cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of Nocturnal Neuroactive Medication Use and Related Sleep Documentation in Critically Ill Adults

We retrospectively characterized scheduled, newly initiated, nocturnal neuroactive medication use, and related clinician documentation, in a cohort of consecutive adults admitted greater than or equal to 24 hours to seven different medical/surgical ICUs at two academic centers who had not received a scheduled nocturnal neuroactive medication prior to admission, over a 5-month period (April 1, 2017, to August 31, 2017). A total of 207 different newly initiated, scheduled nocturnal neuroactive medication orders were written (melatonin agonist 101 [48.8%], antipsychotic 80 [38.6%], antidepressant 17 [8.2%], benzodiazepine 9 [4.3%]) in 189 (9.7%) of the 1,955 patients. Among the 1,553 nights, the 189 patients spent in the ICU, a scheduled nocturnal neuroactive medication was administered on 1,103 (71%), an "as needed" nocturnal neuroactive medication was solely administered on 183 (11.8%), delirium occurred on 736 (47.4%), and nurses were twice as likely as physicians (28.8% vs 11.4%; p < 0.0001) to document a note about sleep quality. Among the 69.8% of patients discharged to the floor, and the 64.5% from the hospital, the scheduled nocturnal neuroactive medication was continued in 85.6% and 87.3%, respectively. Scheduled nocturnal neuroactive medication initiation is common, often continued beyond hospital discharge, and poorly documented.
Expanding Public Participation in Science Practices Beyond Data Collection

This study was conducted in a museum-based lab setting where scientists research the genetics of taste. Unlike academic labs with graduate students, the museum lab model trains volunteers (community scientists) who are (in true citizen science fashion) primarily responsible for enrolling museum guests into clinical studies; thus, they collect the bulk of the data for the research. Like most public participation in science research, the non-professional contributions have historically been largely limited to data collection; however, this study shows the power of invitations and structured opportunities for expanded participation among citizen scientists in a wider range of science practices. Through interpretive case study research, we examine how community scientists exercise agency and respond to opportunities for expanded participation in scientific practices including study design, data analysis, and dissemination of scientific findings through work on scientific articles. The case study research findings show that providing opportunities for involvement is only part of what accounts for community scientists’ expanded participation. Dialogic negotiation of participation is also necessary, through bids and responses to bids, and through proffered guidance and scaffolding. Committed involvement thus entails deep cultivation and nurturing by both the museum staff, and at times, other more knowledgeable volunteers. Expanded participation is also bolstered by one’s capacity, motives for, and satisfactions from pursuing those opportunities that align with past, present, or future interests and identifications. Such interests and identifications contribute to community scientists’ willingness to overcome barriers and time constraints when they arise.
Cyber Resilience: by Design or by Intervention?

The term "cyber resilience by design" (RBD) is growing in popularity. But what is the other resilience, not by design? In this article, we explore the differences and mutual reliance of RBD and resilience by intervention.
Centering Racial Justice in Urban Flood Resilience Policy and Planning: Tools for Practitioners

Racial and spatial segregation in cities generate uneven exposure to current and future urban flood risks and worsen the economic and health consequences of flooding for Black, indigenous, and peop...
Black and White individuals differ in dementia prevalence, risk factors, and symptomatic presentation

Introduction Although dementia prevalence differs by race, it remains unclear whether cognition and neuropsychiatric symptom severity differ between Black and White individuals with dementia. Methods Using National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center (NACC) data, we evaluated dementia prevalence in non-Hispanic Black and White participants and compared their clinicodemographic characteristics. We examined race differences in cognition, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and functional abilities in participants with dementia using multivariable linear and logistic regression models. Results We included 5,700 Black and 31,225 White participants across 39 Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers. Of these, 1,528 (27%) Black and 11,267 (36%) White participants had dementia diagnoses. Despite having lower dementia prevalence, risk factors were more prevalent among Black participants. Black participants with dementia showed greater cognitive deficits, neuropsychiatric symptoms/severity, and functional dependence. Discussion Despite lower dementia prevalence, Black participants with dementia had more dementia risk factors, as well as greater cognitive impairment and neuropsychiatric symptom severity than White participants.
Dispositional mindfulness and cardiovascular functioning under stress: Predictions of social evaluative stress reactivity and recovery

DISPOSITIONAL MINDFULNESS AND CARDIOVASCULAR FUNCTIONING UNDER STRESS: PREDICTIONS OF SOCIAL EVALUATIVE STRESS REACTIVITY AND RECOVERY By Melissa P. Holt, M.S. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2012 Major Director: Kirk Warren Brown, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Department of Psychology Mindfulness – a receptive attentiveness to present experience – has been shown to promote more adaptive emotion regulation (Brown et al. 2008). Additionally, dispositional mindfulness has been shown to predict reduced cortisol response to social stressors (Brown et al, in press) and mindfulness training has been shown to promote more adaptive cardiac functioning at rest (Ditto et al., 2006; Tang et al., 2009; Telles et al., 2005; Zeidan et al., 2010) and in response to social stressors (Kemeny et al., 2012). To better understand the regulatory potential of a mindful disposition on cardiovascular functioning in healthy adult participants (N = 63), the study examined the role of dispositional mindfulness in predicting cardiovascular responses to a laboratory social evaluative threat called the Trier Social Stress Task (TSST; Kirschbaum, et al., 1993). Repeated measures multilevel linear modeling tested main effects of a mindful disposition on a variety of cardiovascular outcomes as well as interactive effects between mindfulness and time on these outcomes. Results showed that mindfulness predicted increased heart rate variability (HRV) across the time span, from baseline to recovery. There were also interactions between mindfulness and time on several dependent variables. Specifically, higher mindfulness predicted decreased heart rate reactivity during the TSST, faster recovery in total HRV, as well as reduced rebound effects during the initial recovery phase for high frequency HRV, low frequency HRV, and the LF/HF ratio. These results, however, were not significant above and beyond the significant relations between rumination, depressive symptoms, and trait anxiety and cardiovascular function. The results lend support to the stress-related regulatory potential of mindfulness, and suggest that this quality of attention may enhance cardiovascular functioning under stress. Further research is needed to examine how mindfulness may buffer the role of such vulnerability factors as rumination, depressive symptoms, and anxiety in predicting stress-related cardiovascular responses to social stress.
GENE DELETION AND RESTRICTION FRAGMENT LENGTH POLYMORPHISM (RFLP) AT THE HUMAN ORNITHINE TRANSCARBAMYLASE (OTC) LOCUS

GENE DELETION AND RESTRICTION FRAGMENT LENGTH POLYMORPHISM (RFLP) AT THE HUMAN ORNITHINE TRANSCARBAMYLASE (OTC) LOCUS
Some Properties of a Subclass of Univalent Functions

In this paper, we introduce a certain subclass of univalent functions . We obtain some results, like, coefficient inequality, distortion theorem, extreme points, radii of close to convex and convexity for this class and convolution operator, integral representation, inclusive properties and weighted mean.
Using Social Stories with Autistic Children

Children with autism have difficulty communicating and interacting with others. Lacking in social skills, they may exhibit symptoms of withdrawal, abnormal language patterns, and a preoccupation with unusual routines, behaviors, and objects. Therapists working with these children can create social stories to improve social functioning and behavior. Social stories are brief narratives that describe situations in terms of social cues and appropriate responses. They are individualized to the needs and abilities of the child and can be used to help children behave appropriately in social situations and to develop problem-solving skills.
Collaborative Analytics for Astrophysics Explorations

Many of todayʼs important scientific breakthroughs are made by large, interdisciplinary collaborations of scientists working in geographically distributed locations, producing and collecting vast and complex datasets. Experimental astrophysics, in particular, has recently become a data-intensive science after many decades of relative data poverty. These large-scale science projects require software tools that support not only insight into complex data but collaborative science discovery. Such projects do not easily lend themselves to fully automated solutions, requiring hybrid human–automation systems that facilitate scientist input at key points throughout the data analysis and scientific discovery process. This chapter presents some of the issues to consider when developing such software tools, and describes Sunfall, a collaborative visual analytics system developed for the Nearby Supernova Factory, an international astrophysics experiment and the largest data volume supernova search currently in operation. Sunfall utilizes novel interactive visualization and analysis techniques to facilitate deeper scientific insight into complex, noisy, high-dimensional, high-volume, time-critical data. The system combines novel image-processing algorithms, statistical analysis, and machine learning with highly interactive visual interfaces to enable collaborative, user-driven scientific exploration of supernova image and spectral data. Sunfall is currently in operation at the Nearby Supernova Factory; it is the first visual analytics system in production use at a major astrophysics project. The chapter concludes with a set of guidelines and lessons learned about developing software to support scientific collaborations.
THE CHANGING EPIDEMIOLOGY OF ADULT BOTULISM IN THE UNITED STATES

All forms of botulism are rare in the United States, and, as a result, descriptions of the pertinent epidemiologic features and clinical spectrum of illness are limited. This review describes the epidemiologic characteristics of the 355 cases of botulism in adults reported in the United States between 1976 and 1984, outlines current therapy, and emphasizes newly recognized features of the disease. Evaluation of recent data for botulism demonstrates several new associations and trends. These include the occurrence of large restaurant-associated outbreaks, several newly identified vehicles for foodborne botulism, wound botulism in parenteral drug abusers, and botulism from an unknown source in patients with underlying gastrointestinal disease. Recognition of these unusual features can lead to more effective preventive measures and to early diagnosis, which is essential for effective treatment.
Improvement of IGBT latching performance by indium doping

Summary form only given. The Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) has become the dominant power MOS-gated switching device of choice for medium power electronics applications. One of the inherent weaknesses of the IGBT is the presence of a parasitic four-layer npnp thyristor structure that must be suppressed from turning on to retain gate-controlled operation. Several techniques, notably the cell design and counterdoping of the MOS channel, have been proposed to improving the latching suppression, particularly at elevated temperatures. In this paper, a novel latchup improvement technique, which adds indium in the p body region to decrease the sheet resistance of that region under the n/sup +/ emitter without a concomittant increase of threshold voltage, is proposed and demonstrated experimentally.
Expression of toll-like receptors in genital tract tissues from normal and HIV-infected men.

Citation Pudney J, Anderson DJ. Expression of Toll-like receptors in genital tract tissues from normal and HIV-infected men. Am J Reprod Immunol 2011; 65: 28–43 Problem Cells of the innate immune system use Toll-like receptors (TLRs) to recognize and respond to invading pathogens. This study was carried out to characterize TLR expression in the human male genital tract, an initial infection site for several sexually transmitted pathogens. Method of Study Immunohistochemistry was used to detect expression of TLRs 1–9 in genital tract tissues from HIV− and HIV+ men. Results In HIV− men, TLR1+ leukocytes were detected throughout the genital tract. Leukocytes in the penile urethra also expressed TLRs2, 3, 5, 7 and 9. Epithelial cells in most tissues did not express TLRs; exceptions were the prostate, where TLRs3 and 8 were observed on the apical surface of luminal epithelial cells, and the penile urethra, where epithelial cells expressed TLR9. In genital tissues from HIV+ men with AIDS, few TLR+ cells were detected. Conclusion Cells in the male genital tract can express a variety of TLRs. The penile urethra contained the highest number of TLR+ cells, indicating that this tissue plays a major role in the innate immune defense of the male genital tract. Overall, TLR expression was reduced in genital tissues from HIV+ men.
Ecological Inference in Voting Rights Act Disputes: Where are We Now, and Where Do We Want to Be?

Recent developments in law and in quantitative methods have combined to place greater emphasis on coherent and accurate techniques of drawing inferences about racial voting patterns in Voting Rights Act litigation. In this article, I examine the challenge the secret ballot poses for such inferences; I then discuss four so-called “ecological inference” methods designed to address the issue. I argue that the two techniques that have dominated this field for more than 20 years should be abandoned; that a third, well-publicized method should be used only when no other is feasible; and that a fourth, while representing the state of the art at present, has shortcomings that researchers should address. To aid in understanding, I apply each technique outlined to a concrete data set. I conclude with a discussion of what makes a good method.
Steering effect at a strained NiSi2/Si (001) interface

Abstract In a 700 A thick NiSi 2 , epitaxial film grown on Si (001), tensile strain due to the lattice mismatch was observed by means of 1.0–3.5 MeV He ion channeling angular scans about three different off-normal channeling axes in major planes, i.e. [Ill] in (110), [112] in (110) and [Oil] in (100). Because of angular misalignment between the NiSi 2 ; and the Si substrate (Si sub ) off-normal channeling axes, peculiar behaviors of channeled ions were observed in the Si sub angular scan profiles. Namely, at ion incident angles corresponding to the NiSi 2 axes, the Si sub yield changed dramatically with the incident ion energy, while at incident angles corresponding to the Si Sub , axes, the Si Sub yield showed no energy dependence. Considering a relation between the angular misalignment and the channeling critical angle (which depends on the ion energy and the channeling axis), the energy dependent behavior is explained by the contribution of channeled ions steered into the Si Sub axial channels, i.e. the steering effect. The nature of the channeling minimum when ions are incident along the Si Sub axial direction suggests that a transition from planar-like motion to axial motion occurs.
Multiple Fusarium head blight resistance loci mapped and pyramided onto elite spring wheat Fhb1 backgrounds using an IBD-based linkage approach

Pyramiding QTL for FHB resistance from multiple sources presents an opportunity to enhance the Fhb1 derived resistance of elite spring wheat germplasm. Conventionally, pyramiding QTL using a marker assisted-selection approach requires preliminary mapping studies to identify the resistance QTL from each parental line and validation studies to assess the QTL effects in multiple genetic backgrounds. This study evaluates IBD-based linkage analysis for the purpose of mapping, validation and marker-assisted pyramiding of resistance QTL simultaneously in breeding populations. Eight hundred and twenty nine segregating F1 progeny from 43 four-way crosses among multiple sources of resistance were evaluated in the greenhouse and in field-based progeny tests. IBD-based linkage analysis was conducted using a mixed model extension of Haseman-Elston sib-pair regression. QTL for FHB resistance were identified on chromosomes 2A, 2B, 3B and 7B, cumulatively explaining 18–21 % of the variance for FHB severity in different evaluations. The QTL on chromosome 3B corresponded with Fhb1, and the QTL on chromosomes 2B and 7B are corroborated by previous mapping studies. The QTL mapped to chromosome 2A potentially represents a novel source of resistance derived from elite North American spring wheat germplasm. Marker haplotypes for these QTL regions are being used for marker-assisted selection of resistance alleles in subsequent generations of these breeding populations.
A preliminary study of utilization of the 1320-nm Nd:YAG laser for the treatment of acne scarring.

Background. Multiple treatment modalities have been used for the revision of acne scarring with varying degrees of success. Nonablative laser resurfacing has recently been shown to improve the appearance of atrophic acne scars. Objective. The objective was to determine the efficacy of a 1320-nm Nd:YAG laser for the treatment of acne scars. Methods. Eight patients with facial acne scars received six monthly treatments with a 1320-nm Nd:YAG laser with built-in cryogen cooling. Results were evaluated by objective and patient assessment using a 6-point improvement scale: 1=no improvement, 6=80% to 100% improvement. Results. Acne scar improvement was statistically significant at both the 5-month and 1-year marks. Mean improvement by objective assessment was 3.9 points (p=0.002) at 5 months and 4.3 points (p=0.011) at 1 years. The mean acne scar improvement by patient assessment was 3.6 points (p=0.002) at 5 months. Conclusion. The 1320-nm Nd:YAG laser with cryogen cooling significantly improves the appearance of acne scarring.
Evaluating Brown and Levinson's politeness theory: A revised analysis of directives and face

(1991). Evaluating Brown and Levinson's politeness theory: A revised analysis of directives and face. Research on Language and Social Interaction: Vol. 25, No. 1-4, pp. 215-252.
Strain arrest during isothermal uniaxial deformations of nickel–titanium shape memory alloys and rate independent phase diagrams

AbstractStrain arrest during uniaxial tests on nickel–titanium polycrystalline wires indicates that beyond a certain stress level at which the microstructure is stable at a given temperature, there is an additional stress needed to sustain pseudoelasticity or reorientation. This additional stress converges asymptotically to a non-zero value with a decrease in deformation rate in case of reorientation as well as pseudoelasticity (in the latter case, the rates are low enough such that isothermal conditions are expected to prevail). The additional stress is sensitive to the value of the overall strain only when there is a change in crystallinity (during pseudoelasticity), but not when the crystallinity does not change (during reorientation). The effect is studied as a function of temperature, and a rate independent stress–temperature phase diagram is proposed. Noting that thermomechanical coupling is a significant feature of the phase transformation in shape memory alloys, a connection is made between the st...
Distal Renal Tubular Acidosis: Pathogenesis and Classification

Distal renal tubular acidosis results from ineffective addition of hydrogen ions to the lumen of the distal nephron. The syndrome is manifested by hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis often associated with hypokalemia. More recently, it has been recognized that hyperkalemia rather than hypokalemia can be a dominant feature of some cases of distal renal tubular acidosis. It has been generally accepted that all cases of this syndrome ultimately resulted from a similar mechanism. The prevailing view was that the abnormality underlying distal renal tubular acidosis was that of inability to either generate or maintain a steep pH gradient across the distal nephron. Recent advances in our understanding of the process of distal acidification have provided evidence that different mechanisms can alter distal hydrogen ion secretion. In this article, the significance of the various indices of urinary acidification and their use in the characterization of the mechanism underlying distal renal tubular acidosis are revised. A classification of distal renal tubular acidosis on the basis of mechanism is presented. The importance of plasma potassium and renal potassium excretion in the evaluation of patients with distal renal tubular acidosis is emphasized.
Quantitative inhalation bronchial challenge in ragweed hay fever patients: A comparison with ragweed-allergic asthmatics

Fourteen ragweed hay fever nonasthmatic patients comparably sensitive to a group of ragweed-allergic asthmatics by skin test and leukocyte histamine release were tested by quantitative inhalation bronchial challenge with ragweed extract. The provocation dose of ragweed extract producing 35% decrease in airway conductance was determined and designated PD35. PD35 values in the hay fever patients were not significantly different from PD35 values in the asthmatic group. These data suggest that carefully performed skin tests may be as diagnostically useful as bronchial challenge in routinely confirming the allergic etiology of seasonal asthma.
Mechanism for 180° Proton Production in Energetic Proton-Nucleus Collisions

The energetic protons seen at 180\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} in 600- and 800-MeV proton-nucleus collisions by Frankel et al. are accounted for by a single-scattering mechanism that incorporates a new phenomenological form for the momentum distribution in the nucleus.
The significance of tonal memory for musicality.

(1946). The Significance of Tonal Memory for Musicality. The Journal of General Psychology: Vol. 35, No. 1, pp. 3-15.
War and peace: Drug policy in the United States and the Netherlands

National drug policy has recently been a source of much debate and discussion in the United States. This paper provides a comparison of the key components of the respective drug policies that have been developed in the United States and in the Netherlands. It is argued that the Dutch approach has generally produced more desirable outcomes than have U.S. efforts, and that policy planners here should consider adopting and/or modifying several of these methods for local application.
On weli-posedness of the forced nonlinear schrödinger equation

It is shown that the initial-boundary value problem for the nonlinear Schrodinger equation (1.1) below is well-posed. Some conditions for blow-up are also indicated.
High-level aspects of oculomotor control during viewing of natural-task images

Eye movements are an external manifestation of selective attention and can play an important role in indicating which attributes of a scene carry the most pertinent information. Models that predict gaze distribution often define a local conspicuity value that relies on low-level image features to indicate the perceived salience of an image region. While such bottom-up models have some success in predicting fixation densities in simple 2D images, success with natural scenes requires an understanding of the goals of the observer, including the perceived usefulness of an object in the context of an explicit or implicit task. In the present study, observers viewed natural images while their eye movements were recorded. Eye movement patterns revealed that subjects preferentially fixated objects relevant for potential actions implied by the gist of the scene, rather than selecting targets based purely on image features. A proto-object map is constructed that is based on highly textured regions of the image that predict the location of potential objects. This map is used as a mask to inhibit the unimportant low-level features and enhance the important features to constrain the regions of potential interest. The resulting importance map correlates well to subject fixations on natural-task images.
Telling smokers their “lung age” promoted successful smoking cessation

Source Citation Parkes G, Greenhalgh T, Griffin M, Dent R. Effect on smoking quit rate of telling patients their lung age: the Step2quit randomised controlled trial. BMJ. 2008;336:598-600. 18326503
Numerical simulation of transonic limit cycle oscillations using high-order low-diffusion schemes

Abstract This paper simulates the NLR7301 airfoil limit cycle oscillation (LCO) caused by fluid–structure interaction (FSI) using Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes equations (RANS) coupled with Spalart–Allmaras (S–A) one-equation turbulence model. A low diffusion E-CUSP (LDE) scheme with 5th order weighted essentially nonoscillatory scheme (WENO) is employed to calculate the inviscid fluxes. A fully conservative 4th order central differencing is used for the viscous terms. A fully coupled fluid–structural interaction model is employed. For the case computed in this paper, the predicted LCO frequency, amplitudes, averaged lift and moment, all agree excellently with the experiment performed by Schewe et al. The solutions appear to have bifurcation and are dependent on the initial fields or initial perturbation. The developed computational fluid dynamics (CFD)/computational structure dynamics (CSD) simulation is able to capture the LCO with very small amplitudes measured in the experiment. This is attributed to the high order low diffusion schemes, fully coupled FSI model, and the turbulence model used. This research appears to be the first time that a numerical simulation of LCO matches the experiment. The simulation confirms several observations of the experiment.
A Cognitive Neuroscience Approach to Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Social Phobia

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and social phobia (SP) are major anxiety disorders identified by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV). They are comorbid, overlap in symptoms, yet present with distinct features (worry in GAD and fear of embarrassment in SP). Both have also been explained in terms of conditioning-based models. However, there is little reasoning currently to believe that GAD in adulthood reflects heightened conditionability or heightened threat processing—though patients with SP may show heightened processing of social threat stimuli. Moreover, the computational architectures that maintain these disorders in adulthood are different. For GAD this may reflect the development of an inefficient “worrying” strategy of emotional regulation. For SP this appears to reflect the atypical processing of self-referential information.
Ein generator für rechteckförmige, bogenähnliche stromimpulse

Zusammenfassung Beschreibung eines Lichtbogengenerators fur 50 rechteckformige Stromstosse pro sec von 25 amp und 1,9 msec Dauer, in welchem eine kunstliche Leitung auf 1000 Volt aufgeladen und uber den Wellenwiderstand und die Funkenstrecke entladen wird.
Titanium contamination of recycled cell saver blood in revision hip arthroplasty

The use of Cell Saver blood during revision hip arthroplasty has many benefits, both medical and economic. After a review of the current literature, to our knowledge, no case of metallic debris has been reported in the blood after complete treatment with the Haemonetics Cell Saver (Braintree, MA) and appropriate filter system. A case of total hip revision of a loose, cemented acetabular component with a commercially pure titanium metal backing and a titanium alloy plasma-spray textured surface was undertaken. The titanium alloy femoral component was not visibly loose and was not revised. The joint lining tissues were black. Throughout the procedure, the operative site was suctioned with a double-lumen heparinized catheter that delivered blood and other materials to a Haemonetics Cell Saver 3 Plus. The reservoir and filter unit used were the compatible Bentley BCR-3500 (Baxter, Irvine, CA), a system capable of filtering particulates down to 20 microns. Prior to infusion of the salvaged blood, many large black clumps of material were observed mixed in the blood. Some measured 10 x 5 x 5 mm and could easily be seen macroscopically. Light microscopy demonstrated red blood cells with intermixed neutrophils, and black foreign material scattered as separate particles and within the cytoplasm of the scattered histiocytes. Energy dispersive analysis of the black material confirmed the composition as primarily titanium with minute quantities of copper, iron, phosphorous, and sulfur. A scanning electron photomicrograph of one of the specimens demonstrated a large conglomerate, approximately 2,000 microns in diameter, composed primarily of titanium and organic material.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Laser excited atomic fluorescence of some transition elements in the nitrons oxide-acetylene flame

Abstract A pulsed, tunable dye laser, pumped with a nitrogen laser is used to excite the atomic fluorescence of Sc, V, Hf, Nb, Os, Zr, W, Rh and Ru. Except in the case of Rh, the nitrous oxide-acetylene flame has been used. The results obtained for Zr and W are due to scattering of the laser radiation from unvaporized particles in the flame. Since, for most elements, several fluorescence lines of comparable intensity have been observed after the primary excitation process, the usefulness of observing non-resonance fluorescence is stressed, particularly with regard to the possibility of minimizing spectral interferences. The experimental results demonstrate that the limits of detection obtained with the dye laser source are comparable or better than the best atomic absorption limits only when the same primary absorption line used for the atomic absorption measurements can be used for exciting the fluorescence.
Adipokines and body fat composition in South Asians: results of the Metabolic Syndrome and Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America (MASALA) study.

To investigate whether leptin and adiponectin are associated with body fat composition in a South Asian population independent of metabolic variables. Cross-sectional study. 150 South Asian men and women, between the ages of 45–79 years, in the San Francisco Bay Area without pre-existing clinical cardiovascular disease. Blood samples were obtained to measure glucose metabolism variables, lipid profiles and adipokines. Total body fat was determined using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Abdominal computed tomography was used to measure subcutaneous, visceral and hepatic fat. Average body mass index (BMI) was overweight at 26.1±4.6 kg m−2 and did not differ by sex. However, women had significantly more total body fat (P<0.001) and subcutaneous fat (P<0.001) than men, whereas men had significantly more visceral fat (P<0.001) and hepatic fat (P=0.04) than women. Women had significantly higher levels of adiponectin (P<0.01) and leptin (P<0.01). In sex-stratified analyses, leptin was strongly associated with all-body composition measures in women (P<0.05) as well as in men (P<0.05 except for hepatic fat), whereas there was an insignificant trend towards an inverse association between adiponectin and body composition in both women and men, which was significant in combined bivariate analyses. In multivariate analyses, leptin was strongly associated with all measures of adiposity, including BMI (P<0.001), total body fat (P<0.001), visceral fat (P<0.001) and hepatic fat (P=0.01). However, adiponectin's inverse association with adiposity was significantly attenuated by high-density lipoprotein (HDL), triglycerides and insulin resistance. The association between adipokines and diabetes was markedly attenuated after adjusting for body composition. Despite only modestly elevated BMI, South Asians have elevated levels of total and regional adiposity. Leptin is strongly associated with adiposity, whereas adiponectin's association with adiposity is attenuated by metabolic variables in South Asians. Adipokines in association with adiposity have an important role in the development of diabetes.
Coupling diverse routes of calcium entry to mitochondrial dysfunction and glutamate excitotoxicity.

Overactivation of NMDA receptors (NMDARs) is a critical early step in glutamate-evoked excitotoxic injury of CNS neurons. Distinct NMDAR-coupled pathways specified by, for example, receptor location or subunit composition seem to govern glutamate-induced excitotoxic death, but there is much uncertainty concerning the underlying mechanisms of pathway selection. Here we ask whether, and if so how, route-specific vulnerability is coupled to Ca2+ overload and mitochondrial dysfunction, which is also a known, central component of exitotoxic injury. In cultured hippocampal neurons, overactivation of only extrasynaptic NMDARs resulted in Ca2+ entry strong enough to promote Ca2+ overload, which subsequently leads to mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death. Receptor composition per se appears not to be a primary factor for specifying signal coupling, as NR2B inhibition abolished Ca2+ loading and was protective only in predominantly NR2B-expressing young neurons. In older neurons expressing comparable levels of NR2A- and NR2B-containing NMDARs, amelioration of Ca2+ overload required the inhibition of extrasynaptic receptors containing both NR2 subunits. Prosurvival synaptic stimuli also evoked Ca2+ entry through both N2A- and NR2B-containing NMDARs, but, in contrast to excitotoxic activation of extrasynaptic NMDARs, produced only low-amplitude cytoplasmic Ca2+ spikes and modest, nondamaging mitochondrial Ca2+ accumulation. The results—showing that the various routes of excitotoxic Ca2+ entry converge on a common pathway involving Ca2+ overload-induced mitochondrial dysfunction—reconcile and unify many aspects of the “route-specific” and “calcium load-dependent” views of exitotoxic injury.
Enhanced Parameter Estimation From Noisy PET Data

Rationale and Objectives Positron emission tomography (PET) is a minimally invasive imaging modality that provides three-dimensional distribution data for a radioactive tracer concentration within the body. Local functional parameters are estimated from these images by fitting tracer kinetic data with mathematical models. However, in some applications, the reliability of parameter estimates may be hindered by the presence of noise. In the accompanying report in this issue of Academic Radiology , a novel method using principal component analysis (PCA) was presented and used for deriving parametric images of lung function from imaged tracer kinetics of intravenously injected nitrogen 13 ( 13 NN) in saline solution. The PCA method averages 13 NN concentrations from groups of voxels (volume elements) selected for their similarity in kinetics, rather than their spatial proximity. The goal of this study is to conduct a Monte Carlo simulation to evaluate the robustness to noise of parameters derived by means of the PCA method. Materials and Methods This evaluation involved: (1) generating “noise-free” synthetic PET images from experimental PET data, (2) adding noise to these images, (3) applying the PCA method to yield parametric images, and (4) comparing these parametric images with original noise-free images. Results Local parameters recovered by using the PCA method deviated from noise-free parameters on average by less than 1% for up to 32-fold of expected noise levels. These deviations were much less than those (>10%) recovered by using a direct curve-fitting method. Conclusion The novel PCA approach provides robust parametric lung functional images while preserving the spatial resolution of the original images.
Hypertriglyceridemia: a relative contraindication to the use of bile acid-binding resins?

Bile acid binding resins are indicated for treatment of elevated plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations. In normoglyceridemic patients, plasma concentrations of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and total cholesterol are closely linked, and for this reason resin treatment of elevated total cholesterol levels in these patients is rational and warranted. Hypertriglyceridemic patients may also have elevated total cholesterol concentrations, and several such patients have been treated with resin. However, resin therapy in these patients is hazardous, since the elevated cholesterol level mainly results from increased plasma concentrations of very-low-density lipoproteins or chylomicrons rather than low-density lipoproteins. In these patients, resin treatment has either no effect or an adverse effect on plasma triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations. The data presented show that fewer than 5 percent of patients whose total plasma triglyceride concentration exceeded 500 mg/dl had elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations, irrespective of total plasma cholesterol concentrations, and no patient whose plasma triglyceride concentration exceeded 1,000 mg/dl had elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Treatment with bile acid binding resins in hypercholesterolemic patients is contraindicated in the presence of hypertriglyceridemia.
Presqualene alcohol from Gibberella fujikuroi

Abstract The sequencing of steps between farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) and squalene, in Gibberelia fujikuroi was investigated.
Acetylene-allene acyl thioester isomerase from hog liver

Summary A hog liver enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of 3-decynoyl-N-acetylcysteamine to 2, 3 decadienoyl-N-acetylcysteamine has been purified to homogeneity. This enzyme also catalyzes the isomerization of 3- cis or 3- trans enoyl CoA derivatives. Its properties are similar to those of the isomerase required for the β-oxidation of oleic acid.
Using Sandtray as a Collaborative Assessment Tool for Counselor Development

Scant information exists regarding informal assessment tools in the supervision of counselor trainees. In this article, we combine the approach of sandtray and the integrated developmental model (IDM) of supervision (Stoltenberg & McNeill, 2009) to assess 3 structures of supervisee development. Based on tenets of artistic inquiry, the use of sandtray promotes reflexivity for increased understanding of a supervisee’s approach in counseling and allows for an artifact in documenting particular learning outcomes. Through a heuristic example of sandtray supervision, we illustrate how 1 supervisor collaboratively assessed the awareness, motivation, and autonomy of her supervisee and facilitated development in the learning objective of cultural competence. Ethical considerations are also discussed.
The health insurance status of US latino women : A profile from the 1982-1984 HHANES

OBJECTIVES: This research studied the correlates of health insurance status among three major subpopulations (Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Cuban) of adult (ages of 20 to 64) Latino women. METHODS: Data from the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (HHANES), 1982-1984, were examined to determine the percentages of health insurance coverage among the sample populations and to assess the relationship between access to coverage and selected sociodemographic employment/income, ancestry, and acculturation variables. RESULTS: Variations in health insurance coverage existed by Latina subpopulation. While Puerto Rican women had the highest percentage of any health insurance coverage, Mexican-origin women (particularly those 50 to 64 years old) had the lowest. For all three Latina groups, health insurance coverage was greater among those who reported a family income above the poverty level than among those whose income fell below the poverty level; employment location, acculturation variables, and ancestr...
Economic and energy evaluation of a logistics system based on biomass modules.

Abstract A biomass logistics system using large packages of sufficient size and density to maximize legal highway loads and rapid load/unload times was expected to minimize feedstock costs. Such a system has been field tested conceptually at Texas A&M University, but modeling was used to predict system performance prior to design of prototypes. Integrated Biomass Supply and Logistics (IBSAL), logistics system simulation software developed by the U.S. Department of Energy, was employed to build a simulation model of the conceptual system. The new machine concepts required development of new IBSAL elements to model machine functions. Through a sensitivity analysis, the significance of several factors associated with the design and performance of the conceptual machines was evaluated. The estimated logistics cost ranges from 19.65 $ Mg −1 to $41.26 $ Mg −1 . The dry matter density of biomass modules, the operating efficiency of the forage harvester, and the travel speed of the module hauler proved to be the most influential factors for the system performance, and provide insights into design requirements.
Symptomatic leptomeningeal metastases preceding other manifestations of occult primary brain tumors

Rarely, primary brain tumors may present with signs and symptoms due to diffuse multifocal leptomeningeal spread of tumor. These false localizing signs divert attention from the primary tumor, which remains relatively silent. The two patients reported here exemplify the confusing clinical pictures that may result.
Radiographic Protocol for Patients Needing Antibiotic Prophylaxis: Dental Schools Report no Consensus

U.S. and Canadian dental schools offer various opinions on antibiotic prophylaxis. A survey of current U.S. and Canadian dental school policies shows different opinions about whether intraoral radiographs are invasive procedures and would require antibiotic prophylaxis before treatment.
TIMP-3 binds to sulfated glycosaminoglycans of the extracellular matrix.

Of the four known tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs), TIMP-3 is distinguished by its tighter binding to the extracellular matrix. The present results show that glycosaminoglycans such as heparin, heparan sulfate, chondroitin sulfates A, B, and C, and sulfated compounds such as suramin and pentosan efficiently extract TIMP-3 from the postpartum rat uterus. Enzymatic treatment by heparinase III or chondroitinase ABC also releases TIMP-3, but neither one alone gives complete release. Confocal microscopy shows colocalization of heparan sulfate and TIMP-3 in the endometrium subjacent to the lumen of the uterus. Immunostaining of TIMP-3 is lost upon digestion of tissue sections with heparinase III and chondroitinase ABC. The N-terminal domain of human TIMP-3 was expressed and found to bind to heparin with affinity similar to that of full-length mouse TIMP-3. The A and B β-strands of the N-terminal domain of TIMP-3 contain two potential heparin-binding sequences rich in lysine and arginine; these strands should form a double track on the outer surface of TIMP-3. Synthetic peptides corresponding to segments of these two strands compete for heparin in the DNase II binding assay. TIMP-3 binding may be important for the cellular regulation of activity of the matrix metalloproteinases.
Myth, Metaphysics and Cosmic Drama: The Legacy of Faust in Lipiner's Hippolytos and Mahler's Eighth Symphony

����� ��� Many myths surround the composition of Gustav Mahler’s Eighth Symphony. The composer established a number of these legends himself, as his wife Alma, the conductor Bruno Walter, and the music journalist Richard Specht all recall Mahler telling of his sudden inspiration in the summer of 1906 to set the medieval hymn Veni Creator Spiritus to music. 2 Shortly afterward he began composing a setting of the final scene of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s Faust II, and what emerged eight weeks later was a two-part vocalsymphonic masterpiece pairing the two musical settings, which he called “das Gro ¨ste, was ich bis jetzt gemacht” (GMB 335). Since its highly successful premiere on 12 September 1910 in Munich, this work, the story of its genesis, and the ideas behind it have inspired a cult-like fascination, sparking questions about why the composer would choose to pair Goethe’s secular drama with a Christian hymn. As is often the case when attempting to interpret the extramusical ideas in Mahler’s works, his own words on the subject via correspondence and anecdotes to friends are captivating sources, yet they also tend to be misleading. He frequently revised his ideas, gave contradictory explanations, or, as in the case of the famous letters to Alma from 1909, he tells a version of the story years later that may or may not correspond with what he was actually thinking while composing the work. Yet at the same time, these sources are difficult to ignore because they paint an intriguing picture of this artist, his relationship to his work, and the intricate web of philosophical and literary influences that shaped the world in which he lived. Thus, to understand Mahler’s interpretation of Faust and to draw conclusions about the meaning of Goethe’s work in the composer’s time, one must look to another story behind the Eighth Symphony, one that begins long before that fateful burst of creative energy in the summer of 1906. Indeed, one must turn to Mahler’s friend and mentor, the poet Siegfried Lipiner. Lipiner has been all but forgotten in German literary history today, yet he was acknowledged as a gifted poet and scholar in his time, and is consid
Influence of formulating factors on drug safety of timed‐release nitroglycerin tablets

A peroral sandwich model tablet with timed release, containing proxyphylline and nitroglycerin, was developed. One layer of the tablet constituted the rapidly disintegrating and dissolving initial phase; the other, the depot phase, was in the form of an insoluble, indigestible skeleton. Amount of drugs in the tablet and their liberation rate constants were based on pharmacokinetic calculations. Upon chewing and masticating a depot tablet, the retard action usually is lost due to an increase of the surface. This problem would not be serious with proxyphylline, which is relatively nontoxic, but could be dangerous or fatal in the case of nitroglycerin. To obtain safety with this product, proxyphylline of the depot phase was incorporated into the pores of an indigestible plastic skeleton of the matrix, and nitroglycerin was dissolved in the plastic particles of the matrix. In vitro and in vivo experiments proved the loss of depot action for both drugs upon mastication of the tablet, yet the nitroglycerin release was slow enough not to cause unwanted side effects.
Moving from the Margins. A Chicana Voice on Public Policy: Adela de la Torre; Tucson: The University of Arizona Press, 2002, 141 pages

This is an interesting collection of essays written for the Los Angeles Times. The author, an agricultural economist and journalist, offers a nicely balanced collection of articles written by her i...