cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Local variations in the epidemiology, microbiology, and outcome of necrotizing soft-tissue infections: a multicenter study.

Abstract Background Necrotizing soft-tissue infections (NSTIs) are rare and highly lethal. Methods A retrospective chart review of patients with NSTIs treated at 6 academic hospitals in Texas between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2007. Patient demographics, presentation, microbiology, treatment, and outcome were recorded. Analysis of variance, chi-square test, and logistic regression analysis were performed. Results Mortality rates varied between hospitals from 9% to 25% (n = 296). There was significant interhospital variation in patient characteristics, microbiology, and etiology of NSTIs. Despite hospital differences in treatment, primarily in critical care interventions, patient age and severity of disease (reflected by shock requiring vasopressors and renal failure postoperatively) were the main predictors of mortality. Conclusions Significant center differences occur in patient populations, etiology, and microbiology of NSTIs, even within a concentrated region. Management should be based on these characteristics given that adjunctive treatments are unproven and variations in outcome are likely because of patient disease at presentation.
Frequency and concentration windows for the electric activation of a membrane active transport system

Previous work has shown that a simple four-state membrane transport system can interact with an oscillating electric field to become an active transport system if there is charge translocation associated with conformational changes of the transporter and if affinities of the transporter for the ligand on the two sides of membrane are different. The relationship between the transport flux and both the frequency of the applied field and the concentration of ligand have been examined based on the following assumptions: the rate of the electroconformational change of the transporter is much greater than that of the ligand association/dissociation reaction, and the oscillating electric field has a large amplitude. It was found that the transport flux depends strongly on the frequency of the field and on the concentration of the ligand and it displays a window of broad bandwidth both on the frequency and the concentration axes. The maximum concentration gradient, or the static head, which can be supported by this mechanism is shown to be constant for field frequencies smaller than the rate of the electroconformational change. The static head value diminishes completely when the field frequency exceeds the rate of the conformational change. The presence of an optimal field frequency has been shown experimentally in several membrane enzyme systems. The theory was applied to the description of Rb and Na pumping in human erythrocytes stimulated by an AC field. The prediction of a window for a ligand concentration and the static head value may be tested experimentally.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The Great Depression: America in the 1930s

The Great Depression of the 1930s turned the lives of ordinary Americans upside down, leaving an indelible mark on the nation's psyche. The Great Depression: America in the 1930s is award-winning historian T. H. Watkins's lively political, economic, and cultural account of this age of hardship and hope. This companion volume to the public television series The Great Depression tells the story of a decade of disaster, challenge, and change. It begins with the most devastating economic crash in modern history and recounts an epic narrative of human suffering, social turmoil, and a political revolution that transformed the outline of American life and government - from unprecedented federal programs such as Social Security, the Civilian Conservation Corps, and massive public works projects to local grass-roots movements whose energies helped forge a new relationship between citizens and their government, citizens and their presidents. During this great era a new kind of hope was born, one that would not only help lead the way out of the despair of the depression but would live on to inspire postwar crusades for civil rights, women's rights, environmentalism, and other social movements. Illustrated with more than 150 photographs, documents, and posters - many of them published here for the first time - The Great Depression stands as the essential chronicle of a decade that shaped America's consciousness and character forever in an age not unlike our own.
ETHNICITY AND JUDGES' SENTENCING DECISIONS: HISPANIC-BLACK-WHITE COMPARISONS

This study uses data on Pennsylvania sentencing practices to compare the sentence outcomes of white, black, and Hispanic defendants. Besides the overall more lenient treatment of white defendants, our main finding is that Hispanic defendants are the defendant subgroup most at risk to receive the harshest penalty. This pattern is held across all comparisons—i.e., for both the in/out and term-length decisions and for both drug and nondrug cases. These findings are consistent with the “focal concerns” framework on sentencing and with hypotheses drawn from the writings on prejudice and inter group hostility suggesting that the specific social and historical context facing Hispanic Americans will exacerbate perceptions of their cultural dissimilarity and the “threat” they pose.
The use of natural gas heating to prevent spring freeze damage in the appalachian fruit region of the United States

Abstract A natural gas heating system covering 50 acres of apples in Hancock, Maryland, was used to prevent freeze damage during the night of April 19–20, 1969. Simple wind proof burners with cones are installed 40/acre. Each heater's B.T.U. output ranges from about 38,000/h at about 5 p.s.i. to 180,000/h at 20 p.s.i. This provides a maximum B.T.U./acre of 7 million. By starting at 5 p.s.i. at 23.30 E.S.T., increasing to 10 p.s.i. at 02.30 E.S.T. and 15 p.s.i. at 04.00 E.S.T., a heating effect of 4°F or more was maintained in the 5–15 ft. fruit zone through the night. Minimum in the test area at the 5-ft. level was 31°F compared with the check 5-ft. level minimum of 23°F.
Quantification of singlet oxygen production in the reaction of superoxide with hydrogen peroxide using a selective chemiluminescent probe.

A sensitive chemiluminescent probe that selectively reacts with singlet oxygen in the presence of superoxide and hydrogen peroxide has been used to quantify the production of singlet oxygen in the reaction of superoxide with hydrogen peroxide. The yield of singlet oxygen from this reaction was found to be low (0.2% relative to the initial superoxide concentration). No evidence for the formation of hydroxyl radical was observed in this reaction, ruling out the Haber−Weiss mechanism as a major singlet oxygen formation pathway. No singlet oxygen production was observed in the reaction of superoxide with 2-nitrobenzoic acid, which has a pKa similar to that of hydrogen peroxide, rendering the protonation of superoxide, followed by its disproportionation, an unlikely explanation for the formation of singlet oxygen in this system. The low yields of singlet oxygen and hydroxyl radical suggest that their formation in this reaction should be relatively unimportant in biological systems.
An Investigation of Instantaneous Diffusion and Concentration Fluctuations.

Abstract Instantaneous plume behavior is investigated via experimental and modeling results from a recent field campaign. The data consist of wind velocity and concentration measurements collected 700 m from a point source of sulfur hexafluoride during stable and neutral conditions. Fixed-point and traverse concentration data are analyzed in terms of concentration fluctuation statistics and diffusion coefficients. For the fixed-point data during this study, concentration fluctuation intensities vary between 0.7 and 4.5, intermittency factors are between 0.18 and 0.95, and peak-to-mean ratios range from 4.5 to 41.1. For traverse data, two methods are used to estimate the instantaneous diffusion coefficient σγ1, which is defined as the standard deviation of the crosswind concentration distribution of the instantaneous plume. Using the moment method, coefficients for this dataset range from 10.3 to 132.1 m. Using the peak concentrations and an assumption of a Gaussian concentration distribution in the vertic...
The Honnêête homme as Music Critic: Taste, Rhetoric, and Politesse in the 17th-Century French Reception of Italian Music

ABSTRACT The French concept of Taste ( gouut ) has largely been viewed from an 18th-century tradition of aesthetics in which philosophers attempted to incorporate it into a rationalized systematic theory of musical expression. Its original 17th-century usage, however, was derived from the principles of classical rhetoric and noble etiquette, or politesse . Following the tenets of Cicero communicated by humanist writers, these principles require the ideal gentleman (the honneete homme ) to adapt his knowledge and talents ( agreements ) to the requirements of good society just as an orator carefully chooses the appropriate rhetorical figures to convince and move his hearers. According to the principles of rhetoric, any overuse of figures (or agreements ) vitiates their very effectiveness by drawing attention to their artificiality. Thus the 17th-century understanding of taste required the concealment of labor, knowledge, and ““artifice”” behind an effortlessly ““natural”” and pleasing courtly facade. This concept of taste became influential in courtly contexts of amateur music-making in the early part of the century, when it was incarnated by Pierre de Nyert, whose manner of singing was hailed as the model of ““politesse du chant.”” The principles of politesse played a significant role in the controversy over Italian music, whose perceived overuse of ““learned”” musical figures (dissonance, chromaticism, and other techniques) was viewed as a bourgeois flaunting of musical talent and rhetorical artifice.
Some Exceptional 2-Adic Buildings

Tits [ 191 has initiated the study of geometries having properties strongly resembling those of buildings (compare [6]). His main result is that, in general, such a geometry is the image of a building under a suitable type of morphism. These geometries that are almost buildings were called GABS in [lo], and finite examples were described in [2, 8, 10, 15, 161 that are not buildings but have highly transitive groups. In this paper we will proceed in the opposite direction. An unexpected type of description is given for the afftne buildings associated to some low-dimensional 2-adic orthogonal groups. This description makes it easy to produce infinitely many finite GABS having large groups. Specifically, we construct subgroups of 0’(8, a,), O(7, a,), LV(6, Q,) and G2(U4J that are flag-transitive on the corresponding affine buildings and can be written using matrices with entries in the subring Z [4] of the rationals. (These flag-transitive groups are just Q(Z[+], f,) and the automorphism group of the non-split Cayley algebra over Z [f ], where k = 8, 7 or 6 and fk is the quadratic form C: xi .) If m is any odd integer > 1 and these matrices are viewed modulo m then a finite GAB is obtained having a flag-transitive group and one of the following diagrams.
IL-12 Gene Therapy of Leukemia with Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells without the Toxicity of Systemic IL-12 Treatment

We have previously shown that the myeloid progenitor cell line 32Dc13 transduced with mIL-12 cDNAs (32DIL-12 cells) induces IFN-gamma and NK-cell-mediated cytotoxicity in vivo. Since systemic therapy with recombinant IL-12 protein has been shown to produce moderate to severe toxic side effects we examined whether IL-12 gene therapy with hematopoietic progenitor cells also induces systemic toxicities that are commonly associated with the administration of rIL-12 protein. Injection of large doses of IL-12 secreting 32DIL-12 cells (5 to 6 x 10(7) cells) significantly reduced mortality in mice injected with a lethal dose of 32Dp210 myeloid leukemia cells. More importantly, injection of similar doses of transduced cells failed to reduce body weight significantly or produce other visible signs of toxicity, i.e., fur ruffling or lethargy. There was no evidence of hematologic or hematopoietic toxicity resulting from the injection of transduced cells. In addition, microscopic examination of liver, kidney, lung, and intestine of mice injected with transduced cells revealed the absence of tissue necrosis or inflammatory response in any of these organs. Finally, 32DIL-12 cells were not found to interfere with the engraftment of syngeneic bone marrow transplant or the hematopoietic reconstitution of irradiated mice. These results demonstrate that IL-12 gene therapy with hematopoietic progenitor cells is nontoxic and provide a rationale for exploring the feasibility of treating minimal residual leukemia with IL-12 gene therapy.
On the behavior of attractors under finite difference approximation

We recall that the long-time behavior of the Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation is the same as that of a certain finite system of ordinary differential equations. We show how a particular finite difference scheme approximating the Kuramoto-Sivashinsky may be viewed as a small C 1 perturbation of this system for the grid spacing sufficiently small. As a consequence one may make deductions about how the global attractor and the flow on the attractor behaves under this approximation. For a sufficiently refined grid the long-time behavior of the solutions of the finite difference scheme is a function of the solutions at certain grid points, whose number and position remain fixed as the grid is refined. Though the results are worked out explicitly for the Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation, the results extend to other infinite-dimensional dissipative systems.
Design of complex information

This paper addresses the issues surrounding analysis and design which supports developing web-based information for use in situations which require supporting multiple levels of audience knowledge and ability. Firmly focused on communicating information, it addresses the analysis and design of information content requirements for systems that assemble customized information; a communication possibility that has only recently become possible on a practical scale. It develops a five element model (situation, user, user goals, information needs, system). It builds an argument stressing the need to analyze and design for user goals and information needs within the situational context in order to maximize communication with the user.
Synthesis of N,N′-[methyl-14C]-dimethylhydrazine of high specific activity

N,N′-[Methyl-14C]-dimethylhydrazine dihydrochloride (2) having a specific activity of 112.5 mCi/mmol was prepared in two steps from ethyl hydrazinedicarboxylate ( ) in dry THF and 14C-methyl iodide with a specific activity of approximately 58 mCi/mmol. Methylation of following treatment with KOEt and subsequent hydrolysis of the intermediate ethyl N,N′-[methyl-14C]- dimethylhydrazinedicarboxylate () in conc. HC1 afforded in 64% yield following purification by thin layer chromatography.
From Data or Dogma? The Myth of the Ideal Helix

In the course of building detailed surface representations for peptidomimetics, we were motivated to analyze the detailed surfaces of helices in proteins. Unexpectedly, we observed few ideal helical forms in high-resolution protein structures. Instead of a bimodal distribution matching the well-known alpha and 3(10) helical forms, we observed a smooth, single-peaked population, characterized by intermediate helices with shared hydrogen bonds. Bifurcated, or three-center hydrogen bonds, have been well-documented in small molecules and peptides, but they're rarely highlighted in the context of folded proteins. The data suggests shared hydrogen bonds are a major component of helices in proteins.Contrary to the Pauling-Corey-Branson models, we did not restrict our analysis to single hydrogen bonds--shared three-center hydrogen bonds were included. High resolution (<2.0 A), electron density data is sharp enough that a helical structure should be unambiguous and accurately modeled. These helices are centered on an intermediate helical form. At poorer resolutions (2.0-5.0 A), electron density is ambiguous; refinement fitting methods are employed to model ideal structures into the data. Here there is an enriched population of ideal structures. A structurally representative subset of proteins reveals the same trends as the whole PDB. The data support the observation that ideal helical parameters do not accurately describe the distribution of real helices in proteins.Hydrogen bonds are a polar (and polarizable) moiety and an accurate model must account for this. We present data comparing molecular dynamics simulations using popular monopole force fields (OPLS-AA and CHARMM) with a next generation force field (AMOEBA) implementing polarizability and multipole electrostatics. AMOEBA simulations are shown to quantitatively reproduce the experimentally observed trends in helical populations. These results emphasize the importance of using appropriate force field potential models when simulating hydrogen bonded structures in proteins.
Correlates of expected positive and negative support for smoking cessation among a sample of chronically ill veterans.

Abstract Objective To examine demographic, relationship, and smoking history factors related to expected positive and negative support for quitting smoking among chronically ill veterans. Methods Data for this report comes from baseline data from a randomized controlled trial of a support-based smoking cessation intervention for veterans with chronic diseases (cancer, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). We used separate multiple linear regression models to analyze relationships between positive and negative support and variables selected for model entry. Results Veterans in our sample expected high positive and negative support for quitting. Veterans who were married/living as married, had some college education, were female, or named a female support person expected higher levels of positive support. Veterans who named a female or a nonsmoker as a support person expected higher levels of negative support. Males and non-Caucasians also reported higher levels of expected negative support. Conclusions Individual differences that influence perceptions of expected support are likely to influence intervention participation and engagement. Thus, understanding factors associated with expected positive and negative support is necessary to optimize future implementation of support-based cessation interventions through better treatment matching.
Application of a simple diagonal force field to the simulation of cyclopentane conformational dynamics

Molecular dynamics simulations have been carried out on the cyclopentane molecule using a diagonal force field and the results compared with both experiment and a recent study which used the MM3 force field [W. Cui, F. Li, and N. L. Allinger, J. Am. Chem. Soc.,115, 2943 (1993)]. The current simulation resulted in an RMS pseudorotational velocity of 1036 deg/ps, compared to the model estimated value of 400 deg/ps and the MM3 result of 1700 deg/ps. The pseudorotation amplitude was calculated to be 0.46 ± 0.02 A, compared to the experimental value of 0.48 A and the MM3 value of 0.5 ± 0.03 A. The two distinct average C(SINGLE BOND)H bond lengths seen for the axial and equatorial conformations in the MM3 simulation were not observed. The energy barrier to passing through the planar conformation was calculated at 4.7 kcal/mol as compared to the experimental value of 5.2 kcal/mol and the MM3 value of 4.2 kcal/mol. During the simulation, the angle bending term dominated the potential energy, followed by the torsion energy, as was seen with MM3. The third largest energy term was the bond stretching, followed by the van der Waals interaction, the reverse of what was seen with MM3. The effects of carrying out the simulation under conditions of constant energy versus constant temperature are discussed. © 1996 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Composition dependent metamagnetism in Co1−xNixCl2·2H2O

Abstract The title system is a mixture of two well-studied antiferromagnets, which exhibit metamagnetic transitions near 31 kG (Co) and 19 kG (Ni), respectively. It is found that in Co 1− x Ni x Cl 2 ·2H 2 O the metamagnetism persists, and that for compositions where the nickel species is a sufficiently large minority component the transition occurs at fields substantially less than for either pure component.
Alcohol and storage deficits: Kind of processing?

Three experiments were performed to test an explanation of alcohol-induced storage deficits that was based on the proposition that alcohol intoxication affects the kind of information-processing strategies employed by the learner. Incidental-learning procedures were used, and processing activities were manipulated through orienting task instructions. The manipulation of type of processing (phonemic or semantic), opportunity to process, and complexity of the semantic context failed to eliminate or reduce the detrimental effects of alcohol on recall performance. In all experiments, however, the pattern of results with respect to the effectiveness of encoding variables replicated the findings of numerous previous investigations (e.g., Craik & Tulving, 1975 ). The results suggest that differences in kinds of processing do not explain alcohol's negative effects on memory.
Promoter clearance by T7 RNA polymerase. Initial bubble collapse and transcript dissociation monitored by base analog fluorescence.

Footprinting, fluorescence, and x-ray structural information from the initial, promoter-bound complex of T7 RNA polymerase describes the very beginning of the initiation of transcription, whereas recent fluorescence and biochemical studies paint a preliminary picture of an elongation complex. The current work focuses on the transition from an initially transcribing, promoter-bound complex to an elongation complex clear of the promoter. Fluorescence quenching is used to follow the melted state of the DNA bubble, and a novel approach using a locally mismatched fluorescent base analog reports on the local structure of the heteroduplex. Fluorescent base analogs placed at positions −2 and −1 of the promoter indicate that this initially melted, nontranscribed region remains melted as the polymerase translocates through to position +8. In progressing to position +9, this region of the DNA bubble begins to collapse. Probes placed at positions +1 and +2 of the template strand indicate that the 5′ end of the RNA remains in a heteroduplex as the complex translocates to position +10. Subsequent translocation leads to sequential dissociation of the first 2 bases of the RNA. These results show that the initially transcribing complex bubble can reach a size of up to 13 base pairs and a maximal heteroduplex length of 10 base pairs. They further indicate that initial bubble collapse precedes dissociation of the 5′ end of the RNA.
Microanalysis of dual phase steels

Comparaison des profils de concentration de Mn prevus par un modele d'equilibre local avec ceux trouves par analyse RX a dispersion d'energie (EDAX) et par microscopie electronique a transmission par balayage (STEM)
Procedures for monitoring the low-phenylalanine diet in treatment of phenylketonuria.

Treatment of phenylketonuria consists of providing an intake of phenylalanine high enough to meet the nutritional needs of a growing child without exceeding his limited capacity to utilize it. This balance can be achieved by considering serum phenylalanine levels, urinary phenylalanine excretion, and urinary orthohydroxyphenylacetic acid excretion in relation to the phenylalanine intake. Practical procedures are recommended for obtaining these data. During periods of febrile illness, phenylalanine deficiency, or phenylalanine excess, characteristic changes occur in the relationships between intake of phenylalanine and the biochemical parameters. Interpretation of these changes is the basis on which dietary alterations are made.
Can the public expectation of emotion cause that emotion?1

An experiment investigated reactions to expectancies as a function of the reasons from which the expectancies were derived. Each subject was told that he was expected to feel inhibited performing a singing task. The expectancy was presented as based either on the subject's description of his personality, on the past performance of others with interests similar to those of the subject, or on the past performance of others with the same birth order position as the subject. Subjects then sang a piece without accompaniment for a tape recorder, ostensibly providing data about the effects of inhibition on the physical properties of the human voice. Subjects expected to be paid proportionally to the duration of their singing. The expectancies based on self-descriptions and on others with similar interests elicited faster singing, implying a willingness to sacrifice financial rewards in order to end an embarrassing situation, than the singing of no expectancy control group subjects, suggesting that these subjects actually did feel more inhibited than the control subjects. The expectancy based on birth order did not produce singing durations that differed significantly from the control group. The findings are interpreted as implying that persons will come to feel the way they are expected to feel only if the expectancy is perceived as deriving from some characteristic reflecting free choice and control.
The occurrence of challenging behaviours in children with autism spectrum disorders and atypical development

Objective: This study examines the occurrence of challenging behaviours in children with ASDs and atypical development.Design: This study is a descriptive non-experimental design that inspects the frequencies of challenging behaviours among two diagnostic groups. This type of methodology is important since research in this area is still in the beginning stages of development.Methods: The sample consisted of 2131 children, with 633 having an ASD and 1498 having atypical development. The Baby and Infant Screen for Children with aUtIsm Traits-Part 3 (BISCUIT-Part 3) assesses problematic behaviours within this population. The frequencies of challenging behaviours were examined along with an inspection of the co-occurring items.Results: Greater percentages of problematic behaviours were found in the ASD group as compared to the group with atypical development.Conclusion: Challenging behaviours are variables affecting the behavioural presentation of those with ASDs and may be considered into the treatment plans...
Neisseria gonorrhoeae: vaginal clearance and its correlation with resistance to infection in subcutaneous chambers in orally immunized estradiol-primed mice

The rate of clearance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in vaginal specimens harvested from inbred Balb/c and outbred (Institute of Cancer Research [ICR]) white mice, previously primed with saline or β-estradiol and then challenged with live gonococci, was determined. Survival of gonococci was significantly (P 100,000 colony forming units) determined for the same groups of mice. Peptide-primed mice orally immunized with irradiated Escherichia coli cells demonstrated a chamber ID50% of <100 CFU and were significantly (P<0.01) slower to clear gonococci following vaginal challenge. High levels of specific IgA and IgG antibodies to gonococci were detected by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in vaginal wash specimens from orally immunized mice. However, high antibody titers were not always predictive of an increased resistance to vaginal challenge. These models may be helpful in providing more economical and accessible in vivo methods for screening certain gonococcal vaccine candidates before more expensive testing in chimpanzees or humans.
Eigenvalue problems associated with Korn's inequalities

We shall discuss a class of problems associated with certain inequalities which apparently originated in the work of A. KORN [1, 2] on the linear theory of elasticity. To describe these inequalities we consider a vector field u(x), continuously differentiable on the closure R + B of a bounded domain R with boundary B in two or three dimensions. Let x, be coordinates in a given rectangular Cartesian coordinate system, and denote by u_i the components of u in this system.
Six in one hand, half a dozen in the other: An ontological content analysis of radical Islam and the Christian right

The purpose of this paper is to examine the logics of justification embedded in the discourse of radical Islam and fundamentalist Christianity. Proponents of either side mostly suggest that their ideological system stands in opposition to the other. But such opposition holds only for the substantive content of these religious ideologies, not necessarily their underlying logics. That is, they indeed worship different deities, practice different customs and rituals, and in many respects, see the world in very different ways. However, our analysis examines the logical construction of their respective ideological discursive justifications, finding that differences in content are nonetheless underpinned by a remarkably similar system of logic. Previous comment on underlying similarities between these religions has been based on a sense of their affective tenor, observations of their similar rhetoric and methods of activism and otherwise random fragments of coincidence. We instead apply an ontological schema to...
Risk Stratification of Pubertal Children and Postpubertal Adolescents with Clinical Stage I Testicular Nonseminomatous Germ Cell Tumors

Purpose: The COG (Children's Oncology Group) currently recommends surveillance for all children and adolescents with clinical stage I testicular germ cell tumors. However, up to 30% of adults with clinical stage I testicular germ cell tumors harbor occult metastatic disease. In adults with clinical stage I nonseminoma some groups advocate a risk stratified approach. Occult metastases were noted in 50% of patients with features such as lymphovascular invasion or embryonal carcinoma predominance in the orchiectomy. However, to our knowledge there are no data on the impact of high risk features in such pubertal children and postpubertal adolescents.Materials and Methods: We reviewed an institutional testis cancer database for pubertal children and postpubertal adolescents younger than 21 years. We tested the hypothesis that lymphovascular invasion, or 40% or greater embryonal carcinoma in the orchiectomy specimen, would increase the risk of occult metastases, ie relapse during surveillance or positive nodes ...
Creating a Distraction Simulation for Safe Medication Administration

Abstract New RNs face many challenges. Inarguably, safe medication administration may be one of the most important. Patients may experience a medication error at the rate of one each day; however, many errors are preventable. Researchers have concluded that medication errors are the result of system errors, including transcription errors, failure to adhere to established policies, inadequate staffing, and poor communication. At this time, little is known about the number of medication errors that nursing students and new RNs make each day or the role distractions play in error rates. Faculty created a medication simulation to help students understand the role visual and auditory environmental distractions may play in potential medication errors.
Characterization of Calcium-Mediated Intracellular and Intercellular Signaling in the rMC-1 Glial Cell Line

Retinal Muller glial cells, in addition to providing homeostatic support to retinal neurons, have been shown to engage in modulation of neuronal activity and regulate vasomotor responses in the retina, among other functions. Calcium-mediated signaling in Muller cells has been implicated to play a significant role in the intracellular and intercellular interactions necessary to carry out these functions. Although the basic molecular mechanisms of calcium signaling in Muller cells have been described, the dynamics of calcium responses in Muller cells have not been fully explored. Here, we provide a quantitative characterization of calcium signaling in an in vitro model of Muller cell signaling using the rMC-1 cell line, a well-established line developed from rat Muller cells. rMC-1 cells displayed robust intracellular calcium transients and the capacity to support calcium transient-mediated intercellular calcium waves with signaling dynamics similar to that reported for Muller cells in in situ retinal preparations. Furthermore, pharmacological perturbations of intracellular calcium transients with thapsigargin and intercellular calcium waves with purinergic receptor antagonists and gap junction blockers (PPADS and FFA, respectively) suggest that the molecular mechanisms that underlie calcium signaling in rMC-1 cells has been conserved with those of Muller cells. This model provides a robust in vitro system for investigating specific mechanistic hypotheses of intra- and intercellular calcium signaling in Muller cells.
L-type calcium channels mediate acetylcholine receptor aggregation on cultured muscle

Agrin activation of muscle specific kinase (MuSK) initiates postsynaptic development on skeletal muscle that includes the aggregation of acetylcholine receptors (AChRs; Glass et al. [1996]: Cell 85: 513–523; Gautam et al. [1996]: Cell 85: 525–535). Although the agrin/MuSK signaling pathway remains largely unknown, changes in intracellular calcium levels are required for agrin-induced AChR aggregation (Megeath and Fallon [1998]: J Neurosci 18: 672–678). Here, we show that L-type calcium channels (L-CaChs) are required for full agrin-induced aggregation of AChRs and sufficient to induce agrin-independent AChR aggregation. Blockade of L-CaChs in muscle cultures inhibited agrin-induced AChR aggregation but not tyrosine phosphorylation of MuSK or AChR β subunits. Activation of L-CaChs in the absence of agrin induced AChR aggregation but not tyrosine phosphorylation of MuSK or AChR β subunits. Agrin responsiveness was significantly reduced in primary muscle cultures from the muscular dysgenesis mouse, a natural mutant, which does not express the L-CaCh. Our results establish a novel role for L-CaChs as important sources of the intracellular calcium necessary for the aggregation of AChRs. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol, 2007.
Long-acting beta2-adrenergic agonist in pediatric and adolescent asthma patients, 2003-2011.

AbstractObjectives: To evaluate changes in the dispensing patterns of long-acting beta2-adrenergic agonist (LABA) in pediatric and adolescent asthma patients in relation to multiple Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory activities from 2003 to 2011. Methods: We estimated LABA dispensing to pediatric asthma patients across three periods: 2003–2004 (after the first labeling change), 2005–2009 (after regulatory activities in 2005 and before 2010 LABA labeling change) and 2010–2011 (after 2010 LABA labeling change), using the IMS Health Plan Claims database. We estimated dispensing patterns over time for single-ingredient (SI) LABA and fixed-dose combination (FDC) of inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and LABA (FDC-ICS/LABA). We also evaluated prior use of non-LABA asthma-control medication (ACM) before LABA initiation. Results: Of the 147 862 pediatric and adolescent asthma patients who initiated a LABA during the entire study period, the majority (96%) were FDC-ICS/LABA initiators. The proportion of SI-LA...
Alexander polynomials of periodic knots

A KNOT K in S’ is said to have period n > I if there is a transformation T of S’ of order n such that K is invariant under T and the fixed point set of T is a circle B, disjoint from K. (The positive solution of the Smith conjecture implies that B is unknotted and the transformation is equivalent to the one-point compactification of rotation about the z-axis in R3.) This paper discusses a variety of issues relating to the Alexander polynomial of periodic knots. Many techniques are available for determining the possible periods of a knot. The first significant results were those of Trotter [S. 273 on the periods of torus knots, obtained by analyzing possible actions on the fundamental group of the knot. Murasugi’s study [IS] of the Alexander polynomials of periodic knots proved especially powerful. Further work on the polynomial and Alexander ideals was done by Hillman [ 123. More recently. results concerning the Jones polynomial [l7, lg. 25. 261. hyperbolic structures on knot complcmcnts [I], and the geometry of 3-manifolds [7]. have been applied to the study of periodic knots as well. Further refcrcnccs include [3. 4, 6, 8. 9. IO, 16. 201. Nonetheless, conditions on the Alexander polynomial of a knot yield the most easily computable restrictions on the periods of a knot. As will be demonstrated, these methods continue to provide especially powerful tools. Our concern here is the description of both necessary and suthcient conditions for a polynomial to be the Alexander polynomial of a periodic knot. The material on suthciency is completely new. As a brief example of an application of these results, consider the knot polynomial 3f4 91’ + I lr* 91 + 3. This is the polynomial of the knot IO,,,, which does not have period 3 by [I]. We will show that in fact thsro is a period 3 knot having this Alexander polynomial. Murasugi showed that the Alcxandcr polynomial of a knot of period n satisfies certain conditions, described in detail in $I. Our focus is on two questions. one algebraic and one geometric: when does a polynomial satisfy the Murasugi conditions, and is a polynomial satisfying Murasugi’s conditions the Alcxandcr polynomial of a knot of period n? Our formulation presents the conditions in a way that yields many new corollaries. In fact, we are able to eliminate many cases of possible periods of knots, which until now have only been addressed with much more subtle invariants. (Of course, as any knot polynomial occurs as the polynomial for an infinite collection on knots, our examples represent infinite families. Other methods arc more restrictive.)
Switchable Nonionic to Cationic Ethoxylated Amine Surfactants for CO2 Enhanced Oil Recovery in High-Temperature, High-Salinity Carbonate Reservoirs

Yunshen Chen, SPE, Amro S. Elhag, and Benjamin M. Poon, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin; Leyu Cui, and Kun Ma, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University; Sonia Y. Liao, Prathima P. Reddy and Andrew J. Worthen, SPE, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin; George J. Hirasaki, SPE, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University; Quoc P. Nguyen, SPE, Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering, University of Texas at Austin; Sibani L. Biswal, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University; and Keith P. Johnston, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin
On the suitability of broadband attenuation measurement for characterizing contrast microbubbles.

Abstract Broadband attenuation measurement has been widely used for characterizing ultrasound contrast agents. Chen et al. (2002) recently suggested that broadband attenuation data depend on the center frequency of the broadband excitation pulse and, therefore, that they are not a reliable measure of the bubble behavior. We investigated the suitability of measurement of broadband attenuation as a characterizing tool using the contrast agent Definity® as a test case. Analyzing the attenuation data obtained with three broadband unfocused transducers with different center frequencies (2.25, 3.5 and 5 MHz), we found that attenuation is independent of the transducer used and matches in the overlap regions of any two transducers. Attenuation does not depend on excitation pressure amplitude as long as the excitation amplitude remains below a critical value (≈ 0.26 MPa), indicating that the measurement of broadband attenuation below critical excitation can, indeed, be used for characterization. Furthermore, the linear relationship of attenuation with concentrations of Definity® is also investigated. (E-mail: sarkar@me.udel.edu )
Lessons at Hard Rock High

This case study is designed for pre-service school administrators in theoretical foundations courses in educational administration. It describes the circumstance of a principal who has been in the position for two years. The district demographics have changed because of rapid growth in the area, which also precipitated a change in the ethnic composition of the student population and faculty members. One day, the principal is faced with lawsuits that claim that the school has violated the rights of two student groups. She is concerned that district officials will blame her for what is happening at the school.
Stability of the metatarsophalangeal joint of the lesser toes: a cadaveric study.

Dorsal instability of the metatarsophalangeal joint (MTPJ) of the lesser toes is an important cause of forefoot pain. Both conservative and surgical treatment options have been proposed. However, the role of each static stabilizing structure has not been elucidated. We hypothesized that isolated sectioning of the plantar plate (PP) would result in greater dorsal translation compared to isolated sectioning of the medial collateral ligaments (MCL) or lateral (LCL) collateral ligaments, or the extensor hood (EH), and that combined injury to two or more structures would result in greater dorsal translation compared to isolated PP injury. Fifty-four cadaveric lesser toe specimens were randomized into groups for individual and combined sectioning of the PP, EH, and LCL and MCL. A 30 N axial load was applied to each specimen in the plantar–dorsal direction and dorsal translation of the phalanx was measured for each condition. ANOVA was used to compare groups. A 19% change in MTP translation was found from intact after sectioning the PP. No significant difference in translation was seen after individual sectioning of the EH, MCL, or LCL. A significant increase in translation occurred from intact with the following sectioning combinations: MCL + LCL, 37%; EH + MCL + LCL, 45%; and PP + MCL + LCL, 63%. Thus, the PP is the main restraint for dorsal MTPJ translation. MCL and LCL have important partial contribution to MTPJ stability. Injury to the PP, individually, or combined injuries to the PP, EH, MCL, or LCL, appear to cause significant instability that may warrant more aggressive treatment. © 2012 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 30:1995–1998, 2012
Segregation and mixing in degenerate diffusion in population dynamics

We study the qualitative properties of degenerate diffusion equations used to describe dispersal processes in population dynamics. For systems of interacting populations, the forms of the diffusion models used determine if the population will intermix or remain disjoint (segregated). The dynamics and stability of segregation boundaries between competing populations is analyzed. General population models with segregation and mixing interactions are derived and connections to behavior in fluid mechanical systems are addressed.
Vascular effects of serotonin and ischemia.

Circulating 5-hydroxytryptamine originates in the gastrointestinal tract, where it overflows to the blood; part of that serotonin is taken up and stored by the platelets. When the latter aggregate, the released serotonin feeds back on the platelets to amplify the aggregation process; this amplification can be blocked with 5-HT 2 -serotonergic antagonists such as ketanserin and naftidrofuryl.
Picosecond time-resolved emission spectra: techniques and examples

Abstract This paper describes a laser spectrometer that yields picosecond time-gated emission spectra which are characterized by a high signal-to-noise ratio and a broad spectral coverage. The crucial experimental methods are presented, with particular emphasis given to the experimental techniques that are necessary to achieve broad spectral coverage. Examples are given of the application of the apparatus in the investigation of the torsional isomerization of 2-vinylanthracene and the transient solvation of electronically excited coumarin 440 in alcoholic solutions.
On-column derivatization and analysis of amino acids, peptides, and alkylamines by anhydrides using capillary electrophoresis

This work demonstrates the use of an in-capillary procedure for derivatization of amino acids, peptides, and alkylamines by anhydrides using capillary electrophoresis (CE). Migrating in an uncoated fused-silica capillary, plugs of substrate and anhydride are injected separately and electrophoresed. Differential transport velocities permit the separate zones to penetrate each other under an applied field, thereby facilitating reaction. In initial experiments the extent of reaction between tryptophan and acetic anhydride was examined and product amounts quantitated by CE. In separate experiments a series of amino acids and peptides were injected into the capillary and reacted with phthalic anhydride on-column to yield the phthalic derivatized species. Finally, on-column derivatization of alkylamines with phthalic anhydride was investigated and electrophoretic mobility related to molecular weight of the derivatized amines. These procedures illustrate the use of the capillary as a microreactor in the facile synthesis of derivatized molecules and ease of quantitation of reaction products under conditions of electrophoresis.
MIMO antenna selection with lattice-reduction-aided linear receivers

A method to improve the performance of multiple-input-multiple-output systems is to employ a large number of antennas and select the optimal subset depending on the specific channel realization. A simple antenna-selection criterion is to choose the antenna subset that maximizes the mutual information. However, when the receiver has finite complexity decoders, this criterion does not necessarily minimize the error rate (ER). Therefore, different selection criteria should be tailored to the specific receiver implementation. In this paper, we develop new antenna-selection criteria to minimize the ER in spatial multiplexing systems with lattice-reduction-aided receivers. We also adapt other known selection criteria, such as maximum mutual information, to this specific receiver. Moreover, we consider adaptive antenna-selection algorithms when the channel is not perfectly known at the receiver but can only be estimated. We present simulation examples to show the ER of the different selection criteria and the convergence of the adaptive algorithms. We also discuss the difference in complexity and performance among them.
Curricular Flows: Trajectories, Turning Points, and Assignment Criteria in High School Math Careers:

What do course trajectories look like? Do career paths intersect? Do courses assume distinct roles in educational careers? What factors lead students to adopt various curricular moves? This article addresses these questions by examining the structure and dynamics of participant flows across courses in two high school math curricula. Drawing on Markov models and network analytic methods, it examines the length, rate of progression, volume, and direction of multiple trajectories in math and identifies certain courses as important career turning points. The findings suggest that schools can design a variety of mobility systems by altering course offerings, prerequisites, and grading policies. Analyses of individual curricular moves show that nonsanctioned moves, such as leaving school, are guided by students' background characteristics, while sanctioned moves, such as course transitions, are guided primarily by structural constraints and adaptations to signals about classroom performance.