cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting among Somali Women in the U.S. State of Arizona: Evidence of Treatment Access, Health Service Use and Care Experiences

Background. Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is associated with adverse sexual, reproductive and psychological sequelae. The aim of this study was to quantitatively explore factors related to satisfaction with FGM/C-related care in the US focusing on access to care, health service utilization, and women’s experiences. Methods. A community-based survey of 879 Ethnic Somali and Somali Bantu women using snowball sampling was conducted in Arizona. Bivariate, multivariable and ordered logistics analyses assessed the relationship between the aforementioned factors measured along six dimensions: non-discrimination, physical, economic, informational, health system accessibility and individual-level health service use factors. Findings. Most participants possessed FGM/C (77.4%), namely Type III (40.2%). FGM/C related health service use was low (14.3%). Perceived discrimination was associated with reduced satisfaction in care (OR = 0.22; CI 0.13–0.37). For FGM/C-specific variables, only recollection of adverse physical or psychological events at the time of circumcision predicted service use (OR = 3.09; CI 1.67–5.68). Somali Bantu (OR = 0.10; CI 0.02–0.44) and highly acculturated women (OR = 0.39; CI 0.17–0.86) had lower odds of service use. Conclusions. Achieving respectful care and outreach to women affected by FGM/C has contextual complexity. However, the clinical implications and insights provided may have broader impacts on advancing health equity for FGM/C-affected women.
Deep Learning-Based Denoising in High-Speed Portable Reflectance Confocal Microscopy.

Background and objective Portable confocal microscopy (PCM) is a low-cost reflectance confocal microscopy technique that can visualize cellular details of human skin in vivo. When PCM images are acquired with a short exposure time to reduce motion blur and enable real-time 3D imaging, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is decreased significantly, which poses challenges in reliably analyzing cellular features. In this paper, we evaluated deep learning (DL)-based approach for reducing noise in PCM images acquired with a short exposure time. Study design/materials and methods Content-aware image restoration (CARE) network was trained with pairs of low-SNR input and high-SNR ground truth PCM images obtained from 309 distinctive regions of interest (ROIs). Low-SNR input images were acquired from human skin in vivo at the imaging speed of 180 frames/second. The high-SNR ground truth images were generated by registering 30 low-SNR input images obtained from the same ROI and summing them. The CARE network was trained using the Google Colaboratory Pro platform. The denoising performance of the trained CARE network was quantitatively and qualitatively evaluated by using image pairs from 45 unseen ROIs. Results CARE denoising improved the image quality significantly, increasing similarity with the ground truth image by 1.9 times, reducing noise by 2.35 times, and increasing SNR by 7.4 dB. Banding noise, prominent in input images, was significantly reduced in CARE denoised images. CARE denoising provided quantitatively and qualitatively better noise reduction than non-DL filtering methods. Qualitative image assessment by three confocal readers showed that CARE denoised images exhibited negligible noise more often than input images and non-DL filtered images. Conclusions Results showed the potential of using a DL-based method for denoising PCM images obtained at a high imaging speed. The DL-based denoising method needs to be further trained and tested for PCM images obtained from disease-suspicious skin lesions.
Book review on leadership and self deception

Since the advent of the AAPM Medical Physics 3.0 Initiative, AAPM has been focused on how physicists can bring additional value to their respective organizations. This could be as simple as new approaches to QA procedures or as complex as expanding greatly beyond our traditional roles in the clinic. As recently highlighted in the Medical Physics Leadership Academy Journal Club, the Arbinger Institute teaches leadership, change management, and conflict resolution among other skills. This meshes well with the MPLA Journal Club mission of teaching Influencing, Conflict Management, Adaptability, Initiative, and Self Confidence. In their seminal book Leadership and Self‐Deception, they teach how to navigate these challenges through a unique narrative format. Other books (Dare to Lead, Smarter Faster Better, Turn the Ship Around) also help teach critical leadership skills, but Leadership and Self‐Deception lays an excellent foundation to be expanded on with further reading and exploration.
Smith’s Fractures

In 1847, Robert William Smith, Colles' protege, described the less common analog of the Colles' fracture (Fig. 34-1). A classic Smith's fracture usually is managed by closed reduction, with dorsiflexion of the wrist and supination of the forearm. Occasionally, open reduction and internal fixation may be necessary if an adequate reduction cannot be achieved or maintained by closed methods ((Fig. 34-2 A) (Fig. 34-2 B) (Fig. 34-2 C) (Fig. 34-2 D)).
Determinism is overrated: what really makes multithreaded programs hard to get right and what can be done about it?

Our accelerating computational demand and the rise of multicore hardware have made parallel programs, especially shared-memory multithreaded programs, increasingly pervasive and critical. Yet, these programs remain extremely difficult to write, test, analyze, debug, and verify. Conventional wisdom has attributed these difficulties to nondeterminism, and researchers have recently dedicated much effort to bringing determinism into multithreading. In this paper, we argue that determinism is not as useful as commonly perceived: it is neither sufficient nor necessary for reliability. We present our view on why multithreaded programs are difficult to get right, describe a promising approach we call stable multithreading to dramatically improve reliability, and summarize our last four years' research on building and applying stable multithreading systems.
Impact of Energy and Industrial Pollution on Public Health

Among all major killer disease, cancer alone has steadily increased during this century (Fig 1). Moreover, those cancers more likely to be environmentally produced seem to be increasing the fastest (Fig 2). Figure 3 shows results from surveys of cancer incidence rather than mortality. Although there may be comparability problems since the survey populations were different, these data provide the best available evidence of positive cancer trends. The First National Cancer Survey was made in 1937–39, the Second in 1947–48, and the Third in 1969–71. The National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program began in 1973. The SEER results shown are for 1973–76. Incidence trends from these surveys were examined in detail by Devesa and Silverman (1,2) and by Pollack and Horn (3).
The city network paradigm: new frontiers;

This chapter provides a survey of recent developments of positive as well as normative theories of city systems. Static theory of city system emphasizes the factors that result in the formation of cities through the interaction between two opposing forces: i) agglomeration economy; ii) agglomeration diseconomy. Furthermore, the theory examines the interaction between cities within the national economy through intercity trade and migration, which shape the internal population composition and industrial structure of cities within the system. New development of this theory has been influenced by industrial organization and economic growth together with the new urban economic paradigm. This chapter focuses on the following questions: What are the factors that lead to the formation of cities? When do cities specialize in production and when do they diversify? When do both specialized cities and diversified cities coexist? What determines the number and sizes of cities of different types in an economy? What are the factors that determine skill distribution and income disparities among different types of cities? What are the impacts of income inequalities on welfare? What are the tax and or subsidy scheme that would result in a Pareto-efficient allocation of resources in a system of cities? Do we need the intervention of federal government in order to achieve a Pareto-efficient allocation of resources in a system of cities? These questions are addressed in a spatial general equilibrium model of a closed economy consisting of a system of monocentric cities.
Inhibition of imaginal differentiation in Sarcophaga bullata by juvenile hormone

The effects of DL-juvenile hormone on imaginal differentiation in Sarcophaga bullata were studied with particular reference to the tissues of the abdomen. The hormone was applied topically on the pupal cuticle at the time of eversion of the head. The development of the abdomen varied considerably but a majority of the animals showed morphological abnormalities and none emerged. Histological examination of the treated animals at different periods of adult development revealed that none of them had secreted a second pupal cuticle. The most severe morphogenetic effect observed was the inhibition of the spreading of the histoblast cells. Consequently the imaginal epidermis was not formed and cuticular structures xwere completely absent. The differential sensitivity of the various cell groups derived from the histoblasts and the genital disc to JH were reflected in their developmental behaviour and are described in detail. The most conspicuous cellular effect, however, appears to be the inhibition of differentiation. Hence the JH induced abnormalities show striking similarities to those induced by x-irradiation as well as other inhibitory agents during the metamorphosis of higher Diptera and are probably related to the highly determinate state of the cells.
Some orthogonal very-well-poised 8φ7-functions that generalize Askey-Wilson polynomials

In a recent paper Ismail et al. (Algebraic Methods and q-Special Functions (J.F. van Diejen and L. Vinet, eds.) CRM Proceding and Lecture Notes, Vol. 22, American Mathematical Society, 1999, pp. 183–200) have established a continuous orthogonality relation and some other properties of a 2ϕ1-Bessel function on a q-quadratic grid. Dick Askey (private communication) suggested that the “Bessel-type orthogonality” found in Ismail et al. (1999) at the 2ϕ1-level has really a general character and can be extended up to the 8ϕ7-level. Very-well-poised 8ϕ7-functions are known as a nonterminating version of the classical Askey–Wilson polynomials (SIAM J. Math. Anal. 10 (1979), 1008–1016; Memoirs Amer. Math. Soc. Number 319 (1985)). Askey's conjecture has been proved by the author in J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. 30 (1997), 5877–5885. In the present paper which is an extended version of Suslov (1997) we discuss in detail properties of the orthogonal 8ϕ7-functions. Another type of the orthogonality relation for a very-well-poised 8ϕ7-function was recently found by Askey et al. J. Comp. Appl. Math. 68 (1996), 25–55.
Borane-protected phosphines are redox-active radioprotective agents for endothelial cells

Exposure to radiation can damage endothelial cells in the irradiated area via the production of reactive oxygen species. We synthesized phosphine–borane complexes that reduce disulfide bonds and had previously been shown to interfere with redox-mediated signaling of cell death. We hypothesized that this class of drugs could interfere with the downstream effects of oxidative stress after irradiation and rescue endothelial cells from radiation damage. Cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells were plated for clonogenic assay prior to exposure to varying doses of irradiation from a 137Cs irradiator and treated with various concentrations of bis(3-propionic acid methyl ester)phenylphosphine borane complex (PB1) at different time points. The clone-forming ability of the irradiated cells was assessed seven days after irradiation. We compared the radioprotective effects of PB1 with the aminothiol radioprotectant WR1065 and known superoxide scavengers. PB1 significantly protected bovine aortic endothelial cells from radiation damage, particularly when treated both before and after radiation. The radioprotection with 1 µM PB1 corresponded to a dose-reduction factor of 1.24. Radioprotection by PB1 was comparable to the aminothiol WR1065, but was significantly less toxic and required much lower concentrations of drug (1 µM vs. 4 mM, respectively). Superoxide scavengers were not radioprotective in this paradigm, indicating the mechanisms for both loss of clonogenicity and PB1 radioprotection are independent of superoxide signaling. These data demonstrate that PB1 is an effective redox-active radioprotectant for endothelial cells in vitro, and is radioprotective at a concentration approximately 4 orders of magnitude lower than the aminothiol WR1065 with less toxicity.
Civility in Government Meetings: Balancing First Amendment, Reputational Interests, and Efficiency

The concept of open government implies both transparency and citizen input are inherent in open meetings. This paper focuses on the latter, and specifically on the rules of decorum that apply to public comment sessions at public meetings. Violence at government meetings is rare. However, when angry citizens or disgruntled employees vent their frustrations in public meetings, government business can be impeded and reputational harm can result. In an attempt to maintain civility and the ability to conduct business, government entities often limit the tenor and subject matter of public comment. However, how, what and who can comment at public meetings is not clear from the existing case law. This paper sets out the factors that government entities should consider in fashioning rules of decorum for public comment that comply with First Amendment dictates and discusses key constitutional principles surrounding citizens’ claims that their voices were silenced at public meetings. The other parts of this paper review some of the situations in which citizens’ input at public meetings impedes government business or offends the sensibilities of others attending the meetings, surveys the different types of state and local laws that govern public session comments discuss the First Amendment principles that local government entities must consider when fashioning rules applicable to public comment sessions, suggests guidelines for local governments to follow when adopting and implementing rules of decorum for public comment sessions at local government meetings, and concludes by suggesting that incivility is inevitable in public discourse and rules of decorum are, at best, aspirational.
The establishment and morphologic characterization of finite cell lines from normal human endometrium.

Abstract Twenty-nine samples of normal human endometrium have been initiated in tissue culture. Twenty cultures (69%) demonstrated sufficient growth in vitro to allow establishment of finite cell lines. Morphologic characterization by means of conventional light microscopy as well as scanning and transmission electron microscopy was performed. Differences between stromal and epithelial cell lines indicated several similarities with in vivo observations. Ultrastructural studies of stromal cell lines revealed cells virtually devoid of microvilli and exhibiting poorly specialized cell junctions. Epithelial cell lines were characterized by numerous microvilli and highly specialized “junctional complexes” typical of glandular epithelium. Cytogenetic analysis utilizing a variety of banding techniques revealed no karyotypic alterations through several subpassages. Our observations suggest that simple explant tissue culture of human endometrium can be manipulated in order to achieve separation of stromal from epithelial elements, allowing critical examination of each.
Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Connection Protection in Improving Successful Light Rail-to-Bus Transfers

The quantitative evaluation results of the nation’s first light rail–to-bus connection protection (CP) system implemented by the Utah Transit Authority are presented. The CP system was designed to improve the reliability of transfers from the higher-frequency light rail TRAX trains to the lower-frequency bus services. The CP system examines the estimated arrival time of TRAX trains for the next three stations and issues a “hold at {station name} until {time}” message to buses waiting at the connecting rail stations, via the buses’ onboard mobile data terminals, if the lateness of trains is within a predetermined threshold (e.g., 3 min). The evaluation consisted of a quantitative analysis of the successful rail-to-bus connections with an analysis of the rail and bus operations data and a qualitative assessment of the perspectives and opinions of users based on individual experience (both riders and bus operators). The focus was the quantitative analysis that employed an unmatched with-and-without experimental design. Overall, the analysis results showed that CP did significantly increase the percentage of successful train-to-bus connections. Train riders meeting a bus trip when CP was active and a “hold until” message was issued to the bus operator were between 3.1 and 3.9 times more likely to have had a successful connection than were train riders meeting the same bus trips when CP was inactive, depending on the wait time assumption for a successful connection to take place.
Carbohydrate supplementation attenuates IMP accumulation in human muscle during prolonged exercise

The effect of carbohydrate (CHO) ingestion on metabolic responses to exercise has been investigated. Subjects cycled at approximately 70% of maximal oxygen uptake to fatigue [135 +/- 17 (+/- SE) mi...
The compact ignition tokamak (CIT)

Summary form only given. The compact ignition tokamak (CIT) experiment is designed to establish the scientific feasibility of power production from the fusion process and to establish the basis of alpha particle physics for follow-on steps toward a magnetic confinement fusion reactor. The present design incorporates all those features which have been shown to improve tokamak performance. Since both the tokamak energy confinement and beta limit have been shown to be proportional to plasma current. CIT will operate at a high plasma current, I P= 12.3 MA. A vertically elongated (k=2.0) double-null divertor plasma cross section was chosen to allow high I P per unit toroidal field and to allow access to optimal tokamak confinement regimes. The high toroidal magnetic field B T =11T and compact size ( R =2.14 m, a =0.66 m) are chosen within the constraints of allowable stress limits to support the high plasma current and reach ignition in a modest size and cost device. As its research program unfolds, CIT will progressively work through the physics issues of burning, alpha-heated plasmas to provide the information necessary for future devices
Tolerogenic dendritic cells for autoimmune disease and transplantation

Dendritic leucocytes are professional antigen-presenting cells with inherent tolerogenic properties and are regarded as critical regulators of innate and adaptive immunity. Modification of dendritic cells (DCs) in the laboratory can enhance and stabilise their tolerogenic properties. Numerous reports suggest that such immature, maturation-resistant or "alternatively activated" DCs can regulate autoreactive or alloreactive T-cell responses and promote or restore antigen-specific tolerance in experimental animal models. The first clinical testing of tolerogenic DCs in human autoimmune disease, including rheumatoid arthritis, is imminent. Herein the properties of tolerogenic DCs and prospects for their testing in chronic inflammatory disease and transplantation are reviewed.
Reduced forward output states affect the left ventricular opacification of intravenously administered albunex

Albunex is an Food and Drug Administration-approved ultrasound contrast agent used for the enhancement of left ventricular endocardial borders. To determine the efficacy of intravenously administered Albunex with regard to left ventricular opacification (LVO), a retrospective analysis of 117 patients who received 202 injections of Albunex for enhancement of endocardial borders was done (dose 0.08 to 0.22 ml/kg). Patients were routinely referred to our echocardiography laboratory for stress echocardiography for standard indications. Optimized settings for contrast enhancement (3.5 MHz transducer frequency and maximum dynamic range) were used. Four observers graded LVO on a scale from 0 to 3 (0=no Albunex seen in the ventricular cavity; 3=Albunex densely seen in the ventricular cavity). Overall, LVO was reported in 166 (82%) of 202 injections or in 91 (78%) of 117 patients. A significant reduction in LVO was noted in patients with mitral regurgitation, tricuspid regurgitation, atrial fibrillation, systolic dysfunction, or pulmonary hypertension (increased pulmonary artery systemic pressure). LVO was seen in 88% of the patients without these conditions. However, only 12 (44%) of 27 patients with one or more of the above conditions had LVO ( p
Learning on somesthetic discrimination and reversal tasks by monkeys with epileptogenic implants in anteromedial temporal cortex.

Epileptic monkeys, with alumina cream implants in temporal or in posterior parietal cortex, and normal controls were tested on series of somesthetic shape, height, and roughness discriminations and on twenty stimulus reversals. Neither epileptic group was impaired in its capacity to perform the discriminations. However, the temporal epileptic monkeys showed deficient transfer between any two series of discriminations and in acquisition of a “reversal set”. The severity of the reversal deficit appeared related to the extent of epileptiform propagations. The result supports the concept of amygdaloid functions in learning set performance, regardless of the sensory modality involved in the task.
Adaptive immunity and histopathology in frog virus 3-infected Xenopus

Abstract Xenopus has been used as an experimental model to evaluate the contribution of adaptive cellular immunity in amphibian host susceptibility to the emerging ranavirus FV3. Conventional histology and immunohistochemistry reveal that FV3 has a strong tropism for the proximal tubular epithelium of the kidney and is rarely disseminated elsewhere in Xenopus hosts unless their immune defenses are impaired or developmentally immature as in larvae. In such cases, virus is found widespread in most tissues. Adults, immunocompromised by depletion of CD8 + T cells or by sub-lethal γ-irradiation, show increased susceptibility to FV3 infection. Larvae and irradiated (but not normal) adults can be cross-infected through water by infected adult conspecifics (irradiated or not). The natural MHC class I deficiency and the absence of effect of anti-CD8 treatment on both larval CD8 + T cells and larval susceptibility to FV3 are consistent with an inefficient CD8 + T cell effector function during this developmental period.
Air-fuel ratio control in the multiple cylinder engine

Static performance of the spark ignited internal combustion engine is exmained. To achieve low pollutant levels with good fuel economy there are two engine control strategies. These are, operation at stoichiometric air to fuel ratios with a three-way catalytic converter to reduce or oxidize exhaust pollutants or operation at lean air fuel mixtures. The efficiency of three-way catalysts diminish rapidly as the mixture ratio departs from stoichiometric, while at very lean operation small variations in mixture ratio cause individual cylinders to reach the misfire or lean limit. Either strategy requires accurate control of air/fuel mixture ratio.
Combined natural convection and radiation from heated cylinders inside a container

In this article a numerical investigation verified by experiments is reported on steady-state heat transfer from three electrically heated cylinders equally spaced and resting at the bottom wall of a rectangular container. The investigation simulates heat transfer from power cables sparsely laid inside rectangular trays. The results indicate that a multicellular flow pattern existed in the system. At high Grashof numbers, the flow in the right half of the system consisted of a large cell rotating above the cylinders and two small cells trapped between the cylinders. Results for the average Nusselt number and the average and maximum temperature of the center cylinder are also reported in the present study. The average Nusselt number differs markedly from that for a single cylinder in an infinite space underlining the importance of the interaction of the cylinders with each other and with the container. The spacing of the cylinders had a visible effect on the magnitude and the location of the maximum temperature of the center cylinder. b D Ftj Gr g H h
A Brillouin scattering study of C60/toluene mixtures

Abstract Solutions of C 60 in toluene were investigated using Brillouin light scattering. The C 60 molar fractions for the solutions studied ranged from 0 (pure toluene) to 36 × 10 −5 (2.8 mg/ml C 60 which is the saturation limit). The solutions were examined under a VV polarization condition and a distinct shift of the Brillouin doublets position was observed. It was found that adiabatic compressibility of the solution increases linearly as the C 60 molar fraction increases. Comparison to recently developed models predicting excess adiabatic compressibility in binary liquid mixtures is provided.
Brain Plasticity in Learning Visual Words

Abstract This study used event-related brain potentials and performance to trace changes in the underlying brain circuitry of undergraduates who spent 5 weeks learning a miniature artificial language. A reaction time task involving visual matching showed that words in the new language were processed like nonsense material before training, and like English words at the end of the 5 weeks of training. Scalp electrical recordings were used to explore the underlying basis for the change due to learning. Results of the ERPs were consistent with brain imaging studies showing posterior areas related to visual orthography and more widespread left lateral frontal and temporal areas related to semantic access. A posterior component at about 200 ms proved sensitive to differences in the orthography but did not change over the course of 5 weeks of training. A later ERP component at about 300 ms was sensitive to semantic task demands and underwent changes over the 5 weeks that were congruent with training-related changes observed in subjects’ matching task performance.
Reactivity to alpha agonists is heightened in immature porcine pulmonary arteries

Background. Pulmonary hypertension after cardiopulmonary bypass is a common problem in pediatric cardiac operations. This study tested the hypothesis that there is a difference between adult and immature pulmonary artery constrictor and dilator responses. Methods. Reactivity of pulmonary artery ring segments from 22 mature (15 to 19 weeks) and 15 immature pigs (4 to 5 weeks) was tested in a vessel myograph. Potassium as s receptor-independent vasoconstrictor and phenylephrine as an α-receptor-mediated vasoconstrictor were used to assess smooth-muscle vasoconstriction. To assess endothelial cell function (nitric oxide production and secretion), we used increasing concentrations of bradykinin or acetylcholine. Sodium nitroprusside was used to produce maximum smooth-muscle relaxation at the end of each experiment. Results. The data demonstrated maturation-independent endothelium and smooth-muscle-mediated vasodilation. Pulmonary artery ring segments from immature pigs had significantly less KCI constriction compared with mature pigs ( p α -receptor-mediated constriction compared with mature pigs. Conclusions. These data may explain perioperative pulmonary vasoconstriction in pediatric patients.
A genetic perspective on mating systems and sex ratios of parasitoid wasps

Parasitoid sex ratios are influenced by mating systems, whether complete inbreeding, partial inbreeding, complete inbreeding avoidance, or production of all-male broods by unmated females. Population genetic theory demonstrates that inbreeding is possible in haplodiploids because the purging of deleterious and lethal mutations through haploid males reduces inbreeding depression. However, this purging does not act quickly for deleterious mutations or female-limited traits (e.g., fecundity, host searching, sex ratio). The relationship between sex ratio, inbreeding, and inbreeding depression has not been explored in depth in parasitoids. The gregarious egg parasitoid, Trichogramma pretiosum Riley, collected from Riverside, CA (USA) produced a female-biased sex ratio of 0.24 (proportion of males). Six generations of sibling mating in the laboratory uncovered considerable inbreeding depression (∼ 20%) in fecundity and sex ratio. A population genetic study (based upon allozymes) showed the population was inbred (Fit = 0.246), which corresponds to 56.6% sib-mating. However, average relatedness among females emerging from the same host egg was only 0.646, which is less than expected (0.75) if ovipositing females mate randomly. This lower relatedness could arise from inbreeding avoidance, multiple mating by females, or superparasitism. A review of the literature in general shows relatively low inbreeding depression in haplodiploid species, but indicates that inbreeding depression can be as high as that found in Drosophila. Finally, mating systems and inbreeding depression are thought to evolve in concert (in plants), but similar dynamic models of the joint evolution of sex ratio, mating systems, and inbreeding depression have not been developed for parasitoid wasps.
Agricultural price and income policy in Norway

Abstract Government intervention in Norwegian agriculture has evolved from essentially a price support and price stabilization programme to a programme with specified income targets and regional development objectives. Intervention involves the use of quotas, direct payments, removals of products from commercial markets, import controls, payment limitations, and regional differences in target prices and subsidy payments to support agriculture in less favourable areas. Intervention in agriculture is extensive, leads to very high costs of support and high retail food prices, but generates high income per farm worker.
Ordovician Graptolite Facies and North Atlantic Continental Drift: ABSTRACT

Pre-Caradoc graptolite faunas of North America and Europe are believed to indicate a significant divergence into 2 major facies associations: a "Pacific" fauna which is characteristic for Australia and most of North America, and an "Atlantic-Baltic" fauna which is documented in British and Scandinavian sequences, and which has been reported recently from Newfoundland. Pelagic graptolites have not received much attention for their potential as facies indicators, but studies of Appalachian and European graptolite occurrences have demonstrated that two contrasting faunal developments existed during the Early Ordovician with both facies occurring on both sides of the Atlantic. North American circumcratonic pelagic seas apparently provided a prevalent west-to-east current pattern which is indicated by periodic waves of immigrant Pacific graptolites in the northern Appalachians of Quebec and western Newfoundland, as well as in western Ireland and the Atlantic Norwegian Caledonides. This facies is in contrast with penecontemporaneous graptolite congregations of epicratonic black shales in the Oslo region, southern Sweden, Wales, eastern Ireland, and northernmost Newfoundland. The juxtaposition of both facies in both North America and Europe suggests the existence of a continuous physical barrier during part of the Early Ordovician. The axis of this barrier extended from Newfoundland to central Norway. Only a pre-drift continental plate margin association of North America and Europe makes this assumption tenable. End_of_Article - Last_Page 337------------
Anesthetic considerations in the child with gaucher disease

We present the case of a 7-month-old girl with Gaucher disease who required anesthetic care during laryngoscopy, bronchoscopy, and central line placement. Gaucher disease is a familial disorder of lipid catabolism with autosomal recessive inheritance. Due to the defective function of the enzyme glucosylceramide beta-glucosidase, glycosphingolipids accumulate, leading to end-organ dysfunction. Three clinical variants of the disease, which differ in age of onset, degree of central nervous system (CNS) involvement, and frequency in the population, have been described. Of concern to the anesthesiologist is the occurrence of significant CNS dysfunction in types II and III, with seizures, gastroesophageal reflux, and chronic aspiration. Bulbar involvement and infiltration of the upper airway with glycolipids may lead to upper airway obstruction. Additionally, hepatosplenomegaly, present in all three variants, may lead to hypersplenism with thrombocytopenia and anemia. Preoperative identification of the associated end-organ dysfunction will allow the safe provision of anesthetic care for these children.
The magic of plutonium: 5f electrons and phase instability

This article was presented at a symposium held in honor of Terence E. (Terry) Mitchell for his many contributions to materials science. Terry Mitchell has explored the magic of materials during his distinguished 40-plus year career, always going back to the fundamentals to understand the behavior of complex materials. He has covered a wide range of materials from metals and alloys, to ceramics, intermetallics, strained-layer superlattices, high-temperature superconductors, and nanostructured materials. In this tribute to the remarkable contributions of Terry Mitchell to the materials field, I will cover the magical world of plutonium—one of the few materials that has escaped his scrutiny to date.
Dynamics, NOx and Flashback Characteristics of Confined Pre-Mixed Hydrogen Enriched Methane Flames

The operating regime of a gas turbine combustor is highly sensitive to fuel composition changes. In particular, the addition of hydrogen, a major constituent of syngas, has a major effect on flame behavior due to the higher burning rates associated with hydrogen. A laboratory scale pre-mixed test rig is constructed in order to study such effects. The fuel composition is incremented with increasing hydrogen starting from 100% methane. It is observed that increased RMS pressure levels and higher susceptibility to flashback occurs with increasing hydrogen volume fraction. Furthermore, hydrogen enrichment can cause an abrupt change in the dominant acoustic mode. Phase locked hydroxyl PLIF measurements have been performed with respect to the dominant acoustic instability limit cycle. These measurements are complemented with real time heat release, emissions and flashback measurements. Particular emphasis is put on time resolving the thermoacoustic instability induced flashback cycle of the wedgeshaped flame front and the temporal events associated with flashback.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Possible risks to patients receiving statins combined with other medications

The American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association/National Heart Lung, and Blood Institute (ACC/AHA/NHLBI) Clinical Advisory on Statins [(1)][1]was a timely review of an important issue, but I believe that additional information on the issue of drug interactions would be helpful to
RNA metabolism during embryo development and germination of Phaseolus vulgaris.

Embryogeny in Phaseolus vulgaris L., var. Taylor's Horticultural, requires approximately 5 weeks. The initial period of slow embryo growth during the first 2 weeks is followed by 2 weeks of rapid growth and differentiation of the major organs of the mature embryo. During the final 10 days the seed undergoes dehydration and up to 90% of the water in developing embryos is lost. During rapid embryonic growth axes steadily accumulate RNA; the rate of RNA synthesis is maximal on days 16–20. RNA synthesis ceases during initial dehydration, reflecting the decrease in nucleotide and orthophosphate precursor pools which occurs after day 20. RNA synthesized by day 25 of embryogeny is maintained without degradation during maturation, dormancy, and the first hours of germination. In situ labeling was used to label RNA synthesized during embryogeny; preformed ribosomes are utilized during germination to support protein synthesis. De novo RNA synthesis does not begin until the 12th hour of germination. Protein synthesis is initiated during imbibition. No polysomes are present in dry seeds of P. vulgaris, but all the components of the protein synthetic machinery are present.
Depressant and excitant effects of intraspinal microinjections of morphine and methionine-enkephalin in the cat

The effects of intraspinal microinjectins of morphine (10 microgram) and methionine-enkephalin (Met-enkephalin) (5 microgram) on the C-fiber and polysynaptic reflexes in the acute decerebrate low spinal cat were investigated. Microinjected into the dorsal horn, morphine and Met-enkephalin depressed the nociceptive C-fiber reflex (CFR) without altering the short latency polysynaptic reflex. Microinjected into the ventral horn, morphine and Met-enkephalin facilitated the C-fiber and polysynaptic reflexes. Pretreatment of the cats with intravenous naltrexone (2 mg/kg) antagonized the depressant effects produced by dorsal horn intraspinal microinjections of morphine and Met-enkephalin. The excitant effects of ventral horn microinjections of morphine were not antagonized by naltrexone (2 mg/kg). These results support a hypothesis that the analgesic effects of morphine at the spinal cord level are due to interactions with opiate receptors in the dorsal horn.
Toward a critical relational theory of gender

This article analyzes and critiques the construct of gender as a psychoanalytic and cultural category. Without succumbing to a nonpsychoanalytic notion of androgyny, the argument developed here challenges the assumption that an internally consistent gender identity is possible or even desirable. Beginning with the idea that, from an analytic perspective, the construct of “identity”; is problematic and implausible, because it denotes and privileges a unified psychic world, the author develops a deconstructionist critique of our dominant gender‐identity paradigm. It is argued that gender coherence, consistency, conformity, and identity are culturally mandated normative ideals that psychoanalysis has absorbed uncritically. These ideals, moreover, are said to create a universal pathogenic situation, insofar as the attempt to conform to their dictates requires the activation of a false‐self system. An alternative, “decentered”; gender paradigm is then proposed, which conceives of gender as a “necessary fiction...
In situ X-ray diffraction studies of electroceramics

In-situ high temperature powder X-ray diffraction is in the midst of a renaissance enabled by new X-ray optics, detectors, computational methods, and furnace designs. In-situ diffraction, under controlled temperature, atmosphere, pressure, electric and magnetic field, etc. has enabled many studies of materials systems that are not easily studied using the more traditional quenching methods. A brief overview of the current capabilities of high temperature diffraction in the laboratory is presented. Examples center on ionic and electronic conductors and capabilities for controlling temperature and oxygen partial pressure that are so often critical in the study of electroceramics.
A neutralizing monoclonal antibody binds to an epitope near the amino terminus of murine granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor.

A rat anti-murine granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (mGM-CSF) monoclonal antibody, A2, that neutralizes bioactivity in vitro was isolated. The binding epitope recognized by this antibody was identified using human-murine hybrid GM-CSF proteins. A2 was unable to immunoprecipitate a hybrid (hm7) protein containing the human GM-CSF sequence for the first 11 amino terminal amino acids, and the mGM-CSF sequence for amino acids 12-124. In contrast, A2 did recognize a hybrid which substitutes human GM-CSF amino acids 23-36 in the murine sequence. These data suggest that this neutralizing antibody recognizes an epitope at the amino terminus of mGM-CSF. Because hm7 did maintain in vitro bioactivity, it is probable that the epitope recognized by the neutralizing antibody is not itself part of the receptor-binding domain of mGM-CSF; rather, it is likely that neutralization occurs as a result of antibody binding near the receptor-binding site, with steric inhibition of mGM-CSF binding to its receptor. ...
Poly-γ-Benzyl-L-Glutamate: Order Parameter, Oriented Gel, and Novel Derivatives

Abstract Deuterium NMR is used to indicate the degree of ordering of the PBLG helix axis in lyotropic phases. Sources of difficulty when comparisons are made with theory are emphasized. The preparation of magnetically oriented gels of PBLG in benzyl alcohol is described. Delineation of the phase boundaries with NMR probes is a convenient way to monitor the gelation process. The synthesis and properties of PBLG having the benzyl ester exchanged for oligomers of ethylene glycol is presented.
Sequence and activity of an endogenous promoter of the assimilatory sulfite reductase gene from Desulfovibrio vulgaris (Hildenborough)

The 5′-flanking region of the assimilatory-type sulfite reductase-encoding gene from the anaerobic bacterium, Desulfovibrio vulgaris (Hildenborough), has been isolated and sequenced. The promoter element has been identified and compared with the consensus sequence for Escherichia coli and the sequences of promoter elements identified in other Desulfovibrio strains. The utility of such promoter sequences in E. coli-based expression systems is discussed.
Suppression of Story Character Goals during Reading.

The objective of this study was to determine how readers process narrative texts when the main character has multiple, and changing, goals. Readers must keep track of such goals to understand the causal relations between text events, an important process for comprehension. The structure building framework theory of reading proposes that readers maintain the most relevant goal in focus using the mechanism of suppression. The results of this study confirm that readers maintain the activation of goal information that is rementioned in a text and suppress previous goal information when a new goal is introduced. Thus, in an attempt to understand the causal relations between events in a text, readers keep track of multiple story character goals by using suppression.
Stable isotope mass spectrometry in childhood lead poisoning.

In order to better understand the relative importance of various sources of lead in childhood lead poisoning, high-precision, isotoperatio, solid-source-mass spectrometry of microgram-sized lead samples was applied to three hospitalized cases in Boston, ranging in age from 1.5 to 14 yr, that had blood-lead levels of 0.7–1.2 μg/g. The lead isotopes in the ambient Boston environment (air, soil, and dust) were also measured. In each case, the isotopic composition (IC) of the child's blood lead was identical with the IC of lead paint taken from the child's residence at a site accessible to the child. Fecal lead samples were also identical to that particular paint. Soil lead IC did not always match the IC of local paints. Paint samples vary widely in their IC's (206/204=17.5–19.4, about 200 times analytical reliability). Dust in homes that never had lead paint contained lead that resembled lead in urban soils. Dust lead IC did not necessarily have the same IC as current automobile lead emissions, but appeared to reflect the long-term accumulation of several sources of urban lead fallout. Limitations and implications of this data are discussed.
Preventive aspects of maternal and child health.

The field of maternal and child health is concerned with the biological demands of reproduction, growth and development. It is also concerned with the special vulnerability of mothers and children as a result of these demands. The field of maternal and child health has the responsibility of providing’ special services to meet these demands. Because injury during the period of growth and development may damage the individual permanently, health measures of a preventive nature during this period are of special significance. The objectives of maternal and child health services begin with the immediate health problems of individual mothers and children, and extend to health throughout life and to community health. The effect of careful and informed mothering and parenthood on the health of the entire family and the relationship of family health to community health are important factors in individual, community and national health and development. According to the World Health Organization, “the object of maternity care is to ensure that every expectant and nursing mother maintains good health, learns the art of child care, has a normal delivery, and bears healthy children. Maternity care in the narrower sense consists in the care of the pregnant woman, her safe delivery, her postnatal care and examination, the care of her newly born infant, and the maintenance of lactation. In the wider sense it begins much earlier in measures aimed to promote the health and well-being of the young people who are potential parents, and to help them to develop the right approach to family life and to the place of the family in the community. It should also include guidance in parent-craft and in problems associated with infertility and family planning.” Furthermore, the objective should be to insure “that every child, wherever possible, lives and grows up in a family unit, with love and security in healthy surroundings, received adequate nourishment, health supervision, and efficient medical attention, and is taught the elements of healthy living.”
In vitro analysis of the renal handling of paraquat.

Accumulation of paraquat by mouse renal cortical slices was related to the concentration of paraquat in the medium and the duration of incubation. Paraquat accumulation was depressed by incubation of slices under nitrogen or by addition of metabolic inhibitors. Accumulation of a second organic base, N-methylnicotinamide (NMN), was depressed by a concentration of paraquat which failed to influence accumulation of the organic acid, p-aminohippurate (PAH). The uptake component of NMN accumulation was inhibited by paraquat. The data suggest that paraquat is accumulated by an energy-requiring process and that this accumulation occurs via the organic base transport system. In addition, an apparently toxic effect of paraquat on cortical slice function was observed when the incubation temperature was raised from 25 to 37°C. At this temperature, 10−3 m paraquat depressed not only NMN accumulation but PAH accumulation and slice oxygen consumption as well. Thus, paraquat can be toxic to the function of kidney slices and this effect appears to be temperature-dependent.
Optimization methods for thermal modeling of optomechanical systems

The proposed numerical techniques are briefly described and compared to existing algorithms. Their accuracy and robustness are demonstrated through numerical tests with models from ongoing NASA missions.