cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Availability of Target Odor Compounds from Seized Ecstasy Tablets for Canine Detection

The aim of this study was to compare seized samples of 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine (MDMA) pills, used to train law enforcement detection canine teams, to determine what differences exist in the chemical makeup and headspace odor and their effect on detectability. MDMA solutions were analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Analysis of these samples showed a wide variance of MDMA (8-25%). Headspace SPME-GC/MS analysis showed that several compounds such as 3,4-methylenedioxyphenylacetone and 1-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)-2-propanol are common among these MDMA samples regardless of starting compound and synthesis procedure. However, differences, such as the level of the various methylenedioxy starting compounds, were shown to affect the overall outcome of canine detection, indicating the need for more than one MDMA training aid. Combinations of compounds such as the primary odor piperonal in conjunction with a secondary compound such as MDP-2-OH or isosafrole are recommended to maximize detection of different illicit MDMA samples. Language: en
Comparisons of ruminal fermentation characteristics and microbial populations in bison and cattle.

Ruminal microbial populations, fermentation characteristics, digestibility, and liquid flow rates in two ruminally cannulated bison and two ruminally cannulated Hereford steers fed a prairie hay diet were compared. No significant differences in anaerobic bacterial counts, volatile fatty acid concentrations, or ruminal pHs were evident between bison and cattle. Also, no significant differences in neutral detergent fiber digestibility, indigestible fiber retention time, or intake were detected between bison and cattle, although cattle had higher levels (P less than 0.08) of ruminal dry matter and indigestible fiber than bison. Bison had a smaller (P = .02) ruminoreticular volume, faster liquid dilution rates, and faster liquid turnover times than cattle. The average ruminal ammonia nitrogen concentration was higher (P = 0.02) in bison (1.17 mg/dl) than in cattle (0.79 mg/dl). Total ciliate protozoal counts and cell volume were greater (P = 0.07) in bison (32.8 x 10(4)/g and 407.1 x 10(-4) ml/g, respectively) than in cattle (15.7 x 10(4)/g and 162.2 x 10(-4) ml/g, respectively). Bison harbored higher (P less than 0.02) numbers of Dasytricha spp., Eudiplodinium maggii, Eudiplodinium bursa, and Epidinium spp. than cattle and possessed a type B protozoan population. The cattle possessed a mixed type A-type B population that was characterized by Ophryoscolex spp. and Polyplastron spp. in association with low concentrations of Epidinium spp. and Eudiplodinium maggii.
Molecular basis of human B cell neoplasia

Consistent karyotypic changes have been observed in several human malignancies of the hematopoietic system (1–4). Many of these somatic changes involve reciprocal chromosomal translocations.
Grain boundary plane orientation fundamental zones and structure-property relationships

Grain boundary plane orientation is a profoundly important determinant of character in polycrystalline materials that is not well understood. This work demonstrates how boundary plane orientation fundamental zones, which capture the natural crystallographic symmetries of a grain boundary, can be used to establish structure-property relationships. Using the fundamental zone representation, trends in computed energy, excess volume at the grain boundary, and temperature-dependent mobility naturally emerge and show a strong dependence on the boundary plane orientation. Analysis of common misorientation axes even suggests broader trends of grain boundary energy as a function of misorientation angle and plane orientation. Due to the strong structure-property relationships that naturally emerge from this work, boundary plane fundamental zones are expected to simplify analysis of both computational and experimental data. This standardized representation has the potential to significantly accelerate research in the topologically complex and vast five-dimensional phase space of grain boundaries.
Tax Fairness and Folk Justice: Why Do People Pay Taxes?

Unlike the property tax and income redistribution, ideas from folk justice have already had a profound effect on expert attitudes toward tax compliance . As we discussed in Chapter 1, the conventional economic view on compliance is based on deterrence. In the classic work of Michael Allingham and Agnar Sandmo, “Income Tax Evasion: A Theoretical Analysis,” the decision to evade taxes is essentially a wager in which a taxpayer decides whether and how much income not to report to the authorities balancing the costs and benefits from taking this risk. Their work has laid the foundation and framework for a large literature that has tried to implement the deterrence model based on economic theory. Not all economists have agreed with this conventional wisdom. Some economists have disputed the notion that low compliance rates (that is, high rates of evasion) can be fully explained by the rational utility maximization model. These scholars hold that moral values and the attitude of the surrounding community deeply affect the individual’s decision to comply or evade. For example, Sheffrin and Triest (1992) found in an econometric analysis that omitting attitudes toward taxation will lead to underestimating the effects of deterrence of compliance. Frey (1997) has stressed the empirical importance of taxpayers viewing compliance as a “civic duty” whereas Slemrod (2007) argued that tax compliance is positively correlated with professed trust in the government. Tax evasion appears to be not only affected by tax rates, penalties, and auditing rates, but also by the perceptions of and attitudes toward evasion.
739-5 Assessment of the Immediate Effects of Mechanical Left Ventricular Assistance on Right Ventricular Performance by Automated Pressure-Area Relations

Right ventricular (RV) performance is important for global cardiac function in pts with severe heart failure. The use of a mechanical LV assistance device (LVAD) may be life-saving in these pts. However, the physiological effects of LVAD on RV performance have been difficult to evaluate. To determine the feasibility of a new method to assess RV performance with LVAD, 6 pts aged 44 ± 14 yrs, were studied before and immediately after Novacor LVAD implantation. Simultaneous measures of RV cross-sectional area by transesophageal echo automated border detection and high fidelity pressure were used to construct pressure-area loops on-line. Data were acquired during steady state apnea and with IVC occlusions (example shown). The following RV indices were obtained: maximum & minimum areas, 2D ejection fraction (2DEF), systolic pressure, stroke force (SF) ∫ pressure d area, end-systolic elastance (Ees), and preload recruitable SF (PRSF). Download : Download high-res image (71KB) Download : Download full-size image An immediate decrease in RV systolic pressure (35 ± 7 to 28 ± 6 mmHg, p l 0.05) and an immediate increase in RV ejection (RV 2DEF: 21 ± 8 to 33 ± 12%, p l 0.05) occurred with LVAD. No significant changes occurred in RV SF; 123 ± 64 to 124 ± 65 mmHg-cm2, Ees; 5.7 ± 3.8 to 3.5 ± 1.4 mmHg/cm2, or PRSF; 18 ± 14 to 19 ± 15 mmHg. These data support the unloading effect of LVAD on improving RV ejection, rather than improved RV contractility. Automated pressure-area relations may have potential to assess the effects of LVAD on RV performance.
Aminozuckersynthesen, XIII Zum Mechanismus des nucleophilen Ersatzes von Methansulfonylgruppen. Die gleichzeitige Bildung von D-Gulosamin- und D-Galaktosamin-Derivaten aus Glucosamin-Derivaten

Benzyl-N-cbo-3-O-acetyl-4.6-di-O-mesyl-α-D-glucosaminid geht beim Erhitzen mit Kaliumacetat in Eisessig/Acetanhydrid in ein Gemisch von Benzyl-N-cbo-3.4.6-tri-O-acetyl-α-D-galaktosaminid und Benzyl-4.6-di-O-acetyl-α-D-gulopyranosido[2.3:4′.5′]oxazolidon-(2′) uber. Ein moglicher Mechanismus dieser Umsetzung wird diskutiert.
Relative toxicity of three wheat herbicides to two species of Coccinellidae.

On the High Plains of the USA, herbicides specific for broad-leaf weeds are regularly applied to winter wheat in the early spring, sometimes late enough to co- incide with the colonization of fields by cereal aphids and their natural enemies. We tested the toxicity of three such herbicides, Ally (Dupont), Rave (Syngenta) and 2,4-D ester (generic), to neonate larvae of two coccinellid species important in cereal aphid bio- control, Coleomegilla maculata DeGeer and Hippodamia convergens Gu´´ Topical treatment of larvae with 2,4-D resulted in 25% and 60% mortality in the two species, respectively, with surviving C. maculata larvae experiencing a 5% increase in de- velopmental time. No significant effects were noted for the other two materials, save for a 2.5% increase in developmental time for C. maculata larvae exposed to Rave. No material caused significant mortality in either species when larvae were fed on prey (Schizaphis graminum Rondani) treated with herbicide 24 h earlier, although 2,4-D reduced develop- mental time slightly in C. maculata. When herbicide applications are delayed enough in spring to coincide with aphid activity in wheat, farmers can reduce the risk of disrupting biological control by selecting an alternative to 2,4-D.
Fabrication of n+ ledge channel structure for GaAs FETs with a single lithography step

A self-aligned process has been developed using multiple resist layers to fabricate the n+ ledge channel structure on GaAs FETs with a single lithography step. The new process eliminates one critical alignment step and has greater flexibility for the control of channel parameters. Power FET performance is comparable to that of conventionally produced devices.
Modification of lysozyme thermostability by cytochrome c preparations.

SummaryPreparations of Cytochrome c from horse heart or beef heart were potent inhibitors of growth of Micrococcus lysodeikticus. Preparations of oxidized Cytochrome c from either beef heart or horse heart increased stability of lysozyme activity to heat under certain conditions. Cytochrome c reduced by Na2S2O4 does not appear to stabilize lysozyme activity to heat. Protection of lysozyme activity by oxidized Cytochrome c is afforded from 28°C to 60°C in solutions buffered at pH 5.0 to 90 minutes. Excellent protection is afforded also to aqueous, unbuffered solutions at 100°C for incubation of 10 minutes. The optimal molecular ratio for exertion of beneficial effects upon lysozyme appears to be about 10 molecules of Cytochrome c to 1 of lysozyme. Under certain conditions Cytochrome c preparations appear to exert a slight stimulation of initial velocity of lysis by lysozyme.
State Unemployment In Recessions During 1991–2009 Was Linked To Faster Growth In Medicare Spending

During the US recession of 2007–09, overall health care spending growth fell, but Medicare spending growth increased. Using state-level data from the period 1991–2009, we show that these divergent trends were also observed within states. Furthermore, increases in state unemployment rates were associated with higher Medicare spending per capita and increased hospital use by Medicare beneficiaries. For example, a one-percentage-point point rise in the unemployment rate was associated with a $40 (0.7 percent) increase in Medicare spending per capita. Our results suggest that economic downturns contribute to Medicare spending and use. One of many possible explanations may be that health care providers have greater capacity, inclination, and financial incentive to treat Medicare patients during recessions as a result of slackening demand from the non-Medicare population.
Classifying soft error vulnerabilities in extreme-scale scientific applications using a binary instrumentation tool

Extreme-scale scientific applications are at a significant risk of being hit by soft errors on supercomputers as the scale of these systems and the component density continues to increase. In order to better understand the specific soft error vulnerabilities in scientific applications, we have built an empirical fault injection and consequence analysis tool - BIFIT - that allows us to evaluate how soft errors impact applications. In particular, BIFIT is designed with capability to inject faults at very specific targets: an arbitrarily-chosen execution point and any specific data structure. We apply BIFIT to three mission-critical scientific applications and investigate the applications vulnerability to soft errors by performing thousands of statistical tests. We, then, classify each applications individual data structures based on their sensitivity to these vulnerabilities, and generalize these classifications across applications. Subsequently, these classifications can be used to apply appropriate resiliency solutions to each data structure within an application. Our study reveals that these scientific applications have a wide range of sensitivities to both the time and the location of a soft error; yet, we are able to identify intrinsic relationships between application vulnerabilities and specific types of data objects. In this regard, BIFIT enables new opportunities for future resiliency research.
Expanding the European Artistic Legacy: Blake, Damisch, and Gombrich

Blake. By Peter Ackroyd (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1996) 399 pp. $35.00; The Judgment of Paris. By Hubert Damisch, translated by John Goodman. (Chicago/London: University of Chicago Press, 1996) 377 pp. $55.00/£43.95 cloth, $19.95/£15.95 paper; Gombrich on Art and Psychology. By Richard Woodfield, ed. (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1996) 271 pp. £45.00.
Brain concentrations and synthesis rates of biogenic amines during chronic cobalt experimental epilepsy in the rat.

Abstract Both the absolute levels and the turnover rates of the monoamines norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA), and serotonin (5-HT) were measured in the brains of rats rendered epileptic by the application of cobalt powder to the surface of the cerebral cortex. Throughout the entire 21-day time course studied after cobalt treatment, during which a sustained reduction in the pentylenetetrazol (Metrazol) seizure threshold developed gradually within the first four days, whole brain levels of NE, DA, and 5-HT remained similar to their respective control values. Whereas the turnover rate of NE as well as that of DA in the brains of the cobalt-epileptic rats likewise remained within normal limits, both the rise of brain 5-HT after blockade of its metabolism and its decline from the brain after synthesis blockade followed time courses of change which differed significantly from those of the control groups. The decrease in 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIAA) content of the brain caused by blockade of 5-HT catabolism, however, was found to be similar in cobalt-treated and control rats. These results suggest that the involvement of brain biogenic amines in the development and the maintenance of a chronic epileptic state differs markedly from the established role of these potential neurotransmitters in the production of acute seizure activity.
An optimal piecewise-linear program for the U-line balancing problem with stochastic task times

Abstract The utilization of U-shaped layouts in place of the traditional straight-line configuration has become increasingly popular, with reported benefits of substantial improvements in productivity and quality. This paper examines the U-line balancing problem with stochastic task times. A chance-constrained, piecewise-linear, integer program is formulated to find the optimal solution. Various approaches used to identify a tight lower bound are also presented, as are operable extensions to the basic model. Computational results show that the proposed method is able to solve practical-sized problems.
Putative isotocin distributions in sonic fish: relation to vasotocin and vocal-acoustic circuitry.

Recent neurophysiological evidence in the plainfin midshipman fish (Porichthys notatus) demonstrated that isotocin (IT) and arginine vasotocin (AVT) modulate fictive vocalizations divergently between three reproductive morphs. To provide an anatomical framework for the modulation of vocalization by IT and to foster comparisons with the distributions of the IT homologues mesotocin (MT) and oxytocin (OT) in other vertebrate groups, we describe putative IT distributions in the midshipman and the closely related gulf toadfish, Opsanus beta. Double-label fluorescent histochemistry was used for IT and AVT (by using antibodies for MT, OT, and the mammalian AVT homologue, arginine vasopressin [AVP]). MT/OT-like immunoreactive (MT/OT-lir) cell groups were found in the anterior parvocellular, posterior parvocellular, and magnocellular preoptic nuclei. MT/OT-lir fibers and putative terminals densely innervated the ventral telencephalon and numerous areas in the hypothalamus and brainstem. These distributions included all sites of vocal-acoustic integration recently identified for the forebrain and midbrain and diencephalic components of the ascending auditory pathway. Results were qualitatively comparable across morphs, species, and seasons. In contrast to the widespread distribution of MT/OT-lir, AVP-lir somata, fibers, and putative terminals were almost completely restricted to vocal-acoustic regions. These data parallel previous descriptions of AVT immunoreactivity in these species, although the present methods showed a previously undescribed, seasonally variable AVP-lir cell group in the anterior tuberal hypothalamus, a vocally active site and a component of the ascending auditory pathway. These findings provided anatomic support for the role of IT and AVT in the modulation of vocal behavior at multiple levels of the central vocal-acoustic circuitry.
Multisensory integration in migraine.

Purpose of review Migraine attacks consist of head pain and hypersensitivities to somatosensory, visual, auditory, and olfactory stimuli. Investigating how the migraine brain simultaneously processes and responds to multiple incoming stimuli may yield insights into migraine pathophysiology and migraine symptoms. Recent findings The presence and intensity of hypersensitivity to one stimulus type are positively associated with the presence and intensity of hypersensitivities to other stimuli and to headache intensity. Furthermore, exposure to visual, auditory, and olfactory stimuli can trigger migraine attacks. These relationships suggest a role for multisensory integration in migraine. Summary Multisensory integration of somatosensory, visual, auditory, and olfactory stimuli by the migraine brain may be an important concept for understanding migraine.
Gender disparities in injury mortality: consistent, persistent, and larger than you'd think

Objectives. The purpose of this study is to update knowledge about gender differences in injury mortality. Methods. Data were drawn from the Web-based Injury Query System, which contains US injury mortality data from 1981 to 2007. Male-to-female rate ratios in injury mortality are calculated for key variables, and age and ethnic group comparisons are made. Results. Boys and men were more likely than girls and women to die of injury. From 1981 to 2007, the male-to-female age-adjusted rate ratio decreased by 20% to 2.15 for unintentional injury and increased by 11% to 3.91 for violence-related injury. Excess male mortality existed in manner of death, cause of death, and within ethnic and age groups. Additionally, with rare exception, the gender disparity was greater than ethnic and age disparities in unintentional and violence-related injury mortality. Conclusions. Gender disparities in injury mortality are consistent and persistent. Gender patterns in injury mortality do not follow typical social justice analyses of health, in that men are at greater risk. Lifestyle and behavioral risks as well as masculine socialization merit consideration. Language: en
Explanation of large scale extinctions of lower vertebrates

A MAJOR area of speculation in palaeobiology is the search for the “causes” of massive cross-group extinctions such as that at the end of the Cretaceous. A controversial recent addition to the literature on the phenomenon of extinction itself is the work of Van Valen1, who attempts to show that extinctions are stochastically constant over time for given groups of organisms. Lacking from Van Valen's study of group survivorship, however, is consideration of the history of diversification within each group. In an empirical study I have attempted to demonstrate features common to the diversifications of lower vertebrates and other organisms.
Regular Article: ASPEN: A Fully Kinetic, Reduced-Description Particle-in-Cell Model for Simulating Parametric Instabilities

A fully kinetic, reduced-description particle-in-cell (RPIC) model is presented in which deviations from quasineutrality, electron and ion kinetic effects, and nonlinear interactions between low-frequency and high-frequency parametric instabilities are modeled correctly. The model is based on a reduced description where the electromagnetic field is represented by three separate temporal envelopes in order to model parametric instabilities with low-frequency and high-frequency daughter waves. Because temporal envelope approximations are invoked, the simulation can be performed on the electron time scale instead of the time scale of the light waves. The electrons and ions are represented by discrete finite-size particles, permitting electron and ion kinetic effects to be modeled properly. The Poisson equation is utilized to ensure that space-charge effects are included. The RPIC model is fully three dimensional and has been implemented in two dimensions on the Accelerated Strategic Computing Initiative (ASCI) parallel computer at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the resulting simulation code has been named ASPEN. We believe this code is the first particle-in-cell code capable of simulating the interaction between low-frequency and high-frequency parametric instabilites in multiple dimensions. Test simulations of stimulated Raman scattering, stimulated Brillouin scattering, and Langmuir decay instability are presented.
Relation of left ventricular mass at age 23 to 35 years to global left ventricular systolic function 20 years later (from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study).

Left ventricular (LV) mass and the LV ejection fraction (LVEF) are major independent predictors of future cardiovascular disease. The association of LV mass with the future LVEF in younger populations has not been studied. The aim of this study was to investigate the relation of LV mass index (LVMI) at ages 23 to 35 years to LV function after 20 years of follow-up in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study. CARDIA is a longitudinal study that enrolled young adults in 1985 and 1986. In this study, participants with echocardiographic examinations at years 5 and 25 were included. LVMI and the LVEF were assessed using M-mode echocardiography at year 5 and using M-mode and 2-dimensional imaging at year 25. Statistical analytic models assessed the correlation between LVMI and LV functional parameters cross-sectionally and longitudinally. A total of 2,339 participants were included. The mean LVEF at year 25 was 62%. Although there was no cross-sectional correlation between LVMI and the LVEF at year 5, there was a small but statistically significant negative correlation between LVMI at year 5 and the LVEF 20 years later (r = −0.10, p
Inhibition of sclerotium formation by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum with fluorophenylalanine

Addition of fluorophenylalanine to liquid glucose-sodium nitrate medium affected growth and sclerotium formation of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum . One isolate failed to complete the maturation step in sclerotium formation and has maintained this feature after repeated subculture.
The Frog Tongue: II. Histogenesis of Fungiform Papillae in Rana catesbeiana

The histogenesis of fungiform papillae has been studied in two premetamorphic, ten metamorphic and one adult stage of Rana catesbeiana. The gustatory papillae anlagen consist of club-shaped groups of cells and are first seen just prior to the onset of metamorphosis. The distal portion of the cell group forms the end-disc or taste bud of the papilla, while the proximal portion of the cell group forms the epithelial walls of the papilla's stalk region. The papillary core is derived from the general corium of the tongue. The end-disc of a mature fungiform papilla possesses seven distinct forms of epithelial cells, viz.: goblet, rod, forked, fusiform, ciliated columnar, diagonal columnar and cuboidal cells. A nerve-cushion is present beneath the end-disc. It consists of a distal homogeneous zone and a basal fibrous portion. The papillary stalk consists of a single layer of unciliated cuboidal and diagonal columnar cells surrounding the papilla's core. Developmental and histological differences are noted when comparing Rana catesbeiana with Rana sylvatica.
The effect of conductivity on ST-segment epicardial potentials arising from subendocardial ischemia

We quantify and provide biophysical explanations for some aspects of the relationship between the bidomain conductivities and ST-segment epicardial potentials that result from subendocardial ischemia. We performed computer simulations of ischemia with a realistic whole heart model. The model included a patch of subendocardial ischemic tissue of variable transmural thickness with reduced action potential amplitude. We also varied both intracellular and extracellular conductivities of the heart and the conductivity of ventricular blood in the simulations. At medium or high thicknesses of transmural ischemia (i.e., at least 40% thickness through the heart wall), a consistent pattern of two minima of the epicardial potential over opposite sides of the boundary between healthy and ischemic tissue appeared on the epicardium over a wide range of conductivity values. The magnitude of the net epicardial potential difference, the epicardial maximum minus the epicardial minimum, was strongly correlated to the intracellular to extracellular conductivity ratios both along and across fibers. Anisotropy of the ischemic source region was critical in predicting epicardial potentials, whereas anisotropy of the heart away from the ischemic region had a less significant impact on epicardial potentials. Subendocardial ischemia that extends through at least 40% of the heart wall is manifest on the epicardium by at least one area of ST-segment depression located over a boundary between ischemic and healthy tissue. The magnitude of the depression is a function of the bidomain conductivity values.
The role of children's mathematical aesthetics: The case of tessellations

Abstract In order to understand the role of mathematical aesthetics in the classroom and how it promotes mathematical learning, we must first understand children's current aesthetic values. Six children, ages 8–10, were interviewed as they explored tessellations for the first time. The students repeatedly used certain aesthetic themes. Further interviews revealed mathematicians invoked the same themes, though in different ways. The students’ aesthetic criteria motivated their explorations, guided their creation of tessellations, and informed their evaluations. Rather than being an optional topic, mathematical aesthetics may be foundational for children's mathematical thinking, just as it is for mathematicians’.
An empirical analysis of continuing medical care utilization in a health maintenance organization.

Abstract An economic framework for the investigation of continuing medical care utilization is suggested and an empirical model is estimated using data on a sample of members of the Kaiser Foundation Health Maintenance Organization in Portland. Oregon. The explanatory variables include patient social and economic characteristics, perceived health status, and the number of initial contacts made during the year for reasons aggregated into categories including preventive, trauma, pregnancy, and five disease types. Return visits to internists, obstetrician-gynecologists, and other specialists; the number of tab and X-ray services, and hospital admissions are the dependent variables. Contrary to previous results obtained by the authors on decisions to initiate care. the social and economic factors were generally not significantly related to continuing care utilization. One exception was family income which was inversely related to utilization by adult mates. Most equations were dominated by the effects of age. health status and the initial contact variables with those (actors having the expected effects on continuing utilization. The results therefore suggest substantial differences between decisions to initiate care and decisions to use services after the initial contact. These differences have important implications for endeavors to evaluate a health care system's performance in providing accessibility to medical services.
ACE Inhibitor Intolerance and Lessons Learned From the Candesartan in Heart Failure: Assessment of Reduction in Mortality and Morbidity (CHARM) Trials

The Candesartan in Heart Failure: Assessment of Reduction in Mortality and Morbidity (CHARM) trials looked at the effects of candesartan in addition to best possible treatment for heart failure in 7601 patients. CHARM encompassed three studies in discrete populations, including patients with left ventricular dysfunction taking angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors (CHARM-Added), patients with maintained left ventricular function (CHARM-Preserved), and patients with left ventricular dysfunction and an intolerance to ACE inhibitors (CHARM-Alternative). CHARM-Alternative was considered a success in that its participants experienced a significant reduction in each component of the study's primary end point, which was a composite of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for heart failure, over a median follow-up of 34 months. Candesartan was by and large well tolerated in these ACE-inhibitor intolerant patients; thus, the findings of this study provide additional support for the effectiveness of angiotensin receptor blocker therapy in heart failure patients poorly tolerant of an ACE inhibitor; however, candesartan was not convincingly shown to improve the incidence/severity of hypotension, hyperkalemia, and glomerular filtration rate reductions that were the basis for ACE inhibitor intolerance in approximately 25% of the study population.
Combining Experiment and Theory To Probe Salt Aerosol Deliquescence

Atmospheric aerosols represent an interesting and practical way for students to learn about chemical thermodynamics. This paper describes a laboratory experiment designed for physical chemistry students in which they learn about phase transitions of salt aerosols. The aerosols are generated by atomizing a salt solution, and then they are passed through a gas cell in a transmission-mode Fourier transform infrared spectrometer. Utilizing the O�H stretch of liquid water, the relative quantity of water in the aerosols can be measured. The deliquescence phase transition in which the solid aerosol particle dissolves to form a liquid droplet is evidenced by an abrupt increase in the water content of the aerosols. Multiple salts are suitable for analysis, including sodium chloride and ammonium bisulfate. Additionally, comparisons to model calculations can be made using the Extended Aerosol Inorganics Model Web site. This lab exposes students to important thermodynamic concepts such as chemical potential, activity, and phase transitions and forces them to critically interpret spectra.
CORONARY SINUS DISSECTION FROM CARDIAC RESYNCHRONIZATION THERAPY IMPLANTATION AND ASSOCIATED IN-HOSPITAL ADVERSE EVENTS: INSIGHTS FROM THE NCDR®

Coronary sinus (CS) dissection is a known complication during CRT-D implantation, but the overall incidence and clinical outcomes have not been extensively studied. We sought to describe predictors of CS dissection and consequent in-hospital adverse events in those with the complication. We studied
Nurses' responses to changes in maternity care, Part II. Technologic revolution, legal climate, and economic changes.

: Nurses’ responses to changes in obstetric technology, the legal climate, and economic pressures in maternity care were collected by means of a five-question, open-ended interview from 59 nurses practicing in 10 hospitals in Oklahoma and Kansas. The method and sample are described in Part I of this article. Forty-eight of the nurses said that technologic advances have reduced job stress, raised professional status, increased interdisciplinary contacts, and either raised or lowered workloads. Defensive use of procedures in obstetrics has increased the need for charting and many other nursing duties not related to caring for patients. At the same time, anxiety and anger at the idea of being vulnerable to lawsuit for years after each birth did negatively affect some nurses’ attitudes toward their jobs and their patients. Despite the need for greater vigilance and more procedures, nurse-patient staffing ratios are dropping in some hospital maternity units, while nurses are expected to market hospital services and help develop innovative programs.
The Subject-Experimenter Contract: A Reexamination of Subject Pool Contamination.

We conducted three experiments to investigate: (a) the extent to which student research participants believe they will disclose details of their experiences, ( b ) how much subjects actually will disclose immediately following a request not to reveal information, and (c) how much they will disclose after a 2-week interval. Disclosure rates increased across the experiments. In the first experiment, one fifth of the subjects indicated that they probably would not preserve confidentiality, whether or not they believed it was important to do so. In the second experiment, signing a pledge not to discuss the experiment resulted in less disclosure, but over one third of the subjects revealed information to a confederate. In the third experiment, promising students anonymity increased disclosure; 85% of the subjects disclosed information, The results indicate that failure to heed requests for confidentiality may be (1 widespread problem in college subject pools.
Utility of multispectral imaging for nuclear classification of routine clinical histopathology imagery.

We present an analysis of the utility of multispectral versus standard RGB imagery for routine H&E stained histopathology images, in particular for pixel-level classification of nuclei. Our multispectral imagery has 29 spectral bands, spaced 10 nm within the visual range of 420–700 nm. It has been hypothesized that the additional spectral bands contain further information useful for classification as compared to the 3 standard bands of RGB imagery. We present analyses of our data designed to test this hypothesis. For classification using all available image bands, we find the best performance (equal tradeoff between detection rate and false alarm rate) is obtained from either the multispectral or our "ccd" RGB imagery, with an overall increase in performance of 0.79% compared to the next best performing image type. For classification using single image bands, the single best multispectral band (in the red portion of the spectrum) gave a performance increase of 0.57%, compared to performance of the single best RGB band (red). Additionally, red bands had the highest coefficients/preference in our classifiers. Principal components analysis of the multispectral imagery indicates only two significant image bands, which is not surprising given the presence of two stains. Our results indicate that multispectral imagery for routine H&E stained histopathology provides minimal additional spectral information for a pixel-level nuclear classification task than would standard RGB imagery.
Contemporary Health-Related Decision Aids: Tools for Social Work Practice

The escalating complexity in health-related decisions that people face have important implications for social work interventions. This article explores the nature of these implications within the context of decisional conflict, shared decision making, and the use of decision aids. In addition, the authors present the findings of a content analysis of 29 contemporary health-related decision aids. Emergent categories from this analysis are presented as a resource for social workers as they encounter, adapt, and create decision aids in their work to help address the health-related needs of their clients.
A Fully Symmetrical Crossover and Its Dual-Frequency Application

In this paper, a new fully symmetrical four-port microstrip crossover and its dual-frequency application are presented. The proposed single-band crossover has a simple structure and an easily controlled bandwidth; and its dual-frequency application can provide flexible frequency ratio between the two working frequencies. Moreover, analytical design equations are derived using the even-odd-mode method. The final explicit design equations are concise. To verify the design concepts, both a single-band crossover working at 1 GHz and a dual-frequency crossover working at 1/2.3 GHz are fabricated and tested. The measurement results agree well with the design theory.
A RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE-BLIND, PLACEBO-CONTROLLED TRIAL OF RECOMBINANT HUMAN GRANULOCYTE COLONY-STIMULATING FACTOR (G-CSF) ADMINISTRATION TO WOMEN WITH AN IMMINENT PRETERM DELIVERY. • 1747

Bacterial infection occurs in as many as 50 percent of extremely preterm infants and is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. A single dose(50μg/kg) of rG-CSF given to pregnant rats one day prior to delivery resulted in transplacental passage of G-CSF sufficient to stimulate neutrophil production, elevate blood neutrophil concentrations, and improve the outcome of pups who were inoculated with group B β-hemolytic streptococci(Medlock, Blood 1993). In our previous pilot study, transplacental passage of G-CSF appeared to occur when given 12 hours prior to delivery, but an increase in absolute neutrophil count (ANC) was only seen in infants whose mothers received rG-CSF 30 hours before delivery (Calhoun, Am J Ob Gyn, 1996). To determine whether administration of rG-CSF more than 30 hours prior to delivery would improve fetal neutrophil production and favorably effect neonatal outcome, a randomized placebo controlled trial was conducted in 20 women about to deliver at <30 weeks gestation. Serum concentrations of G-CSF and neutrophils were measured in the blood of mothers, and in the umbilical venous cord blood following a single intravenous dose (25μg/kg) of rG-CSF to women in whom delivery was not likely to occur for 30 hours. ANC's were followed for one week in the infants, bone marrow aspirations were performed at 24±8 hours of age to assess neutrophil storage pools and hematopoietic progenitor cultures, and SNAP scores were completed on days of life one and seven. Ten mothers delivered 11 infants. The G-CSF had no apparent adverse effect on pregnancy duration, maternal comfort, or maternal temperature. The bone marrow neutrophil proliferative pool was significantly increased in the G-CSF-treated neonates (23±8% vs 14±3%)(mean±SD,p<.05), but no difference was observed in ANC. Infants in the G-CSF-treated group had improvement (lowering) in SNAP scores between the first (16.3±3.1) and seventh days (7.3±6.1) (p<.05), while no significant change was noted in the control group(14.5±6.5, day 1 and 6.3±5.6, day 7). This pilot study suggests that administration of rG-CSF to certain women prior to preterm delivery might increase fetal neutrophil production and improve outcome of the infants.
EPITHELIAL PROLIFERATION FOLLOWING THE INTRABRONCHIAL INSUFFLATION OF ACID

The damage caused by the introduction of acid into the pulmonary parenchyma is repaired rapidly. The depth of the necrosis determines which elements will participate in the repair. If epithelium alone is injured, epithelium alone takes part in the repair. When the damage involves the deeper tissue, organization by granulation competes with and impedes the development of the epithelium. An overproduction of the epithelium occurs and may form bronchiolar polypi or extend into the peribronchial tissue.
Amelioration of subsoil acidity

Abstract In highly weathered regions, acid, infertile subsoils limit productivity by preventing root proliferation and thereby increasing the likelihood of drought stress. An experiment on a Typic Hapludult involving surface application of gypsum and deep lime incorporation investigated the possibilities of ameliorating such subsoils. Yield responses to both treatments were highly significant and stemmed from reductions in subsoil Al and increases in Ca. Root measurements corroborated the fact that the responses were due to root proliferation in the subsoils and consequent resistance to drought stress. Redistribution of roots in the profile in ameliorated subsoils resulted in P insufficiencies being recorded despite high soil test levels of P probably the result of a relatively smaller root surface in topsoil where P had been placed. These results confirm the feasibility of using gypsum and in particular, phosphogypsum as a subsoil ameliorant.
Bacteriophage T4 transformation: an assay for mutations induced in vitro.

Abstract A substantially improved method has been developed to assay bacteriophage T4 transformation with native DNA. The most important change was the substitution of 0.02 M Tris for the phosphate buffer. The efficiency of joint transformation (transformants/DNA molecule) of amH17amN116, which spans about 7% of the T4 genome and includes both rII genes, is about 10−3. The assay was designed to detect in vitro mutagenesis in the rII genes of T4. To demonstrate this aspect of the assay, wild-type T4 DNA was mutagenized with hydroxylamine, then assayed for transformation of amH17amN116. The frequency of induced r mutants among the am+ transformants increased linearly with increasing hydroxylamine dose, while the transforming DNA was inactivated at a progressively decreasing rate. Under conditions that resulted in 3.5% survival, 20% of the am+ transformants were r mutants, a 200-fold increase in r frequency over background. Some of the r mutants induced by hydroxylamine were actually rI, lying well outside of the selected region, but the fraction of rI mutants ( r I total r ) decreased markedly with increasing lethal hits. This phenomenon, together with the inactivation kinetics, is explained in terms of a diminishing target size.
Hypoxic induction of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protein in astroglial cultures

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) couples hypoxia to angiogenesis in ischemic tissues, including brain. Since hypoxia induces VEGF mRNA in astroglial cultures, we examined its effect on VEGF protein, measured by ELISA, in medium from cultures exposed to 95% N2/5% CO2 for up to 24 h. Levels increased with increasing durations of hypoxia, but not glucose deprivation, reaching approximately 30-fold elevation by 24 h. Co2+ and desferrioxamine also increased VEGF levels, while inhibitors of RNA or protein synthesis blocked induction. These findings support a role for astroglia in the hypoxic induction of VEGF expression and release-and potentially angiogenesis-in the ischemic brain.
Enhancement of field emission in carbon nanotubes through adsorption of polar molecules

Abstract First-principle’s quantum-mechanical density functional theory (DFT) calculations are carried out to analyze the effect of single water-vapor molecules, three- and five-molecule water-vapor clusters and several other single-molecules with high dipole moments absorbed at the tip of capped (5,5) metallic armchair nanotubes on the ionization potential which is a measure of the ease at which electrons are extracted from carbon nanotubes during field emission. The results obtained show that in the absence of an externally applied electric field, the adsorption energies of both single- and multi-molecule clusters are quite low (typically less than 0.7 kcal/mol or 0.03 eV/molecule) suggesting that these adsorbates are not stable and would most likely desorb before a typical field-emission temperature of ∼900 K is reached. In sharp contrast, under a typical field-emission electric field of 1 eV/A, the adsorption energy is substantially higher (typically around 20 kcal/mol or 0.867 eV/molecule) making the adsorbates stable. The increased stability of the adsorbates is found to be the result of electrostatic interactions between dipole moments of the adsorbates and the applied electric field. These interactions increase the energy of the highest occupied molecular orbital in the nanotube and, in turn facilitate field emission. These findings are generally consistent with the available experimental results.
Fluorescence microscopy of viable mast cells stained with different concentrations of acridine orange.

Freshly harvested rat peritoneal mast cells were stained with different concentrations of acridine orange, a metachromatic fluorochrome known to form complexes with chromatin and mucopolysaccharides. Fluorescence metachromasia was observed in cytoplasmic granules in cell populations with intracellular dye contents as low as 5×10−16 mole per cell, one-half decade lower than required to produce metachromatic staining of the nucleus. Cytoplasmic granules did not stain uniformly throughout the cell; some granules exhibited red fluorescence and others green. As the amount of acridine orange uptake per cell was increased, cytoplasmic fluorescence became uniformly red and nuclear fluorescence gradually changed from green to yellow.
System software for high end computing

The challenges to the HEC system software community fundamentally originate from the need to efficiently exploit massive parallelism. This parallelism comes at either at the fine granularity through multiple cores or hardware accellerators, or at the large granularity, where systems have been built with 10,000 nodes connected over a high performance network. Such parallelism exposes new hardware abstractions that the OS needs to virtualize, introduces new reliability and management problems, new power management and file system issues, and generally requires more extensive software layers to protect programmers and system administrators from having to deal with the complexity of massive parallelism. While the HEC community clearly deals with extreme performance issues, many of the same trends are hitting the broader market. For example, all processor vendors are moving towards multiple cores, special purpose accelerators are becomming increasingly commoditized, and massive scale out systems are being used today by companies like Google.
Risk Factors Associated With Hookah Use.

BACKGROUND Potential harms associated with hookah smoking are largely unrecognized and it is emerging as a trendy behavior. To help inform policy and preventive interventions, we used responses from a population survey of US adults to examine risk factors associated with hookah involvement. METHOD An online survey of 17 522 US adults was conducted in 2013. The nationally representative sample was drawn from GfK Group's KnowledgePanel plus off-panel recruitment. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the relationships between tobacco use patterns across multiple products (cigarettes, cigars, and dissolvables), perceived harms towards regular pipe/hookah use, and demographic characteristics with hookah involvement (never used, ever used with/without reusing intent). RESULT Nearly one in five (16%) of the respondents had smoked hookah at least once in their life ("ever users"). Ever users of hookah were at higher risk of having used cigarettes, cigars, and dissolvable tobacco products (all P < .01). Odds for hookah use were greater for those who perceived regular pipe/hookah use as less dangerous (P < .05). Odds for hookah involvement were higher among young adults (P < .001), individuals with higher educational attainment (P < .01), and Hispanics/Latinos (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS Information about the public health harms associated with hookah smoking should be delivered to individuals at-risk for hookah smoking. It is likely that misconceptions about the safety of hookah smoking could be driving, at least in-part, its increase in popularity.