cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Informing the uninformed: optimizing the consent message using a fractional factorial design.

Importance Research information should be presented in a manner that promotes understanding. However, many parents and research subjects have difficulty understanding and making informed decisions. Objective To examine the effect of different communication strategies on parental understanding of research information. Design Observational study from January 2010 to June 2012 using a fractional factorial design. Setting Large tertiary care children’s hospital. Participants Six hundred forty parents of children scheduled for elective surgery. Interventions Parents were randomized to receive information about a hypothetical pain trial presented in 1 of 16 consent documents containing different combinations of 5 selected communication strategies (ie, length, readability, processability [formatting], graphical display, and supplemental verbal disclosure). Main Outcome and Measures Parents were interviewed to determine their understanding of the study elements (eg, protocol and alternatives) and their gist (main point) and verbatim (actual) understanding of the risks and benefits. Results Main effects for understanding were found for processability, readability, message length, use of graphics, and verbal discussion. Consent documents with high processability, eighth-grade reading level, and graphics resulted in significantly greater gist and verbatim understanding compared with forms without these attributes (mean difference, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.26-0.88, number of correct responses of 7 and mean difference, 0.54; 95% CI,0.20-0.88, number of correct responses of 4 for gist and verbatim, respectively). Conclusions and Relevance Results identified several communication strategy combinations that improved parents’ understanding of research information. Adoption of these active strategies by investigators, clinicians, institutional review boards, and study sponsors represents a simple, practical, and inexpensive means to optimize the consent message and enhance parental, participant, and patient understanding.
Effect of concomitant antiarrhythmic therapy on survival in patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators.

HO, A.T., ET AL.: Effect of Concomitant Antiarrhythmic Therapy on Survival in Patients with Implantable Background: Application ofimplantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) therapy is expanding to include both primary and secondary prevention of sudden cardiac death and has been proven to be superior to conventional antiarrhythmic therapies. Concomitant antiarrhythmic drug therapy in patients with ICD is common. These drugs are potentially proarrhythmic, alter defibrillation thresholds, and may affect response to device therapy. However, the impact of concomitant antiarrhythmic drug therapy on survival in patients with ICD devices is unknown. Methods: We investigated the effect of different antiarrhythmic drugs on survival when given concomitantly in 360 consecutive ICD patients from our university medical center. Mortality data were obtained from the national death index. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Corrections for significant covariates and group differences were made using the Cox regression model. Results: Patients were followed up for 4.4 ′ 3.7 years. There were 68 deaths over this period with a 5-year survival of 80%. Patient characteristics were: age 62 ′ 13 years, left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) 33 ′ 17%, ischemic etiology of LV dysfunction 68%, diabetes mellitus 19%, hypertension 49%, atrial fibrillation 23%, digoxin 43%, β-blocker 46%, amiodarone 28%, and sotalol 9%. The use of β-blockers was associated with a better survival (P = 0.0005). This effect persisted after correcting for age, heart rate, EF, and ischemic etiology. The beneficial effect of β-blocker was unrelated to its effect on heart rate. Digoxin use was associated with a lower survival only on univariate analysis (P = 0.006), but not after adjusting for other variables on a Cox regression model (P = 0.093). Amiodarone and sotalol were found to have a neutral effect on survival. Conclusion: In patients with ICDs, β-blockers had a favorable effect on survival. Sotalol and amiodarone had a neutral effect on survival. There was a trend toward a deleterious effect with digoxin use. These findings suggest a need for further investigation addressing survival effects of antiarrhythmic drugs when given concomitantly in patients with ICDs.
ATP‐dependent protein kinase activities in the oral pathogen Streptococcus mutans

ATP-dependent protein kinase activities were detected in both membrane and cytoplasmic fractions from the oral pathogen Streptococcus mutans. Different polypeptides were phosphorylated by endogenous kinase(s) in the two fractions. In membranes, five phosphoproteins were detected with apparent masses of 82, 37, 22, 12, and 10 kilodaltons (KD). In cytoplasm, two major acid-stable phosphoproteins were found. One was identified as HPr of the, phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP)-dependent phosphotransferase system (PTS), while the other had an apparent mass of 61 KD. Both of these proteins were phosphorylated on a seryl residue. Fructose 1,6-bisphosphate stimulated phosphorylation of HPr by the kinase and inhibited phosphorylation of the 61-KD protein. In contrast, fructose 1-phosphate, 2-phosphoglycerate, 3-phosphoglycerate, and dihydroxyacetone phosphate inhibited phosphorylation of HPr and stimulated phosphorylation of the 61-KD protein. Several other glycolytic intermediates as well as inorganic phosphate inhibited phosphorylation of either or both proteins. Preincubation of cytoplasm with PEP prior to incubation with ATP reduced the amount of phospho-(seryl)-HPr formed, but not that of the 61-KD phosphoprotein. The latter protein has not yet been identified but has properties that suggest that it may be the protein kinase itself. These results provide evidence for one or more soluble ATP-dependent protein kinases in S mutans that are regulated by glycolytic intermediates and that may play a role in the modulation of carbohydrate uptake and metabolism in this organism. A model for feedback regulation of sugar transport in S mutans, mediated by an allosterically regulated kinase is presented.
The status of women: conceptual and methodological issues in demographic studies

This paper explores several conceptual problems in social demographic studies of the status of women, including failure to recognize the multidimensionality of women's status and its variation across social “locations,” the confounding of gender and class stratification systems, and the confounding of access to resources with their control. Also discussed are some generic problems in the measurement of female status, such as the sensitivity of particular indicators to social context, and the need to select consistent comparisons when judging the extent of gender inequality.
Reproducibility of DXA in obese women.

Abstract Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measurements were analyzed using two versions of software (Hologic V8.1a and V8.21) to compare the short- and long-term precisions of the measurements. Software V8.21 was designed by the manufacturer to better address magnification effects on estimations of soft tissue lean mass. Twenty weight-stable, obese postmenopausal Caucasian women aged 40–70 yr participated in the study. Total and regional body composition measurements were obtained at baseline and after 3 mo, using a fan beam Hologic QDR 4500A absorptiometer. For the estimation of precision, duplicate scans obtained on the same day for nine women were analyzed using both versions of the software. The correlations between duplicate scans ranged from 0.886 to 0.998 and were similar between software versions. The CVs for fat and lean weights and bone mineral content (BMC) were 1.2%, 1.1%, and 1.7%, respectively, for software V8.21 compared to 1.3%, 1.3%, and 2.1%, respectively, for V8.1a. Systematic differences were found between software versions with higher values for fat and lean weights for software version V8.21. The 3-mo, long-term reproducibility of body composition estimates from DXA was only slightly less than short-term reproducibility for both software versions (coefficient of variation [CV] range from 1.3% for BMC weight to 11.0% for arm fat). Software V8.21 yielded smaller percentage mean differences between scale and DXA-estimated weights (–2.4% and –7.2% at baseline and –2.9% and –7.6% at 3 mo, respectively) and higher fat and lean weights (49.12 and 47.1 kg and 49.6 and 44.6 kg, respectively) than V8.1a. Reproducibility of all variables was comparable between software versions.
Concurrent multiple target tracking

A concurrent algorithm for multiple target tracking is presented. The underlying tracking formalism is first described by way of a sequential program, and the issues in generalizing the tracker for efficient concurrent implementations are discussed in detail. Typical tracking results on the Mark III hypercube are presented.
Oxygen vacancy model for the E1′ center in SiO2

Abstract An (oxygen)- vacancy model of the E1≈ center in alpha quartz, featuring an asymmetric relaxation of the two silicons adjacent to the oxygen vacancy, is presented and analyzed. This model is shown to be consistent with both theoretical calculations and experimental hyperfine data, in contrast with any model previously proposed for the E1≈ center.
Estimation of binding affinities for selective thrombin inhibitors via Monte Carlo simulations.

Monte Carlo simulations have been performed on a series of 20 active-site-directed thrombin inhibitors to determine the interactions and energetics associated with the binding of these compounds. Physicochemical descriptors of potential value in the prediction of binding affinities were averaged during simulations of each inhibitor unbound in water and bound to thrombin. Regression equations based on 3−5 descriptors are able to reproduce the experimental binding affinities, which cover a 7 kcal/mol range, with rms errors of 1.0−1.3 kcal/mol, and yield correlation coefficients, r2, of 0.7−0.8. On the basis of these results, the quantities most important in determining the binding affinities are: (1) the enhancement of van der Waals interactions in going from solution to the bound state, (2) the intramolecular strain induced in the inhibitor upon binding, (3) the number of hydrogen bonds lost in the binding process, and (4) the number of rotatable bonds in the inhibitor. The descriptors are physically reas...
Whole-genome sequence-based analysis of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.

Eric Boerwinkle and colleagues report whole-genome sequencing of a population-based sample of 962 individuals from three Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genetic Epidemiology (CHARGE) studies. They analyze the genetic architecture of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and estimate that common variation contributes more to HDL-C heritability than rare variation.
Interaction of a specific population of human embryonic stem cell-derived progenitor cells with CD11b+ cells ameliorates sepsis-induced lung inflammatory injury.

Human embryonic stem cells differentiated under mesoderm-inducing conditions have important therapeutic properties in sepsis-induced lung injury in mice. Single cell suspensions obtained from day 7 human embryoid bodies (d7EBs) injected i.v. 1 hour after cecal ligation and puncture significantly reduced lung inflammation and edema as well as production of tumor necrosis factor-α and interferon-γ in lungs compared with controls, whereas interleukin-10 production remained elevated. d7EB cell transplantation also reduced mortality to 50% from 90% in the control group. The protection was ascribed to d7EB cell interaction with lung resident CD11b+ cells, and was correlated with the ability of d7EB cells to reduce it also reduced production of proinflammatory cytokines by CD11+ cells, and to endothelial NO synthase–derived NO by d7EB cells, leading to inhibition of inducible macrophage-type NO synthase activation in CD11b+ cells. The protective progenitor cells were positive for the endothelial and hematopoietic lineage marker angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE). Only the ACE+ fraction modulated the proinflammatory profile of CD11b+ cells and reduced mortality in septic mice. In contrast to the nonprotective ACE-cell fraction, the ACE+ cell fraction also produced NO. These findings suggest that an ACE+ subset of human embryonic stem cell–derived progenitor cells has a highly specialized anti-inflammatory function that ameliorates sepsis-induced lung inflammation and reduces mortality.
The use of goggles for testing hemispheric asymmetry

A technique for restricting visual stimuli to a single visual field was validated in the present study. Vertical strips of opaque tape were applied to close-fitting goggles, obscuring one visual field on each lens. Forty-seven right-handed participants fitted with such goggles were found to be faster and more accurate in processing verbal stimuli presented to the right visual field than to the left. For a spatial task, accuracy was better and reaction times were shorter when stimuli were presented to the left visual field. Results indicate that the taped goggles were successful enough in restricting input to a single visual field to replicate typical laterality effects.
Purpose in Life Is Associated With Mortality Among Community-Dwelling Older Persons

Objective:To assess the association between purpose in life and all-cause mortality in community-dwelling elderly persons.Methods:We used data from 1238 older persons without dementia from two longitudinal cohort studies (Rush Memory and Aging Project and Minority Aging Research Study) with baseline
β-Adrenergic Modulation of Glial Inwardly Rectifying Potassium Channels

Cultured spinal cord astrocytes (2-13 days in vitro) express several different potassium current types, including delayed rectifier, transient A-type, and inward rectifier (Kir) K+ currents. Of these, Kir is believed to be of critical importance in the modulation of extracellular [K+] in the CNS. Using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique, we analyzed modulation of Kir currents by beta-adrenergic receptor activation. The selective beta-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol (1-100 microM) and epinephrine (1-100 microM) each reduced peak Kir current amplitudes to 52.7 +/- 12.5 and 63.6 +/- 7.0%, respectively, at 100 microM. Forskolin (KD of approximately 25 microM), an activator of adenylate cyclase (AC), and dibutyryl-cyclic AMP (1 mM), a membrane-permeable analogue of cyclic AMP (cAMP), were each used to increase [cAMP]i, the product of AC, and resulted in similar reductions of Kir currents. By contrast, 1,9-dideoxyforskolin (1-50 microM), a forskolin analogue that does not activate AC, did not affect Kir currents, indicating that AC activity is a required element for Kir modulation. Three inhibitors of PKA--Rp-adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphothioate, H-7, and adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate-dependent protein kinase inhibitor--failed to inhibit Kir current reduction by beta-adrenergic agonists. These results indicate that beta-adrenergic receptor ligands can modulate Kir currents and suggest that this modulation involves activation of AC but not protein kinase A. Such modulation may provide a mechanism by which neurons can modulate glial Kir currents and thereby may affect glial K+ "spatial buffering" in the CNS.
Dielectric breakdown of polycrystalline alumina: A weakest-link failure analysis

The effects of varying electrode geometry (ball and ring) and size (radius), dielectric liquid (castor oil and Diala® oil), and specimen thickness on the dielectric breakdown of a commercial-grade alumina were investigated. The breakdown strength was expressed in terms of the maximum electric field in the ceramic calculated by finite element analysis (FEA) at the breakdown voltage. The breakdown strength decreased systematically with increasing electrode radius and specimen thickness, and the strength was higher in the Diala® oil (dielectric constant, er = 2.3 ± 0.06) as compared to the castor oil (er = 4.6 ± 0.13). These effects of the electrode geometry, specimen thickness, and of the dielectric liquid on the breakdown strength of the alumina were analyzed with a weakest-link failure model employing Laplace and Weibull distributions for a population of defects in the material. The measured size or scaling effects of the electrodes, specimen thickness, and of the dielectric liquid on breakdown strength were in better agreement with the Laplace distribution for a population of surface defects. The dielectric breakdown is likely initiated at surface pits produced by grain pullout. The measured area concentration of surface pits agreed with the defect density analyzed from the weakest-link failure theory. FEA of specimens containing surface and subsurface cavities revealed that electric field concentrations were always greater for surface pits as compared to subsurface cavities. There is, in fact, no electric field concentration at a subsurface cavity located more than about 100–800 μm below the surface depending on the top electrode size.
Implementing evidence-based changes in emergency department treatment: alternative vitamin therapy for alcohol-related illnesses.

Study objective We sought to test the effectiveness of an intervention designed to replace multivitamin infusions with alternative vitamin therapies when treating emergency department (ED) patients who present with alcohol-related illnesses. Most patients presenting to the ED with alcohol-related illnesses are not vitamin deficient, and thus the routine use of multivitamin infusions may be unnecessary. Methods We created an educational document that included background literature, the costs of administering multivitamin infusions, and recommended alternative vitamin therapies. We then educated each emergency physician and changed the default electronic physician order entry in EPIC to an alternative vitamin treatment. Results There were no differences in monthly alcohol-related ED visits between the preintervention (June 2008 to May 2009; mean 204; SD 17) and postintervention (June 2009 to May 2010; mean 217; SD 20) periods. A mean of 32 (SD 3.6) multivitamin infusions was administered each month preintervention; the postintervention mean was 1.1 (SD 2.7) multivitamin infusions per month. The difference was 31 multivitamin infusions per month (95% confidence interval 28 to 34 infusions). The overall percentage of patients receiving vitamin therapy after the intervention was approximately half that of those receiving multivitamin infusions before, 6.8% (SD 2.4%) versus 16% (SD 2.0%), difference 8.7% (95% confidence interval 6.8% to 11%). Conclusion Our educational and order entry intervention was effective in changing physician vitamin prescribing behavior in ED patients with an alcohol-related illness.
Fish debris in sediments of the upwelling zone off central Peru: a late Quaternary record

Abstract Scales of the anchoveta were abundantly represented among fish remains preserved in partly laminated marine sediments on the upper continental slope of Peru. Hake scales were less common. Sardine scales occurred only sporadically. Recent accumulation rates of scales indicate that prior to exploitation the anchoveta standing stock off Peru was about five times that of northern anchovy off California. During glacial time, however, clupeoids were less abundant off Peru and were more evenly distributed among sardines and anchoveta. Evidence from fish scales and phytoplankton assemblages suggests that the coastal waters off Peru did not respond to continental glacial and neoglacial advances simply by cooling. High accumulation rates of scales from warm-water fishes and tests of cool-water phytoplankton preceded and succeeded an interval containing low numbers of dominantly warm-water taxa. This interval coincided with the second neoglacial advance (2000 to 2700 y B.P.). Similar but less well-defined warm-water and cool-water assemblages coincided with the third neoglacial advance (200 to 400 y B.P.) and the last glacial retreat. Upwelling intensity probably fluctuated more widely during early and late phases of glacial and neoglacial cooling episodes, accounting for the mix of distinctly warm-water and cool-water assemblages and perhaps for an enhanced productivity. A weakened Intertropical Convergence Zone or strengthened coastal countercurrent may explain the warm-water marine faunas and floras and wet climates on the mainland of Peru inferred by others for neoglacial or glacial time.
The Large-Scale Modulation of Subtropical Cyclogenesis in the Central and Eastern Pacific Ocean

Abstract An analysis of the composite large-scale circulation associated with periods of enhanced (active) or diminished (inactive) cyclogenesis in the subtropical central and eastern Pacific Ocean is presented. Composites were constructed using surface and tropospheric analyses from the ECMWF Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere (TOGA) dataset for 10 Northern Hemisphere cool seasons (1986–96). Active periods of subtropical cyclogenesis were defined to be periods in which two or more cyclones developed in close succession to each other, while inactive periods were defined to be periods of at least 10-days duration during which no cyclones with a subtropical origin were present in the Pacific basin. The analysis revealed that the occurrence of subtropical cyclones in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean is strongly linked to the strength and location of the Asian jet, with active periods characterized by a weaker, zonally retracted Asian jet while inactive periods are characterized by a stronger, zonally elon...
Influence of surface states on electron transport through intrinsic Ge nanowires.

Solution-grown single-crystal Ge nanowires were used as conductive channels in field effect transistor devices to study the influence of surface states on their electron transport properties. Nanowires contacted with Pt electrodes using focused ion beam metal deposition exhibited linear current−voltage (IV) curves at room temperature with apparent resistivities ranging from 101 to 10-1 Ω cm. In all cases, the nanowire conductance decreased with positive external electric fields applied perpendicular to the nanowire surface by a gate electrode, characteristic of p-type carrier accumulation at the nanowire surface. The field-induced change in conductance exhibited a time-dependent relaxation, with response time and magnitude of current decrease that depended on the nanowire surface chemistry. Nanowires treated with an organic passivation layer using a thermally initiated hydrogermylation reaction exhibited 2 orders of magnitude slower current relaxation and a smaller decrease in current relative to “bare” n...
Electrolytes, BUN, creatinine: Who's at risk?

Electrolytes, BUN, and creatinine are some of the most frequently ordered laboratory tests. The use of these tests in emergency practice has not been studied critically, and few investigations of their use in other disciplines have been performed. A review of the available literature and an analysis of medical problem solving, costs, and complications is presented. Indications based on physiological principles, clinical experience, and limited studies are suggested and areas of future research are outlined.
Does the hepatocellular phase of gadobenate dimeglumine help to differentiate hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhotic patients according to histological grade

Aim To assess the role of the hepatocellular phase on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) following gadobenate in characterizing the grade of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in cirrhotic patients. Materials and methods A retrospective review of the MRI database from October 2004 to February 2009, performed for this Institutional Review Board-approved and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)-complaint study, revealed 237 cirrhotic patients with focal liver lesions. Patients who had both a hepatocellular phase after gadobenate and pathological confirmation of HCC were included. Forty-six patients with 73 HCC were analysed independently by two reviewers for signal characteristics. Absolute contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and enhancement ratio (ER) were calculated. Univariate analysis, stepwise logistic regression analysis, and receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) were performed. Results The mean age was 61.3 years (range 45 to 78 years). There were 11 females and 35 males, who had 22 well-differentiated (WD HCC), 35 moderately-differentiated (MD HCC), and 16 poorly-differentiated (PD HCC) hepatocellular carcinomas. On visual analysis of the hepatocellular phase, a hyperintense or isointense lesion had a sensitivity and specificity of 45% and 76%, respectively, for WD HCC. On quantitative analysis, the only significant predictor of the grade of HCC was the ER on the hepatocellular phase (p = 0.019 and 0.001 for the two reviewers in logistic regression model). On ROC analysis, an ER of >13% was 47% sensitive and 89% specific in predicting WD HCC histology. Conclusion Although the hepatocellular phase of gadobenate may help to differentiate some cases of WD HCC from the more aggressive grades, there is overlap between the different grades on qualitative and quantitative analysis.
Treatment and prognosis in bile duct cancer.

Over the past 30 years, a total of 165 patients with bile duct cancer have been studied at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), U.S.A. A review of careful retrospective analyses of surgical treatment is presented. The data support a treatment strategy of resection of those tumors which can be grossly removed at operation. Palliation of other patients is best done by biliary-enteric bypass or operative intubation. The higher morbidity and mortality rates for palliative resections, together with a poorer quality of life in those patients surviving this procedure, argue against resection for palliative purposes.
Domains Explaining the Life Quality of Dairy Farm Couples

The purpose of the study reported here is to identify domains which explain the life quality of dairy farm husbands and wives. A further purpose is to identify domains which would explain life quality when the domain unique to farming is deleted. One hundred sixteen dairy farm couples were interviewed in 1986, when a financial crisis in agriculture had reached the western states. The analysis is done by stepwise regression. Satisfaction with farm work is an important explanation of husbands' and wives' life quality. When farm work is omitted from the equations, satisfaction with self is among important domains explaining life quality.
Inlet flow distortion in turbomachinery. I - Comparison of theory and experiment in a transonic fan stage. II - A parameter study

In the present paper, a semi-actuator-disk theory is reviewed that was developed previously for the distorted inflow to a single-stage axial-flow compressor. Flow distortion occurs far upstream; it may be a distortion in stagnation temperature, stagnation pressure, or both. Losses, quasi-steady deviation angles, and reference incidence correlations are included in the analysis, and both subsonic and transonic relative Mach numbers are considered. The theory is compared with measurements made in a transonic fan stage, and a parameter study is carried out to determine the influence of solidity on the attenuation of distortions in stagnation pressure and stagnation temperature.
ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL MONITORING OF CRACK FORMATION AND SUBCRITICAL GROWTH FROM SMALL DEFECTS

—An experimental method was developed to quantify the formation and subcritical propagation of small cracks emanating from artificial surface defects. Continuous crack depth information was obtained from dc electrical potential measurements employing an analytical model. Fatigue experiments were conducted to evaluate the crack monitoring procedures for conditions relevant to the elevated temperature defect tolerance of superalloys. Cracking progressed uniformly and predictably from small surface defects (0.1 mm deep and 1.4 mm long) in A286, 304 and 10Ni steels and in Rene 95 and MP–159 superalloys. Crack depths, computed based on analytical calibration of measured electrical potentials, agreed to within ±18% of corresponding values measured optically. Similar results were obtained for a penny-shaped defect, 75 μm deep. Applications of the technique were investigated, including characterizations of fatigue crack formation and growth in Rene 95.
LATE METABOLIC ACIDOSIS (LMA): A REASSESSMENT

There is substantial controversy regarding the definition and the clinical consequences of LMA. Well, low birth weight (LBW) infants fed standard formula were screened for blood tCO2 q. 3-4 days, (n=114). Values for the entire group were normally distributed (19.1 ± 2.6 (SD) mmol/l). From 1-21 days of age the mean rose linearly from 18.2 to 19.7 mmol/l and then plateaued. 16/74 infants had “acidosis” arbitrarily defined as tCO2 21 mmol/l (E) or 0.9% NaCl (1 ml/feed) (C). The weight gain was 16.0±3.8(SE)g/kg/day in E, 17.2 ± 1.4 in C, (p>.7), and 14.4±1.21 in non-acidotic babies. Values for titratable acidity, ammonium excretion, net acid excretion (NAE) or minimum urinary pH attained during ammonium chloride loading were not different in E or C and were similar to those previously reported for non-acidotic infants. Thus: a) values of tCO2 as low as 14 mmol/l during the first month of life fall within 2 SD for age and cannot be considered abnormal; b) the appropriate NAE for age suggests that blood tCO2 in LBW infants reflects their HCO3 threshold; c) LMA did not result in an increased capacity to excrete H+; d) since no association was found between weight gain and tCO2, the failure to thrive of LBW infants might be spuriously attributed to low tCO2.
Hidden in the Mix: The African-American Presence in Country Music

In 2007 American historian and gender studies specialist Diane Pecknold authored the insightful study The Selling Sound: The Rise of the Country Music Industry (Duke UP). Expanding upon scholarly t...
Chlorohydridotris(triphenylphosphine)rhodium(III) Chloride

[12124-48-0] C54H46Cl2P3Rh (MW 961.72) InChI = 1S/3C18H15P.2ClH.Rh.H/c3*1-4-10-16(11-5-1)19(17-12-6-2-7-13-17)18-14-8-3-9-15-18;;;;/h3*1-15H;2*1H;;/q;;;;;+2;/p-2 InChIKey = CTWGSIBPZJYPSA-UHFFFAOYSA-L (catalyst for carboxamide decomposition,2 chloroacetate carbonylation,3 hydrogen transfer,4 and hydrogenation5) Physical Data: α-form mp (dec) 160 °C; β-form mp (dec) 100 °C. Analysis of Reagent Purity: elemental analysis. Preparative Method: prepared from Rhodium(III) Chloride and Triphenylphosphine.1
Invasive Meningococcal Disease and a Need to Understand Host Genetic Susceptibility

Since the 1960s, when the phenomena of susceptibility to meningococcal disease based on genetic defects in complement cascade were first characterized, clinicians have had a working understanding of the relationship between this infectious disease and the host's genetic susceptibility [1]. For ~40 years, research has built on those initial observations, to the point where there is now evidence that many of the individual genes along the complement pathway can contribute to meningococcal disease susceptibility if a patient's gene sequence varies from the norm in a manner that results in
Toward a dataflow/von Neumann hybrid architecture

Dataflow architectures offer the ability to trade program level parallelism in order to overcome machine level latency. Dataflow further offers a uniform synchronization paradigm, representing one end of a spectrum wherein the unit of scheduling is a single instruction. At the opposite extreme are the von Neumann architectures which schedule on a task, or process, basis.This paper examines the spectrum by proposing a new architecture which is a hybrid of dataflow and von Neumann organizations. The analysis attempts to discover those features of the dataflow architecture, lacking in a von Neumann machine, which are essential for tolerating latency and synchronization costs. These features are captured in the concept of a parallel machine language which can be grafted on top of an otherwise traditional von Neumann base. In such an architecture, the units of scheduling, called scheduling quanta, are bound at compile time rather than at instruction set design time. The parallel machine language supports this notion via a large synchronization name space.A prototypical architecture is described, and results of simulation studies are presented. A comparison is made between the MIT Tagged-Token Dataflow machine and the subject machine which presents a model for understanding the cost of synchronization in a parallel environment.
Excitation of left‐hand polarized nonlinear MHD waves at comet Grigg‐Skjellerup

We present a self-consistent theory and the results of numerical simulations describing the excitation and nonlinear evolution of left-hand polarized Alfven waves in the solar wind near comet P/Grigg-Skjellerup. During the Giotto spacecraft encounter with this comet, the interplanetary magnetic field was almost perpendicular to the solar wind flow, so the newly created (by photoionization) cometary ions excited left-hand polarized waves through normal Doppler resonance. In our calculations we take into account two types of nonlinearity (1) the nonlinearity of the cometary ions' motion due to their resonant interaction with excited waves (i.e., trapping and bounce oscillations), and (2) the nonlinearity of the solar wind particle motion that leads to the steepening of the wave profile. Results of the study are in reasonable agreement with observations. This analysis may also be relevant to the related problem of nonlinear wave excitation by reflected protons near planetary bow-shocks.
Hydroponic Cultivation Offers A Practical Means of Producing Selenium-Enriched Garlic

Garlic enriched by selenium (Se) could be an excellent source of dietary Se for cancer chemoprevention. The production of high-Se garlic requires Se-fertilized soil, but such soil may pollute the environment. Hydroponics is a closed system that allows good control over Se fertilization without environmental consequences. We examined the effect of hydroponic cultivation on Se uptake and assimilation in garlic seedlings. Garlic bulbs were grown in the nutrient solution without Se for first 2 wk, and with potassium selenate for an additional week. Sulfate in an ordinary hydroponic solution inhibited the absorption and assimilation of selenate, but when a sulfate-free nutrient was used for Se addition, the garlic seedlings accumulated >1 mg Se, dry weight. Through HPLC inductively coupled plasma MS (HPLC-ICP-MS) analysis, Se-methlyselenocysteine (MeSeCys), y-glutamyl-Se-methlyselenocysteine (y-GluMeSeCys), selenomethionine, and nonmetabolized selenate were identified in water extracts of the garlic seedlings. The results demonstrate that hydroponic enrichment of Se in garlic seedlings could be a practical means of producing organic Se compounds for nutritional supplements.
Characterization and Modeling of Tensile Behavior of Ceramic Woven Fabric Composites

This paper examines the tensile behavior of SiC/SiC fabric composites. In the characterization effort, the stress-strain relation and damage evolution are studied with a series of loading and unloading tensile test experiments. The stress-strain relation is linear in response to the initial loading and becomes nonlinear when loading exceeds the proportional limit. Transverse cracking has been observed to be a dominant damage mode governing the nonlinear deformation. The damage is initiated at the inter-tow pores where fiber yarns cross over each other. In the modeling work, the analysis is based upon a fiber bundle model, in which fiber undulation in the warp and fill directions and gaps among fiber yarns have been taken into account. Two limiting cases of fabric stacking arrangements are studied. Closed form solutions are obtained for the composite stiffness and Poisson's ratio. Transverse cracking in the composite is discussed by applying a constant failure strain criterion.
Transcriptional Response of Candida albicans upon Internalization by Macrophages

The opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans is both a benign gut commensal and a frequently fatal systemic pathogen. The interaction of C. albicans with the host's innate immune system is the primary factor in this balance; defects in innate immunity predispose the patient to disseminated candidiasis. Because of the central importance of phagocytic cells in defense against fungal infections, we have investigated the response of C. albicans to phagocytosis by mammalian macrophages using genomic transcript profiling. This analysis reveals a dramatic reprogramming of transcription in C. albicans that occurs in two successive steps. In the early phase cells shift to a starvation mode, including gluconeogenic growth, activation of fatty acid degradation, and downregulation of translation. In a later phase, as hyphal growth enables C. albicans to escape from the macrophage, cells quickly resume glycolytic growth. In addition, there is a substantial nonmetabolic response imbedded in the early phase, including machinery for DNA damage repair, oxidative stress responses, peptide uptake systems, and arginine biosynthesis. Further, a surprising percentage of the genes that respond specifically to macrophage contact have no known homologs, suggesting that the organism has undergone substantial evolutionary adaptations to the commensal or pathogen lifestyle. This transcriptional reprogramming is almost wholly absent in the related, but nonpathogenic, yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, suggesting that these large-scale and coordinated changes contribute significantly to the ability of this organism to survive and cause disease in vivo.
Detecting metastatic prostate carcinoma in pelvic lymph nodes following neoadjuvant hormone therapy: the eyes have it!

Aims Residual cancer morphology in radical prostatectomies (RPs) after neoadjuvant hormone therapy includes inconspicuous cytology, and treated tumour cells can be difficult to identify in lymph nodes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of immunohistochemistry (IHC) in identifying occult lymph node metastases following neoadjuvant hormone treatment of prostate cancer. Methods and results One hundred and twenty-eight lymph nodes from 24 patients treated with neoadjuvant hormone therapy, including abiraterone acetate alone or combined with leuprolide, were stained with antibodies against keratin AE1/AE3, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), prostate-specific acid phosphatase (PrAP), androgen receptor (AR), and NKX3.1. IHC slides were scored ‘blind’, and then retrospectively compared with haematoxylin and eosin (HE PrAP was negative in all metastatic foci. All six lymph node metastases had been identified by H&E staining at the time of RP. Conclusions These findings suggest that routine use of IHC on lymph nodes from neoadjuvant-treated prostate carcinomas is not necessary. Nevertheless, for suspicious small foci of atypical cells in neoadjuvant-treated lymph nodes, NKX3.1 and AR appear to have the greatest sensitivity.
Beloit College Observatory

My attention has been called to a paragraph in NATURE (vol. xxxii. p. 514), which, quoting from Science, speaks of “the Astronomical Observatory of Beloit College as closed for lack of funds.” It is not strange that you express surprise at this announcement. Permit me to say that it is positively untrue. So far as I can learn, the only authority for it is a strange and entirely unwarranted statement from our late Director. Mr. Tatlock's connection with our Observatory closed on July 1 last. Within one week of that date Mr. Charles A. Bacon was appointed his successor, and a few weeks later he appeared and took charge. He has already proved himself competent, both as an observer and as an instructor. New arrangements are made for both meteorological and astronomical observations, and special attention will be given to solar and spectroscopic work. Though not richly endowed, our “Smith Observatory” is well equipped, and under its present direction its facilities will be made helpful to both the advancement and the diffusion of science.
Experimental constraints on Fe isotope fractionation during magnetite and Fe carbonate formation coupled to dissimilatory hydrous ferric oxide reduction

Abstract Iron isotope fractionation between aqueous Fe(II) and biogenic magnetite and Fe carbonates produced during reduction of hydrous ferric oxide (HFO) by Shewanella putrefaciens, Shewanella algae, and Geobacter sulfurreducens in laboratory experiments is a function of Fe(III) reduction rates and pathways by which biogenic minerals are formed. High Fe(III) reduction rates produced 56Fe/54Fe ratios for Fe(II)aq that are 2–3‰ lower than the HFO substrate, reflecting a kinetic isotope fractionation that was associated with rapid sorption of Fe(II) to HFO. In long-term experiments at low Fe(III) reduction rates, the Fe(II)aq-magnetite fractionation is −1.3‰, and this is interpreted to be the equilibrium fractionation factor at 22°C in the biologic reduction systems studied here. In experiments where Fe carbonate was the major ferrous product of HFO reduction, the estimated equilibrium Fe(II)aq-Fe carbonate fractionations were ca. 0.0‰ for siderite (FeCO3) and ca. +0.9‰ for Ca-substituted siderite (Ca0.15Fe0.85CO3) at 22°C. Formation of precursor phases such as amorphous nonmagnetic, noncarbonate Fe(II) solids are important in the pathways to formation of biogenic magnetite or siderite, particularly at high Fe(III) reduction rates, and these solids may have 56Fe/54Fe ratios that are up to 1‰ lower than Fe(II)aq. Under low Fe(III) reduction rates, where equilibrium is likely to be attained, it appears that both sorbed Fe(II) and amorphous Fe(II)(s) components have isotopic compositions that are similar to those of Fe(II)aq. The relative order of δ56Fe values for these biogenic minerals and aqueous Fe(II) is: magnetite > siderite ≈ Fe(II)aq > Ca-bearing Fe carbonate, and this is similar to that observed for minerals from natural samples such as Banded Iron Formations (BIFs). Where magnetite from BIFs has δ56Fe >0‰, the calculated δ56Fe value for aqueous Fe(II) suggests a source from midocean ridge (MOR) hydrothermal fluids. In contrast, magnetite from BIFs that has δ56Fe ≤0‰ apparently requires formation from aqueous Fe(II) that had very low δ56Fe values. Based on this experimental study, formation of low-δ56Fe Fe(II)aq in nonsulfidic systems seems most likely to have been produced by dissimilatory reduction of ferric oxides by Fe(III)-reducing bacteria.
Characterization of human UMP/CMP kinase and its phosphorylation of D- and L-form deoxycytidine analogue monophosphates.

Pyrimidine nucleoside monophosphate kinase [UMP/CMP kinase (UMP/CMPK);EC 2.7.4.14] plays a crucial role in the formation of UDP, CDP, and dCDP, which are required for cellular nucleic acid synthesis. Several cytidine and deoxycytidine analogues are important anticancer and antiviral drugs. These drugs require stepwise phosphorylation to their triphosphate forms to exert their therapeutic effects. The role of UMP/CMPK for the phosphorylation of nucleoside analogues has been indicated. Thus, we cloned the human UMP/CMPK gene, expressed it in Escherichia coli , and purified it to homogeneity. Its kinetic properties were determined. UMP and CMP proved to be far better substrates than dCMP. UMP/CMPK used all of the nucleoside triphosphates as phosphate donors, with ATP and dATP being the best donors and CTP being the poorest. Furthermore, UMP/CMPK was able to phosphorylate all of the deoxycytidine analogue monophosphates that we tested. The relative efficiency was as follows: arabinofuranosyl-CMP > dCMP > β-l-2′,3′-dideoxy-3′-thia-CMP > Gemcitabine monophosphate > β-d-2′,3′-dideoxy-CMP; β-l-2′,3′-dideoxy-2′,3′-didehydro-5-fluoro-CMP; β-l-2′,3′-dideoxy-5-fluoro-3′-thia-CMP > β-l-2′,3′-dideoxy-CMP > β-l-dioxolane-CMP. By comparing the relative V max / K m values of d- and l-form dideoxy-CMP, we showed that this kinase lacked stereoselectivity. Reducing agents, such as DTT, 2-mercaptoethanol, and thioredoxin, were able to activate this enzyme, suggesting that its activity may be regulated by redox potential in vivo . UMP/CMPK localized predominantly to the cytoplasm. In addition, 196-amino acid UMP/CMPK was the actual form of UMP/CMPK, rather than the 228-amino acid form as suggested before.
Use of anti-fluorophore antibody to achieve high-sensitivity immunolocalizations of transporters and ion channels.

We have discovered that the immunoreactivity of the fluorophore Alexa Fluor 488 survives glutaraldehyde and osmium tetroxide fixation and epoxy resin embedding and etching. We have developed new lo...
Real-time database systems: present and future

The design and implementation of real-time database systems presents many new and challenging problems. Compared with traditional databases, real-time database systems have a distinct feature: they must maintain temporally coherent data while satisfy timing constraints associated with transactions. In addition, a real-time database system must adapt to changes in the operating environment and guarantee the completion of critical transactions. In this paper we address the issues associated with temporal nature of transactions and data, and research areas for advanced real-time database systems.
Spatial variations in chemical weathering and CO2 consumption in Nepalese High Himalayan catchments during the monsoon season

The major ion chemistry of the Marsyandi basin and six of its tributaries in the Nepalese Himalaya have been investigated during the monsoon months of 2002. Weekly water samples taken at 10 river monitoring stations in the Annapurna watershed over the course of 4 months provide chemical weathering data for the region at an unprecedented temporal and spatial resolution. The river chemistry of all but one basin is heavily dominated by carbonate weathering which, compared to silicate weathering, contributes 80 to 97% of the total solute load. This prevalence is due to a combination of (a) intrinsically faster dissolution kinetics of carbonates, (b) relatively high runoff and (c) glacial meltwater and low temperatures at high altitudes resulting in enhanced carbonate solubilities. Monitoring stations with headwaters in the Tethyan Sedimentary Series (TSS) are particularly carbonate-rich and slightly supersaturated with respect to calcite through half of the monsoon season. Silicate weathering in the TSS is driven largely by sulfuric acid and therefore does not contribute significantly to the drawdown of atmospheric CO2. With respect to the tributaries in the Greater Himalayan Sequence (GHS), carbonate weathering is practically as predominant as for the TSS, in spite of the largely felsic lithology of the GHS. Relative to the TSS, the primary proton source in the GHS has shifted, with at least 80% of the protons derived from carbonic acid. Averaged over the whole field area, the CO2 fluxes, based on silicate-derived Ca and Mg, are considerably lower than the global average. Assuming that this study area is representative of the entire range, we conclude that in situ weathering of the High Himalayas does not represent a significant sink of atmospheric carbon dioxide, despite the presence of a watershed south of the GHS that is characterized by a four times higher CO2 consumption rate than the global average. Silicate weathering rates of all basins appear to be climate controlled, displaying a tight correlation with runoff and temperature. Given the extremely low chemical weathering under transport-limited conditions in high-altitude crystalline terrains outside of the monsoon season, this would result in virtually no chemical exhumation for 2/3 of the year in such a cold and arid climate, north of the rain shadow cast by the High Himalayas. 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Using the teach-back and Orem's Self-care Deficit Nursing theory to increase childhood immunization communication among low-income mothers.

Guided by Orem's Self-care Deficit Nursing theory, the purpose of the pilot study was to assess the relationship between maternal health literacy and the mother's ability to comprehend and communic...