cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Subtypes of disability in older persons over the course of nearly 8 years.

OBJECTIVES: To characterize distinct and clinically meaningful subtypes of disability, defined based on the number and duration of disability episodes, and to determine whether the incidence of these disability subtypes differ according to age, sex, or physical frailty. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Greater New Haven, Connecticut. PARTICIPANTS: Seven hundred fifty-four community-living residents aged 70 and older and initially nondisabled in four essential activities of daily living. MEASUREMENTS: Disability was assessed during monthly telephone interviews for nearly 8 years; physical frailty was assessed during comprehensive home-based assessments at 18-month intervals. The incidence of five disability subtypes was determined within the context of the 18-month intervals in participants who were nondisabled at the start of the interval: transient, short-term, long-term, recurrent, and unstable. RESULTS: Incident disability was observed in 29.8% of the 18-month intervals. The most common subtypes were transient disability (9.7% of all intervals), defined as a single disability episode lasting only 1 month, and long-term disability (6.9%), defined as one or more disability episodes, with at least one lasting 6 or more months. Approximately one-quarter (24.7%) of all participants had two or more intervals with an incident disability subtype. Although there were no sex differences in the incidence rates for any of the subtypes, differences in rates were observed for each subtype according to age and physical frailty, with only one exception, and were especially large for long-term disability. CONCLUSION: The mechanisms underlying the different disability subtypes may differ. Additional research is warranted to evaluate the natural history, risk factors, and prognosis of the five disability subtypes.
Erectile Function, Incontinence, and Other Quality of Life Outcomes Following Proton Therapy for Prostate Cancer in Men 60 Years Old and Younger

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a critical health-related quality of life (HRQoL) outcome in men treated for prostate cancer and has been associated with depression and significant distress.1, 2 Many effective treatment options are available to men with prostate cancer, including surgery, external-beam radiotherapy (EBRT), and brachytherapy, and some men select treatment based on perceived side effect profiles, frequently focusing on urinary incontinence and ED. Several studies have investigated and compared HRQoL factors following various treatments for prostate cancer.3-6 These studies have consistently found a more significant decline in ED following surgery than after EBRT. The median age of patients receiving surgery is typically significantly lower than that of patients who receive EBRT; in addition, the EBRT population also includes less healthy men who are not candidates for surgery.3, 6 Thus, reported ED outcomes following EBRT are generally based on an older, less healthy cohort with lower baseline sexual function and may not reflect outcomes attainable with EBRT in a younger, healthier population of patients with prostate cancer. Proton therapy (PT) is a highly conformal radiotherapy modality that delivers much less radiation dose to nontargeted normal tissues, such as the bladder and rectum, than conventional radiation therapy. Moreover, comparative dosimetry studies have documented lower doses to nontargeted tissues with PT compared with intensity-modulated radiotherapy,7 providing a rationale for the very low rates of genitourinary and rectal toxicity that have been observed in clinical studies8 and the expectation of a lower rate of second malignancy in younger men with prostate cancer.8-10 Although patient-reported ED and urinary incontinence following PT have been studied,11, 12 none have investigated outcomes using the more commonly used Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC) questionnaire, which can easily be compared with outcomes after other prostate cancer treatments. Furthermore, no study has evaluated ED in a cohort of young men treated with EBRT, where interactions from medical comorbidities are less likely to influence ED outcomes and for whom baseline sexual function would be similar to “typical” surgical patients. This study investigates patient-reported HRQoL outcomes (with an emphasis on sexual outcomes) through use of the EPIC questionnaire in a young cohort of patients (≤60 years old) who received definitive treatment with PT alone.
An optimal control problem for a class of nonlinear hereditary systems

The paper is motivated by a finite interval, terminal constraint control problem for a class of nonlinear hereditary systems. Application of variational methods to the optimization problem requires a density condition (dense range) for some related linear hereditary systems, a controllability condition. The density condition can be characterized by a condition on the matrix representation of the differential of the input/output operator. The characterization reduces to a 'checkable' condition when the matrix representation is time invariant.
Alaskan Groundfish Resources: 10 Years of Management under the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act

Abstract In this paper, we examine management under the 1976 Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MFCMA) and its effect on Alaskan groundfish resources. The history of the groundfish fisheries in the northeast Pacific are traced, and the statuses of several important exploited species groups are compared between pre- and post-MFCMA periods. Generally, the stocks managed in the Exclusive Economic Zone off Alaska have benefited from management measures. Inadequate monitoring of the increasing domestic fishery threatened to nullify gains that had been made in the ability to assess the condition of the stocks, but a domestic observer program was implemented in 1990.
Morphometric analyses of the cervical superior facets and implications for facet dislocation.

The articular facets of the cervical spine have been well addressed; however, little information is available on the relationship of the superior facets of the cervical spine to traumatic dislocation in the literature. Morphometric analyses of the superior facets of 30 dried cervical spines from C3 to C7 were performed to determine any morphological differences. The angle of the superior facet with respect to the transverse plane was also measured on computed tomography (CT) scans of 30 patients having neck injury without fracture/dislocation. The vertical and surface lengths of the superior facet were significantly lower (P < 0.01) at C6–C7 levels than at C3–5 levels. The anteroposterior diameter of the superior facet was smaller (P < 0.05) at C6 and C7 levels compared to C3–5 levels. Although the superior facet joint surface is in a more coronal orientation in lower cervical vertebrae, the inclination of the superior facet is more horizontal relative to the transverse plane when measured in vivo. A combination of lower height, smaller anteroposterior diameter of the superior facet, and a more horizontally oriented superior facet at C6 and C7 levels in vivo may explain the predilection of translation relative to one another in the lower cervical spine.
Corporate Spatial Links With Financial Institutions: The Role of the Metropolitan Hierarchy

This study focuses on the spatial linkages between major U.S. corporations and financial institutions. The results support the hypothesis that corporations reach up the metropolitan hierarchy for banking services, i.e., they are more strongly linked with higher-order centers than with lowerorder metropolitan areas. A second hypothesis, also confirmed, is that larger corporations are more strongly tied to the upper end of the metropolitan hierarchy than are smaller firms. Although some elements of banking are located in the same metropolitan area as the corporate headquarters that use their services, a significant component of banking services—especially investment and foreign banking—involves intermetropolitan linkages. These linkages are national rather than regional and do not follow the traditional distance-decay model.
Effect of MTP on TNF-α in Perfused Rat Liver after Bacteremia and Ischemia/Reperfusion

Introduction. Muramlytripeptide phosphatidylethanolamine (MTP) stimulates synthesis of cytokines by hepatic Kupffer cells. We have shown in a perfused rat liver model that secondary ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) downregulates tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) expression after Escherichia coli (EC) bacteremia. Here, we tested the hypothesis that pretreatment with MTP restores cytokine response after sequential bacteremia and I/R. Methods. Thirty-eight livers were studied in eight groups after intraportal injection of 10 9 live EC or normal saline (NS): (1) normoxic EC; (2) EC + I/R (ischemia began 30 min after EC followed by 2 h of reperfusion); (3) normoxic NS controls; and (4) NS + I/R. Four groups of rats received 300 μg/kg of MTP i.v. 24 h prior to liver harvesting: (5) MTP + EC; (6) MTP + EC + I/R; (7) MTP + NS; and (8) MTP + NS + I/R. Bioactive and antigenic TNF-α, PGE 2 and bacterial clearance were assessed. Results. MTP increased bioactive TNF-α response to EC (MTP + EC vs EC controls: 685 ± 255 U/ml vs 250 ± 180 U/ml, P < 0.02). I/R did not downregulate TNF-α in animals treated with MTP (MTP + NS vs MTP + NS + I/R, P = 0.83). Pretreatment with MTP restored TNF« after I/R MTP + EC + I/R vs EC + I/R: 671 ± 215 U/ ml vs 27 ± 14 U/ml, P < 0.001) to levels similar to those found in the MTP + EC group (MTP + EC + I/R vs MTP + EC: 671 ± 215 U/ml vs 685 ± 255 U/ml, P = 0.75). Finally, bacterial clearance was increased in groups which received MTP. Conclusion. In vivo administration of MTP increases hepatic TNF-α response to intraportal EC bacteremia by a PGE 2 independent mechanism. This response is maintained even after subsequent ischemia and reperfusion.
Bacterial pyrogens. II. Pyrogenic preparations from various bacterial species.

Essential differences in the biological activity and chemical composition of pyrogenic concentrates prepared from five species of bacteria are shown. Particular attention is devoted to the significance of the total pyrogenic polysaccharide content of each concentrate, as well as to the amount of reducing sugar, hexosamine and nonreducing carbohydrate which it contains.
Electrical Resistivity Measurements of Hot Dense Aluminum

Electrical transport properties of dense aluminum are measured in the disordered liquidlike phase using a well-tamped, thermally equilibrated, exploding wire z pinch. Direct measurements of the electrical conductivity have been made using voltage and current measurements. Our measurements span the minimum conductivity regime, at higher densities than have been produced previously. We find that some Ziman-like theoretical predictions are in fair agreement with the data and one Ziman-like theoretical approach is in good agreement, in contrast to other experiments performed in similar regimes which indicate poor agreement with such theories.
The origin of small cracks in igneous rocks

Abstract The difference in compressional velocities at pressures of 1 atm and 10 kb, a sensitive indicator of microcrack porosity, is closely related to the presence of quartz in many igneous rock samples. The origin of such cracks can be attributed to the relatively high values of thermal expansion and compressibility of quartz. Only few cracks are introduced by drilling in stressed rocks.
Controversies in cancer and the mind: effects of psychosocial support.

In the last decades of the twentieth century, interest in effects of consciousness on health and illness generated several lines of investigation into effects on cancer. Animal studies showed sensitivity of some cancers to hormonal and stressful influences. However, those findings did not translate into effects on humans, nor did they lead to advances in understanding of human cancer. The proposal that emotional state or stress, mediated through psycho-neuro-immunologic mechanisms would affect cancer generation or growth, resulted in conflicting information. Major surveys found no relationship. The proposal of a cancer personality (Type C) also was not confirmed. Initial observations that depression and stress affected human cancer seem to have best been explained by misinterpretations of cause and effect. By the mid 1990s, a remaining thesis--effect of psychosocial support on longevity and the course of cancer--was yet to be resolved. Initial positive results, especially findings in two popularly quoted studies, were not confirmed; they seem to have been due to inadequate numbers (chance) or to artifacts in study design or implementation. Psychosocial support may result in better adjustment and quality of life, but it does not directly affect the evolution of human cancer.
Studies on enhanced degradable plastics. II. Weathering of enhanced photodegradable polyethylenes under marine and freshwater floating exposure

The weatherability of three types of enhanced photodegradable polyethylene films and corresponding control films were studied under outdoor and marine floating conditions at two exposure sites. Progress of weathering was monitored using tensile elongation at break. In general, both the enhanced-degradable plastics and the corresponding controls degraded slower in marine exposure than in outdoor exposure. This is attributed to the lower sample temperatures (compared to samples exposed outdoors) and to shielding from light afforded by surface fouling in samples exposed floating in sea water. Enhanced-photodegradable polyethylenes disintegrated faster than the control samples in the case of both outdoor and marine exposures. The improvement obtained in marine exposures was greater than that for outdoor exposure of corresponding sample types. This is due to the extremely slow rates of disintegration of control films under marine floating conditions.
Diminished monocytic HLA-DR expression and ex vivo cytokine secretion capacity in patients with glioblastoma: Effect of tumor extirpation

Abstract Severe immunodysregulation on lymphocyte level has been described in patients with glioblastoma and is likely involved into its unfavorable prognosis. Although the major importance of monocytic cells for immunoregulation is well established, only very limited data exist regarding the monocyte status in glioblastoma patients. Here we demonstrate a markedly diminished monocytic HLA-DR expression and ex vivo cytokine secretion capacity (TNF- α , IL-1 β , IL-10) as signs for monocyte deactivation in glioblastoma patients but not in patients with astrocytoma. As known in immunocompromised patients from other reasons, monocyte deactivation indicate global immunodepression associated with an enhanced risk of infectious complications. Interestingly, tumor resection resulted in partial recovery from the monocytic deactivation. This suggests that the glioblastoma itself contributed to this phenomenon. However, IL-10 and the active forms of transforming growth factor- β 2 and - β 1, which are produced by glioblastoma cells and known to inhibit monocyte function, were not detectable in plasma in our patients. Moreover, low levels of the adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol excluded hypothalamo–pituitary–adrenal axis involvement. So, further investigations are necessary to clarify the mechanism. The demonstrated severe glioblastoma-associated monocytic deactivation may contribute to its unfavorable prognosis. Therefore, monocytes may represent target cells for new adjuvant immunotherapies in glioblastoma.
Exact Rayleigh scattering calculations for use with the Nimbus-7 Coastal Zone Color Scanner

For improved analysis of Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS) imagery, the radiance reflected from a planeparallel atmosphere and flat sea surface in the absence of aerosols (Rayleigh radiance) has been computed with an exact multiple scattering code, i.e., including polarization. The results indicate that the single scattering approximation normally used to compute this radiance can cause errors of up to 5% for small and moderate solar zenith angles. At large solar zenith angles, such as encountered in the analysis of high-latitude imagery, the errors can become much larger, e.g.,>10% in the blue band. The single scattering error also varies along individual scan lines. Comparison with multiple scattering computations using scalar transfer theory, i.e., ignoring polarization, show that scalar theory can yield errors of approximately the same magnitude as single scattering when compared with exact computations at small to moderate values of the solar zenith angle. The exact computations can be easily incorporated into CZCS processing algorithms, and, for application to future instruments with higher radiometric sensitivity, a scheme is developed with which the effect of variations in the surface pressure could be easily and accurately included in the exact computation of the Rayleigh radiance. Direct application of these computations to CZCS imagery indicates that accurate atmospheric corrections can be made with solar zenith angles at least as large as 65 degrees and probably up to at least 70 degrees with a more sensitive instrument. This suggests that the new Rayleigh radiance algorithm should produce more consistent pigment retrievals, particularly at high latitudes.
Landslides, Alien Species, and the Diversity of a Hawaiian Montane Mesic Ecosystem1

Abstract In the Ninole ridges of Hawai'i, we evaluated changes in plant species diversity and composition and the effect of alien species on the growth and recruitment of native species after disturbance by landsliding. We chose nine landslides representing three age categories (young, 4–17 yr; intermediate, 18–42 yr; and old, ca 130 yr) plus three undisturbed forest sites (325–525 yr) to sample and manipulate the vegetation; the undisturbed forest developed on tephra-derived soils underlain by basalt. The ordination of sites and species using detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) showed that species establishing on landslides were different than those found in the undisturbed forest; moreover, a large fraction of the species establishing on young landslides were represented by aliens, mostly grasses and orchids. The manipulation of alien species (clipping of aboveground parts and removal of above- and belowground parts, including soil) on young landslides (<17 yr) significantly affected seedling growth...
Use of Cognitive Enhancement Medication in Persons With Alzheimer Disease Who Have a Family Caregiver: Results From the Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer's Caregiver Health (REACH) Project

Objective Aging populations show increased prevalence of cognitive impairment and dementia. Recent efficacy studies report on prescription medications and herbal preparations that affect cognitive functioning, but the prevalence and correlates of cognitive-enhancement (CE) medication use among community-dwelling older persons is not well studied. The authors examined the frequency and appropriateness of use, the importance of a family caregiver in medication decisions for dementia patients, and differences in access to medical care. Methods REACH is a multisite feasibility study of several approaches to reducing the negative impacts of caregiving on those living with a family member with dementia. Data on medication use by care-recipients were collected at baseline and 1 year later. Results At baseline, 31% of 1,222 care-recipients were using a CE medication. Factors independently related to CE use were age, education, functional status, and caregiver vigilance. Within 1 year, 14% started and 30% quit taking CE. Care-recipients more likely to be Starters had spouse-caregivers, more education, and fewer baseline ADL impairments. Quitters had more ADL deficits at baseline and became less able to perform ADL at follow-up than those who continued on CE. Conclusions CE medication use among dementia patients with a family caregiver is relatively common, though there is substantial geographic variability. Our findings are mixed with respect to appropriate use of CE medications, suggesting areas for physician education. Our data indicate the importance of the caregiver in CE medication use and suggest that there may be disparities in access to healthcare among people with cognitive impairment.
Relation between age, body weight, and medial retropharyngeal lymph node size in apparently healthy dogs.

The aims of this study were to determine the size of the medial retropharyngeal lymph nodes in apparently healthy dogs using ultrasonography and to investigate relationships between body weight (1.8–59 kg), age (1.0–15 years), and medial retropharyngeal lymph node sizes (width, height, and length). The sample population consisted of 100 apparently healthy, volunteered, adult dogs. The data were normally distributed, thus mean, SD, and Pearson's correlation were used. Repeatability of ultrasound measures was assessed as the percentage of differences between duplicate measures that were within 2 SDs of the differences: all measures were at least 93% repeatable (differences typically were ≤0.25 cm and always <1 cm). No difference between sexes was observed. The medial retropharyngeal lymph node increased in size with increased body weight (r=0.46 to 0.59) and decreased in size with increased age (r=−0.30 to −0.50). Although statistically significant, the actual variation is not likely clinically important due to the small range of sizes, measurement error, and various combinations of age and body weight. Therefore, regardless of body weight or age, the average width is 1.0 cm, height is 0.5 cm, and length is 2.5 cm and maximum width is 2 cm, height is 1 cm, and length is 5 cm. Based on the maximal difference between duplicate measures (with some exception), any change ≥0.4 cm with width or height, or ≥1.0 cm in length, in a follow up measurement probably represents a true biological change rather than measurement error.
The equilibrium position of the mitral valve: An accurate model of mitral valve motion in humans

A "semiopen" diastolic equilibrium position of the mitral valve that is assumed in the absence of transmitral flow has been demonstrated in instrumented dogs. It has been suggested that the papillary muscles and chordae tendineae play an integral role in returning the valve to this position after initial diastolic opening. To determine whether such a model of mitral valve motion is valid in noninstrumented humans without underlying valvular disease, M-mode and Doppler ultrasound studies were performed in 6 subjects who underwent prolonged periods of ventricular diastole and atrial inactivity. After maximal opening, the mitral valve assumed a stable open position in which mean separation of the anterior and posterior mitral leaflets was 52% of maximal separation. This position was maintained for a mean duration of 585 ms, during which time transmitral flow fell to 0 m/s. Peak mitral valve opening preceded the early transmitral flow peak by an average of 42 ms, suggesting an active closure of the mitral valve as flow continued to accelerate. It is concluded that a semiopen equilibrium position of the mitral valve is assumed during prolonged diastolic periods in the absence of transmitral flow and is an accurate model describing diastolic mitral valve motion in noninstrumented humans. The chordae tendineae and papillary muscles may actively participate in the genesis and maintenance of the equilibrium position.
Nuclear receptors of the honey bee: annotation and expression in the adult brain

The Drosophila genome encodes 18 canonical nuclear receptors. All of the Drosophila nuclear receptors are here shown to be present in the genome of the honey bee (Apis mellifera). Given that the time since divergence of the Drosophila and Apis lineages is measured in hundreds of millions of years, the identification of matched orthologous nuclear receptors in the two genomes reveals the fundamental set of nuclear receptors required to 'make' an endopterygote insect. The single novelty is the presence in the A. mellifera genome of a third insect gene similar to vertebrate photoreceptor-specific nuclear receptor (PNR). Phylogenetic analysis indicates that this novel gene, which we have named AmPNR-like, is a new member of the NR2 subfamily not found in the Drosophila or human genomes. This gene is expressed in the developing compound eye of the honey bee. Like their vertebrate counterparts, arthropod nuclear receptors play key roles in embryonic and postembryonic development. Studies in Drosophila have focused primarily on the role of these transcription factors in embryogenesis and metamorphosis. Examination of an expressed sequence tag library developed from the adult bee brain and analysis of transcript expression in brain using in situ hybridization and quantitative RT-PCR revealed that several members of the nuclear receptor family (AmSVP, AmUSP, AmERR, AmHr46, AmFtz-F1, and AmHnf-4) are expressed in the brain of the adult bee. Further analysis of the expression of AmUSP and AmSVP in the mushroom bodies, the major insect brain centre for learning and memory, revealed changes in transcript abundance and, in the case of AmUSP, changes in transcript localization, during the development of foraging behaviour in the adult. Study of the honey bee therefore provides a model for understanding nuclear receptor function in the adult brain.
Diagnosing the Nature of Land–Atmosphere Coupling: A Case Study of Dry/Wet Extremes in the U.S. Southern Great Plains

Land-atmosphere (L-A) interactions play a critical role in determining the diurnal evolution of land surface and planetary boundary layer (PBL) temperature and moisture states and fluxes. In turn, these interactions regulate the strength of the connection between surface moisture and precipitation in a coupled system. To address model deficiencies, recent studies have focused on development of diagnostics to quantify the strength and accuracy of the land- PBL coupling at the process-level. In this paper, a diagnosis of the nature and impacts of local land-atmosphere coupling (LoCo) during dry and wet extreme conditions is presented using a combination of models and observations during the summers of 2006 and 2007 in the U.S. Southern Great Plains. A range of diagnostics exploring the links and feedbacks between soil moisture and precipitation are applied to the dry/wet regimes exhibited in this region, and in the process a thorough evaluation of nine different land-PBL scheme couplings is conducted under the umbrella of a high-resolution regional modeling testbed. Results show that the sign and magnitude of errors in land surface energy balance components are sensitive to the choice of land surface model, regime type, and running mode. In addition, LoCo diagnostics show that the sensitivity of L-A coupling is stronger towards the land during dry conditions, while the PBL scheme coupling becomes more important during the wet regime. Results also demonstrate how LoCo diagnostics can be applied to any modeling system (e.g. reanalysis products) in the context of their integrated impacts on the process-chain connecting the land surface to the PBL and in support of hydrological anomalies.
Variations in the mechanical properties of glass induced by high-pressure phase change

Abstract The elastic property of As 2 Se 3 glass has been determined under high pressure from the data of the sound wave velocities and density. The sound velocities in As 2 Se 3 glass have been measured under hydrostatic pressure up to 20 kb by means of ultrasonic interferometry. Sound velocities for both the longitudinal and shear mode, bulk modulus and shear modulus were found to increase linearly with pressure up to 8 kb. Above 9 kb the pressure derivatives diminished. The acoustic Gruneisen parameter shows an abrupt decrease at about 9 kb. Comparisons were made among the observed values of the volume ratio V / V 0 , the isothermal bulk modulus K T and the pressure derivative K ′ T , and predictions based upon the Murnaghan equation or the lattice theory equation of state for solids. It is concluded that the abrupt changes in the parameters are probably due to a phase transition in glass at 9–10 kb. The clear resolution of the bulk modulus on both sides of the transition enables one to compute all the mechanical properties of the high-pressure phase, using the law of corresponding states. The decrease of K ′ T from 7.86 to 6 in the high-pressure phase change is consistent with the change of density from 4.60 to 4.75. A modified equation of state has been proposed to describe the elastic property of glass. This equation includes a variable parameter C which reflects the volume change in glass due to bond angle change with pressure. By this equation the pressure dependence of C can also explain the elastic anomaly of silica glass as well as the variation of elastic constants of As 2 Se 3 glass across the phase transition pressure.
Study of fast decoupled load flow algorithms with substantially reduced memory requirements

Abstract The convergence pattern of fast decoupled load flow (FDLF) algorithms with substantially reduced memory requirements is presented in this paper. The convergence performance of FDLF algorithms as compared with the Newton-Raphson algorithm under various loading conditions is demonstrated. Furthermore, one particular formulation of an FDLF algorithm which allows substantial reduction in memory requirements with approximately the same convergence rate as the current FDLF method is described. The proposed method is simple and can easily be added to the existing FDLF programs.
Spatial DNA Melting Analysis for Genotyping and Variant Scanning

A continuous-flow, temperature gradient microfluidic device was used to demonstrate spatial DNA melting analysis with the resolution and reproducibility necessary for clinical SNP scanning and genotyping of human genomic DNA. With a steady-state temperature gradient of 20−30 °C across a sample, melting curves were constructed from a single fluorescence data acquisition. This technique was used to scan for heterozygotes and to fully genotype single base changes using unlabeled probes. Signal-to-noise ratios of 150−300 were achieved. The thermal effects of sample flow were examined, and temperature control was aided by inclusion of an isothermal channel inlet and thermal relaxation times in the experimental protocol. Human single base variants examined by spatial DNA melting analysis included rs354439, HTR2A 102T > C, and three alleles that affect appropriate warfarin dosage (CYP2C9*2, CYP2C9*3, and VKORC1 1173C > T). Heterozygote scanning was demonstrated with rs354439, while the other PCR targets were gen...
Impact of the application of the American College of Emergency Physicians recommendations for the admission of patients with syncope on a retrospectively studied population presenting to the emergency department

Background The goal of our study was to determine the accuracy of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) clinical policy in identifying patients with a cardiac cause for their syncope and its potential effect on syncope management. Methods Adult patients with syncope presenting to the emergency department (ED) from January 1996 to December 1998 were identified. Diagnosis was established retrospectively by reviewing medical records. The ACEP guidelines were applied to this population. Results Of the 200 patients identified, 115 (57.5%, 95% CI 60-64) were admitted from the ED and 24 (12%) were found to have cardiogenic syncope. Of the 24 patients with cardiac syncope, 23 were admitted. By applying ACEP level B recommendations to our population, all patients who on further workup were found to have cardiac syncope would have been admitted from the ED (100% sensitivity, 95% CI 86-100) and 81% of patients with no cardiac syncope would have been discharged from the ED (81% specificity, 95% CI 75-87). The admission rate would have been 28.5% (95% CI 22-35). By extending admission to patients satisfying level C in addition to level B recommendations, the sensitivity, specificity, and admission rate would have been 100% (95% CI 86-100), 33% (95% CI 26-40), and 71.0% (95% CI 64-77), respectively. Conclusion High sensitivity and specificity in identifying patients with cardiogenic syncope and significant reduction in the hospital admission rate were observed by applying ACEP level B recommendations to patients presenting to our ED. Application of level C recommendations did not offer any advantage.
Applications of caterpillar trees in chemistry and physics

The relations of caterpillar trees (which are also known as Gutman trees and benzenoid trees) to other mathematical objects such as polyhex graphs, Clar graphs, king polyominos, rook boards and Young diagrams are discussed. Potential uses of such trees in data reduction, computational graph theory, and in the ordering of graphs are considered. Combinatorial and physical properties of benzenoid hydrocarbons can be studied via related caterpillars. It thus becomes possible to study the properties of large graphs such as benzenoid (i.e. polyhex) graphs in terms of much smaller tree graphs. Generation of the cyclic structures of wreath and generalized wreath product groups through the use of caterpillar trees is illustrated.
Transport of choline from plasma to cerebrospinal fluid in the rabbit with reference to the origin of choline and to acetylcholine metabolism in brain.

The supply of choline to the brain and the interrelationship between acetylcholine metabolism in the brain, choline in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and choline in plasma has been investigated by studying the transport of deuterium labelled choline from plasma toCSF in rabbits. The experiments were performed either by i.v. infusion of labelled choline or by administering deuterium choline in the diet until steady state levels were reached. All assays of labelled as well as unlabelled choline and acetylcholine were carried out by gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric technique. From these experiments it was found that the half-lives of the disappearance of labelled choline in plasma and CSF were similar (15 min) and the mole fraction of labelled choline in plasma was approximately 2.4 times that in CSF. The half-life of labelled acetylcholine in brain was about 25 min. In the time interval 10-20 min, the mole fraction of brain acetylcholine was the same as that of CSF choline. When infusion was carried out during pentobarbital anaesthesia the mole fraction of labelled brain acetylcholine decreased and that of labelled CSF choline increased compared to those of conscious animals. At steady state the mole fraction of labelled choline in plasma was nearly twice as high as that in CSF which in turn was significantly higher than that of acetylcholine in the brain. From these results it is suggested that in rabbit, free and derived choline in plasma are supplied to the brain in equal amounts. Furthermore it is suggested that choline is transported from plasma, via the extracellular space of the brain to CSF. In the extracellular space a part of choline is diverted and exchanged with choline in the acetycholine metabolic pathway.
Microscopic Model of Critical Current Noise in Josephson Junctions

We present a simple microscopic model to show how fluctuating two-level systems in a Josephson junction tunnel barrier of thickness $L$ can modify the potential energy of the barrier and produce critical current noise spectra. We find low frequency $1/f$ noise that goes as ${L}^{5}$. Our values are in good agreement with recent experimental measurements of critical current noise in $\mathrm{Al}/{\mathrm{AlO}}_{x}/\mathrm{Al}$ Josephson junctions. We also investigate the sensitivity of the noise on the nonuniformity of the tunnel barrier.
Distribution of epithelial membrane antigen in normal and neoplastic human ependyma

The ependyma and choroid plexus of 23 normal brains and 20 ependymal tumors were examined immunohistochemically for expression of epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) using a specific monoclonal antibody. The ependyma of normal brains showed three patterns of immunoreactivity: membrane immunoreactivity confined to the luminal surface; irregular punctate intracytoplasmic immunoreactivity in the subependymal layer; and spherical and ring-like intracytoplasmic immunoreactivity in the subependymal layer. Of 13 differentiated ependymomas 11 reflected the immunoreactive patterns of normal ependyma. The anaplastic ependymomas and ependymoblastomas had no immunoreactivity. Our results indicate that EMA has a highly selective distribution in the ependyma, and is a marker for differentiated ependymoma.
Mexico: Worse than you know

If you think the policy of preemption is a recipe for disaster, take a look at how the National Security Strategy plans to fix the world economy.
REACTIONS OF ALKALOID AND HISTOCHEMICAL INDICATORS IN LATICIFERS AND SPECIALIZED PARENCHYMA CELLS OF CATHARANTHUS ROSEUS (APOCYNACEAE)

A B S T R A C T Chromic acid, iodine-potassium iodide and Dragendorff reagent were employed to identify reactive cells that may indicate sites of alkaloid accumulation in fresh tissues and latex of C. roseus. Laticifers in all parts of the mature plant and certain parenchyma cells in the cortex and pith regions accuLmulated reaction products of these alkaloid indicators. These same cells showed primary fluorescence, accumulated vital dyes and lipid indicators in excess of other cells, and exhibited a more intense nadi reaction than other cells. Tests on fresh tissues are interpreted to indicate possible qualitative and quantitative differences in alkaloid content between subterranean and aerial portions of the plant and between mature and immature tissues. These studies showed that' reactive products are unevenly distributed in cells and organs of the plant and can be microscopically detected only in laticifers and specialized parenchyma cells.
Helicobacter pylori Infection and Gender: A Meta-Analysis of Population-Based Prevalence Surveys

Although most of Helicobacter pylori-related diseases are associated with male gender, the role of gender as a risk factor for H. pylori infection is still debated. To assess the true association between H. pylori and gender, we conducted a meta-analysis of large, population-based studies where the measure of association had been adjusted at least for age and socioeconomic status, and obtained primary data from authors when information on gender associations were not presented. In 18 adult populations, the test of heterogeneity was not significant and male gender was significantly associated with H. pylori infection (summary odds ratio [OR] 1.16 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.11, 1.22]). In 10 pediatric populations, the test of heterogeneity was of borderline significance, and the summary OR computed using a random effect model was close to 1 (summary OR 1.03 [95% CI 0.91, 1.17]). This study confirms the male predominance of H. pylori infection in adults as a global and homogeneous phenomenon; such predominance is not apparent in children. Differential antibiotic exposure or differential protective immunity between genders may explain the different results observed between children and adult studies.
Racial/Ethnic Differences in the Association between Arrest and Unprotected Anal Sex among Young Men Who Have Sex with Men: The P18 Cohort Study

This analysis aimed to determine whether the relationship between a history of arrest and unprotected anal sex (UAS) is the same for Black/Latino gay, bisexual, and other young men who have sex with men (YMSM) as compared to White/Asian/Pacific Islander (API) YMSM in New York City (NYC). Baseline audio-computer-assisted self-interview (ACASI) and interviewer-administered survey data from a sample of 576 YMSM aged 18–19 years old who self-reported being HIV-negative were analyzed. Data included history of arrest and incarceration as well as UAS in the past 30 days. Race/ethnicity was an effect modifier of the association between arrest and UAS among YMSM: White/API YMSM with a lifetime arrest history were more than three times as likely to report UAS, and Black/Latino YMSM with a lifetime history of arrest were approximately 70 % less likely to report UAS as compared with White/API YMSM with no reported arrest history. Race/ethnicity may modify the relationship between arrest and sexual risk behavior because the etiology of arrest differs by race, as partially evidenced by racial/ethnic disparities in police stop, arrest, and incarceration rates in NYC. Arrest could not only be an indicator of risky behavior for White/API YMSM but also an indicator of discrimination for Black/Latino YMSM. Further research is needed to assess whether the differential associations observed here vis-a-vis race/ethnicity are robust across different populations and different health outcomes.
A Stimulus-Oriented Approach to Memory

Our understanding of short-term recognition memory can be enhanced by careful choice and control of test materials. Theory-driven manipulation of memory test stimuli, including visual textures, human faces, and complex sounds, minimize individual differences and make it possible to predict recognition performance for specific combinations of stimulus items. This stimulus-oriented approach to memory reveals that stimulus similarity plays two different important roles in recognition memory. By exploiting tools used in psychophysics, it is possible to generate mnemometric functions-detailed "snapshots" that capture key features of subjects' memory strength.
ESR study of reentrant FexNi80−xP20 ribbons

Amorphous Fex Ni80−x P20 alloys in the ferromagnetic composition range (x=12,14,16) show progressive distortion of the ESR lineshape at temperatures well below the Curie temperature. We employ the Kubo–Toyabe model to analyze these ESR data which permits us to extract a freezing temperature Tf. There is a tendency for the relaxation rate to vanish as T is reduced toward Tf; below Tf an anisotropy energy K(T) appears that is proportional to (1−T/Tf). The magnetic phase diagram can now be constructed for x=12, 14, and 16 samples, showing them to be reentrant.
Viability of the rabbit papilloma virus.

SummaryCottontail papilloma tissue stored in 50% glycerine at 4°C remains infective and capable of producing confluent papillomatosis for as long as 20 years. All 6 of the tissues tested after storage from 6 to 20 years were found viable. This seems to establish that Shope virus is extremely stable when stored under refrigeration.
The Vega Particulate Shell: Comets or Asteroids?

The Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) science team has discovered a shell of particulate material around the star Vega. At the mean distance and temperature of the shell, the expected condensation products from a protostellar nebula would be dominated by frozen volatiles, in particular water ice. It is not possible to discriminate between dirty ice and silicate materials in the Vega shell on the basis of the IRAS data. The Vega shell is probably a ring of cometary bodies with an estimated minimum mass of 15 earth masses, analogous to one that has been hypothesized for the solar system. A possible hot inner shell around Vega may be an asteroid-like belt of material a few astronomical units from the star.
E-DECIDER: Using Earth Science Data and Modeling Tools to Develop Decision Support for Earthquake Disaster Response

Earthquake Data Enhanced Cyber-Infrastructure for Disaster Evaluation and Response (E-DECIDER) is a NASA-funded project developing new capabilities for decision making utilizing remote sensing data and modeling software to provide decision support for earthquake disaster management and response. E-DECIDER incorporates the earthquake forecasting methodology and geophysical modeling tools developed through NASA’s QuakeSim project. Remote sensing and geodetic data, in conjunction with modeling and forecasting tools allows us to provide both long-term planning information for disaster management decision makers as well as short-term information following earthquake events (i.e. identifying areas where the greatest deformation and damage has occurred and emergency services may need to be focused). This in turn is delivered through standards-compliant web services for desktop and hand-held devices.
GATE and TRMM

It is natural that a book chapter honoring Joanne Simpson draw the connection between the two most important tropical meteorological observing programs in the history of meteorology: the Global Atmospheric Research Program Atlantic Tropical Experiment (GATE) and the Tropical Rainfal Measuring Mission (TRMM). Both programs were dominated by the influences of Joanne Simpson. When TRMM data are all in, these two grand experiments will have given us more information about the behavior of tropical convection and precipitation over the tropical oceans than all other tropical field campaigns combined. But some may not know how GATE data played a key role in demonstrating the feasibility of a mission like TRMM. This chapter will present a review of a number of studies that connect GATE precipitation data with TRMM, especially in the early planning stages.
A Defect in Renal Calcium Conservation May Contribute to the Pathogenesis of Postmenopausal Osteoporosis

Although all postmenopausal women are estrogen deficient, women who have postmenopausal osteoporosis may have a defect, in addition to estrogen deficiency, that accounts for their higher rates of bone resorption and greater bone loss, relative to those who do not. To test the hypothesis that one defect is an impairment in renal calcium conservation, we measured renal calcium transport in 19 osteoporotic and 19 normal postmenopausal women, whose ages (median and 25th–75th percentile range) were 70 yr (range, 67–72) and 72 yr (range, 69–74), respectively. There was no difference between groups in values for serum ionized calcium and PTH concentrations or in renal filtered load of calcium. However, before PTH infusion, the osteoporotic women had lower (P = 0.0046) values for tubular reabsorption of calcium (TRCa) of 96.8% (range, 96.0–97.1) vs. 98.0% (range, 97.2–98.3) and higher (P = 0.0154) urinary calcium excretion of 0.194 mg/dL of glomerular filtrate (GF) (0.154–0.239) vs. 0.125 mg/dL of GF (0.103–0.173...
Endometrial assessment by vaginal ultrasonography before endometrial sampling in patients with postmenopausal bleeding.

Endometrial sampling is the mainstay of management of the postmenopausal patient with uterine bleeding. Thirty women with postmenopausal bleeding were studied prospectively. Before endometrial sampling, a vaginal probe ultrasonographic examination was performed. Eleven patients demonstrated a thin “pencil line” endometrial echo in which the maximum anteroposterior thickness on the long axis view was ≤5 mm. All eleven patients had minimal tissue obtained on biopsy and a pathology report of “tissue insufficient for diagnosis.” Seventeen patients had an echogenic endometrium ≥6 mm. Pathology reports of their samples revealed tissue insufficient for diagnosis (two cases), proliferative endometrium (six), secretory endometrium (three), hyperplastic endometrium (three), polyp (two), and endometrial cancer (one case). Two additional patients had no endometrial echo visualized because of associated myomas. These findings suggest (1) that the absence of significant endometrial tissue (echo ≤5 mm) on vaginal ultrasonography in cases with postmenopausal bleeding is uniformly associated with tissue insufficient for diagnosis, and (2) when endometrial thickness is ≥6 mm the histologic diagnosis should be determined in the pathology laboratory.