cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Assessing the contributions of intraspecific and environmental sources of infection in urban wildlife: Salmonella enterica and white ibis as a case study.

Conversion of natural habitats into urban landscapes can expose wildlife to novel pathogens and alter pathogen transmission pathways. Because transmission is difficult to quantify for many wildlife...
Waterpipe or Hookah-Related Poisoning Events Among U.S. Adolescents and Young Adults

Abstract Purpose Waterpipe or hookah use is associated with carbon monoxide poisoning and effects such as nausea and vomiting. We examined the public health burden of poisoning events involving hookah tobacco in the U.S., especially among adolescents and young adults. Methods We analyzed events involving hookah tobacco that were reported to U.S. poison control centers between 2001 and 2017 by age and over time as well as by medical outcome, health care level, and clinical effects. Results A total of 276 relevant poisoning events involving hookah were reported. Among the 248 individuals with a specific age reported, 35 (14.1%) were aged between 10 and 17 years and 136 (54.8%) were aged between 18 and 24 years. Common clinical effects included dizziness/vertigo, nausea, headache, and vomiting. Conclusions Hookah tobacco use is associated with poisoning events consistent with exposure to high levels of carbon monoxide.
Estimating personal ambient temperature in moderately cold environments for occupationally exposed populations.

Abstract Despite high mortality and morbidity rates in the winter season, few studies have investigated the health effects from working in moderately cold environments, especially among vulnerable outdoor worker populations in the southeastern US. Yet recent research has shown that the mortality risk from cold events is greatest in southern cities compared to other US locations. We performed repeated personal cold exposure measurements in outdoor grounds management workers in the southeastern US using consumer-based sensors. We recruited outdoor workers from two locations (Raleigh, NC and Boone, NC) each characterized by climatological differences in cold temperature to participate in a 3-week data collection period at the peak of the winter (Jan/Feb 2018). Lower personal ambient temperatures were observed among participants who worked in a warmer climate (Raleigh, NC). The relative risk for cold symptomatology was higher in moderately cold personal ambient temperatures (0 °C to 20 °C) than extremely cold personal ambient temperatures (less than 0 °C). A weak significant relationship was observed between personal ambient temperatures and weather station measurements highlighting that epidemiological researchers should be cautious when investigating the health effects of ambient temperatures based on fixed site measurements. As mobile technology progresses, real-time temperature health monitoring and analysis of environmental conditions at the individual level across multiple occupational-settings will become more feasible and ultimately, we believe, a digitally enhanced workforce will become standard practice in the field.
A Cusp Catastrophe Approach to the Prediction of Temporal Patterns in the Kill Dates of Individual Serial Murderers

A cusp catastrophe model was fitted to the time series of kill dates of eleven serial murderers, using no additional external information. As predicted, this model provided a superior fit (Median R2 =0.67) to the data than competing linear models (Median R2 =0.43 and 0.22). Moreover, a single equation could be identified which was moderately effective (R2 =0.53) in predicting the changes in the intervals between successive killings across individual killers. All time series showed evidence for the existence of a cyclic underlying process, although distinctions could be made depending on whether the phase portrait showed an attractor, a repellor, or a “pulse” type pattern. Finally, using a neural net approach it proved possible to distinguish pairs of serial killers solely based on properties of their time series. These findings are best explained by biological theories which assume that the cyclic nature of serial murder is the result of the successive domination of opposing forces.
Multicenter validation of a novel medication-regimen complexity scoring tool.

BACKGROUND The MRC-ICU, a novel regimen complexity scoring tool, provides an objective measure of medication regimen complexity in critically ill patients. The MRC-ICU may have the ability to evaluate the impact of critical care pharmacists on patient outcomes but requires further validation. The objective of this study was to confirm the external validity of the MRC-ICU scoring tool at multiple institutions and intensive care unit (ICU) settings. METHODS This was a multicenter, prospective, observational study. The electronic medical record was reviewed to collect patient demographics and patient outcomes, and the medication administration record was reviewed to collect MRC-ICU scores at 24 hours, 48 hours, and ICU discharge. Validation was performed by assessing convergent and divergent validity of the score. Spearman rank-order correlation was used to determine correlation. RESULTS A total of 230 patients were evaluated across both centers in both medical ICUs and surgical ICUs. Differences between the original center and the new site included that total number of orders (29 vs 126; P 0.05). CONCLUSIONS External validity of the MRC-ICU has been confirmed through evaluation at an external site and in the surgical ICU population. The MRC-ICU scoring tool requires prospective evaluation to provide objective data regarding optimal pharmacist use.
Preference modelling with context-dependent salient features

We consider the problem of estimating a ranking on a set of items from noisy pairwise comparisons given item features. We address the fact that pairwise comparison data often reflects irrational choice, e.g. intransitivity. Our key observation is that two items compared in isolation from other items may be compared based on only a salient subset of features. Formalizing this framework, we propose the salient feature preference model and prove a finite sample complexity result for learning the parameters of our model and the underlying ranking with maximum likelihood estimation. We also provide empirical results that support our theoretical bounds and illustrate how our model explains systematic intransitivity. Finally we demonstrate strong performance of maximum likelihood estimation of our model on both synthetic data and two real data sets: the UT Zappos50K data set and comparison data about the compactness of legislative districts in the US.
Investigation of Axial and Angular Sampling in Multi-Detector Pinhole-SPECT Brain Imaging

We designed a dedicated multi-detector multi-pinhole brain SPECT scanner to generate images of higher quality compared to general-purpose systems. The system, AdaptiSPECT-C, is intended to adapt its sensitivity-resolution trade-off by varying its aperture configurations allowing both high-sensitivity dynamic and high-spatial-resolution static imaging. The current system design consists of 23 detector heads arranged in a truncated spherical geometry. In this work, we investigated the axial and angular sampling capability of the current stationary system design. Two data acquisition schemes using limited rotation of the gantry and two others using axial translation of the imaging bed were also evaluated concerning their impact on image quality through improved sampling. Increasing both angular and axial sampling in the current prototype system resulted in quantitative improvements in image quality metrics and qualitative appearance of the images as determined in studies with specifically selected phantoms. Visual improvements for the brain phantoms with clinical distributions were less pronounced but presented quantitative improvements in the fidelity (normalized root-mean-square error (NRMSE)) and striatal specific binding ratio (SBR) for a dopamine transporter (DAT) distribution, and in NRMSE and activity recovery for a brain perfusion distribution. More pronounced improvements with increased sampling were seen in contrast recovery coefficient, bias, and coefficient of variation for a lesion in the brain perfusion distribution. The negligible impact of the most cranial ring of detectors on axial sampling, but its significant impact on sensitivity and angular sampling in the cranial portion of the imaging volume-of-interest were also determined.
Do Selection Rules Affect Leader Responsiveness? Evidence from Rural Uganda

Community organizations in developing countries often suffer from selfserving elites. This study examines whether the responsiveness and accountability of local leaders can be strengthened through the introduction of more inclusive and participatory leader selection rules. To address identification problems, I take advantage of natural conditions that resulted in exogenous variation in the rules for selecting leaders of farmer associations in Uganda. I find that compared to leaders appointed by the community elites, directly elected leaders are
A systematic review of pharmacologic therapies for the cardiomyopathy of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Objective To perform a systematic review of studies evaluating pharmacologic therapies for the cardiomyopathy of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Methods PubMed, Google Scholar, and Embase were searched through October 8, 2020. Articles were selected using pre-determined criteria; 26 underwent detailed review by two co-authors. Study quality was assessed with the Newcastle-Ottawa scoring system (NOS); GRADE assessment evaluated their overall clinical importance. Results There were few randomized controlled trials. Two of four trials of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) or ACEI plus beta-blockers (BB) found improved LV function. Two of two randomized trials of aldosterone antagonists (AA), when added to ACEI and BB therapy, demonstrated less decline of LV circumferential strain over 1 year of treatment. Observational studies of ACEI and BB had differing patient ages, symptomatology, cohort size, study duration and baseline heart function. LV function, assessed via unblinded imaging, was the most frequent outcome measure. LV dysfunction improved in some trials but was unconfirmed in others. Class IV heart failure patients had transient improvement of symptoms and LVEF. Most NOS scores reflected a low level of study quality. The Grade certainty rating, used for the summation of studies, was between "low" and "moderate." Conclusion Randomized trial evidence was inconsistent that either ACEI or BB or their combination improve LV function and/or alter progressive LV dysfunction. When ACEI and BB therapy are initiated for symptomatic Class IV heart failure, symptoms and LVEF improve transiently. AAs retard the rate of decline of LV function when initiated in younger DMD patients.
Deconstructing Service in Libraries: Intersections of Identities and Expectations . Veronica Arellano Douglas and Joanna Gadsby, eds. Sacramento, CA: Litwin Books, 2020. 404p. Paperback, $22.75 (ISBN 978-1634000604).

Editors Veronica Arellano Douglas and Joanna Gadsby have assembled a work that contributes to many perspectives on service in the library. The collection presents 19 chapters of diverse individual experiences from library workers—most of whom are academics, with a few from public libraries. These perspectives deal with important issues of service in the profession as seen through the lenses of workers with specific group identities. These identities as presented by the authors include but are not limited to the disabled, gender identity and sexual orientation, race and ethnicity, and stigmatization of fat bodies (terms used by the contributors).
Platform for electrically reconfigurable ring resonator based on TMD-graphene composite waveguides

We show a platform for electrically tuning the degree of coupling in micro-ring resonators from the under-coupled to the over-coupled regime, based on graphene-TMD composite waveguides.
Use of peptide probes to study brain regulation of glucose metabolism.

Peptides represent the largest class of biologically active ligand that exist within central nervous system (CNS) neurons and their axonal projections. The physiologic role that these peptides play in the regulation of brain cellular functions, including neurotransmission, has not been determined. Most brain peptides display biological actions when administered into the CNS, thus leading to hypotheses regarding their physiologic roles. In addition to characterization of the physiologic roles of these peptides within the CNS, it is evident that these substances may be utilized as neurochemical probes with unique specificities for select neuronal populations to study both cellular and integrated CNS functions. An area of importance to physiologists has been the use of peptides to modify brain neuroendocrine and autonomic nervous system neuro-humoral effector mechanisms that regulate visceral organ function. This chapter will describe some of the CNS peptides that may be used as probes to study neuroendocrine and autonomic control of glucose metabolism.
Test-retest reliability of retrospective self-reported maternal exposure to childhood abuse and neglect

Retrospective reports of exposure to childhood trauma indicate it is common. There is growing interest in relationships between maternal exposure to childhood adversity, perinatal mental health, and pregnancy outcomes. The goal of this study was to describe the self-reported prevalence and test-retest reliability of exposure to childhood maltreatment using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire among adult women around the time of pregnancy. A substantial proportion of women reported exposure to maltreatment and reliability was generally at least moderate, indicating consistent reporting.
Fuzzy estimator of the total failure time of censored data

The total failure time of a system consisting of several components from a k-parameter exponential family often plays an important role in the reliability theory. All components of a system with several identical components may be put in test until an r-th smallest failure time occurs and the total failure time is subsequently calculated. The total failure time from exponentially distributed censored data has been proved to be a prediction sufficient statistic by Nair and Cheng in 2001 in light of the works by Skibinsky in 1967, Torgersen in 1977, and Cheng and Mordeson in 1985. Sometimes, the test may be repeated several times in order to assess the reliability of the system. In this proposal, a fuzzy estimator for the total failure time was discussed. This estimator provides more information in total failure time than just a point estimate, or just a single confidence estimate.
KINETIC STUDIES OF LEWIS BASE ADDITION TO CpFe(CO)(η3-CH2C6H4-p-X); X = OMe, Me, H,F, Cl, Br

Abstract Kinetic studies illuminate details of the reaction of photoproduced CpFe(CO)(η3-CH2C6H5) with two electron Lewis bases. Rate constants of 151(10)M−1s−1 for CO back reaction and between 440 and 3200 M−1s−1 for reaction with various phosphine nucleophiles were recorded. Linear free energy analysis quantifies the stereoelectronic effect of the nucleophile. Variation of the para-substituent on the benzyl group demonstrates that an electron rich benzyl group impedes reaction. The effect of ancillary ligands was seen by substitution of C5Me5 for C5H5. The large, electron rich C5Me5 speeds up CO substitution but slows down PPh3 substitution. Mechanistic clues were obtained from Eyring plots for reaction of CpFe(CO)(η3-CH2C6H5) with 4 different phosphines. Examination of the measured enthalpy and entropy barriers suggests a stepwise reaction mechanism.
Production of cholesterol-enriched nascent high density lipoproteins by human monocyte-derived macrophages is a mechanism that contributes to macrophage cholesterol efflux.

Atherosclerotic lesions have a lipid core containing crystals and liposomes enriched in unesterified cholesterol as well as numerous monocyte-macrophages enriched in cholesteryl ester. Sufficient amounts of plasma-derived high density lipoproteins (HDL) may not reach and efficiently remove the cholesterol deposited in lesion macrophages or in the lipid core of lesions. We examined the potential of human monocyte-macrophages to produce nascent HDL and to solubilize cholesterol derived from interaction of monocyte-macrophages with lipoprotein and non-lipoprotein sources of cholesterol. Monocyte-macrophages produced discoidal (25 +/- 6 nm long and 6 +/- 1 nm wide (mean +/- S.D.)) and vesicular (89 +/- 41 nm in diameter) lipoprotein particles following and during enrichment of macrophages with cholesterol from acetylated low density lipoprotein (AcLDL) or cholesterol crystals. During cholesterol enrichment, discoidal particles progressively accumulated in the medium for up to 6 days. In contrast, vesicles did not increase past 2 days of incubation. Both the discoidal and vesicular lipoprotein particles had a peak density of about 1.09-1.10 g/ml. The discoidal particles contained apolipoprotein E (apoE), whereas the vesicles contained a major protein constituent with a molecular mass of 22,000 daltons. The vesicles did not contain detectable apoE and the 22,000-dalton protein was not the 22,000-dalton thrombolytic fragment of apoE. Following cholesterol enrichment of macrophages with AcLDL or cholesterol crystals, macrophages excreted much of their accumulated cholesterol, even in the absence of exogenously added cholesterol acceptors. Most of this excreted cholesterol was recovered from the culture medium and was carried in the apoE discoidal particles that showed cholesterol enrichment up to a 2:1 unesterified cholesterol to phospholipid molar ratio. The findings suggest that sufficient production of these nascent HDL by macrophages within atherosclerotic lesions should facilitate removal of cellular and extracellular cholesterol, even in the absence of plasma-derived HDL.
HIGH-TC SUPERCONDUCTORS TAILORED ON THE NANOMETRE-SCALE

High-T$\_{\text{c}}$ superconductors are characterized by an unusually small coherence length, which amounts to a few angstroms only. As the coherence length is the length scale in which a superconductor has to be structured to achieve Josephson junction behaviour, considerable effort has been devoted by many groups to modify high-T$\_{\text{c}}$ films in the nanometre scale. Because the high-T$_{\text{c}}$ cuprates do not lend themselves for nanostructuring, new concepts have to be developed to achieve this goal. These developments will be discussed and an overview of the state of the art of the field will be presented with a special focus on the ultimate limitations of nanoscale structuring of superconductors.
Localization of Polyribosomes Containing Alkaline Phosphatase Nascent Polypeptides on Membranes of Escherichia coli

A procedure has been developed for extracting membranes from bacterial cells under conditions that keep a large fraction of bacterial polyribosomes intact. Freeze-thawing spheroplasts in the presence of deoxyribonuclease, followed by differential centrifugation, permits a separation of free and membrane-associated polyribosomes. The latter fraction contains as much as 40% of cell ribosomal ribonucleic acid (RNA) and 55% of cell messenger RNA (mRNA). Nascent polypeptides were divided almost equally between the two fractions, but 70 to 80% of alkaline phosphatase nascent chains, detected both chemically and immunologically, were derived from polyribosomes associated with the bacterial membrane. Analysis of the fractions for mRNA specific for the lac and trp operons by RNA-deoxyribonucleic acid hydridization showed somewhat larger amounts on membrane than on free polyribosomes, but enrichment for nascent alkaline phosphatase (a secreted protein) on membranes was consistently greater, suggesting that polyribosomes making secreted proteins are more tightly bound to membranes. Electron micrographs of the membrane preparations show relatively intact membranes with clusters of polyribosomes on their inner surfaces.
Identification of field populations of Meloidogyne spp. by chromosome number.

Identification of species of Meloidogyne Goeldi, 1887 is fi-equently accomplished by using perineal patterns and morphometrics, but intraspecific populations are not easily distinguished. Chromosome numbers have been determined for 10 (6) of the 36 species of Meloidogyne which are currently recognized (1, 5). Four of these species have a range of chromosome numbers. This chromosome range permits the identification of 19 chromosomal populations among M. arenaria (Neal, 1889) Chitwood, 1949; M. hapla Chitwood, 1949; M. incognita (Kofoid and White, 1919) Chitwood, 1949; and M. javanica (Treub, 1885) Chitwood, 1949. The purpose of this study was to identify Meloidogyne spp. present in 0.2 ha of a 37-year-old vineyard of own-rooted grape vines (Vitis vinifera L., 'Thompson Seedless') on McCall Avenue, Selma, California. The use of perineal patterns alone to identify species of Meloidogyne was unsatisfactory for an analysis of nematode community structure (3, 4). Soil samples were taken from the root zones of six vines chosen at random from 200 vines. Forty samples were taken from each vine site with a 7.5-cm diam auger (3). These 240 soil samples (Hanford sandy loam: 54.6% sand, 27.5% silt, 17.9% clay) were pooled. Eight tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum L., 'Pearson') were grown in subsamples of this vineyard soil. Sixty single egg-mass cultures were established on 'Pearson' tomato in the greenhouse. The females which produced these egg masses were dissected from rootgall tissue. Chromosome analyses were performed on these females according to the method of Tr iantaphyl lou (7), and perineal patterns were cut from the empty cuticles. After 6 weeks, each culture was
Transforming user needs into functional requirements for an antibiotic clinical decision support system: explicating content analysis for system design.

Background: Many informatics studies use content analysis to generate functional requirements for system development. Explication of this translational process from qualitative data to functional requirements can strengthen the understanding and scientific rigor when applying content analysis in informatics studies. Objectives: To describe a user-centered approach transforming emergent themes derived from focus group data into functional requirements for informatics solutions and to illustrate these methods to the development of an antibiotic clinical decision support system (CDS). Methods: The approach consisted of five steps: 1) identify unmet therapeutic planning information needs via Focus Group Study-I, 2) develop a coding framework of therapeutic planning themes to refine the domain scope to antibiotic therapeutic planning, 3) identify functional requirements of an antibiotic CDS system via Focus Group Study-II, 4) discover informatics solutions and functional requirements from coded data, and 5) determine the types of information needed to support the antibiotic CDS system and link with the identified informatics solutions and functional requirements. Results: The coding framework for Focus Group Study-I revealed unmet therapeutic planning needs. Twelve subthemes emerged and were clustered into four themes; analysis indicated a need for an antibiotic CDS intervention. Focus Group Study-II included five types of information needs. Comments from the Barrier/Challenge to information access and Function/Feature themes produced three informatics solutions and 13 functional requirements of an antibiotic CDS system. Comments from the Patient, Institution, and Domain themes generated required data elements for each informatics solution. Conclusions: This study presents one example explicating content analysis of focus group data and the analysis process to functional requirements from narrative data. Illustration of this 5-step method was used to develop an antibiotic CDS system, resolving unmet antibiotic prescribing needs. As a reusable approach, these techniques can be refined and applied to resolve unmet information needs with informatics interventions in additional domains.
In vivo mutation in gene A of splenic lymphocytes from ΦX174 transgenic mice

Single-burst analysis was applied to a forward assay for gene A mutation in splenic lymphocytes of ΦX174 transgenic mice for the purpose of optimizing analytical parameters for identifying in vivo mutations. The effect of varying the cutoff value for an in vivo burst on induced mutant frequency, fold increase, and the significance of the difference between control and N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU)-treated mice was calculated by two different methods. The plating density was reduced to an average of less than 10 background mutant plaques per aliquot in order to separate in vitro bursts. The spectrum of mutations contributing 80 plaques per aliquot compared to mutations contributing < 60 plaques per aliquot (P < 0.000001), the former fitting the spectrum expected for ENU-induced mutations. The latter spectrum was also different from control animals and E. coli (P < 0.000001), suggesting the difference was caused by ex vivo mutation. With the mutations found in this study, the total number of reported target sites for gene A is now 33. The results support the interpretation that, in contrast to results for the lacI transgene, 100% of mutants isolated in gene A from control animals and cells were fixed in E. coli. We attribute the difference between the two genes to hot-spot sites for mutation in gene A and to a testable hypothesis that the mosaic plaque assay for the lacI transgene underestimates the frequency of ex vivo mutants. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 44:128–150, 2004. Published 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The pattern of interhemispheric connections and its relationship to extrastriate visual areas in the macaque monkey

The distribution of interhemispheric connections was studied in extrastriate visual cortex of the macaque monkey. Callosal fiber terminations were identified by staining for anterograde degeneration following transection of the splenium of the corpus callosum. Retrogradely labeled cell bodies of callosal projection neurons were identified histochemically following application of horseradish peroxidase to the cut surface of the callosum. Results were displayed on unfolded, two-dimensional representations of the cortex, which permitted spatial and topological relationships between callosal recipient and callosal free cortical regions to be discerned readily. The overall pattern of callosal inputs to visual cortex can be subdivided into nine callosal recipient zones which surround seven callosal free regions in the occipital, temporal, and parietal lobes. This pattern provides reliable and useful landmarks for identifying the borders of at least five topographically organized extrastriate visual areas. There is a pronounced dorsoventral asymmetry in callosal projections, not recognized in previous studies, which reflects an asymmetry in the organization of visual areas in dorsal versus ventral halves of the occipital lobe. The pattern of callosal fiber terminations is mirrored by a very similar distribution of callosal projection neurons. There are significant regional differences in the laminar distribution of callosal projection cells, and these differences may reflect functionally distinct cortical subdivisions. A considerable degree of individual variability was found in the relationship of callosal connections to gyral and sulcal landmarks as well as in the fine structure of individual callosal recipient strips, suggesting that each animal has a unique “callosal fingerprint.” These findings emphasize the usefulness of the callosal pathway in elucidating the functional organization of extrastriate visual cortex.
Pilot study of aprepitant for prevention of post-ERCP pancreatitis in high risk patients: a phase II randomized, double-blind placebo controlled trial

Objectives Animal studies have demonstrated a role for substance P binding to neurokinin-1 receptor in the pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis. Our aim was to assess the efficacy of a neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist (aprepitant) at preventing post-ERCP pancreatitis in high risk patients. Design Randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial at a single academic medical center. Intervention Patients at high risk for post-ERCP pancreatitis received either placebo or oral aprepitant administered 4 hours prior to ERCP, 80 mg 24 hours after the first dose, and then 80 mg 24 hours after the second dose. Patients Thirty-four patients received aprepitant and 39 patients received placebo. Statistics Fisher’s exact test was used to compare incidence of post-ERCP pancreatitis in the two groups. Results Baseline characteristics were similar between the two groups. Incidence of acute pancreatitis was 7 in the aprepitant group and 7 in the placebo group. Hospitalization within 7 days post-procedure for abdominal pain that did not meet criteria for acute pancreatitis occurred in 6 and 9 patients in the aprepitant and placebo groups respectively (P=0.772). Conclusions Aprepitant did not lower incidence of post-ERCP pancreatitis in this preliminary human study. Larger studies potentially using the recently available intravenous formulation are necessary to conclusively clarify the efficacy of aprepitant in this setting. Image: Duke University School of Medicine . Durham, VA, USA.
Properties of ordered intermetallic alloys: first-principles and approximate methods

Abstract Intermetallic alloys which can be made ductile at low temperatures and strong at high temperatures are of great value as materials for current and future high technology applications. Computational physics is a useful tool for locating candidate materials. The current generation of first-principles techniques can be used to study ordered phases of candidate materials. The results of these calculations may be used to construct highly accurate model potentials which can then be used to study systems containing thousands of atoms, including impurities, voids, defects and cracks. First-principles calculations are used to compute the elastic constants of a wide range of monatomic metals and ordered binary intermetallic alloys. The results are usually within 10% of the experimentally determined values. We also examine some of the high melting temperature A15 compounds. Total energy calculations for a simplified model of an antiphase boundary are presented. These results can be used to calibrate model potentials for use in studying the energy of isolated defects. Finally, we study the possibility of using the Harris functional to speed total energy calculations.
Arsenic toxicity and potential mechanisms of action

Exposure to the metalloid arsenic is a daily occurrence because of its environmental pervasiveness. Arsenic, which is found in several different chemical forms and oxidation states, causes acute and chronic adverse health effects, including cancer. The metabolism of arsenic has an important role in its toxicity. The metabolism involves reduction to a trivalent state and oxidative methylation to a pentavalent state. The trivalent arsenicals, including those methylated, have more potent toxic properties than the pentavalent arsenicals. The exact mechanism of the action of arsenic is not known, but several hypotheses have been proposed. At a biochemical level, inorganic arsenic in the pentavalent state may replace phosphate in several reactions. In the trivalent state, inorganic and organic (methylated) arsenic may react with critical thiols in proteins and inhibit their activity. Regarding cancer, potential mechanisms include genotoxicity, altered DNA methylation, oxidative stress, altered cell proliferation, co-carcinogenesis, and tumor promotion. A better understanding of the mechanism(s) of action of arsenic will make a more confident determination of the risks associated with exposure to this chemical.
Computer modelling of the effects of cyclic loading on a viscoelastic rod

Abstract The thermal response of a viscoelastic rod subjected to longitudinal cyclic loading is discussed. The objective is to model a solid rocket propellant, assumed to be a thermorheologically simple material. The mathematical model consists of a set of nonlinear coupled differential equations. A perturbation technique is used to decouple the equations. Stress and temperature are calculated by two different methods. One is based upon finite differences and the other is an iterative finite element method. The results from the two methods compare favorably. The results show that large temperature rises may occur even at low values of the driving force is the frequency is close to the critical frequency. The variation of thermal conductivity with respect to temperature is also studied. A higher temperature is found than that calculated with constant thermal conductivity.
An intravenous technique for the measurement of cerebral vascular extraction fraction in the rat.

An intravenous injection method to measure cerebral vascular extraction fractions of highly diffusible substances in the rat is described. The brain extraction fractions of 3H-labeled water (Ew) and ethanol (Ee) were defined as the ratio of either of those tracers to the freely diffusible reference tracer, 14C-butanol, in the brain, divided by the ratio of the tracers available for the extraction during the time between simultaneous intravenous injection of the tracers and decapitation of the rat. Ew and Ee were measured in five regions of brain, including brainstem and cerebellum, under Paco2 conditions ranging from 15 to 85 mm Hg. The extraction fractions for both test tracers were shown to vary with Paco2-induced flow changes according to the equation, ln(1 – E) = − PS/F. When PS/F values calculated from regional measurements of Ew and Ee were plotted versus Paco2, least squares regression equations of the plots could be used to compare permeabilities of both tracers at any given Paco2 value. Ratios of...
The OCI-R: Validation of the subscales in a clinical sample

The psychometric properties of the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R) subscales have not been validated in a clinical sample of individuals diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Data were collected on 186 patients diagnosed with OCD and 17 patients diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) using the OCI-R and the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS). Confirmatory factor analysis revealed an acceptable factor structure. Patients with a given primary symptom subtype were elevated on the corresponding subscale of the OCI-R compared to other OCD patients and patients with GAD. In addition, patients who acknowledged that symptom subtype as present but not primary on the Y-BOCS had elevated OCI-R scores on that scale compared to patients who did not endorse that symptom subtype and patients with GAD. Results indicate that the subscales of the OCI-R are valid measures of six symptom subtypes of OCD. The OCI-R is a psychometrically sound, brief instrument. The current data combined with previous efforts suggest that it is appropriate for clinical and non-clinical populations, and for clinical and research purposes. Further research should examine the sensitivity of the specific subscales to treatment effects, and the potential for adding more items to account for other symptom domains of OCD.
Production of panic-like symptoms by lactate is associated with increased neural firing and oxidation of brain redox in the rat hippocampus.

Abstract Lactate uses an unknown mechanism to induce panic attacks in people and panic-like symptoms in rodents. We tested whether intraperitoneal (IP) lactate injections act peripherally or centrally to induce panic-like symptoms in rats by examining whether IP lactate directly affects the CNS. In Long-Evans rats, IP lactate (2 mmol/kg) injection increased lactate levels in the plasma and the cerebrospinal fluid. IP lactate also induced tachycardia and behavioral freezing suggesting the production of panic-like behavior. To enter intermediate metabolism, lactate is oxidized by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) to pyruvate with co-reduction of NAD + to NADH. Therefore, we measured the ratio of NADH/NAD + to test whether IP lactate altered lactate metabolism in the CNS. Lactate metabolism was studied in the hippocampus, a brain region believed to contribute to panic-like symptoms. IP lactate injection lowered the ratio of NADH/NAD + without altering the total amount of NADH and NAD + suggesting oxidation of hippocampal redox state. Lactate oxidized hippocampal redox since intrahippocampal injection of the LDH inhibitor, oxamate (50 mM) prevented the oxidation of NADH/NAD + by IP lactate. In addition to oxidizing hippocampal redox, IP lactate rapidly increased the firing rate of hippocampal neurons. Similar IP pyruvate injections had no effect. Neural discharge also increased following intrahippocampal lactate injection suggesting that increased discharge was a direct action of lactate on the hippocampus. These studies show that oxidation of brain redox and increased hippocampal firing are direct actions of lactate on the CNS that may contribute to the production of lactate-induced panic.
Ureteroscopy For The Treatment Of Urolithiasis In Children

Purpose: Ureteroscopy for treating urolithiasis in prepubertal children has become more common with the advent of smaller instruments. We reviewed our experience with ureteroscopy for urolithiasis in this cohort of patients as well as the literature using this treatment modality in children.Materials and Methods: Between 1994 and 2000 we performed 27 ureteroscopic stone extractions in 25 children. Ureteroscopy was done in a manner similar to that in adults. Ureteral dilation was performed when necessary to access the ureter. A stent was placed postoperatively if there was significant ureteral trauma.Results: Of the 25 children 13 were male and 12 were female. Average age was 9.2 years (range 3 to 14). Stones were 2 to 12 mm. in greatest diameter (average 6). Of the 27 procedures the ureteral orifice was dilated before stone treatment in 15 (56%), while in 19 (70%) a stent was placed afterward. No intraoperative and 2 postoperative complications were identified. Overall 92% of the children were rendered st...
Natural stressors and ranavirus susceptibility in larval wood frogs (Rana sylvatica).

Chronic exposure to stressors has been shown to suppress immune function in vertebrates, making them more susceptible to pathogens. It is less clear, however, whether many natural stressors are immuno- suppressive. Moreover, whether stressors make disease more likely or more severe in populations is unclear because animals respond to stressors both behaviorally and physiologically. We tested whether chronic exposure to three natural stressors of wood frog tadpoles—high-densities, predator-cues, and low-food con- ditions—influence their susceptibility to a lethal ranavirus both individually in laboratory experiments, and collectively in outdoor mesocosms. Prior to virus exposure, we observed elevated corticosterone only in low- food treatments, although other treatments altered rates of growth and development as well as tadpole behavior. None of the treatments, however, increased susceptibility to ranavirus as measured by the proportion of tadpoles that became infected or died, or the time to death compared to controls. In fact, mortality in the mesocosms was actually lower in the high-density treatment even though most individuals became infected, largely because of increased rates of metamorphosis. Overall we find no support for the hypothesis that chronic exposure to common, ecologically relevant challenges necessarily elevates corticosterone levels in a population or leads to more severe ranaviral disease or epidemics. Conditions may, however, conspire to make ranavirus infection more common in metamorphosing amphibians.
A photoacoustic calorimetric characterization of the reaction enthalpy and volume for the preparation of a reactive intermediate from CpMn(CO)3

Abstract Photoacoustic calorimetry (PAC) allows measurement of the energetics of reactive intermediates. Here, we report the examination of the metal carbonyl η 5 -CpMn(CO) 3 (Cp, cyclopentadiene) via time-independent PAC, in a homologous series of solvents. The measured heat releases allow one to determine simultaneously the enthalpy and volume change resulting from the photodissociation of CpMn(CO) 3 . While the photoacoustic signal results from both of these processes, it has often been assumed that the volume change contribution to the observed photoacoustic signal is negligible for small molecules undergoing photodissociation. The current study tests the assumption of a negligible reaction volume by using a more complete treatment. The reaction of an equimolar number of photons and CpMn(CO) 3 molecules, the subsequent photodissociation of the Mn–CO bond, and the ligation of a solvent molecule in an alkane solvent yields Δ H obs = 32.7 ± 0.7 kcal/mol and Δ V chem = 11.0 ± 1.3 mL/mol, both of which are independent of the quantum yield of photodissociation. A detailed analysis of the quantum yield is included (using both previously reported measurements, and new data from this work), from which we determine Φ diss = 0.635. This quantum yield allows us to determine Δ H rxn = 51.6 kcal/mol and Δ V rxn = 17.3 mL/mol. These results demonstrate that if the contribution of the reaction volume change to the photoacoustic signal is ignored, the reaction enthalpy derived would underestimate the true value by 7%. We also estimate the BDE{Cp(CO) 2 Mn–CO} to be 59.4 kcal/mol.
Respectable Women and the Law

A defendant's prior criminal record is usually conceived of as a ubiquitous indicator of severity of sanction. Utilizing Black's (1976) conception of prior criminality—respectability—we argue that ...
Serial measurement of lactate concentration in horses with acute colitis.

Background Serial measurement of lactate concentration is utilized for therapeutic and prognostic purposes in human critical care. The prognostic value of serial lactate measurement in equine acute colitis warrants investigation. Hypothesis Serial lactate concentrations are predictive of outcome in horses with colitis. Animals A total of 101 horses with colitis. Methods Retrospective study. Plasma l-lactate concentrations were measured at admission and at 4–8 and 24 hours after admission. Associations between admission, early (4–8 hours) and late (24 hours) lactate concentrations, and survival status were determined. The percent reduction in lactate concentration between admission and the early time point, and between admission and the late time point, was calculated. Using a cutoff value, associations between percent reduction in lactate and survival status and associations between percent reduction in lactate and clinical and clinicopathologic data were determined. Results There was no association between admission plasma lactate concentration and survival status (P = .26). The 4–8 and 24 hour after admission lactate concentrations were associated with survival status (P = .023, .013, respectively). Lactate cutoffs of ≤2.3 and ≤1.5 mmol/L had the maximum sensitivity and specificity for predicting survival at the 4–8 and 24 hour time points, respectively. When lactate reduction ≥30% at 4–8 hours and ≥50% at 24 hours after admission were used as the cutoffs, the percent reduction of lactate concentration was significantly associated with survival (P = .012 and .019, respectively). Conclusion and Clinical Importance The prognostic ability of serial measurement of blood lactate concentration warrants prospective study as a measure of therapeutic response in horses with colitis.
Reconstitution of a calcium-activated potassium channel in basolateral membranes of rabbit colonocytes into planar lipid bilayers.

A highly enriched preparation of basolateral membrane vesicles was isolated from rabbit distal colon surface epithelial cells employing the method described by Wiener, Turnheim and van Os (Weiner, H., Turnheim, K., van Os, C.H. (1989)J. Membrane Biol.110:147–162) and incorporated into planar lipid bilayers. With very few exceptions, the channel activity observed was that of a high conductance, Ca2+-activated K+ channel. This channel is highly selective for K+ over Na+ and Cl−, displays voltage-gating similar to “maxi” K(Ca) channels found in other cell membranes, and kinetic analyses are consistent with the notion that K+ diffusion through the channel involves either the binding of a single K+ ion to a site within the channel or “single-filling” (“multi-ion occupancy”). Channel activity is inhibited by the venom from the scorpionLeiurus quinquestriatus, Ba2+, quinine, and trifluoperazine. The possible role of this channel in the function of these cells is discussed.
Placement of electrodes in specific sites in the brains of small birds.

Abstract A radiographic technique for accurate placement of an electrode midsagittally into the median eminence-hypophysial stalk complex of small birds is described. This technique has proven to be very reliable, providing over 80% successful lesions in more than 50 attempts. It is extremely useful in birds for which no stereotaxic atlas of the hypothalamus exists.
-Abnormal breath tests to lactose, fructose and sorbitol in irritable bowel syndrome may be explained by small intestinal bacterial overgrowth

Background Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and sugar malabsorption (lactose, fructose, sorbitol) may play a role in irritable bowel syndrome. The lactulose breath test is a reliable and non-invasive test for the diagnosis of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. The lactose, fructose and sorbitol hydrogen breath tests are widely used to detect specific sugar malabsorption. Aim To assess the extent to which small intestinal bacterial overgrowth may influence the results of hydrogen sugar breath tests in irritable bowel syndrome patients. Methods We enrolled 98 consecutive irritable bowel syndrome patients. All subjects underwent hydrogen lactulose, lactose, fructose and sorbitol hydrogen breath tests. Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth patients were treated with 1-week course of antibiotics. All tests were repeated 1 month after the end of therapy. Results A positive lactulose breath test was found in 64 of 98 (65%) subjects; these small intestinal bacterial overgrowth patients showed a significantly higher prevalence of positivity to the lactose breath test (P Conclusions In irritable bowel syndrome patients with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, sugar breath tests may be falsely abnormal. Eradication of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth normalizes sugar breath tests in the majority of patients. Testing for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth should be performed before other sugar breath tests tests to avoid sugar malabsorption misdiagnosis.
Examining the causes of a devastating debris flow

Storm-triggered landslides cause loss of life, property damage, and landscape alterations. For instance, the remnants of Hurricane Camille in 1969 caused 109 deaths in central Virginia, after 600 millimeters of rain fell in mountainous terrain in 6 hours. More recently, on 8 August 2010, a rainstorm-induced landslide devastated the Chinese county of Zhouqu, causing more than 1000 deaths. A new modeling study by Ren examines the multiple factors, natural and human caused, that came together to produce this event. Three things contribute to storm-triggered landslides: geological condition, surface loading and vegetation roots, and extreme precipitation.