cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Applications of the World Wide Web to neurosurgical practice.

Objective The objectives of the New York University (NYU) neurosurgery Web resource are the following: 1) to educate patients and families of patients who have neurosurgical problems, 2) to provide a forum for communication among neurosurgeons and other physicians, 3) to educate neurosurgeons, and 4) to provide neurosurgeons with resources for enhancing their practices. Methods The NYU neurosurgery Web resource resides on a Sun SparcStation 20, running Solaris 1.0 and National Center for Supercomputing Applications httpd 1.0. It is aimed at a broad audience that includes the general public as well as practicing neurosurgeons and other physicians. Accordingly, general information regarding a variety of neurosurgical problems is presented in easy-to-understand language. Material intended specifically for neurosurgeons, such as case discussions, is designed to stimulate discussion and encourage outside submissions. Interaction with the NYU faculty and residents may be accomplished by using electronic mail, file transfer protocol, and direct Web postings. Media in development include java applets and real-time video over the Internet. The uniform resource locator for the NYU neurosurgery Web site is "http:/(/)mcns10.med.nyu.edu/". Results The Web site has averaged 1800 accesses per month, and 5 to 10 electronic mail messages are received daily. Several patients for whom our faculty have held consultations over the Web have undergone surgery at NYU. The most popular areas of the Web site are the spinal surgery section and the brain tumors section. Conclusion The ability to capitalize on the World Wide Web as a facile user is becoming an increasingly important skill for the modern neurosurgeon. In addition, Web sites published by neurosurgeons offer opportunities for communication and consultation that have previously been impossible.
Damage behavior of SiO2 thin films containing gold nanoparticles lodged at predetermined distances from the film surface

The impact of absorbing defect location inside thin film on measured laser-damage threshold and morphology is explored, using gold nanoparticles as artificial thin-film defects. In this work, 351-nm, 0.5-ns laser pulses were used to produce damage in SiO2 thin film containing gold nanoparticles located at predetermined but different distances from the film surface. As a result, laser-induced damage thresholds detected by means of dark-field optical microscopy and atomic force microscopy are measured and comparative trends are analyzed. Damage-crater geometry variations with particle-lodging depth are also obtained and compared with theoretical predictions.
Hemoglobin and DNA adduct formation in Fischer-344 rats exposed to 2,4- and 2,6-toluene diamine.

Using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry for detection of hemoglobin adducts, and 32P-postlabelling for DNA adducts, we examined macromolecular binding in Fischer-344 rats administered 2,4- or 2,6-toluene diamine (TDA). The dose-response and correlative relationship between the two macromolecules were investigated over a range of doses (0–250 mg/kg). The time course of adduct formation and removal was also examined. Both TDA isomers induced formation of hemoglobin adducts, but only the 2,4-isomer induced DNA binding. Maximum hemoglobin and DNA adduct levels were detected 24 h following administration. Both hemoglobin and DNA binding increased in a dose-dependent manner. Hemoglobin adduct clearance demonstrated a nonlinear decay, with adduct loss occurring faster than normal erythrocyte clearance. The effects of metabolic inhibitors on adduct formation were examined using piperonyl butoxide and pentachlorophenol to inhibit p450 isozymes and sulfotransferase, respectively. Microsomal enzymatic activation was critical to hemoglobin adduct formation with inhibition by piperonyl butoxide reducing adduct yields by over 90%. Sulfation did not appear to play a significant role in TDA-induced hemoglobin adduct formation.
Distribution of industrial air emissions by income and race in the United States: an approach using the toxic release inventory.

There currently is a scarcity of scientific information to guide public policy decisions about issues of «environmental justice»; broadly defined as the goal of achieving adequate protection from the harmful effects of environmental agents for everyone, regardless of age, culture, ethnicity, gender, race, or socioeconomic status. This paper highlights several key methodological issues that need to be addressed as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the scientific foundation for informed decision-making regarding environmental justice. Specifically, careful thought must be given to the selection of appropriate (1) statistical tests, (2) geographic unit(s) of analysis, (3) exposure estimators, and (4) comparison (reference) populations
A study of ubiquitous information seeking behavior of the investor in Taiwan’s stock market

For the investor, the critical issue is to find the good investment information for decision making in the boundless information sea. The early stock market information is belongs opaquely. Investor, who has the first hand information, can make a big profit in stock market. In the recent years, cable TV and the Internet become more popularize. Today, they have become the major source of information to investor. The massive stock market information is propagating through above media to the investor, the phenomena named information overflow of investor. The more the information, the more the confusion of the investor. For investor, the stock market is an important channel to invest. However, the stock market can let the person become rich, also can let the person lose seriously. The key successful issue is dependent on the quality of investment information. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the behavior of investor while the information are presenting. From the results obtained, we notice that the investor first search information on the related web sites. Next, collect information from cable TV, newspapers, magazine, and consultant of investment etc. Free information of investment is primary used by investor. Secondary, they will pay the needed information at reasonable price. According the type of information, if they belong to tidings, investor can take for the timing decision. For the fundamental information, investor can use it to evaluate the current stockpsilas price. For the technical information, investor can study the trend of the stock. Finally, for the bargaining chip information, investor can predict future stockpsilas price.
Advances on prognostics for intelligent maintenance systems

Abstract An increasing number of manufacturers are beginning to realize the importance of adopting new maintenance technologies to enable products and systems to achieve near-zero downtime. Prognostic technology enables this paradigm shift from the traditional “fail and fix” maintenance practices to a “predict and prevent” paradigm. This paper addresses the current issues of prognostic applications in machinery maintenance, and presents an overall prognostic architecture called Intelligent Maintenance Systems (IMS). Discussion is focused on four aspects, including the relationship between diagnostics and prognostics, feature extraction methods, performance assessment techniques, and prediction algorithms.
Effects of an early interruption and note taking on listening accuracy and decision making in the interview

Employment interviewers (N = 102) and managers (N = 128) viewed a videotaped interview of an MBA applicant for a management position. Participants were assigned to the cells of a 2 by 2 by 2 factorial design with two levels of participants (interviewer, manager), two levels of concurrent note taking (required, forbidden), and two levels of interruption early in the interview (interrupted, control). The dependent variables were the score on a 25-item listening accuracy test based on the transcript of the interview, and the overall suitability evaluation of the applicant by the professionals. Results indicated no significant difference between participant groups and no significant effects on overall suitability judgments. Both the interruption and note taking had a significant impact on listening accuracy. The highest rate of accuracy (79%) was for the required note taking and no-interruption condition.
Reference Frames and Relations in Computational Models of Object Recognition

1. See, e.g., I. Biederman, Recognition by com ponents: A theory of human image understanding, Psychological Review, 94, 115-147 (1987); D. Marr, Vision (W.H. Freeman, San Francisco, 1982); S. Palmer and I. Rock, Rethinking perceptual orga nization: The role of uniform connectedness, Psy chonomic Bulletin and Review, 1, 29-55 (1994). 2. M.A. Peterson, E.H. Harvey, and H.L. Wei denbacher, Shape recognition inputs to figure ground organization: Which route counts? journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 17, 1075-1089 (1991). 3. M.A. Peterson and J. Hochberg, Necessary considerations for a theory of form perception: A theoretical and empirical reply to Boselie and Leeu wenberg, Perception, 18, 105-119 (1989). 4. P. Jolicoeur, Identification of disoriented ob jects: A dual systems theory, Mind & Language, 5, 387-410 (1990). 5. B.S. Gibson and M.A. Peterson, Does orien tation-independent object recognition precede ori entation-dependent object recognition? Evidence from a priming paradigm, journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 20, 299-316(1994). 6. M.A. Peterson and B.S. Gibson, Must shape recognition follow figure-ground organization? An assumption in peril, Psychological Science (in press). 7. D.D. Hoffman and W. Richards, The parts of recognition, in Visual Cognition, S. Pinker, Ed. (Bradford Books, Cambridge, MA, 1985). 8. M.A. Peterson and B.S. Gibson, Shape rec ognition contributions to figure-ground organization in three-dimensional displays, Cognitive Psychol ogy's, 383-429 (1993). 9. M.A. Peterson and B.S. Gibson, Object rec ognition contributions to figure-ground organiza tion: Operations on outlines and subjective con tours, Perception & Psychophysics (in press).
Abstract 729: Mechanism of action of a p53-derived peptide that targets a novel death pathway inducing selective necrosis in cancer cells

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC In a series of preliminary in vitro and in vivo studies we have shown that p53-derived peptides consisting of residues 12-26 and 17-26 from the murine double minute binding domain (MDM-2) possess anti-cancer activity. These peptides are linked to a trans-membrane penetrating sequence (penetratin) derived from the antennapedia homeodomain of Drosophila and are designated PNC-27 and PNC-28, respectively. We also found that the previously determined 3D structure of these PNC residues are directly superimposeable on the same residues bound to MDM-2, suggesting that these peptide may target MDM-2 in cancer cells. These peptide constructs appear to promote cancer cell death through a novel pathway that leads to necrosis rather than apoptosis while sparing their untransformed counterparts. In our initial experiments, the critical role of the MDM-2 oncoprotein as a potential target molecule for these PNC peptides was elucidated when a sequence specific MDM-2 antibody blocked PNC-27 activity on cancer cells. To further elucidate this anti-cancer mechanism we then tested parent molecule PNC-27 against selected cancer cell lines (Panc-02, pancreatic; HT1080, fibrosarcoma; and MCF-7, breast) plus respective untransformed counterparts (BMRPA1, BJ, and MCF-10) which were treated with PNC-27 and control peptide. Subsequently, treatment with fluorescent labeled peptide, immunoprecipitation (IP), confocal, and time-lapse electron microscopy (EM) was employed as well as transfection of untransformed cells with the MDM-2 gene to study the anti-cancer mechanism. PNC-27 did not cause elevation of pro-apoptotic proteins but induced rapid dose-dependent tumor cell death with release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). This specific anti-cancer mechanism, in part, may be due to observed increased expression of MDM-2 found in cancer cells compared to their normal cellular counterparts which is consistent with abrogation of MDM-2 and stabilization of p53 protein levels after PNC-27 treatment. Moreover, following IP of fluorescent labeled PNC-27 from treated cancer cells; labeled MDM-2 was detected. Furthermore, confocal microscopy and EM revealed co-localization of PNC-27 and MDM-2 along with cancer cell membrane pore formation, respectively. Remarkably, transfection of the MDM-2 gene resulted with increased expression of MDM-2 and now untransformed cell susceptibility to PNC-27. These results suggest a mechanism of PNC-27 binding to MDM-2 in the cancer cell membrane, leading to pore formation and membrane disruption; a p53-independent pathway consistent with rapid selective cancer cell necrosis. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 729.
An algebraic approach to solving boundary value problems

Let be polynomials in and let be the real algebraic set associated with Q( ) and let be a compact subset of the algebraic set &#x1d4ac;. We describe an algebraic approach for solving the general boundary value problem (BVP): given partial differential equation (PDE) and a continuous function find so that We will show how the general technique applies in the case that P(y) is a homogeneous polynomial of degree deg(P(y)) and , where is a polynomial having deg < deg (P(y)) and prove that the solution is unique in this case. This article brings together ideas from partial differential equations, a generalization of the theory of functions of a complex variable and the theory of commutative algebras.
X‐ray truncation rod study of Ge(001) surface roughening by molecular beam homoepitaxial growth

Surface roughness was determined by x‐ray diffraction for Ge films on Ge(001) grown by molecular beam epitaxy at room temperature. The truncation rod intensities and transverse‐scan line profiles were measured as a function of perpendicular momentum transfer. Depending on the initial morphology of the surface, the same growth condition resulted in very different surface morphologies. Two types of initial surfaces were used. One was an atomically flat surface with very large terraces. The other, characterized by a roughness exponent α=1, had a high density of steps. Deposition on the flat surfaces resulted in a fairly smooth surface, but with a graded crystalline density below the surface. Deposition on the α=1 surfaces resulted in a more jagged surface characterized by an increase in the average height–height correlation function and a final roughness exponent of α=1/2. Additional and complementary information about the surface structure was obtained by scanning tunneling microscopy observations.
General relativistic rotational properties of stellar models

In this paper we give general relativistic expressions for the angular momentum and rotational kinetic energy of slowly rotating stars. These expressions contain contributions from the presure, gravitational red shift, and Doppler shift, and the motion of inertial frames. These contributions are not negligible, e.g., there are stable neutron star models for which the angular velocity of inertial frames at the center is about 70% the angular velocity of the star. These expressions are useful in the study of pulsars if pulsars are rotating neutron stars.
Transport characteristics of three fluorescent conjugated bile acid analogs in isolated rat hepatocytes and couplets

The transport properties of three different synthetically prepared fluorescent conjugated bile acid analogs (FBA), all with the fluorophore on the side chain, were determined using isolated rat hepatocytes and hepatocyte couplets. The compounds studied were cholylglycylamidofluorescein (CGamF), cholyl(N epsilon-nitrobenzoxadiazolyl [NBD])-lysine (C-NBD-L), and chenodeoxycholyl-(N epsilon-NBD)-lysine (CDC-NBD-L). When hepatocytes were incubated at 37 degrees C with 0.3 mumol/L of FBA and 0.15 mol/L of Na+, cell fluorescence increased linearly with time at a rate (U/min) of 7.8 +/- 0.5 for CGamF, 7.2 +/- 0.3 for C-NBD-L, and 13.7 +/- 1.0 for CDC-NBD-L (mean, +/- SE; n = 40 to 90). Uptake was concentration dependent for concentrations less than 20 mumol/L and was saturable. The Michaelis constant (Km) value (mumol/L) for CGamF was 10.8, for C-NBD-L was 3.8, and for CDC-NBD-L was 3.0. In the absence of Na+, the uptake rate was decreased by 50% for CGamF and by 38% for C-NBD-L; but uptake of CDC-NBD-L was unchanged and thus Na+ independent. Cellular uptake of all three derivatives was specific to hepatocytes and was absent in several nonhepatocyte cell lines. For CGamF and C-NBD-L, both Na(+)-dependent and Na(+)-independent uptake was inhibited by 200-fold excess concentrations of cholyltaurine, dehydrocholyltaurine, and cholate, but for CDC-NBD-L, these nonfluorescent bile acids did not inhibit initial uptake. The intracellular fluorescence of CGamF was strongly pH dependent at an excitation wavelength of 495 nm, but pH independent at 440 nm excitation. In contrast, intracellular fluorescence of C-NBD-L and CDC-NBD-L was pH independent. All three FBA were secreted into the canalicular space of approximately 50% to 60% of couplets. Cellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) depletion with either CN- or atractyloside inhibited secretion of all three FBA. The multispecific organic anion transporter (MOAT) inhibitor, chlorodinitrobenzene, blocked secretion of fluorescent MOAT substrates at a concentration of 1 mumol/L. At this concentration it did not affect secretion of the three FBA. At higher concentrations, chlorodinitrobenzene partially inhibited the canalicular secretion of CGamF but not the other two FBA. In conclusion, all three FBA are secreted by canalicular membrane bile acid transporters, but the sinusoidal uptake characteristics of CGamF and C-NBD-L are more similar than those of CDC-NBD-L to the transport properties of cholyltaurine. Therefore, C-NBD-L appears to be the best of the three for studies of conjugated trihydroxy-bile acid transport in hepatocytes.
Evidence for similarities and differences in the biosynthesis of fungal sterols.

Abstract The sterol composition of two ascomycetous fungi, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Gibberella fujikuroi , was examined by chromatographic (TLC, GLC, and HPLC) and spectral (MS and 1H-NMR) methods. Of notable importance was that both fungi produced cholesterol and a homologous series of long chain fatty alcohols (C22 to C30). In addition to ergosterol two novel sterols, ergosta-5,7,9(11),22-tetraenol and ergosterol endoperoxide, were isolated as minor compounds in growth-arrested cultures of yeast and in mycelia of G . fujikuroi . 24-Ethylidenelanosterol was also detected in mycelia of G. fujikuroi . A shift in sterol biosynthesis was observed by treatment with 24( RS ), 25-epiminolanosterol (an inhibitor of the S-adenosylmethionine C-24 transferase) and by monitoring the sterol composition at various stages of development. The results are interpreted to imply that the genes for 24-desalkyl, e.g., cholesterol, and 24-alkyl sterols, e.g., 24β- methyl cholesterol and 24-ethyl cholesterol, are distributed (but not always expressed) generally throughout the fungi but the occurrence of one or another compounds is influenced by the fitness (structure and amount) for specific sterols to act functionally during fungal ontogeny; sterol fitness is coordinated with Darwinian selection pressures.
The United States and theatre missile defence in North‐East Asia

(1997). The United States and theatre missile defence in North‐East Asia. Survival: Vol. 39, No. 3, pp. 66-84.
Laminoplasty for the treatment of failed anterior cervical spine surgery.

Object Cervical stenotic myelopathy can be treated via anterior or posterior approaches. In anterior cervical decompression and fusion (ACDF), because the risks and likelihood of pseudarthrosis increase with the number of treated segments, attempts are typically made to limit the number of treated levels. Thus, postoperative recurrence of myelopathy following ACDF may occur because stenotic levels were not treated or because adjacent segments have degenerated. Revision decompressive surgery via an anterior approach is one solution; however, if the stenosis involves multiple levels a posterior decompressive laminoplasty can be performed as an alternative. Methods Twenty-four cases treated over an 8-year period were identified and data were retrospectively reviewed. In 15 cases posterior decompressive surgery was necessary because of progressive spinal degeneration and stenosis (five cases following initial treatment for radiculopathy, seven after initial treatment for spondylotic myelopathy, and three due ...
Linear Melt Rheology of Pom-Pom Polystyrenes with Unentangled Branches

We measured the linear viscoelastic properties of a series of polystyrene melts with pom-pom architecture consisting of backbones ranging from marginally to well-entangled (of molecular weight Mb), endgrafted with q unentangled branches (Mbr) per backbone end. In this case, the branches relax very fast and act primarily as solvents for the backbone. Using a time-marching tube-based model, we showed that, in such a case only, the pom-pom polymer is equivalent to a blend of long (ML Mb + 2Mbr) and short (MS Mbr) linear chains with respective proportion (Mb + 2Mbr)/2(q - 1)Mbr.
Authorities in Business Ethics

It is the purpose of this study to identify the most-referenced authors, works, periodicals and publishers in business ethics. A computer analysis was made of over eight hundred references taken from fifty-seven recent articles. The result is a special type of bibliography designed to conserve time for readers in this field. The two most-cited authors were Milton Friedman and Christopher Stone; while the most-referenced works were Where the Law Ends by Stone, “Is the Ethics of Business Changing?” by Brenner and Molander, and Ethical Theory and Business edited by Beauchamp and Bowie.
Characterization of the L41 gene in Cryptococcus neoformans: its application as a selectable transformation marker for cycloheximide resistance.

A transformation system using resistance to the antibiotic cycloheximide as a dominant selectable marker was developed for the pathogenic yeast Cryptococcus neoformans. A 3.5 kb DNA fragment containing a gene encoding the ribosomal protein L41 was cloned from a wild-type strain of C. neoformans which is sensitive to cycloheximide. The open reading frame of the L41 gene contains five introns and encodes a protein of 107 amino acids, which is similar to those reported for other yeasts. The cycloheximide resistance gene to be used as a marker was constructed by replacing a DNA segment of the wild-type L41 gene, which contained the amino acid proline at its 56th position with a homologous DNA segment from a mutant strain resistant to cycloheximide that contained leucine in that position. Cycloheximide resistant transformants were obtained by electroporation on YEPD plates, supplemented with 10–20 µg/ml cycloheximide, at a maximum efficiency of 300 transformants/µg plasmid DNA. While with other genes, most transformants of serotype D in C. neoformans maintain the transforming DNA as episomes, the cycloheximide-resistant transformants were all the result of ectopic genomic integration events. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
2013 International Symposium on Computer Architecture Influential Paper Award

This column discusses an award given in 2013: the 2013 SIGARCH/TCCA Influential ISCA Paper Award, given to the authors of the paper "Pipeline Gating: Speculation Control for Energy Reduction."
Changes in ethylene and polyamines in relation to mRNA levels of the large and small subunits of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase in ozone‐stressed potato foliage

Potato plants (Solanum tuberosum L. cv‘Norland’) were subjected to acute and chronic exposures of ozone (O3). Periodically following or during the exposures, foliage of different physiological ages were sampled for tissue analysis. Measurement of the following parameters were included: ethylene, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC), N-malonyl 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (MACC), and ACC oxidase activity, putrescine, spermidine, and spermine levels, and ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity, and levels of mRNA transcripts for the large and small subunits of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) (rbcL and rbcS, respectively). Ozone increased emission of ethylene and the concentration and activity of all associated metabolites and enzymes. Putrescine titre increased in response to O3 as did ODC activity. Some increases in spermidine were also detected. Ozone decreased the levels of mRNA for rbcL and rbcS, with the latter transcript exhibiting greater sensitivity. After acute exposures were terminated, the rbcL and rbcS transcript in younger leaves returned to levels of nonstressed plants; effects were less likely to be reversed in older tissue. The potential relationship between the changes in rbcL and rbcS and ethylene and polyamines are discussed in the context of O3 induction of accelerated senescence.
Molecular electrodes at the exposed edge of metal/insulator/metal trilayer structures.

Producing reliable electrical contacts of molecular dimensions has been a critical challenge in the field of molecule-based electronics. Conventional thin film deposition and photolithography techniques have been utilized to construct novel nanometer-sized electrodes on the exposed vertical plane on the edge of a thin film multilayer structure (metal/insulator/metal). Via thiol surface attachment to metal leads, an array of paramagnetic, cyanide-bridged octametal complexes, [(pzTp)FeIII(CN)3]4[NiII(L)]4[O3SCF3]4 (1) [(pzTp) = tetra(pyrazol-1-yl)borate; L = 1-S(acetyl)tris(pyrazolyl)decane], were covalently linked onto the electrodes forming a dominant conduction pathway. A series of molecule-based devices were fabricated using Ni, NiFe, Ta, and Au as metal electrodes separated by insulating Al2O3 spacers, followed by treatment with 1. A series of control experiments were also performed to demonstrate that the conduction path was through tethered metal clusters. The molecular current was analyzed via the S...
A REMPI study of styrene(Ar)n, n=4–12 clusters

Abstract New experimental spectra for styrene(Ar) n , n =4–12 clusters have been recorded using the technique of resonant one-color two-photon ionization and time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Transition energies and spectral shifts relative to styrene have been determined and are reported. These spectra are discussed in terms of progressive solvation dynamics.
P072: Genetic environment and phenotypic analysis of a novel blaKPC variant produced by Klebsiella pneumonia

A novel variant of klebsiella pneumonia carbapeneamse (KPC) was found in multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumonia clinical isolates from Taiwan. The novel KPC variant differs from existing KPC due to substitution at position 206 (phe→Leu). Genetic environment and phenotypes were analyzed for further understanding the novel KPC variant.
Encapsulated development of the marine prosobranch gastropod Nucella lapillus

Nucella (=Thais) lapillus (L.) develops to the juvenile stage within an egg capsule. This study was undertaken to investigate nutritive and bacteriostatic properties of the intracapsular fluid for this species. Capsules were collected intertidally at Nahant, Massachusetts, USA, in the summers of 1982 and 1983. The average capsule contained only 1.1 μl of intracapsular fluid per embryo. A statistically significant correlation was observed between capsule height and number of developing embryos contained therein, although the number of embryos per capsule was more closely related to capsule volume. Total dry weight of encapsulated, shelled embryos increased exponentially as a function of shell length. However, weight increases may be entirely due to shell calcification; the average dry tissue weight of shelled embryos was significantly below that for pre-shelled individuals, suggesting a net loss of biomass during development. Aliquots of intracapsular fluid failed to inhibit the growth of the 13 bacterial strains tested. Despite the above results, pre-shelled embryos generally survived only several days following their premature removal from egg capsules at 12°C. Shelled veligers were reared outside of the capsules with no apparent ill effects. An explanation for these survivorship results is elusive.
Role of multiple trans-acting regulators in modifying the effect of the retrotransposon copia on host gene expression in Drosophila.

We have examined the combinatorial effect of five trans-acting modifiers of whiteapricot, a copia retrotransposon-induced allele of the white eye-color gene. Quantitation of steady-state levels of copia transcripts for various modifier combinations at different developmental stages using northern analysis reveals nonadditivity and epistasis. Interestingly, extensive overexpression of copia transcripts caused by the modifier Ufo is altered up to twofold in level when Ufo is combined with either of the modifiers Mow or Wow. In general, double combinations do not elevate the level of copia transcripts more than twofold. The role of suppressor mutations in modifying the effect of transposable elements on host gene expression is discussed.
Obstetric hospitalizations in the United States for women with systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis

Objective To estimate the national occurrence of pregnancies in women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to compare pregnancy outcomes in these patients with those in women with pregestational diabetes mellitus (DM) and with the general obstetric population. Methods We studied the 2002 Nationwide Inpatient Sample of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project to estimate the number of obstetric hospitalizations, deliveries, and cesarean deliveries in women with SLE, RA, pregestational DM, and the general obstetric population. Pregnancy outcomes included length of hospital stay, hypertensive disorders including preeclampsia, premature rupture of membranes, and intrauterine growth restriction. Results Of an estimated 4.04 million deliveries, 3,264 occurred in women with SLE, 1,425 in women with RA, and 13,574 in women with pregestational DM. Women with SLE, RA, and pregestational DM had significantly increased rates of hypertensive disorders compared with the general obstetric population (23.2%, 11.1%, 27.4%, and 7.8%, respectively), longer hospital stays, and significantly higher risk of cesarean delivery. Although women with SLE, RA, and pregestational DM were significantly older than women in the general obstetric population, disparities in the risk of adverse outcomes of pregnancy remained statistically significant after adjustment for maternal age. Conclusion To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine national data on pregnancy outcomes in women with common rheumatic diseases. As with underlying pregestational DM, women with SLE and RA appear to have a higher age-adjusted risk of adverse outcomes of pregnancy and longer hospital stays than do pregnant women in the general population, and careful antenatal monitoring should be performed.
Role and Optimal Dosing of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitor Therapy

An understanding of the important role of neurohormonal upregulation in disease progression in heart failure has been translated into therapeutic strategies using neurohormonal antagonists to improve cardiac function, alter disease progression, and improve survival. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, which were the first of this class of drugs proved to alter the natural history of heart failure and lead to long-term benefit, remain a cornerstone of therapy in all stages of heart failure. This article reviews the rationale for their use, key clinical trial data supporting the major role of ACE inhibitors in heart failure, and the recommended dosing in this patient population.
ASK is transportable in half a dozen ways

This paper is a discussion of the technical issues and solutions encountered in making the ASK System transportable. A natural language system can be “transportable” in a number of ways. Although transportability to a new domain is most prominent, other ways are also important if the system is to have viability in the commercial marketplace.On the one hand, transporting a system to a new domain may start with the system prior to adding any domain of knowledge and extend it to incorporate the new domain. On the other hand, one may wish to add to a system that already has knowledge of one domain the knowledge concerning a second domain, that is, to extend the system to cover this second domain. In the context of ASK, it has been natural to implement extending and then achieve transportability as a special case.In this paper, we consider six ways in which the ASK System can be extended to include new capabilities:to a new domain,to a new object type,to access data from a foreign database,to a new natural language,to a new programming language,to a new computer family.Special-purpose applications, such as those to accommodate standard office tasks, would make use of these various means of extension.
Land Transitions in the Tropics: Going Beyond the Case Studies

Estimates of the percent of Earth's land surface that has either been transformed or degraded by human activity range between 39 and 50 percent, with agriculture accounting for the vast majority of these changes. Although much of the focus of research on land use and cover change in the tropics has been on deforestation, ongoing socioeconomic changes both locally and globally have made land transitions in the tropics extremely fluid. In addition, feedbacks between land cover change and human behavior constrain the extent and trajectories of land transitions. The sustainability of land use systems in the tropics depends on an understanding of coupled human–natural systems that can lead to general frameworks for management and prediction. The unprecedented availability of land use/cover data together with ecological data collected at large spatial scales offer exciting opportunities for advancing our understanding of socioecological systems. We rely on six studies of land transitions in the tropics to illustrate some promising approaches and pose critical questions to guide this body of research.
A quiescent state of 3 to 8 MeV radiation belt electrons

During a ∼3 month period in mid-1996 outer radiation belt electrons in the energy range from ∼ 3 to 8 MeV were diffusing inward and decaying in intensity with no internal or external source. Measurements from the HIST instrument on POLAR are used to constrain a model for time dependent lossy radial diffusion of these electrons, and to obtain estimates of a parameterized radial diffusion coefficient and lifetime. For lower energy electrons, of ∼ 1 to 3 MeV, a source at L > 6 is apparent throughout most of the same period.
When Is Waiver of Consent Appropriate in a Neonatal Clinical Trial

It is difficult to do scientifically rigorous research on treatments that must be administered urgently or emergently. Therefore, such treatments are often provided without a strong evidence base. Research would be facilitated if it were permissible to waive the requirement for parental consent. However, that raises a different set of concerns. Federal regulations allow waiver of the requirement for consent but only if studies meet certain conditions. Institutional review boards must decide whether those conditions are met. Sometimes, reasonable people disagree. We present and analyze a protocol for which investigators request a waiver of consent.
Global attractivity in a nonlinear delay differential equation with applications

Abstract We establish a sufficient condition for the global attractivity of solutions of the following nonlinear delay differential equation (0.1) x ′ ( t ) = p ( t ) [ f ( x ( t − τ ) ) − g ( x ( t ) ) ] , t ≥ 0 , where τ ∈ ( 0 , ∞ ) , p ∈ C [ [ 0 , ∞ ) , ( 0 , ∞ ) ] and f , g ∈ C [ ( a , ∞ ) , ( 0 , ∞ ) ] where a ≥ − ∞ . Applications to some differential equation models derived from mathematical biology are also given.
Gastrointestinal effects of sorbitol as an additive in liquid medications

Certain sugar alcohols, notably sorbitol, are widely used as a vehicle for drugs in liquid oral dosage forms. Gastrointestinal side effects due to osmotically active excipients have been described, but remain an underappreciated cause of diarrhea. Quantitating amounts of sorbitol is difficult due to a lack of compendial listings of such information. A computer search of Physicians' Desk Reference monographs was conducted to identify products that listed or potentially contained sorbitol as an inert ingredient. Standard form letters and telephone calls were used to collect information on the sorbitol content of products identified. Data were compiled for 142 products, and each value was converted to mg/mL as crystalline sorbitol. Some difficulty occurred obtaining requested information from some manufacturers in their effort to maintain product formulation confidentiality. Pharmaceutical manufacturers should recognize that technically inert ingredients are not necessarily pharmacologically inactive. Manufacturers should therefore comply with requests for, and more openly publish, quantitative information regarding such ingredients, to facilitate the assessment and treatment of patient symptoms.
Juvenile hormone esterase activity and ecdysteroid titer in Heliothis virescens larvae injected with Microplitis croceipes teratocytes

Juvenile hormone esterase (JHE) activity in the hemolymph of 5th-instar Heliothis virescens larvae injected with Microplitis croceipes teratocytes was inversely related to the number of teratocytes injected. JHE activity in the hemolymph of larvae injected with 750 3-day-old teratocytes (the approximate number from one parasitoid embryo) was depressed to less than 5% of those levels found in control larvae. During the latter portion of the digging stage and in the burrowing-digging (BD) stage JHE activity in larvae treated with 350 teratocytes was approximately 40% of control values. However, injection of 180 teratocytes did not significantly affect JHE titers. Two-day-old teratocytes caused the greatest reduction in JHE titer with decreasing effects observed with injections of 3- to 6-day-old teratocytes. Nevertheless, because 2-day-old teratocytes were difficult to separate from host hemocytes, 3-day-old teratocytes were used in most of these studies. Injections of nonparasitized H. virescens hemolymph plasma, Micrococcus luteus bacterial cell walls, washed M. croceipes eggs, or teratocytes from Cotesia congregata did not depress JHE titers. Teratocyte injections also significantly reduced growth of host fat body. Ecdysteroid titers in cell formation, day 2 (CF2) larvae injected as new 5th instars with 350 3-day-old teratocytes failed to increase, as compared to noninjected and saline-injected controls. An injection of 1 μg/larva of 20-hydroxyecdysone at the BD stage permitted normal pupation in 50% of the teratocyte-treated larvae as compared to 0% pupation for teratocyte-treated control larvae not treated with 20-hydroxyecdysone. Teratocytes seem to be responsible for the inhibition of JHE release and thus indirectly impact on ecdysteroid titers. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A placebo for the pain: a medico-legal case analysis.

Objectives. The objectives of this medico-legal case report are to consider the current status of the use of placebos in pain medicine from clinical, ethical, and legal perspectives. The focus of the analysis is a particular case in which the deceptive use of placebo pain therapy on an adolescent gave rise to professional grievances filed by the patient's mother against the physician who ordered and several nurses who administered the placebo. The medical board declined to take disciplinary action against the physician, and disciplinary action by the board of registered nursing against the nurses was successfully challenged by two of the charged nurses in an administrative review. While there is a growing literature that challenges the need for or justification of the deceptive use of placebos, the practice continues and, as the case under consideration indicates, retains some influential supporters. Design. This is a case report from a community hospital. The patient, referred to here as KC, was an adolescent with migraine headaches. The substitution of a placebo (saline solution) for an opioid analgesic (morphine) was made during KC's treatment. Results. The patient's pain subsided sufficiently following the administration of a placebo to permit his discharge from the hospital. The subsequent discovery by the patient's mother of the deceptive use of a placebo prompted her to file charges of professional misconduct against the treating physician and three nurses with their respective professional licensing boards. The medical board declined to take disciplinary action against the physician, and the disciplinary action by the board of registered nursing was successfully challenged in a ruling by an administrative law judge following a hearing in which expert witnesses took conflicting positions on the acceptability of the deceptive use of a placebo. Conclusion. While there is a developing literature that challenges the ethical legitimacy of the deceptive use of placebos in pain medicine, that literature has yet to be recognized as unqualifiedly setting the standard of care or of professionalism in medicine and nursing.
What is in a name: The impact of job titles on job evaluation results

The effect of job title status on job evaluation ratings was examined. Eighty-six personnel management students used the Factor Evaluation System (FES) to evaluate two job descriptions. One of three different forms of a secretary and accountant job description, differing only on the status of the job title, was randomly assigned to the subjects. The results showed that job title status significantly influenced job evaluation ratings for both the accounting and secretarial jobs. The implications of these findings are discussed and recommendations are made to avoid the contamination of job evaluation results by job title status.
What cancer patients want to know: national strategies and individual needs

Leydon and her colleagues present a provocative analysis of the information needs and information-seeking behavior of 17 cancer patients in a London oncology clinic. Through careful framework analysis of patient interviews, the authors identify 3 themes to explain the common observation that different patients want different amounts of information at different times during their illness. Faith in physician expertise, the threat that bad news can impose on hope, and a sense of charity toward the needs of sicker patients appear to limit these cancer patients' pursuit of information. The authors present their findings in the context of exploring a national health care information strategy for cancer patients. In helping to better understand the needs of vulnerable patients, this well-done study serves an important function. However, it is a qualitative study of a small number of patients in London, so the generalizability of its conclusions must be questioned. The study's findings may not apply to patients from other demographic backgrounds and to populations outside England. Information-seeking, hope, and support issues appear to be different for men and women and vary according to the age of the patient. The authors promise an evaluation of sex differences in a forthcoming study. Other demographic issues that should be explored include language, race, ethnicity, economic status, and education level. Other sources of belief and understanding, such as religious faith and social support, are also likely to be important. Beyond these demographic issues, the themes of faith, hope, and charity are universal in the physician-patient relationship, and they are important in the care of patients in the United States.
Wavelet transform approach to video compression

In this research, we propose a video compression scheme that uses the boundary-control vectors to represent the motion field and the embedded zerotree wavelet (EZW) to compress the displacement frame difference. When compared to the DCT-based MPEG, the proposed new scheme achieves a better compression performance in terms of the MSE (mean square error) value and visual perception for the same given bit rate.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Development approaches and the role of policy advocacy: The case of the World Bank

Abstract This paper addresses policy innovation in international organizations and explains it in terms of four factors: independence of the IO within the international regime of which it is a member; external pressure; the consistency of new issues with organizational goals and procedures; and internal policy advocacy. Internal policy advocacy, not often considered in the development literature, is seen as an intervening variable between the first three factors and the response to innovation. The first section of the paper addresses the conditions under which IOs respond to new issues, using different combinations of these four factors, with examples. The second section focuses on a case study on internal advocacy efforts in the World Bank by a group of staff members to incorporate sociological issues, especially in the area of involuntary resettlement and tribal populations' rights. While external pressure played a large role in putting pressure on the World Bank, these insiders were the ones who introduced the issues in ways that fit the goals and procedures of the World Bank in an otherwise resistant environment and forged links with outside allies, thereby contributing to new policy guidelines, to the hiring of more staff with social science training, and, in general, to the increased legitimacy of these issues in the World Bank.
Universality classes for spreading phenomena: A new model with fixed static but continuously tunable kinetic exponents.

A new and quite tractable model for spreading phenomena is proposed, which contains as a special case the Eden model and a model for epidemics. Two exponents are defined, one static and one kinetic ("growth"). The surprising feature is that the kinetic exponent can be continuously tuned while the static one does not change. Thus the dynamic universality classes are quite independent of the static one. This is the first one-cluster growth model showing dynamic universality classes unrelated to static ones and thereby yields insight into a generic feature for growth models.
Infrared spectro-polarimeter

A revolutionary technique for snapshot imaging spectro-polarimetry has been developed at the University of Arizona due to the recent availability of large focal plane arrays and greater computing performance on research workstations. The technique involves the combination of an imaging polarimeter with computed tomography imaging spectrometer (CTIS). This spectro-polarimeter uses modulation to encode the spectral dependence of all four Stokes parameters into a spectrum. CTIS is a snapshot imaging spectrometry method in which both spatial and spectral information is reconstructed using the inverse mathematical technique of medical computed tomography. The combination of these techniques provides the basis for a snapshot imaging complete Stokes spectro-polarimeter that can be implemented with no moving parts for the infrared spectrum.