cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Trends in the Use of Feeding Tubes in North Carolina Hospitals: 1989 to 2000

OBJECTIVE: National data describing the placement of feeding tubes demonstrated a rapid increase in use in the early and mid-1990s. In the past several years, substantial concerns have arisen regarding the appropriateness of the procedure in many chronically ill patients. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the use of feeding tubes has continued to increase through the 1990s despite these widely publicized concerns. DESIGN: Repeated measure cross-sectional study of the North Carolina Discharge Database. SETTING: Analyses of all nonfederal hospital inpatient admissions in North Carolina. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We examined the absolute numbers and rates of feeding tube placements from 1989 to 2000. The rate of feeding tube placement increased from 59/100,000 persons in 1989 to 94/100,000 persons in 2000, an overall 60% increase with slowing in the rate of increase in the late 1990s. However, when outpatient procedures were included, the increase in tube feeding continued throughout the 11-year period of observation. The increase was due to an increase in utilization within all hospitals over the time period. Utilization did not differ between profit and not for profit hospitals. The relative growth rate of inpatient feeding tube placement did not differ by age group but the absolute increase was greatest in those age 75 years and over. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates that the use of feeding tubes has continued to increase through the 1990s. This increase occurred despite ongoing controversy in the medical literature about feeding tube placement in chronically ill patients.
Power Density Flattening in Fusion-Fission Hybrid Reactors

The feasibility of spatial and temporal power density flattening in fusion-fission hybrid reactors was investigated by varying the concentration of /sup 239/Pu within a set of zones in the fission region and by examining two different fuel management schemes. Blanket designs with no /sup 239/Pu typically had a spatial maximum-to-average power density ratio of approximately 2.5, but this value was reduced to between 1.26 and 1.67, depending on the design and fuel management scheme selected. Unfortunately, however, significant impact occurs only with relatively high fissile concentrations, with the outer zones approaching equilibrium values. Thus, either an impractically large fissile inventory for startup or long operating histories would be required. 9 refs.
Evaluating the impact of urban morphology configurations on the accuracy of urban canopy model temperature simulations with MODIS

This is the author accepted manuscript. The published version can be found here: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2013JD021227.
An In Vitro Combined Antibiotic-Antibody Treatment Eliminates Toxicity from Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli

Treating Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) gastrointestinal infections is difficult. The utility of antibiotics for STEC treatment is controversial, since antibiotic resistance among STEC isolates is widespread and certain antibiotics dramatically increase the expression of Shiga toxins (Stxs), which are some of the most important virulence factors in STEC. Stxs contribute to life-threatening hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), which develops in considerable proportions of patients with STEC infections. Understanding the antibiotic resistance profiles of STEC isolates and the Stx induction potential of promising antibiotics is essential for evaluating any antibiotic treatment of STEC. In this study, 42 O157:H7 or non-O157 STEC isolates (including the “big six” serotypes) were evaluated for their resistance against 22 antibiotics by using an antibiotic array. Tigecycline inhibited the growth of all of the tested STEC isolates and also inhibited the production of Stxs (Stx2 in particular). In combination with neutralizing antibodies to Stx1 and Stx2, the tigecycline-antibody treatment fully protected Vero cells from Stx toxicity, even when the STEC bacteria and the Vero cells were cultured together. The combination of an antibiotic such as tigecycline with neutralizing antibodies presents a promising strategy for future STEC treatments.
Surfactant-assisted synthesis of water-soluble and biocompatible semiconductor quantum dot-micelles.

We report a simple, rapid approach to synthesize water-soluble and biocompatible fluorescent quantum dot (QD) micelles by encapsulation of monodisperse, hydrophobic QDs within surfactant/lipid micelles. Analyses of UV-vis and photo luminescence spectra, along with transmission electron microscopy, indicate that the water-soluble semiconductor QD micelles are monodisperse and retain the optical properties of the original hydrophobic QDs. The QD micelles were shown to be biocompatible and exhibited little or no aggregation when taken up by cultured rat hippocampal neurons.
Abstract 2603: A critical role of Gβγin breast tumor growth and metastasis

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC A growing body of evidence indicates the involvement of G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) in the process of breast tumor development, including tumor growth, invasion and metastasis. Targeting GPCRs has been proposed as a novel adjuvant strategy in cancer treatment. However, this approach faces many significant hurdles due in part to the involvement of multiple GPCRs in tumor progression. Thus, there is a need for an alternative approach that targets a signaling mechanism common to these receptors. GPCRs such as lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) receptors, thrombin receptors and the chemokine receptor CXCR4 transmit signals through multiple classes of heterotrimeric G proteins, which consist of Gα and Gβγ subunits. There are four major classes of Gα subunits (Gαi, Gαs, Gαq and Gα12/13) that regulate distinct activities of different effectors. Although there are 5 Gβ and 12 Gγ isoforms, different combination of Gβγ complexes appear to regulate a similar profile of downstream effectors. We therefore reason that Gβγ-dependent signaling may represent a point of signal convergence from multiple GPCRs that can be targeted for the therapeutic of breast tumor. In this study, we evaluated the role of Gβγ in breast tumor progression. Our data show that blocking Gβγ signaling with small molecular inhibitors alleviated breast tumor cell proliferation and GPCR-stimulated cell migration in vitro, suggesting that Gβγ is critical for breast tumor progression. Consistent with these findings, overexpression of Gβγ scavengers, the C-terminal tail of G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2-ct) or Gαt, in breast tumor cells suppressed tumor cell growth both in 2D and 3D culture, and abolished LPA- and SDF1α-stimulated cell migration. Additional studies indicate that Gβγ mediates GPCR-simulated activation of PI3K, PLCβ and MAPK, which in turn contribute to breast tumor cell growth and migration. Finally, by inducible expression of Gαt in MDA-MB-231 cells, we provided evidence that Gβγ signaling promotes tumor cell growth and lung metastasis in mouse xenograft models. Taken together, our data demonstrate that Gβγ plays a critical role in breast tumor progression. These findings suggest that targeting Gβγ-dependent signaling may represent a novel therapeutic approach for breast cancer. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2603.
Academic failure, student social conflict, and delinquent behavior

This paper reviews key literature from several disciplinary and theoretical perspectives in exploring the relationship between various forms of academic failure in schools and a range of critical student attitudes and behaviors. It is argued that both the process of schooling, and the taken-for-granted assumptions which support this process, serve to manufacture, in large part, negative student attitudes and anti-social behaviors. The seeming conflict between survey and ethnographic data concerning the impact of academic failure is discussed within the context of competing explanatory paradigms. The paper concludes with a discussion of the ways in which differing data-gathering strategies might be combined to generate a more complete view of the everyday process and outcomes of schooling.
Distribution and concentration of TRH in the rat brain.

Qualitative and quantitative criteria indicate that TRH is present in methanolic extracts prepared from all regions of the rat brain. The conclusion that TRH in the extracts of rat brain is the same as synthetic TRH is based on the following criteria: (a) immunoreactivity with a specific antiserum to synthetic TRH, (b) chromatographic properties on Sephadex G-10, (c) electrophoretic mobility on cellulose acetate, (d) susceptibility to degradation by plasma, and (e) capacity of the extracts to stimulate TSH release in vitro from anterior pituitary tissue. The greatest concentration of TRH, determined by radioirnmunoassay, was found in the hypothalamus, followed by the posterior pituitary gland, thalamus, brain stem, cerebrum, anterior pituitary gland, and cerebellum. The total quantity of TRH in the rat brain was 18.2 ng. Of this amount, 33.6% was present in the thalamus; 26.7% in the cerebrum; 18.8% in the hypothalamus; 18.6% in the brain stem; 1.6% in the cerebellum; 0.42% in the posterior pituitary glan...
Effect of adrenergic blocking agents on reduction of myocardial aspartate amino-transferase activity by sympathomimetics

Abstract Dose-response curves were determined for the effect of single subcutaneous doses of dl -isoproterenol, l -epinephrine, l -norepinephrine, and l -phenylephrine on the aspartate aminotransferase activity of rat hearts. Pronethalol HCl (1.5, 3.0, and 6.0 mg/kg) or phentolamine HCl (1.25, 2.5, and 5.0 mg/kg) was administered subcutaneously 15 minutes prior to the sympathomimetics. Pronethalol shifts the log-concentration effect curves to the left in parallel fashion for both l -epinephrine and l -norepinephrine, but with dl -isoproterenol, pronethalol behaves as a dual antagonist. Pronethalol is also synergistic with l -phenylephrine at lower doses of the latter with protection at the highest dose (25 mg/kg). Phentolamine antagonized the AAT activity-lowering effect of l -epinephrine, l -norepinephrine, and l -phenylephrine while it, like pronethalol, produced a dual synergism-antagonism with dl -isoproterenol. Combinations of the largest doses of phentolamine (5.0 mg/kg) and pronethalol (6.0 mg/kg) with the sympathomimetics produced effects which were essentially the same as with phentolamine alone. Possible mechanisms of the observed AAT activity-lowering effects are discussed in terms of the known cardiovascular actions of the sympathomimetics and their response to adrenergic blockade.
1,25(OH)2-vitamin D3 actions on cell proliferation, size, gene expression, and receptor localization, in the HL-1 cardiac myocyte.

The steroid hormone 1,25(OH)2-vitamin D3 [1,25D] has been shown to affect the growth and proliferation of primary cultures of ventricular myocytes isolated from neonatal rat hearts. The research presented here shows that the vitamin D receptor [VDR] is present in murine cardiac myocytes (HL-1 cells), and that 1,25D affects the growth, proliferation and morphology of these cells. In addition we show that 1,25D effects expression of ANP, myotrophin, and c-myc. Furthermore, 1,25D effects expression and localization of the VDR within the cell. Murine HL-1 cardiac myocytes were grown and treated with 1,25D in culture, and growth and morphology were assessed with microscopic analysis. Cells were counted and protein levels were evaluated through Western blot analysis. Subcellular localization of the VDR was determined using immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy. 1,25D was found to decrease proliferation and alter cellular morphology of the HL-1 cells. Treatment with 1,25D increased expression of myotrophin while decreasing expression of atrial natriuretic peptide [ANP] and c-myc. 1,25D treatment also increased expression and nuclear localization of the VDR in these cardiac myocytes. Thus 1,25D is an important hormone involved in modulating and maintaining heart cell structure and function.
BONE GRAFT COMPLICATIONS: WHAT CAN WE DO TO PREVENT THEM?

Introduction: Bone grafts are commonly used in oral and maxillofacial surgery, helping to restore missing bone structure and provide osseous support. In spite of their reported success, complications can and do arise. Examples include loosening and resorption of the graft, infection, and complete loss of the graft. These complications can potentially lead to larger defects, necessitating additional procedures to correct the problem. This not only causes great discomfort to the patient, but also drains considerable time and resources away from the clinician. Thus, improvements on identifying ways to identify and prevent these complications are constantly being sought. We have performed a literature review and identified several areas in the field of optics that could potentially help solve our problem. Optical Techniques: Raman spectroscopy has been shown to provide a transcutaneous measurement of bone mineral and matrix Raman bands. This could potentially provide surgeons with the ability to more accurately assess bone graft osseointegration. In-vivo near-infrared optical imaging could potentially provide accurate diagnosis of pathologic lesions such as osteosarcoma. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound could be used to detect vascular disturbances and other information related to the transplantation of osseous components. Conclusion: Bone graft complications can be one of the most devastating consequences of osseous surgery. As surgeons, we are constantly searching for ways to identify them earlier and prevent them. We hope that by presenting areas that could be used, we can gain a better insight to ways in which both fields can benefit.
Verification and validation for magnetic fusion

Dramatic progress in the scope and power of plasma simulations over the past decade has extended our understanding of these complex phenomena. However, as codes embody imperfect models for physical reality, a necessary step toward developing a predictive capability is demonstrating agreement, without bias, between simulations and experimental results. While comparisons between computer calculations and experimental data are common, there is a compelling need to make these comparisons more systematic and more quantitative. Tests of models are divided into two phases, usually called verification and validation. Verification is an essentially mathematical demonstration that a chosen physical model, rendered as a set of equations, has been accurately solved by a computer code. Validation is a physical process which attempts to ascertain the extent to which the model used by a code correctly represents reality within some domain of applicability, to some specified level of accuracy. This paper will cover principles and practices for verification and validation including lessons learned from related fields.
A comparison of manipulative variables of the Presto-Amalgamator

The Presto-Amalgamator dispenses mercury and alloy, forms a mix by pressing them together, and triturates the mix mechanically. Ratios of mercury and alloy vary considerably with different brands, but these deviations decrease when the components are partially amalgamated.
Gang Membership and Crime Victimization among Prison Inmates

Prior research has only recently begun to examine the relationship between gang membership and crime victimization, and much remains unknown about the descriptive nature of the gang-victimization link, especially among incarcerated populations. The current study aimed to contribute to the emerging gang-victimization literature by examining: (1) characteristics of victimization for gang and non-gang members, (2) descriptors of gang membership comparing victimized to non-victimized gang members, and (3) characteristics of gang membership conduct comparing victimized to non-victimized gang members. A sample of both gang and non-gang member prison inmates in Texas were interviewed and answered a series of questions regarding involvement in crime and experiences with victimization. Results indicate that gang members were significantly more likely to be victimized compared to non-gang members and gang members were more likely to be alone and under the influence of substances when victimized. Characteristics of membership and gang member conduct by victimization status are also presented.
Paracolon and Proteus bacilli in the feces of healthy infants

Summary A study of the normal bacterial flora (gram-negative, enteric bacilli) of the intestine of healthy infants under 1 year of age was carried out, utilizing recently introduced selective culture media, including Salmonella-Shigella and desoxycholate-citrate agar, and the enriching fluid of Bangxang and Eliot. The results obtained were as follow: 1. Only seventeen, or 34 per cent, of the infants harbored solely Bacillus coli, Bacillus aerogenes and intermediates in the intestinal tract. 2. Thirty-three, or 66 per cent, harbored also other gram-negative, enteric bacilli. 3. Paracolon bacilli were recovered from eleven, or 22 per cent, of the infants. In four instances paracolon bacilli were found together with Proteus ammoniae, Proteus morganii, Bacillus pyocyaneus, and Bacillus alkalescens, respectively. 4. Proteus bacilli were present in twenty, or 40 per cent, of the cases. Among the species encountered were typical and atypical strains of Proteus vulgaris, Proteus ammoniae, and Proteus morganii. In seven out of the twenty instances one species of proteus was found in combination with other proteus types or different enteric bacilli. 5. Bacillus coli mutabilis was found in two; Bacillus alkalescens, in two; and Bacillus pyocyaneus, in four instances. 6. Of the culture media used Salmonella-Shigella agar proved to be superior to any other culture medium in the isolation of these microorganisms, particularly of the various proteus bacilli. 7. Data on the incidence of paracolon and proteus bacilli in the intestinal tract of healthy infants based upon older and obsolete cultural methods require revision.
Hydrogen sulfide flux measurements from construction and demolition debris (C&D) landfills.

Abstract Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has been identified as a principal odorous component of gaseous emissions from construction and demolition debris (C&D) landfills. Although several studies have reported the ambient concentrations of H2S near C&D landfills, few studies have quantified emission rates of H2S. One of the most widely used techniques for measuring surface gas emission rates from landfills is the flux chamber method. Flux measurements using the flux chamber were performed at five different C&D landfills from April to August, 2003. The flux rates of H2S measured in this research were between 0.192 and 1.76 mg/(m2-d).
The current role of renal biopsy in the management of localized renal tumors

Introduction : In the current era of nephron-sparing surgery (NSS) for localized tumors, pretreatment tissue biopsy is being revisited and re-evaluated. Whether a renal biopsy can supplement imaging investigations to change patient management is a subject of current research. Materials and Methods : We performed a database search in PubMed for manuscripts from 1988 to 2008 using the appropriate keywords. Manuscripts were selected according to their relevance to the current topic and incorporated into this review. Results : Preoperative renal biopsy has been utilized to effectively distinguish between benign and malignant tumors localized to the kidney with minimal additional morbidity attributable to the procedure. Tissue diagnosis can also potentially grade renal tumors and uncover unusual malignancies. Although its acceptance remains limited, with fear of false negative results, bleeding and tumor seeding, its ability to influence management decisions has been demonstrated in literature. Conclusions : The role of preoperative renal biopsy for localized renal tumors is likely to increase rapidly in the coming times. With the expanding scope and utilization of NSS, this diagnostic modality will find increased applicability and acceptance in individualizing management protocols in the future.
An integrated approach to intestinal failure: results of a new program with total parenteral nutrition, bowel rehabilitation, and transplantation.

Intestinal failure can be treated with bowel rehabilitation, total parenteral nutrition, or intestinal transplantation. Little has been done to integrate these therapies for patients with intestinal insufficiency or failure and to develop an algorithm for appropriate use and timing. We established a multidisciplinary program using bowel rehabilitation, total parenteral nutrition, or intestinal transplantation as appropriate in a large population. Evaluation included clinical, pathlogic, and psychosocial assessments and assignment to therapy based on the results of this evaluation. Of 59 patients evaluated for life-threatening complications of intestinal failure, 68% were considered appropriate candidates for transplantation, 10% were managed with rehabilitation, and 17% were maintained on optimized long-term parenteral nutrition. Nineteen transplants were performed, with 78% patient survival and 66% graft survival. Patient survival among isolated intestine recipients was 90%. All patients managed with rehabilitation were weaned from parenteral nutrition within 6 months. Long-term management with parenteral nutrition resulted in a significant number of deaths both among patients waiting for a transplant and those who were poor candidates for transplant. Intestinal rehabilitation, when successful, is optimal. For patients with irreversible intestinal failure, isolated intestinal transplantation holds particular promise. Parenteral nutrition is plagued by high failure rates among this population of debilitated patients compared with the general parenteral nutrition population. Integration of these therapies, with individualization of care based on a multidisciplinary approach and perhaps with earlier isolated intestinal transplantation for patients with irreversible intestinal failure, should optimize survival.
Authenticating Identity: The Quest for Personal Validation through Authenticity in Music

“Music City, U.S.A.” celebrates many cultures and music, but often Nashville is identified with singing cowboys with southern drawls. Some are quick to call this country-western image “inauthentic,” pointing out that middle Tennessee’s forested hills were never home to cattle ranches or Gene Autry. Indeed, the labels of “authentic” or “inauthentic” have become widely used in contemporary society to denote whether a thing is essentially true or untrue. In his evaluation of the 1960s music “myth” in which folk music was deemed authentic and pop music inauthentic, sociologist Simon Frith argues that the central issue was less about the music itself and more about the communication of a person’s identity through that music. An examination of the concept of authenticity as it has evolved through history and presented itself in recent scholarship and a survey of Nashville residents and college students reveal that the quest for authenticity in tourism and consumerism is closely linked to the construction of identity. While the concept of authenticity is demonstrably problematic, it retains its power because it provides a framework against which individuals can define themselves in an increasingly global world. The quest for authenticity in music, then, becomes a quest for truth about oneself for which there is no objective answer. Authenticity is fundamentally a question of perspective. Who can say whether Nashville is authentic or not? All that can be said is simply that Nashville is.
Diffusion of fluids through transversely isotropic solids

In this paper, we investigate the problem of radial diffusion of fluids through a transversely isotropic hollow non-linearly elastic cylinder. The transversely isotropic cylinder is both sheared and stretched. We study in detail how shearing and stretching the cylinder affects the diffusion process. The influence of the anisotropy of the solid on diffusion is also determined. A comparison is made with previous work (cf. Gandhi, Rajagopal and Wineman [11]) on the radial diffusion of fluids through isotropic non-linearly elastic solids.
Characterization of Aspergillus oryzae fermentation extract effects on the rumen fungus Neocallimastix frontalis, EB 188. Part 1. Zoospore development and physiology

Experiments were performed to determine the effect of Aspergillus oryzae (AO) fermentation extract on zoospore development in the rumen fungus Neocallimastix frontalis EB 188. Powdered product, or liquid extract prepared from such powder, was added at the recommended value for supplementation in dairy cattle. Stationary and stirred cultures were periodically sampled and assayed for extracellular and intracellular protein and enzymes, gas production, zoospore production and maturation, and carbon source utilization. Soluble extract increased fungal physiology when grown in stirred vessels or stationary cultures. Treated cultures produced higher levels of enzymes (nearly double). Mobile zoospores matured into germination entities more rapidly in treated cultures, and when powdered product was used, nearly 3 times more motile zoospores were produced at 56 h of fungal growth. Levels of the intracellular enzyme malate dehydrogenase increased by 6-fold in the presence of powdered product. Product wheat bran carrier used as soluble extract or powder had very little effect on fungal cultures. Medium cellulose was completely hydrolyzed in all cultures but this occurred earlier in those containing AO treatment.
Novel decapeptides that bind avidly and deliver radioisotope to colon cancer cells.

Background The rapidly growing field of targeted tumor therapy often utilizes an antibody, sometimes tagged with a tumor-ablating material such as radioisotope, directed against a specific molecule. Methodology/Principal Findings This report describes the discovery of nine novel decapeptides which can be radioactively labeled, bind to, and deliver 32P to colon cancer cells. The decapeptides vary from one another by one to three amino acids and demonstrate vastly different binding abilities. The most avidly binding decapeptide can permanently deliver very high levels of radioisotope to the adenocarcinoma cancer cell lines at an efficiency 35 to 150 times greater than to a variety of other cell types, including cell lines derived from other types of cancer or from normal tissue. Conclusions/Significance This experimental approach represents a new example of a strategy, termed peptide binding therapy, for the potential treatment of colorectal and other adenocarcinomas.
Can the Fisk Conjecture be Explained by Rock Damage Around Explosions

We investigate the possibility that rock damage (Ashby and Sammis, 1990; Johnson and Sammis, 2001) can explain recent observations of Fisk (2006, 2007) that P - and S -wave corner frequencies from explosions differ by a factor approximately related to the ratio of near-source compressional and shear velocities (the Fisk conjecture). The observation of differing P - and S -wave corner frequencies from explosions forms the basis for the success of the high-frequency P / S discriminant. Using first-order considerations, we find that the damage mechanics model can indeed explain the Fisk conjecture (although this is certainly not a unique explanation). The key to our argument is that, although the radius of rock damage is less than that of the so-called elastic radius, the slow velocity of the outward propagating damage front can reduce shear-wave corner frequencies. This explanation differs slightly from that of Fisk (2006, 2007) who states that S waves from explosions occur at “a similar length scale, comparable to the elastic radius as for P waves.” Because of the significant reduction in V S caused by rock damage, we suggest that the shear waves generated within the damage region can have a radius significantly less than the elastic radius for a P wave. Additionally, because rock damage is controlled by the difference of the maximum and minimum principal stress, first-order considerations suggest that lithospheric overburden does not shut off rock damage until scaled depths of burial of up to ![Graphic][1] . Thus, effects due to rock damage may be an important source of shear waves for nearly all tamped nuclear explosions for which we have experience. [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif
Phylogenetic relationships and altered genome structures among Tetrahymena mitochondrial DNAs

Tetrahymena thermophila mitochondrial DNA is a linear molecule with two tRNAs, large subunit beta (LSU beta) rRNA (21S rRNA) and LSU alpha rRNA (5.8S-like RNA) encoded near each terminus. The DNA sequence of approximately 550 bp of this region was determined in six species of Tetrahymena. In three species the LSU beta rRNA and tRNA(leu) genes were not present on one end of the DNA, demonstrating a mitochondrial genome organization different from that of T. thermophila. The DNA sequence of the LSU alpha rRNA was used to construct a mitochondrial phylogenetic tree, which was found to be topologically equivalent to a phylogenetic tree based on nuclear small subunit rRNA sequences (Sogin et al. (1986) EMBO J. 5, 3625-3630). The mitochondrial rRNA gene was found to accumulate base-pair substitutions considerably faster than the nuclear rRNA gene, the rate difference being similar to that observed for mammals.
The origin and evolution of saline formation water, Lower Cretaceous carbonates, south-central Texas, U.S.A.

Abstract Systematic chemical variation exists in formation water collected from a dip section through Lower Cretaceous rocks of south-central Texas. Chemical variation can be explained by an interactive water-rock diagenetic model. The cyclic Lower Cretaceous shelf carbonates of the Edwards Group dip into the Gulf of Mexico Coast “geosyncline”, and can be considered, to a first approximation, as part of a complex aquifer contained by Paleozoic basement beneath, and by relatively impermeable Upper Cretaceous clay and chalk above. The hydrodynamic character of this carbonate system is strongly controlled by major fault systems. Major fault systems serve as pathways for vertical movement of basinal brines into the Lower Cretaceous section. Formation water movement in this sytem has strong upfault and updip components. The “parent” Na/1bCa/1bCl brine originates deep in the Gulf of Mexico basin, at temperatures between 200 and 250°C, by the reaction: halite + detrital plagioclase + quartz + water → albite + brine Other dissolved components originate by reaction of the fluid with the sedimentary phases, K-feldspar, calcite, dolomite, anhydrite, celestite, barite and fluorite. Significant quantities of Pb, Zn and Fe have been mobilized as well. As the brine moves updip out of the overpressured deep Gulf of Mexico basin, and encounters limestones of the Stuart City Reef Trend (the buried platform margin), small amounts of galena precipitate in late fractures. Continuing to rise upfault and updip, the brine becomes progressively diluted. On encountering significant quantities of dolomite in the backreef facies, the Ca-rich brine causes dedolomitization. Although thermochemical consideration suggests that small amounts of several authigenic phases should precipitate, most have yet to be found. Minor amounts of several kinds of calcite spar are present, however. As the brine evolves by dilution and by cooling, no systematic changes in any cation/Cl ratio occur, except for regular updip gain in Mg as a result of progressive dedolomitization. The formation water, highly diluted by meteoric water, eventually discharges along faults as hot mineral water.
Inhibitory Function and Aging: Three New Views

ASHER and Zacks in 1988 presented a controversial new view of age-related declines in cognitive function that immediately became a classic work in cognitive gerontology. They cogently argued that inefficient inhibitory mechanisms played an important role in accounting for age differences in cognitive function. Up to this point, such age differences had typically been attributed to limitations in working memory or declines in speed of processing. This controversial view generated both considerable research and debate. It is now nearly 10 years since the original article was published, and it is time for both an evaluation and an update of inhibition as an explanatory construct for a wide range of cognitive aging phenomena. The present series of articles consists of two critical analyses of the Hasher-Zacks position followed by a response to the critiques by Zacks and Hasher. In the first article, Deborah Burke evaluates the adequacy of inhibitory theory for understanding language processing and production. Next, Joan McDowd addresses the effectiveness of inhibitory mechanisms in explaining a series of findings in the domain of selective attention. McDowd also provides an evaluation of the inhibition construct as a global, organizing theoretical principle for the field of cognitive gerontology. Both authors raise concerns about the adequacy of inhibitory mechanisms as an explanatory construct. The final article is a reply authored by Rose Zacks and Lynn Hasher to the issues raised by Burke and McDowd. Zacks and Hasher describe how their view of aging and inhibitory function has evolved in the past decade, and then reply to the specific issues raised by Burke and McDowd. The three articles together represent conflicting views and interpretations of extant data. The exchange among these authors, nevertheless, presents a clear delineation of the issues for future research and also provides a sharpening and update of how an important explanatory cognitive mechanism has fared and evolved over a decade. Inhibition is an important construct in the cognitive gerontology literature, and debate about its centrality and adequacy will continue for some time. This special section should foster the development of the discipline in two ways. First, the issues raised should focus researchers on important and novel questions leading to the development of new views and paradigms about the role that deficient inhibitory function plays in explaining many age-related deficits in cognition. Second, these articles may.also stimulate the development of new and competing theories in the field. This special section is based on a spirited exchange among the authors that occurred at the Cognitive Aging Conference in Atlanta, Georgia in April of 1996. It was both a pleasure and challenge to serve as editor of these papers. I thank the three authors for the high standards of scholarship, timeliness, and collegiality that were maintained throughout this process. Special thanks are also due to Gus Craik, Art Wingfield, and two anonymous reviewers who provided wise and frequent advice as reviewers of the manuscripts. REFERENCE
Establishment of a Normative Database for the Voice-Related Quality of Life (V-RQOL) Measure

Summary Objectives The Voice-Related Quality of Life (V-RQOL) measure is a well-established disease-specific quality of life instrument for voice disorders. This study aims to establish a large, heterogenous V-RQOL normative database. Methods The V-RQOL measure was completed by adult volunteers with no voice complaints in the preceding 6 months. Standardized scores were calculated. Mean scores and standard deviations (SDs) were calculated by demographic category and analyzed using a one-way analysis of variance test. Results Results were available for 253 responders with a mean V-RQOL score of 94.8 (SD 10.1). There was no difference in scores among age groups, gender, or employment status. Conclusions This study provides normative values for the V-RQOL measure. Clinicians using this instrument for clinical or research purposes may use this database for a more complete understanding and interpretation of their results.
Financial Development and Economic Growth of Developed versus Asian Developing Countries: A Pooling Time-Series and Cross-Country Analysis

This paper examines the relationship between financial market development and economic growth. By pooling the data of both developed and developing countries, we test the relation between the real GDP growth rate and financial development variables suggested by the aggregate capital endogenous growth model. We find that the capital absorption and saving rates have a significant positive relation with economic growth whereas the interest rate has a negative relation. Since the behavior of these explanatory variables reflects financial development, our results suggest that financial intermediation plays a significant role in economic growth. Furthermore, we find that there was a shift in the economic performance of Asian developing economies in the 1980s. Financial reforms in this region have resulted in a transitory adverse impact on the capital absorption rate. It also appears that economic growth has slowed down recently for most of these newly industrialized economies. Our result suggests that the lack of efficient financial markets may have hindered the economic performance of these economies.
Climate change in suburbs: An exploration of key impacts and vulnerabilities

Abstract Suburbs are becoming a dominant form of urban settlement worldwide. Yet little research attention has been directed to the issue of how suburban regions and their residents will be affected by climate change. This study explores climate change vulnerabilities and impacts in suburbs through an investigation of metropolitan New Jersey, USA. The study methodology draws on climate risk assessment and expert and stakeholder interviews to identify key vulnerabilities in a range of economic and natural resource sectors and to examine how these vulnerabilities vary across different types of suburban communities. Results indicate that development-related pressures and stresses play a decisive role in shaping climate change impact pathways in suburbs. While some aspects of climate change, including increased potential for flooding, are important in all types of suburban areas, other impacts such as degradation of remnant ecosystems, are specific to particular types of suburbs. Based on this examination, several components of a broader research agenda on climate change and suburbs emerge. These include a need for further specification of significant impacts and vulnerabilities both within and across suburban areas, articulation of additive or synergistic qualities of these impacts, and determination of factors that influence suburban adaptive capacity and resilience.
Comparison of filter components of back-to-back and matrix converter by analytical estimation of ripple quantities

This paper presents an analysis and comprehensive comparison between the passive filter component requirements of a matrix converter and a DC-link based back-to-back converter. Proper design of the filter components requires the estimation of the switching frequency components present in various voltages and currents. An accurate estimation of different ripple quantities is presented by simple analytical expressions and verified by MATLAB/Simulink simulations. The filters are designed and a quantitative comparison of the passive components is done.
Cultural Integrity in Non-Traditional Societies: Cuba Encounters the Global Market System

Discussions concerning the impacts of current neo-liberal economic policies on `endangered people' have focused on `traditional' cultures and the `extinction of experience' from loss of cultural knowledge. There is little consideration of non-traditional societies and their efforts to maintain collective socioeconomic rights outside of the western, individualist, neo-liberal development paradigm. Cuba presents one example of a society successful on many counts in providing human services, especially in the areas of public health and education, that are unavailable for millions throughout Latin America. Cubans provide an alternative vision for them and many impoverished people in the Third World, who now face threats from pressures for global neo-liberalism. This article explores the implications of the `extinction of experience' for collective cultural and economic rights under threat from modern corporate consolidation of global economic power, consumerism, and the presumed `failure of socialism'.
Street Crime Strategies The Changing Schemata of Streetwalkers

Streetwalkers have unique transactions with the urban environment. They must be aware of the shifting environmental stimuli and react accordingly in order to remain in business and avoid arrests. The transactions and schemata of streetwalkers are explored in light of various sociocultural factors by use of police arrest records, field observations, survey results from arrested prostitutes, a multiple regression, and a multidimensional scaling technique. Women of different races are found to be using similar street crime strategies, however their schemata differ. Black and White street-walkers appear to work at different times, and sometimes places, during the day. The interrelationships between behavior, space, and time are apparent and reveal the dynamic, multifaceted nature of criminal transactions.
Proton Radiation Therapy for the Treatment of Pediatric Retinoblastoma

photocoagulation, and thermotherapy. Following plaque radiation therapy, there was a total of 33/255 recurrences (12.9%), with 26/33 recurrences occurring within the first year. The median time to recurrence was 4.5 months. Sixty-five patients (25.5%) underwent enucleation due to poor vision, pain or viable tumor, with 44/65 of the surgeries occurring within the first year and 18/65 within 5 years after plaque treatment. The median time to enucleation was 7 months. The actuarial local recurrence rates at 1 year, 5 year, and 10 year were 10.2%, 11.8%, and 12.2%, respectively, while actuarial rates for enucleation were 17.3%, 24.3% and 24.7%, respectively. Radiation-related complications included cataracts (n Z 64), non-proliferative retinopathy (n Z 46), maculopathy (n Z 26), retinal neovascularization (n Z 25), glaucoma (n Z 9), and vitreous hemorrhage (n Z 2). Conclusions: Plaque radiation therapy is effective for the management of retinoblastoma with 88% tumor control at 10 years. The choice of iodine125 provides deeper tumor penetration compared to other focal organpreserving therapies, yet limits full ocular and systemic exposure, resulting in beneficial local control. The majority of local failures occur within the first year after plaque brachytherapy. ICRB groups B and C are the bestsuited candidates (basal diameter less than 16 mm and thickness less than or equal to 9 mm). Author Disclosure: N.R. Patel: None. J. Emrich: None. N. Ghodasara: None. F. Troicki: None. L. Komarnicky-Kocher: None. C.L. Shields: None. S. Kaliki: None. A. Mashayekhi: None. S.E. Lally: None. J.A. Shields: None.
Compensation filter design using megavoltage radiography

Abstract The exit dose information that is available on a port film taken on a therapy treatment unit is used to determine the compensation required to produce a uniform dose distribution. The procedure is automated using a computer-controlled scanning densitometer; this saves considerable personnel time compared with conventional methods. The system also can copensate for body inhomogeneties.
The measurement of distortion: Concluding remarks

The means by which fine measurements can be made and distortions computed have been discussed in this series. However, the fact remains that research of this nature is time consuming and demanding. At every step, and in all machined components, care must be taken to eliminate local inaccuracies. Precalibration, postcalibration, and an ongoing program of maintenance are essential if quality results are to be anticipated. An attempt has been made to introduce automatic reading devices with the ability to compute distortions by having the raw data sent directly to a computer. This latter step can be highly dangerous unless at least one "test case" can be programmed into the system as a check on the data access and computational procedures. These test cases should simulate as closely as possible the actual computational requirements of the system, in order that all program "bugs" be corrected before the research is run. In this area, the GIGO rule, "Garbage in-Garbage out," holds true. Unfortunately, if the computational errors are small and of the order of magnitude of the measured distortions the researcher can accept the results without realizing there is a computational problem.
Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia Among Elderly vs Younger Adult Patients: Comparison of Clinical Features and Mortality

Background Previous studies give conflicting results regarding the effect of age on outcomes in Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB). These studies have been limited by retrospective design or small sample size. Methods We conducted a prospective cohort study of 385 patients with SAB aged 18 to 90 years. The setting was a large academic medical center. We observed patients from diagnosis of SAB to discharge or death. Discharged patients were contacted 12 weeks after their first positive culture findings. Data were collected on demographics, comorbid conditions, focus of infection, length of stay, and outcome. Primary outcomes were total mortality and death due to SAB. Results Comparisons were made between 145 patients, aged 66 to 90 years, and 240 patients, aged 18 to 60 years. Forty-three (29.7%) of the elderly patients and 36 (15%) of the younger patients died. Death directly attributable to SAB occurred in 21 (14.5%) older and 15 (6.3%) younger patients. After adjusting for confounding variables, older patients continued to have higher total mortality (odds ratio, 2.21; 95% confidence interval, 1.32-3.70), and higher mortality from SAB (odds ratio, 2.30; 95% confidence interval, 1.13-4.69). Infection with methicillin-resistant S aureus was associated with higher total mortality in the elderly (odds ratio, 2.59; 95% confidence interval, 1.23-5.43). Conclusions Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia among the elderly is associated with high mortality. Both total mortality and mortality directly attributable to SAB are more than twice as likely in older patients. Infection with methicillin-resistant S aureus carries a worse prognosis than infection with methicillin-sensitive S aureus in the elderly.
A Fluorescence Turn-On Mechanism to Detect High Explosives RDX and PETN

A fluorescent chemosensor to detect saturated nitramine and nitrate ester explosives was devised based on a photochemical reduction reaction. 10-Methyl-9,10-dihydroacridine (AcrH2) was found to transfer a hydride ion equivalent to the high explosives RDX and PETN upon irradiation at 313 nm in degassed acetonitrile solutions. Mechanistic photophysical studies indicate that the photoreduction of RDX proceeds via a two-step electron−hydrogen atom transfer reaction, whereas PETN photoreduction proceeds via a three-step electron−proton−electron transfer sequence. A zinc analogue was synthesized and found to display an 80- or 25-fold increase in 480 nm emission intensity upon reaction with RDX or PETN, respectively. Moreover, the Zn analogue was found to be unresponsive to TNT and other common contaminants, in addition to being photostable under ambient conditions. On the basis of these characteristics, we report a powerful chemosensor that displays a direct fluorescent response to either RDX or PETN.