cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Radiation protection in the cardiac catheterization laboratory

The trend towards more minimally invasive procedures in the past few decades has resulted in an exponential growth in fluoroscopy-guided catheter-based cardiology procedures. As these techniques are becoming more commonly used and developed, the adverse effects of radiation exposure to the patient, operator, and ancillary staff have been a subject of concern. Although occupational radiation dose limits are being monitored and seldom reached, exposure to chronic, low dose radiation has been shown to have harmful biological effects that are not readily apparent until years after. Given this, it is imperative that reducing radiation dose exposure in the cardiac catheterization laboratory remains a priority. Staff education and training, radiation dose monitoring, ensuring use of proper personal protective equipment, employment of shields, and various procedural techniques in minimizing radiation must always be diligently employed. Special care and consideration should be extended to pregnant women working in the cardiac catheterization laboratory. This review article presents a practical approach to radiation dose management and discusses best practice recommendations in the cardiac catheterization laboratory.
Chapter 11 – Learning to Lead: Best Practices for Getting Started

This chapter takes a step forward from the last and explores how to acquire leadership training and how to implement a personal leadership plan. It explores the way or ways that you can cover the material that we discussed within the educational foundation. I also cover some additional tasks and efforts that you should make in order to enhance your leadership development, such as mentorship.
Engineering Electrical Conductivity in Stable Zirconium-Based PCN-222 MOFs with Permanent Mesoporosity

Electrically conductive metal−organic frameworks (MOFs) featuring zirconium-based nodes are of great interest for electrochemical and optoelectronic applications due to their exceptional thermal an...
The Influence of Ethnic-Racial Identity Developmental Processes on Global Bicultural Competence Development.

This study investigated ethnic-racial identity (ERI) developmental processes (i.e., exploration and resolution) as pathways for adolescents to develop global bicultural competence, or the ability to meet heritage and host cultural demands. The sample included 749 U.S. Mexican-origin youth (30% Mexico-born; 51% male) followed from early-to-late adolescence (Mage = 12.79-17.38 years). Longitudinal structural equation analyses revealed that youth's sequential engagement in ERI exploration and resolution (from early-to-middle adolescence) promoted global bicultural competence in late adolescence. The findings highlight the benefits of achieving clarity about one's ERI via self-exploration efforts for adolescents' ability to respond effectively to bicultural demands. This study advances mechanisms via which ERI development may support youth adaptation to multiple cultural systems.
Foresight in the Fight for Open Admissions: Educational Excellence Examined in the Context of Notions of Meritocracy and Democracy

This paper investigates the writings of educational thought leaders with regard to college access in conjunction with the larger struggle to move from a more selective process to open admissions at the City University of New York (CUNY); additionally, the higher education theories of democracy and meritocracy are explored through various frameworks. The discussion about CUNY’s shift and the underlying values it reflected is presented alongside a discussion of the philosophies that called for the higher education system to reinvent itself for the sake of students.There is a strong call for making higher education accessible and appropriate for addressing the need for excellence and democracy for able and willing students (regardless of race). The CUNY struggle was a formidable event in academia’s history for minority students, which serendipitously outlined and employed the mirrored strategies developed by Frederick G. Zook, John W. Gardner and Jerome Karabel. These scholars had foresight and understanding in viewing education as democracy realized in CUNY’s open admission policies. Their percipient visions and mastery of meritocracy called for a democratic approach to access, without losing sight of excellence. Within the facade of this framework, this article reviews their timelines while exploring important questions that remain today.
Singular Solutions in Liquid Crystal Theory

Not infrequently, orientation patterns in liquid crystals are marred by imperfections, so it seems pertinent to attempt some general theoretical treatment of these, within the framework of continuum theory. We here present some thoughts concerning static theory for these.
Boltzmann's Science, Irony and Achievement

Boltzmann9s Atom The Great Debate That Launched a Revolution in Physics. David Lindley. Free Press, New York, 2001. 272 pp. $24, C$35.50. ISBN 0-684-85186-5. Lindley9s scientific biography offers nonspecialists the story of the late 19th-century debates over existence of atoms and the validity of statistical approaches to mechanics.
Human Pharmacology of Drugs of Abuse with Emphasis on Neuroendocrine Effects

Publisher Summary This chapter mentions drugs of abuse including opiates, sedatives, stimulants, hallucinogens and marijuana. The neuroendocrine functions of various drugs of abuse are difficult to relate to their clinical manifestations or complications. Tolerance to opiates is well known, and many pharmacological theories abound as to its mechanisms. The nature of the withdrawal syndrome from opiates is well known, many of the symptoms resembling those of increased cholinergic activity. Amphetamines, such as methamphetamine and dextroamphetamine, as well as amphetamine surrogates, such as phenmetrazine or methylphenidate, are sympathomimetic stimulants widely abused. Most use of hallucinogens is sporadic, an isolated “trip”. Continued daily use is unlikely as tolerance quickly develops on such a schedule. The most popular sedatives for abuse are short-acting barbiturates, especially secobarbital sodium. Other so-called non-barbiturate sedatives are also subject to abuse, such as methaqualone, glutethimide and meprobamate and marihuana may also be the most frequently used drug; current estimates vary between 200 and 300 million users throughout the world.
Clearance of Candida albicans from the Bloodstream of Rabbits

Candida albicans injected intravenously into rabbits were rapidly cleared from the bloodstream. Organisms injected into a peripheral vein were predominantly cleared by the lungs; organisms injected into a mesenteric vein were largely cleared by the liver. The isolated, perfused rabbit liver avidly cleared candida organisms from buffer perfusate, but clearance was enhanced when the organisms were suspended in heated normal rabbit serum and was most complete when fresh normal rabbit serum was used as the perfusate.
The dimensions of the magnetic pole: a controversy at the heart of early dimensional analysis

The rise of dimensional analysis in the latter part of the nineteenth century occurred largely in the context of electromagnetism. It soon appeared that the subject, albeit seemingly straightforward, was in fact wrought with difficulties. These revealed deep conceptual issues regarding the character of physical quantities. Usually, whether or not these problems actually constituted inconsistencies was itself a matter of debate. In one instance, however, regarding the electrostatic dimensions of the magnetic pole, all protagonists agreed that the matter required attention. A controversy ensued in 1882. Its resolution partly relied on the realization that it arose from differences between the scientific cultures prevalent on the Continent versus in Great Britain. These cultural differences concerned the possible relevance of the medium in which interactions involving magnetic poles take place, as well as the understanding of permeability in Ampere’s model of magnetism. The controversy around the electrostatic dimensions of the magnetic pole entailed crucial issues that were soon to play just as central a part in a wider debate about the dimensions of electromagnetic quantities in different systems of units. Why the latter topic was never raised during the 1882 controversy provides insights into the early understanding of dimensional analysis.
Prolonged depression of cellular immunity in cured laryngopharyngeal cancer patients treated with radiation therapy

Immune competence was evaluated in cured patients who had been treated by irradiation for carcinoma of the laryngopharynx, and compared with that of similar patients treated by surgery alone, and normal controls. Cellular immunity was determined by quantitation of in vitro phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-induced lymphocyte reactivity and peripheral blood thymus-dependent lymphocyte (T cell) levels. Humoral immunity was assessed by measurement of serum immunoglobulin levels and by the effect of serum on in vitro normal lymphocyte reactivity to PHA. In 21 patients who were studied for 4–23 years (mean 8.4) after surgical treatment alone for laryngopharyngeal carcinoma, neither cellular nor humoral immunity differed from that of 44 controls. In contrast, 14 patients who had been irradiated and subsequently cured for 4–15 years (mean 9.0) prior to evaluation displayed significantly impaired cellular immune competence when compared to normals and patients treated by surgery alone. Since previous determinations of the effects of radiation therapy have been in patients who received irradiation to the thymic region or large area of bone marrow, this study indicates that radiation therapy for cancer administered via portals that encompass a minimal area of the immune system may be associated with prolonged impairment of cellular immunity.
Effective mechanical properties of layered rough surfaces

Abstract In contact mechanics of layered rough surfaces, found in various systems such as magnetic storage devices and micro/nanoelectromechanical systems, it is of interest to calculate effective elastic modulus and hardness so as to obtain contact parameters using simple analyses for homogeneous surfaces. In this study, effective elastic modulus and hardness of layered rough surfaces are defined on the basis of real area of contact. A numerical model developed by the first author to simulate the contact of layered rough surfaces is used to derive these equations. Completely nondimensionalized empirical equations for these effective mechanical properties are presented. Separate equations are developed for the contact of a single conical asperity on a flat surface, a single spherical asperity on a flat surface, and for multiple asperity contact between two rough surfaces. These equations establish the dependence of effective mechanical properties on indentation depth, layer thickness, hardness and elastic modulus ratios of layer and substrate and surface roughness/asperity geometry. Comparisons of values predicted by the equations with experimentally obtained results are presented. Contact stress contours obtained from this model are analyzed to get a better understanding of the mechanics of contact.
Intergroup loud calls, range size, and spacing in Callicebus torquatus

Observations are reported on the response of a free-ranging group of Callicebus torquatus to recordings of loud intergroup calls. When the recording consisted of the call of a solo adult male, the group fled from the recording. When the recording consisted of the adult male and female duetting together, the group remained in place and called back to the recording. These results contrast with previously described vocal and spatial responses of C. moloch and suggest that range size influences the mechanisms that regulate between-group spacing. The consequence of intergroup loud calls in C. moloch is to define and reinforce the location of boundaries, whereas in C. torquatus, homologous calls maintain spacing between groups.
Cuticle water activity and water content of beetles and scorpions from xeric and mesic habitats

Abstract 1. 1. Cuticle water activity (aw) and water content were determined for beetles and scorpions collected from relatively xeric and mesic habitats. 2. 2. The hemolymph-cuticle aw gradient was higher in the species collected from a xeric habitat. 3. 3. Cuticle water contents were significantly lower in scorpions and beetles taken from a xeric habitat.
Taking sides in the nervous system with miRNA.

The mechanisms by which bilateral asymmetry is established in the nervous system are poorly understood. A recent report in Nature describes a novel microRNA that mediates left–right asymmetry in a pair of C. elegans chemosensory neurons.
UNDERSTANDING THE NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE OF HIV+ PARTICIPANTS WITH LOW LITERACY: ROLE OF THE GENERAL ABILITY MEASURE FOR ADULTS (GAMA)

The WRAT-3 Reading subtest (WRS) may be inappropriate in diseases having disproportionate impact on populations with educational disadvantages (i.e., HIV/AIDS). To understand how low literate individuals would perform on an IQ test requiring minimal education, the General Ability Measure for Adults (GAMA) was studied. HIV+ participants completed WRS, GAMA, and neuropsychological tests. Participants with low WRS (<80 SS) but higher GAMA (≥80 SS) had significantly better overall neuropsychological functioning than those with <80 SS on both tests. The GAMA may be a useful test when disparities in educational quality render reading-based measures of IQ a poor surrogate of premorbid function.
Sorting of signals from thermosensitive areas.

Abstract Of the several models proposed for the neural regulation of temperature in cold-exposed animals, two have been previously restated in dynamic form using CSMP. Subsequently, computer simulations have led to the design and execution of experiments for selection of the more appropriate model for cold-exposed rats. These experiments, as described in the present paper, have been interpreted as being consistent with the model which sorts signals from thermosensitive areas and channels the selected signals over separate neural pathways to independently control each mode of heat production. Since this model requires multiplication of neural signals, possible neuronal mechanisms which may underlie such multiplication are discussed. In addition, parameter variation to account for febrile responses and rate sensitivity have been evaluated.
Soybean Aphid Predators and Their Use in Integrated Pest Management

The discovery of the soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura, in U.S. soybean production systems in 2000 has provided a unique opportunity to study the interaction of a new invader with existing natural enemy communities. One research thrust has been examining the role of predators in soybean aphid dynamics in the Midwest. We discuss the roles of predatory arthropods in field crops and set forth a conceptual model that we have followed to identify key predators in the soybean aphid system. We identify Orius insidiosus (Say) and Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) as potentially key predators and show our findings on their phenology in soybean fields and their impact on soybean aphid population dynamics. Finally, we discuss how this information can be used in integrated pest management programs for soybean aphid and point to gaps in our knowledge where future studies are needed.
Electronic Indicator for Low Audio Frequencies

An instrument which indicates the frequencies of the components in a periodic complex electrical waveform is described. The frequencies are displayed on four parallel linear scales on a cathode-ray tube. The scales can be set up, without frequency calibration and with an accuracy of 3 per cent, from design equations developed in this paper. The range of indication is from 1 cycle to 1 kilocycle per second. The performance is described, and limitations on the rate of sweeping the frequency bands and the effects of transients are discussed.
Transient eddies in the southern hemisphere of Mars

[1] Mars Global Surveyor is providing the first observations of transient eddies in the southern hemisphere of Mars. We derive basic properties of the traveling eddies that appear in midwinter (Ls = 134°–148°) through analysis of radio occultation measurements at 67°–70°S latitude. The dominant mode has a period of ∼2 solar days and a zonal wavenumber s = 3. Strong zonal variations in eddy amplitude signal the presence of a possible “storm zone” at 150°–330°E longitude. Within this longitude band the eddies achieve peak amplitudes at the 300-Pa pressure level of ∼7 K in temperature and 10–15 m s−1 in meridional wind speed. The minimum temperature associated with the eddies is ∼2 K colder than saturation of CO2, close to the threshold where nucleation and growth of new ice particles can occur. A simulation by a Mars general circulation model produces traveling eddies that closely resemble the observations.
Música: Spanish Caribbean Music in New York City

Despite its vague title, the orientation of Gustavo Paredes' film is fairly specific: it focus s on the history and development of Latin jazz in New York City, and on the social meanings of Latin dance music to the Spanish-speaking immigrant community there through various decades. Intended for a general audience, the documentary considers the lives and artistic contributions of key individuals involved with music making in New York since the 1930s, a number of whom are interviewed directly by the filmmakers. The documentary includes an effective mix of performance footage, voice-over commentary, interviews with performers, with musicologists and sociologists, and period images from past decades that bring to life the context in which Latin jazz and salsa dance music developed. Most of the issues raised by M?sica surface through a focus on par ticular performers and their life histories. The documentary begins by discussing Mario Bauz?, for instance, describing his move from Havana to New York, his collaborations with well known jazz bands of the 1930s, the difficulties he encountered as a Spanish-speaking immigrant in New York of that period and as performer of color, the ties he gradually established with the diverse Latino community consisting of Cubans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Colombians, and others, and so on. The documentary continues in roughly chronological fashion, considering many other artists (Desi Arnaz, Noro Morales, Miguelito Valdes, Tito Puente, Arsenio Rodriguez, etc.) whose contributions to Latin jazz and dance music in New York have been significant. Later sections of the hour-long film describe collaborations between African-American and Afro-Latin artists in New York in the 1960s, issues of crossover and the mainstreaming of Latin music among English-speaking audiences, and emphasize the importance of preserving Latino heritage into the future.
Gold hybrid nanoparticles for targeted phototherapy and cancer imaging

Gold and iron oxide hybrid nanoparticles (HNPs) synthesized by the thermal decomposition technique are bio-functionalized with a single chain antibody, scFv, that binds to the A33 antigen present on colorectal cancer cells. The HNP–scFv conjugates are stable in aqueous solution with a magnetization value of 44 emu g − 1 and exhibit strong optical absorbance at 800 nm. Here we test this material in targeting, imaging and selective thermal killing of colorectal cancer cells. Cellular uptake studies showed that A33-expressing cells take up the A33scFv-conjugated HNPs at a rate five times higher than cells that do not express the A33 antigen. Laser irradiation studies showed that approximately 53% of the A33-expressing cells exposed to targeted HNPs are killed after a six-minute laser treatment at 5.1 W cm − 2 using a 808 nm continuous wave laser diode while < 5% of A33-nonexpressing cells are killed. At a higher intensity, 31.5 W cm − 2, the thermal destruction increases to 99 and 40% for A33-expressing cells and A33 nonexpressing cells, respectively, after 6 min exposure. Flow cytometric analyses of the laser-irradiated A33 antigen-expressing cells show apoptosis-related cell death to be the primary mode of cell death at 5.1 W cm − 2, with increasing necrosis-related cell death at higher laser power. These results suggest that this new class of bio-conjugated hybrid nanoparticles can potentially serve as an effective antigen-targeted photothermal therapeutic agent for cancer treatment as well as a probe for magnetic resonance-based imaging.
Experimental violation of a Bell's inequality with efficient detection

Local realism is the idea that objects have definite properties whether or not they are measured, and that measurements of these properties are not affected by events taking place sufficiently far away1. Einstein, Podolsky and Rosen2 used these reasonable assumptions to conclude that quantum mechanics is incomplete. Starting in 1965, Bell and others constructed mathematical inequalities whereby experimental tests could distinguish between quantum mechanics and local realistic theories1,3,4,5. Many experiments1,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15 have since been done that are consistent with quantum mechanics and inconsistent with local realism. But these conclusions remain the subject of considerable interest and debate, and experiments are still being refined to overcome ‘loopholes’ that might allow a local realistic interpretation. Here we have measured correlations in the classical properties of massive entangled particles (9Be+ ions): these correlations violate a form of Bell's inequality. Our measured value of the appropriate Bell's ‘signal’ is 2.25 ± 0.03, whereas a value of 2 is the maximum allowed by local realistic theories of nature. In contrast to previous measurements with massive particles, this violation of Bell's inequality was obtained by use of a complete set of measurements. Moreover, the high detection efficiency of our apparatus eliminates the so-called ‘detection’ loophole.
Role of Metal Coordination Structures in Enhancement of Electrocatalytic Activity of Ternary Nanoalloys for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

The ability to harness the metal coordination structures of nanoalloy catalysts is critical for catalyzing the oxygen reduction reaction because such a detailed atomic-scale structure dictates the surface binding site and strength for molecular oxygen and oxygenated intermediate species in the electrocatalytic process. This Article describes the results of an investigation of the metal coordination structures of ternary (PtNiCo) nanoalloys and their manipulation to enhance the electrocatalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction. The basic hypothesis is that such atomic-scale structure can be manipulated by oxidative–reductive thermal treatment to influence the binding site and strength of molecular oxygen and oxygenated species on the nanoalloy surface. The results have revealed remarkable increases in both mass activity and specific activity for the catalysts processed by the oxidative–reductive treatment over those treated under nonreactive or low-degree oxidative atmospheres before the reductive tr...
Efficacy and tolerability of anthracycline-based therapy in elderly patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Abstract Introduction Although diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) can be cured with rituximab and anthracycline-based therapy, within the elderly population there are additional factors to consider in selecting a treatment regimen including comorbid conditions, decreased drug metabolism, decreased hematologic reserve, reduced performance status, and regimen-related toxicity. Patients and Methods We performed a retrospective cohort analysis of patients with DLBCL aged ≥ 65 years at time of diagnosis treated with either an anthracycline-containing regimen (ACR; n = 59) or a non-ACR (n = 13) to assess factors that led to treatment selection, tolerability, and outcomes. Results The mean age was 73 years in the ACR and 77 years in the non-ACR group ( P = .009), and median left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) at diagnosis was 60% in the ACR group and 45% in the non-ACR group ( P Conclusion Results of this study suggest that elderly patients with DLBCL experience meaningful PFS with ACRs, but a third experience toxicity requiring therapy modification. Future studies should examine larger patient populations and define treatments with outcomes similar to ACR that also decrease toxicity and hospitalization in the elderly DLBCL population.
Acute positive inotropic intervention: The catecholamines

The catecholamines remain a major therapeutic group in intensive cardiac care; this group of compounds evokes a positive inotropic response and vascular effects ranging from vasoconstriction to little net effect to vasodilatation. Hemodynamics and clinical guidelines now allow a proper selection of the optimal catecholamine. Additional mechanisms of action and a better understanding of the clinical application of this important drug group are continuing to unfold.
Lung phospholipids. I. In vivo studies of the incorporation of 32P, [methyl-14C] choline, 1-14C-palmitic acid and 1-14C-oleic acid into phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidyl-N, N-dimethylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine.

Abstract 32 P and 1- 14 C-palmitate were rapidly incorporated into lung phosphatidyl-N,N-dimethylethanolamine (PDME). The half-life of the PDME based on the decay of 1- 14 C-Palmitate was about 5 hrs. A greater half-life (>20 hrs.) occurred with PDME labelled with 1- 14 C-oleate. No evidence was found for the conversion of phosphatidylcholine to PDME or the recycling of phosphatidylcholine N-methyl groups to PDME. In light also of the known negligible contribution of methionine methyl transfer in the biosynthesis of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine, which is synthesized mainly by the CDP-choline mechanism, lung PDME should not be viewed primarly as an intermediate in the successive N-methylation of phosphatidylethanolamine. Rather, it appears to be an important biosynthetic product.
Evidence for Molecular Translational Diffusion during the Crystallization of Amorphous Solid Water

Molecular diffusion in amorphous solid water is studied by measuring the extent of isotope exchange and mixing in vapor-deposited ultrathin films using temperature-programmed desorption. Our results indicate there is long-range translational diffusion that occurs concomitantly with the amorphous to crystalline ice phase transition. The apparent diffusivity estimated from these data is a factor of 106±1 greater than an Arrhenius extrapolation for diffusion in crystalline ice. This finding suggests that the amorphous material exhibits liquid-like translational diffusion prior to crystallization at temperatures near 155 K.
Tropical Cyclone Recurvature and Nonrecurvature as Related to Surrounding Wind-Height Fields

Abstract Ten years of rawinsonde data for 30 stations in the western North Pacific have been composited relative to tropical cyclone center positions. This is the same data set described in a previous paper by the same authors. These data were used to study prior (12–72 h) differences in surrounding environmental fields between tropical cyclones which recurved and those which did not. Differences in the wind, height and temperature fields out to 21° radius to the north between these two classes of storms are presented. A strong recurvature correlation is found in the 200 mb wind and height fields at large radii to the north. It is suggested that an operational long-range (2–3 days) tropical cyclone recurvature forecast scheme can be developed using upper tropospheric wind-height data.
Innate immune activation as a broad-spectrum biodefense strategy: Prospects and research challenges

Biodefense strategies require protection against a broad and largely unforeseen spectrum of pathogens--the forte of innate immune system defenses--that have evolved over millennia to function within moments of encountering either ancient or newly emerging pathogens. Although constitutive, the innate immune system is activated by the presence of microbes or their products, providing a rationale for a potential biodefense strategy. Both prophylactic and postexposure strategies involving innate immune stimulation have been shown to be plausible to prevent or ameliorate infections in animal models. Innate immune-activating compounds based on conserved microbial components recognized by toll-like molecules and other receptors could be synthesized and delivered like drugs by using an entirely different strategy from conventional vaccination. However, important theoretic and practical questions emerge about developing and deploying innate immune protective strategies for biodefense. This rostrum discusses prospects and problems in the overall approach itself. Important topics include microbe-specific issues about innate immune system effectiveness against highly virulent pathogens and general questions, such as whether innate immune responses will be safe and effective if used in a diverse human population of different age groups and with different genetic makeups.
Gender differences in college binge drinking: Examining the role of depression and school stress

Abstract In this paper the associations among binge drinking, depression, and school-related stress are examined for a sample of college men and women. Data are taken from a survey of 248 undergraduate students at the University of North Dakota – located in a state with high underage and binge drinking rates. The current study challenges past work showing that college women are more likely to respond to depression by binge drinking: depression is indirectly and negatively associated with binge drinking among the women in this sample through its association with school-related stress. Among men, depression is directly and positively associated with binge drinking.
Cytotoxicity of the cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine

Abstract The NG108-15 and C6 cell lines were used in the present study as neuronal and glial models, respectively, to examine the cytotoxicity of the major metabolite of cocaine, benzoylecgonine (BE). Exposure of both cell types to varying concentrations of BE resulted in a loss of cells from the growth surface. Analysis of the unattached cells after such exposure, using a variety of techniques, revealed that these cells were not viable. Therefore, this effect could not be ascribed to BE interfering with cell-substratum interactions. This early events in BE cytotoxicity were examined by observing cells cultivated on the stage of an inverted microscope, using differential interference contrast (Nomarski) optics. Upon exposure of either cell type to 10 μM BE a retraction of cellular processes could be observed within 30 min. Within 6 h cell death was apparent. Similar analyses using 50 μM BE in the growth medium resulted in similar results, except that process retraction could be observed as early as 15 min after exposure. These results demonstrate that the major metabolite of cocaine, benzoylecgonine, is cytotoxic to in vitro models of neuronal and glial cells.
Ignition delay of ponderosa pine needles and sphagnum moss

Controlled experiments demonstrated a significant difference between the ignition delay of ponderosa pine needles and that for sphagnum moss. At a furnace temperature of 320° and a fixed oxygen inlet of 33 c.c./min., sphagnum moss ignited more quickly than ponderosa pine needles. The materials were ground in a Wiley mill and subjected to three methods of sample preparation and two modes of ignition. Delays were determined by two methods: spontaneous ignition and pilot ignition. Particle size distribution, density, moisture content, heat of combustion, and chemical composition of the two fuels were measured to establish, if possible, what parameters influenced the difference in delay of ignition of these fuels.
Localized irradiation of tumors prior to synthetic dsRNA therapy enhanced the resultant anti-tumor activity

Abstract Background and purpose Despite the potent tumoricidal activity of the synthetic dsRNA in culture, its in vivo anti-tumor activity has proven to be limited. We sought to devise and validate a new strategy to improve the in vivo anti-tumor activity by integrating localized irradiation into dsRNA therapy. Materials and methods Using a mouse lung cancer model and a mouse melanoma model in immuno-competent mice or athymic nude mice, we evaluated the combined anti-tumor activity using a synthetic dsRNA, polyinosine-cytosine (poly(I:C)). Results Localized irradiation of tumors prior to the poly(I:C) therapy significantly delayed the tumor growth as compared to monotherapies using the radiation or poly(I:C) alone. The poly(I:C) enhanced the tumor response to radiation with a dose modification factor as large as 20. The combined effect was synergistic only in immuno-competent mice with highly immunogenic tumors. The anti-tumor activity of the combination therapy was significantly impaired when the type I interferons in the mice were neutralized. Conclusions This combination modality may represent a promising approach to exploit synthetic dsRNA in cancer therapy and to enhance tumor response to radiation. T cell-mediated immunity was likely responsible for the combined synergistic effect. Type I interferons contributed significantly to the combined anti-tumor activity.
Efficiency of heat storage in solar energy systems

Abstract The purpose of this research was to develop an original method of measurement of the efficiency of heat storage in solar energy systems. The method was tested experimentally by using an electric heater instead of the heat from solar collectors. A rectangular-shaped box was made to hold the material that is capable of holding heat. In this research, pentaerythritol was chosen as being potentially the most effective material for this experiment from all aspects. This report presents a theoretical justification of the methods and the results of the error analysis. Different means and ways of improving the efficiency of a heat storage box, as well as the whole system, are suggested. The report concludes by analyzing the data that the material used is capable of storing heat at 360°F for up to 16 h.
Metabolites of monomethoxy-4-aminoazobenzene dyes: a computational study

We report the results of a computational study of the possible metabolites of 4-aminoazobenzene (AAB) and its monomethoxy derivatives using density functional theory (DFT) and the semiempirical AM1 method. These calculations identify several factors that may influence the radically different carcinogenic activities of 2-methoxy-and 3-methoxy-AAB.
Parental and Peer Influences on Adolescent Drinking: The Relative Impact of Attachment and Opportunity

ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper was to assess the relative effects of parents and peers on adolescent alcohol use via mechanisms of attachment and opportunity. Panel data from the second and third waves of the National Education Longitudinal Survey (NELS:88) were used to examine the relationship between multiple measures of peer and parent-child relations reflecting these concepts and alcohol use among high-school students. Overall, our results indicated that peers are more influential than parents in shaping adolescents' patterns of alcohol consumption and that unstructured peer interaction is an especially powerful predictor of adolescent alcohol use and binge drinking. Our findings further suggest that gender serves as a conditioning factor, moderating the effects of parental and peer variables on high-school students' drinking. Potential programmatic applications, as well as the theoretical implications, of these findings are discussed within the context of control theory and prior research on the ...
Time-of-flight studies of compensated a-Si:H

Abstract The drift mobility and charge collection of compensated a-Si:H are measured using time-of-flight photoconductivity. The mobility of both electrons and holes decreases rapidly as the doping level is increased. From the results we suggest that shallow traps arising from boron-phosphorus complexes are introduced. The charge collection measurements demonstrate that compensated samples of a-Si:H have a low dangling bond density.
Comparison of quantitative calcium flux through NMDA, ATP, and ACh receptor channels

NMDA receptors, ATP receptors, and nicotinic ACh receptors respond to agonist by undergoing conformational changes that open weakly selective cationic channels that are permeable to calcium. We determined the fraction of the current carried by calcium by simultaneously measuring membrane current using whole-cell patch-clamp techniques and intracellular Ca2+ using the fluorescent indicator Fura-2. The Fura-2 response to free Ca2+ was calibrated individually for each cell. Two different calibration methods are compared: one uses voltage-activated Ca2+ channels, and the other uses the same ligand-gated channels that are being tested but in a pure Ca2+ solution. The two methods give quantitatively different results. The method using pure Ca2+ currents through ligand-gated channels calibrates the Fura-2 signal through the same influx pathway that generates the test response, thus controlling for the distribution of channels and ensuring a similar interaction between the incoming Ca2+ and Fura-2. In a physiologic solution containing 2.5 mM Ca2+ at a holding potential of -50 mV, the percentage of inward current carried by Ca2+ through NMDA receptors in hippocampal neurons is 12.4%. By comparison, in sympathetic neurons the percentage of current carried by Ca2+ through neuronal nAChRs is 4.7%, and through ATP-activated purinergic receptors it is 6.5%. These percentages can be used to estimate the amount of Ca2+ entry through these receptors during synaptic activation, but care must be exercised in considering the many subtypes of each receptor.
Pathogenesis of Campylobacter fetus Infections: Critical Role of High-Molecular- Weight S-Layer Proteins in Virulence

Wild-type Campylobacter fetus strains possess high-molecular-weight S-layer proteins (S+) and are highly resistant to serum-mediated killing and phagocytosis. Spontaneous mutant strains lacking these proteins (S-) are serum and phagocytosis sensitive and have reduced virulence in a mouse model. Intact S+ cells were treated with pronase, which made them S- although genotypically S+ and had essentially no effect on other cellular proteins or on viability. Treatment with pronase, but not buffer alone, rendered these cells serum and phagocytosis sensitive and reduced mouse virulence to the level observed for the S- mutant cells. In related studies, purified S-layer proteins diminished neutrophil chemoluminescent responses to a heterologous particulate antigen. Finally, passive administration of antiserum to the 97-kDa S-layer protein partially protected mice against lethal challenge with the S+ strain. These studies define the contribution of the S-layer proteins to C. fetus virulence.
The adoption of incentive regulation and its effect on technical efficiency in telecommunications in the United States

Abstract Incentive regulation has become an important regulatory tool in the telecommunications industry in the United States. The issue explored here is whether incentive regulation has resulted in an increase in efficiency. After providing an overview of the nature of incentive regulation, a methodology for measuring technical efficiency and its change is introduced. This is a multiple-output/multiple-input distance function approach to measuring technical efficiency. The results of implementing this approach for 19 local exchange carriers for the 1988–1999 period indicate that in the production of local service, intrastate toll/access service, and interstate access to local loops, there was no change in technical efficiency between the 1988–1990 period and the 1991–1999 period, something that incentive regulation was specifically designed to promote.
A free-response description approach to the analysis of person-situation interaction.

This study is a report on the utilization of a free-response description approach to address the following question: In what ways does an individual remain stable and vary as a function of situational characteristics, and what are those characteristics? Each of four subjects generated a list of situations in his or her current life which he or she then rated on lists of situation traits, feelings, and behaviors, which were also generated by the individual subject. For each subject the data were factor analyzed to determine groups of situations which were distinctive in terms of the feelings and behaviors associated with them. It was suggested that the personality of each individual could be understood in terms of the pattern of stability and change in feelings and behaviors in relation to defined groups of situations. It was also suggested that the approach utilized might serve as the basis for the future development of a taxonomy of situations and behaviors in situations.
Alloxan- and glutathione-dependent ferritin iron release and lipid peroxidation.

Abstract The diabetogenic action of alloxan is believed to involve oxygen free radicals and iron. Incubation of glutathione (GSH) and alloxan with rat liver ferritin resulted in release of ferrous iron as assayed by spectrophotometric detection of ferrous-bathophenanthroline complex formation. Neither GSH nor alloxan alone mediated iron release from ferritin. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase did not affect initial rates of iron release whereas ceruloplasmin was an effective inhibitor of iron release. The reaction of GSH with alloxan resulted in the formation of the alloxan radical which was detected by ESR spectroscopy and by following the increase in absorbance at 310 nm. In both instances, the addition of ferritin resulted in diminished alloxan radical detection. Incubation of GSH, alloxan, and ferritin with phospholipid liposomes also resulted in lipid peroxidation. Lipid peroxidation did not occur in the absence of ferritin. The rates of lipid peroxidation were not affected by the addition of SOD or catalase, but were inhibited by ceruloplasmin. These results suggest that the alloxan radical releases iron from ferritin and indicates that ferritin iron may be involved in alloxan-promoted lipid peroxidation.
Response: Re: Future of Board Certification in a New Era of Public Accountability

To the Editor: It is reassuring to hear from readers like Dr. Donohoe,[1][1] who have embraced the concept of American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) Maintenance of Certification (MOC). In his letter he expresses concern about who is required to participate in MOC, and states, “those who
Measurement of the ohmic electrode-tissue contact resistance and the voltage applied to myocardium.

Abstract The electrical impedance of a pulse generator-electrode-heart system is a complex one. By analysis of an eqivalent circuit developed for the above, a model was derived to describe the output voltage applied to an implanted electrode. On the basis of the dynamic behavior of the equivalent circuit when a pacing pulse was applied, a method for measuring true ohmic electrodetissue contact resistance was developed, and a device was constructed to provide an instant digital readout of its value. The value of that risestance varied from 179 to 521Ω in 13 patients. When a variable resistance R, was connected in series with an implanted electrode, and a threshold voltage for every value of R was determined the actual voltage applied to the myocardium was computed for 16 patients.
Silent corticotroph adenomas: Emory University cohort and comparison with ACTH-negative nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas.

BACKGROUND Silent corticotroph adenomas (SCAs) are clinically nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas (NFPAs) with positive staining for corticotropin (ACTH) by immunohistochemistry. Whether SCAs behave more aggressively than NFPAs without ACTH immunoreactivity (ACTH negative) remains controversial. OBJECTIVE To compare characteristics and outcomes of SCAs with ACTH-negative NFPAs and to identify predictors of aggressive outcome. Primary composite endpoint included the first of any of the following events: progression, recurrence, or death. METHODS We reviewed all cases of SCAs and all ACTH-negative macroadenomas operated on between April 1995 and December 2007 by 1 neurosurgeon. RESULTS Our retrospective cohorts included 33 SCAs followed for 42.5 months (median) (range, 6.7-179.0 months) and 126 ACTH-negative patients followed for 42 months (range, 6-142 months). SCA were younger (mean ± SD; 49.6 ± 14.1) than ACTH-negative patients (55.6 ± 12.8, P = .02). Tumor diameter was similar (2.8 ± 1.0 cm); cavernous sinus invasion was present in 45.5% of SCAs and 30.2% of ACTH-negative NFPAs (P = .09). Postoperative tumor residual was detected in 53.1% of SCAs and 49.6% of ACTH-negative patients. Radiation was administered in 40.6% of SCAs at 16 months (range, 3-149 months) and 33.3% of ACTH-negative patients at 13 months (range, 3-94) postoperatively. Progression of residual tumor occurred in 24.2% of SCAs and 11.1% of ACTH-negative patients (P = .08); recurrence was similar (6.0% SCAs vs 5.5% ACTH-negative patients). Cumulative event-free survival rates were not significantly different between the 2 groups (P = .3). Age, sex, tumor size, cavernous sinus invasion, or SCA subtypes were not associated with outcome. CONCLUSION SCA patients were younger, but exhibited similar postoperative tumor regrowth rates as ACTH-negative macroadenomas while using a similar adjuvant radiation protocol. Long-term follow-up is warranted because predictors of regrowth are currently lacking.
Clinician compliance and the prevention of bacterial endocarditis

Lack of compliance with AHA recommendations for prevention of bacterial endocarditis is a continuing problem. The source of clinicians' confusion is analyzed to clarify problem areas and to increase compliance. It isn't only confusion about recommended antibiotic regimens that adversely affects clinical compliance.
Interacting rigid strings with long range order: beyond the Gaussian approximation

Abstract Recently we have shown that a phase transition occurs in the leading and sub-leading approximation of the large N limit in rigid strings coupled to long range Kalb-Ramond interactions. The disordered phase is essentially the Nambu-Goto-Polyakov string theory while the ordered phase is a new theory. The non-local potential for the string generated by the Kalb-Ramond (KR) interactions is not quadratic in the string and an additional approximation in all of the large N analysis mentioned was that only the quadratic piece of the potential was retained. In this letter we study the first non-trivial cubic effect of the KR potential and we set up the rules for perturbation theory in large N . We show that the theory is super-renormalizable and obtain the renormalized two point function. Consequently, we show that the quadratic approximation is self-consistent in that the region of the renormalized couplings of the extrinsic curvature and the KR couplings contains the phase with long range order. The result suggests that the phase transition should survive beyond the Gaussian approximation in large N .
Fetal perforation of augmentation cystoplasty in an adult

This is a case report of a fatal spontaneous perforation of an augmentation enterocystoplasty in a twenty-nine-year-old T12 paraplegic, thirteen months post augmentation and placement of artificial urinary sphincter. A review of the literature involving 41 episodes in 31 patients is provided with a discussion concerning presentation, etiology, and management.