cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An object-oriented model to support healthcare facility information management

Facility management within healthcare is required to ensure that complex systems are maintained and operational while causing minimum interruption to clinical activities and maintaining patient safety. Their tasks are complicated by fragmented and sometimes incomplete information. To help facility managers better manage lifecycle information pertinent to managing the facility and responding to facility related patient safety events, an object oriented product model is proposed in the context of developing a healthcare facility information management framework. The product model is developed as a result of various case analyses that were conducted using Unified Modeling Language (UML) Use Cases to examine information needs for existing healthcare facility maintenance operations. The resulting classification system and its uses to respond to patient safety events are discussed in this paper.
Coordinate IGF-I and IGFBP5 gene expression in perinatal rat brain after hypoxia-ischemia

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) is an anabolic pleiotrophic factor essential for postnatal rat brain development, especially during the first 21 days, the "critical growth period." Cerebral hypoxic-ischemic insults occurring during the perinatal period can result in neuronal necrosis and permanent brain damage. To understand the regulation of the action of IGF-I in response to such a metabolic insult, we investigated the gene expression of IGF-I, type I IGF receptor, IGF binding protein (IGFBP)2, and IGFBP5 during the first 72 h after hypoxia-ischemia in the immature rat. At 1 h of recovery, messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of all IGF system components were decreased throughout the hemisphere ipsilateral to the carotid artery ligation. This decrease is more pronounced at 24 h of recovery, especially in areas vulnerable to hypoxic-ischemic injury, such as the thalamus and hippocampus. At 72 h of recovery, although IGFBP2 and type 1 IGF receptor mRNA levels remain suppressed, gene expression of both IGF-I and IGFBP5 was activated in reactive astrocytes.Therefore, during the critical growth period in rats, the transcriptional levels of all IGF system components are extremely sensitive to metabolic perturbations associated with cerebral hypoxia-ischemia. The immediate decrease in IGF-I gene expression may be partially responsible for the impending neuronal death and selective vulnerability of myelinogenesis during the perinatal period.
Variational Extensions of Lower Bounds to Expectation Values

Generalized variational expressions are presented for calculating rigorous lower bounds to the true expectation value $〈\ensuremath{\Psi}|F|\ensuremath{\Psi}〉$ of a positive semidefinite operator $F$. These extended formulas, which involve an additional variational function, always lead to an improvement over the results previously obtained. The improvement is illustrated numerically with an application to various properties of the helium-atom ground state.
Recurrence rates in patients with first episodes of acute pancreatitis

The timing of operative intervention in patients with suspected biliary pancreatitis is debated. Recurrence rates of pancreatitis in patients with biliary lithiasis are compared in operated and nonoperated patients. Recurrences in patients with suspected nonbiliary pancreatitis are also reported.
Naive mechanics: a computational model of device use and function in design improvisation

The EDISON project, which is developing computational models that can solve problems and reason creatively about mechanical devices, is discussed. The project addresses two general issues: the breadth of and interactions between knowledge needed for creative reasoning, and the amount of knowledge needed to describe mechanical devices, their behavior, function, and use. This approach supports mechanical improvisation by applying the concept of device functional equivalence in different situations. The discussion covers the following: two classes of individual objects used by EDISON, device behavior and function, device use in problem-solving situations, and functional similarity and improvisation. >
The systems bismuth-tellurium and antimony-tellurium and the synthesis of the minerals hedleyite and wehrlite

Abstract The synthesis of alloys in the systems Bi-Te and Sb-Te has been investigated using a technique in which the component elements are simultaneously heated and agitated in glass or silica capsules. Examination of X-ray powder diffraction patterns of alloys in the Bi-Te system shows that there is a range of solid solubility, designated the β-phase, between the composition limits of 32 and 60 at. per cent Te. X-ray diffraction data obtained for the minerals hedleyite and wehrlite show that these are naturally occurring β-phases with Te contents of about 30 and 52 at. per cent respectively. In the Sb-Te system, the range of solid solubility, designated the δ-phase, extends from 11 to 60 at. per cent Te. With the exception of Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3 (the former is found in nature as the mineral tellurbismuth), the β- and δ-phases are relatively unstable and disproportionate when heated above their solidus temperatures. An attempt has been made to account for the changes in cell dimensions of the β- and δ-phase alloys, observed with decreasing Te content, in terms of the atomic configurations in the crystal structures of Bi2Te3 and Sb2Te3 and the derivative solid solutions. Phase equilibrium diagrams for the two systems are given.
Analysis of mercury compounds by gas-liquid chromatography utilizing an electron capture detector.

Analysis of alkyl and aryl mercury compounds by gas chromatographic techniques is documented in the literature. It is also accepted that extraction procedures presently utilized to separate these compounds from biological samples need to be critically reevaluated and subsequently to be refined. Use of benzene as solvent has been recommended to avoid ghost peaks in the gas chromatogram and also because the retention times for methylmercuric compounds and inorganic mercury compounds are identical in ether. In our laboratories we have discovered that the retention times for methyl mercury and inorganic mercury compounds are identical even in benzene. It has been discovered that this apparent difficulty can be used to advantage for determination of total mercury by gas chromatography, as well as for subsequent analysis of methyl mercury compounds by reextraction of the organic mercury from the organic solvents inito an aqueous layer with gas chromatographic analysis performed on the organic solvent layers.
Browse Quality in Quaking Aspen ( Populus tremuloides ): Effects of Genotype, Nutrients, Defoliation, and Coppicing

The consequences of interactions among genetic, ontogenetic, and environmental factors for the quality of winter-dormant tissues as food for browsing herbivores is poorly understood. We conducted two sequential common garden studies to assess the impacts of intraspecific genetic variation, nutrient availability, prior defoliation, and ontogenetic stage on the chemical quality of winter-dormant tissue in quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.). In the first study, saplings of 12 aspen genotypes were grown under low and high soil nutrient conditions, with or without two successive seasons of defoliation. Quantity and quality of current year’s twig growth were assessed. Twig production varied among genotypes and declined under low nutrient availability, but showed little response to prior defoliation. Chemical quality of sapling twigs varied substantially among genotypes, and in response to nutrient availability and prior defoliation. Overall, browse quality improved (nitrogen levels increased while phenolic glycoside and condensed tannin levels decreased) after defoliation. Growth and chemical variables exhibited low to moderate clonal repeatability (broad sense heritability) values. Our second study employed the same 12 genotypes, grown under high-nutrient conditions and with or without two seasons of defoliation. The trees were coppiced to produce root sprouts, which were chemically assessed 1 yr later. Rejuvenation via coppicing led to increased levels of nitrogen, phenolic glycosides (salicortin), and tannins in root sprouts, and the magnitude of change varied among aspen genotypes. Signatures of defoliation nearly 2 yr earlier persisted in terms of elevated levels of phenolic glycosides in root sprouts of previously defoliated trees. Aspen forests likely present browsing herbivores with chemically heterogeneous environments because of the interactions of genetic, ontogenetic, and environmental factors that vary over space and time.
Upside-down potentials

A quantum-mechanical theory is -symmetric if it is described by a Hamiltonian that commutes with , where represents space reflection and represents time reversal. Often, but not always, a -symmetric Hamiltonian is non-Hermitian, and thus its eigenvalues may not be all real. However, -symmetric Hamiltonians are interesting because they usually have a parametric region of unbroken symmetry in which the eigenvalues are indeed all real and a region of broken symmetry in which the some of the eigenvalues are complex. These regions are separated by a phase transition that has been repeatedly observed in laboratory experiments. This paper focuses on the properties of a particular -symmetric Hamiltonian, H = p2 − x4, which has an upside-down potential. The spectrum of this -symmetric Hamiltonian is rigorously known to be entirely real, and the purpose of this paper is to present an intuitive explanation of why the spectrum of this Hamiltonian is real, positive, and discrete.
101 Labeled Brain Images and a Consistent Human Cortical Labeling Protocol

We introduce the Mindboggle-101 dataset, the largest and most complete set of free, publicly accessible, manually labeled human brain images. To manually label the macroscopic anatomy in magnetic resonance images of 101 healthy participants, we created a new cortical labeling protocol that relies on robust anatomical landmarks and minimal manual edits after initialization with automated labels. The “Desikan-Killiany-Tourville” (DKT) protocol is intended to improve the ease, consistency, and accuracy of labeling human cortical areas. Given how difficult it is to label brains, the Mindboggle-101 dataset is intended to serve as brain atlases for use in labeling other brains, as a normative dataset to establish morphometric variation in a healthy population for comparison against clinical populations, and contribute to the development, training, testing, and evaluation of automated registration and labeling algorithms. To this end, we also introduce benchmarks for the evaluation of such algorithms by comparing our manual labels with labels automatically generated by probabilistic and multi-atlas registration-based approaches. All data and related software and updated information are available on the http://www.mindboggle.info/data/ website.
Quantum memory: Phonons in diamond crystals

The demonstration that quantum information can be stored in a bulk-diamond crystal in the form of an optically excited phonon gives researchers a new type of mechanical solid-state quantum memory to explore.
Structural changes associated with the acute thermal instability of Rubisco activase

Abstract Inhibition of photosynthesis by heat has been linked to the instability of the ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) chaperone, Rubisco activase. Examination of the recombinant enzyme showed that ADP and ATP protected against inactivation, whereas Mg2+ promoted inactivation. Heating caused aggregation of Rubisco activase characterized by disruption of secondary structure content and formation of insoluble protein. In contrast, incubation at room temperature without nucleotide caused the active ∼660 kDa protein to form a soluble, but inactive aggregate of >2 × 106 Da. Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and fluorescence established that structural perturbations in the aggregate did not reduce alpha-helical content significantly. Differences in the thermal stability between wild type and mutant Rubisco activase were observed for the recombinant proteins and when the proteins were expressed in transgenic Arabidopsis. That the sensitivity of these plants to heat differs indicates that the thermal instability of Rubisco activase is a main determinant of the temperature-sensitivity of photosynthesis.
Demonstration abstract: submetering by synthesizing side-channel sensor streams

Detailed breakdowns of household energy consumption allow occupants to better understand their energy usage patterns and identify opportunities for energy savings. Current solutions are costly, invasive, and difficult to maintain. Sub-metering approaches rely on - and are hindered by - complex hardware. To address these problems, we demonstrate a sub-metering system that can estimate the power draw of individual loads by augmenting aggregate measurements with very simple sensors. These sensors wake up at a frequency proportional to the power draw of a neighboring load, and report these wakeups to a central server. We model the relationship between each sensor's wakeup frequency and the load's power draw as a monotonically increasing polynomial. We calibrate each sensor's function by constructing a linear least squares problem that allows us to discover the set of polynomial coefficients that minimize the difference between the estimated power draw and the power draw as derived from the aggregate measurements. After calibration, we can convert sensor wakeup frequencies to power draw in real time. This systems approach to sub-metering results in deployments that are easy to install and maintain, allowing users to gain a broad yet detailed view of their energy consumption and costs.
Light-induced recruitment of INAD-signaling complexes to detergent-resistant lipid rafts in Drosophila photoreceptors

Here, we reveal a novel feature of the dynamic organization of signaling components in Drosophila photoreceptors. We show that the multi-PDZ protein INAD and its target proteins undergo light-induced recruitment to detergent-resistant membrane (DRM) rafts. Reduction of ergosterol, considered to be a key component of lipid rafts in Drosophila, resulted in a loss of INAD-signaling complexes associated with DRM fractions. Genetic analysis demonstrated that translocation of INAD-signaling complexes to DRM rafts requires activation of the entire phototransduction cascade, while constitutive activation of the light-activated channels resulted in recruitment of complexes to DRM rafts in the dark. Mutations affecting INAD and TRP showed that PDZ4 and PDZ5 domains of INAD, as well as the INAD-TRP interaction, are required for translocation of components to DRM rafts. Finally, selective recruitment of phosphorylated, and therefore activatable, eye-PKC to DRM rafts suggests that DRM domains are likely to function in signaling, rather than trafficking.
Developmental regulation of Hsp32, a small heat shock protein in Dictyostelium discoideum.

Abstract We have examined the expression and heat inducibility of Hsp32, a novel small heat shock protein inDictyostelium discoideum.Both Hsp32 and its mRNA are abundant in amoebae growing at physiological temperatures. Levels of Hsp32 remain high during the initial phases of development, including the formation of tipped mounds. After that stage, Hsp32 levels decrease, reaching barely detectable levels in culminating cells. In contrast, most of the hsp32 mRNA is rapidly degraded within the first few hours of starvation-induced development. Cells retain a new low steady state level of the mRNA throughout the rest of the developmental cycle. However, when cells undergo dedifferentiation, they reaccumulate high levels of hsp32 mRNA just prior to cell division. The heat inducibility of Hsp32 and its mRNA is maximal in growing cells and decreases as cells progress in their developmental program. The data suggest that Hsp32 is associated with a growth and/or survival function that is gradually eliminated during development.
Asymptotic properties of perturbed empirical distribution functions evaluated at a random point

Abstract Given a sequence Xi,i≥1, of independent and identically distributed random variables, the usual perturbed empirical distribution function is F ∗ n (x)=n −1 Σ n i=1 G n (x−X i ) where Gn,n≥1 is a sequence of continuous distribution functions converging weakly to the distribution function of unit mass at zero. Let Un,n ≥1, be a sequence of U-statistics. In this paper we derive the almost sure representation, the law of iterated logarithm, and an invariance principle for the statistic F ∗ n (U n ) . The results obtained extend or generalize the results of Winter (1975), Yamato (1973), Nadaraya (1964), and Ralescu and Puri (1986), among others.
Tectonics and volcanism in Central Mexico: A landsat thematic mapper perspective

Digitally enhanced Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) images were used to map neotectonic deformation in central Mexico. This region has been studied for decades using a variety of geological and geophysical techniques, but synoptic mapping of neotectonic activity and major fault zones there, and an evaluation of their regional relationship to the character and location of volcanism were not previously possible until the application of synoptic, high resolution satellite imagery. Interpretation of the TM images shows that the tectonic deformation is closely linked in time and space to the dominantly calc-alkaline volcanics of the Mexican Volcanic Belt (MVB). The eruptive style and distribution of the volcanics is clearly related to the deformation resulting from relative motions of three large crustal blocks south of the MVB. Therefore, zones of weakness within the crust of central Mexico, which may be inherited from earlier episodes of deformation, are a principal factor controlling the oblique orientation of the MVB relative to the Acapulco Trench.
Modified malis bayonet forceps aids application of the cyberonics vagus nerve stimulator electrode: technical note.

OBJECTIVE: To notify neurosurgeons about a modified bayonet forceps that aids application of the vagus nerve stimulating electrode. METHODS: The manufacturer (Codman & Shurtleff, Inc., Raynham, MA) extended the tips of an upward-angled Malis bayonet forceps from 2 mm to 6 mm. RESULTS: The modified bayonet tips, when placed under the vagus nerve, extend well beyond the edge of the usual vagus nerve to easily accept the electrode lead. CONCLUSION: The modified bayonet forceps and depicted wrapping sequence shorten electrode wrapping time.
Collagenase digestion demonstrates carboxy-terminal crosslinking in acid-soluble collagen.

Abstract Among the products of the collagenase cleavage of Type I acid-soluble collagen from calf and rabbit tendons, there can be found fragments with the lengths of half α-chains. Because purified collagenase cleaves the α-chains three-quarters of the length from the amino-terminus, the presence of half-length chains is evidence for the occurrence of crosslinks between two carboxy-terminal, quarter-length fragments, The collagen preparations were reduced with [ 3 H]borohydride, the collagenase-cleaved fragments were separated by gel electrophoresis, and their 3 H-labeled crosslink derivatives were analyzed. The major labeled components in the half-length chains were the reduced aldol condensation product and hydroxylysinonorleucine. These experiments demonstrate that the carboxy-terminal telopeptides in monomer-enriched collagen samples form aldol crosslinks which are probably intramolecular, but some intermolecular aldol and aldimine crosslinks may also be formed.
Oxidative stress and DNA damage in Fischer rats following acute exposure to trichloroethylene or perchloroethylene

Oxidative DNA damage is emerging as an biomarker of effect in studies assessing the health risks of occupational chemicals. Trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PERC) are used in the dry cleaning industry and their metabolism can produce reactive oxygen compounds. The present study examined the potential for TCE and PERC to induce oxidative DNA damage in rats that was detectable as increased urinary excretion of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8OHdG). Thiobarbaturic acid reactive substances (TBARS) and 8-epiprostaglandin F2alpha (8epiPGF) were also measured as biomarkers of increased oxidative stress. Male Fischer rats were administered a single i.p. injection of 0, 100, 500, or 1000 mg/kg of PERC or TCE. Control rats received only vehicle (1:4 v/v of Alkamuls/water). A positive control group received 100 mg/kg 2-nitropropane (2NP). Rats were sacrificed 24 h after dosing. In rats receiving 2NP or TCE but not PERC, TBARS and the 8OHdG/dG ratios were significantly elevated in liver. Lymphocyte 8OHdG/dG was not affected significantly by 2NP, TCE or PERC. In rats receiving 2NP, urinary excretion of 8OHdG and 8epiPGF2 were significantly increased. In rats receiving TCE or PERC, significant increases in 8epiPGF2 or 8OHdG were not evident. Results indicate that a single high dose of TCE, but not PERC, can induce an increase in oxidative DNA damage in rat liver. However, the usefulness of 8OHdG as a biomarker of TCE-induced oxidative DNA damage is questionable.
High Refractive Index Polymers for Optical Applications

High refractive index (RI) materials are extremely important in many optical applications. Polymers traditionally have relatively low refractive indices, but they can be raised to technologically useful values. Our group has prepared RI tunable materials up to 1.68 using brominated and aromatic monomers in a copolymer synthesis method. These copolymers are transparent in the technologically important near-IR, have high glass transition temperatures, and are good film formers. These attributes make them useful in optical quality composites where a RI-controlled matrix material is used to match the RI of the incorporated phase to avoid scattering. In addition to composites, applications of these high RI materials include antireflective coatings and high RI lenses, among others.
Loss of T cell-mediated antitumor immunity after construct-specific downregulation of retrovirally encoded T-cell receptor expression in vivo.

Adoptive T-cell therapy is clinically efficacious in the treatment of select cancers. However, it is often difficult to obtain adequate numbers of tumor-specific T cells for therapy. One method for overcoming this limitation is to generate tumor-specific T cells by retrovirally mediated T-cell-receptor (TCR) gene transfer. However, despite instances of therapeutic success, major obstacles remain, including attaining the survival of retrovirally modified T cells in vivo as well as inducing long-term and multi-gene retroviral expression. Using a murine model of adoptively transferred retrovirally modified CD8+ T cells, where antitumor immunity was dependent on sustained, multigene expression, we found that in vitro assays are poor indicators of in vivo efficacy. Despite persisting for over 9 months in a nonlymphopenic environment, genetically modified T cells exhibited discordant retrovirally mediated gene expression in vivo not readily evident from initial in vitro assays. In particular, one of the two TCR subunit genes necessary for antigen specificity was selectively lost in vivo. As this discordant gene expression was associated with the loss of antitumor immunity, consideration of these findings may provide guidance in the design, evaluation and application of retroviral vectors for use in the treatment of cancer and other human disease.
Evaluating Macrobenthic Process Indicators in Relation to Organic Enrichment and Hypoxia

Abstract Adopting macrobenthic process indicators with clear connections to ecosystem function should facilitate assessments of inherently variable estuarine ecosystems. Most current macrobenthic indicators do not directly reflect ecosystem function because they rely on taxonomic based metrics including diversity and the occurrence of indicator taxa. The goal of the present study was to evaluate prospective macrobenthic process indicators in relation to organic enrichment and hypoxia. Organic enrichment combined with hypoxia typically engenders depauperate macrobenthic communities consisting mostly of small short-lived opportunistic organisms. Thus, indicators predicated upon body-size descriptors potentially concur with effects of eutrophication. In the present study, two orthogonal complex indicators, or benthic functions (BFs), comprised a suite of eight macrobenthic metrics from 133 sampling events representing 29 sites over four years within three central Gulf of Mexico (GoM) estuarine systems. Benthic Function 1 (BF1) exemplified community maturity, whereas BF2 conveyed secondary production potential. Three complex macrobenthic indicators, including the two BFs and the benchmark Benthic Index (BI) for the Gulf of Mexico (GoM), were related to four environmental functions (EFs) comprising a suite of 15 environmental variables. The two BFs related more robustly to the EFs than the BI. Moreover, BF2 related strongly to the dissolved oxygen (DO) driven EF2. Notwithstanding a somewhat nonlinear relationship between BF2 and EF2, monotonic variation in BF2 relative to DO-driven EF2 ensured the interpretability of the relationship. A significant correlation between BF1 (i.e., community maturity) and the BI implied a link between benthic function and biodiversity. Other significant relationships involving the complex macrobenthic indicators and trophic structure underscored the ecological relevance of functional diversity. Implementing macrobenthic process indicators to gauge estuarine condition offers a compelling approach to coastal ecosystem management.
Absorption, translocation, and metabolism of ethalfluralin and trifluralin in Solanum spp

Seedlings of Solanum scabrum Mill. and Solanum ptycanthum Dun. were treated with [14C]ethalfluralin (N-ethyl-α,α,α-trifluoro-N-(methylallyl)-2,6-dinitro-p-toluidine) and [14C]trifluralin (α,α,α-trifluoro-2,6-dinitro-N,N-dipropyl-p-toluidine) supplied in nutrient solution to determine the basis for differences in response by these two species to these two herbicides. Plants of S. scabrum absorbed more [14C]ethalfluralin and [14C]trifluralin than plants of S. ptycanthum. During the first 24 h, S. scabrum seedlings, but not S. ptycanthum seedlings absorbed more [14C]ethalfluralin than did plants treated with [14C]trifluralin. More [14C]ethalfluralin than [14C]trifluralin was found in the shoots of plants of both species. Seventy-two hours after treatment with [14C]herbicides, the conversion to water-soluble metabolites was greater for [14C]ethalfluralin than for [14C]trifluralin. In the shoots of plants from both species an average of nearly 55% of the 14C recovered was found in the water-soluble fraction following [14C]ethalfluralin treatment whereas an average of only 40% was found in the water-soluble fraction following [14C]trifluralin treatment.
Tenascin-C expression in the cyst wall and fluid of human brain tumors correlates with angiogenesis

Objective Tenascin-C (TN) is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein with a characteristic six-armed structure. The aim of this study was to determine whether the concentration of TN in the cyst fluid of brain tumors can be used as a marker for angiogenesis and glioma grade. Methods We investigated the expression of TN in the cyst wall and cyst fluid of human brain tumors by immunohistochemistry, immunoprecipitation, and immunoblotting. The tumors included 12 astrocytomas (5 glioblastoma multiforme tumors, 1 anaplastic astrocytoma, 1 low-grade astrocytoma, 4 juvenile pilocytic astrocytomas, and 1 mixed glioma), 2 dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors, 3 craniopharyngiomas, 2 ependymomas, 2 metastatic carcinomas, 3 arachnoid cysts, 1 glial ependymal cyst, and 1 inflammatory cyst. Results We detected no expression of TN in the cyst fluids of the ependymomas, craniopharyngiomas, and nonpilocytic low-grade astrocytoma. By contrast, TN was detected in the cyst fluids of all the other tumors. Results of quantitative immunoblotting using a PhosphorImager unit (Molecular Dynamics, Sunnyvale, CA) revealed that, on average, a 5-fold higher signal was observed in the glioblastoma multiforme tumors as compared with the anaplastic astrocytoma, and a 10-fold higher signal as compared with the mixed glioma, juvenile pilocytic astrocytomas, and dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors. Results of TN immunohistochemistry in the astrocytomas correlated with glioma grade, with stronger staining of the hyperplastic vessels and tumor cells being observed in higher grade gliomas. No TN immunoreactivity was detected in the walls of the ependymomas, arachnoid cysts, and glial ependymal cyst that lack hyperplastic vessels, and minimal TN immunoreactivity was observed in the perivascular gliotic rim of the craniopharyngiomas. No TN was detected in the cyst fluid of these cystic processes. Conclusion The presence of TN in and around the hyperplastic vessels and tumor cells present in the cyst walls of astrocytomas and its deposition in the intratumoral cyst fluid in which angiogenic factors have been detected further suggests a role for TN as an angiogenic modulator. These preliminary results suggest that immunodetection of TN in the tumor cyst fluid may indicate tumor type and grade.
Prevalence and correlates of household exposures to tobacco smoke and pets in children with asthma.

Abstract Objectives: To examine the prevalence rates of household smoking and ownership of a furred or feathered pet, the intercorrelation of these home environment measures, and their association with sociodemographic, family, and child asthma variables. Study design: Children with asthma (n = 152, aged 7-18 years) with asthma and their primary parent were evaluated through the use of reliable and valid questionnaires focusing on exposure to household smoke and furred or feathered pets as well as sociodemographic, family, and asthma variables. Results: Prevalence of household smoking and pet ownership were high and comparable to normal levels in the US population. Smoking and pet ownership were not correlated with each other or with asthma medication adherence. Sociodemographic, family, and asthma variables showed distinct patterns of correlation with smoking and pet status. Household smoking was associated with poorer family resources and greater stress; pet ownership was associated with greater resources. Conclusions: Smoke exposure and pet ownership are not related to one another in children with asthma and will require independent counseling strategies because they relate in different and opposite ways to socioeconomic status. (J Pediatr 2002;141:109-15)
Survival of 60Co-irradiated herpes simplex virus in 15 human diploid fibroblasts cell strains

The present study was designed to determine the extent to which herpes simplex virus (HSV) may be utilized to study the repair of DNA damaged by ionizing radiation. We investigated the survival of 60Co-irradiated HSV in cell strains derived from 2 normal controls and 13 patients with a broad range of diseases associated with possible DNA repair deficiencies. Irradiation was performed under two conditions to vary the type of damage incurred by the virus. HSV survival was greatly enhanced when the virus was irradiated in such a way that the indirect effects of ionizing radiation were minimized. We found no correlation between cellular hypersensitivity to ionizing radiation and survival of irradiated HSV. Reduced levels of virus survival were found in only 1 cell strain. When cells were treated with ionizing radiation or UV light prior to infection, no enhancement of virus survival was observed.
Mixed Chloride/Amine Complexes of Dimolybdenum(II). 1. Preparation, Characterization, and Crystal Structure of Mo2Cl4(NHEt2)4: A Quadruply-Bonded Dimolybdenum Compound with Diethylamine Ligands

Reaction of the molybdenum(III) complex Mo2Cl6(THF)3 with diethylamine at room temperature causes reduction of the starting compound to produce the dimolybdenum(II) complex Mo2Cl4(NHEt2)4 (1). It was shown that the Cl- anions released by the substitution with amine can react with more of the starting material to give side products of molybdenum(III). Four such products were isolated and characterized: [NH2Et2][MoCl4(NHEt2)2] (2), [NH2Et2][Mo2Cl7(NHEt2)2] (3), [NH2Et2]2[MoCl5(NHEt2)] (4), and [NH2Et2]3[Mo2Cl8(NEt2)] (5). The crystal structures of all complexes 1−5 have been investigated by X-ray diffraction. The structure of 1 consists of two trans-MoCl2(NHEt2)2 units joined by a quadruple Mo−Mo bond (2.1330(6) A). The crystallographic parameters for compounds 1−5 are as follows: for 1, monoclinic space group C2/c with a = 20.846(1) A, b = 7.044(1) A, c = 19.868(3) A, β = 118.72(2)°, and Z = 4; for 2, triclinic space group P1 with a = 9.820(3) A, b = 10.305(1) A, c = 11.510(1) A, α = 95.779(8)°, β = 97....
Atomic Model of CPV Reveals the Mechanism Used by This Single-Shelled Virus to Economically Carry Out Functions Conserved in Multishelled Reoviruses

Summary Unlike the multishelled viruses in the Reoviridae , cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus (CPV) is single shelled, yet stable and fully capable of carrying out functions conserved within Reoviridae . Here, we report a 3.1 A resolution cryo electron microscopy structure of CPV and derive its atomic model, consisting of 60 turret proteins (TPs), 120 each of capsid shell proteins (CSPs) and large protrusion proteins (LPPs). Two unique segments of CSP contribute to CPV's stability: an inserted protrusion domain interacting with neighboring proteins, and an N-anchor tying up CSPs together through strong interactions such as β sheet augmentation. Without the need to interact with outer shell proteins, LPP retains only the N-terminal two-third region containing a conserved helix-barrel core and interacts exclusively with CSP. TP is also simplified, containing only domains involved in RNA capping. Our results illustrate how CPV proteins have evolved in a coordinative manner to economically carry out their conserved functions.
The Chemical History of Some Spring Waters in Carbonate Rocksa

Insights into the chemical and Hydrogeologie history of spring waters in carbonate rocks can be gained from a study of the chemical quality of such waters and of the waters which feed springs. The median Ca2+/Mg2+ ratio was 3.4 in 29 spring waters from folded and faulted carbonate rocks near State College, Pennsylvania, indicating ground-water flow predominantly in limestone. The mean dissolved oxygen content was 7.7 mg/1 or 71% of saturation consistent with subsurface flow chiefly under water table conditions. Most of the dissolved solids (as specific conductance) including pollutants such as Cl and NO3 were added to spring waters during ground-water flow. Specific conductances ranged from 180 to 476 micromhos, with a mean of 347 micromhos. CO2 pressures were from 10−1.9 to 10−2.6 atm with a mean of 10−2.2. atm. The CO2, which is chiefly introduced as gas by downward diffusion from the soil zone, gives spring waters the capacity to hold about 3 times more hardness and alkalinity than streams in equilibrium with the atmosphere. However, all spring waters were undersaturated with respect to calcite and dolomite because of their short residence times as ground water. Dye tracing of ground-water feeding springs in two drainage basins gave residence times of 2–6 days for subsurface flows of about 4,000 feet. The specific conductance and carbonate saturation data indicate that ground-water residence times of the 29 spring waters average somewhat longer than 2–6 days.
Rational design of a Nile Red/polymer composite film for fluorescence sensing of organophosphonate vapors using hydrogen bond acidic polymers.

The solvatochromic dye Nile Red dispersed in selected hydrogen bond acidic polymer matrixes demonstrated strong fluorescence enhancement at the presence of dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) vapors. Two hydrogen bond acidic polymers were examined as dye matrixes, one with fluorinated alcohol groups on a polystyrene backbone (PSFA) and the other with fluorinated bisphenol groups alternating with oligo(dimethylsiloxane) segments (BSP3). The combination of hydrogen bond acidic polymer (a strong sorbent for DMMP) with the solvatochromic dye led to initial depression of the dye fluorescence and a significant red shift in the absorbance and fluorescence spectra. DMMP sorption changed the dye environment and dramatically altered the fluorescence spectrum and intensity, resulting in a strong fluorescence enhancement. It is proposed that this fluorescence enhancement is due to the competition set up between the dye and the sorbed vapor for polymeric hydrogen-bonding sites. The highest responses were obtained with B...
Enhanced chondrocytic differentiation in chick limb bud cell cultures by inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose) synthetase.

Abstract Inhibitors of poly(ADP-ribose) synthetase, namely nicotinamide, benzamide, m-methoxybenzamide and 3-aminobenzamide, augmented chondrocytic differentiation of chick embryo limb bud mesenchymal cells, in culture. These inhibitors stimulated an early appearance and amssive formation of cartilage nodules in micromass cultures of stage 23–24 chick embryos. They also induced nodule formation in micromass and cartilage colonies at micromass plating densities from stage 18–19 embryos. Benzamide, however, did not prevent differentiated chondrocytes from undergoing a pleiotypic change in cell type. These results are compatible with the putative regulatory function of poly(ADP-ribose) on cell differentiation.
Analysis of adhesive-bonded single-lap joint with an interfacial crack and a void

We use the first-order shear deformation plate theory (FSDT) to analyze stresses in two layers bonded together with an adhesive as recommended by the ASTM D3165 standard, except that we also include a void within the adhesive. Depending upon the number of notches and voids, the specimen is divided into several regions. Assuming that a plane strain state of deformation prevails in the specimen, we write the balance of forces and moments for each section and impose the continuity of displacements, forces and moments at the interfaces between the adjoining sections. By taking the Laplace transform of the resulting ordinary differential equations we get a system of simultaneous linear algebraic equations that can be easily solved. The inverse transform of the solution of the algebraic equations provides stresses and displacements in the adhesive and the substrates, which are found to agree well with those obtained by the finite element method (FEM). It is also found that the order of the stress singularity at the corner of the free surface of the adhesive and the substrate, and the strain energy release rate computed from the solution of the problem with the FSDT agree well with those determined from the solution of the problem by the FEM. We note that the computational effort required to analyze the problem with the FSDT is considerably less than that needed to solve the problem by the FEM.
Grue-Green and Some Mistakes in Confirmation Theory

Summary It is argued, contrary to Nelson Goodman, that confirmability is not a semantical property possessed by some hypotheses. Instead, hypotheses are confirmed or disconfirmed on the basis of all relevant information, not just postivie or negative instances. Resume L'auteur montre que, contrairement a la these de Nelson Goodman, la confirma-bilite n'est pas une propriete semantique que possedent certaines hypotheses. Au contraire, les hypotheses sont confirmees ou refutees sur la base de toute l'information importante, et non pas simplement par des exemples positifs ou negatifs. Zusammenfassung Gegen Nelson Goodman wird argumentiert, dass Bestatigbarkeit nicht eine semantische Eigenschaft ist, die Hypothesen zukommt. Hypothesen werden bestatigt oder falsifiziert auf Grand der gesamten verfiigbaren, relevanten Information — nicht nur durch positive oder negative Instanzen.
A longitudinal study on engagement with dieting information as a predictor of dieting behavior among adults diagnosed with cancer.

Abstract Objective This study explores cancer survivors' engagement with information about dieting to control weight from doctors, interpersonal, and media sources and examines whether engagement from these sources impacts subsequent dieting behavior. Methods A total of 1128 respondents diagnosed with colorectal, breast, or prostate cancers were surveyed over three years following their cancer diagnoses. Using weighted logistic regression analyses, the authors predicted the odds of dieting based on earlier information engagement with sources, controlling for dieting in the previous year and confounders. Results Participants reported talking with doctors more frequently (37%) than seeking or scanning from interpersonal and media sources about dieting (15–22%). Seeking from interpersonal and media sources, and discussion with physicians, significantly predicted dieting behavior. In addition, discussions with physicians increased the odds of subsequent dieting behavior by 2.32 times (95% CI: 1.50–3.61; p =.002), over and above the effects of other information engagement. Conclusion Cancer survivors reported engaging with a variety of information sources about dieting. Engagement with doctors and information-seeking from interpersonal or media sources predicted cancer survivors' dieting behavior a year later. Practice implications The results may inform strategies to encourage and empower cancer survivors to engage with information about healthy lifestyle changes for promoting long-term health.
Synthesis and Catalytic Properties of Two Trinuclear Complexes of Rhodium and Iridium with the N-Heterocyclic Tris-carbene Ligand TIMENiPr

Two trinuclear complexes of rhodium and iridium have been obtained by reaction of the tris-N-heterocyclic carbene ligand TIMENiPr and [(COD)MCl]2 or [(COD)2M](BF4) (M = Rh and Ir). The new complexes have been fully characterized by means of NMR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The trinuclear rhodium complex shows efficient activity in cyclization of acetylenic carboxylic acids, ranking among the highest known for this type of reaction.
Peak drug levels in linear pharmacokinetic systems—I. Effect of rate of injection

This paper presents three theorems on the peak drug levels that result from injection into a linear pharmacokinetic system. As a preliminary, the “rate of injection” is defined in terms of time expansion or time contraction of the injection function (input). The first theorem then states that the peak drug level will not be greater when the rate of injection is slow than when it is fast, if the impulse response is unimodal. The second theorem sets limits for the time of the maximum drug level, in relation to the time of the maximum of the (unimodal) impulse response and the duration of the input. The third theorem defines conditions which assure a definitely lower peak drug level if the rate of injection is slower. A graphical method is suggested for determining the times and magnitudes of the peak drug levels that result from constant infusions of a fixed dose at different rates. An example is provided to show that if the impulse response is multimodal then the peak drug level may sometimes increase with a decrease in the injection rate.
Conservation values in marine ecosystem-based management

Abstract Proactive ecosystem-based management represents a turning point in ocean management, because it formally recognizes the need to balance the potentially competing uses of the ocean, including aquaculture, energy production, conservation, fishing, and recreation. A significant challenge in implementing this balancing act arises from explicitly incorporating conservation in a decision-making framework that embraces assessments of trade-offs between benefits from conservation and conventional commercial uses of marine resources. An economic efficiency-based framework for evaluating trade-offs is utilized, and, for illustration, applied to assess the relative benefits and costs of conservation actions for the endangered western stock of the Steller Sea Lion (wSSL) in Alaska, USA. The example highlights many scientific and political challenges of using empirical estimates of the benefits and costs to evaluate conservation actions in the decision process, particularly given the public's large conservation values for the wSSL. The example also highlights the need to engage in stakeholder discussions on how to incorporate conservation into ecosystem-based management, and more specifically, coastal and marine spatial planning (CMSP). Without explicit consideration of these issues, it is unclear whether CMSP will better conserve and utilize ocean resources than the status quo.
Carbon Monoxide Blocks Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Gene Expression by Interfering with Proximal TLR4 to NF-κB Signal Transduction in Human Monocytes

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an endogenous messenger that suppresses inflammation, modulates apoptosis and promotes vascular remodeling. Here, microarrays were employed to globally characterize the CO (250 ppm) suppression of early (1 h) LPS-induced inflammation in human monocytic THP-1 cells. CO suppressed 79 of 101 immediate-early genes induced by LPS; 19% (15/79) were transcription factors and most others were cytokines, chemokines and immune response genes. The prototypic effects of CO on transcription and protein production occurred early but decreased rapidly. CO activated p38 MAPK, ERK1/2 and Akt and caused an early and transitory delay in LPS-induced JNK activation. However, selective inhibitors of these kinases failed to block CO suppression of LPS-induced IL-1β, an inflammation marker. Of CO-suppressed genes, 81% (64/79) were found to have promoters with putative NF-κB binding sites. CO was subsequently shown to block LPS-induced phosphorylation and degradation of IκBα in human monocytes, thereby inhibiting NF-κB signal transduction. CO broadly suppresses the initial inflammatory response of human monocytes to LPS by reshaping proximal events in TLR4 signal transduction such as stress kinase responses and early NF-κB activation. These rapid, but transient effects of CO may have therapeutic applications in acute pulmonary and vascular injury.
Vortex phases in irradiated highly anisotropic layered superconductors

Resistivity, reversible magnetization, and Josephson plasma resonance (JPR) data for Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2}CaCu{sub 2}O{sub 8} with columnar defects (CD) show that two liquid phases exist above the irreversibility line. They differ by the c-axis correlations in pancake positions. We explain the existence of two liquids with different c-axis correlations and transition between them in some temperature interval exploring the particle-hole symmetry in the free energy functional for pancakes inside CD. This functional accounts for magnetic interaction of pancakes, their interaction via Josephson coupling, and pinning by CD. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}