cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clinical Neurophysiologic Monitoring and Brain Injury from Cardiac Arrest

Electrophysiologic testing continues to play an important role in injury stratification and prognostication in patients who are comatose after cardiac arrest. As discussed previously, however, the adage about treating whole patients, not just the numbers, is relevant in this situation. EEG and SSEP can offer high specificity for discerning poor prognosis as long as they are applied to appropriate patient populations. As discussed previously, EEG and SSEP patterns change during the first hours to days after cardiac arrest and negative prognostic information should not be based solely on studies performed during the first 24 hours. Both electrophysiologic techniques also are susceptible to artifacts that may worsen the electrical patterns artificially and suggest a falsely poor prognosis. EEG is suppressed by anesthetic agents and hypothermia, both of which may produce ECS and burst suppression. Patients who experience respiratory arrest from a toxic ingestion of narcotics or barbiturates, in particular, may present with high-grade EEG patterns initially. Many patients also receive anesthetic medications at the time of tracheal intubation, which may linger beyond their normal half-life in patients who have hepatic or renal insufficiency or concurrent use of interacting medications. SSEP is much less susceptible to sedative anesthetic agents, but hypothermia is demonstrated to prolong evoked potential latencies. As therapeutic hypothermia becomes more common after cardiac arrest, the effect of temperature on electrophysiologic testing needs to be taken into account. The publications discussed previously also emphasize the need to adjust the prognostic value of electro-physiologic tests to the pretest probability of meaningful neurologic recovery in individual patients. Clearly, grade I EEG patterns and normal N20 potentials indicate a much better prognosis in patients who have a short du-ration of cardiac arrest, short duration of coma after resuscitation, and when the studies are performed within the first few days. In patients who remain in coma days after resuscitation and lack appropriate brainstem reflexes, however, even the most normal appearing electrophysiologic patterns do little to change the overall prognosis. Aside from prognostication, electrophysiologic testing holds great promise in defining the basic anatomy and physiology of coma emergence after cardiac arrest. In addition, quantitative EEG and automated evoked potentials have the potential to render these tools less subjective and arcane and more applicable for monitoring patients in the period during and immediately after resuscitation. Quantitative EEG also has great potential asa tool to define the time window for neuroprotective intervention and the means to track the response to such therapies in real time.
Low-grade gliomas in older patients: a retrospective analysis of prognostic factors

Low-grade gliomas (LGG) are increasingly being diagnosed in older patients (≥60 years). The rising incidence is incompletely understood but demands an analysis of the natural history and prognostic factors to determine if there are differences compared to younger populations. We retrospectively review a consecutive series of 20 older patients who presented between 1991 and 2004 with LGG to characterize the presentation, management, outcomes, and prognostic factors in older patients with LGG. Median follow-up was 27.3 months. Thirty-five percent of patients harboured oligodendrogliomas. Patients presented in equal numbers with seizure, focal neurological deficit, and mental status change. Median overall survival (OS) was 27.3 months. Patients who survive beyond 2 years experience prolonged periods of progression-free survival. Younger age, seizure presentation, and radiation treatment were prognostic of OS on multivariate analysis. Similarities with previous reports of LGG suggest that age should not affect the management of LGG patients. Prospective studies of older patients with LGG are needed to further characterize the optimum management of these patients.
Predictability of secondary-market developing-country debt prices

This paper examines the predictability of secondary-market prices for sovereign debt instruments issued by Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela. Monthly time series observations for each economy are utilized in a seemingly unrelated regression framework. Econometric analysis includes both in-sample and out-of-sample modelling and forecasting results. Only data available to financial markets are included in the extrapolation analysis. Theil inequality coefficients are reported for the simulation tests.
VLSI leaf cell design by understanding circuit structures

A new approach utilizing MOS circuit structures extracted from a circuit net-list for designing VLSI leaf cells is described. A circuit structure is explicitly present in a circuit schematic diagram on which a designer relies for drawing a layout. However, it is absent in the net-list input to an automatic layout system. In this paper, how to extract schematic like information from a net-list and how to apply it for automatic leaf cell design are discussed.
Can a 3+2 oscillation model explain the NuTeV electroweak results?

The ${\mathrm{sin}﻿}^{2}{\ensuremath{\theta}}_{\mathrm{W}}$ result from NuTeV falls three standard deviations from the value determined by global electroweak fits. It has been suggested that one possible explanation for this result could be the oscillation of electron neutrinos in the NuTeV beam to sterile neutrinos. This article examines several cases of masses and mixings for $3+2$ neutrino oscillation models which fit the current oscillation data at $99%$ C.L. We conclude that electron to sterile neutrino oscillations can account for only up to a third of a standard deviation between the NuTeV determination of ${\mathrm{sin}﻿}^{2}{\ensuremath{\theta}}_{\mathrm{W}}$ and the standard model.
Hydrogen production from solar energy

Three alternatives for hydrogen production from solar energy have been analyzed on both efficiency and economic grounds. The analysis shows that the alternative using solar energy followed by thermochemical decomposition of water to produce hydrogen is the optimum one. The other schemes considered were the direct conversion of solar energy to electricity by silicon cells and water electrolysis, and the use of solar energy to power a vapor cycle followed by electrical generation and electrolysis. The capital cost of hydrogen via the thermochemical alternative was estimated at $575/kW of hydrogen output or $3.15/million Btu. Although this cost appears high when compared with hydrogen from other primary energy sources or from fossil fuel, environmental and social costs which favor solar energy may prove this scheme feasible in the future.
Single origin of a pan-Pacific bird group and upstream colonization of Australasia

Biologists have long used islands as natural laboratories for understanding the diversification of life. A conclusion from these studies — notably those of Ernst Mayr — is that life on far-flung archipelagos accumulates from a simple one-way flow of colonists from continents to islands. Filardi and Moyle set out to test this assumption by estimating the relationships of a pan-Pacific bird group, the monarch flycatchers that feature in Mayr's work, through space and time. Their molecular phylogenetic data show that the traditional idea of the islands as stepping stones, with species colonizing Australasia by island-hopping their way across the oceans, does not fit the facts. Instead, the diversity of life across the major Pacific archipelagos is the product of a single radiation involving colonization from islands to continents as well as vice versa. Oceanic islands have long served as natural laboratories for understanding the diversification of life1,2,3,4. In particular, the many thousands of islands spanning the tropical Pacific support an unparalleled array of terrestrial communities whose patterns of diversity contributed fundamental insights to the development of classical speciation and biogeographic theory4,5,6,7,8. Much of this work is founded on an assumption derived from traditional taxonomic approaches, namely that faunas on these widely separated archipelagos stem from a simple one-way, downstream flow of colonists from continents to islands2,4. Here we show, with the use of molecular phylogenetic data from one of the original bird families used to justify this assumption, that a diverse array of endemic island genera and species are the product of a single radiation that diversified across all major Pacific archipelagos in a non-stepping-stone fashion, and recently recolonized continental areas. The geographic scope and lineage-specific approach of this study reveal evolutionary patterns long obscured by traditional taxonomic surveys and indicate that widely dispersed archipelagos can be sources of biological diversity.
Intracellular potassium activity in frog lens determined using ion specific liquid ion-exchanger filled microelectrodes.

Abstract Using potassium sensitive microelectrodes, the intracellular potassium activity in frog lens was found to be 83·6 m m . This converted to an intracellular potassium concentration of 110 m m when the intracellular potassium activity coefficient was assumed to be the same as that in a dilute solution. The intracellular potassium concentration determined by flame photometry was 110 mmol/kg water. After treatment with 10 −5 m -ouabain, the potassium activity fell to 52·4 m m , which converted to a concentration of 69 m m . The intracellular potassium concentration by flame photometry was 68·5 mmol/kg water. The data suggest that potassium in the lens cell cytoplasm is essentially “free” and behaves like a dilute solution.
A search for trace expression of placental-like alkaline phosphatase in non-malignant human tissues: demonstration of its occurrence in lung, cervix, testis and thymus.

Abstract A search for placental or placental-like human alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was made in human tissues. The tissue extracts were assayed for ALP before and after heating at 65°C for l h. Trace amounts of heat-stable ALP activity (> 0.01 IU/g) were found in lung, testis, cervix and thymus. The heat-stable ALP in these four tissues gave in Ouchterlony double diffusion plates lines of apparent identity with placental ALP when a rabbit anti-human placental antiserum was used. Inhibition studies with L-phenyl-alanine (Phe), L-homoarginine (Har), L-phenylalanylglycylglycine (Pgg), L-leucine (Leu) and levamisole (Leva), were carried out on the heat-stable ALP and on the total ALP. The heat-stable ALPs from cervix and lung gave [ I ] 50 values with each inhibitor comparable to those of placental ALP. The heat-stable ALPs from testis and thymus gave [ I ] 50 values for Leu and Pgg which were significantly different from the placental isoenzyme. Electrophoresis of heat-stable lung ALP from different individuals showed polymorphic differences similar to those seen with placental ALPs. Such differences were not seen with heat-stable testis ALP. We conclude that human non-malignant testis, cervix, lung and thymus tissues contain small amounts of placental or placental-like ALPs. The heat-stable ALPs in cervix and lung appear to have the same characteristics as placental ALP and are probably encoded by the same gene locus. The heat stable ALPs in testis and thymus, though immunologically very similar to placental ALP differ from it in inhibition profile and electrophoretically. The significance of the results in relation to the ‘ectopic’ expression of placental and placental-like ALPs in malignancy is discussed.
Chairman's Editorial: Reprioritizing radiologist education: teaching old dogs new tricks.

ONE OF THE FIRST LESSONS we learn in school is how to assimilate, process, and analyze information. During childhood, school and homework assignments are given to us directly by our teachers, providing us with straightforward, predictable means of gauging the quality and quantity of our knowledge. If we fail to turn in a homework assignment, we receive a punishment. If we perform poorly on a test, we are given a poor letter grade that reflects the failure of our work. During these years, when performance and success are clearly defined for us, students who are goal oriented often thrive, because in this “cause-and-effect” learning environment, rewards are relatively easy to come by.
Early potatoes in Italy with particular reference to Sicily

In Italy, the early potato cultivars of greatest economic significance are those grown off-season, in a cycle which is generally much earlier than the typical spring-summer cycle. Of the area given over to early potatoes in Italy, more than 90% is in the southern regions. The economic value of this production is due to its extraseasonality, which allows much of the early potato harvest to be sold on foreign markets. In Sicily, more than 5000 ha of potato are grown, with a high frequency of potato crops on small plots. Early potatoes are often rotated with various fruits and vegetables, and the length of the cycle is variable, from 100 to 140 days. Choosing the most suitable cultivar is the most complex aspect of early potato growing. Of the criteria used, tuber growth rate has shown most validity. In Sicily two cultivars are mainly grown: Sieglinde and the more recent but well-established Spunta. Agricultural techniques used for early potato cultivation vary depending on the area. An overview of the agronomic practices used in different areas is given in this paper.
Oxygen recharge and ammonia stripping capabilities of various closed culture configurations

Abstract A packed tower (trickling filter), empty, half full and full of a medium (styrofoam packing material) and a rotating biological contactor (RBC, rotating disc) were tested at various recirculating flow rates, with and without supplemental aeration, to determine oxygen recharge and ammonia stripping capabilities. Oxygen recharge capabilities increased with increasing flow rates, but at different rates for each filter. Oxygen recharge efficiencies decreased as flow rates increased in the half full and empty towers, were about constant for the full tower and increased in the RBC. Oxygen recharge capabilities were significantly increased with the addition of surface agitation; greater than the sum of the component contributions. With supplemental aeration, the full tower with a recirculation flow of 45·4 liters/min was most efficient and capable of supplying the most oxygen. Ammonia stripping was found to be insignificant in all systems tested.
Building Relationships with Major‐Gift Donors: A Major‐Gift Decision‐Making, Relationship‐Building Model

An important concern for many nonprofits is their major gift (MG) fundraising. Major gifts comprise substantial percentages of a nonprofit's annual budget, but to date there has not been any available stand‐alone, data‐driven, encompassing, nonprofit MG fundraising model. We propose the AID‐TIM (awareness and understanding, interest and involvement, desire to help, trial gift, information about what and how to give, and major gift action) model to alleviate that situation. Underpinnings of the model, explanation of the elements that make up the model, and benefits of using the model are discussed. Finally, detailed, how‐to sections for each element of the model are included.
Repair replication induced by 3H incorporated into HeLa DNA.

Abstract On the average, one disintegration of 3H within HeLa DNA induces the same amount of repair replication as does 0.34 rad of externally administered 300 kV X-radiation.
Stochastic methods and reliability analysis in water resources

Abstract Considerable progresses have been accomplished in recent years on two of the probability based subjects in water resources. Many stochastic methods have been developed for data generation, forecasting and simulation. Likewise, new techniques have been proposed for comprehensive evaluation of the reliability of water systems, accounting for not only the occurrence frequency of rainfall or flood but also other contributing factors. A general view of stochastic methods and reliability analysis is given in this presentation.
A Practical Method for Stereospecific Assignments of γ- and δ-Methylene Hydrogens via Estimation of Vicinal 1H-1H Coupling Constants

Stereospecific assignments are made for gamma- and delta-methylene hydrogens in a protein by means of estimation of vicinal 1H-1H spin-spin coupling constants from a short-mixing-time TOCSY experiment. 3J alpha beta coupling constants, as measured from a P.E. COSY map, are shown to be well correlated with alpha-beta cross-peak intensities of a short-mixing-time (10 ms) TOCSY map. The procedure is illustrated by application to a trypsin-inhibitor protein (M(r) approximately 7 Kd). Thus, gamma-methylene hydrogens of isoleucine residues have been stereospecifically assigned on the basis of 3J beta gamma 1H-1H coupling patterns and intraresidue cross-peak intensities in a NOESY map; gamma-hydrogens of other residues, such as lysine and arginine, have been stereospecifically assigned solely on the basis of cross-peak intensity patterns resulting from coupling of two beta-hydrogens to two gamma-hydrogens, and in conjunction with stereospecific assignments of beta-methylene hydrogens. However, intraresidue NOE intensities are needed if one or two pairs of coupling constants cannot be estimated because of cross peaks either overlapping or occurring proximal to the diagonal. The delta-methylene hydrogens have been stereospecifically assigned on the basis of coupling between two gamma-hydrogens and two delta-hydrogens, in combination with stereospecific assignments of gamma-hydrogens. Stereospecific assignments of side chains should contribute to the overall precision and accuracy of NMR-determined three-dimensional solution structures of proteins.
The role of membrane-mediated interactions in the assembly and architecture of chemoreceptor lattices

In vivo fluorescence microscopy and electron cryo-tomography have revealed that chemoreceptors self-assemble into extended honeycomb lattices of chemoreceptor trimers with a well-defined relative orientation of trimers. The signaling response of the observed chemoreceptor lattices is remarkable for its extreme sensitivity, which relies crucially on cooperative interactions among chemoreceptor trimers. In common with other membrane proteins, chemoreceptor trimers are expected to deform the surrounding lipid bilayer, inducing membrane-mediated anisotropic interactions between neighboring trimers. Here we introduce a biophysical model of bilayer-chemoreceptor interactions, which allows us to quantify the role of membrane-mediated interactions in the assembly and architecture of chemoreceptor lattices. We find that, even in the absence of direct protein-protein interactions, membrane-mediated interactions can yield assembly of chemoreceptor lattices at very dilute trimer concentrations. The model correctly predicts the observed honeycomb architecture of chemoreceptor lattices as well as the observed relative orientation of chemoreceptor trimers, suggests a series of "gateway" states for chemoreceptor lattice assembly, and provides a simple mechanism for the localization of large chemoreceptor lattices to the cell poles. Our model of bilayer-chemoreceptor interactions also helps to explain the observed dependence of chemotactic signaling on lipid bilayer properties. Finally, we consider the possibility that membrane-mediated interactions might contribute to cooperativity among neighboring chemoreceptor trimers.
A canine model of gastric and colonic polyps

Polyps were produced in the canine stomach and colon by a surgical technique. In a total of 18 dogs 26 polyps were produced in the stomach or colon. Twenty of the 26 polyps were viable when endoscopically and microscopically examined. Polyps of approximately 1 cm in diameter and 3 to 4 cm in length can be produced without sloughing. The gross and microscopic characteristics of the canine polyp are quite similar to the human condition. Obviously the adenomatous tissue of the polyp head was not reproduced, but this area is not generally cut during polypectomy. The surgically produced polyps appear to be useful as a model to study the effects of electrosurgical cutting and for training in the technique of polypectomy.
Prevalence of antibodies to 3 retroviruses in a captive colony of macaque monkeys

The prevalence of antibodies to 3 retroviruses in the macaque colony of the New England Regional Primate Research Center (NERPRC) was determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay procedures as well as radioimmunoprecipitation-SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and indirect immunofluorescence tests. Out of 848 macaques, 3 (0.35%) had antibodies to simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), 27 (3.2%) had antibodies to simian T-lymphotropic virus type I (STLV-1) and approximately 285 (34%) had antibodies to type D retrovirus. Of 3 macaques infected with SIV, 2 were rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) and I was a cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis). STLV-1 and D retrovirus infection occurred in all 4 macaque species examined. SIV, STLV-1 and D retroviruses were isolated from sero-positive macaques. The low prevalence of SIV infection suggests that SIV is not being readily transmitted among macaques at NERPRC; this contrasts markedly with the high SIV prevalence in some captive mangabey colonies. In contrast to African green monkeys from eastern Africa, 160 Caribbean green monkeys examined showed no sign of SIV infection. These results provide a framework for monitoring spontaneous disease associated with infection by these 3 retroviruses and will help in further definition of STLV-1 and SIV infection of non-human primates as animal models for human disease.
Idealized Approach to the Optimal Design, Development, and Evaluation OP Drug Delivery Systems II: Optimization OP Drug Bioavailability Inputs and in-vitro Drug Release Testing

AbstractThis report is a continuation of a previous communication concerning the role of drug bioavailability input-pharmacological response output relationships in drug delivery system design, development, and evaluation. The degree of control of ophthalmic. drug action by dosage form design is exemplified with two antiglaucoma drugs. Computer simulations are presented to demonstrate the control of simultaneously occurring therapeutic and toxic drug actions which can be achieved through systemic drug input optimization. An optimally predictive in-vitro drug bioavailability testing apparatus and its mode of operation during product development studies, to function as a replacement for a panel of human subjects, is described. An overall, idealized scheme for rationally approaching the development of drug products is presented. Results of ongoing research in the authors' laboratories are provided as examples.
Nafion® nanofibers and their effect on polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell performance

Abstract Current fuel cell research is focused on reducing manufacturing costs by reducing platinum catalyst loading without sacrificing performance. Although improvements have been demonstrated by using platinum supported on porous carbon nanoparticles, significant losses in “active” platinum surface area within the catalyst layer (CL) still occur. Optimizing the reactant gas/Nafion ® /platinum triple phase boundary (TPB) in the CL (i.e., CL morphology) will result in increased “active” catalyst area and overall fuel cell performance. In this study, the effect of temperature on the formation of Nafion ® nanofibers in the CL during fuel cell operation and its subsequent improvement on fuel cell performance was clearly characterized. Post mortem scanning electron micrographs clearly show that Nafion ® nanofibers improve the TPB, where Nafion ® nanofibers act as a more efficient proton transport route from the catalyst particles to the polymer electrolyte membrane reducing ohmic and mass transport resistance.
Developmental regulation of GABAergic interneuron branching and synaptic development in the prefrontal cortex by soluble neural cell adhesion molecule

Neural cell adhesion molecule, NCAM, is an important regulator of neuronal process outgrowth and synaptic plasticity. Transgenic mice that overexpress the soluble NCAM extracellular domain (NCAM-EC) have reduced GABAergic inhibitory and excitatory synapses, and altered behavioral phenotypes. Here, we examined the role of dysregulated NCAM shedding, modeled by overexpression of NCAM-EC, on development of GABAergic basket interneurons in the prefrontal cortex. NCAM-EC overexpression disrupted arborization of basket cells during the major period of axon/dendrite growth, resulting in decreased numbers of GAD65- and synaptophysin-positive perisomatic synapses. NCAM-EC transgenic protein interfered with interneuron branching during early postnatal stages when endogenous polysialylated (PSA) NCAM was converted to non-PSA isoforms. In cortical neuron cultures, soluble NCAM-EC acted as a dominant inhibitor of NCAM-dependent neurite branching and outgrowth. These findings suggested that excess soluble NCAM-EC reduces perisomatic innervation of cortical neurons by perturbing axonal/dendritic branching during cortical development.
Formation of Polysaccharides by Hydra from Substrates produced by their Endosymbiotic Algae

THE exact ways in which endosymbiotic algae serve their host tissues have been the subject of much research in the past 10 years. The view that the algae contribute to the nutrition of the host has gained much support from studies using radioactive tracers. Algae were shown to contribute material labelled with carbon-14 when the co-elenterate host (anemone1, coral2 or hydra3) was exposed to 14CO2 in the light. Muscatine has shown that algae isolated from hydra4 and from other freshwater invertebrates5 leak 14C-maltose into the media. The questions remain whether the algae release glucose or maltose in vivo, and in what way do the hydra utilize these compounds. We describe here experiments which show that the animal tissue of Chlorohydra viridissima incorporates a large proportion of the small molecules produced by their endosymbiotic algae during photosynthesis, and that most of these small molecules are converted by hydra into polysaccharide.
Acute Kidney Injury After Cardiac Surgery in Infants and Children: Evaluation of the Role of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors

Children with congenital heart disease who undergo cardiac surgery are vulnerable to acute kidney injury (AKI). This study sought to evaluate the role of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and other nephrotoxic medications in the risk for the development of AKI in neonates and children undergoing cardiac surgery. A retrospective review of all patients younger than 2 years admitted to the cardiac intensive care unit after cardiac surgery from March 2007 to September 2008 was conducted. Patients were included in the review if they received furosemide alone or in combination with an ACE inhibitor. Creatinine clearance was calculated, and the patient’s maximal degree of AKI was classified by pRIFLE. A P value less than 0.05 was considered significant. Of the 319 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 149 (47%) received furosemide therapy alone and 170 (53%) received a combination of furosemide and an ACE inhibitor. Patients in the furosemide-only group (age, 5 months) were older than the patients who received both furosemide and an ACE inhibitor (age, 3.8 months; P = 0.024). Despite statistically higher Aristotle scores in the ACE-inhibitor group, the intraoperative variables did not differ between the two groups. Postoperatively, the ACE-inhibitor group had a decreased creatinine clearance (55.3 ml/min/1.73 m2) compared with the furosemide group (64.4 ml/min/1.73 m2; P = 0.015) and an increased incidence of a pRIFLE maximal score of “F” (odds ratio [OR], 1.75; P = 0.033). However, after adjustment for additional risk factors, no difference in the occurrence of AKI resulted (OR, 0.939; P = 0.85) when patients received an ACE inhibitor. More than half of the study population received ACE inhibitors, but this treatment was not associated with an increase in AKI.
Marine birds and ice-influenced environments of polar oceans

Abstract In polar oceans, sea ice both blocks the access of marine birds to aquatic foraging habitats and provides habitats at its margins where some species of birds find enhanced foraging opportunities. Sea ice harbors on its underside a community of organisms dependent on ice algae. In both the Arctic and the Antarctic Oceans, the larger zooplankton and small fishes of the under-ice community are important prey for birds that forage in leads or along the ice edge. Marine birds also forage seaward of the ice edge, where meltwater-induced stability leads to enhanced primary production in spring. Although few data are available on avian use of the open melt-water zone, because of its large area it is likely to be important for total energy flux to marine birds. We may expect considerable variation in avian use of the marginal ice zone. In regions where coupling exists between primary producers, secondary consumers, and higher level predators, marine birds are likely to be abundant. Where coupling is weak, avian use is less likely.
Analysis of Excess Stock in Multiproduct Inventory Systems

Abstract A primary function of production management is the control of inventories. The typical manner of economic inventory control calls for a “pre-stocking” approach in which the focus is on the reorder quantities which should be put into inventory. A second manner of controlling inventories is what can be called a “post-stocking” analysis. Here the focus is on how much of the present inventory already in stock should be declared as surplus and disposed of. This paper describes the development and implementation of an analytical procedure for this second, excess inventory issue. The procedure is described in the context of an application to a General Motors carburetor assembly process in which product structure interactions play a significant role.
The electronic absorption and magnetic circular dichroism spectra of IrBr6 2- in several host crystals

The absorption and magnetic circular dichroism (M.C.D.) spectrum of the IrBr6 2- ion at room and liquid helium temperature has been studied in the host crystals (NH4)2SnBr6, K2SnBr6 and (C2H5NH3)2SnBr6 in the region ∼11 000–21 000 cm-1. An interpretation of the spectrum is presented which differs significantly from those suggested previously. In order of increasing energy the allowed bands are assigned to the following ligand-to-metal charge-transfer transitions: Eg ″(2 T 2g )→ Uu ′(2 T 1u ) (13–14 000 cm-1), Eg ″(2 T 2g )→ Eu ″(2 T 2u ) (16 800 cm-1), and Eg ″(2 T 2g )→ Uu ′(2 T 2u ) (∼ 18 300 cm-1). Both our absorption and M.C.D. data strongly suggest a Jahn-Teller splitting of the Uu ′(2 T 1u ) state but contradict a previous suggestion of such a splitting of the Uu ′(2 T 2u ) state. Consideration of σ—π mixing in the t 1u (π + σ) molecular orbital suggests that the ∼17 300 cm-1 band arises from the orbitally-forbidden Eg ″(2 T 2g )→ Eu ′(2 T 1u ) transition. Bands in the 11 000–13 000 cm-1 region are ...
Sexual dimorphism in Ramapithecinae

Abstract The Ramapithecinae are an extinct, mainly Miocene group of hominoids comprising the genera Sivapithecus and Gigantopithecus. Ouranopithecus and Ramapithecus are other included genera, here regarded as invalid. Cladistically, ramapithecines are hominid, although, in most aspects of their anatomy, they remain very primitive or ape-like. Miocene ramapithecines show reduced sexual dimorphism in canine size. In this respect they resemble Pliocene/Recent hominids, not extant great apes (which have highly dimorphic canines). Reduced dimorphism in canine size is an important shared derived feature indicating the hominid status of ramapithecines. Among living anthropoids, a significant association has been observed between a monogamous social structure and low canine dimorphism. This supports the inference that ramapithecines may have been monogamous.
The isolation of 82Sr from 200 to 600 MeV proton-irradiated Mo targets for biomedical applications

Abstract 82 Sr is of interest in nuclear medicine as the generator of its short-lived daughter, 82 Rb. Experimentation has begun at the Clinton P. Anderson Meson Physics Facility, and spallation reactions have been induced in Mo targets with 200–600 MeV protons to produce microcurie amounts of a variety of radionuclides. A six-step radiochemical procedure, incorporating precipitation, solvent extraction, and ion exchange techniques, has been developed for the separation and purification of Sr radioactivities from other spallation products and the bulk target material. γ-Ray spectrometry was used for isotope characterization, and chemical yields of ten different spallation-induced radioelements were determined for this analytical scheme. Radiostrontium can be quantitatively recovered in a sufficiently decontaminated state for use in biomedical generator development, and this procedure is being scaled up to a hot cell operation for actual production irradiations.
Predicting the next panic : the pioneering economic forecasters and their legacies

Abstract A market for predictions is part of any capitalist economy. In the U.S., the modern economic forecasting industry got its start in the early twentieth century. By elaborating on the “rules” by which economies function, forecasters provided ways to make sense of the very atmosphere in which businesses and investors operate. Like the development of routines for managing work within a firm, the popularization of forecasting models provided a sense of control over uncertainty.
Influence of Shrinkage-Reducing Admixtures on Early-Age Properties of Cement Pastes

Because most shrinkage-reducing admixtures (SRAs) significantly reduce the surface tension of a cement paste pore solution, they will naturally influence all physical properties and processes that are dependent in some way on surface tension. Such properties include internal relative humidity, capillary stresses, and freezing point depression, all via the Kelvin equation and its variants (Kelvin-Laplace, Gibbs-Thomson). Processes that will thus be strongly influenced by the presence of SRAs include drying, autogenous stress and strain development, and freezing. In this paper, experimental measurements of these processes in cement pastes and mortars with and without SRA additions will be presented in light of the Kelvin equation. The experimental measurements that are applied to early-age specimens include X-ray absorption measurements to quantify drying profiles, bulk mass loss measurements, measurements of internal relative humidity, assessments of autogenous deformation under sealed curing conditions, and low temperature calorimetry scans to quantify freezable water content. The results indicate that SRAs can provide benefits in several new applications beyond their conventional usage to reduce drying shrinkage.
The immune system: a weapon of mass destruction invented by evolution to even the odds during the war of the DNAs

Living systems operate under interactive selective pressures. Populations have the ability to anticipate the future by generating a repertoire of elements that cope with new selective pressures. If the repertoire of such elements were transcendental, natural selection could not operate because any one of them would be too rare. This is the problem that vertebrates faced in order to deal with a vast number of pathogens. The solution was to invent an immune system that underwent somatic evolution. This required a random repertoire that was generated somatically and divided the antigenic universe into combinatorials of determinants. As a result, it became virtually impossible for pathogens to escape recognition but the functioning of such a repertoire required two new regulatory mechanisms: 1) a somatic discriminator between Not-To-Be-Ridded ('Self') and To-Be-Ridded ('Non-self') antigens, and 2) a way to optimize the magnitude and choice of the class of the effector response. The principles governing this dual regulation are analyzed in the light of natural selection.
Ectoparasites of the Swift Fox in Northwestern Texas

Ectoparasites were collected from chemically immobilized swift foxes (Vulpes velox) in the Texas Panhandle (USA). Three species of fleas (Pulex irritans, Dactylopsylla percernis, and Euhoplopsyllus affinis) and one species of tick (Ixodes sculptus) were found. Pulex irritans was the only abundant ectoparasite; it occurred on all 23 foxes brushed in 1999–2000 and all but one of 34 hosts examined in 2000–01. Otherwise, this swift fox population had a depauperate ectoparasite fauna; the remainder of the ectoparasites only occurred on a few (≤5%) of the hosts. Because of previous taxonomic confusion between P. irritans and the closely related P. simulans, the zoogeographic distribution of these two species in many areas of western North America needs to be verified. Apparently, only the human flea P. irritans occurs on wild canids in the Texas Panhandle. However, there are previous records of P. simulans on other carnivores in western and central Texas. Some of these specimens were reexamined, and their ident...
Inference in cognitive maps

Cognitive mapping is a qualitative decision modeling technique developed over twenty years ago by political scientists, which continues to see occasional use in social science and decision-aiding applications. In this paper, I show how cognitive maps can be viewed in the context of more recent formalisms for qualitative decision modeling, and how the latter provide a firm semantic foundation that can facilitate the development of more powerful inference procedures as well as extensions in expressiveness for models of this sort.
Assessment of student preferences for small versus large group discussions and access to learning materials

Abstract Objective Assess pharmacy student's perceptions of small group ( n =10) versus large group discussion during recitation ( n =>80) and perceived learning benefits based on access to patient cases. Methods Respondents selected responses on a 5-point Likert scale regarding their access to patient cases prior to recitation. Respondents ranked their preference for small versus large group discussion based on the setting in which patient cases were reviewed. Respondents were able to express their thoughts in writing for five items. Results One-hundred seventeen second professional year Doctor of Pharmacy students participated. Small group discussions in separate rooms and reviewing patient cases as a group in the separate room was least preferred by respondents regardless of if they received patients cases prior to ( p p p =0.0094). Respondents favored small group discussions in an auditorium and reviewing patient cases as a whole class if they received patient cases during recitation ( p Conclusions Preference for small or large group recitation discussions was dependent on when respondents received patient cases. Faculty may coordinate the group setting in recitation based on pharmacy students' access to course material.
Assessing the potential for violent behavior in children and adolescents

1. Russell Copelan, MD* 1. *Attending Emergency Psychiatrist, Department of Neurosciences, Memorial Hospital, Colorado Springs, Colo Suicide and homicide in children and adolescents, both reasonably foreseeable and preventable events, are terrible losses for families and represent significant public health concerns. The realization that violence can occur anywhere has had a traumatizing impact on schools and communities nation- and worldwide. Violence is a dynamic and complex public health issue that affects millions of children and their families. Suicide and aggression can occur across the entire spectrum of psychiatric disorders, which emphasizes the need for an organized, systematic assessment. These linked behaviors are best conceptualized as occurring on a final common pathway. Management of violent behavior depends on the stage of the destructive process as well as on the speed of progression. Differentiating the progressive, scalable risk factors that suicidal and homicidal phenomena have in common has important clinical consequences. No standard of care exists for the prediction of child and adolescent suicide and homicide. However, a standard of care does exist that requires primary care physicians, nurses, physician assistants, and other medical and mental health professionals to assess risk adequately when clinically indicated. Although adequate assessment lacks definitional clarity, performing systematic violence risk assessments that inform treatment more than meets the standard of care and may improve quality of care substantially. Suicide and homicide, although not predictable on the basis of a “simply sufficient” interview, can be anticipated reasonably by assessing specific time-related factors. Millions of children each year are exposed to acts of violence, and the numbers appear to be increasing. Concurrently, the number of children who have committed acts of violence also has increased. Over the last 30 years, the incidence of adolescent suicide has increased markedly. Approximately 3 million youths were at risk for suicide in 2000, and 37% of those at risk attempted to kill themselves. Among adolescents 15 to 24 years of …
Percentage of Free Serum Prostate-Specific Antigen as a Predictor of Pathologic Features of Prostate Cancer in a Screening Population

Abstract Objectives. Measurement of the percentage of free prostate-specific antigen (%FPSA) in serum can improve the specificity of prostate cancer screening. We evaluated the ability of %FPSA to predict pathologic features of screen-detected clinically localized prostate cancer. Methods. We evaluated the correlation between %FPSA in serum before cancer diagnosis and the pathologic features of the cancers detected in 108 men with clinically localized prostate cancer who were treated with radical prostatectomy and for whom complete embedding of the radical prostatectomy specimen was performed. Ninety-seven men (90%) had a previous negative screening evaluation before prostate cancer was detected. Results. There was a negative correlation of %FPSA with penetration of cancer through the prostatic capsule, cancerous surgical margins, Gleason score, percentage of cancer in the gland, and tumor volume ( r = −0.2 to −0.4). After controlling for other preoperative predictors, %FPSA predicted capsular penetration (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1 to 2.4, for each 5% decrease in %FPSA) and cancer volume 0.5 cc or greater (adjusted OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.1 to 2.3). Preoperative %FPSA also predicted possibly harmless cancer (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1 to 2.2, for each 5% increase in %FPSA). Conclusions. In a select group of men for whom cancer was detected early via screening, a lower %FPSA in serum suggests a potentially more threatening cancer. This information may aid patients and clinicians in making more informed decisions about the management of prostate cancer, such as selecting patients for watchful waiting. However, more research is needed to determine the performance characteristics of %FPSA in clinical practice.
Self-Motion in Spatial Parallel Mechanisms with More Than Three Legs

Parallel mechanisms frequently possess an unstable type of singularity that has no counterpart in serial mechanisms. When the mechanism is at or near this type of singularity, it loses the ability to counteract external forces in certain directions. The determination of unstable singular configurations in parallel robots is challenging, and in the past has been tackled by exhaustive numerical searches of the mechanism workspace using an accurate analytical model of the mechanism kinematics. This paper considers the singularity determination problem from a geometric perspective for n-legged spatial parallel mechanisms. By using the constraints on the passive joint velocities, a necessary condition for unstable singularity is derived that identifies the reason for such singularities.
Changing indications for liver biopsy: viral hepatitis

Abstract Liver biopsy has been an integral part of the management of patients with chronic viral hepatitis. However, several developments have reduced the need for liver biopsy in these patients. Serum based and radiologic non-invasive methods of assessing fibrosis can distinguish between limited and advanced fibrosis and diagnose cirrhosis in these patients. In chronic active hepatitis B infection, antiviral therapy can often be initiated without a liver biopsy as the benefit of treatment extends across all stages of fibrosis. However, the difficulty of determining disease activity and fibrosis by serologic and biochemical data in chronic hepatitis B makes liver biopsy an important tool in the management of a subset of patients. The remarkable progress that has been made in the treatment of hepatitis C is poised to make liver biopsy unnecessary in a large number of patients who previously were treated based on the stage of disease as determined by biopsy. Together, these trends are altering the landscape of liver biopsy in chronic viral hepatitis.
Multiple-dose pharmacokinetics and safety of trovafloxacin in healthy volunteers

The multiple-dose pharmacokinetics and safety of trovafloxacin (CP-99,219), a new fluoroquinolone antibacterial agent, were evaluated in healthy male volunteers. Trovafloxacin was administered orally at 100 or 300 mg as a single dose followed by a 3 day washout period, and then was dosed once-daily for 14 consecutive days. Multiple serum and urine samples were collected on days 1 and 17 and were analysed for trovafloxacin concentrations by HPLC-UV. Following single doses, the mean Cmax values (mean +/- S.D.) were 1.0 +/- 0.3 and 2.9 +/- 0.4 mg/L for the 100 and 300 mg, respectively; those after 14-day consecutive daily dosing (day 17) were 1.1 +/- 0.2 and 3.3 +/- 0.5 mg/L, respectively. Trovafloxacin was rapidly absorbed and reached Cmax approximately 1 h after dosing. The mean values of T1/2 associated with the 100 and 300 mg doses were 9.2 +/- 1.2 on day 1 and 10.5 +/- 0.7 h on day 17; those after the 300 mg doses were 10.5 +/- 1.4 and 12.2 +/- 1.9 h, respectively. The cumulative urinary recovery of unchanged drug averaged 5.3% of the administered dose. Trovafloxacin renal clearance was 0.43 +/- 0.09 L/h. The free fraction of the drug in plasma was 23.8 +/- 6.1%. The renal clearance, half-life and unbound fraction did not change over the course of 2 weeks of multiple dosing. Steady-state serum concentrations were attained by the third daily dose, with approximately 1.3-fold accumulation. Both doses of trovafloxacin were well tolerated, and no significant changes in any laboratory safety parameters were detected. This study shows that the pharmacokinetics of trovafloxacin are linear and stationary and that steady-state serum concentrations above the MICs for most susceptible pathogens attained.
A Profile of Paroling Authorities in America: The Strange Bedfellows of Politics and Professionalism

The use of discretionary decision making in parole has been the subject of much criticism over the past three decades. Whether it is either discretionary decision making per se or the context within which such decisions are made that is problematic is unknown. This article captures a profile of how paroling authorities are organized, how their members are appointed, and the work experience, training, and credential requirements that underpin the appointment process. The importance of the relationship between professionalism and discretionary decision making is discussed. Recommendations are made for future studies addressing the relationship between professional qualifications of paroling authority members and parole outcomes.