cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The association of incident dementia with mortality in PD

To the Editor: Recently, Levy et al.1 reported, in a cohort of 180 patients with idiopathic PD, that 22.8% died during a mean follow-up of 3.0 ± 2.2 years, a duration of PD of 7.6 ± 8.8 years, and an age of 75.9 ± 8.7 years. The 48.8% of deceased patients were demented as compared to 23.9% of those who remained alive with a mean duration of PD of 5.9 ± 6.2 years and a mean age of 69.6 ± 10.3 years. These data indicating that the development of dementia (relation of incident dementia to mortality with a p value of <0.001) independently of the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) motor score is associated with a twofold mortality risk in PD can be confirmed from a personal series of 200 consecutive cases of autopsy-proven idiopathic PD from a specialized Austrian brain bank. In our cohort, the age at death was 58 to 98 …
ZoneZoom: map navigation for smartphones with recursive view segmentation

ZoneZoom is an input technique that lets users traverse large information spaces on smartphones. Our technique ZoneZoom, segments a given view of an information space into nine sub-segments, each of which is mapped to a key on the number keypad of the smartphone. This segmentation can be hand-crafted by the information space author or dynamically created at run-time. ZoneZoom supports "spring-loaded" view shifting which allows users to easily "glance" at nearby areas and then quickly return to their current view. Our ZoneZoom technique lets users gain an overview and compare information from different parts of a dataset. SmartPhlow is an optimized application for browsing a map of local-area road traffic conditions.
Ecological experimentation with the generations of Padina japonica Yamada (Dictyotales: Phaeophyta)

Abstract The sporophyte generation of Padina japonica Yamada dominates all fringing reef populations on Oahu, Hawaii, at all seasons. There are differences in the growth and structural responses of the generations to environmental factors. The sporophyte dominance may be due primarily to its greater resistance (longevity of individuals) to water movement in established populations of the species, as well as more successful growth at the local water temperatures.
Randomized, prospective trial of fenoldopam vs sodium nitroprusside in the treatment of acute severe hypertension. Fenoldopam Study Group.

Objective: To compare the safeties and efficacies of IV fenoldopam (FNP) vs sodium nitroprusside (NTP) in severe acute hypertension. Methods: A prospective. randomized, open-label, multimember international trial, at 24 academic medical centers, was conducted. The participants were adult patients (21–80 years of age) who had supine diastolic blood pressures (DBPs) ≥ 120 mm Hg, were capable of written informed consent, and did not have selected exclusion criteria. The subjects were randomized to either FNP or NTP therapy; DBP was titrated to 95–110 mm Hg. or a maximum reduction of 40 mm Hg for very high pressures. Infusions were maintained for at least six hours, then the patients were weaned off the IV therapy and oral medication was started. Measurements included BP, heart rate, and duration of study drug infusion and frequency of side effects or complications. Results: A total of IS3 patients (90 FNP, 93 NTP) were enrolled. Fifteen patients from each arm were excluded from efficacy analysis due to protocol violation. There was no significant difference in baseline characteristics. The two antihypertensive agents were equivalent in controlling and maintaining DBP. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) was reduced to a slightly greater degree for the NTP-treated patients during the initial (0.5–1-hr) study period, and both SBP and DBP were reduced more for the FNP-treated patients in the subset receiving infusions during the 12–24-hour period. The adverse effect profiles of the drugs were similar, as were the times to achieve target pressure, with no clinically relevant difference. Conclusions: For patients who had acute severe hypertension, FNP and NTP were equivalent in terms of efficacy and acute adverse events. Because of a unique mechanism of action, FNP may have advantages in selected subsets of patients. Further studies may be indicated in patient populations with pure “hypertensive emergencies.”
CORPORATE SOCIAL PERFORMANCE: RESEARCH DIRECTIONS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

Rowley and Berman (2000) are tackling the right questions in their article. Three critical questions, in essence, are asked: What is corporate social performance (CSP)? What does it mean (i.e., CSP...
In vitro culture of precision-cut testicular tissue as a novel tool for the study of responses to LH

In vitro culture systems are valuable tools for investigating reproductive mechanisms in the testis. Here, we report the use of the precision-cut in vitro system using equine testicular slices. Testes were collected from immature light breed stallions (n = 3) and cut into slices (mean slice weight = 13.85 ± 0.20 mg; mean slice thickness = 515.00 ± 2.33 µm) using the precision-cut tissue-slicing method. Four tissue slices were placed on a grid floating on medium in individual vials. After a 1-h preincubation, they were exposed to medium containing ovine luteinizing hormone (oLH) at concentrations of 0, 5, 50, and 500 ng/ml for 6 h at 32°C. Viability of the tissue was maintained based on histological integrity and lack of appreciable lactate dehydrogenase in the medium. The production and release of testosterone (T) and estradiol-17β (E2) into the medium was measured following in vitro culture. The addition of oLH increased T and E2 at least 400% and 120%, respectively, over the 0-ng oLH control cultures. Testicular gene expression was assessed with in situ hybridization methodology for steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR protein), phosphodiesterase 3B (PDE3B), and outer dense fiber of sperm tails 2 (ODF2) mRNAs. In situ hybridization revealed an oLH concentration-dependent increase in the concentration of StAR protein mRNA in Leydig cells. No differences were observed for the expression of PDE3B or ODF2 genes in seminiferous tubules among treatment groups as expected. These results demonstrate the value of in vitro culture of the precision-cut tissue slices for studies of the regulation of steroidogenesis and gene expression in the stallion testes.
Developmental changes in expression of inhibitory neuronal proteins in the Fragile X Syndrome mouse basolateral amygdala

In humans, Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is characterized by enhanced fear, hyperactivity, social anxiety, and, in a subset of individuals, autism. Many of the emotional and social deficits point to defects in the amygdala. We have previously shown defects in inhibitory neuron drive onto excitatory projection neurons in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) of juvenile Fmr1(-/y) knockout (KO) mice. Using pharmacological approaches, we have also previously revealed dynamic functional deficits in α1, α2, and α3 subunit-containing GABAA receptors (GABAARs α1, α2, and α3) during early postnatal development. In this study, we sought to determine whether these defects in GABAAR function are accompanied by changes in protein expression of GABAARs α1, α2, and α3 and the post-synaptic GABAAR-clustering protein gephyrin. Interestingly, we found that while the expression of these proteins did not significantly differ between wildtype (WT) and KO mice at each time point, the timing of developmental expression of GABAAR α1, α2, and gephyrin was altered. Collectively, these data reveal novel defects in inhibitory synapse protein expression during critical periods of early postnatal development that could contribute to observed inhibitory neurotransmission deficits in the KO mouse BLA.
Citalopram-Related SIADH

Objective:To report a case of syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone (SIADH) after the initiation of citalopram and trazodone therapy.Case Summary:A 75-year-old white woman developed SIADH ...
Self-Effacing and Self-Defeating Leadership: Adlai E. Stevenson

Using neo-Freudian analysis, this essay argues that as a child Adlai Stevenson experienced shame, anxiety, and ambivalence about the value and consequences of his initiative and autonomy. He responded with an imaginative coping mechanism, creating an idealized image in which ambition and autonomy were subordinated to duty and service. After a sequence of searing events during the Eriksonian period of identity versus role confusion, he resolved his identity crisis by becoming, in his mind, his idealized image. This conception of Stevenson's character provides a rich explanation of his behavior in the presidential nomination contests of 1952 and 1960.
Radiation transfer in vegetative canopies and other layered media: Rapidly solvable exact integral equation not requiring fourier resolution

Abstract We develop an exact integral equation for the angle-integrated flux interception by a leaf or a volume element in a layered medium. Iterative numerical solutions converge well. Any converged solution can be simply integrated to give the exact, angle-dependent flux at any depth. The method is presented for an axially symmetric input and an isotropic canopy, with results indicating quantitative significance in photosynthetic modeling and remote sensing. The generalization to arbitrary canopy anisotropy is developed without numerical results.
Mechanisms of fatigue crack initiation in annealed, quenched and tempered 4340 steel

AbstractThe mechanisms of fatigue crack initiation in annealed and quenched and tempered 4340 steel were characterized. Several axial fatigue specimens were tested at a strain range of 1.5 per cent...
Temporal influences on image change.

Abstract Hunt (1971) defines state image as the impressions that a person or persons hold about a state in which they do not reside. But image is more complex than a single perception, for Brand identification as well as people's perceptions of attributes of various activities or attractions within an area will interact to form a composite state image. Research into such images is a basis for product positioning of a state's various attractions or activities against other regions. The effects of temporal influences on image change may have consequences for product positioning. Within the limits of this research design, very little image change was seen to result from short-term seasonal differences. However, the minor changes noted were in the hypothesized direction, leading to the conclusion that further research should be conducted on image change as a result of temporal influences.
Production of high quality Nb/Al-oxide/Nb SIS trilayers for submillimeter wave mixers

Owing to a very sharp nonlinearity in the quasiparticle currentvoltage characteristic, which fortuitously occurs on the scale of a few millivolts rather than a few volts as with semiconductor devices, superconductor/insulator/superconductor (SIS) tunnel junctions are the most sensitive detectors for heterodyne mixing at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths. They can also provide sources of coherent local oscillator power at very high frequencies; more broadly, they have a number of interesting applications as fast, low-power logic elements and as detectors at optical wavelengths. For submillimeterwave mixers, in many ways the most demanding of these applications, the Nb/Al-oxide/Nb material system has emerged as the system of choice to frequencies of ∼ 700 GHz and beyond. Production of SIS devices requires careful attention to a number of critical microfabrication issues, and I describe here some of the insights gained from developing a process for high-quality niobium trilayers that successfully yielded small-area junctions with unusually low sub-gap leakage current.
Reduction of Grapefruit Bitter Components in a Fluidized β‐Cyclodextrin Polymer Bed

The bitter components limonin and naringin in grapefruit juices were reduced by β-cyclodextrin polymer with pilot plant equipment using a fluidized bed process. This polymer has been regenerated 21 times without apparent loss in capacity. Reduction of limonin and naringin concentrations ranged from 30–59% and from 33–48%, respectively. Both limonin and naringin levels were reduced sufficiently in all juices to make them significantly preferred in flavor tests over their controls.
Physical‐Object Ontology, Verbal Disputes, and Common Sense

Two main claims are defended in this paper: first, that typical disputes in the literature about the ontology of physical objects are merely verbal; second, that the proper way to resolve these disputes is by appealing to common sense or ordinary language. A verbal dispute is characterized not in terms of private idiolects, but in terms of different linguistic communities representing different positions. If we imagine a community that makes Chisholm's mereological essentialist assertions, and another community that makes Lewis's four-dimensionalist assertions, the members of each community speak the truth in their respective languages. This follows from an application of the principle of interpretive charity to the two communities.
Conformational equilibria of N,N-dimethylsuccinamic acid and its lithium salt as a function of solvent.

The conformational preferences of N,N-dimethylsuccinamic acid and its Li^+ salt were estimated by comparing the respective experimental NMR vicinal proton–proton coupling constants to semiempirical coupling constants for each staggered conformer as derived by the Haasnoot–De Leeuw–Altona method. The strong gauche preferences for the Li^+ salts clearly depended more on the solvents’ hydrogen-bond donating strength (α) than on their hydrogen-bond accepting (β) counterpart, where α and β are the corresponding Kamlet–Taft parameters.
Qualitative analysis of phospholipids isolated from nonviable Plasmodium antigen.

Plasmodium berghei infected mouse blood, and Plasmodium knowlesi infected monkey blood were processed by the French Press to prepare Antigen “A,” a parasitic fraction known to impart immunity, and Antigen “B,” a byproduct of Antigen “A” production. Normal mouse erythrocyte material was also prepared. The lipoidal material from these preparations was extracted using chloroform: methanol (1:1) and concentrated under nitrogen. This material was resuspended in chloroform and thin-layer chromatography was used to separate and identify the phospholipids therein. Antigen “A” contained sphingomyelin, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatydylinositol, and phosphatidylethanolamine. Antigen “B,” and uninfected mouse erythrocytic material, contained sphingomyelin, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and possibly phosphatidylinositol. The absence of phosphatidylserine in Antigen “A” its presence in Antigen “B,” and in normal mouse material indicates that the protective Antigen “A” is free of host erythrocytic membrane fragments.
Sox2(+) adult stem and progenitor cells are important for tissue regeneration and survival of mice

The transcription factor Sox2 maintains the pluripotency of early embryonic cells and regulates the formation of several epithelia during fetal development. Whether Sox2 continues to play a role in adult tissues remains largely unknown. We show here that Sox2 marks adult cells in several epithelial tissues where its expression has not previously been characterized, including the stomach, cervix, anus, testes, lens, and multiple glands. Genetic lineage tracing and transplantation experiments demonstrate that Sox2-expressing cells continuously give rise to mature cell types within these tissues, documenting their self-renewal and differentiation potentials. Consistent with these findings, ablation of Sox2(+) cells in mice results in a disruption of epithelial tissue homeostasis and lethality. Developmental fate mapping reveals that Sox2(+) adult stem cells originate from fetal Sox2(+) tissue progenitors. Thus, our results identify Sox2 expression in numerous adult endodermal and ectodermal stem cell compartments, which are critical for normal tissue regeneration and survival.
Neutron Spectra from Nuclear Reactions Induced by 16-Mev Protons

The form of neutron spectra from ($p,n$) reactions has been studied by measuring proton recoil tracks in photographic emulsions which were exposed to neutrons produced by bombardment of 1-Mev thick targets of several elements with 16-Mev protons. The number of emitted neutrons with energy $\ensuremath{\epsilon}$ can be represented by $\mathrm{nd}\ensuremath{\epsilon}=\mathrm{const} \ensuremath{\epsilon}\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}\mathrm{exp}(\ensuremath{-}\frac{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}{T})d\ensuremath{\epsilon} \mathrm{for} \ensuremath{\epsilon}g2 \mathrm{Mev}.$The values of $T$ for different elements is found to be as follows: ${\mathrm{Be}: T,=2.3\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.3 \mathrm{Mev} \mathrm{for} \ensuremath{\epsilon}g4 \mathrm{Mev},}{T,=0.9\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1 \mathrm{Mev} \mathrm{for} 1l\ensuremath{\epsilon}l4 \mathrm{Mev},}{\mathrm{Al}: T,=1.3\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1 \mathrm{Mev},}{\mathrm{Fe}: T,=0.95\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1 \mathrm{Mev},}{\mathrm{Rh}: T,=0.85\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1 \mathrm{Mev},}{\mathrm{Au}: T,=0.8\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1 \mathrm{Mev},}{\mathrm{Tl}: T,=0.78\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1 \mathrm{Mev}.}$ From these results the relative level density for the residual nucleus is calculated and compared with other experimental data and with theoretical predictions. The values for ${T}_{\mathrm{exp}}$ are lower than those predicted by Weisskopf's statistical model.
Electrostatic discharge sensitivity and electrical conductivity of composite energetic materials

Abstract Composite energetic material response to electrical stimuli was investigated and a correlation between electrical conductivity and ignition sensitivity was examined. The composites consisted of micrometer particle aluminum combined with another metal, metal oxide, or fluoropolymer. Of the nine tested mixtures, aluminum (Al) with copper oxide (CuO) was the only mixture to ignite by electrostatic discharge. Under the loose powder conditions of these experiments, the Al–CuO minimum ignition energy (MIE) is 25 mJ and exhibited an electrical conductivity two orders of magnitude higher than the next composite. This study showed a similar trend in MIE for ignition triggered by a discharged spark compared with a thermal hot wire source.
Confucius's Analects: An Advanced Reader of Chinese Language & Culture by CHEN, ZU-YAN.

The article reviews the book “Confucius's Analects: An Advanced Reader of Chinese Language & Culture," by Zu-Yan Chen.
The engineer: The engineer and public policy-making: Like a gladiator with one arm bound behind him, the engineer enters the public arena handicapped by personality and training

During the French Revolution, a priest, a lawyer, and an engineer were put on trial as enemies of the Revolution. The priest tried to defend himself by explaining how he had ministered to the poor, brought food to the hungry, and tended the sick. To no avail. He was sentenced to the guillotine. In those days, when a person felt he had been sentenced unjustly, he would demonstrate his feelings by making the supreme gesture ? he would lie face up rather than face down in the guillotine. The priest did so. When the rope was tripped, it happened that the blade stuck in the channel about six inches above his neck. It was the rule that if ever the guillotine stuck, the victim was let free. So the priest was spared.
Do Different Measures of Hospital Competition Matter in Empirical Investigations of Hospital Behavior

Considerable controversy exists about the appropriate way hospital competition should be measured and whether findings are accurate if certain methods are employed. Data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), the American Hospital Association (AHA), and other supplemental data sources are used to create and evaluate hospital competition measures. Correlation coefficients of these measures are assessed. Moreover, each measure is independently included as an explanatory variable in otherwise identical hospital cost function regressions. Their corresponding parameter estimates are then compared. Most measures are highly correlated. Inferences about the effect of competition on hospital cost remain the same when alternative hospital competition measures are employed. We caution researchers against using this finding to arbitrarily select a competition measure when the magnitude of the estimates is important.
Is Submaxillary Gland Immunoreactive Glucagon Important in Carbohydrate Homeostasis

Abstract Previous investigators have shown rat submaxillary gland extracts to contain large amounts of material immunologically similar to pancreatic glucagon (SM-IRG). The present studies were designed to assess any physiologic contribution of this material to plasma immunoreactive glucagon (IRG) levels and to overall carbohydrate homeostasis in the rat. Bilateral submaxillary glandectomy or sham surgery was performed on adult male rats. After 2–4 wk, these animals were subjected to arginine or epinephrine infusion, fasting, insulin-induced hypoglycemia, or oral glucose loads. No measurable differences could be found between animals with or without submaxillary glands with respect to basal plasma levels of IRG, immunoreactive insulin (IRI), blood glucose (BG), or to the response of these parameters to any of the conditions tested. Furthermore, when eviscerated animals (without gastrointestinal tract or pancreas, but with intact liver and kidneys) were studied with or without submaxillary glands, no significant differences were found in either basal or stimulated levels of plasma IRG and BG. We conclude that SM-IRG makes no significant contribution to either plasma IRG or the metabolism of carbohydrates in the rat, even when other known sources of IRG have been surgically removed. While being unable to document any apparent role for SM-IRG in the maintenance of carbohydrate homestasis, we did observe dynamic changes in the glandular content of SM-IRG that occurred with the onset of puberty in both male and female weanling rats. The possibility, thus, remains that SM-IRG may be physiologically important, but in areas not necessarily related to carbohydrate metabolism.
Using Weed Control Knowledge from Declining Agricultural Communities in Invasive-Species Management

Traditional and small-scale farmers may know of practices that control weedy species. When these species are also problematic in restored or managed areas, a collection of this knowledge might assist control efforts. However, past criticisms of using local ecological knowledge (LEK) from small-scale farmers state that small sample sizes and highly variable responses among informants hinders LEK’s utility in management. Here I document weed-control knowledge held by New Jersey salt-hay farmers to control common reed and adapt strategies to control its invasion in two restoration settings. Accounts indicated that repeated cutting could eradicate the invasive, and subsequent experimental treatments in restoration settings demonstrated this technique to be very effective. However, only one farmer knew of this technique, and this farmer’s accounts seemingly contradicted other farmers’ accounts of cutting. This study demonstrates that small sample sizes and highly variable responses are more problematic to studies of knowledge, per se, than in finding valuable knowledge, which simply must be held by a community member rather than be common or well-distributed.
Causes of Nursery Death beyond the Neonatal Period

OBJECTIVE: To investigate causes of death in infants who died after 28 days, beyond the neonatal period but before discharge from the nursery, to establish their clinical courses and causes of death and to attempt to find criteria for earlier identification of these infants. METHODS: We identified 30 such infants (12% of nursery deaths) from 1993 through 1998 and conducted a retrospective review of their records including placental pathology and autopsy reports when available. In all, 14 infants who weighed ≤860 g at birth were matched with survivors. RESULTS: The 30 infants divided almost equally into two groups. Of them 15 infants weighing ≥880 g died of diverse congenital anomalies, including five with nonhemolytic hydrops and four with pulmonary hypoplasia. One infant without congenital anomaly weighed 3290 g. Support for this severely asphyxiated infant was withdrawn after 103 days because of progressive cortical atrophy. The remaining 14, the largest of which weighed 860 g, died of complications of prematurity, which we termed postponed neonatal deaths (PND). They followed a typical course of progressive multiple organ failure. All received assisted ventilation and postnatal steroids, developed chronic lung disease, and were on ventilation at the time of death. Renal insufficiency occurred late in the course. Acute infections and renal failure were the major proximal causes of death. When compared with surviving controls the PND were less likely to have received antenatal steroids and received more inotropic agents for cardiovascular support and more amphotericin for fungal infection; surgery for perforated bowel was confined to the PND. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of postneonatal nursery deaths has not changed in more than 20 years remaining at 11 to 12% of nursery deaths. Congenital anomaly was a prominent cause of death (50%). When infants without congenital anomalies (PND) were compared to surviving controls, no differences were found, which could reliably identify PND early in their course. The only potentially preventable factor was lack of antenatal steroid exposure in the PND.
EFFECTS OF CONTROLLED ROUGHNESS ON BOUNDARY-LAYER TRANSITION AT A MACH NUMBER OF 6

Heat flow rate method used to investigate a hypersonic boundary layer transition on a smooth flat plate with a sharp leading edge
Advances in breast cancer treatment: the emerging role of ixabepilone.

Although taxanes and anthracyclines have dramatically improved the treatment of breast cancer, resistance to these agents upon continued exposure is almost inevitable. The epothilone ixabepilone wa...
Age-related differences in the anticipation of future rewards

The present study examined the anticipation of future reward in 7-mo- and 26-mo-old Fischer 344/Brown Norway rats. Young and old rats were divided randomly and assigned into one of two conditions. In the Contrast Condition, subjects were given a water solution containing 2% sucrose for 3 min followed immediately by a water solution containing 32% sucrose for 3 min. In the No-Contrast Condition, subjects were given a water solution containing 2% sucrose for 3 min followed immediately by a water solution containing 2% sucrose for 3 min. Across 10 days of testing in the Contrast Condition, young rats showed significantly less intake of the less preferred 2% sucrose solution, whereas old rats showed increased intake of the 2% sucrose solution. Young rats showed a significant increase in intake of the preferred 32% sucrose solution compared to aged rats across the 10-day testing period with the exception of days 8-10 where intake did not differ between groups. In the No-Contrast Condition, there were no significant differences between young and old rats, with both groups consuming significantly more of the first 2% solution than the second 2% solution. Therefore, these data suggest that age-related changes may impair the ability to anticipate future rewards.
Speech style and impression formation in a court setting: The effects of “powerful” and “powerless” speech

Abstract On the basis of a previous empirical analysis of speech patterns in court trials, speech styles were identified that covaried with speaker social status and power. The “powerless” style is characterized by the frequent use of such linguistic features as intensifiers, hedges, hesitation forms, and questioning intonations, whereas the “powerful” style is marked by less frequent use of these features. Male and female introductory psychology students heard the testimony of a male or female witness who used either a powerful or a powerless style to deliver the same substantive evidence. The testimony was presented either on audio tape or in written transcripts. Use of the powerful style resulted in greater attraction to the witness, regardless of the sex of the witness, the sex of the subject, or the mode of presentation of the testimony. The powerful style also resulted in greater perceived credibility of the witness than did the powerless style; however, this effect was stronger when the subject and the witness were of the same sex than when they were of the opposite sex. In all but the male witness-written presentation condition, the powerful style produced more acceptance of the position advocated in the testimony than did the powerless style. The results are discussed with regard to possible relations between speech style and person perception and persuasion processes and with regard to the social psychology of legal issues.
Persistent suppression of delayed-type hypersensitivity in adult F344 rats after perinatal exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin.

Recently we observed a suppressed delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response to bovine serum albumin (BSA) in the 4–5-month-old offspring of F344 rat dams receiving as little as 1.0 μg 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)/kg on gestational day (GD) 14. This study was designed to characterize better this suppression of the DTH response. First, the persistence of the DTH suppression was determined by measuring the DTH response to BSA in the offspring of dams dosed orally with 3.0 μg TCDD/kg on GD14 as well as in age-matched controls at 4, 8, 12 and 19 months of age. TCDD significantly suppressed the males’ DTH response through 19 months of age. While the females’ DTH response was reduced at 8, 12 and 19 months, significant suppression was observed only at 4 months of age. Secondly, the lowest maternal dose of TCDD that produced DTH suppression was determined by measuring the DTH response to BSA in the 4- and 14-month-old offspring of dams dosed orally with 0, 0.1, 0.3 or 1.0 μg TCDD/kg on GD14. In the males, suppression was observed at a maternal dose as low as 0.1 μg TCDD/kg at 14 months of age, while a maternal dose of 0.3 μg TCDD/kg was necessary to cause suppression in the 14-month-old females. Both males and females were more sensitive to the suppression at 14 months of age than at 4 months of age. Lastly, the DTH response to a second antigen was examined by measuring the DTH response to either BSA or keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) in the 5- or 4-month-old male offspring, respectively, of dams dosed orally with either 0 or 3.0 μg TCDD/kg on GD14. The DTH response to both antigens was suppressed significantly. Phenotypic analysis was performed on thymus and lymph node suspensions. Significant effects in the thymus included an increased percentage of γδ TCR+ cells and a decreased percentage of γδ TCR+/CD4−CD8− and MHCI− MHCII− cells. In the popliteal lymph node draining the BSA-injected footpad, there was a decreased percentage of γδ TCR+ and MHCI−MHCII− cells and an increased percentage of MHCI+ cells. In conclusion, the suppression of the DTH response associated with perinatal TCDD exposure is persistent through late adulthood, occurs at a low dose (i.e. 0.1 μg TCDD/kg) to the dam, and is more pronounced in males than females. While phenotypic analysis identified differences in subsets of thymocytes and lymph node cells between control and TCDD exposed offspring, no clear correlations were established between altered subpopulations and suppressed DTH responses.
Outcome of children with end-stage congenital heart disease waiting for cardiac transplantation

Abstract Background: End-stage congenital heart disease (CHD) is a major indication for pediatric cardiac transplantation. The objective of the study was to evaluate pre-transplant outcome of children with CHD. Methods: The clinical profile and outcome of patients with CHD Results: Mean age of the patients ( n = 46) was 8.3 ± 8 years. Primary indications for transplant were ventricular dysfunction in 36 (78%), failed Fontan in 8 (18%) and severe hypoxemia in 2 (4%) patients. Thirty-two patients were Status 1 (70%), 14 were Status 2 and 5 patients were de-listed. Twenty-nine of the 41 patients that remained listed survived to transplant, 12 (29%) died waiting. Causes of death were sepsis in 2 and severe heart failure (HF) in 10 patients. Eight patients died with multi-system organ failure, including 3 on mechanical circulatory support. Mean time to death was 29 ± 28 days and time to transplant was 94 ± 176 days. Mean age at listing was younger in Group I (2.6 ± 4 years) compared with Group II (9.1 ± 7 years, p p p Conclusions: Seventy-one percent of patients listed with CHD survived to transplant. Younger age at listing and rapid onset of HF were significant risk factors for pre-transplant mortality.
Cost of a pharmacist-directed intervention to increase treatment of hypercholesterolemia.

Study Objective. To evaluate the cost of a pharmacist-directed intervention that prompts physicians to treat hypercholesterolemia more aggressively in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). Methods. Health care resource use and CHD outcomes were evaluated for 612 patients with CHD followed for 2 years after an index hospitalization for an ischemic event. After discharge, the physicians of 309 patients who had been admitted from January 1–March 31, 1999, were contacted by telephone and mail concerning lipid profiles and statin therapy. These patients were the intervention group. Controls were 303 patients admitted from October 1–December 31, 1998; their physicians were not contacted. Costs of the physician-prompting intervention, clinic visits, laboratory tests, statin drugs, and CHD outcomes were compared between these two patient groups. Results. The number of clinic visits, laboratory tests, and statins prescribed was significantly greater for the intervention group versus the controls. A significantly higher percentage of patients in the intervention group (55%) than in the control group (18%) achieved their National Cholesterol Education Program target low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level and had significantly better CHD outcomes. The cost of the physician-prompting intervention (pharmacist salaries, postage, telephone calls) was $102,941. For patients in the intervention and control groups, respectively, the cost of statin therapy was $352,365 and $200,087, the cost of clinic visits and laboratory tests $48,097 and $27,367, and the cost of coronary heart disease outcomes, such as myocardial infarction, coronary artery bypass graft, percutaneous transluminal and coronary angioplasty, $1,073,495 and $1,741,220. The total cost was $1,576,898 and $1,968,674, respectively, for patients in the intervention and control groups. Net savings was $1394/patient over the 2-year period. Conclusion. A relatively simple physician-prompting intervention involving patients with CHD significantly improved the use of lipid testing and statin therapy. Improved use of statins was associated with better CHD outcomes. As a result, the physician-prompting intervention was associated with cost savings. This intervention should be implemented for patients with CHD discharged after hospitalization for an ischemic event.
Biochemical and physiological changes induced by anthrax lethal toxin in J774 macrophage-like cells.

Abstract Experiments were performed to probe the mechanism by which Bacillus anthracis Lethal Toxin (LeTx) causes lysis of J774 macrophage-like cells. After incubation of cells with saturating concentrations of the toxin, two categories of effects were found, which were distinguishable on the basis of chronology, Ca(2+)-dependence, and sensitivity to osmolarity. The earliest events (category I), beginning 45 min postchallenge, were an increase in permeability to 22Na and 86Rb and a rapid conversion of ATP to ADP and AMP. Later events (category II) included alterations in membrane permeability to 45Ca, 51Cr, 36Cl, 35SO4, 3H-amino acids, and 3H-uridine, beginning at 60 min; inhibition of macromolecular synthesis, leakage of cellular lactate dehydrogenase and onset of gross morphological changes, at approximately 75 min; and cell lysis, beginning at 90 min. Category II events exhibited an absolute requirement for extracellular Ca2+ and were blocked by addition of 0.3 M sucrose to the medium, whereas category I events were attenuated, but not blocked, by either of these conditions. On the other hand, both ATP depletion and the category II events were blocked in osmotically stabilized medium that was also isoionic for Na+ and K+. This suggests that permeabilization of the plasma membrane to monovalent cations and water may be the earliest of the physiological changes described here. The resulting influx of Na+ and efflux of K+ would be expected to cause depletion of ATP, via increased activity of the Na+/K+ pump. Subsequently the influx of Ca2+, induced by depletion of ATP, imbalances in monovalent cautions, and/or more dramatic changes in permeability due to influx of water, would be expected to trigger widespread changes leading ultimately to cytolysis.
Resonance parameters of the 1De doubly excited states of helium

Abstract The resonance parameters of the lowest three 1 D e autoionization states of the helium atom are calculated using a 14-state close-coupling approximation and by the complex coordinate rotation method using a wavefunction with 316 CI-type bases. The energy values by the two methods are in excellent agreement. The width for the 2p 21 D e state by both methods agrees with that of a recent experiment of Berry et al.
Long-term retention for intentionally and incidentally learned words

Summary This experiment compared the retention of words of high and low frequency by intentional and incidental learners. It also compared the word association of Int. and Inc. S s with respect to conventionality, frequency of usage and trial-to-trial change. If the items learned by Int. and Inc. S s are acquired through the mediation of the same types of differential response, the rate of forgetting should be equal under the two conditions if level of mastery was equal. Forgetting over 48 hours was the same for Int. and Inc. S s. Number of overt errors was also the same in the two conditions of learning. Word frequency, however, was found to be positively related to the increase in overt errors over 48 hours. The majority of these errors came from the S s' previous associations to the items. Conditions of learning did not interact with word frequency for either the recall or the error measures. The associations given by Int. S s were less conventional and less common words than those of Inc. S s, but only in the High-F condition. Apparently Int. S s adopted a strategy of giving distinctive associations that could lead them back to the stimulus items. But those Int. S s who gave the least conventional associations recalled the fewest words immediately after learning, which indicates that selecting distinctive associates was an unsuccessful strategy. No correlation was found between recall and associative conventionality for Inc. S s, but there was a direct correlation between recall and associative change for these S s. Correlations between association measures and recall dissipated after 48 hours. Positive correlations were found between number of association errors after 48 hours and associative conventionality for the High-F case, while negative correlations were found in the Low-F case. This was the only evidence of facilitation due to giving distinctive associations.
Structural requirements for galanin inhibition of pentagastrin-stimulated gastric acid secretion in conscious rats

The effects of rat galanin, together with a number of its N- and C-terminal fragments, on pentagastrin-stimulated gastric acid secretion were studied in conscious rats equipped with chronic gastric fistulas. Similarly to its porcine counterpart studied previously, at a dose of 3 nmol/kg per h rat galanin was a potent inhibitor of gastric acid secretion. The N-terminal fragments, rat galanin-(1-10) and -(1-15), retained about 60% of the inhibitory potency of the whole galanin sequence whilst the C-terminal fragments, rat galanin-(2-29), -(3-29) and -(9-29), were unable to produce significant inhibition over comparable dose ranges. Surprisingly, however, simply acetylating the alpha-amino group in position 9 of rat galanin-(9-29) restored almost full gastric acid inhibitory activity in a homologous rat model. We speculate that this could be due to a favorable conformational effect on the C-terminal region produced by alpha-acetylation. These results also suggest that structural features within either the N-terminal or C-terminal regions of rat galanin are able to elicit this particular biological response. One possible explanation for this could be the involvement of more than one rat galanin receptor having different ligand recognition requirements.
Particles From Dialysis Tubing Stimulate Interleukin-1 Secretion by Macrophages

Loading of tissue macrophages with dialysis-tubing-derived particles may occur during chronic haemodialysis. Previous studies have demonstrated that these particle-laden macrophages release significant quantities of prostaglandins. In these experiments, the effects of dialysis-tubing-particle loading on the release of the central inflammatory mediator, interleukin 1 (IL 1), was examined. Rats received daily injections of silicone or polyvinylchloride (PVC) particles, and were compared to animals given saline alone. The silicone and PVC groups received a total of 3 x 10(9) particles over a 4-week period. Non-stimulated peritoneal macrophages from control animals released a median of 4.1 (range 1.2-10.3) U IL 1 per 10(6) cells. In contrast, macrophages from silicone- and PVC-loaded animals spontaneously released high levels of IL 1 (median 21.8; range 10-36.7) and 94 (range 36-336) U per 10(6) cells respectively). Following in vitro stimulation with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), peritoneal macrophages from silicone- and PVC-treated animals released large amounts of IL 1 (median 538 (range 359-2017) U and median 653 (range 326-1134) U per 10(6) cells, respectively) as compared to LPS-stimulated macrophages from control animals (median 332 (range 130-306) U per 10(6) cells]. Zymosan or LPS stimulation of splenic cells from silicone- and PVC-loaded animals also secreted increased quantities of IL 1 as compared to controls. The chronic loading of tissue macrophages in dialysis patients with tubing-derived particles may result in augmented release of IL 1, with subsequent activation of inflammatory processes.
Characteristics of road sediment fractionated particles captured from paved surfaces, surface run-off and detention basins.

This study presents the results of evaluating changes in properties of road sediment fractionated particles at the source (dry pavement), during transport (highway runoff) and after deposition (dry detention basin). A total of 38 solid particle samples were collected from paved surface, highway runoff, and from three locations within detention basins. Each sample was size-fractionated ranging from 38 μm to 1000 μm. Key results were that: (i) less than 2% of total particle mass in four vacuumed solid samples was associated with the < 38 μm fraction compared to 47 to 82% in centrifuged highway runoff samples and 25% for detention basin sediments, (ii) based on number concentrations more than 90% of particles from all sources were smaller than 38 μm, (iii) the densities of fractionated particles were generally within the range from 1.5 to 2.2 g/cm3; (iv) all collected particles were predicted to resist aggregation in solution with a typical measure of surface potential, the zeta potential, typically ranging from − 15 to − 30 mV, (v) metal concentrations increased with decreasing particle size for vacuumed samples from the highway shoulder and parking lot, however, size dependent trends in metal concentrations were less apparent in centrifuged highway runoff samples and detention basin sediment samples; (vi) the distributions of metal mass across sieved size fractions generally followed patterns of particle mass distribution in which less than 10% of the total Cu, Pb, and Zn mass was associated with particles < 38 μm; (vii) metal mass distributions tended toward increasing metal fractions in finer particle fractions along a gradient from the inlet to the outlet of the detention basins; and (viii) individual particle morphology (1 < dp < 10 μm) showed that particles were not smooth or spherical, clearly deviating from the assumptions typically used in estimating particle settling velocities using Stokes' Law.
Urban adaptation can roll back warming of emerging megapolitan regions

Modeling results incorporating several distinct urban expansion futures for the United States in 2100 show that, in the absence of any adaptive urban design, megapolitan expansion, alone and separate from greenhouse gas-induced forcing, can be expected to raise near-surface temperatures 1–2 °C not just at the scale of individual cities but over large regional swaths of the country. This warming is a significant fraction of the 21st century greenhouse gas-induced climate change simulated by global climate models. Using a suite of regional climate simulations, we assessed the efficacy of commonly proposed urban adaptation strategies, such as green, cool roof, and hybrid approaches, to ameliorate the warming. Our results quantify how judicious choices in urban planning and design cannot only counteract the climatological impacts of the urban expansion itself but also, can, in fact, even offset a significant percentage of future greenhouse warming over large scales. Our results also reveal tradeoffs among different adaptation options for some regions, showing the need for geographically appropriate strategies rather than one size fits all solutions.
Oxidation–Reduction Equilibrium in Copper Phosphate Glass Melted in Air

Copper phosphate glasses with 40, 50, and 60 mol% CuO in batch were melted in air at 1000°, 1100°, and 1200°C using quartz or alumina crucibles, and the [Cu2+]/[Cutotal] ratio variations with melting time were measured. Glasses were oxidized during melting and reached equilibrium [Cu2+]/[Cutotal] ratios which were independent of melting temperature and identical for the 40 and 50 mol% CuO content glasses. Structural considerations seemed to have determined oxidation-reduction equilibrium rather than an equilibrium redox reaction. Also, the effects of crucible type on the oxidation-reduction balance were examined. It was found that a quartz crucible is more inert and has less effect on the oxidation-reduction equilibrium of glass than an alumina crucible. Crucible contamination and phosphorus vaporization were found to diminish as the CuO content in the batch was increased.