cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Access to and utilization of healthcare: the provider’s role

Access to and utilization of healthcare are distinct, yet related, concepts that serve as a focus for health policy and quality improvement. This article identifies their similarities and differences, calling on previous research and reviews to elaborate on a current understanding of factors that influence both, with a particular focus on those related to the healthcare provider. Access describes an individual's ability to position oneself to receive healthcare services. Utilization presumes access and includes the formulation of a healthcare plan during a healthcare encounter and its subsequent implementation. We present a framework that envisions access and utilization as aspects of healthcare delivery that may be affected by the context within which services are delivered, the structure of the practice that delivers them and other processes leading to outcomes experienced by the healthcare consumer. Based on current trends, we anticipate that research and policy related to access and utilization over the next 5 years will be primarily driven by a focus on quality improvement. Providers are positioned to use their collective authority to exercise influence on access and quality at the individual, institutional and policy levels.
Polymerization of membrane components in aging red blood cells

Abstract The addition of malonyldialdehyde to red blood cells in vitro causes the formation of fluorescent chromolipids characteristics of those produced during the peroxidation of endogenous membrane phospholipids. Additionally, gel electrophoresis reveals that this agent also causes a decrease in bands 1 and 2 of spectrin as well as an increase in high molecular weight protein polymers. These same changes are observed in membranes of older cell populations fractionated from freshly drawn, untreated blood. The results obtained suggest that polymerization of membrane components, subsequent to the peroxidation of membrane lipids, may contribute to the altered biochemical and mechanical properties of aging cells and to their eventual sequestration.
Serum-mediated immunosuppression in lung cancer.

Immunosuppression in 45 patients with lung cancer was studied by examining delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity reactions to DNCB and by analyzing the effect of the patient's serum on the proliferative response of normal donor lymphocytes. Both diminution of DNCB reactivity and inhibition of the proliferative response of normal donor lymphocytes to mitogens were associated with the stage of the disease and the presence of unresected tumor. Suppressive sera were associated with poor prognosis. The suppressive effects of patients' sera on lymphocytes from a normal donor suggest that the immunosuppression seen in lung cancer may be mediated by serum factors. The significant association of clinically evident tumor with this serum-mediated immunosuppression further suggests that the tumor itself could account for the appearance of these factors in the host. The clinical implications of these findings may be useful for designing new clinical trials. Cancer 43:917–924, 1979.
Accessory tissue tags arising from the mitral valve—an unusual cause of ventricular flow obstruction

Accessory atrioventricular valvar tissue is uncommon and, on occasion, has been identified as a cause of ventricular outflow obstruction. Accessory tricuspid valvar tissue has been reported to cause subpulmonary obstruction but infrequently has accessory tissue arising from the mitral valve been associated with obstruction. This paper reports two cases of subvalvar obstruction; the first in association with a ventricular septal defect causing subaortic obstruction and the other in association with congenitally corrected transposition and a ventricular septal defect, causing subpulmonary obstruction.
Synthesis and characterization of a sequence-specific DNA-binding protein that contains ruthenium polypyridyl centers

Abstract A chimeric metallo-bZIP protein, (GBR-CC)Ru, was prepared that contains the native DNA-binding domain of the GCN-4 transcription factor (GBR), a synthetic α-helical coiled-coil dimerization site (CC), and a ruthenium polypyridyl complex (Ru) attached to a surface-exposed cysteine residue. The photophysical properties of the peptide-bound ruthenium complex include a long-lived emission that is shortened when the peptide is dissolved in air-saturated water. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays show that the chimeric metalloprotein also retains the essential DNA recognition properties of the native GCN-4 transcriptional activator. Peptide–DNA complexes are formed with the related AP1 and CRE sequences, but not the divergent Sp1 sequence. Peptide titration studies indicate that the affinities of (GBR-CC)Ru for the AP1 and CRE sites are comparable. Steady-state photolysis experiments show that (GBR-CC)Ru does not produce photoinduced DNA damage, probably due to the separation distance between the ruthenium sites and the DNA bases.
Radiotherapy for invasive breast cancer in North America and Europe: Results of a survey

Purpose To document and explain the current radiotherapeutic management of invasive breast cancer in North America and Europe. We also identified a number of areas of agreement, as well as controversy, toward which additional clinical research should be directed. Methods and materials An original survey questionnaire was developed to assess radiation oncologists' self-reported management of breast cancer. The questionnaire was administered to physician members of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology and the European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology. We present the results of the comparative analysis of 702 responses from North America and 435 responses from Europe. Results Several areas of national and international controversy were identified, including the selection of appropriate candidates for postmastectomy radiation therapy (RT) and the appropriate management of the regional lymph nodes after mastectomy, as well as after lumpectomy. Only 40.7% and 36.1% of respondents would use postmastectomy RT in patients with 1–3 positive lymph nodes in North America and Europe, respectively. Sentinel lymph node biopsy was offered more frequently by North American than European respondents ( p p p p p p Conclusion Marked differences were found in physician opinions regarding the management of breast cancer, with statistically significant international differences in patterns of care. This survey highlighted areas of controversy, providing support for international randomized trials to optimize the RT management of invasive breast cancer.
Smarter fraud investigations with big data analytics

Call it a ‘scam’, ‘rip-off’, ‘cheat’ or ‘sting’, but whatever you call it the impact of fraud hits businesses equally hard. And the bad news is that the number of fraud cases is not falling but rising. Fraud hits businesses hard. And the bad news is that the number of fraud cases is rising. The pressure is on for companies to find effective solutions and tackle fraud in a smarter way. Shaun Hipgrave of IBM explores three aspects of smarter fraud investigations: smarter technology, improved data visualisation and better internal communication. And a critical element in this is using big data analytics to detect fraud fast and share critical investigative information.
Cecal Cancer in a Teenager Presenting with a Pelvic Mass: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Colorectal cancer generally affects men and women in the later decades of life. Typically patients present with bowel obstruction and/or chronic anemia. The epidemiology, presentation, and prognosis of cecal carcinoma, the third most common colorectal cancer, is similar to other cancers of the large bowel. Cecal and other colorectal cancers rarely present in adolescence. In this case report, we describe a 19-year-old woman presenting with a pelvic mass and elevated tumor markers with the presumed diagnosis of ovarian cancer, who was found to have cecal carcinoma at laparotomy. This case illustrates that colorectal cancer, although rare, should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a pelvic mass in young women who present with anemia, constitutional symptoms, and elevated tumor markers.
Pressure-controlled CO2-air system for animal cell culture

The bicarbonate buffering sytem used in most cell culture media requires a source of air containing a prescribed concentration of CO/sub 2/ (usually 5% to 10%). This CO/sub 2/-air mixture is obtained either by mixing streams of air and 100% CO/sub 2/ in suitable proportions or by using premixed gas from a commercial source. Controls to regulate the flow of CO/sub 2/ and air are standard equipment on many commercial incubators designed for cell-culture laboratories. Culture growing in petri dishes or bottles with loose caps are gassed by diffusion of the CO/sub 2/-air mixture that fills the interior of the incubator. An inherent problem with such systems is that frequent opening of the incubator door depletes the CO/sub 2/-air mixture inside, and cultures may suffer from inconstant environmenal CO/sub 2/ concentrations. In our laboratories we utilize a CO/sub 2/-air system in which the gases are mixed by pressure rather than flow rate. The mixture is stored under pressure and delivered at low pressure, using gum-rubber tubing, to incubators and warm rooms. Outlets in the incubators and warm rooms are connected to individual plastic boxes, each box containing the plates or bottles for a single experiment. Thus the incubators and warmmore » rooms do not require a CO/sub 2/-air environment. An auxiliary outlet of this CO/sub 2/ supply with a separate pressure regulator is used for pressurized filtration of tissue-culture media. Outlets to transfer hoods are used to flush, rubber-lined, screw-capped bottles prior to incubation. This paper describes the construction and operation of such a system and discusses some of its features in relation to the conventional flow-rate mixing systems.« less
Intracellular Na+ and Ca2+ modulation increases the tensile properties of developing engineered articular cartilage

Objective Significant collagen content and tensile properties are difficult to achieve in tissue-engineered articular cartilage. The aim of this study was to investigate whether treating developing tissue-engineered cartilage constructs with modulators of intracellular Na+ or Ca2+ could increase collagen concentration and construct tensile properties. Methods Inhibitors of Na+ ion transporters and stimulators of intracellular Ca2+ were investigated for their ability to affect articular cartilage development in a scaffoldless, 3-dimensional chondrocyte culture. Using a systematic approach, we applied ouabain (Na+/K+-ATPase inhibitor), bumetanide (Na+/K+/2Cl− tritransporter inhibitor), histamine (cAMP activator), and ionomycin (a Ca2+ ionophore) to tissue-engineered constructs for 1 hour daily on days 10–14 of culture and examined the constructs at 2 weeks or 4 weeks. The gross morphology, biochemical content, and compressive and tensile mechanical properties of the constructs were assayed. Results The results of these experiments showed that 20 μM ouabain, 0.3 μM ionomycin, or their combination increased the tensile modulus by 40–95% compared with untreated controls and resulted in an increased amount of collagen normalized to construct wet weight. In constructs exposed to ouabain, the increased percentage of collagen per construct wet weight was secondary to decreased glycosaminoglycan production on a per-cell basis. Treatment with 20 μM ouabain also increased the ultimate tensile strength of neo-tissue by 56–86% at 4 weeks. Other construct properties, such as construct growth and type I collagen production, were affected differently by Na+ modulation with ouabain versus Ca2+ modulation with ionomycin. Conclusion These data are the first to show that treatments known to alter intracellular ion concentrations are a viable method for increasing the mechanical properties of engineered articular cartilage and identifying potentially important relationships to hydrostatic pressure mechanotransduction. Ouabain and ionomycin may be useful pharmacologic agents for increasing tensile integrity and directing construct maturation.
Algeria, France, Mexico, UNESCO: a transnational history of anti-racism and decolonization, 1932–1962.

Two crucial terms in discussions about racial or ethnic relations – ‘discrimination’ and ‘integration’ – first appeared in official French documents in the 1950s. They quickly became key references in the government’s pioneering efforts, in response to the Algerian revolution, to recognize the importance and fight against the effects of French racism on ‘Muslim French citizens from Algeria’. This policy was named ‘integrationism’; its premises and measures had overseas inspirations and it was bureaucrats from an international organization who made such policy models available for French adoption. All of this was possible because of transnational networks of social scientists, which included some who helped author them as well as others who studied and wrote about them. More specifically, it was projects and claims from Mexico that provided the most direct references for French integrationist policies and it was through the efforts of UNESCO that French integrationists gained detailed knowledge about them.
Vaginal birth after caesarean section versus elective repeat caesarean section: assessment of maternal downstream health outcomes

Objective To compare the maternal implications of strategies of vaginal birth after caesarean section (VBAC) attempt versus elective repeat caesarean section in women with one previous lower segment caesarean section. Design Decision model. Population Women with one prior low transverse caesarean section who are eligible for trial of labour. Methods Two decision models were built: the first one applying to women planning only one more pregnancy, the second one applying to women planning two more pregnancies. Probability estimates for VBAC success rate and risks of uterine rupture, placenta praevia, placenta accreta and hysterectomy were extracted from the available literature. Main outcome measures Hysterectomy for uterine rupture, placenta accreta or other indications. Results In the first model VBAC attempt led to a higher hysterectomy rate (267/100,000) compared with repeat caesarean section (187/100,000). However, in the second model a policy of elective repeat caesarean section led to higher cumulative hysterectomy rate: 1465/100,000 versus 907/100,000 for VBAC. The first model was robust to all but one variable in sensitivity analyses. The second model was robust to all variables in sensitivity analyses. Conclusions These results indicate that long term reproductive consequences of multiple caesarean sections should be considered when making policy decisions regarding the risk–benefit ratio of VBAC.
STUDIES ON THE FATTY ACID COMPOSITION OF CRAYFISH LIPIDS.

The fatty acid composition of carcass and exoskeleton lipids was determined for the freshwater crayfishOrconectes rusticus. Lipid fractions were isolated by column and thin-layer chromatography. Fatty acid methyl esters and alcohol acetates were then prepared and analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography. Peak identities were established from retention time data for methyl esters, hydrogenated methyl esters, and saturated, monoene, diene, and polyene methyl esters separated as acetoxy-mercuri-methoxy derivatives. Minor component acids were estimated from their relative compositions in these fractions.
Electron capture by neutral donors in n-type germanium and silicon

Abstract We propose a mechanism whereby electron capture by neutral donors can become significant in electron recombination in n-type semiconductors at liquid helium temperatures.
Maximum ultrafiltration rates during peritoneal dialysis in rats

Maximum ultrafiltration rates during peritoneal dialysis in rats. It has been suggested that filtration pressure equilibrium could occur in peritoneal capillaries during peritoneal dialysis with very hypertonic exchanges. Rats were exposed to peritoneal dialysis solutions using 16ml instillations, 30 minute cycles, and dextrose concentrations from 1.4 to 20 g%. There was a plateau in ultrafiltration per exchange at mean osmotic gradients above 360 mOsm/kg H 2 O near 12.5 ml/ex (0.42 ml/min). The findings are also compatible with filtration pressure equilibrium predictions at an effective capillary plasma flow of 0.84ml/min and a filtration fraction near 50%. Studies with cardiovascular drugs (norepinephrine i.v., nitroprusside i.p., and dobutamine i.v.) showed no effects on the maximum ultrafiltration rates. This might indicate that flow is rather fixed because of known microcirculatory effects of solutions themselves.
Mild hyponatremia is associated with an increased risk of death in an ambulatory setting

Hyponatremia is a common disorder associated with higher mortality in hospitalized patients, but its impact in an ambulatory setting remains unclear. Here we used data from the Dallas Heart Study, a prospective multiethnic cohort study that included ambulatory individuals, to determine the prevalence and determinants of hyponatremia (serum sodium
Occupational exposure assessment using antibody levels: exposure to avian leukosis/sarcoma viruses in the poultry industry

Avian leukosis/sarcoma viruses (ALSV) infect and cause cancers in chickens. Poultry workers are exposed to ALSV and other infectious agents in the workplace. This study examines if industrial hygiene assessment of antibody levels in poultry workers can identify risky job tasks at the higher exposure risk to an infectious agent, i.e., ALSV. We compared ALSV antibody levels in poultry workers and control subjects. Occupational and demographical factors were examined for an association with the exposure risk in poultry workers. We found that the antibody levels were significantly higher in poultry workers than in control subjects. Job category and age together were significantly associated with the antibody levels in workers. Certain job tasks were identified with significantly higher antibody levels as compared to others, implying that recommendations should be made to protect workers at these jobs. The findings of this study indicate that the measurement of antibody levels in workers can be useful for indu...
Human plasma carboxylesterase and butyrylcholinesterase enzyme activity: correlations with SN-38 pharmacokinetics during a prolonged infusion of irinotecan.

Purpose: To characterize the relationships between human plasma irinotecan carboxylesterase-converting enzyme activity, caboxylesterase-mediated hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl acetate (pNPA), and the butyrylcholinesterase-mediated hydrolysis of butyrylthiocholine in human plasma and to test the ability of these in vitro tests to predict the variability in SN-38 pharmacokinetics in adult patients during a prolonged infusion of irinotecan. Methods: Individual plasma-converting enzyme activity was measured in 20 adult cancer patients participating in a pharmacokinetic and phase I clinical trial of a prolonged 96-h intravenous infusion of irinotecan. The pNPA and butyrylthiocholine hydrolysis in patient plasma was also assayed. Results: The irinotecan carboxylesterase-converting enzyme in human plasma had a Vmax of 89.9±22.7 pmol/h per ml plasma and a Km of 207±56 µM (mean±SD, n=3). The mean value of the specific activity of this enzyme in 20 adult cancer patients was 10.08±2.96 pmol/h per ml plasma ranging from 5.43 to 15.39 pmol/h per ml. The area-under-the-concentration-versus time curve (AUC) ratio of SN-38 to irinotecan (AUCSN-38/AUCCPT-11) was used to assess the relative SN-38 exposure to the active metabolite in individual patients. Pharmacokinetic variations in the relative exposure to SN-38 did not correlate with the measured carboxylesterase-converting enzyme activity nor with plasma butyrylcholinesterase activity in our patient population. However, it did correlate with the measured pNPA hydrolysis activity in patient plasma (r 2=0.350, P=0.0124, n=18). Conclusions: Determination of patient plasma pNPA hydrolysis activity may have utility in predicting SN-38 pharmacokinetics during prolonged infusions of irinotecan.
Synthesis of cyclenphosphoranes with polyfluorophenyl substituents; an X-ray structure of N -methyl cyclen- p -(heptafluorotolyl)phosphorane

Abstract The metathesis reactions between the lithiated derivative of cyclenphosphorane (2) and octafluorotoluene, hexafluorobenzene, pentafluorobenzonitrile, pentafluoronitrobenzene, pentafluoro- n -butylbenzene, pentafluorobenzene and p -(cyanotetrafluorophenoxy-pentafluorobenzene) under reflux conditions gave cyclen- p -(heptafluorotolyl)phosphorane (3) , cyclen- p -(pentafluorophenyl)phosphorane (4) , cyclen- p -(cyanotetrafluorophenyl)phosphorane (5) , cyclen- p -(tetrafluoronitrophenyl)phosphorane (6) , cyclen- p -( n -butyltetrafluorophenyl)phosphorane (7) , cyclen- p -(tetrafluorophenyl)phosphorane (8) and cyclen- p -( p -cyanotetrafluoro-phenoxytetrafluorophenyl)phosphorane (9) , respectively, in good yields. All products were characterized by spectral and analytical techniques. These materials are moderately stable thermally but are moisture sensitive, hydrolyzing to form cyclen phosphine oxide (10) . Addition of CH 3 I to 3 affords the phosphoammonium iodide (11) . The X-ray crystal structure of 11 was obtained. The crystal is triclinic with a space group P1. The unit cell parameters a =7.8652(2) A, b =8.584(2) A, c =22.1573(3) A; α =80.9010(10)°; β =79.2490(10)°; γ =76.9930(10)°; and Z =2.
Explaining The Pattern of Trade in Producer Services

In this paper, I examine the pattern of U.S. trade in producer services, emphasizing the significance of two-way trade in services. Evidence is presented that the pattern of trade in producer services can be explained by some of the same factors used to explain the pattern of trade in goods. Viewed in the context of the recent literature on increasing returns and trade in services, the results presented here suggest gains from liberalization due to increased product differentiation and global specialization. [F14, F10]
Aesthetics and the Decision Sciences

Aesthetic appreciation of normative models has hampered the development of an empirical base in the behavioral decision sciences. Two examples from the "biases and heuristics" literature are used to show that even modern descriptive theories tend to focus on normative models. The argument is made that generalizability to operational contexts requires increased emphasis on empirical research occurring in or focusing on realistically complex environments. Three studies are described that illustrate the benefits of such research.
Real-time transmission of multilayer video over ATM networks

With today's network technology, our expectations for high performance networked multimedia applications are increasing. However, no complete solution as yet exists for providing integrated services to networked multimedia systems. The difficulty lies in the nature of the multimedia data, basically video and audio, which is difficult to store and transmit. The coded video is sensitive to delay, delay variation, bit errors and losses. Our research focuses on the transmission of multilayer real-time video traffic over ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) networks. This issue covers several aspects of ATM and multimedia networking such as video application layer, ATM adaptation layers, traffic and buffer management. The main assumption in this research is that the real-time video traffic is content based coded and consists of several video objects. A single video source with various video objects introduces the need for multiple priorities. We propose a multipriority traffic management model for ATM networks that includes a new priority cell mapping algorithm, a new priority based bandwidth allocation approach, a new adaptation layer definition, and a new multipriority buffer access control algorithm. Using multipriority traffic will complicate the traffic management, the buffer management and the work of the ATM adaptation layers. On the other hand, by allowing the network to have several priority layers during a connection, the overall quality for real-time video will be increased. To our knowledge, no method exists for managing a single connection for multipriority video traffic over ATM networks. Our model is new and addresses the essential transmission requirements of near future multipriority video coding systems over broadband networks.
Optimism and health-related quality of life in adolescents with cancer.

Objective To delineate the relationship between optimism and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and quality of life (QOL) in adolescents with cancer living in the Bronx, New York. Methods Optimism was assessed using the Life Orientation Test, Revised (LOT-R). HRQOL and QOL were measured using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, Cancer Module, Acute Version and The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, Generic Core Scale, respectively. Associations between optimism and HRQOL and QOL were assessed using Pearson's product-moment correlations. Results Twenty-three adolescents participated in this study; the mean age was 16 and the majority was male. This sample was highly optimistic and reported high HRQOL and QOL. Optimism was correlated with less reported pain and hurt, better communication with doctors, higher reported psychological functioning and higher overall QOL. Conclusion Optimism is associated with higher QOL in inner city adolescents with cancer. Further research should assess whether interventions that increase optimism lead to greater QOL in this population.
A clustering-based approach for prediction of cardiac resynchronization therapy

This paper presents a method for predicting pacing sites in the left ventricle of a heart and its result can be used to assist device programming in cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), which is a widely adopted therapy for heart failure patients. In a traditional CRT device deployment, pacing sites are selected without quantitative prediction. That runs the risk of suboptimal benefits. In this work, a surface tracking method is proposed to describe the ventricular wall motion and a hierarchical agglomerative clustering technique is applied to radial motion series to find candidate pacing sites. Using clinical MRI data in our experiments, we show that the proposed method performs as well as we expect. Our approach can not only effectively identify suitable pacing sites, but also distinguish patients from normals perfectly to help medical diagnosis.
Terlipressin as rescue treatment of refractory shock in a neonate

UNLABELLED Patients with septic shock may develop refractory hypotension despite maximal inotropic support with impairment of clinical outcome. Terlipressin, a long-acting vasopressin analogue, is reported to be effective as rescue treatment of refractory septic shock in adult and paediatric patients, while clinical experience in neonates is definitely scarce. We report a neonate with systemic inflammatory response syndrome after surgery for abdominal neuroblastoma who received terlipressin as rescue treatment after failure of volume load and catecholamines. Terlipressin promptly reversed hypotension and improved tissue perfusion without adverse effects. CONCLUSION Terlipressin appears an effective rescue treatment in patients with refractory vasodilatory septic shock. Further studies are required to assess its efficacy and safety in neonatal population.
Stress, coping resources, and injury risk

Over the last two and a half decades, researchers have tried to determine if psychological variables predispose or buffer athletes from injury. They have found that sport participants who experience many recent stressors, and who do not have the resources and skills to cope with the stress, seem most at risk for injury. This article reviews that research as well as efforts to identify mechanisms that might explain why the stress-injury relationship occurs and interventions that will hopefully reduce the injury risk. Because the multicomponent stress-injury model of Andersen and Williams (1988) helped provide the impetus and theoretical base for much of that research, it serves as the foundation for organizing and summarizing the findings. Although the research has focused largely on sport injuries, the findings have relevance for understanding and potentially preventing many accidents and injuries that occur outside the realm of sport participation.
Defining mitogen‐activated protein kinase pathways with mass spectrometry‐based approaches

Mitogen-activated protein kinases are a group of ubiquitously expressed kinase pathways that have been conserved from yeast through humans. They control a large number of critical cell functions. Identification of targets of those kinases is necessary to define signal transduction pathways that lead to cell responses. The application of a number of mass spectrometry-based techniques to the identification of phosphoproteins is reviewed. A new proteomic approach is described for the identification of the downstream targets of specific kinases that combines phosphorylation of cell lysates in in vitro kinase reactions by active recombinant kinase with protein separation by two-dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis or SDS-PAGE and phosphoprotein identification by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry or by phosphopeptide enrichment and tandem mass spectrometry. The results suggested that a combination of multiple approaches will be required to fully identify phosphoproteomes.
Substituent effects in the interconversion of phenylcarbene, bicyclo[4.1.0]hepta-2,4,6-triene, and 1,2,4,6-cycloheptatetraene.

The effect of aryl substituents on the interconversion of phenylcarbene (PC), bicyclo[4.1.0]hepta-2,4,6-triene (BCT), and 1,2,4,6-cycloheptatetraene (CHTE) has been studied by density functional theory. It is found that substituents have a large effect on both the thermochemistry and activation energy of these rearrangements. For instance, para-substitution yields a range of overall activation energies for the formation of BCT from PC of 20.3 to 11.7 kcal/mol for the NH2 and NO2 substituents, respectively. In the syn-meta-substituted cases, all of the rearrangements to the substituted CHTE species are more exothermic than that of the parent PC. The proximity of the substituent to the carbene center can also affect the overall chemistry as in the case of ortho-substituted species. Here, formation of bicyclic structures and ylides, which can then rearrange to stable structures, can compete with the ring-expansion process. Also, as calculated herein, the ortho substituents can, by a combination of mesomeric ...
Interest rates, official lending, and the debt crisis : a reassessment

The authors document and try to explain the sizable cross-country differences in interest rates on external debt paid by a group of highly indebted developing countries in 1973-89. They find that Indonesia and Turkey, which are often praised for not rescheduling in the 1980s, paid interest rates substantially below LIBOR - and avoided the interest rate shock of the early 1980s. Differences in the default-risk premium explain some of the variation among countries, but different degrees of access to official loans carrying highly subsidized interest rates played the major role. In the sample they studied, they found no evidence that debt at floating interest rates was more expensive than debt at fixed rates. For the period 1981-89, it is possible to control for differences in the currency composition of debt, and the results are essentially unchanged. These results suggest that studies of economic performance among the highly indebted countries during the debt crisis should control for cross-country differences in the burden of interest payments.
Information Concepts: From Books to Cyberspace Identities

This lecture surveys some of the different classical meanings of information, focuses on the ways that electronic technologies are affecting how we think about these senses of information, and introduces an emerging sense of information that has implications for how we work, play, and interact with others. Our traces of activity in cyberspace give rise to a new sense of information as instantaneous identity states that I term proflection of self. Proflections of self influence how others act toward us. Four classical senses of information are described as context for this new form of information. The four senses selected for inclusion here are the following: thought and memory, communication process, artifact, and energy. Human mental activity and state (thought and memory) have neurological, cognitive, and affective facets.The act of informing (communication process) is considered from the perspective of human intentionality and technical developments that have dramatically amplified human communication capabilities. Information artifacts comprise a common sense of information that gives rise to a variety of information industries. Energy is the most general sense of information and is considered from the point of view of physical, mental, and social state change. This sense includes information theory as a measurable reduction in uncertainty. This lecture emphasizes how electronic representations have blurred media boundaries and added computational behaviors that yield new forms of information interaction, which, in turn, are stored, aggregated, and mined to create profiles that represent our cyber identities. Table of Contents: The Many Meanings of Information / Information as Thought and Memory / Information as Communication Process / Information as Artifact / Information as Energy / Information as Identity in Cyberspace: The Fifth Voice / Conclusion and Directions
ELECTROCARDIOGRAPHIC CHANGES DURING ORAL SURGICAL PROCEDURES UNDER LOCAL ANESTHESIA.

Abstract Sixty-three dental patients were monitored electrocardiographically during dental surgical procedures under local anesthesia. Sixteen (26.2 per cent) of these patients developed significant disorders of the heart beat. One of the sixty-three patients had transient cardiovascular collapse, which occurred in association with a cardiac arrhythmia.
The future of scientific communication in the earth sciences: the impact of the Internet

Abstract Publication on paper of research results following peer-review and editing has been the accepted means of scientific communication for several centuries. Today, the continued growth in the volume of scientific literature, the increased unit costs of archiving paper publications, and the rapidly increasing power and availability of electronic technology are creating tremendous pressures on traditional scientific communication. The earth sciences are not immune from these pressures, and the role of the traditional publication as the primary means of communication is rapidly changing. Electronic publications and network technology are radically altering the relationship between interpretative result and the underlying data. Earth science research institutions, including the Kansas Geological Survey, are experimenting with new forms of on-line publication that assure broad access to research and data and improve application of research results to societal problems.
An investigation of the impact of international branch campuses on organizational culture

The authors first survey the factors related to globalization that have stimulated the creation of international branch campuses. They then contend that the viability of an international branch campus should not be solely evaluated from a rational choice perspective oriented toward economic self-interest. Rather, the organizational culture of the branch campus and the home campus should also be considered, particularly since institutions are cultural entities with specific symbolic and interpretive ideologies. After analyzing two recent cases concerning New York University’s branch campus in Abu Dhabi and the new Yale-NUS College in Singapore using an organizational culture framework, they suggest that the creation of international branch campuses should be guided by three primary considerations such as (1) the value added by the creation of a branch campus; (2) how the branch campus is reflective of the unique culture of the home campus; and (3) whether faculty members on branch campuses have the same rights, institutional status, and expectations of shared governance that they would have on the home campus. While the text acknowledges that some conflicts are inevitable, the authors suggest that international branch campuses have the potential to foster awareness, enrichment, and understanding with a deeper investigation of these cultural dimensions.
Influence of wastewater disinfection on densities of culturable fecal indicator bacteria and genetic markers.

The US Environmental Protection Agency has proposed the use of quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) as a rapid alternative analytical method for monitoring recreational water quality at beaches. For qPCR to be considered for other Clean Water Act purposes, such as inclusion in discharge permits and use in Total Maximum Daily Load calculations, it is necessary to understand how qPCR detectable genetic markers are influenced by wastewater disinfection. This study investigated genetic markers for Escherichia coli , Enterococcus , Clostridium spp., Bacteroides , total Bacteroidales, as well as the human-associated Bacteroides markers, HF183 and HumM2, to determine which, if any, were influenced by disinfection (chlorination or ultraviolet light) of effluents from secondary wastewater treatment in different seasons. The effects of disinfection on culturable enterococci , E. coli , Bacteroides , and C. perfringens were also compared to their associated genetic markers. Disinfection of secondary treatment effluents significantly reduced culturable fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) but not genetic marker densities. No significant differences were observed in the responses of FIB culture and genetic marker densities to type of disinfection (chlorination vs UV) or season. Results of this study provide evidence that qPCR may not be suitable for monitoring efficacy of wastewater disinfection on the inactivation of bacterial pathogens.
Criterion for learned helplessness in the rat: A redefinition

Numerous investigators have reported difficulty obtaining reliable learned helplessness. Various laboratories have used differing test environments and criteria, making comparisons among experiments difficult. Some use an escape deficit criterion, in which escape is slowed down in a shuttle box, while others have used an escape failure criterion, in which rats do not escape at all on most test trials. Little work has been done to test the validity of LH, i.e., the prediction of persistence of escape failure after exposure to uncontrollable shock. The present studies demonstrate that the reliability and validity of learned helplessness can be improved by 1) modifying the shuttle box to increase task difficulty and decrease random escape behavior and 2) adopting a new escape failure criterion for helpless behavior which is based on statistical prediction of the persistence of escape deficits.
Application of a mechanistic theory of solvent action to plasticizers and plasticization

The conventional thermodynamic theory of solvent action is briefly reviewed. A mechanistic theory is advanced to supplement the thermodynamic theory. The mechanistic theory views a resin solution as an example of dynamic equilibrium between the tendency of the solvent molecules to solvate the resin and the tendency of the resin macromolecules to unite with each other in three-dimensional aggregation. A plasticizer, being a nonvolatile solvent, remains in the resin film on evaporation of the solvent and thus opposes, to an extent depending on its concentration and solvent strength, the aggregation of the resin macromolecules. Although the permanence of plasticizers in resinous compositions does not correlate well with the author's measure of the relative solvent strengths of the plasticizers, very satisfactory correlation is obtained between the low-temperature behavior of plasticized films and the temperature dependence of the solvent strength of the plasticizers. Data are presented in support of the contention that a necessary condition for good low-temperature performance in plasticized resinous compositions requires that the plasticizer must show a considerable improvement in solvent strength on cooling.
A Portable Flow-Cell Membrane Salinometer1

The design and construction of a portable flow-cell membrane salinometer suitable for field and laboratory use are described. The overall system accuracy is 1% of the salinity value, over the range 1–40‰. The instrument is battery-powered and capable of continuously recording temporal and spatial salinity variations.
Surgical management of congestive heart failure: translational research to clinical application – the future is bright!

It is clearly established that morbidity and mortality from congestive heart failure (CHF) is related to the irreversible progression of left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. Regardless of the etiology of CHF, the associated deterioration in LV diastolic compliance and systolic function results in impaired ventricular filling and decreased tissue perfusion leading to the progression of the symptoms of fatigue, dyspnea on exertion and peripheral edema [1]. The management options for CHF range from medical therapy, to conventional surgical procedures aimed at alleviating the cause of CHF, to cardiac augmentation procedures and total cardiac transplantation [1]. With the introduction of more effective antiarrhythmic agents and afterload reducing agents to the drug armamentarium, the currently available pharmacologic therapy for CHF is of proven, but limited, efficacy in reducing symptoms and long-term mortality [2]. A Survival Trial of Amiodarone Therapy in Congestive Heart Failure (STAT-CHF trial) found no difference in survival among heart failure patients with asymptomatic ventricular arrhythmias who received amiodarone therapy or placebo [3]. The conventional surgical options for the management of CHF are directed at the underlying pathophysiology of the disease; Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), mitral valve repair or replacement and LV aneurysm resection or remodeling are all attempts to reverse or slow down the progressive LV dilatation and failure. The Duke Cardiovascular Disease Databank followed more than 1400 patients with CHF and compared CABG to medical therapy [4]. The study reported favorable event-free survival for CABG over medical therapy after 30 days to over 10 years. The 10-year adjusted survival in the CABG cohort was 42 compared with only 13% for nonsurgically treated patients [4]. In patients with ischemic or nonischemic CHF, the associated or functional mitral regurgitation (MR) worsens both symptoms and prognosis. In these instances, surgical approaches including mitral valve repair with an annuloplasty ring and valve replacement with preservation of the subvalvular apparatus may alleviate these symptoms or delay their progression.
Predicting Math Outcomes Reading Predictors and Comorbidity

This commentary addresses issues concerning (a) the measurement of numbers, letters, and words versus cognitive processes in early screening batteries, and (b) comorbid associations of reading, math, and attention disorders. Based on reading prediction studies, assessments that include numbers should be most predictive of math outcomes. However, given the comorbid association of reading, math, and attention disorders, measures sensitive to reading and attention difficulties may be necessary in early screening batteries for math disabilities.
N=8 Supergravity on the Light Cone

We construct the generating functional for the light-cone superfield amplitudes in a chiral momentum superspace. It generates the $n$-point particle amplitudes which on shell are equivalent to the covariant ones. Based on the action depending on the unconstrained light-cone chiral scalar superfield, this functional provides a regular $d=4$ quantum field theory path integral derivation of the Nair-type amplitude constructions. By performing a Fourier transform into the light-cone chiral coordinate superspace we find that the quantum corrections to the superfield amplitudes with $n$ legs are nonlocal in transverse directions for the diagrams with the number of loops smaller than at least $n+3$. This suggests the reason why UV infinities, which are proportional to local vertices, cannot appear at least before 7 loops in the light-cone supergraph computations. Using the ${E}_{7(7)}$ symmetry we argue that the light-cone supergraphs predict all-loop finiteness of $d=4$ $\mathcal{N}=8$ supergravity.
EDTV-II decoder by SVP2 (the 2nd generation of scan-line video processor)

SVP2 (the second generation scan-line video processor) is a general purpose programmable real-time video processor having 1024 processing elements on a single chip. It can perform 5.7-billion 8-bit addition in a second, and a full spec EDTV-II (the second generation enhanced definition TV in Japan) decoder was implemented by two SVP2. >
A heart failure self-management program for patients of all literacy levels: a randomized, controlled trial [ISRCTN11535170].

Self-management programs for patients with heart failure can reduce hospitalizations and mortality. However, no programs have analyzed their usefulness for patients with low literacy. We compared the efficacy of a heart failure self-management program designed for patients with low literacy versus usual care.
Tunneling properties of barriers in Nb/Al/AlO/sub x//Nb junctions

We have measured DC I-V curves of niobium-trilayer (Nb/Al/AlO/sub x//Nb) junctions with barriers thermally grown within a broad range of oxygen exposure E=Pt, from 2/spl times/10/sup 5/ to 2/spl times/10/sup 9/ Pa-s, and for applied electric fields ranging from zero all the way up to the breakdown - typically, above 10 MV/cm. The data can be reasonably well fitted by the direct theory assuming trapezoidal barrier profile and using the numerical solution of the Schrodinger equation. (The traditional WKB approximation gives considerable errors for barriers so thin and sharp.) The fitting has shown that with the increase of oxygen exposure, the effective oxide thickness d/sub ef//spl equiv/(m/m/sub 0/)/sup /spl alpha//d where m is the effective mass of the tunneling electron and (/spl alpha//spl ap/0.51) grows from 0.83 to 1.08 nm, while the average barrier height grows from 1.7 to 1.9 eV, and the zero-voltage conductance G/sub 0/ continues to drop as E/sup -1/2/ through all the studied exposure range.
Numerical computation of an optimal control problem with homogenization in one-dimensional case

We consider an optimal control problem in which the state equation has rapidly oscillating coefficients(characterized by matrix A , where is a small parameter). Based on some important results from the paper by S. Kesavan and J. Saint Jean Paulin (1997), we convert this optimal control problem to a partial differential equation problem. Therefore, solving optimal control problem is equivalent to solving this partial differential equation problem. By several numerical examples in one dimensional case, we also show that the limit satisfies a problem of the same type but with matrix A0(the H-limit of A ).