cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A literature review: Advance directives and patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators

Purpose: The purpose of this literature review is to describe the severity of and susceptibility for negative outcomes in patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) who lack advanced directives. Data sources: A comprehensive review of literature was conducted with articles selected from CINAHL, Pubmed, Ovid, Medline, evidence-based medicine, evidence-based nursing, and the Web of Science from 1990 to the present. Key words such as ICD, randomized controlled trials, case studies, advanced directives, end-of-life, living will, health care proxy, and durable power of attorney were used to identify specific studies. Conclusions: Advanced directives are becoming an essential part of care for the ICD population. The recommendations in the literature suggest that clinicians should initiate end-of-life discussions with their patients when they are healthy. The patients' preferences should be discussed often in patient care in case they would like changes made to their advance directive as their condition changes. Implications for practice: Implementation of advanced directives in patients' medical care will need to be encouraged in the event of illness. Advanced practice nurses can provide clear explanations of patients' treatment choices in outpatient and inpatient settings.
The Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007: drug safety and health-system pharmacy implications.

Purpose. To describe the drug safety provisions of the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act (FDAAA) of 2007, including risk evaluation and mitigation strategies (REMS), and the implications for health-system pharmacists. Summary. The FDAAA grants FDA new authorities to require postmarketing studies or clinical trials of human drugs and to require REMS. The REMS provisions of the FDAAA represent the evolution of FDA drug safety requirements. Components of REMS include medication guides, patient package inserts, and communication plans for health care providers. For medications with known safety risks, the FDAAA requires the inclusion in the REMS process of elements to ensure safe use. These elements may include special training or certification for prescribing or dispensing, dispensing only under certain circumstances, special monitoring, and the use of patient registries. Conclusion. Standardization of elements to ensure the safe use of drugs with known serious risks is needed so that REMS are not unduly burdensome for the health care delivery system and do not needlessly limit patient access to the drugs.
Oscillation of a fourth-order nonhomogeneous differential equation

Abstract This paper is concerned with the oscillatory behavior of the fourth-order nonhomogeneous differential equation (r(x)y″)″ + p(x)y = f(x). It is shown that under appropriate conditions this equation may be reduced to lower-order nonhomogeneous equations for which oscillation criteria are available. Further, the behavior of this equation is studied when the behavior of the associated homogeneous equation is known.
Yesterday's malaria wars

The Tomorrow of Malaria. by Socrates Litsios Pacific Press, New Zealand. Distributed by Natural History Book Service: 1996. Pp. 181. $18 (pbk).
An Introduction to Carotid Duplex Sonography

During the last 5 years there has been a great increase in the use of carotid duplex sonography (CDS) for the evaluation of carotid disease. CDS is complementary to the other noninvasive tests. CDS is useful for following post endarterectomy patients and those with nonspecific symptoms. It is also useful in identifying minor as well as significant carotid artery disease. With rapid proliferation of the modality, caution must be exercised so that high standards of performance are maintained. A systematic approach to the examination must be taken for the best results.
Electrostatic forces at helix-coil boundaries in DNA.

The Tm of internal loop-forming (dA.dT)N domains in pBR322 DNA has been measured over a tenfold range of [Na+]. The slopes SN = dTm/d log [Na+] are linear and decrease in magnitude with decreasing loop size N, signaling a reduction in Na+ released during the transition of these domains to the coil state. Values of SN decrease linearly with increasing N-1 in accordance with the expectation of a simple model for the occurrence of a gradient of long-range electrostatic forces at helix-coil boundaries, and extrapolate almost precisely to the value of S infinity observed for (dA.dT) infinity. These results indicate (1) less counterion is released per phosphate residue from the finite loop than from the infinite-sized loop, and (2) the difference in binding is constant for each boundary formed and independent of the size of the loop within the range examined: approximately 350 base pair (bp) greater than N greater than 71 bp. The slope of the dependence of SN on N-1 indicates the region of higher charge density at the boundary extends at least 18 A into the coil and probably 40-50 A before dropping to a value characteristic of the unperturbed coil. The free energy for excess counterion binding at boundaries can be expressed by -delta G/RT = 10.47 log[Na+] + 5.234 When the loop entropy function in a statistical mechanical algorithm for the dissociation of DNA is weighted by this quantity, calculated Tm are seen to vary by only +/- 0.09 degrees C from observed.
Evaluating Education Reform: Students' Views of Their Charter School Experience

Abstract One aspect of charter schools that is often overlooked when one evaluates their success is the support that they receive from students. By using data from a survey of Texas charter school students, supplemented with statistics from the Texas Education Agency, the author examined students' satisfaction with their charter school, especially as it compared with their previous educational experiences. Results suggest that when students perceived that the charter school had higher quality teachers, better classes, and a more caring environment, they were more satisfied with their charter school than with their previous school. Furthermore, students most at risk for dropping out also were those who tended to be more supportive of their charter school.
Petrologic constraints on the thermal structure of the Cascades arc

Primitive late Cenozoic basaltic lavas from the Cascades volcanic arc near latitude 46°N comprise two distinct compositional groups. Group I includes samples with low Ba/Nb (<20) and other compositional similarities to oceanic island and MORB lavas from within-plate settings. In contrast, Group II exhibits enrichment of Ba and large-ion lithophile elements (LILE) and depletion of Nb and high-field strength elements (HFSE) as seen commonly in calcalkalic lavas from other volcanic arcs. Lavas of both groups are widely distributed across the transect, and Group I lavas are found as much as 30–40 km trenchward of stratovolcanoes that define the High Cascades ‘volcanic front (VF)’. The most primitive lavas are sparsely porphyritic, have elevated Ni, Cr, and Mg#, high calculated magmatic temperatures (1200–1300 °C), and lack evidence of shallow (crustal level) storage and crystallization. Compositions of parental liquids were calculated for each primitive sample on the premise of Fe–Mg equilibrium with mantle peridotite. Assuming that such magmas ascended rapidly from accumulation zones in the mantle, we estimate P and T of segregation. We infer that (a) Group I magmas ascended from systematically greater depths (∼50–70 km) than Group II (∼30–50 km), implying the possible existence of compositional stratification in the mantle wedge; (b) Group I basalts show the least evidence for slab-derived contributions in their sources despite their apparently greater segregation depths (approaching the locus of the Cascadia slab beneath the frontal arc region); (c) Group II lavas with the strongest slab compositional signature have temperatures far exceeding the wet peridotite solidus at high pressure; and (d) the inferred thermal structure of the mantle wedge is very warm, implying a significant component of mantle upwelling and convection. Group I lavas are interpreted as decompression melts from this mantle, and their compositions suggest that their source was little modified by slab-derived contributions. We speculate that melting to produce Group II magmas occurs in the shallow mantle, possibly in response to heating by hot ascending Group I magmas. If true, it seems unlikely that the slab-like signal in Group II lavas can be attributed to modern slab inputs; rather, we postulate that this signature may reflect melting of lithospheric mantle domains containing a ‘stored’ slab-derived component inherited from earlier stages of Cascadia subduction. This scenario differs from the standard paradigm for subduction zones (SZs), and stresses the importance of convecting asthenospheric mantle in driving arc magmatism, particularly in warm subduction zones where slab fluid contributions likely are minimal. In contrast, because tectonic conditions in more typical volcanic arcs favor subduction of cooler, less dehydrated oceanic lithosphere, slab-derived fluids may promote extensive flux-melting in the wedge. Such melts may dominate the magmatic output and mask wedge contributions. The Cascade arc thus provides rarely afforded insights into arc magma genesis.
Spurrite from northern Coahuila, Mexico

Spurrite-bearing contact-metasomatic mineral assemblages occur with a few of the many rhyolite stocks intrusive into Georgetown (Cretaceous) limestone in the Encantada district of northern Coahuila, Mexico. The contact-metasomatic suites are found associated only with rhyolites that solidified within the thick Georgetown limestone. Rhyolites that penetrated through the limestone have sharp contacts commonly marked by perlitic contact breccias. The structural form of all the rhyolites indicates intrusion under high pressure. Three distinct contact-mineral suites have been recognized: Foliated garnetwollastonite rocks occur adjacent to the rhyolite, whereas spurrite is only found further from the intrusive. The inner side of the spurrite-bearing zone is characterized by foliated spurrite-garnet-periclase rocks, whereas the outer side of the spurrite zone consists of a massive, coarse-grained, spurrite-rankinite-periclase rock, which has a sharp contact with the outermost foliated marble zone. At one location, massive spurrite occupies ‘dikes’ radial to the intrusive, which are post-dated by wollastonite-bearing gehlenite-diopside rocks. It is concluded that the stages of rhyolite emplacement include: First, preliminary high-pressure structural site preparation accompanied by intrusion of rhyolite and metasomatic introduction of Si and Al into preheated cap rock. Then crystallization of the metasomatic zone, under conditions of upward pressure exerted by the rhyolite, to give the features of the spurrite zone; followed by conversion of the inner side of the spurrite zone to a wollastonite-bearing assemblage.
Prognostic value of a doppler index combining systolic and diastolic performance in idiopathic-dilated cardiomyopathy

This study sought to investigate, in patients with idiopathic-dilated cardiomyopathy, the clinical and prognostic value of a Doppler-derived index of myocardial function that combines systolic and diastolic time intervals of the left heart cycle. The Doppler index was measured in 75 patients (aged 61 +/- 13 years; 45 men and 30 women) in sinus rhythm and 75 age- and sex-matched controls. Ejection time was measured from the left ventricular outflow Doppler signal. The sum of isovolumic times was obtained by subtracting the ejection time from the interval between cessation and onset of mitral inflow measured from the mitral inflow velocity profile. The index was the sum of isovolumic times divided by ejection time. The values of the Doppler index in patients with idiopathic-dilated cardiomyopathy (0.85 +/- 0.32) were significantly higher than values in controls (0.37 +/- 0.08, p < 0.001). During follow-up of 5 years, 1 patient underwent cardiac transplantation and 36 patients died, 29 of cardiac, 5 of noncardiac, and 2 of unknown causes. Univariate analysis demonstrated that the Doppler index (chi-square = 18.3, p < 0.001), ejection fraction (chi-square = 15.2, p <0.001), symptom status (chi-square = 9.2, p = 0.002), and mitral deceleration time (chi-square = 5.2, p = 0.02) were significant predictors of outcome. However, multivariate stepwise analysis of these variables showed that the Doppler index (chi-square = 10.7, p = 0.001) and ejection fraction (chi-square = 6.7, p = 0.01) were the most significant independent predictors of outcome. The Doppler index reflects disease severity and has incremental prognostic value in dilated cardiomyopathy. Ease of use, nongeometric dependency, excellent separation of clinical groups, and a strong relation to outcome enhance its appeal.
Porewater stoichiometry of terminal metabolic products, sulfate, and dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen in estuarine intertidal creek-bank sediments

Porewater equilibration samplers were used to obtain porewater inventories of inorganic nutrients (NH4+, NOx, PO43−), dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nitrogen (DON), sulfate (SO42−), dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), chloride (Cl−), methane (CH4) and reduced iron (Fe2+) in intertidal creek-bank sediments at eight sites in three estuarine systems over a range of salinities and seasons. Sulfate reduction (SR) rates and sediment particulate organic carbon (POC) and nitrogen (PON) were also determined at several of the sites. Four sites in the Okatee River estuary in South Carolina, two sites on Sapelo Island, Georgia and one site in White Oak Creek, Georgia appeared to be relatively pristine. The eighth site in Umbrella Creek, Georgia was directly adjacent to a small residential development employing septic systems to handle household waste. The large data set (>700 porewater profiles) offers an opportunity to assess system-scale patterns of porewater biogeochemical dynamics with an emphasis on DOC and DON distributions. SO42− depletion (SO42−)Dep was used as a proxy for SR, and (SO42−)Dep patterns agreed with measured (35S) patterns of SR. There were significant system-scale correlations between the inorganic products of terminal metabolism (DIC, NH4+ and PO43−) and (SO42−)Dep, and SR appeared to be the dominant terminal carbon oxidation pathway in these sediments. Porewater inventories of DIC and (SO42−)Dep indicate a 2:1 stoichiometry across sites, and the C:N ratio of the organic matter undergoing mineralization was between 7.5 and 10. The data suggest that septic-derived dissolved organic matter with a C:N ratio below 6 fueled microbial metabolism and SR at a site with development in the upland. Seasonality was observed in the porewater inventories, but temperature alone did not adequately describe the patterns of (SO42−)Dep, terminal metabolic products (DIC, NH4+, PO43−), DOC and DON, and SR observed in this study. It appears that production and consumption of labile DOC are tightly coupled in these sediments, and that bulk DOC is likely a recalcitrant pool. Preferential hydrolysis of PON relative to POC when overall organic matter mineralization rates were high appears to drive the observed patterns in POC:PON, DOC:DON and DIC:DIN ratios. These data, along with the weak seasonal patterns of SR and organic and inorganic porewater inventories, suggest that the rate of hydrolysis limits organic matter mineralization in these intertidal creek-bank sediments.
Ionic Conduction Mechanisms in CaF2 and CaF2-Al2O3 Nanocomposite Films on Al2O3 Substrates

Thin films of pure CaF2 and nanocomposite mixtures of Al2O3 with CaF2 were sublimated on Al2O3 substrates. Interdigital electrodes allowed in situ measurements of the electrical conduction of films as a function of thickness, deposition rate, composition, time, and temperature. The electrical conductivity in pure CaF2 adjacent to an Al2O3 interface sometimes exceeded the bulk CaF2 conductivity (i.e., value at more than 50 nm distance) by as much as a factor of 6700 at 200°C. The high conductivity is characterized by an activation energy of 0.6 ± 0.1 eV, which is significantly lower than the activation energy of about 1.0 eV for conduction in the bulk. However, this high conductivity is thermally unstable and diminishes in time. A high but stable conductivity was obtained in CaF2 films containing about 10 mole percent Al2O3 as a dispersed second phase. At 200°C, a 2-phase film gave a factor of 360 enhancement over the measured bulk CaF2 conductivity and a factor of 7 improvement over the best previously reported conductivity for CaF2-Al2O3 composite materials. The origin of enhanced conduction in CaF2 is attributed to ion transport along dislocations. Dislocations anneal with a characteristic log of time dependence that is recognizable in the annealing behavior of the electrical conductivity. Presumably, the addition of a dispersed second phase of Al2O3 to CaF2 serves both to generate and to pin dislocations; the electrical conductance is thereby enhanced and stabilized.
Multiple cores used to simulate a variable volt-second saturable transformer for application in self-oscillating inverters

Square-loop cores with multiple windings used in single transformer package for application in self-oscillating inverters
Air Ions: their Possible Biological Significance and Effects

Although men have known of atmospheric electricity and have speculated on its biological effects for hundreds of years, only recently have scientific technique and theory advanced to the point where one can perform really meaningful experiments. the study of air ions, positively and negatively charged molecular clusters of varying size, mobility and chemical composition, has comprised a large fraction of this research. Even so, well controlled studies of the environmental levels or of the actual effects of air ions seem relatively few and far between. Studies of the natural environment have indicated levels of small air ions of up to 104/cm3, with a ratio of about 1/1 between the positive and negative species except under special circumstances. Well-documented effects of experimentally produced ions (of usually one polarity) include the killing of bacteria, accelerated growth in plants and insects, and physiological and behavioral changes in animals and man. theorists have proposed both chemical and elect...
Design of Rigid Pavements in Iowa Using the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide

The Iowa Dept of Transportation (DOT) currently utilizes the empirically-based American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) pavement design procedures originally derived from the 1960 Road Test data. It is clear that these empirical procedures are no longer applicable to current conditions in Iowa. With the release of the new Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) in the USA, there is a big shift in pavement analysis and design and many state highway agencies undertake initiatives to implement the MEPDG. In order to effectively and efficiently transition to the MEPDG and accelerate its adoption, the Iowa DOT needs a detailed implementation and training strategy. In support of the MEPDG implementation initiatives, sensitivity studies were conducted using the MEPDG software to identify design inputs pertaining to both rigid pavements and flexible pavements that are of particular sensitivity in Iowa. This paper is the first of the two companion papers discussing the need for implementing the MEPDG in Iowa, benefits of implementing the MEPDG in Iowa, and the results of rigid pavement input parameter sensitivity analysis. The results of flexible pavement design inputs sensitivity analysis and implementation recommendations are presented in the second paper.
Co-localization of putative vasopressin receptors and vasopressinergic neurons in rat hypothalamus

Vasopressin and oxytocin are synthesized by neurons in the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei of hypothalamus. Dense concentrations of vasopressin binding sites have also been localized in these nuclei. Using a vasopressin anti-idiotypic antiserum, a dual immunocytochemical labeling procedure has been employed to elucidate the distribution of putative vasopressin receptors in anatomical relation to vasopressin and oxytocin immunoreactive cells in rat brain. Putative vasopressin receptors are observed in relation to magnocellular neurons in hypothalamus that are vasopressin immunoreactive. They do not appear to be associated with parvocellular vasopressinergic cells or oxytocin immunoreactive neurons. The presence of these presumed autoreceptors would support evidence that vasopressin may autoregulate the activity of magnocellular vasopressinergic neurons in hypothalamus.
Comparative study of the use of poly(glycolic acid), calcium alginate and pluronics in the engineering of autologous porcine cartilage.

New cartilage formation has been successfully achieved by a technology referred to as tissue engineering. Polymers and hydrogels such as poly(glycolic acid), calcium alginate, and poly(ethylene) and poly(propylene) hydrogels have been used as cell carriers to regenerate cartilage in the nude mouse model. The next step toward human applications of engineered cartilage is to demonstrate their potential in immunocompetent animal models. This study compared the suitability of three polymers for generating tissue engineered elastic cartilage using autologous cells in an immuno-competent porcine animal model. Auricular cartilage was obtained from pigs. Chondrocytes were isolated and seeded onto fiber based poly(glycolic acid) (PGA) scaffolds or suspended in calcium alginate or pluronic F127 gel at constant concentrations. Chondrocyte-polymer constructs were either implanted (PGA) or injected (calcium alginate and pluronic) as autologous implants subcutaneously into the pigs from which the cells had been isolate...
RESOURCE NEEDS AND LAND STRESS IN RAPTI ZONE, NEPAL *

Regional and village land resource issues and environmental conditions in the Rapti zone, western Nepal are discussed in the context of the Himalaya Environmental Degradation theory (Ives 1987). Ecological stress is indicated in agriculture to forest land ratios, farmland capability, and land use change. Intra-regional differences and specific local conditions indicate the complex dimensions of environmental and development issues in the Rapti zone.
Case Reports: Nephrostomy Tract Tumor Seeding Following Percutaneous Manipulation of a Ureteral Carcinoma

ABSTRACTWe report a case of nephrostomy tract tumor seeding following percutaneous nephrostomy tube placement and endoscopic manipulation of ureteral carcinoma. While never previously reported to our knowledge, tumor seeding is a potential risk of percutaneous endoscopic management of upper tract urothelial carcinomas.
Patients' understanding of the roles of interns, residents, and attending physicians in the emergency department.

. Objective: To assess patients' knowledge of the responsibilities and roles of physician training in the ED. Methods: This was a prospective survey of a convenience sample of 345 adult patients and family members in an academic county ED. Thirty questions addressed the different roles, responsibilities, and hierarchies of physician levels of training. Four opinion-based questions assessed patients' willingness to have physicians-in-training care for them. Results: 96.5% of the surveys were returned. Of the participants responding, 68% were Hispanic, 23% were non-Hispanic white, and 55% were women. Forty percent of the participants indicated that they had education greater than a high school diploma. Most participants answered fewer than 50% of the questions correctly, indicating that they did not understand the levels of physician training. Participants with higher education were more likely to know the correct answer. Seventy-nine percent of the participants believed that it is very important to know the level of training of their physicians. However, only 34% of the participants actually thought they knew the training level of their physicians when they were being treated. Twenty-nine percent of the participants did not want learning to take place on themselves by physicians-in-training. Conclusion: Participants believe that it is important to know their physicians' level of training, but they do not understand the roles and responsibilities of physicians-in-training in the medical training system in which they receive care. In particular, patients who have less than a high school education seem to know least about this system.
The Neglect of Female Children and Childhood Sex Ratios in Nineteenth-Century America: a Review of the Evidence

The author examines childhood sex ratios in nineteenth-century United States. "Antebellum census records show that there were slightly higher than average numbers of male children in the western states and territories of the United States and slightly lower than average numbers of male children in eastern areas. It has been suggested that this imbalance was due to the economically inspired neglect of female children in rural and frontier areas but this hypothesis does not hold up to close inspection. Better explanations are that more boys were born in survived childhood in or moved to western regions." (EXCERPT)
Phylogenetic distribution and genetic mapping of a (GGC)n microsatellite from rice (Oryza sativa L.)

DNA microsatellites are ubiquitously present in eukaryotic genomes [30] and represent a vast source of highly informative markers [30, 33, 34, 2]. We describe in this article a (GGC)n microsatellite which is widely distributed in eukaryotic genomes. Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques and DNA sequencing, we demonstrated for the first time in plant species that a (GGC)n microsatellite locus is moderately polymorphic. Six alleles are present at this locus in rice and length polymorphisms are caused by variation in the number of tandem GGC repeats. By scoring a backcross mapping population, we were able to demonstrate that this locus is stably inherited and does not link to any known RFLP markers on the rice RFLP map. Our results suggest that DNA microsatellites should be useful in plants for construction of genetic linkage maps, extension of the existing genetic linkage maps, linkage analysis of disease and pest resistance genes, and the study of population genetics.
Thermocouple Measurements of Spectral Intensities in the Vacuum Ultraviolet

The spectral energy distribution of the radiation from a high intensity hydrogen arc, after dispersal by a vacuum monochromator, was measured with a thermocouple in the spectral region 2600 to 900A. An aluminized one-meter concave grating, having a dispersion of 17A/mm, was used near normal incidence in the first-order spectrum. A thermocouple sensitivity of 1.6 μv/μw was adequate for recording most of the spectrum at a band width of 14A. Arrangement of equipment rendered unnecessary the use of windows in front of the thermocouple and end-on hydrogen arc. Spectral energies in the many-lined molecular spectrum below 1700A were 5 to 40 times those found in the continuum above 1700A. The results show that it is now possible to extend the range of various energy detectors, calibrated in absolute response, throughout the vacuum ultraviolet down to 900A.
DAX1 origin, function, and novel role

The orphan nuclear receptor NR0B1 encodes the DAX1 protein, which stands for the dosage sensitive sex-reversal (DSS), adrenal hypoplasia congenita (AHC) critical region on the X-chromosome, gene 1. DAX1 was initially identified as part of a contiguous gene syndrome and is known to function in the proper formation of the adult adrenal gland. It has been hypothesized that DAX1 is responsible for the establishment and maintenance of the steroidogenic axis of development. Recent insight from the murine ortholog Dax1 along with reports of an alternatively spliced variant in humans suggests that Dax1 has additional functional roles beyond those previously understood. Here, we review DAX1/Dax1 known functional roles and the recently hypothesized function in the development of the embryo and in the maintenance of embryonic stem cell pluripotency.
Experimental design for vector output systems

We formulate an optimal design problem for the selection of best states to observe and optimal sampling times for parameter estimation or inverse problems involving complex non-linear dynamical systems. An iterative algorithm for implementation of the resulting methodology is proposed. Its use and efficacy are illustrated on two applied problems of practical interest: (i) dynamic models of HIV progression and (ii) modelling of the Calvin cycle in plant metabolism and growth.
Behavioral studies of hallucinogenic drugs in animals : Implications for schizophrenia research

Schizophrenic and schizotypal patients exhibit deficits in the habituation and prepulse inhibition (PPI) of startle responses, providing operational measures of the sensorimotor gating or filtering deficits suggested to contribute to cognitive disorganization in these patients. In rats, hallucinogens, entactogens, and NMDA antagonists share the ability to both retard startle habituation and disrupt PPI. Extensive pharmacological studies in rats have indicated that the effects of hallucinogens on habituation are mediated by direct agonist actions at 5-HT2 receptors. The effects of the entactogens on both habituation and PPI reflect indirect agonist actions due to the stimulation of presynaptic serotonin release. These observations in rats have supported the development of 5-HT2A antagonists for the treatment of schizophrenia. Animal studies have shown that PPI is modulated by multiple interacting neurotransmitters, including dopaminergic, serotonergic, cholinergic, GABAergic, and glutamatergic systems within cortical, limbic, striatal, and brainstem structures. The effects of PCP and other NMDA antagonists on PPI are insensitive to either dopaminergic or serotonergic antagonists, but are reduced by atypical antipsychotics such as clozapine, olanzapine, and Seroquel. Thus, the PCP model of schizophrenia-like deficits in sensorimotor gating offers promise for the identification and neurobiological investigation of atypical antipsychotics. The cross-species study of homologous gating functions, such as habituation and PPI, in animal models and psychiatric patients provides novel opportunities for the exploration of neurobiological substrates relevant to the group of schizophrenias.
Enforced Expression of Bcl-2 in Monocytes Rescues Macrophages and Partially Reverses Osteopetrosis in op/op Mice

Osteopetrotic (op/op) mice lack functional M-CSF and have depressed levels of macrophages and osteoclasts. We prepared transgenic mice (hMRP8bcl-2) that express human Bcl-2 in monocytes. In vitro hMRP8bcl-2 monocytes do not undergo apoptosis in the absence of serum and M-CSF, while op/op and wild-type monocytes die. These Bcl-2-expressing monocytes spontaneously undergo macrophage differentiation. In vivo, the op/op hMRP8bcl-2 mice show significant replenishment of tissue macrophages. Their long bone osteopetrosis is largely reversed, and extensive medullary hematopoiesis appears in the bone marrow. We propose that M-CSF augments monocyte survival, permitting them to respond to internal and external cues for their differentiation.
Polarization effects in resonant nuclear scattering

Polarization phenomena are present in every radiative transition, whether it is of atomic or nuclear origin. Nuclear resonant scattering of synchrotron radiation is an ideal technique for their study because (a) the probing radiation is in a well characterized polarization state, in most cases linear, (b) the scattered radiation can be efficiently analyzed with polarization filters, and (c) synchrotron pulses are very short compared to the lifetime of a nuclear resonance, resulting in a clean signal. In the following article we describe experimental and theoretical studies of the 14.4 keV Mossbauer resonance of 57Fe and its transitions with linear and circular polarization. After introducing the required instrumentation a formalism to calculate time dependent polarization phenomena is derived. With the help of different scattering geometries we illustrate various aspects, such as polarization mixing and selective excitation of subsets of the resonance. Perhaps the most fascinating example is the Faraday geometry where the E-vector rotates several 360ο turns during the lifetime of the resonant scattering. A comparison of this phenomenon with the optical Faraday effect is given. New powerful synchrotron radiation sources will enable researchers to exploit polarization phenomena in nuclear resonant scattering to detect subtle changes in physically and chemically relevant systems.
Recognition memory for accented and unaccented voices

Laboratory research has established that face recognition memory performance for own-race faces is better than for other-race faces. Three studies are reported exploring the possibility that the other-race effect will generalize to voice recognition memory. Recognition memory performance for non-native American speakers speaking both English and their native languages was compared with memory for native American speakers. With relatively long speech samples, accented voices were no more difficult to recognize than were unaccented voices; reducing the speech sample duration decreased recognition memory for accented and unaccented voices, but the reduction was greater for accented voices.
Concurrency control in multi-user microcomputer database management systems

Abstract The past few years have seen a dramatic increase in the business use of centralized multi-user microcomputer DBMSS without a concomitant attention to the concurrency control mechanisms employed by those DBMSS to ensure the integrity of the data they manage. This paper examines the state-of-the art, examines the types of work done previously on the performance of DBMS concurrency control, and proposes independent measures to be used in an empirical study to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of multi-user microcomputer DBMS concurrency control.
Cerebral Control versus Reflexology: A Reply to Professor Hunter

Resume Le professeur Hunter a doute de la valeur de la theorie de l'equipotentialite cerebrale ou action collective parce que la perte sensorielle progressive avec l'accroissement de la grandeur de la lesion suffit pour expliquer le rapport entre la grandeur de la lesion et le degre de deterioration lequel j'ai trouve dans l'habitude du labyrinthe et celle de discrimination de clarte. J'avais deja considere cette explication en termes de defaut sensoriel et je l'avais rejetee sur la base de l'evidence experimentale specifique qui montre que la retardation de la lesion cerebrale est toujours beaucoup plus severe que celle de la privation sensorielle peripherale correspondante, que le rapport de masse a de la valeur pour une habitude sensorielle quand les lesions sont limitees au seul champ sensoriel de projection, et que la perte des habitudes a lieu apres lesion a l'aire cerebrale visuelle chez les animaux aveugles pendant l'acquisition des habitudes. J'ai rapporte de nouveau cette evidence en assez de de...
Cloning and characterization of mouse mTERF encoding a mitochondrial transcriptional termination factor.

Abstract We report here the identification and characterization of mouse mTERF encoding a mitochondrial transcription termination factor. A full-length mTERF cDNA has been isolated and the genomic organization of mTERF has been elucidated. The mouse mTERF gene containing two exons encodes a 380 residue protein with a strong homology to the mTERF-like proteins of human and other organisms, related to mitochondrial transcription termination. Northern blot analysis detected both 1.4 and 5.4 kb transcripts. The mouse mTERF 1.4 kb transcript agreeing with the size of cDNA is predominately expressed in heart and liver, but at extremely low level in other tissues. In addition, a ∼5.4 kb transcript likely resulting from the retention of intron appears to express abundantly in heart and skeletal muscle, but at very low level in other tissues. Furthermore, immunofluorescence analysis of NIH3T3 cells expressing mTERF-GFP fusion protein demonstrated that the mouse mTERF localizes in mitochondrion. These observations suggest that the mouse mTERF is an evolutionarily conserved mitochondrial transcription termination factor, thereby promoting the termination of transcription in mitochondrial RNA.
Reduced tillage increases residue groundcover in subsequent dry pea and winter wheat crops in the Palouse region of Idaho

Abstract Crop management practices are needed that increase crop residue groundcover and reduce soil erosion after winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum L. emend. Thell.) planting in the Palouse region of northern Idaho and eastern Washington. This experiment investigates if reduced tillage leaves more residue groundcover from two spring small grain crops following different tillage practices and increases crop performance in subsequent dry pea ( Pisum sativum L. subsp. sativum ) crops, and into winter wheat crops. In 1996 and 1997, two 3-year trials (spring cereal–dry pea–winter wheat rotation) were seeded to spring wheat and barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) crops as sub-plot treatments. Plow, chisel, and paratill tillage, and no-till main-plot tillage treatments were applied to silt loam soils after the spring small grain crops. Spring small grain residue persisted from fall tillage through pea planting with little change over winter averaging 44% groundcover in 1997 and 74% groundcover in 1998 for the no-till treatment after pea planting. In 1998 pea yield in no-till was highest (1835 kg ha −1 ), whereas pea yield was lowest in the plow treatment (1605 kg ha −1 ). Pea residue mass collected after harvest was not different across treatments, but the carryover spring small grain residue mass was highest in no-till at 3010 kg ha −1 for barley and 2160 kg ha −1 for wheat. After winter wheat seeding in 1997, only the no-till treatment had over the minimum 30% groundcover recommended for erosion control. In 1998, all reduced tillage treatments left more than 30% groundcover and the next year no-till had 46% groundcover after winter wheat seeding. Winter wheat yields were not different in 1998, but in 1999 were highest in the chisel and paratill treatment and averaged 5150 kg ha −1 . Residue groundcover can be increased by reduced tillage and good yields can be obtained if plant stand is achieved and pest problems are well managed.
Shadowing in perturbation theory

An approximate solution of a differential equation is said to shadow a true solution if it remains close to the true solution for all time, although it may not coincide exactly with the true solution at any time. Both the regular perturbation method and the method of averaging are usually viewed as methods of solving initial value problems; therefore the approximate solution produced by these methods is expected to coincide with the true solution at the initial time. The resulting approximate solutions do not shadow the true solution, but break down after some time has passed. It is shown that under certain conditions of hyperbolicity and transversality, both methods lead to solutions which satisfy shadowing to any specified order in the small parameter, provided that the initial value requirement is dropped.
Money and votes: A simultaneous equation model

This paper has specified and estimated a model of the interaction between money and voting in American politics. Convincingly establishing the identification of a system of equations can be difficult even when theory provides a guide. In the study of money in politics, however, no theoretical perspective has been established in the literature. To make the case for identification as unambiguous as possible, this paper has done two things. First, the specification was based, in part, on theory which has formally been developed elsewhere and which satisfactorily describes data at the economic interest group level (Welch, 1980). Second, part of the question of identification revolves around the relationship between party strength and socioeconomic variables. Because there are questions as to the best measurement of party strength, results based on two measures were presented. For a number of reasons, the Presidential vote was the preferred measure. This study draws four conclusions. First, money influenced voting in U.S. House elections in 1972, although its effect was ‘small’. Second, patterns of total contributions to a U.S. House candidate are consistent with the hypothesis that a majority of dollars come from contributors who prefer to support likely winners. Third, the total contributions made to a candidate are a positive function of the district's median years of schooling completed and the Gini coefficient. Total contributions made to a Democratic candidate are also a positive function of the median income. Finally, had House campaigns been financed in the early 1970s, even to the point of giving each major party candidate $150,000 (in 1978 dollars), few elections would have been changed. It is also worth mentioning some of the things about the financing of political campaigns that we still do not know. The above conclusions involve only elections to the U.S. House; there are good reasons for suspecting that money is more influential in U.S. Senate elections. OLS statistics support this belief and the greater visibility of those races help justify it. Although money has little effect on House elections, we do not know whether contributions affect legislative voting in the House. Representatives apparently believe that expenditure influences their reelection chances. Given the complexity of the process, it should be no surprise that this belief conflicts with our findings. Acting on this belief, a Representative's vote may very well be influenced by the sources of his contributions, either directly or indirectly through the giving of access to contributors. Finally, we should be reminded that the above model is static while the electoral process is dynamic. The amount contributed to a candidate is affected by his probability of winning in the previous time period (e.g. week, month) and in turn affects that probability in the following time period. As usual, what we know is overshadowed by what we do not know. The above questions are both interesting in their own right and of interest to policy making.
Effect of Carbon Adsorbent Surface Properties on the Uptake and Solvent Regeneration of Phenol

An investigation was made of the effects of surface properties on the uptake of phenol by carbonaceous adsorbents and on subsequent regeneration by acetone leaching. As-received carbons derived from different source materials were evaluated at pH values 2 and 9, and the surface properties of selected adsorbents were varied by surface oxidation with concentrated HNO3 and/or heat treatment under nitrogen. Carbons derived from different source materials exhibited similar total uptake and reversible (acetone extractable) uptake at pH 2 but exhibited a wide range of reversibility at pH 9, conditions that promote oxidative coupling reactions. Surface acidity was investigated as a factor contributing to the reversibility of as-received carbons, and surface oxidation was evaluated as a means of improving regenerability. Oxidation of coal- and wood-based adsorbents with concentrated HNO3 increased surface acidity as measured by Boehm titration techniques and reduced the uptake of phenol but increased the reversibl...
Gamma, infra-red and microwave radiation combinations for control of Rhyzopertha dominica in wheat

Abstract Samples of soft winter wheat containing eggs, larvae, pupae, or adults of Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) were given one of the following treatments: (1) Gamma radiation; (2) infra-red radiation; (3) microwave radiation; (4) gamma + infra-red; or (5) gamma + microwave. The percentage of adult emergence from treated immatures or the mortality and fecundity of treated adults provided a basis for evaluating the effectiveness of the treatments. The average reductions in emergence were 54, 55, and 42 per cent for gamma, infra-red, and microwave treatments, respectively. The reductions in emergence averaged 99 per cent for the gamma + infra-red combination and 96 per cent for the gamma + microwave combination. These mortalities were about 20 per cent higher than predicted. Adult mortality data were inconclusive because of the very low gamma dosage used. However, reductions in adult fecundity for the above combinations were about 95 and 89 per cent, respectively. These were about 22 and 9 per cent greater than the predicted reductions in fecundity.
Human CFTR Gene Sequences in Regions Flanking Exon 10: A Simple Repeat Sequence Polymorphism in Intron 9

Abstract A 2,908-bp segment of genomic DNA containing exon 10 and flanking intron regions of the human cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene was sequenced. A 30-bp sequence discrepancy and three missing nucleotides were detected when compared to a previously published 831-bp sequence. In the 30-bp region of sequence discrepancy, only a primer based on the new sequence information presented in this study gave products from polymerase chain reaction amplification of cellular DNA and a plasmid DNA encompassing the exon 10 region of CFTR. A 4-bp (TAAA) simple repeat sequence was also identified in intron 9 region. This repeat is dimorphic with nine (TAAA)9or eleven (TAAA)11copies on different chromosomes. Eleven repeats were exclusively associated with chromosomes carrying the ΔF508 mutation. Both 9 and 11 repeats were detected in non-ΔF508 chromosomes.
Incremental benefits and cost of coordinated anxiety learning and management for anxiety treatment in primary care.

Background Improving the quality of mental health care requires integrating successful research interventions into 'real-world' practice settings. Coordinated Anxiety Learning and Management (CALM) is a treatment-delivery model for anxiety disorders encountered in primary care. CALM offers cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), medication, or both; non-expert care managers assisting primary care clinicians with adherence promotion and medication optimization; computer-assisted CBT delivery; and outcome monitoring. This study describes incremental benefits, costs and net benefits of CALM versus usual care (UC). Method The CALM randomized, controlled effectiveness trial was conducted in 17 primary care clinics in four US cities from 2006 to 2009. Of 1062 eligible patients, 1004 English- or Spanish-speaking patients aged 18-75 years with panic disorder (PD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder (SAD) and/or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with or without major depression were randomized. Anxiety-free days (AFDs), quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and expenditures for out-patient visits, emergency room (ER) visits, in-patient stays and psychiatric medications were estimated based on blinded telephone assessments at baseline, 6, 12 and 18 months. Results Over 18 months, CALM participants, on average, experienced 57.1 more AFDs [95% confidence interval (CI) 31-83] and $245 additional medical expenses (95% CI $-733 to $1223). The mean incremental net benefit (INB) of CALM versus UC was positive when an AFD was valued ≥$4. For QALYs based on the Short-Form Health Survey-12 (SF-12) and the EuroQol EQ-5D, the mean INB was positive at ≥$5000. Conclusions Compared with UC, CALM provides significant benefits with modest increases in health-care expenditures.