cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Untargeted soil metabolomics methods for analysis of extractable organic matter

Abstract The cycling of soil organic matter (SOM) by microorganisms is a critical component of the global carbon cycle but remains poorly understood. There is an emerging view that much of SOM, and especially the dissolved fraction (DOM), is composed of small molecules of plant and microbial origin resulting from lysed cells and released metabolites. Unfortunately, little is known about the small molecule composition of soils and how these molecules are cycled (by microbes or plants or by adsorption to mineral surfaces). The water-extractable organic matter (WEOM) fraction is of particular interest given that this is presumably the most biologically-accessible component of SOM. Here we describe the development of a simple soil metabolomics workflow and a novel spike recovery approach using 13C bacterial lysates to assess the types of metabolites remaining in the WEOM fraction. Soil samples were extracted with multiple mass spectrometry-compatible extraction buffers (water, 10 mM K2SO4 or NH4HCO3, 10–100% methanol or isopropanol/methanol/water [3:3:2 v/v/v]) with and without prior chloroform vapor fumigation. Profiling of derivatized extracts was performed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) with 55 metabolites identified by comparing fragmentation patterns and retention times with authentic standards. As expected, fumigation, which is thought to lyse microbial cells, significantly increased the range and abundance of metabolites relative to unfumigated samples. To assess the types of microbial metabolites from lysed bacterial cells that remain in the WEOM fraction, an extract was prepared from the soil bacterium Pseudomonas stutzerii RCH2 grown on 13C acetate. This approach produced highly labeled metabolites that were easily discriminated from the endogenous soil metabolites. Comparing the composition of the fresh bacterial extract with what was recovered following a 15 min incubation with soil revealed that only 27% of the metabolites showed >50% recovery in the WEOM. Many, especially cations (polyamines) and anions, showed
Long-Term Neurodevelopmental Outcome with Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy

OBJECTIVES: To determine the long-term neurodevelopmental outcome for children after hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) without major disability, and to examine neonatal injury patterns detected on cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in relation to later deficits. STUDY DESIGN: Prospectively enrolled children with HIE and neonatal cerebral MRI data (n = 68) were examined at a mean age of 11.2 years (range, 8.2-15.7 years). Eleven children had a major disability (ie, cerebral palsy or mental retardation). Brain injury was scored according to the region and extent of injury. RESULTS: Children without major disability (n = 57) had lower full-scale and performance IQ scores compared with norms (P = .02 and .01, respectively), and the proportion of children with an IQ <85 was higher than expected (P = .04). Motor performance on the Zurich Neuromotor Assessment was affected in the pure motor, adaptive fine motor, and gross motor domains, as well as in the movement quality domain (all P < .001). Watershed injury pattern on neonatal MRI correlated with full-scale and verbal IQ scores (P = .006 and <.001, respectively), but neonatal MRI pattern did not correlate with motor performance in children without major disability. CONCLUSION: Children who sustained neonatal HIE without major disability are at increased risk for long-term intellectual, verbal, and motor deficits. The severity of watershed injury is correlated with later intellectual performance. Long-term follow-up examinations are necessary for early detection of neurodevelopmental impairment and early initiation of adequate therapies.
A mineral magnetic study of some pottery samples: possible implications for sample selection in archaeointensity studies

Abstract We have related the mineral magnetic properties of some archaeological samples to the quality of the paleointensity data that they produce. We find that samples which have broad unblocking temperature distributions and most of their remanences unblocked at intermediate temperatures produce high-quality paleointensity data. This conclusion is based on a comparative study of pottery samples which had previously produced reliable and unreliable paleointensity data. For each sample, we determined the magnetic mineralogy and the magnetic domain state. In all cases, magnetite (or titanomagnetite) is the primary magnetic carrier, with domain states that extend from superparamagnetic to single domain, and maybe even to pseudo-single domain. We believe that the magnetic grain size distribution of these samples produces a broad unblocking temperature distribution. The advantage of having such a distribution is that high-quality data can be obtained before the onset of the mineralogical changes that can occur at high temperatures with the Thellier and Thellier method. The frequency-dependent susceptibility appears to be useful as a non-destructive estimator of the unblocking temperature distribution for samples having only magnetite as the magnetic mineral.
Asserting the political self: Community activism among black women who relocate to the rural south

In this article, I address the collective process of politicization in a group of urban working-class black women who have departed from large cities in the northeast United States and resettled in small towns and scattered, isolated rural communities in the Southeast. The study examines how newcomers became politically involved in their new environment and, particularly, how social constraints and opportunities embedded within local political culture influenced their experiences of becoming activists. I employ a critical feminist approach in which an understanding of political agency is grounded in culturally and geographically specific social relations. I argue that activist politics of returnees are framed and formed by unequal gender, race, and class relations resonant in the political culture of the rural South. Localized social conventions define and normalize allowable political roles, discourses, and actions for working-class black women. As newcomers and outsiders, women activists and their actions become politicized in the process of encountering, questioning, and ultimately, subverting these conventions. As the women returnees engaged local political culture, their practices were interpreted as a violation of established paternalist norms of community activism by both white power holders and local working-class black women. This transgression influenced the formation of their identities as political agents and may potentially disrupt the power relations in the surrounding community as well. The study's findings demonstrate the importance of situating race, class, and gender relations in the analysis of activist politics in general and among black working-class women in particular. The study is based on participant observation and interviews with working-class black women activists in three counties in southeastern North Carolina.
The determination of dynamic strength of single lap joints using the split Hopkinson pressure bar

The current investigation focuses on the determination of the strength of adhesive-bonded single lap joints under impact with the use of a split Hopkinson pressure bar (Kolsky bar). For this, experiments were conducted at different loading rates, for identical metallic adherends bonded by a two-part epoxy adhesive. Four different types of specimens were adopted, all with a given adhesive thickness. The length of overlap and the width of the adherends were varied resulting in four different areas of overlap. It was found that the average strength, as calculated from the readings obtained from a Kolsky bar, increases with decrease of overlap area. An elastodynamic model for the shear strain of the adhesive-bonded single lap joint was developed to investigate this drastic effect of overlap area on the average strength of the joint. The mathematical model was found to be dependent on both the material properties of the adherend and adhesive, as well as the structural properties of the joint, viz. the width and the thickness of the adhesive layer. A combined experimental-numerical technique was used to predict the strain distribution over the length of the bond in the adhesive. It was found that the edges of the adhesive were subjected to maximum strain, while a large part of the adhesive was found to exhibit zero shear strain. The effect of the lap length and the width was studied individually. The cumulative effect of averaging the strain over the entire overlap area, was decreased shear strain for an increased overlap area. The Kolsky bar was identified to give conservative values of the shear strength of an adhesive bonded lap joint under high rates of loading.
Just how ab initio is ab initio quantum chemistry

Quantum Mechanics has been the most spectacularly successful theory in the history of science. As is often mentioned the accuracy to which the gyromagnetic ratio of the electron can be calculated is a staggering nine decimal places. Quantum Mechanics has revolutionized the study of radiation and matter since its inception just overonehundredyears ago. Theimpactof thetheoryhas been felt in such fields as solid state physics, biochemistry, astrophysics, materials science and electronic engineering, not to mention chemistry, the subject of this conference. Quantum Mechanics offers the most comprehensive and most successful explanation of many chemical phenomena such as the nature of valency and bonding as well as chemical reactivity. It has also provided a fundamental explanation of the periodic system of the elements that summarizes a vast amount of empirical chemical knowledge. Quantum Mechanics has become increasingly important in the education of chemistry students. The general principles provided by the theory mean that students can now spend less time memorizing chemical facts and more time in actually thinking about chemistry. I hope that with these opening words I have succeeded in convincingtheaudiencethat Ido notcomebefore youto denythepower and influence of Quantum Mechanics in the field of chemistry. � A previous version of this article appeared as ‘Lowdin’s Remarks on the Aufbau Principle and a Philosopher’s View of Ab Initio Quantum Chemistry’ in E.J. Brandas, E.S. Kryachko (Eds.) Fundamental World of Quantum Chemistry, Vol. II, 675‐694, Kluwer, Dordrecht, 2003.
Bolus transit and airway protection coordination in older dysphagic patients.

Objectives/Hypothesis The intent of this study was to identify and characterize abnormalities of bolus pharyngeal transit and airway protection in a group of elderly patients with dysphagia. Study Design A retrospective analysis of dynamic videofluoroscopic swallowing studies performed in patients over the age of 65 was carried out. The study was limited to individuals with no obvious medical or surgical cause of dysphagia. Methods Pharyngeal bolus transit times were determined and compared with those from 60 young normal control subjects and 23 elderly control subjects. The timing of airway closure was analyzed in terms of bolus position in the pharynx. Results Prolonged bolus transit times were identified in 61% of patients investigated and 65% of elderly control subjects. Overall, the onset of airway closure was appropriate for the position of the bolus in the pharynx but was slow to achieve completion. Elderly control subjects were found to elevate the larynx early in the swallow. Delayed airway closure was identified as a contributor to aspiration in some dysphagic subjects. Conclusions Pharyngeal transit of the bolus may be prolonged in elderly individuals. Swallowing coordination mechanisms appear to be intact in the majority of elderly patients with dysphagia, but gestures may be weak and ineffective. Early laryngeal elevation may be an effective strategy to avoid aspiration.
Differences in the concentrations of atmospheric trace gases in and above the tropical boundary layer

Weekly air samples were collected at Cape Kumakahi (0 km) and at nearby Mauna Loa Observatory (3.4 km) which is above the boundary layer. EC/GC and GC/FID techniques were used to measure CH3I, CHCl3, CO and CH4 which are largely natural in origin, and C2Cl4, CCl4, CH3CCl3, (F-11), CCl2F2, (F-12), CHClF, (F-22) and C2F3Cl3 (F-113), which are due to anthropogenic (CCl3F) etc. activities. It was found that all these gases are significantly (alpha is equal to or less than 0.05) more abundant in the boundary layer than above it.
The Effect of Affect: The Hedonomic Evaluation of Human-Computer Interaction

We evaluated the use of color in a human-computer interface to investigate how affective cues influence usability judgments. Yellow and green, were found to enhance performance on a cognitive flexi...
The RNase Z Homologue Encoded by Escherichia coli elaC Gene Is RNase BN

In eukaryotes, archaea, and in some eubacteria, removal of 3' precursor sequences during maturation of tRNA is catalyzed by an endoribonuclease, termed RNase Z. In contrast, in Escherichia coli, a variety of exoribonucleases carry out final 3' maturation. Yet, E. coli retains an RNase Z homologue, ElaC, whose function is under active study. We have overexpressed and purified to homogeneity His-tagged ElaC and show here that it is, in fact, the previously described enzyme, RNase BN. Thus, purified ElaC displays structural and catalytic properties identical to those ascribed to RNase BN. In addition, an elaC mutant strain behaves identically to a known RNase BN- strain, CAN. Finally, we show that wild type elaC can complement the mutation in strain CAN and that the elaC gene in strain CAN carries a nonsense mutation that results in loss of RNase BN activity. These data correct a previous misassignment for the gene encoding RNase BN. Based on the fact that the original RNase BN mutation has now been identified, we propose that the elaC gene be renamed rbn.
Earthquake Hazard After a Mainshock in California

After a strong earthquake, the possibility of the occurrence of either significant aftershocks or an even stronger mainshock is a continuing hazard that threatens the resumption of critical services and reoccupation of essential but partially damaged structures. A stochastic parametric model allows determination of probabilities for aftershocks and larger mainshocks during intervals following the mainshock. The probabilities depend strongly on the model parameters, which are estimated with Bayesian statistics from both the ongoing aftershock sequence and from a suite of historic California aftershock sequences. Probabilities for damaging aftershocks and greater mainshocks are typically well-constrained after the first day of the sequence, with accuracy increasing with time.
Radium-barium-silica correlations and a two-dimensional radium model for the world ocean

Abstract Radium-barium-silica relationships are examined in various regions of the Pacific. Ra, Ba and Si are not linearly correlated except in the Circumpolar region. From surface water to the intermediate water, Ra usually increases linearly with Ba and Si. In the North Pacific where there is a Ra excess in the deep water, both the Ra-Ba and Ra-Si diagrams show curves concave upward with an increasing slope. The relationships are further complicated by a deep gentle Ba maximum and a broad mid-depth Si maximum. In the western boundary where the Antarctic Bottom Water and Pacific Deep Water are separated by the benthic front, the Ra-Ba and Ra-Si plots show “hooks” of various size and shape caused by a discordance in the depths of the Ra, Ba and Si maxima. The hook becomes smaller toward the south and flips from counterclockwise to clockwise in the southern basin. A two-dimensional horizontal model with a geostrophic circulation pattern is employed to calculate Ra distribution in the deep water with a constant upwelling rate but a variable mean input rate for Ra. The mean input rate or fluxF is the sum of the in-situ production rateJ by particulate dissolution in the water column and the bottom fluxQb. The global mean fluxF needed to balance the radiodecay in a steady-state distribution is used as a reference for discussion. It is found that anF value set at1.5 ×F fits the observed data in the deep Atlantic. TheF value needs to be about2.7 ×F in order to produce a comparable distribution in the deep Pacific. These model calculations indicate that a Ra source is required in the northeast Pacific. It appears that no uniqueF can produce a global Ra distribution in deep water comparable to both the Atlantic and Pacific observations. This is also true within the Pacific Ocean itself because of the large Ra excess observed in the northeast Pacific. Thus the Ra input rate is quite variable and increases by a factor of two from the Atlantic to the Pacific. This probably reflects the non-uniformity of the bottom fluxQb rather than that of the in-situ productionJ in the world oceans.
Abjection and Relational Cruelty

Expressions of cruelty may result from an abject condition that develops in response to the marasmic void following the loss of an anaclitic object and its replacement with a malevolent one. The abject state disrupts identity, self organization, moral development and the integrity of existence. In the absence of we bonding, the disordered self fails to acquire a sense of the humanity of others, and remains in the role of me, the victim of others' action. The victim role enhances the sense of isolation resulting from a lack of ownership of one's actions. In the absence of benevolent attachments and adequate moral structures, the abject individual resorts to corrupt, perverse and cruel behaviours as a way of relieving psychic pain. In the course of therapy the underlying marasmic condition emerges. Therapy involves exposing the marasmus to the grief work necessary for the inadequate self structures to mature, and the rebuilding of moral structures that have impaired social bonding.
Band selection for hyperspectral remote sensing data through correlation matrix to improve image clustering

Hyperspectral remote sensing is capable of providing large numbers of spectral bands. The vast amount of data volume presents challenging problems for information processing, such as heavy computational burden. In this paper, the impact of dimension reduction on hyperspectral data clustering is investigated from two viewpoints: 1) computational complexity; and 2) clustering performance. Clustering is one of the most useful tasks in data mining process. So, investigating the impact of dimension reduction on hyperspectral data clustering is justifiable. The proposed approach is based on thresholding the band correlation matrix and selecting the least correlated bands. Selected bands are then used to cluster the hyperspectral image. Experimental results on a real-world hyperspectral remote sensing data proved that the proposed approach will decrease computational complexity and lead to better clustering results. For evaluating the clustering performance, the Calinski-Harabasz, Davies-Bouldin and Krzanowski-Lai indices are used. These indices evaluate the clustering results using quantities and features inherent in the dataset. In other words, they do not need any external information.
A comparison of equivalent clinical potencies of neuroleptics as used to treat schizophrenia and affective disorders.

Abstract In a preliminary attempt to examine the neuroleptics' specificity with respect to diagnosis, a literature review was conducted. The neuroleptics' use in treating schizophrenia was compared with their use in treating the affective disorders. Equivalent clinical potencies of drugs found to be equally efficacious (intra-diagnosis comparisons) were computed and compared. This correlation across disorders was found to be high and was attributed to the possibility that the drugs effect their treatment through a system peripheral to one or both core abnormalities. The brain dopamine systems were proposed as the affected area.
Series of high-sensitivity TL phosphors made from divalent-metal sulfates.

A systematic survey of the thermoluminescence (TL) of rare earth activated sulfates of the form MeSO4:RE was made, where Me denotes a divalent metal and RE the rare earth. SrSO4:Tb3+ and BaSO4:Eu2+ exhibit very high TL efficiency following gamma irradiation, comparable to that of the most sensitive phosphors currently available for TL dosimetry. Due to their relatively high Z, these phosphors could prove useful as quality indicators for personnel dosimetry or for detecting very small exposures of low‐energy x rays of a known quality.
The demand for money in some major OPEC members: regression estimates and stability results

Numerous studies have empirically examined the money demand function in several developed and developing countries. However, money demand functions in the OPEC economies have been largely ignored. This paper estimates appropriate money demand equations for three OPEC economies, namely Saudi Arabia, Libya and Nigeria. The open-economy nature of the money demand model and its structural stability are stressed and tested. Over the quarterly period 1963 to 1979, the estimated money demand equations for the three countries fit the data quite well and exhibit sturctural stability. Importantly, the inclusion of a variable representing foreign monetary influence into the estimated equations appears necessary for the stability result to emerge.
Poverty and Behavior: The Case for Multiple Methods and Levels of Analysis☆☆☆★

Abstract Research investigating the relations among poverty, home environment, and child outcomes within biologically related families has the potential to confound genetic and environmental influences, but conventional behavioral genetic methods have serious limitations for understanding environmental influences. Careful and thorough measurement of the environment, recognition of the complex interactions of genotypes with environments, and specification of the populations of individuals and environments sampled are critical for such studies. Multiple methods, including carefully controlled multivariate longitudinal studies and random assignment experiments, provide strong evidence that poverty and related experiences influence children's development through environmental processes that go well beyond genetically transmitted attributes. Parents' poverty or affluence is due in part to individual abilities and personality characteristics, but is also a function of economic and social structural conditions as well as opportunity structures available to them as a consequence of their race, ethnic group, and gender.
Antilymphocyte serum in nephrotoxic serum nephritis.

SummaryALS administration failed to influence the clinical, biochemical, morphological including ultrastructural and immuno-histochemical features of the so-called homolous, and autologous phases of nephrotoxic serum nephritis in rats. This indicates that progression of this form of experimental renal disease is not necessarily dependent upon immunologic functions abrogated by ALS.
Maintenance of normal morphology in adenohypophysial transplants by topical administration of hypothalamic extracts with a simple method for transplantation in a pneumoderma pouch.

SummaryA simple technique is described for transplanting one or several pituitaries in a pneumoderma pouch insufflated under the dorsal skin of a rat. Topical administration of hypothalamic extracts into this pneumoderma pouch maintained the normal staining characteristics of all adenohypophysial cell types, whereas the saline injected control tissues exhibited the classical changes of de-differentiation. The pneumoderma pouch technique could be used for transplantation of tissues other than pituitary; it allows application of substances directly in contact with the transplant by injecting into the pouch.
Pemphigus Neonatorum in Maternity Hospitals: An epidemiological study

Summary During a minor epidemic of pemphigus neonatorum occurring in a maternity ward, bacteriological in.c.estigations were carried out. The isolated staphylococci were typed with the aid of bacteriophages. The staphylococcus causing pemphigus was not possible to put into the type scheme but reacted in a characteristic way to one phage. This same type also occurred in some healthy children and in the air and the floor dust. Besides the members of the staff, the newly born babies also appear to have played a considerable part in spreading infectious agents. The investigation carried out in a ward that was free from pemphigus yielded just as abundant an occurrence of staphylococci. The epidemiology of pemphigus neonatorum is discussed. Resume Durant une legere epidemie de pemphigus du nouveau-ne dans une section de maternite, on a fait des examens bacteriologiques. Le type des staphylocoques trouves, a eAte determinea l'aide de bacteriophages. Le type de staphylocoques ayant cause le pemphigus du nouveau-ne n'a pu etre classe dans le schema des types, mais il reagissait d'une maniere caracteristique a l'action d'un phage. On a trouve le meme type chez quelques enfants en bonne sante ainsi que dans l'air et dans la poussiere du plancher. Outre les membres du personnel, les nouveau-ne semblent done avoir joue un grand role comme transmetteurs de germes. Un examen parallele fait dans une section sans pemphigus a montre une aussi grande abondance de staphylocoques. L'epidemiologie du pemphigus du nouveau-ne est discutee. Zusammenfassung Auf einer Gebarabteilung, wo eine kleine Epidemie von Pemphigus neonatorum ausgebrochen war, wurden bakteriologisehe Untersuchungen gemacht. Die Typen der gefundenen Staphylokokken wurden mit Hilfe von Bakteriophagen bestimmt. Der Staphylokokkentypus, welcher den Pemphygus verursachte, konnte nicht in das Typschema eingeordnet werden, aber er reagierte auf eine karakteristische Weise mit einer Phage. Denselben Typ fand man auch bei einigen gesunden Kindern, sowie in Luft und Bodensbaub. Ausser dem Personal haben nach Allem zu schliessen, die neugeborenen Hinder eine grosse Bolle als Ansteckungsverbreiter gespielt. Eine Paralleluntersuchung auf einer Abteilung, die frei von Pemphygus war, zeigte ein ebenso reichliches Vorkommen von Staphylokokken. Die Epidemiologie des Pemphygus neonatorum wird besprochen. Resumen Durante una pequeiia epidemia de penfigo neonatal que aparecio en una sala de maternidad, se efectuaron investigaciones bacteriologicas. Los estafilococos aislados se clasificaron con ayuda de la bacteriofagia. No fue posible colocar los estafilococos causantes del penfigo en un cuadro de tipos, pero reaccionaron de una nianera caracteristica de un fago. Este mismo tipo se encontro tamibien en ninos sanos y en el aire y polvo del piso. Fuera de los miembros del personal, parece que los recien nacidos participaron tambien bastante en la propagacion de agentes infecciosos. Una investigacion efectuada en una sala libre de penfigo demostro una abundante presencia de estafilococos. Se discute la epidemiologia del penfigo neonatal.
cAMP-dependent protein kinase modulation of glycine-activated chloride current in neurons freshly isolated from rat ventral tegmental area.

Abstract Adenosine 3′,5′cyclic monophosphate-(cAMP)-dependent protein kinase (PKA) modulation of glycine-activated Cl − currents ( I Gly ) in single neurons freshly isolated from the rat ventral tegmental area (VTA) was studied using whole-cell patch-clamp technique. In the majority of cells tested with Mg-ATP in the internal solution, I Gly induced by 3–10 μM glycine increased spontaneously (ran up). In the absence of internal ATP, I Gly remained stable in six of seven cells. External perfusion of 8-Br-cAMP, a PKA activator, potentiated I Gly only in cells showing run-up. 8-Br-cAMP potentiated I Gly induced by low concentrations of glycine, but had no effect on the maximal current. When added to the pipette solution, H-89, a PKA inhibitor, blocked ATP and 8-Br-cAMP induced run-up of I Gly . In contrast, dialysis with chelerythrine, a PKC inhibitor, did not alter the run-up of I Gly . These results suggest that the PKA pathway modulates the activity of the glycine receptor/channel complex via enhancing the affinity of the receptor for glycine.
Properties of the microwave absorption in high-temperature superconductor Y-Ba-Cu-O

It is shown that the measurement of the properties of the low-magnetic field microwave absorption using an EPR spectrometer needs to be corrected for instrumental effects, which can be accomplished by using a low-field calibration resonance from Cr3+ in ruby. The results show the existence of a hysteresis in intensity and field position, but the latter is somewhat smaller than previously reported. The temperature dependence of the intensity of the absorption is accounted for in terms of the temperature dependence of the current in a Josephson junction assuming a mean field temperature dependence for the superconducting gap.
Needs assessment in depth: Professional training at Wells Fargo Bank

The Assessment of Technical Credit Skills project at Wells Fargo Bank employed a three-phase needs assessment approach that began at the corporate level and ended with job-relevant assessment of individual employees’ skills. This program was developed to identify and assess the lending skills and knowledge that Wells Fargo loan officers require for successful job performance. Tests were designed based on an exhaustive task analysis of lending functions within the bank. A computer-based scoring and reporting system gave test results confidentially to participants, with a complete breakdown of objectives missed and relevant learning resources available. In addition, an unlimited retesting option was made available. The computer system reported overall performance averages and scores by regions and skill categories to bank management. Managers and supervisors at different levels were provided with only those group data relevant to their own decision-making requirements. Follow-up survey results showed acceptance of and general satisfaction with the program.
Tilting, cotilting, and serially tilted rings

(1990). Tilting, cotilting, and serially tilted rings. Communications in Algebra: Vol. 18, No. 5, pp. 1585-1615.
Patterns of endoscopic follow-up after surgery for nonmetastatic colorectal cancer.

Abstract Background: Endoscopic examinations of the colon are often recommended for surveillance following colorectal cancer resection. The actual use and outcome of this testing are not known. Methods: Five thousand seven hundred sixteen patients 65 years of age or older with local or regional stage colorectal cancer diagnosed in 1991 were identified through the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results registry. All inpatient and outpatient Medicare claims from 6 months after diagnosis through the end of 1994 were examined to determine use of endoscopic procedures. Results: One or more colonoscopies were performed in 51%, with an average of 2.9 procedures performed among those tested; sigmoidoscopy was performed in 17%. The rate of colonoscopy was highest during the initial 18 months. Polypectomy was performed in 21% of all patients, and subsequent primary colorectal tumors were diagnosed in 1.3%. Factors associated with colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy use included younger age, survival through follow-up, and geographic region; sigmoidoscopy was also more common in relation to rectal cancers. Conclusions: There is variability in the use of endoscopic procedures following potentially curative resection for colorectal cancer, with patient-related factors and local practice patterns accounting for the variation. Further studies are needed to elicit the reasons for lack of follow-up and adherence to practice guidelines. (Gastrointest Endosc 2000;52:33-8.)
Intracardiac surgery in infants under age 3 months: Predictors of postoperative in-hospital cardiac death☆

Data are reported on 142 infants less than 3 months old who left the operating room alive after an open intracardiac operation during the 13 years from January 1967 to July 1980. The probability of postoperative in-hospital cardiac death for acute postoperative heart failure (the most common mode of death in these infants) was found by multivariate logistic analysis to be significantly related only to the strength of pedal pulses, the pedal skin temperature and the cardiac index in the first 5 postoperative hours. When cardiac index was not analyzed and cold cardioplegic myocardial preservation methods used, only pedal pulses and pedal skin temperature were significant predictors of hospital death. Blood pressure and heart rate were not related to this mode of hospital death. Oliguria occurred in 23 percent of patients; it was related primarily to inadequate cardiac performance and increased the probability of hospital death. Treatment protocols are derived based on these facts.
Patterns of Social Activity Engagement Among Older Hispanics and Their Relationship to Sociodemographic and Health Variables

The purpose of this study was to examine patterns of social activity engagement in a sample of older Hispanics (Puerto Rican, Dominican, and other Hispanic) and determine whether these patterns differed significantly from the comparison non-Hispanic White group. This article also analyzes how ethnicity, sociodemographic, and health variables (health problems and depression) relate to each of the activity engagement patterns. The factor analysis of social activities from the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire yielded three factors, which describe engagement in social activities as: children and relatives active, friends and activities active, and senior services active. The results from the regression analyses show that Hispanic ethnicity and education are positively associated with being more engaged in activities with children and relatives, whereas being male and especially a male living alone is inversely associated with this pattern. In addition, being friends and activities active shows positive as...
Tectonic erosion at the front of the Japan Trench convergent margin

Abstract The imaging of a multichannel seismic record was improved by reprocessing using pre-stack techniques. The reprocessed record shows structures that indicate tectonic erosion and gravity collapse at the front of the Japan Trench margin. Much of the lower slope appears to be underlain by a detached, coherent block of continental crust. The lower slope has failed by mass wasting and the resulting apron of slump debris at the base of the slope has become involved in thrust faulting at the front of the subduction zone. Slumping continues as long as debris is removed from the front of the margin by subduction, and the apron cannot build up sufficiently to stabilize the failing lower slope. Truncated beds at the base of the upper plate indicate subcrustal erosion as well, this probably being the main cause of massive subsidence of the margin. Subsidence was the cause of oversteepening, destabilization and subsequent gravity collapse of the leading edge of the upper plate.
Dispositional variables and work–family conflict: A meta-analysis

Meta-analysis was used to comprehensively summarize the relationship between dispositional variables and both directions of work–family conflict. The largest effects detected were those associated with negative affect, neuroticism, and self-efficacy; all were in expected directions. In general, negative trait-based variables (e.g., negative affect and neuroticism) appear to make individuals more vulnerable to work–family conflict, while positive trait-based variables (e.g., positive affect and self-efficacy) appear to protect individuals from work–family conflict. In addition, the different dimensions of work–family conflict (time, strain, and behavior) exhibited different patterns of relationships with several of the dispositional variables. No moderating effects were found for sex, parental status, or marital status. Results support the notion that dispositions are important predictors of work–family conflict.
Cyclin E, a redundant cyclin in breast cancer

Cyclin E is an important regulator of cell cycle progression that together with cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk) 2 is crucial for the G1/S transition during the mammalian cell cycle. Previously, we showed that severe overexpression of cyclin E protein in tumor cells and tissues results in the appearance of lower molecular weight isoforms of cyclin E, which together with cdk2 can form a kinase complex active throughout the cell cycle. In this study, we report that one of the substrates of this constitutively active cyclin E/cdk2 complex is retinoblastoma susceptibility gene product (pRb) in populations of breast cancer cells and tissues that also overexpress p16. In these tumor cells and tissues, we show that the expression of p16 and pRb is not mutually exclusive. Overexpression of p16 in these cells results in sequestering of cdk4 and cdk6, rendering cyclin D1/cdk complexes inactive. However, pRb appears to be phosphorylated throughout the cell cycle following an initial lag, revealing a time course similar to phosphorylation of glutathione S-transferase retinoblastoma by cyclin E immunoprecipitates prepared from these synchronized cells. Hence, cyclin E kinase complexes can function redundantly and replace the loss of cyclin D-dependent kinase complexes that functionally inactivate pRb. In addition, the constitutively overexpressed cyclin E is also the predominant cyclin found in p107/E2F complexes throughout the tumor, but not the normal, cell cycle. These observations suggest that overexpression of cyclin E in tumor cells, which also overexpress p16, can bypass the cyclin D/cdk4-cdk6/p16/pRb feedback loop, providing yet another mechanism by which tumors can gain a growth advantage.
Susceptibility relationship between vancomycin and daptomycin in Staphylococcus aureus: facts and assumptions

The decrease in vancomycin treatment efficacy that is accompanying increases in vancomycin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) within the susceptible range (so-called MIC creep) has led to the suggestion that vancomycin is losing its potency in treating serious Staphylococcus aureus infections. Understanding the clinical importance of the microbiological effects of glycopeptides on bacterial lipopeptides and lipoglycopeptides will be crucial in treating serious meticillin-resistant S aureus infections. We review the observed effects of reduced glycopeptide susceptibility on the activities of daptomycin in S aureus in vitro and in vivo. Factors associated with loss of susceptibility and ways to reduce the risk of resistance to daptomycin are reviewed, including the importance of prompt mechanical reduction of bacterial inoculum through surgery or through potent or combination antibiotic therapy, as well as optimisation of daptomycin pharmacodynamic exposure.
A full-potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) study of atomic carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen chemisorption on the (100) surface of δ-Pu

Abstract Fully relativistic full-potential density functional calculations with an all-electron linearized augmented plane wave plus local orbitals method have been performed to investigate the electronic and geometric structures of atomic carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen chemisorption on the (1 0 0) surface of δ-Pu. For all chemisorption processes, the center adsorption site is found to be the most preferred site with chemisorption energies of 7.964, 7.665, and 8.335 eV for the C, N, and O adatoms, respectively. The respective optimized distances of the C, N, and O adatoms from the surface were found to be 0.26, 0.35, and 0.48 A. The work functions and the net magnet moments, respectively, increased and decreased in all cases compared with the bare δ-Pu (1 0 0) surface. In particular, the work function shift is largest for the least preferred top site and lowest for the most preferred center site. A detailed analysis of partial charges inside the atomic spheres, charge density distributions, and the local density of states have been performed to investigate the nature of the interaction between the surface Pu atoms and the adatoms.
The Calculus of Differences: Effects of a Psychosocial, Cultural, and Pedagogical Intervention in an All Women's University Calculus Class

The purpose of this study was to investigate the ways in which a multi-layered women’s calculus course influenced the participants’ learning of mathematics. This study, conducted in a state university in the Midwestern region of the United States, revealed not only that women in this particular section of calculus were likely to select careers that involved mathematics, but that the focus on peer support, psychosocial issues such as self-confidence, and pedagogy helped the young women overcome gender barriers, as well as barriers of class, poverty, and race. In this article we provide some of the relevant quantitative statistics and relate the stories of two particular women through excerpts from interviews, student artefacts, and participant observation data. We selected these young women because they faced multiple barriers to success in Calculus I and might not have completed the course or taken additional mathematics courses without the support structures that were fundamental to the course.
Reference liquids for quantitative elastohydrodynamics: selection and rheological characterization

It is essential to the establishment of EHL as a quantitative field, that reference materials be selected and accurately characterized so that calculations may be compared with experiment. Three materials were selected as somewhat representative of the viscosity dependence on temperature, pressure and shear that may be observed in EHL lubrication: The properties of these materials were measured over a range of temperature and pressure using experimental techniques which have been shown to give accurate measurements for presently established reference materials. Models are provided for use in elastohydrodynamic simulations.
Convolution Structures and Haar Matrices

We show that under certain conditions any cubic matrix b(n, m, k), n, m, k ∈ N, determines a locally compact topological space, a Radon measure, and an orthogonal system of continuous vanishing at infinity functions tn, such that [formula] The space and the system of functions tn, n ∈ N, are unique.
An overview of glomerular filtration rate testing in dogs and cats

Determination of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is a valuable, yet underused, diagnostic tool for evaluating renal function in dogs and cats. This article first reviews the hormonal and hemodynamic factors which contribute to GFR, followed by a description of considerations when selecting a pharmacokinetic model and methods of animal-to-animal standardization. The best-characterized existing GFR markers, including creatinine, radiolabeled markers, and iohexol, are reviewed in depth, as well as alternative but lesser used techniques. A weighted means analysis of reported GFR measurements in healthy dogs and cats and a review of selected studies that have examined GFR alterations in animals with naturally occurring and experimental diseases provide the reader with preliminary guidelines on expected GFR results in these species and disease conditions.
The curious case of Cuba

As health professionals in the United States consider how to focus health care and coverage to ensure better, more equitable patient and population health outcomes, the experience of Cuba’s National Health System over the last 5 decades may provide useful insights. Although mutual awareness has been limited by long-term political hostilities between the United States and Cuban governments, the history and details of the Cuban health system indicate that their health system merits attention as an example of a national integrated approach resulting in improved health status. More extensive analysis of the principles, practices, and outcomes in Cuba is warranted to inform health system transformation in the United States, despite differences in political-social systems and available resources.
Sequence of electrocardiographic and acoustic cardiographic changes and angina during coronary occlusion and reperfusion in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

Background Previous studies have suggested that ventricular function may be impaired without or prior to electrocardiographic changes or angina during ischemia. Understanding of temporal sequence of electrical and functional ischemic events may improve the detection of myocardial ischemia. Methods A prospective study was performed in 21 subjects undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) who had both ST amplitude changes >2 standard deviations above baseline on 12-lead electrocardiography (ECG), and new or increased third or fourth heart sound (S3 or S4) intensity measured by computerized acoustic cardiography. The sequence of the onset and resolution of these signs of ischemia were examined following coronary balloon inflation and deflation. Results Electrocardiographic ST amplitude and diastolic heart sound changes occurred contemporaneously, shortly after coronary occlusion (mean onset from balloon inflation; ST changes, 21 +/- 17 seconds; S4, 25 +/- 26 seconds; S3, 45 +/- 43 seconds). In 40% of patients, a new or increased S3 or S4 developed earlier than ST changes. Anginal symptoms occurred in only 2 of the 21 subjects during ischemia with a mean onset time of 68 seconds. ST-segment changes resolved earliest (33 seconds after balloon deflation) while diastolic heart sounds (89 +/- 146 seconds) and angina (586 +/- 653 seconds) resolved later. Conclusion A new or intensified S3 and/or S4 occurred contemporaneously with electrocardiographic changes during ischemia. These diastolic heart sounds persisted longer than ST changes following coronary reperfusion. Acoustic cardiographic assessment of diastolic heart sounds may aid in the early detection of myocardial ischemia, particularly in those patients with an uninterpretable ECG.
Introduction: Symposium on evolutionary game theory☆

Abstract Interest in evolutionary game theory has recently increased dramatically. I present a brief overview of the subject and the symposium. An evolutionary model consists of a large population of myopic and unsophisticated players playing some game repeatedly through time. Strategies that are “good” replies to the distribution of actions chosen by the current population will be played by a larger fraction of the population in the next period. Thus, players learn from the experience of the population. Results on dynamics, convergence, and equilibrium concepts and their interpretation are discussed.