cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intravascular ultrasound-guided direct intrahepatic portacaval shunt: midterm follow-up.

PURPOSE To describe the midterm patency and clinical results of the intravascular ultrasound (US)–guided direct intrahepatic portacaval shunt (DIPS) procedure for the treatment of intractable ascites and variceal bleeding. MATERIALS AND METHODS From February 23, 1999, to December 18, 2002, inferior vena cava (IVC)–to–portal vein (PV) shunts were created in 40 patients for ascites ( n = 35) and bleeding ( n = 5). Intravascular US was used to guide direct puncture from the IVC to the PV. The shunts were completed with the use of single ( n = 15) or overlapping ( n = 25) polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)–covered Palmaz stents. These stent-grafts were deployed primarily at diameters of 8 mm. The diameter of the shunt was increased in three cases to achieve a target portosystemic gradient (PSG) of 15 mm Hg or lower. All patients were followed clinically and with portography with manometry. RESULTS All DIPSs were created successfully. Mean PSGs were reduced from 23 mm Hg before DIPS creation to 9 mm afterward. During the follow-up period of a maximum of 38 months, 22 of 40 patients died or underwent liver transplantation (mean follow-up, 9 months; median, 6 months). At the time of this report, 18 of 40 patients remain living after follow-up ranging in duration from 8 to 38 months (mean, 22 months; median, 16.5 months). During the follow-up period, there was one stent-graft occlusion and three stenoses. These four patients were successfully treated by additional stent-graft placement. In addition, two patients developed IVC stenosis cephalad to the DIPS, which required IVC stent placement. The primary patency rates by Kaplan-Meier analysis were 100% at 6 months and 75% (95% CI, 53%–97%) at 12 months. CONCLUSION Intravascular US–guided direct IVC-to-PV shunts may be created successfully with minimal complications. Primary patency of the shunt is greater than that with conventional TIPS with a bare wire stent and appears equal to that with TIPS with a PTFE-covered stent-graft.
Practicing a Medicine of the Whole Person: An Opportunity for Healing

Integrative medicine has been defined in several ways. For some it is a discipline that combines such approaches to the resolution of disease as acupuncture and homeopathy, meditation and imagery with more familiar and accepted health practices, such as surgery, pediatrics, and oncology. For others it is about cultivating awareness and sensitivity beyond symptoms to the mental, emotional, and spiritual needs of the patient. But, integrative medicine is more than the weaving together of techniques, or understanding the intimate interaction of the mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of human experience. It is about rethinking the task of medicine and the infrastructure of relationships and beliefs that have limited its power to serve all people.
Processing of molybdenum disilicide

Inspection of the scientific literature reveals that intermetallic compounds have, in recent years, attracted considerable interest as a result of their unique elevated temperature characteristics. Among the wide range of intermetallic compounds that are actively being studied, MoSi2 has been singled out as a result of its unique combination of properties, which include an excellent oxidation resistance, a high modulus of elasticity, and an elevated melting point (2030°C). In view of this interest, the present work was undertaken with the objective of providing the reader with a comprehensive review of the mechanical and oxidation behaviour of MoSi2, paying particular attention to the synergism between processing and microstructure. Accordingly, synthesis techniques, including powder metallurgy, self-propagating hightemperature synthesis, spray processing, solid-state displacement reactions, and exothermic dispersion, are critically reviewed and discussed. In addition, recent efforts aimed at using MoSi2 as a matrix material in metal-matrix composites are also critically reviewed and discussed.
APOL1 toxin, innate immunity, and kidney injury

The discovery that two common APOL1 alleles were strongly associated with nondiabetic kidney diseases in African descent populations led to hope for improved diagnosis and treatment. Unfortunately, we still do not have a clear understanding of the biological function played by APOL1 in podocytes or other kidney cells, nor how the renal risk alleles initiate the development of nephropathies. Important clues for APOL1 function may be gleaned from the natural defense mechanism of APOL1 against trypanosome infections and from similar proteins (e.g., diphtheria toxin, mammalian Bcl-2 family members). This review provides an update on the biological functions for circulating (trypanosome resistance) and intracellular (emerging role for autophagy) APOL1. Further, we introduce a multimer model for APOL1 in kidney cells that reconciles the gain-of-function variants with the recessive inheritance pattern of APOL1 renal risk alleles.
HIV status determination among tuberculosis patients from California during 2008.

Context Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection complicates care and contributes to poor outcomes among tuberculosis (TB) patients. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that providers test all TB patients for HIV. Objective We assessed completeness of HIV status determination among TB patients and identified key gaps in adherence. Design We conducted a retrospective review of public health charts to determine the HIV status for all TB patients reported in California during 2008. We then used logistic regression to determine the factors associated with a known (positive or negative) HIV status. A random sample of TB patients was selected for secondary review to characterize the timing of HIV status determination and the providers who had opportunity to test for HIV. Setting California TB programs. Participants All TB patients reported from California in 2008. Main outcome measures Proportion of patients with a known HIV status, adjusted odds ratios for having a known HIV status, proportion of patients with a known HIV status before TB diagnosis, and proportion of patients diagnosed with TB by different provider types. Results Only 1752 (66%) of 2667 TB patients had a known HIV status. Having a known HIV status was strongly associated with those aged between 15 and 44 years and being managed with any public provider involvement. Of 292 patients in the random sample, 12 patients (4%) had a known HIV status before TB diagnosis. Among the remaining 280 patients, 187 patients (67%) were diagnosed with TB by a private provider. Conclusions The HIV status determination of TB patients was selective and not routine as recommended. Private providers can play a key role in testing for HIV at TB diagnosis. California TB programs should ensure that all TB patients have an HIV status by promulgating national recommendations, educating private providers on the benefits of testing TB patients for HIV, and monitoring completeness of HIV status determination.
Submillimeter-wave heterodyne spectroscopy with a compact solid state radiometer

A compact, solid state submillimeter-wave heterodyne radiometer has been developed and was used to measure spectral characteristics of a water vapor jet in a space simulation chamber. Features of the 557 GHz water vapor line profile were observed in significantly greater detail than in previous experiments through an increased sensitivity and improved frequency resolution (600 kHz). The local oscillator of the radiometer consisted of a frequency multiplication chain which was driven by an InP Gunn oscillator at 92.6 GHz, and which contained a frequency tripler and harmonic mixer in cascade. The front end of the receiver had a noise temperature of 4500 K (DSB) at 555 GHz, consumed 3 W and weighed 3 kg. This advance in technology is particularly relevant to submillimeter-wave radiometry from a space-based platform.
REMOTE ACCESS TO SCHEMATIC DRAWINGS

Abstract An electronic information system for storing, transmitting, receiving and displaying electrical circuit schematics is presented. The schematics are binary coded for computer storage and for transmission over telephone grade communications lines. A complete schematic can be transmitted in a matter of a few seconds with no degradation in the image quality. A standard set of schematic symbols and the associated alphanumeric characters are stored at the receiver in the character matrix of a shaped beam tube. Only the information as to the location of each schematic symbol in the character matrix and the organization of the schematic symbols is stored and transmitted.
Transgenerational communication through affective imagery in mood boards

Hedonomic design aims to make products not just easy to use, but pleasurable. Toward this goal, designers often use mood boards of abstract visual images to represent the aesthetic and affective response they would like their designs to evoke. We studied the effect of aging on viewers' ability to understand the meanings of abstract images selected by designers to express specific affective concepts. Young adult and older adult participants made visual judgment on the affective images. Data showed no age-related differences in the judgment accuracy. Results suggest that elderly adults can extract emotional meanings from young designers' mood boards as well as do young adults, and that affective product semantics may communicate similar meanings to users of different age group.
Molecular square dancing: correlated product motion in photodissociation

Since the advent of laser spectroscopy and molecular beam techniques, the photodissociation of small molecules has been intensely studied. Emphasis has been placed on investigating the applicability of statistical theories, in particular for barrierless unimolecular dissociation . Various statistical theories have been devised in order to explain reaction rates and product distributions of unimolecular reactions, especially those in which there is no potential energy barrier to products.In phase space theory (PST), all accessible product states have equal probability to be populated; the only restrictions are those of energy and angular momentum conservation. Recently, an extension of both classical and quantum PST was proposed in order to calculate v*j correlations in the products of a photodissociation reaction. Separate statistical ensembles (SSE) imposes further restrictions on the phase space by constraining energy flow between vibration and overall rotation. For photolysis energies that do not allow for the formation of vibrationally excited products, PST and SSE are identical. Another type of constraint on the phase space can be achieved by using the statistical adiabatic channel model which assumes that each vibrational state of the parent molecular adiabatically correlates to a specific rovibrational state of the fragments. This model has been sued with success on the photodissociation of HOOH. Ketene is a molecule whose photochemistry has been extensively studied both experimentally and theoretically. The two lowest electronic states of methylene are energetically accessible in the 308 nm photolysis of ketene.
Developmental Restructuring of the Creatine Kinase System Integrates Mitochondrial Energetics with Stem Cell Cardiogenesis

Differentiation of pluripotent low-energy requiring stem cells into the high-energy expenditure cardiac lineage requires coordination of genomic programming and energetic system maturation. Here, in a murine embryonic stem cell cardiac differentiation model, emergence of electrical and beating activity in cardiomyocytes developing within embryoid bodies was coupled with the establishment of the mitochondrial network and expansion of the creatine kinase (CK) phosphotransfer system. Stem cell cardiogenesis was characterized by increased total CK activity, an isoform shift manifested by amplified muscle CK-M mRNA levels and protein content, and the appearance of cardiac-specific CK-MB dimers. Treatment of differentiating stem cells with BMP2, a cardiogenic growth factor, promoted CK activity. CK-M clustered around developing myofibrils, sarcolemma, and the perinuclear compartment, whereas CK-B was tightly associated with myofibrillar alpha-actinin, forming wire-like structures extending from the nuclear compartment to the sarcolemma. Developmentally enhanced phosphotransfer enzyme-anchoring protein FHL2 coalesced the myofibrillar CK metabolic signaling circuit, providing an energetic continuum between mitochondria and the nascent contractile machinery. Thus, the evolving CK-catalyzed phosphotransfer network integrates mitochondrial energetics with cardiogenic programming, securing the emergence of energy-consuming cardiac functions in differentiating embryonic stem cells.
Listen to What I Say, Not How I Vote: Congressional Support for the President in Washington and at Home*

Objectives. Are legislators' party affiliations or is district partisanship the greatest predictor of legislative support of the president? Do members of the U.S. House emphasize different policy positions when casting roll calls than when communicating their positions to constituents? We theorize that party is less important in legislators' district-oriented behavior than in roll-call voting. When casting roll calls, legislators are agents facing multiple principals, namely, political party leaders and their district constituencies. When engaging in district-oriented behavior, the only key principal is the legislator's constituency. Methods. We analyze legislators' positions on roll calls and in platforms. Platforms are examined with a unique data set of franked mass mailings sent by House members. Linear and limited dependent variable models are employed. Results. Our findings show that constituency preferences are a more consistent predictor of legislative support for the president when analyzing legislators' platforms, and that political party has a relatively limited effect. When analyzing roll-call votes, party is the key predictor. Conclusions. Political parties may be interested in what legislators do as opposed to what they say. The platform findings are in contrast to most recent empirical work examining position taking, though consistent with the canonical works of Mayhew and Fenno. This has implications for theories of parties in Congress that tie party behavior in the legislature to partisanship in the electorate.
Comparison of biotic index values for invertebrate collections from natural and artificial substrates.

SUMMARY. 1. We evaluated the use of a biotic index in a small mountain stream on the basis of collections of benthic macroinvertebrates from both artificial and natural substrates in years of above and below normal discharge. 2. Invertebrate composition sampled from artificial and natural substrates exhibited inverse trends in density associated with discharge patterns. 3. Biotic index values derived from artificial substrates provided a more consistent and accurate description of the water quality of a small stream between years of high and low discharge than did those determined from natural substrates.
The effect of the Mn-ion oxidation state on propylene carbonate decomposition

Abstract Cyclic voltammetry revealed that the oxidation voltage of propylene carbonate (PC) containing 1 M LiClO 4 on MnO, Mn 2 O 3 and MnO 2 is approximately 4.7 V. This suggests that the oxidation of PC is independent of the Mn-ion oxidation state. Gas chromatography results support the voltammetry results. CO 2 is the major gas evolved from the decomposition of PC on MnO, Mn 2 O 3 and MnO 2 . Reducing the oxidation state of the Mn-ion does not eliminate CO 2 gas formation in the Li/MnO 2 system.
The Collision Rate of Nonspherical Particles and Aggregates for all Diffusive Knudsen Numbers

We examine theoretically and numerically collisions of arbitrarily shaped particles in the mass transfer transition regime, where ambiguities remain regarding the collision rate coefficient (collision kernel). Specifically, we show that the dimensionless collision kernel for arbitrarily shaped particles, H, depends solely on a correctly defined diffusive Knudsen number (KnD , in contrast with the traditional Knudsen number), and to determine the diffusive Knudsen number, it is necessary to calculate two combined size parameters for the colliding particles: the Smoluchowski radius, which defines the collision rate in the continuum (KnD →0) regime, and the projected area, which defines the collision rate in the free molecular (KnD →∞) regime. Algorithms are provided to compute these parameters. Using mean first passage time calculations with computationally generated quasifractal (statistically fractal) aggregates, we find that with correct definitions of H and KnD , the H(KnD) relationship found valid for ...
2D Vortex Methods and Singular Quadrature Rules

A new high-order vortex method for the 2D Euler equations is presented. The method eliminates smoothing by constructing a singular quadrature rule for the Biot?Savart law at each time step, using quadtrees and orthogonal polynomials. Theory and numerical experiments show that the method is accurate and efficient, yielding excellent long-term accuracy in almost optimal CPU time.
Palaeo-yardangs : wind-scoured desert landforms at the Permo-Triassic unconformity

In Canyonlands National Park, south-east Utah, at least 29 partly exhumed, aligned sandstone ridges trending generally N20°W occur at the upper unconformable surface of the Lower Permian (Leonardian) White Rim Sandstone. The ridges are at least 1·5 km long, 250 m wide and have up to 14 m of vertical relief (mean of 9 m). A thin lag of coarse sandstone that contains wind-ripple laminae and granule ripples directly overlies the ridges. Angular blocks of sandstone within the lag and sand-filled fissures immediately below the lag, within the ridges, attest to early cementation of the ridge-forming material. SE-dipping aeolian cross-strata within the White Rim Sandstone and within the lag closely parallel the ridge trend. The ridges are interpreted as wind-sculpted desert landforms (yardangs) that developed on the lithified upper surface of the White Rim Sandstone during an extended period of hyperaridity towards the end of the Permian.
Selective protection of murine thymic helper T cells from glucocorticosteroid inhibition by macrophage-derived mediators☆

Abstract We investigated the in vitro effects of dexamethasone (DEX) on the functional capacities of virgin murine T cells cultured in the absence and presence of adjuvant-stimulated macrophages or factors derived from them. Immunologically mature thymocytes, isolated on the basis of their inability to bind peanut agglutinin (PNA − thymocytes), were used as virgin T cells. Treatment of PNA − thymocytes with DEX for 24 hr in vitro eliminated their subsequent capacity to function as helper cells for primary humoral responses, to proliferate when stimulated by plant mitogens or allogeneic cells, or to generate T-cell-mediated cytotoxic responses. However, when PNA − thymocytes were pretreated with DEX in combination with either adjuvant-activated macrophages or their culture supernatants, which contained Interleukin 1, the capacity of the T cells to subsequently express helper activity was preserved. The macrophage products, however, did not prevent DEX from inhibiting the capacities of PNA − thymocytes to proliferate in response to plant mitogens or alloantigens or to generate cytotoxic effector cells; thus, protection was selective. The data indicate that, prior to activation, helper T cells are distinguished by their capacity to become steroid resistant in response to macrophage products. Although T-cell proliferative and cytotoxic responses have been reported to be protected from DEX inhibition by Interleukin 2, our results suggest that macrophages prevent steroid effects on virgin helper T cells by Interleukin-1-dependent mechanisms that do not involve Interleukin 2. While we have not delineated the biochemical pathways of protection, we show that the acquisition of DEX resistance by helper T cells cannot be attributed to the polyclonal induction of helper activity by macrophage factors.
Experimental variables in the effects of postsession injections of strychnine sulphate on a classically conditioned response.

Postsession strychnine injections have been shown to retard acquisition rates of the classically conditioned nictitating membrane response (CCNMR) of rabbits trained at a CS-US interval of 1000 msec. The particular interval value employed in CCNMR acquisition was found to be important in the magnitude of the postsession strychnine effect. Strychnine Ss trained at a CS-US interval=1250 msec (nonoptimal) were significantly depressed in acquisition rates relative to saline controls, while strychnine Ss trained at a CS-US interval=250 msec (optimal) were not. Interpretations are based upon the presumed effects of CNS excitants on memory consolidation and possible neurological correlates of the CS-US interval parameter.
Molecular dynamics of a model polymer on a hypercube parallel computer

Abstract In this paper, we discuss the implementation and solution of molecular dynamics polymer models on the Intel iPSC Hypercube parallel computer. We first describe a model problem whose inherent parallelism can be exploited effectively and which is therefore amenable to parallel solution. We next discuss the salient features of the hypercube programs that were used to solve the model problem. Finally, we present results which demonstrate that the efficiencies of the solutions approach 100% as the number of atoms in the polymer and the number of hypercube processors are increased for the problem in question. The results demonstrate that parallel solutions of polymer problems using a hypercube architecture offer potentially significant savings over sequential solutions.
Stereomotion suppression and the perception of speed: accuracy and precision as a function of 3D trajectory.

The precision andaccuracy of speeddiscrimination performance for stereomotion stimuli were assessedfor several receding3D trajectories conﬁned to the horizontal meridian. It has previously been demonstrated in a variety of tasks that detectionthresholds are substantially higher when subjects observe a stereomotion stimulus than when simply viewing one of itscomponent monocular half-imagesVa phenomenon known as stereomotion suppression (C. W. Tyler, 1971). Usingmonocularly visible motion in depth targets, we found mean speed discrimination thresholds to be higher for stereomotion,compared with monocular lateral speed discrimination thresholds for equivalent stimuli, demonstrating a disadvantage forbinocular viewing in the case of speed discrimination as well. Furthermore, speed discrimination thresholds for motion indepth were not systematically affected by trajectory angle; hence, the disadvantage of binocular viewing persists even whenthere are concurrent changes in binocular visual direction. Lastly, there was a tendency for oblique trajectories ofstereomotion to be perceived as faster than equally rapid motion receding directly away from the subject along the midline.Our data, in addition to earlier stereomotion suppression observations, are consistent with a stereomotion system that takesa noisy, weighted difference of the stimulus velocities in the two eyes to compute motion in depth.Keywords: binocular vision, 3D motion, motion in depth, interocular velocity difference, RDS
Morphological instability in a float zone

This paper examines the morphological instability of the freezing interface of the float zone in a crystal sheet for which the height of the liquid zone L = Lf + Lm (where Lf and Lm are the planar positions of the solidifying and melting interfaces) is smaller than the width and the thickness of the sheet. The Lf and Lm positions are calculated, and basic state concentration profiles are determined for a planar interfacial system. A linear stability analysis of this system is performed showing that the growth rate of disturbances is a modified version of the growth rate for a directional solidification system. It was found that shorter melt zone configurations are less susceptible to long wavelength morphological instability, indicating that, to suppress morphological instability in a float zone system, it is necessary to decrease the liquid zone height.
Silicon‐based materials prepared by IPN formation and their properties

Both condensation and hydrosilylation reactions have been successfully applied to the synthesis of silicon-based interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) consisting of a stable Si-O and/or a Si-C linkage. A ladder silsesquioxane oligomer (LDS 1, commercial name: Glass Resin GR100) and a polycarbosilane (PCS) by hydrosilylation polymerization of bifunctional Si-H and Si-vinyl monomers were used as the two components for the IPN (Table I). Si-based IPN material was prepared by melt-and-compression-molding method of the B-staged resin. Evaluating the flow-curing nature of the B-staged resin thus obtained with a KOKA-type flow tester led to suitable conditions for melt-and-compression molding. LDS/PCS materials with various shapes (3-4 mm thick) were prepared by melt-and-compression molding. The mechanical properties of the LDS/PCS materials were evaluated. The flexural modulus and Izod impact strength of LDS/PCS (8:2 w/w) were larger than those of each component, a tendency that proved to be a positive effect derived from IPN formation in the LDS/PCS combined system. In addition, the thermal, electrical, and optical properties of these silicon-based materials were studied and are reported on.
Fragrance material review on cinnamyl alcohol

A toxicologic and dermatologic review of cinnamyl alcohol when used as a fragrance ingredient is presented.
Highly elevated ferritin levels and the diagnosis of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis

Background Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a potentially lethal condition characterized by a pathologic inflammation. The diagnostic criteria for HLH include fever, splenomegaly, cytopenias, hypertriglyceridemia, hypofibrinogenemia, abnormal natural killer cell (NK cell) functional assay, elevated soluble IL-2Rα level, and elevated ferritin level (>500 µg/L). Institution of timely therapy in these critically ill patients may be delayed by difficulties establishing the diagnosis. NK cell functional assay and soluble IL-2Rα level may require send-out to a specialized lab. However, ferritin level is available on a same-day basis at most institutions. In this study, we examined the utility of quantitative ferritin levels in diagnosing HLH. Procedure All patients with ferritin values >500 µg/L obtained at Texas Children's Hospital between January 10, 2003 and January 10, 2005 were identified. Patient charts were reviewed for ferritin levels and hospital course. Results During the study interval, 330 patients had ferritin levels >500 µg/L. Ten of the 330 patients were diagnosed with HLH. A ferritin level over 10,000 µg/L was 90% sensitive and 96% specific for HLH. Another diagnostic category with significantly elevated ferritin level was illness of unknown cause (n = 10), and only two of these patients were fully evaluated for HLH. Conclusions Ferritin levels above 10,000 µg/L appear to be specific and sensitive for HLH. In patients without a significant medical history and a new onset of febrile illness with highly elevated ferritin levels, the diagnosis of HLH should be evaluated. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2008;50:1227–1235. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Electron mobility in liquid hydrocarbons: application of the quasi-ballistic model

The quasi-ballistic model of transport, recently introduced by the author (Chem. Phys. Letters 207 (1993) 245), has been applied to eleven hydrocarbon liquids in which the electron mobility is less than 10 cm2 V−1 s−1. In all cases except benzene a combination of a trap density ∼ 1019 cm−3 and a quasi-free mobility ∼ 100 cm2 V−1 s−1 fits the experimental data quite well. Other possible ranges for this pair of values are indicated. Within the context of the model, activation energy for mobility seems approximately proportional to the binding energy of the electron in the trap, although not necessarily equal to it.
Justice and the family

Using Rawls's theory as illustration, I argue that any conception of justice which includes a commitment to equality of opportunity eventually must collide with a commitment to the family. I then contend that the link between justice and equality of opportunity cannot be severed by showing that one powerful attempt to do so founders. Borrowing from Martin Buber, I try to show that the perspective required by justice is different from and opposed to that required for intimate relations. Moreover, I argue that the institution of the family provides the soil without which human intimacy withers. Finally, I try to suggest that the need for human. I‐You encounters is a response to aspects of the human condition quite different from those which give rise to institutions of justice and the state.
Convection in the magnetotail

It is well known that the Earth's magnetosphere is permeated by a large-scale electric field, E, which in its turn produces a global flow pattern known as magnetospheric convection, with velocity u = (E × B)/B2 . Convection is the key to understanding the global features of the magnetosphere, for instance the large-scale flow of electric currents along magnetic field lines (“Birkeland currents”) into and out of the polar ionosphere. A successful theory of convection in the inner magnetosphere was formulated about 20 years ago. That, however, explains only part of the puzzle, because the inner magnetosphere receives its E from more distant regions, mainly the magnetotail and its boundary layers, where convection is still poorly understood. One problem has been the Erickson-Wolf effect [Erickson and Wolf, 1980; Hau et al., 1989] by which convection rapidly deforms the tail until a reconnection crisis is likely. Another problem was the observational uncertainty about the polytropic (or “adiabatic”) exponent γ of the gas law expected to hold in the plasma sheet [Zhu, 1990; Baumjohann and Paschmann, 1989; Huang et al., 1989]. MHD simulations appear to be of limited use, because convection theory in the inner magnetosphere goes beyond MHD and depends on actualparticle motion. In the weak fields of the magnetotail, these may involve not only guiding center drifts but also nonadiabatic motions [e.g., Buchner and Zelenyi, 1989] and finite-gyroradius effects [Macmahon, 1965; Stasiewicz, 1987].
Highway Accessibility, Location Rents, and the Efficiency of Metropolitan Area Tax Base Sharing

One solution that has been proposed for the fiscal disparities in fragmented metropolitan areas is the sharing of taxes generated by commercial and industrial property. A criticism of this proposal is that it distorts the efficient pattern of business locations resulting when an implicit market for business locations is allowed to develop through the independent fiscal behavior of communities and the optimizing location behavior of businesses. Critics recognize that the efficiency argument against sharing a metropolitan area's business tax base must be qualified to the extent that local governments possess location advantages which enable them to extract rents from business firms. This paper presents an empirical analysis which permits a partition of the local property tax payments from industrial firms into accessibility location rents and compensation payments to the community for the negative externalities of industrial development. The empirical analysis suggests that approximately 40 percent of the industrial taxes received by communities in this analysis represents accessibility location rents. It is concluded that these receipts could be redistributed through a metropolitan area tax base sharing program without affecting the efficiency of the implicit market for business locations.
Field ion microscope investigations of adatom and dimer diffusion along Rh(100) step edges

Abstract Activation energies of surface diffusion for atoms and dimers migrating along straight edges of rectangular-shaped islands on Rh(100) were measured by field ion microscopy. Single atoms diffuse along the step with an activation energy of 0.58±0.02 eV. This value is comparable to that for self-diffusion on the channeled Rh(311) plane (0.54 eV), which has the same local atomic structure as the step. The activation energy is considerably smaller than that for self-diffusion on the Rh(100) terrace (0.83 eV). Dimers diffuse along the step with an activation energy of 0.80±0.02 eV. The energy barrier for an atom to move around the corner of an island is estimated from the onset temperature to be ∼0.9 eV. The measured diffusion barriers are discussed in relation to island growth on fec metal surfaces.
Effects of a water soluble extract ofRobinia pseudoacacia leaves on uterine smooth muscle

Un extrait aqueux de feuilles deRobinia pseudoacacia augmente la frequence et la force de contraction de l'uterus isole de rat. Cette action semble etre specifique pour le muscle uterin lisse, car l'extrait est sans effet sur des preparations isolees d'intestin et n'agit pas sur la pression arterielle du rat intact.
Water Oxidation by Cobalt Centers on Various Oxide Surfaces: The Effects of Oxide Surface Acidity and Oxygen Atom Affinity on Catalysis

Single-atom cobalt centers on various oxide surfaces (TiO2, MgO, SBA-15, AlPO, and Y-Zeolite) were prepared and evaluated as water oxidation catalysts by photochemical water oxidation experiments. Superior catalytic rates were observed for cobalt sites on basic supporting oxides (TiO2 and MgO) relative to those on acidic oxides (Y-Zeolite, AlPO, and SiO2). Per-atom turnover frequencies of ca. 0.04 s–1 were achieved, giving initial rates 100 times greater than that of a surface atom of a Co3O4 nanoparticle. Contrary to expectations based on theoretical work, no apparent correlation was observed between the catalytic rates and the oxygen atom affinities of the supporting oxides.
Dynamics of energy transfer in peptide-surface collisions.

Classical trajectory simulations are performed to study energy transfer in collisions of protonated triglycine (Gly)(3) and pentaglycine (Gly)(5) ions with n-hexyl thiolate self-assembled monolayer (SAM) and diamond [111] surfaces, for a collision energy E(i) in the range of 10-110 eV and a collision angle of 45 degrees. Energy transfer to the peptide ions' internal degrees of freedom is more efficient for collision with the diamond surface; i.e., 20% transfer to peptide vibration/rotation at E(i) = 30 eV. For collision with diamond, the majority of E(i) remains in peptide translation, while the majority of the energy transfer is to surface vibrations for collision with the softer SAM surface. The energy-transfer efficiencies are very similar for (Gly)(3) and (Gly)(5). Constraining various modes of (Gly)(3) shows that the peptide torsional modes absorb approximately 80% of the energy transfer to the peptide's internal modes. The energy-transfer efficiencies depend on E(i). These simulations are compared with recent experiments of peptide SID and simulations of energy transfer in Cr(CO)(6)(+) collisions with the SAM and diamond surfaces.
(+)-Z-Bisdehydrodoisynolic acid ameliorates obesity and the metabolic syndrome in female ZDF rats.

Objective: The putative selective estrogen receptor modulator (+)-Z-bisdehydrodoisynolic acid (Z-BDDA) has been found to improve cardiovascular risk in rodents. The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of (+)-Z-BDDA compared with the antidiabetic drug, rosiglitazone, in treating obesity and risk factors associated with the metabolic syndrome. Research Methods and Procedures: Female Zucker Diabetic Fatty rats were randomly assigned to three treatment groups for 29 weeks: control (C), 1.8 mg (+)-Z-BDDA/kg diet [control diet + (+)-Z-BDDA (CB)], or 100 mg rosiglitazone/kg diet [control diet + rosiglitazone (CR)]. At sacrifice, physiological, biochemical, and molecular parameters were examined. Results: CB animals gained less weight and exhibited a decrease in total body lipids (p < 0.05) as compared with C or CR rats. Body weight and total body lipids were the highest in CR rats (p < 0.05). Liver weights in CB and CR rats were lower (p < 0.05) than in C rats, whereas kidney weights were lower in CB (p < 0.05) than in C and CR animals. Fasting plasma glucose was lower (p < 0.05) in the CB and CR animals when compared with C animals. C rats exhibited the highest concentration of total plasma cholesterol, and CR-treated rats exhibited the lowest concentration. Plasma triglycerides followed the same pattern as plasma cholesterol. Histomorphometry of heart vasculature revealed that CB and CR treatments produced a significant shift from small to large venules and arterioles compared with C (p < 0.05). Liver expression profiles of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) α, PPARγ, and PPAR-regulated genes revealed encouraging CB-induced effects. Discussion: These results suggest that (+)-Z-BDDA may have applications in treating obesity and complications associated with the metabolic syndrome.
On the force-restore method for prediction of ground surface temperature

The force-restore method for prediction of ground surface temperature is investigated in view of the large temperature gradient that generally exists on a bare ground surface after an extended period of evaporation. The rate equation for the 'ground surface' temperature is rederived. The result from a numerical experiment indicates that there can be significant differences in the diurnal variation of ground surface temperature depending upon its definition. The method was tested by a simulation study of two field-measured data sets at different experiment sites.
Linguistic Analysis of College Aged Smokers and Never Smokers

College-aged adults represent the largest age group reporting current use of cigarettes. One factor that may account for these elevated smoking rates is tobacco advertisements targeting this population. Given the detrimental influence of smoking advertisements, it is essential to focus on counter measures. A unique and promising approach that may prove useful in preventing individuals from engaging in smoking behavior is to examine the manner in which individuals view smoking as well as how they view themselves. This study presents preliminary data on the use of Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count analysis to examine differences in language use among 48 college-aged smokers and never smokers when writing about the way they view themselves with regard to the dangers of smoking. Results revealed significant differences across a number of linguistic domains, indicating that the use of language may have implications for public health messages designed to prevent the onset of smoking, as well as those messages that target smoking cessation.
Vesicovaginal fistula associated with cytomegalovirus infection in an HIV-infected patient.

Background: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) can cause multisystem disease in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients. An association with a vesicovaginal fistula has not previous
Nurses as Working Women

Women today make up nearly half of the nation's workforce. A number of these women have children at home, and women also often are responsible for providing care to older adult family members or friends. The different roles assigned to women in today's society are burdensome, particularly for nurses who deal with the stress of managed care, downsizing, the nursing shortage, caring for increasingly ill patients, long and irregular hours, and daily crises. There are ways that nurses can modify their work situation, however, to help them cope with the rigors of the workplace and the home.
Outer retinal dysfunction in a patient with the 15257 mitochondrial DNA mutation.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to report a case of outer retinal dysfunction in a patient harboring the 15257 mitochondrial DNA mutation associated with Leber hereditary optic neuropathy. Methods A 43-year-old woman presented with a 6-month history of painless progressive visual loss in the right eye. She was found to have a right afferent pupillary defect, mild optic disk pallor, normal retinal vasculature, and mild retinal pigment epithelial changes in the macula of both eyes. She underwent optical coherence tomography of the macula of both eyes, multifocal electroretinography, and genetic testing for Leber hereditary optic neuropathy. Results Optical coherence tomography showed thinning of the outer retina, and multifocal electroretinography showed isoelectric waveforms centrally with markedly depressed amplitudes beyond the central five rings in both eyes. Genetic testing showed that the patient harbored the 15257 mitochondrial DNA mutation associated with Leber hereditary optic neuropathy. Conclusion The 15257 mitochondrial DNA mutation may be associated with outer retinal dysfunction in addition to Leber hereditary optic neuropathy.
Primary malignant tumors of the upper extremity: retrospective analysis of one hundred twenty-six cases

We retrospectively evaluated 126 patients with primary sarcomas of bone (45) and soft tissue (61) in the upper extremity principally to evaluate the effectiveness of the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society staging system in predicting treatment outcome and to note differences between bone and soft tissue sarcomas. Patients were followed 2 to 11 years from diagnosis. The mean survival from treatment onset was 49 months (4 to 144 months). A strong statistical relationship ( p
How to perform a critical appraisal of diagnostic tests: 7 steps

The critically appraised topic (CAT) is a format in evidence-based practice for sharing information. A CAT is a standardized way of summarizing the most current research evidence focused on a pertinent clinical question. Its aim is to provide both a critique of the most up-to-date retrieved research and an indication of the clinical relevance of results. A clinical question is initially generated following a patient encounter, which leads to and directs a literature search to answer the clinical question. Studies obtained from the literature search are assigned a level of evidence. This allows the most valid and relevant articles to be selected and to be critically appraised. The results are summarized, and this information is translated into clinically useful procedures and processes.
Exploiting Lineage for Confidence Computation in Uncertain and Probabilistic Databases

We study the problem of computing query results with confidence values in ULDBs: relational databases with uncertainty and lineage. ULDBs, which subsume probabilistic databases, offer an alternative decoupled method of computing confidence values: Instead of computing confidences during query processing, compute them afterwards based on lineage. This approach enables a wider space of query plans, and it permits selective computations when not all confidence values are needed. This paper develops a suite of algorithms and optimizations for a broad class of relational queries on ULDBs. We provide confidence computation algorithms for single data items, as well as efficient batch algorithms to compute confidences for an entire relation or database. All algorithms incorporate memoization to avoid redundant computations, and they have been implemented in the Trio prototype ULDB database system. Performance characteristics and scalability of the algorithms are demonstrated through experimental results over a large synthetic dataset.
Reliability estimation of fault-tolerant systems: tools and techniques

A comparative evaluation of state-of-the-art tools and techniques for estimating the reliability of fault-tolerant computing systems is presented. The theory of reliability estimation is briefly reviewed. Five current approaches are compared in detail: HARP (hybrid automated reliability predictor), SURE (semi-Markov unreliability range estimator), HEIRESS (hierarchical estimation of interval reliability by skewed sampling), SHARPE (symbolic hierarchical automated reliability and performance evaluator), and SAVE (system availability estimator). Particular attention is given to design limitations imposed by underlying model assumptions, on the one hand, and the efficiency and accuracy of the solution techniques employed, on the other hand. >
Toxicity to Bull Spermatozoa of Terramycin Hydrochloride and Its Use as an Antibacterial Agent in Diluents

Summary The effect of terramycin hydrochloride on the motility of bovine spermatozoa and on bacterial growth of bovine semen diluted with citrate buffered egg yolk and stored at 5° C. was investigated. It was found that 20mg. of terramyein hydrochloride could be added per 100ml. of diluted semen without spermicidal effects. This level of the antibiotic was bacteriostatic and/or bactericidal. On the basis of these results, higher concentrations of this material in diluted bull semen are not recommended.
Zolpidem improves dystonia in "Lubag" or X-linked dystonia-parkinsonism syndrome.

The effects of the hypnotic agent zolpidem on Lubag or X-linked dystonia-parkinsonism syndrome are described in this article. Lubag afflicts adult men from the Philippine island of Panay and is often resistant to therapy.1 Zolpidem binds to gamma-aminobutyric acid–A (GABAA) receptors, particularly the omega-1 (ω1) subtype receptor.2 Zolpidem was reported to improve parkinsonism in some patients with PD or progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP)3,4⇓; its effects on dystonia are unknown. Patient 1. A 41-year-old man with Lubag, presented at age 37 with head pulling to the right, arm posturing, jaw opening, tongue protrusion, involuntary eye closure, and limb tremor. On examination he had a Burke–Fahn–Marsden (BFM) dystonia score of 66, with severe phasic dystonia of the jaw, neck, trunk, and limbs. Body and limb bradykinesia, symmetric limb rigidity, and shuffling gait were noted; motor United PD Rating Scale (UPDRS) score was 38. In the physician’s office he …
Bile-mediated aminoglycoside sensitivity in Lactobacillus species likely results from increased membrane permeability attributable to cholic acid

Few studies have been conducted on antimicrobial resistance in lactobacilli, presumably because of their nonpathogenic nature as anaerobic commensals. We assessed resistance in 43 type strains and isolates representing 14 species by using agar disk diffusion and MIC analysis in MRS medium. Most noteworthy were two general phenotypes displayed by nearly every strain tested: (i) they were more susceptible (up to 256-fold in some cases) to the deconjugated bile acid cholic acid than to the conjugate taurocholic or taurodeoxycholic acid, and (ii) they became susceptible to aminoglycosides when assayed on agar medium containing 0.5% fractionated bovine bile (ox gall). Two-dimensional MIC analyses of one representative strain, Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1, at increasing concentrations of ox gall (0 to 30.3 mg/ml) displayed corresponding decreases in resistance to all of the aminoglycosides tested and ethidium bromide. This effect was clinically relevant, with the gentamicin MIC decreasing from >1,000 to 4 mug/ml in just 3.8 mg of ox gall per ml. In uptake studies at pH 6.5, [G-3H]gentamicin accumulation increased over control levels when cells of this strain were exposed to bile acids or reserpine but not when they were exposed to carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone. The effect was dramatic, particularly with cholic acid, increasing up to 18-fold, whereas only modest increases, 3- and 5-fold, could be achieved with taurocholic acid and ox gall, respectively. Since L. plantarum, particularly strain WCFS1, is known to encode bile salt hydrolase (deconjugation) activity, our data indicate that mainly cholic acid, but not taurocholic acid, effectively permeabilizes the membrane to aminoglycosides. However, at pHs approaching neutral conditions in the intestinal lumen, aminoglycoside resistance due to membrane impermeability may be complemented by a potential efflux mechanism.