cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Cost-Effectiveness Comparison of Desipramine, Gabapentin, and Pregabalin for Treating Postherpetic Neuralgia

OBJECTIVES: To compare the net health effects and costs resulting from treatment with different first-line postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) medications. DESIGN: Cost–utility analysis using published literature. PARTICIPANTS: Hypothetical cohort of patients aged 60 to 80 with PHN. INTERVENTIONS: Desipramine 100 mg/d, gabapentin 1,800 mg/d, and pregabalin 450 mg/d. MEASUREMENTS: A decision model was designed to describe possible treatment outcomes, including different combinations of analgesia and side effects, during the first 3 months of therapy for moderate to severe PHN. The main outcome was cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained. Costs were estimated using the perspective of a third-party payer. Multivariate, univariate, and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed, and the time frame of the model was varied to 1-month and 6-month horizons. RESULTS: Desipramine was more effective and less expensive than gabapentin or pregabalin (dominant) under all conditions tested. Gabapentin was more effective than pregabalin but at an incremental cost of $216,000/QALY. Below $140/month, gabapentin became more cost-effective than pregabalin at a threshold of $50,000/QALY, and below $115/month gabapentin dominated pregabalin. CONCLUSION: Desipramine appears to be more effective and less expensive than gabapentin or pregabalin for the treatment of older patients with PHN in whom it is not contraindicated. After its price falls, generic gabapentin will likely be more cost-effective than pregabalin.
Model‐Independent and Model‐Based Methods to Assess Drug–Drug Interactions for Therapeutic Proteins

Model-independent and model-dependent approaches are the two main methodsused to evaluate drug–drug interaction (DDI) between a therapeutic protein (TP) and a small-molecule drug as well as between two TPs, and to predict DDI in different scenarios within model defined populations and scopes. This chapter provides an overview of these approaches. Keywords: therapeutic proteins; drug–drug interactions; small molecule drugs; cocktail DDI studies; population PK/PD modeling; monoclonal antibodies
Evaluation of occupational exposure associated with PET/CT and nuclear medicine procedures

2013 Objectives Nuclear medicine technologists receive occupational radiation exposure from a variety of imaging procedures and activities. Our aim was to evaluate the occupational exposure associated with specific patient-related tasks in the context of PET/CT imaging. Methods Technologists carried an additional optically-stimulated luminescence dosimeter while solely performing PET/CT-related tasks over an 8-month period. These tasks were categorized into tracer injection and patient handling post injection. Patient handling encompasses scan preparation and patient positioning on and off the scanner. Technologists used designated stopwatches to record the time spent performing tasks on 856 PET/CT patients. The number of PET/CT tasks performed was also recorded for each technologist. Results Technologists received significantly more of their exposure (p=0.0001) from PET/CT-related procedures (mean=76%) than from general nuclear medicine-related tasks (mean=24%). Of the various PET/CT tasks evaluated, the average injection time had a positive correlation with exposure (Spearman correlation coefficient=0.7, p=0.04), as did the average time for patient handling post injection (Spearman correlation coefficient=0.7, p=0.04). However, these tests were no longer significant after we adjusted for multiplicity by Bonferroni correction. There is also no significant association between exposure and the number of scans performed, or between cumulative time taken for each task (number of patients x average time) and exposure after adjusting for multiplicity. Conclusions The majority of occupational exposure in our oncology-based practice comes from PET/CT-related procedures. PET tracer injection time was identified as the single task that required the most time to execute. Technologists should continue to aim at optimizing tracer injection techniques and efficiency as to further decrease exposure to a level that is as low as reasonably achievable
Taking Information Seriously: Misrepresentation and Nondisclosure in Contract Law and Elsewhere

Contract law attempts in various ways to regulate the information that contracting parties exchange. However, most contract law doctrines (and most contract law scholars) have yet to come to grips with the practical issues involved in regulating information. For instance, the disclosure of information can produce costs as well as benefits, by distracting parties from other, more important information; so it is often hard to decide which information should have been disclosed in any given case. Similar costs and benefits are often involved even in cases involving false statements (misrepresentations), where liability might seem less controversial. While these issues are underappreciated in contract law, they are much more familiar in federal consumer protection law, especially in cases involving false advertising; and they are beginning to be recognized in products liability cases involving the duty to warn. This paper suggests various ways to improve contract law's handling of misrepresentation and nondisclosure, all of which involve closer attention to the relevant costs and benefits.
A comparison of some S-wave studies of earthquake mechanisms

Graphical and analytical techniques for using S -waves in focal mechanism studies are compared. In previous applications the analytical technique has shown little or no agreement with the results of fault-plane solutions from P -waves, whereas for other groups of earthquakes the graphical methods have shown good agreement between the S -waves and the P -wave solutions. It is shown that the graphical and analytical techniques are identical in principle and that when the graphical methods are applied to the same three earthquakes to which the analytical technique had been applied the identical results are obtained. Closer examination of the graphical presentation of the data, however, shows that the disagreement between the S -waves and the fault plane solutions from P is largely apparent. The discrepancy follows upon the peculiar scatter in the S -wave data and the chance occurrence of observations of S at stations located along closely parallel planes of polarization of S . Once this is understood, it is seen that the direction of polarization of S -waves is in substantial agreement with the methods of analysis of focal mechanisms from P -waves, and that the data are consistent with a simple dipole as the point model of the earthquake focus.
Effects of hyperthermia and hypothermia on oxygen extraction by tissues during hypovolemia.

As systemic delivery of O2 (QO2 = QT X CaO2) is reduced during progressive hemorrhage, the O2 extraction ratio [(CaO2 - CVO2)/CaO2] increases until a critical delivery is reached below which O2 uptake (VO2) becomes limited by delivery (O2 supply dependence). When tissue metabolic activity and O2 demand are increased or reduced, the critical QO2 required to maintain VO2 should rise or fall accordingly, unless other changes in the distribution of a limited QO2 precipitate the onset of O2 supply dependence at a different critical extraction ratio. We compared the critical QO2 and critical extraction ratio in 23 normothermic (38 degrees C), hyperthermic (41 degrees C), or hypothermic (34 decrees C) dogs during stepwise reduction in delivery produced by bleeding, as arterial O2 content was maintained. Dogs were anesthetized, paralyzed, and mechanically ventilated. Hypothermia reduced whole-body VO2 by 31%, whereas hyperthermia increased VO2 by 20%. The critical QO2 was significantly reduced during hypothermia (5.6 +/- 0.95 ml.min-1.kg-1) (P less than 0.05) and increased during hyperthermia (8.9 +/- 1.1) (P approximately equal to 0.06) compared with normothermic controls (7.4 +/- 1.2). The extraction ratio at the onset of supply dependency was significantly increased in hyperthermia (0.76 +/- 0.05) compared with hypothermia (0.65 +/- 0.10) (P less than 0.05), and the normothermic critical extraction was 0.71 +/- 0.1. These results suggest that higher body temperatures are associated with an improved ability to maintain a VO2 independent of QO2, since a higher fraction of the delivered O2 can be extracted before the onset of O2 supply dependence, relative to lower body temperatures.
Identification of bromotetrachlorophenol in commercial pentachlorophenol samples

Identification et analyse quantitative par chromatographie en phase gazeuse et spectrometrie de masse
Quantitative evaluation of existing viewpoints on the origin of mercury mineralization

As yet, no final conclusion has been reached on the origin of mercury. Over 16 suggestions have been made in the literature on sources of mercury. The task here is to isolate the soundest hypothesis on the origin of mercury. The author has used a set of advanced mathematical methods providing a rational tool for handling complex problems and providing systematic evidence substantially free from subjective components. This includes the following: (1) systems analysis, which provides information on the detail and degree of uniformity in their knowledge even in the first stages of the research; (2) a wide range of statistical methods providing quantitative evaluation of the situation under conditions where a clear-cut model can be constructed; (3) methods and criteria from decision theory enabling one to evaluate possible alternatives if it is very difficult or impossible to construct a mathematical model; and (4) expert evaluations, which can reduce the level of uncertainty even in the absence of a rigorous theoretical basis by the use of judgments by specialists and from the human capacity to take rational decisions even when complete formalization is impossible. Based on this analysis and on the present level of knowledge, two sources of mercury aremore » favored: products from submarine volcanism; and upper mantle. 13 references, 3 figures, 2 tables.« less
The corpus callosum during postnatal undernourishment and recovery: A morphometric analysis of myelin and axon relationships

This study was designed to compare morphometric relationships between myelin lamellae and axons in undernourished and well nourished developing rats, and in rats nutritionally rehabilitated for two weeks. Although sampling techniques employed in this study were not specifically designed to compare numbers of myelinated fibers in test and control populations, we did observe a trend indicating a reduction in the numbers of myelinated fibers. The mean numbers of myelin lamellae, from an average of all myelinated axons, were not different in control and test population. However, regression analysis of axon sizes by numbers of myelin lamellae revealed significant differences from the normal in 21-day-old undernourished rats. For callosal axons of any size, there were too few myelin lamellae in the undernourished rats. A partial recovery was observed in relatively small fibers by 35 days of age, but no recovery was observed in larger sized fibers. Comparison of the frequency distribution of axon circumferences of myelinated fibers revealed an increase in average axonal caliber. Computation shows that although mean numbers of lamellae were not altered by undernourishment, the axons themselves are increased in size by about 10%. This unexpected result indicates that the relationship normally governing the numbers of myelin lamellae is altered by postnatal nutritional deprivation, and that the relatively larger axon calibers do not produce in the ensheathing oligodendroglia any compensatory increase in the layers of myelin.
Dementia Mood Assessment Scale.

The behavioral symptoms seen in patients with dementia are diverse, ranging from agitation to hallucinations and paranoid delusions. Many patients with dementia have affective disturbances, including depressed mood. To provide a means of assessing the severity of depression and mood changes in demented patients, the authors and colleagues at the National Institute of Mental Health developed the Dementia Mood Assessment Scale.
Investigation of nanostructured TiO2 surface and interface electric fields with photoreflectance spectroscopy

The electrical properties of buried solid–solid interfaces are essential to the optimization of devices such as dye-sensitized solar cells and photocatalysts. The degree of fixed charge buildup at these interfaces can be sample-dependent, influenced by only a small fraction of total surface sites, and challenging to quantify. This work describes the applicability of photoreflectance spectroscopy (PR) to the characterization of thin film nanostructured TiO2. The approach involves the synthesis of polycrystalline anatase TiO2 on quartz and Si(100) by atomic layer deposition with Ti(OCH(CH3)2)4 and H2O as precursors. PR reveals negligible band bending at the TiO2 free surface. A distinct spectral feature at 299.0 ± 0.3 kJ/mol (3.10 ± 0.0031 eV) is attributed to electronic states at the TiO2-Si interface. Temporal variations in the magnitude of this feature are discussed in the context of bulk carrier concentration, solid–solid interface chemical reactions, and charge exchange between interface and grain boundary states and the bulk bands. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 1049–1055, 2013
Improving logistics operations across the food industry supply chain

This paper explores ways of improving logistics and distribution supply chains within the food retail industry. It includes the concepts of logistics and supply chain as well as the new challenges in the food industry. The paper derives that business‐to‐business and e‐commerce are the ways of the future. The paper discusses the successes and failures of the industry. Its results reveal slow progress in accomplishing the goals of leaner supply chains and easier distribution.
Identification of Old-Growth Forest Reference Ecosystems Using Historic Land Surveys, Redwood National Park, California

Old-growth forests in the American West typically represent fragments of former, more extensive forests that were subjected to nineteenth and twentieth century land-clearing activities, such as logging. These present-day forest fragments are thought to be representative of the former landscape, and thus are capable of serving as living references for guiding restoration of logged forests. Yet how do we determine the extent to which existing old-growth stands represent the former forest, especially when little of the surrounding original vegetation remains? Historic land surveys conducted prior to significant logging can reconstruct the former forest at the stand level, thereby allowing an analysis of old-growth patches within the larger historic landscape. This study utilized original Public Land Surveys to assess the applicability of old-growth stands in Redwood National Park as reference ecosystems. A geographic information system (GIS) and statistical analysis of the nineteenth century forest found that vegetation communities, woody species composition, and ratios of dominant canopy species in unlogged patches were highly representative of the forests that were logged. Significance testing (Ho: μ1 = μ2) revealed p-values greater than 0.10000 in all measures of community and species composition, except for the higher abundance of oak in present-day old-growth (p-value = 0.0395). The results of this study suggest that the national park should increase efforts to protect old-growth reference ecosystems from further human impacts, and minimize ongoing degradation from edge effects by prioritizing restoration of adjoining second-growth forest.
Influence of Left Ventricular Geometric Patterns on Prognosis in Patients With or Without Coronary Artery Disease

Abstract Objectives. We sought to examine patterns of left ventricular (LV) geometry as determined by echocardiography and their association with mortality in patients with or without coronary artery disease (CAD). Background. The independent prognostic role of LV geometry remains uncertain. Methods. We performed a cohort study based on 988 consecutive patients who underwent both coronary arteriography for presumed CAD and echocardiography and were followed up for a mean of 9 years (range 5 to 13). Patients were classified into four LV geometry patterns: normal, concentric remodeling, eccentric LV hypertrophy (LVH) and concentric LVH. Results. Patients with concentric LVH consistently showed the largest increase in LV posterior wall and septal thickness and LV mass index, as well as relative wall thickness (RWT), regardless of status of the coronary arteries. This pattern conferred the highest risk of both all-cause and cardiac mortality. Eccentric LVH moderately increased the risk of death compared with normal geometry; no substantial increase in mortality was noted in patients with concentric remodeling. When LV index and RWT were analyzed as continuous measures and considered in the same Cox proportional hazards model, increases in LV mass were independently associated with risk, but this outcome was less clear for RWT. Conclusions. In this series of patients referred to coronary angiography for suspected CAD, LVH conferred most of the predictive information from echocardiography. Patients with both LVH and abnormal RWT—concentric LVH—represent a group with the greatest mortality risk. Concentric remodeling may not be associated with increased risk of death because the predictive value of RWT is not as strong as for LV mass.
Update in geriatric medicine: evidence published in 2014.

This Update summarizes studies published in 2014 that the authors consider highly relevant to the practice of geriatric medicine. Topics include cardiovascular disease, dementia care, and polypharm...
Iron isotope fractionation during microbial reduction of iron: The importance of adsorption

In experiments investigating the causes of Fe isotope fractionation, the d 56/54 Fe value of Fe(II) remaining in solution (Fe(II)(aq)) after reduction of Fe(III) (goethite) by Shewanella putrefaciens is ;21.2‰ relative to the goethite, in agreement with previous research. The addition of an electron shuttle did not affect fractionation, suggesting that Fe isotope fractionation may not be related to the kinetics of the electron transfer. Furthermore, in abiotic, anaerobic FeCl2(aq) experiments in which approximately one-third of Fe(II)(aq) is lost from solution due to adsorption of Fe(II) onto goethite, the d 56/54 Fe value of Fe(II)(aq) remaining in solution is shifted by 20.8‰ relative to FeCl 2. This finding demonstrates that anaerobic nonbiological interaction between Fe(II) and goethite can generate signif- icant Fe isotope fractionation. Acid extraction of sorbed Fe(II) from goethite in experi- ments reveals that heavy Fe preferentially sorbs to goethite. Simple mass-balance modeling indicates that the isotopic composition of the sorbed Fe(II) pool is ;11.5‰ to 12.5‰ heavier than Fe in the goethite (;2.7‰-3.7‰ heavier than aqueous Fe(II)). Mass balance is also consistent with a pool of heavy Fe that is not released to solution during acid extraction.
Interpersonal interaction on television: Family conflict and jealousy on primetime

Primetime television programs were analyzed for the presence of interpersonal predicaments, specifically family conflict and situations involving jealousy, envy, and rivalry. The portrayal of these situations was evaluated according to relevant prosocial and antisocial criteria. Findings suggest that the predicaments are common in television relationships and predominantly are depicted in a prosocial manner across situation comedies, family dramas, and nighttime soaps. Gender differences, however, are prevalent within the televised interaction patterns. In addition, the frequency of these predicaments varies across program type.
Further Studies on Depletion of DDT Residues from Laying Hens

Abstract IT HAS been the practice to destroy commercial laying hens that have become contaminated with chlorinated hydrocarbons. Recently, however, interest has developed in finding a method for more rapid depletion of residues which would allow earlier marketing of the eggs from contaminated layers. Stadelman et al. (1965) studied the persistence of selected chlorinated hydrocarbons after a measured exposure and found that up to 26 weeks were required to completely remove residues from abdominal fat and egg yolk. Stemp et al. (1965) simmered chicken meat containing chlorinated hydrocarbon residues for two-to-three hours at 190 to 200°F. and found that 10 to 90 percent of the residues were removed, depending upon which pesticide the meat contained. They reported heptachlor to be the most tenacious (only 10% removed) of all the pesticides studied. Wesley et al. (1966) studied the effects of feeding three levels of protein on depletion of DDT. They reported depletion…
Measuring Dynamic Heights with Inverted Echo Sounders: Results from MODE

Abstract Inverted Echo Sounders (IES) were deployed during MODE at seven ocean bottom stations to acoustically monitor depth variations of the main thermocline. The IES transmits pulses of 10 kHZ sound and records the time τ for the echo to return from the ocean surface; τ varies by a few milliseconds in response to vertical displacements of the temperature and salinity profiles in the water column. The acoustic travel time is inherently an integral measurement, which is insensitive to finestructure in the vertical but is dominantly influenced by vertical displacements which are coherent throughout the water column. Thus the IES performs as a natural “matched filter” for the most fundamental internal displacement mode. A perturbation analysis on the dynamic height (D), the total heat content (Q) and the acoustic travel time (τ) integrals shows that all three are dominated by displacements of the main thermocline. The proportionality is unique when a single mode of internal displacements is dominant. Compa...
Inorganic and organic sinking particulate phosphorus fluxes across the oxic/anoxic water column of Cariaco Basin, Venezuela

Abstract Phosphorus (P) is a vital nutrient that is essential for all organisms and may limit growth on both modern and geologic timescales. The major removal mechanism of P from marine systems is via the transformation of dissolved P into sinking particulate P pools. Although most particulate P is remineralized before it reaches the seafloor, little is known about the processes that control its breakdown into dissolved phases. In this study, the P composition of sinking particles captured by five sediment traps distributed through the oxic and anoxic water column of the Cariaco Basin, Venezuela is examined. Samples were collected from January 1996 to December 2004. Total particulate P (TPP), particulate inorganic P (PIP), and particulate organic P (POP) fluxes varied considerably over the course of the nine year study, yet there were no significant seasonal differences in the overall flux of POP. In contrast, PIP, which comprises a major portion of TPP (averaging 52 ± 19% across all depths) had fluxes that were 30% higher during non-upwelling periods. Poor relationships between PIP and biologically derived constituents, e.g. particulate organic carbon (POC), suggest that most of this material was derived from non-biological sources, namely terrestrial runoff from rivers. Rapid remineralization of POP occurred relative to POC and PIP in oxic surface waters, whereas PIP was quickly remineralized relative to POC and POP in subsurface anoxic waters. This suggests a significant and alternating source of particulate P to the dissolved P pool that depends on oxygen availability. Thus, particulate P release to the dissolved phase and the upwelling of dissolved P into the euphotic zone is a potentially important positive feedback mechanism for enhanced primary production and carbon sequestration in continental margin sediments regardless of oxic versus anoxic conditions.
Structural and electronic properties of bulk GaAs, bulk AlAs, and the (GaAs)1(AlAs)1 superlattice.

Ground-state electronic and cohesive properties of the pure compounds GaAs and AlAs and of the (GaAs${)}_{1}$(AlAs${)}_{1}$ (001) superlattice are investigated using a highly precise local-density all-electron total-energy band-structure approach---the self-consistent full-potential linearized augmented-plane-wave (FLAPW) band method---to obtain the energy bands, density of states, and total energies. The effects of Ga 3d states, spin-orbit interactions, and pressure on the energy gap are analyzed quantitatively. The energy gap of the (1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1) superlattice is found to be direct. The instability of the (1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1) superlattice relative to the constituent pure compounds at T=0 is determined from total-energy differences to be 13.5 meV.
Role of spectrin in Amoeba proteus, as studied by microinjection of anti-spectrin monoclonal antibodies

Spectrin is a major protein accounting for about 5% of whole-cell proteins in Amoeba proteus, and the precipitation of spectrin by intracellular injection of purified anti-spectrin monoclonal antibodies has a profound effect on cell morphology, motility, and movement-related cell activities in amoebae. Thus, amoebae injected with anti-spectrin antibodies show drastic changes in their shape and movement, suggesting that amoeba spectrin plays an important structural role, unlike nonerythroid spectrins in other cells. However, precipitation of spectrin does not affect the distribution of F-actin in amoebae.
Activation of the insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 promoter by progesterone receptor in decidualized human endometrial stromal cells

Abstract Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) is induced extensively when human endometrial stromal cells are decidualized by progestin and relaxin in a long-term primary culture system. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether progesterone receptor (PR) directly activates the IGFBP-1 gene promoter. In decidualized stromal cells, activity of the IGFBP-1 promoter (from −1.2 kb to +68 bp) containing putative progesterone-response elements (PREs) was increased 80-fold. Mutation of either 5′ or 3′ half-site of the putative PRE1 site (from −193 to −179 bp) reduced the promoter activity. Mutations that converted PRE1 closer to consensus PRE increased the promoter activity. In undifferentiated stromal cells, mutations of PRE sites had no effect on the promoter activity. When a PR expression vector (hPR1) was cotransfected, progestin increased promoter activity derived from p275CAT but not from p1.2CAT, suggesting that the function of PRE1 was repressed by the region from −1.2 kb to −275 bp in the promoter. Progestin did not increase promoter activity derived from p275CAT without cotransfection of hPR1, suggesting that endogenous PR alone is insufficient to activate PRE1. In summary, results indicate that the PRE1 site of the IGFBP-1 promoter mediates a direct activation of PR on transcription specifically in decidualized stromal cells.
Myasthenia gravis and pregnancy.

Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disease of the neuromuscular junction characterized by painless fluctuating skeletal muscle weakness. Disease exacerbations are more likely to occur in the first trimester or puerperium. A number of medications commonly used in obstetric practice can exacerbate the
A 17β-Estradiol-utilizing Bacterium, Sphingomonas Strain KC8: Part I - Characterization and Abundance in Wastewater Treatment Plants

A 17beta-estradiol-utilizing bacterium, Sphingomonas strain KC8, was characterized in terms of its utilization kinetics toward 17beta-estradiol, estrone, and testosterone. The maximum specific substrate utilization rates (q(m)) are 0.37, 0.50, and 0.17 mg-substrate/mg-protein/day for 17beta-estradiol, estrone, and testosterone, respectively. The half-velocity constants (K(s)) are 1.9 mg/L for 17beta-estradiol, 2.7 mg/L for estrone, and 2.4 mg/L for testosterone. Strain KC8 can grow on testosterone, glucose, sodium succinate, and sodium acetate, but not on phenol. Also, strain KC8 cannot degrade two common wastewater micropollutants, bisphenol A (a plasticizer) and triclosan (an antimicrobial agent). Unlike Novosphingobium sp. ARI-1 (a known estrogen-degrader) that would lose its degradation ability toward estrone after growing on a nutrient-rich estrogen-free medium for 7 days, strain KC8 was still able to degrade both 17beta-estradiol and estrone after growing on the same medium for 15 days. Strains KC8 and ARI-1 were molecularly detected in activated sludge of municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) operating under solid retention times of 2-30 days. The concentrations of strain KC8 were 2-3 orders higher than those of strain ARI-1 in the WWTPs, suggesting that strain KC8 is ubiquitous in WWTPs and might play an important role in estrogen removal.
Organocatalytic conversion of cellulose into a platform chemical

The search for a source of fuels and chemicals that is both abundant and renewable has become of paramount importance. The polysaccharide cellulose meets both criteria, and methods have been developed for its transformation into the platform chemical 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural (HMF). These methods typically employ harsh reaction conditions or toxic heavy metal catalysts, deterring large-scale implementation. Here, we describe a low-temperature, one-pot route that uses ortho-carboxyl-substituted phenylboronic acids as organocatalysts in conjunction with hydrated magnesium chloride and mineral acids to convert cellulose and cellulose-rich municipal waste to HMF in yields comparable to processes that use toxic heavy metal catalysts. Isotopic labeling studies indicate that the key aldose-to-ketose transformation occurs via an enediol intermediate. The route, which also allows for facile catalyst recovery and recycling, provides a green prototype for cellulose conversion.
Wavelet signal extraction using an oximetry-based perfusion sensor

A sensor has been developed that uses multiple source excitation to measure blood perfusion in transplanted organs. To better isolate the signal of interest, wavelet decomposition analysis was used and compared to Fast Fourier Transform analysis. Data was collected in vitro using an adjustable peristaltic perfusion system and compared to simulated data created using low frequency sine waves. Standard FFT analysis and wavelet decomposition, using the symlet-4 wavelet mother function, was performed on both sets of data. The results showed that wavelet analysis was more suitable than FFT to extract the semi-periodic perfusion signal. These results indicate the potential of wavelet analysis for blood perfusion monitoring.
Acute Coronary Syndrome Antiplatelet Alternatives in Clopidogrel Allergy

No published information exists to support the safe use of ticagrelor in patients with a clopidogrel allergy. This study involved an institutional review board-approved retrospective review of patients with a documented clopidogrel allergy who subsequently received ticagrelor between July 2011 and February 2014. We report the cases of two patients with a history of hypersensitivity to clopidogrel in whom ticagrelor was used successfully without documented incident. In addition, principles suggesting a lack of cross-sensitivity between ticagrelor and clopidogrel are reviewed. These cases combined with theoretical evidence support the use of ticagrelor in patients with hypersensitivity to clopidogrel.
Functional transitions and active life expectancy associated with Alzheimer disease.

Context The concept of active life expectancy, the number of years a person can expect to live without disability, is used for the first time, to our knowledge, to examine the effect of Alzheimer disease (AD) on total life expectancy with different degrees of disability. Objectives To estimate and compare total life expectancy and average duration lived with different degrees of disability, between persons with and without AD. Design Ten-year prospective epidemiologic study. Setting A largely blue-collar rural community in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Participants A population-based cohort of 1201 subjects (at the beginning of follow-up) with a mean age of 75 years. Main Outcome Measures At age 70 and every 2 years thereafter, among persons with AD and nondemented persons, (1) the total expectancy of remaining life and (2) the duration lived with different numbers of impaired instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), grouped as 0 to 1, 2 to 5, and 6 to 7 impairments. Results Alzheimer disease greatly shortened the total life expectancy to a similar extent in men and women, with the most pronounced reduction among those who were younger. Besides their shorter survival, men and women with AD spent more absolute years, and also a greater proportion of their remaining lives, with 6 to 7 IADL impairments than did their nondemented age peers. Nondemented women spent more years with 2 to 5 IADL impairments than nondemented men, while women with AD spent more years with 6 to 7 IADL impairments than men with AD. Conclusion The concept of active life expectancy adds a useful new dimension to the study of outcomes in AD.
International tourism model for developing economies.

Abstract This article considers international tourism as an open system consisting of four essential components: demand, marketing, transportation, and accomodation. It examines each component and its relationship to the system. The proposed international tourism model facilitates detection of positive and negative determinants of the system so that a relevant marketing strategy can be developed. The major strategies include a mass-marketing approach for public through tourism intermediaries, and a focused strategy requiring careful analysis of the target market and its needs for unique services. More specifically, the article suggests extensive market analysis with geographic concentration on present and potential tourist generating countries. The model is intended as a comprehensive frame for policy makers and practitioners to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of international tourism.
MWIR lidar systems and multiline DIAL techniques

This paper reports on recent progress made in developing rapidly tunable MWIR lidar system for the detection and identification of multiple trace atmospheric molecules. The lidar systems and multiline DIAL approach are described in detail. The unique advantages of the lidar system and multiline DIAL measurement technique are demonstrated with results from field measurements.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A New Transmission Control Protocol for Active RFID Networks

In this paper a new transmission control protocol named IISS for active RFID networks is proposed that utilizes the concept of scanning the network for successful and unsuccessful slots using lesser number of bits (compared to ISO/IEC 18000-7 standard), a new technique to adjust counters on the tags, decreased number of bits to set the protocol parameters (Frame Length and Slot Size) and reduced size of empty slots within collection rounds. This new protocol is an improved version of previously invented protocol called ISS. The results show that in comparison to the ISO 18000-7, IISS decreases the total read time by 71%, 44% and 28% when 16, 50 and 100 bytes of data are read from the tags respectively.
Sepsis as a cause and consequence of acute kidney injury: Program to Improve Care in Acute Renal Disease

Purpose Sepsis commonly contributes to acute kidney injury (AKI); however, the frequency with which sepsis develops as a complication of AKI and the clinical consequences of this sepsis are unknown. This study examined the incidence of, and outcomes associated with, sepsis developing after AKI.
TWO NEW UNCONSTRAINED OPTIMIZATION ALGORITHMS WHICH USE FUNCTION AND GRADIENT VALUES

Two new methods for unconstrained optimization are presented. Both methods employ a hybrid direction strategy which is a modification of Powell's 1970 dogleg strategy. They also employ a projection technique introduced by Davidon in his 1975 algorithm which uses projection images of Δx and Δg in updating the approximate Hessian. The first method uses Davidon's optimally conditioned update formula, while the second uses only the BFGS update. Both methods performed well without Powell's special iterations and singularity safeguards, and the numerical results are very promising.
Analysis for the Platinum Group Metals and Gold by Fire-Assay Emission Spectrography:

Platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium, and gold are determined by direct spectrographic analysis of a fire-assay silver bead. Fire-assay methods and standards preparation are described. The fire-assay bead is placed into a graphite electrode containing 3 mg of (NH4)2OsCl6 and arced at 15 A dc in an argon-oxygen atmosphere. With the methods outlined, detection limits for a 15-g sample are 1 ppb for Au and Pd, 2 ppb for Pt and Rh, and 100 ppb for Ru and Ir.
Experiences and lessons learned in an international agribusiness internship project

During 1994, 1995, and 1996, 13 New Mexico State University students participated in an international agribusiness internship project that was funded by a US Department of Agriculture Higher Education Challenge Grant. This article provides a description of the project, a summary of the project, and lessons learned through the project. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Ancient hot springs on Mars: Origins and paleoenvironmental significance of small Martian valleys

At least two classes of small valleys (subparallel slope ravines and flat-floored branching valleys) shown on Viking imagery of Mars exhibit spatial relationships to impact structures. Cessation of their formation at the terminus of the heavy bombardment period, about 3.8 Ga, also implies a causal relationship between valley formation and cratering. We hypothesize that these valley types originated through the interaction of ground ice and hot springs located along the permeable fringes of slowly cooling impact melts. The valleys grew by a combination of headward sapping and down-valley water and ice fluid flow. The probable widespread operation of impact-related hydrothermal systems early in Mars history indicates that it is not necessary to infer atmospheric changes to explain valley origin.
First report of Puccinia puta on Ipomoea carnea subsp. fistulosa from Puerto Rico.

Leaves of Ipomoea carnea Jacq. subsp. fistulosa (Mart. ex Choisy) D. Austin (Convolvulaceae) with conspicuous, round, yellowish orange leaf spots measuring up to 8 mm in diameter were collected fro...
Optimization of bivalent glutathione S-transferase inhibitors by combinatorial linker design.

Dimeric glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are pharmacological targets for several diseases, including cancer. Isoform specificity has been difficult to achieve due to their overlapping substrate selectivity. Here we demonstrate the utility of bivalent GST inhibitors and their optimization via combinatorial linker design. A combinatorial library with dipeptide linkers emanating symmetrically from a central scaffold (bis-3,5-aminomethyl benzoic acid, AMAB) to connect two ethacrynic acid moieties was prepared and decoded via iterative deconvolution, against the isoforms GSTA1-1 and GSTP1-1. The library yielded high affinity GSTA1-1 selective inhibitors (70−120-fold selectivity) and with stoichiometry of one inhibitor: one GSTA1-1 dimer. Saturation Transfer Difference (STD) NMR with one of these inhibitors, with linker structure (Asp-Gly-AMAB-Gly-Asp) and KD = 42 nM for GSTA1-1, demonstrates that the Asp-Gly linker interacts tightly with GSTA1-1, but not P1-1. H/D exchange mass spectrometry was used to map t...
Physical and chemical properties of the anodic oxide/HgCdTe interface

In this paper we show that anodic oxide/Hg0.8Cd0.2Te interface is a two‐layered structure with a thin CdTeO3 layer next to the Hg0.8Cd0.2Te substrate and a second thicker layer of CdTeO3, TeO2, HgTeO3, and HgTe particles. For a 700‐A‐thick anodic oxide, the thin CdTeO3 layer was 30–50 A thick and the second interface layer was ∼120–150 A thick. The large positive fixed charge measured on metal‐insulator semiconductor devices which have been fabricated with the anodic oxide may be caused by a large concentration of positively charged oxygen vacancies associated with the HgTe particles in the second interface layer. The low interface trap densities are probably due to the thin CdTeO3 layer which forms a good interface with HgCdTe.
Levonorgestrel intrauterine system (Mirena): An emerging tool for conservative treatment of abnormal uterine bleeding.

Introduction: To study the efficacy of levonorgestrel intrauterine system (LNG-IUS; Mirena) in conservative management of abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB). Materials and Methods: Seventy women between 30 and 55 years with AUB were included in a study conducted over a period of 3 years. Response was assessed monthly for first 4 months and then yearly for maximum 2 years. Results: Mirena caused a 80% decrease in median menstrual blood loss (MBL) at 4 months, 95% decrease in MBL by 1 year, and 100% decrease (amenorrhea) by 2 years. Mean hemoglobin (Hb) % showed a significant rise of 7.8% from baseline 4 months post Mirena insertion. Mirena acted as an effective contraceptive in women not using any other form of contraception. Hysterectomy could be avoided in most of the women. Conclusion: Mirena provides an incredible nonsurgical alternative in treatment of menorrhagia. Its effects are reversible and it is an excellent fertility-sparing device. It is also an effective contraceptive.
Specific ion effects of salt solutions at the CaF2/water interface.

Calcium fluoride is a slightly soluble compound commonly extracted from ores via flotation at elevated pH, where surfactant molecules bind with hydroxylated surface sites. The addition of F−(aq) suppresses surfactant adsorption by replacing these sites. In this paper, we look at the effects of aqueous Cl−, Br−, F−, and SO42− on the water structure at the CaF2/H2O interface at a pH where surface hydroxylation has not yet occurred. Using static and time-resolved vibrational sum-frequency spectroscopy (VSFS), we find that aqueous Cl− and Br− have only electrostatic screening effects on the interface and do not perturb the interfacial water or surface structure. Sulfate, which we find to be strongly attracted to the interface, affects the interfacial water more than Cl− or Br−. This is in contrast to F− ions that directly interact with the surface and alter the water structure and bonding at the CaF2 surface in addition to screening the surface charge.
Bond Strength and Stress Measurements in Thermal Barrier Coatings

The failure mode for thermal barrier coatings in gas turbine engines is spallation at or near the ceramic to metal interface. We propose that the two most important factors leading to this failure are the change in the bond strength and bond stress with cycling. Five methods of measuring stress near the ceramic bond coat interface and four methods of bond strength measurement were investigated. Laser fluorescence and enhanced laboratory x-ray methods have the most potential for stress measurement, while the promising bond strength measurement methods are direct pull testing, chevron notch fracture toughness, and laser induced ultrasonic spallation. The stress and strength as a function of thermal cycles was determined for one set of yttria stabilized zirconia coated single crystal samples. Both a decreasing residual compression stress in the oxide layer that joins the ceramic to the metal and a decreasing bond strength were measured as a function of thermal cycles.Copyright © 1997 by ASME
'Rondo', a Long-Grain Indica Rice with Resistances to Multiple Diseases

rice (L.) is needed to increase the genetic diversity in future U.S. cultivars. Furthermore, resistant germplasm is needed to control newly occurring races of blast disease [ (Hebert) Barr]. ‘Rondo’ rice (Reg. No. CV-131, PI 657830) is a long-grain cultivar meeting these needs and was developed by the USDA-ARS through mutation breeding from a Chinese germplasm ‘4484’ (PI 615022). Rondo's origin is genetically distant from U.S. cultivars. Rondo is resistant to all major races of blast disease currently identified in the USA, including two newly reported races, TM2 and IB33, and five other rice diseases. Among seven known resistance genes for blast, only has been identified in Rondo, indicating that it may possess novel blast resistance genes. The Uniform Regional Rice Nursery (URRN) conducted jointly in five southern rice-producing states demonstrated that Rondo yields similarly to ‘Francis’, ‘Wells’, and ‘Cocodrie’, high yielding cultivars in the mid-south USA. Cereal quality analyses indicated that Rondo has the same parboiling, processing, and canning qualities as ‘Dixiebelle’ and ‘Sabine’, which have been accepted by the processing industry. Additionally, it can be used as conventional long-grain rice. Although the head rice yield appears at times to be lower than other long-grain cultivars, this should be less of a concern when it is parboiled. In conclusion, Rondo is a long-gain cultivar with high yield potential, an excellent disease resistance package, and premium processing quality. Rondo has been entered in the U.S. germplasm collection and is available for commercial purposes through the Texas Research Improvement Association.
Atmospheric-pressure stability of energetic phases of carbon.

The stability of various energetic phases of carbon is investigated with the use of {ital ab} {ital initio} pseudopotential total-energy methods. In particular, we examine the atmospheric-pressure stability of the fourfold-coordinated bc8 phase of carbon against transformations to graphitic and diamond structures lying at lower energy. A group-theoretical analysis is used to determine high-symmetry transformation paths to these low-energy structures. {ital Ab} {ital initio} total-energy calculations are then carried out along those paths characterized by minimal bond breaking to identify minimum-energy configurational transformations. In all cases we find energy barriers inhibiting transformation from the bc8 structure to the lower-energy phases, with the smallest barrier being approximately 0.2 eV/atom and occurring along specific paths to the graphitic forms of carbon. Consequently, it appears that bc8 carbon should be metastable at atmospheric pressure against spontaneous transformation to the lower-energy observed phases. In contrast, we find three metallic high-coordination forms of carbon (face-centered cubic, hexagonal close-packed, and body-centered cubic) to be mechanically unstable against spontaneous transformation to the cubic diamond structure.
Performance of a piezo-ceramic modulated internally coupled Fabry-Perot interferometer controlled tunable diode laser system

Methods have been devised where by the laser can be stabilized by locking to an external signal free of drift. This paper describes a new scheme where by the laser is locked to its own interference fringe generated by a piezo-ceramic modulated internally coupled Fabry-Perot interferometer.