cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
213 Magnesium, Parathyroid Hormone and Muscle Cramps in Chronic Hemodialysis Patients

MAGNESIUM, PARATHYROID HORMONE AND MUSCLE CRAMPS IN CHRONIC HEMODIALYSIS PATIENTS. Sudhir Movva, Patrick Lynch, Mekdess Abebe, Nand K. Wadhwa. Division of Nephrology, SUNY, Stony Brook, New York, USA. We reported an inverse relationship between predialysis serum magnesium (Mg) and muscle cramps in chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients (JASN 21:436A, 2010). The interaction between serum Mg, parathyroid hormone (PTH) and muscle cramps is not known. The present study evaluated the effect of dialysate Mg on PTH and muscle cramps in HD. 62 ESRD patients (Mean age 60, range 25-87 years; 36 males, 26 females) on HD were studied. The patients were hemodialyzed initially with a dialysate Mg of 0.75mEq/L and then with a dialysate Mg of 1.00mEq/L. The patients received HD with each dialysate for at least 3 months. Monthly pre-HD laboratory data, before and after the change in dialysate Mg, were used for analysis. A single nephrology fellow conducted an in-person questionnaire on 62 patients twice. The severity of cramps was evaluated on a 0-10 scale, with 10 rated as maximal severity. Data are summarized below (mean + SD): Variable 0.75 mEq/L 1.0 mEq/L P value Mg mg/dL 1.89±0.26 2.15±0.31 0.002 PTH pcg/mL 308±206 274±195 NS Calcium mg/dL 8.9±0.26 2.15±0.31 0.005 Phoshorus mg/dL 5.3±1.7 5.45±1.17 NS Hectoral mcg/wk 15.32±42.8 10.2±7.9 NS Cramp severity 5.36±3.6 3.95±3.93 0.004 No significant correlation of serum Mg between PTH, hectoral and sensipar was observed with increased dialysate Mg. In patients with PTH<150 pcg/mL, number of patients with cramps decreased significantly with higher dialysate Mg (x 10.5, p=0.002). In conclusion, data suggest that serum Mg may affect PTH and muscle cramps in HD patients.
China’s Shallow Integration: Networked Production and the New Challenges for Late Industrialization

Summary. Chinese enterprises have become extensively linked with the global economy, yet in a shallow manner. They remain stuck in commodity manufacturing, undifferentiated activities for which innovation is absent. Competition then revolves around cutthroat cost cutting. This outcome stems from three factors. First, it reflects the new challenges to development posed by globally networked production. Second, it reflects tensions between the political economic imperatives of successful post-socialist transition and the institutional imperatives for upgrading in networked economies. Third, it reflects uncertainty surrounding the adjustment of traditional industrial policy to the new demands of development through participation in global supply chains.
Development of a regenerative radon-in-water radioactivity standard

Abstract NBS has developed a prototype standard that generates samples of radium-free 222 Rn gas dissolved in distilled water. This standard is intended to be used for quality control of the US Environmental Protection Agency's program to survey drinking water. It consists of a generator and delivery system which can accurately dispense solutions of 222 Rn with known concentration into, for example, a liquid scintillation vial containing scintillation cocktail. The prototype consists of a source of 226 Ra which is deposited on an ion exchange filter and sandwiched between two layers of thin polyethylene tape and immersed in water in a specially constructed accumulation chamber. The chamber is then flushed and 222 Rn is allowed to accumulate for a measured time and flushed again into a large syringe from which the standard solution is dispensed. From the measurements made at NBS over the past two years, the 222 Rn in the ion exchange filter-polyethylene sandwich, and therefore, the concentration of radon dissolved in the water, can be predicted accurately. Other characteristics of the system will be reported.
SYNTHESIS AND IRON COMPLEXATION STUDIES OF BIS-HYDROXAMIC ACIDS

Abstract A series of bis-hydroxamic acids was prepared by the condensation of the aminoacids glycine, β-alanine, and γ-aminobutyric acid, with succinyl and adipoyl chlorides followed by conversion of the terminal carboxyl groups to hydroxamic acids (HA). Mole ratio plots of iron chelation indicated that 3:1 HA: Fe complexes exist at pH 4 and 6, but that 2:1 HA: Fe complexes are the prevalent species at pH 2. Differences in spacing had little effect on the iron complexing ability as measured through competition equilibria with EDTA. The six bis-hydroxamic acids were subjected to a bioassay screen designed to select compounds possessing in vivo iron removal activity for potential use in treating iron overload in Cooley′s Anemia. All of the six compounds had some activity. The bis-hydroxamic acid derived from succinic acid and γ-aminobutyric acid was particularly active, almost as active as the standard drug desferrioxamine-B.
Dose Rate Effects During Damage Accumulation in Silicon

We combine molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo simulations to study damage accumulation and dose rate effects during irradiation of Silicon. We obtain the initial stage of the damage produced by heavy and light ions using classical molecular dynamics simulations. While heavy ions like As or Pt induce amorphization by single ion impact, light ions like B only produce point defects or small clusters of defects. The amorphous pockets generated by heavy ions are stable below room temperature and recrystallize at temperatures below the threshold for recrystallization of a planar amorphous-crystalline interface. The damage accumulation during light ion irradiation is simulated using a Monte Carlo model for defect diffusion. In this approach, we study the damage in the lattice as a function of dose and dose rate. A strong reduction in the total number of defects left in the lattice is observed for lower dose rates.
Diversity in the rural poor: differences between households with and without telephones.

Differences between households with and without phones in the United States as a whole are well documented, but these differences, and their implications for nursing practice and research, have received little attention in nursing publications. This article 1) reviews findings from national studies of these differences and 2) reports on a nursing study that examined such differences specifically in a random sample (N - 2,053) of low-income families having children eligible for but not using the well-child services of the Medicaid program in rural North Carolina. The study was part of a randomized trial of nursing interventions to encourage parents to use these services. The analyses reported herein focus on how families with and without phones differed in health-related characteristics and in responses to the interventions. The findings have relevance for public health nurses conducting outreach or research with similar low-income families, even when the outreach or research methods do not involve phone contact.
High-affinity rat anti-fluorescein monoclonal antibody with unique fine specificity properties including differntail recognition of dynamic ligand analogues

The ability of antibodies to specifically select and stabilize through binding one or more isomers of highly dynamic ligands remains a relatively unexplored immunochemical problem. The experimental strategy employed in this study was to elicit homogeneous antibodies to polyarmatic fluorescein which exists in one isomeric form. The binding properties of a monoclonal rat antifluorescein antibody specific to a given isomer were quantitatively studied to determine the capacity ot bind dynamic analogues of fluorescein which exists in multiple isomers. To generate monoclonal anti-fluorescein antibodies that reacted with specific dynamia analogues of fluorescein posessing unconjugated aromatic ring systems, immune spleenocytes from Lou/M rats immunized with FITC(I)-KLH were fused with Balb/c SP2/0-Ag14 murine myeloma cells forming rat-mouse hybridomas. Cell line P2A12-1-C8 was selected for further characterization from the original 23 stable rat hybrids, since it produced a monoclonal antibody with a binding affinity 2.0 × 1010/M for fluorescein based on dissociation rate measurements. P2A12-1-C8 exhibited significant reactivity with HPF and phenol red, which are dynamic structural analogues of the homologous florescein ligand. No reactivity was demonstrated with phenolphthalein, which based on relative chemical structures was expected to be more reactive than phenol red. Computer-based molecular modeling and energy minimization studies of fluorescein, HPF, phenol red, and phenolphthalein showed that in terms of the most energetically favotable orientation of the three aromatic rings, phenol red more closely simulated fluorescein than phenolphthalein. The results were analyzed in terms of the mechanisms of dynamic ligand stabilization and binding involving accommodation of specific ligand isomers by energetically permissible conformational states exhibited by an antibody active site. Thus, antibody reactivity of an anti-fluorescein antibody with phenol red and phenolphthalein was dicated more by ligand dynamics and aromatic orientation than by chemical structure similarities.
A Triarchic Approach to the Understanding and Assessment of Intelligence in Multicultural Populations.

Abstract This article discusses the relevance of the triarchic theory of human intelligence for the understanding and assessment of intelligence in multicultural populations. The article is divided into three parts. The first part argues that intelligence can mean different things to different cultural groups, and that conventional narrow measures of intelligence fail to do justice to the breadth that the construct needs to encompass in order to be relevant multiculturally. The second part describes recent research we have done toward the construction of broader-based measures of intelligence. The third part draws conclusions, in particular, that it is time to move beyond conventional intelligence tests.
Chromoblastomycosis caused by Exophiala spinifera

Exophiala spinifera is reported as a newly recognized agent of chromoblastomycosis. This case demonstrates that infections caused by dematiaceous fungi may be variable and that a single fungus may cause more than one type of infection. Chromoblastomycosis and phaeo-hyphomycosis represent extremes of a continuum of infections.
Ultrasensitive optical spectroscopy of rare earth solids

Abstract In this paper, we report recent work wherein f → f transitions have been observed in samples either too dilute or too opaque to have been studied previously. Ultrasensitive reflection and fluorescence spectra are discussed together with techniques for the fabrication of thin film samples with enhanced rare earth absorption. Results described include, the observation of absorption lines in the spectra of epitaxial films containing less than one layer of absorbing ions, the observation of sharp lines in the spectra of rare earth semiconductors and metals, and the preliminary observation of frequency dependent structure in the inhomogeneously broadened fluorescence of Eu 3+ at 10–100 ppb concentration in a silica glass fiber.
The need for child maltreatment research and program evaluation

The knowledge base supporting child abuse treatment and prevention rests upon clinical experience and applied research. An analysis of program funding in the United States indicates that unevaluated clinical programs are funded rather than research or program evaluation projects. Grant funding patterns for the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect were analyzed for 4 years. Overall, 66% of projects had no research or evaluation component. Without such programs, we cannot determine the effectiveness of treatment and prevention efforts that, while well intended, may have no effects on the participating parents and children, or, worse still, may have unintended negative consequences. Quality programs must be based on the maintenance of a balance between research and clinical efforts with evaluation being an important component of the latter.
Three reversals in the twenty-first century

Abstract My studies show that the general assumptions commoly held about techno-economic systems are likely to prove wrong as today's revolutionary change reaches critical levels. The Geroge Washington University Forecast of Emrrging Technology, which I have conducted for the past decade, forecasts major technological breakthourghs in all scientific fields that should transform society during the next 10–20 years [1]. Like all truly revolutionary change, the results are likely to be so profound that we only search for new understanding. I would like to summarize these critical changes in terms of three parallel “reversals” that lie ahead: From control to freedom, conflict to community, and materialism to spirit [2].
TIE: Temporal Interaction Explorer for Co-presence Communities

The widespread adoption of smart phones allows for the seamless capture of social interactions on a scale that was once impossible. Co-presence, collected using Bluetooth on the phones, faithfully represents such real-world social interactions. This social information can be transformed into communities, which can be leveraged into applications such as recommender systems and collaborative tools. However, correctly identifying communities is difficult. This paper presents TIE, a visualization tool that enables effective review of detected communities. With TIE, we can visualize the social interaction of a set of people over time. Also, TIE can overlay detected community events in a usable way over the underlying social interactions. Further, it allows us to investigate specific social interaction events and see how well detected communities match those events. Lastly, it enables the comparison of different sets of detected communities by interactively switching between overlays. TIE has proven useful in evaluating our community detection algorithms and has been invaluable in identifying strengths and weaknesses of these algorithms. Beyond our needs, TIE is usable for other data sets that can be reduced to temporal interaction events such as multiplayer game communities, SMS interactions, and paper co-authorship.
Prediction of revascularization after myocardial perfusion SPECT by machine learning in a large population

We aimed to investigate if early revascularization in patients with suspected coronary artery disease can be effectively predicted by integrating clinical data and quantitative image features derived from perfusion SPECT (MPS) by machine learning (ML) approach. 713 rest 201Thallium/stress 99mTechnetium MPS studies with correlating invasive angiography with 372 revascularization events (275 PCI/97 CABG) within 90 days after MPS (91% within 30 days) were considered. Transient ischemic dilation, stress combined supine/prone total perfusion deficit (TPD), supine rest and stress TPD, exercise ejection fraction, and end-systolic volume, along with clinical parameters including patient gender, history of hypertension and diabetes mellitus, ST-depression on baseline ECG, ECG and clinical response during stress, and post-ECG probability by boosted ensemble ML algorithm (LogitBoost) to predict revascularization events. These features were selected using an automated feature selection algorithm from all available clinical and quantitative data (33 parameters). Tenfold cross-validation was utilized to train and test the prediction model. The prediction of revascularization by ML algorithm was compared to standalone measures of perfusion and visual analysis by two experienced readers utilizing all imaging, quantitative, and clinical data. The sensitivity of machine learning (ML) (73.6% ± 4.3%) for prediction of revascularization was similar to one reader (73.9% ± 4.6%) and standalone measures of perfusion (75.5% ± 4.5%). The specificity of ML (74.7% ± 4.2%) was also better than both expert readers (67.2% ± 4.9% and 66.0% ± 5.0%, P < .05), but was similar to ischemic TPD (68.3% ± 4.9%, P < .05). The receiver operator characteristics areas under curve for ML (0.81 ± 0.02) was similar to reader 1 (0.81 ± 0.02) but superior to reader 2 (0.72 ± 0.02, P < .01) and standalone measure of perfusion (0.77 ± 0.02, P < .01). ML approach is comparable or better than experienced readers in prediction of the early revascularization after MPS, and is significantly better than standalone measures of perfusion derived from MPS.
Childhood and Adolescent Migraine Prevention (CHAMP) Study: A Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled, Comparative Effectiveness Study of Amitriptyline, Topiramate, and Placebo in the Prevention of Childhood and Adolescent Migraine

Background Migraine is one of the most common health problems for children and adolescents. If not successfully treated, it can impact patients and families with significant disability due to loss of school, work, and social function. When headaches become frequent, it is essential to try to prevent the headaches. For children and adolescents, this is guided by extrapolation from adult studies, a limited number of small studies in children and adolescents and practitioner preference. The aim of the Childhood and Adolescent Migraine Prevention (CHAMP) study is to determine the most effective preventive agent to use in children and adolescents. Methods CHAMP is a double-blinded, placebo-controlled, multicenter, comparative effectiveness study of amitriptyline and topiramate for the prevention of episodic and chronic migraine, designed to mirror real-world practice, sponsored by the US National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke/National Institutes of Health (U01NS076788). The study will recruit 675 subjects between the ages of 8 and 17 years old, inclusive, who have migraine with or without aura or chronic migraine as defined by the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2nd Edition, with at least 4 headaches in the 28 days prior to randomization. The subjects will be randomized in a 2:2:1 (amitriptyline: topiramate: placebo) ratio. Doses are weight based and will be slowly titrated over an 8-week period to a target dose of 1 mg/kg of amitriptyline and 2 mg/kg of topiramate. The primary outcome will be a 50% reduction in headache frequency between the 28-day baseline and the final 28 days of treatment (weeks 20-24). Conclusions The goal of the CHAMP study is to obtain level 1 evidence for the effectiveness of amitriptyline and topiramate in the prevention of migraine in children and adolescents. If this study proves to be positive, it will provide information to the practicing physician as how to best prevent migraine in children and adolescents and subsequently improve the disability and outcomes.
The "fit but fat" concept revisited: population-based estimates using NHANES

Low cardiovascular fitness is an independent risk factor for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease in adults. The "fit but fat" concept suggests that cardiovascular fitness attenuates risk of metabolic and cardiovascular disease independent of body mass index (BMI), even among the obese. However, the proportion of U.S. adults considered both fit and obese is unknown. Thus, the purposes of this short paper were to estimate the proportion of U.S. adults who are obese yet have a high cardiovascular fitness level (fit but fat), and determine the independent effect of obesity on cardiovascular fitness. The study was a secondary data analysis of 4,675 adults (20-49 years) who completed a submaximal exercise test, from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2002). Cardiovascular fitness and body weight were expressed as continuous (estimated VO2max [ml.kg-1.min-1] and BMI [kg/m2]) and categorical variables (low, moderate, and high cardiovascular fitness level; normal weight, overweight, and obese), the later using sex and age-specific criteria from the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study and standard BMI cut-points, respectively. Using these methods, the prevalence of meeting the fit but fat definition among U.S. adults was 8.9% (95% C.I. = 6.9 - 10.9%), whereas 17.4% were overweight and high fit, and 30% were normal weight and high fit. Importantly, the proportion of low, moderate, and high cardiovascular fitness differed significantly (p < 0.05) by BMI level. Using multiple regression, being obese was associated with a 9.2% lower estimated VO2max compared to being normal weight, even after controlling for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and income. These results suggest that a small percentage of U.S. adults can be considered fit but fat, and that obesity is independently associated with reduced cardiovascular fitness. The likely explanation for the low proportion of U.S. adults who can be considered fit but fat is a low level of physical activity, which constributes to both a positive energy balance and low fitness. Thus, engaging obese adults in physical activity that is sufficient to improve cardiovascular fitness may help to reduce not only body weight, but the excess health burden in this population.
Inhibition of aqueous humor flow by application of cold air to the cornea

Abstract Cold air directed onto the cornea of the enucleated, arterially perfused cat eye produced a fall of intraocular pressure and a concomitant decrease in the rate of aqueous humor production. The response is readily reversible and is not inhibited by local anesthesia of the cornea nor by intra-arterially administered indomethacin or hexamethonium. In anesthetized cats, cold applied to the cornea produced effects on aqueous humor production similar to the actions observed in the enucleated eyes; however no significant alterations of IOP were noted.
Non-suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI): A Case for Using Emotionally Focused Family Therapy

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is defined by engaging in self destructive behaviors specifically targeted toward the body without suicidal intent. It is a mental health phenomenon increasing in occurrence. Marriage and family therapists will need to know how to treat this clinical presentation, as it is gaining recognition as a diagnostic category in the 2013 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual used to identify mental illness. This paper provides background information about NSSI, and includes an argument for testing the treatment of this disorder with Emotionally Focused Family Therapy. A clinical example is included.
Alcoholism: genes and mechanisms

Alcoholism is a chronic relapsing/remitting disease that is frequently unrecognized and untreated, in part because of the partial efficacy of treatment. Only approximately one-third of patients remain abstinent and one-third have fully relapsed 1 year after withdrawal from alcohol, with treated patients doing substantially better than untreated [1]. The partial effectiveness of strategies for prevention and treatment, and variation in clinical course and side effects, represent a challenge and an opportunity to better understand the neurobiology of addiction. The strong heritability of alcoholism suggests the existence of inherited functional variants of genes that alter the metabolism of alcohol and variants of other genes that alter the neurobiologies of reward, executive cognitive function, anxiety/dysphoria, and neuronal plasticity. Each of these neurobiologies has been identified as a critical domain in the addictions. Functional alleles that alter alcoholism-related intermediate phenotypes include c...
The Sound Prism

The methods of sound analysis used at present are classified into those in which an analyzing operation is performed upon a photographic record of the wave and those in which the wave is analyzed as it is being produced. It is pointed out that the methods of the first group are very laborious and that those of the second group are slow in action, making them unsuitable for analyzing sounds of relatively short duration such as those produced by persons. The need for a device to perform a rapid analysis is indicated. A new rapid acting heterodyne wave analyzer called the "Sound Prism" is described and its operation is illustrated. The frequency spectrum is repeatedly traced on a translucent screen by a spot of light at such a rate that persistence of vision allows the eye to see the path of the spot as a steady line on the screen. The frequency spectrum is thus shown almost instantaneously so that changes in the spectrum may be continuously followed by the eye as the composition of the sound changes and the ear hears the change in quality. Sample records of analyses are given and a brief description of the work already done in the field of musical tone analysis is presented. The limitations of the sound prism in regard to resolution and speed are discussed and plans for further development are outlined.
Telerobot control using enhanced stereo viewing

A telerobot control system using stereoscopic viewing has been developed. The objective of the system is to implement a world-model mapping capability using live stereo video to provide an operator with three-dimensional image information of an unstructured environment and to use stereo computer graphics renderings of wire-frame models of sought-after features in the environment in order to relate robotic task information. The operator visually correlates or matches the stereo video image of the environment with the graphic image to register the world model space to the manipulator's environment. This allows operator control of the manipulator through teleoperation in unstructured environments with a change-over to autonomous operation when the operation can be restricted and a task becomes repetitive. Details of the robot control, stereo imaging, and system control components are provided.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The focal concerns of sentencing and mandatory sentencing laws: circumvention in the context of mandatory probation and treatment

This study examines courtroom actors' motivations for circumventing Kansas' Senate Bill 123, which created a mandatory probation/treatment sentence for felony drug possession. Building on the focal concerns perspective, the study explores whether the focal concerns traditionally expressed in sentencing decisions – defendant blameworthiness and dangerousness – applied in the context of a mandatory probation/treatment law. Relying on a qualitative approach, involving semi-structured interviews with 60 judges, prosecutors, and public defenders from across Kansas, we find that courtroom actors expressed little outward concern for traditional focal concerns of defendant blameworthiness or dangerousness in circumventing the mandatory probation/treatment law. The more prevalent motivations for circumvention focused on concerns regarding offenders' treatment need/amenability and the efficacy of supervision/treatment regimes. We argue that the orientation of the law – focused on increasing access to treatment and ...
Magnetic studies of Nd1Ba2Cu3O7−δ, Pr1Ba2Cu3O7−δ and La1Ba2Cu3O7−δ

Abstract We report magnetic susceptibility, ( χ spin (T)), studies for the superconducting complexes La 1 Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ , Nd 1 Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ and the insulating complex Pr 1 Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ . We also report the first magnetic (neutron) scattering results for the Pr 1 Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ , and La 1 Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ complexes. The magnetic susceptibility and scattering measurements on the Pr 1 Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ and orthorhombic La 1 Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ samples show no sign of magnetic ordering. The susceptibility measurements for La 1 Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ samples show a systematic decrease in the Curie-constant and the effective moment μ eff as T c of the samples is increased.
Structure and sooting limits in counterflow methane/air and propane/air diffusion flames from 1 to 5 atmospheres

The structure of counterflow methane/nitrogen and propane/nitrogen diffusion flames for pressures from 1 to 5 atm was investigated experimentally and computationally. The temperature and major species concentration profiles were measured with spontaneous Raman scattering and computationally simulated with detailed kinetics and transport. Good agreement was found between the experimental data and the computational simulation. It was further shown that the previously developed global and local sooting limit correlations are again applicable, respectively relating the density-weighted strain rate at the sooting limit with the global parameters of the system pressure and the fuel mole fraction in the fuel stream, and with the local flame parameter of the peak acetylene partial pressure. In addition, the local correlations for the propane and ethylene flames collapse into a single relation. An interpretation of these correlations is provided, and their fundamental importance is emphasized.
A selenium-induced peroxidation of glutathione in algae

Abstract Two unicellular marine algae cultured in media containing sodium selenite were examined for glutathione peroxidase activity. The 400 g supernatant from disrupted cells of both the green alga Dunaliella primolecta and the red alga Porphyridium cruentum were able to enhance both the H 2 O 2 and the tert -butyl hydroperoxide dependent oxidation of glutathione. The glutathione peroxidation activity of D. primolecta was reduced only slightly by heating the 400 g supernatant, a 30% decrease in the rate with H 2 O 2 and 10% decrease in the rate with t -BuOOH being observed. Heating caused the H 2 O 2 dependent activity in P. cruentum to be reduced by only 30%, but the activity with t -BuOOH was reduced by 90%. Freezing decreased the t -BuOOH dependent activity of P. cruentum by 90%, but did not lower the t -BuOOH dependent activity of D. primolecta or the H 2 O 2 dependent activity of either alga. It was concluded that the heat and cold stable, glutathione peroxidation was non-enzymatic in nature. A variety of small molecules (ascorbate, Cu(NO 3 ) 2 , selenocystine, dimethyldiselenide and selenomethionine) were shown to be able to enhance the hydroperoxide dependent oxidation of glutathione in the assay system employed in this study. Such compounds could be responsible for the activity observed in algae. The heat and cold labile t -BuOOH reductase activity of P. cruentum was possibly enzymatic, but was not attributable to the presence of glutathione- S -transferase. Both algae, when cultured in the presence of added selenite, displayed an approximate doubling of the non-enzymatic H 2 O 2 and t -BuOOH dependent glutathione oxidase activities. The heat and cold labile t -BuOOH reductase activity of P. cruentum was unaltered when the alga was grown in the presence of added selenite. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that selenium compounds present in the algae are responsible for the selenium induced glutathione peroxidation.
The Teacher's Corner: Minimum Mean-Square-Error Estimation of the Standard Deviation of the Normal Distribution

(1968). The Teacher's Corner: Minimum Mean-Square-Error Estimation of the Standard Deviation of the Normal Distribution. The American Statistician: Vol. 22, No. 3, pp. 26-26.
On the output voltage ripple in the ideal boost and buck-boost dc–dc converters

This paper re-examines the typical textbook analysis of the ideal boost and buck-boost dc–dc converters operating in the continuous conduction mode. It is shown that there is a range of valid average load currents for which the simple equation usually derived to relate output voltage ripple to output capacitor size in both converters is not strictly correct. An equation giving the correct relationship for the range of load currents in question is derived, using basic concepts. It is shown that the error introduced by using the original equation where the new one is appropriate is significant if both the switching duty cycle of the converter is relatively small (∼0.3 or smaller) and the average load current is close to the continuous conduction cutoff. In such cases the size of the output capacitor needed to meet a maximum output voltage ripple specification will be significantly underestimated. The results are illustrated with an example and PSPICE verification.
Differences in the Patterns of Health Care System Distrust Between Blacks and Whites

Context Although health care-related distrust may contribute to racial disparities in health and health care in the US, current evidence about racial differences in distrust is often conflicting, largely limited to measures of physician trust, and rarely linked to multidimensional trust or distrust.
Application of a self-consistent theory of large amplitude collective motion to the generalized meshkov-glick-lipkin model☆

Abstract A recent formulation of the theory of large amplitude collective motion in the adiabatic limit is applied to a generalized monopole shell model. Numerical calculations are carried out for the three-level model, approximately equivalent to a classical system with two degrees of freedom. Our results go somewhat beyond previous treatments of this system and provide substantiation for the validity of the method, in suitable parameter ranges, as a way of recognizing and decoupling the collective and the non-collective degrees of freedom.
Brain function evaluation using enhanced fNIRS signals extraction

fNIRS is widely used to monitor brain activities, however the measured hemodynamic signals might not reflect the true cortical events due to systemic signal fluctuations. These signals include several types of noise spread from low to high frequencies such as respiratory interference frequency band of 0.1–0.3Hz, NIRS Mayer wave which is about 0.1 Hz, cardiac interference frequency band which is 0.8–2.0 Hz, artifacts from head and facial motions, and high frequency noise generated from electronic components. The Hemodynamic Evoked Response (HomER) graphical user interface is used to display the NIRS data, FastICA is updated to reduce data dimension and combined Wavelet & PCA method is developed to denoise NIRS signals. The applied processing technique consists of adaptively modifying the wavelet coefficients based on the degree of noise contaminating the processed NIRS signal. This is done subsequently to signal pre-processing by reducing data dimension using the FastICA method. The feasibility of the method was demonstrated by testing it on experimental fNIRS data collected from 47 subjects. Preliminary results, through signal-to-noise ratio and correlation indicators show more efficiency to reduce noise and improve the quality of the acquired fNIRS signals than those resulting from conventional fNIRS signal denoising.
Distractor Selection Ratios.

A latent variable representation for multiple-choice item and option characteristic curves is presented. Under standard assumptions of conditional independence of item responses and monotonicity of item characteristic curves, a criterion for distractors is proposed based on distractor selection ratios. A connection is made between the proposed criterion and the theory of individual choice behavior, providing new insight. The main results allow for the testing of the criterion from observable data without first specifying a parametric form for the characteristic curves. A series of examples apply the method.
Julia sets for the super-Newton method, Cauchy's method, and Halley's method

We study numerically and dynamically three cubically convergent iterative root-finding algorithms, namely Cauchy’s method, the super-Newton method, and Halley’s method. Using the concept of a universal Julia set (motivated by the results of McMullen), we establish that these algorithms converge when applied to any quadratic with distinct roots. We give examples showing the existence of attracting periodic orbits not associated to a root for the super-Newton method and Halley’s method applied to cubic polynomials. We include computer plots showing the dynamic structure for each algorithm applied to a variety of polynomials.
Small mammals of a woodland‐savannah ecosystem in Zimbabwe. I. Density and habitat occupancy patterns

Population and habitat occupancy patterns of small mammals in five woodland-savannah habitats (riverine grassland, miombo, mopane, talus, thicket) were studied at Sengwa Wildlife Research Area in Zimbabwe between July 1992 and July 1993. The study was initiated following a drought year and extended over a year of average rainfall. Fourteen species of small mammals were recorded during mark-and-recapture live-trapping. Populations of most species were low during the 1992 cool dry and hot dry seasons, began increasing during the hot wet season, and attained peak densities during the 1993 cool dry season. The greatest amplitudes of density fluctuations were exhibited by the bush squirrel (Paraxerus cepapi) and the multimammate mouse (Mastomys natalensis). The numbers of habitats occupied by a single species ranged from one to four, although the majority of captures for each species tended to occur in a single habitat. The habitats occupied by an individual species during the season of lowest density was always the same as the one in which it reached its highest density. Temporal variation in density was greatest in riverine grassland and least in talus. Overall low densities during this study may have resulted from a combination of drought and impacts of large mammals on small mammal habitats.
Molecular dynamics of sickle and normal hemoglobins

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have been carried out for 62.5 ps on crystal structures of deoxy sickle cell hemoglobin (HbS) and normal deoxy hemoglobin (HbA) using the CHARMM MD algorithm, with a time step of 0.001 ps. In the trajectory analysis of the 12.5-62.5 (50 ps) simulation, oscillations of the radius of gyration and solvent-accessible surface area were calculated. HbS exhibited a general contraction during the simulation, while HbA exhibited a nearly constant size. The average deviations of simulated structures from the starting structures were found to be 1.8 A for HbA and 2.3 A for HbS. The average rms amplitudes of atomic motions (atomic flexibility) were about 0.7 A HbA and about 1.0 A for HbS. The amplitudes of backbone motion correlate well with temperature factors derived from x-ray crystallography. A comparison of flexibility between the alpha- and beta-chains in both HbA and HbS indicates that the beta-chains generally exhibited greater flexibility than the alpha-chains, and that the HbS beta-chains exhibit greater flexibility in the N-terminal and D- and F-helix regions than do those of HbA. The average amplitude of backbone torsional oscillations was about 9 degrees, a value comparable with that of other simulations, with enhanced torsional oscillation occurring primarily at the ends of helices or in loop regions between helices. Comparison of atomic flexibility and torsional oscillation results suggests that the increased beta-chain flexibility results from relatively concerted motions of secondary structure elements. The increased flexibility may play an important role in HbS polymerization.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Origin, diagnosis, and treatment of the dental manifestations of vitamin D-resistant rickets: review of the literature and report of case

The endodontic treatment of several teeth in a 19-year-old patient with vitamin D-resistant rickets is described. Oral manifestations of vitamin D-resistant rickets include various degrees of fracture, attrition of enamel, hypoplasia of dentin, and seemingly spontaneous pulpal abscess formation of unknown causation. The endodontic treatment of several teeth in a 19-year-old patient with the disease is described.
Utility of urine cultures in the emergency department.

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common problem treated by emergency physicians. A midstream urine sample remains the most frequent method of culture collection. Although midstream urine culture growing more than 10 5 colony-forming units per milliliter (cfu/mL) has been considered diagnostic of UTI, high false-positive and false-negative rates as well as a lack of precision have been associated with this method of collection. Alternative methods of establishing the diagnosis of UTI have excellent sensitivity and may be utilized at the time of patient presentation. These include the detection of leukocyte esterase activity in urine and the presence of one or more bacteria on microscopic examination of an unspun urine sample. Women of child-bearing age represent the vast majority of patients seen with UTI. Uncomplicated infection of the urinary tract has a generally benign course in these patients, and is rarely associated with long-term complications. In addition, these patients are infected with a predictable spectrum of uropathogens that respond to the commonly used antibiotics. It appears that urine cultures provide little additional information in this patient population. Urine cultures should be obtained in patients at high risk for pyelonephritis or bacteremia/urosepsis, as well as in those expected to have uncommon or resistant organisms.
An Acanthamoeba ubiquitin-fusion protein; cDNA and deduced protein sequence.

We have isolated and sequenced a 525 bp ubiquitin cDNA (Acantub1) from the soil amoeba Acanthamoeba castellanii. The deduced amino acid (aa) sequence reveals that the Acantub1 gene product is a fusion protein consisting of 128 aa (76 aa ubiquitin and 52 aa 60S ribosomal protein). The Acantub1 protein sequence has unique substitutions at aa 28 (glutamine for alanine) and 121 (tryptophan for leucine) compared to the 8 highest homologous sequences in the databank. A putative ‘zinc finger’ nucleic acid-binding domain was located in the 52 aa ribosomal protein. Northern analyses reveal that the Acantubl gene is regulated during development.
Flavor physics — Summary and commentary (Exploring the origin of fermion masses, mixing, and CP violation)

Abstract Flavor physics has played an important historical role in unveiling Nature's intricacies and challenging our imaginations. It is expected to continue that legacy well into the future. In this conference summary, I recall some critical Standard Model developments associated with K , B , μ , τ , and ν studies and describe ongoing and anticipated efforts many of which have been reported on at this meeting.
The accountable health care act of Massachusetts: mixed results for an experiment in universal health care coverage.

The affordable health care act of Massachusetts, signed into law in 2006, resulted in 98% of Massachusetts residents' having some form of insurance coverage by 2011, the highest coverage rate for residents of any state in the nation. With a strong economy, a low unemployment rate, a robust health care delivery system, an extremely low number of undocumented immigrants, and a low baseline uninsured rate, Massachusetts was well positioned for such an effort. Ingredients included mandates, the creation of separate insurance vehicles directed to both poverty-level and non–poverty-level residents, and the reallocation of the former free care pool. The mandates included consumer mandates and employer mandates; the consumer mandate applies to all Massachusetts residents at the risk of losing personal state tax exemptions, and the employer mandate applies to all Massachusetts businesses with 10 or more employees at the risk of per employee financial penalties. The insurance vehicles were created with premiums allocated on the basis of ability to pay by income classes. Unexpected effects included escalating taxpayer health care costs, with taxpayers shouldering the burden for the newly insured, continuing escalating health care costs at a rate greater than the national average, overburdening primary caregivers as newly insured sought new primary care gatekeepers in a system with primary caregiver shortages, and deprivation of support to the safety-net hospitals as a result of siphoned commonwealth free care pool funds. This exercise demonstrates specific benefits and shortfalls of the Massachusetts health care reform experiment, given the conditions and circumstances found in Massachusetts at the time of implementation.
Removal of well-fixed flanged humeral prostheses may require humeral expansion.

Background A flanged humeral stem design can be advantageous in achieving an interlock between the prosthetic and bone interface leading to a long-term stable loading pattern. The purpose of this study is to report a short case series involving revision of a flanged humeral prosthesis. Our hypothesis was that a greater percentage of the flanged prostheses undergoing revision would require some form of bone expansion to achieve stem removal compared to the nonflanged. Methods and Results In the period from October 2004 to July 2008, 43 patients underwent revision of a humeral prosthetic stem by a single surgeon. Of these, 6 prostheses were of a triflanged design. Of these six, five (83%) could not be removed with longitudinal force and required some expansion of the bone in order to achieve stem extraction. Of the nonflanged humeral stems, 3/37 (8%) required bone expansion to achieve extraction. Analysis of the 2 groups showed a statistical difference in the need for humeral expansion (P Conclusions Surgeons preparing to revise a flanged humeral stem should include expansion of the humeral shaft, by episiotomy or windowing, as part of their preoperative planning and informed consent of the patient. Level of evidence Level IV, Case Series, Treatment Study.
The psychoanalytic setting as a container of multiple levels of reality: A perspective on the theory of psychoanalytic treatment

(1989). The psychoanalytic setting as a container of multiple levels of reality: A perspective on the theory of psychoanalytic treatment. Psychoanalytic Inquiry: Vol. 9, Change and Therapeutic Effectiveness in Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, pp. 67-87.
Quantitative spectroscopic imaging for non-invasive early cancer detection

We report a fully quantitative spectroscopy imaging instrument for wide area detection of early cancer (dysplasia). This instrument provides quantitative maps of tissue biochemistry and morphology, making it a potentially powerful surveillance tool for objective early cancer detection. We describe the design, construction, calibration, and first clinical application of this new system. We demonstrate its accuracy using physical tissue models. We validate its diagnostic ability on a resected colon adenoma, and demonstrate feasibility of in vivo imaging in the oral cavity.
Is ‘Moral Hazard’ Inefficient? The Policy Implications Of A New Theory

“Moral hazard” refers to the additional health care that is purchased when persons become insured. Under conventional theory, health economists regard these additional health care purchases as inefficient because they represent care that is worth less to consumers than it costs to produce. A new theory, however, suggests that much of moral hazard is actually efficient. When the care that was deemed to be welfare-decreasing is reclassified as welfare-increasing, health insurance becomes much more valuable to consumers than health economists have hitherto thought it was. As a result, there is a new argument for national health insurance: efficiency.
Cardiovascular sensitivity to epinephrine in the trained and untrained states

Heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP) and inotropic responses to acute exercise are partially mediated by sympathetic stimulation. Physical conditioning reduces exercise HR and improves maximal stroke volume and cardiac output. Uncertainty exists regarding the role of altered catecholamine sensitivity in producing these changes in man. In 6 highly trained men, noninvasive methods were used to serially assess the effect of cessation of training on the resting HR, BP and left ventricular contractile function in response to constant epinephrine infusion. Plasma epinephrine concentration during infusion did not vary with inactivity and was similar to that attained with strenous exercise. Two subjects showed an increase in chronotropic sensitivity to epinephrine and 4 showed no consistent change. Despite a significant decline in exercise capacity and no apparent change in cardiac loading conditions, there was no persistent effect of inactivity on BP or left ventricular function as assessed by echocardiography and systolic time intervals. Therefore, an alteration in sensitivity to epinephrine is unlikely to account for the hemodynamic adaptations to endurance exercise training in healthy men.