest time combined with cataract surgery, to assist in the control of intraocular pressure (IOP). Other combined procedures are discussed in Chapter 14 and elsewhere in the text. As discussed throughout the text, cataract and glaucoma often present in the same patient and are common comorbidities. The presence of a cataract may drive the decision for combined surgery, and on the other hand, a need for lower intraocular pressure (IOP) may drive the decision for a combined procedure. If the surgeon deems it is likely that the patient will need to return to the operating room for a cataract surgery, following the trabeculectomy, it may be best to perform both surgeries at the same operative session. Progression of cataract is a known complication of trabeculectomy.1,2 One surgical experience may be the best for a patient, depending on their health status and socioeconomic concerns. The status of the glaucoma and the target intraocular pressure are the important factors to consider in deciding to pursue a combined cataract extraction and glaucoma procedure versus a cataract procedure alone.3 The patient is likely to have more IOP lowering with a combined versus a cataract extraction alone.4,5 This has been shown since the initiation of the combined procedure. Trabeculectomy was originally combined with extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE) with a 11-mm wound, as
Evaluating persistent and recurrent choroidal neovascularization: The role of indocyanine green angiography

Abstract Objective To evaluate the clinical utility of routinely using indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) with fluorescein angiography (FA) in detecting persistent or recurrent choroidal neovascularization (CNV). Design Prospective, consecutive case series. Participants Twenty-four eyes of 21 patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) that had conventional laser treatment for CNV were examined. Intervention Fluorescein angiography and ICGA were performed together on all eligible eyes at the first post-treatment visit and all subsequent follow-up visits in which persistent or recurrent CNV was suspected clinically. Main outcome measures Choroidal neovascularization detection and delineation by each angiographic technique were measured. Results Of the 54 FA-ICGA study pairs performed over a 20-month investigation period, FA showed well-defined, ill-defined, and no CNV in 10 (19%), 19 (35%), and 25 (46%) eyes, respectively. Indocyanine green angiography had a high concordance rate at 70% and 88% when persistent or recurrent CNV was well-defined and absent, respectively, on FA and rarely added additional, clinically useful information in these settings, particularly in the former presentation. Of the 29 eyes that showed some evidence of CNV by FA, the neovascular complex was ill-defined in 19 (66%) eyes. When CNV was ill-defined by FA, the corresponding ICGA showed well-defined CNV in 9 (47%) of 19 eyes, in 5 of which the CNV was nonsubfoveal in location. Conclusions Persistent or recurrent CNV in AMD was frequently ill-defined by FA. Indocyanine green angiography was a valuable adjunct to FA by better delineating CNV in this specific setting. However, ICGA was not useful when the post-treatment FA showed well-defined CNV. Furthermore, ICGA was not helpful when the first post-treatment FA was negative and there were no ophthalmoscopic signs of exudation.
A Polyvinyl Chloride Bait Station for Dispensing Rabies Vaccine to Raccoons in Suburban Landscapes

Hand-baiting and helicopter distribution are commonly used to distribute vaccine-laden baits to help control raccoon (Procyon lotor) rabies in suburban landscapes. These techniques can be labor intensive and costly. We designed and tested a polyvinyl chloride bait station as an alternative method to dispense the baits to raccoons. Our goal was to build an inexpensive, portable, and weather-resistant bait station that minimized nontarget species visitation. We tested the bait station over a 2-year period. We used infrared-triggered cameras (IRCs) to quantify animal visitation to bait stations. During the study IRCs provided 522 photographs of animals present at bait stations; 90.3% of all animals photographed were raccoons. In 2003 and 2004, approximately 4,651 (93 baits/km2) and 2,960 (59 baits/km2) baits were removed from the bait stations, respectively. We believe the bait stations could potentially replace or supplement hand-baiting and helicopter distribution as a cost-effective method for dispensing rabies vaccine to raccoons in suburban landscapes.
Cowgirl of the Prairie: Sam Shepard's KICKING A DEAD HORSE and an Enigmatic Apparition

When examining the varied reviews of Sam Shepard's play Kicking a Dead Horse (2007), most reviewers primarily focus on the doomed hero and play's only speaker, the newly retired and grizzled ex-cow...
A Subjective and Objective Process for Athletic Training Student Selection

Context: Admission decisions are made annually concerning whom to accept into athletic training programs. Objective: To present an approach used to make admissions decisions at an undergraduate ath...
Effect of sodium diphenylhydantoinate on oral mucosa of rats.

Summary and ConclusionsIntraperitoneal injections of 100 mg/kg body weight of dilantin sodium to young rats resulted in significant increase in keratinization of the oral epithelium. Connective tissue of oral mucosa showed elevated fibroblastic activity with pronounced collagen fiber formation. Histochemical staining reactions suggested a substitution of glycoproteins for mucopolysaccharides in the epithelial cell layers. Increase in the glycoprotein and mucopolysaccharide staining material in the connective tissue was noted. This investigation suggested a relation between the severity of microscopic changes in the oral mucosa and dose and duration of dilantin therapy.
Generation of Paired Photons with Controllable Waveforms

The talk will describe experiments and theory showing the generation of counterpropagating paired photons with waveforms that are controllable by using EIT to vary the optical group velocity. Typical waveform lengths are about 40 ns.
Exercise program effects on one woman with multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, fibromyalgia syndrome, and clinical depression

I present here the report of a single case to illustrate how an appropriately planned exercise program can help patients with multiple, complex, and chronic medical problems, even (perhaps especially) problems that have a neuromuscular component. I believe that it demonstrates how the addition of a physical activity component to the treatment of even very difficult and complicated cases, like the one described here, can lead to positive outcomes.
[Genetic variation of the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase of influenza B viruses isolated in Zhejiang province during 1999 - 2010].

Objective To Characterize the genetic diversity of hemagglutinin(HA)and neuraminidase(NA)of influenza B viruses isolated in Zhejiang province during 1999-2010.Methods Respiratory specimens were collected from patients with flu-like syndrome during the influenza outbreaks or from the hospitals which carrying out influenza surveillance project in Zhejiang province.Samples were detected by real-time RT-PCR and isolated for influenza virus.HA1 and NA genes of influenza B virus isolates were amplified and sequenced.Phylogenetic comparison and genetic diversity analysis were performed using the bioinformation software.Results A total of 34 influenza B viruses were evolved in this study including Victoria-like and Yamagata-like strains according to the results of the HI test.The mutation rate of Victoria-like HA1 gene was 4.5% and Yamagata-like HA1 gene was 3.4%,respectively.The Victoria-like influenza B isolates had appeared to be all re-assortants having a Victoria lincage HA and Yamagata lineage NA since 2004.The predominant type of influenza virus isolates in 2010 was also influenza B virus after the H1N1 flu pandemic in Zhejiang province.The isolated strains were antigenicaily and genetically similar to B/Brisbane/60/2008--the vaccine strain proposed for 2009-2010.Many difierences of HA1 and NA amino acids existed in the current isolates when compared to previous influenza B strains.Conclusion Significant diversity was generated among influcnza B virus isolated from 1999 to 2010 in Zhejiang province.Genetic re-assortment and antigenic drift seemed the main evolutionary mechanism on influenza B virus. Key words: Influenza B virus; Hemagglutinin; Neuraminidase; Variation
Mercury cadmium telluride hybrid focal plane array technology

A mercury cadmium telluride (MCT) hybrid focal plane array (HFPA) is a microelectronic chip architecture that emulates in the IR the function of Si visible imagers.1·2 Like its visible counterpart, the MCT HFPA is a 2-D mosaic of detectors and self- scanned circuitry to read the signal from each detector.
Separation by Adsorption Methods

Publisher Summary Adsorption may be considered a prototype for all fluid–solid separation operations. When it is conducted under countercurrent conditions, the calculation methods required are entirely analogous to those for countercurrent absorption or extraction. Adsorption is analogous to selective condensation of gas molecules or to selective crystallization or fusion from a liquid. It is based upon intermolecular attractive forces of the van der Waals type between a solute and the solid surface. An efficient adsorbent in contact with a gas phase may hold a volume of adsorbate equal to as much as 1.0% of the particle volume (silica gel has an even larger capacity). This chapter discusses theories and practice of adsorption methods for separation puts stress on column dynamics under linear equilibrium and column dynamics at a constant separation factor. It also describes the chromatographic separation method in which only a small amount of solution containing the components to be separated is admitted to the column. If the column is long enough, the zones will draw apart completely from one another, and may be recovered in the effluent as separate solutions of each individual solute. Finally, the chapter addresses the problems of data interpretation and apparatus design extensively, focusing on fixed-bed operations
Abstract WP318: Racial Differences in the Prevalence of Falls among Stroke Survivors

Background: National data shows that African Americans (AA) are less likely to fall than whites. However, the reasons for this difference and whether it is true amongst stroke survivors are unknown. We hypothesized that AA stroke survivors fall less than white stroke survivors, and sought to understand which risk factors drive racial differences. Methods: Data from the 2011 wave of National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATs), a nationally representative population of community-dwelling adults over 65, were used. We compared the prevalence of self-reported falling in the past year between AA and white stroke survivors using Poisson regression models. Models were adjusted for groups of variables that may predict race-based differences in falls: sociodemographic, comorbidity, capacity, fall risk factor, fall access, and environment. Race-specific predictive margins and prevalence ratios (PR) were calculated. Results: The sample included 806 stroke survivors; 581 white and 228 AA. AAs had lower income, physical and cognitive capacity, were less likely to be married, to go outside, to have osteoporosis, and lived in worse neighborhood environments compared to white stroke survivors. Unadjusted, prevalence of falling in the past year was similar comparing AA to whites (PR: 0.89, p=0.2). Adjustment for sociodemographic variables produced a marginal racial difference, which became statistically significant after adding physical and cognitive capacity measures (Table). After full adjustment, AA were 30% less likely to have reported a fall compared to whites (p=0.004). Conclusions: African American stroke survivors are significantly less likely to report falling in the previous year compared to whites. Differences in sociodemographics and capacity may be most influential, yet other factors did not account for differences in fall prevalence. Further study of falls among AA stroke survivors may provide insight to decrease falls among other racial/ethnic groups. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
Consumer Protection Legislation and the U.S. Food Industry

(1981). Consumer Protection Legislation and the U.S. Food Industry. Journal of Economic Issues: Vol. 15, The Papers of J. Fagg Foster, pp. 1117-1119.