cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Composition and lability of photochemically released dissolved organic matter from resuspended estuarine sediments

Abstract Photochemically-released dissolved organic matter (PR-DOM) from resuspended sediments is an understudied flux of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nutrients with the potential to influence estuarine microbial food webs. There is currently limited knowledge on the composition, lability and biological alterations of this material once released into the water column. This study addresses the composition and fate of PR-DOM from resuspended sediments of the Cape Fear River Estuary (CFRE) in southeastern North Carolina. Six-hour irradiation released 22–44% more DOC, and PR-DOM was of a different composition and enhanced lability, relative to dark controls. Irradiation led to release of humic-like DOM, indicated by increased chromophoric and fluorescent dissolved organic matter, substantial increases in the humification index, and production of oxidized higher molecular weight compounds with higher aromaticity, relative to dark controls. However, DOM of lower molecular weight and reduced aromaticity was produced as well. This was indicated by increased spectral slope (S275–295) and decreased specific ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm (SUVA254), relative to dark controls. This latter pool of DOM may be linked to nitrogen-(N-) and sulfur-(S-)containing compounds that were photodegraded or biologically altered during irradiation experiments. In subsequent lability incubation experiments, degradation of PR-DOM was more rapid than DOM released from dark controls, especially for marine humic-like fluorophores. Incubation of PR-DOM led to an 8-fold increase in compounds with molecular formulas that were unique to light-exposed DOM relative to unexposed DOM, the majority of which were N- and S-containing compounds. Given that coastal sediments are typically enriched in these nutrients, N- and S-containing compounds appear to influence the lability of PR-DOM from estuarine resuspended sediments. Estimated lability of photoreleased DOC from resuspension events in the CFRE is comparable to previous bioavailable DOC estimates and suggests that episodic photochemical interactions with sediments may act as a previously unrecognized source of labile DOC to bacteria and plankton in these coastal waters.
Prospective Comparison of Moderate Conscious Sedation and Anesthesia Assistance for the Performance of Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP).

Objectives. Recent trends have favored the use of anesthesia personnel more frequently for advanced endoscopic procedures. We hypothesize a selective sedation approach based on patient and procedural factors using either moderate conscious sedation (MCS) or general anesthesia (GA) will result in similar outcomes and safety with significant cost savings. Methods. A 12-month prospective study of all adult endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCPs) performed at a tertiary medical center was enrolled. Technical success, cannulation rates, procedural related complications, procedure time, and cost were compared between MCS and GA. Results. A total of 876 ERCPs were included in the study with 74% performed with MCS versus 26% with GA. The intended intervention was completed successfully in 95% of cases with MCS versus 96% cases with GA ( = 0.59). Cannulation success rates with MCS were 97.5 versus 97.8% with GA ( = 0.81). Overall, adverse event rates were similar in both groups (MCS: 6.6% vs. GA: 9.2%, = 0.21). Mean procedure time was less for MCS versus GA, 18.3 and 26 minutes, respectively ( < 0.0001). Selective use of MCS vs. universal sedation with GA resulted in estimated savings of $8,190 per case and $4,735,202 per annum. Conclusions. Preselection of ERCP sedation of moderate conscious sedation versus general anesthesia based upon patient risk factors and planned therapeutic intervention allows for the majority of ERCPs to be completed with MCS with similar rates of technical success and improvement in resource utilization and cost savings compared to performing ERCPs universally with anesthesia assistance.
Andexanet alfa and four-factor prothrombin complex concentrate for reversal of apixaban and rivaroxaban in patients diagnosed with intracranial hemorrhage

Limited data exists regarding the clinical outcomes of andexanet alfa and four factor prothrombin complex concentrate (4F-PCC) for reversal of apixaban or rivaroxaban in the setting of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). The objective of this study was to evaluate clinical outcomes of 4F-PCC and andexanet alfa for reversal of ICH associated with oral factor Xa inhibitors. This was a retrospective, single-center, case series evaluating hemostatic efficacy of patients receiving andexanet alfa) or 4F-PCC for reversal of apixaban or rivaroxaban after ICH. Secondary endpoints included in-hospital mortality, thrombotic complications, timing of reversal agents, intensive care unit and hospital length of stay, patient disposition, and 30-day readmission rate. During the study period, 21 patients received andexanet alfa and 35 received 4F-PCC. Hemostatic efficacy occurred in 64.7% of patients receiving andexanet alfa and 54.8% of receiving 4F-PCC. Thirty-day all-cause mortality was 45.2% for 4F-PCC and 30% for andexanet alfa. Thrombotic events were higher with 4F-PCC (31.4%) compared to andexanet alfa (14.3%). Median time from presentation to administration of reversal agent was 2.67 [1.75-4.13] hours with andexanet alfa and 1.73 [1.21-3.55] hours with 4F-PCC. Discharge to skilled nursing facilities and 30-day readmission were similar between groups. In this cohort, reversal with andexanet alfa and 4F-PCC differed in terms ofhemostatic efficacy and thrombotic events after ICH in patients anticoagulated with apixaban or rivaroxaban.
Outcomes of splenectomy during primary cytoreductive surgery in ovarian cancer

Objectives: Most splenectomies performed in ovarian cancer (OC) debulking are for disease resection; the impact of splenectomy on 30-day complication and oncologic outcomes is unclear. We aimed to determine the association of splenectomy with postoperative complications, overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS) in the setting of primary debulking surgery (PDS) for OC. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated women who underwent PDS or surgical staging for OC from 1/2003-07/2016. Perioperative variables and 30-day complications defined by ACS-NSQIP were abstracted. Among those with advanced stage (IIIC/IV) disease, complications were graded using the modified Accordion grading scale; severe was defined as grade 3 or 4. A propensity score (PS) matched cohort was evaluated to limit the effect of bias due to confounding variables between patients who did and did not have a splenectomy. The severe complication rate was compared between matched pairs using McNemar's test and time-to-event outcomes were compared using stratified Cox proportional hazards models. Results: Among 1311 patients in the cohort, 153 (11.7%) underwent splenectomy. Patients with splenectomy were more likely to have advanced stage disease (96.1 vs 60.6%), serous histology (89.5 vs 68.8%), ascites (83.0 vs 45.3%), higher median preoperative CA-125 (737 vs 388 U/mL), and residual disease (52.9 vs 31.3%), compared to patients without splenectomy (all p Download : Download high-res image (74KB) Download : Download full-size image Conclusions: We observed that splenectomy during PDS was associated with increased risk of progression and death compared to those not undergoing splenectomy but this risk was no longer observed with a PS-matched cohort. Splenectomy appears to be a marker for disease extent but does not increase the risk of progression or decreased survival in and of itself. Splenectomy was associated with a higher risk of severe postoperative complications including a 9% risk of pancreatic leak. These findings underscore the importance of preoperative surgical risk/benefit assessment and expertise in management of complications.
Data Management and Research Integrity

Abstract There is not great uniformity among funding agencies when it comes to data management requirements. Each agency has different expectations from researchers. Some agencies require data management plans at the application stage while others are more concerned with data sharing at the postaward stage. Researchers must be aware of the specific agencies requirements. Once funding is secured, the research should implement a data management plan and follow it with continuity throughout the funding lifecycle. Institutions should consider having internal data management policies particularly when it comes to issues of data ownership and data retention. In the event a researcher compromises the integrity of their data, misconduct policies should also be put into place. If proper data management protocols are observed and followed the integrity of the research will be secure.
ATLIS: Identifying Locational Information in Text Automatically

ATLIS (short for  ATLIS Tags Locations in Strings) is a tool being developed using a maximum-entropy machine learning model for automatically identifying information relating to spatial and locational information in natural language text. It is being developed in parallel with the ISO-Space standard for annotation of spatial information (Pustejovsky, Moszkowicz & Verhagen 2011). The goal of ATLIS is to be able to take in a document as raw text and mark it up with ISO-Space annotation data, so that another program could use the information in a standardized format to reason about the semantics of the spatial information in the document. The tool (as well as ISO-Space itself) is still in the early stages of development. At present it implements a subset of the proposed ISO-Space annotation standard: it identifies expressions that refer to specific places, as well as identifying prepositional constructions that indicate a spatial relationship between two objects. In this paper, the structure of the ATLIS tool is presented, along with preliminary evaluations of its performance.
Adaptive step-size for online temporal difference learning

The step-size, often denoted as α, is a key parameter for most incremental learning algorithms. Its importance is especially pronounced when performing online temporal difference (TD) learning with function approximation. Several methods have been developed to adapt the step-size online. These range from straightforward back-off strategies to adaptive algorithms based on gradient descent. We derive an adaptive upper bound on the step-size parameter to guarantee that online TD learning with linear function approximation will not diverge. We then empirically evaluate algorithms using this upper bound as a heuristic for adapting the stepsize parameter online. We compare performance with related work including HL(λ) and Autostep. Our results show that this adaptive upper bound heuristic out-performs all existing methods without requiring any meta-parameters. This effectively eliminates the need to tune the learning rate of temporal difference learning with linear function approximation.
Parallelization of a regionalization heuristic in distributed computing platforms – a case study of parallel-p-compact-regions problem

In this paper, we report efforts to develop a parallel implementation of the p-compact regionalization problem suitable for multi-core desktop and high-performance computing environments. Regionalization for data aggregation is a key component of many spatial analytical workflows that are known to be NP-Hard. We utilize a low communication cost parallel implementation technique that provides a benchmark for more complex implementations of this algorithm. Both the initialization phase, utilizing a Memory-based Randomized Greedy and Edge Reassignment MERGE algorithm, and the local search phase, utilizing Simulated Annealing, are distributed over available compute cores. Our results suggest that the proposed parallelization strategy is capable of solving the compactness-driven regionalization problem both efficiently and effectively. We expect this work to advance CyberGIS research by extending its application areas into the regionalization world and to make a contribution to the spatial analysis community by proposing this parallelization strategy to solve large regionalization problems efficiently.
Spin transitions in bis(amidinato)-N-heterocyclic carbene iron(II) and iron(III) complexes.

In contrast to high spin pyridyl diimine iron(II) dichloride complexes, analogous bis(amidinato)-N-heterocyclic carbene iron(II) and iron(III) complexes demonstrate complex magnetic behaviour. In the solid state, they are best described as intermediate spin complexes at low temperatures that demonstrate gradual spin transitions beginning near or below room temperature. Treating the bis(amidinato)-N-heterocyclic carbene iron(II) complex with an aryl azide revealed enhanced reactivity compared to analogous complexes supported by pyridyl diimine ligands.
Cytochrome P450 isoforms in the Metabolism of Decursin and Decursinol Angelate from Korean Angelica

We have shown that the in vitro hepatic microsomal metabolism of pyranocoumarin compound decursinol angelate (DA) to decursinol (DOH) exclusively requires cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, whereas the conversion of its isomer decursin (D) to DOH can be mediated by CYP and esterase(s). To provide insight into specific isoforms involved, here we show with recombinant human CYP that 2C19 was the most active at metabolizing D and DA in vitro followed by 3A4. With carboxylesterases (CES), D was hydrolyzed by CES2 but not CES1, and DA was resistant to both CES1 and CES2. In human liver microsomal (HLM) preparation, the general CYP inhibitor 1-aminobenzotriazole (ABT) and respective competitive inhibitors for 2C19 and 3A4, (+)-N-3-benzylnirvanol (NBN) and ketoconazole substantially retarded the metabolism of DA and, to a lesser extent, of D. In healthy human subjects from a single-dose pharmacokinetic (PK) study, 2C19 extensive metabolizer genotype (2C19*17 allele) tended to have less plasma DA AUC0-48h and poor metabolizer genotype (2C19*2 allele) tended to have greater DA AUC0-48h. In mice given a single dose of D/DA, pretreatment with ABT boosted the plasma and prostate levels of D and DA by more than an order of magnitude. Taken together, our findings suggest that CYP isoforms 2C19 and 3A4 may play a crucial role in the first pass liver metabolism of DA and, to a lesser extent, that of D in humans. Pharmacogenetics with respect to CYP genotypes and interactions among CYP inhibitor drugs and D/DA should therefore be considered in designing future translation studies of DA and/or D.
Open access to the scientific journal literature

None of the advantages of traditional scientific journals need be sacrificed in order to provide free online access to scientific journal articles. Objections that open access to scientific journal literature requires the sacrifice of peer-review, revenue, copyright protection, or other strengths of traditional journals, are based on misunderstandings.
Letter: Calcium accumulation by the human fetus.

Shaw has characterized the calcium content of the fetus by means of an exponential equation in which the independent variable is gestational age.1,2 However, a plot of his data shows a rather large amount of scatter about the calculated regression line, but no estimate of the magnitude of the deviation from regression is given. The following is another method of dealing with these data, based on the principle of heterogonic, or allometric, growth,3 which states that body calcium content is a power function of body weight.
Spatiotemporal dynamics in a model of turtle visual cortex

Abstract This paper presents simulations of a small patch of the turtle's visual cortex with 20 pyramidal cells and four smooth stellate cells. Our model captures the basic geometry and temporal structure of the visual cortex and has been shown to generate propagating waves of activity that contain information about a moving stimulus.
Planning Physical Distribution Operations with Dynamic Simulation

Considerable management attention has focused on system redesign and operational improvement in traditional physical distribution practices. Management’s primary concern in this area has been the increased complexity, cost, and importance of quality customer service in modern marketing. (1) This article reviews a dynamic simulation model, LREPS (Long-range Environmental Planning Simulator), which is capable of simulating the physical distribution system of a manufacturing firm engaged in national distribution of packaged goods. The model’s purpose is to assist management in physical distribution system design.
Unusual QRS Wave Forms Associated with Permanent Pacemakers

Electrocardiograms from 86 patients with permanent pacemakers were reviewed to assess the frequency of unusual QRS configurations associated with properly placed pacemaker catheters. All nine patients with epicardial pacemaker wires had the expected QRS configuration, suggesting that the contralateral ventricle was depolarized last. Electrocardiograms from 71 of 77 patients with transvenous pacemakers showed the expected left bundle branch block type configuration. Six patients had unexpected QRS morphology, manifested either as typical right-bundle branch block morphology or as a prominent R wave or RsR’ pattern in lead V 1 . Clinical evaluation including lateral chest x-ray film findings revealed no evidence of catheter malposition in these six patients, and two with appropriate catheter position confirmed by direct visualization. These results suggest that unusual QRS configurations as described are not uncommonly associated with permanent transvenous pacemakers, and need not always imply inappropriate catheter position. Possible mechanisms of the unusual QRS configurations are discussed.
Different rules govern help for cytotoxic T cells and B cells.

RECENT experiments with radiation chimaeras1,2 indicate that T cells differentiating in an H–2D compatible, but H–2I different, thymic environment are completely unresponsive to vaccinia virus. The explanation favoured2 for this surprising finding is that participation of helper T cells3 (TH) is an absolute requirement for the generation of virus-immune cytotoxic T cells (Tc). No response is seen because the TH populations are ‘locked in’ to recognising the spectrum of H–2I antigens presented on radiation-resistant thymic cells2. They cannot, therefore, interact with the Tc precursors which are genetically different in the I region. The result is a total failure of responsiveness. We report here that we have tested this concept further by stimulating acutely tolerised4,5 T-cell populations in H–2I different, but H–2D compatible virus-infected recipients. Our results indicate that there is apparently no need for participation of TH populations restricted to the H–2I region specificities expressed in the recipient environment. This differs from the situation for TH–B-cell collaboration4,5, and suggests that help for the Tc response operates directly between T-cell subsets.
Large-Scale Conditions Favorable for the Development of Heavy Rainfall during TAMEX IOP 3

Abstract The large-scale processes responsible for development of heavy precipitation during 20–23 May 1987 along the southeastern China coast are studied. There are two distinct rainfall peaks around 0000 UTC 20 May and 0000 UTC 22 May. Prior to the heavy rain event, strong low-level southwesterly flow developed ahead of a 850-hPa trough and transported warm, moist air from the south into southeastern China to generate the convective instability. For the first rainfall period, positive vorticity advection by thermal winds was observed ahead of the 850-hPa trough. Upper-level divergence as a result of the imbalance between winds and geopotential height fields was found in the different airflow region on the northeastern quadrant of the south. Asian anticyclone prior to the first rainfall period. For the second rainfall period, an upper-level trough deepened in the lee side of the Tibetan Plateau and moved to the southeastern China coast. Strong upper-level frontogenesis caused by horizontal deformation wa...
Post-Soviet Authoritarianism: The Influence of Russia in Its "Near Abroad"

How, to what extent, and why have the forms of political authority in the non-Baltic post-Soviet states changed since 1991? What impact has Russia had on such changes? Drawing on Freedom House and Polity IV data, this article considers the extent and direction of changes in the democratic and authoritarian elements of the Russian and other post-Soviet polities in recent years, some of the linkages through which Russia may exercise leverage vis-a-vis the other post-Soviet states, and the extent to which exercising that leverage may have influenced the forms of political authority—specifically, the extent of democratization—in the other non-Baltic, post-Soviet states.
Adhesion. II. Relationships between viscoelasticity, interfacial equilibrium, and the temperature dependence of adhesion

The temperature dependence of adhesion is investigated by two different techniques. Data are given for several polymers. An hypothesis is presented which appears to provide a satisfactory explanation for the observed performance, and which attributes a major role to the extent of interfacial contact (or proximity to interfacial equilibrium). Striking differences are shown in the temperature dependence of adhesion for samples of a given pair of materials which were prepared under different bonding conditions. The behavior is believed to be established by the relationships between the viscoelastic response of the adhesive, the temperature and effective strain rate of the adhesion test, and the concentration of stress at interfacial discontinuities.
Surface Modification of Nanoporous Alumina Surfaces with Poly(ethylene glycol)

Nanoporous alumina surfaces have a variety of applications in biosensors, biofiltration, and targeted drug delivery. However, the fabrication route to create these nanopores in alumina results in surface defects in the crystal lattice. This results in inherent charge on the porous surface causing biofouling, that is, nonspecific adsorption of biomolecules. Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is known to form biocompatible nonfouling films on silicon surfaces. However, its application to alumina surfaces is very limited and has not been well investigated. In this study, we have covalently attached PEG to nanoporous alumina surfaces to improve their nonfouling properties. A PEG-silane coupling technique was used to modify the surface. Different concentrations of PEG for different immobilization times were used to form PEG films of various grafting densities. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to verify the presence of PEG moieties on the alumina surface. High-resolution C1s spectra show that with an increase in concentration and immobilization time, the grafting density of PEG also increases. Further, a standard overlayer model was used to calculate the thickness of PEG films formed using the XPS intensities of the Al2p peaks. The films formed by this technique are less than 2.5 nm thick, suggesting that such films will not clog the pores which are in the range of 70-80 nm.
An efficient numerical method for exterior and interior inverse problems of Helmholtz equation

Abstract The generalized pulse-spectrum technique (GPST), an efficient and versatile inversion algorithm, is used with adaptive grids to solve both exterior (scattering) and interior (cavity) boundary-shape inverse problems of two-dimensional Helmholtz equation. Numerical simulations of nontrivial examples are carried out to test the feasibility and to study the general characteristics of GPST without the real measurement data. It is found that GPST does efficiently produce very good results.
Analytical expressions for multiplicity distributions and deviations from KNO scaling

Abstract A simple method is presented for deducing multiplicity distributions from a few multiplicity moments. The essence of the method is the straightforward trick of converting a discrete distribution to a continuous distributions by interpolation. Interpolation changes the moments by calculable amounts, which depend only on the interpolation procedure and not on the multiplicity distribution. This device makes it possible to give a simple analytical expression for the multiplicity distribution, even at rather low energies, in terms of the measured moments. A quantitative discussion of KNO scaling, and deviations from scaling, is given, based on the measured moments.
Increased extracellular volume and altered mechanics are associated with left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertensive heart disease, not hypertension alone

Background Study purpose To detect differences in extracellular volume (ECV) and systolic strain in hypertensive patients with LVH as compared to hypertensive patients without LVH and age-matched controls. Background: Increased ECV due to diffuse myocardial fibrosis in hypertensive patients may be an underlying mechanism contributing to increased cardiovascular risk. Moreover HTN patients with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) are at higher risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality when compared to HTN Non-LVH subjects. We compared levels of ECV and systolic strain between HTN LVH, HTN Non-LVH and control subjects.
Stimulation of phosphatidylcholine synthesis by 17β-estradiol in fetal rabbit lung

Abstract We investigated the mechanism by which estrogen stimulates pulmonary surfactant production in the fetal rabbit. Maternal administration of 17β-estradiol (5–75 μg) on day 25 of gestation resulted in a greater than twofold increase in the rate of choline incoporation into phosphatidylcholine in fetal lung slices on day 26 (full term = 31 days). Estrogen administration increased the activity of fetal lung cholinephosphate cytidylyltransferase by 62%. It had no effect on the liver enzyme. When assayed in the presence of phosphatidylglycerol fetal lung cholinephosphate cytidylyltransferase activity was increased 4.6-fold but it was not influenced by estrogen under these conditions. These findings suggest that estrogen stimulates cholinephosphate cytidyltransferase by increasing the activity of existing enzyme (possibly by increasing the amount of phosphatidylglycerol or other acidic phospholipid in the tissue) rather than by increasing the amount of enzyme-protein. Stimulation of fetal lung cholinephosphate cytidylyltransferase by estrogen as well as by glucocorticoids (Rooney, S.A., Gobran, L.I., Marino, P.A., Maniscalco, W.M., and Gross, I. (1979) Biochim. Biophys, Acta 572, 64–76) suggest that this enzyme may be rate-regulatory in the de novo biosynthesis of phosphatidylcholine. Estrogen administration also resulted in a 26% increase in the activity of pulmonary lysolecithin acyltransferase, an enzyme involved in the synthesis of disaturated, surface-active phosphatidylcholine. Lung choline kinase was slightly decreased following estrogen treatment bu ethanolaminephosphate cytidylyltransferase, cholinephosphotransferase, phosphatidate phosphatase and lysolecithin : lysolecithin acyltransferase were unaffected.
Subtypes of sleep problems in patients with Alzheimer disease.

Objective Sleep disturbances are common in patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) and can contribute to cognitive dysfunction and a negative impact on patients' and caregivers' quality of life. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether subtypes of sleep disturbance could be identified in patients with AD and to assess the relation of these subtypes to patient characteristics and caregiver mood. Methods As part of routine clinical assessment, primary caregivers of 344 patients with AD completed a questionnaire that included five items about the patients' sleep. Patients' cognitive and functional status and their mood were assessed as was caregivers' mood. Latent class analysis was used to define subgroups of patients based on their sleep patterns. After identification of groups of sleep disturbance, the relation of group membership to patient and caregiver characteristics was also evaluated. Results Analyses revealed groups with moderate and severe sleep problems as well as a group without problems. Patients with more severe sleep disturbance were older, less well educated, and had poorer cognitive and functional status. Caregiver and patient depression was related to membership in the severe group, suggesting that both may contribute to caregivers' ratings of more severe sleep disturbance, whereas only patient depression was related to membership in the moderate group. Conclusion Sleep problems in patients with AD are related to poorer cognitive and functional status and patient and caregiver depression. Caregiver depression was most closely related to more severe patient sleep disturbance.
Optimized medium for clonal growth of human microvascular endothelial cells with minimal serum

An optimized basal nutrient medium, MCDB 131, has been developed that supports clonal growth of human microvascular endothelial cells (HMVEC) with as little as 0.7% dialyzed fetal bovine serum (dFBS) when also supplemented with 10 ng/ml epidermal growth factor (EGF) and 1 microgram/ml hydrocortisone. An extensive initial survey of available media showed that MCDB 402, a medium optimized for low-serum growth of Swiss 3T3 cells, supported the best clonal growth of HMVEC with 10% dFBS. Quantitative adjustment of the composition of MCDB 402 for improved clonal growth of HMVEC with reduced amounts of dFBS resulted in development of MCDB 131. Although many different adjustments contributed to the optimal properties of MCDB 131 for growth of HMVEC, the most unusual feature of this medium is its high magnesium concentration. A major benefit was achieved by increasing Mg2+ from 0.8 mM in MCDB 402 to 10.0 mM in MCDB 131. In the absence of defined supplements, MCDB 131 supports good clonal growth of HMVEC with 2% dFBS. This can be reduced to 0.7% by adding EGF and hydrocortisone, which act synergistically to improve growth with low levels of dFBS.
Enzyme fluorescence procedure for rapid diagnosis of streptococcal pharyngitis.

Recently there has been a proliferation of rapid diagnostic tests for group A/3-hemolytic streptococcal pharyngitis. 1,2 These tests have the potential to provide rapid diagnosis of GABHS pharyngitis and thus facilitate the prompt initiation of appropriate antibiotic therapy. This in turn can shorten the duration of the clinical illness and the period of infectivity, expediting a patient's return to school or day care as well as a parent's return to work? These tests also have the potential to exclude GABHS pharyngitis rapidly and thereby preclude initiation of unnecessary antibiotic therapy in patients with nonstreptococcal pharyngitis? Although several different procedures are available, the few published reports comparing these new rapid diagnostic tests with conventional blood agar plate cultures have dealt almost exclusively with two latex agglutination kits: the Directigen Group A Strep Test Kit (Hynson, Westcott, and Dunning, Baltimore) and the Culturette Brand TenMinute Group A Strep ID Kit (Marion Scientific, Kansas City, Mo. )Y ~ Little or no published data are available regarding the accuracy of the other latex agglutination kits, the enzyme immunoassay procedure, or the enzyme fluorescence procedure. The Strep-A-Fluor test (BioSpec Inc, Dublin, Calif.) is a new enzyme fluorescence procedure for the rapid diagnosis of GABHS pharyngitis. This test is based on the observation, first made by Godsey et al." in 1981, that GABHS produce a specific aminopeptidase that hydrolyzes the enzyme L-pyrrolidonyl-/3-naphthylamide. In the Strep-A-Fluor procedure, a throat swab is applied to a filter paper strip that has been impregnated with a synthetic, nonfluorescent substrate similar to Pyr. If GABHS are present on the swab, the aminopeptidase produced by these
Polymerization of ?-caprolactone with maleic anhydride: Synthesis and characterization

High-molecular-weight polymers of ϵ-caprolactone (CL) and maleic anhydride (MA) with anhydride group content of about 1% wt have been synthesized and studied. The polymerization reaction was carried out in bulk under nitrogen atmosphere. Stannous octoate (Sn(oct)2), and 2,2'-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) were used as a catalyst and an initiator, respectively. A two-level design of experiments was used to study the effect of various conditions on the characteristics of the copolymer. Reaction time, temperature, and concentration ratio of various reactants (two monomers, monomer to catalyst, and monomer to initiator) were the independent variables used, and the dependent variables included the molecular weight and the anhydride content in the polymer. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies indicate that the succinic anhydride units were incorporated individually either to the polymer chain end or backbone. Anhydride content in the polymer and gel permeation chromatograph (GPC) studies indicate that the maleic anhydride acts as the true initiating species rather than as a comonomer in the system. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 77: 3189–3194, 2000
Studies on the Inhibition of Collagen Synthesis in Fibroblasts Treated with Paraquat

Abstract Paraquat (methyl viologen) is an industrial herbicide which upon entering many cell types can be enzymatically reduced and in the presence of oxygen, subsequently generate the superoxide radical anion (O − 2 ). This is its mode of toxicity in many of these cells. In vivo , it has been shown to preferentially accumulate in lung tissue, leading to tissue destruction and marked fibrosis. Collagen accumulation has also been noted in paraquat-treated lung slices in vitro . In studies designed to investigate these effects, it has been found, unexpectedly, that paraquat inhibits collagen synthesis in isolated fibroblasts. This inhibition is not due to overt cellular toxicity nor to inhibition of prolyl hydroxylase (directly or by cofactor depletion). While this effect could be unique to paraquat, it may be relevant to a more generalized role for free radicals in regulating collagen synthesis at the level of the individual cell.
Mutational Analysis of β′260–309, a ς70 Binding Site Located on Escherichia coliCore RNA Polymerase

Abstract In eubacteria, the ς subunit binds to the core RNA polymerase and directs transcription initiation from any of its cognate set of promoters. Previously, our laboratory defined a region of the β′ subunit that interacts with ς70 in vitro. This region of β′ contained heptad repeat motifs indicative of coiled coils. In this work, we used 10 single point mutations of the predicted coiled coils, located within residues 260–309 of β′, to look at disruption of the ς70-core interaction. Several of the mutants were defective for binding ς70 in vitro. Of these mutants, three (R275Q, E295K, and A302D) caused cells to be inviable in an in vivoassay in which the mutant β′ is the sole source of β′ subunit for the cell. All of the mutants were able to assemble into the core enzyme; however, R275Q, E295K, A302D were defective for Eς70 holoenzyme formation. Several of the mutants were also defective for holoenzyme assembly with various minor ς factors. In the recently published crystal structure of Thermus aquaticus core RNA polymerase (Zhang, G., Campbell, E. A., Minakhin, L., Richter, C., Severinov, K., and Darst, S. A. (1999)Cell 98, 811–824), the region homologous to β′260–309 of Escherichia coli forms a coiled coil. Modeling of our mutations onto that coiled coil places the most defective mutations on one face of the coiled coil.
Organization of the membrane skeleton in spreading mouse blastomeres. I. Morphological analysis

Differentiation in the mouse embryo begins at the 8-cell stage when the blastomeres spread against each other in a process called compaction. The spreading behavior of blastomeres on lectin-coated coverslips mimics that of blastomeres in the embryo, and we have utilized this model system to obtain an en face view of the membrane skeleton in the spreading blastomeres. Embryos were cultured on the coverslips for periods ranging from 20 sec to 6 hr, and the cells were disrupted to expose the cytoplasmic face of the adherent membranes and their associated filaments. The “membrane lawn” preparations were fixed, critical point dried, rotary shadowed, and the replicas examined by transmission electron microscopy. Using this technique we found that the plasmalemma of rounded blastomeres is associated with a lacy 3-dimensional filamentous meshwork that is transformed into a thin mat of densely woven filaments when the cells flatten. The overall organization of the membrane skeleton is similar in flattening 2- and 8-cell embryos, but there are significant differences in the time required for spreading to take place, in the means whereby the membrane skeletons are reorganized, and in the extent of maximal flattening. The significance of these observations for the compaction process is discussed.
Parenting Styles in a Cultural Context: Observations of "Protective Parenting" in First-Generation Latinos

To read this article in Spanish, please see this article’s Supporting Information on Wiley InterScience (http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/117959054/home). Current literature presents four primary parenting styles: authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, and neglectful. These styles provide an important shortcut for a constellation of parenting behaviors that have been characterized as consisting of warmth, demandingness, and autonomy granting. Empirically, only warmth and demandingness are typically measured. Research reporting on parenting styles in Latino samples has been equivocal leading to questions about conceptualization and measurement of parenting styles in this ethnic/cultural group. This lack of consensus may result from the chasm between concepts (e.g., authoritarian parenting) and observable parenting behaviors (e.g., warmth) in this ethnic group. The present research aimed to examine parenting styles and dimensions in a sample of Latino parents using the two usual dimensions (warmth, demandingness) and adding autonomy granting. Traditional parenting styles categories were examined, as well as additional categorizations that resulted from adding autonomy granting. Fifty first-generation Latino parents and their child (aged 4‐9) participated. Parent‐child interactions were coded with the Parenting Style Observation Rating Scale (P-SOS). In this sample, the four traditional parenting categories did not capture Latino families well. The combination of characteristics resulted in eight possible parenting styles. Our data showed the majority (61%) of Latino parents as ‘‘protective parents.’’ Further, while mothers and fathers were similar in their parenting styles, expectations were different for male and female children. The additional dimensions and implications are discussed. The importance of considering the cultural context in understanding parenting in Latino families is emphasized, along with directions for future research.
Imbibition and Water Blockage in Unconventional Reservoirs: Well Management Implications During Flowback and Early Production

Driven by field logistics in an unconventional setting, a well may undergo weeks to months of shut-in following hydraulicfracture stimulation. In unconventional reservoirs, field experiences indicate that such shut-in episodes may improve well productivity significantly while reducing water production. Multiphase flow mechanisms were found to explain this behavior. Aided by laboratory relative-permeability, capillary pressure data, and their dependency to stress in a shale-gas reservoir, the flow-simulation model was able to reproduce the suspected water blocking behavior. Results demonstrate that a well resting period improves early productivity while reducing water production. The results also indicate that minimizing water invasion in the formation is crucial to avoid significant water blockage.
Strategically managing risk in the information age: a holistic approach

Purpose – Business leaders can apply key messages as early as today to build stronger operations that are less susceptible to risks of all types. Findings can be applied at all levels in any organization, from the entire enterprise down to discreet projects. The article emphasizes that today's strategic change initiatives should all consider their impact on holistically developed risk management strategies.Approach – Hypotheses are explained, developed, and supported by a number of actual cases across several diverse industries. Case studies that illustrate both success and failure are explored. Once the hypotheses are developed and supported with specific cases, the findings are generalized and a series of well‐developed industry accepted practices for resolving the key issues are articulated.Findings – The way a business approaches risk management in today's digital age can make the difference between success and failure. Risk management strategies should be developed with holistic, broad views of busin...
The Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF)

A description of the Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF) is given. It is a calorimetric detector, which covers almost the complete solid angle around the interaction region with segmented calorimeter "towers". A 1.5 Tesla superconducting solenoid, 3m in diameter and 5m long, provides a uniform magnetic field in the central region for magnetic analysis of charged particles. The magnetic field volume is filled with a large cylindrical drift chamber and a set of Time Projection Chambers. Muon detection is accomplished with drift chambers outside the calorimeters in the central region and with large magnetized steel toroids and associated drift chambers in the forward-backward regions. The electronics has a large dynamic range to allow measurement of both high energy clusters and small energy depositions made by penetrating muons. Interesting events are identified by a trigger system which, together with the rest of the data acquisition system, is FASTBUS based.
Higher pulmonary dead space may predict prolonged mechanical ventilation after cardiac surgery

Children undergoing congenital heart surgery are at risk for prolonged mechanical ventilation and length of hospital stay. We investigated the prognostic value of pulmonary dead space fraction as a non-invasive, physiologic marker in this population. In a prospective, cross-sectional study, we measured pulmonary dead space fraction in 52 intubated, pediatric patients within 24 hr postoperative from congenital heart surgery. Measurements were obtained with a bedside, non-invasive cardiac output (NICO) monitor (Respironics Novametrix, Inc., Wallingford, CT). Median pulmonary dead space fraction was 0.46 (25-75% IQR 0.34-0.55). Pulmonary dead space fraction significantly correlated with duration of mechanical ventilation and length of hospital stay in the entire cohort (r(s) = 0.51, P = 0.0002; r(s) = 0.51, P = 0.0002) and in the subset of patients without residual intracardiac shunting (r(s) = 0.45, P = 0.008; r(s) = 0.49, P = 0.004). In a multivariable logistic regression model, pulmonary dead space fraction remained an independent predictor for prolonged mechanical ventilation in the presence of cardiopulmonary bypass time and ratio of the partial pressure of arterial oxygen to the fraction of inspired oxygen (OR 2.2; 95% CI 1.14-4.38; P = 0.02). The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve for this model was 0.91. Elevated pulmonary dead space fraction is associated with prolonged mechanical ventilation and hospital stay in pediatric patients who undergo surgery for congenital heart disease and has additive predictive value in identifying those at risk for longer duration of mechanical ventilation. Pulmonary dead space may be a useful prognostic tool for clinicians in patients who undergo congenital heart surgery.
A front end to a theory of picture recognition

We describe the results of four picture-recognition memory experiments in which we systematically manipulated four variables: stimulus duration, stimulus contrast, the duration of a blank gap between successive presentations of the same stimulus, and the presence or absence of a noise mask that immediately followed stimulus offset. The patterns of obtained data confirmed a simple extension of a theory previously used to account for digit recall data. This theory consists of a low-pass linearfilter front end that generates a sensory response from the physical stimulus, followed by an informationsampling process whose instantaneous sampling rate is based in part on the sensory response magnitude. The data confirm both qualitative and quantitative theoretical predictions, some of which were previously untestable in digit recall tasks because of ceiling effects that were not present in our picturerecognition tasks. We describe the role of our theory within the broader family of picture-memory theories, and we briefly discuss our theory’s unification of two salient facets of visual behavior: information acquisition on the one hand, and phenomenological appearance on the other hand.
Mu opioid receptor antagonism in the nucleus accumbens shell blocks consumption of a preferred sucrose solution in an anticipatory contrast paradigm

Binge eating, a central feature of multiple eating disorders, is characterized by excessive consumption occurring during discrete, often brief, intervals. Highly palatable foods play an important role in these binge episodes - foods chosen during bingeing are typically higher in fat or sugar than those normally consumed. Multiple lines of evidence suggest a central role for signaling by endogenous opioids in promoting palatability-driven eating. This role extends to binge-like feeding studied in animal models, which is reduced by administration of opioid antagonists. However, the neural circuits and specific opioid receptors mediating these effects are not fully understood. In the present experiments, we tested the hypothesis that endogenous opioid signaling in the nucleus accumbens promotes consumption in a model of binge eating. We used an anticipatory contrast paradigm in which separate groups of rats were presented sequentially with 4% sucrose and then either 20% or 0% sucrose solutions. In rats presented with 4% and then 20% sucrose, daily training in this paradigm produced robust intake of 20% sucrose, preceded by learned hypophagia during access to 4% sucrose. We tested the effects of site-specific infusions of naltrexone (a nonspecific opioid receptor antagonist: 0, 1, 10, and 50μg/side in the nucleus accumbens core and shell), naltrindole (a delta opioid receptor antagonist: 0, 0.5, 5, and 10μg/side in the nucleus accumbens shell) and beta-funaltrexamine (a mu opioid receptor antagonist: 0 and 2.5μg/side in the nucleus accumbens shell) on consumption in this contrast paradigm. Our results show that signaling through the mu opioid receptor in the nucleus accumbens shell is dynamically modulated during formation of learned food preferences, and promotes binge-like consumption of palatable foods based on these learned preferences.