cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hazardous Air Pollutants in Fresh and Aged Western US Wildfire Smoke and Implications for Long-Term Exposure

Wildfires have a significant adverse impact on air quality in the United States (US). To understand the potential health impacts of wildfire smoke, many epidemiology studies rely on concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM) as a smoke tracer. However, there are many gas-phase hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that are also present in wildfire smoke plumes. Using observations from the Western Wildfire Experiment for Cloud Chemistry, Aerosol Absorption, and Nitrogen (WE-CAN), a 2018 aircraft-based field campaign that measured HAPs and PM in western US wildfire smoke plumes, we identify the relationships between HAPs and associated health risks, PM, and smoke age. We find the ratios between acute, chronic noncancer, and chronic cancer HAPs health risk and PM in smoke decrease as a function of smoke age by up to 72% from fresh ( 3 days of aging) smoke. We show that acrolein, formaldehyde, benzene, and hydrogen cyanide are the dominant contributors to gas-phase HAPs risk in smoke plumes. Finally, we use ratios of HAPs to PM along with annual average smoke-specific PM to estimate current and potential future smoke HAPs risks.
Tisagenlecleucel infusion in patients with relapsed/refractory ALL and concurrent serious infection.

Background Tisagenlecleucel, an anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy, has demonstrated durable efficacy and a manageable safety profile in pediatric and young adult patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) in the ELIANA pivotal trial and real-world experience. Experience from investigator-led studies prior to ELIANA suggests that infections and inflammatory conditions may exacerbate the severity of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) associated with CAR-T cell therapy, leading to extreme caution and strong restrictions for on-study and commercial infusion of tisagenlecleucel in patients with active infection. CRS intervention with interleukin (IL)-6 blockade and/or steroid therapy was introduced late in the course during clinical trials due to concern for potential negative effect on efficacy and persistence. However, earlier CRS intervention is now viewed more favorably. Earlier intervention and consistency in management between providers may promote broader use of tisagenlecleucel, including potential curative therapy in patients who require remission and recovery of hematopoiesis for management of severe infection. Main body Patient 1 was diagnosed with B-ALL at 23 years old. Fourteen days before tisagenlecleucel infusion, the patient developed fever and neutropenia and was diagnosed with invasive Mucorales infection and BK virus hemorrhagic cystitis. Aggressive measures were instituted to control infection and to manage prolonged cytopenias during CAR-T cell manufacturing. Adverse events, including CRS, were manageable despite elevated inflammatory markers and active infection. The patient attained remission and recovered hematopoiesis, and infections resolved. The patient remains in remission ≥1 year postinfusion. Patient 2 was diagnosed with pre–B-ALL at preschool age. She developed severe septic shock 3 days postinitiation of lymphodepleting chemotherapy. After receiving tisagenlecleucel, she experienced CRS with cardiac dysfunction and extensive lymphadenopathy leading to renovascular compromise. The patient attained remission and was discharged in good condition to her country of origin. She remained in remission but expired on day 208 postinfusion due to cardiac arrest of unclear etiology. Conclusions Infusion was feasible, and toxicity related to tisagenlecleucel was manageable despite active infections and concurrent inflammation, allowing attainment of remission in otherwise refractory pediatric/young adult ALL. This may lead to consideration of tisagenlecleucel as a potential curative therapy in patients with managed active infections.
Building Back More Equitable STEM Education: Teach Science by Engaging Students in Doing Science

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic is a national tragedy, one that has focused our attention on both the need to improve science education and the need to confront systemic racism in our country. We know that active learning strategies, in particular research experiences, can engage and empower STEM undergraduates, effectively closing the achievement gap for historically excluded persons. The apprenticeship model for STEM training – supervised research under a dedicated mentor – is highly effective, but out of reach for most students. Recent efforts have demonstrated that Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) can be an effective approach for making STEM research accessible for all. Our meta-analysis of CUREs finds that published examples now cover the breadth of the typical undergraduate biology curriculum. A thoughtfully designed CURE can go beyond foundational knowledge and analytical thinking to include career-related skills, e.g., teamwork and communication. Similarly, it can be designed with equity as a foundational principle, taking into account the unique contributions of all students and their varying needs. We provide here an example framework (The “Do Science Framework”) for making STEM training more effective and inclusive using CUREs. While CUREs do not inherently address equity, there can be no equity in STEM education without equal access to research participation, and progress toward this goal can be achieved using CUREs. However, implementing new CUREs is not a trivial undertaking, particularly at schools with high teaching loads and little or no research infrastructure, including many community colleges. We therefore propose a National Center for Science Engagement to support this transition, building on experiences of current nationally established CUREs as well as the work of many individual faculty. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, academia has a renewed responsibility to dismantle structural inequities in education; engaging all STEM students in research can be a key step.
Differential neutralization and inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 variants by antibodies elicited by COVID-19 mRNA vaccines

The divergence of SARS-CoV-2 into variants of concern/interest (VOC/VOI) necessitated analysis of their impact on vaccines. Escape from vaccine-induced antibodies by SARS-CoV-2 VOC/VOIs was analyzed to ascertain and rank their risk. The variants showed differential reductions in neutralization and replication titers by the post-vaccination sera with Beta variant showing the most neutralization escape that was mechanistically driven by mutations in both the N-terminal domain and receptor-binding domain of the spike.
A Culture of Defeat

When looking deeper into Dr. Palmer’s situation, one begins to see that he was working within a way of thinking, believing and acting that was counter to his own. Martin was very familiar to this way of life. It represented the culture of his youth. It is the culture that most of his family back home lives each day. It represented the culture that Martin fought so hard to break through.
Arithmetical Completeness in Logics of Programs

We consider the problem of designing arithmetically complete axiom systems for proving general properties of programs; i.e. axiom systems which are complete over arithmetical universes, when all first-order formulae which are valid in such universes are taken as axioms. We prove a general Theorem of Completeness which takes care of a major part of the responsibility when designing such systems. It is then shown that what is left to do in order to establish an arithmetical completeness result, such as those appearing in [12] and [14] for the logics DL and DL+, can be described as a chain of reasoning which involves some simple utilizations of arithmetical induction. An immediate application of these observations is given in the form of an arithmetical completeness result for a new logic similar to that of Salwicki [22]. Finally, we contrast this discipline with Cook's [5] notion of relative completeness.
Preparing Efficacious Elementary Teachers in Science and Mathematics: The Influence of Methods Courses

(1997). Preparing Efficacious Elementary Teachers in Science and Mathematics: The Influence of Methods Courses. Journal of Science Teacher Education: Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 107-126.
Fluid-Inertia Effects in Radial Flow Between Oscillating, Rotating Parallel Disks

An order-of-magnitude analysis is applied to the Navier-Stokes equations and the continuity equation for isothermal, radial fluid flow between oscillating and rotating disks. This analysis investigates the four basic cases of (1) steady, radial flow, (2) unsteady, radial flow, (3) steady, spiral flow, and (4) unsteady, spiral flow. It is shown that dimensionless parameters of certain values for general cases will reduce the Navier-Stokes equations to simplified forms and thus render them amenable to closed form solutions for, say, the pressure distribution between oscillating, rotating disks. The analysis holds for laminar and turbulent flows and compressible and incompressible flows. The conditions that must be satisfied for one to reasonably neglect (1) rotation, (2) unsteady terms, and (3) convective terms are set forth. One result shown is that only rarely could one reasonably neglect the radial convective acceleration while retaining the radial local acceleration.
Control of antiviral immunity by pattern recognition and the microbiome.

Human skin and mucosal surfaces are in constant contact with resident and invasive microbes. Recognition of microbial products by receptors of the innate immune system triggers rapid innate defense and transduces signals necessary for initiating and maintaining the adaptive immune responses. Microbial sensing by innate pattern recognition receptors is not restricted to pathogens. Rather, proper development, function, and maintenance of innate and adaptive immunity rely on continuous recognition of products derived from the microorganisms indigenous to the internal and external surfaces of mammalian host. Tonic immune activation by the resident microbiota governs host susceptibility to intestinal and extra-intestinal infections including those caused by viruses. This review highlights recent developments in innate viral recognition leading to adaptive immunity, and discusses potential link between viruses, microbiota and the host immune system. Further, we discuss the possible roles of microbiome in chronic viral infection and pathogenesis of autoimmune disease, and speculate on the benefit for probiotic therapies against such diseases.
New approach to microbending fiber optic sensors : varying the spatial frequency

A new approach to fiber optic microbending sensors is demonstrated, in which the spatial frequency of the bends, rather than of the amplitude, is varied. This scheme has the potential for greatly increased sensitivity, greater flexibility of design, and longer lifetime. The fiber is prebent and embedded in a compliant material, and the spatial frequency is chosen to bias the sensor on the steep slope of the resonance in the loss curve. Compression in the longitudinal direction causes a dramatic change in the transmission. Sensitivity depends on the resonance slope, which is controlled by bend number, bend shape, and bend amplitude. In conventional microbend sensors, friction and abrasion severely limit the number of bends, and the maximum bend amplitudes and bend shapes cannot be controlled. In the new approach, all three parameters can be independently controlled, resulting in greater design flexibility,high sensitivity, and a long sensor life.
Restoration Declensions, Divine Consolations: The Work of John Foxe in 1664 Massachusetts

The article identifies the author of an anonymous 1664 New England tract, Divine Consolations for Mourners of Sion. Selecting passages from Englishman John Foxe's Book of Martyrs (1563), the tract speaks through that text to address a generational crisis in Massachusetts Bay as well as the recent troubling incursion of Quakers.
Effect of Sensor Error on Interpretation of Long-Term Water-Level Data

Submersible strain-gage pressure transducers and potentiometer-float systems were used to monitor water-level fluctuations in wells. Use of uncorrected data from six pressure transducers at a site in New Hampshire would have caused an incorrect interpretation of the vertical hydraulic-head distribution. Seven potentiometer-float systems at a site in Nebraska provided data that indicated a slight attenuation of water-level fluctuations, which likely caused some small fluctuations to go unobserved. Digital data loggers were used at both sites to scan the sensors and calculate hourly and daily average values of water levels in the wells. Check measurements using a chalked steel tape were made weekly at the New Hampshire site and monthly at the Nebraska site. Comparisons of recorded data with check measurements indicated values measured by pressure transducers over periods of weeks to months were irregularly larger or smaller than the check measurement. This error was attributed to a drift of the zero reference point of the sensor, and was unpredictable. Values obtained by potentiometer-float systems lagged the water-level change indicated by the check measurements. The lag was attributed to the sum of the mechanical friction of the moving parts of the monitoring system. This error was somewhat constant and predictable. The average absolute error of six submersible pressure transducers that were in operation for 15 months was 0.098 foot. The average absolute error of seven potentiometer-float systems that were operated for 17 months was 0.027 foot.
Apolipoprotein E3 (ApoE3) but Not ApoE4 Protects against Synaptic Loss through Increased Expression of Protein Kinase Cϵ

Synaptic loss is the earliest pathological change in Alzheimer disease (AD) and is the pathological change most directly correlated with the degree of dementia. ApoE4 is the major genetic risk factor for the age-dependent form of AD, which accounts for 95% of cases. Here we show that in synaptic networks formed from primary hippocampal neurons in culture, apoE3, but not apoE4, prevents the loss of synaptic networks produced by amyloid β oligomers (amylospheroids). Specific activators of PKCϵ, such as 8-(2-(2-pentyl-cyclopropylmethyl)-cyclopropyl)-octanoic acid methyl ester and bryostatin 1, protected against synaptic loss by amylospheroids, whereas PKCϵ inhibitors blocked this synaptic protection and also blocked the protection by apoE3. Blocking LRP1, an apoE receptor on the neuronal membrane, also blocked the protection by apoE. ApoE3, but not apoE4, induced the synthesis of PKCϵ mRNA and expression of the PKCϵ protein. Amyloid β specifically blocked the expression of PKCϵ but had no effect on other isoforms. These results suggest that protection against synaptic loss by apoE is mediated by a novel intracellular PKCϵ pathway. This apoE pathway may account for much of the protective effect of apoE and reduced risk for the age-dependent form of AD. This finding supports the potential efficacy of newly developed therapeutics for AD.
Conversations with two of the best

Purpose – To share the experience of two library fund‐raisers with other development officers.Design/methodology/approach – Uses interviews with two successful academic library fund‐raisers to have them share what they have learned.Findings – Raising funds for any institution can be one of both the hardest and the most rewarding jobs one can do. It requires a lot of personal attention and patience.Originality/value – Identifies five key elements that should be a part of any successful development officer's job.
Fission of Elements from Pt to Bi by High Energy Neutrons

The neutron beam of the 184-inch cyclotron has been used to produce fission in elements from Pt to Bi. The atomic fission yields relative to thorium for 84-Mev neutrons are bismuth 0.019, lead 0.0055, thallium 0.0032, mercury 0.0023, gold 0.0020, and platinum 0.0009. Yield curves for reduced neutron energies were determined. Significant differences in the fission yields of the abundant lead isotopes were found. With 84-Mev neutrons the maximum fission fragment ionization relative to thorium was 0.8 for bismuth and ranged down to about 0.7 for gold.
Coagulation markers predicting cardiac transplant rejection.

BACKGROUND: Acute cellular rejection in cardiac allografts is a major cause of graft loss, and is associated with activation of the coagulation system. We investigated whether plasma markers of coagulation predict the presence of allograft rejection. METHODS: A total of 132 blood specimens and endomyocardial biopsies were collected from 35 patients, between February of 1997 and May of 1998. We measured plasma prothrombin fragment 1.2 (PF1.2) and p-selectin, fibrinogen, thrombomodulin, and d-dimer. Biopsies were graded according to the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation system, with a range of 0 to 4. Grades 0 and 1A were grouped as "no rejection," and the higher grades as "rejection." Linear and logistic regression, accounting for longitudinal data, were the principal analytic tools. RESULTS: p-Selectin level increased progressively with increasing rejection grade (P<0.001). With multivariate analysis, both p-selectin and prothrombin fragment levels significantly predicted rejection. p-Selectin levels were predictive of prothrombin fragment levels (P<0.0001) but not of d-dimer, fibrinogen, or thrombomodulin levels. This model allowed correct prediction of rejection, based on p-selectin and prothrombin fragment values, up to 85% of the time. Dichotomizing patients by a p-selectin level of 65 ng/ml resulted in an odds of rejection of 21.4 [95% C.I. 7.1-64.7] for the patients in the high- compared with the lower risk group. CONCLUSIONS: In heart transplant recipients, p-selectin levels and PF 1.2 levels are highly predictive of organ rejection. The elevation of PF 1.2 suggests that there is systemic generation of thrombin generation. These markers may be useful for noninvasively monitoring patients for organ rejection or for after response to treatment.
Oligopsony Power: A Forgotten Dimension of Food Marketing? Discussion

The three papers offer engaging discussions of oligopsony power at the first-handler level in agricultural markets. The papers fill an important gap in the literature and thus are important reading for those interested in market power issues in markets for raw agricultural commodities. In addition to making the case for increased attention to the potential for oligopsony power at the first-handler level, each of the papers makes important methodological contributions in offering analytical and empirical approaches for evaluating this oligopsony power. Although linked by a common theme, the three papers differ significantly in their approaches to the market power issue. As Rogers and Sexton note, statistics on concentration, at least on the sellers' side of the market, suggest that farm-related industries are highly concentrated and that this concentration has increased significantly in recent years. For example, the four-firm concentration ratio (CR4) in the steer and heifer slaughter industry has gone from 30% in 1978 to 70% in 1988 (Purcell 1990a). Likewise, the CR4 for the flour-milling industry has gone from 37% in 1980 to over 65% in 1991 (Brester and Goodwin). The period 1977-87 was one of four great U.S. merger movements. Approximately $400 billion was spend on industrial mergers during this period, with food and tobacco firms being the major players (Connor and Geithman). These mergers were fueled, in part, by relaxed restrictions on mergers by federal antitrust agencies after 1980. These statistics lead one to suspect the existence of market power influences in farm-related industries. However, a high degree of concentration in an industry does not confirm the existence of discriminatory market power practices. After many years of debate among industrial organization economists, the relationship between industry concentration and the exercise of market power remains inconclusive.' The papers, at l ast implicitly, take as given the premise that industry concentration implies the existence of collusive market power practices. An alternative view, presented by Demsetz, holds that scale economies or other competitive advantages lead to increased concentration in many industries without implying the existence of welfare-diminishing market power pricing practices. In such cases, increased concentration may result in more efficient use of resources. Of course, this alternative view often assumes that entry and exit in an industry are relatively easy and thus that firms in highly concentrated industries are disciplined by the threat of competition. Evidence of scale economies in the food processing sector has been offered in recent research. For example, Ward found that significant economies of size existed in the
Light water reactor fuel performance: Current status, challenges, and future high fidelity modeling

There is a long-standing tie between modeling and nuclear fuel performance, from predicting core physics to optimizing the fuel reloading pattern to designing safety margins into fuel assemblies. This paper reviews current fuel performance and fuel reliability challenges facing the industry, including a description of the most common fuel failure mechanisms observed in pressurized water reactors. A description of a new Energy Innovation Hub, the Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors (CASL), funded by the Department of Energy is then provided that introduces an approach to utilize high performance computing to investigate the coupled physics controlling nuclear fuel performance. The article concludes by summarizing the future challenges of modeling nuclear fuel behavior addressed by the CASL program.
Effect of Early Inhaled Glucocorticord Therapy on Tracheobronchial Lesions in Mechanically Ventilated Preterm Infants

Effect of Early Inhaled Glucocorticord Therapy on Tracheobronchial Lesions in Mechanically Ventilated Preterm Infants
Design of a universal inductive charger for electric vehicles

Inductive power transfer technology has become a popular solution for battery charging of electric vehicles (EVs). For practical applications, various topologies, coil designs and control methods have been proposed. This paper presents the design of a universal inductive charger for EVs. Facing with the growing market with more and more EV models, the proposed charger can provide constant or controllable charging voltage to various EVs in different charging conditions. Based on the topology of a series-connected LC circuit, the Zero-Voltage-Switching (ZVS) operation of the primary DC-AC inverter is kept through charging, leading to higher efficiency. An effective control method is proposed to choose the optimal frequency in different conditions and adjust the frequency during the charging process. The design of the charging-pad is also analyzed, based on self- & mutual inductance and the current/power level. Simulations and a prototype are built to test the charger's applicability.
Imagine there are no leaders: Reframing leadership as collaborative agency:

Fearing that our overreliance on an individual, heroic model of leadership will only continue to dampen the energy and creativity of people in our organizations and communities, this essay proposes a practice perspective of leadership based on a collaborative agency mobilized through engaged social interaction. After briefly reviewing the emerging practice tradition in leadership studies, the article turns to the inseparable connection between leadership and agency and discusses how structure may pacify but, under dialogic conditions, release agency. Acknowledging the cultural constraints against collaborative agency, the account affirms its potential realization through interpersonal interaction and sociality. Specific leadership activities associated with collaborative agency and their conditions are illustrated. The paper concludes by showing how the collaborative agentic model might produce a more sustainable future for our world while suggesting avenues for future research of a collective rather than...
The Prognostic Value of Hla-B12 and Hla-B7 Antigens in Patients by Increased Intraocular Pressure

The presence of the histocompatibility antigens HLA-B12 or HLA-B7 in 76 patients with increased intraocular pressure and a GG response to topical corticosteroids (intraocular pressure over 31 mm Hg after six weeks of topical 0.1% dexamethasone eyedrops, four times daily) correlated with the development of glaucomatous visual field loss. In close agreement with prevalences in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma, 14 (88%) of the 16 patients with increased intraocular pressure and a GG response who developed glaucomatous visual field loss had either HLA-B12 or B7 antigens. Fourteen (41%) of 34 patients with increased intraocular pressure and a GG response who had B12 or B7 antigens developed glaucomatous visual field loss but only two (5%) of 42 similar patients without either antigen had visual field loss. Other factors such as the initial intraocular pressure, the horizontal cup/disk ratio, and family history of glaucoma proved less valuable as prognostic indicators in this series.
Electrocardiographic effects of an Ephedra-Free, multicomponent weight-loss supplement in healthy volunteers.

Study Objective. Metabolife 356, an ephedra-containing weight-loss product, substantially increases the corrected QT (QTc) interval. Metabolife Ephedra Free, a similar supplement, contains caffeine and extracts of green tea, garcinia cambogia, and yerba mate. Its electrocardiographic (ECG) effects are not known. Therefore, we sought to determine the effect of this supplement on the QTc interval. Design. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. Setting. University of Connecticut, Storrs Campus. Subjects. Twenty healthy volunteers. Intervention. A single capsule containing half the normal recommended dose of Metabolife Ephedra Free or matching placebo was administered in crossover fashion, with a 7-day washout period between treatments. Measurements and Main Results. Baseline and three postdose ECG measurements were obtained, and QTc intervals were measured over a 5-hour study period. No significant differences in the QTc interval or other ECG variables were observed between the Metabolife Ephedra Free and placebo groups. Conclusion. At half the recommended single dose, Metabolife Ephedra Free does not affect the QTc interval or other ECG variables over 5 hours. Dose-response studies and studies of longer duration should be conducted.
Tyrosine-phosphorylated and Nonphosphorylated Sodium Channel β1 Subunits Are Differentially Localized in Cardiac Myocytes *

Voltage-gated sodium channel α and β subunits expressed in mammalian heart are differentially localized to t-tubules and intercalated disks. Sodium channel β subunits are multifunctional molecules that participate in channel modulation and cell adhesion. Reversible, receptor-mediated changes in β1 tyrosine phosphorylation modulate its ability to recruit and associate with ankyrin. The purpose of the present study was to test our hypothesis that tyrosine-phosphorylated β1 (pYβ1) and nonphosphorylated β1 subunits may be differentially localized in heart and thus interact with different cytoskeletal and signaling proteins. We developed an antibody that specifically recognizes pYβ1 and investigated the differential subcellular localization of β1 and pYβ1 in mouse ventricular myocytes. We found that pYβ1 colocalized with connexin-43, N-cadherin, and Nav 1.5 at intercalated disks but was not detected at the t-tubules. Anti-pYβ1 immunoprecipitates N-cadherin from heart membranes and from cells transfected with β1 and N-cadherin in the absence of other sodium channel subunits. pYβ1 does not associate with ankyrinB in heart membranes. N-cadherin and connexin-43 associate with Nav1.5 in heart membranes as assessed by co-immunoprecipitation assays. We propose that sodium channel complexes at intercalated disks of ventricular myocytes are composed of Nav 1.5 and pYβ1 and that these complexes are in close association with both N-cadherin and connexin-43. β1 phosphorylation appears to regulate its localization to differential subcellular domains.
Solid precursor MOCVD of heteroepitaxial rutile phase TiO2

Abstract Rutile-phase TiO 2 films have been grown on (1120)- and (0001)-oriented sapphire by solid source MOCVD. A growth-rate activation energy of 37 ± 4 kJ mol −1 , an 0.8-order dependence on the precursor concentration, and a zero-order dependence on oxygen partial pressure are reported for a new Ti precursor, tris(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionato) titanium(III). Reduction of the carbon content in the films was accomplished by the addition of excess oxygen in the growth atmosphere. X-ray diffraction spectra show that heteroepitaxial (101) rutile was grown on (1120) sapphire with a Θ rocking curve FWHM of 0.3° for the (101) rutile peak. The spectra also show that (100) rutile was grown on (0001) sapphire with a Θ rocking curve FWHM of 0.2° for the (100) rutile peak but with misorientation in the planes parallel to the growth plane. The surface morphologies of the films were also examined by SEM, showing a surface roughness of 300 A as supported by AFM.
Spinal morphine anesthesia and urinary retention

Spinal anesthetic is a common form of surgical anesthetic used in foot and ankle surgery. Spinal morphine anesthetic is less common, but has the advantage of providing postoperative analgesia for 12 to 24 hr. A number of complications can occur with spinal anesthesia, including urinary retention that may be a source of severe and often prolonged discomfort and pain for the patient. Management of this problem may require repeated bladder catheterization, which may lead to urinary tract infections or impairment of urethrovesicular function. This study reviews the incidence of urinary retention in 80 patients (40 after general anesthesia and 40 after spinal anesthesia) who underwent foot and ankle surgery at Saint Joseph's Hospital, Philadelphia, PA. Twenty-five percent of the patients who had spinal anesthesia experienced urinary retention, while only 7 1/2% of the group who had general anesthesia had this complication. Predisposing factors, treatment regimen, and recommendations for the prevention and management of urinary retention are presented.
Variation in Internal Medicine Residency Clinic Practices: Assessing Practice Environments and Quality of Care

Background Few studies have systematically and rigorously examined the quality of care provided in educational practice sites.
THE ARTERIAL CIRCULATION OF THE HEART.

Blood flows into the aorta and its branches during left ventricular systole. Most of the arterial walls in the body stretch during systole in accordance with their elastic properties (Roston, 1962a, b). During diastole, the rebound of the distended walls supplies an additional propulsive force pushing the blood forward. Since the metabolic exchange between most of the tissues in the body and their blood vessels is ordinarily the same throughout the cardiac cycle, it makes little difference whether or not the blood flow occurs during systole or diastole. The circulation in the coronary arteries behaves in a quite different way. Because the muscle fibers of the heart contract during systole and relax during diastole, different conditions for blood flow and metabolic exchange exist during the phases of the cardiac cycle. As a result, specification of whether blood flows in the coronary arteries during systole or diastole may be important. Such specification complicates the study of the coronary artery circulation. For example, because of the arterial elasticity, some of the blood which enters the coronary arteries during diastole comes in contact with the muscle fibers during systole. The present work contains a theoretical study of the coronary artery circulation.
Immobilization of α‐chymotrypsin for use in batch and continuous reactors

α-Chymotrypsin from bovine pancrease (EC 3.4.21.1) was entrapped in Ca-alginate gel particles to carry out hydrolysis of N-acetyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester (APME) in batch as well as continuous fixed bed reactor. The enzyme was covalently modified with homo-bifunctional polyethylene glycol derivatives in order to reduce its leakage from the beads; 85% modification of the ∈-NH2 groups of lysine residues caused reduction in the enzyme activity by 50%. However, this modification was helpful in a long run because it reduced both enzyme leakage and deactivation. Effective diffusivities and the distribution coefficients of the substrate and the product were determined experimentally, and later used in simulation of a batch experiment employing the beads. A continuous fixed bed reactor with the gel beads was operated to study the deactivation of the enzyme. During a 15-day period, the enzyme showed about 15% loss in the conversion which occurred only during the first 5 days. After that the enzyme did not deactivate further which demonstrates that this method can be applied for continuous reactions. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry
ECONOMIC TRANSITION FROM TRADITIONAL TO COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE: THE CASE OF EL LLANO, MEXICO1

ABSTRACT El Llano is the southwestern quarter of the State of Aguascalientes in Mexico. Its economy in 1962 and 1963 was based upon three major activities: corn and bean farming, dairying, and export of labor services to the United States. The low levels of per family income found in the region were caused by low levels of productivity of corn and bean agriculture, for two reasons. First, income from corn and beans formed nearly half the gross regional income. Second, several of the other sources of regional income were technically tied to the level of harvest of corn and beans owing to the use of the harvest and its by-products as inputs to the other activities. The level of productivity in the cultivation of corn and beans was very low primarily owing to two causes. El Llano is located on the arid margin of corn and bean agriculture in Mexico. Also, the level of traditional technology is primitive. Moreover, El Llano's farmers were cultivating their land so intensively that the marginal productivity of ...
On-line acoustic and semantic interpretation of talker information

Recent work demonstrates that listeners utilize talker-specific information in the speech signal to inform real-time language processing. However, there are multiple representational levels at which this may take place. Listeners might use acoustic cues in the speech signal to access the talker’s identity and information about what they tend to talk about, which then immediately constrains processing. Alternatively, or simultaneously, listeners might compare the signal to acoustically-detailed representations of words, without awareness of the talker’s identity. In a series of eye-tracked comprehension experiments, we explore the circumstances under which listeners utilize talker-specific information. Experiments 1 and 2 demonstrate talker-specific recognition benefits for newly-learned words both in isolation (Experiment 1) and with preceding context (Experiment 2), but suggest that listeners do not strongly semantically associate talkers with referents. Experiment 3 demonstrates that listeners can recognize talkers rapidly, almost as soon as acoustic information is available, and can associate talkers with multiple arbitrary referents. Experiment 4 demonstrates that if talker identity is highly diagnostic on each trial, listeners readily associate talkers with specific referents, but do not seem to make such associations when diagnostic value is low. Implications for speech processing, talker processing, and learning are discussed.
Evolution of human immunodeficiency virus under selection and weak recombination.

To predict emergence of drug resistance in patients undergoing antiretroviral therapy, we study accumulation of preexisting beneficial alleles in a haploid population of N genomes. The factors included in the model are selection with the coefficient s and recombination with the small rate per genome r ( r ≪ s \batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} \(\sqrt{\overline{\mathit{k}}}\) \end{document}, where k is the average number of less-fit loci per genome). Mutation events are neglected. To describe evolution at a large number of linked loci, we generalize the analytic method we developed recently for an asexual population. We show that the distribution of genomes over the deleterious allele number moves in time as a “solitary wave” that is quasi-deterministic in the middle (on the average) but has stochastic edges. We arrive at a single-locus expression for the average accumulation rate, in which the effects of linkage, recombination, and random drift are all accounted for by the effective selection coefficient s ln\batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} \(\left(\mathit{Nr}\right)\) \end{document}/ln\batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} \(\left(\mathit{Ns}^{2}\overline{\mathit{k}}/\mathit{r}\right)\) \end{document}. At large N , the effective selection coefficient approaches the single-locus value s . Below the critical size N c ∼ 1/ r , a population eventually becomes a clone, recombination cannot produce new sequences, and virus evolution stops. Taking into account finite mutation rate predicts a small, finite rate of evolution at N < N c. We verify the accuracy of the results analytically and by Monte Carlo simulation. On the basis of our findings, we predict that partial depletion of the HIV population by combined anti-retroviral therapy can suppress emergence of drug-resistant strains.
Modifications of coin cells with anti-ingestion and encapsulation design features

Background Emergency department-treated injuries caused by ingesting coin batteries have increased two-and-a-half times in the USA since 1998. Victims are usually small children. Batteries (particularly 20 mm or greater) can lodge in the oesophagus and generate hydroxide from surrounding fluids, which can produce life-threatening injuries in 2 hours. Given the widespread use of coin batteries in consumer products, a multifaceted approach to injury prevention is required. Objective We will demonstrate coin battery concepts that could deter ingestion or slow hydroxide formation after ingestion. Methods A battery with folding appendages made of sheet materials that flex outwards when the battery is removed from a device would have a greater surface area and sharper edges, which would deter ingestion. In another strategy, batteries could be insulated, sealing the battery until it is inserted into a coordinating battery compartment. This could slow or eliminate hydroxide formation. Modifications to battery compartments also may be needed. Batteries could be retrofitted for use in existing devices that lack coordinating battery compartments. Significance These strategies could save lives by reducing the likelihood of ingesting coin batteries or providing more time for medical intervention once swallowed. The need for consumers to retrofit batteries for their existing devices would enhance public awareness of the hazard. This is an abstract of a presentation at Safety 2012, the 11th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion, 1-4 October 2012, Michael Fowler Center, Wellington, New Zealand. Full text does not seem to be available for this abstract.
Population-based analysis of treatment modalities and survival for clinically localized small-cell carcinoma of the prostate

Small-cell carcinoma of the prostate is an aggressive cancer whose rarity has prevented the development of a consensus management approach. The objective of the current study was to determine the treatment patterns and evaluate factors affecting overall survival for patients with localized small-cell carcinoma of the prostate. After querying the National Cancer Database, we identified all patients diagnosed with localized small-cell carcinoma of the prostate between 1998 and 2011 (n=287). Using Kaplan–Meier curves and Cox regression analyses, we assessed the effect of treatment and clinical stage on overall survival. Treatments included radiation therapy in 46% (n=131), chemotherapy in 38% (n=107), androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in 22% (n=63) and radical prostatectomy in 13% (n=38). Median overall survival was 14.8 months. Upon multivariate analysis, local therapy (radical prostatectomy or radiation therapy) was associated with improved survival (hazard ratio (HR) 0.23, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.14–0.38, P<0.001). Advanced clinical stage predicted worse survival among all men (cT3: HR 2.83, 95% CI 1.27–6.32, P=0.011; cT4: HR 3.26, 95% CI 1.50–7.07, P=0.003) and men who received local therapy (cT3: HR 4.67, 95% CI 1.41–15.44, P=0.012; cT4: HR 4.01, 95% CI 1.14–14.08, P=0.03) but not among men who received no local therapy (cT3: HR 1.64, 95% CI 0.51–5.27, P=0.4; cT4: HR 2.35, 95% CI 0.74–7.48, P=0.15). Age, receipt of chemotherapy and ADT, and clinical stage T2 disease (compared with T1) did not predict survival. Men with localized small-cell carcinoma of the prostate have a poor overall survival. Local therapy may represent a suitable and underused modality for select patients.
Checkpoint effects and telomere amplification during DNA re-replication in fission yeast.

Background Although much is known about molecular mechanisms that prevent re-initiation of DNA replication on newly replicated DNA during a single cell cycle, knowledge is sparse regarding the regions that are most susceptible to re-replication when those mechanisms are bypassed and regarding the extents to which checkpoint pathways modulate re-replication. We used microarrays to learn more about these issues in wild-type and checkpoint-mutant cells of the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe.
Dietary fatty acids and peripheral artery disease in adults.

Abstract Background Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a debilitating condition involving atherosclerosis. Although saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids have strong associations with atherosclerosis, it is unclear if diets high in these fatty acids affect PAD. Methods We studied 6352 adults aged 40 years and older who participated in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1999 and 2004. Ankle brachial index (ABI) was assessed by standardized blood pressure measurements, and we defined PAD as an ABI Results The prevalence and 95% confidence interval (CI) of PAD was 5.2% (95% CI 4.6–5.8). There were no associations between ABI and intakes of marine N-3 ( p =0.83) or N-6 ( p =0.19) in adjusted models. In contrast, LNA was associated with higher ABI ( p =0.04) and SFA tended to be associated with lower ABI ( p =0.06) in adjusted models. In addition, higher SFA was associated with a higher prevalence of PAD: adjusted odds ratio 1.30 (95% CI 1.01–1.67; p =0.04) and a trend toward slower gait speed ( p =0.08). Conclusion In this nationally representative sample, higher dietary intakes of LNA and SFAs were associated with higher and lower ABI, respectively. Prospective studies are needed to confirm the potential protective effects of dietary LNA and detrimental effects of dietary SFAs on PAD.
Acculturation and School Success: Understanding the Variability of Mexican American Youth Adaptation Across Urban and Suburban Contexts

This article concentrates on the educational experiences of urban and suburban Mexican American youth, from recent immigrants to those that have been in the United States for generations. The article seeks to unravel the relationship between acculturation and school success by offering a holistic and longitudinal approach of three time periods: 1974, 1988, and 2004. The dynamics of Mexican American acculturation and adaptation differ across populations (People), environmental settings (Place), and across the three time periods studied (Time). The diversity of physical space, social locations, and ethnic identities within the Mexican American population needs to be recognized within such an analysis. This article highlights policy and practice designed to impact the largest ethnic minority group in the United States, a population constantly facing changes.
Shock-Induced Chemical Changes in Neat Nitromethane: Use of Time-Resolved Raman Spectroscopy

Time-resolved Raman spectroscopy was used to examine chemical changes in neat liquid nitromethane subjected to stepwise loading to peak pressures of 14−17 GPa. After a peak pressure at 14 GPa was reached, no changes in the CN (917 cm-1), NO2 (1400 cm-1), and CH3 (2968 cm-1) symmetric stretching modes were observed. After a peak pressure at 16 GPa was reached, time-dependent changes were observed during the induction period reported in previous absorption experiments. At this peak pressure, the extent of reaction was small, and the observed changes in the CH3 and CN modes indicated prereaction changes in the sample bulk. After a peak pressure at 17 GPa was reached (980 K peak temperature), all three peaks disappeared, indicating that the extent of reaction was substantial under these conditions. The broadening of the CH3 peak and the softening of the CN mode observed in this work suggest strong intermolecular interactions. These interactions lead to a reaction precursor involving proposed head-to-tail inte...
Endocrine influence upon the development of vitellogenic competency in Oncopeltus fasciatus

Immunoelectrophoretic analysis of the blood of precocious adult females of Oncopeltus demonstrated the presence of the A form of vitellogenin but no detectable AB form, the form present in mature adult-female haemolymph. Although the appearance of the AB form could be induced by topical treatment of precocious adult females with juvenile hormone, no yolk deposition was induced in these females. Histological examination revealed that the ovaries of precocious adult females reached only a previtellogenic stage of development with or without treatment with juvenile hormone. Topical treatment of normal larvae and adults with the hormone demonstrated that vitellogenin synthesis could not be induced with juvenile hormone treatment alone until after adult emergence. Since the precocious adult females are chronologically younger than normal last-stage larval instars, we suggest that a transition period during which juvenile hormone is absent (i.e. the precocious moult in treated animals; the final moult in control animals) must occur before some tissue of the precocious or normal adult females, presumably the fat body, becomes competent to respond to further exposure to the hormone by making the AB form of vitellogenin. The ovary requires a similar transition period prior to becoming capable of depositing vitellogenin; however, the times when the fat body and the ovary become competent to respond to the transition period differ.
Carbon and nitrogen nutrition of Trichoderma

Abstract In buffered media Trichoderma grew best with l -alanine, l -aspartic acid, l -glutamic acid and casamino acids as sources of N. Growth on NH + 4 -N was consistently superior to growth on NO − 3 -N. Some isolates of T. koningii Oud. and T. hamatum (Bon.) Bain, were incapable of utilizing NO 3 − . The best carbon sources were dextrose, fructose, mannose, galactose, xylose, ribose, trehalose and cellobiose. The ability to use melezitose, raffinose, sucrose and inulin as sources of carbon were related to taxonomic units. It is proposed that the ability to use these carbon sources as well as tests for extracellular oxidase, NO − 3 utilization and temperature maxima may be useful to delineate and identify species. All isolates tested readily decomposed pure cellulose but the time required to adapt to the cellulose medium varied considerably. The relative vigor of cellulose decomposition was not related to the loss in weight of pine needles or dogwood leaves induced by Trichoderma .