cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Defining “Rural” for Veterans’ Health Care Planning

Purpose: The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) devised an algorithm to classify veterans as Urban, Rural, or Highly Rural residents. To understand the policy implications of the VHA scheme, we compared its categories to 3 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and 4 Rural-Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) geographical categories. Method: Using residence information for VHA health care enrollees, we compared urban-rural classifications under the VHA, OMB, and RUCA schemes; the distributions of rural enrollees across VHA health care networks (Veterans Integrated Service Networks [VISNs]); and how each scheme indicates whether VHA standards for travel time to care are met for the most rural veterans. Results: VHA's Highly Rural and Urban categories are much smaller than the most rural or most urban categories in the other schemes, while its Rural category is much larger than their intermediate categories. Most Highly Rural veterans live in VISNs serving the Rocky Mountains and Alaska. Veterans defined as the most rural by RUCA or OMB are distributed more evenly across most VISNs. Nearly all urban enrollees live within VHA standards for travel time to access VHA care; so do most enrollees defined by RUCA or OMB as the most rural. Only half of Highly Rural enrollees, however, live within an hour of primary care, and 70% must travel more than 2 hours to acute care or 4 hours to tertiary care. Conclusions: VHA's Rural category is very large and broadly dispersed; policy makers should supplement analyses of Rural veterans’ health care needs with more detailed breakdowns. Most of VHA's Highly Rural enrollees live in the western United States where distances to care are great and alternative delivery systems may be needed.
Multichannel Lightwave Networks

A basic property of single-mode optical fiber is its enormous low-loss bandwidth of many terahertz (THz). Unfortunately, single channel transmission is limited in speed to much less than the fiber capacity due to limitations in opticoelectronic component speed and dispersive effects. To fully utilize the huge bandwidth of optical fibers, two multiplexing techniques, wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) and time division multiplexing (TDM), have been used to transmit several channels simultaneously on a single fiber. Such multichannel lightwave networks offer enormous aggregate capacity and greater flexibility. The research challenges involve both novel approaches to network architecture and infrastructures and their performance analysis. In this paper, we give a survey of some of the latest works in these areas.
EXOGENOUS SHOCKS AND MARINE RESERVES

The impact on the value of a fishery from exogenous shocks is investigated. Part of the habitat is protected by a marine reserve, while the remaining fishery is managed by optimal, total allowable catch quotas. Shocks of different, spatial nature and with different probability distributions are investigated. The results suggest that reserves are of minor interest as a management tool when shocks affect the stock uniformly. Reserves may substantially enhance the value of the fishery when shocks are nonuniformly spatially distributed.
Sexually antagonistic cytonuclear fitness interactions in Drosophila melanogaster.

Theoretical and empirical studies have shown that selection cannot maintain a joint nuclear-cytoplasmic polymorphism within a population except under restrictive conditions of frequency-dependent or sex-specific selection. These conclusions are based on fitness interactions between a diploid autosomal locus and a haploid cytoplasmic locus. We develop a model of joint transmission of X chromosomes and cytoplasms and through simulation show that nuclear-cytoplasmic polymorphisms can be maintained by selection on X-cytoplasm interactions. We test aspects of the model with a "diallel" experiment analyzing fitness interactions between pairwise combinations of X chromosomes and cytoplasms from wild strains of Drosophila melanogaster. Contrary to earlier autosomal studies, significant fitness interactions between X chromosomes and cytoplasms are detected among strains from within populations. The experiment further demonstrates significant sex-by-genotype interactions for mtDNA haplotype, cytoplasms, and X chromosomes. These interactions are sexually antagonistic--i.e., the "good" cytoplasms in females are "bad" in males--analogous to crossing reaction norms. The presence or absence of Wolbachia did not alter the significance of the fitness effects involving X chromosomes and cytoplasms but tended to reduce the significance of mtDNA fitness effects. The negative fitness correlations between the sexes demonstrated in our empirical study are consistent with the conditions that maintain cytoplasmic polymorphism in simulations. Our results suggest that fitness interactions with the sex chromosomes may account for some proportion of cytoplasmic variation in natural populations. Sexually antagonistic selection or reciprocally matched fitness effects of nuclear-cytoplasmic genotypes may be important components of cytonuclear fitness variation and have implications for mitochondrial disease phenotypes that differ between the sexes.
Optimization of Post Sulfuric Acid/Hydrogen Peroxide Dump Rinsing Processes

We evaluated the rate limiting steps in a post sulfuric acid/hydrogen peroxide mix dump rinsing process. The parameters we examined include, the pull-out velocity from the chemical bath, the draining during transport into the rinse tank, immersion into the rinse tank, dumping, draining after a dump cycle and flow rate during fills between dumps. Based on our investigations an optimized dump rinsing process was developed using programmed flow rates and dumping cycles. The quality of the optimized rinsing process was determined by measuring sulfur residue and light point defects on wafer surfaces that had undergone the optimized rinsing process. This optimized process requires 5 minutes and 75 liters of water, replacing a process that initially ran for up to 16 minutes and consumed 600 liters of water. Our optimized rinsing process, resulted in a factor of five saving in water consumption and two in cycle lifetime with no statistical degradation in surface quality.
The various modes of growth of metals on quasicrystals

Quasicrystals are fascinating intermetallic compounds composed of two or more elements. They differ from conventional crystals in that they possess long-range order, but no translational symmetry—that is, they are aperiodic. Much effort has been expended on identifying routes towards exploiting and exploring the properties of such systems due to their aperiodic nature. One such route is concerned with the deposition of thin films, particularly of metals, to investigate how their growth progresses in this inherently frustrated scenario. This topical review will examine the various epitaxial relationships observed in quasicrystal research with particular emphasis on single-element metallic films deposited under ultrahigh-vacuum conditions.
Seeing the Big Picture: Integration of Image Cues in the Primate Visual System

Summarysponses. In further support of the proposal of Dobkins The studies described above show that the primate mo-and Albright (1994) summarized above, these results tion-processing subsystem receives and utilizes infor-canbeaccountedforbysimplepoolingoftheresponses mation about multiple spatial cues that can be used forof LGN M cells (Thiele et al., 1999). motion detection. These findings raise many questions, Other Cues of course, about the routes through which such cues Although chromatic cues have received the greatest reach motion detectors. As regards the contribution ofattention, evidence indicates that motion direction can chromaticcues,theexistingdatasuggestthattheirinflu-also be perceived in a qualitatively invariant manner ences can be accounted for by simple pooling of re-across a range of other contrast cues, such as spatial sponses arising from the so-called M pathway.texture, temporal texture (flicker), and binocular dispar- In the next section, we summarize experiments thatity (e.g., Julesz and Payne, 1968; Ramachandran et al., reveal a very different type of contribution from nonmo-1973; Sperling, 1976; Petersik et al., 1978; Anstis, 1980; tion cues to motion processing—one in which nonmo-Lelkens and Koenderink, 1984; Chubb and Sperling, tion cues, such as chromatic contrast, form the context1988;StonerandAlbright,1992b;LuandSperling,1995). in which moving features appear and thereby influenceToexploretheneuralbasisofthisperceptualinvariance, the interpretation of motion rather than its detection.the responses of directionally selective MT neuronshave been compared using moving stimuli defined by
Retrieval of Water Vapor Profiles from GPS/MET Radio Occultations.

Present Global Positioning System Meteorology (GPS/MET) refractivity profiles cannot distinguish between refractivity effects due to water vapor and those due to air density. Current methods of resolving the ambiguity rely heavily on ancillary upper-air data, such as National Centers for Environmental Prediction and European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) analyses. However, the accuracy of these ancillary sources suffers in regions where upper-air data are sparse. A method of separating the water vapor and temperature effects in GPS/MET-derived refractivity profiles with the addition of only ancillary surface pressure and temperature data and the hydrostatic assumption is discussed. Water vapor and temperature data derived from this method are presented and compared with accepted values. This method allows for the construction of temperature profiles with a mean bias of 0.33 K and a mean standard deviation of 1.86 K when compared with ECMWF data from 30 to 1000 mb. Height fields can als...
Families of Tight Inequalities for Polytopes

We use the Billera-Liu algebra to show how the flag f-vectors of several special classes of polytopes fit into the closed convex hull of the flag f-vectors of all polytopes. In particular, we describe inequalities that define the faces of the closed convex hull of the flag f-vectors of all d-polytopes that are spanned by the flag f-vectors of simplicial, simple, k-simplicial, and k-simple d-polytopes. We also describe inequalities that define the face of the closed convex hull of the flag f-vectors of all d-zonotopes spanned by the flag f-vectors of cubical d-zonotopes, and give an upper bound on the dimension of the span of the flag f-vectors of k-cubical zonotopes. Finally, we strengthen some previously known inequalities for flag f-vectors of zonotopes.
Influence of dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons on intravenous ethanol self-administration in the rat.

Abstract Rats implanted with chronic indwelling intravenous catheters and allowed access to a self-administration apparatus learned to self-inject intravenous ethanol. Ethanol concentrations of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0%, corresponding to a dose/injection of 1, 2, and 4 mg/kg, respectively, were consistently self-injected. Self-injection was not acquired or maintained with ethanol doses of 0.5 or 8 mg/kg/injection. Saline replacement of ethanol reservoirs led to marked increases in lever-pressing response in animals self-injecting 1, 2, and 4 mg/kg ethanol/injection but not with 0.5 or 8 mg/kg/injection. Neurotoxin-induced lesions of dopamine-(DA) containing neurons in nucleus accumbens septi failed to alter the acquisition or maintenance of ethanol self-injection. Pretreatment with haloperidol (0.05 and 0.1 mg/kg, SC) failed to alter hourly or daily self-injection rates. On the otrher hand, p-chlorophenylalanine pretreatment increased, while fluoxetine (2.5 and 5.0 mg/kg) administration significantly reduced, self-injected intravenous ethanol. These data suggest that ethanol is self-injected by the rat in a narrow dose range and that 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), but not DA-containing neurons, subserves some function in the reinforcing or aversive affects of ethanol.
Obesity affects nursing-care facility admission among whites but not blacks.

ZIZZA, CLAIRE A., AMY HERRING, JUNE STEVENS, AND BARRY M. POPKIN. Obesity affects nursing-care facility admission among whites but not blacks. Obes Res. 2002;10:816 – 823. Objective: This study examines whether obese individuals have a greater rate of nursing care facility admission than normal weight individuals. Research Methods and Procedures: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiological Follow-up Survey were analyzed. Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the relationship between baseline weight status and subsequent time to first nursing home admission while adjusting for sex, age, race, marital status, height, presence of children, smoking status, education, region, urban residence, income, and physical activity. Results: Of 5960 adults 45 to 74 years old, 989 individuals were admitted to a nursing care facility over the subsequent 20 years. Body mass index (BMI) was studied using five categories: 18.5, 18.5 to 25, 25.0 to 30, 30.0 to 35, 35 kg/m 2 . The effects of BMI differed by race: compared with those with a BMI of 18.5 to 25 kg/m 2 , adults with aB MI30 kg/m 2 or aB MI18.5 kg/m 2 had a greater rate of nursing home admission in whites, whereas no relationship was found in blacks. The inclusion of time to death with nursing home admission as a joint outcome yielded similar results. Discussion: The large increase in the prevalence of obesity coupled with the rapid expansion of the number of older Americans will likely increase the demand for nursing facility use. More research is needed to understand differences in factors related to nursing home admission among ethnic groups.
Averaging processes and intuitive statistical judgments

Abstract Subjects were required to make numerical judgments based on a brief inspection of a pair of samples of IQ scores. In Experiment I, each sample within a pair contained 20 scores and the values of the two sample means were varied factorially. The subject was to infer the mean IQ of the school from which the samples were taken. In Experiment II, sample size was varied within a pair of samples. In one group, the subject was to infer the mean IQ of the entire school. In another group, the subject judged the mean IQ if the two samples were combined into a single sample. The data of Experiment I were in agreement with a model that assumes that the judgment of population mean is a simple average of the subjective values of the sample means. The data of Experiment II could be described by a weighted average model where sample means are differentially weighted as a direct function of sample size.
Delay-tolerant communication using mobile robotic helper nodes

Delay tolerant networks can exhibit long phases of complete unconnectedness, where several nodes will not be able to communicate effectively. In those circumstances controlling the movement of helper nodes, that facilitate message exchanges instead of relying on direct communication, can improve network performance. We investigate when controlled movement is beneficial and how helper nodes need to move or position themselves to achieve maximum network performance. Three communication modes on a single link and in a hub model are analyzed: direct communication, communication through one or more relays, and communication via data ferries. Hereby we extend the traditional in-range, out-of-range communication model to include a distance dependence which gives a differentiated rate-distance profile. Further, we characterize controlled mobility of mobile data ferries to form static relay paths or dynamically ferry data between nodes. Achievable throughput, delay, and distance performance of the link modes change with channel and ferry characteristics. The union of these performance regions forms the achievable communication space for a given DTN scenario. Novel phase plots show when it is feasible to use one of the mobility schemes versus direct communication. The implications of these modes for practical link-layer designs are discussed using a real-world DTN example of sensor data collection with unmanned aircraft.
Photophysical behavior of ultrasmall CdSe semiconductor particles in a perfluorosulfonate membrane

Abstract Ultrasmall CdSe semiconductor particles that exhibit size quantization effects are prepared in a perfluorosulfonate membrane (Nafion) by exposing Cd 2+ -exchanged film to H 2 Se. The growth of the particle can be controlled by varying the reaction time or the concentration of Cd 2+ in the Nafion film. CdSe particles exhibit an emission maximum in the region of 560–600 nm, the position of the maximum being dependent on the particle size. The emission decay is multi-exponential with lifetimes ranging into the nanosecond time regime. The photophysical behavior of CdSe particles in Nafion has also been probed with picosecond laser flash photolysis.
Ultrasound assessment of mesenteric blood flow in neonates with hypoplastic left heart before and after hybrid palliation.

Background Altered mesenteric perfusion may be a contributor to the development of necrotising enterocolitis in patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. The goal of this study was to document mesenteric flow patterns in patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome pre- and post-hybrid procedure. Methods A prospective study on all patients with hypoplatic left heart syndrome undergoing the hybrid procedure was conducted. Doppler ultrasound analysis of the coeliac and superior mesenteric artery was performed. Results A total of 13 patients were evaluated. There was a significant difference in the coeliac artery effective velocity-time intergral pre- and post-hybrid procedure (8.69±3.84 versus 12.51±4.95 cm, respectively). There were significant differences in the superior mesenteric artery antegrade velocity-time integral pre- and post-hybrid procedure (6.86±2.45 versus 10.52±2.64 cm, respectively) and superior mesenteric artery effective velocity-time integral pre- and post-hybrid procedure (6.22±2.68 versus 9.73±2.73 cm, respectively). There were no significant differences between the coeliac and superior mesenteric artery Doppler indices in the pre-hybrid procedure; there were, however, significant differences in the post-hybrid procedure between coeliac and superior mesenteric artery antegrade velocity-time integral (13.8 2±5.60 versus 10.52±2.64 cm, respectively) and effective velocity-time integral (13.04±4.71 versus 9.73±2.73 cm, respectively). Conclusion Doppler mesenteric indices of perfusion improve in patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome after the hybrid procedure; however, there appears to be preferential flow to the coeliac artery versus the superior mesenteric artery in these patients post-procedure.
Leaf cellulose δD and δ18O trends with elevation differ in direction among co-occurring, semiarid plant species

Abstract The potential to reconstruct paleoclimate from analyses of stable isotopes in fossil leaf cellulose could be enhanced by adequate calibration. This potential is likely to be particularly great in mid-latitude deserts, where a rich store of fossil leaves is available from rodent middens. Trends in δD and δ 18 O of leaf cellulose were examined for three species growing across climatic gradients caused by elevation and slope aspect in southeastern Utah, USA. The species differed in morphology ( Pinus edulis vs. Yucca glauca ), photosynthetic pathway (C 3 Y. glauca vs. CAM Yucca baccata ) or both ( P. edulis vs. Y. baccata ). The δD LCN (leaf cellulose nitrate) and δ 18 O LC (leaf cellulose) values of P. edulis decreased with elevation. Stem water δD values either increased (in spring) or did not change with elevation (in summer). Needle water δD values usually decreased with elevation and differed greatly with leaf age. These results suggest that δ cellulose values of P. edulis record the effects of climate on the isotopic composition of leaf water but not climate effects on meteoric water. In contrast to P. edulis , δD LCN values of Y. glauca increased with elevation. The δ 18 O LC values of Y. glauca also increased with elevation but less significantly and only on south-facing slopes. The δ cellulose values in both P. edulis and Y. glauca were most significantly related to changes in temperature, although temperature and precipitation were negatively correlated in the study area. Where all three species co-occurred, their δD LCN values differed but their δ 18 O LC values were the same. The disparity in δD LCN between Y. baccata and the other species corresponds to differences in biochemical fractionations associated with photosynthetic pathway. Biochemical fractionations may also contribute to differences between the two C 3 species. Knowledge of factors affecting responses of individual plant species to environment may be required to infer climate from δD LCN and δ 18 O LC .
Evaluation of methotrexate in the treatment of bronchogenic carcinoma

One hundred ninety-five patients with disseminated bronchogenic carcinoma were treated with 10 different dosage schedules of methotrexate. Patient response to methotrexate therapy varied with the type of treatment, but overall, 18% of the patients treated responded to a measurable degree. Survival was not increased in any of the treatment categories when compared to a placebo group; however, the survival of patients that responded to therapy was greater than the survival of patients that did not respond to therapy. Methotrexate will find its greatest potential use in combination with other drugs proven to be effective in treating bronchogenic carcinoma.
Mammary carcinoma developing after radiotherapy and chemotherapy for Hodgkin's disease

Two patients developed breast cancer after treatment of Hodgkin's disease. Both had received mediastinal irradiation 13 to 15 years, respectively, before the diagnosis of breast carcinoma. One patient had synchronous bilateral breast cancer when the diagnosis was made. Discussed is the risk of mammary carcinoma as a second malignant neoplasm in patients treated for Hodgkin's disease.
Disaggregated Bilateral Trade and Conflict: Exploring Propositions in a Simultaneous Framework

Several authors argue that the relationship between bilateral trade and conflict varies across goods, but most studies use total trade data. It is also argued that trade and conflict affect each other, but most studies ignore this simultaneity. This article develops a simultaneous equations model of the relationship between disaggregated bilateral trade and the level of conflict. The test requires data on disaggregated bilateral trade prices and quantities, which are available for only a few countries and goods. Consequently, the test includes the dyads formed between the US, (West) Germany, and Japan, from 1963 to 1992. The analysis identifies goods for which trade is more sensitive to conflict (or cooperation), and goods for which trade is a more potent source of conflict (or cooperation). Given the limited sample used, the article should be viewed as an exploration into potentially important issues the literature may start to address, rather than as a definitive final outcome.
Paracrine production of nerve growth factor during rat dorsal root ganglion development

Nerve growth factor is a target derived growth factor. In the peripheral nervous system, it is produced by tissues innervated by the sympathetic nervous system and small sensory neurons. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that an alternate source of nerve growth factor must be available to support dorsal root ganglion neurons before they make connection with the target. Using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), we detected nerve growth factor mRNA at embryonic day 12 to 17, but not in adult dorsal root ganglia. In situ hybridization studies revealed positive staining in satellite/supportive cells juxtaposed to dorsal root ganglion neurons. Our study suggests that nerve growth factor from supporting cells may have a paracrine function during development of primary sensory neurons.
Safety and efficacy of Gliadel wafers for newly diagnosed and recurrent glioblastoma

Combining Gliadel wafers and radiochemotherapy with TMZ may carry the risk of increased adverse events (AE). We analyzed the efficacy and safety in patients with glioblastoma who underwent multimodal treatment with implantation of Gliadel wafers. One hundred sixty-five consecutive patients with newly diagnosed (77 patients) or recurrent (88 patients) glioblastoma were studied. Forty-seven patients underwent surgery + Gliadel. The impact of age (≥65 vs. <65), resection extent (gross total vs. partial), use of Gliadel and adjuvant treatment (TMZ vs. other schemes/no adjuvant therapy) on overall survival (OS, for patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma) and on recurrence-survival (for patients with recurrent glioblastoma) was analyzed with Cox regression. The impact of age, history (newly diagnosed vs. recurrent glioblastoma), number of Gliadel wafers implanted (0 vs. <8 vs. 8), resection extent (gross-total vs. partial) and adjuvant treatment (TMZ vs. other schemes/no adjuvant therapy) on the occurrence of AE and on the occurrence of implantation site-related AE (ISAE) was analyzed with the logistic regression model. Significance was set at p < 0.05. Multivariate analysis showed the only factor associated with longer survival, both for newly diagnosed and for recurrent GBM, was resection extent. Both patients with a higher number of wafers implanted and patients with recurrent tumors were significantly at risk for AE and ISAE. Patients with eight Gliadel wafers implanted had a 3-fold increased risk of AE and a 5.6-fold increased risk of ISAE, and patients with recurrent tumor had a 2.8-fold increased risk of AE and a 9.3-fold increased risk of ISAE. Adding Gliadel to standard treatment did not significantly improve the outcome. The toxicity after Gliadel use was significantly higher, both for patients with newly diagnosed and patients with recurrent glioblastoma.
Menhaden Fish Meal, Dried Fish Solubles, Methionine and Zinc Bacitracin in Diets of Young Turkeys

Abstract Three 2 × 2 × 3 × 2 factorially designed experiments were conducted with 0 and 4% menhaden fish meal, 0 and 1% dried fish solubles, 0, 0.2 and 0.4% added dl -methionine or methionine hydroxy analogue, and 0 and 55 p.p.m. bacitracin from zinc bacitracin as dietary variables. Each of the 24 diets was fed to four pens of male and four pens of female Large White turkeys from one day to seven weeks of age. Each pen contained 9 or 10 birds, and a total of 1,824 turkeys were used. The unsupplemented 30% protein corn-soybean meal practical-type diet contained 0.46% methionine and 0.45% cystine by calculation. Body weights at seven weeks of age were increased 5.9% from 4% menhaden fish meal, 2.5% from 1% spray dried fish solubles, 10.1 and 12.0% from 0.2 and 0.4% added methionine, respectively, and 6.3% from 55 p.p.m. bacitracin. Body weights increased 10.8, 4.0and 3.5% from added fish meal, and 3.6, 4.5 and −0.3% from added fish solubles in diets containing 0, 0.2 and 0.4% added methionine, respectively. Increases in body weight from 1% fish solubles were 4.2 and 0.9% in diets containing 0 and 4% fish meal, and 4.9 and 0.3% in diets containing 0 and 55 p.p.m. bacitracin, respectively. A 2.3% increase in seven-week body weights from fish meal in the presence of fish solubles, bacitracin and added methionine supports the theory that an unidentified factor exists in fish meal.
Acoustic Faraday effect in superfluid 3He-B

We have observed that the direction of linearly polarized transverse sound in superfluid 3He-B rotates in a magnetic field. This acoustic Faraday effect proves the existence of a propagating transverse sound mode in 3He and provides clear evidence for spontaneously broken relative spin–orbit symmetry.
Transplantation, plasticity, and the aging host

Neural transplantation as a recovery strategy for neuro-degenerative diseases in humans has used mainly grafting following acute denervation strategies in young adult hosts. Our work in aged mice and rats demonstrates an age-related increase in susceptibility to oxidative damage from neurotoxins, a remarkably poor recovery of C57BL/6 mice from MPTP insult with transplantation and growth factors, even at 12 months of age, and diminished plasticity of host neurons. We believe that extrapolation of data from young adult animal models to aged humans without thorough investigation of transplantation and host response in aged recipients is scientifically and ethically inappropriate.
Ultrastructure of Mycoplasma gallisepticum isolate 1056.

Cells of Mycoplasma gallisepticum isolate 1056, were bound by unit membranes, were elongated, pear-shaped, or spherical, and contained 14–15 nm ribosomes, cylindrical polysomes, fibrillar networks, highly structured blebs, and infrableb regions. Small independent cells similar in size to inclusions within typical cells of M. gallisepticum isolate 1056 were observed. Both the independent cells and inclusions may represent elementary bodies. Distinctive connections between adjacent cells of isolate 1056 are described, as well as huge cells 3–4 times as large as the average-sized cells.
Detection of trace organic impurities in binary solvent systems: A solvent purity test

Abstract A convenient solvent purity test that distinguishes between trace organic impurities present in either organic solvents miscible with water or in water is described. It utilizes the reversed-phase liquid chromatographic trace-enrichment technique by which solvent impurities are concentrated onto the inlet end of a reversed- phase column. The complete test procedure consists of a specific series of gradient elution runs conducted under standardized conditions in both the forward and reverse directions after first subjecting different volumes of each pure solvent to trace enrichment. The resulting set of gradient elution profiles produces a wealth of chromatographic information, the interpretation of which enables the origin of impurities present in a binary solvent system to be determined. Tests show that acetonitrile is relatively pure but that trace impurities present in methanol or tetrahydrofuran can exceed and mask those present in water. The efficacies of some treatments designed to remove trace organic impurities from water are evaluated using the solvent purity test.
Acute metformin overdose: examining serum pH, lactate level, and metformin concentrations in survivors versus nonsurvivors: a systematic review of the literature.

Study objective Metformin is known to cause potentially fatal metabolic acidosis with an increased lactate level in both overdose and therapeutic use. No association between mortality and serum pH, lactate level, or metformin concentrations, though intuitive, has yet been described. This systematic literature review is designed to evaluate the association between mortality and serum pH, lactate level, and metformin concentrations in acute metformin overdose. Methods We reviewed the literature by using the MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and TOXNET databases for cases of metformin overdose with documented mortality data and values of serum pH, lactate level, and metformin concentrations. When available, patient age, patient sex, and whether patients received intravenous sodium bicarbonate therapy or hemodialysis were also analyzed. Cases meeting inclusion criteria were analyzed to determine whether a difference in distribution of nadir serum pH, peak serum lactate level, or peak serum metformin concentrations existed between overdose survivors and nonsurvivors. Results We identified 10 articles that had 1 or more cases meeting our inclusion criteria. In total, there were 22 cases of metformin overdose (5/22 died) that met inclusion criteria. No intentional overdose patients died whose serum pH nadir was greater than 6.9, maximum lactate concentration less than 25 mol/L, or maximum metformin concentration less than 50 μg/mL (therapeutic range 1 to 2 μg/mL). Intentional overdose patients with a nadir serum pH less than 6.9 had 83% mortality (5/6), those with lactate concentration greater than 25 mmol/L had 83% mortality (5/6), and those with metformin concentration greater than 50 μg/mL had 38% mortality (5/12). Nadir serum pH and peak serum lactate and metformin concentration distributions in survivors and nonsurvivors revealed that survivors had a median nadir pH of 7.30, interquartile range (IQR) 7.22, 7.36; nonsurvivors, a median nadir pH of 6.71, IQR 6.71, 6.73; survivors, a median peak lactate level of 10.8 mmol/L, IQR 4.2, 12.9; nonsurvivors, a median peak lactate level of 35.0 mmol/L, IQR 33.3, 39.0; survivors, a median peak metformin level of 42 μg/mL, IQR 6.6, 67.6; and nonsurvivors, a median peak metformin level of 110 μg/mL, IQR 110, 110. Conclusion No cases of acute metformin overdose meeting the study's inclusion criteria were found in which patients with a nadir serum pH greater than 6.9, peak serum lactate concentrations less than 25 mmol/L, or peak serum metformin concentrations less than 50 μg/mL died. Patients with acute metformin overdose who died had much lower serum pH nadirs and much higher peak serum lactate and metformin concentrations than those who survived.
The effects of butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydroxytoluene on renal function in the rat. I. Effects on fluid and electrolyte excretion

Abstract The effects of the food antioxidants butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) on renal function were studied. Male rats were given 500 mg BHA or BHT/kg/day by gavage for 6 days. Control animals received corn oil alone. Animals were offered a grain diet and distilled water ab lib. Water and food intakes, and urinary volume, osmolality, and sodium and potassium concentrations were monitored daily for each animal. Following the second dose BHT, the urine volume of treated animals was increased by 78% while water intake was reduced 35%. No discrepancies occurred in the fluid balances of BHA-treated or control animals. The osmolality of urine from animals receiving BHT was reduced for the 6 days of the experiment; that of BHA and control groups was unaffected. Urinary sodium and potassium concentrations were reduced in animals treated with either antioxidant. On the second day of BHT administration, excretion of electrolytes was reduced, but not in proportion to food intake. This may have been related to hormonal changes accompanying the depression of food intake. Total daily sodium excretion of BHA-treated animals was less than expected from food intake on days 2–6, possibly owing to interference with renal prostaglandin synthesis.
Cellular management of iron in the brain

All organs including the brain contain iron, and the proteins involved in iron uptake (transferrin and transferrin receptor) and intracellular storage (ferritin). However, because the brain resides behind a barrier and has a heterogeneous population of cells, there are aspects of its iron management that are unique. Iron management, the timely delivery of appropriate amounts of iron, is crucial to normal brain development and function. Mismanagement of cellular iron can result not only in decreased metabolic activity but increased vulnerability to oxidative damage. There is regional specificity in cell deposition of iron and the iron regulatory proteins. However, the sequestration of iron in the brain seems primarily the responsibility of oligodendrocytes, as these cells contain most of the stainable iron in the brain. Transferrin, the iron-mobilizing protein, is also found predominantly in these cells. The transferrin receptor is abundantly expressed on blood vessels, large neurons in the cortex, striatum, and hippocampus, and is also present on oligodendrocytes and astrocytes. Ferritin, the intracellular iron storage protein, consists of 2 subunits which are functionally distinct, and we provide evidence in this report that the cellular distribution of the ferritin subunits is also distinct. In addition, changes in the cellular distribution of iron and its associated regulatory proteins occur in Alzheimer's disease. Neuritic plaques contain relatively large amounts of stainable iron, and the surrounding cells robustly immunostain for ferritin and the transferrin receptor. Analysis of the cellular distribution of iron indicates the different levels of requirement of iron in the brain by different cell types and should ultimately elucidate how cells acquire and maintain this essential component of oxidative metabolism. In addition, changes in the ability of cells to deliver and manage iron may provide insight into altered metabolic activity with age and disease as well as identify cell populations at risk for iron-induced oxidative stress.
Minimum data set requirements for ion microtomography

Abstract Data acquisition and analysis rates and data set size seriously affect the practicality of conducting ion microtomography studies that map out material densities of extended objects in three dimensions. For the promise of today's fine spatial resolution capabilities to be met, huge data sets must be acquired, processed, and analyzed efficiently. In this paper, we present the results of an experimental parametric study exploring the limits of minimizing the amount of data required for tomographic reconstruction. We consider data acquisition system resolution and the effect of limited accuracy of stopping powers. We show graphically the specific results of variation of parameters affecting minimum data set size.
Nocturnin Regulates Circadian Trafficking of Dietary Lipid in Intestinal Enterocytes

Summary Background Efficient metabolic function in mammals depends on the circadian clock, which drives temporal regulation of metabolic processes. Nocturnin is a clock-regulated deadenylase that controls its target mRNA expression posttranscriptionally through poly(A) tail removal. Mice lacking nocturnin ( Noc −/− mice) are resistant to diet-induced obesity and hepatic steatosis yet are not hyperactive or hypophagic. Results Here we show that nocturnin is expressed rhythmically in the small intestine and is induced by olive oil gavage and that the Noc −/− mice have reduced chylomicron transit into the plasma following the ingestion of dietary lipids. Genes involved in triglyceride synthesis and storage and chylomicron formation have altered expression, and large cytoplasmic lipid droplets accumulate in the apical domains of the Noc −/− enterocytes. The physiological significance of this deficit in absorption is clear because maintenance of Noc −/− mice on diets that challenge the chylomicron synthesis pathway result in significant reductions in body weight, whereas diets that bypass this pathway do not. Conclusions Therefore, we propose that nocturnin plays an important role in the trafficking of dietary lipid in the intestinal enterocytes by optimizing efficient absorption of lipids.
Evaluation of monoclonal antibodies for generic detection of flaviviruses by ELISA

Abstract Three monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) specific for the envelope (E) protein of flaviviruses were evaluated for use in an antigen capture ELISA. Three combinations of Mabs and a combination of polyclonal antibodies (Pabs) were evaluated in antigen capture ELISAs for their ability to detect 18 flaviviruses. The Mab ELISAs detected 50% of flavivirus antigens with a sensitivity between 1 and 9 × 10 4 ng viral protein/ml, however, none of the ELISAs evaluated proved to be useful for generic detection of flaviviruses, being unable to detect tick-borne flaviviruses and some mosquito-borne flaviviruses. The inability of the ELISAs to detect tick-borne flaviviruses is thought to be due to the conformation of surface epitopes, which the Mabs were unable to recognise. This was again observed using recombinant TBE virus prM/E protein as antigen in direct and antigen capture ELISAs. The Mabs reacted with the prM/E protein when it was denatured by binding directly onto the solid phase, but the antibodies were unable to detect the native protein in antigen capture ELISAs. The antigen capture ELISAs evaluated in this study were considered to be unsuitable for the generic detection of flaviviruses, but may provide a sensitive diagnostic assay for specific flavivirus infection.
On the Computation of the Mountain Torque from Gridded Global Datasets

Abstract This note evaluates the numerical schemes used for computing the axial component of the mountain torque from gridded global surface pressure and topography datasets. It is shown that the two formulas of the mountain torque based on (i) an integral of the product of the surface pressure and the gradient of topography, and (ii) an integral of the product of the topography and the surface pressure gradient, should produce identical results if a centered even-ordered finite-difference scheme or the spectral method is used to evaluate the integrand. Noncentered finite-difference schemes are not recommended not only because they produce extremely large errors but also because they produce different results for the two formulas. When compared with the benchmark calculation using the spectral method, it is found that the centered fourth-order finite-difference scheme is an efficient and generally accurate approximation for practical applications. Using the data from NCEP–NCAR reanalysis, the finite-diffe...
Enhancement of phase-coherent electromagnetic scattering from a random array of identical resonant dielectric ridges placed upon a dielectric substrate

The elastic scattering of p-polarized electromagnetic waves from a one-dimensionally rough surface formed as an array of identical resonant dielectric ridges randomly placed upon a dielectric substrate is studied as a function of the frequency of incident light. A diagrammatic perturbation theory is used. Emphasis is given to determining how the resonant properties, as a function of frequency, of the dielectric ridges affect phase-coherent (weak-localization) phenomena in electromagnetic scattering by the surface and how these effects are related to localized electromagnetic modes bound to individual ridges.
Are Businesses Treated Differently? A Comparison of the Individual Victim and the Corporate Victim in the Criminal Courtroom*

Drawing on a number of theories, this paper explores both why and how the capacity for collective action influences deviance processing decisions. Specifically, data for a sample of male and female defendants convicted of both theft and forgery offenses are examined to estimate the effects on criminal processing decisions of (1) the organizational, as opposed to the individual, victim, (2) the organization of individual offenders, as indicated by the presence of co-defendants, and (3) the respective intimacy in the victim-offender relationship on both the organizational and the individual level. While organization on the part of the criminal offenders appears to have no effect on the dispositional process, the presence of an organizational victim ensures longer periods of probationary supervision for the respective offender. Moreover, this relationship remains regardless of whether the defendant was involved with the organization he victimized. Accordingly, this study suggests both that businesses are in fact treated differently from individuals in the criminal courtroom and that the expansion of our analysis of victim attributes in the study of deviance processing decisions is long overdue.
Characterization of endo-1,4-β-d-glucanases purified from Trichoderma viride

Abstract Four electrophoretically distinct endo-1,4-β- d -glucanases (EC 3.2.1.4) from Trichoderma viride have been identified and named as isozymes, Endoglucanases I, II, III and IV, according to their electrophoretic mobilities on polyacrylamide gels. Endoglucanases II, III and IV, the homogeneity of each of which was established by discontinuous gel electrophoresis and ultracentrifugation, had specific activities on CM-cellulose of 1010, 60 and 250 specific fluidity units/mg protein, respectively. These enzymes have similar pH optima (pH 4.0–4.5) and are labile at pH values greater than 8.0. The endoglucanases are high in acidic and hydroxylated amino acids and glycine, but low in basic amino acids. Values of 12.0, 10.3 and 13.1 have been determined for the ϵ 280 1% of purified Endoglucanases II, III and IV, respectively. Sedimentation equilibrium analysis has established the molecular weights of Endoglucanases II, III and IV to be 37 200, 52 000 and 49 500, rsepectively. The three endoglucanases contain mannose, galactose, glucose and glucosamine. Mannose is the principal neutral sugar in each enzyme. Endoglucanase II is distinguished by its low carbohydrate content, 4.5% (w/w), compared to Endoglucanases III and IV which contain 15.0% and 15.2% carbohydrate, respectively.
A spatial uncertainty metric for anthropogenic CO2emissions

Large point sources account for as much as 60% of the anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions for some countries. Because CO2 emissions are seldom measured directly, but are generally estimated from other data, we need to understand the uncertainty of these emissions estimates. Simply stated, for any given geographical and temporal location, we would like to quantify the emissions and the associated uncertainty with as fine a resolution as possible. While US data on point sources are largely assumed to be among the best available globally, the reported locations of these sources, based on the data set used in this analysis, are estimated to differ by 0.84 km on average from their actual locations. This paper presents a metric to quantify spatial uncertainty in point sources and explains why the uncertainty in point source data cannot be described with traditional methods. A Monte Carlo simulation is used to calculate expected emissions values for each point source and the associated spatial uncertainty is ...
An Inverse Warehousing Problem for Imperfect Markets

This paper focuses upon the problem of a monopolist who has no control over the rate of arrivals into inventory and who ships his product to distant markets where the price per unit is a randomly shifting inverse function of the quantity shipped. It is assumed that the firm seeks to minimize its expected losses over a many-period horizon where the quantity shipped during any period is subject to last minute reconsideration. Given certain assumptions about the cost and revenue functions and the level of inventory, it will be shown that the optimal shipping quantity is a linear function of the storage level and that the solution of the many-period nonstationary problem can be expressed in closed form.
Kinetic dependence of the aqueous reaction of N-(hydroxymethyl)benzamide derivatives upon addition of electron-withdrawing groups.

The rate constants for the hydronium ion, hydroxide, and water-catalyzed breakdown of N-(hydroxymethyl)benzamide (1), 4-chloro-N-(hydroxymethyl)benzamide (2), and 2,4-dichloro-N-(hydroxymethyl)benzamide (3) in H2O, at 25 °C, I = 1.0 (KCl), have been determined. The reactions of 1, 2, and 3 were found to be specific acid and specific base catalyzed with a first-order dependence on hydronium and hydroxide ions. At higher hydroxide concentrations, the reactions were found to be pH independent for each compound studied.