cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Counting crises: US hospital evacuations, 1971-1999

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the relative distribution of hazards causing hospital evacuations, thereby to provide rudimentary risk information for hospital disaster planning. METHODS: Cases of hospital evacuations were retrieved from newspaper and publication databases and classified according to hazard type, proximate and original cause, duration, and casualties. Both partial and full evacuations were included. The total number of evacuation incidents for all hazards were compared to the total number of hospital incidents for the one hazard, fire, for which national data is available. RESULTS: There were 275 reported evacuation incidents from 1971-1999, with an annual average of 21 in the 1990s, the period for which databases were more reliable. The most, 33, were recorded in 1994, the year of the Northridge Earthquake. Of all incidents, 63 (23%) were attributable primarily to internal fire, followed by internal hazardous materials (HazMat) events (18%), hurricane (14%), human threat (13%), earthquake (9%), external fire (6%), flood (6%), utility failure (5%), and external HazMat (4%). CONCLUSIONS: More than 50% of the hospital evacuations occurred because of hazards originating in the hospital facility itself or from human intruders. While natural disasters were not the preponderant causes of evacuations, they caused severe problems when multiple hospitals in the same urban area were incapacitated simultaneously. Clearly, as hospitals are vulnerable to many hazards, mitigation investments should be assessed not in terms of single-hazard risk-cost-benefit analysis, but in terms of capacity to mitigate multiple hazards. In view of the many qualifications and limitations of the dataset used here, but value of such data for disaster planning, hospitals should be asked to submit standardized incident reports to permit national data gathering on major disruptions.
Rate of absorption of supplementary free amino-acids during digestion.

ANIMAL feeding studies have demonstrated that utilization of dietary protein is improved when an amino-acid deficiency is corrected by supplementation with free amino-acid. This greater utilization of protein is detected by the greater gain in body-weight of the test animal per unit of protein eaten, or by an increase in the percentage of ingested nitrogen retained by the animal. The improvement of the nutritive value of bread1, rice2 and maize3 by supplementation with amino-acid has been demonstrated.
Improving women's sexual health: a quantitative evaluation of an educational intervention for healthcare professionals

Forty-three per cent of women in the USA report some type of sexual complaint and these complaints have been shown to negatively impact quality of life and overall well-being. With proper training and experience, healthcare professionals are in a unique position to help their patients improve their sexual health. The present study was designed to increase knowledge about female sexual dysfunction by offering a continuing education workshop combining didactic and experiential learning. Healthcare professionals representing the specialties of obstetrics, gynaecology, primary care, psychiatry and psychology attended the conference. Participants completed a pre- and post-test questionnaire assessing levels of comfort, competence, attitudes toward female sexual health and readiness for change. Using the pre- and post-test questionnaire, participants reported a significant increase in awareness about the importance of discussing issues of sexual health with their patients. Participants also reported motivation ...
Demonstration of an endogenous circadian rhythm of α-melanocyte stimulating hormone in the rat pineal gland

Abstract α-Melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) has been identified and characterized in the rat pineal gland by a combination of immunochemical and high pressure liquid chromatographic techniques. The immunoreactivity in pineal extracts was separated into two chromatographic components. The major component had a retention time identical to that of α-MSH while the minor component eluted just slightly before standard α-MSH. Male rats maintained in a 12 h photoperiod demonstrated a marked circadian rhythm in pineal α-MSH concentration. Concentrations that peaked at 07.00 h, 1 h after the lights were turned on, were greater than 5 times the nadir which occurred at 01.00 h. Animals housed in chronic dark for 7 days maintained the diurnal variation of α-MSH concentrations. However, in chronically dark housed rats, the peak shifted to 05.00 h and was greater than 10 times the nadir of this rhythm and approximately 4 times the peak at 07.00 in alternating light/dark conditions. Rats exposed to chronic light for 7 days maintained a pineal α-MSH rhythm although the amplitude of the peak was significantly decreased compared to the rhythm in animals housed in alternating light/dark conditions. Neither hypophysectomy nor superior cervical ganglionectomy had any effect on the α-MSH rhythm. Lesion of the arcuate nucleus, the major source of α-MSH-containing nerves in the brain, did not significantly affect pineal α-MSH concentrations. These data demonstrate a circadian α-MSH rhythm in the rat pineal and suggest an α-MSH involvement in the rhythmic processes of the pineal gland.
Cortisol stimulates intestinal fluid uptake in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in the post-smolt stage

The fluid uptake rate of the posterior intestine of salmonids increases during the parr-smolt transformation. Intestinal fluid uptake in post-smolt Atlantic salmon was investigated after treatment with cortisol and growth hormone (GH), alone or together. Two replicate experiments were conducted in August 1991 and August 1992. Cortisol was emulsified in vegetable shortening and vegetable oil (1:1) and implanted into the peritoneal cavity. GH was administered as intraperitoneal injections in a saline vehicle on days 0 and 2. On days 5 and 6, plasma cortisol levels, gill Na(+),K(+)-ATPase activity, andin vitro measurements of fluid transport rate (Jv) across the posterior intestine were measured. Implants of cortisol elevated the plasma cortisol levels within a physiological range, and resulted in elevated gill Na(+),K(+)-ATPase activity, as expected. The fluid uptake rate across the posterior intestine was roughly doubled by cortisol treatment. GH treatment did not affect intestinal fluid transport, gill Na(+),K(+)-ATPase activity, or plasma cortisol concentrations. The seawater-adapting increase in the rate of fluid uptake by the posterior intestine of smolting salmon is probably stimulated by elevated plasma cortisol concentrations.
Nanoscale phenomena in surface electrochemistry : some insights from scanning tunneling microscopy and infrared spectroscopy

Abstract Examples of nanoscale phenomena at electrochemical interfaces, examined recently in our laboratory by means of in-situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and infrared reflection–absorption spectroscopy (IRAS), are discussed with the overall objective of assessing some spheres of applicability of these approaches for exploring substrate and adlayer atomic-/molecular-level properties which propagate over nanoscale distances. While the direct spatial structural information obtainable by in-situ STM makes this technique of obvious importance for exploring nanoscale phenomena, the infrared probe offers not only chemical specificity, but also the fast (∼10 −11 s) spectral timescale enables fluxional adlayer structures to be probed. Four types of applications along these lines are considered. First, recent STM evidence for adsorbate-induced nanoscale restructuring on ordered monocrystalline electrodes is discussed, specifically for Pt(100) and Au(110) surfaces. The occurrence of restructuring with retention of the substrate unit cell (i.e. without reconstruction) is outlined. Apparent similarities in the long-range Br-induced restructuring observed on Au(110) with the adsorbate-induced reconstruction of (110) surfaces in UHV are also noted. Second, the likely occurrence of CO-induced reconstruction of Pd(110) electrodes, as probed by IRAS, is described as an example of the value of spectral comparisons between electrochemical and UHV systems for elucidating surface structure in the former environment. Third, the utility of dipole–dipole coupling analysis for elucidating the nanoscale spatial structure of both CO adlayers and metal substrates is discussed. The specific topics chosen, CO islands formed during adlayer electrooxidation and the microscopic nature of Pt/Ru alloy catalysts, illustrate the usefulness of such analyses in both ordered monocrystalline and polycrystalline surface environments. Lastly, applications of UHV-based IRAS measurements for exploring double-layer charge–solvent interactions are briefly outlined. The results uncover a long-range influence of ionic charge upon inner-layer solvent orientation and also clarify the roles of the solvent molecules in curtailing short-range ion–adlayer interactions and screening the otherwise-complex electrostatic-field effects upon adsorbate vibrational properties.
Philosophical Clarity and Real-world Debate

Morrow's (2014) central conclusion is that the argument for using solar radiation management (SRM) to reduce the risks of climate change is ‘weaker than it appears’ (p. 1). The work done towards th...
Development and application of LSU rRNA probes for Karenia brevis in the Gulf of Mexico, USA

Abstract The brevetoxin producing dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis , is the target of several monitoring and research programs in the Gulf of Mexico, where it forms extensive and frequently long-lived annual blooms that can cause human intoxication and fish kills, as well as severe economic losses to coastal communities. Rapid, reliable methods for the detection and enumeration of K. brevis cells, as well as their discrimination from morphologically similar species, are valuable tools for managers and scientists alike. Our aim was to produce a species-specific molecular probe that would serve as a tool to facilitate the efficient and reliable detection of K. brevis in the Gulf of Mexico. We sequenced a fragment of the large-subunit ribosomal RNA gene (LSU rDNA) from five K. brevis cultures isolated from the Texas Gulf coast, the Florida Gulf coast, and the Atlantic coast of Florida, and detected no differences among these isolates. A consensus sequence was thus compiled and compared to a previously published sequence from Karenia mikimotoi , the closest known phylogenetic relative to K. brevis , for the purpose of identifying unique K. brevis signature sequences. Fluorescently-labeled (FITC) oligonucleotide probes targeting these regions of the K. brevis LSU rRNA were designed to include at least two base pair differences, as compared to K. mikimotoi . Among seven probes designed, one uniquely identified all K. brevis isolates to the exclusion of all other species tested (Kbprobe-7), including a Gulf of Mexico K. mikimotoi isolate (Sarasota, FL) and several additional Gymnodinium species, as well as other dinoflagellate, diatom, and raphidophyte taxa. Importantly, K. brevis cells in samples taken during a 2001 bloom, fixed with a mixture of modified saline ethanol and 10% formalin, and stored at 4 °C for 7 months were successfully labeled with Kbprobe-7. In addition, preliminary analysis of labeled cells by flow cytometry revealed that K. brevis could be distinguished from K. mikimotoi in solution, suggesting other potential applications of this probe.
Age-related alterations in behavioral and cerebral metabolic responses to the serotonin agonist meta-chlorophenylpiperazine in rats

Abstract To determine the functional relevance of the age-related neurochemical changes that occur in brain serotonin systems during aging, we measured the effects of the serotonin receptor agonist meta-chlorophenylpiperazine (MCPP) on behavior and on regional cerebral metabolic rates for glucose (rCMRglc) in awake rats. rCMRglc was determined in 74 regions of Fischer-344 rats aged 3, 12 and 24 months, at 15 and 90 min after MCPP 2.5 mg/kg IP, using the quantitative, autoradiographic [ 14 C]2-deoxy-D-glucose technique. The time-course of motor performance following MCPP was assessed with a rotating rod. MCPP impaired motor performance in all ages maximally at 15–30 min. Three-month-old rats recovered completely within 60 min, whereas 12-month-old animals exhibited partial recovery and 24-month-old rats did not recover by 120 min. At 15 min after MCPP, rCMRglc was reduced in 51 of the 74 studied regions (overall decrease, 20%) of 3-month-old rats, in 21 regions (13% decrease) of 12-month-old rats and in 14 regions (2% decrease) of 24-month-old animals. Similar MCPP brain concentrations were achieved at 15 min in rats of all ages. The results suggest that the functional integrity of serotonergic transmission is reduced in aged rats and that the dysregulation is presynaptic.
Barrier membranes made with lithographically printed flakes

Abstract We have used photolithography to make barrier membranes containing titanium flakes in a polydimethylsiloxane matrix. The flakes, which are shaped as ribbons, squares or hexagons, retard the diffusion of helium across the membranes. The retardation is due to the tortuous diffusion through the composite. The tortuosity can be due to diffusion from the bulk to a permeable gap between flakes or “necking”; to diffusion through the gaps between flakes; to diffusion back and forth between layers of flakes, or “wiggling”. The results for necking into a single layer of flakes do not agree with previously published theories and simulations. The results are not limited by diffusion through the gaps between flakes. The results for multiple layers of flakes are close to those predicted by earlier theories which consider wiggling. All the results provide a benchmark for further theoretical development.
Successful Inter-institutional Resource Sharing in a Niche Educational Market: Formal Collaboration Without a Contract

Funded by an Institute for Museum and Library Services National Leadership grant, five universities developed a system to provide archives education courses—a niche curriculum—to each other. They use compressed video over Internet 2 in a resource-sharing collaboration across five states and two time zones. The original grant ran from 2002–2005, during which time the collaborative offered eight courses to 140 students. Between 2006 and 2008, it offered eleven courses to 177 students. This article details the administrative model, based solely on school- and department-level agreements, which have enabled this resource-sharing collaborative to thrive after grant support ceased. While developed for archives education programs, the model could enhance any niche curriculum program.
Zone melt texturing of YBa2Cu3O6+x with silver additions

Abstract Extruded YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6+ x wires containing 0 to 15 vol% silver have been textured by a zone melting process. It is observed that the magnetization critical current density in textured samples decreases with silver additions, unlike what is usually observed in sintered samples. In transport measurements, a J c of 5500 A/cm 2 in an applied field of 8000 Oe was observed in a sample containing 15 vol% silver.
Venus O2 visible and IR nightglow : implications for lower thermosphere dynamics and chemistry

The National Center for Atmospheric Research thermospheric general circulation model for the Venus thermosphere is modified to examine two observed night airglow features, both of which serve as sensitive tracers of the thermospheric circulation. New O2 nightglow data from the Pioneer Venus Orbiter (PVO) star tracker (O2 Herzberg II at 400-800 nm) and ground-based telescopes (O2 IR at 1.27 microns) yield additional model constraints for estimating Venus winds over 100-130 km. Atomic oxygen, produced by dayside CO2 photolysis peaking near 110 km, and transported to the nightside by the global wind system, is partially destroyed through three-body recombination, yielding the O2 Herzberg II visible nightglow. This emission is very sensitive to horizontal winds at altitudes between 100 and 130 km. Other trace species catalytic reactions also contribute to the production of the very strong nightside infrared (1.27 microns) emission. This paper examines the dynamical and chemical implications of these new data using the Venus thermospheric general circulation model (VTGCM) as an analysis tool. Three-dimensional calculations are presented for both solar maximum and solar medium conditions, corresponding to early PVO (1979-1981) and PVO entry (mid-1992) time periods. Very distinct periods are identified in which zonal winds are alternately weak and strong in the Venus lower thermosphere. VTGCM sensitivity studies are conducted to assess the impacts of potential changes in thermospheric zonal and day-to-night winds, and eddy diffusion on the corresponding nightglow intensities. It appears that cyclostrophic balance extends above 80 km periodically, owing to a reversal of the upper mesosphere latitudinal temperature gradient, and thereby producing strong zonal winds and correspondingly modified O2 nightglow distributions that are observed.
A novel group of phospholipase A2s preferentially expressed in type 2 helper T cells.

Abstract We report a novel phospholipase A2 (PLA2), group XII (GXII) PLA2, distinct from other cysteine-rich groups with a catalytic histidine motif, by its 20-kDa size and distribution of the 14 cysteine residues within the protein. Alternative spliced forms with distinct subcellular localization, designated GXII-1 and GXII-2, were identified by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Importantly, GXII PLA2s, in particular GXII-2 PLA2, and group V PLA2, but not group X PLA2, were selectively expressed in murine type 2 helper T (Th2) clones and in vitro differentiated mouse CD4 Th2 cells as compared with type 1 helper T clones and cells. Stimulation with anti-CD3 appreciably up-regulated expression of GXII PLA2s and group V PLA2 by steady state analysis of the Th2 cells as compared with type 1 helper T cells. These results suggest that group XII and group V PLA2s might participate in helper T cell immune response through release of immediate second signals and generation of downstream eicosanoids.
The decision to leave an abusive relationship : the testing of an alternative methodological approach

Most studies that consider the factors influencing the decision to leave an abusive relationship rely on retrospective, self-report data. In addition to the biased samples that are frequently obtained in such investigations, the methodological shortcomings of survey research limit its explanatory power, particularly when applied to such sensitive topics as family violence. This report introduces an alternative method for studying the decision to leave an abusive relationship. Forty-five men and 68 women were studied using an experimental computer game of an abuse-like relationship. The tendency to leave this relationship was measured under four differing conditions of severity and frequency of abuse. A logit analysis revealed that the frequency of abuse was more consequential to women's decisions to leave, while severity of abuse was more salient for men. In addition, the hypothesized model, including frequency of abuse, severity of abuse, and locus of control, fits well for women but not for men. The implications of these findings, as well as the validity and future application of experimental games, are discussed.
FULLY DEVELOPED MIXED CONVECTION IN A HORIZONTAL CHANNEL HEATED UNIFORMLY FROM ABOVE AND BELOW

Abstract Calculations were performed for fully developed, laminar, mixed convection flow in a horizontal, parallel plate channel heated uniformly at the top and bottom plates. Spanwise conduction within the plates was considered, and calculations were performed for Pr = 0.7, 0 < Ra∗ < 2.5 × 104, and values of a nondimensional conductance ratio in the range 10−5 < γ < 103. It is shown that mixed convection heat transfer enhancement is restricted to the lower surface and that the attendant secondary flow induces large spanwise surface temperature variations for which the maximum temperature exceeds values associated with the upper surface. Increased conduction within the bottom plate weakens the secondary flow and decreases spanwise temperature variations. Results of the calculations have important implications in situations for which there is interest in maintaining reduced temperatures, as well as large heat transfer enhancement, at the bottom plate.
Boceprevir, an NS3 protease inhibitor of HCV

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of chronic liver disease leading to death from liver failure or hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatitis C is the most common indication for liver transplantation worldwide and is a major cause of the increased incidence of hepatocellular cancer in the United States. The current paradigm for HCV treatment relies on pegylated interferon and ribavirin as agents that enhance endogenous mechanisms for viral clearance and are dependent on host factors. In patients with genotype 1 HCV infection, sustained viral response (SVR) rates remain suboptimal, with less than half of genotype 1-infected individuals going on to achieve SVR. This has led to a shift in the investigational focus for treatment of HCV toward specifically targeted antiviral therapy for HCV agents. This review focuses on boceprevir, a protease inhibitor, and discusses its mechanism of action, effects on HCV, and viral resistance.
Antiepileptic Effects of Melatonin in the Pinealectomized Mongolian Gerbil

Summary: Pinealectomy of the Mongolian gerbil leads to seizure activity. The pineal gland is a major source of melatonin (5-methoxy-N-acetyltryptamine) which may possess a modulatory influence upon neural activity. Melatonin administered in the form of subcutaneous beeswax implants was given to ger-bils four days prior to pinealectomy or sham pinealectomy. Beeswax pellets were implanted as the vehicle agent in respective groups. Melatonin-treated pinealectomized animals exhibited fewer seizures than did pinealectomized animals that did not receive melatonin. The results indicate that melatonin has an ameliorative effect upon pinealectomy-induced seizures, but the mechanism by which pinealectomy induces the seizures, and the etiology in which melatonin reduces the seizure activity is unknown. RESUME La pinealectomie provoque la survenue de crises chez la Gerbille Mongolienne. La glande pineale est la source principale de melatonine (5-methoxy-N-acetyltryptamine) qui semble posseder une influence modulatrice sur l'activite des neurones. La melatonine est administree a des Gerbilles sous forme d'implants de cire d'abeille sous-cutanes, 4 jours avant une pinealectomie reelle ou simulee. Des pellets de cire d'abeille sans melatonine sont implantes dans des groupes temoins. Les animaux pinealectomises, traites avec la melatonine ont presente moins de crises que les autres. Ces resultats indiquent que la melatonine agit efficacement contre les crises provoquees par la pinealectomie, mais les mecanismes par lesquels cette intervention provoque les crises et par lesquels la melatonine reduit cette activite critique sont inconnus. RESUMEN La extirpacion de la pineal en roedores mongo1icos dio origen a actividad comicial. La glandula pineal es una fuente mayor de melatonina (5-metoxi-N-acetil-triptamina) la cual puede tener una influencia mod-uladora sobre la actividad neuronal. Se administro melatonina en forma de implantes subcutaneos de cera de abejas a los roedores cuatro dias antes de Uevar a cabo una pinealectomia o una “pinealectomia simulada”. Las capsulas de cera de abeja fueron utilizadas como vehiculo agente en grupos respec-tivos. Los animales pinealectomizados tratados con melatonina mostraron menos ataques que los animales pinealectomizados que no recibieron melatonina. Los resultados indican que la melatonina tiene un efecto beneficioso sobre los ataques inducidos por la pinealectomia aunque el mecanismo por el cual la pinealectomia produce crisis y la melatonina reduce la actividad paroxistica permanece desconocido.
Single groove double cantilever beam fracture specimens versus Dugdale specimens for estimating shear lip propagation energies: BPA polycarbonate

Cracks in double cantilever beam specimens with single side grooves (S-G DCB) exhibit crack tip plastic zones that mimic closely the plastic zones that produce shear lips in mixed mode crack propagation in thick specimens of polycarbonate. In both the S-G DCB plastic zone and the shear lip the plastic strain is 30%. The S-G DCB strain energy release rate is a linear function of thickness, as a result of the fact that the cross-sectional area of the plastic zone increases linearly with the square of the net section thickness while the plastic strain in the zone is independent of thickness. In Dugdale specimens the thickness dependence of GC is different from and more complex than that in the S-G DCB specimens. For each geometry GC starts at zero thickness, but for Dugdale specimens rises eight times faster with the thickness at first. This greater thickness dependence of GC in the Dugdale specimens arises from a greater dependence of zone cross-sectional area on thickness and a greater zone plastic strain (50 to 60% mostly). Other advantages of S-G DCB specimens versus Dugdale specimens in assessing ductile fracture are discussed.
Studies of the modulational instability of antiferromagnetic spin waves in 1D

Abstract For antiferromagnetism spin chains the modulational instability of extended nonlinear spin waves has been investigated both analytically within the framework of linear stability analysis and also numerically by means of molecular dynamics simulations. For the particular case of on-site easy-axis anisotropy treated here linear stability analysis predicts the instability region and the growth rates of modulation satellites. Our numerical simulations demonstrate that the analytical predictions correctly describe the onset of instability. For long time scales when the instability is fully developed the linear stability analysis fails and the time evolution of the modulated spin waves can show both regular and chaotic behavior.
Toughened, Inorganic-Organic Hybrid Materials for Microelectronic Application

Transparent, nanophase-separated, inorganic-organic hybrid polymers with dielectric constants below 3.0 have been prepared from reactively functionalized poly(amic ester) derivatives and substituted, oligomeric silsesquioxanes. These hybrid materials are stable to 400 °C and above and form tough, crack-free films. Induced cracking and crack propagation studies performed with the application of external stress suggest a maximum critical film thickness of at least 2.0 μm under severe stress conditions. These hybrid materials appear to be significantly toughened by the chemical incorporation of the polyimides relative to organically modified silicates and spin-on-glasses without significantly effecting other important polymer properties of the silicates.
The Importance of Organizational Context on Employees' Attitudes: An Examination of Worlking in Main Offices Versus Branch Offices

Organizational context is important in the determination of attitudes and behaviors (Rousseau, 1978). This paper presents the results of a study conducted with employees of branch banks and main of...
Adaptive and Robust Control of an Unmanned Surface Vessel

This paper presents an adaptive sliding mode control structure of underactuated unmanned surface vessel systems under parametric uncertainty. The primary motivation in this research is to compensate for disturbances related to the added hydrodynamic forces and moment in the nonlinear control of a three degree-of-freedom marine vessel. The novelty of this work is the tracking robustness and the compensation for uncertainties common to surface vessels. The first work is to divide the dynamic model of the system into the ship rigid-body terms and added terms induced by hydrodynamics. A sliding-mode controller is designed to force the error trajectory into the sliding surface, which produces a robust tracking result in a finite time. For the parametric uncertainties in the dynamic model, an adaptive controller is designed to compensate using a projection-based adaptation law. After combining these two control schemes, a closed-loop controller designed by a Lyapunov-based control approach over feedback linearization is appropriately designed to yield the nonlinear tracking system bounded in the presence of uncertainties. The mathematical proof shows that a stable tracking result in the sense of Lyapunov-type stability is achieved. Numerical simulation results are shown to demonstrate the validity of these proposed controllers.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Does Socioeconomic Status, Age, or Gender Influence Appointment Attendance and Completion of 24-Hour Urine Collections?

Objective To examine the association of age, gender, and socioeconomic status with appointment attendance and completion of 24-hour urine collections to identify patient characteristics associated with barriers to treatment. Methods A retrospective review was performed under institutional review board approval for new patients scheduled at a single metabolic stone clinic over a 1.5-year period. Postal codes were used to identify poverty and education levels using US Census Bureau data. We evaluated 3 years of adherence based on “no shows,” percentage of stone clinic appointments attended, and percentage of 24-hour urine collections completed. Quintile analyses were used to further explore nonlinear data. Results A total of 447 patients were included (246 men and 201 women). Mean age was 49 ± 14.5 years. Younger age, areas of higher poverty, and areas of lower education were all weakly to moderately associated with increased “no show” rates and decreased clinic attendance. Men tended to not show for appointments more frequently than women (P = .043). When grouped by age groups, younger age was strongly correlated with decreased 24-hour urine collection completion (R = 0.75). When divided into age quintiles, relationships between “no shows” and clinic attendance were strengthened as they were when patients were divided into poverty quintiles. Conclusion It is critical for providers to be aware of health disparities in medical stone management. Low education, high poverty, and younger age are associated with suboptimal evaluation follow-up. Of note, the lowest adherence was in younger patients, a population that requires the most urgent workup.
An ultrastructural analysis of fertilization in the surf clam, Spisula solidissima. I. Polar body formation and development of the female pronucleus.

Breakdown of the germinal vesicle in inseminated eggs of the surf clam, Spisula solidissima , consists of a vesiculation of its nuclear envelope and the condensation of its chromatin. Adjacent to the disrupting germinal vesicle, two asters develop, move to either side of the chromosomes, and form the first meiotic apparatus. The meiotic apparatus moves to one side of the zygote so that one aster is located at the cortex (peripheral aster) while the other is situated medially (inner aster). At anaphase the dyads separate and those that are attached to the peripheral aster move into a cytoplasmic protrusion, which will become the first polar body. Subsequently, the chromosomes remaining in the zygote are realigned on the metaphase plate of the second meiotic apparatus. Other than its chromatin content, the second meiotic apparatus appears to be morphologically equivalent to the first. The second polar body is formed in a manner similar to that observed in the production of the first; however, the second remains attached to the zygote via a cytoplasmic bridge at least until the time of the first cleavage. Both polar bodies appear to contain the same number and kinds of organelles and inclusions, although only the second polar body has its chromatin limited by a nuclear envelope. The maternal chromatin remaining in the zygote after the formation of the second polar body is reorganized into chromosome containing vesicles which later fuse and form the female pronucleus.
Use of 4-Dimensional Computed Tomography-Based Ventilation Imaging to Correlate Lung Dose and Function With Clinical Outcomes

Purpose Four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT)-based ventilation is an emerging imaging modality that can be used in the thoracic treatment planning process. The clinical benefit of using ventilation images in radiation treatment plans remains to be tested. The purpose of the current work was to test the potential benefit of using ventilation in treatment planning by evaluating whether dose to highly ventilated regions of the lung resulted in increased incidence of clinical toxicity. Methods and Materials Pretreatment 4DCT data were used to compute pretreatment ventilation images for 96 lung cancer patients. Ventilation images were calculated using 4DCT data, deformable image registration, and a density-change based algorithm. Dose–volume and ventilation-based dose function metrics were computed for each patient. The ability of the dose–volume and ventilation-based dose–function metrics to predict for severe (grade 3+) radiation pneumonitis was assessed using logistic regression analysis, area under the curve (AUC) metrics, and bootstrap methods. Results A specific patient example is presented that demonstrates how incorporating ventilation-based functional information can help separate patients with and without toxicity. The logistic regression significance values were all lower for the dose–function metrics (range P =.093-.250) than for their dose–volume equivalents (range, P =.331-.580). The AUC values were all greater for the dose–function metrics (range, 0.569-0.620) than for their dose–volume equivalents (range, 0.500-0.544). Bootstrap results revealed an improvement in model fit using dose–function metrics compared to dose–volume metrics that approached significance (range, P =.118-.155). Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first study that attempts to correlate lung dose and 4DCT ventilation-based function to thoracic toxicity after radiation therapy. Although the results were not significant at the .05 level, our data suggests that incorporating ventilation-based functional imaging can improve prediction for radiation pneumonitis. We present an important first step toward validating the use of 4DCT-based ventilation imaging in thoracic treatment planning.
In Vivo Nasal Challenge with Diesel Exhaust Particles Enhances Expression of the CC Chemokines Rantes, MIP-1α, and MCP-3 in Humans

Diesel exhaust particles (DEP) enhance allergic inflammation by increasing in vivo IgE and cytokine production in the human upper respiratory mucosa. CC chemokines have been shown to play an important role in inflammation. We examined whether DEP could alter the production of CC chemokines by cells residing in the human nasal mucosa. At both 6 and 24 h following intranasal DEP challenge, the levels of nasal RANTES, MIP-1α, and MCP-3 were significantly elevated compared to baseline. In contrast, DEP did not enhance levels of Eotaxin at any time, demonstrating that the action of DEP was not simply a global effect on all CC chemokines. Challenge with saline resulted in no significant change in expression of any chemokine at any time. Challenge with DEP also resulted in an increase in total cell counts in nasal lavage fluids. Increases in lymphocyte, monocyte/macrophage, and neutrophil cells were observed but there was no change in eosinophil cell numbers. In contrast, there was a significant enhancement of ECP protein levels in washes performed 6 to 24 h after DEP challenge. Elevated specific nasal chemokine expression following exposure to DEP likely participates in the inflammation, cellular infiltration, and increase in IgE observed in the absence of allergen.
Using Bluestem for Web user authentication and access control of library resources

Profiles the use of the program Bluestem developed by the University of Illinois for the control of access and authentication. Uses HTTPs and HTTP cookies to identify users from a database held. Discusses the security issues the program is designed to resolve and the current use of the program before outlining future development of the project and the additional uses foreseen.
Reproductive and Metabolic Differences Between Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae)

Aedes albopictus (Skuse) females were more likely to develop eggs after they ingested small blood meals than were Aedes aegypti (L.) when both species were maintained under the same suboptimal adult nutritional regimen. The longevity of adult female Ae. albopictus under conditions of starvation was also significantly greater than that of Ae. aegypti. Analyses of total body proteins, lipids, and glycogen indicated that the increased reproductive efficiency of Ae. albopictus may be a result of its greater reserves accumulated during a longer larval period.
NMR spectroscopy studies of electronic effects and equilibrium in the organogold-to-boron transmetalation reaction and studies towards its application to the alkoxyboration addition of boron-oxygen σ bonds to alkynes.

Abstract Electronic effects in the transmetalation of an aryl group from gold to boron were investigated by NMR spectroscopy. The transmetalation reaction is more facile for increasingly electrophilic boron reagents and is in equilibrium under certain conditions. Observed tetracoordinate boronate compounds suggest a two-step, associative transmetalation reaction mechanism in which the organogold complex first delivers a nucleophilic phenyl group to the empty p orbital of boron. For certain substrates, this tetracoordinate intermediate decomposes to the tricordinate, final transmetallation product, and in others this tricordinate species remains in equilibrium with a tetracoordinate anionic boron compound. Experimental and theoretical investigations into the extension of this transmetalation reaction from a mechanistic step in our previously reported intramolecular gold-catalyzed addition of boron–oxygen σ bonds across alkynes to an intermolecular variant are discussed.
Transient receptor potential ion channels V4 and A1 contribute to pancreatitis pain in mice

The mechanisms of pancreatic pain, a cardinal symptom of pancreatitis, are unknown. Proinflammatory agents that activate transient receptor potential (TRP) channels in nociceptive neurons can cause neurogenic inflammation and pain. We report a major role for TRPV4, which detects osmotic pressure and arachidonic acid metabolites, and TRPA1, which responds to 4-hydroxynonenal and cyclopentenone prostaglandins, in pancreatic inflammation and pain in mice. Immunoreactive TRPV4 and TRPA1 were detected in pancreatic nerve fibers and in dorsal root ganglia neurons innervating the pancreas, which were identified by retrograde tracing. Agonists of TRPV4 and TRPA1 increased intracellular Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) in these neurons in culture, and neurons also responded to the TRPV1 agonist capsaicin and are thus nociceptors. Intraductal injection of TRPV4 and TRPA1 agonists increased c-Fos expression in spinal neurons, indicative of nociceptor activation, and intraductal TRPA1 agonists also caused pancreatic inflammation. The effects of TRPV4 and TRPA1 agonists on [Ca(2+)](i), pain and inflammation were markedly diminished or abolished in trpv4 and trpa1 knockout mice. The secretagogue cerulein induced pancreatitis, c-Fos expression in spinal neurons, and pain behavior in wild-type mice. Deletion of trpv4 or trpa1 suppressed c-Fos expression and pain behavior, and deletion of trpa1 attenuated pancreatitis. Thus TRPV4 and TRPA1 contribute to pancreatic pain, and TRPA1 also mediates pancreatic inflammation. Our results provide new information about the contributions of TRPV4 and TRPA1 to inflammatory pain and suggest that channel antagonists are an effective therapy for pancreatitis, when multiple proinflammatory agents are generated that can activate and sensitize these channels.
Entrenamiento en tele-cirugía y cirugía robótica: seis años de experiencia

Over the last 20 years there has been a move in all surgical specialties towards less invasive surgical procedures. The most recent step is robotic surgery or better described as surgical telemanipulation technology which has slowly been adapted worldwide for many reasons including: cost, learning curve, available technology, and applicability to the different surgical specialties. Nonetheless, its use continues to grow in all surgical fields. Our center has been a pioneer in the use and training of robotic surgical techniques. In this manuscript, we describe the organization and experience of our training program.
Free convection heat and mass transfer during pool penetration into a melting miscible substrate

Abstract A theoretical investigation is made of the process of free convection melting of a solid slab by an overlying hot liquid pool. The solid, when molten, is lighter than and miscible with the pool material. Systematic mathematical approximations to the Boussinesq equations of motion are performed to determine the behavior of the temperature and the concentration fields in two different flow regions. These are the boundary layer region at the melting interface and the turbulent core region in the bulk pool. The dependence of the melting rate on various controlling parameters, including the Grashof number based on the pool-to-substrate density ratio, the external Stefan number based on the pool-to-substrate temperature difference, and the internal Stefan number based on the freezing-point depression, is obtained by matching the boundary layer solution and the turbulent core solution in the region of overlap. Comparison of the present theory is made with existing experiments and found to be good.
Vectorcardiographic Diagnosis of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy

The vectorcardiographic diagnosis of left ventricular hypertrophy, using the Frank lead system, was evaluated in 93 autopsied male patients (70 with hypertrophy of the left ventricle and 23 without such hypertrophy). The criterion of the maximal QRS magnitude in the transverse plane greater than 2.2 mv below the age of 50 years and 1.8 mv at the age of 50 or more was positive in 61% of hypertrophied hearts and negative for all the nonhypertrophied hearts. The criterion of the T loop vector greater than H°-70° in the transverse plane was positive in 82% of 49 hypertrophied hearts and positive in one (7%) of 15 normal hearts for which the T loop was available. The maximal QRS magnitudes in the frontal and sagittal planes had too low a sensitivity to be of value while the angles of the maximal QRS vector in the transverse and sagittal planes was too nonspecific to be useful. By combining the QRS magnitude and the T loop vector in the transverse plane, the diagnosis of left ventricular hypertrophy was made in...
Negotiating between competing interests in planning continuing medical education

Program planners need to be aware of the purpose of continuing professional education in their organization and the organization's expectations for it. One purpose that continuing medical education may serve is to expand the clinical practice of an institution by generating patient referrals from community-based primary care physicians.
Stereoselective analysis of racemic psychotropic compounds by HPLC on chiral stationary phase

Many neuronal and behavioral processes are stereoselecrive, which means that they are dependent upon spatial (3-dimensional) features of biologically active molecules (Smith and Lehmann 1984). The usual way of studying stereoselectivity is to compare effects of enantiomers of racemic compounds (Portoghese 1970). A problem in the past has been, however, that methods were lacking for separating the enantiomers of racemic drugs and metabolites and measuring their concentrations at the low levels often present in biological fluids. As a result, there are still many uncertainties concerning effects of enantiomers of psychotropic compounds (Smith 1984a). Recently, Pirkle and coworkers have described methods based on chiral stationary phase (CSP) HPLC techniques for resolving a variety of racemic compounds and for determining the relative proportions of enantiomers in solution (see, for example, Pirkle et al. 1984a, b). Such techniques are very sensitive. Since advances in psychopharmacology depend in part on the use of new analytical procedures, we studied whether these CSP HPLC methods are applicable for separating and measuring the enantiomers of selected racemic psychotropic and neurophysiological compounds.
The effects of laser peening on high-cycle fatigue in 7085-T7651 aluminum alloy

Abstract This study reports on the high-cycle fatigue performance of 7085-T7651 aluminum treated with combinations of laser peening and anodization. Stress-life fatigue data were generated in a high humidity environment using smooth (Kt = 1) specimens tested at a stress ratio R = 0.1 and a range of maximum stress. Tests were performed in the as-machined (untreated), anodized, laser peened, and laser peened then anodized conditions. The results show that laser-peened specimens exhibited significantly improved fatigue performance, with non-anodized specimens having a factor of 5–14 improvement in fatigue life (depending on stress level) and anodized specimens having a factor of 8–9 improvement in fatigue life. Without laser peening, anodized specimens had reduced fatigue life at all stress levels. With laser peening, anodized and non-anodized specimens had similar lives at high stress (life
Stratospheric sink for chlorofluoromethanes: chlorine atomc-atalysed destruction of ozone

Chlorofluoromethanes are being added to the environment in steadily increasing amounts. These compounds are chemically inert and may remain in the atmosphere for 40–150 years, and concentrations can be expected to reach 10 to 30 times present levels. Photodissociation of the Chlorofluoromethanes in the stratosphere produces significant amounts of chlorine atoms, and leads to the destruction of atmospheric ozone.
Lipase-catalyzed acidolysis of tripalmitin with hazelnut oil fatty acids and stearic acid to produce human milk fat substitutes.

Structured lipids (SLs) containing palmitic, oleic, stearic, and linoleic acids, resembling human milk fat (HMF), were synthesized by enzymatic acidolysis reactions between tripalmitin, hazelnut oil fatty acids, and stearic acid. Commercially immobilized sn-1,3-specific lipase, Lipozyme RM IM, obtained from Rhizomucor miehei was used as the biocatalyst for the enzymatic acidolysis reactions. The effects of substrate molar ratio, reaction temperature, and reaction time on the incorporation of stearic and oleic acids were investigated. The acidolysis reactions were performed by incubating 1:1.5:0.5, 1:3:0.75, 1:6:1, 1:9:1.25, and 1:12:1.5 substrate molar ratios of tripalmitin/hazelnut oil fatty acids/stearic acid in 3 mL of n-hexane at 55, 60, and 65 °C using 10% (total weight of substrates) of Lipozyme RM IM for 3, 6, 12, and 24 h. The fatty acid composition of reaction products was analyzed by gas−liquid chromatography (GLC). The fatty acids at the sn-2 position were identified after pancreatic lipase hyd...
Solitons in condensed matter: A paradigm

Abstract For this new journal dealing with nonlinear phenomena we review the setting of several important current problems in the physics of condensed matter (solids, liquids). We show how the concepts embodied in the mathematical analysis of solitons provide systematic new insight (i.e., a paradigm) into a central question: what are the important physical configurations in nonlinear condensed systems? Following these general issues we summarize the analysis of the dynamics and equilibrium thermodynamics (i.e., statistical mechanics) of non-linear one-dimensional model systems, and we indicate how the solitonic configurational phenomenology provides a basis for dynamic effects which are seen both experimentally and in molecular dynamics computer simulations. Many problems in condensed matter differ from the more familiar nonlinear mechanical or hydrodynamic applications in that finite temperature thermal fluctuations must be considered along with systematic dynamics.