cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Indications and outcomes for use of Montgomery cannulas.

Importance To our knowledge, we report the first series to analyze use of the Montgomery cannula as an airway management tool for indications other than obstructive sleep apnea. Objectives To analyze the use and outcomes of Montgomery cannula placement for airway management and to identify indications for placement. Design, Setting, and Participants Retrospective review of 20 patients who received a Montgomery cannula from 2003 through 2012 at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Intervention Montgomery cannula placement. Main Outcomes and Measures Indications for cannula placement, comorbidities, body mass index, reasons for failure of cannula use, and complications. Results Indications included glottic stenosis (n = 7), obstructive sleep apnea (n = 5), bilateral vocal cord paralysis (n = 4), subglottic stenosis (n = 4), supraglottic swelling after radiation or chemoradiation therapy (n = 4), bulbar dystonia with paradoxical vocal cord motion (n = 1), vocal cord fixation secondary to rheumatoid arthritis and gastroesophageal reflux disease (n = 1), and airway obstruction associated with seizure disorder (n = 1). Comorbidities included obesity or overweight (n = 14), gastroesophageal reflux disease (n = 9), hypertension (n = 7), and diabetes mellitus (n = 6). Fifteen patients successfully used a Montgomery cannula, including all patients with 3 or fewer comorbidities. Five patients required replacement with a Jackson tracheostomy tube due to persistent tracheostomal granulation tissue (n = 2), feeling safer with the tracheostomy tube (n = 1), a posterior scar band causing airway obstruction (n = 1), and inability to care for the cannula because of poor manual dexterity from arthritis (n = 1). The mean (range) body mass index of successful and unsuccessful users was 27.5 (18.2-37.7) and 33.8 (24.1-42.7), respectively. Complications included the cannula being blocked by adipose tissue (n = 2) or pushed posteriorly into the airway (n = 2). The Montgomery cannula was used as a successful decannulation tool in 4 patients—with the cannula serving as an interim airway management tool leading to tracheostome closure. Conclusions and Relevance We identified features associated with successful use of the cannula and an additional indication for a Montgomery cannula as a step-down management tool for decannulation.
A review of proton beam radiation therapy

Beams of protons have been used for radiation treatment for approximately 40 years. This paper provides a short summary of activities from institutions that have contributed to the field over this period. The paper reviews some of the basic interactions of protons with matter that are relevant to radiation treatment and summarizes current knowledge pertaining to the response of biological systems to proton beam radiation. The technical means of producing and delivering proton treatment beams are discussed along with examples of the implementation of these methods at treatment facilities around the world. Finally, the clinical dosimetry of proton beams is summarized and sample data are presented.
Correction: Error in Noninvasive Assessment of Myocardial Function

Excerpt To the editor: I write to point out an error in a statement made by Dr. J. K. Perloff (1) in "Noninvasive Assessment of Myocardial Function." Using the left ventricular end-diastolic and en...
The predictive value of self-report scales compared with physician diagnosis of depression in hemodialysis patients

The prevalence of depression in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients on hemodialysis has not been definitively determined. We examined the prevalence of depression and the sensitivity, specificity, positive, and negative likelihood ratios (+LR and -LR) of self-report scales using the physician-administered Structured Clinical Interview for Depression (SCID) as the comparison. Ninety-eight consecutive patients completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Center for Epidemiological Study of Depression (CESD) scales. A physician blinded to BDI and CESD scores administered the SCID. Receiver/responder operating characteristic curves determined the best BDI and CESD cutoffs for depression. Depressed patients had more co-morbidities and lower quality of life, P
Simulating runoff behavior in an urbanizing watershed

Abstract Land-use change in urbanizing watersheds has significant impacts on hydrolic processes and stream quality. Geographic information system (GIS) processing of spatial information is now commonly used to parameterize hydrologic models. We use and evaluate a system developed for the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), coupling Hydrologic Simulation Program — Fortran (HSPF) with a commonly used GIS (ArcView®) to assess the effects of land-use change on watershed behavior. We extend this anlaysis to investigate relationships beetween runoff ratio and baseflow as a function of percent impervious cover and percent soil saturation for upper Gwynns Falls watershed, Baltimore, MD, USA. Hydrologic model output is used to define summary expressions to describe these relationships and condense complex system behavior. The summary expressions for the runoff ratio and baseflow relationships show that in upper Gwynns Falls from pre-urbanized times to 1990: (1) baseflow had declined by as much as 20%; and (2) only small changes in runoff ratio had occurred. The summary expression for the runoff ratio relationship indicates the existence of a threshold percent impervious cover (∼20%), above which the runoff ratio changes more dramatically. By 1990, the percent impervious cover for upper Gwynns Falls (∼18%) has not yet exceeded this threshold and may explain why only small changes in the runoff ratio had occurred.
Use of MCSS to design small targeted libraries: application to picornavirus ligands.

Computational methods were used to design structure-based combinatorial libraries of antipicornaviral capsid-binding ligands. The multiple copy simultaneous search (MCSS) program was employed to calculate functionality maps for many diverse functional groups for both the poliovirus and rhinovirus capsid structures in the region of the known drug binding pocket. Based on the results of the MCSS calculations, small combinatorial libraries consisting of 10s or 100s of three-monomer compounds were designed and synthesized. Ligand binding was demonstrated by a noncell-based mass spectrometric assay, a functional immuno-precipitation assay, and crystallographic analysis of the complexes of the virus with two of the candidate ligands. The P1/Mahoney poliovirus strain was used in the experimental studies. A comparison showed that the MCSS calculations had correctly identified the observed binding site for all three monomer units in one ligand and for two out of three in the other ligand. The correct central monom...
A dual-motive heuristic for member information initiation in group decision making: managing risk and commitment

Abstract Information exchange in the decision making of interactive groups is examined at the level of individual group members. I recognize the dual or competing motives of members who act as both individuals and group members, and propose a two-stage heuristic for decisions on the type and amount of information they initiate. At the first stage, individual members intuit or solve the problem of maintaining their status in the group through information initiations that minimize the probability of receiving negative evaluations weighted by the sender's status. In the second stage, the member accepts some increment to this minimum to contribute to group decision quality. The increment the member accepts is proportional to his or her status and is the basis for the initiation of ideas and negative evaluations. The explicit forms that are proposed for the solution of the two-stage problem allow the quality-maximizing probability of an idea to be expressed in terms of a member's status. This result is used to examine a conjecture on status distributions and the probability of idea initiations that maximize the quality of a group decision. Initial evidence from recent studies that supports assumptions of this work is presented, and the capability of procedures in computer-mediated information exchange to maintain the exchange of ideas and negative evaluations at quality maximizing rates is noted.
A comparative study of the ability of EMA and PMA to distinguish viable from heat killed mixed bacterial flora from fish fillets

Ethidium bromide monoazide (EMA) and propidium monoazide (PMA) were utilized to selectively allow real-time PCR (Rti-PCR) amplification of target DNA from viable but not heat killed cells from the mixed bacterial flora derived from cod fillets. A linear range of DNA amplification was exhibited from 3.2x10(2) to 1.0x10(5) genomic targets per Rti-PCR. Following the heat treatment of cell suspensions the surviving populations with the EMA and PMA Rti-PCR method were evaluated by comparison with plate counts and MPN assays following different heat exposures (45 to 95 degrees C) for 5 min. The percent of erroneous survival with PMA Rti-PCR was higher than with EMA treatment. Cellular leakage was examined by following the extracellular increase of 260 and 280 nm absorbing materials. Initial leakage of protein and nucleic acids occurred at 50 degrees C, the maximal amount of leakage occurred at 70 degrees C.
Improved Accuracy and Precision in the Determination of Association Constants

Association constants for inclusion complexes are commonly determined by varying the analytical concentration of the “host” species while maintaining the analytical concentration of “guest” species constant. In implementing the experiment, commonly referred to as Benesi−Hildebrand analysis, conditions are controlled such that all necessary concentration requirements are fulfilled and the guest molecule in the unbound state does not contribute appreciably to the overall signal (<5%). In this paper, we demonstrate that this commonly accepted constraint, while clearly important, is insufficient for the accurate determination of association constants. Systematic error introduced by variation in the host species concentration, and therefore the equilibrium concentration of unbound guest molecules, results in overestimation of the complexation constant. These errors in the association constant determination appear to be the most troublesome when steady-state fluorescence or absorbance measurements, two of the m...
Gravitational Radiation from Helium Cataclysmics

For a gravitational wave antenna in space, radiation from very large numbers of galactic binaries will be present in the observable frequency band from roughly 10-5 Hz to 1 Hz. At frequencies above about 3 mHz, signals from thousands of compact binaries will be resolvable in both frequency and direction. At lower frequencies, there will be confusion noise from having more than one binary per frequency resolution bin, even with a year or more of data. In this paper, we extend previous discussions of the galactic binaries to include an improved estimate of the contributions to the confusion noise from AM CVn binaries and their probable progenitors, which we refer to as helium cataclysmics. We find only a slight increase in the confusion noise below about 3 mHz, and essentially no increase at higher frequencies.
Toward realization of computational homogenization in practice

We present a computational homogenization approach for linear and nonlinear solid mechanics problems, which is fully compatible with conventional finite element code architecture. A seamless implementation in ABAQUS is presented including Python script, validation problems and a web-link where script files, user-defined subroutines and input files can be accessed. For linear problems, we demonstrate how to utilize ABAQUS existing facilities to develop analysis attributes required for solving a unit cell problem. For nonlinear problems, a Python script invoked by a coarse scale stress update procedure is introduced to carry out the scale bridging. The purpose of this paper is twofold: (i) to motivate practitioners to adopt the computational homogenization as an integral part of their analysis and design process; and (ii) to encourage commercial code vendors to seamlessly integrate the architectures proposed in their legacy codes.
A real-time optical sensor for simultaneous measurement of 3-DOF motions

The need for simultaneous measurement of more-than-one degree-of-freedom (DOF) motions can be found in numerous applications such as robotic assembly, precision machining, optical tracking, wrist actuators, and active joysticks. Conventional encoders, though they are able to provide very high-resolution measurements (linear or angular), are limited to single-DOF sensing in motion control. The use of these single-DOF encoders for measuring 3-DOF motions in real time often requires additional mechanical linkages that often introduce frictions and backlashes. We present here a non-contact optical sensor for measuring multi-DOF motions. This paper begins with the operational principle of a microscopic-surface-based optical sensor. The design concept and theory of a dual-sensor system capable of measuring a 3-DOF planar motion in real time is then presented. Along with a detailed analysis, the concept feasibility of a prototype 3-DOF dual-sensor system for measuring the instantaneous center of rotation and the angular displacement of a moving surface is demonstrated experimentally. It is expected that the analysis will serve as a basis for optimizing key design parameters that significantly influence the sensor performance.
Effects of Time-Dependent Stimuli in a Competitive Neural Network Model of Perceptual Rivalry

We analyze a competitive neural network model of perceptual rivalry that receives time-varying inputs. Time-dependence of inputs can be discrete or smooth. Spike frequency adaptation provides negative feedback that generates network oscillations when inputs are constant in time. Oscillations that resemble perceptual rivalry involve only one population being “ON” at a time, which represents the dominance of a single percept at a time. As shown in Laing and Chow (J. Comput. Neurosci. 12(1):39–53, 2002), for sufficiently high contrast, one can derive relationships between dominance times and contrast that agree with Levelt’s propositions (Levelt in On binocular rivalry, 1965). Time-dependent stimuli give rise to novel network oscillations where both, one, or neither populations are “ON” at any given time. When a single population receives an interrupted stimulus, the fundamental mode of behavior we find is phase-locking, where the temporally driven population locks its state to the stimulus. Other behaviors are analyzed as bifurcations from this forced oscillation, using fast/slow analysis that exploits the slow timescale of adaptation. When both populations receive time-varying input, we find mixtures of fusion and sole population dominance, and we partition parameter space into particular oscillation types. Finally, when a single population’s input contrast is smoothly varied in time, 1:n mode-locked states arise through period-adding bifurcations beyond phase-locking. Our results provide several testable predictions for future psychophysical experiments on perceptual rivalry.
Learned control of heart rate and blood pressure.

Cardiac rate-variability control and an initial demonstration of systolic blood-pressure variability control using visual feedback of physiological information were examined. Continuous measures of respiration, heart rate, EXG waveform analysis, and systolic blood pressure were obtained for both experimental groups and for yoked controls who saw the same visual display as the experimental Ss. Ss successful at reducing heart-rate variability showed clear changes in the P-R wave relationships of the EKG, indicating possible direct attempts to manipulate heart rate so as to reduce variability. Ss controlling blood-pressure variability who had high heart rates were more successful in reducing variability than those with low rates, possibly because of differential feedback to Ss with high and low heart rates. In addition, apparently as a reaction to E's adjustment of the visual target range, experimental Ss showed decreases in mean blood-pressure levels.
Current measurements in the western Atlantic

About 350 instrumented moorings have been set during the past decade to develop and exploit a technique of ocean-current measurement. Nearly all the records are characterized by intermittent oscillatory motions with random changes of amplitude and phase near the local inertial frequency and at the semidiurnal tidal frequency. Local generation of inertial currents by winds has been observed in the surface mixed layer. Above tidal frequencies the motion is irregular and nearly isotropic horizontally. The kinetic energy density decreases with frequency and depth, with considerable day-to-day fluctuations. At a given depth, the kinetic energy is remarkably constant when averaged over a month or longer, and varies only within a narrow range over a large extent of the Atlantic Ocean. Below inertial frequencies, the kinetic energy density increases with decreasing frequency. The motions have stronger vertical coherence and larger horizontal scale. Deep currents are dominated by the meandering of the Gulf Stream. Speeds up to one knot (0. 5 m s-1) are found near the bottom under the Stream. North of the Gulf Stream, a 3-year average from intermittent records indicates a westward flow, approximately parallel to the continental shelf and bottom topography.
Hypoglycaemia: the limiting factor in the glycaemic management of Type I and Type II diabetes

Hypoglycaemia is the limiting factor in the glycaemic management of diabetes. Iatrogenic hypoglycaemia is typically the result of the interplay of insulin excess and compromised glucose counterregulation in Type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus. Insulin concentrations do not decrease and glucagon and epinephrine concentrations do not increase normally as glucose concentrations decrease. The concept of hypoglycaemia-associated autonomic failure (HAAF) in Type I diabetes posits that recent antecedent iatrogenic hypoglycaemia causes both defective glucose counterregulation (by reducing the epinephrine response in the setting of an absent glucagon response) and hypoglycaemia unawareness (by reducing the autonomic and the resulting neurogenic symptom responses). Perhaps the most compelling support for HAAF is the finding that as little as 2 to 3 weeks of scrupulous avoidance of hypoglycaemia reverses hypoglycaemia unawareness and improves the reduced epinephrine component of defective glucose counterregulation in most affected patients. The mediator and mechanism of HAAF are not known but are under active investigation. The glucagon response to hypoglycaemia is also reduced in patients approaching the insulin deficient end of the spectrum of Type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus, and glycaemic thresholds for autonomic (including epinephrine) and symptomatic responses to hypoglycaemia are shifted to lower plasma glucose concentrations after hypoglycaemia in Type II diabetes. Thus, patients with advanced Type II diabetes are also at risk for HAAF. While it is possible to minimise the risk of hypoglycaemia by reducing risks -- including a 2 to 3 week period of scrupulous avoidance of hypoglycaemia in patients with hypoglycaemia unawareness -- methods that provide glucose-regulated insulin replacement or secretion are needed to eliminate hypoglycaemia and maintain euglycaemia over a lifetime of diabetes.
A Comment on the Comments

At the beginning of his famous 1994 paper on audience costs, James Fearon noted that the theory he was about to lay out was motivated by an “empirical claim, namely that crises are public events ca...
Studying epigenetic DNA modifications in undergraduate laboratories using complementary bioinformatic and molecular approaches

Epigenetic inheritance is the inheritance of genetic information that is not based on DNA sequence alone. One type of epigenetic information that has come to the forefront in the last few years is modified DNA bases. The most common modified DNA base in nature is 5-methylcytosine. Herein, we describe a laboratory experiment that combines bioinformatic and molecular approaches to study the presence and abundance of 5-methylcytosine in different organisms. Students were originally provided with the protein sequence of the Xenopus laevis DNMT1 cytosine-5 DNA methyltransferase and used BLASTP searches to detect the presence of protein orthologs in the genomes of several organisms including Homo sapiens, Mus musculus, Plasmodium falciparum, Drosophila melanogaster, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Arabidopsis thaliana, and Caenorhabditis elegans. Students generated hypotheses regarding the presence and abundance of 5-methylcytosine in these organisms based on their bioinformatics data, and directly tested their predictions on a subset of DNAs using restriction enzyme isoschizomer assays. A southern blotting assay to answer the same question is also presented. In addition to exposure to the field of epigenetics, the strengths of the laboratory are students are able to make predictions using bioinformatic tools and quickly test them in the laboratory. In addition, students are exposed to two potential misinterpretations of bioinformatic search data. The laboratory is easily modified to incorporate outside research interests in epigenetics. © 2013 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 41(5):334–340, 2013
Slicing the Pie

Given a circular unit disc and n lines such that any two of them intersect inside the disc, we show that there exists a cell of area at least ź/4n.
How a More Competitive Market Is Influencing Public Investments in Convention Centers

Abstract This dialectic analysis looks at the strategy of using public money to build and subsidize the operating costs ofconvention centers in light of emerging trends in the U.S. convention market. Among the changes occurring are a dramatic increase in the amount of convention space, the rising costs associated with building and maintaining modern convention facilities, and tighter convention budgets. These trends, along with decision making processes that do not lend themselves to adequate scrutiny, are putting some communities at unnecessary financial risk.
Synthesis, properties and drug potential of the photosensitive alkyl- and alkylsiloxy-ligated silicon phthalocyanine Pc 227

The photosensitive, alkyl- and alkylsiloxy-ligated silicon phthalocyanine, SiPc[(CH2)3SH][OSi(CH3)2(CH2)3N(CH3)2], Pc 227, has been prepared and characterized. This phthalocyanine yields the experimental photodynamic therapy (PDT) drug Pc 4, SiPc[OH][OSi(CH3)2(CH2)3N(CH3)2], when irradiated with red light. To provide an understanding of the process by which Pc 227 and other alkyl-alkylsiloxysilicon phthalocyanines such as Pc 227 are photolyzed, bond dissociation energy, natural bond orbital (NBO) charge distribution, spin density distribution, nucleus-independent chemical shift (NICS), and electron localization function (ELF) calculations have been carried out on two models related to it. These show that the lowest energy pathway for the photolysis of Pc 227 is a homolysis involving a phthalocyanine π radical having a low SiPc–C bond dissociation energy. The promise of the results of this study for synthetic chemistry and drug development is discussed.
Replication of a cytopathic strain of bovine viral diarrhea virus activates PERK and induces endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated apoptosis of MDBK cells.

ABSTRACT Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress signaling is an adaptive cellular response to the loss of ER Ca2+ homeostasis and/or the accumulation of misfolded, unassembled, or aggregated proteins in the ER lumen. ER stress-activated signaling pathways regulate protein synthesis initiation and can also trigger apoptosis through the ER-associated caspase 12. Viruses that utilize the host cell ER as an integral part of their life cycle would be predicted to cause some level of ER stress. Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is a positive-stranded RNA virus of the Flaviviridae family. BVDV and related flaviviruses use the host ER as the primary site of envelope glycoprotein biogenesis, genomic replication, and particle assembly. We are using a cytopathic strain of BVDV (cpBVDV) that causes cellular apoptosis as a model system to determine how virus-induced ER stress contributes to pathogenesis. We show that, in a natural infection of MDBK cells, cpBVDV activates the ER transmembrane kinase PERK (PKR-like ER kinase) and causes hyperphosphorylation of the translation initiation factor eIF2α, consistent with the induction of an ER stress response. Additionally, we show that initiation of cellular apoptosis correlates with downregulation of the antiapoptotic Bcl-2 protein, induced expression of caspase 12, and a decrease in intracellular glutathione levels. Defining the molecular stress pathways leading to cpBVDV-induced apoptosis provides the basis to study how other ER-tropic viruses, such as hepatitis C and B viruses, modulate the host cell ER stress response during the course of persistent infection.
Rituximab in relapsed or refractory hairy cell leukemia

The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of the monoclonal antibody, rituximab, in relapsed or refractory hairy cell leukemia (HCL). Fifteen patients with relapsed or primary refractory HCL after nucleoside analogs received rituximab 375 mg/m2 weekly for a total of 8 planned doses. An additional 4 doses could be administered to responders who had not achieved complete response (CR). The overall response rate was 80%. Eight patients (53%) achieved CR, 2 (13%) attained CR by hematologic parameters with residual marrow disease (1% to 5% marrow hairy cells), and 2 (13%) had a partial response. Of the 12 responders followed for a median of 32 months (range, 8 to 45+ months), 5 patients (42%) had progression of disease 8, 12, 18, 23, and 39 months from the start of therapy. Three patients failed to respond (after 4, 6, or 8 doses). Reductions in serum interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) levels correlated with response. Toxicity was minimal, and no infectious episodes were observed. Rituximab has significant activity and minimal toxicity in HCL and warrants further study. Rituximab should be explored further in HCL with regard to eradication of minimal residual disease and in combination with nucleoside analogs.
A taxometric investigation of unipolar depression in a large community sample.

Background. The question of whether unipolar clinical depression differs categorically from limited depressive complaints has important implications for the disorder's assessment, treatment and research. This crucial issue has proven difficult to resolve, in part because many studies to date have relied on self-report measures or on clinically homogeneous samples. We therefore applied Meehl's taxometric method to a large, clinically heterogeneous sample, and examined the latent structure of depressive episodes using both self-report and structured clinical interview data. Method. Data were derived from the Oregon Adolescent Depression Project, a large longitudinal community study. All analyses involved more than 1400 participants. MAXEIG (MAXimum EIGenvalue) and base rate estimation were performed separately for Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) items and for DSM-IV-based major depressive episode (MDE) symptoms. Results. MAXEIG analyses of the BDI and MDE indicator sets appeared to converge on a taxonic structure for unipolar depression. Base rate estimates overall implied a latent depressive episode class that occurs more frequently than diagnosable MDEs but less frequently than persistent depressed or anhedonic mood. Conclusions. These findings provide tentative support for a categorical conceptualization and make it very clear that the continuity controversy regarding unipolar depression has not yet been decided in favor of dimensionality. To reconcile the conflicting reports to date, several data analytic and sampling issues need to be explored systematically.
Blocking the L-type Ca2+ Channel With a Gem A Paradigm for a More Specific Ca2+ Channel Blocker

Ca2+ channel blockers have been an important part of the cardiovascular pharmacological armamentarium for more than 2 decades. These agents were developed as antianginals and antihypertensives, but their indications have expanded to include treatment of certain arrhythmias because of their atrioventricular (AV) nodal blocking properties. Interestingly, the development of these compounds largely preceded our knowledge of the molecular composition and detailed functional properties of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. In fact, Ca2+ channel blockers were critical in defining the distinct class of voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels referred to as L-type Ca2+ channels, which can be found in cardiac myocytes, skeletal myocytes, vascular smooth muscle cells, neurons, and endocrine cells among other cells. Despite this broad distribution of L-type Ca2+ channels, Ca2+ channel blockers have proven useful agents because they exhibit pharmacological specificity for vascular smooth muscle and cardiac muscle. This specificity is attributable to a variety of factors including the voltage and use-dependent blocking properties of these agents, subtle differences in the sensitivity of distinct isoforms of L-type Ca2+ channels present in different tissues, and the tissue distribution of the drugs. In addition, different classes of Ca2+ channel blockers vary in their relative potency to block vascular smooth muscle Ca2+ channels (antihypertensive/antianginal properties) relative to their block of AV nodal Ca2+ channels (antiarrhythmic properties). Alas, the specificity is not perfect, and so these agents can bring with them undesired side effects including constipation, peripheral edema, dizziness, and headache. In addition, problems can arise from the overlap of vascular smooth muscle and cardiac blocking properties. For example, if one wants to control a rapid heart rate in a hypotensive patient with atrial fibrillation by blocking AV nodal Ca2+ channels, accompanying vasodilation from vascular smooth muscle blockade can be problematic. Alternatively, treating angina …
Intercalation of Hexagonal Boron Nitride by Strong Oxidizers and Evidence for the Metallic Nature of the Products

Abstract Hexagonal boron nitride, h -BN, is intercalated, at ∼20°C, by S 2 O 6 F 2 (the source of the powerfully oxidizing SO 3 F • radical) to give a deep blue solid (BN) ∼3 SO 3 F, which is a temperature-independent paramagnet ( x g ≈55.2×10 −6 cgs units). Four probe conductivity measurements on an intercalated piece of highly oriented pyrolytic BN (HOPBN) have established an approximate doubling of the conductivity with temperature decrease from 295 to 77 K. The low conductivity ( σ 295K =1.5 S cm −1 ) is attributed to high effective carrier mass deriving from poor p π N –p π B overlap and consequent narrow band character. The conductivity at 295 K of a graphite relative of composition C ∼8.5 SO 3 F made from a HOPG chip was found to be 1.1×10 5 S cm −1 , and at 77 K it was found to be 3.1×10 5 S cm −1 . Other blue, poorly conductive h -BN intercalation compounds have been obtained using SbF 5 /F 2 mixtures on h -BN, and from AsF 5 on (BN) ∼3 SO 3 F, but they are of unknown composition.
Faith-based organizations and sustainable sheltering operations in mississippi after Hurricane Katrina: Implications for informal network utilization

Introduction:In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, a significant number of faith-based organizations (FBOs) that were not a part of the formal National Response Plan (NRP) initiated and sustained sheltering operations.Objective:The objective of this study was to examine the sheltering opera-tions of FBOs, understand the decision-making process of FBO shelters, and identify the advantages and disadvantages of FBO shelters.Methods:Verbal interviews were conducted with FBO shelter leaders. Inclusion criteria were: (1) opening in response to the Katrina disaster; (2) oper-ating for more than three weeks; and (3) being a FBO. Enrolled shelters were examined using descriptive data methods.Results:The majority of shelters operating in Mississippi up to three weeks post-Katrina were FBO-managed. All of the operating FBO shelters in Mississippi that met the inclusion criteria were contacted with a response rate of 94%. Decisions were made by individuals or small groups in most shelters regarding opening, operating procedures, and closing. Most FBOs provided at least one enabling service to evacuees, and all utilized informal networks for sheltering operations. Only 25% of FBOs had disaster plans in place prior to Hurricane Katrina.Conclusions:Faith-based organization shelters played a significant role in the acute phase of the Katrina disaster. Formal disaster training should be ini-tiated for these organizations. Services provided by FBOs should be standard-ized. Informal networks should be incorporated into national disaster planning.
Na+ transport in human proximal colonic apical membrane vesicles

Background/Aims: The mechanisms of Na + movement across colonocyte plasma membranes in the human colon are not well understood. Current studies were undertaken to investigate Na + transport pathways in apical membranes of proximal organ donor colons. Methods: Purified apical membrane vesicles and rapid filtration 22 Na-uptake techniques were used. Results: An outwardly directed H + -gradient (pH 5.5 in/7.5 out) increased 22 Na uptake into these vesicles. H + gradient-driven 22 Na uptake was significantly reduced by voltage clamping with K + /valinomycin, but was significantly stimulated by creation of an inside-negative potential. Potential sensitive 22 Na uptake was inhibited by Na + channel inhibitors phenamil and benzamil. Electroneutral 22 Na uptake was insensitive to phenamil and benzamil, but was inhibited by amiloride, 5-( N,N -dimethyl)amiloride, 5-( N,N -hexamethylene)amiloride, and 5-( N -ethyl- N -isopropyl)amiloride. Electroneutral 22 Na uptake showed saturation kinetics with an apparent Michaelis constant for Na + of 11.8 ± 2.4 mmol/L and a maximal velocity of 2.5 ± 0.6 nmol · mg protein −1 · 5 s −1 . The mechanism of amiloride inhibition was noncompetitive with an inhibitor constant for amiloride of 325 μmol/L. Acetazolamide, furosemide, bumetanide, 4-acetamido-4′-isothiocyano-2,2′-disulfonic acid stibene, and 4,4′di-isothiocyanatostilbene-2,2′-disulfonic acid (1 mmol/L each) failed to inhibit 22 Na uptake. Li + and NH 4 + (but not Cs + , K + , or choline + ) inhibited H + -gradient driven 22 Na uptake. Conclusions: Na + transport in human proximal colonic apical membrane vesicles involves both conductive Na + transport and an electroneutral Na + -H + exchange.
Time's arrow and pupillary response

Abstract The psychological arrow of time refers to our experience of the relentless forward temporal progression of all natural processes. To investigate whether and how time’s arrow is mentally coded in individual everyday events, a relatedness judgment task was used. The items each consisted of a verb (probe) and an adjective or participle (target). The temporal orientation between probe and target was varied either corresponding to the chronological orientation (e.g., shrinking – small) or corresponding to the reverse orientation (e.g., shrinking – large). In addition, the interval between probe and target presentation was varied (SOA: 250 ms vs. 1,000 ms). Reaction times, error rates, and pupillary responses were recorded. For both SOA-conditions, chronological items were processed faster than reverse items. These findings suggest that time’s arrow is mentally coded in single everyday events. Furthermore, pupil dilation and results of principal component analyses on mean pupillary responses suggest top-down influences in the processing of temporally related probe target pairs. Key Words: temporal orientation, events, pupillary response, cognitive load
Chilling and cooking rate effects on some myofibrillar determinants of tenderness of beef.

Our objectives were to examine the ef- fects of prerigor excision and rapid chilling vs. conven- tional carcass chilling of two muscles on proteolysis and tenderness during the postmortem storage, as well as the effects of fast and slow rates of cooking on myofibril- lar characteristics and tenderness. The longissimus thoracis (LT) and triceps brachii (TB), long head mus- cles were removed 45 min after exsanguination from the left side of 12 carcasses and chilled in an ice bath to induce cold shortening (excised, rapidly chilled). At 24 h postmortem, the corresponding muscles were re- moved from the right side (conventionally chilled). All muscles were cut into 2.54-cm-thick steaks and as- signed to one of two postmortem times (1 or 14 d), and to raw and cooking treatments. Steaks were cooked at 260°C (FAST) or 93°C (SLOW) in a forced-air convection oven to an internal temperature of 70°C. Cooking loss, cooking time, and Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) were measured on cooked steaks. Sarcomere length (SL) and the extent of proteolysis of desmin were mea- sured on raw and cooked steaks. As expected, the ex- cised, rapidly chilled muscles had a much more rapid (P < 0.05) temperature decline than those that were conventionally chilled. The excised, rapidly chilled
Consumerism, Aristotle and Fantastic Mr. Fox

Wes Anderson's Fantastic Mr. Fox is about Mr. Fox's attempt to flourish as both a wild animal and a consumer. As such, this film raises some interesting and difficult questions about what it means to be a member of a certain kind, what is required to flourish as a member of that kind , and how consumerism either promotes or inhibits such flourishing. In this paper I use Fantastic Mr. Fox as an entry point into an examination of the relationship between consumerism and human flourishing. More specifically, I use this film as a way to engage with a worry that many philosophers have expressed: namely, the worry that consumerism threatens the identity of individual consumers. I begin by bringing certain of Mr. Fox's worries into contact with an Aristotelian account of flourishing. I then press Aristotle's account further by arguing that consumerism threatens one's ability to flourish as a human being because it tends to discourage one from engaging in distinctly human activities. I then conclude by looking to Aristotle and Mr. Fox for some ways to respond to this threat. My ultimate goals are, first, to shed light on certain dangers that are associated with consumerism, and second, to indicate how people living in consumerist societies might nonetheless overcome those dangers.
Synchronous direct gradient layer and indirect room calorimetry

Rumpler, James L., and William V. Seale. Synchronous direct gradient layer and indirect room calorimetry.J. Appl. Physiol. 83(5): 1775–1781, 1997.—A dual direct/indirect room-sized calorimeter is u...
Follow the Money: School Spending from Title I to Adult Earnings

Title I funding has been the largest federal program of K–12 education for the past fifty years, the objective being to eliminate the educational disadvantage associated with poverty. I provide new evidence on the long-term effects of school spending from Title I on children’s educational and adult economic outcomes. To study effects of Title I, I link school district spending and administrative data on Title I funding to nationally representative data on children born between 1950 and 1977 and followed through 2011. Models include controls for birth cohort and school district fixed effects, childhood family–neighborhood characteristics, and other policies. I find that increases in Title I funding are significantly related to increases in educational attainment, high school graduation rates, higher earnings and work hours, reductions in grade repetition, school suspension or expulsion, incarceration, and reductions in the annual incidence of poverty in adulthood; effects on educational outcomes are more pronounced for poor children.
An Examination of the Writing Skills of Incarcerated Male Youth

Over the past 20 years, punitive approaches and policies similar to those of the criminal justice system have become prominent in our schools. These local, state, and federal education and public s...
Similarities Between Fourier and Power Series

(1996). Similarities Between Fourier and Power Series. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 103, No. 4, pp. 297-304.
DENSITY-DEPENDENT AND DENSITY-INDEPENDENT CAUSES OF EXTINCTION OF A SALAMANDER POPULATION.

Most of the species that have ever existed have gone extinct, but except for species affected by human disturbances, the causes of these extinctions are poorly understood. It is commonly stated that interspecific competition often may lead to the local or total extinction of a species (e.g., Pielou, 1974; Pianka, 1978). Indeed MacArthur and Wilson's (1967) theory of island biogeography rests largely on the assumption that the rate of extinction is directly related to the number of competing species on an island. However, the competition-to-extinction idea still depends more on theory than on observations of its occurrence in natural habitats. Even when it is possible to observe the extinction of a population, it is usually difficult to ascertain the causal factors involved. Terrestrial forest salamanders of the genus Plethodon provide an instructive study of encroaching extinction, because at least one species (P. cinereus) appears to be expanding its geographic range at the expense of several other species (Highton, 1972; Jaeger, 1974). The Shenandoah salamander, P. shenandoah, occurs on only three mountains in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. It occupies north-facing talus slopes above 900 m on The Pinnacles, Stony Man Mountain and Hawksbill Mountain (Highton andWorthington, 1967). On Hawksbill Mountain it was found, before 1970, as six isolated populations (see map in Jaeger, 1970): one population occupied a large talus slope of about 1 km2 while the others were partitioned among five smaller taluses. A sibling species, the redbacked salamander P. cinereus, is widely distributed in eastern North America and completely surrounds each of the populations of P. shenandoah (Highton and Worthington, 1967). Previous research (Jaeger, 1970, 1971a, 1971b, 1972) showed that P. cinereus has competitively excluded P. shenandoah from forests where the soil is relatively deep (Ct = 46 cm, from Jaeger, 1970) and thus moist, resulting in the Shenandoah salamander's confinement to the drier talus slopes. This competitive exclusion apparently is maintained by interspecific aggression and territoriality (Thurow, 1976; Jaeger and Gergits, 1979). Consequently interspecific competition has determined the distributional limits and the habitat-types of P. shenandoah. I previously proposed (Jaeger, 1970) that a long-term erosion of the talus slopes would lead to the eventual extinction of the Shenandoah salamander. It now ap-
A Simplified System for Duplicating External Daylength in Photobiology Experiments

Previous physiological studies such as cuticle sclerotization (Mills et al. 1965), vitellogenesis (Mills et al. 1966), and osmoregulation (Mills 1967) have shown that the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana (L.), is in different physiological conditions during different parts of the day. Accordingly, it was necessary to take experimental animals at specific times during the day. For use in current studies on the natural photoperiod control of ecdysis by the cockroach, we designed a finely regulated system that closely paralleled the normally changing day-night periods.
Analysis on Damage and Energy in Deformation and Fracture of Saturated Rock Subjected to Cyclic Loading and Unloading

The deformation,damage and energy consumption were investigated based on the experiment of w ater-saturated diorite samples from Zhongguan iron mine,under the uniaxial cyclic loading and unloading. The results show that the stress-strain curves display internally sunken at each loading and unloading cycle. With the increasing of the cycle times and the stress level,the plastic hysteresis curve moves tow ards the larger and the non-recoverable deformation declines. The absolute and total damage parameters of the axial,lateral and volumetric strains increase w ith the stress. Moreover,a same trend is found for the three parameters. The value of energy dissipation show s approximately liner relationship w ith the cycle times,and the later energy dissipation is not equal to the sum of previous energy dissipations.
Analysis of the Effect of Early Nursing Intervention on Infantile Pneumonia

Objective To explore the effect of early nursing intervention on infantile pneumonia so as to provide a reference for the nursing in the future.Methods 100 cases with infantile pneumonia admitted in our hospital from April 2013 to April 2014 were enrolled in this study and divided into the control group and the observation group in accordance with the different nursing mode given to them.The control group were given the conventional nursing,while the observation group were given nursing intervention based on the conventional nursing.And the status of recovery was compared between the two groups.Results Compared with the control group,the cough,wheezing rale and moist rale disappearing time and length of stay were much shorter in the observation group(P0.01),the overall response rate of the observation group was obviously higher than that of the control group,the difference was statistically significant(P0.01).Conclusion For infantile pneumonia,early comprehensive nursing intervention can effectively promote the recovery and improve the treatment effect with high value of clinical implementation.
Diffusion mass transfer studies on ASP system in porous media

This study combined with the actual flooding ternary system in the case of not spreading phenomenon between the liquid,obtained adsorption convection-diffusion equation Using parameter variables analytically.This equation predicted the relative concentration of the chemical reagents in the displacement process composite system at different locations and time,this is important.
An Empirical Study of the Suitability of Class Decomposition for Linear Models: When Does It Work Well?

The presence of sub-classes within a data sample suggests a class decomposition approach to classification, where each subclass is treated as a new class. Class decomposition can be effected using multiple linear classifiers in an attempt to outperform a single global linear classifier; the goal is to gain in model complexity while keeping error variance low. We describe a study aimed at understanding the conditions behind the success or failure of class decomposition when combined with linear classifiers. We identify two relevant data properties as indicators of the suitability of class decomposition: 1) linear separability; and 2) class overlap. We use well-known data complexity measures to evaluate the presence of these properties in a data sample. Our methodology indicates when to avoid performing class decomposition based on such data properties. In addition we conduct a similar analysis at a more granular level for data samples marked as suitable for class decomposition. This extra analysis shows how to improve in efficiency during class decomposition. From an empirical standpoint, we test our technique on several real-world classification problems; results validate our methodology.