cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Perioperative Predictors of Acute Cholecystitis After Cardiovascular Surgery

Objective To determine the incidence, diagnostic features, and perioperative predictors of acute cholecystitis after cardiovascular surgery. Design Inception cohort study. Setting A tertiary care 54-bed cardiothoracic ICU. Patients All patients admitted to an ICU after cardiovascular surgery during a 42-month period. Intervention Collection of relevant preoperative, operative, and ICU data from a database and medical charts. Primary outcome Postoperative acute cholecystitis (AC). Results Out of 11,330 admissions, 876 patients stayed in the ICU more than 7 days and 30 of them (3%) developed postoperative AC. AC was diagnosed a median of 26 days after cardiovascular surgery (interquartile range, 11 to 41 days). All patients with AC developed at least two criteria of the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), and 16 of them (53%) were vasopressor-dependent on the day of diagnosis. Trends in biochemical testing of liver function were not diagnostic for AC. Death occurred in seven of 17 patients (41%) who underwent cholecystectomy, three of nine patients (33%) treated with percutaneous cholecystostomy, and one of four patients (25%) treated conservatively (p=not significant). Specific earlier predictors of AC were arterial vascular disease, preoperative oxygen delivery less than 430 mL/min • m 2 , longer times on cardiopulmonary bypass, surgical re-exploration, ICU course complicated by cardiac arrhythmia, mechanical ventilation ≥3 days, bacteremia, and nosocomial infections. Conclusion The incidence of AC is low after cardiovascular surgery. Although SIRS and hemodynamic instability were common at the time of diagnosis, the delayed occurrence and lack of specificity of these features for AC limited their utility for early diagnosis. Specific predictors of AC should be sought in the ICU setting to identify patients who are at risk for AC after cardiovascular surgery. When identified, such predictors can prompt earlier diagnosis and treatment. Further evaluation of the selection criteria for different treatment options is needed in order to decrease the morbidity and mortality associated with AC.
Five-year follow-up optic disc findings of the Collaborative Initial Glaucoma Treatment Study.

Purpose To determine the effect of intraocular pressure (IOP) lowering on the optic disc in patients of the Collaborative Initial Glaucoma Treatment Study (CIGTS) after 5 years. Design Randomized clinical trial. Methods The baseline and 5-year stereoscopic optic disc photographs of 348 eyes (patients) randomized to medical or surgical treatment of open-angle glaucoma (OAG) were assessed by 2 independent readers for change in a masked side-by-side comparison, and confirmed by an independent committee. Results Three hundred and three (87.1%) eyes showed no change, 22 (6.3%) showed enlargement of the cup along any meridian (progression), and 23 (6.6%) showed a reduction in the cup along any meridian (reversal of cupping). Incidence of optic disc progression was higher ( P = .007) in the medicine group, 18/185 (10%) than in the surgical group 4/163 (3%); and the incidence of reversal of cupping was higher ( P P P P Conclusions Surgery prevents or delays glaucomatous progression as measured by optic disc criteria in patients with early OAG. Reversal of cupping occurs more frequently in the surgical group than in the medical treatment group. Reversal is associated with lower IOP, but is not associated with improved visual function.
Membrane admittance of cloned muscle cells in culture: use of a micropipet technique

Abstract The impedance characteristics of muscle cells have been investigated by many investigators because of its unique features. The studies of the electrical properties of cloned cultured muscle cells, however, are scant and only a handful of papers have been published. In this report, the admittance of cultured Myoblast L6 cells was investigated. The capacitance and conductance of mononucleate myoblast cell membrane were found to be 2.2–2.5 μF/cm 2 and 50–60 μS/cm 2 and independent of frequency. The capacitance of 2.2 μF/cm 2 is larger than the widely accepted capacitance value for most of the biological cell membranes, i.e., 1 μF/cm 2 . In contrast, those found for fused multinucleate myotubes are 5–6 μF/cm 2 and 0.4 mS/cm 2 and exhibited a marked frequency dependence. We postulate that the large and frequency dependent capacitance of myotubes does not arise from the surface membrane alone but is due to a tubule-like structure which may be similar to those found in frog muscles. Analysis of the results using an equivalent circuit demonstrates that the capacitance of myotubes is independent of frequency when the correction is made for the series resistances which are distributed in the lumen of tubule-like structure. An alternative explanation for the frequency dependent capacitance is based on the use of the transmission line theory or cable equation. The cable theory predicts that measured capacitance and conductance are inherently a function of frequency regardless of the nature of membrane capacitance and conductance if the dimension of cells is larger than or comparable to the propagation constant.
Achromatic athermalized retarder fabrication

A method for fabricating an achromatic, athermalized quarter-wave retarder is presented that involves monitoring retardance during polishing. A design specified by thicknesses alone is unlikely to meet specification due to uncertainties in birefringence. This method facilitates successful fabrication to a retardance specification despite these uncertainties. A retarder made from sapphire, MgF2, and quartz was designed, fabricated, and its performance validated for the 0.470 to 0.865μm wavelength region. Its specifications are as follows: at wavebands centered at 0.470, 0.660, and 0.865μm, the band-averaged retardance should be 90°±10° for all fields and retardance should change less than 0.1° for a 1° change in temperature. Retarder fabrication accommodated birefringence and thickness uncertainties via the following steps. The first plate was polished to a target thickness. The retardance spectrum of the first plate was then measured and used to determine a retardance target for the second plate. The retardance spectrum of the combined first and second plates was then used to specify a retardance target for the third plate. The retardance spectrum of the three plates in combination was then used to determine when the final thickness of the third plate was reached.
Modifying Exogenous Glucocerebrosidase for Effective Replacement Therapy in Gaucher Disease

Important therapeutic principles were established in developing effective enzyme replacement therapy for patients with Gaucher disease. The background and sequence of the investigations that led to effective delivery of exogenous glucocerebrosidase to the lipid-storing macrophages in patients with Gaucher disease are described. The principle of targeting the intravenously injected enzyme to the mannose lectin on the surface of these cells by engineering the glycoform of the enzyme is a useful model of an essential requirement for effective enzyme therapy. Similar strategies are expected to be effective for the treatment of a number of hereditary metabolic disorders of humans.
The brave new bipartisan world of health care reform: how will low-income families with children with special health care needs fare?

“Insurance for Children With Special Health Care Needs: Patterns of Coverage and Burden on Families to Provide Adequate Insurance,” published in this issue of Pediatrics ,1 sheds some light on an important question: how would low-income families with children with special health care needs (CSHCN) fare if their children were privately insured rather than enrolled in Medicaid? Amy Davidoff from the Health Policy Center of the Urban Institute provides us with information that has special child health policy relevance given an emerging bipartisan approach to health care reform. In this approach, tax credits, possibly combined with a mandate, would be used to purchase private health insurance. Our current employer-based insurance system would transition to one in which individuals select their health plan in a competitive private market. Tax credits would function as an income-adjusted premium subsidy with qualifying low-income individuals and families receiving a refundable tax credit or transfer payment. Families would probably not receive money; instead, the transfer payment would be like a health insurance voucher redeemable for enrollment in a “reasonable” qualifying health plan. These health plans would be required to offer affordable group rates with community rating. Advocates of this approach would like the initial phase to include children who are enrolled in Medicaid and state children’s health insurance … Reprint requests to (S.B.) Children’s Hospital, 1056 E 19th Ave, B032, Denver, CO 80218. E-mail: berman.stephen{at}tchden.org
Bipolar manic-depressive disorder: A reassessment of course and outcome

Abstract A review of follow-up studies of patients with bipolar manic-depressive disorder shows that this illness has a less favorable outcome than is generally considered, both from the standpoint of clinical course and that of social functioning.
Pregnancy: An Overfill or Underfill State

With pregnancy, the expansion of plasma and extracellular fluid volume, increased cardiac output, and increased glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and renal blood flow (RBF) are compatible with primary renal sodium and water retention with secondary enlargement of the vascular compartment (overfill hypothesis). Alternatively, a primary enlargement of the vascular compartment (eg, prostaglandin-mediated vasodilation and placental arteriovenous shunting) with secondary renal sodium and water retention (underfill hypothesis) is supported by the activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone (RAA) system, resetting of vasopressin release and thirst to a lower plasma osmolality, and a further stimulation of the RAA system and vasopressin when pregnant rats' water intake is maintained at a level of a virgin rat fluid intake, diminished BP and increased cardiac output in the first trimester, and worsening of hyponatremia with sodium restriction in the pregnant but not the virgin rat. With the underfill hypothesis, normal sodium and water excretion with mineralocorticoid escape could be mediated by hormonally induced increases in GFR and RBF associated with pregnancy. The nature of such a hormone effect of pregnancy to enhance renal hemodynamics remains to be defined.
Stratigraphy and Petroleum Potential of Peninsular Florida and Southern Georgia: ABSTRACT

Cretaceous and Tertiary sediments, with a maximum thickness of about 8,000 ft in southwestern Georgia and 18,000 ft in the South Florida basin, are present under all of the area south of the Appalachian Piedmont belt of Precambrian (?) crystalline rocks. In addition, flat-lying early Paleozoic sandstone and shale underlie northern Peninsular Florida and southernmost Georgia; Triassic continental deposits, with diabase sills and dikes, are in grabens under parts of the Georgia coastal plain and northern Florida; and Jurassic terrigenous clastics, carbonates, and evaporites probably are present on the western and southern flanks of the Peninsular arch. Limestone and dolomite comprise most of the Cretaceous and Tertiary section. Anhydrite is abundant in the Lower Cretaceous and Paleocene deposits, and sandstone and shale are present throughout the section in Georgia near the northern edge of the coastal plain. Deposition was in shallow-marine environments on an extensive, slowly subsiding shelf. The southern Appalachians were of low relief and, after Early Cretaceous time, little sediment from this bordering land was transported to the shoreline of the shallow sea. There were, however, several minor marine transgressions and regressions in southern Georgia during the Late Cretaceous and Tertiary, because of changes in the rate of uplift of the bordering land and downwarp of the coastal plain and adjacent marine areas. The regressive eposits, with sands, were deposited slowly, and they were reworked during the succeeding advances of the sea. Many wells have been drilled in nearly all parts of Peninsular Florida and southern Georgia in search for petroleum. Therefore, data are available for deciphering the depositional and tectonic history of the area and assessing its petroleum potential. Only 4 small oil fields, all in southern Florida, have been discovered. Lower Cretaceous carbonates and quartzose sandstones of the continental shelf off western Peninsular Florida, and of the northern flank of the South Florida basin have the greatest petroleum potential. Upper Jurassic carbonates and quartzose sandstones, which are probably present in the South Florida basin and the inner part of the Gulf continental shelf, may have many accumulations, and Paleocene carbonates of northwestern Peninsular Florida and adjacent continental shelf are potentially productive. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1790------------
Immunology: keeping mother at bay.

Abstract Like its better-known polymorphic relatives, HLA-G, a relatively unpolymorphic class I MHC molecule expressed by foetal trophoblast cells, binds short peptides with a defined sequence motif; HLA-G may play an important role in maternal tolerance to a foetus.
Dielectric relaxation studies on analogs of the polypentapeptide of elastin

Abstract : Dielectric measurements of the complex permittivity of coacervate concentrations of two analogs of the polypentapeptide of elastin, were taken over the frequency range of 1 MHz to 1000 MHz and over the temperature range of 0 to 60 C. Two relaxation processes were observed in each polypentapeptide. One with a frequency centered in the low MHz frequency range which has been attributed to a low frequency librational mode within the polypeptide. The other relaxation is located near the GHz frequency range. The magnitude of the dielectric increment of the librational mode of each polypentapeptide analog increases with increasing temperature from near zero at 0 c to approximately 40 at 60 C, showing an inverse temperature transition to a more-ordered structure. Conversely the magnitudes of the dielectric increment of the high frequency relaxation decrease on increasing the temperature and differ in approximate proportion to the hydrophobicity of the pentamer for the polypentapeptide of elastin and the two analogs at temperatures below the inverse temperature transition. It is suggested that clathrate-like water surrounding hydrophobic side chains contributes to the high frequency relaxation.
Minimax failure detection and identification in redundant gyro and accelerometer systems.

Minimax algorithms for failure detection and identification for redundant noncolinear arrays of single-degree-of-freedom gyros and accelerometers are described. These algorithms are optimum in the sense that detection occurs as soon as it is no longer possible to account for the instrument outputs as the outputs of good instruments operating within their noise tolerances, and identification occurs as soon as it is true that only a particular instrument failure could account for the actual instrument outputs within the noise tolerance of good instruments. An estimation algorithm is described which minimizes the maximum possible estimation error magnitude for the given set of instrument outputs. Monte Carlo simulation results are presented for the application of the algorithms to an inertial reference unit consisting of six gyros and six accelerometers in two alternate configurations.
The pathophysiology of thyroid eye disease: implications for immunotherapy.

Purpose of Review Thyroid eye disease (TED) is a poorly understood autoimmune manifestation most commonly associated with Graves’ disease. Current nonspecific treatment paradigms offer symptomatic improvement but fail to target the underlying pathogenic mechanisms and thus, do not significantly alter the long-term disease outcome. The purpose of this review is to provide an update of the current understanding of the immunopathogenesis of TED and explore these implications for targeted immunotherapy.
Translobular uptake patterns of environmental toxicants in the rat liver.

Recent autologous blood perfusion and autoradiographic studies in this laboratory have shown that uptake of the organophosphate insecticide, parathion and its metabolite, paraoxon, by the rat liver is extremely rapid. The efficient metabolism of these organophosphorus esters during the first hepatic passage results from a favorable combination of two independent factors, i.e., the titer of biodegradation enzymes within the lobule and the mode of translobular uptake. If this scenario also applies to other chemicals, it may be possible to define their threshold doses for systemic exposure. Such a possibility has far-reaching toxicological implications, and prompted this study to explore the less defined of the two underlying factors, i.e., translobular uptake pattern of xenobiotics using the recently developed autologous blood recirculating liver perfusion technique. The authors have limited themselves to non-ionic chemicals to avoid complications due to active transport. Because water solubility/lipophilicity is likely to be a critical factor in the binding of xenobiotics to the blood and hepatocytes and thus in their translobular behavior, xenobiotics of varied lipophilicity were pulse-infused and their elution pattern examined in the recirculating autologous blood perfusion system. Three chemicals, i.e., 1,2- and 1,3-dichlorobenzene and 4-nitroanisole were chosen as examples of relatively water-soluble xenobiotics compared with more » parathion. Benzo(a)pyrene and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin were studied as highly lipophilic toxicants. « less
Body condition influences maintenance of a persistent first wave dominant follicle in dairy cattle.

The objective of this study was to determine whether plasma concentrations of progesterone (P4) from a controlled internal drug releasing (CIDR) device (approximately 2 ng/ml) were adequate to sustain a persistent first wave dominant follicle (FWDF) in low body condition (LBC, body condition score [BCS] 1 = lean, 5 = fat [2.3 +/- 0.72, n = 4]) compared with high body condition (HBC, BCS = 4.4 +/- 0.12, n = 4) nonlactating dairy cows. On Day 7 of the estrous cycle (Day 0 = estrus), cows were treated with PGF2 alpha (25 mg i.m. Lutalyse, P.M., and Day 8 A.M.) and a used CIDR device containing P4 (1.2 g) was inserted into the vagina until ovulation or Day 16. Plasma was collected for P4 and estradiol (E2) analyses from Day 5 to Day 18 (or ovulation), and ovarian follicles were monitored daily by ultrasonography. Mean concentrations of plasma P4 were greater in HBC than LBC cows between Days 5 and 7 (4.6 > 3.4 +/- 0.37 ng/ml; P < 0.04). All LBC cows maintained the first wave dominant follicle and ovulated after removal of the CIDR device (18.3 +/- 0.3 d, n = 3; Cow 4 lost the CIDR device on Day 11 and ovulated on Day 15), whereas in the HBC cows ovulation occurred during the period of CIDR exposure (11.3 +/- 0.3 d; n = 3; a fourth cow developed a luteinized first wave dominant follicle that did not ovulate during the experimental protocol on Day 19). Mean day of estrus was 17 +/- 0.4 for LBC (n = 3) and 10 +/- 0.4 for HBC (n = 3) cows. Sustained concentrations of plasma E2 (12.9 +/- 2.8 pg/ml; Days 8 to 17) in LBC cows reflected presence of an active persistent first wave dominant follicle. The differential effect of BCS on concentrations of plasma P4 (y = ng/ml) was reflected by the difference (P < 0.01) in regressions: yLBC = 19.9 - 3.49x + 0.166x2 vs yHBC = 37.3 - 7.04x + 0.340x2 (x = day of cycle, Days 7 to 12). Although P4 concentration was greater for HBC cows prior to Day 8, a greater clearance of plasma P4 released from the CIDR device in the absence of a CL altered follicular dynamics, leading to premature ovulation in the HBC cows. A greater basal concentration of P4 was sustained in LBC cows that permitted maintenance of a persistent first wave dominant follicle.
Optimizing Web‐Based Instruction: A Case Study Using Poultry Processing Unit Operations

Food companies and supporting industries need inexpensive, revisable training methods for large numbers of hourly employees due to continuing improvements in Hazard AnalysisCritical Control Point (HACCP) programs, newprocessing equipment, and high employee turnover. HACCP-based food safety programs have demonstrated their value by reducing the number and frequency of multimillion-dollarfoodrecalls.Thefocusforthe future must beproactive training of plant personneltoensurecontinuousimprovementsin plant food safety and quality. In response tothis need, wedeveloped training modules focused on applying HACCP principles, quality aspects, and production information to individual poultry unit operations. Learning objectives were evaluated usingdiscount usability testing techniques to optimize the delivery systemand toensure a satisfactory e-learning experience. Discountusability testing of this virtual orientation was successfulin obtaining vast amounts of feedback. Usability issues withthe training materials wereidentified. Expected completion times were not met by most participants, indicating that a change in the format of the coursemight be necessary, perhaps segmenting the modules into smaller sections tobe reviewed independently of one another. Another suggestion by the evaluators wasto include narration for the sections,which might in turn speed up the completion times.A navigation errorwas discovered by these users, as wellas other criticalerrors in design. Other errors,suchas font inconsistencies and page design changes, werealso discoveredby the participants.
Constraints on superconducting cosmic strings from early reionization

Electromagnetic radiation from superconducting cosmic string loops can reionize neutral hydrogen in the Universe at very early epochs, and affect the cosmic microwave background temperature and polarization correlation functions at large angular scales. We constrain the string tension and current using WMAP7 data, and compare with earlier constraints that employed cosmic microwave background spectral distortions. Over a wide range of string tensions, the current on the string has to be less than $\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{7}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}$.
The endgame in aerospace: A disaster waiting to happen?

Abstract In the golden years of the 1980s, 12,000 Southern California firms were linked to the aerospace/defense market. Since 1989, the year when the Berlin Wall fell, Southern California lost 175,000 (44.7%) of its high-tech jobs. The aerospace/defense industry is faced with, arguably, the biggest downturn since the end of World War II. The industry is expected to remain in a state of flux until the year 2000, bottoming out in 1996–1997. Prime contractors and firms that provide complete sub-assemblies are considered first and second tier firms. Firms that provide less than complete sub-assemblies are considered third tier suppliers and firms that provide “piece materials,” e.g. rivets, screws, fiberglass ducting, etc. are considered fourth tier suppliers. Third and four tier firms, comprised largely of small subcontractors, will be most at risk. Many have failed, while others in search of a more stable business climate will shift their focus entirely on commercial products and serves. The future viability of many third and fourth tier firms will be determined in large measure by how well they adapt to their new commercial marketplace. Empirical investigations of the effects and reaction to declining aerospace/defense industry on the firms, are virtually non existent. This study identifies the strategic thrusts third and four tier suppliers are pursuing to offset the industry decline and assesses how that fits with theory, and second, it assesses how successful the third and fourth tier suppliers are in coping with the biggest downturn in the aerospace/defense industry since the end of World War II.
No Child Left Behind and the Quest for Educational Equity: The Role of Teachers' Collective Sense of Efficacy

The current policy context established by No Child Left Behind (NCLB) calls for schools and teachers to develop and execute plans of action they believe will effectively address achievement gaps. This article uses conceptual and research literature to explore the construct of teachers' collective sense of efficacy and its potential influence on schools' efforts to respond to the equity mandate of NCLB. Specifically, I explore the relationship between teachers' collective sense of efficacy, accountability policy, and student achievement. I also examine the school leader's role in mediating policy, teachers' sense of efficacy, and school contexts in ways that can positively address educational inequities. Finally, I conclude with several implications for school leadership, policy, and future research.
Pigment gallstone composition in cirrhotic and noncirrhotic subjects

The composition of pigment gallstones from patients with and without cirrhosis was compared. Carbonate-containing pigment stones were distinguished from noncarbonate stones by infrared spectroscopy. Calcium was the major cation of each stone group. The major anion in noncarbonate pigment stones was bilirubinate or phosphate, but was carbonate in carbonate stones. The composition of pigment stones from cirrhotic and noncirrhotic patients was similar except that significantly less carbonate was present in carbonate stones, and less pigment (bilirubinate) was present in noncarbonate stones from noncirrhotics. These data suggest that irrespective of the presence of cirrhosis, the formation of noncarbonate pigment stones involves the selective precipitation of calcium bilirubinate and phosphate, whereas carbonate stone formation involves the selective precipitation of calcium carbonate.
Human glioma demonstrates cell line specific results with ATP-based chemiluminescent cellular proliferation assays

Alteration of tumor cell growth kinetics is the goal of nearly all current or proposed therapies for human neoplasms. The adenosine triphosphate (ATP) chemiluminescent assay has been used for some time as a surrogate marker of in vitro cell growth. Here we present data showing that three human glioblastoma cell lines (U87, U251, G55) demonstrate significantly different cell number to luminescence relationships when subjected to this assay. We plated progressively increasing numbers of cells per well; from 1000 to 50,000 were grown in Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium without serum and cultured for 6 hours. Cells were then lysed and subjected to the chemiluminescent assay to measure ATP levels and a linear relationship between cell number and measured luminescence was found. Despite this, we found that the slope of the regression line (β) varied markedly between different cell lines (U251 [β = 0.968 ± 0.3] vs. U87 [β = 0.772 ± 0.2] vs. G55 [β = 0.757 ± 0.2]; p < 0.0001), suggesting a difference in ATP luminescence per cell between these cell lines. Thus, we have demonstrated that luminescence values are internally linear within a given cell population, but luminescence level per cell varies significantly between different glioma cell lines. Our findings suggest that different glioma cell lines have unique levels of ATP per cell.
Inhibition of NF-κB Signaling by Quinacrine Is Cytotoxic to Human Colon Carcinoma Cell Lines and Is Synergistic in Combination with Tumor Necrosis Factor-related Apoptosis-inducing Ligand (TRAIL) or Oxaliplatin

Colorectal cancer is the third most common malignancy in the United States. Modest advances with therapeutic approaches that include oxaliplatin (l-OHP) have brought the median survival rate to 22 months, with drug resistance remaining a significant barrier. Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is undergoing clinical evaluation. Although human colon carcinomas express TRAIL receptors, they can also demonstrate TRAIL resistance. Constitutive NF-κB activation has been implicated in resistance to TRAIL and to cytotoxic agents. We have demonstrated constitutive NF-κB activation in five of six human colon carcinoma cell lines; this activation is inhibited by quinacrine. Quinacrine induced apoptosis in colon carcinomas and potentiated the cytotoxic activity of TRAIL in RKO and HT29 cells and that of l-OHP in HT29 cells. Similarly, overexpression of IκBα mutant (IκBαM) or treatment with the IKK inhibitor, BMS-345541, also sensitized these cells to TRAIL and l-OHP. Importantly, 2 h of quinacrine pretreatment resulted in decreased expression of c-FLIP and Mcl-1, which were determined to be transcriptional targets of NF-κB. Extended exposure for 24 h to quinacrine did not further sensitize these cells to TRAIL- or l-OHP-induced cell death; however, exposure caused the down-regulation of additional NF-κB-dependent survival factors. Short hairpin RNA-mediated knockdown of c-FLIP or Mcl-1 significantly sensitized these cells to TRAIL and l-OHP. Taken together, data demonstrate that NF-κB is constitutively active in colon cancer cell lines and NF-κB, and its downstream targets may constitute an important target for the development of therapeutic approaches against this disease.
State space theory of nonlinear two- terminal higher-order elements

Abstract Higher-order elements are introduced to provide a logically complete formulation for nonlinear circuit theory. A distinctive feature of higher-order elements is that they possess internal dynamics that are more complicated than those of conventional circuit elements (namely, the resistor, inductor, capacitor and memristor). In this paper, we provide a state space formulation for studying two-terminal higher-order elements. State-space properties such as local controllability, input-observability, passivity and losslessness are investigated in detail.
Characterization, Development, and Localization of the Deoxycytidine Phosphorylating Systems in Mammalian Brain

The accumulation of deoxycytidine by rabbit and mouse brain was studied in vitro. Brain slices from brain stem, cerebellum, and forebrain of rabbits of various ages (1 day to 2.5 years) and forebrain from adult mice were incubated for various times in artificial CSF containing 6 nM [3H]deoxycytidine at 37 degrees C under 95% O2/5% CO2. Rabbit and mouse brain slices of all ages accumulated [3H]deoxycytidine by a saturable system (IC50 = 4 microM) and converted it to [3H]deoxycytidine phosphates and [3H]DNA. When slices from all brain regions of 1-day-old rabbits were incubated in 6 nM [3H]deoxycytidine for 30 min, tissue-to-medium ratios of 3H were between 1.2 and 2.5 and declined with age, except in cortex; the percentages of total 3H in perchloric acid homogenates of brain slices as [3H]DNA were 10-24% and declined to low levels in middle age. However, at all ages and in all regions tested, 30-85% of the [3H]deoxycytidine within the slices was phosphorylated. After homogenization and subcellular fractionation of the brain slices incubated in [3H]deoxycytidine for 30 min, the highest percentage of [3H]deoxycytidine phosphates plus [3H]DNA was present in the nuclear and mitochondrial fractions of all brain regions. Deoxycytidine phosphates were synthesized from deoxycytidine in all brain regions tested into middle age.
Towards Kron reduction of generalized electrical networks

Kron reduction is used to simplify the analysis of multi-machine power systems under certain steady state assumptions that underly the usage of phasors. Using ideas from behavioral system theory, in this paper we show how to perform Kron reduction for a class of electrical networks, called homogeneous electrical networks, without steady state assumptions. The reduced models can thus be used to analyze the transient as well as the steady state behavior of these electrical networks.
Chronic ICV infusion of neuropeptides alters lymphocyte populations in experimental rodents.

Abstract The sympathetic nervous system has been shown to influence immune function. Angiotensin II and substance P are two neurally active peptides that have been shown to increase sympathetic nervous system activity when injected centrally. Using osmotic minipumps, we chronically infused angiotensin II (1 μg/h) and substance P (2 μg/h) into the brains of intact Sprague-Dawley rats for a period of 1 month and 2 weeks, respectively. Age-matched control animals were infused with artificial cerebrospinal fluid. We then examined the effect of this infusion on the percentage of different lymphocyte populations in the peripheral blood. The angiotensin II infused animals showed an increase in the percentage of total T-cells and a decrease in the percentage of B-cells relative to controls. The substance P treated animals also showed an increase in the percentage of T-cells present, but failed to show the decrease in the B-cell population seen with the angiotensin II infused group. This study shows that the central nervous system can influence the immune system. As shown in this study, these effects are most likely mediated via the sympathetic nervous system. These results add to the expanding body of data suggesting an important role of the central nervous in regulating immune function and our susceptibility to disease.
Ethical Considerations in the Use of Direct-To-Consumer Advertising and Pharmaceutical Promotions: The Impact on Pharmaceutical Sales and Physicians

The influence of direct-to-consumer advertising and physician promotions are examined in this study. We further examine some of the ethical issues which may arise when physicians accept promotional products from pharmaceutical companies. The data revealed that direct-to-consumer advertising is likely to increase the request rates of both the drug category and the drug brand choices, as well as the likelihood that those drugs will be prescribed by physicians. The data further revealed that the majority of responding physicians were either neutral or did not feel that accepting some types of gifts from pharmaceutical companies affected their ethical behaviors.
Upcoming food-pellet reinforcement alters rats’ lever pressing for liquid sucrose delivered by a progressive-ratio schedule

Abstract The present study investigated whether rats’ responding for liquid-sucrose reinforcement delivered by a progressive-ratio (PR) schedule would be altered by the addition of food-pellet reinforcement available subsequent to the PR schedule. In Experiment 1, six rats lever pressed for 1% sucrose reinforcers delivered by a PR 3 schedule. In Experiment 2, six rats lever pressed for 5% sucrose delivered by a PR 5 schedule. In both experiments, baseline sessions consisted of 40 min of exposure to the PR schedule. In the first treatment condition, a 25-min period of food-pellet reinforcement, delivered by a random-interval 60-s schedule, immediately followed the initial 40 min. In the second treatment condition, the 25-min period of food-pellet reinforcement became available when 10 min elapsed without the subject completing a ratio on the PR schedule. Results from both experiments showed that upcoming food-pellet reinforcement increased the number of ratios subjects completed on the PR schedule. Portions of the present results represent a partial replication of results reported by Baron and Derenne [J. Exp. Anal. Behav. 73 (2000) 291], who used a similar procedure. They also augment a growing body of research on positive induction.
Correlating Rat Basophil Leukemia Cell Activation with Interleukin 4 RNA Production using Single Molecule Fluorescence In-Situ Hybridization, Automated Super-Resolution Microscopy, and GPU-Enabled Image Analysis

Single-molecule, single-cell studies of genetic expression have provided key insights into how cells respond to external stimuli. Direct single-cell measurements of individual bio-molecules, such as small RNA (sRNA) or messenger RNA (mRNA) transcripts, make it possible to quantify the heterogeneity in spatiotemporal responses of key signaling and regulatory processes. Critically, these investigations provide information on cellular fluctuations-information that is hidden by typical biochemical ensemble measurement approaches. Recent work has suggested that macroscopic cell properties, such as cell morphology, are correlated with gene expression. Here we present single-cell studies of a signal-activated gene network: Interleukin 4 (IL4) RNA production in rat basophil leukemia (RBL) cells during the allergic response. IL4 mRNA production has been closely linked to histamine release by RBL cells in ensemble measurements. To further investigate this regulatory network, we fluorescently label individual IL4 RNA transcripts in populations of RBL cells, subject to varying external stimuli. A custom super-resolution microscope and GPU-accelerated data analysis package are used to measure the number of fluorescently labeled IL4 transcripts in populations of RBL cells on a cell-by-cell basis. To test the hypothesis that RBL cell morphology may connected to IL4 production and histamine release, we analyze white light images of RBL cells and cross-reference cell morphology with IL4 RNA levels. We find that the activation of RBL cells, determined by white-light imaging, is well correlated with IL4 mRNA expression yet highly heterogeneous for certain stimuli.
The risk of acute renal failure in patients with chronic kidney disease

Few studies have defined how the risk of hospital-acquired acute renal failure varies with the level of estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR). It is also not clear whether common factors such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension and proteinuria increase the risk of nosocomial acute renal failure independent of GFR. To determine this we compared 1,746 hospitalized adult members of Kaiser Permanente Northern California who developed dialysis-requiring acute renal failure with 600,820 hospitalized members who did not. Patient GFR was estimated from the most recent outpatient serum creatinine measurement prior to admission. The adjusted odds ratios were significantly and progressively elevated from 1.95 to 40.07 for stage 3 through stage 5 patients (not yet on maintenance dialysis) compared to patients with estimated GFR in the stage 1 and 2 range. Similar associations were seen after controlling for inpatient risk factors. Pre-admission baseline diabetes mellitus, diagnosed hypertension and known proteinuria were also independent risk factors for acute kidney failure. Our study shows that the propensity to develop in-hospital acute kidney failure is another complication of chronic kidney disease whose risk markedly increases even in the upper half of stage 3 estimated GFR. Several common risk factors for chronic kidney disease also increase the peril of nosocomial acute kidney failure.
Formal and Informal Applications of the Technology Acceptance Model in the Hospitality Classroom

This study investigated the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) in the hospitality classroom with the use of Interwrite PRS devices. Students responded to multiple choice questions in one of two alternative settings; one setting featured administration of a quiz while the other was aimed at assessing collective levels of understanding of class session content to give the instructor feedback. While the TAM was generally supported, analyses incorporating subjects' grade point averages revealed distinct differences in the relationships between constructs in the two experimental settings. These differences are discussed, suggestions for further research are proposed, and implications for hospitality education are presented.
Severity of Somatization and its Relationship to Psychiatric Disorders and Personality

Medical patients' (75 with chronic fatigue complaints, 61 with dizziness, and 88 with disabling tinnitus; N =224) current and past psychiatric diagnoses and personality characteristics were assessed to determine if they could independently explain the number of medically unexplained physical symptoms that the patients had experienced. Cloninger's Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ) and the Diagnostic Interview Schedule based on DSM-III-R were used to assess the personality and psychiatric diagnoses, respectively. The results revealed that the number of lifetime medically unexplained symptoms were significantly, independently, and positively related to increasing numbers of current and past anxiety and depressive disorders and to the harm avoidance dimension of the TPQ. In a second analysis, the "worry/pessimism" and "impulsiveness" subscales were positively related to the number of medically unexplained symptoms. The results suggest that somatization is associated with current and past history of psychiatric illnesses and harm avoidance in this sample of medical patients.
Factors affecting dam passage and upstream distribution of adult Pacific lamprey in the interior Columbia River basin

Low dam passage rates of adult Pacific lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus) during upstream spawning migration have been implicated in the species' steep decline in the interior Columbia River basin. In this 2000- 2010 study, we used radiotelemetry to evaluate potential predictors of lamprey passage success at McNary Dam, located ~469 river kilometres (rkm) from the Pacific Ocean. The tagged population included 276 lampreys collected at McNary Dam and 53 collected at Bonneville Dam (rkm 235) that migrated to McNary Dam. McNary Dam passage efficiency was similar for the two samples, with multiyear estimates of 0.65 and 0.75, respectively. Larger- bodied lampreys and those with earlier migration timing were more likely to return to McNary Dam after release, to pass the dam and to be detected upstream from McNary reservoir. Far more lampreys entered the upper Columbia River than the Snake River, suggesting that environmental cues (e.g., water discharge, temperature) or conspecific cues (e.g., pheromone concentrations) affect lamprey distribution above this large confluence. Overall, results indicate that Pacific lamprey passage success at barriers depends on a combination of individual lamprey traits plus seasonal and site-specific effects on behaviour.
Electrospray mass spectrometry and X-ray crystallography studies of divalent metal ion complexes of tris (2-pyridylmethyl) amine

Abstract Coordination complexes of tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine (TPA) were prepared and characterized including [Zn(TPA)X]ClO4 (X = Cl, Br, I), [Cu(TPA)Br]ClO4, [Cd(TPA)Br2], [Cd(TPA) (H2O) (NO3]NO3, [Cd(TPA)I2], [Co9TPA)Cl2], [Fe(TPA)Cl2] and [Mn(TPA) Cl2] The solid-state structures of Zn(TPA)ClClO4 (monoclinic space group, P2 1 /c; a = 14.733(3), b = 9.408(2), c = 29.722(4) A , β=90.65(1)°; V=4119(1) A 3 ; Z=8, Zn(TPA)IClO4 (triclinic space group, P1; a = 14.435(3), b = 17.69(4), c = 9.745(2) A , α=100.36(2), β=91.40(2), γ=114.62(1)°; V=2134(2) A 3 ; Z=4) and Cu(TPA)BrClO4 (monoclinic space group, P21/c; a=14.555(3), b=9.519(2), c=30.024(3) A , β=91.66(1)°; V=4158(1) A 3 ; Z=8), contain trigonal bypyramidal metal ions with halide coordinated in an apical position. The X-ray structure of [Cd(TPA)(H2O)(NO3)]NO3 (monoclinic space group, P21/n; a=15.415(4), b=9.333(2), c=17.429(4) a , β=99.39(2)° ; V=2474(2) A 3 ; Z=4) contains a seven-coordinate cadmium ion including a bidentate nitrate anion and a water molecule as ligands. The X-ray structure of [Cd(TPA)I2] (monoclinic space group, P21/n; a=10.383(2), b=13.813(2), c=15.391(1) A , β=106.07(1)° ; V=2121.1(5) A 3 ; Z=4) contains a cadmium ion with an approximately octahedral geometry. In this structure, the TPA ligand is conformationally distorted in order to accomodate the octahedral coordination geometry. The convenient new technique, electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), provided mass spectra consistent with X-ray and spectroscopic data. Mass analysis of solutions containing added competing anions was also consistent with solution data.
SUPPRESSION OF GROWTH HORMONE AND THYROID HORMONE ASSOCIATED WITH VALPROIC ACID THERAPY

Valproic acid (VA) is a commonly used anticonvulsant. One proposed mechanism of action for VA is enhancement of central GABAergic tone by inhibition of GABA transaminase. We report suppression of somatic growth, hGH, and thyroid function in 5 girls, ages 2-14 years, maintained o therapeutic VA serum levels (60-120 ug/ml) for 15-84 months. All children showed suppressed hGH values to L-Dopa(A) or insulin(B) testing during VA therapy. hGH responses, Free T4 and SMC values normalized with concomitant increases in growth velocity after VA was stopped. Summary: Chronic VA therapy can suppress hGH, T4, SMC, and inhibit growth. This effect may be due to exhaustion of the stimulatory effect of GABA on the somatotrope or thyrotrope during chronic VA therapy. Growth must be carefully monitored in all patients on VA therapy.
Cellular Inflammatory Response to Flaviviruses in the Central Nervous System of a Primate Host

Flaviviruses such as tick-borne encephalitis virus, Japanese encephalitis virus, West Nile virus, and St. Louis encephalitis virus are important neurotropic human pathogens, typically causing a devastating and often fatal neuroinfection. Flaviviruses induce neuroinflammation with typical features of viral encephalitides, including inflammatory cell infiltration, activation of microglia, and neuronal degeneration. Development of safe and effective live-virus vaccines against neurotropic flavivirus infections demands a detailed knowledge of their neuropathogenesis in a primate host that is evolutionarily close to humans. Here, we used computerized morphometric analysis to quantitatively assess the cellular inflammatory responses in the central nervous system (CNS) of rhesus monkeys infected with three antigenically divergent attenuated flaviviruses. The kinetics, spatial pattern, and magnitude of microglial activation, trafficking of T and B cells, and changes in T cell subsets within the CNS define unique phenotypic signatures for each of the three viruses. Our results provide a benchmark for investigation of cellular inflammatory responses induced by attenuated flaviviruses in the CNS of primate hosts and provide insight into the neuropathogenesis of flavivirus encephalitis that might guide the development of safe and effective live-virus vaccines. (J Histochem Cytochem 57:973–989, 2009)
THE DEMONSTRATION OF A PHENOMENON IN VITRO APPLICABLE TO THE STUDY OF DELAYED HYPERSENSITIVITY.

Abstract Peritoneal exudate cells from guinea pigs with delayed hypersensitivity skin reactions were incubated with the specific antigen and ruptured by freezing and thawing. The supernatant of these ruptured cells was incubated with several primary and established tissue culture strains. Extracts of peritoneal cells from hypersensitive guinea pigs that were incubated with the specific antigen induced the tissue culture cells to overproduce acid in the medium. Similarly, extracts from nonsensitized guinea pigs did not induce a corresponding decrease in pH. The formation of "acid-stimulating activity" required specificity of the reactants because sensitive cells incubated with saline or heterologous antigen did not stimulate the tissue culture cells. "Acid-stimulating activity" was found to be independent of the tissue culture cell strain, the media used to grow the tissue culture cells, and the sensitized peritoneal cell-antigen system. No "acid-stimulating activity" was produced if frozen and thawed cells were incubated with the specific antigen. "Acid-stimulating activity" was produced by peritoneal cells capable of passively transferring delayed hypersensitivity, but not from sera of the same guinea pigs. Sera from sensitized guinea pigs did not confer "acid-stimulating activity" to nonsensitized peritoneal cells. KB tissue cells did not overproduce acid when specific precipitates were added to the media. The degree of hypersensitivity of the guinea pigs donating peritoneal cells corresponded with the ability of these cells to induce acid production in a KB cell culture. Guinea pigs, with lesser sensitivity to skin testing donated cells with lesser "acid-stimulating activity." It is believed that this phenomenon may be applicable to the measurement in vitro of delayed hypersensitivity uncomplicated by host factors.