cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Glycolipids as indicators of tumorigenesis

Hyperplastic liver nodules and hepatocellular carcinomas were induced in rats by oral administration of the carcinogen N-2-fluorenylacetamide. Neoplastic tissue was compared with control, fetal, neonatal, and precancerous liver tissues. The development of the tumors was slow, such that temporal changes in the biochemical and morphologic development of carcinogenesis could be identified. Ganglioside sialic acid levels were elevated in all but the most poorly differentiated tumors. Experiments to monitor individual enzymes suggested that the alterations in glycolipid composition were a direct effect of alterations in biosynthetic activities. The pattern during tumorigenesis was the inverse of that during normal development. Also, ganglioside patterns showed a progressive simplification from hyperplastic nodules to well-differentiated hepatomas and through two grades of poorly differentiated hepatomas. An increase in the activity of the branchpoint enzyme of ganglioside biosynthesis preceded both a decrease in the branchpoint enzyme of the disialoganglioside pathway and a marked increase in the galactosyltranferase of GM1 formation. The results indicate that ganglioside deletions are the end result of a cascade of events in the tumorigenic transformation. The onset of ganglioside deletions but not of the cascade per se may correlate with the onset of malignancy. Glycolipid levels are elevated early in certain surrounding tissues especially in the blood. In rats bearing transplantable hepatomas, serum levels of lipid-bound sialic acid were elevated 2.5-fold. Similar results were obtained with sera of mice bearing transplantable mammary carcinomas and of cancer patients. These findings provide new emphasis for gangliosides in both cancer detection and as regulatory signals for growth and multiplication of cells.
Finding multiple roots of nonlinear algebraic equations using S-system methodology

Abstract The solution of nonlinear algebraic equations is a well-known problem in many fields of science and engineering. Several types of numerical methods exist, each with their advantages and disadvantages. S-system methodology provides a novel approach to this problem. The result, as judged by extensive numerical tests, is an effective method for finding the positive real roots of nonlinear algebraic equations. The motivation for this method begins with the observation that any system of nonlinear equations composed of elementary functions can be recast in a canonical nonlinear form known as an S-system. When the derivatives of these ordinary first-order nonlinear differential equations are zero, the resulting nonlinear algebraic equations can be represented as an underdetermined set of linear algebraic equations in the logarithms of the variables. These linear equations, together with a set of simple nonlinear constraints, determine the multiple steady-state solutions of the original system that are positive real. The numerical solution is obtained by approximating the constraints as S-system equations in steady state to yield a determined set of linear algebraic equations, which then can be solved iteratively. This method has been implemented and the experience to date suggests that the method is robust and efficient. The rate of convergence to the solutions is quadratic. A combinatorial method for selecting initial conditions has led to the identification of several, and in many cases all, of the positive real solutions for the set of problems tested. It does so without resorting to analysis in the complex domain, and without having to make random or problem-specific provisions for initializing the procedure. There is an obvious parallel implementation of the algorithm, and there are additional generalizations and efficiencies yet to be realized.
Successful reunification of foster care children with their biological parents: Characteristics of parents and children

The author reports the partial results of a study that contrasted fifty children who were successfully reunited with their biological parents upon return home from foster care with fifty children who returned to foster care following return home. The article focuses upon the relationship between characteristics of parents and children and the outcome of reunification. Implications of the findings are discussed.
TOUGHENING AND STRENGTHENING BY INCLINED LIGAMENT BRIDGING

Abstract In many materials, ligaments form upon crack extension and cause toughening by a crack bridging mechanism. Such materials include composites, layered systems and certain single crystals. Analysis of the phenomenon has revealed microstructural requirements for optimum combinations of toughening and strengthening. The preference is for ligaments that achieve high yield strength, exhibit high touchness, small size large area fraction. Ligament plasticity amends these requirements to a preference for larger ligaments : unless there are unchartered effects of the ligament size on their yield strength and rupture strain. These effects are discussed and quantified. © 1997 Acta Metallurgica Inc .
Egg consumption and cardiovascular disease among diabetic individuals: a systematic review of the literature

BACKGROUND This study reviewed epidemiological and experimental evidence on the relationship between egg consumption and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks among type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM) individuals, and T2DM risk in nondiabetic subjects. RESULTS Four of the six studies that examined CVD and mortality and egg consumption among diabetics found a statistically significant association. Of the eight studies evaluating incident T2DM and egg consumption, four prospective studies found a statistically significant association. Lack of adjustment for dietary confounders was a common study limitation. A small number of experimental studies examined the relationship between egg intake and CVD risk biomarkers among diabetics or individuals with T2DM risk factors. Studies among healthy subjects found suggestive evidence that dietary interventions that include eggs may reduce the risk of T2DM and metabolic syndrome. CONCLUSION Differences in study design, T2DM status, exposure measurement, subject age, control for confounders and follow-up time present significant challenges for conducting a meta-analysis. Conflicting results, coupled with small sample sizes, prevent broad interpretation. Given the study limitations, these findings need to be further investigated.
Three-component, time-resolved velocity statistics in the wall region of a turbulent pipe flow

Three-component, coincident, time-resolved velocity measurements were obtained in the near wall region, y + < 100, of a fully developed turbulent pipe flow. The measurements were conducted in the ARL/PSU glycerin tunnel at a Reynolds number (Re h), based on pipe radius and centerline velocity, of 6436 and an Re θ of approximately 730. The reported data include velocity statistics up to fourth order, Reynolds stresses and three component, coincident turbulent velocity spectral estimates. The current data are generally in quite good agreement with the fully developed channel flow direct numerical simulation (DNS) results of Antonia et al. (1992) at Re θ ≃ 700 ∼- 700. The accuracy of the current experimental data and the very good agreement with the DNS results provides evidence for the accuracy of the DNS solutions and thus Antonia's conclusions of very near wall, y + < 20, Re dependence on turbulent velocity statistics. The very good agreement between the low Re rectangular channel flow DNS results and the low Re θ flat plate turbulent boundary layer statistics of Karlsson and Johansson (1988) suggests that for y + < 30 statistics of similar flows of differing geometry may be compared on the basis of equal Re θ. The current data are available on disk or by anonymous ftp by the first author.
Efficient high-resolution digital filters for FLIR images

This paper describes the design of an efficient filter that promises to significantly improve the performance of second-generation Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) and other digital imaging systems. The filter is based on a comprehensive model of the digital imaging process that accounts for the significant effects of sampling and reconstruction as well as acquisition blur and noise. The filter both restores, partially correcting degradations introduced during image acquisition, and interpolates, increasing apparent resolution and improving reconstruction. The filter derivation is conditioned on explicit constraints on spatial support and resolution so that it can be implemented efficiently and is practical for real-time applications. Subject to these implementation constraints, the filter optimizes end-to-end system fidelity. In experiments with simulated FLIR systems, the filter significantly increases fidelity, apparent resolution, effective range, and visual quality for a range of conditions with relatively little computation.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Graph Matching-Based Formation Reconfiguration of Networked Agents With Connectivity Maintenance

Various applications require networked agents to cooperatively achieve specified formations. In this paper, formation reconfiguration for a group of identical agents with limited communication capabilities is considered. Since the considered agents are identical, their roles are interchangeable, and each position in the desired formation can be taken by any agent. To reduce the total amount of node movement required for formation reconfiguration, a weighted graph-matching-based node-mapping strategy is developed to specify the node correspondence between an arbitrary initial graph and the desired graph. After the node mapping is determined, agents are required to move physically to form the desired formation. Since agents are only able to communicate within a certain range, formation reconfiguration must be accomplished with network connectivity constraints (i.e., specified nodes remain within specified sensing and communication ranges). A decentralized control scheme is developed to guarantee network connectivity by maintaining a desired neighborhood determined by the node-mapping algorithm, and to ensure convergence of all agents to the desired configuration with collision avoidance among agents. The developed strategy is demonstrated through simulation results.
Isolated chemotherapeutic perfusion of the pelvis for advanced rectal cancer

Objective Isolated pelvic perfusion exposes tissue to high doses of drug without the toxicity of high-dose systemic therapy and may benefit patients with advanced malignancy. Patients and methods There were 32 patients with locally advanced, previously irradiated cancer of the rectum and 5 patients with anal canal cancer. These patients underwent a total of 65 isolated pelvic perfusions using 5-Fu (1500 mg/m2) for 60 min; cisplatinum (100 mg/m2) and mitomycin (10–20 mg/m2) were added to some perfusions. Hospital stay averaged 3–5 days. Results Palliative perfusion in 15 patients with advanced rectal cancer resulted in symptomatic relief from 1 to 4 months in 11 of 14 with pelvic pain and limited benefit in 6 patients with mass, but no pain. Pre-operative perfusion in 16 rectal cancer patients achieved a complete response (no tumour in pelvis) in 1 patient and significant tumour regression in 8 patients rendering them potentially resectable. Five were resected with clear margins. Three patients with recurrent epidermoid cancer had significant tumour regression and were resected with clear margins. Conclusion Isolated chemotherapeutic perfusion of the pelvis provides excellent palliation for patients with advanced or pelvic recurrence of rectal cancer or epidermoid cancer of anorectum and may potentiate resection in selected patients.
Effects of N-methyl-D, L-aspartate on secretion of growth hormone-releasing hormone from the boar hypothalamic-preoptic area and median eminence in vitro.

Abstract N -methyl- d , l -aspartate (NMA) elicited secretion of growth hormone (GH)-releasing hormone from both the hypothalamic-preoptic area and the median eminence that were collected from boars. We suggest that the previously described increase in GH secretion that follows peripheral treatment of swine with NMA is attributable, at least in part, to NMA-stimulated secretion of GH-releasing hormone from the central nervous system.
Atrazine mineralization potential in two wetlands.

Abstract The fate of atrazine in agricultural soils has been studied extensively but attenuation in wetland systems has received relatively little attention. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the mineralization of atrazine in two wetlands in central Ohio. One was a constructed wetland, which is fed by Olentangy River water from an agricultural catchment area. The other was a natural fen (Cedar Bog) in proximity to atrazine-treated cornfields. Atrazine mineralization potential was measured by 14 CO 2 evolution from [U-ring- 14 C]-atrazine in biometers. The constructed wetland showed 70–80% mineralization of atrazine within 1 month. Samples of wetland water that were pre-concentrated 200-fold by centrifugation also mineralized 60–80% of the added atrazine. A high extent of atrazine mineralization (75–81% mineralized) was also associated with concentrated water samples from the Olentangy River that were collected upstream and downstream of the wetland. The highest levels of mineralization were localized to the top 5 cm zone of the wetland sediment, and the activity close to the outflow at the Olentangy wetland was approximately equal to that near the inflow. PCR amplification of DNA extracted from the wetland sediment samples showed no positive signals for the atzA gene (atrazine chlorohydrolase), while Southern blots of the amplified DNA showed positive bands in five of the six Olentangy wetland sediment samples. Amplification with the trzD (cyanuric acid amidohydrolase) primers showed a positive PCR signal for all Olentangy wetland sediment samples. There was little mineralization of atrazine in any of the Cedar Bog samples. DNA extracted from Cedar Bog samples did not yield PCR products, and the corresponding Southern hybridization signals were absent. The data show that sediment microbial communities in the Olentangy wetland mineralize atrazine. The level of activity may be related to the seasonality of atrazine runoff entering the wetland. Comparable activity was not observed in the Cedar Bog, perhaps because it does not directly receive agricultural runoff. Qualitatively, the detection of the genes was associated with measurable mineralization activity which was consistent with the differences between the two study sites.
LIPASE-CATALYZED SYNTHESIS OF PARTIAL GLYCERIDE

Mucor miehei (IM 20) and Candida antarctica (SP 382) lipases were used for esterification of free fatty acids in the absence of organic solvent or transesterification of fatty acid methyl esters in hexane with isopropylidene glycerols. Acid catalyzed cleavage of the isopropylidene groups resulted in the formation of monoacyl glycerol (MAG) and diacyl glycerol (DAG). Both oleic (18:1 n-9) and eicosapentaenoic acid, EPA (20:5 n-3) were successfully incorporated into glycerides. Total acyl donor conversion ranged from 46.9 – 96.9% with MAG content of up to 88.5%.
A FIVE‐YEAR STUDY OF A POSITIVE INCENTIVE ABSENCE CONTROL PROGRAM

This study reports the results of a positive incentive program designed to reduce absenteeism at a hospital. Absence data for a treatment group (N= 164) and a comparison group (N= 136) were collected for one year prior to the incentive program, the three years the plan was operational, and the year after the program was discontinued. In the treatment program, absence from the treatment group decreased significantly during the first and third years of the program; effects during the second year of the program were marginally significant. No changes occurred in the comparison group's absence level. A utility analysis revealed that the incentive program produced an 11.7% return on investment.
Continuously Representable Paretian Quasi-Orders

Two forms of continuity are defined for Pareto representations of preferences. They are designated “continuity” and “coordinate continuity.” Characterizations are given of those Pareto representable preferences that are continuously representable and, in dimension two, of those that are coordinate-continuously representable.
Post-ischemic activation of protein kinase C epsilon protects the hippocampus from cerebral ischemic injury via alterations in cerebral blood flow

Abstract Protein kinase C (PKC) is a family of serine/threonine-isozymes that are involved in many signaling events in normal and disease states. Previous studies from our lab have demonstrated that ɛPKC plays a pivotal role in neuroprotection induced by ischemic preconditioning. However, the role of ɛPKC during and after brain ischemia is not clearly defined. Therefore, in the present study, we tested the hypothesis that activation of ɛPKC during an ischemic event is neuroprotective. Furthermore, other studies have demonstrated that ɛPKC mediates cerebral ischemic tolerance in the rat brain by decreasing vascular tone. Thus, we also tested the effects of ɛPKC activation during ischemia on cerebral blood flow (CBF). We found that ψɛ-Receptors for Activated C Kinase (RACK), a ɛPKC-selective peptide activator, injected intravenously 30 min before induction of global cerebral ischemia conferred neuroprotection in the CA1 region of the rat hippocampus. Moreover, measurements of CBF before, during, and after cerebral ischemia revealed a significant reduction in the reperfusion phase of rats pretreated with ψɛRACK as compared to Tat peptide (vehicle). Our results suggest that ɛPKC can protect the rat brain against ischemic damage by regulating CBF. Thus, ɛPKC may be one of the treatment modalities against ischemic injury.
Infrared Properties Of Nematic Liquid Crystals: An Overview

Infrared properties and electro-optic effects of nematic liquid crystals are reviewed. Physical origins and characterization techniques of infrared birefringence and rotatory power are described. Advantages and disadvantages of three device configurations--parallel, twisted, and perpendicular alignments--are analyzed. Among them, parallel alignment shows the best potential for long-wavelength applications. Several methods for improving the response times of nematic liquid crystals with emphasis in the infrared region are briefly discussed.
Ethnography as translation

Sociologists and anthropologists often struggle over how to accurately convey ethnographic data from the field setting to a final report. This paper examines ethnography as a form of translation in order to clarify what occurs between the acquisition of data and the formulation of a thesis about the data. The paper argues that the ethnographer’s mind should be seen as a transitional space which in the act of translating field data into an analytic report (1) poses unique challenges to ethnography’s claims for providing an accurate account of field situations while (2) simultaneously offering paths to insight which quantitative and survey research can not.
Two new yeasts. Trichosporon aquatile and Trichosporon eriense spp. n.

Trichosporon aquatile sp. n. is described and compared withT. cutaneum andT. inkin, Trichosporon eriense sp. n. is described and compared withT. capitatum andT. penicillatum. A key is presented for all the species in the genusTrichosporon.
Rapid recombination mapping for high-throughput genetic screens in Drosophila.

Mutagenesis screens are a staple of classical genetics. Chemical-induced mutations, however, are often difficult and time-consuming to identify. Here, we report that recombination analysis with pairs of dominant visible markers provides a rapid and reliable strategy to map mutations in Drosophila melanogaster. This method requires only two generations and a total of six crosses in vials to estimate the genetic map position of the responsible lesion with high accuracy. This genetic map position can then be reliably used to identify the mutated gene through complementation testing with an average of nine deficiencies and Sanger sequencing. We have used this approach to successfully map a collection of mutations from an ethyl methanesulfonate−based mutagenesis screen on the third chromosome. We propose that this method also may be used in conjunction with whole-genome sequencing, particularly when multiple independent alleles of the mutated locus are not available. By facilitating the rapid identification of mutated genes, our mapping strategy removes a primary obstacle to the widespread use of powerful chemical mutagenesis screens to understand fundamental biological phenomena.
Psychometric Characteristics of the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems–Short Circumplex (IIP–SC) With College Students

The Inventory of Interpersonal Problems-Circumplex (IIP-C; Alden, Wiggins, & Pincus, 1990) is a commonly used measure, and the Short Circumplex Version (IIP-SC; Soldz, Budman, Demby, & Merry, 1995) provides a potentially valuable and economical method for personality assessment researchers. However, despite the common use of the IIP-C with college students, the psychometric characteristics of the IIP-SC have not been established in a college student sample. This study provides reliability, structural validity, concurrent validity, and descriptive data for the IIP-SC in two samples of undergraduate students.
Hepatic vein velocities in children with right ventricular hypertension

The important finding of this study was that Doppler assessment of hepatic venous velocities demonstrates reduced or negative velocities in the first half of diastole in children with right ventricular hypertension. The only other hepatic venous waveform change occurred during end-diastole and atrial contraction. At that time amplitude of reversed blood velocity in the hepatic vein increased directly with increased right ventricular pressure, but the magnitude of increase was not clinically significant.
Effects of ultraviolet irradiation on chemical and sensory properties of goat milk.

Abstract Sensory and chemical consequences of treating goat milk using an UV fluid processor were assessed. Milk was exposed to UV for a cumulative exposure time of 18s and targeted UV dose of 15.8±1.6 mJ/cm 2 . A triangle test revealed differences between the odor of raw milk and UV irradiated milk. Oxidation and hydrolytic rancidity was measured by thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and acid degree values (ADV). As UV dose increased, there was an increase in thiobarbituric acid reactive substance values and ADV of the milk samples. A separate set of samples were processed using the fluid processor but with no UV exposure to see if lipase activity and agitation from pumping contributed to the differences in odor. The ADV increased at the same rate as samples exposed to UV; however, sensory studies indicated that the increase of free fatty acids was not enough to cause detectable differences in the odor of milk. Solid phase microextraction and gas chromatography were utilized for the analysis of volatile compounds as a result of UV exposure. There was an increase in the concentration of pentanal, hexanal, and heptanal (relative to raw goat milk) after as little as 1.3 mJ/cm 2 UV dose. Ultraviolet irradiation at the wavelength 254nm produced changes in the sensory and chemical properties of fluid goat milk.
Dieldrin-14C elimination from turkeys.

A series of experiments were conducted to find ways of removing dieldrin residues from tissues of broiler-type turkeys(Meleagris gallopavo). The turkeys were contaminated with dieldrin and dieldrin-14C by oral dosing. Elimination was measured by assaying for14C in the droppings. Carcass retention was measured by assaying the tissue for14C, and in one experiment, dieldrin residues were measured by electron capture gas-liquid chromatography. Charcoal, Colestipol, and cholestyramine at dosages approximately equal to an intake of 5% of the diet were ineffective gastrointestinal adsorbants for removing dieldrin residues from the turkeys. Starvation accelerated the elimination of dieldrin from the turkeys, but only if the body lipids were reduced to approximately 10% or less of the carcass dry matter.
Does the Practical Chick Ration Need Iron and Copper Additions to Insure Normal Hemoglobin Building

Abstract The recent work reported by Elvehjem and Hart1 demonstrating that day-old chicks, when placed on a restricted diet, invariably develop anemia, has introduced the question of the possible presence of anemia in chicks raised under practical conditions. A diet consisting of whole cow’s milk and alcohol extracted rice supplemented with lime and salt produced anemia in chicks in a period of 12 to 15 days when the chicks were kept in pens equipped with wire screen bottoms. The anemia produced on such a diet was readily relieved by additions of iron alone because the rice in the ration contained enough copper to supplement the added iron. However, when greater precautions were taken to eliminate the copper from the basal ration, the addition of pure iron was not effective until minute amounts of copper were also fed. This shows that iron needs to be supplemented with copper for hemoglobin synthesis in . . .
RELIGION, DISCRIMINATORY ATTITUDES AND THE ORIENTATIONS OF JUVENILE JUSTICE PERSONNEL: A RESEARCH NOTE*

Advancements in the understanding of racial and gender disparity in case outcomes are evident in the theoretical and empirical refinements that emphasize the contingencies of decision making. In this article, we argue that a conservative world view reflects a patterning of attitudes that includes interrelationships among beliefs in a literal interpretation of the Bible and racial and gender stereotyping. Our hypothesis is that this conservative resonance will predict more punitive correctional orientations among a sample of juvenile justice personnel. The findings provide support for the existence of a conservative patterning of attitudes that predict punitive orientations. The resonance is less effective in explaining rehabilitative philosophies. The results have implications for assessing the issue of racial and gender bias in the juvenile justice system.
The impact of legislator and constituency ideology on voting on the assault weapons ban

Abstract Using variables that represent a legislator's entire legal constituency, previous research by social scientists has concluded that views of the legislator's constituency have little effect on how legislators vote. This question is reexamined by defining constituency as those voters most likely to vote for the legislator (i.e., members of the legislator's own political party and independents). Furthermore, instead of measuring constituency by either a demographic or vote-based measure, a survey measure of the ideological identification of voters (i.e., the voter's self-identification as liberal, moderate, or conservative) is introduced. It is found that the ideology of a senator's electoral constituency was an important factor on the recent U.S. Senate vote to ban 19 semi-automatic assault weapons. The findings have important implications for how social scientists conceptualize and measure constituency.
Altered gene expression and increased bursting activity of colonic smooth muscle ATP-sensitive K+ channels in experimental colitis

The ATP-sensitive K+ channel (KATP) is a complex composed of an inwardly rectifying, pore-forming subunit (Kir 6.1 and Kir 6.2) and the sulfonylurea receptor (SUR1 and SUR2). In gastrointestinal sm...
Is female-biased sex determination in lemmings caused by staying together for warmth?

Two kinds of lemming have evolved genetic modifications of sex determination that result in surpluses of daughters. Female-biased sex ratios can evolve when mating occurs between neighbouring individuals who are more related than if mating occurred randomly. Two proposed sources of such ‘viscous’ gene flow in lemmings arc cyclical changes in population density and mosaic habitat. Alternatively, perhaps cold climate favours winter aggregation and inhibits the dispersal of winter-born offspring, which would Nature and mate with close relatives; dispersal and outbreeding would occur during the warm months. Thus the episodes of dispersal and inbreeding would be seasonal rather than density-dependent and the supposition of discontinuous habitat is obviated.
Mucopolysaccharidosis VII and the Developing Lumbar Spine: Consequences for Annulus Fibrosus and Vertebral End Plate Mechanical Properties

Mucopolysaccharidosis VII (MPS VII) is a rare pediatric, hereditary disorder characterized by deficient activity of beta-glucuronidase, an enzyme that degrades chondroitin, dermatan and heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) [1,2]. This deficiency leads to systemic lysosomal accumulation of GAGs, resulting in severely impaired physical and intellectual development, with patients frequently not surviving until adulthood. In the spine, the disease is characterized by poorly formed and aligned vertebral bodies, leading to high incidences of kyphosis and scoliosis [1–3].Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Uniform polymer particles by dispersion polymerization in alcohol

Uniform polystyrene particles in 1–10 μm size range and up to 40% solid contents have been prepared by polymerizing styrene in ethyl alcohol with azo-type initiators and a polymeric stabilizer polyvinylpyrrolidone along with an anionic, nonionic, or comonomeric co-stabilizer. Effects of polymerization parameters, such as monomer concentration, type of co-stabilizer, initiator type and concentration, crosslinking monomer, and diluent on average particle size and size distribution have been studied. Functional groups such as hydroxyl, carboxyl, amine, amide, silane, polydimethylsiloxane, and silacrown have been successfully incorporated onto the particles by copolymerization. A mechanism for particle formation and growth in dispersion polymerization is presented.
Annual Wheatgrass: A New Look at an Old Invasive Range Weed

Annual wheatgrass: a new look at an old invasive range weed. DOI:10.2458/azu_rangelands_v27i1_young
Prevalences and correlates of ethnic harassment in the U.S. Women Physicians' Health Study.

PURPOSE To describe lifetime prevalences and correlates of ethnic harassment in U.S. women physicians. METHOD The authors analyzed responses to questions about ethnic harassment that appeared in the Women Physicians' Health Study, a 1993-94, nationally distributed survey of 4,501 female physicians. RESULTS Of the responding physicians, 62% of blacks reported having experienced ethnic harassment, twice the rate of Asians and "others," three times that of Hispanics, and ten times that of whites. Twenty-five percent of black physicians reported experiencing harassment in at least three phases of their careers (before medical school, during medical school, during training, in practice), compared with 6% of "others," 2% of Hispanics and Asians, and less than 0.5% of whites. U.S.-born and foreign-born doctors reported similar rates of harassment before and during medical school, while foreign-born doctors reported significantly more harassment during training and practice. Reports of harassment during medical school were higher for blacks under 50 than for those over 50 (38% vs 10%, p = .0101). In white physicians, harassment was significantly associated with religion. For certain ethnic groups, control of work environment, dissatisfaction with profession, and stress at work and home were associated with reported harassment. CONCLUSIONS The prevalences of ethnic harassment at various stages of medical training and practice are high, and not decreasing. This has serious potential ramifications for the medical profession's goal of a diverse physician workforce.
Nonparametric approach to intervention time series modeling

Time series are often affected by interventions such as strikes, earthquakes, or policy changes. In the current paper, we build a practical nonparametric intervention model using the central mean subspace in time series. We estimate the central mean subspace for time series taking into account known interventions by using the Nadaraya–Watson kernel estimator. We use the modified Bayesian information criterion to estimate the unknown lag and dimension. Finally, we demonstrate that this nonparametric approach for intervened time series performs well in simulations and in a real data analysis such as the Monthly average of the oxidant.
Palliative intubation in the management of esophageal carcinoma.

Abstract Intubation for unresectable esophageal carcinoma has been analyzed from a collective review of 2,459 patients covering the period of 1960 to 1971. The overall hospital mortality (including a technical mortality of 4.5%) was 13.9%. For the two most commonly used pull-through tubes (Celestin and Mousseau-Barbin) the hospital mortality was 23.5% and the technical mortality 6.6%. For the push-through tube, mortality was, in general, less and was least for the Souttar tube; hospital mortality ranged from 3.6 to 11%, and technical mortality was less than 2%. The overall complication rate was 25.4%. The most common complications were tube dislodgment and tube obstruction. Dislodgment occurred most frequently with the Souttar tube. The average survival period was 4.2 months after intubation. Though not perfect, this mode of treatment provides satisfactory palliation for patients whose survival is limited. The best results were recorded for the Celestin and Souttar tubes.
Coagulation abnormalities and complications after percutaneous liver biopsy in horses.

Background: Liver biopsy is useful in the diagnosis of liver disease in horses. However, bleeding is the major complication. Liver dysfunction can result in abnormalities in coagulation, although there is no definitive association between risk of hemorrhage after biopsy and coagulopathy in humans. Frequency of coagulopathies in horses with liver disease and the nature and frequency of complications after liver biopsy are not reported. Hypothesis/Objectives: To determine whether there is an association between coagulopathy and hemorrhage after liver biopsy in horses. Animals: Horses with suspected liver disease from which a liver biopsy had been obtained. Methods: Retrospective study. Variables indicative of coagulation were recorded. The frequency and nature of complications after biopsy were assessed using clinical and hematologic data. The association between abnormal coagulation variables and complications was assessed. Results: Seventy biopsies were obtained from 66 horses. At least 1 coagulation profile abnormality was identified in 58% of the 43 horses with histopathologically confirmed liver disease. Complications were observed in 4/32 monitored horses (33 biopsies). Three horses had a decrease in the packed cell volume suggestive of subclinical bleeding, and 1 horse developed a diaphragmatic hematoma. There was no association between coagulation profile abnormality and complications. Conclusion and Clinical Importance: Abnormalities of coagulation are common in horses with liver disease. Liver biopsy appears to be a safe procedure in the horse. An abnormal coagulation profile is not clearly associated with an increased risk of complications after biopsy.
Surgery in cusp neighborhoods and the geography of irreducible 4-manifolds

Since its inception, the theory of smooth 4-manifolds has relied upon complex surface theory to provide its basic examples. This is especially true for simply connected 4-manifolds: a longstanding conjecture held that every smooth simply connected closed 4-manifold is the connected sum of manifolds, each admitting a complex structure with one of its orientations. (For this conjecture, the 4-sphere was considered as the empty connected sum.) Quite recently, this was disproved by Gompf and Mrowka [GM1] who produced infinite families of examples of 4-manifolds homeomorphic to the K3 surface and which admit no complex structure with either orientation. The discovery of these dramatic counterexamples to the h-cobordism theorem in dimension 4 was the most recent success in a long line of applications of Donaldson invariants to the study of smooth structures on 4-manifolds, beginning with Donaldson's [D4], and followed by [FM1, Ko, OV1, OV2] which depended on Donaldson's F-invariant or a suitable generalization, and [FMM, DK, E2, EO1, Mn2, Sa], using Donaldson's polynomial invariant. A common thread running through many of these counterexamples to the h-cobordism conjecture is the process of logarithmic transformation which introduces multiple fibres in an elliptic surface. In controlled situations, this process will change the diffeomorphism type of a given elliptic surface while keeping its homotopy type fixed. Taking advantage of the complex structure on an elliptic surface, this change can often be detected by using the relationship between anti-self-dual connections over a complex surface and stable holomorphic bundles [D2]. An alternative and more differential geometric
Mercury in organic chemistry. 20. Alkylation of organomercurials via organocopper reagents

Abstract Aryl-, alkenyl-, and alkylmercurials readily cross-couple with primary and secondary alkyl- and alkenylcuprate reagents to provide the first truly general method for the alkylation of a wide variety of organomercurials.
Dynamics of the alar rim graft.

Background:The purpose of this study was to review the dynamics and frequency of the use of the alar rim graft.Methods:The recorded intraoperative information for the purpose of rhinoplasty research was reviewed to investigate the frequency of the use of alar rim grafts. Intraoperative observations
Leading issues in domestic environmental regulation: A review essay

Abstract Due to a number of developments, the theory and practice of domestic environmental regulation has attained considerable significance. Just as some issues have receded in importance, others have emerged to occupy much of the present center stage. This paper identifies three principal issues in domestic environmental regulation and then proceeds to survey the most important parts of the literature as they pertain to these issues. The specific issues considered are (a) the impact of uncertainty, (b) enforcement and monitoring, and (c) aspects of intertemporal analysis and the problem of dynamic inconsistency.
Preoperative CT-guided percutaneous localization of small masses with a Kopans needle.

A 35-year-old man with known melanoma had a recently enlarged right axillary lymph node measuring 2.1 x 1 .0 x 1 .2 cm on a routine follow-up chest CT examination. As the patient had previously undergone a lymph node dissection in this region, the surgeon was concerned that finding and excising this single node might be difficult. The patient was positioned supine in the CT scanner with his right arm elevated and his right hand tucked under his head to simulate positioning in the operating room. IV contrast material was administered by drip infusion via a vein in the patient’s right hand. The abnormal lymph node was identified on axial 10-mm contiguous slices. The patient’s skin was marked at the level of the abnormal lymph node with hatch marks drawn with barium (Esophotrast; Armour Pharmaceutical, Kankakee, IL), and the patient was rescanned at this level. After the most direct vertical entry site had been accurately marked on the patient’s skin, he was prepared and draped and the skin was anesthetized with 1% xylocaine. A 5-cm, 21-gauge Kopans needle (Cook, Inc., Bloomington, IN) was introduced into the lesion. The needle tip was positioned within the lymph node, and proper placement was verified by CT. The needle was exchanged for the J-wire by using standard technique, and accurate placement was again verified by CT (Fig. 1). The patient was immediately transferred to the operating room, where the surgeon dissected along the course of the needle. The lymph node was excised with the J-wire, yielding a diagnosis of metastatic melanoma.
Primary left ventricular rehabilitation is effective in maintaining two-ventricle physiology in the borderline left heart.

Objective Borderline left heart disease is characterized by left heart obstructive lesions (coarctation, aortic and mitral stenoses, left ventricular hypoplasia) and endocardial fibroelastosis. The multilevel obstruction and impaired left ventricular systolic and diastolic function contribute to failure of biventricular circulation. We studied the effects of left ventricular rehabilitation—endocardial fibroelastosis resection with mitral or aortic valvuloplasty—on left ventricular function and clinical outcomes. Methods All patients with borderline left heart structures and endocardial fibroelastosis who underwent a primary left ventricular rehabilitation procedure were retrospectively analyzed to determine operative mortality, reintervention rates, and hemodynamic status. Left heart dimensions and hemodynamics were recorded from preoperative and postoperative echocardiogram and cardiac catheterization. Postoperative left atrial pressure was obtained from the intracardiac line early after left ventricular rehabilitation. Preoperative and postoperative values were compared by paired t test. Results Between 1999 and 2008, 9 patients with endocardial fibroelastosis and borderline left heart disease underwent left ventricular rehabilitation at a median age of 5.6 months (range, 1–38 months). There was no operative mortality, and at a median follow-up of 25 months (6 months to 10 years) there was 1 death from noncardiac causes and 2 patients required reoperations. Significant increases in ejection fraction and left ventricular end-diastolic volume were observed, whereas left atrial pressure and right ventricular/left ventricular pressure ratios decreased postoperatively. Conclusion In patients with borderline left hearts, primary left ventricular rehabilitation with endocardial fibroelastosis resection and mitral and aortic valvuloplasty results in improved left ventricular systolic and diastolic performance and decreased right ventricular pressures. This approach may provide an alternative to single-ventricle management in this difficult patient group.
Measurement of branched-chain ketoacids in plasma by high-performance liquid chromatography

Branched-chain ketoacids were isolated from plasma or serum samples by acidification, passage through a cationic exchange resin, ether extraction, and extraction of the ether layer with phosphate buffer. The recovery of 2-[1-14C]ketoisocaproate taken through these procedures averaged 95 +/- 3%. Branched-chain ketoacids were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography using a single mobile phase (sodium phosphate:acetonitrile). In normal human subjects, mean +/- SD fasting levels of 2-ketoisocaproate, 2-keto-3-methylvalerate, and 2-ketoisovalerate were 29 +/- 8, 18 +/- 4, and 12 +/- 3 microM, respectively. In normal rats, slightly different results were found: 24 +/- 10, 19 +/- 7 and 17 +/- 6 microM, respectively. In both species, levels of each ketoacid expressed as fractions of total branched-chain ketoacids were much less variable.
Performance Analysis of Prefix Delegation-Based Route Optimization Schemes: Effects of Increasing the Number of Nodes

Prefix delegation-based schemes have been proposed to solve the route optimization problem in NEtwork MObility where multiple IP-enabled hosts move together as a mobile network. Differences in the route optimization for hosts at the cost of increased signaling will result in performance difference of the schemes depending on parameters, such as speed of the mobile network, its distance from the home network (the network to which mobile network usually belongs), and the number of hosts in the mobile network. Although the effects of the first two parameters on the performance of the schemes have been studied, effects of increasing the number of hosts have not been studied. Therefore, there is a need to evaluate performance when the number of hosts is increased. We perform the evaluation through ns-2 simulation. Results show that the performance superiority achieved by the hosts’ route optimization is only affected by the distance significantly only when the number of hosts is small. The results will help to decide when to use the route optimization for hosts depending on the values of the parameters.
A Positive Model of Reserve Requirements and Interest on Reserves: A Clearinghouse Interpretation of the Federal Reserve System

This paper develops a positive model of reserve requirements and interest on reserves, based on the observation that Congress exempted the Fed from a legal restriction that had prevented private clearinghouses from issuing their own currency. Eliminating the restriction provided the Fed with a source of revenue that could be used to finance general government outlays and to pay implicit interest on reserves. The model implies that the government’s financing requirements help explain reserve requirement movements and that interest rates on reserves vary with market loan rates. Cointegration, error-correction, and Granger-causality tests provide supporting evidence.
Comparison of psychological characteristics of binging and nonbinging obese, adult, female outpatients

Objective: This study compared levels of depression, anxiety and self-esteem in binging and nonbinging obese, adult females in a hospital weight-loss program. Method: Participants (n=43; mean age=43.5 yrs) completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory (CSEI) upon entering the program (Week 0). A subgroup (n=15) completed the same inventories on Week 4 and Week 8. Results: Binge eaters had significantly higher levels of depression (p<0.002) and lower levels of self-esteem (p<0.001) on Week 0. For the subgroup that remained in the program through Week 8, significantly higher depression levels (p<0.01) and anxiety levels (p<0.05) persisted for the binge eaters. Discussion: Results indicate that obese binge eaters have more psychological distress than nonbingers, and that these differences tend to persist even during weight loss.
New concept in backboard design

Many commercial backboards have design flaws that make them difficult to use in vertical lifting and when bucket seats are present. Some also have a chin strap that permits aspiration of vomitus. A tapered board with Velcro straps and a new head immobilization design was developed to resolve these difficulties. It has been used successfully for six years at automobile race tracks and two years in the field by ambulance personnel.