cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Do Right Heart Hemodynamic Improvements Persist After Pulmonary Thromboendarterectomy

The survival benefits of pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE) for the treatment of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) have been well described. However, the significance of right heart hemodynamic changes and their impact on survival remains poorly understood. We sought to characterize the effects of these changes. We conducted a single center, retrospective review of 159 patients who underwent PTE between 1993 and 2015. Echocardiographic and right heart catheterization data were compared longitudinally before and after PTE in order to establish the extent of hemodynamic response to surgery. Kaplan Meier estimates were used to characterize patient survival over time. Univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to assess factors associated with long-term mortality. Among the 159 patients studied, 74 (46.5%) were male with a median age of 55 (IQR: 42-66). One-, five-, ten-, and fifteen-year survival was 91.0% (95% CI: 86.6-95.6), 79.6% (73.5-86.3), 66.5% (59.2-74.7), and 56.2% (48.1-65.8). Of the nine candidate risk factors that were evaluated, only advanced age and increased cardiopulmonary bypass time were found to be significantly associated with increased risk of mortality. Pre- and post-surgical echocardiographic imaging data, when available, revealed a median reduction in right ventricular systolic pressure of 29.0 mm Hg (p
Founders’ Fortunes and Philanthropy: A History of the US Charitable Contribution Deduction

Since 1917, itemizing tax filers in the United States have been able to subtract gifts to eligible charities from their taxable income. The deduction is especially valuable to successful entrepreneurs who donate corporate stock. Such philanthropy was seen as a close substitute for government spending until after the mid-twentieth century. In the 1950s and 1960s, high tax rates catalyzed the formation of large foundations from industrial fortunes and precipitated a national debate about the legitimacy of such giving. The midcentury debate preceded increased oversight of charities and foundations and a shift in the way US lawmakers debate the contribution deduction, from a savings reduction to an implicit cost.
Metabolomics of Protection from the Development of World Trade Center-Lung Injury: A Machine Learning Approach

INTRODUCTION: The metabolome remains an untapped resource with potential to comprehensively characterize and identify bioactive pathways of disease after WTC-PM exposure. A subset of rescue/recovery workers from the FDNY demonstrated resistance to subsequent loss of lung function. We have previously identified biomarkers significantly associated with protection from WTC-LI. OBJECTIVE: Implement machine learning and dimension reduction techniques to characterize the metabolome of WTC-exposed firefighters, stratified by resistance to WTC-LI, to identify metabolite pathways of significance to resistance to loss of lung disease post PM exposure. METHODS: Serum global metabolome of never-smoker, WTC-exposed firefighters with normal pre-9/11 lung function, segregated by forced expiratory volume-one second(FEV1) at symptomatic presentation. Control (n=15) from previously identified cohort-control and resistant to WTC-LI (FEV1, %- Pred≥107; within one-standard deviation of the highest FEV1% predicted of the study cohort, n=15) were selected. Pathways/metabolites associated with resistance to WTC-LI were determined using dimension reduction techniques. RESULTS: Metabolites most important to class separation (top 5% by RF of 594 qualified metabolites), included elevated amino acid and long-chain fatty acid metabolites, and reduced hexose monophosphate shunt metabolites in the resistant cohort. RF of the refined metabolic profile correctly classified cases and controls with a 93.3% estimated success rate. Agglomerative hierarchical clustering identified potential mechanistic relations. CONCLUSION: High-dimensional data analysis on the metabolome of a subset of WTC-PM exposed 9/11 rescue workers has identified pathways associated with resistance to loss of lung function after an acute PM exposure. These pathways represent novel potential therapeutic targets and warrant further research. FUNDING STATEMENT: NHLBI R01HL119326, CDC/NIOSH U01-OH11300, Clinical Center of Excellence 200-2017-93426, Data Center 200-2017-93326. This work was also partially funded by the NYU-HHC CTSI supported by grant UL1TR000038 from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the NIH and by the Saperstein Scholars Fund. DECLARATION OF INTERESTS: The authors report no conflicts of interest. ETHICS APPROVAL STATEMENT: Subjects, at the time of enrollment, consented to analysis of their information and samples for research according to Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved protocols at Montefiore Medical Center(#07-09-320) and New York University(#16-01412). All experiments conform to the relevant regulatory standards as per IRB standards.
Determining Medical Urgency of Voice Disorders Using Auditory-Perceptual Voice Assessments Performed by Speech-Language Pathologists.

Objective:This study examined whether speech-language pathologist auditory-perceptual voice assessments can predict the medical urgency of voice disorders.Methods:Twenty speech-language pathologist...
Distributed Input-to-State Stabilization of Heterogeneous Interconnected Multiagent Systems with Partially Unknown Dynamics

We develop a graph theoretic framework to unify the design and implementation of all centralized, cooperative, and decentralized stabilization protocols in a distributed fashion. As an outcome, this framework enables us to capture the architectural aspect of cyber-physical systems with separate agent and control layers. In particular, we consider an agent layer with fully heterogeneous interconnected MAS subject to nonmeasurable, nonvanishing, external perturbations. We propose a unified design procedure which is applicable to any combination of matched and unmatched modeling uncertainties, establish theoretical guarantees for robust input-to-state stability of the resulting two-layer interconnected multiagent system, and verify the feasibility of these ideas in simulation.
Riding the tide: assessing South Korea’s hedging strategy through regional security initiatives

This article examines how South Korea has used the ASEAN Plus security platforms to hedge between the US and China and why it has not participated in the FOIP strategy. It argues that the platforms...
Experimental Study of Mixing in a Turbulent Jet/Shock Interaction

An experimental study on the interaction of weak shock waves with turbulent axisymmetric jets was conducted to explore mixing augmentation during such interactions. The experimental configuration is an axisymmetric nonhomogeneous jet that is processed by weak normal shock waves propagating along the jet axis. Experiments involved three combinations of jet gas and surrounding medium densities spanning density ratios 0.09 ≤ ρ j / ρ ∞ ≤ 1.52. The oncoming shock strengths varied between Mach numbers 1.1 and 1.5. Planar laser-induced Rayleigh light scattering was utilized to obtain jet fluid concentration distributions. These images along with Schlieren photographs indicate that a strong interaction takes place around the jet downstream of the shock wave. In this region, the lateral spread of the jet increases as a result of strong baroclinic vorticity deposited along the jet boundaries. Quantitative analysis of the planar concentration images reveal that the spatial probability distributions of the jet fluid concentration are markedly different for jets with and without shock interaction. Jet fluid concentration levels are lower and more uniform in the regions processed by a shock wave. The degree of mixing enhancement appears to be weakly influenced by shock strength. The reversal of density ratio between jet and surroundings, and the consequent change in the sign of the baroclinic vorticity do not seem to influence the degree of mixing enhancement greatly.
PIEZO-OPTIC BEHAVIOR AND THE EQUATION OF STATE OF LIQUIDS*

Consider the piezo-optic behavior of materials in their transparent region of spectrum. In the case of solids such as alkali-halides [1], α-quartz [2], vitreous silica [3], etc., the relationship between the change in refractive index Δn and pressure becomes slightly nonlinear at high pressures (say above 5 kbar), but the same data exhibit perfect linear relationship between Δn and the Lagrangian strain η in the entire range of pressures studied. In the case of liquids such as water and CCl4, as mentioned in a previous article [4], Δn is grossly nonlinear with pressure, and Δn vs. η is linear only at strains less than 2 or 3%. Motivated by the linearity of Δn vs. η for the solids, one can view the nonlinearity of the Δn vs. η for the liquids as possibly caused by (1) unreliable P-V data used to evaluate η, (2) use of an inappropriate equation of State for the liquids when extrapolating and interpolating literature P-V data to cover the entire 14 kbar pressure range, (3) nonapplicability of Lagrangian strain as a strain measure at the very high strains and (4) perhaps intrinsic nonlinearity of Δn with respect to all strain measures for liquids. Investigation into these possibilities was made with high pressure interferometric measurements on a number of liquids under hydrostatic pressure and the results and conclusions are presented here.
Environmental Metal Pollutants: Sources and Determinants of Toxicity

Metals and metalloids are elements present in every phase of the environment. Some of these elements are essential for life, while others have no known biological function (Table 1 and 2). The effects of metals, metalloids and compounds of these elements on health and behavior have been studied for hundreds of years. Large amounts of data have been accumulated concerning the toxic effects of metal compounds in biological systems. This has resulted in the development of regulations to prevent or limit human exposure to these elements. However, many questions remain concerning the interactions of these metals in biological systems and recently concerns have been raised about what effect acute or chronic exposure to concentrations of metals below established threshold levels might have on human health and behavior.
Websites de Redes Sociais e Implicações para Interações e Aprendizagem Informais

Este estudo emprega analise de conteudo para obter uma compreensao aprofundada de interacoes em grupos de redes sociais on-line. Resultados indicam que o espaco social online pode criar e manter lacos sociais e culturais entre os membros de uma comunidade informal. Identidade social e reconhecida atraves de mensagens de apresentacoes, compartilhamento de recursos e anuncio de eventos sociais. Identidade cultural e evidenciada atraves de mensagens envolvendo topicos relacionados a relatos sociais, poemas, politica, espiritualidade e noticias. Participacao neste ambiente social em rede vai alem das fronteiras sociais e culturais de interacoes. Esse espaco social tambem serve como um condutor para interacoes informais de seus membros, formacao de identidade, apoio mutuo e aprendizagem informal.
Understanding the Dynamics of Collision and Near-Collision Motions in the N-Body Problem

Although rare, collisions of two or more bodies in the N-body problem are apparent obstacles at which Newton’s law of gravity ceases to make sense. Without understanding the nature of collisions, a complete understanding of the N-body problem cannot be achieved. Historically, several methods have been developed to probe the nature of collisions in the N-body problem. One of these methods removes, or regularizes, certain types of collisions entirely, thereby relating not only analytically but also numerically the dynamics of such collision motions with their near-collision motions. By understanding the dynamics of collision motions in the regularized setting, a better understanding of the dynamics of near-collision motions is achieved.
East Asian Studies: Politics

Post–World War II studies of politics in East Asian nations have followed distinct patterns in the Cold War and post–Cold War periods. This article tracks and critiques major works published, mostly in English, in each period on politics in the People's Republic of China (hereafter China), the Republic of Korea (hereafter South Korea), the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (hereafter North Korea), and Japan. Studies of politics in Taiwan and Hong Kong are discussed in the Chinese sections and politics in North Korea in the Korean sections. An author is referred to as Chinese, Korean, Japanese, etc. on the basis of their surname, regardless of their present citizenship status or place of residence.
Building an Efficient Reliable and Sustainable Power System: An Interdisciplinary Approach

This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction Overview of Concepts Theoretical Foundations: Theoretical Support for Handling Contingencies Design Methodologies Implementation Approach Implementation Results Conclusion Acknowledgments Bibliography
Provenance of the Paleogene Colton Formation (Uinta Basin) and Cretaceous–Paleogene provenance evolution in the Utah foreland: Evidence from U-Pb ages of detrital zircons, paleocurrent trends, and sandstone petrofacies

The fluviodeltaic Colton Formation (Late Paleocene–Early Eocene) forms a lobate depositional system that prograded from the south into the Laramide Uinta Basin of northeastern Utah (United States) with a preserved sediment volume of ∼3000 km 3 and a maximum thickness of ∼1000 m. Joint consideration of detrital zircon ages, paleocurrent trends, and sandstone petrofacies permits an assessment of Colton provenance relations in the context of evolving Cretaceous–Paleogene sedimentation in the Utah foreland. Grains with U-Pb ages younger than 285 Ma derived from the Cordilleran magmatic arc form ∼50% of the detrital zircons in arkosic Colton sand, and were transported ∼750 km to the Uinta Basin from the Mojave segment of the arc by the California paleoriver. Colton sedimentation was the Paleogene culmination of a persistent pattern of Cretaceous sediment transport northward, subparallel to the Sevier thrust front, to supplement east-directed sediment delivery to the retroarc foreland from the Sevier thrust belt. The ratio of longitudinally to transversely derived sediment was enhanced in foreland strata after Laramide deformation produced intraforeland uplifts that screened the foreland belt from Sevier sources. The relative abundance of arc-derived detrital zircons that were contributed to strata of the Utah foreland increased in late Campanian time and remained high into Eocene time. Detrital zircon populations in Paleogene forearc strata of southern California are compatible with coeval derivation of arc-derived detritus in the forearc sands and the Colton backarc sand from a common paleodrainage divide crossing the Mojave region to connect hinterland Nevadaplano and Mexicoplano uplands to the north and south.
An Exploration of Managers' Discourses of Workplace Bullying

AIM: To identify discourses used by hospital nursing unit managers to characterize workplace bullying, and their roles and responsibilities in workplace bullying management. BACKGROUND: Nurses around the world have reported being the targets of bullying. These nurses often report that their managers do not effectively help them resolve the issue. There is scant research that examines this topic from the perspective of managers. METHODS: This was a descriptive, qualitative study. Interviews were conducted with hospital nursing unit managers who were recruited via purposive and snowball sampling. Data were analyzed using Willig's Foucauldian discourse analysis. RESULTS: Managers characterized bullying as an interpersonal issue involving the target and the perpetrator, as an intrapersonal issue attributable to characteristics of the perpetrator, or as an ambiguous situation. For interpersonal bullying, managers described supporting target's efforts to end bullying; for intrapersonal bullying, they described taking primary responsibility; and for ambiguous situations, they described several actions, including doing nothing. CONCLUSION: Managers have different responses to different categories of bullying. Efforts need to be made to make sure they are correctly identifying and appropriately responding to incidents of workplace bullying. Language: en
Comparative C19‐Radiosteroid Metabolism in Primary Monolayer Cultures of Epithelial Cells and Fibroblasts from Rat Ventral Prostate, Canine Prostate, and Rat Lung

Stromal-epithelial cell interactions may be important for the regulation of normal and abnormal prostatic growth. While androgen transformation by rat ventral prostate and canine prostate has been investigated in vivo and in organ culture, little is known about metabolic pathways in cultures of epithelial cells and fibroblasts. Metabolism of radioisotope-labeled 17β-hydroxy C19-steroids was studied in primary cultures of highly-enriched rat ventral prostate and canine prostate epithelial cells and fibroblasts isolated by selective attachment procedures. The fibroblasts contained little testosterone 5α-reductase in contrast to high activity in epithelial cells. We found high levels of 5α-androstane-3α,17β-diol (3α-diol) dehydrogenase and the terminal 5α-androstane-3β,17β-diol (3β-diol) hydroxylases in both cell types; 3α-diol was a more effective precursor of 5α-dihydrotestosterone than was testosterone. For prostatic fibroblasts these pathways seem to be differentiated functions, since rat-lung fibroblasts converted 3β-diol to 5α-dihydrotestosterone and 3α-diol. We conclude that epithelial cells and fibroblasts make interactive contributions to prostatic androgen metabolism.
A study of internal energy relaxation in shocks using molecular dynamics based models

Recent potential energy surfaces (PESs) for the N2 + N and N2 + N2 systems are used in molecular dynamics (MD) to simulate rates of vibrational and rotational relaxations for conditions that occur in hypersonic flows. For both chemical systems, it is found that the rotational relaxation number increases with the translational temperature and decreases as the rotational temperature approaches the translational temperature. The vibrational relaxation number is observed to decrease with translational temperature and approaches the rotational relaxation number in the high temperature region. The rotational and vibrational relaxation numbers are generally larger in the N2 + N2 system. MD-quasi-classical trajectory (QCT) with the PESs is also used to calculate the V-T transition cross sections, the collision cross section, and the dissociation cross section for each collision pair. Direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) results for hypersonic flow over a blunt body with the total collision cross section from MD/QCT simulations, Larsen-Borgnakke with new relaxation numbers, and the N2 dissociation rate from MD/QCT show a profile with a decreased translational temperature and a rotational temperature close to vibrational temperature. The results demonstrate that many of the physical models employed in DSMC should be revised as fundamental potential energy surfaces suitable for high temperature conditions become available.
Identification of Vasopressin mRNA in Rat Aorta

Abstract We have reported previously that several blood vessels of the rat and cow contain immunoreactive vasopressin and further suggested that this peptide might be produced locally. To provide additional support for this hypothesis, we conducted the present study to determine whether mRNA for arginine vasopressin is also present in blood vessels. Ribonuclease protection analysis of total RNA isolated from rat hypothalamus and aorta revealed the presence of arginine vasopressin message in both tissues but not in RNA isolated from liver, a tissue devoid of vasopressin. Subsequent comparison of the autoradiographic intensities of the signals in these two tissues indicated that vasopressin message was 100- to 1000-fold lower in aorta. Additional studies showed that RNA isolated from endothelium-denuded vessels contained levels of arginine vasopressin message similar to those in intact vessels, indicating that endothelium was not a major source of this message. These data were substantiated by further studies using a vasopressin radioimmunoassay, which showed that vasopressin peptide levels in intact and endothelium-denuded vessels did not differ. Thus, the present study showed that rat aorta contains arginine vasopressin mRNA as well as the vasopressin peptide and that both the message and the peptide are contained in nonendothelial structures. However, the data do not rule out endothelium as a possible source of vasopressin. These studies add further support to the hypothesis that blood vessels are capable of producing vasopressin.
Graphic Design in Libraries: A Conceptual Process

Providing successful library services requires efficient and effective communication with users; therefore, it is important that content creators who develop visual materials understand key compone...
Molecular dynamics simulation of atomic O on Pt(111)

Abstract A molecular dynamics computation was used to study the dynamic behavior of atomic oxygen on a crystalline platinum FCC(111) surface. A Lennard-Jones (12-6) potential function was used to describe pairwise interactions of both substrate (Pt) and adatom (O) interactions. Using published values for the platinum potential, the adatom-substrate interactions were determined by an iterative process. Calculations of resultant frequency spectra were compared to experimental EELS data found in the literature. The simulation based upon the Lennard-Jones potential was able to reproduce the experimental frequency spectrum with good agreement. The model was fit to three different published PtO bond lengths (2.1, 1.98, and 1.91 A), without altering the frequency spectra; also adsorption energies for the adatom were in accordance with published values. The simulation showed versatility to fit several sets of results suggesting applicability to several experimental environments. Observations were made as to the motion of the adatom on the Pt(111) surface. Diffusion measurements were made as a function of temperature and the results compared to similar work which utilized a different method.
A Quantitative Mass Spectrometry-Based Approach for Assessing the Repair of 8-Methoxypsoralen-Induced DNA Interstrand Cross-Links and Monoadducts in Mammalian Cells

Interstrand cross-links (ICLs) are highly toxic DNA lesions that block transcription and replication by preventing strand separation. ICL-inducing agents were among the earliest and are still the most widely used forms of chemotherapeutic drugs. Because of the repair of DNA ICLs, the therapeutic efficacy of the DNA cross-linking agents is often reduced by the development of chemoresistance in patients. Thus, it is very important to understand how various DNA ICLs are repaired. Such studies are currently hampered by the lack of an analytical method for monitoring directly the repair of DNA ICLs in cells. Here we report a high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) method, together with the isotope dilution technique, for assessing the repair of 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP)-induced DNA ICLs, as well as monoadducts (MAs), in cultured mammalian cells. We found that, while there were substantial decreases in the levels of ICL and MAs in repair-competent cells 24 h after...
Scarce Resources: Philosophical Economics Reproduced

Abstract The heirs of the initial, philosophical Judaism, in the second century C.E. received a system in which the subject of economics—the rational disposition of scarce resources—was utilized in order to set forth a systemic statement of fundamental importance. While making every effort to affirm the details of that statement and apply them, their system repeated the given but made no significant use of what had been received. Instead the heirs of the Mishnah invented what we must call a counterpart-category, that is to say, a category that dealt with problems of the rational utilization of scarce resources, but not with those same scarce resources defined by the philosophical system of the Mishnah. The systemic category for the aborning religious system was not an economics, but corresponded, in the new system, to the position and role of economics in the old.
Efficiencies and responsible staff stewardship: a library manager's critical self‐reflection

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the myriad non‐financial ways in which library managers can motivate employees and address performance issues, reducing attrition and increasing productivity and satisfaction without increasing salaries.Design/methodology/approach – A critical self‐reflection summarizing the author's experiential learning as a new assistant department head tackling a library department's productivity and cost issues with staff processing of course reserves. After an initial description of the situation, the paper explores the theories that apply to the experience, and includes analysis of the experience in light of those theories. The article includes how application by one library manager of findings from motivation, trust, and leadership theory literature was able to reduce staff attrition, increase staff satisfaction, and reduce costs.Findings – The literature from a number of fields demonstrates that there are areas aside from financial compensation that library manage...
Parallel successive overrelaxation methods for symmetric linear complementarity problems and linear programs

A parallel successive overrelaxation (SOR) method is proposed for the solution of the fundamental symmetric linear complementarity problem. Convergence is established under a relaxation factor which approaches the classical value of 2 for a loosely coupled problem. The parallel SOR approach is then applied to solve the symmetric linear complementarity problem associated with the least norm solution of a linear program.
Electronic simulation as an aid in evaluating computer-analyzed EEG data.

Abstract Electronic simulation or mock-ups of bioelectric potentials can be very profitably employed for exploration of the advantages and limitations of particular computer techniques of analysis, as well as for the exploration of hypotheses of mechanisms of generation of bioelectric potentials. These points are illustrated by electronic simulation of the phenomenon of the rhythmic after-discharge (rhythmic after-waves of alpha frequency) in the EEG induced by photic stimulation. Computer determinations of averaged responses, variances, and amplitude histograms are carried out for simulated signals of different characteristics, and the results are compared with the respective determinations for the EEG of a normal subject.
Three shots, two dead, five errors, one gun: A recipe for prevention?

Abstract [Hargarten SW. Three shots, two dead, five errors, one gun: a recipe for prevention? Ann Emerg Med . March 2001;37:340-341.]
A molecular approach to galactosemia.

Classical galactosemia (G/G) is caused by the lack of galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase (GALT) activity. A more common clinical variant, Duarte/Classical (D/G) produces partial enzymatic impairment. Although neonatal death due to G/G galactosemia has been largely eliminated by populationbased screening and intervention, long-term outcome in some is associated with impaired growth, ovarian failure, dyspraxic speech and neurologic deficits. At least 32 variants in the nucleotide sequence of the GALT gene have been identified and 9 have transferred impaired GALT activity to transformed cells in transfection experiments. We here define the prevalence and biochemical phenotype of two mutations. An A to G transition in exon 6 of the GALT gene converts a predicted glutamine at codon 188 to an arginine (Q188R), and introduces a new HpaII cut site into the gene which enables population screening by polymerase chain reaction. An A to G transition in exon 10 in the GALT gene produces a codon change converting an asparagine to aspartic acid at codon 314 (N314D) and adds an AVA II cut site. We screened a large population for the Q188R and N314D sequence changes to investigate the prevalence of Q188R in G/G galactosemia, the effect of homozygosity for Q188R on outcome, and the prevalence and biochemical phenotype of the N314D sequence change. We found that the Q188R mutation has a prevalence of 62% in a predominately Caucasian population of 107 patients with G/G galactosemia. homozygosity for Q188R was associated with a poor clinical outcome in a subgroup of these patients. The N314D mutation is associated with the Duarte biochemical phenotype with extraordinary concordance.
Keep talking—Performance effectiveness with continuous voice recognition for spreadsheet users

The performance of spreadsheet users was compared for two modes of input to the computer—keyboard and continuous voice recognition (CVR)—for subjects classified by their decision style. In addition, the data for this experiment was compared to results of a similar experiment that used a discrete word recognition system. Dependent measures were task completion time, accuracy, keystroke count, correction count, and user confidence for spreadsheet tasks. Results, using a speaker-dependent continuous voice recognizer, showed that for both simple data input and more complex analytical problems, subjects did not perform more effectively using CVR compared to keyboard. In addition, a subject's decision style was found not to interact with CVR for an effect on performance. Compared to earlier discrete word recognition results, CVR tended to shorten the time to complete a spreadsheet analysis task.
Development of a Specific Analytical Method for Cis-Dichlorodiammineplatinum (II) in Plasma

Abstract An analytical method has been developed to specifically monitor cis-dichlorodiammineplatinum (II) in plasma. The drug is separated from plasma protein and other macromolecular species by centrifugal ultrafiltration, which removes components with molecular weight greater than 50,000. The ultrafiltrate was then fractionated by HPLC. Mixtures were chromatographed on a strong anion exchange column and the eluent monitored spectrophotometrically (at concentrations of analyte exceeding 1μg/ml) or by atomic absorption spectrometry. Using the latter readout system, the detected limit for the analyte was 4 0 ng/ml of plasma at the 2s level and the detector output was linearly related to the drug concentration over the range 40–1000 ng/ml. The method appears to specifically respond to parent drug and is able to differentiate between it and other platinum species (metabolites or breakdown products) which may be present in the sample.
Triage practice guideline for patients hospitalized with congestive heart failure: improving the effectiveness of the coronary care unit.

Abstract background: Decisions regarding the appropriate timing for transfer of patients hospitalized with congestive heart failure from the coronary care unit (CCU) to the medical ward are often not based on well-founded medical data. We investigated the potential safety and effectiveness of a practice guideline recommending early "step-down" transfer of low-risk patients with congestive heart failure. patients and methods: We studied the use of a practice guideline for 384 patients hospitalized with congestive heart failure in a hypothetic experiment. The guideline stated that patients without any of the following conditions may be suitable for transfer to a nonmonitored bed 24 hours after admission: acute myocardial infarction or ischemia, complications, active or planned cardiac interventions, unstable comorbidity, worsening clinical status, or lack of response to diuretic therapy. Patients with any of the above conditions were classified as higher risk and potentially not suitable for early transfer. results: Life-threatening complications were 15.2 times more likely (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.2, 70, p=0.001) and death 14.6 times more likely (95% CI 2.1, 68, p=0.001) if the patient was classified as "high risk" rather than "low risk" by the guideline. The negative predictive value and sensitivity of the practice guideline for detecting patients who had life-threatening complications were 99.2% and 96.4%, respectively. Thirty-one percent of patients with congestive heart failure hospitalized in either the CCU or intermediate care unit were at low risk and potentially suitable for transfer to a nonmonitored bed 24 hours after admission. Use of the guideline would have reduced intermediate care unit lengths of stay from 2.91 days to 2.22 days and CCU length of stay from 2.06 to 2.04 days had it been used to triage patients with congestive heart failure. This reduction in length of stay would have resulted in 172 more intermediate care unit bed-days available per year to accommodate additional patients. On initial review, at least one cardiologist reviewer judged that use of the guideline may have adversely affected quality of care for 4% (95% CI 1%, 7%) of patients. After a consensus among the cardiologist reviewers, it was judged that the guideline may have adversely affected care for only 0.8% of patients (95% CI, 0%, 2.3%), and that no patient (95% CI 0%, 2.3%) would have had an unexpected life-threatening complication because of the guideline. conclusions: Use of a practice guideline has the potential to reduce the intermediate care unit lengths of stay for selected low-risk patients with congestive heart failure.
Hypertension Control Trends, Approaches, and Goals

Hypertension is a major contributor to the global disease burden.1 Overall, according to recent estimates, the worldwide prevalence of hypertension in 2000 was ≈26%, totaling ≈1 billion people.2 Because a larger proportion of the world’s population is expected to be older in 2025, hypertension prevalence has been projected to increase to ≥29% by that time. However, there is considerable variation among countries and geographic regions for the reported prevalence of hypertension (≈5% to 70%) and hypertension control rates (≈5% to 58%).2,3 Although hypertension is more prevalent in economically developed countries, the larger population of developing countries results in a considerably larger absolute number of individuals affected. Based on an analysis of cross-sectional National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) between 1960 and 1991, age adjusted hypertension prevalence (blood pressure ≥140/90 mm Hg) in US adults reportedly decreased from 29.7% to 20.4%; hypertension awareness rates increased from 51% to 73%, and hypertension control rates increased from 10% to 29%.4 In a more recent analysis of NHANES data, it was estimated that between 1988–1991 and 1999–2000 hypertension prevalence in the adult US population actually increased from 25.0% to 28.7%, an estimated 58.4 million individuals.5 Hypertension was defined as a systolic blood pressure ≥140 mm Hg, a diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mm Hg, or taking antihypertensive medications. Increasing age, increasing body mass index, and non-Hispanic black race …
Growth of Serenoa repens Planted in a Former Agricultural Site

Serenoa repens (Saw Palmetto) is an important plant in many Florida habitats; not only does it provide food and shelter for numerous species, but it is also a highly flammable species that is fuel for fire in many of Florida's fire-maintained eco- systems. With loss of natural area due to development and agriculture, restoration of highly degraded lands may become an increasing focus of land managers. Published lit- erature indicates that Saw Palmetto is a slow-growing species, with stems growing only a few centimeters per year. However, these growth rates are for Saw Palmetto growing in natural systems. A 16-year planting study done at the Kennedy Space Center/Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge shows that Saw Palmettos in a former citrus grove can have highly variable growth rates, often exceeding that in native habitats. Stem length varied from 0-166 cm and crown width ranged from 13-510 cm for Saw Palmettos planted 16 years earlier as 1-gallon-sized nursery stock. Individuals growing in dense Bahiagrass had much slower growth (stem length, height, and crown width) than indi- viduals grown without Bahiagrass.
Long-term impacts of major water storage facilities on agriculture and the natural environment: : Evidence from Idaho (U.S.)

This paper investigates the long-term impacts of water storage infrastructure (dams) on agriculture and the natural environment in the semi-arid U.S. West. We conduct an empirical analysis of the agricultural impacts associated with major dams in Idaho, focusing on their crop mixes, crop productivities, and overall agricultural land values using an integrated county-level repeated cross section dataset. Our results suggest that the presence of a dam resulted in significant increases in total crop acreage, particularly in those counties in which farmers have predominantly junior water rights. Dams led to an increase in the acreage of the higher-valued, more water-intensive crops and positively impacted some crop productivities, particularly during periods of severe droughts. In contrast to the traditional literature, we find that the presence of a dam had a small, positive, but non-significant effect on farmland values. Finally, we evaluate long-term patterns in stream flow change and examine the impacts of dams on the natural environment. We find that the presence of dams enabled the spatiotemporal transfer of water resources from cold (non-agricultural) to warm (agriculturally-intensive) seasons, reduced the potential availability of water resources for ecosystem use, and increased the seasonal volatility in water supplies.
The Rising Significance of Education for Health

Research on inequality in America shows evidence of a growing social and economic divide between college graduates and people without college degrees. This article examines whether disparities in health between education groups have also recently increased. Pooled cross-sectional regression analyses of data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) show that educational disparities in self-reported health status increased from 1982 to 2004 among older adults but held relatively steady or narrowed among younger adults. Sensitivity analyses show that the trends do not totally or primarily reflect change in the demographic composition of education groups. The trend of increasing disparities among older adults might reflect large and growing educational disparities in economic resources, health-promoting behaviors, or the use of health services and medical technology.
Temperature regulation in the tree shrew Tupaia glis

Abstract 1. 1. The mean day-night difference of body temperature in Tupaia glisis 5-1°C. 2. 2. The nocturnal standard metabolic rate is 0.76 ml O 2 /g per hr ± 0.07 (2 S.E.) at a mean body temperature of 37.0°C. 3. 3. The thermal neutral zone extends from near 30 to above 37°C. 4. 4. The marked decline in body temperature at lower ambient temperatures is interpreted to reflect the tropical habitation of this species.
Ionosphere-magnetosphere coupling and field-aligned currents

It is presented in this paper a review of one of several interactions between the magnetosphere and the ionosphere through the field-aligned currents (FACs). Some characteristics and physical implications of the currents flowing in a plane perpendicular to the magnetic field at high latitudes are discussed. The behavior of this system as an electric circuit is explained, where momentum and energy are transferred via Poynting flux from the magnetosphere into the ionosphere.
Spectrophotometry of the Jovian Planets and Titan at 300- to 1000-nm Wavelength: The Methane Spectrum

Abstract Full-disk albedo spectra of the jovian planets and Titan were derived from observations at the European Southern Observatory in July 1993. The spectra extend from 300- to 1000-nm wavelength at 1-nm resolution. The signal-to-noise ratio is approximately 1000 in the visible. The accuracy is 2% for relative and 4% for absolute ulbedos. Colors and magnitudes were also determined. Some 40-60 Raman scattering features are visible in the spectrum of each jovian planet. A Raman scattering model with five parameters adjusted for each planet can explain these features. A methane absorption spectrum is given which fits methane features in the spectra of the jovian planets and Titan. It differs from room-temperature laboratory spectra but it is consistent with some limited laboratory data at cold temperatures. Three new, weak methane bands were detected in the spectra of Uranus and Neptune. A strong absorption hand in Jupiter's spectrum is possibly due to water, confirming a strong depletion of oxygen in the probed part of Jupiter's atmosphere.
Decision Structure and the Problem of Scale in Deliberation

Deliberation has been limited to small groups because coherence seems to require full reception, meaning that all participants receive all messages sent. Assuming that full reception actually leads to coherence ignores fundamental limits of human memory and group processes. Full reception is also not the only route to coherence because the forms of coherence desired in deliberation are decision specific and because all deliberations at least implicitly contain a structure of subdecisions. Coherent deliberation is plausible at large scales, without full reception, via a theoretical model called decision-structured deliberation. This model allows coherent contributions by participants who are unaware of large parts of the discussion and may reduce negative effects of limits of memory and group processes on the quality of deliberation.
Spurring a Dialogue To Place the African European Experience Within the Context of an Afrocentric Philosophy

When Roi Ottley's No Green Pastures was being published in 1951, the racial attitudes and policies of Europe were not clearly evident to most Americans, but Ottley readily discerned that European societies did not offer any green pastures for Black people who yearn to become firmly rooted. Yet today many Americans still seem surprised to learn that there are people of African ancestry presently residing in European communities who are confronted daily with prejudice and discriminatory policies just as in the United States and South Africa. For the most part, African Europeans come from countries in Africa and the Caribbean. They make up about 3% of the population, share a common colonial, migratory, and racial experience, and tend to constitute a colony within the European countries. The purpose of this article is to emphasize the importance of placing the African European experience within the context of an Afrocentric philosophy. The intent is to broaden the scope of world history and at the same time underscore the role of Africa and its people in shaping cultures and societies in Europe. A subsidiary purpose is to provide a better understanding of the African diaspora (Asante, 1988, pp. vii-6).
Information space partitioning using adaptive Voronoi diagrams

In this paper, we present and evaluate a Voronoi method for partitioning continuous information spaces. We define the formal characteristics of the problem and discuss several well-known partitioning methods and approaches. We submit that although they all partially solve the problem, they all have shortcomings. As an alternative, we offer an approach based on an adaptive version of the multiplicatively weighted Voronoi diagram. The diagram is 'adaptive' because it is computed backwards; that is, the generators' weights are treated as dependent rather than independent variables. We successfully test this adaptive solution using both ideal-typical (artificial) and empirical data. Since the resultant visualizations are meant to be used by human subjects, we then discuss the results of a usability experiment, positioning the adaptive solution against a commonly used rectangular solution and the classic nonweighted Voronoi solution. The results indicate that in terms of usability, both the rectangular and the adaptive Voronoi solution outperform the standard Voronoi solution. In addition, although subjects are better able to gage rectangular area relationships, only the adaptive Voronoi solution satisfies all geometric constraints of weight-proportional partitioning.
Molecular beam sampling of dynamic systems

Abstract Fast flow reaction systems have been used for a long time to obtain kinetic data. Careful attention to gas dynamics of flowing systems enables one to choose reaction conditions where residence time distributions are determined uniquely. Conditions can be chosen to make such reactors essentially wall-less and thus eleminate heterogeneous reaction steps. Diffusion contributions can be neglected under certain selectable experimental conditions, or corrected for in the kinetic data by relatively simple numerical computations. A hypothetical reaction scheme is used to discuss the advantages of obtaining concentration profiles from flow systems. Boundary layers and turbulence can be eliminated by proper design of the experimental arrangement.Shock effects, common in supersonic beams, can be either eliminated or controlled so that sampling is not perturbed.
A marine natural product, patellamide D, reverses multidrug resistance in a human leukemic cell line.

Abstract A cyclic octapeptide (patellamide D) isolated from the marine tunicate, Lissaclinum patella, acts as a resistance-modifying agent in the multidrug resistant CEM VLB 100 human leukemic cell line. A three-day microculture tetrazolium proliferation assay was used to determine the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) for vinblastine, colchicine and adriamycin and calculate the degree of resistance modulation. Patellamide D at 3.3 μM was compared with 5.1 μM verapamil in modulating drug resistance in vitro. The IC50 for vinblastine was reduced from 100 ng/ml to 1.5 ng/ml in the presence of patellamide D or to 2.1 ng/ml when exposed to verapamil. Colchicine cytotoxicity was enhanced only 1.4-fold by verapamil, as compared with 2.8-fold using patellamide D (IC50 was reduced from 140 ng/ml to 100 ng/ml or 50 ng/ml). Adriamycin toxicity was reduced from IC50 > 1000 ng/ml to 110 ng/ml and 160 ng/ml when coexposed to patellamide D and verapamil, respectively. Our results indicate that patellamide D acts as a selective antagonist in multidrug resistance and stresses the importance of investigating marine-derived compounds as a potential new source for modulators of the drug-resistance phenotype.
A template matching approach for segmenting microscopy images

We describe a generic method for segmenting microscopy images based on supervised statistical modeling. The idea is to utilize example input segmentations to learn a statistical model of the shape and texture of the structures to be segmented. Segmentation of a test image then can be performed by maximizing the normalized cross correlation between the model and neighborhoods in the test image, followed by a final adjustment that utilizes nonrigid registration. We demonstrate the application of the method in segmenting several types of microscopy images of cells and nuclei.
NetBench: a benchmarking suite for network processors

In this study we introduce NetBench, a benchmarking suite for network processors. NetBench contains a total of 9 applications that are representative of commercial applications for network processors. These applications are from all levels of packet processing; Small, low-level code fragments as well as large application level programs are included in the suite.Using SimpleScalar simulator we study the NetBench programs in detail and characterize the network processor workloads. We also compare key characteristics such as instructions per cycle, instruction distribution, branch prediction accuracy, and cache behavior with the programs from MediaBench. Although the aimed architectures are similar for MediaBench and NetBench suites, we show that these workloads have significantly different characteristics. Hence a separate benchmarking suite for network processors is a necessity. Finally, we present performance measurements from Intel IXP1200 Network Processor to show how NetBench can be utilized.